A recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts showed that fiction reading is on the rise, especially among 18- to 24-year-olds.
–Newsweek
See Literacy FAQ’s about Detroit | Click here
Grab your tablet while this special lasts at: http://amzn.to/2oCiqLA
See Other Upcoming Literary Events at: http://DetroitLiteraryNetwork.com
Check out local Michigan authors! See A List of Michigan Amazon Pages & Add Yours
Buy Book | Author’s Website | Excerpt of book URL
Name of Author – Keith Julius
Name of Book – “The Robber Of Youth”
Author Website – www.keithjulius.com
Amazon Link – https://amzn.to/2NXE6uU
Facebook Link – https://www.facebook.com/keith.julius.3
Buy Book | Author’s Website | Excerpt of book URL
Where are you from? – I was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, but I have lived in Temperance MI for over 30 years now.
Tell us your latest news? – I am a self-published author with 4 books currently available. I am just starting book #5
When and why did you begin writing? – I can remember in 1972, at the age of 16, I wrote a detective novel that I asked my English teacher to review, so I have been writing for at least 46 years now. I have always enjoyed reading and I love the idea of manipulating characters and events to make a cohesive story.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? – I have always considered myself a writer for as long as I can remember. Though I didn’t consider myself an “author” until I self-published my first book – “Remorse By Degree” – in December 2015.
What inspired you to write your first book? – I suppose the urge to tell a convincing story is what inspired my first book.
Do you have a specific writing style? – I try to be realistic and accurate in my portrayal of people and situations. At one time I was heavy into mystery and suspense, but lately I have been more interested in examining people and the things they go through in life.
How did you come up with the title? – I love descriptive, evocative titles of books, and I try to follow through with that for my own writing. I try to make the title accurate, as in indication of what the story is about, yet hopefully I can grab people to make them want to learn more.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? – There’s a lot of hurt out there, especially with children in our society. Kids shouldn’t have to grow up suffering for their parents’ mistakes and shortcomings. Children are a precious commodity and they should be one of society’s most important considerations.
How much of the book is realistic? – I believe all of “The Robber Of Youth” is realistic, when you consider similar things are happening all the time and everything in the book has been experienced somewhere by somebody. The situations involved are all too real, but it is entirely a work of fiction.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life? – Four years ago I became a CASA volunteer. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate, and we represent and look out for children involved in cases of abuse and neglect. I have seen families torn apart through hard times and things like addiction and alcoholism, and I have gone through training that has exposed me to a lot of harsh realities of what children sometimes have to go through. Though there are no particular incidents that led me to this book, it can be considered an amalgam of many of the things I have seen and experienced in my work through CASA.
What books have most influenced your life most? – As a writer I have drawn inspiration from John Steinbeck for his characterizations and realism, Michael Crichton for his pacing, and the Doc Savage series because it got me interested in reading in the first place.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? – I met Michigan author Monica Sholar at a library function almost 4 years ago. Hearing her talk about self-publishing inspired me to take the plunge myself. Thank you, Monica.
What book are you reading now? – Lately I have been re-reading the collected short stories of Sherlock Holmes. I still enjoy a good mystery.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? – I don’t read nearly as much as I would like to, and I hate to admit I am not familiar enough with any new authors to have read any of their works.
What are your current projects? – I am just starting book number five now. I am working on some things to promote myself online, but I have a long way to go – and a lot yet to learn – concerning selling myself and my books.
Do you see writing as a career? – I would love writing to become a career for me one of these days, but at the rate, I am going that looks doubtful. I hope to retire from my day job in a couple of years. Maybe then I can devote more time and effort to my writing and see it become a career for me.
If you had it to do over again, would you change anything in your latest book? – You can change and rearrange and revise forever. At some point, you have to say this is the story I want to tell and I have told it to the best of my ability. I see no reason to change anything that I have already published.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? – My interest in writing has always been there for as long as I can remember.
Can you share a little of your current work with us? – I have just started Book 4 of “The CASA Chronicles”. Like the others in the series, it begins with an incident in a child’s life that causes concern about their well-being. The CASA volunteer then follows the case, attempting to discover what happened and why it happened. They also monitor the progress of the children and families to verify if there is an improvement in the situation. Like my second book in the series – “Born For Adversity” – this one will be a bit more of a mystery. An 8-year-old girl receives a gunshot wound at home under mysterious circumstances. An investigation follows and slowly the secrets behind the incident come to light. I don’t work from an outline, but rather from an idea of where I am starting and where the story needs to end up. All I need to do then is fill in the pieces in-between.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? – I find marketing – selling and promoting – to be the most difficult part of writing. These are things I don’t have a handle on and wish I knew more about.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? – John Steinbeck has long been my favorite author. His people seem believable to me, with a gritty realism. When the characters talk they sound like actual people, not someone made up. You can’t rely on them to be good – or bad – all the time. Human nature doesn’t work like that. I feel Steinbeck captured the way people truly are.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? – My CASA work occurs in Toledo Ohio, and it has taken me to parts of the city and allowed me to see things I never knew existed before. This has certainly influenced the way I portray people and places in my writing.
Who designed the covers? – I designed the first additions of my books, then quickly realized I needed something better. An author I met pointed me to Fivver.com for cover design work. I was able to get new covers designed, but I was extremely dissatisfied with the response and service I received through the site. I ended up re-vamping a lot of what the designer came up with. I guess you get what you pay for.
What was the hardest part of writing your book? – The hardest part of writing a book, as far as I am concerned, is finding the time to do it.
Did you learn anything about writing your book and what was it? – “The Robber Of Youth” revolves around a young girl who gets involved in a human trafficking ring. This was a difficult subject to approach, and I struggled over how descriptive I should be. While researching the topic I was amazed at how prevalent this problem is and – even more startling – how young some of the children are who are forced into this lifestyle. I’m hoping my book will raise awareness of this horrendous issue.
Do you have any advice for other writers? – Don’t expect to become a best seller and become rich. Chances are it will never happen. Write because you enjoy the process, not because you think it’s your ticket to riches.
Do you have anything specific you want to say to your readers? – My books are not light reading. Don’t expect a happy ending all the time. That doesn’t mean you want find glimmers of hope along the way. I am dealing with subjects I feel are important for people to be aware of. Though fiction, they are based firmly on reality. It’s a tough world out there for a lot of people. Ignoring bad things won’t make them go away.
Buy Book | Author’s Website | Excerpt of book URL
Please support this author buy purchasing his work, doing a review, sharing your review and then sharing this post
If you would like to be a featured author, please go to
A celebration of the lovely comma, correctly used quotation marks and other proper uses of periods, semicolons, and the ever-mysterious ellipsis.
Preorders available at www.JaylenLaGrande.com
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
My agent recently had a confab with a number of editors in New York, all from various houses. I can’t tell you the details of which house wants what (she’d kill me) but I can say this: what everyone is looking for is something fresh. They want the unique, the immersive, and the truly different.
There are a few catches to this.
READ MORE How to Write Fiction That’s Fresh
Name of Author: Mark Love
Name of Book: The Jamie Richmond Mystery Series: Devious, Vanishing Act, Fleeing
Beauty. The Jefferson Chene Mystery Series: Why 319? Your Turn to Die (coming soon)
Buy Author’s Book | Author’s Website
Author Website https://motownmysteries.blogspot.com/
Amazon Link https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009P7HVZQ
Facebook Link https://www.facebook.com/MarkLoveAuthor
Author’s Interview
Where are you from? I’m originally from the Detroit area, where I lived for many years before
moving to Kalamazoo in 2011.
Tell us your latest news? My next book, “Your Turn to Die” is the second Jefferson Chene
mystery, is at the publishers right now. Hopefully it will be released yet this year.
When and why did you begin writing? I was always writing stories as a kid. It was fun to create
characters and put them in difficult situations.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? About ten years ago I started getting serious
about working on a novel.
What inspired you to write your first book? A friend recommended a mystery and said it was
great. I figured it out within the first 30 pages. When I gave it back to her, she said ‘if you’re so
smart, you should write your own mystery. I took up the challenge.
Do you have a specific writing style? Not really.
How did you come up with the title? My first two books (Devious and Vanishing Act) fit the
story well but turns out there are a number of other works with the same titles. Since then I’ve
tried to find something unique in the story that sets them apart (Fleeing Beauty and Why 319?)
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Get caught up in the characters
How much of the book is realistic? It’s all fiction, but set in current times. I use a lot of local
landmarks, particularly in the Detroit area, that readers will recognize.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? I do use some events
from my personal life to make the characters and actions realistic.
What books have most influenced your life most? The works of John D. MacDonald and Elmore
Leonard.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? Elmore Leonard.
What book are you reading now? No Middle Name by Lee Child
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? James Rollins, Greg Iles, John
Sandford.
What are your current projects? Finishing the final edits for “Your Turn to Die” and starting on
the third book in the Jefferson Chene series.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members. Writers workshops. It’s
a great way to gain honest feedback from others who are serious about creating great stories.
Do you see writing as a career? It’s one of my passions. If I can entertain the readers with my
stories and make some money along the way, that’s a bonus.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? No. After
numerous revisions and edits, it’s as close to perfect as I can get.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? I’ve always been an avid reader. There
were several teachers along the way who encouraged me to write.
Can you share a little of your current work with us? The blurb for the cover is at the bottom of
this message.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Taking the time away from
writing to promote is always a challenge.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? It’s difficult to
choose just one. Old favorites were MacDonald and Leonard. New ones are Lee Child, John
Sandford and James Rollins. They all draw you into a story quickly and make you want to keep
reading.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? I’ve done a number of author events
around Michigan but rely on my own experiences in Motown to enhance my writing.
Who designed the covers? Artists assigned by the publishers, but I do have input in the artwork.
What was the hardest part of writing your book? Editing. It’s always a challenge to trim the
story, to keep it flowing, eliminate redundancies and keeping the details straight.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? Patience.
Do you have any advice for other writers? Keep writing. Don’t be afraid to share your work
with others. Develop a thick skin. Welcome their feedback. When it’s ready, submit. Don’t be
discouraged if you get a rejection. Even the greatest authors do.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? I’ve got a story you’re going
to love. See it begins when…
Buy Author’s Book | Author’s Website
Book Excerpt
Title: Your Turn to Die
Author: Mark Love
Blurb: It was supposed to be a friendly round of paintball. But blood, not paint, covers Kyle
Morrissey’s body. Though admired by the public for his charity, the businessman was no
choirboy. Could it be that more than one person want him dead? Sergeant Jefferson Chene and
his detective squad catch the case. With two new faces on the team, he finds himself in the
unfamiliar role as mentor. He is also cautiously beginning a relationship with Simone
Bettencourt, the beautiful woman he met while pursuing a serial murderer. Complicating the case
are two retired gangsters, a fortune in jewels, and Detroit’s history of organized crime. But the
squad must utilize every resource available to catch a killer.
Check out this author’s website for more excerpts
Buy Author’s Book | Author’s Website
Please support this author buy purchasing his work, doing a review and then share this post with others.
If you’d like to be a featured author, please go to www.motownwriters.com/sla
The Freelance Marketplace Writers’ Group meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Rochester Hills Barnes & Noble Bookstore at 2800 S. Rochester Road (just north of M59). Different topics and guests each month*, but we always discuss the Business of Writing (we are NOT a critique group).
Come once, once in a while, or every time. It’s FREE and OPEN to new, published, and working writers, photographers, and illustrators (although most of us are writers).
Freelance Marketplace Meeting at B&N in Rochester Hills
Here are the Tuesdays we meet in 2018:
September 18 October 16 November 20
*Please note we do not meet in December
Want to Receive Monthly Reminders of When the Group Meets?
Sign Up to Receive the Monthly Newsletter
for more information https://rochesterwriters.wordpress.com/freelance-marketplace-writers-group/
Steven Pressfield in his book, Turning Pro, says “When we turn pro, everything becomes simple.”Dear Michigan Writers,
September 23rd, Nicola’s Books is offering a unique opportunity for writers to learn about Chicken Soup for the Soul – how to submit to their books, the variety of topics coming up for the next year, and what it’s like to be a published author for them – which includes a generous payment. Once accepted by CSS, an author becomes a part of the family and receives advance notice on future topics. If you are new to writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul, we will offer tips and guidelines. If you are familiar with CSS and have even published with them, you can enjoy the three stories about saying YES to new adventures. We will have the readings, a Q and A, and a book sale and signing. Refreshments will be served.
We hope you are able to join us.
Best wishes,
Sunday, September 23 @ 3 p.m.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Yes – A Reading and Presentation
Learn first-hand how Chicken Soup stories are curated for anthologies, and enjoy a reading from Michigan authors featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Yes! Featured authors will include Women Writers of Ann Arbor/Ypsi founder Kaye Curren, Nancy Beaufait, and Tammy Nicole Glover.
About the Book
Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Yes! celebrates the empowerment we feel when we say “Yes!” to something that challenges us. Change your life for the better by doing the things that scare you. These 101 true, revealing stories will help you do just that. In a world where “why” is too often asked and “no” is too often an answer, this book encourages us to ask “why not” and celebrates the tremendous power in saying “Yes!” The authors of these 101 stories explain how saying “Yes!” changed their lives for the better. Whether it’s something little, like trying a new food or something big, like jumping out an airplane, you’ll be ready to shake up your own life after you read about their experiences.
About the Authors
Nancy Beaufait resides in Madison Heights, with her dog Cash, and her cat, Simon. Nancy has lived in Michigan all her life and loves her mitten state. She always loved writing and the old-fashioned art of writing a letter and slipping it into the mailbox is a favorite pastime of Nancy’s. Nancy will retire from nursing soon and have more time to write.
Kaye Curren lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Kaye writes essays and humor for various blogs and magazines and has recently been published in Laugh Out Loud: 40 Women Humorists Celebrate Then and Now…Before We Forget. She is the author of Memories A La Carte, Essays on a Life. Find her musings at https://www.writethatthang.com.
Tammy Nicole Glover is a freelance writer and inspirational blogger. She writes short stories and devotionals. She has written several pieces for Believers Bay online magazine and is a contributing writer for GACCS Teen Magazine. You can follow her on Facebook @ Balm4theSoul and Twitter @ T_Glov.
I am so excited about my new book called “Looking Through the Sea of Glass.” It has been a sensational journey to write my fourth book guided by the Holy Spirit. I want to share this new book with you on Saturday, September 22, 2018, at Pier 1 Imports, located at Tel-Twelve Mall, 28538 Telegraph Rd., Southfield, MI 48034, from, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
More details:
You will also have the opportunity to win a Pier 1 Import gift card when you buy a book after the book reading.
There will be various demonstrations of products sold by Pier 1 Imports and a chance to win prizes after the demonstrations from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Come out and join us at Pier 1 Imports and have a wonderful time, meet new people, buy my books, and enjoy the product demonstrations.
See you on Saturday, September 22, 2018, at Tel-Twelve Mall, Pier 1 Imports located in Southfield, MI.
Books can be found online: Online Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub and various Christian websites and International websites.
Follow me on LinkedIn and my blog site.
Website & Blog: https://drmozart18.com
Business Email:drmozart18@gmail.com
Pinterest: AJAP Heavens Edge
LinkedIn: – Ardith Arnelle Price
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Those who’ve followed my blog long enough know I’m no fan of the Schrodinger’s Writer Game. Is the writer real or unreal? What IS a real writer?
For ages, we quibbled that a real writer had an agent. A real writer scored a legacy publishing deal. One had to pass the NYC gatekeepers to be a real writer.
On and on and on.
Now that writers no longer regard self-pub and indie as publishing mutations that escaped an Amazon basement (mostly), the debate has lost heat.
Publishing existentialism is soooo 2013 *flips hair* .
Yet, I wonder if this new publishing paradigm is hurting more than helping. And that is a hard thing for me to say since three of the five books I’ve published never would have made it to print if legacy remained the only model.
Even though I signed with one of the most prestigious literary agencies in NYC (in 2012), the big publishers regarded a book on author branding and social media with as much enthusiasm as Ebola.
The only thing I know is that I would never have become a “real” writer without the other forms of publishing. Indie and self-pub are highly effective for “test marketing” new concepts, voices, and genres.
read more This is Gonna Leave a Mark: What Makes a “Real” Writer?
The Path of Consciousness is a spiritual and writing conference and retreat that will help you transform your writing life with the help of various ancient, sacred and creative teachings, including writing and storytelling. Choose to stay for the one-day conference or the 3-day all-inclusive retreat (Oct. 5-7, 2018)
The event is close enough to drive to and far enough to find peace, spiritual growth, and writing time at an affordable price. For more information, and to register, visit www.ThePathofConsciousness.com
October 4-7, 2018
Springfed Arts and Inspiration Alcona are proud to announce the teacher lineup for the 2018 event, to be held Oct. 4-7 at Lost Lake Woods Club in northeast Michigan’s Alcona County. The location is a hotel overlooking a small lake on the edge of the forest.
Novelists Jacquelyn Mitchard and Michael Zadoorian will lead prose writers. Mitchard’s “The Deep End of the Ocean” was made into a movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer in 1999. In March, Zadoorian’s “The Leisure Seeker” debuted as a film starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland.
Poets Cecilia Woloch, Jack Ridl and Kathleen McGookey will lead poets, along with songwriter Emily Rose. Woloch’s “Tsigan: The Gypsy Poem” is a book-length work that has been developed into a stage performance. Ridl has a new book, “St. Peter and the Goldfinch,” coming in 2019. McGookey is a specialist in prose poetry with three books, two chapbooks and a translation of French poetry to her credit. Rose is a Detroit songwriter who has won Best Acoustic Songwriter at the Detroit Music Awards four times since 2009.
Information about the retreat is available at InspirationAlcona.org and Springfed.org.
Michigan Literary News & Events
Founder’s Posts & Notes
Michigan Lit Radio Show (Listen Live (646) 915-9177) MichLiterary Monthly Events (Contact us to add yrs) FaceBook Member Activitiy
Agents, Editors and You: The Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book Published (Writers Market Library)
Alan M. Schlein: Find it Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research, Third Edition
Jack Neff: Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (Writer's Market Library Series)
Kathy, Henderson: Market Guide for Young Writers: Where and How to Sell What You Write
Novel & Short Story Writer's Market 2007 (Novel and Short Story Writer's Market)
click here for details
Recent Comments