Ellwyn’s Blog

Interview With Author Matt Terry

Image courtesy of Matt Terry via Facebook

By way of introduction, here is Matt Terry’s bio:

Matt Terry was born and raised in Nottingham, England, where he works as a Primary School Teacher.

He found his love of writing from the children’s literature he taught from, creating ideas for his own stories.

Inspired by the underlying morals and messages often found in children’s work and with a personal love of rhyme; his own writing style was born.

Matt is still teaching and thoroughly enjoys being able to reach out and impact children’s lives through his work.

Hello, Matt, welcome to Angel Kiss Publications. Thank you for agreeing to do this interview.

Thank you for having me.

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When did the writing bug ensnare you?

I’ve had the idea to write my own rhyming children’s book for years, probably since an early teenager.

My mum and I used to make silly poems up all the time to make each other laugh. I have used this love of rhyme to combine with my ideas for story writing.

Is writing your full-time profession?

No, I’m a full-time primary teacher currently, working with children aged 9-11.

How long have you been writing?

I suppose no longer than my first book officially, which was February 2020.

Image courtesy of Matt Terry

How many published books have you written?

Just the one, my first ever. It’s called ‘The Boastful Pansy’.

Which genre do you write?

I only write children’s books, and despite only having written the one, I will definitely ensure all of my published works will rhyme, I just love it!

What do you find most challenging writing for this genre?

With being a teacher, I can’t help but think about what I would want to teach from my books if I were to use them in a classroom.

The vocabulary, literary skills, necessary reading abilities for the techniques used, and wider comprehension are all aspects which prove challenging when writing a children’s book.

What are you working on now?

The Boastful Pansy has only recently been released so a lot of my time and energy is now being spent in promoting it further and gaining an interest from my target readers.

I do however have another story idea for my next work about a curious cow, but I don’t want to give too much away!

I’m very interested in making my next work more accessible to boys as I feel they would lack interest in The Boastful Pansy purely for having a main character as a flower.

Where do you find inspiration for your characters?

My characters are drawn from the storyline of my works, that’s where I begin. I find a situation that intrigues me and run with it to see if I can create an underlying moral or message from the story.

Once I have this, I use the scenario to best gauge what kind of characters I have in my books. For The Boastful Pansy, I was looking out into my garden one wintery morning whilst washing the dishes and I noticed that a pansy I had in my border of the garden was the only one getting any sunlight.

My imagination ran with me and I started to think how much it would think it was the best because it was the only flower in the sun; then equally how jealous the others would be of it.

The story grew from there and the characters naturally along with it.

What has been your most rewarding experience since publishing your work?

I think the most rewarding experience has been the engagement with my work and seeing how it has impacted on other people.

For example, the first time my Godchildren heard The Boastful Pansy was when I read it to them before bed and they were so excited to hear it and engage with it knowing their Uncle Matt had written it. That was truly special.

What advice would you give to authors just starting out?

Don’t be afraid of being afraid!

As first-time authors, we enter a completely unknown world of contracts, publishing and marketing; all of which are extremely daunting and constantly make you question whether you’re doing the right thing or how to move forward.

I’d say this is a completely normal reaction to have and with thorough decision-making and taking the time to weigh up the options, it’s definitely worth taking the plunge!

Is there anything else you’d like your readers to know about you?

The Boastful Pansy is dedicated to my wife’s Nana, who unfortunately passed away the week after I’d finished writing the book.

Although she wasn’t directly family, she was an incredible woman who lived to an astonishing 97 and someone who I held extremely close to my heart.

There was nothing she loved more than beautiful flowers and she had a magic touch with helping plants to grow in her home, which made the dedication all the more poignant.

What message are you sharing in your books?

I am an author who ensures there is a deep meaning or message throughout my work, especially as they are aimed at children, and I personally feel that books are a fantastic tool at helping children to realize their own morals and standards.

In The Boastful Pansy, the key messages are humility and forgiveness, both of which I think are obvious from the storyline when you read it!

What are your favorite books?

My absolute all-time favorite books, unsurprisingly a children’s book series, are the Rupert the Bear Series.

My mum used to read these to me as a child and she would always read the rhyming couplet version, which is possibly where my love for rhyme was born.

I used to love his adventures and all of the wonderfully mythical characters and friends he’d meet along the way. They’re just fantastic and I’d highly recommend them to anyone!

I also love anything by Julia Donaldson, again for her rhyming perfection! I think the Snail and the Whale would have to be my favorite of hers.

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If you could create an author’s group with writers from any time period, who would you invite?

I’d have a lot of old school authors such as Enid Blyton, A. A. Milne, Dr. Seuss and Mary Tourtel. I think it’d be fascinating to hear their stories of how they became who they so famously are nowadays.

Who has influenced your writing the most?

I would have to say Julia Donaldson.

As a teacher, whenever I picked up any of her works, I’d immediately be captured in a world of rhyme and fun.

I love everything about her books, and she has definitely inspired my own writing style for sure.

When you’re not writing where can we find you?

I’m an incredibly social person, so if not writing or teaching, I’m usually socializing with friends, having them over for dinner or going for a drink at the local pub.

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A movie producer wants to turn your book into a movie, and you get to make a cameo. What would you do in the movie?

I can imagine the movie of The Boastful Pansy would be an animated film, so I’d love to do the voice over for the Sunflower. It has a deep, booming voice and is what offers the pansy its most invaluable advice. I’d love to voice this character!

An elf named 12-25 approaches you. He’s sneezing, wheezing, coughing and there’s a strange tattoo of a snoring dog on his cheek. What do you do?

Invite him round for dinner! He sounds such an interesting elf, I’m sure I’d be able to get all sorts of wonderful ideas from him for a fun children’s book!

What are your most effective marketing strategies?

I’m finding a direct approach is proving the most useful. I have been directly contacting local newspapers and television stations to inform them of my new book and asking if they’d like to do a piece about it.

It’s worked well so far and I love the dialogue you can have with different industries surrounding the same topic.

Do you have a website/Facebook page, etc.?

I do! They’re as follows:

Website: https://www.austinmacauley.com/author/terry-matt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattterryauthor

Instagram too: @mattterryauthor

Where can we find your books?

They’re available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones and WHSmiths (the latter two UK only)

Thank you, Matt, for spending time with us and sharing your story. We wish you continued success and lots of luck!

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Image courtesy of Matt Terry

Available on Amazon

Book Blurb:

In a beautiful English country garden, all manner of plants and flowers grow peacefully in their flower beds. The winter sunshine beams brightly, but the tall, tall fence that surrounds the garden blocks almost every ray of light from reaching the ground – well, almost every ray.

One very proud golden winter pansy stands in the only sliver of light that reaches the flower bed, and oh, how it boasts to the others. This pansy needs to be taught a lesson in humility and the very seasons themselves help the pansy to realize the error of its ways.

Christmas Author Giveaway 2021

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Happy Holidays Readers!

Are you searching for your next great read to get you through the long Winter nights?

If you said yes, then click the link for a chance to win a FREE copy of some great reads from Lynn Lamb, Claudette Melanson, Angelica Kata, Robin Woods and more!

GRAND PRIZE is $93.00!

Happy Reading!

Unexpected Connection By Sue Jaskula & Giveaway

Image courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions

GENRE: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Confident and resilient homicide detective Jennifer Scott is instinctively suspicious when her best friend’s life is disrupted by the arrival of an unbeknownst twin sister. When a murder coincides with her appearance, the mysterious twin becomes the prime suspect.

Adding confusion to Jen’s organized life is another unexpected intrusion, her handsome and sophisticated new partner, Detective Luke O’Connor. As mischievous as he is charming, chemistry between the two intensifies, threatening Jen’s reputation and testing her limitations.

As the murder investigation unfolds, the detectives are forced to back-burner their heated connection while they race against time to figure out what other long-lost family members may be involved, how they’re connected to the twins and why they’ve surfaced now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt

I was angry at myself for my body’s response that started the minute he walked up in his perfect suit. The return of his devilish grin didn’t improve my disposition. “It’s nothing,” I snapped.

“I’m good at reading people and that expression tells me you have something you’d like to discuss.”

Again, I hushed my voice, but I knew my irritation came across loud and clear. “Keep your voice down, damn it. I don’t need rumors starting from your asinine comments. We’re not going to play this cat and mouse game, Detective O’Connor.

I am also good at reading people, that’s why we’re in this job. I’ve been around a few rodeos and met your smooth-talking type. The last one almost got me fired, so let’s establish a few things. I’m not a damsel in distress. I don’t need you to escort me or help me or hit on me or tell me how good I look on any given day. I don’t date cops and I don’t need you in my personal space every time I turn around. Are you picking up what I’m putting down here?”

Image courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions

Author Giveaway:

Sue Jaskula will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

My career has spanned many years in a mix of criminal and civil law and hospital surgical administrative work. Along with my work and life experience, I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a Creative Writing Certificate both from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to take early retirement and pursue a career in writing, a pursuit I have entered into with energy and enthusiasm. I am currently a registered member of Toronto Romance Writers and Crime Writers of Canada.

My husband and I share our home in Grimsby, Ontario, with our youngest daughter, her boyfriend, our dog and two cats. But I spend a great deal of time at our cottage in Kincardine, Ontario near my daughter, son-in-law and first grandson. On these shores of Lake Huron, with some of the best walking trails in the country, my imagination soars and my best stories come to life.

Social Media Links

https://www.instagram.com/suejaskulaauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/sue.jaskula

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21295570.Sue_Jaskula

Buy Links

https://bookshop.org/books/unexpected-connection/9781509236473

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unexpected-connection-sue-jaskula/1139582405?

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/unexpected-connection/9781509236473-item.html?

https://www.target.com/p/unexpected-connection-by-sue-jaskula-paperback/-/A-83851223

Love Over Kpop By Marilyn Vix & Giveaway

Image courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions

GENRE:  Rockstar (Kpop) Romance

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ABOUT VELLA:

What is Vella? A Rundown of the New Platform for Readers

What is Vella? It’s a new reading platform by Amazon available through their website or the Kindle iOS app.

It works very similar to other online serial platforms like Wattpad and Radish, with a coin or token pay system to unlock episodes.

Each story has 3 FREE episodes to get the flavor of the story, and then can be unlocked further after purchasing tokens.

The tokens can be purchased in different packages, with more given for the more expensive bundles.

Paid episodes are priced by word count. For example, 3500 words in an episode would be 35 tokens.

The word limit on Vella per episode is 600 to 5,000 words. So, no episode can be more than 50 tokens or at the very least, 6 tokens.

When logging into Amazon’s website or through the iOS app, you can get 200 free tokens to start reading.

You can follow stories and like individual episodes. After purchasing your first bundle of tokens, you are awarded a weekly “Fav” which you can bestow on your favorite story you’ve read that week.

The likes, favs and follows all help stories become more visible in the system like many other platforms.

The fastest and easiest way to find stories are to follow direct links to them.

Each story is assigned an ASIN, but I have found that search abilities on Vella can be hard to isolate.

The easiest way to find Vella stories by your favorite author is by doing a search with their author name, a combination of their story title and their author name, or just the story name.

Searching for just Vella doesn’t seem to bring up much yet. But the system is still new, and things are being sorted out daily as the platform gets more use.

To find “Love Over Kpop” by Marilyn Vix:

•           Search for Marilyn Vix, Love Over Kpop Marilyn Vix, or Love Over Kpop

•           Use the direct story link.

•           Pick up your 200 FREE TOKENS!

•           READ THE FIRST 3 EPISODES FOR FREE!

•           Follow and “Fav” to stay on top of new episodes posted weekly.

-Marilyn Vix

BOOK BLURB:

Trish Russo has just started a job at an agency in LA that is paired with a Korean agency to help with managing the band, Friends5, in the States.

But the finicky Woo In-ho won’t come out of his trailer to film the current music video.

Trish is asked, as the new assistant, to talk to him. She tries to talk to him like a regular person.

He responds to the normal treatment, but on one condition. She needs to help out and be in the video.

What is a girl to do when a gorgeous K-pop Idol asks you to be in his video? Then, she reads the scene she is to appear in. There’s a scripted kiss.

Will it all just be acting? Or will she let her feelings get entangled with In-ho threatening her new career?

Image courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions

Author Giveaway:

The author is awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter.

Giveaway Link

About The Author:

Marilyn is a paranormal romance novelist. She enjoys the characters that just don’t fit in.

From witches to time traveling researchers, she is letting her imagination soar to explore new worlds and write all the details down.

Marilyn has traveled to Paris, London, Sydney, and Munich. She loves to include these in her settings as much as can allow.

Best of all is letting her readers enjoy them through the perspective of a character. Here love for K-pop has produced her current rock star/K-pop romance project, Love Over Kpop, available on Kindle Vella.

She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and cat. The cat, of course, is the center of attention.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarilynVix

Twitter: @MarilynVix

Website: http://marilynvix.com

Vella: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Over-Kpop/dp/B0945ZBBSH

She’s The One Who Doesn’t Say Much & Giveaway

Image courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions

Excerpt

He and I celebrated Svi together during our first year of advanced studies. I’d already observed several holidays with others and didn’t hesitate when he asked me to enjoy Noruz with him, too. But after Noruz, he looked at me differently. He tried to touch me all the time. No matter what I did, he was always around. I had second thoughts about celebrating Keva with him, but no clear reason to say no.

His passion that night exceeded anything I’d encountered, and the next day he begged me to return to his bed and never leave. That’s when I knew I had a problem. I didn’t want Magomet for a lover or a husband. Yet, he was my friend, my benefactor in the sense of letting me use his parents’ studio, and a close buddy to every other friend I had. What to do?

So, I came up with a creative solution. I would put all of my sexual energy into my art. Better to live without sex, than to have a lover I didn’t want or to lose my closest friends and, along with them, the future I craved. How hard could being celibate be? At least two of my older sisters had largely managed it, and they seemed fine.

When I declared to everyone at school that I would begin directing my sexual energy to my painting, I meant it. My announcement caused curiosity and some admiration, but Magomet’s reaction differed. I saw his disappointment and hints of anger. Then, within a few days, I saw his acceptance. He could wait. I’d come around, and he’d be there with open arms.

Thus, he and I began the strange dance we still did over a year later. He pretended to be a staunch supporter of my lifestyle, and I pretended I didn’t notice his touches and the longing in his eyes. Our friends ignored it all.

The problem with my brilliant solution was that I still wanted to have sex, only with other people besides Magomet. Worse yet, once intimacy wasn’t an option, I craved it in a way I never had.

Image courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions

Author Giveaway

S. R. Cronin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

About The Author

Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.

She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels.  She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how odd she is.

All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case.

Author Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cinnabar01

Facebook: www.facebook.com/46Ascending

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.r.cronin/

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805814.Sherrie_Cronin

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Cronin/e/B007FRMO9Q

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/s-r-cronin

Author Blog: https://sherriecronin.xyz/

Book Series Blog: https://troublesome7sisters.xyz/

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Doesnt-Stories-Seven-Troublesome-Sisters-ebook/dp/B09128H2YJ

What Should You Bring To An Author Event?

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If you’re like me, you need a quick and easy method to remember the essentials when you travel. The same holds true for author events.

After two years, I finally made my first in-person appearance at the Collingswood Book Festival. Most of my supplies had been stored away for a while, so I had to refresh my knowledge of my inventory.

Naturally, after so much time, my supply list had vanished and I had to start from scratch. Not a big deal, I’ve done numerous events, so composing a new list wasn’t difficult.

Image by Shahid Abdullah from Pixabay

Here’s my Handy-Dandy List:

1. Table

2. Table cloth

3. Chair

4. Canopy

5. Weights for the canopy so it won’t blow over

6. Pens

7. Sharpies

8. Business Cards

9. Clipboard with email sign-up list

10. Banner with logo

11. Books

12. Book Swag: bookmarkers, etc.

13. Paypal or Square credit card reader

14. Any Passwords you might need

15. Dollar bills for change

16. Plastic bags/reusable bags for customer purchases

17. Snacks

18. Water

19. Book Stands

20. Velcro

21. Index cards

22. Sticky Notes

23. Blank Paper

24. Phone or camera

25. Tape

26. Scissors

27. Check the weather so you can dress appropriately for the event

Other Tips To Remember:

Be sure to order your books well in advance of your event to ensure you have them in time. Many publishers are experiencing delays in production and shipping.

Also, check out Venmo. I just learned about this alternative form of payment and I’m so glad I did.

My Paypal Here card reader wasn’t working and Venmo saved the day. I didn’t lose any sales when customers didn’t have cash to pay.

Do you have any items to add to the list?

Pixies In The Mist & Giveaway By Rasta Musick

Image courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions

Blurb:

Kenneth had been assigned to Japan by the pixie queen years ago, which is just enough time for a pixie to get bored and complacent while keeping tabs on the local talent.

Most humans had no magic, and most magical humans didn’t know it was their power that made their food taste better, their paintings more vibrant, or people like them more.

When the two met, the spark in Jake gave Kenneth’s role a new urgency. Jake didn’t just have magic, he had a wild and unpredictable kind seen only once in a generation.

How could Kenneth keep Jake’s magic from falling into enemy hands? Kill him? Recruit him? Somehow keep him ignorant?

Jake’s magic had quietly led him to Japan, subtly influencing every choice in his life. That something special Jake had been waiting for was about to happen, ensuring his and Kenneth’s lives would never be boring again.

Giveaway Info:

Rasta Musick will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Click the link to enter!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3880

About The Author:

Image courtesy of cinnabarmoth.com

Rasta Musick spent the first 12 years of his life in California before moving to Japan with his family.

After graduating from college with a Bachelor’s in economics at the age of 16, he spent the years after learning Japanese and working. Having spent more than half his life in Japan, he’s confident that it’s his home.

With many different hobbies, chief of them being Latin dance, he keeps himself physically active as well as mentally active as much as he can.

The Latin dance community in Japan is alive and, surprisingly, quite large.

Rasta has lupus and hereditary coproporphyria. Given their complicated nature, he’s had to learn a lot to adapt and manage them.

The process also taught him a lot about managing other aspects of his life, and all of this influences his writing.

 Author page: https://cinnabarmoth.com/rasta-musick/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RastaMusick

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pixies-Mist-Rasta-Musick/dp/1953971180/ref=sr_1_1

BN:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pixies-in-the-mist-rasta-musick/1139878846

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1095165