VR Barkowski Interview for the Release of Twist of Hate

So HALLO fine friends! Today I have the pleasure of interviewing one of my writing friends, a friendship formed during my first or second ABNA when I knew very few people. I have always been struck by VRs style and gotten along with her well, but as you will glean from the interview, I am impressed as heck with her actual writing.

She is giving away an ARC today and you totally want this, so if you'd like to be considered, please leave a comment with your favorite piece of art or book or movie ABOUT an art mystery. I will use a random number generator to pick a winner.. Sadly, only from within the US, as she has some mailing limitations where she is located.

So without further ado, welcome VR and lets get to the interview!

TART: Let me just start by saying I think you should teach a plotting class. This was so elegantly done—and there are 5 mysteries I spotted within the on story: 1) who stole the painting, 2) who killed the guy? (you know who I mean), 3) How did the original painting change hands? [accusations are flying, throwing doubt on ownership], 4) What the hell happened that left a few of the MCs so scarred (one of them literally)? And 5) who killed victim #2? They are beautifully woven together and I have a few related questions. Oh, right... I should ask a question to YOU!

1)Regarding #4 above, Is this the outcome of a book you previously wrote? Has it been published? (If so, how did I not know this?) or WILL you publish it as a prequel? [note to readers—it is the only one of the five mysteries above that doesn't get answered, though it adds a lot to back story, even unexplained]

VR: Thanks so much for having me and for the kind words, Hart. A Twist of Hate is indeed a sequel. It's a follow-up to my unpublished novel, Blood Under Will. I'd planned to self-publish Blood Under Will prior to A Twist of Hate, but with everything in publishing being in such flux, I was advised to wait. I hope it sees print one day. It's edgier, quirkier, much darker, and in my opinion better written than A Twist of Hate.

TART:  2)This is meticulously done. Are you an outliner? Were all the plots part of the original plan or did some appear during writing or in a later draft?

VR: I don't outline, and I'm not a plotter. I start with premise and character. I'm more concerned with story than plot. By that, I mean the protagonist's transformative arc, the emotional journey he or she will take in pursuit of a goal. Plot without story is just a string of events with no emotional weight. Before I write, I want to know my characters. Not the superficial stuff. I don't care about favorite foods or what a character wears, but rather how the character thinks, what he believes, his inner struggle and how I can show it. Plot naturally follows from internal conflict.

The process is not as vague as I make it sound. In A Twist of Hate, I had an inciting incident and two protagonists. I asked myself what I could do to these two intensely loyal, yet very different, men to challenge their allegiances. Then I just kept throwing situations at them—the situations become the plot.

TART: 3)This rich California Jewish community is one I've stuck my toe into. My college boyfriend's family was part of it (though land development, rather than art) so what you wrote felt very familiar and authentic to me. It is a “small world” in spite of California being so populated and the social structure isn't quite incestuous, but approaches it. Was this the world you grew up in? And can you talk about how it influences your fiction?

VR: Apart from its California location, this story is about as far from the world I grew up in as it is humanly possible to get. I worked in finance and operations at a major museum in Seattle for years. That's the world I tried to capture. While San Francisco is a bit larger, I made an assumption its core community of wealthy philanthropists would be similar to that of Seattle: generous, tight-knit, and somewhat cliquish. I'm thrilled it felt authentic to you!

Weird, but I have no clue how the world I grew up in (a college town north of Sacramento) influenced my fiction, but it must have, right? I can't imagine writing about my hometown or a place like it, so I guess I was influenced to explore other worlds in my writing.

TART: 4)You and I met several years ago through ABNA and our similar backgrounds (social science), ages, and genres led me to believe we had a ton in common, but holy crap are you out of my league!? What extra things have you done to develop yourself as a writer? Classes? Workshops? Mentors?

VR: That is SO not true!!! You have six novels (is that right?) published under two different names, and I'm still working on getting my first book out. Sigh... I know, I know, we're not supposed to compare.

Early on, I took online novel writing classes through the UCLA Extension Writers' Program. I'm also a huge fan of writer conferences and retreats. NOT writer/fan conferences or conventions, but writer conferences where the sole focus is writing—no promotion, no pitching agents, no business talk. Whenever pitching is involved, attendees become so focused on selling their work and making a good impression, writing takes a backseat. All that aside, in my opinion, the best way to develop as a writer is to read widely.

TART: 5)Any more books currently on schedule for publication? And what are you working on now?

VR: Nothing on the schedule, though I would like to see Blood Under Will out in the world soon. At present, I'm finishing the draft of a psychological thriller titled Crying for Mercy set in Salem. It's about the obsessive relationship between a teacher at a Catholic high school and an occult shop owner, and how their lives are affected by a series of local murders.

_____________________________________

BIO
VR Barkowski is a recovering sociologist who stumbled into finance by accident. After spending most of her days buried beneath spreadsheets, she is overjoyed to have exchanged bottom lines for storylines. A native Californian, VR now pens dark tales of murder and obsession from a too-small desk in Salem, Massachusetts, where the history, coastline, capricious weather, and melancholy spirit of Hawthorne never fail to provide inspiration.

Website: www.vrbarkowski.com
Blog: www.vrbarkowski.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vrbarkowski
Twitter: www.twitter.com/vrbarkowski
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/6537046.V_R_Barkowski
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/vrbarkowski


BLURB
When his family’s priceless Cézanne disappears from a local museum, former homicide inspector Del Miller leaves the investigation to the FBI. But that’s before an art dealer alleges that Del’s grandfather, a victim of the Nazi death camps, stole the masterpiece from a Paris gallery seventy years before. After the dealer is found dead, and Del's father is implicated, Del sets out to uncover the truth.

From present-day San Francisco to war-torn France, to the Nazi death camps and betrayal, A TWIST OF HATE is a story of family honor. One man's quest for answers about the grandfather he never knew, the father he idolizes, and the secrets behind a missing painting that lay buried deep within his family's past.


Thanks, VR!!!  And friends, don't forget to leave your favorite work of art or story ABOUT art for a chance to with the ARC!

Jessica's New Baby: Degenerate Dictionary

So one of my earliest bonding points--the first big seller where I KNEW Jessica was a keeper, as friends and blog buddies go--was visiting her blog and seeing her alternative definitions in her sidebar.  Arsenic sold me (a cut on your bum)... I LOVE misattributing, I think you all know that, and this is a misattributing tool of EPIC proportions.

So Jessica is putting out a DICTIONARY of these gems... but I should let HER tell you about it...

Okay, let’s have a bit of fun with words. You in? It’ll be short and sweet and funny.

I promise.

And you can win somethin’ for just having a bit of fun.

Jessica Bell and Adam Byatt are celebrating the speedy progress of Degenerate Dictionary. And they are giving away two $20 Amazon gift cards.

Jessica is also throwing in any eBook of hers that you wish to have (i.e. ALL of them if you want them.)

There are two ways you can enter:

The FUN way:

Write an example sentence using one of their Degenerate Dictionary words and tweet it to @DegDic. The author of the sentence they like best will win a $20 gift card + Jessica’s books. With your permission, they will also include it in the book when it’s published. With credit of course!

Example tweet:

Everyone saw my sparkly string while waiting in the *stationary*. @DegDic Join in to win here: http://ow.ly/uEvA8 #giveaway

Note: When you tweet your example sentence, make sure the word in question is inside two asterisks, that the link is included, the #giveaway hash tag is included, and that the @DegDic handle is included. Otherwise they won’t see it. Don’t forget to replace the sentence with your own!

The CLINICAL way:

Enter the contest via the rafflecopter below. The winner selected via the rafflecopter will also win a $20 gift card + Jessica’s books.

You may enter both ways to double your chances.

[RAFFLECOPTER EMBED CODE]
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! Please spread the word!

Book Friday!!!

Halo, fine friends!!! Today I'm participating in an AMAZING Black Book Friday event.

This is Laura Howard's brainchild and she brought together a FABULOUS, LARGE group of authors. We are giving away dozens of books and four $50 gift cards.

Part of this promotion is an online party from 7-9 tonight, eastern time. We'd LOVE you to join us HERE.

Part of my gig for participating, is sharing one of the authors who's participating... so INTRODUCING Liz Long! She is promoting her book Witch Hearts.

Blurb:  How does a witch stay safe if a killer can get through her protection spells? Witches like Ruby and Courtney can take care of themselves. So when Courtney is murdered, Ruby’s world crashes to a halt. The only thing keeping her grounded is the return of Courtney’s brother, Cooper. He seeks revenge, but Ruby wants to help other witches stay alive. To do that, she’ll have to reunite with her old coven’s High Priest, who also happens to be her cheating ex-boyfriend. If that wasn’t awkward enough, when the killer gets too close, Cooper temporarily moves into Ruby’s place while a police officer tails her every move. Cooper’s presence distracts Ruby as they fight their desire against their need to stay safe. Then Courtney begins to haunt Ruby’s dreams and secrets are spilled, things from Cooper’s past that could get them both killed. The killer continues to stalk Ruby and the more she discovers, the more she fears she won’t be able to keep her heart in her chest.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Hearts-Liz-Long/dp/1482782324

Liz's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/lizclongauthor (go like her)


In the MEANTIME, increase your chances of winning by helping us spread the word and liking us!

The blogs that are meant to be helping me out are these:

Paws & Print http://www.pawsandprint.blogspot.com

Fallen Over Book Reviews http://fallenoverbookreviews.blogspot.com

Cajun Book Lover cajunbooklover.blogspot.com 

Though if they've missed it, that is on me. In typical Tart fashion, I waited until last night to begin seeing what I was meant to do today, and the 'share you links' function had closed... I am bad about things like that. I tried to do some individual outreach, but if these guys have lives... you know... it might not have worked. I'd love you to go visit them anyway, because they were willing. I just fell down on my end.

And what you REALLY REALLY should do is enter to win stuff!!! (and participate in the FB thing tonight if you are around)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Serial Killers are So 1978; Killer SERIALS Are HERE!!!

Do you know who's a lucky girl? ME!

You know why?

Because I have four FABULOUS partners in crime today, ready to SLAY YOU with SERIALS!!! I gave a teaser on Tuesday at Mel's blog about WHY Killer Serials are superior to serial killers (say THAT 10 times fast), but TODAY I want to tell you a LOVE STORY.

Sexy Serials Suck you IN!

Here's a secret... my first book was over 200,000 words. Books typically can have complex characters or a twisty plot. But not both. (and while that first was admittedly not ready for prime time, it hurt SO BAD trying to cut it down)

I WANT IT ALL!

So last year when Susan Kaye Quinn said she was releasing a book SERIALLY, this GIANT lightbulb went off in my head. I didn't HAVE to choose anymore! I could have a fabulous twisty plot AND character development!

And let me tell you what... the OTHER fabulous feature of these feisty fables is ADRENALINE! HOLY COW can they grip you!? Of course for some people that's problematic, but I absolutely ADORE ADRENALINE!

So YOU WANT SOME!?

Here are FIVE FABULOUS SERIALS, a couple have free first episodes (including yours truly) and ALL of us are giving away something in the Rafflecopter giveaway below!!! You should go see ALL of us at our blogs, too!!!

Some Killer Serials you should consider sampling

Andrew Leon: The Shadow Spinner Series (34 parts, 40ish pages each)

Tiberius has always thought of himself as a normal 10-year-old boy, at least until the day his mother finally decides to tell him about his father, and she tells him things that convince him that one of them is crazy, and he's pretty sure it's not him. That is until the Man with No Eyes shows up and his father falls out of the sky.

Susan Kaye Quinn: The Debt Collector Series (9 Volumes, 50ish pages each, all complete, (for you risk-averse readers) first one free)

What's your life worth on the open market?
A debt collector can tell you precisely.

EJ Wesley: Moonsong Series (5th coming in December (no end point necessarily planned, but they are coming in 3-book clusters (6th in January) for satisfying individual story arcs; link to the first one FREE)

Jenny Moonsong recently inherited the title of "monster hunter" and an ancient tribal journal/how-to manual passed down by her Apache ancestors. The Moonsongs books follow her adventures as she battles the dark supernatural denizens of the world in a series of action-packed, urban fantasy novelettes. 


 

RaShelle Workman: The Cindy Chronicles (4 published of 6 volumes)

From a seemingly insignificant word comes the greatest of fairytales... Cinderella is a witch and she's been asked to save a world she never knew existed. 

Hart Johnson: A Shot in the Light Series (10 episodes, 100 pages each, 4th available today and the first is free)

Deadliest virus in a century, or a social experiment gone awry? Sidney Knight begins to notice inconsistencies in what people are being told and what's going on as half the population dies of the flu... or is it the vaccine?



So what should you do NOW?  Enter to WIN some of this loot!!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

So How Did It Go?

I'm glad you asked... and if you didn't ask and don't know what I'm talking about, let me explain... no, is too much, let me sum up:

Thursday (because it's the most naked day) I released Book 2 (In Short Supply) of my serial and at the same time offered A Flock of Ill Omens (Book 1) for FREE.

Conclusion: People like free stuff.

See. Now you're smarter.


But if you want specifics:

I gave away 227 copies of A Flock of Ill Omens in at least 6 countries (190 in the US, 17 in the UK, and 3 each in Germany, India and Canada). It's actually more countries, as Amazon only has 9 they track. In addition, I SOLD some copies to either side of the free day, and have thus far sold 11 copies of the second. I'm not moving mountains, but if I add that to what I gave away prior to releasing, (and counter for duplicates, as there are some) I think I have nearly 300 copies out there of the first... That's not terrible. And look at THIS:

Did you SEE the #2? I spent all afternoon there!!! I was as high as #68 in free thrillers. Never passed under the thousand mark for free books overall, but I'm pretty happy, considering I have mostly sat over 100,000. Best I can tell, a book a day sits you right on that 100,000 rank mark for the paid store.

I have no idea how the 'bestseller' titles get bandied about. I don't think I'm there, but it was very fun to watch all day.

I plan to offer the first free AGAIN when the 3rd is released (October 10), and again for the 4th (October 31)


I really want to thank all of YOU for helping me out! My friends who helped spread the word really made it all possible.

In Other News...

It's Fall... ACK!

Don't get me wrong. Fall itself is already with me. I like warm days and crisp nights, apple flavored stuff, fall beer options... My PROBLEM with it is this...

And the dreaded winter will arrive well before the 4th season of Game of Thrones or the 6th book of the Song of Ice and Fire series...

Compass Master Review + More News

So as promised... I finished The Compass Master yesterday. It ended just as fabulously as the story all the way through.  Here is my review:

Layla Daltry is a rare documents expert and antiquities hunter with a sense of justice that sometimes puts her just the other side of the law. When her mentor dies and has her house ransacked and documents stolen, Layla takes on the quest to finish what her mentor had started, righting a long-time and dangerously-secured wrong. This treasure hunt where the hunter is also being hunted by those who would hide the truth is set against the expertly researched background of the early Christian Church and shines a light on the agenda of those who would keep lost documents hidden.

The flavor of this book is similar to The DiVinci Code, but with all the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed—the background taken from real historical fact. The characters are likable and the relationships realistic. Even the physical facts are accurate as the author took the care to learn to pick clocks, scale walls and learn some of the martial arts skills Layla uses. I also loved the careful balance the author used in both revering and respecting people of faith, while highlighting dangerous zealots and those who’d use the system to their own ends.

Michigan Author Event

Tonight I'm attending a meeting/event for Michigan Women Business People that is focused on local female authors. I'm excited to attend--hope to meet some great people. Huge thanks to my friend, fellow author and Wolverine Brewery owner Liz Crowe for including me. They even made me a page!:   http://womenmakingconnections.com/news-landing-page/ann-arbor


FREE YA BOOKS!!!

Thanks to Cherie Reich for the heads up. Friday and Saturday a bunch of our YA Author friends are offering their books for Free and a three-hour event will occur. Cherie has full details here.

Great Event and Giveaway Announcement

So Aunt Agatha's Anniversary event Wednesday went really well! People were SO NICE. I got to meet a bunch of established authors and they were WONDERFUL. This pic is of the 4-5 slot authors:

Sarah Zettel (far left) writes paranormal cozies (though appears to wear a few other faces, too, including sci-fi, fantasy and romance), which is just hot. It is a culinary vampire theme she was sharing at the anniversary, as that is her mystery line. Loren Estleman was the rock star of our quartet. He had abour 15 books FEATURED. I guess he has about four mystery series, plus some other crime fiction, and he writes westerns on top of it. He was such a nice man. You recognize me, probably... a little thicker than I like to be, but there you have it. Note that I chose the less flattering picture of me because the one that was good of my cut Sarah in half, so hopefully I've earned some karma there... And then to my left (your right) is Sharon Fiffer who I had a GREAT time talking to. She has an antique dealer cozy series—all the titles end in 'stuff'--she was featuring #7 and 8 in the series and they are hard cover, so she seems to be doing well with them.

I also met Libby Fischer Hellmann and Julia Spencer-Fleming, though that only covers about half of the authors there. There was REALLY a good turnout and I signed a bunch of books... erm... by a bunch, I mean a bunch for me--maybe 10--FOR people, plus a couple left at the store for stock.  Everyone was SO gracious--authors and readers alike. There really wasn't a reason for me to be so intimidated.


Giveaway

Then I also want to give a big shoutout and thank you to Kathy Matthews who is doing a giveaway of The Azalea Assault and Elizabeth Spann Craig's Quilt or Innocence—go over to Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy and leave a comment for a chance to win! She has a great blog, too. She lives in central Oregon, which is beautiful country, and posts a lot of gorgeous shots of her adventures. (Plus she's super nice—you'll love her)

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Detour, Blogfest, and a Free Book

This picture makes me giggle

I am really over at Burrowers, Books and Balderdash today, telling a little story that sort of happened, sort of didn't... though I have no idea where the line crosses...

(it goes up at noon, GMT)

But besides that, it is Cherie Reich's BIRTHDAY and to celebrate, she is giving away her novella!  This is the same one she talked about here just last week. So you should go get it!

 And then there is a FUN blogfest I should let you know about. Siv's Bloggiversary happened this week and she got to thinking about how she started blogging... And, being from Norway, of course it involved trolls (of a personal sort) and she dove in (for which we are very glad).  Anyway, she is having a blogfest this month to honor our blogging roots.  You should go check it out.

Is this me, or what?

See you over at BB&B!