Summer allows us some extra time to read, if we are lucky. Vacation time can be a manic organization of activities and travel, but escaping for a while into a good book and allowing ourselves to relax and feed our souls is just as important. As an eclectic reader delving into many genres, my TBR shelf is diverse, so choosing my next read can be difficult. I tend to read the blurb and the one that hooks me the strongest is the one I begin.
As many of you know I subscribe to the Goodreads Reading Challenge every year. It is fun to look back on a year’s reading and pick out favourite stories. So far, this year, I have read 17 books of 35. I review every single book too so you are welcome to check them out. https://www.goodreads.com/mandyeve-barnett
I am also a Goodreads author and you can find my books there.
How significant is the location of your latest novel – Written in Stone?
Funny enough, the locations have changed about 3 times! Originally, Alison starts in Vancouver and travels east to one of the Great Lakes. After discussion with a US publisher, I began to change the settings to her living in Seattle and flying to Maine. THEN after leaving my publisher of 10 years, I decided to set it back in Canada and have her travel from Toronto to Vancouver Island.
Wherever Alison ended up going, water was essential as was having several small islands in the area. Her father being a private person, wanted seclusion and found it on the West Coast of Canada.
What differences are there from your other books with this A.J. Cadell mystery?
The biggest difference is that Alison starts off as a romance writer. She wants her Happy Ever After, yet feels like she can’t catch a break with men or her writing career. She also has memory issues and has no idea why. Her mother has been secretive for the past 20 years and her sister is just as in the dark about what happened to Alison to erase part of her childhood.
Alison is also younger than my usual protagonists who range around 30 and up. She’s 25 and has been tossed into a brand new world thanks to a mysterious benefactor that turns out to be her grandmother.
Where did the idea emerge for this story/series?
This one started off more as a “what if?” concept when I was frustrated about having to work full time, not having enough time to write, and feeling Imposter Syndrome taking over. What if I’d started as a younger author and received the dream of becoming a Writer-In-Residence – anywhere! I had a friend with a cottage on the shores of Lake Huron, which is where the idea of Thistlewood Manor being near water dug in. It comes more into play in Book 2, Diamond on the Rocks, which is already in the works.
When planning a new series do you know the complete arc across the books?
Not always. Sometimes, I feel like I grow along with my protagonist. For example, with my Gilda Wright Mystery series, Gilda started off as a mousy receptionist who was unlikely to take chances – until one of her friends died. With each new book, she’s become someone who will dive in to protect the ones she loves and seek justice for them all. The last book was not published before I left my publisher, but will be launched once I re-release the previous ones!
Do you gather ideas from real news stories?
Not always. Most ideas come from a variety of places. Although, for All That Shimmers, the idea of Laken’s ex-husband living in her attic actually did come from a news story!
I also found a couple other news stories that are on a back burner for now. They will be a part of a whole new series when I get to it.
How does writing for your blog aid your writing life?
My Escape With a Writer blog took on a life of its own when I changed it to showcase other authors. It became a real inspiration for me to see what other writers are doing, how hard they work, and how much great support is out there. Personally, their stories are a comfort that I’m on the right path and I enjoy adding new writers to my radar that I can check out for times I get to sit back and read – and review!
Is your membership to genre specific organizations an advantage? How?
Not all the groups I belong to are genre specific, but the ones who are crime related have become a really great network for finding editors, readers, and even help when I decided to go the self-publishing route! It’s kind of fun to be able to chat with other mystery writers and not have to feel self-conscious about saying the wrong thing! We might sound horrible and evil, but really we’re just working out ideas for our next book. We definitely have vivid imaginations!
Why did you decide to go the Indie publishing route?
Mostly because I had 15 books that suddenly had no homes. Not many other publishers would look at those books and take them on, so I decided to rebrand them. Some might have name changes, but all will receive new covers and thorough edits.
I decided to start my new publishing company with a whole new book because I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get everything back from the publisher. Turns out they were offline within 12 hours! I’m hoping to have all the Book 1s up in the next year, then the Book 2s and so on. Some series are shorter than others.
Down the road, I may look at submitting to another publisher, particularly for my romance series. For now I have a lot of work to do getting my backlist out there once more. I’m a one-woman operation and also edit and book coach on the side!
What are you working on right now?
Getting All That Sparkles, Book 1 of my Glitter Bay Mystery Series edited and creating a new cover. I want to launch it in late June or early July.
Pulling together some short stories I’m doing for several Aconite Press Anthologies that I’ve created a fun character named Dash Allman for. Dash will get a book of her own in the form of a Collection of Stories from her start as a Private Investigator to her summer adventure that will be released in an anthology called A Hobby in Foul Play, which comes out in August.
Waiting for edits to come back on a Fantasy novel I’m helping a friend write.
Several meetings with editing/mentoring clients.
Taking the odd day off to catch up on my blog and enjoy my new living space after moving twice in one year!
Where can readers find you and your books?
The best place is my website. As new ones come out, I’ll be adding them and telling everyone about it both on my blog and in my newsletter!
A new Mystery Series by critically acclaimed mystery writer, Diane Bator. Released on February 27th The book is available worldwide in e-book format. “What happens at Grandma’s house, stays at Grandma’s house.”
The problem is A. J. (Alison Jane) Cadell can’t remember Grandma or her house. Dreaming of becoming a best-selling romance novelist, Alison is invited to Cedar Grove, British Columbia to be a Writer-in-Residence and reside at Thistlewood Manor for a month. When a resident of the manor is found dead, Alison is drawn into a mystery involving a grandmother she doesn’t remember, a father she thought was long dead, and a handsome firefighter who could be the link to solving the mystery.Will someone be after her next? “Written in Stone is author Diane Bator’s first novel in her latest mystery series. The book is fast paced and engaging, revealing layer after layer of mystery.” – Angela Van Breeman
“With pulse-pounding peril, sharply-plotted mystery, and a delicious touch of romance, Written in Stone is a deeply satisfying read.” — Kathleen Marple Kalb (Nikki Knight) Author of the Old Stuff, Ella Shane, Grace the Hit Mom and Vermont Radio Mysteries
More books from Diane Bator:
Bio:
Diane Bator began writing as a kid when she fell in love with storytelling. After ten years with various traditional publishers, she’s created her own company, Escape With a Writer Publishing to relaunch her previous work plus many new titles. She is also a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, The Writers Union of Canada, and International Thriller Writers. Diane is a proud mom of three, a Reiki Master, a blue belt in goju-ryu karate, and an artist who loves stopping at odd places on road trips. Join her newsletter and Escape With a Writer! https://dianebator.substack.com/ Blog: Escape With a Writer – Great stories, interesting writers and more! (wordpress.com) Website: https://dianebator.ca/ To request additional review copies or an interview with Diane Bator, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
As a June baby, my astrological sign is the twins – Gemini. This is an air sign most often associated with intellect and curiosity, but also the ability to be flexible, and adaptable. I can relate to this full heartedly, as I research such a variety of topics for my books and enjoy doing so. And I have certainly followed through on all the things that excite me, especially creative pursuits, where I have thrived. My ability as a compelling storyteller also fits this sign.
I do have a social nature and enjoy making new friends and forging connections. My ruling planet, Mercury, is all about communication, and that is probably why I am comfortable talking and at ease when given a platform at work places, schools, or in my community. For example, the night before my niece’s wedding, I was asked to do the reading in the church! I read the passage several times and then on the day stood in the pulpit and read it without batting an eyelid. It was, of course, an honour to be asked.
I am also vocal in my support of my writer friends goals and am happy to help, or make introductions to enable someone to make a great connection. This is coupled with my looking to find unique, or interesting connections within the writing community and beyond. Due my innate curiosity and excitement for new experiences, I’m happy to literally hit the open road, or find the next great adventure as reflected in the many road trips I enjoy with my good friend, Linda.
Gemini’s are seen as yin and yang, dark and light, noisy and quiet and yes, I am all those things. I embody both outgoing and solitary. Outgoing when I reach out to readers, promote my books and attending events and solitary when I am at my writing desk creating a world inhabited by characters I’ve made up! Having a dual personality is a great benefit when I am creating characters too.
Barbara Harrison is a woman who loves telling stories. She was an avid reader as a teenager, whose interest in the world of imagination was first stirred by the written word. Barbara started with writing scripts for plays and poetry. This love for words, then extended into a passion for acting and bringing the written word to life. As a hopeless romantic, she mostly enjoyed reading books about true love and finding a soulmate. As she grew into womanhood, the young Barbara began to realize that sadly, the love stories depicted in Mills and Boon novels, were far removed from real life. In 1988 she married her late husband, Russel Harrison, and they raised two children together. After many marital ups and downs and twelve years of marriage, Russel moved to Florida, USA. This was a huge shock to Barbara and their children, who had no desire to relocate overseas. For a period of fourteen years. Barbara lived a life of split family on two continents, travelling between America and South Africa. Tragically, in August 2012, after a mole biopsy on his arm, Russel received news that it had become a melanoma. He recovered well from the surgery to remove the cancer; however, it had spread, and in April 2014 was considered to be stage four and therefore terminal. Both returned to South Africa in July 2014, where Russ received treatment and they could be with family and friends during that dreadful time. On 1 October 2015, their twenty-seventh wedding anniversary, Russel passed away, leaving Barbara a grieving widow. Barbara began to slowly move forward again, and as she looked back to take stock of her life, she began to realize that she had spent most of her married life, living her husband’s dream. Although she thoroughly enjoyed being a wife and mother, there had been no ambition, other than the love of acting many years ago, to follow a career. At the age of fifty, encouraged by two of her friends, Barbara began to write again. Her first couple of endeavors were in the non-fiction world and she did not attempt to publish. One of her friends suggested that she try her hand at writing novels. Another friend greatly believed in her ability to write and constantly encouraged her to keep going, ultimately birthing the book you now hold in your hands.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Barbara Harrison, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
Actually, if you are in central Alberta on Sunday 16th June, you will find me at the Fort Saskatchewan Public Library. They are holding a Local Author Fair from 1:30 pm-4:30 pm. I, along with several other authors, will be tabling our books for sale and giving author readings and talks throughout the day, including some perfect for children and families. The event and parking are FREE. Address: 10005 102 St, Fort Saskatchewan, AB T8L 2C5
I will have all my books available and will be reading from Ockleberries to the Rescue at 2:00 pm in the Program room. Come and listen to the tale of two magical sprites helping their forest animal friends.
Hope to see you there and I’m happy to sign every book.
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 