AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Hello. Thank you for visiting my blog today. I'm Rebecca Scarberry, author of novella, MESSAGES FROM HENRY and shorty, RAG DOLL. Also (@Scarberryfields on Twitter). I have once again interviewed a multi-published author, Christina Fifield-Winn (@KafeCastro on Twitter). I'm impressed with her talent and certain you will be also.

Scarberryfields: Can you tell us a little about your nationality?

Christina: Actually, I really can only tell you a little bit about it.

My mother's side is easy: my Grandmother was Hungarian and my Grandfather was Italian. They both came through Ellis Island before becoming American citizens. This is probably the only simple thing about the Pellegrinos.

My father's side is a little more complicated. My grandparents were descended from the Finnish and English Canadians...except that my grandparents weren't actually my grandparents. I was almost eighteen years old when I found out that my father was the product of a rape. His "sister" could not handle being a parent, so his grandparents brought him up as their own. My father was not told about this until just before he got married. By then, his sister/mother was dead. The family was so focused on covering up the "embarrassment" that they never talked about it. All information about her rapist was buried with my biological grandmother.

Now, my siblings and I have no idea what types of medical related issues we may be predisposed to...except for kidney disease, which plagued my father for most of his adult life.

Scarberryfields: When you finish a novel, do you miss the characters?

Christina: I have only written a novella, SUKI.

My collection of short stories, THE COFFEE BREAK SERIES, is strongly based in truth.  Most of the characters are people that I know, and most of the events or situations that they find themselves in, have either happened to those people, me, or to someone else that I have come in contact with.

So, to make a long answer longer, NO. I do not miss the characters because they are part of my daily life, for the most part.

Scarberryfields: With the number of hours spent writing, do family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Christina: Ha ha ha ....my kids complain that I am way too overprotective, so when I'm writing, it's a vacation for them...

Seriously, I do most of my writing before they get home from school, while they are doing homework, and before bed.

As much as I love family time together, writing while they are around is frustrating because of the constant bickering that is a staple of teenage/sibling life.

Scarberryfields: Does writing benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Christina: At times, writing has been extremely cathartic and revealing. I learn so much about myself as I think about what my character's reactions are and compare them with what mine would be.

But, writing REALLY benefits me when I see what it does for others. My blogs are outside of the box, and I often hear about how my perspective makes others think. Some readers have revealed that they are cheered up by my posts and also my shorts in the COFFEE BREAK SERIES.

The biggest reaction though, has been to my novella, SUKI. This one little story about love gained has set off conversations that have just blown my mind.

The print copies are being passed around to those that readers feel "need it". Booklovers are starting to sign the inside cover after they've finished it, and I get messages about the number of people that have read one copy...it's almost like a competition!

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you shut-off all social networks?

Christina: No I don't. I use it to take 2-3 minute breaks and remove myself from my work for a moment. It helps me see the situation I'm writing about from different perspectives.

Scarberryfields: Did you use any family members as Beta readers for your debut novel?

Christina: I had three Beta readers, and one of them was my sister-in-law. I chose her because she's an avid reader, she's very hard to please, and she's honest. She turned out to have the most valuable insights. Her comments changed the course of SUKI. If you read it and enjoy it, please send her a bottle of red wine...lol.

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your books?   

Christina: All things SUKI, including links to buy it, can be found on my website: readsuki.com

The COFFEE BREAK SERIES shorts are sold individually at

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SUOUT0

and my blog can be found at simplystick.blogspot.com

Scarberryfields: Thank you so much for answering my questions, Christina and thank you for being my friend. Good luck with your books and with raising 2 girls and your son by yourself. Posting you with them below. Great looking kids!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Hello. Thank you for visiting my blog today. I’m Rebecca Scarberry (Scarberryfields on Twitter). I have interviewed multi-published author, Andy Ritchie (@andyritchie999 on Twitter). I’ve enjoyed learning more about this author, living in Darwen, Lancashire, UK. I think you will also.

Scarberryfields: Can you tell us a little about your nationality?

Andy Ritchie: A simple question with a complicated answer. By birth, I’m English. I’m also English on my Mother’s side. However, on my Father’s side, I’m Scottish. Being either English or Scottish, I can also call myself British. My maternal grandmother was actually born in the United States, so if I had ever been good enough to play football at the international level, I’d have had a choice of England, Scotland or the USA. Sadly, I’ve always been pretty rubbish at football!

Scarberryfields: When you finish writing a story, do you miss the characters?

Andy Ritchie: Always. It’s a bittersweet moment when the final word of a story is typed and I realize that the tiny little universe that I have created, and the characters with which I have populated that world, have reached the limits of all that they will ever do…unless, of course, I plan to write a sequel, in which case I give them a cheery wave and tell them I’ll see them all again soon!

Scarberryfields: While writing, if you need help with punctuation, grammar, etcetera, where do you turn?

Andy Ritchie: I certainly don’t turn to my family! My wife would openly admit to being truly terrible at grammar and punctuation, not to mention spelling, an affliction that is clearly hereditary since both my daughters also have this failing; in fact, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the last few years reading through their university assignments and commenting on their grammar and punctuation…which is about all I was able to comment on, because the rest of the content was always generally beyond my understanding!

Scarberryfields: With the number of hours spent writing, do family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Andy Ritchie: They understand why it’s important to me to spend time writing – it’s a passion, after all. However, just because they understand it does not necessarily mean they support it and I’ve found it very important to ensure that I strike a suitable balance between my need to spend time writing and the need to do whatever needs to be done around the house, with the daughters, etc. I want to write, but I want to stay happily married a lot more!

Scarberryfields: For research sake, do you travel to any of the places you mention in your books?

Andy Ritchie: Wherever possible, yes. If you’ve actually been to a place and spent time there, it is so much easier to try to describe it. You can draw on all your different senses, describe not only the sights, but also the sounds and the smells and the atmosphere; it brings an authenticity to what you write. For my most recent book, I actually walked around many of the places where scenes were set, describing into a dictaphone everything I was experiencing…I got some very peculiar looks from people out walking their dogs on the moors, and even stranger looks from people out shopping in Manchester!

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you shut-off all social networks?

Andy Ritchie: Absolutely. In fact, I try to shut-off all social interaction – period (or as we say over this side of The Pond – ‘full stop’). I like to immerse myself in whatever it is I’m writing, so I try to minimise distractions as much as I possibly can, and that includes shutting the office door at home (although the previous comment about the need for a suitable balance in avoiding a trip to the divorce court also holds true in this respect)!

Scarberryfields: Did you use any family members as Beta readers for your stories?

Andy Ritchie: My recently published book had three Beta readers, only one of whom (my sister) was a family member. By her own admission, she was fairly ineffectual at spotting spelling mistakes and the like because she kept ‘getting engrossed’ in the book itself (which, for my part, is pleasing). My mate ‘Dan-the-Man’ was more critical and suggested various changes to characters and plot (most of which I duly ignored), whilst Sharon was scarily efficient in identifying typos, grammar problems and the incorrect spelling of the word ‘phlegm’. My eternal thanks to all of them!

Scarberryfields: Do you feel social networking is a good tool for marketing your books?

Andy Ritchie: Hmmmm. Tricky one this. For me, the jury’s still out on this one. If I’m brutally honest, I’ve not seen any real evidence that interacting on Twitter has resulted in anyone actually downloading my book; it certainly hasn’t led to anyone providing me with honest, critical feedback, which is perhaps what I am really looking for. In my short experience on Twitter, it just seems to me to be a place where lots and lots of people are jumping up and down, shouting ‘Read Me! Read Me!’ Maybe I’m just using it wrong, I’m not sure.

I’m a bit more positive about Facebook. I’m slowly building up the number of ‘likes’ on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/IveReadItHaveYou ). There seems to be more opportunity for meaningful interaction with individuals whom you know (because they have ‘liked’ you) have a genuine interest in what you’re writing – I just don’t get that with Twitter, even though I’ve got 5 times as many ‘followers’ on Twitter as I have ‘likers’ on Facebook.

The only other ‘social networking’ that I do is my recently-started blog (www.andyritchie999.blogspot.co.uk ), though this is not really intended as a marketing vehicle; instead, I use the blog as a means of honing my writing, of trying to convey my feelings and emotions on whatever subject comes to mind in a way that both interests and (hopefully) amuses the reader…okay, I do occasionally use it as a platform for a really good rant!

Scarberryfields: What is the last book called that you completed and published?

Andy Ritchie: Just last week I published: ‘The Book That THEY Do Not Want You To Read – Part 2’, the second of the three books in the series. Part 1 was published in February 2013.

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your books?   

Andy Ritchie: Both books can be downloaded from my author page on Amazon.

In the UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andy-Ritchie/e/B00BZ0T0D2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

In the US:

http://www.amazon.com/Andy-Ritchie/e/B00BZ0T0D2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1366701608&sr=1-2-ent

Scarberryfields: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Andy. I wish you the best with your marriage and your books. ◕‿◕

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Hello. I’m Rebecca Scarberry, author of  MESSAGES FROM HENRY, a YA novella and RAG DOLL, an adult short story. I’m Scarberryfields on Twitter. I have a treat for you. I have interviewed another multi-published author, Zoe Whitten (Zoe_E_W on Twitter). I have asked her questions I don’t normally ask authors. Enjoy!

Scarberryfields: Can you please tell us a little about your nationality, and where you now live?

Zoe: I’m originally a US citizen, born in Texas, but nine years ago, I moved to Italy after being courted online by my husband, Luciano. So now, I’m kinda sorta an Italian, even though my Italian skills are terrible.

Scarberryfields: What types of books do you publish?

Zoe: Mostly dark fantasy, although I’ve been known to write horror, sci-fi, and the random bit of contemporary fiction or comedy. I’ve also experimented with writing YA a few times, and think it’s pretty cool too.

Scarberryfields: Do you feel you spend more time writing your books, editing them, or promoting them?

Zoe: Promoting really takes up the most amount of time, though editing is a close second. Most of my books take about 3-4 weeks to write because I think a lot about the stories before I commit a single word to the blank page. Obviously, I’m a pantster, and have yet to see an outline I didn’t screw up.

Scarberryfields: Do you write full-time or do you have a day job?

Zoe: I’m retired due to advanced onset of multiple sclerosis, and technically, writing is just a hobby for me. I say technically because I’m finally starting to make enough money off of sales to cover the cost of my web hosting and my production costs.

On rare occasions, I also get editing work for a local company. The editor read one of my books and was really impressed by me. So now she sends work my way when the company needs an extra editor. It’s an easy job, looking for typos or redundant corporate-speak in news releases. The money is great, but only comes in once or twice a year. Other than that, I’m just a boring stay-at-home housewife.

Scarberryfields: Do you feel authors, writing erotica are discriminated against in any way?

Zoe: I don’t think it’s fair for me to say, as I only read a little of erotica, usually gay erotic romance, and my personal issues with BDSM prevent me from being able to read most of what’s currently considered popular erotica. But, I do know it’s very common for readers outside of a genre to form ideas about the readers inside it. It’s like the attitudes about horror readers worshipping the devil, or romance readers being too dumb to know what makes a decent story. So, it wouldn’t surprise me that some people think there’s something wrong with reading “sex stories.”

Scarberryfields: Do you read books by those you follow on Twitter? If so, do you write reviews for those books you enjoyed?

Zoe: I actually prefer not to read books by people I know personally, I still do, but the issue is, I’m a notoriously picky reader, and I don’t like losing friends over my reviews. It rarely works out well, and so I tend to prefer reading pros and indies who I don’t talk to regularly.

I’m kind of weird like that. Everybody else wants to avoid reading authors until they feel like the writer is almost their best buddy, and I’m more of the opinion that I don’t want to know jack shit about you, lest it taint my perspective of your art. Let me assess your work first, and then if I like it, we can think about being buddies online.

As for reviews, I write them whether I loved a book or hated it. To me, a review isn’t about promoting the author, but about informing other readers what I thought about the story. Even when I like a story, I make an effort to mention anything I didn’t like. I feel it’s more important to be honest and informative rather than finding something nice to say. In this way, if I gush about loving a book, people know I’m being genuine.

Scarberryfields: If refunds are requested for any of your books, do you remove the book(s) from publication?

Zoe: No, if I did that, a number of my books would be pulled even though they’ve had great reviews. I don’t really care if people ask for a refund on a book that doesn’t work for them, although I would never do that. If I buy an  ebook and don’t like it, it’s no big deal. I just drop the book and move on to reading something else.

The thing about refunds is, you don’t know if someone was meaning to get a free sample and accidentally clicked the wrong button or not. Even if they ask for a refund because they didn’t like it, that’s hardly a reason to give up on a story. No story works for everyone, so you’re going to run into some people who just don’t like you. It happens. So don’t give up for a refund. There’s always a chance the next reader in line won’t ask for a refund.

Scarberryfields: Do family members read your books?

Zoe: No, not really. My dad tried with one of my first books, but told me “It’s just too graphic for me.” My mother read one of my books and told me I should have killed the main character. So obviously, I haven’t sent her anything else. Um...my cousin read one of my books back at the start of my ebook launch, but I don’t believe she’s read anything since then. I could be wrong though, but she never mentions it.

Most of my family are rednecks, and I’m the black sheep of the family for being bi and trans. So they don’t like to think about me, or acknowledge my stuff. I say most of my family, because my dad occasionally tells people I’m a writer. He’s also introduced me to a friend of my brother by saying, “This is my daughter Zoe. She writes books that no one reads.” Gee, thanks Dad.

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing or editing, do you shut-off all social networks?

Zoe: Nope, I keep TweetDeck open and I might surf Facebook a few times in between writing bursts. Some people have problems getting back to work, but I need the mental breaks in between the typing to keep me from suffering mental fatigue. I’ve written a LOT of books, so I don’t worry too much about whether my way is “right” or not. I still get stuff done, so that’s good enough for me.

Scarberryfields: What are the books you’ve published, and where can readers find them?

Zoe: Um...I have 39 ebooks on Amazon and 40 on Kobo. So listing all my titles could take a long time. My most recent releases were Saving Gabriel, A Frosty Girl’s Cure (sequel to my super villain comedy Waiting for a Miracle), A Boy and His Dawg, and Sandy Morrison and the Pixie Prohibition (sequel to Sandy Morrison and the Pack of Pussies.)

Scarberryfields: Thank you so much for answering my questions, Zoe. I consider us buddies on Twitter. Therefore, I won't expect you to be reading my books. Ha! I wish you the best!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Hello, I'm Rebecca Scarberry, author of MESSAGES FROM HENRY and RAG DOLL. I'm Scarberryfields on Twitter. As you all know, my blog is devoted to interviews with authors. I have now interviewed another multi-published author, Stifyn Emrys, (@StifynEmrys on Twitter). I have enjoyed learning more about him and certain you will also.

Scarberryfields: Can you tell us a little about your nationality?

Stifyn Emrys: I like to joke that I’m half-Californian and half-British. I was born in California, but I’ve been to Great Britain three times and my mother’s side of the family has a hefty percentage of Celtic blood. I also enjoy British humor and writers from the U.K. (J.R.R. Tolkien and Neil Gaiman are two of my favorites). My pen name is Welsh, which is fitting since I’m a great lover of dragons. Stifyn is the Welsh form of my given name, Stephen; Emrys means “immortal,” and I thought it was fitting, as authors’ works tend to outlast them. It’s also one of the names for Merlin.

Scarberryfields: When you finish writing a story, do you miss the characters?

Stifyn Emrys: Not really. I can always go back and reread the story. Besides, the characters all come out of my own head - which, presumably, will remain attached, enabling me to visit them whenever they’re feeling hospitable. That said, I’m only part way through the series (I’ve completed the first book, Identity Break, and a novella, Artifice), so we haven’t gotten sick of one another just yet.

Scarberryfields: While writing, if you need help with punctuation, grammar, etcetera, where do you turn?

Stifyn Emrys: I’ve been an editor myself for about 25 years, so I’m comfortable around words. I got into journalism with the idea of writing books in my spare time, and I’m just now getting around to it. My wife, Samaire Provost, is an author herself (“Mad World: Epidemic” and “Mad World: Sanctuary”), so she serves as my editor/beta reader. If I’m struggling for the right word, I won’t hesitate to check out my trusty Thesaurus.

Scarberryfields: With the number of hours spent writing, do family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Stifyn Emrys: My office job at the local newspaper keeps me busy with four 10-hour shifts a week, and I write in my spare time. I don’t set word-count goals, but most of my time away from work is spent either writing or promoting my books. I’ve published four non-fiction books, a novel, a children’s story and a novella since July 2012. My wife is fully supportive. It’s great being married to another writer, because each of us understands the other’s dream - it’s a dream we share.

Scarberryfields: For research sake, do you travel to any of the places you mention in your books?

Stifyn Emrys: I love to travel, but I don’t think I need to travel. One huge advantage of the Internet is that it brings the world to your doorstep. “Identity Break” is set in the San Francisco Bay Area, about three hours north of my home, and I’ve visited the area a few times, but if I’d never been there, I think the story would be just as effective. I believe the main ingredients in a good novel are an interesting plot and characters that connect with readers. The setting is secondary. To put it bluntly, people relate a lot better to other people than they do to settings and descriptions, no matter how beautifully they’re drawn.

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you shut-off all social networks?

Stifyn Emrys: I tend to go back and forth. My main reason for being on social networks is to promote my books, and I spend a good portion of the day connecting with others online. Most of the interactions have nothing to do with my writing, but most of my online contacts know I’m a writer, and that helps with marketing. Today, for instance, I’ve written a bit on a forthcoming non-fiction project, but I’ve also done a lot of online work - including this interview. It’s all part of the big picture. Whether I’m writing or getting the word out about my books, I’m doing what’s necessary to succeed.

Scarberryfields: Did you use any family members as Beta readers for your stories?

Stifyn Emrys: Yes. My wife, Samaire.

Scarberryfields: Do you feel social networking is a good tool for marketing your books?

Stifyn Emrys: Absolutely. I’m following what I call the George Takei model. I interviewed him after a recent performance of his stage musical, “Allegiance,” and he told me he started his Facebook page to promote the musical. Most of his posts have nothing to do with the musical itself, but he draws people into the page with humorous and topical posts. He’s also got a lot more name recognition than I do, but I like the idea: keep people entertained, introduce yourself to them and allow them to become familiar with your work.

Scarberryfields: What is the last book called that you completed and published?

Stifyn Emrys: I published my novel Identity Break in February and the novella Artifice in March. If you like twists, you’ll like Identity Break. Some people have compared it to The Twilight Zone and The Matrix, and there’s a definite Orwellian backdrop to it. One of the taglines I use for the book is “You won’t see it coming.” I like surprising readers. It’s a way to keep them engaged in the storyline, but the characters have to be strong, too. I used a multiple-first-person technique in Identity Break that allows readers to get inside all the main characters’ heads. Artifice expands on the story but can be read before or after Identity Break. It won’t ruin any of the surprises if you read it beforehand, and it will throw some light on the plot if you read it afterward.

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your books?   

Stifyn Emrys: All my books are available on Amazon in either Kindle (e-book) or paperback form: www.amazon.com/Stifyn-Emrys/e/B008LHKFM2/. You can also pick up most of my books for Nook. I’m on Facebook at www.facebook.com/semrys and Twitter @stifynemrys.

Hello. Thank you for visiting my blog today. I’m Rebecca Scarberry, Scarberryfields on Twitter, and Indie author of a novella, Messages from Henry, and Rag Doll, a spicy short story. I’m so happy. I have interviewed another multi-published author. He is Thomm Quackenbush, thommq on Twitter. Enjoy!

Scarberryfields: Can you tell us a little about your nationality?

Thomm: I am American.  My background is English, Irish, German, and Dutch, but I don’t have much of a connection with my roots (aside from my mother insisting to this day that I resemble my deceased German grandmother, whom she felt looked like wrinkled kewpie dolls, so I am not sure this is a compliment).

Scarberryfields: When you finish writing a story, do you miss the characters?

Thomm: Most of my stories take place within the same reality, so I don’t ever feel they are gone.  Even character I have killed off can reappear through flashbacks, so they aren’t far.

Scarberryfields: While writing, if you need help with punctuation, grammar, etcetera, where do you turn?

Thomm: Mostly to myself.  I worked as a proofreader for an educational publisher for the better part of a year, which was tedious but drilled grammar rules into me more thoroughly than all the schooling I had received before.  I tend to covert the document over into something I can read on my Kindle and do a final pass there, since it seems to hit a different part of my brain than what I rely upon while writing. 

I have a few beta readers and one, my girlfriend’s uncle, is even better than I am at catching these mistakes.  I am sure to incorporate Uncle Bruce into anything I am about to submit to my publisher.

Scarberryfields: With the number of hours spent writing, do family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Thomm: My girlfriend is the only family member affected right now and she does not seem to mind too much.  She is also a creative type, an artist who runs a successful Etsy shop and who is involved in the local artistic community, so we have come up with our “work hour”.  I retire to a tiny closet with my notebook computer and she makes an absolute mess of our living room floor as she makes her crafts. 

It’s a good system, except for when guests drop by before we can clean up.

Scarberryfields: For research sake, do you travel to any of the places you mention in your books?

Thomm: Most of my books take place within an hour or so of where I live.  My last book, Artificial Gods, mostly takes place in Pine Bush, New York.  I went to several UFO support group meeting there while brainstorming and ironing out details, including sky watches where some members labeled airplanes as cloaked alien spaceships.  I have twice attended the annual Pine Bush UFO Festival that ended up featured in the novel.  I must admit, doing such in-depth (and somewhat undercover) research made for a far stranger book than I originally intended.

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you shut-off all social networks?

Thomm: Actually, no.  I sometimes need these micro-distractions, so I will go on Omegle to have random chats about writing whenever I am slightly stuck.  It helps to remind me why I write – to tell my fans the sort of stories I would want to read – and publicizes my books, as well as helping to me untangle knots by explaining them to people who are otherwise ignorant of my work.

Scarberryfields: Did you use any family members as Beta readers for your stories?

Thomm: I have tried.  Most of them are curiously unwilling to drop everything they are doing to push through my work-in-progress in a week.  I send it to them anyway and hope for the best.

My most consistent beta readers right now are my girlfriend and her uncle.  Aside from that, I may occasionally hear from friends and family members months after I have made revisions.

Scarberryfields: Do you feel social networking is a good tool for marketing your books?

Thomm: I would like to believe that.  I see quite a number of people sharing their friends' self-published works, but they clam up when confronted with a book that isn't the literary underdog (though I feel any book that isn’t on the shelves at Barnes & Noble is fighting to be seen).  So, I believe it can be a good marketing tool, but it has yet to bear much fruit for me.

Scarberryfields: What is the last book called that you completed and published?

Thomm: Artificial Gods, which came out in late January from Double Dragon Publishing.

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your books? 

 

 

 

Thomm: From my publisher: http://double-dragon-ebooks.com/eAuthor.php?Name=Thomm%20Quackenbush

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/mn/landing/B004ZQYE5W/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=xenexorg-20

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/artificial-gods-thomm-quackenbush/1114286916?ean=9781771150576

Or from my site, with audio and ebook extras: http://xenex.org/writing/novel.php

All are available to be requested from most book stores.  

I also have a Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/ThommQuackenbush

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4890612.Thomm_Quackenbush

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a3539729/Thomm-Quackenbush/

Twitter: @thommq

And Tumblr: http://thommquackenbush.tumblr.com

 

Scarberryfields: Thank you so much, Thomm for answering my questions. I’ve enjoyed learning more about you and certain others have also. I wish you the best!

Hello.  I’m Rebecca Scarberry, Scarberryfields on Twitter, author of YA novella, MESSAGES FROM HENRY, and a short story, RAG DOLL. I have interviewed another self-published author, Habibo Haji RN, MISSPOSITIVE30 on Twitter. I highly recommend you read her Amazon bio here: http://t.co/DNPzro4 before or after reading the following. Enjoy!

Scarberryfields: Can you tell us a little about your nationality?

Habibo Haji RN: I’m from East Africa, Somalia to be precise, where I lived until I was 14 years of age. The civil war broke out in 1991, causing chaos over the whole country.   I immigrated to Kenya with my mother and siblings and lived in the largest refugee camp for a total of three years before being selected to immigrate to America.

Scarberryfields: When you finish a novel, do you miss the characters?

Habibo Haji RN: This book is actually based on my life experience in the refugee camp and living in a very primitive village in Somalia as a nomad. Through my experience as a nomad, I went through many hardships, such as rape, beating and starvation for many months and years.  The story also focuses on my struggle of immigrating to America without knowing a word of English, and how I overcame the odds to now work at the most prestigious medical facility in the world - the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Scarberryfields: While writing, if you need help with punctuation, grammar, etc., where do you turn?

Habibo Haji RN: My good friend, Joe Culhane has been helping me throughout the writing process. Therefore, without him this book would not be in publication. Many thanks to him.

Scarberryfields: With the number of hours spent writing, do family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Habibo Haji RN: I have no family support, because it’s just my 3 children and me.  Therefore, times can be tough especially with the writing process.  I do want, however, to show young men and women that with persistence and patience, you can and will accomplish many things.

Scarberryfields: Does writing benefit you in any way and if so, how?

Habibo Haji RN: Writing this book was very beneficial for me because it allowed me to reexamine my life from earlier years to where I am now. Many of the memories were not very pleasant so it allowed me to make peace with the past and be hopeful for the future.

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you shut-off all social networks?

Habibo Haji RN: I like social networks so I multi-task because, as you can guess, a single mom with 3 kids needs to multi- task to get things done. I sometimes read postings in Facebook or Twitter to get me through the day.

Scarberryfields: Did you use any family members as Beta readers for your debut novel?

Habibo Haji RN: I have had a few friends that read the book, which was very helpful.

Scarberryfields: Do you feel social networking as a marketing tool, is beneficial?

Habibo Haji RN: I think social networks are a great tool to use for marketing, because you can reach people that you would not normally have contact with.

Scarberryfields: What is the last book called that you completed and published?

Habibo Haji RN: Conquering the Odds, Journey of a Shepherd Girl.

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your books? 

Habibo Haji RN: You can find my book here:

Habibo Haji RN: http://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Odds-Journey-Shepherd-ebook/dp/B00B0QQIA4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359039046&sr=1-1&keywords=habibo+haji

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conquering-the-odds-journey-of-a-shepherd-girl-habibo-haji/1114144639?ean=2940015996111

Hello. Thank you for visiting my blog today. I’m Rebecca Scarberry, Scarberryfields on Twitter, and author of two books: Messages from Henry and Rag Doll. I have interviewed another debut novelist, Richard J. Galloway, @RJGalloway1 on Twitter. I’ve enjoyed getting to know more about Richard. I’m certain you will also.

Scarberryfields: Can you tell us a little about your nationality?

Richard: English, specifically the industrial North East of England, once full of 1960’s optimism and potential. It’s now a place where dreams come to die. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the region, specifically the people and their down to earth humor; I just wish it didn’t seem to be in perpetual decline. On a more positive note, most of my characters were shaped by the environment, so without it they wouldn’t exist.

Scarberryfields: When you finish writing a story, do you miss the characters?

Richard: It’s amazing but yes, I do miss them. All my characters are based on real people or more often combinations of two or three people. Some of them are from my past, others I still know. I distort the personalities, exaggerating certain aspects to suit my purpose. I think it’s this power over the characters’ that is one of the things that attracts me to writing. The end result of all this is that the characters I create become very real to me and even killing one off feels like betrayal. So, despite my love of the power, I'd never make a successful despot. The cure for this pining, so it seems, is to write another book using the same people. In my mind's eye, I glance to the left and receive an approving nod from one of them.

Scarberryfields: While writing, if you need help with punctuation, grammar, etcetera, where do you turn?

Richard: I have this love, hate relationship with Microsoft Word. Sometimes I agree with its corrections, specifically comma to semicolon and spelling, but often I don’t agree and will rephrase an entire paragraph to avoid its opinion on my work. After that, it's my daughter who provides me with sound advice.

Scarberryfields: With the number of hours spent writing, do family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them?

Richard: Often it seems that I spend a couple of hours thrashing about trying to find the correct plot line, only to be asked, if I'm going to be writing all day, just as I've latched onto something. This generally means that I don’t have time to write the thoughts down and I have to try to remember them. So the answer is that they are tolerant up to a point. Sometimes this is good, as the interruption means that the thoughts can develop, and sometimes it's not good as I tend forget the delicate intricacies of the thread.

Scarberryfields: Do you travel to places you mention in your stories for research sake?

Richard: Yes, but more often I incorporate places that I'm visiting into the fabric of the story. Sometimes the place would fit a setting I'm working on, and other times I may generate an entire plot line from a place. I'd just be walking along and I would suddenly see something; the reflection in a window, the way the land falls past some ancient walls into a valley; and an entire race of beings would be born. This is generally followed by some frantic photography as I try to capture the thought on my phone. In my book 'Amantarra' I created a city called Valheel, which is built on the inside of a sphere in its own set of dimensions. I have no idea where the concept came from, one day I just found that I'd written it. To help with the descriptions of the city, I modeled Valheel in 3D using Google SketchUp, so in essence I did travel there eventually; I just had to build the place first. The resultant images are all on my website (see link below).

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you shut-off all social networks?

Richard: I have to; there are too many other distractions; D.I.Y. (which I hate), work, eating, shopping and life in general. When I write, I immerse myself in the worlds that I create, the hours fly by and it's only when the light begins to fade and I can't see the keyboard that I realize that the day has gone. Maybe my wife has a point when she asks if I'm going to be writing all day.

Scarberryfields: Did you use any family members as Beta readers for your stories?

Richard: Mainly my wife and daughter who are always keen to read my work even if they don’t agree with the time taken to produce it.  My daughter is better at grammar grappling than I am, and I always run my manuscripts past her. Often she will pick out sentences that made perfect sense when I wrote them, but don't actually convey the meaning I intended when read by someone else. I usually know what I was trying to say and can rephrase successfully, but there have been occasions when I've even thrown myself. My wife will often query some of the concepts in my work, which generally means that I need to expand or simplify the descriptions to make them more understandable.

Scarberryfields: Do you feel social networking as a marketing tool, is beneficial?

Richard: I feel as though I've achieved more with it than I would have without it, but I don't feel as though it has fulfilled all that it promised. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, or perhaps I'm just impatient. Nevertheless, I'm sort of committed to it now, so I'll try some new things and see what time delivers.

Scarberryfields: What is the last book called that you completed and published?

Richard: The book is called 'Amantarra' and it's the first in the 'Ascension of Valheel' series. It's basically about a war that has lasted 100,000 years longer than the human species has existed and the accidental involvement of a teenager who suddenly finds that he is a weapon of unimaginable power. Mainly fantasy, the book has mystery, science fiction and coming of age aspects that are grounded in the humor of an English industrial town. I'm currently working on the second book, which is to be titled 'Saranythia'.

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your book?

Richard: My website which contains my bio, my blog, the images of Valheel, a description of, and the first 5 chapters of Amantarra, is on:

http://www.richardjgalloway.co.uk

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amantarra-The-Ascension-Valheel-ebook/dp/B008X8SKYE

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Amantarra-The-Ascension-Valheel-ebook/dp/B008X8SKYE 

Hello. Thank you for visiting my blog today. I’m Rebecca Scarberry, @Scarberryfields on Twitter, self-published author of Messages from Henry (novella), and Rag Doll (short  story).  I have interviewed Krystal McLaughlin, @witcheslottery on Twitter. She’s a multi-published author.  I’ve enjoyed learning more about her and certain you will also.

 

Scarberryfields: Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

Krystal: Sure...  My name is Krystal George but I have also written under the name Krystal McLaughlin.  I’m the author of 3 YA books with another one due out in the near future.  The Witches Lottery and A Dragon Forsaken are about witches and magic.  They are the first two books in the Enchanted Island Series which will have four books total.  The Willows is the first book in a two part series about vampires.  My newest book, Guardian of the Realm: A Faerie Tale is about the dark side of faeries and magic and should be released sometime in the next few months. 

Scarberryfields: When you finish writing a story, do you miss the characters? 

Krystal: I do!  That's part of the reason I like to do series work.  When I’m writing a book, it's easy to fall in love with the world and characters that you create.  Leaving them behind is almost unbearable, but when you write as a series, you know that there will always be more in the future.  I feel the same way about reading and tend to lean toward series when I’m choosing a new book :) 

Scarberryfields: While writing, if you need help with punctuation, grammar, etcetera, where do you turn? 

Krystal: It sounds funny, but I turn to Google a lot!  I also ask those who are more grammatically correct than I am, and finally, I always try to find someone else to edit my books for me! 

Scarberryfields: With the number of hours spent writing, do family members support you or complain about the time spent away from them? 

Krystal: I am lucky that my family supports me 100%.  My kids get a little anxious and impatient, but my husband is amazing and not only supports me fully, he takes a lot of the pressure off by keeping our kiddo's entertained! 

Scarberryfields: Do you travel to places you mention in your stories for research sake? 

Krystal: If I had the time, I would probably travel a lot more just for this reason.  Since I don't, I tend to write about places that I am already familiar with.  A lot of my books are based in Colorado because I live there.  However, the Enchanted Island is located off of the coast of Connecticut which is somewhere I have also visited before. 

Scarberryfields: When you’re writing, do you shut-off all social networks? 

Krystal: I try to.  I typically put in my ear buds, crank up my "writing" play list and drown out the rest of the world for a while.  I have to confess that Facebook and Twitter sneak up on me every once in a while, though! 

Scarberryfields: Did you use any family members as Beta readers for your stories? 

Krystal: I use friends more than family.  Mostly because there are not a lot of readers in my family, but my friends get just as obsessed as I do! 

Scarberryfields: Do you feel social networking as a marketing tool, is beneficial? 

Krystal: I absolutely do.  Especially if you are self-published like I am and need to do all of your own marketing.  Social networking is an excellent way to meet other authors, book bloggers, and many other interesting people.  I feel very lucky to have found the cover artist for The Willows just because she "friended" me on Facebook. 

Scarberryfields: What is the last book called that you completed and published? 

Krystal: My most recent book is entitled The Willows 

Scarberryfields: Where can readers go to find your books?

 

Krystal: All of my books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble in both ebook and paperback versions.  You can also find them on Smashwords in ebook format.  Any additional information can be found on my blog: krystalmclaughlin.blogspot.com where I sometimes post sneak peeks to upcoming books!

Scarberryfields: Thank you, Krystal for answering my questions. I love your book covers and I wish you the best.