Author of Rise of the Hunter

Today, I am excited to invite Dark Fantasy author, Barb Jones, to join me as we talk about her book, Rise of the Hunter.

Helen: How interesting to write a book from the villains perspective. My assumption is that is your villain on the cover? What were your thoughts behind your design?

Barb: I hired a graphic artist to set my cover with black and red tones, inspired by The Tall Dark Man in the series. He is overlooking the city of Seattle before the book transitions to Hawaii as he contemplates his revenge. I hired a graphic artist to design my cover. In fact, he will design the whole trilogy.

Helen: I love that you are able to continue your series and yet twist it aorund completely. How did you come up with the book title?

Barb: Rise of the Hunter has a special meaning because in the third book of the series, The Tall Dark Man was thought to have been destroyed and we all know evil doesn’t die. This was a perfect way to bring back the villain, this time as the Main Character to his own trilogy!

Helen: What made you write this particular book?

Barb: I love Villains. I also wrote this book because of my readers. Originally, I planned to complete the Blood Prophecy Series with Queen’s Ascension (Book 3) and wrap that up so I can begin a new series. However, when over 150 readers sent emails wanting more – I continued the series while working on other brand new series, a movie project and other standalone books.

Helen: Isn’t that rewarding? When your readers are so invested in your characters that they want more. When did you realise you had a passion for writing?

Barb: I’ve always been a storyteller as a child. I loved to scare people with stories. It took my fourth-grade teacher to convince me to try putting these scary stories on paper and see what would happen. I did with my first story and about a month later; she had entered me in a newspaper contest for students and my short story won! I didn’t stop writing since then.

Helen: Congratulations! Thank goodness your teacher was so encouraging! Who is your favourite character from your book?

Barb: I love the villains in all my books. But, The Tall Dark Man is my favourite character.

Helen: Somehow, I am not surprised seeing as you are giving him his own trilogy of books! Which genre do you love writing?

Barb: I write Supernatural Thrillers/Horror/Dark Fantasy. I absolutely love the genre and can’t get enough.

Helen: When writing, what is one of the most useful resources you use?

Barb: Because my books take place in different locations, research is key. I don’t just rely on books and the internet to research locations and history; I travel a lot. If I can’t travel, I hire someone from the location to provide me the information I need.

Helen: Oh, lucky you. That’s so cool you get to go on research trips and explore the settings for your books. When writing do you plan every chapter or do your free write?

Barb: A pantser. I never know how a book starts or ends but I know the middle. Sounds strange I know, but I just write. Once I have my characters, I let them “talk” to me to tell me how the story will go. My mind is very overactive at times.

Helen: I tend to know the start and finish, but the middle can be torturous! What are you currently working on?

Barb: I have about 4 new books in progress right now. I write 3 or 4 at a time because that’s the only way my brain can function with this genre. I have the Curse of Mary, Devil Inside Me, Fate of an Angel and Hellhounds in progress. Curse of Mary is about a young woman who discovers that she is the long-lost daughter in a line of gypsies that sold their souls for wealth and power to a demon. Devil Inside Me is about a young woman who learns that not only was she adopted, but she is a descendant of one of H.H.Holmes’ first victims. H.H.Holmes is America’s first serial killer, known for Murder Castle. Fate of an Angel is the second book in the second trilogy of Dark Prophecy Series in the Blood Prophecy world. Hellhounds is the second book in the Heaven and Hell Series.

Helen: Plenty to keep you busy then. Thank you so much for talking to us today. Just to close us out, could you share the best thing is that has happened to you since you began writing.

Barb: I am both self-published and traditionally published. Because of that, I have unique experiences that allowed me to launch Immortal Cravings with 10 other authors to help other authors succeed. Besides having my books out there, I think the best thing is really to help other authors and engaging with my readers at in person events. I do about 24 in person events a year, which includes bookstore signings, and through that, I really engage with my readers. I meet with them for coffee, go on trips. Some have asked to be my PA at events. It’s just a wonderful part of writing that gives me a thrill.

About the Author

Barb Jones

I was born in Hawaii, a place rich with culture and storytellers. As a little girl, scary tales about vampires, werewolves, angels, demons, and witches were my favorite kind — much to my mother’s dismay.

The scarier, the better.

My love for the supernatural never went away, even after moving to Seattle, far from Hawaii’s majestic beaches with unusual colors. Nothing compares to the landscapes of Maui, Lanai, or Oahu. But somehow, Seattle stole my heart anyway. It became the place where my love for stories took on a new form, in a book of my own: The Adventures of Little Arthur and Merlin the Magnificent. This book is for kids who love stories, just like I did.

Then I had an idea while sleeping.

One night, my mind began to work overtime. In a dream, I saw a unique storyline involving all the races and an epic battle of good versus evil. It was a modern day plot with a three thousand year old prophecy, The Blood Prophecy. I finished the first book in 2014, The Queen’s Destiny. Two years later, I released The Queen’s Enemy. The last book in the series, The Queen’s Ascension, arrives this year, 2020.

Today, I live in Florida with its beaches and sunshine. But I’m still a Seattle girl at heart. And so all my stories take place in the Northwest.

I always keep to my roots when I write.

Follow Barb:

Website

Purchase Barb’s book: Rise of the Hunter via Amazon

Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback

Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback

As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.

If you would like to find out about my books then sign up to my newsletter. If you enjoy epic fantasy then the award winning Sentinal series is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.

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Author of My Best Mistake

Today, I am joined by chick lit author Carole Wolfe to talk about her My Best Series.

Helen: Congratulations again on your medal. What were your thoughts behind your cover?

Carole: The current cover is the third cover for the book. Originally, the book cover had a pair of legs (mine) posing in pink pig slippers. It was cute, but confused readers. It also made it difficult to create the covers for the rest of the books in the series. The new cover is pink and represents the small town where Tasha lives. The rest of the books in the series have similar covers with images that represent something important to the story or main character. It makes it easy for readers to know that these five books are in the same series.

Helen: Covers can be quite diffficult to get right, but your My Best Series covers look great together. How did you come up with the series titles?

Carole: The word mistake usually has a bad connotation, but we don’t learn unless we make mistakes. The best mistake you can make is the one that changes your life. That’s what Tasha has to discover in this book. The series is called My Best Series because each character must make their best attempt at something to grow and evolve. 

Helen: I love finding out the reasoning beind covers and titles! When did you realise you had a passion for writing?

Carole: I’ve been writing since I was a kid. In the third grade, my friend and I “published” a book on typing paper and bound it with blue yarn. I still have that book, and I look at it to remind me where I started and why I still write. And the friend that I published with is one of my biggest supporters!

Helen: How wonderful. That is a great reminder of where it all started. What are you working on now?

Carole: I’m writing a new Women’s Friendship Fiction series about four friends in their fifties. They are in a running group together and are supporting each other through life’s twists and turns. The new series introduces some new characters but includes characters from the My Best Series as well. Readers don’t need to read the first series to enjoy the second one. But anyone who has read the first series might discover some fun references to past adventures.

Helen: It’s nice when you can link series! How do you come up with your ideas for your books?

Carole: Everywhere! I’ve gotten some great ideas while being in line at the grocery store, at a movie theatre and on an airplane. Plus, people are always talking on their phones, and I routinely make up the side of the conversation I can’t hear. That can be funny! I also get lots of ideas from my family. For example, one time when we went to the airport, my son announced he didn’t wear any shoes. While that didn’t make it into a book directly, it got me thinking about what happens if you forget to put on shoes. And that’s how pink pig slippers ended up on my first book cover.

Helen: Love it! Authors are always thinking ‘What if…” If we were all given the same prompt, everyone of us would come up with something different! What genre you do you typically write and why?

Carole: I write Women’s Fiction and Chick Lit. I want readers to finish my books and feel. It doesn’t necessarily matter what emotion is felt, as long as the reader finishes the story feeling different than before she or he read the book. (And I say she and he because men read Women’s Fiction as well! I have several male readers who have finished the entire series.)

Helen: Who inspired you write?

Carole : As I mentioned before, I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but two teachers fueled my writing inspirations as I grew up. My high school yearbook advisor encouraged me to apply to journalism school, and as a result, I received a scholarship. Once in college, my journalism professor told me, “Someday I’m going to read a novel you wrote.” Those two teachers encouraged me to pursue my dream of being an author.

Helen: It is so important for teachers to encourage young people to express their creatvity. I am so glad you had that support. What is the best thing that’s happened to you since you began writing?

Carole: I’ve met some incredible people and made wonderful friends. Writing is a solitary practice, so it’s great to have a group of people who understand what I’m doing and why I might not be immediately available to chat. Other writers are also great for bouncing ideas off of and asking questions about how they are handling new technology or practices in the industry.

Helen: Let’s talk a little about the writing process. Which element of the writing process do you find most challenging and why?

Carole: Character development is an ongoing challenge for me. Creating engaging characters is essential. Readers don’t always have to like the characters. But if the story’s characters aren’t interesting, readers (including myself) don’t finish the story. Making a character too likeable or too mean is problematic as well. I spend a lot of time thinking about what my characters are doing and why.

Helen: How do you fit your writing into your everyday life?

Carole: This is a great question, and the answer changes as my life changes. When my kids were younger and we were always on the go, I wrote while I waited in the carpool line, watching at soccer practice and sitting in the dentist’s office. I fit in time even if it was only for ten minutes. As the kids got older, I scheduled my writing time into two hours blocks. That worked for a while as I was writing my first series, but now that I am also marketing and promoting my books, I’ve had to change things up again. I do recommend keeping an open mind. If something isn’t working, then change it. Don’t try to keep the same schedule you’ve always had if it isn’t working.

Helen: Do you listen to music when you write, if so, what do you listen to and why?

Carole: I listen to the same music all the time. I have the soundtracks of several movies that instantly tell my brain it’s time to write. None of the songs have words, though. Otherwise, I’d be singing too much to write!

Helen: I’m the same. I listen to a lot of classical music, so I have the noise in the background, and yet sometimes, I don’t even notice when the TV goes to sleep and I’m surrounded in silence. I’m so immersed in the world I am writing about that my surroundings disappear. So far, I have been fortunate not to hit writer’s block. Have you encounter writer’s block, and if so, what do you do to overcome it?

Carole: I take a walk outside. It’s good to get away from the computer for a bit and get some exercise in. The change of scenery helps my brain. I usually come up with a solution to whatever has been bothering me. It’s like the characters need to get outside and stretch their legs as well. 

Helen: I agree, I thnk sometimes you have to let the back brain noodle on a plot knot and the solution will come to you. You can try too hard sometimes. What advice would you give new writers?

Carole: Do what works for you. There is no one way to write. Feel free to read craft books, listen to podcasts about writing and go to conferences, but you don’t have to do everything in the exact way someone else does it. It’s great to get advice, but what’s important is to do what works for you.  

Helen: Great advice. Thank you so much for chatting with me today. Just to close us out, what is the best thing that has happened to you since you began writing?

Carole: I’ve met some incredible people and made wonderful friends. Writing is a solitary practice, so it’s great to have a group of people who understand what I’m doing and why I might not be immediately available to chat. Other writers are also great for bouncing ideas off of and asking questions about how they are handling new technology or practices in the industry.

About the Author

Carole Wolfe

Carole Wolfe writes women’s fiction that makes you smile. She enjoys running at a leisurely pace, crocheting baby blankets for others and drinking wine when she can find the time. After moving nine times in twenty years, Carole and her family have settled in Texas.

Follow on:

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Purchase My Best Mistake via Amazon:

Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback | Audiobook

Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback | Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.

If you enjoy fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather, or my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.

Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.

By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.