Heidi Angell's Blog

Hello Lovelies,We have another exciting author interview for you! Today we are meeting with Chandra Trulove Fry, a bibliophile bookdragon who lives with her tech wizard husband and two youngest minions. Chandra is an author, personal assistant, promotions manager, and graphic artist who enjoys reading, writing, gardening, and time with friends.Let's get to the interview:How are you?I am good! Though I shall say that I am at most times a bit of a headless chicken. ;)Tell us something unique about you:I am the oldest of ten kidsWow, that must've been fun. What’s the most inspiring part of where you live?I live in a valley surrounded by gorgeous mountains. The cloud formations are astounding and we have lovely sunsets.What one person from history would you like to meet and why?Nicola Tesla...he intrigues meIf there was one thing you could do to change the world, what would it be?Oh man...I don't see that changing the world is what needs happening but rather changing the person within the world and that can only be up to the individual themselves. My part is to be a living example that will inspire others to be a better version of themselves.When did you start writing?I started back in 2017. I met a fellow indie author then and we kind of fell into the career together.How do you write your books?I'm a bit of a pantser. I write whenever I can find the time to do so. I am trying out planning my stories and it does seem to help. We shall see.What is one great lesson you have learned as a writer?Never Give Up! There is always room for improvement and you will always grow along the way.That is a great lesson for all things in life, to be sure. What is one thing you hate about being a writer?Never having enough time to write! It just seems like something always gets in the way.If you could never write again, what would you do?Read! I would read a lot.What is your favorite word?DudeThat is one of my favorites as well. It is completely genderless and versatile! Who is your favorite fictional character and why?Rumpelstiltskin...inspired by the show Once Upon A Time. He's my kind of handsome. ;)Where do you find inspiration?In books I read, nature, moviesWho inspires your writing and why?My husband. He is truly my muse. If I get stuck or need an idea he is always there for me.Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what music inspires you?When I am able to I do! Gothic Rock seems to be the most inspiring for me to write to.Love it! What is your greatest influence as a writer?Seeing Other Authors SucceedWhat is your favorite genre to read? To write?Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Dystopian. I write in these genres as well.Now to lighten things up a bit. What is your favorite ice cream?I'm lactose intolerant so what I eat instead is Ice Cream made with Almond or Cashew Milk. My favorite flavor is Butter Toffee.Butter Toffee... Yum.... Coffee, tea, or hot cocoa?Coffee! I can't live without it!You are in good company in the writing community for sure! Which character has etched it’s way into your heart and why?My character Lilly in my book The Journey of Malchus. I fashioned her after a character in a video game and my daughter's personality. Everyone loves her!If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?Europe! My ancestry is rooted deep there and I would love to be able to visit my roots.If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go?A Castle somewhere in Europe, though I am quite happy in my home.Which book has had the biggest impact on your writing and why?The Falcon and the Serpent by Cheryl S. Smith. To this day it has been a book that speaks to me with it's intricate story and amazing underlying message.What writing quote fuels you?"You can make anything by writing." --C.S. LewisWhat makes your voice unique from other writers?That's a good question...I'll let you know if I ever figure it out. LolWhat genre do you wish you could write?I dabble in a lot of genres but one that I seem to struggle with is thriller/suspenseWhat are you working on now?The Retribution of Lilly: Zombie Whisperer Chronicles Book 2What is the current book you are promoting?If the Shoe FitsWhat inspired this book?It started out as a story in a Modern Day Fairytales Anthology and I liked it so much that I decided to make it a solo.If you could choose who would direct the movie of your book, who would you choose?Jerry BruckenheimerIf your story were made into a movie, who would you cast and why?Allie DeBerry would be a great actress to play Ella Cinders. And Ryan Guzman would be a good fit for Charmaine PrincetonWho is your favorite character in your book and why?I love Charmaine Princeton. He's got a lot of charm. heheWho is your least favorite character and why?Oh man... it's a tossup between Charmaine's co-workers or the guys who bullied him in high school.Thanks so much for coming by, Chandra! If you're are interested in taking a peak inside If the Shoe Fits, check out the Amazon Lookinsideor you can purchase it from your favorite retailerWant to get to know Chandra and her other books better? You can Friend her on Facebook, Follow her on Bookbub,or on TwitterPlease share the links to your top three social media channels.Until next time, Keep Reading!

Genre:Sci-Fi/ ComedySynopsisLightspeed Frontier: Kicking the Future is a comedy science fiction novel by Adam Corres, unlike anything else ever written in the genre. It is a book of intensive imagination, idea-fuelled wit, fascinating scientific thought, occasional parody and there are lines in here you can't help quoting. This novel has been released alongside Lightspeed Frontier the video game, by Vid Rijavec and Philip Devine, developed at Crowdwork Studios and published by Riveted Games.My TakeYa'll, I did not even know what to make about this book. I started it back in April, 2019 and DNF'ed it because I just couldn't get into it at the time. It is definitely a book you have to be in the right mood to read. I picked it up the second time just after New Years because one of my family members asked about it and I felt guilty that I never finished it. It was better, but it was still remarkably slow reading for such a small book. It is really hard to quite pin down exactly what my issue is with the story. I think, in part, because it is exactly as the description says "unlike anything else ever written in the genre". And hey. so was Firefly once and a lot of people didn't get that and I hate them all for it. (J/K)I can totally see this developing a cult following just like Firefly. Mind you, I am not really comparing it to Firefly because I am a total Firefly Fangirl for Life and this was just... meh? I mean, I finished it and I don't regret finishing it so it gets 3 stars. It was well written, no major plotholes, the grammar was pretentious at times, but well done. The world-building is excellent and if even half of that went into the game, then I imagine the game would be quite fun. I think one of the elements I struggle with is the way in which the "story" is told. During the story, I was very annoyed because we kept jumping from character to character and yet most of these characters didn't ever connect, and the few that did didn't do so until about halfway through the story. In a way, looking back, it kind of reminds me of a first person shooter where you meet a lot of different characters, sometimes more than once, and get different bits of story that help with worldbuilding but the only thing that really ties them all together is you. Except this didn't play out as a choose your own adventure novel and that is the only time in which I can recall that this style of character hopping with little to nothing except the worlds to tie them together has ever really happened in books. Maybe it is wildly innovative and a way to pull gamers back into reading. Maybe the game and the book work better as a package deal. Not sure. For me, it missed the mark. If you find this review has peeked your interest, and you would like to read the sample and see if it is for you, check that out here.Until next time, Keep Reading!

Any good writer knows that getting better is, as with all things, just a matter of practice. Much of writing is just sitting down and trying to get your words out, which can easily become a monotonous task if you feel your writing routine has stalled.Many authors end up going on huge writing retreats where they stay in the middle of the woods and get some inspiration from their new surroundings. That said, not everyone has the resources (be it money or time) to go on a retreat. Thankfully, switching up your routine can work wonders when it comes to revving up your creative juices once more.Limit Yourself to a Specific Time For writers who are juggling other responsibilities, try setting out a specific window of time to just sit down and focus on your craft. Rather than sticking to the same time right from the beginning, try writing at different times of the day to see how your thought patterns change. You might find that you write better during the morning on some days, but on others you work better at night.Carry a Notebook AroundYou should be doing this already, but it’s never too late to start. Since ideas strike at the most unpredictable times, make sure you’re prepared by carrying a notebook with you. The Strategist highlights portability as a key factor when it comes to choosing a good notebook, citing the likes of Muji and Midori as good bets for those who just want something to keep in their bag and use as needed.Try a New EnvironmentIn the past, most writers had a choice between working at home (a procrastination nightmare) or at a coffee shop (a distraction nightmare). The good news is that there is now an in-between that is perfectly suited for the budding writer – co-working spaces. Business Insider reports that co-working spaces are gaining tractionacross the US with Salt Lake City voted one of the best cities for remote work, with other cities like Miami and Denver also being very popular. A key reason for this growth is how these spaces are able to attract different types of workers. Miami-based co-working space Industrious explains how these spaces are ideal for both solopreneurs (like authors) and enterprise-level businesses. And the increasing popularity of co-working spaces for authors was examined by The Writing Cooperative, who interviewed several writers on what it was like to work in such a space. The main benefit was that co-working spaces provided a place for them to work away from home, which reduced the amount of procrastination they did, with one writer saying that having other people around made her feel more accountable for her writing. If you are struggling to keep a regular writing routine at home, a co-working space would be a good alternative. Plus once you’re in the space you have access to unlimited coffee.Track your ProgressIt’s been psychologically proven that setting small goals for yourself can help you complete a task, as it’s easier to tackle what seems like several smaller projects. Author Leigh Stein swears by her spreadsheet method, where she opens up a spreadsheet file to track when and how much she writes. This allows you to see just how much you can accomplish over a period of time. If you end up keeping a spreadsheet for yourself, just imagine how good you’ll feel once you see all the entries pile up.If you need more help, tracking your progress through 90 day goals is another way to keep the momentum going. Hopefully the above tips will help you have your novel well on the way to completion.Angela Flores is a freelance copywriter with dreams of publishing her own novella. In her spare time, she enjoys trying her hand out at pottery or journaling to keep a record of her daily adventures.

Hello Lovelies, How exciting! CyCon has begun again! I'm excited to participate in the discussion of fantasy's integration into society as part of the Urban Fantasy blog hop. (In case you missed it, you can find the first stop on Lin Ryal's page) We live in an amazing time where it is chic to be geek. Where Game of Thrones is the most popular television program, where LARPing happens in city parks and no one bats an eye, where fantasy has become an integral element of society. From Harry Potter to Supernatural, fantasy realms bleeding into our own world are not only common, they are deeply desired. It is such an exciting time for those of us who were always drawn to the fantastical. But what has led to this rise of popularity in Fantasy? I remember reading a fascinating article while at university (that, of course, I cannot find now) that talked about how in times of struggle, fiction entertainment rose rapidly as it was a way to escape. Is that what we're seeing with the rise in Fantasy? Perhaps. But I think it is more than that. See, what makes Fantasy so wonderful is that it is a safe space to explore hard topics such as racism, sexism, classism, what it means to be a hero, what it means to be good. These are societal questions that plague every generation and you can see their response in the literature of their time. I think that is a huge reason we've seen such a rise in all fantasy, but especially in urban fantasy. Because urban fantasy brings it just a little bit closer to home. We're not just exploring the hero's journey through a male hobbit who lived in a whole other time and place, we are looking at a modern boy who grew up under a cupboard. We're looking at a group of teens who's town has been invaded by vampires (as happens in my series The Hunters) and their struggle to protect the ones they love from the monsters. As the series goes along we discover a hard truth, that most monsters are monsters because they were victims first. Urban Fantasy is a great mirror that allows us to look at many different hard truths, as I explore in The Clear Angel Chronicles. Truths like the concept that those who are different are still often not accepted by most of society. Clear's struggles as a psychic mirror the struggle of those with sensory processing issues. Her visions that she cannot block out or control are much like those on the autism spectrum who are unable to process all the stimuli that hits them every day. While I appreciate the sentiment that "escapist fiction" is there to entertain, I think that most of us read it not only to be entertained but also to see these lessons and reflections. To explore these deeper thoughts and ideas. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below! And don't miss out on the other exciting conversations happening in this fun blog hop!Lin RyalsPJ MacLayneTimothy BatesonErin CaseyKayla MattMegan Orlowski RussellLeslie ConzattiAlexis LantgenMary R WolderingWant to see the other Urban Fantasy fun events we have happening? Check out the masterlist here! And then take some time this weekend to explore some of your other favorite genres as well! Until next time, Keep Reading!

Hello Lovelies, Today we have a delightful guest post from steampunk and portal fantasy author Phoebe Darqueling, as one of the stops on her tour for her latest novel Riftmaker. This is such a fun post as we haven't had anyone talk about music recently. I hope you enjoy! There are a few topics that come up in online writing groups over and over again. How to get over writer’s block in its various iterations takes the #1 spot, but the question of what music people listen to while writing easily comes in somewhere in the top 5. While many people prefer silence, I am definitely one of those people that needs a little something extra going on in the background in order to find my flow.Movies and SoundtracksWhile I was writing Riftmaker, I had two methods for creating the right environment for writing this adventure about a dog who wakes up in a human body after falling through a rift in time and space. The first was to put on movies in the background. No just any movie would do, though. I would cycle through the Harry Potter films, then all of Lord of the Rings, then Pirates of the Caribbean. Then it would start all over again. This would drive a lot of people absolutely insane, but for me, it just worked. For one thing, I’d seen them all several times already, so I wasn’t distracted by the plots. But I also think a huge reason for their appeal was that they had soundtracks that captured the kind of mood I wanted to write.Hans Zimmer, who wrote the music for both Pirates of the Caribbean and the recent Sherlock Holmes films, immediately comes to mind. He has a very old world feeling that really lends itself to writing Steampunk/Gaslamp Fantasy. The Harry Potter films had various composers, but one thing that’s true for all of the movie soundtracks I enjoy writing to is that there are string instruments involved. I never played the violin myself, but I find that it speaks to me in a way that really gets my creative juices flowing.Old Meets NewWhich brings me to the other music that inspired Riftmaker. Around the time I started writing this book, I also discovered Lindsey Stirling. She’s a fantastic musician who mixes her classical violin training with contemporary music styles like electronic dance music and dubstep. It was love at first listen, and I started building a playlist on Pandora around her music. Soon, that led me to artists like Caravan Palace and Beats Antique, that borrow from older musical traditions and mash them up together or with new beats.The songs of movie soundtracks and of the artists I mentioned have two important things in common. They rarely have words and they always have a driving beat. I find this kind of stimulation propels me forward to the next sentence, and pretty soon I’ve got a paragraph, and then a chapter.More than Just Background NoiseBut the influence of these string/electronic mashups didn’t stop at just helping me feel motivated to write. When I satdown to start Riftmaker, I was sure of two characters, but the rest just sort of showed up of their own accord. I knew that one of these people needed to have a best friend, but I hadn’t gotten any farther than that when I had to idea to make him a musician. Suddenly, Jeremy sprouted fully formed from my brain and the scene that opens the book fell into place. (If you’d like to find out more about Jeremy, you can check out this character spotlight I did earlier in the blog tour.) I’d always heard that music could be inspiring, but I’d never realized how influential it can be in the turning points of creating a story. From a electronic remix of Bach’s Fugue in G Minor, I gained a whole person, and Jeremy’s complicated feelings about his friend and his place in the world became central to telling my story about prejudice, acceptance, and finding your way to who you want to be as an adult.For your listening pleasure, I created a Spotify playlist with just a few of the songs that are the soundtrack of this book. Listen now. If you don’t already have Spotify, you can sign up for free and listen on your computer or phone. Find out more.Riftmaker is available for $3.99 from Amazon and a variety of other e-book retailers. Print price is $18.99 from Amazon and the Our Write Side store.Find more character spotlights, book reviews, guest posts, and interviews with Phoebe Darqueling during the Riftmaker blog tour, Jan 24 - Mar 6.Do you like free books? Sure you do! Sign up for Phoebe’s monthly emails and get a FREE COPY of The Steampunk Handbookright now.Phoebe Darqueling is the pen name of a globe trotting vagabond who currently hangs her hat in Freiburg, Germany. In her “real life” she writes curriculum for a creativity competition for kids in MN. She loves all things Steampunk and writes about her obsession on SteampunkJournal.org. She’s been part of several Collaborative Writing Challenge releases, and you can also find her short horror retelling of Pinocchio in The Queen of Clocks and Other Steampunk Tales. Her first novels, Riftmaker and No Rest for the Wicked, are hitting shelves Spring 2019. You can find more of Phoebe’s antics on her website,Facebook, Twitter, andInstagram.Thanks so much for joining us! Look forward to a review from me shortly on Riftmaker as I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.Until next time, Keep Reading!

Hello Lovelies, As many of you know, I am kinda the queen of trying to maximize everything so this title was just perfect for me. But seriously, social media is such an important part of any marketing strategy. It is especially important when publishers/ bookstores/ event coordinators often use those numbers to decide whether or not to publish/ allow a signing/ invite you to a convention. So a solid social media plan is absolutely essential to your marketing strategy. Plus, it can be built absolutely free and scale with you as your business grows. It’s kinda perfect. A solid social media plan requires three key elements: 1. Know Which Platforms to Focus On No one can really tell you how to make this decision. It is constantly changing and in flux. But do a little bit of research and then pick the platform that works best for you and that you enjoy the most. I say this because someone asked me the other day if they had to be on Instagram because they suck at taking pictures. IGs main book audience is teens. If you’re writing to that market a lot of professionals will tell you that you HAVE to be there. But if you don’t take beautiful pictures and you don’t find joy in pictures, then you really, really don’t need to be on that platform. You can also reach teen readers on Bookbub, Goodreads, and Tumblr. They also still make up the vast majority of the Booktube scene. That gives you blogging/ writing spaces if that’s your thing and video if you prefer that. You don’t HAVE to do IG, but you do have to enjoy what you’re doing. Because if you don’t enjoy it, that will bleed through to your interactions with potential readers and they won’t be interested. However, if you write YA and you want to reach them on Facebook because you like Facebook, that will be an effort in futility. Most FB users are 35-70. Very few are in the younger range and most of those only use it to keep up with family. It is a great resource for author communities and networking so you can use it for work in that respect, but not to reach teen readers. Learn more in this article The Power of Social Media: How to Find Readers for your Genre. 2. Know How to Engage There is nothing more obnoxious than finding someone is auto-posting their IG images to Twitter, 50 # and all. UGH. How you interact on Twitter is very different than how you interact on Facebook, and IG is different as well. Each platform has their sweet spot and some overlap. It's ok to share cornerstone content across all platforms but don't auto-share. Do it unique to each platform. Also, how you interact with the users is different from platform to platform. Take your time to learn the platforms you are choosing. It is better to be solid and strong on 1 or 2 platforms than to half-ass 10 platforms. I speak from experience.A key to knowing how to engage is also built in knowing your brand and the side of you that you want to present to the world.Here is a great video panel on Go Indie Now where we briefly discuss just that. 3. Know How to Grow Again, this is very specific for each channel so telling you exactly what to do will not help you. You need to learn the rules of each platform. But here are some general tips. Do not always follow back. Be deliberate in your audience. For example, I do not follow anyone on Twitter who does not have something in their profile about being a reader. Even if you’re an author, I won’t follow you unless you’re a reader too. Early on, I followed marketing professionals (because I obviously love it too much!) bookshops, actors (because they’re storytellers too) politicians I agreed with, etc. Be deliberate in what you share/ RT/ comment and engage with. Make sure that it fits the persona you are crafting and will appeal to most of your readers. My brand is happy geeky book gal and marketing maven. I don't engage or comment on anything that isn't 1. geeky. 2. about books 3. women's issues (thanks to Hell School series, I get a little bit of political talk ;) ) or 4. about marketing specifically or indie publishing generally.That geeky topic allows me to share about movies and games I'm geeking out about and connect with those fans, Hell School political aspect lets me talk about social change for women, but I avoid addressing Trump or his followers, I avoid bashing anything (because that's not very positive) and I avoid telling people what to do and instead educate them on lots of different ways to do what they want to do.For a personal account following your varied interests and speaking out about topics that matter to you is totally fine. but for a professional author’s account? Not so much. Unless you’re JK Rowling. Then you can follow, RT, and say whatever you want. Now, if you write political thrillers or scifi with a political bent, then talking politics is allowed though as we’ve all experienced can create a bit of pain. So be deliberate in who you follow, and who you interact with to encourage them to follow you back. Bonus: Set Goals and Measure Results Set goals for following and engagement to keep you motivated throughout the year. You saw that I’ve done this for myself in my Annual 90 day Year New Year’s resolution announcement and goals sharing. I’ve done the same for OWS. We recommend spending about 15 minutes a day minimum per platform. That means that if you are on Facebook, Twitter, and IG then you need to be spending 45 minutes a day on social media. What I usually do is divide my interactions into three segments. (In my case, I am spending closer to 4 hours a day on social media. I did mention that I have a problem? Yeah.) First thing in the morning, I spend an hour working on social media growth. I go to each platform and follow influencers/ engage with those whom I’ve followed but who haven’t followed back, cull those who’ve unfollowed me, invite people to follow, post comments and engagement with new folks. I am sowing the seeds of the day. At noon I spend an hour responding to/ interacting with/ and resharing posts from my longer-term followers because I want to keep building that relationship. The evenings I spend 2 hours scheduling out posts and content, then engaging and interacting with those who’ve responded throughout the day. Also, because I have a social media problem, when I am waiting in line, making dinner, working on chores, and any time I have a few minutes downtime, I am hopping between channels and interacting and engaging. But you do what you can and don’t get sucked in like I have. No, really, if you hop over to Facebook for your 15 minutes and look up only to realize you've been in political debates for 2 hours you might have a problem like me. A key to setting limits is by setting timers. A key to preventing yourself from wasting time is to be deliberate in what you respond to. If your books aren't about politics then commenting on a fellow authors political post is not fostering healthy engagement and is not a clever cheat to get around not posting about politics on your own page. (Per the branding discussion.)Don't try to convince yourself that you were working that whole time. Lying to yourself about your problem is the first sign of an addict. I know. More importantly, if you do a google search, you would be surprised how much of that stuff comes up in the search because your account or your "friends" account may be public. Tha is not a solid search engine optimization strategy either.Yes, social media is a very fickle and complicated beast but tackle these fantastic tips for 2019 and you will see your platform growing exponentially,Feel like you need a bit more help with social media? We have a course for that. Check out Social Media 101. It is on sale through January 26th at 15% off. Go ahead and check out the other courses we have over there as they are all on sale for our New Beginnings promotion.Do you have any tips for maximizing social media success? Feel free to share them in the comments below.Until next time,Keep Writing!

Hello Lovelies,Happy New Year and let’s start it off right! I have an exciting new review for you!Genre: High fantasySynopsis: The Blood of Dragons: Book 12017 International Award-Winning Novel in Epic FantasyDrast and Tyran might be considered a bit black-hearted, or even immoral. Drast is cunning but reckless, hunting for admiration. Tyran is calculating but tactless, searching for affection. When the two brothers set aside their ambitions to fulfill their father's desire for immortality, they readily discover many opportunities for redemption. Now, while wielding a powerful magic that drains their life, Drast and Tyran will embark on a maddening quest, facing skin-switchers, dragons, and the God of the Dead.My take: Aenerfell is a delightful introduction to the Thrice nine Legends world. The same world where Kaelandur series takes place and man, Robertson once again grabs you by the guts, twists, and rips them out. The characters you want to love and care for, you end up hating and the ones you love end up being not the characters you should. (Except Erzebeth. SQUEE!!!) This is not a story for people who want heroes and clear cut good and evil. This is not a story for those who want a happy ending or who want a satisfying wrap up to a story. But I really understand even more why Robertson lists George R.R. Martin as one of his inspirations. Anaerfell has beautiful world building that is not so daunting as Martin’s work, and action scenes that play just like a movie in your head as you read. For those who are lamenting the end of GoT, this is definitely a very satisfying replacement to that series with characters that I think are just as fun to love and hate and long for their deaths.If you want to learn more about the Thrice Nine Legends world, or the Blood of Dragons series, or Joshua Robertson, or just to see some fantastic fantasy geekiness then visit his website RobertsonWrites.Trust me, you will not be disappointed!Until Next Time,Keep Reading!

Hello Lovelies, Happy New Year! For many of you, I know you're bailing on Resolutions. I've already seen all the millions of posts regaling how resolutions don't matter and it doesn't work and they just don't like feeling like failures. I totally appreciate that struggle. But I fully believe that I am able to achieve all that I do because I set New Years Resolutions, goals, and evaluate quarterly while having a beautiful reminder front and center on my desk. I have also found that accountability goes a long way in that as well. After all, we follow what we focus, right? So, I have some fantastic New Year's Resolutions for you, and some pretty pictures for me to help me stay focused on my dreams. I share these with you so that you can know what to expect from me in the coming year. Here are my resolutions: Now I know, those seem super vague and not very SMART goals. and that's because they aren't. They are a bit vague. These are my dreams for this year. They are a tighter focus than my 5 year dreams or my Someday I See Myself As dreams. (Sorry, not sharing those with you. Have to have some mystery!) But they feed those dreams and support those goals. Where I do my nitty gritty smart goals are in my quarterly goals designed to achieve those resolutions. Yeah, I have a handy printup to help me keep those front of mind as well. See how each of those can tie back to my Resolutions? They are Specific, Measurable, Attainable Relevant and Timely (those that don't seem to be have additional tracker sheets and SCRUM tables to achieve it, but I need an easy to print and hang on my wall thing. So... This reminds me to look at those things.) Let me know what you're New Year's Resolutions are if you've made any. And if you haven't, tell me why. If you need a little extra support on resolutions in general, I will have a monthly support group on An Angell's Life on Patreon and if you are an author looking for more specific support, join OWS Ink on Patreon where we will have a great support group having each other's backs! Until Next Time, Keep Reading!

Hello Lovelies, I am so honored to introduce you to an icon that I've been following for some time, MR. JD Estrada. JD is a fantastic author and poet, as well as an indomitable force for good in the indie community and a great entertainer over on his youtube channel. I'm honored to have him over to meet you all and talk about his newest books Given to Fly. So let's get this party started! Hello, JD. Tell my readers a bit more about you.Greetings and salutations to the amazing Angell with two Ls :) Firstly thank you for having me on your blog. As for yours truly, I’m your friendly neighborhood JD Estrada: a Puerto Rico indie author whose path in life currently has him living in Atlanta, Georgia but whose heart shall always reside in the Caribbean.People will most certainly know me as 00 Bananas, a sock fiend, a tea lover, a bodyboarder, a gamer, and of course a writer. I’m all of those things and much more, because why limit yourself? Does that mean I also dabble in music? Well of course I do, even though that was a very telegraphed question and response if only to cling on to that rockstar dream a bit longer. But at the end of the day, I’m a writer… and I prefer the title writer to author, because I truly love the act of writing and get as much joy from writing a long hand written letter as I do in Estrada Crates, as I do from crafting a punchy poem, writing a review on Yelp or Google, or diving headfirst into my soul well to see what stories I can fish.For those who aren't familiar with 00 Bananas and need a good laugh, go google it. We'll wait, and you won't regret it one bit! Also, I was so excited the day I saw JD playing guitar on Youtube. I'd known him almost a year at this point and had no idea he was musically gifted! Alright, sorry, little distracted fangirling. Back to the professional interview *Ahem*What is your favorite genre?ALL of them. I shall never want to limit myself and shall always adore a good challenge. The way I see it, tackling different genres lets me get to know myself even further and I’ve never wanted to be an ace at anything and would much rather be a Joker card in the deck, fitting myself into whatever context I may find myself in to get the perfect hand.That is a great reference. I think I will definitely start calling myself a joker instead of a Jakc of all genres, lol. But I agree, it's all about exploring new opportunities. I've watched too many great authors get pigeonholed by an industry and their stories become so formulaic. Gag. What is your favorite ice cream?Such a desperately difficult question to answer though I think it is most likely mint chocolate chip, but from my ice cream choices in my last outings, you might guess otherwise. Here’s the thing, I LOVE trying different flavors and am all about expanding and exploring my palate as much as possible. Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised and sometimes I get some GREAT material for stories.Ah, yes! Mint Chocolate chip is my go-to when I'm not sure what to try, but I rarely meet and ice cream I don't like! Coffee, tea, or hot cocoa?I have one coffee a day, only drink Cocoa made with Chocolate Cortés (look it up, trust me), and drink as much tea as my body can handle (anywhere from 2-6 cuppas in a day.)Who inspires your writing?SO many people. From authors, to musicians, films I’ve seen, and life. Everything inspires my writing and I love basing characters off people I know. In terms of authors, the list is long and includes familiar names like Rowling, Pratchett, Poe, Lee, Lovecraft, Gaiman, Barrie, Wells, Moore, Herbert, Bukowski, and Adams but it also includes fellow indie authors who have my love and respect like Christie Stratos, Anaïs Chartschenko, Joe Compton, Joshua Robertson, LF Oake, AL Mabry, Rebekah Jonesy, Robert Cano, Christina Striggas, Maricel Jiménez, Francisco Muñiz, Michael J. Elliot, Jason Greensides, and even an angel with two Ls. There are several others, don’t get me wrong, but the list would even be longer and the point is that I admire my author friends not just because they’re good humans, but because damn can they write a good book :DAw, blushing to be included on such a great list! Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what music inspires you?I ALWAYS listen to music when I write and every book has the soul of several albums in its pages. For my latest novel, Given to Fly, the music playing included Pearl Jam, Elbow, Eels, Blind Melon, Tori Amos, Days of the New, Jackie Wilson, Karen O, Fleet Foxes, and some other bands, but main influences the first two :DWhat is your greatest influence as a writer?My desire to create something different. I ALWAYS have as a huge mission to write something that’ll have people wondering where the hell that came from.Ha, ha, or thinking, "damn, that was... just... wow. Need a minute." I'm sure I'm not the only one who's thought that while reading your work! If you could choose who would direct the movie of your book, who would you choose?Given to Fly is the first novel I’ve actually written with that in mind. Hayao Miyazaki. I honestly did everything I could to write something worthy of being drawn in 2-d animation by the legend himself or anyone from the amazing Studio Ghibli. I own most Miyazaki films and have been floored by the attention to detail and love in making each movie. This novel is a love letter to many things I hold dear in my life, including his work and if the book ever got to be translated to Japanese, I would love for him to read it and know what his work means to my life.Aw, that is amazing. We all need to go tell @Miyazakithat on Twitter. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?I would want to go EVERYWHERE. Some people want fame and fortune for materialistic reasons. For me, I would love success to have money so my family is well taken care of and to visit and meet in person every wonderful person I’ve met through my writer journey.I can't wait for us to meet one day. Hopefully soon if I get to head back east next summer. *Fingers crossed* What is next in your career?There are plenty of things on the plate as tends to be the case, but I’m most excited by two projects. One is the third and final installment of my Human Cycle series due out next year and the other is a collaboration with an amazing friend Cate Evans, an author from the UK whom I’m working with on a collab that’s the polar opposite of Given to Fly. For now though, I’m just happy to bring out book #13 into the world and hope people enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing :DI am sure we will. Thank you so much for joining us, JD! Want to learn more about JD Estrada? Don't miss out on his website JDestradawriterWant to get to know him better and participate in the Sock Family Fun, 00 Bananas, and all his other awesomeness? then you have to follow him on Twitter, instagram or Facebook, just search for @JDEstradawriter. Want to see which one of those 13 books of his you should try? Find them at Libros 787Until next time, Keep Reading!