Meet Author J.M.Levi!

          The wait for the next vampire novel is not over yet, but it's certainly in the horizon. Meet this fabulous author whom has spun up a creative tale. J.M.Levi grew up in the state of Arizona. The love of writing was fostered by J.M.'s parents’ who read and worked crossword puzzles daily; J.M.'s father encouraged at an early age to keep a journal. Creating a first love of poetry followed by short stories - “Little steps lead to big accomplishments” thus J.M.'s first novel ‘MoonZeLent’ was created. Learn more about this special new author in the interview below.


     Heather: How long have you been writing?


     J.M.: I have been writing my entire life. I have written poetry for almost my entire life since I was able to form words with penned ink. Only within the last few years I started pushing myself to write down the stories or plots I so often formed in my mind with no outlet.

     Heather: Who is your favorite author?

     J.M.: Francis Patton Statham, because she combines history with entertainment creating a phenomenal novel.

     Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

     J.M.: Never give up, anything you write is worth finishing, and edit, edit, edit.

     Heather: How do you invent your characters?

     J.M.: My characters are pieces of me that I bring out and mold into something greater than I could ever imagine.

     Heather: Do you have anything in the works?

     J.M.: Yes, with MoonZeLent nearing completion, my imagination is turning to the next endeavor – Moon Phases of the Vampire Clan.

     Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?

     J.M.: Success comes from within. Every single one of us has the innate potential to fulfill our thoughts. Pick a goal, and keep reaching towards it – big or little steps, you are still moving forward.

     Heather: What ws your favorite part about writing MoonZeLent?

     J.M.: My favorite part about MoonZeLent was the ride and transformation of the scenes and characters. The twists and turns seemed out of my control at times – like a great, thrilling roller coaster ride.

     Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?

     J.M.: I would say that music has inspired me. While not directly, music is part of my life, the music I listen to has helped mold who I am – every thing from an Irish limerick or lullaby, to classical or even a rap some to name a few. I like to experience the sounds I can.

     Heather: Who is your favorite character in MoonZeLent?

     J.M.: I love all of my characters, they are my comrades. Besides the main characters, a few of my favorites would be: Levi, who I find strong, mysterious, and warrior-like, Guillermo, who breathes a fresh, southwestern air into the story, and last, but not least, Sinclair, who represents the dark, worldly, vampire of yesteryear.

     Heather: What inspired you to write about vampires?

     J.M.: That’s a good question. Everyone seems to be vampire crazy these days, and I have two teenager daughters that are no different. Having purchased every book about vampires they could possibly want, I found the two devoured the pages chanting for more. Faced with the decision of what to write, I chose vampires figuring there are others out there hungering for more blood.

     Heather: What was your favorite idea that you put into MoonZeLent?

     J.M.: My favorite idea that I put into MoonZeLent would be the use of a blood back for willing donors to feed the vampires in a non-violent manner.

     Heather: Tell us a little bit about your journey writing MoonZeLent.

     J.M.: MoonZeLent began as a challenge to write a novel in one month. After the light bulb came over my head for the title, the story plot began to fall into place. With each added character came a new adventure, twist, or turn in the story. I had couple days where I felt stagnant and wondered if I would complete my goal, but I hung in there nd soon a new portion of the book would just pour out – many times faster than I could write.

     Heather: Keyboard or pen?

     J.M.: Both. Keyboard flows if you know what you are writing about. Sometimes pen is more convenient for the times when you have a sudden idea or burst of words you need to get out before you forget.

     Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

     J.M.: I think the hardest part about being an author is gaining respect and getting noticed. Without your book being read and enjoyed, there is no purpose for writing. I also have a fear of typos – I can not stand the thought of my book going out for the world to read with an error.

     Heather: What do you usually do while writing?

     J.M.: I have four children. Need I say more? I write, I potty train, I write, I tutor algebra, I write, I cook. I juggle a baby bottle in one hand and a notebook in the other.

     Heather: What were the circumstances surrounding your decision to become an author?

     J.M.: My daughter is a published author – she is my inspiration and my hero. She has always considered herself a writer.
     Heather: What was the biggest obstacle you faced while writing MoonZeLent?

     J.M.: The biggest obstacle I faced while writing MoonZeLent was the fear that no one would enjoy my words. I often wondered if my book would be good enough to stand with all the others.
     Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book; do you think experience writes a book or imagination?
     J.M.: I think that imagination writes a book and experience can be referred to as “know how” and “know how” can be gained in a variety of ways.



                     Super Questions:

1. I like the colors of: Cool, calm, blues.

2. The sky is most beautiful when it’s: setting—the southern sunsets or the sun setting over the ocean.

3. My favorite feature of a computer is: Undo.

4. I think inventors should invent a: program that edits for you.

5. Thing I love most in the world is: My children.

6. Things I hate most in the world are: Judgmental people.

7. My favorite type of electronic device is: laptop—duh!

8. My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900: Words

9. My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960: internet/windows.

10. The oddest thing you have ever written on: restaurant napkin.



 
     Thank you for doing this interview J.M., it was a real pleasure. And for all of you readers who are dying to check out more about this new vampire tale, stop by here tomorrow for a real treat - a very special excerpt of MoonZeLent.
 

Look for MoonZeLent in stores Summer 2011

 
 
Can't wait that long? Here's where you can find out more about J.M.Levi and her thrilling new novel:
 
http://jmlevi.webs.com/
 
Follow J.M. on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/midnightindigo

Update

Sending out a quick note to all of my follwers not to panic, I'll be updating the design of my blog for these next few days. I do appreciate feedback on how the new design is coming along, so feel free to comment!

Meet Christina!

Today, I have a very special guest on my blog - Christina! She is an avid writer who provides a fresh look in the writing world. So, without further ado, I give you a quite interesting interview!

Heather: So, let's start out with getting to know a little bit more about you as a writer. How long have you been writing?


Christina: I wrote my first poem for my english class in school when I was 13 years old. After that I didn't write anything for about two years. I have been writing frequently since the last 7 years.
Heather: Wow, I'm impressed! What styles do you write in? (i.e. poetry, short stories, novels, etc.)

Christina: I write poetry most of the time though I did try my hand at writing short stories. I plan to write a novel in the future.

Heather: That is wonderful! Hopefully the plans for that novel follow through easily. How do you invent your characters?

Christina: It required me to invent characters for the few short stories I wrote. I guess the characters just came to my mind through my daily experiences with other people, the movies, and the advertisements. There is so much to stimulate our mind in today's world. I get ideas from anywhere and everywhere.

Heather: Yes, this world is quite inspirational. Has music ever inspired your writing?

Christina: Oh yes, it certainly has. I have written so many poems on nature and I hear music in the birds' chirping too. In fact, I even wrote a short story based on a song by Shakira.

Heather: That sounds like a great read to me. So when you're writing down these clever quips, do you use/prefer keyboard or pen?

Christina: Well, that's a difficult question. Earlier, it was the pen. Now-a-days, I would rather go for the keyboard.

Heather: It's definitely a difficult choice! What do you usually do while writing?

Christina: Well, nothing at all. The words just keep pouring and I struggle to write each one down. Umm, yeah, sometimes I listen to music while writing but mostly, I prefer silence.

Heather: Uninterrupted silence is certainly a good tool for writing! What are your plans for your writings?

Christina: (laughs) I have had many plans in the past. But I guess not being a full time writer makes things difficult. I plan to write a novel someday and to be better at writing short stories.

Heather: That is a great plan for the future, to better yourself at writing - yes, we always have something to learn! Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think it's experience that writes a book or imagination?

Christina: I think it's a little bit of both. If you don't have the imagination, the experience may sound dull, and without experience, you can't be fair to your imagination.

Heather: Very good points there, I couldn't have said it better myself! What is the biggest obstacle you have faced so far in writing?

Christina: Detailing. I struggle so hard to put details in my work. That's why I face problems with short stories. I need to elaborate and show everything. I guess I have to work really hard at it.

Heather: Details are hard to put into words, I certainly have to agree on that one. What do you believe the biggest obstacle will be in your future?

Christina: Time. There's so much to do. I want to write so much more than I do but can't simply because I don't have the time.

Heather: Time is always a killer. I have the same problem. If only we could combine two days into one, it would help - haha! What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

Christina: Finding readers. *smiles* Though I love to write for myself, there's that one bit that craves for appreciation, for fame. Some part of me wants the readers to FEEL my writing.
Heather: Who is your favorite author?

Christina: There are so many. I love Paulo Coelho. He is a master at weaving beautiful stories. I love Jane Austen (she wrote amazing books), Leo Tolstoy (loved 'Anna Karenina'), Shidney Sheldon and the list never ends. *smiles* Frankly, I haven't read much poetry by famous authors. I just read poetry by other unknown authors at various websites.

Heather: Jane Austen was defintely a great writer. What do you do apart from writing?

Christina: I am a trainee psychologist. With five years of psychology behind me, it's just a matter of two more, before I can call myself a clinical psychologist. I guess that's why my poems travel into the deep, I like to observe and analyze.

Heather: That is very wonderful, Christina, you must have worked quite hard to get where you are today. Thank you for stopping by and doing an interview with me, it was very pleasant and interesting getting to know more about you and your writings.

How to Write a Good Query Letter

Query letters are important if you're going to even think about sending your work anywhere, be it novel or other. Writing a query letter is actually quite easy, you may be surprised.

I've been around the web and have seen many different ways and different guides to writing a query letter. So anyways, here's the basic layout along with all of the information you'll need to include.

Name (not pen name)
Address

Email Address
Phone number

Title of work (in parenthesis state genre/s)

In the first paragraph give a brief summary of what the book is about. Be clever, because this is the first sample and idea of your book that agent or publisher will be reading. This would make it the hardest part of the query letter that you are writing.

In this next paragraph you are going to include the following information: Target audience (Young Adult, Middle Grade, Adult, etc.), note if the book will be made into a series, and if so list a brief synopsis (2 - 3 sentences at most) of entire series, list the legnth of the book (how many words is it?).

Note if you'll be needed an illustrator or not.

In the next paragraph include a bit about your background in writing, list anything that qualifies you to be writing, any experience, etc. You may not have much to put here, so just do the best with what you have.

Next, note what your marketing and promotion plan is. If you don't have a marketing plan yet, then you shouldn't be writing a query letter so soon in the game anyways. We'll be going more into marketing plans later.

Now this is your brief closing sentence, I usually put something here like "thank you for your time and consideration" be creaive, and be "professionally sweet".

Then you'll put Sincerely,

Your Name


TA-DA! You've just written an awesome query letter! It all should be able to fit on your basic 8 x 10 piece of paper, keep that in mind.

Alright, so after you write your query letter, make you you edit and re-edit it, that is very important. If it has errors in it, it may just be rejected just like that, because errors are a sign of laziness. It's just one page, so make sure you edit it very well. Also, be sure to read the submission guidelines, you may have to add or remove sections depending on the publisher/agent, but usually this query letter works for everything.

After you've finished it's always comforting to get a second opinion, so feel free to send it to me, and I'll be happy to critique it and let you know what I think about it.

Meet Kevin McNamee!

     Meet Kevin McNamee a writer and poet living in Yonkers, NY. He primarily writes for the children’s market. His work has appeared in Beyond Centauri and he has several children’s picture books being published by Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. His first book, “If I Could Be Anything” is available at www.amazon.com, or ask your local bookstore. Look for other titles by Kevin including The Sister Exchange, The Soggy Town of Hilltop, Lightning Strikes, Papa’s Suns, and more.
     When Kevin isn’t writing, he spends his time playing hide and seek, at the insistence of his five year old daughter, and at his day job, at the insistence of his wife. When time permits, Kevin also enjoys fossil hunting, home-brewing beer, and gardening. He is currently engaged in an epic battle against roving gangs of crazed squirrels who are digging up everything in sight. Kevin notes that the squirrels are winning.

     Now, onto the interview!

     Heather: What three words do you think describe you as a human being?
     Kevin: Inquisitive, open minded.

     Heather: How do you think others would describe you?

     Kevin: That depends on who you ask ;-)
     Heather: Please tell us what you are most passionate about outside of writing.
     Kevin: Outside of writing, I would say that I’m the most passionate about my family.

     Heather: Do you have any pets? If so, introduce us to them.

     Kevin: I don’t have any pets now, but over the years I’ve had … cats, dogs, bunnies, hamsters, gerbils, mice, parakeets, cockatiels, and a waterbug named Boris that I shared a motel room with once. I refused to squash Boris because the motel was so run down that I figured he was paying rent. Plus, Boris was about the size of a large dog and I thought that hitting him with anything would just make him angry.

     Heather: What is your most precious memory?

     Kevin: Recently, I came home from work and I was completely exhausted. My five year old daughter wanted me to play our usual games, tag, hide and seek, and some other game of her own creation which involves me chasing her while she’s wearing a plastic firefighter’s helmet and carrying a beach ball. But I was tired and really wanted no part of it. But my daughter was insistent and I found myself losing patience and I yelled at her. She climbed up on the couch, threw her arms around me and said, “I love you Daddy. Now you can be so happy.” I melted.
     Heather: What is your most embarrassing memory?

     Kevin: My most precious memory and my most embarrassing memory are the same, when I think of how selfish I was being.

     Heather: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing with your life?

     Kevin: Right now, I still have a day job. Unfortunately, writing hasn’t been my means to self-sufficiency yet. I’m still trying to find that balance between work/family/writing/everything else. It’s a challenging juggling act, but so far, I’ve been able to keep all the balls in the air.

     Heather: Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a “real” writer?

     Kevin: Somewhere along the way, I stopped doubting my ability. A rejection of my manuscript ceased to be a rejection of myself. A rejection letter became an opportunity to send my manuscript somewhere else. Comments and criticism became opportunities to strengthen my story, revise something unworkable, or something to ignore altogether if it didn’t fit with my vision of the story. I was able to refer to myself as a writer without feeling self conscious and … oh yeah, someone was willing to pay me for what I wrote.

     Heather: What is going on with your writing these days?

     Kevin: Right now, I have several stories in various stages of completion, one story that has been finalized and critiqued and needs a final revision, and a few that are finished and have been sent out to various publishers.

     Heather: What are your future goals for your writing?

     Kevin: I’ve been focusing primarily on picture books and I would like to branch out to middle readers and Young Adult novels. I have two middle readers in various stages of completion.
     Heather: Can you describe a typical writing day for you?

     Kevin: There’s no such thing as a typical writing day for me. I try to do something writing related every day. But what I’m doing may vary. Sometimes I’m writing new material, sometimes I’m revising, sometimes I’m critiquing, sometimes I’m researching, sometimes I’m promoting. Due to the demands on my time, I’ve needed to adopt the philosophy of doing what I can, when I can.

     Heather: Why do you write?

     Kevin: I first started writing in the second grade. I wrote a poem that was displayed outside the classroom and I liked seeing my poem and my name in public like that. I found that I took to writing naturally. Growing up, I was a constant daydreamer and would construct stories in my head all the time. Eventually, I started writing them down. Throughout my teenage years and throughout adulthood I always felt compelled to write. Although there were many, many times that I put creative writing on the back burner, I found that I was still writing at my day job; memos, procedures, proposals, requests, and I was receiving recognition for it. I realized that writing had been a constant in my life, but I wasn’t writing what I wanted to write. Now I make sure that I write what I want as well.

     Heather: What writer most inspires you? Why?
     Kevin: I would say that the writers that I meet both online and in person inspire me the most. They all share the same passion and dedication as I do. They understand the struggles and sacrifices involved in being a writer.

     Heather: How do you define your writing?

     Kevin: I discovered writing for children by accident. I was watching my nieces fight and it gave me an idea for a sibling rivalry story. I thought it would be fun to write, and it was. There was no looking back.
     Heather: In one sentence—what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?
     Kevin: “Mommy/Daddy, read that again!”

     Heather: Is there a place where readers can reach you?

     Kevin: Readers can always email me from my website, blog or from this LINK , I’d love to hear from you.

To find out more about Kevin, visit his website at http://www.kevinmcnamee.com/ or visit his blog at http://www.kevinmcnameechildrensauthor.blogspot.com/