Blog Tour: November Surprise by Laurel Osterkamp

Follow the tour HERE

Laurel Osterkamp was a comedy writer in Minneapolis before she began writing novels. Her first novel, Following My Toes, has been a Kindle best seller and won the 2008 Indie Excellence Award for Chick Lit. Starring in the Movie of My Lifereceived honors in the 2011 Indie Excellence Awards for Chick Lit, and in the 2011 International Book Awards for Women's Fiction and Young Adult Lit. Both books are indie approved at indiereader.com. She currently teaches high school, and is working on her next book, which is inspired by her recent jury duty.

Connect with Laurel!

http://www.laurelosterkamp.com/ - my website

http://www.laurelosterkamp.blogspot.com/ - my blog

http://www.novembersurprises.blogspot.com/ - blog written by "Lucy" that continues the story of November Surprise, about the 2012 campaign

Q. What inspires your writing?

I’ve always loved a good story. Other books and movies inspire me, as do situations from my own life. Whenever something happens, I’m always thinking about how it could be more dramatic and interesting as fiction.

Q. What is your favorite thing about being an author?

I love the escape. I can create my own world where I have total control over what happens. It’s a little like being God. I hope that doesn’t sound bad. J But seriously, when a story comes together in the way I know it should, nothing is better.

Q. What is the toughest part of being an author?

The promotion. There are so many authors and books out there now; trying to get noticed can feel like yelling in a crowded room. I can be pretty competitive, so I have to remind myself not to be.

Q. If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

Well, I make my living as a teacher. I’d probably just focus on that.

Q. What would the story of your life be entitled?

85% Lucky

Q. What is your favorite book of all time?

That’s so hard, because I’ve read so many wonderful books. I Know This Much is True made a major impression on me, so that one immediately comes to mind.

Q. Which part of your book was the easiest to write?

The dialogue and the characters

Q. Which part of your book was the hardest to write?

Setting and I suppose, plot. Sometimes my stories need a little more plausibility.

Q. Which character from any book are you most like?

That’s a funny question, because a few weeks ago I came to the revelation that all of my main characters represent a different aspect of my personality. That said, I’m probably the most like Faith from Following My Toes. But I’m also a lot like Lucy in November Surprise – I suppose I’m a mix.

Q. Can you tell me a little about the inspiration behind your book cover?
I just wanted something eye-catching and easily identifiable as women’s fiction. My husband is a photographer, and took the photo for Following My Toes. Those are actually my legs! The other photos I got from Big Stock, but I was going for a similar look.

Q. What is your favorite season?

Autumn. I love sweaters, hot cider and Halloween.

Q. Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

I once had a book reading, and all my work friends showed up. There were a lot of them, and it was super-cool, but there weren’t enough seats and everybody was crammed together on these tiny couches. I don’t know how funny that is, but it’s a great memory.

Q. Are you working on something new?

I’m writing a blog about the 2012 election from Lucy’s (the main character of November Surprise) perspective, and it has more stories about her life with Monty. I’ll continue that until the beginning of November, and then I want to start working on a book inspired by my jury duty last spring.

Q. Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

Thanks for taking the time to read this interview! I hope you’ll give me a chance and try one of my books.

Girl’s Guide to Conflict

“Oh my God! This is unbelievable. You’re so irritating. Get away from me.” She’ll say this as she rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. Then she’ll whisper something to the person next to her and laugh. Afterwards, she’ll take out her phone and start texting.

Does this scene sound familiar? Have you ever been guilty of this yourself? If you’re a female, I’m thinking there’s a good chance you answered “Yes,” or at least, “Sort of.”

I write for a female audience, and my main characters are always female. This doesn’t feel like a choice as much as a necessity. I would feel out of my depth writing for, or about, men. I don’t know if I could do it right.

Several years ago I probably would have had a problem admitting that, but not now. Because while I believe that men are women are equal in all the important ways, there are also some very important differences. It’s these differences that make life interesting, and one important difference has to do with how we handle conflict.

I teach high school in a district with a high poverty rate, and over the last twelve years, I’ve seen a lot. It can be a tough place to work, and I’ve had my fair share of conflicts. I can safely say that conflicts with female students are usually way worse than conflicts with male students.

                Why? Because girls hold grudges. They will latch onto whatever they’re mad about, and refuse to let it go. They also get personal; girls are much more likely to throw an emotional punch rather than a physical one. I’ve never been hit by a student (thank goodness) but I’ve had students swear at me, refuse to leave after being sent down to the office, and purposefully throw things around the room. Don’t get me wrong; when this happens it’s the exception to the rule. For the most part, my classroom is peaceful, and my students and I enjoy each other. But the violent reactions, when they happen, are almost always by the males. Yet after they’re done, that’s usually it. A guy can get mad, express anger, and the next day walk in my classroom like nothing ever happened.

                But a girl will whisper mean things under her breath, roll her eyes, and try to poison the room with her opinions. This can be so much more destructive than a temporary, angry outburst.

                On a similar note, I saw an article today about a family in Minnesota who has the ultimate nasty neighbor. She yells at them in angry tirades full of swear words. She vandalizes their property with insulting graffiti, and she stalks them. The family has contacted the authorities, and the neighbor’s response is this: “I had my psychological evaluation, and I’m fine. They’re just getting on me because I’m a single mom. If I was a man, this wouldn’t even be an issue.”
                I kind of doubt that, but I do believe there’s a double standard when it comes to females and conflict. We’re not supposed to get angry the way men do, and if we break that rule, the repercussions are usually harsh. And while this is a lousy deal in real life, again, it makes writing about females and conflict so interesting.

                I personally hate conflict, but I love writing about it.  If I can create a well-rounded, strong and intelligent female character, and then put her in a stressful situation, well, the possibilities are endless!

By: Laurel Osterkamp

Monty and I have been dancing together all evening. The slow songs are the best, but we also do the Macarena and even the Chicken Dance. I can’t stop laughing the entire time I’m quacking my hands.

Jack and his new wife, Petra, have fed each other cake. Petra has thrown her bouquet, and all the toasts have been given. The night is winding down, and Monty leads me off the dance floor.

“I’m really glad neither of us had dates,” he says.

“Yeah, me too.” My heart beats just a little bit faster than normal.

“And I’m sorry about earlier. Hitting on you like that. It was clumsy. Will you forgive me?” His face is flushed and his tie is loosened. I’m sure I’ve noticed before how good looking he is, but this is the first time I’ve let myself appreciate it.

“There’s nothing to forgive.” I look around, make sure nobody is watching, and then I stand on my tip-toes and plant a kiss on his cheek. When he doesn’t flinch or pull away, I give him the barest whisper of a kiss on the lips.

It’s all the encouragement he needs.

With a conspiratorial smile, he takes my hand and leads me outside the reception hall. I follow willingly.

When we get to a dark, hidden spot, he wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me deeply. I can feel it everywhere, my entire body is tingling, my knees are weak, and I’m sure that at any moment, my heart will explode.

I don’t want him to stop. But he does.

“Where are you staying tonight?” he asks.

“I was going to drive back to my parents’ house.”

“Hmm…” he leans in and kisses me some more. I press up against him like I can’t get close enough. He tilts his head back ever so slightly, so he can talk. “That’s a long drive. Do you want to stay with me, instead?”

“You have a hotel room?”

“It’s close to the airport,” he whispers. “I fly back to New York really early tomorrow.” Then he baby kisses my eyes, nose, and chin.

I don’t answer immediately. I’m trying to steady my breathing. “So you can make a clean get away?”

“It’s not like that.” he smiles. “And you haven’t even said yes, yet.”

But he knows I’m going to. “You can’t ever tell Jack,” I say.

“He just got married, Lucy. Do you really think he’ll care?”

I rub my hands down his back and across the taut muscles in his arms. “I never had sex with him, and we dated for months. If he finds out you and I had a one night stand…”

Monty cuts me off with another kiss. “I promise I’ll never tell him,” he murmurs, between kisses.

We make out a few seconds more, but our kissing is interrupted when I’m consumed with a fit of giggles.

“What’s so funny?” Monty asks.

I shake my head. “Sorry. It just occurred to me. I’m about to do it with the homecoming king.”

Monty chuckles. “Does that turn you on?”

“Yeah,” I admit. “Kind of. Is that okay?”

He kisses my neck. I tilt my head back and sigh in pleasure.

“Are you kidding?” His lips are a mere centimeter from my skin as he mumbles, and his arms tighten around me even more. “If I had known, I would have worn my crown.”

Now we’re both laughing.

“You know this isn’t the sort of thing I usually do…”

He raises his face so he’s looking me in the eye. “I know,” he says, and he smiles. Crinkles form around his green eyes, and I feel a moment of panic. There’s no way I’m casual enough to be with him for just one night.

“Let’s make it special, okay?” He reaches down and clasps my hand, and I let him lead me somewhere, again. This time, I follow him to the parking lot. Tonight, I’d follow him anywhere.

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2012

Twenty years
Six presidential elections
Two brothers
One consuming love affair

For Lucy Jones, the distinction between love and politics is hazy at best. Both can be all-consuming, and either can lead to a heart-breaking loss or an exhilarating win. Whatever the case, if you're seen as a loser, you probably are one. Lucy first learns this lesson in 1988, when she's a shy girl, battling a high school bully and rooting for Dukakis. Through the years Lucy will experience stunning victories and agonizing defeats as she makes the choices that define her. Meanwhile, she also struggles to define her relationship with Monty, who comes in and out of her life like the changes in public opinion. Is Monty simply a one-night stand, a kindred spirit, or the love of her life? And by 2008, can he offer her a change to believe in?

Over the course of twenty years and six presidential elections, Lucy grows and adjusts with the times. Filled with snarky political and pop-culture references, November Surprise is about the journey we take to believe in a candidate, in love, and in ourselves.

November Surprise is a companion piece to Campaign Promises, which is free on Amazon. They can be read in either order.

Buy the Book:

Kindle:

Review: Edgewood: (Edgewood Series) (Volume 1) by Karen McQuestion

It is official Karen McQuestion has earned herself a spot in my Favorite Authors List (see the section on the side of my blog). When Karen came to MMBBR's for a showcase, I knew that she was quite talented, but at that point I had not read her books (yet). I dove into The Long Way Home shortly after she visited us here, and I fell in love.  Karen writes so beautifully; great characters, great setting, great dialogue...the whole package.   So I was thinking, authors can't hit it out of of the park all the time can they?  

Well yes.  I then read Easily Amused  and also really enjoyed that as well.  I was thinking this Karen can really write.  So when I saw that she was stepping away from her woman's lit type of stuff and that she wrote a YA paranormal novel I thought "I need to read this".  I was so blown away by Karen's ability to get me engrossed in yet another great novel.

Edgewood takes place in small town Wisconsin, in a town named Edgewood.  Russ Becker witnesses an event that subsequently changes the path of his life.  Edgewood has an amazing cast of characters, a story that is original, engrossing, funny, interesting and fun to read.  It has danger, a bit of mystery and twists and turns that keep you burning thorough the book.  I am so beyond excited that this is a series.  Paranormal books are such a great escape from the day to day grind and who knows, maybe we all have secret magical abilities that we have yet to discover.....

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

What is a giveaway hop?
Simple - Each participating blog hosts a giveaway and then we link up together allowing our followers to hop easily from one giveaway to another.
For followers this means lots of chances to win free books.
For blogs hosting a giveaway it means lots of new visitors.
It's a win-win!

Each participating blog will host their own giveaway. There is no requirement on the minimum or maximum value of our giveaway. It's up to us to decide. We can give away books, swags, amazon gift cards, or anything else we can think of that has to do with books.  

So what am I giving away?  

A $5.00 Amazon gift card...

For your chance to win enter the rafflecopper below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get hopping over to other blogs (over 500) to enter to win some great prizes!!!!

Review: FULL COUNT: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Baseball by Sports Illustrated Kids

If I could give Full Count a rating of 100 stars I would.  This book is jammed packed with the best top 10 lists in baseball.  I found myself going back to reread many of the lists (several times), learning more and more each time I read it.  Some of the great top 10 lists are Unbreakable Records, Nicknames, Yogi-isms, Baseball Movies and so much more.  The pictures are in amazing color and the book will appeal to both kids and adults.  I cannot tell you enough how much I loved this book.  If you have a baseball fan in your family or you are a fan yourself, this is a must buy book.    

Top 10 Lists of Everything in Baseball

Full Count, a 96-page hardcover book, is a comprehensive yet fun look at the greatest aspects of baseball, presented in top 10 lists. From the most exciting World Series moments to the most colorful players, Sports Illustrated Kidsranks a variety of topics from the baseball diamond. Readers are guaranteed to love the 75 exciting action-packed photos from the Sports Illustrated collection and the insider knowledge of Sports Illustrated Kids. Filled with trivia and information, this dynamic book will be the definitive kids book on baseball.

Some of the Top 10 rankings included in Full Count:

·         Oddest Deliveries
·         Rivalries
·         Mascots
·         Ugly Uniforms
·         Sluggers
·         Families

Blog Tour: Lost in the Light by Mary Castillo

Follow the tour HERE

Author Bio:

Mary Castillo can remember the exact moment when her destiny to write smart, sexy stories for women began. (And no, it was not the day this photo was taken!) Her Grandma Margie gave her a copy of Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor (banned in 14 states and then when it was made into a movie starring Linda Darnell, condemned by the Hays Office, which controlled decency in movies) and said, "If you have any questions about what they're doing in that book, just ask me!"

While Forever Amber is hardly a book for a high school freshman (frankly the heroine makes Scarlett a model of propriety and modesty in comparison), Mary was fascinated by a character that seized life with no apologies ... and looked doing it.

After a few minor distractions (poor dating choices and pre-med studies), Mary committed herself to writing on February 10, 1994 and then sold her debut to Harper Collins Avon A in 2004. Hot Tamara was selected by Cosmopolitan magazine as the Red Hot Read of April 2005. The book wasn't banned but Grandma was proud!

A lifelong professional writer, including a stint as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times Community News (second best job in the world), Mary is the proud author of three novels (Switchcraft, In Between Men and Hot Tamara) and three novellas featured in the anthologies, Orange County Noir, Names I Call My Sister andFriday Night Chicas. Her latest book, a paranormal that goes back and forth between modern day and Prohibition, Lost in the Light is now available.

Latina magazine called Mary "an author to look out for" and selected In Between Men and Names I Call My Sister for the Top 10 Summers Reads in July 2009. OC Metro magazine named Mary one of the hottest 25 people in the O.C. (the first but certainly not the last time her hotness has been publicly confirmed). She has also been profiled in Orange County Register, Coast, The Arizona Republic and San Diego Union Tribune.

Mary grew up in a haunted house in National City, CA. She cries every time she sees the movies, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Casablanca, and feels that Joan Collins is by far the preeminent TV villain (which is why Joan plays such an pivotal role in the novel, In Between Men).

A graduate of USC, Mary lives in The O.C. with her family.

Also, she may have a mild addiction to Pinterest.

Connect with Mary!

Website: http://www.marycastillo.com/index.html  

 Twitter : https://twitter.com/MCastilloWrites

*****************************************************************************

No one remembers…

One October morning in 1932, Vicente Sorolla entered the white house on the hill and was never seen again.

Now, Detective Dori Orihuela helplessly witnesses his brutal murder in her nightmares.

Settling into a 120 year-old Edwardian mansion, Dori restores her dream home while recovering from a bullet wound and waiting to go back on duty.

But then one afternoon, Vicente materializes out of Dori's butler's pantry and asks her to find a woman named Anna. Dori wonders if she's not only about to lose her badge, but also her sanity.

Dori and Vicente's unlikely friendship takes us back to the waning days of Prohibition in San Diego and the Westside barrio of National City, California. Mary Castillo's latest novel, featuring the wild Orihuela family that first delighted readers in Names I Call My Sister, weaves romance, history and mystery into a humorous, touching and unforgettable story.

*****************************************************************************

Idly wondering what to pick from the meals Grammy had prepared for her, Dori plugged her key into the lock. Her heart gave a painful jolt when she looked up into the face of a man. He stared at her from the other side of the wavy glass window of the Dutch door.
His dark eyes narrowed. In one motion, Dori dropped her bag, stepped back and reached for her weapon. But she only felt the bandage under her shirt where her Smith and Wesson should've been. She swayed in momentary confusion and then remembered she'd locked it away. When she looked back up into the window, he was gone.
Dori stood there with her pulse kicking against her neck. He couldn't duck faster than the blink of an eye, nor was the window shade moving in the wake of a sudden movement. It hadn't been that long since she'd been with a man that she'd start making one up as Grammy had repeatedly warned. Warning pricked at her nerves. She pulled up alongside the edge of the door and peeked into her dark kitchen. She strained her ears, listening for movement in the house. Against her better judgment, she reached over and turned the key.
She pushed the door open and the smell of cologne stopped her short of walking inside. Dori instinctively rocked her weight onto the balls of her feet, her muscles tensing for a fight. Night crept across the yard behind her.
As a cop, she'd been in much scarier situations than this. But back then, Dori had a gun at her hip and a radio for back-up. Unlike real bad guys, figments of her imagination couldn’t send her to the hospital. Dori told herself to go out to her car and call the cavalry.
Instead, Dori propped the door open with an old brick. This was her house damn it and it might feel good to kick some ass.
Dori made her way through the gloomy kitchen and flipped on the light switch. The fluorescents flickered to life and their hum filled the silence. She crossed the kitchen and then poked her head through the door leading into the butler's pantry. The air held still, as if the house held its breath.
She crept across the floor, scanned the dining room and then reached in to turn on the dining room chandelier, which thankfully had survived the architectural rape and pillage of the 1970s. His shadow moved across the wall in the hallway. Fear shot up her spine.
"I'm armed," she called out, backing into the kitchen for a knife. Her Mossberg was upstairs in the safe. Then she remembered the knives were still packed in a box. She had a spork from her and Grammy's KFC lunch earlier today.
"Walk out the front door and you won't get hurt," she ordered, clutching the spork in her hand as she tiptoed back to the dining room. Her voice echoed.
She pressed the light button and the hall lights switched on. "Go out the front door."
The hall was clear. With her back pressed to the wall, Dori held her breath as she waited for an answer or a creak of a floorboard that would give away his position. She should go for the Mossberg. But she peeked into the front parlor, the room that had suffered the most damage in the house. Something slammed against the front door and the lights snapped off.

Lost in the Light is an emotional story that leaves you wanting more.  You take a journey through time and dimensions and meet some amazing characters along the way.  Lost in Light is an original and truly enjoyable read.  I was really drawn into this book and found it flowed well and maintained my interest due to the compelling story, well developed characters and mysterious elements.  4 stars.

My seven year-old son started first grade at a new school last month. As I've befriended the parents, the question always comes up: what do you do? As an author there are many smart-aleck replies: oh, I kill people with chains. Travel back to Prohibition. Have sex with hot sexy men who aren't my husband.

Okay, my real answer is that I'm a writer. The next question guaranteed to pop up is where I come up with my stories. My pat answer, which requires very little explanation, is oh here and there.

Now I know this will sound crazy, but here is how the whole inspiration thing works with me: I have a recurring dream where I go to this town that looks like Monterey and San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. All of the characters from every story I've ever written (and probably ever will write) lives in this town. Depending on the story that I'm working on, at some time from the moment I start a book till I finish it, I go back to this town and visit one of the characters.

When I'm having the dream, there's a part of me that thinks oh goody, I get to see what these characters are really thinking. In the case of Lost in the Light, Dori wanted very little to do with me, especially once I decided that she had been shot in the line of duty. I'd catch glimpses of her and even went to her house that is in the book.

But a year later, I had a second dream where this pretty young girl in a white dress walked alongside me through the town. At first I thought she was an escort or something, until much later when I gave Vicente, the ghost such an extensive part in the story. I realized she was in that dream trying to get my attention.

Anna Vazquez is the woman that he loved and died to protect. Initially she was an extremely passive character. We weren't getting along. She wasn't opening up and the story ground to a halt. It wasn't until I was waiting in line at the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland when I realized who Anna was. Do you remember Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indiana Jones walks into Marion Ravenwood's bar? She's won a drinking contest and cleared everyone out. Caught up in a private moment, she looks over and sees Indy step out of the shadows. She smiles and says, "Indiana Jones. I always knew some day you'd come walking back through my door." Just when he puts on that charming rogue's smile, she gets him with a right hook.

When I realized Anna was more like Marion, Vicente's flashbacks took on this vibrant energy. I won't say more because I hate spoilers and I'm not a spoilsport! But I will say that we writers are like sponges. Everything and everyone we encounter feeds our work. We just don't always know when we'll use it, or how. But when we do, it can be magic.

Q.  What inspires your writing?

Strangely for Lost in the Light it was not my personal experiences growing up in a haunted house. The inspiration for Dori's story came from a moment when I was a "rookie" in the Laguna Beach Police Department's Citizens Academy. There had been an officer-involved shooting a few months earlier that I had also covered for the local newspaper. One night, the officer who had shot and killed an armed robber, returned to active duty and to our Citizen's Academy. The police chief commended him for his bravery and when everyone stood up to applaud his bravery, the officer bowed his head. The expression on his face – regret, humility and relief to be alive - has stayed with me ever since. So when the idea was kicking around in my head, I connected Dori Orihuela from a novella I had published in Names I Call My Sister with this moment I had witnessed.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an author?

As an author, through each character, I walk in someone else's shoes. The research, especially interviewing and getting to hear people's stories, open up my world. Writing itself is a solitary experience and yet, it can take one to different places.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an author?

The toughest part is releasing the stories to readers and letting go of my characters. It's very bittersweet because towards the end of a book, I get a bit attached to my characters and the world they live in. Strangely when I begin to feel sentimental about the whole is also when I realize the book is nearing completion. I had a very tough time letting go of Dori and so she will be getting more books.

Q.  If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

I'm a writer through and through so I'd be writing whether it was published or not.

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

Mary Mary Quite Contrary. I like to keep people on their toes and I rarely follow directions!

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

Oh man, does it have to be one? My favorite book of all time is Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. She can easily shape shift into her characters' voices and uncover their absurdities to ruthlessly exploit them. Her writing is sly; she can make you laugh and then make you cry by reaching in and touching your emotional vulnerabilities.

Q.  Which part of your book(s) was the easiest to write?

The easiest part of my book to write is the end. When I begin a book I know two things: the beginning and the end. Those two parts of the book undergo very little change. I do a lot of character work before starting a book and withLost in the Light, I knew Dori Orihuela pretty well. My challenge with her in this story was to really cut her down and then build her back up.

Q.  Which part of your book(s) was the hardest to write?

The middle of the book is the hardest part to write. All the stuff that happens between the beginning and the end is a raunchy, sweaty, bloody mosh pit. I used to beat myself up for being a "bad writer" and took all kinds of classes and read many books to improve what I thought was a weakness. But then I learned with the short story I wrote for Orange County Noir that this perceived "weakness" was my strength. My process is like mining. With each draft I go deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth. By taking the time to really challenge and find the worst possible situations to put my characters into makes a better second act.

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

Lucy Hatch from The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch by Marsha Moyer. She is a very thoughtful and cautious woman and yet, six weeks after her husband dies, she falls for the town bad boy. In my writing career, I've cautiously played by the rules and yet also gleefully broken them.

Q. Can you tell me a little about the inspiration behind your book cover(s)?

I designed this cover myself! I knew I wanted to show Dori and Vicente; the present and the past. I then did an inventory of my favorite books – A Northern Light, The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch, The Winter Sea, etc. - and I realized they all have women on the covers. So with some keyword searching on iStock Photos, I found the images you now see. The moment I found the photos of the young woman, chills raced up my arms because she looked so much like how Dori appears in my mind. I've compiled images for books two and three. Now I just have to write them!

 Q.  What is your favorite season?

Fall is my favorite season. I deliberately started writing, and set the beginning of Lost in the Light, in October. In California, the month of October gifts us with Haas avocadoes and lemons as well as the lavender flowers of the jacaranda trees. Our days can be warm from the sun, but with a biting wind that comes just before twilight. The sunlight turns sharper and more golden. I love a warm cup of tea between my hands and a newly knit scarf around my neck. For my family, October is the month when we decorate our house for Halloween and then go apple picking in Julian or Oak Glen and on the Big Night, we do trick-or-treaters proud with a cemetery in our front yard.

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

At my first, and so far, only RWA Literacy Signing, a reader ran up to me with copies of all my books. She then slammed them on the table and out of breath, asked me to sign them. So I did while she took photos of me like she was the paparazzi! It reinforced my mission, so to speak, as a writer which is to connect with readers; to bring joy and a sense of camaraderie. The moment was a little strange but also humbling because when someone goes out of their way to leave work, drive to a huge hotel, pay for parking and then wait in a long line outside a ballroom carrying all of my books, I realized that what I do affects real people. I've never forgotten that.

Q.  Are you working on something new?

Yes, I'm "renovating" a novel that I've been working on for the past five years! The Ballad of Aracely Calderon is about the oldest daughter of the world's most famous mariachi singer. She turned her back on her family heritage, Mariachi Calderon, after suffering her father's emotional abuse. But when he dies, Aracely is shocked when he bequeaths the Calderon violin, which has been passed from the first son to the first son for generations, to her with the stipulation that she take over Mariachi Calderon.

Let me tell you, this story has seen its share of revisions and rejections! Now I'm going back to the original draft and adding a storyline about a mysterious woman who saved the Calderon violin during the Mexican Revolution.

By the way, The other day I had a real crisis about this aspect of the storyline because the Revolution has been written about by some pretty amazing authors, so you know, how could little old me have something unique to say? And then while I was jogging, I realized all of those images we have of the Revolution – Pancho Villa, Zapata, the federales and the soldiers in their haurches – are all about the men. What about the women who fought, lost their husbands and fed their kids? This break-through was the kick in the pants I needed and I'm almost done writing this new material that I'll be weaving into the book.

So in a few months, The Ballad of Aracely Calderon will finally see the light of day.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

If you're an old friend, I hope you enjoy your time with Dori Orihuela and her crazy family. If we haven't met, so to speak, I hope you enjoy the excerpt.

 

Showcase: Sheltered by Debra Chapoton

Debra's Bio:  Debra Chapoton has taught kids of all ages in her main career as a teacher. She has a BA in Spanish and a Master of Arts degree in Teaching English. She started writing in 2002 and was surprised to find out that the characters quickly take over the action and dialogue in the stories.

Her first YA novel, Edge of Escape, was self-published and then discovered by Piper Verlag Publishing and translated into German. Stalking and obsession get a sympathetic twist in this story of physical and psychological survival.

Her second YA novel, Sheltered, detours into a different genre as she writes about five teens who confront supernatural forces. Two boys and three girls all harbor secrets which make some of them susceptible to demon possession. Embracing all things supernatural might protect them, but are they ready for the consequences?

Chapoton has also written eleven chapter books for middle grade kids and a non-fiction work for adults, Crossing the Scriptures.

When she’s not writing Chapoton enjoys the quiet of the full log home she designed and built with her husband. They live in the middle of 62 acres of beautiful woods in northern Michigan.

Websites: www.edgeofescape.blogspot.com * www.bigpinelodgebooks.com

Sheltered:  Living together unsupervised, five troubled teens confront demonic forces and are compelled to deal with their problems in distinctly different ways. Paranormal meets psycho meets Goth in this story of a supernatural haunting and budding love.

High school junior, Ben, hacks into his step-father's real estate holdings and provides rooms in an old two-story house to various outcasts: the schizophrenic kid, the angry Goth girl, and the homeless girl who worships him. When Megan needs a place to live she comes to the rooming house with a different set of problems and the ability to confuse and attract Ben.

One by one strange and mysterious occurrences stretch the teens’ beliefs in the supernatural. How they deal with demons, real and imagined, has tragic as well as redeeming consequences.

Prologue

Next Wednesday

Emily knew the precise moment that Ben returned, she felt him in her scars. She watched him carry some things to the house, heard the door close; she smiled when she heard him call out that Santa was here. He did that once before, in early December, insisting that she accept the gift he held out, not wanting her to wait until Christmas to use the mittens he knew she needed.

She went toward her door now, wondered what he had brought, and then heard Megan’s voice below. Oh no, he probably brought something for her. She scuttled back to her nest by the window and stared outside, was still staring fifteen minutes later when she saw them walk down the street, Ben shouldering a shovel, his other hand knotted with Megan’s.

She touched the skin on her arms, lightly at first, making it tingle. The image of Ben with Megan multiplied across her mind in broken mirrors, a repugnant picture that reflected her own self-loathing. She scratched at her scabs, felt the pricks of pain force away the ticklish sensations. She closed her eyes.

When she opened them she saw a figure standing at her door.

“Who–?” she started, but the figment waned to less than a shadow. Still, though, there was something at her door.

She rose slowly and held her hand out.

Its face was more womanly now, friendly, motherly. Yes, she knew this face. Its pearly white skin so shocking against the ruby lips, the stringy hair a match to her own. Her mother.

She stretched her fingers toward the face. The hallucination faded then sharpened. The eyes began to blaze. She drew her hands back to her own face. What’s wrong with me?  The delusion grieved Emily; all around her fluttered a longing.

And a deadly fear.

Q.  What inspires your writing?

That is a big mystery. I think it is connected to the same things that inspire the crazy dreams I have when I’m asleep. Truthfully I think it is a God given gift.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an author?

I love the creative aspect of molding imaginary people and events. My favorite thing is that those people and events change directions on their own and entertain me.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an author?

The toughest part is not finding enough time to write.

Q.  If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

I would teach Spanish or design log homes.

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

Happy Chappy

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

The Bible

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

Wow, that’s one of the hardest questions I’ve ever been asked. [thinking, thinking] Um, [wondering if Pollyanna was a book or just a movie] I guess I’d have to say Katniss.

Q.  What character from all of your books are you most like?

A. I am most like Rebecca from “Edge of Escape”. She’s a victim, but she fights through a lot of mistakes.

What is your favorite season?

A. Summer!

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

For “Sheltered” I wanted to have a house that looked like the one described in the book, but had a creepy, haunted quality to it.

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

Well, last year I was on tour with “Edge of Escape” when a publisher from Germany contacted me. Long story short: former Spanish teacher’s first book was printed in German before English.

Q.  Are you working on something new?

I’m working on final edits for “The Guardian’s Diary” which is about a teen boy who was born with a gruesome deformity and faces amputation, demons, and some twisted first-love problems. It should be out sometime in 2013.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

Sure, how about: “Hi, everybody. Look all around this blog because it is awesome!”