Who Was Your Reader Superhero?

Over at Trevs Literary Review, Trev posed the question of what writer inspired you to write. And really, it made me think of other readers and bloggers, and flipping the whole idea on its head.

Hence the question: What person influenced you to read?

Who has been the singular person who has stood by you and your library cravings? Who has held your hand and helped you along the way in navigating the fascinating world of books?

I know for me it was two main people: My mother and my father. My father had this crazy idea that he should force his children to go the library every summer, pick up a book, and write a book report on it. I don't know the exact moment where my father knew I loved reading and stopped requiring me to write a book report, but I remember lugging at least five books out of the library every summer and smiling every time we had to go. I just loved going to the library and my father is the one who introduced me to it. And I'll always love him for being a supporter of my (often crazy) reading habits.

My mother was an unknown supporter of my romance reading habits. I remember when I was around 12 years old, finishing up a book, and frustrated that I didn't get any more from the library. I was a huge lover of science fiction and fantasy back then. Anyway, I was looking around for a book and a noticed this huge box of books with half naked Native Americans on them. At first, I thought they were just Native American historical novels since I seriously had a dislike for romance novels (for no good reason) so I picked it up and read it. And then a miracle happened: I fell in love with historical romance novels. Couldn't get enough of them.

So now that I shared my story, now it's time to share yours.

Who was your reader superhero?

Author Interview: Annalise Grey

Please welcome to A Three Way Tie, the wonderful author, Annalise Grey!

Pennsylvania native, dreamer, explorer.

I write because I like talking to the voices in my head. They are (usually) good company. I love to travel (when I have the $ for it). My family is everything to me.


When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve been writing (mostly poetry) since I was a kid. My first “novel” was a crime drama called Silent Witness. The main character was a mute woman who witnessed a murder. I was 10 when I wrote it. But even when I wasn’t putting words to paper, I was running around the woods pretending to be an Indian Princess and creating storylines in my head.


What was the hardest part of writing your book? What was the easiest?

The hardest part has been the editing. Rereading your own work over and over gets a little tiring because you already know what happens. There isn’t a build-up —an emotional investment — like there is when you read a book for the first time. It’s hard to sit back and view your work as a new reader would.

    

Interestingly, the easiest part was writing the most tragic events. I found that it was a smoother, easier process writing about all the bad stuff that happens to Sophie and her family. Raw emotion just flowed into the pages as I wrote. These scenes affected me deeply but they were the ones that I felt happened without me having to force them. 

What music do you listen to while you write?

I have several Pandora Internet Radio stations that I listen to depending on the scene I’m writing. Each station is built around the following songs: “Dietro Casa” by Ludovico Einaud, “Meteor Shower” by Owl City, “Three Cheers For Five Years (Acoustic)” by Mayday Parade, and “Where I Stood” by Missy Higgins. When I’m rereading and/or editing, I always listen to classical music. I have to have some piano music playing in the background in order to write. Otherwise I can’t concentrate.


What inspires you?

My family, first and foremost! I have two older sisters, a step-sister, and a sister-in-law who counts as a fourth sister. I also have two younger brothers. Most of us live within a mile of each other (my one brother is my next-door neighbor). Our family is a tight-knit unit. My Pappy and Grandma are the quintessential Patriarch & Matriarch. They helped raise me and my siblings as their second set of kids. In fact, the Matthews pack from my book Howl is directly based on my own family and our relationships.


Do you have any hidden talents?

I can bend my pinky fingers all the way back – does that count? LOL! Actually, I’m an avid crocheter. I create my own patterns for hats, scarves, ponchos, etc.


What are your current projects?

 I finished a manuscript called Gettysburg After Dark which is about ghost experiences I have had during my seven years as a ghost tour guide in Gettysburg, Pa. I’m in discussion with a publisher so keep your fingers crossed for me!!


What book are you reading now?

Right now I am reading The Matchmaker’s Mark by Regan Black.


Quick: Vampires or Shapeshifter? Why?

Shapeshifters. Because I love the idea of changing your being without it being permanent. Once you’re a vamp, you’re always a vamp. No fun. J


Do you have any advice for other writers?

Just keep writing, no matter what. I write because I like getting to live other people’s lives along with them. Same reason I’m a reader. It’s escapism at its simplest form. And it’s mine. Let it be whatever it is for you just don’t stop.


Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I hope you enjoy reading my work as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

 

 

Cover Artists Anyone?!

Well, as you can probably tell by the title, I've been struggling with finding a cover artist. I did hire one cover artist (who shall not be named) who doubled the price on me at the last minute.

So I'm on the hunt for a cover artist for Angel Diaries. If you know a cover artist who will be reasonable in price, who loves to design paranormal romance books or dark fantasy young adult genre, then please feel free to leave a comment here.

I know most people are probably looking at my past few weeks and going, "Gee, you've had a rough couple of weeks."

Well, what is my favorite phrase: A writer's work is never done. Nor has anyone said it's easy.

Being a writer is all about flexibility and perseverance. You hit a lot of stumbling blocks as a writer and it's our job to keep going. 

A character won't talk to us? Time to interview with him/her.

A book fails? Time to snatch it off the shelf and play doctor.

A book isn't selling? Time to go to the Kindleboards and ask what others think.

So this is me being flexible. Or at least trying my best to be. 

Anyway, if you know any cover artists, then drop a comment! :D No really, drop a comment. 

Guess who has two thumbs and has a new review? This girl! Check it out here!

Author Interview: Michael Meyer

Please welcome to A Three Way Tie, Michael Meyer!

Mike Meyer recently retired from a 40-year career as a professor of writing, amassing numerous teaching awards along the way from both his students and his colleagues. He lives in the Southern California wine country with his wife, Kitty, and their two other cats.
This biography was provided by the author or their representative.


When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing at the age of ten, when I self-published my first book, a short synopsis of California history. My parents bought the only copy I printed, and I was delighted. My parents were both teachers, so books were an important part of my childhood. 

I have always been fascinated by language. Creating human beings and plots very much appeals to me. I love to read what others have created, and I thoroughly enjoy my own writing. I still get a kick out of reading my own published works.


What was the hardest part of writing your book? What is the easiest?

The hardest part to me is finishing it. First of all, there are so many ways to end a piece of writing, so coming up with the best is quite difficult. In addition, I am a reader as I write, not knowing for sure where things are heading. If you have ever felt sad when you have completed a book that completely thrilled you, then that’s how I feel when I finally finish a book. 

The easiest for me is…well, none of it really comes easy. Writing, very simply, is hard work.


 What music do you listen to while you write?

I listen to the verbal sounds of the words in my mind, trying to string my sentences together in the most creative fashion. The words that dance around my mind as I create are the only music I hear as I write.


What inspires you?

Everything inspires me. I am a great observer of life and of the people around me. A bird’s nest on a boulder in the midst of a rushing stream inspires me. The first growth sticking its head up after a terrible forest fire inspires me. I walk for exercise early each morning, and as I walk I am thinking. It is a rare day that I do not run upstairs and begin writing something that popped into my head while exercising.


Do you have any hidden talents?

I can eat the hottest food on earth. I love spicy food. In Thailand a few years back, people surrounded my table in a restaurant and marveled at how I could eat food as hot, if not hotter, than they. And, of course, my talent as a writer is not hidden, so that doesn’t count, does it?


What are your current projects?

I am two-thirds of the way through a murder mystery set on the island of St. Croix, where I was a professor at the University of the Virgin Islands. It is entitled THE DEADLY EYES OF ST. CROIX. I hope to have it published by Amazon Kindle by this summer.

    

What book are you reading now?

Actually, I am rereading the most recent scenes of THE DEADLY EYES OF ST. CROIX, adding, deleting, and revising as I go along.


Quick: Vampires or Shapeshifter? Why?

Shapeshifter. This allows so much for the imagination. I can be catlike and prowl during the night. There are just so many possibilities. Besides, I really don’t care much for the taste of blood, though I must admit that I am partial to Bloody Marys.


Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write, write, and write. It’s hard, but that’s what needs to be done. It is very easy to think of other things that need your attention, but you must remember: a writer is a person who writes.


Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Please check out my Amazon author’s website. You might just see a book there you like. If you do, I would love to hear what you think about it. As an Indie writer, I depend upon word-of-mouth advertising, and honest reviews are absolutely wonderful.

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005E7M8CW

How to Deal with a Crazy Ex: A Guest Post by Sabrina Jackson

Please welcome to A Three Way Tie, the brilliant author, Sabrina Jackson!

How to Deal with a Crazy Ex 

Exes. We all have them. And if yours just happens to be fit for a strait jacket and a few steps away from spending a medicated life in a padded-cell, then you might be on the verge of going crazy yourself. So when your phone is ringing nonstop at 3:00 a.m., he’s showing up at your door begging for you to take him back, getting your name tattooed across his chest or even threatening to sabotage your new relationship, then keep yourself from joining him in the loony-bin by checking out the following ways to deal with a crazy ex:

Decide if you can be friends. 

Salvaging a friendship after a break-up can be difficult because often times feelings that are more than friendly can still remain between the former couple. But if your break-up was on good terms, you’ve taken some time to heal and you still want the guy in your life, then think about the possibility of being friends. If you both agree that you can handle a mature, healthy friendship then go for it! However, if the adjective of “crazy” fits far too perfectly in front of your ex’s name and it goes farther than just him being distraught after breaking-up, then you might want to consider changing your name and moving to a remote location in Montana. Kidding, but if he’s truly nuts, then a friendship or any kind of contact at all might not be in the cards. 

Explain to him the meaning of the word “break-up.” 

It’s called a break-up because it’s broken. So if it can’t be fixed and you are ready to move on but your crazy ex is hampering you from doing so, a face-to-face conversation to further discuss feelings might be in order. If you have zero desire to interact with your ex anymore and a casual friendship isn’t an option for you, do your best to explain that the way for both of you to recover from the break-up is to actually follow through with the break-up and give each other the space needed to heal.

Cut all communication. 

 If the attention you are receiving from your ex post-breakup is unwanted and going to extreme levels, make sure that you aren’t feeding into it by responding to his efforts. If you just recently broke up, it’s not too out of the ordinary for exes to make contact when they are feeling down and missing you (who wouldn’t miss you, right?)—but if you are receiving excessive texts, emails, Facebook messages, calls and maybe even smoke signals, ask him nicely to cut it out. If he doesn’t heed to your polite request, then consider blocking him from your phone and inboxes.


Be the bigger person. 

When your ex is being immature or pitifully trying to get back at you for ending the relationship, resisting the urge to curse his name, bash him to the world and divulge to every single one of your mutual friends his deepest, darkest secrets can be very difficult—but resist you must. No matter how the relationship can to an end or no matter just how psycho your ex may be, remember that he is still a human being and retaliating or engaging in child-like behavior can do nothing but start a full-out war that you might not be ready to fight. You may think you’re hurting him, but the truth is that you will only be hurting yourself. Don’t waste your precious time or energy stooping to his level—instead, take the high road, hold your head up with class and move on, sister!



Sabrina Jackson is guest post author who enjoys writing about dating and relationships. In addition, Sabrina also owns Best Free Dating Sites where she provides information to online singles about safely dating on the web.

New Review for Everblossom!

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