Guest Post: author Jan Romes discusses where she gets ideas for her books

Today I warmly welcome author Jan Romes again to Marcia’s Book Talk for a guest post. Jan will be discussing how she arrives at ideas for her books, which is a fascinating process indeed, and something all writers have a different take on, making this an endlessly fruitful topic. For more about this, I will now let Jan elaborate upon the details in her great essay below…

Jan Romes, formal author photograph

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Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

by Jan Romes

Recently, a relative tried to pin me down with this particular question. I grinned and said, “Ideas just pop in.” That answer wasn’t sufficient. She wanted more. ‘No, really. Where do you get them?’ As we rode around the campground on the golf cart, I explained more in-depth. (Her inquiry prompted this post.)

So here goes…

A hundred people can stare at an abstract painting and try to decide what the artist was trying to convey. Each person looking at it will most likely offer a different suggestion. Writers are kind of like that. We can look at a painting and form an opinion, which can morph into an idea for a story. The same thing can happen when we read a poem or newspaper article. All of us get a visual from something we see or hear, but writers take it one step further and add words to the mental picture.

My relative still couldn’t wrap her head around the notion stories come to me so easily. As we sipped on drinks and took in the sights and sounds of the campground, I told her a story was coming together at that very moment, which involved witness protection. She swiveled her body to look me in the eye. ‘You mean to tell me that riding around on the golf cart prompted a story about witness protection?’

TEXAS BOYS FALLING FAST series by Jan Romes

And so it goes. I’m currently writing that story.

Another question she needed an answer to was, ‘How can you write about a fashion designer or an OB/GYN, when you have little knowledge of those careers?’ My response, “Ideas are easy; research not so much. Character and plot development are more difficult as well.”

In our conversation, I gave other examples of where stories can be spawned from: unusual architecture, a new place I’ve visited, revisiting a place from the past, a dream that won’t let me alone, a person I’ve seen in the park, a person I’ve seen while shopping, the atmosphere in a restaurant – the list is endless and the opportunities to write about them are great.

At the end of our talk, she shook her head with a smile. ‘I still don’t understand, but I’ll take your word for it.’

I’m passionate about writing and I love to talk about the process. I might befuddle you with my answers, but I’ll always try to explain things the best I can.

I’ll leave you with this quote by Anais Nin, ‘We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.’

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Jan Romes links

Jan’s website

Jan’s Blog

Jan Romes on Twitter

Jan Romes on Facebook

Jan’s Amazon Author Page

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Guest Post: author Doug J. Cooper discusses the use of vignettes from CRYSTAL REBELLION

In today’s guest post, I warmly welcome author Doug J. Cooper to Marcia’s Book Talk. Doug, author of science fiction novel CRYSTAL DECEPTION, its sequel CRYSTAL CONQUEST and prequel CRYSTAL HORIZON, discusses the use of vignettes in his upcoming release CRYSTAL REBELLION, and their effectiveness in providing background and depth to characters in a story. This is very pertinent information that I am sure readers and writers will find extremely useful. For more about this subject, here is Doug with his great insights into this topic…

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Joy of the Vignette

Doug J. Cooper

 

Thank you, Marcia, for inviting me to your blog. I appreciate the opportunity to share my writing with you and your readers.

My latest book, Crystal Rebellion, is moving through the editing process for release on August 31, 2016. While writing the book, I learned something about myself: the joy I feel when my task for the day is to write a vignette.

These are backstory snapshots from a character’s life that afford readers insight into motives and behaviors. I get a thrill from the burst of creativity that accompanies developing these formative experiences. They tend to be very personal and revealing incidents, and so I learn something about the characters as the piece unfolds. Each vignette emerges over the course of a few hours, filling me with a sense of accomplishment at the end.

In the remainder of this post, I present three of my favorite vignettes from the new book, one for each of the human members of Criss’s leadership.

The first one is a rather dramatic example of a defining vignette. It’s about Cheryl, a tough, accomplished, and physically lovely ex-Fleet captain. As a member of Criss’s leadership, she can give him orders. And he, an artificial intelligence with the cognitive ability of a thousand humans, can provide her pretty much whatever she desires.

In this scene, she and Sid, another member of Criss’s leadership, are trying to get a brain reader to work. Their success is vital to the security of Earth. We join them in the cage where they’ve worked a long day struggling with the technology.

CRYSTAL HORIZON by Doug J. Cooper

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When Cheryl couldn’t connect, Sid moved the chairs around the room looking for a sweet spot of maximum signal strength. Then they adjusted the settings on the ops panel in a systematic fashion to be sure they tried every combination.

Frustration grew as the hours passed. Then Sid—Cheryl couldn’t say why the comment even had relevance—suggested that she “just relax and let it happen.” He might as well have slapped her.

Beyond the fact that the statement implied that their problems were her fault, the words themselves were a trigger phrase for her.

She’d snuck out from her parent’s home when she was fourteen to meet James—eighteen and gorgeous. He started molesting her the moment they were alone and she’d fought him like a wild cat, knees and elbows swinging everywhere. Then he’d wrapped a huge hand around her neck and used those same words.

Sitting in the cage, she flashed a memory of the fear that had pierced through her as he’d leaned in for a kiss. Puke and liquor. His breath smelled awful.

And she remembered running home wondering how she would explain the bloom of ruby-colored blood on her blouse. She’d head-butted his face with her forehead, breaking his nose with a sickening crack.

Standing up from her chair, she let Sid see her ire. “I’m taking a break.”

Get it together, she scolded herself as she left the room.

CRYSTAL DECEPTION by Doug J. Cooper

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I told you! Dramatic and defining for Cheryl, creative and emotional for me to write. And perhaps one reason why she grew to become a tough, confident military officer.

This next scene is on the lighter side. It develops the relationship between Sid and Criss. As it turns out, Criss is not only smart, but also a sentient AI, which means he, too, has thoughts, motives, and feelings. And Sid, who once served as a covert warrior in the Defense Specialists Agency, now considers himself to be in the security business, with Cheryl and Juice as his only clients (Juice is the third member of Criss’s leadership, introduced next).

Sid is strong, decisive, and deadly, and he has a bit of a maturity problem, treating Criss more like a frat brother than anything else. Criss rises to the challenge as we see in this next vignette. As an aside, Criss is a master of technology, so he can appear as a projected image just about anywhere he wants.

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Criss shifted to the common room and projected himself robed in a traditional Japanese gi. Sid arrived moments later, stretched, and squared up in front of the heavy bag Criss had readied for him. Sid began a slow punch-and-kick routine as he warmed up. Criss mimicked him on the other side of the small room.

When they’d first worked out together on the bag years ago, Criss had analyzed Sid’s every twitch and tell. He used that knowledge to predict the next moves Sid would make, then he performed them first, a fraction of a second earlier.

To an observer, this tactic made Sid look like he was following Criss’s lead, and it annoyed him to no end.

Challenged, Sid began planting false signals. Criss read past the deception, but his lead over Sid decreased. Buoyed by his success, Sid drew on the same gut-level instincts that guided his well-honed intuition, except here he used his instincts in an inside-out fashion, driving behavior so random that it stumped Criss.

Now, during workouts, the two moved as one. Kick, feint, punch, punch. Jumping and spinning in one motion, they both delivered a roundhouse kick to their bag. Thwack.

“Walk me through it again,” said Sid. “And this time start at the beginning.”

CRYSTAL CONQUEST by Doug J. Cooper

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In the scene above, we learn about a time when Criss teased Sid. The tables are usually turned, however, with Sid giving Criss a hard time.

And then there’s Juice, the third member of Criss’s leadership. She is the scientist who created Criss (with help from alien technology) and is the free-spirit of the group, with no military training and no desire to learn. In this scene, she is in the process of rekindling a romantic relationship with Alex, who is first introduced into the story line in Crystal Rebellion, and we learn a bit about their shared past.

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“Oh my God, Alex,” she said, looking at a crinkled sheet of paper stuck among a collection of items. “You kept that, too?”

Using his knee for support, she stretched forward and read aloud the words scrawled in her own handwriting across the top of the page. “The laws of life.”

Years ago, they’d been at a pub in Boston sharing a pitcher of local brew and having a deep, philosophical discussion. During a spirited exchange that extended into a second pitcher, they’d crafted the three laws. Juice had acted as scribe that evening, documenting their work on a piece of scrap paper atop a table sticky with beer.

In a theatrical voice, she read the laws aloud. “One. Life is a trip, enjoy the ride. Two. Strengthen society so more can ride. Three. Don’t detract from other people’s rides.” She nodded. “They still work for me.”

For weeks after, they’d made references at work that only they understood, like, “That jerk is messing with my ride.” It had been a silly but wonderful time of sharing.

Her hand still on his knee, she turned in her chair to face him. His cheeks reddened.

Is he ever going to kiss me? she thought.

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So there you have it, special moments in the lives of the characters of the Crystal Series as revealed in the next saga, Crystal Rebellion, coming August 31. I enjoyed writing them and appreciate the chance to share some of my personal favorites.

Thanks again for hosting me, Marcia. I invite your readers to learn more about my books with a visit to my main portal at CrystalSeries.com.

The Books of Doug J. Cooper

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Doug Cooper Links

Author Website

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads Author Page

Doug’s Twitter page

Crystal Series Twitter Page

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Post: author Eichin Chang-Lim answers questions about her books and writing

In today’s guest post, I have the immense pleasure of welcoming author Eichin Chang-Lim to Marcia’s Book Talk. Eichin, author of the TOUCH SCRATCHES book series and FLIPPING, answers questions about her books, her thoughts on writing, and favorite pastimes. I will now allow Eichin to elaborate on the details…

Eichin Chang-Lim, author photograph

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Q: For how long have you been writing?

A: I have done “unpublished,” mumbling kind of writing for about 15 years, just to transpose my inner thoughts into written words. Serious writing started about six years ago.

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Q: What inspired you to write your latest book?

FLIPPING by Eichin Chang-Lim

A: The seeds of my latest book, Flipping, were there way before I wrote Tough Scratches. I infused much of my personal experience into Flipping, especially the part about raising a special-needs child, walking alongside him during his growing-up years, learning to let him go, and seeing him struggle to spread his wings and fight to be independent and be loved.

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Q: What do you especially love about writing?

A: Writing is a form of art. Being an artist is sharing one’s soul with others; at the same time, it’s therapeutic. I enjoy being an artist more than being in any other profession.

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Q: Which of your books is your favorite, and why?

A: Flipping, by far. I think it has more depth and layers than Tough Scratches.

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Q: Who are your favorite authors?

A: I read a broad array of genres, and my favorite authors change from time to time. If I have to pick one at this very moment, I would say Kazuo Ishiguro. However, my favorite book is All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. I have found many aspiring Indie authors with great works, and I am fond of a few of them. I earnestly support Indie authors.

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Q: Do you have any upcoming releases that you would like to tell readers about?

TOUGH SCRATCHES (Book One) by Eichin Chang-Lim

A: I am co-authoring with my good friends to share our experiences of raising a special-needs child. It’s not a “how-to” book. Our desire is to let other parents in a similar situation to know that they are not alone. In the meantime, I am in the beginning stage of my fourth novel.

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Q: Will you be writing any shorter works in the future?

A: Not in the immediate future, but it’s something that has been dancing in my head for a while.

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Q: Being an optometrist, have you found any parallels between optometry and writing from your experience? Has one field complemented the other in ways you originally never thought possible?

A: The answer is yes and yes. I cannot tell you how much I love my day job and how much my patients enriched my life. I appreciate every person for giving me the privilege to look into his/her eyes, which are the windows to the soul. (I know, it may sound like a cliché.)

The anatomy of human eyes remains almost the same, yet no two pairs of eyes are identical. The soul carried by the owner of the eyes is unique. Every soul is precious and is a living story from which to learn. I usually ask my patients, “How is life treating you?” instead of “Any complaints about your eyes?” I learn of their stories this way. Inevitably, I modify, dramatize and incorporate their stories into the characters of my books.

Writing arouses my imagination and creativity, and my experience as an optometrist enriches and enhances my writing through the stories I hear and the people I meet. These two professions run parallel and yet complement each other more than I initially thought they would.

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Q: What do you like to do in your spare time to unwind?

TOUGH SCRATCHES (Book Two) by Eichin Chang-Lim

A: Two major activities: listen to music and workout.

Honestly, I cannot live without music. I love many kinds of music, especially classical music and opera. My favorites are from the Classical and Romantic eras. My favorite operatic composer is Verdi.

In terms of workout, it’s a “work” to me, and I have to kick my rear-end to do it, just because I “have to” do it to keep my energy up. I do dance aerobics two-three times a week and weight lifting at least five days a week. I also do stationary biking while reading (yes, multi-tasking). Due to time restraints, all the workouts are done at home; I am not a gym person. The outdoor sports I enjoy are golfing and biking, but they are time-consuming.

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Q: Do you have any favorite TV shows, either from the past, or currently on the air?

A: I love comedies. My favorite one is The Big Bang Theory.

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Eichin Chang-Lim Links

*Twitter

*Amazon

*Amazon UK

*Goodreads

*Eichin’s website

*Eichin’s blog

 

Guest Post: author Linnea Tanner discusses the background to the APOLLO’S RAVEN book series

In today’s guest post I have the great pleasure of welcoming author Linnea Tanner to Marcia’s Book Talk. Linnea, author of the upcoming historical fantasy series APOLLO’S RAVEN, provides an examination of the history and mythology of the Celts which she undertook in preparation for writing her books, which makes for fascinating reading. And for more on the topic, over to Linnea…

Linnea Tanner, author photograph

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Introduction

Linnea Tanner’s historical fantasy, APOLLO’S RAVEN, is the first book in a multi-series that is planned to be published later this year. This is an epic odyssey of romance, adventure, and political intrigue of a Celtic warrior princess who must draw on her mystical powers to save her kingdom and her love, the great-grandson of Mark Antony, from the Roman Legions at his father’s command.

In preparation for the series, Linnea conducted research on the history and mythology of the Celts relevant to 1^st Century Britain before the Roman invasion in 43 AD. An overview of her research is provided below.

Challenges

The Celtic mystique conjures images of magic, warriors, castles, and animal guides. It is based on the rich mythology of a people who at one time spread from the British Isles across continental Europe to Russia and Turkey. The Celts dominated Europe for over 500 years and their presence had a profound impact.

A major challenge of the research is the Celts passed down their history and mythology through oral traditions. Although Celts had a common language, there were regional differences and outside forces influenced how their societies evolved.

Most of Linnea’s research had to be gleaned from biased accounts by Greek and Roman historians, medieval writers who spun Celtic mythology to fit their Christian beliefs, and archaeological interpretation. Linnea also visited many areas in the United Kingdom and France to fill in the gaps.

Collapsed White Cliffs Britain

Noble Warrior Society

Archaeological artifacts suggest the Celts had a warrior aristocracy with a high standard of living. The Greek historian Poseidonius writes, “The Celts engage in single combat at dinner. Assembling in arms, they engage in mock battle drill and mutual thrust and parry, Sometimes wounds were inflicted, and the irritation caused by this may even lead to the killing of the opponent, unless they were held back by their friends.”

Julius Caesar emphasized the ritualistic nature of the Celtic warrior’s sacrifice. It was not intended as butchery but rather served a specific purpose for the warrior. The sacrifice represented a gift to the gods. The higher the value of the gift the more powerful was the gods’ favor. If a warrior fulfilled his vow of offering his captive as a sacrifice in the presence of Druids, his status was enhanced in this world and the Otherworld.

Statue of Dying Gaul

Political Systems in Britain

The political systems for southeast Celtic tribes evolved differently than those in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Following Julius Caesar’s military expeditions to southeast Britain in 55-54 BC, the Roman Empire greatly influenced the politics and trading in this area. Many rulers were obligated to pay Rome a yearly tribute—a stated sum as the price of peace, security, and protection. Part of this tribute was for British rulers to send hostages to Rome where many of them were acculturated in Roman traditions. Hence, many of the Celtic aristocrats spoke Latin and were educated in Roman households.

Below is a map of Ancient Britain that shows the major Celtic tribal territories in southern Britain.

South Britain

Rise of Kings

Between the time of Caesar’s expeditions (55-54 BC) and Claudius’ invasion (43 AD), powerful Celtic kings expanded their territories and minted coins. Many of them adopted the Empire’s taste for luxury goods. To support their extravagant lifestyles, pro-Roman kings warred with other tribal territories to capture and to sell their people as slaves to the Roman Empire.

Although there are no written accounts of any Roman expeditionary forces being sent to Britain between Caesar’s expeditions and Claudius’ invasion, there are accounts of British client kings pleading for Rome’s intervention to restore them to power after they were disposed.

Of interest, Shakespeare’s play, Cymbeline, is based on the British King Cunobelin, referred as the King of Britain by Romans. One of the plot points in the play is Roman forces invade to restore tribute that Britain ceased to pay. It is possible that this scenario was adapted from a medieval tale that may have had some truth.

Role of Women

Although the southeast tribal societies in Britain were becoming more paternalistic, women were held in high esteem. They could hold various positions, own their own property, and rule. Classical writers described Celtic females as not only strong and courageous warriors, but they were beautiful with comely bodies.

Roman Historian Marcellinus wrote a lively description of Celtic woman in battle as follows: “…a whole band of foreigners will be unable to cope with one [Celt] in a fight if he calls on his wife, stronger than he by far and with flashing eyes; she swells her neck and gnashes her teeth, and poising her huge white arms, begins to rain blows mingled with kicks like shots discharged by the twisted cords of a catapult.”

Although the female heroine Catrin in APOLLO’S RAVEN is fictional, there are written accounts of famous Celtic warrior queens. The most famous is the Iceni Queen Boudica. She united the Britons in 61 BC and almost expelled the Romans. Roman historians described her as a powerful druidess who sacrificed to the war goddess Andaste.

Boudica statue

Fantastical Elements

The fantastical elements of APOLLO’S RAVEN are based on the mystical powers of heroes and heroines described in Welsh and Irish legends. Magical abilities include shapeshifting, calling upon forces of nature, and druidic sleep to force someone to tell the truth.

The Celts were ritualistic and offered votives and sacrifices to the gods for good fortune. One of the Celtic rituals at the start of APOLLO’S RAVEN is the Celtic king walks over a bed of burning coals without burning his feet, a good omen for the justice he is about to administer.

There are over 300 documented names of Celtics gods and goddess. Many of these overlap with Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. Near Edinburgh, there was a stone dug up with the inscription to Apollo Grannus.

Grunstrup Cauldron

Belief in Reincarnation

According to Julius Caesar, the bravery of the Celts sprang from their lack of fear of death because they believed their souls never died. Diodorus Siculus emphasized the Celtic belief in metempsychosis was similar to the beliefs of the Greek philosopher Pythagorus. He believed the soul was immortal and went through a series of reincarnation in either animal or plant forms. Some scholars have suggested that the doctrine of transmigration taught by Pythagoras may actually be Druidic philosophy that he learned from Abaris—a Celtic healer, seer, and priest of Apollo.

Concluding Remarks

One of Linnea’s greatest pleasures in creating the historical fantasy APOLLO’S RAVEN was discovering the similarities of mythology and religious beliefs between the various cultures. The research spurred additional plot lines in the series.

For those interested in her research, visit APOLLO’S RAVEN: http://www.linneatanner.com/blog/

Below are representative resources which Linnea has used in her research on the Celts:

References

1. Stephen Allen, Celtic Warrior—300 BC – AD 100; Osprey Publishing, New York
2. Peter Berresford Ellis, The Druids; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 1995.
3. Steve Blamires, Magic of the Celtic Otherworld; Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, MN, 2009.
4. Julius Caesar, translated by F. P. Long, The Conquest of Gaul; United States: Barnes & Noble, Inc., 2005.
5. John Davies, The Celts: Prehistory to Present Day; Sterling Publishing Co., New York, 2005.
6. Cassius Dio: The Neronian Revolt of the Iceni under Suetonius Paullinus; Book LXII, Chapters 1-12 (AD 61)
7. Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain, translated with an introduction by Lewis Thorpe; Penguin Books, New York; first published 1966.
8. Ammianus Marcellinus: The Roman History of Ammianus Marcellinus, published in Vol. I, the Loeb Classical Library edition, 1935; Book XV, 12 The Manners and Customs of the Gauls.
9. David Miles, The Tribes of Britain, Phoenix, Imprint of Orion Books, Ltd., London, UK, 2006.
10. Tacitus: The Rebellion of Boudica (AD 60-61); [from the Annual by Tacitus (AD 110-120), Book XIV]; Athena Review Vol. 1, No. 1.
11. John Toland, A Critical History of the Celtic Religion and Learning; Alba Craft Publishing, Scotland, 2001.
12. Graham Webster, Boudica: The British Revolt Against Rome AD 60; Reprinted by Routledge, London, 2004.

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Bibliography

Linnea Tanner is a native of Colorado where she attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Chemistry. She also attended the University of Northern Colorado for a teaching certificate in science. After working in the pharmaceutical industry, she decided to pursue her passion for writing historical fantasy based on her lifelong passion of Ancient Roman and British history and mythology.

Linnea’s epic historical fantasy, Apollo’s Raven, is a 5-part series spanning 24-40 AD in Celtic Britain and the Roman Empire. The epic is inspired by a heroine created by Linnea as a child and her love of the rich mythology of ancient civilizations. The series is based on historical accounts and legends of Celtic women warriors. She has done extensive research and traveled to the United Kingdom and France. The manuscript of the first novel in the series (Apollo’s Raven) is completed. Books 2 (Empire’s Anvil) and Book 3 (Black Fire) are drafted.

Linnea is a member of Lighthouse Writers, Pikes Peak Writers, Historical Novel Society, Crested Butte Writers, Northern Colorado Writers, and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Currently, she and her husband live in Windsor, CO and have two children and six grandchildren. Her interests include ancient and medieval history, action movies, flamenco dancing, music, athletics, gardening, and floral arranging.

To keep up-to-date with the latest news on the development of the Apollo’s Raven epic series,

please visit and sign up for the FREE e-Bulletin:

http://www.linneatanner.com/blog/

You can also follow us on Facebook:

 https://www.facebook.com/apollosraven

Linnea is also on twitter here.

Guest Post: author Margaret Kaine shares her thoughts on writing and books

In today’s guest post, I have the great pleasure of welcoming novelist Margaret Kaine to Marcia’s Book Talk. Margaret, author of romance novels A GIRL OF HER TIME, FRIENDS AND FAMILIES, DANGEROUS DECISIONS, RING OF CLAY, RIBBON OF MOONLIGHT, and ROSES FOR REBECCA, amongst her works, answers questions about her books, and discusses her thoughts on writing. Without any further ado, I will now allow Margaret to elaborate upon the details…

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Q: For how long have you been writing?

A: About 25 years, and I bless the urge I had to become a storyteller. Entering the publishing world has enriched my life in so many ways. I’ve met so many fascinating people and when the writing itself is going well, there’s no buzz quite like it.

FRIENDS & FAMILIES by Margaret Kaine

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Q: What inspired you to write your latest book?

A: Having written seven regional sagas set in the mid-1900’s I felt an urge to try something different, more cosmopolitan, to introduce glamour and intrigue. The Edwardian era has always held a fascination for me, and I loved doing the research for Dangerous Decisions, describing the elegant fashions, the amazing number of courses served at dinner parties, and of course the beautiful great houses. The aristocracy  certainly knew how to live in style. But supporting that lifestyle would be a veritable army of servants, domestic service then being the main employment. Sadly, many of the aristocracy and landowners exploited those who worked for them but there were also, as in Dangerous Decisions, those more enlightened.

DANGEROUS DECISIONS by Margaret Kaine

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Q: What do you especially love about writing?

A: I never cease to be amazed how a story can grow and characters develop purely out of my imagination. I don’t plot my novels, I like the story to be a journey of discovery for me in the same way that it is for my readers. The ability to create another world is a precious gift that I only wish I had discovered earlier in my life.

ROSES FOR REBECCA by Margaret Kaine

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Q: Which of your books is your favorite, and why?

A: I suppose one’s debut novel must always occupy a special place in your heart. Ring of Clay was begun just after I lost my mother. The major character of Rose is based on her and I found this helped me during that first year of bereavement. I was born and educated in Stoke-on-Trent known also as the Potteries, where Ring of Clay and several other of my books are set, and for me every chapter is full of nostalgia. This was the novel that I nicknamed ‘boomerang’ because it was rejected so often. Yet once published, it went on to win the Romantic Novelists Association New Writer’s Award in 2000 and the Society of Authors’ Sagittarius Prize in 2002. I am a Taurus and we are sometimes called stubborn. I prefer the word determined, and it was my strong belief in this novel that eventually brought its outstanding success.

RING OF CLAY by Margaret Kaine

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Q: Who are your favorite authors?

A: My favourite reads seem to be governed by different phases of my life. As a young girl, it had to be Louisa M Alcott because ‘Little Women’ had such an influence on me, that I not only named my daughter after Jo March, but my first heroine was called Beth. Later, I loved Norah Lofts, Anya Seaton, Susan Howatch, Catherine Cookson and the Jilly Cooper early novels. I’m an eclectic reader and now try to keep up with contemporary writers, constantly impressed by the wealth of new writing talent out there.

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Q: Do you have any upcoming releases which you would like to tell readers about?

A: I have just completed another Edwardian novel, which begins with a young girl incarcerated in a workhouse since the death of her mother. When a wealthy visitor to the institution offers her employment as a scullery maid, neither of them realise just how their lives will become entwined. A deeply enjoyable book to write and I hope to read, my proposed title is The Black Silk Purse, but it is early days yet and I can only hope that the publisher won’t wish to change it!

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Q: Will you be writing any shorter works in the future?

A: I don’t have any plans at present for a novella, although I’m beginning to realise that they are very popular as ebooks. So I might consider one. I still write the occasional magazine short story – which is how I began writing and learned its craft.

A GIRL OF HER TIME by Margaret Kaine

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Q: What do you like to do in your spare time to unwind?

A: To read, including poetry. I also enjoy playing chess especially with music softly playing and a glass of wine at hand. I try to socialise otherwise writing can be a lonely  profession, have lots of ‘writing friends’, walk whenever possible (I’m afraid I’ve never been any good at sport), and love to spend time with my husband and family. We are lucky enough to have a son, a daughter and two wonderful grandchildren.

RIBBON OF MOONLIGHT by Margaret Kaine

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Q: Do you have any favorite TV shows, either from the past, or currently on the air?

A: Presently we have an inspiring series, ‘Call The Midwife’, and also the entertaining ‘Mr Selfridge’. I also find relaxing and uplifting the Andre Rieu Concerts on Sky Arts. And then of course I was totally absorbed in ‘Downton Abbey’.

I’ve watched the soap, ‘Coronation Street’ from its first episode in 1960. The original ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ was a great favourite and the mesmerising ‘House of Eliot’. So it would seem that I was fated to eventually write about the Edwardian era!

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Margaret Kaine Links

*Twitter

*Goodreads

*Margaret’s website

*Amazon UK

*Amazon US

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Guest Post: author Dianna Bellerose offers a preview of her book THE LIGHT WITHIN

Today we warmly welcome author Dianna Bellerose to Marcia’s Book Talk. Dianna, author of books dealing with social issues such as domestic abuse in FIRE AND ICE,  and alcoholism in its sequel ASHES AND ICE, provides a sneak peek into her new age and spirituality-themed book THE LIGHT WITHIN. It is a great book for everyone who wants to change their life, and take it in a different direction. Without any further ado, Dianna will inform us about THE LIGHT WITHIN…

Dianna Bellerose, author photograph

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The information contained inside THE LIGHT WITHIN is based on my life, no fiction, but has examples of people whom I was able to help.

THE LIGHT WITHIN by Dianna Bellerose

The book has also questions and space to write in the book, no diary is needed.  Here is a short excerpt below:

“Each of us is born with amazing traits which we all forgot about because of the difficult times or painful events. Whatever the reason might be, we all have the capacity to bounce back and not allow darkness and negativity to alter our perception. When we align with the laws of the Universe which is a pivotal requirement in the process of creating the best possible existence for ourselves and the society, and then we will see the difference we all desire.”

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Book Links

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Guest Post: author Nicola Yeager discusses the music from CHRISTMAS AT CAROL’S

Today we warmly welcome author Nicola Yeager to Marcia’s Book Talk. Nicola, the author of contemporary romances such as PICTURE IMPERFECT, AFFAIRS OF THE HEART and SUMMER LOVING, provides a guide to the music for her latest release CHRISTMAS AT CAROL’S. An entertaining account with a definite French twist, without any further ado, I will now allow Nicola to elaborate on the details…

Nicola Yeager, twitter avatar

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Christmas at Carol’s – The Musical.

A little guide to the music featured in Christmas at Carol’s by Nicola Yeager.

CHRISTMAS AT CAROL’S by Nicola Yeager

In my latest novel (Christmas at Carol’s, in case you missed it being mentioned twice above), one of the ideas that chef Carol Gabriel uses to improve her Bistro’s fortunes at Christmastime is to select some appropriate seasonal French music to play in the restaurant. As Carol’s mother puts it: ‘Keep it French. Don’t make it blatantly Christmassy. Make it unusual. Make it part of the whole experience. Make it memorable. Make it nostalgic. Make it magical.’

People who have read the book have often been curious about the music, a lot of which is relatively unknown in the UK and the US, so I thought I’d give a little background to a few of the pieces mentioned. I don’t speak French, by the way (OK, I did it in school, but you know…), but I can still enjoy and appreciate music which is sung in French (and sometimes spot the odd word that I recognise and, furthermore, understand!)

What I’ve chosen is a real mix ‘n’ match, so here, in no particular order…

‘Ah! Les Crocodiles.’ by Luce.

I have to say it – I love Luce. Her new album ‘Chaud’ is never off my stereo at the moment. She’s a former winner of Nouvelle Star (a bit like American Idol, I guess) and this song is from an album (La Fabrique à Comptines) of French children’s songs, none of which I was familiar with. She’s accompanied by music played on toy/children’s instruments and the album has twelve songs and then the tracks again but without the singing. It’s so quirky and weird that it always brings a smile to my face.

‘Gymnopédies Number Three’ by Erik Satie (played by Peter Lawson).

Chosen over the more popular ‘Gymnopédies Number One’ (one of those pieces of piano music that you’ve heard loads of times but are never sure who it’s by or what it’s called), this is a slow, gentle and very French piece. Composer Erik Satie was one of the avant-garde crowd in early twentieth century Paris and was a mate of Ravel, Cocteau and Picasso. All his stuff is lovely: I think of it as being ideal Sunday morning music. He always wore the same velvet jacket and was quite a heavy drinker, being a big fan of absinthe like many other artists of the time.

‘Fondu au Noir’ by Couer de Pirate.

Couer de Pirate (Pirate’s Heart) is the stage name of Béatrice Martin, a Canadian singer-songwriter who sings mostly in French. Her style of singing is closer to the older chanson style than most of her contemporaries and she is credited to bringing it to the attention of a new, younger audience. Although still only twenty-six, she’s been playing since she was fifteen, when she was a member of the post-hardcore band December Strikes. Her latest album, ’Roses’, has just been released.

‘Boum!’ by Charles Trenet.

Charles Trenet was a pretty famous French singer/songwriter in France, mainly in the nineteen thirties, forties and fifties. He wrote all his own songs, which was fairly unusual in those days. His best-known song is probably ‘La Mer’, which has been covered by many other singers and translated into English as ‘Beyond the Sea’. More recently, his song ‘Boum!’ was used in the Bond film Skyfall and was a favourite of demented baddy Silva (played by Javier Bardem), who was fond of blasting it from his helicopter.

‘Tous les Garçons et les Filles.’ by Françoise Hardy.

Born in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, Françoise Hardy has been a popular singer and cultural icon since the early nineteen sixties. This song, probably her most well-known in the UK, is about a girl who has never known love and her jealousy when she sees happy couples walk by hand in hand and looking into each other’s eyes. All her albums are still available and the double CD set ‘Françoise Hardy – The Vogue Years’ is well worth checking out.

‘Joe le Taxi.’ by Vanessa Paradis.

Recorded when she was only fourteen in nineteen eighty-seven, and reaching number three in the UK charts, ‘Joe le Taxi’ was the real start of Vanessa’s career both in music and in film, although she had already appeared singing on French television when she was eight years old. I’ve only just discovered her French language albums recently, though have been a long-term fan of the nineteen ninety-two Lenny Kravitz produced album ‘Vanessa Paradis’. Notice I didn’t mention Johnny Depp at all during this bit!

Christmas at Carol’s can be found on Amazon by clicking on this link: viewBook.at/ChristmasAtCarols

Find Nicola Yeager on Twitter – @NicolaYeager