Musings of Two Creative Minds

     Linda’s inspiration comes from her favorite authors and life itself. Her women’s fiction highlights characters that peel away outer layers of life to discover the heart of their dreams with some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Her writing integrates humor found in everyday situations, as well as touching moments that make readers connect with her characters.      Linda has an Associates Degree in Interior Design and a Master’s Degree in Reading and Language Arts with undergraduate work in Elementary Education and Fine Arts. Linda has two grown sons and lives with her husband and rescue dog in Michigan. You can follow her at her  Website ,  Facebook ,  and   Twitter .  When did you write your first book?      I wrote and illustrated my first book in grade school. My elementary school had this contest called “Calbery”. The term “Calbery” was derived from the names of the Ca...

 T oday we have the pleasure of welcoming Author Sheryl R. Hayes as our guest blogger who shares her insights about writing and tells us about her exciting debut book "Chaos Wolf".  Take it away Sheryl...   Stringing Words Together To Create A Yarn     Aside from using tools that are stick-shaped, you wouldn ’ t think that there ’ s much similarity between writing and knitting. Believe it or not, there are a lot of parallels.       I have been a knitter and crocheter for about ten years, and creating costumes for the last six. I have been writing in some form or another for over twenty years, but started my novel about six years ago. My processes for writing a book and creating a costume are strikingly similar.     I start by deciding on what I am going to make. Be it a Cruella De Vil or an urban fantasy novel about werewolves and vampires, I need that seed idea to nurture.     Next I figure out how I am go...

A widow with no family, web designer Liv Larson yearns for big change. After all, she can work from anywhere, right? Why not throw a dart at the map? She heads out of the big city for the rural South and falls in love as soon as she arrives—with the Belle Bride, an abandoned antebellum mansion. Heath Barrow loves his country life, managing his antiques store in sleepy Camellia. But he’s lonely, and his condition—epilepsy—makes life uncertain. It’s already cost him a marriage. A new medication and the new girl in town have his heart hopeful again. Sparks fly between Heath and Liv. But his first seizure sends Liv into a tailspin. Its mimics those her husband suffered before he died . . . To make matters worse, Liv discovers she’s not living alone. Her challenge? Dealing with a Confederate soldier, one who clearly resents his Yankee roommate—even though he’s been dead for over a hundred and fifty years. About Claire Gem: Strong Women, Starting Over ~Rede...

NOTE: This review contains spoilers, so read only if you choose to. Ever since the 1956 black and white classic movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" was released certain phrases became part of everyday life for most folks.  I've heard things like:  Pod person?  Have you checked his/her basement for any giant seed pods?  So-and-so is acting weird, you think he/she might've been switched by a seed pod?  Dunno, if they did it's an improvement... (this one was directed at me more than once, fyi).   But before the movie came the novel, a brilliant piece of fiction by Jack Finney (who also authored other great works such as "Time and Again", "The Night People" and many others which I hope to read and review down the road).  However, it was "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" that captured the minds of readers.  Released in 1955, it was subsequently snatched up by Hollywood to be made into a movie in 1956.   Interest...

    I'm letting one of my co-authors take the helm here at the blog today.  So allow me to introduce one of my oldest friends and partner-in-crime Rich Caminiti, as he shares with you his own wisdom about writing on a budget.  Take it away, Rich...     Welcome my friends, and thank you to Allan for letting me write my piece for you. In his last musing, he spoke of his computer woes not only about his desktop but his laptop as well.       Well, I too seem to have shared the same fate. But wait, I'm getting to my point! I had to wait and pick up a new laptop which some of you may have seen my post about setting it up. (To a computer technician, to get this perfected to our satisfaction takes forever!)      When Allan needed Microsoft Office I surmise and Helen had told him about WPS Office which cost him nothing. A very excellent deal! Five second ad and all.      I also told my cohort th...

A fun and fulfilling collection of the most tangled, yet intriguing, tales one might want to read.  Miss Kings, a. k. a. the “Vampire Maman” has enchanted many with her blog “Vampire Maman, Musings of a ModernVampire Mom”.  It is a very popular blog, and where all the tales found in this collection originated.  Of course, while one could sift through her blog, it would take hours or possibly even days to find each of these tantalizingly delicious vignettes.  Each story stands on its own merit, yet are connected at the same time, as the author shares stories not only about her own long existence, but those of her brothers, children and family friends which include zombies, the occasional werewolf, ghosts, elder vampires, and more than a few ordinary humans. Our dear Vampire Maman, weaves each tale in such a way to make us laugh, smile, feel a little remorse, or simply take a moment to appreciate those around us.  She brings wit and wisdom as well that ...

     With the voice of experience, Mr. Gaughran shares his many insights of the world of publishing, and in particular self-publishing.  With the advent of e-books, many writers and would-be writers have found themselves faced with the opportunity to finally put out that book they’d been thinking about for years.  Yet, they quickly find that the most daunting task, is not writing the book itself, but how to get it out to the public.  Should they go the tradition route of finding an agent, and then a publisher?  Can they deal with the countless rejections or avoid the scams that promise seeing their work in print, for a ‘nominal’ fee of course.      Mr. Gaughran provides the reader with enough food for thought that would make a seven course meal look like an appetizer.  But he never gets preachy.  Instead he simply supplies the reader with tools and knowledge to navigate the world of Indie Publishing.  He provides ...

In spite of all the excitement of the anticipated release of "The Vampyre Blogs - Coming Home", this October, I keep hearing people ask 'Whatever happened to "The Door"?  Are you going to finish that story?  I want to know what happened next with Alex, Veronica, Julie, and Cassandra.' For those who are still wonder the answer is a resounding "YES!"  I am currently working on that story as we speak.  In fact I've been working on it for quite a while...  a really long while... like over two years... (groan) All right knock it off Roscoe!  I don't need to hear more laughs coming from the peanut gallery.  Sheesh. Now I hear the rest of you asking, "Why is it taking so long?"  Well the answer is quite simple, I've spent the last 24 months with a serious case of 'too many ideas'.  What does that look like you ask?  Here let me show you... You see one of the biggest problems I've had was that I kept g...

A PAGE TURNER   5.0 out of 5 stars ByJohn Maberryon December 5, 2015 Format: Kindle EditionVerified A good follow up to The Bridge , also by this author. A little slow and moderately confusing at the start with a "Family History" that functions as a prologue but isn't 100% tied into the rest of the story. But other than that it moves along keeping interest and the virtual pages of a Kindle turning. Cassandra from The Bridge is fully developed as the protagonist and her relationship with Julie, another character from the earlier book is a central feature. Together with a whole host of other characters they battle supernatural forces, some of which are associated with the ones from the earlier book. While you can read this one without having read it's predecessor, I recommend reading the other one first. If you're into fantasy, paranormal mild horror and a little romance thrown in, you will like this book. I did. *Available now for just $1....

****LOOKING FOR A GIFT FOR THAT PARANORMAL/MYSTERY READER IN YOUR LIFE**** Psychics, ghosts, and beings that are/and are not from this world await you within the pages of these 5-star stories Signed copies of books I and II in the "Para-Earth" series are just $10.00 each, plus $5.00 shipping and handling anywhere in the United States. (For overseas shipping will be more of course, and will depend on the destination).  These books are trade paperback sized and will look great on any bookshelf. *I accept Paypal, checks, or money orders* Just tell me which title(s) you want and if they're to be signed and personalized. (Some people prefer just signed, which is why I ask). You can contact me by leaving a message below or by e-mailing me at: allan.krummenacker@gmail.com Please note: Normal mailing time is 5-9 days, so order soon to get it in time for Christmas.

I've been asked by a number of people recently, "Why did you get into writing?  What is the Para-Earth Series?  And how did you come up with it?" Well, to help answer those questions and others people may, have I invite you all to check out the podcast interview below, where I get to answer all those questions and many more.  And before anyone asks, "How did you get on a podcast?", I've been on Google+ for a while now, sharing my posts about writing on a regular basis.  Well one of my acquaintances on Google+, the awesome Tony Mendoza (writer/filmmaker) extended an invitation to me to be on his podcast "Life In The Hole", where he interviews authors about their work.   I invite you all to check out some of his other interviews after you've listened to this one.  Tony's a great host, and a fun person to get to know.  While your at his site, you might also want to check out his upcoming film "The Hole", a fascinating psychol...

About this time last year I wrote a post about book reviews, trying to explain why they are so important to authors.  I explained at length about how prospective readers take note of what others have said about a book when trying to decide whether or not to give it a try.   But did you know that the number of reviews a book gets can affect how much promotion it can get on Amazon.com?  It's true.  Take a look: So you see, your reviews have more power than you thought.  Even if all you feel comfortable writing is just a couple of sentences like "Kept me on the edge of my seat...", "Couldn't put it down...", "I want to see more from this author...", "I really enjoyed this, can't wait for more..."  Those sentences plus a 1-5 star rating can help that author and their work get more exposure on Amazon.  This is something that is extremely helpful for Indie and brand new authors who are trying to get their name out there, bu...

Wait I'm the one writing this story!  How did I wind up here? Did you ever lose track of where the book/story you were writing was headed?  If the answer is no, then all I have to say is, "I hate you, now will you teach me your ways oh Master Jedi?" Okay, all kidding aside, this happened to me just recently, and the sad thing was I didn't even realize that I'd lost my plot until I was about third of the way through the first draft. Now, I don't know if it happened because I was writing part of a series and was trying to remember details from the previous books, or because I got too caught up in the characters (both old and new), but I still managed to lose my original plot which was quite embarrassing.  I mean I could've sworn I left on the kitchen table next to my keys, but when I went back the plot wasn't there.  Neither were my keys for that matter, but I'm going to worry about that later, first things first. Up until the point whe...