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Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Category Archives: Guest Authors


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GUEST POST: The ‘Gentle Journey’ Continues With Author Cathay O. Reta

“Hey Mom!” says I. “How ’bout we do something special for Valentine’s Day?”

“What’d you have in mind, Kimber?” replies Mom. She’s doing that smiley eyes thing again.

“How ’bout we invite one of our new favorite authors to do a guest post? We could ask the Camino de Santiago walk lady. Cathay O. Reta and Keep Walking: You Heart Will Catch Up. Tell us what she’s up to. Any new books in the pipeline. Lessons learned. What’s next. What about Ray?  Perfect for this Valentine’s thingy!”

“Kimber, you’re a genius!”

Mom’s nothing if not quick.

So here, without further barking, is Cathay’s guest post. You’re gonna enjoy this! Take it away, Cathay:

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GUEST AUTHOR: E.B. Roshan & the Shards of Sevia

Hello Friends!

Kimber the Magnificent here. Every once in awhile Mom and I get to do something super duper fun. Besides dinner. Or bacon. Or a nice, thick, juicy New York steak…

Wait. Where was I?

Oh yeah. Super duper fun. We get to do a guest post by new authors who write really good stuff. Today is one of those days! We’re delighted to introduce E.B. Roshan, author of the Shards of Sevia series. Today she tells us a little more about her background, writing process, and her book series. Take it away, E.B.:

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GUEST POST: How to Fail at Blogging or Succeed With Reverse Psychology

Gang way! Dog on a mission!

Mom and I have a mission here. We do honest book reviews. They’re not everyone’s bowl of kibble. Fine. If you’re reading along, you probably already know that.

But what you may not know is that we just bowed out of a book blog tour because the tour organizer wanted rainbows and roses, sunshine and unicorns only regarding the book in question. We don’t roll that way. We do For Real here. (More on that later.)

So when this honest, down-to-earth guest post by one of our new favorite writers, D.L. Kennedy, came along, it resonated. (D.L. Kennedy is the author of Thirteen Miracles. Read our full review here.) If you’re a discouraged blogger or a struggling blogger, this one’s for you. Take it away, D.L.:

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Monique Roy On Art, Historical Fiction

You know we’re big historical fiction fans here, right? Kimber here. Mom and I, we love the creativity of a novel balanced with actual people, places, and events. We eat that stuff up like gourmet dog chow! So when we were asked to review a historical novel about Nazi looting of priceless art items from Jewish owners during World War II, we ate it up!

The book is A Savage Kultur. It’s by Monique Roy. Read our full review here.

We reached out to Monique and asked her to do a guest post, telling us a little more about herself and her book. Why historical fiction. Stuff like that. Monique agreed. Here’s her post. Take it away, Monique!

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: ‘Dear Hero’ Authors Talk Co-Writing

Ever wonder how two people co-write a book? Where do the ideas come from? How do they coordinate the characters, action, pacing, dialogue and plot? What about details like who are the real heroes and villains? What about that “fine line” between love and hate?
We heard some answers to these questions and learned a little more about the process with YA authors Hope Bolinger and Alssya Roat. They co-wrote the new YA title, Dear Hero. This “superhero hero” romance was released on September 28 by INtense Publications.
Let’s listen in:

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GUEST POST: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at ‘Walks With Sam’ With Author David W Berner

Good Morning, Friends!

 

Kimber here. Mom and I are delighted to share a guest post by the author of one of our favorite books, Walks With Sam. Sam is a dog. A very astute, reflective dog. Ya know. Like me. In fact, I think Sam’s my new best friend!

 

Anyway, in this guest post author David W. Berner “walks” us through why and how he wrote this rich and wonderful memoir about contemplative walks with Sam. (Psssst! It started with a blog. No kidding!)

 

Walks With Sam will be officially released tomorrow, September 1! Don’t forget the virtual book launch on September 13. Details below!

Take it away, David!

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An Idea

More than two years ago, I had an idea. What would it be like to reinvent the dog walking experience? Not so much for my doodle, Sam, but for me. All the experts say walking is a meditative, contemplative endeavor. Ask any of the great walkers—Henry David Thoreau, Charles Dickens, John Muir. But this time, what would it be like if the dog led the way? What if Sam was my guide?

 

A Chapter Change

It was a new time in my life, a chapter change, if you will. My only sibling, my younger sister had recently died after a long battle with alcoholism, my mother and father had died years before, and now I was what remained of the family of my youth. What is one supposed to do with that? I was also turning 60, a milestone age, and considering what would come next, how might I move in the world in my final years. A sabbatical from my position at the college where I teach had given me some freedom, and although I had projects to complete—a manuscript to finish and edit—I decided that I would dedicate myself to daily walks to allow my mind to find balance. And Sam, my young dog, would join me. She, too, needed those walks.

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Inspiration Across the Ages: John Mernone Talks His Personal Connection With His Debut Historical Novel, The World Turned Upside Down

Happy Wednesday Friends!

Author John Mernone joins us today to discuss his debut historical novel, The World Turned Upside Down. You’ll want to listen in.  Says John:

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John Mernone’s debut historical novel has a personal connection.

How many times have you heard someone say that history is boring?

If you only see it as a list of names and dates and facts to be memorized, it is boring. I was lucky enough to have a few truly amazing teachers who taught me to look at history through the lens of personalities and situations. Take George Washington. In school, we’re taught about this legendary hero who led the colonists to independence. And maybe we hear about his wooden teeth.

 

We don’t learn about his many mistakes on the way to victory. We don’t learn that he wasn’t always patient or a brilliant strategist. He had very real flaws. But he was driven by an unshakeable belief in the cause, and he possessed a level of humility and conscientiousness that inspired devotion and admiration in everyone around him. I’ve always believed that George Washington was the greatest man in history, flaws and all.

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GUEST AUTHOR: The Ultimate ‘Insider’s Guide’ to New York!

‘Mom! Wake up!’

 

“Mom! Mom! Wake up!”

 

“Gah….! Wha… Huh?” Crash. Stumble. Stubbed toe. “Dadgum it!”

 

Mom’s nothing if not quick. Especially when it’s 0500. And I’ve got a  cool new book to show her! It’s like an illustrated time travel thingy. Through New York City! I’m don’t know where that is. But it sounds good. So does a soon-to-be-released book, 400 Years of New York History: A Pictorial Guide.

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GUEST AUTHOR: 6 PAWsome Historical Fiction Re-Readables

PAWright historical fiction fans! Grab the bacon and buckle up. Cuz we’re ready to launch into that genre with 6 Pawsome titles you’ll want to dig up, pronto!

Hey! It’s summer, okay?

Yes siree, Lassie! Mom and I are hosting a guest post on the subject from a promising new author, John Lawrence.

John’s memoir about his medical training, Playing Doctor: Part One-Medical School (Stumbling through with Amnesia) debuts on August 24. He’s also an avid reader with a taste for historical fiction. (More about John in a min. So kindly keep your tail tucked, okay?)

PLAYING DOCTOR - Part One: Medical School: Stumbling through with amnesia by [John Lawrence]

Anyway, John says during medical school and his residency years, the escape historical fiction provided was a “much loved respite from my otherwise fluorescently lit, fast-paced reality of medical school.” John adds:

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On the Lookout for Guest Authors

Do you have a story to share?  An excerpt from your next great American novel?  Tips for fledgling (or even seasoned) writers?  What have you learned about editors, query letters, traditional vs. alternative publishing venues?

Roads Diverged is accepting guest posts on these and other writing-related topics.  To submit, just leave a comment and we’ll connect.  The more we connect, the more our readerships grow and the more opportunities for all.

That said, here are a few ground rules and guide lines. First, you don’t need to be a professional writer or have the publishing “big boys” banging down your door to post at Roads Diverged.  Just a passion for writing and the desire to learn and share.  If accepted, your post will include a byline and a link to your blog or website as applicable.
Submission guidelines:

  1. I prefer content that’s fresh and original.  That is, content that hasn’t been previously published elsewhere.
  2. Yours truly is partial to “short and sweet.”  Stories should be between 300 – 500 words.   (Tip: humorous and/or true-life “slice of life” vignettes as well as travel stories always catch my eye!) A longer post may be accepted if I really, really like it.
  3. If your post is accompanied by an original photo or two, so much the better!
  4. I do not accept anonymous posts.  You may use a pen name if desired, but it must be specified as such and your real name must accompany your submission (withheld from publication upon request).
  5.  This blog is G-rated.  I reserve the right to reject any submission, for any reason.  Likewise, posts that include links or references to sites that are not G-rated or include spam and viruses will not be accepted
  6.  There is no compensation for any posts.  As in, zip.  Your “compensation” is boosted traffic and exposure for your work.  Roads Diverged is connected to LinkedIn and Twitter.  I’m also on Facebook.   You are encouraged to promote your submission via your own social network.  More exposure for Roads Diverged means more exposure for you.

Ready? Set? Go to the comment section below. Type “I’m in.” I’ll get back to you.

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