Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Christine. Tell us, what inspired you to write your book, Once Upon a Christmas Moon?
This is an Anthology. We are a group of writers who have been writing for almost twenty years. We like to write holiday anthologies and enjoy getting together, planning and focusing on a project.
When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?
Because there are three of us we focus on a theme. Sometimes we have a common thread we weave through all three stories. Once Upon a Christmas Moon doesn't have a common thread. The three of us plot differently. Personally, my stories are character driven.
What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions? Why?
Conflict is the most difficult to write because we want to cut to the chase and write our happy ending.
What is the first thing you do when you begin a new book?
Write the first scene. Actually write character arcs, and sometimes when they are chatting away in my head, that's where I keep them.
If you were a TV, film or book character, apart from one you've created, who would you be? And why?
Well there are three of us so it's hard to say. Perhaps a character who has superpowers.
Give us a brief summary of Once Upon a Christmas Moon:
TWELVE DAYS TO LOVE
When Archer Steele shows up at Calanthe Durand's failing plantation with an alligator over his shoulder, Cali thinks she's never seen a more handsome man.
During the war, she had to defend herself and her servants from both union and confederate soldiers. Independent and self-sufficient, she vows to never marry. But Archer Steele has different ideas.
The first time Archer sees Cali in town, he feels an instant attraction. He decides he will do everything and anything to convince the beautiful Miss Durand he is worthy of her love. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, he gives her twelve gifts in hopes she will fall in love with him.
BOOTS AND BLADES
An ancient evil from the old country has arrived in the high desert of
Oregon. Gnome children are vanishing then re-appearing, showing various
stages of traumatization. Tiamoon, warrior gnome, will put her skills to
use alongside Killian, a handsome warrior, also in need of a cause.
CHRISTMAS PAWSIBILITIES
With their world destroyed and their space ship malfunctioning, the
dogizens of Planet Canid have little choice but to crash land on Earth.
They face tortuous experiments at the hands of the Geeks in Green...or
they can trust an eccentric inventor and his zany family to deliver the
Canine Queen's puppies and help them celebrate new lives.
Buy:
Bios:
Christine Young
Born in Medford, Oregon, novelist Christine Young has lived in Oregon all of her life. After graduating from Oregon State University with a BS in science, she spent another year at Southern Oregon State University working on her teaching certificate, and a few years later received her Master's degree in secondary education and counseling.
Now the long, hot days of summer provide the perfect setting for creating romance. She sold her first book, Dakota's Bride, the summer of 1998 and her second book, My Angel to Kensington. Each fall, Christine returns to the classroom as a high school math teacher.
Her teaching and writing careers have intertwined with raising three children. Christine's newest venture is the creation of Rogue Phoenix Press. Christine is the founder, editor and co-owner with her husband. They live in Salem, Oregon.
Three contemporary romance novels written under the nom de plume, Celia Cooper: Old Enough to Know Better; Sun in Sagittarius, Moon in Mazatlan; and If Only were gifts from the writing gods. A fourth novel, Cats in the Cradle of Civilization, written as C. L. Kraemer is her first venture into the mystery genre. Wings ePress, Inc. is the publisher of these four offerings.
Healthy Homicide, the October 2008 launch book for a new publishing house, RoguePhoenixPress, picks up the torch again in the mystery world. In February 2010, she contributed writings to two Valentine’s Anthologies at RoguePhoenixPress: A Valentine Anthology, with The Lending Library and A Different Kind of Valentine with The Prize.
She completed the base story in a Dragon fantasy series, Dragons Among Us, for RoguePhoenix Press. The second in the series, Dragons Among the Eagles, was released June 2011.
Meadows of Gold, another faerie story, was released March 2011 as part of A St Patrick’s Day Tale. A novel based on one of the first mass shootings, which took place in Salem, Oregon in 1981, Shattered Tomorrows, was released August 2011. Currently in the works for publication is a commuter book featuring a motorcycle poker run, Joker’s Wild, and the third in the dragon series, Dragons Among the Ice.
C. L. Kraemer
C. L. Kraemer is a wanderer, a way of life started when her father served in the U.S. Marine Corp. She’s carried on the tradition seeing most of the continental United States as well as Hawaii and Alaska.
Three contemporary romance novels written under the nom de plume, Celia Cooper: Old Enough to Know Better; Sun in Sagittarius, Moon in Mazatlan; and If Only were gifts from the writing gods. A fourth novel, Cats in the Cradle of Civilization, written as C. L. Kraemer is her first venture into the mystery genre. Wings ePress, Inc. is the publisher of these four offerings.
Healthy Homicide, the October 2008 launch book for a new publishing house, RoguePhoenixPress, picks up the torch again in the mystery world. In February 2010, she contributed writings to two Valentine’s Anthologies at RoguePhoenixPress: A Valentine Anthology, with The Lending Library and A Different Kind of Valentine with The Prize.
She completed the base story in a Dragon fantasy series, Dragons Among Us, for RoguePhoenix Press. The second in the series, Dragons Among the Eagles, was released June 2011.
Meadows of Gold, another faerie story, was released March 2011 as part of A St Patrick’s Day Tale. A novel based on one of the first mass shootings, which took place in Salem, Oregon in 1981, Shattered Tomorrows, was released August 2011. Currently in the works for publication is a commuter book featuring a motorcycle poker run, Joker’s Wild, and the third in the dragon series, Dragons Among the Ice.
Genie Gabriel
I went through the expected motions of marriage, kids, divorce, and career, but usually out of step with most of the human population. This proved to be an advantage in developing an independence and a curiosity about things most people don’t even consider.
A minor health issue led to energy healing and becoming a master level Reiki practitioner. Working at the local animal shelter flipped on the switch to communicating with animals. Each dog I adopted showed miraculous changes most people couldn’t believe.
As a writer, I explored the mysteries of why people behave as they do, and also became fascinated by science, especially quantum physics. But perhaps my favorite way of writing stories is to ask the question, “What if?” and dive into those imagined worlds—surrounded by my beloved furbabies, of course!
Find Christine, C.L. and Genie:
Christine Young
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Genie Gabriel
