The Sunshine Award

Hello everyone.

One of my best writing friends, L.J. Kentowski, has honored me with the Sunshine award. I'm grateful that she thought of me for it. L.J. is one of the most talented writers I’ve met. Her first book, Guardian of Fate is an amazing read, and the sequel, Seeker of Fate will be released soon. Go check her out, read her work, you won't be disappointed.

This was more difficult than I imagined, though it was a blast to complete.

This is how the Sunshine Award works:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you
• Post the award icon above
• Answer the questions below
• Nominate ten other bloggers (I don't think I know ten other bloggers ;\)

On to my questions!

1. What is your favorite Christmas/festive movie? It's difficult to choose one favorite. I do enjoy A Christmas Story; it’s a writer’s movie for sure. I’m also partial to the movie Jack Frost. Sad ending, yes, though it's a fine movie. Reminds me of all the Christmas' I'd missed with my kids because of the divorce and how I wished I could have, somehow, shared everyone with them.

2. What is your favorite flower? My mom used to plant Pansy flowers around the lantern light in our front yard and I loved them. I find them to be amazingly beautiful, and of course, when I see them I’m reminded of my mom.

3. What is your favorite non-alcoholic beverage? Yet another wonderful reminder of my mother … we didn't have much soda in the house as I grew up, but on occasion my mother would send a Dr. Pepper with me in a sack lunch for my grade school field trips. The flavor takes me back to my childhood, to Tautphaus Park and that fantastic surprise she left me in my lunch sack. I have grown quite fond of the cherry version of Dr. Pepper. Also, I’m a sucker for Egg Nog during the Fall and Winter Holidays.

4. What is your passion? This is a loaded question. I think my first passion, if speaking of family, would be my kids. If I had one, my Girlfriend/wife. As far as extracurricular activities; writing, reading, and audio production. My ultimate goal is to produce my own audio books and other writing audio productions. I also have a passion for beautiful outdoor areas and hiking.

5. What is your favorite time of year? Fall. I love the the changing color of the leaves, a fire in the fire pit and tiki torches in the dimming light or curling up to a fire in the fireplace. I become most giddy around Halloween, Thanksgiving and through Christmas.

6. What is your favorite time of day? Dusk and night. As stated in question 5, I love a fire in the fire pit and tiki torches in the dimming light, watching the stars twinkle and shoot across the sky.

7. What is your favorite physical activity? Is this question PG?! Well, I am a single guy after all. Ok, in all seriousness, hiking would be my physical activity of choice. I enjoy the outdoors, beautiful expanses of wilderness and trees.

8. What is your favorite vacation? Anytime I can get up to a wooded area and spend a few days in a cabin, I’m in heaven. However, I must mention that this October I’m going to Disneyland for the first time. I'll keep you posted how that goes.

Now I get the honor of nominating ten awesome peeps for this award:

Kelly Seguin

Krystal Wade

Mackenzie Crowne

Eleri Stone

Loni Flowers

Teresa Cypher

Jessica Subject

Daniella Renelt

Next Best Thing Challenge

A few days ago, I was tagged to participate in the ‘Next Best Thing Challenge’ by a wonderful writer and a good friend, L.J. Kentowski. Thanks, L.J. , you know you rock but I’m going to tell you again anyway. L.J. has a wonderful blog, and you would be grievously vexed if you didn’t swing over to meet her; specifically on Wednesdays for her perception stirring “What’s Your Take Wednesday” posts and Sundays for her amazing Six Sentence Sunday posts.  

 

The rules of this challenge are simple:

• Answer the 10 NBTC questions below
• Spread the fun and tag 5 awesome people to participate.

So, here we go!

1.) What is the title of your book/WIP?

The title of one of my many WIP’s is Scarlet Reign, Book #2 in the Ghost Writer series. (No I haven’t yet finished Book #1. My bane; I explain further on #6. 

2.) Where did the idea for the book come from?

The idea for Ghost Writer, Book #1, came to me in dreams, several of them. I took down copious notes … four or five notebooks full. All the dreams seemed connected, i.e. the same story. But, as time went on I realized they were not the same … they were similar, but not the same. So, I sorted them and a portion became Scarlet Reign, Book #2.

3.) What genre would your book fall under?

Paranormal Thriller with a splash of Romance, and a side of fries with a chocolate shake. Ugh. That’s my nasty diet talking there. I hate not being able to eat carbs.

4.) What actors would you choose for your characters to play in a movie rendition?

This oughta be good! ;)

Scott Speedman as Daniel Fallon

Kate Beckinsale as Kate

Lee Majors as Drake Fallon (Yes, the guy from The Six Million Dollar Man ;)

Richard Kline as Rick

Paula Dean as Raedean

Don Stroud as Sheriff Hap Tallman

Summer Glau as Lisa

5.) What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

Daniel Fallon is a writer, harboring a passionate love affair with his characters; when they turn on him, however, he must delve deep into his own story to save his love, Kate, and face the darkest part of himself. 

6.) Is your book published or represented?

Unfortunately it’s nowhere near being done. My writing life is a funny one, one that would cause many to question my title as a writer. My stories “haunt” me, for lack of a better word. They come to me in dreams or while I’m out driving, walking through the park or in the shower. I capture what my characters tell me and, more specifically, what they “show” me. Then I have to take all those notes and puzzle out which story they fit into and sort them. My stories don’t come together in a linear fashion. I then take my notebooks full of scenes from several different WIP’s, and jigsaw them together by story and then fill in the missing pieces. 

7.)  How long did it take you to write?

Heavy Sigh … 52 years. Oh wait, I’m only 42. Ok, 42 years. Alright, more realistically, my first dreams of the series came to me when I was, roughly, 22. So 20 years I’ve been collecting notes, snippets, dialog and scenes for them. I have a lot of notes on 12 WIP’s and nothing finished, save for one short story, and that still needs a lot of help. I know, I have to finish something to call myself a writer.

8.) What other books in your genre would you compare it to?

That’s tough actually. It’s not a cookie cutter book. In premise, it most resembles The Dark Half by Stephen King. I would not compare my writing, specifically, to Mr. King lest I insult the man, and I’ve not thought of it before as horror, though maybe there are some horror elements. Hmm. That notion is a new one to me. Scarlet Reign may be horror. Still, mostly paranormal.  

9.) Which authors inspired you to write this book?

Stephen King, obviously, Sir Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ray Bradbury, Alfred Hitchcock, … oh was I not supposed to name them all? Ok, I’ll leave the rest.

10.) Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in your book.

Ghost Writer, (book #1) focuses on Drake Fallon, when Daniel was just a little boy. Scarlet Reign, (book #2) is, of course, Daniel’s story when he’s an adult and following in his father’s footsteps. I also have another novel idea percolating that would be more intrigue type stuff and it’s tentatively fitting in as a prequel to Ghost Writer, with events that take us into Drake’s mysterious tour in Vietnam. 

Now I pass the “Next Best Thing Challenge” on to five amazing writers that I would love to learn more about.

Teresa Cypher

Mackenzie Crowne

Eleri Stone

Elin Gregory

Kelly Seguin