Wednesday Author Interview: Nancy J. Cohen

BI: Today, Bookin’ It would like to welcome cozy mystery and sci-fi romance writer, Nancy J. Cohen. Welcome to the blog, Nancy. Could you tell us a bit about how you became a writer? When did you decide that’s what you wanted to be, and what steps did you take to prepare for a writing career? 

NJC: I have always enjoyed writing but wanted to be a nurse. So I followed that career while writing poems and short stories. During grad school, I decided to learn how to write a novel so I bought a book called “Structuring Your Novel” and that taught me what I needed to know. I wrote six books before one sold. What made the difference was joining Florida Romance Writers, attending a conference where I met my first agent, and participating in a biweekly critique group. Networking with other writers was critical for my career. I wrote four scifi romances for Dorchester before I switched to writing mysteries. I’ve come full circle in that now I write in both genres.

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Wednesday’s Author Interview: Elise Abram

Today, our guest author is Elise Abram who writes what might be called “light science fiction,” and also has a newly released YA adult book available. Elise, welcome to Bookin’ It. So nice of you to join us today.
 
BI:. Tell us a bit about how you became a writer. When did you decide that’s what you wanted to be, and what steps did you take to prepare for a writing career?
 
EA: Being a writer was never a choice for me; I’ve always felt compelled to write. Growing up, I told myself stories to keep myself occupied. Sometimes I wrote them down, but I never really liked how they sounded. I kept telling myself one day I’d write all my stories down and get them published, but I never did. The Internet changed all that, because I suddenly had access to content I couldn’t get before and I was able to teach myself how to write well. With practice, I got to the point where I actually liked what I was writing. Now I look back at my first stories and cringe, but I can also see my progress, which is really gratifying.

Sunday Blog of the Week – Nancy’s Notes From Florida

Nancy J. Cohen

Nancy J. Cohen writes the humorous Bad Hair Day mystery series featuring hairdresser Marla Shore, who solves crimes with wit and style. She also writes the Drift Lords Series, adventures more in the sci-fi romance vein.  Active in the writing community and a featured speaker at libraries and conferences, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets.

Nancy’s Notes From Florida blog is always a fun and interesting place to visit. I’ve been following Nancy via email for close to two years, and I have learned a lot about everything from her favorite recipes to her advice on writing cozy mystery novels, and the importance of networking via groups like the Romance Writers of America. She also blogs on general writing subjects of interest to authors in every genre. Her experience in the industry is wide and varied, and I guarantee you can learn something helpful by following Nancy’s blog. Hope you’ll stop by and check it out today.

Nancy’s Notes From Florida

Check out Nancy’s books, too.

Writing the Cozy Mystery

Permed To Death (Bad Hair Day Mystery #1)

Warrior Prince (The Drift Lord Series)

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Ever since reading my first Brandon Sanderson book last year, The Alloy of Law, I have been planning to read more. I loved Alloy. It was funny, witty, and very imaginative, and I decided I would delve into Sanderson’s fantasy a bit more, and read the Mistborn Trilogy. (The Alloy of Law is a sort of addendum to the Mistborn Trilogy, taking place about 300 years after that series). Somehow, I kept getting sidetracked, but when I saw Steelheart, a YA Sanderson novel, I couldn’t resist giving it a try, and I have to say I’m glad I did.

Sanderson’s imagination is wonderful, and his characters are well thought out. The book isn’t perfect, but I don’t care. I enjoyed every minute of it. Yes, I figured out several plot points before they were revealed, but it was still fun, seeing how our young hero would figure things out for himself. And speaking of the hero, David Charleston, he is a boy bent on revenge for the murder of his father, but beset by so many obstacles as to make the task seem pretty daunting. The world of Newcago is a dark, frightening place, and dealing with the evil superpowers in charge of the planet, known as Epics, is not something your typical teenage boy should be able to handle. But David joins a group of rebels, the Reckoners, with much the same goals as his, and a plan is put into action that will change his life, and the world forever.

Superheroes with superpowers aren’t normally my thing, with or without capes, but Steelheart pulls it off with flair, and I’m looking forward to seeing what David and the Reckoners get up to in their next book. If you are a Sanderson fan, you will want to read this one, for sure. If you enjoy YA sci-fi fantasy, you’ll probably want to check it out, too. And if you are just looking for a light, fun read, set in an imaginative future world, it works for that, also. But be warned. Once you have read one or two of Sanderson’s books, you’ll find yourself looking for more. I have finally downloaded a boxed set of the Mistborn Trilogy, and I’m halfway through Book 1 already. Absolutely loving it. Talk about a great escape!

Steelheart

Soulless by Gail Carriger

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

As soon as I read the line, “A novel of vampires, werewolves and parasols,” I knew I was going to like Gail Carriger. She did not disappoint me. Soulless was a romp through a wildly unpredictable Victorian/Steampunk landscape, unlike any I’ve visited to date. Carriger’s world building is first rate, and the characters,

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Let me be clear right up front. I’ve never been a big fan of fantasy or sci-fi. I prefer my tales of other worldly beings to be set right here on planet earth, often without most mortals being aware that strange things are walking among them, a la Urban Fantasy. For some reason, this has always seemed more

Cold Copper by Devon Monk

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Cold Copper was one of those books you just hate to see end! I mean it. I did not want to put it down. There’s so much more to come from this story, and yet, no information to be found on how long I’ll have to wait for Book 4 in this fantastic steampunk series. That makes me sad. I love

Tin Swift by Devon Monk

My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Another 5-star Roller Coaster Ride from Devon Monk! Is Tin Swift great literature? Nah. But is it a whole lotta fun, written well, developed well, and filled with excitement, cover to cover? Yep! If anything, Tin Swift is even better than the first book of this series, Dead Iron, so it gets a full 5 stars from me for pure entertainment value.

Again, the setting is an alternate steampunk version of America and the westward expansion, as it never was, of course, but