Summer Songs - Interview Series - DV Berkom!

WELCOME DV BERKOM!

Tonia (T.M.):  This week I would like to welcome DV Berkom to my Summer Songs Interview Series.  I was so excited that you agreed to visit with me.  I know you have been busy with your seventh book in the Kate Jones Adventure Series being released last week, but I wanted to ask you a few questions so we can all get to know more about you and your writing.

DV: Thanks for inviting me, Tonia. It's always a pleasure to chat with you. J Ask away!

Tonia (T.M.):  How long have you been writing and what peaked your interest to do so?

DV:  My first attempt was at the age of seven when I wrote an illustrated ode to cleaning my room (tongue in cheek, even then). I didn't get really serious about writing until 2006 when I completed my first full-length novel. What a rush that was! After that, I was totally hooked.

Tonia (T.M.):  If you had to name five authors who have inspired you to write or keep writing, who would they be?

DV: Only five? Aaack. Okay, let's see: Carl Hiassen (his characters are to die for and he's so FUNNY), Philippa Gregory (my favorite historical writer), Ernest Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises completely changed my ideas about writing), J.K. Rowling (the woman owns a castle. 'nuff said), Daniel Silva (love his Gabriel Allon series), John Sandford (great characters, off the cuff humor, gripping suspense), Janet Evanovich (her books make me LOL), Ken Follett (grew up reading his spy novels), Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone- one of the best strong female protagonists I've ever read) – oops. Apparently, I can't count. J

Tonia (T.M.):  Who is your favorite author, of those you've mentioned above? 

DV:  No fair! I enjoy all of them equally. They each offer so much in terms of writing style, pace, setting, etc.

Tonia (T.M.):  I am not sure if everyone knows, but I am a big fan of the Kate Jones Series.  I love the character and for me, Kate represents the strength that lives within each and every one of us.  DV can you tell us how Kate came to be?

DV: Thank you, Tonia! I'm so glad you enjoy Kate. She's fun to write! I love strong female characters, and have a deep need to incorporate that aspect into anything I write. And, I agree with you about inner strength living within each of us- I'm often in awe of people and how they cope, especially in dire circumstances. I'm also fascinated by how one decision can affect a life so profoundly, having repercussions far beyond what the person ever envisioned. With Kate, I knew I wanted a woman who was at heart a good person, but who made one mistake (okay, maybe a couple of them) that changed the course of her life forever. Then, it was just a matter of figuring out what she would do in response to everything I threw at her!

Tonia (T.M.):  I absolutely love the scenery in your books.  I understand that you lived in Mexico for a time and that is where the first five books, Bad Spirits, in the series are set.  Did you write about places you had been to and had a personal connection with in these books?

DV: Absolutely. As you mentioned, I lived in Mexico and fell in love with the country and the people who live there. Much of the time I lived on a sailboat in the Sea of Cortez, but I also traveled alone by bus to Mazatlan and other places, like Kate. It turned out to be the perfect setting for Bad Spirits.

Tonia (T.M):  In the sixth book, Dead of Winter, you lead us to Alaska for a while as Kate sorted things out and made a new life for herself.  Have you ever lived in or visited Alaska?

DV: I did live in Alaska for a time and was awestruck by the raw beauty and vastness of the place. I love hiking and camping and basically anything to do with nature, so felt completely at home. The incredible people I met there gave me a LOT of writing material.

Tonia (T.M.):  This question is selfish and merely to satisfy my own curiosity, but I have to know if we will ever see the character, Sam, again who appeared in Dead of Winter?  I sort of fell in love with him, by the way. *wink*

DV:   It's interesting you should mention that. Several readers have asked me to bring him back, and for much the same reason <grin>. He's definitely one of my favorite characters. I must admit, the idea for another book has been skipping around my brain that just might include his return…stay tuned!

Tonia (T.M.):  As you know, I have purchased book seven, Death Rites, and I am dying to read it.  I have a looming project of my own that I must complete then I get to relax and begin the new adventure with Kate.  As I understand, it is set in Hawaii.  Is that correct?  Do you have a history with Hawaii?

DV:  That's so cool! I can't wait to read your next book. And when will we fans be able to purchase this new project? Soon, I hope. J

As for Death Rites, I made my first trip to Hawaii last February and was intrigued by the mythology and history of the islands. I met many wonderful people while there and was exposed to countless fascinating legends so, of course, my brain just logically took those new experiences and created murder and mayhem. (Yes, it's a twisted brain, I know J)

Tonia (T.M.):  This may be a spoiler question and because I have not yet read Death Rites you may have to dance around this one.  *smile*  Do you have other adventures for Kate Jones planned?  If so, when can we expect to see more of this courageous, resourceful, vivacious character?

DV:  Well, IF she makes it out of Hawaii alive J, then I would think the next book in the series could possibly be available around September.

Tonia (T.M.):  I know that you published your first five books in this series with Books to Go Now.  However, with the last two, you went the self publishing route.  How is that working for you and are you glad you made that move?  

DV: Books To Go Now was great to work with and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them, but I've always been a Do-It-Yourself kind of gal. After I realized how much fun self-publishing was, I had to go solo. One thing a person should realize before they take the plunge, though, is you will need to treat self-publishing like a small business, because that's exactly what it is. You're responsible for your cover art, formatting, uploading, promotion, editing, the works. There are folks out there who can help you with any of the above, but most of the responsibility is going to rest squarely on your shoulders. That's the aspect that excites me the most, but, like I said, my brain is a tad twisted. J

Tonia (T.M.):  I know you mentioned having interviewed a former DEA Agent from Texas, at the end of the Bad Spirits books.  You know that has always piqued my curiosity as to how you met the former agent or was able to get that interview, considering I am from Texas.  I think it adds a great deal of depth to your books and casts an air of realism to them as well.  How did you happen to meet the mysterious former agent?  Or is that a trade secret?   

DV:  It was pure, dumb luck. I posted a legal question on a writer's listserv I belong to, and a retired DEA supervisor responded. We exchanged several emails and I asked him if he'd be interested in reading Bad Spirits and giving me his take on the plausibility of the story.  He said yes and I held my breath, waiting for his response. After a few days, he sent me an enthusiastic thumbs up! I was so grateful and excited to get the stamp of approval from an actual, retired member of the DEA.

Tonia (T.M.):  That's an amazing turn of events that helped you bring Bad Spirits to life.  I'm glad you had that input.  Now, do you get a chance to read much with all the writing you do?          

DV:  I try to read something everyday. Right now I'm burning through mysteries and thrillers.

Tonia (T.M.):  Do you see yourself working on new projects that are not Kate Jones related in the near future?  If so, can you elaborate on or give us a glimpse of those projects so we know to keep our eyes open for them?

DV:  Yes- thanks for asking! In addition to the Kate Jones series, I'm working on a stand alone book tentatively titled, "Pieces of April." It's a complete departure from Kate, and involves another strong female character who may or may not have had a history as a paid assassin. The rest of the plot is fairly twisted, so I'll leave it at that. My plans are to have it available by the end of this year.

Tonia (T.M.):  Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in this little interview and for being a guest at my blog.  Do you have anything you would like to say to the readers of this interview, other writers or those on the verge of diving off the writing cliff, so to speak, in the way of  encouragement?   

DV:  Thanks, Tonia for such a fun interview! Great questions. Make sure you let us all know when your next book is available- I'm so looking forward to reading it!

If I were to say one thing to writers considering self-publishing, it would be DO IT! If you're a newbie and you have the urge to write, learn the basics, take some classes, shore up your weaknesses (we all have them J), join a critique group- then, write! Finish your first draft, go over it a couple of times, then send it to some trusted beta readers for feedback. Listen to everything they say that comes up more than once, as well as what resonates with you, and figure out how to change it. Put the manuscript down for a week or a month, then come back to it and re-read. Out loud. Revise, revise, revise. Check your facts. Send it to readers again. Incorporate their suggestions if they make sense, and revise again. Then, when you think it's as perfect as you can make it, find a good freelance editor and have them take a look. Once that's done, create a great looking book cover, format the book (the Smashwords Style Guide is a good place to start) and publish! There's a boatload of free information out there about all aspects of self-pubbing. Use it!

One more caveat: Enjoy the process.  Most people won't stick with something for long if it isn't fun, and this is a long-haul kind of thing. Don't expect instant success, and don't quit your day job, yet. It's an exciting time to be a writer. Grab the reins and hold on tight!

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I want to offer a big thank you to DV for visiting with me and letting us get to know more about her personally and her work.  Her stories are very realistic, and I enjoy them very much.  I hope you will check all of them out.  I know I am looking forward to her her next projects.

Please stop by again next week for another featured author in my Summer Songs - Interview Series. 

Fan Made Trailer - Wings Of Fate!

Last week I had the most wonderful surprise.  I knew a friend was reading Wings of Fate, but I had no idea what she was planning after she read my book.  This is what she made.

K also had some wonderful comments to make about Wings of Fate, which she posted on Twitter:

"Read 88 pages of @hobbsforever's book "wings of fate" tonight. Better go to bed while there's a good break. Wonderful read so far!

"@hobbsforever Found Keira! Lol. 151. Still loving the book.

"@hobbsforever Love scene, wow so harmonious. Her later run, whoohoo! Shocking for her, but thrilling for the reader. Stopping for now. 175

"@hobbsforever He better be okay! There's not very many pages left! 267.

"Finished @hobbsforever's book. Was a fun sweet tale about a woman discovering love and who she was inside. Beautiful, loved it!"

Thanks K for your sweet comments and the wonderful trailer you made for my book.

Summer Songs - Interview Series - Pavarti K. Tyler!

WELCOME PAVARTI K. TYLER!

Tonia (T.M.):  Pavarti I want to say welcome to my Summer Songs Interview Series.  I am excited be able to visit with you and ask a few questions so we can all get to know more about you and your writing.

Pav:  Yeah!  What fun!  I'm thrilled to be here, what a cool idea.


Tonia (T.M.):  Please share with us what prompted your desire to write.

Pav:  Honestly?  It was the crap filled writing in the Twilight Saga.  I've been writing my whole life to one degree or another, but after reading Stephanie Meyer's version of "feminism" and "love" I was just pissed off.  I went to read some fanfiction and decided, hey I can do that!  My stories were so well received I decided to throw caution to the wind and work on one of the books in my head.  That was DEVOUR, which will hopefully be out next year. 

Tonia (T.M.):  This is the first I have heard of Devour.  Can you elaborate any at all on this project?

Pav:  Sure!  Here's the blurb.  I love Stacia and love working on that story.  I've rewritten it three times and seem to be over thinking it.  Hopefully someday I'll be happy enough to publish it!

DEVOUR:
In a a small town in North Dakota Anastasya Ruinski struggles to finish her senior year of hight school, believing that there is no fate worse than being an outsider in an American small town.  Her sense of self and community is rocked as a virus spreads across America, taking over the populace and turning them inot somthing unrecognizable.  Will Stacia realize the danger she's in before it's too late?

Tonia (T.M.):  This story sounds amazing.  I hope we get to read the entire story some day.  Do you have certain authros that inspire you?

Pav:  Totally!  Vikram Seth, Haruki Murakami, Anais Nin, Neil Gaiman, Frank Herbert, Olivia Butler, there are so many it's hard to stop listing them!

Tonia (T.M.):  Who is your favorite author, of those you've mentioned? 

Pav:  Can I have two? Anaïs Nin is my favorite because of her complete disregard for convention.  She did what she wanted and said what she felt.  I love that about her.  From a story construction point of view though Haruki Murakami totally overwhelms me.  His stories are lyrical and thought provoking without losing any of the fun and momentum.

Tonia (T.M.):  I know you have one story published.  Can you tell us about Consumed by Love?

Pav:  Hehe, you sure about that? Consumed was originally written as an entry for a Romance Short Story contest.  After writing it though I decided it really wasn't "Romance" in the way they intended.  Although I find the story deeply romantic it's not the kind of thing that swash-buckling pirate readers are looking for.  Since it's an erotic horror piece it was hard to find it a home.  SNM Horror Mag and my good friend Steven published it in Feb of 2011 and the response was so positive I decided to put it up as an ebook. 

Tonia (T.M):  I have read Consumed by Love and was stirred by the level of commitment your heroine had for her husband.  What brought you to the place you had to be at to write a story like this?  

Pav:  Thank you!  Since Consumed is such a different style than most stories I always worry if the underlying theme of the book which really is love.  For me the story is an extreme example of what we do when we are in a long term relationship.  When you really love and respect the person you're with you want them to be the most amazing person they can be and you'll do anything you can to support that.  Ideally, they will do the same for you.  That's the thing about Bree and Hugo, I think the husband loved the wife just as much.

Tonia (T.M.):  In Consumed by Love you introduce us to the Abenaki Native American People.  Can you tell us more about the reason why you chose this particular group of people to model one of the characters in your book after?

Pav:  I used the Abenaki Tribe because of their Wendigo lore.  While Hugo isn't exactly in line with the mythos of the Wendigo that is what I drew my inspiration from.  I love writing about different cultures and looking to find the element that connects us all.  It’s a challenge but also really satisfying when it works.  With Hugo his culture felt like a natural part of him, not something that was exploited or superimposed on the story. 


Tonia (T.M.):  Now, your second book, Shadow on the Wall, which is part of a series you are writing will be published this fall by Flying Monkey's Press.  Is that correct?

Pav:  Haha no!  I love that name though!  Shadow on the Wall will be published by my small Indie Publishing House: Fighting Monkey Press.  Fighting Monkey has been my business for over 10 years in my real life.  It has supported my family and provided my husband and I with consulting work.  When I decided to publish it only made sense to me to do it under a subsidiary of FMP.

Tonia (T.M.): Okay, so I screwed up on the name, but it is catchy.  No?  Can you tell us anything about your new story?

Pav:  Surely! (Don't call me Shirley) Shadow on the Wall is Book One in the SandStorm Chronicles.  It's a dark fiction about the lives of people who live under the oppressive rule of the Islamic religious police.  The main character, Recai Osman, is fun to write and live with.  He's conflicted and dark, but also very open to the world around him.  He wants to believe in the good in people but its hard when every time he turns around there's just more violence and oppression.  So what does a Moderate Muslim with a degree in Philosophy do?  Well he becomes a superhero of course!

Tonia (T.M.):  Is that a "superhero" with super powers or a "superhero" who uses his wits to help those in need around him?  And what made you delve into the world of Islam?

Pav:  For the superhero, it's a little of both.  He's not like kryptonite superhero but there are some mystical/divine interventions which make him more than just a man.  I think Recai has some of the darkness that makes us love the anti-hero and some of the tragedy that makes us root for his side.

As for Islam, there are a lot of reasons, but mainly it's a story that needs to be told.  The culture of Islamophobia we live in now and the misunderstanding the west has about an entire people is a travesty.  Any extremist is dangerous but for the most part Muslims are kind, faithful, loving people.  Religious intolerance and prejudice against a whole people based on the actions of a few is no better in this circumstance than it was during slavery or the holocaust and I felt like I had a story to tell that was evocative and rooted in truth which can illuminate the sameness between us instead of the differences.

Tonia (T.M.):  I like the fact that you have gone "out of the box," so to speak, to create a character from a different culture that is entertaining and fighting for a cause he believes in.   How many books will be in the series?

Pav:  Right now I'm thinking three.  Book Two: Prisoner of the Wind should be out next year.  The third is still in the mulling/plotting stages but I know where I'm going so I think three is a safe guess for now.

Tonia (T.M.):  I understand that you have launched a campaign to raise money by preordering your next book to defer the publication costs for Shadow on the Wall?  Do you have a link to a web site for those that might be interested in placing an order? 

Pav:  You can preorder books at www.fightingmonkeypress.com.  I'm accepting pre-orders and donations.  Donations come with a prize and there are a number of different ones to choose from including swag and a bound copy of my story The Fragrant Taste of Rain.

Tonia (T.M.):  I know you read a lot, among the other thousand or so things you do each day, so can you tell us what genres most interest you? 

Pav:  I love me some sci-fi.  For those of you who know me, you've probably heard me whine about the lack of quality sci-fi out there.  It's never long enough and it seems like the concept of fantasy and sci-fi have become conflated, which is too bad, they're both great but very different.  Basically if there's an alien or some genetic manipulation I'm in.

Tonia (T.M.):  What are you reading now?  

Pav:  I just finished Perfect Copy by Judith Gaines which was great.  Now I'm reading Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson and this great new book just showed up in my mail box, Wings of Fate by some loon named T.M. Hobbs, have you heard of her?

Tonia (T.M.):  Your humor is applaud worthy.  I love that about you.  *smile*  Okay, do you have a blog site you would like to share with everyone here?

Pav:  I blog at www.pavarti.com or you can follow news about my books at www.fighitngmonkeypress.com. 

Tonia (T.M.):  I am grateful that you agreed to be a guest at my blog.  Would you like to leave the readers of this interview with a thought, an encouragement, or an idea? 

Pav:  Just keep swimming my friends!  You'll get there eventually! 

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I would like to say a big 'thank you' to Ms. Tyler for visiting with me and letting us get to know her.  She is a very talented and determined woman whom I am glad I have gotten to know.

Please stop by again next week for another featured author in my Summer Songs - Interview Series.