The "A Journey of Words" Blog Tour, Day 7 -- Dennis Doty, "The Flying Tiger"

For today's stop along the "A Journey of Words" Blog Tour trail, we feature author Dennis Doty, and his story, "The Flying Tiger."

Author Name: Dennis Doty

Title of your AJOW story: The Flying Tiger

Post a brief synopsis of your AJOW story: A man wanders back to the old home place and finds himself talking to a pile of scrap lumber about the places they’ve been and the things they’ve done.

What inspired you to write this story? I was searching my memories for something to write about and somewhere among the dusty boots and broken bones I stumbled upon a childhood memory.

How long have you been writing? I wrote a couple of “creative” term papers in college, then just didn’t write again ‘til around 1989.  I started putting out a monthly newsletter for a bookstore I owned and caught the bug.  I started writing fiction while between jobs around 2004.  I didn’t start my first novel until 2015.

What genre do you usually write in and why? I write a lot that could be called Western or western themed, but I also write a lot of military, historical, slice of life kinds of things. 

 

What else are you working on writing at the moment? I am always writing short stories and essays and I have two Western themed novels in progress.

What advice do you have to give to new writers? Write.  Write any time you get a chance even if it’s only a few words.  Read.  Read anything you can get your hands on.  Read books in and out of your genre, read magazines.  Heck, if you don’t have anything else to read, walk downtown and read the window advertising.  Share.  Share your work with other writers and readers and try to get honest feedback.  Not the kind your kinfolk will shovel at you, but the real deal.  Ask what works and what doesn’t and why.

How can people discover more about you and your work?  Mostly you can find me at home writing, but if you can’t get out my way you can find me at www.dennisdotywebsite.com or www.facebook.com/authordennisdoty1.

"A Journey of Words" Blog Tour: Dawn Taylor - The Double Nickel Tour

For today's stop on the "A Journey of Words" Blog Tour, we visit with author Dawn Taylor and her story, "The Double Nickel Tour."

Author Name: Dawn Taylor

Title of your AJOW story: The Double Nickel Tour 

Post a brief synopsis of your AJOW story: A woman on her first international flight discovers her real journey is one of self-enlightenment.

What inspired you to write this story? A similar journey I took to overcome my fear of traveling.

How long have you been writing? Since I was a child, professionally since 2014.

What genre do you usually write in and why? I love suspense and mystery. My current manuscript is psychological horror.

What else are you working on writing at the moment? I am writing a collection of short stories with the common theme of “twist” endings. 

What advice do you have to give to new writers? Set a schedule and write as often as you can.

How can people discover more about you and your work? (Link to your blog/facebook/etc) 

https://www.facebook.com/authordawntaylor/

"A Journey of Words" Blog Tour: Douglas Esper, "Broken Wing"

Author Name: Douglas Esper

Title of your AJOW story: Broken Wing

Post a brief synopsis of your AJOW story: A young couple travels across the country to visit relatives. Along they way they pickup an unexpected passenger burdened with an old family secret.

What inspired you to write this story? My obsession with the impact our encounters with strangers have on the course of the universe and how those ripples effect our lives for generations.

How long have you been writing? More importantly, I’ve been creating stories since before I could put them down on paper.

What genre do you usually write in and why? This is one people keep telling me I need to figure out. I get that writing in one genre is easier to market, but so far I’ve jumped from thriller to new adult to horror, to sports fiction, to general fiction, to sci-fi, to western, to... I think if I could get myself to pick just one it would be mystery...or thriller...or suspense...or...

What else are you working on writing at the moment? a suspense/thriller novel, In The Watershed about a group of plane crash survivors stuck in a blizzard in the Rocky mountains...and one of them is a killer. A short story collection tied loosely together by blood relations, coincidence, greed, and an old Turkish rug. A young adult fantasy series that begins in a black and white world and our main characters aim to learn the secret power held in colors.

What advice do you have to give to new writers? Have faith in what you're doing and don't let yourself get bogged down by rules and other obstacles. 

How can people find out more about you and your work? www.douglasesper.com

"A Journey of Words" Blog Tour, Day 4: David Williams, "Get Your Kicks on Route 66"

Today marks the release of "A Journey of Words!" ( scoutmediabooksmusic.com )

Today is also the day we profile author David Williams and his story, "Get Your Kicks on Route 66."

 

David Williams

Author Name: David Williams

Title of your AJOW story: Get Your Kicks on Route 66 

Post a brief synopsis of your AJOW story: A man, recently diagnosed with lung cancer, decides to travel Route 66 as his last hurrah.

What inspired you to write this story? My dad did Route 66 a few years ago and decided to do it again this year. It was around the time he decided to go again that I had the idea for the story.

How long have you been writing? Since around 2013, had an idea while in the shower, which I am working on as my first novel.

What genre do you usually write in and why? The novel I am working on is a Crime Thriller, which I hope will be the beginning of a series.

What else are you working on writing at the moment? My novel needs some attention after a hiatus to write Get Your Kicks ... and I am developing ideas for A Haunting of Words.

What advice do you have to give to new writers? Write as often as you can and never give up. Join a writing group of fellow writers to learn from such as Fiction Writing on Facebook.

How can people discover more about you and your work? Find me on facebook at David Williams - Author and my blog/website atwww.davidwbooks.com

 

"A Journey of Words" Blog Tour, Day 3: M.R. Ward - "The Open Road"

Today's featured author is M.R. Ward. 

Sometimes it's all about the anticipation. When "A Journey of Words" was still in the proofreading process, all I kept about was M.R. Ward's story, "The Open Road," and how absolutely terrifying it was for those who had read it. I can't wait to read it, myself. 

M.R. Ward

Author Name: M.R. Ward

Title of your AJOW story: The Open Road

Post a brief synopsis of your AJOW story: A weekend trip turns into a nightmare as four friends find themselves on a collision course with the supernatural.

What inspired you to write this story? I wanted to tell a scary story, one that would stick with the reader long after the last line. 

How long have you been writing? A year, or twenty-five, depending on your view. At thirteen, I spent a year writing stories, but lacked life experience and technical knowledge. Twenty years later I began writing a novel, but quit after a few months due to self-doubt. I never stopped creating stories in my head, though, so in 2015 I decided it was "now or never" and have remained consistent. 

What genre do you usually write in and why? Horror. I find it entertaining.

What else are you working on writing at the moment? I’m working on a short story that’s more along the lines of a paranormal love story. I’m also continuing the novel I started five years ago.

What advice do you have to give to new writers? You have to take a chance and really give your best effort, but that means putting in the time and doing the work. No one can write your story for you. 

How can people discover more about you and your work? (Link to your blog/Facebook/etc.) 
www.facebook.com/mrwardauthor/ 
Instragram: www.instagram.com/m.r.ward_author/

Remember: "A Journey of Words" will be released September 1. 

Paperback is available for pre-order at scoutmediabooksmusic.com

Kindle version available for pre-order at Amazon.com

 

"A Journey of Words" Blog Tour, Day 2: Brian Paone, "The Whaler's Dues"

It's day two of the "A Journey of Words" blog tour. Today we feature author Brian Paone, and his story, "The Whaler's Dues." Brian is also the owner of Scout Media, and the man responsible for curating both "A Journey of Words," and a previous anthology, "A Matter of Words."

Brian Paone

Author Name: Brian Paone

Title of your AJOW story:  The Whaler’s Dues 

Post a brief synopsis of your AJOW story: An unquenchable love for an unobtainable stripper. A stolen mandolin. The rattlesnake trail. A journey on a whaleboat. Heavy water. A secret infinite world of cursed islands. An ancient legend. A changing of the guard. Strange avenues … the whaler’s dues. 

What inspired you to write this story?  Jethro Tull’s “Rock Island” album

How long have you been writing?  I wrote my first short story in 7th grade in 1988. My first published work was a novel in 2007.

What genre do you usually write in and why?  I write exclusively in a genre called rock fiction, which is a sub-genre of musical fiction, when a single song, an entire album, or the span of a band/artists complete work is turned into fiction, using the literal lyrics to directly create the plotline and story arc, and usually the title of the book/story is taken directly from the song/album that the work is an adaptation of.

What else are you working on writing at the moment?  A short story for the 2017 anthology, “A Haunting of Words,” which will be an adaptation of Porcupine Tree’s album, “Fear of a Blank Planet.” And my next novel that I am currently writing is about the eight months my wife was deployed to Djibouti, Africa, and left me home alone with two toddlers. Every night I would send her an email, usually quoting song lyrics from our favorite bands at the end. I am compiling all those songs, and will use those specific lyrics to drive the story forward.

What advice do you have to give to new writers?  Beware the procrastination demons.

How can people discover more about you and your work? 
www.BrianPaone.com
www.Facebook.com/BrianPaonesNovels

 

"A Journey of Words" Blog-Tour Day 1: Jacklynn M Desmond, "Six Miles to Suring"

Jacklynn M Desmond

Author Name: Jacklynn M Desmond

Title of story in "A Journey of Words": Six Miles to Suring

Synopsis: A young woman fleeing an abusive relationship with her baby runs into some supernatural troubles.

What inspired you to write this story? A sudden, paranoia inducing episode of Deja vu while driving home from my parent's cabin "Up North". For about thirty seconds I was absolutely convinced I was going in circles. 'What if?' took over from there.

How long have you been writing?
Fourth grade. Mrs. Law's class. I got bored.

What genre do you write in? 
I have no idea. All over the board, really. I seem to like dead people.

What else are you writing at the moment? 
I'm working on the next "of Words" submission, an erotica piece for an anthology, a sequel to my novella "Sixteen" and have some back burner projects. Because ADD is real.

How can people discover more of your work? https://www.facebook.com/Jacklynn-M-Desmond-248333411971713/?fref=ts

"A Journey of Words" is available for pre-order at: scoutmediabooksmusic.com