Diane Stringam Tolley - Carving Angels - Author Interview

My thanks to Diane Stringam Tolley for stopping by The Character Connection for an author interview during the blog tour for her book, Carving Angels.

Author Interview

1. Who is your favorite character?

That would be tough. I love Papa Adam. But there are so many other sweet characters peopling the North Pole community. I guess I would have to pick little Amy. She of the steadfast belief and undaunted spirit. And she's cute, too.

2. Why is he/she your favorite?
I love that she loves her Grandfather and her family. I love that she is sweet and good and kind. And faithful. And I love her enthusiasm and her wonder. She is as I wish I was.

3. How did you come to create him/her?
I needed eyes for blind Papa Adam. But I didn't want anyone whom someone would normally turn to for help. I wanted someone who was equally handicapped and marginalized, but in a different way. It occurred to me that my best choice would be a child. A young child.

4. When did he/she first enter your mind?
Papa Adam was sitting on his porch, feeling old and useless. Amy startled both of us when she spoke her first word, "Grandpa?"

5. Where was he/she given life in the creative process?
Amy joined her Grandpa within a few lines. Papa Adam had only just begun to gel. Amy was just a step behind. I realized that I would need someone who could do for Papa Adam what he simply could not do for himself. From encouraging and supporting him to sneaking him into the wood sheds at night.

6. What do like the most about him/her and what do you dislike the most about him/her?
I love that she is perky and unafraid. Outspoken but obedient. Unfailingly cheerful. Loving. The only thing I don't like is the fact that she can't be 'seen'.

The North Pole is described by Papa Adam, who cannot see. Thus we, too, fail to see the flaming red hair and braids. The saucy, upturned nose and bright, blue eyes. The little red mouth. I would so love the reader to see her!

About the Book
Carving Angels

Book Details:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: September 2011
Genre: Children, ages 9-12
Format: hardcover
Price: $12.99

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com

Blurb:
Papa Adam, an elderly elf and former chief carver for Santa, has given up. Blind, frail and useless, he counts the minutes in every day as he waits to die.

But a challenge to carve, given by his youngest granddaughter, reawakens Papa Adam. Helps him to realize that he is not finished. And definitely not useless.

The two of them, the 'marginal' oldest and youngest members of North Pole society, begin a remarkable project that will change their community forever. Prove that the most paralyzing thing you can do is underestimate or undervalue anyone, especially yourself.

And that with the right love and encouragement, anything is possible.

About the Author
Diane Stringam Tolley

Diane Stringam Tolley was born and raised on a ranch in Southern Alberta, Canada. Educated in Journalism, she is the author of countless articles and short stories and 4 e-books including a novel for young adults, Essence. She and her husband, Grant are the parents of six children and live in Beaumont, Alberta, Canada.

Connect With Diane:
Blog
Author Web Site

Book Web Site
Facebook

Twitter

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			November	/December
	28	29	30	1	2	3
	I am a Reader, Not a Writer/	The Character Connection/	Book Dreaming/ The Plot Thickens/	Bookworm Lisa/	Bab’s Book Bistro/	Laurie LC Lewis/
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Makobi Scribe/	Live to Read/ A Casual Reader’s Blog/	Keepin’ Up with LDS Bookstores/	Connections with Christy/	Practical Frugality/	Hippies, Beauty and Books. Oh my!/ Reviews by Molly/	Words are Timeless/ Starcrossed/

Stephanie Worlton - Hope's Journey - Guest Post

My thanks to Stephanie Worlton for stopping by The Character Connection with a guest post during the blog tour for her book, Hope's Journey.

Guest Post

Sydney Steele is very much inspired by my own personality, and I will admit that I have a tender spot for her, but I’m not sure she’s my favorite character in Hope’s Journey. Maybe it’s because she’s too much like me. Maybe it’s because I know her too well. I admire her sassy spirit and her head-strong ways, but writing her was almost too easy. Alex Hastings, however, intrigues me.

I didn’t get far into my manuscript before I knew that I couldn’t tell this story solely from Sydney’s point of view. There are always two sides to a story and in the case of teen-pregnancy the boy often plays the role of the villain. I didn’t want this to be another one of “those” stories. I wanted it to be authentic and fair, and that’s how I knew I had to tell Alex’s side too.

Having never been a boy myself, getting into the head of a teen-aged one was admittedly a challenge. I had to do a lot of homework to figure out who he was and what kind of things were swimming around in that skull of his. I spent a lot of time observing and even interviewing to try to get a grasp on Alex. I wanted him to be the boy next door: a good kid, a kind person, a real boy. I had a vision of what he looked like and how he interplayed with other people, the task was to figure out what and how he perceived things. And I learned that yes indeed, male and female brains process stuff differently. Surprise!

What I like about Alex most is his integrity. He’s so concerned about making the right choice – for himself, for Sydney, for the baby - that he doesn’t just jump into things. I suppose there are those who would say he’s a coward or even a jerk, but I don’t see him that way. I think it took a lot of courage and wisdom to step away from the situation the way he did. He knew he was going to lose friends and, even more so, he knew he stood the chance of losing Sydney forever, but he also knew that marriage wasn’t something to take lightly.

What I dislike about Alex’s character is probably the same trait that women dislike about men in general – his unwillingness to communicate! He had so many valid thoughts and feelings but he kept them all to himself. Sharing just a tid-bit of his process with Sydney could’ve made things a lot easier for her.

About the Book
Hope's Journey

Book Details:
Publisher: Bonneville/Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: July 2011
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Format: Paperback

Pages: 288
Price: $17.99

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com

Blurb:
A couple since their sophomore year, Sydney and Alex are looking forward to graduation and a bright future together. Sydney is a straight-A student trying to decide between college scholarships, and Alex is a quiet jock preparing to serve an LDS mission. Both active members of their faith, their hopes and dreams painfully fade when they learn that Sydney is pregnant. The very foundations of their faith are shaken, as is their relationship. Separately, they venture through confusion, self-doubt, and failure as they learn the value of forgiveness and try to piece their broken lives back together.

About the Author
Stephanie Worlton

Stephanie Connelley Worlton pursued a degree in Architecture before turning her creative energy towards other forms of artistic expression including writing. Through her many associations with youth, Stephanie felt prompted to channel her own experience as a teenage mother into a work that might open the eyes of understanding, break down stereotypes, cause youth to reevaluate their relationships, and ultimately provide hope for those in the trenches of an unplanned pregnancy. Aside from the busy schedule she keeps as a wife and mother of four, Stephanie enjoys interior design, gardening, carpentry, painting, and being involved with the youth of our rising generation.

Connect With Stephanie:
Blog
Web Site
Facebook

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

GIVEAWAY:

As part of Hope's Journey's blog tour, we will be giving away an autographed copy of Hope's Journey to one lucky winner. To enter, simply visit the author’s blog (stephanieworlton.blogspot.com) and leave a comment on the BLOG TOUR page. Plus, for a few bonus entries, “like” Hope's Journey on Facebook or become a follower of Stephanie’s blog. It's that easy!

Contest is limited to those within the continental US. Each person is eligible for up to three (3) entries. Contest closes at 11:59pm November 14,2011. Winner will be selected by random.org then notified via email and listed at stephanieworlton.blogspot.com on November 15, 2011.

Tour Participants:

Oct 24 - Six Mixed Reviews

Oct 25 - Misty Moncur - author of Daughter of Helaman

Oct 26 - Murdock and pink nail polish - Mandi Tucker Slack - author of The Alias

Oct 28 - The Stubby Pencil

Nov 2 - A Book a Day

Nov 4 - Fire and Ice

Nov 7 - A Casual Readers Blog

Nov 8 - Reviews by Molly

Nov 10 - The Character Connection

Cindy C. Bennett - Geek Girl - Guest Post

My thanks to Cindy C. Bennett for stopping by The Character Connection with a guest post during the blog tour for her book, Geek Girl.

Guest Post

Character development has to be one of the easiest, and most difficult, parts of writing a novel. Easy because before a writer sits down at the keyboard, they generally have an idea of whom their story is about; difficult because you want them to be realistic, likable as protagonists, unlikable as antagonists, and able to carry the story.

Recently, I was talking to another author about characters. Writers are famous for changing our minds about our characters physical descriptions mid-story. Green-eyes become blue, a blonde becomes a brunette. (In my original version of Geek Girl, I even changed Jen’s last name from one point in the book to another.) This author had the brilliant idea of writing down everything about every character before you begin: height, weight, eye color, hair color, age, birthday, brief history, personality traits, quirks, and first and last name. Then keep that information available while writing, either on a printed paper by your side, or in an open window on your computer. Refer to it often. It seems so basic, and yet how many writers take the time to actually do this?

Once you have this in place, your character will fit nicely into your story. Whether you outline, or write by the seat of your pants, the one thing that shouldn’t change is the basic information about your character. Of course certain things about them will change in the course of the story as they learn and grow—how boring would your story be if they remain exactly the same at the end as they were at the beginning? But some things should never change—mainly physical traits, and certain parts of their personalities.

Don’t forget your secondary characters. This is something I struggle with. I’m pretty good at pulling them in at the beginning of the story, and developing them into something more than flat characters, but once I get into the meat of the story, I have a bad habit of leaving them by the wayside. No one would do this in real life, and if you’ve invested your reader in your secondary characters, be sure to keep them there for the whole ride.

Above all, keep your characters realistic. Even if they have supernatural powers, which aren’t realistic, they still need to have a bit of humanity about them so that your readers can relate to them. Your heroine can fly, but she also worries about how bad her hair looks when she lands. That’s realistic. Your antagonist is cruel, but he wouldn’t twirl his mustache. No one does that. However, he might have flashbacks to his childhood, and either feels guilty about his actions that his mother wouldn’t approve of, or maybe he does them out of anger for the way she treated him. That’s realistic.

The key to any good story is intriguing, interesting characters. Even the best plot will fail without that. So take the time to write their bios out before you begin the story, and you’re already halfway there.

About the Book
Geek Girl

Book Details:
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: December 2011
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Format: Paperback

Pages: 280
Price: $15.99

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com

Blurb:
Jen’s life of rebelling and sneaking out has grown stale. On a whim, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a nice little geek, into a “bad boy.” Hanging out with the geeks, however, pulls Jen into a world she never dreamed existed. But when Trevor finds out about the wager, all bets are off.

Excerpt:
"Think I could turn that boy bad?"

My two best friends--my only two friends, really--follow my gaze and laugh.

"Trevor Hoffman?" Beth scoffs. "No way, Jen."

"I bet I could," I say, shrugging.

"Why him?" Beth asks. "Why not any of the other nerds sitting there with him?"

"Because," I say slowly, "he isn't your typical run-of-the-mill geek. Trevor Hoffman is different. He would be a little more difficult to take down--more of a challenge, you know?"

About the Author
Cindy C. Bennett

I write contemporary YA, though I am currently working on a book which dips a tiny toe into the paranormal. I have four amazing kids - two boys, two girls. I'm married to a man who makes it possible for me to pursue this crazy dream. I live in Utah, have my whole life, and can't imagine living anywhere else.

I started writing a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . . no, wait, that's Star Wars' intro, not mine. I did start writing a long time ago, that part is true. I can't remember when I started making up stories and putting them down on paper, it seems I always have. Then, in high school, I had an amazing English teacher, Mr. Bickmore, who really expanded my passion for writing. Every day as we came into class, he had a "ten-minute writing" assignment, which is exactly what it sounds like. I looked forward to that ten minutes each day like you can't believe. He taught me a love of pure, creative writing, and a love of great literature. (Who knew Romeo and Juliet begins with two pages of dirty jokes?)

Then at some point, YA became a popular genre, and, having two teen daughters, I found my house inundated with it. So I read many of the books, and fell in love with them. I mean seriously, who doesn't have a crystal clear remembrance of that time in your life: the awkwardness, the insecurity and drama - the flush of new love. A few years ago, I began writing Heart on a Chain, (the story of why can be read here, so I won't reiterate). And I found my niche.

I followed the completion of that manuscript with Geek Girl (the history of which can be read here). My daughters encouraged me to publish them. I decided Geek Girl was the easier sell, so I began writing the dreaded query letters. In the meantime, I joined an online critique group from a real editor, telling you whether your first page would capture the attention of an agent, and subsequently a publisher. I received high praise for my first page, and with renewed enthusiasm began sending out even more query letters, deciding the original agents who had rejected me didn't know what they were talking about.

After much more rejection from agents, disheartened, I signed up for an online class on how to write a winning query letter. That had to be the problem, right? (I will say that when it comes to selling my work, either by query, synopsis, book blurb, or verbally, I pretty much suck.) I did get a nice, polished query letter out of the experience, as well as a new title. I had originally called the manuscript Geek Boy, then just Geek. The instructor of the class gave me the idea for Geek Girl as a title, which sounded perfect to me. But that wasn't the most valuable thing I received. What I received was two amazing authors who wanted to exchange chapter-for-chapter critiques. Jeffery Moore and Camelia Miron Skiba are now not only my partners in critiquing and editing one another's manuscripts, they have become my dear friends, the one's whose shoulders I can cry on when I get a bad review, the one's who completely understand my writing style, and help to make it better, who are in this swirling maelstrom of writing, publishing, and marketing right by my side.

Around this time, I had pretty much given up on the idea of an agent, and through some research, had discovered the option for publishing my own ebook. A light bulb exploded over my head at the realization: I can do this. I put it forth to Jeff and Cami, and Jeff was the one who introduced me to CreateSpace. With bounding excitement, I designed a cover, wrote the dreaded blurb, and uploaded Geek Girl to be published. Until you've experienced it yourself, you have no idea how very good it feels to hold a book in your hands, with your name on the cover as author.

At that point, I sat back and waited for the book to begin flying off the virtual shelves. I began editing Heart on a Chain while I waited. And waited. And waited. Hmmm. Why weren't they selling? Apparently, people around the world aren't out there waiting for a book to be put forth by Cindy C Bennett for them to devour (she says, tongue in cheek).

Thus, I learned how to market. And I thought editing was bad! Marketing is not hard, per say, it's just extremely time consuming. About the time I had Heart on a Chain ready for publication, I finally had begun to scratch the tip of the iceberg in the marketing arena. This is where I discovered the power of, and the invaluable services of, book bloggers.

It was also around this time that I decided to try to get a publisher to pick up Geek Girl. I began searching for a publishing house that would take on a previously self-published book. There aren't many, mostly smaller publishing houses. I resubmitted the dreaded query to the ones who would even take a look, received a couple of rejections, and then (cue angelic music and light from the heavens) I received an email from Cedar Fort Publishing, saying they wished to publish Geek Girl.

I quickly emailed or wrote to all of the other publishers, letting them know I had received an offer, and signed with Cedar Fort on March 1, 2011, eight months after I first self-published it. I took it off sale from all of the places I had it available, and in an ironic twist, that month I had the highest sales numbers - actually, let me rephrase. I sold more copies of Heart on a Chain that month than I had sold of both books combined - ever - total! I figured it was the result of the post-Christmas receipt of Kindle's and Nook's that drove the sales that month.

Now, I'm in the middle of the craziest time of my life. Heart on a Chain continues to do well in sales, with my constant marketing efforts. I'm trying to finish my next book. I'm working closely with Cedar Fort in the final product and pre-marketing of Geek Girl to have it ready for a blog tour in November, and re-release December 8, 2011.

In the midst of this wonderful insanity, I'm still being a mom, helping my husband run our cabinet business, co-hosting a podcast with my son called The RyTime! Geekcast, where we talk all things geek, along with the time I spend volunteering with a group of girls ages 12-18. Jeff, Cami and I have added another author to our little group, Kimberley Patterson, as we all work on our next books together. I could use a clone of myself to double my time!

All I can say is: Life is wonderful!

Connect With Cindy:
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

About the Tour

Cedar Fort Blog Tours

Tour Participants:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
					4	5
		November			Night Owl Teen/ Nuttier Reads/ Jolene’s Been Writing/	Reading Eating and Dreaming/ Five Alarm Books/ Coffee, Books, and Me/
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Inklings Read/ The Character Connection/	Wordpaintings Unlimited/ Vampire Wire/	Forbidden Passions/ As the Spine Breaks/ The Plot Thickens/	Thoughts at One in the Morning/ Bookworm Lisa/ Books to the Sky/	Totally Obsessed/ Passion for Novels/ Twisting the Lens/	Nocturnal Book Reviews/ Getting Your Read On/ A Casual Reader’s Blog/	Jeanz Book Read and Review/ LDS Women’s Book Review/ Books Complete Me/
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
Pages of Gold/ Book Spark/	Zone Out Mode/ Taffy’s Writings/	Mrs. Papillion/ Lani Woodland/	Princess Reviews/ A Book Lover’s Review/ Reader of Fictions/	Reading For Sanity/ Coma Calm/ Nightly Reading/	Creating Childhood Memories/ Jagged Edge Reviews/ Just Another Book Addict/	Starcrossed/ The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer/
20	21	22	23	24	25
Young Readers/	Six Mixed Reviews/ Fictitious Musings/ Letters Inside Out/	Mudrock and Pink Nail Polish/ Practical Frugality/ All About Me/	Living, Loving, Laughing, Reading/ This Great Perhapsless/	Imaginary Reads/ TToria/ Mommy Wants to Read/	Ali’s Bookshelf/ Biblio Junkies/ Book and Movie Dimension a Blog/

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Pandemonium
by Lauren Oliver
Publication Date: March 6

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again.

Full of danger, forbidden romance, and exquisite writing, Lauren Oliver’s sequel to Delirium races forward at a breathtaking pace and is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes action of The Hunger Games and the bittersweet love story of Romeo & Juliet.

Musing Monday

This week’s musing asks…

Do you judge a book by its cover?

I do, but I've been burned several times. Often, the cover is more interesting than the story itself or the tone portrayed on the cover doesn't mesh with the vibe of the book. But I admit, it is harder for me to take a gamble on a book if I do not like the cover.

Type of cover I like:



Type of cover I don't like:

Book Blogger Hop

“What is your favorite spooky book (i.e. mystery/suspense, thriller, ghost story, etc.)?”

Nancy Drew's The Clue of the Dancing Puppet by Carolyn Keene

There's something about this story that just creeps me out. Humans should never impersonate puppets. Too much of a weird factor.

Booking Through Thursday

SEQUEL

If you could get a sequel for any book, what would it be?

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown because I would like to check in on Rose, Bean and Cordy a few years down the road to see if they're still holding things together and how the new directions they took for their lives are progressing.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Crossed
by Ally Condie
Publication Date: November 1

The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"This morning I felt like even more of an impostor as I faced my young and innocent students, who looked like little angels, dressed in their crisp white pinafores with fluffy sleeves gathered at the shoulders. What would they think if they had seen me just hours before struggling beneath my attacker?"

- p. 15, Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

Musing Monday

This week’s musing asks…

What types of nonfiction do you read? Can do multiple choices.

CHOICES:
- e-books
- Mythology/Folklore
- Travel/Locations
- Humor
- History
- Art, including art history
- Science including forensics
- Gardening/Nature
- Political
- Financial/Economical
- Religious
- Self-help
- How-to books
- Books on writing
- Audio books
- Biography
- Autobiography
- Sports
- Architecture
- Fitness/Exercise/Nutrition/Beauty
- Other
- None of the Above

I like History, Religious and Biography/Autobiography.

Here are some examples:

1) Journey Along the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad

by Alan Sweeney

2) With God There Is Hope: Hope for Humanity

by Ellen Chaksil

3) Fire Men: Stories from Three Generations of a Firefighting Family

by Gary R. Ryman

Book Blogger Hop

“It’s time to spread some love beyond the borders of the Book Blogger Hop! This week, we aren’t answering a question. We are spotlighting our fellow bloggers. Find your favorite(s) author interview(s), guest post(s), book review(s), or bookish article(s) that ANOTHER BOOK BLOGGER featured on their site recently and tell us why you love it/them! As an additional challenge, find your favorite one of EACH of the categories above and spotlight all 4 (interview, guest post, review, article).”

1) Author Interview

Jenn's Bookshelves

interview with author, Kelly Simmons

I liked the honesty of how tough it is for an author to get her book purchased by a local store or library.

2) Guest Post

Reel Swell Productions

guest post with author, Kathleen Gerard

I liked hearing about an author's favorite movies and how they related to the characters in her novel.

3) Book Review

There's A Book

book review of Stanley Seagull

I liked this review because Danielle combined her thoughts with those of her young son about this children's picture book.

4) Bookish Article

Market My Words

bookish article "The Marketing Experiment: To eBook or not to eBook"

I liked this article because it is the first in a continuing series about a published author who decided to release her eBook on her own without the help of a major publisher.

Booking Through Thursday

ODD

What’s the oddest book you’ve ever read? Did you like it? Hate it? Did it make you think?

The oddest book I ever read was Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. The main character's supposed transformation into an insect is something I'll never forget.