*   *   *

About The Forgotten Ones

Allison O’Malley’s plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison’s mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn’t trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother’s sanity.

 *   *   *

“What time do you get off work?” he asked.

I turned and narrowed my eyes at him. “I close at six. Then I have to balance the register, so around six thirty.”

Ethan looked down at his hands for a second, then glanced up at me through his thick lashes. “You want to get something to eat when you’re done?”

I licked my lips, his dark brown eyes pulling me in. I tore my gaze away and tried to focus on the computer screen. He didn’t say anything for a few moments, and I fidgeted, knowing he was watching me. When I turned toward him, his expression was so intense that my stomach somersaulted.

“Just one time,” he said quietly.

“What?”

“Say yes, just one time.” Ethan slowly moved behind the counter, his eyes never leaving mine.

“If you don’t have a good time, fine. But, I’ve been trying to get you to give me a chance for years. Don’t act like you didn’t know.”

I shook my head slightly as he approached, wanting him closer but afraid of what it would mean.

He stopped, his brow creasing. “I won’t hurt you,” he whispered.

His expression was so earnest my mind went blank for a moment.

“Ethan,” I began, my thoughts scrambled. “You know I’d like to—”

“So say yes.”

I looked up at the ceiling. I was tired of always pushing him away. If I went out with him once, maybe then I could convince him too that this was a bad idea. I covered my face with my hands.  “All right,” I mumbled through my fingers.

“What was that?” I felt the warmth of Ethan’s hands as he pulled my own away from my face.

“I said all right,” I repeated, my insides fluttering.

He gathered my hands and pulled them close to his chest. His scent, clean and fresh like sun-warmed denim, made my knees go weak.

With his head tilted back, he exclaimed in a mock reverent tone, “Yes! Thank you! Six-thirty on the dot. Be ready. I’m picking you up!”

About the author

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Connect with Laura:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook |

 The Forgotten One is available from:

Amazon

IBP - Tell us about your new release?

Association for Natural Psychology - Overcoming ADHD Without Medication provides parents with practical ideas to help their children and teens to overcome ADHD symptoms. These ideas have proven to be effective, are field developed and tested, are based on clinical studies as well as from personal experiences of those who have overcome ADHD.

IBP –  Tell me a little about yourself

Association for Natural Psychology -  The AYCNP is a 501(c)3 New Jersey non-profit started by public school educators. It  provides practical, evidence-based ideas in non-pharmaceutical self-help for mental health difficulties and disorders.  It also recognizes and emphasizes the value of prevention. The AYCNP endeavors to reach out and give back to local communities and build greater awareness through education. The Association for Youth, Children and Natural Psychology (AYCNP), is also called the Association for Natural Psychology, when providing educational materials related to adult mental health.

The AYCNP has been providing information to the public on mental health since 2008 from many sources. Numerous professionals have contributed impetus to the development of its materials, including medical doctors, therapists, psychology professors and psychologists. Overcoming ADHD Without Medication was researched over a period of six or seven years. Some of the material in it represents the life-work of dedicated professionals who work daily with children.

 IBP - Did you have support at the beginning and/or during your writing?

Association for Natural Psychology -  In the beginning of the research of Overcoming ADHD Without Medication, Russell Barkley, PhD, the well know neurologist and ADHD expert, provide encouragement and guidance that sparked further research. Joel Nigg, PhD of associate professor of psychology Michigan State Universtiy also provided valuable support. Daniella Barroqueira, PhD of Illinois State University provided help, as did a number of school psychologists, teachers, special education teachers, preschool teachers as well as a professional reading coach. Iowa State University also contributed valuable information for use in this book. Another source of support and inspiration has been David Rabiner, PhD, chief scientific researcher on ADHD at Duke Univesrity, who provided valuable material published in Overcoming ADHD Without Medication, as well as personal communications and insights. His newsletter on ADHD provides a steady flow of well-developed analysis on current research and is of value and  readable by both professionals and non-professionals, anyone interested in the subject.

IBP – Do you keep track or write reviews for books you read?

Association for Natural Psychology - The Association for Natural Psychology (AYCNP) reads and reviews psychology books on a regular basis, and tries to keep abreast of latest developments in mental health and ADHD in particular. Hundreds of books helpful to the reader on the subjec of ADHD, depression, and bipolar disorder self help are catalogued on its website, in addition to many detailed reviews. Additionally, the AYCNP provides a carefully selected list of over 200 books for children and teens, most of which have been personally reviewed by members of the AYCNP, gathered from field work in public schools, public libraries and school librarians and awards lists. This provides parents and teachers, as well as teens themselves, a rich supply of positive and character building books for preK through high school, for their children or students.

IBP – Do you have advice for unpublished authors?

Association for Natural Psychology - I would recommend that individuals who may have a unique story or experience, or a personal life experience concerning ADHD or other mental health disorder, that they feel can help others, to by all means put it in a book form for publishing or self-publishing. Someone will read it, and it can add to the pool of knowledge on the subject.

IBP – Why did you choose the genre you write in?

Association for Natural Psychology - The impetus for this book came from working with children in public schools and concern for the serious problems many of them were experiencing. Further inspiration came from interviewing a reading coach in Paterson, NJ who had worked with hundreds of children who had been charaterized as having ADHD. Some children were heavily medicated from as young as preschool, some in grade school, and certain pre-teens were deeply distressed by forced medication. Many pre-teens in public schools played as much as five hours of video games a day after school, and admitted that they were “addicted”. At the same time, there was often positive response from the same children to art, which helped them settle down and focus. This provided the foundation for Overcoming ADHD Without Medication.

Sandra Rief’s book is popular in public schools, How to Reach and Teach ADHD Children, and provided further impetus for approaching the topic from a different angle that wasn’t covered by Rief, a former special education teacher.

 IBP - Your favorite books and author?

Association for Natural Psychology - There are a number of books on the subject of ADHD with value for parents and teachers. As mentioned, Sandra Rief’s How to Reach and Teach ADHD Children, is a good resource for teachers, with many practical ideas. Clinical (child) psychologist Susan Ashley, and her book, The ADD & ADHD Answer Book: Professional Answers to 275 of the Top Questions Parents Ask, is an excellent resource for parents and teachers. Rethinking ADHD: Integrated Approaches to Helping Children at Home and at School by Vicki Anderson and Tim Godber provides insight into children’s mental health issues and ADHD in particular, providing excellent research for parents and others interested in the topic. From a scientific point of view, Joel Nigg’s, What Causes ADHD?: Understanding What Goes Wrong and Why by Joel T. Nigg, PhD provides further insight from clinical studies on ADHD. Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy, by Iowa State University researchers Craig A. Anderson, Douglas A. Gentile, Katherine E. Buckley, helps to prove that there is a link for some boys between playing violent video games and symptoms associated with ADHD.

Because art helps many children to focus and overcome some of the core symptoms of ADHD, the book Drawing Animals: 30th Anniversary Edition by Norman Adams and Joe Singer is recommended for children and teens, and the book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards, now in its 4th edition, is worth giving as a gift to teens. Art can help some teens and children to ovecome some of the symptoms of ADHD. There are many other excellent resources on the subject of ADHD, too many to mention here, and parents can gather good ideas from many different sources.

IBP –  Where is your work available?

Association for Natural Psychology - Overcoming ADHD Without Medication is available in paperback from all major bookstores and online sources including Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, online and stores. It is also available in eBook format on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Overdrive (for libraries), EBSCO, and numerous other online sources.

The AYCNP Twitter page regularly posts articles on mental health, including ADHD, depression and bipolar disorder, that has much value.

IBP – What is in the works for you next? 

Association for Natural Psychology - The AYCNP is planning to release the book, Meeting the Challenge of Bipolar Disorder, Self Help Strategies that Work! by the Association for Natural Psychology, main text edited by Gabrielle Woods, PhD and Foreword by Laura Pipoly, PC, EdD, in Fall, 2013 as a distributed eBook and self-published paperback. It is currently available on Kindle as a pre-release preview edition.

Purchase Overcoming ADHD Without Medication: A Guidebook for Parents and Teachers.

Overcoming ADHD Without Medication: A Guidebook for Parents and Teachers can be purchased online from the following locations (off-site links to actual book page):

Retail book and ebook: Amazon.com -Barnes & Noble – eBook: Kindle – Kobo

Wholesale book and ebook: Baker & Taylor – Ingram – Cardinal Publishers Group

eBook also available from Overdrive and EBSCO

Superar el Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad (TDAH) Sin Medicación: Guía para Padres y Educadores(Spanish Edition)

Amazon.com – e-Libro: Kindle – Barnes & Noble Nook – Kobo – Overdrive

For More Information follow:

Twitter   *   Facebook   *   Website   *   Pinterest   *   Publisher’s website

IBP: How would you describe your book in 20 words or less without using the blurb?

Jordan: A dark story of friendship—secrets, scars and healing—with a thriller’s pace and a touch of magic realism.

IBP: State a random fact about yourself that would surprise your readers.

Jordan: I am a teller of very, very dirty jokes. It’s almost a compulsion. I should probably see a psychologist. Oh wait, I’m married to one!

IBP: What’s your current guilty pleasure?

Jordan:  Red wine. As the adult child of an alcoholic I didn’t start drinking alcohol in any earnest way until I was 35. Seriously. Then I had a baby and when he turned two I learned the validity of the term “mommy’s little helper.”  I have a glass a night because the Italians do it, and I aspire to live like the Italians (eat well, sleep well, live and love with gusto). Oh, and I read an article that claimed “booze” helps with creativity; so who can argue with that?

IBP: Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

Jordan: Yes, in a nutshell: Practice, Polish, Persist. Rinse, repeat.  Keep doing those three things ad infinitum and success in some form or another will arrive.

IBP: Which scenes were the hardest to write?

Jordan: Scenes of conflict are easy for me, it’s the scenes where people are actually happy, getting along, reconciling that I find difficult because how do you add tension to those? I found that ultimately, you don’t—you always leave a thread of conflict burbling below the surface.

IBP: Why did you choose the genre you write in?

Jordan: I don’t choose it, alas—it chooses me and continues to confound me by being never quite one simple genre. This also was a problem for my agents. I am drawn to suspense of a psychological, inter-personal nature, but often times a tiny hint of the paranormal overtakes my stories. But I don’t enjoy writing fantasy, per se, so you can see. I let my characters and my stories tell me what they are.

IBP: Where do you get your inspiration?

Jordan: Voices whisper in my ears, literally, and I take dictation at first. And then, once I am interested, I begin to extrapolate the possibilities for these characters and their stories. Since I teach writing I can’t help but think in terms of hero’s journey structure, always asking how will my character transform, how is she broken, what needs fixing?

IBP: Your favorite books and author?

Jordan: I love Tana French, Gillian Flynn, Sarah Waters, Jonathan Lethem, Justin Cronin. I love books that are dark and complex, deep and philosophical about the human condition but also well plotted and satisfying.

IBP: Where can readers find your books?

Jordan: Readers can find my books, my contact information and more at my website: www.jordanrosenfeld.net. I am a big fan of reader contact, and I do respond to emails.

IBP: If you could visit any place in the world or a place created by a book, where would you visit?

Jordan: Though I suspect that everybody smelled bad and died young, and it was probably a grueling time, I’d love to visit the world of Arthurian legend in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s version of it, in Mists of Avalon. I’m drawn to medieval times for absolutely no good reason I can think of.

IBP: Are you working on anything new and if so when can we expect to see it?

Jordan: I’m finishing a crappy first draft of another novel of psychological suspense involving dancers, sociopaths, second chances at big dreams, and artistic prodigies. It is my hope that it will be ready by February 2014, a year from the release of Forged in Grace, but we shall see.

Forged in Grace can be found on Amazon in

print   *   kindle   *   audio 

Bio:

Jordan E. Rosenfeld learned early on that people prefer a storyteller to a know-it-all. She channeled any Hermione-esque tendencies into a career as a writing coach, editor and freelance journalist and saves the Tall Tales for her novels. She earned her MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and is the author of the debut novel Forged in Grace, and the writing guides Make A Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time (Writer’s Digest Books) and Write Free! Attracting the Creative Life with Rebecca Lawton (BeijaFlor Books). Jordan’s essays and articles have appeared in such publications as AlterNet.org, Publisher’s Weekly, The San Francisco Chronicle, The St. Petersburg Times, The Writer and Writer’s Digest magazine. Her book commentaries have appeared on The California Report, a news-magazine produced by NPR-affiliate KQED radio. She lives in Northern California with her superhero-obsessed son and Psychologist husband.

IBP: How would you describe your book in 20 words or less without using the blurb?

Kytka: The book invites each person to the game of writing to express their unique voice and journey!

IBP: Tell us a little about yourself.

Kytka: I was born in Prague, Czech Republic and have always done a lot of travel. My parents are entrepreneurs who had many businesses and so I learned early on to cherish the freedom of working for oneself. Being a writer and speaker allow me to work from anywhere, though I do confess it feels much more like playing. I enjoy the freedom of not being tied to any 9 to 5 type of responsibility and that residual royalties continue to come, whether I am writing or not. So I travel a lot. There are so many incredible things to see and do, my children come with me and experiencing the world is their curriculum.

IBP: Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

Kytka: Many years ago I thought I had that place and then life shifted. I learned that home is not a place but a way of being. I am at home wherever I am with my children. There are so many beautiful places and even more beautiful people, it’s good to have the opportunity to move around and get to experience them. If I had to choose a specific place, it would need to be somewhere near where the mountains meet the sea.

IBP: What’s your current guilty pleasure?

Kytka: Theater. Wherever we go, we try to schedule things that we can see a performance. Music, dance, stage plays, opera even open mic night, we love to see people show their creative sides when performing. There is so much undiscovered talent in the world. It’s also a very intimate experience, to see someone completely become a character in a play or to sing from their heart and soul. I love that human connection. When I do my live events with authors, I see a part of that same spark in the attendees. People are beautiful when their passion is sparked and they are encouraged to show what’s inside of them.

IBP: What do you love about writing?

Kytka: I love telling it like it is. So many people in our culture are looking to do things a specific way, or the “right” way. When I write, I just allow my inner truth to come forth. I don’t worry about being judged or measured. I am grateful for the freedom to express and share my own experience and because it is my own experience, I like the powerful feeling of owning it. Life is too short to pretend to be someone else. I get a lot of letters, and when I receive them and people tell me that my work shifted their life, I know I’ve made a difference – that feels incredible.

IBP: What’s the hardest part of writing a book?

Kytka: Well, the last 8 years of my life have been spent teaching people how to create books, and how easy it can be. I like when people are authentic and speak in their own voice, so I encourage them to speak their books into being, and then have the audios transcribed. I know that this ruffles the feathers of some other writers, but to each his own. Most of my students are business people who are writing non fiction about how to do specific things, how they conduct their specific business or service. They do not think of themselves as writers and they get stuck sitting over the keyboard because in their minds they believe a writer writes a specific way. When I take away that barrier and allow them to speak about what they do, what they are passionate about – the content just flows and oftentimes it’s quite brilliant. I always carry a recorder and when I get into those moments of flow myself, I capture everything. I don’t believe there is anything hard about writing a book.

IBP: Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Kytka: Of course, as most of my books are non-fiction – I share much of my journey. I’ve written a lot of parenting, homeschooling, alternative medicine and raw foods books – under my name and pen names. Every book has my experiences in it.

IBP: Where do you get your inspiration?

Kytka: I get my inspiration from the wonderful life I have been blessed to live. I love research and more often than not, I take the road less traveled I see myself as a pioneer and when I was younger, it was difficult because I lacked support and community. This was before social media, meetups and Facebook But now, some twenty years later. I get to see all of the choices I researched and made then becoming more mainstream. It’s a wonderful feeling to think that perhaps my bravery to walk the talk and then share it in writing may have forged a path for others now on a similar life journey. I’m most inspired when I get hand written letters from my readers, telling me how I have shifted their life experience. I save each and every one of them. It feels good to know I am making a difference.

IBP: What book is currently on your nightstand?

Kytka: I’m currently re-reading “The Hand” by Frank R. Wilson. It discusses how it’s uses actually shapes the brain, language and human culture. Actually, I often simultaneously read related books in groups, so next to The Hand I also have “The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image” by Leonard Shlain. Both fascinating in their subject matter about how our brains develop and work.

IBP: Where can your fans find you?

Kytka: My name is so unusual, they can just search my first name and I pop up everywhere! My main blog is BeMoreThanYouAre.com and my contact site is KytkaMedia.com. I’m on all the social media, again just look for me by my first name.

IBP: Vampires or werewolves?

Kytka: Not my favorite choice, but if I had to choose, vampires. I read interview with the Vampire in 1977 and I loved Anne Rice. At that time I only read fiction. I graduated from those types of books to non-fiction around 1982 and I never looked back though if you ask Lestat or Louis, definitely Louis. I loved his tragic life, perhaps the influence crossed over to my love of the theater and performing arts. Is the Phantom of the Opera a choice? He’d win.

IBP: Are you writing something else at the moment?

Kytka: Yes, I am writing a book on how children learn and how minds of entrepreneurs work in much the same way as children’s minds. I’m a strong advocate of alternative education and all three of my children were home and unschooled so it’s something I’m passionate about. I am also continuously writing new training materials for my Book Power students because the technology is shifting so fast, I need to keep up with the game!

Blurb:

The Time Is Now. In today’s social world, if you are not seen across numerous channels in a consistent and regular way, you may as well be invisible. In Book Power: A Platform for Writing, Branding, Positioning and Publishing, author Kytka Hilmar-Jezek takes you by the hand and walks you through from start to finish. Your book be written in a matter of days, you will know how to maximize the power of your book to attract clients, grow your business, create residual income streams, open doors and much more.

“In Book Power Kytka has broken this process down to an easy to understand and easy to apply complete system for anyone who has a burning desire to share their experience and insights with the world. Her information is comprehensive and applicable to this modern era of social media and online marketing…the leveling field for authors of all kinds. If you are ready to share your gifts with humanity start reading this book now!” ~ From Natalie Ledwell, Author of Never in Your Wildest Dreams, speaker and co-founder of MindMovies.com

Book Power: A Platform for Writing, Branding, Positioning & Publishing can be found on

Amazon   *   Barnes and Noble   *   Goodreads   *   Author Central

Bio:

Kytka Hilmar-Jezek, is a Best Selling Author of Reiki for Children, Waldorf Community Exchange, Born To Learn, The Growing Entrepreneur and Book Power. She founded Waldorf Homeschoolers in 1996 and has been an active voice in alternative education since. Kytka is a mover and shaker who continuously challenges the status quo and introduces people to a New Paradigm way of being. She is an international speaker and an inspirational powerhouse. Her approachable personality tends to have people perceive her more as a Luminary than just a Leader, because she tends to light the path for others by being a living example of the subject matter she speaks and writes about.

Kytka can be found on

Twitter   *   Facebook   *   Google+   *   Website

Bio: Jayme Beddingfield lives in Seattle, Wa with her brilliant husband, their two wonderful children, and a slew of adopted pets with strong personalities. When Jayme isn’t busy wrangling someone from the list just before, she obsessively writes fantasy and science fiction, devours comic books, and blows off steam as a D20 wielding Orc Barbarian. Jayme Beddingfield is the author of the superhero fiction series, Emerald City Nights. Volume One, The Adventure’s of Miss Mind Shift is available now. Volume Two will be released early this December.

 *   *  *

Blurb

IBP – Introduce yourself and your blog

Kriss – Hello! My name is Kriss Morton and I am the owner, operator, prolific writer, insane rambling blogging crazy reviewer over at Cabin Goddess! I review, write recipes, host authors, tours, have special author spotlights on Fridays and short story spotlights on Sunday’s and all manner of festivities whenever it strikes me! If it is Alaskan I write about it, if I feel like posting images, I post them, if my cat insists on a hostile takeover, she does! Oh and occasionally my partner posts his opinions too. I have been predominately reviewed indie books but I read and review any that strike my fancy. I also am a publicist and host numerous radio shows so you can find those links on the blog too!

IBP – Do you see yourself as a voracious reader?

Kriss – Oh gosh YES! I review at least twice a week and because I host Bewitching Tours radio show at least three times a month I also read those books for show prep so I read at least three a week if not more! I am reading at least six at a time. I read 10% and move to the next one. When I get to the sixth one, I start back on the first till I am done!

IBP – How long have you been blogging?

Kriss – Since Before Livejournal went public. I was working with AOL and a children’s chat room monitor for a now defunct site in Seattle called Freerange media and I maintained a Blog during 1997. I have blogged since then and had various blogs since then. My current blog started off on TwistedSistah.com when I was pregnant with my fifth child in 1999 and I have continued strong since! Cabin Goddess used to be Cabin Bitch and I posted my first book review Fall of 2011 on a Werewolf called DOGWORLD and the next week my first recipe to go along with a book featuring bacon and my bacon persona of THE BACAON WALKER was born. It has never been the same sense.

IBP – What made you decide to start book blogging?

Kriss – I did not decide, it was decided for me! I was taking a break from school and academia because of some health problems. I had just finished reading my 206th book for fun (not any of my school books) and my friend said, “Are you reviewing them at all?” I said I was rating them on Goodreads and doing the challenge but I had no clue how to review. I was scared to death. I was getting my degree in English Literature and felt I was to analytical and many of my first reviews shows this. Even today they are prolific. Some authors appreciate it but readers want to laugh or read a review telling them why they should pay four bucks or even ten to buy a book and read it and they want to understand why they should fork the money over. I tend to talk over folks heads. Now days I let the wild woman out of the bag and have a blast! But no, I did not decide. Coral Russell of The Indie Exchange dragged me kicking and screaming down the rabbit whole and I have not been the same sense, and I could not be happier most days!

IBP – What genre(s) does your blog focus on?

Kriss – Literary fiction, horror, zombie, post apocalypse, psychological horror and this year mystery and crime fiction. I love urban fantasy and paranormal fantasy too. I do not focus on any genre except what I fancy at the time. What I DON’T focus on is straight romance. Though I am reading a bit more of it because of my marketing clients now, I still do not fancy it much. I love horror and love a good dark humor read. OH and if you write snark well throw your book my way!

IBP – Has your reading tastes changed since you started your blog?

Kriss – I think I let things through I never would have read in the first place. I am not as picky as I used to be. I think it is not a good thing honestly. Indie is great but unfortunately it has tended to water down things and so many fabulous authors get lost in the fray. I read till I find the great ones! It is an adventure!

IBP – Do you post reviews on your blog?

Kriss – I post them on my blog FIRST, and then if I want, I post them on Goodreads and Amazon. But I do not post all of them on Amazon.

IBP – How many review requests do you get each month on average?

Kriss – Since closing reviews they have trickled down to 30.

IBP – Do you have a Review Policy or something similar?

Kriss – Yes I do, and it is a mess and I left it like that to deter requests, it has not. I thought about making it easier. I did clean it up and my requests doubled and I decided to go back to the old one and it went down a bit. So I left it that. I hate saying now to people. My crack are tours. I cannot say no to tours.

IBP – Do you review Indie or Small Pub books?

Kriss – Both. But I also get a lot of review requests from three of the six Trade houses too thanks to one of the places I tour from. I am really honored because of it. I am one of the the reviewers to four mid-level presses too.

IBP – Do you host guest posts or interviews?

Kriss – I do special Interviews (http://cabingoddess.com/2013/03/southern-witchcraft-beer-butt-chicken-interview-review-recipes-with-jenharlowbooks/) and a Recipe, it is really cool, and they create recipes that are themed to their books. Both drinks and food! I don’t like Guest posts, but my Fourth-Wall Friday (http://cabingoddess.com/category/guest-posts/fourth-wall-friday/) posts are the closest thing to guest posts which would be considered a guest post and it is more like a author spotlight post.

IBP – What information do you require when an author approaches you?

Kriss – Link to their book, genre, personally addressing me in an email. Honestly they need to go through my review policy page! Even if it is a nightmare! *evil smile* All the info is there!

IBP – How can we stalk you?

Kriss – TWITTER
FACEBOOK PROFILE (I love friends)
FACEBOOK PAGE
FACEBOOK PUBLICIST PAGE
G+ PAGE
CABIN GODDESS FEED
PINTEREST
GOODREADS

IBP: Try to describe your book in one sentence.

Kelli: Two souls, linked together since creation, brought together by fate.

IBP:  Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Kelli: For the most part, yes. I’ve had a love affair with books for as long as I can remember. Before I knew how to read, I made up stories in my head that went along with my picture books. I had tons of books, too.

When we started covering poetry in school, I really enjoyed it. I started writing it outside of school. Then I discovered Edgar Allan Poe. His poetry and stories fascinated me so much that I switched from writing poems to writing stories.

I originally started this book when I was 13. Granted, the storyline has changed dramatically, but the idea came to life at that point in time. I worked on other books off and on over the years. Then I had a thought. Maybe other people would like my stories, too, so I took a leap of faith. That’s one leap I’ll never regret.

IBP: Do you listen to music while writing?

Kelli: Oh yes. Music is an essential part of my writing process. I have a playlist for each book. Readers collect books. I collect music.

IBP: Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

Kelli: Never, ever give up on your dream. If writing is your passion, nothing will take its place. Find time to write every day, even if it’s just a few sentences. Once you get in a routine, the pages start coming. I think critique groups are a good place to get feedback and improve your craft, but don’t let anyone (no matter how highly you think of them) tell you that you can’t do it. You can. All you have to do is believe in yourself. Others will do the same.

IBP: What’s the hardest part of writing a book?

Kelli: Writing, in itself, is a job that doesn’t stop. Writers don’t get a chance to ‘clock out’. We’re always writing or thinking about writing. There are moments when we need to shut down and let ourselves relax and have fun. You don’t get many of those moments because you feel guilty if you aren’t writing. Of course, if you’re like me and other writers I know, your characters won’t shut up. They are always chatting about their lives or arguing with you about what direction you’re taking them in the story. They love to switch things up and make your life difficult. #sanityisoptional

IBP: What’s your favorite part of writing a book?

Kelli: As I mentioned above, it never fails for my characters to change their mind about something. Normally it’s how the story will end. I have 3 published books and with each one, I thought I knew how the story would wrap up, but when I got there, my characters were like, ‘Oh no, honey. That is not how it ends. Move out of the way and let me write this.’  It drives me crazy, but I like it, too.

IBP: Where do you get your inspiration?

Kelli: The majority of my inspiration comes from music. I literally zone out with a song and a scene unfolds in my mind. Sometimes it takes a couple songs to achieve this, but the result is always the same. The base of my chapter is ready to be written.

IBP: Which genres do you prefer to read?

Kelli: I write what I read. Romance. I’m a sucker for a happily ever after. My favorite sub genres are paranormal romance, and historical romance. I’ve read other types, but those two are my favorites.

IBP:  How important do you find the communication between you and your readers?

Kelli: It’s very important to me. I love to connect with readers and chat with them online. They give me great feedback, especially when I’m working on a new project.

IBP: Do you reply to their messages or read their reviews?

Kelli: Always

IBP: If you were stranded on a deserted island, who would you want for company?

Kelli: Taylor Kitsch

IBP: Is there anything else you’d like to share to your followers and readers?

Kelli: I just want to thank them for taking a chance on me. For believing in me and for encouraging me to keep writing. They are the biggest reason I do this. I look forward to sharing more books with them this year.

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Blurb:

Do dreams foretell the future? Are there soul connections that go deeper than love?

He can sense her emotions at any place and time. Their bond is powerful but a mystery. One thing he knows for sure. She’s plagued his dreams for months. Maybe even longer.

Being involved with a celebrity is the last thing she imagined…or wanted. Can she forget the pain from the past? Can he let go of his fears?

What the Heart Wants is available on Amazon.

Bio:

Before I could read, I used my imagination to make up stories to match the illustrations in my books. My love for reading carried over to adulthood. Then writing came along.

When I’m not writing or looking for duct tape for my inner critic’s mouth, you can usually find me hanging out on Twitter: @Kelli_McCracken or in my secret group on Facebook.

Personally, I think Forrest Gump’s momma said it best. Life is like a box of chocolates. Mine is full of nuts. My motto: sanity is optional, but not a requirement. My characters love waking me up in the middle of the night for long talks. They have no sense of time.

Kelli can be found on

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