I’m delighted to have Beth D. Carter on my blog.
Beth D. Carter - Author
Hello Beth – It was lovely to connect with you and
I’m pleased to hear you have another new book on the horizon. But before we discover
more about Star Mates, here are a few questions that will hopefully give your
readers and followers an insight into some of the things that matter to you.
Hi
Arabella!
Thank
you for having me visit! Today I’m featuring my book Star Mates. I self-published
this book through Smashwords after taking my right back from the publisher.
Writing is organic, meaning an author should always be wanting to learn how to
write. Many of my earlier works I felt were very immature, so I took a lot of
the rights back, rewrote them, and then published through Smashwords. I like
this platform for several reasons. One, they have a no return policy, which is
becoming a big burden to self-published authors on other platforms. They are
losing hundreds of dollars in revenue from people buying them, reading them,
and then returning them. Second, ebooks are available on ALL ereaders…including
Kindle! Third, I have complete control over my books. If I want to discount
them, I can. If I want to unpublish I can. If I want to give it away as a gift,
I can!
Thanks so much for having me!
Arabella: We all love
the creativity of writing – otherwise we wouldn’t spend hours at a keyboard
pounding away in the hope someone will read and enjoy our novels. But what do
you like most about our craft?
The editing and
proofreading, the author/reader relationship, promotional book signings, or is
there something else that has you hooked to the world of books?
Beth:
There are many things I love about our craft. Yes, I do like the editing
process because I learn from it. I’ve been published for almost thirteen years,
and I learned how to write through the editing process. But I think the
thing I absolutely adore the most is when my characters take the story into an
entirely different direction from what I expected. I love being able to connect
the dots and figure out a wonderful ending.
Arabella: Who or what
inspired you to write your release, Star
Mates?
Beth: Star
Mates is about alien abduction, based on an experience I had back in the 80s
when I lived in rural Missouri. I was driving home from a high school football
game, and I happened to look up in the sky and saw this huge cloud above me. In
the cloud were three huge lights in a triangle formation. Confused, I pulled
over and got out of my car. There was absolutely NO SOUND! This cloud was
hovering very low, not moving, and had no engine sound. Confused, I looked back
at the high school to see if it were the spotlights from the game, but they
were all faced the other way, and the lights above me were too big to be them.
Then I noticed two other cars pulled over, and the people were looking at the
cloud like I was. I suddenly realized this is how people are abducted by
aliens, so I got in my car and drove away. Years later, I saw those same
triangle lights on a paranormal show, and the idea for Star Mates was born!
Arabella: You are out for a walk and see a twenty-pound note (or a twenty-dollar bill, etc.) lying on the road. What do you do with the unclaimed funds?
Beth: This actually happened to me not too long ago. In my
condo complex I found a twenty-dollar bill (we say bill not note) and scooped
it up (no one was around), and used the money to buy my son-in-law a birthday
gift. He loves whiskey so I bought him some.
Arabella: Some authors
cannot work without a business planner, others cannot write without an editing
app… Are there any “essentials” you need
to help your writing move forward?
Beth: Not really. I do love listening to music soundtracks
because they are usually emotional. I use music to put me into the moods I need
to write. If I’m stuck, I like to take a walk. I also have a voice recorder on
my phone so as I’m walking or driving, I’ll talk out my story and then go back
when I have time to write it out.
Arabella: An Indian
Curry, Italian Paste Bake, Fish and Chips, or ______?
Beth: Well, this is a little difficult to answer. I have a
condition called parosmia, which means my olfactory nerve is messed up. I can’t
identify smells, and thus, many foods tastes awful because taste is linked with
smell.
Arabella: If the person of your dreams, (husband/wife/partner/or superstar), were to take you out for the day, social distancing restrictions permitting, where would they take you and what would you do?
Beth: The person of my dreams is my husband, but a lot of
the things I love doing are away from society. Lol. I’m an introvert so
socially distancing wasn’t a hardship for me. We both love hiking and
exploring. We love visiting out of the way places and discovering new things. Nevada
has a lot of ghost towns and mountains to hike.
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| Nevada Ghost Town |
Arabella: Do you have any great writing, publishing, or marketing tips you would like to share with “want-to-be” authors starting out on their writing journey?
Beth: I always say writing is like building a house. You
have to lay down your foundation before putting up the walls. Don’t worry about
editing till after. Write what you’d love to read. Learn from your edits. Be
careful of passive vs. active writing. And as for marketing…that’s a mystery
I’m still learning how to crack.
Thank you for
being a guest on Arabella’s Blog and Chit-Chat, today, Beth. And I’m sure you’ve had
some wonderful adventure when visiting those ghost towns of yours… Wishing you all
the best for your release, Star Mates.
Arabella Xxx
www.arabellasheen.co.uk
About Beth D. Carter
 |
| Beth D. Carter - Author |
I began reading my mom’s Harlequin Presents in the fifth grade, and from the first story I knew I wanted to write romance novels. Love is the most powerful emotion we can experience, and I adore happy ever afters. I write about the very ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary circumstance, so my heroines will probably never be lawyers, doctors or corporate highrollers. I try to write characters who aren't cookie cutters and push myself to write complicated situations that I have no idea how to resolve, forcing me to think outside the box. My characters are real, complex and full of flaws, heroes and heroines who find redemption through love.
You can find Beth on the web at:
https://twitter.com/BethDCarter
https://www.facebook.com/bethdcarterauthor
https://www.instagram.com/bethdcarter/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/beth-d-carter
Amazon
author page: http://www.amazon.com/BethD.Carter/e/B00EOTD1T0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1385417145&sr=8-1
BOOK BLURB - Star
Mates
She soon learns humans are nothing more than
slaves and Pell is part of a waning resistance movement. He’s angry because the
appearance of an Earthling proves that the technology to bring humans to the
Amarante System, the one his parents died trying to destroy, was still operational.
Despite his anger, he is drawn to Emmarie, and the two find a love that
transcends space.
But a traitor is in their midst, one who acts
on selfish desires, and puts Emmarie in great danger. As she struggles to find
a footing in this new world, she has to hold onto the one thing that refuses to
die…her love for a rebel captain who left her to finish what his parents
started.
BUY LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1124314
