Plotter, Pantser, Both? Talking with Author Deborah Batterman @ All the Blog's a Page

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]

Plotter, Pantser, Both? Talking with Author Bettye Griffin @ All the Blog's a Page

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]

GREAT CHARACTER with Author Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts

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]
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GREAT CHARACTER with Author Kit Frazier

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]

GREAT CHARACTER with Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted

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...well, I've been following her literary career since the beginning. I remember it fondly, reading her debut novel, The Thin Pink Line back in 2003 and loving it, despite the fact that I wanted to seriously hurt the self-absorbed main character! Since then, author Lauren Baratz-Logsted has carved a space for herself in not only works for adults, but also works for teens and tweens!










Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day…a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda? Set in Victorian England, The Twin’s Daughter is a twisty tale of mystery, suspense, and even romance.


Come on by All the Blog's a Page now and check out Lauren's thoughts on great characters, and take a peek at an excerpt from her latest project, The Twin's Daughter! Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!

And here's a [permalink] of the feature!

GREAT CHARACTER with Author Samara King

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.

Kicking off March's GREAT CHARACTER series is an author I'm proud to call a sister. With every story she writes, she brings sassy, sexy, sensual characters to the forefront--and it doesn't hurt that she's an excellent poet to boot, author Samara King!








A masked lover
A year ago, Club Reign owner, Belinda Gilles threw the first Grown & Sexy Masquerade Ball without a hitch – that was until she encountered a masked man whose touch made her forget about her past. Did she dare to believe that her masked lover would show his face again?

What lies beneath…
When Jordan Harris discovers that Belle is the woman he encountered under the mask a year ago, he sets out to make her his, even if it means opening old wounds she’d vowed to never forgive him for.


Come on by All the Blog's a Page now to read Samara's thoughts on great characters, and delight in the tasty treat she offers in an excerpt of Hot to the Touch! Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!

And here's a [permalink] of the feature!

Promo Your Book with FIRSTS

Firsts

These days, writers need to grab the reader on the first page. Firsts is a new segment that will be featured on ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING [website] and/or All the Blog's a Page [website]. With Firsts, authors can send to me the first page of their novel and the following information:

• Book cover
• Book description (what we'd read on the back cover of your novel
• Author pic
• Short author bio (what we might read on the back cover of your novel or the author page within your novel)

I will schedule the feature on one of the above sites and send out alerts on the feature's post on various social media outlets.


What I envision Firsts to be is that sneak peek into a novel that often moves us to take a book to the counter of a bookstore and buy it.


If you'd like to have your first promoted on CLG or AtBaP, e-mail me.

What Is a Good Book with Author Miki Starr Martin

This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about "good" books--particularly their definitions of a good book and how their latest releases constitute that good book. AtBaP's next author is so creative in the projects she tackles. One of her latest books is a great piece of metafiction, and yours truly appears in the story, too! I'm talking about Miki Starr Martin, author of two new novels, the metafiction Psycho and Olivia!








Dr. Nicollet Madison Fairway is a fictional psychotherapist straight out the mind of authoress Miki Starr Martin. Problem is - she doesn’t realize it. In a loft located in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Dr. Fairway has created a very lucrative business counseling fictitious characters through a celebrated system that has been dubbed, The Fairway Method and has been greatly successful in her treatment of many very notable fictitious characters. From Eric Jerome Dickey’s Arizona, to the late Alex Haley’s Ruthana, with many other authors’ characters in between.

Now, Dr. Fairway has decided to take on a new adventure in her practice by serving a group of characters all from a single mind. In this case, it is her very own creator, Miki Starr. Unfortunately this is a much greater undertaking than the good doctor could have ever suspected. Between the troubles with her own relatives, a family filled with arrogant, self-serving doctors, her bickering clients, and her quest for true love - Dr. Fairway is doing all that she can to hold on to her sanity while trying to help her clients find a piece of their own.




For decades, the children of the planet Marieux were told tales of the birth of a savior that would free their world from the clutches of the heartless organization that controlled it for years. Military rule, unjust laws, and recruitment of women for the purpose of serving the needs of their oppressor, exemplified the society into which they were born. But with each passing year, as civilization was further plunged into the depths of despair, it became even less conceivable that the prophecy of the Anointed Daughter of the Marinites was true.

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Kalaath, has heard this story since childhood and rejected it for just as long, despite at times being accused of being this prophecy come reality. After all, she has the golden skin tone and the extraordinary instincts synonymous with the mythical figure. Either way, being different has its price. In order to keep herself and her mother below the Shadow Realm Allegiance’s radar, she practices the age-old art of concealing, a survival technique she learned as a child. But when her best friend goes missing, Olivia must decide what she believes in once and for all.


You don't want to miss this feature! Miki Starr offers insightful responses to our monthly questions regarding "good" books and on top of that gives us two juicy excerpts to her novels! Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!

Promo Your Book with FIRSTS

Firsts

These days, writers need to grab the reader on the first page. Firsts is a new segment that will be featured on ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING [website] and/or All the Blog's a Page [website]. With Firsts, authors can send to me the first page of their novel and the following information:

• Book cover
• Book description (what we'd read on the back cover of your novel
• Author pic
• Short author bio (what we might read on the back cover of your novel or the author page within your novel)

I will schedule the feature on one of the above sites and send out alerts on the feature's post on various social media outlets.


What I envision Firsts to be is that sneak peek into a novel that often moves us to take a book to the counter of a bookstore and buy it.


If you'd like to have your first promoted on CLG or AtBaP, e-mail me.

2011 Feature Topics at All the Blog's a Page

The following are topics to be covered on All the Blog's a Page [website] during 2011. Author features will be bi-monthly, with some features focusing on genres and subject matter and other features focusing on discussion pertaining to writing.

I'm currently finalizing authors for January; however, if you would like consideration in being featured for another month in 2011, please e-mail me!


JANUARY 2011
TOPIC: Defining the "Good Book"


MARCH 2011
TOPIC: Death and Writing


MAY 2011
TOPIC: Ingredients to Making a Great Character


JULY 2011
TOPIC: Domestic Violence


SEPTEMBER 2011
TOPIC: Plotter vs. Pantser


NOVEMBER 2011
TOPIC: Sci-Fi / Fantasy

AtBaP: INFLUENCES: In Touch with Author Jennifer Coissiere

For the month of September, All the Blog's a Page is talking to authors about INFLUENCES: whether it is books that have influenced them as writers or authors. Our final feature of the month spotlights an author who I love as a sister and as a fellow writer. I've been happy to see her growth as a writer and can say she's written a great debut novel in Crossing Over: author Jennifer Coissiere.










Come on over to AtBaP where you'll get to learn what books made Jennifer's influential list while also getting to check out a trailer and excerpt from Crossing Over!




ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing
[http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

AtBaP: INFLUENCES: In Touch with Author Karen Templeton

For the month of September, All the Blog's a Page is talking to authors about INFLUENCES: whether it is books that have influenced them as writers or authors. Our second feature of the month spotlights an author who knows a thing or two about romances, having more than 30 titles in print: Karen Templeton. Karen talks about the influential authors of her writing life and shares a great excerpt of her newest novel, Adding Up To Marriage!











Come by AtBaP to learn why Kathleen Korbel, Jennifer Crusie, and Curtiss Ann Matlock are influential writers to Karen and check out her latest novel!





ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing


[http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

@ AtBaP: INFLUENCES, In Touch with Jill of All Trades, Author Ananda Leeke

For the month of September, All the Blog's a Page is talking to authors about INFLUENCES: whether it is books that have influenced them as writers or authors. Up first is a Jill of All Trades: innerpreneur, author, artist, coach, and yoga teacher Ananda Leeke. I met her a few months ago when I did an interview on her radio show regarding women and social media, and I was immediately connected to her tenacious spirit and drive. In addition to sharing descriptions, videos, and excerpts of her books, Ananda also talks about three books that were influential to her as a writer.












Come by AtBaP to learn why books by Ntozake Shange and Maya Angelou have been most influential to Ananda. Then stay to listen to her talk about her book!





ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing
[http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

It's a Mystery ... Author L.J. Sellers @ All the Blog's a Page

All the Blog's a Page is all about MYSTERIES and THRILLERS for the month of July! This week at AtBaP, our featured author is award-winning journalist, editor, novelist, and occasional standup comic, L.J. Sellers, who stops by to talk about her upcoming release, Thrilled to Death, the third in her Detective Wade Jackson series.









When asked, The first book of your series—what came first: the main character of the series or the main situation that arises in the first book, L.J. replied, When I wrote The Sex Club, it was simply a story I was compelled to tell. I felt very passionate about the subject of abstinence-only sex education and the damage it could do to teenagers. But I’m a practical person, so I figured I might as well create a character, a detective, that I could base a series on—if I was fortunate enough to sell the book and readers wanted more."


Come by AtBaP to read more about L.J.'s novel Thrilled to Death, to get her advice to aspiring mystery novelists, and to have a taste of Thrilled to Death!



ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing

[http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

Mystery Novelist Angela Henry at All the Blog's a Page

All the Blog's a Page is back, and for the month of July, we're talking MYSTERIES and THRILLERS with four authors who know a thing or two about dead bodies and solving crimes. To kick-off the month is an author I have known for years and have always enjoyed her Kendra Clayton Mystery series: Angela Henry. Angela's fourth novel in the series, Schooled in Lies, is out, and she comes to AtBaP to talk about her love of mystery writing and more!















When asked, Who are some of your favorite mystery/suspense novelists, and why, Angela replied, "Agatha Christie because she’s the queen of the whodunit. I’ve modeled my Kendra Clayton series after the village cozy mysteries she’s famous for. Ruth Rendall because she’s so good at psychological suspense. Walter Mosley-Easy Rawlins, need I say more? Janet Evanovich-because she’s hysterical. JK Rowling-because she sure knows a thing or two about world building."

Come by AtBaP to read more of Angela's thoughts on mysteries and thrillers. Also, while there, read an excerpt of Schooled in Lies!





ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing[http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

Talking YA Fic Series with Author Shelia Goss

For the month of September, All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP) is looking at authors who have been put into the genre "young adult fiction." Up next is an author I've known for years now and have enjoyed for her adult fiction; now, she brings her literary talents into the YA realm with her Lip Gloss Chronicles, Shelia Goss.

About Splitsville: The Lip Gloss Chronicles, Vol. 2:

The divas are back. Jasmine, Britney and Sierra’s world is filled with drama at Plano High.

DJ Johnson has been spreading nasty rumors that threaten to ruin Jasmine’s reputation. Jasmine’s home life is in turmoil too. Her parents are in the midst of a divorce, and she’s taking it hard. As if all that weren’t bad enough, Jasmine soon finds herself involved in drama that makes the situations with DJ and her parents seem like child’s play.

When asked Why write teen fiction, Goss replied, "I've actually wanted to write a teen fiction book since being a teenager and reading Nancy Drew. My friends’ teens love books like Gossip Girl, The Clique, Private, etc., so I decided that I would write a series where the main characters were minorities but grew up in middle to upper class households. The stories are reality based and although entertaining, each book in The Lip Gloss Chronicles series deals with issues that some teens face."

Come by AtBaP to continue reading Shelia Goss' thoughts on YA fiction, her series...and to read an excerpt of her latest literary offering!

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing[http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

Beth Fehlbaum talks about Faith & Writing @ Premiere of All the Blog's a Page

(LINK)
Where Everything Relates to Writing ~~ A monthly blogging series hosted by ChickLitGurrl™ in which writers and readers talk about writing and its relation to various topics!

AtBaP premieres its series of writer talks with Beth Fehlbaum, author of COURAGE IN PATIENCE.

For the month of August, the series will focus on the subject of Faith & Writing.


Our panel was asked the following question: How does your faith, your spirituality integrate itself into your writing?





Want to see what Beth had to say about the question? Here's an excerpt:

I strongly believe that religion should not be used as a tool to tear people down. I think that belief comes through in my debut novel, Courage in Patience, a story of hope for those who have endured abuse.

Courage in Patience's protagonist is a fifteen-year-old girl named Ashley Nicole Asher. Ashley is removed from her mother's home because her stepfather is suspected of sexually abusing her. But even before she is removed from her home, she experiences what becomes for her a crystallizing moment that colors forever her perception of fundamentalist churches. This happens when her classmates who, while not really friends, pretty-much ignored her, change into born-again "zombies" who are intensely interested in whether or not Ashley is "saved."

To read the rest of Beth's response and check out an excerpt of her novel COURAGE IN PATIENCE, head to All the Blog's a Page (LINK) and check out our premiere!

While you're there, think about the question in regards to your own writing...or reading and LEAVE COMMENTS!

August 1st Marks Premiere of All the Blog's a Page!

For our first month of writer discussions on AtBaP, we are looking at FAITH and how writers connect their faith to writing.

Participating authors are

Friday, August 1, 2008 -- Beth Fehlbaum: MySpace

Friday, August 8, 2008 -- Niambi Davis: MySpace

Monday, August 11, 2008 -- Pamela S. Thibodeaux: MySpace

Friday, August 15, 2008 -- Faith Inspired Books: MySpace

Friday, August 22, 2008 -- James A. Jimason: MySpace

Friday, August 29, 2008 -- Cynthia Polansky: MySpace

Just from reading the early submissions from the authors, I can tell you that they are ALL taking it seriously, and you'll be in for some great responses, so head over to AtBaP TODAY and subscribe to the blog!