Sloan Parker

Ok, so here is a comparison I've made in my own warped way between Sloan Parker and Leonardo DiCaprio. When I think of Leo, I can't think of one movie he's done that wasn't excellent. Well, I wasn't crazy about The Beach, but that movie is offset by all of his other AMAZING movies. Well, Sloan Parker hits it out of the park with each and every book she writes. It's utterly amazing and makes me drool with both jealousy and hunger for her next book.

You can learn more about Sloan by visiting her website at http://www.sloanparker.com/index.htm

So, enjoy this intgerview with Sloan.

My review of Breathe

Learn more about Breathe

Some basics so readers can get a snapshot of you:

1.   What’s your favorite food?
Oooh, that’s a tough one. I love Italian. I could eat pasta or pizza almost anytime. Oh and the homemade tacos and burritos we make are yummy.

2.   What’s your favorite movie or television show?
I don’t really have a top favorite of either. There’s too many good ones to pick from, but I did just start watching Hot in Cleveland and am having a great time with it. Betty White rocks that show! And I just saw Crazy, Stupid, Love. It had one of the funniest moments I’ve seen in a movie in a long time.

3.   In your spare time you like to?
My favorite way to spend my free time is to just hang with my sweetie. Lately we’ve been catching up on TV shows we’ve missed in the past few years. Snuggling on the couch while we watch is one of my favorite things.

learn more about More

You the author:

1.   Who is one of your favorite protagonists and what do they think about you? Would he or she want to hang out with you?
I don't think I could ever pick just one. I have loved all my heroes. In fact, I wouldn't have kept working on their stories if I hadn't fallen in love with them. For me each man is so unique, with his own set of admirable qualities that it's hard to compare them.  I have been surprised by some of my secondary characters, though. They came alive in ways I hadn't expected. I was caught off guard by how much I came to love Nancy and her kids, especially Adam, from Breathe. I’m not sure those kids would want to hang out with me, though. If they did, they’d want to know why I did what I did to their house. Adam would probably have a few choice words for me. Guess I’d just have to remind them how good they have it now and how happy their Uncle Linc is now that he’s found Jay.

2.   If you could have a relationship with one of your characters, who would it be? Why?
As I’ve said I fell in love with all my heroes. But…if I was forced to choose one, I guess I’d say Richard from More. All that attention and compassion and passion directed at you would be a hard thing to pass up.

3.   How much of your stories come from your own life and how much comes from your imagination?
I’d say a great deal is from my imagination. Usually my character details and the starting points for the stories begin from things like observations of those around me, from strangers, songs, movies, TV, and real-life stories. Then my imagination runs wild as I outline the story. The characters become something very unique. Their actions and reactions are driven by who I have created them to be.

4.   Do you write your stories or are you a conduit for your characters?
I was just talking about this with some writers in my local writing group. So many people talk about their characters talking to them, directing the story, etc. I rarely feel this way. I do get surprised by what comes up in the writing and what I start exploring about the characters that I wasn’t expecting, but rarely do I feel like there is this person in my head talking to me. It’s more like I become these characters or I can put myself in their shoes to tell their story, but it’s still me directing them through their actions and interactions. I create a detailed character sketch for each of the main characters , so as the plot moves along, I know how these men will react to each situation. 

5.   Which book is most unlike you? Where did it come from?
Definitely More.  Not sure how I got started thinking about it, but I wanted to write a love story where three people all met at the same time, where one of them was the most reluctant to get into any relationship, someone who was avoiding love, and tell the story from his point of view.

Learn more about Take Me Home

Getting Personal:

1.   Captain Kirk or Dr. Spock?
Captain Kirk. That man just knew how to give a look. 

2.   Which was worse? Elementary, Middle, or High School?
Middle school. God, kids are so darn mean at that age. 

3.  Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring? Why?
Fall. Love the change of colors where I live. Love the cooler weather where you can put on jeans and a sweatshirt and head outside. Love breathing in the crisp air and listening to the swish of the leaves as you walk.

Thanks so much, Doug. These were really fun questions!

Sloan Parker
http://www.sloanparker.com

A. J. Llewellyn

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Some basics so readers can get a snapshot of you:

1.       What’s your favorite food? I love Hawaiian, Chinese, Thai and Mediterranean food.

2.      What’s your favorite movie or television show? Hawaii Five-O - both versions!

3.      In your spare time you like to? Spare time? What's that? LOL...well I write, read, surf and I love to spend money at the very few record and book shops left in my neighborhood. I haunt Freakbeat Music like a plague of locusts and I could spend a whole day at Amoeba Music!

 You the author:

1.      If someone hasn’t read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why? Oh boy that's a tough question. I would probably start at the beginning though with Phantom Lover. It's still one of my favorites! I have a cunning plan you see...there are 16 books in the series. Hopefully the person will then want to read them all!

2.      If you could have a relationship with one of your characters, who would it be? Why? I would say Kimo Wilder from Phantom Lover. He is my fantasy man. And he has magic powers. He could make me really skinny!

3.      How much of your stories come from your own life and how much comes from your imagination? A lot of my stories come from my own life. Of course imagination is involved but I even went to a gay circuit party in Palm Springs as an observer and turned it into a book, The Oasis. I was a bit shocked by what I saw but hopefully I didn't show it!

4       Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? Oh yes, S.E. Hinton. I loved her books. They really spoke to me. her first publishing deal at fourteen. I got to meet her a few years ago and spent a whole day with her and she is really amazing. I found it interesting that she says she can't read her books now...they are too full of painful memories. I will probably feel like that about Bunyip, my most recent release because it is a very personal story. I struggled with losing my beloved dog of 15 years and I lost her as I was writing this book. I miss her every day.

Getting Personal:

1.      If I came to your house and looked in your refrigerator, what would I find? A jar of kimchi, blue corn tortillas, leftover salmon from last night and tons and tons of Hawaiian juices!

2.      What was the best thing before sliced bread? Unsliced bread? Right out of the oven?

3.      Captain Kirk or Dr. Spock? Do I have to choose? Really? Okay, Spock...grumble grumble...

4.      Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring? Why?
Which was worse? Elementary, Middle, or High School? Elementary. My mother died when I was six and it marked my early years...come to think of it, it marked all my years but the first years without her were awful.

5.      What is something that would surprise your readers if they knew it about you?

I would just like to thank everybody who reads my books, those who write to me and tell me they love my work. That keeps me and every other writer going. Our readers rock!

Thank you!

A.J.

Friday Spotlight - Jodi Olson

Some basics:

What’s your favorite food?

My Favorite food guess would be anything chocolate if I’m stressed but as far as a favorite nothing really comes to mind.

What’s your favorite movie or television show?

Favorite shows, Greys Anatomy, House and Glee.

In your spare time you like to?

Read, read oh and read.  LOL

Jodi the author:

If someone hasn’t read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why?

Playing House. It was my first book and its milder then my others.  LOL

If you could have a relationship with one of your characters, who would it be? Why?

Oh wow, okay I would have to say Jake from The Cooper Stud Ranch. Why? Because he is a tough bad boy doesn’t care what the town thinks of him. Also he is Hot. Or it would be Neal from Getting Wild because he was based on someone I once knew whose real name is Neal and even though he is pure alpha he is a very nice man with a big heart.

How much of your stories come from your own life and how much comes from your imagination?  

None of the heroine’s stories are based on me. The hero’s? Only the one hero Neal was based on someone I know. I’ve done a couple stories for fans with some details of what they wanted, like using their name and a few other things but all the rest is imagination.

Do you write your stories or are you a conduit for your characters?

I write what my characters tell me to write.

Which book is most unlike you? Where did it come from? 

Madame Bree and the Sheriff (wouldn’t own a brothel ever). I love writing historical westerns with sheriff’s and brothels. LOL

Getting Personal:

If I came to your house and looked in your refrigerator, what would I find?

Oh you want to come to my house? Will you cook for me too? LOL Not going to find much it’s pretty empty except for bread, eggs, juice, and soda. I hate to cook.

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Unsliced bread, I have no idea. LOL

Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring? Why?

Spring, the weather starts to warm up but doesn’t get too hot yet.

Which was worse? Elementary, Middle, or High School?

All of them for me. I struggled during school. Either with grades, getting picked on, no friends, no boyfriends.

What is something that would surprise your readers if they knew it about you?

In high school I worked on the school paper for all three years. I broke my leg when I was 12 in three places one bone all the way. I’m terrified of water. Okay that is three things.

To learn more about Jodi Olson and her work, visit her website at http://jodiolson.webs.com