Author Spotlight: P.Q. Glisson

Book Lovers Delight has a very special guest today.  P.Q. Glisson, author of the novel, Her Sanctuary, is here to share with us some of her personal and literary experiences and we are thrilled to have her here with us today.

BLD: P.Q. Glisson, it's great to have you here on Book Lovers Delight. Tell us about your latest projects?

P.Q.: Well, I currently have a few “irons in the fire”. I’m working on my first Young Adult novel. It’s a fantasy romance/mystery. My goodreads friends can find a sneak preview on my profile page. I am also working on a historical romance set in pre-civil war and I have outlines for several others ranging from period novels to romantic comedies. I just love to write and use my imagination.

BLD: Who was the first person to hear about your success as a newly published author?

P.Q.: Wow, no one has ever asked me THAT question before. I guess I would have to say my Husband and my Daughter.

BLD: Who is your greatest fan and what would you like for them to know?
P.Q.: Okay, now you’ve put me in a pickle. There are a few people besides my family who I would love to thank. First of all, Jobie Dickeson, who helped spread the word on facebook. Tom Xander, who helped me build my fan page on facebook. He was such a blessing. Lacey Williams, who not only is a great friend I met on goodreads, but the first person ever to send me my very first fan letter. She is amazing! Jennifer Murgia, author of “Angel Star”, who befriended me and has helped me deal with the ups and downs of being a published author.
Gosh, I feel like I’m accepting an Emmy or something.

Now let's take a look at an excerpt from Her Sanctuary provided by P.Q. Glisson on goodreads:

The fog finally lifted as Shannon realized who was gently rocking her. She could smell his woodsy scent and it was inviting. All of the anger she had felt toward him disappeared with the fog. Her body relaxed and she let him hold her. There wasn’t anything sexual about his embrace. He touched her as though she were a piece of fine china. Unable to hold back her emotions, she sobbed against his chest. She gripped him like a drowning person. Seth held her, letting her release all the emotions that had festered for so long inside her.

BLD: When developing characters, your perception of each character may change throughout the story, how do you feel about your main characters at this time?

P.Q.: I love them! They took on their own personalities early in the book and I found myself along for the ride. Shannon’s quiet strength; her ability to push the horrendous past into the past, keeping her childlike innocence and goodness, and Seth’s damaged spirit; his self-loathing and guilt for the death of his wife and child was so heart breaking to witness. I loved how his armor cracked when Shannon, his soul mate, stumbles into his life and his arms. They may proclaim their love early in the story, but when you meet your soul mate, no matter what you’ve been through in the past, suddenly you’re a whole person, all the emotional scars are healed. That’s the power of true love.

BLD: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

P.Q.: Don’t give up. If you really love writing, write with all your heart and soul. Don’t worry about what others may say or think. And learn everything you can about publishing. Too many people think that just because they’ve written a really great book, everyone is going to be clamoring to sign them up for a lucrative contract; that’s just not the case. I read that even Her Highness, Stephenie Meyer got turned down ten times before her manuscript was picked up. As my mom used to say, “Perseverance paves the way”.

P.Q. Glisson, thank you very much for your time and Book Lovers Delight wishes you the very best with your future successes!

Her Sanctuary can be found on just about any bookstore website and amazon.com.

P.Q. Glisson is available on facebook, goodreads.com and she can also be reached by email: hersanctuarybypqglisson@gmail.com.  Be sure to drop a comment on her blog .

Author Spotlight-David Sklar Author of Shadow of the Antlered Bird

LOVED IT!

I am super excited to introduce you all to David Sklar author of Shadow of an Antlered Bird. I personally have read Shadow of the Antlered Bird. It was not a book I normally would have picked up, but oh man am I glad I did! I have never read a book as unique as this one, it was so refreshing to finally read something different. The characters were well written, and I really enjoyed April's character and how strong she was. When I learned that David dreamed the opening I thought, I wish I had dreams like that! This book is truly a piece of art, and if you are looking for something totally different please do yourself a favor and pick up this book!


1) Tell us about your latest projects?
I'm coediting an anthology with Sarah Avery, who is a brilliant author you also should check out . It's a two-headed anthology, by which I mean, if you look at one side of the book, there's a front cover, and you open to page 1, but if you flip it over there's another front cover and another page 1. One side of this anthology is called Trafficking in Magic, and the other side is Magicking in Traffic. We have some absolutely brilliant stories lined up--some from seasoned professionals, some from up-and-coming authors, others from people publishing their very first story. I'm really proud of the mix we have.

I've also been working for a while on a "novel-in-stories" called The Skin We Wear, which I've been characterizing as a "cynical romance about shapeshifters and anti-fur activists." Each of the chapters in this book is also a stand-alone story, and some fo these stories have appeared in places like The Ghazal Page and Cabinet des Fees. One will be in Strange Horizons this fall.

And I took a lot more time than I should've away from both of those projects to work on a new story called "Night of the Ill-Fitting Coat," which is a modern retelling of the Arthurian story "Knight of the Ill-Fitting Coat." Only, with zombies, bikers, gender issues, and family drama. I think it's the only story I've ever seen with a transsexual golem.

2) As a writer, what has been your greatest inspiration & what inspired you to start writing?
When I was 8 years old I changed schools, and the teacher in the new school was really impressed with the stories I wrote. And as a kid in a new environment, I guess I really needed something to define my identity, so after that I started thinking of myself as a writer, and I spent my time writing whenever I could.


3) What was the last book you read?
Lately, I've opened a lot of anthologies and read a story or two: Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link. Taking Flight and End of the Rainbow from Parsec Ink's Triangulation series. I have a story in End of the Rainbow and it just arrived in the mail recently. And at a recent book signing I traded a copy of that anthology for Interfictions 2, with author Carlos Hernandez, who has a brilliant story in that book is called "The Assimilated Cuban's Guide to Quantum Santeria."


If you mean cover to cover, then I think the most recent novel I've read is The Soul Thief by Charles Baxter, which is what you get when a writer of low-key Midwestern literary fiction decides to write a book that really messes with the readers mind.

4) Your book Shadow of an Antlered Bird is very unusual, where do you get your ideas?
For Antlered Bird in particular, I dreamed the opening scene, and thought, This would make a great short story. So I wrote it, and it didn't--too many loose ends. I like to leave a few loose ends--a story that wraps up with none isn't like real life--but this one had too many; it didn't feel finished. So I got to thinking about where it was going and what would happen next. And then I had the outline--not on paper, but I had the idea of it in my head. But then the initial outline had Tam driving down the coast in a car alone for two thirds of the book. He needed a foil, so that it wouldn't all be internal monologue. So I wrote in April. And she took over.


5) What are the top three things you couldn’t live without?
My son's whimsy, my daughter's smile, and all of the family and friends who help my wife and me care for these kids without going out of our freaking minds.


6) If being a writer meant you were cursed and everyone’s Karma was dumped on you, what would you be instead and why?
What makes you think that would be enough to make me stop writing?


In a way, that's what a storyteller does, isn't it? We work out life issues--not just our own, but the issues of a whole host of imaginary people who serve as a microcosm for the real world. But then we don't hang onto that karma, we put it on the page to share. And if I've done my job, then when you get to read it, maybe that helps you work through some karma of your own.

 That's my job, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

7) What is your inspiration when confronted with writers block?
Years ago I read something saying that before Columbus, the Native Americans worked their farms in harmony with the seasons, and then the Europeans came with their work ethic and screwed everything up, because they expected the land to be productive all the time and didn't know that sometimes it was better to let it rest and replenish. I don't know if it's true, but I read this and kind of figured that the same thing applies to writing--that we come from the natural world, even if we sometimes lose touch with that, so there are cycles and seasons within us, too.


Which is a long and elaborate way of saying that I don't need to be writing all the time. I mean, there is a compulsion to write, but if I worry that I'm not writing, then I try to remind myself that that's OK. That sometimes I need to take a break and replenish my creativity.


But I do have a couple of tricks.


If I want an inspiration and don't have any, I'll trawl through the "Open Anthologies" list at Ralan.com for themed anthologies that spark my imagination.


If I'm already writing a story, and I get badly stuck, I remind myself of the advice of a friend of mine, the brilliant writer Peter Gutierrez, to allow yourself the luxury of a bad first draft. I don't take that advice all the time, because I love getting it right the first time, when I can, but if I'm stuck then sometimes it helps me to power through--just write whatever comes, and then come back and fix it later.

8) When you’re not writing, what are you up to?
Who has time to not write?


Between writing and raising the kids, and the promotional stuff writers have to do, and the day job--which is also writing and editing--there isn't time for a whole lot else.
Before I had kids, I was a gamer geek. Now I'll play a board game or a card game once in a while, but I don't have time for roleplaying--certainly not for game-mastering. When my kids are older, I hope I'll get to share that world with them.

9) What has been the most rewarding part of being a published author?

That's an interesting question. I guess it's the feeling of vindication, like this path I've been on since I was eight has finally gotten me someplace where I can see something on the horizon.



I also like talking with other writers, and speaking at conventions. I don't know if I have a fan base of my own, just yet. But I love when a reviewer writes something about my work and really seems to get it.


10) Who is your favorite character out of all your books and why?
If we're just counting books, then I only have one published book. April is my favorite character in Antlered Bird, because she's a strong female character but also 100% human. Don't get me wrong--I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer--but there's this idea that a strong female character has to go out and kick ass. But a character doesn't have to have any special powers to be powerful. I love April because she's always in over her head, almost from her first appearance in the book, and she knows it. And she freaks out. And she yells at Tam. And maybe she panics once or twice. You know, she does all the things that any person ought to do when the world they know gets flipped on its head and they realize they could be killed any minute by something they don't even understand. But she pulls through. And I think that realness makes her courage more compelling.
11) Open to a page of any of your books, can you tell us what is going on?
She feels the rise and fall of the pistons, the tires against the gravel, and the air as it parts to let the car pass through. Tam turns on the radio with his anointing thumb, and Steppenwolf commands her to take the world in a love embrace, and there is not an inch of this highway of which she is not fiercely aware.

Tam and April are in April's roommate's car, and they've been on the run for a couple of days, down the coast from Seattle to California. April is doing all the driving, because Tam doesn't know how to drive. And she's had almost no sleep at all, because every time they stop to rest, the thing that's chasing them almost catches up.


So April's looking for something--anything--to keep her from falling asleep at the wheel, and Tam does this found-object witchcraft, using stuff from the glovebox and the back seat, to help her stay awake. But because it's fey magic, it doesn't just give her energy, it actually puts her into a ritual mindset and changes the way she experiences the world around her.


This is the end of that scene, and what I hope it conveys is how it feels to have this sort of magic done to you, and just to be opened to the entire world around.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us David, I know I am looking forward to reading more of your work!

PC Cast-Author Spotlight!!

Karina and I are so excited to share this wonderful author spotlight with you! We were so lucky to have the opportunity to interview PC Cast. PC is one of my top favorite authors, and she seems to be as kind as can be and just has a wonderful spirit. I love checking out her blog and reading about all her upcoming things! Please take a few minutes to ENJOY our interview with PC and also to explore her blog and other websites!

BLD: Tell us about your latest projects?

PC: Right now I'm hard at work on AWAKENED, which will be released January 4th. I'm also working on my first graphic novel, which will be based on my paranormal romance, GODDESS OF THE ROSE, A retelling of Beauty and the Beast. That should be released in four parts beginning December of this year, to follow with a hardback graphic novel. My film production company, Goddess Films, is working on the screenplay adaptation of GODDESS OF THE ROSE, too, which is being written by the House of Night screenwriter, Kent Dalian.

BLD: As a writer, what has been your greatest inspiration & what inspired you to start writing?

PC: Books have always inspired me. I can't remember not being able to read. As a young girl I would often get lost in book worlds, and could never sit still if I wasn't reading. What inspired me to start writing? I guess I just had to put on paper my version of the worlds that were swarming around in my head.

BLD: What was the last book you read?

PC: Right now I'm reading the first of Charlaine Harris's amazing Sookie Stackhouse books and loving it! As a big True Blood fan I'm ashamed that it's taken me so long to read the series!


BLD: Do you prefer to read about a bad boy or a goody two-shoes?

PC: I prefer to read a well developed character.

BLD: What are the top three things you couldn’t live with out?

PC: Books, good wine, electricity

BLD: If being a writer meant you were cursed and everyone’s Karma was dumped on you, what would you be instead and why?

PC: That's easy - I'd go back to teaching high school English because I love it and miss it.

BLD: What is your inspiration when confronted with writers block?

PC: The bills I have to pay.


BLD: When you’re not writing, what are you up to?

PC: Lots of different things! I travel, read, hang out with my friends, spend quality time with my amazing man. Right now he's teaching me to play the guitar and mandolin, which is a little like magic to me!


BLD: What has been the most rewarding part of being a published author?

PC: Empowering women by creating independent, intelligent, modern heroines.


BLD: Who is your favorite character out of all your books and why?

PC: Shannon Parker from my Partholon books (DIVINE BY MISTAKE, DIVINE BY CHOICE, DIVINE BY BLOOD) because she's embarrassingly like me and so it's like I took myself on a fabulous fantasy adventure!

Author Spotlight: Emma Michaels author of "The Thirteenth Chime"

Book Lovers Delight is proud to present, Emma Michaels. Her brilliantly titled debut novel, The Thirteenth Chime, is scheduled for release on August 13, 2010. Young adult, paranormal and urban fantasy readers, and everyone in between, mark your calendars and be the first to get your hands on this one. Emma Michaels is about to share with all of us the many reasons why we will enjoy The Thirteenth Chime. So let us get started...

BLD: Congratulations on the publishing of your novel. How exciting! We are thrilled to have you on Book Lovers Delight. Let's begin with your name and where are you from?

EM: My name is Emma Michaels and although I am originally from California, I have been living in the state of Washington for two years now and loving it!

BLD: Tell us about your latest project?

EM: My latest project is "The Thirteenth Chime", and it is a YA Paranormal/ Urban Fantasy with a bit of mystery to it. Here is the short teaser:

No one knew of its existence until it was removed from the attic upstairs.

In a beautiful house that overlooks the sea, an antique clock has the power to change the course of their lives.

The power the clock resonates will not only force Destiny and ex-boyfriend David on a journey into the depths of one man's mind long dead, but into the mind of a man filled with hatred and bent on revenge.

With the only clues to the nature of the clock having disappeared into the sea, Destiny and David must retrace the steps the man had taken into the darkness, before they fall prey to the trap he had set in motion over half a century ago.

Hatred never dies.

BLD: Who was the first person to hear about your success as a newly published author?

EM: My fiance and my Chihuahua tied for first place on this one *laughs* I shrieked so loud they both turned towards me worried. My little chihuahua looking around to see if there was an intruder who got past her (which of course there never will be unless it is a spider... even then) and my fiance worried something might be wrong. Obviously, I had to explain before they both got ready to defend me against invisible attackers that it was time for us to celebrate!

BLD: As a writer, what has been your greatest inspiration?

EM: Emotions and my move to Washington State. It is so beautiful and filled with lush, green forests that extend for as far as the eye can see and yet is home to the ocean, deserts, mountains and far more beautiful wonders. It is amazing and feels almost endless at times with the trees reaching high for the sky and the ocean spreading out as far as you can see. It is just amazing!

BLD: Who is your greatest fan and what would you like for them to know?

EM: Probably my father. He has always hoped that I would one day reach my dream of becoming an author, and he was ecstatic to learn that I was being published. I hope I will always make him proud.

BLD: What was the last book you read?

EM: I am currently reading Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire

BLD: Do you prefer to read about a bad boy or a goody two-shoes?

EM: Both are boring! No I am kidding, I enjoy reading about either but I like writing a very different type of character. I think potential fans will really enjoy David and the kind of man he can be (when he isn't getting in trouble *laughs*).

BLD: What are the top three things you couldn’t live with out?

EM: Chocolate, books, more chocolate... okay, I'll skip the 'more chocolate' and go with trees. There is just something about having a forest all around you and yet being able to hear the sounds of the ocean in the background.


BLD: How does your debut novel differ from other paranormal/urban fantasy novels?

EM: I feel that it differs from others because there really is no other book like this one currently on the market. Not only is the cover and concept completely different, but the human side of the characters will touch the hearts and minds of the readers. They aren't just good or bad, they are human like all of us and have a bit of both sides in them. It is who they are and what is unique about them that sets them apart.

BLD: What do you think your fans will like best about your main character Destiny? David?

EM: With Destiny, I think they will like how much they are able to sympathize with her heart. She is a young woman trying to find her place in the world and she believes that at long last she has succeeded. With David, who is always a catalyst of change for Destiny, I think they will like the way he thinks and feels. There is just something so raw about him. He is a thinker and a doer. He tries to find the best solution and goes for it, he never just stops halfway, especially when his heart is in it and it always is.

BLD: If being a writer meant you were cursed and everyone’s Karma was dumped on you, what would you be instead and why?

EM: I'd still be a writer. I'm in this because I love to write and that I am hoping to be able to help others through my writing, just as I was once helped when I was younger. If there were no writers or no one else willing to take up the burden of crazy karma there would still be amazing stories that needed to be told and heard. Plus, stories and novels almost always make a bad situation better for many individuals, so if there was THAT much crazy karma I think everyone would need a good book even more.

BLD: Open to a random page in your book. Can you tell us what is happening?

EM: That would be telling before the release date! *laughs* You will just have to find out on your own!

BLD: Favorite quote?

EM: It changes with my mood to be perfectly honest. Today it is:
“In life, you can’t choose your family. And sometimes certain family members aren’t necessarily your friends. But you can choose your friends, and when you love them as much as family, that makes them family.”
from In The Spotlight by Ann Mauren

BLD: What is your inspiration when confronted with writers block?

EM: Music and consistency. I find that by writing regularly, it really helps me to reduce any potential writer's block that might occur, especially when I am writing an emotional scene. Music has a way of igniting the passion of the heart. It helps me to set the mood for the scene I will be writing next.

BLD: When developing characters, your perception of each character may change throughout the story. In your debut novel how do you feel about your main characters, Destiny and David at this time?

EM: They have grown as people, just as I have grown as an author. The thing about people, whether they are fiction or real, is that each experience they encounter is an opportunity to learn. David and Destiny make mistakes just as I have, and they have learned from those mistakes just as I have learned from my mistakes. To me, they are human beings with a bond that will survive anything, even being apart.

BLD: If you had 3 wishes what would they be?

EM: I was very ill when I was younger and I have never gotten to feel what it is like to do something like running. My first wish would be to know, even if only just once (though I wouldn't mind for much longer), what it feels like to run fully. My second wish would be for my writing to be able to help others, just as reading once helped me. My third wish... I think I would save it for the person I feel would need it the most.

BLD: Where can book lovers find your novel and how can they contact you for more information?

EM: "The Thirteenth Chime" will be available from Bokheim Publishing and other major distributors starting on August 13th, 2010. They can contact me through my website or blog: www.EmmaMichaels.Blogspot.com or www.EmmaMichaels.com
It will also be available on Amazon for those of you who are like me and love being able to order it as quickly as you can!

BLD: Is there anything else you would like to share with your fans?

EM: When I was younger, I took a journey to a new world that filled me with new emotions, unlike anything I had gotten to previously experience. I would not have gotten to have those wonderful journeys without novels. Reading books, especially YA books, helped me in ways I can't even begin to describe. It is my hope that my future fans will find both great pleasure and hope within my writing. I hope that I can also help others, just as I was once helped. I hope you all love "The Thirteenth Chime" as much as I loved writing it! With your support, we can help me make it to my goal of one day being on the New York Times Bestsellers List!!!!

Emma Michaels, it was so great to have you on Book Lovers Delight. Thank you for your time and we wish you much success with your debut novel, The Thirteenth Chime.

Author Spotlight-Tory Richards!!

Good Saturday evening everyone!! Karina and I are super excited to be posting our FIRST author spotlight. We had the privilage to work with Tory Richards, Author of sizzling romances!

We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!!

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1) Your name and where are you from? My name is Tory Richards and I live in Florida but I'm originally from Maine.

2) Tell us about your latest project? My first erotic romance with Ellora's Cave was just released in May. Talk Dirty to Me is a short, hot romance that won't disappoint! I've since had another romance contracted with them, Breathless Surrender. And I've begun work on a third.

3) What inspired you to write your first book? I loved fairy tales when I was young, and how the princess and prince lived happily ever after. I wanted to write my own stories with happy endings.

4) When did you starting writing romances? I've always written romances! Is there anything else? LOL

5) When you’re not writing, what are you up to? Well, I have a full time day job. And I spend a lot of time with my family. I like to travel.

6) What was the last book you read? Decoy by Brandi Michaels.

7) What is your inspiration when confronted with writers block? I'm usually working on several projects at a time so if I experience writers block I'll switch books for a while. If it's total writers block I walk away. I can't force myself to write. And since writing is a hobby for me I'm not under any time lines.


8) What has been the most rewarding part of being a published author? Seeing the finished product. The editing is done, the book cover has been designed, and it's release day. Nothing sweeter!


9) What advice would you give to up and coming authors? Don't give up on your dreams, ever! If you believe in yourself someone else will, too. And expect rejections. They're a part of a writer's life.


10) Open to a random page in your book. Can you tell us what is happening? Well, this is the first time I've ever had a question like this. Fantastic! You didn't say which book so I picked my latest, Talk Dirty to Me, page 46. Lilly and Blake are attending a rehearsal dinner the night before her brother's wedding. When another man asks Lilly to dance she goes out of her way to tease Blake until he breaks in, deciding to punish Lilly right there on the dance floor. In a series of erotic moves he turns Lilly on until she's mindless with desire against him, and takes it one step further until she loses total control. What happens after is just as hot.


11) Favorite quote? It's never to late. If it isn't a quote it should be.


12) If I came to your home and looked in your refrigerator, what would I find? LOL, another good question! You would find milk, eggs, all the normal condiments, cheese, lunch meat, vegetables, salad, yogurt, a hamburger left over from dinner last night, opened bottle of wine, olives, pickles, salsa and apple juice.


13) If you had 3 wishes what would they be? That my daughter has a healthy baby in December. That the car I just bought today was paid off. That my husband's health was better.


14) Where can book lovers find your novels and how can they contact you for more information? They can contact me at: tory.richards@yahoo.com, visit my website at: www.toryrichards.com. They can find my novels at Barnes and Nobles, Amazon, Fictionwise, All Romance eBooks, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, Ellora's Cave, and soon The Wild Rose Press. Publisher's links: http://whiskeycreekpresstorrid.com/authors/Tory_Richards.shtml and http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8369-talk-dirty-to-me.aspx


15) Is there anything else you would like to share with your fans? That I love hearing from them, especially after they've read my books. Also, if they leave a comment on any post on my blog they have a chance to win my monthly blog giveaway. I randomly pick one reader the last Saturday of every month. They can access my blog through my website.

Again we just really want to thanks Tory for taking the time for this interview, be sure to check out her books!!