Diane Stringam Tolley - Carving Angels - Author Interview

My thanks to Diane Stringam Tolley for stopping by The Plot Thickens for an author interview during the blog tour for her book, Carving Angels.

Author Interview

1. Who is the plot based around?
Carving Angels is the story of Papa Adam, former chief wood-carver for Santa. An elderly elf who has given up on his life and livelihood with the loss of his sight.

2. What is the main idea of the plot?
Papa Adam is waiting to die. But a request to carve once more, given by his youngest grandchild and only granddaughter, Amy, helps him realize that his life is not over. And that he is definitely not useless. Together, the two of them begin a project that will change, not only their lives, but the lives of every single member of the North Pole community.

3. When does the plot take place?
The story begins in early spring and follows Papa Adam and Amy through the year till Christmas.

4. Where does the plot take place?
Almost the entirety of the story takes place in Pap Adam's cottage and work room. Though there is an occasional foray into the reindeer stables and the wood sheds. But all at the North Pole.

5. Why did the plot develop the way it did?
This story is a statement about people with disabilities. And in overcoming those disabilities. It was a sweet story about faith in others and in ourselves. Because of that, it needed no other 'antagonist' or 'motivator' to move it along. Once I realized that, I was free to simply follow my two protagonists through their gentle, peaceful days. To suggest that Carving Angels really took its own path might sound . . . odd. But that's exactly what happened!

6. How did you come up with the idea for the plot?
I was looking at a picture of Santa Claus and his sleigh. And the thought popped into my head, "I wonder where he got his sleigh?" I figured he couldn't have found it on E-Bay or at Sleighs Are Us. It must have been carved by an elf.

The rest of the story developed through a series of questions . . .So . . . what kind of elf? A wood-carver, obviously. But what makes him the most special wood-carver? Well, he was the best. Santa's chief. But what makes this an unusual accomplishment for him? He had retired because of disabilities. (Huh. Elves really do grow old and infirm!)

What sort of disabilities? Age and blindness. Okay, he will need someone to help him, at least at times. Who could it be? This was tricky. I wanted someone who could be a help, but who would also be disregarded by the community at large, due to a 'disability.' Then Amy came to me. A little girl, just five years old. Perfect!

About the Book
Carving Angels

Book Details:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: September 2011
Genre: Children, ages 9-12
Format: hardcover
Price: $12.99

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com

Blurb:
Papa Adam, an elderly elf and former chief carver for Santa, has given up. Blind, frail and useless, he counts the minutes in every day as he waits to die.

But a challenge to carve, given by his youngest granddaughter, reawakens Papa Adam. Helps him to realize that he is not finished. And definitely not useless.

The two of them, the 'marginal' oldest and youngest members of North Pole society, begin a remarkable project that will change their community forever. Prove that the most paralyzing thing you can do is underestimate or undervalue anyone, especially yourself.

And that with the right love and encouragement, anything is possible.

About the Author
Diane Stringam Tolley

Diane Stringam Tolley was born and raised on a ranch in Southern Alberta, Canada. Educated in Journalism, she is the author of countless articles and short stories and 4 e-books including a novel for young adults, Essence. She and her husband, Grant are the parents of six children and live in Beaumont, Alberta, Canada.

Connect With Diane:
Blog
Author Web Site

Book Web Site
Facebook

Twitter

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			November	/December
	28	29	30	1	2	3
	I am a Reader, Not a Writer/	The Character Connection/	Book Dreaming/ The Plot Thickens/	Bookworm Lisa/	Bab’s Book Bistro/	Laurie LC Lewis/
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Makobi Scribe/	Live to Read/ A Casual Reader’s Blog/	Keepin’ Up with LDS Bookstores/	Connections with Christy/	Practical Frugality/	Hippies, Beauty and Books. Oh my!/ Reviews by Molly/	Words are Timeless/ Starcrossed/

Peter Murphy - Lagan Love - Author Interview

My thanks to Peter Murphy for stopping by The Plot Thickens for an author interview during the blog tour for his book, Lagan Love.

Author Interview

1. Who is the plot based around?
Primarily Janice and Aidan. She moves to Dublin to get away from her insipid existence in Toronto and aspires to be an artist. However, she becomes lonely in her new life and when she meets Aidan, Dublin’s rising poet, she grasp the chance at what she imagines will be a bohemian relationship – something that an artist might do. Despite that he is not at all the type of man she would once have considered it seems fitting as she reinvents herself. She also wants access to his connections – the movers and shakers of the Art World. Aidan, who is running from his own ghosts see in Janice’s love, a chance for redemption and escape from the sins of his past.

2. What is the main idea of the plot?
Through the choices and reactions of the characters we can look at the cost we must pay for following our dreams. We also get to look at love from a different angle – not the formula of happily-ever-after but something far more familiar to most of us – even if it is less reassuring.

3. When does the plot take place?
In the mid nineteen-eighties when Ireland was transitioning from economic depression to two decades of unprecedented growth known as the Celtic Tiger. It was a time when everything that had previously defined them was cast aside to pursue a bright and glittering future regardless of the costs.

4. Where does the plot take place?
The story is set in Dublin, a city of rich and troubled histories that form the perfect background to the ambitions and desires of the characters. Ireland is a place where history and mythology hover over all that happens – even the characters of Lagan Love.

5. Why did the plot develop the way it did?
As the story unfolded the original idea of a cautionary tale was redirected by the happenings and reactions of the characters. Actual events in Ireland, and the wider world, also influenced and embellished the story making it more organic.

6. How did you come up with the idea for the plot?
It began to form in my growing unease with the state of the world which seemed to me to be rushing headlong into madness while discarding all the we have learned from the past. As it evolved it offered the chance to reconsider where we were going and what price we paid along the way.

About the Book
Lagan Love

Book Details:
Publisher: Fiction Studio Books
Published: June 2011
Genre: Literary Fiction
Format: paperback & ebook
Pages: 328
Price: $13.95 paperback; $3.99 ebook

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Chapters, Kobo Books, Sony, iBookstore, IndieBound

Blurb:
In the 1980s, Ireland was on the brink – the Celtic Tiger was yet to arise and change the face, and the faces, of Dublin with prosperity and foreigners. Volatile anger, shimmering myths and lachrymose poetry still ruled the night as rough-hewn workers and lost university students hefted pints in Grogan’s pub.

Stepping into the swirling blend of the old and the new is Janice, a younger painter from Toronto, who has crossed the ocean to seek passion in her life and her art. Her affair with Aidan, Ireland’s rising poet, leads her through the veil of the Celtic Twilight to a place of reward and danger.

Into the lives of Janice and Aidan and their more practical friends walks the mysterious Gwen, who may be far more than the beautiful seductress she seems on the surface.

Trailing Gwen like cigarette smoke in a tavern is the myth of the Lenan Sidhe, or lenanshee, a fairy spirit who inspires lovers to ever greater creative heights – at a price. Can the levelheaded Sinead, who has dedicated herself to seizing new career opportunities, of the kind and romantic Ronan, keep their friends from being swept away by the Ireland that dwells just beneath the surface?

About the Author
Peter Murphy

Peter Murphy was born in Killarney where he spent his first three years before his family was deported to Dublin, the Strumpet City.

Growing up in the verdant braes of Templeogue, Peter was schooled by the De La Salle brothers in Churchtown where he played rugby for ‘The Wine and Gold’. He also played football (soccer) in secret!

After that, he graduated and studied the Humanities in Grogan’s under the guidance of Scot’s corner and the bar staff; Paddy, Tommy and Sean.

Murphy financed his education by working summers on the buildings sites of London in such places as Cricklewood, Camden Town and Kilburn. Murphy also tramped the roads of Europe playing music and living without a care in the world. But his move to Canada changed all of that. He only came over for a while – thirty years ago. He took a day job and played music in the bars at night until the demands of family life intervened. Having raised his children and packed them off to University, Murphy answered the long ignored internal voice and began to write.

He has no plans to make plans for the future and is happy to let things unfold as they do anyway. Lagan Love is his first novel.

Connect With Peter:
Web Site

Facebook

Twitter

About the Tour

Pump Up Your Book

Monday, October 3
Interviewed at Let’s Talk Virtual Book Tours

Wednesday, October 5
Book reviewed at Live to Read

Thursday, October 6
Interviewed at Blogcritics

Friday, October 7
Interviewed at Review From Here

Monday, October 10
Guest blogging at Mad Moose Mama

Tuesday, October 11
Book reviewed at Mad Moose Mama

Wednesday, October 12
Guest blogging at Literary Magic

Thursday, October 13
Book featured at The Top Shelf

Friday, October 14
Interviewed at Beyond the Books

Monday, October 17
Interviewed at The Hot Author Report

Book featured at Thoughts in Progress

Tuesday, October 18
Book trailer spotlighted at If Books Could Talk

Thursday, October 20
Interviewed at Examiner

Monday, October 24
Guest blogging at Book Reviews by Molly

Wednesday, October 26
Guest blogging at Reader Girls

Friday, October 28
Chat with Peter at Pump Up Your Book Live! Chat & Book Giveaway Party

Tuesday, November 1
Guest blogging at Jagged Edge

Wednesday, November 2
Interviewed at The Writer’s Life

Thursday, November 3
Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz

Friday, November 4
Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking

Monday, November 7
Interviewed at The Book Connection

Tuesday, November 8
Guest blogging at The Book Faery Reviews

Wednesday, November 9
Book spotlighted at Morgen Bailey’s Writing Blog

Thursday, November 10
Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book

Friday, November 11
Interviewed at As the Pages Turn

Monday, November 14
Interviewed at The Plot Thickens

Tuesday, November 15
Interviewed at Allvoices

Thursday, November 17
Guest blogging at Morgen Bailey’s Writing Blog

Friday, November 18
Guest blogging at The Story Behind the Book

Monday, November 21
Book reviewed at The Top Shelf

Tuesday, November 22
Interviewed at Paperback Writer

Wednesday, November 23
Interviewed at American Chronicle

Cindy C. Bennett - Geek Girl - Guest Post

My thanks to Cindy C. Bennett for stopping by The Plot Thickens with a guest post during the blog tour for her book, Geek Girl.

Guest Post

"Plotting, Always Plotting"

by Cindy C. Bennett

Some writers have the ability to sit down when beginning a new manuscript and write out each chapter in a detailed outline. I recently had the chance to look at one, which had the plot, theme...everything down to the resolution for each individual chapter. I was impressed—and envious. He has basically written the book before writing the book. Now, he just has to fill in the blanks.

I don’t have that ability or, to be honest, the inclination. When I sit down to write, I have a basic idea of the story. Sometimes that includes how I want the story to end, sometimes it’s nothing more than a basic idea of the problem that I want to present in the book, sometimes it’s as simple as an idea for a character I want to write about with no idea how his/her story is going to go. I am a complete fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of writer. I like it that way.

This may be slightly insane, or somewhat schizophrenic, but by keeping ideas open, it allows my characters to speak to me, and to go their own way. Yeah, I know exactly how that sounds, but it’s true nonetheless. Many times my characters surprise me with their reactions, or when they do something I had not planned on them doing, saying something completely unplanned. If I had an outline, especially a detailed one, my characters would be constrained, and the story would not come out as good as it otherwise might.

For me, plotting is almost a side note. The closest I’ve come to having an actual plot preplanned was with Geek Girl, and that’s only because Geek Girl began as a 1500 word short story for a contest. Once I completed it, I couldn’t get Jen and Trev out of my mind. They were begging for their story to be told (see, characters talking to me again). So I did have a pretty good idea of how their story would go, but changing a story from 1500 word to 76,000 words still gave me a bit of leeway.

My advice is to find the style that works best for you. If you find yourself constantly getting lost in your narrative, then maybe an outline is the way for you to go. If you feel your plot is more fluid, and that you’re happy to let it change as it will, then scrap the outline as it will only stifle your creativity. Plot in the way that makes you—and your characters—happy.

About the Book
Geek Girl

Book Details:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: December 2011
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Format: Paperback

Pages: 280
Price: $15.99

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com

Blurb:
Jen’s life of rebelling and sneaking out has grown stale. On a whim, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a nice little geek, into a “bad boy.” Hanging out with the geeks, however, pulls Jen into a world she never dreamed existed. But when Trevor finds out about the wager, all bets are off.

Excerpt:
"Think I could turn that boy bad?"

My two best friends--my only two friends, really--follow my gaze and laugh.

"Trevor Hoffman?" Beth scoffs. "No way, Jen."

"I bet I could," I say, shrugging.

"Why him?" Beth asks. "Why not any of the other nerds sitting there with him?"

"Because," I say slowly, "he isn't your typical run-of-the-mill geek. Trevor Hoffman is different. He would be a little more difficult to take down--more of a challenge, you know?"

About the Author
Cindy C. Bennett

I write contemporary YA, though I am currently working on a book which dips a tiny toe into the paranormal. I have four amazing kids - two boys, two girls. I'm married to a man who makes it possible for me to pursue this crazy dream. I live in Utah, have my whole life, and can't imagine living anywhere else.

I started writing a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . . no, wait, that's Star Wars' intro, not mine. I did start writing a long time ago, that part is true. I can't remember when I started making up stories and putting them down on paper, it seems I always have. Then, in high school, I had an amazing English teacher, Mr. Bickmore, who really expanded my passion for writing. Every day as we came into class, he had a "ten-minute writing" assignment, which is exactly what it sounds like. I looked forward to that ten minutes each day like you can't believe. He taught me a love of pure, creative writing, and a love of great literature. (Who knew Romeo and Juliet begins with two pages of dirty jokes?)

Then at some point, YA became a popular genre, and, having two teen daughters, I found my house inundated with it. So I read many of the books, and fell in love with them. I mean seriously, who doesn't have a crystal clear remembrance of that time in your life: the awkwardness, the insecurity and drama - the flush of new love. A few years ago, I began writing Heart on a Chain, (the story of why can be read here, so I won't reiterate). And I found my niche.

I followed the completion of that manuscript with Geek Girl (the history of which can be read here). My daughters encouraged me to publish them. I decided Geek Girl was the easier sell, so I began writing the dreaded query letters. In the meantime, I joined an online critique group from a real editor, telling you whether your first page would capture the attention of an agent, and subsequently a publisher. I received high praise for my first page, and with renewed enthusiasm began sending out even more query letters, deciding the original agents who had rejected me didn't know what they were talking about.

After much more rejection from agents, disheartened, I signed up for an online class on how to write a winning query letter. That had to be the problem, right? (I will say that when it comes to selling my work, either by query, synopsis, book blurb, or verbally, I pretty much suck.) I did get a nice, polished query letter out of the experience, as well as a new title. I had originally called the manuscript Geek Boy, then just Geek. The instructor of the class gave me the idea for Geek Girl as a title, which sounded perfect to me. But that wasn't the most valuable thing I received. What I received was two amazing authors who wanted to exchange chapter-for-chapter critiques. Jeffery Moore and Camelia Miron Skiba are now not only my partners in critiquing and editing one another's manuscripts, they have become my dear friends, the one's whose shoulders I can cry on when I get a bad review, the one's who completely understand my writing style, and help to make it better, who are in this swirling maelstrom of writing, publishing, and marketing right by my side.

Around this time, I had pretty much given up on the idea of an agent, and through some research, had discovered the option for publishing my own ebook. A light bulb exploded over my head at the realization: I can do this. I put it forth to Jeff and Cami, and Jeff was the one who introduced me to CreateSpace. With bounding excitement, I designed a cover, wrote the dreaded blurb, and uploaded Geek Girl to be published. Until you've experienced it yourself, you have no idea how very good it feels to hold a book in your hands, with your name on the cover as author.

At that point, I sat back and waited for the book to begin flying off the virtual shelves. I began editing Heart on a Chain while I waited. And waited. And waited. Hmmm. Why weren't they selling? Apparently, people around the world aren't out there waiting for a book to be put forth by Cindy C Bennett for them to devour (she says, tongue in cheek).

Thus, I learned how to market. And I thought editing was bad! Marketing is not hard, per say, it's just extremely time consuming. About the time I had Heart on a Chain ready for publication, I finally had begun to scratch the tip of the iceberg in the marketing arena. This is where I discovered the power of, and the invaluable services of, book bloggers.

It was also around this time that I decided to try to get a publisher to pick up Geek Girl. I began searching for a publishing house that would take on a previously self-published book. There aren't many, mostly smaller publishing houses. I resubmitted the dreaded query to the ones who would even take a look, received a couple of rejections, and then (cue angelic music and light from the heavens) I received an email from Cedar Fort Publishing, saying they wished to publish Geek Girl.

I quickly emailed or wrote to all of the other publishers, letting them know I had received an offer, and signed with Cedar Fort on March 1, 2011, eight months after I first self-published it. I took it off sale from all of the places I had it available, and in an ironic twist, that month I had the highest sales numbers - actually, let me rephrase. I sold more copies of Heart on a Chain that month than I had sold of both books combined - ever - total! I figured it was the result of the post-Christmas receipt of Kindle's and Nook's that drove the sales that month.

Now, I'm in the middle of the craziest time of my life. Heart on a Chain continues to do well in sales, with my constant marketing efforts. I'm trying to finish my next book. I'm working closely with Cedar Fort in the final product and pre-marketing of Geek Girl to have it ready for a blog tour in November, and re-release December 8, 2011.

In the midst of this wonderful insanity, I'm still being a mom, helping my husband run our cabinet business, co-hosting a podcast with my son called The RyTime! Geekcast, where we talk all things geek, along with the time I spend volunteering with a group of girls ages 12-18. Jeff, Cami and I have added another author to our little group, Kimberley Patterson, as we all work on our next books together. I could use a clone of myself to double my time!

All I can say is: Life is wonderful!

Connect With Cindy:
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

Tour Participants:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					4	5
		November			Night Owl Teen/ Nuttier Reads/ Jolene’s Been Writing/	Reading Eating and Dreaming/ Five Alarm Books/ Coffee, Books, and Me/
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Inklings Read/ The Character Connection/	Wordpaintings Unlimited/ Vampire Wire/	Forbidden Passions/ As the Spine Breaks/ The Plot Thickens/	Thoughts at One in the Morning/ Bookworm Lisa/ Books to the Sky/	Totally Obsessed/ Passion for Novels/ Twisting the Lens/	Nocturnal Book Reviews/ Getting Your Read On/ A Casual Reader’s Blog/	Jeanz Book Read and Review/ LDS Women’s Book Review/ Books Complete Me/
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
Pages of Gold/ Book Spark/	Zone Out Mode/ Taffy’s Writings/	Mrs. Papillion/ Lani Woodland/	Princess Reviews/ A Book Lover’s Review/ Reader of Fictions/	Reading For Sanity/ Coma Calm/ Nightly Reading/	Creating Childhood Memories/ Jagged Edge Reviews/ Just Another Book Addict/	Starcrossed/ The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer/
20	21	22	23	24	25
Young Readers/	Six Mixed Reviews/ Fictitious Musings/ Letters Inside Out/	Mudrock and Pink Nail Polish/ Practical Frugality/ All About Me/	Living, Loving, Laughing, Reading/ This Great Perhapsless/	Imaginary Reads/ TToria/ Mommy Wants to Read/	Ali’s Bookshelf/ Biblio Junkies/ Book and Movie Dimension a Blog/

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Clockwork Prince
by Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: December 6

The situation at the London Institute has never been more precarious. With Mortmain and his clockwork army still threatening, the Council wants to strip Charlotte of her power and hand the running of the Enclave over to the unscrupulous and power-hungry Benedict Lightwood.

In the hope of saving Charlotte and the Institute, Will, Jem, and Tessa set out to unravel the secrets of Mortmain's past and discover unsettling Shadowhunter connections that hold the key not only to the enemy's motivations, but also to the secret of Tessa's identity. Tessa, already caught between the affections of Will and Jem, finds herself with another choice to make when she learns how the Shadowhunters helped make her a monster. Will she turn from them to her brother, Nate, who has been begging her to join him at Mortmain's side? Where will her loyalties and love lie? Tessa alone can choose to save the Shadowhunters of London or end them forever.

Musing Monday

This week’s musing asks…

Do you judge a book by its cover?

Absolutely! But hopefully the advent of ebooks will leave me more open-minded. A thumbnail image of a cover isn't as persuasive as seeing a book jacket in person.

Type of cover I like:



Type of cover I don't like:

Book Blogger Hop

“What is your favorite spooky book (i.e. mystery/suspense, thriller, ghost story, etc.)?”

The Fear Street series from R.L. Stine from the late 1980s into the mid 1990s.

I remember as a kid being absolutely terrified to read the next line, yet being unable to put the book down.

Booking Through Thursday

SEQUEL

If you could get a sequel for any book, what would it be?

Mockingjay (Hunger Games Series #3) by Suzanne Collins because I'd like to see how Katniss and Peeta were able to pull their lives back together.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Fever
by Lauren DeStefano
Publication Date: February 21

The second book in The Chemical Garden Trilogy reveals a world as captivating—and as dangerous—as the one Rhine left behind in Wither.

Rhine and Gabriel may have escaped the beautiful prison of Wither’s mansion, but they are far from escaping danger. First they’re chased for stealing a getaway boat, and then the fleeing pair ends up in the eerie den of Madame, an old woman who collects girls and sells them to the highest bidders. Worst of all, Vaughn, Rhine’s sinister father-in-law, seems to be on her trail every step of the way. Rhine remains determined to get to her brother in Manhattan—but the road they are on is long and perilous.

Now that Rhine has finally regained her freedom, what lengths will she need to go to in order to keep it?

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"How is it I never know a man is going to hurt me until he does? Some women have better radar than others."

- p. 245, Standing Still by Kelly Simmons

Musing Monday

This week’s musing asks…

What types of nonfiction do you read? Can do multiple choices.

CHOICES:
- e-books
- Mythology/Folklore
- Travel/Locations
- Humor
- History
- Art, including art history
- Science including forensics
- Gardening/Nature
- Political
- Financial/Economical
- Religious
- Self-help
- How-to books
- Books on writing
- Audio books
- Biography
- Autobiography
- Sports
- Architecture
- Fitness/Exercise/Nutrition/Beauty
- Other
- None of the Above

I like History, Religious, Political (depending on the subject) and Biography/Autobiography.

Some examples are:

1) Industrial Pioneers

by Patrick Brown

2) Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life

by Karina Lumbert Fabian and Deacon Steven Lumbert

3) 102 Minutes

by Jim Dwyer

4) That Day in September

by Artie Van Why