Friday, April 19, 2013

The Bloody Sinful Original Legacy Tour



Welcome J. L. McCoy to my blog today.



J. L. McCoy resides in the beautifully weird city of Austin, Texas with her opinionated Pekiweenie Isabel and handsome husband Kenny.  She has always been a passionate reader and enjoys watching movies, traveling, listening to heavy metal/classic rock/80s music, getting mani/pedis with her girls, and singing karaoke.  She loves body art and is hopelessly addicted to Sonic’s ice and Route 44 un-sweet raspberry iced tea. 

 

If you’d like more information about her or her upcoming books, please visit her at the following links:

Author Links:





(I sell signed copies of my books in my store!)
 
THE BOOKS:
Blood of the Son, Sins of the Father, The Original Sin, and Legacy of Blood
Skye Morrison Vampire Series   Book #1 - 4
J.L. McCoy
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Links for the Books:
Amazon Kindle links
 
Barnes and noble Nook links:
 
Smashwords link:
My review of this Blood series. I give these books a four star review. The characters are well defined and at times there is too much detail. Just like Skye, I found myself lured in by the vampires. This series of books are filled with passion and lure. Thank you J. L. McCoy for a good vampire read. I really enjoyed these books.
 
BOOK ONE: Blood of the Sun
Synopsis: After a shocking admission by Archer Rhys, Skye Morrison and the rest of The Mausoleum's vampire crew have to deal with the aftermath of Houston business owner and fellow vampire Greyson Mead's murder. A gruesome discovery in Skye's driveway forces her out of her house and temporarily into Archer's lakeside mansion with her co-workers Trey, Hunter, Quinn, Seamus, Lochlan, Jameson, and of course the ever jealous Aoife. Skye must now live under the same roof with the two men she wants most and things are bound to get complicated. With a psychotic murderer on the loose hell bent on killing vampires and the appointed army of The Faithful having no luck in finding them, will Skye's new boss and co-workers live to see next week? Will Skye make it out of Archer's mansion alive?
*Be advised: This book contains adult situations, steamy sex scenes, and cursing.*
Excerpt:
“With all those late hours, doesn’t Mrs. Rhys miss you?” I asked.
He raised an eyebrow. “No,” he said with a slight smirk. “There is no Mrs. Rhys.”
“Oh, sorry” I replied, a little embarrassed. “I just figured a guy like you would have been snatched up long ago by some gorgeous girl.”
He smiled and chuckled a little. “You’d think so, huh? I haven’t had much luck in that department...at least long term.”
“Sorry if I seemed nosy,” I said, looking down at my clasped hands. I felt like I had pried.
“Not at all, Skye. These are things you’ll need to know if you work for me,” he said soothingly. “Let me ask you a few general questions. Would that be alright?”
“Yes, please. Fire away,” I said, eager to change the subject.
“What do you like to do for fun?” he asked.
I looked up at him and wondered if I should give him the safe answer or the true answer. I decided to throw caution to the wind and let him see the real me. “Well, um, I enjoy painting. Abstract mostly...on big canvases. There’s almost nothing better than channeling your love, fear, pain, bad day, good day down into something and seeing the beauty of those emotions emerge. It helps me realize that no matter how bad my day was, or how hurt I felt...there’s always beauty in everything; that every emotion I feel is important and helps make me who I am. I love it. It’s freedom incarnate.” I smiled and remembered the last painting I did. It was after Jesse and I broke up. I put all the anger, tears, frustration, and ugliness down on the canvas. It turned into one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever done.
“I love to read,” I said, clearing my throat and continuing. “I’ve always preferred that over watching television. There’s not much imagination to television in my opinion. Also, dancing has always been in my blood. I love dancing whether it’s out at a dance hall or around my house. If hear music, my body just kind of responds to it. I like to catch Karaoke Night at the Blue Lagoon Lounge whenever I can. Their Cult Movie Show Tunes night is to die for. Don’t laugh. I know it’s cheesy, but I love it. And, I have to say, one of my absolute favorite things to do is go to my weekly Krav Maga class that I take with my best friend, Nikki,” I said, hoping that that wasn’t too long winded of an answer.
“Impressive, Miss Morrison,” he said with a cock of his head and appraising eyes. “I like a strong woman.”
I blushed and looked down at my hands. Small butterflies fluttered around in my stomach and I adjusted my body uncomfortably in the seat. I was embarrassed but a little excited at the look in his eye as he watched me talking. What is that...the way he’s looking at me? He likes a strong woman...what does that mean? Is he coming on to me? I laughed inwardly at the absurdity of my thoughts. Yeah right, Skye. He’s WAY out of your league, girlfriend. But, nice try. I looked up, into his eyes, and gave him a small smile and a shrug. “Me too. I grew up on Red Sonja comics. I wanted to be just like her when I was a kid.”
His eyes sparkled with his laughter and the butterflies in my stomach picked up again. Dammit, stop that! I silently told myself. Out of your league! And, he just might be your boss someday. Chill, hormones...
“What kinds of books do you like to read?” he asked.
I was surprised by the question. I guess when he said general, he really meant general. “I mainly read paranormal fiction, though I do enjoy the occasional historical drama or biography.”
“I’ve read up on preternatural things myself,” he said with a knowing smile. “What are your favorite subjects?”
“Well, I suppose it would be vampires, werewolves, fae, and similar mythological creatures,” I said, hoping that’s what he meant.
He laughed and nodded his head. “I’m glad you enjoy those. I do, too,” he said.
I started wondering how these questions pertained to the job I was interviewing for. But, I shouldn’t complain, I guess. These questions were very easy to answer and it seemed like he was genuinely interested in hearing my answers.
“Do you have any first-aid knowledge?” he inquired next.
“Hm...well, yes. I took a first-aid course in summer camp when I was 15. I still remember the basics,” I said, a little confused as to where this was going.
“Good,” he said, and then looked thoughtful. “Would you know how to...let’s say for example...dress wounds and control bleeding?”
What the hell kind of interview question was that?! I thought to myself. I’d expect that if I was applying at a hospital or something, but... “Yes,” I said slowly, confused as to why I would ever need to know something like that working in a nightclub.
“Excellent,” he said smiling. “You never know when something like that will come in handy.”
 
 
BOOK TWO: Sins of the Father
Synopsis:
After a shocking admission by Archer Rhys, Skye Morrison and the rest of The Mausoleum's vampire crew have to deal with the aftermath of Houston business owner and fellow vampire Greyson Mead's murder.  A gruesome discovery in Skye's driveway forces her out of her North Central Austin, Texas townhome and temporarily into Archer's lakeside mansion with her co-workers Trey, Hunter, Quinn, Seamus, Lochlan, Jameson, and of course the ever jealous Aoife.  Skye must now live under the same roof with the two men she wants most and things are bound to get complicated.  With a psychotic murder on the loose hell bent on killing vampires and the appointed army of The Faithful having no luck in finding them, will Skye's new boss and co-workers live to see next week?  Will Skye make it out of Archer's mansion alive? 
Excerpt:
“Did you need something?” I asked.
Archer leaned forward in his chair and took off his expensive charcoal gray sports coat. “I wanted to see how you were handling all of this,”he said, throwing the coat onto the couch and moving to take off his cufflinks. I watched him struggle for a second before I intervened.
“Here, let me help you.” I said as I got up from the chair and walked around his desk. He smiled tiredly, sighed, and thanked me. I hopped up onto the desk, sat in the same place Aoife had only moments ago occupied and pulled his hand onto my lap. I slowly took off his left cufflink and sat it down on the dark desk beside me. I looked into his ice blue eyes as I rolled the shirtsleeve up his muscular forearm. “Honestly, Archer, I don’t know how I am handling this.”
He stared intensely into my eyes and searched them for clues. “Are you scared?” I nodded my head and gave him his arm back. I picked up his right one and began the same process again. “You know I’ll never let anything happen to you, don’t you?”
I watched my hands work as I thought about that for a few seconds.
“I know,” I said finally, looking back up into his beautiful eyes. Neither of us said anything for a long moment. “I’m worried about you...about all of you,” I admitted reluctantly, my fingers finishing their work.
Archer took one of my hands in his and leaned closer. “We’re going to be just fine,” he said, tucking a stray hair behind my left ear and then lifting my chin. “We’re a lot stronger than we look, Skye.”
I had a sudden flash of Greyson’s mutilated body and I swallowed hard, shaking my head. My eyes glistened with unshed tears. “But Greyson...,”
Archer shushed me with a gentle finger to my full lips. “Don’t,” he whispered, looking deeply into my eyes. “Don’t think about that.” He cupped my cheek and tenderly ran his thumb over my mouth, tracing my bottom lip.
“I’m sorry for how I acted earlier tonight,” he apologized gently, his eyes remorseful.
“I know,” I whispered. I tilted my head into his cool hand and closed my eyes. His touch was so comforting, his strong arms safe. I felt my body slowly start to relax for the first time tonight.
“I want you to stay with me tonight, Skye.” My eyes flew open in alarm and I sat up straight. “Us,” Archer amended quickly. “I meant I want you to stay with us...at my house.”


BOOK THREE: The Original Sin
Synopsis:
"Skye Morrison's life lately has been anything but ordinary. Attempting to pull together the pieces of her life that have been ripped to shreds after being kidnapped and tortured by Amun- who happens to be the father of all vampires-her dreams are haunted by memories of those recent fateful and horrific events. Skye struggles with her split feelings and the raw sexual tension with her lover, Jameson Doyle and boss Archer Rhys-the continuous object of her sexual fantasies. Residing at Archer's lakeside mansion with the rest of the vampire clan, Skye attempts to maintain a normal routine. With the vampire army, The Faithful, attempting unsuccessfully to capture Amun, her nightmares take her down a twisted spiral of entrapment and terror, taking its toll on her daily life. Haunted and hunted by the psychotic and mind-twisting Amun, Skye goes through dark and violent changes, revealing a side of herself she didn't know existed and ultimately leading to a shocking conclusion. With a climax that will leave you breathless and wanting more, don't miss the third chapter in the life of Skye Morrison. 
Excerpt:
“Stop,” I whispered as the tears finally began to spill down my face. “I can’t bear to hear anymore.” My heart constricted with the pain his words brought. “How can you do this to me? How can you when you know I’m with Jameson.”
I roughly wiped the tears from my cheeks, stood up, and stormed over to him. “What am I supposed to do with this, Archer? Huh? Leave your brother and jump into your bed? What about him? What about his feelings? How can you do this to me? Why couldn’t you have just left it alone? Why did you have to tell me?”
“You deserve to know how I feel,” he growled. “You were mine before you were his.”
“No,” I shook my head sadly. “I wasn’t.”
“Why couldn’t you have just talked to me, Skye?” Archer asked, his voice full of pain. “Why didn’t you give me an opportunity to explain the kiss you saw between Aoife and me before you ran into my brother’s arms?”
“I thought I knew what I saw,” I whispered, losing my fight.
“You knew nothing,” he whispered, matching my tone, as he closed the gap between us and pulled me into his arms. He bent down and nuzzled my hair, taking a deep breath in.
I wrapped my arms around him and clung to him tightly. I buried my face in his chest and succumbed to my waterworks. “I knew nothing,” I finally admitted tearfully.
He held me for a long time, neither of us saying anything. I think we were both just content to be in each other’s arms. We had been denying ourselves for the longest time. Holding him felt like coming home; like a cool drink of water after a long week in the desert.
“I’m so sorry, Archer,” I sniffed. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“I’m sorry, too,” he mumbled into my hair as he placed light kisses about the top of my head. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. The girl I love is sleeping with my brother.”
 
BOOK FOUR: Legacy of Blood
Synopsis:
"Skye Morrison begged for death.  Fortunately, someone didn't listen.
Skye awakens to discover she has been irrevocably changed and the unprecedented circumstances of her rebirth have now created a new threat to her very existence. Sired by both the monster Amun and the vampire Archer Rhys, Skye must prove to the army of An Dilis (The Faithful) whose essence is most dominant within her and that she is not a danger to them or society.  The Faithful soon discover that she is unlike any vampire ever created before as she struggles to adjust to her new life and the changes that come with it.
Her recent brush with death has made Skye realize that life is precious and she wastes no time telling the one she loves how she feels about him.
But, Amun finds out that someone interfered with Skye's transformation and the intrusion makes him livid.  He gives Skye 7 days to come to him or he threatens to begin killing the ones she loves most. 
Will Skye be able to survive long enough to enjoy her new life now that Amun is hunting her and everyone she loves?
Excerpt:
As soon as my head hit my pillow, and I fully relaxed, my eyes began to grow heavy.   All of the excitement I had been through today had taken its toll on me mentally.  I desperately needed to sleep and recharge.  Before I knew it, I was out cold.
Images flashed behind my eyes, interrupting hours of deep, sound sleep as I softly heard someone whispering my name.  Something was pulling at my psyche, demanding entrance, and I finally gave in to the request. 
Amun was standing by large body of water with his back to me.  As soon as I took a step toward him, he whirled around looking surprised but relieved.
“What took you so long?” he demanded, his black eyes taking on anger.  “I’ve been reaching out to you all day.  I could feel you but I didn’t have access to you…I couldn’t access your mind.  Something is interfering.  HOW are you keeping me out?”
“Ha!” I laughed and sneered at the small victory.  “You mean to tell me you can’t just come into my dreams whenever you want to?”
He flashed to me and grabbed me by my throat.  “You drank their blood?!” he raged in my face as he glared back and forth between my now colorless eyes.  “But you are mine!”
“I am no one’s!” I yelled back as I ripped his hand from my neck and pushed him away from me; the action utterly shocking Amun.  “No one owns me!  No one will EVER own me!”
“A piece of my very soul is inside of you,” he growled, quickly recovering.  “You are mine and you will do as I say.  You will come to me this night!  I DEMAND IT!”
I put my hands on my hips and smirked at him.  “Demand away, Amun.  I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I’m not going to just come crawling to whatever hole you’re off hiding in.  You have no control over me.  Get used to it!”
“Oh, I have plenty of control over you,” he sneered evilly as he took another step toward me.  “All those disgusting feelings of love and desire you felt for that Day Walker…Archer?  I put them there.  I made you dream of him, want him, make love to him…  I made you want to stay with him when you were so set on leaving.  I couldn’t very well allow you to leave and ruin all my plans!  But in the end, you betrayed me, Damu.  There will be a heavy price to pay for that.  You were supposed to stay, complete your change and then kill him and all his children.  Instead you drink his blood and pollute yourself?!  You could have been something great, something beautifully fierce and exquisitely savage, but now you are just another common, pathetic Day Walker!”
I felt my eyes flicker black as anger consumed me.  “I’m not your fucking toy, Amun!  If you think you can force me to feel things and do things for you, you have another thing coming.  I’m going to kill you for what you’ve done to me!  As God is my witness, you will DIE by MY hand!”
Amun chuckled as he looked me up and down and then tsked.  “Oh, my sweet Nisiqtu…you are still so headstrong.  I believe I was wrong about you.  You carry my mark in your eyes.  We are not so different after all, you and I.  You may be a Day Walker now, but the potential for greatness is still there.  The possibilities are endless now.  There is so much we can do to them now that you are one of them.  They will never suspect-”
“Fuck you!” I spat as I turned and walked away.  I didn’t have to listen to his bullshit.  He may have pulled me into this dream but, come hell or high water, I was going to walk out of it.
“You have one week to come to me, Skye,” Amun yelled at my back.  “If you do not obey me, I will start killing your friends and family one by one and I’ll start with that fiery girl who shares your home.  I believe I’ll sew her colorful skin into a new hat.”
I whirled around, my eyes wide and fearful.  “You lay one finger on her and I’ll-”
“Silence!” Amun roared angrily, his voice echoing loudly all around me.  “Seven days, Skye.  And you had better be wearing the presents I left for you when you come to me.”


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

My Review Of The Master's Book By Philip Coleman


In 1482 Mary, the last Duchess of Burgundy, lies on her deathbed in a castle in Flanders. She is only 24. In her final moments she makes a wish that, 500 years later, will threaten the lives of a boy and a girl living in Brussels.

The Master’s Book is the story of Sean, an Irish teenager, just arrived in Brussels to a house that is also a crime scene. Together with Stephanie, his classmate, he finds an illuminated manuscript, only for it to be stolen almost at
once.

Where did this manuscript come from? Who was it originally made for? Is there a connection with the beautiful tomb Sean has seen in Bruges? Above all, why does someone want this book so badly that they are prepared to kill for it?

Part thriller and part paper-chase, this book is aimed at boys and girls of twelve and over.


I give this book a five star review. I love mysteries. I enjoyed reading this book. Philip has weaved an excellent mystery with Sean and Stephanie searching for answers. At times they faced danger that I thought they wouldn't be able to get out of. Great mystery for any age. Thank you, Philip for a great read.

Monday, April 15, 2013

My Review Of Coarse By D.T. Peterson


Ten half-conscious seconds are all a woman remembers from her kidnapping. Small clues linger in her broken memory, clues she hopes will be enough to identify the kidnapper. A police officer takes her under his wing and together they begin an unconventional investigation, using what little she knows to track down their suspect. As her memory fades, truth begins to meld with fiction. Time is running out. Will she remember? What will she remember?

I give this book a five star review. I loved it. Coarse was a fast read, but intense. It grabbed me from the beginning and kept me reading to the twisted end. Thank you , D. T. for a great read.

Friday, April 12, 2013

My Review Of A Halloween Tale By V. L. Murray


I love this cover. It is so creepy looking that it draws me in begging me to read. I love creepy ghost stories, and this is a Halloween tale I'll never forget. And I'm sure Olivia won't either. More of my review of this story at the end. Today I have Lynne Murray on my blog.


1. Tell us about your book and how the story came to be.  

 

The short story seemed to come out of nowhere. I just started hearing the beginning of it in my head, grabbed a notebook and started writing. It came pretty much in one felled swoop.

 

The back cover blurb probably best describes what it’s about.

       “It’s the most exciting night of the year in their town, as Olivia and friends prepare for the annual Hallowe’en celebration

      When the teens set off for the party, Olivia’s mother asks them not to take the rural back lane to the old southern mansion where the event is to be held. Ignoring her mother’s request, they find themselves crashing into trees in the near darkness before reaching the rear grounds of the mansion.

      When a gallows suddenly appears out of nowhere, the teens realize they may be about to witness a hanging. Could this be the ghost of Olivia’s ancestor? The one executed for witchcraft? Olivia’s stubborn curiosity overwhelms her friends’ fear, and she leads them into an adventure the teens could never have foreseen when they encounter a glimpse into history.”

 

Here’s a brief excerpt from the story:

 

“The path appeared to be darker than Olivia had imagined, especially on this full moon night. There seemed to be a lot of eerie shadows, and the occasional hoot of an owl or cry of some other wild creature coming from the woods.

“Wow, it’s hard to see.” Artesia clung to Olivia’s arm. “Whose idea was it to come through the fields again? Didn’t your mom tell us not to take this route?”

Olivia’s stubborn character refused to allow her to even contemplate she may have made a poor choice, but her friend wasn’t going to let it go.

She stopped to fix Artesia’s green fairy wing. It was hanging at an unusual angle and she hoped it hadn’t broken when they both crashed into that tree.

Olivia wished she had brought a flashlight. I’m such an idiot! How could I come this way and not even bring a light? She was having a bit of trouble negotiating the terrain. Her floor length, heavy black skirt was certainly warm enough for this slightly chilly autumn evening, but it dragged on the ground and so she kept tripping on the hem.”

 

 2. What three words best describe your main character?

 
Olivia is an inquisitive, headstrong teenager, who has a lot of leadership skills and likes being the centre of attention.

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

 
The characters sort of present themselves, almost like they are real people and I am just taking notes. I like to pick names that describe their character. I also choose ones that I think are interesting or, in the case or Artesia, Olivia’s best friend, pretty much made up. I think believability comes through when we immerse ourselves into the character and really see things through their eyes. I am lucky in that I taught kids for almost thirty years and so I can see lots of different young people whom I have known who would fit the roles of these individuals.

 
4.  Do your characters follow your plot path or do they take on a life of their own? Do you keep them in check?

 
I think it is a combination. At some point I know what the plot is, or is supposed to be, and then the challenge is to make them go along with it. I try to keep them in check but sometimes events will come out of nowhere that must go into the storyline and may slightly deviate from the original plot for a moment or two, and then they might take off and go exploring with me trailing behind, yelling, “Wait up! Where do you think you’re going?”

 
5. Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? If so, how did you over come it?

 
Yes, that happens all the time, so I have loads of stories I am working on and I just set the piece aside and let my brain sort it out without me applying any attention to it, while I work on another project. Usually after a week or two, when I go back and reread the story, the next part will jump up and start running.

 
6. What types of books do you like to read?

I am a mystery fan, especially anything with Native Americans or archaeology, ancient Egypt or time travel. I also like to read biographies, poetry and teen books. I still read Nancy Drew books all the time and others from the same era, the Hardy Boys etc.

 

7. What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

 
I love nature and walking with my dog out in the forest. I also love taking long drives through the country, going to antique and flea markets, watching television and just zoning out.

 
Oh, I love going to flea markets.


8. What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

 
I am working on a series of short stories based on the characters from A Hallowe’en Tale, and their community, both past and present. I have the outline for five more and have started the second one. I am also working on a novella entitled Cyrus and The Birds about a fellow who is very special and has grown up in an abusive environment. It is a psychological-paranormal work. There are others in the non-fiction field plus two poetry collections.

Oh, good more Halloween Tale.  

9. What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?
Write everyday. My music composition teacher told me that forty years ago and it works for anything creative, really.

 

 
10. Where can readers find you and your books?

 

I have a website, facebook author page, and blog, plus I am also on twitter.

Here are the links.

www.vlmurray.ca and my main writer/editor blog is www.natterandreview.wordpress.com Facebook author/editor page is www.facebook.com/vlynnemurray and twitter @vlynnemurray

You can purchase my work at the following locations:

My latest is my short story A Hallowe’en Tale by V. L. Murray available from MuseItUp Publishing at  http://tinyurl.com/crwkb8l , Amazon.ca at http://tinyurl.com/bvlh7wx , Amazon.com at http://tinyurl.com/chq5d59 , Kobo at http://tinyurl.com/cc39yuk , Barnes and Noble at http://tinyurl.com/bthxaxk .




V. L. Murray is an author, poet, composer and editor. She lives in Surrey, British Columbia. Lynne has spent much of her life playing with music and interacting with the spoken and written word. She believes that form and punctuation are just other ways to make words sing. Lynne loves to write stories that intertwine the mystical and divine into everyday life and seeks to remind her readers that the other side is only a breath away.


Thanks for having me here today, Kay. I have enjoyed spending some time with you.

Thanks, Lynne, for being here. It was nice to get to know you better. And I look forward to reading more of your books.

Now for my review of A Halloween Tale. I give this book a five star review. I loved it.
Creepy elements to the story kept me reading, waiting to see what will happen. Because I just knew something was going to happen. Then after it happened it was so mysterious. Just a reminder that the other side is only a breath away.  I will read more books by V. L. Murray. Thanks, Lynne, for a great read.

Monday, April 8, 2013

My Review Of The Acadian Secret By Tammy Lowe




Book blurb:


Elisabeth London is keeping her new friends a secret from her parents.  Not only do they live on the other side of the world in the Scottish Highlands, they lived more than three hundred and fifty years ago. Her mom and dad would never allow her to go gallivanting about seventeenth century Scotland.  They won’t even let her go to the mall by herself yet.


Twelve-year-old Elisabeth is old enough to know there is no such thing as magic, but when her quartz crystal necklace has the power to transport her back and forth in time, she no longer knows what to think.  The only thing she is certain of is that she loves spending carefree days with Quinton, the mischievous nephew of a highland warrior, and sassy little Fiona, a farmer’s daughter. 


However, Elisabeth’s adventures take a deadly turn when she is charged with witchcraft.  At a time and place in history when witch-hunts were common, those found guilty were executed, children included. Elisabeth must race to find her way back home, while trying to stay one step ahead of the witch-hunter determined to see her burned at the stake. 


Hi readers,

Today on my blog I have Tammy Lowe author of The Acadian Secret.


 Hi Kay,

 Thanks for having me on your blog today. 

Hi Tammy,

It is a pleasure to have you on my blog today. Thank you for a good read. I really enjoyed reading The Acadian Secret.
1. Tell us about your book and how the story came to be.

 As a kid, I loved to read books and watch shows like Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables.  I loved anything set in the “olden days”.

When I was about ten years old, I began to wonder about time travel.  My biggest wish was that I’d end up back in the pioneer era.  I wanted to go and hang out with spoiled Nellie Olsen.  I don’t remember why I wished for Nellie over Laura Ingalls, but I think it had something to do with the fact that her parents owned the candy shop.

I had it all figured out.  I didn’t want to live in the 18th or 19th century; I’d miss my family too much. And I can’t live without modern comforts.  I wanted the freedom to travel back and forth through time.

My wish to time travel was so strong; I even dressed the part, as much as I could, without raising anyone’s suspicions.  I wore dresses to school every day, when all my friends wore jeans and t-shirts. I had to be prepared just in case it worked and I was whisked through time. That summer, I even begged my mom to buy me a bonnet.  She did.  I wore that white bonnet everywhere.  If I ended up in Walnut Grove or Avonlea, I was prepared. 

By the sixth grade I was old enough to realize that time travel probably wasn’t going to be a reality for me, so I decided when I grew up, I’d write a story about a girl who could travel back and forth through time. 

2. What three words best describe your main character?

Hmmm, I’d say she is funny, hopeful and brave. Brave, even though she doesn’t think so.

Elisabeth was braver than I would have been.

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

 

Many of my characters were real people in history.  There was one young lady I needed to include in the story, but I was having trouble finding her real name.  Sarah, Sarah, Sarah kept floating around my brain, so I called her Sarah, with the intention of changing her name once I discovered it in my research.  When I finished writing, and I couldn’t imagine my Sarah being called anything else, I discovered her real name.  It was Sarah. That gave me goose bumps. 


Some characters take a while for me to get to know and I have to go back and add things to later drafts that I have uncovered about them in the process.  Other characters seem to jump out at me and yell, “Here I am!”


 4. Do your characters follow your plot path or do they take on a life of their own? Do you keep them in check?

I think I do a nice mixture of both.  I am a big time plotter so for me to get from A to B, my characters need to do what I tell them, but I let them decide how they are going to get there.


5. Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? If so, how did you over come it?

If I am stumped on a scene, I stop writing and do something else.  I usually take my dog for a walk.  The answer pops into my brain when I’m not thinking about it and then I have to run home and write it down before I forget.

6. What types of books do you like to read?

I read all sorts of books, but I have a special place in my heart for fast paced, edge-of-my-seat, action novels.


 7. What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?


When I’m not working or writing, my favourite thing to do is head off on some grand adventure with my husband and our son. We’ve explored pyramids in Egypt and sailed down a river in rural China on a tiny raft.  We’ve slept in the tower of a 15th century Scottish castle, searched for the Loch Ness Monster and have even dined at a Bedouin camp in the Arabian Desert. I love to explore this amazing world of ours. 

Wow. That sounds like a lot of fun. 

8. What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I am working on my next novel, which continues to follow the time travel adventures of Elisabeth London.

 Oh, good. I look forward to reading more about Elisabeth London.

9. What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received?
When you “think” you are finished your novel, put it away for at least six weeks and forget about it.  When the time comes to take it out again, sit back and re-read the entire manuscript. Take notes. You will see a million mistakes and plot holes. Everything that isn’t working will jump out at you. It will be a cringe-worthy read, but you’ll be glad you put it away instead of sending it out.


10. Where can readers find you and your books?
You can find me at www.tammylowe.com or

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=590&category_id=69&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1







Bio:



When she isn't writing, you will either find Tammy Lowe surrounded by little children and covered in glitter and glue, or on some grand adventure: inside an Egyptian pyramid, twirling on an Alp or climbing the Great Wall of China. She's part Mary Poppins, part Indiana Jones.

Tammy lives in Cambridge, Ontario with her husband and their teenage son.


Now for my review of The Acadian Secret.

I give this book a five star review. Tammy weaves a magical adventure in this story of Elisabeth London who goes on a grand adventure to the past. She meets people who become like family to her. But when bad things happen that threaten her return home, she knows she never wants to risk losing Mom and Dad. That would be too much for her heart to handle. Heart warming ending. If you like time travel books and learning about the past, this is a good, entertaining book to read. Thanks, Tammy, for a good read.