Audrina Lane: an interview

And, here’s another Where Words Fail Music Speaks author interview.

Don’t forget to buy your copy on Amazon, available on Kindle and in paperback, with all proceeds going to the Clusterbusters charity

Today, it’s Audrina Lane’s turn!

 

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I’m Audrina Lane, an author since I turned 40 (4 years ago) and live in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with my partner Steve and two black Labradors called Rael and Lilly. I work full-time for the Library Service, used to drive a Mobile Library Van around the countryside and fit my writing in around all of this! I also love eighties music especially George Michael and dancing.

2. Why did you decide to be involved with the anthology?

I’ve known Karen through Facebook for a while and when I saw she was putting this together I leapt at the chance to be involved. I also suffer occasional migraines so the thought of having prolonged suffering of headaches much worse than this made me want to do something to help raise both money & awareness.

3. All the story/poem titles are 90s Brit Pop songs. How did you choose your song title?

I submitted 2 poems for the anthology and I just googled 90’s Brit Pop song titles. Scrolling through the list, I did a small shortlist of around 8 and from that got it down to the two that most resonated with my poem ideas.

4. How did your story/poem develop?

For the ‘Road Rage’ poem I drew upon what I’d read about the condition of clusterheadaches. And for my ‘Disco 2000’ poem the title sparked the subject of the poem.

5. Does your submission in the anthology reflect your published work, or did you take the opportunity to experiment?

I guess submitting poems may not reflect that I have 5 books published. I love writing poetry when the mood or subject matter grabs me, so with this submission it was the subject that created the words. I’m hoping to eventually have enough poems to create an anthology collection of my own work.

6. Tell me about your last/next project.

I must be a glutton for punishment as I’m currently working on two novels at the same time. One is the sequel to my Bloodstained Heart Series about the evil, bitch character that appeared in my Heart Trilogy series – the fans of that wanted to know what made her the way she was. Equally they told me they still didn’t want to like her at the end of the books! It’s been a great, but sometimes slow project, as I have to cross reference back to my original novels and am re-writing the same scenes but from her point of view. It’s also fun to write someone who is so horrible to everyone else.

The other project is just at the editing stage ready for release in June. It’s collaboration with another author called Rita Ames called ‘24Hrs to Love’. It is the first book in a series of 3 set at the most prestigious motor races – Le Mans, The Indy 500 and Monaco Grand Prix. Each will be standalones but all will be romances. We each write as a separate character and switch between the two writing alternate chapters. This has been a light relief to my other work in progress and I have enjoyed writing as a guy!

7. What’s the best thing about being a writer?

I guess it’s all the fantastic friends I have made within the writing community. I love my readers who are so loyal, lovely and patient! Equally I love all other authors who are doing the same as me, and have offered help and advice over the past 4 years. Being part of this crazy community makes everything worthwhile.

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time? (writing or non-writing answers allowed 😊)

I’d love to write full-time but just don’t think that will be happening anytime soon. So I’ll stick with saying still writing and still working enough to pay for the writing projects.

 

Author bio:

Audrina lives in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire with her partner Steve and her two black Labradors Rael & Lily.

She is the author of the fabulous Heart Trilogy series,  made up of the novels Where did your Heart go?, Un-break my Heart and Closer to the Heart. She has also completed the first part of a standalone 2 part series called Bloodstained Heart. Part 1 – Passion and coming soon Part 2 – Revenge. These are connected to The Heart Trilogy series in that they feature the full story of Felicity.

Audrina really loves writing, reading, listening and dancing to eighties pop music, and watching Formula 1, and is currently working on a motor racing collaboration with another author. Her poetry and short stories have been featured in a couple of anthologies and all her novels can be found on Amazon.

Find Audrina on: her website // Amazon UK // Amazon 

 

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The anthology launches!

I’m excited to be taking part in the release blitz for the Where Words Fail, Music Speaks Anthology, which is out now!

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks is a collection of short stories and poetry by writers from all walks of life.

Each story is based on the titles of 90s Britpop songs, including Come Back To What You Know, Bittersweet Symphony, Animal Nitrate, Disco 2000, and more.

Our list of authors is: Kyra Lennon, Clare Dugmore, Annalisa Crawford, Ker Dukey, Wesley Copeland, Robb Turburville, D H Sidebottom, Audrina Lane, M.B. Feeney, Karen Frances, S.J Warner, Scout Dawson, Kimberly Morgan, Maddie Wade, Rebeccalou Heronpontin, Andrea Coventry.

All proceeds from the sales of this anthology will go to Clusterbusters.

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks – Cover Reveal

Yes, I know, I’m late to this particular party – a cover reveal for an anthology I’m going to be included in! I had Tuesday’s post for Theresa Milstein scheduled weeks in advance, the only post currently scheduled for the rest of the year! It’s a bit like that story/urban myth/utter truth that the first two cars in Ohio managed to crash into each other.

However, there might be people who haven’t seen the cover yet, so without further ado here’s the cover for the Where Words Fail, Music Speaks Anthology, which is scheduled for release April 21, 2017.

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks is a collection of short stories and poetry by writers from all walks of life.

Each story is based on the titles of 90s Britpop songs, including Come Back To What You Know, Bittersweet Symphony, Animal Nitrate, Disco 2000, and more.

Our list of authors is: Kyra Lennon, Clare Dugmore, Annalisa Crawford, Wesley Copeland, Robb Turburville, D H Sidebottom, Audrina Lane, M.B. Feeney, Karen Frances, S.J Warner, Scout Dawson, Kimberly Morgan, Maddie Wade, Rebeccalou Heronpontin, Andrea Coventry

All proceeds from the sales of this anthology will go to Clusterbusters.

Add to your Goodreads to-be-read list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34409894-where-words-fail-music-speaks

Introducing Theresa Milstein

I’ve known Theresa for ages now – although I can’t remember how or when we met. That’s usually how writers appear in my life, surreptitiously, hanging around my blog or Facebook when I’m lost in a series of scenes and popping up with useful advice. I’m delighted to have her on my blog to help celebrate the launch of her new book, Time & Circumstance, which I reviewed on Goodreads recently. Take it away, Theresa…

 

When Vine Leaves Literary Journal began to give a platform for the vignette, the first question I asked was, “What’s a vignette?” At that point, I’d written a few manuscripts and short stories for children and teens, and I’d taken several poetry workshops. My heart was in the novel. I’d only started submitting short stories because I’d heard it was a good way to gain writing experience and it gave me a few publishing credits. The poetry workshops became a creative outlet, but I hadn’t taken it seriously.

Vine Leaves rejected my first submission, which was all telling and not at all a vignette. I read their first issue. There, I truly got the idea that a vignette is a moment in time captured. Vine Leaves accepted my second, a prose piece. The third time I submitted a poem, and it was accepted.

I became a regular vignette writer. I’d write because something impacted me, and the only way to come to terms with it was to say something about it in a small space. I’ve found that vignettes fill the void when I’m letting a full-length manuscript sit. There was one blog I turned to regularly for inspiration. It no longer posts, and I miss it. I’ve learned that I’m a competitive person: give me a picture prompt and a phrase of some sort, and I’m typing away. Several years later, I’d accumulated enough vignettes to make a collection.

I’ve been asked what determines if a piece of writing becomes poetry or prose. Often the first line directs me. If it’s lyrical, and I sense a rhythm in the next line, it becomes a poem. I wind up with many more poems than prose. But if the subject needs more freedom than the space a poem will take, prose works better for me. I know there are people who write poetry with long lines or that go on for many pages. I recently went to a poetry reading, and the woman recited her poem for about fifteen minutes. That’s not my style.

When editing my vignette collection with Vine Leaves Press, I appreciated the editor’s perspective. Several of my poems became prose poems, which is a poem that appears as prose. So, sometimes what works best for my writing is a compromise between the two forms!

 

Theresa Milstein writes middle grade and YA, but poetry is her secret passion. Her vignette collection, TIME & CIRCUMSTANCE, will be published by Vine Leaves Press in March 21, 2017. She lives near Boston Massachusetts with her husband, two children, a dog-like cat, and a cat-like dog. For her day job, she works as a special education teacher in a public school, which gives her ample opportunity to observe teens and tweens in their natural habitat.

 

TIME & CIRCUMSTANCE is available for preorder.

$3.99 AUD (eBook)
Kindle AUS
Kindle US
Kindle UK
Kindle CA
iBooks | Kobo | Nook

$12.99 AUD (paperback)
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Chapters Indigo

 

Leave a comment, and you’re eligible to win a prize during my blog tour!

 1 $25 Amazon gift card

1 signed paperback copy

1 ebook

 

Answer the question:

“If you could relive any moment in time, what would it be?”

 

Extra entries if you share on Facebook or Twitter and link it to me.

@TheresaMilstein on Twitter.

@Theresa Milstein on Facebook

#ReliveMoment or #TimeandCircumstance

 

Winners will be announced on April 5, 2017

 

 

 

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks

Two lovely author friends – Kyra Lennon and Clare Dugmore – are editing an anthology, Where Words Fail, Music Speaks, in aid of research into cluster headaches, a debilitating condition suffered by more people than you’d think. Kyra knows at least a couple of people who suffer which inspired her to create the anthology.

And one my of stories is going to be included!

The cover reveal is scheduled for 14 March, and we would be so grateful if you are able to share it on your blog/website. The sign up form is right here!

Thank you!