Interview with author Mary Ann Bernal

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love the way the internet allows you to meet other people with similar interests. I “met” Mary Ann via my Facebook fan page and am thrilled to connect with an author who writes about a time period I love. My current fascination with British culture also includes a fascination with European history. I hope you enjoy Mary Ann’s interview.

Me: Describe your writing journey.

Mary Ann Bernal: My journey began in the fourth grade when a poem I had written impressed my teacher.  I continued to dabble in writing poetry and short stories throughout high school and college, and have taken numerous creative writing courses and workshops over the years.  However, it was not until a few years ago that I was able to find the time to write, and I have been writing ever since.

Me: Who or what inspires you as a writer?

MAB: The study of history has been my inspiration.  I love to breathe life into people who came before us because names in a history book deserve so much more than a mere mention.  What was the person like?  How did he/she handle life’s problems?  We have some insight about famed leaders, but what about the common people?  History does not record their names for posterity, but they did exist.  My characters come alive in the century I place them in, and they experience every emotion we experience today.  I love to bridge the gap between centuries since we are not very different from our ancestors.

Me: What made you pick your genre?

MAB: Since I love Ancient Roman history, and Roman Britain, and the Dark Ages, choosing to write historical fiction was a no brainer.  You are supposed to write what you like and what you know, and have fun doing it.

Me: What advice do you have for other writers?

MAB: First and foremost, you must enjoy writing, you must have fun, and you must write for yourself.  If you do not like your story, no one else will.  Your passion should be evident when you discuss your work, and this passion should be contagious. It is also important to remember that you cannot please everyone and that there will always be the naysayers who need to be ignored.  Don’t let anyone rain on your parade.  Keep at it, and never give up.

My note: Great advice! I never thought of this before, but having passion for your work is important.

Me: Where can we find out more about you and your novels?

http://www.maryannbernal.com

facebook.com/TheBritonandtheDane

http://twitter.com/#!/BritonandDane

http://maryannbernal.blogspot.com/

http://www.litunderground.com/MaryAnnBernal.html

http://pinterest.com/maryannbernal/

Me: Where can we purchase your novels?

Amazon US

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mary+ann+bernal&x=0&y=0

Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mary+ann+bernal

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/mary-ann-bernal

The Literary Underground

http://www.litunderground.com/MaryAnnBernal.html

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH1qSGHOSMA

Cover Reveal

Okay, not quite. I put this picture all over Facebook and Twitter the day before yesterday, but haven’t officially revealed it on my blog. So without further ado, I give you my cover:

I for one and very happy with it. I was nervous about how it would look, and peaked at it through my fingers when my editor forwarded the draft. Although I’m not ecstatic about the shades on Malcolm, I still LOVE it! That is Kenyatta 100%.

To update you on the book status, I received my galleys to review. This is my formatted e-book. I had two days to read it and look for any errors (punctuation, misspelled words, etc.) The biggest thing I noticed was saying nipple four times in a paragraph. Needless to say, I corrected that. So soon it’ll go up for pre-sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the iTunes store. It’ll be available as an e-book first, with print on demand copies coming later. I can’t have a book signing just yet, but I can celebrate with family and friends and have already planned to do that.

I hope you love it as much as I do, and I’ll continue to update everyone moving forward.

Meet author Delaney Diamond

Today I’d like you all to meet author Delaney Diamond. I was first introduced to Delaney when I read her romance Fight for Love. She writes sweet and sensual romances that are sure to keep you entertained. Today she’s here to shed some insight on her publishing journey, and to make it fun she’s offering a prize! So sit back and get to know Delaney.

Me: Describe your journey to becoming published.

Delaney Diamond: I’ve been reading romance novels since I was eleven and wrote my first one at the age of fourteen, but I never had any real aspirations to be a writer. In fact, after high school, I stopped writing fiction altogether. In 2009 I caught the writing bug and decided to write romance novels because I enjoy reading them. To help me toward my goal, I joined the Romance Writers of America (RWA) in January of 2010. Thanks to the great women I met there, especially my critique partners, the first book in my Hot Latin Men series was published by Amira Press in November 2010. The title is The Arrangement.

Me: You’ve published with an e-publisher and self-published, what are the pros/cons you’ve seen with these routes?

DD: E-publisher pros:

• Knowledge of the industry you can learn from (you hope).
• The publisher bears the financial risk of getting the book out. They pay for the cover art and editing.
• They take care of formatting of the manuscript and upload it to all the online retailers.

E-publisher cons:   Read more of this post

Interview with E-Book Author Chicki Brown

Today I’d like to introduce you all to author Chicki Brown. Chicki is another author I “met” via Twitter and whose stories I loved after reading her novel Hot Fun in the Summertime. I really admire how Chicki embraced the rise of e-books and e-publishing. I can relate to all of her reasons for choosing e-books. So sit back and get to know Chicki. Enjoy!

Me: Describe your journey to becoming published?

Chicki Brown: Tedious, frustrating, challenging and unbelievably rewarding. My second career began when the first one took an unexpected turn due to a job layoff. I started writing at work out of sheer boredom, just to have something to do. When what started out to be a short story turned into a full-length novel, I asked several people to read it. They all encouraged me to seek publication. It was a great story, but since I knew nothing about the craft of writing, I made the huge mistake of submitting that first manuscript to editors. Of course, it was rejected numerous times. The rejection only encouraged me to find out what I was doing wrong. I put that manuscript away and began a second one, this time simultaneously studying the craft. Read more of this post

Interview with author Rionna Morgan

This fine day, I’d like to introduce you to author Rionna Morgan. Not only did I enjoy Rionna’s interview because I like learning how other author’s approach writing, but because I learned about barrel racing.  So, sit back and get to know Rionna.

Me: Tell me a little about yourself.

Rionna Morgan: I am the youngest of seven.  I’m a Army Brat.  I was a professional barrel racer.  I love to read; I’m a terrible singer.  I love to read!—oh yes…I said that. Read more of this post