We're bringing something a bit different to Writing in the Modern Age today. Awhile back, I had an idea for a new feature so I reached out to some author colleagues to see if they'd like to participate. I thought it might be nice to show readers a few books that have inspired authors. You might find it enlightening, and at least be able to answer the age old question, "What the heck do authors read?"
Writers are readers too! Most authors love to collect books for their vast personal libraries. The written word is fascinating to us, and many newer authors as well as those in the past have helped to shape who we are today.
Without further ado, our guest today is K.C. Sprayberry, a young adult fiction author and writer of some romance. Won't it be interesting to hear about a few books that have inspired K.C. on her writing and publishing journey?
Sounds pretty awesome to me. So, take it away, K.C.!
I asked
myself when I agreed to this feature if I should do the usual thing, talk about
the books I’ve always enjoyed. Most of them are in series, and there are some
very good, well-read series in that group. Then I thought about it again, and
knew that I needed to talk about books from today’s authors. By that, I mean
authors who self publish or are with small publishers. Because, there are some
extremely good authors out there who are working hard every day for recognition
and they are just as good as those easily recognized names. Every single one of
the authors mentioned is fabulous at what she does. They have all worked and
sweated along with me on our trek to publication. Our friendship goes back well
over a decade, and we all celebrated together when we received that coveted
first contract.
1. Snipped in the Bud by Donna Alice Patton
Blurb:
Vanished – another Summer Snow rose!
Someone – or some thing – has been taking junior-gardener Becky McGuffey’s prize-winning flowers. With the county fair is only weeks away, she can’t have a thief taking her roses. Will she be able to solve the mystery in time to enter her roses in the fair? Relying on her family and friends, Becky digs deep to find the answers. Then more troubles bloom in this garden of mysteries. Will Becky find the thief in time?
K.C.'s Thoughts:
I first met
Donna through a critique group I owned and managed. From the beginning, I
recognized that her talent, while still raw, was extraordinary. She writes for
kids, middle grade and teens, in addition to her adult romance books, but
always with a Christian angle. The very first book of hers I had the
opportunity to critique was Snipped in
the Bud. I still remember the awkward phrasing in that book, how Donna took
advice like a pro, and she worked hard on this book until it was published
recently with Summer Solstice Publishing.
I first met
Donna through a critique group I owned and managed. From the beginning, I
recognized that her talent, while still raw, was extraordinary. She writes for
kids, middle grade and teens, in addition to her adult romance books, but
always with a Christian angle. The very first book of hers I had the
opportunity to critique was Snipped in
the Bud. I still remember the awkward phrasing in that book, how Donna took
advice like a pro, and she worked hard on this book until it was published
recently with Summer Solstice Publishing.
2. Justice Burning by April Erwin
Blurb:
Widowed Fire Investigator, Aidan McLeod is determined never to fall in love
again, but when he meets Morgan Daryl, a counselor and graphologist, he
may have to change his mind - and soon, because Justice, Missouri is
being terrorized by an arsonist and it's up to Aidan to stop him before
someone ends up dead.
A Heroes in Justice Novel
A Heroes in Justice Novel
K.C.'s Thoughts:
I bet you
think you wouldn’t find a Christian romantic suspense book that could make you
laugh with joy, cry in pain, and hold your breath in anticipation. Well, you
haven’t delved into April’s Justice
Burning yet. April was another critique friend and this book has evolved so
much from the first draft. She’s now working on the second novel in the Justice
series and I really want to read that one too.
I bet you
think you wouldn’t find a Christian romantic suspense book that could make you
laugh with joy, cry in pain, and hold your breath in anticipation. Well, you
haven’t delved into April’s Justice
Burning yet. April was another critique friend and this book has evolved so
much from the first draft. She’s now working on the second novel in the Justice
series and I really want to read that one too.
3. Effigy by Theresa Danley
Blurb:
A serial killer is on the loose, depositing his victims' hearts amid the Toltec ruins of central Mexico. Meanwhile, a priceless Mesoamerican artifact is stolen from the University of Utah, sweeping archaeologists Anthony Peet and Lori Dewson on a desperate recovery mission south of the border. Accompanied by a reluctant colleague, an enthusiastic young journalist and a Yaqui woman in mourning, the team must decipher clues hidden within the Aztec sunstone, mystical Toltec Pyramids and astronomical calendar rounds to find the priceless effigy of Quetzalcoatl. They suddenly find themselves in a race against the coming solar eclipse, all the while dodging a corrupt Mexican police force still on the hunt for the sadistic murderer-a killer who's chosen one of them for his next human sacrifice.
K.C.'s Thoughts:
Theresa and
I met in a critique group managed by someone we both knew.
She was the first of
our group to get a contract for her archeological thriller, Effigy, followed by two sequels.
Her
novels keep the reader on the edge of their seat, breath held, just waiting for
the next twist and turn.
4. The Sister Sleuths and the Shadowman by M.A. Cortez
Blurb:
The thing about a secret is, it always comes back to haunt you…
Sandy and Samantha may be twins, but sharing the same birthday is where their similarities end. It seems like the girls will never find common ground, until they stumble upon another set of siblings hiding secrets, lies, and shadows of the past.
Sandy and Samantha may be twins, but sharing the same birthday is where their similarities end. It seems like the girls will never find common ground, until they stumble upon another set of siblings hiding secrets, lies, and shadows of the past.
K.C.'s Thoughts:
M.A. Cortez
is another author I met in a critique group. Her open style and ability to
speak to teens impressed me from the beginning. She presents teen fiction with
a twist—one of her co-main characters is on the autism spectrum. Her Nancy Drew
reminiscent mysteries will have all teens awaiting the second novel in the
Sister Sleuths series.
Thank you, K.C.! :)
And here is a little about K.C.'s new book, The Lie, just released today!
Book Blurb:
For high school siblings, Amy and Bryce, the night began with a
football game. Bryce was stuck at home with a cold, brought on by an
uncaring coach. Amy was in the stands, playing with the band whose
funding had been taken away and given to the football team.
Her best friend, Jane, brought the band together to play a prank on the team in protest.
The prank went wrong. Horribly, tragically wrong.
And the lie that started it all would not stop.
Here is an excerpt.
Amy:
The sun is peeping over the mountains all around us. The members of
the Landry High School Band fill in the last of the holes where we
placed our planned revenge to go off tonight. None of us has had any
sleep since we woke up yesterday, yet we’re charged up and ready for the
rest of today and well into tonight.
“Where are your friends?” I ask.
Jane Preston, my bestie, the true mastermind of this prank, smirks at me.
Her light brown hair flies around her face in the early morning
breeze. She swipes a few strands away from her pinched mouth and
grimaces. Jane is always angry, always ready to take revenge for what
she sees as a slight against her. Her slender body hunches forward, what
she calls a protection method against all of her enemies. A lot of
people don’t like her. I’m her only real friend. That’s because I feel
sorry for her. Honesty turned on… a trait I value not only in myself but
everyone close to me… I sometimes wish that Jane will stop being so
weird and mean, and learn to be part of the group.
And she won’t let me alone whenever I try to get away from her.
Jane would make more friends if she tried a little harder. It’s like she
enjoys scaring people, so they don’t get close to her. But she’s always
complaining about how everyone hates her.
Bryce:
I hear Amy coming home. She doesn’t know that I’ve been awake all
night, waiting on her. Not that she sneaks out much—she never does stuff
like this, unless it’s a Jane plan. I pretty much figured that from
what I caught of the muffled phone conversations going on until eight
last night. That’s when I heard the window going up, a box being hidden
behind the bush, and Amy sneaking away.
She’s lucky that Mom and Dad didn’t catch her. Thanks to me. If I
hadn’t gone into the kitchen, faking that cough, Amy would have been in
major trouble.
That fake coughing will have earned me another day off school, once
Mom sees me this morning. She’s a total overprotective mom when it comes
to our health. Big deal that I had asthma as a kid, even had to carry
an inhaler that I lost whenever I could. I’m way past that now. The
cough is what’s left of the cold I got doing sprints in a driving cold
rain last Friday night, after we once again lost a football game.
At least I won’t have to do that tonight. Someone has to deal with Coach Williams. He’s totally out of control lately.
Genre: YA fiction
Purchase Links:
Amazon Universal link: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01BX85XSG
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/6081701
Publisher: http://solsticepublishing.com/the-lie/
Fascinating! Thank you for stopping by to give us a glimpse of your bookshelf, K.C.! :)
About the Author:
Born and
raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years
traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling
in Northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty
years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and
coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a
multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Some of
her short stories have appeared in anthologies, others in magazines. Three of
her books (Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, and Mama’s Advice) are Amazon bestsellers. Her other books are: Take Chances,
Where U @, The Wrong One, Pony Dreams, Evil Eyes, Inits, Canoples
Investigations Tackles Space Pirates, The Call Chronicles 1: The Griswold Gang,
The Curse of Grungy Gulley, Paradox Lost: Their Path, Canoples Investigations
Versus Spacers Rule and Starlight. Additionally, she has shorts available on
Amazon: Grace, Secret From the Flames, Family Curse … Times Two, Right Wrong
Nothing In Between, and The Ghost Catcher.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.kcsprayberry.com/
Blog: http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Sprayberry/331150236901202
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcsowriter
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/KC%20Sprayberry/e/B005DI1YOU/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kcsprayberry/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+KcSprayberry/posts
Authorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/kcsowriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5011219.K_C_Sprayberry
Publisher: http://solsticepublishing.com/kc-sprayberry/
K.C.'s Books:
Her best friend, Jane, brought the band together to play a prank on the team in protest.
The prank went wrong. Horribly, tragically wrong.
And the lie that started it all would not stop.
Amy:
The sun is peeping over the mountains all around us. The members of the Landry High School Band fill in the last of the holes where we placed our planned revenge to go off tonight. None of us has had any sleep since we woke up yesterday, yet we’re charged up and ready for the rest of today and well into tonight.
“Where are your friends?” I ask.
Jane Preston, my bestie, the true mastermind of this prank, smirks at me.
Her light brown hair flies around her face in the early morning breeze. She swipes a few strands away from her pinched mouth and grimaces. Jane is always angry, always ready to take revenge for what she sees as a slight against her. Her slender body hunches forward, what she calls a protection method against all of her enemies. A lot of people don’t like her. I’m her only real friend. That’s because I feel sorry for her. Honesty turned on… a trait I value not only in myself but everyone close to me… I sometimes wish that Jane will stop being so weird and mean, and learn to be part of the group.
And she won’t let me alone whenever I try to get away from her. Jane would make more friends if she tried a little harder. It’s like she enjoys scaring people, so they don’t get close to her. But she’s always complaining about how everyone hates her.
Bryce:
I hear Amy coming home. She doesn’t know that I’ve been awake all night, waiting on her. Not that she sneaks out much—she never does stuff like this, unless it’s a Jane plan. I pretty much figured that from what I caught of the muffled phone conversations going on until eight last night. That’s when I heard the window going up, a box being hidden behind the bush, and Amy sneaking away.
She’s lucky that Mom and Dad didn’t catch her. Thanks to me. If I hadn’t gone into the kitchen, faking that cough, Amy would have been in major trouble.
That fake coughing will have earned me another day off school, once Mom sees me this morning. She’s a total overprotective mom when it comes to our health. Big deal that I had asthma as a kid, even had to carry an inhaler that I lost whenever I could. I’m way past that now. The cough is what’s left of the cold I got doing sprints in a driving cold rain last Friday night, after we once again lost a football game.
At least I won’t have to do that tonight. Someone has to deal with Coach Williams. He’s totally out of control lately.
The sun is peeping over the mountains all around us. The members of the Landry High School Band fill in the last of the holes where we placed our planned revenge to go off tonight. None of us has had any sleep since we woke up yesterday, yet we’re charged up and ready for the rest of today and well into tonight.
“Where are your friends?” I ask.
Jane Preston, my bestie, the true mastermind of this prank, smirks at me.
Her light brown hair flies around her face in the early morning breeze. She swipes a few strands away from her pinched mouth and grimaces. Jane is always angry, always ready to take revenge for what she sees as a slight against her. Her slender body hunches forward, what she calls a protection method against all of her enemies. A lot of people don’t like her. I’m her only real friend. That’s because I feel sorry for her. Honesty turned on… a trait I value not only in myself but everyone close to me… I sometimes wish that Jane will stop being so weird and mean, and learn to be part of the group.
And she won’t let me alone whenever I try to get away from her. Jane would make more friends if she tried a little harder. It’s like she enjoys scaring people, so they don’t get close to her. But she’s always complaining about how everyone hates her.
Bryce:
I hear Amy coming home. She doesn’t know that I’ve been awake all night, waiting on her. Not that she sneaks out much—she never does stuff like this, unless it’s a Jane plan. I pretty much figured that from what I caught of the muffled phone conversations going on until eight last night. That’s when I heard the window going up, a box being hidden behind the bush, and Amy sneaking away.
She’s lucky that Mom and Dad didn’t catch her. Thanks to me. If I hadn’t gone into the kitchen, faking that cough, Amy would have been in major trouble.
That fake coughing will have earned me another day off school, once Mom sees me this morning. She’s a total overprotective mom when it comes to our health. Big deal that I had asthma as a kid, even had to carry an inhaler that I lost whenever I could. I’m way past that now. The cough is what’s left of the cold I got doing sprints in a driving cold rain last Friday night, after we once again lost a football game.
At least I won’t have to do that tonight. Someone has to deal with Coach Williams. He’s totally out of control lately.
Purchase Links:
Amazon Universal link: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01BX85XSG
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/6081701
Publisher: http://solsticepublishing.com/the-lie/
Fascinating! Thank you for stopping by to give us a glimpse of your bookshelf, K.C.! :)
About the Author:
Born and
raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years
traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling
in Northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty
years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and
coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a
multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Some of
her short stories have appeared in anthologies, others in magazines. Three of
her books (Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, and Mama’s Advice) are Amazon bestsellers. Her other books are: Take Chances,
Where U @, The Wrong One, Pony Dreams, Evil Eyes, Inits, Canoples
Investigations Tackles Space Pirates, The Call Chronicles 1: The Griswold Gang,
The Curse of Grungy Gulley, Paradox Lost: Their Path, Canoples Investigations
Versus Spacers Rule and Starlight. Additionally, she has shorts available on
Amazon: Grace, Secret From the Flames, Family Curse … Times Two, Right Wrong
Nothing In Between, and The Ghost Catcher.
Born and
raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years
traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling
in Northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty
years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and
coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a
multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Some of
her short stories have appeared in anthologies, others in magazines. Three of
her books (Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, and Mama’s Advice) are Amazon bestsellers. Her other books are: Take Chances,
Where U @, The Wrong One, Pony Dreams, Evil Eyes, Inits, Canoples
Investigations Tackles Space Pirates, The Call Chronicles 1: The Griswold Gang,
The Curse of Grungy Gulley, Paradox Lost: Their Path, Canoples Investigations
Versus Spacers Rule and Starlight. Additionally, she has shorts available on
Amazon: Grace, Secret From the Flames, Family Curse … Times Two, Right Wrong
Nothing In Between, and The Ghost Catcher.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.kcsprayberry.com/
Blog: http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Sprayberry/331150236901202
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcsowriter
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/KC%20Sprayberry/e/B005DI1YOU/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kcsprayberry/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+KcSprayberry/posts
Authorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/kcsowriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5011219.K_C_Sprayberry
Publisher: http://solsticepublishing.com/kc-sprayberry/
K.C.'s Books:
Author Links:
Website: http://www.kcsprayberry.com/
Blog: http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Sprayberry/331150236901202
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcsowriter
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/KC%20Sprayberry/e/B005DI1YOU/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kcsprayberry/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+KcSprayberry/posts
Authorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/kcsowriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5011219.K_C_Sprayberry
Publisher: http://solsticepublishing.com/kc-sprayberry/
K.C.'s Books:
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