Thursday, September 27, 2007

Another Bayou Justice Review....

Robin Caroll has written a suspense-filled thriller with a big splash of romance thrown in. CoCo is not an everyday heroine, yet the author shows the grace that CoCo has learned since becoming a Christian, especially in dealing with those difficult questions about why God lets bad things happen. The pages don’t stop turning as CoCo and Luc reconcile their relationship and work on solving the murder. The secondary characters are marvelous, from Grandmere to Tara, CoCo’s sister; Luc’s alcoholic mother, and his frail yet brave sister, Felicia. But let us not forget the biggest star of the story, the Louisiana Bayou. BAYOU JUSTICE is a riveting read. I highly recommend this book

Robin Caroll will be releasing more of her Bayou inspired books in 2008, so stay tuned; this author delivers the goods.--Deborah C Jackson, Romance Reviews Today

Monday, September 10, 2007

BAYOU JUSTICE review in ROMANTIC TIMES

Hey, y'all!

I just received word that BAYOU JUSTICE received 4.5 stars from Romantic Times Magazine. Not only that, it's a TOP PICK for October! Here's an exercpt from the review... (you can read the whole review by subscribing-visit www.romantictimes.com for details)

Bayou Justice (4.5), by Robin Caroll, is a solid story that has a powerful emotional edge, as well as compelling secondary characters. The parallel stories of Luc and CoCo's relationship and the solving of the murder are excellently handled.

—Robin Taylor


I'm SO excited!

HECTIC

One week from today, and I leave for the ACFW conference. In the meantime, I have to get my house ready, my family's needs organized so when I'm gone, everything will run smoothly, and I'm on a deadline as well. But you know what, it's okay. Because I'm excited about everything. Can't wait! :D

So, how're YOU doing? Are you ready for conference????

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Hear Ye, Hear Ye...

MaryLu Tyndall

Welcome, MaryLu. I'm glad you could drop by to visit.

The Restitution is the third book in your series. Can you tell us a little bit about why you've continued with the series?

The third book sort of morphed from two of the characters in the second book. I really felt strongly that their story needed to be told. Even though my publisher requested a third book, I had no idea what to write until I was well into the second. But, I’ve found that happens a lot with writing. More and more ideas keep popping into my head as I get further along with a story.

Will there be a 4th Legacy of the King's Pirates?

Unfortunately not at this time, although several people have asked for one. I’d love to continue the story of the four main characters I’ve introduced in the series, but time will tell. I do have several more sea-faring adventures in the making, however.

Where do you get your inspiration for writing?

I have to give the credit to God for any ideas He gives me. But, having said that, I also get “inspiration” from other books, movies, and music, from people I know and from long walks outside.

Six kids and three cats? Wow, how do you find the time to write? I have 3 kids and 6 cats, and I have to set a schedule! LOL How do you do it?

Two of my kids have moved out of the house, three more are in college and one is a senior in High School, so other than the emotional “crisis” that arise in their lives, they are pretty self-sufficient! It’s the cats that drive me nuts! LOL Truthfully, I used to stress about finding time to write and trying to meet deadlines, but I found that it was a sign that I wasn’t trusting God. If He wants me to write, He’ll provide the time. After all, He’s in charge of time! So, I just sit down to write whenever I have a free moment. I set a daily quota and try to stick to that, even if I have to write late at night.

I'm known for asking some off the wall questions, so here goes: What has been your happiest day, writing related only, thus far in your career?

Being nominated for the Christy Award was by far the biggest thrill for me. I had no idea my publisher had even submitted my book, so when they told me about the nomination, I was stunned. This was my first book, The Redemption, and if you knew the miraculous story of my road to publication, you would be shocked too. God is still in the business of miracles, and I am a prime example.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Being an author is hard work with long hours, stressful deadlines, and little pay. Not only that, but after you pour your heart and soul into a novel and put it out there for the world to see, you must develop the thickest skin possible to shield you from spiteful reviews. Have I scared you off yet? LOL Dedication, perseverance and humility are three essential qualities for all aspiring authors. Be sure this is what you want and this is where the Lord is leading you, then jump into it with all your heart. Pray often, and never let your desire to be published come before your love for God.

If you could visit with any novelist, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Jane Austen. Her command of the English language, exquisite use of words, and deep characterization astound me. I’m dying to ask her how she did it!

What's next on your writing horizon?

I have an adventure/romance novel coming out next September called The Falcon and the Sparrow, set in 1803 London during the beginning of the Napoleonic wars. And next I’m working on a three book series set in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1718.

Many blessings, MaryLu, and thank you for visiting! I wish you the best of luck in all your writing endeavors!

Thank you Robin for hosting me on your site! I understand your novel, Bayou Justice, just received 4.5 stars with Romantic Times and was a top pick in October. Congratulations!

Thanks! I'm still walking on air! :D

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Welcome author Camy Tang

Today we're visiting with one of my dearest friends, Camy Tang. Her debut novel, Sushi for One?, is a delightful chicklit that covers a variety of issues.

Welcome, Camy, to the blog. Glad you were able to stop by.
Okay, I GOTTA ask....what was your inspiration for Sushi for One?

I promise it wasn't my family! My grandma (and my parents, and my
other relatives) are nothing like Grandma Sakai. GS was a
conglomeration of stories I heard from friends about their
parents/aunties/siblings/grandparents. Of course, once I had Grandma
Sakai, what better than to pit her against Christian single women in
her family with as much backbone as she has?

Can you tell me a little about your experience with the Chinese and
Japanese cultures, as you bring out the differences in your book.

I am fourth generation Japanese, and my husband is third generation
Chinese. There's actually quite a difference in mindset and culture
between us and, say, first or second generation Asians like in Amy
Tan's books. I wanted to highlight the "American-ness" and yet
"Asian-ness" of characters whose families have been in the United
States for several generations. Chinese and Japanese cultures are
often similar in certain aspects.

Some attitudes remain the same across cultures--like exceptional
deference to elders--but other things are different--like more modern
ideas about career and family. The clash between second generation
Grandma Sakai and fourth generation Lex is the core of the book.

One thing common to many Asian families is food, whether they're
Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, or any other Asian ethnicity.
So the food scenes in Sushi for One are pretty authentic. Readers will
notice the difference between, say, the Chinese food at the Red Egg
and Ginger party and the home-made spread at Lex's uncle's birthday
party.



I just loved your character, Lex. How much of her personality is yours?

Not as much as I'd like. Lex is much braver than I am about saying
what she thinks without caring what people think of her. If I said
some of the things she does, I'd get smacked upside the head by my
mother.

What's the story behind Captain Caffeine??

My husband love coffee. I mean, LOVES COFFEE. Strong coffee.
Cappuccinos and lattes in particular.

Picking a screen name for him took a little while, but he likes the
moniker Captain Caffeine that we decided on. It fits him to a T.

One famous--or infamous--story about him is that I promised him
anything if I got a book contract, because he very graciously let me
quit my job in order to try writing full-time. Well, I got the
contract, and he bought an all stainless-steel, Italian espresso maker
that's pictured on my blog:
http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/2006/05/im-done.html

What advice would you give a new author, besides the standard of "learn your
craft, hone your skills?"

Learn the market. Don't stick your head in a hole in the ground and
expect yourself to come up with brilliantly unique story ideas. You
need to be aware if there are a lot of pastor heroes being published
in your chosen genre, or that six books about wedding planners hit the
shelves last year. That way you know to avoid pastor heroes or wedding
planners. Know your market so that your story will stand out from
everything else being published. You don't have to read them all, but
the story blurbs on Amazon or Christianbook.com are priceless.

What's next for you?

The second book in the series, Only Uni, arrives February 2008. That's
Trish's story. Venus's story (I know you like Venus best) is Single
Sashimi, which comes out in the fall of 2008.

I also want to tell people about my huge website contest going on
right now. I'm giving away baskets of Christian fiction and an iPod
Nano! Only my newsletter YahooGroup subscribers are eligible, so join
today:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Camys_Loft/join

Thanks for dropping by.....I'll be reviewing your book in a few days! :D

Thanks for letting me chat here, Robin!

Readers, stay tuned....I'll be reviewing Sushi For One? in the next few days!