Author Spotlight with Kristin Roisin


K.S.  Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. 

K.R. -This is always the hardest part of an interview for me. Well, I'm a 37 year old mother of two boys, very happily married to my best friend. I've been in love with the written word, ever since I can remember.

K.S.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

K.R. -Aside from the fact that I can't write, without verbalizing the dialog, or making myself cry to express the emotion of heartbreak, or thrusting myself into anger, so I can describe just how the eye flash at the moment? No. Not really. Haha!

K.S.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

K.R. -I was about 13 or 14, and I realized, I had a lot going on in my head, that I could 'talk' about. I learned very quickly, how much easier it was to express myself through fictional characters. My first novel, NyteBeauti, started about 10 years ago, when I met my husband, and we started roleplaying online ( in a sort of electronic D&D game.)

K.S.  What genre do you write?

K.R. -Historical Supernatural Romance... with a little adventure and action thrown in for good measure.

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?

K.R. -In all honesty, what inspires me most, is when someone tells me I can't do something. That kicks everything into high gear for me.

K.S.  What does your family think of your writing?

K.R. -They're all very surprised. Most of the women in my family are readers, but they all stick to the same genres, and actually, trade books amongst themselves. But they aren't fans of supernatural, vampires, mythology and the such. But they've all read it, and have absolutely fallen in love with the story. In fact, my aunt and my mother are quite upset that I have finished the second book yet.

K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?

K.R. -That my brain works faster than my hands. Haha! it's true though. I would write, pen to paper, or even type, and go back to reread what I wrote, and think, "Wait, that doesn't make sense.... where'd that paragraph go??"

K.S.  What inspired you to write your novel?

K.R. -I fell in love with the roleplay characters I created. I wasn't ready to let them fade into just a memory. They still have so much to do, and so much to say.

K.S.  Can you tell us a little about your novel?

K.R. -

The epic journey of one woman's search for identity, belonging, and love.

When Desta awakens each evening, all she knows is that unquenchable hunger, and a familiar pair of gray eyes. Aside from that, she doesn't remember anything... yet.

 It doesn't take long, before she finds herself thrust into the adventure of a lifetime (or several, as the case may be) as she dodges danger, experiences heartbreak, and ultimately, discovers herself, and true love.

K.S.  Where can we find your novel?

K.R. -
http://www.amazon.com/NyteBeauti-Kristin-Roisin/dp/1451214111/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279110020&sr=8-1-catcorr
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Nytebeauti/Kristin-Roisin/e/9781451214116/?itm=1&USRI=nytebeauti

K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

K.R. -
My website is www.kristin-roisin.webs.com
I have a facebook fan page AND a personal page @kristin roisin.

K.S.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

K.R. -
Know what you write, and write what you know. Anything else, your readers will know.

Author Spotlight with Steve Morris




K.S.  Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. 

S.M. So great to be here. Nice to meet you. My name is Steve Morris and I am based in the North West of the UK. In 2009 I wrote a book of short stories called “In All Probability” which was well-received by the Press. Despite a range of reviews including comments such as “an often disturbing imagination”, I was greatly encouraged by the reception of my first effort.

For a living, I travel around my region to teach math and science to students who are too ill to get to school. Some stories that I wrote in my teenage years found their way into magazines, so I compiled a collection of them into a book with the help of a publisher.
Now I am back with a second complimentary collection of (longer) shorts called “Jumble Tales.”

K.S.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

S.M. Just before going to press, ironically by a quirk of probability, I found myself working in proximity to someone with the same name as one of the characters with some very similar traits. I managed to change the name at last moment to avoid possible legal action.


K.S.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

S.M. I loved reading and was taught to read and write by my parents way before I went to school. Right from the start, teachers told me that writing was what I would end up doing. So I chose to follow a career in math and physics, which I do actually love.


K.S.  What genre do you write?

S.M. Short stories. All with a twist.  With a background in mathematics teaching, I try to “work in” flips based on those frustrating quirks of probability which we all fall foul of now and again. Some of the stories end abruptly, but this is deliberate, leaving the reader an opportunity to draw their own conclusions or to guess at mine. Most stories cross over between science fact and fiction but some are situation-based romantic stories of pure chance.

If  “Jumble Tales” is successful then there will be a novel.

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?

S.M. Oh. Being English the classic writers Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Arnold Bennett and R.D. Blackmore.

I have always enjoyed the work of Philip K Dick for his gift of imagination.


K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book/s?

S.M. That there are so many talented enthusiastic encouraging people out there offering support.

However that there are also some people known for a lifetime who went out of their way to either ignore or dismiss my first book. We learn who our real friends are and I’ve made some great new ones after “In All Probability” came out.

K.S.  What inspires you?

S.M. Tomorrow. A new fresh day ahead of me. I wake up before the animals who rule the farmland outside my house. They get me back when I try to go to sleep before them!

K.S.  Can you tell us a little about any of your novels?

Jumble Tales
Psychological sharpshooters, fickle football fans and prodigious people who choose to use and misuse their incredible talents invite you into this collection of their jumbled-up worlds.

During dark days at work when people reflect both on what could have been and on what could still be, things are never quite what they seem, and never turn out as expected. Crafted to be short and snappy enough for coffee breaks, but long in the memory, Steve Morris maintains the momentum from his first book "In All Probability" with more of his diverse short stories of the unexpected.
You'll never take anything for granted again except perhaps for uncertainty itself.
Anything can turn up in a "Jumble Tale."


In All Probability
Hold on. Not so fast. Just when you think it’s just another day…. An assassin with a unique technique, an almost-was soccer star and a bitter long-forgotten one-hit-wonder pop star are just a few of the random characters who turn up within the stories in this book. Each are loveable in their own different ways and are doing their very best to dodge Lady Luck’s sadistic target practice. Heroes they are not. This all happens within “In All Probability” the first collection of Steve Morris’ diverse short stories. And do they all live happily ever after?... In all probability - probably not!


K.S.  Where can we buy your novel?

S.M. Most online shops on both sides of the Atlantic. They are stocked in the major ones.


K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

S.M. Yes.
www.s-morris.co.uk
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Morris/211211261851


K.S.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

S.M. Like investing in antiques, where you should buy something you will enjoy yourself, in case it loses value. – Write what you enjoy

Author Spotlight with Betty Collier


K.S.  Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. 

B.C. On the back of the book, I wrote that I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, nurse, author, and child of the King. That summarizes my life and everything else that I am involved in. My number one priority is to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Of course my family is my number one priority on this earth. I have been married to the absolute love of my life for 24 years, and we have 2 boys, ages 16 and 11. That in itself is a full-time job, just keeping up with the 3 of them. I am also a full-time RN; I work as a nurse case manager during the day, and share the journey inside my testimony as an author whenever I can - morning, noon, and night.

K.S.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

B.C. I think I was an undercover author for many years prior to realizing my gift as an author. I have always been a writer, but never formally confessed it until this book. The hardest part was actually finding the time to write. Writing was easy and came very naturally. The ideas and thoughts flooded my mind, and I had to find time to keep up with what I was thinking and get everything down on paper.

K.S.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

B.C. I wrote the book after being divinely inspired by the Lord to share my testimony with others. The book is obviously based on my faith, and I wrote it well aware that not everyone would share my faith, but I am sharing my faith with anyone who chooses to believe. I became one overnight, and in fact, I know the exact night it happened. It was after midnight when January 9, 2009 turned into January 10th, the night I dreamed about this book. 

K.S.  What genre do you write?

B.C. This is my first book, and its inspirational. However, it also has humor, suspense, mystery, drama, love, and romance.

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?

B.C. I don’t really have a favorite author, but I enjoy other inspirational authors of course, people such as Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Stormie Omartian, and Bishop TD Jakes. No one really influenced my writing style; I simply sat down at a blank computer screen and starting typing what came to my mind based on the Lord’s divine inspiration. So I guess I can say the Lord has inspired me the most.

K.S.  What does your family think of your writing?

B.C. My family members and church family are my biggest fans. I have their love and support in all of my endeavors, and they are overjoyed that I wrote this book. They have told all their friends and co-workers, and in fact, they are probably my best publicity campaign.

K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?

B.C. I wrote the book to encourage and inspire others, but I have been just as encouraged and inspired by their comments. It confirms my original belief that the Lord wanted me to share my journey of faith.  As I share my journey, I get feedback from readers that they too have been living inside testimonies, and they are encouraged and inspired after realizing their journeys have been prepared uniquely for them by the ultimate MASTER PLANNER. Believers as well as non-believers enjoy the book because it offers hope in the future, and forces you to take a look at your past and realize that it really wasn’t you that was in control of it anyway.

K.S.  What inspired you to write your novel?

B.C. My purpose in writing was to simply encourage and inspire readers to discover that we all live inside testimonies meant to be shared with others. It confirms my original belief that the Lord wanted me to share my journey of faith. I hope to help readers discover the inspiration that lies within each of us because we can all help inspire and encourage others.

K.S.  Can you tell us a little about your novel?

It's like watching a Lifetime Movie...You'll go to bed and dream about the characters in the book...
It's a beautiful, heartfelt love story...
It's funny, amusing, and entertaining...
It's very emotional and inspirational...
You'll laugh on one page and cry on the next...
It's all about God's amazing love and abundant blessings...
And it's all true, straight from the heart of the author who has been on an incredible journey!

Your life is never going to be the same after reading this incredible journey of faith. You will discover the inspiration that lies within all of us and that there is a master plan for your life also. The book is a collection of anecdotes revolving around my experiences with family, friends, and other individuals who have contributed, often unknowingly, to the path God has chosen for my life. You will hear the story of how I fell in love at age fourteen (with my future husband), about his near-death experience with emergency brain surgery a week before high school graduation, our experiences in New York a week prior to 9/11, and the frustrating ordeal we overcame when trying to build our dream home.

Comments from book reviewers: L.E. Harvey- I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. What I found surprised me, quite pleasantly. Her story is one of strength, determination and faith. She is very open and honest about her struggles. What I like about this book is that it's as if you're sitting at a table having coffee with Mrs. Collier and she's telling her story. It's warm, familiar, and personal. The one thing I didn't like? I wanted more. That's actually a good thing. They say that the mark of any good artist is to leave your audience wanting more. Mrs. Collier DEFINATELY does that with her book. There is so much to her and her incredible story.

BK Walker- There was humor where at times I found myself laughing with Betty and times that she truly moved me and I found myself feeling so proud of her. This wasn't a book of preaching the gospel, but of pure inspiration. Betty has made herself available at the end of her book should anyone have any questions, or feel led to accept Jesus into their lives. I love how Living Inside The Testimony was written and I think Betty has accomplished what she has set out to do...simply to share and inspire. Well done Betty!

Natasha R. Hines - Betty Collier shares her testimony of trauma, tragedy, tenacity, and triumph with readers. Collier's trust in God and the lessons she learns while living in her testimony will appeal to readers. She learned to understand God's timing, trust God to control situations, and depend solely on God for her success and survival. Full of inspiring victories and taxing disappointments, Living Inside the Testimony is simply a tribute to the omnipotent master from the perspective of an obedient servant.
K.S.  Where can we find your novel?

B.C.  There is a “purchase here” tab on my website that has direct links to online retailers such as amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Readers can click this link to go to my website’s “purchase here” tab for direct links to online retailers for this specific book:
http://livinginsidethetestimony.com/index.php?p=1_27_Purchase-Here

K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

http://livinginsidethetestimony.com
http://www.facebook.com/livinginsidethetestimony
http://twitter.com/BettyCollier
http://webtalkradio.net/shows/living-inside-the-testimony (I’m also an internet radio talk show host– new shows are posted every 2 weeks.)

K.S.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

B.C.  All of us have something to share with others, and if we would simply take the time to begin the writing process and stay committed to it, we could all write something to share. I definitely encourage anyone who wants to write to simply sit down and begin writing.

Coming Soon!

Scheduled to release in Print and Ebook, January 2011

Here is your first look at the cover created by the fabulous Stella Price.




Becoming a vampire saved Alyssa from death, but the price was high: the loss of everything and everyone attached to her mortal life. She’s still learning to cope when a surprise confrontation with Santino Vitale, the Acta Sanctorum’s most fearsome hunter, sends her fleeing back to the world she once knew, and Fallon, the friend she’s missed more than anything.

Alyssa breaks vampire law by revealing her new, true self to her old friend, a fact which causes strong division in the group that should support her most: her clan.

Worse yet, her revelation entangles Fallon in the struggle between vampires and hunters and the Acta Sanctorum is ready to attack again, with a new army of hybrid creations: the Frenzy Soldiers.

If Alyssa hopes to survive and keep her mortal friend safe, she’ll have to be willing to make a deal with an enemy, and regain her clan’s support. It will take everyone working together in a precarious truce to fight against the Acta Sanctorum’s new threat.


Twilight of the Gods -Review




Paperback: 254 pages
Publisher: L & L Dreamspell (September 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1603182805

Twilight of the Gods, Book Two of the Immortyl Revolution
Narrowly escaping the implosion of Genpath laboratories, vampires Mia Disantini and Kurt Eisen are on the run from Gaius Lupus, their rival in the Forbidden Science.  When Kurt is captured by their enemy and rescued with the aid of feral vampire kids known as sewer rats, Mia witnesses first hand the charismatic spell her lover casts over these would-be revolutionaries.  Setting up base in Manhattan, Kurt builds his forces to face off with Gaius, while independent-minded Mia navigates the minefield of sewer rat politics, which she finds very much a man’s world.  The lovers’ deep bond is put to the test by both the beautiful Arturo and Kurt’s followers, who see Mia as standing between them and their beloved “Loki.” Matters are further complicated when the chief elder, Kalidasa, arrives from India to investigate rumors of heresy and revolution.  With the threat of war with Gaius drawing ever closer, Mia ands Kurt prepare to meet the biggest challenge of their lives.


Excerpt (provided by author)
Twilight of the Gods, Book Two of the Immortyl Revolution
Virginia 2001

“Mee-ya? Darling, it’s past nine.”
The kerosene lamp beside the old four-poster bed sputtered.  My eyes opened on Kurt’s in the flickering light. Paul Newman in his prime on a really good day couldn’t compete with those big blues. “Hello, gorgeous.”
He chuckled and eased his slender body over mine, lips searching my throat for the landmarks, while something warm, hard and smooth begged for entrance below.
“I dreamed about Ethan.”
He paused in his delicious pursuit to scowl. “Again?”
“I still chose you.”
A smile fluttered over his alarmingly pale mouth. “I must go out tonight to meet Carol.” He gestured to a plastic bag filled with red liquid sitting in a bath of warm water. “Only a pint left.”
“You take it. I had two last night.” I stroked the warmth poised to enter me. “Amazed you still manage. Better wait.” His lower lip pouted. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He pulled away sighing and sat up, stretching and running his fingers through tangled golden curls, a marble angel with a single blemish, inky and obscene on his left forearm, a vestige of his captivity long ago in Dachau. He lifted the plastic bag out of the basin and inserted a straw, drinking it down. The white linen napkin he used to wipe his mouth came away smeared with red. “I’ll take the bike.”
“I’d feel better if you took the car.”
Brushing damp hair back from my eyes, he kissed me. “The wind feels like freedom.” He pulled on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Despite the late August temperatures of Northern Virginia, it was necessary for him to conceal the tattoo. People might not take too kindly to what looked to be a boy in his late teens making an apparent mockery of others’ misery. Unfortunately for Kurt the misery was all too real and personal.  I rolled over on the huge bed, sheets sticking to my skin. “We really need an air-conditioner.”
Kurt frowned as he buttoned his shirt. “We been through this—no electricity—no noise.”
“I’m tired of tepid baths. I’m dying for a hot shower. Jesus, even Ethan believed in hot running water.”
“Darling, no one must know we’re camping out here. I don’t like it either. Hopefully, it won’t be much longer. Carol says she has a meeting with the Justice Department next week about a safe house.”
“Yeah, real safe—level four maximum security.”
“We simply won’t agree to it. We’ll figure out something.” He lifted my chin to kiss me. His lips were chilly. He needed lots more than the pint he’d just consumed. “Back in half an hour.”
“Be careful. Take a gun.” He patted a slight bulge under his shirt in the vicinity of his hip. “Don’t worry.”
Kurt left the room. Moments later, gravel crunched as he walked Ethan’s motorcycle down the long drive and through the gate to the road. The bike growled and then buzzed into the distance.  I worried about Kurt out there where our enemies might be lying in wait. Where did he get off becoming so annoyingly male and protective on me? He wasn’t trained to fight. He was small and slight and against a bigger, stronger vampire he was no match.  I was a better shot than he, and I’d already saved his life once.



My Review

Starting off just after we left off in Cara Mia (book one), Mia and Kurt are in hiding having escaped from Genpath Laboratories. We see a return of some characters we met in book one, Mia and Kurt obviously, as well as Gaius and Leisha, and a few more. The war is still going on. Gaius wants to create Weakness-free Imortyls and Mia and Kurt have to work toward stopping Gaius and finding their elusive cure.

While this is all happening, I felt the bulk of the story surrounded the strained relationship between Kurt and Mia. In the previous book there was an utter love and devotion between the two.  In this book it seems, that though there is still true love there, the honeymoon phase has definitely ended.

After a fast paced intro, Kurt is captured and taken by Gaius. Mia has to turn to the rats (vagabond street-rat vampires) to rescue him.

During his capture and rescue, Kurt bonds with Arturo, who is very mentally child-like. Once safe, Kurt takes a place as leader of the rats, being dubbed Loki. Arturo stands at his side as mate. On top of being shoved to the side, Mia is treated as if she is no better than a hooker, Kurt’s sexual plaything. The rats have absolutely no respect for her.  Kurt, by the way still loves Mia just as much as ever, but he cannot leave Arturo which puts serious strain on his relationship with Mia. Think about it, would you agree to share your boyfriend with another man?

Obviously Mia has quite a bit to overcome in this book and it’s quite interesting to see her character further develop and deal with these hardships.

This book is very emotional charged and a fast paced read. A great companion and just as enjoyable as her first offering, Cara Mia.

Denise Verrico talks about Publishing


Today my good friend and fellow vampire author is sharing her thoughts on working with a traditional publisher. Please stop by tomorrow for my review of her newest offering, Twilight of the Gods.



Katie, thanks for hosting me today.  I’d like to offer your readers an opportunity to enter my Twilight of the Gods launch giveaway. 

http://immortylrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/09/twilight-of-gods-launch-contest.html.

They can win both of my books, two posters and a t-shirt.  Simply follow the link here to enter: (Insert link)  I’ll offer an extra entry to anyone who comments on this blog post as well.  The drawing ends at midnight.  Good luck!

When we discussed my appearance on this blog, Katie suggested to me that I share my experience of working with a small, traditional publisher.  I’m published with L&L Dreamspell out of Texas, and my experience with a growing publisher has been positive.  My publisher pays advances and royalties.  I have no financial investment or risk in the publishing.  They edit and format the books to send to the printer and e-book outlets.  The books look beautiful and are printed on good quality paper.  With my small publisher, I have more say on my cover and content.  They know my name.  Our authors have their own Yahoo group where we exchange info and shout-outs.  When I contact Lisa Smith and Linda Houle, the owners, I receive a prompt and professional reply.

I’d like to offer a plug for L&L Dreamspell’s Linda Houle, who has a great book called The Naked Truth About the Book Publishing Industry.  She explains in great detail the pros and cons of all of the publishing models.  It’s a must-read for aspiring authors.

A small publisher was a good fit for me.  I had a series that crossed the line between science fiction and urban fantasy.  Cross-genre books are often difficult for larger publishers to market.  I did a search for small publishers actively seeking new vampire series.  Once I narrowed the list down to those who did both print and e-books, I researched the reputation of the company.

All publishers have slightly different guidelines for submissions.  It’s important to read the guidelines and follow them to the letter.  Develop a good query letter and synopsis of the appropriate length.  Make sure your manuscript is edited, properly formatted and ready to go if requested.  Just because a publisher is small is no reason to think that they accept everything they receive.  Most small publishers I’ve researched said they reject around 90% of queries they receive.  There are lots of excellent sources on the web and in books for help in developing your pitch.  Also, be aware of genre.  Don’t submit an erotica book to a religious press or a work of fiction to a press that only publishes non-fiction titles.

There are some realities of being published with a small press that some authors may not find acceptable.  Your books might not receive the distribution that a large publisher offers.  Even if your books are distributed and returnable through Ingram, you will have to work with the small press department of big box retailers to get your book in their stores.    It’s a lot of jumping through hoops.  Indie bookstores are usually willing to work with a small press author, but they may only take the books on a consignment basis.  The good news is that e-book sales are increasing every year and if your books are available through online outlets in both print and e-book you can reach people all over the world.

Professional organizations may not offer full membership to a small-published author.  They usually require advances in the thousands for you to meet qualification.  But some organizations like Broad Universe accept writers at all stages of development and offer a great support network.  Don’t count out the ones who want those big advances to qualify.  Local chapters are often very supportive to small press authors.

A lot of small publishers use print on demand technology.  This is a dirty word in some circles, even though large publishers also use the technology.  Instead of a large print run, POD books are printed as ordered.  This is very eco-friendly.  Big publishers are under a lot of pressure for books to sell-through in brick and mortar bookstores.  The bookseller reserves the right to tear off the cover of unsold books and return them to the publisher for a full refund.  This book can’t be re-sold.  The smaller publisher might accept returns, but they are at financial risk if thousands of unsold books are returned.  If getting into brick and mortar stores is important for you, make sure you find a publisher who works with Ingram and accepts returns.

With any size publisher, the author is expected to promote their books.  They will ask for your marketing plan.  Guest blogging is one way that I like to promote mine.  I also attend sci fi and fantasy cons, book events, offer drawings, sponsor other authors on my own blog, and do book signings at non-traditional venues.  Social networking sites are a great place to meet potential readers.  The newest thing I’ve learned of is offering free reads.  I’m currently offering a few chapters of my third novel, My Fearful Symmetry on my website.  Enjoy!  The book will be out in May.

Katie, thanks for having me today.  I hope I was able to enlighten your readers to the small-publishing experience.  If any readers have questions or would like to chat, you can friend me and send messages through my Facebook page. 

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Immortyl-Revolution-Fans-of-Denise-Verrico-author/290431344200

I’m always willing to share information and tips from my experience.

My Immortyl Revolution books can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Fictionwise, Omni Lit and other sites in trade paperback and multi-format e-book.

My website is www.deniseverricowriter.webs.com

My blog is www.ImmortylRevolution.blogspot.com

You can find me on Facebook at my Immortyl Revolution fan page, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon.com. blogs., Booktown and in The Blood Bank at Bitten By Books.

Author Spotlight with Joe Sivak




K.S.  Hello and welcome to the blog. I am very excited to have you here. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.
 
J.S. I am a husband and the father of a teenage son and a three year old beagle. I have been a doctor for 22 years. I work at my day job arguably in one of the most detested, misunderstood, stressful and thankless professions there is, I am a psychiatrist. That's not a psychologist by the way, it means I went to medical school, and it took about 16 years before I was done with school and training. It means I get to prescribe meds, but most importantly it means I get to sign my signature below everybody else at the bottom of the page. It is sort of like how one feels when you sign for a mortgage or a car loan, remember how you felt? I get to do that 100's of times a month. You get immune to the stress.
I like to travel and be on the move, seeing and learning new places, it helps my writing flow. But as you acquire bizarrely uncommon levels of responsibility for others, whether it be because of choice, or karma or the collective unconscious, you have to find a compromise and place within yourself, that nether land between responsibility, creativity and flow. That is not always easy to do. It is something I work at and struggle with.


K.S.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

J.S. Yes, I used to like to always put ink to paper, but my writing has come so atrocious over the years, I can't read it myself, so original thoughts and words are usually starting from the keyboard now.

K.S.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

J.S. Sometime on my mid 20's in the middle of medical school, about 20 years ago. The journey through my mother's Alzheimer's disease, diagnosed when I was a teenager, sparked me to write.

K.S.  What genre do you write?

J.S. Medical memoir  is what my first book is , currently I am working on a work of fiction about psychiatric residency.

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?

J.S. I like reading most classic literary works written from 1800-1950. I like seeing how absolutely nothing has changed in basic human nature over the last 200 or so years. I like thinking about out the times then and envisioning things, I like thinking about the authors and their lives, what the world must have been like, it sort of like traveling, except in my mind. I like Hardy, Poole, Fitzgerald, Flaubert, Cather, Hemingway, Wolf, Lewis, Any classics will do. I am finishing Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and I am looking forward to reading some Booth Tarkington soon. All of them motivate me to write.


K.S.  What does your family think of your writing?

J.S. Well I think they are supportive, it does not menace or bother them, they know it does not really pay the bills, but they know it is something important to me, and they respect it as a part of me.

K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?

J.S. How much the writing, publishing and book industry has changed in the last decade, with the electronic age, I hope it never happens but there are some who would really like for books ink on a page to become obsolete.

K.S.  What inspired you to write your novel?

j.s. It was a story that was within my psyche and my soul that was just dying to burst out onto paper. We all have a story inside of us. In the end we all have our own personal hell, our own struggles, that are no more or less exceptional than anybody else's. But I wanted my future generations to understand where they came from. Most off all, Alzheimer's disease is such a lousy process, it affects 5 million, and one of the worst parts about it, is the isolation is causes in families. I thought the book might actually help somebody and cut down on that isolation. It's hard for me to really imagine any huge endeavor without maybe benefiting someone, and that pushed me to finally get it done.

K.S.  Can you tell us a little about your novel? (Do you have a novel synopsis or jacket copy? If you would like you can also include a snippet of your first chapter. Please no more than 500 words for space issues.)

J.S. Here is a synopsis

" The true life account of a young man living with the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in a parent. The disease was diagnosed in his mother when the author was seventeen years old in 1979, long before Alzheimer's disease was a household term.
The book candidly traces with graphic detailed description and dialogue the course of the fatal illness. The emotional issues of such pivotal events as the loss of autonomy of driving a car and entry into a nursing home are experienced through the eyes of a young son. From a concurrent viewpoint Alzheimer's is explained with the wisdom of a 21st century physician who has personally experienced the emotional anguish, and thus the fact-based journey is a truly unique dual-perspective Alzheimer's memoir. The story juxtaposes the active uphill battle to become a doctor set against the backdrop of the passive helpless struggle of losing a parent to the disease     
The narrative provides explicit commentary on the modern plight of the physician and  the global connection family members of an Alzheimer's victim painstakingly share. The unusual, seldom before elicited insights of the dual-perspective vigorously address universal issues such as coping, hope, futility, humiliation and societal bias toward the disease throughout the text."



K.S.  Where can we find your novel?

The publisher website:  www.niagarapress.net
Amazon-  http://www.amazon.com/When-Can-I-Go-Home/dp/0615314899
Barnes and Noble, and a lot of other online book retailers.

K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

blog address   http://alzheimmers.blogspot.com
facebook      http://www.facebook.com/pages/When-Can-I-Go-Home/357170603956 
twitter         http://twitter.com/WhenCanIGoHome              


K.S.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?

J.S. Write because you love to write, because you need to write. Your writing be it fiction or memoir or whatever is a deeply personal and intimate look into your heart and psyche. Don't expect anybody else to see it that way. Selling books and giving a part of yourself and your toil and effort and creativity etc are two disconnected things. Don't give up if you truly need to have a published work, there are many ways to do that now more than ever. Most importantly, keep perfecting your craft of writing

About The Author

Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.

Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.

In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.