An interview with Groovy Lee

Today I have Groovy Lee on ARCBookblog, a lady who gives me TV envy, because my big screen clearly isn’t big enough. Before I get too upset about that, here’s Groovy to tell us all a bit about herself.

I was born in the deep south where the number four has two syllables. I somehow did not acquire that distinct Southern accent, but I am accustomed to expressions of “Yall”, “Ain’t”, and when I’m really mad–“Ain’t gonna!”.

I’m also addicted to bottled tea and cooking shows; I crochet and collect crystal. My best friend and Queen is my daughter who gets a foot massage from me after a long day:)

My most favorite time of the year is tennis season. When the French Open, Wimbledon, and The US Open are airing, you can look for me, but you won’t find me. Unless you know where my 53″ television set is. Even then approach me with all the care you would a Grizzly–exactly, you wouldn’t! My daughter is prohibited from communicating with me unless it’s a code 10 emergency; And even then I’ll direct her to the neighbor for help–just kidding, she knows how to dial 911

I write Romantic/Suspense, Suspense, and wholesome, passionate Romances that deal with matters of the heart. No sexually graphic stories or one night stands. I write about love, not lust. If my stories bring a smile to just one person’s heart, then I’ve done my job. That’s what it’s all about.

One of my books, Cause She’s A Good Girl, was featured on a popular Nashville Morning Show, Talk of The Town, and given a highly recommended by BookWoman. I’m still smiling at that:)

Thanks to all of you who have added me to their list of authors they are fans of. I’m so honored! And I love when people friend me:) I’m not a big fan of Facebook or Twitter, but I invite you all to email me with your suggestions or questions.

You can contact me here on Goodreads or atreyhu@att.net.

Thank you for your time and Good Reading!

http://www.groovylee.com/

Now that we have the bio portion of this interview out of the way, it’s time for the questions.

Me – Is writing a full-time occupation, or do you have a job that keeps you from it?

Groovy – I’m so blessed to be able to write full-time.

Me – What aspect of publishing do you find the easiest?

Groovy – Pushing that button that turns your manuscript into a bona-fide book. Everything else is hard work, but a joy.

Me – What do you find the most difficult?

Groovy – I’m sure I’m giving the same answer as everyone else, but it’s the promoting part I find the hardest. I’m an introvert. Selling my work or me as an author is not easy. I wish there was a red button to push where all of your fans were waiting. Wishful thinking—right?

Me – What is your perfect writing environment.

Groovy – When I’m beginning a story on paper, it’s upstairs on my bed while Perry Mason is on TV; when it’s time to work in front of my computer, it’s when no one is home and there’s quiet.

Me – Do you have a process you follow when writing a book?

Groovy – Not really. I just write down what my characters tell me to.

Me – Would you rather be critically successful or financially successful?

Groovy – That’s a good question. I think critically successful. I want the whole world to love reading my books. The financial success will come automatically when they purchase them.

Me – If you could pick 1 celebrity to read your book and give an opinion on it, who would it be?

Groovy – At first it was Prince. But now that he’s no longer with us, it’s Oprah. Because if she likes it, so will her millions of followers.

Me – Do you find it easy to avoid being distracted when you sit down to write?

Groovy – It depends on what stage of writing I’m in. If it’s the beginning stage, no; but if I’m trying to edit, yes. I need quiet to get the flow of the story and make sure the scenes are coming together.

Me – If you have published already, what has been the most successful technique/site/opportunity for you in terms of getting either exposure or sales?

Groovy – So far for me, it’s Goodreads. I’m active on a lot of forums, and my books get a lot of exposure there.

Me – Last but not least, and something a little fun, what is your favourite animal, and why?

Groovy – Let’s see—Dogs are extremely smart and loyal; horses are THE most beautiful animals; there’s a Hawk that flies around my house, and he’s absolutely breath-taking; Animal Kingdom is one of my favorite shows. Each species come in all sorts of colors and sizes, so I can’t pick a favorite, sorry.

If you’d like to know more about Groovy you can check out the following links

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Amazon Author Page

A Body Resurrected

Sixteen year-old Mira is an Egyptian girl who lives a quiet life in her small village in Lower Egypt 3303 B.C.E. But two visitors from the planet Aut are about to change that. The first “flying metal” that whips across the sky carries a murderous plague by the name of Demen. The second one that follows, brings a bounty-hunter named Weir. Against her father’s wishes, Mira becomes Weir’s accomplice in his mission to apprehend Demen before another woman dies by his hands.

But there’s a problem: Demen is now a powerful Pharaoh in the city of Sharkura. Will apprehending him cost Weir and Mira their lives?
Almay, California, USA, twenty-first century:

Tina Leggs oversees the artifacts and exhibits of the Graham-Arlee museum. She has no idea that the mummy exhibit that’s drawing huge crowds, is the same Demen that her ancestor, Mira, bravely faced centuries ago.

Demen is no longer a powerful Pharaoh. Now, he’s nothing more than a museum exhibit since he was discovered in the Valley of the Kings. But a rare occurrence will give him life once more. And his desire to kill the misery known as woman is as strong as ever.

Enter Q, a second bounty-hunter sent from Aut to capture him. Like Mira, Tina has been cast into the role of ally to this handsome visitor. Amid the destruction Demen is causing, and the risk to their lives to stop him, they realize their deep love for one another.

But, will she leave her family on Earth for the sake of that love?

Amazon

 

Through The Hostage – An Honest Review

Through The Hostage

J C Steel

I was gifted a pdf copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and here it is.

Khyria Ilan is a commander in the Cortii, the most elite mercenary organisation in known space. With a past she can’t remember, and commanders who would love to see her dead, her future is likely to be short: her command faces their ultimate test to prove their right to survive. When the odds are impossible, sometimes the only thing to do is play the game …

Through The Hostage is a complex sci-fi novel that, in my opinion, bites off more than it can chew. I really liked many of the characters J C Steel created; Khyria Ilan is flawed, and dangerous, and complicated, and very interesting, but it felt as though not enough was shown about her, from the beginning it’s revealed that pretty much everyone around her wants her dead, but at no point is a solid reason given, nor is it revealed why she has apparently abandoned her command. Jack is another interesting character, and I would have liked to have seen more of his efforts to learn about and understand this alien world he finds himself in.

Many of the other characters have an equal amount of potential, but it feels too much as if the reader only gets a surface view of things. There’s the suggestion of so much, but not enough detail to help the reader navigate this strange world.

Adding to my difficulties with this book are the details you do get about the organisation Khyria Ilan and her group are part of; I suspect J C Steel has limited military knowledge or experience because the group describes themselves as mercenaries, when everything in the book indicates they are in fact part of an army working for a council of some kind, and they undergo up to 10 years of training before taking a test to determine if they are fit to join the ‘army’ as a fully qualified unit (as someone with, admittedly limited, military experience, it seemed very unrealistic that what was essentially a platoon-sized unit would spend such an excessive amount of time in training before qualifying; training may continue after qualification but in general the training to qualify in an army is measured in months, not years, even for special forces units).

I found little in the way of tension in the book; all the way through the reader is told that Khyria Ilan is under constant threat of assassination, but the few attempts that take place happen off-screen – as it were – and seem so feeble as to be easily dealt with. Because of that, I found the book fairly flat; even when it finally reached the much-mentioned Crossing, there seemed little in the way of danger, and it was all over with far too quickly and easily.

I think with some work, this could be a very good novel, it’s longer than it really needs to be in my opinion, has themes that could be more fully explored, and it lacks enough tension to keep the reader hooked and get them concerned about the characters, but it does end with a very nice scene with Jack back home and unable to tell anyone about where he’s been and what he’s been doing and I’m pleased about that.