Interview with author Robert Renaud

I would like to introduce Robert Renaud author of The Time Trading Guru. I appreciate you stopping by for an interview and offering a giveaway of your book. Up for grabs is an ecopy in PDF format of one copy of  The Time Trading Guru.

 

Please tell us a bit about yourself.


I’m a life enthusiast and dreamer, with a wife and three wonderful kids. I leverage time trading between working as an executive and raising a family to living life to the fullest and becoming personally fulfilled in the process. I’ve lived my dreams from dancing with a princess, living as a millionaire, being a cartoonist, to becoming a traveller. Yet, throughout it all I have dared to ‘live’ today, and not postpone life to sometime in the future. My book details the time trading formula to give you a blueprint to how you can live your life more fully.
Please tell us about your book.
Absolutely, The Time Trading Guru is about using the levers of life: time, flexibility, and money and the DREAM process that provides steps to goal setting, to take life breaks. By following this blueprint you stop postponing your life to some time in the future and begin to live life today.

How long have you been writing and when did you first become interested in time management?

I write, literally every day in the course of my work, but the focus is on business and research writing with lots of nuances and subtleties. The Time Trading Guru is far from this bureaucratic business style. In fact, I have deliberately written the book to make it easy and interesting to read. I also write a blog www.timetradingguru.com with musings on the principles of the book.


Have you had formal training or are these techniques you have developed on your own?

I would say that I’ve had quite a variety of training in this regard. It started in university through the writing of research papers to the business world where my writing transformed to business writing. I’ve had more than enough business communications people “tell” me how to write, spin, and duck. Then, during my project to write The Time Trading Guru I was most fortunate to find a very good editor. I was looking for someone who would tell me like it was. After some searching, I found him. My editor was Michael Garrett, Stephen King’s editor of early years. Yes, that Stephen King, and no the book isn’t a horror story. I have learned by far the most from him and for that I’m thankful. For anyone interested in pursing their writing interest, I would highly recommend that you allow yourself to take a leap of faith and embrace good communicators to make your writing better.

What inspired you to write a book about time management?

Likely my life. I grew up with some big challenges that gave me new perspectives about life and the power each of us have that we can use to control how we navigate in life. I realized that I did things people were always saying they would do in retirement. They were always postponing living their dreams to some time in the future. So, I decided to write and share my formula to living life and becoming personally fulfilled, all without having to give up everything you have.

Have you written other books on this topic or other genre?

No, this is the first book I’ve written - I’m a newbie. Well. Actually, I must say this is my second book. My first book is The Red Tape Chronicles - a collection of my comic strip The Bureaucrats.


How long did it take to write this book?

I had the ideas locked in my head for a number of years. Then finally, after pushing myself I took the time to write down all my thoughts. In all, it took me about 4 months to write the book.

Do you have any other projects in mind at this time?

Yes, I always have things in mind. I’m currently collecting my thoughts for another potential book, but the ideas are still quite immature. But, I certainly see a sequel to the book in the short future.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Absolutely, I write, work like you, and help people become time traders all over the world. If you’re searching for something that’s missing in your life, whether it’s a more engaging job, a meaningful relationship, or a personal quest, I’d like to welcome you to the life of a time trader at www.timetradingguru.com. I’ll share with you how you can use the levers of life to take life breaks and how you can leverage the DREAM process to attain your goals and reach your potentiality. I write on a weekly basis to help people become time traders all over the world.

Thanks again for letting me do this interview and for offering such a great giveaway.


Author Links:

website
facebook
twitter
Goodreads
Amazon author page


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Veetu Industries Giveaway

Looking back on 2012, I saw that my reviews for this series had more views than any other. And after conferring with the author, she has agreed to give away one set of ebooks in your choice of formats. I really enjoyed reading both of these books and am looking forward to next one in this series. This is an international giveaway but due to explicit content this giveaway is restricted to those over 18.

 

 



This is the first book in this series and you can find my review here

This is the second book and is every bit as good as the first one. And my review for it can be found here. You can also check out my interview with author Rae Gee and find out further information about this series.

Both of these wonderful books will be given away to one lucky reader!



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Interview With Author Mike Ronny

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m a copywriter, freelancer and lifelong resident of the Boston area. Last November I

came across a newspaper article about the independent book publishing business, and it sounded like a dream come true. I immediately went to work creating some ebooks.


How long have you been writing and what kinds of genre do you write?

I’ve been writing since grammar school. It’s been a favorite pastime for as long as I can remember, a fun way to make time fly by. My main genre is the humorous short story, though some of my stories are also suspenseful, while others are nostalgic and poignant to some degree.


Do you only write short stories? Or have you written longer novels?

I’ve never written a novel, only short stories, and don’t have any
plans at this moment for a novel. Still, I wouldn’t rule out writing a
longer work. I admire novelists, and certainly one of the great
pleasures in life is having a novel in your hands that you just can’t
put down.

Is there a certain place that you prefer to write? Or draw inspiration
for your writing?

I like to write at my desk in the apartment. But I try to draw
inspiration from everywhere I go. You never know where you might
encounter a situation that you could fit into a story: the dentist’s
office, the barber shop, anyplace you’re free to listen to others’
conversations. (I guess some people would call that eavesdropping!)


Do you listen to music when you write?

No, never. I know many people like to write to their favorite songs,
but for some reason I find it easier to write to silence.


What writers have influenced you?

There are many, but my strongest influences are probably Mark Twain,
E.B. White and Ray Bradbury. I love Twain’s tartness and skepticism,
White’s poetic sentences and Bradbury’s almost childlike enthusiasm
for such subjects as dinosaurs and space travel.


Please tell us a bit about your books.

Right now I have 7 ebooks for sale on Amazon fictional stories
ranging in length from 10 to 40 pages. My only goal for each book is
to give the reader an enjoyable experience: some laughs, some tension,
maybe a sad moment. Hopefully, readers will find these stories
companionable for long plane trips or stormy nights at home.


How long did it take to write each book?

I probably worked on each story for a month or so, whenever I could
find the time. However, some of these books are based on stories that
I wrote in high school or college, so that made the writing process go
faster.


Who designs the cover art for your books?

Maux Gitto (‘Maux’ is short for Maureen), an artist from Los Angeles. Maux also produced the font and came up with the idea of having a catchy tagline for each book. Her covers are sensational; I hope Maux does all my covers in the future.


Do you have any other projects in mind at this time?

My plan is to write and release a few new stories every year. I have a bunch of vague ideas for storylines – one’s about a nighttime security guard at a haunted shopping center – but no solid outlines yet.


If you could have dinner with any person, from now or from history,
who would it be?

It might be a common answer, but I’d have to say Abraham Lincoln. He wasn’t only a great historical figure, but also one of the all-time great writers. And he was a really funny person, too, with just this
unimaginable collection of anecdotes in his head.


Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Just to say thank you for hosting me, Flora, and keep up the great blogging. I find your posts inspirational.

Awww, thanks Mike. I appreciate that. I hope you stop by often.

Thanks again for letting me do this interview.

My pleasure!

Interview With Author C.M Gray

First let me start by saying that I recently read Shadowland and loved it. Thanks for letting me interview you and offereing such a great giveaway. Up for grabs is 5 copies of Shadowland in your choice of E formats. Just fill out the Rafflecopter following the interview.

Thanks Flora, I’m thrilled you read and enjoyed Shadowland and I’m really happy to be here today.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Okay, I’m an Englishman but I’ve actually lived outside of England for far more years

than I lived there. I left when I was just seventeen, off in search of adventure, its all I really wanted to do. I went to France and picked grapes and then Greece and picked olives then lived a year and a half in Israel. Since then I did work for a couple of years in my Native London but the call of the wild was load so I left and went to India and then travelled for several years through Asia. I’ve been a carpenter, I restored Church organs, I renovated houses, built roads and car parks and then in Hong Kong got into sales and marketing. I spent several years as a stock broker, made and lost a million then traveled on.
I now live in Spain, just outside of Barcelona, in a wonderful house in the woods. I raise money and awareness for companies involved in ‘Green’ issues like reforestation and alternative energy, but my love... is writing.

When I’m not writing or trying to save the rainforest I’m being with the two most important people in my life, my daughter Yasmin who is seven and my Son Dylan who has just turned twelve.

Do you have any pets?

I have two dogs, Kipper and Molly who are brother and sister. They are Catalan sheepdogs and we rescued them after they were found abandoned; they’re fantastic, full of energy, chew everything and bring a lot of happiness into our lives. We live in the middle of the forest with no neighbors but the wild boar and a huge amount of rabbits! The dogs go nuts whenever a boar passes crashing by in the night and they still haven’t caught a rabbit, but they have a lot of fun trying!

How long have you been writing and have you always been interested in historical fiction/fantasy and the tales of King Author?

As an Englishman I grew up with tales of Robin Hood and King Arthur, I love those stories of old legend. They aren’t verified true tales, but they aren’t just fanciful stories either because we have a very tantalizing period of history (set between the Romans leaving around the year 410AD and the end of Anglo Saxon England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066AD) known as the Dark Ages. This was a time in Britain when the tribes were fractured and leaderless and the Saxons, Jutes and Angles were raiding and pillaging. It’s known as the Dark Ages because there was nobody writing anything down... for about four hundred years! We know very few facts about this time. I always found this time to be interesting and inspiring. By writing a story set in this period, it could in fact be true!
I didn’t want to do another rewrite of the Arthur tale, however, there is a tantalizing fact regarding Arthur, we may not have any hard evidence that Arthur existed, but there is proof of a man named Uther and in many of the writings he had a son named Arthur. In my tale of Shadowland, it is Uther that fights to become leader of the Britons and becomes the father of Arthur and it is therefore a tale that hadn’t been told before.
However, I didn’t set out to write a factual story just to take a few facts and play with them, and I do love fantasy, so there is a fantasy and magical element in Shadowland, after all, you can’t have Druids without something weird going on, can you?

What inspired you to write the story of Uther Pendragon?

As I mentioned, he is one of the few ‘facts’ that we have from the Dark Ages. A monk named ‘The Venerable Bede’ wrote a very flowery book called 'An Ecclesiastical History of the English People' around 700AD, I say flowery because he tells a lot of very strange tales of kings and queens and the different peoples that lived during these times. Uther Pendragon, according to Bede, was the first king of the British tribes that united to defend against the Saxons invasions, the Viking raids. Most people are pretty sure that Uther wasn’t Arthur... but maybe he was his dad! At least that’s how I figured it and the nice thing is that history can’t prove me wrong... now that had the makings of a great tale!

Is there a certain place that you prefer to write? Or draw inspiration for your writing?

Finding time to write is tough. I have a full working day and two very active children so I tend to write late at night. I write on a laptop so sit wherever I can find a comfortable spot. In the winter that’s by the fire and on summer evenings I sit outside with a glass of wine to help the imagination flow!
Many writers get an idea for a story and then make a plan as to how it is going to go, find some high points and then decide how it will all tie up at the end... and then start writing using that as a plan, at least that’s what I’ve read in some of the ‘how to write a bestseller’ type books. It doesn’t work for me. When I write I do so for my own entertainment. I start with a line that I find draws me and hopefully my reader in and just go from there. In Shadowland I started with an old storyteller gathering a group of listeners around the fire one midwinter’s eve. There is a storm outside and the log fire is crackling. Once I had set the scene I had to work out where the story would go from there. At this point I didn’t realize that I was writing about Uther, that had to wait until I was at least four chapters in and a character named Meryn Link emerged... I still had no real idea where it was going, but it was the dark ages for sure and was definitely a little... Arthurian. I still didn’t know how it would end, until it did. During all this process I was reading anything I could find about the Dark Ages, it was a good job it was such an interesting period!


Do you listen to music when you write?

I love music, I listen to music all the time when I’m cooking or doing anything else but when I’m writing, I need silence. There tends to be enough noise going on inside my head when I’m writing and music just becomes a distraction.

What writers have influenced you?

I have loved to read from a very early age but the author who made me sit up and look at the actual craft of writing and story telling was John Steinbeck. Reading Cannery Row or The Grapes of Wrath was an incredible experience. It was if no word was out of place, it couldn’t have been put down any better than it was, and that’s with the grammar of the 1930’s.
Modern writers that I admire greatly have been the late David Gemmel and his incredible fantasy works, Manda Scott and her historical books about Boudicca and now Rome and just lately I am devouring the books written by fantasy writer Michael J Sullivan. I’m also a great fan of Indie writers Jaq Hawkins and her Steam-punk books and Rod Tyler with his rather scary books for teens.


Please tell us a bit about why your book is called Shadowland.

I picked the title Shadowland for two main reasons. It alludes to the dark ages and the shadows of our knowledge, but in the book one of my characters has to walk the path between life and death, which I refer to as the shadowland.

What kind of research went into this book?

Loads and loads of reading and internet searches to get a feel of the life people were leading at the time, what their homes were like and how the communities were structured. I also had to chase down facts like, did they have chickens back then? I discovered that yes they did but they were brought over by the Romans, interesting eh?
There are a few ‘deliberate’ mistakes or clues that I threw in with the storyteller and the reason only becomes apparent at the end of the book. A few people pulled me up on it and I got one review where the reader said they just couldn’t continue with so many mistakes - they didn’t have lemons in Britain in the dark ages so why was the storyteller drinking lemon water... I know dear reader, finish the story and you will understand. There are several of these clues but it does all make sense in the end, really!

How long did it take to write Shadowland?

From start to finish with all the editing and rewrites it took me about a year, I then gave it to a professional editor who took out all the unnecessary comas, hyphens and ... little dots I had thrown into places where they weren’t needed!

Is this a stand alone book or will you continue the story of King Author? (Fans want more of this story)

At the moment I’m finishing the sequel to my second book which is The Flight of the Griffin and is just pure fantasy - the sequel is called Chaos Storm.
As far as a sequel to Shadowland I’m not planning one at the moment but who knows, I do like the period but I don’t want to write about Arthur, its been done too many times already.

The cover art is beautiful for this book, can you tell us who designed it?

Why thank you so much, I designed it! It is a picture I took while on holiday in Burgundy France at a place called Chateau Neuf. I wanted something dark and moody so I ‘photo-shopped’ it a little and this is what I came up with. There is a large part of Shadowland that is set in the sprawling forests of the time, known as the weald, so the trees are very apt for the story. I did look around for a professional design but really didn’t find anything I was happy with - so far I have had a good response from people.

Do you have any other projects in mind at this time?

As I mentioned I’m in the final chapters of Chaos Storm which I hope to publish in early 2013. I’m then going to start something all new; I have no real plan but lots of ideas. I like the Victorian period as a backdrop, but I am also tempted to write a story set in Britain during the Second World War. I’m looking forward to getting into the next project and finding that perfect first line!


Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Hmmm, how about this. I have read hundreds of books, possibly thousands at this time and for many years had heard that ‘we all have a story inside us.’ It took me a while but late one evening, while watching television, that I realized that television was just a waste of time, so I got up and just sat in front of my laptop... and started writing. It was fantastic. Writing for me is like watching a really good film, combined with reading a great book, mixed with playing a really good computer game. I strongly advise anyone reading this to give it a go, because we all have a book or two inside us, you never know, yours may well be awesome!

Thanks again for letting me do this interview.

Well thanks as well to you Flora, it has been a delight. I hope you also enjoy The Flight of the Griffin and I look forward to coming back here to talk about it another time!

As a reminder to readers all reviews appreciated on Goodreads and Amazon.If you want to know more, check out the following links

Blog

Shadowland on US Amazon
Shadowland on UK Amazon

The Flight of the Griffin on US
The Flight of the Griffin on UK

Check out my review of Shadowland here

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Interview With Author Joanna Mazurkiewicz

Thanks for letting me interview you and for stopping by The Cotton Patch. And also for offering such a great giveaway. Up for grabs are 10 ecopies of Whispers of the Sprite in your choice of formats being given away internationally.

Thank you!

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Joanna and I am originally from Poland. I have been living in the UK for over seven years now. I work as an employment advisor and in spare time I write books. I live in Cowbridge, a small town in South Wales near Cardiff with my boyfriend Bruce. I enjoy cycling around Welsh countryside and read classic and paranormal romance novels.

How long have you been writing and have you always been interested in science fiction/ fantasy? Do you write other genre?

I started writing when I was in school I wrote few children books which weren’t very good. Then I had a huge gap in my writing career and when I went to University all my ideas hit me again and I started writing ‘The Whispers of the Sprite’ I always wanted to create a fantasy novel. My next series will still be paranormal but the book after that may be more contemporary fiction.

Is there a certain place that you prefer to write? Or draw inspiration for your writing?

I like to write at home without any noise. I need to have a quiet space. Other books, films and dreams inspire me to write. I got so many ideas that just pop to my head all the time.

Do you listen to music when you write?

Sometimes but If I have to concentrate I prefer to write in silence.

What writers have influenced you?

J K Rowling was the first author that influenced me the most, then Margaret Mitchell and Franz Kafka

Please tell us a bit about The Whispers of the Sprite.
My book is set in Wales in Swansea. It’s about Ania a Russian girl that lives in

London but needs to move to Wales to study. Her life changes after taking a quiet walk in the evening, someone attacks her. Since that day her life changes forever. I try to transmit a mixture of contemporary society with myths and folklore. I don’t want to give too much away but this paranormal romance is filled with unexpected twist and turns and romantic scenes.

Is this the first of a series or a stand alone novel?

It the first book of ‘The Whispers series’

What kind of research went into The Whispers of the Sprite?

I had an idea in my mind but I wanted to have an original paranormal creatures. I started to research British folklore, Welsh and Scottish legends. Back in 2009 when I read a few fairy legends and I knew that I will use the idea of changelings in my novels. I wanted to use fairies but I found a different name – Sprite and I decided to use it.

How long did it take to write this book?

I started writing it in 2009 when I had a break from University but then I left it for few months. It took me over 3 years to finally finish it.

The cover art for this book is beautiful, can you tell us who designs them?

I picked up the stock picture and then a friend designed the font. I went through thousands of pictures but this was the one that stood out the most.

Do you have any other projects in mind at this time?

I am currently wiring the follow up for ‘The Whispers of the Sprite’ I am almost in the end but I still have a lot of editing to do. The next book will be titled ‘The Dark Night Whispers’

If you could have supper with any one person from history who would it be and why?

I wouldn’t mind having dinner with Chaucer. I think he wrote the most amazing tales in the history although I don’t know if I could understand the way people talked back then.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Yes, more updated about the next book will be coming out on my blog
Thanks again for letting me do this interview.

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Interview With Author Monica LaPorta

I would like to thank author Monica LaPorta for agreeing to be interviewed. She is the author of The Ginecean Chronicles which starts with The Priest and continues with Pax in the Land of Women. This is my favorite new series so far this year. Come back in a few days when we will be giving away 2 sets of this series in the Lost In a Good Book Blog Hop.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, Flora. First of all, thank you for having me on your blog. I follow your reviews

with great interest—I discovered we have similar tastes in reading material—and it’s an honor for me being interviewed by you. Regarding me… well, let’s see, I’m an Italian who moved to the States twelve years ago. It was the summer of 2000 and even though my life wasn’t defined by that single moment, it sure was changed by it. I didn’t speak English, I could read it, but my conversational skills were pitiful, and so there I was a frustrated thirty-something who couldn’t go to my kids’ teachers conferences without needing a translator. It wasn’t funny, but I did get through it and one day I realized I was thinking in English. And was then when I remembered my English teacher in middle school telling me languages weren’t my forte. It felt great. Having to reinvent myself as an adult made me understand I was capable to do much more than I suspected and when the Muse called I decided to follow my heart.

Interview With Rae Gee

I would like to thank Rae Gee author of Mars on the Rise for this wonderful interview and giveaway. Following the interview enter for your chance to win one of two copies being given away of her wonderful book. I recently read Mars on the Rise and loved it. My interview can be found here

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi! My name's Rae. I currently live in a small town in the heart of England. When I'm not writing, I enjoy photography, film-making and teasing the cat.

How long have you been writing? Have you always written this genre?

I've been writing since I was young and wrote right through to my late teens. I gave up (unintentionally) due to a dark period in my life. Back in 2007 I was tempted back into writing and it went from there! Mars on the Rise is the first full length novel I've written in this genre and I love it! It's such a beautiful world to visit and I'm so glad I found it.

What authors have influenced you?

So, so many! My favourite book is “War of the Worlds” by H.G.Wells and some inspiration for the book came from there. Other authors include Sarah Waters, Jules Verne, Stephen King, Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker.

Interview With Author Ben Burrell and Giveaway

I would like to thank author Ben Burrell for agreeing to be interviewed and making us a part of his blog tour for Red Leaves and the Living Token After the interview enter for your chance to win one of 2 ebooks being given away internationally in your choice of formats.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm six foot five. I live in South Jordan Utah with my wife and three kids. I love hiking and biking and taking my kids to the park.

Six foot five?! Just hearing that makes me feel short at 5 foot 1 inches lol

Interview with a Vampire Author

I would like to thank author Beck Sherman for agreeing to be interviewed. Sherman is the author of Revamp and is giving away 5 copies of this ebook internationally in your choice of ePub, mobi, or PDF from Smashwords. Enter your information in our Rafflecopter located below the interview for your chance to win.