Silk Palace by Colin Harvey

Tell us the book title and your author name.
The Silk Palace by Colin Harvey

What inspired the book?

At the risk of sounding mercenary, it was a call for submissions from a then editor at Tor, who subsequently left, but by then the damage was done. She was looking for work in a specific sub-genre; I’d never read any of the works that inspired the call, but I had just finished Lightning Days and was looking for the next project. But as with Lightning Days, my subconscious took over and we ended up somewhere completely different!

What makes this book special to you?

Well, in an odd sort of way, we’re like a father and daughter who are just getting reconciled. I got so far into the book and stopped enjoying writing. Agatha Christie had the same problem with The Mystery of the Blue Train, but she and it were never reconciled, whereas my ugly duckling and I seem to have forgiven each other.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?

Um, I’m a Brit, and to be honest language like that makes me cringe. Sorry.

It’s got perhaps the most other-worldly setting in sword-and-sorcery in many years. And I wanted a heroine who wasn’t strong or brave, at least until she was backed into a corner.

What people NEED to read this book and WHY?

People who are interested in epic fantasy that has a brain should read it, and people who say that epic fantasy doesn’t have a brain should read it!

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?

Going to new places; doing new things; reading. Keep reading outside your own peer group, and do something new every day.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?

My biggest problem was a catastrophic loss of confidence after attending a writing workshop. For the best of intentions the pro there demolished me, and I realized that I had nothing to say – and believed that for over twenty years. But everyone has a voice – they just have to find it.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?

I found at age nine that I could write stories. For a kid who wasn’t sporty, and wasn’t musical, and had serious confidence issues, it was like finding a vocation. I’ve never wanted to do anything else, even during my two-decade block – that was what made it so painful.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
I’ve dispensed soup to promote my cookbook, and stood on a chair at a convention huckstering a book, but I think I’ve been fortunate – I haven’t had to do too many odd things.

FICTION - If there is a setting, tell us how you decided on that setting and what you did to create a complete and vivid setting for your readers?

I’ve written about this elsewhere, but I wanted a completely different world so that anything went. I mapped out the landscape and climatology and all kinds of stuff on the back of envelopes.

FICTION - What inspires you about the hero or heroine in your book? What makes them memorable for the reader? What motivates the hero and/or heroine? You can include information about both if you want.

Well, to really raise the bar, I not only decided to write a heroine (rather than a hero), but had her unexpectedly fall in love with another woman. But that love is central to the plot; together with her fear of heights, it’s what stops the heroine fleeing.

I wanted to avoid a lot of the fantasy conventions, so she relies on brains. She’s not easy to be around, she’s awkward, socially naïve, but in some ways that’s quite inspiring. I find flawed heroes / heroines far more interesting than unalloyed good / bad people.

FICTION - Is there a villain or something that causes friction in your story? Tell us about what or who it is and how that contributes to the story. Any details about conflict and friction is good information to know.

I have so much conflict its unreal! The prince lusts after the heroine, so his fiancée, one of the three princesses hates the heroine, but the heroine is there at the King’s request, so the princess has to lump it; a second princess believes the heroine guilty of blasphemy; there are plotters planning, two empires massing their ranks on the borders, and a killer wandering around bumping people off!

Thank you for visiting with me and in closing, give us your website address and a link to order your book.

It’s been an absolute pleasure. Thank you.

The website address is http://www.geocities.com/colin_harvey

The paperback can be bought at: http://www.amazon.com/Silk-Palace-Colin-Harvey/dp/1934041424/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195398998&sr=1-1

And the e-copy at: http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook51966.htm?cache

Novels from Swimming Kangaroo Books:

Lightning Days -- SF, Finalist for the USA Book News Awards

The Silk Palace -- "compelling" Library Journal

"Intrigues, betrayals, murders, love affairs, transformations, and

revelations," Bruce Boston, author of The Guardener's Tale

www.geocities.com/colin_harvey www.myspace.com/colin_harvey

Blog Tours - What Would You Like to Know

I'm doing a tele-seminar next week about blog tours and I would love input from you all.

There are many things to discuss about blog tours and I worked out some initial questions to get people thinking - they are:

Discover Ways to Promote Your Book on a Virtual Blog Tour to Gain Greater Visibility and Sales

• What are the benefits of doing a blog tour?

• Should you promote your book in a blog tour?

• Should fiction and non fiction books be promoted differently in a blog tour?

• Should you organize your own blog tour?

• Why hire a publicist to organize your tour?

• If you hire a publicist, will you still need to work on the tour?

• Can you use a blog tour to promote anything besides books?

• Is there a new option in book blog tours?

But, now I need to create a couple of handouts and I'd love your input. Is there any specific info about blog tours that any of you think would be most helpful? Some folks here have done tours, some have hosted touring authors and I bet some of you have thought about doing a tour. So, since many of the people here are authors, I figured it would be a great place to pose the question. What information would you suggest I offer in handouts? Thank you all for your thoughts. There will be plenty of blog tour info coming very soon .

Nikki Leigh

PS - The answer to the last question is - most definitely. Stay tuned for much more information about that option - SOON. Or, contact me to be added to the mailing list - nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com with Mailing List in the subject line.

Is by Scott Langston

Tell us the book title and your author name.

My name is Scott Langston and the title of the book is "is". Originally, I had intended to book to be called 'The Domino Effect' - one of the themes in the novel is how the actions of one character can have unforeseen impact on another character - like falling dominoes. I even commissioned a Magritte-style cover page with this image. However, the novel became something a little different as it went through several edits, and 'is' summed up better the overall message of the novel.

What inspired the book?

I started writing this book when I was twenty years old. Many of the themes were beyond my grasp, and it wasn't until I 'refound' the novel fifteen years after starting it that I had something approaching the maturity to do the book justice. If I had to pin it down to a precise moment, the novel was born after watching the film 'Four weddings and a funeral', specifically the funeral scene. I found it very moving, and imagined having to write such a eulogy myself.

What makes this book special to you?

It has certainly been a labour of love! As I said, I have physically lost the book on two occasions - the first time requiring a re-write almost entirely from pencil notes in an old scrap book. From first putting pen to paper to finally seeing the book in print took twenty years. That's a long time. The book has been a part of my life, and my continual tinkering with it represented my desire to be a writer.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?

I think the book has a lot to say about the fundamentals of how life is. It's spiritual, without being overtly religious. It raises many questions and, I hope, answers a few too. It's about perspective - another way of looking at life and death and God. If these questions do not interest you, then you probably shouldn't bother reading the book!

What people NEED to read this book and WHY?

Nobody needs to read this book. Nobody needs to do anything. That's one of the ventral messages of the book. There is no requirement - life just 'is'.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?

Writing is a muscle like ay other. It needs exercising and flexing, otherwise it wastes away. I keep a blog, as well as trying to have more than one project ongoing at a time. When one dries up, I can try my hand at something completely different. That's how 'Benny and Binny' was born - a children's story I wrote with an illustrator friend. You can find it, along with ordering details, on my website - www.scottlangston.org. Right now, I'm working on a novel set between Vietnam and France, dealing with roots and belonging. It's the biggest project I've tackled so far. I'm also tinkering with a novel for teenagers about philosophy, tentatively called, 'Henry Porter and the Stone Philosopher'.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?

I took a year off work to write full time at the same time as we had our baby daughter. I was under the impression that I could care for her and write at the same time. IN short, children have been the biggest stumbling block for my writing. I need time and space to write, and kids don't allow for much of either. That said, my life is considerably richer for having become a dad, and that can only come out in my writing eventually!

I guess another hurdle has been the management of distractions. When I turn on the computer, it's all too easy to spend hours fiddling with stuff I've already written, updating my website, or simply surfing, rather than actually writing. I now have a dedicated laptop for writing which doesn't have internet access.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?

I believe|I write because I have to. If you simply want to write, then my advice would be: don't bother. Find something else to do and save yourself a whole lot of trouble. Writing is a lonely and often demoralising business - except when the connection comes through and then it's without equal. So, it wasn't really a choice - I have to write.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?

Book promotion is my weakness. I have done the rounds of local bookshops where 'Is' was set, and a few copies have been sold that way. I've run book signings. I haven't really done anything inspiring in the field of self-promotion. I know I ought to.

FICTION - If there is a setting, tell us how you decided on that setting and what you did to create a complete and vivid setting for your readers?

I grew up in Cornwall. It never crossed my mind to set my first novel anywhere else. It's a truly magical and inspiring locale - even now as I write this |I can smell the sea air and hear the seagulls - though I'm 3000 miles away.

FICTION - What inspires you about the hero or heroine in your book? What makes them memorable for the reader? What motivates the hero and/or heroine? You can include information about both if you want.

I'm not sure Martin inspires me. He's a protagonist, rather than a hero in the true sense of the word. Insomuch as everyone's first novel is biographical, I guess Martin is in some respects me. His getting to grips with life and his enlightenment are ideals I would reach for.

FICTION - Is there a villain or something that causes friction in your story? Tell us about what or who it is and how that contributes to the story. Any details about conflict and friction is good information to know.

The conflict rests between expectations and risks, between safety and leaps of faith, between believing and knowing. Martin takes risks, when society would have him do otherwise. He trusts to himself, when society would have him do otherwise. He is prepared to love, not just another, but himself. This is perhaps one of the most difficult yet rewarding things we can achieve in life.

Website: www.scottlangston.org

Order from the author: http://www.scottlangston.org/is.html

Order Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scott-Langston/dp/1897312202/

Finding Funboy

Tell us the book title and your author name. The novel is called “Finding Funboy,” and the author -- that’s me -- is Matt Golec.

What inspired the book?

Staying in touch with old friends became harder after I went away to college. We all made new friends, did new things and took a few giant steps toward adulthood. When I’d come home after several months and look up the old gang, connecting could be tricky because while I’d changed and they’d changed, the people we remembered in our heads hadn’t. It usually took a few steps for us to catch up with the new people we were all in the process of becoming.

People change. Even if you stay in the same place forever, you can’t help growing up and into new relationships with your friends and environment. “Finding Funboy” is about the main character’s search for an old friend, and the dawning realization of how these kinds of changes have been happening right under his nose.

What makes this book special to you?

“Finding Funboy” is my first novel, and I peppered its pages with the sights, sounds and character traits I’d known growing up. The story isn’t about me or anyone in specific, but I wanted it to capture the feel of what it’s like to be a young man kicking around my hometown of Portland, Maine.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
I take a lot of notes when I’m kicking a story around in my head. That way, when I sit down at my computer to actually bash the thing out, I’ve got a lot of dots for me to connect. It’s a great way to keep working if that creativity fails to spark on a particular day.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?

Simply finding the time to write is difficult. There are so many distractions -- family, friends, house projects, my Netflix queue -- and writing is long, hard, solitary work. For me, setting a schedule is critical. I try to write early in the day so I won’t put it off until it’s too late in the day to do anything but curl up in bed.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?

Although I don’t have any data to back me up, I’d bet most authors are also lifetime readers. The literary heroes of my adolescence -- Kurt Vonnegut, J.R.R. Tolkien, Joseph Heller, the good folks at Marvel Comics -- were certainly who motivated and inspired me.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?

I think for many authors, promoting oneself at all is unusual. But without some sort of promotion, these stories that we’ve worked so hard on will never get read. We write to communicate, not just to put words on paper; without a reader, we might as well be talking to ourselves.

Tell us how you decided on your book’s setting and what you did to create a complete and vivid setting for your readers?

I set most “Finding Funboy,” in Portland, Maine, the town where I grew up. Like friends you have from childhood, I believe the place where you grow up has an emotional hold on you that runs pretty deep. I hoped that emotional connection I have with Portland would translate into a rich setting for “Finding Funboy.”

Also, it’s a great old coastal city with cobblestone streets, heavy brick architecture and mysterious fog smelling of the sea that rolls in at night.

What inspires you about the hero in your book? What makes them memorable for the reader?

What I really enjoyed about the main character/hero in “Finding Funboy” was his growth. The choices he makes and the actions he takes -- some for the better, some for the worse -- help form the core of his maturing self. I hope readers will feel privileged to be included in this process.

Is there a villain or something that causes friction in your story? Tell us about what or who it is and how that contributes to the story.

The real source of friction in “Finding Funboy” is the main character’s attempts to locate his childhood friend crashing into his deepening infatuation with that friend’s girlfriend. How he resolves this conflict, and how he comes out the other side a sadder if wiser person, forms the heart of the book.

If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place.

The book is funny! I probably try for more laughs than I get, but despite a serious theme, “Finding Funboy” promises a fun, snappy read.

For more about “Finding Funboy,” or to read the opening chapter, visit www.mattgolec.com.

To purchase “Finding Funboy,” visit www.booksforabuck.com/mystery/mys_07/finding_funboy.html or www.amazon.com/Finding-Funboy-Matt-Golec/dp/1602150575/

Woman Submit

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that's featured in your book? I was beaten into it.

2 - Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic? The title of the book is, Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence. I experienced domestic violence and abuse for a period of nine years over the course of two marriages. The most violent of the two marriages was the last in which my former husband was an associate pastor of our church.

3 - What advice would you give to someone who is interested in your topic? It would really depend on why they were interested. Someone could be interested because they are experiencing abuse or domestic violence. Or they could be interested because someone they know and love is experiencing domestic violence. The book is written and contains advice for both groups.

4 - What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal and business growth. What are your reasons? I have started The Dorcas Network, which is an organization committed to working with [primarily] Christian individuals and ministries desiring to reach out in more compassionate, effective, and biblical ways to the battered/abused women within their spheres of influence. We can certainly accomplish more together than alone.

5 - Who is the ideal person to read your book? Women experiencing domestic violence or abuse and those they are most likely to turn to for help. If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose? Women experiencing domestic violence or abuse or those they are most likely to turn to for help--including pastors and other spiritual leaders.

6 - What do you think ignites a person's creativity? I believe we write best when we write honestly about what we feel strongly about. As for myself, I cannot even stay interested in writing about anything I am not passionate about. And if I cannot stay interested in what I am writing, how can I expect anyone else to stay interested in reading what I write?

7 - What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing? Not having anything to say of course.

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that? Find out what it is they feel strongly--even passionately--about, and write about that.

9 - What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else? Different things motivate different people. Money and success have never been able to motivate me for very long periods of time (although like most people, I wouldn't mind having some). I committed my life to Jesus Christ many years ago, and I have found that anything he is not the center of, very quickly loses its appeal. But the things I allow His Spirit to lead me into, are the things that have endured.

10 - Who is the “perfect” person to read your book? Any woman (or man) experiencing domestic violence or abuse and those they would most likely turn to for help. And since it is estimated that one out of four women experience abuse or domestic violence (some say one out of two!), that would make the target audience for my book just about everyone.

11 - Is there anything else you would like to share with us? Yes. I would like to pass along a message that I heard for the very first time from a mother whose precious daughter lost her life due to domestic violence, “Domestic Violence IS your business!” www.WomanSubmit.com

Laundry Tales

1. How did you get interested in the topic?

It came from a post about laundry by one of the Celebrate Moms team members. This post on the message board received about 3 pages of responses from our moms. We knew then it is a topic of interest.

2. Our background...What have we done in the past that relates to our book and that topic?

The whole Celebrate Moms website points to the book's message of "Lighten your Load". Our tagline for Celebrate Moms is "The Mother Load Gets Lighter Here".

3. What advice would we give to someone who is interested in our topic?

We can learn from anything in life, even the mundane things like laundry.

4. What do we see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations other than networking and personal /business growth?

Groups and organizations help us learn from one another and offer a support system.

5. Who is the ideal person to read our book?

The ideal audience for Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load is made up of mothers ages 20-50. These ladies are the primary overseers of the household laundering chores, seeking acknowledgement and companionship in a lowly job. They are either currently Christians looking to grow closer to God in a unique way or seekers in the midst of child related struggles and open to learning more about God.

6. What do we think ignites a person's creativity?

Finding and pursuing their passion ignites creativity.

7. What have we found to be the biggest stumbling block for people to start writing?

Procrastination and lack of knowledge of how the industry works.

8. How would we suggest they can overcome that?

A quote that helps Melissa, our co-founder, is "Do what you don't want to do, so you can be what you want to be." Keep that in mind. Don't approach life, dreams etc, based on feelings. Just do it even if you don't want to do it.

9. What do we find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else?

We feel like all three of the ones listed are big motivators but we pray we would rise above it and Celebrate Moms motivation would be to please God.

10.Who is the "perfect" person to read our book?

Laundry is never done—moms struggling to keep up with this humdrum chore will find Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load especially encouraging and uplifting. They need help in ways they can relate to. The length of each story delivers a shot in the arm that will help moms get through yet another load.

Laundry is a lonely, boring and often thankless job—moms looking for acknowledgement, a feeling of camaraderie, and a greater sense of self-worth will finish reading Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load feeling like they have just sat and had coffee with a trusted friend. One that understands her struggles and has inspired her to embrace all the dirt life has to offer.

11. Is there anything else we would like to share with the audience?

Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load is a lighthearted look at the things we have learned from doing the laundry. We encourage you to pick up a copy, get a cup of coffeee and enjoy some of the stories and insights we share.

Sandra B. Stanford
Bible Teacher/Speaker/Author
WWW.Sandrastanford.com
WWW.Celebratemoms.org
Team Member
"The Mother Load Gets Lighter Here"
Visit my blog: blog.sandrastanford.com
Go to Sandra's website and order Celebrate moms
new book "Laundry Tales" !

Don't Call Me Rosie - Kathleen Thomas

Don't Call Me Rosie, The Women who Welded the LSTs and the Men who Sailed on Them

Author: Kathleen Thomas

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that's featured in your book?

When I was young, I knew that my mother and two aunts were welders in the shipyard during World War II because my mother would occasionally talk about it. I had no idea that the ships they worked on were LSTs nor did I even know what an LST was. I was very proud that she did this non-traditional job.

In 1999, Les Parker, a former crew member of LST 743, somehow found out about my mother and two aunts and asked them to attend the LST 743 reunion banquet being held in Pittsburgh. My mother was so pleased to attend this banquet and receive recognition from the LST 743 crew.

After listening to her talk about the reunion, I decided that I wanted to write a book about the women welders. Finally, in October 2001 on a visit to Pittsburgh, I interviewed my mother and two aunts.


2 - Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic?

I am a civil engineer and majority owner of a consulting civil engineering firm, Thomas/Wright, Inc. Nothing in my background really relates to the topic except that I am interested in history. When I was younger, I rarely read current events because I felt that when the event would be reviewed in the future as history, we would learn more about what was actually going on.

I believe there is a view that Civil Engineering and writing are mutually exclusive skills. However, one needs to be at least a good technical writer to be successful as an engineering consultant. I have strong organizational and listening skills. These were invaluable in writing a book such as “Don't Call Me Rosie”.


3 - What advise would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?

Since the “greatest generation” is dying at a significant pace, the first thing I would advise is to talk to anyone you know in this generation about their experiences during World War II.

LST 325 is located in Evansville, IL and the website is http://www.lstmemorial.org

There is a discussion group on that website that one can join.

I also have a Bibliography at the end of my book and would recommend reading the books I used for my research.


4 - What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal and business growth. What are your reasons?

Networking opportunities and the ability to learn from others with similar interests. Most of my involvement in organizations has been on the professional side but sometimes I find a group that I enjoy because its members are fun to be with and are interesting.


5 - Who is the ideal person to read your book? If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose?

An individual interested in World War II history and the involvement and interrelationship of both women's and men's role during that time period.


6 - What do you think ignites a person's creativity?

I really don't know the answer to this question. However, I would recommend a balanced lifestyle in which one is happy with what they are doing in life. If one isn't happy, then I think they need to take steps to change it.


7 - What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing?

I feel that some people are overwhelmed by the thought of producing a book in its entirety instead of recognizing that books are written one chapter at a time.

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that?

First, produce an outline of the book. If one gets stuck on a chapter, skip it and go to the next chapter. You can always come back to the chapter you are stuck on but if you don't continue on, the book may never be completed.

When I was writing my book, I would realize I might need another oral history to include in it for a particular chapter. While I was trying to locate that individual, I could still continue on with another chapter in which I had all the information and research completed.


9 - What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else?

I think it is different for each person. A secure and comfortable lifestyle is important to me. However, I think my genetics and family upbringing have made me a motivated person in general. I would not object to fame (i.e. author on the bestsellers list) but I feel it is a double edged sword that can intrude on one's lifestyle.

10 - Who is the “perfect” person to read your book?

The son or daughter of parents who lived during World War II.

I also feel that high school students would benefit from reading it since the oral histories would have more meaning to them then learning a bunch of dates about events without really comprehending the significance of those events.


11 - Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I know that your blog is time consuming to produce and appreciate the opportunity you are giving authors to be a part of it. Thank you.