Adora Winquist is the author of DETOX, NOURISH, ACTIVATE: PLANT AND VIBRATIONAL MEDICINE FOR ENERGY, MOOD AND LOVE, a non fiction book for those people interested in improving their health using natural means. Adora talks about her journey through the healing process, and the writing of her book. This video was originally published on August 1, 2021.
Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is very happy to shine our Friday spotlight on debut middle grade graphic novel author/illustrator Tanya J. Scott.
Tanya, could you please tell us briefly a little about yourself and your work?
I am an illustrator, author, and director based in London, UK. I’m new to the world of publishing as my career has been mostly in the world of animation and children’s television. “Weird and Whimsical” is how my work is often described and I think that’s pretty accurate.
Where can people find your work?
Soon Wizkit (my first book!) will be out in the wider world of North America. I think it’ll be available online in other territories as well.
How can we follow your work and share your awesomeness?
You can find me on instagram and twitter under the handle @tanyajscott and my website is www.tanyajscott.com
What kind of research went into your last project? What is your favorite research story? What cool facts and findings didn’t make it into the final product, but you loved discovering?
For one of the final spreads, I had to fill a page up with baked goods. I had to image search for all my favorite cakes and bread items. It was torture- everything looked so delicious!
What is your favorite part of being an artist/author? Of the whole art and publishing process? What do you think has been your greatest lesson in the journey thus far?
Being new to publishing, I had no idea what to expect. In animation, everything has to be very controlled- you have to work quickly and there’s no real space to be creative if you’re working on a TV series within a department. But on Wizkit, I had a real opportunity to tell a story that reflected my interests and sense of humor. It was an amazing opportunity but it was a challenge not to feel daunted by it! It was such a pleasure to work with Julia and Becca at S&S and to have my ideas and bad jokes supported, rather than shut down. Everyone should be encouraged to be silly 😛
What piece of advice would you want to share with other artists/authors?
“Do what you love” is overused but it’s completely true. If you have an interest or a passion, then explore that, and don’t let other people put you off. If you enjoy your work and find a way to make it your own, people will respond positively to what you do. Wizkit is a combination of all my interests and I’m so glad I just had some fun mixing those things together.
What else can we expect from you in the near future?
Wizkit 2 is about to get started, so she will get another adventure soon enough! I’d like to write more, possibly for a different age range or even illustrate for someone else. Aside from that, I’m still working in animation so maybe some short films or even a TV series… Watch this space!
What is/are your passions when you’re not creating your works? How do you make time for your non-art based hobbies/things you love?
I’ll be honest, I spend an unhealthy amount of time drawing and thinking about stories and characters. Outside of drawing, I love history and I often go to museums and exhibitions. Medieval history is my favorite, with a particular interest in illuminated manuscripts which you can see in the pages of Wizkit.
While you’re working, do you prefer music, silence, other? Please elaborate!
It does depend on what I’m doing. If I really have to use my brain (writing or blocking out pages) I will probably put on some lo-fi or classical music. Something that can’t distract me. If I’m doing something a bit more mindless like clean up or colour, I’ll put on a comedy or History podcast, or possibly an upbeat cheesy playlist I can sing along with.
Do you have any favorite foods or drinks that must be in the vicinity (or must be avoided) while you’re creating a piece of work?
Bread! Wheat has gotten a bad rep in recent years but you can’t beat a good loaf! And if not bread, it’ll have to be something made from potatoes. Blessed be potatoes! But being terribly British, I also have to say I drink countless cups of tea every day.
Thanks so much, Tanya, for taking the time to answer our questions.
Matt Bell is the author of several books, notably his new book, APPLESEED, a Science Fiction/Fantasy novel which he talks about in this interview. He also speaks about his thoughts on writing in general. This video was first published on July 22, 2021.
Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is very happy to shine our Friday spotlight on contemporary romance and romantic suspense author Katee Robert.
Hello, Katee. Can you please tell us briefly a little about yourself and your writing? How would you like us to introduce you?
I’ve been writing for ten years, and my happy place is in erotic romance. I love retellings, and queerness tends to be the default in my books.
Where can people find your work? (Besides Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester–though they should totally check here first!)
I’m in most major retails and indie bookshops. I also sell special editions in my Etsy shop.
How can we follow your work and share your awesomeness?
I’m most active on TikTok (@authorkateerobert) and Instagram (@katee_robert)! And, as always, my newsletter is the best way to make sure you don’t miss any updates!
For readers unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe what you write? What can readers expect from Cruel Seduction?
I joke that my books are the Fast and Furious version of dark, erotic romance. You’re in for a hell of a ride, and we’re going to have a blast while we’re doing it. Just don’t ask too many questions about the physics LOL. My next big release is Cruel Seduction, coming in August, which really embodies that. It’s an open polycule knot with hate sex, marriage of convenience, and a whole boatload of scheming!
What is your favorite part of being a writer? Of the whole writing and publishing process? What do you think has been your greatest lesson in the journey thus far?
My greatest lesson so far has been the importance of chasing joy. If I’m having a blast writing the story and exploring the characters, then there’s a significant chance that my reads will as well.
When it comes to the process itself, I love editing. It feels like taking a raw block of clay and carving out something that’s actually recognizable.
Writers very often have furry or feathered or otherwise non-human companions to “help” them through their work. Do you? What do you have? How do they “help” (or, “not-help”) with your writing?
I have one cat (Foggy) and two Great Danes (Duke and Duchess). Duke likes to help my hand right off the keyboard and onto his head. He’s pushy and I love him for it!
What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned, thus far, in your writing career?
It’s really challenging to balance art with business, but the most important thing I’ve learned is that no one will advocate for me more than I will. Everyone’s path is their own, and that’s reflected in their goals, but for me, it’s been vital to find that spot where creativity and business meet—to write the book I love in the most marketable way possible.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer the questions for us, Katee.
Michael Kupari (pronounced KUpari) is a Science Fiction author who has written several books with author Larry Correia. His new book, penned by himself, is called THE FAMILY BUSINESS, which he talks about in this interview. Michael also talks about writing in general, his office, and his adorable but feisty Parrot, Jax. This video was originally published on July 19, 2021.
Dave (D.J.) Butler writes Speculative Fiction. That could be Science Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade Fantasy and more. In this interview, D.J. Answers lots of questions about his two latest books in print, (one in Mass Market Paperback), IN THE PALACE OF SHADOW AND JOY. He also talks about several other books, and writing in general. This video was originally published on July 19, 2021.
Welcome back to our weekly round-up of new releases and old favourites in the genres of fantasy, horror, and science fiction, here at our little bookstore that’s bigger on the inside.
First off, here are the newest audio drama releases from Big Finish Productions. The newest TORCHWOOD title is “The Empire Man”, featuring Rowena Cooper as Queen Victoria. This week also sees new entries in the boxed set series of DOCTOR WHO: THE WAR DOCTOR BEGINS, starring Jonathan Carley, and DOCTOR WHO: THE WAR MASTER, starring Derek Jacobi.
Next, we have restocked our selection of the early STAR WARS paperbacks which gave the movies taking place long ago in a galaxy far, far away their own expanded universe.
In the realm of horror, the movie based on Paul Tremblay’s book THE CABIN AT THE END OF THE WORLD continues to terrify theater-goers, while Grady Hendrix’s latest novel HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE has landed on more than a few “best book of the year” lists. Both authors have done either in-person appearances or virtual ones with us here at Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester, and our staff could not be happier to keep recommending their work to our customers.
Speaking of virtual appearances, don’t forget we have dedicated genre playlists for authors who have done Zoom interviews with us on our YouTube channel. As an added bonus, Selina Lovett, our Events and Marketing Coordinator, recently attended Boskone and will be scheduling quite a few Creator Spotlights for speculative fiction and horror authors in the upcoming weeks and months. Check out our regular Friday feature on this blog.
And one last teaser for an upcoming title to be released in April… we highly recommend IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS by TJ Klune. It’s got components of fantasy, horror, and science fiction, mixed together to create a unique blend.
Thank you, as always, for making our shelves your destination.
—Patty and the staff of ABSW / Tower Books
Well, we spoke a bit too soon in our last Updates Monday about this February being the warmest we can recall. We’re expecting half a foot of snow tomorrow, the last day of the month, and at least two more storms following right on this one’s heels. Therefore, this March can definitely be said to be coming in like a lion.
As we stated on Facebook. we DO expect to be open for at least part of the day tomorrow, Tuesday the 28th. The possibility of a delayed opening no later than 12noon, but we will keep you updated should we decide to remain closed if a state of emergency is declared.
We’re still keeping warm and jolly at our little bookstore that’s bigger on the inside… always ready to be your choice for Worcester’s full-service bookstore.
As we mentioned in yesterday’s Bookstore Mapping blog, the beginning of a new month also means new publisher specials at deep discounts to you, our customers. Our March specials will be the following titles:
* ONE FOR MY ENEMY by Olivie Blake
* BLACK HOLES: THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE UNIVERSE by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw
* THE CURATOR by Owen King
* THE GOLDEN SPOON by Jessa Maxwell
* THE PORTRAIT OF A DUCHESS by Scarlett Peckham
* NOTHING BUT THE RAIN by Naomi Salman
Have you checked out our YouTube channel? Are you a subscriber? You won’t want to miss our fresh content!
Did you know we have dedicated playlists of our author interviews, readings, and Q & A sessions, organized by genre? Take a stroll and give a listen to our many special guests, and please help us spread the word about these wonderful creators!
Join us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/anniesbookstopworcester and on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@anniesbookstop. Don’t forget to tag us under #bookstagram and #booktok.
Have you enjoyed the time you’ve spent in our little store? Consider leaving us a review on TripAdvisor or leaving us a review on Yelp. You can also review us on Facebook!
May your world be filled with wonderful words!
—Patty and the staff of ABSW / Tower Books
Here at Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester, we have good reason to refer to ourselves as “the little bookstore that’s bigger on the inside”, and not just because of our love of DOCTOR WHO.
Today’s focus is on our bookcase of publisher specials and popular series.
Each month we select between four and seven newly-released titles from various wholesalers and publishing houses to purchase in bulk for the store. This allows us to provide an even deeper discount on our already discounted new books. We’re currently about to put up our selections for March 2023; check out tomorrow’s Updates Monday blog to see what choices we’ll be offering next month!
In addition, we have continued our tradition of “grab-and-go” duologies, trilogies and quadrologies among our used books, spanning every genre from “Adventure” to “Young Adult”. [We’ve been trying to invent an in-house literary genre name starting with “Z”, but in more than thirteen years, we haven’t yet settled on one. 😂]
These series selections are rubber-banded together and sale-priced to make shopping easier, if you’re in the mood for devouring more than one title by a particular author. Two-book, three-book, and four-book selections are great for taking on vacation in the great outdoors, like the beach, or for when you are stuck indoors for a few days due to snow and ice, as many expect to be in this upcoming week.
ABSW offers plentiful choices for bibliomaniacs, from the minute you walk in the door all the way into the deepest recesses of our 1230-square-feet bookstore.
Check back next week for another entry in our Bookstore Mapping Sunday blogging series and, as always, thank you for making our shelves your destination.
—Patty and the staff at Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester
Jenna Glass is an Epic Fantasy author whose latest book, MOTHER OF ALL, is the last book in her Women’s War Trilogy. In this interview she speaks about her books, her writing, and gives some tips for new writers that she thinks might help them in their journey. This video was first published on July 10, 2021.
Annie's Book Stop of Worcester 