The Thing That Turned Me - An Anthology

I'm so grateful to be part of this group of talented authors. Thank you to Randi Lee at Stay Classy Publications, for all that you've done to make this anthology possible. Thanks to all the contributors who have shared their stories, and many thanks to the folks who participated in compiling the promotion materials for this book.


“The Thing That Turned Me” will be available for paperback and ebook purchase on June 30, 2016.

We make decisions every day that will affect us for the rest of our lives: to stay or to go; to rise to the challenge or to crumble under its weight; to take the chance or let opportunity pass us by, without knowing what might have been. An open door. A chance encounter. A moment of truth. All such small things that can decide the rest of our lives without our even realizing it.


This variegated collection of authors of varying genres bring you pictures of these chances…these things that turn us—for better or for worse—and change our lives forever.


Will you recognize your moment when it comes?

Contributor	Contribution
Imani Allen	“Rehema”
Michelle Athy	“The Disappearance of Miss Mary Dawkins”
Madalyn Beck	“Hard to Love”
Diane Carlisle	“The Window”
Alex J. Cavanaugh	“CassaDawn”
Crystal Collier	“The Shadow King’s Pet”
Cathrina Constantine	“Rising Star~Falling Heart”
Michael Di Gesu	“Through Shades of Gray”
Tonja Drecker	“A Glowworm”
Deanie Humphrys-Dunne	“The Journey”
Sherry Ellis	“Finding My Voice”
Elise Fallson	“Deadly Encounters”
Heather M. Gardner	“Before We Break”
Samantha Redstreake Geary	“Don’t be Koi”
Misha Gerrick	“Ryan”
Krystal Hillsman	“To the Last Love of My Life”
Celeste Holloway	“Shadows Falling on Rainbows”
Harper L. Jameson	“The Blanket”
Randi Lee	“Off the Horse”
Terrance Dwayne Mack	“When I Went Crazy”
K.D. Martin	“Invariant”
Tyrean Martinson	“Letting Go: A Siren Song”
Melissa Maygrove	“Malice”
Nana Prah	“Finding the Light”
Christine Rains	“George and the Dragon”
Melanie Schulz	“The Reader”
Elizabeth Seckman	“Shifting Sands”
Tara Tyler	“The Day Dave Broke the Internet”
Jenny Vyas	Artwork for “Don’t be Koi”
Michelle Wallace	“Shades of Deception”
L. Diane Wolfe	“Revelation”
Roland Yeomans	“Wednesday’s Child”

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Who is Piper Morgan?

Author Stephanie Faris has compiled a series of books starring Piper Morgan. This adorable character has fascinated me ever since I saw the very first cover of the series, Piper Morgan Joins the Circus, and now I have the opportunity to interview Stephanie, and I finally had a chance to ask her, "How did you come up with Piper Morgan and how did you decide on that name?"

Stephanie is my guest today and she answers this question for all of us. Thanks, Stephanie!

What's in a Name?

by Stephanie Faris

A TV series about a woman in prison inspired the name Piper.

Yes, you read that correctly. Piper on Orange Is the New Black was the inspiration for my main character’s name. It wasn’t a direct connection, though. I keep a spreadsheet of first and last names I like and mark them in red when I’ve used them. I added Piper to that list while watching the series and, soon after, when I needed a name, it jumped out at me. It was the perfect name for my spunky chapter book heroine.

I knew Piper would have numerous adventures, but I wanted them to relate to everyday things children’s parents do. Most kids are curious about careers, especially exciting ones. What kid wouldn’t love to hang out with her mom at the circus all day, every day? And a rescue shelter is a natural for a children’s book. All those adorable little dogs and cats, just waiting to be adopted? She also works in the principal’s office and at a pool and spa store, where she (spoiler alert!) gets to be in a commercial through a series of events.

I had tons more ideas for adventures for little Piper, but I’m not sure if the series will keep going after book four. If so, I’d love to have her helping out while her mom works at a department store (window displays anyone?) and maybe working somewhere fun like an ice rink or movie theater. I doubt a temp worker would be sent to those last two, though.

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Bio:

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.

Stephanie is the Simon & Schuster author of 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses, as well as the upcoming Piper Morgan series. When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a sales executive.



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Writers Seeking Investors

I read a post by one of my blogger friends a couple days ago and while composing my thoughts about it, my comment grew beyond a suitable length, so I decided to post the response on my blog instead. Thank you, Randi, for such a stimulating topic. I can't believe I had more than a few sentences in me about "requesting financial support for writing and publishing a book." Apparently, these have become common projects on sites like GoFundMe.com and Kickstarter.com. However, the general public seems to be in a sort of debate about this, whether it is ethical or not. Many feel that these young writers should earn their way via some secret writ of passage. Let me put this in perspective a bit.

First off, GoFundMe and KickStarter are great programs and I think most people can peruse the projects on those sites and decide for themselves if a project is worthy of funding. Sure, the Internet wasn't always available, and these sites suddenly pop up and now there are more options for young writers today than ever before. So, you missed out? No! Go start your own project rather than scolding the young for having dreams and exploring new ideas. Who says you have to write, edit, submit, be rejected, and start the process all over again while you slave miserably 5 days per week, 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., at a job that pays you a wage? Today you have options, obviously.

Don't whine that these folks aren't worthy to be published because they didn't get raked through the coals like you did. Let site donors decide if these projects are worthy of funding. If you don't think the project is worthy, then don't donate your money. Simple as that.

What if I want to fund some writer's dream? Should it matter to you? I'd much rather fund an honest person's dream than to let the government take it from me and give it to some person who sits on their ass all day long doing not a damned thing.

At least these kids are wanting to do something productive and creative. And, it doesn't matter how the funds are utilized, whether for a laptop with word processing software, an income to pay the bills while they write, or a fancy desk where they can spend their days working on their product. Isn't that how the government utilizes our tax revenue?

If a donor wants to fund a creative writing project, then that's what those platforms are for, giving creators a voice in requesting funds for their project ideas. The creation of a product is the creation of a product, no matter what it is. It could be a cool new game, a fancy cooler, or *gasp* a novel. Why should writing the next Great American novel be considered any different than any other creative endeavor?

To the writers out there who are requesting funding, you can't be too modest while in pursuit of a dream and you can't worry about what other people are saying about the way you are pursuing said dream. Just do it and have no regrets. Because when you are a success, it will be the only indicator that you did what was right for you! If you make it though, do give credit to those who donated to your project. It's the considerate thing to do.

And for this message of encouragement, I only charge a 10% fee on your first royalty check, so when you write that epic series comparable to Harry Potter, you can donate to my personal fund.

Go ahead, click it, seriously...

Your donations are greatly appreciated!




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The Day I Started Writing

by Stephanie Faris

It all started with an anthology. I was working as director of public relations for the Tennessee Arts Commission at the time and my assignment was to promote this new book of short stories by Tennessee writers. As I read the book, I started feeling the need to write a story of my own. Something deep involving sweet tea and front porches.

Instead I wrote a short story called The Gymnasium Memorial. It was about a bunch of teens mourning the death of a fellow student. It was published in one of those scam publications that pays you in free copies if you “win” a fake contest. But the bug had already bitten. I wanted to write a book.

My first inclination was to write young adult. I’d spent my teen years reading YA books and they still weighed heavily on my mind. I wrote three books before I learned that there was no market for YA at the time—unless you wanted to be paid $1,000 to ghostwrite a Sweet Valley High or Nancy Drew book. I began searching for something that had that same youthful spirit but actually occupied space on bookshelves.

The answer was in category romance. Those books, which at the time were published under two major names (Harlequin and Silhouette), were extremely popular. Harlequin had a new romantic comedy line called Love and Laughter, while Silhouette had a fun line called Yours Truly. I knew then that romantic comedy was my niche.

I spent years trying to get published—I even got “close” a few times. I learned “close” doesn’t mean a thing in publishing. Meanwhile, chick lit came and went and in its wake, romantic comedy was no longer welcome in traditional publishing. But the good news was, children’s literature exploded…opening publishers up to the very types of books that I’d always wanted to write.

My writing journey is an example of the winding path many writers take on the way to publication. Everyone’s experience is different, but one thing is certain: all of us are doing exactly what we want to do. Whether we’re publishing our third book or writing “the end” on the first novel we’ve ever written, it’s important to celebrate every second of it. There’s nothing better.

And the Cover Reveal of Stephanie's new book out in 2016

About the Author:

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.

Stephanie is the Simon & Schuster author of 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses, as well as the upcoming Piper Morgan series. When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a sales executive.



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Are You Dealing With Bad Reviews?

I had started a comment on a blogger friend's article and decided to create an article instead because it had grown larger and more complex than what I believe is appropriate for a comment. Thank you, Auden, for inspiring this post.

I'll quote the original question which prompted this response: 

There's a ton of advice out there on how to deal with bad reviews. They like to say "dwell on the good reviews." What if you don't have any glowing reviews to off-set the negative/indifferent ones?

I've had my two short stories on Amazon since 2012 and one of them has exactly one review and the other a whopping five reviews. I can tell you this much. I didn't ask for reviews, but when I got them, I was pleased. I'm far from inspired by the numbers, but I'm flattered by and appreciate the favorable responses by those who appreciated my work. However, I've not written or produced much these days and that makes me sad.

On the contrary, though a bad review has to hurt, it's not a lost cause, because bad reviews are those things that prompt you to explore and improve! Especially if you're passionate about storytelling.

Here are some questions to ask yourself if you feel you're not getting the feedback you desire. Do you attend a lot of writing conferences? I know they can be expensive, but the advice and information you walk away with is so wonderful! Have you joined a writing critique group? In-person group sessions can help your writing out quite a bit. Don't shrink away from advice and constructive criticism. It's out there. 

I've joined both, the Tallahassee Writers Association and the Florida Writers Association. Both organizations have welcomed me in such ways I can't even explain. You need to be around people who are driven and wired the same way you are in order to learn the lessons and solutions of the trade. These folks are willing to be there for you because their struggles are the same. 

Lethal Injection, The Seed is 7 pages, received almost 400 downloads, and I have 5 reviews, 1 from a relative. The story has no action but is described as powerful. How does that happen? Writing classes, conferences, critiques, and encouragement helped my confidence in putting the story out there. It's the readers who will figure out if it works or if it doesn't. If it doesn't work, I agree, it would be helpful if readers would provide better feedback. Unfortunately, they are not required to give anything of value. It's other writers who will fill that void.

So how do we improve as writers and storytellers? Stephen King advises that we read, read, and read some more. However, how do you take the time to read if you're pumping out novel after novel? After all, Dean Koontz does it! He has an excuse. He's famous and people buy his books because it's branded already. Come on! He's Dean Koontz. 

If you don't have the time to read much, do like I do. Audio books! They are great because I pop them in on my way to work, and they start up again when I'm driving home. 

:)

Hope I've been helpful in some ways.

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Digital Analytics and Your Story

I spent this past Thursday and Friday engrossed in conversations about digital analytics after hearing from top executives at companies like Coca Cola, Cartoon Network, Turner Broadcasting, Facebook, QVC, and many more who have embarked on leveraging big data to drive their businesses. But what do little guys like me want from a conference such as this? I want to understand how to collect, process, and analyze this data as well, but I'm not trying to make money. What I want to do is provide better content, some product that is more targeted to my audience. I discovered big data is useful to anyone with a goal.

For example, if your goal is to sell more books, you need feedback. If you place 10 books on the bookstore shelf and all ten sell in the first week, how do you know producing 10 more of the same book will have a similar result? How will people learn about the success of your book? How do you know your book impacted the readers who purchased it? Book reviews, star ratings, tweets, Facebook likes and mentions, and shares are those things that help today's producers connect with their consumers.

At some point you need to step away from your product that you've been pushing and take a look at what your consumers are telling you. Marketing is fine, but if you're spending all your time, money, and efforts on pushing your product and you don't look at your feedback, you may be making the wrong decisions, or at least experiencing some missed opportunities.

There are some interesting ways these organizations use big data and their executives were passionate about sharing them. Did you know that Instagram is the number one social media platform used in data mining by smaller organizations which are physical attractions? Think about it. Unlike liking something or sharing an article, what do people do when they visit a physical location such as a museum? They take selfies at these locations and post them on Instagram. Hello geolocation data!
:)

I'm sure the Plaza Resort & Spa will appreciate my patronage. 

Think about your goals. Think about how you can utilize digital data. There is a story in the conversations you have when you build that relationship with your consumer. I think what I'm looking for is that story...

How do YOU engage with your audience?



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Coming Changes to Are We There Yet?

To all the readers and writers out there in the blog-o-sphere, I've been exploring options for revamping Are We There Yet? Why I write is important in the design I choose for this blog, so I hired a graphics design artist who has been phenomenal in working with me to help improve upon my theme as well as reveal a little about me in the process.

I sought a professional because the current signature graphic of my name is lame and amateurish, but hey, I'm no graphics designer. And yes, the pen would indicate writing at some level, but really? You would think I could have come up with something a little more suited to a theme of making progress.

Writing is instrumental in revealing the soul of an author, and as such, my soul should be splattered across the header of this blog, not some flamboyant scribbling from a ballpoint pen which screams "pink ego." Besides, I don't write with a pen, I type on a keyboard! But, Diane, you're being a bit hard on yourself.

I'll just slap myself with a wet noodle. Soon I will be unveiling a fresh look and feel. With the new blog design, I will share a short piece of fiction to accompany the launch. I hope you will enjoy both, the graphic and the story. See you soon!

When was the last time you felt the need to revamp your little writing nook out here in the blog-o-sphere, and how drastic a change did you make?



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The American Dream - Coming Together

This weekend I opened my heart to America. I had no idea this movie existed until Tim said he wanted to go see it. It came out of nowhere. Was he bored? A documentary? Who goes to the movies to watch a documentary? Why didn't they just put it on television like other historical documentaries?

I didn't have the energy to argue. I didn't want to watch anything about America. I had grown tired of America and the back and forth bickering and debating between the left and the right. I didn't want to be affiliated with any political party, but I've been saddened by how polarized we'd become.

Polarization. I had no idea I would discover this to be a deliberate strategy, that America had been and continues to be subliminally strong armed into voting the way of shame. But I wasn't ashamed of anything and neither are many of my friends and colleagues. However, the narrative unfolding in the media demands we listen and pay attention to it. I'll call it the shaming of America. We're racist thieves and we must be reminded at every opportunity.

Photo I took when visiting Washington D.C.

In truth, I wanted to watch Melissa McCarthy in her new movie, Tammy. I needed the comedic relief, but no. Okay, I conceded after Tim reminded me of its scathing review by USMagazine, calling it a career intervention for McCarthy. How wrong is that?

The hell?

The movie we watched instead is based on Dinesh D’Souza's new book, America: Imagine the World Without Her. I won't go into the details, but the movie is very well put together, inviting far left views as well as representing another narrative which shines a different light onto America and who she is.

We are reminded of the untold stories which make us strong and proud to have come from such a great country. We are reminded of the horrors, also untold, which would show the unjust in the way we approach society today. We are all equally at fault for the America we are building for the future if we cannot come together and build a narrative that is just and accurate.

You cannot fix a problem if you're not willing to have that dialogue. Mr. D'Souza seems to have brought some issues to the table. I'm just not so sure America is ready to have that dialogue. We'll see.

If you're like me and have been feeling a little beaten up by the political pow wow in the media, go see this movie. You'll feel much better!

Everyone in the theater applauded. It was the first time I'd ever witnessed such a thing and it made me feel good about America, whereas before entering, I'd felt indifferent and a little depressed.

I love America. What are your thoughts? Has America disappointed you? Are things that bad, or are they promising?

From our recent visit to D.C.

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Gage Thomas on Diane Carlisle, His Creator

This month's prompt at Absolute Write:
Characters Writing About Authors

Have your character write about you, the author, their creator. You may choose any character so long as you created them, and may write in any format.

Gage Thomas

My name is Gage and I live at C:\Documents and Settings\dcarlisl\My Documents\Dropbox\Writing\Novels\Summer In Buddyville\

That's where She put me and has kept me for the past year and a half. She being Diane, my creator. I used to live in a town called Buddyville before she decided to shelve me in my current location. So why did she shelve me? I wish I could say something mean like maybe she's a selfish bitch, cold and uncaring about my situation.

I'm a nineteen year old kid, left behind to care for my younger sister after mother died of cancer a year ago. It's not a big deal to care for my sister. She's fourteen and practically takes care of herself. Only, I need to get a better job so I can get us out of this run-down trailer park before it's condemned by the city.

Last summer, many of the empty units were taken over by the homeless people. The city folk call them squatters. I think mainly because at night they gather at the opening of the trailer park where the dumpsters sit, start their fire pits, and squat to cook whatever communal road kill they'd managed to gather. You'd be surprised how good that shit smells.

But, I think Diane got bored writing my story. Either that or it became too depressing to continue on with such a run-down setting. Plus, she's not a pantser by any means and she didn't know where to take us after having described our pathetic surroundings. She just gave up on me.

I heard she started a new story, something about a cop unraveling a cold case at a new precinct. Diane purchased a butt load of writing software she claims will help her plot out a story she can finally write. She's kidding herself though. Her problems:

1. She's a procrastinator
2. She cares more about her blog than her manuscripts
3. When she has down time, she volunteers to do other things
4. She claims she wants to write fiction
5. What she really wants is to have written

One day, maybe she'll realize it's time to get serious about finishing a manuscript, whichever story she decides to write. I'm just hoping it's mine.

Take care,
Gage


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The Ernest Hemingway Home

I'm surprised my husband even knew of Ernest Hemingway, so when he scheduled this trip as part of our anniversary agenda this year, it was a major shock for me! Really...Key West?! Key West was beautiful. Plus, he agreed to watch Key Largo, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, as we enjoyed our accommodations in Key Largo!

What I enjoyed most was Hemingway's work place. This is where he wrote 90% of his masterpieces...according to our guide. I would love to have this as my working environment.

This picture of the pool below is the one his second wife put in while he was on a nine month tour in Europe if I recall correctly (and if I didn't, who cares). The relevant part is that his wife had this pool installed at the expense of removing his beloved sparring grounds.

His second wife was also a fashionista! She removed all the ceiling fans in the entire house and replaced them with chandeliers like this one. It's made from blown glass.

I used to oil paint years ago, so this was a photo I had to capture. :)  

Sorry I didn't get a closer photo of Hemingway's bookshelf. It was in the stairwell and I was holding up the line of folks behind me! But it was still an awesome collection.

The chandelier over the master bedroom. Sexy! Actually, he was a big guy, so he invented the first king sized bed by placing two twin beds together and framing them up. His wife found the headboard in Europe. It's a gate piece.

The bathroom adjoining the master bedroom is gorgeous! This is a view of the vanity. I love this type of stuff. How inspiring!

It makes me feel good to know that Hemingway was an avid fisherman and hunter. I love it that writers are inspired, but I love it more to know they lived on the land and enjoyed nature as well.

Young Hemingway! How cute was he? It's hard to believe he suffered from bi polar disorder. Who would think such a talent could commit suicide. His entire family was stricken with depression. It's sad to me. He was such a great talent.

I remembered his granddaughter when she played in the movie "Lipstick". Her and her baby sister starred in it. I never knew they were related to Ernest Hemingway until years later. Posing with some of the descendants of Snowball!

I enjoyed my stay in this fabulous home. The 44 cats are all hand bred and descendants of Snowball, the first inhabitant feline of the family. I learned so much about this man, I have a better appreciation for my love of writing. I will never give up the art of making my thoughts visible, no matter what form. 

Thanks for reading what I share and I'm so happy to return home to my family and friends!

On Vacation in the Keys

We will soon be returning from our vacation in the Keys. It was in celebration of our 26th wedding anniversary. A great time it was too, and I’ll have pictures to share this weekend. Miss you all out there in the Blog-o-sphere!

See you real soon. A teaser for all my writer friends out there: we visited Ernest Hemingway’s home.

Author Interview - Conflict of Interest

I recently had the honor of interviewing published author, Terry Lewis, on his debut novel Conflict of Interest. I read this book two months ago, but just now had the courage to ask for an interview. I'm not sure why I was hesitant to ask; he was happy to answer my questions!

Have a peak and then go buy his book. It's one that will have you talking to the book like you do a movie where you want to yell at the protagonist because he's getting himself in a pickle!

Q: Your protagonist has obvious flaws. Why did you choose the ones you did?

Lewis: What do you mean obvious flaws? I thought he was just about perfect. Okay, seriously, I knew I wanted a narrator who might be the murderer. I wanted the reader to wonder about him, yet hope he or she was wrong. So, he needed to be likeable at the core, but prone to bad decisions so that you want to slap him. Alcohol abuse is both a symptom and a contributing factor for such people. Mix in a willingness to push the envelope a little, a tendency to engage in risky behavior yet avoid its consequences, and voila!

Q: How did your being a judge influence Conflict of Interest and how you wrote it?

Lewis: I don't know that being a judge necessarily influenced it but certainly my legal experience as a lawyer and judge was the key factor in what I chose to write and the sorts of scenes, language, etc in the novel. The law is what I know and I have always liked this genre, so it was a natural route for me.

Q: What was your journey to publication like? Were there any obstacles with your debut novel Conflict of Interest?

Lewis: I was very lucky. When I started thinking seriously about trying to get it published, I read books and articles about it. I sent out query letters to about twenty agents, and to one small publisher in Florida. I ended up getting interest from an agent at the same time the publisher expressed interest. I put the two together and ended up with a contract.

Q: What advice would you give someone who is just starting out, what pitfalls to avoid?

Lewis: The best advice I ever received was, write what you like to read -- a variation on write what you know. The point is if you are writing a novel, it is going to take you a long time. Best to spend that time with something that is interesting to you. Otherwise, you will lack the passion, the discipline, to see it through.

Q: I realize research is essential when writing fiction. If the police checked your browsing history would you be in trouble?

Lewis: I sure hope not, but if so, it probably wouldn't be because of research for my novels. One of the reasons I chose to write legal thrillers/mysteries was because the legal world was one I already knew pretty well. I do some research on things, and the Internet has proved useful in this respect. I also have inquired of medical examiners or other experts about some of the forensics.

Q: What other novels of yours would you recommend to fans of Conflict of Interest?

Lewis: That's easy. I only have one other published novel -- Privileged Information.


Q: Are you currently working on another novel and if so, can you tell a little about it?

Lewis: Yes, I have a third novel that has been finished for some time and in search of a home. It is about a paranoid schizophrenic patient in Florida State Hospital who is accused of killing his psychologist. The story is told primarily by the lawyer, but also by the patient. I am also working on a 4th, in which a lawyer who represents a judge accused of murder learns that her father may in fact be guilty of the crime.

***

And that concludes my first ever author interview. Thanks, Terry! We will be looking forward to the publication of your third and fourth novels.