For the
Make Believe Anthology blog tour I have all six authors from the anthology here in an interview for you! I've asked them all the same few questions, and here are their answers! :D
You can add the
Make Believe Anthology to Goodreads:
HERE
You can also find out more on J. Taylor Publishing's Website:
HERE
Buy links:
Amazon |
Barnes and Noble |
Books On Board
First, I’d like to say thank you to all of the authors from
the
Make Believe Anthology for answering my questions, and for stopping by my
blog! :D
Welcome!!
TERRI ROCHENSKI
Thanks! ;)
So, how about you tell us a bit about yourself and about
your story in the Make Believe Anthology?
I was a farm girl and now I’m a
stay-at-home mommy to two little angels. I’ve got the best hubs on the face of
the earth (for me anyway!) who works his butt off so I can raise our children.
I write whenever I can – however I can – which isn’t a lot on most days.
My story for the MB antho,
Sacrificial Oath, came about by the picture prompt, but it involved a LOT of
phone time with my mother (BFF!!!) who is also my bouncer-offer if you
will. She helps me work through the
jumbled ideas in my brain. I give her most of the credit for the premise of
this story.
How does writing a story for an anthology differ from
writing a novel or book?
Short stories are very fulfilling
for me – especially since I have a hard time submerging myself in writing right
now. A quick and easy fix for a busy writer-wanna-be. I just finished up a
fantasy novel that is out with a few beta readers. It took me a few years to
finish, but that’s because I moved twice and had 2 children all in the last 4
years.
What can we expect from you in the future? Any books coming
out?
I’m hoping to have some luck with
that fantasy novel I mentioned. Once it’s back from my beta buds I plan on
spit-shining and subbing it out. In the mean time I’m working on another
romance short. We’ll see if I get lucky on that one as well. :)
Thanks for inviting me to stop by!!
--------------------------------------------------------
Terri Rochenski's Story in the
Make Believe Anthology:
Sacrificial Oath
An
impetuous act unwittingly makes Alesuela the fulfillment of the
Sovereign’s Blood Oath to their Goddess. In five days, she’ll be forced
to make the greatest choice of her life: become the virginal sacrifice
already promised, or force the man she loves most to die in her place.
With
an impossible choice in front of her, she searches for ways to undo the
oath, and in her quest, finds not everything in her life is as she
expects.
J. KELLER FORD
Thank
you, Ambur, for having us on your blog! It’s a pleasure to be here.
So, how
about you tell us a bit about yourself and about your story in the Make Believe
Anthology?
I’ve been
writing ever since I can remember. I’ve had a few poems and a story or
two published here and there over the years, but THE AMULET OF ORMISEZ is my
first short story ever contracted with a publisher. I normally write YA
fantasy, but when I saw the prompt for the Make Believe anthology, I figured
I’d give it a shot. It’s about a man, Lord Elton Fletcher, who returns
home from war to discover his brother, Cayden, possessed by the Amulet of
Ormisez, a magic stone forged to punish those guilty of malicious and
unthinkable deeds. The talisman is a death sentence to its wearer unless Elton
can acquire the key to break the spell. But there is another whose desire to
possess the stone will not only impede Elton’s ability to save his brother, but
could cost Elton his life.
How does
writing a story for an anthology differ from writing a novel or book?
I think
short stories are much harder to write than novels because you have to
establish believable characters, create a believable plot, add believable elements
to thwart the plot and then reach a believable conclusion in 10,000 words or
less. Novels provide the writer so much more room to develop a
story. I like writing short stories because it hones the writer’s craft
of condensing.
What can
we expect from you in the future? Any books coming out?
I have
several short stories I’m writing at the moment as well as a YA fantasy trilogy
that I’m really excited about. The first book is finished and I’m going
through what I hope to be the final round of edits. I also have parts of
the second and third book written. It’s all very exciting.
--------------------------------------------------------
J. Keller Ford's Story in the Make Believe Anthology:
The Amulet of Ormisez
There is only one way to save Elton Fletcher’s brother from an insanity-ridden death.
After
years away from home, fighting for his people, Elton returns to
discover his only sibling, Cayden, possessed by greed and malice, and
responsible for malicious, unthinkable deeds. Cayden, though, isn’t the
only one afflicted by the Amulet of Ormisez, and Elton finds himself in
yet another battle, where the price of failure could be his own life.
LYNDA R. YOUNG
So, how about you tell us a bit about
yourself and about your story in the Make Believe Anthology?
I’m a writer of speculative stories, living
in Sydney, Australia. When I don’t have my head down writing, you can find me
on my Blog, Twitter and Facebook. My short story
in Make Believe is titled Birthright. In short, it’s a paranormal romance about
Christa who is so busy running from her life that she doesn’t realise she
should be running for her life.
How does writing a story for an anthology
differ from writing a novel or book?
Apart from the obvious difference of
length, anthologies usually come with themes and guidelines so I find it easier
to come up with an idea for an anthology story. But at the same time short stories are harder
to write than novels because there’s less time to develop characters, or
explore a concept. Both present their own challenges and I'm a girl who loves a challenge.
What can we expect from you in the future?
Any books coming out?
I’ll be writing more short stories since I
love them so much, but I’m also working on some young adult novels, one of
which I hope to finish early in the new year.
--------------------------------------------------------
Lynda R. Young's Story in the Make Believe Anthology:
Birthright
Christa can mask the pain and hide the scars, but running from a birthright is impossible.
She’s
tried to escape her grief by fleeing to a small town in Florida. Much
to her frustration, the locals think they recognize her even though
she's never been there before. To make things worse, a man named Jack
spouts outrageous theories about her.
Both spur Christa to bolt,
to start fresh yet again, but there’s something about Jack that
intrigues her enough to stay. The only problem? Someone else wants her
to leave, and they won’t stop until she’s dead.
KELLY SAID
So, how about you tell us a bit about yourself and about your story in the Make Believe Anthology?
Thank
you for having me, Ambur! I'm Kelly Said, yes, that's my for real name,
hehe! I live in Colorado with my husband and my snuggly bull terrier
named Jayne (after Joss Whedon's character Jayne Cobb in Firefly :D). My
story, PETRIFIED, is about about two people who meet under unusual
circumstances and work together to solve a magical mystery.
How does writing a story for an anthology differ from writing a novel or book?
Writer's
have a limited word budget with short fiction, I think the stories in
the Make Believe anthology were all around 10k words each, which
means short fiction authors have practically one tenth the amount of
word space compared to a full length novel to engage our reader. We have
to move the story along at a quicker pace, which means making every
word matter. I think writing short fiction is fun, it's a great way to
learn to manage a word count budget as well as how to be compelling and
concise in your descriptions, which, in my humble opinion is a skillset
needed when making the leap to larger works. :)
What can we expect from you in the future? Any books coming out?
Thank
you for asking, I'm currently working on a young adult novel, something
that started off as a short story idea but has now progessed into novel
territory. I'm in full on revision mode, which means things in the plot
are changing, even as I type this! hehehe! So, it'll probably be a
little bit before I start chatting about any details. I will say that
each time I sit down to work on this precious, I do so with an excited
grin. :)
Ambur, thank you so much for hosting me on your awesome blog, I had a great time answering your questions. ~Kelly :)
--------------------------------------------------------
Kelly Said's Story in the Make Believe Anthology:
Petrified
A
mysterious storm has replaced summer with winter, devastating crops and
smothering Castle lands in snow. Prince Sterling August stands alone
as a leader, lost in personal grief as well as a desire to help his
people but with an inability to do either.
The answers he needs
await him, but without Lochlyn, a woman who’s just as isolated as
Sterling, he’ll never see what stands before him, cloaked in illusion.
JENNIFER M. EATON
So, how about you tell us a bit about yourself and about
your story in the Make Believe Anthology?
I’m a
mom of three energetic boys under 12, and I write as a form of therapy. It’s my way of disappearing into my own
little world. My Story Last Winter Red is
about a young woman who leaves everything she knows to find a husband, but ends
up finding herself, instead.
How does writing a story for an anthology differ from
writing a novel or book?
The big
difference for me is writing within someone else’s parameters. You can’t just go off on a tangent. You need to stick to the requirements. The biggest requirement is word count. You’d be surprised how hard it is to cut your
story down to 10,000 words when you go over!
What can we expect from you in the future? Any books coming
out?
Oh,
Yes! My story Connect the Dots is
featured in Still Moments Publishing’s “For the Love of Christmas”
anthology. And my story “A Test of
Faith” will be out in early January, also from Still Moments. Next year, I’m hoping you will see my
Romantic Paranormal “Une Variente” and my YA Sci-Fi novel “Fire in the
Woods”. I’m hoping 2013 will be as great
a year for me as this one has!
***
Jennifer Eaton lives on the East Coast USA with her husband,
three boys, and a pepped up poodle.
She
hosts an interactive website
www.jennifermeaton.com
aimed at making all writers the best they can be.
Her Dystopian novelette “Last Winter Red” is available as
part of the “Make Believe” Anthology from J.Taylor Publishing. Her Christmas Romance “Connect the Dots” is
available as part of Still Moments publishing’s “For the Love of Christmas”
Anthology. Both are available in ebook
format from Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com and Smashwords.
--------------------------------------------------------
Jennifer M. Eaton's Story in the Make Believe Anthology:
Last Winter Red
Emily
is a Red, a woman whose sole purpose in life is to produce offspring.
When her husband dies and leaves her childless, she risks her life and
forsakes the safety of Terra—a disease-free city born after the nuclear
holocaust. Beyond its boundaries, she knows, survives a man with whom
she can be properly paired.
The Outside, though, holds secrets
the government struggles to keep, and what Emily discovers on her quest
for a mate will change her life forever.
J.A. BELFIELD
So, how about you tell us a bit about yourself and about
your story in the Make Believe Anthology?
Thanks for having me, Ambur. Feels a little like I’m joining
a new group. :p
Um ... my name’s J.A. Belfield, I’m better known for my
Holloway Pack series, and I’m the author of the Make Believe tale: Escort to
Insanity. And I’m not quite sure what to tell you about that, other than it is
pretty much exactly as the title suggests. When Nicole Harrington books herself
an escort for the night, she gets way more than she bargained for—and whilst
it’s not an insta-love tale where declarations are made, there is certainly
potential for romance in the magical air. ;)
How does writing a story for an anthology differ from
writing a novel or book?
This one’s easy. I’m told I have to stay within my word
count. Which KILLS me! LOL As a total pantser, I have a tendency to waffle on
and on and on .... and I can’t do that with a short story. It has to be
concise. Fitting a beginning, middle, end, AND resolution into a fraction of
the words allowed for a novel is hard work to a novelist. :)
What can we expect from you in the future? Any books coming
out?
Well, whaddaya know ... the second full length instalment
for the Holloway Pack, Blue Moon,
released the same day as Make Believe,
which means that’s hot off the press still. Resonance: Holloway Pack 2.5, a
novella, is due for release in April of 2013, and Caged: Holloway Pack 3 will
be hitting the stratosphere in August of 2013. As for beyond that? I’m working
on it. ;)
Thanks so much for having me on your blog today, Ambur. As
usual, it’s been an absolute pleasure. :)
J.A. Belfield's Story in the Make Believe Anthology:
Escort to Insanity
From
a charity auction, to a stroll in the park, to the craziest night of
her life. Nicole Harrington can’t help but wonder how a simple event
went so drastically wrong.
Of course, the male escort she booked
is wholly to blame. Not only charming but shrewdly intelligent, Benjamin
Gold drags Nicole into a platoon of unimaginable problems—ones from
which she’ll have to find the courage just to survive.
GIVEAWAY
- INTERNATIONAL
- 1 Winner will get an ebook of the Make Believe Anthology
- Ends January 18th, 2013 at 12:00 AM (MST)
- The winner will be drawn with Rafflecopter, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize.
- The winner will be emailed their ebook and about being a winner (make sure to check your junk folder, you don't want to miss it!)
TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW:
Additional Tour Giveaways:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Also, Random commenters during the tour will receive eBook copies of Either Jennifer M. Eaton's
"For the Love of Christmas" or the Make Believe Anthology, so don't forget to comment if you'd like another chance to win. :)
Any thoughts?
Does this sounds like an anthology that you want to read?
Good luck to all of those who entered!
Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to all! :D