Category Archives: Writers on the River Attending Author

Fantasy, Paranormal, Part of a Series, Review, Shifters, Suspense, Thriller, Vampire, Witches, Wolves, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – No More Black Magic (Here Witchy Witchy Book 1) by A.L. Kessler

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A hex. Ancient runes steeped in black magic. A decades-old crime. Abigail Collins has her hands full as a Paranormal Investigation Bureau Agent. Accompanied by a stubborn werewolf, challenged by an overprotective coven, and introduced to a Cult linked to her parent’s death, Abby must solve her case before the murderer comes for her. When an ancient langue connects her past with the murderer’s Abigail might just be in over her head.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

I really love when the blurb to a book instantly pulls you. It is even better when the story consumes you! I am a sucker for paranormal books! Abby is a powerful witch and works for the Paranormal Investigation Bureau, but also works “on the side” for the vampire that raised her. She is brought in to investigate a murder case where the only information they have on the deceased is an intact arm with a murder scene that brings her into a world that involves her deceased parents. As Abby works on the investigation, she uncovers more questions. The further she dives into this, the more her own life is in danger. This is definitely in the suspense category because everywhere Abby turns, there is a new obstacle that makes you question everything you know. It is harrowing and heart wrenching. You never know who is truly on your side. Even then, how close do you let the ones you love in? I did not see the twists at the end. This story is full of magic, criminals, hexes, multiple types of paranormal creatures, and a crazy cult. What more could you really want from a book? I look forward to continuing this series.

A.L. Kessler profile image

A.L. Kessler is a paranormal romance author residing in beautiful Colorado Springs, Co. Since she was a teenager she has loved spinning tales. She can easily be won over with gifts of coffee or chocolate.

Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #attendingauthor #Authorspotlight – Sara Whitney

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Sara Whitney

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Sara Whitney, author of unforgettable, unputdownable rom-coms and contemporary romance

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

First book! Even though I write contemporary romance, it takes time to build that new fictional world. True, nobody in my books use magic or fight bad guys in spaceships but I still have to create the town, the routines, the characters, the business, the backstories, the fears and hopes and dreams and grudges and challenges and successes that my readers are going to fall for. It’s an incredible challenge each time, and I love rising to the occasion.

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

It varies so much! On a good day, I can manage four hours before I get too squirrely to sit still anymore, but it’s usually closer to two hours—and that’s on the days I manage to write at all. In addition to my romance writing, I work as a college professor. On days that I teach, I have a little less gas in the tank to be creative that night. I do a little dictation on my commute when I’m in a place in my writing where I have a firm grasp on what need to happen next. That’s been a lifesaver in terms of getting books done and published!

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

My character Leo from Tempting Fate is such a dreamboat. He’s gruff but romantic, and he’s a mix of sexy, badass competence and emotional upheaval over the woman who’s turning his world upside—again. Who doesn’t love a hero in a second-chance romance leaning to open himself back up again and finding out that love’s even deeper the second time?

What is your definition of success?

Did I make you laugh? Did I make you give a happy sigh? Did I give you a little escape into a sunny, happy, sexy fictional world? Then I’ve succeeded!

What are your social links?

https://www.instagram.com/sarawhitneyauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/SaraWhitneyAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/groups/saras.squad

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

https://books.apple.com/us/author/sara-whitney/id1463165311

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Sara%20Whitney%22

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=sara%20whitney&ac=1&acp=sara%20whitney&ac.author=sara%20whitney&sort=Temperature

https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=Sara+Whitney

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?

They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com

$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*

$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal, Review, Romantic Comedy, Shifters, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Hoist the Flag: Triangles and Tribulations Book 1 by Cassandra Featherstone

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***This was previously published in the Jingle My Balls Anthology. This version has bonus content!***

Click to send… and I’m outta here.

Being the infamous fairy tale ‘Jack’ isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. My entire life has been a series of memes—before they were even invented!

My current ‘Jack’ title is companion to the Ice Queen—who spent the first couple of years singing that song—but my sentence here is almost over. I’m going to make a run for it to retire with my shaker of salt on an island in the Caribbean while I drink piña coladas.

Before I leave, I realize my heart wasn’t as frozen as I thought and I have to save Queenie from her evil sister. We make a plan to escape together after the Yule celebration, but even that falls victim to my legendary bad luck.

Enter two bumbling pirates who were playing Robin Hood, a monkey, and a sea voyage to our permanent hiding place…only to trip over a bottle on the beach that contains a mysterious map to a legendary graveyard filled with famous treasure the moment we arrive.

My spill draws the attention of our pirate friends and two other local hotties who can’t resist damsels in distress.

Insert eyeroll here.

My girl and I didn’t ask to be conscripted on an adventure with two shifter pirates, a masseuse, a demi-god, and a merman who think we’re on the menu, but here we are.

Maybe I should have taken the Ice Queen’s musical advice when I first arrived ?

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

First, this cover is amazing! I mean we have a gorgeous female pirate and I immediately think of a female version of Jack Sparrow. I was scrolling and immediately stopped to check it out. Second, the blurb grabbed me by throat, pulled my hair, and made me one click, like RIGHT NOW! Needless to say, I have incredibly high hopes that this story is going to consume me. I am ready to ride high and laugh my money maker off. However, I had a difficult time at the beginning. This could be because this is a ‘new to me’ author and I am not familiar with her writing style, but I was expecting a YO HO HO glorious grand time and got stuck in the snow. The beginning was quite foreboding with detail (that is needed) to give you each of the female character’s backgrounds so that you understand why they are planning to escape. There are funny and extremely hot scenes throughout the first half, but it didn’t really pick up until about the 60% mark for me. Now, this is where things get really good. We get a lot more action with the escape, add the shifter pirates and crew, plus a special request comes into play. Now, I am hooked! I need to continue this journey and see what the next leg has in store for this crazy crew!

Cassandra Featherstone profile image

Cassandra Featherstone has been writing since she could hold a pencil.

Her passion for literacy is unmatched, but when she picked up her laptop to write her first published novel in March 2020, she focused on subjects that not only spoke to her soul, but affected many of the women she’d met throughout her twisty life path.

Cass’s vision of a more inclusive whychoose genre lead her to include various types of polycules and diverse characters with three-dimensional personalities, hopes, and dreams that readers adore. Due to her relationships with friends and family, bullying, PTSD, body dysmorphia, mental illness, reinvention, and claiming your space are frequent themes in her books. She frequently champions other authors who also strive for accurate, respectful representation of LGBTQIA+ characters in their whychoose romance.

Her works include urban fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, and academy whychoose/polyam with characters over eighteen. Her books never include non-consensual elements, but feature accurate, safe depictions of BDSM and kink lifestyles.

She’s also affectionately known as the Muppet for her outrageous, extroverted personality and her wacky brand of theater kid social media posts and videos.

Cassandra lives in the Midwest with her computer geek husband, artsy college goblin, an author dog named Tilly, and five cats that Loki himself spawned.

Follow here everywhere: https://cassandrafeatherstone.com/followcasseverywhere/

Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #attendingauthor #Authorspotlight – Sarah Zolton Arthur

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Sarah Zolton Arthur

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

My name is Sarah Zolton Arthur and this will be my second year at WOTR. I’m looking forward to seeing familiar faces after getting to meet so many wonderful people this year. I live in Michigan where I’m constantly busy writing steamy romance with sass and always an HEA. I love to go on adventures. Trips are planned. Adventures are spontaneous. Since I work from home, it’s not uncommon for me to pack up my laptop and just go to see what kind of trouble I can get into. Typically I would bring one or both of my sons with me, but my baby is away at college now so now it’s me and my older son who keeps his mama company. It’s a pretty great life.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

I think for me it’s the consecutive books in a series. The first book is a free-for-all. I’m building the world and the characters, but in consecutive books I have to be mindful of time lapses, character descriptions, world descriptions and that I didn’t already use specific elements in the book before. No one wants to read the same book over and over again just with different character names.

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I step away from that series. I finish one book, and then I start a book from a different series to cleanse my mind. Then I can go back to that other series fresh. This method might not work for every author, but it works for me.

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

Yes. Step back when you need to, but don’t quit. And please don’t ever compare your career to other authors. You are not them and they are not you. You are walking your own path. Comparing yourself to others will only make you sad when you don’t feel like you’ve acheived enough. I get imposter syndrome. We all suffer from it. But you decided to walk this path because most likely you were drawn into it. I like to say, I didn’t choose the writer life, the writer life chose me. And you will read other authors who are brilliant storytellers and write the most beautiful prose. Remember, they most likely didn’t start out as brilliant storytellers writing beautiful prose. They honed their skills by writing. You’ll get there too!

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

I don’t have a PA so my 8-10 hour work day I spend 3-4 hours doing the non-writing aspects of the job and the rest of the time I spend writing. I try to keep it to 8 hours a day, but sometimes you get in the zone and have to finish.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

That’s like asking me to choose my favorite child. Each one of my characters is my favorite from one day to the next for different reasons. Right now, I guess it’s Gloria Parker from Marriage (Red, White, and) Blues. She’s smart, sassy and has a good sense of humor, but she feels invisible a lot of times and I can relate to that. But next week my answer might change.

What is your definition of success?

Success isn’t material for me. Success is feeling content in my home and in my work. It’s knowing my family is happy because I’ve done all I could to help them acheive that. It’s feeling proud of the books I’ve put out. It’s getting feedback from a reader telling me how much they enjoyed a story I wrote. Success is looking at the catalog of books I’ve published and thinking, “Wow! I seriously wrote all these!” A lot of people say they want to write a book but not many of us actually do it, when you think about it.

Do you have anything you want to share that didn’t fit on one of these questions?

If I’ve learned anything, it’s that we need to not get so caught up in the day-to-day of life that we forget to enjoy it. I tell my loved ones that I love them every single day. You might think they know it, they don’t always know. Tell them. And lastly, when you have a chance to be kind, take it. You never know how your words might change someone’s day.

What are your social links?


TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorsarahzoltonarthur
Newsletter: https://sarahzoltonarthur.myflodesk.com/sassmatesnewsletter
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sarah-zolton-arthur
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahzoltonarthur/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/…/13989100.Sarah_Zolton_Arthur
Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1549815968397766

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/…/Sarah-Zolton…/author/B01202KU0U
Website: https://www.sarahzoltonarthur.com/

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?

They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com

$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*

$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #attendingauthor #Authorspotlight #eventsponsor – Lacey Black

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Lacey Black

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

My name is Lacey Black, and I’m from a small town in central Illinois. My husband and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary and we have two high-school aged kids, which keeps us on our toes. I’ve been writing since 2014 and had the privilege of being a full-time author since 2020.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

The first book is always the hardest for me, though keeping a timeline for ages is probably the most challenging aspect to manage as the series progresses.

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I do a lot of plotting with my writing partner, Kaylee Ryan. We’re always discussing ways to change things up or try something new. We’re constantly bouncing plot ideas off each other and trying to determine how/where it would work for our projects.

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

Kristen Proby told me back when I started to write every day. Even if it’s just a few hundred words, I developed a system and schedule that works for me. Currently, I don’t write every day like I used to, trying to give myself weekends off, but I was able to develop a solid writing plan back then and stuck to it.

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

I shoot for a minimum of three hours, and when the words are flowing, can spend as much as seven or eight hours on my computer.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

My most challenging character was Meghan Summer. Talk about emotionally draining. Her journey through loss, grieving, and finding love again is probably some of my favorite writing, spanning over four books before she gets her own HEA. I also love to write kids, which is why I tend to write a lot in the single parent trope. Usually, at least one book in every series I’ve written is a single parent.

What is your definition of success?

A smile at the end of the day and a sense of accomplishment. This industry is so much more than writing. You can spend HOURS a day on all the “other” stuff that can pile on a to-do list pretty fast, and it can quickly become stressful. So I do what I can throughout the day and leave the rest for the next day. If I’m still smiling at the end of it, I consider that a success.

What are your social links?

Website: www.laceyblackbooks.com
Email: laceyblackwrites@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaceyblack
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laceyblackwrites/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lacey-black
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lacey-Black/e/B00MW2UGZI
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthLaceyBlack
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laceyblackauthor?lang=en
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8414783.Lacey_Black

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?

They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com

$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*

$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #attendingauthor #Authorspotlight -Tabetha Waite

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Tabetha Waite

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Tabetha Waite began her writing journey at a young age. At nine years old, she was crafting stories of all kinds on an old Underwood typewriter. She started reading romance in high school and immediately fell in love with the genre. She gained her first publishing contract with Etopia Press and released her debut novel in July of 2016 – “Why the Earl is After the Girl,” the first book in her Ways of Love historical romance series. Since then, she has become a hybrid author of more than forty titles, published with both Soul Mate and WOLF Publishing, upcoming works with Dragonblade, as well as transitioning into Indie publishing. She has won several awards for her books.
She is a small town, Missouri girl who continues to make her home in the Midwest with her husband and two wonderful daughters. When she’s not writing novels filled with adventure and heart, she is either reading, or searching the local antique mall or flea market for the latest interesting find. You can find her on most any social media site, and she encourages fans of her work to join her mailing list for updates.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

The first one! I want to make sure the secondary characters are interesting and engaging, making readers want to continue the saga!

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I always try to add some sort of unusual history! It makes for fun reading!

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

Don’t allow any negative reviews to impact you. Stay focused on what you love and remember why you started in the first place. Make sure to lift others up. It might be competitive, but there is plenty of books for everyone!

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

I work a full time job, so it’s not about the time I write. I generally write 10k words a week, which evens out to 2k words M-F.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

I’ve written more than 40 books. At this point I’m getting closer to 50. It’s tough to remember all the characters that have passed through my laptop, and especially one that sticks out more than the rest. That being said, I enjoyed writing Cosette du Bouir from The Secrets of Shadows. She was my first paranormal character and I had a lot of freedom to develop her story.

What is your definition of success?

Becoming a best seller and getting to write full time!

What are your social links?

https://www.facebook.com/TotallyTabetha/

http://www.twitter.com/@TotallyTabetha

http://www.instagram.com/tabethawaite

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15485251.Tabetha_Waite

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/tabetha-waite

@tabethawaite

https://www.threads.net/@tabethawaite

http://www.linkedin.com/tabethawaite

Reader Group –
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2316431591948667

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Tabetha%20Waite%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Tabetha%20Waite&fcsearchfield=Author

https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/tabetha-waite/id1134400117?mt=11

https://play.google.com/store/info/name/Tabetha_Waite?id=11cs5c1_30

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?

They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com

$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*

$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #attendingauthor #Authorspotlight #eventsponsor -Bria Quinlan

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Bria Quinlan

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Bria Quinlan – I write high banter, low heat rom coms that make you snort your iced tea out your nose and YA issue books that having you laughing through your tears. My dog Jack things he does most of the hard work, but looking cute and walking over my keyboard does not bring the kibble in.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

The first 15% of every book nearly kills me. Which means I almost die on a regular basis.

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

If it’s not real and fun and funny to me, how can I expect it to be to my readers? The idea to “not go there” has been thrown out the window years ago because … well, light the truck on fire as my character Bridget would say.

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

Find a hobby that in no way can turn into a writing resource. I opened a vintage shop and am using all my “love to research” non-writing energy there. It’s filled my well because I’m absolutely calling it a hobby not a job. It’s easy to turn everything into story fodder…too easy.

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

About 4 hours a day is spent writing or businessing.

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

I mean, I know my readers expect me to say Abby. And so to stay on everyone’s good side I will say… Connor… I mean, Abby! Abby is the right answer!

What is your definition of success?

Years ago it was paying my bills. Now it’s just being happy and content. Life is too short and I’ve cut a ton of stress out of my life.

Do you have anything you want to share that didn’t fit on one of these questions?

Iced tea is a perfectly reasonable drink — unsweet even if you live in the south and year round even if you live in the north

What are your social links?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1377666696116725,

www.briaquinlan.com

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=bria+quinlan

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bria-Quinlan/author/B00D9URPWO https://books.apple.com/author/bria-quinlan/id909824727
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/bria%20quinlan

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?

They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com

$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*

$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #attendingauthor #Authorspotlight #eventsponsor -Savannah Verte

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Savannah Verte

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Savannah Verte- present & sponsor all years to date. Vagabond writer

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

The last trying to tie everything up

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

Twists – oh how I love the twists

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

I change projects or chapters to do a palate cleanse & regain emotional footing

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

I’m always working in my head – actual writing is usually a purge event when I feel like I have it straight

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

So many are special in their own ways – could be a quirk, or a secret yet to be revealed

What is your definition of success?

As a writer when a reader loves a character as much as I do

Do you have anything you want to share that didn’t fit on one of these questions?

I wish I had an auto button to download what’s in my brain- I rework a lot because I’m not satisfied with how it comes across the page

What are your social links?

Savannah Verte.com
& facebook

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

 https://amzn.to/3PX5udT

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?

They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com

$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*

$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #attendingauthor #Authorspotlight – Stephanie J. Scott

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Stephanie J. Scott

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

I write light-hearted, quirky romance and young adult as Stephanie J. Scott and romantic comedy as Stephanie Jayne. I live in greater Chicago area and grew up in Michigan, where I have set a number of books in both real and fictional places. I’m an avid reader, X-box gamer, and cat wrangler. My husband is a creative himself and we’re often working on projects side-by-side.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

The first book for sure since everything is brand new.

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

My romances focus on new characters and love interests for each book, but the fun of it is to work in characters from previous books. I’m an ideas person, so I have far too many ideas for books at this point. Though not every idea makes a good book. Sometimes ideas become part of larger plots, or they stay on a list tempting me to write more.

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

There are a ton of resources available to writers these days. Honestly, the hardest part is narrowing down which advice to go with. I always say start with free first. Facebook author and writing groups, library groups, books about writing or publishing, affordable workshops recommended by trusted sources. You don’t need pricey courses to start writing; beware, there are a lot of grifters out there who will gladly take your money. My gateway into writing novels was National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) which is free and has great support for beginning writers through their online forums. Their initiative is to encourage anyone to get started writing, regardless of experience.

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

I don’t write daily. I mostly write on weekends, but aim to write during the week when I can. I have a longtime critique group who I meet up with in person and virtually who keep me going when it’s tough. Marketing work happens all the time–it never stops!

What is your definition of success?

Once upon a time, I wanted to write a book–one book. Now I’ve published ten with another two on the way. I find looking back helps see what I’ve already accomplished and assists with new goals.

 What are your social links?


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniejaynebooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniescottauthor
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stephaniejayne.bsky.social
twitter: @stephjaynebooks https://twitter.com/stephjaynebooks

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

Stephanie J. Scott:

https://books.apple.com/us/author/stephanie-j-scott/id1561904072
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Stephanie%20J.%20Scott%22
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=stephanie%20j%20scott
Stephanie Jayne:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738365/ive-got-my-mind-set-on-brew-by-stephanie-jayne/

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?

They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com

$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*

$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.

Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #attendingauthor #Authorspotlight #eventsponsor – Traci Douglass

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Traci Douglass

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Hi! I’m Traci. I’m a full-time romance author and fiction editor. I’m traditionally published in contemporary and paranormal romance with Harlequin/Mills & Boon, Entangled Publishing, and Tule Publishing, and also indie publish MM romance under my pen name, T.S. Ankney.

When you are writing a book, which is harder? The first book in the series or the others after it?

Honestly, every book brings its own challenges. The first in a series can be exciting because you’re creating everything from scratch, but that can also be a challenge because you also need to think ahead about the other books planned in the series to make sure you don’t write yourself into a box, plot or character wise, that you can’t get out of. Writing the later books can be easier, world-building wise, because you’ve already set up the world. But then you also need to make sure you keep things consistent and don’t contradict yourself because readers will notice. And let you know about it! 😂👍

When writing a series how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

As a writer, I’m always discovering as I go, so keeping it fresh isn’t really a problem. Characters and settings reveal new aspects to me all the time, so… I will say though I also make conscious choices, whenever possible, to choose the new and diverse also, because I like my books to reflect the world I see around me, and different is beautiful, baby! ❤️

Writing can be an emotionally draining and stressful pursuit. Any tips for aspiring writers?

Just pace yourself and write the way it works for you. Trying to impose someone else’s random rules about word counts per day or outlining or whatever, can really intimidate and stifle new writers who are still finding out what works for them. Do what works for you and what gets words on the page. That’s all that matters. 👍

On a typical day, how much time do you spend writing?

I work on my own books in the morning, usually two at a time in different stages of doneness, then work on my day-job editing in the afternoon. So, yeah. It’s a nine to five job for me. ✍️

Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

Aw, man. I can’t pick just one. That’s like asking a parent to pick a favorite kid. 😂 I love all my characters for different reasons. 🤷‍♀️

What is your definition of success?

Being able to support myself doing what I love and having readers fall in love with the worlds and people I create. 😊

 What are your social links?

You can find all my socials, and my NL sign up, on my website: www.tracidouglassbooks.com

What are your buy links? (Provide links to your Amazon/iBook’s/Koko/etc Author Home Page if you have quite a few. Also include audible links if applicable.)

See above.

Want tickets to Writers on the River #2024?

They are available starting November 6th at Writersontheriver.com

$75 VIP Plus – 11-12 Lunch with the Authors , 12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Limited Quantity expected to sell out first day*

$50 VIP -12-1 VIP hour, 1-4 General Admission time. You get a filled VIP bag and admission to the after party is included. *Expected to sell out first day*

$25 Early Access – 12-1 VIP house, 1-4 General Admission time. You also get a filled VIP bag but NO admission to the after party. *Expected to sell out opening day*

$10 General Admission – 1-4 General Admission time. You can purchase a bag but it is not filled with VIP swag. There is no admission to the after party included.

$35 After party – 7-11 After Party with food and cash bar. Dj with a photobooth is also included in the fun.