Friday, October 29, 2010

Interrogation Room and giveaways

Me: *whispers*Is the interrogation room ready?
Sidekick : Yeah lights and audio are perfect
Me: Ladies and gentlemen today I drag before you Christine Bell and Chloe Cole (2 me that counts as 2 people even though they share the same picture). She comes bearing gifts; 2 books and a 10 page critique for an aspiring author, to learn how to win keep on reading :)


  1. Joanna - Hey I know you don't know us that well, but tell us a secret
    Christine - Okay. Let’s see…Sometimes, when I’m in an elevator and I’m the only one in it, I pretend I’m controlling it with my superhero powers. Sort of like Magneto from X-Men, yanno? So, I will get in, the door will shut, and I will turn my palm face up (in a rather dramatic fashion) and “make” the elevator rise. When it stops, I will flick my superhero wrist, which will (theoretically) cause the doors to open. I blame this on my interaction with my four boys and husband. We spend an inordinate amount of time discussing superheroes, most desirable superpowers, etc. Recently, however, I did find out that my workplace has hidden cameras in the elevators, so I have begun to curtail this practice.
    Mostly.

  2. Joanna - Are you or plotter or a pantser and can we lure you to the other side?
    Christine - A few months ago, I would’ve said 100% panster, but you’re already luring me to the other side! I have recently taken to doing loose outlines and character overviews. Not that I stick with them, mind you, but I *do* them. And they guide me through a lot of the story. I find my beginnings and ends are usually true to my outline.  The middle chunk? Not so much.

  3. Joanna - Are you a disciplined writer that has to write a certain number of words per day or you just go with the flow?
    Christine - I would LOVE to be one of those writers who can set a daily word count, but my lifestyle just doesn’t allow for that. I have a full time job, a husband, a house, four boys and two dogs. Not to mention, a lot a family out of state so I do a lot of traveling in order to maintain a close relationship with them. Aside from stolen moments at lunch time, or between making dinner and doing dishes my writing time is typically from 10:00 p.m. until about 1:00 a.m. (or until I start drooling on my laptop). And that time isn’t just for writing, but all writing related business as well (cover art forms, blurbs, contracts, proposals, emails, promo and on and on). I also try to squeeze in extra time on the weekends. That said, to come up with a min. word count would just be depressing, because, depending on how tired I am by the time I get to writing, I would invariably fail to meet it. That’s one thing I do pride myself on is meeting or beating my goals and deadlines, so to set a goal and fail to meet it would be really bad for my mental state. I do consider myself disciplined, though. Just not in the “daily word count” sense. More like I’ll say “I need to complete, edit and sub this ms by X date.” And then I do that. Or I will say “I want to release ten books this year.” If I say it, then I’m very driven and will do everything in my power to make it happen.

  4. Joanna - Choose one, chocolate, wine or books? why?
    Christine - That’s just cruel. I have to go with books, because then at least I can read about souls more fortunate than I (who get to eat chocolate and drink wine!)

  5. Joanna - What advice do you have for aspiring writers like me?
    Christine - In order to do this, you have to love it. It’s not an easy road to publication, it’s not a high paying profession for the majority of us, it’s hard work and if you break it down to an hourly rate you would probably cry once you realize you’d be better served getting a job at the Quickie Mart. But if you truly love it, and couldn’t stop if you tried, immerse yourself in it, read about writing, write about writing, take workshops, read blogs, read books and write write write. Then submit submit submit. Take the feedback you get from editors (if you’re fortunate enough to get it) and apply it, then write some more. This is often said, but it really is the truth: A published author is one who won’t quit. When you get knocked down, get back up and do it again. For a great, inspiring book about becoming an author, I suggest Stephen King’s On Writing
  6. Joanna: Okay I think she did a good job, she is guilty of being an author. Sidekick roll the book blurb
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=c9bec7a18e&view=att&th=12bf55f48db8ec0d&attid=0.1&disp=inline&zwAWAKENING - The Wolves of Pray
Sean Mulaney’s beloved mate Sara is dead and her killer’s trail has grown cold. Eaten up by grief and guilt, it’s an effort just to get through the day. Now, after a year in mourning, his animal instincts have reawakened. As Sean struggles to control the need clawing at him, along comes Chandra and she wants more than just passion. But if she refuses, she might blow her one chance to convince him that she can rock his world and fill the empty space in his heart. Will Sean let love in, only to risk having it taken away again?



Ahem still drooling at the book cover? go and cobble cobblestone press for a copy

Christine Bell is one half of the happiest couple in the world. She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys and their two dogs, Gimli and Pug. When she isn't acting as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from Young Adult novels to books on poker theory. She hates bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate. She also loves writing steamy romance stories, but also hopes to one day publish something her dad can read without wanting to poke his eyes out with sharp sticks. If she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate. Or, like, a ninja maybe. Oooh, or a Gryffendor! 
Christine can be found at her website or her blog she loves guests.
Now for the giveaway
Christine's book comes out today from Cobblestone press at 5pm EST (Exciting right?), she has also been recently signed with Carina Press (The Adventures of Stormy Gale) and she is on a role.
Today she is giving out 2 books written by her of course
  1. Pray (Book 1 in the wolves of Pray series)
  2. Captive Audience (From Chloe Cole)
  3. And of course a 10 page critique 
To win all you have to do is follow her blog which can be found here and follow me too

You also get to do a fun challenge: Chloe Cole wants to know what your ideal pen name would be.
So three special steps tell us what your ideal pen name would be, follow me and then hop on over to her blog and follow.
Winners will be picked by my Kidlet on Sunday Night French time and announced Monday Morning American Time
Have Fun, its Friday and Christine will be by later with the drinks, I told her we are a rowdy bunch

39 comments:

  1. Great interview, ladies! I love that bit about pretending to have super powers! :)

    Um... I have a pen name, so I'm going to be boring and say Talli Roland is my ideal pen name!

    Have a great weekend!

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  2. Congrats on your release, Chrisitine! (I recently signed with Carina too...so we're publishing house-mates, lol)

    This was a fun interview Joanna, thank you!

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  3. Fun interview! Great job ladies.

    My ideal pen - Chesty LaRue or Boobie McBooberson

    You know - something that stands out.

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  4. I like your interrogation room Joanna. It's a change from the prototype "please give us insight" interview. Makes your subject look a lot more alive.

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  5. Hey Ben thanx and you changed your picture! you do look better in colour.
    @Mel that should work lol

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  6. Talli- That's a really great pen name! Very memorable!

    JB- We're pub sisters! That's fab. So, I'm gonna highjack this thread for a quick sec, did you get a call or an email? If you got a call, can you post your call story? I'm a total sucker for a good call story.

    Mel- Love your pen names and can't choose between them, lmao. I guess the real issue is do you want to go French or Scottish?

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  7. Glad I looked alive, Ben! It totally beats the alternative. O_O

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  8. Wonderful interview and welcome to Carina, Christine! I'm always in absolute awe of women who take care of kids, a husband, hold down a full-time job AND find time to write. And get published! Kudos to you, Christine!

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  9. Thanks so much, Liz. And the cover for your Carina release, Captive Spirit, is one of my favorites. Aiyana is the heroine I *most* want to resemble, lol!

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  10. Hey Chris and Joanna, Awesome interview :)

    Congrats on your release Chris ! And it was fun, knowing your secret ;) Magneto - eh ??

    Joanna, count me out of the draw.. ;)

    But for fun.. let me think of a new pen name other than "Ju Dimello".. um.. "Ju D'Silva" ??? eh.. not so fun as my initial one.. I'll probably stick to Ju Dimello

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  11. I absolutely loved your secret and you sound like someone I would be fast friends with!

    The chocolate, wine, books question is killer! I'd have to agree with you and choose books too, then wine, then chocolate but thank god we live in a world where we can have all three.

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  12. Hi Ladies, very enjoyable interview. Always great to hear how writers write and advice on getting publish - invaluable. Thanks for sharing!!

    And congrats on reaching 100 + followers Joanna!! Now I'm popping open some vino...its that time of the week. Cheers!! ;)

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  13. Yikes!! I forget pen name. Mmm maybe my twitter name Coco Dubai. ;)

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  14. Hi Joanna, awesome interview!

    Hi Christine,the best of luck with this one!

    Pen name for me? Story Whether :D

    Murphy

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  15. Great interview! Although I gotta say, some days I'd choose chocolate!

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  16. Great interview ladies!!! Books for me too. Lol Mel! And pen name? Hmmm- I'll have to get back to you on that one.

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  17. Great interview! I, too, am slowly coming over to the dark side of outlining and plotting.

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  18. Loved that interview! I always thought I was midway between a plotter and a pantser. Over the past month or two, I discovered I'm way more a pantser. But I'm trying to recover from that going forward.

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  19. Happy release day Christine! I loved Pray and I'm really looking forward to reading Sean's story.

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  20. Sondrae - All three sounds perfect!

    Talei - I guess we know which of the three you'd choose! My kind of girl.

    Thanks Murphy, Lisa, Mary Anne, Eleri, Alana and Carol! I really appreciate the well wishes and I'm glad you all liked the interview.

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  21. Thanks Ju! I didn't even see you there for a minute. Hope all is well!

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  22. Great post, I love this series! I was already a follower of Joanna's, now I'm following both of you.

    Why did I never think of controlling elevators with my mind? From now on, that's what I'll be doing on the inside.

    Amie Kaufman is my pen name--or at least, I'm an Amie for real, and Kaufman is my maiden name. Using my married name is a no-go, as it's a clash with my profession, alas!

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  23. Okay, have to post this - I've been reading about Christine and her book on several blogs. Just now I figure out she's the same Christine Bell that grew up with my friend Mike Wood and that he talks about all the time! Off I go to her blog to follow her! Thanks for the great interview (and the "doh!" moment)!!
    erica

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  24. Thanks Amie! And I totally know what you mean about clashing with your profession. I think it's a great idea in those situations to keep it separate.

    Hi Erica and christy! That's me! And yup, me and Mike have been besties since the 70's, lol. (I already had to yell at him on his blog about his fuzzy memory of our childhood!) Thanks for the follow. Do you write as well?

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  25. Lovely exchange, more fun than an interogation, lol. My ideal pen name is this one I use, Myne Whitman, very close to my real name too.

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  26. Hey ladies, great interview! Count me in for the giveaway. Ideal pen name...hmm...how about Elanie (love that name!) Donaldson ;)

    Rach

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  27. Excellent interview. Superpowers are great but I think the books, wine or chocolate question very cruel indeed. :-D

    I've just come by to say hello from one crusader to another.

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  28. Hello Ladies glad to have you here and thanks for commenting. As long as no one touches the brandy I am using to cure my flu we are all good, I need to go swing on the chandelier BRB

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  29. Thanks for stopping by Myne, Rachael and Jenny!

    A lot of great pen names, huh Joanna?

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  30. Hi Joanna,

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and following. I'm new to the blog world and having a great time!

    Christine,
    Your book looks amazing, lots of tension and intrigue... Good luck!

    Michael

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  31. Oh,
    Great interview, I think it's a novel approach to interview a mc of a book, especially one so angry...

    I forgot to leave my pen name before ... Luke Forte

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  32. Great interview ladies, I have slowly crept over to the side of outlining and plotting.

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  33. Hmmm. okay, so my pen name IS Teri Anne Stanley, which I chose because Terianne was my very first best friend when I was five, and Stan is my favorite hero in Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter series (and Vishious just seemed kind of, I don't know, already done). Then I realized that Teri is Stan's heroine, and that seems really cheesey and stalkerish, but by then I'd already set up my blog, so I guess WHEN I'm published, maybe I'll just do the initial thing, and be TA Stanley. Okay, going to be a follower now!

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  34. Fab interview ladies and I am tempted to give outlines a go, after reading. But Joanne, I think your Chocolate, books or wine question is the Rack of your Interrogation Room. No one should have to choose between that writer's trinity!!

    Okay, my pen name? I'd love the name Megan MacNeill but how fun would it be to go with something like Tellussa Storey? ;)

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  35. Joanna - Great interview tactic! This was fun.

    But are you people crazy? Please!

    Chocolate.

    I can make up my own stories.

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  36. What a great interview (I mean, of course, books!) and pen name? Uh, Clarissa?

    CD

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  37. Hey, thanks for coming over to my small spot on the web. Your blog is lovely by the way. And this interview was great. Liked that your questions aren't as bland as most interviewers.

    Hmm, about this pen name business. I think I've always wanted a boy name, something like Joe West or Donni Yu.

    Sharde

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  38. So Jo, How do you combine your romantic lead with a superhero in your MS? :O)
    I've started outlining and plotting (raises arched eyebrows)too.

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  39. Books, wine or chocolate? You are truly Joanna The Merciless! Good interrogation techniques though with terrific answers - a big tick to 'love what you're doing' - it's what makes the dream job.

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I'd love to hear what you have to say, so go on & make my day