TELEVISION TUESDAY
#HILARIOUS
Catching up with Thor…
Isn’t Thor hilarious? Tell me in the comments!
Benjamin Thomas
@thewritingtrain
http://www.thewritingtrain.com
Flooded: A Creative Anthology of Brain Injuries with Victoria Griffin
**WATCH “FLOODED: A Creative Anthology of Brain Injuries”**
Check out the link to the Kickstarter campaign!
Allow me to introduce my friend Victoria Griffin a freelance editor, writer, blogger and all around awesome gal. Welcome Griff!!
Former Softball Player Creates Creative Anthology Devoted to Brain Injuries Knoxville, Tennessee – October 6, 2016 – In January of this year, author and Campbell University softball player Victoria Griffin sustained a severe concussion that would last four months. The injury stripped her of basic abilities–reading, walking, speaking—and took her final season of college softball. Now, she is using the experience to fuel the creation of Flooded, a literary anthology of fiction and creative nonfiction devoted to concussions and brain injuries. In order to fund the project, she is launching a Kickstarter campaign October 11, 2016. The bulk of funding will go toward contributor payments, editing, and design. She hopes the anthology will provide an outlet for victims of brain injuries to express the emotional realities so often glazed over in favor of statistics and facts. She also sees the anthology as a tool to educate those who have not experienced brain injuries–and those who will in the future. Supporters can become involved with the project as ambassadors, sharing updates about Flooded with their social media networks. Find out more about Flooded at victoriagriffin.net/flooded
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Alright, time to knock this puppy out of the park. You ready??
*Where did you grow up?
I grew up in East Tennessee, near the base of the Smoky Mountains, in a little town called Claxton. It has one red light and no post office, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
Nice. I haven’t trekked to much around the Smoky Mountains, but I’ve driven through it *many* times.
*How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I’ve got a folder of stories from the first grade that make me wonder how many horror flicks my dad let me watch as a kid. My first publication came during my junior year of high school. I’d say that was when I truly decided writing was going to be my life.
That’s great, Tori. You’re going to have to share some of those stories with us!
*What do you love most about it?
Writing has a way of giving you control, while completely stripping it away. As a writer, I decide characters’ fates, and yet it often feels like transcribing a story that has already happened. I love creating in a way that feels like discovery.
I love your take on this. There is something about creating these fates and destinies that’s so satisfying.
“Writing has a way of giving you control, while completely stripping it away”-Victoria Griffin
*Can you tell us a little about the brain anthology?
Flooded was inspired by my own experience with TBI and my subsequent realization that concussion and brain injury awareness are seriously lacking. The anthology will consist of fiction and creative nonfiction about brain injuries, with the purpose of spreading awareness about the reality of brain injuries’ impacts on people’s lives.
This project is very special and I’m glad you decided to participate in it!
*Explain your goals for the Kickstarter campaign and how we can participate.
While this anthology is devoted to concussion awareness, it is also a literary undertaking. I will seek out the best work by talented authors, and I believe they should be paid appropriately. The main goal for the Kickstarter is to make sure that happens. The funds will also cover editing, layout, cover art, etc. to produce a high-quality anthology. Of course, you can participate in the campaign by pledging to the project (and getting some sweet rewards), but you can also participate by spreading the word. Sharing the Flooded story with your friends, family, and social media networks is greatly appreciated.
This is exciting! Can’t wait until the final product comes about. But the great thing is we can participate in the process!!
*How do you view writing after experiencing a major concussion?
Of course, the experience impacts my work—as all experiences do. But the greatest change since the injury is how grateful I am to be able to write. During those four months, I was physically unable to write. Language was painful. I couldn’t understand words being spoken to me, let alone create them myself. Now, to be able to tell stories and follow my passion means so much more than it did before.
Wow. I’m just glad you’re ok. But I’m even happier that you emerged with more passion for writing!
“Passion will move men beyond themselves, beyond their shortcomings, beyond their failures.” -Joseph Campbell
*Has it changed how you write?
I have become much more interested in representing myself and my culture in my work—as a brain-injury survivor, a woman, and a southern Appalachian. The concussion helped me to realize how powerful writing and storytelling is. Losing the ability to write or read for four months made that abundantly clear. I suppose I feel more responsibility, now, to use my writing in an impactful way.
This is powerful. Love it.
“The concussion helped me to realize how powerful writing and storytelling is. Losing the ability to write or read for four months made that abundantly clear.”
*How has it affected your outlook on life?
I’m not sure I can express how much the injury changed my outlook. I lost absolutely everything that makes me who I am—down to my emotions. My family told me after the fact that my eyes were dull and dead-looking. I have been symptom-free for four months, now, and still just stepping into the sunshine gives me more happiness than I can describe. Reading a book, watching a movie, listening to music. I am grateful to be able to do these things. My perspective has shifted. To be alive, breathing, and not in pain is a miracle to me.
The other massive change in my outlook is a result of the people in my life who took care of me during that time. We’ve all had someone care for us while we’re sick. This was nothing like that. These people dropped their entire lives to make sure I stayed breathing—literally. A friend stayed with me when I was afraid I would stop breathing during the night. Coming to help me while I was stuck on the stairs. Shielding me from the lights and sounds that shut down my system. Pulling me out of buildings when I couldn’t move. The list goes on. At the same time, I saw the absolute worst in people. Those who actually tried to hurt me while I was helpless to defend myself. So I learned, and I will remember, to hold tightly to true friends and loved ones and to let the others go. The only people I need in my life are the ones who love me enough to hold me up when I’m falling, and I will never stop telling them how much I love and appreciate them.
This is very moving, especially hearing how they cared for you in your lowest times. Love motivates a true friend to hold you up when you fall. Very sweet indeed.
* Post-concussion, what are you most grateful for?
The people who were and continue to be there for me.
Hey, you can’t beat that.
*Can you name up to 5 things that helped you through this difficult time?
I’ll name a few things that helped me post-concussion, after the symptoms subsided. Because to be completely honest, there is nothing in the world that could have helped during the injury.
1. My friends and family
2. Reading and writing
3. Having a clear picture of where I wanted to be in the next year, of the person I wanted to get back to being
Excellent. I’m glad you pulled through, and hats off to all those who lent a helping hand.
Don’t forget to check out the Kickstarter page for more information, goals, and rewards for participation!
Victoria Griffin
865.292.1798
Thanks for ridin’ the Train folks!! Until the next time…..
Benjamin Thomas
@thewritingtrain
http://www.thewritingtrain
YA Bound Book Tour: The Row by J.R. Johansson
**THE ROW BY J.R. JOHANSSON**
About the Author
J.R. Johansson’s books have been published in a dozen languages and more than twenty countries worldwide. She has a B.S. degree in
public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. She lives in Utah with two sons, a wonderful husband, three cats, and a hot tub named Valentino.
She is represented by the stellar Kathleen Rushall of Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Blog Tour organized by: YA Bound Book Tours
Author Links:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
The Row by J.R. Johansson
Genre: YA Mystery
Release Date: October 11th 2016
FSG/Macmillan
Summary from Goodreads:
A death sentence. A family torn apart. One girl’s hunt for the truth. Seventeen-year-old Riley Beckett is no stranger to prison. Her father is a convicted serial killer on death row who has always maintained that he was falsely accused. Riley has never missed a single visit with her father. She wholeheartedly believes that he is innocent.
Then, a month before the execution date, Riley’s world is rocked when, in an attempt to help her move on, her father secretly confesses to her that he actually did carry out the murders.
He takes it back almost immediately, but she cannot forget what he’s told her. Determined to uncover the truth for her own sake, she discovers something that will forever change everything she’s believed about the family she loves.
Buy links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Google Play | Books-a-Million | Indiebound | Indigo | Overstock | Powell’s | Target
*Who’s your favorite football team?
I’m an absolute freak about the Green Bay Packers. I never miss a game. I usually go out to Green Bay for several games a year, I own stock in the organization, and I helped my son decorate his entire room green and yellow. 😉
Cheesehead, eh? I’m a 49er’s fan!
*What initially drew you to write?
The first time I sat down and started writing, I did it as an escape. My life was stressing me out and I had this idea in my mind that just wouldn’t go away. I thought maybe if I wrote it down, it might help, so I did. Not only did it help my stress, but I found something I loved more than I ever would have imagined.
I had the same experience. Beginning with simple escapism in poetry then morphing into full blown fiction.
*Why have you chosen to write YA?
Teen years are so formative. They are one of the first times we all start trying to identify and establish ourselves and our independence. We begin to figure out who we are and create and define ourselves. I think we continue to do that again and again at various points for the rest of our lives and so it’s easy to identify with. I love writing characters in that kind of flux and transition. It creates beautifully poignant conflict and tension.
Wonderful! Conflict and tension is the name of the game.
*How do you craft your characters?
I try to start with someone real and flawed and then try to get into their heads. I create their backstory and try to figure out what having a history like the one I gave them would do to these people. I basically just work to make them whole and breathe life into them.
We all love real and flawed characters. You can’t go wrong there!
*What is it about psychology that you enjoy employing in your writing?
I think this ties into the characters question because my psychology background helps me analyze the way a background would make a character who they are. It also helps me get into flaws and communication skill sets and all kinds of stuff to make both characters and relationships well rounded.
I love this. Your way of crafting characters is very fascinating.
*Who’s your favorite character you’ve ever created?
Wow…hard choice. I’m going to name a couple and say why because picking one is just too hard. Finn (Night Walkers’ Series) is the most fun. Piper (Cut Me Free) is the toughest. And Riley (The Row) has the biggest heart.
Awesome. I can’t wait to read all of your books!!
*As a reader, who are your top 3 favorite characters and what do you appreciate about them?
Peeta – (The Hunger Games) because he was vulnerable in a position that made everyone else hard.
Caymen – (The Distance Between Us) because I don’t know if I’ll ever find a better depiction of my ideal sense of humor anywhere else.
Adelina – (The Young Elites) because she’s the absolute best anti-hero I’ve ever seen and I love her for it.
Vulnerability, humor, and the anti-hero.
*Tell us about the protagonist in your new book.
Riley has walls up pretty high. She’s spent all her life defending her father and having people slander him and her whole family in front of her (and behind her back). She loves her father and believes that he’s innocent. This situation has flipped her perspectives in some interesting ways. She doesn’t trust police or the justice system. She has nightmares of the police coming to her house at night to steal her parents away. She’s very close to her father, but has more normal growing pains in her relationship with her mother. Her whole life was put on hold when her father went to prison and she and her mother have spent years with their lives in limbo as they fight to set him free. So when Riley starts to doubt her father, it sends her whole world spiraling out of control. She’s good, and loyal, and fierce in a situation where no one expects her to be. I loved writing her because it gave me a chance to expose and explore some things in our society that I don’t agree with. Often children and families of criminals are treated like they are guilty too, that they should’ve known and are somehow also responsible. I also got to ask some questions about how we can really be sure that we truly know anyone—or what they’re capable of. These topics fascinate me.
Totally agree. The story has a great premise and very interesting protagonist.
*You seem to write with powerful themes in your stories; I suspect you’re a very passionate person. What’s your process for selecting theme?
I do tend to gravitate toward powerful themes and I am a passionate person. I’m afraid my process for selecting a theme is far from scientific though. I like to expose myself to as much life as I can. I watch tv, movies, travel, go to the park and watch people, read the news and books. Then I wait for something to strike a particular chord. When it happens and I find myself really wanting to dive into researching a topic or issue more than normal, then I know it’s one I might want to write about.
LOVE IT. These are the best stories written by the best kinds of authors.
*Have you ever cried while writing? If so, what was your experience?
Yes, actually. The last two books: Cut Me Free and The Row. With both, it has been in a part of the story near the climax where I’m particularly connected to the characters and they’re at their lowest point. I also get a little choked up when I’m writing the end. The most emotional moments for my characters set me off a bit, but I think it usually means I’m getting that emotion to come through on the page in a good way as well, so I’m happy about it.
You gotta love emotion, it’s the currency of all fiction.
*What have you experienced or learned in writing this book as opposed to your other series and stand-alones?
The experience with this book has taught me to be flexible because I basically went through three different editors over the course of working on it. That’s unusual for me, so it took a bit of adjusting. I’m really happy with the way it turned out though. It was also my first mystery, which meant the tension changed a bit as opposed to my thrillers. The main character was in less danger than I was used to, so it forced me to run the story a little differently. I think I’m a better writer for the experience.
I like the idea of being a flexible writer. Crafting these kinds of stories are great exercise.
*I can tell you enjoy writing about the deep complexities of human life. Can you bring us into your mindset on this?
People fascinate me. They always have. I remember as a kid looking at a stranger walking down the street and thinking that it felt so random that I was in my body, in my life, and they were in theirs. I used to imagine being in their body. Would I be taller, would my arms be longer, what would the world look like from their perspective? I use this in my writing constantly. We all have struggles. We all have our own pain and triumph. I like to dig around in that and try to see the strength in human flaws and frailty. Through that lens is where we really capture the beauty of humanity.
We must be twins separated at birth!! People fascinate me as well. I love to connect with people on different levels. FUN!
*What do you have next coming down the pike?
I’m currently working on another standalone thriller and a couple of middle grade projects, so watch for news on those soon!
We’ll put out a BOLO for all of your upcoming projects. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
~~BETWEEN THE PAGES OF A BOOK IS A LOVELY PLACE TO BE~~
THANKS FOR JOINING THE YA BOOK BLOG TOUR
Benjamin Thomas
@thewritingtrain
http://www.thewritingtrain.com
A new Political Thriller by J.C. Peters
Everyone please welcome J.C. Peters!
The Dog and its Day
There has been only one assassination on a Presidential Candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, in 1968. Has the time come for the next serious attempt? Legal Philosopher, historian and author J.C. Peters uses this scenario in his first political fiction novel, The Dog and its Day (Odyssea Publishing), available now on Amazon and major online retailers. As the United States comes to elect the next President in the coming months and with the first debate completed, Peters is compelled to depict the main characters in the book off current political and presidential candidates.
In The Dog and Its Day, two conservative billionaires decide to hire the best assassin $10 million can buy to kill Republican presidential candidate Ronald Drump, realizing any other candidate would have a much better chance of winning against the notoriously unpopular Valery Clayton. The assassin, an American, is meticulous, methodical and he never fails. As a rule, he does not operate stateside, but the chance to retire in style, with a legendary campaign season swings into high gear, the killer chooses his time, place and method. The hour is fast approaching. One main can change the course of history. The question: who will it be?
To learn more about the book and author J.C. Peters, visit www.JellePeters.com, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
*How did you go from writing historical nonfiction to fiction?
After finishing my latest nonfiction history book, World 2.0: A History from Enlightenment to Terrorism and Beyond, which had taken me more than three years to write and research, I was actually planning to take a small break. But as I watched Donald Trump rise in the Republican primaries, I began thinking about how incredibly high the stakes would be if he actually became the Republican nominee, how the entire country could be swayed into one of two very different directions and how the course of history is often determined by just one person. Truth is, I had come upon many Donald Trumps while writing World 2.0. Of course, if one man can change the world, it also takes just one man to stop him. And that is how the story of The Dog and its Day was born.
It’s amazing how one person can affect the world and turn it upon its hinges.
*Can you note the differences you experienced?
Interestingly enough, the difference between fiction and nonfiction was far smaller than I had expected. In the last six months of working on my history book, I sometimes fantasized about finally being able to throw off the constraints of having to research and double-check every single fact. In fiction, I thought, I could do whatever I wanted, I would finally be the king of my own universe! But when I started writing The Dog and its Day—actually even before that, when I was still just thinking about the story—I realized that for me at least, the main difference would be to recalibrate reality a few degrees. When it comes to thrillers, I was never that interested in outlandish stories where the villains do unspeakable things. In The Dog and its Day, I wanted to explore how an assassination plot on Donald Trump would be conceived, planned and executed. That turned out to take quite a lot of research as well, but at least I didn’t have to name sources, write footnotes and create an index anymore.
That’s awesome. I’m writing a my first fictional piece and hope to pen nonfiction one day.
FICTION REVEALS TRUTH THAT REALITY OBSCURES -RALPH WALDO EMERSON
*Does your book explore a particular theme?
One man can change history. Nothing is set in stone and history does repeat itself.
This is very fascinating. I guess it all depends on who is changing history and how they’re doing it.
*What can you tell us about these two billionaires and their relationship with one another?
They are lifelong friends who together founded a coal-mining company 30 years ago and expanded it into a global empire in the decades that followed. They have had people standing in the way of their business interests eliminated before. When one of them suggests to have the Republican nominee assassinated, the other first recoils, but then he realizes the time for moral objections has long since passed.
Sounds like a great premise! Two power hungry billionaires with their own agenda.
*Tell us three things about Ronald Drump.
He is the Republican nominee for president. A New York real estate developer without any political experience. He is brash, arrogant, notoriously unreliable and far behind in the polls when the two billionaires decide to have him eliminated.
Well, may the odds ever be in his favor.
*Tell us three things about Valery Clayton.
She is the Democratic nominee for president. Her husband, Richard Clayton, was President in the 1990s. She has vowed to close all coal mines in the United States if elected.
I’m surprised they the billionaires wouldn’t have her assassinated instead. Especially if she’s trying to close the coal mines!
*How meticulous is this legendary assassin?
He is the kind of man who, if he had an unforeseen chance to take out his mark with a 9mm handgun in a dark forest with nobody else around, would still do nothing more than mumble a greeting and walk on, if he had planned to take him out a day later with a .300 Winchester Magnum from 800 yards away.
I’ve always thought assassins were cool for some reason. It must be the nature of the job and how they manage to get away with it, or not.
*If you were Ronald Drump and realized an attempt on your life what would you do?
Probably the same as what the real Republican nominee, Donald Trump, has done. Hire extra private security—much to the dismay of the Secret Service.
Yikes! Sounds like a high stress job. Whew.
*If you had opportunity to change the world as Drump, Clayton, the billionaires, or the assassin which person would you be?
The billionaires and the assassin can only stop someone else from becoming President of the United States. I would prefer to be in power myself.
Good answer!
*What is your favorite time period in history?
I find that once you start digging and are transported back in time, each period has its own unique stories to tell and adventures to share. Fourteenth century France might seem less interesting than World War II at first glance, but once you start exploring the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death and it all comes to life again, it quickly become another favorite period in history.
It would be adventurous to be a time traveler and go back to observe how things unfolded personally.
If you think you have it tough, read history books. -Bill Maher
*Will you write more political thrillers?
I already have a new plot. One that strikes at the heart of the presidency and puts the President in an impossible situation. So yes.
YES. More political thrillers! Keep us posted!
THANKS J.C. PETERS!!!
THANKS FOR RIDIN THE TRAIN!!!
Benjamin Thomas
@thewritingtrain
http://www.thewritingtrain.com
Watch “Jimmy and Kevin Hart Ride a Roller Coaster” on YouTube
TELEVISION TUESDAY
#HILARIOUS
Hilarious!
Benjamin Thomas
@thewritingtrain
http://www.thewritingtrain.com
Watch “From One Novel To A Universe Of Books. Writing A Series That Sells With David Wood” on YouTube
IT’S TELEVISION TUESDAY
With Joanna Penn and David Wood
Writing a Series that Sells
Any thoughts? Tell me in the comments!
Benjamin Thomas
@thewritingtrain
http://www.thewritingtrain.com
Watch “Three-Word Stories with Benedict Cumberbatch” on YouTube
IT’S TIME FOR TELEVISION TUESDAY
#HILARIOUS
Need a good laugh? Check out this video with Benedict Cumberbatch!
Did you laugh? Tell me in the comments!
Benjamin Thomas
@thewritingtrain
http://www.thewritingtrain.com
Watch “Traditional Publishing 101” on YouTube
WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY!!!
IT’S TELEVISION TUESDAY
The Writing Train: Join the locomotion 