The Realms of a Fantastical Mind

Welcome to this week’s Blog Ring of Power guest, former zookeeper turned author S.J. Drum. S.J. writes Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Novels, each with a bit of Steampunk flair. She writes an erotic series with tattooed heroes–first-in-series is SINFUL SOUTHERN INK (Ellora’s Cave 7-6-12). She also writes LGBT Upper YA Dark Urban Fantasy under the pen name J.T. Fairfield. The first book in the Bayou Zoo series was released on 10/22/12, CAGED IN MYTH. When she’s not changing diapers or writing, she enjoys scuba diving and has been known to make an elephant do a headstand. You can find S.J. Drum on: Twitter @AuthorSJDrum www.SJ-Drum.com http://sj-drum.blogspot.com Facebook at facebook.com/AuthorS.J.Drum Don't forget to check out the rest of her interview with all of the other wonderful Blog Ring of Power Hosts Part 1 @ Terri Bruce –  http://www.terribruce.net , Wednesday, March 27th Part 2 @ T.W. Fendley -  http://twfendley.com/  Thursda...

Well, it looks like it's Friday already! So while everyone begins their wind down time of this week's craziness, how about we take a visit from Author Kate Evangelista.   When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master’s courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.  The Creative Process BRoP:  Where do you get your story ideas? Kate:  I get my inspiration from ev...

Blog Ring of Power time!  Whoot Here she is, Beth Barany! Welcome Beth, have a seat right here and we will get Part 5 rolling. An author and speaker, Beth is the award-winning author of  HENRIETTA THE DRAGON SLAYER , a young adult fantasy novel, and book 1 of the Five Kingdom series. Book 2 is coming in Spring 2013. A certified Creativity Coach, Beth Barany is also the bestselling author of The Writer’s Adventure Guide: 12 Stages  to Writing Your Book,  and Overcome Writer’s Block. She’s recently released  Twitter For Authors: Social  Media Book Marketing Strategies for Shy Writers , the subject of her national and international talks. She’s been a columnist and editor at “The National Networker,” and a contributing author to several anthologies, including “Writing Romance,” a bestseller, and “Creativity Coaching Success Stories.” She was the editor of “When I Was There,” the bestselling anthology of stories about life at UC Berkel...

These three words are killing my writing career. Only because I'm letting them. We all know that to be a writer is to write.  Just write.  It's not about how good you are(well, at least not at first), or how many words you can type a minute. It's about getting those words up on the screen. It's not about thinking about writing, or dreaming of what it's like to be a writer.  If you write, then you are a writer.  Simple isn't it. But what then? My dreams are to have my stories read.  I love when someone looks at what I've written and gives me honest feedback. (Good and Bad) So what is my goal in getting published? Readership.  I have a bit of that in my blog and Facebook.  Though that is far from the same.  I want to be able to write something that others will enjoy.  That is my goal.  I guess I could just do the whole, self-pub and set up my writing for free on Amazon.  I do write stories in this blog after all.  Though I h...

I couldn't resist.  It's a long survey but it's quite in depth.  I have to say, it got me thinking about each of my characters.  I may have to do it for each MC and see what comes up. Here are my results: You Are A: Neutral Good Human Druid/Ranger (2nd/2nd Level) Ability Scores: Strength- 12 Dexterity- 10 Constitution- 12 Intelligence- 13 Wisdom- 13 Charisma- 13 Alignment: Neutral Good-  A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable. Race: Humans  are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically dive...

Hey look, Friday is here!  Everyone's in a great mood because the weekend is right next door! So to make things even better let's check out another author as we gaze at her under the Blog Ring of Power microscope. Mwhahahaha.  I mean, The Blog Ring of Power would like to welcome Kristi Petersen Schoonover. Her Pushcart-nominated psychological horror novel  Bad Apple  has been called “deeply disturbing in the best way possible,” by  SciFi Saturday Night . Her short fiction has appeared in  Carpe Articulum, The Adirondack Review, Barbaric Yawp, The Illuminata, Morpheus Tales, New Witch Magazine, Toasted Cheese, The Smoking Poet, The Battered Suitcase,  and a host of others, including several anthologies. Kristi is the recipient of three Norman Mailer Writers Colony Winter Residencies and is an editor for  Read Short Fiction  ( www.readshortfiction.com ). She lives in the Connecticut woods with her housemate, Charles, three cats–...