Voices of Fiction - Getting Readers Involved - Part Three

Welcome to Voices of Fiction.

We continue with our discussion of how to get the reader involved in the story.

Please welcome our guests.

Cara Marsi, former corporate drone and cubicle dweller, and award-winning author, is published in romantic suspense, contemporary romance and paranormal romance. She also writes short romance stories for women’s magazines. Cara and her husband share their house with a fat black diva of a cat named Killer. - Website, Twitter, Facebook

Liz Crowe’s groundbreaking romance sub-genre, “Romance for Real Life,” has gained thousands of fans and followers who are interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”) Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered real estate offices. Don’t ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury. - Website,  Blog, Facebook

Terry W. Ervin II is an English and Science teacher who enjoys writing. Gryphonwood Press published the first two novels in his First Civilization’s Legacy Series (FLANK HAWK and BLOOD SWORD) and he is busy writing the third novel in the fantasy series. In November 2012 Gryphonwood Press is slated to release Terry’s first short story collection, GENRE SHOTGUN. - Website, Blog

Children’s Picture Book author, Clara Bowman-Jahn, of “Annie’s Special Day” is living the life of her dreams an hour at a time. - Website, Etreasures



Welcome Authors! It's wonderful to have you back.

This week's question: How do you get your readers involved in the story?

Cara Marsi: The main idea is to get the readers involved. I try to give them characters they can relate to and care about. I try to write in a fast-paced way that keeps the readers turning the pages.

Liz Crowe: I take a solid plot, craft intriguing, realistic characters including secondary ones because I like nice, layered stories, and add a twist or 2.

Terry W. Ervin II: I guess I don’t worry about getting readers involved in a story. I work to tell the best story I can in the most effective manner I can and let reader involvement work itself out. Trying to manipulate reader attention or emotion is certain to be fraught with pitfalls. That’s a can of worms I don’t care to open.

Clara Bowman-Jahn: It depends on the marketing. If I am at a story telling event it is easier. I just read the book with lots of questions interspersed and talk to the kids as I read it. Otherwise I depend on parents who read it to their child. I also have a craft we do on some occasions of making a clock and talking about numbers. It just depends on the age of the children.


Thank you all for joining us today.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments. Also feel free to send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

(Disclaimer - Bios and photos submitted by authors.)

Voices of Fiction - Getting Readers Involved - Part Two

Welcome to Voices of Fiction.

We continue with our discussion of how to get the reader involved in the story.

Please welcome our guests.

Karen Cioffi is a multi-award-winning author, freelance/ghostwriter, editor, and online marketer, as well as the founder and manager of Writers on the Move. - Website, Website, Website

Jade Varden is the author of the Deck of Lies series, a collection of YA mystery books that show what happens when dark family secrets are exposed. Jade also provides professional writing tips to other indie authors on her blog. - Twitter, Blog, Amazon

Thea Landen writes erotic literature, frequently in a sci-fi/fantasy setting. When she's not writing, or thinking about writing, her hands and mind are occupied by either yarn crafts or role-playing games. Blog, Amazon, AllRomanceBooks

Author and editor, Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz has published more than 100 articles, 75 stories, six e books, a chapbook, one MG novel, a short story collection, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. She edits for two small traditional publishers. Website, Blog, MuseItUp


Welcome Authors! It's wonderful to have you back.

This week's question: How do you get your readers involved in the story?

Karen Cioffi: Having a hook beginning, something that immediately involves the characters, usually gets the reader’s attention. Then it’s a matter of bringing the reader along for the ride through action and dialogue. The story needs to be engaging.

Jade Varden: I try to create characters that provoke some sort of reaction – hatred, love, jealousy, any emotion at all.

Thea Landen: Both the characters and the plot have to be interesting and compelling. The most fascinating story in the world won't grab people if it's acted out by two-dimensional cardboard cutouts, and the most fascinating people in the world actually have to DO something. (Note that "interesting" does not necessarily equal "likable".)

Penny Ehrenkranz: With my short stories, I need to grab the readers’ attention right away. With a short story, there isn’t much time to develop characters, set the scene, and craft the plot. It’s important for a reader to be drawn into the story from the very first words and I try to do this with action scenes or intriguing dialog. With my MG novels, I created problems for my main character in the first chapter and hopefully developed the character so the readers would be rooting for her.

Thank you all for joining us today.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments. Also feel free to send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

(Disclaimer - Bios and photos submitted by authors.)

Voices of Fiction - Getting Readers Involved - Part One

Welcome back to Voices of Fiction.

As we step into the New Year, the series continues with a great group of authors answering various questions. Last year, the series brought in new readers and new authors. I'd like to extend my thanks to you all for your curiosity and support.

With the growing numbers of authors joining the discussion, the question round extends to six weeks, with four writers per week.

Please welcome this week's group of authors.

Reno Charlton works from home as a full-time copywriter, providing clients around the world with content for websites, magazines and other media. She’s also the author of three children’s fantasy novels. Under the pen name, Emily Ho, she’s published two short stories, winning the Curtis Brown Short Story Competition with ‘The Journey Home.’ - Amazon UK, Amazon, Goodreads

Catrina Barton is a licensed Kung Fu Instructor of the Black Dragon style and draws on that experience to make her fight scenes both realistic and action packed. She enjoys being surrounded by the stark beauty of mother nature, such as a moon lit starry sky, or a picnic by a peaceful waterfall cascading from the mountain side. - Amazon, Blog

Karina Kantas is the author of six titles, In Times of Violence, Lawless Justice, Road Rage and Huntress (which is published by MMP.) She's also the author of Stone Cold a YA supernatural thriller and Heads & Tales, a short story collection. Karina originates from the UK but now lives in Greece with her husband and two beautiful daughters. - Amazon, Barnes/Noble, Website

Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. - Website, Blog



Welcome Authors! It's wonderful to have you back.

This week's question: How do you get your readers involved in the story?

Reno Charlton: I try to use the characters to get readers involved both in terms of their personalities and their situations. I like to have characters that readers can relate to, laugh with, empathize with, and really get to know.

Catrina Barton: By engaging them on an emotional level with characters they can connect to and well written emotional scenes.

Karina Kantas: I make sure there are plenty of conflicts and that the reader can relate to the characters.

Cherie Reich: When I write a story, I try to focus on the characters and the immediacy of the situation they're thrown in. I tend to write fast-paced stories, so I believe that helps draw the reader in quickly.


Thank you all for joining us today.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments. Also feel free to send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

(Disclaimer - Bios and photos submitted by authors.)

The Next Big Thing

Tagged twice last year, by Terry W. Ervin II and Catrina Barton, I present to you The Next Big Thing.

10 Questions about my Work in Progress

What is the working title of your book?
Broken Memory

Where did the idea come from for the book?
The idea for this book started with thoughts on our memories and how they can be changed and recalled incorrectly. There's so much in the past that we forget or rearrange in our mind. What if something extremely significant and dangerous lay dormant within our minds, until something or someone pulled it into to the light?

What genre does your book fall under?
Paranormal Suspense

What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
If I had to answer this question, I'd seriously take us diving back into the eighties.  A young Molly Ringwald comes to mind for the lead role. A young 'yummy' Andrew McCarthy would serve great as the co-lead. Okay, yes, I took you there. But, at least I warned you first. It's not that I don't watch new movies and television shows. I just don't keep up with their names like I did when I was younger.

What is the one sentence synopsis for the book?
When a woman’s past crashes into her present reality, she must face spirits, a demon, love, and find a way to survive them all.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
An agency would be my first choice, but the way the industry is evolving one never knows where the road may lead.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The story idea and much brainstorming began in January of 2012. Over the next few months I had many starts and stops. The story wanted to be more than one story can be, it trailed of in so many directions, becoming basically a multitude of different story possibilities. In May, I sat down with my mess and created a snowflake summary, putting down a strong road-map. By the end of September, I had a 15,000 word rough first draft of my story. Keep in mind, yes this took four months, but I do have a day job, along with multiple activities going on, from blogs to tarot reading. I'm in the process now of expanding the rough first draft into a full blown first draft. I plan to spend much more time on my writing this year, and hope to have this one ready to go at least by March.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
This questions always a tricky one for me. I've read more than once you should be able to do this and present such when submitting your work. I can see where many authors would be able to compare their stories to others, but I honestly don't know of a book similar to the one I'm writing. It has ghosts, demons, and a woman who must conquer the past to see her future. I'm sure similar stories have been told, but don't ask me to tell you the names or authors.  

What else about the book might pique the reader's interest? 
The romance thread is interesting. Let's just say some loves are destined to be and nothing can stop some souls from join no matter the distance of space or time. On another note, souls roam the earth rather you are aware of them or not, some help and some hinder, but at the end of the day we all are on a path leading us home.

Now it's time to tag a few authors and see what their next big thing will be -

Cherie Reich
Aubrie Dione
Joylene Butler
Christine Rains
Kalayna Price

Look forward to seeing what each of you have in progress.