Shauna Roberts's Blog, page 7

here.)
 

Ann Gimpel writes paranormal romance, fantasy, and science fiction. She has had thirteen novels published, as well as many novellas and short stories. Her most recent novel is Earth’s Blood (Musa Publishing), which was released 7 February.


Welcome, Ann! Thanks for stopping by my blog to talk about your writing and your novels.
Thanks so much for inviting me, Shauna. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Why did you choose small e-presses to publish your books rather than self-publishing, and what do you think the advantages and disadvantages of having more than one publisher are?
The answer is pretty straightforward. When I started writing, I knew less than nothing about the publishing industry. I needed a publisher for a whole lot of things including editing, cover art, and formatting the manuscript for publication. As time has elapsed, I’ve found I enjoy the camaraderie of other authors who write for the same publishers I do. I appreciate having many sets of eyes on my manuscripts and professional cover art, so I’ve stuck with small presses.
I write for a few different houses primarily because I write in different genres. For example, Liquid Silver Books is a romance house, so they’re not interested in my urban fantasies. It all works out. I think my work gets wider distribution because I write for different publishers.
What drew you to dragons? What makes your dragons different from other authors’ dragons?
I don’t plan what I’m going to write about. Stories come to me both before and as I’m writing them. I’ve learned to trust my muse, and here of late she’s been enamored with dragons. Four of my books have featured them.
My dragon shifters (To Love a Highland Dragon and Dragon Maid) are different because the mage and the dragon are actually separate beings, each with their own personalities. They started out that way and used strong magic to merge into one form (and back to two again when the need arises), and there was no reason for their separate identities to blur. The dragons in Earth’s Requiem and Earth’s Blood are gods. One is Nidhogg, the Norse dragon god, and the other Dewi, the blood-red Celtic dragon goddess. I tried to keep them true to their mythological roots.
What was your favorite part of writing Earth’s Blood?
Um, I can’t tell because it would be a huge plot spoiler. My second-favorite part was having an opportunity to flesh out Dewi’s character. She actually has some POV chapters in this book and becomes a much more sympathetic character for the reader than in earlier books of the series. One of my beta readers said Dewi is now her favorite character. After Fionn, of course. All the ladies adore Fionn—me included.
Ann Gimpel What effect has your training as a psychologist had on your novels?
It’s had an effect on two levels. The first, and most obvious, is I have a fairly decent understanding of people, which has helped me create believable characters. That part of my writing was strong from the start, but I had to teach myself plotting, pacing, and holding enough tension so readers weren’t bored to tears.
The second aspect where psychology comes into play is I spent quite a bit of time training to be a Jungian analyst, so I’ve done a lot of dream work (both my own and with patients). It’s given me an appreciation for how integral shadow is to our lives and how much energy people expend trying to hide their shadow sides. I also have a solid grounding in mythology. It’s not accidental myths creep into most of my stories and the Celtic gods show up frequently as well.
What genres do you read most?  Who are your favorite authors?
I read urban fantasy (Jess Haines, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Patty Briggs, K.M. Moning’s “Fever Series”). I also enjoy paranormal romance (J.D. Robb, K.M. Moning’s “Highlander Series,” Nalini Singh, Kate MacAlister).
Are there certain themes or topics you’re drawn to repeatedly in your writing?
Dystopian themes. I think it’s because I’m so worried about man’s impact on Earth and how little we’re doing to ameliorate our impact on the planet that supports us.
What is your writing regimen? Would you recommend it to aspiring authors?
I generally exercise in the morning, come home for lunch, and spend the afternoon writing. But there are days when I’m up at five a.m. and writing, and other days I’m writing at ten o’clock at night. Each author has to find what works for them. Part of it depends on one’s circadian clock. I’m sharper in the morning than I am late at night, but sometimes when a story is flowing I just drop everything and go with it.

Do you have any other advice for my readers who are working on their first novels?
Set a time frame. Don’t be afraid to finish the book. It won’t be perfect, because none of them are, but it will be ready to edit. Develop a thick skin and seek critiques, but don’t feel you have to change every single thing people point out. As an example, some critiquers will love your ending, others will hate it. It’s impossible to please everyone, so you have to decide if a particular criticism is justified. It’s actually possible to step back far enough from your work to do this. You’ll find out quick enough how correct you were once the book is published and reviews start rolling in.
My only other piece of advice is not to perseverate on a single book. Your best marketing tool is your next book.
What promotion methods have been the most successful for you?
That’s really hard to answer. I’ve had six books sell very well, and twice that number do not do nearly as well. Since I used the same promotional methods for all of them, I have no idea why they worked for some, but not others. I think there’s a bit of magic in which books sell and which don’t, but if a book hasn’t done much in the first six weeks after release, chances are it won’t grow wings and fly.
When will your next book come out, and what will it be about?
My next book is Witch’s Bounty and it releases March 6th from Taliesin Publishing. It’s a dark paranormal romance. Here’s the tagline and blurb:

Tagline: A demon-stalking witch teams up with a Sidhe, but their combined power, never mind their love, may be too late to make a difference.

Blurb:
One of only three remaining demon-stalking witches, Colleen is almost the last of her kind. Along with her familiar, a changeling spirit, she was hoping for a few months of quiet, running a small magicians’ supply store in Fairbanks, Alaska. Peace isn’t in the cards, though. Demons are raising hell in Seattle. She’s on her way out the door to help when a Sidhe shows up and demands she accompany him to northern England to quell a demon uprising there.

Duncan swallowed uneasy feelings when the Sidhe foisted demon containment off onto the witches two hundred years before. He’s annoyed when the Sidhe leader sends him to haul a witch across the Atlantic to bail them out. Until he sees the witch in question. Colleen is unquestionably the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on. Strong and gutsy, too. When she refuses to come with him because she’s needed in Seattle, he immediately offers his assistance. Anything to remain in her presence.

Colleen can’t believe how gorgeous the Sidhe is, but she doesn’t have time for such nonsense. She and fellow witches Jenna and Roz are the only hedge Earth has against being overrun by Hell’s minions. Even with help from a powerful magic wielder like Duncan, the odds aren’t good, and the demons know it. Sensing victory is within their grasp, they close in for the kill.

Thank you for visiting today, and best wishes on your writing endeavors.
Thanks so much for hosting me, Shauna. You’re always welcome on my blog.


You can learn more about Ann Gimpel and her many books by visiting her Website at http://www.anngimpel.com and her blog at http://anngimpel.blogspot.com/. Earth’s Blood is available online at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, All Romance E-books, and Musa Publishing. Witch’s Bounty will be available online starting 6 March 2014 at Taliesin Publishing as well as at Amazon.com, iBooks, All Romance E-books, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble.

I've been away from blogging for some time, yet Blogger tells me that my blog received 75 hits today. Thank you, whoever you are, who keeps coming over to see whether I have anything new up yet....although I fear you're a programming error in Blogger.

That's okay. Everyone is welcome to visit, programming errors included.

red blood cellsAnyway, some quick updates:
Eric Reynolds, the wonderful owner and publisher of Hadley Rille Books, had a stroke a week ago. He survived and is in an excellent hospital for stroke patients. He has movement in both legs and arms, and before he was sedated to help him heal faster, he could respond to commands, all excellent signs. Please join me and other HRB authors and readers in wishing him a swift recovery.I spoke to Eric about Ice Magic, Fire Magic the day before his stroke. (As you may be aware, publication has been delayed several times for various reasons.) He has been one of my editors for Ice Magic, Fire Magic. We decided to publish it in May. With Eric's stroke, however, the publication date is up in the air again. Terri-Lynne DeFino and other HRB editors and authors are stepping up to the plate to do as much as possible to move work along so that Eric will have less catching up to do.I've been increasingly ill since fall with an anemia of unknown cause. I'm seeing a hematologist Friday, and I hope to have answers that day or soon. Then I hope to get back to more regular posting, among many other tasks that have fallen by the wayside. One of the first posts will be for my chronic illness series; I will talk about all the mistakes I made in dealing with this anemia so that other people will know better.I'll be reading from my forthcoming Claimed by the Enemy and signing in Orange County on Monday evening, 14 April. For more details, visit my News page.  Wednesday the 12th, I'll post an interview with paranormal romance, fantasy, and science fiction author Ann Gimpel.

Illustration credit: Drawing from Anatomy and Physiology, Connexions Web site. http://cnx.org/content/col11496/1.6/, Jun 19, 2013. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
 

Check out Hadley Rille Books' new Website—and new spec fic books—at http://www.hrbpress.com. All ebooks are 99¢ for the next week.

I love cities. One of my favorite events as a child was when, near Christmas, my mother drove my sister and me into Dayton and parked at the end of the trolley line near a pink house, and we would ride to downtown Dayton to do our Christmas shopping and look at the Christmas displays in department store windows.

Steve Morgan, photographer. Used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license Dayton was one of a handful of cities that did not succumb to pressure from bus manufacturers in the 1950s to get rid of its streetcar system. I've lived in two of the other cities that held out as well: Philaldephia and New Orleans.

Over the years, I've lived in some great cities: Philadelphia, where I first ate Indian food and rode Amtrak; Chicago, where I first experienced cabin fever and felt as if I'd accomplished something great when spring finally arrived in late May and I had not frozen to death; Washington, D.C., with its fantastic zoo, the cherry blossoms each spring, and too many museums to visit them all in five years; and New Orleans, the city of my heart, the first and only place I ever felt completely at home.

Of cities I've visited on business (mine or my husband's), two stand out as remarkable. Beautiful, friendly Istanbul quickly became one of my favorite places. We never once had a bad meal there—or even a mediocre one. I hope someday to return and stay for a year or two.

Bordeaux took longer to enchant me; unseasonably chilly, rainy weather disrupted our month there. Still, I walked and took the tram all over. With the help of guidebooks I learned about its interesting history and discovered good museums, nifty shops, and many remnants of medieval architecture.

So I'm excited that I have been invited to contribute to a 2014 anthology called Winter in the City ... if it gets funded. Right now, editor Marty Halpern and project coordinator R.B. Wood are running a Kickstarter project to fund the anthology. Authors who've been invited to submit include Harry Turtledove, Jude-Marie Green, Ken Liu, Lezli Robin, Bradley Beaulieu, Nick Mamatas,  and Teresa Frohock.

If you'd like to help this project succeed, you can find the Kickstarter project at   http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rbwoodwriter/winter-in-the-city-a-collection-of-urban-fantasy-t.

Here is Halpern and Wood's vision for the anthology:

Noisy, crowded, ever in motion, the City is an unrecognized character in Urban Fantasy. Much more than just a setting, the City is the ever-present constant companion to the characters in the genre. Sometimes antagonist, sometime protagonist, the city surrounds and engulfs a good Urban Fantasy yarn. 

Winter in the City: A Collection of Urban Fantasy Tales will be a celebration of stories that take place in different cities around the world during the bleak—sometimes harsh—season of winter.

There will be an open call for submissions after the invited submissions have been received and their fates decided. So if the anthology reaches its Kickstarter funding goal, you'll have a chance to submit a story too—and the anthology will pay pro rates (≥7¢/word).

As I've mentioned before, Hadley Rille Books will be publishing my fantasy novel Ice Magic, Fire Magic later this fall.

As a teaser,  DelSheree Gladden will be posting a letter from the hero, Celatu, to his aunt today at http://delshereegladden.blogspot.com/2013/10/character-surprise-post-shauna-roberts.html.

This letter is not in the novel itself, but is a bonus for interested people. It will give you an idea of what Celatu values as well as a hint of the troubles facing the land of Veridia.

Enjoy!

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Bookman Old Style"; panose-1:2 5 6 4 5 5 5 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today my guest is Vasant Davé, whose first novel, <i>Trade Winds to Meluhha</i>, is set in Bronze Age Mesopotamia and India.</span></span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <style><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Bookman Old Style"; panose-1:2 5 6 4 5 5 5 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Georgia-BoldItalic; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-alt:Georgia; mso-font-charset:77; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:50331651 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-parent:""; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qJuGnlaUGMk..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qJuGnlaUGMk..." width="266" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Welcome, Vasant! I am so glad to meet someone else who is interested in writing about the world's most ancient civilizations in a historically accurate way.</b></span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for providing me this opportunity, Shauna. I am delighted to communicate with the readers of your blog.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How did you first hear of Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq)? Of Meluhha (ancient Indus River Valley)? What attracted you to these ancient civilizations?</b></span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Shauna, I'm embarrassed to admit that I was ignorant of Indus Valley civilization till I came to India for higher education. You see, my parents had migrated from India to East Africa before World War II. I was born and schooled in Kenya, where the focus of History was on the British Empire.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">For a long time, I was under the impression that Indus Valley civilization had flourished only around the archaeological sites named Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, both of which are in Pakistan. Once, while on a holiday with my family, I visited the Government Museum at Chennai. As we came out, my attention was drawn by a booklet carrying black and white photographs. Entitled <i>Lothal</i>, it was written by S. R. Rao, a renowned Indian archaeologist. I was amazed to learn that Lothal was an Indus Valley civilization site located in India. However, more shocking was the fact that it was in Gujarat, the state in which I had been living for almost two decades. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The booklet mentioned that during the Bronze Age, ships from Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf called at Lothal. That's what triggered my interest in these two ancient civilizations.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why did you choose to write accurately about Mesopotamia and Meluhha, when most novelists writing about these places have just made things up?</b></span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">An author's approach depends on the type of readers s/he wishes to address. Some authors have connected the Indus Valley with the occult because they target an audience similar to the readers of Harry Potter. Others have connected it with Hindu mythology. They cater to the tastes of young IT-savvy Indians who have gleaned knowledge of the great epics <i>Ramayana</i> and <i>Mahabharata</i> from commercial TV rather than from their grandparents as my generation did.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wished to address those readers who enjoyed a feeling of travelling back in time while reading fiction based on Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Since Indus Valley culture existed during the same period in history, I thought I would succeed in catering to their taste.   </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Did your training as an engineer have any influence on your novel or your approach to writing it?</b></span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, I was naturally attracted to the Bronze Age “engineers” who did town planning, built ports (and forts), harvested rain water, built underground drainage, and used micro-tools to manufacture jewelry.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">My training also motivated me to base the narrative on archaeological evidence. Once the manuscript was ready, I requested several professionals in the field for their opinion. Dr. Shereen Ratnagar, an expert on both of the ancient cultures, agreed to read it with a clear understanding that she would comment only on the veracity and plausibility of the past situation as constructed in it. Her suggestions made it necessary to rewrite substantial portions, but they helped tremendously to make <i>Trade Winds to Meluhha</i> believable.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-62BdJyAFuTI..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-62BdJyAFuTI..." width="300" /></a></div><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Did growing up in Kenya or living as an adult in various places in Asia influence your perspective on the ancient world?</b></span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">My birthplace, Mombasa, had two ports, old and new. Wooden lateen-sailed ships called dhows anchored at the Old Port. Utilizing the monsoon winds, they travelled between East Africa and Arabia. They held special attraction to me when I was a schoolboy.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">During WWII, all expatriates in British East Africa sent their families to the countries of their origin. After the War, it was very difficult to book a ticket on the only steamship that plied between India and East Africa. In her hurry to get back home, my mother boarded a lateen-sailed dhow with my two elder sisters who were just kids at the time. Somewhere in the Indian Ocean, they faced a storm, and then the wind stopped blowing for several days, thus bringing the dhow to a standstill. My mother used to narrate the harrowing experience quite vividly.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I related that incident with the reed ships travelling between Indus Valley and Mesopotamia, my respect grew for those ancient mariners.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What was your favorite part of writing Trade Winds to Meluhha?</b></span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was the field research, during which I visited archaeological sites and museums. As I did so, many questions popped up in my mind. When I tried to find answers, I visualized new turns and twists that could be included in the plot.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Are there certain themes or topics you're drawn to as a writer?</b></span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, I am drawn to the cultural heritage of the entire South Asian region, which has many useful things to give to the world. Take, for instance, the phonetic script. Each of the languages spoken in this region is written in a script that standardizes the representation of oral sounds.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just imagine that if English were a phonetic script, words like “schedule” would be pronounced in the same way by the English and the Americans. How simple it would have been for Microsoft to convert e-books to audio books! It was comparatively recently that the International Phonetic Alphabet, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_pho..." title="NATO phonetic alphabet"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">NATO Phonetic Alphabet</span></a>, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American..." title="Americanist phonetic notation"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Americanist Phonetic Notation</span></a> have addressed the issue.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The ancient South Asians who developed phonetic scripts ought to have been superintelligent. Therefore, I think it worth studying the archaeological remnants of their culture to create absorbing historical fiction.  </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Do you have any advice for people who are working on their first novels?</b></i><b></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Having written just one novel, I don't consider myself eligible to advise others working on their first novels. However, I'd share with them my experience and hope that it helps.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Having a clear idea about how I wanted my novel to end saved me a lot of time and effort. Initially I outlined the storyline in just fifty words or so. Then I went building upon it for several pages till I could split the contents under several chapter headings. Thereafter, each chapter started evolving, sometimes on its own momentum.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Your readers might like my e-booklet entitled <i>How I Wrote a Pre-Historic Novel</i>. It can be downloaded free from <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/....  </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do you have plans for another novel?</b></span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, I wish to write another novel in which the action takes place in the Indus Valley and Ancient Egypt. Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to find adequate evidence of direct links between those two cultures.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thank you, Vasant, for your time, and best wishes on your writing endeavors.</b></span></span></i></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's my pleasure, Shauna. I'd love to receive feedback from the esteemed readers of your blog.</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">You can learn more about Vasant Davé and <i>Trade Winds to Meluhha</i> by visiting his Website at <a href="http://vasantdave.weebly.com/"&g.... </span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">His ebook is available online for Kindle at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006XNEH7U/" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> and for Nook at <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trade..." target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>. For other options, visit </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://vasantdave.weebly.com/index.ht... style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Vasant is having a blog tour this week. Please consider visiting his other stops and entering his <b>contest</b>, which is below his blog tour schedule.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Monday, 21 October</span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">1.   <b>Book Review</b> at <b>Momma Says Read</b> http://<i>www.mommasaysread.com.... A blog providing nontraditional book reviews.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">2.   <b>Book Review</b> by Kalyan Panja at <b>Paper Tree</b> <a href="http://bookmarkks.blogspot.com/"... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://bookmarkks.blogspot.com</sp..., a book blog from India. Kalyan is a working professional, an amateur photographer and an ardent traveler. His love for books is such that he treasures even those he read as a kid.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tuesday, 22 October</span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">1.   <b>Book Review</b> by author Nicua Shamira at <b>Terraverum</b> <a href="http://terraverum.wordpress.com/"... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://terraverum.wordpress.com/</..., a book blog from Australia. Shamira has one YA fantasy published as well as a collection of short stories, and two more novels in the works. Besides reading and writing, she loves archery, horse riding, travelling, and painting.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">2.   <b>Book Review & Promo</b> at <b>Books, Food and Me!</b> <a href="http://thebookishfoodiereviews.wordpr... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://thebookishfoodiereviews.wordpr..., a blog that is a quirky take on books and food.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wednesday, 23 October</span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">1.   <b>Interview</b> here at <a href="http://www.shaunaroberts.com/"&g... style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">2.   <b>Book Review</b> by author <b>Martin Lake</b> <a href="http://martinlakewriting.wordpress.co... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://martinlakewriting.wordpress.co... from France. A prolific writer of Historical and YA Fiction and short stories, Martin is the author of The Lost King series. Winner of first prize in the Kenneth Grahame Society short story competition.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thursday, 24 October</span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">1.   <b>Book Review</b> by Raka Majumdar at <b>Illuminati</b> <a href="http://esotericphoenix.wordpress.com/... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://esotericphoenix.wordpress.com/..., a book blog from India. Raka wears two hats: advertising professional during the day and book reviewer at night.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">2.   <b>Interview</b> by author <b>J.D.R. Hawkins</b> <a href="http://jdrhawkins.com/"><i... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://jdrhawkins.com/</span>&l....  Hawkins is one of the few women authors on the American Civil War, and her Renegade Series has won three awards, including the 2013 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and the 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Friday, 25 October</span></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">1.   <b>Book Review</b> by Kavya Srinivasan at <b>Crazy world, Crazy mind</b> <a href="http://kavyasrinivasan.blogspot.in/&q... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://kavyasrinivasan.blogspot.in/&l..., a blog from India.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">2.   <b>Author Interview</b> by Ashok Kumar at <b>Sundry Rhymes</b> <a href="http://www.theuniversalsolvent.net/&q... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://www.theuniversalsolvent.net/&l..., another blog from India.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saturday, 26 October</span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">1.   <b>Promo</b> by Kristin Plausky at <b>Second Book to the Right</b> <a href="http://2ndbooktotheright.blogspot.com... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://2ndbooktotheright.blogspot.com.... Besides being an avid reader of fiction of all genres, Kristin is a lab technician and a Girl Scout leader.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">2.   <b>Book Review</b> on <b>Kitaab</b> <a href="http://kitaab.org/"><i>... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://kitaab.org/</span></i..., a book blog from Singapore that focuses on Asian writing in English.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">3.   <b>Author Interview</b> by Vinny at <b>Books are my Best Friends</b> <a href="http://the-pleasure-of-reading.blogsp... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://the-pleasure-of-reading.blogsp..., a book blog from India that reviews English and Bengali books. Vinny also moderates a YA readers' group on Goodreads.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunday, 27 October</span></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">1.   <b>Author Interview</b> by Sheri at <b>Making Connections</b> <a href="http://makingconnectionsgroup.blogspo... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://makingconnectionsgroup.blogspo..., a blog and Goodreads group of the same name run by eight readers and bloggers who are dedicated to helping new authors. They hail from the United States, Canada, and Pakistan.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">2.   <b>Book Review</b> by Tanya Aneja, a book lover, on <b>Books and Amazing Facts I have Read</b> <a href="http://tanyaaneja.blogspot.in/"&... style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">http://tanyaaneja.blogspot.in/</sp.... Tanya is a grade 8 student from New Delhi, India.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp..." id="rc-6289a711" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="http://www.shaunaroberts.com//d12vno1... <br /><div></div></div>

Some of the medicines I take are controlled substances, and the Rite-Aid near my house could not reliably obtain one of them. Two years ago, the pharmacist suggested taking that prescription to a different pharmacy so I wouldn't risk running out of needed medicine. So I started filling that prescription at a Walgreens several miles farther away. Things worked out well at first.

But recently I decided to stop going there. Even though I had been a regular customer, the pharmacist and his helpers began to look at me suspiciously and tell me to come back  in a couple days to pick the prescription up if the doctor approved it.

If? Why wouldn't the doctor approve a prescription he himself wrote? Why did I have to take another half hour plus out of my writing time to go back?

Then I noticed it wasn't just me arousing Walgreens' suspicions. As I waited in line one time, they grilled an elderly lady for several minutes and then refused outright to help her. Another time, they refused to fill a veteran's pain meds after giving him the third degree. The reason? He lived in the next town over.

Then I discovered that my friend, also named Shauna, had blogged about her own experiences with Walgreens' refusing to fill her prescriptions. (Read how Walgreens treated her here.) She switched pharmacies too.

The new hassles, it turns out, are part of Walgreens' new "Good Faith Dispensing" policy. The policy requires the pharmacist to contact your doctor when you bring in an Rx for a controlled substance or certain other meds and quiz you doctor to decide whether he or she made the right decision in prescribing the medicine for you.

Psychology Today recently posted an article on the new Walgreens policy called "Backlash Against Walgreens' Painkiller Crackdown" at http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/nation-in-pain/201310/backlash-against-walgreens-painkiller-crackdown.  

The American Medical Association's House of Delegates adopted a resolution about drug store intrusion into medical practice. (Look for resolution 218 (A-13) at http://bit.ly/ama2013res.)

Indiana television station WTHR investigated and discovered the secret rules governing whether Walgreens will hassle you and your doctor. Their report is here.

In short, if you have chronic pain or certain other chronic conditions, Walgreens intends to give you a hard time when you fill related prescriptions.

No other chain follows such policies, so if you have trouble with Walgreens, you can go to any other chain and expect to receive polite treatment and no delays in filling your prescription.

The American Academy of Pain Management is collecting reports from patients of problems they've had filling prescriptions at Walgreens. You can file a report at https://www.research.net/s/WalgreensGFDPolicy.

The National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association is also collecting reports from people with chronic pain conditions including fibromyalgia. You can participate at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N3WGGNW.

+++++

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: I interview Vasant Davé, author of Trade Winds to Meluhha, here Wednesday 23 October 2013. Come back then to learn about him and his novel set in ancient Mesopotamia and India.

My fantasy novel Ice Magic, Fire Magic will be coming out late this fall. Read a brief bio of one of the characters, Kassia, today at http://delshereegladden.blogspot.com/2013/10/character-bio-kassia-ice-magic-fire.html. Thank you, DelSheree!

✥✥✥✥✥
 
Sleep is important for everyone, but good sleep and rest are especially important for people with chronic illnesses if they want to feel the best they can. Ironically, many people with chronic illnesses have trouble sleeping well.

I'm going to be writing several posts on sleep. I'm starting today with the basics, listing some of the important functions sleep serves. 

Researchers have much to learn about sleep, but experiments have shown that sleep is essential for survival. Animals deprived of sleep long enough die. Although scientists debate the functions of sleep, they do know that the body behaves differently when asleep:
It releases some important hormones mostly or only when you are asleep.Most muscle growth and tissue repair happen during sleep.The brain may consolidate new memories.The brain may discard the useless information it accumulated during the day.
Compared with sleep-deprived animals and/or people, well-rested ones:
have immune systems that work better.
heal wounds faster.
have a better working memory.
solve problems more creatively.
are less likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases.
have a lower risk of stroke.
may have a lower risk of some cancers.
may be less likely to develop osteoporosis.
may have fewer mood disorders.
have a long life expectancy on average.
look more healthy and attractive on average.
feel less hungry and so may be less likely to gain weight.
are less likely to crave junk food instead of healthy food.
feel less stressed on average.
have better judgement.
are more hopeful and friendly.
are less likely to be injured on the job.


In future blog posts, I'll cover why chronic illnesses interfere with sleeping, why the body needs both sleep and rest, prescription medications that interfere with sleep, foods and medicines that may help people fall asleep, sleep disorders, and behavioral changes that can help you sleep better.




 

More author interviews! In October, I'll be posting interviews with:
Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, who writes science fictionVasant Davé, who writes historical fiction set in the Bronze Age


http://delshereegladden.blogspot.com/In October, I'm also taking part in the "Meet the Characters Blogfest" along with many other authors. Instead of profiling authors, as is so often the case in blog events, this one profiles the authors' characters.

Throughout the month, DelSheree Gladden will be posting at her blog contributions from authors of young adult, new adult, romance, horror, and paranormal novels.

The authors will provide interviews with one or more characters in their books, biographies of characters, artwork, and other fun stuff. My own posts will feature characters from Ice Magic, Fire Magic, my forthcoming fantasy novel from Hadley Rille Books. On 10 October, there will be a biography of Kassia, one of the antagonists. I'll also be contributing a surprise post for 28 October that will feature IMFM's hero, Celatu.

The complete list of authors and dates is below.

If you scroll past the schedule of blog posts, you'll find a Rafflecopter contest that you can enter to win books. One grand prize winner will receive 40 books. Runners-up will receive books or other prizes.



Schedule of blog posts
10/2 -- Character interviews
Zadie Stonebrook (My Sister's Reaper - Dorothy Dreyer)
Tizzy Donovan (Laid Out and Candle Lit - Ann Everett)
Kristi Becker (A Plain Wish - Cyndi Lord)
Zander Roth (Wicked Hunger - DelSheree Gladden)
10/3 -- Character bios
Kristi Becker (A Plain Wish - Cyndi Lord)
Bryan Sullivan (Arcadia's Gift - Jesi Lea Ryan)
Brandon James (Love and Other Games - Aria Kane)
10/4 -- Hottest Guy Contest 
Stop by and vote for your favorite.
10/7 -- Character surprise posts from authors 
RH Ramsey
DelSheree Gladden

10/8 -- Character artwork
The Other F Word (Susan Stec)
Wicked Hunger (DelSheree Gladden) 
10/9 -- Character interviews
Kate Everett (A Slight Change of Plan - Dee Ernst)
Jean (In Polyester Pajamas - Catherine Dougherty)
Ben (Twenty-Five - Rachel Hamm)
Vanessa Roth (Wicked Hunger - DelSheree Gladden)
10/10 -- Character bios 
Kassia (Ice Magic, Fire Magic - Shauna Roberts)
Maze (The Ballerina and the Fighter - Ursula Sinclair)
Lucien (Smoke, Wings, and Stone - Marijon Braden)

10/11 -- Feistiest Girl Contest 
Stop by and vote for your favorite.
10/14 -- Character surprise posts from authors 
Kara Leigh Miller
Sharon Kleve
Linda Budzinski 
10/15 -- Character artwork
On a Wing and a Dare  (Linda Ulleseit)
Invisible (DelSheree Gladden)

10/16 -- Character interviews
David Corbin and Jon Reyes (Sign of the Throne - Melissa Eskue Ousley)
Rosie (In Polyester Pajamas - Catherine Dougherty)
Ketchup (Wicked Hunger - DelSheree Gladden)

10/17 -- Character bios
Nadia (Love and Other Games - Melinda Dozier)
(Karen Rita Gastreich) 
(HL Carpenter)

10/18 -- Cutest Couple Contest 
Stop by and vote for your favorite.
10/21 -- Character surprise posts from authors 
Stephanie Wardrop
Lucy Crowe
Ana Blaze

10/22 -- Character artwork
Haunting Joy (Lena Goldfinch)
"The Destroyer Trilogy" (DelSheree Gladden)

10/23 -- Character interviews
Rachel Blackstone (The Reluctant Medium - G G Collins)
Nell (The King Series - Tawdra Kandle)
Arcadia ( Arcadia's Gift - Jesi Lea Ryan)
Olivia and Mason (Invisible - DelSheree Gladden)
10/24 -- Character bios
(Karin Rita Gastreich)
Sam and Cole (Fate War Alliance - E.M. Havens)

10/25 -- Steamiest Couple Contest 
Stop by and vote for your favorite.
10/28 -- Character surprise posts from authors 
Susan Stec
Shauna Roberts
Lisa Cresswell

10/29 -- Character artwork
My Sister's Reaper (Dorothy Dreyer)
Twin Souls (DelSheree Gladden)

10/30 -- Character interviews
Nathan Shaw (Reflection - Kim Cresswell)
Nia (In the Winds of Danger - Linda Ulleseit)
Jayden or Merch (Dark Night of the Soul - E.M. Havens)
10/31 -- Announcement of winners

a Rafflecopter giveaway