Meet The Author: Darin Calhoun

Darin Calhoun is an independent author sailing the genre seas, with the island of urban fantasy as his current home. Be warned, he writes about strong women and flawed characters. So, if you don't like these personalities in your protagonist, you'll be abundantly disappointed. However, if that's the way you enjoy your heroes, read on.

Darin admits to posting on Twitter or Facebook at 3AM, but blames it on an abusive muse. Some writers' muses give them a gentle tap on the shoulder; his, he explained, uses a sledgehammer.

The latest story his muse knocked out of his brain is about Gina Madonna. Gina is a former Los Angeles newspaper crime reporter who finds herself unemployed, dumped by her fiancé, and having to crash at her best friend's apartment in Hollywood while she picks up the remnants of her life. In desperation, she accepts a job interview as a personal assistant to Mr. Green, and she becomes caught up in a mysterious world filled with dark intrigue and magic that may lead to her demise.

Darin was kind enough to share a link to Gina Madonna and the Falling Man: http://bit.ly/HxcjhA

As Darin said above, he is on Twitter and Facebook at all hours of the day and night, interacting with readers, authors, and friends.

He would love for you to connect with him via the links below:

Twitter

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Meet Award-winning Author Dr. Glenn Walp @ImplosionAtLOSA

Glenn Walp served with the Pennsylvania State Police for nearly 29 years, retiring as commissioner and a member of the governor’s cabinet. He holds a Ph.D. in Human Services, with a specialization in criminal justice. Walp has appeared as a guest on multiple national television programs, to include “The O’Reilly Factor,” and CNN’s “American Morning with Paula Zahn.” Walp is employed part-time as an adjunct professor and consultant for Penn State University in their Justice and Safety Institute, and is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Search Team.

Dr. Walp’s book, Implosion At Los Alamos, is a frightening exposé that reveals failed security, crime, mismanagement, cover-ups and corruption at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Ground Zero for America’s strongest defense against rogue nations and terroristic entities – at least it should be.

Implosion at Los Alamos Garners Bronze Independent Publisher Book Award (Current Events)

Walp's previous published works have been largely academic, and include, "The Missing Link between Pornography and Rape: Convicted Rapists Respond with Validated Truth", "The Causes of Crime: A Search for Truth", and is co-author of "Criminal Investigation Assessments", as published in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.

Walp resides in Arizona, has three children, a stepson and seven grandchildren.

For more information on Dr. Walp, visit one of the websites below.

Amazon

Author's Website

Twitter

Meet The Author ~ Synithia Williams

Synithia Williams has loved romance novels since reading her first one at the age of thirteen. It was only natural she would begin penning her own romances soon after. But it wasn’t until 2010 that she began actively pursuing her publishing dream. She completed her first novel, You Can’t Plan Love, in the fall of 2010, which published September 2012, and is now working on edits for book two.

The Writers Buzz online magazine featured her short story, Weekends, in October 2011, and she is a member of Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, this Green Queen—as dubbed by the State Newspaper—works to improve air and water quality, while balancing the needs of her husband and two sons. For more information on Synithia and her writing, visit her website where she blogs about writing, life, and relationships.

You can read about Synithia's new release, You Can't Plan Love, here.

Author’s Website

Twitter

#MeetTheAuthor: Stacy Green:

A lifelong reader and writer, Stacy Green has a degree in Mass Communications and spent several years in advertising. Becoming a stay at home mom gave Stacy the time to pursue her writing career. After plunking around a few ideas, she dove into her first novel, pantsing all the way. That book is a love story that she’ll probably never allow to grace a bookstore, but the experience taught her a lot about the craft of writing and the importance of practice.

When she began writing Into the Dark in 2010, Stacy made a commitment to become part of the online writing community and grow as a writer. A year later, her romantic suspense novel, set in Las Vegas and featuring the harrowing Las Vegas storm drains, is complete and on submission.

Stacy spends most her days chatting about true crime, especially on ‘Thriller Thursdays’ on Twitter, and supporting other writers in ‘A Round of Words in 80 Days’.

You can connect with Stacy at any of the links below:

Author Website

Twitter

Facebook  

Goodreads

The Process of Self-Editing:

A publisher once told me, she tells her authors to “puke it out.” As crass as that sounds, I agree. Don’t try to edit as you go along; get the story out of your head while it’s fresh.

When I edit, I read the entire novel without touching a finger to the keyboard. I download to my Kindle and simply highlight. It allows me to read as the prospective reader. My mind remains focused on the story, not the editing process. And, something I might have suggested the writer remove, might make sense once I’ve read the entire manuscript.

Next, go back chapter by chapter and add the emotion and action you may have missed on the first run through. Then, read again, preferably aloud. The moment something stumps you, stop and edit accordingly. If you, as the writer, get tripped up, imagine the reader. They don’t know the characters as intimately as you do.

Another good technique is to make a list of common, rookie writing mistakes. They’re easy to find. Follow some of your favorite agents' blogs and Twitter accounts, and believe me, they’ll tell you what they hate (I’ll do that here in a second). Add to your list commonly misspelled and misused words, again this is not difficult to locate. You’ve all read books and blogs that the author didn’t see the need to edit properly. What bugs you? Head hopping, the use of passive statements, the overuse of words such as very and hopefully. Too many dialog tags is one of my peeves, and sometimes, “he said” is sufficient. The tag is only there to remind the speaker who’s speaking. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Let the characters' words and actions speak for themselves.

This process should put you minimally at three self-edits, but don’t think for a minute you are through. Nope, now you need your Beta to read your masterpiece. When she’s finished and has made her suggestions, rewrite, and read again. Don’t want to upset you, but you’re still not finished. Now, you need a professional editor, or if your work is clean, a proofreader will suffice. But wait, there’s more. After you receive your manuscript back from your chosen editor, you need to accept or reject her recommendations, and yep you guessed correctly, read through your work one final time. So, Darin Calhoun, you are correct. My suggestion is at least six to seven read-throughs before you are ready to query or self-publish.

Anything less and you’ll just be a blip on the screen.

At what point do you throw in the towel OR self-publish?

Stop! Read that title again before you freak out.

If you misread my title as self-publishing is throwing in the towel, read it again. I said, “At what point do you throw in the towel OR self-publish?” Self-publishing is not giving up, and I truly do not feel that is the case. The only way you give up is if, as I said, you throw in the towel on querying and refuse to self-publish. Now that that is clear let’s continue.

However, like it or not, it is the way many view the act of self-publishing. After all, who writes a manuscript with the initial thought, “I’m going to write this book and self-publish it?”

The answer: no one. Not unless they’ve been through the querying gamut before and decide they’re not even going to bother this time.

Be honest. Doesn’t every author originally have dreams of grandeur, thinking they wrote the next Gone with the Wind, only to watch their dreams crumble as their inbox fills with one rejection after another?

I have spent years watching aspiring authors pour their heart and soul into a novel, heck two novels and in many situations three and four. They keep typing away, waiting for that gem that will eventually land them on the New York Times® Bestsellers List.

After every novel, they start anew the querying process. Usually they query the same agents who rejected them before, with the attitude: This is it! This is what the agent’s profile says she wants. Only to be rejected again.

So, what does it take? It’s not just a matter of having a well-written manuscript; I’ve certainly seen my share of horribly written novels. It cannot be just that it’s lacking originality. I’ve seen a plethora of the same story until I want to puke, example: vampire and werewolves...sorry, no offense.

So what is it? What does it take to have an agent or publisher notice you?

Again, I apologize; I wish I had the answer. Unfortunately, I do not.

But, here’s what I can tell you. If you have written a novel, have had it read by several beta readers (not just friends and family), and have had it professionally proofed for errors, not necessarily edited, just checked over for errors and you are still not getting a request to publish… Why not try self-publishing? Stories abound of Indie authors who took a chance and that chance paid off. They let the readers decide, and guess what?

The readers said, “Yes!”