Interview with Historical Nonfiction Author James Diehl

James Diehl is an award-winning journalist who has covered Sussex County, Delaware for various media outlets since 1998. Since 2007, he has owned and operated a freelance writing company based in Seaford, Delaware and is also a partner in a Lewes, Delaware-based public relations and marketing firm. He is the author of one other work of non-fiction – Remembering Sussex County, from Zwaanendael to King Chicken, published in 2009 by The History Press.

James can be found online at www.twitter.com/sussexwriter, at www.facebook.com/sussexwriter or via www.ww2-heroes.com.

Q: Thank you for this interview, James. Can you tell us what your latest book, World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware, is all about?

James: World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware is a personal look into what the brave and heroic members of what Tom Brokaw once termed “The Greatest Generation” went through so that we may live as we do today in the United States of America. It’s a look at the war through the eyes of 48 men and 2 women who were there. There are tales from Asia, from Europe, from Africa, from North America…from famous battlefields, from ships at sea, from statewide and overseas. The stories are personal, they are emotional and they are so, so real. The accounts will give readers a whole new way of looking at the war and at the men and women who were a part of changing the course of world history.

World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware (click on cover to purchase)

Q: Is this your first novel?  If not, how was writing this novel different from writing your first?

James: This is actually my second book, both of which have been published this year. I’ve been asked that question a lot and my standard answer is this – Remembering Sussex County, my first book, was a lot of fun for me to write. I won’t say World War II Heroes wasn’t fun but, first and foremost, I feel it was a very important book for me to write. It’s essential for people to realize the sacrifices these brave men and women made so that we may live the way we do today in the greatest country in the world. In regards to methodology, this book was a much more intense experience. It took many hours, much patience and a whole lot of tweaking over the course of two years. But, I’m very proud of the final product.

Q: How difficult was it writing your book?  Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?

James: It’s never easy and it took a couple of years to pull it all together. But I feel it was worth it; I’m very happy with the way it turned out. As for writer’s block, we all experience days where that rears its ugly head. When it happens to me, I generally go for a walk or a run if the weather is nice. If it’s winter time, I need to be a little more creative. I may let my 3-year-old use me as a trampoline for a few minutes or take my wife out for lunch. Anything I can to get away from the computer and clear my mind.

Q: How have your fans embraced your latest novel?  Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?

James: It’s still strange to think of myself as having “fans.” But it has been well received thus far. Pre-sales went well and I’m hopeful that the book will do even better moving forward. As for experiences, I hardly know where to begin. When you interview 50 veterans from one of the most important times in history, you’re going to collect some pretty important and emotional stories. As for myself, the thing that really hit me is that these opportunities will soon be lost forever. Five of the 50 people featured in my book passed away before the book could even be published. That was quite sobering.

Q: What is your daily writing routine?

James: I have two young children at home, so my day usually begins between 4 and 5 o’clock in the morning. I try to get as much done as I can while the house is still quiet and I can really be alone with my thoughts. From there, I have breakfast with my daughter, take her to school and then get back to work. By mid-afternoon, I usually turn to doing interviews, marketing-related items and scheduling for the following day.

Q: When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?

James: Unfortunately, those times seem to be less and less frequent these days. But I do live in a coastal area and, in the spring and summer months, I like going to the beach with my family and enjoying all that southern Delaware has to offer. I also enjoy reading, of course.

Q: What book changed your life?

James: I can’t say any one book changed my life, but reading about Watergate and the role Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein played in exposing the scandal got me interested in the field of journalism. That love of writing eventually morphed into my first book, which piqued my interest to do more.

Q: If someone were to write a book on your life, what would the title be?

James: Devotion

Q: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”

James: That when I start on something, I’m completely incapable of doing it halfway. I give it everything I have, sometimes bordering on obsession. It’s just the way that I work, but it’s hard for some people to understand that.

Thank you for this interview James.  I wish you much success on your latest release, World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware!

Book Excerpt: World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware by James Diehl

Ed Roberts will never forget the day American tanks rolled into Moosburg, Germany – more specifically into “the hole” the Germans called Stalag 7-A, a prisoner of war camp where the Pennsylvania native spent nine months as a guest of the German government during World War II.

It was, as a fellow prisoner later penned in his memoirs, a day when he saw 10,000 men cry. “You just can’t imagine the joy we felt after almost a year of making do under all kinds of situations,” Roberts says.

When American tanks rolled into the compound and started distributing K-rations, Roberts – who at the time was down to a mere 135 pounds – and his fellow prisoners started gobbling them down like they were candy.

“But after all that time, nothing tasted good,” he remembers.

As a prisoner of war in Germany, Roberts and his fellow captives called themselves kriegies – short for the German word kriegsgefangenan, which appropriately translates to “prisoner of war.”

As a kriegie, Roberts essentially had no rights. But when the American flag was raised over Moosburg in April, 1945, he realized his time in “German hell” was over.
Decades ago, former kriegies started the “Kriegie Klarion,” a monthly newsletter for those who suffered in German prisoner of war camps during World War II. Vernon L. Burda, who was in Stalag 7-A with Roberts, penned the following passage after the camp was liberated by American soldiers on April 29, 1945.

It still rings true to Roberts today.

“…for no apparent reason, a hush fell over the compound and all eyes turned toward the town in which stood two high church steeples. [More than] 20,000 eyes saw machine gun bullets splatter against the steeples – a period of quiet – and then it occurred. [It was] a scene, the happening of which brought tears streaming down the face of every single American prisoner of war there, and a sob from every throat.”

The passage continues: “We saw the greatest sight – the most emotional minute that we would probably ever witness. Raised before our eyes and flying defiantly above one of the church steeples was the symbol of our beloved land. The American flag!”

It was an emotional end to a fantastic journey that saw Roberts leave Pennsylvania State University and transverse the American landscape while training to become a fighter pilot. Joining the U.S. Army Air Corps on Nov. 11, 1942, all he ever wanted to do was fly.

“That was always my interest,” he says simply. “I took all kinds of physical and mental tests and, after that period, people in charge would say if you should be a pilot or a bombardier, or whatever. My classification was a fighter pilot.”

Roberts spent time training across the South, including stops at military facilities in Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia and Florida. He even spent about a month flying P-47 Thunderbolts at Dover Army Airfield, now Dover Air Force Base. Finally, in the summer of 1944, he was sent to England and assigned to the 412th Squadron of the 373rd Fighter Group.

His unit was based on the beaches of Normandy following the D-Day invasion – Roberts says he’ll never forget the first time he flew over the famed beachhead.
“After the invasion, the Americans stayed in one place and they brought in all kinds of supplies,” says Roberts, who missed participating in the D-Day invasion by just two weeks. “Every free space on that beach was loaded down with supplies. It’s hard for people to understand the enormity of the whole thing. All we could see when flying over was hundreds of ships in the water and lots of supplies on the beaches.”

Taking off from Normandy to the south, Roberts says he would only be in the air for 400 to 500 yards before he was over enemy lines and, thus, taking enemy fire. He flew four missions before being shot down and taken prisoner – he still remembers it as if it was yesterday.

–Book excerpt from World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware by James Diehl.  You can visit the author’s website at www.ww2-heroes.com or purchase his book here.

Interview with Children’s Picture Book Author Diana Rumjahn

Diana Rumjahn received her bachelor’s degree in social science from San Francisco State University and has worked at the university for over the past two decades. She is currently an administrator at College of Creative Arts, where she received the “Star of the Month Award.” She wrote, directed, filmed, produced and edited the international award-winning film Going Home, which has been shown worldwide. Charlie and Mama Kyna is her first published book. You can visit Diana on the web at www.dianarumjahn.com.

Q: Thank you for this interview, Diana. Can you tell us what your latest book, Charlie and Mama Kyna, is all about?

A: Charlie and Mama Kyna is a charming book with beautiful illustrations for children. The story and illustrations are based on my internationally acclaimed film, Going Home, which was shown worldwide, including 45 film festivals and London Film Festival.

The story is about a little stuffed animal frog, named Charlie who runs away in fear after accidentally breaking his mother’s favorite vase. Charlie makes his way to the city and meets a stuffed animal Lion, named Leo and a stuffed animal giraffe named Joe outside Mrs. Cupcake’s Bakery. The three become best friends and live inside a little orange tent outside the bakery.

After awhile, Charlie becomes homesick, misses his mother, Kyna, decides to go home and invites Leo and Joe to live with them. On the next sunny day, Charlie, Leo and Joe, journey to find Mama Kyna’s home.

Q: Is this your first novel?  If not, how has writing this novel different from writing your first?

A:  Yes.

Q: How difficult was it writing your book?  Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?

A:  It was a little challenging. When writer’s block happens, I stop writing and take a break. Listening to my favorite music, drinking a hot cup of tea and or taking a walk helps me break up writer’s block. Sometimes I would completely drop the current project and move on to the next. Later on, new ideas for the project being shelved will flow automatically.

Q: How have your fans embraced your latest novel?  Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?

A: They have asked me for another book and film. Everyone has a favorite picture in mind.

Q: What is your daily writing routine?

A: I do not have a set routine. When I am inspired to write, I can write every minute of the day until the project is done.

Q: When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?

A: I listen to inspiring music by Enya, watch a movie that I have never seen before, concentrate on the next film project, start filming on the new project, take a walk, or hang out at a café.

Q: What book changed your life?

A:  For me, it would not be a book. My film, Going Home, changed my life.

Q: If someone were to write a book on your life, what would the title be?

A:  If Only

Q: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”

A: That I am a filmmaker and author who creates the lives of stuffed animals on film.

Thank you for this interview, Diana.  I wish you much success on your latest release, Charlie and Mama Kyna.

Thank you for interviewing me. It was pleasure.

Book Excerpt: For the Love of St. Nick by Gary Maccagnone

Typically, when Johnny wasn’t feeling well, I tried to lift his spirits by telling him stories about mom and dad. The commander, vigilant in his hope to preserve mother’s memory, told many of the tales to me. In our old home, I sat on his lap on many nights while he showed old photographs of their courtship days or read me letters mother had written when the two were briefly apart.

Johnny’s favorite story was about the little game mom and the commander played on me on Saturday mornings – the mornings I knew cartoons were on. Since the television sat up high on top of a dresser, they were the only two who could turn it on. To wake them, I stood at the end of their bed and tickled their feet with a wild turkey feather. When I tickled the commander’s big ugly calloused foot my mother laughed. When I tickled my mother’s smooth petite foot the commander laughed. Every time I told Johnny that story he smiled, even if he had a high temperature.

Before falling asleep, Johnny often asked me about our mother. One time, using my nickname, he said, “Tiger, tell me how purdy mommy was.”

Our favorite photograph of mother was placed on the fireplace mantel. We called it the “Big Rock Picture” since she was standing on a giant rock while taking a break from a hiking expedition in New England. From my viewpoint, Mother was looking directly into my soul. The autumn wind played with her long blonde hair and she was smiling, smiling like she was so sure of herself, so confident, so healthy and vibrant. It was a smile I kissed a thousand times during the tender moments of my dreams.

“See Johnny, see how pretty she was?” Johnny took the picture from me and kissed and held it to his chest.

“Mommy will protect me tonight,” he said to me. Then he added, “Love you Tiger.”

“I love you more ya big dope,” I retorted back.

“You think mommy got on that big rock with a hoptacopter?”

By the time I got around to explaining how mother ended up on the giant rock, Johnny was fast asleep.

–Book Excerpt from For the Love of St. Nick by Gary Maccagnone.  You can visit Gary’s website at www.garasamomaccagnone.com or purchase his book here.  Stay tuned for my review on Wednesday!

Interview with Children’s Fantasy Author Victoria Simcox

Victoria, known as Vicki, was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She has one older sister. When she was 7, Vicki moved with her family to British Columbia. Then in her early twenties to Western Washington, where she now resides in Marysville WA. She has been married for almost 20 years, and has 3 children. For the past 10 years, she has home schooled her children, and she also teaches elementary school art. Her other family members are, a Chihuahua, named Pipsy, 2 cats, named Frodo and Fritz, and 1 parakeet, named Pauly. She did have a pet rat named Raymond; when she started writing The Magic Warble, but sad to say, he has since passed away of old age. Vicki enjoys writing, reading, painting watercolors, good movies and just hanging out with friends and family. Her favorite author is C.S. Lewis, and one of her fondest memories is when she was 12. She would sit at the kitchen table, and read the Chronicles of Narnia to her mother while she cooked dinner. These magical stories were very dear to Vicki and she remembers wishing, If only I could go to Narnia like Lucy and Susan. Vicki hopes that maybe she can touch someone with her story in a similar way.

Website: www.themagicwarble.com

Blog: victoriasimcox.blogspot.com

Facebook: Victoria Simcox

youtube book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cax8Pbpa7E

Thank you for this interview Victoria. Can you tell us what your latest book, The Magic Warble, is all about?

My book, The Magic Warble, is a fantasy story, listed as Juvenile fiction, but I feel it is for all ages. I’d say Juvenile and Young adult fiction are still my favorite categories to read.

Growing up reading CS Lewis’s beloved Narnia Chronicles has influenced me in writing The Magic Warble. My story is about a 12 year old girl named Kristina Kingsly, who hates to go to school because she doesn’t fit in. She’s bullied by some of the kids, and they make her daily life miserable. I created this aspect of my main characters life, because as a child, I had experienced dealing with bullies in school myself, and I remember hating to go because of them.

My parents owned their own piano store and they up and moved it many times, so before the age of 13, I had made 5 major moves, and had been to 7 different public schools. I can remember this being difficult for me, especially having to leave friends I had made, and even worse having to make new ones, which I was not good at.

I named the main character “Kristina” after my daughter Kristina, who is now 14. Even so, my book’s character is not characterized after my daughter.  Kristina in The Magic Warble is definitely her own unique person.

In the story, Kristina receives a gift from her teacher at school, and it’s this gift that magically takes her to another world, where she finds out that she not only fits in, but is chosen for a very important task, and if she completes the task, she will change the destiny of the land. Throughout her journey, Kristina meets all kinds of characters, such as dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals and a teenage boy named Werrien, who ends up going along with her on her adventure. Along her perilous journey, she will not only have her strength tested but her heart as well.

I wrote this story because, I love fairy tales and fantasy stories, and I have a big imagination that I thought I may as well put to good use. Once I got started writing the manuscript, I couldn’t stop. My characters seemed to take on a life of their own and I felt that I owed it to them to finish their story. This may seem a little weird, but when you spend a great amount of time writing a story, you do, or at least I do get very attached to my characters.

Even though The Magic Warble is a fantasy filled with adventure, suspense and intrigue, the underlying message is one of faith, hope, perseverance, friendship and love.

The Magic Warble (click on cover to purchase)

Is this your first novel?  If not, how has writing this novel different from writing your first?

This is my first novel.

How difficult was it writing your book?  Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?

I would say that writing The Magic Warble was difficult at times because I did experience writers block and I still do. When this happens, my first instinct is to stress out about it, but that only has an adverse effect on my creative writing. What I’ve found works best for me, is to do the exact opposite. I usually take a break from writing for a day or two, and try not to think about it at all. This allows my mind to relax and when I relax new ideas come to me.

How have your fans embraced your latest novel?  Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?

I have had many kids tell me that The Magic Warble is their favorite book. One young boy of 10 years old, who reads, but never finishes books, read my book in a couple of days. He said he couldn’t put it down, and that he was going to read it again right after he had finished it. One lady told me that the ending made her cry. Another young girl made me a card, thanking me for writing my story and told me that she could relate to my main character Kristina, who gets bullied at school, for she is experiencing the same thing. I also get asked quite often, when the sequel will be available.

What is your daily writing routine?

I think that I have an unusual daily writing routine. I only write for about 10 minutes at a time, and then get up and do other things like cooking and laundry for about 10 minutes at a time as well. So I’m up and down from my computer about every 10 minutes from morning till night, but this way I get what needs to be done around the house and I get my writing in as well as relieve my back and legs more often from sitting to long.

When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?

House work, or homework with my kids. I always look forward to watching a little TV or a good movie at night before I go to bed.

What book changed your life?

I can’t say that any book has changed my life, but the books that have been a great influence on me in writing The Magic Warble is C S Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia

If someone were to write a book on your life, what would the title be?

Journey to a Dream. The life of Victoria Simcox

Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”

That my underlying theme in The Magic Warble is one of faith, hope, perseverance friendship and love.

Thank you for this interview Victoria.  I wish you much success on your latest release, The Magic Warble!

Interview with Avi Perry, author of “72 Virgins”

Joining us today is Avi Perry, author of the suspense thriller novel, 72 Virgins. Avi  grew up in Israel. As a teenager and throughout his college years, he was a professional musician. He financed his student life with numerous gigs, playing with his Israeli band, writing songs, playing the various keyboard instruments, and enjoying listening to his performances on the Israeli radio (there was no MTV in late 60s Israel). He still plays and writes music, but as a hobby (at home), rather than as a line of work. During the Six-Day-War in 1967, he served in the Israeli military, in the field intelligence unit, and gained valuable and relevant experience in covert communications technology and a variety of spy craft and methods.

He has spent the past four decades in the US, first as a Ph.D. student, then as a professor at Northwestern University, a Bell Laboratories – distinguished staff member, and finally as Vice President at NMS Communications. He signed for early retirement in 2004 with the intention of writing a technical book. The title Fundamentals of Voice Quality Engineering was published by Cambridge University Press in 2007 and became very popular. Readers praised the book for its thoroughness and for my refreshing, unique and entertaining writing style, atypical among technical writers. Throughout Avi’s tenure at NMS, he wrote many short (humor-packed, peppered with company culture) satires, technical reports, white papers (published on company website), press releases, and more.

One may find more information on his websites (www.aviperry.org and www.aviperry.com ).

Avi’s latest book 72 Virgins is built on life experiences that combine technology know-how, familiarity with spy craft and human intelligence (HUMINT), understanding of Middle Eastern cultures and history, a great sense of humor, and a talent for writing—all breathe authenticity into the setting.

Q: Thank you for this interview, Avi. Can you tell us what your latest book, 72 Virgins, is all about?

Avi: 72 Virgins is a novel about Jihad terrorism and the security agencies’ struggle to thwart its stratagem and trounce the perpetrators. Abu Musa is an Islamic Terrorist with an agenda, a ticking bomb inside the US. Arik Golan is an Israeli who tries to bring him down and pull the plug on his terror organization. Stanley Cramer is an FBI agent on a hunting mission, seeking to place both Abu Musa and Arik within his crosshair. The FBI, the Israeli Foreign Intelligence Service—the Mossad, the US-based Iranian clandestine terror network, and the Islamic Jihad fraternity are engaged in a timeless conflict, playing out to a crescendo that comes to a head before the dramatic conclusion.

The book draws on current world events, politics, cultural divisions, international intrigue and religious fanaticism. It is masterly plotted, thrilling, captivating, replete with stealth, and above all, enlightening.

The story offers an ample dose of realism, a cast of intense characters who engage in love, lust, and violence. It portrays the Jihad culture with its rationale and the volcano that breeds an irrational obsession with death. Moreover, it builds on the Jihadists’ motivation for targeting so many innocents and exploiting the victims’ massacre as a stepping-stone to their dream of eternal paradise next to Allah’s throne.

The real question is not whether Jihad terrorists’ plots will ever cease to emerge – there is no chance of that. The question the book seeks to answer is—will the next one be stopped before it’s too late?

Q: Is this your first novel? If not, how has writing this novel different from writing your first?

Avi: This is my first novel, but it’s not my first book. My first was a non-fiction book—Fundamentals of voice Quality Engineering in Wireless Networks, published by Cambridge University Press in 2007. The writing of a novel is very different from the writing of a reference book or a textbook. Although both types require extensive research, the writing of a thriller is much more fun.

Have you ever tried playing God? If not, then try your hand at the writing of a novel. You land at the perfect universe. You create it, you control it, you make people do things, say things that you would never do or say yourself. You can be politically incorrect by letting your opinions out through a particular character. You can deliver your point of view by way of a confrontational dialog, which you would always win. You can kill people, but then you can do something that even God does not do. You can change your mind and rewrite the scene.

And then, you sit and watch how people enjoy your creation. That’s where you gain most of your satisfaction. If your book reviews are favourable and complimentary, you would feel that you made it—at least half way.

Q: How difficult was it writing your book? Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?

Avi: Writer’s blocks do happen. It’s part of an inevitable process. The story hit a dead-end. You have no idea how to proceed. It seems as if the major conflict you originated as the driving force of your plot has just been resolved. There is nothing more you can add to spice up and move on the story. What do you do?

The only thing you can do is keep thinking. A new inspiration may jump at you during your morning shower, your midnight snooze, or in the course of a lonely game of freecell. A new twist, the initiation of a new conflict, the introduction of a new subplot may suddenly develop in your head. It may not be complete, but once you sit down and begin documenting it, spring may turn up once again, flowers will start blossoming and creativity will re-emerge.

Q: How have your fans embraced your latest novel? Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?

Avi: When I Googled my name I discovered that fans were discussing my book on line. It’s the utmost feeling of gratification.

72 Virgins by Avi Perry (click on cover to order online)

Q: What is your daily writing routine?

A: It’s a 24×7 routine with large breaks in between. There is no particular schedule; there is no particular time off.

Q: When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?

A: I never relax. I am a workaholic. Still, I find time for reading books when I can’t do my own work.

Q: What book changed your life?

A: I can’t think of a single book that changed my life. I have read plenty of books that deal with a particular period in history. Understanding and studying history has changed my outlook on many aspects of life and culture.

Q: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”

A: I am passionate about my viewpoint. I am impatient with ignorant people who believe they know what they do not understand.

Thank you for this interview, Avi, I wish you much success on your latest release, of 72 Virgins.

Avi: 72 Virgins is a novel about Jihad terrorism and the security agencies’ struggle to thwart its stratagem and trounce the perpetrators. Abu Musa is an Islamic Terrorist with an agenda, a ticking bomb inside the US. Arik Golan is an Israeli who tries to bring him down and pull the plug on his terror organization. Stanley Cramer is an FBI agent on a hunting mission, seeking to place both Abu Musa and Arik within his crosshair. The FBI, the Israeli Mossad, the US-based Iranian clandestine terror network, and the Islamic Jihad fraternity are engaged in a timeless conflict, playing out to a crescendo that comes to a head before the dramatic conclusion.

The real question is not whether Jihad terrorists’ plots will ever cease to emerge – there is no chance of that. The question the book seeks to answer is—will the next one be stopped before it’s too late?

The story offers an ample dose of realism, a cast of intense characters who engage in love, lust, and violence. It portrays the Jihad culture with its rationale and the volcano that breeds an irrational obsession with death. Moreover, it builds on the Jihadists’ motivation for targeting so many innocents and exploiting the victims’ massacre as a stepping-stone to their dream of eternal paradise next to Allah’s throne.

“After all the edits and tweaks, I fall in love with it again”: Interview with Sheila Roberts, author of Angel Lane

Joining us today is multi-published Sheila Roberts, author of the women’s fiction novel, Angel Lane (St. Martin’s Press).

Writing since 1989, she has had twenty-four books published both in fiction and non-fiction under different names and in different languages. Her books are making best-seller lists on a regular basis and her novel On Strike for Christmas is becoming a Christmas perennial, and will be in the stores again this year for the third year in a row. When she’s not speaking at conferences or hanging out with her girlfriends she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.  You can visit her website at www.sheilasplace.com.

Thank you for this interview, Sheila. Can you tell us what your latest book, Angel Lane, is all about?

Sheila: Angel Lane is a about three friends who decide to bring their community together by launching a grass roots good deeds campaign . . . and quickly learn that no good deed goes unpunished. Poor Emma Swanson helps the town mooch and slashes prices at her quilt shop to the point of teetering on extinction. Sarah Goodwin, who is going through granddaughter withdrawals, decides to offer a baking class for local little girls and winds up with a future baker who has very sticky fingers. Oh, yes, and she also finds her new neighbor the lounge lizard is determined to mistake neighborliness for a bad case of Desperate Housewives disease. Jamie Moore, who owns the local chocolate shop, is determined not to fall in love again, but well, you know what they say: never say never. Lost cats, mixed signals, and backfiring good deeds – is it worth it? Absolutely.

Is this your first novel?  If not, how has writing this novel different from writing your first?

Sheila: No. I’ve been doing this for a while. One thing never changes: my process. I start out loving the book, reach a point where I realize I’m working and hate the book, then, finally, after all the edits and tweaks, I fall back in love with it all over again. I’m proud of this book and think it’s both fun and encouraging. In short, a good read! (And I must say, the recipes are fabulous.)

Q: How difficult was it writing your book?  Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?

Sheila: Like I said, it was work. But I didn’t experience writer’s block, and I think that is because I had pretty well planned out where I was going. I think writer’s block is often a case of getting lost in your own story. Really knowing where you want to go helps avoid getting lost. Not that things don’t change along the way, but still, when you’ve got your route mapped you can afford to stop and explore some side roads.

Q: How have your fans embraced your latest novel?  Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?

Sheila: Too early to know that. I sure hope they will like it. I will say that some of the experiences in the book were based on my own. I have a scene in the book where one of my characters gets bitten by a dog when she’s passing out invitations to the organizational meeting for the “Put the Heart in Heart Lake” campaign. Well, guess who that happened to! I was going around the neighborhood passing out fliers for our first ever community picnic and got bitten by someone’s dog. I felt almost as badly for the dog’s owner as I did for me. (Almost.) The poor woman was mortified. Needless to say, that was the last flier I passed out. Ever.

Q: What is your daily writing routine?

Sheila: I work hard but I don’t have set office hours. I usually get started around mid-morning and then log in about four hours. Or five. Or six. It all depends. I always make a point to schedule my writing around my social life. In September I traveled around Germany with my husband and son. I sat in the backseat and worked on my new book, writing it out long hand in a notebook. This beat looking out the window at all the crazy drivers roaring around us trying to kill us.

Q: When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?

Sheila: Oh, wow. So much. I love tennis, volleyball and dancing. I love to go to chick flicks and play games with my girlfriends and snuggle on the couch watching the tube with my hubby. I love to entertain and read and I am addicted to “Dancing with the Stars”.

Q: What book changed your life?

Sheila: The Bible.

Q: If someone were to write a book on your life, what would the title be?

Sheila: Dingbats Among Us.

Q: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”

Sheila: Gosh, I don’t think I can answer that. I’m pretty much an open book. Oh, wait. How about this? I tend to speak before I think. (When you talk as much as I do this can happen.) Sooo, if I ever say something dumb, know I’m not really dumb – I’m just not thinking. There is a difference, right? J

Thank you for this interview, Sheila.  I wish you much success on your latest release, Angel Lane!

Interview with USA Today Bestselling Author Dianne Castell

Joining us today is USA Today bestselling author Dianne Castell.  Diane writes for Kensington Brava and also a monthly interview column for Romance Writers Report.  Her books have won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award and have been on the cover of Romantic Times Magazine, as well as being included in the Rhapsody Book Club, Doubleday Book Club and has made the Waldenbooks Bestseller list.  The second book in her Savannah Sizzles series for the Brava line, Hot and Irresistible, hits the shelves Nov. ‘09 and her next book, Hot Summer Nights, is out May ‘10.  Dianne is here to talk about her newest book, Hot and Irresistible.

Thank you for this interview, Dianne . Can you tell us what your latest book, Hot and Irresistible, is all about?

Hot and Irresistible is the second book in my Savannah Sizzles series. It’s Bebe and BrieAnn’s story and the men they fall in love with. Bebe is a detective in Savannah and a friend is accused of an old murder then new murders. Donovan McCabe, a Yank, is called in to solve the case putting Bebe and Donovan in opposite sides of the case during the day but the same side of the bed at night. Bebe was adopted by a woman who hated her…so why did she adopt Bebe? BrieAnn was adopted by judge and when she falls for Beau who’s father is accused of running an illegal gambling casino, the judge is not happy. What’s Brie to do? The heart wants what the heart wants but she loves her dad.

Click on book cover to purchase at Amazon!

Is this your first novel?  If not, how has writing this novel different from writing your first?

Hot and Irresistible is my twentieth book and it’s a bit more of a mystery then my first book. My first was a Harlequin American, Court-appointed Marriage. All the books are a blast to write and it’s fun to visit the different setting. Texas for the first, now Savannah. It’s like taking a mini vacation. And with a single title book such as Hot and Irresistible there’s a secondary story to play with as well.

How difficult was it writing your book?  Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?

Hot and Irresistible is one of those books of the heart. I love, love, love Savannah. I love the people, the speak, the little bit slower way of life and love. I love the food and going to The Pink House for crab cakes and Savannah Bistro for garlic grits that are to die for. And I love this old city and how it’s been restored. The twenty-one squares with the live oaks and dim lights at night, the cobble stone streets, how the whole city is under a canopy of trees protecting it from the summer sun and I especially love the restored mansions and old houses loaded with history and a few ghosts to make it all so interesting

And as for writer’s block you simply keep going and writing as you do with any job that suddenly gets tough. No stopping.

How have your fans embraced your latest novel?  Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?

Everyone loves humor and Hot and Irresistible has a lot as well as emotional moments and of course the mystery. Hot and Irresistible is especially a book of the heart as I used my brother as a model for one of the characters. My brother’s name is Ray and he lives in Cleveland so I have a character named Ray Cleveland. He’s sixty-something and a terrific guy and the one accused of the murders that are tearing at the relationship between Bebe and Donovan.

What is your daily writing routine?

I write when I can. My best time is the morning…the golden hours. I’m most creative then but I write when I get the chance.

When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?

I work part-time at the Snoot Fox, an up-scale consignment shop. I can chat with the gals and look at pretty clothes and shop. Fun stuff and good company!

What book changed your life?

The Prophet. I still have a copy of it by my desk now. I read it when I was twenty, tried to live my life and raise my kids by that philosophy. Love that book!

If someone were to write a book on your life, what would the title be?

She was a good mom. I value family above all and have four incredible kids. What a great life.

Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”

I’m pretty much an open book kind of person. I don’t have many surprises. It think those who want to know me do. I’m pretty uncomplicated. Family, kids, friends…the best things in life!

Thank you for this interview, Dianne.  I wish you much success on your latest release, Hot and Irresistible!

You can visit her website at DianneCastell.com or email her at DianneCastell@hotmail.com.

Guest Blogger: Emily Arsenault, author of The Broken Teaglass

Dictionary Dreamin’

When I was eleven, I spent an afternoon looking up dirty words in a dictionary with a friend. We had a grand time laughing together at how stiff and academic the wordings of those definitions were. Of course we didn’t really consider that they were written by actual people. And never did I think I would someday be one of those people.

But somehow, at the age of twenty-two, I ended up in the editorial department of Merriam-Webster in Springfield, MA. I’d just graduated with a degree in philosophy, and having no clue what to do with the rest of my life, sent a resume to Merriam on a whim. But from the very first time I saw the citation files, they fascinated me: rows of drawers resembling a card catalogue, full of millions of citations (or cits) drawn from books, magazines, newspapers, advertisements, etc.  I’d be spending  my days working with words, flipping through piles of those citations.

Perhaps fitting—after my eleven-year-old behavior—that the first word I ever worked on was ass. It wasn’t assigned to me specifically. Editors simply sign out boxes of citations for small portions of the alphabet, and the ass-assembly line box was next in line when my two fellow trainees and I ceremoniously signed out our first boxes. Citation after citation for ass. I had several questions, so I sheepishly brought them to my boss. I struggled to keep a straight face as we discussed ass in hushed tones in his corner cubicle. Most of the new cits were for the use of ass to refer to the whole person (e.g. “Get your ass over here!”). But to my disappointment, someone had already added that sense of the word to the definition. After ass, I eagerly tackled assacu, assagai, assail …

Soon, however, the novelty of defining wore off, and I began to I find the silence of the editorial office difficult to take. My coworkers were not unfriendly—the work we did simply didn’t require a great deal of discussion. On top of that, I was shy and afraid of making usage errors when speaking to more seasoned editors.

The solitude tended to give way to daydreaming. When I’d come across older handwritten citations, I wondered about the people who had written them. Who were they—behind the disciplined anonymity of their work? Were they ever driven a bit crazy by the silence, as I often was? I’d heard that in previous decades the quiet of the office had been even more severe. Talking was frowned upon. Editors were encouraged to communicate through interoffice memo whenever possible. I imagined office romances being conducted on paper, the evidence stashed in the cit files.

Once, while shuffling through the files, I imagined myself stumbling upon something scandalous—or even dangerous—in the citation files from days past. It wasn’t a story or book idea at the time—just one of those passing “if-my-life-were-a-movie” kind of thoughts.  But since my life has never been much like a movie, no such citation appeared—on that or any other day of my four years there.

Long after I’d left Merriam-Webster, though, I started a story about a secret being hidden in the files of a dictionary company—and that story became The Broken Teaglass. In a way, the novel satisfies my original childish impulse—to seek something secret and forbidden in the dictionary—and to discover a little unexpected humor and humanity there beneath all of the formality. 

Emily Arsenault has worked as a lexicographer, an English teacher, a children’s librarian, and a Peace Corps volunteer. She wrote The Broken Teaglass to pass the long, quiet evenings in her mud brick house while living in rural South Africa. She now lives in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, with her husband. You can visit Emily Arsenault’s website at www.emilyarsenault.com.

Interview with Family Plots Author Mary Patrick Kavanaugh

Mary Patrick Kavanaugh recently launched her first novel, Family Plots: Love, Death and Tax Evasion, at an outrageous public funeral event. A writer since the age of eight, Mary’s award winning creative non-fiction has been published in Alligator Juniper, Room of One’s Own, San Jose Mercury News, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Her professional writing has appeared in numerous trade journals. She is the recipient of the nonfiction award from the Soul Making Literary Competition sponsored by the American Pen Women and was awarded writing fellowships at The David and Julia White Artist Colony, Hedgebrook: Women Authoring Change, and The Vermont Studio Center. She has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of San Francisco.

NOTE: Mary’s altar ego, “Cemetery Mary,” will be hosting a lively Funeral Event and Resurrection Workshop on December 31, 2009, and January 2, 2010. Participants will bury dead dreams, dashed hopes, old habits and grudges to make room for all the good that’s coming in 2010. For information about attending, please visit her blog at www.crapintocompost.com.

Watch the Book Trailer:

http://www.mydreamisdeadbutimnot.com/trailer/trailer.html

Book can be purchased at all the online booksellers, including Amazon.

Mary’s blog can be found at www.CrapIntoCompost.com

Follow her on Twitter @marypatrick

Watch her funeral, or bury your own dead dreams at www.MyDreamIsDeadButImNot.com

Q: Thank you for this interview, Mary. Can you tell us what your latest book, Family Plots: Love, Death and Tax Evasion, is all about?

A: My book is a work of Pulp Faction, a term I coined to best describe a fictional story based on fact. It is about a young single mother and private investigator who falls in love with a criminal attorney, who, it turns out, is committing a few crimes of his own. In an effort to find love and security, she falls into a world of pseudonyms and unexplained cash. Secrets and stashes are revealed as family members make their way to the cemetery, for a permanent place in this family plot.

Q: Is this your first novel?  If not, how has writing this novel different from writing your first?

A: Yes. This is my first novel.

Q: How difficult was it writing your book?  Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?

A: Giving birth to this creation was harder and maybe even more expensive than the one I raised and sent to college.

Q: How have your fans embraced your latest novel?  Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?

A: People have been wonderful, supportive, rude, fascinating, funny, and everything in between. My most unusal experience was looking up at a reading and seeing a colorful local personality who also turned out to be someone I’d based a character on. I was mortified when she bought a few copies of the book, and then invited me to speak to her writers group. She is a lively character and I knew there was no way she wouldn’t recognize herself in the story, so I raced home, went to each scene she was in, worrying what I’d written would be interpreted as mean or cartoonish. She had a great sense of humor about the matter, and even dressed up exactly like I’d described her character when I arrived to speak to her group. She turned into one of my greatest fans and supporters. I love life’s coincidences.

Q: What is your daily writing routine?

A: Because I am not currently working on a book-length work, my routine is sporatic. I am writing articles and short pieces and do that in spurts. My greatest muse these days is named THE DEADLINE.

Q: When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?

A: When I’m into my computer addition, it can be Facebook, one of the most insidious time sucks ever invented. But as a result of a recent mid-life crisis, I’ve also recently installed a stripper pole in my workspace and while I don’t undress, I do spin around the pole a few times, working on my moves. I also like to stretch and eat chocolate.

Q: What book changed your life?

A: Catcher in the Rye and Gone With the Wind. The former because I understood that depressed wise-ass narrators could capture existential angst better than any philosopher, and the latter because I experienced complete absorption into another time and place through good old fashioned melodrama and storytelling.

Q: If someone were to write a book on your life, what would the title be?

A: Turning Life’s Crap Into Compost, and I believe I’m writing that book now.

Q: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”

A: I love spaghetti and meatballs almost as much as life itself, but I feel terrible about the loss of life involved. This internal conflict dogs me…

Thank you for this interview, Mary. I wish you much success on your latest release, Family Plots: Love, Death and Tax Evasion.