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Welcome. Toss a blanket down, sit for a while under the willow, relax, and enjoy what's written below.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Research

Welcome to the Willow Tree,


My debut novel, Gypsy Spirits, was set in 1967. The slang, language, trends, popular vs. unpopular items such as cars and clothing used during that time wasn’t difficult to describe since I graduated from high school that year.

The sequel novel, Annamarie and Magdalena, also took place in the next few years. Fortunately, my youngest child was approximately the same age as my main character’s child. I was also able to utilize memory to write.

The third book in the trilogy will be titled, “Lena,” which is Magdalena’s nick-name. There will be a time jump of approximately fourteen years which is also helpful because my daughter was the same age at that time. Piece of cake, right? So far so good, but there will also be sections when Lena travels back in time to stop her father’s spirit from wreaking havoc on her ancestors. Now things become harder.

Research. I have to admit internet research beats spending hours in the library, after school, on a Friday night with a half-dozen books scattered on the table. It is faster and easier although no cute boys to flirt with.

Which brings me to the real topic of this post: realism. Since I haven’t decided how far back Lena must travel I have all of history to choose from, but the details have to be right. I have read books and perhaps you have, too which didn’t sound real. Maybe you know enough about that period in time to know there are errors. Don’t assume that since it was hundreds of years ago someone doesn’t know that period of time in detail. Although we call it fiction, we can only go so far.

If you are going to make up wild details to sell a book or jazz up a scene you should write a fantasy book. I might try one at some point to see how wild my mind can be when I let it go. My granddaughter made a very good point when we were discussing the third book. She told me to do detailed research and be absolutely sure my details are accurate. “Just because it is fiction, grandma, don’t assume everyone will believe it.” She’s right. Someone could call us on it and we could see the dreaded 1 star review for inaccuracy. No one wants that. Do the research. I am beginning mine and find it interesting. I hope you do, too.

Happy Writing.

Marianne
   

Monday, September 3, 2012

Interview With Barbranne Herrera



Today I am interviewing Barbranne Herrera here under the Willow Tree. She writes under the pen name Martha Emms. This is Barbranne's first interview and her book has just been released. Let's give her a huge welcome and wish her well in her writing pursuits. Welcome Barbranne.


What are you currently working on and when do you plan to release your next book?

My book was just uploaded to Amazon, Createspace, Pubit, and Barnes & Noble today. So I’ve been researching marketing methods. I’m in the middle of transition, after a divorce I’ll be selling my home and moving to another state, so right now life is topsy turvy. I’ve already started my next book and I’m hoping within a year at the least to have it done.

Do you have a favorite genre for your writing or do you write whatever moves you?

I believe I will be writing whatever moves me :) Why limit creativity? I have ideas for family and adult stories. I am a dreamer and stories often play out like movies in my dreams.

What is the best piece of advice you were given about writing?

I think the best advice I received was if you’re self publishing to hire an editor. Regardless of how many writing groups or friends read your work a good editor can catch things and make you rethink some of your decisions. As the writer you get close and involved in your story and sometimes that’s too close because you already know it. An editor can make you see what you may have missed and question things as a virgin reader to your work. You don’t have to take all their advice but you should respect it and give it some serious thought.

Do you have a special spot where you like to write or are you a “have lap top will travel” writer?

I write in many different places but my favorite is in bed with the TV on. I write best late at night until the early hours of the morning.

What is your favorite book and favorite author?

Ugh, I can’t answer that so simply, LOL. I love too many of them. One of my favorite books is The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk, it was like watching a movie while I read it. His character descriptions and development were amazing. My favorite authors are many. I can’t pick one above the other because they each fill different needs when I read their work: Ken Follett, Robyn Carr, Jill Shalvis, Debbie Macomber, Tom Clancy, Lawrence Sanders, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Jodi Thomas, Constance O’Banyon, and Bobbi Smith just to name a few :)

When did you discover your passion for writing?

I‘ve always liked to write but I’ve a love hate relationship with grammar and structure. When I was very young I would make up stories and scribble them down to tell my friends. In elementary school I would get in trouble for having “an overactive imagination” and so embarrassed, for many years, I stopped writing. In the 1990s I began working on a children’s book and a screenplay but never brought either to fruition. In 2009 my passion returned and thus my book.

Do you have a favorite beverage or snack you must have while writing?

I really enjoy tea, iced or hot. Most of the time I am more thirsty than hungry when I write. But if I have a craving it would be popcorn.

What inspires you?

I find animals, people who overcome hardships, people with patience, the human spirit, family, children, nature, gardens, farmers, the weather, books, and movies all inspiring.

Do you have any advice for other writers on any subject you choose?

I have four suggestions. First, learn about the business of writing for one thing. I’m learning now and I should of thought about this all before. Talk about a rude awakening. Second, try and keep abreast with technology. Third, keep learning and read a lot. Fourth, you’ll get plenty of advice along the way. Listen with an open mind but remember to stay true to the characters and story you want to write.

Any last thoughts you would like to add?

Don’t let anyone talk you out of going after your dream. No matter what it is, how old you are, what you look like, what your friends or family say, just do it. If you spend your life being afraid of failure you will have failed without even trying. So go for it and put yourself out there!

Portrait of Our Marriage, Memoirs of Love, Family, the Internet, and Obsession is a fictional memoir and I’m using the pen name Martha Emms in honor of my Mother and Aunt. Both suffered from brain tumors. My Mom, Martha, wanted me to be a writer and write from my heart. My Aunt Emma wanted me to stir the pot. I think my book does both. 

Friends have compared it to Revolutionary Road, the Ying to 50 Shades of Grey’s yang. The romance will seduce you. The story could be yours. Can one book make you smile, think, touch your heart, turn you on, see different sides, break your heart & twist your insides up? My book can!
This is not a story about the famous. It is not about hype, fame, or fortune, no headlines or big custody lawsuits. It is a woman's story that you don't want to miss. How does a wife compete with pornography? Some may call her a wimp, others will say she's a woman in love trying to hold her family together. Will porn consume her marriage and change the man she loves.

From the back cover:
Nicky led a sheltered life until she met Brett: An adventurous, handsome, smart, and exciting lover. She had never known this kind of love before, either emotionally or physically. She pictured her life with Brett as a partner, a friend, and a father to her future children. And when they married, Nicky knew she had found everything her heart and body desired.

But when Brett’s fantasy world of racy magazines, explicit videos, and disturbing internet porn becomes an obsession and affects their marriage, Nicky has to ask herself: What happened to the man I married?

Portrait of Our Marriage is the story of one woman’s journey to find herself and become her own person despite the legacy of a domineering father and an emotionally—and often physically—distant husband.

Amazon book link
Facebook--Portrait-of-Our-Marriage
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I love and enjoy time with my family, which includes my cats. An avid reader I also enjoy movies, wine, good food, nature, and writing. Causes close to my heart - proper labeling of our food especially genetically engineered food, the safety and care of our military & their families, child/adult literacy volunteer programs, spay/neuter pet projects, pet rescues, and women’s issues.

Barbranne Herrera
(Martha Emms)