Check out author Julie C. Gilbert's fun answers to my Spring Break Fun Q & A interview

Spring Break Fun
 
Favorite thing to do on Spring Break when you were a kid/preteen/teen?

I read a lot as a kid, so unless we were on actual vacation, I’m pretty sure I was just plowing through a stack of easy reads.

Did you go on any trips during Spring Break?

I honestly can’t remember when our trips were timed. I think we avoided Spring Break trips because everywhere would be crowded. A Fall long weekend was more likely.
 
Favorite Spring flower?

Any that doesn’t give me allergies. I don’t like maintaining the bushes, but forsythia are nice.
 
What’s the best part of Spring for you and the least favorite part?

These days? Best part is Spring Break 😉
Least favorite part is the bugs. They come out of hiding.
 
What food says Spring to you? Any specific fruit or dessert?

Noodle salad has always been a spring/summer thing. I don’t have much use for mayonnaise in the winter, but come spring or summer, having a variety of cooler type meals was always nice.
 
This or That

Movies or TV Series?

Depends on the exact show or movie. And circumstances. I do like the movie experience and the big screen appeal, but since I’m mostly a homebody, I’d say shows are easier.

Lemonade or fruit juice/smoothie?

I do like smoothies. Some have a splash of lemonade in it, but on its own, lemonade is a tad too tart.

Picnics or hiking?

Ha, neither, but if I had to choose one, I’d say hiking.

Park or beach?

Park.
 
 
Audiobook News: Big Sale for Q2 2022
Findaway Voices is letting people run a large audiobooks sale. It runs all of Q2, which I believe is April, May, June.

This is an excellent time to catch up. I’m really liking Chirp’s layout. You can also look these up by title. Please note, the sale does NOT extend to audible. They march to their own drummer.
 
Fiction:
Shadow Council Books 1-4 (Thriller, Mystery; an FBI agent finds plenty of trouble) – $2.99 or $3.99 (I think it depends on the retailer)
 
Eagle Eyes Books 1-3 (Thriller, Mystery, takes place after Shadow Council) – $1.99
 
Beyond Broken Pencils (Fiction, Contemporary, Literary, school shooting) – $1.99
 
Redeemer Chronicles Books 1-3 (Christian, Middle Grade, Fantasy; a girl and her friends try to save a world)
 
Guardian Angel Files Books 1 and 2 (Christian Fantasy, 2 guardian angels in training run afoul of Satan and co) – $2.99
 
The Collins Case (Christian Mystery) - $0.99; 2 FBI agents scramble to save a family.


Innova (Christian dystopia, short story) – $0.99 Religion is outlawed; Jenna Hall finds that out the hard way.
 
Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Better Blurbs (Nonfiction, writing help) – $0.99; Find out how to write tighter blurbs with snappy taglines.
 
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry (Nonfiction, school help) – $1.99; Need chem help?
 
Made to Praise (Christian Poetry; inspirational) – $0.99
 
As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

Find all Julie's books and audio books here:
amzn.to/3P3dR6l
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Check out the writing themed podcast this week where author Marsha Casper Cook welcomes author Jennifer Hilt and myself on to talk about everything from how to write blurbs, using tropes in stories, how watching movies can fill your creative well, plotting, and dealing with the "soggy" middles of stories. 

Jennifer is the author of, The Trope Thesaurus, so you'll want to check out everything she has to say about using tropes.

She's also a USA Today Bestselling author who has worked as a plotter and concept creator. She’s written 24 books across four pen names and she has a degree in linguistics and literature. She lives in Seattle with her family and her canine fan club. She also loves collecting dictionaries in unfamiliar languages, bingeing Scandi-Noir streaming series, and shouting out tropes from the comfort of her couch.

Find out more about Jennifer
 https://www.jenniferhilt.com

​Marsha is an author, screenwriter, and host-producer of all the Michigan Avenue Media podcasts on Blog Talk Radio. For more info about the show and Marsha  http://marshacaspercook.com

Listen to the podcast here:
www.blogtalkradio.com/michiganavenuemedia/2022/05/05/author-interview-michigan-avenue-media

itunes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/author-interview-michigan-avenue-media/id1375404913?i=1000559768145

As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

Please join Marsha Casper Cook, Krysten Lindsay Hager, and Jennifer Hilt for a great discussion on writing on May 5 at 4EST 3CST 2MT 1PST.

Jennifer is a USA Today Bestselling author who has worked as a plotter and concept creator. She’s written 24 books across four pen names and she has a degree in linguistics and literature. She lives in Seattle with her family and her canine fan club. She also loves collecting dictionaries in unfamiliar languages, bingeing Scandi-Noir streaming series, and shouting out tropes from the comfort of her couch.

Find out more about Jennifer
 https://www.jenniferhilt.com

Krysten Lindsay Hager writes books about hope, true love, fame, self-worth, friendship, & happily ever afters. Krysten is the author of True Colors, Best Friends...Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, Competing with the Star, Dating the It Guy, Can Dreams Come True, and In Over Her Head: Lights, Camera, Anxiety. True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for children/teens.

for more about Krysten http://www.krystenlindsay.com

Marsha is an author, screenwriter, and host-producer of all the Michigan Avenue Media podcasts on Blog Talk Radio. 

for more info about the show and Marsha  http://marshacaspercook.com

Listen to the podcast here:
www.blogtalkradio.com/michiganavenuemedia/2022/05/05/author-interview-michigan-avenue-media

Michigan Avenue Media podcast host, author Marsha Casper Cook and co-host, author Krysten Lindsay Hager. chatted with life coach, blogger, and author Kat OM.

They talked about self-care tips to help during these turbulent times where you want to stay informed, but also find yourself dealing with anxiety and overwhelm with the news of the day. 

Check out the conversation here: 

www.blogtalkradio.com/michiganavenuemedia/2022/04/28/resilience-coach-anxiety-in2022--featuring-kat-om

Kat OM  is an author, blogger, certified life coach, and mindfulness teacher based in New York City. She was trained by some of the best teachers and schools in the industry

Krysten Lindsay Hager writes books about hope, true love, fame, self-worth, friendship, & happily ever afters. Krysten is the author of True Colors, Best Friends...Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, Competing with the Star, Dating the It Guy, Can Dreams Come True, and In Over Her Head: Lights, Camera, Anxiety. True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for children/teens.

Marsha Casper Cook is an author, screenwriter, and host - producer of all the Michigan Avenue Media podcasts on Blog Talk Radio. 

For more info about the show and Marsha  http://marshacaspercook.com

More info on Krysten:
https://www.krystenlindsay.com/

About Kat OM
https://www.katomlife.com/mindful-resilience-now
https://www.katomlife.com/

Michigan Avenue Media Podcasts are fun, informative discussions that are based on writing and the interesting topics that the guests want to discuss.

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​As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

​Dating the It Guy just released Thursday and today it already has a number one new release orange flag from Amazon and is on the bestsellers list!

​A big thank you to my readers for embracing this project. I hope you enjoy reading about Emme and Brendon and enjoy the epilogue showing what happens to them in the future. 

Find it here. It's free in Kindle Unlimited:

​As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

I'm over on author Julie C. Gilbert's blog today talking about books, reading, writing, and why I write. Check out the interview here:

juliecgilbertwriter.com/2022/04/12/author-interview-with-krysten-lindsay-hager/

I'm so excited to share with you my cover reveal for the re-release of my YA contemporary novel, Dating the It Guy. And there's a brand new bonus epilogue for fans of Brendon and Emme!
She's the girl next door and he's rich, popular, and from a famous political family. Brendon's the guy in high school everyone wants to date, and sparks fly when the two are paired together in class. 

Emme feels out of her comfort zone in Brendon's world and it doesn't help that his picture-perfect ex seems determined to get back into his life, along with every other girl who wants to be the future Mrs. Agretti. Emme is already uneasy due to the fact her last boyfriend dumped her and her whole world is off kilter with her grandparents' health issues. Life suddenly seems easier pushing Brendon away and relying on horoscopes to guide her. Emme soon starts to realize she needs to focus less on the stars and more on her senses. Can Emme get over her insecurities and make her relationship work? Life sure is complicated when you're dating the it guy.

A book with teen romance, a message of self-love and acceptance, and a sweet sense of family ties.

This updated re-release includes a brand new epilogue that let's you see what happens to Brendon and Emme years later when Emme graduates from college. 

You can pre-order the ebook here and it's free in Kindle Unlimited (paperback is coming soon!):
It's releases on April 21st!

As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

I'm happy to have author Julie C. Gilbert on the blog today. She will impress you whether you're a reader or a writer as she writes in a lot of genres and has a large catalog of titles out. Read on to find out more about her books, what inspires her, and the stories she loves.

Tell us about your Special Agent Megan Luchek Case Files 1-10.

The Megan Luchek series consists of 10 novellas broken across 3 series. The first series is Shadow Council. That includes books 1-4. We meet FBI Special Agent Megan Luchek on a stakeout with her partner, S.A. Daniel Cooper. That goes relatively well, but then, they get sucked into another case involving a bank investigation.

Long story short, Megan’s a trouble magnet. The original series starts and ends set in Hawaii with a detour to Pennsylvania around Christmas for a chilly adventure there.

The Eagle Eyes trilogy includes the misadventures Megan has while on vacation in Las Vegas and then in Dallas.

Cyber League Crimes picks up right as Megan gets back to Hawaii. She’s barely back a day when her sister gets kidnapped. That sends her right back to the mainland states to chase down tentative leads.

What inspired you to write that series?

Once upon a time, the original Shadow Council stories were a part of Toby Neal’s Lei Crime Kindle World. The character was based off of Toby’s FBI agent, Marcella Scott.

When Kindle Worlds collapsed, we got the option to republish the stories as long as we changed anything that belonged to Toby. That switch involved some name changes. I’d made up certain details, like giving the agent an older sister and such, so I got to keep all that.

The original intent was to write a Defining Moments series. Incidentally, that’s how Never Again got its start too.

I believe Money Makes it Deadlier was my second Lei Crime story. I fell in love with the character and that series took on a life of its own. I renamed it Shadow Council.

You have written a lot of novels. Tell us about the different genres you write in.

Yes, I’m a little all over the place. I’m a high school chemistry teacher, so some of my books are nonfiction about chemistry. I’m a writer, so the other half of the 5 Steps series is nonfiction about writing blurbs, publishing audiobooks, and writing better dialogue.

In addition to nonfiction, I write science fiction in two flavors: Earth-bound, genetic engineering (Devya’s Children) and epic space opera (Anotech Chronicles).

I guess my fantasy also comes in flavors. Path to the Chosen Redeemer stories are more traditional fantasy centering on the Chosen One trope. On the flipside, Guardian Angel Files is Christian spec fic that comes awfully close to urban fantasy.
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The mysteries range from Christian to general. Scratched Off is probably as intense as they come. That falls on the general side and features an FBI agent vs. a serial killer. The intense part comes from being in the killer’s head. 

​The other intense book is Beyond Broken Pencils. I file that under contemporary, literary. It’s a school shooting book, so it was a tad hard to place.
There’s a book of Christian poetry too.

What was your favorite book when you were growing up?

I only get to pick one? Yikes. I guess I’ll go with Rebel Dream. It was one of the old school Star Wars expanded universe books. I think it was even part of the New Jedi Order, which was arguably the last good series before the great decline leading up to Disney buying the franchise and slapping reset on everything.

I honestly have no idea why. I just remember that was one of maybe 2 books in my life that I’ve turned around and read cover to cover twice in a row.

Since you write in a lot of different genres, what is your favorite genre to read in?

Most of my reading comes in the form of audiobooks. Plus, most of the ones I’m listening to are ones I’ve been asked to review, so I get all sorts. I run Audiobook Edge which is a Facebook group and a newsletter of clean reads that releases monthly. That’s why I review a lot of audiobooks.

Most of the ones I’ve found myself liking recently have been mysteries. The last one I finished was more of a treasure hunt than mystery, but it was filed under mystery.

That said, I do love some X-files or Firefly audiobooks too, so I guess that’s scifi.

I always reread my favorite books. Do you reread books and if so, which one(s) have you read over again?

I don’t do a lot of re-reading because of the necessity of constantly getting to the ones I’ve promised to look at. The only ones of late I’ve been listening to again are mine. This is sometimes for sheer entertainment and revisiting with narrators I’ve hired in the past. At other times, it’s me prepping to write a sequel and trying to get some details straight.

I caught covid around Christmas last year (2021), so that laid me out for a week. About all I could do was listen to audiobooks. I had a few new ones, but re-listening to mine was good in case I spaced out or fell asleep.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Brandon Sanderson, Dee Henderson (early stuff like the O’Malley series), Lori Bates Wright, Margaret Mizushima, L.A. Meyer (Bloody Jack series), Alexander McCall Smith (Number One Ladies’ Detective Agency series only), Annie Douglass Lima (Krillonian Chronicles), and Kevin J. Anderson.

Yes, I’m aware they’re all over the place genre-wise.

What are you working on now?

I’m on a Kindle Vella kick. Writing for that platform has been downright addictive. I have two nonfiction books there, one about dialogue and one about teaching. My current works are the teaching one written under a pen name, Aeris Legends: Wrath and War (LitRPG/Gamelit), and Assassin School Season 2 (thriller).

Vella is really interesting because it lets you publish stuff as it’s ready. That’s awesome and a tad intimidating.

This or That Questions:

Autumn or Spring? Autumn – better clothes, less allergies, pretty colors

Ocean/Lake or Mountains? Ocean/Lake – honestly, this is a tad unfair to mountains as I haven’t really seen any significant ones up close, so the other won by default.

Coffee, Tea, or soda? Depends on the time of day. Dr. Pepper if it’s with a meal. Tea if we’re just talking straight up drink of choice.

Favorite singer: female: Svcrina; male: Sam Tinnez

Song you could listen to on repeat for hours: changes every few weeks/months. Currently: My World by Warcub. Incidentally, it’s Jeffrey Gatton’s theme song from the Megan Luchek playlist.

Favorite show to watch: I don’t get to watch a lot of TV. Last thing I finished was probably Reacher.

Bio: I’m a high school chem teacher, a Christian, a writer who doesn’t know how to pick a lane, and an audiobook reviewer. I like tea, 1000-piece puzzles, and long walks.

Find her online:
Website: juliecgilbert.com (best way to keep in touch is head here and hop on the newsletter, officially comes out every 22nd of the month)
Blog: https://juliecgilbertwriter.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieCGilbert2013 (book reviews from blog, some news, some promos)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliecgilbert_writer/ (mostly cloud or puzzle pics)

Find  her work here:
Amazon US: amzn.to/3r2yxBh

As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
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Cover Reveal for Before You Wake by Cheyanne Young

DESCRIPTION:
The day after Millie’s crush asks her on a date, a comatose teenager arrives at the hospital where she volunteers. He’s labeled as a John Doe, but Millie would recognize Wesley anywhere. Thanks to a teensy misunderstanding by an elderly nurse, everyone thinks Millie is Wesley’s girlfriend. 

As Wesley’s condition worsens, Millie spends all her volunteer time at his bedside, reading him Jane Austen and waiting for him to wake up. Then his group of friends show up, including Sloane, a beautiful and charismatic girl who instantly takes a liking to Millie. They invite her out with them, and Millie seizes the moment. She’s never had friends like this before and it feels great to be included.

The longer Wesley’s coma goes on, the more attached she becomes to his friends and her shiny new life in the popular crowd. Millie knows she’ll have to come clean before he wakes up, but she’s in too deep, and her lies have become the foundation of the very real friendships she’s made. Revealing the truth now would cost her everything. But keeping her secrets will cost even more.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60204008-before-you-wake

Release Date: June 7, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
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 Find her on IG and Twitter:  @NormalChey 

​I wanted to share with you that I have updated my middle school series, the Landry’s True Colors Series. So far it’s just the e-books that have been updated, but eventually the paperbacks will be as well. I felt it was time to make a few changes since social media and technology has changed a lot in the past few years, yet the topics and themes in the books remain very relevant.

I wrote this series because of all the great upper middle grade and YA series that I turned to when I was in school to get me through tough times. I wanted a series that touched on things like dealing with friends and frenemies (friends who sometimes act like enemies), self-esteem, feeling insecure in class (Should I raise my hand? What if I get the answer wrong?), first crushes, and handling growing up during middle school.

I find that whenever I do book events (or Zoom book club meetings) that not only do readers say middle school has been their toughest time, but their parents, guardians, and grandparents also chime in about that, too. Let’s be honest—they sometimes shudder as they share the things they went through. It seems those preteen years shape us a lot.

I wanted these books to be a friend through the tough times so you know you’re not alone as you go through these things. The books are also a great way to look back at those days and connect with your preteen and teen as they face the same things you did.
There’s also a reading guide that goes along with all three books that you can use with questions and journaling prompts. I’ve been hearing that these guides work great for book clubs and also for discussions to find out what’s going on at school and with your preteen and teen.

I hope you enjoy reading the updated series!

Find the reading guide here: 
www.krystenlindsay.com/reading-guide.html

The series is free in Kindle Unlimited.

As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
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