April 9, 2012
Latest Writing in 140 at Blood-Red Pencil: Situating Oneself in the Publishdom
March 26, 2012
Android Apps for Writing ~ Latest BRP Commentary
Today, over at one of my fave places, The Blood-Red Pencil, we're talking about writing apps for Android!
I write about three apps that I use on my Android tablet for my writing endeavors. Come read about what apps keep me writing and give us the 411 on apps you use! Head to BRP now!
January 9, 2012
Writing in 140: Seeing Down Writing Journey's Road - Latest BRP Commentary
Where do you see your writing self in 5 years? 10? Check out my latest post on BLOOD-RED PENCIL "Seeing Down Writing Journey's Road" and answer this question and more for yourself!
Check it out here, and leave comments!
The Blood-Red Pencil
Sharp and pointed observations about good writing
[http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com]
November 16, 2011
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Talking with ASHFALL Author Mike Mullin
Mike Mullin’s first job was scraping the gum off the undersides of desks at his high school. From there, things went steadily downhill. He almost got fired by the owner of a bookstore due to his poor taste in earrings. He worked at a place that showed slides of poopy diapers during lunch (it did cut down on the cafeteria budget). The hazing process at the next company included eating live termites raised by the resident entomologist, so that didn’t last long either. For a while Mike juggled bottles at a wine shop, sometimes to disastrous effect. Oh, and then there was the job where swarms of wasps occasionally tried to chase him off ladders. So he’s really hoping this writing thing works out.
Mike holds a black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and her three cats. ASHFALL is his first novel.
Website: www.mikemullinauthor.com
Blog: http://mikemullin.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Mike_Mullin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001482248900
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4445700.Mike_Mullin
Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano. It has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, and it will erupt again, changing the Earth forever.
Fifteen-year-old Alex is home alone when the supervolcano erupts. His town collapses into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence, forcing him to flee. He begins a harrowing trek in search of his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives 140 miles away.
Along the way, Alex struggles through a landscape transformed by more than a foot of ash. The disaster brings out the best and worst in people desperate for food, clean water, and shelter. When an escaped convict injures Alex, he searches for a sheltered place where he can wait—to heal or to die. Instead, he finds Darla. Together, they fight to achieve a nearly impossible goal: surviving the supervolcano.
What are FIVE adjectives that you would use to describe your novel, ASHFALL?
Realistic, Grim, Violent, Touching, and (ultimately) Hopeful
ASHFALL is your debut novel. In the process of writing it and having it published, what are FOUR things you've learned?
- I hate querying literary agents.
- Letting go of my novel—watching it move from a file on my computer that I can edit any time I want, to a printed book—was a lot more difficult emotionally than I thought it would be.
- There is a large community of wonderfully supportive writers, bloggers, and booksellers out there. I’ve been humbled by their help and support.
- The second book isn’t easier to write than the first. I thought it would be. Oh well.
Most writers are inspired by something--other writers, other books, specific people, things they see... What are THREE things that inspired you to write ASHFALL?
A few years ago one of my friends was attacked on the Monon Trail. A group of five guys decided they wanted his $10 garage-sale bicycle, so they hit him over the back of the head with a 2x4 and kicked him more than 20 times, breaking his skull and numerous other bones. The attackers thought they’d killed him, so they dragged him into some bushes to hide his body.
My friend lived and mostly recovered, but the event had a profound impact on me. I became unreasonably fearful, not wanting to leave my home, even though the attack didn’t happen in my neighborhood.
Instead of becoming a shut in, I took up taekwondo. There I met a 15-year-old third-degree black belt, Ben Alexander, who became the main inspiration for Alex.
So three things that inspired ASHFALL: living with and overcoming a visceral sense of fear, learning taekwondo, and meeting Ben Alexander.
These days, it's hard for an author to push his or her work if s/he is not using social media in some way. What are TWO ways in which you are using social media to promote ASHFALL?
Right now I’m way behind on social media. Writing ASHEN WINTER (the sequel to ASHFALL) and touring for ASHFALL is taking almost all my time. But I still reply to all the @ messages I get on Twitter, and stay engaged to a limited extent on Goodreads, Facebook, and Google+.
Social media has been particularly valuable for reaching teachers, librarians, and bloggers. I’m not sure I’m doing a good job reaching my target audience, teens, though. I hope to launch a new effort shortly—the “Could You Survive a Supervolcano” quiz. You’ll be able to answer 15 questions, find out whether you’re ready for Yellowstone, and share your results on social media. So I’m hoping that will reach more teens.
Was that two ways? Close enough.
Although we as authors ultimately hope a reader loves our book and will continue to read our future works, what is ONE thing you hope readers will also come away with having read ASHFALL?
A sense of the impermanence of life. We don’t know how long we’ll be here, either as individuals or as a civilization, so it behooves us to make the best of the time we’ve got.
November 15, 2011
World-Building with Author Barbara G. Tarn (Interview)
Head to ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING now to read my interview with Barbara G. Tarn and definitely consider picking up one or more of her books! Here's the PERMALINK!
Direct link to feature can be found [here].
October 20, 2011
Author Barbara G. Tarn Interviews Moi at Her Blog
Every once in a while, I relinquish my interviewer cap and become the interviewee. Friend and fellow author Barbara G. Tarn invited me to her blog to talk about myself as writer...come check out the interview! [LINK]
October 15, 2011
In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Talking with Author Catina Sinches
As a full-figured hot tamale, I am always eager to support other amazing full-figured chicas looking to do great things: case in point, author Catina Sinches and her work, Full Figure Monologues. I'm currently reading it, and all I'll say for now is it offers the inspiration women need to see ALL of their worth. Welcome Catina as ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING's featured author for October!
About Full Figure Monologues
Full Figure Monologues was written to inspire and lend a voice to full-figured women. It focuses on real life issues and captures our hopes, worries and triumphs. The intent is to open up dialogue and encourage people to sit back and look at life from the point of view of women who are realistically the population within society. Women will be able to truly see themselves or someone they know who has dealt with the struggle to love their curves, entertaining negative thoughts, their relationship with food, letting go of the past as well as the courage to pursue their dreams.
Along with our curves, we are real women with everyday struggles. The women in the book put life into perspective and open up to show others that they are never alone. Life is not always going to be easy no matter what size you are, but the journey is absolutely worth it.
Head to ChickLitGurrl: high on LATTES & WRITING now to read my interview with Catina Sinches and read a short excerpt from Full Figure Monologues; here's the PERMALINK!
Direct link to feature can be found [here].
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