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Author Interview: Max E. Stone

5/24/2016

Meet Max E. Stone, Author of The Bleeding

BBB: Tell us about yourself.

MES: My name is Max. Ha, you obviously know that. I’m almost thirty years old. I love reading and I love writing, the latter of which I’ve done almost all my life. When I’m not doing either, which is honestly hard to not do even when I know I need a break, I love to spend time outside with my friends and significant other, and also yoga. Fresh air, peace, and family are my solace.

BBB: What inspired your book, The Bleeding?

MES: The Bleeding actually was birthed out of something I began when I was nine years old, a book called August to Life, which I published in 2012. I’ve never been much of one wrote stories deemed appropriate for my age as the subject matter was riddled with drugs, abuse, violence, and much more, none of which I was experiencing in my own life at that age. The story truly just came to me. Every time I met someone, they didn’t even have to really be talking to me, but I would come away with something for the story. Reading other books helped to shape it as well. As the years went by, the final product took flight.

BBB: Tell us about your main character.

MES: I have a lot of main characters. However, in The Bleeding, there is one in particular which the story surrounds and that is Derek Warren, whose life has taken this hugely drastic turn, all through his own doing. But, we all know that no villain is a villain for no reason. As such, with Derek, there were things that took place in his life that put him on this deadly path.

BBB: What do you think readers will find most appealing about your book?

MES: I think readers will find the characters most appealing. Under all the adventure and action, there is a cast of real people with real lives.

When you hear the audio version especially, done by the awesome, Audie Award Nominated Noah Michael Levine, you really feel for the characters and identify with them.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

MES: Check out my site, Goodreads, Twitter, or Facebook

Website: https://maxestone.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialmaxestone/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxestone
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14704744-max-stone

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Author Interview: Ashley Howland

5/23/2016

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Meet Ashley Howland, Author of The Not So Boring Book #1 Write Your Own Story

BBB: Tell us about yourself.

AH: I am a teacher, who loves to write for children. I also love encouraging children to write. My own girls (8 and 7) have had stories published too, sharing this experience with them has been amazing. Which is why I love working with all children on developing their writing skills.
I also love sport, music and my two Labradors – Stitch and Chewie. It was actually my first Labrador – Obi that inspired me to begin this whole writing journey.

BBB: What inspired your book, The Not So Boring Book #1 Write Your Own Story?

AH: This book was inspired by my girls. Each year I have made them a writing scrap book and called it The Not So Boring Book. The idea was to take it where ever we go, that way if we end up in a place they find boring they have something fun to do. It has also helped them to develop their writing skills.
I decided that I need to do this for more children and encourage them to write. So I came up with The Not So Boring Book #1 Write Your Own Story. It is full of writing activities and with each chapter you get the opportunity to work on one story. By the end of the book you will have a story that could be published in some format. You actually write in the book, it’s a great thing to take with you and then whenever the writing bug catches you… well its Not So Boing!

BBB: Does the book help writers with character creation?

AH: Chapter Two in this book is entirely devoted to developing characters. There are activities to help you create fantastic and unique characters. I have special sections devoted to villains (my favorite to create, so much fun!) and super heroes. Of course there is then room to develop the characters in your story and to work out how they fit. It’s a lot of fun and often I start whole stories because a character has popped into my head!

BBB: What other books have you written?

AH: I have written four children’s novels for various ages: Ghostnapped (9-12 year olds) – Alex is on a family camping trip when her younger brother disappears. She has to solve a mystery of the past and the present to save him.

Obi the Super Puppy and the Mystery of the Red Mist (7-12 year olds) – this is the first book in the Obi series. Obi is a yellow Labrador who is determined to be a super hero. He tells his kids (Maddy and Aijay) all about his first encounter with an evil red mist.

The Homework Goblin (5-10 year olds) – Jason has finished his homework on time for once. Then it is stolen by the homework goblin. He goes on a magical adventure in an attempt to get it back!

It’s What You Do Next That Counts (12-15) – Callie’s life has been thrown upside down. She has had to move countries and live with her Aunt and Uncle in Perth, Western Australia. She struggles with the change and of course all the challenges of being a teenager. Callie discovers that when bad things happen it’s what you do next that counts!

I also have a number of stories published in various anthologies. This is something I love to do because it’s great to work with other authors.

BBB: What do you think readers will find most appealing about your book?

AH: I think readers will enjoy The Not So Boring Book #1 Write Your Own Story because they can write their own story. It is more than that of course. There are so many activities in the book if you completed them all you would have more than one fantastic story idea. It is a lot of fun and will get the creative juices flowing.

BBB: Tell us about your illustrations.

AH: I do my own illustrations when I have to, it’s not something I find particularly easy. My daughters helped me illustrate The Homework Goblin and are helping with a new series that I will hopefully release later in the year.
Most of the time I try to use photos, this was easy for my Obi books, but is harder for others. Like anything you only get better through practice. I need a lot more practice but get there in the end.

BBB: How did you come up with the idea for your book cover?

AH: This book cover needed to be exciting, well certainly not boring. I took the photo of my girls at the zoo one day and loved it. It just fit the book so well. The rest of the cover was designed by my husband who does all my covers. They take a while to get perfect, but we have learnt so much. We get better with each cover that we do!

BBB: What are you currently working on?

AH: I am currently close to releasing the second Obi book. This one is called Obi the Super Puppy and the Quest for the Last Laugh. Once again Obi is telling the girls about an adventure. This time he has some more friends. A new puppy Stitch, who needs to be trained. One of the things I loves about writing this story was that it introduced a new sidekick – Rigger. He’s a big old boy and I enjoyed writing about him. This book is full of action and will be out soon!

You can find out more about Ashley Howland and her books by visiting
http://ahowland.org/wordpress/.

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Author Interview: Elizabeth Barone

5/23/2016

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Meet Elizabeth Barone, Author of The Nanny with the Skull Tattoos

BBB: Tell us about yourself.

EB: My name is Elizabeth Barone and I write contemporary New Adult romance, featuring sassy belles who chose a different path in life. When I was little, I wanted nothing more than to be an author, but growing up in a dying city, I thought I should go for something more practical. I didn’t think that I could make a living telling stories. So I hopped from trade to trade, never fully satisfied. Then in 2007, I felt the first excruciating twinges of what would turn out to be arthritis. I was eighteen. I spent the next nine years seeing specialists in hopes of receiving a diagnosis and maybe even treatment. Meanwhile, I couldn’t hold down a normal job. My body was no longer strong enough to handle it.

Through it all, I never stopped writing. In the summer of 2011, I sat on the couch playing The Sims 2 and mourning my recent job loss. I’d built a career out of designing and developing websites, and without it, I didn’t know who I was anymore. Around that same time, I started learning about self-publishing. It seemed really cool, and with my coding and graphic design skills, I had an advantage. In 2012 I self-published my debut novel, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Since then, I’ve released five novels, several short stories, and a serial. In 2015 I signed with Booktrope. Though my arthritis has progressed, I haven’t let it stop me from doing what I love.

BBB: What inspired your book, The Nanny with the Skull Tattoos?

EB: I have a lot of friends and family who are single parents. I’m especially in awe of my brother-in-law, who has been raising his daughter since her infancy. Our society is super supportive of single moms, but rarely give a nod to the single dad. Those guys need more love. I was in the middle of working on another book when all of a sudden, I thought: What if a guy who was a teenage dad wanted to go to college while raising his daughter alone? How would he juggle a toddler, school, his career, and maybe even romance? Then I thought: What if he hired a live-in nanny on Craigslist and fell in love with her? Would it work out? I had to know.

I made myself finish the other project, but I wrote Max’s story in just a few weeks. He’s a single dad who loves music but settles for becoming a teacher instead. I knew what it’s like to give up your dream to pursue a more practical career, so I understood where he was coming from. It was so much fun to write. I especially enjoyed writing the scenes where Max and Savannah go back and forth.

BBB: What other books have you written?

EB: This spring, Booktrope will be releasing the first two books in my South of Forever series, Diving Into Him and Savannah’s Song. (Yep—Max and Savannah show up!) It’s a rock star series, with each book focusing on a different couple in the band. I have a couple other standalones, and another series in progress about a college student who gets custody of her little sister when their bipolar mother is forcibly committed. I also write Young Adult suspense and romance under the name Kaylene Campbell.

BBB: What are you currently working on?

EB: At the moment I’m writing a standalone romance set in a bakery. Here’s my working hook:
A waitress and the guy who stole her dream job and broke her heart years ago must work together when they inherit a bakery.
I’m also wrapping up edits for Diving Into Him.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

EB: I’m kind of a blogaholic and a social media junkie. You can get in touch with me in the following places:
Website: http://elizabethbarone.net
Blog: http://thecrazychronicles.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elizabethbarone
Facebook: http://facebook.com/elizabethbaronebooks
Instagram: http://instagram.com/elizabethbarone
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/elizabethbarone

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