Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Monday, July 31, 2017
Moving is such a hassle... by Vijaya Schartz
My
cat Jasmine was very upset when she saw all the books disappearing from
the shelves, and many of the small furniture, wall pictures and mirrors
vanish from what had been her home for the past three years. And what
was that strange contraption on the patio? It looked like a cage!
I
only moved a mile and a half away, and I had a month to make the move,
so I took my time carrying out the small stuff myself. Never would I
have guessed I had accumulated so many things in the short three years I
lived there.
So upset was Jasmine by the time the movers came, she hid in the cupboard under the bathroom sink for the entire duration.
Finally,
at the end of the major moving day, I went to pick up Jasmine. The poor
thing didn't want to come out from under the sink. After much coaxing,
she finally stepped out, only to bolt back to her hiding place when she
realized the entire apartment was now empty.
After
much effort, that included crawling under the bathroom sink, I
retrieved my reluctant little kitty (not so little, as she is a well fed
cat) and managed to get her into the carrier under violent protests.
The
short drive to the new place was punctuated by much complaining from
Jasmine, in the carrier belted onto the passenger seat. She never liked
riding in a car and let me know it loud and clear.
Finally,
I took her out of the car and carried her upstairs. When I opened the
carrier, she immediately stepped out then looked around. Realizing all
her favorite things were here, she started purring and exploring, with
her tail up, like a happy cat. My new residence, another small
apartment, was now packed with boxes and piles of books.
The
furniture, bought to fit the previous place, did not fit as well in the
new rooms. Although of similar size, the different dimensions and
proportions of the rooms did not allow for the same setup. I had to try
several configurations, as the one I had originally intended did not
look good once in place. But Jasmine had already found her favorite
spots. She loves windows and here there are tall trees, and birds in
them. Free TV for cats!
The
worst part for me was to live without internet service or TV for over a
week. But after all these details were resolved, Jasmine and I are
ready to enjoy our new place. Here she is, at home at last, enjoying the
recliner, like any spoiled cat must.
As
for me, I'll soon be back to writing, once I catch up with all my
emails and social media obligations... and up to date with all my
changes of address. Moving is definitely a major event, no matter that
it was only a mile and a half away.
Keep up with my books on my website:
Vijaya Schartz
Action, Romance, Mayhem
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Smashwords - Facebook -
Action, Romance, Mayhem
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Smashwords - Facebook -
Monday, March 16, 2015
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR VIJAYA SCHARTZ
Why do you write?
I cannot imagine not writing. Writing is my drug, and I'm definitely addicted. Even if I read the thousands of books in my kindle, it would not fill the void of writing deprivation. I've been writing all my life. At an early age (five or six) I wrote poems, then I wrote in my diary and enjoyed crafting long letters. I also kept journals of my vacations. It gave me an outlet for my frustrations as a teenager. At the time I discovered mystery novels and thought of writing one, but life quickly became too exciting and hectic, as I left my home in France to travel the world and spend time in exotic lands like India. Still, I kept journals. When I finally settled down in Arizona, I started writing the stories running amok in my head. I believe a true writer cannot live without writing. It's a crucial necessity. When I write I forget the time, I forget to eat or sleep or bathe. My cat has an internal clock and jumps on the keyboard to remind me that I'm late for her favorite tuna treat, or it's dark out, and time to go to bed.
Do you work any reality from your own life into your novels? If so, do you change it to make it more or less dramatic? How and why?
They say, write about what you know. I often raid my memory banks to enhance a scene. My travels provide exotic settings for the backdrop of my stories. I recall strong emotions of love, loss or frustration to flesh out my characters. I believe the more a writer has experienced, the more depth he/she can give to fictitious characters. Occasionally, I feature someone I used to know as a character in a novel, but it takes some distance in space and time to look at people objectively. I also make sure I change names, places, and circumstances. If it's a hero, I enhance that person's good qualities, if it's a villain, I push his/her vices and weaknesses to the extreme.
I cannot imagine not writing. Writing is my drug, and I'm definitely addicted. Even if I read the thousands of books in my kindle, it would not fill the void of writing deprivation. I've been writing all my life. At an early age (five or six) I wrote poems, then I wrote in my diary and enjoyed crafting long letters. I also kept journals of my vacations. It gave me an outlet for my frustrations as a teenager. At the time I discovered mystery novels and thought of writing one, but life quickly became too exciting and hectic, as I left my home in France to travel the world and spend time in exotic lands like India. Still, I kept journals. When I finally settled down in Arizona, I started writing the stories running amok in my head. I believe a true writer cannot live without writing. It's a crucial necessity. When I write I forget the time, I forget to eat or sleep or bathe. My cat has an internal clock and jumps on the keyboard to remind me that I'm late for her favorite tuna treat, or it's dark out, and time to go to bed.
Do you work any reality from your own life into your novels? If so, do you change it to make it more or less dramatic? How and why?
They say, write about what you know. I often raid my memory banks to enhance a scene. My travels provide exotic settings for the backdrop of my stories. I recall strong emotions of love, loss or frustration to flesh out my characters. I believe the more a writer has experienced, the more depth he/she can give to fictitious characters. Occasionally, I feature someone I used to know as a character in a novel, but it takes some distance in space and time to look at people objectively. I also make sure I change names, places, and circumstances. If it's a hero, I enhance that person's good qualities, if it's a villain, I push his/her vices and weaknesses to the extreme.
How did you choose the genre you write in? Or did it choose you? Tell us why you love writing in whatever genre you consider your favorite.
I write in many genres, because I write the books I would want to read. In my youth I loved reading Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert (Dune), so my favorite genre is science fiction, but being from Europe, I also love romance and medieval times. I managed to blend all three in WHITE TIGER and in the subsequent novels of the CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK series, where a human medieval society struggles for freedom against galactic races of advanced aliens. Of course, this human society evolved in slightly different ways, away from Earth, that's why they keep large felines as pets and train them for battle... White Tiger is my heroine's warrior name as she learned to fight with tigers. The felines in this series make for stunning covers, thanks to the talented DBP cover artist Jenifer Ranieri.
Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
AMAZON - B&N - SMASHWORDS - ARE
Monday, June 9, 2014
A geek author at Phoenix ComiCon - by Vijaya Schartz
I can't help it, I'm a geek. I didn't realize how much of a geek, until I attended the Phoenix ComiCon last week. It was my first but not my last. All these people wearing superhero, movie character and anime costumes... I get it. They are my people. They love stories, they love getting lost in imaginary worlds, they love the idea that we are not alone in the universe, they love heroes, and so do I.
Of course, I'm not alone. Over a hundred thousand people attended this year in Phoenix, and next year will be better and bigger. I feel as if I've been initiated. Now, I know where to find the coolest costumes and accessories. Never seen so many light sabers, blasters, medieval swords and ninja weapons. It's like stepping into a parallel universe where everyone is a geek and proud of it.
I was autographing my books, and that's half the fun for me. Many readers of sci-fi and fantasy roam the exhibit, looking for their favorite authors, or for new authors to discover. It's difficult not to be star struck with all the attending celebrities. Nathan Fillion (Firefly and Castle) and Stan Lee. No wonder I love the Big Bang Theory.
 |
| I loved the droids from Star Wars, R2D2 in particular. I never realized they were that tall, or maybe it's just that I'm short. |
 |
| Had to have a picture with the bit kitty. It reminded me of my book covers |
 |
| With my partners in crime, Anna Questerly (left) and Linda Andrews (right) |
Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vijayaschartz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)