Author Interview with Karen Y. Bynum

by Joanne Wadsworth | Sep 24, 2012 | Author Blog

Witch Way To Turn…

Can you give one guy your heart and another your soul?

The last thing eighteen-year-old Breena Cross needs in her life is more complications. It’s all she can do to balance studying, working, trying to keep her foster-sister safe and drooling over the new guy at work. But things go from complicated to crazy when a fit of rage ignites the dark magic inside her and she finds herself fending off the supernatural underworld.

Myles, Breena’s drool-worthy coworker and vampire convict, is carrying a load of secrets–one of which is that he’s fang-over-lip in love with Breena and in danger of violating the terms of his sentence.

Orin is a soul-hungry assassin sent to kill Breena. However, he takes one look into her eyes and sees his own lost humanity. For once thinking of someone other than himself, he chooses not to end her life, even though it means risking his own.

Despite a convict and an assassin fighting over her, all Breena wants is custody of her sister. But to do this, she will need help from both Myles and Orin. And if Breena doesn’t learn to control the darkness within, she could lose her sister…forever.

WARNING: Contains strong language and some graphic content.

Hey everyone. Please join me in welcoming Karen Y. Bynum, author of Witch Way To Turn to my blog.

Joanne: Welcome, Karen. First of all, congratulations on your debut release. Witch Way To Turn is a young adult, paranormal romance, with a magnetic cast. I was instantly enthralled by your heroine, Breena Cross, wishing she could sort out the supernatural underworld she’d been thrown into, save her sister and, oh, figure out what to do with the vamp, Myles, and the soul-hungry assassin, Orin. Such a fast-paced story, one I couldn’t stop turning the pages of.

So, let’s jump into this interview, because I’m incredibly curious to know how you came up with such a gripping cast?

Karen: Hi Joanne! It’s such a pleasure to be here. Wow, thank you so much for that wonderful introduction. I’m thrilled that you were caught up in the story. I’ll jump right in too. 🙂 My girl Breena was there from the beginning. She had—and still does have—so much to say! Once she started talking to me, I couldn’t stop listening. Nor did I want to. Her foster sister, Jenny, was Breena’s main concern as soon as I met her. The scene near the end of chapter one where Breena is protecting Jenny sparked the entire novel. Myles came next, followed by Orin. Suddenly Breena didn’t know which way to turn. (I’d actually typed that very line and by tweaking one word that’s how the title came about.) Myles had her heart, but Orin was her soul mate. The rest of the cast appeared as I was writing. It was a surprise to me when they showed up. Me: Why hello there…join the party, won’t you? 🙂

Joanne: How long have you been writing, and what drew you to the genre you’ve chosen?

Karen: I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil. The first thing I remember writing was my name. From there I wrote short stories and a lot of poetry. I started writing with the goal of publication in mind back in 2009. I’d just watched the first Twilight movie. I was hooked. I bought all four books and read them in a couple of weeks. All of a sudden the voices in my head that I just hadn’t had time for would no longer allow me to ignore them. It was time to write. Now, granted, that very first book I wrote may never see the light of day, but it bound me to the written word. Yes, my characters own me.

Joanne: What’s your biggest tip in the submission process that helped you land your contract?

Karen: Excellent question, Joanne. When you finish writing your first manuscript…take a step back before sending your baby out into the world. When I wrote my very first novel, I had literally no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know anything about the submission process. Query letter…what’s that? At the time, I didn’t know what a beta reader was or how to write a synopsis or why a character needed a goal. I had to learn, and I’m still learning. Writing is ongoing and ever-changing…it’s like a living, breathing thing. The tip that helped—which I didn’t believe at first and still struggle with—is not to rush things. Once the book is written…do a happy dance for sure! Go out for ice cream. Celebrate. But the real work begins now. Find a beta reader, preferably before you type the end. Distance yourself from your masterpiece for a little while. And then polish, polish, polish before hitting the submit button. From my experience, it truly made all the difference.

Joanne: When you got your contract, and you realized your book had been accepted, what was your first thought?

Karen: My very first thought was: is this for real? I was absolutely in shock. I’d been querying for so long and had so many close calls that it just didn’t seem real. I immediately emailed the contract to my husband to look over. I needed someone to tell me I wasn’t imagining things. When he said the contract was legitimate, I ran around my house shouting for joy and jumping up and down… Fact. Breena was finally going to have her story heard. I was thrilled.

Joanne: With the contract for Witch Way To Turn in your hands, how long was it until your book was released?

Karen: I received the contract December 2011, began edits January of 2012 and Witch Way to Turn was released August of 2012. It has been a whirlwind of awesome. 🙂

Joanne: What’s your next book or books?

Karen: I finished the second book in the Witch Way series the first weekend in September and will begin revisions soon. My demon-slaying unicorn story titled Running From Shadows is being read by two agents and an editor. And my current work-in-progress is a yet-to-be-titled alien sci-fi novella.

Joanne: Okay, I’m going to have a fun rapid fire question round.

Tea or coffee? If I must choose, always—always—coffee. But I love hot tea before bed.

Have you ever traveled to New Zealand? No, but I would love to! Hm. I know who to visit when I do travel there. 🙂

Dog or cat? Dog.

Beach or skiing? I live at the beach, so I can do that anytime. I would love to go skiing! It’s on my bucket list.

Chocolate, or vanilla, or rocky road ice-cream? Chocolate.

Lemons or lemonade? Lemonade.

Do you write on holiday? Yes, I most certainly try.

Do you brainstorm during your sleep? I wish! That would be such a great use of my time. I do think about my WIP every night before falling asleep in hopes that I’ll dream about it. Hm, I’ve never shared that with anyone before. lol

Favorite food? I live to eat! So I can’t pick just one thing.

What three things would you take to a desert island? I’m gonna pretend this desert island has electrical outlets, wifi and a kitchen staff. *dreams* So I’d take my laptop, cellphone and Kindle. But in case it doesn’t have any of those things… I’d take notebooks, pencils and lip balm. I can deal with burnt skin, but not chapped lips. lol

Joanne– Where can readers find you, and your book?

Karen– I love to talk to readers and meet new people. Come visit me here: Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest, my blog or my website. The Witch Way to Turn book trailer can be viewed here.

Joanne— Thanks so much, Karen. It’s been wonderful having you here.

Also you can grab your copy of Witch Way To Turn at Lyrical Press/Amazon/Barnes&Noble

Excerpt — (Myles POV)

After grabbing a pair of tweezers from the bathroom, he made his way into the living room, sat on the edge of the coffee table and examined Breena’s hands. He could smell the blood on them still. He assumed it was from the shards on the floor at Norma’s.

Carefully cupping Breena’s palm in his hand, Myles picked out the tiny pieces of glass. Lust stirred inside him. He knew he shouldn’t. The smallest taste of Breena’s blood would take him to the brink of insanity, awaken a thirst he wasn’t sure he could control, even with his daily dose of humanity. On the other hand, it would give him an edge on protecting her. And if he gave her his, it would heal her cuts. He knew the consequences of what he was contemplating. But right here, in this moment, he had the opportunity to shield Breena from pain.

Screw the cost.

He stared at the semi-dried liquid on her hands. Slowly he raised her palm to his face. He closed his eyes and inhaled the rich scent before licking the temptation away.

Heat splayed him open. Her blood flowed with a magic he’d never tasted before. Ancient. His fangs slid out. Bending over her, he pressed his lips to her throat. Her pulse beat against his mouth. So close. The scent of her blood consumed his mind, his willpower, his love. The pressure of his canines on her skin increased. She moaned, just a little. A sigh in her sleep.

Oh God.

The sound sent shudders of desire rocketing through him, mocking his humanity. Her eyes flitted open, a drowsy violet. He didn’t move, didn’t breathe, his fangs still poised at her throat. She looked so small, so vulnerable, but when she saw him she smiled up at him with absolute trust. His fangs retracted and her eyes drifted shut.

Myles forced himself back to the coffee table. Thank the Lord above he hadn’t bitten her. Shaking, he draped a blanket over Breena and watched her sleep awhile.

After a few minutes, he had to admit he was putting off the inevitable. He knew what duty demanded he do next. He just didn’t want to call Lucinda and tell her what had happened. But what choice did he have? The president could make what was left of his life a living nightmare if she wanted to.

Karen Y. Bynum is an author of young adult paranormal fantasy.  Her debut novel Witch Way to Turn is published through Lyrical Press.  She grew up in Hickory, North Carolina where mountains and magic surrounded her.  Even as a child, she wrote her own faery tales and prattled incessantly to her imaginary friends.

After graduating from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media Communications, she went on to become certified in culinary arts from The Art Institute of Charlotte.  But it wasn’t until her aerospace engineer husband accepted a job in Virginia and they relocated that she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up.

With the support of family and friends, Karen embarked on a journey with the voices in her head.  They wouldn’t stop talking (yes, she does answer back) and their stories took shape.

Karen currently lives in coastal Virginia and enjoys reading, tweeting, writing and spending time with her husband and their spoiled rotten Vizsla named Rusty. 

Describing Places — Show, Don’t Tell.

by Joanne Wadsworth | Sep 16, 2012 | Author Blog

I love when I’m reading and a new location comes into play within a scene. The visual description the author brings to the reader is so important. And as writers we have ensure we cover all the elements we need for the reader to have the same image in their mind that we do in ours.

I ask myself the following questions each time I have to describe a new location–from a simple passageway, to a bedroom, to a sweeping panorama.

• What are 2 to 4 key components of this place? These are the items which stand out with clear emphasis. Use more if you need them.
• What are 1 to 3 small features that will take this description and make it something special? Examples of this are like the stitching in bedcovers, the fabrics used on furniture, or a cobweb in the corner of a room. Find something unique that will push your description in the direction you want it to go.
• Is this place important? What’s its history? (Sometimes, only the author needs to know this question, but there are times when this is shared with the reader during the description because it’s important to the storyline.)
• Remember the five senses. Sight, smell, taste, feel and speak.
• Make sure you show your reader what you’re seeing. This is so important.

Now, not all the answers will be used, but most of them will within the scene. But most importantly, these detailed descriptions I’m speaking of come when you show your location for the first time. When you bring this same location back in another scene, there will be less description needed because you have already drawn it. So, let’s jump to it and see some examples, because I find it’s so important to add a showing to my posts.

Example one: To set this scene, the heroine has never been to this place before. She’s walking down a passageway and into a bedroom that’s far more than what she’s used to seeing.

The passageway was wide, yet dimly lit with wall sconces holding candlelike bulbs. She didn’t slow since all the doors were closed, but at the fifth which she’d been told was hers, she halted. The ornate brass knob was curved, and she pushed it open.

She stood in the doorway, doing a double take. Wow. The room was three times the size of what she had back home. And from the size of that bed–she would get lost in it.

Heading across the polished wooden flooring, she gripped one of the four carved hardwood posts that rose high above the bed to support a canopy of sheer lace netting. Pushing one corner of the lace aside, she ran her fingers over the violet silk covers. So pretty, with detailed stitching in mauve and gold thread.

Now onto example two: To set this scene, the heroine is standing on a rocky cliff face before a large palace.

She stood on the precipice and stared down its craggy side. The ocean was eerily beautiful, almost beyond magnificent in its violent splendor.

Turning on her heel, she saw the palace. Wind whipped her hair about as she gazed up. So unreal. It was four floors in height and constructed of large blocks of gray-black stone. From each of the many corners, a slender tower rose to double the height of the palace, at least a dozen towers visible from her position. This residence was a fortress, although a stunning one with light shining from behind stained glass from the largest of the windows.

I hope you get my point–you want to bring your reader into the location you’ve set. Have them standing there, touching, feeling and seeing what you do.

I hope you enjoyed this “describing places” blog post, and that it aided you in some way. If you haven’t joined me for your weekly dose of bite-sized writing tidbits and you’d like to, then simply check out the right-hand side panel, and enter your email address to “follow the blog.” If you want, also click “like” on my FB author page to the right. I love all the support.

* * * *

PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.

Writing Realistic, Fight Scenes.

by Joanne Wadsworth | Sep 9, 2012 | Author Blog

I love a dramatic, action-packed scene. As a reader, there’s that build-up that comes in the pages beforehand. My adrenaline rushes and I’m yearning to see the fight between the characters unfold. I relish it, soaking it in until I’m fully involved.

So, how do we as writers create these action scenes?

We don’t rush it. As I’ve already alluded to, truly dramatic scenes take pages to build-up to. No jumping in there. You have to ramp the tension up and make your reader’s fingertips burn to turn that next page to see what happens. But once you’re there, and you’re ready to deliver the action scene, here’s a list of things to take particular note of.

Remember the five senses. Sight, smell, taste, feel, and speak. Make sure you show and don’t tell.

• With a fight scene, what’s the space like? Open or closed? Are there weapons close by that can used to battle it out with? A lot of regular items can be used as tools to harm. A broken chair leg, a smashed bottle, curtaining. Anything you can imagine can be pulled into a fight scene.
• Don’t forget the blows. Watch the reactions for both characters and describe them. Did they fall? Stumble? Grunt? Snarl? Lip bleed?
• Are there other people there? Are they trying to stop the fight? Or do they join in? Are the other bystanders screaming for them to stop? Or egging them on?
• Ensure your hero can’t do it all. What I mean is, give him faults and make him sweat.
• Know how the fight scene ends. Does the villain get away in order to plot his next attack? Or is he captured?

I hope you enjoy this small taste of a fight scene below. I find it’s important to add a showing to my posts, so I’m throwing this together for you. It will give you a taste of the five senses I’ve referred to above. To set the scene, two warriors are battling it out in an arena, one a champion who is seeing if the younger warrior has what it takes to join the ranks of his best. They have been fighting for some time and the younger warrior is tiring.

He pushed back the sweaty strands of his hair plastered to his forehead, blinking to focus. Around him the crowd roared, the two-tiered arena packed to capacity, the people wearing a sea of colors that blurred one into the other. Sword. Shield. Don’t falter. It was the mantra every warrior recited.

A snarl of sound coming close on his right, meant he was too slow. His opponent plowed into him, the metal edge of his shield slamming into his side.

“Ugh.” Planting one foot back, he skidded on the soft grains underfoot. Not enough friction. His knee twisted and he crashed to the ground, landing with a jarring thud on his back that rattled his teeth. The metallic taste of blood exploded in his mouth.

One massive man, his red tunic slick against his skin loomed over him. His opponent lifted his sword-arm and held still, the midday sun glinting off the blade. “Yield. Now.” The demand was a blistering one, issued with all the authority of the champion he fought against.

“Never. Not while there is still breath in my body.” He rolled to his side, the champion’s weapon cutting through the air and slicing into the ground where he’d just laid. Hell, that was too close for any man’s comfort.

I hope you enjoyed this “writing realistic, fight scenes” blog post, and that it aided you in some way.  If you haven’t joined me for your weekly dose of bite-sized writing tidbits and you’d like to, then simply check out the right-hand side panel, and enter your email address to “follow the blog.”  If you want, also click “like” on my FB author page to the right.  I love all the support.

* * * *

PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.

Show, Don’t Tell.

by Joanne Wadsworth | Sep 3, 2012 | Author Blog

As writers, we hear this mantra all the time.  But what does “show, don’t tell” really mean?

Let me lay it out straight. It refers to the concept of “watching/showing” something unfold, rather than being told in story format.

Here I’m going to give you an example with a sentence of “telling” you what happens.

• She crossed the stage shyly, taking in the crowd.

Okay, so the adverb shyly, with its -ly ending is a clear indicator you’ve told just your reader what happened. So, what you need to do is spot these telling words and rewrite to “show.”

Yes, nice and simple, and I’ll give you a series of examples, because there will be multiple ways, all of them using the heroine’s body language.

• She crossed the stage, her breath catching as she took in the crowd.
• She crossed the stage, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth. What a crowd.
• She crossed the stage, stumbling as she took in the crowd.
• She crossed the stage, her gaze darting about the packed room. What a crowd.

And I could go on, but I think you get my drift. What you do is take out the “telling” word and replace it with what you would expect to see your character doing. Now you’re effectively “showing” the reader what’s happening.

Oh, but now you don’t want to miss this, because we’re going to take our “showing” one step further and expand, because as writers, it’s our job to perfect every sentence we write.

Here’s an in-depth showing example of the same scene.

• She curled her hand around the theater’s side curtain, the red velvet raspy under her clammy fingers. Beyond the bright stage lights, the audience was deathly quiet, and her heart pounded. When she stepped out onto that platform, hundreds of people would watch her. She wanted to run.

Did you find that last “show” more interesting? All you have to do is remember the five senses of sight, smell, taste, feel, and speak. Always consider what you will use to show a scene and build from there, imagining yourself right where your character is. This type of writing will paint a vivid picture for your reader, enhancing the story and making your characters come to life.

I hope you enjoyed this “show, don’t tell” blog post, and that it aided you in some way.  If you haven’t joined me for your weekly dose of bite-sized writing tidbits and you’d like to, then simply check out the right-hand side panel, and enter your email address to “follow the blog.”  If you want, also click “like” on my FB author page to the right.  I love all the support.

* * * *

PROTECTOR–BUY THE BOOK: Amazon Kindle / B&N Nook / iTunes / Lyrical Press / Kobo.