THE GATE OF DAWN, by author, MARINA J NEARY

Welcome to 1880s Vilnius, a volatile Northeastern metropolis where Balts, Germans, Poles, Russians, and Jews compete for a place in the sun. After sustaining fatal burns in a fire instigated by his rivals, textile magnate Hermann Lichtner spends his final days in a shabby infirmary. In a hasty and bizarre deathbed transaction he gives his fifteen-year-old daughter Renate in marriage to Thaddeus, a widowed Polish farmer who rejects social hierarchy and toils side by side with his peasants.

Renate’s arrival quickly disrupts the bucolic flow of life and antagonizes every member of the household. During an excursion to the city, Renate rekindles an affair with a young Jewish painter who sells his watercolors outside the Gate of Dawn chapel. While her despairing husband might look the other way, his servants will not stand by and watch while their adored master is humiliated.

Taking us from the cobblestone streets of old Vilnius, swarming with imperial gendarmes, to the misty bogs of rural Lithuania where pagan deities still rule, The Gate of Dawn is a folkloric tale of rivalry, conspiracy, and revenge.

Some Q & A with Marina:

Tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you started writing.

I grew up in Central Europe, in a family of classical musicians. My mom is Russian and Jewish, and my biological father is Polish-Lithuanian. They made it a point to introduce me to English early on, so I grew up reading and writing in both Russian and English. I always had a very vivid imagination, so I would replay various fantasies and prospective disaster scenarios in my mind. I have a very grim worldview and a dark sense of humor.

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

I am a crazy cat lady, and I converted the rest of my family to that religion. We are not Cat-aholics ;-) I don’t consider myself a cat-owner. A more appropriate term would be “cat hostess” or “cat guardian”.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

I work for American Institute for Foreign Study, and I feel truly privileged to be part of a mission that’s almost apostolic – bringing the world together. My knowledge of foreign languages and different cultures really come in handy every day.

Where do you get your ideas?

I draw a lot of inspiration from history. My focus is on the lesser known figures that for whatever reason were obscured by historians. Usually there is a political reason why a particular historical figure was swept under the proverbial rug.

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

Interestingly, I am more influenced by music and folklore than by the works of other novelists. I think it’s important to be familiar with other landmark works in your specific genre, just so you know what you’re up against and what you should be aspiring to. At the same time, you have to resist the temptation to become a so-and-so knock-off. It’s important to discover your own authentic voice.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

Amazingly, finding a publisher was not hard. It took me 16 years to finish the first presentable draft of “Wynfield’s Kingdom” and only a few weeks to find a publisher.  I guess it was worth the wait.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change?

Actually, the opportunity presented itself. My first publisher is struggling after the death of the founder, so I got my rights back for three of my novels, so I am in the process of editing, changing the covers and republishing with another publisher.

How do you market your work?

Oh boy, that’s my least favorite part. Marketing is not same as sales. You can get great reviews and exposure, and that may or may not translate into sales. There are so many people trying to get through the same narrow doorway. Seriously, I write because I have no other choice.

What are you working on now?

I am working on a sequel to The Gate of Dawn. It’s set during WWII on the Polish-Lithuanian border.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences?

Absolutely. The Gate of Dawn is set in rural Lithuania, the land of my paternal ancestors. Raven’s Bog is a real place that my family inherited. Some pretty horrifying things happened there.

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

From the point of view of writing or reading what I’ve written? Personally, I find that battle scenes come to me a lot more naturally than love scenes. I start laughing when I try to write something remotely erotic, and it ends up being grotesque and a little violent. Definitely not the stuff of romance novels.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

As I mentioned before, marketing is not pleasant. I get so many high fives and thumbs up, which don’t always translate into sales. Or people promise to read and review your book, and then it’s “dog ate my homework”. It’s always thrilling to get a publishing offer. And then brainstorming on the cover! My publishers allow me to use real actors and models for the covers. It’s such a thrilling process to go through dozens of headshots to pick the people who fit the parts perfectly.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you so much for your interest in my work. It’s such an intimate experience. I invent so much of myself into my work. I realize that a lot of what I write falls outside of many people’s comfort zone. I touch upon subjects that are still taboo in our society. On several occasions, publishers declined to publish my work, despite its alleged literary merits, due to the risqué content. 

To purchase this book:

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Julia-Neary/e/B0030L2MK2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1470780904&sr=8-3

To connect with Marina:

Marina's blog & Facebook links:

http://ctcommie.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/marina.j.neary

FRACTURED, by author, Catherine McKenzie

Trust thy neighbor…Or not? That is the question at the heart of international bestselling author Catherine McKenzie’s forthcoming novel, FRACTURED (Lake Union Publishing; on-sale October 4, 2016; hardcover & trade paperback), a psychological thriller about an idyllic neighborhood rocked by tragedy and the dark truths lurking behind the drapes of each home that questions just how well we know those that live closest to us.

Julie Prentice is looking for a fresh start. A novelist, Julie was launched into the spotlight following the publication of her first book, The Murder Game, a bestseller with a storyline loosely drawn from her own experiences in law school. The novel created a bit of controversy with some speculation as to how close to fact her fiction actually was—a theory exacerbated by a woman from Julie’s past whose obsession with her becomes dangerous. As the obsession goes from creepy to completely terrifying and potentially life-threatening, Julie and her family relocate from Tacoma to the quaint and quiet Mt. Adams community in Cincinnati in the hopes of evading her stalker once and for all.

Settled in her new home, she strikes up an instant connection and unexpected friendship with her new neighbor, John Dunbar, and begins to feel a measured sense of hope that the worst is behind her. But it doesn’t take long for things to go south. After a series of misunderstandings, Julie and her family become the center of negative attention in the community, and worse, become the target of unsettling harassment. As tension in the neighborhood mounts, no one is safe: new friends turn into enemies, spouses begin to question one another, and the bond between parent and child are tested.

With FRACTURED, McKenzie weaves a gripping, complex, and highly addictive story told through the alternating perspectives of Julie and John and structured around a deadly accident in the neighborhood that will keep readers guessing until the final page is turned.

Catherine McKenzie is a graduate of McGill University in History and Law, and she practices law in Montreal, where she was born and raised. Her novels, Spin, Arranged, Forgotten, and Hidden are all international bestsellers and have been translated into numerous languages. Her last novel Smoke (2015), was named a Best Book of October by Goodreads and one of the Top 100 Books of 2015 by Amazon. 

“A tightly drawn narrative that begs the question: How much can we really know about those living closest to us? Truly riveting!”—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl,  Pretty Baby, and Don't You Cry

Some Q & A with Catherine:

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

I am an avid runner and downhill skier. I love to read. And I watch a lot of TV.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

I do. I am a partner in a litigation firm here in Montreal.

Where do you get your ideas?

The universe. All over, really. The idea for FRACTURED came to me from a judgment I read and a newspaper article, both about crazy neighbors in Toronto, and a few other little things here and there.

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

Early on in my career I was definitely trying to be the female Nick Hornby.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

There was a lot of rejection. A lot. Like not 12, which is the number I always hear about JK Rowling. Getting used to that – I’m still not – is hard.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change?

A couple of things, but who wouldn’t? I think I did a lot of things right, too, so there’s that.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences?

No. In fact, one of the themes of the book is how readers often expect or assume that writers base their books on their own experiences and how that can affect the writer.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Read, read, read, write, read, read, read, write. Repeat.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

The best parts is the writing and then getting positive feedback from readers. The difficult part is the writing and the business end of the book business. I run a company called Catherine McKenzie and I make all the content! That can be hard sometimes.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you.

To connect with Catherine:

Website: www.catherinemckenzie.com

Follow me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter 

Instagram: @cemckenzie1

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Catherine-McKenzie/dp/1503937828/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468430777&sr=1-1&keywords=fractured+by+catherine+mckenzie

THE TUMBLING TURNER SISTERS, by author, Juliette Fay

In 1919, the Turner sisters and their parents are barely scraping by. Their father is a low-paid boot-stitcher in Johnson City, New York, and the family is always one paycheck away from eviction. When their father’s hand is crushed and he can no longer work, their irrepressible mother decides that the vaudeville stage is their best—and only—chance for survival.

With so much at stake, teenagers Gert, Winnie, and Kit, and recent widow Nell take to the road, and soon find a new kind of freedom in the company of performers who are as diverse as their acts. There is a seamier side to the business, however, and the young women face dangers and turns of fate they never could have anticipated. Heartwarming and surprising, The Tumbling Turner Sisters is a story of awakening—to unexpected possibilities, to love and heartbreak, and to the dawn of a new American era.

“In this novel of love, grit, and the everlasting strength of family, the Turner sisters dare to dream big. Don’t miss this page-turner!”
~ SARA GRUEN, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

“Filled with energetic prose and colorful characters—you won’t soon forget the Turner girls!”
~ CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ORPHAN TRAIN

Some Q & A with Juliette:

Your previous novels take place in the present time, what made you decide to write a historical fiction novel?

I’ve always loved reading historical fiction, but questioned whether I had the background to write it. Don’t you need some sort of history degree to write about a completely different time? As it turns out, the answer is no. As with any story about a complicated topic—for instance if a character has a certain medical condition or line of work that’s central to the story—you just have to be willing to submerge yourself in the subject matter and learn everything you can.

The research for The Tumbling Turner Sisters was so much fun! The world was changing quickly in 1919, just after World War I, with Prohibition and Women’s Suffrage on the horizon. These social and political changes forced people take a look at the way things had always been done, and start to question if there weren’t better ways. The subculture of vaudeville was this crazy little brother-and-sisterhood, with its own customs, rules and slang. I learned far more than I could ever have put in the book, and it was a blast.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences? 

In the past, just as I’d finish one novel, there was always another idea out there simmering, waiting for me to bring it to a full boil. That didn’t happen after my last book, and it was really starting to get to me. I had a lot of “first dates” with story ideas, but no seconds.

One day my father came over for lunch, and in an effort to help, he started listing things he thought I should write about. These included a book on President Lincoln -- and I’m thinking I’m pretty sure that’s been done before …not really dying to be compared to Team of Rivals! – or on Oliver Cromwell’s violent domination of Ireland, which basically started out as a tragic bloodbath and went downhill from there.

As he talked about how his own ancestors had fled the Irish famine and English repression, I suddenly remembered a picture he’d sent me of his grandfather dancing onstage, along with newspaper clippings about his vaudeville career in the early 1900s. Vaudeville! Sitting there over the remains of our lunch, my head was suddenly exploding with ideas.

The Tumbling Turner Sisters was inspired by the experiences of my great-grandfather, Fred Delorme, but it’s not based on his actual life. In gratitude for his inspiration, I named one of the characters after him. I like to think that he’d be tickled to be back in the entertainment business a century later!

What are you working on now?

I loved diving into the early 20^th century, and learned far more than I could possibly include in The Tumbling Turner Sisters. One of the subjects that really caught my interest was the silent movie era. Once it coalesced in Hollywood in the 1910s, it really was like the wild west, attracting all kinds of people who wanted to try their luck in this budding industry. No one at the time thought much of it – it was considered more of a fad, and so it was full of risk-takers. My next novel is set in that time and place.

Juliette Fay is the award-winning author of four novels: The Tumbling Turner Sisters, The Shortest Way Home, Deep Down True, and Shelter Me. She received a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a master’s degree from Harvard University. Juliette lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four children. Her website is juliettefay.com.

• Twitter: @juliettefay
• Facebook: Juliette Fay, author
• Website: http://juliettefay.com/

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THE LANGUAGE OF SISTERS, by author, CATHY LAMB

A very short summary of The Language of Sisters...Three sisters. One brother. A secret that is chasing them down.

A little longer summary:

1) Toni Koslovsky lives on a yellow tugboat in the Willamette River in Oregon. She needed space to breathe.

2) Toni has two sisters. They can sometimes hear each other in their heads, a message coming through. It’s odd, it’s inexplicable. It’s a gift handed down from the Sabonis family line through their widow’s peaks. Their mother had it, too. 

3) The family immigrated from Russia when Toni was a little girl. They left a lot of secrets there...and the secrets have been running after them ever since.

4) The family has many crazy members and the dynamics can be mind blowing. You might relate to some of them.

5) Toni has something hidden in a little shed next to her tugboat. She doesn’t want to look at it. She doesn’t want to think about it. But she does.

6) Love. Laughter. Funny stuff. A blue heron, a woman named Daisy, a DEA agent who lives down the dock, a restaurant, a scary man. Pillow making, skinny dipping, too much wine. More laughter.

Some Q & A with Cathy:

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started writing.

I knew I loved writing when my mother taught me how to spell the word, ‘brat.’

I must have been about four and the girl next door had thrown yet another temper tantrum and stalked out of my house. I was writing her a note. Not very nice, perhaps a bit of a vengeful streak was coming out even at that wee age.

Anyhow, I asked my mother, the kindest, most compassionate person I have ever met, how to spell ‘brat.’ Now, you would have thought the kindest, most compassionate person I have ever met would tell me not to write a note like, “Dear Sandy. You are a brat.” But my mother thought she was a brat, too, and she was none too fond of her whiny mother so she patiently said to me, “Honey, it’s B.R.A.T.”

And a writer was born.

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

I love to garden. I am a plant collector. I could collect high heels, but no, I don’t. Who needs a broken ankle? I collect plants and flowers. Innocent Husband has told me to stop buying them as we have too many.  (I call my husband Innocent Husband on my blog as no one should ever hold him responsible for the things I say or write.)

Anyhow, now I have to SNEAK my plants and flowers into the garden. What a husband doesn’t know, doesn’t hurt him, that is my motto for Gardening vs. Innocent Husband.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

I’m a full time writer. No other day job except for ‘mom.’ The mom job doesn’t pay well, but the kids are cute.

Where do you get your ideas?

I get my ideas everywhere. Actually, if I’m in Starbucks and I look at someone too long, I’ll start telling myself a story about that person.  If I was across the table from you, the same thing would happen. It’s odd, I know this, I do.

I have to tell myself, “We’re going to Starbucks to work, Cathy, not to imagine what secrets the person next to you is harboring and nurturing.”

 “The First Day of The Rest of My Life,” my fifth book, was launched from an 80 year old violin I was buying for my daughter.

These questions came up as I held it: Who owned the violin before us? What made them cry? What made them laugh? Who did they love, who did they lose? Was this violin made in Europe? Who made it? What happened to the original owners? Why is there a stain on the violin? Is that blood?  Why the scratches? What secrets could this violin tell? And a story began…

The “Last Time I Was Me,” my second novel, was partially launched by a marital spat with Innocent Husband, to whom I have been married for twenty three years.

That night we’d had a bit of an argument, I can’t even remember what we were fighting about. Anyhow, the man had the gall to fall asleep when I was still steaming mad. (!!!)

I had to write another book and I decided to have my main character get revenge on her cheating boyfriend. (For the record, Innocent Husband did not cheat on me, let’s clear that monster out of the way now.) Anyhow, Jeanne decided to take revenge on her cheating boyfriend with a condom, peanut oil and an exacto knife.  How did I imagine that rather demented idea? Innocent husband is allergic to nuts.

For “The Language of Sisters” I was inspired by a yellow tugboat in the newspaper, a blue heron that flew by in front of me, a complicated and funny family, and secrets that one thinks are buried but start to come up again like sharp talons. Oh, and three cool  but troubled sisters, an adopted brother with a murky past, and a mother who owns a popular Russian restaurant and who admonishes her children for their poor choices on the Specials board at night for everyone to see.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

Publishing nightmare. So, I was trying to break into category romance many years ago. Rejection. Rejection. I wrote yet another synopsis, the publisher asked to see the first three chapters. I wrote them. They asked to see the whole book. I sent it. Rejected. This happened three or four times.  The last rejection took about two years.

Let’s just say when I wrote a rather “pointed” letter to the publishing house (Okay, I was ticked, the letter might have been fiery, flames leaping.) about how long the process was, the publisher apologized, and their head editor asked me to send all future work to her. What a chance! But I was then so burned out I couldn’t do it.

I wrote “Julia’s Chocolates” and just let it fly. The story is about a woman, Julia, who is on the run, away from an abusive fiancé.  She heads to her Aunt Lydia’s house in central Oregon. The house is painted pink, like a camellia, there are five giant concrete pigs in the front of the house, all named for men that Aunt Lydia doesn’t like, and a rainbow bridge on the front lawn. Julia meets a group of women, and they all begin to heal…until the fiancé hunts her down.

I sent a partial to several agents and an editor. All the agents asked to see it. I waited for my favorite agent, Evan Marshall, to respond, he did, and he requested the book.  The problem was that I had only written about the first 40 pages. I lied and told Evan I had a little “editing” to do. Ha. I wrote the book into the dark hours of night. Took months. He sold it as part of a two book deal with my current publishing house in 2005 and I’ve been happily writing for Kensington ever since.

What are you working on now? 

I am writing my eleventh novel and marketing my new book “The Language of Sisters.” Both are head banging experiences, but with chocolate and mochas, I am persevering without losing my mind. For the most part.

Is anything in your books based on real life experiences?

Yes.     Can I just end it at ‘yes?’

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

In “What I Remember Most,” my main character, Grenadine Scotch Wild, (I know!! Yes, that is her name. Grenadine. Scotch. Wild. As soon as I knew her name, I had my story.) is an artist. I have the artistic talent of a gnat. Or maybe an ant eater. I loved writing about the paintings and collages Grenadine was making. I could live vicariously through her.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

My advice to writers who want to publish?

Write all the time. Read all the time.

Figure out why you love the books you do, and why you don’t. Study pacing, character development, plots, ending, word choice, structure of the novel, dialogue. Everything.  

What makes you keep reading? What’s compelling?

Go to writing conferences. Take writing classes.

Be open to criticism. Don’t get your panties in a twist about it. It’s not personal. Listen. Learn. Move forward.

Read Bird by Bird, On Writing, and Jessica Morrell’s books on writing.

Keep going.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

Have a lovely day.

You can connect with Cathy here:

Cathy Lamb’s website:  http://cathylamb.org/2016/07/that-mean-woman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathylamb.9

TRIPLE LOVE SCORE by author, Brandi Megan Granett

What happens when you stop playing games?

Miranda Shane lives a quiet life among books and letters as a professor in a small upstate town. When the playing-by-the-rules poet throws out convention and begins to use a Scrabble board instead of paper to write, she sets off a chain of events that rattles her carefully planned world. 

Her awakening propels her to take risks and seize chances she previously let slip by, including a game-changing offer from the man she let slip away. But when the revelation of an affair with a graduate student threatens the new life Miranda created, she is forced to decide between love or poetry.

Publisher: Wyatt-Mackenzie – Sept. 1, 2016

What readers are saying . . .

"An entertaining romance novel with an engrossing plot, a conflicted heroine, and a couple of surprising, poignant takeaways."

—   Kirkus Reviews

“Combustible romance and fame slather a sexy gloss over more complex issues of familial love and true accomplishment for Granett’'s cast of endearing characters. An entertaining and perceptive story of our times.”

— Kathryn Craft, award-winning author of The Far End Of Happy and The Art Of Falling

“Brandi Megan Granett’s beautifully written debut novel, full of twists, turns and truths about the ups and downs of life, had me spellbound from the very first page. Triple Love Score proves that, in matters of the heart—as in Scrabble—when you get it right, it’s nothing short of poetry.”

—   Kristy Woodson Harvey, author of Dear Carolina and Lies and Other Acts of Love

“A charming mash-up of viral poetry, relatable characters, and slow-simmering romance. Granett explores how doing the unexpected might lead to what you had always wanted.”

—   Amy E. Reichert, author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie

“Triple Love Score is a wonderful love story and a novel with such intriguing twists and turns that it kept me turning those pages until the very end! A fun, unique read.”

—   Anne Girard, author of Platinum Doll 

"Women seeking a solid story of a poetry professor's awakening will find Triple Love Score a delightful romp through options Miranda never realized she had."

—   Midwest Review of Books

“Like tiles on a Scrabble board, Granett's characters unfold and connect and diverge again. Readers will be spellbound as they follow Poetry Professor Miranda Shane's unlikely adventures - ones that take her across the country and as far away as Istanbul and France - as her long-held dreams concerning love and career are both challenged and re-defined.”

—   Amy Impellizzeri, author of Lemongrass Hope

“A romantic pleasure with delightfully unique characters and a plot that takes you on an unexpected journey. Granett has a clear writing style that brings each scene to life and makes for a tremendously engaging read. As a fan of love and poetry, I highly recommend it!”

—   Anita Hughes, author of Santorini Sunsets

“A love story that is on one hand sweet, but on the other full of surprises and intrigue, set against the background of competitive…Scrabble? It sounds entirely unlikely but this is exactly what Granett has spelled out in a slim novel that deserves kudos (using that ‘k’) and could easily become a guilty pleasure.”

—   Jacquelyn Mitchard, author The Deep End of the Ocean

Some Q & A with Brandi:

1.     Tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you started writing.

I’ve been writing since about the third grade; my elementary school published my first story about sledding in the snow and hooked me to writing forever. Luckily, I found great mentors at the University of Florida during my undergraduate time there that continued to foster this love of words and story.  In addition to being a writer, I am a mother, wife, competitive archer, and writing professor.

2.      What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

The number one thing I enjoy when not writing is archery. I started about nine years ago when my daughter wanted to either be in a Renaissance faire or the Olympics. Our local archery shop talked me into taking lessons with her, and I was hooked. I traveled the Olympic recurve circuit for a number of years and represented the USA in the 2010 World Field Archery Championships. Recently, an injury gave me the opportunity to switch to compound archery, so I am enjoying learning a whole new ballgame in my archery career.

My family and I also enjoy eating; we love finding new restaurants, talking to people about food, and exploring what cuisines are local to any place we travel to. I recently experienced heaven in the form of a butter cake cannoli in St. Louis. I am still thinking about it.

3.      Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

Ah, yes, the day job. I am lucky to have one that I love! I love teaching. It lights me up to help other people reach their goals. And as a composition instructor, I see a variety of students at the start of their educational journeys. I love learning from my students as much as I love teaching them.

4.      Where do you get your ideas?

I’m big into exploring what if. My first novel, My Intended, was sparked by a news report about a woman marrying her fiancé posthumously. My mind immediately went to the ramifications of this in her life, and her relationships with the people in her life. For Triple Love Score, I found myself wanting to write a book that was fun. I had recently fallen in love again after leaving a long and kind of tough marriage. Writing about a woman’s romantic and life choices as I rebuilt my own life gave me a great outlet for exploring some of the what ifs and what matters that I faced in my own circumstance.

5.      Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

I’ve been inspired by a number of writers, but I have to say that Charles Baxter’s Feast of Love stands out to me as a major influence. He found a way to use a literary style while talking about love and romance.

6.       Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published? 

Triple Love Score is my second published novel. I love everything about the process of working with Wyatt-Mackenzie and how the internet expands an author’s reach into the world of readers. When my first book was published, Harper Collins bought William Morrow, my publisher, right before the book was launched. Everyone on my team lost their job. And then I had a baby. In that process, I felt rather orphaned and my time and focus turned to my daughter instead of my writing. Now, she is sixteen and works as an intern helping me along on the journey to connect Triple Love Score to readers. Nancy Cleary, my publisher, is also an amazing and supportive person. And I have the Tall Poppy Writers, a collective of women fiction authors that work to support each other and each other’s books. The experiences between my first and second books are polar opposites of each other.

7.      How do you market your work?

Part of my marketing plan is giving back to other writers. I’ve been accomplishing this goal with three separate prongs.

·         First, I belong to the Tall Poppy Writers. I have pledged to support 40 other women’s fiction authors through thick and thin. We tweet and like and share each other’s accomplishments and offer moral support on the sidelines.

·         Second, I interview authors for my blog on the Huffington Post. I like to introduce readers to authors they might not have considered in the past.

·         Third, I am building a community event called River Reads. So far, I have 25 local authors signed up to read, sign, and promote their books at the historic Prallsville Mill in Stockon, NJ on October 23 from 10am to 4pm.

8.      What are you working on now?

I am working on a novel called Straight Shooter. This book combines my love of archery with my desire to own a campground. Through the novel, I get to explore the “what if” of following that dream!

9.       Is anything in your book based on real life experiences? 

The romance part of my book most reflects my own life, but Miranda’s experiences as the Blocked Poet and seducing a student are purely her own. I related with the choices she faces between trusting someone from her past or making her way on her own terms.

10.     Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

I think my favorite line in the book is “Put out or get out.” It’s a little vulgar, a little crass, but in that moment, Miranda is finally done taking a back seat to what others want.

11.     Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Keep writing. Even a sentence a day. You can’t be a writer if you don’t do it.

Make writer friends. I learned from archery that having other people around that are trying to reach the same goals can push you to succeed. Every time I log in to Facebook and see a picture of someone else’s target, I am reminded to go practice. The same it true when I see that #amwriting. It makes me want it more for myself.

12.     What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

The downfalls are how tough the marketplace can be and keeping spirits up. Publishing has changed so radically in my brief time, and it really takes some readjustment and attitude adjustments to keep upbeat and in the game. The best parts: hands down is seeing my daughter come into her own as a writer. She attended a slam poetry camp this summer, and watching her perform her poem on stage rivaled any feelings of pride I could get from seeing my own work on a shelf. That I get to be a role model to her dreams is the icing on my cake.

13.     Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

I’d like to say thank you. Without readers, writing would be a lot less fun. I’d also love to hear from readers on Facebook or Twitter. I’d love to know what they connected with in Triple Love Score and what they would like to see more of in the future.

About the Author

Brandi Megan Granett is an author, online English professor, and private writing mentor. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Aberystwyth University, Wales, an MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College, a Masters in Adult Education with an emphasis on Distance Education from Penn State University, and her BA from the University of Florida.

Granett is the author of My Intended (William Morrow, 2000). Her short fiction has appeared in Pebble Lake Review, Folio, Pleiades and other literary magazines, and is collected in the volume Cars and Other Things That Get Around.

When she is not writing or teaching or mothering, she is honing her archery skills. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter.

Author Social Media Links

Website:          www.brandigranett.com/

Facebook:       Brandi Megan Granett Writer

Twitter:            @brandigranett

Instagram:       mrsgranett

Goodreads:     Brandi Megan Granett

Purchase Links

Amazon

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Publicity Contact

Suzy Missirlian

Suzy4PR@gmail.com
Twitter: @Suzy4PR