writing contest for kids and EPIC news

EPIC runs the New Voices contest every year. They are looking for judges and entrants for this year's contest. You can find the judges' form at this link

Here is the basic information... It's for middle school and high school students worldwide, writing in English language. There's no entry fee. The kids win prizes that EPIC and EPIC members underwrite. Every entry gets feedback from the three first-round judges, and finalists get additional feedback from the final round judges. The entries are short...no more than 1000 words of fiction or non-fiction or 30 lines of poetry for the high schoolers, and middle school limits are less, so you can whip out scoring them in short order. Published authors, editors, publishers, teachers and librarians are welcome to judge. NO unpublished authors judging, please, unless you are a publisher/editor, teacher or librarian. And, you do your part to encourage kids to write and read. Karma points and all.

Other EPIC notes? EPPIE finalists will be announced Dec 1. ARIANA/DIRK cover art contest closes for entries at midnight EST tomorrow, Nov 22nd. ARIANA/DIRK winners will be announced Dec 15th. Find out more about the contests at the EPIC site.

EPICon is open for reservations!

Please, feel free to pass any and all of the information above!

Brenna

BIRTHDAY SALE AT PHAZE

Phaze is having it's anniversary sale today! The company is celebrating 4 years in business, and as such, they are offering all books (print and e) for 25% off with the coupon code BIGFOUR. It's a great time to stock up on all those Phaze books on your TBB list, isn't it?

Interview Time With Allie Boniface

It's interview time again, and we have with us the lovely and talented Allie Boniface. Allie writes for several companies, including Samhain and The Wild Rose Press. Welcome Allie, and let's see what she has to say!

Hi Brenna, and thanks for having me here today. Though I’ve only enjoyed the experience of being a published author for a little over a year, it’s been a great ride so far!

**If you use a pen name, how did you choose it?

I do write under a pen name, which is a combination of a nickname and my husband’s last name. I didn’t change my name when we got married (7+ years ago), so publishing under his name is my tribute to him, since in the rest of my life, I’m still known by my maiden name.

**How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?

I’ve been writing since shortly after 9/11 - I lost friends and neighbors in that tragedy, which spurred me to stop putting off the dream of writing “some time in the future.” I contracted my first book with Samhain Publishing in December of 2006.

**What genres do you write?

My books, while they do feature love stories and happy endings, don’t fall neatly into the genre of contemporary romance or women’s fiction. Instead, I like to say they straddle both. I don’t tend to follow the “rules” of romance writing too precisely.

**Are there any genres you'd like to try but haven't?

My next planned WIP is actually a literary novel (crossed with romance crossed with paranormal elements - I told you I didn’t follow rules!). Writing a literary piece completely intimidates me, but I think it’s where my heart is.

**What authors inspire you? Who are your favorite authors? My favorite authors have almost nothing in common except for the fact that they can tell an amazing story: William Shakespeare, Ayn Rand, Stephen King, Jane Austen, Jodi Picoult, Tori Phillips.

**If you could choose your dream job, besides writing, what would it be?

Believe it or not, I already work at my dream job: I teach high school English and Education courses. Don’t laugh - it’s true! But I work in a very specialized program, which I helped create; it targets high-achieving HS seniors only who actually want to learn. I have a ball every single day.

**The #1 holiday or birthday gift to purchase for an author is... Extra hours in the day. (Does that exist?)

**What is the best reader or reviewer comment you've ever received?

A woman who works with my father-in-law emailed me to say “I just wanted to tell you after reading your two books back to back that the Mary Higgins Clark book that I just read although enjoyable lacked the excitement that your two had. You rank up there with the best just so you know that.”

I’ll take a comparison like that anytime!

**What advice would you give a new writer?

First, learn the craft. Second, learn the market. And third, write the story you want to write and DO NOT EVER GIVE UP.

**Do you belong to a crit group or other writing group? How helpful do you find it?

I am, and I’ve found it helpful in varying degrees. I think it’s important to know which advice to take and which to toss.

**Which of your own characters would you like to meet in real life, and what would you do?

Eddie West is the hero of the first book I ever wrote (eventually published as Lost in Paradise). He’s the ultimate alpha male and based in part on my own hubby and in part on a very good male friend from grad school. If I met Eddie in person, I’d probably swoon. Yeah, he’s that sexy.

Give us your backlist... with all publishers...

One Night in Boston - Samhain Publishing (print and ebook)

Lost in Paradise - The Wild Rose Press (print and ebook)

**Both are currently available

Tell us about releases you expect within the next year... Remember to say which publishers they are with!

One Night in Memphis (Samhain) will release in print in May 2009

I also have a short story titled “Blue Circle Books” coming out in the anthology My Mom is my Hero (Adams Media) for Mother’s Day 2009

Tell us about your current release... blurb... link to purchase is a plus!

One Night in Memphis is my current release, which has so far enjoyed rave reviews including 5 Nymphs from Literary Nymphs, 5 Hearts from The Romance Studio, a “Fantastic Read” from Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction, 4.5 Stars from Ecataromance, and an 86 from Mrs. Giggles. Here’s the blurb:

What if a woman, tired of broken hearts and bad choices, traveled a thousand miles to the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, and spent a night forgetting her past in the blues clubs of Beale Street? What if a man who lost his wife to cancer ventured to Beale Street's social scene for the first time in over a year? And what if they met and realized love was still possible for them both?

Dakota James and Ethan Meriweather have both given up on finding happiness in a relationship. When they meet in downtown Memphis, at a crowded nightclub, neither has romance on the brain. But as the evening unfolds, and small talk turns to the stuff of hopes, dreams, and shared loss, a kinship grows that surprises them.

Before the night is over, though, Dakota's past will catch up with her in the form of a violent ex-boyfriend. As dawn approaches, and tragedy threatens to tear Dakota and Ethan apart, both will have to make a decision that could change their lives -- forever.

Give us your URLs (web site, MySpace, Facebook, blog, etc.)

http://www.allieboniface.com

http://www.allieboniface.blogspot.com

Thanks, Brenna!!

And thanks for talking with us today, Allie!

Interview Time With Pam Kinney

We're back for another author interview. Today's guest is the spectacular Pamela K. Kinney, aka Sapphire Phelan. Pam works for several publishers, including Under The Moon and Phaze.

If you use a pen name, how did you choose it?

The first name is my birthstone. The second I found long a go and is Celtic for ‘wolf’ and I always liked it.

How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?

I have been writing since I was 8-years old. I got published when I was 17-years old, in 1972. This was for three poems in Hyacinths and Biscuits Poetry Magazine.

How long did it take you to publish your first book, once you started looking for an agent or publisher?

I’ve gotten short stories and novellas published as eBooks and in anthologies and magazines, but the first book published (Haunted Richmond, Virginia) took about a year/ year and half? The longest is from the publisher in getting it printed. This wasn’t print on demand.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Depends on the book. If work straight on a novella can be two weeks to a month. A novel I did of 80,000 words took about four months. The nonfiction books I’ve done a month to two months on the bigger one.

What genres do you write?

As Sapphire Phelan, erotic and sweet paranormal, fantasy, urban fantasy and science fiction romance. I also done a sweet historical romance story, couple poems, and couple erotic horror stories. As Pamela K. Kinney, I do horror, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, and nonfiction.

Are there any genres you'd never consider writing in?

BSDM, as not my cuppa. I once considered writing mystery too, but now I feel you have to be good at writing this and be informative in detecting procedures, etc.. . And I don’t feel I could give my best to the genre. Maybe one day, but for now, no.

What's your writing process? (i.e. pantser/organic writer or plotter or mix? write on the computer? longhand? mix? how many passes? etc.)

Pantser, though I do write down about the characters if a long book and maybe a small outside of last three or four chapters on one novel. In the novels, I do have the ending always written. I used to do longhand, but last few years do just the computer now.

What are the strangest conditions you've written under? The strangest place and/or time you've written something?

In a hotel room at a convention. Though years ago I’ve written long hand in school classrooms, in libraries, at the park, etc…

What's the strangest way you've sold a book/story (either to a reader or to a publisher/agent)?

I sold Forbidden Love: Bad Boys to my hairdresser. Plus I took preorders for my nonfiction before it was out at Curve, where I exercise.

If you could choose two authors to be seated between at a signing...or to have your books shelved between in the bookstore, who would they be?

How about three? Stephen King, Nora Roberts, and J K. Rowling. Hay, they would get the fans in and maybe those fans will try me. Plus then maybe I get to talk to them too.

What authors would you most like to meet, past or present? What would you ask them?

Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, Jim Butcher, Stephen King, J. K. Rowling, Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Madeleine L’Engle, Piers Anthony, J R R Tolkien, Bram Stoker, Nora Roberts, many more. There are many I have met and got to talk to, but many I haven’t or are dead. I met Bradbury, but as a fan at that time. Just ask them what led them to writing and listen to their stories and life. I like to ask Poe why he mad myths up about himself?

How many books do you read in the average month? e-Book or print or both?

I read both, though more print. Not as much as I used to, but maybe 2-4 a month.

What is the funniest or strangest editor/crit request/comment you've encountered?

Gollyl I don’t think I had anything strange or funny. Well, there was one time when I used a name for a race that is the right spelling and the editor told me to get rid of it. I went to a couple of websites and got the links, and sent to her so she could see I was right. That name is in the published work. The strangest now is for the nonfiction I am working on, but what the publisher does want. I am learning to do photo inserts and comments inserts for the first time. Not strange and not funny, but educational for me. :-D

What is your ideal location to write a book, if you had the money to live there or sequester yourself there?

In a comfy little house in the mountains or off the beach. Esp. during the winter time so I won’t be outside all the time instead of writing.

If you could have a book signing anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?

The British Isles, Japan, and New Orleans.

What would you like to own/have that would make your writing faster or smoother? (Yes, you can name everything from computer programs to a personal maid here.)

Personal maid. So don’t have to worry about my house going to pot. More time to write. With real life, I can’t write all the time.

Introvert or extrovert?

Both. I have learned to be an extrovert, otherwise how would I promote? But also an introvert too. I think that has helped me over the years with jobs I held as I can work with people and yet, alone too.

What's the strangest/worst job (outside of publishing) you've held?

Putting in coupons in machines in grocery stores. I did this once a month. And if the machine was bad, you had to replace it.

If you could choose your dream job, besides writing, what would it be?

Acting. I’ve done that for years, just not in past couple years. It’s such a high to be someone else and be involved in working on a film set or on stage for a play.

What's your dream car? Your favorite car you've ever owned?

Lamborghini. The one we have now—Toyota Corolla, though the ’63 Dodge Dart I had back in ’75-’77 was a great car. That was my first car too.

The best bumper stickers you've ever seen? The best you've ever personally had on your vehicle?

The best is the one I have on my car now: Buckle Up! It makes it hard for the aliens to suck you out of your car.

The #1 holiday or birthday gift to purchase for an author is...

A laptop! For big one anyway. For small, a neat pen and notebook to jot down ideas, cool places you been to, and stories in it.

Your favorite leisure activity or vacation spot?

Reading and watching DVDs or going to the movies. I also enjoy going to the beach or the mountains too.

Have you ever included a real experience of your own in a book? Did anyone who knows you notice it?

I wrote a short story, using a real place and people (just changed their nationalities and names). It was accepted and I got paid for it, but the issue of the magazine it was for never got printed as the publisher became seriously ill.

Have you ever included someone who irritated you in the book? As what, and what comeuppance did he/she get?

Yep. Died in a terrible way. LOL

Where do you get your inspiration for a book? How do you get your ideas?

Out of my head (imagination). Most time I sit and think and an idea hits me.

What is the best reader or reviewer comment you've ever received?

The best was when a young boy walked into the bookstore I was signing my nonfiction book with his copy to be signed and to tell me he wanted to meet me. To have his mother who home schools him and his sister say my book was delightful and helpful on the history. In fact, I had a few adults come in with their copies to be signed, wanting to meet me. It is moments like this that makes you feel good about writing. This has also happened to me for my romance books and anthologies I had stories in. These are more precious to me than an professional review.

What does your family think about your writing? How, if they do, do they support you in your writing endeavors?

My husband does support me and is proud. My son too. They have taken my business cards to co-workers or friends to tell when a book is out.

When and where do you do the bulk of your writing?

Right now during the week, during the daytime. I can had have done it at night and on weekends, especially if have a deadline. But during the week, during the daytime is the best. Hubby is at work and no one to distract me.

Do you have animal companions while you write? How do they help or hinder the process?

We have two cats, and one of them comes in once in while to be petted by me, but neither have ever hindered my process. LOL

What's your favorite part of being a writer?

Getting to play in my own worlds.

What's the thing you wish you could hire someone else to do or wish you didn't have to do as a writer?

Housework? LOL

Do you use any special software to write? Voice to text? Audio edits? etc.

I use Word. That’s it.

What advice would you give a new writer?

To keep writing and submitting. There’ll be rejections, but to keep plugging on. Nothing worth having is easy to get. Also join a local writer’s group—even if not for them to help you with your stories, but to be with other writers who understand you is always wonderful.

What are your writing goals? Where do you want to be in a year? Five years?

I like to be a NYC author, maybe a best seller. My goal is to keep writing and submitting and plugging on. I am doing what I always loved to do since I was eight-years old.

Do you belong to a crit group or other writing group? How helpful do you find it?

Yes, to three local ones, plus RWA. One is the most help, the other two second in that. They help see things I might be too close to the story and miss. They are great support groups, as they understand what I am going through, going through it themselves. Those in all groups have become dear friends.

What book, if you have written several books, is your favorite and why?

I am proud of the nonfiction I wrote under the other name, Haunted Richmond, Virginia. But as Sapphire, it will be the upcoming Being Familiar With a Witch. I got attached to Tina and Charun, so much, writing the sequel with them in it right now.

Which of your own characters would you like to meet in real life, and what would you do?

I would like to meet all of my characters, even the evil ones. I like to talk to them, find out from them if they would be as I seen them, or would they want to be different in actions and thoughts.

Do you prefer to think of yourself as a hero/heroine or villain/villainess and why?

Heroine. Because my own guilt would not let me be a villioness easily. I’ve done villains in plays, and enjoy doing them as they are more complex than a hero, but in real life: no.

If you could have one magical power, what would it be and why?

To be able to absorb other super powers, like one of the heroes in Heroes.

Give us your backlist... with all publishers...

"Jack"-Sinister Tales Magazine, Issue #1

“Wedded Magic”--LoveYouDivine

"Soul Seduction" in Forbidden Love: Bad Boys--Under the Moon

"Being a Predator is a Bitch" in Forbidden Love: Wicked Women-Under the Moon

"To Save the Day"—Amazon Shorts

"Costumed Scare" and "Full Moon Lover" (Poems) in Phaze in Verse--Phaze

"The Dark Man" (m/m) in Forbidden Love: Sacred Bands-Under the Moon

Beast Magic (e-Book)-Phaze Books

"Old Friends" in December 2007 issue of Cobblestone Press Quarterly

"Shadow Lover" in Coming Together: Under Fire—Phaze Books

Crimson Promise—Phaze Books

“To Teach an Ancient God”—Romance All eBooks

Shifting Desires—Phaze Books-Beast Magic included

Tell us about releases you expect within the next year...

Unwitting Sacrifice—Under the Moon—Nov. 30^th, 2008 as eBook, Feb. 2009 as print chapbook—erotic horror novella

Here is its blurb: Lisa Selvey moved to Necro Bay, just on the outskirts of Chesapeake, Virginia. She moved there because of its reputation for peace and quiet. To free herself of her nightmares. But her nightmares were just beginning. . .

Necro Bay was just your average American seaside town. The house she bought a normal home. The handsome man, Jacob Lindan that she met, nothing more than a sexually attractive man that whose touch made her mad with desire. Things nightmarishly changed and made her wonder if she wasn't going mad. Even worse, it made her wonder if something lurked in the shadows.

Being Familiar With a Witch—Phaze Books—January 2009—erotic urban fantasy

Blurb: Tina doesn't know she's a witch. It will take Charun, her demon Familiar, to convince her to make love with him and let loose her witch powers.
For if she doesn't, with the demon army about to bring Armageddon to the Mortal Realm on Halloween, she won't stand a chance in Hell.

Tell us about the awards you've won...

I have won in 2006 and 2007 Preditors and editors. Though nothing by Sapphire Phelan, but by my other name. Otherwise nothing else.

Tell us about your current release... blurb... link to purchase is a plus!

Shifting Desires anthology: This is three stories of feline shapeshifters. Mine is an erotic paranormal romance with werelions.

Links to buy it: http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Shifting+Desires/exact_match=exact Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shifting-Desires-Jude-Mason/dp/1606590561/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221493711&sr=1-1 As print, it’s also at Books A Million online, Barnes and Noble online. As eBook at Fictionwise too and Amazon as Kindle.

My novella, Beast Magic’s blurb:

They came from two different worlds.
Ramses was a werelion. Shana Tory was human. The Dreaming foretold them as soul mates.
So Ramses tracked her down in America, and when he found her, made her his and brought her back home with him to the South African Bushveld.
But others from his pride, led by one evil lioness, do not want them together.
Besides their lives, will their love survive the coming war?

Purr for Me:
Panteara is a beast-shifting panther. For the females of her kind, they shift into half human, half panther on their day of birth--their birthday. Lucky for her, it happens to be on Halloween. This primping puss is all sexed up and heading out to a friend’s Halloween party dressed as, you guessed it, a sleek pelted and curvaceous panther.

Roarke Rawling has been coerced by his sister, Tabby, into going to this damn Halloween party and, to top if all off, he’s dressed in a skintight lion tamer’s costume. Bored out of his mind, ready to leave the party with a vest pocket full of unwanted woman’s phone numbers, he catches sight of a luscious cat woman entering the party. Now, there’s one pussy he’d love to tame.

Sit back and get ready for the fur to fly when you mix together a sexy panther and an arrogant lion tamer.

Cat's Claw:
The death of a long time friend, leads Morgan Fields on an extraordinary quest into the backwoods where she finds love and so much more. Joshua Lansing, the son of her deceased friend helps her explore the heritage she never knew was hers.

Give us your URLs (web site, MySpace, Facebook, blog, etc.)

http://FantasticDreams.50megs.com (official website of Sapphire Phelan/Pamela K. Kinney)
www.myspace.com/SapphirePhelan http://SapphirePhelansPassionCorner.blogspot.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SapphirePhelansParanormalNewsletter

NEW ART

No, not a cover, but something I am almost as excited about!

I finally got my commissioned art from Robert Quill. If you're not familiar with his art, don't waste time waiting around. I adore it, and I own two other pieces of art already.

This particular piece is fashioned on a picture of me from the weekend I got engaged, and she's officially my new icon.

Town Needs To Get A Clue

I'm seeing red, with good reason. Why?

One of the best selling subgenres of erotic romance is M/M. At least three erotic romance publishers have reiterated to me in the last few days that M/M is their #1 bestselling subgenre, bar none. People are buying. A large portion of the erotic romance market is accepting of M/M.

In addition, we've had laws against hate crimes for a couple of decades. We've had (supposedly) tolerance taught in the schools. You'd think the majority of thinking adults would be properly taught to simply walk away from what they don't "approve of" or "want to try."

So, what did I wake up and find this morning?

Terri Pray and her husband Sam are part owners of Under The Moon/Final Sword Productions Terri and Sam were set to buy a house in Greene, Iowa. They had their loan approved, the bid on the house accepted, but Greene has a requirement that they have to have the final sale approved by the town. They weren't approved.

Now, why were they turned down? Terri and Sam, as I noted, are part owners of UTM/FSP. A portion of the business is run out of their home and a part out of the office, as it is with many indie presses. Between the two sides of the company, they have dozens of books out and contracted, everything from straight genre military fiction, horror, and fantasy to erotic romance of all sorts. To be honest, the lion's share of their books aren't even erotic. They have several major gaming franchises, including Honor Harrington gaming. They sell t-shirts and even audio CDs.

What does this have to do with the price of beer? It's simple.

ONE book, out of their entire stock, is a M/M erotic romance anthology, titled SACRED BANDS. While the townspeople of Greene, Iowa found the M/F erotic romance perfectly acceptable, they called the M/M erotic romance "gay porn." Some of them further stated (now, mind you...these aren't older people...these are 30-45-year-old people, which makes it all the more deplorable, in my mind) that publishing SACRED BANDS was "morally corrupt" and that choosing to publish the anthology demonstrated "questionable business practices."

In short, Terri and Sam lost their house, because the people who live in Greene, Iowa are a bunch of backward, homophobic dinosaurs. They lost their house, because (out of hundreds of items available from their business) one book is M/M erotic romance. The deliberations ended with the comment that Greene, Iowa didn't want to be "known for harboring a publisher of gay porn." KUDOS to Greene! You're now exposed for being a bigoted backwoods bunch of rednecks.

UPDATES: Terri reports that the local paper is blaming not the company's offering of the M/M anthology (as was expressed at the town meeting, in great detail) but rather her own writing, which they have no legal right to suppress. Terri writes everything from straight genre science fiction to hot BDSM, but nothing she writes is illegal, and there is the little matter of the first amendment to consider.

Oh, and check this out! VERY FITTING!

Think too much or too little

Rowena Cherry raised an important question to me the other day. As authors, do we think too much of ourselves, at times? Not that this was particularly aimed at either of us. It was just an interesting topic of conversation, at a moment I was trying not to do edits. Funny how a lot of topics start that way. Grinning...

So, do we think too much of ourselves? Some authors do, but in general, I'd have to say I don't think we do. When we seem full of ourselves, the average author has often been pushed to a defensive posture and finally says, "I don't have to take this. I have accomplished..." Is it hubris? Perhaps, but I don't happen to feel that moments of self-pride are wrong. Living your entire life mired in pride...a little different.

Now, why do I believe this to be true? Honestly, from the years I've watched authors (both in NY and in indie press), it seems that authors are, in general (those nasty overbearing ones notwithstanding), pleased, amazed, overjoyed when fans show interest. Being nice to readers who contact you isn't a marketing scam; we're honestly tickled that readers not only bought the book and enjoyed it but that they take the time to tell us they did...to ask questions...to request more of something they liked...to come see us at events!

Overall, I think many authors, being the introverts or partial-introverts we often are, give ourselves too little credit. That doesn't mean we're self-effacing, all the time. It doesn't mean we can't hold our own, that we don't share our experience and knowledge, or that we can't spout a bio or market with the best of them. It means that the facts of who and what we are and have done don't touch the emotional state of that introvert, unless forced to a prideful response...or faced with a fan that brings it crashing home.

I've often shared a story about my early days writing novels.

My sister was putting up posters for my first-ever book signing. At that point, I had NO books in print. They were all e-books, and I was actually signing cover flats I'd made for the event. I wasn't well-known, though my sales were decent. I was gearing up for my first print release, and I'd been invited to do a reading and signing at this event at a little indie store in VA.

A woman came up and saw the poster. She started gushing to my sister and anyone else who would listen that she loved me and she'd "read everything she's ever written." Well, my sister was courteous, but she didn't believe a word of it. After all, I had no print books. I wasn't in the stores yet...

Skip forward a couple of weeks. I showed up for my reading, and as I was setting up, my sister pointed the woman out in the crowd. I didn't think much of it and went on with my planned reading. Afterward, she came up to get a signed promo from me...and started gushing about the e-books I had out, which company they were with, asking questions about specific characters and who was coming next... She was a FAN! I'd never met someone who knew who I was without knowing me pre-writing before, unless it was online, in the Yahoogroups I frequented.

Now, people might think that was just "first time" reaction, but I've never found it waning. Not after 6 years and 70 or so releases in this business. Let me share another...

Some people might think I'm going to share what it was like to find out that some of the writing legends I aspire to be like read my work. That's still fairly new to me. It's only happened four times, so far...all NY authors that I've jokingly said I want to be when I grow up. That's always a thrill.

Nor am I going to talk about reviews, though getting reviews that say things like "the best bar none fantasy romance I've ever read" [Regina of Coffeetime Romance of Fairy Dreams] will definitely make your week.

I got a phone call from my husband a few years back. By that time, I had about half a dozen print books, in addition to the e-books. He asked if I would like to bring our youngest down to Boston for lunch with him. I said I'd get ready, and he tacked on a rather ominous: "And bring promo gear with you." Okay... That was strange, so I asked him what was going on.

"One of my co-workers was reading PROPHECY at the security desk. I told her that you're my wife, and she doesn't believe me."

That one was fun. I walked in, dressed up (which I wouldn't have done, if he hadn't mentioned the situation to me...it would have been jeans and a ponytail). He was across the lobby and just waited there while I went to the desk and asked for him. Once the woman picked her jaw up off the floor, we had a great talk. I gave her some promo gear and such, and we discussed which books were coming next.

Finding fans in unexpected places is always a joy. Having someone recognize you at a convention and start talking about your books is a wonder. Fan letters are a gift. I have a fan letter from 2004 framed and hung behind my desk...just above my monitor.

Better yet, when someone who knew you pre-writing stumbles across a picture of you online, someone who has been reading you and didn't realize he/she knew you... As the old joke goes...priceless!

If we were really "too full of ourselves," these things wouldn't make a difference to us. They mean so much, because we don't spend enough time (IMO) telling ourselves that people love what we do. We love what we do, but the fact that someone else does is pretty cool.

Interview Time with Devon Ellington!

A warm welcome going out to Devon Ellington, a great author, publishing with Cloverleaf and FireDrakes Weyr. Sounds like a publisher after my own heart, since I belong to several Weyr. But, that's not all... Devon publishes under several names that you can find linked in at the main site!

If you use a pen name, how did you choose it?

Devon Ellington: I publish under several pen names, and each has significance for me. Some of them are combinations of names of my great grandmothers, etc., for whom I have a special affinity; some are chosen because the sound of the name fits the genre. This name, of course, was picked in a bar – “devon” is a bit androgynous, which I liked, and “Ellington” – well, Duke Ellington played over the speakers! Although you can’t imagine how often people assume I’m a “he” in interviews, in spite of answers to questions that make it clear I’m female, and never bother asking.

How long have you been writing? How long have you been published?

DE: I’ve been writing since I was a kid. However, in college, I moved away from writing seriously because I worked so steadily in production – mostly theatre, but also some film and television. I started writing intensively again in the mid-1990s, and seriously publishing then, too, everything from articles to short stories to getting my plays produced. Now I’m full-time, although I love working backstage, so I occasionally go back for a few days here and there to Broadway.

How long did it take you to publish your first book, once you started looking for an agent or publisher?

DE: I published several novellas a few years ago, as a tie-in with regularly published serials. With HEX BREAKER, FireDrakes Weyr was way up on my list of first choice publishers for it, and they liked it, so it was only a matter of months.

How long does it take you to write a book?

DE: It depends on the deadline. I can usually write a first draft in about three months. If I have a long enough deadline, I like to do quite a few drafts, send it to Trusted Readers, etc., but I truncate the process according to deadline.

Do you write one book/story at a time or multiples?

DE: This is my business, not my hobby. At this point, it would be a luxury for me to be able to work on one project at a time. ;) I always juggle multiple projects. I’ve got to, to pay the bills.

What is the most books/stories you've had WIP at the same time? What is the highest number you've actively been writing on at the same time?

DE: I usually have at least a half a dozen projects going at once. I couldn’t say what “the most” was, because I also get quick-turn-around freelance projects in and out every few days, and that often works in feast or famine cycles, too. I’d say, probably between six and ten is pretty normal.

What genres do you write?

I write in several genres: paranormal, action/adventure, fantasy, mystery, literary fiction. I also write a lot of non-fiction and cover several sports for a publication called FEMMEFAN. I mostly cover horse racing and ice hockey for them, but I’ve also covered things like the America’s Cup and the Central New York Scottish Games.

Are there any genres you'd like to try but haven't?

DE: I tried romantic suspense and wasn’t very good at it. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t try it again, though. Actually, I’d really like to learn how to write about food and wine, keeping it sensual, but not making it sound like porn! ;)

Are there any genres you'd never consider writing in?

DE: I’d consider writing in almost any genre if there was a contract involved! The only projects I refuse are ones that go against my values. I hesitate to say “morals”, because that looks so self-righteous on the page, but about two years ago, I turned down a very lucrative advertising copy freelance position with a company whose reason for existence was something with which I strongly disagree.

What's your writing process? (i.e. pantser/organic writer or plotter or mix? write on the computer? longhand? mix? how many passes? etc.)

DE: Every project requires a different process, I find. I still like to do most of my first drafts in long-hand. Again, if I’m on a tight deadline, it doesn’t happen. The more I write under contract, the more important it becomes to evolve from a blank-pager to a plotter. I simply do not have time to sit and stare at the screen. I have to be able to write as soon as I hit the desk. I use what I call “writer’s roughs” and scene lists to keep me going, and then follow whatever tangents devised by my characters.

What are the strangest conditions you've written under? The strangest place and/or time you've written something?

DE: Backstage on Broadway, in between cues, in the dark, using only my bite-light for illumination. I had an idea for a play and had to scribble it down before I forgot it.

What authors inspire you? Who are your favorite authors?

DE: There are so many wonderful writers, and I’m constantly finding more! Let’s see, some of the ones I keep going back to over and over again are Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Berg, Ian Rankin, Chaz Brenchley, Yasmine Galenorn, Shakespeare, Moliere, The Brontes, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Louisa May Alcott, Colin Galbraith, Karina Fabian, Donna Leon, Jackie Kessler, Lauren Baratz-Logsted . . .oh, I know I’ve missed some of the authors I know, and now they’ll be mad at me!

If you could choose two authors to be seated between at a signing...or to have your books shelved between in the bookstore, who would they be?

DE: Chaz Brenchley and Yasmine Galenorn. Chaz and I have been friends for years, and we have a blast together, plus he’s one of the best writers working today. Yasmine’s a wonderful person and a wonderful writer. And I think they would really like each other, too, so for the three of us to be together would be such fun!

How many books do you read in the average month? e-Book or print or both?

DE: I read about 3 books per week, and I read both in print and e-Books. I work as a paid reviewer in addition to hosting authors for blog tours on one of my sites, reading books my colleagues write, and ones that just catch my eye in the store. Also, I do a lot of research for my work, so I’m halfway into about a half a dozen heavy duty research books at any given time.

What is the funniest or strangest editor/crit request/comment you've encountered?

DE: An editor once told me that my heroine was too intelligent and too independent; she should be weaker and more dependant on men. I decided to take it as a compliment and find it hilarious.

What is your ideal location to write a book, if you had the money to live there or sequester yourself there?

DE: I’m actually house-hunting in my current favorite area: Cape Cod. I also like to write when I vacation on the southwest Scottish coast and in Iceland.

If you could have a book signing anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?

DE: Edinburgh. I’ve spent a lot of time there, I have friends there, and my work is well-received in the UK.

What would you like to own/have that would make your writing faster or smoother? (Yes, you can name everything from computer programs to a personal maid here.)

DE: I want to convert my Dell Hell with Microsoft over to top-of-the-line Mac and also add in the Adobe Creative Suite package. That would solve 90% of my lost writing time.

Introvert or extrovert?

DE: Introvert, although because I’m interested in almost everything except math and anchovies, and because I like to include people rather than exclude people, I am sometimes mistaken for an extrovert.

What's the strangest/worst job (outside of publishing) you've held? (Choose either strangest or worst, since strange doesn't necessarily mean bad...or answer both.)

DE: As a teenager, I had a temp job for a company where I had to stamp numbers on pieces of paper for eight hours a day. They brought me the stacks of folders on hand-trucks. I’ve had some temp jobs over the years, but I’ve worked in the arts my entire professional life, thank goodness. Cubicle-slavedom was only for a week or so at a time in between shows.

If you could choose your dream job, besides writing, what would it be?

DE: Archaeologist.

What's your dream car? Your favorite car you've ever owned?

DE: I have my dream car! A 2007 bright blue VW Rabbit! Actually, I like Lamborghinis, but, really, my Volkswagen makes me happier than anything I’ve ever driven.

The best bumper stickers you've ever seen? The best you've ever personally had on your vehicle?

DE: I don’t put bumper stickers on my car, but my favorite is over my desk: “Do not interfere in the business of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.”

The #1 holiday or birthday gift to purchase for an author is...

DE: Either a new computer or a spa weekend!

Your favorite leisure activity or vacation spot?

DE: Scotland. I love Scotland. I also love visiting Lindisfarne, the Holy Island cut off by the tide, off the coast of Northumbria.

Have you ever included a real experience of your own in a book? Did anyone who knows you notice it?

DE: Real experiences are mixed and matched. Often, the basis for something is real, but then it gets fictionalized. Those who know me try to pick stuff out, but they’re usually wrong.

Have you ever included someone who irritated you in the book? As what, and what comeuppance did he/she get?

DE: I regularly kill off characters inspired by people who anger me. I think it’s healthy! ;) Besides, when I do my job as a writer, the final character is quite far removed from the original inspiration.

Where do you get your character names?

DE: A lot of characters name themselves. Or I look for a name with meaning relevant to the theme of the book.

Where do you get your inspiration for a book? How do you get your ideas?

DE: I’m a writer. Everything I experience on any level is material.

What is the best reader or reviewer comment you've ever received?

DE: I received a letter about a year after one of my plays was produced in Australia. The woman who wrote it saw my play at a low point in her life; she was actually contemplating suicide. I had a line in the play stating, “If you don’t like your life, go out and change it; don’t come whining to me about it.” She said that hit home, she got help, and, a year later, she was healthy, happy, in love, in a job she adored, and she thanked me for being a positive catalyst.

What does your family think about your writing? How, if they do, do they support you in your writing endeavors?

DE: Unsupportive people are excommunicated from my universe. Period. The people around me support me by respecting my writing time and by telling me the truth when something doesn’t work.

When and where do you do the bulk of your writing?

DE: I do it at my desk at home, early in the morning. I do my first 1K per day right after my morning yoga, but before I start the rest of my day.

Do you have animal companions while you write? How do they help or hinder the process?

DE: I am owned by three cats. They’re great, and I miss them when I write offsite. They remind me to take breaks, and they “help” by typing on the keyboard. Sometimes, they “edit”. It’s sad when they’re right.

What's your favorite part of being a writer?

DE: The creation process. Telling stories. Living vicariously through characters and getting to live many lives in one.

What's the thing you wish you could hire someone else to do or wish you didn't have to do as a writer?

DE: Writers need to connect with readers, but writers are expected to spend too much of their day marketing and not enough of the day writing. It has to be written before it can be sold.

Do you use any special software to write? Voice to text? Audio edits? etc.

DE: No.

What advice would you give a new writer?

DE: No excuses. If you want to do this professionally, it doesn’t matter if you’re busy or tired. Get your butt in that chair and write. If you have a day job, treat the writing as a second job, until you’re in a position to make it your only job.

What are your writing goals? Where do you want to be in a year? Five years?

DE: I want to keep writing and publish regularly in any genre that interests me. I want to keep growing from book to book.

Do you belong to a crit group or other writing group? How helpful do you find it?

DE: I used to be in a great group, for six years. I’m not now, because I’m not available nights and weekends, and that’s when most groups meet. I do have a group of Trusted Readers whose input I value.

What book, if you have written several books, is your favorite and why?

DE: Whatever book I’m in the midst of is the favorite! Seriously, each holds a special place in my heart.

Which of your own characters would you like to meet in real life, and what would you do?

DE: Gosh, I’d love to meet Jain Lazarus from HEX BREAKER or Capt. Kit Erksine from “The Merry’s Dalliance” or Gwen from TRACKING MEDUSA. They’re all strong and intelligent and funny. We’d have a blast together. The four of us on a Caribbean cruise or a mountain vacation opens a whole host of possibilities! As far as the male characters, I think I’m a little bit in love with Wyatt East, from the Jain Lazarus Adventures. Which is kind of ironic, since he wasn’t supposed to be in the books in the first place. He just kind of sauntered in and took over.

Do you prefer to think of yourself as a hero/heroine or villain/villainess and why?

DE: Aren’t we all the heros of our own stories, even the villains?

If you could have one magical power, what would it be and why?

DE: Teleportation. Because the airlines took all the fun out of flying.

If you were the overlord of the world, what would your first decree be?

DE: All acts of deliberate cruelty are forbidden.

Give us your backlist...

HEX BREAKER: A Jain Lazarus Adventure from Firedrakes Weyr Publishing.

“The Merry’s Dalliance” (as Cerridwen Iris Shea) in the Fall 2008 issue of New Myths.

PERFECTLY PLUM edited by Leah Wilson, Ben Bella Books (note: I have an essay in this anthology)

SIMPLE PLEASURES OF THE KITCHED edited by Susannah Seton, published by Conari Press. (note: four essays under the “Christiane Van de Velde” name in this anthology).

FULL CIRCLE, edited by Colin Galbraith, published by Smashing Press (my short story “Pauvre Bob” is included)

I had four serials running in four genres for two years, but they are no longer available.

I have a selection of small e-books on writing available via my website:

http://www.devonellingtonwork.com/bazaar.html

Tell us about releases you expect within the next year...

TILL DEATH DO THEY PART will be produced by Cloverleaf Productions, opening in January of 2009.

OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK: A Jain Lazarus Adventure, will release from FireDrakes Weyr in Spring 2009.

Those are the signed contracts. More to follow, as negotiations progress – there are several things under submission, but I don’t want to jinx anything.

Also, the Penny’s Dreadfuls series of fun, short, retro-futuristic fiction will launch in November.

Tell us about your current release... blurb... link to purchase is a plus!

Hex Breaker Jain Lazarus joins the crew of a cursed film, hoping to put to rest what was stirred up before more people die and the film is lost. Tough, practical Detective Wyatt East becomes her unlikely ally and lover on an adventure fighting zombies, ceremonial magicians, the town wife-beater, the messenger of the gods, and their own pasts.

HEX BREAKER: A JAIN LAZARUS ADVENTURE by Devon Ellington, published by FireDrakes Weyr Publishing.

Give us your URLs (web site, MySpace, Facebook, blog, etc.)

Blog: Ink in My Coffee: http://devonellington.wordpress.com

The Jain Lazarus Adventures: http://hexbreaker.devonellingtonwork.com

Devon Ellington: www.devonellingtonwork.com

Cerridwen Iris Shea: www.cerridwenscottage.com

Fearless Ink (business writing): www.fearlessink.com

Penny’s Dreadfuls: http://pennysdreadfuls.devonellingtonwork.com

A Biblio Paradise: http://biblioparadise.wordpress.com

Devon’s MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/devonellington

Jain Lazarus Adventures MySapce: http://www.myspace.com/jainlazarusadventures