Christine Young Hosts -- Fateful Waters

Please welcome  J.M. ANTON the talented author of Fateful Waters.

Authors love comments so don't forget to leave one.  J.M. will be awarding a $25 BN.com gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

FATEFUL WATERS

By

J.M. Anton

INTERVIEW:

1. How did you come up with ideas for your books? 

Inspirations come from the most unexpected sources. In the case of “Fateful Waters” it came from a combination news reports and commercials for online dating services. My Backyard Horse Tale Series is written from the horse’s point of view, and incorporate the personalities of special horses that I have owned.




2. What components are necessary for the genre of this novel?

The major component was moving two young women to an environment totally foreign to them. Second was the unexpected romantic involvement. Then came the conflict between the hero and heroine. Also the threat posed by a trio of villains. 

3. What expertise did you bring to your writing? 

I try to add a good amount of realism to my fictional efforts, by writing about situations, or subjects that I have had personal experience with. Most of the locals are places that I’ve lived or traveled to. Many years if working with horses and children lend credence to my horse tales. Most of my adult books also contain some scenes that include horses, dogs, or other animals.

4. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

2013 is pretty much plotted out for marketing and promotional events for my already published books including “Fateful Waters.” I have another Backyard Horse Tale in the works, as well as two more adult novels near completion. 

5. If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

At this point, I would have to pick Lexie from “Fateful Waters.” She is smart, intuitive, independent, compassionate, and a little quirky. All traits that I could easily aspire to. 

6. Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?

The Book Reviewers Club was instrumental in helping me refine the final version of “Fateful Waters.” Authors who are members so swap reviews and critiques. It also includes articles and blog links aimed at improving and authors skills and marketing. I also have two blogs that participate in hosting and reviewing other authors. I do have to be selective on the number of reviews I accept, but over all it expands my viewpoint. What works for me as a reader and what doesn’t is something that I can apply to my works. 

7. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

Two of my recent adult romance books started with an idea, and then were subjected to the hectic writing challenge provided by the Office of Letters and Light every November. The challenge known as NaNoWriMo is to write a novel of 50,000 words during the month. In the beginning of the book I just put down what comes into my head. At some point the characters take over. I tend to rein them in after the thirtieth of November. Edit, delete, and revise. That is often when I need to research some content, or workout the chronological sequence of events. 

Other works take a substantial amount of research up front. My second Backyard Horse Tales took a lot of historical research before I began the tale, and I did outline that book. So I guess that I do a little of both outlining and just start writing.

8. Do you have any hobbies and does the knowledge you've gained from these carry over into your characters or the plot of your books? 

Painting and sketching have been relegated to hobby status now that writing is my focus. My heroine in one of my books is a graphic designer and artist, so that was just updating some of the modern tools available to her, as I developed her character. Lexie in Fateful Waters profited from my life long equestrian knowledge, and my years as a bookkeeper and tax consltant.

9. Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book? 

My next book is titled “Cassandra: Night Shades.” Our heroine is a young woman who came to live with her maternal grandmother at the tender age of five when her family had been killed by a drunk driver. She is shocked to find out that her father wasn’t killed that day, but only recently passed. Casey sets out to find out why her father had abandoned her. She meets a powerful enemy along the way, and finds an ally in the person of a young Marine who knows way too much about her. 

10. Who is your favorite actor and actress?

My favorite living actor is Tom Hanks he is so versatile. I just watched the Polar Express again, and it blows me away that he did so many of the character’s voices.  Angelina Jolie is one of my favorite actresses the springs to mind.

11. Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your 

book?

Fateful Waters, a fire at a near by ranch send Cutter and the crew of the Rocking R to put out the fire before it can spread into a full blown wildfire. In the burned out shell of the neighboring ranch house they find the blackened remains of a man.  

12. Anything else you might want to add?

Here is a short excerpt from my next novel “Cassandra: Night Shades.”

Finally, they reached their destination. Her nerves were already raw when she entered the elevator. As the doors began to close a teenage boy thrust his arm through the gap and they sprang back open. Casey watched him with a good deal of suspicion when he leaned against the frame of the elevator opening to keep the doors from closing. He grinned at her as he crossed his arms over his chest and turned his attention toward the lobby. Three stunning women entered the elevator.

Great! I’m trapped in an alien transport on my way to an alternate universe where all the women are tall, blond, and have baby blue eyes. Or maybe, I’ve been cast in one of those films marketed to little girls that star the Barbie icon and her friends. They were at least five foot ten, and—with the exception of the variation in age—they could have been cast from the same mold. Regal, sophisticated, and aloof, Casey was sure the perfume that they were wearing was every bit as expensive as their outfits, but she was fighting nausea from the scent within the close confines. The senior Barbie designer skirt hit about mid knee her navy colored suit and pale blue silk blouse looked high end. The outfit probably cost more than Casey made in two weeks. 

Aesthetically, she found the elevator hijacker a relief, and a welcome contrast to the blonds with the heart shaped faces and aristocratic airs. Nearly as tall as the women, he appeared to be in his early teens that awkward, gangly, time of life. An engaging smile set off a mischievous twinkle in his hazel eyes. Outrageously long lashes and eyebrows of a slightly darker brown than his wavy hair enhanced those appealing eyes. His high cheekbones, a square jaw, and a straight nose with a sprinkling of freckles already commanded a second look. The freckles kept him from being a complete heartbreaker. She felt sorry for the teenage girls in his path, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

Thank you Christine for hosting the book tour for “Fateful Waters.” Wishing you, your family, and all of your followers the very best in 2013.

BLURB:  

            Follow Melinda Potter and Alexandra Parker, across the country, as the friends travel from their home on the shores of Lake Erie to the drought-stricken state of Texas. After graduation from The Ohio State University, Melinda has a date with an online Romeo. Lexie, who is supposed exert a moderating influence on her impulsive friend, winds up in a hospital where she wakes to everyone calling her Mrs. Ross.  She doesn’t have a clue how she got there, or who Mr. Ross is.

EXCERPT: 

The SUV skidded in the slime now covering the previously dry, dusty road. Lexie retrieved her phone from an inside pocket of her navy colored, leather, handbag. Disgusted, she laid it on the center console. Smart or not, the directional phone apps had not shed any light on her dilemma. She was really beginning to feel lousy, so she twisted of the cap on the antibiotic that she had just picked up at the drugstore. The prescription label said it was to be taken with food, but she was desperate to head of a recurrence of what sure felt like the flu, so she downed the pill with the remainder of a bottle of water she’d placed in the cup holder. Lexie picked up the small communication device, located Melinda’s name, and she poked the small screen much harder than required to connect to her friend. She wanted to scream! Why me Lord? Melinda didn’t have a clue how to direct her. While her friend checked with David, she slipped into her navy jacket. As the rain increased the heat of earlier began to cool, and she was experiencing a chill. Lexie switched from the air conditioner to the heater.

She was sitting in the middle of a dirt road, in an increasing rain, and the surface was quickly becoming a quagmire. She hoped that Melinda, was writing down directions, and that was why she was taking so much time.

Roommates since their freshman year at Ohio State, Alexandra Parker and Melinda Potter had become close friends. After nearly five years, their friendship had grown to the point they each knew the other’s personality quirks. Lexie knew Melinda well enough to be skeptical about the accuracy of the written directions that her friend had left for her when she went on ahead with David. Commonsense had dictated that she enter his ranch address in the GPS, just in case.

REVIEW SOUND BYTES

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Jackie. Anton is the author of Backyard Horse Tales: Sox 2^nd Edition recepient of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award. She makes her home in Northeastern Ohio.

Mother of two adult Children and a Grandmother she and her husband of forty-one years live on a small farm in Medina Township. As author of the family friendly series Backyard Horse Tales (readers age 8-adult) her adult novels are written under the pen name J.M. Anton.

                  An avid horseperson she and her husband continue to ride daily. She loves a good mystery as well as working out the day-to-day struggles and complexities of human relationships. Find out more about the author on her blog “Writing for readers in a .com world. http://jackieanton.com

LINKS:

New author web site: http://talesbyjackie.com

E-Mail: talesbyjackie@yahoo.com

Book Web site: www.fatefulwatersbyjmanton.com 10% Discount Code 1DepCart0 at checkout.

“Backyard Horse Tales” web site:  www.backyardhorsetales.com 10% off code 1DepCart0

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