Author Interview with Chantal Bellehumeur

She is a single mom who started out as a child actress appearing in several TV programs and commercials.  And now she the author of seven Novels. Listen to her talk about herself, her writing and her son. Don't miss this one...ITS A GOOD ONE!

Please tell us your name. 

Chantal Bellehumeur.

 And do you also write with other pen names? 

No

Tell us about your childhood, what was it like?  

I guess I had a pretty normal childhood, although my family moved often when I was really young.  I was born in Mississauga, Ontario.  My parents and I moved to Kitimat British Columbia when I was still a baby and eventually moved to Timmins Ontario. My sister Karyne was born there when I was three-and-and-a-half years old.  My parents gave me a battery operated doll to (take care of), which I named Nathalie.  She cried and moved her arms and legs when you took the pacifier out of her mouth.  Apparently I had an imaginary friend named Snoopy...

Before or after your baby sister was born?

 ...I am not sure if that was before or after my sister came along.  Our family moved to Toronto Ontario right before I was about to start Kindergarten.  Most of my early childhood memories start there.  I went to a French school because my family is French.  I learned how to speak English mostly by playing with my next-door neighbor Alison, who did not speak a word of French. We used to play make-belief all the time, and I once told my mother that I had changed my name to Meagan during a My Little Pony phase.  I would not respond to my own name.  I also used to pretend that I was Rainbow Bright.  I would go to school with a star shaped sticker beside one of my eyes every day.    I took regular swimming lessons, some gymnastics classes and ballet.  We ended up moving to Ottawa a few days before a production of The Nut Cracker so I was not able to be in the show. 

And how did that make you feel?

I remember being really upset about that and deciding not to take ballet again because of it, even if I had passed my class with honors.  Anyways, soon after the move I became friends with my neighbor Sarah and we have been best friends ever since.  We used to do a lot of crafts together and organized a fun club one summer.  Every winter we would build a snow fort in the front yard and try to convince our parents to let us sleep in it.  They never said yes.  But, they did let us build a kind of indoor tent by using a table, some chairs, and a long blanket.  We had sleepovers and slept inside our tent.  We also played Barbies a lot. My sister and I would invent stories before playing and Sarah, among others, thought we were weird.  Karyne and I would name our games for future reference. When I got too old to want to play dolls, my sister would bribe me by letting me chose what game-story I wanted if I played with her.  We had fun recording ourselves reading stories with sound effects and even started writing a script once.  We were pretty creative.     

Wow Chantall, those are profound memories you've got. Now let me ask have you ever lived out of Canada? 

No, but I traveled a lot. My first big trip outside of Canada was to Cuba.  My in laws at the time took us (myself, my son and his father) as a Christmas gift.  I visited my best friend in London, about a year after I became a single parent.  The year after I took my son to Disney in Florida. We have traveled to the Caribbean and several European countries since.   

Okay. Let's turn to writing. Did you always know you’d be a writer? If not when did you know that you had it in you? 

LOL! I am still getting used to people calling me a writer.  I actually used to write a lot as a child and would make books my stapling pieces of paper together.  I tried writing novels when I was a teenager but never finished them.  I never really thought about publishing anything until a friend of mine told me I should.  I continued as a hobby.  I am currently in the process of publishing short stories in The Suburban`s Online Magazine.  

From what you've already told us, you started out as a child actress, what drew you into acting?  

I originally took acting classes to overcome my shyness and ended up loving it so much that I continued performing in amateur productions, joined a Youth Run Theatre company and then moved on to trying camera acting for fun.  I was an extra in a few movies, TV shows and commercials, but realized that I MUCH preferred the stage. 

 And did you encounter any challenges in the acting field?  

It is a hard field to get into in general.    

Does your past experience in acting help you with your writing today?  

Yes because I have to put myself into the shoes of my characters to be able to portray them properly.

So how long have you been writing?  

Since I was a child, but I published my fist novel in 2009.

 How many books have you written so far? 

Seven.

And are you working on something at the moment?  

Yes.  A short story called A Father's Promise, which should be published in the Father's Day issue of The Suburban's Online Magazine.  A Mother's Love will be published in the Mother's Day issue. People can view the stories by going to www.thesuburban.com and clicking on the magazine tab.

Now that you've mentioned it, please tell us about your work for the online magazine? 

The Suburban is actually a community newspaper and they have an online magazine as an addition.  I recently started working for the newspaper as a sales assistant and word got out that I published some novels.  My manager read my Veronica’s Soap Opera Life in one sitting and told me she loved it.  My boss ended up reading Just.Another.Common.Killer and now sees me in a whole new different way.  She found that I was a very good writer and encouraged me to continue.  The Suburban does not usually publish fiction, but she told me they could put my short stories in the magazine.

 Having started out in acting…do you try to market your books to movie producers?  

I looked into it once, but it is complicated.

You mentioned your son several times before.Tell us about your son?  

Aidan is the best thing that had ever happened to me.  He is a great kid who brightens up my days and makes me smile.  He is a well-behaved boy who does well in school and takes care of me the best way he can when I am sick . I was diagnosed with Colitis 31/2 years ago and was hospitalized a couple of times.  He is very artistic like me (and his father).  He actually did the cover for my horror novel Just.Another.Common.Killer, although I won’t let him read the book just yet!

 How do you juggle mommying, work and being a single mom?  

I sometimes wonder that myself.  Lol!

Fair enough. Tell us about your latest book and when it was released? 

I wrote the fantasy novel Sdrawkcab for my son, who was eleven at the time.  We kind of worked on the story together actually.  It started off with me waking up from a weird dream and needing to write it down.  I ended up coming up with a basic outline for a novel.  Every time I would finish writing the draft of a chapter I would read it to my son and he would give me his opinion, from a child’s perspective.  The book was released in 2012.

Son turned critique! You two must really fit well. So do you encourage your son to write?  

Absolutely!

Of course, why was I even asking that! Now, what type of genre do you like and why? 

 I usually like to read horror-mystery-suspense, although I will sometimes pick up a girly book.  I write a bit of everything, but horror is more me.  That is what people who know me well expect me to write.  I am a Halloween freak!

Chantal, do indie authors stand a chance in this competitive writing industry?  

It is very hard because we have to market our books ourselves.  I find that I am spending a lot of time doing promo stuff and marketing even myself as an author more than writing.  But, it is fun and that is why I do it.  I was never in it for the money.

And so when its not Halloween, how do you spend your free time, what do you do for fun?  

Aside from writing, I love watching movies.  I read when I find the time.  I like to go sit on a park bench with a good book when it is nice out, but I often start to daydream.  I enjoy the sun and need to be outside during the summer.  I love walking in the rain, especially during a thunderstorm.  My Octobers are spent morphing my apartment into a haunted home.  During the winter I would love to hibernate.  I like sitting in front of the TV under a warm blanket and drink something hot.  I try to spend as much quality time with my son as I can. We try to do fun activities together. I wish he would play more board games because I like them, but he prefers his video games.  Sometimes I play Wii games with him.  I am not very good at most of his games though.  I like my dance games better.  

Well answered. Whose your favorite actor, actress, book and writer?  

There are so many talented people out there!  My favorite actors are Johnny Depp and Colm Feore.  I know this is not part of your question, but my favorite director is Tim Burton.  As for actresses, it is hard to pick.  The one that comes to mind right away is Helena Bonham Carter.  As for the books - Steven King. 

 Where can people find you and your books online?

For my US Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Chantal-Bellehumeur/e/B008YX5YGK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

For  my Canada Amazon page, where you can also buy my books.http://www.amazon.ca/Books/s?ie=UTF8&field-author=Chantal%20Bellehumeur&page=1&rh=n%3A916520%2Cp_27%3AChantal%20Bellehumeur

For my UK Amazon Author page:.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chantal-Bellehumeur/e/B008YX5YGK

My books are also available at www.rosedogbookstore.com (but are cheaper on Amazon)

What a pleasure it has been hosting you Chantall. We wish you all the best and hope to talk to you again in the future.  

Thank YOU too for hosting me.

Author Interview with Sylvia Stein

What a Tuesday we have today, our guest wanted to be a writer since when she was seven, she's been an English teacher and now she has collaborated with 16 other writers to release their first book. Let me not say me. Here's the interview:

Lets starts with your name, what is your name?

My name is Sylvia Stein.

Tell us about your childhood, where were you born, schooled and that kind of stuff.

 I was born and raised in Brownsville Texas.   I lived with my mother and my grandparents the oldest of five children. I attended Public School then went on to pursue my Bachelor of Arts with a major in Spanish and a Minor in English. I became a teacher and taught English, and then I moved to Raleigh North Carolina and got my Teaching License where I taught Spanish from 2003 until 2008.

And where do you live now?

I live in The city of Raleigh NC, in the town of Fuquay Varina.

What about your writing, did you ever know you’d be a writer?

Yes I always wanted to be a writer since when I was about seven years of age. However, I grew up around some family that would say that was not a career but a hobby and sadly that self doubt took over me.  I always created stories in my head as a way to travel into different places and also play other characters.

      So then tell us about: Giant tales: Beyond the Mystic doors.

Giant Tales: Beyond The Mystic Doors is a book written by sixteen very talented new writers who share their different three-minute short stories and each story creates a new adventure and character. 

Okay, that's creative. And who’s your favorite author.

Well, that's a hard question because there are many... but if I had to choose one I would pick Jodi Picoult, because of the way she writes her books and her unique way of story telling.

Sylvia, how do you define author success?

The way I define author success is by paving it forward to yourself and others when you write.  It is important that you write your stories and also give others a chance to always do so.

And what do you think of author groups?  

I love them.   I especially love The World Literary Cafe which was started by Best Selling author Melissa Foster. She is not only a best selling author but a great mentor for other authors.  Her along with other authors help in their #ShareThe Love4Authors and also  Melissa’s Awesome Support Team which helps with tweeting out any type of promotions you may have going for your books.

I'm totally with you there...Melissa Foster is great help to indie authors. Talking about authors...when did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?

I first considered myself a writer when I met Melissa Foster  through Facebook and she inspired me to pursue my writing and not to give up.

So now that you stopped teaching in 2008 what do you do for work?

Yes I work Customer Service to pay my bills for now.  However I am also taking online classes through the Southern New Hampshire University for a Master’s in Creative Writing.

How many books have you written so far? What is the name of your latest/ upcoming book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

I have written many stories.  However the only book I have so far is my Anthology with my Writer’s Group on linked in which is the Giant Tales Beyond The Mystic Doors.  However, our second Anthology is due out in May and I am also working on my first Psychological Thriller.   If I had to describe my upcoming book in less than 20 words it would be “ Things are not always as they appear to be when a young woman is on trial for the murder of her husband.”

And who is your publisher? or do you self publish?

Right now I do not have a publisher.  I plan to self publish through CreateSpace.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

For me it has taken about a year to write my upcoming Thriller.

What genre would you place your books into?

My books Genre differ... from Fantasy, Mystery, Spiritual and thrillers and right now I am loving our first Anthology because it carries 4 of my own stories.  I am really proud of all of the stories and I love the 4 of mine that were chosen.

Keep that fire Sylvia, and now that you've spoken so pationatelly about your books - do you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?

The favorite character of my books will be Sadie which is from my upcoming Thriller Battered mind.  She is very misunderstood and she will take us on a very emotional and profound journey which will tell us more about her.

And as you write these stories, what inspires you?

I guess I get inspired by my characters... they drive me into their world and I get carried away by the story they are wanting to tell.

Do you have anybody read your stories and give you reviews before you officially release them?

Right now I have people in my Writer’s group and family and friends read my work. However I am trying to also get Beta Readers.

Now this is one of my favourite questions to authors: How do you market/promote your books?  

I promote the books through Social media also through my blogs.  I mainly Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn. 

Almost every writer's dream is for their book to be a bestseller. In your opinion what makes a bestseller ? 

I think what makes a book a good best seller is when a story is able to capture your attention from beginning to end and you can feel all that the character is going through.   

I feel if the story is able to carry you in with it then its on the right path to being a bestseller.

Let's personal again: What do you do to unwind and relax?  

I like to unwind and relax with my family.  My husband and kids.  I love being with them.  I also unwind with a good book or when I have time to write for a few hours at a time. 

And as we wind up Sylvia,where can readers follow you?

Readers can follow me:

On my blog: http://ssteinwriting.wordpress.com

On Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/SylWriter07

On Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6198225-sylvia-stein

Your Twitter details: @sylvia_stein07

Amazon : Giant Tales: Beyond The MysticDoors. 

 It has been a pleasure having you here Sylvia, we definatelty wish all the best and hope to talk to you again soon.

Drew Avera, The Author Interview

He joined the Navy at age 17 he has worked on F18 fighter jets and has been on the flight deck of several aircraft carriers In his other life, he's also a song writer, a father, a husband, a Rock fan and now a writer...let me not say more, read for yourself...
Please tell us your name?
Drew Avera.
Pseudonyms?
None. I use my real name because it isn't that common especially Avera.
You're right, which makes us curious about your childhood. 

Tell us about your formative years Drew... 
Well, I was born and raised in Mississippi. I moved around a little, in the process attending several schools. Then I went to high school at West Lauderdale High so that’s the one I claim, considering they gave me a diploma when I was done.
Funny! And so where do you live now?
I am in the Navy and live in Virginia.
Now this is getting exciting! Tell us about the Navy, when did you enlist, where have you served...you know the juicy stuff...
Okay, I joined the Navy when I was 17 years old. My rating (job) is Aviation Electrician Mate. I’ve spent my entire career stationed at NAS Oceana since 2001. I have worked on F18’s and now I teach other sailors how to maintain aircrafts as a Navy Instructor for the Super Hornet. I’ve been on three combat  deployments in the past 12 years and I've seen the flight deck of several aircraft carriers.
Man! That's an impressive resume you've got. And is there something phenomenal you've experienced as a Navy?
I’ve seen and heard a lot of things, I don’t know about phenomenal, I will say that seeing other countries will open your eyes to the world. In America there is a stigma regarding Middle Eastern countries, but my time spent in the Middle East has been very pleasant. Also, if you look up at the night sky when you’re in the middle of the ocean you see stars that you never knew existed, it’s very beautiful. I once stood around and watched some balls of light flying around in the sky with a group of friends, none of us knew what they were so we called them UFO’s (I don’t have an opinion about the existence of aliens though).
Ha ha ha you were very quick to clarify that Drew...but I bet it could be a good story line for a novel right? How about family? I'm married, actually I've been married for ten years. And my wife and I have two daughters. 
Lovely. Okay back to book stuff, did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you wanna be?
A rock star!
No kidding!
True, I wanted to be a rock star, then I wanted to be a comic book artist, then I just wanted to be rich. I’ve considered writing since I was a teenager, but I was 30 before I legitimately took a step in that direction. Now it’s a part of me that I want to pursue.
And when did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
When I finished the first draft of Dead Planet: Exodus.
Your novel Dead Planet: Exodus tell us what is it about and what inspired you to write it? I hope its not the UFO's you mentioned earlier!!!!
It’s about a future where the elite have populated Mars. There is no god, government, religion or anything that ties humanity to anything. The Syndicate controls  every facet of life, they control the population, education, and the economy. If god existed then it would be in the form of the Syndicate according to their rule. They control the Agency which is a police force, they are essentially political assassins who kill on demand. The story follows a man named Serus who is a policeman who discovers that his sister is on the hit list. The book follows his attempt to keep her alive as the world is crashing down around him. And NO - It's not because of the UFO's. I wrote the story because I needed to come up with a plot for NaNoWriMo 2012. I wrote the first draft in twenty days on my I-Phone.
Everyone did you hear that. He wrote his first draft on his I-Phone...and hey I'm not telling you which phone to buy but its something to think about right? Anyways I'm just messing with you people. Back to you Drew,did it take a long time to get it published?
 From starting the plot to hitting the “publish” button was around five months.

And who is your publisher? or do you self publish? 
I am self published using the Kindle Direct Publishing.
 Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
Yes, I am working on book two in the Dead Planet series. There will be a main trilogy and a few novellas in the series.
 Which means you believe in your first book, right? So what genre would you place your books into? 

Primarily it is science fiction, but there are so many themes that finding a specific genre is difficult to nail down.
In your own personal experience how is it for a new writer?
It is confusing. I didn't know anything about formatting or promotion or networking at all. I’m learning along the way though.
When writing Dead Planet: Exodus, did you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
To be honest I don’t suffer from writer’s block, but I have written myself into a corner and had trouble getting out of it. I have an overly active imagination so that helps a lot.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I play guitar and write music. I also like to read and watch science fiction stuff.
Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
Yes and no. I take traits from people but I don’t base a character on anyone. I will say that there is a part of me in each character that I write though.
Is there a certain Author that influenced you in writing?
I have been on a huge indie author kick lately. I feel like I’ve walked into the front door of one of the coolest club houses I’ve ever seen. I would say that the advice I receive from these other authors has done more to inspire me as a person than it has my writing. Authors like Hugh Howey, Richard Stephenson, and Tony Ruggiero have helped me a lot with advice.
What is your favorite book and Why?  
I really don’t. I tend to have a hard time finding a favorite, but Batman is my favorite super hero if that helps…
Sure, you said you love comics so it makes sense. Are there any New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we watch out for them?
Absolutely, you should check out Richard Stephenson and Tony Ruggiero. I've read some of their stuff and it’s good stories supported by a great plot.
 What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
If you want to write then you will make the time to write, the excuses are not acceptable if you expect to achieve anything. That goes for life too.
If your book would be made into a movie what type of movie...it would be like which movie?
A friend of mine said my book reminded him of Total Recall, I don’t get where he drew that conclusion from. I would think my story more closely resembles the Hunger Games meets the Matrix. I honestly can’t say that I have a clue about classifying it though.
Personally I loved Total recall and the first two Matrix movies...I found the third a bit flat...So as we wind up where can readers find you and your book?
 My Facebook page: www.facebook.com/authordrewavera
My Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7021546.Drew_Avera
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrewAveraGet my book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C1KP6SS

Drew, it has been a pleasure talking to you. We wish you all the best with your new book and hopefully you'll come back again to talk to us about your success!

James Amoateng, Our Guest Author

From a little known African village in Ghana, he pursued his dreams despite all odds and now apart from working a dental Surgeon In the U.K he's also an author of not one but two books. 

Let's start with your name, what is your name?

James Amoateng.

 ...and do you use any pseudonyms?

 No, no pseudonyms.

  Okay, anything you can tell us about your childhood, place of birth, your schooling etcetera. 

Oh that! Well I was born in a mountainous town of Agogo, in Ghana in 1957, 8^th of May to be exact. As regards my schooling, I attended a local Presbyterian primary school, then proceeded on to join Achimota High School in Accra, the capital of Ghana. 

I bet it was pretty exciting to move to the city right?

Very true.

Ah huh, go on...

After my high school education I joined The Ghana Medical School in Accra and afterwards furthered my education at the Turner Dental School in Manchester U.K.

And what did you major in? 

Dental surgery.

Now, back to writing, when did you first consider yourself as a "writer"? 

Well, my writing started at an early age of about 12. Not much really, I was just trying to compose rhymes, writing articles and essays.

And when you decided to be serious about writing, how long did it take to get your first book published?

A long time I guess, I only published in 2012.

And who is your publisher? 

 Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency, located in Houston, Texas.

So James, what genre would you place your books into? 

The first Poetry, the second, Adventure/Thriller.

 And how do you market or promote your books? 

I do that mainly through Social media and Book signings.

What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller?

 I guess the style it is written in and the book cover.

  I see. How do you use your 'me-time'? 

I use my fun time reading, writing, playing soccer at weekends and having a beer at the end of a hard working day.

Any particular team you follow?

Tottenham Hotspurs since 1981.

1981? Interesting...I see you've lots of fun-stuff goin' on. Myself I'm but I don't want to talk about Arsene Wenger right now. Now book to your books, the characters in your books are they based events on things that have happened to you? 

Yes some of my poems are based on personal experiences and those of acquaintances.

You mentioned that one of your hobbies is reading, is there a certain Author that influenced you in writing?

Charles Dickens. I love his book Tale of two cities, Charles Dickens. 

And what did you love about Tale of two cities?

Just the historical facts about the French Revolution.

As writer there a particular format of books do you prefer?

 All - eBook,hardback, or paperback.

 What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?

 If you want to write just write and don’t procrastinate. Get yourself a small note pad and make notes of things happening around you.

Lastly as we finish up, where can your fans get you and your books?

Website http://sbpra.com/jamesamoateng/
 Facebook page?http://t.co/iFRMjGY7
 Goodreads author page? www.goodreads.com/18322706-james-amoateng

It has been a pleasure talking to you James and we wish you the best!