Aya Walksfar, Author

To write is to create new realities with words

21 May 2013

Ruby Standing Deer Interviews Aya Walksfar

I was very honored when Ruby Standing Deer, one of my favorite authors, interviewed me for her blog. We sat down with a cup of coffee and kicked back. Ruby has a wonderful way about her, makes a person feel right at home.
We chatted about my recently released novella, Dead Men and Cats, a murder mystery. Then she had me tell her about my two upcoming novels: Good Intentions, a different kind of coming-of-age story, that is due out in July, and Sketch of a Murder, the first book of the Special Crimes Team series featuring Sergeant Nita Slowater. (You can read the interview at http://www.rubystandingdeer.com )
I’ve noticed this friendly, inclusive attitude in Ruby’s writing as well. When I read her book Circles I felt like I had been invited to that ancient Native American village. If you get a chance, visit Ruby at http://www.rubystandingdeer.com I highly recommend Ruby’s books Circles, and the second book of that series, Spirals. The third book, Stones, is coming soon.

Posted in Aya's Books and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
16 May 2013

Interview with Sergeant Slowater

I am happy to introduce our guest today. Sergeant Nita Slowater of the Special Crimes Team. Sergeant Slowater, how are you today?

Sergeant Slowater: Busy.

Um, well, yes, I can imagine. You are second-in-command of the Special Crimes Team. What an honor that must be.

Sergeant: Yeah, right. Look, can we hurry this along?

Uh…yes, sure. I understand your team is working on a murder case. Can you tell me a little about it?

Sergeant: No, I cannot. It is an ongoing investigation.

Well, does it have anything to do with the murder of a couple of our more prominent Washington state citizens?

Sergeant: I said, I cannot talk about the ongoing investigation.

Sergeant Slowater, I get the distinct impression that you are rather hostile. Is it me, it is being interviewed for a blog, or just what is it?

Sergeant: I am a cop. Cops and reporters are not on the same side. You people will do anything to get a story, even if it endangers police officers. So, yes, you might say I’m a bit hostile. Look, I can’t sit here all day sparring with you. I have work to do.

I can’t believe this, she just walked out! Wow. Guess we’ll have to try to do an interview with a different Special Crimes Team member one of these days. I did get the impression though that she had a reason for her hostility. Now, that might be a real story there!

Posted in Aya's Books and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
13 May 2013

Can you guess which character owns this ride?

Can you guess which character owns this ride?

In one of my upcoming novels, one of the characters owns this ride. The first two people who leave the correct answer in a comment, will receive a FREE ebook of that novel.
The novels in which this ride might be featured are:
Good Intentions, due out in July 2013
Sketch of a Murder, due out in August 2013
Winners will be announced on August 31, 2013

Posted in Aya's Books | Leave a Comment
09 May 2013
1 Comment

For All of My Co-Conspirators

All of you who have read the posted chapters of Good Intentions and left comments, I now need you to leave me the information I will use on the Acknowledgement Page of the Second Edition of Good Intentions which will be brought out in July, 2013, by Mountain Springs House Publishing.  YES! They liked the novel so well that they want to bring out a second edition! I am truly honored.

What I need from all of you who commented are the following:

What handle did you comment under?

Do you want me to use that in the Acknowledgement, or is there a different name you wish me to use?

Where would you like me to send your ebook edition of Good Intentions once it is published? (I may do a coupon thing where I send you a coupon code you can use to ‘buy’ the book)

In preparation for the publishing of Good Intentions, Second Edition, I will be removing the chapters from my blog. BUT DON”T WORRY! The book will be available both as an ebook and as a hard copy.  I will be posting updates on the release date periodically.

Thank all of you for participating in this fun interaction! I am so glad you visited with me and chatted.

Posted in Aya's Books and tagged , , , , , ,
26 Apr 2013

Who Inspires You?

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine and she asked me who was my inspiration for Sergeant Nita Slowater in my coming-soon murder mystery series about the Special Crimes Team.

Nita is a combination of several strong women who touched my life at various times. My mother was a strong woman who wasn’t afraid to take a swing if she found herself is such a situation. I will be blogging about some of my mother’s adventures later this summer.

My grandmother once chased her boss from the kitchen of the restaurant where she worked, welding a frying pan! Well, you can see she wasn’t one to be dissed.

Audrey Hepburn was one of my heroines while growing up.

And recently, a fine police officer, and friend, has inspired me, and reminded me how human the police really are, while at the same time, how heroic.

Who inspires you?

Leave a comment and tell us about the person who shines a light through the darkness for you.

Posted in Aya's Books and tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment
19 Apr 2013
1 Comment

Ruby Standing Deer won Indie Book of the Day Award today! For her wonderful novel about early Native Americans, Circles. It is really a must-read! You can find this wonderful author and the first two books of her series, Circles and the second book, Spirals on amazon.com

Posted in Interesting Writers/Authors and tagged , , , ,
11 Apr 2013
1 Comment

Some Encouragement For Bloggers

Some Encouragement For Bloggers.

This is a great blog not only for bloggers but for readers, writers, novelists, and people who just need a nudge to place words on computer!  Enjoy!

Posted in The Craft of Writing and tagged , , , ,
11 Apr 2013
1 Comment

Some Fun Stuff

I love it when people ask me about my novels and short stories.  Some of the fun conversations that I’ve had include this one:  how do I find the various hair colors for my characters?

Talking to hair stylists is really fun.  Many of these good-natured folks are happy to share their passion for hair.  I have talked with  everyone from a fun  guy who gives hundred dollar haircuts to the great young women at chain salons such as Hair Masters.  They can really tell some stories!

Of course, at three in the morning when I often do a lot of my writing, my friends at the hair salons would not appreciate a. being woke up  b. being interrupted during party-time!  So, I’m on my own, and that’s a scary thought! Especially since I’m a wash-and-wear sort of woman.

For those long nights, I hit a website called Best Wig Outlet.  http://www.bestwigoutlet.com  They actually have a chart of a wide variety of hair colors.

So, there you have it.  My secret.  Be sure to visit the Best Wig Outlet.  It’s a fun place.

 

Posted in The Craft of Writing and tagged , , , , ,
30 Jan 2013
3 Comments

Know the Write Rules before you Break them

Grammar, punctuation, word choice: these are the tools of writers.

To write effectively we need to know when and where certain punctuation is used.  A misplaced comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence.

Word choice is critical.  Using a word incorrectly can cause confusion, embarrassment and loss of credibility.

However, there are times in fiction writing  that breaking the rules makes the writing more powerful.  The only way to know how to effectively break the rules, is to first understand them.

Grammar Girl has an excellent, easy to use website for any writer to learn about these essentials.  In addition, you will also find information on proofreading, commas splices and so much more.  I highly recommend it.

Google search: grammargirl.quickanddirtytips.com

Posted in The Craft of Writing and tagged , , , ,
27 Jan 2013
7 Comments

Importance of Book Cover Design

When a reader cruises the bookstores, whether online or physical, they often walk down the aisle containing books that reflect their favorite genres.  One of the very first things that catches the eye is the cover of the book; sometimes even before the title or the author.

In today’s competitive market, catching the eye of the reader is the most important step in marketing your work.

The book cover represents the concept of your book.  Not only does it need to catch the reader’s eye, but it needs to honestly reflect the contents within.  There is nothing as annoying as opening a book, perhaps with a horse on the cover, and discovering there in nothing connected to horses, to the culture of horses, to people who own horses, within the book.  The reader feels cheated, or at the least, led astray.

With the basic image decided upon, the author needs to consider the font, size, and placement of the title of the book.  If the reader sees a knight on a horse as the basic design, then it follows that the title script should reflect that era.  The caution here is to not use such artistic script as to make the title difficult to read.

The third element of cover design is the author’s name.  The author’s name needs to be easily read.  Placement and size, in comparison to the title, needs to be considered as well.

Many authors commission professional cover designers.  If, however, this is not a possibility, or the author simply wants to produce their own covers, Jonathan Gunson has provided a list of wonderful links to FREE professional photographs that can be used in cover designs.  http://www.bestsellerlabs.com

Posted in The Craft of Writing and tagged , , , , , ,

Post Navigation

← Older Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 191 other followers

%d bloggers like this: