Stephen Brayton's Blog (166)

Around the Globe with JOHN DESJARLAIS

So, after a night of heavy storms, the weather is cooler, but not uncomfortable. I hop in my transporter and I'm off to the state next door to talk with this week's author and to do a little bird watching.

1. Who is John Desjarlais and what makes you the most fascinating person in your city?

I’m a mild-mannered, absent-minded college professor in his 50s, married 33 years and a recent convert to the Catholic Church who kills people in his spare time. Well – in fiction.… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on June 11, 2011 at 12:21am — No Comments

Around the Globe with DIANA BLACK

I step into my transporter on this hot Friday morning to pick up this week's featured author, Diana Black. I ask her where she wants to be interviewed and I hesitate before I put in the coordinates. Oh wow!

Soon, we are in the desert, strapping ourselves into a very large machine and before I can change my mind...

"Well, Ms. Black, here we are."

"Thanks, Stephen, for agreeing to do the interview on this awesome first commercial flight into outer space! Pictures of the… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on June 4, 2011 at 12:13am — No Comments

Around the Globe with CYNTHIA POLANSKY

It's a sunny but cool Friday and I'm looking for warmer climes. So I hop in my transporter and pick up this week's author, Cynthia Polansky. She gives me directions which fulfills my desires. Soon, we are sitting on a veranda outside a fashionable hotel in Tahiti. The water is absolutely gorgeous, the air is clean, and the sun is warm. She hands me a passion-fruit punch and we begin the questions.

1. Who is Cynthia Polansky and what makes you the most fascinating person in your… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on May 28, 2011 at 12:49am — No Comments

Around the Globe with J.R. TURNER

On this cloudy and cool Friday morning, I hop into my transporter, pick up this week's featured author and we soon find ourselves at the end of a dock overlooking one of Wisconsin's many lakes. It's still cool here in the northern country, so we've brought along a thermos of hot chocolate and unbeknownst to me until that first sip, she's spiked the cocoa with a touch of Bailey's Irish Cream. Yowza! We discuss the upcoming fishing season and relaxing with our toes in the sand. Then, it's on to… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on May 21, 2011 at 12:25am — No Comments

Reviewers, Part 3

So, another in a long line of book reviewers steps into the arena. I hope you will check out Brayton's Book Buzz, http://braytonsbookbuzz.blogspot.com, where I want to provide a fun and intelligent review of the literature I read. I do a bit of reviewing at GoodReads.com, but I wish to expand a little more in the Buzz postings.

I want to be honest without being overly critical. I mentioned last week about the conditions I must follow… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on May 14, 2011 at 6:27am — No Comments

Reviewers, Part 2

I wrote last week's rant a few weeks ago during the time I was attempting to find reviewers for "Night Shadows." At the time, I didn't plan for this to go any further than one blog. However, since then, I've taken on a new assignment: reviewing books for Suspense Magazine, a monthly Internet publication. You can find more details about the magazine at www.suspensemagazine.com. I've agreed review a couple of books per month. If you're…

Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on May 6, 2011 at 11:42pm — No Comments

Reviewers, Part 1

If I’ve learned anything throughout all my years or writing, it’s that this business is difficult. There are obstacles every step of the way.

First, there is writing the story. Sure, if you want to take a further step back there is the creation of the plot, characters, setting, etc. I mean the actual writing, though. Setting aside a portion of the day to write. Then, after X amount of days working and rewrites and editing and rewrites, you enter the ‘send out query letters and receive… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on April 29, 2011 at 7:53pm — No Comments

Around the Glboe with F.M. MEREDITH

Another week of rain, but I don't mind since I'm off to Rocky Bluff, California, with this week's author F.M. Meredith. She's taken me to a wonderful restaurant overlooking the ocean where we enjoy, what else? A fabulous seafood dinner. While we're talking, we get entranced by the phosphorescence dancing on the waves rolling onto the beach. What a grand place. Well, onto the questions...

1. Who is Marilyn Meredith and what makes you the most fascinating person in your city?… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on April 23, 2011 at 12:06am — No Comments

Around the Globe with STACY JUBA

Spring has not quite sprung, at least with constantly warm temperatures. This morning is rainy and cold. No matter, though as author Stacy Juba and I are off in my transporter to Disney World! We're waiting with snacks and drinks in hand along Main Street waiting for the parade to start.

Stacy is the author of the mystery novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Sink or Swim (Mainly Murder Press), as well as the patriotic children’s picture book The Flag Keeper. Her young adult… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on April 16, 2011 at 3:26am — No Comments

Around the Globe with TINA WHITTLE

Yeserday we had a day of rain, so today is cloudy and cool. Not only does my author for this week make me stand around waiting for her to get ready for her trip to be interviewed, she hadn't planned an iternary. Which means, she left it up to me to decide where we go.

So, I transport her to Washinghton, D.C., in the hope I might catch a glimpse of my parent who are vacationing in the area. Author Tina Whittle and I on the Capitol mall enjoying a nice stroll with cool drinks in… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on April 9, 2011 at 5:35am — No Comments

Around the Globe with MELISSA BRADLEY

This week, I pick up author Melissa Bradley at her home and she tells me she wants to go to her home away from home. So, I set the transporter controls for Paris. In no time we are sitting on the Left Bank at a pied a terre enjoying wine and fine chocolates. Now this is nice. The City of Lights, a fine wine, and a wonderful author. Onto the questions...

1. Who is Melissa Bradley and what makes you the most fascinating person in your city?

Wow, most fascinating in my… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on April 1, 2011 at 8:54pm — No Comments

The World of Wylie

This week, I'm sitting at my computer, ready to type in my weekly post, when suddenly this woman from Canada, named Jennifer Wylie, bursts into my apartment. Now, normally, I wouldn't mind, but with barely a "How Ya doin'?" she hip checks me away from my computer, and takes my chair. Before I can recover, she's hijacked my blog. She spends a few minutes typing away like mad, then she's out the door in a flash. The bad news is, she left the Canadian cold weather in her wake and we had been… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on March 26, 2011 at 3:10am — No Comments

Around the Globe with DEBBIE MACK

This week, as the early signs of spring are starting to stay around for awhile, I hop in my transporter and pick up author Debbie Mack and in no time, we're sitting at a table at a streetside cafe in Rome. (You can see a little of where we're having the interview in the picture to your left.) I'm not sure what she's drinking, but I'm trying a very expensive dry red wine. (Hey, she's paying, I'm just the inteviewer.)

1. Who is Debbi Mack and what makes you the most fascinating person… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on March 18, 2011 at 11:39pm — 1 Comment

Salute to Editors, Part 2

I continue the interview with Kat Thompson, former senior editor at Echelon Press. Every publisher has individual preferences for manuscripts. Where one will accept a tag line after a question, another will not. As I discovered, the rules continue to be updated, but many are to make the writer think, to be more creative, and to put out a better product.

8. I've learned a lot about writing, as have others, through trial and error and from other writers in critique groups. I strive to… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on March 5, 2011 at 2:03am — No Comments

A Salute to Editors, Part 1

This week, I present part one of an interview I did with Kat Thompson, former senior editor at Echelon Press. Although since she first sent me the email leting me know Echelon had accepted two of my novels for publication, and since she graciously agreed to an interview, she has stepped back from major editing duties. However, as a guide and advisor, she possesses skills and talents from which all writers may benefit.

1. Who is Kat Thompson? Tell me a little about yourself. What one… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on March 1, 2011 at 6:46am — No Comments

The Name's the Game

One of the many common questions people ask authors is, “Where do you get your ideas from?” Actually, the correct question should be, “From where do you get your ideas?”

Anyway, many authors will answer, “From everyday life.” Just walking around looking at things and people and listening to news stories. At the Killer Nashville writers' conference last August, guest Jeffrey Deaver told how he came up with the idea for The Burning Wire. He had an electrician over one day who did some… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on February 19, 2011 at 1:10am — No Comments

Anticipation

The waiting is the hardest part. Every day you see one more card. You take it on faith, you take it to the heart. The waiting is the hardest part. - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Anticipation, anticipation is making me late, is keeping me waiting. - Carly Simon

Yes, the above two references speak of intimate times with a lover yet to arrive, but I haven't been able to get those two songs out of my head for the last couple of weeks. Because finally, finally,… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on February 12, 2011 at 6:02am — No Comments

Around the Globe with KERUL KASSEL

So as another snowy week comes to an end, I jump in my transporter, pick this week's author, Kerul Kassel and we're off to a great meeting spot she picked out. Welcome to the Canopy Tower in Panama, outside Panama city, where we're sipping tropical fruit juice and observing the birds and wildlife buzzing outside the open windows at tree canopy level at 6:30a.m. Check out where we're at- http://www.canopytower.com

1. Who is Kerul Kassel… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on February 5, 2011 at 12:34am — No Comments

Around the Globe with HEATHER INGEMAR

This week my transporter takes me to author Heather Ingemar's living room. Her house is old; a 1917 Sears and Roebuck. History adorns the walls–from old artwork to antique family branding irons. Multi-colored leaves litter the lawn outside. The wind blows around the eaves, making the old timbers creak. A few of the cattle she helps raise with her husband make lowing noises in the back lot. We kick back on her couch with a couple mugs of hot cocoa to discuss her writing.

1. Who is… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on January 28, 2011 at 5:00am — No Comments

Around the Globe with SARAH STORME

So it's below zero this morning as I jump in my transporter to pick up this week's featured author, Sarah Storme. Once again, I get a pushy author (just kidding) who immediately inputs a destination and we end up in the town where she grew up: New Orleans. (At least she picked someplace a little warmer). She whisks me out to a French Quarter cafe where we enjoy various delicacies (sorry, no chicory coffee for me), while we talk.

1. Who is Sarah Storme and what makes you the most… Continue

Added by Stephen Brayton on January 22, 2011 at 12:11am — No Comments