HEY, FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD

It makes me truly happy to find that Marabella and I have friends all over the world. To date we've had 710 views from the U. S., 26 from FRANCE, 16 from POLAND, 15 from RUSSIA, 6 from the U.K., 5 from CANADA, 4 from UKRAINE, and 3 each from AUSTRALIA, GERMANY, and INDIA. 

Please leave a comment when you visit. I'd love to get to know you. 

It is truly gratifying for me to check my blog site and find that someone has viewed it. I want to thank each and every one of you. I realize that my blog isn't "hot" or "trending". I am infrequent with my postings as life gets in the way of my writing. Also, sometimes writing gets in the way of my writing. Time I spend blogging, facebooking, and tweeting is time I am not spending working on the next volume of Marabella's adventures. 

And for those of you who have read MARABELLA, DISCOVERING MAGICS, I want to let you know that there is a lot more action and adventure in the next book as our girl, Marabella has grown into a brave young woman. MARABELLA, QUEST FOR MAGICS will find her traveling to new, exotic places and meeting interesting characters (not all human). There will be royalty, pirates, jailbreaks, and at least one dragon. How can you resist? If you have yet to read MARABELLA, DISCOVERING MAGICS, it is available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.  

Thanks again everyone! 

The Author (Sandra Boutwell-Falcone)

10 Questions with Author Rachel Brune

I recently had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Rachel Brune, in a writers group. She is the author of Echos and Premonitions, a memoir,  Soft Target, a suspense thriller, and Cold Run, a werewolf urban fantasy. Rachel is an interesting character herself. She served five years as a combat journalist, including two tours in Iraq. She then earned her MA in Political Communication. She currently works as a freelance journalist as well as working on some non-fiction projects and the sequel to Cold Run. I am so happy she found the time to answer my 10 questions.

1. What made you choose to write in this genre?
1. I’m a big fan of urban fantasy, especially the gritty, crime kind of modern-day magic. I think it’s completely logical that someone with these sorts of abilities and sensibilities – especially a werewolf like my main character - would be drawn to the sort of job where you defend your “pack.”
2. Who influenced you growing up?
1. I think I read every single Anne McCaffrey novel at my local library – and there were a lot of them. As I got older, I fell in love with Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman, and many others. At the same time, although I retained my love for fantasy and science fiction, I became enamored with the mystery and crime/thriller genres, specifically authors like Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Len Deighton, and others. I like to think that Rick Keller is an amalgamation and an homage to the hard-bitten special agent pulled in for just one more job …
3. When did you know you were a writer?
1. I’ve never not known it … but it’s taken me several years to refer to myself as one without feeling like an imposter.
4. What inspires you?
1. Pretty much everything. A song on the radio, a news story on the Web, a conversation with a stranger, a story told by a friend …
5. Do you have a process? If so, what is it?
1. I do a lot of writing and thinking in my head before I even sit down to the computer. I make a lot of notes as well, as ideas come to me. Usually the first thing I have to do once the story starts punching its way out is to sit down, gather all the notes, and write out a sketch of the plot. Once I start writing, it comes pretty easily, unless I haven’t done my prep work. After that draft is finished, I tend to go on to other things for a few months before returning to the work, just to let it percolate a little. Of course, with every project (and deadline) that I attempt, and the constant learning I try ensure I do through professional reading, workshopping, etc., the process adjusts, changes, and becomes more than it was.
6. Beyond children’s picture books, what is the first real book you remember reading?
1. Red Feather, by Margaret Morcomb Lyons and Carnahan. It was a very old book on my parents’ shelf, but for some reason the story of the boy learning to make his way in the woods sticks in my memory.
7. What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
1. Starting… :D
8. What are you currently working on?
1. I have a number of articles, a non-fiction proposal for a book on domestic violence, as well as a novel in progress, Steel-Toed Blues, about a blues guitarist and Army veteran who discovers she is a conduit between the American Fae and a Magician who wants to coopt their power for evil.
9. Do you have any advice for other writers?
1. Don’t give up! If you love writing, keep doing it.
10. What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?
1. I have the ability to destroy technology with my mere presence … which is kind of a bad thing for a writer!

Please list your links to your website, blog, FaceBook… and where your book is available.

People can find me at my blog and Web site, Infamous Scribbler, follow me on Twitter, or check me out on Goodreads. For anyone interested in my books, they can learn more on my Amazon author page. Thanks for having me!

Metamorph Publishing Interviewed Me!

I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by Marguerite Madden of Metamorph Publishing. I thought this might interest you.

First of all, welcome to my blog interview! I hope to be able to spread the word about your book to all my readers!

·         #1 Tell me a little about yourself! Where do you live, do you have a “real” job, do you have any children/pets, and so on?

I live in central Arkansas with my wonderful husband, Michael, dog Bess and two cats, Chaucer and Miss Kitty. I worked in retail management in natural foods for about 20 years. Last year, the small store I worked for went through some changes and I found myself with a lot more time to write. My wonderful husband supported my decision not to seek another full time job. I manage one website for a local company and have another very part time gig that gets me out of the house once a week. I am a work in progress and so is my writing career.

·         #2 Tell me about your latest book. What inspired you to write it? Where did you get the ideas for your plot and characters?

Marabella, Discovering Magics is my first novel. It is about an uncommon girl growing up in a place called Common Valley. She encounters hardship and tragedy in her young life but also friendship, love and magics. There are magical creatures, adventures, and a little romance included.

Several years ago I was bored and my husband suggested I write. I found a few handwritten pages in an old notebook. Always the writer, I had written an origin story for a Dungeons and Dragons character I played back in college. The story grew from that. I base various characters on people I have seen or that I know but no one character is solely based on any one person. The plot and story are already rattling around in my head. I just have to get it down.

·         #3 When did your book come out, and where can readers find it?

Marabella, Discovering Magics came out October 16, 2014. It is available at Amazon.com in paperback and on Kindle. It is also available at one local store, so far.

·         #4 What distinguishes your book/plot/characters from others? Don’t give away any spoilers, but what’s the “hook” that you think will draw the readers to your book?

I am a fan of character development so even minor characters have their own voice. Even though the setting is a fantasy world, it is populated with people you may kind of recognize. My “hook” is in the slow build up. As Marabella grows and discovers more about herself and her magics, so does the audience. She grows from precocious child to headstrong young woman. As she progresses, so does the action. I want readers to be invested in her losses, victories, mistakes, and whatever comes next.

·         #5 What would you like your readers to take away from your book? What emotions and thoughts do you hope to invoke?

I want readers to feel the loss, the friendship, and the loyalty experienced by the characters.

·         #6 Are you planning a sequel, or another book?

Marabella, Discovering Magics is book 1 in a series. So far I have two more books planned. I am currently writing book 2.

·         #7 What genre do you place your book in?

It is in the juvenile/teen fantasy category. These books are for anyone who enjoys fantasy and magic.

·         #8 How did you publish? Are you independent or do you have a publisher? How did you decide to publish?

I am self- published through Create Space. It was a learning experience and there are a few things I will do differently next time.  I was urged to publish by friends and family after they read my beta copy.

·         #9 What’s your marketing plan? Do you use social media to help you market, and if so, which ones? Do you have any new ideas for marketing that you’d like to share?

I admit I have not marketed well. I do have a blog, (http://marabellaspeaks.blogspot.com), FaceBook page, (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marabella/505991099535227), Google+ page, (Sandra Boutwell-Falcone) and website, (www.sbfalconewrites.wix.com/s-b-falcone) as well as Twitter (@Sbfalcone) LinkIn (Sandra Boutwell-Falcone) and Instagram (sbfalcone) accounts and an author page on Amazon (www.amazon.com/author/sandra.boutwell-falcone). I tried sending out postcards announcing my book but that didn’t work at all. With my tiny marketing budget already long gone, I am depending on social media and word of mouth.

·         #10 Are you a member of any writing/reading groups (i.e. Shelfari, Goodreads, Scribophile, etc.)?

 I am on Goodreads.(Sandra Boutwell-Falcone)

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions!

Marguerite Madden

Author/Publisher

Metamorph Publishing