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Interview with Hailey Sawyer, Author of Kenji and Yuki – A Japanese Tale

Hello,

I’m pleased to bring you this interview today with Hailey Sawyer, author of Kenji and Yuki – A Japanese Tale.

Please enjoy!

Best,

Vincent Lowry

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?
Hello everyone. My name is Hailey Sawyer and I was born and raised in Rhode Island. Come to think of it, I’ve never lived anywhere else but Rhode Island.

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?
Funny enough, my newest book is also my first book. It’s called Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale. It’s a coming of age romance story that takes place in Japan in 2016 and is geared towards Young Adults.

3) What is the book about? 
Well in all honesty, I think this blurb sums it up best:
“Meet Yuki Sakamoto.
Sixteen, easily distracted, and a runaway. Coping with the loss of her grandma seems like a mountain she struggles to climb. She hasn’t even had the courage to visit the family grave she’s buried in.
After a series of misadventures, she meets another girl in an abandoned house one night.
That girl?
Kenjiro Furukawa.
Seventeen, wired when not on her meds, and resident of the house. The dark strikes fear into her heart. She has a nightlight in almost every room of the house.
As the days pass, their connection and feelings for each other strengthen through conversations, stories, and outings. But can these experiences help them rise above their struggles?”
Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale is set to arrive on November 10th, 2021 so stay tuned!

4) Where did you come up with the idea?
If you were expecting some kind of epic or emotional backstory behind how it came into fruition, you’re not gonna get that here. See, this is an idea that just sort of popped into my head one day. At first though, I wasn’t really sure if it was something I’d turn into a novel. But, after giving it some thought, I went ahead with it.

5) How long did it take you to write it?
Kenji and Yuki: A Japanese Tale has been in the works since about 2017. When I started working on it, I was in my first year of college so I had to figure out how to balance working on my assignments with working on Kenji and Yuki and my other writing projects. To be honest, I think I did a pretty good job. Oh and for those who might be wondering, I graduated last May.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?
Prior to working on Kenji and Yuki, I had only written shorter works. I also struggled immensely with finishing things in a timely manner, including writing projects. So for me, this was a huge undertaking.
Now when I write stories, I like to do a lot of planning first. This includes creating character sheets and plot outlines. For this book, I had at least three different documents containing outlines for groups of different chapters. For example, the first document contained outlines for chapters one to four. With this document in particular, it took me about a year to complete before I started writing the actual book. 
However, at some point, I decided to employ what I call the “outline then chapter” method. Basically, it involved writing a single chapter’s plot outline first then writing the actual chapter and repeating the process until the book’s writing stage was complete. For me, this method was much more efficient than what I had done for the first plot outline document. 
In addition to finding a more efficient method of completing the writing stage, my ability to finish things in a timely manner had drastically improved (though I still kind of struggle a bit from time to time). I had gone from taking months, to near months, to weeks, and finally to days to complete each chapter. 
I joined this site called Goodreads in February of 2018. On occasion, I would offer up chapters of my book for beta reading on there to see if I was going in the right direction. To me, I found most of the feedback I received from the beta readers to be really helpful for not only helping me figure out if I was going in the right direction, but also helpful for improving my writing skills. I also consulted the people of Goodreads for feedback on things such as the cover for Kenji and Yuki (which I designed myself using Canva after researching what makes a good book cover and whatnot), and its blurb. 

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?
Oh yes. I have an author website (https://haileysawyer.wordpress.com/), a Twitter (https://twitter.com/haileysawyer101), and a Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/78172698-hailey-sawyer).

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists? 
If you want to write a story involving a topic you don’t know too much about, don’t be afraid to do thorough research on it and double check what you think you know already. If you’re able to find them, having your work looked at by people knowledgeable on the topic doesn’t hurt either. 
I also suggest looking into Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling, as I feel there’s a lot of good tips in there. I think some of my personal favorites from there are “You admire a character more for trying than for their successes” and “Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle.”

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?
Some of the genres I like to read include, but aren’t limited to, romance, coming of age, slice of life, horror, and comedy. In terms of reading and reviewing the works of new authors, if the work piques my interest, then I’m all for it.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why? 
Oh boy. I have quite a few favorite books so this is a bit of a tough one for me. However, if I had to pick just one, I would say that my favorite book of all time is the Azumanga Daioh Omnibus. Yeah I know I’m kind of cheating a bit because it’s essentially all the volumes of the series combined into one book, but I think it still counts. To me, everything about this book works fantastically. The characters are fun and over the top but still manage to feel like real people, the comedy is top notch, the pacing is well balanced, the list goes on.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?
I don’t have any pets at the moment. However, over the course of my life, I’ve had two cats, some hermit crabs, and some fish.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?
Not currently. However, I had one when I was a teenager, but I think I stopped using it when I got one of those RCA tablets for Christmas one year.

Interview with Lorna Schultz Nicholson, a Scholastic Children’s Author

I’m pleased to bring all members this interview with Lorna Schultz Nicholson, a Scholastic Children’s Author. She has written over 46 books!

Come see it!

Link: https://studio.youtube.com/video/5ViP5d3K9gI/edit

Taking the Ice is a middle grade novel about a young hockey player who finds himself living in a new small town after living in a big city, worried about what hockey team he is going to make, and anxious about everything. His father has just passed away and this makes life even harder. He has to find his voice.

When You Least Expect It is a Young Adult novel about a rower whose dream is to make the Olympics but is shattered when she gets cut from the junior national team. She has to go home to her bizarre new family (her mother has moved her in with her new boyfriend and two kids). She thinks she is going to have the worst summer ever, but she gets an unexpected gift in a man who agrees to coach her in a single rowing boat. Since she isn’t a quitter, she takes the opportunity behind her mother’s back for good reason.

Alexander Ovechkin – Amazing Hockey Stories – book five – This is a nonfiction middle grade about Russian superstar, Alexander Ovechkin.

Interview with Emily S. Hurricane, Author of Bloodlines

Good morning,

Today’s interview is with Emily S. Hurricane, author of Bloodlines.

You can find the interview below.

Thank you,

-Vincent Lowry

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?
Hi, I’m Emily S Hurricane and I’m from the east coast of Canada! 

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?
My newest set of releases is my Bloodlines series. As of right now, the first five volumes are live on all major retailers (first one is free!) and they’re paranormal dystopian novellas with a dash of romance and a pinch of horror.

3) What is the book about? 
After a disease wipes out humanity, Daphne is left all by herself, somehow immune. After finding out her true parentage, she sets off from the east coast to find her father and figure out why she survived. She ends up finding a whole lot more.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?
My husband likes to blurt out wacky story ideas randomly—he’s not a writer, but his brain is full of weird and wonderful scenarios. Sometimes they’re really cool, sometimes really ridiculous. Perfect writer’s husband, let me tell you!
Anyway, he had a particular ridiculous idea that we laughed about (I won’t disclose it because it’ll spoil some of the fun!), and then we got on the topic of what we would do in the apocalypse. I’ve always wanted to write a dystopian story, and the thought of being the last person on earth is both horrifying and fascinating. With the world as your playground, what would you do?
I started serializing it for NaNoWriMo in 2019 (freaked myself and my readers out when the pandemic started shortly after, let me tell you!) and my twenty-chapter outline quickly became a five-part epic, with so many more ideas percolating in my brain!

5) How long did it take you to write it?
Starting in November of 2019, I posted a chapter per day up to 93 chapters, so the first draft was about three months. It went through multiple revisions and rewrites over the course of 2020, for official release on Radish at the end of 2020 and eBook in February of 2021. Volume 5 just released at the tail end of March.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?
Definitely! I explore a lot of themes in this series, deep diving into the human condition, ambition, and what it means to belong somewhere. I don’t know about all writers, but I tend to delve into my characters when I’m writing them to really try to experience things that I never have before. (See: why I never end up sticking to my outlines.)
On a professional level, this is the first series that I’ve published wide across retailers other than Amazon. So it’s been interesting to learn about distributors (I used Draft2Digital) and other markets that I’ve never reached before.

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?
My web site is www.emilyshurricane.com, which is the hub for everywhere I can be found on the internet. I don’t have a blog (yet!) but I love guest posting and social media where I share all kinds of stuff related to my books, indie publishing, and books I’ve read and love.

You can find all of my socials at https://emilyshurricane.carrd.co/ I am everywhere as ESHurricane

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists? 
Biggest tip for any author is just to write! Write write write! I know everyone says that, but it’s so key. Every single word keeps your creative muscle working, and for me it keeps me learning. It’s so interesting to look back at how my writing has evolved since I started so many years ago.
Making author friends that are just as ambitious and driven as you is also a great idea. I’m surrounded by inspiring and excited writer friends every day (digitally of course) and we sprint together, read together, and chat about the business together. It makes what is usually a lonely job so much less lonely.
As for editors and cover designers, oh I know so many great ones! I like to use lots of beta readers (swaps with friends) before editing and it’s an exercise I highly recommend. You can learn just as much beta reading someone else as you can having your story beta read.
My main editor is Emerald Baynton (she’s not taking clients right now but you can find her at emeraldscreations.org), and the Bloodlines covers were done by Rebecacovers on Fiverr. Freelancing sites are a great way to find great deals on services—however do a lot of research, because sometimes it’s hard to sift through the scammers.
Other great editors I know:Jessey Mills – https://jesseymills.com/index.php/services/ Rhodora O (she also does custom book formatting for publishing) – https://www.fiverr.com/s2/b6deac29a8Nicole DeVincentis – https://www.fiverr.com/njdevincentis
Other great graphic designers I know:Midnight Coffee – https://midnightcoffee.co.uk/Pixie Stormcrow – https://covers.pstormcrow.com/

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?
I am open to reading anything as long as it’s engaging! Vague, I know, haha! But for me I look for interesting stories that are character driven and all of my favourite authors have very unique narrative voice. Think Palahniuk or Vonnegut. But really I am a Jill-of-all-genres (for reading and writing!).
I love reading brand new authors as well, and promoting those I enjoy across my social channels.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?
This is such a hard question! I think a book I couldn’t possibly live without is Blade of Tyshalle by Matthew Stover. I read it once every year or two and every time feels like the first time. It’s such a skillfully written and well-crafted world, with such deep characters and endless lore. The whole series is amazing but that one is my favourite.
Close seconds are The Princess Bride by William Goldman, Wizard and Glass by Stephen King, and Rant by Chuck Palahniuk.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?
I have a fourteen-year-old toy poodle named Izzy, and she is my furry soulmate! She’s 100 lbs of diva in a 5 lb body and she is the absolute best.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?
I do love paper books the best, but being a mom of two small kids I don’t often have either time, safe areas, or light to read by. My electronic alternative is my iPhone, and I use a combination of Apple Books, the Kindle app, audible, and for my serial obsessions Radish and Wattpad. I also often use Siri to read books to me if I don’t have it in audio. Makes chores and driving so much more enjoyable!

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Learn about the New Remote Accounting/Bookkeeping Spotlight Program!

As the Founder and Group Admin of Remote Accounting/Bookkeeping group, I want to welcome you! I know how hard it is to find new clients (I’m a remote accountant as well), so I want to do my best in helping you be seen and find jobs!

I’m excited to bring you the new Accounting/Bookkeeping Spotlight Program, which will basically list your name, skills, and contact information first for the thousands of members on the group to see in the form of an announcement! This term for this listing is 1 week (likely Monday to Sunday).

Here is an example of a posting:

Because I will be spending my time on this program (and likely money on group advertising to help members out), there will be a $25 charge to participate in that weekly posting (via Paypal, Zelle, or Venmo).

Please email vjlowry1@gmail.com or on Facebook if you are interested!

Thank you!

-Vincent Lowry

Be Prepared for the Accounting Job!

Accountants and Bookkeepers should definitely check out this book regarding the questions and answers for an accounting job! You can find the book above or here as well: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1911037129/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=theblogcafe-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1911037129&linkId=18ace42eda311320a221c5a68df11cc4

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Interview with Dr. Sheldon D. Newton, Author of Genna’s Fight and Specific Kinds of Prayer

Dear Readers,

I’m very pleased to bring you this interview with Dr. Sheldon D. Newton, author of Genna’s Fight and Specific Kinds of Prayer.

Please see the interview below!

Thank you!

Best,

Vincent Lowry

______

Interview:

1. What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

My name is Sheldon D. Newton and I live in Nassau, Bahamas.

2. What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

As an author, I have written both fiction and non-fiction. My fiction is “Genna’s Fight,” a novel which deals with domestic abuse and one woman’s struggle to survive. My latest non-fiction book is on the subject of prayer, “Specific Kinds Of Prayer,” which shares practical principles on prayer which one can apply and experience real answers.

3. What is the book about?

Genna’s Fight is concerning a beautiful lady named Genna, who was abuse continually by her husband, Tom. However, she was not new to abuse. She experienced it as a young girl growing up as well. She struggled to regain her sanity, being tempted to committed suicide and end it all. Reader’s Favorite Arya Fomonyuy gave it a 5 Star rating saying, “Genna’s Fight: Will She Be Able to Discover Her True Self & Get Her Son Back In Time? by Sheldon D. Newton begins in a way so that the reader can’t help but keep reading. The hook is very powerful: “I am divorcing you Genna. You are leaving my house tonight, and you are leaving alone. You will not be taking Samuel with you. He is staying with me. You will not be carrying anything but the clothes on your back…” The story starts right in the middle of a dramatic situation. Genna, who has suffered all forms of abuses, is getting the hardest blow of her life: her current husband is divorcing her and he does so in the clearest and harshest of terms. She’ll leave with nothing, but what hurts most is that she might not leave with her only child, Samuel. This time, will she allow any man to trample on her dignity or will she stand up for herself and the one person she loves the most — her son? This is a story that will bring tears to the eyes of readers, a story fraught with realism that speaks of the pain that millions of women suffer behind closed doors. But it is a story of a woman’s journey to real freedom.”

4. Where did you come up with the idea?

My mom experienced abuse in her marriage. Perhaps this is where the inspiration for the book may have come from. Because of our past in that regard, I hate abuse in marriage, whether it is coming from the husband against his wife, or the wife against her husband. I have witnessed abuse in marriage several times through the years and it still deeply affects me and hurts my heart. It is my prayer that those who have gone through such torment, fear, terror and pain would gain a sense of hope, healing and wholeness.

5. How long did it take you to write it?

I wrote Genna’s Fight within three months. Some of my books took much longer to write. However, it seems as though when one has a real passion to write in an area, the words just flow.

6. Did you learn anything from the project?

As a writer, I learned to flow with the ideas and thoughts that come and to always have something to write on with me, because these ideas and ‘moments of inspiration’ can come at any time.

7. Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

I have a website, but I am having work done to it. I presently use my Facebook Fan Page, www.facebook.com/authorsheldondnewton. And I am working on a professional video for Genna’s Fight. Should be ready in short order. I should stress that it is vital that an author has a workable website. It helps people to locate you better and learn more about you and what you do. I just recently took mine down to make some changes. Will be back up in short order. For right now, Genna’s Fight and my other titles can be found on Amazon.com just by going there and putting in, “Books by Sheldon D. Newton.”

8. Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

Yes I do. Here are just a few tips: 1. Ensure that you do your homework and know your subject. In a novel, you are permitted and encouraged to be creative, but to keep the objective or your subject in mind. 2. Do not be your own editor. You are the writer. Find a good editor to take care of that aspect. (One that I have found is Deborah Moore of Moore Editing Services. She is busy so she can only take a certain amount of authors at a time. By the way, my cover designer is GLA Graphics, here in Nassau, Bahamas). 3. Lean the importance of marketing. Regardless of how good a book may be, if it is not properly and effectively marketed it may not go far. I learned that lesson from a New York Time Best-selling author I wrote for advice. He told me, “Never Stop Marketing.” I write more advice in my book, ‘Lessons I Learned As An Author.’

9. What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I love reading non-fiction Christian genre books and self-help books. As it pertains to novels, I like investigative stories and suspense novels that keep my attention. I love novels that shows how one may have come from hard times or a hard life and got over the top or had something good happen in the end. I love stories with a positive spin. And yes, I would read seasoned as well as new books as long as it can keep my attention.

10. What is your favorite book of all time and why?

That is a loaded question. Primarily, my favorite book to read is my Bible. Second, if we are speaking of novels, I really, really, really enjoyed Mark Victor Hansen & Allen’s book, “The One Minute Millionaire.” On the left, it has a story that honestly grabs your attention from beginning to end, for those who love novels. And on the right hand side of the book is the practical principles to apply to better your life for those who love non-fiction. That fictional story is perhaps my favorite to this day. It speaks to me for it shows the power of desperation and determination in such a thrilling manner when a lady faces the possibility of losing her children and what she has to do to ensure that she keeps them. I will not spoil the story for you. But, it is awesome.

11. Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

Yes, we have a Shih Poo. He is really my daughter’s dog, but we all love him. His name is Pumpkin.

12. Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I have a Samsung Tablet. I like it for watching movies and for reading too. However, along that line, I am getting a Kindle Fire next week because I prefer it for reading.

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Come check out Bookcase Club and have expert curators handpick two books a month and deliver it right to your door!

Readers and authors will love to check out Bookcase Club, a site where expert curators handpick two books for you a month and deliver it right to your door! Check out the website now! Bookcase Club

Accountants and Javy: Liquid Microdose Coffee

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Interview with Karen Tripson, Author of The Cooking Class in Budapest

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Karen Tripson, author of The Cooking Class in Budapest.

I hope you enjoy it!

Best,

Vincent Lowry

Author Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)? Karen Tripson Seattle WA 2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre? The Cooking Class in Budapest Love later in life 3) What is the book about?  It’s a love story about two middle-aged art experts and a cache of hidden art. Bernadette stars as a smart Parisian woman living in Seattle. An unexpected inheritance of paintings makes her suspicious as she hardly knew the artist. Her employer, Drew, has been in pursuit and she decides to give him a chance. Bernadette doesn’t plan to fall in love or go to Budapest to look for the mising art. Soon the pressure is on for her to go to Hungary before an old friend of her father’s dies without revealing the location of the art. The Cooking Class in Budapest offers the precariousness of love later in life, the intrigue of recovering stolen art and the sensual joys of fine dining and travel. 4) Where did you come up with the idea? This novel is third in a series of love later in life stories with cuisine, travel and art as the focus of the characters. My previous locations were Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and San Sebastián, Spain. I needed an exotic setting with history and a sophisticated cultural scene. I got ideas for the action in the novel while vacationing in Budapest. 5) How long did it take you to write it? About two years. 6) Did you learn anything from the project? Unlike most previous projects, I did not prepare a detailed outline. I was inspired by the characters and started writing with no clear concept of where it was going. I don’t think I’ll use an outline again.    7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video? My web site is https://www.karen-tripson.com and includes my blog https://www.karen-tripson.com/blog which displays all the posts since the publication of The Cooking Class in Kuala Lumpur in 2013. The blog Cooking and Reading Every Day dates to about 2000. I don’t have a book video yet but intend to create one soon. 8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?  Sit at your desk every day and write. I get started by reviewing what I wrote the day before. My editor is Debra Ginsberg. She’s terrific and always has good suggestions. My cover art and book interior are by Schubert Design. I love working with Daria and think she’s done a great job for me.  9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work? I’m an eclectic reader and proudly display my Goodreads list on my website. I read classic fiction, women’s contemporary fiction, romance, mysteries, memoirs, biography, art history, cookbooks, gardening and travel.   I’d be open to reading and reviewing new authors on subjects I’m interested in.  10) What is your favorite book of all time and why? That’s a difficult question. Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey is a favorite I’ve read several times as it satisfies on every level. The writing is a pleasure to read. I was charmed by the generations of the Stamper family who all live and work together in the dangerous logging industry in Oregon after the Korean War. It’s inspiring and heartbreaking when a union strike pits the Stampers against the whole town and the union. Hank, Henry, Lee and Viv are all memorable characters. The story foreshadows the complicated decline of the timber industry which decimated so many lives and communities in the Pacific Northwest.  11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind? An acutely intelligent cocker spaniel, who loves cooking and reading every day with me.  12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it? I have an iPad with the Libby app to download eBooks from the Seattle Public Library. I love traveling with it to avoid carrying a separate bag for books. I also have a Kindle app for downloading purchases from Amazon when I must have something good to read right now.

Admin: As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.