Jill Sheet's Blog

Chit Chatting with Naomi D. Nakashima  Interviewed by: Jill Sheets   J: Tell us about yourself and how you got your start writing? N: I actually couldn’t tell you how I got my start in writing—I just always remember writing. I know there have been a couple of pivotal moments that have helped shape my career, like when I was nine years old, watching Romancing the Stone , that’s when I knew the kind of impact an author could have on people. Or in my last year at grad school, several of my professors had asked for my help with writing and publishing their books, and that’s how I learned I have a real knack for helping people tell their stories. J: Tell us about your book, "Write Out Loud," and how did you come up with the idea for the book? N: I have actually wanted to write a book that would help other people learn a bit more about how to write a book for a really long time, it’s been sitting in a pile with other works in progress for years. But then last year, as I was closing...

Chit Chatting with Patricia Eckerman Ambas Interviewed by: Jill Sheets J: Tell us a little bit about yourself. P: I’m a self-proclaimed extrovert but realized I was an introverted extrovert because of the pandemic. Whatever roles I have, I take on as an identity, so I am a wife, mom of three littles, educator, writer, entrepreneur, and more. I grew up in a small town and made my university town my home since I married my college sweetheart who is from here. I love living on the lake and enjoying our amazing Filipino restaurant. I consider a movie/book/commercial good if it moves me to tears - joy or sorrow.  J: Tell us about your book I Can't Wait to Love You Forever. P: This book is so dear to me because it’s about a special time in our lives of welcoming another child. It’s monumental for children, and it’s heart-expanding for parents. Of course I wrote it so that a parent who has all the feels like me can’t help but tear up while reading it - that means it’s a good one!  J:...

Chit Chatting with  Micheal R. French Interviewed by: Jill Sheets  J: Tell us about your book "Ghost with Two Hearts." In an age where everything gets a label,  this book might  be  called a “supernatural fantasy.”  Yet, at its heart, it’s about a successful but personally unhappy software engineer, Adrian, searching for deeper meaning than what American culture offers him.  He goes on a self-appointed mission to Japan to make amends for his grandfather’s misdeeds in World War Two.  A typical Westerner, he is dismissive when he first finds evidence of a ghost or kami named Emiko living in his rental house. She has been banned to a hellish eternity but, for some reason, hangs out in this house.   She convinces Adrian his life is in danger—from  a kami  seeking revenge for what Adrian’s grandfather did  in the war. The way of revenge in Japan is one theme of the novel, but equally important, besides Adrian’s risky efforts to...