Meet LexiCon's Spotlight Author of the week, Mike Saxton

      First off, I want to thank you, Mike.  It’s great that you 

     took time from your busy schedule to talk to me.

It’s me who should thank you! I certainly appreciate the interest!

Can you tell my readers a little bit about yourself?

Sure thing. I’m 35 years young and getting younger. I moved to Florida last December, the day after Christmas actually. I’m married and I have a son, who is the light of my life. I have two cats, Padme and Obi-Wan and they terrorize the house day and night. I’m currently working on a PhD in Organization and Management, which is probably the most insane thing I’ve ever attempted.

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing in 2010. When I was in High School and College, I had 4 years’ worth of lucid dreams about a post-apocalyptic world. These dreams served as the inspiration for the 7 Scorpions Trilogy. It took 11 years after the dreams ended to fill in gaps and get up the nerve to actually start writing.

Do you listen to music or do you like silence when you’re writing?

I actually go back and forth. Sometimes, I have music playing (especially when writing fight scenes), other times, I need quiet (and having an 8 year old minimizes the amount of quiet time there is).

What made you choose to write Science Fiction?

Science Fiction is my favorite genre for both movies and books. It also seemed to be the one to fit my dreams best.

How did you come up with your title?

As lame as it sounds, “7 Scorpions” came to me when I was about half awake one day my senior year of High School (and there were many of those days). When I decided it would be a trilogy, I christened them Rebellion, Revolution, and Retribution.

Are you working on another book?

Currently working on 7 Scorpions: Retribution, the last of the trilogy.

What do you do when you are not writing?

Ask myself why I decided to pursue a PhD and quit drinking at the same time. Other than that, I spend time with the family, friends, etc. I’m hoping to save up enough to buy a new Harley, because I miss my old one (sold it before moving from CT).

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I should probably start thinking that far ahead, but I’ve never been good at 5 year projections for myself. It always ends up being vastly different (and usually better) than I thought. I at least hope I’ll have finished my dissertation by then. 

How and where can we purchase your book?

The first two books of the trilogy are available in print and eBook on Amazon.

   

LexiCon Spotlight Author, Simon Lang

Simon I want to thank you, for taking the time to talk with me today.

Oh, I'm happy to speak with you, Evelyn. I love talking and listening about writing, and secondly, I enjoy talking with you, because we have such fun doing it!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I'm actually a Swamp Thing. No, really, I was born in a little town in the middle of the Atchafalaya Swamp, and we moved to New Orleans when I was a year old. I consider New Orleans my home. My mother was a movie fan, and Daddy's work made him have to travel, so after supper every night, Mother and I would go a block and a half to the movie theater—it was called "The Grenada" and watch the double feature, sometimes the same shows two or three nights in a row. So I absorbed film structure from a very young age. As far as poetry and prose, my parents read to me from infancy, and the conversation in our home, even when the family grew to six of us, was always lively, intelligent, funny and electric, in the sense that we most often anticipated each others' line of thought and addressed it at a great rate, and then someone else picked it the line and ran with it. No one ever actually had to finish a sentence. It was exhilarating, wonderful and tremendously contributive to the creative process, no matter by which expression we chose to express it. Initially, my brothers chose music and writing; my sister was a journalist; I write and paint.

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

Courage.

What made you want to be a writer?

I've always been an omnivorous reader, and have also always been a storyteller.  For me it was not only a joy, it was a necessity. Let me explain: In a traditional Italian/Sicilian family, such as the one I come from, they value a certain kind of beauty: blonde hair (even if it's an inch long and all over the body) and blue eyes (it doesn't matter how many there are, so long as they're blue) but as it happened, I was very small for my age, dark, skinny, handicapped, and intelligent.  All no-no's for girls in the traditional S/I family. So I told stories to make people like me (and because I absolutely LOVED telling stories! When I married and no longer had the built-in "audience," it was natural to start writing the stories down, and it grew from there.

How long have you been writing?

I told my first cohesive story when I was three years old (I told a really terrific story before that, but my parents didn't understand it), and I've been telling them in prose, poetry and screenplays ever since, nonstop. 

How did you come up with your book titles?

Okay, I'll just talk about the science-fiction books right now: "All the Gods of Eisernon" is part of the protagonist's medical oath; "The Elluvon Gift" was a logical extension of the name of the extra-galactic alien mother, an 'Elluvon;' "The Trumpets of Tagan" refers to the sea creatures, called 'Trumpets,' who inhabit the Single Sea; "Timeslide" is, as stated, a slide backward down Time; "Hopeship" is (again, not surprisingly!)-about the concept of the decommissioned hospital ship, the good ship Hope, as superimposed on the idea of interplanetary travel. My "good ship Hope" goes from backwater world to backwater world and back again, serving the poor and needy of all species.  At one time, Gene Roddenberry and I had agreed to make it into a series spinoff of Star Trek, but once Desi and Lucy divorced, all bets were off.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I'm always writing. But when I'm not at the computer, I love cooking and entertaining friends and family; doing heirloom embroidery; drawing and painting; and I love prayer. I pray a lot, just because I enjoy it.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

My current work is the next novel in "the Einai Series," called "Recovery.” My protagonist, Dao Marik, has been through some pretty tough times (including having a prejudiced Earthling politico destroy what he thinks is the last copy of Marik's medical certification and military record),  and has had to be patched up so he could go back out and have more adventures.  In "Recovery," he hears that the scuttled hulk of the hospital ship "USS Pacific is going to be nudged into a nearby sun, and that's where the real last copies of his records are. So he decides to go recover them. Hence the title, "Recovery."  However, he forgets what lives in shipwrecks, which makes for a fun book.

How and where can we purchase your book?

My books are available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, White Bird Publications and from my website, at http://www.authorsimonlang.com/ or you can order them from any bookstore. Buy millions, they make great Christmas/C'hannukah/Diwali/Kwanzaa presents, and just think: you'll be helping a nice little Sicilian/Italian grandmother get to be a best-seller! A note here: I use the dreaded "N word" in my work, because I'm frankly trying to de-mythologize it. As Al and I have a huge (20 children) multi-racial family (everything but green), I may be crazy, stupid, or whatever, but prejudiced I'm not.

Thanks for having me on your blog, Evelyn. As with every time we get together, it's been fun! God bless you!

Meet LexiCon Spotlight Author, K. Latham.

I want to thank you, K., for taking the time to talk with me today.

Thank you for having me. You know, you are my very first online author interview. I admit, I’m a little excited. Ok… a lot excited!!!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Well, I am a Native Texan, born and raised. My family has lived in this part of Texas for almost a hundred years, so, my roots here are deep. I have four wonderful children that keep me on my toes and a great guy that puts up with my craziness. Especially, when I am writing, which is most of the time.  My house is a bit of a zoo. I house three dogs (all large breed, but thankfully only one is inside the house), two cats, two bunnies and seven fish…so no matter what time of day I am never alone which suits me just fine.

When did you begin writing?

I began writing seriously in 2009. Before that, I dabbled with short stories and poetry in school. English was the only subject I was ever any good at in school, so my turning out to be a writer wasn’t much of a shock to my family.

What inspires you to write and why?

My daughter inspires me every day. She is the reason I decided to pursue writing back in 2009. I wanted to show her that if you have a dream and you work at it and stick to your guns you can attain it.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I have a full time job in an office and of course my kids, my Love, and the zoo of pets. I am pretty much a homebody. Other than that, I enjoy photography and hope to learn more about the artistic aspect of it as time goes by.

What genre do you write?

I write YA Paranormal.

Why did you choose to write Young Adult Paranormal?

I wanted to write something my kids would read and enjoy. The Young Adult Genre is all about choices and changes in life. I like being able to get on the same level as my readers and let them see that I understand the struggles. Writing Paranormal just makes it more fun, because I am not restrained by reality. I can make the impossible … possible.

How do you come up with the title to your books?

My daughters and luck

With IMMORTAL BEGININGS I was stuck and had no clue what I was going to call it. I wanted the title to tell the reader enough about the book for them to be interested…but I wanted to keep it simple. So, I bounced ideas off of my oldest daughter and sort of fell into the title.

Typically, my books don’t have a title until they are either completely finished or about half way through. By that time, I know the characters well enough to give the book a title.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Most of my novels have a central theme of inner strength. I want the reader to understand that even though the characters are having a rough time accepting what is going on around them, they eventually find the strength to stand tall and be proud of who (and sometimes what) they are.  That no matter how great the obstacle there is always a way to overcome it.

How and where can we purchase your books?

 

White Bird Publications   

Amazon.com   

Barnes & Noble

And coming soon is "Immortal Warriors."

Meet this Week's LexiCon Spotlight Author, JE Pendleton.

First off, I want to thank you, JE. 

It’s great that you took time from your busy schedule to talk to me.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Evelyn, thank you for featuring me on your blog. I am a husband, father and grandfather. An avid reader, I am interested in history, especially WWII and old cars. I was born, raised, and live in Texas.

When and why did you begin writing?

I had written a few short stories before, but nothing more until I started on The Special about eight years ago. I was building an old race car replica and everyone wanted to know where it came from. I started thinking about that and the story took on a life of its own. The characters wouldn't leave me alone until I started writing. They told me the story, I just wrote it down.

What inspires you to write and why?

I like history, always have, I try to visualize what it must have been like to live the events that have become our history. Most of the people I knew in school hated history, but now when I tell them about an historical event they get caught up in the story. I love it when they get hooked, that is why I write, and for myself, of course.

Why did you choose to write this particular book?

I lost my uncle, my Dad's only sibling in WWII. I was born shortly after the war and when I was little I stayed with my grandparents during the day while both my parents worked. My uncle's presence was very strong in their house. I wrote the story of my uncle and the car he built shortly before WWII trying to capture his life as I hoped he lived it.

How did you come up with the title?

The Special is the name of my uncle's race car.

Have you started another book yet?

Yes, I am actively writing what I hope becomes the first volume of a series of historical novels about the origins of WWII. My story starts in China in the early 1930's.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I have six wonderful grandchildren and I try to spend as much time with them as possible. My wife and I love to travel and of course, I have my old cars to piddle with from time to time.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope I see myself with a nearly complete series of historical novels about WWII!

How and where can we purchase your book?

My book is available on Amazon.com in paperback or in Kindle eBook format. 

LexiCon's Spotlight Author, Jeanette Vaughan

I want to thank you, Jeanette, for taking 

the time to talk with me today.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I have dabbled at writing and published in the healthcare world for over 25 years.  My first piece was a newspaper article about death with dignity.   It took until I was age 50 to finally give myself permission to write what I love, stories about strong, independent women who changed their corner of the world.   I am intrigued by aviation, the military life, and the deep South.   I live out on a sheep farm in northeast of Dallas.   

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

I am a dynamic, tenacious, go-getter.  Like many of the women I write about, I just won’t accept “NO” if I feel strongly about a project or an issue.  I will find a way to make it happen.   That is unsettling for many people, but it is what makes me tick.

What made you want to be a writer?

I love telling stories.   When I write a story, it unfolds in my head like a movie.   The words and sights, sounds and actions just flow out onto the page.   The blank page is my canvas to share with the world. 

How long have you been writing?  Since I was twenty one.   First for newspapers, then trade publications.  I was elated at getting my first $25 check for column I wrote in RN magazine.  

Why did you choose to write this particular book?

The minute I heard this story from the lead character, for it is based on true events, I knew I had to write FLYING SOLO.   I just couldn’t imagine the moxy it took for my character to break free of a bad marriage with domestic violence, learn to fly a plane, support herself and then break free!   All in the 1960s.  Women just didn’t take those kind of chances.  When she stole the plane, I knew this had to be a book.  The other theme in the book is that sometimes in life, the choices we make have difficult consequences.  Nora, the lead learns that too.  Plus, the setting, New Orleans, Mardi Gras, aviation and a gorgeous Navy pilot instructor.   My favorite things.  How could I not write about it?   I was elated when the lead gave me the permission to tell it.   She kept parts of it hidden for years.   Many people think it should be a movie.   I do too.

How did you come up with the title?

When my sister heard about the story, she suggested the title.   I immediately agreed.   It really is all about learning to take care of yourself and not just settling.    It’s about a strong women who finally got the courage to do what was best for her and her children.  

What do you do when you are not writing?

I love people and love to talk, so I teach in my original profession nursing.   I manage and teach at the high fidelity simulation lab.   Which means, I get to play in make believe all day!  Sweet!

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Due to the high demand, from the thousands that have read FLYING SOLO, I am fast at work on the sequel.   Everyone wanted to know what happened next.   The book ends with a bit of a cliff hanger.   The sequel takes the characters to the Vietnam War.   Her pilot takes flight in an A-4 Skyhawk off  the USS Coral Sea.   Nora goes over as a USO singer, because they won’t let women fly in combat.    SOLO VIETNAM should be out in Spring of 2013.    I am writing away. 

How and where can we purchase your book?

The best place to purchase a personalized, signed copy is:   

 

It will be a keepsake when a movie is made.   However, it is also available in print and ebook at Amazon   as well as Barnes and Noble