An Interview with TC Avey, Christian Blogger & Book Reviewer

I'm always excited to have a chance to talk with others in the world of writing! Today, I have the great honor of interviewing TC Avey, a Christian Blogger and Book Reviewer. All authors know the value of a good review and the power of a bad review. Writers just want a fair shake. A review that gives the consumer a true look at the components of a story without passing judgment on the writer is a delicate balance for any reviewer. They are open to criticism for their opinion, but their words carry a mound of authority. I wanted to know a little more about one such reviewer, and was honored when she said she'd love to join me here. My interest was piqued about TC, as I'd heard her name mentioned several times recently by some of her loyal followers while I attended the Association of Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Dallas a couple of weeks ago.

First, TC, I'd like to thank you for joining me at Novel Travelers. 

Explain to readers a bit about your blog and its purpose. 

Wisdom of a Fool focuses on the struggles Christians face in today’s world. I do this in a variety of manners.  

Currently I do a Monday series on the book, “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It challenges Christians to be real in their walk with Christ, to surrender their will to His.  It also reminds us that our salvation costs God everything. We shouldn’t cheapen His grace by willfully continuing in disobedience.  

I devote a portion to my blog to reviewing books. And I like to offer my readers interviews with the authors when possible. 

I also post on current events relevant to the Christian community. I do this more in my monthly Newsletter than on my blog.  

Boy, you seem awfully busy! What made you start blogging?

 

It’s a God thing. I actually began blogging because I’m an aspiring author and read I had to create a platform. 

But what to blog about?  

I prayed about it and God gave me Wisdom of a Fool. I rarely mention I’m an aspiring author and I’ve almost completely forgotten about building a platform. This blog belongs to God. I write as He directs and all glory for anything good goes to Him. Anything that falls short is me getting in God’s way.  

I say I’ve almost forgotten about my platform. I do desire (and pray) to be published, but this blog really has little to do with that. This blog is for God, not to get my name known. I rarely look at my stats and have no clue how my platform measures up since I’ve stopped looking at like a platform and now view it as a ministry. 

I knew you had something special about you! So, what kinds of books do you review? 

I prefer to do Christian devotionals, historical books and books that make the reader think. The only fiction I do is based on true events.  

No offense to mysteries, romance or other genre’s, I enjoy reading those but that’s not what this blog is for. Like I mentioned above, this blog belongs to God and I currently don’t feel that is an area He wants me to focus- that could change.  

I know that limiting the books I review does impact my platform building since I’m cutting off a large segment of readers, but I’m not concerned with building my platform at the expense of following God’s orders for me. 

All this is ironic as I write fiction. The novel I’m currently hoping to publish is an Apocalyptic Thriller (or Dystopia) - Tentative title: A Long Run Home. 

You seem to have so many talents. What do you see as the most important thing you do?

Get people to think outside their boxes. Challenging them to move out of their comfort zones. I also encourage people of various walks of faith to share. We can all learn from each other, we shouldn’t cut people off because they don’t think like us or believe like us. I think one of the things killing the American churches is denominations. We can’t seem to see the bigger picture…the family of God, not what church you belong to.  

With everything you have going on I can't imagine you doing any more. But you write as well? /b> 

Yes. I am shopping my Apocalyptic Thriller/Dystopia, A Long Run Home.

Think ”Left Behind” Series meets Ayn Rand’s big brother government in a futuristic world where the United States doesn’t exist and being Christian gets you killed.  

I didn't expect that kind of genre from you, but it sounds interesting. From the feedback you’ve received about your blog, what affects your readers the most? Why? 

They like true stories. Things that make them think, things that tug on their hearts and nudge them ACT. They like to learn, to grow. They are open to listening and that makes them a great audience to write for. 

With your great love of books, it seems a natural thing then for you to want to review others. How do authors get you to review their books?

 

I began book reviews as a side item on my blog. I never realized it would grow to take up such a large portion. I first began reviewing for BookSneeze (a wonderful way to read books for free) but then I began having authors contact me via email or twitter asking if I’d be willing to review their books. I’m honored when they do this. Especially since I don’t guarantee I’ll write a good review- just an honest one.  

There are so many genres out there. Do certain stories move you more than others? 

Oh yeah. I love history. I love true stories. I love reading about how God moves in lives, how He changes us when we allow Him to. 

It's been such a pleasure to have you stop by. Before your leave is there anything you’d like your readers to know about you personally?

 

I have no clue what I’m doing. No clue where this blog’s headed and no idea how to get published. I’m just following God. It’s been an amazing journey so far and I’ve only just begun. I’m humbled to see God working in my life and those around me. I’m excited to find out where God’s taking me.

 

Well, I'm sorry I can't show a photo of TC. She's a bit shy! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. I want to encourage my readers to pop by your blog and leave a comment. And I want to encourage you to keep plugging with your book! Thanks again, TC!

 TC's blog: Wisdom of a Fool http://tcavey.blogspot.com/
Twitter:  @tcavey1

A new interview tomorrow!

Excuse my quietness for the past week! I've been a bit busy, as life keeps adding challenges! I've just returned from Alaska, where I learned of an accepted practice so horrifying, I just don't know how to digest it! I'll be writing a lengthy essay on it shortly and will give you the heads-up as I decide how to best attack this subject. Tomorrow, I'll be interviewing T.C. Avey, a well-known blogger and book reviewer as well as an aspiring author. I hope you'll join us as we delve into the mind of a person who loves to read and review others works. She provides a fantastic service to new authors, and does it with such a caring heart! So join us won't you, and leave a question or comment! Ginger

Run, River Currents on Free Amazon Download today!!!

Get out and tell your friends that Run, River Currents is on a free download September 26 & 27! I hope you'll enjoy it!

An interview with Rebel Writer.... Davidy Cassidy

Hey David! Welcome to Novel Travellers! Thanks for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to stop by and share a bit about you and your writing. I'll try and go easy on you, but from our interview I see you are a rebel of sorts! Love that about people, how they blend right into their characters at times.

So, what brought you to the writing life?

There was no “magic moment,” that’s for sure. My mind is like some kind of creative warehouse with no one in charge. There’s boxes and crates all over the place. I love to create, which is why writing and photography are so important to me. Having said that, while I was always writing at one time or another, I didn’t get into it seriously until much later in life—it was as if something was missing creatively, and I had to explore it.

Besides being a blogger and fellow writer,is there something more my readers would find interesting about you?

I love astronomy—love the stars. Art, science, and history keep my mind and my soul alive. My musical tastes run the gamut, from classic baroque to classic rock. I juggle. Eggs, fruit, rounded car parts, anything I won’t cut my fingers on. I do a lot of impressions as well—I’ve got one of those strange monotone voices that can work wonders.

That's a hoot! So tell us a little bit about your book, Velvet Rain, and how you came to write it.

It’s the story of a tortured soul, Kain Richards, an on-the-run drifter who holds the secret of secrets. Where he goes, death follows; his only wish is to be normal, to live and to love like the rest of us. Velvet Rain crosses genres with horrific and graphic elements, and while certainly a thriller, it is, at its heart, a deeply moving story with a life lesson: We can all be heroes to someone.

Sounds like wild ride! Where did the story come from?

Truthfully, I have no idea. It just popped into my head one day. Remember that warehouse in my head? I have no clue how stuff gets delivered there. I think I have some magical UPS guy dropping ideas off in the dead of night.

Seems writers have someone living inside our heads, don't we? But what were the main challenges in writing this book?

Research was a big factor in this book. It’s a period piece that takes place in the 1960s—there are many references to earlier decades as well—so fact-finding was a long process. I like to think I’ve done my homework. Being an avid history nut certainly helped point me in the right directions.

I know how difficult the research is when you write a story in a certain period of time. That fact-checking pays off! Now let's change it up a bit. What can bring out the angry side of you? Your Fear? Your Contentment?

The parasitic GreedHeads who are destroying our economies, our environment, and our very existence. That gets my blood boiling. Fear? Death. Time. The clock is always ticking and there’s no way to stop it. My bucket list needs three lives. Reincarnation is my only hope. Contentment? Writing and photography. Creating magic with camera and pen.

Interesting. So how about if you could travel to one place on earth, where would it be, and would you go alone?

Does the International Space Station count? Because that’s where I want to go. I want to see our pale blue dot from orbit. NASA has this weird thing about seven people flying at once, though, so going alone’s definitely moot.

Still, if I’m stuck on terra? New Zealand. A photographer’s dream. It’s on “Bucket List #1.” (Hopefully it will never reach lists two or three.) And yes, if I had to, I’d go alone.

Somehow, I'd already imagined that one:-) We all know, we never get to the place we are in our writing without someone encouraging us. Would you share a moment someone encouraged you and tell us what that meant to you?

Many moons ago, my girlfriend bought me this beautiful Underwood No. 5 typewriter. It was built in 1905 and has the words beat out of it. I love it. I always wanted to own one, one that was clearly used—one that, in my mind, tapped out wonderful stories for years. The sound it makes when you strike those old keys, it’s like that golden sound of my old film cameras when you click those mechanical shutters. It’s pure. She bought it as inspiration for me, and to this day, I always tap out the letters L-U-C-K on it before I sit down at the computer. It’s meant the world.


What a wonderful gift! Knowing that you've probably written a lot on that beautiful typewriter, would you give us a sample of your writing style from your book?

Gramps pushed him on a swing for a while and then they drove back. They were but minutes from home when they struck the bird.
The child braved the cold and cupped the fragile creature in his hands. It stayed alive for a minute, perhaps two. Suddenly, time was such a precious thing.
“I’m sorry, son,” Gramps said. “I didn’t see him.”
The small wren twitched once more; that was all. The boy looked up at his grandfather wistfully.
Gramps shook his head.
“But why, Grampa? Why can’t I?”
The old man drew a troubled gaze along the lonely road. It seemed to come from neither somewhere, nor lead anywhere.
“It’s not our place,” he said gravely. “It’s not our world.”


Thanks for that great reading cut, David! So what books are in your “must read” pile?

At the Mountains of Madness, by H. P. Lovecraft.

The Trial, by Franz Kafka.

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley.

About a thousand others. Maybe, in the next life, I’ll come back as a Kindle and have all these books in my head.

Great bunch of eclectic reads. With your book, what impact do you want to make with your writing?

As a photographer, I create images with impact. I want people to connect with what they see, and as an author, I want them to connect with my characters and my stories. If I’ve done my job, they’ll look at an image of mine or turn that final page of my book and say, “WOW.”


In the description of your book, you note that for those in the life of your character, Kain Richards, reality is not what it seems. Do you feel this is often the case in real life? How?

Well, we all wear masks, don’t we? That’s not to say people are dishonest or deceitful. But we have our “game face” on when we’re out there, doing our best to handle what life throws at us. Inside, some of us are truly content. Some of us are screaming.

You are so right! False coverings I call them, and I've had my share od those. Tell us the process you use to create those "screams" for your readers.

I write in layers. I move my characters and plot points around like chess pieces, turning left here when they think they’re going right. Try to imagine stories filled with secrets, corridors, and darkness.

Do you have another book in progress? If so, explain a bit about it.

The Dark is already written. It’s a supernatural thriller that deals with a small, humble boy who discovers that nothing is free in this world—that everything has a price.

Sounds terrifying already! Tell me what is the biggest thing you feel you have gleaned from another author, and how did that knowledge impact your own writing?

It’s so hard to choose just one. But if you insist, it would have to be something I learned from Clive Barker. He’s a writing genius. He taught me how to imagine—and then to imagine more.

It's easy to see what a wonderful imagination you already have. I understand you are also a successful photographer. Do you feel that your photography influences your writing? How?

Absolutely it does. If one studies my images, they quickly get the sense that my work is about capturing the essence of something. My images explode with colour, and my black-and-white art reveals the heart of something special. I like to think that I write in colour, creating vivid characters and memorable moments. The black-and-white comes in when I explore the raw darkness that’s lurking there. I want my readers to know my characters as well as I do, to suffer the hell—real or perceived—that they’re going through.

I have so enjoyed your visit. It's been great chatting with you concerning you and your work. Before we go, is there anything else you would like to share with us about yourself or your work?

I have the utmost respect for my audience. As an author and photographer, I owe it to them to give no less than my best work. As I would never show someone a boring image, I would never tell them a boring story. When I pay for book or a movie, I expect to be entertained, and my readers have the right to expect that from me.

Thanks for being here, David! I'll let my readers in on your contact information, but I do hope you'll come by again soon! Take Care.


Author BIO

David C. Cassidy--author, photographer, half-decent juggler--spends his writing life creating dark and touching stories where Bad Things Happen To Good People. Raised by wolves, he grew up with a love of nature, music, science, and history, with thrillers and horror novels feeding the dark side of his seriously disturbed imagination. He talks to his characters, talks often, and most times they listen. But the real fun starts when they tell him to take a hike, and they Open That Door anyway. Idiots.
David lives in Ontario, Canada. From Mozart to Vivaldi, classic jazz to classic rock, he feels naked without his iPod. Suffering from MAD—Multiple Activity Disorder—he divides his time between writing and blogging, photography and photoshop, reading and rollerblading. An avid amateur astronomer, he loves the night sky, chasing the stars with his telescope. Sometimes he eats.


Book Blurb

He was born a miracle. It will take one to save the world.

Kain Richards is the last of his kind—and a man on the run. So when this mysterious drifter falls for a beautiful and sensible Iowa farmwoman, he knows full well the perils of getting too close. And yet, for the first time in his miserable existence, life feels normal … feels real. But as those around him soon realize, reality is not what it seems. For when a tragic accident forces Kain’s hand, his astonishing secret—and godlike power—changes their lives, and the world, forever.


Purchase links
Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/Velvet-Rain-David-C-Cassidy/dp/1477529136
Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Velvet-Rain-ebook/dp/B007OBN21M
Author e-Store (Paperback): https://www.createspace.com/3888189

CONTACT INFO
Email: davidccassidy@yahoo.com
Blog: http://www.davidccassidy.com
Twitter handle: @davidccassidy
Facebook page (Author): http://www.facebook.com/DavidCCassidyAuthor
Facebook page (Photography): http://www.facebook.com/DavidCCassidyPhotography
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/davidccassidy
Fine Art Photography: http://www.shadesoflifephotography.ca/gallery-list

Spread the Word, Won't You?

Hey Friends!
I could use your help this week. On Wednesday, September 12, there will be a big press release in the United Kingdom about my novel, Run, River Currents.

As a bonus, we will be doing a one-day free Amazon Kindle download of the book on that day!
http://www.amazon.com/Run-River-Currents-ebook/dp/B008RH5IUK Here's the link for Wednesday!

I could use your help in promoting the download as a way to get the book noticed so could you jump in by tweeting, facebooking and texting your friends to have them download the book on Wednesday, September 12??

Also, watch the following link for the press release on Wednesday!
http://www.journalism.co.uk/press-releases/s66/

Thanks my friends!!

Join our Scavenger Hunt with Kaye Dacus

We are going to have a bit of fun today as we welcome Kaye Dacus, author of Follow the Heart. She is having a scavenger hunt and I am helping her out.

Kaye has written a period piece novel that has her readers scouring the websites of other authors for the answers to questions she has posted about her new novel. The questions are from Book 1 in The Great Exhibition Series, which will be published by B & H PPublishing in May 2013. Here's a bit about the book!



Kate Dearing’s life is turned upside down when her father loses everything in a railroad land speculation and she and her brother are shipped off to their mother’s brother, Sir Anthony, in England with one edict: marry money.



Though their uncle tries to ensure Kate finds matrimonial prospects only among the highest echelon of British society, her attentions stray to the one of the least eligible people at her uncle’s home—the garden designer.



Trying to push her feelings for the handsome—but not wealthy—man aside, Kate’s prospects brighten when a friend of Sir Anthony’s, a wealthy viscount, shows favorable interest in her. But will marrying for the financial security of her family be the right thing to do, when her heart is telling her she’s making a mistake?

Mandates . . . money . . . matrimony. Who will follow the heart?

Now here is a bit about the author.

Humor, Hope, and Happily Ever Afters! Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and even though she writes romance novels, she is not afraid to admit that she’s never been kissed.

So what do the readers have to do?

Each participating blog has both an answer and a question—but the answers and questions aren’t on the same blog. SO DON’T POST YOUR ANSWERS HERE! Collect the questions and answers in an e-mail—along with the address of the site where you found each—to be sent to Kaye Dacus once you’re confident you have all of them and be entered to win one of FIVE signed copies of Follow the Heart when it releases in May 2013. Visit http://kayedacus.com for the list of participating sites in the scavenger hunt and rules for entering the contest.

Here is a question: If people spent all day at the Exhibition, where did they eat—and what about bathroom breaks?

Here is an answer: Conceived and marketed as The Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, Prince Albert’s Great Exhibition of 1851 is generally considered to be the very first world’s fair. “. . . the Exhibition of 1851 is to give us a true test and a living picture of the point of development at which the whole of mankind has arrived in this great task, and a new starting-point from which all nations will be able to direct their further exertions” (Prince Albert)

Now...for the readers that have visited this blog...When you send in your scavenger hunt information from this site, include the following blurb about my new novel, Run, River Currents.

Emily Evans enters the side door of the ornate Catholic Church, walks up to her father's casket, stands over him and rubs her hand back and forth the smooth cool surface before balling her hand, pulling back her arm and punching him full force in his face. Now find out why.


So leave me a quick comment on the above blurb, and then head on over to Kaye's website to post your answers!! Have fun!

An Interview Straight From the Heart with Author Teresa Morrow!!

I'm always so excited when I have the honor of hosting other authors! Today, I'll be interviewing Teresa Morrow, author of Love Lessons from the Heart. Please help me welcome Teresa. Don't forget to log on and leave a few comments and visit Teresa's website!


So Teresa, you are a book blogger and fellow writer, but is there
something more my readers would like to know about you?

I do like sharing a little bit about myself with readers, so here are 10 interesting things they might want to know about me:
I love to cook.
I enjoy watching tennis and boxing.
Two of my favorite authors are Ed McBain and Janet Evanovich (I have
several favs)
I have a teenage daughter.
I enjoy walking in my local park.
I grew up with 4 brothers and 2 sisters.
My biological mom passed away when I was six years old.
Two of my favorite drinks are green tea and white chocolate mocha (yes,
the one from Starbucks)
I am so lucky to have met the love of my life (and I’m married to him).
I weighed only a little over one pound when I was first born.


You seem to have an inspiring attitude. Is that what you had in
mind when you created your blog?

I hadn’t thought about it that way but yes, I guess I did. One of the
things that I try to convey to others is inspiration. It’s good to know
you got that when you came to the site. I get inspired by others and then
I try to carry it out from myself to others.

You are also the author of Life Lessons from the Heart. Tell us
a little bit about the book and how you came to write it.

Life Lessons from the Heart came to me initially from an unexpected
medical journey with my husband the summer of 2011. He had a heart attack
and then needed surgery for peripheral artery disease due to smoking. From
this experience, I wanted to share the lessons I learned. When I began to
write those lessons, I thought of other experiences in my life. I learned
lessons from several things in my life such as losing my mom when I was
six and being disowned by my family when I began dating a man who was
from a different race.

Those lessons are difficult and we find ourselves always struggling with the right answers don't we? Even through those personal struggles did you always know you were going to be a writer?

No, I wouldn’t say that. I have wanted to be a writer for many years but it was recently(within this past year) I would say, I knew I was going to be a writer. I was in corporate jobs for many years and then worked online as author promoter for five years. I know say I am a writer first and then I do other things as secondary work.

So, what have been the main challenges in writing this book?

Hmmm,challenges. I would say not being sure how I wanted to publish it. Since it is not a long book, I decided to publish it as an ebook. And even
before that, questioning whether I should put out a short book at all. But
I relied on my inner guidance to tell me and it led me to where I am
today.

And being where you are now is a good place to be isn't it? How do you find time to write and still be so encouraging to others?

My love is writing so I find time to write when I feel like it. I
try to write mostly every day. I think the encouraging part comes from
believing in myself and the power of the written word. I think that if you
believe in what you are doing and it is coming from your true life
purpose, you can encourage others to do the same.

That's a great attitude to have. So do you have another book in progress? If so, explain a bit about it.

Yes, I do. The book I’m writing is a women fiction book titled,
It All Comes Back to Love. The story is inspired by true life events. It
is about a twenty nine year old Caucasian single mom who decides to date
an older African American man.

Mmmm. From true life, I'm guessing! You encourage so many others; share with us a moment someone encouraged you.

Thank you for your kind words. The moment when someone encouraged me was when I was writing this book and I showed it to my daughter. I was wondering if it was enough of a book to even worth putting out in to the world and she said to me, “It only takes one sentence sometimes to change someone’s life. You have tons of sentences in here Mom. Publish it!” I truly get encouraged every day though; when I read the stuff other people have been through and how they have gotten through it. There is encouragement all around us.

Could you give us an example of your writing style from your
book?

An excerpt from the 1st chapter – Thinking Outside the Box
Thinking outside the box may show you inspiration, empowerment,
encouragement you never knew existed.” ~ Teresa Morrow

“The world is about influence. There are influencers all around us at all
times. The importance is to recognize if a certain influence fits into our
life or not. And we get to make the decision to accept it or not. We get
to choose whether or not an influence become a part of us or not. Some of
them we decide don’t fit our lifestyle or values, so we don’t take them
on. Others we align with so we accept them and bring them into our lives…”
“…Life is a journey and a part of that journey is going outside the
perimeter of the box and seeing if you agree with what is beyond the
perimeter of the box or not. But you have a choice. You get to choose.”


That was a great exerpt! Thanks for sharing that with us! Now what books are in your “must read” pile?

Oh so many…but I will share a few. Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich; Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas by James Peterson; Uncharted TerriTORI by Tori Spelling; SkinnyDipping by Bethanny Frankel.

Like most readers, you have eclectic tastes! Now, because you have asked others one quirky question, here’s one for you. What one specific piece of clothing do you remember from your youth. Describe it to us and tell us how it made you feel!

I had this cute turquoise skirt I got for 9th grade. I wore it for the first day of school. I paired it with a graphic abstract shirt that had turquoise and yellow squares on the shirt. I felt really cool; like a normal teenager. I was the youngest of seven kids so I didn’t get the chance to get new clothes very often. This was one of the outfits I got for school that year.

I remember an outfit that was that important to me too, Teresa. Well,it was great having you visit with me. Where can readers find out more about your book?

Well, they can purchase the book at:
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/204829
(download for Kindle, Nook and iPad, etc)
They can visit my website at:
http://tereasmorrow.com or tweet me using my handle @teresamorrow

Or they can also visit me on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teresa-Morrow-AuthorWriterPoet/211907189211

So friends, head on over for a visit with this lovely woman! You'll find your visit to be a good one! And thank you Teresa for spending some time with us today! We hope you'll come back and share with us again soon!