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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: JD Chambers

JD Chambers photo

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, JD Chambers – JD Chambers wanted at various times to be Indiana Jones, Pat Benatar, and Wonder Woman when she grew up. She never considered writing down the stories she crafted in her head. They provided nothing more than entertainment for long drives or sleepless nights, until one particular story insisted it didn’t want to reside only in her noggin. She hasn’t stopped writing since.. Thanks so much, JD, for joining me! … Read more

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POINT OF VIEW: At the Top of the Mountain

Mountaintop - Point of View

Hey all, Okay, I’m almost there. Last night at about ten minutes to ten, I typed the final words of the climactic chapter in “Ithani,” the last book in the Oberon Cycle trilogy. There’s still a bit of wrap-up to do – what I euphemistically call the “return to the Shire” part of the book, where everything else is put in good order. But the hardest part is over. Most of the loose ends are wrapped up, and I’m about to send the novel off to Beta this week. Logically, I know it’s a great thing. I’ve been working toward … Read more

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Brenda Murphy

Brenda Murphy

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, Brenda Murphy – Brenda Murphy writes short stories and novels. She is a member of Romance Writers of America. Her nonfiction and short fiction have been published in various collections. Her most recent novel, One was published by NineStar Press. When she is not loitering and writing at her favorite tea shop, she wrangles one dogs, twins, and an unrepentant parrot. Thanks so much, Brenda, for joining me! J. Scott Coatsworth: How … Read more

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT/GIVEAWAY: Harper Jewel

Harper Jewel

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, Harper Jewel – Harper Jewel lives in northeast New Jersey with her husband and college-age daughter. She has two cats, enjoys reading, and taking trips to Walt Disney World. With her outgoing personality and vivid imagination, she can create characters and plots that are believable as well as memorable. Thanks so much, Harper, for joining me! Giveaway: Harper is giving away a $5.00 Amazon gift card and one e-book copy (.mobi, .epub, … Read more

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POINT OF VIEW: Stepping Off the Ledge

printing press - pixabay

Hey all, I’m about to step off the ledge. To take the plunge. To dive into the great unknown. I am about to become * gulp * a self publisher. I have two projects already teed up for this year, with more to come if things go well. The first is the long-awaited publication of “The River City Chronicles” in book form – my 102 chapter online serial that ended last October. It’s been a long slog to get to this point for this, my love letter to Sacramento. I just got the preliminary cover art from Kelley York, a … Read more

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POINT OF VIEW: Riding the Writing Roller Coaster

Roller Coaster - Pixabay

I am two weeks away from sending Ithani, the final book in the “Oberon Cycle,” to my beta readers, and I am in full-scale freak out mode. OK, maybe not full scale. I still have all my clothes on. It has proven more challenging than I expected to write the series ender – there are so many loose ends to wrap up, and it’s necessary to both ramp up the volume and to keep tight reins on a story that caps off my first complete trilogy. I got within two chapters of the ending and realized something wasn’t right. I … Read more

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Janelle Reston

Janelle Reston

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, Janelle Reston – Janelle Reston lives in a northern lake town with her partner and their black cats. Thanks so much, Janelle, for joining me! J. Scott Coatsworth: Do you use a pseudonym? If so, why? If not, why not? Janelle Reston: Yes. I write under several different genres and for different audiences, so I divided them into general groupings and assigned different names (pen names and variations on my legal name) … Read more

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POINT OF VIEW: Days of Despair, Moments of Grace and Beauty

Tulips - pixabay

These are trying times for most of the people I know. Our country is in a shambles. The headlines dominating the news would have been unthinkable just two years ago – a porn star threatening to describe a sitting president’s “junk.” A US senator berating kinds for trying to stop gun violence. An unchained Russia meddling in other countries’ affairs with impunity, changing elections, supporting discord, and killing expatriates on foreign soil. Closer to home, Mark and I have friends dealing with parental loss, cancer, and depression. In the midst of the longest run of economic “prosperity” in decades, we … Read more

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Kim Fielding

Kim Fielding

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, Kim Fielding – Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Thanks so much, Kim, for joining me! J. Scott Coatsworth: What do you do if you get a brilliant idea at a bad time? Kim Fielding: I get my best ideas at weird times, most especially in the … Read more

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POINT OF VIEW: Making Connections & Hiding Easter Eggs

scott-bunny

As an author, one of my main jobs in my stories is the art of making connections. Connections between characters. Connections between the beginning and end of a story. Connections within a series. As part of this job, I am currently re-reading Skythane and Lander while I write Oberon, so I can make connections between the three books that will give my readers that “aha!” moment when they discover them, and that will help insure continuity between the stories. But there are other kinds of connections that we trade in as writers too. Some are unintentional. These often come out … Read more