– Dale Carnegie
Friday, April 27, 2018
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The Write Way Cafe
Thursday, April 26, 2018
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By:
The Write Way Cafe
Getting to Know Kathleen Kaska
The Write Way Café welcomes Kathleen Kaska, who knows about timing and putting passion into writing.When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book?
I’ve always wanted to write but I didn’t have the courage to start until my early forties. By that time, I was comfortable with a teaching job and didn’t have to bring home a lot of school work.
What was your path to getting this book written and published? What type of research did you do?
Run Dog Run was actually the first book I wrote. Then came books two and three in the series. I put them on the backburner after receiving a few rejections, and let them simmer for almost eight years. I went on to write my Sydney Lockhart mysteries, then decided it was time to take another look at Run Dog Run. I felt it was a strong mystery with a popular social cause. I revised and polished the manuscript and sent it to Black Opal Books. They offered me a contract and things started to roll.
It’s always about timing.
My research involved delving into the world of greyhound racing. I visited a racetrack outside of Houston, read books on the subject, and interviewed people involved in greyhound rescue.
Where did the idea for your story come from?
I used to volunteer for Wildlife Rescue, Inc. when I lived in Austin and became interested in animal rights. A fellow teacher used to bring his greyhound to school. He taught sixth graders, an age where kids sometimes have too much energy. I always knew when he had his dog in the classroom because the noise level decreased tremendously.
Why did you pick the setting you did?
I wanted a strong, vivid setting for the story and I wanted the story set on a Texas ranch. The Hill Country west of Austin was an ideal place. I chose the small town of Wimberely after writing an article about the area.
Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
My protagonist, Kate Caraway, is imaginary. But she possesses many of my traits. We are both believers in animal rights. We’re also runners, healthy eaters, and terribly acrophobic. The last trait plays an important part in the second Kate Caraway mystery, A Two Horse Town, which takes places in the Pryor Mountains of Montana. That book, also published by Black Opal Books, will be out next year.
Did you face any blocks while writing the book, and if so, how did you handle them? If not, what's your secret?
My first agent turned down the book because he said I editorialized too much. He was right. I toned it down and sent it to a second agent who loved the book, but she was new at her job and unable to sell it. That’s when I decided to give it a rest.
What have been surprises you've encountered while writing the book and after?
I had an agent tell me that I should market the book as a thriller. Although flattering, that really surprised me. There are several fast-paced and tense scenes, but I felt that the book fit better as a traditional mystery. Then, after the book was published, I had a few readers tell me they liked the story because it was so gripping. So, I guess that agent was right.
What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world; about animal rights, greyhounds, and being an activist?
I learned that when writing fiction, I could not follow an outline and plan everything that was going to happen in advance. I had to just start writing and see where my characters took me. I also decided that putting too much authorial intrusion into my writing wasn’t a technique that worked for me. As far as the greyhounds, I learned about the mistreatment many endure. I know several people who have adopted retired racers and was surprised that they were not openly critical of the racing industry. The reason is that they have to remain on good terms with the adoption organizations they work with in order to acquire the dogs for adoption.
Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
I write from a desk in my room. The space is small, but I make it work. One day I hope to have a big room with a long table so I can lay out all my works in progress and see them displayed rather than having them in file folders.
What are some of your favorite books and why?
There are a variety of subjects I enjoy. I’m fortunate to work for a publishing company and my colleagues are always sharing what they are reading. As far as nonfiction, I read books about birds, ancient Egypt, essay collections by E.B. White, Roger Angel, Lisa Scottoline, books on writing, food, travel, and anything interesting that crosses my path. I read all kinds of mysteries: cozies, police procedurals, historic, and hardboiled detective stories. My favorite authors are Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Martha Grimes, Spencer Quinn, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and Laurie R. King.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the fifth Sydney Lockhart mystery, Murder at the Menger. This series is lighthearted and humorous. It’s set in the early 1950s and each book takes place in a historic hotel. The Menger Hotel was opened in 1859. It’s across the street from the Alamo. The other hotels featured in my mysteries are the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Luther in Palacios, Texas, the Galvez in Galveston, Texas and the Driskill in Austin, Texas.
Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre? Which one and why?
I prefer to stick with mysteries, but I write in three different subgenres. The Kate Caraway series is considered a traditional mystery, but the Sydney Lockhart is a cozy, historical mystery. I just finished a hardboiled detective story set in the 1940s.
If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be?
I am a retired science teacher, so I could see myself working in the field of biology: genetics, marine science, environmental science, or even a different science altogether, say, Egyptology. I have a degree is in Physical Anthropology, with a concentration in animal behavior. I always joke that it was one of the reasons I worked so well with seventh graders.
What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
I plot by the seat of my pants, so about 60,000 words into the story I have to stop and analyze what I’ve written. This is where the real work begins. Until this point, it’s fun and games. However, once I’ve decided which direction I’m heading, I get excited about finishing.
Who is your favorite hero/heroine?
There are a lot of famous people whom I admire: Barack Obama; Jimmy Carter; Karen Blixen; and ornithologist Robert Porter Allen, who is the subject of my book, The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story. As far as heroes and heroines, most are family members. I’m lucky, to have an incredible family, all of whom I admire and adore.
After five years in Africa, researching the decline of elephant populations, Kate Caraway’s project comes to a screeching halt when she shoots a poacher and is forced to leave the country. Animal rights activist Kate Caraway travels to a friend’s ranch in Texas for a much-needed rest. But before she has a chance to unpack, her friend’s daughter pleads for Kate’s assistance. The young woman has become entangled in the ugly world of greyhound abuse and believes Kate is the only one with the experience and tenacity to expose the crime and find out who is responsible. On the case for only a few hours, Kate discovers a body, complicating the investigation by adding murder to the puzzle. Now, she’s in a race against time to find the killer before she becomes the next victim.
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Kathleen Kaska is the author two awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Classic Triviography Mystery Series, which includes The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus-books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the largest book group in the country. Her latest Sydney Lockhart mystery, set in Austin, Texas, is Murder at the Driskill. Run Dog Run, Kathleen’s first mystery in the new Kate Caraway animal-rights series, was released in March 2017.
When she is not writing, she spends much of her time with her husband traveling the back roads and byways around the country, looking for new venues for her mysteries and bird watching along the Texas coast and beyond. It was her passion for birds that led to the publication The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story (University Press of Florida).
Kathleen is a writer and marketing director for Cave Art Press. Her collection of blog posts was released in August 2017 under the title, Do You Have a Catharsis Handy? Five-Minute Writing Tips.
Website Black Opal Books
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
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The Write Way Cafe
Tuesday Special: The Seeking Series with Josie Riviera
JOSIE RIVIERA
The Seeking Series Box Set: Historical and Christian Romances
Find out why readers are falling in love with The Seeking Series & staying up all night reading! These sweet romances will warm your heart.
Cozy up with your favorite ebook reader, a cup of tea and lose yourself in the joyful seasons of romance.
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Have you ever tried something you were afraid to try because it mattered so much to you? I did, when I started writing. Take the chance, everyone, and just do something you love.
Sign up for her blog and subscribe to her newsletter for a free ebook on her website: josieriviera.com
Follow her on Amazon and Bookbub, and "Like” her Author Facebook Page!
Friday, April 20, 2018
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By:
The Write Way Cafe
Thursday, April 19, 2018
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By:
The Write Way Cafe
Meet Ammar Habbib
The Write Way Café welcomes Ammar Habbib, an author whose enthusiasm and passion comes right off the page.When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book?
First off, thank you so much for the interview!! It was actually in 2nd Grade! My teacher, Ms. Scott, is the one who inspired me to start writing and it was in her class that I developed the love for writing. Soon after starting to write as a child, I received the dream to one day be a New York Times Bestselling author!
What is your newest book about? What type of research did you do?
My latest novel, which is my 5th novel, is Ana Rocha: Shadows of Justice. This work is a police/crime thriller that was released at the end of last February and has received a positive reception so far. The novel is co-authored by a friend of mine who has over 20 years of law enforcement experience, including working several years as an undercover narcotics investigator, Glenda Mendoza.
The novel is set in Houston, which is where I grew up around and where Glenda currently works. The novel follows a young Hispanic woman, Ana Rocha, as she begins her duty as an undercover narcotics officer and soon faces against some of Houston's biggest criminals. Although the book is a work of fiction, it is very much grounded in reality and is based on Glenda's experiences. In fact, the novel's main antagonist is a drug lord who is based on a crime lord Glenda helped take down several years ago.
Where did the idea for your story come from?
I’ve always wanted to write a police novel. Glenda and I became friends in 2013 and she’s a great storyteller who’d always wanted to write a book as well. So it just worked out perfectly for us to partner up and tell this story.
Why did you pick the setting you did?
We picked the setting of Houston because that’s where the both of us live. I’d never written a novel set someplace I actually lived, so it was an interesting experience. But I think it added another level of authenticity to the novel.
Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
Whether Ana Rocha or any of my other protagonists, my characters always have some reflection of myself in them. Although Ana’s Type-A personality is very different from mine, a lot of her internal voice and thought process is very similar to my own, as is her sometimes overly ambitious nature.
Did you face any blocks while writing the book, and if so, how did you handle them? If not, what's your secret?
My personal secret to overcoming writing blocks is to take a walk, try writing something else, or take a break. If none of those strategies work, I just bang my head against the keyboard until something comes to mind!!
What have been surprises you've encountered while writing the book and after?
One of my main concerns was how well I’d write a Hispanic female protagonist being that I’m a man. However, a lot of reviews have said that they couldn’t believe how well a man wrote a female’s point-of-view, so seeing those kinds of reviews has really surprised me!
What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world; about narcotics and undercover investigations?
Writing this book, talking to a lot of law enforcement officials, I’ve learned that fact is often stranger than fiction! This was also my first full-length work to write in the first person point-of-view. When I was a child, I used to write everything in first-person, but some negative reactions in my high school creative writing class made me change to always writing in third-person. However, after writing Ana Rocha in first-person, my love for this point-of-view has been restored and I’m excited about writing more works from this perspective.
Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
Interestingly enough, I don’t really have a designated “writing space”. I often change my setting because I like to have a change in scenery every now and then! So the way my writing space works is just dependent on what’s going on around me. Sometimes I like it quiet. Other times, I am surrounded by people at a coffee shop or out in the park.
However, one thing I love to use is music. Listening to certain kinds of music as I write always helps me get in the mood I am trying to write.
What are some of your favorite books and why?
I honestly don’t know if I have a favorite book. My favorite books have changed as I’ve grown older. However, one book that did wonders for me in my late teenage years is the book As A Man Thinketh. Reading that book really inspired me to chase my dreams and hold steadfast to them no matter the circumstances that life throws at me.
What are you working on now?
Well, I’m one of those authors who has a lot of irons in the fire, so I actually have quite a few projects in different stages of development. Glenda and I are working on a short story featuring Ana Rocha and are also working on the sequel right now. My agent is shopping around a Young Adult novel and is also shopping around a non-fiction project of mine. I also have a graphic novel being read by some publishers. So 2018 and 2019 will be very exciting God-Willing!
Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre? Which one and why?
I’ve personally written in many genres already. But one market I really want to break in is the nonfiction market, especially the historical narrative nonfiction. I feel like we are losing our sense of history and heritage, and there are so many stories that people need to be told, and I want to play a part in telling those stories.
If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be?
As a major reader of history, I would’ve likely pursued the route to becoming a historian. I’ve always had a passion for learning and reading about past people and past civilizations and events.
What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
There isn’t an aspect of writing that gives me the trouble as far as the creative side goes. With enough patience and practice, I’ve been able to overcome just about anything. But the thing that does give me trouble and I’m sure gives other authors trouble as well is getting your work noticed out in the marketplace, whether it be trying to get a publisher’s attention or readers’.
Who is your favorite hero/heroine?
I’ve always been a huge comic book fan growing up, so one of my favorite heroes has always been Wolverine from the X-Men comics! I find myself attracted to the grittier hero, and sometimes antihero, who has a chip on their shoulder and is a loner.
Amazon
Ammar Habib is an award-winning and bestselling author who presently resides in his hometown of Lake Jackson, Texas. Writing has always been a passion of Ammar’s. He enjoys crafting stories that are not only entertaining but also have something useful to say to the reader.
You can find Ammar at:
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
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By:
HiDee
Spring Cleaning Because Phil Lied
Phil lied. Or else he can’t count.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for spring! I’m tired of being cooped up inside. I need my nature fix – a hike in the woods, listening to the birds, and the breeze as it sings through the trees. Capturing deer and other wildlife, trees budding and flowers blooming in all the glorious colors of nature through my camera lens. These are things that fuel my creativity.
Instead, I’m laying the groundwork for writing days by “spring” cleaning.
I’m starting with my computer. I admit I’m something of a packrat and that includes email. I have about 14 different email addresses I use. I know, I know – who needs that many email addresses? I can justify maybe 8 of them:
• Work
• Personal
• Author
• Blog
• Writers group
• Hubby (He is technology-challenged but wanted an email for certain things so I monitor it for him.)
• Shopping (I use this one for all online shopping.)
• Writing (Why do I need 4 of these?)
• Miscellaneous (Why do I need 3 of these?)
Over the years I’ve used the 4 writing and 3 miscellaneous email addresses for different things. These are the ones I need to combine and simplify, especially the writing email addresses. While skimming through them, I realized I have subscribed to some of the same author newsletters from multiple emails, so I created a spreadsheet and listed all of my emails and what I subscribe to under each one. Combining and simplifying might take a while!
The stack of books I’ve been collecting over the winter is up next. Most of them I’ve snuck into the house two or three at a time in my tote bag, stashing them in my daughter’s old room on the various shelves she left behind when she moved out. Hubby thinks I own too many books already, but I’m still buying, and I’m still accepting books passed on to me by friends. What Hubby doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right? The problem is I don’t know what I already have, and a couple times I’ve purchased the same book twice. I can always give the second copy to a fellow reader, but darn it, I could be using that money to buy another book I don’t already have! Sorting them out seems like a good way to continue my spring cleaning…
Once the books are sorted, I’m moving on to my desk. Right now it's located in my son’s old room, which I’m still transitioning into my office. Starting on the office décor was much more fun than the cleaning and sorting part. But the desktop is collecting articles that need filed, pens that need tested to see if they work, and more books that need to be sorted. It makes a nice catch-all but it's covered with so much stuff that I can't use it for writing, and that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?
I’ve procrastinated long enough. These are all tasks that need done, and since Phil let me down, I am trying to take advantage of the not-so-nice weather to accomplish tasks I won’t want to do once spring really does arrive.
What spring cleaning do you feel compelled to tackle? Please share!
Friday, April 13, 2018
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By:
The Write Way Cafe
Thursday, April 12, 2018
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By:
The Write Way Cafe
Finding Mercy with Bonnie Edwards
The Write Way Café welcomes Bonnie Edwards, who gives us a glimpse into her contemplative and zestful approach to writing.When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book? Was that first thought related to writing romance?
I was a young mother, with two children and my mind was turning to mush. I needed to change things or go mad. Being a mother was wonderful, but I needed to exercise my mind. Being an optimist I knew I wanted to write books with happy outcomes (still do). Romance was always my goal.
What was your path to getting this book written and published? What type of research did you do?
Finding Mercy changed a lot during the 5 – 7 years it took to write. It started as a sexy little romp but morphed into what it is today, a romance about a woman needing to redefine herself.
Where did the idea for your story come from?
I wanted to write about a woman returning home to her small town with her life a shambles and see how I could make her grow from being a self-absorbed child-woman into a fully functional, emotionally mature woman.
Why did you pick the setting you did?
After many false starts, I realized that the complexity of Mercy’s return to Welcome gave me many more characters to write about, so I created a small town of my own.
Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself?
I doubt any writer can write without including aspects of themselves. My characters, I think, are based on types of people I’ve known, experienced etc. I’m quite driven to write and some aspects of Mercy are definitely related to my drive. Her drive was just in a different area…my challenge is to write novels people want to read. And to feel.
Did you face any blocks while writing the book, and if so, how did you handle them? If not, what's your secret?
I dropped this story time and again over the years while I wrote other books. Including grief, a young motherless child, a grief-stricken family was heavy going for me. I think I was surprised at some of the heaviness. I hope I handled the issues lightly…there are lighter moments, breaks from the dark parts come from all the characters.
What have been surprises you've encountered while writing the book and after?
Reviewers constantly surprise me by what they pick out of the plot. For instance, I wanted to create a character who was never onstage but was created through memories. What my first reviewer caught onto was that the subplot was about a family coming to terms with their grief…I wouldn’t have put it that way…but I see it very clearly now. OF COURSE, that was why the character was only seen through memories. Sometimes it isn’t until after someone’s gone that you can see them more clearly. Time helps!
What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world; about beauty queens, career choices, and going home?
I once interviewed two other Bonnie Edwards, a swimsuit model, and a blues singer. What struck me was how similar these careers are: we all need to define what we do: me=romance, one=swimsuits because of her curves (no wedding dress shoots), one=the blues because of her smoky voice. We all had to find our place in our fields and build on our strengths. We all needed drive and ambition to succeed. I tried to bring that to Mercy’s life. My process and the writing world? (laughing) I was told by my content editor that I did NOT need a third point-of-view and that I needed to get rid of Hope Talbot’s inner thoughts. I took a full year to accept that truth. It was a devastating blow to take out all her delicious scenes. In the end, I simply wrote them from someone else’s point of view and had her speak her thoughts, which, in the end, worked quite well. This exercise taught me to focus more deeply in a complex story. I hope I’ve brought that lesson to Loving Logan.
Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
I have a dark and quiet home office. The window has a terrible view so I don’t gaze outside. When we moved houses I worried that my creative mojo was locked in my old office, but once I booted up my computer and heard that lovely hard drive grind into action, I knew my creativity was something I carried no matter where I am. I have actually worked on a book on a drive across Hwy 8 through Arizona into SoCal on my iPad so now I know I can do that if I have to.
What are some of your favorite books and why?
Anything by Elizabeth Hoyt. I love her characters, how she sets up her series, her plots…everything, actually.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on Loving Logan, Return to Welcome Book 2. I have a rough draft, the cover and the makings of a blurb. I’m also working on Diamond at Heart, a hot novella with some suspense and mystery tossed in. And then…I have the rights returned to a very hot book, which for now, I’m calling Those O’Banion Brothers.
Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre? Which one and why?
I never think of writing other genres. Cozy mystery is too cool a narrative for my voice. Sci-fi I prefer to watch, not read. I’ve written a read-aloud Christmas children’s story that I included as a bonus in my Christmas Collection. Friends and family tell me Father Mouse’s First Christmas is fun to read. But, nothing lets me explore human motivation, frailties, and beauty of spirit that romance does.
If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be?
I can’t imagine not being a writer. I will write or tell stories with my dying breath. I have little boys in my life now who want me to tell them “talking stories”. These are stories from our family life. I hope to inspire one of them to take up the quill!
What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
Plotting…I wish I could know what will happen ahead of time, but I never do. I just start with an idea of what my character needs to learn and then take steps to teach them. They stumble as I stumble. By the second draft, I’ve got a handle on them and then I can plot better.
Who is your favorite hero/heroine?
Of mine? I’d say the one I’m working on…which seems trite and cliché, but it’s true. Once written they’ve learned what they need to learn…there’s no more challenge for me. So, it’s always, always the still-not-fully-formed characters that make me crow with delight.
Mercy Talbot left Welcome on a high—a golden-girl beauty queen who stepped confidently into a bright, exciting future. But that was a long time ago and that girl is far, far, away. She’s failed in her career, failed in love, failed her family—and she’s dead broke.
All Mercy wants is to forget her failures and move forward into a new life with a fresh set of dreams—and get out of Welcome before it sucks her back in for good. But one look at her precocious niece who desperately needs her sends Mercy on a journey into her past that will change everyone’s future.
Clay Foster used to be Welcome’s bad boy, but marriage and his daughter Dilly transformed him into a devoted father. Widowed now and struggling to be the daddy his child needs, Clay fights his sudden and unexpected attraction to Mercy. But, tempted as he is, Clay can’t afford to be taken in by a golden girl. Beautiful, talented women like Mercy always have an exit strategy and when her career beckons, Clay knows she’ll leave him and Dilly flat. His daughter has already lost her mother and he won’t put his little girl’s heart on the line.
When Mercy learns her tattered dreams and dead career have been reborn, will she leave the man and child who need her? Will Clay believe in their future and accept that Mercy has found there’s no place like home?
About Bonnie: Multi-published author Bonnie Edwards lives with her husband and pets on the rainy coast of British Columbia. Her earthy, irreverent, love stories sometimes have a paranormal twist, likes curses and ghosts, other times not. But her books always entertain and guarantee a happy ending.
With four ongoing romance series (Tales of Perdition, The Brantons and The Christmas Collection) and contemporary family novels in her newest series, Return to Welcome, she rarely spends a day without writing. She has written novels, novellas and short stories for Kensington Books, Harlequin Books, Carina Press, and Robinson (UK) although now she publishes her work herself. Look for more exciting releases throughout 2018…
For more info and sample chapters:
Website Amazon author page Twitter Facebook
Pinterest Goodreads
Sign up for her newsletter.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
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By:
The Write Way Cafe
Tuesday Special: The Last Christmas on Earth
Augustina Van Hoven
www.augustinavanhoven.com
What if you had to make a choice, your lifelong dream or your soul mate?
Scott Southerland has his dream job and his dream woman. What could go wrong? With his mother around, plenty. Scott’s on his guard, and his soon-to-be fiancé, Harper Castille, is, too. Scott has no interest in the other women his mother dangles in front of him, but can his relationship with Harper survive the destruction of his dream?
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Augustina Van Hoven was born in The Netherlands and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two dogs and three cats. She is an avid reader of romance, science fiction and fantasy. When she’s not writing she likes to work in her garden or in the winter months crochet and knit on her knitting machines.
@augustinavhoven FaceBook Pinterest
Friday, April 6, 2018
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By:
The Write Way Cafe
Thursday, April 5, 2018
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By:
The Write Way Cafe
A New World by Augustina Van Hoven
The Write Way Café welcomes Augustina Van Hoven, who shares her process for world building.How many of you grew up watching space movies like Star Wars or television shows like Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Farscape, or Babylon 5? I did. Anytime a new science fiction show came on television, I would be sitting in front of my set watching all the fascinating characters and all the places they traveled to. It was a childhood fantasy of mine to also go to the planets in all these stories and see everything for myself, to have some of the adventures that the characters were having, and be someplace other than earth. I read a lot of science fiction books too, from authors like Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Larry Niven. It took me a while but last spring I finally started laying the ground work for my own futuristic romance series called A New Frontier.
The series takes place approximately one hundred years into the future, the moon and Mars have been colonized and earth’s residents are moving farther out into the universe. The series will follow the colonists aboard the Starship Halcyon, from the preparation to leave earth and the misfortunes that befall them along the way and after they land.
World building is an essential part of any futuristic novel. There were so many details to keep track of that I had to start a special story bible. Besides the human characters, I had to figure out what sort of sentient beings live on the different planets? What are the physical characteristics of each planet? What are their political systems? What are their religious beliefs? Which species get along with each other and which ones don’t? What do they eat? What type of housing do they have? Is it above ground or below? In short, each civilization had to be constructed from scratch. It saves a lot of time to have it all written down and easily researchable. I use excel spreadsheets organized by categories for all the things I need to keep track of.
My first story in this new world was for the anthology, Pirates (A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology Book 3). The prequel for the series is a novella called The Last Christmas on Earth. The first novel will be out on April 24th and it’s titled A Scattering of Seeds.
Do you enjoy reading science fiction romance?
Augustina Van Hoven was born in The Netherlands and
currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two dogs and three
cats. She is an avid reader of romance,
science fiction and fantasy. When she’s
not writing she likes to work in her garden or in the winter months crochet and
knit on her knitting machines.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
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By:
The Write Way Cafe
Tuesday Special: Five-Minute Writing Tips by Kathleen Kaska
Kathleen Kaska
Just when you think you’ve mastered punctuation, a semi-colon comes along and bites you in the butt. Then you learn that infinitives can be split, prepositions can end your sentences, buts can begin another, and you feel so much better—inspired. You move forward, create a perfect sentence, words no one else has ever written. You imagine Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Poe, penning their masterpieces, beckoning you to join the fun. Another masterful sentence, then a dazzling paragraph, an entire page of literary genius. You think bestseller, Pulitzer, Nobel. The morning comes, but nothing else. Then inspiration tosses you a bone, which doesn’t do a darn bit of good, so you bury it along with your laptop. Sound familiar?These tongue-in-cheek five-minute writing tips had their origins as Cave Art Press blog posts. The tips include writing styles, grammar and punctuation rules, and tips on the down and dirty of publishing and marketing, a skill everyone needs no matter what their field of study. To keep these tips short and humorous, references and stories about egg-laying chickens and how dogs think, The Three Bears and The Seven Dwarfs, Contrary Mary and Goldilocks, high-school English teachers and the United States Post Office, the TV series 77 Sunset Strip and Breaking Bad, Pope Francis and Michelle Obama, and a prairie dog who walked into a bar were used.
Available for purchase at: Cave Art Press
Kathleen is giving away three copies of her book. To be eligible just leave a comment below!
Kathleen Kaska is a Texas gal who now lives in Washington. Except for an eighteen-month hiatus when she moved to New York City after college, she lived in Texas continuously for fifty years. Since then Texas has been hit and miss—a little hit, but a heck of a lot of miss, having grown up in a hidden burg where the mayor was believed to be a dog. Who wouldn't miss that?Kathleen is the author two awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Classic Triviography Mystery Series, which includes The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book. Run Dog Run, the first mystery in her new animal-rights series, was released in March 2017. It was her passion for birds that led to the publication The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story (University Press of Florida). She has been the marketing director for Cave Art Press since 2015.
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