Writing | Carolyn Menke

Author Spotlight: Janet McClintock, Author of WORST OF ALL EVILS

WORST OF ALL EVILS, the debut thriller by Janet McClintock, explores honor and trust and the blurry line between being good or bad. I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Ms. McClintock, who has raced motorcycles, owned horses, drove a tractor trailer across the country, and has spent thirty years training in martial arts. Action comes easy to her. Tell me, what’s the premise? Joan Bowman joins the Constitution Defense Legion to fight a runaway government in Washington, D.C., but after working her way into a leadership position, she discovers the underground resistance group is as bad as the government it is fighting. Her only way out alive is to become a state’s witness, but betraying the group means betraying her mentor and lover.

Author interview: Susan Sofayov, Author of DEFECTIVE

Tags: Interview|

Today I’m shining the spotlight on debut novelist Susan Sofayov, author of DEFECTIVE, released in April. (Get your copy here!). Susan Sofayov lives in the scenic, tropical Pittsburgh, PA with her real estate developer husband, a tenth grade son, and the most hated dog in the neighborhood. She is the mother of two college students and lives for the weekends they come home. Tell me – what’s DEFECTIVE about? University of Pittsburgh law student, Maggie Hovis, battles an enemy she cannot escape—her own brain. Where do you write? There is an extra bedroom in our house that I’ve turned into an office/ironing room/junk depository. I have one of those corner desks, facing the wall, which is not a bad thing. The walls aren’t distracting.

Author interview: Lori M. Jones, Author of RENAISSANCE OF THE HEART

Tags: Interview|

Today I’m interviewing debut novelist Lori M. Jones about her release of RENAISSANCE OF THE HEART – available on Amazon now! (*squealing*) I love speaking with writers, and hearing about the road they’ve traveled to publication. Never an easy road. Wrought with ups and downs and detours that seemingly lead to nowhere. But this writer made it happen. Here’s her story… Tell me – what’s RENAISSANCE OF THE HEART about? A woman’s journey to find forgiveness and to find love again after her husband leaves her for another man.

Because no other word will do

Once upon a time words like “upon” and “due to” and “utilize” crept into our language. I have no idea how they’ve managed to endure. Where most people rant on about politics or family dysfunction, for me it’s all about the words. The words we speak. The words we write. They’re powerful. I’m sure there’s a very good reason why a person would use “due to,” but for me, I fall strongly outside the line. Let’s look at the facts, shall we? (Add shall to my list.)

My Writing Process Blog Tour

The fiercely talented Jennifer Walsh, author of CAPTIVE, asked me to host this week’s blog tour featuring “My Writing Process.” Thank you, Jennifer! The idea of this tour is for writers to share what we’re working on and a little bit about our creative process. You can check out Jennifer Walsh’s writing process here. 1. What am I working on? Right now I’m polishing RETURN TO ME, my WWII-era women’s fiction. My vision for this project grew out of research regarding the staggering numbers of loved ones still missing in action from WWII. I was also moved by the grief-stricken unwed mothers forced to surrender their fatherless babies. I decided to set my story in the 1940s because I love that it was a time when patriotic duty outweighed capitalism, heroes emerged in everyday people, and holding hands meant something. And of course, I couldn’t help but adore all of the romantic trappings of the day—white gloves dirtied by Pittsburgh’s steel mills, a hidden hat box, a missed train that leads a tenacious soldier to the love of his life.

Is nothing private anymore?

My eleven-year-old found the diary I kept when I was her age. Here’s what it looks like. Fortunately, it was locked. I mean, who knew what ridiculousness I had written in there, never ever anticipating that one day I would have a daughter of my own—three in fact!—who would be interested in reading it. I panicked. Then I remembered the wonderful thing about a diary. It’s private. Yep, there are some things in our lives that are meant to be kept close to the chest. Or at least they should be. Can you believe I remembered the combination thirty years later? Sorry, I digress.

And the “Bloggy” Award goes to…

This morning after I got the kids on the bus, I clicked on PlayDatesOnFridays to read the daily post before jumping into the shower. You can imagine my surprise to see that PlayDatesOnFridays nominated me for the “Bloggy” award *dancing* Thank you! Thank you! Thank you PlayDatesOnFridays, whose posts I always look forward to reading. Because they’re that good. And they find a way of staying with me. And for those of you who write a blog, or have ever tried to write a blog, you know how hard it is. It’s terrifying. Like being naked on the internet but worse. The rules for acceptance of this award are as follows:

The advice I wish someone had given me in fifth grade

Last week I spoke with fifth graders at Pine-Richland’s Eden Hall Upper Elementary school about being a writer. Later that day, I promised to share with you the advice I gave the budding authors. I’ll work up to it because really this whole post illustrates my point, but it might not mean anything yet. While preparing for the talk, I asked myself what makes writing and reading worthwhile to me. A common denominator seems to transcend genre and audience—a thread woven through literature from the beginning of time. And that is this: at the heart of a good book is a story that makes us feel something. Kids are no exception. They want to feel something, too. But how does the author do it?

Street Justice Served

Just wrapped up my six-week creative writing course! One of my students has edited several books written by an inmate on death row for 33 years. His debut novel is coming out this summer, Street Justice Served. I'll keep you posted on its official launch and how to purchase your copy. Looking forward to all

Book Launch: Whisper

Looking for a good summer read for you and your teen? Check out Dana Faletti's book Whisper, book one of the trilogy. Join fifteen-year-old Callie Evans on her journey as she discovers she's an Arc - an angel sent to battle demons on earth - in this funny, action-packed and thought-provoking debut novel. You can