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Grivante Press- An Interview

Posted We Love Quality BooksLeave a commentPosted in Interviews

Grivante Press is here to talk to us at  www.welovequalitybooks.biz .

 

Publishing house gives birth to books and vindication to writers. They conceptualize the book size, the book cover, the marketing of the book, the target audience and more! We get so carried away by the storyline and the writing style that we sometimes forget to credit the Publishing firm that deliver the book see the light of the day.

 

We at welovequalitybooks.biz are excited to share the tidings of the publishing world. Grivante Press will share how the world of publishing works. This is an interview that will let authors learn how to approach the right team to get published. Most importantly, it will give all the readers and writers a glimpse of the crew members who make a novel a shining star!

 

Kevin Penelerick is an author himself. He is the creator of Grivante Press as well. Let’s partake his vision as a publisher and what made him take up the challenge of providing a platform to writers across the world with the createion of Grivante Press.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Please tell us what the objective of Grivante Press is?

Kevin (Grivante Press): The objective of Grivante Press is to publish works of speculative fiction which is engaging and keeps the readers turning the pages.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: How did the idea of getting into publishing come about?

Kevin (Grivante Press): As I began my indie author career I knew that it would include doing more than just publishing my own books. I want to build a platform from which we can support and help other authors of similar work launch their careers.

 

Interviewed by welovequalitybooks.biz
Genee Jo, Kevin Penelerick with a model @ Grivante Press Book Release.

WeLoveQuality Books: Please introduce us to the core team of Grivante Press?

Kevin (Grivante Press): At present we are a very small team consisting of myself, Kevin Penelerick as the publisher and editor, my wife, Genee Jo who does beta-reading and back end support and our marketing assistant Christina Moses.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Your advertisements are striking and impressive. How is Grivante Press different from other publishing houses?

Kevin (Grivante Press): I don’t spend a lot of time looking to see what everyone else is doing, so I really can’t speak to how we are different. I do look to see what people are doing that is successful, to see if it is something that we might want to adopt, but for the most part, we are creating content we hope people will find interesting and putting it out into the world. Our focus is on building our authors up, marketing them and what makes them and their stories unique.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Speculative Writing! What do you think is the psyche behind the shift of readers from Jane Austen-ish content to speculative content?

Kevin (Grivante Press): I would have to say it has to do with modern times and just how much consciousness and awareness has expanded. We are now aware of so much more that exists and the possibilities this opens up has created an environment where we are eager to see new ideas and where they will take us.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: As a publisher what are the three things that set apart an ordinary manuscript from a bestselling manuscript.

Kevin (Grivante Press):  ♦ It grabs your attention immediately.
                                                 ♦ It makes you want to turn the pages.
                                                 ♦ You don’t want to put it down.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: How many novels have you published from the time of inception? Please share some details about them.

Kevin (Grivante Press): We are still in the early stages and taking out time to grow and figure things out. We have 2 books out by myself under my pen name, Grivante. These are in The ‘Zee Brothers: Zombie Exterminators Series’. It is about two brothers and their girlfriend whose job it is to keep the zombie apocalypse at bay, one job at a time. It is a comedic-horror series, filled with action, adventure and laughs while dealing with an awkward romance between the three main characters and a hidden evil nemesis in the background that is slowly being revealed.
We also have a couple of comic projects that we have done and one more in the works for this fall. ‘The Blind Apple‘ is a collection of comic strips by artist Joey Masciotra we helped publish when we were first getting started. Joey has a unique sense of humor, making observations about the world and creating smart illustrations to go with them.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Does Grivante Press specialize in Anthology?

Kevin (Grivante Press): No. At present, we only have the one (MASHED: The Culinary Delights of Twisted Erotic Horror), with plans for more possible down the road.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Who is the brain behind all the phenomenal topics for submissions your firm comes up with?

Kevin (Grivante Press): That would be myself and my wife for the most part. Asking the question, what hasn’t been done that we would enjoy reading.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Is Grivante Press particularly into adult stories or are you flexible about the target audience?

Kevin (Grivante Press): Under our mainline, the stories will predominantly be adult oriented. Not necessarily to the erotic level that the anthology ‘MASHED: The Culinary Delights of Twisted Erotic Horror’ goes to, but generally they won’t be for kids. We do also have a kids line in development under the ‘Star Kissed Studios Imprint’. Currently, there is one book published, titled ‘Guppy Butter’. It is an illustrated book about a little girl’s wish for a puppy, but what happens when her parents get her a guppy instead. It is an entertaining story that also teaches kids about loss and that life goes on.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: What are the yardsticks that your organization keeps in mind to measure audience reaction?

Kevin (Grivante Press): Sales & Reviews. Those are the most obvious and easiest to see. I’ve heard the advice to never look at reviews, but that’s the only way we know if the work is resonating with the audience. Is it being received how we thought it would be or are people taking it differently? There’s no better way to tell than to go read what people are saying.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: What is the procedure involved in selecting the best entries from submissions?

Kevin (Grivante Press): For ‘MASHED: The Culinary Delights of Twisted Erotic Horror’, Genee and I spent most winter evenings hanging out in our hot tub, reading the stories aloud. This process helped us to quickly weed out stories that weren’t a good fit. First, they had to catch our attention and make us want to keep turning the pages, next we would ask each other if they were hitting the themes we were looking for of Food, Sex, Horror & Humor. After that, we would generally make notes and send them back to their authors for revision and final consideration.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: MASHED: The Culinary Delights of Twisted Erotic Horror is an impressive anthology. How is the audience reaction?

Kevin (Grivante Press): So far it has been great. Sales have been steady even after the initial release spike and the reviews that are trickling in are mostly positive. We’ve had a few people that were offended by it, despite the warning labels and the fact that it was clearly called Twisted Erotic Horror, but we’ve done everything we can to make it clear so that the target market could find it and that readers would know what they were getting despite its uniqueness.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Are you planning a sequel to MASHED: The Culinary Delights of Twisted Erotic Horror?

Grivante Press: It’s been in the back of my mind since day one and there is a high likelihood of it, but at present, we don’t have specific plans in place. We might make it an annual anthology or we may try something new. As a small company our time and resources are limited, so we’ve got to make sure we can put the energy into a project that it is going to take to be successful.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Where can prospective authors reach you with their manuscripts? Please share the guidelines for submission too.

Kevin (Grivante Press): Currently, we are not open for submissions. We will post on our web page at http://www.grivantepress.com/submissions/ when that changes.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: What are the next few releases of Grivante Press?

Kevin (Grivante Press): We only have one project on the schedule at the moment as we have been busy working on marketing for ‘MASHED: The Culinary Delights of Twisted Erotic Horror’ and the release of ‘The Zee Brothers Vol.2′, ‘Zombie School Lockdown‘, both of which came out in April & May. Our next project is a mini-comic from The Zee Brothers universe tentatively titled Zombie Buffet that we hope to release this fall. We are also partnering with a number of authors in the zombie genre for an anthology to be released in November called ‘Undead Worlds’. This is part of the ‘Reanimated Writers Collective’, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1262527697156658/

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Please share your message of support with all aspiring writers.

Kevin (Grivante Press): More than anything, keep writing. Keep practicing your craft and start networking with other authors immediately. Learn from each other, support each other and know that readers read much faster than any of us can write, so work together to make sure your readers know where to go to find more great reads.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Thank you so much for talking to us today. Please share your social media links where we- the book lovers can follow and support you.

Kevin (Grivante Press): Here is where you can find us:
♦ https://twitter.com/grivante
♦ https://www.facebook.com/grivantepress/
♦ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14223262.Grivante
♦ http://www.amazon.com/Grivante/e/B013PDYUM2/
♦ https://www.bookbub.com/authors/grivante
♦ https://www.instagram.com/thezeebrothers/

 

 

 

Author Claire Gem for the interview with welovequalitybooks.biz

Author’s Interview: Claire Gem

Posted We Love Quality BooksLeave a commentPosted in Interviews
Author Claire Gem released ‘Spirits of the Heart’ aptly on the 14th of February, 2017. In an exclusive interview with www.welovequalitybooks.biz the author — Claire Gem reveals what makes her such a perceptive, honest and successful fiction writer!

 

Learn about the author, her writings and why it will take you a blink to become an ardent fan of Claire Gem and her thoughtfully touching authorship.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Hi Claire. We loved your latest release “Spirits of the Heart“. How did you come up with such a lovely storyline?

Claire Gem: I grew up in the town where this abandoned asylum is, and it has always haunted me. I actually did date a security guard who worked on the grounds back in the 1970s, but it wasn’t Miller Stanford :–)
There is also an alcohol treatment center on the grounds, even today. Alcoholism isn’t a subject often broached by romance writers but is a very real problem in society. I thought I’d give it a go.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: What made you choose writing as a vocation?

Claire Gem: I have always loved to write, and the practice has served as therapy for me more than once in my life. But about ten years ago, I awoke on a Sunday morning very early with a story idea in my head, and I knew it was time to take writing seriously and put my words to work.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: All the reviews of ‘Spirits of the Heart‘ are a 5 Star. How does it feel when you know your work is being well received?

Claire Gem: Thrilled, of course. I am frustrated because the number of reviews remain small, yet I feel confident that the story will be well received no matter how many reviews are written. It’s very difficult to get people to take the time to write reviews, even if they love a book. I would like readers to know how very important it is for those reviews to go up: honest ones, for better or worse. It’s the only way our work can find a new audience.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: This is your second book in the Haunted series. What made you choose this genre?

Claire Gem: I love ghost stories, and there aren’t many in the romance genre. Most paranormal romances involve vampires, werewolves, or shape shifters, or are set in times past. I love the modern romances by Heather Graham (her Krewe of Hunters series is wonderful), and I’ve read every one of the late, great Barbara Michaels ghostly stories. I thought the reading world could use some more contemporary romances with ghost stories intertwined, so I started writing them.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: How is “Spirits of the Heart” different from your first book, “Hearts Unloched”?

Claire Gem: The two books are completely unrelated, even though they are part of what I call my Haunted Voices series. These books are (and will continue to be) linked purely by genre. Hearts Unloched takes place in a haunted hotel on a lake with a sinister history, and the heroine is psychic. SOTH takes place in a haunted asylum, and I have another book in the works set in yet another haunted asylum. Each book will center around a different location—a different haunted location. I love scouting out places to set my next Haunted Voices novel.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: What is the USP of “Spirits of the Heart” that makes us all love it?

Claire Gem: I believe the tackling of the subject of alcoholism makes SOTH unique. Also, the addressing of the subject of how patients in mental asylums were once treated or maltreated, is one not often woven into a storyline.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Your novel expresses an affinity with the thought ‘Everything happens for a reason’. Do you believe the same in real life too?

Claire Gem: Absolutely. I live by this mantra. How did you guess? 😉

 

WeLoveQuality Books: The novel talks about medical malpractices in mental asylums. How much research went into it?

Claire Gem: Tons. My day job is in scientific research, so I am, by nature, a stickler for accuracy of facts. I usually spend several months researching before I write the first word. It’s amazing how a simple story idea can blossom and be fed by the facts I come up with in doing my research.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: What is amazing is how a love story develops so convincingly in a haunted scenario. How did you achieve it?

Claire Gem: Hauntings cause fear, and fear drives people closer together. I think fear was the initial draw between Miller and Laura, and by finding comfort in each other’s company, their love developed organically.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: We see the deep toll alcoholism takes in the lives of the characters. How were you able to delicately yet astutely tackle the issue in “Spirits of the Heart“?

Claire Gem: Personal experience. Alcoholism runs in my family, and several family members have been affected. So I knew how sensitive a subject it could be. That gave me the insight to handle the subject tactfully, yet honestly.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Is there a third installment coming up in the Haunted Series?

Claire Gem: Oh yes. The next novel is underway, entitled “Pigments.” My heroine is a DNA researcher who possesses the unique ability to access the memories of artists whose DNA is embedded in the paint. She, therefore, has a phobia of art museums, since the voices she hears overwhelm her. My hero is a museum curator. How will that ever work? Guess you’ll have to wait until “Pigments” is released to find out, later this summer.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: You begin your novel with a touching dedication to your husband. Do you think as a writer, family support is imperative?

Claire Gem: Absolutely. His patience for the hours I spend over a keyboard is just the beginning. My husband serves as my initial sounding board for my story ideas. He helps me brainstorm. His encouragement and support help keep me going when my confidence—or my muse—falter.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: To take this question further, how do you think writers who have no support can pursue their dreams as a writer?

Claire Gem: I’m not sure—it depends on the individual, certainly. If someone is used to doing things on their own, they would probably do fine as a writer as long as they have the dedication behind them. But my husband and I have been a team for almost 39 years, so I can’t imagine sustaining any endeavor without his support.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Writing is a complicated business. The challenges for a writer are immense. What was your greatest challenge and how did you overcome it?

Claire Gem: My greatest challenge was overcoming the belief that unless I got picked up by a big, NY publisher, my writing wasn’t any good. But after securing contracts with four small publishers, I realized that the politics involved in the big publishing game was holding me back—not the quality of my work. When my first self-published title, Hearts Unloched, won the NY Book Festival, I was reassured that I could go on to sustain my writing career as an Indie author. Since I’m a control freak, this way suits me better anyway.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: Thank you for the wonderful conversation, Claire. Before we go, please share where we can find all your novels to read and buy. 

Claire Gem: Sure! Visit my Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2nabvbm

You can also find me on my website, blog, and social media. I love hearing from my readers!

Website: http://www.clairegem.com

Blogs: http://www.clairegem.wordpress.com and  http://www.hauntedpathways.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/clairegem.author

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gemwriter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8284235.Claire_Gem

 

Novels by Claire Gems for the interview with welovequalitybooks.biz
Novels by Claire Gems

 

 

 

Sunshine Blossom

Ron Button Shares his Thoughts

Posted We Love Quality Books2 CommentsPosted in Interviews

While most of us ‘Book Beings’ were cashing in on the last few lines of romantic novels, Ron wasn’t! Our Author Ron Button was creating a ripple in the heart of art with his beautiful verses. Ron’s uniqueness as a writer is that he communicates his stories through verse. This gives his poems an unusual, beautiful charm. Something we can happily call a lyrical delight. Here are the experts of our interview on the topic ‘How to become a Poet.” with the Author.

 

WeLoveQuality Books: You have described your Work as ‘Rhapsody’. What do you mean by that in terms of your writing?

 

Ron Button: “Rhapsody: What is life without rhapsody. Real or fantasy, someone’s idea of world history.”

 

WLQ Books: And what do you think, are the qualities that a poet must have among others to touch lives?

 

R B: To be a poet, one must desire a subject,there is no right or wrong. Or possibly there is a scholar who will tell me what is wrong.
Century’s of prose and rhyme sheltered in books, while others lose their breath, and die.
As a child, little rhymes interested me, a few got me in trouble, so I stopped. (Ron says with a chuckle and continues)
In 1996, from love and jealousy, a star is born.

 

WLQ Books: Please read out some extracts of your favorite work.

 

RB:  Why not!

 

Sunshine Blossom.

As the wind would blow,shifting flowers in the breeze.
The pollen of one circle thru the air,like the waves of the seas.
Quickly it floated,exploring each open gate.
Always anticipating, making the choices, till it found the right mate.
As the particle of life embedded itself firmly.
It left a promise,a great commitment,of a being well worthy.
The restless seed shuffling, wanting to be more.
The breeze lifted it,planted it in God’s bed,now a reason to live for.
The roots and reason,although fragile and weak.
Pushing deeper,growing stronger,till the sprout reached the peak.
While resting and gazing,the sprout saw it’s first light.
With wonder,filling with nourishment,till it saw it’s the first night.
With each passing day,sprout turned to stem.
Virgin petals,innocent figure,beauty would soon set in.
Growing ever so rapidly, reaching for the light.
As spring left,summer came,a bud sprung upward in delight.
Stretching little by little, petals of red and yellow.
First outward,then inward, like the motion of bellows.
Quietly it motioned, in splendor it felt.
Places to go,things to see,much to be felt.
For the first time,confused with inspiration.
A bed of roses, a field of carnations, the thought of creation.
The thankful ones,the harmful masks.
In matter,the causes,to deal with the task.
A Confection is the purpose, maturity, the battle.
To live,to grasp,God and Satan rock the cradle.
With love and hate, she learns in awesome.
To appreciate, to comfort, to be…
Sunshine Blossom.

By Ron G. Button ©2000



WLQ Books: What a wonderful poem! Please tell us more about your literary journey.

 

RB: “This poem began the journey that produced over 100 more poems and metaphors to relive what I titled, ” My Simple Thoughts”  ©2000.
Years pass, the pages sit in a folder, until 2011, when a smile of an online profile inspired me. Extravagant would be the word used to define her. Confident.  I sent my poem, and cashmere surrounded me.”

 

WLQ Books: This is romantic and inspiring Ron!

 

RB: “Inspiration is key: A closed mind ignores the obvious reality that times change, and minds change. When I researched to write a book about “Sunshine Blossom”, words of RUMI, guided me to Persia, to then to Pardis (in my imagination).
Ever feel pressured to write something new every day? Once I began thinking  what I was writing about, I didn’t have to think, words flowed through my mind onto paper.”

 

WLQ Books: What makes you stand out as a poet Ron?

 

RB: I’ve never been to college, attended writing workshops, I even failed English in high school, but I’ve seen the world with an open mind. My poetry has introduced me to all walks and cultures on the earth.

For more information and to read more of Ron Button’s work reach https://www.facebook.com/Ronald.G.Button/

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