Meet Brenda Kay Winters, Author

Brenda Kay Winters is an author who was born in Vernon, Texas. She has published her books on Nook, Kobo, and Amazon. So far, she has written over 175 books. Brenda currently lives in Austin, Texas and has one daughter, Emilie Mignon, who is also a author; Emilie wrote Just Another Red Riding Hood Story.

Check out Brenda's recent book on Springtime Landscaping and Gardening, and learn more about her and her work by visiting her Amazon author page.

1. Have you always been interested in writing?

I had exceptional teachers in my English and language arts classes all of my life. They made learning and writing fun. My first experience with writing was in an English class in junior high school and my teacher was helpful. He had us look up many words and write out the whole definitions, and I wrote a paper on the Lindbergh kidnapping case. I have not always been interested in writing, and I became a nurse at age 19, married, and had one daughter. I did not have the time to write.

2. When did you start publishing your books through online venues like Amazon, Kobo, and Nook?

The first books I published were with Blurb in 2012 just after my parents died to ease the pain. Then my brother, William Winters, died in 2014 of colon cancer, and I started writing books almost daily in 2015. It keeps me busy.

3. What will readers learn in your latest book, Springtime Landscaping and Gardening?

In my latest book, Springtime Landscaping and Gardening, my readers will learn how to improve their homes and enjoy flowers, and maybe even start a business.

I just finished a Romance Erotica novel that is over 700 pages long called Lust and Seduction in Texas; it is available on Nook and another one like it on Create Space will be out in a few days.

4. What is your process like when it comes to researching, writing, and finally publishing your books?

My process is to ask friends and family what they would like to read, and I go from there. I write on my computer and take notes. I keep a pad and pen next to my laptop and try to write about subjects I know about.

5. Were you surprised when your daughter started publishing as well? What advice have you given her--and what advice might you give other authors who want to follow your example of writing and publishing?

I was happy and surprised that my daughter Emiele Mignon (her pen name) has starting writing and publishing books on Amazon, too. She is a naturally gifted writer and author.

My advice to anyone about writing is to do it every day and write about things you know about, and take classes if you are able to in order to improve your writings.

Thanks, Brenda!

Meet J. New, Author

British author J. New writes crime thrillers with a dark side, short stories, and flash fiction with a twist. She draws on her interests in psychology, spirituality, and the metaphysical to weave tales that explore the darker side of human nature. Her writing is a mix of crime, thriller, murder-mystery, and suspense with a touch of the supernatural.

Her first novel, due out summer 2015, A Poisoned Mind, features protagonist Dr. Mary Gray, a criminal profiler and poisons expert with a secret past and an eerie gift. A child prodigy with an unhealthy upbringing, followed by an event in her twenties that would have catastrophic repercussions, Gray teeters on the brink of a mental breakdown whilst hunting a serial killer.

J. New's writer influences include Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Clive Barker. A staunch supporter of Indie-authors, she loves scouring bookstores, both physical and virtual for her next favorite writer. She currently lives with her partner and three rescue dogs, where she drinks too much coffee and is a slave to her keyboard.

Find J. New's Predator or Prey – Short Tales With A Twist, on Amazon and on Kobo

1. How did you first become interested in writing thrillers?

As a reader, I've always been interested in mysteries and thrillers, and probably half of my bookshelf is made up of that particular genre. When I made the decision to begin writing full-time, it was natural for me to create something that I loved and wanted to read myself. Writing something you are passionate about translates into much better words on the page, and consequently the readers and fans of your work have a much better experience.

That said, I'm not a great fan of pigeonholing an author's work into a particular genre. My work includes elements of suspense, drama, mystery, crime, psychology, and the supernatural, so trying to fit it into a particular box is almost impossible.

I've also penned a short story entitled "The Yellow Cottage" which is available FREE on my website for those who would like to become part of my reader group, and that isn't a thriller at all, but as with everything I write, it has a great twist. I've had some wonderful correspondence from readers about that one.

As an author, whilst I write because I love to, and have an almost visceral need to create, at the back of my mind, always, is the fact that I'm writing for my readers. Without my fans, (those that buy or download free everything I produce), I wouldn't be able to continue. So my responsibility and promise to them is to produce the best and highest quality work I can.

2. What do you most enjoy about the genre of flash fiction, and when writing the pieces in your recent collection, did you limit yourself to a specific number of words per story?

I absolutely love writing flash fiction. It's an incredibly disciplined way of working, and I love the challenge. It's also a great tool to help with the self-editing process for longer works. Surplus words have no place in this style of writing, so you have to make every word count. You'd be surprised how many ways there are of saying the same thing. Flash fiction is an art in itself, and requires you to produce a very short, but complete story in around 500 to 1000 words. Whilst it may sound simple, it's actually more difficult than you would think.

I also like to include twists in every story I write, regardless of length. With flash fiction you have room for just one, so you have to make it count. Many of those who have written to me after reading my latest collection have said they were wowed by the twists and didn't see them coming. That's the best feeling in the world for a writer, knowing that your work has achieved exactly what you wanted it to: that your reader has become emotionally involved in the story.

My latest collection Predator or Prey – Short Tales With A Twist, is a combination of flash fiction and short stories, with the shortest being 560 words and the longest around 1,600. It wasn't a conscious decision to limit myself in terms of words for each piece. I wrote what was best for each story, eliminating words I didn't need, and increasing the pace and suspense, so that the reader experience was the best it could be, and the integrity of story wasn't compromised.

3. Why did you choose to publish your work independently?

It's all about retaining artistic control. Contrary to what a lot of people think, being an independent author does not mean being an amateur. It means being a professional, who prefers to retain control of their work, in order to provide the highest quality for their readers. With the advent of self-publishing in recent years, it's become much easier to get your work into the marketplace, and many well-known, traditionally published authors are now choosing to independently publish their work, in order to reach and grow their audience. With e-readers and Kindles it now takes seconds for a customer to purchase and begin reading your book. That's incredibly exciting for authors and readers alike. And of course, one thing which is important to me is that retaining control means I have a direct link to my readers, which I love.

4. What are you working on now, and what future projects do you have planned?

I'm currently working on my debut novel, A Poisoned Mind, which is a murder-mystery thriller. When a young college student is found murdered in bizarre circumstances, Dr. Mary Gray, criminal profiler and poisons expert, is called in to consult on the case. It soon becomes apparent that this is not a one-off crime; there is a serial killer on the loose. When a second body is uncovered, it becomes a race against time to find the perpetrator before he strikes again. As the clock ticks down and her "gift" kicks in, Mary Gray teeters on the brink of a mental breakdown as the past she has tried to conceal collides with her present in spectacular fashion. It's based in the UK and is a pure joy to work on. I'm planning on releasing it in the summer this year.

Alongside that I'm currently planning out the first of a new series. It's a murder-mystery collection based in Victorian England, so sort of a Conan-Doyle meets steampunk, but with a thriller edge to it.

5. I like that your website includes a Writer Toolbox, resources for other Indie-authors. What are some of the resources that have been most important to you in your journey from writing to publishing?

I'm a huge advocate of indie-authors, and over the last couple of years I've been publishing, have learned a huge amount. It's important for me to be able to share with others what I've learned, especially those who are just starting out. Indie-authors aren't in competition for readers, the way it used to be in the traditionally published world. It's so much easier for people to get their hands on books now, and they are reading more than ever before.

In terms of resources I use and learn from regularly, the blog and training of author Nick Stephenson is one of the best. Another is the website of Joanna Penn, an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. Both Nick and Joanna are incredibly successful within their fields, and continue to provide up-to-date and immensely useful information about the industry.

For setting up your writer platform, then you need look no further than the site of Kimberley Grabas. Simply called Your Writer Platform, it provides everything you need to get up and running. Two of the most well-known indie-authors are Johnny B Truant and Sean Platt, and they produce the popular Self-Publishing Pod-cast, and are also the authors of Write, Publish, Repeat, one of the best writing craft books there is. There's much more on my website.

If you are a writer, then sign up for my Readers Group email--you'll get my free short story "The Yellow Cottage," and just drop me a line and let me know you're a writer. I periodically send resources and information which I find to be invaluable, covering everything from starting out, writing courses, marketing, software, and anything else I think will be useful to you in order to make your writing life easier.

If you sign up as a reader, then I'll send news of my releases, book recommendations, competitions, and freebies I've found. I only send it once or twice a month, but it's packed with great stuff for book lovers.

You can sign up for J. New's Readers Group and receive your FREE short story by clicking here. You can also connect with her on social media: Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Excerpt from Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman by JB Lynn

JB Lynn, author of the best selling Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series, is a compulsive reader, a runner (the really slow sort), an enthusiastic cook (who doesn't get the appeal of the Food Network), and someone who has an irresistible urge to eavesdrop at all times.

The Neurotic Hitwoman series has it all: murder, romance, suspense, comic relief, and talking animals with attitude. Learn more about the series on JB's website. The books are available for purchase via Amazon, iTunes, and Kobo.

Below is an excerpt from Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman.

*

You just know it’s going to be a bad day when you’re stuck at a red light and Death pulls up behind you in a station wagon.

I'd been using the rearview mirror to touch up my lip gloss when I spotted him. Okay, maybe he wasn't really Death, but dressed in a black raincoat with the hood pulled up covering his face, he sure looked like he could pluck a scythe out of thin air.

It was one of those days when I kept catching the specter of Death everywhere. I'd catch a glimpse of him in the condensation on the bathroom mirror as I stepped out of the shower, or burnt into my morning toast, or in the pile of dog shit I narrowly missed stepping in... or didn't.

Death was idling behind me, and I was kinda freaked out. Which was why, completely forgetting about the damn April showers that had been falling for three days straight, I floored my crappy, beat-up, not-gently-used Honda the second that light turned green.

Hydroplaning, the car spun out into the intersection, with me pumping the brakes while wondering if I should have been steering into the skid or out of it, and berating myself for not having paid more attention during my high school Driver's Ed course.

I knew I was gonna die. I could already hear the angels singing.

Three months before, I'd had the same feeling as another car slid out of control. I hadn't been driving then; my sister's idiot husband had been behind the wheel. I'd been in the backseat, singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to my three-year-old niece Katie, trying to distract her from the argument her parents were having in the front seat. Suddenly the car swerved and squealed, and as we rolled over onto the driver's side, I distinctly remember thinking, Dear God, please don't let us die.

I didn’t think that three months later. In this moment I was resigned to my fate.

But then, miraculously, my little Honda gained traction, and I achieved a semblance of control over the vehicle. I wasn't in the clear, though. Squinting at the rearview mirror, I could see that Death had followed me through the rain-soaked intersection.

And I could still hear the singing of the angels, but it wasn't a heavenly sound.

It was loud. It was annoying.

From the floor of the passenger seat, I snatched up the bag of crickets that I'd bought for Godzilla. They were making an unholy racket. I shook it hard. That shut the little fuckers up.

When I first became responsible for Godzilla's care, I tried giving him freeze-dried crickets. But that damn lizard, he's got a discerning palate and insists on the live version, which is a pain in the ass because I hate bugs. Really hate 'em. Just looking at them gives me that awful creepy-crawly feeling, but I'd pledged to Katie that I'd take good care of the only pet she'd ever been allowed.

There was no way of knowing whether she even knew I'd made her that promise. She'd been in a coma, a "persistent vegetative state," as the doctors liked to call it, ever since the car accident. Her parents had died on impact, according to police. I'd walked away unharmed... except for the fact that I can now talk to a lizard.

"Call me God," he'd insisted the first time I'd thought to feed him.

He'd never spoken to me before. I mean animals, or reptiles or amphibians, or whatever the hell he is, don't talk. I know that. I haven't gone totally around the bend.

But the thing is, ever since the car accident, we can converse. And we do. A lot.

Maybe I've got brain damage, or maybe it's the emotional trauma of having my sister die and almost losing Katie, but I swear that I've turned into Doctor-freakin-Dolittle.

Of course, I haven't told anyone about my newfound ability. They'd lock me up in a funny farm like my mom. Or run a bunch of tests. Or run a bunch of tests and then lock me up. And if they did that, I wouldn't be able to visit Katie. And she'd be left all alone there, lying in a hospital bed, with only the witches to look after her.

My three aunts aren't really witches. I'm not so delusional as to think they've got magical powers. They're just extraordinarily evil in their own "helpfully" meddlesome way.

So I keep the secret conversations with God to myself. To the rest of the world, it probably appears that I'm coping pretty well. I wash my clothes, bring the newspaper in, and have even gone back to work in hell (also known as an insurance company call center).

My piddly paycheck isn't going to make much of a dent in the pile of hospital bills that are piling up faster than a Colorado snowfall, but it's a decent cover. It's not like I can go around putting HITWOMAN on my tax return.

Death, or at least the driver in the station wagon, coasted past as I turned my blinker on to signal my turn into Apple Blossom Estates. There's no such thing as apple blossoms. Three months before, God, licking his lizard lips after chowing down on a cricket, had pointed out that even he knew that. But it sounds fancy right? Or at least like the over-promising prose of a condo developer's advertising. It's not. It's just a fancy name for a brain injury rehab, or as they like to call it, a "premium care facility."

Parking in the visitors' lot, I left the bag o' bugs to their chirping (which sounded suspiciously like Madonna's "Like a Prayer") and headed inside. It was time to tell my boss that I was ready to kill a man. But you're probably wondering how a nice girl like me got a job like this....

*

Thanks, JB!