And the Winners Are...

First off, a big THANKS to everyone who visited my blog and played along in the One Night in Boston trivia contest this week. I'm hoping you enjoyed getting to know some of the characters in my novel and will read on to find out what unfolds for them next!

Congratulations to the 2 big winners:

First, BethRe wins the free download of One Night in Boston. Beth, email me at allieb@allieboniface.com to confirm the details.

And second, Dru Ann wins the $50 goodie basket!! Dru, email me your snail mail address so that I can get that off to you!

###

For anyone else who's still interested in winning a free download of my novel, here are two more chances for you:

1. Maya Banks at Writeminded Blog is hosting a block/blog party right now, and every day readers have a chance to win something new. I've donated a download of my novel, so you'll have to check in with her each day to see when it's up for grabs.

2. One Night in Boston is being featured at The Romance Studio's Book-a-Day Giveaway on September 8. Write down the date, and stop by then to enter the drawing. You never know...you could be the next winner!

###

Have a wonderful (and safe!!) Labor Day weekend, for those of you in the States. And a happy Saturday-Sunday-Monday to those of you who aren't!

Friday's Feast

Here it is, the last day to enter the One Night in Boston contests!

Friday's Trivia Question:
Neve, Maggie's office assistant, has a secret. What is it? [Hint: You can find the answer in Chapter 3]

Email your answer to allieb@allieboniface.com, and you'll be in the running. And make sure to check back here tomorrow to find out the winners of the $50.00 goodie basket AND the free book download!

###
Friday's Feast


Appetizer
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?
Really, it depends on the subject. Either my husband, my sister, or my best friend from high school.

Soup
If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
Easy: Rome. Who wouldn't??

Salad
What is the most exciting event you’ve ever witnessed?
Hmm...there are lots (it doesn't take much to get me excited): my niece's first steps, my students' HS graduations, my own wedding, the Boston Marathon, my favorite baseball team winning in the bottom of the 9th during playoff season...

Main Course
If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?
Probably something strange like fly around the country in a hot air balloon strewing flyers on how to be more green/environmentally conscious. I know, not nearly as exciting as giving my toddlers Coke in their bottles or crashing my Benz after a night of partying, though those stunts would be much more effective in getting press...

Dessert
What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?
Old enough to know what a life-changing decision it is, but not too old that that knowledge scares you off...

Thursday's Trivia

OK, here we go! Only 2 days left to enter the One Night in Boston contests: if you have (or if you buy here) a copy of the book, you can answer today's trivia question and be entered to win a goodie basket full of books, gift certificates, and sweet stuff...worth more than $50! Or, if you'd like to win a free download of the book instead, just post a comment on my blog to be entered into that drawing.

Ready?

Thursday's Trivia Question:
What is Dillon Murphy's relationship to Maggie Doyle? [Hint: You can find the answer in any chapter 1-3]

Email the answer to allieb@allieboniface.com to enter the contest! Winners will be announced Saturday, September 1st.

###

Mel tagged me for this meme a few days ago:

MIDDLE NAME MEME

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.

2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.

3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.

4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.

5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Since I write under a pen name, I'm not using my real middle name. I'm going to use the middle name that my mom and my sister share, since they're 2 of the most important women in my life. Here goes...

E - Energetic. I'd like to think that despite the calendar that's hurtling me toward middle age, I have energy levels to rival my high school students. :)

L - Literary. C'mon, I had to work that one in. I majored in English, I teach it every day, and I love to read.

I - Inquisitive. I like knowing the answers to things. Period.

Z - Yikes. OK, I'm going with zealous, with its positive connotations.

A - Amiable. I'm a pretty nice person, I think. Ask my friends.

B - Blue, as in the True Color that describes me. Actually, I'm gold too, but blue is a close second.

E - Enthusiastic...about life in general. I love my job, my second job (writing), the world outside my window...

T - Take Charge kind of personality. Yeah, that's me.

H - Happy. Most days, there's nowhere (or no one) else I'd rather be. I sort of wish more people could feel that way.

I'm not tagging anyone, so if you wanna play, just borrow the meme and let me know!

Writers' Wednesday

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Here's the Wednesday Trivia Question for my One Night in Boston contest:

Wednesday's Trivia Question:
Who is Paige Webster? [Hint: You can find the answer in Chapter 2]

Remember, email your answer to allieb@allieboniface.com to be entered into the goodie basket drawing at the end of the week! Thanks to everyone who entered yesterday...it's shaping up to be a great contest.

###

Although I will usually post an author interview or a "how to" article on Wednesdays, today I'm cheating and pointing you to 2 other links (both by/about me, though...how greedy, I know) :)

My article "Using Commas Without Getting Hurt" is featured on The Long and the Short of It, if you'd like to take a gander at that (it's an adaptation of a post that appeared here a while back).

Also, my cover for One Night in Boston is being featured today on the Judge a Book by Its Cover blog, so if you're interested in finding out a little more about the cover design, take a peek.

And don't forget: if you'd like to be entered into the drawing to win a free download of One Night in Boston, post a comment!

It's Time for Some Trivia!

OK, here we go, the first One Night in Boston trivia question. Email the correct answer to allieb@allieboniface.com, and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a goodie basket worth more than $50!! (books, GC, sweet stuff...don't you wanna play?)

Tuesday's Trivia Question:

Maggie Doyle lives in what town? [Hint: you can find the answer in Chapter 1]

###

In other news, hubby and I joined some friends Sunday night and went to a fantastic concert at Bethel Woods, the outdoor stadium that was built 2 years ago on the original Woodstock site. I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed by how beautiful it is. There's an open air stadium that seats about 5000, and then a huge curving lawn area that's designed to seat another 12000 or so. And all this in the middle of farmland, with lush lawns and curving paths and a monument to the 1969 event as well. It was gorgeous. If anyone lives or visits near downstate NY, I'd definitely recommend going to a concert. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

The weather was perfect, and everyone had their lawn chairs and their blankets and their picnic dinners and was just dancing and singing along and enjoying the music and the crowd. A near-perfect evening, really.

P.S. Remember that if you want to win a free download of One Night in Boston, just leave a comment on my blog this week to be entered into the drawing. Or, if you already have your copy :) I'll give the winner his/her choice of a $5.00 MBaM gift certificate instead.

It's Here!

It's here - the grand debut of The Long and the Short of It website!!! My good friends Marianne and Judy have been working like crazy to put it all together, and I'm thrilled with the end result. Go ahead, take a visit over there, but then come right back and find out what you can win this week here on my blog...

Because, since I'm a featured author at their website this week, I'm featuring not 1 but 2 contests!

First, TODAY ONLY, you can buy my new release, One Night in Boston, at 10% off the retail price. Go to this link and enter the code OneNightinBoston0807 when you check out. Then, stop back and visit my blog each day this week for the trivia question of the day. [Yes, you need the book to answer the question. No, you don't have to have read the whole thing. I will hint liberally about where you can find the answers :)]

Email the answer each day to allieb@allieboniface.com, and if your answer is correct, you'll be entered into a drawing for a goodie basket worth more than $50.00. What's in the basket? I'll only say books (of course), a gift certificate, and something to please your sweet tooth, along with some other fun stuff. Doesn't that sound yummy?? So tune in right here, tomorrow, for the first question!

Or, if you're not in the mood to buy the book and try to win $50 worth of goodies, I'm also offering the chance to win a free download of One Night in Boston. Every time you post a comment on my blog this week, your name will be entered into the drawing. So comment away!

Both winners will be announced Saturday, September 1. Good luck!

A Reading Meme

Stole...uh...borrowed this meme from Alice. Thanks!

What Are You Reading Meme

What are you reading right now?
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It's a fascinating, sometimes painful memoir about the author's childhood with parents who moved from town to town and spent more time drinking (him) and pursuing an art career (her) than raising their 3 kids. A good read, so far.

Do you have any idea what you’ll read when you’re done with that?
I still have 6 books on my summer TBR list: The Red Tent, What is the What, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, The Book Thief, Nineteen Minutes, and A Thousand Spendid Suns. (Has anyone read any of these? Want to make a case for which I should read next?)

What magazines do you have in your bathroom right now?
Hmm...Body and Soul, People, and my college alumni magazine. Hey, I like a variety.

What’s the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
Forced? I enjoy reading, period.

Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don’t they?
Not by name, but maybe by face...

What’s the one book you always recommend to just about everyone?
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon. It's a terrific story told from the POV of an autistic teenage boy. Great stuff.

Do you read books while you eat? While you bathe? While you watch movies or TV? While you listen to music? While you’re on the computer? While you’re having sex? While you’re driving?
While I'm having sex? Are you joking? Mostly, I read before bed. Magazines get more attention, sometimes over a meal or during a movie/TV show that doesn't really hold my interest. I wish I had more time to read...

When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits?
I never got teased about it, no, but all my friends and classmates knew I read fast and loved to write. And I won all the spelling bees at school, so they couldn't tease too much :)

What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down?
Hmm...have to think on that one.

Saturday Mumblings...

Ugh. Would someone tell me why it's so humid? Why it's the kind of humid where you're sweating as you towel off from a shower, or the kind of humid where the clothes on the line don't dry for hours, or the kind of humid where even the carpet in your house feels damp? Our thermometer reads 88% humidity this AM. Can't it just rain and get it over with, already?

On the brighter side, I am working my way through yet another set of edits for Lost in Paradise, and I have a confession to make: I love this story. Even after reading over it a million times, and revisiting it every few weeks with my editor, I do. It was the first novel I ever wrote, and while it's changed a lot in plotline, my hero and heroine are pretty much exactly the same as when I first conceived them. It's just...it was so easy to write, once I finally sorted out the plot and the conflicts, and I still find all the characters so likable (that's not to say that Mrs. Giggles will agree, but...)

So I'm hoping that readers will feel the same way when it hits the shelves (sometime in mid-late fall, I think). I'm off to fininsh that today and then find a reprieve from the weather (which will include sitting in front of the AC with a tall glass of something cold and yummy, I'm thinking...)

Have a great weekend!

TGIF

If you haven't checked out the Tote Bag Contest (above), then make sure you do before Sunday...that's the last day to enter.

AND...I have 2 very exciting contests coming up next week, as part of helping LASR celebrate their grand opening, so make sure to stop back Monday and find out more!!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?
The only person that comes to mind is Emma Thompson...and she's British, so I don't know how authentic that would be. But I do love a British accent, so what the heck. Oh, wait, even better idea: Jude Law, only if I get to look at him while he's recording. :)

Soup
Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.)
Can a seahorse's home ever wiggle?

Salad
If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose?
Pre-Civil War South. Much of the lifestyle and culture goes against everything I believe in, but it's a Gone With the Wind thing: I would have loved to see the plantations stretching for miles, the gorgeous dresses the women wore, and the gentility of the men.

Main Course
Name a song that brings back memories for you.
What song doesn't?? OK, "Lady in Red": I wore a red dress to my senior ball in college, and the guy I was crushing on at the time sang the song in my ear while we danced to it. Sounds a little hokey now, but it was hot, trust me:)

Dessert
Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water?
Hot as I can stand it...kill those little germies!

A 5-Heart Review and Working on More Edits!

I was thrilled to read my 5 Heart review for One Night in Boston from The Romance Studio!!

"...Ms. Boniface has great talent; her characterizations are wonderfully written, and her plot is fresh and poignant. I confess to the shedding of several tears while reading this book..."

So when I brought myself down from my happy cloud of celebration, I opened my email to find my next round of edits back for Lost in Paradise. Guess I'll be hard at work on those for the next few days.

Meanwhile, enjoy these two animal feel-good videos that were posted to one of my email loops the other day:

Miracle Dog Makes It Out Alive

Dog Adopts Orphaned Kitten

Writers' Wednesday: How and Where to Find Story Ideas

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! OK, here's the thing: many writers have no trouble thinking of ideas for their books and stories. They come up with plotlines on a regular basis; they create other worlds and original characters that clamor for attention.

I am not one of these writers.

When I first began writing novels, I had ideas for 3 plotlines. That was it. I had no idea how prolific writers could simply come up with new stories year after year. In the last few years, I’ve gotten a lot better at developing my creativity, though I still will never be the kind of writer who has 10+ stories floating around in her mind at any given time.

Here are some ways and places I’ve used to get ideas for stories...

1. Writing prompts – I don’t use them as often as I should, but there are a plethora out there. Google "writing prompts," and you'll find a number to get your creative juices flowing.

2. Driving long distances – I’ve come up with the majority of my novel ideas while I’m driving, usually through lonely countryside where I can’t tune in a radio station. Maybe the silence and mindlessness let my subconscious work. I don’t know.

3. Reading the newspaper – There are so many crazy headlines in the paper every single day (“Man Throws Terminally Ill Wife Off Balcony,” “Naked Felon Found Floating in River,” “Pet Terrier saves Family of Thirteen from Certain Death”). Truth is stranger than fiction, indeed – so use it to create a crazy story of your own!

4. Listening to the radio – Again, I love hearing news stories that make you say “huh?” (“Orthodox Teens Caught Drinking in Short Skirts”) but I also love listening to song lyrics and thinking of ways they could translate into stories.

5. Exercising – I run and walk a lot, so again I think the mindlessness, and probably the rhythm of the physical activity, frees up my creative side to work. I do the “what if” game a lot when I run.

6. Dreaming – Yes, I’ve gotten story ideas from weird dreams as well. Usually it’s just a character’s face, or emotional reaction, or a fragmented sentence that sticks with me, but I always write those things down when I wake up. That’s why I tell aspiring writers to keep a pen and paper beside their beds.

OK, now share: where do your ideas come from??

Catch and Release

So I saw this movie over the weekend. It wasn't exactly what I expected (I was thinking light and fluffy romantic comedy, but it was actually much more serious in spots), but I did enjoy it overall.

Mostly, I enjoyed watching the character development and the varying conflicts that built up the romance. If you haven't seen it, and you're a writer (especially a romance writer), it's a good study in how and when to introduce conflicts between your H/H and raise them until you get to your black moment.

There's one character and subplot I wasn't completely convinced of, but other than that, it was an enjoyable view. Here's the trailer, for a bit of rainy Tuesday entertainment. Anyone else seen the movie? Like it or hate it?

Unconscious Mutterings

Well, I'm going out of town for a day or so to visit family, so no blogging tomorrow. Be sure to check back Tuesday for something witty and oh-so-interesting, though!

Until then, here are my Unconscious Mutterings (the words are kind of tough this week!)

1. Darling ::
My Darling, My Hamburger

2. Majesty ::
The King and I (remember that great love story??)

3. Pebble ::
Stream

4. Fate ::
Destiny

5. Instant ::
Messaging (which I don't even use, but which is ruining my students' writing and spelling abilities)

6. Screen ::
Television

7. Unplugged ::
Eric Clapton

8. Dairy ::
Farms

9. Benefactor ::
Sugar Daddy

10. Market ::
This little piggy went to market...

What You Get From Giving

There's an article in the September issue of Body and Soul magazine that talks about the benefits of giving. It's not a secret, of course, that giving time, assistance, counsel, money, etc. is a compassionate and noble thing to do. But who knew it could also cause you to live longer?? Consider this:

"In one study of 2000 people conducted at the Buck Institute for Age Research in California, those who volunteered for two or more organizations had a whopping 44 percent lower likelihood of dying compared with those who didn't--and that's after adjusting for ...health, exercise, and marital status. Volunteering even beat out exercising four times a week (30 percent) and going to religious services (29 percent) when it came to promoting longevity. Another study of 427 women found that those who did any kind of volunteering had better physical functioning 30 years later. Next to quitting smoking, giving is the best possible thing you could do for your health--making virtue truly its own reward."

Wow.

Of course, the trick is finding the time, right? So many of us run around for our jobs and our families and every once in a while, ourselves, that there's little time left to give to a volunteer organnization. I'm one of these guilty, ones, which is why I set as a New Year's resolution back in January to spend at least 20 hours volunteering this year. I know that's not a lot, but I figured it's a start.

And I found the perfect opportunity for me: an animal shelter about 5 miles from my house that's in sore need of volunteers to help socialize cats and walk dogs (they also have farm animals that need care, but since I'm not really experienced in that area I leave that to others...).

So I'm off this morning to give some loving to other animals, especially since my cat's recovery. I believe in karma, after all.

What about you? I'm interested to know who volunteers, how often, and in what capacity. Anyone want to share??

Friday's Feast

OK, here we go!

Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?
Hey, whenever the basket gets full, I do it! Usually ends up being every 3-5 days or so (there's only 2 of us, though sometimes I'd swear there's more!)

Soup
In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?
Loaded question. When I was 10, I thought the answer was 30. When I was 30, I thought the answer was 60. When I get to be 60, I imagine I'll change that again. Maybe 85?


Salad
What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?
I always, always wanted to publish a book. Since I was fortunate enough to achieve that this summer, I think I'll have to set some new goals.

Main Course
Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.
My cat's recovery from near-death. Modern medicine (and a whole lotta love) can work miracles.

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?It's too early to make that call, but let's say around an 8. Life is good :)

Shameless Promotion

Just a reminder that the Tote Bag contest (mentioned above) runs through August 26, so make sure to enter!

And if you didn't get a chance to read my interview over at WOW! yesterday, take a jaunt over there and check it out.

Marianne has two short stories available at The Wild Rose Press:




They only cost $1.50 each - how can you beat that? Buy them, download, and read over your morning coffee or your lunch.

On a side note, I sent off my latest complete work, One Night in Memphis, to my editor at Samhain. I'm nervous, though...one previously accepted novel doesn't mean the next one gets a free pass, unfortunately.

So it's off to the press release drawing board today, while I figure out how to turn a phrase that is at once witty and intriguing, brief and interesting enough to make newspapers/radio stations want to know more about One Night in Boston. (A shameless plea: if you've read - and liked - it, could you pop over to My Bookstore and More and leave a review? Thanks!)

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Author Jay Young

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! We have another great author interview scheduled for today, this time with Christian historical author Jay Young.

But before we get started, hurry on over to The Long and Short of It and read the glowing review of my newly released novel, One Night in Boston. My favorite part: "Boniface has a delicate touch, her flashbacks are smooth, clarify the tale, but do not slow the pace. Her word choice and comparisons are lovely..." (Thanks, Nancy!)

Also, today I'm featured in an interview over at WOW - Women on Writing. If you're not reading this e-zine, you should be! It's a terrific resource for any writer. And Angela did such a nice job with the interview!

Moving on, make sure you read the sticky note above, and post a comment if you're interested in being entered into the Tote Bag Contest. Hey, what do you have to lose??

Finally, take a moment to offer a hearty congrats to Marianne, who has not one but TWO short stories releasing today with The Wild Rose Press. She's running a contest to celebrate, so drop by her blog to enter.

###

And now, without further ado or distraction, let's get to know Jay Young.

Hi Jay! Thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us a little about your background?

I was born in 1970 and grew up in Rockville, Maryland. My future wife and I grew up attending the same church and started dating in high school. I went on to study Accounting and MIS at Baylor University and got married after my Junior year. Upon graduating, my wife Cheri and I lived in Sacramento, CA for twelve years where we had four children. I worked in the computer field and served as the Worship Leader at our church, playing and recording with several bands and teaching guitar on the side. In 2005, we moved to San Antonio, TX where we’ve been living happily, trying to keep up with these wonderful kids and life in general.

When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

When I was a kid I wanted to be an author when I grew up, but somewhere along the line I gave up on it. When we moved to Texas in 2005, I decided it was time to spend less time focusing on music and try something else. I had toyed with the idea of writing, but I couldn’t think of what I could possibly write about. SQL Programming? How to play the guitar? How to change diapers? Then one night I was out riding my bike and I decided I would pray about it. Immediately the idea for the novels sprung into my head. I realized that I had several ideas and several parts of scripture that I had been studying that would fit into an exciting story. By the time I rode home, I already had the storyline and most of the characters in mind. It was like God had been holding this gift-wrapped box for me for twenty-five years, just waiting for me to ask for it.

Now, I’m a huge reader and a huge music fan, but one of my biggest hang-ups is the lack of diversity and quality in the modern Christian music and literature scene. There are a handful of Christian bands and authors I really dig, but there simply isn’t much available for Christians who enjoy “edgier” entertainment, so I wanted to write a novel for all the guys like me. Late 20’s / Early 30’s. Grew up reading X-Men and watching Thundercats. Loves Pulp Fiction. Reads Stephen King. Watches the Simpsons every week. Owns every Metallica album and sees them every time they come to town. Probably has some tats and closed-up earring holes. Loves Jesus with all his heart. I think there are LOTS of guys out there who fit that mold who are just waiting for a story and characters they can relate to, and that’s what I’m trying to do with the entire Heroes Series. Surprisingly, I’ve heard from many readers in their 60’s and 70’s who really enjoy the books as well. The language I use tends to be pretty mature, so I think the books lend themselves more to older readers than to children or pre-teens.

The novels incorporate a lot of heavy-duty scriptural insight and conjecture, so Biblical scholars can enjoy the stories on a deep level, but I’ve also tried to make the stories accessible to folks who barely know anything about the Bible. The novels see-saw back and forth between modern and ancient times and use a variety of POV’s and narrative styles.

Tell us about your latest work.

I’m right in the middle of a five-book series. Book One introduced all the characters and set up the storyline. Book Two was all action-packed payoff. Book Three takes place three years after the end of Book Two, so I’m introducing a few new characters and a very involved back-story involving the patriarch Levi. We tend to think of poor Joseph, sold by his brothers into slavery and what a great guy he was, but I’m digging into what drove those brothers. Levi in particular is such a fascinating character, driven by so much pain.

I’m also dealing with my main character confronting his estranged father who had abandoned his family, so there’s lots of pain surfacing in that story as well. Basically Book Three is about pain – especially pain caused by the mistakes of a father. That’s the deep stuff, but I’d say the book is at least half all-out action. I love writing battle scenes – big and small. I also love digging into the characters to see what makes them tick – where do their actions come from; what is God doing in their lives; how do they cope with trials and confusion; all that good stuff.

What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

For me, the fun part is writing the outline. I spend a few weeks writing a complete outline and timeline before I write a single word. I love putting together the pieces of the puzzle and imagining the characters in the outline process. By the time I’m ready to write, it’s more like coloring inside the lines, so I can focus more on the language and emotions without worrying about the story going off track. The most rewarding part is reading a particular paragraph or chapter and finding myself moved emotionally – knowing I hit the right emotional notes along the way and hoping that other readers will feel the same way when they read it.


The hardest thing for me is deciding how to start a chapter. At what point in the story do I jump in and how much should be told in flashback? What POV should I use? What verb tense should I use? How can I make the first paragraph engaging, but set a tone that’s maintainable? It takes almost as long to write the first paragraph as it takes to write the rest of the chapter.


What advice would you give to aspiring, unpublished writers?

It actually doesn’t take much time to write – it just takes an effort. I think about the characters and plot while I’m driving or lying in bed or doing something non-constructive. I jot notes or write on my lunch break or when I get an idea. I’ll write a few times a week for about an hour or two after the kids have gone to bed if my wife’s watching a show I don’t want to watch. I’ll take 4 – 6 hours on a Saturday once or twice a month and really crank out the words. Instead of working on home improvements or watching American Idol and Survivor, I just use those extra hours to write and it all adds up. With Microsoft Word, Google, and Wikipedia, everyone has the tools to at least attempt writing. And with e-queries, e-books, webzines, POD publishing, and self-publishing, it’s easier than ever to get your writing out to the rest of the world.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?


I love Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, and some modern-genre stuff, like Chuck Pahlaniuk. My all-time favorite author is Orson Scott Card. The humanity he instills in his characters and the complex dilemmas he puts them through are just brilliant and moving. More recently, I’ve been inspired by Carol Berg – a computer programmer turned author who writes truly engaging Fantasy novels. I’d have to throw Robert R. McCammon into the mix as well. And since I’m throwing in authors, let’s toss in Dan Simmons. I was reading his Hyperion series when I began writing my own series and I’d like to think a little of his brilliance rubbed off. Just a little, though.

Thanks so much for a fascinating interview, Jay! Want to know more about this author? Visit his webpage below. And leave a comment letting us know you were here today!

Jay L. Young is the author of the Heroes Series – an epic series of Christian Fiction novels which chronicle the battles and tribulations of Noah “No” Argentar and a band of heroes called The Faction. His novels have been described as “the X-Men meet the Old Testament”. The first novel, titled “Heroes Of Old” was released by iUniverse publishing in 2007, followed shortly by the second novel, titled “Spirit Of Heroes”. The third novel in the series, titled “Sanctuary of Heroes” is scheduled to be released in late 2007. Two additional novels, titled “Tribulation Of Heroes” and “The Will Of Heroes” will complete the five-book series.


Jay Young

Jay Young's Amazon Page

A Lot of Little Things to Mention

OK, today there's a potpourri of news and links for me to mention, so hang on and make sure you don't miss anything!

First, my good writing friends Marianne and Judy, have been working oh so hard on the launch of their new site, The Long and the Short of It. Go take a look at the site (still under construction) and then mark August 27 on your calendars, because that's the Grand Debut, with chances to win all kinds of great stuff that whole week.

And after some foot dragging, I have let them convince me to become one of their reviewers, so you might see my profile over there as you poke around. I'll also be popping in as a guest author and providing some articles on the craft of writing every so often...should be fun!

In the next day or so, I should have a sticky post up here about the great Tote Bag Contest, where you could win a tote bag filled with books just for posting a comment on any reviewer's blog! Until then, stop by Marianne's blog to find out more.

I shared my book trailer for One Night in Boston with you last week, but I've since uploaded it to Preview the Book, and they did a terrific job not only creating a page for me with all the info, but also designing a banner free of charge. If any authors are looking for extra promotion, they offer free hosting of your trailer for 1 year. Yes, free! How can you beat that??

Lost in Paradise has finally made it to the "Coming Soon" page at The Wild Rose Press. You can check out the blurb here (just try to ignore the fact that they spelled "Champagne" wrong, OK?). Scroll about 2/3 of the way down the page...it's on the right hand side.

And finally, I just got my cover for Lost in Paradise as well. I like it a lot - very very yummy - but the only problem is...they spelled my name wrong. Take a look.

Good people to work with over there at TWRP, but I'm wondering if there's an opening for a proofreader??

Tomorrow there will be lots more to announce, along with an author interview, so make sure to stop back!

The Things I Learned

As I was walking across my person's lap yesterday, I saw my picture on her blog. I told her if she was going to write about me, it was only fair I get my chance too. So today she's taking a break, and I'm the guest blogger.

Most of you know that I spent most of last week in the hospital. Even though it was a very nice hospital, with an even nicer price tag according to my person, I couldn't wait to leave. Here are 5 things I learned:

1. When you aren't feeling quite right, you should never wait until the last minute to let someone know. Yes, we cats pride ourselves on our stoic demeanor, but let's face facts: when you can't breathe and you can't eat and you're freezing 'cause your body temperature is 4 degrees lower than it should be, it's sort of stupid to pretend everything's fine.

2. Be nice to the people who are taking care of you. Even though the doctors and nurses might hurt you when they're checking things out, they also give you good drugs and make your heart stop pounding so hard and even put you into an oxygen cage if you're having a hard time breathing. They will also call you "handsome" and coo at you when you're trying to sleep. But they mean well.

3. It's good to have a friend. When I came home, the other cat in the house (you know, the younger one who isn't nearly as bright or experienced as I am), shared his sleeping space and his food with me. He also followed me around and sniffed me A LOT. I think he missed me while I was gone.

4. The man that my person lives with isn't as tough as he likes to pretend. Oh, sure, he likes to complain about my hair everywhere, and how much my food and my litter and my vet bills cost, but when I was sick, he drove really really fast down the highway in the middle of the night to get me to the hospital. Plus, since I've been home he's relaxed the "no cats in the bedroom" rule.

5. When you're sick, the best place to be is home. Trust me on this one.

Unconscious Mutterings

Update: My cat is slowly showing his old personality (yay!), and though he's still so skinny from not eating for 5 days, he's eating more now every day. The vet said he was overweight last year, anyway. I suppose hospitalization is one way to put your pet on a diet :)

Here's a pic of him cleaning himself yesterday (and looking appropriately insulted that I caught him in such an unflattering position).




I have to send thank-you notes to the doctors who nursed him back to health, although I'm not sure there are words to properly say thank you for saving my heart. I'll spend a little time browsing the card aisle today in Target and see what I can find.

Here's a fun weekend meme I found for today. Visit here if you want to play along!

1. Voyage :: Mayflower


2. Patricia :: Richardson (great actress)


3. Transformation :: The ongoing saga over at Marianne's Pillar Place


4. Vocabulary :: I wish more people had one that included fewer 4-letter words
   
5. San Francisco:: RWA national conference next year!


6. Edward :: Norton (great actor)


7. Sawyer :: Yummy eye candy on LOST


8. Literary :: Novel (and what is a "literary novel," exactly?)


9. Tiger :: main character in Life of Pi, which I'm reading right now


10. Seal :: He married Heidi Klum??