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Slow Burn an Interview with Aviva Vaughn

February 2, 2019 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Avivia Vaughn, food, reading, women's fiction

Aviva Vaughn is the author of BECKONED—slow burn women’s fiction inspired by food, travel, and Jane Austen. A lifelong bibliophile, she enjoys a wide variety of genres from historical fiction to science fiction to non-fiction, and loves reading, and writing, hot—scientifically accurate—sex.

As a young adult, Aviva rejected the romance genre. “My mother had at least sixty of those old-school romances with the Fabio-esque covers. I didn’t like the way they depicted women or sex,” she says. However, after becoming a mother herself, she recognized the potential power of fiction as a force for female empowerment.

Her series—BECKONED—features strong, educated, diverse characters, with heroines who speak their mind and heroes who respect them for doing so. She writes so that her daughter will have inspirational, multicultural book characters to identify with, and a depiction of what a healthy relationship looks like both in the power dynamics and in the sex itself.

Aviva is not afraid to try new things, which has made for an interesting—although not always straight forward—life. Her favorite “two truths and a lie” line is: I have ridden bareback in the Navajo nation, I have jumped out of an airplane over New Zealand, and I have gone spelunking in Costa Rica. The answer appears at the end of BECKONED, Part 4: From Barcelona with Love ;^)

For a list of her favorite books, visit AvivaVaughn.com/about

Jann: Let’s welcome Aviva Vaughn to A Slice of Orange blog today to chat about her series BECKONED.

Jann: When did you start writing? Why romance?

Aviva: I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write creatively. I’ve written songs, poetry, and fiction at least since I was thirteen, if not before. I’ve always been fascinated with books and words, and have been an avid reader my entire life. Although my writing covers a variety of genres, the first book I decided to publish was a romance, and the reason why was because it told me to. My slow-burn contemporary series, BECKONED, has been a very bossy master. It wouldn’t leave me alone … it beckoned to me. However, it makes sense that I would start with a romance, because my favorite stories are always the ones where the human relationships are the focus, and the challenges that come up are the all too real challenges of human interaction and miscommunication. I mean, I like plot too, but what makes stories pierce your heart is not plot, but the human relationships. What would Star Wars be without the angst of Darth the wayward father, or the war-torn love of Han and Leia? It’s the relationships that hold one captive, and the stories that focus on them are the ones that I return to again and again. Authors like Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, and Margaret Mitchell, who create characters that just seem to keep missing each other over and over, those are the stories I love, but I wanted to give them a modern twist.

I often describe BECKONED as “a modern story told in an old-fashioned way.” By “modern story” I mean that it’s set in contemporary time, and the characters are diverse, and the heroines are strong. By “old-fashioned” I mean that the language and scene setting are very descriptive and literary feeling. My tagline for BECKONED is “slow burn, second-chance romance inspired by food, travel, and Jane Austen.” If your readers would like to read my series starter for free, they can sign-up for it at SmartURL.it/BeckonedLondonFree

Jann: Your series BECKONED–how, when, or where did your idea for the series come to be? Do you have a goal for the series?

Avivia: BECKONED was birthed by a couple of ideas. The first was that as a multicultural reader—I’m of Asian, Polynesian, Hispanic, and European descent and I was born and raised in Los Angeles—I was never able to find a character that looked like me, not even one. I wanted to create characters that my own mixed child could relate to and look up to. So I fashioned Angela: an aspiring entrepreneur putting herself through MBA school who just happens to be of a mixed background. The second idea was kind of inspired by one of the parameters Stephenie Meyer uses in TWILIGHT; in her books, vampires’ personalities are fixed when they become vampires, so her hero, Edward, has the values of someone from the early 1900’s. I liked the tension that it created having her modern heroine fall in love with a old-fashioned guy. I also wanted to have a hero who was the complete opposite of my fiery, multicultural Angeleno, and so I looked to Denmark which is a very homogeneous society and is famous for its gender equality and it felt perfect. So I created my hero, Soren Lund, who is a humble, polite real estate heir that has lived a life of boring privilege until he meets fiery Angela—who melts his heart—and realizes he doesn’t want to live without her.

Those twin inspirations, along with my love for food and travel, are what inspired the series. As far as my goal for the series, I want women to feel inspired and empowered by BECKONED. Many readers have said that they look up to Angela and I think that’s wonderful. I happen to know many women like Angela, so she’s not aspirational, she’s inspirational.

Jann: Beckoned Part 6 – Adrift in New Zealand makes its debut on May16th. What can you share with us about this new book?

Avivia: Hhhhmmmm … all I can say is that books 1-4 are kind of like “The Bachelor,” where there is a love triangle, and the man who doesn’t get the girl becomes the focus of Books 5 and 6. Readers have loved that I’ve been tying up the loose end of the guy who “lost”. Part 6 will be a very satisfying conclusion to this part of BECKONED.

Jann: What’s the best writing advice you ever received?

Avivia: The best writing advice I’ve received can be summed up in four points

Keep a writing calendar (I like the tiny business card size ones), and highlight every day you write and note the number of words. It motivates me to keep going! (Jerry Seinfeld does something similar for writing jokes.)
Find your most productive time of day (for me that’s morning) and type without any sort of self editing (vomit onto the page).
STOP writing before the end of the scene so that you have a place to pick up the next day (I heard this is what Hemingway did).
Once you are done writing for the day, give your new words a quick edit for typos, etc. (I can’t remember who told me this, but it’s a good tip! Helps make later editing easier.)

My tip: I carry a Bluetooth keyboard so that I can “write on my phone.” This lets me write everywhere. I’ve had this $20 keyboard for four years and it’s still as responsive as ever and it weighs nothing. https://amzn.to/2TpmMli

Avivia: I’m working on a collection of steamy slow-burn stories as a way to introduce different couples to my readers and get their feedback on whom I should turn into my next full-length book. I’ll also have some previously unwritten scenes for Angela and Soren to introduce new readers to BECKONED. This collection might come out as early as March 2019, so stay tuned!

Jann: What’s the funniest (or sweetest or best or nicest) thing a fan ever said to you?

Avivia: I don’t think I can pick just one! Some of my favorite quotesfrom reviews are:

“I found myself stealing away to read this book”
“This book gives a new meaning to the word sizzling!”
“Read this is one sitting and left me wanting more”
“The series has been fascinating and captivating”
“Singed my eyebrows and melted my kindle”
“You can’t deny the connections of writing styles between Aviva Vaughn and Jane Austen”

Jann: Do you have a website, blog, twitter where fans might read more about you and your books?

Avivia: Choose your favorite way to follow me! I love interacting with readers. If you are in the Southern California area, I have a bunch of readings and signings coming up.

My website: AvivaVaughn.com
My newsletter: SmartURL.it/FollowAviva
Follow me here: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/aviva-vaughn
Follow me here: https://www.amazon.com/AvivaVaughn/e/B071KCNFJC/

Jann: Thank you Avivia for chatting with us here on A Slice of Orange.

Aviva’s BECKONED Series

BECKONED, PART 5: ADRIFT IN COSTA RICA

BECKONED, PART 4: FROM BARCELONA WITH LOVE

BECKONED, PART 3: FROM LOS ANGELES WITH LOVE

BECKONED, PART 2: FROM BATH WITH LOVE

BECKONED, PART 1: FROM LONDON WITH LOVE

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TWO Interviews with Rebecca Forster

October 2, 2018 by marianne h donley in category Interviews tagged as Author Interview, reading, Rebecca Forster, thrillers. writing

We’ve taken over Jann Ryan’s column this month, but don’t worry, she will be back in November.

TWO Interviews with Rebecca Forster

These two interviews first appeared on Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Rebecca has graciously updated them for inclusion on A Slice of Orange.

Rebecca Forster marketed a world-class spa when it was still called a gym, did business in China before there were western toilettes at the Great Wall, and mucked around with the sheep to find out exactly how her client’s fine wool clothing was manufactured. Then she wrote her first book and found her passion.

Now, thirty-five books later, she is a USA Today and Amazon best-selling author and writes full-time. Most recently, she released the Finn O’Brien crime thrillers – three books about a shunned cop and his single-mother partner who work the meanest streets of Los Angeles while the Witness series continues to enthrall readers and listeners. Hostile Witness, the first book in the popular series, was released by Tantor Publishing and was voiced by Anne Marie Lee who most recently narrated Gillian Flynn’s, Sharp Objects.

She is a popular speaker at writing conferences as well as women’s and business groups and has taught at the acclaimed UCLA Writers Program. She is married to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and is the mother of two grown sons. Alex is a talent manager and producer, and Eric who has been living overseas researching a book. Rebecca spends her free time traveling, sewing, and playing tennis.

Marianne: Did you grow up knowing you wanted to write? If not, when did you realize you were an author?

Rebecca: No, I didn’t even think about writing until I was in my thirties and then I only began because someone dared me to try. After going to college and graduate school, I worked in advertising. My client was married to an author I had never heard of–Danielle Steel! When I found out who she was, I made a comment to a colleague that “I could do that (write a novel).” My co-worker dared me to do it, and the rest is history. I had no idea I had it in me. However, I don’t think I really thought of myself as an author until my eighth or ninth book. I kept thinking each published book was a fluke. Then one day I realized how deep my commitment was to writing and how passionate I was about becoming the best writer I could be. That was the day I became an author.

Marianne: You started writing contemporary romances and now write thrillers. How did that happen?

Rebecca: I look back on my romances and contemporary women’s fiction novels and realize almost every one of them dealt with a lawyer or some aspect of the law. I guess I thought writing about the law was really for men and especially men who were lawyers. I found my stride when I gave myself permission to write what I really loved. Well, that and my editor at Kensington basically fired me from romance. He said, “You can’t keep killing everyone before they fall in love.” That was a good hint I should change genres.

Marianne: You are not a lawyer, yet you write gripping legal fiction. What happened to the “write what you know” advice writers always seem to get?

Rebecca: The truth is I sort of ‘write what I know.’ My husband has had an amazing career, first as a federal prosecutor specializing in organized crime and terrorism, and then as a judge who handles high profile cases. Our circle of friends includes DEA agents, police, private eyes, court reporters, and lawyers of every ilk. Pretty much I’m a legal voyeur. I read the legal newspapers, watch the news. I love everything having to do with the law, but I never had a desire to actually become a lawyer. As much as I love the technical aspects of the law, I never forget a book is about characters. There is nothing more exciting than pitting a single person against a system. The justice system makes for great personal drama.

Marianne: How much research do you do for your books?

Rebecca: It really depends on the storyline. If it’s a courtroom drama, I do a lot of research including seeking help for appropriate cross-examination and how to explain a legal premise without it coming across like I’m presenting a research paper. Some of my books are more character driven and inspired by some aspect of the law but are not procedurals. When my characters don’t spend much time is spent in the courtroom, then the research is limited. My favorite research, though, was for Eyewitness. I researched the legal system in, of all places, Albania. My son was serving in the Peace Corps, and when we went to visit his village, I came away with an incredible story about the centuries-old system of cultural justice that I combined with our modern judicial system. I love that book.

Marianne: Tell us about your current book. Where can we buy your books?

Rebecca: I’m working on book number eight of The Witness Series and book number four of the Finn O’Brien Crime Thrillers. I actually hadn’t planned on writing Lost Witness but fans kept asking me “what happened to Billy?” I thought they would enjoy using their imaginations to determine an end for that character. Now that I know they want to know how I would handle his ending, I’m hard at work figuring it out. I hope everyone is happy when they finally find out what happens to Billy. The next Finn O’Brien book is Intimate Relations. Finn and his partner, Cori, are turning into a wonderful duo. Instead of writing about Los Angeles in general, I am setting the crimes in the pockets of Los Angeles many people don’t know about like Little Ethiopia. It’s very exciting. And, of course, the big news is Tantor producing all seven of the current Witness Series books for audio. I just heard the first one and it’s so exciting.

You can purchase digital, paperback and audio copies of my work on every online bookstore – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and so many others. You can also visit my website and find sample chapters, book club guidelines and, of course, link buttons.

Marianne: For over 25 years and 25 books, you were traditionally published. Why did you decide to launch your indie career?

Rebecca: One of the reasons was because of a book I wrote called Before Her Eyes. I truly wanted that book to have an audience. Good or bad, I just needed to put it out there. The book was inspired by my dad and my father in law’s illnesses. They passed within three months of one another, and I was privileged to witness what did pass ‘before their eyes’ at the end of their life. For me, there was no question but that book needed to be published and that I was going to have to do it myself. At some point, I think all authors have a ‘book of their heart’ that pushes their creative envelope. This was mine.

Also, the publishing world was changing. Bookstores were disappearing, publishers were not buying as much as they used to. I really felt it was my time to either move forward or retire after twenty-five years in the business. That was three years ago. I am so happy I moved forward. The creative freedom, the ease with which I can engage with readers, the ability to price my books reasonably are all reasons why being indie has been so fabulous.

Marianne: What do you know now that you wished you’d know before you went indie?

Rebecca: I wish I had created a better work model earlier so that my writing time was not given up for marketing time. Writers truly need to understand that whether they publish traditionally or as an indie, this is a business and not all about creativity.

Marianne: What advice would you give to emerging writers?

Rebecca: Develop your unique voice. The best compliment I ever had was when a reader said, “Even without a cover, I would know I was reading one of your books.” That’s what I think every author should strive for: defining and perfecting their voice. It takes a lot of trial and error, but when you ‘hear’ it, you’ll know.

Beginning second interview~~~~

Marianne: What’s the best thing about being an author?

Rebecca: Every experience, emotion, bit of knowledge, and dream I ever had or will have is relevant to what I do.

Marianne: What’s your writing day like?

Rebecca: I am up at 5:30, read the paper, clean at least one room in the house and then take my computer to Coffee Cartel and set up at my favorite table near the fake suit of armor. I’ve been going there for 17 years, almost every day. I write from about 8:00 a.m. To 2:00-3:00 p.m. I pack my lunch. In the evening I answer fan mail, emails, Twitter, Facebook and anything else that comes my way.

Marianne: Do you listen to music when you write?

Rebecca: I listen to talk radio and Pandora.com while I write. I have everything from Classic Baroque to Johnny Cash and show tunes on my playlist.

Marianne: In your books, who is your favorite character and why?

Rebecca: Here are two. Hannah Sheraton, the sixteen-year-old ward of attorney Josie Bates in The Witness Series is one of my favorites. She is beautiful and flawed; a kid and yet incredibly wise because she has had to fend for herself for so long. She is fiercely loyal and holds hope deep in her heart. I’d like to be as brave and loyal as Hannah. The second is Tessa, the heroine in BEFORE HER EYES. She’s a woman who objectively looks at her life – full of hard knocks, mistakes, misunderstandings – and forgives herself. As death closes in, Tessa understands that she played the hand she was dealt as best she could. Now that Finn and Cori have come on the scene though, I’d have to include them. I suppose, bottom line, an author can’t pick a favorite any more than a mother can pick a favorite child.

Marianne: You’ve written both romance and thrillers –very different genres. Why?

Rebecca: At the beginning of my writing career, romance/women’s fiction had guidelines that gave me parameters. I can’t thank the women’s fiction editors I worked with enough for their guidance. Because of them, I learned the craft and eventually found my true voice in thrillers. Really, though, it’s a matter of emphasis. Each of my romances had a thriller element, and each of the thrillers has a solid relationship.

Marianne: What’s your all-time favorite book?

Rebecca: For an indie book I would pick Eternal L.A. by Eric Czuleger (yep, my son). I love the vision for the future in this collection of short stories but what I really admire is that they are each about compassion and love in a time when the world seems to be all about technology

Marianne: What‘s on your To-Be-Read pile?

Rebecca: Eric Larsen’s, THE GARDEN OF THE BEASTS (nonfiction), BRAINRUSH, another Indie fiction by Richard Bard. THE LINCOLN LAWYER by Michael Connelly. A zillion magazines for research and for fun. I could go on.

Marianne: What’s your favorite song?

“Danny Boy.” When Johnny Cash sings it, I cry. “Ring of Fire,” of course. “Happy Birthday” because everyone smiles even though no one can sing it well.

Marianne: What’s your favorite movie?

Rebecca: These questions are hard! Prelude to a Kiss. Yep, a romantic comedy. Oh, and Beetlejuice. And Legally Blond. And Zombie movies. We see a lot of Zombie movies.

Marianne: You tell the funniest stories, why don’t you write humor?

Rebecca: I have a secret. One day my mother asked me “Why don’t you write books without bodies”. So, for her 89th birthday, I wrote the Bailey Devlin trilogy about a young woman who is struggling to make her way in the world and just as all her hard work is going to pay off, someone appears on her doorstep that changes her life. The Day Bailey Devlin’s Horoscope Came True is the first book and it’s free. It’s a sweet, funny, charming trilogy. No sex, lots of love, some laugh-out-loud moments.

Marianne: What’s the funniest (or sweetest or best or nicest) thing a fan ever said to you?

Rebecca: That if John Grisham and Lisa Scottoline had a literary child, it would be me!

Marianne: If you could be on a TV reality show which would it be.

Rebecca: Project Runway!

Marianne: If you could travel back in time, who would you like to meet and why?

Rebecca: A pioneer woman who walked beside a wagon across the desert in a long dress and high-topped boots, set down roots in the middle of nowhere, raised children without benefit of a ‘village.’ I would want to ask her if she was ever afraid, what did she love, who did she love.

Marianne: If a spaceship landed in your backyard and the aliens on board offered to take you for a ride, would you go? Why or why not?

Rebecca: I’d go in a snap, but they would have to take my husband and boys, too. We all love adventure. Recently, I landed on an aircraft carrier via tail hook and spent two ‘Top Gun” days on the U.S.S. Nimitz. If I can do that, I’d certainly head off in a spaceship!

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GIFTS by Jenny Jensen

July 19, 2018 by Jenny Jensen in category On writing . . . by Jenny Jensen tagged as reading, stories

petlady.com

GIFTS

Now and again I’ll read a book where the author’s voice is so compelling, their world building so powerful it’s like an alien abduction, a zombie infusion, a body snatching. I’ll catch myself channeling that author—at least for a time. So right now I am firmly in the mad, irreverent, outlandishly silly yet uplifting world of Carpet Diem (Jason Lee Anderson). I’ve been sucked into the Neil Gaiman vortex of crazed angels and demons and us poor mortals made to dance to their warped tune.

I live in the Rio Grand river valley. We’re crosshatched with acequias, the irrigation canals that bring river water to the surrounding fields. Every morning I walk my dog early — best to beat the heat — along the canal banks. We take the same route each day because there is whole action packed world there and I like to keep up with events.

Come spring the Rio Grande is let to run in the canals and the wildlife — being very smart wildlife — flock to it. The canal banks are covered in the ubiquitous NM dust, which is fine and dry and holds tracks beautifully. There are always signs of skunks, raccoons, pheasants and ducks, the occasional stray dog, muskrats and snakes. The large, imperious bullfrog doesn’t leave any tracks but I sometimes hear his throaty voice and once I saw him sitting above the culvert surveying his grounds. He’s huge and handsome and his head is the most brilliant emerald green. Definitely a King.

In May newly wed mallards showed up and made their nest in King’s culvert. I did my best to keep Lizzy from their nesting spot and it mostly worked, but you know how boarder collies are — very bossy and she insists on letting this pair know she knows they’re there. Reg and Sybil Mallard have learned to ignore Miss Lizzy. I knew we’d see ducklings eventually but I began to despair of that when it became clear a while ago that a skunk had chosen that spot for a den. Guess it’s prime real estate but I can’t imagine the Mallard’s laying their eggs next to a skunk, never mind the telltale aroma.

This morning I see seven ducklings emerge from the culvert’s edge to waddle self-consciously up onto the road. I grabbed Lizzy’s collar before she could give chase and the sound startled the fuzzy adolescents. They paused for a second, flapping their untried wings like flustered church ladies clasping their pearls, then made a bee line across the road and back down to the water. At my feet I see the tracks of two raccoons circling the trail of a muskrat and the patter of tiny skunk feet weaving in and out among them. The pencil like trail of a snake circles all that frantic motion and the distinct webbed feet of the mallard’s tracks the parameter. Standing back I see the paw prints of an inordinately large dog pacing to and fro. Clearly there was some raucous action last night.

I am puzzled. Since when does a bullfrog share territory with a skunk, not to mention a skunk is not a duck’s natural neighbor? Raccoons do not ordinarily do-si-do with muskrats, snakes or skunks and what kind of dog has paws that big? With the voice of that story still singing in my head I suddenly understand. King bullfrog is the enchanted form of that legendary singer no one has sighted for years. The rest is obvious.

Reg and Sybil are angels (or demons; it’s sometimes hard to tell in the genre-bending universe of Gaiman-esque world building) sent to protect the King’s divine pearl guitar pic. The skunk is their warrior, the muskrat and snake their scouts, the raccoons are the troops none can sneak past. The big dog (wolf?) is an unscrupulous but soundly thwarted thief. The pic must remain where it is or every impersonator would fail and the legend would die. Some things must remain sacred.

Lizzy and I go home, satisfied that all can be made right with the world. It’s like a spell. Every good book gifts the reader a great escape, and some give the gift that keeps on giving — for a while at least.

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READ LIKE A WRITER, EDIT LIKE A SURGEON

June 18, 2018 by Jenny Jensen in category On writing . . . by Jenny Jensen tagged as editing, reading, writing

READ LIKE A WRITER, EDIT LIKE A SURGEON

It isn’t a novel yet. First draft is complete, now the next step – the self edit. Shiver! It’s a herculean chore to turn a critical eye on a manuscript you’ve labored over so long and lovingly, but you know it’s imperative. You’ve got standards; you know you have to meet those standards before you turn your work over to the scrutiny of fresh eyes — editor or beta reader. You’ve lived with your story a long time. You know every character, each plot twist, every setting and every detail of conflict. Now you have to see the whole forest, not just each single tree.

The most common advice is to step away for a bit and let go. A week, a month, however long so the words to are new to you. I agree completely. The longest I’ve let work set is one year. On re-reading the manuscript, face flushing, teeth grinding at the lame ending, I placed it firmly in the back of my file cabinet. And I didn’t look back. I’m either a coward or I used the writer side of my reader’s brain to realize and accept all 92K words as well-intentioned practice. It was a good exercise, something to hone my skills. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

I don’t think there’s a book written that when read with a writer’s eye, doesn’t contain lessons. You have an ear for good writing – you’re a reader after all, so when you self-edit consider what you’ve learned to turn a laser eye on your own work. What is it that made a story grip and hold you? If the book bored you, why? Those stories that delighted you contain elements of craft you want to see in your own work. Those bad books contain pitfalls to avoid.

For me the not so good books hold the most obvious lessons. The tedious information dump, more information than the reader needs to know — makes you wish for some lively dialog to impart the stuff we do need to know. Setting descriptions so detailed you wonder if the book wasn’t produced by a Chamber of Commerce. Scenes, no matter how well written, that add nothing to the story. Dialog tags that tell us what emotions to feel. The dialog itself should do that. Repeated phrases, worm words, and worst of all, unlikeable characters we are meant to root for. I have to be shown a reason to care.

Every full-length novel you’ve loved has a voice pleasing enough to live with for a period of time — some books you just don’t want to end. The sentences flow smoothly, details are salted through out so they support the rise of the story arc. Settings come to life in way that makes place a solid, necessary character. If the plot is confusing at some point that confusion is cleared as the story unfolds – it’s that compelling voice that keeps us reading. There’s no unnecessary fat. The characters grow and develop in the course of their journey and while we might not always like them, we’re intrigued enough we must know what happens.