Interviewing..."Right Before My Eyes" with Author Michelle Robinson

 

 

HELLO MICHELLE:

IT IS WONDERFUL MEETING YOU AND VISITING WITH YOU ABOUT YOUR

 

NOVEL:  'Right Before My Eyes'

 

 

Michelle tell us something about yourself, where you’re base  and how you came to be a writer?  

   I love music. I am God fearing. Compassionate. A humanitarian, an artist, a hairstylist, & a dreamer. I am in the Bay Area. Oakland, Ca. I've been writing poetry since junior high so that paved the way to writing a novel.

I must say you did a wonderful job with this novel!

 

How would you describe your novel...”Right Before My Eyes?”

 

 A page turner that weaved many stories into one great read!

 

Indeed it was!

 

How did you come up with these characters? and/or....

   Do you have a method for creating your characters...their names and what
                           do you think makes them so believable?

 

I guess Golden Girls and Sex and the City has set the pace of the 4 friends concept. I just added a male friend to the story. I want these girls to have that male point of view on relationships. Their characters are believable because there's so much emotion in them, you can't help but to let them touch you in some way or another.

 

 

        Did you plot your story or did you just get a idea and run with it?
 

I started by plotting my story & often times I would get an idea and run with that. I've had to change people's gender and their names. For instance, Najah's name was Natalie and Kalena's name was Helena at first. Jordyn was actually gonna be a boy twin until I got another idea. Then I had to change his name from Jordan to Jordyn.
 

Now the big question .....Will there be a sequel to “Right Before My Eyes......part 2?          Yes! I'm writing it right now!
 

 

   GREAT! PLEASE LET US KNOW WHEN IT'S READY!

 

                        What does ‘Love’ really mean to Michelle"?

                                      Love means action.

It's a verb not a noun. It means you're comfortable enough to let your guards down and vulnerable enough to trust and respect that special someone. You adore them for who they are and their happiness is more important than your pride.

                                        WOW!  I love that!

 

 

 

Michelle....

Tell us a little about your family...married, children, education .... I am engaged and have a stepson. I went to college, didn't graduate because I decided to go to cosmetology school.
 

            From your novel I picked up a few of your favorite words....

         How would you describe the words as referred to in your novel:

           crankberry, divas, nicca and music.  

Crackberry is the comparsion to crack. Journee had an addiction to her Blackberry cellphone. It's always in her hands. Divas is a friend who has herself together. Nicca is a another name for "nigga", it just looks better. Music is the the medicine for your emotions. It fills your soul and sets your mood.

                       How would you rate your novel and why?

On a scale of 1-10, I'd say a 10. It's a page turner, you can feel the spirit of the characters and each one of them have a beginning and an ending to their story.

 

 

         What gender would you love for your novel to attract and why?
            Male, only because they don't read as much as women do.


Some writers like quiet, other the noise of a coffee shop etc. Do you listen to music or have noise around when you write or do you need silence?
                                 I perfer to write in silence.


                              Michelle what do you like to read?

 The Bible, self help, fiction, autobiographies, gossip magazines and fashion magazines.

 

 

What are you working on at the moment or next?  Do you manage to write                                             everyday?

     Right Before My Eyes II.   No, I take a day out of the week to write.

 

 

Michelle could we have your favorite excerpt from “Right Before My Eyes.” This can be as short/long as you wish. There are too many, but what comes to mind is when Journee finally allowed Drew to apologize to her when she and the divas went to visit him. He fought to get her back and fed her heart what it needed, God's example of love. Drew said, "Build up your walls of your spiritual Jerusalem. Your peace is there 'cause God is there with you." I liked how she noticed that she got her encouragement from her 1st love that was in jail for something he didn't do and he unselfishly gave her the love she needed at that time when she needed cause he needed her too.

 

             WOW!  I LIKED THAT ONE TOO!

 

                  What is on the agenda for Michelle....2013-2014?

The sequel will come out in 2013 and hopefully working on a movie afterwards.

                             WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR IT!

 

     Michelle where can we find out about you and your work? (email address)          blogs.... etc.. Visit ....

    MICHELLEROBINSONAUTHOR.COM, RIGHTBEFOREMYEYES@YAHOO.COM,   BOOKSBYMICHELLE ON TWITTER, AND LIKE MY PAGE RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES ON FACEBOOK.

                                  From Michelle .... 

   To my readers, I am grateful for you. Please inspire someone new.

 

Thank you Michelle for this interview...For any of you who haven't picked up "Right Before Yours Eyes"  please do so.  You will not be sorry!

 

                          Thanks again Michelle!!!!

 

 

 

Author of: Illuminate-Alive, She Cried....By Jamie Haden

Hello Jamie:  It is a pleasure visiting with you on your wonderful novel that has just come out...

What or who Inspired you to write “Illuminate-Alive, She Cried?”­  
       

My daughters inspired me to write Illuminate-Alive, She Cried, the second book in The Talisa Santiago Series. A couple years ago, I was doing research on Native Americans in the public library when I asked my oldest daughter to check out a book. She said there was nothing she wanted. I laughed and told her I would write a novel for her to read. Twelve weeks later, I gave her Spirit Seeker.  

  interviewer:  Wow! that is most interesting!
 

How did you come up with such interesting   characters for   this novel?

The characters in Illuminate-Alive, She Cried are a mix of many different people I have met throughout my life. Talisa Santiago, the protagonist, was definitely the most difficult character for me to write. I had to separate myself from her, let go of my own moral philosophies and beliefs, and allow Talisa to experience life and love in the way that seemed natural for her, not necessarily natural for me.

interviewer:  The name Talisa is most interesting.

          Who is your favorite authors and why?

I would have to say Harold Robbins and Milan Kundera, two opposites for sure. Robbins because The Betsy was the first book of fiction I read as a kid. I snuck it from my dad and kept it in a brown paper bag. As for Kundera, I picked up The Unbearable Lightness of Being in a used bookstore in college. I had never heard of him, or the book, but as soon as I read the prose, I was hooked. 


                  What is Jamie most Thankful for in this world we live in?

                  I am most thankful that my daughters are healthy and safe.
 
                                          Tell us about you and your husband....

I met my husband when I was eighteen in Myrtle Beach, SC. We were college students from West Virginia working there for summer break. Five years later, we eloped and ran off to Tennessee. We've been married for nineteen years. David is my best friend.
.

                                                    What are your hobbies?

I love to play around with black and white photography, and try different wines. We have a few cellars, and are always on the lookout for a new Burgundy (my favorite) Bordeaux or Barolo. I think it would fun to open a little wine shop/bookstore.
 

                               interviewer:  This sound good to me!

           How would you describe each of  these  words (as related to your novel)?    
             love,   friend,   great grandmother(gg),  grandfather, tricksters & shaman?

In one word:

 

Love- difficult,  Friend-safety,  Great-Grandmother-awakened,   Grandfather-holy, Shaman-wisdom,   Tricksters-everywhere

              interviewer:  Wow!  I like those....
 

                            What genre(s) do you like to read apart from your novel?

        Literary, Fantasy, and Hardboiled Fiction. I'm obsessed with Noir. I can't get enough. 
 

           Here is a Excerpt from Jamie's novel....."Illuminate-Alive, She Cried"

ENJOY!   ENJOY!

Dakota and Talisa are alone on the beach talking. Talisa has just learned her life is in grave danger and she must leave the island for one year. Dakota speaks first:

"My old man explained there were three types of spirit people. The first he called healers, mediators. When a healer fell into trances, their soul would leave their body and venture into other realms, different realities. Some of them were channels for the spirits and acted as mediums."

 

"Shape-shifters can travel the same way, can't they?"

 

"Sure, but we are of dual nature. We fully possess two souls, that of man and animal."

"What did Dad say about the third type?' I asked even though I knew the answer.

"Spirit seekers held a special place in his heart, and he called them the eyes of the world. These visionaries walked the earth to seek sacred knowledge. Spirit seekers didn't need to experience a trance to soar far. They had unique abilities."

"What?"

"You tell me."

"It wasn't easy for me. My mother and I left the desert when I turned seven years old. We moved around a lot, always to the water, and she refused to talk about my past, my heritage, or anything Native. I never fit in anywhere, just another outsider. Nasty kids teased me, made jokes. Life proved to be difficult. Then a year ago, out of the clear blue, Mom announced we were moving to Silence, an island off the coast of North Carolina. She said we would be at the mercy of the sea. No cars allowed. People actually got around on golf carts and dirt bikes. I had no idea what to expect."

 

"I can only imagine how you must have felt."

"Dakota, the islanders on Silence looked like me, moved like me, thought like me. It was surreal to say the least."
 

"Talisa, we knew you were coming. Jag's dad is a ghost dancer; he saw it long ago."

"You, Jag and Miguel knew a dark secret about me, one I didn't even know myself."

"We helped you, trusted you."

"I am a spirit seeker; I have the gift of vision."

"You can see things none of us can see."

"But I have no idea what I am supposed to see, or what life has in store for me."

"No one knows what life has in store for them."

"Tonight I have to leave the island because my life is in danger. Starting over somewhere new is never painless."

"It will be easier this time around."

"I feel as if I am lost all over again." I wiped my hand across my eyes.

"If you're lost, maybe you'll be found."

"I can't protect myself against those who lurk in the night. Unlike you, I am fully human," I said.

"Are you, Talisa, are you fully human?"

I ignored his question and looked away.

            interviewer:  This is good!
       *    *     *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *   *    *      *    *    *    *     *    *    *    *     *    *     *        

NOW I KNOW YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT THAT IS ALL ABOUT....YOU MAY ONLY

FIND OUT BY PICKING UP THIS WONDERFUL NOVEL...  Illuminate-Alive, She Cried AND YOU WILL FIND OUT FOR  YOURSELF HOW GOOD  and well written THIS READ IS!

                            *         *        *       *        *      *         *        *         *        *         *         *
                         Jamie.....  What is on the agenda for Ms. Jamie Haden for 2013-14?

I hope to finish the next book in the series, An Unimagined Life.   Thank you so much!

 

Jamie you are more than welcome.  It was a pleasure  and for anyone who would like to contact
Jamie.......                                      

                                    Please feel free to contact Jamie  Haden at the following.....

                                                      email          jlhaden@ec.rr.com

                                                      blog     jamiehaden@blogspot.com

                                                      Webpage  www.jamiehaden.com

                        ALSO JAMIE......... I see you have a Blog Tour coming up?

             
                                                             Info for Tour:

     http://www.greatmindsindependentpublishing.com/#/illuminate-blog-tour/4567908016

        Again,  thank you sharing your novel with us and if you haven't picked up this good       read please do so...You will not be sorry!

A Interview with Ms. Leanne Herrera on her book: "MIRROR BOUND"

Hello........... Ms.  Leanne Herrera....

It is a pleasure to visit with you. I  am doing this interview for Great Minds Think Aloud.   I have just finished reading "Mirror Bound" and was very excited about  reading your novel.
May I ask  what or who inspired you to write this novel? My great grandmother I think inspired me. She passed away when I was about 13 years old. She was a wonderful southern woman. I sort of modeled the farm, house and Ma after her. Anna is who I always wanted to be or at least many aspects of her is who I wished I could be. The picture on the front of the book of the little girl, is a picture for a photography class in college. I always thought there was a story that went with it, and I was right.

How did you come up with these wonderful characters? I guess I should read ahead. I power write, so when a character is needed to fill a spot in the book, I would think about what characteristics I wanted this person to have and then I modeled her off of someone I knew.

Who is your favorite author and why? Oh this one is so easy. I am a total die hard fan of Chloe Niell. She writes the Chicagoland Vampire series. So, of course I want to be the main character Merit. She is a fighter and a scholar, outspoken and sarcastic, everything I always wanted to be.

What does 'Life' really mean to Leanne? Life is about the choices you make and the people you love. Life is not about religion, sexuality, politics or who has the most money. It is about the journey you take, the people you learn from and what you can teach those you are going to leave behind.

A little about your family......children...grands... I am the mother of three girls. my oldest is 19 years old and a wonderful mother to a very special two year old little girl. ( who happens to be in PICU right now). My second child is almost 18 and I am of course the most embarrassing mother in the world to her, she is my girly girl. My youngest is almost 15 and also happens to be the little girl in the photo on the cover of this book.

      from interviewer....she is a beauty!

What are your hobbies? anything that is creative, I knit, draw, paint, throw clay, make rag rugs, sew, write. If I am not doing that, you will probably catch me on facebook or playing games in my spare time.

      from the interviewer....which ones?... I  love Slots!

How would you describe the words?   Secrets...Death......  Kentucky....Powers......Love.... and Chickens....as in your novel?(smile) Wow, this is a hard one. Secrets in this book, are a family thing. Things that are kept hidden until just when it is needed the most. Death in this book is a way of passing things on to the next generation or the next one to take the wheel so to speak. Kentucky, that is rolling hills, well water that you pump with a handle, farms and neighbors who help neighbors because that is just what you are supposed to do. Powers for Anna, really is the knowledge and the elements that are passed to her from family and friends. If you want to know what it represents for me, it is the stories and the knowledge that is passed down from one generation to the next, how you learn from it and how it helps you defeat the big bad ugly that can try to attack you in life. Love, I have been married for 20 years. I still love him as much if not more than I did when we first married. Love to me is not just the passion that you have in a new relationship, it is the willingness of the person to stand and hold you when you need it, they make you smile when life is so sad, and to yell at you when you do something really stupid. Love is also being with someone you just cannot imagine life without. Chickens, I personally have no issue with chickens really but, Anna needs to get rid of them right in the beginning, they represent part of the past for her, they are part of her insecurities. That and they are just really kind of gross. lol.

What one thing would you take away from your written novel and add? Well if I had to take away something, I think I would like to take away the deaths, I hate when someone dies during a book. Oh,  I could add so much more detail, like more depth of the dream world, and maybe a prologue about Ma and Pa's life, but definitely more detail of all the things she was going through in that storage room. I love antiques.

What is Leanne most Thankful for in this world we live in? I am most thankful for my family, my children (even when they are standing over me while I am writing and bugging me on purpose to be funny) mean absolutely everything to me. I am extremely thankful for them and for my wonderful granddaughter. I would die for any one of them.

How would you rate your novel “Mirror Bound” and why? Hmmm, well I am not going to say it is excellent, because I just do not have that kind of ego, and everything can be be improved. I think it is better than fair. So, I guess that leaves me with good.

What gender would you love for your novel to attract and why? Growing up I was very insecure, I did not stand up to the bullies in my life, at least not until later. I would hope that no matter what gender reads it, they would realize that sometimes you have to stand up for what is right.

What's on the agenda for Ms. Leanne Herrera .....2013-14? Well,  I am working on another book and I have another one to release sometime later this year. I am hoping, I will have a lot of time to write, a lot of time to enjoy my family and a lot of time to laugh.

I would just like to thank you for granting me this interview and I must say I really enjoyed reading "Mirror Bound" and I would recommend it to all who would love  a good paranormal romantic read.  You will not be disappointed! 

Thank you once again for sharing with us about  "Mirror Bound" and you just keep on writing!

Welcome Stephanie Nicole Norris

Stephanie... thanks for visiting with me for this interview.... I have some questions only YOU can answer....

Stephanie, it was a pleasure reading your wonderful novel "Trouble In Paradise."  The novel was an excellent love story full of
romance, drama and suspense...and those twist and turns were really something  girlfriend...and yes a cliff hanger?  Will there be a sequel part II?  to 'Trouble In Paradise?' ..... YES,
there will be a part II titled 'Vengeful Intentions' which is in its  final stages before being published.  Check my website: www. stephanienorris.net

Stephanie... what or who inspired you to write this novel?  The people that live in my head inspired me to write "Trouble In Paradise."  The readers that loved it and show me constant support fuel me to write even more.

How did you come up with the characters?  I had about three characters in mind when I first started writing "Trouble In Paradise"  but as the story came out, more characters were introduced...when I wanted to twist your mind up ...I would throw in a surprise character. 

Who is your favorite authors and why?   I have a lot of favorite authors...Gwynne Forester, Jackie Collins, Carl Weber, Victoria Christopher Murray, Eric Jerome Dickey and Mary Monroe.  These authors books speak for themselves.  I'm sure you've read from some of them.  Talk about, suspenseful, exciting, thrilling, romantic, drama, drama and more drama!  My kind of books!

What one thing would you take away from your written novel and add?  I would have made Danielle crazier, believe it or not she could have been a little crazier.

What is Stephanie most Thankful for in this world we live in?  I am thankful for a God who loves me enough to send his son to this earth to die for my sins so that I may have everlasting life.  I am thankful for my mom... she is the true love of my life.  I am thankful for my fiancé, family, friends and readers who love my writing style and support my dreams.

What gender would you love for your novel to attract and why?  I don't care what gender is attracted to the book.  I would love for anyone who loves romance, drama and suspense to give it a try.

How would you address or say to your reviewers that rated you a 2 or 1?  I wouldn't address or say anything to them.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion and we don't live in a perfect world where everyone likes your work so I don't expect them to.

Stephanie... what is on the agenda for you in 2013-2014?  I've started a short story series titled Wreckless that will be featured only in a short story compilation between 16 to 30 authors contributing to the projects.  It is a short story about a young woman name Jasmine who is in love
with a man and he is not aware of it. Her mind takes her in to dream
land thinking about how wonderful this man must be. So she idolizes
him in a way and he could do no wrong. But when she encounters him in
real life he is not the man from her fantasies and her aggressive
nature forces her into a situation that she may have to make life or
death choices to get out of.

I' m also collaborating with Denesha Sheree ..... author of "The Yellow Clutch Society" on a novella 'Wife Swap' that will be coming out in  2013. 

I also have set the foundation to write a Christian Romance novel titled "Catching Bee's with Honey."  This love story is about a young man who makes the mistake of ruining one of his fathers greatest career moves and has to come up with a way to restore his relationship with a God fearing woman who will not easily be swayed with honey.

To learn more about this title and others please visit my website:  www.stephanienorris.net and make sure to join my mailing list.
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https://www.facebook.com/authorstephanienorris
https://wwwfacebook.com/authorstephanie.n.norris

Find me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/stephanienrrs1
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ALL I CAN SAY IS..... THANK YOU STEPHANIE NICOLE NORRIS  FOR THIS WONDERFUL  INTERVIEW, JULY 24, 2012


ALL IS LEFT TO SAY ...ALL WHO ENTERS THIS PAGE PLEASE CHECK THIS EXCELLENT READ OUT!