Life as a Vampire....A Character Interview

Today on the blog we have the distiguished honor of having the leading lady from The Vampire's Hope, Ms. Ellie Smith.  She has agreed to do an (Character) interview.  I hope you enjoy!  Ellie, please tell us about your family.

Ellie Smith:There’s not a whole lot to tell.  Usual sob story.  Mom threw me on a porch the day I was born.  And well, never knew my dad. 

Some people used to laugh at me when I was in the system—but you know what?  It never really bothered me.  It’s a strange thing, but nothing really seems to bother me…at least not until I was turned Vamp.  Then…well then, Ian opened up a whole new door to the world for me. 

What one word best describes you?

Ellie:  Savvy.

What was the scariest moment of your life?

Ellie: Most would think it was the day I was killed.  But that didn't really bother me, hell I looked forward to death.  The scariest moment of my mortal or immortal life had to be the moment  I thought I would lose my Ian.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Ellie: I sure as hell never thought I would grow up and be a dancer.  (She laughs and takes a sip of her steadily warming beer.)

I never really hoped for anything.  I guess I just wanted to grow up.

What songs are most played on your Ipod?

Ellie: I'm a HUGE Godsmack fan.  Here are my favorite three songs:

1.    Godsmack—Voodoo (My all-time favorite song.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SSUQxGjZZ4

2.     Godsmack—Now Go Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ehGFOnPDs

3.     Godsmack--Vampire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6KFSphpYAkWho should play you in a film?

Ellie: Have you seen that movie, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?  It would definitely be that chic.

Morning Person? Or Night Person? How do you know?

Ellie: I’m a frigging Vampire. Really?  I guess my other name should be Mary-freaking-sunshine.

What would we find under your bed?

Ellie: You don’t want to look under my bed.

What is the next big thing?

Ellie: Ian and I have only just begun our story.  Keep an eye out for us.  We’ve had some bad-ass adventures that only need to be written down.You wouldn’t believe what we’ve been up to.

Ellie, thank you for the great interview!

Danica Winters:  I want to take a moment and thank you for visiting the blog.  It is greatly appreciated.  And I had fun doing this interview. 

Thank you for coming to meet Ellie!

Digital Publishing: A Third Option by K.C. Maguire

Not so long ago, the only way to get published was to follow the traditional route - find an acquisitions editor prepared to publish your work or find an agent prepared to convince a publisher to take your work.  Now, many traditional publishers have closed their doors to unagented submissionss.  It’s tough for new writers to find an agent, and having an agent is no guarantee that you will sell your work.One of the reasons the traditional publication route is becoming more difficult relates to the advent of digital publishing.  As digital technology makes publishing and distribution cheaper, it is arguably harder for publishers to turn a profit.  Publishers can’t charge as much for an e-book as for a hard copy, despite having to invest the same resources in editing, formatting, designing and marketing the books.  E-books raise additional concerns for traditional publishers, including the threat of digital piracy – much like the challenges faced by the music and movie industries as a result of digital content production and distribution.  Alongside the threat of piracy, publishers also face new competition from those who self-publish their works online.  Companies like Amazon.com, and Barnes and Noble make it cheap and easy for writers to self-publish, and some of these authors have achieved remarkable success:  for example, the Wool series by Hugh Howey, On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves, and the many young adult fantasy/romance books self-published by Amanda Hocking.  While these examples are encouraging, not all new writers will be attracted to self-publishing.  Many don’t have the time or skill to oversee professional-looking products or to manage solo marketing campaigns.New writers can now consider a third option outside the traditional route or the self-publication approach.  There are now several smaller publishers outside traditional publishing houses that have opened their doors to new authors.  Most of them, like Books to Go Now, accept direct (ie unagented) submissions and generally respond personally to query letters.  When they accept a work, they typically publish it as an e-book although some also offer hard copies depending on the agreement with the author.  These publishers do most of the work of a traditional publisher including editing, formatting, cover design and coordinating marketing activities.  They tend not to pay significant (or any) advances, but rather engage in royalty sharing arrangements with authors.While this third option is potentially very attractive particularly for new and aspiring writers, there has been little discussion of it at writers’ conferences which seems a shame and a lost opportunity.  As a new author, I have two stories in process with Books To Go Now, one is already published (Dear John, 2012) and the other is forthcoming (Destiny).  The work on both manuscripts has been extremely professional and the editors helpful and responsive to my queries and concerns, which have been very few.  They also publish a wide range of genres so there’s something for everyone.  If you’re looking for a good romance, sci-fi, horror or adventure story, they’re worth checking out.  And if you’re looking to start a writing career, send them something.  What do you have to lose?

Dear John  

Blurb: Kelly Gilbert must choose between her life as a postal worker trapped in a dead end job to pay off her college debt, and a life of adventure and excitement with a mysterious man who may be hazardous to her health.Kelly has returned to her roots in the Appalachian Mountains while she figures out what to do with her future. A chance encounter with a stranger living in a secluded house on her postal route changes everything. Ignoring rumors of his mob connections, she pursues a friendship with him and is soon embroiled in a game of life and death where the only way to buy back her life could be by staging her own death.Poised to escape to a remote island off the coast of Africa, Kelly must decide whether her partner in crime is the man of her dreams or a dangerous threat. Could he be both? And can he be trusted?Author Bio: K C Maguire is an author of short stories and flash fiction with an emphasis on romance and science fiction.  Her first story, Dear John, was published by Books To Go Now earlier this year.  She has a second sci-fi/romance story coming out soon with Books to Go Now entitled Destiny.  She has published flash fiction pieces, and won several flash fiction contests, in venues such as WritersType, MidlifeCollage, Black Petals Magazine, Delta Women, Six Minute Magazine, Everyday Fiction and Tough Lit V.  She has studied creative writing in the online programs at UCLA and Stanford and is currently completing her first novel, a science fiction adventure-romance.  She is a mother of three based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Find her on Facebook!    

Autumn in Montana

The greatest season is upon us in the land of ghostly hills and phantom sunshine.  The scents of crumbling leaves and the sounds of footsteps upon the crisp early morning frost have invaded the world here in Montana.  For those of you who don’t know me well, I’m a cowgirl, a paranormal romance author, and an avid reader living in the timber and finding inspiration in a back-to-the-land lifestyle.  And recently, we have spent many hours out in the hills readying our home for the harsh winter to come.  I am fortunate to work as an author—I can pack up my computer and travel to the tops of mountains where are all a person can see for miles are peaks so large that they act as speed bumps for the heavy fall clouds that try to invade.   I have written novels at the tops of many a mountain, near gurgling waterfalls, and places that seem so desolate it’s easy to believe no person has been there before.  I have written as snow falls on the car around me and then a few minutes later I’m forced to hide from the melting heat of the sun.  Here in the fall, we go back to a different time, we revert to the recipes of our ancestors, the ones who have gone before.  In honor of the change of the seasons and as a thank you to my fans, who keep me writing, I wish to give you a piece of Montana in the only way I can.   I wish to share a Montana recipe with you.  Please enjoy this with your family and friends.  And as you do so, think of the dusky blue mountains, the tall pines and the scents of a Montana Fall.  Kneplfa:  (similar to a dumpling)1 c. flourPinch of salt1 ½ teaspoons baking powder1 eggWater Bring pot of salted and buttered water to a boil.  Mix ingredients until dough is stiff.  Make into a ball and the cut with scissors into small chunks.  Drop pieces into boiling water (carefully).  Boil until they are floating and fully cooked.  (from here there are several different recipes that you can add the knepfla to i.e. chicken, pork, beef, and cream based soups etc.)  Next:  Fry up a Smoked Kielbasa or Polish Sausage, add sauerkraut, and boiled knepfla.  Serve hot.