Interview with Kim Smith

Interview with Kim Smith

I “met” Kim Smith in the fall of 2008. We were both presenters in the Muse Online Conference. I took her cozy workshop, hoping to get some inspiration and guidance. I wound up developing the Helena Francis mysteries, AND my friendship with Kim began. She’s warm, supportive, intelligent, and very, very funny. That intelligent and humor carries over into her writing.

DE: Can you tell us a bit about the evolution of the character Shannon Wallace?

KS: Sure! Shannon originally was supposed to be one of Dwayne’s girls who he was going to hire for his private detective agency, in the very earliest stages of creating the book. In fact, Dwayne was supposed to be the hero. HA! Funny how characters have a totally different opinion of themselves than you do!

DE: What are some of the freedoms in the mystery genre? The limitations?

KS: In mystery, you can kill people. You can stab ‘em, poison ‘em, and shoot ‘em any way you wish. Sure cannot do that (and remain unfettered!) in real life! Gosh, think of it… the freedom to do away with your worst enemy, (on paper of course!) how free-ing is that?? Now the limitations on the other hand, they are many. You can’t not research. There are too many CSI fans out there. They will hand you your head over that forensic stuff. And also, there are the fine weaving of many threads with plot and subplot that must be accounted for. Can’t leave anything hanging!

DE: Have you created a series bible for the whole series, or do you plan to see how it evolves book by book?

KS: I had planned on writing the Angel series until I was old and tired, but here of late, I realize that readers can only stomach so much zany-ness in their reading. So, I have left off thinking that and decided to let the readers decide. If they hunger and thirst for more Shannon stories, I will keep them happy. If they quit reading, quit buying, and begin berating me for being so droll, I will end the series and be thrilled that it lived as long as it did. And the books evolve on their own. I do not plot or plan too much.

DE: We hear so much about Katie in AVENGING ANGEL. Do we get to meet her in future books?

KS: Yes! Book three, lovingly titled, Crooked Angel, will have a bunch of Katie ☺ scenes and some of the minor characters come back around in book two(Buried Angel due to release in December 2009) also, including Yoshi, the Neighbor.

DE: Can you tell us a bit about the next Shannon Wallace mystery?

KS: I will! I have subbed and been accepted for Buried Angel, book two in the series. It is all about Dwayne and his troubles this time. A quick blurb would be : “Shannon and Dwayne spend time in the local cemetery, but turn up a whole lot more than daisies”.

I also want to congratulate and celebrate Kim’s release TODAY of her newest book, A WILL TO LOVE, also from Red Rose Press. Here’s a preview:

Benton Jessup wants his bed and breakfast to be successful. He will go to no lengths to insure that it does.

But when Kitty Beebe, a famous romance author, arrives at The Inn, his desire for success becomes a struggle of wills with love.

I have every intention of buying this book today, so you can bet that Kim will be back to talk about it soon!

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Kim, and happy release day!

BIO:
Kim has been writing since the late 1990’s after her husband bought their first computer and sat her down in front of her thereby ending her excuses as to why she couldn’t get published. Today she is the author of the popular Shannon Wallace Mystery series and several short romances.

LINKS:
You can find Kim at:
http://www.mkimsmith.com
http://www.myspace.com/mkimsmith
http://www.twitter.com/mkimsmith
and her blogs:
http://writingspace.blogspot.com
http://visionaryphotos.blogspot.com
http://bookmadness.wordpress.com
http://murderby4.blogspot.com
and you can buy her books at Red Rose Publishing:
BUY LINKS:
Avenging Angel, Book One of the Shannon Wallace Mysteries

A Will to Love (romance novelette)

 

Review: Avenging Angel by Kim Smith

Avenging Angel by Kim Smith

Shannon Wallace thought she had it all — a great boyfriend and a great job. But her boyfriend — who happens to be her boss — dumps her. To soothe her wounds, she joins her best friend Dwayne for a drunken night at the casino, winds up at her ex’s apartment, determined to get her CDs back, and passes out.

The next morning, he’s discovered murdered.

Oops.

But did Shannon do it? And if she did, why is someone stalking her? And then there’s her luscious college crush, Sal, who’s now the investigating detective.

Kim Smith’s first Shannon Wallace mystery is a witty, fun Memphis romp. Shannon is the kind of woman any of us would love to have as a friend. She’s not perfect, but she’s smart, she’s tenacious, and she’s great at putting things together. If you want a terrific read, go buy this book and spend a few hours laughing and investigating with Shannon. I can’t wait for the next one!

BIO:
Kim has been writing since the late 1990’s after her husband bought their first computer and sat her down in front of her thereby ending her excuses as to why she couldn’t get published. Today she is the author of the popular Shannon Wallace Mystery series and several short romances.

LINKS:
You can find Kim at:
http://www.mkimsmith.com
http://www.myspace.com/mkimsmith
http://www.twitter.com/mkimsmith
and her blogs:
http://writingspace.blogspot.com
http://visionaryphotos.blogspot.com
http://bookmadness.wordpress.com
http://murderby4.blogspot.com
and you can buy her books at Red Rose Publishing:
BUY LINKS:
Avenging Angel, Book One of the Shannon Wallace Mysteries

Come back tomorrow and read my interview with Kim!

 

Interview: Jo Linsdell, ITALIAN FOR TOURISTS

Jo Linsdell’s written a terrific book called ITALIAN FOR TOURISTS, which takes a far more common-sense approach to the language than most of the books on the market. It’s the kind of book that makes you feel confident when travelling to a country without knowing the language.

It’s written in a warm, personal style, which reflects Jo’s personality — always around to give someone a helping hand.

I was curious about her journey to a life in Italy, which led her to the journey of this book. So, of course, I asked her about it.

DE: You mention in the book that you came to Italy for 3 days and decided to stay. How did you navigate that transition? Did you stay longer than 3 days initially and return home to wind things up? So many people imagine falling in love with a place and staying, but I don’t think too many people actually know how it’s done. Would you share some of that process with us?

JL: Crazy but true. I’d originally planned to travel around Europe for a couple of months, giving myself 3 days in Rome before moving on to Greece. That all changed when I had my money stolen in Paris. On my 3rd day in Rome, I got a job working at reception in a hostel near the main station. They gave me little pay but I also got a bed too, which was the most important thing at the time. I figured I’d work there for a few weeks to get together enough money to take me to Greece.

Weeks turned into months and finally after 6 months here I decided it was time to go back to England and get more of my stuff.

I’d quite my job as a credit controller in the UK before leaving and left my rented accommodation. My belongings were all in storage in my parents garage so I had no need to hurry back.
Technically if you plan to stay for over 14 days in Italy, you should apply for a ‘Permesso di Soggiorno’ (permission to stay) at the local police station. For members of the European Union, it’s a simple process that takes just a few days. For non-Europeans this usually takes a little longer.

If you plan to work legally in Italy you need to have a ‘codice fiscale’ (tax code). Again, this is a simple process.
In general, documents in Italy require filling out several forms, photocopies of your passport and a few passport style photos attached. You will have to go back to collect the documents yourself.
Although sorting out all the documents can be frustrating and time consuming, the hardest part of moving here is finding an apartment. If you have enough money it’s best to use an agency. If not, you need to check ‘Porta Portese’, a weekly announcement newspaper, for listings and basically ask everyone you know if they know of anywhere available.

DE: How long did it take you to feel comfortable speaking Italian?

JL: I didn’t have ‘Italian for Tourists’ and so looked up each word in the English-Italian dictionary at the hostel. I was comfortable doing food shopping after a few weeks. For months when people asked my how I was, I was either ok, good or tired.

I started learning more when I met my husband. He couldn’t speak English and so I’d look up phrases and words so I could talk to him. Love is a great motivator!

I starting working in an office writing a multi-lingual book for the dental industry around the same time, and so learnt lots of new words there too.
The first time I realized I was comfortable with the language was after I’d been here about 8 months. I was crossing the road at a zebra crossing and a woman on a ‘motorino’ sped towards me and nearly ran me over. We ended up yelling at each other, and I won the argument. Being able to stand up for myself and tell her she was the one in the wrong made me realize I had control over the language and built my confidence, which in turn made it easier to learn more words.

The thing that holds people back when speaking a different language isn’t the language itself but the lack of confidence in using it.

DE: Did you find it easier to speak Italian, initially, or read it?

JL: Speaking was easier, as I learnt mainly by ear in the beginning. The great thing about Italian, though, is that it’s said as it’s written, so once you’ve mastered how to pronounce the alphabet it’s quite straight forward.

DE: Do you find now, that you’ve lived in Italy for 7 years, that you think in both languages? Or primarily in Italian? Do you switch back and forth constantly? Do you still think in one language and then translate to yourself? Are you living bi-lingually, or primarily in Italian now?

JL: I think and speak mainly in Italian although I’ve started to speak English at home so my son learns it as a mother tongue language along with Italian. I think in the language I’m speaking in and don’t tend to translate anymore.

When my English-speaking friends come to visit, I switch between the two languages.

DE: How do you feel being multi-lingual helps in your work as a writer? Do you find more shades of meaning in languages other than English, and how do you find it affects your writing?

JL: It makes me think more about the words I use. I’m more aware of grammar now, too.
In English, the same word can have different meanings depending on the context in which it’s used. This is rare in Italian.

Italian is a very poetic and romantic language where even a simple sentence seems elegant.

DE: You’ve mentioned that you wrote the type of book you needed when you first tried to learn the language (and you did a great job, by the way). How did you develop the structure of this book? Did you write it linearly? In sections and then re-arrange them?

JL: First I wrote a list of words and phrases to include and then broke them down into sections. I then re-arranged them into order putting the most important (emergency) and basics first.

DE: What are your tips for people who want to learn enough of a new language to get around a foreign country, but don’t have the chance to formally study enough to speak fluently before they travel?

JL: Buy my book! Ha-ha!

Learning the 7 question words, yes, no, please and thank you will help you lots. You can always point on a map and ask ‘Dove?’ to get directions. Good manners will always be welcome and appreciated.

DE: What other projects do you have on the horizon?

JL: I’m working on my first novel and also on a series of e-books called The Italian Home Study Series. I also plan to write a guide to Rome.

I always tend to have several projects on the go at once. This way if I get writers block on one I work on another for a while.

Bio:
Born in Gillingham, Kent (UK) in September 1980. Married name Joanne Denise Feliciani. Having passed 10 GCSE’s, went on to study Business Studies, History and Art A-Levels at Yateley 6th Form. Jo Linsdell left England and moved to Rome, Italy in June 2001, where she now lives with her Italian husband and their son.
She has had various jobs including working in hostels, being a tour guide and teaching English as a foreign language. She now works full-time as a freelance writer. She writes regularly for various websites, newspapers and magazines. She writes in both English and Italian.
She is also the creator and manager of the multi award winning site Writers and Authors and founder and organiser of PROMO DAY, an international online event for people in the writing industry.
Visit her at http://jolinsdell.tripod.com

 

February Reading

Here’s a taste of what I read in February.

Don’t worry — blog tours, interviews, etc., to resume soon!

WRITERS AT WORK FIFTH SERIES. Edited by George Plimpton.

KISS HOLLYWOOD GOODBYE . Anita Loos. Memoir, by turns interesting and frustrating. Good background for THE FIX IT GIRL. (Re-read)

HELL AND EARTH. Elizabeth Bear. Fascinating fantasy novel set in Shakespeare’s time and faerie. Some reservations about it, but, overall, fascinating.

2 Books for Confidential Job #1. It’s confidential, so I can’t discuss it here, but it was good!

DEATH OF A BORE. MC Beaton. Hamish Macbeth mystery. Interesting for character, setting, structure.

DIARY OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, VOL. II. Dipped into here and there for inspiration.

A NOBLE RADIANCE. Donna Leon. I love these mysteries, set in Venice. They always surprise me, they always make me hungry (so much great food and wine in them), they always are a joy.

THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY. Donna Leon. Ibid.

KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET. Carrie Vaughn. This is the second Kitty book I’ve read. I like the character development. My only criticism in this book is that the character who is the “betrayer” is not close enough to the readers for us to feel the full impact of the betrayal. The character is too peripheral in the overall story, and one figures who it is, because of the character’s placement, but never why.

DEATH OF A MAID. M.C. Beaton. Another Hamish Macbeth mystery. I find it interesting where Beaton chooses to stay within the confines of genre, and where Beaton chooses to break those confines.

I think I read some other books this month, too, but I can’t remember them.

 

January Reading Wrap Up

I’m a little surprised by how little I read over the month; I’m also surprised at how much non-fiction I read this month. Usually, I keep it quite balanced.

Here’s the list:

John Cheever’s Journals. Beautifully written, and, while I continue to admire him as a stylist, I am glad I never had to deal with him in life.

MAKING MONEY By Terry Pratchett. Brilliant, delightful, frighteningly relevant social satire about the banking industry.

A BOOK OF ONE’S OWN by Thomas Mallon. A wonderful book about people and their diaries; I re-read this about once a year.

Book for Confidential Job #1. Since it’s confidential, I can’t discuss it. But it was good.

PAGES FROM THE GONCOURT JOURNALS. I read about 50 pages and then put it back on the shelf. Their loathing and disrespect for women is sickening. While I might need to refer to it in the future if I ever set anything in Paris during this time period, it made me angry and I stopped reading.

A RING OF CONSIPIRATORS: HENRY JAMES AND HIS LITERARY CIRCLE by Miranda Seymour. Interesting literary and social history of James’s years in Rye, England. It’s a book to be dipped into, not read through solidly, so it is unfinished, but enjoyed.

THE NEW DIARY. Tristine Rainer. Interesting take on techniques to go deeper with one’s personal journal writing. This was a re-read, and I found some of the assumptions and points of view dated.

WRITERS AT WORK. Fifth Series. Edited by George Plimpton. Interviews with writers. Fascinating. Needs to be dipped into, not read all at once; therefore unfinished.

 

Karina Fabian: The Dragon Eye PI Stories

One of my favorite, favorite, favorite characters in all of fiction is Karina Fabian’s Dragon Eye PI tales.

Vern is a dragon working off a geas, and he’s got the smart, resourceful nun Grace by his side as he foils (in hilarious fashion) the bad guys.

The writing is crisp and clever, the plots and revelations surprising, and it’s just all-out fun.

Karina has a story for Christmas out, “Christmas Spirits”, available for only $1.50 here..

Visit the Dragon Eye PI site here.

 

Give Books for the Holidays!

I want to thank the authors who’ve stopped by over the past two weeks for sharing their books and their processes with us.

I met them through the group Infinite Worlds of Fantasy, and if you liked these authors, I hope you’ll continue to follow their work. Visit the Infinite Worlds of Fantasy web site for more information on these and many more terrific writers.

If you’re looking for a wonderful gift to give someone for the holidays, consider a book, be it a traditional print book or an e-book. In this economy and with worries about eco-friendly gifts, e-books are often less expensive than traditional print runs and eco-friendly.

Also, many of these writers have short stories available for free or for small fees. And many e-publishers offer gift certificates for the holidays.

Books make wonderful gifts because one can return to them over and over again, always finding something new and wonderful, and re-visiting favorite passages.

Give the gift of a WORLD this holiday!

 

Featured Author: Nikki Sinclaire

Nikki tells us a bit about herself:

I’m Nikki Sinclaire. Just a year ago I was leading a quiet existence, minding my own business, when these characters started
escaping out of my brain demanding that I write their stories. I tried to explain to them that I am an IT professional and that math,
not writing ruled my life, but they would not listen, stubborn little suckers that they were! My heroes and heroines (featured in my five
novel Virtual series) were very persuasive and with my family’s encouragement, I began writing their stories. I was flabbergasted! Facing danger and destruction while navigating the rough waters of relationships my characters exist with a zeal and passion for living which sparked a renewed enthusiasm and ardor in my own life!

I have been married for 23 years to my best friend in the whole wide world. We consider our life our very own romance novel and the
inspiration for everything I write. We are the proud parents of two lean, mean, sex-life-obliteration machines, err, I mean two
wonderful boys ages 19 and 11. Yes, testosterone does overflow in our
household! We make our home in Georgia, where I am Research Faculty at a major university.

DE: What inspired you to create The Virtual Reality Series?

NS: When I started writing the first book, The Virtual Man, it was going to be a single book. As I developed the econdary characters, though, I found that some of them merited their own story. The trip to the Omicron quadrant described in The Virtual Man forever changed the lives of everyone on-board. Through the five books, we find out how and experience their individual adventures with them.

Having said that, to more directly address the question, I wanted to show that regardless of the century and regardless of the level of
technology that humans might some day attain, it is our emotions, our dreams and our need to be loved and to love that will still drive us. The futuristic 25th century setting of the book series is just that, a setting. The books are really about people, their relationships and their quest to fit in and become a part of something bigger than
themselves.

DE: What sort of research did you do for this type of world, and are there any interesting, unexpected tidbits you learned that you’d like to share with us?

NS: The planet Arcadia 10 was created strictly from my imagination, but,
since the heroine, Tiana, was severely wounded, and the hero, Derek, had to come up with food, medicines, soap and even a comb for her hair, I researched the medicinal, nutritional and other properties of plants and minerals found in the wild here on Earth, then adapted them to the differences of Arcadia 10 in order to project our reality upon an imaginary planet.

For The Virtual Virgin, the hero was trained as a Shadow Priest on the planet Exeter, giving him almost supernatural perceptions and abilities, particularly in the art of self-defence. My source for all the martial art bits in the book was my 19 year old son. He can kick butt if he chooses to!!!

DE: THE VIRTUAL MAN and THE VIRTUAL VIRGIN have different pairs of
protagonists. Do you envision any of your characters crossing from book to book, i.e., protagonists from one book becoming secondary characters in another, a secondary character becoming a protagonist, or just having some characters make cameos in some of the books?

NS: Absolutely. That’s part of the fun in reading all five books. The
Terrilians, a “super-race” descended from humans play an important part in all five of the books. In addition, the hateful Colonel Katia
Reginald of the Terrilian Armada makes enemies throughout the series and is not dealt with until the last book in the series … that’s
all I’ll say about that. Don’t want to give it all away. The last book will also contain somewhat of an epilogue that will reunite many of the characters from the series, allowing the reader to learn more about how each one fared.

DE: What is the most rewarding element of world-building for you?

NS: The fact that I have complete control. I can create worlds with more than one sun and no moon such as Arcadia 10, ice planets, luxury starships that cruise the universe and develop technologies that are currently in their infant stages such as nano-technology, skin regeneration, etc. In my 25th century universe we also find an
existence full of hope where cancer is as lame a disease as having the sniffles, where crippling wounds can be healed in a matter of
seconds and where nano-robots construct gargantuan space stations.

DE: Do you have any rituals or rewards you use to push yourself along on days when the writing is difficult?

NS: I’m afraid not. I’m tough on myself. There are times when I’ll
force myself to stare at my computer screen for hours without being able to write more than just a few words, and then, something clicks and in a few minutes I’ll write several chapters. Discipline and persistence are what works for me.

For more information on Nikki’s work, visit these sites:

Author’s web page: www.nikkisinclaire.com

Link to purchase the book at publisher’s page.

Link to “The Never Ending Story” to which I am on the team of
contributors: http://judahraine.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html

Blog: http://nikkisinclaire.blogspot.com/

 

Featured Author: Tula Neal

Tula Neal’s first erotic short story was ublished by Phaze.com in February, 2008. Her most recent work, The Mermaid’s Mission, was released by New Concepts Publishing in November. Click here - – to read a free short story by her.

Forty-six Days in the Caribbean: A Girl’s Guide to Sun, Sand, and Sex – Secret blogger, Sex Girl, is young, hot and sexy! When she’s assigned to do an in-depth magazine article about a special promotion organized by a Caribbean airline in conjunction with several hotels around the region, Sex Girl sees an opportunity to combine two of the top blog genres on the Internet – sex and travel. For forty-six days, she blogs about sex with the men she meets on islands as diverse as Jamaica and St. Eustatius while dishing information about the hotels she stays in, the historical and other sites she sees, Caribbean recipes, island aphrodisiacs, and much more.

The Vampire Oracle: Sleep - Can a vampire enslaved for more than a century surrender her heart and her desires to her human rescuer? In Sleep, Belle Le Beau is freed from her long captivity in a castle deep in Haiti’s mountains by Kai Duncan, a member of a paramilitary organization dedicated to saving paranormals from those who would exploit their powers.

The sexual chemistry between Kai and Belle is immediate and explosive but Belle has been brought close to the edge of insanity by her captivity and the only way she connects with Kai is through their lovemaking. Will she overcome her demons to surrender to the love Kai offers her?

The Mermaid’s Mission - Princess Antalya, First Daughter of the Nereid King Tushar, is sent as a Gift Prize to Gregory Landau, the owner of a private Caribbean island whose development threatens her undersea home. She needs Gregory to stop construction if she is to save her people, and she will do anything he asks, but Gregory has never met a Nereid before and is deeply suspicious of her.. Can he overcome his doubts and act on the attraction he feels for the mysterious woman? Owning an island resort has been Gregory’s dream for most of his life but Antalya awakens feelings in him that he’s never known before. Can he hold on to his dreams and still have his mermaid princess, too?

DE: Your novella, “The Vampire Oracle: Sleep” takes place in both New Orleans and Haiti. Did you travel to one or both places to do your research? Did anything surprise you in your research process?

TN: I wish I’d travelled for that story! Both places have this mysterious allure which is why so many writers choose New Orleans at least to write about. I think I was most intrigued by the connections between Haiti and New Orleans in past centuries because of their shared French colonial past. People travelled back and forth between the two places often, they maintained residences in both places, Haitians sent their children to school there, and, of course, the people of both places shared a belief in the loa and the spirits of vodun.

DE: Forty Six Days in the Caribbean: A Girl’s Guide to Sun, Sand, and Sex is cleverly set up. It’s told in the first person; it combines relevant current interests of blogging and travel – do you run into people assuming it’s you talking and not the character? How do you deflect that?

TN: I’ve gotten around that quite nicely by using a pen name so nobody I know is aware that I write erotica. In any case, Sex Girl is much more fun and uninhibited than I am – she loves going out and getting her groove on with like-minded guys while I’m much more introverted and don’t have half her stamina! LOL!

DE: A mermaid and a resort developer in The Mermaid’s Mission. A gladiator and a healer in The Gladiator’s Woman. Your pairs are either in exotic settings or have unusual callings – what draws you to those characters
rather than staying strictly in modern contemporary erotica?

TN: I write the kinds of stories I love to read – stories where I learn something new about a country or a time period. A lot of people aren’t aware that black people were part of the Roman Empire or that some held quite high-ranking positions in the Empire or in the Roman military and I wanted to bring out that aspect of history in The Gladiator’s Woman. Similarly, a lot of people vacation in tropical destinations without really thinking about the cost that some resorts exact from the environment so in The Mermaid’s Mission, the heroine spells it out but I don’t think the story beats people over the head with it.

DE: What is the most enjoyable part about working in the erotica genre? How do you feel it’s positively evolved in the past few years?

TN: I get to have my characters try things I might not do in real life! LOL! Sex is natural and I really love writing in a genre that expresses that. Erotica has come a really long way – for one thing, you have many more writers and many more publishers in the field now and they’re mixing and matching things up like crazy – paranormal erotica, historical erotica, futuristic erotica, etc. We’ve gone way beyond Anais Nin – my personal favorite – now.

DE: You’ve got great advice on your blog about both time management and epublishing, in addition to other topics. What do you enjoy about
blogging? Does it ever become a chore?

TN: I like letting my readers have access to me and helping people to have some insight into the writing life. Blogging is difficult, though. I used to do it every day but now I’m lucky if I can get to it twice a week. What works best for me is doing a batch of articles at one time and then I just have to upload them when I want.

For more information on Tula’s work, visit these sites:

http://tulaneal.blogspot.com/

http://www.manicreaders.com/TulaNeal/

http://michellepillow.com/blog/?p=316

 

Featured Author: Janet Lane Walters

Janet Lane Walters is an eclectic writer and reader. She is published in mystery, suspense, romance from sweet to spicy. historical, fantasy adult and young adult, poetry, and short stories. She lives in the scenic Hudson
River Valley with her husband, a psychiatrist. She is a member of EPIC and has about twenty books available in electronic and or print formats.

The Henge Betrayed — Flight — “We’ve been betrayed.” Those four words send four young people with affinities for Air, Earth, Water and Fire on a search for teachers and plunge them into adventure and danger.

The Temple of Fyre — A rebellious priestess flees the temple and encounters a stone seeker. Together they must bond on the physical, emotional and mental levels to efeat an evil priestess.

The Secret of the Jewels – The seven Jewel Holders and their Chosen learn the secret of the Jewels and combat the last of the mages of Earda.

DE: You write both series and stand-alones. How do you find switching back and forth fuels your creativity?

JLW: I’ll admit that I write both and I do jump around. The odd thing is that some of the series started out as single releases. When I began The Henge Betrayed — Flight this was to be just one book. I had it outlines but when I reached 80,000 words I was perhaps a quarter of the way through the outline.

Since I wrote the book for my grandchildren I figured that was long enough. I thought I would get away with a trilogy but I think it will be four books.

Other series have been planned. So have the single titles. Actually, what I write reflects my reading habits. I read both series and stand-alones. Actually I generally read a book about every two days. Many of them are re-reads. The way I jump between genres is also part of my reading habit. That’s why I call myself the eclectic writer. Sometimes I think my way of writing and jumping around comes from my years as a nurse. When you work as a nurse,
you fragment yourself, doing a dozen things at a time. So that’s the way I write.

DE: Do you keep a series bible? Do you create detailed plots ahead of
time, or update the notes AFTER the draft is written?

JLW: A series bible would be a good thing but I’m not that organized. Detailed plots are my thing, but there’s a twist since seldom do the stories completely follow the plan I set out to do. After I finish the rough draft of a book in the series, I generally read the previous books and make notes of the things I need to be sure are in the next book. Some of the series like the Opposition one are really independent stories that are interconnected with some of the characters from them appearing in the next story. This is the same with the Seduction series. I do have lists of words that are specific to some of
the stories, especially the fantasy stories but they’re just that list. Lists are something I love to do and check off.

DE: You also write across several genres. Do you ever feel that arketing
people try to box you, and, if so, how do you deal with it?

JLW: Since I write for epublishers I am generally allowed to move from genre to genre. Lately I’ve been concentrating on fantasy. I am the marketing person and so I market each book as a separate entity. There was a time when I ran
into several agents who would have taken me on as a client but only if I write one kind of story. Then I discovered epublishing and I never looked back. Fortunately my readers have accepted that they never know what I’ll write from young adult to very steamy romance. From mystery and suspense to romance, to fantasy.

DE: What is your favorite research tool?

JLW: I love non-fiction books and have shelves of them. I also use the internet for encyclopedias for general information. There are also experts in the
field and that’s a help. Since I write books with a medical background, I’m fortunate to have been a nurse and am married to a doctor. I grab acquaintances when I need a bit from an expert in such a field. I also have volumes of magazines, nursing, medical and archeological to look into when I’m writing
fantasy. I’ve a massive amount of material I’ve collected over the years. Sometimes finding what I want is hard but doing a search on the internet often leads to one of the books I have on my shelf.

DE: Several of your books use the medical profession as a backdrop. Other than the obvious life-and-death ecisions faced in a hospital every day, why do you think people are so drawn to books with that setting?

JLW: Interesting question. I think people find medicine interesting, especially in these days of rapid changes in the system. Doctors are often seen as heroes and also as Villains. We’ve all read medical suspense books where there are doctors on both sides. In Obsessions, published by Hardshell Word Factory, the nurses and doctors are being killed by a serial killer who has what to him is a good reason to see these particular medical personnel dead. Perhaps because they work so intensely with the sick and dying nurses and doctors
have an intensity about their characters. In a soon to be published mystery, the heroine is a retired nurse who goes undercover to discover what is happening in a local nursing home. Katherine Miller is also featured in several
other mysteries. Her caring nature is what gets her into trouble.

For more information on Janet and her work, visit these sites:

Dame Amber, _Jewels of the Quill, _
Books We Love Author Janet Lane Walters_

Books We Love Spice Author Janet Lane
Walters_
Nothing Binding_

Eclectic writer
http://www.windlegends.org/genresROF.htm_