Archive for the ‘#authorinterviews’ Tag
Today’s interview is with JAnn Bowers. Welcome to the blog. Tell us something about yourself.
My name is JAnn. I live in Eureka, Montana. Eureka has played a significant part of my writing career for all the tragic events that happened with my family here. I love Eureka for its nature with the Bitterroots and Rocky Mountains surrounding the valley where I live. With its abundance of nature, I am close to and balanced spiritually with Mother Nature. I meditate outdoors during the summer months and seek indoor retreats while I hibernate away in the winter. I use my spirituality and meditation to write poetry about visions, thoughts, ideas and creativeness. I am also a divorced mom and grandmother. I have four kids here on Earth with me and one in heaven watching over me. My youngest son is Autistic and the joy of my world. My second daughter lives in North Dakota with my granddaughter and grandson.
At what point did you know you wanted to be a writer? (When did you write your first story, for example?)
I knew I wanted to write poetry from a young age when I heard Robert Frost’s work. I absolutely fell in love with the magical formation of poetry. At that moment in my life, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for a career. However, life got in the way and it never happened. I went onto to being married for 22 years and busy raising kids. Once I was divorced, I found my spark again and started writing poetry. Now I have eight books published and working on two more. I just recently published my first memoir, “It’s Now My Time: Coffee, Poetry & The Past”
Tell us about your writing process.
My writing process almost always starts off with a deep round of meditation to help clear my mind of any distorted thoughts. Then I proceed to lock my phone where I cannot access social media or receive any notifications either, usually for 30 minutes to 1 hour a day. I turn to the screen and just write. I write what falls from my mind to my fingertips. It maybe love poetry, micropoetry, nature themed, or spiritual themed but it usually takes me less than 3 minutes to write a micropoem and less than 7 minutes to write a longer poem. Once my phone block is over then I save my doc and stuff it away. I use the same document for the entire week. If I go to share on my blog or Twitter, I pull up my document to read and edit and share.
As for writing essays, such as “Is Graffiti Art?” I choose my subject then research. I write my notes as I research the topic. Once I have completed my research I pursue the book format, write then edit and publish.
As for my memoir, “It’s Now My Time: Coffee, Poetry & The Past,” it took eight years of starting and stopping and throwing away a lot of drafts before it all came to me. My memoir was hard, difficult and a lot of tears fell inside while I wrote it. With this book, I used the scene as if I was meeting with the reader having coffee and telling them my life story. Each chapter or entry is in reference to a family member & first love I have lost through death. After each memory, there is a spread of poetry I wrote in dedication to their memory or about how their death affected me.
As for my poetry books, such as “Wasted” I wrote that book on my iPhone while spending several nights up with my youngest son. I was going through a period of depression, anxiety attacks and my past happened to creep in every once in a while. To me, “Wasted” resembled a part of my life where I wasted many lonely nights fighting a battle within me while seeking for something new and fresh.
What is your favorite genre … to read … to write?
My favorite genre is poetry to write. My favorite genres to read are: true stories, true crime, contemporary romance, mystery, suspense, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, self-help and religious reads. I do not care to read erotica, thrillers, and horror.
What are you passionate about?
Besides writing, I am passionate about music and art. Back in my college days I took an Art History course and loved it. I still enjoy researching about pieces of art and writing short articles. As for music, music has always been my savior throughout my life. My mom always had the radio or tape deck going and I learned to love it as much as she does. I am a big fan for the 80’s music scene and a huge fan of Def Leppard.
What is something you cannot live without?
First would be my kids and grandkids but minus them would be my caffeine. I have to have my daily intake of coffee. I am a huge drinker of coffee when I am writing. Besides coffee would be education or books.
When you are not writing, what do you do?
Since I am disabled due to several health issues, if I am not writing, I am spending time with my kids. We are huge WWE fans and my daughter KayCee and I both enjoy many other sports. If I am not watching sports or a documentary, then I can be found reading or learning something new. Besides, these enjoyments, I like to take long walks when my health allows me too, and yoga.
Have you written any books that made a transformative effect on you? If so, in what way?
Illusions of Love & She’s Gone…Broken, Battered & Bruised, these books have taught me a lot about what love really is and what it is not. To me they have taught me not to fall in love so easily and that most of the time all love is an illusion to our hearts and souls. What one may know about love may be just a figment of their imagination.
Where do you get the inspiration for your novels?
My past inspires me to write poetry in themes that may help someone through a rough patch in life. My kids also inspire me to write the more cheerful, spiritual connected themes. Music also plays a significant role in my poetry.
If someone who hasn’t read any of your poems asked you to describe your writing, what would you say?
Very open-minded and sad, that is how I would describe my writing.
Do you have a special place where you write?
I enjoy writing outdoors on my front steps on my iPhone. But I can write about wherever. When inside I prefer my desk in my room if the kids are being loud, if not I do like to be out in the kitchen at the island working.
Do you find yourself returning to any recurring themes within your writing and, if so, are you any closer to finding an answer?
Yes, love sneaks into almost all my poems and no, I am not getting any closer to why I write about love, and heartbreak.
I’m going to drop you in a remote Alaska cabin for a month. It’s summer so you don’t have worry about freezing to death. I’ll supply the food and the mosquito spray. What do you do while you’re there and what do you bring with you? If you’re bringing books, what are they?
I have lived four years in Alaska before. But it was before my inner light switch was turned back on. This time around I would pack my suitcase for hiking since I didn’t get the chance to do much outdoor enjoyments while I lived there. Then, I would definitely bring lots of writing paper and pens, and a camera. For books, I would bring my favorite books which there is too many to list. I would spend my days enquiring nature at its best and worst and in the evenings I would write about my experiences and poetry or read. I would definitely take a lot of photos this time.
Talk about your books individually.
Illusions of Love – this book is written about a close male friend I fell in love with who I thought had the same feelings which he did but he was too scared and hurt by the painful events from his ex-wife. The poems in this book are my honest feelings about love and him.
She’s Gone…Broken, Battered & Bruised- This book was written for the same male friend but only after he broke my heart. When he told me that cold winter morning that he didn’t want to ruin our friendship for a relationship with me, it broke my heart and ripped my soul to pieces but we stayed friends.
Only If I Could – After much needed time to heal from my heartbreak and once I felt I had recovered and could move forward this book took shape as a rebirth of me, it does still have poetry that reflects back onto my broken heart.
Is Graffiti Art – This started and ended as an essay for my college final for Art History. I was always interested and thought graffiti was an amazing art form but once I got into researching and learning the history of it I grew to love it even more. This book also references to 5POINTZ, the graffiti mecca of the world that was demolished in New York City. My daughter and I both crusaded in helping to save the building but it was whitewashed after I had finished my course.
Words Whisper to Me – This poetry book is my favorite one! It shows my love for writing poetry and how much my world is full of words and poetry.
Poetry Playground – This is a 2-section book. The first section is fun, quirky poems about my kids and life in general. The second section is nature poetry that I wrote while I lived in Idaho.
Wasted – This book is about all the wasted time in my life. In this book, the feel of the poetry is if I am seeking to find what life is really about.
It’s Now My Time: Coffee, Poetry & The Past – This is my memoir of life events and experiences and how they affected me. It discusses the death of many family members and also my mental illness and physical chronic pain.
Was it your intention to write a story with a message or a moral?
A message! All my poetry is about sending a strong message of hope to my readers that life does go on and it does get better if we only turn the switch on inside of us to create the life we want to have.
What do you want readers to think or feel after reading one of your books?
I want them to think or feel that they have any and all power to better themselves and to overcome any obstacle in life.
What influenced your decision to self-publish?
I have never sought a publisher. I have always enjoyed self-publishing. But, if a publisher offered me a contract, of course, I would take it. Self-publishing, to me, allowed me to build up my audience and my self-confidence in my writing. It has taught me so much about what the readers want and how to deliver my books to them.
There are people believe that traditional publishing is on the ropes, that self-publishing is the future. Do you agree? Why?
Yes and no. I believe it is harder now to get picked up by publishers because places like Amazon makes it easier for independent writers to get their books out into the market. I honestly believe that traditional publishers have their minds shut off to some really good and strong talented writers. As for the future, no one should or can predict what it holds in any industry.
What do you find to be the greatest advantage of self-publishing?
Being in full control of every aspect of the book, from writing to editing to creating your own covers to setting your price and choosing which industrial platforms who want. I personally prefer to publish through Pronoun.com than Kindle Direct. In the past, I had several issues with my book formats not working with Kindle Direct whereas with Pronoun they have a simple format for poetry where my books look and feel professional. The self-marketing does get hard and tiresome, but it is also fun to meet and collaborate with fellow writers that are willing to be a beta reader, swap blog posts, or promote you on social media.
Conversely, what do you think self-published authors might be missing out on?
Having someone to do the dirty work of promoting their books. Self-publishing writers have the long haul of self-promoting their books and getting them out there, versus having a personal rep or agent helping.
With the number of self-published books increasing by such a huge rate, it is really difficult for authors to make their books stand out. How do you go about this?
I concentrate on the inside of my book first then I approach the cover during the editing scene. That way I know what I want and what I think will attract readers. I think the cover and title stands out the most but the blurbs are so important as well. I honestly think it takes trial and error with each book to see what happens with the audience. Some of my books have been on the very top of best sellers on Amazon and some have made lower marks. Those are the trials and errors.
Who designed your book cover/s?
My daughter KayCee K designs all my book covers and graphics. She is so talented and has such a huge imagination to match. She runs her own blogging promotional service for authors at Double Decker Books, so she sees and deals with all sorts of writers and their work. I think this has helped her out when she creates mine. She also runs her monthly e-magazine where she does a majority of the graphics and layouts herself. Her magazine is “Double the Books”.
Do you believe that self-published authors can produce books as high-quality as the traditional published? If so, how do you think we should go about that?
I believe we can produce high-quality books on our own if we take each step of the process seriously and do a good enough job. I take each step very personally and professionally. Editing, covers and blurbs are what attracts and keeps readers coming back for more.
Where do readers find you and your books?
ALWAYS include links, author photos, and cover art. It makes for a prettier interview and readers want to find you and your books.
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Interview, of course, and a writing article. I think I also have a book sale.
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I’m clearing up my backlog and getting ready to schedule some more writers. Typically I’m looking for self-published or small-press authors whose covers won’t violate the PG-13 rating on my blog. Drop me an email at lelamarkham@gmail.com with Interview Request in the Subject line and I’ll send you questions.
I publish one interview a week on Wednesdays so everybody gets some time in the limelight.
And, if you’re an author with something cool to say beyond just that you wrote a novel, sometimes I do series on faith, politics, philosophy. You’re certainly welcome to ask.
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Today’s interview is with Heather Biedermann. Welcome to the blog, Heather. Now, you’re one of the authors in the Agorist Writers Workshop anthology Echoes of Liberty, coming out next week. Tell us something about yourself.
Hi, Lela! I live in the land of the Vikings in Southern Minnesota. To pay the bills, I am a librarian. I am lucky enough to work in a university and get to work with amazing students and faculty. It really does keep you young! I am married to a great guy and have two rambunctious cats. For fun, I love to go glamping (glam camping) and enjoy traveling to visit friends. If we cross paths, pull up a chair next to me and we can share some wine or beer. I love to hear stories!
At what point did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I have always had a love of writing since I was a little girl. I think it has something to do with my weird, overactive imagination. Mostly, I would write for my own enjoyment. I am my own worst critic, so until lately, I haven’t shared many of my stories publicly. Tell us about your writing process. I find it easiest to first daydream a basic story idea – the bare bones of the concept. Then, I write an outline with plot points I want to hit. I research for a day or two. Once I feel comfortable with concept and outline, I go straight into writing. When I’m in the writing mode, I try to write for an hour or two each day. I crank it out as fast as I can. After that, I let it sit a couple of days, to let it breathe. I rewrite and edit. I have someone else look it over. Then, I edit some more. Once I feel it has been picked apart enough, I’m done and won’t look at it anymore. Sometimes you just have to say, “Good enough,” and walk away. It feels pretty good getting to the finish line! What is your favorite genre … to read … to write? I work in a library, so I get a wide variety of great books to read all the time. I go between fantasy, horror and sci-fi for fiction. I have “Devil in the White City,” on my Kindle right now. I’m on a non-fiction binge lately, as well. I have been reading a lot about building tiny houses and getting off the grid. When you are not writing, what do you do? I love watching movies with my husband. We are totally addicted to Netflix, and binge shows together. Also, we play Xbox One games at our house. I’m in the middle of Fallout 4 right now. Where do you get the inspiration for your novels? I am a dreamer by nature. I find that in this hard world, having a vivid imagination is both entertaining and a life-saver. Some of my best ideas come from sitting at work when the library is quietly buzzing with students doing their homework. I saw my story with a superhero team of women come alive out of the quiet of a work day.
What sort of research do you do for your novels?
As a librarian, I can really lose myself in research for a novel. I love research! I have access to materials all over the world and the kind of incredible databases that any author would drool over. That said, I always limit myself to a week of research or I never would get around to actually writing my novel! Sometimes, it is better to write and highlight where you need more research later. It can be easier not to get too caught up in it, even though it is something I’m passionate about. If someone who hasn’t read any of your novels asked you to describe your writing, what would you say? I love to have collisions of normal, everyday experiences with abnormal, unusual events. How would an accountant see an alien invasion? A housewife fights demons, and still finds a way to put dinner on the table and get the kids to school. These are my favorite kinds of stories.
I’m going to drop you in a remote Alaska cabin for a month. It’s summer so you don’t have to worry about freezing to death. I’ll supply the food and the mosquito spray. What do you do while you’re there and what do you bring with you? If you’re bringing books, what are they?
I would love to get dropped in the remote cabin! There is never enough time to unwind and to unplug. I think it is something everyone should try to do. That is probably why I try to go camping every year. It is a chance to recharge and not feel so constantly connected to everyone. I’d love to explore the land in Alaska and get to know the nature around the cabin. Maybe I’d take a boat out on the lake and fish? I would definitely read a lot. I have a huge collection of books on survival and living off the land. One of my old favorites was the “Back to Basics,” book that talks about how you could make a homestead and live off the land. I would always daydream about doing that someday. I also have a never-ending pile of fiction to read. It would be fun to brush up on my homesteading skills. I’d love to cook big meals and take naps. Also, I’d write as much as possible. It would be a lot of fun. Can I bring my cats and husband, too? I think that would be even better for me.
Talk about your books individually.
My first story was published this year in “Valiant, He Endured,” a Libertarian Sci-Fi collection. The story I wrote is called, “The Keep,” and it talks about women in a future prison where the majority of the poor population is housed along with their families. There are elements of the government using technology to placate the population, and the story showcases the human spirit fighting back against an oppressive system. My newest book is the upcoming “Echoes of Liberty (The Clarion Call Book 2)” and I’m really excited to see that come out. The story I wrote for that is called, “The Guard and the Crane.” It is about two families living in California and one family is taken away to a Japanese internment camp. It is important to me to remember what we have done to our own people in this country, and to make sure it never happens again.
Was it your intention to write a story with a message or a moral?
One important theme in my writing is that if we let our freedoms constantly be taken away, where does it ever end? Real evil is subtle. It is the sort of like being mugged and thanking your attacker. We see many times freedom taken away to “protect” us. If you don’t stand up for your neighbors, who will stand up for you when the time comes? For self-published authors
What influenced your decision to self-publish?
Self-publishing gives greater control over your content. The turnaround time to get your book into ebook and print format is so much faster in the self-publish world. I have many friends who are self-published, and they have had great success with it. Publishing houses often take a huge cut of profits, so the benefit is really only getting your book in bookstores. Bookstores are sadly on their way out, so really being self-published makes a lot more sense right now.
What do you find to be the greatest advantage of self-publishing?
The greatest advantage of self-publishing is that you control your own content. You get a greater cut of the profits. I feel that if you have fans, you can really tailor your work to them and not have to change your message based on the publishing companies’ goals. It is about your own vision. I really think this is the way of the future.
Conversely, what do you think self-published authors might be missing out on?
I think self-published authors do miss out on a lot of the marketing available through publishing companies. Access to excellent editors, graphic designers, and someone to set up book tours is invaluable. However, all of these benefits can be self-taught or outsourced. You may have to spend your own money to get cover art or editing as a self-publisher. You may have to make connections to self-market your own books. Having a publishing company is easier for a newbie, but at a cost.
Do you believe that self-published authors can produce books as high-quality as the traditional published? If so, how do you think we should go about that?
To have high-quality books as a self-published author, you need to do your homework. You can design your own covers if you are comfortable, but it may turn out better if you hire someone to create your art. Ask around and find people you trust to be honest with you about your skills. The same can be said with editing your own books. I would never do it myself, when I know there are people who excel at each of these tasks that I can pay a reasonable price to. I always think having more eyes look at your novel is better. Errors are embarrassing and make people think you are unprofessional. Take your time to make things perfect and you won’t regret it.
How do readers find you and your books?
Valiant, He Endured: 17 Sci-Fi Myths of Insolent Grit (There Will Be Liberty Book 2) https://amzn.com/B01F2RLLGW
Echoes of Liberty (The Clarion Call Book 2) https://agorafest.com/index.php/echoes-of-liberty/
Heather Biedermann’s author page: https://heatherbiedermann.com/
Lela Markham is a multi-genre author whose books are available on Amazon and Createspace.
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I’ll have an interview and maybe a book related article … if I can get it finished. This workday starting on a Tuesday thing means today is Monday. Ugh!
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Today’s interview is with Oleg Konovalov, author of a book Organisational Anatomy: a Manager’s Guide to a Healthy Organisation. Welcome to the blog.
Thanks a lot for inviting to your blog! Great to be as far as Alaska, even virtually!
Tell us something about yourself.
I am originally from the northern area of Russia, Murmansk, which is above the Arctic Circle and similar to Alaska in terms of climate. For the last twenty years I am living in Birmingham (the UK) but still traveling to Russia to see family and friends from time to time. My work journey is quite colourful, from a deep-sea trawler engine room to the top managerial positions. I was operating businesses in the UK and internationally for 25 years and now concentrating on consultancy and lecturing. Feeling an irresistible craving for more knowledge went for MBA relatively late and eventually gained a doctoral degree from the Durham University Business School. So, I have two hats – practical and academic. I can be considered as self-made. All of these come irrelevant when I am on a river. I am very keen salmon fly-fisherman and nature lover.
That does sound a lot like the life we live in Alaska. At what point did you know you wanted to be a writer? (When did you write your first story, for example?)
I never thought that I will be writing business books – I am a hands-on entrepreneur and anything else is not for me. It was something not about me, for sure. Few years back my friend asks me to write a chapter for his book and it turned to be quite an interesting process. By that time I had a lot of research data on the nature and structure of informal relations in the Russian society and business which was a subject of my doctoral dissertation initially. I still resisted my friends who tried to motivate me on writing a book about it. I can’t tell exactly the moment my resistance to writing disappeared and I decided to give a try. I wrote two chapters on one breath and decided to carry on. It turns into a book “Hidden Russia; Informal Relations and Trust”. Whilst working on this book I started completely new research on developing a holistic view of organisations. This was absolutely natural ad very appealing to me as someone who thinks business most of the time. Here I heard this magic click – decision to look at business and organisations using completely different approach, to write not what I like but from a manager’s standpoint, to write without academic steroids and popular templates creating a value for thousands. Only after that I realised that I am a business writer and my writing adventure had begun turning into Organisational Anatomy: a Manager’s Guide to a Healthy Organisation.
Tell us about your writing process.
Surely, it must be a moment of inspiration and some sort of serendipity to see a gap in management knowledge. I am always questioning everything as far as I remember myself and looking for answers around, whether it will be people, own experience, books, nature, behaviour of wild creatures or other clues. Being a nature lover is a great advantage. Nature teaches us to think, listen, observe and feel deeply and often irrationally. Each business process is natural and well-structured unless we make it messy. Writing about business should be the same – natural, intuitively digestible, structured and metaphorical, at the same time. One must understand a river as a whole, understand every slightest change and be a natural part of this environment if he wants to catch a trophy fish. Business writing is similar to catching that trophy fish – be a natural part of it and not superiority to it, see a beauty of processes, and logic of business environment.
Own experience is not enough to talk about something in business. I am collecting few sets of interviews with managers from different countries, industries and positions. Hours and hours spent reading all relevant to a subject literature. Then, I am looking for metaphors which can make a discussion organic, live and interesting. It is some kind of a test on viability of my findings.
In my view, as humans we can’t create anything cleverer than we are created ourselves. I am starting with drafting a book plan, chapter by chapter, putting down what I want to say in each section and how it will fit and add value to the main message. Thinking of a book layout and flow of discussion, I am asking few times “why” for each paragraph, section and chapter. The very first draft is written without any editing, grammar revision and even with patchy phrases and sentences. This is a version for testing logic and flow of explanation. Like a sketch from where I am going into details. I am brave binning pieces which seems to me dry and not reader-friendly. So, writing few drafts, moving bits around, deleting and writing again. Then it comes to correcting a huge pile of errors. It is long way before I am satisfied with a final draft. Business book is not a financial report or operation manual and must be very engaging.
What are you passionate about?
There are few things which I am really passionate about – new business ventures, exploring something new, reading, and of course, fishing and fly-tying. I believe that good quality work always leads to a good result. Put your heart and passion into everything you do and it will be rewarded. Don’t be passionate about yourself but be passionate about what you do.
I like that attitude! Have you written any books that made a transformative effect on you? If so, in what way?
Writing changed the way I think in philosophical terms. It allowed me to think more spherically, adding volume to everything I see. Writing is a conversation with readers. Readers add more dimensions to my concept and I am learning from their reviews a lot. Business book is a digest of something exceptionally big and so, writing is maturing as an expert.
Where do you get the inspiration for your books?
Hemingway suggested that it is not author job to judge but to understand. Being the businessman I know well that many questions remain open for managers and surely need answers. I am inspired by these halls and gaps in business knowledge, pitfalls in practice and my strong desire to make things better where I can. Book is not for me but for all these people across the world from Alaska to Melbourne searching for answers. I want to save their sleepless nights and daily worries.
What sort of research do you do for your books?
I like and see it as necessary to talk with people a field. I am collecting full-scale open-ended interviews. For instance, I collected more than 130 interviews for my first book on Russian networks and almost hundred interviews were collected for my second book. Through reading of existing literature I am looking for unique approach for revealing problems and their nature. It may take a long while to gather and analyse all this pile of information. Any serious business book is a result of insightful research.
Do you have a special place where you write?
I don’t have a special place for writing. It could be my office, a terrace chair, coffee shop or on a plane. I always have a small notepad if I don’t have my computer with me. It is not a matter of place; it is a matter of time and inspiration.
Do you find yourself returning to any recurring themes within your writing and, if so, are you any closer to finding an answer?
Writing Organisational Anatomy inspired me to continue a discussion of immaterial or metaphysical organisational processes. I am working now on a next book aiming to provide more answers and practical suggestions about organisational culture and ideology. Hope, it will shed more light on complex organisational processes.
That sounds like an interesting project. Do you write from an outline or are you a discovery writer? Why?
I![Hidden Russia: Informal Relations and Trust by [Konovalov, Oleg, Norton, Andrew Laurence]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51c538hfclL.jpg)
am a discovery writer. We know very little about our life or processes we created ourselves; a fraction. I am not interested in repeating the same old stories using other words or pattern of discussion. Modern commerce desperately demands a next generation of sophisticated knowledge and understanding. If we would not learn how to manage processes effectively, then processes will be managing us. I see my role in discovering new horizons and encouraging others for brave and creative thinking.
What point of view do you prefer to write, and why?
Business books often concentrate on single process, or managers’ qualities, or on an author himself. I am standing on a position of organisation and synergy of functions. If we consider organisations as live bodies then it is pointless to write about one limb or part of the body. If we think of a newly born baby, are we concentrating on parents’ love to him or on the child’s health and growth? The same with organisations. Unfortunately, we often concentrate on our view of it making managers as outsiders, which is wrong in my view. It must be a holistic approach which considers how value can be added through effective functioning of organisation, its well-being and growth potentials. I am focused on a company itself.
This is my Alaska question which usually gets some funny answers, but you may too well-qualified for it. Here goes. I’m going to drop you in a remote Alaska cabin for a month. It’s summer so you don’t have worry about freezing to death. I’ll supply the food and the mosquito spray. What do you do while you’re there and what do you bring with you? If you’re bringing books, what are they?
Can I ask for few more months? Maybe a year? I love incredible North; and not bothered about cold, mosquitos, snow or rain. I will bring my fishing gear and need little to feel comfortable. It will be a great time for thinking, feeling myself, clear up my mind and strengthening my senses. Northern people are different – strong, wise, kind and supportive – I love them. And of course, fishing, mushrooms, berries. This would be a best time for reading Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hemingway, Jack London, and something historical.
That’s a great attitude to have with regards to the Alaska wilderness. Talk about your books individually.
So far I have two books published. The first one, Hidden Russia: Informal Relations and Trust, was published in 2014 and discusses a role, nature and structure of informal relations in the Russian society and business in terms of mutual support, access to resources , operational principles and social norms and codes. Russia is very different to other world in terms of social relations, values and principles, where informal networks play a critical role. This book is based on a biggest in the world qualitative data set and written in more rigorous style.
The most recent book Organisational Anatomy: a Manager’s Guide to a Healthy Organisation is released couple of month ago by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book offers a discussion of a new management concept, “Organisational Anatomy”, which views organisational processes and functions from a biological perspective. This approach naturally explains the ongoing internal and external organisational processes and optimum configuration of different organisations. Organisations are live creatures which are breathing, functioning, moving and developing inside their specific environments. Biological examples offer a useful way of making sense of complex ideas, because they can be related to everyday existence. As such, this allows the reader to intuitively understand the organisations where they work and with which they interact.
By classifying different types of organisations and looking at their biological functions, Organisational Anatomy links existing theories and discusses five archetypes of organisations, namely – producers, knowledge-dependent, location-dependent, donor-dependent and state-affiliated organisations. By looking into their specific features, the characteristics of organisations of different ages and level of maturity, the access and utilisation of resources, and the development of productive external relations, this book allows the insights into the role of each function in achieving superior business performance. The Organisational Anatomy approach allows the development of a holistic picture, and will allow business to achieve higher performance and recognise problems and difficulties by considering organisational pathologies and diseases.
Organisational Anatomy gained excellent endorsements from fDi Magazine (Financial Times), UK Trade & Investment and other top experts. Thanks to the encouraging readers’ reviews the book gone into Hot 100 Best Business Books.
Now, I am working on a next book which is devoted to a discussion of organisational culture as a company soul and catalyser of performance. This book logically continues the discussion offered in Organisational Anatomy.
Was it your intention to write a story with a message or a moral?
My intention is to motivate managers and entrepreneurs for action guiding them through complicated organisational world. I am focusing on issues which are important for all managers talking in understandable for all managers manner. I want readers to see this world as bright, multidimensional and fascinating.
What do you want readers to think or feel after reading one of your books?
I want readers to be confident in their capabilities, willing to get to the next level of professionalism through superior understanding, open their creative minds and be sure that impossible is possible.
You can find Oleg and his books on Amazon.
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Today’s interview is with Adrianne Lemke. Welcome to the blog, Adrianne. Tell us something about yourself.
I live in rural Wisconsin on a little hobby farm. We have two dogs, a bunch of chickens, several barn cats, a house cat, and two horses.
By day I am a Veterinary Assistant. By night, an author. I am part of a large family, but have no significant other. What I do have are three brothers, two sisters, two brothers-in-law, and two sisters-in-law. And with the married pairs, I have ten nieces and nephews and one more on the way.
I love horseback riding. I have been riding longer than I’ve been writing.
At what point did you know you wanted to be a writer?
When I went to college I saw the beginning of a story I had started writing in high school (at the request of a friend) and decided to continue writing it. Since then I have written several other novels, and have self-published four of them so far.
Tell us about your writing process.
I usually write with the TV on in the background. It usually works best to have something I’ve seen several times, so I don’t have to pay attention to it. I almost never plan what is going to happen, and when I try, the story usually goes in its own direction anyway.
Normally I don’t let anyone read my work until the full story is complete. Most of the time I end up writing a pretty decent chunk of the book, then decide I don’t like it, or it could be better, and I start it over from the beginning. Sometimes I wonder how those aborted efforts would have ended…
I have a similar writing process. What is your favorite genre … to read … to write?
So many favorites…I think fantasy is probably the one I most enjoy reading. For writing, I enjoy Paranormal/suspense.
When you are not writing, what do you do?
When I’m not writing, I am usually reading. I also spend time with my various pets, and do some horseback riding (when the weather cooperates). I also enjoy watching TV and movies.
My most recent hobby is making wire-wrapped trees and some jewelry items. I have an etsy store (Craftree Treasures) and hope others can enjoy the items I’ve made.
Are you a plot driven or character driven writer? Why?
I think more character driven. I am of the opinion that if people enjoy the characters, they will accept the situations the characters are in. That said, I don’t put much superfluous detail into my books. Most of the events and situations the characters find themselves in help to drive the plot forward.
Do you write from an outline or are you a discovery writer? Why?
I am a discover writer. Planning has never been my strong suit. Also, I always feel like if I don’t know how a certain situation is going to end, then the reader won’t necessarily know either. J
What point of view do you prefer to write, and why?
I enjoy writing in first person. I love being able to get in a character’s head and explore how they would react in any situation.
I’m going to drop you in a remote Alaska cabin for a month. It’s summer so you don’t have worry about freezing to death. I’ll supply the food and the mosquito spray. What do you do while you’re there and what do you bring with you? If you’re bringing books, what are they?
I would love to explore the area. I would bring my horses and ride all over the place. I would bring my computers and journals so I can keep up with my writing. (Can’t tell you how much I’d love that kind of uninterrupted writing time! J)
I would also bring my kindle so I could read in the time I’m not writing or riding around. I think it would be a very relaxing and productive month.
Talk about your books individually.
So far I have four novels I have self-published. Three of them are part of the same series. The Earthshaker Series starts with Tracker.
Tracker introduces Jason, a street kid with a dangerous secret; he has the power to control the ground. In Tracker, the main ‘big bad’ is Trevor Mason. He is a criminal who discovers Jason’s power, and wants to use it for his own gain.
Kindred is book two and continues Jason’s story. After the events in Tracker, he wants time to recuperate and get back to normal. One person prevents him from doing so; Kindred. Kindred is an assassin who worked with Trevor Mason, and now won’t leave Jason alone.
Hunter is book three. Two years after Kindred, Jason is working as a Private Investigator. He gets involved with a case that hits close to home.
The Earthshaker Series is a paranormal/suspense series, and I have two more books planned: Oblivion (book four) and Earthshaker (book five). As of right now Earthshaker is planned to be the final book in the series, but if more ideas hit, I am definitely willing to stay in Jason’s world a bit longer. J
The other book I have out is a Mystery/Thriller: Fear.
Fear is a novel I wrote as my undergraduate research project at Wisconsin Lutheran College. After a couple major revisions and editing, I decided to share it with the world. Fear is written in third person and tells Ryan Parker’s story. Ryan lost his parents as a child, and became a police officer to find their killer. The case is made more difficult by the fact that the killer has been stalking Ryan since the murders.
What do you want readers to think or feel after reading one of your books?
Mostly I simply hope they enjoy the story. I enjoyed writing them, and I would love to know that people are liking them.
What influenced your decision to self-publish?
I did attempt to go through traditional publishing first. I sent out several query letters, got a couple nibbles and chapter requests, but nothing panned out. After some encouragement from my family, I decided to self-publish.
What do you find to be the greatest advantage of self-publishing?
I get to keep all the rights to my books.
That is a great advantage. What do you think self-published authors might be missing out on?
There are a lot of people who won’t spend money on self-published books. So we’re missing out on some potential sales to readers who would most likely enjoy the books, but won’t take a chance. We also don’t have big-name publishers behind us to help with publicity and to help readers take us seriously.
I tend to agree that reader perception of self-published books is a problem for us. With the number of self-published books increasing by such a huge rate, it is really difficult for authors to make their books stand out. How do you go about this?
I use Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, my blog (adrianne-lemke.blogspot.com ) Instagram, and my website (adrilemke.com) to help promote my novels. I have also joined in a couple short story anthologies (Bite-Sized Offerings: Tales and Legends of the Zombie Apocalypse, and When Disasters Strike)
Who designed your book cover/s?
I have used two designers so far: David McGlumphy (designed the cover for Fear and the cover for Secret Power– a fantasy coming soon. He also designed the original covers for the first three Earthshaker series books)
Christian Bentulan is doing the redesigns on the Earthshaker series. I have had him re-do the first two covers so far.
Do you believe that self-published authors can produce books as high-quality as the traditional published? If so, how do you think we should go about that?
I do. I think self-published authors need to make sure their work is completely edited and as smooth as possible, get the best covers they can, and work with people to help market their work and get it out to the general public.
Do you write specifically for a Christian audience? Why or why not?
I do not. The stories I write are (mostly) clean, but I don’t want to limit my pool of potential readers. Eventually I may write a more Christian novel, but for now I am writing for everyone.
You and I are kindred spirits on that topic. What are some of the special challenges of being a Christian writer?
I want to make sure I don’t glamorize things that go against my faith. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m okay with things that are not okay with God.
Christians are told to be “in the world, but not of it.” As a Christian writer, how do you write to conform to that scripture?
I have my characters in situations that test their desire to remain good people. They have to fight desires for revenge, their fear, and other problems in order to stay good.
Where do readers find you and your books?
viewAuthor.at/AdrianneLemke
viewBook.at/Fear
Thank you for the opportunity!
Adri Lemke
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Today’s interview is with L.K. Kuhl. Welcome to the blog, Lynette. Tell us something about yourself.
Hello everyone, I am so happy to be here and I want to thank Lela Markham for having me today! My name is L.K. Kuhl, and I am from a small town in Nebraska. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 30 years. Together we have three children, 1 son-in-law, 2 dogs, and 2 grand-dogs. To pay the bills, my husband and I own a car dealership. He sells the cars and I do the paperwork. Most days, I have plenty of spare time to sit at my computer and plink away at the keys. I am very fortunate in this aspect to have all this time! If I had a full-time job, there would be no way I would get as much writing done as I do.
At what point did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I think it was in my twenties when I realized I wanted to be a writer. I found it fun to try my hand at children’s books, and I would read them to my children when they were little. Then I decided to write poems and songs. I sent a few of them into contests and one of my songs made first place at my local state fair for a song writing competition. I moved on to novels, which is my mainstay now and became a published author in September of 2015.
What is your favorite genre … to read … to write?
My favorite genre to both read and write would have to be Young Adult. I love the growing up and learning process that young teens go through and I love being able to help them solve problems in everyday life. My next favorite genres to both read and write are romances and adult novels. I love the ups and downs in relationships and most of my adult novels are based on real life experiences.
What is something you cannot live without?
The one thing I cannot live without are my children…my family. I wouldn’t know what to do without any of them. They are what puts joy in my heart and gives me a reason to get up every day.
When you are not writing, what do you do?
When I am not writing, I love to read or go for walks. My favorite thing is going out to eat or going vacationing with my family.
Where do you get the inspiration for your novels?
Most of my inspiration for my novels comes from real life experiences. Each of my books is sprinkled with a little true life events either by something that has happened to me or to someone I know.
Here is where I got the inspiration to write my first published Young Adult Paranormal Romance novel, Everlasting:
My brother-in-law had passed away about 6 months before I began writing Everlasting. One night he came to me in a dream. He stood right beside my bed and I was able to ask him questions about what life after death was like. I asked him about 5 or 6 questions and his answers came back to me so real and lifelike that I felt he was really there. Thus, Everlasting was born. I knew I had to incorporate his answers into a book. Although it is a work of fiction, some of his answers from my dream are here and I think you’ll find it intriguing.
And here is my inspiration for writing my second book, Chasm. Chasm is an Adult Romantic Suspense Novel:
I got the idea to write Chasm because my husband used to be an engineer for the railroad. Although my husband never worked with this gentleman directly, one of the engineers on the railroad hit and killed his wife and children with the train he was driving. It was no fault of the engineer. The wife did it deliberately to get back at her husband, the engineer. The engineer said the last thing he saw was his children looking up at him from the windows of the car.
Although this is a work of fiction, and this is just a story between two, make believe people, I felt compelled to tell his story about how utterly and completely devastating this would be. The engineer was never able to return to work after this.
Wow! That’s a powerful inspiration and so sad! If someone who hasn’t read any of your novels asked you to describe your writing, what would you say?
I would say that I pour my heart and soul into them. My books are very emotional. For me to write them and I hope they come across to readers in the same way I want them to. I love for readers to feel the raw emotion that is too hard to say or talk about.
Do you write from an outline or are you a discovery writer? Why?
I think I am a little bit of both. I get most of the story plotted out before I start on it, but discover a lot of it as I go along, filling in the parts I haven’t plotted lol. I think the reason for this is because I like to know where my story is going, it keeps me on a path, but sometimes the characters start talking and tell me where they want the story to go. I know it sounds crazy, but this has happened a couple of times to me.
What point of view do you prefer to write, and why?
I think I prefer first person point of view. It just seems to be easier for me because I can put myself into the character’s shoes easier this way.
I’m going to drop you in a remote Alaska cabin for a month. It’s summer so you don’t have worry about freezing to death. I’ll supply the food and the mosquito spray. What do you do while you’re there and what do you bring with you? If you’re bringing books, what are they?
Hum, this is a fun question. First of all, I would go exploring. I would love to see the scenic area and investigate my surroundings. Do a lot of hiking. And I would bring plenty of books. These would be by Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts, Jodi Picoult and also from my writer friends. I would bring my computer so that I could continue to get my writing done. I don’t like going too many days without writing. It keeps me on course this way if I keep at it. Plus I don’t forget things.
Talk about your books individually.
Everlasting is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance novel. Like I said earlier it is based on a conversation I had with my brother-in-law after he had died. He came to me in a dream and I was able to ask him about what life after death was like. Everlasting is about a first love romance between Tate and Sophia. Here is a blurb and an excerpt:
Dying isn’t a choice. For Sophia, it is a need.
Everlasting is the first book in the Everlasting Trilogy, a YA Paranormal Romance series.
Back Cover Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Sophia Bandell is scared of boys, and her biggest fear is dying. Boys make her uncomfortable and itchy and dying is …well …dying. She is ecstatic when her long lost friend calls her, inviting her to spend the summer with her on the beach at Charleston, South Carolina.
When a plastic saucer hits her in the head as she’s sunbathing, Sophia has no idea it will forever change the course of her life. It is there she comes face to face with the impressive Tate Forester.
She is scared and …itchy, but he’s gorgeous and she can’t shake him from her mind. They begin dating and Sophia soon knows he’s the one.
But things turn dark when she learns Tate isn’t the person she thinks he is, and the real reason her friend has brought her to the beach will teach her about life after death.
This everlasting summer on the beach gives Sophia a sweet taste of first love—the happiness as well as the heartbreak.
Excerpt:
We stood there and looked around, an awkward silence playing between us. Then he stepped closer and took my hand in his, sending a bolt of staggering electricity zipping through my chest. “Her hand fits perfectly in mine.” He whispered this, as if confirming it with someone. His gaze locked on it, analyzing, then with a shake of his head, he spoke louder. “Sophia, I’m sorry. I …I lied to you.”
I looked at him—bewilderment crinkling my face—and tried to understand. “Lied?” My voice broke. “I don’t get it.”
“I wasn’t sick that day. Well, in a way I was, I guess. The truth is, I was gut-sick. That guy …he was sitting by you the whole day …and …and he never left your side. I’d check throughout the day, but he was still there. I couldn’t help it. I was insanely jealous.” He looked down, his tone deepening as he flexed his fingers that were still laced through mine.
“What?” His words astounded me. I swiped my brow with my free hand. “You were jealous …of me?”
He released my hand and paced back and forth, the nervousness seeping through as he wrung his hands. “I know it’s stupid, but I couldn’t help myself. I love the way you laugh and …I like you, Sophia …a lot, and it hurt me to see you with someone else.”
He lifted his hair off his forehead, pushing it up. His eyes locked on mine again, captivating me. I couldn’t look away. My self-consciousness took over—heckling me. The way I looked right now—with my hair a matted mess from the mist, and no makeup on—must look ridiculous. I drew away, making myself smaller.
I laughed my nervous laugh and kicked the sand with my shoe. “Who, him? You mean …Brian?” My words wobbled, but I giggled, unable to believe that Brian talking to me could make anyone jealous.
If you think Everlasting sounds intriguing, you can find it at these sites. It just came out in audio in the middle of May but it won’t be available in paperback until late summer:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BW8WRK4?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everlasting-lk-kuhl/1123437578?ean=2940157684952
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/everlasting-26
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/everlasting/id1085166596?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
SmashWords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/616567
The 2nd book in The Everlasting Trilogy, called The Decision, will be out sometime this fall.
Chasm is my Adult Romantic Suspense Novel. It was written because a train engineer hit and killed his wife and children with the train he was driving. His wife was trying to get back at him over some argument they had had. In my novel, he goes insane and starts stalking Taylor Vine and her children. Here is a blurb and excerpt from Chasm:
Tag Line: What happens when you’re in love with your children’s abductor?
Blurb:
Taylor Vine thinks she can fight off the demons of her past when she moves back home to Estill Springs, Tennessee, but it doesn’t take long to see that things aren’t quite that easy. The bumps she hears in the night soon escalate, keeping her up at nights, and it isn’t long before her most precious possessions, her children, get abducted. She finds herself in a race against time to try to find them before it’s too late. One wrong move and the outcome could be disastrous.
Excerpt:
Her heart picked up its pace, and she reached for the phone. She hesitated, unsure whether to even answer it. But she plucked it from its receiver. “Hello?” Her voice slid out rickety and unsure.
The male voice on the other end was dark and deeply plagued with distress. It broke, and she struggled to make out what he was saying.
What she heard next was unimaginable; it didn’t sound human. The grief penetrated through the voice—through the phone—flanking it with wretched wails and sobs. “I’ve killed the children. Heaven…help me…I’ve killed the children.” The phone went silent.
Taylor’s knees buckled. “What?” The hyper pitch in her voice strained out. “Goodness gracious, who is this? What happened? Whose children?” Her knees about took her down again. She caught the edge of the counter, catching herself before she fell. “Answer me, for crying out loud! Don’t hang up on me!”
She listened desperately, plastering the phone to her ear. But the phone was silent. “Hello, hello? Answer me!” Frantically clicking the telephone cradle button, she tried to bring him back, but there was only a dial tone.
She pounded the phone on the counter so forcefully that the plastic mouthpiece broke into a million tiny pieces. She let it fall, left it dangling by its cord. Swiftly making her way to the hall closet, she rummaged through the plastic totes for a flashlight. “There has to be one in here somewhere,” she mumbled to herself. Extension cords and old Christmas lights spilled over onto the floor.
Finally finding a flashlight, she clicked it on. It was dim, but it would do. She ran back to the hall, to the children’s rooms, feeling no pain in her swollen ankle.
Flinging Cody’s door wide, she flashed the light toward the wall where his bed sat. In slow motion, the lonely, empty, disheveled bed yanked a horrifying scream from her gut, reverberating through the house. The earth quit spinning, and she was lost to oblivion. “NO! Not my children! Please, God…not my children.” She needed life support, couldn’t breathe; the air was being sucked from her body in rapid swells. She dropped to the floor, her world going black—closing in—smothering.
Not knowing how long she’d been out, Taylor struggled to her feet, she was sure it wasn’t long; it was still black outside, flashes of lightning still cracking in through the window. She raced to check on Nora. Her room was the same: deserted, hollow, puncturing a bleeding, oozing hole in Taylor’s chest the size of a large, bottomless chasm.
“For crying out loud, no…please, no.” The tears coursed down her face. She staggered numbly to Nora’s empty bed, collapsing on it, her hand reaching, groping—trying to find the warmth of her baby girl. But the only thing the tangled blankets and sheets offered her was a bleak and disgusting coldness. It shocked her through her hand. How long had they been gone? Time couldn’t wait, she needed to find them.
You can find Chasm at these sites:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F6PXFY6
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chasm-lk-kuhl/1123761841?ean=2940158502675
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/chasm/id1111084473?mt=11
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/chasm-14
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/635334
What do you want readers to think or feel after reading one of your books?
I want them to feel emotional. I want them to feel sadness but know that time does a great job of healing and fixing a broken soul. And I also want them to know that if they are stuck in a bad situation or feel hopeless or like they can never change, this couldn’t be further from the truth. People can change and fix themselves if they want to. They can get the help they need if they reach out and ask for it. Don’t keep yourself trapped in a hopeless situation.
Where can readers find you and your books?
You can follow me or see my next adventure by visiting me at these sites:
Website: https://kuhlreads.com/
Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kuhlreads
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lynettehoff1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lynettehofferbe/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l.k.kuhl/
Blogger: http://kuhlreads.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28674602-everlasting
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01BXDJGIY
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aurorawatcherak 