In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Talking with Author Mike Mullin

Debut author Mike Mullin stops by All the Blog's a Page to talk about the release of his debut novel, ASHFALL! Last time he was here, he talked about being a plotter and pantser. This time, it's all about ASHFALL and the writing journey.










Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano. It has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, and it will erupt again, changing the Earth forever.

Fifteen-year-old Alex is home alone when the supervolcano erupts. His town collapses into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence, forcing him to flee. He begins a harrowing trek in search of his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives 140 miles away.

Along the way, Alex struggles through a landscape transformed by more than a foot of ash. The disaster brings out the best and worst in people desperate for food, clean water, and shelter. When an escaped convict injures Alex, he searches for a sheltered place where he can wait—to heal or to die. Instead, he finds Darla. Together, they fight to achieve a nearly impossible goal: surviving the supervolcano.


Come on over to All the Blog's a Page now to learn more about Mike's debut novel!

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World-Building with Author Barbara G. Tarn (Interview)

I am an eclectic reader. From fantasy to erotica, from thrillers to rom-com, great characters dealing with major conflict can always at least get me to the first page. This year, I have indulged in much fantasy, and author Barbara G. Tarn has been the main author to supply me with it. I've read many of her works set in Silvery Earth and have marveled at the work it takes to develop a whole other world, set with rules, beliefs, values, customs, etc. So, I decided to ask Barbara some questions about world-building and her books, and she graciously answered them all!

















Head to ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING now to read my interview with Barbara G. Tarn and definitely consider picking up one or more of her books! Here's the PERMALINK!





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Author Barbara G. Tarn Interviews Moi at Her Blog

Every once in a while, I relinquish my interviewer cap and become the interviewee. Friend and fellow author Barbara G. Tarn invited me to her blog to talk about myself as writer...come check out the interview! [LINK]

In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Talking with Author Catina Sinches

As a full-figured hot tamale, I am always eager to support other amazing full-figured chicas looking to do great things: case in point, author Catina Sinches and her work, Full Figure Monologues. I'm currently reading it, and all I'll say for now is it offers the inspiration women need to see ALL of their worth. Welcome Catina as ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING's featured author for October!














About Full Figure Monologues

Full Figure Monologues was written to inspire and lend a voice to full-figured women. It focuses on real life issues and captures our hopes, worries and triumphs. The intent is to open up dialogue and encourage people to sit back and look at life from the point of view of women who are realistically the population within society. Women will be able to truly see themselves or someone they know who has dealt with the struggle to love their curves, entertaining negative thoughts, their relationship with food, letting go of the past as well as the courage to pursue their dreams.

Along with our curves, we are real women with everyday struggles. The women in the book put life into perspective and open up to show others that they are never alone. Life is not always going to be easy no matter what size you are, but the journey is absolutely worth it.


Head to ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING now to read my interview with Catina Sinches and read a short excerpt from Full Figure Monologues; here's the PERMALINK!




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Walking on Water with Author, Motivational Speaker Stanice Anderson

For September, I am honored to have author, motivational speaker, and definitely an inspiration of mine, Stanice Anderson, as ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING's featured author!










About Walking on Water When the Ground Ain't Enuf

WALKING ON WATER WHEN THE GROUND AIN’T ENUF is a testament to the love, power and grace of God in our daily lives. Stanice Anderson’s mosaic account of her journey over troubled waters toward unwavering faith is meant to inspire, encourage and uplift. Her gripping real stories, captivating testimonies, soul-stirring monologues, and cadenced spokentry, read like intimate conversations with a trusted friend. Get ready to laugh, cry, praise and walk on water. Come on! Get your faith wet.


Stanice's interview is probably the most moving interview I've ever conducted. Although the questions seem innocent and gentle, the answers that Stanice provide showcase her ability to lay out her life for all to see, and in doing so, you can be moved by the journey she's been on and feel a stirring in yourself to see blessings fall into your life. I won't even tempt you with a teaser from the interview. You just need to go, have a cup of coffee or tea beside you, and take a few minutes to fall into the interview (and the cool video) and think on it. I'll just say this--the "Come to Jesus" response? Yeah, it's the one that did me in.

Head to ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING now to read the interview; here's the PERMALINK!




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Resurrecting a Historical Figure ~ Interview with Author Sharon Ewell Foster

Right now, extra reading is not happening for me, but I did manage to start a book, a wonderful book that is on my TBR list once I finish with a major project: The Resurrection of Nat Turner by acclaimed author Sharon Ewell Foster. The first pages captivated me, and in this work, we get more than just a riveting story. We get a detailed, well-researched book that resurrects the historical figure Nat Turner, a man whose life--at least the one we know of based on history books--is not what it appears. At ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING, I interview Sharon as CLG's featured author for August, and talk to her about the research, writing, and purpose of a book that Publishers Weekly had this to say about: [The Resurrection of Nat Turner is] “fast-paced . . . nearly flawless . . . riveting and expertly told by an inspired, practiced storyteller.













About The Resurrection of Nat Turner

The truth has been buried more than one hundred years . . .

Leading a small army of slaves, Nat Turner was a man born with a mission: to set the captives free. When words failed, he ignited an uprising that left over fifty whites dead. In the predawn hours of August 22, 1831, Nat Turner stormed into history with a Bible in one hand, brandishing a sword in the other. His rebellion shined a national spotlight on slavery and the state of Virginia and divided a nation’s trust. Turner himself became a lightning rod for abolitionists like Harriet Beecher Stowe and a terror and secret shame for slave owners.

In The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses, Nat Turner’s story is revealed through the eyes and minds of slaves and masters, friends and foes. In their words is the truth of the mystery and conspiracy of Nat Turner’s life, death, and confession.

The Resurrection of Nat Turner spans more than sixty years, sweeping from the majestic highlands of Ethiopia to the towns of Cross Keys and Jerusalem in Southampton County. Using extensive research, Sharon Ewell Foster breaks hallowed ground in this epic novel, revealing long-buried secrets about this tragic hero.


Head to ChickLitGurrl now to learn more about Sharon's journey of writing and promoting The Resurrection of Nat Turner; here's the PERMALINK!



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Plotter, Pantser, Both? Talking with Author CHAMSIL @ All the Blog's a Page

Are you a PLOTTER or a PANTSER...or are you BOTH? That's the question being asked of the authors coming to you live this month on ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE. I have had author-friends who truly detest plotting, feeling it takes away from what the characters want to say, and I've had author-friends who detest flying by the seat of their author pants because the writing produced never seems to gel and come together. What do you prefer? Check out what the AtBaP authors of July think and share your own thoughts!

We round out July with an author I've known for a while now; I tell you, he's one of the hardest working writers I know. If he's not writing, he's on course to promote, promote, promote his wares: author CHAMSIL!









For Unbeknownst:

Memphis, Tennessee, 20th century.

Jamin Edson is a young business professional, boyfriend, and father of one who sorely lacks the connection, but is seeking love and acceptance within the confines of his family structure. Although, he has longed for this interaction, it has seemed so far from his reach. So far, that he continuously feels defeated. Lindsay Beauregard is a young business professional, girlfriend, and mother of one who is inflexible in every stretch of the imagination. She is very aggressive, opinionated and does things entirely in the manner in which she feels they need to be done. Hope Edson is a young child and daughter of Jamin and Lindsay, who becomes an unfortunate victim of circumstance and entangled in the web that is her parents’ tumultuous and challenging relationship. When Jamin makes the drastic decision to flee the city, abandoning his family in a last ditch effort to escape the persistent and volatile drama, Lindsay is left with no choice but to pick up the remaining pieces of the shattered mirror. Sadly, Hope is also forced to pick up a piece in order to reflect on her life and where she’s headed, even at a very young age.

Take a journey into their worlds in order to see how lives are forever changed and how those same lives run in parallel to one another in entirely different environments over a span of a number of years. Witness the trials and tribulations, heartache and pain, successes, pitfalls, and shortcomings that are the result of one fateful decision. There are many lessons to be learned. Life goes on. Life brings about new experiences. Life has inevitable challenges. Life isn’t always what it seems. But, ultimately, life catches up with you, sooner or later. The only question is…will you be ready when it does?


This is Unbeknownst.


Stop by All the Blog's a Page to not only read CHAMSIL's thoughts on plotting and pantsing in his writing life, but to also read an excerpt of Unbeknownst!

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Plotter, Pantser, Both? Talking with Author Deborah Batterman @ All the Blog's a Page

Are you a PLOTTER or a PANTSER...or are you BOTH? That's the question being asked of the authors coming to you live this month on ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE. I have had author-friends who truly detest plotting, feeling it takes away from what the characters want to say, and I've had author-friends who detest flying by the seat of their author pants because the writing produced never seems to gel and come together. What do you prefer? Check out what the AtBaP authors of July think and share your own thoughts!

This week, we ask the Plotter-Pantser question to author Deborah Batterman whose collection of short stories, SHOES HAIR NAILS, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.








The settings of these stories - 1980s New York City, 1950s Brooklyn, Las Vegas, an exurban town post-9/11 - are as diverse as the rich palette of characters drawn with heart, humor, and sensuality. With a sharp sense of the telling detail, Deborah Batterman weaves narratives around the everyday symbols in our world and their resonance in our lives.


Stop by All the Blog's a Page today to read Deborah's engaging response to the plotter-pantser question; more than likely, you'll see some truth in her words.


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Plotter, Pantser, Both? Talking with Author Bettye Griffin @ All the Blog's a Page

Are you a PLOTTER or a PANTSER...or are you BOTH? That's the question being asked of the authors coming to you live this month on ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE. I have had author-friends who truly detest plotting, feeling it takes away from what the characters want to say, and I've had author-friends who detest flying by the seat of their author pants because the writing produced never seems to gel and come together. What do you prefer? Check out what the AtBaP authors of July think and share your own thoughts!

Our next author this month is someone I've read over the years and have LOVED--Bettye Griffin!






In this updated, revised eBook version of Bettye Griffin’s classic novel originally published in 1999…

Ava Maxwell has made a career out of helping other people with their dreams as the leading wedding planner in the trendy but troubled city of Palmdale, Florida. She cherishes the idea of couples starting marriages and creating families…knowing that for her, the reality was painfully different.

Ten years before Ava walked out on her marriage when she and her ex-husband received the devastating news that she would never be able to have children…the one thing her ex wanted most. The intervening years have been marked by aborted relationships, her only comfort being the belief that she will finally be able to claim happiness once she reaches the point in her life where she would no longer be expected to bear children…but she’s only thirty-five years old and lonely, and ‘that certain age’ is still a good ten years away.

Then, in the same remarkable evening, Ava encounters both an eight-year-old purse snatcher and an exciting new man in town. Unlikely alliances are formed, bonds that soon deepen into something more special than she’s ever known. Could these two be the key to her attaining…A Love of Her Own?


Stop by All the Blog's a Page to not only read Bettye's thoughts on plotting and pantsing, but to also sneak a peek at her re-released novel, A LOVE OF HER OWN!

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Plotter, Pantser, Both? Talking with Author Mike Mullin @ All the Blog's a Page

Are you a PLOTTER or a PANTSER...or are you BOTH? That's the question being asked of the authors coming to you live this month on ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE. I have had author-friends who truly detest plotting, feeling it takes away from what the characters want to say, and I've had author-friends who detest flying by the seat of their author pants because the writing produced never seems to gel and come together. What do you prefer? Check out what the AtBaP authors of July think and share your own thoughts!

Up first this month is author Mike Mullin, whose debut novel, ASHFALL, which will be released this October, sounds like a great story full of drama, action, adventure, and peril.







Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano. It has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, and it will erupt again, changing the Earth forever.

Fifteen-year-old Alex is home alone when the supervolcano erupts. His town collapses into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence, forcing him to flee. He begins a harrowing trek in search of his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives 140 miles away.

Along the way, Alex struggles through a landscape transformed by more than a foot of ash. The disaster brings out the best and worst in people desperate for food, clean water, and shelter. When an escaped convict injures Alex, he searches for a sheltered place where he can wait—to heal or to die. Instead, he finds Darla. Together, they fight to achieve a nearly impossible goal: surviving the supervolcano.


You definitely don't want to miss Mike Mullin's at times funny yet on point thoughts regarding being a plotter and pantser, so head over to All the Blog's a Page and check it out!


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A Writer's Journey: Author Cheryl Snell

Come by ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING to check out the featured author for June, Cheryl Snell!





About Shiva's Arms

When Alice marries Ramesh, she is plunged into a battle of wills with her mother-in-law. Namesake of a god, Amma reigns over Alice's household until a family secret is revealed that costs the old woman everything. Now it is up to Alice to heal the rift, as Shiva’s Arms evolves into an exploration on cultural identity, the power of reconciliation, and the meaning of home.


During the interview, I asked Cheryl, If there were one author you could sit down and spend an hour with talking about writing, who would it be...and why? to which she replied: "Flannery O’Connor. I admire her contradictions, the way she flirted with disgust in her grotesques, her fanciful love of peacocks -- and I’d really like to know how she managed to write so steadily with Damocle’s sword over her head. Lupus is such a vicious condition."


Learn more about Cheryl, her latest project Shiva's Arms, and her wonderful collaborations with her sister by heading to ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING


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GREAT CHARACTER with Author Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts

CHARACTER. Every story has them, and their development is vital to any great story. This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about GREAT CHARACTER. Authors talk to us about what they think makes up a great character, what great character they've found in others' works, and what great character lurks within one of their own works.

Our final author this month in our talk about great characters is a woman with great character herself, Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts! I was introduced to her writing when I read and reviewed her novel, Interruption: The Gospel According to Crystal Justine, and not only did I enjoy the novel, but I also enjoyed the complex and charismatic storyteller behind the story.








Interruption: The Gospel According to Crystal Justine by Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts is the long awaited sequel to 2004's The Gospel According to Sasha Renee. It is the second book in the Gospel trilogy. Each book examines the deeply rooted issues that have plagued three generations of women in one family.

The story is a fascinating journey through the life of Crystal Justine (CJ), a young woman who has, for most of her life, been erroneously compared to her mother, Sasha Renee. Even as she struggles to escape the image and legacy of this enigma of a woman, she finds herself unconsciously acting out her mother's (and grandmother's) past mistakes. Her relationships with men, although few and far between, is tainted by the thing she cannot say; and her faith is weakened by the emotional and spiritual blows she endures. This dynamic story of deliverance keeps readers, page by page, on the edge of their proverbial seats, wondering if CJ will simply succumb to the darkness that has chased her soul for as long as she could remember or if she will be the one to finally put an end to the generational curse that has tried to consume her family.


You definitely don't want to miss the fantastic thoughts Tracey has on great characters...or the excerpt she shares with us! Head over to All the Blog's a Page and check it out!


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GREAT CHARACTER with Author Kit Frazier

CHARACTER. Every story has them, and their development is vital to any great story. This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about GREAT CHARACTER. Authors talk to us about what they think makes up a great character, what great character they've found in others' works, and what great character lurks within one of their own works.

Our next author is one I've followed since her first book, Scoop dropped in 2006. It's not a coincidence that she's here on AtBaP this month; I fell for her stories because of her spunky, colorful, realistic lead character, Cauley MacKinnon. Welcome Kit Frazier to All the Blog's a Page!









FBI Special Agent Tom Logan is back in town, and he's got a proposition for obituary writer Cauley MacKinnon. He needs somebody dead. And who better to help fake the death of a weasel-y informant than Cauley, aka the Obituary Babe?

But things go awry when the snitch is gunned down on the way to the courthouse, his sister is nabbed by a mysterious cloaked figure and soon Cauley is up to her eyelashes in hot guys, dead bodies, and on the hunt for the missing sister with her search and rescue dog, Marlowe.


Head over to All the Blog's a Page now and check out Kit's thoughts on great characters and to check out an excerpt of her latest work, Dead Sexy!

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CLG Talks with Every Woman Needs a Plan Author Ciara Denise

ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING's featured author for March is an author that I originally showcased in January with the Firsts promotions, Ciara Denise. I found her project and her mission to be fascinating and wanted to bring her back to get just a little more information about her book.








During the interview, I asked Ciara, What are three things women can do or start to do RIGHT NOW that can help ease their load and put focus back on their well being? One of the three things Ciara said was "Write it out! Get to the bottom of what is really missing from your life. It may not be as clear cut as, 'Oh, I need to go out tonight'. If you still hate your job or are still screaming at your family once you return from that night on the town, you have bigger fish to fry than a momentary break from your life … you need a new life! In order to figure out what the real problem is you have to be able to clearly see what’s going on and the easiest way for me to do that was to write. Don’t hold all that stuff in because it does add up. Find some form of expression and you’ll soon see that the answers are closer than they appear in the mirror!"


Stop by ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING to learn more about the "Every Woman" and to read more about Ciara's thoughts on what women can do to focus time on themselves!


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GREAT CHARACTER with Author Edward Dean Arnold

CHARACTER. Every story has them, and their development is vital to any great story. This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about GREAT CHARACTER. Authors talk to us about what they think makes up a great character, what great character they've found in others' works, and what great character lurks within one of their own works.

Our next author chose a rather unique way to pitch his novel to top literary agents and though unconventional, landed one (which you can read about here: author Edward Dean Arnold!











Reminiscent of The Best Man, with the solid, sexy, urban style of Love Jones, Lovin' Mrs. Jones is a romantic drama filled with regret, betrayal, and irreversible outcomes. It explores what happens when you finally meet the love that is really meant for you...but you've already said "I do" to another. What do you do?

Meet Gabriel Washington. To all who know him, he has his act together -- financially secure, spiritually grounded, and he's just five days away from marrying his college sweetheart, Tracee Andrews. Despite her sharp tongue and sometimes manipulative ways, Tracee represents everything any sane man would want in a woman - ambitious, stunning, and has a gorgeous figure that intimidates the most confident of men. But as Gabriel will discover, the appearance of having everything is sometimes not enough when it comes to love, and definitely can fall short when it comes to being in love. So when this soon-to-be groom meets Alexandria Jones, a soft-spoken woman whose marriage to her husband just happens to be on shaky ground, a mutual, irresistible attraction will quickly transform Gabriel into a reluctant brotha just days prior to when he should be saying "I do".

At a time when things are seemingly perfect on the outside, Gabriel is conflicted on the inside whether it's worth risking a future he's somewhat certain of in exchange for a moment that may hold no promise. He will find out that falling for a married woman in the midst of her own marital breakdown comes with serious consequences. Falling for her on the week of his wedding, well...creates even more drama than he can imagine for an already complicated situation. Add to the mix Gabriel's not so innocent bride-to-be, Tracee, who has a few hidden skeletons of her own and Alexandria's husband, Lionel, who has been secretly covering up his ultimate betrayal for years. But it's only a matter of time before all secrets are revealed and lives are taken on a rollercoaster ride and turned upside down in more ways than one. And in the process, both will leave you personally invested in their lives and the choices they make beyond "The End".


Come on by All the Blog's a Page now and check out Edward's insightful thoughts on great characters, and read an excerpt from Lovin' Mrs. Jones! Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!


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GREAT CHARACTER with Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted

CHARACTER. Every story has them, and their development is vital to any great story. This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about GREAT CHARACTER. Authors talk to us about what they think makes up a great character, what great character they've found in others' works, and what great character lurks within one of their own works.

Our next author...well, I've been following her literary career since the beginning. I remember it fondly, reading her debut novel, The Thin Pink Line back in 2003 and loving it, despite the fact that I wanted to seriously hurt the self-absorbed main character! Since then, author Lauren Baratz-Logsted has carved a space for herself in not only works for adults, but also works for teens and tweens!











Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day…a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda? Set in Victorian England, The Twin’s Daughter is a twisty tale of mystery, suspense, and even romance.


Come on by All the Blog's a Page now and check out Lauren's thoughts on great characters, and take a peek at an excerpt from her latest project, The Twin's Daughter! Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!

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GREAT CHARACTER with Author Samara King

CHARACTER. Every story has them, and their development is vital to any great story. This month at ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE, we're talking to authors about GREAT CHARACTER. Authors talk to us about what they think makes up a great character, what great character they've found in others' works, and what great character lurks within one of their own works.

Kicking off March's GREAT CHARACTER series is an author I'm proud to call a sister. With every story she writes, she brings sassy, sexy, sensual characters to the forefront--and it doesn't hurt that she's an excellent poet to boot, author Samara King!








A masked lover
A year ago, Club Reign owner, Belinda Gilles threw the first Grown & Sexy Masquerade Ball without a hitch – that was until she encountered a masked man whose touch made her forget about her past. Did she dare to believe that her masked lover would show his face again?

What lies beneath…
When Jordan Harris discovers that Belle is the woman he encountered under the mask a year ago, he sets out to make her his, even if it means opening old wounds she’d vowed to never forgive him for.


Come on by All the Blog's a Page now to read Samara's thoughts on great characters, and delight in the tasty treat she offers in an excerpt of Hot to the Touch! Head to All the Blog's a Page [NOW] to read more!

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