Paul and Paula's Place: Carmen Viera AKA Cav Laster is here, January 28th on Come In, Sit Down, Tell us about....

This blog is a meeting place for authors and others in the arts .... each week as others are directed to our door or just stumble on by, they come and leave us information about themselves so they can tell about their new books or drawings or photos or to tell us about their new blogs. ****PLEASE be sure your comments are appearing on the latest most timely blog insuring your inclusion in the sending off to Google plus land at the end of the week.*****

Here is the link to Gwen’s site: http://www.indieauthornetwork.weebly.com/index.html G.D. Steel's blog is free promoting of your arts. As I am wont to say {as does Facebook} our site is free to comment and share and always will be free.

For the rest of the month of January and possibly into February of 2012,we will be interviewing new and seasoned authors, first at Gwen's and then over here.

Today, January 28, we have Carmen Viera AKA Cav Laster, another author who takes it to the public and is well received. For any of you who have not read her stories, you’re in for a treat ~ Now, here is Carmen

What inspired you to write?
During my childhood years, I’ve written a few stories for my fifth grade class, or to scare the beegeezers out of my brothers and sisters. I always had an overactive imagination, but I never saw writing as a career I would enjoy embarking on.
In 2007, my mother read a short story I wrote and had posted at writing.com, and she urged me to become a serious writer of fiction. So after pondering and doing research on how to better my writing, I went for the kill. Thanks to the help of other writers, both unpublished and published authors, I got a better grasp of this art and I am still learning.

Do you have anyone you show your manuscripts to and get advice from or are you a loner, doing all yourself?
I believe firmly that with help, whether huge or small, one can achieve better accomplishments in our endeavors. I like to have DRs (dedicated readers) available to not only read, but offer me sincere feedback in what irks them about my story. I rather hear it now, then later. So I swallow my pride and take it all, good or bad. I don’t claim my works to be flawless, but I believe I would have never gotten the results I have now without my DRs.

What genre do you normally write in? Also is there a genre you would like to write in but don’t feel you could pull it off?
I’ve always loved writing fantasy mixed with romance, while a handful feel that some of my stories fall lightly under science fiction genre due to the mention of cool technology and gadgets. Being a Michael Crichton fan, I’ve always wanted to write hardcore science fiction, but due to its complexity, I’ve chosen to remain in the sidelines and stick to fantasy.

Do you ever base your characters on people you know?
Yes…I do find myself building characters with the characteristics of people I know or have met during my daily ventures. Sssh, I don’t want them to know. I can see them now, gathering around me and demanding to know which character resembles them. But I won’t tell. *Chuckling* I believe because my characters are based on real people, this helps me flesh them out and my readers can easily relate to them.

What advice would you give to someone who was just starting off in writing?
As the saying goes: ‘Writing is easier said than done’, but it’s not an impossible task. You must really have the heart for it. It takes a lot of will power and patience to accomplish your writing endeavors.
Take writing classes or novel workshops that can help you to identify both your flaws and strengths as a writer. Throw your pride to the side, and learn to accept constructive criticism and suggestions that will help you grow as a writer. The only person that can push you to give up entirely on writing, it’s yourself, so never stop trying. Yes…you will find those along the way that can only seem to offer a lot of criticism and in a snubbing way. Instead of focusing on the how it was said, try to see what they meant, and hopefully there’s something helpful among their obnoxious and rude comment. If not, go ahead and trash their two cents. And always remember, you will never stop learning as a writer, so be willing to take in any helpful advice to better your writing skills.

I had a fellow published author Ed Zaruk once tell me: once you reach a million words, you would have become a better writer. And believe me, it’s true. When you compare your first works with later ones you will create after developing your skills, the difference will be grand. Don’t take for granted the free schooling you can obtain from others.
Remember WSLAR: Write/Share/Listen/Apply/Rewrite. I wish you the best in your writing endeavors.

Do your stories tend to have morals, or special messages, included within them?

We all know how the world of fiction is something the majority of us thrives to enjoy, whether we enter into it for only a few hours or for days, and consider it as a means of escape from the harsh reality of this world. I believe that without elements that are close to home in the stories we read, the author could lose our interest fast. Sadly, many face the touch of tragedy in their lives, and while some pretend like it never happened, many others find their lives unbearable, and they choose to live the remainder of their lives isolated and rehashing their pain. I want to remind people that their tragic past, no matter what it is, doesn’t define them as a person. What they do with themselves after is what matters the most.
My readers may find some characters who are people undergoing and overcoming the following: The fear of loving again after losing a loved one; Trust issues; Low self-esteem; Being true to oneself; Learning to be humble; Overcoming haunting memories of guilt, domestic violence, victim of infidelity, and child abuse. I also avoid using foul language and play by play sex scenes in my stories. I am not afraid to not follow the crowd. I know I won’t sell as much as those who do, yeah, like they say: sex sells! *grinning* But I feel happy showing that a clean story can be an enjoyable one too. Besides, I have two small boys. I could imagine the look on their faces if they were to stumble upon stories mommy would make filled with sex and profanity. *blushing* I wouldn’t want to go there. I want to make clear that my position in the ‘no sex and profanity’ is not an act intended to look down on those who do. It’s just a personal decision I made for myself as an author and feel comfortable with.

This question was posed by a fellow author and I loved it so much I decided to throw it into the mix ~ Oh no! One of your characters has escaped. Luckily, I have caught them! I will interrogate them with the help of a lie detector. Welcome!Take a seat, make yourself comfortable. You will be returning to your book once this is over. What's your name, where are you from and what is your role in the book?

Oh, thank, thank you so much. My name is Zaira. I didn’t expect to be freed from those wackos through this means, but it will do. Sorry, I know I seem a little hysterical, but those aliens believe me to be some hero that will free their planet from some evil woman named Phasti. Ha! Who are they kidding? I bet they are searching for me right now with a Dubae. I do find Jaydin irresistible, but why do I have to put up with all this mumbo jumbo? No, not me, and least of all for a hunk of a man! What are you doing? No, please don’t leave me here. They will find me and take me back to that stupid house. I don’t want to go back there. I want nothing to do with those Lemurians. What do you mean you’re afraid of them? How do you think I feel? No, I am not getting off this van! Please, help me get far away from here as possible, far away from them. Stop shoving me! Noooooo! Oh wait and see, I’ll pay you a visit and return the favor soon enough.

Tell us why we would enjoy reading your books?
My stories are written in a way that people of all ages can enjoy, except children, who don’t like to read a lot. One of my oldest DRs was over 80, and he told me that my genre was not one that he was normally drawn to. But after reading book 1 of the Lemurian Series, he said if he would have seen it on the shelf for sale, he would have regretted not taking it home with him.

My stories have a mix of genres and a little of everything, hoping to offer my readers a mental buffet. Like I always say: I aim to please. So if I didn’t, let me know what I went wrong, and I will apply it to the next one.