Angeline M Bishop is in The House Today!!

I am so excited today. I have Angeline M Bishop here today to talk about herself and her new release North Star. She is a fellow author as is Char Chaffin (if I didn't mention that yesterday) over at Soul Mate Publishing. Angeline, it's wonderful to have you here. Pull up that cozy seat and let's get started.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a southern belle making a living in fast-paced New Jersey, where multi-tasking, NJ Turnpike exits, and talking with our hands is a way of life. (laughter) Wow, I just thought about my Atlanta, Georgia based aunts sharing quizzically looks as my purse chime with incoming emails.  We’re super connected in the New York/New Jersey area. I guess that’s why the some of the new G4 commercials crack me up (see http://youtu.be/bvVVQGgbKk0).  We do everything fast here, we really need reminders to slow down and disconnect.

I know all about those New Jersey exits!

What is the most romantic thing your significant other or anyone has done for you?

Well, let me see.  I would say he made our night during a blackout in a French château-like hotel, seem like a scene from a wonderful romance movie.  And I have to find a way to weave it into a story.  The wonderful thing about that time was he wasn’t even trying to be romantic.  I guess romance comes natural for some people. 

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?

Yes, I love to do that!  I race home, cook, eat dinner, jump in the shower, and by 7PM I’m writing my novel.  My red Rutgers pajama bottoms and a white tank are my favorites.  Go RU!!

What are your pet peeves?

Pets that pee!  (laughter) No, I’m just being silly. I don’t like narcissists that wear elitist looks on their faces (you can be a narcissist just don’t let me suspect it).  (grins) People that squeeze the toothpaste tube in the middle, jaywalkers on college campus (yeah, I can’t see you if you choose to jump out from between the buses).  And people that take the last sip of juice without calling out that they are about to finish it.

Cats or dogs?

I love DOGS!  Loyal, welcoming, protective.  Yeah, I love the agility of felines but dogs have a special place in my heart.

White wine or red?

I’m going to try not to get a funny interview tagline with my response. (laughter)  My fellow Soul Mate Publishing authors know what happened the last time I answered this question on a blog.  So I’ll keep it simple, I like white wine.

LMAO!!

Coffee or tea?

It would be herbal teas, I find them so calming.  My favorites are Chamomile and Cranberry Pomegranate.

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?

Mmmm, I like vanilla-based ice creams.  Haagen Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond, Cherry Vanilla and Butter Pecan are my favorites.

What are 4 things you never leave home without?

My BlackBerry smartphone, my purse, my car keys and my Bluetooth ear piece.

Laptop or desktop for writing?

Laptop because I can take it anywhere to write and not be stuck at home.  It’s also better for traveling.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

I enjoy writing at home at night right now, but in the beginning of my writing career I was a morning writer.  It’s funny how things change when your life gets busier.

If you were deserted on an island, who are 3 famous people you would want with you?

Oprah because she knows enough people to get us rescued quickly.

Wolfgang Puck because he would make sure we ate decent meals while we were there.

And Hugh Jackman to act out any story I wanted to write.

An actor you have a crush on?

I can’t pick just one.  Right now I’m adoring Hugh Jackman, Boris Kodjoe and Blair Underwood.  Just let me mix them together.

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?

I love Grey’s Anatomy.  Totally addicted to it but now Once Upon a Time is drawing me in.  I love how the writers are turning my classic fairy tales on their head.

What made you decide to be an author?

Well Oprah and Tyler Perry caused me to re-examine at my childhood wish to be writer and push myself to make it a reality.  They firmly believe all goals are a possibility and the only person preventing my dreams from taking flight was me. 

At first, I didn’t believe it was that simple but it really is.  If you want something bad enough, work hard to get it, you can achieve it.  When I look back on my life, I’ve always wanted to be an author.  I was even vice-president of a high school club called Future Authors of America at DeSoto County High School in Florida.  It was before I graduated from Gainesville High School but it proves I wanted to be a writer as a youth. The desire was always there.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I took the write what you know philosophy.  I know about contemporary times because my readers like seeing bits and pieces of our times in their novels.  Does it date the work?  Of course but a good story can stand up no matter what the timeframe.

Are you a panster or a plotter and why?

I’m a plotter and I blame my college literature professors for that practice.  They strengthened my plotting skills with every essay, story and research paper. One day, I’ll try to craft a short holiday novella as a panster (a writer that simply sits down and starts writing, trusting that they will figure everything out as they go along. The name comes from the fact that they write by the seat of their pants).

Is there a particular author who may have influenced you?

I would say there were two, Maya Angelou and Richard Wright. I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Native Son at age twelve because my mother pushed reading more than television in our home. 

My mother was leery about me reading Native Son because it was a book meant for my brother but I didn’t like the fact that everyone in my home read that novel while I was busy reading Encyclopedia Brown.

What is your all time favorite book?

Homer’s Greek epic poem The Odyssey.  I love the story of the Greek hero and his long journey back home Ithaca, and his wife, Penelope.

What is your favorite sentence or quote in your new release?

Right now, it would be, “He was cold and distant, making it very clear that he wasn’t her safe place to fall. When they hung up, she waited until she was alone to cry. Long streams of hot tears cascaded down her face as her heart pounded in her ears. The realization that he had no concern for her made her throat tighten and her body shake as she sobbed.”

How much trouble did your characters give you while writing your new release? Which one?

Yvette was a hand full.  I could feel myself wanting to tell her story more and more but it's not her time. She has many layers and it take a special man to step into her world. I’m not one hundred percent sure when I’ll work on her story but it’s coming.

Where do you get your ideas from?

I observe real life love stories all the time.  Men and women are so open about how they met their loved ones so I listen and sometimes it sparks a story

How did you choose your title?

The Sheridan series deals with the love stories of four siblings so the first book, North Star will deal with Graham’s story.  The other stories will also have the navigational directions in their titles too.

How do you cure writer’s block?

I plug in my iPod and dance around to release stress.  Then I live life away from the laptop by visiting friends or spending time with my daughters.  If that doesn’t work, I pick the brain of a flesh and blood alpha male until he raises an eyebrow and laughs me away. (laughter)

Do you have any advice for an aspiring writer?

Write, write, write!  You can’t be a writer if you don’t write, it’s just that simple.

What sacred advice have you been giving by another writer?

Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, Jackie Collins all say the same thing, “Your story is right for your type of reader and publishing is a business.” Writing may be art, but publishing, when all is said and done, comes down to dollars.

Where can your readers stalk you?

My website: http://www.angelinembishop.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AMB.Novels
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ambishop1
Email: amb.novels@yahoo.com

Tell us about your new release:

When Caresse Aldana is chosen to persuade Psyche's dangerously handsome editor-in-chief, Graham Sheridan, to feature an article on Mason Community Center, she tells herself it's just business but he's just the man to prove her wrong and make her his own. NORTH STAR takes inspirational themes of family bonds and community involvement and gives readers a passionate romance.

Book trailer: http://youtu.be/WNMhnmqhfkM

It was great to have you here today, Angeline. I wish you well with North Star. It sounds wonderful.

You can purchase your copy of North Star here over at Soul Mate Publishing.



AVAILABLE NOW @ Soul Mate Publishing: The Swan Cove Murders       Coming December 28th: Secrets of Jenkins Bridge