"The Caterpillar Princess" by Dominic and Hannah Tuttle

*Part of my Local Author Spotlight!*

Years ago, my buddy Dominic and I sat outside our local Dairy Queen and one of our conversations involved him one day illustrating a children's book. Needless to say, I was very excited when I got to own The Caterpillar Princess, the first book written by my friend and his lovely wife, Hannah.

The Caterpillar Princess is not your typical children's book. The illustrations are unique, the story uplifting, and the overall message is wonderful. The Caterpillar Princess wants nothing more than to go on adventures like her brother, the Prince. But her father wants to keep his daughter safe so she must stay in her room in the castle. Finally she just can't take it anymore and takes off on her own. Naturally, trouble awaits her. Will everything work out for the Princess?

I really like the message of this book. The Caterpillar Princess learns a lot including how to treat others and about being true to oneself. This is a great book for young girls and I look forward to more in the Fingerprint Stories series.

Happy Reading!
-Melly

Interview with Author Erin S. Gray

*Part of my Local Author Spotlight!*

What are you currently reading? 
I am currently reading The House at Riverton by Kate Morton. 

What/who has influenced your writing? 
Without a doubt, Louis L’Amour has been a large influence in my writing. I met his wife once, after he had passed away, who told me that persistence was the key to his success. I was in high school at the time and decided I could do this writing thing then, because I’m stubborn! Other influential authors are Janette Oke, Lori Wick, in the Historical Christian Romance category. Classic Christian writer, Grace Livingston Hill has been a recent and most loved discovery. I can’t discount some of the current young adult writers out there like Suzanne Collins for writing about difficult situations 

What do you do beside write? 
I am a mother of two, a part-time bookkeeper, President of Women Writing the West, and a writer. I work outside of the home a couple days of the week. I have a home office in the basement (I call it the studio - much less depressing) so when it comes to writing, I write when my oldest son is at school and the baby is napping. When nap time is over, I answer WWW emails and market Moonshine Murder while playing with the baby. I “unwind” on my treadmill, although here I’m working too. Believe it or not, I use this time to catch up on my reading – done much easier with a Kindle then back when I used to use “chip clip” to hold the book open! Evenings are family time, though. When I can, I am outdoors, backpacking, hiking, or skiing in the winter. 

Do places you visit pop up in your writing? How so? 
Yes! I write historical fiction, so I’m often writing about places I’ve experienced and filtering those locations through a historical lens. My novel, Moonshine Murder, for example is set in the 1920’s in Durango and Silverton, Colorado. I grew up backpacking through the San Juan Mountains, and the location is described in accurate details throughout the novel. 

Synopsis: It’s 1925. The small cabin deep in the San Juan Mountains is the only home seventeen-year-old Lenora Giovanni has ever known. But when her father dies from tainted moonshine, leaving her alone, she is forced into a life of danger. Lenora is determined to find whoever sold the poison to her father--a determination that leads her into working as an undercover agent in the town of Durango, Colorado. She meets Rusty, a young moonshiner who guides her through the world of bootlegging. As Lenora gets to know this intriguing young man, three things become clear: Her father was entangled in a scheme of deception. Rusty is keeping secrets--secrets about her past. And she is falling irrationally and unconditionally in love with him. Faced with betrayal, Lenora is tempted to protect Rusty and preserve her father’s memory, rather than bust the illegal moonshine business that destroyed her family. How will she choose: with her head or her heart? 

Bio: Erin S. Gray writes historical fiction for adults and young adults. She backpacks through the very mountains about which she writes and was inspired to begin her novel, Moonshine Murder, after stumbling across an abandoned cabin during a trek deep in the San Juan Mountains. Erin is the 2013 president of Women Writing the West, and an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. A graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in English, she lives in southwest Colorado with her husband and two young sons. For more information about the author, visit www.erinsgray.com

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Happy Reading!
-Melly

Interview with Author Gail Wagner

*Part of my Local Author Spotlight!*

What/who has influenced your writing?

I read a lot so I have several authors that inspired me to write: Brandon Mull, J.K. Rowling, Cassandra Clare and Stephenie Meyer.  My oldest sister was a big influence as well.  She was the one who wanted to be an author.  She actually threatened to murder me if I ever got published before her.  J  She passed away in 2007. 

Do you have a writing schedule that you follow?  Can you tell us about it (or why you don't)?

Not really, I write whenever the mood strikes (morning, evening, middle of the night)…usually middle of the night!  I do try to write daily.

What do you listen to when you write?

A little bit of everything!  Usually my Paramore or “Never Saw Blue” stations on Pandora.  I listened to a lot of Celtic music while I was writing Army of Sorrow.

What do you do beside write?

I’m a mom with three kids so that takes a lot of my time.  I also sew, which I used to do professionally. I like to dabble in home decorating, DIY projects and jewelry design.  You might say I’m a Jill of all trades. I get bored easily so I have to have about twenty things going on at the same time.  I drive my husband nuts!

 

Do places you visit pop up in your writing?  How so?

Sometimes.  I like to use places I’m familiar with but a lot of my stories happen in places I’ve never been…the google becomes my best friend!  J I put a café I visited in Albuquerque in my latest book. 

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming books?

Right now I’m finishing up edits on a book called Curiosity Killed the Crowthat is set here in New Mexico.  It’s about a girl who comes here for a summer program and accidently becomes involved in an ancient Native American battle.

I’m also working on book two and three of my Donegal Sidhe series.  As well as the sequel to another book I have on Wattpad called Dream Walkers. Dream Walkers is about a girl who learns she can manipulate the dream world after she falls in love with a boy she meets there.

What are you currently reading?

Inheritence by Christopher Paolini and Athena’s Mark by Rick Riordan.  I just finished Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.

Donegal Sidhe

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Interview with Author Brit Ward (aka WC Briton)

*Part of my Local Author Spotlight!*

What/who has influenced your writing? 

Generally, people as a whole have influenced my writing. Even as a child, I would find myself observing people and looking at their tendencies. 

Do you have a writing schedule that you follow? Can you tell us about it (or why you don't)? 

I don't have a very strict writing schedule. I mostly revise or brainstorm in the morning, sometimes creating character concepts. As the day progresses is when I start outlining and actually writing the stories.

Where do you write best? 

Anywhere I can isolate myself. I've found headphones and music really help with that. 

What do you listen to when you write? 

Mostly movie soundtracks and scores. However, I've been listening to a lot of the Chromatics lately.

What do you do beside write? 

Filmmaking. And more writing. 

Do places you visit pop up in your writing? How so? 

Occasionally, but generally they appear in concept and not in a literal sense. I usually use places I've been to as inspiration and create fictional environments based on those places. 

Which piece are you the most proud of (doesn't have to be something you have published)? 

The story I just finished. I find something of pride in everything I've written. Unfortunately, I also find problems with everything I've written. 

Do you have a favorite book you have written? Which book is it and why? 

It's hard for me to pick favorites. It's like picking favorite children; it just doesn't really work. 

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming books? 

Screenwriting for now, though I'm finishing the synopsis for an upcoming young adult book that might be a bit more ambitious in terms of story scale than I usually attempt.

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Happy Reading!
-Melly

Interview with Author, Debra Doggett

*Part of my Local Author Spotlight!*

I am currently reading a book called "The Craft of the Wild Witch" by Poppy Palin. It's about releasing your inner self and finding your creative life.

I think that all the wonderful authors I read growing up influenced my writing the most. Those I read now I enjoy but the ones I read then changed me and deepened me. Two of my favorite authors, both gone now sadly, were Leon Uris and James Michener. I think both of them are not only the reason I am a writer but also why I am a historian. They made history come alive for me and their characters jumped off the page and into my heart. If I can follow their role models in the slightest way I'll be happy.
I don't have a writing schedule per se. I am finding that I need to make commitments to my writing so now I write a thousand words in the morning and a thousand in the evening. If I go over that number, great. But I'm committed to at least that much and it seems to be working for me. I also have a full-time job so that interferes with writing more, lol.
Oddly enough, I don't listen to anything when I write. There is background noise but mostly silence. I love music and it inspires me when I am in the musing phase, but when I write it is a distraction cause I do love it and get caught up in the music instead of my writing.
The piece I have written that I am most proud of was my dad's eulogy. I know that sounds morbid but I felt like I was able to let people know what a wonderful man he was and what a great father. I was grateful for my gift of words then because I could use them to help me and my family through our grief.

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Happy Reading!
-Melly

"What's in Your Closet?" by Rhonda Gibson and Stacy Baron

*Part of my Local Author Spotlight!*

What's in Your Closet? by Rhonda Gibson and Stacy Baron is absolutely perfect for fans of historical fiction and romance.  Personally, I am not a huge fan of romance novels, but the history element of this novel kept me very engaged.  I don't want to spoil the part of this book that took me completely by surprise (let's just say that I didn't take the book's description very literally) but I am pleased with the way the story evolved.  Emily and David are the kind of characters you root for from the beginning.  Over the course of the novel, the two are tracking down clues to solve a mystery about the past occupants of  David's home. As expected, they start to fall in love, but I felt that the characters were realistic about this.  I have found that some writers can't handle this situation very well and everything feels a little too easy, a little too convenient.  That is not the case in this book!

Fans of historical romance must read this book!


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Happy Reading!
-Melly

Local Author Spotlight

I have been wanting to do this for quite some time now- shine the spotlight on some of the local authors in my area. Check back everyday for either a review or an interview with some of the authors I have been lucky enough to get to know- both in real life and through their writing. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Reading!
-Melly