Please list a short biography and be sure to include your website or blog.I am a freelance writer / marketing consultant, located in Pennsylvania. I have one book published already, entitled Shadowed Remembrances; it's a mystery novel. I have just signed a contract with Wild Horse Press for the publication of my inspirational romance novel, Mr. Shipley’s Governess. I am contracted to work for several different companies, to write non-fiction, how-to articles each week. I currently work out of my home office for a local medical organization, which is also located in Pottstown.My website: http://joannetroppello.weebly.com Please list a short description of your latest book(s) and include the link where readers can purchase it.Shadowed Remembrances is a story about a young woman who has walked away from the past and her small town and started life over in the city. On a visit back home, she is confronted with the hurts of her past, the rekindling of an old flame, and a murder. Torianna Silverman is a crime scene investigator, specializing in fingerprint identification. She is a NYC detective who is on vacation in a small Pennsylvania town. She encounters God in a special way and has to come face to face with her fears and find a way to move forward and solve the crime. Visit www.signedbytheauthor.com and enter item #1272 to find information on Shadowed Remembrances and order an autographed copy for only $12.00. Mr. Shipley’s Governess (contracted for release on Nov. 9th, 2010 by www.wildhorsepress.webs.com) is an inspirational romance novel. For Jane Austen enthusiasts, this is the story you just have to read. Sophie Baird is looking for a way to escape the painful reality of her parents’ tragic deaths. She can no longer live in their home because the memories are too painful. She decides to leave her position as a teacher at the local elementary school and takes a job as a tutor for Anastasia Shipley, a young girl with an illness who has never attended a day of school in her entire life. Sophie has walked away from God, angry that He chose not to save her parents. Unprepared for the emotional connection she makes with Sebastian Shipley, Anastasia’s father, Sophie gets swept up in an unexpected romance with him and a renewing of her relationship with God. Will Sophie find peace from her past at the Shipley mansion? 1. Why did you become a writer…was it a dream of yours since you were younger or did the desire to write happen later in your life?Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to be a writer. I started writing in my senior year in high school and kept working on my first novel and editing time and again until I finally felt ready to submit the manuscript for publication. I was working fulltime in various office environments doing public relations and in other management positions until 2008 when I launched out in my home-based freelance writing / marketing business. Now I have more time to write, which I am overjoyed about, and I completed my second novel and am almost done writing my third. 2. What was the inspiration for your latest work of fiction? The inspiration for my writing is first and foremost, my faith in God, and my desire to write compelling stories about the journeys of faith that my characters are moving along. 3. Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?I am observant, a people watcher, and I take my inspiration from the people and places that I see and visit and live in every day. My experiences do play a part in character and plot creations, but I do get other ideas from my imagination. 4. What was the most interesting research you had to do for any of your books? For Shadowed Remembrances, I really enjoyed doing research on crime scene investigation and especially researching fingerprint identification. For Mr. Shipley’s Governess, I had fun doing research on the geographical locations of England, France and Italy that my characters visited in the latter part of the book. I truly believe that research is an important part of any writer’s journey to creating a complete manuscript. If you do not have the correct facts woven throughout your story, you will lose credibility with your readers and in turn you will lose your readers as fans. 5. How do you go from an idea for a book to the birth of the story? Is the process the same for every book you write? I usually follow similar procedures in going from an idea to a book. I have so many ideas for new books, so I keep a list of all those ideas and add to it when I think I have a book-worthy idea. I try to work on the title first. It’s always a working title because my first idea is not usually the end result for the title. Once I get that working title, I work on the chapter outline and try to be as detailed as possible, with the realization in the back of my mind, that as the story progresses, the chapter outline will most likely need to be changed to allow my characters the chance to tell their own stories. I never edit any of the chapters while I am writing because my first draft is obviously not the best I can produce. If I start to edit after I write each chapter, I know myself; I’ll get discouraged and won’t want to finish the book. After the book is complete, I actually enjoy the editing process since I truly want to make my book the best possible product that I can produce. 6. Do you have any advice for beginning writers on how to write a book? Do you have any advice for them regarding promoting that book once published?For new writers, my most important advice is to keep writing. If you want to be a writer, you need to write. Wishing you were a writer on the best seller list is not going to get you there. You need to combine those hopes and dreams with a strong work ethic and hard work…then anything is possible. Once your book is signed with a publisher, you need to get a website set up. There are many good free websites out there, like www.weebly.com you can utilize until you begin to get a good investment on your book and then you might want to switch to a fee-based website like www.godaddy.com. After you establish your website, you should set up accounts on Facebook (a fan page is suggested, not just your own personal page), Twitter and LinkedIn and any other social media networking sites; however those three are the most currently utilized sites. Really try to create a strong online presence for your name, not just for your book titles. Try to network with other local authors to schedule book signings and readings. Always be active in self-promotion of your work. You are your most avid fan and you need to utilize that factor. No one cares about your success more than you; use that fervor to your advantage and never stop marketing yourself.
We just got done with the filming of footage for the book trailer for Mr. Shipley's Governess. Now, we just need to work on editing the video and getting it ready to upload online. Many thanks to the actors playing "Mr. Shipley," "Sophie" and "Anastasia." I'm very excited about this book trailer and can't wait to have it completed for everyone to see.
T.L. Mitchell lives in Virginia where she enjoys the fresh air and view of the Peaks of Otter when she’s not writing. Among being a paranormal romance writer, she loves to watch movies and go out to dinner. Dark of kNight, a wolf shape shifter romance novel was her debut novel, published last year. The sequel, Fall of kNight was released last month and her newest short story, The NightMan,was released this month.
Visit her websites at http://www.darkofknightseries.com http://www.knightseriesonlinemagazine.com Her latest book, entitled, The NightMan,was just released 7/12/2010 by kNight Romance Publishing. It is a short story, 60 pgs., packed full of suspense, love, lust and the age old love conquered all. The story revolves around events that led up to one mysterious night for three people: Adriel, who is a werewolf, in debt to a ruthless vampire name Dorian; Dorian, a vampire with only one desire, to devour the beautiful Caitlin; and Caitlin, the beautiful woman who both men desire on different levels. Through a series of flashbacks with the main characters, the reader is brought to an understanding of how the three characters arrived at this one mysterious night, the same night that the three lives of the characters are dramatically changed forever. The story is one of a true everlasting love and the courage to take that huge step of faith. The NightMan is available in Kindle and Paperback; http://www.amazon.com/NightMan-T-L-Mitchell/dp/061538563X1. Why did you become a writer? Was it a dream of yours since you were younger or did the desire to write happen later in your life?I’ve always dreamed of becoming a published author since I was 16, but lacked the courage until a few years ago. It was after I wrote my debut novel, Dark of kNight that friends encouraged me to have the book published. Now after my 3rd published book, I have at least 4 more titles waiting in the wings. I’ve found that love and passion for writing that I don’t ever want to lose.2. What was the inspiration for your latest work of fiction?I can’t really say. Most of my stories come to me in a thought or dream. It’s really something I play around with in my head until it hits my heart. If I really feel the story, then I’ll start writing it down.3. Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?All of my characters are based on my imagination. I visualize them in my head and write out their personalities as the story develops. It’s fun coming up with a variety of people, who have different emotions and reactions to certain situations. You can see how they complement one another or even how they conflict. 4. What was the most interesting research you had to do for any of your books?The most interesting research I’ve done for my books would have to be the DNA modification. I’ve always been a fan of science and this particular field has really gained my attention. When writing Dark of kNight, Daniel, the hero of the story, is a medical research scientist. His research centers around finding a cure for cancer by modifying DNA strands, locating which strands were hereditary and which were not. It was very fascinating to see if my own thoughts and theories would play out. 5. How do you go from an idea for a book to the birth of a story? Is the process the same for every book you write?Primarily, once I have an idea for a story, I meditated on it for a long while. It has to be something that grips my heart before I begin the process of putting it down on paper. Typically when I’ve reached that decision, I write the scene that is in my head. If I like the way it goes, then I begin mapping out my characters, plot and conflicts. With my fantasy novel, Sword of Alkatar coming out soon, I spent more time creating the world, creatures and characters. I have a notebook that I write in to describe the world and everything in it. As I begin writing the story, my notebook becomes a bible to the world and its characters. 6. Do you have any advice for beginning writers on how to write a book? Do you have any advice for them regarding promoting that book once published?My advice for any aspiring writer is to write from your heart. Develop a strong storyline and captivating and interesting characters. Have a professional editor review and edit your work. Don’t be dismayed if you receive constructive criticism, it’s all a part of the process to become a published writer.Next, find yourself a reliable agent who can get you placed with a publisher. Promoting? There are a few musts; have an author website, My Space, Facebook and Twitter pages. Find ways of advertising for free on the internet. Learn to write Press Releases and submit them to different outlets on the internet. Join author/reader chat groups. FIND a mentor, someone who is already published and learn from them!!! Most of all don’t give up on your dream. It takes time. Through hard work and perseverance you can become a successful writer with a great following.
I haven't been able to work on my book for a while. I've been busy working on some new proposals for my freelance business. I'm also excited because of the plans my husband and I are making for the book trailer we're working on for Mr. Shipley's Governess. I can't wait to get the trailer completed and posted online for everyone to see.
I'm going to make time this week to work on Island Honeymoon. I'm looking forward to finishing this manuscript and sending it out to find the right publisher. Then I can start work on my next book. I have so many ideas for possible new books. I just need the time to write them!!
John and I had a great July 4th weekend. We enjoyed a family BBQ yesterday and will be heading out to the Melting Pot this afternoon and then going to see Eclipse. I wasn't able to get any writing done today but maybe I'll be able to work on another chapter tonight when we get home from the movie.
If there are any writers who are interested in being interviewed for my blog, please feel free to contact me. I am doing author interviews and posting them to my blog on Mondays.
My husband is going to be working on a book trailer for Mr. Shipley's Governess soon and hopefully within the next few weeks that will be completed and posted on Utube and my website. I am still so excited about the upcoming publication of my novel and am counting down the days until November 9th.
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