Voices of Fiction – Hobbies – Part Three

Welcome to Voices of Fiction

We continue our exploration into the various hobbies of our participating authors.

Please welcome this week’s 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.

The Question: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?

Cara Marsi – I'm a TV junkie. I watch TV, read, exercise, travel.

Liz Crowe – I love to read of course, but spend a lot of time watching sports and learning more about the microbrewery biz.

Terry W. Ervin II – I raise turtles in my basement. In stock tanks I have yellow-bellied and red-eared sliders, and eastern box turtles. I always liked turtles as a kid, so why not have a few as an adult? One goal related to this hobby is to breed the eastern box turtles so that I can repopulate the Willowbrook Land Laboratory associated with the Environmental Occupations Program (about 100 acres) at the school where I teach. The meadow and wooded area, with several ponds and a stream running through it, used to support box turtles many years back, but in the last decade only two have been spotted by the instructors and students.

Clara Bowman-Jahn – I love visiting with my family and friends. I love reading, reading, reading, and reading some more. I also enjoy walking a couple of miles a day with my husband.
Thank you all for joining us today.

Readers and Authors, feel free to ask questions and leave comments concerning this topic in the comment section below.

(Disclaimer - Bios and photos submitted by authors.)

Sweethearts in Bloom Review

JCCeleste, of the Romance Reviews, has reviewed the anthology, Sweethearts in Bloom.

"Escape to Love" by Cher Green follows the misadventure of a witch-in-training trying to find her way back home amidst a world where magic is used for cruelty and any who oppose the tyrannical council suffer. Can Constance Spenser become the savior she is destined to be and rescue the man she has come to love?

Visit the Romance Reviews to read the complete review of the anthology.

Voices of Fiction – Hobbies – Part Two

Welcome to Voices of Fiction

We continue our exploration into the various hobbies of our participating authors.

Please welcome this week’s 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.

The Question: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?

Karen Cioffi - I enjoy drawing, but haven’t had much time for it lately. I also enjoyed playing the piano and guitar, but again, I don’t have much time for it lately.

Jade Varden - I’m a big video gamer when I get some free time. I hook a controller right up to my laptop and I’m ready to go.

Thea Landen - I knit/crochet like a madwoman, and play some video games. I also just learned how to use my new sewing machine, but we'll see if that hobby really takes.

Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz - I have a few things that I do in my spare time. My favorite, of course, is reading, but I also enjoy crocheting and gardening. I enjoy water aerobics and walking for exercise. I like to spend time with family, friends, and my pets, too.

Thank you all for joining us today.

Readers and Authors, feel free to ask questions and leave comments concerning this topic in the comment section below.

(Disclaimer - Bios and photos submitted by authors.)

Voices of Fiction – Hobbies – Part One

Welcome back to Voices of Fiction.

As we enter the last part of the series, I’d like to thank all of the authors for participating and the readers for joining the discussions.

As authors, most of us enjoy a chaotic life filled with work, taking care of family, media promotions, and fitting in writing every chance we get. But, at some point, we must leave it all behind, relax and be alone. During this time is when you will find us enjoying the small stuff, the hobbies which take us to a different level in life and/or enrich life overall.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring the hobbies of the participating authors, getting to know them on this new level in life.

Please welcome this week’s group.

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.

The Question: What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?

Reno Charlton - I am a bit of a couch potato and love movies and soap operas! I also love doing my bit for animal charities such as caring for homeless cats and kittens and raising money for the charities.

Catrina Barton - Belly Dancing, Kung Fu, and walking with my family. Hubby and I are both gamers too. It's how we first met. So I make time for rpgs like GuildWars and Star Craft II with hubby and the kids as well.

Karina Kantas – I have two talents. Writing and singing. If I didn't live in Greece I'd be singing professionally.

Cherie Reich - Reading, but I guess that's related to writing too. I do like to watch a lot of TV, though. I especially love crime/detective shows like CSI, Bones, Criminal Minds, and Psych.
Thank you all for joining us today.

Readers and Authors, feel free to ask questions and leave comments concerning this topic in the comment section below.

(Disclaimer - Bios and photos submitted by authors.)

Writing Every Day

Stop by Misha Gericke's blog, My First Book, to read my guest post, Writing Every Day.

One of the best bits of advice I’ve received as a writer is to write every day, following through with this is another story entirely.

Sometimes understanding the rhyme and reason behind such advice can help you achieve your goal a little easier.

I discuss my thoughts on the topic and possibly a different outlook on what it's all about. What type of writing can be contributed to my status of writing every day? Does my blog count? And the million dollar question, how long do you need to write?

I'll see you there!

Interview at J.D. Pooker's Blog

To help celebrate the release of my first children's book, J.D. Pooker invited me to her blog for a short interview. Stop by to find out the inspiration behind The Sacrifice, my favorite thing about writing, and more.

And of course, grab a copy of The Sacrifice, a fairytale-like story of a young woman's journey to save her sister, for you or your kids at eTreasures Publishing.

Voices of Fiction - Traditional or Self-Publication - Wrap Up

Available for Purchase

Over the last few weeks, our authors have discussed their preferences of Traditional Publication vs. Self-Publication. We’ve had a mix of support for both sides of the equation, varying from the side of reduced stress through the traditional side to more control on the self-publication side. There are many pros and cons on either road one may choose to take. The ultimate decision comes from the preference of the individual.

What is your publishing method choice: Traditional or Self-Publication? Why?

Like most of the authors we’ve heard from, I support both sides of the equation. Traditional provides added support to the journey: editors, artist, promotions, compiling of the book and so on. Self-publication gives the author complete control over their product.

At this point in my journey, traditional is my chosen direction. I prefer to let someone else handle all those other avenues, while I continue to write. Of course, with my current publisher being a small company I find myself wearing more hats than I wish to, but this may even be the norm a larger company. I don’t know because I haven’t had that experience yet. I’m hoping to go down the agent road with my current project, if possible.

This is not to say I won’t venture down the self-publication trail, especially with my writing involving the Tarot. I have many ideas to pursue dealing with the Tarot which would reflect directly on my Tarot reading endeavors. In the end, these may be project which will have to be self-published, for lack of a large audience. This will be a decision made down the road in sight of the final results of such products.

For now, you can find my writings at various magazines and at eTreasures Publishing. All publications can be found in 'The Library.'

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this exploration of publication choice, and all the other discussions, in the long running series of Voices of Fiction. Next week brings another question, and also the last question to the series. I’ve saved the best, in my opinion, for the last. Stop by next week to see what we will explore during the last few weeks of Voices of Fiction.