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

The Next Big Thing:

I was asked to participate in the blog hop by Gay Ingram. For those of you who don't know what a blog hop is, I think it would be best to quote Bridget O'Hare, since can't think of a better way to put it. 

"We are blog hopping our way through some new reads.  For those who aren’t familiar with a blog hop . . . to me it’s kind of like a treasure hunt – once you find something on one blog you hop on over to the next blog link for more treasure.  In this case, the treasure is a wealth of new and exciting books.  Some are still being written, some are just being released.  Either way, for fiction lovers . . . it’s a treasure."

In this particular hop we answer 10 questions. Hope you enjoy.

Q & A

1. What is the working title of your book?

At the moment I am working on two different books. The fourth book in My Daughter of Prophecy series titled COVETED MAGIC and a serial called THE CABIN.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

Mostly they start with dreams. I think I have a vivid imagination and it really gets going when I am sleeping. .

3. What genre does your book fall under?

The genre my books fall under would be Romance. But it blends into many others. So let’s call it Paranormal/Romantic/Suspense.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Oh, wow. Not that is a tough one. 

In The Daughter of Prophecy Series the main characters are Seamus and Megan. 

I would like to see Seamus played by Peter Facinelli or Orlando Bloom.

I think Bryce Dallas Howard would make a good Megan. 

The secondary main characters in Coveted Magic are Megan’s uncle Sean and his prospected mate, Deidre. I would have to say Ewan McGregor and Jennifer Hewitt would need to play them.

As for The Cabin, Jack should be played by Matthew Morrison, and Stephanie by Julia Stiles. Since this will be a trilogy, the other male characters should be played by Greg Vaughn as Joe and Ben Affleck as Mark.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Coveted Magic:  After finding you she is the Daughter of Prophecy, will Megan be able to beat Mallaidh, who is trying to destroy the Tuatha Dé Danann or have Mallaidh’s powers become to strong? 

The Cabin: Can Jack McKenzie find a way to save the woman trapped in the vanishing cabin?

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

White Bird Publications, LLC, publishes my books.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Usually I will finish the first draft during NaNoWriMo. Of course then it takes months to get it up to par before it goes to the publisher.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I would have to say Karen Moning’s “Fever” series. We write about the same group of entities called the Tuatha Dé Danann. She writes then as the villains and I have them the heroes.

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I love reading paranormal romances and in my travels to Ireland, I always visit Newgrange. One time I was driving home from Chicago to Texas and had to pull over as the beginning of the story flowing through my head.  I put it away for almost three years. I had a dream and pulled out the story again. At that point, I had to figure out whom to use for the story and naturally, Newgrange popped into my head. I researched the mythology associated with Newgrange and found the Tuatha. The rest I guess is history.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The Daughter of Prophecy Series is the epic story of good vs evil, but more than that it is a love story not only of man and woman, but of family. Family is a strong theme throughout all of my books and ties the characters together in a way mere circumstance and commonality could never achieve. The bond continues through the generations and even beyond death itself.

Here are my Blog Hop friends for next week:

Jean Lauzier

C. R. Myers

K. Latham

Jeanette Vaughan

This weeks LexiCon Spotlight Author, Warren Martin.

  Hi, Warren. Thank you for taking the time 

to talk with me today.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I served 21-years in the United States Army retiring in 1996, am a Veteran of the Cold War and was a Green Beret.  I was born in Baltimore, my parents divorced when I was young and I had a four year stay (1962-66) in Ireland and then returned to and grew up in New York City, where I attended St. Stephens of Hungary Elementary School and Power Memorial Academy High School. 

I joined the Army in 1975 and met my wife Debbie, we had three children and traveled extensively as a military family.  While in the Army I served in the Infantry, Military Police and the majority of my career in Special Forces.  After retiring from the Army I transitioned into business and spent the next 10 plus years working for Domino’s Pizza as a Regional Manager in Seattle, Philadelphia, and later became a Domino’s Pizza Franchisee.

I recently earned an MBA from the University of Michigan and am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Business and Organizational Leadership from Northcentral University.  I live in St. Louis Missouri with my wife Debbie of 35 years and pursuing writing, research, teaching, and participation and support of fraternal, charitable, professional and other organizations.

When and why did you begin writing?

I always had the writing bug and remember growing up in NYC, watching TV and writing scripts, none of which went anywhere other than my imagination, but still at a young age I had imagination. It was about five years ago when a spark was rekindled by my son who asked me to read some of his stories.  A combination of my son’s writing and my wife’s encouragement were the major inspirations that kick started me into writing and to put ideas, experiences and thoughts to paper.

What inspires you to write and why?

My first book is considered a historical fiction, a Cold War POW story, which was inspired by a combination of historical events, personal encounters and travels, and a personal desire or maybe impulse to draw attention to a specific cause.  While my first book is fiction and entertainment for the reader, my underlying hidden message is to draw attention to the issue of what I consider Forgotten Soldiers, the POW/MIA’s who never came home. The first book and future books I plan on writng are all inspired by some kind of social issue which either needs to be never forgotten or needs to be addressed.  

Why did you choose to write this particular book?

We’ve all seen the books and movies about the Cold War, Vietnam, and prisoners of war, like the Rambo movies or Chuck Norris Missing in Action movies.  They are all entertainment, but no matter how they have been received, they do accomplish one thing and that is creating attention to what by many is not a believable sceniero, but to many others it is indeed very believable.  I felt that I could present a entertaining story, written in a manner that the reader would ask “Did This Really Happen?” which many readers have already done. The subject of POW/MIA’s is an issue I believed had been forgotten, especially since the end of the Cold War, and is a subject that needs to be remembered, and resolved.

How did you come up with the title?

The title was rather to come up with considering the subject of the book, which itself is about a forgotten era and forgotten people in our history. Forgotten Soldiers just seemed to fit, and the fictional character name of Jacob Walden was also a good fit, and was representative of those who served during Vietnam and the Cold War

Have you started another book yet?

I have started another book project and also have several concepts for other books.  My current project is tentatively titled “Operation Green Light” which is a Cold War action story which takes place in 1989 about a Green Beret A-Team that finds themselves behind the Iron Curtain and must figure out a way to get back home, while avoiding starting World War III. 

What do you do when you are not writing?

Most of the time I find myself always writing, although not book writing, but with my current PhD. studies keeping me deep in research and writing.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years I envision having transitioned into teaching and lecturing Business Management and Leadership while also devoting time to my book writing activities and continued participation in charitable, professional and fraternal type organizations.  Even in the event that my books are widely and famously accepted, I would likely not deviate too much from what I have envisioned. 

How and where can we purchase your book?

Autographed Paperback can be purchased from my website and also through links on my blog

http://warrenmartinbooks.com/

http://warrenmartinbooks.blogspot.com/

Paperback and Kindle e-books can be purchased through the Amazon site http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007WMQWGK

LexiCon's Spotlight Author, Karen R. Kilby

Thank you, Karen, for spending a little time

with me today. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a certified personality trainer with CLASServices, Inc. and a speaker, speaker/trainer for Stonecroft Ministries. I have had over thirty stories published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and other faith based publications and was recognized as FamilyTime’s 2010 Woman of Achievement for the Arts. My first book, Becoming a Woman of Purpose – A Thirty-One Day Devotional is published by Tate Publishing.  I live in Kingwood, Texas with my husband, David.

When did you begin writing?

David took an early retirement in 2001. We had earlier purchased a home in Kingwood and invited our son and his new bride, Erin, to share it with us anticipating a move there in the near future. Erin was a high school English teacher and she encouraged me to share some of our life experiences.  She had written for publication and said, “Karen, you can do this”!  I was just thrilled to see my first stories accepted and in print.

What inspires you to write and why?

Life in all its majesty and beauty is a perfect pallet for any aspiring author.  My life experience stories are up close and personal as to how God has shown his love and concern for my life and the lives of others around me.  Whether it’s a big event or small seemingly insignificant happening, God cares and I’ve been blessed at being able to tell the story. 

What do you do when you are not writing?

As a Personality Trainer, I present Wired That Way workshops to help people and businesses better understand the four personality traits. I studied the personality temperaments under author’s Florence & Marita Littauer who’s forty plus years of study and writing on the personalities are inarguably the Myers-Briggs for a new generation. I very much enjoy my continued service with Stonecroft Ministries as a speaker and speaker/trainer and as an Elder and Stephen’s Minister in my church. 

Why did you choose to write this particular book?

It began as a desire to leave a legacy for our children and grand children. As I shared these life experiences verbally with my friends they encouraged me to write them down.  My daughter-in-law, Erin, then guided me to submit some of my stories for publication and each acceptance was very gratifying. Then my good friend, Carol, My Butterfly Friend as depicted in my book, urged me to bring these stories together as an encouragement to others.

How did you come up with the title?

Pastor Rick Warren had published his book, Purpose Driven Life, and it resonated with me in a very special way. As I reflected upon my stories it became clear that God had allowed all these various events to take place in my life for a purpose and I just felt compelled to set them down as personal devotions to inspire others. Becoming a Woman of Purpose – A Thirty-One Day Devotional was the result.

Is there a message for your book that you want readers to grasp?

Clearly, God cares! He cares about every detail of our lives. His love for us covers us with grace and can provide that peace which passed all understanding if we just accept it.

How and where can we purchase your book?

My web site: www.karenkilby.tateauthor.com provides the book directly from my publisher, Tate Publications. Amazon.com is another active seller of the book and offers some very nice recommendations. Barnes & Noble and other on-line stores also are good sources.  I am available for personal book signings through out the country and even enjoyed the opportunity to share my book and Wired That Way workshop in Costa Rica this year.

Karen, thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with me.