Sunday, June 19, 2022

The Twenty-Seventh Issue

 



    I’m reminded of a line from an old television series: “I love it when a plan comes together.”   Of course, that brings to mind another quote: “Always have a backup plan!”   This month’s news hits a few high points on both quotes here.  My take on writing, along with updates on the new release and my latest project and an interview with a very talented author.  That’s where the plan comes to play.  So as Pappy Cantrell might say “What y’all waitin’ for?” 

Writing

          Late last month, I bumped into an old friend. We chatted for a bit and he asked if I was still writing. Upon confirming that I was, he asked about my latest book.  I began describing Chene’s new adventure and a quick sketch on the story.

          “You have a knack for writing a series. The way you work the background into the book, someone who hasn’t read the first one can still enjoy the second or the third installments.”

          That comment reminded me of a similar one from author Diana K. Plopa, whose first introduction to the Jamie Richmond character was when she read “Fleeing Beauty”, the third book in the series.  Diana wrote a glowing review, indicating how much she enjoyed the book, and included the statement … “I had no difficulty following the characters or the story, even though I hadn’t read the other two.”

          As a kid, I grabbed every Travis McGee adventure, written by the great John D. MacDonald.  Something about a series intrigued me. I liked seeing familiar characters and discovering what conflicts they faced.  I continue to enjoy many series, including the works of Stephen King, John Sandford, Michael Connelly, Greg Iles and James Rollins, to name a few.

          Hopefully when someone new discovers one of the books, that may encourage them to read the earlier ones as well. That would be a great bonus for me. And part of the plan.



Work In Progress

          We’re getting closer to the release of “The Wayward Path”.  I know there are several of the main sites, where you can pre-order your copy.  There are a few people who received advance copies and their feedback has been very positive.  Here are the links.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B114JLCD

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wayward-path-mark-love/1141467645?ean=9781509242191

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-wayward-path/id6442843627

 

Meanwhile, work continues on the fourth book in the Jamie Richmond series.  The title continues to remain elusive, but that doesn’t worry me. It’s not uncommon for me to discover a good title during the course of writing the story.

Earlier this month I also had the opportunity to read a section of one of my books for a podcast.  Since this will air in early July, I thought a vacation piece was appropriate, so I picked “Stealing Haven”.  It was a lot of fun to do. I’m looking forward to hearing it when it airs. Jamie’s impatience at the delay with her new book may be temporarily satisfied. Hey, at least she’s still in the spotlight!



Author Interview.

It has been my great pleasure to have known this month’s guest for quite a while. Melissa Keir and I crossed paths at a number of author events and festivals. Melissa worked for many years as a teacher, in addition to raising a family and writing in every free moment.  Having her visit today is long overdue.

 


Hello Mark, thanks for having me visit your blog. I’m excited to share about myself and some of the things I have coming up.

Where are you from? I am originally from Ohio- don’t hold it against me, but have spent almost as much time in Michigan, where I moved after getting married. Michigan is where I raised my children. Finally, I was able to move to my dream location in South Carolina, where snow goes to die!

What’s your ‘someday’ or dream vacation spot and why? I am living my best life. Who couldn’t ask for being five miles from the ocean, enjoying sunshine and warm weather 10 months of out of the year and some of the best fresh seafood around?

What’s your favorite thing to do for relaxation? This may sound strange but I love walking when I’m stressed. I go out in my neighborhood and visit with the local wildlife. It’s wonderful to see nature in action.

Any favorite hobbies? I love to photograph the world around me. During my walks, I came up with a concept for a new book, and wrote Conversations with Gators, a children’s non-fiction book.

How long have you been writing? I’ve been a writer all my life. When I was growing up, my sisters and I would make up stories and share them while we fought going to sleep.

My first published book was released in early 2012 and I’ve never stopped since.

Are you able to write full time or do you also have a job/career? I have been a full time elementary teacher and owner of a romance publishing house while being an author. Additionally, I’ve been a mother and wife. About five years ago, I retired from full time teaching and have been able to substitute teach on days when I want, while continuing my writing.

Is there a particular genre that you write?  Or more than one?  What led you there? I started writing in the Contemporary Small Town Romance genre. It was what I knew but over time I have branched out into Paranormal Romance and Contemporary Western Romance, as well as Children’s picture books and non-fiction books. I love the variety! My stories always have a small town component. There’s something about living in a small town that makes life magical.

Do you use friends or family as characters in your work? I often weave characteristics of people into my stories. Sometimes I toss in a name from one of my students or use a person’s job, but each character is not one single person. They are who I dream them to be, even if at times….I don’t know how their story is going to go.

What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult? I loved reading Piers Anthony’s books. The use of puns in his Xanth series and the complexity of his characters drew me to his stories. I found Margaret Atwood’s GOOD BONES AND SIMPLE MURDERS in college and I loved the way she gave women a voice rather than allowing them to hide in the background. The biggest influence for me was the romances of Johanna Lindsay and Jude Devereaux whose books I devoured as a teen. The romances led me to read any and all romance books I could get my hands on.

Has anyone in your life influenced you or encouraged you to pursue your interests of writing? My mom and grandmother were voracious readers. They would visit the local used book store taking back bags and leaving with more bags. Books were always about in my home. My sisters encouraged me to create fantasy stories in my head as we snuggled in our beds. They were my first audience but it wasn’t until author, Liz Crowe told me that I should write my own romances, that I finally gave in to the dream that had been hiding in my heart.

Is there a common theme or item that appears in each of your work? My stories all feature heart! Small towns and family are common aspects in my stories. From sisters in the Wilder Sister series to brothers in the Pigg Detectives series, I love to include those relationships. Other people have told me that my stories all feature overcoming obstacles. Characters with physicial challenges are in some of my stories as well as people overcoming emotional challenges.   

What have you learned the most from being in the writing business? I’ve learned that there is no ONE way to do things and that friends are the best support and sounding block for authors. We should always support each other, it’s not a competition.

Tell us about your latest work.

My latest work is a major rewrite of one of my first books. It’s been ten years and I feel that I’ve learned so much about writing that I want to really deepen the story in Protecting His Wolfe. The novella will be featured in the GRAVE DANGERS anthology, releasing in March 2023.

Blurb:

Grave Dangers: A Thriller, Suspense, and Horror Collection

 


Link:  https://books2read.com/u/md6KJw
What’s dead doesn’t always stay buried.

Whether it be in a small town, an abandoned asylum, or a bustling city, no one is safe from the ugliest parts of human nature. A social media influencer, a college student, a detective – titles make no difference when death plays Russian Roulette.

Question is, who will be next?

Fifteen bestselling authors offer up their sacrifice in GRAVE DANGERS, a collection of thriller, horror, and suspense stories that will chill you to the bone and encourage you to double check that window lock. Fans of James Patterson, Harlan Coben, John Grisham, and Joe Hart will love these heart-pounding, terror inducing stories! 

Scroll up and one click today to lose yourself in the mystery of this limited edition thriller, suspense, and horror collection.

         Authors included in this set are: Maegan Beaumont, S.K. Gregory, Kayla Krantz, Elena Blake & Killian Wrathmore, Melissa Keir, Jennifer Wedmore, Chandara Blackwell, Alicia Ellis, Alonzo Cross, J.C. Layne, Sheri Chapman, Charlotte Hyde, Lori Joseph, Iris Baker & Emme Grange, Spiro Griffith & Doran Fawcett

_______________________________________________________

How did you decide on your story plot?  I love crime shows. I grew up with Columbo and The Rockford Files. Recently, I’ve been watching all the CSI and Criminal Minds reruns. A good murder mystery sets my mind to spinning. I also wanted to play with fairy tales so I took the Three Little Pigs and made them police officers and private investigators, then I tweaked the fairy tales with the pigs in them, from the Big Bad Wolf to Grandma going missing.

Describe how this method works best for you. Outline or ‘seat of the pants’?  I am a seat of the pants writer. For my book THE HEARTBROKEN COWBOY, the characters changed what happened halfway through the book! It was totally a better story but surprising.

Here's a little more information about Melissa.

Growing up in a small town, Melissa created stories in her head and lived them out with her sisters. They climbed through the quarries, built forts among the leaves and pretended they were their favorite television heroines.

Always trying to spread joy and happiness, Melissa has written over 30+ stories of couples who eventually find their Happily Ever After. Her books are filled with broken heroes and heroines who overcome real-life obstacles and come out stronger than ever. Her children books (written under her childhood name- Missy Watling) feature endearing tales infused with important lessons about self-acceptance.

Escaping the cold Midwest winters, she and her husband, along with furbabies enjoy the beaches of South Carolina and can be found talking to the gators and turtles. She posts photos of her gator friends as well as other wildlife. After all, sometimes they have the best advice!

 She’d love to hear from you! http://melissakeir.com

http://www.facebook.com/melissakeir

www.twitter/melissa_keir

https://www.instagram.com/keirmelissa/

 

 

                                                      Music


          
 John Mellencamp’s songs have been longstanding favorites on my musical carousel.  He first gained popularity in the early 1980s with a lot of instrumental work and strong heartland rock and roll.   Mellencamp has been nominated for over a dozen Grammy awards and has been selected for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Here are my top five favorites:

Cherry Bomb:  https://youtu.be/KF0gsbQKhD8

Authority Song: https://youtu.be/wsEwK69LXjQ

Pink Houses: https://youtu.be/qOfkpu6749w

Jack & Diane: https://youtu.be/h04CH9YZcpI

Hurt So Good: https://youtu.be/4dOsbsuhYGQ

 

 

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