November 29, 2015

When You Miss Home

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Yes, I know I wasn't born in Las Vegas. But it was the closest feel of a "home" I have ever been. and I have lived in, now, 12, places. No place felt more like home than Las Vegas. 

I have amazing friends all over. But in Vegas I had my NaNo Family, Blogging Family, some amazingly talented artist friends and I was able to go to events, shows, premiers and more. 

I have been talking to a few of my Vegas friends and luckily, I am not along. Many would never leave Vegas and some have left and gone back. I hope, someday, I am one of those that left and will go back! 

I am hoping to go for my birthday, but that probably will not happen. I was invited to a blogger event in January and, sadly, that will also not happen. I have made it the plan to not go too long without going back. 

I see so many people who have just visited, most who have not even gone off the strip, who don't like it there. It's too bad they never experienced the "REAL" Las Vegas. 

I have really been in an "I miss home" funk lately. I am just happy I have a few people who understand and who I can talk to about it! 



November Is Nearing It's End!

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I just sent off a few interviews for some amazing authors this morning. I can't wait to get them back and share them with you guys!

Also, thank you for your support during NaNo. Even though I haven't written anything since the 2nd week of November, I have a good feeling I may continue this story down the road. But first, I will work on Xander, my main focus. 

Love you all! 

Becka 

November 3, 2015

Author Interview:Taylor W. Law

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I had the honor of interviewing author Taylor W. Law, on his release of his very first book, Return To Me. I had recently reviewed the book and wanted to give everyone more insight into the mind of this very talented author.

Enjoy! And thank you Taylor, for letting me conduct this interview! 


How old were you when you first became interested in writing?
I developed an interest in writing when I was ten. It was a natural thing for me. I remember I was always the first one to finish an essay in class.

Who are your target readers?
I didn’t really think about that while writing, but I would have to say people like my protagonist, Jill.

How long did it take for you to write Return to Me?
It took me almost a year to finish the book. It shouldn’t have taken that long, but I had other projects going on, so I had to put the writing on hold after only finishing a few chapters. Looking back, I think it actually helped a lot because I was given the chance to revisit my work with a fresh eye. 

What was the inspiration for this book?
The story was inspired by some very special people I met during my time in a small town in North Carolina. I think it is a beautiful place to fall in love. Writing the book gave me a chance to relive the dream I was once in. Now that I have put all these wonderful moments into words, it makes it easier for me to revisit my past.

Are there any plans to continue Jill’s story?
Right now, I cant say one way or another. I would encourage readers go to www.TaylorWLaw.com to sign up for my mailing list to find out. Something fun is actually brewing in the kitchen, but I can’t share what it is yet.

Did the story pan out the way you planned, or did the characters take another direction?
Since the story was inspired by a series of true events, the story was pretty much planned. I just had to make some changes to make it into a novel.

Would you like to see your book come alive on the big screen?
I wrote the story as if I’m writing a treatment for a screenplay. You cannot take the TV guy out of me, so the answer is yes.

If so, who would be your dream cast?
I have a couple people in my mind, but I’m very interested to know what the readers think. Who do you think should play Jill Edwards? Let me know! 

Twitter or Instagram @TaylorWLaw 

What are your favorite genres?
For personal enjoyment: suspense

Who are some of your favorite authors?
I don’t really have a favorite author. I’m currently reading a book by Seth Godin.

Did you ever think you would become a published author?
For the longest time, I thought if I was ever going to write a book, it would be non-fiction. I also didn’t think it would happen this soon in my life. So it all surprised me.

If you had any writer’s block, how did you work around it?
I map out all the possibilities a character would do within a scene, and then pick the most interesting one and expand the story from there.

What do you want your readers to take away, from their trip to Faithville?
It is never too late to find love. Even when things dont go our way or how we planned, we have to stay hopeful. You just have to keep believing. 

Any other thoughts or words of wisdom you would like to pass on?
I don’t think I’m qualified to offer any words of wisdom. But I feel like many people around me wanted to love or to be loved, yet didn't have the courage to do so. Life is too short; sometimes you just got to make the move. If you are one of the lucky ones that have found love, you should always remember to cherish your partner.


November 1, 2015

Flashback: Twitter Interview: Brian McGreevy

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An interview I did on Twitter in 2014 with my friend and Author, Brian McGreevy. I am hoping I get another chance very soon to interview him again!













My Book Was Reviewed!

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Thank you Hannah at Little Letters Lost

Review of Life Changes: The Short Story of My Long Life

Yup, it's book review time again.  Halloween, and so time for a bit of a Halloween-y tale.

I got an author request to review "Life Changes: The Short Story of My Long Life" by R L Marsch.  I read an online copy, and more information on the book can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Changes-Short-Story-Long/dp/1503186253/

Please spread this post around to spread awareness about this cool story!

Now, onto my review.


(The story's cover.)

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Firstly, I have to say, I really enjoyed the storytelling format of this story.  It's written like a true autobiography, with a bit of a folk tale-ish nature.  Very straightforward, but still with mystery in it. It sets things up nicely and the tone is enjoyable, showing the progression of the main character and others smoothly.

Speaking of which, the characters are another really enjoyable part of this story.  They're very interesting, different from the norm, and draw you in to caring about them from the start.  They play right into the world, including the setting and the supernatural elements.  Overall, the characters and their voices are one of the strongest parts of the story.

Another strong part is the characters relationships.  Instead of a focus on the romance as is in so many paranormal romances, we see a strong and unique sibling relationship brought into the spotlight from the very start.  We see other family relationships and platonic ones as well.  Yes, there is romance, but it's not quite in the same way as many books in the same genre, which is a refreshing change.

The only issue I really found with the story -- and a minor one at that -- was that in the copy I read, the conventions, spelling, grammar, etc., were not all fixed up; I don't know about the Amazon copy, however.

Back to the strong points, though: in addition to very enjoyable characters and relationships, the setting is also very clear, vividly described and easy to picture, wherever the story takes us.  There's a strong sense of it in the characters, in the "props" of the story, and in the language itself.  It's also a different setting than a lot of people read stories in for parts of the story, which is a nice change, and lets you immerse yourself in another culture and time while you read.

The fantasy elements that are introduced to us in this vivid world are also a nice change.  There are unique twists to them; this leads to a unique storyline.  Throw in the strong world-building, and character and relationship development, along with the storytelling format, and you've got yourself a very pleasantly non-typical story.

Don't worry about it being too much, however; this story is a very quick and easy read.  Not that it's light -- but it goes by quickly and isn't too difficult to understand, in the best way.

If this is your type of story, take a look at "Life Changes: The Short Story of My Long Life"!
 

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