ARIA Expo Blog Tour, Jessica Metcalf

Mike:  Hi, Jessica.  I’m happy to have yet another Association of Rhode Island Author (ARIA) to introduce to my Overlords fan base.  As with the others, we’re going to do an old fashioned interview.  Here we go!

Mike:  Jessica, please introduce yourself to my Overlords fans with a little information about you and where you’re from.

Jessica: Hi Mike, thank you so much for having me on your blog! I am a Rhode Island girl, born and bred. I have recently published my very first novel this month and am psyched to get the word out to anyone and everyone. I currently live in Cranston with my artist boyfriend and our very artistic cat, Shadow.

Mike:  What are you working on these days and what’s the current status of that project?

Jessica: I am actually working on a sequel to my first novel, “The Last Daughter of Lilith”, it is tentatively titled “Lilith’s Tears” but that could still change. I am in the rough draft stages of it and it’s shaping up to be a very different book from the first.

Mike:  Can you tell the audience what inspires you to write?

Jessica: Life, nature, anything and everything. I have been writing for as long as I can remember and it makes me feel good to put my thoughts and honestly, my soul, on the page for other’s to read and (hopefully) enjoy. I get my inspiration from songs or other writers or from people watching.

Mike:  What genre do you enjoy writing the most?

Jessica: I seem to lean towards Fantasy Fiction - I base it in reality though so that makes it more interesting to me.

Mike:  Any upcoming projects we should now about?

Jessica:  I am hoping to have a short story I wrote recently in a Fantasy anthology, but time will tell on that one and I am hard core into writing this sequel while also marketing “The Last Daughter of Lilith” as much as possible!

Mike:  OK, time for some quick ones, ready?  Favorite movie?

Jessica: Eeek! OK…Um…It’s a tie between “American Beauty” and “American Psycho”

Mike: Favorite food or dish to make?

Jessica: My boyfriend makes the BEST hamburgers!

Mike:  Favorite place you have ever visited?

Jessica:  So far, it would have to be New Orleans.

Mike:  Favorite music band?

Jessica: Oh gosh, it’s always changing but if I have to pick one, David Bowie.

Mike:  Favorite book, and no it can’t be one of yours!

Jessica: Again, I have to go with a tie, Stephen King’s “The Stand” and the 5th Harry Potter Book, “Order of the Phoenix”.

Mike:  Jessica , thanks for being such a good sport!  Is there anything you would like to leave my fans with?

Jessica: Thank you for having me and I’d love to say your fans that I appreciate them reading this and I hope they go out and buy my book (wink wink) but more than anything, I’d like them to know that whatever artistic endeavor they gravitate towards, keep pushing and keeping hustling, your dream WILL come true!

Mike:  Jessica, thanks for being part of this great blog series.  Please follow the links below to get in touch with Jessica and most importantly, buy her books!

WEBSITE: www.JuiceyCreativeworks.webs.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Last-Daughter-of-Lilith-by-JL-Metcalf/1494018200844564?ref=bookmarks

Also, I am doing a book signing at a place in Providence, RI, called Symposium Books on October 18th if you wanted to work that in somewhere ;) My book is now available on Amazon and at BarnesandNoble.com.

ARIA Expo Blog Tour, Derek Feuti

Mike:  Hi, Derek.  I’m happy to have yet another Association of Rhode Island Author (ARIA) to introduce to my Overlords fan base.  As with the others, we’re going to do an old fashioned interview.  Here we go!

Mike:  Derek, please introduce yourself to my Overlords fans with a little information about you and where you’re from.

Derek: I’m from North Providence, and for the better part of 10 years I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on, fantasy being at the top of that list.  I’ve binge-watched more Netflix than I’m proud to admit and what time’s left I spend with podcasts, writing, friends, and my family.

Mike:  What are you working on these days and what’s the current status of that project?

Derek:  Most recently I’ve been working on a supernatural story set in the old west during the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War.  It’s a project I’ve been writing for a few years (on and off) and at the moment I’m about two-thirds of the way through the first draft.  Which, as I’m sure any of you writers out there know, is only the beginning.

Mike:  Can you tell the audience what inspires you to write?

Derek:  I find myself inspired by characters.  Most of my stories start off with a voice in mind, a voice that I let sit inside my head until it develops into a character.  When it comes to actually writing those ideas down, my mind works best outside, in the open air, usually by the water or secluded in the woods, away from any distractions. 

Mike:  What genre do you enjoy writing the most?

Derek:  Fantasy has always been my favorite, whether that’s the setting or involving elements of it grounded in the real world.  But the more I’ve been writing the more my inspirations have led me to stories that have no one genre, but many.  And I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.

Mike:  Any upcoming projects we should know about?

Derek:  Aside from the western, which at the moment remains untitled, I have a children’s book in the works that I’m really looking forward to.  It’s different than everything else I’ve written and it’s sure to be a blast.  There’ll be more in the coming months so stay tuned!

Mike:  OK, time for some quick ones, ready?  Favorite movie?

Derek:  A tie between Clerks and The Lion King.

Mike: Favorite food or dish to make?

Derek:  My grandmother’s pizza (patent pending).

Mike:  Favorite place you have ever visited?

Derek:  A random day-trip to a clearing in the hills of New Hampshire.

Mike:  Favorite music band?

Derek:  Anything from The Weeknd to Pearl Jam to Florence and the Machine.

Mike:  Favorite book, and no it can’t be one of yours!

Derek:  Prince of Thieves, by Chuck Hogan.

Mike:  Derek, thanks for being such a good sport!  Is there anything you would like to leave my fans with?

Derek:  You can follow me at my twitter, @djcreso, and my website, derekfeuti.com where I’ll be posting more about upcoming events and projects to keep an eye out for.  Keep reading!

Mike:  Derek, thanks for being part of this great blog series.  Please follow the links below to get in touch with Derek and most importantly, buy his books!

http://www.amazon.com/Kringle-Derek-Feuti-ebook/dp/B00KYXVR78

ARIA Expo Blog Tour, Vanessa Paniccia

Mike:  Hi, Vanessa, I’m happy to have yet another Association of Rhode Island Author (ARIA) to introduce to my Overlords fan base.  As with the others, we’re going to do an old fashioned interview.  Here we go!

Mike:  Vanessa, please introduce yourself to my Overlords fans with a little information about you and where you’re from.

Vanessa:  Hi!  I’m Vanessa Paniccia, the author of a children’s book series based on a character named Princess Bing Bong who is an unconventional princess that seems to attract silly situations.  I’m the mother of 4 children under 6, with my most recent daughter born this past September 11.  I was raised in Narragansett, RI.  I went to high school at Moses Brown in Providence, college at the University of Rochester and eventually moved back to Rhode Island like every good Rhode Islander does.  When I’m not writing and taking care of children, I train in Muay Thai, a form of Thai kickboxing.

Mike:  What are you working on these days and what’s the current status of that project?

Vanessa:  I have 3 additional books that I’m working on about Princess Bing Bong.  The Dinosaur Drive, which is complete.  The Royal Playground, which is getting there.  Lastly, Princess Bing Bong in Bubble Land, which is a ways off still.

Mike:  Can you tell the audience what inspires you to write?

Vanessa:  My writing is inspired by a child’s imagination.  My inspiration to publish comes from my love of reading to children, but my dislike of reading boring material to children.  Children’s books should be fun!

Mike:  What genre do you enjoy writing the most?

Vanessa:  Children’s books right now but I’ve dabbled many times into murder mysteries yet I just can’t seem to complete them.

Mike:  Any upcoming projects we should now about?

Vanessa:  I want to do a spinoff book series about her best friend Ferris who likes to turn everything into a science experiment.

  

Mike:  OK, time for some quick ones, ready?  Favorite movie?

Vanessa:  The Blues Brothers

Mike: Favorite food or dish to make?

Vanessa:  Roasted turkey.  It smells like the holidays.

Mike:  Favorite place you have ever visited?

Vanessa:  Disney World

Mike:  Favorite music band?

Vanessa:  Def Leppard

Mike:  Favorite book, and no it can’t be one of yours!

Vanessa:  Kiss the Girls by James Patterson

Mike:  Vanessa, thanks for being such a good sport!  Is there anything you would like to leave my fans with?

Vanessa:  The Princess Bing Bong book series is the recent winner of the Mom’s Choice Awards Silver Award for Children’s Picture Book series!!!  Also, that I love doing elementary school visits if anyone thinks that would be something fun for their school to have.  I can be reached through my website!!

Mike:  Vanessa, thanks for being part of this great blog series.  Please follow the links below to get in touch with Vanessa and most importantly, buy her books!

ARIA Expo Blog Tour, Scott Simmons

Mike: Hi, Scott. I’m happy to have yet another Association of Rhode Island Author (ARIA) to introduce to my Overlords fan base. As with the others, we’re going to do an old fashioned interview. Here we go!

Mike:  Scott, please introduce yourself to my Overlords fans with a little information about you and where you’re from.

Scott: Well, I'm Scott William Simmons, author of "Choices Made - A Tale of the Gwerin". Originally from South Carolina, now living in Johnston, RI

Mike: What are you working on these days and what’s the current status of that project?

Scott: I'm about halfway through "Broken Ties", book 2 in the Gwerin saga. I'm also in the process of creating concept art for my novels.

Mike: Can you tell the audience what inspires you to write?

Scott: Definitely inspired by seeing what adventures/trouble I can get Liam and his friends into.

Mike: What genre do you enjoy writing the most?

Scott: Hands down it would be Fantasy. 

Mike: Any upcoming projects we should now about?

Scott: Along with getting ready for our Expo, I'll be having a table at Rhode Island Comic Con the first weekend in November. Then I'll have a booth at the Foundry Show in Pawtucket, RI the first two weekends in December.

Mike: OK, time for some quick ones, ready? Favorite movie? 

Scott: Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Mike: Favorite food or dish to make?

Scott: Favorite food - a good burger. To make - anything I can make in the microwave.

Mike: Favorite place you have ever visited?

Scott: Pompeii, Italy.

Mike: Favorite music band?

Scott: Bastille

Mike: Favorite book, and no it can’t be one of yours!

Scott: Sorry, have to give you two. Shardik and Maia. Both by Richard Adams.

Mike: Scott, thanks for being such a good sport! Is there anything you would like to leave my fans with?

Scott: Really appreciate this opportunity to talk to your fans and if they are interested in my work they can find me at www.facebook.com/ScottWilliamSimmons

Mike: Scott, thanks for being part of this great blog series.  Please follow the links below to get in touch with Scott and most importantly, buy his books!

The link to "Choices Made" on Amazon (Kindle version) (can also be purchased at Amazon as a paperback):

http://www.amazon.com/Choices-Made-Tale-Gwerin-Tales-ebook/dp/B00EF3VDFO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1411562107&sr=1-1&keywords=scott+simmons

Locally, "Choices Made" can be purchased as a paperback at Picture This, on Wickenden Street, in Providence. And Books on the Square, in Wayland Square, in Providence.

ARIA Expo Blog Tour, Leigh Brown & Victoria Corliss

Mike:  Hi, Leigh and Victoria.  I’m happy to have two more Association of Rhode Island Authors (ARIA) to introduce to my Overlords fan base.  As with the others, we’re going to do an old fashioned interview.  Here we go!

Mike:  Leigh and Victoria, please introduce yourself to my Overlords fans with a little information about you and where you’re from.

Leigh:   Hi!  My name is Leigh Brown.  I grew up in New Hampshire, but I've lived in Rhode Island for over thirty years so I consider myself a "native".  In my other life, I was a corporate financial analyst and then spent many years as a decorative painter.  I met Vikki in 2007 and as we became great friends, we realized that we both were interested in writing.  We decided working together would be beneficial.  We finished our first novel Second Chances in September, 2013.

Vikki: Hi. Victoria is my proper name but my family and friends call me Vikki. So you should too! I’m originally from Connecticut, but like Leigh, I’ve lived in Rhode Island for a long, long time with my husband and son. Prior to my writing career, I was a Marketing professional for thirty plus years. In 2009, I began dabbling in the craft of fiction writing, a lifelong passion of mine. In 2012, I became a full time writer.

Mike:  What are you working on these days and what’s the current status of that project?

Leigh:  Originally Second Chances was published as an e-novel, but we had people tell us that they would love to have a printed copy.  So, we self-published the book this past summer.  It's nice to offer both options. 

Vikki: People read e-novels on readers, tablets, even their phones these days. You can’t beat an e-novel for easy, convenient, and lightweight reading. But, I hope we never see the day that paperbacks go out of style. We are so excited to offer Second Chances in both formats at http://www.amazon.com.

Mike:  Can you tell the audience what inspires you to write?

Leigh:  Vikki and I laugh about how differently we are inspired to write.  I need to set aside a block of uninterrupted time and I write as though I was watching a television show or movie.  I get in a mindset and the details just come.  For instance, recently I wrote for 6 1/2 straight hours and wrote nearly twenty pages.  It's not for everyone, but it works for me.

Vikki:  Writing is my passion. It is also my job.  I write for several hours, every day, Monday-Friday, and sometimes on weekends if the creative juices are flowing.  I may write several paragraphs or several pages at a time. Leigh and I map out each chapter beforehand, so I always know what has to be accomplished on those pages. But how it happens just sort of comes to me as I stare at my computer screen.

Mike:  What genre do you enjoy writing the most?

Leigh:  I enjoy writing general fiction.  I like to write about things for which I have a personal reference. For example, our forthcoming novel, The Pie Sisters, is about three sisters who summered at a lake when they were children.  Both Vikki and I had summer lake cottages in our families, so many of the details in the story come from our own experiences.

Vikki: I agree with Leigh. I enjoy reading non-fiction books, but not doing the extensive research required of an author to ensure the accuracy of his/her writings.  Writing from the heart and from personal experience is a much more subjective process. Readers either relate to your story or they don’t, but no one can say it’s wrong.

Mike:  Any upcoming projects we should know about?

Leigh:  Lots! First and foremost, The Pie Sisters, our second novel will be available on Amazon soon!  We want to thank our loyal readers for waiting so patiently for this next Brown/Corliss collaboration. Vikki and I also have a very busy event schedule coming up including:

1) October 5—The Southern New England Women’s Expo at the Twin River Event Center, Lincoln, RI.

2) October 11-12--The Scituate Art Festival with colleagues from the Association of Rhode Island Authors to sell copies of Second Chances. 

3) November 1—Cumberland Public Library’s Adult Writer’s Workshop, Cumberland RI.  We will be sharing our writing experiences and thoughts on how to publish a book. 

4) November 8—The Second Annual Author’s Expo at the West Warwick Civic Center.

Vikki:  Three words: The Pie Sisters.  In many ways, this book was a walk down memory lane for both of us. It was such a joy to write. We are very excited to share it with all of our readers.

Mike:  OK, time for some quick ones, ready?  Favorite movie?

Leigh: At the risk of exposing my childish humor, I just love the movie Bridesmaids.

Vikki: The Princess Bride

Mike: Favorite food or dish to make?

Leigh: I love ANYTHING that involves Buffalo chicken; but I make a mean lasagna.

Vikki: I just love to cook, period.

Mike:  Favorite place you have ever visited?

Leigh: My favorite place to visit is Bermuda; really a slice of heaven.

Vikki: I love to travel and have been fortunate enough to have visited many different places.  Right now, I’d love to make a return trip to Ireland and Scotland.

Mike:  Favorite music band?

Leigh: My favorite band is tough. I could easily reel off bands from the 1980s and 1990s that are long dissolved. For a current band, I would say the Zac Brown Band.

Vikki: I’m an 80s girl through and through but I like a lot of the newer music as well. I also became a fan of country music five or six years ago.

Mike:  Favorite book, and no it can’t be one of yours!

Leigh: I don’t have a single favorite book. I have favorite authors and will read most of what they have written. John Grisham, David Baldacci, Dan Brown, Elin Hilderbrand, and Karen White, to name a few.

Vikki:  I read too much to have just one favorite book. But a few recent favorites include, Karen White’s House on Tradd Street series (fiction), and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (non-fiction).

Mike:  Leigh and Vikki, thanks for being such a good sport!  Is there anything you would like to leave my fans with?

Leigh: I think it’s an exciting time to be a Rhode Island author. The Association of Rhode Island Authors has well over 100 members who cover every genre. I would encourage your fans to explore and support the publications of local authors!

Vikki: Ditto

Mike: Leigh and Vikki, thanks for being part of this great blog series.  Please follow the links below to get in touch with Leigh and Vikki and most importantly, buy their books!

Their second novel, The Pie Sisters, is almost complete and is expected to be published by year end.

ARIA Expo Blog Tour, Julie Yingling

Mike:  Hi, Julie.  I’m happy to have yet another Association of Rhode Island Author (ARIA) to introduce to my Overlords fan base.  As with the others, we’re going to do an old fashioned interview.  Here we go!

Mike:  Julie, please introduce yourself to my Overlords fans with a little information about you and where you’re from.

Julie:  Hi! I grew up in Rhode Island, was born in D.C., but I’ve lived in many places to pursue an academic career: Denver, Milwaukee, Iowa City, and a small town named Arcata in northern California. Now I’m back in R.I., retired, recently married, and doing what I like: gardening, painting, writing, walking Mr. Darcy (Lhasa/Poodle) and taking all sorts of classes at nearby U.R.I..

Mike:  What are you working on these days and what’s the current status of that project?

Julie:  I’ve been on a bit of a vacation from writing since I completed a few academic books a few years back, and then “Final Conversations,” my only nonacademic book so far. But I am gearing up to start gathering interviews about women’s healing conversations. In preparation, I’m taking a workshop this fall in the holistic studies program at Salve Regina University. Everything starts with research for me.

Mike:  Can you tell the audience what inspires you to write?

Julie:  Well, I have to admit that it has often been a good and energetic co-author, such as my friend, Maureen Keeley. But when you have a topic you’re passionate about, as I am about communication, the stuff almost writes itself. I’ve done a lot of work on children’s communication. Now I’m interested in how communication changes as we age, and in particular the effects of conversation on women as they change over time.

Mike:  What genre do you enjoy writing the most?

Julie:  Enjoy? I suppose that’s poetry. But next, it would be nonfiction -- writing up the results of what people have revealed to me, either by interview or observation. Truth is often stranger than fiction, and more compelling.

Mike:  Any upcoming projects we should now about?

Julie:  I’m guessing it will be a book about women and the conversations they have that heal them in some way. I will be looking for volunteers to tell me about their experiences with healing communication. So, ladies, I know you are out there and have stories to share…

Mike:  OK, time for some quick ones, ready?  Favorite movie?

Julie:  ”Harold and Maude” (Yes, I’m old!).

Mike: Favorite food or dish to make?

Julie:  Green chili.

Mike:  Favorite place you have ever visited?

Julie:  Rome. But I have to add Amsterdam too… romantic city!

Mike:  Favorite music band?

Julie:  The Rolling Stones (I told you I was old!) But also Green Day, Elvis Costello and whomever, Neil Young and whomever (the appeal with Neal is that you never know if he’s going to hit that note, but it usually works out.)

Mike:  Favorite book, and no it can’t be one of yours!

Julie:  ”Possession” by A.S. Byatt, among many others.

Mike:  Julie, thanks for being such a good sport!  Is there anything you would like to leave my fans with?

Julie:  Hold onto that curiosity that leads you to books, no matter what your choices. And if anyone asks you for an interview, do it! Share your wealth!

Mike:  Julie, thanks for being part of this great blog series.  Please follow the links below to get in touch with Julie and most importantly, buy her books!

A few links:

Publisher: http://www.vandb.com/fc.html

Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Final-Conversations-Helping-Living-Dying/dp/1889242306

Tehama Group PR project fact sheet: http://www.csuchico.edu/jour/tgc/history_pages/Fall07Art/FCFactSheet%20copy.pdf

National Communication Association book review: http://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=862