Guest Interview: Joann H. Buchanan

Today I’d like to welcome my special guest, Joann H. Buchanan, a member of WMD on Facebook. She has come here today to tell us a little bit about herself, her life in radio, and her writing.

1. What or who inspires you to write?

I just love stories and the way they take me away to another time and place. I love reading as much as writing and vice versa. I think what inspires me the most are those simple moments in life. My family is the most inspiring thing in my life. They are always full of energy and imagination. They are the center of my world.

2. You have a large family. How do you find the time to write with all that you have to do for them?

I write every night from 10 pm to 1 am no matter what. It doesn’t mean I keep everything I write, but that’s how I’m able to make sure my family is taken care of and how I’m able to get my writing done.

3. What genre do you write in?

I write in several genre’s. Science fiction, fantasy and horror are the ones I tend to lean towards. I love the thought of a great adventure with a little chill up the spine…lol.

4. You’re the host of a radio show. Can you tell us more about it?

It’s called The Eclectic Artist Cave. It airs Monday through Friday on The Shark Radio Network at 11 AM EST.

http://sharkradionetwork.com/

Every other Tuesday the show is all about writing tips. Jack Remick is my co-host on that day. He is one of the authors of http://www.bobandjackswritingblog.com. It is a place chalk full of some of the best writing tips you will find. The cool thing is that he comes on the show and shares them with my listeners and on those days we do live workshops.

On the opposite Tuesdays, one of the best reviewers in the business joins me for cool reviews and we talk about some of the coolest things coming out. His name is Bennet Pomerantz and it has been a fun getting to know him. He is also a writer and has a cool story coming out. I have more information to come about that. It will be posted on http://www.theeclecticartistcave.com.

On Wednesdays, I have what I call Writer Wed. Every week I choose a theme and writers can send in flash fiction to be read live on the show. I also post those to my blog for the show. It’s a lot of fun and allows writers to really showcase their talent.

Monday, Thursday and Fridays are reserved for guests. I play a half hour of some of today’s hottest music and then bring on my guests and we talk about their work and what it means to be a writer. We try to cover marketing tips and writing tips as well.

5. What kind of guest do you typically have on your show?

I generally have writers on, but I’m open to other creative endeavors. To me, the art of life is all around us and expressed in many ways.

6. What made you get started in the radio program? How long as the show been on the air?

A couple years ago, I had a friend who was being published and I wanted to figure out a way to promote him. I went to blog talk radio and found out I loved doing my show. The show aired for a half hour on Saturday at 10 am cst for a half an hour. On my ninth show, I had Brian Byers on the show to talk about marketing. When the interview was finished, he invited me to be on Fate Radio. About a year ago, Fate was absorbed into Shark Radio. Now I average between 5 to 10 thousand listeners a day. The show has been on the air for about 2 years. I’m so honored to have had the opportunity to learn from so many cool people.

6. When does your radio show run, and how can our readers find the show?

Information about the show can be found on http://www.theeclecticartistcave.com and you can hear it everyday Monday through Friday on The Shark Radio Network.

7. What kind of support system do you have?

I have a wonderful support system both at home with my fiance John Buchanan and with Audrey Hamilton from For You PR. Also my friends from The Shark Radio like Daniel Bautz and Jim Malliard are always willing to tell me whether or not something works.

8. Can you tell us about what writing project you’re working on right now?

I AM WOLF, book 1 of The Children of Nox is slated to be released on January 15th. So I have been working on giveaways on things that are related to the story itself. It has been a lot of fun meeting new people. Also I’m working on Book 2 of The Children of Nox called The Kiss. All I can say about this one is, can a kiss trap a soul? I can’t wait for the release of this series. 😀

9. What do you have planned for the future?

In the future, I have plans to simulcast the radio show on another station and hopefully a few more. 🙂 Also I have a 9 book series I really love writing called Night Walkers. I can’t tell you what it’s about yet…but soon I hope. Also I have Chaos and the Beltane which is a modern day horror/fantasy novel…more to come about that as well. Finally I have a book called Heartbeat. It’s the first real romance I’ve written and can’t wait to see what happens next. 😀

The other thing I’m hoping to announce will be that the options are sold for I Am Wolf, Book 1 Children of Nox.

9. Do you have a blog/website where our readers can find out more about what you’re doing?

http://www.theeclecticartistcave.com has all my information about everything I’m into. I also have an author’s page, http://joannhbuchanan.blogspot.com/ and last but not least, www.nightmaresandheartbeats.com.

I’m supposed to ask you a silly question…I know…just go with it!! LOL

10. Have you ever thrown your panties/underwear at a rock star or celebrity?

No I haven’t….lmao. I have thought about it though…he he he

If so, which one(s)? If not, which one(s) would you throw your panties/underwear at, given the opportunity?

It would have to be 30 Seconds to Mars or Marianas Trench, Fighting for Ithaca.

Thank you Joann, for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer these questions. Everyone has been eager to find out all about you and your radio show. I know I was.

Thank you Beth for this opportunity. You have been such a cool inspiration to so many people. Huge hugs and Merry Christmas. 😀

Merry Christmas to you, Joann!

Deck the Halls with Gears and Gadgets- A Steampunk Holiday

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even the strange octopus-looking thing that likes to hide in the corner….(er… ok…)

The children were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of clockwork dolls danced in their heads… (ok, that I can see…)

When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature airship with eight burly pirates with slightly futuristic ray guns and giant plumes of steam billowing into the sky…

Wait…what?

Yes, that’s right. It is a Steampunk Christmas. It has been a fabulous year for the steampunk community. The genre has gathered significant steam (har har, yes that was intentional) and we have seen great numbers of new faces and new creations come out into the open.

My love affair with steampunk began nearly two years ago. Actually, that’s not quite true. I have had an affinity toward the steamy side of Victorian life for years. I loved the Wild Wild West T.V. show (the movie was fun. The series from the 1960s was better). I had to run out and buy the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as soon as I discovered it existed (the comic/graphic novel, not the movie, though I got a total kick out of the movie too). I swear, someday I will put together a Mina Harker costume. I love love love the scarfs! But that’s just me geeking out.

The truth is we’ve had the chance to see the emergence of a genre that is breaking away from minor obscurity into popular fiction. I love it. That doesn’t mean the genre is brand new. It actually traces its origin to Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and others that brought science fiction to the Victorian Era. Then it had quick stops in the 60s with Wild Wild West and other similar stories. In the early 90s The Difference Engine by Gibson and Sterling is said to have brought more attention to the genre.

But it was still pretty quiet. Then something happened a couple years ago and people have gone nuts with the stuff. Go to any comicon and you are sure to find many a steampunk aficionado running around in Victorian garb complete with ray guns and goggles. Hit any bookstore and look through the science fiction and romance sections and you are sure to run into steampunk stories. Etsy is packed with steam inspired artsy goodness. And seriously, for that computer geek that has everything? Steampunk keyboards are the thing!

This has made me extremely happy. I love Victorian and historical stories.  Most of steampunk has focused on Victorian England, but it has begun to expand across the oceans into alternative realms of possibility. I live in the west United States and have an affinity toward the old fashion Western, but throw in some steam-powered weapons and contraptions and I am in heaven. Life has been good to this geek lately and I foresee a fabulous future filled with steam and style.

Of course, I have jumped on this bandwagon. And for no other reason than I love it. I enjoy the contrast of the fine and frippery of the Victorian era mixed with the dust and grime of the steam-powered world. My first foray into the steampunk genre is a series of short stories following the adventures of an entertainment troupe called the Marvelous Mac HurdyGurdy Traveling Show. There’s mystery and mayhem and a tiny bit of technological oddity. I’m looking forward to sharing this with you all and exploring this new and exciting past that never was.

So, may your Holiday Season be ripe with steamy machinations and take a few moments to dream about what is possible, what may be possible, and what could have been possible. Cheers!

Drugs, and Other Necessities of a Book Signing

Near the end of my second book signing, my host produced a bottle of Tylenol from a drawer, which instantly made me think: “Ah – that’s what I forgot to bring!”

I’ve done three signings now, none of them at a library or bookstore (the library experience comes at the end of January). They’re living proof that you can have a book signing anywhere:

The first was at an outdoor town-wide event called First Friday, where the Courthouse square was turned into a giant monopoly board and I signed books while life sized game pieces moved around in front of me. Fifteen copies sold.

The second was at a bed and breakfast a block from the courthouse, during the town’s annual Christmas celebration. There was room for me in the Inn, but it was also one of the places on the Christmas House Walk, which meant a constant parade of people touring the place who were puzzled to discover me and another writer at the dining room table. Eleven copies sold.

For the third I ventured to a neighboring town, where a working farm/animal rescue facility/general store played host. It was the first place where the majority of local people didn’t know me, and it was also in a brand-new business on a county road, a mile from town limits … in the hay loft of a barn-turned gift shop. Two copies sold. A failure? No – a good experience, with great people who showed me every courtesy.

In all three cases no one died, nothing caught fire, and I made more than I spent … not to mention I got my name out there. Every writer has a horror story about book signings. If you’re newly published, as I am, or if you haven’t published yet (hang in there!) your horror story will come.

But if something bad is to happen, don’t let it be something you caused.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at one thing you can control: What you bring with you. If you’re anything like me, when you finally get that printed book in your hand you’ll still be in some disbelief, and probably didn’t spend much time before then seriously considering promotion. Social networking aside, getting out there in person is still one of the best ways to push your book, so let’s be a Boy (or Girl) Scout and make sure you have everything you might need.

I invested in two clear plastic totes: One to hold the big stuff, and a smaller one that fit inside it and contained such crass items as change. You could argue that they should be opaque, to avoid turning off readers and attracting muggers. In fact, you could argue for many additions to this list, and that’s one reason I made it: To provoke discussion over what others bring to their signings.

Let’s take a look at my list:

Books. Yeah, obvious, right? But authors who go to bookstores sometimes assume the stores will have plenty of copies – after all, they’re hosting you, It ain’t necessarily so; have copies of your own, and if you think you don’t need them leave them in your car trunk. Better too many than too few.

I was convinced I wouldn’t sell many copies at my second signing – after all, it was only a block from the first, and I’d already picked the low fruit: Relatives, coworkers and friends. When I counted my 14 copies, I wasn’t at all concerned. An hour into the book signing, when I’d already passed out half of them, I started to sweat.

A table and chairs. Your host will probably provide those: Make sure. Also, don’t sit behind the table the whole time – be prepared to stand and greet.

Signs. My publisher sent me a small paperboard poster with the front cover of Storm Chaser, which I put on a little easel on the table. I also had two signs printed on regular paper: One basically says “get your copy here”, along with a price, while the other has a brief synopsis of the plot so I don’t have to explain it to every passerby.

Pens. Not just one – therein lays disaster. Make it a sharp point felt type pen, which works much better for signing a book. Don’t be cheap: Writers will be expected to have good pens. The pipe and black turtleneck are optional.

Display stand. Maybe one for your little poster and one for a copy of the book. Be visible.

Notebook. Why? You’re a writer, man – have a notebook! You might need to jot down any number of things, from a new contact in the business, to a possibility for a new signing, to a story idea. At my first signing a woman approached me who later displayed Storm Chaser in her antique shop.

Business cards/bookmarks. Have as much of your contact information on them as possible: At least your name and your website, and the name of your book if the material is book specific. I went with business cards.

Giveaway stuff. Since my second and third signings were at Christmas time, I wrote a Christmas themed short story featuring some of the characters from Storm Chaser, printed it up, and handed it out. The story is set before the book – don’t spoil someone who might be interested, but hasn’t yet read the main product. More typical giveaway stuff includes cookies, mints, or little trinkets like pens that will, of course, have your information on them.

On a related note, if you have any kind of snacks provide napkins, and maybe a few wet wipes. You don’t want the merchandise damaged.

A bottle of water. No, don’t spike it; but be prepared to answer questions about your book and the writing process, not to mention you’ll probably have a case of dry-mouth.

A calculator/change. My book was priced at $14.95; people kept handing me twenties. Have ones, fives and tens on hand, as well as some coins. The calculator? If you’re like me, you write because you hate to count.

Pain reliever. I don’t do well with noise or crowds … if all goes well and I have a really successful night, I’ll need ibuprofen. If all doesn’t go well, I’ll probably need it more.

Scotch tape. It’s the book signer’s duct tape: You never know what you might need to display or hold up.

A camera. Put up photos of your signings at your website, on social networks, in the newspaper, on the door of your car … okay, let’s not go overboard.

Let me stress: During a book signing never look bored, and never get caught reading a paperback or updating your Facebook – you’re there to work. If there are no customers, check out other products and strike up conversations with employees.

Decent clothes. Just in case you don’t think of it. Do you write in old sweats, or a bathrobe? Don’t let anyone know that. Don’t dress formally – you want to bring people in, not make them think you’re their banker – but dress nicely. Remember, all black is a cliché!

Oh, who am I kidding? I wore all black.

Idiot Reviewers Don’t Seem to Go Away

Authors are human, despite rumors to the contrary. That means that we have friends (well, most of us do), but we also have enemies. Not everyone likes us. I could list all of the people that I know about who don’t like me but the data overflow might crash the server, so I won’t bother. Those people also aren’t worth my damn time.

Anyway, sometimes we get petty, whiny, brats who decide a great way to retaliate is to leave a negative review on our books. Sometimes they buy the book (if they are leaving the review on Amazon, they can attempt to make it more “legit” by having the “Amazon Verified Purchase” appear). So here is the first one, written about Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Moon by Sara Howard:

I really do not understand how this book got such good reviews. The writing style is terrible and chapters ridiculously short. I have asked amazon for a refund.

First of all, I really don’t give a damn that you asked for a refund. Maybe, if that was the last sentence of a comprehensive review, the sentence would have added a bit of flavor to it. You wrote three sentences. When I see reviews like this, I often wonder if it is nothing more than a personal vendetta or such a sore lacking of intelligence. What’s really funny is if this fool had bothered to read the first sentence of the description, he or she would have seen “This book is a light-hearted, funny story . . .” It’s light reading my friend. It’s not meant to be some in-depth, science-filled informational book. Man, this kind of stuff makes me lose faith in humanity. If you want to give a negative review, fine. Actually review the book with real reasons why it deserves such negativity!

The next one is from A Promise Kept: The Story of One Widowed Bride’s Journey Through Grief by Elise Crawford. Just take a look at this:

What a bunch of self-pity crap. Plain crap. Ladies and gents, the author makes up so much here that the book is total fantasy. If pity is what you want to give, well, you came to the right place.

When Mark was killed, Liz ran away like a little child. She ignored Mark’s two kids, and in fact locked one of them out of Mark’s house a day after the tragedy. Let me repeat – locked one of Mark’s kids out of his own house, because she couldn’t “handle” his emotions.

So many lies, so few pages!

When confronted, she ran and hid. Mark did not put her in his will. They were NOT married. She was the one who broke ties with the McLaughlin family. She could have had many of Mark’s items but hid from all attempts to be contacted.
Her writing “style” is plain boring. The positive reviews are obviously from people trying to sell the “book” – what a farce!
Her book is a scam – enjoy. Wish there was less than one star to leave.

“Liz” huh? Obviously, this person knows the author and is probably a bitter in-law or something like that. Guess what: I DON’T GIVE A &*$% ABOUT YOUR DAMN PERSONAL VENDETTA! If you have an issue, why don’t you write a column or publish your own book. This isn’t a review on a book, this is your whiny, griping, gibberish. Oh wait, right at the end, there is one sentence on the writing style, and its 6 words long. Thanks. This review is about as helpful as a hemorrhoid.

People who write garbage reviews like this remind me of why we need to chlorinate the gene pool. Air your personal baggage to someone who gives a *$%#, because no one here does.

An Interview With New Author, Missy Davis

I recently completed my first interview with Lisa Olsen, author of The Touch and Pretty Witches All In A Row, and got some amazing answers to my questions. This time out, I’ve interviewed Missy Davis, a new author who hasn’t yet published any of her works, but will be soon.

She recently participated in NaNoWriMo and successfully completed a novel in the month of November. She is currently in the middle of edits.

Please join me in welcoming Missy Davis.

You’re a new author, just starting out. What inspires you to write?

That’s a tricky question, actually, because it has two parts to it. The first part is why did I want to be a writer.  I was an avid reader from the moment I could read my first words.  I read everything I could get my hands on.  In third grade I remember getting a notebook as a prize from a teacher and I started writing poetry where every line had to rhyme. Something like “The little kitten lay, fast asleep in the hay.”  The other reason I started writing was that it was an escape from life.  Reading and writing got me through some very difficult times growing up.  There is nothing like getting lost in another world to avoid the one you live in.  In many ways I want to provide that outlet for others.

As far as what inspires me to write my stories, it’s different all the time.  Sometimes it’s a certain feeling I get that there is something inside just itching to come out.  A lot of ideas pop in my head right as I am working on another project.  In the past, these ideas have distracted me from finishing whatever writing I was working on at the time.  Now I just write down the general idea and promise to come back to it when I can devote adequate time to it. Here lately, it’s the inspiration of fellow writers that gets me moving.  Seeing that others believe in you and have walked the path before you really helps when you are just starting out.  Having people who appreciate what I write and give me feedback has been so helpful since I’ve been terrified to share my work with others.  You know how it is, we’re always our worst critic and we sometimes expect others to treat our work as critically as we treat it.

I’ve really enjoyed writing flash fictions to get the ideas flowing too.  Participating in Writer Wednesday with Joann H. Buchanon has inspired me with new ideas every week.  http://theeclecticartistcave.blogspot.com/ I find that challenging myself to write things I would not normally write has actually given me more ideas for stories to pursue in the future.

You have a young family. How do you juggle writing while doing all the home life things you need to get done, too?

Actually so far it has been easier than I thought it would be. My daughter is about 15 months old right now and she is extremely active, so it has been a challenge.  I take advantage of naptime.  She gets a good two hours of sleep in the afternoon which is a good chunk of time.  I sometimes put cleaning on the back burner and make meals that last a couple of nights so I have more time to focus on other things.  My husband has been very helpful too, especially during NaNoWriMo. I have left the house with the laptop or camped out in the bedroom away from family life for a few hours at a time. Weekends have become my friend as I let daddy take over caring for baby.  It gives me time to work on things or take a break while he gets to bond with our daughter.  The biggest chunk of time that I have is when my child goes to bed for the night.  When everyone else is asleep I finally get the quiet time that I need to focus on writing.  My house may not be as picture perfect as the in-laws, never clean enough to pass the white glove test, but it’s enough for us to function and certainly a lot cleaner than it was when we were both working desk jobs.  Sometimes we sacrifice for our craft.  That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

What genre do you write in?

I actually have so many ideas that I am not sure where I fit anymore.  I have ideas for children’s books, romance novels, and fantasy novels.  I just have so many ideas that it could take me in different directions and I really feel like I cannot limit myself to one.  The two that I have worked on recently have been fantasy novels.  One is a fantasy novel in which I had to construct the whole world from scratch.  This book has been a challenge to write.  It was so difficult to create a world that I expect others to believe in.  It’s taking me a while to get through revisions because my writing has changed so much since I first started it.  The other one is a contemporary romantic fantasy with a little paranormal in the fact that I am writing about the Shadow people.  I wrote this story for the NaNoWriMo challenge and fell in love with it from the start.  It’s so much easier to write a story when you do not have to create the whole world it belongs in.

Do you work outside of the home? If so, what kind of work do you do and do you incorporate your work life into your writing?

I used to work outside the home before I had my child.  I’ve taught middle school and elementary school, so I think in the future when I write children’s novels, I will pull greatly from that experience.  I will be kind to the teachers when I write my books, because we often read about the evil, nasty teachers and never hear about the ones that put their heart and soul into the classroom.  I also worked a desk job, so I guess it is easy to say that I could incorporate the daily frustrations of dealing with people and working in a small cubicle that sucks the life out of you.  Currently I am a stay at home mom, and am thoroughly enjoying raising my daughter. It allows me to watch her grow and encourages me to be the best role model I can be for her.  Someday I know she will be proud of me for pursuing my own dreams. I hope to encourage her to do the same.

You’ve just completed NaNoWriMo, completing a full length novel in one month. Did you already have the idea ahead of time? Would you do another one NaNoWriMo?

I actually started this novel a few years ago.  It was a spur of the moment idea and I had only written about 3 pages.  I pulled it up a few weeks before the challenge began and was surprised to see I had started it in first person.  The challenge for me was to continue along this route.  I have always written in third person, because it is easier to distance yourself from the characters.  I learned that it can be easy to put more of yourself into it if you try writing from a more personalized perspective.  I intend to go back to Terrahtu and try to instill a deeper honesty like my Nano.

I would like to devote more than November to writing a novel in a month.  It was a great experience for me.  It provided me with the evidence that I needed.  Can I write a book in a short period of time?  Yes.  Would I like what I wrote?  Absolutely. Would I have as many problems as I did with the first book, seeing as how it took me almost ten years to complete? No.  Actually I feel like I had less problems because I was not able to over think the writing process.  I’m excited to go back and edit this Nano.  It was a lot of fun to write.  I will definitely do this again next year, but this time I will come up with an idea and not start it before November 1.

What kind of support system do you have?

I have my wonderful husband and some really awesome friends that encourage me to keep going everyday.  My husband likes to say that I am the next JK Rowling, and while I giggle every time he says it, I think it is incredibly sweet.  He knows that my goal for writing is not to make an absurd amount of money. It’s simply to be read and appreciated.  He wants me to follow my dreams and every day he works to support our family so that I can stay home with our daughter and work on my writing.  My closest friends celebrate every landmark I reach with me.  Having a writing community like WMD also has been a godsend.  I was accepted within the folds quickly and treated as if I had always been one of them from the start.  It’s amazing to share my work with them and not worry that they will do anything but appreciate the work of a former writer.  I don’t cringe and wait for the criticism, because they are authors too, and know that while writing is a certain percentage art, the majority of it all is defined by heart.

When did you start writing creatively? What were some of the early writings that you did? Would you ever use any of them now?

I think I sort of answered this on a previous question.  I have been writing for a very long time. I have never written professionally before though.  When I was a child, I loved reading and escaping into other worlds.  My favorite books when I was a child were written by C.S. Lewis, Judy Blume, and Jean Craighead George.  I very much wanted to live on my own and survive in the forest. When I was in third grade I wrote a fanfiction story for Highlights Magazine, but it was never published. The title was Superfudge Junior, and you can probably guess it was all about Farley Drexel Junior and how he was very much like his father as a child.  I did not understand copyright infringement at the time, which is why I think they never responded to my inquiry.   From there I continued to write more poetry.  I remember when my mom attended a parent teacher conference for 8th grade.  My English teacher told her how impressed she was with my writing and told her that I wrote like a 20 year old.  It was the best compliment I had ever received at the time, and it made me want to do even better.

When I entered high school I started writing short stories, mostly for school assignments.  By the time I was a junior in high school, my English teacher encouraged me to enter for a chance to attend the Illinois Summer School for the Arts.  At that point in time I had already been writing longer short stories, one of them being a ghost story, which I entered as an example of my writing.  I won a scholarship to attend the two week summer camp, and had the time of my life. I decided from then on that I wanted to be a writer.  The funny thing is that I had such a logical head on my shoulders and decided since writing was not a guarantee that I had to have a profession to fall back on.   So I attended Illinois State University and got a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education.  I became a teacher, who put everything I had into my work and had very little left over to work on the book that I had started when I was in college.  When I was finally able to quit teaching, my writing became my focus again.

What else would you be doing if you couldn’t write, and why?

Well, I’ve already done it.  I was a teacher.  I loved teaching, but the dealing with administration and bureaucratic imbeciles that had never spent a day in the classroom literally sucked the soul right out of my body.  I would probably find a desk job if I could no longer write.  Or just stay home and raise my children and let my husband take care of us.  One day he says I will keep him in the manner to which he should be accustomed.  Ha ha ha!  Dare to dream I tell him.

Have you got ideas for more books that are just itching to get written?

Absolutely.  I have two children’s book ideas, a romance novel, and another fantasy romance novel. Then there is the sequel to Terrahtu, which is several chapters from the original version of the book.  I had way too many characters and ideas going on in the very first version, so I split it into two books.  I just have to go back and start on the other one.

Who inspires you to write?

I think it is fair to say that the people I know and love inspire me every day to write, but every part of my past is a stepping stone to another story.  It is true that writers suffer great melancholy, and I have had my fair share which I think allows me to put more emotion into my writing.  I also think that everything I have gone through in this lifetime has inspired me to be who I am.  I waited most of my life to get to the point where I believe in me and while having others like what I do is nice, I have to be the one to inspire and motivate myself to continue.  There was nothing like finishing the first book, being proud of myself, and knowing that I could repeat the process anytime I wanted.

I’m supposed to ask you a silly question…There was an underwear challenge going around awhile back…here is one of the questions: How many bloggers does it take to put panties on a goat?

Well I think it takes at least six, maybe seven.  One to distract the goat with food, while two others pick up the back feet.  One more padded like a hockey goalie, who struggles to put on the underwear without being kicked.  Two giggling on the side hysterically while they take photos for Beth’s funny picture blog and one more viciously texting ideas for their next sci-fi blog titled “Attack of the Killer Goats” in which evil underwear wearing goats come after the WMD writers for even thinking they could put underwear on a goat without retribution.

Thank you, Missy for the great interview. It was wonderful getting to know you.  Her blogs are at www.daenira.wordpress.com and www.iwroteabooknowwhat.wordpress.com