Game of Tag

So, I was minding my own business working on Facebook, when I suddenly get a message from my friend, Gae-Lynn Woods. I opened up to find that I have been 'tagged.' Now, I have always been a good sport when it comes to games, so when she asked me to play, of course I said, 'yes!'
So, what happened was that Gae-Lynn tagged me on her blog last week at:
http://gaelynnwoods.blogspot.com/2014/02/chinese-whispers-author-to-author-blog.html
As you can see, she was tagged, and tagged me in response, so of course I had to tag another author...who shall be named in a bit. :)
In the meantime, you can read more about my colorful friend, and fellow Texan whose works have more twists and turns then an East Texas road on her frequently posted blog page of:
http://gaelynnwoods.blogspot.com/

 

Here's a little about her:

Gae-Lynn spent her childhood in Dallas, Texas and Dayton, Ohio before returning to East Texas to finish high school. She developed a passion for reading at an early age thanks to the Encyclopedia Brown and Little House on the Prairie series, and still enjoys stepping into an

imaginary world created by a talented author.

After university, Gae-Lynn worked in the financial services sector in the U.S. and around the world for almost two decades. She has traveled to over 35 countries, and worked in North and Central America, Asia, India, Europe, and Africa. Gae-Lynn lived in London, England with her British husband, jazz musician Martyn Popey, for seven years before moving to a ranch in East Texas. They now own a small herd of Black Angus cattle and one rather cranky donkey. THE DEVIL OF LIGHT and AVENGERS OF BLOOD are her first two novels, published by Dead Head Press, and she is currently at work on the third book in the Cass Elliot crime series.

Gae-Lynn earned a Bachelor's degrees in Accounting and Finance from Texas A&M University and an MBA in Executive Leadership from the Gallup Leadership Institute at the University of

Nebraska.

With mystery and suspense in her books, you won't be sorry you picked one up to read! :)

Now for my part. I have to answer four questions:

1) What are you working on?

 Well, if you check out the books under my book tab, you can see that I have one book left in an inspirational trilogy. Book three is titled: ANGELS AMONG US and is due out some time in May. Also, while in the middle of editing, I got the inspiration for a new YA (Young Adult) book. Of course I couldn't ignore the little voices, because I don't want them to get upset at me, so I did both jobs until I got the ideas down. So, with ANGELS AMONG US having the priority and currently in the major editing phase before publishing, the yet-to-be-named YA book is currently in progress as well.

2) How does your work differ from others in your genre?

 I am a Christian fiction author, but I am also a 'realistic Christian' and keep in mind that people are real. Real life happens, and is generally out of our control. With God's help, though, there isn't much we can't get through.

I think a review I received from THE CALL TO DUTY says it best:

 

http://cjpetersonwrites.com/Books.html

3) Why do you write what you write?

I write what I write, because that's who I am. There are portions woven within the story lines from my own life - though I will never confess as to which portions those are! :) 

I also write what I write to let people know that they are not alone in this life. There could be someone sitting next to you at work or in class that is going through a problem similar to a character in one of my books and you may never know. I pray that the messages within my books help people and inspire them to never give up!

4) How does your writing process work?

The answer to this question differs with each work. Sometimes I get my inspiration from a song, and I write with that song playing in my head whenever I write. Sometimes a photo or a situation inspires me and the picture reminding me of the situation is always within reach for focus.

As far as my writing, if you look under the 'featured author' tab on my web page (http://cjpetersonwrites.com/Featured_Author.html), I always ask one question of 'do you use an outline or do you just write?' That answer varies with each author. Some have post-it notes plastered all over their wall, some have an entire story line covering a wall in their office, and some just sit down and write. I am in the last category. I sit down and type, and let the characters take over. I have no idea how each story will end until I type 'the end' to complete the book. I believe it is that questionable element that keeps the excitement in writing for me.

After the book is formed, it gets sent to a double editing for copy editing and content editing before it is sent to the publisher. At that point, the book is converted to PDF and edited again, while the artist works on the cover. When those two elements come together, a book is 'born' and sent into the world of paperback (Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com, and Boolocker.com) first, closely followed by ebook (Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and Kobo). So, as you can see, it's a long process, but well worth the finished product!

Check out: STRENGTH FROM WITHIN (YA), THE CALL TO DUTY, and OPERATION A.N.G.E.L.

 

Now for the author I am going to tag: Carmen DeSousa is a romantic suspense author. Her books  keep you on the edge of your seat until you reach the end. Her latest group of books: CREATUS and CREATUS ROGUE have a mythological twist that adds a unique feature to her writing. 

Here's a little more about her from her own words:

"As most authors, I blame my leap into a full-time career as a professional writer on my love of reading. Reading has always been an escape for me. When life was rough as a child, I could always disappear into a book.
But I found something else. I discovered that writing out my thoughts was healing. Not only could I create hope for my protagonists, but I could do away with the antagonists--legally.
When I penned my first novel, SHE BELONGS TO ME, I allowed only my cousin and best friend to read it. They are the reason I write. They pushed me to publish, as they felt my stories would give others, who've experienced tragedies, hope. So now, even though I still write for me, I mainly write for my readers who continually encourage me that my words touched their soul."
Her other books include: SPLIT DECISIONS, LAND OF THE NOONDAY SUN, WHEN NOONDAY ENDS, ENTANGLED DREAMS, THE PIT STOP, THE DEPOT, and THE LIBRARY. The best way to find all of her books is under this link:

http://www.amazon.com/Carmen-DeSousa/e/B006PWOO2W/
And her blog here:
http://www.carmendesousa.com/

Take a look at the works of GAE-LYNN WOODS, CARMEN DESOUSA, and C.J. PETERSON - a varied group of ladies who love to entertain your mind and touch your heart with their words!