Fossend Publishing

Fossend Publishing

Tuesday 30 September 2014



NEW RELEASE
Pieces of Me: A Collection of Poems and Short Stories by Elle Henry




I would like to welcome Elle Henry to my blog.  Her book Pieces of Me: A Collection of Poems and Short Stories as been released this week, so I took some time out of my schedule to ask Elle a few questions about the book and what it's like being a writer.


Q: Welcome Elle. Can you give the readers a brief overview of your Book, Pieces of Me: A Collection of Poems and ShortStories.
Pieces of Me is the descriptive of me as a writer at the moment.  I took the poetry and stories that I felt captured my heart the most.  Each poem reflects a different part of me as a person, as well as the three stories; they show my growth and comfort in my writing.  I wanted this book to mean something, to inspire.  This book is a reflection of my favorite forms of writing poetry and short story.  The inspiration came from loving writing and wanting to share that with the world.  I chose poems that had meaning for me, rather it be love, lost or whimsy.  In the storytelling I wanted the reader to enjoy a good story and get lost in the moment.  

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and when your interest in writing began.
I have always been a person who wrote in a journal. Journaling was my therapy.  I was more reflective of my thoughts by using words than getting them out verbally.  I started back in high school.  I was a shy teenager, sheltered by my parents. My only outlets were reading and writing.  Once I became an adult my writing took a backseat and slowed down for a minute.  I wouldn’t pick up a pen and begun to write again until in 2011.  I was working for the government realizing that my passion was somewhere else.  I picked my pen up and I’ve been writing ever since.

Q: What prompted you to write Pieces of Me?
I had all these poems that I had written and I felt the need to share them with someone with the hope of inspiring someone along the way.

Q: What challenges did you face when writing Pieces of Me? 
Definitely edit and revision of the last story “The House on Weather Road” was very traumatic for me.  I sensed that story going in another direction maybe even a novella. Only characters had a different plan, it kind broke my heart.  I think the ending was beautiful and even though I cried. I will give some insight, “Wake me up when December ends...” That’s a true story.  All of stories have a special meaning.  This book is really a piece of me.

Q: Are there any messages in Pieces of Me for readers or is it simply to entertain?
The theme of this book is love and heartbreak; however I wrote this book only to encourage writing and entertain the reader.

Q: When writing, do you have any specific routines?  What are the best and worst things about writing?
I tend to write mostly late at night, that’s my most specific routine.  It’s quiet in the house its just my and my thoughts.  For me the worst thing about writing is the revision.  As a writer we tend to believe that every word we write is the holy grail of sorts...No, you need the revision to cut out extra unnecessary parts.  The best part about writing is the feedback from readers saying they liked your work or it has helped them cope.  That makes it all worth it. 

Q: Do you read?  If so what type of books does you read?
Yes, I love to read.  My favorite books are Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, and Wuthering Heights, Ariel and Selected works by Robert Frost.

Q: Do you have a your favorite author?  If so, who and why?
It would a toss between Stephen King and Sylvia Plath.  I love Stephen King for his brutal honest, vast knowledge and love of writing as a craft.  You, may ask well why didn’t she list his books as her favorite?  Well, I love his work; however my preferred genre is Victorian literature.  I’m a sucker for romance.  I listed Sylvia Plath, because I fell in love with writing after I read Ariel. More specific the poem “Daddy”, she was a tragic soul gone too soon who left beautiful words behind.  She is my writing inspiration.

Q: What other writing work can we expect from you in the future?
I’m working on a Young Adult novel that I hope to self-publish around January and another poetry book.

Q: Tell the readers something interesting about yourself that others may not know.
I have Crohn’s a gastrointestinal disease. It’s my motivation for achieving my goals and living my dreams.  Writing has been my salvation when crohn’s has been my depression.


Quick fire round
Sweet or savoury
Sweet

Beach or countryside
Beach

EBook or paperback
Paperback

Classic or modern
Classic

Sun or Snow
Snow


About the author














Growing up in Florida Elle was always called the girl with a book.  Which suited her just fine; because she enjoyed the escapism in reading and the fact that reading was like taking a journey anytime she pleased.  She developed that passion for reading from her grandmother who is now deceased, but that love books continued.  She considers some of her favorite places in the world libraries and bookstores.

Elle now lives with her family in Central Florida.  Her education in includes English/Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire.  She credits some of her favorite authors as Bronte sisters, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Daphne Du Maurier, Sylvia Plath and Stephen King.  Her life and love is writing and reading, and she has a site dedicated to her work called AvidWriterElle.com.

If you would like to learn more about Elle you can follow her on Facebook and Twitter




Saturday 20 September 2014

Finding new authors

I spend a lot of time reading and I am always looking for new authors to read.  Today I would like to introduce you to author Kathleen Shoop.  She writes historical fiction and romance, and is a multiple award winner, including the Independent Publisher Book Awards.



Kathleen Shoop
The Endless Love Series

I have been a fan of Kathleen's books ever since I read the Bliss Anthology last year.  I recently read both books, Home Again and Return to Love, in the Endless love series and loved them. 


Home Again


Home Again is set in 1969 in Ablemarle Sound, North Carolina and centres around two characters, April Harrington and Hale Abercrombie. 
Fleeing her wedding April finds herself back at Bliss, in Ablemarle Sound, the home that she loves, but upon returning she is shocked to find it has been neglected. The only thing familiar to her at Bliss is Hale, a Vietnam Vet who is still haunted by the death of April's brother, who served with him. Shared grief and familiarities see love blossoming between them, but both need to overcome past lives and losses in order to move forward.



Return to Love




Return to Love is a beautiful book, and the second in the Endless Love series.  It is set in 1970 on the beaches of the outer banks. I won't tell you too much about the story, as I hate giving spoilers, but I can tell you that we meet up with April and Hale again. They have both been through a traumatic time, and throughout the book we learn about their struggle to come to terms with what's happened in their lives. 

I loved both of these books, the characters were so well written and Kathleen has the ability to describe locations perfectly, so that you feel like you are really there. I couldn't put these books down, they drew me in and I couldn't wait to see what happened between April and Hale. Kathleen's stories are very powerful, and are beautifully written, and it is nice to read books that have such strong characters, locations and plots.
So if you are looking for a new author then I definitely recommend reading Kathleen's work, you won't be disappointed.




About the author
Bestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. Her novels have earned Gold and Silver medals in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, been named a Finalist in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Winner in the Indie Excellence Book Awards, a Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and an Honorable Mention from the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer’s Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.


To learn more about Kathleen and her books, then visit her website, you can also find her on Twitter and Facebook