Author Christine Hardy at the Book Aslyum

                                                           

A fellow member of the South Jersey Writers Group was at one of my favorite book stores doing a book signing. Christine Hardy has short stories featured in several anthologies starting with  “The Gargoyle Cat,” for Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey (our group's first anthology) 

                                                               

Here is some information on Christine Hardy's other works:

                                                        

 

A Bard Day's Knight      “The Dragon in the Kettle”

When the illegal dragon’s egg heating a young blacksmith’s forge hatches, she tries to sneak the baby dragon out of town in a kettle, but babies, especially fire-breathing ones, never stay where you put them for long.

                                                             

                                                       

  Reading Glasses “The Beach House”

After her best friend Pooja drowns in Ocean City, NJ, Amber is haunted by Pooja’s ghost as the U.S. faces yet another nuclear standoff with North Korea. Too wrapped in grief to take the threat seriously at first, Amber discovers that the two events are linked in a way she couldn’t possibly have imagined, and not just she but the entire planet is running out of time

I did an interview on her about this story here: http://www.hypotheticalpress.com/ 

 

                                                             

 

DIFFERENT DRAGONS II “Bessie’s Return”

When Marsh takes his niece on her first roller coaster ride at a historic Lake Erie amusement park, he discovers it’s being plagued by the not-so-mythical Ohio lake monster, Bessie. Marsh recruits the park employees to help drive Bessie back into deeper water with help from an unexpected source: a fiberglass dragon who doesn’t always stay on his track.

                                                                   

                                                              
                                                         
Rosemary and Jeff, the wonderful owners of the Book Asylum always supply a tray of delicious cookies for each book signing event. Great deal if you ask me. You get a great book to read, support a budding author and feast on cookies and great coffee.

                 Laurie                             Christine              Marie                                      

It was a perfect day to spend with a friend and other members of our group. If you want to learn more about the South Jersey Writers' Group go here: http://www.meetup.com/South-Jersey-Writers/ and here: http://south-jersey-writers.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

If you want to learn more about the Book Asylum go here: http://www.thebookasylum.com/

Steampunk Granny Interviews Amy Holiday of Hypothetical Press

I saved the best for last, but we finally get to hear from the Editor-in- Chief, Owner and Publisher of Hypothetical Press, Amy Holiday, about her publishing company and her story that is included in the just released, Reading Glasses

Steampunk Granny: Amy tell us about yourself and what you enjoy writing about?

Amy Holiday: I'm currently the president of the South Jersey Writers' Group, and took over organizing in 2009. It's exciting to be moving to a professional organization. I also like outdoor adventure activities and have 60lb lab mix named Pixie. I mostly write middle grade and young adult fiction.

                                                             

Steampunk Granny: Since you’ve not only published Tall Tales and Reading Glasses, what do you enjoy doing more, writing or publishing?

Amy Holiday: Very different animals! Publishing is basically a list of tasks to cross off, which gives a feeling of accomplishment. But along with publishing comes accounting. I definitely *don't* like accounting! I like editing more than publishing, and editing an anthology--working with other authors to bring out the best, truest meaning of the story--is a fantastic learning experience (for me, and them too I hope.)

But the short answer: writing wins. I like making stuff up and it's nice to have an excuse.

                                                                     

Steampunk Granny: What was your inspiration for Fox Rose?

Amy Holiday: The first two backers at the "Name a Character" level on the Kickstarter campaign for Reading Glasses were two SJWG members and friends, Jord Fox and Nanci Rainey. Nanci wanted to be a mysterious figure, a spurned lover of sorts; she came up with the name Rose. And Jord is naturally a superhero. I came across writing prompt involving a "visit from an ancestor," and about the same time I visited Longwood Gardens. Combining one of the old Fairmount Park summer homes with a painting of a woman in a garden, which housed a ghost that haunted generations, was the initial seed. (There was also a donor who requested the character be named after his daughter Annika!)

For the Philadelphia buffs, Fox Run is not a real place, but I imagine the location as being Lemon Hill. There are no streams or gardens at Lemon Hill, but at the right angle you can see downtown Philly from the trees. I love the old homes and history in Fairmount Park.

                                   The Daring Amy Holiday on Trapeze                                 

 

Steampunk Granny: You’ve strayed from what you normally like to write; children’s stories and young adult. Did you like writing about the paranormal for a change?

Amy Holiday: Hmm. Yes, it was interesting. I don't remember where this concept of "do what you like" came from, but the idea of spirits in the afterworld helping us make decisions is compelling. (Ghosts with personal agendas may be a different story!) My original idea was for it to be a more scary kind of ghost story. But I think I don't really like scary stories!

Steampunk Granny: What other stories are you working on?

Amy Holiday: I just finished NaNoWriMo (whew!). That project was Summer Kids, a YA contemporary about kids who live at the Jersey shore (no, not that Jersey Shore! A nicer one.) I made the 50,000 word goal, but still have to finish the story, so that's my project for December. After I finish that first draft, I'm going back to the Middle Grade contemporary novel Belinda the Ninja Doesn't Dance. I had to put that on hold to finish up Reading Glasses. But Belinda is closer to completion, and I'm hoping to start pitching and querying by the end of 2015.

And, of course, there's the second collection due out from our Kickstarter Fundraiser, Tall Tales and Short Stories Volume 2! (Publication hopefully this summer.)

                                                                   

Steampunk Granny: Thank you so much for sharing with us, Amy, and we will all be looking forward to reading both Reading Glasses and Tall Tales & Short Stories Volume 2.

Reading Glasses can be found here: http://www.hypotheticalpress.com/

Amazon

Create Space.com

Smashwords.com



 

Interviews, Book Launches & Zombies! Oh My!

                                                               

I’ve interviewed and have been sharing the interviews I’ve done on the authors featured in Reading Glasses from Hypothetical Press. Most of the authors included in the anthology are from our group, South Jersey Writers’ Group and some were from outside our group.

                                                                   

Today’s interview is with Gregg Feistman, a member of our group. After the interview, read about the book launch that was held at Victorian Savories Bakery in the Voorhees Township’s Town Center, next to the Echelon Mall

Steampunk Granny's Interview with Gregg Feistman

I’m very happy to introduce this writer to our Reading Glasses Fans. Gregg is a part of our writers’ group and he’s a published author.  Gregg Feistman’s first political thriller, The War Merchants, was published in 2009 by Strategic Book Publishing. He has since completed his second novel in the series, Unholy Alliance, currently under consideration. A former freelance journalist and New York City-produced playwright, he is currently an Associate Professor of Public Relations at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA

Marie Gilbert: Let’s start with you telling the readers a little bit about yourself and what you do when not writing.

Greg Feistman: I’ve been a writer for as far back as I can remember, from short stories to poetry (I actually had a poetry reading when I was in college).  I’m also a former NYC-produced playwright, having had two plays produced Off-Off-Broadway.  When I’m not writing, I have two other lives.  First, I’m a professor of Public Relations at Temple University, teaching undergraduate and graduate students.  That pays the mortgage.  I’m also a professional sports photographer, covering motorsports.

                                                                  

                                                                        

Marie Gilbert: Your last book, The War Merchants and the upcoming sequel Unholy Alliance are political thrillers. Can you tell us a bit about the two books?

Greg Feistman: The War Merchants takes a look at the ultimate business model: corporations manipulating governments and world events to cause regional wars, all in the name of profit.  It’s based on real life incidents.  In Unholy Alliance, my main characters from The War Merchants return to investigate the possibility the Vatican sanctioned the Holocaust.  Like my previous book, a lot of it is based on historical facts.

Marie Gilbert: With your new story, Starstruck, which is one of the stories in Reading Glasses, you’ve chosen to go with science fiction. Can you tell us what the inspiration was for this story?

Greg Feistman: To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure!  The idea just popped into my head.  I’ll credit the muses for that one, as I do for all my creative work.

Marie Gilbert: What was the inspiration for Dr. Ava Green?

Greg Feistman: Well, there’s a French actress named Eva Green, so maybe it was her!  Seriously, I needed a catalyst for the main character and as I wrote the story, her character started to take on a more defined shape.  I wanted a woman who was bold but also mysterious and intriguing.  She had to intrigue the character, so I knew she also had to intrigue the reader.  Hopefully I’ve accomplished both.

Marie Gilbert: Would you consider writing more science fiction stories?

Greg Feistman: Yes, definitely.

Marie Gilbert: You are a fellow member of the South Jersey Writers’ Group and you are an Associate Professor of Public Relations at Temple University in Pa. How does the knowledge gained from your day job help with your writing career and promoting your book and what advice do you have for new writers to help promote themselves?

Greg Feistman: One of the fundamental skills any communicator must develop is strong writing.  Before I began teaching I had a long career in PR, so I honed my writing ability there.  Even though that wasn’t fiction writing, it sharpened my skills enough so when I sat down to write fiction, I had “upped my game.”  It also gave me a default career for the two main characters in my books, so I knew their backstory very well. 

In terms of self-promotion, writers (especially new ones) need to learn that writing the book and having it published is only step one.  You must make people aware of your work and give them a reason to want to read it.  And it needs to be a combination of old school PR techniques such as news releases, media interviews, etc., and social media efforts.  I do both, from traditional media interviews to having my own author’s Facebook page that links to my website, to being on Goodreads, LibraryThing, Author Marketing Club, etc.

Marie Gilbert: Thank you Greg for taking this time to do the interview and I know our fans will want to read not only this story, but also The War Merchants and Unholy Alliance when that’s released.

 Now to the Book Launch

While our group partied inside Victorian Savories, the town center was offering a family night of movies, zombie face painting, music and as the big finale; everyone could dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller. So here are a few shots of editors Amy Holiday and Jessica A. Walsh and our South Jersey Writers' Group and a few of the featured authors in Reading Glasses. I'm guessing you're wondering if Steampunk Granny participated in the Thriller dance. Hell, yeah!

                         Editor Amy Holiday with a fan of the book launch

                                                                     

                            Jessica A. Walsh in front of an impressive banner

                                                                   

                      Dawn Byrne and Mieke Samora-Mackay handling the sale table

                                                                 

                                                 Book Launch Party

                                                               

Believe it or not, my friend Rita and I actually knew most of the steps. All in all, it was the perfect night for a Book Launch.

Steampunk Granny Interviews Reading Glasses Author, K.A. Magrowski

                                                            

 

Krista is the vice-president of the South Jersey Writers’ Group and according to her bio, she’s been mangling the English language since 1985 and hopes to secure a book deal before the zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion. She’s a wonderful writer so I think she’ll beat the apocalypse deadline. Krista’s work can be found in “Apparitions of Murder,” Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey. 2012, Dreams of Decadence magazine and We Walk Invisible: A Short Story Anthology (Chupa Cabra House).

                                                                   

Krista’s story “The Highborn,” is featured in Reading Glasses. 2014.

Marie Gilbert: I’m so very happy for you, my friend, and I know everyone would like to know more about you. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

K.A. Magrowski: I guess I’ve always been making up stories, as I think many kids do. I didn’t really start writing anything down formally until I was about 14 when I starting writing some bad teenage poetry and then a sci-fi novel that, thankfully, never saw the light of day. After high school I had a love/hate relationship with writing – I still made up stories in my head but rarely wrote anything down until I was in my late 20s when I joined a writing group in Philadelphia run by Alison Hicks (www.philawordshop.com) where I learned so much about writing through our weekly meetings. It’s been a crazy ride since then as I’ve continued to learn, to improve, and “perfect” my craft.

                                                                    

Marie Gilbert: Tell us a little bit about your main character and where did you get the inspiration for this story?

K.A. Magrowski: The story was inspired as I lay on my bed by an image I received of a priestess with snake arm bands in a candle-lit temple. After a few false endings, the completed story came to me while writing up against the anthology deadline. Amazing how that works.

 

Marie Gilbert: Why do people seem to fear a powerful woman or Goddess?

 

K. A. Magrowski: I don’t know exactly. I think there’s a deep-seated fear, especially in America, of powerful women because so much of our language is male-oriented. The Founding Fathers. The Men Who Built America. The constant qualifiers – woman coach, woman pastor, female lead, woman writer. Rarely do you see the converse. Male is understood as a default and everything else almost seems to come as a surprise. That kind of thing we see everyday in media. Strong, intelligent women, even today, are viewed so many times as bitches, or conniving temptresses, or whining hags that don’t know their place.

Religions especially can be infuriating in this regard. The Catholic Church would be a different place if more women held positions of power and decision making. We’re still going through growing pains when it comes to gender equality in many spheres.

Marie Gilbert: What type of stories are you more comfortable writing?

 

K. A. Magrowski: I can’t say I write to any theme but most of my writing has an element of the supernatural or the strange or the unusual. It’s the way I see the world I guess. If the mundane world were all there was to the universe, and there were no mysteries or unexplained phenomena, then I would probably just fall over from boredom.

Marie Gilbert: I know you’re working on a ghost story and I can’t wait until it’s published. With that thought in mind, when do you expect to get it published and will Hypothetical Press be the publisher you’ll go with?

K.A. Magrowski: Magic 8-ball says, ask again later .

Marie Gilbert: As Vice-President of the South Jersey Writers’ Group, tell us what makes a writing group successful?

K.A. Magrowski: Obviously, first and foremost, it’s the people. You need a group of people willing to work together, to listen, to learn, and to share. I think that’s what makes the South Jersey Writers’ Group so much fun to work with – there are so many people who are willing to share their time and expertise without ego getting in the way.

Also, I think having people willing to commit their time. We couldn’t do what we do, or offer the variety and scope we can, with our volunteers. There’s a lot of hard work and planning that go into making the group run smoothly.

Marie Gilbert. It was pleasure talking about your story featured in Reading Glasses and I’m sure everyone reading this interview will want to read all your works. Thank you, Krista.

You can find Krista, here:
http://kamagrowski.com/

https://www.facebook.com/krista.magrowski?fref=ts

You can find Reading Glasses here:

And, my apocalyptic tale with a twist, Roof Oasis, the first in a series is on Amazon.com and on Kindle.

                                                                          

Steampunk Granny Interviews Author Christine Hardy from the Reading Glasses Anthology

                                                                

Christine is a member of the wonderful South Jersey Writers’ Group and she was published in our group’s first anthology, Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey, which is a collection of stories ranging from humorous to horror. Christine's story was  The Gargoyle Cat.

                                                                  

 

This year, Christine was featured in the Hypothetical Press Anthology called Reading Glasses. Her story is called The Beach House.

 

                                                             

Marie Gilbert: So excited about interviewing you, Christine. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what drew you to writing.

Christine Hardy: There has never been a time that I wasn't making up stories. My first “book” was a crayon-illustrated fable about flowers who were attacked by evil weeds. Some friendly earthworms saved them by eating the soil around the weeds so they fell over. I was very proud of it, and spent a lot of time printing the words out neatly and drawing the little pictures. I’m sure my mom still has it.

Marie Gilbert: What genres do you like writing in and why?

Christine Hardy: Fantasy is my natural home. I've always loved the magical, mysterious and unpredictable quality of fairy tales and myths. I had an hour-long bus ride to school as a child and would read the whole way there and back.  Mysteries were a favorite also. Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers…  I devoured them all. It was actually quite tough to write something in the sci-fi realm for The Beach House. 

                                                                        

Marie Gilbert: What other works have you published? I remember you saying something on facebook about another story of yours being published in an anthology.

Christine Hardy: "The Dragon in the Kettle" will be included in A BARD DAY'S KNIGHT, coming from Double Dragon in early 2015. It was the first full-length story I'd written in a decade and very dear to my heart. A female blacksmith, who has earned a reputation for her exquisite ironwork, has been secretly using a dragon's egg to keep her forge unusually hot. One morning, she finds that the egg has hatched into an insatiably hungry, iron-munching baby dragon. She puts it in a kettle and tries to smuggle it out of town before anyone finds out, but the dragon doesn’t stay in the kettle for long.

"Bessie Returns" will appear in DIFFERENT DRAGONS II, which will be released by Wolfsinger Press on Oct. 1st. In that story, a dragon roller coaster battles the Loch Ness Monster to protect the human employees and guests at a lakeside amusement park. I was highly caffeinated when I pitched that concept and wasn't sure how I would pull it off, but somehow I did and it's a lot of fun to read. 

 

Marie Gilbert: What was the inspiration for The Beach House?

 

Christine Hardy: The idea for "The Beach House" came from a prompt on the Wolfsinger Press website, in which an object delivered in a box transports the recipient to another world. My idea at the time was a shipment of bare root roses that would grow up over an arbor and create a gateway. When the South Jersey Writer's Group had a story contest with a theme of "Another Jersey Shore" I put the two together. The result was The Beach House, which won the first ever SJWG story contest. I can’t tell you how surprised I was when it won. There is such a sense of validation when your work is appreciated. “They like me. They really like me!”

 

Marie Gilbert: Did you know someone in real life that you based the character of Pooja?

Christine Hardy: I did have a childhood friend named Pooja, though she was a few years younger than I. Her family lived across the street from us. As soon as you walked into their house, you smelled the spices and heard the soft, lilting tones of their voices. It was like entering another world. The real Pooja is a lawyer now and we’ve lost touch, but she did have an infectious giggle and was always both very pretty and very sassy.

Christine & some of the South Jersey Writer's Group members                                                                    

Marie Gilbert: What project are you working on now?

 

Christine Hardy: I'm not working on anything particular at the moment, but I've got two fantasy novels and a teenaged elf story brewing, all set in the same world, plus a children's story about a pair of mice. I've had requests for more Gargoyle Cat stories, so I'm toying with some ideas for that, too.

Thank you for doing the interview, Christine and I know people will love your story. Don't forget to visit the South Jersey Writers' Group this Saturday, October 11th for the Collingswood Book Festival in Collingswood, New Jersey. We will be selling the new Reading Glasses Anthology, and

 

                                          Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey,

 

                                                                                   

 

                                                   What to Expect When You're Dead

 

                                                                                 

 

 and of course the first book in my apocalyptic tale with a twist, Roof Oasis. Stop by and say hello. My pet zombies will be there to greet you.