JET-Fueled Fiction - Interviews and Rants

Dishing it up with Consuelo Saah Baehr

2012-02-17T01:00:00.001-05:00

Today I have the pleasure of dishing it up with Consuelo Saah Baehr. She is a repurposed writer who got off the couch several months ago, formatted her out-of-print backlist books published them on Amazon and now sell them in the Kindle store. The idea of publishing another book with a traditional publisher was so daunting, she remained silent for several years until e-publishing set her free.

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JET: Can you tell us about your most recent book?

Consuelo: One Hundred Open Houses (most recent) was a book I wrote when I was sure I would never write again. I couldn't make my mind settle down. I couldn't make my body settle down. Both of these are necessary to write a full length novel. My agent, Charlotte Sheedy got me to write this book over lunch in a pleasant restaurant in Sag Harbor, New York. We had started out at a different restaurant but she couldn't find anything she liked on the menu so we moved across the street to another restaurant. She mentioned a book that was currently popular. You could do a book like that, she said. I was sure I couldn't. Of course, you could, she insisted. Bolstered by several gulps of Merlot, I agreed to begin. For the next several months I pulled this book out of me inch by inch. I was jumpy, the book was jumpy. I wasn't used to sitting still. I wasn't used to thinking things through and being honest. I have no reliable memory of how the book progressed from chapter to chapter. When I had only a few pages left, I was finally able to write smoothly and quickly. One day the book was done. When I read it through I fell madly in love with what I had written.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Consuelo: I was sending Op-Ed essays to the New York Times. They accepted the fifth submission. In the three line bio at the bottom I put that the essay was from a book in progress. In a couple of days I had several offers and sold the book that I had yet to finish writing.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Consuelo: My favorite moment was coming home from shopping and finding a note from the babysitter on the back of the phone bill. “Howard Goldberg called. N Y Times.” My six-year old son had spoken to him. “Is this about my mother’s writing? he asked, “You should take it. She wants you to.”

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Consuelo: F Scott Fitzgerald for his insight into the way we live and his sentence structure. Here’s an example. “The evening progressed from phase to phase with the sheer nervous dread of the moment itself.” He’s talking about the dinner at Gatsby’s house in “The Great Gatsby.” I like some of Ann Tyler’s “Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant.” E. L. Doctorow’s book Ragtime was a triumph for the simple declarative sentence. Love Sue Grafton’s alphabet P.I. series. I guess the last few are contemporaries but they definitely have influenced me.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Consuelo: I have always wanted to be a writer. When I was about seven I was in a convent boarding school and there was a book in that sparse library titled Chum. It was about an orphan girl who discovers her mother is a famous actress. I considered the plot fantastic and realized that if I were a writer I could write any fantastic set of circumstances that I wanted.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Consuelo: For my most recent novel, One Hundred Open Houses, I visited more than 100 open houses for apartments in New York City. It was an eye-opening experience and taught me that most apartments in New York City are not fit for human habitation.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Consuelo: I have two favorites. Daughters is an epic novel loosely based on my paternal grandparents lives as Palestinians living in a little Christian village ten miles north of Jerusalem . I used oral history, the diaries of the Society of Friends and the memoirs of a number of well-known writers who lived in Jerusalem during that time. I am very proud of the authenticity of the details and of the seamless manner in which they were woven into a very interesting and dramatic family saga. Readers love this book.

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

Consuelo: I always recommend that any would be writer start by submitting short essays to their local newspaper. Getting into print quickly gives you the courage to try again and repetition is what makes writing better. I learned how to write efficiently while I was a copywriter for the Macy Corporation writing newspaper ads every day about everything from handbags to electroplated charms.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten…starting with…Paper or Plastic?

Consuelo: Paper (not so much for ecological reasons although that’s good, too) I love the brown paper that bags are made of.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Consuelo: Steak

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Consuelo: Definitely beach.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Consuelo: Rock-n-Roll

JET: Leather or Lace?

Consuelo: Neither.

JET: Angels or Demons?

Consuelo: Demons.

JET: Paper or Digital?

Consuelo: Digital.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Consuelo: Silent Film Classics

JET: Twilight or True Blood

Consuelo: Twilight

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Consuelo: Coffee

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Consuelo: I have two titles-in-progress. The novelization of a screenplay titled: Softgoods about two suburban women who unwittingly sell “hot” designer clothes. Also halfway through a “woman sleuth” novel titled “Tough As Nails.”

I am always writing on my blog, The Repurposed Writer.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Consuelo Saah Baehr and her work at the following places:

Amazon U.S. Kindle Store: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_7?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=consuelo+baehr&sprefix=

Blog: http://setthiswriterfree.blogspot.com/

Until Next time…

Ciao

JET

Manic Monday Special Guest Ashlynne Laynne

2012-02-13T01:00:00.001-05:00

Today I have a special guest on my blog. Ashlynne Laynne has agreed to come on and chat about her latest book coming out this week.

JET: Can you tell us about The Progeny?

Ashlynne: At its core, The Progeny is simply a story about a man and woman who fall in love. It started as research about the Salem witch trials, some rough sketches of a special family heirloom that my guys would wear and two names—Ascher and Shauna. In the beginning, of the book, Ascher is grumpy. Frankly, who could blame him? He’s engaged to seal to Ursula—a cold and careless vampire who wants nothing more than to get her hands on a bloodstone— and he feels conflicted about his existence. All of that changes when he meets Shawnette McCutchin. She’s beautiful, intriguing and possesses some of the most potent blood that he’s ever smelled. A war immediately begins inside Ascher. He craves her blood just as much as he craves her body and the closer they get the harder it is for him to control his urges. After Ascher calls off the sealing to Ursula, the trouble begins. The peaceful period essentially ends when Ursula’s army attacks the Rousseaus. Throw in a kidnapping and Wiccan rage and the plot is complete.

JET: What drew you to paranormal romance?

Ashlynne: I’ve always loved stories and movies about witches and I, admittedly, have a soft spot in my heart for vampires. I grew tired of the garlic fearing, sun loathing creatures of old. An avid horror movie fan, I tend to enjoy media and music that is of a younger, more eclectic nature. This was the catalyst for my writing The Progeny. The vampire/witch pairing is unique and different when most paranormal media pairs them with werewolves. The infinite possibilities, for such a wicked couple, intrigued me. I like to think of Ascher and Shauna as the damned version of Romeo and Juliet with supernatural gifts.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Ashlynne: Finding a publisher that I was comfortable with. I turned down one larger publisher and a smaller one because they didn’t feel good to me. The Progeny was my baby and you don’t just let anyone babysit your child. I wanted my baby to be in good and capable hands. I found those hands at NCP. My characters and ideas have been respected, nurtured and I’ve been encouraged throughout the process—all of the things I knew that my story deserved.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Ashlynne: The moment that I got the email of acceptance from NCP. I really wanted to be a part of this publishing family. It just felt like the place that my baby belonged.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Ashlynne: As a pre-teen, I adored Judy Blume books. Their personal approach spoke to me on a deep and profound level. As an older teen, I loved V.C. Andrews. I’m also a poet and have loved the insightful works of Maya Angelou. When I was sixteen, I discovered Danielle Steel novels (I now realize that I wasn’t the target age group for the books I was reading, but this spurred my love of romance novels). As an adult, I’m wild for anything Stephen King or Kresley Cole but I love a good vampire or witch story.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Ashlynne: I got serious about my writing career a year ago.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Ashlynne: I spent three hours researching gestation and mating habits of mice for part of The Progeny’s back story. I learned that they have a twenty day gestation. I doubt I’ll ever use that knowledge again but it was worth it for the two or three lines it generated.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Ashlynne: The Progeny, of course. For some reason, this story and the characters are very near and dear to my heart.

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

Ashlynne: Don’t give up and write as often as possible.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten…starting with…Paper or Plastic?

Ashlynne: paper

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Ashlynne: tofu

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Ashlynne: beach

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Ashlynne: rock-n-roll

JET: Leather or Lace?

Ashlynne: leather

JET: Angels or Demons?

Ashlynne: Both. Yin has to balance Yang.

JET: Paper or Digital?

Ashlynne: digital

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Ashlynne: cheesy b rated horror

JET: Twilight or True Blood

Ashlynne: True Blood

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Ashlynne: Yuck…neither.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Ashlynne: I’m currently working on the sequel to The Progeny that promises just as much steam and romance as the first with some very special parties you won’t want to miss.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Ashlynne Laynne and her work at the following places:

Twitter: @qlane

Facebook: ProgenyBook Page- http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Progeny-Series-by-author-Ashlynne-Laynne/129418917161599

Author Page- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Ashlynne-Laynne/118945981513261
Author Blog: http://authoraslane.blogspot.com/
Email: ashlynnelaynne@aol.com

Until Next time…

Ciao.

JET

Dishing it up with Michelle Scott

2012-02-10T01:00:00.004-05:00

Today, I’m dishing it up with Michelle Scott. Michelle’s stories have appeared in such places as Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, All Possible Worlds and Realms. Her fantasy novel, The Dragons of Hazlett was nominated for a 2009 EPPIE Award. Her YA novels include the vampire romance, Blood Sisters, and the fantasy Uncommon Magic and An Anthem for the Battle Lands. Michelle’s latest release, Straight to Hell, is now available on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. Michelle lives in southeast Michigan with her husband and three children.

JET: Can you tell us about your most recent book?

Michelle: Straight to Hell is an urban fantasy about a woman who dies, is sent to hell, and discovers that she must become a succubus. It seems that her great-great-great-great-great grandmother made a deal with the Devil in order to escape being hanged as a witch and, unfortunately for Lilith, the deal mandates that every female in the family serve the Prince of Darkness. Now, Lilith must balance her life as a single mother with her new occupation as the devil’s handmaiden. Luckily, she meets a very yummy incubus named William Darcy who takes her mind off her misery.

JET: What drew you to fantasy and young adult genres?

Michelle: Although I love reading all kinds of books from fantasy to historical fiction, I’ve never been able to write a book that doesn’t contain a touch of the supernatural. No matter how much I try to write a realistic story, sooner or later magic crops up. I write adult fiction as well as YA, but my YA stories were written for my daughters. They had been begging to read my books, so I wrote stories that were suited for them.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Michelle: Being patient! Back when I started writing, I never imagined how much time would be involved. This isn’t simply a matter of being patient with the publishers and the publishing process (although, that takes a great deal of fortitude!), but I’ve come to realize that I cannot rush a story when I’m writing it, either. If I want to produce the best fiction I can, I must let the story work itself out, and that can take time.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Michelle: I’ve had a number of wonderful moments, but the one that I’m most fond of is my very first publication of a short story. I’d been submitting my stories for quite a while, but when I received an acceptance letter in the mail, I was overjoyed! The magazine has long been out of print; however, I keep a copy of the issue in which my story appeared in my office.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Michelle: There have been so many! The first author I was infatuated with was Laura Engles Wilder who wrote the “Little House” books. That was the first series that I read beginning to end. After that came James Herriot who wrote all of the books about the life of a veterinarian in England. Both of these authors took me to places and times that I could not have visited on my own. I was an avid reader as a child, and it was my love of books that made me want to become a writer. Since then, I’ve changed my tastes to speculative fiction writers such as Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Anne Rice, and Charlaine Harris.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Michelle: I had written stories all my life, but it wasn’t until about twenty-five years ago that I actually decided to take a crack at writing. My husband and I had moved to Detroit for his job, and I was newly married, unemployed, and very lonely. We lived in a ‘garden terrace’ (aka basement) apartment in a bad part of town (Detroit has a lot of those.) I didn’t quite dare leave my apartment on my own, so while my husband was away, I started to write to keep myself occupied.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Michelle: Well…for Straight Shot, the upcoming sequel to Straight to Hell, I asked my sister-in-law, an avid gun collector, to take me to the shooting range. Until then, I’d never shot a handgun in my life! It was more fun than I’d anticipated, and my sister-in-law proved herself to be a saint when I pestered her with a million questions about guns.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Michelle: I’ll go with my current project – the Lilith Straight series. Until now, I’ve never written a series, and after working so intently on this project, I’ve fallen in love with the characters. Which is good and bad. I’m glad that there are enough crazy antics to fill these books, but I’m going to be mighty sad when the series comes to an end.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

Michelle: Know your audience. This was a bit of advice I’d heard when I began writing but, unfortunately, I passed it off thinking that a writer should give in to her whims. (What was I thinking?)

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten...starting with...Paper or Plastic?

Michelle: Paper

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Michelle: Steak

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Michelle: Mountains

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Michelle: Jazz!! (sorry)

JET: Leather or Lace?

Michelle: Ooh…both please

JET: Angels or Demons?

Michelle: demons

JET: Paper or Digital?

Michelle: Digital. Always!

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Michelle: Pass the cheese, please!

JET: Twilight or True Blood

Michelle: Oh, Eric Northman, how I lust after thee.

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Michelle: Coffee. With lots and lots of cream (not skim milk).

JET: Thank you for indulging me and taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Michelle Scott and her work at the following places:

Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble Smashwords

Thanks for swinging in!

Until Next time,
Ciao
JET

Dishing it up with Alan Nayes

2012-01-20T01:00:00.001-05:00

Today I have the pleasure of dishing it up with Alan Nayes. Alan was born in Houston and grew up on the Texas gulf coast. He lives in Southern California. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed biomedical thrillers, GARGOYLES and THE UNNATURAL. His most recent releases are BARBARY POINT, SMILODON, GIRL BLUE and PLAGUE.

An avid outdoorsman and fitness enthusiast, he is one of only a few individuals to ever swim across Wisconsin’s chilly Lake Winnebago. When not working on his next project, he enjoys relaxing and fishing at the family vacation home in Wisconsin.

JET: Can you tell us about your most recent book, Plague?

Alan: I’d love to, J.E. First, thank you for hosting me. PLAGUE is the second book in my Resurrection Trilogy series starring my most favorite character, Amoreena Daniels. The first book GARGOYLES finds Amoreena immersed in a diabolical biomed experiment. She survives, with the help of some close friends, but just barely. PLAGUE picks up the story four years later. When Amoreena’s nemesis from GARGOYLES unwittingly unleashes a highly virulent gene-altering viron, the resulting world-wide infection is catastrophic. Amoreena is reunited with her companions from GARGOYLES and together they must flee for their lives. Only in PLAGUE there is no place to run. The civilized world as Amoreena knows it has come to an abrupt end! PLAGUE is her story of trying to survive the initial onslaught of this wide spread epidemic.

JET: What drew you to horror and thrillers?

Alan: I’ve always been attracted to stories that possess a supernatural element. They are fun to read. Two of my all time favorite horror novels are Stephen King’s THE STAND and James Cronin’s THE PASSAGE. Since I was a child I’ve enjoyed watching horror movies—from the original Draculas and Frankensteins to more recent Hollywood endeavors. I thought THE RING was a pretty decent film. After watching and reading so much horror, I decided I needed to try and write one. THE UNNATURAL was my first horror publication. GIRL BLUE and PLAGUE will be my most recent releases in the horror/thriller genre.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Alan: Getting one of the big six publishers to look at my material was incredibly challenging. For me, just getting a reputable literary agent was really difficult. There is so much competition out there, so many talented writers. I’m in two camps now—Samhain Publishers is releasing GIRL BLUE and I’m continuing as an indie, releasing PLAGUE this January. What follows after these releases only time will tell.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Alan: J.E. that’s an easy question. Receiving my first advance check in the mail. Wouldn’t mind receiving some more of those…

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Alan: That’s not an easy one to answer as I really can’t claim to have a favorite author. There are plenty of good authors out there who create really good stories. I think my answer is going to be: it is more the stories that influence me than the authors. I’m inspired when I read a very entertaining novel and this is what influences me to try to write better myself—if that makes any sense.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Alan: After I moved to southern California in the 80’s I decided to take a creative writing class at a local community college. I’d written some music in college but when I realized I couldn’t sing real well—not at all actually—I switched to stories. After several failed attempts at breaking into the screenwriting business I decided I would have a better chance at novels. Not much better, but I am making progress. My mantra—every day write something. Even if it is only some responses to an interview. Lol.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Alan: For my horror thriller THE UNNATURAL, I met with the man in charge of maintaining the complex Los Angeles sewer system. You would not believe how massive a system it requires to haul away all our “by-products”. Interesting fact—in researching SMILODON, the huge explosion over Siberia in 1908 was from a huge meteor and was 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Alan: I would have to say GARGOYLES. I really like the main character, Amoreena Daniels and it was my first published story.

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

Alan: Three words—persistence, persistence, and…persistence. Also, as long as you believe in your project you should never give up.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten…starting with…Paper or Plastic?

Alan: Paper—it’s more biodegradable. Plus plastic would not be comfortable when suffering from a runny nose or when you are in the bathroom—never mind.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Alan: Steak, even though tofu is a heck of a lot better on my cholesterol.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Alan: Mountains.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Alan: Have to say country, though many of my favorite songs are also rock.

JET: Top 10 best seller or Unknown Back Shelf Find?

Alan: Unknown back shelf find—more mysterious.

JET: Zombies or Demons?

Alan: Zombies.

JET: Paper or Digital?

Alan: Paper. (not plastic)

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Alan: Did someone say Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween?

JET: Sword wielding ninja or Gun toting momma?

Alan: Give me the gun-totin’ momma. She can kill you from twenty feet away! (not you but the ninja)

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Alan: Tea. Never drank much coffee, though I love coffee flavored ice cream.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What next?

Alan: Just completed PLAGUE, the second book in the Resurrection Trilogy series (GARGOYLES being the first). My next project that I am finishing up is titled HEMLOCK POND. HEMLOCK POND is about a woman and her young son who move into an old farmhouse with a haunted pond on the property. Also, I’m completing the final edits on my Samhain Publishing release GIRL BLUE.

And thank you for hosting me, J. E.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Alan Nayes and his work at the following places:

Website: http://anayes.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/527589.Alan_Nayes
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/mflYEU
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/alannayes
Blog: http://alannayes.blogspot.com/

You can purchase his books at the following places:
BARBARY POINT :   Amazon        Barnes & Noble   Smashwords

GARGOYLES (Book One of the Resurrection Trilogy): Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Smashwords

THE UNNATURAL: Amazon    Barnes & Noble   Smashwords

SMILODON: Amazon       Amazon UK     Barnes & Noble     Smashwords

Thank you for swinging in!

Until Next time,

Ciao

JET

Dishing it up with John Payne

2012-01-13T01:00:00.003-05:00

Today I have the pleasure of dishing it up with John C. Payne. John was born in Chicago but moved to Wisconsin as a youth. He is a retired US Army officer Army and successfully operated three small businesses after his retirement.

He loves to write and teach. John was an adjunct professor in business at several universities and spent many post-military years in the field of health care administration. Like his book trilogy main theme, he loved to move and change jobs every three years engaging in new, unrelated and exciting challenges.

JET: Can you tell us about your most recent book?

John: I am doing a trilogy on my main character. All of the titles are… Three and Out with subtitles for each book. I have already published the first one (The Saga of a San Francisco Apartment Manager) and more recently, the second one (Running a Mental Health hospital in San Antonio). I’m still working to complete the third one (The Chicago Terminus). The second book finds my character taking over a mental health facility located near the famous River Walk in San Antonio while a CIA investigation is taking place. Prior to his appointment, an embedded CIA agent is found on the ward with a scissors in her chest. The CIA suspects an al-Qaeda cell forming in the area. Strange things happen during the investigation to include some interesting love interest between some of the main characters.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

John: The editing process. It’s difficult to locate a good one who doesn’t charge an arm and a leg.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

John: Tying up some loose ends in the book to insure continuity and consistency.

JET: Which authors ha the most influence over you growing up?

John: Probably Huck Finn. I really didn’t read that much growing up.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

John: When my wife and I left San Francisco after managing a downtown apartment complex I told her I need to write a book about this someday because nobody would believe my stories.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

John: Lying awake most nights trying to recall life events which I can then fictionalize. I have too many life experiences that tend to muddy the waters.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written-which one is your favorite? Why?

John: I am a new writer. I’ve only published two books. The second Three and Out about the mental health hospital. Why?...because it’s crazy!

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

John: I am a novice but I would tell any new writer that each book is always a new measuring stick because a writer learns so much more with each project that should make the next book that much more exciting.

JET: All right-now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten…starting with…Paper or Plastic?

John: Paper…easier to make changes, easier to dispose of.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

John: Steak…I’m a red-blooded American Midwesterner.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

John: Beach…I like the sun and the sand…and the bikinis.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll

John: Neither…New Age for this old guy.

JET: Top 10 Best Seller or Unknown Back Shelf Find?

John: Back Shelf Find…too many Patterson’s, Baldacci’s and the rest of the heavily promoted and subsidized authors.

JET: Zombies or Demons?

John: Demons…don’t believe in Zombies but encountered many demons (not my own of course).

JET: Paper or Digital?

John: Digit…I’ve finally graduated.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Chess B Rated Horror?

John: Neither…read my earlier comments.

JET: Sword wielding ninja or gun toting momma?

John: I like the gun toting mommas.

JET: Coffee or tea?

John: Coffee…and lots of it.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you’re working on now? What’s next?

John: I am 90% done with the third book in the trilogy. When the trilogy is finished I’m going to make the main character’s grandson a super sleuth.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog.

Folks, you can find out more about John Payne and his work at the following places: www.authorsden.com/johncpayne
http://www.amazon.com/.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
His books are available in both hard copy and eBook format.

Until Next time...
Ciao.
JET

Manic Monday with Laura Vosika

2012-01-09T01:15:00.002-05:00

Welcome to 2012 Manic Monday series and I’m pleased to start the year with Laura Vosika. Laura, the author of the Blue Bells Chronicles, is working on several other novels and a non-fiction book on raising a large family. Past publishing credits include an essay in Glamour magazine.

Laura grew up in the military, visiting castles in England, pig fests in Germany, and the historic sites of America's east coast. She earned a bachelor's degree in music, and master's degree in education, and worked for many years as a freelance musician, private music instructor, and school band director.

She currently lives in Minnesota with her nine children, and assorted menagerie.

Writers’ Resolutions by Laura Vosika

So 2012 is here! Every new year is a time to reassess, take stock, and see where we can brush up and improve. The world of writing is no different. So what are good resolutions for those who love to write? Anything that’s going to take you closer to where you want to be.

Write. Maybe for some, the first resolution is to decide where you want to be this time next year. Do you want to have written a novel? Then follow the National Novel Writing Month model and sit down and do it. Don’t have time? Make time. Are there TV programs, internet forums, or computer games that could be given up? Even if it’s ten minutes a day, sit down and write. Even if it’s journaling, sit down and write. If it’s a four-line poem whose first line ends with Nantucket, sit down and write. Write a description of what you see out the window. Write a story about what the neighbor kids are doing as they walk home from school. Write a letter from your dog to your cat. Have fun. But sit down and write.

Read. And read good writing. Try the classics, try books with lots of five-star reviews. Re-read things you’ve loved in the past and think about why you loved the story, why you loved the character.

Read about Writing. There’s a feeling out there, I think, that great art just happens, like magic; that artists either have talent or don’t. As a writer and musician, I say the real magic is in making so much work look so easy. Doctors study for ten years from the time they start college to learn their profession. And not to take anything from doctors (I’m very grateful for them!), but many musicians have been studying their profession for ten years before they even start college. Writers, likewise, have often been writing from a young age. However, I think we as writers can also learn from other professionals, who routinely take classes and are continually learning. Pick up a book on the craft of writing, and see what new ideas you get. Find a website with advice for writers. There are thousands of them out there. Take a class. Have fun!

Meet other Writers. This can be a dangerous thing. Writers, well, we write. Including on forums, including on blogs. It can be very easy to spend all our writing time communicating with other authors instead of writing our novels. Still, writing has traditionally been a fairly solitary craft. Now, technology has given us the ability to network with others as never before. I have learned a lot from the other authors out there, about writing, about business, about life. I have made some great connections that have helped me, and have hopefully helped others along the way, too. And I’ve made some really great friends all over the country, who I never would have met otherwise.

Get out and enjoy life! You know what they say—write what you know. The artist in the ivory tower is an enduring figure, but I believe our writing will be deeper the more we meet other people, see other places, explore new ideas, and try new things. Does one of your characters love skiing when you’ve never tried it? Go try it. Visit a place you’ve never been before. Take a class on something new. Then write about it, or work it into your next novel.

Take a risk. If you’ve always wanted to write, sit down and do it. If you have a drawer full of novels and always wanted to get them published, start contacting agents. What’s the worst that can happen? Usually, the worst is not really all that bad. If the first novel doesn’t work out, re-write it—ten or fifteen times. If it still doesn’t work, start a new one. If one agent says no, contact another.

Have a wonderful writing year!

Blue Bells Trilogy Blurb:
Shawn Kleiner has it all: money, fame, a skyrocketing career as an international musical phenomenon, his beautiful girlfriend Amy, and all the women he wants--until the night Amy has enough and leaves him stranded in a Scottish castle tower.

He wakes up to find himself mistaken for Niall Campbell, medieval Highland warrior. Soon after, he is sent shimmying down a wind-torn castle wall into a dangerous cross country trek with Niall's tempting, but knife-wielding fiancée. They are pursued by English soldiers and a Scottish traitor who want Niall dead.

Thrown forward in time, Niall learns history’s horrifying account of his own death, and of the Scots’ slaughter at Bannockburn. Undaunted, he navigates the roiled waters of Shawn’s life-- pregnant girlfriend, amorous fans, enemies, and gambling debts--seeking a way to leap back across time to save his people, especially his beloved Allene. His growing fondness for Shawn’s life brings him face to face with his own weakness.

Folks, you can find out more about Laura at the following places:
Author site: http://www.bluebellstrilogy.com/
Author blog: http://bluebellstrilogy.blogspot.com/

Laura's books are available at the following places:
Amazon Barnes & Noble Smashwords itunes
PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE: http://www.gabrielshornpress.com/

Thanks for swinging in!
Until Next time,
Ciao
JET

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

2012. Wow. Time sure does fly.

Usually I have a list of resolutions when the new year rolls around, but this year, I resolve not to have a list of items that in a month or so will just wither away to nothing.

Goals are a completely different thing all together and I do have set goals for 2012.

They're simple. In 2012, I want to finish and publish three novels this year and have at least that many authors signed and their books released through Novel Concept Publishing.

I'd like to see my sales continue to bring in steady income like they have for the past two months.

Personally, my goal this year is to spend more time with my family and not every free second on the computer doing marketing and promotion and other writing related things - okay, that falls into more of a resolution category, but it is a goal.

Balance is key and this year my goal is to find it.

So now that I've shared my goals, let's hear what your goals and resolutions are. Come on, don't be shy...

JET

Dishing it up with Lisa Scott

2011-12-30T01:00:00.001-05:00

Today I am dishing it up with Lisa Scott. Lisa is a writer and a voice actor that holds workshops that teaches parents and kids how to use character voices and sound effects to make reading more fun.

JET: Can you tell us about Flirts?

Lisa: I just started publishing my Flirts! collections this past summer. Each collection contains five short stories (8,000-12,000 words per story) that stand alone, but are also linked in the collection, with characters appearing in other stories. (my readers love that!) It all wraps up with a perfect happy ending. I’ve also published Beach Flirts! and Holiday Flirts! The plan is to release a new collection every few months. The stories are available as individual reads, or in the collection. Lots of new readers are discovering short stories, and are surprised how much they enjoy them. I have a group of ladies who read them on their lunch breaks. I’ve heard from mothers who enjoy them during their kids’ sports practices. Even some people who claim they don’t like short stories are enjoying them.

JET: What drew you to romance?

Lisa: I think any situation has the potential for a little romance, and I like the challenge of getting two people together under unlikely circumstances. I enjoy writing stories that make people smile, and I think my sweet, funny romances do that, so they’re always fun for me to create. I’m never at a loss for ideas.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Lisa: The frustrating agent/publisher search. Before indie publishing, that was your only shot—to submit to agents and publishers. I actually self-published before landing an agent and my book deal. Many times I thought of giving up. I’m so glad I didn’t.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Lisa: Submitting my romance novel to Belle Bridge Books this fall and getting an offer half an hour later. (Another romance publisher took 11 months to tell me no thanks. Half an hour for a yes was like a dream!)

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Lisa: I loved the Little House series growing up, and read every Nancy Drew available. I grew up out in the country without a ton of friends, so reading was a wonderful escape.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Lisa: I’ve always dabbled in writing, whether it was for the newspaper in high school, for the literary journal in college, or humorous essays for a parenting website. After college, I pursued a career in the TV news industry and knew someday when I left that field, I’d focus on publishing fiction.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Lisa: When I was working on the middle grade novel my agent has out on submission, I was sprinkling in facts from the summer of 1977, when the story takes place. It’s set in North Carolina, and in doing research I discovered there was a major drought there that year. I became so caught up in incorporating real life details into my story, that I asked the weather guy at the station where I was working if he’d contact weather officials in North Carolina to find out the exact rainfall amounts for the summer of 1977. (I’d been thinking I’d make the weather for each day accurate to what really happened that summer.) When even they couldn’t find that information, I figured I might be going a bit overboard. Yeah, just a bit.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Lisa: No Foolin.’ That’s the romance novel Belle Bridge Books is publishing in November 2012. It’s the first in my Willowdale romance series. It’s a southern romantic comedy, but there are plenty of heart wrenching moments, too. Every time I re-read it, I laugh and cry. That’s always a good combination in a book. I love the characters, I love the journey and the heartache they face, and I love the resolution. I’ll be releasing related Willowdale Romance Short Stories on Amazon etc. preceding the release of the novel.

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

Lisa: You’re never going to please everyone. Don’t be discouraged if someone doesn’t like what you’ve written. However, if you keep hearing the same criticisms, you might want to see if there’s some truth behind it. But no matter how good your writing, there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t care for your style.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. Starting with…Paper or Plastic?

Lisa: Plastic (but I do recycle.)

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Lisa: Chicken?

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Lisa: Maui? Because it has both.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Lisa: Elvis, baby!

JET: Leather or Lace?

Lisa: Lace

JET: Angels or Demons?

Lisa: Angels

JET: Paper or Digital?

Lisa: Digital

JET: Twilight or True Blood?

Lisa: Twilight

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Lisa: Tea, hot or cold, all day long

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Lisa: I’m just finishing Fairy Tale Flirts! which will be out in early January. Modern day love stories inspired by classic fairy tales—and the only magic involved is the real-life kind.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Lisa Scott and her work at the following places:

http://twitter.com/?iid=am-167106996113238295867243099&nid=23+recipient&uid=334757844&utm_content=profile#!/ReadLisaScott

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Read-Lisa-Scott/227457993948941

http://readlisascott.com/

Thanks for joining us today and have a fun and safe New Year’s Eve!

See you next year!

Ciao

JET

My Christmas letter...

2011-12-22T20:53:00.000-05:00

Hi folks! Can you believe the holidays are already upon us? My gosh this year went by in a blink.

2011 has been crazy for weather here on the east coast!

Record-breaking snow in January.

A tornado in May.

Record heat in July.

A hurricane in September that knocked out power and closed schools.

And a historic blizzard that knocked out power lines all over Connecticut just in time for Halloween.

And no sign of a white Christmas. :-(

Not your average year by any means and along with these memorable weather events came some of our own family memories.

My daughter turned sixteen this year and had a hell of a birthday bash. She got a job at the local Friendly’s soon after her birthday in March and continues to work and dance and have a generally crazy schedule this school year. She hasn’t gotten her license yet because of her crazy schedule but we’re hoping she can fit the required classes in between now and the end of January and have her license before she turns seventeen.

My son has been just as busy as my daughter. Between basketball, baseball Jukido and guitar lessons, he's one busy boy. He earned a blue belt this year in Jukido this year and is looking forward to getting to the next level. He also asked me to write a book with him this year and what a blast to be able to get into my son's twelve-year-old mind! He has some very intriguing ideas and I've had the joy of teaching him how to flush them out and create something fascinating. We're hoping to get the first installment of The Death Chronicles out in 2012.
My husband has been having fun with his pool league and playing paint ball with the neighbors in the spring and fall when we aren’t making the trek to our summer place. During the summer we live for the weekends on the beach and it was a challenge this year with my daughter's work schedule, but we still had time to enjoy Maine. Now that the season is over, we’re focused on the holidays and trying not to get hung up with the mental countdown to opening day in May. Our day jobs have kept us on our toes too and my husband got some well deserved accolades at work - he was honored with a service excellence award this year.

As for me, it's been a busy year on the writing front. Beyond releasing three novels and two short story anthologies, I took the plunge into the publishing realm this year with a writing colleague of mine. Jason Halstead and I opened the doors to Novel Concept Publishing, LLC in May and we’ve been blessed with some stellar submissions. As of December 23, 2011, we have three published authors under our label with two more queued up for early in 2012. I can’t begin to tell you how fulfilling it is to help another author hone their book into a sharp captivating story and see it published. The only thing that has outshines that experience was hitting the number one spot on Amazon’s Horror/Occult list in November. Now we just need to get our authors to that acclaimed milestone…

On that note, I bid farewell to 2011 and want to wish you all a happy and healthy 2012!

Guest spotlight with Wilf Nussey

2011-12-21T01:15:00.000-05:00

Today, I have a Wilf Nussey in the special guest spotlight. Wilf was a newspaperman for forty years, all but four of them in Africa. He was the foremost foreign correspondent for the Argus group of newspapers for many years spanning most of Africa’s transition to independence and its continuing upheavals. Before that he was a freelance correspondent in Kenya for British and North American media and lived and worked in Britain and Canada. Assignments have taken him to the Middle East, Far East, Europe and New Zealand. Five years after becoming editor of a small newspaper, he quit to live in the bush and write books and has produced four successful documentaries. Now he and his wife live a few metres from the sea at Simon’s Town in South Africa’s Cape.

JET: Can you tell us about Darts of Deceit?

WILF: It’s an adventure thriller inspired by my knowledge from experience of Southern Africa and the strange situation when white rule had collapsed in Rhodesia, apartheid was collapsing in South Africa, and the Soviet Union was collapsing – all in roughly the same time span. There were fears then of a hard-core backlash in Russia. This story is one scenario of how that might have happened: by triggering major violence in volatile parts of the world, including Southern Africa, to distract the world’s attention and give the Russian extremists a chance to reassert their strength. It also involves fairly typical American and British deviousness in exploiting such situations to their own advantage, and the involvement of the South African apartheid regime as the only real power in the region. The story unfolds around two main characters, one a former Rhodesian, the other a Mozambican, both veterans of the Rhodesian and Mozambique wars.

JET: What drew you to thrillers?

WILF: I enjoy thrillers (when they are well written) as escapist relaxation between reading historical books and novels based in history, specially naval history.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

WILF: Finding an agent and a publisher. Over more than a decade scores of agents have turned down this book, and others I have written, most summarily, some with nice comments about my chapters and synopses, plus a “but…”. Then I read about Rebel ePublishers and wrote direct because what attracted me was that they had been through the same mill of rejection so they were sympathetic.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

WILF: Getting accepted by Rebel. I had amusing experiences along the way, mostly from pompous people who turned up their noses as if I was offering porn.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

WILF: A whole fleet because since childhood I have read voraciously. Some in any old order are Rudyard Kipling, Rider Haggard, Percy Fitzpatrick, John Steinbeck, Patrick O’Brian, C S Forester, Jack London, Charles Dickens (of course), Richard Dawkins, Ed McBain, the list is long.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

WILF: I thought about it often while sitting in planes and airport lounges, or waiting in hotels, reading books to kill the time. I decided to tackle writing books when I became sated with the bureaucracy and trivia of newspaper administration – that

after a lifetime of reporting, most of it as a foreign correspondent. I wrote a couple of documentaries, then a collection of stories about small rural town which I thought was damned good but didn’t sell because the publisher did nothing to promote it.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

WILF: I did all the crazy things as part of my job as a foreign correspondent: going into war situations with troops, rooting around in the backyards of African dictators, grubbing about in the bush, experiencing the hypocrisy of politics and diplomacy, meeting a host of fascinating people. There were many most interesting facts. Years ago when I first came across an AK-47 I predicted it would replace the spear as the symbol of Africa. I was fascinated by the goodwill I found among ordinary people in Africa, those swamped by conflict and exploitation and politics who still somehow survived and, like me, merely wanted to live a good, safe life. I am still entranced by the huge, diverse beauty of Africa in spite of all its dangers and problems.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

WILF: Of novels, this, my first. Of stories, one I wrote in my collection about a small powderhorn picked up by an English farmer in Africa and claimed by a wizened old African witchdoctor. Both reflect Africa, the rough and the smooth and the mysterious.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

WILF: Be thick-skinned, be tough, keep trying, do anything (within reason) to get yourself noticed.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten…starting with…Paper or Plastic?

WILF: Paper.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

WILF: Steak.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

WILF: Mountains.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

WILF: Rock-n-Roll.

JET: Leather or Lace?

WILF: Leather.

JET: Angels or Demons?

WILF: Demons.

JET: Paper or Digital?

WILF: Paper.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

WILF: Silent films.

JET: Twilight or True Blood?

WILF: Dunno.

JET: Coffee or Tea?

WILF: Tea.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

WILF: Been doing an autobiography for the family, a collection of anecdotes from many journalists about covering Africa, and working on another novel, probably around old African gold.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Wilf Nussey and his work at the following places:

Facebook url: facebook.com/wilf.nussey.

Website url: wilfnussey.co.za.

Thanks for joining us today. Don't forget Todd Russell's on tap on Friday.

Until then,
Ciao.
JET

Manic Monday - The Gift of "Now" by Caddy Rowland

2011-12-19T01:15:00.001-05:00

The Gift of “Now” Is the Best Gift We Can Receive

I am an indie author/publisher. I can say that because of a gift that I finally “got”; one that we all have, but usually don’t open. Curious? Good!

In 2010, I went for my annual physical as usual. The routine blood tests all came back normal like usual, and I went on with my day. There was a gift waiting for me, one that had been there since I was born; but once again I failed to open it.

Then, my phone rang. I needed to come back in because my mammogram had something suspicious on it. After another mammogram and biopsy, I got another call. The call that finally got me to open my eyes…the call that finally got me to open the gift.

I had breast cancer. I could go on and on about my feelings, my fears, the surgery, the radiation, the healing, but that is not what this blog is about. This blog is about what getting cancer forces you to do. It forces you to finally open your eyes and see the gift that has been waiting for you from the moment you were born.

It is the gift of “now”.

I finally understood that anything that I wanted to accomplish in my life should not be put on a back burner for “someday”. Someday is not guaranteed. We all run out of “someday” sooner or later. But I did (and do) have “now”. Nothing brings this home to us like the threat of no longer existing.

And so, once I was done with all of the radiation, I committed to writing 5 days a week, at least an hour a day. No matter what. Why? Because “now” is all I had; all any of us have.

I had always wanted to write a novel. Had started a couple but never finished. This time, I knew that if I wanted it to happen, it was up to me to make sure that nothing stopped me. Not even “someday”.

Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream was born from that. I self-published for many reasons. I did not even try to go the traditional route. I wanted freedom. I did not want to wait (remember “now”?). I wanted to control my own destiny in regard to my writing. Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream came out for Kindle and NOOK on August 1, 2011. Paperback arrived shortly after.

I am releasing Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny the week of December 12th. If the formatting and downloading go without glitches, it should be “live” by the time this blog posts!

I am not going to use this blog to talk about the drama/romance series of Gastien. You will find links above at the end of my post. I hope you take a moment to read the descriptions and reviews from those. I simply want to share the gift of “now”.

I could never have imagined how exciting it would be to hold my own book in my hands! It is a feeling that I am glad I got to experience. Cancer did that for me. I had always heard there were blessing to cancer, but thought it was b.s. Not so. The gift of “now” is the greatest gift there is…and it is free and available to all of us.

The cancer is gone. It was caught very early and my doctor says to plan on eventually dying from something else. Yes, of course. No one gets out of here alive. That is why I am moving right into the third book in the Gastien series. It is time. Now!

I hope this holiday season each one of you reading this will accept the gift that has always sat there, waiting for you to open it. I can’t give it to you. Only you can. It is your gift of “now”. Open it. Please.

Caddy Rowland

http://caddyrowlandblog.blogspot.com/

caddyauthor@yahoo.com

twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#caddyorpims

Fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/Gastien.Beauchamp

Buy links (for Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream):

http://tinyurl.com/3ecu8ku For kindle readers

http://tinyurl.com/3ue4a7h For nook readers

http://tinyurl.com/3luddg7 To order paperback

As of the date I wrote this, Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny was in the process of being released. Please check the above sites to see if this book is now available by typing title of my name in the search. If not, it will be very soon!

Folks - thanks for swinging in today and I hope Caddy gave you the same rush of inspiration that she gave me when I read this post!

Later this week I've got Wilf Nussey and Todd Russell on tap - swing in and say hi if you get a chance.

Until next time,
Ciao.
JET

Dishing it up with VH Folland

2011-12-16T01:15:00.003-05:00

Today, I have the pleasure of dishing it up with VH Folland. VH Folland is a British author with a lifelong interest in aviation and engineering. On a school trip to Kew Gardens most of the class were looking at the plants, and one small child was staring up at the planes on Heathrow approach. A career spanning IT, media, and engineering gave this interest plenty of time to grow. Along the way, an extra hour was found in the day for writing books.

JET: Can you tell us about Conflict of Interest?

VH: Conflict of Interest is a sequel to The Docks, continuing Harry's story. I'm hoping to complete a series of novellas and novellettes charting Harry's moral progress from a hardened crook to a vaguely grubby grey. The difficult part was making sure it works even if readers haven't read the first book, without giving continuing characters long introductions that slowed the story.

JET: What drew you to adventure fiction?

VH: I’ve always enjoyed it, from sci-fi as a child moving on to thrillers by authors like Alastair MacLean and Gavin Lyall as I grew up. I prefer the everyman heroes – normal people in extraordinary situations.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

VH: Confidence. Having the belief that your book is good enough to submit (and that you should stop making revisions and actually submit it) is a stumbling block for a lot of authors, and I'm no exception.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

VH: The first time I got a publication offer from a publisher. I was absolutely over the moon, because it was the first time it was confirmed that actually my books were good enough to be published. The close second was walking into Waterstones and seeing my books on the shelf. I did take a photo of the books, but luckily the staff are used to enthusiastic authors and didn't think me too strange.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

VH: Gavin Lyall, who I always enjoyed for the detail in his work and his rather unique gift of giving inanimate objects, notably aircraft, their own distinct characters. Also, Alastair Maclean for his mastery of the first person narrative (and the unreliable narrator)

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

VH: I started writing rather young, when I was still at school, and have a range of articles and non-fiction out under various pennames. I don't think I ever really stopped writing.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

VH: That would have been for Fire Season. Delving around the cockpit of a live nuclear bomber/maritime patrol aircraft definitely counts as the craziest. The most interesting fact would be how to rig a stationary unpowered aircraft up as a transmitter and radio station, although I had to omit most of the detail and set up for the sake of story pacing.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

VH: Difficult to say. Usually it is whichever one I'm working on right now, since I tend to get enthusiastic about my projects.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

VH: Don’t quit. It is very easy to get discouraged, and there are a lot of rejections along the way, but if you quit you'll never get published. The second most important thing is not to be afraid to ask for help. There are a lot of people out there who can provide advice, assistance, and help if you ask.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten…starting with…Paper or Plastic?

VH: Paper – if you get an idea, it's harder to write on plastic.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

VH: Steak

JET: Beach or Mountains?

VH: Mountains, there are fewer tourists.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

VH: Rock (ok, metal)

JET: Top 10 best seller or Unknown Back Shelf Find?

VH: Back Shelf Find.

JET: Sword wielding ninja or Gun toting momma?

VH: Gun-toting momma – never mess with a mama bear with cubs.

JET: Paper or Digital?

VH: Paper. I know, I’m a luddite.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

VH: Cheesy Horror

JET: 2012 Mayan Prophecy Believer or Ain’t Gonna Happen?

VH: I believe their calendar reaches the end of a cycle, rolls over, and carries on, much as ours did in 2000 (although hopefully without the Y2K issues...).

JET: Coffee or Tea?

VH: Tea

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

VH: Two stand-alone novels. I am working on two more novellas in The Docks series to finish the story, one in note form, one mostly finished. I also have some short stories to follow Fire Season, which are in editing for a possible collection.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about V.H. Folland and his work at the following places:

http://www.vhfolland.com/

http://vhfolland.bogspot.com/

Thanks for joining us today! Next week we have Caddy Rowland and Todd Russell on tap, so swing by while you’re drinking that eggnog!

Until then,
Ciao.
JET

Manic Monday Special Guest Ellis Hoff

2011-12-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

Today in lieu of my normal Manic Monday post, I have a special guest - Author Ellis Hoff. Ellis lives in Medina, west of Minneapolis. Just over a decade ago, while trying to balance kids and a corporate job, it became evident that something had to give. That something was the job. And, although being a full-time mom wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, it offered enough flexibility for her to pursue her dream of writing. She wrote before everyone was up, and after they went down for the count. She wrote at the beach, at ball games and in the pick-up lane at school. She carted her kids to libraries and bookstores to pick the brains of published writers, and squeezed in some night classes.

With her kids now grown, Hoff’s undergone a transformation of her own, turning up the suspense aspect of her storytelling and diving into the thriller genre full force. Sins of the Mother, her debut thriller, is the book she always knew she’d write.

JET: Can you tell us a little more about Sins of the Mother?

Ellis: Sins covers a couple of days in a sleepy little county that's seen hard economic times and, recently, a possible child abduction. The story's protagonist, Maryanne Levine, is a deputy in the Lourie County Sheriff's Department, and bored silly with mundane tasks and thankless paperwork until the other shoe drops. A woman goes missing in Lourie, the mother of the missing girl, and she's handed a leading role in the investigation. As vulnerable as she is smart, Maryanne soon finds the case bigger and darker than she could have ever imagined. As she races the clock to find both mother and daughter, she's drawn into a web of secrets, betrayal and madness that just might be her own undoing.

JET: What drew you to thrillers?

Ellis: I guess it's a twisted fascination with “worst case scenario”. I think we'd all —although, I should probably just speak for myself — like to know how we'd manage under uncontrollable circumstances. Throw out the day-planner and the other comforts of ordinary, and try it on the fly. Race the clock. Walk on the wild side. See what, push come to shove, we're really made of. Writing suspense, and reading it, may be as close as I ever need to be, but who knows? Life is unpredictable.

Tattoos are the hot new accessory for a lot of my female friends (kind of like hair extensions a few years back), but I tell them, and they laugh, that I'm holding out on the off-chance that I may have to go on the run one day and don't need an identifying emblem blazed through several layers of my epidermis. The thing is, deep down, I'm not joking.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Ellis: Finding myself. Discovering what I really want to write. I had some success with romantic comedy, enjoyed, and still do, penning it immensely, but I think I've always known that there was another door I needed to unlock. Something a little edgier. I think being focused improves the quality of writing, so I'm here in thrillers and trying my best to take as many hostages as I can.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Ellis: The first time I typed “the end” on a manuscript. There are rewrites and edits, sure (not to mention the trials of trying to sell), but still...finishing an entire book was a very memorable moment. It's a feat that has lost little appeal over the years.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Ellis: This is a great question.

My mother was a huge reader. She read everything, and had a ten-to-twelve book stash in her nightstand at all times. She introduced me to Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart when I was about eleven or twelve. I loved those books, we both did. So, when I first started writing, at the tender age of about thirteen, I stole the English governess voice and it sounded...like a mid-western teenage girl trying to sound like an English governess. Painful to say the least. Then, one day, she handed me a book she'd just read by a new author. You might have heard of him.

Stephen King.

I was transfixed. So...you could just write the way you saw things? Have people talk the way they talk, think the way they think, no mandated rules of propriety? Excellent.

It changed my world. I nixed the virginal governess on the spot and started writing in my own voice. Funny thing about your own voice, it grows with you.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Ellis: Fourth grade, originally.

Ms. Michenski, my English teacher, gave us a writing assignment. We'd been reading short stories all month, so she asked us to write one of our own. Mine got me an A+ and my mother a scolding from Ms. M for doing my homework. My mom woke me up when she got home from conferences to tell me about it, more pleased than pissed, and that put me on course.

Although it would be years before I'd actually try my hand at becoming a professional writer, I remained committed on some level and have always written. I was in my thirties when I finally decided to put writing on the front burner, so to speak, and watch it cook.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Ellis: Most of what I've done, that turned out to be crazy, was neither intentional or sought. I'm the woman who gets cornered by the crazy uncle at a wedding reception who feels the need to share that he's being stalked by the US government, carries a crossbow in his trunk and asks if I'd like to see it.

I, not so long ago, visited a long-time girlfriend who'd gotten herself into a bit of trouble. I didn't realize how much until she abandoned me with her new roommate — in a desolate house where a scream would be lost — who wasted no time telling me about how he'd just gotten out of prison after seven years for aggravated assault. Oh, and that wasn't the worst of it. He went on to tell me about how, in a bar fight, knowing the cops had been called and that he'd probably being going back (back?) to prison, he came to life in his telling of how he chewed his opponent's finger off and kept it in his cheek until he was shoved into the back of a cop car. He seemed to think this was justified, humorous and clever. “Worth seven years?” I asked as if I were interviewing him (out of instinct, I probably was) and he considered before answering, “Probably not.” It was half an hour before my friend returned, but it seemed like an eternity. I did, however, between shudders I tried to conceal, sop up what I could of his mindset. This man was polite, couldn't have been a better host. Was I warm enough? Did I need a more comfortable chair? Would I like to wear his jacket? Smoke a little rock?

I don't know what it is, but I seem to inspire the oddest, sometimes alarming, confessions of virtual strangers. Especially now that I am a writer, and often introduced that way. It's true, I think, that everyone has a story. And some of them, true or not, are doozies. My husband's leery of some of the folks I've given a listen to, and I suppose with cause, but I've gotten some good character-creating tips firsthand over the course, and have made use of them.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite and why?

Ellis: The last is the one on my mind. It took me a while to get here. I really like Sins. I particularly like how Maryanne defies the stereotypical physical attributes of heroine status (lithe and pin-up pretty), but with a heart that won't let her roadblock what her head tells her is out of her reach. Her internal battle exemplifies her vulnerability and spirit.

I also feel that Reck, the lead male and Maryanne's composite opposite, is compelling, especially as we uncover his emotional liabilities.

And then there's the plot. I like a good twist, or two, myself.

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

Ellis: Yes.

Write. And keep on writing. Do not stop to do research unless it's absolutely necessary. There will be plenty of time for that later. With this big, wide world that comes into your house every day, invited or not, you know way more than you think you do. Go with your instincts and stay in the moment for as long as you can.

I've been in classes with writers far more eloquent and seasoned than I who keep submitting their first three chapters for review. Combing over them, perfecting them.

No one sells three chapters.

Also, let your characters face the situation you've created without coddling them too much. Sometimes it's hard not to be protective, but you've done your job, let them do theirs. It will only make them stronger. I don't know anyone who lives over a safety net, so let them loose and see what happens.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten…starting with Paper or Plastic?

Ellis: My own fiber-fused bags. In a pinch, paper.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Ellis: Steak.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Ellis: Beach.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Ellis: Rock-n-Roll.

JET: Leather or Lace?

Ellis: Leather.

JET: Angels or Demons?

Ellis: Angels.

JET: Paper or Digital?

Ellis: Digital.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Ellis: Cheesy B rated Horror.

JET: Twilight or True Blood?

Ellis: Totally with the True Blood. OMG, hooked!

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Ellis: Coffee.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Ellis: I'm writing “Sisters of Privilege” which puts Maryanne, of Sins, on the trail of her sister's missing son. It also brings her back to Lourie County, where some unfinished business awaits.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Ellis Hoff and Sins of the Mother at http://www.novelconceptpublishing.com/.

Thanks for joining us today!
Until next time,
Ciao
JET

Dishing it up with Jonathan DeCoteau

2011-12-09T01:55:00.002-05:00

Today I have the pleasure of dishing it up with Jonathan DeCoteau, author of "The Storm World Series"

Jonathan, can you tell us about the Storm World books or about your most recent book?

My most recent title is The Fluent Sculpture of Time. It deals with the idea that science has conquered death and an aging grandfather must decide if he wishes to live forever or join his late wife in death.

The Storm World Trilogy is more of a Christian apocalyptic series following a teen who must fulfill a prophecy and face the storms sweeping the world if the world is to survive.

What drew you to YA fantasy?

I always loved reading books with supernatural twists, whether they were YA or otherwise. It only felt natural to write one.

What's been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

The road to publication itself. Presently, only one of my books has been published in trade paperback form by a small press. It's a hurdle I still face.

Which authors had the most influence on you growing up?

As a child, I loved Roald Dahl. When I was nine, I thought that the idea of basing a book on a chocolate factory was sheer genius. As an adult, I still find his short stories memorable.

When did you know you wanted to take the plunge in the writing world?

As soon as I started imagining the stories I read as vividly as if I was seeing them in real life.

What's the most interesting fact you uncovered?

When researching the idea of early Christian mummification for the Storm World books, I had to say that I wasn't aware that it even existed. It's still a strange, paradoxical world to me.

Of the novels you've written, which is your favorite?

The Storm World books, while not the best received, are the ones that are most personal to me.

Any advice for novices?

Actually, I still am one. If I had to give any advice, though, I'd say that if the rejections and reviews haven't stopped me (and maybe they should have!), then don't let anything stop you!

Favorites:

Paper or plastic?

I'm for reusable bags.

Steak or tofu?

There's no competition. Steak.

Beach or mountains?

Beach.

Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Rock-n-Roll—specifically, eighties synthpop.

Angels or demons?

Angels all the way.

Paper or digital?

Doesn't matter to me—it's the book that's important.

Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B-Rated Horror?

Whichever's funnier.

2012 Mayan Prophecy Believer or Ain't Gonna Happen?

We'll still be here in 2013, and the bills will still have to get paid.

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee—only if there's a lot of sugar and cream. Otherwise, soda.

What are you working on next?

Christmas shopping, actually. Everything else falls on the back burner until that wraps up.

Thanks for having me!

Folks, you can find out more about Jonathan DeCoteau and his books on Amazon.
Swing in next week when we have Laura Vosika, Ellis Hoff and V.H. Folland on tap.

Until then,
Ciao,
JET

Manic Monday with Piper Maitland...

2011-12-05T01:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another Manic Monday. I’ve got Piper Maitland on tap today talking about her writing journey. Piper lives on a Tennessee farm with her family. She is the author of the vampire thriller, Acquainted With the Night (Berkley/November 2011). She is currently working on the sequel, A Requiem for Daylight. Piper has also written novels under the name Michael Lee West.

Without further adieu – here’s Piper…

When I was a tiny girl, I watched Dracula movies on the Late, Late Show, and I would get so frightened, I’d scream for my father to walk me back to my room. For years, until I discovered boys and lost my fear of the undead, I slept with a crucifix around my neck and garlic under my pillow.

I didn’t begin writing seriously until I was a junior in nursing school. I cobbled together horror stories in an airless closet under the staircase and pinned my rejection slips on the wall. We're talking floor-to-ceiling wallpaper here. Some of the slips had tiny indentions in the paper, as if the editor had stabbed them over and over with a sharp pencil, or maybe a butcher knife.

The free wallpaper continued for a decade. My family begged me to give up this crazy dream and go make cornbread. I made the cornbread, but kept writing, Lord knows why. I just like words and making up stuff. There's no telling how much weight I gained from stress eating--and corn bread was a favorite. It still is.

Despite setbacks and slammed doors, I kept writing. One Mother's Day, my eldest son wrote me a letter: To my Mom. I've never seen anybody work harder than you and get nowhere. But I love ya.

I didn't have a PhD in literature. I didn't know any writers. If I saw an infinitive, I gleefully split it. I thought a plot had something to do with gardening, as in a "plot" of land. But I kept going. I got up at dawn to write so my avocation wouldn't interfere with family life, and I stayed up late. I joined a writing group. The members were spread out all over the country, and we communicated via snail mail.

I continued to paper my walls with rejection slips. I wasn't published, but I was still a writer. It's easy to spot one. We have ink stains on our hands and clothes; and we can't go two seconds without thinking, "What if....?"

A long time ago, someone advised me to be a "bit like a weed." I embraced that advice. In 1988, I submitted a short story to a very fine literary journal. The editor in chief wrote me a two page rejection letter. It basically said, Dear Horrible Writer, You suck. Stop sending us stories or we shall cry. Etc, etc.

Somehow I persevered. My first novel was published in 1990. I was 38 years old. Like my mama says, I was the opposite of an overnight sensation. Now I'm 58. I no longer work in a closet, but I don't have an office. I roam around the house with my laptop. If the weather isn't too grim, I will sit outside with a legal pad.

After years of writing southern fried novels, I got the idea to write about vampires during the winter of 2008, while I drove to the grocery with my son. He’s a biochemist, and we began playing the “what if?” game. What if vampires weren’t allergic to garlic? What if they had a biological basis for their blood cravings?

I knew it would be a risk. But I’d started out writing horror fiction, and I was longing to write something different. So what if it wasn’t published? That’s not the point. The point is to have a rollicking good time while you’re writing. A writer writes because we love words and because we’ve a burning desire to put those words onto the page.

The character of Caroline Clifford took shape while I shopped in the Publix bakery, and by the time I’d made it to the check-out line, I was eager to get home and start writing.

I pulled from my science background to try and create an unusual strain of vampirism and to explore the physiology behind it. My fact checkers were "in house"--my husband, a physician, and my younger son, a biochemist. Jude Barrett, a main character in the novel, is a biochemist. I showed it to my agent, some writing friends, and my mother. My agent believed in the manuscript from the beginning. Friends were divided. My mother freaked. "Oh no," she cried. "Go back to writing unplotted Southern fiction."

I decided I loved tying my heroines to the train tracks. The experience of writing a paranormal novel infused a new joy in the writing process. But it wasn’t easy. I had a lot to learn about plotting and pacing. As a self-taught writer and die-hard pantster, I had to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

Since I am overly fond of writing about food (and I love feeding my characters), I had to learn how to trim the fat and get the action moving. I plunged into workshops and writing classes. I’m still taking classes. I just finished a year-long mentorship with author Lori Wilde, and I’ve taken a steampunk workshop with author Theresa Meyers. The learning has just begun, but I’m having a blast.

Acquainted With the Night was published this November by Berkley. To be sure, I will be celebrating with cornbread.

You can find out more about Piper and her books at http://www.pipermaitland.com/

Thanks for swinging in today. Don’t forget to swing in on Friday when I’m dishing it up with Jonathan DeCoteau.

Until then,
Ciao
JET

Special Guest Spotlight: Dishing with Marc Hamlet

2011-11-30T01:30:00.001-05:00

Today I have the pleasure of talking with Marc Hamlet. Marc spent his formative years reading Robert Heinlein, Phillip K. Dick, Larry Niven and Samuel R. Delaney. He also misspent his youth playing bass and guitar in forgettable punk rock bands in the San Francisco Bay Area. For some unfathomable reason, he joined the Air Force Reserve where he served as both crew chief and flight engineer on the C-141B Starlifter. About twenty-one years ago, he forced his way into the Information Technology field and currently works for the UC Davis Health System designing financial and administrative applications.

Marc continues to play electric guitar for whomever will stop to listen, but—after rediscovering Charles Dickens—finds himself drawn into writing more than ever before. He lives in the Sacramento area with his wife of eighteen years and their two very clever sons. After a diagnosis of Stage Four colorectal cancer, Marc decided to sit his lazy ass down at the computer and write one of his story ideas. The Capable Man is the result.

JET: Can you tell us about your most recent book –The Capable Man?

Marc: Conceptually, the story is a moral mirror-image of Heinlein’s Have Spacesuit Will Travel. A young man, left to his own devices, must make choices counter to his moral upbringing. Physical courage comes easily to him, but moral courage is a different matter. Yet every time he chooses the immoral path, someone is there to reward him for doing it.

JET: What drew you to science fiction?

Marc: As a small boy, I was a fan of both “Star Trek” and “Lost In Space”. I fell into the literature because there was nothing on tv. The possibilities and dangers that lie in the future have always fascinated me.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Marc: Getting all my ducks in a row. I’m a terrible synopsis writer.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Marc: Well, there was the outlining phase when I saw that I had an entire story mapped out. And then, of course, when I finished the final chapter and typed THE END.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Marc: I’ve always been amazed by the army of odd characters Dickens produced. I liked the no-nonsense style of Hemmingway and Heinlein because they knew how to move the action along. I’ve always felt like I lost my innocence with Delaney’s Dahlgren (even though I was already sexually active at the time). And the hard-core hard science that Arthur Clarke put into his work always gripped me.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Marc: I’ve been a dilettante my entire adult life. The Capable Man wasn’t my first attempt, but I decided to see it through no matter what.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Marc: The craziest thing I’ve done aside from trusting Wikipedia? There was the time I held my breath until my lungs burned and my vision went wonky. Then after three breaths, I tried it again… and again. There was an action sequence I was working on.

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

Marc: Write the story you really want to write, and just keep at it.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten...starting with: Paper or Plastic?

Marc: Paper, but—you know—sometimes you’re left with nothing but plastic.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Marc: Steak with dry-rub seasoning.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Marc: Mountains. Who needs all that sand?

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Marc: Rock, mostly, but these days the lines are getting blurry.

JET: Angels or Demons?

Marc: That’s beyond my comprehension.

JET: Paper or Digital?

Marc: My family is transitioning to digital. As are most people I know.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Marc: Cheesy B-Rated Horror because they make me laugh.

JET: Salty or Sweet?

Marc: I swing both ways.

JET: Top 10 best seller or Unknown Back Shelf Find?

Marc: Back shelf. That’s how I discovered Philip K. Dick in ‘79.

JET: Star Trek or Star Wars?

Marc: Star Trek, I guess. It’s about looking forward.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Marc: I’ve been splitting my time between a Fantasy piece involving a teenage girl with a six-shooter and the sequel to The Capable Man (working title, A Tolerance For Pain).

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Marc Hamlet and his work at the following places: (send over any other links you want highlighted in the interview)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marc.hamlet
Twitter: @MarcHamlet
Blog: http://marchamlet.com/
http://www.novelconceptpublishing.com/

Until next time,
Ciao
JET

2011-11-28T01:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another Manic Monday!

Today, Michelle Scott is dishing about the things she’s thankful for. Michelle’s stories have appeared in such places as Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, All Possible Worlds and Realms. Her fantasy novel, The Dragons of Hazlett was nominated for a 2009 EPPIE Award. Her YA novels include the vampire romance, Blood Sisters, and the fantasy Uncommon Magic and An Anthem for the Battle Lands. Michelle’s latest release, Straight to Hell, is now available on Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes and Noble. Michelle lives in southeast Michigan with her husband and three children.

Ten Things I’m Thankful For as an Indie Author

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It has delectable food, a sense of family and tradition, and plenty of festivity, yet I don’t associate it with the frenzy of Christmas (or any other over-commercialized holiday.) It might also have something to do with the fact that it is the one holiday I’m never obligated to host!

In any event, I’d like to honor the spirit of Thanksgiving by listing a few things that I, as an indie author, am grateful for.

• My family – every writer needs a support system, and I’m lucky to have a husband and children who not only encourage me to write, but who proudly tell people they know that I’m a writer.

• My readers –I’m so thankful to those who not read my book, but who also took the time to write a nice review or send me an encouraging e-mail.

• The community of indie authors – Connecting with other indie authors is so important! I appreciate the advice and support that other independent authors have provided me. And I love doing the same for them.

• Stories – And I mean all stories, not just mine. I’ve been reading books for over forty years, and I still marvel at how many amazing plots and characters I keep discovering. (Thanks to you, too, authors for your wonderfully imaginative minds!)

• Coffee, dark chocolate, wine, and biscotti – These are my writing comfort foods.

• An office of my own – Every writer needs a place where she can go and create her stories, and I’m blessed to have my own little garret above the garage. It may not look like much, but it’s quiet and comfortable.

• Music – I like to write with a soundtrack in mind. So I’m glad to have an iPod, iTunes, and three kids who keep introducing me to new music.

• Stephen King – I tell people that Stephen King taught me how to write. Not literally, of course, but I spent my teenage years reading and re-reading his books and through all of that, I learned a little bit about how to put words on the page.

• Distractions – Yes, I’m glad for distractions because I need them to remind me that there is more to life than writing.

• Successes and failures – I’m convinced that both of these things are necessary to a writer’s life. Failures make us stronger and give us the strength to push ourselves. Successes remind us that what we do is important and that, if we work hard, we can succeed.

Don't forget to swing in on Friday to hear about some fabulous December releases.

Until Then,
Ciao
JET

Dishing it up with Martin Lake...

2011-11-25T01:20:00.014-05:00

Today I have the pleasure of dishing it up with Martin Lake. Martin lives in the West Country of England with his wife, although he's moving to the south of France on at the beginning of December. After studying at the University of East Anglia he worked as a teacher, trainer and company director.

A strangely serious accident - he claims it was caused by cage-fighting but he actually slipped and fell - shattered his arm which meant he had to rein back his work. He decided to concentrate on writing and is now writing full-time. His main interests are historical fiction, short stories and fiction for young adults.

He has a series of novels set in the years following the Norman Invasion of England. The first two novels: 'The Lost King: Resistance' and 'Wasteland' are available on Kindle and other readers through Smashwords.

JET: Can you tell us about The Lost King: Resistance and Wasteland.

Martin: These are the first two novels of a planned series of four. They tell the long-suppressed story of the last native English King of England, Edgar Atheling. Although heir to the throne he is only 13 years old in 1066 so the experienced Harold Godwinson is given the crown. When Harold is killed at the Battle of Hastings, the Witan, the great council of England, proclaim Edgar King. He leads an army against William the Conqueror but is forced to submit. After a few years as William's captive Edgar flees to Scotland, agrees to his sister marrying Malcolm King of the Scots and joins an alliance with the Danes, the ancestral enemies of the English. The allied armies inflict the worst defeats the Normans suffer in the conquest but because of betrayal from the leader of the Danes, Edgar is forced to flee into the wilderness. Edgar suffers greatly but he remains defiant, determined to win back his kingdom. I am fascinated by the fact that Edgar spent much of his life fighting against William but was always forgiven. The relationship between them is intriguing.

JET: What drew you to historical fiction?

Martin: I woke up one Sunday and thought, 'I love writing, I love history. Why not combine the two and write historical fiction? At about this time I also discovered George Fraser MacDonald's 'Flashman' novels and was captivated by the opportunities that historical fiction gives to entertain readers while informing them about the past. I guess that my earlier reading also had an unconscious influence.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Martin: All of the countless submissions to publishers and agents. Rejections I could handle, especially when they gave constructive advice. It was the non-replies which were galling, even though I appreciate that people are too busy to answer.

Then, I discovered e-publishing and the hurdles became transformed to steps on the journey.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Martin: The elation of seeing my books in print. Actually, before that I won first prize in an international competition to write a sequel to The Wind in the Willows. My wife and I had been up all night (in England) watching the results of the 2008 presidential election. Just before we went to bed at 6.00 am I checked my email and saw that not only was I one of the winners of the competition but had come first. My wife's cry of excitement must have woken the neighbours. I was too stunned to speak.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Martin: When I was young most of the books could be loosely described as historical as our school could not afford many modern books. As well as this I was an early fan of historical writing, especially Henry Treece's Viking saga, Rosemary Sutcliff, the old warhorse G.A. Henty, Arthur Conan Doyle, Kenneth Grahame, Rider Haggard, Isaac Asimov and Tolkien.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Martin: When I was 12 or 13. I loved writing more than anything else.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Martin: I've walked along Hadrian's Wall to try to see a good place for Edgar to lead his army over. The most interesting fact I've found is that one of the villains of my books, Prince Olaf was given the name of Olaf Hunger when he became King of Denmark and may well have been sacrificed to placate the gods; even though Denmark was nominally Christian.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Martin: I love The Lost King because I feel that I have sufficient information about Edgar's life to keep a tight grip on events. However, because so much of his story was suppressed by the Normans, I have ample opportunity to fill out the tale with incidents of my own creation. Having said this, I'm loving writing my current novel.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

Martin: Keep writing. Read lots. Don't let people put you off your dreams. If you want to be read then self-publish your work as an e-book. And keep a log of how many words you write each day; it's a wonderful motivator.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with…Paper or Plastic?

Martin: Paper.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Martin: Steak if in a pie.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Martin: Beach.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Martin: Rock-n-Roll.

JET: Classics or Modern?

Martin: In music, classics. In fiction, I just like good books whenever they were written.

JET: Top 10 best seller or Unknown Back Shelf Find?

Martin: The Long-Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson.

JET: Paper or Digital?

Martin: Digital. Especially as we're moving to a small apartment on the French Riviera.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Martin: Silent Film classics.

JET: 2012 Mayan Prophecy Believer or Ain’t Gonna Happen?

Martin: Ask me again in 2013. I expect to be here to answer.

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Martin: Tea.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Martin: I'm writing a novel called 'Artful'. It concerns the adventures of Jack Dawkins, the Artful Dodger, after he was sentenced to transportation. He's had a life of hard knocks but hasn't let himself be defeated or downhearted by this. In the course of his life he's developed a dubious moral code but he has a gift for friendship. Above all he is a great survivor. The novel is set in England and Australia. In it I explore how gifts can be used for good or evil and how the prevailing code can condemn the same talents when used in different circumstances. I guess it can be described as a black comedy.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Martin Lake and his work at the following places:

http://martinlakewriting.wordpress.com/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Martin-Lake/e/B004Z13HPA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61056

Join me next week when I’ve got Michelle Scott here for the Manic Monday series and a special guest, Marc Hamlet dishing it up on Wednesday and then I’ve got the first Friday of December blog. Yes, December. Can you believe it?

Swing in and say hi!

Until then,

Ciao

JET

Manic Monday with J.S. Dunn

2011-11-21T01:30:00.004-05:00

Welcome to another Manic Monday. Today I have J.S. Dunn in the house.

J. S. Dunn lived in Ireland during the past decade and from there pursued the early Bronze Age in travel and research along the north Atlantic. Dunn is at work on a second novel set in the Bronze Age, primarily in ancient Eire.

The author’s website, www.jsdunnbooks.com, contains web links to find photos and interesting information about the objects and places depicted in Bending The Boyne. More on the new concepts about “Celts” and the early origin of the Gaelic language can be found in Celtic From The West (Cunliffe and Koch, editors, 2010, Oxford Press). See also www.newgrange.com.

Embrace Winter Solstice And The Reborn Sun by J.S. Dunn

Find your inner astronomer at Europe’s largest passage mounds. The Boyne mounds in Ireland are older than the Pyramids, and Stonehenge. In our era almost five thousand years later, winter solstice sunrise still penetrates into the central mound of Newgrange and lights the inner chamber. Thank you J.E. Taylor, for inviting a blog post on the astronomy behind Bending The Boyne.

For around ten sunrises in December, sunlight penetrates 60-plus feet into the central chamber, washing the carved stones in golden light. If you visit the Boyne, with the over 200,000 annual visitors, you can view the solstice event enacted. It’s an incredible sensation to stand inside the great mound in utter dark while light creeps the long passage then bursts dazzling and filling the inner chamber. (To experience the actual solstice sunrise one must enter a lottery, booked several years ahead.)

Solstice occurs when the earth tilts at a maximum away from the sun, for those in the northern hemisphere. There is little reason to depict the ancients viewing this with fear; in fact, over the millennia many cultures carefully charted solstice. At the Boyne then and now, the people watch with awe when the great mound functions as it should, showing the reborn sun that would bring spring’s bounty.

The Boyne astronomy culture had the action, it was the power center for the north Atlantic. Each mound had specific duties in the solar calendar. How did these great mounds fall into disuse? No doubt the solstice light show led to the myth that these mounds contained hidden gold. Bending The Boyne uses the latest concepts about the ancient Gaels (later called Celts by Greeks and Romans) in a tale of greed and gold when marauders arrive at the Boyne around 2200 BC.

Boann, the female protagonist, comes from the earliest Irish myths where she appears briefly in a tangled story that mentions the birth of her son Aengus. “...they made the sun stand still to the end of nine months / strange the tale...” Her son Aengus, born at winter solstice, symbolizes the astronomy practiced at the mounds.

Though modern “druids” gather here and at Stonehenge for the solstice, these sites were built thousands of years earlier and belong to a time before any mumbling druids or Iron Age beliefs and rituals...

Thanks for swinging in! Don’t forget, I’ve got Martin Lake on Friday. In the meantime – Happy Thanksgiving!

Until next time,
Ciao
JET

Dishing It Up with N.R. Wick

2011-11-18T01:29:00.002-05:00

Today I have the pleasure of dishing it up with N.R. Wick. N.R. Wick writes horror and dark fantasy for young adults. She loves all things horrifying, magical, and supernatural. N.R. Wick currently lives in Southern California with her husband where she completed her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

JET: Can you tell us about Land of No Angels?

NRW: Of course! When you get down to it, Land of No Angels (LoNA) is really about family, trust, and love. I know, how odd for a supposed horror/post apocalyptic novel. But, LoNA is about an older sister who's alone in a scary, dangerous world with her younger sister and the things she will do to fight to protect her. It's set in the very near future (as in, a year or two from now) after a demon apocalypse wiped out most of humanity. LoNA answers questions like what it means to be human and to be a good person in a world of bad. Here's the blurb:

Ever since the fall of mankind and the rise of demons, Rebecca Ashford and her younger sister, Errol, have remained hidden in their tornado bunker. When Errol is poisoned by demon, Rebecca must work with a mysterious survivor named Fox to find a cure. Together, they confront demons and other monsters while Rebecca struggles to learn magic that will help her find the ingredients needed to save her sister.

JET: What drew you to YA Horror?

NRW: Oooh, I've loved the horror genre my entire life. Not even kidding. My dad and I used to watch Nightmare on Elm Street when I was really little, and now I love to write it. As for YA, I've always been a fan of children's and teen's books. There's just a whimsy about them that I adore.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

NRW: Finishing the book. It sounds strange, but that was the biggest challenge. I have a hard time finishing things sometimes and was fortunate enough to earn my MFA in Creative Writing, which LoNA was my thesis project. Having to do it for school helped tremendously.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

NRW: My first non-family/friend sale. That was pretty awesome. Second to that, or maybe tied, would be how excited my sister was when I showed her that I dedicated the book to her. She squealed and jumped at me with a hug.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

NRW: Stephen King and R.L. Stine. I read them both as a child and still do as an adult. In later years, though, it became authors like J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, and Cornelia Funke.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

NRW: Well, I've written stories my entire life, but I didn't really decide to take it seriously as a career path or as something I find myself unable to live without until about two years ago.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

NRW: Craziest thing I've done... ooh, not anything too crazy, but a woman LOOKED at me crazy when I asked about it. LOL I was working in the Labor and Delivery area of a hospital and was asking the head nurse a bunch of things about problematic labours, and where women are taken for C-sections, and things of that nature.

The most interesting thing I've researched, seen, and learned was when I had to research how someone stitched a wound. It was awesome! It was also gross, but watching videos of basic wound stitching was pretty cool.

Oh! And second most interesting bit of information I found: A lot of old Leprechaun lore talks about Leprechauns wearing red rather than the green we are so used to seeing.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

NRW: Oooh, that's really tough. I don't think I have a favourite one yet.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

NRW: I'm hardly one to be giving advice, but I have two pieces: Just keep writing, and listen andlearn from other's feedback.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with Paper or Plastic?

NRW: Paper, so I can doodle on it after.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

NRW: Steak! Mmmmm, so yummy.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

NRW: Ooh, tough. Can't I have mountains right on the shore of a beach? Hehe.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

NRW: Rock-n-Roll of course.

JET: Leather or Lace?

NRW: Lace, much more comfortable.

JET: Angels or Demons?

NRW: Angels?

JET: Paper or Digital?

NRW: Paper

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

NRW: B Horror all the way! I have amazing life memories with B horror movies (and C and F... I'm talking to YOU Scarecrow Gone Wild.)

JET: Twilight or True Blood?

NRW: *gags* Neither. I'm NOT a vampire lover.

JET: Coffee or Tea?

NRW: Tea! English Breakfast tea for me, please.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

NRW: Well, I have quite a few projects in the works, but right now I'm actively working on a Middle Grade book called Cora's Enchanted Pastries. It's been a blast researching, outlining, and writing it thus far, and I can't wait to show it to the world. Also, for those who liked LoNA, I've started working on the sequel, which is called Land of No Salvation.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about N.R. Wick and her work at the following places: http://www.nrwick.com./

http://www.amazon.com/N.R.-Wick/e/B004Y9O3OM

Next week, I’ve got J.S. Dunn and Martin Lake on tap.

Until then,
Ciao
JET

Guest Spotlight with John Blackport

2011-11-16T01:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to a special Wednesday Guest Blog. I’ve got John Blackport on tap today. John has been writing the Raingun stories for many years and is the ultimate non-pantser. He lives in New England with his family and several imaginary cats. He owns a tricorner hat --- he doesn't wear it very often, but by all accounts it looks great on him!

The Amazon sample can be read without a download here on Kindleboards: http://www.kindleboards.com/sample/?asin=B005HQ4JAO

WHAT MALE READERS WANT by John Blackport

Since men read as much as women do, but read a lot less fiction, some writers worry about whether they can entice male readers. From there, the question becomes: how can it be done?

Surprisingly, the answer isn’t directly related to sex. . . at least not in the way many people expect. In my experience, male readers like explicit sex in novels far LESS than theire female counterparts. I’ve heard a few theories about this from women, mostly not very flattering to men: something about us being so obsessed with visual stimulation, particularly porn, that we’re uncomfortable with anything sexual that requires imagination, or is less than 100% visual.

Some of the most vocal male supporters of "fade to black" pointed out examples where it was "done right". They showed me excerpts from some "boy books" where the hero bangs lots of women, who are rarely seen naked and never seen having sex --- they mostly lounge around in bathrobes and towels with their hair messed up. They hang all over the hero’s shoulders and compliment his technique.

This leads to another theory about why women seem to enjoy explicit sex scenes more: men don’t want to have sex vicariously through a hero. The vicarious experience they do want is the experience of being sexually irresistible. They want to read about the heroine internally drooling when she steals a glance at the hero’s physique.

Of course, you could say that the terms of “male reader” and “female reader” are also oversimplifications --- a person’s reading preferences probably has more to do with their sexual attitudes than their sexual equipment --- but we all have to start somewhere, so here is my own theory:

Men prefer external obstacles to internal ones.

The male perception of why “women’s entertainment is so dull” --- admittedly, not always a fair one --- springs from the worry that the struggle will always come down to a heroine trying to come to a decision, or work up the courage to do something. Men don’t mind this stuff merely existing in a novel, but they tire of it easily, and if they don’t see something more tangible going on, they’ll roll their eyes and dismiss the story’s conflict as endless dithering.

The most obvious way around this is a hostile enemy (or rival) who must be defeated or thwarted, whose moves must be met with countermoves. Taken to extremes, this results in stereotypical “men’s entertainment”, full of explosions, car chases, and women who are passive and clueless.

What intrigues me most about this prospect is that it explains why I know so many men who are closet fans of paranormal romance. There are more of them than you’d think, and I think they’re drawn to the ass-kicking heroines. They’re pickier than the female fans of the genre seem to be --- but the strongest common thread between their preferences seem to be a heroine who is active, not passive. Men have a lot more tolerance for passive heroines in a story where the hero is the main character, but it’s still not their “top pick”. And in the case of a female main character, their preference for active heroines is overwhelming. In my experience, the men who won’t read stories with a female protagonist largely do so from a preconceived notion that she will be too passive to be interesting.

In the absence of an enemy, men still want the protagonist to face obstacles with physical, objective manifestations. In the case of a man who wants a woman, this could take many forms: “I can’t have her until I mend the rift between our families,” “I have to smuggle her out of this war zone,” or “I have to find the cure to this disease before it kills her.”

If a conflict is internal --- existing entirely in characters’ minds and hearts --- men still want to see it as the accomplishment of a goal. So when the hero disappoints the heroine, most male readers don’t want to see the heroine agonize about whether or not to forgive him. They’ll dismiss such a heroine as an airhead. In such a case, they want to see the heroine be mad, so that all is lost unless the hero actively changes it. They want to see the hero struggle to earn her forgiveness by making it up to her --- and not with sweet talk and empty promises, either! With deeds. Even if the roles are reversed, and the heroine is the one who has disappointed the hero, they want to see the road to reconciliation to be an active attempt at redemption, not passive waiting.

Men don’t respect a hero who waits to see how things shake out --- and heroines who do so don’t fare much better. If the hero is forced into passivity, he should show he’s forced into it: ideally, by trying an active plan which fails, and he must be visibly enraged at its failure.

Of course, the best novels contain conflicts that have both internal and external components. How these perceptions are best acted upon is a question of narrative manner --- how you emphasize what’s going on. Some authors like to have the hero and the heroine sharing the spotlight --- this used to mean mixing internal and external conflicts throughout the book. Now, it means mixing internal and external conflicts through both the hero and the heroine, as individuals. It’s tricky but it’s worth it.

Thanks for swinging in!
Until next time,
Ciao.
JET

Manic Monday with Danielle Kazemi

2011-11-14T01:15:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Manic Monday! Today, my guest blogger Danielle Kazemi is chatting it up about balance – healthy balance of action and non-action sequences in a novel. Danielle is the author of the Soldiers of Legend series (scifi adventure) and Dragon's Fire (urban fantasy). She spends what free time she has playing role playing games with her husband and wondering how she can convert it into her next book.

Her e-book can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004ULVH3E

Healthy Balance of Action and Non-Action by Danielle Kazemi:

When writing fiction involving fighting such as an adventure book, try to keep a healthy balance between the action and the non-action. It is a very hard thing for people to understand when writing. Too little action and your book is a dull read. Too much and your audience becomes bored with the overkill of it. This is also seen in a lot of movies where the director adds in body upon body and the audience zones out after a while.

One thing I found that helps is to look at the different acts in your book. Most books have at least two, usually three acts. They are broken down into very simplistic terms so the audience can follow along. These usually happen without forcing it such as a solution found, change in plans, or even something as simple as moving to a new locale. Not all situations have to be solved in any of these acts. A few authors get away with leaving the readers on a cliffhanger at the end of the novel as a whole.

For those who are wondering what a basic breakdown would be of an act, it is basically non-action then action. The non-action area is filled with background, character development, and anything else an author can think of. The action section is of course filled with the gun fights, explosions, and all out brawls. This is where creativity really shines.

That is what you need to do when you are writing action. There must be a down period to learn more about the characters, if any changes have happened, even describe the scenery if they changed locales. You have to build something first for people to become attached to. Once the audience is comfortable with where things are then you can start destroying it.

Mix up the action as well. I write superhero fiction and it is so easy to have my characters blast each other with electricity and fireballs all day. Yet it would be an incredibly boring read. My readers would get annoyed that every situation calls for the superpowers to be used. Instead, I have them brawling with one another, using weapons, anything else the scene calls for. That way I don't get bored writing it and my readers stay entertained.

Another note is not to plow through nameless extras in your book. There is no body count award in books. It adds to the desensitization of your audience. I read one book lately, name I will not mention, which the main character plows through characters as though he didn't have a care in the world. That makes him unrealistic. I felt disconnected from him and in the end, I didn't care what happened. Too much violence for there to be an actual story hidden in there.

Keep your action reserved for scenes which need it. There is no reason walking down the street every time results in a brawl. Have your characters use their brains as well and see if they can get out of situations that way. It will add more depth to them. Pacing makes perfect.

Thanks for swinging in today! Join me later this week when I dish it up with N.R. Wick!

Until Then
Ciao
JET

Georgia Reign Blog Blitz

2011-11-10T21:10:00.002-05:00

Hi folks! Welcome to another fabulous Friday. We've got power and heat and internet - so I'm a happy camper.

I'm also very pleased to introduce my main character from Georgia Reign. Special Agent Steve Williams is here today to talk about his latest case and the challenges he now faces.

JET: Thank you for talking with us today Agent Williams...

SW: -Please call me Steve.

JET: Thank you for joining us today Steve. Can you tell us a little about your current case?

SW: Yes and perhaps someone in the listening audience will have some information that will help us track down this unsub. He's a tricky bastard, luring kids away from their parents with a dog of all things. I can't imagine anything more heinous than what he is doing to those children. The more I dwell on it the angrier I get and whether I like to admit it or not, that sometimes clouds my perception - and in the past it's driven me to do things I'm not particularly proud of to solve a case.

JET: I gather you're talking about the Kyle Winslow case.

SW: Yes.

JET: Can you elaborate a little on some of those situations?

SW: Early on in my career, I was an undercover operative in several key cases. The most notable was a joint FBI/DEA case to bring down New York's most prominent cocaine lord. There were several situations where I had to compromise my integrity in order to keep the undercover ruse from unraveling and in the end, that case blew my undercover career.

I also made some questionable decisions in the aftermath of the attack on my family but I was hell bent on catching Kyle Winslow.

JET: Have you had any close calls?

SW: *laughs* You could say that.

JET: Can you expand a bit?

SW: Let's just say I've seen the light a time or two, but never crossed over.

JET: I understand you're a pretty good shot. What's your favorite firearm?

SW: Well, I'm pretty versed with the Glock 22 - which is standard issue in the Bureau but I have to say, the slickest gun, besides the Tommy-gun Charlie Wisnowski owned, was the one he gave me for Christmas. It's now locked up with state's evidence and I'm not that high on getting it back considering Charlie killed a fellow officer with it. But I have to admit it was sweet. A Smith & Wesson 45 with a gold eagle inlay. Very slick. *sigh*

JET: So how do you see this latest case playing out?

SW: I catch the bastard before he kills another kid.

JET: And after that?

SW: Who knows. Maybe I'll retire but more likely I'll just keep trying to stop the monsters.

JET: Thanks for joining us today! Folks you can find out more about Special Agent Steve Williams at the following places:

Dark Reckoning , Vengeance , Hunting Season , Georgia Reign

Thanks for swinging in and if you have any questions for Agent Williams, he'll be on tap all day.

Sale Special - for Dark Reckoning is free HERE until the end of the year!

Next week, I've got Danielle Kazemi, John Blackmore and N.R. Wick on tap.

Until then,
Ciao
JET

Manic Monday guest: Darik Brooks...

2011-11-07T01:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to another Manic Monday…

Today I have the pleasure of hosting Darik Brooks, author of Trinity of the Sun.

Present Tense Fiction Writing, a Question of Timing
By Darik Brooks

We have seen it many times before, “Once upon a time in a dark and dreary forest, lived an old cobbler and his wife,” or, “As they fled, their sinister pursuer panted heavily in the early morning fog. That raspy wheeze reassured them the bloodied, vengeful menace was still behind them.” Yes, it is that age-old, past tense writing perspective: the point of view of the proverbial storyteller. Throughout history, myths, folktales, legends, and countless other stories have been told in the past tense. Storytelling was primarily an oral tradition and that habit of telling tales in the past tense continued into the first manuscripts. Certainly, there may be exceptions to this generalization, but it seems that from the first historical accounts to biographies of pharaohs to often-repeated myths, many stories written for the present maintain that characteristic, past tense perspective. Now, you are probably asking yourself, what is wrong with using past tense to tell a story? My answer to that – nothing at all is wrong with it. It works in most cases. Bedtime stories emphatically need that past tense cushion so those who hear them can still sleep. It is the perfect tense for your cozy crime thriller, a documentary journey to Tibet, or in relating how you kicked the smoking habit, but is it the best word tense for everything?

Lately, fiction writers have been experimenting with writing novels in the present tense. Yes, you are reading that correctly. The present tense is coming to a bookstore near you! Okay, historically speaking, a handful of writers have experimented with present tense writing, and it is gaining a mild resurgence in modern times. Admittedly, there are many readers and authors who utterly deplore using present tense in novels, dispelling such approaches as trendy and limited. Their perspective is understandable and I certainly do not want to see every book written in the present tense. However, horror, suspense, and fantasy novelists can extend that sought-after dramatic edge by shedding that mantle of past tense storytelling and being a few more seconds closer to now. Any reader can see how bringing action and suspense into the present tense can create an engaging story with an edge. Traditional applications of word tense just cannot give fiction the same sharpened edge as present tense writing can. Moreover, present tense writers can use characters’ own past tense narrations in contrast to present tense storylines, giving their novels added dimensions.

I like to call present tense writing the movie effect. I think we would all agree that it would be absurd to make movies in the past tense like the stories they are based on. That is not the nature of acting and stage or film production, unless used for the effect, like in documentaries or in narrated fictional tales. Authors have been narrating plots, scenes, and characters for centuries in the past tense, whereas movie crews recreate stories, more or less, in the present tense with a company of actors portraying the characters. Thus, reading a present tense novel is oddly similar to how a movie keeps the viewer in the center of the action, intimate with the characters, instead of moments or centuries removed. Writing this way is no easy task. Learning to tell stories in the present is a challenge because we authors have been programmed, as readers, to see and relate events in the past tense. Authors, after habituating themselves to converting all verbs to the present tense, eventually learn to see the story in the present, with the movie effect. Telling a story in present tense requires subtle shifts in the way an author thinks and sees his/her characters, scenes, and events.

I like to think of writing as an evolving experiment in prose. If we do not experiment with how we write stories, the very art of storytelling may cease to evolve. As with many experiments, the test of time is the grand arbiter of any composition’s merit. I have written my first two novels in the present tense and it will be some time before I really know if it works for me, as an author and reader. Until then, I guess it is just a question of timing – past, present, or future?

Darik Brooks is the author of the suspenseful, present tense eBook, Trinity of the Sun: Book I, available at Amazon, B&N, and iBookstore as well as at many retailers worldwide. Darik enjoys beekeeping, homesteading, and writing at his mountain hideaway.

Thank you for joining us today. Swing in on Friday to find out more about my FBI agent Steve Williams and my latest novel in the Steve Williams series - Georgia Reign.

Until then,
Ciao.
JET

Rant and Release...The First Friday of November Blog

2011-11-04T01:15:00.003-04:00

Well, normally I dish about the upcoming releases in my first Friday blog, however, due to the storm in the Northeast, I think I’ll go on a side track rant and then I’ll highlight some new releases and upcoming novels coming from Novel Concept Publishing. It’s a little different, but truth be told, I’ve got limited resources this week.

Well, in case you weren’t aware – Southern New England was pummeled by a rare and record breaking nor’easter this past weekend. The beautiful New England fall foliage was slaughtered by heavy wet snow that in some areas hit two feet.

Trees are not made to withstand that kind of snow when they’re sporting a full head of leaves. What resulted was a disaster. Tree limbs snapped taking down countless power lines with them. Almost any residential street you frequent looks like a war zone with branches, trees and wires scattered everywhere. Driving is a white-knuckle event – especially in the dark – because you have to pay strict attention to where the debris is, dodging downed trees and power lines EVERYWHERE.

Power restoration efforts are underway – but in places like the area that I live (not just my town but a multitude of surrounding towns) don’t have estimates of when power will be back. Some are lucky enough to have generators; however, most generators need gas. Gas is an issue. My short story Armageddon hits on the point we are all experiencing. Without power, the gas pumps don’t work. Catch 22. Lovely.

Now that I’ve explained mine and several hundred thousand other folks circumstances – now comes the rant. People – IF THE TRAFFIC LIGHT HAS NO POWER – IT BECOMES A STOP SIGN. Simple concept – but damned if those on the roads understand this. Stop at a dead light. Don’t assume YOU have the right of way.

I know I’m saying this to the masses that aren’t impacted by the storm, but damn people, it is just common sense and common courtesy. We’re all crabby from the no heat and no power and no connectivity to the outside world, but do you have to drive like a fricken maniac or more aptly – a stupid fool?

Deep breath. Rant is over. Thanks for listening all.

Unfortunately I don’t have connectivity to go searching for November releases for my Backspace Brethren, but I do have access to the new and upcoming releases from Novel Concept Publishing. So, without further rambling, here are our recent releases and some new books on the horizon:

Current Novel Concept Publishing Releases:

THE CAPABLE MAN by Marc Hamlet – science fiction

Far from his homeworld, Justin Maisling was desperate for a fresh start, and Aki Spaceworks knew that a desperate man will do just about anything.

HIDDEN EVIL by Bob Stewart – thriller

After a drug-addled teenager turns the annual Battle of Flowers Parade into a bloodbath, Majorette Cindi Neff - photographed blood covered and screaming beside the body of a dead classmate - becomes the media symbol of the tragedy, and the object of cultleader Juan Otero’s obsession.

Soon after his burial, the gravesite of Cindi’s dead classmate is violated and Deputy Sheriff Nancy Neff, an expert in Afro-Caribbean religions, is called to the scene. Minister Luke Oeding, a representative for the bereaved family, joins Nancy in the investigation into this unimaginable crime.

In a deadly chess match of good versus evil, they plunge into the world of the South Texas drug cult and come face to face with Palo Mayombe, the darkest of the hidden religions. When Cindi Neff is kidnapped, Nancy and Luke race to save her from the clutches of the malevolent cult before she is sacrificed in an Easter Sunday Palo Mayombe ritual.

THE LOST GIRLS by Jason Halstead – sci-fi thriller

The only thing hotter than the summers in Phoenix is the temper of a police detective who can't figure out why young girls keep disappearing. Katalina Wimple is that detective. Her obsession with the missing girls makes her the best person for the job, but it also serves as a refuge from the problems in her own life.

GEORGIA REIGN by J.E. Taylor – thriller

Special Agent Steve Williams, still reeling from the death of Chris Ryan and his unexpected inheritance, isn’t ready to step back into the line of fire. Relations with his wife are strained at best, and now he’s saddled with a new partner and a not so silent guardian angel.

When his boss calls with news of another case, a serial killer in Atlanta targeting children, it strikes a nerve in Steve. Caught between responsibility and instinct, he makes a choice – a choice he’ll regret forever.

GLIMPSES by J.E. Taylor – short story anthology
STEAM by J.E. Taylor – erotic short story anthology

Novel Concept Publishing Upcoming Releases:

SINS OF THE MOTHER (December 2011) – thriller

Deputy Maryanne Levine thought little Lourie County would be the place to hone her skills and get a fresh start. But the backwater berg is holding onto secrets that could cost her as much as she’s willing to give. Maybe more.

Lourie County isn’t the only one with secrets. Maryanne has one of her own, buried deep until her past follows her to the quaint county - just about the time all hell breaks loose.

With all of its tabletop gossip and close-knit ties, this little community is harboring evil.

Someone is taking young girls. And, in the aftermath of these unforgivable crimes, someone is taking the mothers.

THE PROGENY (February 2012) - paranormal romance

“No fate other than the one I choose.” The timeless creed, and tattoo, bore by the Rousseau’s— a vampire clan with the purest bloodline of any vampire family. Out of this clandestine group came one who was different, yet the same: Ascher - a half-bloodling— half- human, half vampire.

Ascher questions the purpose for his existence and which world he truly belongs to: the human world or the vampire world. Two months from sealing to Ursula— a prearranged union to a woman he abhors — he’s at his wit’s end. He knows if he calls off the sealing, the Romanian clan will strike with deadly force, but he cannot see eternity with a cold empty shell of a woman like Ursula.

Just when he thought life was complicated enough, he meets Shauna— a beautiful, bi-racial human wiccan — and immediately develops an unshakable attraction to her. She makes him feel alive and vital despite his origins and Ascher makes a decision that turns his immortal world upside down.

THE BOY IN THE BACK ROW (March 2012) - paranormal thriller

The prophetic clock begins countdown when a young child awakens from a near-death experience with the power to raise the dead. When Danny Christopher unknowingly resurrects one of Hell's prized souls-a notorious contract killer-Hell unleashes the Dark Ones to reclaim its property and deal with the boy.

Six thousand miles away, an ancient ruin suddenly awakens with activity when a cryptic seal is uncovered and a meek businessman is branded with its mark-powerful enough to threaten the foundations of Hell but useless unless he overcomes his own demons.

When Danny resurrects a politically connected attorney, he becomes the next target of the powerful drug cartel that ordered her assassination. Threatened by the boy's power, they slay the First Lady in order to draw him out from hiding, but three unlikely heroes- a repentant hit man, a guilt-ridden schoolteacher and a lone businessman-join forces, risking their lives to protect the boy.

With brutal killers on their heels and Hell's Dark Ones closing in, a deadly showdown climaxes where Good stands against the powers of Hell, but not without its sacrifices.

Thanks for swinging in and listening to me rant! Hope you enjoyed a look at the releases from Novel Concept Publishing! Stay warm!

Manic Monday with Bob Stewart

2011-10-31T01:00:00.001-04:00

Today I have the pleasure of talking with Bob Stewart. Bob is the author of four nonfiction books and has reported news events for popular magazines like PEOPLE, TIME, LIFE and LATINA. He worked such national stories for PEOPLE as the Oklahoma City bombing, the Branch Davidian standoff, the murder of Tejano singer Selena, the murder of students at schools in Pearl, Mississippi, Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Columbine in Denver, Colorado and the execution of Karla Faye Tucker. And now, he has his first fiction title with Novel Concept Publishing.

JET: Can you tell us about why you wrote your most recent book – Hidden Evil?

Bob: Reared in Texas I had heard rumblings of occult power, but generally it was the superstition generated by well-meaning people who want to insure good health, happiness or wealth; a rather benign practice that involves candles, herbs or ritual. It wasn’t until People Magazine assigned me to report on the sacrifice/murder of a college student on Spring Break on the South Texas border that I came into contact with the evil side of the occult. I had never heard the words Santeria or Palo Mayombe, until then. As I stood amid a number of fly-covered graves, when I visited the death shack on a desolate rancho in Mexico, I discovered an evil as ancient as any practice during Biblical times. Hidden Evil is my way of drawing attention to this culture flourishing in the halls of the rich and the powerful as well as humble adobe shacks. While it is fiction, many of the incidents and rituals used in the book are based on fact.

JET: What drew you to the thrillers/horror genre?

Bob: That’s simple. Two authors – Dean Koontz and James Patterson, who not only write beautifully but tell spellbinding stories. One of these days, I’d like to shake their hands. Perhaps Koontz’ incredible book, The Watchers, influenced me the most. As to why thrillers? I’m a sucker for the “stranger in a strange land” theme of a man or woman being thrown into circumstances beyond their abilities to control, but somehow they discover the strength to fight on.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Bob: Retaining belief in myself. No one ever told me I couldn’t write or deliberately tried to discourage me (that I know of), but agent rejections that pile up or no answer at all, tend to wear on your soul and sometimes self-doubt creeps in. I subscribe to the old saying: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And finally, my favorite story about perseverance is one about Academy Award winner George C. Scott. When approached by a young actor who inquired if he should continue to try to break into acting, the feisty Scott replied, “No!” Stunned, the actor stammered when asking why that was Scott’s answer; obviously, he was looking for a warm fuzzy. “If you have to ask me, then you shouldn’t do it. Acting is something you do because you have to.” I think his advice applies to writing.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Bob: The hours spent in rewrite. That’s when the creative juices flow and the tenor of the piece is shaped. Each word is tested, each definition considered, each scene polished until it’s a sparkling gem. I know many writers like the original creation of the piece. That’s hard work and not my favorite. One other moment I savor is the reaction of Beta readers as they critique my writing.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Bob: Richard Halliburton, a great travel writer who disappeared in the 1930s trying to sail a

Chinese junk across the Pacific Ocean. He wrote Royal Roads to Romance, one of my favorite books. I read all of his works as a teen. There are too many to name them all, but Walter Farley’s Black Stallion’s series was filled with glorious adventure, (Mrs. Childs read us a chapter each day in third grade), Richard S. Prather’s cynical Miami detective Shell Scott and Mickey Spillane’s tough guy Mike Hammer were my introduction to the detective “noir” style of writing. I didn’t read many of the classics, with the exception of Alexander Dumas. Classics have little action, and adventure is what this country boy desired.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Bob: After studying for the ministry three years I realized I wasn’t cut from the right cloth. I like writing English essays, so I went to work at the college newspaper and discovered my real love. I went to work in a rough and tumble time when a kid green behind the ears could mix it up with the pros and learn more in the school of hard knocks than the halls of academia. You can no longer do that. Also, it taught me to ask for the most difficult assignments.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Bob: A lot of my research was on the job. I was on the site at the parade shoot-out used in the beginning of the book. I visited the killing shack of a Palo group. I once found a ritual for Ochosi in a cemetery and mentioned it in the book. Like a character out of a book I’ve met people at midnight by the railroad tracks and once, when covering a mob-related story, a DA told me to carry a gun and I checked my automobile for bombs each morning.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Bob: Well my favorite will always be the one I wrote about my wife. The reason it’s my favorite is rather obvious. Hidden Evil comes in second.

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

Bob: Not much really. Just write. Get in that chair, turn on the computer and write. It’s best to set a time each day and if the muse has abandoned you that day, then write your name over and over and eventually the words will flow. As a journalist I had to write something every day whether I was sick, depressed, or worried. Don’t use the excuse of writer’s block. As for me. When I’m writing on a project I get up about five and work for three or so hours. For my first book – while I was employed at a newspaper --- I’d go to bed at 9 p. m. and get up at three a.m. so I could get in the three hours before going to work.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

Bob: Plastic – it’s reusable

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Bob: Steak – Seriously, you ask a Texan that?

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Bob: Beach

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Bob: Country, but my favorite is classical which I play when writing.

JET: Angels or Demons?

Bob: Angels

JET: Paper or Digital?

Bob: Digital

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Bob: Neither; okay, then the Cheesy B

JET: Salty or Sweet?

Bob: Salty – I’m a diabetic so I can’t choose sweet.

JET: Top 10 best seller or Unknown Back Shelf Find?

Bob: Top 10. Don’t have time to search the back shelf

JET: Sword wielding ninja or Gun toting momma?

Bob: Sword wielding ninja

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Bob: A couple of projects.

A good friend and I plan to tackle a novel about the Texas border. Tentative title is Border Town and tells the story of a Texas Ranger, a deputy sheriff and a commander on the Mexican side of the border.

I’m working on a rather tough project – untitled as of now – about a pedophile who matches wits with a special woman whose daughter disappeared several years prior to the opening of the story. The mother is now a victims’ rights advocate for the City of San Antonio. (Much of the material comes from a ‘how-to’ manuscript discovered in a pedophile’s cell in Louisiana in which he outlines how to kidnap and torture a child.) He stalks funeral homes looking for victims.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Bob Stewart and his work at the following places:

writerbobstewart.com

http://www.novelconceptpublishing.com/

Until next time,

Ciao

JET

Dishing it up with P.J. Jones

2011-10-28T01:00:00.002-04:00

Today, I have the joy of dishing it up with PJ Jones!

PJ sits in front of a computer most of the day, writing, deleting, then writing some more, until her butt is numb and her brain is fried. Prior to becoming a full-time chair warmer, PJ Jones not-so-enjoyed a short stint as a journalist and then seven agonizing…eh blissful years as a high school English teacher.

JET: Thanks for joining me today PJ. Can you tell us about your new book, Driving Me Nuts!?

PJ: First off, THANKS J.E. for hosting me on your blog. I have a new release this month, Driving Me Nuts!, but it’s a dark comedy, NOT a parody like Romance Novel.

Smella Rosepetal must find a millionaire husband to finance her baby’s heart transplant. She flies home to her deputy father’s ranch in Pitchforks, Texas, where she falls in love with Deadward Forest, a wealthy environmentalist vampire.

When a deranged murderer is on the loose in Pitchforks, killing romance heroines, Deadward assumes Smella would be safer without him. Smella turns to her childhood friend, Snake Long, for comfort. But Snake doesn’t have the money to save her baby, so Smella places herself in peril in a desperate hunt for a rich husband.

Time is running out for Smella’s baby, and she must escape the Australian Outback, then face down Flabio, an overweight and disgruntled, aspiring cover model, plus enraged vampire wives and their homosexual, vampire, cowboy husbands, a jealous were-gerbil, James Bond, a drunk rodeo clown and Smella’s strange boyfriend who wants to drain her blood, yet is repulsed by her smell.

JET: What drew you to romantic parody?

PJ: I wrote Romance Novel when I was seriously ill. This was my form of comic relief. After getting lots of fan mail and great reviews, I decided to try my hand at a few more parodies.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

PJ: Finding a publisher with a twisted enough sense of humor. When that didn’t work, then figuring out how to do it on my own.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

PJ: Getting great fan letters and reviews from some well-known romance review sites.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

PJ: I loved the classics, especially George Elliot’s The Mill on the Floss.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

PJ: When I was nine and started my first magazine subscription, The Dirty Toilet Water Book. I had one subscriber.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

PJ: I rode on a Greyhound bus from Las Vegas to El Paso mostly to character watch. After being stranded in El Paso due to a snowstorm, I vowed to NEVER AGAIN ride a bus! Although, I did meet some interesting characters. I remember the bus picked up a man right after he was released from prison. We talked for about two hours before we reached his hometown. I was the first person he spoke to outside of prison in three years. My main character, Ruckus, in Driving Me Nuts! is loosely based on him.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite?

PJ: My favorite has to be Driving Me Nuts! This book is more from the heart. Funny yes, but there are some pretty deep moments. The struggles of my main characters as they found their way back to sanity, reminds me of my own journey back to health after suffering from a serious illness.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

PJ: Always strive to improve your craft. If you’ve been rejected countless times by editors or fail to final in writing competitions, take the comments made by the editors/judges to heart and learn how to strengthen your writing skills.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

PJ: I bring my own reusable bags to the supermarket.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

PJ: Steak!

JET: Beach or Mountains?

PJ: Tough decision but I’m more of a sunshine beach gal. I love to go skiing or sledding every now and then, but I’m always up for swimming.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

PJ: Right now, country, but it depends on my mood. I really love good classic rock when I’m feeling like a baaad girl.

JET: Leather or Lace?

PJ: Leather.

JET: Angels or Demons?

PJ: Can’t a nice girl play naughty, too?

JET: Paper or Digital?

PJ: Digital

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

PJ: Definitely cheesy!

JET: Twilight or True Blood?

PJ: Uhhhhh….Dodging tomatoes but NEITHER!

JET: Coffee or Tea?

PJ: Green tea with honey. I’m a dork, I know.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

PJ: I am taking a break right now and focusing on promoting my current books before I plunge into my next novels. I have a short Christmas story coming out in an anthology with my peeps, The Indie Eclective. I also plan to write another comedy and another parody this spring.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about P.J. Jones and her work at the following places:

http://www.pjjoneswrites.com/

http://indie-eclective.com/

http://pjjonesramblings.blogspot.com/

Next week, I have Bob Stewart on tap talking about his new novel Hidden Evil. I'll be picking a name from the folks that comment next week and giving away an e-copy of Bob's book to the winner next Friday!

Don't forget to swing in and say happy Halloween to Bob and I!

Until then,
Ciao
JET

Manic Monday with John D. Rhodes

2011-10-24T01:00:00.000-04:00

My Manic Monday Guest today is John D. Rhodes, author of Mr. Memory.

John has been writing for nearly 30 years but only now, thanks to modern technology and Amazon, have he been able to publish some of his work. He has written well over 40 short stories and 4 full length novels.

His work tends to live in that part of the universe where things are very similar to our reality, but with a tinge of the strange, an off kilter reflection, a mix of sour and sweet. This is not science fiction or horror but a fantasy fiction where things are not quite what they seem, animals can talk and sometimes the hero is not and the villain is, and just maybe there is a happy ending for some of the characters.

So without further adieu...

The Boss

I have somebody who is responsible for making sure I do the things I’m supposed to do at work (yes proper regular work where I receive a salary, for now anyway, and I don’t mean until I strike it rich as a top selling author; these are unstable times I’m afraid). This person is ‘The Boss’.

Now I’m not an anarchist, I fully understand that in some cases there does need to be an individual in most organisations who carries the burden of this role. And I have to confess that I am indeed an individual who has underlings who I manage (though if you were to ask these dear people they may disagree from several standpoints). I only do this you understand in order to earn more than they do to enable me to keep my family to the level of luxury to which they have now, I’m afraid, become too much accustomed to.

Yes we have television and a computer and even, goodness a fridge freezer! Every now and then we even venture out in the car (a modest thing that I free wheel down hills) and visit local parks and er.. parks (they are the best way to sample the fresh city air you know and, as long as you don’t visit a café, quite inexpensive).

But what makes a good boss? In my many years of subordination I have served many ‘bosses’. Some where fastidious in their authoritarianism and clearly enjoyed the fear they tried to instil (though most of these only succeeded in bring a tear of mirth to my eyes and providing good fodder for my future literary works). Some were so supportive and full of energy that if I could replicate one percent of their management skill I’d never even give this writing thing a thought! The best ones are the ones who listen and actually make changes (if they like your ideas that is – some have perfected a way of smiling and nodding and sleeping all in one).

The ‘Boss’ – what does it mean to you? And while you ponder that I hear mine calling – tea is ready, I have the beds to make, the toilet to clean and the scullery to scrub before bed time, chat soon I hope!

To find out more about John and his book, check out Mr. Memory here on Amazon!

Swing in on Friday when I’m dishing it up with P. J. Jones!

Until then,
Ciao
JET

Dishing it up with Harper Alibeck

2011-10-21T01:00:00.002-04:00

Today I have the pleasure of dishing it up with Harper Alibeck.

Harper is a former history professor who has published eight books and whose work has appeared in 17 others. She’s also a National Book Critics Circle member, with reviews published online and in academic journals. Her interests turned toward contemporary and historical romance - but with a twist. Read her new book, "Legs".

JET: Can you tell us about your latest endeavor?

Harper: I'm actually working on the prequel to Legs right now, titled Unfinished Business. The prequel focuses on the two main characters from the 1910s, Lilith and James, the people Seth and Jill keep dreaming about.

JET: What drew you to contemporary and historical romance?

Harper: I taught college-level history for 17 years, and I love Latin America, but haven't seen too many romances set there. I live blending contemporary and historical (with a touch of paranormal) as I have in Legs.
JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Harper: I have three. They are my children. Raising three boys is the biggest joy in my life, but definitely my biggest obstacle!

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Harper: When readers write to me to gush about how much they love the reincarnation(ish) element in Legs.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Harper: Madeline L'Engle, John Updike, Danielle Steel, Richard Wright, and whoever wrote those “Choose Your Own Journey” books in the Scholastic catalog!

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Harper: When I was very young, but I really hate this question, because I think saying “I knew I was a writer from the time I was 6 and published my first story in a school newsletter” is cute, but it's not when I knew I wanted to be the right kind of writer. Writing because you have a story is really, really great. But writing because you want to tell your story in a way that has universal appeal and that helps you connect to something inside other people – once I figured that out, I knew I wanted to be a writer.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Harper: I asked my husband to help me with, um, research on how to make love to someone in a full leg cast. He refused to break his leg LOL, but did offer to rent a cast from a medical supply store. All in the name of “research.”

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Harper: Years ago I wrote a historical biography of Leif Ericksson for an educational publisher. Definitely my favorite!

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

Harper: READ. Read, read and read some more in your genre. It's as important – if not more important – than writing.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

Harper: Paper

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Harper: Steak

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Harper: Beach

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Harper: Rock!

JET: Leather or Lace?

Harper: Leather

JET: Angels or Demons?

Harper: Angels

JET: Paper or Digital?

Harper: Digital

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Harper: Horror!

JET: Twilight or True Blood?

Harper: True Blood

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Harper: Coffee!

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Harper: The prequel to Legs, and then a spinoff from THAT. Lilith visits a sexologist in the prequel, to understand why some of her sexual anatomy is behaving in ways that are, well, similar to Jill's in Legs (you have to read Legs to understand Jill's unique sexual...fluidity).

Dr. David Burnham has become so interesting to me as a character as I write him that I've created a series of novellas about him. The first is “The Sexologist's Curious Case of Saline Liquor.” I'm planning to publish the prequel, then Dr. Burnham's first story next.

And thank you!

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Harper Alibeck and her work at the following places:

http://aromanceofthebody.blogspot.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Legs-Romance-Body-ebook/dp/B0055LHWF0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307920921&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legs-harper-alibeck/1103813343?ean=2940013601642&itm=1&usri=legs%2bharper%2balibeck

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-legsasteamycontemporaryromance-578069-140.html

Thanks for stopping in!

Until next time,

Ciao.

JET

Novel Concept Publishing Release: The Lost Girls by Jason Halstead

2011-10-19T01:00:00.001-04:00

The Lost Girls, by Jason Halstead

The only thing hotter than the summers in Phoenix is the temper of a police detective who can’t figure out why young girls keep disappearing. Katalina Wimple is that detective. Her obsession with the missing girls makes her the best person for the job, but it also serves as a refuge from the problems in her own life.

Battling her own demons offers coincidences impossible to ignore. Rescuing the missing girls will require Kat figuring out how much coincidence is too much, as well as fighting her desire for what she can’t have.

The Lost Girls is a 60,000 word mystery / detective novel with a dose of sci-fi mixed in for flavor

Excerpt:

Panic hit me again, stealing my breath better than a dozen shots from his taser would have. I was going to be imprisoned again and abused. Raped, beaten, whatever. Last time that happened the sick bastard professed love for me and said he only wanted to show me how good it could be. He didn’t understand he was forcing me and that I hated it and hated him. This time there’d be no mercy, or no pretense of it. They’d fuck me over and over and in every way they could. I’d be broken and bleeding and still they’d go on. I’d seen cases where that happened, now it was my turn. It was my destiny, I’d dared to think I’d escaped it all those years ago but now it was just going to be that much worse.

“Knock that shit off. I said I ain’t going to fuck you. I take my women willing,” he said, then slammed the door shut. Through the door I could hear him call me a stupid bitch again.

Somehow, in spite of the situation and the incredible lack of trust I should have had, his words calmed me a little. It was a psychological trick and I knew it. I wasn’t any safer but I was panicked and desperate and willing to believe anything. It was one of the steps towards the condition where a kidnapping victim can actually switch their allegiance over time to their captors. I’d never understood before how that was possible. I knew terror and fear from my youth, but I’d gone the other way, from loving my captor to hating him with every cell in my body. Now I began to understand how somebody could let themselves be tricked into going the other way.

I realized the bag was wet from my tears. I’d been whimpering as I tried to control my sobs. Now I was beginning to regain control, but every move I made just made my body hurt worse than it already did. I focused again and switched my eyes into heat sensing mode. They switched over and I immediately felt a little better. I could see a little bit through the hood. Craning my neck around I could make out my captor climb into the driver’s seat.

The van fired up, the engine roaring with the sound of a bio-diesel. I craned my neck around some more but saw little. When we started moving things changed. I could occasionally feel some warmth on my otherwise cold skin. Glancing in that direction rewarded me with an occasional pink glow of residual heat imparted by the sun coming in through the windows. I was sure it was the front windows, a van such as this wouldn’t have any rear or side ones.

We drove for what seemed like hours until I thought to call up the HUD in my eyes to display a clock. From that point on thirty minutes passed. Based on my captor’s comments about me being heavy and no comments about anything else, I guessed he didn’t have a clue about my enhancements. It gave me hope that I might have a chance to make it out of this. Or if not, at least I’d go down fighting.

The vehicle stopped, eventually, and I was plunged into darkness again. Even the residual heat was fading, which meant we were out of sun. I braced myself just in time. The door beside me opened and rough hands grabbed my ankles. I was yanked across the cold metal, scraping my back and shoulder but not bad enough to cut the skin. The pain helped me take my mind off the unknown, and that kept me from freaking out.

“Nice job Buddy,” I heard a new voice say, followed by a harsh laugh. I didn’t know if Buddy was his name or a title. “Maybe you never seen a woman naked before but they’re supposed to have two tits!”

The others joined in, laughing at the expense of the guy who’d captured me. I couldn’t make out how many people there were but it was enough to push the pain away and make my panic flare. It didn’t just start to rise either, it hit me full on and made me cry out in the most pitiful and embarrassing way. I even heard myself begging and pleading with them. My voice was so soft and weak, saying things like, “Please don’t hurt me! Let me go, I won’t tell anyone.” And the thing was, I believed if I just begged hard enough they’d let me go and everything would be all right. I just had to let them know they were right. I needed them. Real men, all of them – only real men could make me happy. That was what was wrong with me, wasn’t it? If I just accepted it everything would be okay.

“This ain’t just some chick I picked up,” Buddy said. “This is that blond chick’s sister. Said her name’s Katy.”

“Pictures showed her having a full rack?”

“Stuffed her bra,” Buddy said.

“Fuck!” Someone swore, a new voice. “She’s no use to us. Kill her and dump her out in the desert.”

My breathing changed. I’d been taking in enough breath to beg and plead, but now I started breathing faster. In a few minutes, if I lived that long, I knew I’d start to feel all tingly as I flooded my body with oxygen. If only I could just open my mouth and beg them to use me. I could think, why couldn’t I make my lips move?

“Might need her to keep the blond in line,” Buddy suggested.

“What the…let me see her.” Great, somebody else wanted to check me out. Maybe I was damaged goods but if the other parts worked fine they might still have a use for me. Maybe they thought they could still fix me. That’s what all men wanted, to fix me and prove I wasn’t broken. That I could appreciate a man. Or men, in this case. If only I’d learned it before none of this would have happened. I deserved it, I suppose. I deserved the harsh lesson. I knew these guys were going to overlook my disfigurement for at least one go round. I had to perform well enough so that my body wouldn’t be dumped in the desert. “Holy shit, I know this bitch!”

The voice sounded faintly familiar. My breath caught in my throat as I strained to hear more.

“This bitch tore Jerry’s dick off and she ripped out Manny’s throat. This bitch is strong!” I knew the voice now, I’d dubbed him Pussylover at the time. He was the one that got away the last time I’d been given another opportunity for a lesson I’d failed to learn.

“Don’t look so tough to me,” another man said.

“She’s fucking heavy for being a midget,” Buddy retorted. In any other situation I’d have come unglued at being called a midget. I was short and petite, but I wasn’t that short!

Something clicked in the back of my head. Pussylover really was an idiot. He had no idea I’d been upgraded, he just thought I was really strong. And if they didn’t know about my enhancements, I had an advantage. Maybe not against four or five of them, or maybe more, but if I could stop them from putting a few larger caliber bullets in me then I might have a chance. But then what? Another time and another place I’d be in the same situation. I’d be a victim again. All women were victims, this was just one more proof of it. This seemed like it might be time for me to stop fighting it and accept it.

“I thought Dusty shot her?” I didn’t know who that voice came from.

“He did. She’s been shot and blown up, but still she lives.” I stiffened. I didn’t know who spoke, but I clearly recognized the voice as belonging to a woman. “Remove the hood.”

The drawstring was loosened and the hood was yanked off. I stared around, my eyes adjusting instantly to the lights overhead that flooded the receiving dock of the abandoned building I was in. It was similar from the one I’d broke into a couple of weeks back. I had no idea where I was but, given the seven men with New Earth Order gang colors on, I guessed that I was back in the same area. The woman was Tricia Daniels, long red hair flowing and her business style suit tailored to make her look like a few thousand bucks. I’d finally found the head of the snake.

“Boys, this here is Katalina Wimple. She’s a detective for VDI that works on special cases,” Tricia said. She stared at me the entire time and her next words with delivered with a cold smile directly for me, “You should have gotten that boob job, maybe we could have used you after all.”

“She’s a cop?” one I hadn’t yet heard said. I scanned everybody, flipping rapidly through the different vision modes to check them out. Five of them were carrying pistols, as evidenced by the cooler gun shaped spots on their bodies. The three others I assumed had knives at least, although with Tricia I was clueless. I didn’t peg a sexy higher class lady to dirty herself with a firearm. Then again, I wouldn’t have figured she’d be caught dead hanging out with the lowlifes that were around her.

“Throw her in with her pretend sister,” She commanded. “Let them say their goodbyes.”

Buddy picked me up, grunting as he did so, and carried me past the leering others to an opening in the wall. A sliding door covered it, but it was up. He barked for somebody to come help him. I was able to see several doors down the wide hallway. I also detected a faint odor I couldn’t quite place. It smelled earthy and musky.

One of the other guys hurried over and fished some old fashioned keys out of a pocket. He tried a couple until he found the one that fit, then opened up the extra wide door. Light flooded into the room, making Skyler gasp and squint at the sudden brightness. I landed heavily on the floor, where the odor was stronger.

“Katy!” She gasped, tipping herself over and rolling and inching her way towards me. She was similarly bound. She didn’t stop until her face was next to mine. She kissed me repeatedly, whispering things to me and telling me how glad she was to see me and how scared she was and how she knew we’d be okay now.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say being there with her and seeing her still alive didn’t lift my spirits. I think fresh tears even rolled down my cheeks but with Skylar there I couldn’t tell who’s eyes were leaking. I smiled and tried to roll over, without too much success. Just being able to see again had pushed the terrors back. Seeing her relit the fire inside of me fully. Away from the men, with Skylar, I began to remember that I wasn’t in a dark basement. I wasn’t a prisoner. Well, okay, I was a prisoner, but I wasn’t his prisoner.

“I’m not a victim,” I whispered.

“What?” She asked me, snapping out of her own psychoses.

“Roll your back up against mine,” I said. My story was my story, not hers. I hadn’t meant to say it aloud but at least she hadn’t understood me. “We’ve got to get these things off.”

About the Author

Jason Halstead is a science fiction and fantasy author who spends his daytime hours as an IT Manager in the automotive industry. In his spare time, Jason enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, writing, and powerlifting.

Stop by his website at http://www.booksbyjason.com/ to see his latest project.

Other books by Jason Halstead

Voidhawk

Voidhawk – The Elder Race

Voidhawk – Redemption

Wanted

Ice Princess (Wanted, book 2)

Vitalis: New Beginnings

Human Nature

Sex Sells

Dark Earth

Voices (Dark Earth Novel)

Manic Monday with J.R. Tomlin

2011-10-17T01:00:00.002-04:00

Welcome to another Manic Monday installment! Today, I’ve got J.R. Tomlin on board. J. R. is a published author of Historical Fiction with two novels set in the medieval Scotland. She has also co-authored fantasy adventures. Although she was born in Texas, she was reared in part in Edinburgh, Scotland by her grandparents. Scotland's amazing history has always fascinated her. In particular, she has always loved the heroism of the men and women who fought for freedom in the Scottish Wars of Independence and chose to write about them. She attended the University of Texas at Austin and now lives in the US Pacific Northwest.

So without further adieu, here’s J.R. on the intriguing subject of sword fighting:

There is nothing better than a sword fight: lots of blood and sweat and drama, right? I absolutely agree as long as it has at least a passing resemblance to a sword fight. Unfortunately, in novels a lot don't. Either they are so detailed, often with inaccurate silly-sounding details, that they're boring or they're so vague no one can possible visualize it because the writer knows nothing about sword fighting.

Since I write medieval historical novels and medieval fantasies, this is something I've given a lot of thought. Sword fights should be fun for the writer and the reader. Exciting. You may leave out some of the details but you should know what is involved.

First, a sword is involved. Well into the late renaissance people did NOT use epee type weapons, those thin little swords used in fencing. This is not how sword fighting was done for most of history. The epee evolved from the smallsword of the late 17th century into the dueling sword of the 18th and 19th centuries. They were good for dueling because, quite frankly, it was much harder to actually kill each other. You could draw blood without necessarily killing someone and ending up on trial or in exile. And these are not good weapons against most other swords.

I hear someone saying, your female character has to use an epee because a longsword is too heavy for a woman to pick up, much less use.

Right?

Um.....Wrong.

The typical medieval longsword weighed two to two and a half pounds on average. So you mean to tell me that women can sling around thirty pound kids, heft 50 pound bags of wheat or flour, but cannot pick up a two pound sword. Even two-handed swords were not all that large. The antique claymore known as the Wallace Sword said to have been used by William Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge is 4 feet 4 inches long and only weighs 6 pounds.

Now swinging a sword is tiring. Don't get me wrong. But it is certainly something that a woman can learn and do. To win against a larger, stronger person with longer reach, a sword fighter uses a somewhat different technique than a larger fighter, moving in close.

I should say that in my historical novels women don't use swords because they were rarely taught to, although there were exceptions. In fantasies, of course, we can make our own rules.

That still leaves the issue of making a sword fight interesting to read about. I think of it as resembling writing about sex. Sometimes you put in a lot of details and sometimes you don't, but what always matters is how the character feels about it and how they experience it.

Sometimes your character may be in a battle frenzy and barely aware of anything except the swing of the sword. Or perhaps aware of every dart of their opponent's eyes. Or coldly calculating their next move. What they won't do is jump around and do fancy moves. Real sword fights were fast. They were deadly serious business. Someone was often dead within seconds.

You don't need a big vocabulary to write one. Various schools of fighting made fancy terms, but who would understand them? Parry, dodge, and riposte will about cover it. As hilarious as the Wesley and Inigo Montoya sword fight was in Princess Bride, unless you want people to chuckle at your sword fights, that's now not to write one. A sword fighter's feet belong on the ground and save the fancy moves for showing off. Bleeding dead on the ground doesn't count as showing off.

Folks, you can find out more about J.R. Tomlin on her blog: http://jeannetomlin.blogspot.com/

You can buy her books at the following links:

Freedom's Sword: http://www.amazon.com/Freedoms-Sword-Historical-Scotland-ebook/dp/B004RUZPPY

A Kingdom's Cost: http://www.amazon.com/Kingdoms-Historical-Novel-Scotland-ebook/dp/B004YKVXR6

Talon of the Unnamed Goddess: http://www.amazon.com/Unnamed-Goddess-Fantasy-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00580V7YU

Laying the Odds: http://www.amazon.com/Laying-Odds-Fantasy-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0051H58NG

Friday, I’ll be dishing it up with Harper Alibeck.
Until then,
Ciao.
JET

Dishing it up with Sibel Hodge

2011-10-14T01:00:00.003-04:00

Today, I have the pleasure of dishing it up with Sibel Hodge. Sibel is an author of chick lit romances and mysteries (with the odd thriller thrown in). In her spare time she’s Wonder Woman! Sibel has proven not once, but multiple times that Romance can be funny, exciting and rather crazy at times. You’ll love her quirky characters and the situations they get themselves into.

JET: Can you tell us about Be Careful What You Wish For?

Sibel: Be Careful What You Wish For is the second book in my chick lit mystery series. Think Janet Evanovich meets Gemma Halliday…

Armed with cool sarcasm and uncontrollable hair, feisty insurance investigator Amber Fox is back in a new mystery combining murder and mayhem with romance and chicklit…

Three deaths.

A safety deposit box robbery.

The boxing heavyweight champion of the world.

Somehow, they’re all related, and Amber has to solve a four year old crime to find out why.

As she stumbles across a trail of dead bodies and a web of lies spanning both sides of the social divide, it’s starting to get personal. Someone thinks Amber’s poking her nose in where it’s not wanted, sparking off a game of fox and mouse – only this time, Amber’s the mouse.

Amber’s forced to take refuge in the home of her ex-fiancé, Brad Beckett, and now it’s not just the case that’s hotting up. So is the bedroom…

All Levi Carter wanted to be was the boxing heavyweight champion of the world, but at what cost?

All Carl Thomas wanted was to be rich, but would his greed be his downfall?

All Brad Beckett wants is to get Amber back, but there’s a reason for the ex word.

Be careful what you wish for…you might just get it.

JET: What drew you to romantic comedy?

Sibel: I think my personality dictated that I write chick lit. I’m fun-loving and I’ve always loved to make people laugh. I’m a big fan of screwball comedy so my books have a lot of quirky, slapstick comedy in them.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Sibel: Getting people to notice your books. Considering there are over 900,000 books on Amazon Kindle, it’s pretty daunting. Unless you’re very lucky, it won’t happen overnight. I think patience is the key, and it takes a lot of time and effort to market yourself and your books.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Sibel: Seeing my books on sale for the first time. It was scary, exciting, rewarding, and mind-blowing all in one.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Sibel: When I was younger I read things like Enid Blyton’s Mallory Towers series. But are far as influences on my writing; that would have to be authors like Sophie Kinsella, Janet Evanovich, Marian Keyes, and Catherine Alliott.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Sibel: Ever since I was old enough to scrawl my first word, which was Halibaaaaa, I knew I wanted to write books. OK, so the word didn’t actually make sense, and it might take a little longer for me to actually string a whole sentence together, but that didn’t put me off. I was going to write books and no one would stop me…

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Sibel: I worked for the police for ten years so I actually use a lot of my experiences in my chick lit mystery series. But the most interesting and scary facts were when I was researching for my novella, Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave. It was inspired by the story of victims’ of human trafficking. It is estimated that 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year – 80% of these are women and girls. (Source: U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report: 2007) - pretty scary, huh? But even scarier is that it’s going on right under your nose. Trafficked is about as far away from chick lit as chocolate is from the moon, but I wanted to raise awareness in a subject that is all too often forgotten about.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Sibel: Aw, that’s so hard. They’re all my babies and I love them in different ways. Nope…I just can’t choose!

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

Sibel: First off, they need to make sure their work is as good as it can be. You need to hire a professional editor – this is a must! After I wrote my first novel Fourteen Days Later I sent it off to two literary consultancies and the Romantic Novelists’ Association to be critiqued, and had it edited professionally, because I didn’t have a clue how to actually write a novel! I’d never done any creative writing courses, I just knew I wanted to write. Yes, it costs money, but if you’re serious about writing, you need to know what you’re doing right or wrong to improve your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

You need to read as much as you can so you can recognize good writing.

A good cover and blurb is essential for hooking a reader. When I put up my first two books through Amazon I had covers that I’d made with a Lulu cover creator. They were OK, but they could have been better, and I’ve since published them with new covers. The cost of getting a cover done can be cheap or expensive. I now get my covers from places like iStock Photos and cost around $50 dollars to produce, but it’s definitely worth it.

Authors should definitely read blogs like Writers Guide To Epublishing: www.thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/
And join forums for authors and readers like Kindleboards: http://www.kindleboards.com/
The ebook Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran is a must read, too: http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/lets-get-digital/

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten...starting with…Paper or Plastic?

Sibel: Paper

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Sibel: Tofu

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Sibel: Beach

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Sibel: Neither!

JET: Leather or Lace?

Sibel: Both!

JET: Angels or Demons?

Sibel: Angels

JET: Paper or Digital?

Sibel: Oooh, digital!

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Sibel: Cheesy B Rated Horror

JET: Twilight or True Blood?

Sibel: True Blood.

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Sibel: It used to be iced coffee, now it’s green tea.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Sibel: Thanks so much for having me! I’m working on my fifth chick lit novel called The Baby Trap. When Gina turns 33, her body clock starts ticking in her ear with annoying persistence. The only problem is, having a baby isn’t as easy as she always thought. As Gina becomes more and more obsessed with the B-word, her quest to conceive takes her on a rollercoaster journey and threatens to destroy her marriage. Because it’s about a couple going through infertility problems, it’s obviously got a good dose of sadness mixed in with the humor. A lot of it is based my own experiences with infertility.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Sibel Hodge and her work at the following places: her Website, her Blog, or her Facebook page.

Next week I’ve got J.R. Tomlin and Harper Alibeck on tap! Swing in and say hi!

Until then,

Ciao

JET

Hidden Evil by Bob Stewart

2011-10-12T01:00:00.034-04:00

Novel Concept Publishing, LLC announces the release of HIDDEN EVIL by Bob Stewart.

HIDDEN EVIL is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords.

In an upcoming interview, Bob shared what prompted him to write HIDDEN EVIL…

“Reared in Texas I had heard rumblings of occult power, but generally it was the superstition generated by well-meaning people who want to insure good health, happiness or wealth; a rather benign practice that involves candles, herbs or ritual. It wasn’t until People Magazine assigned me to report on the sacrifice/murder of a college student on Spring Break on the South Texas border that I came into contact with the evil side of the occult. I had never heard the words Santeria or Palo Mayombe, until then. As I stood amid a number of fly-covered graves, when I visited the death shack on a desolate rancho in Mexico, I discovered an evil as ancient as any practice during Biblical times. Hidden Evil is my way of drawing attention to this culture flourishing in the halls of the rich and the powerful as well as humble adobe shacks. While it is fiction, many of the incidents and rituals used in the book are based on fact.”

The rest of my interview with Bob Stewart will be available on Halloween. In the meantime, here’s a first look at HIDDEN EVIL:

HIDDEN EVIL by Bob Stewart

After a drug-addled teenager turns the annual Battle of Flowers Parade into a bloodbath, Majorette Cindi Neff - photographed blood covered and screaming beside the body of a dead classmate - becomes the media symbol of the tragedy, and the object of cult leader Juan Otero’s obsession.

Soon after his burial, the gravesite of Cindi’s dead classmate is violated and Deputy Sheriff Nancy Neff, an expert in Afro-Caribbean religions, is called to the scene. Minister Luke Oeding, a representative for the bereaved family, joins Nancy in the investigation into this unimaginable crime.

In a deadly chess match of good versus evil, they plunge into the world of the South Texas drug cult and come face to face with Palo Mayombe, the darkest of the hidden religions. When Cindi Neff is kidnapped, Nancy and Luke race to save her from the clutches of the malevolent cult before she is sacrificed in an Easter Sunday Palo Mayombe ritual.

“Bob Stewart’s new novel, HIDDEN EVIL, is ripped directly from today’s headlines about drug smuggling on the Texas border. This puts a face to the horrors that we seem to see daily on the evening news. Deeply-disturbed characters, facing what they see as a black future, turn to drugs and the occult and what follows…human sacrifice. It's a tale that begins with a Columbine-style massacre and ends on Easter Sunday in a classic battle between good and evil. I don’t read vampire or werewolf novels simply because I don’t believe they exist and it’s a bit difficult to conjure up any kind of delicious fear by pretend monsters, but these folks are real and quite possibly living on my block… so, yeah… it pushed my fear button. After I read it, I slept with the nightlight on for a week. Get this book. It’s truly scary and it’s damned fine writing and story-telling.” Les Edgerton Author of Hooked, Just Like That, The Bitch, The Rapist and others.

Excerpt from HIDDEN EVIL:

Book One-Chapter One

A mixed blessing. That’s how Nancy Neff viewed chaperone duty. Within a few minutes she would join a dozen other band parents, all loaded with water and supplies. But, only one of them would be carrying a gun, tucked away in a fanny bag, under a backpack filled with white shoe polish, Band-Aids, water, and Gatorade.

Her only regret when she volunteered for this duty was that she could not watch Cindi strut her stuff as lead majorette. She felt foolish at the thought. Andy had never seen his daughter twirl a baton or heard the appreciative applause in a packed football stadium, never looked into her emerald green eyes, the same color as his, or taught her how to dance or gave her first date grief.

“She’s not going to be allowed to date until she’s 45, and then when the ol’ boy shows up it’d better be with three tickets,” he said one night while feeling the child kick in her bloated belly.

She gave her standard reply. “I’m sure she’ll want you to go with them.”

This bit of nonsense had become a ritual on the rare nights he was home.

“Better yet. When he shows up I’ll be cleaning my service revolver. No. Better yet. I’ll get my shotgun and be putting shells in it when she escorts him into the living room to meet me. Maybe I’ll be wearing my uniform and badge and pistol.”

They laughed at the vivid image of a nervous teen before an armed stern officer of the law before Nancy said, “No. You won’t do that.”

“Yes I will. Just you wait and see.”

On the day Cindi was born, he was denied the joys of parenthood, except for one brief moment, and then he saw only the blue eyes that all babies are born with. Sometimes the guilt overwhelmed her. Why had she been allowed the privilege of the child and Andy had been denied?

The regret was compounded by sixteen years of guilt and longing for what might have been, never for what could be. How could she exist in any other reality? Her love remained in the past. Cindi was all that made life bearable. Cindi was her happiness and her future. She rarely dated, and these men quickly discovered that there was no room for anyone else; just the ghost of the past and the reality of the present.

“You would think after sixteen years I could start over,” she muttered aloud, taking the Broadway exit off Interstate 35 near downtown San Antonio. “Maybe even resurrect my life, or what’s left of it.”

* * * *

Luke Oeding looked around. The Harringtons were late. No surprise there. He came early to hold a place for them so they’d have a good view of their tuba-totting son after they helped the band with last-minute details. Luke claimed a good spot along the curb at an intersection in front of The San Antonio Light, and across the street from the WRW-TV platform.

He breathed in the ambiance of the parade. Cotton candy, hot dogs, sausage on a stick, and fajitas mingled with the sharp odor of spilled beer and body odor. Music, laughter, crying children, and vendors hawking everything from food to fiesta folderol wrapped him in a festive buzz.

Sun sparked golden diamonds off bass horns and baritones and French horns as students paraded down the street in a calliope of colors, red and blue, black and yellow, green and brown, all accented by thousands of freshly polished white shoes.

Again, he looked around for the Harringtons, and checked his watch.

The cool fall morning was already giving way to a sweltering heat that would soon wilt the students in woolen uniforms.

“Mommy, I can’t see. That man’s in the way.”

From the mouth of a child.

“Hush.” It was a serious whisper.

Luke turned to look down at a woman holding a tiny child, delicate and blonde. Bittersweet memories washed his soul as he stepped back and gestured toward the space in front of him. “Why don’t you step in front of me, then the child can see.”

Luke hushed her protest with a raised palm.

“That’s one of the privileges in being tall. You can see over everyone.”

She hesitated, looking up at him.

“Please. We don’t want the child to miss the parade.”

“Thank you.”

She stepped forward and stood on the lip of the curb in front of the crowd.

“That better?” Luke asked.

“Much. Thank you, again,” she said.

The child looked up showing dimples with a grin. “Thank you.”

Luke felt his gut clinch and the old familiar demon churn when he locked into her innocent eyes. The shy smile reflected a past he fought daily to forget.

With a sigh he closed his eyes, shoving the past back into its God-forsaken realm. He forced a grin, patted her on the head, then looked up to see the Harringtons across the street. Good, they made it in time to see Ron.

Thankful to refocus, he waved.

Pop… pop … pop…

It sounded like a string of firecrackers: sharp reports out of sync with the rhythmic cadence of marching bands parading through downtown San Antonio.

Luke shook his head. Fireworks were outlawed, but kids loved to break rules.

Pop… pop … pop. The woman grabbed her daughter’s hand and began to push backward. He stepped out of her way, offering a smile.

“Don’t worry. It’s just some…”

Pop! Pop! Pop… pop…pop pop-pop-pop

Luke swiveled to see one of the pops rip open the chest of a hefty police officer directing traffic. He pitched backward to lie sprawled, unmoving.

“Pancho!” Another officer bolted into the intersection only to tumble the last few feet, blood gushing from both legs.

Riding the rising crest of chaos a piercing scream spun Luke back to the fear-stricken woman.

* * * *

Nancy heard the frantic words every lawman fears.

“Officer down! Officer down!” The dispatcher guided everyone within radio range to Broadway and Nogolitas, the staging area for high school bands.

Nancy was only a few blocks away, dressed in her band chaperone’s outfit of blue jeans and a new blood-red bowling shirt with the white Rough Rider mascot on the back.

Now she wished she had on her deputy sheriff’s uniform as she slammed the accelerator to the floor and toggled the siren.

* * * *

In blind terror, Cindi tripped over a bass drum. She no sooner hit the hot pavement than a fleeing fellow student kicked her in the stomach. Gasping for breath and fighting nausea, she rolled over to push up only to have her hand crunched by another student. She collapsed head down, her cheek sliding along the searing pavement.

Her good hand flew to the raw flesh. What’s Bill going to think when he sees my face?

Paralyzed by heaving gasps, her hand throbbing, her face now hamburger meat, Cindi felt strong hands behind her, scooping her upward.

“I’ve got you Cindi, nothing’s going to happen to you,” a calm voice whispered in her ears. “God’s watching.”

She recognized Ron Harrington’s distinctive tenor. The husky tuba player used his bulk to block for her as she struggled to stand. Cindi was almost on her feet when she heard the wet smack of lead ripping into flesh. Ron crumpled atop her, shoving her to the pavement; his wounded body now her prison, and her shield.

She could barely breathe from the weight of the big teen as his life-blood oozed out and trickled down her cheek. She spit out the warm, salty taste that dribbled into the corner of her mouth and retched, finding relief in the bitter bile that washed away the coopery taste of human life.

Terror crashed into sensory overload as Cindi struggled to be free of Ron’s bulk and to spot the shooter. Splayed face down on the pavement, and trapped beneath more than two hundred pounds of slack weight, she could only move her head to one side, her vision knee-high. Movement caught her eye. Her lungs nearly exploded with fear. In the distance the killer strolled down the street toward her.

Tommy Alexander!

Through the haze of blood-blurred eyes, Cindi watched Tommy spray the retreating red-and-white clad band members with a machinegun. Then, he turned it onto the stunned crowd.

* * * *

The nervous woman’s scream morphed into a throaty gurgle. Luke caught her before she fell, swung her up snug against his chest, and started to run. A thin shriek stopped him.

“Mommy! Mommy. You hurt my Mommy.” Her voice trilled terror in upper register. He turned to see her standing paralyzed at the sight of him holding her mother like a rag doll.

Luke closed his eyes in disbelief. He forgot the little girl!

“No! No. I didn’t hurt her. Come here, honey,” he coaxed the child toward him, his rumbling bass barely concealing his fear.

He would not mess up this time. This time no one would die. Gunfire continued in the background, a few bullets slapping too close.

The little girl took a halting step forward before retreating at the horrible sight of her mother hanging limp in his arms.

“Pumpkin.” Luke said, then hesitated, the word bittersweet in his mouth. He was stunned that he used the term of endearment. He had not uttered it in years; but, it rolled out easily, subconsciously.

“Pumpkin. You have to come with me,” Luke said softly, gingerly stepping toward the child. He saw blood in her platinum hair.

“Does your head hurt?”

She shook it side to side.

“Come.” Half command, half plea. “You have to come with me. Your Mommy needs help. We need to take her to the doctor. Right now!”

When the child hesitated, he commanded, “Look at me.” When the tearstained gaze met his, he continued. “I have to get your Mommy to the doctor and I can’t leave you here. It isn’t safe.” He relaxed his grip and extended a long finger for the child to grasp. “Hold my hand and I’ll get you and your mother to where it’s safe.”

The child’s wide eyes clutched at Luke’s heart like a molten vice grip.

“Promise?” she asked.

Luke swallowed deeply. For a moment, he toyed with an assortment of answers. “Yes,” he whispered, offering confidence he did not feel. “Yes. I promise.”

Despite the pandemonium surrounding them, Luke concentrated on her eyes-silently willing her to take his hand. The crowd surged backward, trampling upon itself, leaving Luke and the child exposed.

Chunks of lead slammed into the street sign only a few inches from Luke. He didn’t notice. His deep, bass voice coaxed the child forward as he inched toward her. She took a few tentative steps until she gingerly took his extended finger. Adobe exploded, concrete chunks filled the air, and the child shrieked.

“Don’t let go! Look at me.”

Rocky shrapnel peppered his face with tiny fragments. Ignoring the blood dripping down his face, Luke began to walk backwards, all the while talking to her. He existed in a false island of quiet amid the chaos of death, living in the narrow confines of the moment.

* * * *

It took only a few seconds for Tommy to empty the automatic weapon. He tossed the machinegun aside, and pulled a pistol. Cindi watched him scurry toward her, leaving more death in his wake. He paused over a moaning musician to deliver a coup de grace. The victim’s head dissolved in a spray of pink mist. Two steps and he stood over Ron Harrington, who weakly raised a hand to ward off the pending assassination.

The repercussion from the blast snapped Cindi's head into the pavement. Blood, bone, and tissue puffed into a frothy crimson ball, its residue settling like a filmy blanket over her head and shoulders.

“Why are you doing this?” she moaned. The two had been innocent sweethearts in the fifth grade. Tommy had always been a good friend. Startled at the sound of her voice, she mentally commanded her quivering body to remain still as she held her breath, and went limp. Tommy rolled Ron’s body from over her, the dead weight of his meaty arm caught hers, pulling her onto her back before his lifeless body was pushed clear. In a vacuum of terror, she lay prone with her eyes closed – playing dead.

Manic Monday with Nancy Fulda

2011-10-10T01:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome to another Manic Monday. Today I have the pleasure of having Nancy Fulda chatting about the connotations associated with the words we choose as writers.

Nancy Fulda learned to read under the auspices of the little boy across the street. She was three at the time; he was not much older. Since then, her writing has earned a Phobos Award, the Vera Hinckley Mayhew Award, and the Jim Baen Memorial Award.

Nancy has published stories in some of the most prestigious magazines in speculative fiction, including Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine and Jim Baen's Universe. Her nonfiction has appeared in venues such as Clarkesworld and Strange Horizons. She lives in Germany with her husband and three children.

A Demon by Any Other Name by Nancy Fulda

Words are funny things. They can be pernicious and slippery, especially when they are the building block of your trade and there's no way to predict whether your readers will interpret them the same way you do. I've seen the verb 'leer' applied to lecherous old men and innocently flirtatious teenage girls; clearly its meaning fluctuates with each writer.

Worse, some words are burdened by history. The word 'priest', for example, carries centuries of connotations, not all of them flattering. The word 'demon' will never completely escape its satanic origins, and will for that reason evoke powerful antipathy in some readers. Vampires, fairies, werewolves, sorcery; they are the bread and butter of mainstream fantasy fiction, and yet speculative fiction writers are shackled by the very words that give our stories life. I cannot write about deities without first separating the gods inhabiting my fictional world from the God reverenced in ours. I must also distance myself from the thousands of fictional gods encountered by my readers in thousands of novels available in bookstores around the world. In short, before I can communicate meaningful ideas through a historically-burdened word, I must first tear down large portions of what the reader thinks it means.

Software developers would describe these words as 'overloaded', which is a fancy way of saying they can take on multiple meanings depending on context. If my fictional rendition of the word closely parallels one of the meanings my reader is familiar with, I'm on reliable ground. One or two well-chosen details can guide the reader to the proper context, and the story can proceed apace.

If my fictional creatures don't fit conveniently into a mold -- if for example my vampires are a little bit like Stephanie Meyers and a little bit like Anne Rice's -- then I have wandered into enemy territory, and each wrong step may trigger a communication landmine.

What's an author to do?

Sometimes it's best to just grit your teeth and bear it. The emotional atmosphere provided by overloaded words can be extremely effective. Sometimes, however, it's best to let the reader build new connotations from scratch.

I first noticed this technique applied in Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion series. In it, her gods are called 'gods' and her demons are called 'demons' -- no surprise there. Her priests, however, are called 'divines'.

Being an avid Bujold fan, I had read Curse of Chalion at least three times before I realized what she had done. Once I caught on, I stared at the page for three full minutes, admiring her genius.

Bujold's divines are priests in every objective sense of the word. They act as messengers between their gods and the populace. They receive divine inspiration and lead holy rites. But if Bujold had actually used the word 'priest', I would have initially imagined either stoic, elaborately robed priests of a Catholic flavor or sword-and-sorcery style mace-weilders ready to do battle, neither of which matches the tone of Bujold's book. A master author like Bujold could have filed away at my preconceptions, of course. But since, in addition to being a good rollicking adventure, Curse of Chalion is also a theological treatise, Bujold's purposes were far better suited by building off a clean foundation.

Bujold used a similar technique in her Sharing Knife books, in which a creature that could easily have been described as a demon was called a malice instead. Other authors do it, too. Peter Brett's demons are called corelings. Amanda Hocking's Trylle are a cross between elves and trolls. The list goes on, but my key point is that instead of creating a fictional terminology, each of these authors appropriated real words (or orthographically similar approximations thereof).

Don't get me wrong. Fictional languages a la Tolkien are beautiful and well-respected in fantasy. Please do not interpret this as a diatribe against Klingon, Pravic, or any other invented lingua. But sometimes, you need to dissociate yourself from a word's history without constructing an entire culture or making your readers feel like they need a dictionary just to keep the characters' roles straight. In these situations, co-opting an existing word offers your readers a memorable substitute for the historically-burdened one. The objective meaning of the word transfers easily; the connotations stay behind.

To find out more about Nancy, please visit her at her website: http://www.nancyfulda.com/. In the meantime, here’s a quick look at her book DEAD MEN DON’T CRY:

Joseph Rannen is dead, and no one besides Morgan Kimball seems to believe he wasn't a traitor. With greedy Earth warships hovering overhead, Kimball has twelve hours to produce evidence that his friend and mentor was murdered, preferably without jeopardizing the colony's safety.

This whodunit mystery set on a distant colony planet was a finalist for the Writers of the Future Award. It is also included in the collection DEAD MEN DON'T CRY: 11 STORIES BY NANCY FULDA.

Thanks for swinging in today. Don’t forget I’m dishing it up with Sibel Hodge on Friday.

Until Then,
Ciao.
JET

Dishing it up with Christine Butler...

2011-10-07T01:00:00.002-04:00

Today I have the pleasure of dishing it up with Christine Butler. Christine was born in a Naval hospital in Virginia, and while she was staring into the doctor's eyes as he marveled at her exceptionally long umbilical cord, all she was thinking was , 'I need to write this stuff down so I don't forget it.'

Hey, believe what you want, that's her story and she’s sticking to it! As soon as she could pick up pencil and paper and get those stories and poems out of her head, she was doing it.

Her poor parents used to receive letters under their door when she was mad at them, explaining in great detail why she was so angry and how wonderful it would be when her rich parents came to take her away.

She never did find those "other" parents, and is so happy with how things turned out, because she has an awesome, if not slightly unhinged, family.

Christine currently reside in South Carolina with her four children.

JET: Can you tell us about Birthrights?

CB: Birthrights was the first book in The Awakening Trilogy. The second book in that trilogy, Revelations, is my most recent release. The trilogy follows two women (Caislyn Vadoma and Jaxon Delaney) in their early twenties as they discover hidden truths about themselves. They also find out that they are the center of a prophecy that has factions of other than humans hell bent on destroying them. All of this happens as Caislyn searches for her parents who were kidnapped in the beginning of book one.

Throughout the trilogy, the girls will learn more about themselves, their powers, and the prophecy that has them on the run. While Birthrights gives you the introduction to the alternate world in which they live and the characters themselves, Revelations drops you right into the heart of the story. Without giving away too much I will say there's a lot of love, action, and loss in Revelations. There are definitely darker moments, and a crisis of consciousness for both of the girls as their expanding powers are put to the test.

JET: What drew you to urban / paranormal fantasy?

CB: It's funny you ask this because I just answered this question for my kids today when they asked why I write what I do. Ever since childhood I would loose myself in my own little fantasy worlds with unicorns, faeries, and all the other sweet little magical creatures. By the time I was in second grade I took a trip to the local library in Baltimore, where some librarian who was definitely not paying attention, allowed me to check out Christine by Stephen King. Yes, I admit, I checked it out because the title was my name, but I thought the premise sounded cool too. I mean, who doesn't want an evil car named after them. Anyway, Mr. King introduced me to a very dark world. I was hooked after that. I still loved my magical beings, and at the same time I loved the dark, edgier side of things. Anne Rice became one of my favorite authors in high school for that very same reason and then I moved on to Laurel K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison, and a slew of other very talented authors who were writing about the worlds that I grew up creating in my own mind. It is by far my favorite genre for the simple fact that it's magical - so anything can happen - and anyone can be more than human.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

CB: I am my own biggest hurdle. I am an idea person! I come up with ideas all the time, getting to the finish line is the problem. (Don't worry - the ending to the trilogy is already there) Actually, I worked with a partner for Birthrights and it became the first full length novel that I was able to complete. I found it helped to have a cheerleader or a slave driver (depending on what was needed each day) to push me to finish. Now, I have an amazing support system that has helped to see me through my projects and give me those encouraging nudges when I need them.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

CB: My favorite moment actually has less to do with the books and more to do with the people I have met along the way. I mentioned that support system... I actually did a book review for a fabulous author, Patria Dunn Rowe. After I finished the review I wrote her about the formatting problems in her e-book. We started talking back and forth via e-mail exchanging everything from tips and tricks to links to new places that promote authors, and then we were talking about our lives. A friendship developed that I absolutely cherish. Patria and I talk nearly every day. We encourage each other with our latest ventures, I've helped her with book covers, and we're discussing a joint poetry venture when things slow down a bit for the both of us. I also ran into a great guy, Steven Novak, who designed my logo/banner for my Moonlit Dreams website. He's so amazingly talented it's scary! He invited me to come hang out with some other authors at the Literary Underground and I am oh so thankful, because they are a great bunch of people - and beyond talented!

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

CB: I think I already covered this one in a previous question, but I can expand a bit... Stephen King, for reasons already addressed. Anne Rice, for making being one of the first to make vampires something more than just a blood sucking monster. She gave her creations so many dimensions that you really didn't want to stop reading about them. Not to discount her Mayfair Witches stories, because those blew my mind when I first picked them up. I read a lot, in different genres though and I have to say that S.E. Hinton, who as a woman, wrote so aptly from a boy's perspective and Madeline Le'Engle who wrote the most amazing fantasy books ever have had their place in shaping where I want to go with my own writing too. There were many influences on my writing growing up.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

CB: I have always wanted to be a writer. I was writing my own stories and poems since early childhood. I grew up a military brat in a family that hopped from coast to coast every few years. To make matters worse, I was also painfully shy. So, I would lose myself in my own worlds. As soon as I learned how to write - the stories, poems, and everything else came flowing out. I took a few detours in life, and as I said before I was never one to finish larger projects. I could have been the flash fiction queen in my teen years if the world wide web had been as popular then as it is now!

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

CB: Hmmm... this is a tough one. I have undiagonsed/self diagnosed ADD. So, when I go to research I end up with a million and one tabs open in my Internet browser, because I will literally see something shiny on a page, click and then be off on some crazy clicking tangent. I have learned some of the most useless information from randomly clicking on links that I see. But every once in a while, I find a gem! The location of the Irish cottage where Caislyn and Jaxon end up in Birthrights was alive and well in my head when I wrote about it. It wasn't until I started working on Revelations that I actually went to look for the "town" nearest where the cottage was located. While I was searching, I actually found a rental cottage in Northern Ireland that was identical to what I was seeing in my head, down to the shutters on the house, the stream outside, the landscape. It was too perfect to be real, and I have vowed that one day - I will go stay in that cottage myself!

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

CB: While I love The Awakening Trilogy, I have to say my short story series, The VooDoo Follies. Okay, before you harp on me about the difference between short stories and novels, let me explain. The VooDoo Follies are six short stories, when put together in the compilation they become a novel. So, it qualifies! :) Anyway, I had this crazy idea for a story about a teenage zombie (from the zombie's perspective) one day when I was in the shower. Yeah, I know, who thinks of zombies in the shower? Me! Anyway, this story came at me out of nowhere when I was working on Revelations. So, when an idea hits me that hard, I put down everything else and go for it. When I started thinking about how the zombie was made my entire story changed into one of a teenage voodoo priestess in training and how she keeps screwing things up. (zombies still play their part - it's voodoo after all) So, my 16 year old daughter was the inspiration behind the main character, Seraphine. They are both walking accidents, but so loveable that people just laugh and keep on loving them. I wanted to put that into a character, because it's so endearing. The story just sprang forth from there. With a 16 year old in the house, I am privy to many a teenage drama so it wasn't hard to put a paranormal spin on it and the story became a labor of love for me. I am finished with the series now and the paperback compilation will be available in mid- October! I do miss Seraphine though, so I may bring her back in another series, later on down the road.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

CB: Get a support system! I started this thing with a writing partner who was too busy to help out with all the other things that needed to be done outside of the writing. There's editing, formatting, book cover design, promotions, websites, the list is never ending and I was one person trying to do it all. It was daunting and I nearly threw in the towel early on. Then, I started meeting people. Now, if I have a question, or concern, I can talk to other people who have been through it. Sometimes I even learn an easier way to get things done. I have people who will take a look at the stuff I write and give honest feedback. Everyone needs a good support system!

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

CB: Plastic (for the handles) I know - I'm a horrible person, but I can carry more groceries that way!

JET: Steak or Tofu?

CB: Steak

JET: Beach or Mountains?

CB: Depends on which personality is out to play that day. ;) I love them both, but since I like warmer waters I'll go with the beach.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

CB: Rock

JET: Leather or Lace?

CB: Leather

JET: Angels or Demons?

CB: Both please!

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

CB: I'm a huge fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, so cheesy B rated horror any day!

JET: Twilight or True Blood?

CB: True Blood

JET: Coffee or Tea?

CB: Coffee in the mornings, tea at night

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

CB: I am wrapping up The Awakening Trilogy and hopefully will have the third book, Incarnations, ready for publication by December of this year. It was originally slated for February 2012, but it has flowed out so smoothly, I have high hopes for an early release! Then, I am moving on to a Steampunk story I've had brewing on the back burner for a while. It should be a lot of fun!

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog.

CB: Thank you for having me!

JET: Folks, you can find out more about Christine Butler and her work at the following places:

My main website and the home of Moonlit Reviews (Christine's book review blog) http://www.moonlitdreams.org//

The Awakening Trilogy Website: http://awakeningtrilogy.moonlitdreams.org//

The VooDoo Follies Website: http://voodoofollies.moonlitdreams.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/M00nlitDreams

Next week I have Nancy Fulda and Siebel Hodge on tap. Have a great weekend!

Until then,

Ciao.

JET

Technology and Literacy - a guest blog by Stephanie Campbell

2011-10-05T01:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Hump Day!

I’ve got a special guest today, author Stephanie Campbell. She is the author of Poachers, which came out on September 30. She lives in Utah with an abnormal amount of pets and enjoys spending her free time, if she has any, day dreaming. She is still convinced she is a fairy, though doctors have tried to convince her otherwise. She dreams of being on the Today Show and Good Morning America. Beyond Poachers, she also has the following titles coming soon: P.S. I Killed My Mother, Tasting Silver, and Dragon Night.

Technology and Literacy By Stephanie Campbell

This generation is definitely different than any of the past. It has long since been the days of typewriters, handwritten letters, and onion skin manuscripts. Many believe that the technological advancements are leading to a decline in literacy as more gaming devices, cell phones, and music players are being introduced that distract from reading. In the old days, long before the internet, books were a very common form of entertainment. Now, blowing up a moaning zombie is but one click away.

But is literacy really declining because of technology? There are many things that people who believe that technology is the downfall of literacy have overlooked. Many of the things that we do during this technological age is writing based. People can be “writers” without being “authors.”

What is a text but dialogue? What is an email but a description of an event? These are forms of writing. Many people aren’t picking up a book as they used to, but they are using their cell phones. Some of the romanticism may be gone. “Thou art as fair as a flower.” has turned into “Yo girl, you are one sexy thing.” but writing is still writing.

There are many ways that people, especially teens, are expressing themselves in a literary manner without realizing it:
Texting
Emails
Diaries
Comments
Note Throwing (Yes, even in classroom settings.)

Basically, writing and reading is a part of everything that we do, whether we realize it or not. Like everything in life, the manner in which we express ourselves via words is changing, but that does not mean that it is lost.

Stephanie, thank you for swinging into my blog today. Folks, here’s the blurb for Poachers to whet your appetite…

Ronnie Toll has never played with other kids. He's never slept soundly throughout the night, turned a corner without checking first, or laughed for the sake of laughing. All Ronnie knows is a world of shadows and monsters. His mother and father, Marion and Leon, are the only ones by his side.

But all that is about to change when his mother is murdered by the monsters that only he can see. With his only safe haven crumbling around him, Ronnie becomes a poacher for the other side to help protect human civilization as he knows it. The problem is, he’s taking on more than he bargained for when he tangles with creatures that are larger than life—and himself.

Friday, I've got author Christine Butler on tap, don't forget to swing in and say hi!
Until then,
Ciao.
JET

Manic Monday with Nicki J. Markus

2011-10-03T01:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome to another Manic Monday.

I’ve got Nicki J. Markus on tap today. Nicki was born in England but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her fiancé. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a linguist with several languages under her belt. She writes a variety of fiction, especially paranormal and some of her work has been published by Wicked Nights Publishing and Silver Publishing.

In her spare time, she enjoys many other pursuits such as: reading, music, theatre, cinema, photography, sketching, cross stitch and web-design. She also has a keen interest in history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling and travel.

Creating a Character by Nicki J. Markus

Often in interviews or in discussions with friends, I get asked the same question: Where do you get inspiration for your characters?

If you’d asked me this a few months ago, I would have said they come to me on their own. Usually I get new story ideas at night when I am in bed with the lights off, in that final moment before I drop off to sleep. Most of my books started that way, with my mind just running through random things before sleep.

Lately though I have come to analyse this more and I would say now that most characters are the product of what I have been reading and watching lately. For example, in my up-coming release Day-Walker, one of the vampires is able to move about in the day. Not long before I had been watching a lot of True Blood and found myself wondering how the other vampires would react if one of their kind suddenly did have that power. It is that random thought that eventually led to the story-line behind Day-Walker.

At present I am mainly reworking an older story, but I do also have a new idea on the go that I have written the opening couple of scenes for. I was having trouble with my main male character as I have a good idea of the plot in this case, but am still hesitant about what characteristics he should have. Just lately I have been watching a lot of Supernatural and have become a complete Castiel fangirl. So now my thoughts about my own protagonist are blending more and more with him since he is in my mind a lot.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Of course my character cannot be Castiel. He is another’s character and the only way to actually write a story with him in would be to write fan fiction. But as I form my own character in my mind, I blend some of the ideas I already had for him with aspects that I like from Castiel’s personality, and characteristics one of my friends displays, and, voila, I can finally see him in front of me and know who he is and what he is like. He is not born complete but is rather an amalgamation of many other people and characters.

I think this is probably true about any author’s writing. No character can appear out of thin air after all. Rather they are generated from other characters the author has read and enjoyed, or people the author knows in real life. All the things a writer experiences, whether through reading or in their daily lives, are stored away and will one day reappear in one of their books. The statement “write what you know” is often overused these days, or used in the wrong way. It doesn’t mean that you should write about a car accident because you were involved in one, it means drawing on all your experiences of people as well as events —and that is how you create a well-rounded character.

Thanks for joining me today Nicki! Folks, you can find out more about Nicki J. Markus at the following places: http://www.nickijmarkus.com/ http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus

In the meantime, here’s a look at Nicki’s new novel Day-Walker...

When Darci spots a mysterious stranger at her latest concert, she is instantly smitten. Will is the perfect gentleman and seems to be everything she has been waiting for. But Will has a terrifying secret and soon Darci finds herself in grave peril. Will her love for him give her the strength she’ll need to prevail against overwhelming odds?

Will is drawn to Darci Madison from the moment she steps out onto the stage. He knows he shouldn’t approach her, knows his secret could put her in danger if he gets too close. But he also realizes that he cannot live without her. When his enemies learn of Darci’s existence and emerge from the shadows, Will must fight to save the woman he loves ... even though it may require the ultimate sacrifice.

For deep in the night, creatures are stirring in the darkness; creatures that long to infiltrate the light.

Join me later this week for Stephanie Campbell and another dishing session with Christine Butler on Friday to to end this fabulous first week in October.

Until then,
Ciao.
JET

October Already?

2011-10-01T12:00:00.002-04:00

Holy Shizzzz! It’s October, can you believe it? Where did the summer go?

Well, I’m sitting in my beach house chair for the last time this season and it is a little sad, so I took a look at the titles coming this month from my Backspace brethren as well as Novel Concept Publishing’s first non-owner release.

There’s something for everyone this month, including a chilling thriller coming from Novel Concept Publishing, just in time for Halloween!

HIDDEN EVIL by Bob Stewart (October 15, 2011)

After a drug-addled teenager turns the annual Battle of Flowers Parade into a bloodbath, Majorette Cindi Neff - photographed blood covered and screaming beside the body of a dead classmate - becomes the media symbol of the tragedy, and the object of cult leader Juan Otero’s obsession.

Soon after his burial, the gravesite of Cindi’s dead classmate is violated and Deputy Sheriff Nancy Neff, an expert in Afro-Caribbean religions, is called to the scene. Minister Luke Oeding, a representative for the bereaved family, joins Nancy in the investigation into this unimaginable crime.

In a deadly chess match of good versus evil, they plunge into the world of the South Texas drug cult and come face to face with Palo Mayombe, the darkest of the hidden religions. When Cindi Neff is kidnapped, Nancy and Luke race to save her from the clutches of the malevolent cult before she is sacrificed in an Easter Sunday Palo Mayombe ritual.

EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS by A.S. King (October 3, 2011)

Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn't ask to be the target of Nader McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.

But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?

Michael L. Printz Honor recipient A.S. King's smart, funny and boldly original writing shines in this powerful novel about learning to cope with the shrapnel life throws at you and taking a stand against it.

DANGEROUS TO KNOW by Tasha Alexander (September 27, 2011)

Set in the lush countryside of Normandy, France, this new novel of suspense featuring Lady Emily Hargreaves is filled with intrigue, romance, mysterious deaths, and madness.

Returning from her honeymoon with Colin Hargreaves and a near brush with death in Constantinople, Lady Emily convalesces at her mother-in-law’s beautiful estate in Normandy. But the calm she so desperately seeks is shattered when, out riding a horse, she comes upon the body of a young woman who has been brutally murdered. The girl’s wounds are identical to those inflicted on the victims of Jack the Ripper, who has wreaked havoc across the channel in London. Emily feels a connection to the young woman and is determined to bring the killer to justice.

Pursuing a trail of clues and victims to the beautiful medieval city of Rouen and a crumbling château in the country, Emily begins to worry about her own sanity: She hears the cries of a little girl she cannot find and discovers blue ribbons left in the child’s wake. As Emily is forced to match wits with a brilliant and manipulative killer, only her courage, keen instincts, and formidable will to win can help her escape becoming his next victim.

BABY DUST: A NOVEL by Deanna Roy (October 1, 2011)

The five women sitting in the circle of chairs all had great dreams of motherhood.

Then their babies died.

Melinda sees blood on the floor every day after her loss. Dot believes the wrath of God caused her baby to die.

Teenage Tina is trolling internet dating sites for a father for another baby, and Janet's failure to cry means her wedding is off. Stella, the support group leader, must help them while facing the old choices that cost her ever having a family of her own.

Based on the stories of dozens of real survivors, Baby Dust is a moving tribute to the strength of mothers who must endure this impossible loss.

Thanks for swinging by and enjoy these new titles!

Until next time,

Ciao

JET

Dishing it up with Amy Corwin...

2011-09-30T01:00:00.001-04:00

Today I have the pleasure of dishing it up with Amy Corwin. Amy is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America and recently joined Mystery Writers of America. She has been writing for the last ten years and managing a career as an enterprise systems administrator in the computer industry. She writes Regencies, historicals, mysteries, and contemporary paranormals. To be truthful, most of her books include a bit of murder and mayhem since she discovered that killing off at least one character is a highly effective way to make the remaining ones toe the plot line.

Amy’s books include the two Regency romances, SMUGGLED ROSE, and LOVE, THE CRITIC; three Regency romantic mysteries, I BID ONE AMERICAN, THE BRICKLAYER’S HELPER, and THE NECKLACE; and her first paranormal, VAMPIRE PROTECTOR.

Join her and discover that every good mystery has a touch of romance.

JET: Can you tell us about A Rose before Dying?

Amy: “A Rose Before Dying” was such a thrill for me to write. I have been researching and growing old garden roses since 1998 and when I got the idea for the book, I was so excited I couldn’t wait to write it. I had already developed the idea of a Regency inquiry agency called Second Sons, run by Knighton Gaunt. I wanted to have the freedom to introduce other characters, but still have a connection between the stories. In “A Rose Before Dying” Charles Vance picks up the threads of an investigation when his uncle, Sir Edward, is implicated in a murder. The clues are roses and Charles is thrust into the role of detective to clear his uncle’s name and stop the next killing when the murderer sends another rose as a warning that he’s not quite done, yet.

For those interested, here is a brief blurb about the book.

Only Sir Edward had the motive, the opportunity, and a garden full of the roses sent to each victim before their death.

The first victim was Sir Edward's ex-mistress, a woman who threw him over for a younger man. After receiving a mysterious rose, she dies while alone with Sir Edward. Then a second rose is delivered and a deadly game commences, where roses are the only clues to save the next victim.

However, Charles Vance, Earl of Castlemoor, refuses to believe his uncle, Sir Edward, could commit the murders, even when the renowned head of the Second Sons Inquiry Agency warns him there may be some truth behind the rumors. “The roses are Sir Edward's attempt to cast suspicion elsewhere.” “Misdirection.” Or so the whispers say.

Convinced he can prove his uncle's innocence, Vance enlists the aide of notable rosarian, Ariadne Wellfleet, little realizing his actions will involve the Wellfleet household in the killer's game.

Before the week is out, Charles receives another rose.

And someone else is missing.

JET: What drew you to paranormal romance and contemporary and historical mysteries?

Amy: I love them. They make me happy and provide challenges to me as a writer that I still find exciting. I think reading Barbara Michaels and Georgette Heyer really solidified my goals for me. I want to be like them. With perhaps a soupcon of H.H. Munro’s dry wit thrown in.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

Amy: Figuring out what I wanted to write, and how to write it. For years, I tried to fit the mold of “Romance Writer”. I wanted to be a “Romance Writer” because I was intimidated by the thought of trying to write a mystery. But my heart was in the mystery genre and it wasn’t until I finally decided to move firmly into that genre that I found success.

You must follow your heart, even if the path ahead terrifies you.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

Amy: Oddly enough, it wasn’t what most folks describe. It wasn’t “the call” or signing my first contract. It was finding a critique group of women who were just as driven as I was to succeed. They were warm, welcoming, and gave generously of their time and support. So here’s to: Charlotte Featherstone, Kristina Cook, and Monica Burns. They are all wonderful authors and their success is well-deserved.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

Amy: Barbara Michaels, Georgette Heyer, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Andre Norton, H.H. Munro…the list goes on and on. I haunted the library and a used bookstore that sold books for the phenomenal price of 25 cents. I’m afraid my reading habits didn’t do my favorite authors much good, but it let me enjoy a huge variety of books that I could never have done otherwise.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

Amy: I always knew I wanted to be a writer. I wrote my first story when I was seven. It just took me a while to get a grip on it and actually get published.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

Amy: One year, I ordered close to 100 old garden roses. That was insane and I’m currently reaping what I sowed in trying to keep a garden that is far too large under control.  At least the weeds are prospering. But my interest in the history of roses led to “A Rose Before Dying” so while my back may ache, I can’t regret it.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

Amy: “The Vital Principle” because it’s truest to my internal voice. It’s a mystery, but there are tiny flashes of humor and a hint of romance with more to come. I loved Pru and Knighton and am currently working on their next story. I think these two characters resonate with me because they reflect my own internal conflict. Pru believes in shades of gray and the concept that there are many “truths” depending upon your perspective. Knighton believes there is one, universal truth. I’m torn between the two perspectives and the interplay of these two characters lets me explore this moral argument.

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

Amy: Write. And then listen. Nothing you write is perfect. Be willing to listen to suggestions, complaints, and editors. They may not be right on target with their comments, but give them a chance. They might spark that change in your manuscript that will turn a good book into a brilliant one.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

Amy: China. It’s reusable. LOL

JET: Steak or Tofu?

Amy: Steak. I’m allergic to soy beans.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

Amy: Both.  Totally depends upon my mood.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

Amy: Alternative.  Okay, I’m weird, but…I am what I am.

JET: Leather or Lace?

Amy: Lace.

JET: Angels or Demons?

Amy: Humans. Definitely humans. The others present too many existential dilemmas.

JET: Paper or Digital?

Amy: Digital.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

Amy: Both. I love “The Sheik” but I also adore anything coming out of Hammer Studios that features Christopher Lee and Barbara Steele. I love dear Barbara.

JET: Twilight or True Blood?

Amy: Huh? How about the original Dark Shadows? 

JET: Coffee or Tea?

Amy: Both. Coffee in the morning. Iced Earl Grey in the afternoon. Ta.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

Amy: I’m desperately working on a novella for the holidays, Christmas Spirit. It’s only taken me two years to write it, LOL. By the time you read this, it should be in the claws—er, hands—of an editor. I’ve just submitted “A Fall of Silver” to my publisher, The Wild Rose Press, and I’m praying they like the submission. It’s a paranormal romance and is a lot more hard-edged than most of my other books. Wish me luck!

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Amy Corwin and her work at the following places:

Author website: http://www.amycorwin.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmyCorwinAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/amycorwin

Blog: http://amycorwin.blogspot.com/

myspace: http://www.myspace.com/amycorwin

Amazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLY7MI

Join me next week when I have Stephanie Campbell and Christine Butler on tap in addition to the list of October releases to watch for.
Until then,
Ciao,
JET

The Unforeseen Perks of Having an Office by Christiana Miller

2011-09-25T21:03:00.000-04:00

Folks, today I have the pleasure of handing my blog over to author and Backspace member Christiana Miller...

THE UNFORESEEN PERKS OF HAVING AN OFFICE

By Christiana Miller

Whenever I heard of an author who had an office where they went to, to write, I was always torn. Part of me felt envious they had that luxury. Part of me felt like it was a scandalous waste of money, unless they were a best-selling author who could afford it.

Until the day I was looking for an apartment in a better school district. This may not have been the neighborhood we lived in, but it was the neighborhood we had spent all our time in since my daughter was born, where she went to preschool, and where her friends lived. It was where I wanted her to continue her schooling.

The bad news was that the only apartment we could afford had been rented. The good news was, as I was walking out of the realtor's office, I noticed an office had just come up for rent, in the district I was looking for, for one-third the price of the apartment.

So, I checked it out. It was tiny, but lights and a/c were included in the rent and, best of all, the previous tenant was willing to leave the office completely furnished. So I rented it. And since I had started a publishing brand to publish my own books, it was easy to move the business into the new office location.

It was probably the best decision I ever made. So what were the perks, you ask?

PERK #1:

A better school district. If you own a business or are an employee in a better school district, you may be able to use that to get your kid on that district's waiting list as well as have your child released from the district you live in.

For us, the week before school started, we got a phone call telling us that my daughter had been moved from the waiting list to the active list, and would be starting school with all her friends.

However, you will need to start this process fairly early in the summer, as it takes time to get your business license, publicize your DBA, schedule your fire inspection, fulfill any insurance obligations on the business, etc.

PERK #2:

Unexpected pets! This may not be the case with you, but our first day at the office, my daughter noticed that we were sharing the space with a two foot long (from snout to end of tail) alligator lizard. Her name is Flower and the only thing she'll eat (so far) is McDonald's side salad and whatever bugs wander in. Flower has the run of the office and is pretty sure we're squatters.

PERK #3:

Tax deductions. You can deduct the business expenses and office rent from your taxes. And it won't raise the IRS red flags that trying to deduct a home office does. It's relatively easy to get a Federal Tax ID (your banker can even do it as you watch) and set up a business banking account. As a bonus, once you have both a business and personal account with your bank, you'll usually qualify for free upgrades and perks.

However, there are a lot of unexpected expenses that go along with setting up a business and renting office space, so make sure to keep good records. Your first month will (most likely) be your most expensive.

PERK #4:

Space!!! Most people can manage to carve out an office for themselves in their homes, using an extra room. However, when we downsized our apartment, we no longer had any extra space in our new place.

Now, I can move all the writing books, paper reams, office equipment, research materials, and filing cabinets that used to clutter up my home and keep them in the office.

I'm still in the process of doing this, but I'm looking forward to being able to reclaim my dining room as a dining room. And my bedroom. Once this office-stuff type of de-cluttering is done, I can turn my focus to the hordes of toys that are slowly devouring our living room.

PERK #5:

Dedicated writing time. My husband works at home and I never realized how much my writing was affected by having to compete with all the distractions of child, spouse, internet, TV, phone, doorbell, etc. I remember kidding around that I had gotten so used to writing when PBS Sprout and Nick Jr. were on, I now had to turn on kid's cartoons to summon the muse.

Once I got the office, however, this is what I started to notice:

I'd get my daughter ready for school, drop her off and head to the office. Since I don't have any internet access there, or TV, or even a land-line, all I can do is sit down and write. So I do. I write.

I open the blinds. I write some more. I look for the alligator lizard. I write some more.

When I would normally stop for the day, thinking that I'm just about all tapped out… I look at the clock and notice that school's nowhere near over for the day.

Since I have nothing else to do, I sit back down and I write some more. This time, when I stop, I'm absolutely convinced that the muse has left the building.

So I get up, stretch, look for the alligator lizard, stretch some more and…

I still have time left.

So I sigh and I sit back down to the computer. Hearing the desperation in my call, the muse comes back in from her break, and we start again.

For every day I spend writing in the office, I get about a week's worth of work done, compared to how much I do when I work at home, surrounded by TV, people and internet temptations!

PERK #6:

The comfort of a schedule. If I spend the day writing in the office, I don't feel guilty for not writing at home. Now, I can use that time to play with my daughter or clean our home, or work on marketing, or organize writing events. Without the constant guilt that accompanies the thought "I could be/should be writing."

So, while having a dedicated office space was something I thought would always be a dream, I'm very glad it has become a reality.

About the author: Christiana Miller is a novelist, screenwriter and mom who's led an unusual life. In addition to writing for General Hospital: Night Shift and General Hospital, she's had her DNA shot into space (where she's currently cohabiting in a drawer with Stephen Colbert and Stephen Hawking), and she's been the voices of all the female warriors in Mortal Kombat II and III. If her life was a TV show, it would be a wacky dramedy filled with eccentric characters who get themselves into bizarre situations.

Miller recently started a publishing company (HekaRose Publishing) and wrote/published her first novel, Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead, available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Diesel, Smashwords. Check out her website at: http://www.christianamiller.com/ or like her author page on Facebook. You can also find her on Twitter at @writechristiana.

Excerpt From "Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead"

At the beginning of this whole, surreal journey, I had no idea you could be evicted from your body as easily as you could be booted out of your apartment. Easier, actually, since there's none of those pesky laws in place to protect you. But it all started out so innocently. . . With a streak of bad luck.

One of the problems with being a witch is when you ask the universe a question, it generally gives you an answer. Or just enough of one to ruin a perfectly good week.

But since it was my birthday. . .

And since I was an eternal optimist. . .

And mostly 'cause I was stuck at the longest red light in the history of traffic, with nothing else to do. . .

I dug my tarot deck out of my purse and pulled three cards for the coming year.

Death.

Three of Swords.

The Tower.

Transformation. Sorrow. Change through destruction. Happy birthday to me.

Damn it. I shouldn't have looked. You'd think I'd know better by now. Damn tarot cards always suckered me into peeking into my future and I just about always regretted it. Because the hell of it was. . .

They were usually right.

After a quick stop at Trader Joe's, I was finally home. I propped the grocery bag on my hip, wrestled open the wrought iron gate and placed my hand on my mailbox. Mara Stephens, Apt 1-C.

I stood for a second, hoping my unemployment check was in there and tried to read the vibes. This was a game I always played with myself -- a small psychic exercise to keep my 'sight' sharp. But I didn't feel any sense of urgency or hope. Just a whopping dose of dread.

Great. So my guess was no check, but at least one major bill I'd have to pay. I unlocked the box and quickly sorted through the mail. Sure enough -- a sale flyer from the Crooked Pantry, a birthday card from a temp agency and a pink notice from the Dept. of Water and Power.

Good thing I had plenty of candles to fall back on. And a swimming pool. Maybe I could shower over the drain in the courtyard, with the garden hose. People washed their dogs there all the time. And my shampoo was considerably less toxic than flea dip.

Tucked into the back of the mailbox was a reminder about the rent. At least that was one thing I didn't need to worry about. Lenny knew I was good for it. How much longer I'd be able to pay the rent though. . . That thought made me queasy.

Suddenly, a wave of panic hit my stomach and clenched it hard. Forget crawling, gooseflesh positively raced across my arms. I struggled to breathe. Whatever was wrong, it all seemed to be coming from the direction of my apartment.

I dropped my mail into the grocery bag and peeked around the corner of the mail stand. Behind the screen door, my front door was wide open.

Shit! I ducked back behind the mailboxes and fumbled through my purse for my cell phone.

I flipped open the phone and hit 9-1-1.

Busy.

I hung up and tried again.

Still busy.

Bloody hell. No wonder the crime rate was so high in Los Angeles. I didn't know what the non-emergency number was, so I decided to call my home phone and warn the intruder to clear out.

If I was lucky, it would just be a break-in. A simple case of anonymous robbery. I'd warn them that I was on my way home and they'd hit the road with their haul.

But as I punched in the first three digits, the phone beeped, the battery icon blinked and the screen went black.

Damn it. I shoved the phone back into my purse and took another look at my apartment. The living room lights had been turned on against the gathering dusk. But why would robbers turn on the lights? Didn't that negate the whole idea of stealth?

I crept closer. That's when I saw Mrs. Lasio, the new building manager, planted like a bull in my living room.

Great. Just freaking great. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't it have been some whacked-out crack-head carting off my TV?

~~~~~~~

If you enjoyed this excerpt, you can get the full story at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Diesel, or Smashwords.

Until next time,
Ciao
JET

Dishing it up with Gerald Rice

2011-09-23T07:44:00.000-04:00

Today I have author Gerald Rice in the house.

JET: Can you tell us about Fleshbags?

Gerald: Fleshbags is about a minor zombie outbreak in the industrial section of a major city in Metro Detroit. There are five sets of people who are dealing with this situation in their own ways—a father who’s trying to get to his young daughter, a home health-aide who just wants to go home at the end of her shift, an ex-con who’s trying to get out of town, a teacher who just wants to escape her students, and a cop tasked with keeping everything under control.

JET: What drew you to fantasy and horror?

GERALD: What pushed me to fantasy and horror was my mother. She took me too all kinds of age-inappropriate movies. She took me to see Creepshow after I got out of class when I was in kindergarten. She was a huge Stephen King fan and had all his books in hardcover. When I was about twelve or so she gave me Eyes of the Dragon and really turned me on to reading horror.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

GERALD: Probably cultivating an original idea. When I first started trying to write for publication I wrote a zombie story and submitted it to Cemetery Dance. I thought it was revolutionary at the time, but in the form letter they sent rejecting me, one of the possible reasons they had for rejection was the exact thing I’d done in my story.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

GERALD: Seeing my name in print. It was on-line, but still a thrill. Either Alien Skin Magazine or Nocturnal Ooze, can’t remember which, but they had actually rejected my story originally, but gave reasons why and encouraged me to resubmit. I saw what they found wrong and once I’d redrafted it was a better story.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

GERALD: Stephen King, obviously, but F. Paul Wilson was a major player. I read his Freakshow anthology when I was a teenager and my mother bought me The Keep. Honestly, that one was too difficult for my thirteen year old brain and I put it down. I think I wound up reading it when I was seventeen, but that was after Reprisal and Reborn. Other than those two guys, I’d say Al Sarrantonio and Thomas Disch.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

GERALD: I don’t know that it was ever one point; it was more a gradual thing. The more I read, the more I wanted to write. I remember writing a story in 2nd grade as a class project and we bound our own books with string. Mine was about two witches named Yvonne and Yvette, but I have no clue what they did in it.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

GERALD: I never did anything remotely close to what that guy did in Stuart Connelly’s Red Coyote Weekend, but one thing I did find out is there are documented cases of people bleeding from the pores in highly stressful situations.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

GERALD: You’re putting me in a real Sophie’s Choice situation here.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

GERALD: Write what you love and you’ll never fail. It might take a while before you to succeed, but if you dedicate yourself to improving your writing by learning from the books you read you can get there.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

GERALD: Plastic.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

GERALD: Steak.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

GERALD: Beach.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

GERALD: Rock-n-Roll.

JET: 2012 Mayan Prophecy Believer or Ain’t Gonna Happen?

GERALD: Ain’t gonna happen.

JET: Angels or Demons?

GERALD: Angels by default. They’re probably just as scary.

JET: Paper or Digital?

GERALD: Paper.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

GERALD: Cheesy B-rated horror.

JET: Sword wielding ninja or Gun toting momma?

GERALD: Sword-wielding ninja.

JET: Coffee or Tea?

GERALD: Tea, preferably rooibos.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

GERALD: Got a few things in the pot. I should be working on the follow-up to my first novel, but I just came up with an idea too intriguing to ignore (I blogged the first few entries of Dead Right on my website). Then after that I may either start on a Christmas horror novella or a collaboration project I decided to go it alone on.

JET: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about Gerald Rice and his work at the following places: You can follow me on Twitter @GeraldRice, like the Gerald Rice fan page, or go to my website, http://www.feelmyghost.webs.com/.

Until next week

Ciao

JET

Manic Monday with K.J. Morgan

2011-09-19T01:15:00.002-04:00

The story of how K.J. Morgan came to be a guest here today is quite amusing. I won an e-book giveaway of The Burn on Goodreads and uploaded that puppy onto my Kindle along with over a dozen submissions for Allegory e-zine. The Burn happened to land in the middle of the submission pile – I’m sure you can guess where I’m going with this - you can well imagine my delight as I began to read this brilliant – and I mean stellar brilliant, like a super nova brilliant – submission to our e-zine.

When I discovered it WASN’T a submission, I was a little bummed. This sucker was already in print. Dang, I would have loved to be the e-zine that discovered this gem.

Needless to say, I gave it a five star review and shot a note off to Ms. Morgan asking if she would be willing to write a little something for Manic Monday. I was thrilled when she accepted.

So without further delay, I give you K.J. Morgan!

Counterculture Fiction; the Art of Burning Man

What is it about Burning Man? A gathering of over 50,000 in the Black Rock Desert, dressed in sequins, leather, paint, dust, nothing…seeking something, seeking anything. It happens for art’s sake, or for the sake of a rave, of freedom, of exhibition. There are art cars and art camps, DJs, alcohol, drugs, sex, politics, drama and mayhem. But, most of the time, it’s about a group of friends on a road trip, someone breaking up, someone cheating, someone realizing who they are, someone letting go…a neon-laced journey of wonders that culminates in a flaming effigy sacrificed to youth, glory and a shattered, humanized image of the American dream.

Trivial? Surely. Idiotic? Definitely. But also more, always more. There is a supernatural quality to a pale stretch of desert, a burning sky at sunset, shadows cast against a neon glow. At Burning Man, this is especially true. Your demons rise to the surface, called forth by the very air of temptation, of reckless abandon. And your ghosts. The people you’ve left behind. The people you’ve wronged. The people you’ve loved. They whisper from warbled mirrors and hookah smoke, from faces that remind you of one night, one moment, that surprising murmur, that last kiss.

When I set out to write a Burning Man paranormal romance, I wanted to incorporate that particular feeling, the sense that the Black Rock Desert serves a kind of supernatural purpose, as a crossroads of sorts. The story, The Burn, threads together a little BM philosophy and scenery with a touch of pure horror, and a peppering of hot romance. It’s a dark adventure through a modern day garden of delights, where not everyone is human.

Ironically, that’s a far easier premise than trying to explain the real event, the bizarre merging of surreal and mundane, the crystallization of imagery and meaning. In 2004, I said goodbye to a marriage while on the playa. In 2005, a camp member and friend passed away during the event, leaving me with nightmares that have lasted to this day. In all honestly, I’ve sat the last few years out. Will I go again? As long as I can still fit in the feathered bikini, and paint glitter on my face, the answer is ‘yes’. What will I find there? A demon or two, I expect. But then, as an author, you can’t run from those, can you?

Thanks for joining us today and don't forget to pick up your copy of The Burn here at Amazon!

Friday I'm dishing it up with author Gerald Rice - swing in and say hi if you get the chance!

Until then,
Ciao.
JET

Dishing it up with George Everyman

2011-09-16T01:01:00.002-04:00

Today I’m dishing it up with George Everyman. George is indeed everyman. He struggles with marriage and he struggles to understand the female perspective. If you're a man who has been in a relationship for a while, you will be able to relate to him in many ways. And if you're a woman who wants to take a peek into a man's mind, this is your chance.

JET: Can you tell us about I'm George, mwm, 52?

George: I'm not a writer by trade but some interesting events in my life and my wife's life must have sparked something deep in my psyche and the book just kind of wrote itself. It took 37 days to write which, ironically, is the same number of days that my e-affair with Lara lasted.

JET: What drew you to contemporary romance and humor?

George: Well, romance and humor are the closest genres that I can associate with this book, but it's really hard to pigeon hole this kind of book into a specific type. And it's probably helpful to know that I wasn't writing it for any specific audience. I was writing it to sort out some things in my mind. One reviewer said: "This is memoir/comedy/tragedy/self-help and it should be viewed as a mixture of all of them".

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

George: There weren't any hurdles, really. A friend had written a book and there was an article in the local paper about how he published through Smashwords, so I did the same and it was pretty easy. Of course, I had (and have) no intention of contacting the local newspaper because if my wife Abby were to find out about the book and actually read it, I'd be in deep, deep trouble.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

George: It was pretty darn cool to see the book 'out there' and have people actually downloading and reading it.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

George: I loved Dr. Doolittle as a kid.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

George: Shortly after I found out about my wife's affair.

JET: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

George: Well, in kind of a convoluted way, you could say that my e-affair was 'research'.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

George: This is the only one I have written.

JET: Any advice for the novices out there?

George: Oh yes. Plenty. Everyone has at least one story to tell, so tell it. But, in the process, from the very beginning, tell the truth. Sure, if you have to cover some things up to not cause huge problems with your spouse or friends or family, that's OK. But it's not OK to try and please everyone with what you think they might expect from you. If you are trying to please anyone with your books, you are missing the point. Don't write for others, write for yourself.

JET: All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

George: Paper comes from trees, naturally. Plastic wreaks havoc with nature.

JET: Steak or Tofu?

George: Steak with a blue cheese tofu sauce on top.

JET: Beach or Mountains?

George: Mountains in the summer. The beach in winter.

JET: Country or Rock-n-Roll?

George: Bluegrass

JET: Leather or Lace?

George: Leather. It smells and feels so good.

JET: Angels or Demons?

George: God, I wish Angels would talk to me. There are no demons.

JET: Paper or Digital?

George: Paper.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

George: Number one.

JET: Sword wielding ninja or Gun toting momma?

George: Give me Bogey.

JET: Coffee or Tea?

George: Coffee with cream and sugar.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

George: The super brain (we all have one) is working on something but it's not giving me much right now about the scope of it. However, when it's ready, it will come at me like a locomotive, I'm sure.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about George Everyman and his work at the following places:

Smashwords Nook Kindle

Next week, I’ve got K.J. Morgan on my Manic Monday series and Gerald Rice dishing it up next Friday.

Until then,
Ciao.
JET.

Gut-Level Research by Toni Dwiggins

2011-09-12T01:15:00.003-04:00

Welcome to another Manic Monday and a guest post from Toni Dwiggins. Toni is neither a geologist nor a nuke worker.

She’s always worked with words: script typist at a motion picture studio, research clerk at university libraries, proofreader for a textbook company, copy-editor for that company, and finally textbook writer for same company. From there, she went freelance.

She’s done magazine work, both fiction and non. She’s author of a US history text and contributed to texts in the sciences, including earth science. She’s done tech-writing for the Silicon Valley computer industry. Her techie experience hatched an idea that became her first novel, about an attempt to sabotage the nation’s telephone system (INTERRUPT, published by TOR Books).

Her latest book BADWATER is now available on Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

Without further adieu – here’s Toni…

GUT-LEVEL RESEARCH

So there’s this crime fiction writer who gets involved with a real-life hitman, and the hitman recounts his true visceral experiences as story material for the writer. The writer comes to want to live it himself, and nearly does.

It was movie, a Russian flick called GHOST, and it got me thinking about what makes a story feel gut-level real.

So I decided to run an experiment. I chose two scenes I’d written, from two different books: one inspired by a real-life experience, one totally made up. Both scenes were intended to give the reader a few shivers—or least keep the pages turning.

I showed the scenes to a friend who’d not read either book (some friend!;) and asked which one she thought came from something I’d experienced in real life.

Scene #1 (from BADWATER, the first in my Forensic Geology series): the bad guy is in a slot canyon in Death Valley, having just watched the chaos his act of sabotage caused, and now he’s getting the hell away from the scene before he gets caught. He’s already jumpy and suddenly there comes a low-pitched roaring sound, from upcanyon. He’s desert-wise and knows it could be a flash flood coming, caused by summer storms in the watershed above. And there’s no way to escape—the canyon walls are vertical and he can’t outrun a flood. The sound intensifies. And then around the upcanyon bend comes something totally unexpected: a black twisting whirlwind of soil and pebbles. It seems alive, snaking its way down the twisting slot canyon without touching the walls. It screams. The bad guy presses himself against the canyon wall and the whirlwind just grazes him as it passes. A flood would have drowned him. This thing spooks the hell out of him.

Scene #2 (from VOLCANO WATCH, second in the series, to be released within a couple of months): the protagonist (of both books) Cassie Oldfield is returning to her hometown, which has just been evacuated under the threat of an eruption. She’s returning in search of her partner, who she believes is stranded there. She’s returning on skis, coming in cross country via a steep canyon. (I like canyons) There’s a sudden low-pitched roaring sound (I like scary sounds) and, in wonder and terror, she sees a slab of snow detach from the canyon wall and descend upon her. Avalanche. It catches her, tumbles her, envelopes her. Buried with only a small air pocket, she must dig her way out. But the snow is like ice. She thinks she’ll die. And then mother nature throws her a rope: there’s an earthquake, cracking the icy snow roof enough that she can escape. Of course, she escapes into more trouble….

My friend says, without hesitation, #2 came from your real-life experience. Hey, I say, I’ve never experienced a volcanic eruption. She qualifies; but you’re a skier and you’ve skied the back country in heavy snow. Hey, I say, I’ve never been buried in an avalanche. She qualifies; yeah but I saw you take a nasty fall in deep powder and you were, technically, buried. Well yes, about half an inch deep.

Scene #1, I tell her, came from a real-life experience. Me in a slot canyon in Death Valley, alone, mindful of the warnings about sudden flash floods. And then the noise, and the devilish black whirlwind. My friend stares. That’s just too weird to be real. I shrug. It happened.

For scene #2, I got on the net and googled ‘avalanche’ and read about other people’s harrowing true-life experiences.

So my take-away is this: experience something exciting/crazy/spooky in real life and it would be a crime not to use it in a story. Need something exciting/crazy/spooky in a story that I haven’t experienced—do the research.

As long as it doesn’t involve impersonating a hitman.

* * * *

And just to give you all a peek into her new book – here’s the blurb for BADWATER:

Forensic geologists Cassie Oldfield and Walter Shaws embark on a perilous hunt--tracking a terrorist who has stolen radioactive material that is hotter than the desert in August. He threatens to release it in America's most fragile national park, Death Valley.

But first he must stop the geologists who are closing in.

As the hunt turns dangerous, Cassie and Walter will need grit along with their field skills to survive this case. For they are up against more than pure human malice. The unstable atom--in the hands of an unstable man--is governed by Murphy's Law. Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

And it does.

To find out more about Toni, visit her at her website.

Friday I’ve got George Everyman on tap, so swing in and enjoy!

Until then,

Ciao.

JET

Dishing it up with J.H. Bogran

2011-09-09T01:15:00.000-04:00

Today, I have the pleasure of dishing it up with J.H. Bogran. José, born and raised in Honduras, is the son of a journalist and he ironically prefers to write fiction rather than fact. José is the author of TREASURE HUNT, the first in the series of a professional thief who goes by the handle of The Falcon. Other works include short stories THE OUTPOST and LOVE ME TWO TIMES, published by Red Rose Publishing. The novel HEREDERO DEL MAL, is a thriller published by Editorial Letra Negra.

He’s a contributing editor to The Big Thrill magazine; co-screenwriter for two TV serials and writes movie reviews for Honduran newspaper La Prensa and is also a member of the International Thriller Writers.

JET: José, can you tell us about Treasure Hunt?

José : For starters, the story is set in the late 90’s, so don’t question the absence of blackberries or ask for The Falcon’s twitter account. :-)

During the late 70’s Bill Porter hijacked a jetliner, demanded ransom and made a narrow escape to a small country in Central America. Twenty years later, he’s about to be released from prison and hires The Falcon to retrieve the stolen money. However, Bill’s former cellmate, Jack Davis, is after the money, too.

Additionally, I wrote a short prequel, Absolution Withheld that introduces the characters of The Falcon and Father Daniel Weiss.

JET: What drew you to thrillers?

José : The excitement, the thrills, the insurmountable odds against the main character; all of these drew me to thrillers led by the Clive Cussler, Ken Follett, Robert Ludlum among others.

JET: What’s been your most challenging hurdle on the road to publication?

José : To learn the craft enough to get a sympathetic publisher who was willing to take me in.

JET: What was your favorite moment in the journey?

José : The first e-mail from a reader; and my spam filter almost takes it away from me! To read a stranger’s liking to my writing was a wonderful experience.

JET: Which authors had the most influence over you growing up?

José : During my teens: Arthur Connan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Mario Puzo. During my twenties when I first decided to write: Ken Follett, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler and Robert Ludlum; the made it look so easy.

JET: When did you know you wanted to take the plunge into the writing world?

José : I’m always been sort of a story-teller, but it was during my mid-twenties that I seriously considered writing for more than just fun.

JET:What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of book research? Most interesting fact you uncovered?

José : While researching for my next novel, I wrote an email to a museum requesting them to let me sit on the seats of a plane they had on display. They refused politely, so I’ll have to go on imagination.

JET: Of all the novels and stories you’ve written - which one is your favorite? Why?

José : At the risk of sounding much like a cliché, I don’t have a favorite. Honestly, it is like asking me who of my three sons I love the most.

JET: Any advice (from a writer’s standpoint) for the novices out there?

José : Don’t give up the dream. Keep writing, submitting and most important, learn from your mistakes.

JET:All right - now that I’ve hammered you with the big questions, let’s tackle my favorite (and geeky) quick ten. . . starting with: Paper or Plastic?

José : Paper.

JET:Steak or Tofu?

José : Steak. Has anybody ever answered Tofu?

JET:Beach or Mountains?

José : Mountains to live, Beach for a day trip.

JET:Country or Rock-n-Roll?

José : Rock-n-roll, baby!

JET:Horror or Comedy?

José : Both!

JET:Top 10 best seller or Unknown Back Shelf Find?

José : Dangerous Fortune, Gone with the Wind, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, The Godfather, Sahara, The Bourne Identity, The Road to Gandolfo, Travesuras de la Niña Mala, Cien Años de Solidad.

JET:Paper or Digital?

José : Undecided.

JET: Silent Film Classics or Cheesy B Rated Horror?

José : Either is fine, depending on the company and current mood.

JET:2012 Mayan Prophecy Believer or Ain’t Gonna Happen?

José : Come on! It ain’t happening!

JET:Coffee or Tea?

José : Coffee, except when I’m visiting Buckingham Palace and I accommodate for the Queen.

JET: Thank you for indulging me. Before we wrap this up, can you tell us what you're working on now? What's next?

José : I have one thriller shopping around for an agent/publisher. I have another one in the early stages of first draft, and last but not least, I hired an editor to polish a short story collection. My goal is an early December release—you know, in time to make a superb Christmas present—but still in the air.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat on my blog. Folks, you can find out more about J.H. Bogran and his work at the following places:

http://www.jhbogran.net/

www.facebook.com/jhbogran

Twitter: @JHBogran

Feel free to drop him a line at jhbogran@gmail.com

Next week I’ve got Toni Dwiggins on tap for Manic Monday and George Everyman set for next Friday.

Until then,

Ciao.

JET

The Waiting Game by Ty Drago

2011-09-06T21:18:00.000-04:00

Hi folks, today I have a very special guest: Ty Drago, the editor of Allegory E-zine and author of the Young Adult thriller The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses (April 2011). Ty is one of the hardest working men I know, holding down a full time job as a business analyst along with his writing and editing endeavors, but he carved some time out of his schedule to visit us here today and impart his wisdom.

So, without further adieu…here is my favorite editor-in-chief talking about something near and dear to all writer’s hearts…

The Waiting Game

Wheels turn slowly in modern publishing. Writing a novel takes time. Editing a novel takes even more time, if you’re serious about it. But at least you’re busy. Once the finished work is out the door — to agents or editors, the waiting begins.

You’d think I’d be used to it by now. I’ve written a dozen novels, all of which have been submitted to various venues. Of them, so far three have been published and a fourth is currently under consideration. So I know all about the Waiting Game.

It’s a game in which the author has few moves, once the book is out the door. An agent, assuming you have one (assuming it’s not, in fact, an agency to which you’ve just submitted), may havesome options. He or she can nudge or nag, trying to pry out of overworked editors some level of feedback. But the results of such efforts, as far as I’ve seen, are mixed at best.

In the Writing Game, almost all moves are on the publisher’s side of the board.

But as a writer, are you completely helpless? Well, maybe not completely.

When my novel PHOBOS was submitted to Tor Books, we heard nothing for six months. Then eight.Then ten. After that, at my (then) agent’s advice, I travelled to WorldCon to attend Tor’s late night party in their hotel suite. I spent the next four hours in a bathroom with my (then) editor, as he played makeshift bartender, serving up beers and wine coolers that were on ice in the bathtub. Yep … it was that kind of party.

And he knew full well why I was there. In fact, he said so: “Ty’s here because he wants to know if he’s book’s going to be published.”

I didn’t deny it. We both knew I was making a move — one of a writer’s few moves — in the Waiting Game.

Well, PHOBOS was published. I received a contract and then waited an additional fifteen months for the editorial changes to come in. Then I waited another year until the hardcover edition hit the shelves. All in all, from first submission to publication took something over two-and-a-half years.

The Waiting Game taxes us. It costs us sleep. It drives us to stare at our phone or email and hope that this morning, or this afternoon, or tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next season, we’ll hear something — hopefully something positive. But too often the news, when it finally comes, is otherwise. Often a “no” can take as long as a “yes”. And what you’re left with in the grim aspect of shaking off your disappointment, resetting your pieces on the board, and starting the Waiting Game anew with a different publisher.

(Groan)

We didn’t invent the game. We didn’t draft the rules. We can’t even really play it in any solid, active way. Not really. But we can win it.

Winning the Waiting Game means making a sale.

Unfortunately, such wins are few and far between for most of us, while the game itself goes on. The Winning Game ain’t fast and it ain’t fun. Frankly, just playing it demands a level of bravery that many writers are never able to muster. There’s a peculiar dignity in the act of dropping that manuscript in the mail or pressing the send button on that critical email. Because, without that single act of courage, there can be no Waiting Game.

We may not have a lot of moves.

But the first one is always ours.

Folks, you can find out more about Ty Drago and his work at http://www.tydrago.com/.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Ciao,

JET

Manic Monday with Abigail Lawrence

2011-09-05T01:09:00.002-04:00

Welcome to another Manic Monday guest blog and Happy Labor Day! Today I have Abigail Lawrence, writer and foster parent, talking about what led her to write her memoir Invisible Tears.

Without further adieu – here’s Abigail…

It could be that you have to be a bit mental to write a memoir. And I guess brave too, and let’s face it, you have enough guts to think that your particular life or parts of it, will be of interest to anyone but you. The thing is, we’re all fascinated by our own lives. And so we should be, but to stop people thinking about themselves for a short time, you need to be able to capture that nosy neighbor trait, you know, the desire to find out what the neighbors are up to.

To start, first you’ve got to have a very critical mind and with any book, you have to know what the story line is. Where is the beginning, the middle, the end? How is this thing going to end up and how do all the pieces you’re putting in there relate to that bigger picture? And I have to admit that when I first started writing my story, I didn’t know how it was going to end up and where all the pieces fitted. Now you might say, how you can say that? After all, this was your own life you were writing about. But here’s the thing, the more I got into the writing process, the more I actually learned about what I had experienced in my life. Things that hadn’t made sense at the time began to make sense as an adult. Events that had seemed insignificant finally revealed their meanings. I began to see the connections and finally get a little understanding of what I had been through. I made connections with parts of my life that I knew only little bits of, but research from family members made lots of it fall into place. I know that writing for me was more than cathartic; it taught me a love for the written word, the desire to better myself through writing and the ability to make someone loose themselves. Invisible Tears does just that. Taking you back to another era that time has forgotten. Look out for the next book too, Cupboard Love.

Invisible Tears by Abigail Lawrence

Shocking and spellbinding. The writing voice of Abigail Lawrence is so real that it is impossible to put this book down.

I have to say this is by far the most gripping memoir I have ever read. Five stars! --Steven Ward, Author

At a time when six-year-old Abbie needs love and security, her mother goes to the hospital and never returns. Still distraught, Abbie is passed to whoever will have her. Her new step mother subjects her to unimaginable physical, sexual and psychological torture and delivers her to local paedophiles in the entertainment business. During her single minded pursuit of fame Abbie's step mother stops at nothing, beating and prostituting her own children.

This is the story of Abbie's struggle to survive, the grim details of child abuse of the worst kind all told from the perspective of a little girl.

As a teenager Abbie is uncontrollable. A Modette during the 80's revival, she finds a love of scooters, rebellion and gang life on the wild side. Dulling her pain with alcohol, drugs and promiscuity at a very young age, Abbie loses control and becomes well known to the local police. Not one person can get through to her because she has no fear, no self respect, no morals or self worth. With nothing to lose, she throws herself into one battle after another, blood and guts brawling between the skin heads and the mods on the streets of London.

Her family eventually disowns her realizing they are unable to help. Abbie finds herself in the care of the Court until she is abandoned by children's homes and Social Services too. Alone, penniless and pregnant at the age of 16. Haunted by the secrets of her unspeakable past. Will anyone ever see her invisible tears?

You can purchase Invisible Tears at the following places:
Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & Noble Smashwords

You can find out more about Abigail Lawrence at her website.
Thanks for joining Abigail today and swing in on Wednesday, when I’ve got Ty Drago on tap for a special Wednesday blog.

Until then,

Ciao

JET