Category: Uncategorized

Books I Read as a Teenager — Open Book Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

As I’ve mentioned on here previously, as a kid I read constantly. Frequently a book a day. So it should be no surprise that I sometimes read books that were technically above my age level. Some that i even hid from my mother, because I figured that she’d take the book away from me.

One of those books was Hawaii by James Michener. I read the book the summer after eighth grade. For those of you who have never read the book, it’s a sweeping saga of the history of Hawaii, approximately 1000 pages long, sex included. I devoured it, and finished reading the book in about three days (including a weekend.)

After that, I became more “adventuresome” in my book selection, although my choices were somewhat limited because I got most of my books from the school library. A Catholic school. No sex in those books. But that was alright, because I could find books that were written for more mature readers and therefore held my attention.

My mother was also a big reader, so I also started hitting up her bookshelf. And the books that no longer fit on the shelves and were being stored in the attic. That’s where I found “Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott. It’s based in the era of knights and chivalry and Robin Hood. It was first published in 1820, but the copy I read was produced in 1928. How do I remember that? I don’t. I now own the book. It has a few pages missing, and is definitely worse for the wear, but it now has a place on my bookshelf.

The reason Ivanhoe stuck in my mind is that it didn’t have a happy ending for all the characters. Rebecca, who was quietly in love with the knight Ivanhoe, and knowing it would never work out between the two of them, gracefully bows out of the picture. I always felt bad for her, but admired her bravery.

(This isn’t the edition I own, but it’s in the spirit of the 1928 version.)

One last book before I close. Somewhere around my senior year of high school, i picked up a copy of Bury My Heart at Wooded Knee by Dee Brown. It was the era of the Vietnam War, but civil rights was still a very much discussed topic, but no one talked about the Indians—now called Native Americans. It was an eye opener for me, and to this day I pay more attention than many people to the ongoing battles that Native Americans have to fight to retain their culture in today’s society. It may have been what influenced me to have Native American references in my first book, Wolves’ Pawn.

Feel free to tell me about how the books you read as a teenager in the comments below. And to find out what our other authors have to say, follow the links below.

June 6 How the books you read as a teenager affected you. Could also be how they influence your writing now.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:


Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Books I Read as a Teenager — Open Book Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

As I’ve mentioned on here previously, as a kid I read constantly. Frequently a book a day. So it should be no surprise that I sometimes read books that were technically above my age level. Some that i even hid from my mother, because I figured that she’d take the book away from me.

One of those books was Hawaii by James Michener. I read the book the summer after eighth grade. For those of you who have never read the book, it’s a sweeping saga of the history of Hawaii, approximately 1000 pages long, sex included. I devoured it, and finished reading the book in about three days (including a weekend.)

After that, I became more “adventuresome” in my book selection, although my choices were somewhat limited because I got most of my books from the school library. A Catholic school. No sex in those books. But that was alright, because I could find books that were written for more mature readers and therefore held my attention.

My mother was also a big reader, so I also started hitting up her bookshelf. And the books that no longer fit on the shelves and were being stored in the attic. That’s where I found “Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott. It’s based in the era of knights and chivalry and Robin Hood. It was first published in 1820, but the copy I read was produced in 1928. How do I remember that? I don’t. I now own the book. It has a few pages missing, and is definitely worse for the wear, but it now has a place on my bookshelf.

The reason Ivanhoe stuck in my mind is that it didn’t have a happy ending for all the characters. Rebecca, who was quietly in love with the knight Ivanhoe, and knowing it would never work out between the two of them, gracefully bows out of the picture. I always felt bad for her, but admired her bravery.

(This isn’t the edition I own, but it’s in the spirit of the 1928 version.)

One last book before I close. Somewhere around my senior year of high school, i picked up a copy of Bury My Heart at Wooded Knee by Dee Brown. It was the era of the Vietnam War, but civil rights was still a very much discussed topic, but no one talked about the Indians—now called Native Americans. It was an eye opener for me, and to this day I pay more attention than many people to the ongoing battles that Native Americans have to fight to retain their culture in today’s society. It may have been what influenced me to have Native American references in my first book, Wolves’ Pawn.

Feel free to tell me about how the books you read as a teenager in the comments below. And to find out what our other authors have to say, follow the links below.

June 6 How the books you read as a teenager affected you. Could also be how they influence your writing now.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Beck Holland- After the Storm

  By Uncategorized

Today I’m tickled to present Beck Holland’s character interview. Beck
Holland is the leading man in After the Storm, which will release as
part of our anthology, Stories of Sun, Sand, and Sea. He comes from a
well-known family and resides in Ember Cove, Alaska, where he’s lived
his entire life. When he’s not playing handyman, you can find him
playing guitar and singing in the local bar.

Q:
“Pull up a chair and let’s break the ice shall we? If you were
stuck in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and you had three people
to help you fight of the zombie horde, who would they be?
A:
“Do they have to be real or fictional? Don’t believe in zombies,
but should all my intuition on such things be wrong…I’m going to
mix it up with some real and some fictional people. First I would
choose Charlene McCann, because she’s pretty fierce when she wants to
be and I hear she’s a wicked shot. That guy from the Walking Dead
that all the chicks go nuts for…what’s his name? Right, Daryl
Dixon. Last I would have to choose Travis because although he’s a
pain in the ass, he’s good in a fight.”
Q:
“So Beck, are you a clothes in the hamper or on the floor?”
A:
“Typically the clothes go in the hamper, but it would depend on my
day went and how anxious I was to get out of my clothes. My mother
was firm on certain things when I was growing up, and now that I live
on my own, they’ve kind of stuck.”
Q:
“What is your biggest fear? What frightens you the most?”
A:
“Never being able to outrun the legacy of womanizing that the
Holland men are known for. I would love to be able to prove my dad
wrong and make a relationship stick for the long haul.”
Q:
“What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?”
A:
“Watching a movie, in bed, with my girl cuddled up next to me.
There is nothing like it.” Beck leaned back in the chair. “Wow.
Never thought I’d hear something like that come out of my mouth.”
Q:
“What’s your favorite comfort food?”
A:
“Homemade Barbeque Chicken Pizza. Has to be on a thin crust
though. Most people in my family think it’s disgusting, but once I
was introduced to it, I was hooked.”
Q:
“Have you ever Googled yourself?”
A:
“No. Don’t want to know what exists out there on the World Wide
Web about yours truly. I’m sure there are plenty of things that
depict a side of me, I’d rather forget.”
Q:
“If I give you a time machine, what time period and in what
place would you travel
to?”
A:
“I wouldn’t go back too far. I wish I was living in the fifties.
Classic cars, chicks in poodle skirts or pedal pushers, leather
jackets, and old fashioned rumbles.”
About
Kinsey Corwin
Kinsey
Corwin is a contemporary romance author who lives in Las Vegas with
her two boys. She dreams of moving back to Texas, where she and her
kids could enjoy the waters in the Gulf of Mexico. You will find that
Kinsey is really drawn to small town stories, beaches, and
cowboys…she blames this on her love of Texas and the character one
can find in the small town settings.
Keeping
Up With Kinsey
kinseycorwin@gmail.com
Kinsey’sWebsite & Blog
Kinseyon Facebook
Kinseyon Twitter

And don’t forget the pre-order contest  and giveaway. You can find the details HERE

Beck Holland- After the Storm

  By Uncategorized

Today I’m tickled to present Beck Holland’s character interview. Beck Holland is the leading man in After the Storm, which will release as part of our anthology, Stories of Sun, Sand, and Sea. He comes from a well-known family and resides in Ember Cove, Alaska, where he’s lived his entire life. When he’s not playing handyman, you can find him playing guitar and singing in the local bar.

Q: “Pull up a chair and let’s break the ice shall we? If you were stuck in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and you had three people to help you fight of the zombie horde, who would they be?
A: “Do they have to be real or fictional? Don’t believe in zombies, but should all my intuition on such things be wrong…I’m going to mix it up with some real and some fictional people. First I would choose Charlene McCann, because she’s pretty fierce when she wants to be and I hear she’s a wicked shot. That guy from the Walking Dead that all the chicks go nuts for…what’s his name? Right, Daryl Dixon. Last I would have to choose Travis because although he’s a pain in the ass, he’s good in a fight.”
Q: “So Beck, are you a clothes in the hamper or on the floor?”
A: “Typically the clothes go in the hamper, but it would depend on my day went and how anxious I was to get out of my clothes. My mother was firm on certain things when I was growing up, and now that I live on my own, they’ve kind of stuck.”
Q: “What is your biggest fear? What frightens you the most?”
A: “Never being able to outrun the legacy of womanizing that the Holland men are known for. I would love to be able to prove my dad wrong and make a relationship stick for the long haul.”
Q: “What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?”
A: “Watching a movie, in bed, with my girl cuddled up next to me. There is nothing like it.” Beck leaned back in the chair. “Wow. Never thought I’d hear something like that come out of my mouth.”
Q: “What’s your favorite comfort food?”
A: “Homemade Barbeque Chicken Pizza. Has to be on a thin crust though. Most people in my family think it’s disgusting, but once I was introduced to it, I was hooked.”
Q: “Have you ever Googled yourself?”
A: “No. Don’t want to know what exists out there on the World Wide Web about yours truly. I’m sure there are plenty of things that depict a side of me, I’d rather forget.”
Q: “If I give you a time machine, what time period and in what place would you travel
to?”
A: “I wouldn’t go back too far. I wish I was living in the fifties. Classic cars, chicks in poodle skirts or pedal pushers, leather jackets, and old fashioned rumbles.”
About Kinsey Corwin
Kinsey Corwin is a contemporary romance author who lives in Las Vegas with her two boys. She dreams of moving back to Texas, where she and her kids could enjoy the waters in the Gulf of Mexico. You will find that Kinsey is really drawn to small town stories, beaches, and cowboys…she blames this on her love of Texas and the character one can find in the small town settings.
Keeping Up With Kinsey

And don’t forget the pre-order contest  and giveaway. You can find the details HERE

Memorial Day Open Book Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

First, I apologize for the crummy quality of the following picture. It’s the only one I could find on line.

See that memorial in the background?  The brick wall with the flags in front of it? And the metal marker on it?

I went by that location every day on my way to school and home again. Before the the wall to honor those who died in the Vietnam conflict ever existed, the town I grew up in had its own version to honor those who died serving our country. It was a limited version, and only listed those from our local city. It honored those who died in WW I, WW II and Korea.

 As we went by in the school bus, I’d often look out the window and try to make out a name or two. I was rarely successful. But I never stopped to read the list on the rare occasions when I walked by the location.

Sometime after I left the area, a separate memorial with the names of those local residents who died in Vietnam were added. Why the separate marker? I don’t know the official reason, but my rational mind tells me there were too many names to add to the existing plaque.

So when I think of the real reason for Memorial Day, my first thought is always that lonely marker sitting at the end of a bridge. I don’t know that I ever saw anyone there, but it was always neat. And I like to believe, that as long as that marker exists, we will continue to honor the sacrifice those men made.

Added: I found a second picture of the WW II marker. It’s not a better picture, but it will give you more of the detail. A humble remembrance to those who served and died.

To see what other authors have to say, follow the links below.

May 30 Memorial Day (US) – If you’re not American, you can participate (I promise). This could be how you spend Memorial Day. It could be a tribute to the military fallen (which is Memorial Day in the US). It could be the history of Memorial Day. It could be a tribute to someone in your life who has passed (which is what Memorial Day started as). See, nobody gets left out.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Memorial Day Open Book Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

First, I apologize for the crummy quality of the following picture. It’s the only one I could find on line.

See that memorial in the background?  The brick wall with the flags in front of it? And the metal marker on it?

I went by that location every day on my way to school and home again. Before the the wall to honor those who died in the Vietnam conflict ever existed, the town I grew up in had its own version to honor those who died serving our country. It was a limited version, and only listed those from our local city. It honored those who died in WW I, WW II and Korea.

 As we went by in the school bus, I’d often look out the window and try to make out a name or two. I was rarely successful. But I never stopped to read the list on the rare occasions when I walked by the location.

Sometime after I left the area, a separate memorial with the names of those local residents who died in Vietnam were added. Why the separate marker? I don’t know the official reason, but my rational mind tells me there were too many names to add to the existing plaque.

So when I think of the real reason for Memorial Day, my first thought is always that lonely marker sitting at the end of a bridge. I don’t know that I ever saw anyone there, but it was always neat. And I like to believe, that as long as that marker exists, we will continue to honor the sacrifice those men made.

Added: I found a second picture of the WW II marker. It’s not a better picture, but it will give you more of the detail. A humble remembrance to those who served and died.

To see what other authors have to say, follow the links below.

May 30 Memorial Day (US) – If you’re not American, you can participate (I promise). This could be how you spend Memorial Day. It could be a tribute to the military fallen (which is Memorial Day in the US). It could be the history of Memorial Day. It could be a tribute to someone in your life who has passed (which is what Memorial Day started as). See, nobody gets left out.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:


Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Meet Talia Johnson And a Giveaway!

  By Uncategorized



This week I’m presenting the second in a series of character interviews from the Sun, Sand and Sea anthology. It’s Valerie J. Clarizio’s turn, and she’s here with her character, Talia Johnson.

First, a quick note about Talia. Talia grew up on a dairy farm in Door County Wisconsin. Her love for the outdoors guided her to her career as a Park Ranger in Peninsula state park. She’s twenty-five years old. Her hobbies are hiking, biking and drifting away to alternate realities with good books.

1. What is your biggest fear? What frightens you the most?

My biggest fear is love lost. My mom died several years ago and it broke my heart, and it nearly killed my dad. They were so in love.

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself as the head ranger for either Peninsula Park or Newport State Park. I want to be in charge of my own park.

3. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Dark chocolate–I crave it daily.

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was young my parents would take me to the stock car races every Saturday night in summer. I was convinced I should be dirt track racer. As I got a bit older I thought roller derby might be the way to go.

5. What is your favorite pet?

I grew up with German Shepherds, they’re awesome dogs–smart and protective.

Talia Johnson is the main character in Pandemonium on the Peninsula which is a short story set in Door County Wisconsin and will soon be released in a romance anthology featuring 11 beach stories. The anthology is titled Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea…11 Beaches where anything can happen.

Valerie J. Clarizio Bio

Valerie Clarizio lives in romantic Door County Wisconsin with her husband and two extremely spoiled cats. She loves to read, write, and spend time at her cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

She’s lived her life surrounded by men, three brothers, a husband, and a male Siamese cat who required his own instruction manual. Keeping up with all the men in her life has turned her into an outdoors enthusiast, of which her favorite activity is hiking in national parks. While out on the trails, she has plenty of time to conjure up irresistible characters and unique storylines for her next romantic suspense or sweet contemporary romance novel.

Connect with Valerie:

Website blog
Facebook

And now for the Giveaway! Help us reach our goal for pre-orders, and enter to win prizes, including PayPal money and signed paperbacks by the contributing authors. See details and links to pre-order the book here Giveaway

Meet Talia Johnson And a Giveaway!

  By Uncategorized





This week I’m presenting the second in a series of character interviews from the Sun, Sand and Sea anthology. It’s Valerie J. Clarizio’s turn, and she’s here with her character, Talia Johnson.

First, a quick note about Talia. Talia grew up on a dairy farm in Door County Wisconsin. Her love for the outdoors guided her to her career as a Park Ranger in Peninsula state park. She’s twenty-five years old. Her hobbies are hiking, biking and drifting away to alternate realities with good books.

1. What is your biggest fear? What frightens you the most?

My biggest fear is love lost. My mom died several years ago and it broke my heart, and it nearly killed my dad. They were so in love.

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself as the head ranger for either Peninsula Park or Newport State Park. I want to be in charge of my own park.

3. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Dark chocolate–I crave it daily.

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was young my parents would take me to the stock car races every Saturday night in summer. I was convinced I should be dirt track racer. As I got a bit older I thought roller derby might be the way to go.

5. What is your favorite pet?

I grew up with German Shepherds, they’re awesome dogs–smart and protective.

Talia Johnson is the main character in Pandemonium on the Peninsula which is a short story set in Door County Wisconsin and will soon be released in a romance anthology featuring 11 beach stories. The anthology is titled Stories of Sun, Sand and Sea…11 Beaches where anything can happen.

Valerie J. Clarizio Bio

Valerie Clarizio lives in romantic Door County Wisconsin with her husband and two extremely spoiled cats. She loves to read, write, and spend time at her cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

She’s lived her life surrounded by men, three brothers, a husband, and a male Siamese cat who required his own instruction manual. Keeping up with all the men in her life has turned her into an outdoors enthusiast, of which her favorite activity is hiking in national parks. While out on the trails, she has plenty of time to conjure up irresistible characters and unique storylines for her next romantic suspense or sweet contemporary romance novel.

Connect with Valerie:

Website blog
Facebook

And now for the Giveaway! Help us reach our goal for pre-orders, and enter to win prizes, including PayPal money and signed paperbacks by the contributing authors. See details and links to pre-order the book here Giveaway

Outlining A Story — #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

Welcome to anyone new dropping by, and welcome back to anyone who has dropped by before. For those of you who don’t know, each week a group of authors talk about a common subject. It’s wonderful to see how alike and how different we are week to week!

This week we’re talking about how we outline a story. For those of you who don’t know, authors tend to fall into two groups: plotters or pantsers. Plotters are those who outline their books, and know the complete plot (for the most part) and everything about the characters before they begin writing Pantsers, on the other hand, are those who write by the seat of their pants. They may have a general idea of what the story is about, but fill in the details as they write.

And I’m a pantser. I may have a beginning and an end to my stories when I start writing, but I rarely know what’s going to happen in the middle. I listen to my characters as I write. Yes, my characters talk to me and no, I’m not crazy.

That means outlining isn’t really a “thing” for me. And occasionally my characters surprise me and I have to go back and rewrite a chapter or two. For example, in my last book, Wolves’ Knight, my main character had a very different idea about where she wanted her love life to go than I did. We had a discussion—okay, we argued about it—and naturally Tasha won. It was her life, after all, and her story.

That doesn’t mean that I allow my characters to completely take over. I’ve had to override Gavin Fairwood, the alpha of the Fairwood pack, a time or two. He’s still not happy about it.

The book I’m currently working on, the next story in the Oak Grove series, was a little more structured when I started. I had a general outline for the main plot—in my head, but not on paper—when I started. I’m about 3/4ths of my way through the first draft, and I’ve been able to stick to the main plot. Some of the subplots, on the other hand, have ended up going places I never expected.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the others on this hop have to say. You can find out too, by following the links below

May 23, 2016 – Your process for outlining a story.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
WordPress:



Custom Blog:


Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Outlining A Story — #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

Welcome to anyone new dropping by, and welcome back to anyone who has dropped by before. For those of you who don’t know, each week a group of authors talk about a common subject. It’s wonderful to see how alike and how different we are week to week!

This week we’re talking about how we outline a story. For those of you who don’t know, authors tend to fall into two groups: plotters or pantsers. Plotters are those who outline their books, and know the complete plot (for the most part) and everything about the characters before they begin writing Pantsers, on the other hand, are those who write by the seat of their pants. They may have a general idea of what the story is about, but fill in the details as they write.

And I’m a pantser. I may have a beginning and an end to my stories when I start writing, but I rarely know what’s going to happen in the middle. I listen to my characters as I write. Yes, my characters talk to me and no, I’m not crazy.

That means outlining isn’t really a “thing” for me. And occasionally my characters surprise me and I have to go back and rewrite a chapter or two. For example, in my last book, Wolves’ Knight, my main character had a very different idea about where she wanted her love life to go than I did. We had a discussion—okay, we argued about it—and naturally Tasha won. It was her life, after all, and her story.

That doesn’t mean that I allow my characters to completely take over. I’ve had to override Gavin Fairwood, the alpha of the Fairwood pack, a time or two. He’s still not happy about it.

The book I’m currently working on, the next story in the Oak Grove series, was a little more structured when I started. I had a general outline for the main plot—in my head, but not on paper—when I started. I’m about 3/4ths of my way through the first draft, and I’ve been able to stick to the main plot. Some of the subplots, on the other hand, have ended up going places I never expected.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the others on this hop have to say. You can find out too, by following the links below

May 23, 2016 – Your process for outlining a story.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use ?#?OpenBook? when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:

Custom Blog:

Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code