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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Houseboat Detective?

I’m mainly a writer of Young Adult Science Fiction. Though I do have one ‘detective’ novel/thriller, THE ARX, it also has a substantial Scifi component. THE HOUSEBOAT DETECTIVE is a big departure from my usual genres. It’s a ‘pure’ detective novel, has no Scifi, and has (I hope) a great deal of humour. The novel is largely about the protagonist Jake Sommers’ journey to find his place in the world. I wanted to write something unabashedly set in Canada, and particularly in Victoria, the town where I was born. I grew up in that city, and lived there until my late twenties. I still live relatively close by, so I travel there quite often. I’m very familiar with the city, and I tried to incorporate a lot of the local culture and settings.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Houseboat Detective, what would they be?

A theme song for the protagonist, Jake Sommers, would be easy - Fats Waller’s classic song "Honeysuckle Rose". Jake loves Fats Waller’s music, and the houseboat where he lives is named the ‘Honeysuckle Rose’. Evangeline Sirkants, the woman who hires Jake and proceeds to turn his life upside down, would probably go for something highbrow, maybe the great classical composers, or more modern jazz greats. Bert McCluskey, Jake’s neighbour and friend/annoyance, would probably be an opera buff - maybe Carmen or La Boheme.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I have very wide-ranging tastes in reading. I like to read Science Fiction, the same genre I usually write, but I also love a good mystery. I also read a lot of non-fiction.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I’m currently re-reading a wonderful humorous book called THE ONION EATERS, by J. P. Donleavy. I’ve read it several times, but still enjoy the bizarre, absurd humour. I’m about to start on a Scifi novel, ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I think the opening scene in the book, where an extremely hungover Jake has to try to coax a stubborn and foul-smelling sea-lion off of one of his neighbour's houseboats. I enjoyed writing the humour, and imagining Jake’s dilemma.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I do a lot of writing in coffee shops. I have a small portable computer I take with me. I used to spend a lot of time writing on the BC Ferry to Vancouver Island, a trip that takes around two hours each way.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

When I have trouble with something, whether it’s writing or anything else, I remember what one of my ex-bosses used to say: ‘If it was easy, anybody could do it’.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I guess the overarching theme of THE HOUSEBOAT DETECTIVE is that though lots of difficult and painful events happen in life, in the end, life is beautiful, and worth living.

 

Jay Allan Storey is the author of the new book The Houseboat Detective

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Way of the Wolf (Magnetic Magic Book 1)?

I've been meaning to return to contemporary fantasy and werewolves for a while, but I wanted to do a story where the heroine was a werewolf this time, not simply someone stumbling into their world. For more fun, I made Luna a middle-aged mom dealing with divorce and an empty nest. I knew as soon as I thought of her that she would be ready for new adventures and a second start on life.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Way of the Wolf (Magnetic Magic Book 1), what would they be?

"Highway to Hell" by AC/DC -- she's been going through a rough patch. 😀

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy and sci-fi, anything that mixes serious stories with banter/snark.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Speaking of older heroines, Lydia M. Hawke's Crone Wars.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Any of the scenes with Duncan, the mysterious werewolf wielding a metal detector, are fun. He's the love interest for the series, but... can he be trusted?

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I often write with my laptop in a "chair and a half," but due to a snuggly 65-pound dog, I'm lucky if I get even half. I've written a lot of chapters in awkward positions. I suppose it's my quirk that I have a hard time writing at a desk like a normal person.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Lots, but this time, I'll go with Zig Ziglar's "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want." I hope my stories give people what they want!

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Middle-aged women can kick ass too. 🙂

 

Lindsay Buroker is the author of the new book Way of the Wolf (Magnetic Magic Book 1)

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Forever Twilight (The Dark Emeralds)?

The Dark Emeralds series is a southern gothic tale of betrayal, murder, and a household caught up in two curses. It takes place in dual timeline and centers around tragic events at a mansion deep in the Louisiana bayou country in 1850. Over the years, readers have often asked me questions about that part of the book, and I felt it was something worth exploring in a way that would take the reader further into those ill-fated events, but also so new readers might be inspired to read the rest of the series.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

As a writer I think it is a good idea to read a wide variety of genres and I do have pretty eclectic reading tastes depending on mood. Of course I think you are going to read the genre you write in because ultimately you are going to write the kind of book you would like to read. A writer’s understanding of plotting and pacing a particular genre comes from reading it and then finding new ways to add your own take on the genre.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I am about to start Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Next I have a stack of classics that I want to re-read, such as Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, one of my favorites.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

There is a scene in Forever Twilight that where two characters see each other for the first time out of context of their daily lives and begin to realize that they do have things in common. At first there is friction, that leads to conversation, that leads to a realization of a mutual attraction. Two people, away from their normal societal settings, and free from those rules in the natural beauty of nature. I love the dichotomy of that scene where two people from different stations of society allow themselves to transcend those barriers in order to have a real conversation that leads to more. I wrote the book around a setting that I know well from my own childhood growing up in the south. I set that scene in a glade in the woods near a spring-fed pond that was reminiscent of my family’s property where I grew up.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Yes, I have a few. One thing is that I take myself to lunch on Mondays. I sit down at one of my three favorite restaurants with my laptop and earbuds. They automatically bring me a glass of sparkling rose, because I am a creature of habit, and then I start writing. If you follow me on social media you have probably seen at least one pic of this lol.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Don't talk about it, do it.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I would hope that they would remember that a gilded cage is still a cage. Nothing is better facing your fears and gaining your freedom even at the expense of other people’s opinions of you.

 

Jerry Lambert is the author of the new book Forever Twilight (The Dark Emeralds)

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