Today we are interviewing Erin Millar.
FF: How long have you been writing?
I wrote my first story when I was seven, for a reading group project in first grade. I had always loved reading and making up stories before then, but I think that's when I realized that it was also fun to write them down. It was really all downhill from there
FF: What genre do you write in?
Typically young adult, but I've also written some things that could probably classify more as literary or commercial fiction. Regardless, my protagonists tend to be teenagers. The project I'm working on currently is a young adult dystopian
FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.
It's very nerdy. It's set at an all-encompassing fandom convention in the middle of summer. The story is told from a girl named Beth's point of view. She doesn't really want to be there, but was forced to go by her friends, because they've always gone. And then she meets this guy who's volunteering for the convention and isn't nearly as comfortable with his nerdiness as she is
I got the idea due to the fact that I'm on the staff for an online-based nonprofit social activism group called the Harry Potter Alliance. There was a convention in Florida this summer that most of the staff went to, but I wasn't able to make it. Listening to everyone talk about their plans and excitement about it got me thinking about conventions and general nerdiness. This is what happens when I embrace my own nerdiness more than I usually do
FF: Are you currently working on a novel?
I am. It's a young adult dystopian. I'm currently revising it to get it ready to send out to agents. I'm also writing the first draft of another installment of the project I'm revising. I'm trying to focus more on the revisions, though, but I've always found that I do better if I have at least one thing to just write a first draft of. First drafts require far less energy than revisions
FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?
The best advice I've received is to keep going. Of course there are a lot of times when you just want to stop, or give up, or move on to that shinier idea, but you'll never getting anything accomplished if you don't try to focus. The worst advice I've received...I don't know if I've ever gotten strickly bad writing advice. I guess the worst advice would be that taking my writing so seriously is a waste of time. But it's not like I listen to anyone who tells me that kind of stuff anyway
FF: Any other information you want your readers to know?
Let's see...I have a BA in Creative Writing from Ohio Northern University and have lived in Columbus my entire life, excepting the time I spent at college. I work a boring day job in order to pay for my nerdy habits. Because I really am a nerd--I mean, I've read Harry Potter a ridiculous number of times and have way too much Potter paraphernalia. I'm on the volunteer staff of the Harry Potter Alliance, which is great fun, and I write freelance theatre articles and reviews for the Columbus, OH edition of Examiner.com. I'm also an Irish dancer and I play handbells in the choir at my church. You can find me on Twitter @ErinLMillar.
Showing posts with label Tales of Summer Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tales of Summer Romance. Show all posts
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Getting To Know You....Part Three
Today we're interviewing Rachel Dilley
FF: How long have you been writing?
Though I was an English major in college, I really didn't start writing until about five years ago. I found myself in a situation where someone was demanding my attention at all times, leaving no time nor energy for myself. I started writing short stories mostly because they were...well...short. I still don't have a lot of time to myself, as a wife, mother, and full time paralegal. However, on those occasions when I do write, I enjoy creating something that is all my own.
FF: What genre do you write in?
I write mostly contemporary fiction with some kind of historical twist. I love history, but writing historical fiction is so much work! I also really enjoy writing non-fiction. I've had some success in publishing personal essays.
FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.
As most of my fiction does, my story Full Circle has a bit of my real life at its heart. I started vacationing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina since I was about 5 years old. Back then, it was a bare bones island with very little commercialization. My family started vacationing with another family year after year, and I eventually ended up marrying one of the boys from the family with whom we vacationed. Full Circle is about a woman who returns to the Outer Banks where she spent summers as a girl, to heal from a divorce. She is reunited with a childhood friend who remained on the Outer Banks, and the pair quickly pick up where they left off.
FF: Are you currently working on a novel?
Well, yes and no. I have started a novel and I'm 6 or 7 chapters into it, but I don't have the chance to work on it as regularly as I'd like. It's a contemporary thriller with American History at its core.
FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?
The best advice I've received, I wish I had actually followed. It is to write every day, even if it's just a few hundred words. Time is elusive and I find that it gets eaten up very easily by the tasks of daily life. You can accomplish big things in writing with only little chunks of time.
Rachel Dilley's personal essays have been published in BGSU Magazine and in the Columbus Dispatch.
FF: How long have you been writing?
Though I was an English major in college, I really didn't start writing until about five years ago. I found myself in a situation where someone was demanding my attention at all times, leaving no time nor energy for myself. I started writing short stories mostly because they were...well...short. I still don't have a lot of time to myself, as a wife, mother, and full time paralegal. However, on those occasions when I do write, I enjoy creating something that is all my own.
FF: What genre do you write in?
I write mostly contemporary fiction with some kind of historical twist. I love history, but writing historical fiction is so much work! I also really enjoy writing non-fiction. I've had some success in publishing personal essays.
FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.
As most of my fiction does, my story Full Circle has a bit of my real life at its heart. I started vacationing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina since I was about 5 years old. Back then, it was a bare bones island with very little commercialization. My family started vacationing with another family year after year, and I eventually ended up marrying one of the boys from the family with whom we vacationed. Full Circle is about a woman who returns to the Outer Banks where she spent summers as a girl, to heal from a divorce. She is reunited with a childhood friend who remained on the Outer Banks, and the pair quickly pick up where they left off.
FF: Are you currently working on a novel?
Well, yes and no. I have started a novel and I'm 6 or 7 chapters into it, but I don't have the chance to work on it as regularly as I'd like. It's a contemporary thriller with American History at its core.
FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?
The best advice I've received, I wish I had actually followed. It is to write every day, even if it's just a few hundred words. Time is elusive and I find that it gets eaten up very easily by the tasks of daily life. You can accomplish big things in writing with only little chunks of time.
Rachel Dilley's personal essays have been published in BGSU Magazine and in the Columbus Dispatch.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Getting To Know You.....
In Celebration of our recent release, Tales of Summer Romance. We're going to be taking a few posts to introduce the authors behind FictionFlurry. Today we're interviewing Susan Gee Heino.
FF: How long have you been writing?
I've been writing since before I could read. I'd sit at the kitchen table scrawling out stories, forcing my poor mother to spell out every word for me. In college I studied creative writing in its various forms, and discovered playwriting. After graduating with a degree in Theatre, I had several plays produced at small theatres here and there, and then moved into writing drama for church productions. Always my dream was to publish a novel, though, and in 2003 when my children were small I turned my focus toward that. I joined Romance Writers of America and worked very hard to educate myself and slowly move toward my goal. I had six completed manuscripts before I finally made my first sale in 2008.
FF: What genre do you write in?
I adore stories with happy endings about people who discover that life is better if we can learn to love. I write romance. Specifically, my first published novels have been set in the English Regency time period, but I do have some other projects in the works so hopefully I'll be expanding my scope a little in the near future.
FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.
The story I have included is "The Sister Solution" and it is set in the Regency time period. If you're not familiar with this, just think of Jane Austen. Her works were published during the English Regency (1811-1820), so think Mr. Darcy in a starched cravat and Lizzy Bennet with a scuttle bonnet. I just love that time period and all its social strictures. This is one of the elements I've capitalized on in my story. It was very much a man's world back then and women had few options if they wished to better themselves. Basically, if a girl was not blessed to be born with a fortune, the best she could hope for was to marry well. And that, of course, would never happen if her family members were prone to scandal. This is Lizzy Courdray's dilemma as my story opens. With her father deceased and her mother behaving quite shockingly, how is poor Lizzy to look after herself and her flighty younger sister? What's to become of them if their reputation in town is dreadfully ruined?
FF: Are you currently working on a novel?
Yes, several! I just turned in the forth novel in my current Regency series and I'm in the brainstorming process for the next. Also, I'm polishing a contemporary-set romance that I just love and my agent is getting ready to start shopping it. And as if that's not enough, I've got a really fun YA thriller series that I'm working on, as well. My agent is very excited about this and is stalking me to get it finished up so she can shop that, as well. I'm a busy gal!
FF: Best/worst advice you've received?
I've gotten lots of "best" advice over the years. Depending on what stage I was at in my writer's journey, different things have turned the light bulb on for me. One of the really brilliant things I picked up a long time ago was, "Don't write the boring parts." It seems like this ought to be intuitive, but believe me, I really want to write the boring parts. It's a constant battle in my brain: Is this scene really necessary? What does the reader learn about these characters? How does this build the conflict or the tension? Trust me, even the funniest/sexiest/most tragic scene is wasted paper if it does not move the story along and help develop your characters.
What's the worst advice I've gotten? That's hard to say, since I tend to filter this out and toss is aside so it doesn't take up space in my already too-cluttered mind. I think some of the worst advice is the stuff people love to tell beginning writers: "Don't use words like was and that." "Avoid all adverbs." "Write only what you know." And the very worst, "Hardly anyone ever gets picked up by the big New York publishers. You might as well give up now."
Susan Gee Heino Bio Information: In 2008 I was honored to win Romance Writers of America’s coveted Golden Heart ® Award in the Regency Historical category. My winning manuscript sold at auction and I signed a two book deal with Berkley Publishing. MISTRESS BY MISTAKE was published in 2009 and became a national bestseller.
DAMSEL IN DISGUISE followed in 2010 and I signed another two book contract. Now this summer TEMPTRESS IN TRAINING has just hit shelves and PASSION AND PRETENSE will release in April, 2012. I live in rural Ohio with way too many pets, my very supportive husband, and my two adorable (and frighteningly creative) children.
I love to hear from readers! You can contact me through my website at www.SusanGH.com or check out my neglected blog at www.susangeeheino.blogspot.com.
FF: How long have you been writing?
I've been writing since before I could read. I'd sit at the kitchen table scrawling out stories, forcing my poor mother to spell out every word for me. In college I studied creative writing in its various forms, and discovered playwriting. After graduating with a degree in Theatre, I had several plays produced at small theatres here and there, and then moved into writing drama for church productions. Always my dream was to publish a novel, though, and in 2003 when my children were small I turned my focus toward that. I joined Romance Writers of America and worked very hard to educate myself and slowly move toward my goal. I had six completed manuscripts before I finally made my first sale in 2008.
FF: What genre do you write in?
I adore stories with happy endings about people who discover that life is better if we can learn to love. I write romance. Specifically, my first published novels have been set in the English Regency time period, but I do have some other projects in the works so hopefully I'll be expanding my scope a little in the near future.
FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.
The story I have included is "The Sister Solution" and it is set in the Regency time period. If you're not familiar with this, just think of Jane Austen. Her works were published during the English Regency (1811-1820), so think Mr. Darcy in a starched cravat and Lizzy Bennet with a scuttle bonnet. I just love that time period and all its social strictures. This is one of the elements I've capitalized on in my story. It was very much a man's world back then and women had few options if they wished to better themselves. Basically, if a girl was not blessed to be born with a fortune, the best she could hope for was to marry well. And that, of course, would never happen if her family members were prone to scandal. This is Lizzy Courdray's dilemma as my story opens. With her father deceased and her mother behaving quite shockingly, how is poor Lizzy to look after herself and her flighty younger sister? What's to become of them if their reputation in town is dreadfully ruined?
FF: Are you currently working on a novel?
Yes, several! I just turned in the forth novel in my current Regency series and I'm in the brainstorming process for the next. Also, I'm polishing a contemporary-set romance that I just love and my agent is getting ready to start shopping it. And as if that's not enough, I've got a really fun YA thriller series that I'm working on, as well. My agent is very excited about this and is stalking me to get it finished up so she can shop that, as well. I'm a busy gal!
FF: Best/worst advice you've received?
I've gotten lots of "best" advice over the years. Depending on what stage I was at in my writer's journey, different things have turned the light bulb on for me. One of the really brilliant things I picked up a long time ago was, "Don't write the boring parts." It seems like this ought to be intuitive, but believe me, I really want to write the boring parts. It's a constant battle in my brain: Is this scene really necessary? What does the reader learn about these characters? How does this build the conflict or the tension? Trust me, even the funniest/sexiest/most tragic scene is wasted paper if it does not move the story along and help develop your characters.
What's the worst advice I've gotten? That's hard to say, since I tend to filter this out and toss is aside so it doesn't take up space in my already too-cluttered mind. I think some of the worst advice is the stuff people love to tell beginning writers: "Don't use words like was and that." "Avoid all adverbs." "Write only what you know." And the very worst, "Hardly anyone ever gets picked up by the big New York publishers. You might as well give up now."
Susan Gee Heino Bio Information: In 2008 I was honored to win Romance Writers of America’s coveted Golden Heart ® Award in the Regency Historical category. My winning manuscript sold at auction and I signed a two book deal with Berkley Publishing. MISTRESS BY MISTAKE was published in 2009 and became a national bestseller.
DAMSEL IN DISGUISE followed in 2010 and I signed another two book contract. Now this summer TEMPTRESS IN TRAINING has just hit shelves and PASSION AND PRETENSE will release in April, 2012. I live in rural Ohio with way too many pets, my very supportive husband, and my two adorable (and frighteningly creative) children.
I love to hear from readers! You can contact me through my website at www.SusanGH.com or check out my neglected blog at www.susangeeheino.blogspot.com.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
BlogFest 2011 Giveaway
Welcome, welcome, welcome to Fiction Flurry! Fiction Flurry is a writing critique group based in Marysville, Ohio. Our members write in a flurry of different genres: YA, Romance, Historical, Inspirational, Paranormal, and even a little non-fiction now and then. This blog is devoted to lovers of reading and writing.
So enough shameless plugs. Onto the business at hand. Here's what Fiction Flurry is offering during this giveaway:
1. Amazon.com gift card, $15
2. Barnes and Noble gift card, $15
3. Starbucks gift card, $15
4. 3 winners will receive a free copy of our e-book, Tales of Summer Romance
We ARE open to international entries.
Here's what you need to do to enter:
1. Be a Fiction Flurry follower through Google Friend Connect (see right margin)
2. Leave a comment indicating your e-mail address, your favorite genre, and whether you prefer e-books or hard copy books, or both.
3. Though it is not required, you will be entered for this giveaway twice if you follow us on Twitter or friend us on Facebook.
Have fun! Here are your next 5 blogs, if you're going in alphabetical order:
57 For What It's Worth
58 Free & Frugal Mommy of One
59 Frequent Reader, Infrequent Blogger (INT)
60 From the Shadows
61 From the TBR Pile
THANK YOU to http://www.ajourneyofbooks.com for organizing this BlogFest!
If you are keeping track, here's the link to the tracker:
http://blogfest.ajourneyofbooks.com
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Short Stories: Love'Em or Hate'Em?
As I hope you now know, the writers of Fiction Flurry have just completed an anthology of short stories entitled, Tales of Summer Romance. There are seven short stories, all centered around a summertime setting and each with a romantic twist. (Additional information can be found here.) Short stories can be a great way to hone your writing skills. They require you to get to the point and limit yourself to only the most important details. Every word counts when you are restricted in the number of them that you can use!
If you love a good short story, you are in luck! The internet abounds with sites created for the specific purpose of sharing and promoting shorts. A few which come to mind:
American Literature
Short Story America
From Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Tell-Tale Heart" to O. Henry’s "The Gift of the Magi" to Stephen King’s "The Body" (which was made into the movie Stand By Me), short stories offer a spectacular return for a very small investment.
How about you? Do you like to read or write short stories? Do you have a favorite short story or short story author? Share it with us!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Tales of Summer Romance: A Collection of Short Stories
What's even better than a playful summer read is knowing that your purchase of Tales of Summer Romance will help the Humane Society of Union County, Ohio. From now until December 31, 2011, half of the net sales proceeds from the sale of our book will be donated to help the pooches and kitties in our area.
Tales of Summer Romance is an e-book available for $2.99 now at:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69671
You can download the book today to your PC, Kindle, NOOK, Sony Reader, or Kobo directly from Smashwords. The e-book will be available soon on Amazon, Apple, and Barnes and Noble.
We want to thank our followers and readers for your support and loyalty. Fiction Flurry hopes that you enjoy these short stories. After all, what's better than summer love?
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