Guest Author

Beverley Bateman has interviewed me and I'm the Guest Author on her website. I'd love for those who read this to visit and enjoy both the website and the interview.  http://www.beverleybateman.com/GuestAuthor.htm

 

Release of Ebony & Ivory

I'm delighted to announce the release of the third book in my Sky Castles Trilogy - Ebony & Ivory. For the blurb and excerpt please visit my website Sue Perkins. To see the book video visit Blazing Trailers - Thanks and hope you enjoy the excerpt.

Scavenger Hunt is here!!!

The Desert Breeze Scavenger Hunt has started. Go to http://desertbreezepublishing.blogspot.com/ to find out more details of how to participate and win prizes. See you back here later in the month on the day I host a question.

LK Hunsaker Blog Tour

Today I'd like to welcome LK Hunsaker as a guest on my blog, courtesy of Classic Romance Revival.  Although her books can be classed under many headings LK refers to them as reality fiction.

Welcome LK, and thank you for visiting my blog and providing such interesting information on Traveling Fiction Places In Story.

Hi Sue! Thanks for hosting me here today!

I was perusing your blog the other day and noticed you and your husband have done a lot of traveling. My husband and I also like to travel as much as we can. Such a great experience, with a wealth of information to be gained. Since I use a lot of my own journeys and explorations within my stories, I thought I’d talk a bit today about Traveling Fiction: Places In Story.

Setting can be only a place where a story happens or it can be a character in itself. I have done some of both within my novels. Always, though, the setting should have some kind of effect on characters. We are, after all, products partially of our environments. Our society determines many of our thoughts and attitudes. If we grow up in the midst of a huge city, we will have a different outlook than if we grow up in the midst of cornfields.

So how do we choose where our characters will be set? Sometimes the story plot tells us. For instance, if I’m writing a Civil War novel and want the main character to be a Union soldier, I need to have it set in a northern state, or at least have his home state mentioned and affecting his attitudes. Other times, we use places that interest us or places we’ve been.

I grew up in central Illinois in the midst of cornfields, but I had relatives who lived in Chicago. We didn’t get to go visit often, as it took nearly three hours of driving each way, but when we did I couldn’t get enough of checking out the skyscrapers, first from a distance and then from along the city streets. I also had a huge fascination with Lakeshore Drive and turned in my seat to keep my eyes peeled on the boats along the shore and out on the lake. I’m still fascinated by Chicago, although I wouldn’t choose to live there because of its size. I used that feeling of awe, however, when I wrote my first novel, Finishing Touches. Set mainly in Peoria, and a small unnamed town outside Peoria where Jenna grew up, it often jumps into Chicago. The city becomes a character in the way it pulls Jenna’s spirit and encourages her to stretch her wings, leave the past behind, and grow. Of course being from the Peoria area gave me plenty of detail to use within the story. It also helped me know Jenna’s character from her home roots.

When I first started writing the Rehearsal series, I knew it had to be set elsewhere. The story revolves around a rock band struggling to make their way in the business and so they had to be closer to the music scene. I didn’t want them in New York or Los Angeles, but slightly off that too-well-beaten fictional path. By this time, I had moved four times and one of the places I’d lived was Massachusetts. I fell in absolute love with it while there and decided that was close enough to the music scene. I put them just outside Boston, about a half hour west. None of my featured characters, however, are from there. They are all outsiders with different backgrounds merging in a fictional town in the midst of actual towns mentioned in the story. Two of the main characters are from Pennsylvania. Why? During family travels I fell in love with the state. It was only after the first book of the series was published that we decided to move to PA. Another main character is from Scotland, for the simple reason that I needed him to be a foreigner and I had always wanted to visit the country. Book two of the series is partially set in Edinburgh and was published just after my husband and I had the opportunity to travel to Scotland. Again, first-hand detail helped make the scenes more vivid. Since my fictional band tours, you’ll also pick up bits and pieces of other places I’ve lived and visited. My guess is that you’ll know from the description which I have.

Off The Moon is set half in New York City, because this one needed the beaten path for my character, and half in Bennington, Vermont, with visits to London and Montana. I have been to NYC, briefly, and again, I made mental note of enough detail to add a reality I couldn’t get with only research. I haven’t yet been to Vermont. The distance of it worked well for the story, plus I needed a large lake and small town atmosphere. Ryan barely knows Bennington himself, since he grew up a military brat and his family settled there just before he took off on his own. My own lack of real detail meshes with his. There should be a noticeable difference in the way he describes NYC and the way he describes Bennington. Since everything in the story comes from his own deep point of view and the reader knows nothing he doesn’t know, the haziness works well. I do have plans to visit, though. Researching places for my novels always makes me want to go see them.

I have a true travel bug. Luckily, I get to take my readers along for the ride. Next stop: Idaho, Twin Falls area.

P.S.  Photo albums on my website feature places from my novels.

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Questions or insights? Leave them in the comments and I’ll get back with you! All who comment on this blog have a chance to win a so-far-unpublished short story related to Off The Moon. It will be printed, signed, and mailed at the end of the month so be sure your blog host can contact you. If you comment on at least eight of my blogs from the tour this month, you’re eligible to win a signed print copy of Off The Moon when it’s released.

Also, be sure to check my blog this month for Off The Moon related interviews. [http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com]

Find my website for more info, plus a free download of the beginnings of each of my novels:

http://www.lkhunsaker.com

Off The Moon

LK Hunsaker

"Riveting" Ryan Reynauld is immersed in a world of music, parties, and temporary companionship. Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern is objecting to the way his music is produced. That is, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of family and friends, and through media attacks and fan protests, Ryan determines to care for her himself, making a promise that threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery begins by allowing your world to implode.

Elucidate Publishing

November 2007 

Print ISBN  978-0-9825299-0-4

Ebook ISBN  978-0-9825299-1-1

Thanks again, Sue!

Next up: An Interview with Will Reynauld (Ryan’s brother), hosted by Linda Banche Nov. 7

http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/

For a full itinerary of this blog tour visit http://www.classicromancerevival.com

Don't forget to leave your comments on Sue's blog!  One person from each blog will be drawn to receive a signed, mailed copy of the short story LK has written as a bit of a prequel to Off The Moon, called Toward The Sky, plus there will be a signed print book drawing for anyone who comments on at least 8 blogs!

Sky Castles Series

The cover artist has finished my book cover for Ebony & Ivory the third in the Sky Castles Series. Thank you Nancy, the cover is beautiful and I'm looking forward to the release in December.

October was great

October was good for me. First my book Three Hearts was released by Desert Breeze Publishing, then my niece had a baby girl, plus I got a lot of writing done and an edit finished.

Also my banner is up on Long and Short Reviews front page and the book video of Three Hearts is on YouTube and Blazing Trailers.

Hopefully November will be as good.

Definitely a good month.

Interview with Romantic Hero

Travis Denton's Interview with a Private Investigator
(Travis is the hero of "Three Hearts")

PI: Mr. Denton, could you briefly outline the investigations you wish me to make.

Travis: I want you to find my wife.

PI: Your wife?

Travis: Yes. Her name before we married was Kelly Farrell. She is a New Zealand citizen.

PI: Forgive me for saying so Mr Denton, but surely you know where your own wife is.

Travis: Perhaps I should start at the beginning. We met about nine years ago at a party a friend took me to. Kelly was different from the other girls. We started dating and thought we were madly in love, so we got married.

PI: Thought you were madly in love?

Travis: Yes, thought. You know how it is when you're young. You fall in love very easily.

PI: Presumably at some time you realised you'd fallen out love.

Travis: We were fine at first, but as the months passed we started to get on one another's nerves. Arguments over nothing really. Eventually Kelly said she'd had enough and packed her bags and left.

PI: Didn't you go after her?

Travis: No. She'd made it plain she was going to file for divorce. Some friend of ours put her up and let me know she was okay. They also told me when she returned to New Zealand.

PI: Have you heard from her since?

Travis: No. She couldn't have started divorce proceedings or I would have received the paperwork. It didn't bother me. I concentrated on building up my business and had no intention of marrying again.

PI: And has this changed?

Travis: Yes it has. I've met a lady I would like to make my wife. I can't propose and then ask her to wait until I get a divorce. I need to find Kelly first and see if she is willing to finally finish our marriage.

PI: Thank you Mr Denton. Now if you could just give me any details you know about your wife.

Travis: Certainly. Her maiden name was Kelly Farrell. She was born in Timaru, New Zealand. Here's a copy of our marriage certificate. As far as I know the only relatives she had were her mother and her sister. Both of them live in Timaru. I'm afraid that's all I know of her background.

PI: I think that's enough to get started. I'll get back to you as soon as I have anything to report.

Travis: I'd just like to stress that I need this sorted as soon as possible.

PI: Of course. Leave it with me Mr. Denton.

Travis: Thank you.

End of Interview

To read an excerpt or purchase a copy of "Three Hearts" visit
Desert Breeze Publishing

Or see my book video at Blazing Trailers

Sandi Sookoo has interviewed me!!!

Fellow Desert Breeze author Sandi Sookoo interviewed me. The interview is now up on her blog. Visit here to see her questions and my answers.

My trailer is also up at Blazing Trailers. If you want to see more about my novel "Three Hearts" which will be released on 1st October by Desert Breeze Publishing.

IWOF Contest

Yeah! Infinite World of Fantasy authors are having another contest. The prizes are awesome as usual. Go visit IWOF Falling Leaves Contest for more details. And if you don't win this time, look out for the next contest around Christmas time.

Three Hearts Release

Where has the time gone? It's almost October 1st when my romance Three Hearts will be released by Desert Breeze Publishing. I've done a video to celebrate the release. Go take a look and see what you think.

Classic Romance Revival

While erotica has its place, so does the classic romance novel. I am proud to say I am a member of the Classic Romance Revival group. No we are not prudes, the books we prefer are the ones with sensual lovemaking that enhances the story. Sometimes the hero and heroine make love, sometimes it's just the sexual tension between them.

Our new website has been launched so why not pop on over to the Classic Romance Revival site to find out more about romance at its best. Either follow the link to www.classicromancerevival.com or click on the logo on the right hand side of this page.

Here you will find details on authors, reviews of books, answers to any questions you might have about Classic Romance Revival and much, much more.

Spring in the Southern Hemisphere

Only eight more days and spring will be here. The weather in the last week has been very springlike. Daffodils are flowering and lambs are being born. Days are getting longer. Soon be able to sit outside and write.

Interview with Margaret Tanner, Historical Romance Author

I'd like to introduce historical romance author Margaret Tanner. Many of Margaret's books are set in her native Australia. Welcome Margaret, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed.

Margaret Tanner Thanks for having me here Sue.

Sue: What is your favorite reading genre and is this also the genre you write in?

Margaret: Yes I read and write Romance.

Sue: As a historical author, research must play a big part in your writing. How do you plan your research and do you have any tips you could pass on?

Margaret: I don’t really plan my research as such, I generally make a note of what information I need, then I go to my usual sources to find out what I want to know i.e. library, internet, diaries, I have notes from interviews, so I can often use the same information for two or three stories.

Sue: Deep down inside, who do you write for?

Margaret: Selfish as it may sound, I write for me.

Sue: What do you think are the basic ingredients to make a good story?

Margaret: A good plot, interesting characters. I love writing about ruthless/tortured heroes and the brave women who save/redeem them. I think setting is important too.

Sue: What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?

Margaret: Third Person.

Sue: How do you create your characters?

Margaret: I don’t, they just come to me. Admittedly vague and hazy at first, but once I start writing about them, their personalities become stronger, more insistent. They take over. I’ve been on a train, and I have had to scribble down notes because the characters said something really good to me, and I didn’t want to lose it. My husband thinks I am crazy because I don’t go anywhere without a note book and pen. I even have paper stashed in my bedside table. I get some incredible ideas in the dead of night.

Sue: What are you working on now?

Margaret: I am actually revising a story that I wrote years ago. It is a complete re-write actually, and is set against a background of the Eureka stockade rebellion in 1854 on the Ballarat gold fields.

Sue: As a writer your mind is your work tool. How do you take care of it?

Margaret: I nurture my brain by eating plenty of chocolate.

Sue: How do you avoid repeating yourself, or falling into formula? How do you stay fresh for each book you write?

Margaret: I do sometimes repeat myself, I will plead guilty to that, but I can honestly say, I don’t write to any particular formula except for the happy ever after ending. This gives me a lot of lee-way and keeps me fresh.

Sue: Do you find reader feedback helpful?

Margaret: Yes some reader feedback is helpful in a technical way, but I love hearing from readers who just write to say they enjoy my stories. It really boosts my morale and spurs me on.

Sue: Do you self-impose a discipline on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?

Margaret: No, I just write or work on my stories as much as I can.

Sue: How long did it take you to get your first book published? How did you go about picking an agent and/or publisher?

Margaret: My first publisher, Whiskey Creek Press was recommended to me. My other publishers, I picked out for myself after finding out as much as I could about them.  I don’t have an agent as yet.  It took me close on twenty years before my first novel was published.  I had had a few near misses over that time i.e. publishers going out of business before and after my books were released, publishers changing hands and not wanting my book anymore. I had an agent who died on me. Honestly, I could write a book about my tortuous path to publication.

Sue: Is there one of your novels that holds a special place in your heart?  Which book and why?

Margaret: I have to say The Trouble With Playboys, my 2^nd World War novel from The Wild Rose Press, holds a special place in my heart as parts of it are set in Wangaratta where I was born. Also, the war sections are set in Singapore and Malaya where my late father served. He was engaged to my mother at the time, and she kept all his letters, and I was able to get a lot of information out of them. Just the little everyday things a soldier away from his loved ones might write about, which gives my story authenticity. I also used some of my Dad’s wartime experiences. He escaped from Singapore in an open boat, two days before the surrender to the Japanese, which was quite harrowing.

Sue: Do you have a couple you have written about who are your favorites and why?

Margaret: I like all my heroes and heroines, but my favourite hero (Ross) and heroine (Harry/Harriet), come from my Whiskey Creek Press novel, Devil’s Ridge, which is set against a background of World War 1.

Sue: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Margaret: Catch up with family and friends.

Thank you Margaret. I've found your answers very informative and I'm sure others will too.

If you wish to find out more about Margaret and her novels visit her website http://www.margarettanner.com/

Three Hearts Cover

Check out my new cover for Three Hearts done by Jenifer at Desert Breeze Publishing. I think it's absolutely beautiful and really captures the background of the book.

Contract for Sky Castles 3

I'm delighted to announce that Whiskey Creek Press have offered me a contract for the third novel in my Sky Castles Trilogy Ebony & Ivory. It is due for release in December 2009 and has given me a very nice birthday present.