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Guest Author Donna Schlachter Visits the Blog with a Giveaway!

4/27/2022

Good Morning, Booklovers!

I hope you enjoyed last week’s quizzes, but today we are back on track with guest author, Donna Schlachter, and her featured sweet historical fiction novel, Calli. And she has a Giveaway!
Welcome to the blog, Donna. How do you take your coffee?

DS: I drink it with half-and-half, although I prefer whipping cream. Not the frothy stuff that comes out of a can, but the liquid. My favorite is Peruvian, which I purchase when I go there on mission.

Ally: Since my magic pot can do anything, Peruvian whipping cream is not a problem. While I fix our drinks, please introduce yourself to readers.

Bio:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 50 times in books; is a member of several writers’ groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both.

Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I’m a Canadian by birth, American by choice. I once skated with an Olympic figure skating medalist.”

Author contacts:

www.DonnaSchlachter.com Stay connected so you learn about new releases, preorders, and presales, as well as check out featured authors, book reviews, and a little corner of peace. Plus: Receive a free ebook simply for signing up for our free newsletter!
www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog
Check out previous blog posts at www.HiStoryThruTheAges.wordpress.com and www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DonnaSchlachter
Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=donna+schlachter
Etsy online shop of original artwork: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Dare2DreamUS

INTERVIEW:

Ally: Who or what inspired your featured book?

DS: I was asked to participate in the “Prairie Roses Collection” again, and in doing some research, discovered that while we know about the hundreds of thousands of people who headed west, we rarely hear about those who didn’t find what they were looking for and returned east again. While there is no official tally, unofficial numbers range in the tens of thousands. I felt their story needed to be told.

Ally: What is the easiest—or the hardest—part of writing for you?

DS: The idea is always the easiest. But getting the characters to build the story, the plot to hang the story on, and the theme of the story can be tough. I’ve abandoned many good ideas because the history wasn’t there, or the science wasn’t in place in time, or I simply couldn’t come up with enough sticky situations to place my characters in.

Ally: Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable?

DS: I have an in-person (now Zoom) critique group that I’ve been with for more than 10 years. Word Crafters is a delightful group of serious authors whose goals are publishing and sharing the Gospel (not necessarily in that order). Of the initial authors who began so long ago, 4 (including me) are still active, and 3 have been published. I think a critique group is important because it’s people we trust to tell us the truth. There is nothing worse than writing a 5-page synopsis before figuring out there really isn’t a compelling story to tell—unless it’s writing the entire book. A good critique group will steer you right, help you fix not only the grammar and punctuation issues, but will also help you with the big picture problems.

Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?

DS: I actually have a contemporary release on May 2nd in an anthology that I’m very excited about. You can learn more about my story, Zero Guilt Calories, and the anthology, Sweet Sprinkles, here: https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Sprinkles-Collection-Jennifer-Miller-ebook/dp/B09KTB32B3

Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?

DS:

an author (living or dead) you'd love to chat with – Agatha Christie
an item on your bucket list: visit Britain, Ireland, Scotland
ebook or print? Print – although I also read ebook.
most watched tv show: Murdoch Mysteries
a movie you’ll always remember: A Witness for the Prosecution (original not the recent adaptation)

Ally: Thanks for visiting with us, Donna. I’ll look forward to seeing you again in May when you return with a new contemporary release. In the meantime, let’s take a look at Calli.

Calli (Prairie Roses Collection #13)
Genre: Clean and Sweet Historical Fiction

Calli works as a nurse with the US Army at Fort Bridger, Wyoming in 1880. When a wagon train full of discouraged emigrants passes through on its way east, a pregnant widow delivers her baby then dies. Bradley Wilson, leading this train, has few options. He asks Calli to travel with them until they find a relative to take the child in St. Joe, Missouri. Calli, drawn to both this dark and quiet man and the child, resists. But when she disappears, he wonders if she’s run away or been kidnapped. Can these two put their pasts behind them and move into a new future together? Or will Calli insist on having things her own way?

Amazon Buy Link (also available through Kindle Unlimited)

https://www.amazon.com/Calli-Prairie-Roses-Collection-Book-ebook/dp/B09SD6XPRQ

***Giveaway: Happy to give a free print (US only) or ebook of Calli to a random, lucky winner. Just comment to enter.

Guests Posts are on Hiatus, so How About a Quiz or Two?

4/20/2022

Good Morning, Booklovers!

It's Spring Break on the Coffee Chat, so I've given you the links to a couple of quizzes that educate or entertain. See how you do. I'm posting my results for your interest or challenge. :)

Quiz #1: What Fictional Character is Your Personality Match?

A fun quiz, but you can imagine my surprise that I was an 87% match with Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), (in light of the fact I am currently writing mysteries from England's Regency era. Who knew?)

openpsychometrics.org/tests/characters/

Quiz #2: How is your grammar?

This one is more serious, but it's short. Hop over to GrammarBook.com and take this brief quiz on Effective Writing. I was 10 for 10. Can you match me?

www.grammarbook.com/grammar_quiz/effective_writing_1.asp

Inside Scoop on Killer Nashville Internat'l Writers' Conference

4/13/2022

Good Morning, Booklovers!

This week's guest interview is a little different than usual. Clay Stafford, founder of Killer Nashville International Writers' Conference, joins us to talk about this year's conference, behind the scene activities in producing the conference, and his own history with Killer Nashville.
Welcome, Clay. How do you drink your coffee?

Clay: Hi, Ally. I. take four cups of coffee in the morning, each morning a different flavor (I grow bored easily) with half-and-half. Throughout the day, I compliment that with a half-gallon of unsweetened iced tea. Before bed, it is herbal tea time with my wife. I am rarely seen without a tea glass or coffee/tea cup in my hand.

Ally: Since we're meeting in the morning, we'll stick with coffee, and I guess we'll just surprise you with the flavor! While I fix our drinks, please tell us a little about yourself.
.

Bio:

Clay Stafford is an American bestselling and award-winning author, poet, screenwriter, playwright, composer, filmmaker, educator, and public speaker. He has sold nearly four million copies of his books, has his work distributed in over sixteen languages, and has spoken as a Master of Ceremony to over one million people.

Clay writes the monthly “Killer Writers” column for Writer’s Digest. Clay serves as President/CEO of American Blackguard Entertainment, which includes Killer Nashville Magazine, Clay Stafford Books, American Blackguard Records, The Clay Stafford Company, and American Blackguard Music.

Clay has an M.F.A. and has taught at numerous universities and is the honorary Writer-in-Residence at Battle Ground Academy. He is also the founder of Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference. He is recipient of Publishers Weekly, Frankfurt Book Fair, and the American Booksellers Association Star Watch Nominee for top North American publishing industry professionals.

Publisher website: claystaffordbooks.com/
Professional Website: claystafford.com

INTERVIEW:

Ally: What inspired you to organize a writers’ conference?

Clay: Hi, Ally. I’ve always been a writer and I’ve always been an educator. I taught my first graded high school course while I was still a senior at a private high school. At the time I was also already a professionally produced writer. I’ve been hooked on sharing info ever since. Throughout my career, I’ve helped found and start several instructional courses (public and university) and Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference (https://killernashville.com/)—founded in 2006—is my latest. Sixteen years later, we’re still going and have attendees visit annually from all over the world. It truly is an international event.

Ally: How did you choose the name Killer Nashville?

Clay: I live in Nashville, and I wanted to brand the conference as a Nashville entity, so the Nashville part is a given. I’m a huge fan of Southern gothic, mystery, thriller, horror, dark literary, and suspense novels and true crime. I’m also attracted to sci-fi, fantasy, westerns, and romantic suspense. What do you have when you try to combine all of those elements together? Usually someone gets offed. There’s where the Killer came in. So we’re basically a conference for all genres incorporating mystery, thriller, or suspense elements.

Ally: How do you select your speakers each year?

Clay: Speakers come to us in numerous ways. Some are referrals from other writers. Many are attendees who sign up to be at the conference. Some are people that I’ve heard about and I approach them in a cold call. Some are writers I know. Some are writers/educators who send us a proposal. I’m always interested in hearing from someone that I didn’t expect to hear from. If someone signs up for the conference, we always try to accommodate them on a panel.

Ally: What do you feel is unique about Killer Nashville compared with other conferences?

Clay: If you ask our writers (and you can see their blurbs all over the web and the Killer Nashville website), it is about how Killer Nashville feels like a family. For me, the difference is the focus. Killer Nashville for me is a labor of love. I’ve devoted sixteen years of volunteer time to it with the whole purpose of the conference being for established writers to give back to the next generation of up-and-coming scribes. We do outreach to help writers find publishers. Our connections with agents is unmatched. We teach people on any level to promote themselves and their works better in order to take themselves to the next level. We are fully invested in writers for the long haul throughout the entire year—for their entire career really—rather than just seeing them at an annual event. For us, attendees are not just another writer, they are the voices in the community of tomorrow. We’re investing in the future. We also don’t do that just at Killer Nashville. Annually, Killer Nashville donates up to $85,000 worth of books to needy libraries and literary causes among other outreach and charitable activities. We even publish a monthly electronic magazine, Killer Nashville Magazine. Readers can sign up for a subscription to it for free online.

Ally: Is there programming for readers or is this strictly a writers’ conference?

Clay: It is designed as a writer’s conference, but about ten percent of our attendees each year are actually fans with no desire to write anything themselves. We also have our forensic track for CSI junkies and many non-writers attend that track. We’ve found readers love to know what goes on behind-the-scenes in the world of a favorite writer, so those particular fans attend for that. So while our job is to instruct, guide, and mentor writers of all genres, we also offer something for those who want to learn more about the writers themselves, including free book signings that are open to the public. The sessions are honest, and authors truly do share much about themselves.

Ally: Is diversity addressed in your scheduled events?

Clay: Diversity has always been addressed at Killer Nashville. Always. Even before it was the politically correct thing to do. I’ll say Killer Nashville has been a forerunner of diversity in the industry. See our Star Watch Nominee nod to me because of this very reason.

Ally: Tell us about the annual awards as well as the scholarships available.

Clay: We offer several awards at Killer Nashville. My two personal favorites are the Killer Nashville Claymore Award and the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award. The KN Claymore Award is for the best first fifty pages of an unpublished novel. Through this award, we’ve been able to secure new authors agents, publishing contracts, and even movie deals. The KN Silver Falchion Award is for best book published in the previous years in a variety of genres. This is open to both traditionally published works and self-published works. We make no distinction. All we’re looking for is a great story.

In terms of scholarships, many times the very people who need to be at Killer Nashville and who need the mentorship that Killer Nashville offers are the very ones who can’t necessarily afford to attend Killer Nashville. We’re considered a premier writers’ conference (voted the best writers’ conference this past year by The Writer magazine, for example) and successful writers want to give back to that next generation so they’ve set up scholarships that pay for everything from tuition to travel and board. For all of these and other opportunities, go to the Killer Nashville website at https://killernashville.com/.

Ally: What is the best part of hosting a mystery conference?

Clay: Making new friends and seeing old ones. Watching people get agents. Seeing lightbulbs go off in attendees’ heads. It’s an incredible feeling to be a part of an event that is actually changing people’s lives.

Ally: Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to talk about?

Clay: Anyone who knows me knows I can talk for days. For the sake of your readers, I think you’ve covered things delightfully.

Ally: Tell us where, when, how many sessions, this year’s speakers, hotel accommodations, other entertainment, costs, registration, etc.

Clay: All of the above can be found on the Killer Nashville website, so I won’t belabor it here. But to sum, we have nearly seventy sessions throughout the four days, a writer intensive on Thursday afternoon, five tracks covering everything from newbie questions, writing specifics, genre specific sessions, academic sessions, publicity/advertising, new technology, and forensics. We have agent pitches for attendees to find an agent. We have mingling events for attendees to network and make life-long friends and writing support. It’s a fun-filled weekend. Many writers bring their families for a full vacation in Nashville.

Ally: Fun-filled and exhausting! What a line up! And what an interesting job you have, Clay. Thank you for coming on the Coffee Chat and sharing so much with us. I wish you the best year ever with the 2022 conference!

Mark your calendars, folks. Killer Nashville, Franklin, TN
Aug 18 - 21, 2022
killernashville.com

Cozy Up to Author Rose Kerr's New Mystery Series

4/6/2022

Good Morning, Booklovers!

Pull up a chair and join me in welcoming Rose Kerr, the author of the Brenna Flynn cozy mystery series.
Please set with us, Rose. What may I get you to drink?

RK: I can’t drink coffee anymore, so I’ve switched to black tea. I drink it with a big splash of Silk Vanilla Almond creamer.

Ally: Sounds delicious. While I pour, please introduce yourself to readers.

Author Bio:

Rose Kerr lived most of her adult life in small towns. She and her husband raised their family in a small town on the shores of Lake Superior, in Northern Ontario, Canada. The town and surrounding communities provided the scenic setting for Rose’s Brenna Flynn Mystery series. Rose is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Guppy Online Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and Crime Writers of Canada.

Something unique/unusual that isn’t in your regular bio: “In my last year of high school, I took a cake decorating class from one of the bakers in my village. I learned decorating techniques that I still use today.”

Author contact links:
Website: www.rosekerr.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseKerrAuthor
Instagram: @r.m.kerr
Twitter: @rkerrwriter
Pinterest: @rosekerrauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/rosekerr

INTERVIEW:

Ally: Do you write from an outline?

RK: Well, I start with an outline. I like to know who the victim is and who the suspects are. I use my outline like a roadmap, I know where I want to go, but I can take different ways to get there. I may start out thinking I know who the killer is, but along the way, that can change.

Ally: With your writing, do you still find time to read?

RK: I read between ten and twelve books a month. I stick to mystery and thrillers most of the time. I like discovering new to me authors in the cozy mystery world. This last month, I’ve been reading cozy authors Sarah E Burr, Michelle Hillen Klump, J.C.Kenney, and Essie Lang.

Ally: What are your most frequently used research sources for your writing?

RK: Google for general information. I narrow the focus of my search, or it gets overwhelming.
Google Earth has been helpful in scouting out locations as during the recent lockdowns it was impossible to travel.
YouTube to figure out how to do things. Let’s just say, there’s a lot of things you can learn on YouTube.

Ally: Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable?

RK: I have two critique partners who have different skill sets. Between the two of them, they provide me with great feedback. They are invaluable to me.

Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?

RK: Book 2 in the Brenna Flynn series (Death in Academia) has been turned in and the tentative release is March 2023.
I’m writing book three now, due for submission to my editor in September 2022.

Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you select to answer?

RK: Short answer below:

Memorable book: And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie.
Have you written a book in NaNo? Yes, Death on the Set, A Brenna Flynn Mystery’s first draft was done in NaNo. It’s changed a lot since that first draft, but that’s what first drafts are for.
Your pets: Jake, our female dog who is a Golden Retriever/Husky mix. She was a rescue from our local Humane Society. She’s featured in my books.
Best place ever visited: South Korea. We were there for three weeks when our son and daughter-in-law got married. We travelled throughout the country, met some great people, and took home beautiful memories.
Do you re-read books? Yes, I do. I’ve read most of Agatha Christie’s books several times and The Pelican Brief by John Grisham has been read at least eight times.

Ally: I’m afraid we’ve come to the end of our chat. It’s been a pleasure, Rose. Before you go, please show us your featured novel.

Death on the Set, A Brenna Flynn Mystery
Genre: cozy mystery

Former high school guidance counselor, Brenna Flynn, returns home to Bayview City after the sudden death of her husband. Unable to find work in her field, she signs up with a temp agency to find employment. Sent on an interview for a cooking reality show, she aces it and gets the job of a production assistant.

On her second day at work, Brenna discovers a body in the studio. She soon learns she’s the police’s primary suspect. Determined to clear her name, she uses some skills she’s honed as a guidance counselor to learn more about the victim. Drawing people out comes naturally to Brenna, and she becomes a confidante to cast and crew on the show.

The stakes are raised with threatening notes, poisonings, and blackmail. Can Brenna uncover who the killer is before someone else dies?

PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/36VF6yn
Amazon.ca: https://amzn.to/35kSlIp
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3NvdsZS
Kobo: https://bit.ly/38471wp

Guest Author Donna Schlachter Visits the Blog with a Giveaway!

Guests Posts are on Hiatus, so How About a Quiz or Two?

Inside Scoop on Killer Nashville Internat'l Writers' Conference

Mark your calendars, folks. Killer Nashville, Franklin, TNAug 18 - 21, 2022killernashville.com

Cozy Up to Author Rose Kerr's New Mystery Series

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Mark your calendars, folks. Killer Nashville, Franklin, TN
Aug 18 - 21, 2022
killernashville.com