Tag Archive | Jennifer M. Barry

Defining a Transitional Neighborhood

And Also Living in One

Liam and I live in what the real estate world calls a “transitional” neighborhood. I’m often asked for a definition of “transitional” and find it hard to put into words. Essentially, it means the area was once pretty rough but is currently going through a renaissance of sorts. It’s still hard to make this clear to people, especially if they’re determined to see the scary parts and forget to focus on the beautiful. One day last week, I got my definition.

Our neighbor, Earl lives in the front portion of a duplex. Though a really great guy, he often has the cops at his front door checking for illegal activity or just to tell him to turn his music down. In the back half of the house, a man just moved back in with his girl after a short stint in jail. My mother would weep if she knew. But Mike is also a great guy who made some bad choices—none of those choices are enough to frighten Liam or me. In fact, we often yell across the fence to say hello and check on everyone. In return, they watch out for us.

Others may see our neighbors as dubious or scary. What we see is a couple of people who sometimes need the benefit of the doubt instead of a smack on the hand. Earl takes care of our yard work and trims the trees when birds poop on our cars. Mike stops by on occasion to see if we’d like to try some of the chocolate-covered strawberries his girlfriend makes. For the record, they’re delicious. Still, it doesn’t stop us from teasing them every once in a while. For instance, there was the day Earl walked out on his front porch and found several hanging baskets of flowers had appeared overnight. Because he likes to tend his yard and plant shrubs, someone obviously thought these would be a nice gift, but we sometimes suggest they fell off a truck somewhere. I also threaten to call the cops myself when he plays Nickelback, whether it’s too loud or not.

And when we headed out to our car one afternoon, Liam took one look at these guys who’d been down on their luck, and sometimes still are, and saw them making the best of their situation. He couldn’t help but get one more jab in. As Mike headed to another neighbor’s house with a new box of chocolate-covered strawberries and Earl hung a flower basket from his front porch, Liam rolled down the window and yelled, “Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta!”

A St. Patrick’s Day Treat

Apr17

Review (of sorts) for Lunasa with the RTE Orchestra

As a music blogger, I often get samples for review. Sometimes, the music I receive doesn’t fit the blog for which I write, and I have to sadly forego the review. In almost every case, I enjoy the music on my own time and wish I could find another outlet to let people know about the beauty I’ve absorbed. The latest album from Lunasa is one such album, but I enjoyed it so much, I had to share somewhere.

As most of you know, my husband is Irish. (Nooooo, really?) St. Patrick’s Day is something like Christmas around my house. We usually pick a city and take a roadtrip to enjoy the Irish culture in faraway places that aren’t as far away as Ireland. In the past, we’ve enjoyed New York City, Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Louisville. The Highlands of Louisville turned out to be so fun, we went back again this year. And we took Lunasa with us.

What can I say about this inspired CD? We were in the mood for traditional Irish, though Liam probably expected a rousing drinking song. What we got was far better. Opening with the lilting Casu, Lunasa captured us immediately. The harp, fiddle, uilleann pipes wove a mystical setting, and we all shut our mouths to listen. The song received the highest of praise from Liam, which was “feels like home.”

We loved the next song, Leckan Mor, just as much but for different reasons. The reel is playful, featuring the Irish flute (or penny whistle), but not at all grating. It perked us right up before slipping into another dance tune named, appropriately, Spoil the Dance.

I’ll admit we talked over the album as it played, but that was okay. When it reached the end, we let it repeat. And then again. The haunting An Buachaillin Ban stopped our conversation (and my heart) more than once, calling to mind ancient Irish hills, chilling mist, and ghosts of legend. Morning Nightcap inspired the dance and chatter again, as well as the lively Breton Set and The Minor Bee. The final song, The Merry Sisters of Fate, was so lush and full, we all had to stop and just listen again.

We had every intention of rocking U2, The Cranberries, Van Morrison, and even some Dropkick Murphys. And we did get plenty of raucous Irish fun in. But the best part—the part where we all felt truly connected to Liam’s homeland—was when we played Lunasa with the RTE Orchestra.

If you love Irish music, this is a must. In fact, check out some of their other albums from past years. I intend to listen over and over while writing book three from The Kingdom series, because the images these songs evoke are powerful. You won’t regret giving it a listen.

Marital Feng Shui

Mar26

Or, Why We Need to Remodel Our Bathroom STAT

So, I got an office job. I’m still writing; I just do it while sitting around a table with a team of other writers. Because of this change in my life, I now have to make myself presentable each morning. It sounds like a normal thing. Lots of other couples in the world wake up at the same time and manage to get ready for work every day.

Why is this a problem in my house?

Now, to be fair, our bathroom is kind of small. Because our house was built before 1900, the master and guest baths were kind of…afterthoughts. Indoor outhouses, if you will. Still, I don’t need much room to put on deodorant or throw my hair up into a clip. For some reason, however, these five seconds I need during Liam’s bathroom time start World War III every morning.

On one particular day, my need for a bit of hair gel prompted a diatribe about how it was time to rearrange the furniture in our bedroom to promote better flow. For some reason, he believes this will give us more space in the bathroom. Male logic. I don’t get it. He is convinced, however, that moving the bed will make his life easier. A bit of marital feng shui, I suppose.

Personally, I think a bit of patience could solve the issue, but by all means, let’s move the bed. I don’t have enough patience for his impatience.

Blogger Book Fair: Welcome Sydney Logan!

Feb7

Blogger Book Fair Kicks Off with Contemporary Romance Author Sydney Logan

I’ve been dying to host Sydney Logan, but we’re both busy girls. Thank goodness for Blogger Book Fair so I had a reason to buckle down and drag her over for a visit. Sydney’s book, Lessons Learned, is one of the best I’ve read in years. The story, while certainly a compelling (and hot) romance, focuses on timely issues for a well-rounded tale of love on every level. I highly recommend the book to anyone who loves romance with a deeper message.

About Sydney Logan

Sydney Logan holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education and makes her home in the hills of East Tennessee. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. She has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. When she isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.

Interview

As I always do, I sent Sydney my usual questions, and she was kind enough to answer even the silliest. Take a moment to get to know her, and enjoy the excerpt of Lessons Learned.

As my husband always says, “What’s your book about?”

Lessons Learned is about a high school teacher named Sarah Bray. In the prologue (which you’ll read below), she witnesses a traumatic event at her school. This traumatizes her and sends her running back to her hometown of Sycamore Falls. It is a small, tight-knit, conservative (fictional) community in the mountains of Tennessee. She reconnects with old friends and makes a new one, in the form of Lucas Miller. He has just transferred to Sycamore Falls from a school in NYC. They begin teaching at Sarah’s old high school, and over time, their friendship turns into love. One of Sarah’s students becomes a victim of bullying, and she finds herself helping him face his demons, as well as some of her own.

Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote? Can you tell us about it?

I don’t recall the first thing I ever wrote. I’ve written poems and songs all my life. I do remember writing a poem in high school about my upcoming graduation, and it brought my teacher to tears.

Do you prefer plaid or stripes?

Plaid. Stripes are not attractive on me!

Was choosing to publish independently something you always wanted, or an option you hadn’t considered before?

I hadn’t considered publishing at all until a small, independent publisher approached me. One of the editors had read my online stories and asked if I wanted to submit something original. That’s how Lessons Learned came to be.

Are you working on anything new at the moment?

I am editing my second novel, Mountain Charm, and starting on my third book.

Do you have any rituals before writing? Music or silence? Coffee or tea? Twizzlers or M&Ms?

Instrumental music is fine, but I can’t listen to anything with lyrics when I write or edit. I do have to be careful with the music because it can influence my writing.

Have you ever based a character on someone you know?

I use little snippets of people in most of my characters. I tell people that Lucas in Lessons Learned is very much my husband, and they are amazed. Yes, girls, good guys do exist! There is a lot of me in Sarah. The little nods to music and 80s movies – that’s all me.

What color is your umbrella?

Blue and white

Who is your favorite author and why?

Nicholas Sparks, because the man has never failed to write something that brought me to tears. That’s what I want to do (in the nicest way possible, of course.)

What was the last book you read?

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Do you write about locations you’ve visited, or do you rely on research? Or do you make up entire settings in your head?

My first novels are all set in fictional towns in the Appalachian Mountains. I live in a very rural town in East Tennessee, so describing the setting is easy. I take little pieces of surrounding communities to create the town.

After the last word is written, then what? Do you have pre-readers and editors who take over? Do you begin query letters immediately?

Early in the process, I have to submit my first three chapters and a synopsis to my publisher. They then decide if they’re interested. Once I get the go ahead, I finish writing the story. I have pre-readers (trusted and honest friends) who read my story and offer valuable advice. Then, it is submitted to my publisher and to my editing team. I haven’t had to send out query letters. My publisher has always been happy with whatever I submit, thank goodness.

What song would be on the soundtrack for your book?

I actually have a complete playlist on my website, but probably Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me.”

Where can people find your book?

http://www.sydneylogan.com/2012/11/purchasing-links.html

Can we read a little excerpt?

Prologue

Voices roar through the high school cafeteria while students navigate their way to the tables. The cliques are easily spotted: the jocks, the geeks, the beauty queens, the slackers.

Where will he sit today?

Despite the fact he’s a handsome and impeccably dressed young man, he fades into the background. Knowing it’s pointless, the girls don’t bother to look his way, and the guys deliberately avoid his eyes.

He grips his tray tightly and heads toward the corner table with the rest of the outcasts. They nod hello, but that’s the end of any real attempt at conversation. It’s an unspoken rule of sorts. This is their refuge—a tiny bit of sanctuary in the hell that is public high school—and they’re content to sit in peace.

He takes a seat, and I can see the exhaustion on his face. It’s not a weariness that comes from too many sleepless nights. This is a bone-tired fatigue no seventeen-year-old kid should ever feel.

He’s giving in.

Giving up.

In my peripheral vision, I see a senior stalk into the cafeteria. He’s tall, with deep brown eyes and jet-black hair that won’t stay in place. He’s good looking, popular, and a little conceited, thanks to his father’s wealth and status.

He has a reputation to uphold.

Rumors to squash.

A score to settle.

He pulls the silver gun out of his jacket pocket. Amid the chaos, no one notices.

I notice.

I try to run, but I’m frozen in place.

I try to scream, but there’s no sound.

The first shot rings out, and suddenly, everyone’s on the cold tile.

Tears, prayers, screams.

Another shot, and for some reason, I’m the only one who can’t move. Who can’t scream. Who can’t do anything but watch as the young man’s body slumps over his tray.

Finally, I find my voice and scream his name.

About Lessons Learned

A young girl needs to spread her wings, but a young woman needs roots.

English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past.

She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance.

Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love.

Follow Sydney Logan…Everywhere

Giveaway

You can win a prize pack with Lessons Learned and an Applebee’s gift card. Click the Rafflecopter link, follow the instructions, and cross your fingers!

BLOGGER BOOK FAIR 2013

Feb6

Check Out Amazing Authors, Big Giveaways, and Incredible Books in the Blogger Book Fair!

It’s that time again! Tomorrow begins the Winter 2013 Blogger Book Fair, organized by the inimitable Kayla Curry, author of Obsidian. Kayla has done an amazing job wrangling all us crazy authors and bloggers into one stellar book fair. Over the next four days, you’ll meet a few new authors and some old friends here on my blog, and I’ll also share links where you can check out other bloggers and authors from around the world.

Free Stuff

One of the most compelling aspect of the Blogger Book Fair is the chance to win lots of free stuff. Several authors are giving away free signed copies and electronic copies of one or more books, while others are offering gift cards. Here on this blog, you’ll have a chance to win Sydney Logan’s Lessons Learned, Allison Blanchard’s Forget Me Not, Kimberly Gould’s Cargon: Duty & Sacrifice, David Kirk’s Particular Stones, a signed copy of The Kingdom, a $25 gift card to Amazon, and a $20 gift card for iTunes. LOTS OF FREE STUFF. VISIT EVERY DAY FOR FREE STUFF. SEND YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND THE GUY BEHIND YOU AT THE GROCERY STORE TO THE BLOG FOR FREE STUFF!

How to Win

Visit the blog. Click on Rafflecopter and Goodreads links. Follow Rafflecopter instructions. Await your reward.

$25 Amazon Gift Card - a Rafflecopter giveaway

$20 iTunes Gift Card - a Rafflecopter giveaway

Signed Copy of The Kingdom - a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sydney Logan’s Lessons Learned and Applebee’s Gift Card

David Kirk’s Particular Stones

Kimberly Gould’s Cargon: Duty & Sacrifice - a Rafflecopter giveaway

Allison Blanchard’s Forget Me Not

Where to Find Things

The list of participating authors and bloggers can be found on the Blogger Book Fair site. You can also browse by genre or by book titles. For the contests, just click the Rafflecopter link of your choice. I’ll also include the Rafflecopter links on the authors’ guest appearance posts. If you need assistance finding anything else, send me a tweet or an email. If you want to buy any of my books, you are MORE THAN WELCOME to check out the Buy the Books page.

Who to Expect

Sydney Logan – February 7

Allison Blanchard – February 8

Kimberly Gould – February 8

Michael Cargill – February 9

Dan O’Brien – February 9

David Kirk – February 10

Welcome to THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP!

Jan30

Discover a New Sports Romance

What is a blog hop? It’s a way for readers to discover new authors. With bookstores closing and publishers not promoting new authors as much, blog hops are a way to introduce readers to authors they may not see in the local bookstore.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop is a great chance to find many new authors. Here you’ll find information about what I’m working on now – FINAL SCORE. Also, see links after the questions and answers and find five other authors you might like to check out.

I’d like to thank fellow author LISA HANNAH WELLS for tagging me to participate. Click the link below to find out about her latest book BE STILL MY LOVER’S HEART

In this particular hop, my fellow authors and I, in our respective blogs, have answered 10 questions where you get to learn about our current work in progress as well as some insights into our process, from characters and inspirations to plotting and cover decisions. I hope you enjoy!

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions. Here is my Next Big Thing!

What is the working title of your book?

Final Score

Where did the idea come from for the book?

After attending a Nashville Predators game, Jen had an idea about a hockey player and a chef. I’d been talking about writing a story with a hockey hero – one of my favorites – and we thought, why not? Since I know nothing about cooking (and Jen does), and Jen knows nothing about hockey (and boy, do I), it was pretty easy to delegate writing responsibility. Many fun hours of “what if…” later, we had ourselves a story.

What genre does your book come under?

Contemporary romance, though we’re not averse to the sports romance and hockey romance labels.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

We’ve always envisioned model Ralf Baumgarten for Brody and actress Sarah Drew from Grey’s Anatomy for Anna.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When NHL bad boy Brody Clark gets checked by pretty redheaded chef Anna Bloom, his free agent days just might be over.

Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

FINAL SCORE is a work in progress, in the last stages of self-editing before the manuscript is ready for submission, but Jen currently has YA novels published with a small press, and Melissa has a paranormal romance published and another contracted with another small press.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The first rough draft took approximately nine months to write, and we’re still going through edits!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

This is comparable to hockey sport romances by Deirdre Martin and Rachel Gibson, although there are other great writers taking on hockey players as heroes—and even heroines!

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Live hockey games, hockey players, and the excitement they generate. Read the story, go to a game. You won’t regret it!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Conditioned athletes, celebrity, paparazzi, travel. Hockey. Attraction and tension. Set goals, reassessed priorities. Good food, good friends, good times between consenting adults.

Between the two of us, we have intimate knowledge of both the restaurant business and hockey players, so hopefully that adds a fun depth to the story!

Below you will find authors who will be joining me by blog next Wednesday. Be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!

Sandi Layne

Hypochondriac by Grey’s Anatomy

Jun24

Liam and I somehow missed the Grey’s Anatomy train the first time around, so we’ve spent the last several weeks catching up on over 150 episodes on that amazing thing called Netflix. Yes, the Roku box is held in high regard in our household, just after beer and the cats…and the remote control. There’s some serious entertainment value in the crazy lives of these doctors, who, as the show says, are like high schoolers with scalpels. I mean, seriously. If I thought for one moment that doctors were really like that, I’d never again visit the hospital. Fortunately, my mother, who has been a nurse for…a really long time (I know better than to give the number of years—you’re welcome, Mom), set me straight on how a hospital really works.

The real entertainment value, as you might guess, comes in the form of my husband. Liam becomes convinced he’s got a new and life-threatening disease after almost every show. The only cases in Seattle Grace that Liam is sure he doesn’t have are the orthopedics, and that’s only because he just has to look down to see his leg isn’t broken. Everything else in the show is fair game. Heart attack? Liam’s having one. Stroke? Well, that one’s actually likely someday. Lupus? Oh, yeah. House told us it’s never lupus, so we’re good there. But seriously, everything else on that show, Liam is certain he’s got it.

By far, the funniest story is as follows: Liam has suffered some annoying, itchy bumps on his legs and arms. I started spraying him down with bug spray every time he even thought about opening the front door, and still he kept getting these itchy bumps. I didn’t have the same problem, so we just couldn’t figure out where he was getting them. Then, in one episode of Grey’s Anatomy, a character developed chicken pox. OMG! Liam finally had a diagnosis for his bumps! It had to be chicken pox. I just asked one question to verify it was indeed NOT chicken pox. Any guesses? Yeah. Liam had chicken pox when he was a little boy. It was a pretty bad case, too, so no, he did not have chicken pox.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, I ran out of dryer sheets and ran several loads without them. Amazingly, his bumps went away. Did he come to the conclusion that you all just came to? No. His conclusion was that the chicken pox went away. And when he found a towel that had been through the dryer with the softener sheets and the bumps came back, he was again convinced that something was wrong with him.

Let’s all tell him together, shall we? Liam, you’re allergic to Downy dryer sheets. That’s your diagnosis. Of course, we all know he won’t believe it until someone on Grey’s Anatomy is diagnosed with an allergy to dryer sheets, but I’ll keep working on it.

The New Cover!

May30

Check out the new cover for the edited, expanded, new edition of The Kingdom, coming VERY SOON (like, maybe even tomorrow). Special thanks to artist Tali Pryor and designer Melissa Newman. Let me know what you think!

A Moment with RJ Burroughs

Apr13

RJ Burroughs is one of the newest members of the Martin Sisters Publishing family. His book, The Boys of 58, is a coming of age story told with RJ’s unique humor and insight. No matter when you were a kid or what kind of trouble you got yourself into, you’ll see a bit of yourself in The Boys of 58.

RJ was nice enough to answer my usual questions, and he even gave extra attention to those originally designed with women in mind. He’s a good sport, and his answers will make you laugh. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to get to know him better, and then head over to one of the many places The Boys of 58 is available to take a look.

As my husband always says, “What’s your book about?”

The Boys of 58 is about 5 twelve-year-old boys growing up in the much slower time of 1958–all the trouble they seem to get into and the way they get out of trouble. It’s not one story, but a combination of several stories. When I wrote this novel, I did my best to make each page different and funny. I tried to put a little something in it for everyone–if you can please everyone that is. From a fainting goat to the zombie, or the boy and girl killed fifty-years before the boys were born. A person would be hard pressed to read The Boys and not laugh out loud several times.

Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote? Can you tell us about it?

That would be to a girl named Rita in the 3rd grade. Rita was the fastest runner in our elementary school, and she was going to represent our school in the 100-yard dash at the city-wide elementary track meet. I thought Rita was about the prettiest girl I had ever seen. Of course, I hadn’t seen all that many girls, living on a farm and being nine years old.

I saw a senior boy and girl kissing at the Big Burger one afternoon when my uncle took me to get a cherry limeade. The look on that senior boy’s face after he finished with that kiss was something I had never experienced before–kind of like the look people get today when OU beats Texas. I though kissing must be something special, so being who I am, I decided the only way to find out would be to give it a try. That’s when I wrote Rita a one-page note expressing my desire to find out what it feels like to kiss a girl.

She wrote me back, stating if I could catch her at recess she would let me kiss her.

Well, as I said before, she was fast–darn fast. I spent almost all of the fifteen minutes chasing that girl, and I finally trapped her between the monkey bars and the old slide. I will give her this–she was a girl of her word. She let me kiss her square on the mouth just like that senior boy. However, I didn’t have that look he had when I finished. It was more like the look people get when Texas beats OU. From that day on, I gave up on girls for good–or until I first saw Pam in her cheerleader outfit in junior high school a few years later.

Do you prefer plaid or stripes?

Well, that is a tough question for me. The only thing I can say is, I don’t have a clue. I guess if Sally Field was wearing a long plaid dress or a pair of shorts with stripes on them, I would have to say stripes. On the other hand, if Sally Field was wearing a long dress with stripes on it or a pair of plaid shorts, I would have to go with plaid. To me, it doesn’t matter the material or the color, but what a person does with it.

Was choosing to publish independently something you always wanted, or an option you hadn’t considered before? (Independently being defined here as NOT one of the Big Six.)

I have written a lot of different stories in the past and tried several times (several times being a heck of a lot) to find an agent and or publisher. I don’t know for sure if my material was ever looked at, much less read. After hundreds of attempts, I just stopped trying. I have a lot of family members and friends that enjoy what I write, be it horror, sci fi, mystery, or humor, so I wrote just for the enjoyment of writing and the pleasure my friends got out of it.

After I finished writing The Boys of 58, I sent out several queries to agents/publishers. Still nothing. I just happened to be checking the spam on my computer when I found an answer from Martin Sisters. To make a long story short, they loved the novel, and now it’s in print.

If it hadn’t been for the Sisters I would still be writing for family and friends. Still, it is hard to get the word out about a new book, but I just keep plugging along in hopes that people who do read it enjoy it and pass the word along.

Are you working on anything new at the moment?

Yes, I am just about finished with The Boys of 59, the sequel to The Boys of 58. I won’t be sending it off until The Boys of 58 has been out awhile. I am also about 3/4th finished with a mystery novel called Marriage, as well as a fiction novel about how the names of creeks in Oklahoma came about. I have several others planned as well.

Do you have any rituals before writing? Music or silence? Coffee or tea? Twizzlers or M&Ms?

No, I just write when I feel like it–just walk into my office, sit down, and write. I always carry a small pad with me, just in case I happen to think of something I want to write about or something I would like to add to a novel. Then when I get to the computer, I take out the pad. Otherwise I would forget my thoughts. This is something I believe all authors should do, as I can’t ever remember all the things I have thought of and forgotten before I could get to the computer.

The only other ritual that helps me write is when my wife gets upset with me about something or she happens to cook liver. Either one of those send me to my office quick.

Have you ever based a character on someone you know?

No, I haven’t based any characters on anyone I know. I have used the names of some of my friends, however. As for places, yes. The Boys of 58 takes place in a small Oklahoma town called Verden, a little town my grandmother lived in and where I attended the second and third grade.

In The Boys of 58, one of the boy’s names is Sonny, and my nickname is Sonny. Now I kind of wish I had given Sonny a different name, as people seem to think the story is about me, and it is not. It is pure fiction.

The grandmother in the story does have some of the traits of my grandmother. The snuff and flyswatter came from her.

I enjoy making up the last names myself.

What color is your umbrella?

Jen, I don’t have an umbrella. If I did, I am sure the wind in Oklahoma would be more than happy to take it away from me. Being a young lady as you are, I am sure you have no idea what runs through a man’s head about being macho. It is something we men strive to be. I can’t speak for all men, but it seems kind of hard to run into Wal-Mart, or Rexall Drugs holding an umbrella and still feel macho. Ok, if I had an umbrella, it would have Sooners on it.

Who is your favorite author and why?

I guess that would have to be Stephen King. I wrote a book called Unholy Ground a few years ago. A lot of the people that read it thought it was something from Stephen King. I have a little part in The Boys of 58 about a boy and girl that were murdered fifty years before the boys were born. The head of the young girl was never found. As I said before, I tried to put a little something in it for everyone. By no means is The Boys a horror novel or is the murder part scary; it’s all humor.

As for what I like about Stephen King: when you read his novels, there is always a part a person can relate to in it. Some of it is even funny. He is very different from me, however. He taught English; I flunked English. He is from the north (Maine); I am from the southwest (Oklahoma.) If I had to bet, I would say his wife doesn’t cook liver mine does. I think he talks funny, but I am sure if he were to hear me talk, he would think the same thing about me. The only thing we have in common is he has been in a lot of movies same as myself. The only difference is that he was acting, and I was in a chair eating popcorn with butter and drinking a small coke.

What was the last book you read?

That would be Huckleberry Finn. I have read it several times. I enjoy Mark Twain’s writing. That just happens to be the last one I read. However, I am waiting on Side Effects to get here. You know about Side Effects, don’t you?

Do you write about locations you’ve visited, or do you rely on research? Or do you make up entire settings in your head?

As I said before, I used Verden from my childhood. However, I make up 99% of the locations in my head. That way, if I need a fire station down the block or a Dairy Queen across the street from something, I can always add it in. Again, I like to make things up in my head. As I write about it, I make notes. If I didn’t, I would end up with a fire station on each block and four or five Dairy Queens in the same town.

After the last word is written, then what? Do you have pre-readers and editors who take over? Do you begin query letters immediately?

I really don’t do anything other than send it to my editor. I type so fast (or at least I use the excuse of typing so fast) that I have to have someone edit it. If it hadn’t been for sports and girls in school, I might not have passed. My spelling leaves something to be desired.

After the military, I did try to go to college, but it was in the 70s and the students were all protesting Vietnam. Since I was ex-military, I was given a cold shoulder by most. I dropped out and went into the pipeline field–something I still do to this day.

So yes, as soon as I finish a story, it’s off to my editor.

What song would be on the soundtrack for your book?

Red River Valley by Stevie Nicks. Why, I have no clue, other than I like the fire out of that song. I guess that is the southwest coming out of me.

Where can people find your book?

Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Martin Sisters Publishing, or it can be ordered at any bookstore.

Can we read a little excerpt?

When I reached the store, I saw Sally Majors coming out carrying a large sack of groceries. That wouldn’t have been much of an inspiration before, but Sally had been the talk of the town a few months back. She ran off with the high-school French teacher and got married. She was seventeen and Mr. Baxter was thirty-seven. That was about the biggest thing since the Bible salesman came to town and stole the cash box from the Baptist Church. Seeing Sally’s large stomach that day, I just knew she was going to have a baby.

She wasn’t pregnant, mind you, saying that word was another no-no. Sally was either in the family way, with child, or just going to have a baby. Pregnant was only used for bad girls that lived out of our little town or by the doctor.

Seeing her ‘in the family way’ gave me the perfect idea for paying Miss Mary Sue Bailey back. It came to me in such a flash I forgot all about the Garrett Snuff. I turned on my heels and, in a dead run, started for Charlie’s house. About halfway there I remembered the snuff and thoughts of flyswatters and yardsticks came to mind, but there was no turning back now, and the respect I’d get from the guys was worth more than just a couple licks.

Reaching Charlie’s house, I banged on the door till the usual greeting came.

“Stop that banging, you little fart,” Charlie’s mom said.

Everyone was a fart to her. Dumb fart. Old fart. Young fart. Stupid fart. Young, no-account fart. That was my favorite.

“Is Charlie home, Mrs. Shaffer?”

“Yes, the little, no-account fart is here,” she said, turning to fetch her son who was already headed up behind her.

“What you want, fart-head?” he asked, sidestepping the slap he knew would be coming his way.

The fart word was used a lot in his house, but only from his mother. When she heard Charlie or one of us use it, you could bet a slap across the top of your head was soon to follow.

“Have the guys meet at the depot after supper tonight. I think I know a way we can pay Mary Sue back for all the trash she’s been spreading about us.”

“What you thinking?”

For a second, I was going to tell him, but when you get an idea like that, you can’t just waste it; you got to tell everyone at once so they can all talk about how brilliant it was.

“Just get the guys together, Charlie.”

Be sure to leave a few words for RJ. You can also visit his website and “like” The Boys on Facebook.

I Found My Superpower!

Apr5

Everyone wants a superpower, whether they admit it out loud or not. Do you want to be invisible? Maybe you want to be able to fly. Who doesn’t see the X-Men and wonder how to make the most of the mutant abilities? I don’t think about it often, but I do think about it. It just occurred to me this morning that I may actually have one of these coveted superpowers, but I’m not sure yet what to do with it.

To adequately explain my particular ability, I may need to tell a little story. My husband, the infamous Liam, calls me “The Cooler.” As far as I know, I don’t wreak havoc in casinos. I have, however, worked for three separate companies that closed down while I was in their employ. This is just a funny coincidence (I hope), but it brings endless entertainment to my husband, who loves to mess with me every chance he gets.

I don’t claim responsibility for these businesses closing. I’m sure they had problems long before I came around. However, I have noticed a disturbing trend regarding establishments that fold after I write about them. Whether in a short, unpublished story or a novel, many of the businesses I have called by name have since closed. I have a list. Want to see it? Okay.

Virgin Megastore in Cork, Ireland

Zavvi Records in Cork, Ireland (I made a quick switch to this store when Virgin closed, and the new store closed before the book could be published.)

Mulligan’s Pub in Nashville

French Quarter Café in Nashville

Mama Rose’s in New York City

Radius 10 in Nashville

Edit: The Kingsley Hotel of Cork, Ireland, which was featured in The Kingdom, has been closed due to extensive flood damage since November of 2009–the very month The Kingdom was released.

I feel like there are actually more to include. I must be forgetting some. As a direct result, I have learned not to specifically name any brands, designers, restaurants, coffee shops, stores, etc.–especially if they are personal favorites–in my writing. I lost some good hangouts when a few of these closed.

What do you think? Is this consistent enough to name as my superpower or simply coincidence? Just to be sure, I definitely won’t name specific people. To those of you who have had a character named in tribute, don’t panic. I’m sure you’ll be fine.