Today I am interviewing a fabulous brother/sister writing duo. Welcome, David Fraser and Heather Fraser Brainerd! Please tell us a little bit about yourselves.
Dave: There's not much to say. I guess I'm just an ordinary guy who has lived an ordinary life.
There is nothing wrong with ordinary! I think ordinary is great. Hmmm… I'm wondering where Heather is? Hopefully she hasn't been abducted by vampires, leprechauns, or even a were-nanny. Well, let's carry on for now. Where is your favorite place in the world?
Dave: I have many places that could qualify, so I'll just go with the most memorable. That would be atop Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine. In winter and spring, this is where the sun first strikes the United States each day. I went up there late on December 31, 1999, to be among the first to see the sun rise on a new millenium.
I would love to visit Maine! It sounds beautiful. Maybe a bit chilly. What is your favorite song?
Dave: Anything from Bizet's opera Carmen. In my teens, I practiced for a summer with the Metropolitan Opera on a youth symphony program. I played the viola. If there had been any illnesses or other emergencies, I would have been able to fill in for an actual public performance. Unfortunately, everyone stayed nice and healthy. I spent hours each day playing Carmen over and over and over. To this day, I can still play the entire piece from memory.
That's great that you can still play! I used to play piano as a kid. I never practiced, though. You can probably imagine what a crummy piano player I was! So, when and why did you begin writing?
Dave: Following a severe car crash when I was in my mid-twenties, I was stuck in bed. Having two legs with compound fractures tends to do that to you. I got sick of watching the same old garbage over and over on television, so I started writing as a way to keep myself from going crazy.
What influences your writing?
Dave: The writings of the Dalai Lama. In college, I had an internship at the Dalai Lama Foundation. It was in the Donor Relations department, which basically meant calling famous people and asking for donations. Tom Hanks, if I recall correctly, was particularly nice. The end of the internship coincided with one of his visits to the United States and we were invited. It was a nice dinner (vegetarian, of course) and he was a brilliant speaker. We were all hugging and crying by the time he was done.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Dave: I recently took up BASE jumping. This is parachute jumping off of any Building, Antenna, Span (bridge), or Earth (cliff). I haven't done any buildings yet, as the close quarters of nearby buildings kind of freaks me out a little, so that's on my to-do list for this year.
Wow! That is AMAZING! Hang on… I have to watch a quick video of BASE jumping on YouTube… wowzer!
What do you look for in a book when you sit down to read for fun? Maybe after a nice BASE jumping adventure? (It would probably be a bit difficult to do while jumping off of a building or whatnot.)
Dave: I generally look for Page One. If I start anywhere else, I tend to have no idea what's going on.
YES! I do that, too. It's hard to jump right into the middle of a book, I don't really recommend it.
Heather (rushing in): Sorry I’m late. I had a severe case of the hiccups. Did I miss anything?
Dave: No. I’m just sharing a little bit about my average, everyday life.
Hello, Heather! So glad you could make it! So here's a question for both of you. If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them?
Dave: I would meet honorable and trustworthy NBC anchorman Brian Williams. I'd like to show him the Medal of Honor I got that time I was in the Coast Guard and saved a boatload of Cuban refugees from a school of hungry hammerhead sharks.
Heather: What are you talking about!? That never happened! What other flim flam have you told these nice people?
Dave: Gee, would you look at the time? Gotta run. I’m late for tea with Oprah Winfrey.
Tell us about the current book you're promoting. The cover is awesome!
There is nothing wrong with ordinary! I think ordinary is great. Hmmm… I'm wondering where Heather is? Hopefully she hasn't been abducted by vampires, leprechauns, or even a were-nanny. Well, let's carry on for now. Where is your favorite place in the world?
Dave: I have many places that could qualify, so I'll just go with the most memorable. That would be atop Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine. In winter and spring, this is where the sun first strikes the United States each day. I went up there late on December 31, 1999, to be among the first to see the sun rise on a new millenium.
I would love to visit Maine! It sounds beautiful. Maybe a bit chilly. What is your favorite song?
Dave: Anything from Bizet's opera Carmen. In my teens, I practiced for a summer with the Metropolitan Opera on a youth symphony program. I played the viola. If there had been any illnesses or other emergencies, I would have been able to fill in for an actual public performance. Unfortunately, everyone stayed nice and healthy. I spent hours each day playing Carmen over and over and over. To this day, I can still play the entire piece from memory.
That's great that you can still play! I used to play piano as a kid. I never practiced, though. You can probably imagine what a crummy piano player I was! So, when and why did you begin writing?
Dave: Following a severe car crash when I was in my mid-twenties, I was stuck in bed. Having two legs with compound fractures tends to do that to you. I got sick of watching the same old garbage over and over on television, so I started writing as a way to keep myself from going crazy.
What influences your writing?
Dave: The writings of the Dalai Lama. In college, I had an internship at the Dalai Lama Foundation. It was in the Donor Relations department, which basically meant calling famous people and asking for donations. Tom Hanks, if I recall correctly, was particularly nice. The end of the internship coincided with one of his visits to the United States and we were invited. It was a nice dinner (vegetarian, of course) and he was a brilliant speaker. We were all hugging and crying by the time he was done.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Dave: I recently took up BASE jumping. This is parachute jumping off of any Building, Antenna, Span (bridge), or Earth (cliff). I haven't done any buildings yet, as the close quarters of nearby buildings kind of freaks me out a little, so that's on my to-do list for this year.
Wow! That is AMAZING! Hang on… I have to watch a quick video of BASE jumping on YouTube… wowzer!
What do you look for in a book when you sit down to read for fun? Maybe after a nice BASE jumping adventure? (It would probably be a bit difficult to do while jumping off of a building or whatnot.)
Dave: I generally look for Page One. If I start anywhere else, I tend to have no idea what's going on.
YES! I do that, too. It's hard to jump right into the middle of a book, I don't really recommend it.
Heather (rushing in): Sorry I’m late. I had a severe case of the hiccups. Did I miss anything?
Dave: No. I’m just sharing a little bit about my average, everyday life.
Hello, Heather! So glad you could make it! So here's a question for both of you. If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them?
Dave: I would meet honorable and trustworthy NBC anchorman Brian Williams. I'd like to show him the Medal of Honor I got that time I was in the Coast Guard and saved a boatload of Cuban refugees from a school of hungry hammerhead sharks.
Heather: What are you talking about!? That never happened! What other flim flam have you told these nice people?
Dave: Gee, would you look at the time? Gotta run. I’m late for tea with Oprah Winfrey.
Tell us about the current book you're promoting. The cover is awesome!
Shadows of New York: Middle Grade Fantasy
Blurb: What do you do when your view of the world gets turned on its head? Eleven-year-old Josh Cooper is surprised when his new nanny ends up being a dude, but that pales in comparison to how he feels when he learns the nanny, Aiden, is also a werewolf. Aiden teaches Josh about the Imaginary World, even introducing him to his friends Larry Fancypants (a suave-yet-goofy vampire) and Steve Lickerman (a tall-yet-meek leprechaun). This fascinating world seems harmless, until Josh learns of the shadowy wraith that’s stalking New York, attacking creatures and stealing their powers. As werewolves are ideally suited for fighting wraiths, Aiden is called upon to help capture the elusive Mr. Midnight, unintentionally drawing Josh even deeper into the strange and mysterious.
MuseItUp Publishing: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/fantasy/urban-fantasy/shadows-of-new-york-detail
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-New-York-Manny-Book-ebook/dp/B00LU4WM1A/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1410208549&sr=8-7&keywords=shadows+of+new+york
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-new-york-heather-fraser-brainerd/1119963973?ean=9781771275682
How can we find you? Website, Facebook, blog, etc?
Blog: https://drivingblindproductions.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrainerdFraser
Twitter Dave: https://twitter.com/DonaldFarster
Twitter Heather: https://twitter.com/HFBrainerd
Thanks so much for being my guests on the blog today, Heather and Dave! I'm excited to read your book. I'm really intrigued by the were-nanny and all of the other characters… can't wait!
Readers, please leave comments and/or questions for Heather and Dave!
Blurb: What do you do when your view of the world gets turned on its head? Eleven-year-old Josh Cooper is surprised when his new nanny ends up being a dude, but that pales in comparison to how he feels when he learns the nanny, Aiden, is also a werewolf. Aiden teaches Josh about the Imaginary World, even introducing him to his friends Larry Fancypants (a suave-yet-goofy vampire) and Steve Lickerman (a tall-yet-meek leprechaun). This fascinating world seems harmless, until Josh learns of the shadowy wraith that’s stalking New York, attacking creatures and stealing their powers. As werewolves are ideally suited for fighting wraiths, Aiden is called upon to help capture the elusive Mr. Midnight, unintentionally drawing Josh even deeper into the strange and mysterious.
MuseItUp Publishing: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/fantasy/urban-fantasy/shadows-of-new-york-detail
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-New-York-Manny-Book-ebook/dp/B00LU4WM1A/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1410208549&sr=8-7&keywords=shadows+of+new+york
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-new-york-heather-fraser-brainerd/1119963973?ean=9781771275682
How can we find you? Website, Facebook, blog, etc?
Blog: https://drivingblindproductions.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrainerdFraser
Twitter Dave: https://twitter.com/DonaldFarster
Twitter Heather: https://twitter.com/HFBrainerd
Thanks so much for being my guests on the blog today, Heather and Dave! I'm excited to read your book. I'm really intrigued by the were-nanny and all of the other characters… can't wait!
Readers, please leave comments and/or questions for Heather and Dave!
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