Feature: Author Interview and DOUBLE GIVEAWAY with Cambria Hebert, author of Before

It's FRIDAY!  Today is an exciting day; we have some fun things planned for this weekend (including Breaking Dawn -- I know, not exciting for everyone, but whatever...), and then next week is my favorite holiday ever -- Thanksgiving!

You should be really excited too because I FINALLY have my pal, Cambria Hebert, on my blog!  She has some awesome things in store for everyone over the next month or so, and I'm thrilled to be able to share with you all!  

Today is release day for her short teaser story "Before" which I reviewed HERE yesterday.  Next week, she'll be releasing another story, "Whiteout" (see blurb in giveaway section below), and then December 16th her debut novel, Masquerade, will be available!  I'll be posting my review of "Whiteout" very soon, and you can definitely expect to see her back when I feature Masquerade next month.

It's a good thing we love her so much! :-)  Now, let's get on with the interview and don't forget to enter the giveaway...

Author Interview

Cambria Hebert

"Before"

Gathering Leaves:  Introduce yourself to the lovely public, please.

Cambria:  My name is Cambria Hebert and I have thirty-one cats. I like to knit sweaters for each of my cats… Okay, not really!! My name is Cambria Hebert but I only have two cats. Okay… three…but only because it refuses to leave and I keep feeding it. I am really an author and a blogger. I am also a mother of two and married to a U.S. Marine.

I really, really like coffee and I really, really love werewolves. I would have thirty-one of those if I could. I also co-host Journal Jabber with our blog host, Cassie. She’s always more prepared than I am for the show. Lol.

GL:  Well, I’m not so sure about that, but I try! J

GL:  Now tell us about your work—Before and Masquerade.

CH:  Before is the short story teaser (or prequel) to Masquerade. It’s basically an introduction to the characters and a little hint at the plot. Before is being released as an ebook on November 18, 2011. Masquerade is my debut novel and is being released December 16, 2011. Masquerade is about a young girl named Heven who becomes horribly disfigured and doesn’t remember how. She was once popular and beautiful; she had it all, but now everyone thinks she’s a freak and whispers behind her back. Sam comes to school and sees beyond her scars… But Sam has secrets of his own….

GL:  Do you have anything else published or publishing soon?

CH:  I do! I have a short story being published on Novemeber 23, 2011. It’s titled “Whiteout”. I think it’s a great story for the holidays. It has something for everyone. Something you will learn from this short story?

Never trust a woman with a shotgun.

GL:  What inspired the Heven and Hell series?

CH:  The voices in my head told me I had to write it. LOL. Kidding! One day I got the idea to write about a girl who was disfigured and everything she went through to hide herself. Then I got to wondering about how this girl got disfigured… The idea grew from there.

GL:  Did anyone in particular inspire the characters?

CH:  No, I made them all up. Lol. They told me who they were as I was writing. I did get Heven’s name from a friend of mine whose daughter is named that.

GL:  Who was the hardest character for you to write?

CH:  Sam. I wrote in his POV after the rest of the book was done. When I went to write his scenes, I kind of stared at the computer and realized I didn’t know him very well. He was good at keeping himself a mystery to even me. Lol.  But once I got to know him a little better, his scenes came a lot easier.

GL:  What sort of roadblocks did you hit while writing or preparing to publish?

CH:  Rejection. Every writer’s nightmare. I got rejected a lot. At least 100 times. Sometimes multiple times from the same person year after year. I never gave up though. And you know, lack of knowledge was a roadblock too. A lot of things I just didn’t know how to do, but I learned them. It pays to take the time to figure things out because that info becomes invaluable. Even after I finally got a publishing contract through Otherworld Publications, I have hit some roadblocks; well, not really roadblocks but challenges. Time. There is never enough of it. Marketing and Promotion has been never-ending but so important. Also, just my inner nerves about finally putting my work out there and thinking to myself “gee, I hope that the last three years worth of work are worth it and people really respond to this book.” Going into it is scary because you have no idea if people will be receptive.

GL:  Do you have a specific writing routine?  Do you set aside a certain time to write?  Do you have a daily/weekly goal?

CH:  I don’t. When I sit down to write I try and write as much as I can. As much as my head will pour out. When all I had to do was write, I would say “I would like to be at X amount of words by Friday…” Usually I exceeded those expectations, but now that I am doing more than writing, I try not to say that because if I don’t make the goal I get upset with myself. J When I do write it is usually when my kids are at school or at night after they go to bed.

GL:  Without whom could you have not survived the writing/publishing process?

CH:  My husband, Shawn. He puts up with a lot of stuff (i.e. My spacy attitude—he calls it Cambriaville) and he really helps me out around the house when I am trying to write/work. He also gives a really mean massage for those back muscles.  Also, Amy Eye, my editor who really helped me get this book into shape and keep my head on while doing it- even if she did say I was bi-polar!! – heck I think she’s right. He he. You know this is a hard question because there are SO many people that go into making a novel. The support I get from everyone makes things a little easier every day.

GL:  I think we've gotten a sampling of Cambriaville :-).  And, Amy IS pretty darn awesome! 

GL:  What is your favorite book to read with your kids?

CH:  Tacky the Penguin. There’s a whole series of books on Tacky the Penguin. They are hilarious!! My most favorite Tacky book is TackyLocks…. Way funny, he plays Goldilocks in a play. He he he he.

GL:  I haven’t heard of these. We’ll have to check them out!

GL:  Is there anything you fear more than chickens?

CH:  Oh girl, I am a paranoid person. I could fill up this page with things that frighten me. For instance. Do you really know who is sitting in a theater with you when you go to the movies? It’s dark and full of strangers. Frankly, sometimes I have anxiety I might get stuck in there with someone with a gun. I personally always locate all the exits whenever I sit down. And when I lie in bed at night, I think up plans of attack of what I would do in case someone broke into my house. Hairspray and razors (yes, the kind you use on your legs) are usually involved.

GL:  If you could travel anywhere real or fictional, where would you go?

CH:  In real life, I would love to go to England. And Paris. I would love to tour the castles over there and sit at a café drinking coffee and eating croissants. The art museums and the architecture there would be amazing. Fictional? I think going into the pages of a fairytale would be exciting. And the singing would be fantastic!

GL:  I can totally picture you breaking out in song with a forest full of animals…

GL:  What one item is essential to your sanity/survival?

CH:  Coffee. From Starbucks. (if I could list another, I would say eye cream from Clinique.)

GL:  I did hear that women who have at least three cups of coffee a day (caffeinated) are less likely to have cancer and/or be clinically depressed.  Who woulda thunk it??

GL:  Is there anything that you just absolutely would not dress your dog in?

CH:  A chicken costume. I saw this at Petsmart and was appalled. Truly frightening.

GL:  I think Cocoa needs a little chicken friend, don’t you??

GL:  Please give us some of your famous parting words of wisdom… J

CH:  Always look before you sit. On the toilet. Yes, I look every time. You never know what kind of toilet snake is in there ready to bite your butt.

And here is a quote I enjoy. “Be the kind of man or woman that when you get out of bed the devil says “Oh, Crap! They are up!””.

He he he he he…

GL:  Thanks so much, Cambria!  I know these next couple of months are going to crazy busy and exciting for you!  Congratulations on being published, and I truly wish you all the best!  (((HUGS)))

CH:  Thanks Cassie for having me here today!! It was really fun!


Where you can find Cambria and her work:

http://www.cambriahebert.com
http://www.theunlockeddiary.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambria-Hebert/128278117253138
http://twitter.com/cambriahebert
http://otherworldpublications.com
http://blogtalkradio.com/journaljabber
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/46156

GIVEAWAY:

Cambria is offering up an ecopy of each of her short stories, "Before" and "Whiteout"... 

Here's the blurb for "Whiteout":

Lost in a world of white, I lay. Pain and cold were my only companions. How long would it take me to die? Would the cold freeze my heart and stop its beating? 

A red plastic sled saved the day. A woman saved my life. 

Unfortunately, saving my life might cost Grace her own. We get one day together, Christmas day, one day of bliss among misery. Too soon the tree is down and all that’s left of the cinnamon biscuits are crumbs. 

The people who want me dead come back to see their task complete. I didn’t have a plan, but Grace did. 

Never trust a woman with a shotgun. 

Fill out the form below to enter.  There will be two winners - one for each story.  Good Luck!!!

"The Golden Sky" Blogfest - Places I Can't Reach

E.C. Stilson's memoir, The Golden Sky, will be released tomorrow, Friday, November 18, 2011.

Goodreads' Synopsis:  The "death home" gave my son a really nice funeral, the kind I'd never wished to attend. When they tried closing his casket, I nearly fell on my face, not wanting them to shut the lid on my baby. 

We lost it after that, totally cemented in our grief. Cade got into drugs, joined a rock and roll band, and even grew out his damn hair. At the time, I was sick of "the oatmeal option" (the only food we had), so I kicked Cade out of the house, and started modeling and working as a diesel mechanic. That was how I met Earl, an old man and unlikely best friend; the "big sag," a middle aged woman who still flashed folks; my neighbor, the stripper next door, and "The Cowboy," a man who fell in love with me. 

It was slow at first, but Cade reverted back to the man I'd busked with years before. It wasn't until I killed a rogue skunk, and my daughter nearly choked on a fry, that I gave 

my husband another chance. But could our marriage recover from the death of our son?

In celebration of this event and the tragically short life of her son, Zeke, E.C. has arranged a blogfest as a memorial dedicated to the loved ones who have left us behind.


This is my (very raw and very personal) contribution....originally written October 2009, shortly after my father passed away.


Places I Cannot Reach


On Thursday, October 15, 2009 at about 7:20PM, I held onto my father's arm as his soul left this earth. To say I was unprepared for this event, the most difficult experience of my life so far, is quite an understatement.

The previous Friday, my mother had taken my older two children to stay with Jason's parents. Clayton absolutely would not stay with my mother-in-law, so Mom said she'd take him home with her for a day or two. He was able to spend some time with his Poppa that evening. Saturday morning, Mom said Daddy had gotten up with a headache and backache. I did not know he was really sick until Monday morning when my brother called to tell me they had taken him to the emergency room because he was severely dehydrated. I told him to keep me posted, and I carried on with my day.

Sometime after noon, my sister sent me a text asking what was going on. I told her I hadn't heard anything else, but I gave her my brother's cell number. Shortly after that, my brother called and told me they were putting Daddy in ICU because they thought he might have had a stroke. Jason came home about this time, and I was very upset. I had held my grandmother's hand just after she had a stroke, and I helped take care of her the last few weeks of her life when she was completely dependent on others. She was in her eighties, however...

I hurried and cleaned the house and packed some things, and Jason and I headed toward home. When we were about halfway getting something to eat, my brother called again to say they were transferring Daddy to Birmingham. This was actually a good thing because none of us liked that he was in the small hospital in their town.

We hurried to my mother's house, where my brothers and my mother were. She was getting things together to take to Birmingham. I drove her, and Jason took our car to Princeton. My sister was also on her way from Missouri.

It was a while before we were able to see him. I had tried to prepare myself for what I was about to see, but it still struck me to the core. Still, we were hopeful because we did not quite know the extent of his condition.

Eventually that night, the doctor came in to tell us that Daddy did have several hemorrhages on his brain. We knew that he would definitely be different, but we still did not know what had caused the strokes or really what we were dealing with at that point. I had to call my sister and tell her what they found, and her reaction frightened me more than anything.

The next couple days are a bit of a blur for me. It seemed every time the doctors came in, there was something new. Maybe meningitis... Maybe encephalitis... Strange skin rash... Irregularities in his heart beat... No neurological response... Low EEG reading... Can recover... Probably won't recover... Septic embolism... Staph... Hole in a valve in his heart... Kidney failure... Wednesday we were faced with the decision to remove all life support and let him go comfortably. No one wanted to make this decision, but we knew that we were running out of time... And Daddy had always made it very clear what he wanted us to do if anything like this ever happened.

Wednesday evening, we decided to give him another 12-24 hours to see if there were any improvements and to have another CT scan run to see what was going on in his brain. As we suspected, there were no improvements during the night, and the neurologist said if we were to run an MRI we would most likely find more brain damage inside the brain. We made our final decision to remove life support and begin comfort measures.

It was very difficult to watch Daddy struggling for breath. We were all hoping that he was not even remotely aware of what had been happening, but it certainly hurt US to see him that way. We were bracing ourselves because we did not know how long it was going to take for him to pass. It happened more quickly than we really expected. There were some issues during the nurses' shift change, and we just barely made it back to him before he was gone. I was able to tell him I loved him, and that was it. I'd never felt such a strong feeling of peace and life-shattering pain all at once.

Daddy was 64 years old. He had lived a hard life. He was planning to retire the following year. He will not get to enjoy his "new" house or his retirement or his grandbabies. Several of his grandchildren will not get to know their Poppa. He'll be an old photo...a story...a memory...

I'll never get to have breakfast with him again. We'll never enjoy a glass of sweet tea on the front porch again. We'll never laugh over another game of darts in the garage. He'll never help Jason repair anything else in our house :-). He'll never take Clayton for another ride in the mule. He won't see any of his grandchildren graduate high school or get married or have children of their own. He won't be there for me to call when I need to hear his comforting voice or when I need his sound, straight-forward advice.

I barely knew my father, yet I knew him better than anyone else. I understood him. I thought the way he did. I felt the way he did.

There are so many things I wish I would have said to him. So many times I wish I would have just hugged him and told him I loved him. So many times I could have shown him how much he was appreciated. So many questions I wanted to ask him. So many things I wish I had not done or said to him. I wanted nothing more than for him to be proud of me. I could have been so much better. I wanted to show him one day that I could be the woman he wanted me to be. I wish I would have done it faster. How was I supposed to know he was going to be taken from us so soon????

I know I am just at the beginning of my journey through grief and healing. I know there will be peaks and valleys. I know that my faith in God will keep the peace in my heart--knowing that this is not the end. I will see my Daddy again, and I will never lose him again!

JCK

B: March 17, 1945

D: October 15, 2009

Cherished husband, father, Poppa ;-)... 

We will miss you terribly but you will never be forgotten!!!

Feature: Before by Cambria Hebert

This week, I'm featuring my good friend, Cambria Hebert, author of "Before," "Whiteout," and her debut novel, Masquerade.  You'll be hearing a lot about Mrs. Hebert in the next month or so, so I hope you like her as much as I do! :-)


Cambria will be dropping by tomorrow, release day for "Before,"  for an interview, so make sure you stop by to get to know her even better!

Before (Heven and Hell 0.5)

By:  Cambria Hebert

ISBN:  9781936593279

Expected Publication:  November 18, 2011 by Otherworld Publications

Available Format:  ebook

My Rating:  ★★★★★

Goodreads’ Synopsis:  What if your life was charmed and everything in it was perfect…

Before.

This is the story of my past. Of what things were like for me when everything was normal. Of what every teenager’s life is like. Clothes. Parties. Boys and summer vacation. What’s so wrong with that? I liked it. I was happy.

Until things changed. I changed.

I didn’t know that lies and secrets were about to take over my existence. I didn’t know there was someone out there, someone meant just for me. I didn’t know that I was about to go on a journey, a journey that would lead me to the girl I am today.

This is the beginning of the worst year of my life. Would I go back and change things? Erase everything that has happened to go back into these moments?

Not a chance.

This is a story of before.

This is a fantastic teaser story to get us ready for the debut of Cambria’s full length Heven and Hell novel, Masquerade.  We get to see how Heven’s life was before we meet her in Masquerade.  We are given a better understanding of how devastating the incident has been in her life and exactly what events conspired to lead up to that fateful night that changed everything.

First of all, how about that gorgeous cover?  Gotta give the credit to the lovely and talented Regina Wamba of Mae I Design & Photography for that and the fantabulous Masquerade cover.  They’re just so pretty!

Now, back to the story…  Cambria is without a doubt a super talented author, and it definitely shows in this story.  She gets inside the heads of the characters and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at each and every one of them.  In no time, I was completely absorbed in Heven’s world and anxious to see what the dark stranger would bring to her life.  In the end, we’re left with a need for the remainder of the story—a need that will only be satisfied with the release of Masquerade (December 16)!

Jokers Club

Jokers Club

By:  Gregory Bastianelli

ISBN:  9781936564309

Published November 4, 2011 by JournalStone

Available Format:  Hardcover, Paperback, ebook

My Rating:  ★★★★★

Jokers Club is the 2^nd Place winner of the JournalStone 2011 Horror Writing Contest!

As a child, Geoffrey was part of a gang of kids who called themselves the Jokers Club.  Now, as an adult, he is returning to his hometown to reunite with his old pals and hopefully find the inspiration he needs for his writing.  Unfortunately, Geoffrey has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and it is getting worse very quickly.  As a result of his blackouts and hallucinations, he is often visited by a court jester who usually takes him to some very dark places in his mind.  When one of his friends ends up dead, everyone starts suspecting each other.  Can Geoffrey solve the mystery, or will the story remain unfinished?

This is one of those novels that keeps you guessing straight through the very last sentence.  There are kids involved – kids who have some dark and troubling things happening in their lives – and their past overflows into their future in a big way.  Greg entwines the tales of the adults with the tales of their past seamlessly, all while keeping the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish.  This is, by far, one of the creepiest books I have read in a long, long time. It is disturbing in so many ways, but it quickly sinks its claws in and you just cannot put it down.

I was working furiously all the way through, putting all the little clues together, and then I was hit with the twist at the end, which was nothing short of brilliant. Greg is a fantastic writer and he certainly knows how to delve deep into the reader’s mind while still offering up the finest entertainment. I know I’m not the only one who has questioned his mental status, for him to be able to write something so dark and disturbing, but I know he is just full of intense creativity.

If you are looking for a book that will get your gears turning and maybe even creep you out a bit, this is definitely the one for you!

JournalJabber Recap - November 15, 2011

Another Tuesday and the middle of November already!?!?!  The year is almost over.  It's time for us to celebrate Thanksgiving here in the States, and before we know it, Santa will be making his annual rounds.


Tonight's guest was the 2nd place winner of JournalStone's 2011 Horror Writing Contest, Gregory Bastianelli.  His novel, Jokers Club, is disturbing at times, but you just cannot put it down!  Our favorite testosterone-filled co-host, Brett J. Talley (ironically the 1st place winner of the same contest :-)), interviewed Greg for us.  Don't forget to vote for Brett's book, That Which Should Not Be in the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards!!!

Listen to internet radio with JournalJabber on Blog Talk Radio

I didn't realize until I sat down to put my notes together that I have not yet written my official review of Jokers Club.  So, I'm going to try my darndest to get that done and posted tomorrow.  (Later this week, Cambria Hebert, author of "Before", "Whiteout", and Masquerade, will be my special guest.)  I did give it a well-deserved 5-star rating!


Here's my show notes :-)...  

JournalStone

www.journalstone.com

www.journalstone.com/journaljabber

Call in:  (858)365-5540

amy@journalstone.com

Jokers Club

By:  Gregory Bastianelli

ISBN:  9781936564309

Published November 4, 2011 by JournalStone

Available Format: Hardcover, Paperback, ebook

Greg’s Links:

http://journalstone.com/authors/authors/gregory-bastianelli/

Buy the book:

http://journal-store.com/fiction/jokers-club/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936564300

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jokers-club-gregory-bastianelli/1105858232

Greg’s Three Facts:

Which of the following is a former occupation?

a) Chicken Sexer

b) Chimney sweep

c) Mosquito exterminator

Email your answer to Amy at amy@journalstone.com to get your free copy of Jokers Club!

Don't forget about our special Christmas show!  If your little one would like to read their favorite (short) Christmas story on air, send Amy an email (amy@journalstone.com) to sign them up.  It will be prerecorded, so everyone can kick back and enjoy listening to the kiddos.  

We will NOT have a show next week, since it is Thanksgiving week here.  Some folks will be out of town, and we need a holiday every now and then :-).  We sure will miss everyone, but we'll be back before you know it!

Our next guest is Nichole Chase, author of Mortal Obligation.  Join us again Tuesday, November 29th at 9PM EST!!

As always, thanks for listening!!  We LOVE our audience!

Our links:

Cassie’s Blog:  www.gatheringleavesreviews.blogspot.com   

Cambria’s Blog:  www.theunlockeddiary.blogspot.com     

Goodreads Group:  http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/46156.Creative_Reviews

The Willing (Crayder Chronicles 2)

The Willing (Crayder Chronicles 2)

By:  C.S. Splitter

Expected publication: November 21, 2011

Available Format: ebook

My Rating: ★★★★★

The guy we all hate to love is back, and he’s taking us along on one heck of a ride.  In this installment of the Crayder Chronicles, Tom and Lorena are teaming up to help get Tom’s wife, Jenny, out of a heap of trouble.  When Jenny uncovers a money-laundering scheme, not one but THREE major bad dudes are out to silence her.  Tom has to find each of the criminals and neutralize them before they find his wife.  Will he be successful, and how will he keep Jenny from discovering his crime-fighting secrets??

I loved book one, but this is by far my favorite of the two!  As much as he tries not to be, Tom really is a sweet, lovable guy.  He is much less piggish in this book, which probably has something to do with him not contemplating cheating on his wife this time.  I love that he and Lorena are working together most of this book.  I love their dynamic, and I am so glad to get to see more of Lorena’s personality and personal life revealed.  Tiny is another character I don’t think I could ever get tired of.  There’s some mystery with him still, so I’m looking forward to getting to know more about him as well.  You might even recognize a couple of the new characters (i.e. my good friends, Cambria and Texas Long Hair). J

The story moves much faster in book two.  There is a lot more action involved, but everything fits perfectly and runs smoothly.  It is nothing short of entertaining and enjoyable from cover to cover.  There’s a little more violence and carnage involved, but when you have drug lords taking each other out, what do you expect?  We get to see more of Tom’s fancy flying, not for his cra—er—forced landings, but there is a pretty sweet dog fight involved!

I can’t wait to see what Tom does next!  If you liked The Reluctant, you will love The Willing…  If you haven’t read either, well, what are you waiting for?!?!?

Learn more about Crayder Chronicles and C.S. Splitter at http://www.splittersworld.blogspot.com

The Three Musketeers (2011)

The Three Musketeers

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

Starring:  Matthew Macfadyen, Milla Jovovich, 

Luke Evans, Ray Stevenson, Logan Lerman, 

Orlando Bloom, Freddie Fox, and Christoph Waltz

Released in theaters October 21, 2011

Rated PG-13 for sequences of adventure action violence

My Rating:  ★★★★☆

This movie is loosely based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas.  The hot-headed D’Artagnan (Logan Lerman) heads to Paris in hopes of becoming a Musketeer like his father, only to learn the group has been disbanded.  Through a little humorous fate, he manages to bring them all back together in order to save the kingdoms of France and England from going to war.  Will they succeed?  Only time and probably a sequel will tell.

Where to start…  On one hand, I am a bit disappointed.  I think this movie could have been a little more in the Sherlock Holmes direction.  There was just a spark of something missing here, maybe something darker.  It didn’t hold my attention quite like I felt it should have.  On the other hand, it was good fun.  Most of the characters were delightfully quirky, especially King Louis.  Matthew Macfadyen is a favorite of mine, and he brought something interesting to Athos.  Each of the Musketeers actually shined in their own way, even D’Artagnan with that hideous hair.  Christoph Waltz was a perfect Richelieu; he is just so good at being so bad!

The plot is simple and straightforward, which means predictable, but that’s okay because it is so much fun!  There are some interesting twists and contraptions involved and some pretty entertaining action scenes.  The scenery and cinematography is really beautiful.  

There’s a little bit of everything except a lot of drama.  It’s fast paced, so you’re not getting bogged down with deep, emotional scenes.  There’s definitely action and adventure with an enjoyable sprinkling of comedy and romance mixed in.

Is this one to own?  Probably.  It at least made for a relaxing Sunday evening with the family.