Tools & Tips ~ Backing Up Your Data

Backing Up Your Data

by Michelle Muto

I come from the IT profession. Twenty-some odd years of it, to be exact. And the one mistake I see people repeatedly make is not backing up their data. The number one excuse? Time. Second? They don't know how, so ignorance is bliss.

Listen up. It's not a matter of when your hard drive fails. It's a matter of when. I don't care if you use a Mac or Windows machine. Sooner or later, that drive is going to die. Even SSD drives. I don't care if the drive manufacturer or your best friend tells you your drive is good for another 1-3 years. Stuff happens. Data corrupts. Files get accidentally deleted or overwritten. There's theft, fire, and natural disasters, too.

Don't think you have anything to lose? Really? No family photos? No scanned documents? Emails stored locally? Reports, home work? Apps, songs, movies or other media that you've purchased? Writers - how about that manuscript that you put in several hundred to over a thousand hours into?

And if you think backing up your data means mailing it all to yourself via a cloud-based email app, think again. How long will it take you to find and restore all that? Will you even remember where you put it? Think your cousin the tech guru can get that data back for you from the failed drive? Good luck. Depends on how far gone the drive is. My experience will tell you, it's a 50-50 shot and will take hours of work. Even then, you may not get all the data back. So sorry about your irreplaceable photos, the term paper, or that report due to your boss in the morning. Think you can take it somewhere and they'll be able to get the data back like they do on TV? Sure! Your odds are slightly better here and it'll cost you anywhere from $500 to $2,000. 

Backups people. Backups. It's easier than ever.

The minimum:

Buy an external drive equal to the size of your internal drive. They don't cost much at all these days.

For Mac users, it can't get any easier that plugging in the external drive. The Mac will acknowledge it, ask if you'd like to make that drive the Time Machine backup. You'll click yes, and away you go. From here on, as long as that drive is plugged in, the Mac will make hourly backups. If you don't like hourly backups, there's freeware called Time Machine Editor that will change how frequently your data is backed up. Is that all there is to it? Yep. Pretty much.

For PC users. You have a little more setup to do. There are some external drives with backup software built in. Check out the link above. You'll have to do a little more setup than Mac users: install the software, tell it what to backup, and when. You can also find various scripts and other solutions if you search around a little.

How often should you back up?

How much data can you afford to lose? A month's worth? A week? A day? A few hours? I have my Mac set up to backup every 4 hours.

Backups make my computer run slow!

Schedule backups on off hours then. Like when you're sleeping. Just remember to leave the computer and the external drive on.

Test your backups

You don't want to find out you set something up wrong, or that your backup software failed you when you finally go to use it. How? Create a few test files. Wait for your backup to complete. Delete the files and restore it from your backup. Do this twice a year - right along with setting your clocks forward and back.

Taking it to the next level (and you should)

Disaster Recovery

Aha! Some of you are saying. An external drive doesn't help me if there's a fire or my stuff is stolen. And you'd be correct. I compensate for that with a Disaster Recovery Plan. You have a few choices: a cloned copy of your computer safely tucked away in a fire-proof safe, safety deposit box, secure location at someone else's house whom you trust, and the cloud.

The choice you make comes down to trust and accessibility. Do you trust that your drive is safe at someone's house? Is it in a location safe from pets, children, sun/water, fire, theft? Do you trust a third-party with ALL of your data? Do you know where in the world those servers are, and what policy they have for protecting your data? Music, video, photos, and non-sensitive data are probably fine there. But what about everything else? Enter cloning. A cloned copy is beneficial in a few ways:

·    Your regular backup fails, is damaged, or stolen.

·    Your computer's internal drive fails and you use the cloned copy as the new internal drive or boot from the clone until you can replace your primary drive and restore your data.

What would I recommend? Well, each situation is different. I have Time Machine/Time Machine editor backup my Macs every 4 hours. I have two clones: 1 that automatically mounts the external drive (a 3.5 inch drive in a Voyager 'toaster' drive) does a backup every night on off-hours, then unmounts the drive when it's finished (Carbon Copy Cloner). If you have a PC, you'll need to find cloning for Windows. Sorry, guys. Since I'm no longer in the IT biz and I no longer own a PC, I can't make suggestions when it comes to Windows. Spend about a half hour on Google and I'm sure you'll find a few solutions.

I make a physical clone once a week and store that elsewhere, in a safe location. And, I have cloud backup for data I don't deem sensitive. I ensure that my clones are bootable. If my drive fails, my downtime is roughly under five minutes. Because I'm human and likely to forget, everything except the 2nd clone is automated.

The minimum I'd recommend: at least ONE backup solution, somewhere: cloud or that external drive. It's not optimal, in my opinion, but it's better than nothing.

My personal method may sound like overkill, but I liken it to a will, a trust, and a health care directive. If you don't have them, you (or your family) will have a mess right at the time they need it the least. Have precautions in place and it makes the unthinkable go a little smoother. Consider how likely it is that something happens to your digital media and you'll see that a few hours spent up front can save a lot of time, grief, and money later on.

 

Michelle is the author of The Haunting Season, Don't Fear the Reaper, and The Book of Lost Souls.

Where to find Michelle:

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Indie-Licious Interview: A Contemporary Hit!

Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult series. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her novels through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Welcome Bethany.
Looks like Friends and Lovers Trilogy has become a hot hit - congratulations. Now please sit back, relax, and allow me to delve into the creative corner of your brain.

~Gosh, you sound like a busy person, with the Air Force and raising five kids. Can you describe your writing journey to us? What was your inspiration to begin writing? 

"I self-published my first book, Ta Ta for Now, in June 2011. I tried querying Agents for about six months prior to deciding to do it myself. I had no idea the amazing journey I was about to embark on. It has been a lot of work, but I wouldn't trade a moment of it. I have met the most wonderful people: Writers, Bloggers, and Readers. I am so happy to be a part of this community. ~ I have always loved to write. When I was younger I wrote horror. Plays and short stories. When I started writing again as an adult, I wrote things that my daughters would enjoy reading. They were my original Beta Readers."

~Is the trilogy about separate people with separate lives? Or do the stories continue from book to book?  

"Each book showcases a different couples romantic journey, but all of the books have the same characters in them. They are sequential, so you get to follow each persons journey throughout. I am actually putting the trilogy together into one book and adding bonus endings for each couple as well. It gives the readers a little more insight into how they all end up. I am really going to miss the characters in this trilogy."

~Do you have certain someones in your head that are the faces of Roni and Rich as you write? In other words, if  Trust in Me was made into a movie, who would you like to see play your beloved characters? 

"The easiest way to answer that is to direct everyone to my Friends & Lovers Pinterest Board - http://pinterest.com/bethanylopez2/characters-in-friends-lovers/. I have pinned pictures of characters, outfits, scenes, etc... I pinned them as I wrote. I am a visual person, so I love finding a picture that can give someone an idea of what I'm writing."

~Great idea! I've been meaning to do this myself. 

~Can you share with us, a favorite line from Trust in Me? 

"This was really hard. I went back and looked for a while. I really wanted to pick entire paragraphs, but I eventually settled on this one: “This was always supposed to be a fling,” Roni said in a tone that made him wonder if she was trying to convince him or herself. ~ I think that sums it up!"

~Is there a tip you can share with writers who decide to journey down the path of independent publishing? 

"Start doing your research and networking well before you're ready to publish you're first book. It'll help you so much throughout the process. Get out there and get to know the writiers and bloggers in your genre and start networking. Help promote their work, comment on their blogs, etc... Give... Don't just take. Never comment on a bad review. Just walk away and realize that although it hurts, it isn't personal. Don't be afraid to join the conversation, we're a pretty awesome group!"

~Excellent advice!

Roni’s dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer were smashed under the brutal rage of her ex-husband's fists. Getting divorced and starting over at the age of twenty-two was never her plan, but maybe in Texas, she'll find her path. When the town's local player, Rich, opens a Rec Center, she sees a way to rekindle her dancing dreams...and maybe have a little fun with her sexy new boss.

Rich never expected to fulfill his dreams in the town he planned to leave behind, but that's just what he's doing. His reputation as a noncommittal ladies' man might make it challenging to earn respect in the business world, but he's willing to prove that he's serious. In fact, when it comes to pursuing Roni, he's more than willing. But she's taking a page out of his book, not wanting to risk another relationship. Can he convince her that his playboy days are over and that she can trust him with her heart?

Connect with Bethany Lopez:

~ IAN ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ My Books ~ Goodreads ~

Teaser Sign Up Time

Yes, I realize this is a day late, but . . . umm . . . I have no excuse. I just forgot. Anyway, the rules are to post no more than a couple short paragraphs from your current work-in-progress or already published novel. The participants will hop around and make comments.

Have fun!

Posts should be live by 12:00 AM Eastern on March 3.

Tools & Tips ~ The Indie Network

The Indie Network

by Frankie Rose

Self-publishing is a long, lonely road. Right?

This can be so true. When I first set out to publish my work on my own, I was exactly that: on my own. I had my book, zero patience, and no clue what I was doing. I jumped in with both feet, setting a release date for my Amazon debut, but it was only when I started thinking about sales and how wonderfully I was going to do that I began to panic. There are over 1.5 million books on Amazon. Even in my blissful naivety, one question plagued me: how were people going to even know my book was there? It was around this time that I really picked up on how much work I had ahead of me. I did my research. I needed a book tour and a publicist, or at least some clue about marketing. Did I have a clue about marketing?  

The resounding answer to that question was most definitely no.

So, I pushed back my book release and started searching out book blogs that would review my book. There were thousands of awesome sites I wanted to participate, but I started hitting brick walls. “No Indie Authors Allowed!” were the larger-than-life words spray painted on those walls. I kicked at them, I scratched, I tried to knock them down every way I knew how. I’ll admit it was a mostly futile exercise, but I did have a few victories. People started reading my work, and all of a sudden I realised that I wasn’t alone anymore. I started collecting people.  People who would email me to find out how I was going and what progress I was making. People who had read Sovereign Hope and enjoyed it, and wanted to see it do well.

I admit, I never considered that there might be a community of people out there, supporting each other on their respective journeys. I had heard horror stories about indie authors back-stabbing and leaving purposefully nasty reviews on websites and blogs just to drag them down. What I found was the exact opposite. I was blown away when my small collection of supporters grew and grew, and as my book release approached, I was humbled by the amount of help I received in spreading the word. Maybe, I figured, this wasn’t such a long, lonely journey after all.

A plethora of wonderful authors gave me advice and pointed me in the right direction when I got a little lost, and I have built some incredible relationships with them over the past nine months. My second book release was so much easier, because I had a network of friends at my back, ready to buoy me up, talk me down off the ledge when I needed it, and to kick my ass when I needed that, too. Which was often.

It quickly became apparent that this whole Indie thing was so much easier when you had people to help you through it. My purpose in the indie community evolved, so that I was doing what I could to help others who were starting out on their own journeys, shaky legs and all. There was great satisfaction in that, and I felt blessed to be able to share the knowledge and support that had been given to me when I needed it.

Myself and a few other girls put our heads together. Wouldn’t it be great if there was an organised body that people could turn to when they needed answers or feedback? The groundwork was laid out by the brilliant Chelsea Starling and Jordan Rosenfeld, and over a period of months Indie-Visible came into being. Our motto, Literary Justice For All, really said it all. We wanted equality and readily available encouragement for everyone who was brave enough to pour their souls onto the paper and send it out into the world. It shouldn’t matter whether or not a big publishing house deemed it ‘right for them’.

I’m not saying becoming published author through traditional avenues isn’t a worthwhile goal. It’s one I’m sure we all dream of occasionally, but there are so many benefits to being an independent writer. Gone are the days when an author can only feel validated if one of the big six picks up their work and stamps it with their seal of approval. There is probably as much chance of you winning the lottery as that happening, with traditional publishers receiving thousands of queries each month. And I don’t like those odds.

With resources like Indie-Visible at our fingertips, there is no reason why our books should go unread, or not receive the attention they deserve. Diversity is a wonderful thing, and we have certainly benefited from the eclectic mix of people who have joined the Indie-Visible ranks. Professional editors, PR experts, graphic designers, book trailer makers—there are so many ways we have found to help launch each other with our individual skill-sets. With so few lottery winners, we have all decided to go out and build our own luck from the ground up. Sure, it’s hard work. Blood gets spilled and the odd tear is shed from time to time, but that’s just life.

I’m willing to risk being trite when I utilise the old saying, Nothing worth doing is ever easy.  It’s clichéd, but remarkably relevant.  And with the invaluable community of independent authors out there helping each other and taking such joy in another’s success, there is no reason why we should ever struggle on our journeys alone. Swing by and check out the amazing individual stories of the Indie-Visible crew. Our stories and our experiences are so very different, and we would love to help you build and create your own.

Literary Justice For All!

You can learn more about Frankie Rose on her website and here is the link for indie-visible.

Indie-Licious Interview: Laura AH Elliott has a Winner in Winnemucca!

I love writing about enchanted road trips, shadow worlds, and alien romance while eating lots of popcorn. I live in a tree house on the central California coast. After twenty-plus years as a freelance graphic designer/animator with clients including E! Entertainment Television and The Los Angeles Times, I crossed over into the world of publishing non-fiction and followed my heart to the world of fiction. You can find me on my blog Laurasmagicday.wordpress.com, on Facebook and @Laurawriting and on Goodreads too!

I'm the author of the Shadow Series & the Starjump Series. 13 on Halloween (Shadow Series #1) is about a girl who gets a birthday gift that's literally out of this world. I love this book because it takes a look at one girl's quest for popularity, no matter what the cost. Shadow Slayer (Shadow Series #2), is my new release and is now available as an audiobook too. I'm really excited about this book because Roxie is one year older and finds the agony of fitting in at high school nothing compared to saving the world from the shadow onslaught. Moon Killers, book 3 is due to release this spring. Transfer Student (Starjump Series #1) is an intergalactic tale of beauty and the geek. This book is near and dear to me because it explores the greatest mystery in the galaxy--what do boys think about girls? And, vice-versa. Ashley & Rhoe solve this mystery by swapping lives. I'm the author of a couple stand alone novels too. Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale is inspired by my life-long love of a little-known town and my equal love of enchanted teenage road trips. I love this book because it's about Ginny awakening to her own intuition. The Seven Caves & Other Spine-Tingling Short Stories, is a compilation of my most popular ghost stories. Recently, a lost excerpt from Shadow Slayer has been featured in a paranormal romance anthology called Midnight Surrender.

Welcome Laura! I'm am so excited to have you here today at Indie-Licious. I was just thinking about you the other day and I realized that you were one of the very first author friends I've been blessed to meet online. Since then we've met in person and have shared many laughs and book events together. It only seems fitting that I get to be the gal lucky enough to interview and brag about your accomplishment with Winnemucca, Amazon Bestseller in Christian and Fantasy. So, allow me to pick your brain.

Describe your heroine.


"In the beginning of Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale, we meet Ginny (Virginia Mae Nolyn) who is living the life everyone wants her to live, but to her something’s wrong. Something’s missing. There’s this nagging feeling Ginny can’t put her finger on until the life she’s living almost kills her. In this moment she listens to her intuition for the very first time and it takes her on an enchanted road trip where fear’s as blind as love. Winnemucca, NV is the Emerald City of the novel and the one place where Ginny believes she’ll find all her answers.

What makes Ginny a real heroine IMHO is that she listens to her intuition. How many times do we ignore our own? She leaves everything and everyone she knows to follow her heart. Even though she has no idea where this will lead. It takes a person an unbelievable amount of courage to listen to that little voice inside when it points to leaving a familiar life that seems safe, for the unknown. Safety can be an illusion."

I think we've all come face to face with such a circumstance, but not all of us are brave enough to explore it. Ginny sounds like an incredible character. Who would pick to play Ginny and the rest of your characters in a movie?


 Laura's Dream Cast for Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale:

”GINNY” -EMMA STONE

 

“BOBBY” – ZAC EFRON 

“CLYDE” – CHASE CRAWFORD

“SUPERSTAR” – EMILE HIRSCH

“LIZZY” – CAREY MULLIGAN

“CARLOS” – JAVIER BARDEM

 

“ESPY” – SHAKIRA

“DOLLY” – SUSAN SARANDON

“EARL” – TOMMY LEE JONES

That is quite a cast list! I'd love to see it come to fruition. 

Often, as authors we are asked if the characters we write about are symbolic of ourselves in any way. What do you and your heroine have in common?

"Ginny and I share a love of the romantic. She is more courageous than me, but she’s inspired me to be more so."

I love the cover for Winnemucca. How did you come up with idea?


"My husband took the picture of HWY 33 in Avenal, CA that’s the setting for the opening scene of Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale. If you look off to the right you can see the state prison that plays a part in the story. I photoshoped in Ginny’s legs. People often ask if they’re mine, but they’re not."

I would love it, and I know our readers would too, if you could share an excerpt with us. 

“Sweat beaded up under my bangs. I eyed Highway 33 in both directions. To the left was home––Bobby’s enchanting smile should be enough. But I’d never find my answers as Mrs. Bobby Jennings. To the right, God only knew. There was no guarantee I’d find my answers on the road. The wild oats bowed to the left. I turned right. Into the wind.”

"A police siren wailed, coming up from behind. Uncle Earl slowed his patrol car to a creep and yelled over the siren before he switched it off. “Virginia Mae? Where in the hell are you going?”

“Didn’t know walking’s a crime Earl,” I said, my eyes fixed on the white line under my feet.

“That’s Uncle Earl, Virginia Mae…and look at me when I’m talking to you…”

“Your momma called two hours ago,” Earl said, leaning out of his patrol car, his face as red as the pomegranates Momma grew in the backyard. “Bobby took you for dead.”

I’d done the worst thing possible by standing Bobby up. Because doing that one true thing meant the rest of the truth wasn’t far behind. I’d have to tell Bobby I didn’t love him and that buzzed the heebie-jeebies through me. The kind I’d get when I’d rush to kill a black widow before it killed me. I had no idea what Bobby would do when I told him. I had no idea what he was capable of. But, in the end, nothing would frighten me more than myself.

My nothing-better-to-do uncle took a drag off his long cigar. “Now don’t you go crossing the Kern County line thinking I don’t have jurisdiction there. Cause let me tell you, ain’t no measily little thing like jurisdictions gonna keep me from hauling your butt back home where you belong. I’ve got lots of friends who owe me favors in Kern County. And I’ll call every one of them in. Don’t make them hog-tie you.” The only thing I hated more than Earl laughing at my life was him managing it.

His lead-foot got in the way of trying to keep my pace. One time he pulled his patrol car up so close I thought he might flatten my feet.

“Could haul your butt back right now, runaway,” Earl said, pointing the slobbery end of his cigar to the backseat. “Come on, hop in back with your wedding dress.” It hung, covered in clear plastic, behind Earl’s secured shotgun. A white-sequined, sweetheart neckline sparkled blue and red, keeping time with Earl’s police lights.

Earl eased his patrol car to a stop.

“Earl, it’s the twenty-first century, the one where women take walks by themselves or fly to the moon if they want to,” I said. “That time of the month, huh?” Earl chuckled under his breath. Most family get-togethers found the men patting each other on the back for being Masters of the Universe, while their wives huddled in the kitchen, some wishing away their vows to obey. Women in the family assumed us kids were hard of hearing once the white zin flowed.

Earl spun his tires on his way to catch up to me. “Get in the car, Ginny,” he said.

If I did, it’d be all over town in the morning––Virginia Mae Nolyn, lunatic walker, driven to insanity by her nosy feet. Apprehended by her Uncle Earl.

One foot in front of the other. Will I huddle? And drink white zin? And wish my life away?

“Did you hear me?” Earl said.

“I’m almost eighteen and I don’t take orders from anybody.” I twisted my too-tight engagement ring. Don’t want you ballooning up after our vows, Skinny Ginny, Bobby had said when I wanted it resized. “I’ll turn around. When I’m ready,” I said.

Earl glanced at my wedding dress, the ghost of myself behind bars in Earl’s backseat. “Wasn’t anywhere near Fresno, but I picked it up. Saved your runaway butt one hundred whole dollars––don’t your Auntie Dee just know everybody. No need to thank us,” he said like I was as deaf as Poppa.

On my wedding day Daddy would take his ranch-worn hand in mine and we’d walk down the red-carpeted aisle of The First Baptist Church of Avenal, toward Rev. Jennings. Daddy would lift my veil off my face and kiss me for the last time as his little girl. I’d walk past the very first pew to the altar and take Bobby’s hand. But my wedding dress turned into a convict’s jumpsuit in my mind.

“We have ways of bringing in hardened criminals such as yourself,” Earl said. His smile faded and he mumbled into his handheld radio before rolling his eyes and driving off. Earl’s siren blared when he took a right on Twisselman Road. I’d never been in more danger in my Big, Fat, Lie-of-a-Life."

Thanks so much Laura for such an awesome interview!

When fear's as blind as love, how far would you go to find your own happily ever after? One question will change Ginny's life forever. One answer will set her free. Once upon a time Ginny's road blood ripened, the day she got wise to love. Engaged to the high school quarterback, his quarter-carat ring and enchanting smile should have been enough for her. But, she stands him up and takes a walk where every step questions her happily ever after gone-bad and the fate of the mother she never knew. The mother her father refuses to talk about. Ginny fights to untangle her big, fat, lie-of-a-life on an enchanted road trip to Winnemucca, where she believes all her answers lie. To solve the riddle of her past, she must outrun everyone who wants a piece of her future-including a man determined to see she never has one.

Click here To read Chapters 1 & 2. Click here to see the book trailer.

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Visit Laura at:

Laurasmagicday (her blog)

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New Book Reveal - Trust in Me by Bethany Lopez

                     Trust in Me: Book Three of the Friends and Lovers Trilogy by Bethany Lopez is here!

Synopsis:
Roni’s dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer were smashed under the brutal rage of her ex-husband's fists. Getting divorced and starting over at the age of twenty-two was never her plan, but maybe in Texas, she'll find her path. When the town's local player, Rich, opens a Rec Center, she sees a way to rekindle her dancing dreams...and maybe have a little fun with her sexy new boss.

Rich never expected to fulfill his dreams in the town he planned to leave behind, but that's just what he's doing. His reputation as a noncommittal ladies' man might make it challenging to earn respect in the business world, but he's willing to prove that he's serious. In fact, when it comes to pursuing Roni, he's more than willing. But she's taking a page out of his book, not wanting to risk another relationship. Can he convince her that his playboy days are over and that she can trust him with her heart?

Excerpt:

           He hadn’t heard her enter. The music was too loud, and he was totally focused on pounding the bag.

            Roni couldn’t look away. She felt a visceral need to touch. As the muscles rippled under his skin with each movement, her hands itched to feel.

Roni shook her head briefly. What was she thinking? This was Rich. A player. A Flirt. The exact opposite of the kind of guy she needed in her life.

Someone needed to explain that to her legs, she thought. They were about to give out.

            Suddenly she realized that the movement before her had stopped. She shouted out, “Hey,” to get Rich’s attention, before he turned and caught her staring at him. The last thing she needed was for Rich to think she thought he was hot!

            Rich wiped at his brow and turned, a grin spreading across his face when he saw her in the doorway. He held up a finger, to tell her to give him a second. He crossed the room towards the docking station and bent to turn down his iPod.

            Roni stifled a grown at the sight of his ass as he bent over. Who knew a man’s ass could be so freakin’ tight? And his back… Good Lord!

Where to buy:

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Indie-Licious Interview: The Real Krystal Wade

Krystal Wade can be found in the sluglines outside Washington D.C. every morning, Monday through Friday. With coffee in hand, iPod plugged in, and strangers - who sometimes snore, smell, or have incredibly bad gas - sitting next to her, she zones out and thinks of fantastical worlds for you and me to read.

How else can she cope with a fifty mile commute?

Good thing she has her husband and three kids to go home to. They keep her sane.

So, what makes Krystal Wade tick?
I’ve compiled a series of questions to answer just that. Let’s see what we can dig up. Mwahahahaha.

About the author:
1.  Favorite color. - Purple - Seriously, my husband says he can get me to buy anything, as long as it's purple.
2.  Favorite food. - ALL OF IT. I love eating. I love pizza, sushi, steak, veggies, junk! I LOVE IT ALL.
3.  Favorite kid – haha, just joking – next… - Kid #3. She loves me the most...just kidding.
4.  Favorite song/music. - This falls into the ALL OF IT. I don't love one particular type of music over another, but whatever I do love has to have EMOTION. I love songs I can feel.
5.  Favorite  movie. - The Wedding Singer. Once, a long time ago when I was on my own and had very little money, I watched the Wedding Singer over and over and over because I didn't have cable. I could probably still recite it: Julia Gulia. What kind of name is that?

 About writing:
6.  What was the most exciting moment in your writing career? - Finishing a trilogy!
7.  Can you share some of your favorite online writing sites/tools? - Grammarly.com I love this thing, but don't use it nearly as much anymore.
8.  Do you plot? - I'm a hybrid between plotter and pantster. I try plotting but it never works out.
9.  Do you have a favorite place in the house to write in? Room? Chair? Submerged in a tub of warm water topped with bubbles and screaming kids at the door? CHAIR! Well, it's a chair and a half, really, and it's leather and right by the fire place and has a big ottoman and lots of cushy blankets and pillows. :-) The cats also think this is their home.
10.  What tip would you share with beginning writers? - Don't give up.

About The Darkness Falls Series:
11.  What music artist/group would you commission to write/sing the theme song to The Darkness Falls Series? Hmm. Well, it would no doubt be an instrumental song, something alive and intense, something scary and hopeful, something progressive and leaves you feeling introspective. My favorite composer has to be John Williams (Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones, ET, Harry Potter, and SO MUCH MORE), but I really like Paul Cardall (Life and Death from LOST), Christophe Beck (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Honestly, if I was ever given the chance to work with John Williams, I'd probably die a happy fan girl. I spent 7 years playing first chair Double French Horn, and some of my favorite music was written by Mr. Williams. :-) I'm off topic, huh?
12.  Who would play Kate? - This is really tough to answer. Mainly because the girl I used for inspiration is all grown up now and couldn't actually play her (Evan Rachel Wood), and even when I did pick her, I had to doctor her image to make her hair dark and remove makeup and such. So. I'm not sure.
13.  Who would play Arland? - Hands down, Henry Cavill!
14.  Is there anything about the story you would go back and change if you could? - I can't think that way. It would make me crazy.
15.  Did you plan a series when you started Wilde’s Fire? - There was no plan, really. I sat down and started writing. Everything that happened happened by chance.

Thanks, Krystal, for allowing us to snoop into your life.
Disclosure: The interviewer (ME) owns and read all three books in this series, and was in no way influenced or bribed with candy by the author (Krystal) to do this awesome interview :)

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she's ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out.

When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she's dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. Kate's forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her.

 "Hello, Katriona."

Those two words spark fear in Katriona Wilde and give way to an unlikely partnership with Perth, the man she's been traded to marry for a favor. Saving her true love and protector Arland, her family, and their soldiers keeps her motivated, but the at-odds duo soon realizes trust is something that comes and goes with each breath of Encardia's rotting, stagnant air.

The moment when concern for her missing sister spirals out of control, all thoughts of trust are pushed aside and she finds herself trapped by the daemon tricks Perth warned her of. When so many she's grown fond of die along the journey, will she still be Katriona Wilde, the girl with fire?

Happy endings are hard to find, and even though Katriona is in the middle of a war with someone who’s already stolen more than she can replace, she aches for a positive future with her Draíochtans.

Armed with hope, confidence in her abilities, and a strange new gift from her mother, Kate ventures into the Darkness to defeat a fallen god.

Losses add up, and new obstacles rise to stand in the way.

Is the one determined to bring Encardia light strong enough to keep fighting, or will all the sacrifices to stop those who seek domination be for nothing?

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