#atbap

Debut author Mike Mullin stops by All the Blog's a Page to talk about the release of his debut novel, ASHFALL! Last time he was here, he talked about being a plotter and pantser. This time, it's all about ASHFALL and the writing journey. Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano. It has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, and it will erupt again, changing the Earth forever. Fifteen-year-old Alex is home alone when the supervolcano erupts. His town collapses into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence, forcing him to flee. He begins a harrowing trek in search of his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives 140 miles away. Along the way, Alex struggles through a landscape transformed by more than a foot of ash. The disaster brings out the best and worst in people desperate for food, clean water, and shelter. When an escaped convict injures Alex, he searches for a sheltered place where he can wait—to heal or to die. Instead, he finds Darla. Together, they fight to achieve a nearly impossible goal: surviving the supervolcano. Come on over to All the Blog's a Page now to learn more about Mike's debut novel! All the Blog's a Page ~ [site] Permalink ~ [link]

Are you a PLOTTER or a PANTSER...or are you BOTH? That's the question being asked of the authors coming to you live this month on ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE. I have had author-friends who truly detest plotting, feeling it takes away from what the characters want to say, and I've had author-friends who detest flying by the seat of their author pants because the writing produced never seems to gel and come together. What do you prefer? Check out what the AtBaP authors of July think and share your own thoughts! We round out July with an author I've known for a while now; I tell you, he's one of the hardest working writers I know. If he's not writing, he's on course to promote, promote, promote his wares: author CHAMSIL! For Unbeknownst: Memphis, Tennessee, 20th century. Jamin Edson is a young business professional, boyfriend, and father of one who sorely lacks the connection, but is seeking love and acceptance within the confines of his family structure. Although, he has longed for this interaction, it has seemed so far from his reach. So far, that he continuously feels defeated. Lindsay Beauregard is a young business professional, girlfriend, and mother of one who is inflexible in every stretch of the imagination. She is very aggressive, opinionated and does things entirely in the manner in which she feels they need to be done. Hope Edson is a young child and daughter of Jamin and Lindsay, who becomes an unfortunate victim of circumstance and entangled in the web that is her parents’ tumultuous and challenging relationship. When Jamin makes the drastic decision to flee the city, abandoning his family in a last ditch effort to escape the persistent and volatile drama, Lindsay is left with no choice but to pick up the remaining pieces of the shattered mirror. Sadly, Hope is also forced to pick up a piece in order to reflect on her life and where she’s headed, even at a very young age. Take a journey into their worlds in order to see how lives are forever changed and how those same lives run in parallel to one another in entirely different environments over a span of a number of years. Witness the trials and tribulations, heartache and pain, successes, pitfalls, and shortcomings that are the result of one fateful decision. There are many lessons to be learned. Life goes on. Life brings about new experiences. Life has inevitable challenges. Life isn’t always what it seems. But, ultimately, life catches up with you, sooner or later. The only question is…will you be ready when it does? This is Unbeknownst. Stop by All the Blog's a Page to not only read CHAMSIL's thoughts on plotting and pantsing in his writing life, but to also read an excerpt of Unbeknownst! All the Blog's a Page ~ [site] Permalink ~ [link]

Are you a PLOTTER or a PANTSER...or are you BOTH? That's the question being asked of the authors coming to you live this month on ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE. I have had author-friends who truly detest plotting, feeling it takes away from what the characters want to say, and I've had author-friends who detest flying by the seat of their author pants because the writing produced never seems to gel and come together. What do you prefer? Check out what the AtBaP authors of July think and share your own thoughts! This week, we ask the Plotter-Pantser question to author Deborah Batterman whose collection of short stories, SHOES HAIR NAILS, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The settings of these stories - 1980s New York City, 1950s Brooklyn, Las Vegas, an exurban town post-9/11 - are as diverse as the rich palette of characters drawn with heart, humor, and sensuality. With a sharp sense of the telling detail, Deborah Batterman weaves narratives around the everyday symbols in our world and their resonance in our lives. Stop by All the Blog's a Page today to read Deborah's engaging response to the plotter-pantser question; more than likely, you'll see some truth in her words. All the Blog's a Page ~ [site] Permalink ~ [link]

Are you a PLOTTER or a PANTSER...or are you BOTH? That's the question being asked of the authors coming to you live this month on ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE. I have had author-friends who truly detest plotting, feeling it takes away from what the characters want to say, and I've had author-friends who detest flying by the seat of their author pants because the writing produced never seems to gel and come together. What do you prefer? Check out what the AtBaP authors of July think and share your own thoughts! Our next author this month is someone I've read over the years and have LOVED--Bettye Griffin! In this updated, revised eBook version of Bettye Griffin’s classic novel originally published in 1999… Ava Maxwell has made a career out of helping other people with their dreams as the leading wedding planner in the trendy but troubled city of Palmdale, Florida. She cherishes the idea of couples starting marriages and creating families…knowing that for her, the reality was painfully different. Ten years before Ava walked out on her marriage when she and her ex-husband received the devastating news that she would never be able to have children…the one thing her ex wanted most. The intervening years have been marked by aborted relationships, her only comfort being the belief that she will finally be able to claim happiness once she reaches the point in her life where she would no longer be expected to bear children…but she’s only thirty-five years old and lonely, and ‘that certain age’ is still a good ten years away. Then, in the same remarkable evening, Ava encounters both an eight-year-old purse snatcher and an exciting new man in town. Unlikely alliances are formed, bonds that soon deepen into something more special than she’s ever known. Could these two be the key to her attaining…A Love of Her Own? Stop by All the Blog's a Page to not only read Bettye's thoughts on plotting and pantsing, but to also sneak a peek at her re-released novel, A LOVE OF HER OWN! All the Blog's a Page ~ [site] Permalink ~ [link]

Are you a PLOTTER or a PANTSER...or are you BOTH? That's the question being asked of the authors coming to you live this month on ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE. I have had author-friends who truly detest plotting, feeling it takes away from what the characters want to say, and I've had author-friends who detest flying by the seat of their author pants because the writing produced never seems to gel and come together. What do you prefer? Check out what the AtBaP authors of July think and share your own thoughts! Up first this month is author Mike Mullin, whose debut novel, ASHFALL, which will be released this October, sounds like a great story full of drama, action, adventure, and peril. Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano. It has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, and it will erupt again, changing the Earth forever. Fifteen-year-old Alex is home alone when the supervolcano erupts. His town collapses into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence, forcing him to flee. He begins a harrowing trek in search of his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives 140 miles away. Along the way, Alex struggles through a landscape transformed by more than a foot of ash. The disaster brings out the best and worst in people desperate for food, clean water, and shelter. When an escaped convict injures Alex, he searches for a sheltered place where he can wait—to heal or to die. Instead, he finds Darla. Together, they fight to achieve a nearly impossible goal: surviving the supervolcano. You definitely don't want to miss Mike Mullin's at times funny yet on point thoughts regarding being a plotter and pantser, so head over to All the Blog's a Page and check it out! All the Blog's a Page ~ [site] Permalink ~ [link]

CHARACTER. Every story has them, and their development is vital to any great story. This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about GREAT CHARACTER. Authors talk to us about what they think makes up a great character, what great character they've found in others' works, and what great character lurks within one of their own works. Our final author this month in our talk about great characters is a woman with great character herself, Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts! I was introduced to her writing when I read and reviewed her novel, Interruption: The Gospel According to Crystal Justine, and not only did I enjoy the novel, but I also enjoyed the complex and charismatic storyteller behind the story. Interruption: The Gospel According to Crystal Justine by Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts is the long awaited sequel to 2004's The Gospel According to Sasha Renee. It is the second book in the Gospel trilogy. Each book examines the deeply rooted issues that have plagued three generations of women in one family. The story is a fascinating journey through the life of Crystal Justine (CJ), a young woman who has, for most of her life, been erroneously compared to her mother, Sasha Renee. Even as she struggles to escape the image and legacy of this enigma of a woman, she finds herself unconsciously acting out her mother's (and grandmother's) past mistakes. Her relationships with men, although few and far between, is tainted by the thing she cannot say; and her faith is weakened by the emotional and spiritual blows she endures. This dynamic story of deliverance keeps readers, page by page, on the edge of their proverbial seats, wondering if CJ will simply succumb to the darkness that has chased her soul for as long as she could remember or if she will be the one to finally put an end to the generational curse that has tried to consume her family. You definitely don't want to miss the fantastic thoughts Tracey has on great characters...or the excerpt she shares with us! Head over to All the Blog's a Page and check it out! All the Blog's a Page ~ [site] Permalink ~ [link]

CHARACTER. Every story has them, and their development is vital to any great story. This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about GREAT CHARACTER. Authors talk to us about what they think makes up a great character, what great character they've found in others' works, and what great character lurks within one of their own works. Our next author is one I've followed since her first book, Scoop dropped in 2006. It's not a coincidence that she's here on AtBaP this month; I fell for her stories because of her spunky, colorful, realistic lead character, Cauley MacKinnon. Welcome Kit Frazier to All the Blog's a Page! FBI Special Agent Tom Logan is back in town, and he's got a proposition for obituary writer Cauley MacKinnon. He needs somebody dead. And who better to help fake the death of a weasel-y informant than Cauley, aka the Obituary Babe? But things go awry when the snitch is gunned down on the way to the courthouse, his sister is nabbed by a mysterious cloaked figure and soon Cauley is up to her eyelashes in hot guys, dead bodies, and on the hunt for the missing sister with her search and rescue dog, Marlowe. Head over to All the Blog's a Page now and check out Kit's thoughts on great characters and to check out an excerpt of her latest work, Dead Sexy! All the Blog's a Page ~ [site] Permalink ~ [link]

CHARACTER. Every story has them, and their development is vital to any great story. This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about GREAT CHARACTER. Authors talk to us about what they think makes up a great character, what great character they've found in others' works, and what great character lurks within one of their own works. Our next author chose a rather unique way to pitch his novel to top literary agents and though unconventional, landed one (which you can read about here: author Edward Dean Arnold! Reminiscent of The Best Man, with the solid, sexy, urban style of Love Jones, Lovin' Mrs. Jones is a romantic drama filled with regret, betrayal, and irreversible outcomes. It explores what happens when you finally meet the love that is really meant for you...but you've already said "I do" to another. What do you do? Meet Gabriel Washington. To all who know him, he has his act together -- financially secure, spiritually grounded, and he's just five days away from marrying his college sweetheart, Tracee Andrews. Despite her sharp tongue and sometimes manipulative ways, Tracee represents everything any sane man would want in a woman - ambitious, stunning, and has a gorgeous figure that intimidates the most confident of men. But as Gabriel will discover, the appearance of having everything is sometimes not enough when it comes to love, and definitely can fall short when it comes to being in love. So when this soon-to-be groom meets Alexandria Jones, a soft-spoken woman whose marriage to her husband just happens to be on shaky ground, a mutual, irresistible attraction will quickly transform Gabriel into a reluctant brotha just days prior to when he should be saying "I do". At a time when things are seemingly perfect on the outside, Gabriel is conflicted on the inside whether it's worth risking a future he's somewhat certain of in exchange for a moment that may hold no promise. He will find out that falling for a married woman in the midst of her own marital breakdown comes with serious consequences. Falling for her on the week of his wedding, well...creates even more drama than he can imagine for an already complicated situation. Add to the mix Gabriel's not so innocent bride-to-be, Tracee, who has a few hidden skeletons of her own and Alexandria's husband, Lionel, who has been secretly covering up his ultimate betrayal for years. But it's only a matter of time before all secrets are revealed and lives are taken on a rollercoaster ride and turned upside down in more ways than one. And in the process, both will leave you personally invested in their lives and the choices they make beyond "The End". Come on by All the Blog's a Page now and check out Edward's insightful thoughts on great characters, and read an excerpt from Lovin' Mrs. Jones! Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more! And here's a [permalink] of the feature!