Worries, Blocks, and Successes with Liz Flaherty

The Write Way Café welcomes author Liz Flaherty, who has learned a lot while furthering her writing career. She shares her her worries, her blocks, and her successes. 

Where did the idea for your story come from? 
I started Summer in Stringtown Proper a long time ago, when I was looking for something to read that didn’t feature people too young for me to identify with. However, I never finished it. I never knew why, because I loved Molly and Joe, but I guess it wasn’t time.

Why did you pick the setting you did?
It was part of the community “the Ridge” in A Soft Place to Fall. I always hated leaving the Ridge, and I was happy to go back!

Did you face any blocks while writing the book, and if so, how did you handle them? If not, what's your secret?
Big blocks, because it’s—even for me, a low key writer—a very low key story. I think it’s real and warm and quirky, but even now, when I’m in final editing stages, I worry that it’s somehow not enough.

What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world; about divorcees, widowers and second chances?
It’s my first novella-length story, and I learned that you can’t pack 75,000 words worth of stuff into 25,000! Writing that short is also tremendous fun. I’m writing another one this summer for a Christmas anthology and am champing at the bit to get started.

Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
When my husband and I retired, it became apparent that I needed a quiet space of my own, so he and my son made a 14 X 24 foot section of detached garage into my office/sewing room. My other son brought me a teacher’s desk from Vermont, an old oak one a college professor he worked with had given him. (I still have phone numbers for Lyndon State College in 2007 taped to it!)

What are you working on now?
I’m getting ready to start a novella for a Christmas anthology, which I’m really excited about, and I’m waiting for edits on my next Harlequin Heartwarming, tentatively titled The Winter of Letting Go.

Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre?  Which one and why?
Each romance I write leans further and further toward women’s fiction. It is what I prefer to read—because there aren’t enough romances written about “mature” protagonists—and I think it’s what I’ll end up writing. The Girls of Tonsil Lake is WF with just bare elements of romance and I had so much fun writing it! Characterization is my favorite thing, and there’s a lot of room for it in WF.

If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be?
I would own a tearoom, because I love them. They’re often not very successful in the area where I live, but I keep thinking if it were attached to a little bookstore complete with fireplace and cat, it would go, wouldn’t it? J

What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
Conflict. Because what works for me may not work for a reader or an editor. Because I don’t like conflict in my own life, I use mostly internal conflict (that, at least, I can understand), and sometimes it’s just not enough.

Who is your favorite hero/heroine?
Jo March from Little Women; she was where I went when I was young and distressed or depressed and they never let me down. Heroes? Jeff Grant in Kathleen Gilles Seidel’s Maybe This Time because he’s just a nice guy with flaws. I should admit that the next time I’m asked this question, I’ll have a different answer, but that’s one of the joys of being a reader.

Showing up in the SMALL TOWN SUMMER box set on July 13 is SUMMER IN STRINGTOWN PROPER. It's my first-ever novella in my first-ever anthology and I am so excited to tell Molly and Joe’s story. They’re two fifty-year-olds who meet at the wedding of her aunt and his father. She's a divorcee who's afraid to trust and he's a widower who's reluctant to love again.


About Liz:  Retired from the post office, Liz Flaherty spends non-writing time sewing, quilting, and doing whatever else she wants to. She and Duane live in the old farmhouse in North Central Indiana they moved to in 1977. They’ve talked about moving, but really…30-some years’ worth of stuff? It’s not happening! She’d love to hear from you at lizkflaherty@gmail.com or please come and see her at:

Website     Facebook     Twitter     Blog

Unlimited possibilities @ your library®

When I was a child, getting your own library card was like winning the lottery. It meant you could go to the library and choose from a smorgasbord of books. It meant an opportunity to explore other worlds, to learn about people, places and things that you might never experience if not for books.

I remember heading to my favorite sections of the library, trailing my fingers across the spines of books aligned on the shelves as I perused the titles. Often I would select a book and slide to the floor, right there in the aisle, to flip through and read a few passages before deciding if I wanted to check out that book. Sometimes I thumbed through the card catalog, looking for books that might have been shelved somewhere other than my usual sections. Visiting new sections exposed me to books I wouldn’t have thought to explore on my own. But each visit, I would check out as many books as they would allow, or as many as I could carry!

Thankfully, my parents supported my love of books. We were encouraged to check out library books at school, as well as through the public library. Good grades earned opportunities to purchase books from the Scholastic Book order forms that came home with our papers. When we moved out of state, the first place we visited after moving in was the local public library. As we got older, we were treated to trips to the bookstore. Used bookstores were my favorites, because I always came home with a stack of “new” books that didn’t cost my parents a small fortune!

My love of books has grown over the years. I have more books on my shelves and in boxes than I will probably ever read, but I can’t make myself get rid of them. I have core reading preferences but I have also learned to explore new-to-me authors and subjects.

I still prefer having a book in my hands to watching TV. I also live in a small town without a library so I haven’t checked out any library books in a very long time, but I still visit the bookstore or my local department stores every week looking for new books.

Because books are important to me, I wanted to share information on book-related celebrations happening across the nation during the month of April.

D.E.A.R.-- Drop Everything and Read -- is a national month-long celebration of reading designed to encourage people of all ages to make reading a priority in their lives. Author Beverly Cleary wrote about D.E.A.R. in her book Ramona Quimby, Age 8.  Since publication of her book, "Drop Everything and Read" programs have been held nationwide in honor of Mrs. Cleary’s birthday on April 12th.

National Library Week – April 12-18, 2015
Every April since 1958, libraries across the country observe National Library Week to celebrate contributions of libraries and librarians and to promote support and use of libraries.  In the mid-1950s, the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers were concerned that Americans were reading less, and they decided to do something about it. They wanted to motivate people to read, and therefore generate more interest and use of libraries. Their theme that first year was "Wake Up and Read!"

Unlimited possibilities @ your library®.
I love this theme for 2015!  Libraries are filled with possibilities for people of all ages and interests!  While I love the internet and easy access of books through my computer or other electronic devices, there is no experience quite like visiting the library.  It has the potential to change lives, if only people are exposed to it.

How has a library influenced your life?

Good fiction's job is to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

- David Foster Wallace

Writing, Reading, and More with Robyn Bachar

The Write Way Café welcomes prolific author Robyn Bachar, who shares her thoughts on writing, reading, and surviving her enthusiastic puppy.

Tell us a little about your latest book, Bite Me.
In Bite Me I destroyed civilization with a zombie apocalypse, and then put a vampire in charge of saving humanity. Lizzy Addams was a loner before the world ended, and she worries that the humans she rescues aren’t going to thank her with a wooden stake through the heart.

If Bite Me was made into a movie, who would play your main characters, and why?
Lizzy would be played by Ellen Page, Angie would be played by Nicole Beharie, and Sean would be played by Benedict Cumberbatch. They would all do a fabulous job of looking gorgeous while kicking butt.

What or who has been instrumental in or to your writing journey?
My RWA chapter and my critique group were vital to giving me courage to submit my work for publication. It’s very helpful to have the encouragement and support of other authors.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve been given?  What’s your best writing advice for others?
Nora Roberts gives the best writing advice. I think my favorite quote of hers is, “Give yourself permission to write crap. You can edit crap, but you can't edit a blank page.” You’re never going to get your manuscript right on the first try, so don’t agonize over making every sentence perfect. Just get it down and fix it later.

What “keepers” are in your home library?
So many… I’m trying to stick to buying e-books to cut down on the size of my print library. I have many books by Nora Roberts, Kelly Armstrong, and Linnea Sinclair, to name a few.

Characters often find themselves in situations they aren't sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?
Like the time I slipped on the ice while walking the dog and broke my hand? I was two blocks away from home with no cell phone, so I had to walk back with a broken hand and an overexcited dog who thought my fall was a big game. Not fun.

What book do you wish you could have written?
I think every author wishes that they had written The Next Big Thing that Made Enormous Amounts of Money. I try to write the books that I want to write and not obsess about the road not taken.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I had a review where the reader said she would’ve thrown my book against the wall if it hadn’t been on her Kindle. Ouch. It’s a weird thing, though. My worst reviewed book is my best seller, and my best reviewed book has sold the least out of all my titles.

We’re adding books to our Café menu.  Would your book be a drink, an appetizer, an entrée or a dessert?  What would you call it?
An extremely sinful dessert, like Death by Chocolate. It would probably be a molten chocolate cake with a spicy chocolate center—plain on the outside, but wicked on the inside, just like Lizzy. ;-)

Tell us about the book in your closet.
I have a fantasy series that hasn’t found a home with the right publisher, so I’ve decided to publish it myself. The first book, The Sephra’s Tear, will be out this summer.

And now for the fun stuff! 

If you aren’t a full-time writer, what is your day job?
Right now I’m working in a bakery. I get paid to bake cookies, which I love. :-)

What is your biggest shopping downfall?
Doughnuts. One of the perils of working in a bakery is the temptation to buy a few things at the end of the day.

Are you a dog/cat/other person?
I’m an animal lover. I’ve had dogs and cats, and they each have their perks. My 10 pound cat was a lot easier to fit on my lap than my 70 pound puppy, but I could never take my cat for a walk. Walking the dog is a great combination of exercise and time to ponder my writing.

What is your favorite season and why?
Fall. It’s not too hot and not too cold, and not full of pollen like Spring.

If you had to write with a pen instead of a computer, what type of pen would be your preference?
Erasable pen. My handwriting is atrocious.

Consumed by the need to feed…
     After an out-of-control spell triggers the zombie apocalypse, Lizzy Addams is left in the ruins of Chicago with only the slightly unhinged commentary—and endless erotic appetites—of her inner demon for company. Her blood supply dwindling, she is forced to find survivors to feed from, or die trying.
     Officer Angela Kinney was on duty when hungry corpses overwhelmed the city. The survivors look to her for leadership, but nothing prepared her for a beautiful monster who offers safety in exchange for blood.
     Sean MacMillan never expected to see Lizzy again after she rejected his attempts to lure her back to the vampire fold. But with his flock threatened by the horde and his murderous vampire brother, Lizzy is the only one he can trust to keep them safe.
     The veil of secrecy shrouding the supernatural world torn apart, humanity’s only hope is to forge an alliance with vampires, werewolves, and things that go bump in the night. Though accepting their aid could be a devil’s bargain that puts humans at the bottom of the food chain.

Buy Links:  Amazon          Barnes and Noble           All Romance

About Robyn:
     Robyn Bachar enjoys writing stories with soul mates, swords, spaceships, vampires, and gratuitous violence against the kitchen sink. Her paranormal romance Bad Witch series, historical paranormal romance series Bad Witch: The Emily Chronicles, and spicy space opera romance trilogy Cy’ren Rising are available from Samhain Publishing. Her books have finaled in PRISM Contest for Published Authors, the Passionate Plume Contest, and twice in the EPIC eBook Awards.
     As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors, and slaying creatures in mmorpgs.

Website     Blog     Newsletter    Facebook     Twitter     Goodreads

Tuesday Special: Becky Lower and the Pony Express

Becky Lower

www.beckylowerauthor.com

http://historyimagined.wordpress.com

     Samantha Hughes has one day to escape from her wicked uncle, and a sign in the post office is her answer. She’ll cut her hair to pose as a man and become Sam Hughes, a Pony Express rider.
     Valerian Fitzpatrick doesn’t want the weight of responsibility that his brothers have in the family business. Fortunately, the Pony Express offers a chance to make his own way in the world.
     He assumes his new buddy, Sam, is on the run from the law, until she’s hit by a stray gunshot and he has to undress her to staunch the wound. Friendship quickly turns to attraction—and more—but when Sam’s uncle tracks her down, she is forced to run yet again.
     Val’s determined to find her, but will a future with Sam mean giving up the freedom he’s always craved?

Amazon     Barnes & Noble 


      Samantha breathed a sigh of relief as the Seneca station came into view. Two days in the saddle made her one tired woman. But now she had to act as if it was nothing, as if long days in the saddle were something she was used to—and she had to convince the man in charge that she was a fellow. She pulled her hat low over her eyes as she prepared to dismount and meet the gentleman who emerged from the station.
     “About time you got here. These the Lafontaine horses?”
     “Yep.” Sam kept her voice low and curt.
     “Well, put them in the barn and see to them. Then come inside for supper, and we’ll talk.”
     Samantha hurried to do the man’s bidding, after sending a cursory glance to the station, which was actually a hotel. It was a stagecoach stop as well as the first home station for the men who would gallop across the country as Pony Express riders. The Smith Hotel was a busy place, much more so than Samantha cared for. Uncle Jack could emerge from a stagecoach and find her within a few days if he figured out in what direction she’d gone. Maybe she’d move on. Surely if she went farther west, she’d find an outpost where only riders would come through.
     She led the horses into the barn, put them into stalls, fed them some good grain, and filled their troughs with water. As she rubbed them both down and brushed the trail dust from their hides, she thought about her options.
     She found her way to the dining room of the big hotel and met up with the station manager, a grizzly-looking man with a twinkle in his eye. He grabbed hold of Samantha’s hand and shook it, hard. Samantha blinked to keep the sudden tears from falling as she winced in pain.
     “Glad to meet you. Name’s Gus, and this here’s my wife, Emma. She’s the one responsible for all the good grub. Now, sit and talk to me.”
     Emma served them and returned to the kitchen. It was late afternoon, and thankfully, they were alone in the large dining hall. Samantha breathed a small sigh of relief. She reached for a warm roll, inhaling the yeasty scent. After two days in the saddle with only jerky and apples to eat, the food before her was a slice of heaven. She loaded up her plate before she opened the conversation. “My name’s Sam Hughes, and I’m from over St. Joe way. What do you want to know?” 


Amazon best-selling author Becky Lower has traveled the country looking for great settings for her novels. She loves to write about two people finding each other and falling in love, amid the backdrop of a great setting, be it on a covered wagon headed west or in present day small town America.  Historical and contemporary romances are her specialty. Becky is a PAN member of RWA and is a member of the Historic and Contemporary RWA chapters. She has a degree in English and Journalism from Bowling Green State University, and lives in an eclectic college town in Ohio with her puppy-mill rescue dog, Mary. She loves to hear from her readers at beckylowerauthor@gmail.com. Visit her website at www.beckylowerauthor.com

The act of writing is an act of optimism.  You would not take the trouble to do it if you felt it didn't matter.

- Edward Albee, Playwright

What Happens When the Past Won't Stay in the Past?

What happens when the past won't stay in the past? The Write Way Café welcomes Cheryl Rees-Price, whose book Echoes explores that problem.

When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book? Was that first thought related to writing romance?
     Several years ago I wrote a play for the local church. It was a wonderful experience to see the play come to life and witness the reaction from the audience. After that I wrote a few pieces of poetry before gaining the confidence to write a book. I didn’t set out to write a romance novel, I just had an idea for a story with the main theme being mystery and paranormal. The romance element developed as I wrote. It did make Echoes difficult to place with a publishers as it didn’t fit nicely into one genre.

What was your path to getting this book written and published? What type of research did you do?
     When I started writing Echoes I had an idea, started writing and let the plot unfold. I’ve since learned that this is not the best approach, you can easily lose track of the character descriptions and traits and also tie yourself in knots with the time line. Now I create character profiles, timelines and extensive notes for each chapter. Then I start the research, again this is put into a file for easy reference.
     There are many books available for leaning the craft of writing, and you can pick up some good tips but most of it is trial and error until you find what works best for you.

Where did the idea for your story come from?
     The idea for the story came from a nightmare which is the same dream Alice experiences in the opening chapter of Echoes.  As the second half of the book is set during World War Two, I had to do extensive research on the subject and pay particular attention to the timeline, as well as researching the mining industry during that period.  The internet is a fantastic tool for research but I also visited museums, talked with older people who had first experience of working down a mine and was fortunate to have a copy of my husband’s grandfather’s memoirs which gave an insight into life during that time.

Why did you pick the setting you did?
     I used two locations for the book, the first half of the book is set in New York, the second half a mining village in Wales. This was essential to the plot. The main character had to travel to a different country away from all that is familiar and trust her instincts to find a connection to her past.

What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world; about dreams and nightmares, soldiers, and secrets from the past?
     I have learned to have patience and perseverance! It is difficult to get your foot in the door of a publisher. The big houses only accept manuscripts through an agent and the smaller, independent publishers only publish a handful of books a year. The competition is fierce.
     The submission process is long with three months or more for a reply and some publishers don’t accept simultaneous submissions. So it can take years of trying before a manuscript gets accepted. In my case it was nearly seven years! I was on the point of giving up but gave it one more try and luckily Echoes was accepted.

Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
     I hand write my stories so I go through a mountain of note books and pens. I find the process easier, I’m not the best typist and get distracted from all the red lines that appear on the screen from my typing errors. Using a notebook has the advantage of being able to write anywhere. When I transpose my story to computer I generally work at the kitchen table where I can spread out all my notes. Tea and biscuits are close at hand, which is a great but not so good for the waistline!

What are some of your favorite books and why?
     I enjoy a good thriller, one that keeps you up at night. I have to be hooked by the first chapter. There are many books that I have enjoyed over the years. Harlan Coben, Michael Robotham, and Wilbur Smith are among my favorite authors. As a child I read The Hardy Boys and The Famous Five. I loved the mystery. If I had to pick one book that stayed in my memory it would be The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, as a child it magically transported me back in time and to another country.

What are you working on now?
     I am currently working on the second book in a crime series. This is the genre I am most comfortable writing. I enjoy the excitement of creating the storyline and piecing together the plot.

If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be?
     This is a tricky question as I already hold down a job and fit my writing around my work.  So I guess being a full time writer would be my dream job. I would love to have a cottage by the sea where I could walk on the beach every day as I conjure up plots and characters. Maybe one day!

What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
     I would say editing gives me the most trouble. The process can be tedious especially when you have gone over the manuscript several times. You begin to question every sentence, re-writing and re-structuring paragraphs only to change them back. I had a great editor for Echoes and learned a lot during the process and was able to apply this knowledge to my next book.


Do you believe in ghosts?
     It started as a nightmare, an unknown soldier, glimpses of a buried past. Then a death and the nightmares turn into hauntings. It’s time for secrets to be told.
     Alice is an ordinary woman, a good career, handsome husband and a comfortable home. But her life is suddenly thrown into turmoil when she begins to experience terrifying nightmares of a young soldier. These dreams set in motion a chain of events that irrevocably change her life.
     As the nightmares intensify and merge with reality Alice begins to sustain physical injury and sees the ghostly figure of the soldier in her waking hours.
     Fearing for her sanity she must find the identity of the soldier and the link that draws them together. Her search takes her from New York to a sleepy village in Wales. Here she meets a cantankerous old man who holds the key to unlocking a seventy year old tragedy which will save Alice from a similar fate.

Available from Amazon

About Cheryl:  
     Cheryl Rees-Price was born in Cardiff and moved as a Young child to a small ex-mining village on the edge of the Black Mountains, South Wales, where she still lives with her husband, daughters and two cats. After leaving school she worked as a legal clerk for several years before leaving to raise her two daughters.
     Cheryl returned to education, studying philosophy, sociology and accountancy whilst working as a part time book keeper. She now works as a finance director for a company that delivers project management and accounting services and sits on the board of a local circus company.
     In her spare time Cheryl indulges in her passion for writing, the success of writing plays for local performances gave her the confidence to write her first novel. Her other hobbies include walking and gardening which free her mind to develop plots and create colourful characters.