tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10204069456460807732024-02-20T21:16:23.759-05:00Nancy Famolari's PlaceNancy Famolari's Place features articles on writing. The articles are designed to help new writers by providing tips from published authors.
The blog is available on rss feed from Kindle Direct Publishing: http://nancygfamolari.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rssAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-60336372840012604952016-01-18T05:00:00.000-05:002016-01-18T05:00:16.267-05:00A Heartwarming Story of an Unusual Town, a Bookstore and a Romance<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiwn_5-8BaMbLG3iVVId_MiK43BHDKyBHNf7bQRqD-lZu6lVR275qdz1T1oLHAe3mIm6jbMk5d_fAVe3jFHf_0qPl458Dr2Tk7rM6NnEITrtYKNSGO66PFEgnFNzIB5-cpH4NxfrkDEs/s1600/Readers+of+the+Broken+Wheel+Recommend.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCiwn_5-8BaMbLG3iVVId_MiK43BHDKyBHNf7bQRqD-lZu6lVR275qdz1T1oLHAe3mIm6jbMk5d_fAVe3jFHf_0qPl458Dr2Tk7rM6NnEITrtYKNSGO66PFEgnFNzIB5-cpH4NxfrkDEs/s320/Readers+of+the+Broken+Wheel+Recommend.png" width="214" /></a>Sara, a Swedish girl, arrives in Iowa expecting to be met by her friend Amy. They have been writing to each other about their first love, books. Sara is excited to meet her friend and continue their discussions in person, but Amy doesn't show up. Sara gets a ride to Broken Wheel, the town where Amy lives, only to discover that she has died.
The town has a dilemma. Sara is there but she has no host. Being the kind of town it is, they decide to become a collective host. Providing free food and transportation is nice, but Sara feels uncomfortable taking advantage. Her inspiration is to start a bookshop using Amy's books.
The townspeople rally to help her and one especially draws her attention. Tom, Amy's nephew, professes no interest in her and she him, but things could change.
The town of Broken Wheel is unusual. It is practically a ghost town, but the few remaining residents help each other survive. The town is filled quirky characters from George, an alcoholic, who becomes Sara's chauffeur to Carolyn who feels obliged to keep the town running smoothly. I thought the author did a good job creating a variety of characters, but not letting any of the minor characters take over Sara's story.
Books fill the story. Amy's letters are fully of recommendations of what to read. This can be a bit heavy handed at times, but the book discussions serve to enrich Sara's character. She loves the books so much you're tempted to try her suggestions if you haven't already read the books.
If you like old fashioned boy meets girl romance with no sexual antics, you'll enjoy this book. The romance, however, is almost a subplot. The real story is how the town of Broken Wheel survives and takes care of it's own.
I reviewed this book for Net Galley.</pre>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-49515406802771955232015-11-17T13:54:00.000-05:002015-11-17T13:54:27.798-05:00The Jesse Tree: A Christmas Tradition for Your Family<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ORmVPkqo4d1vojx5NfBxszn2coIyZZwtLLUZyISRXDbvtYMgQGdQ7aI214FdLwDgE9V1oWMLeUgDb0crdxl-LnwT2coxTxIaU1EdWlxzVeBZWlwm15oDu5wM3p13sK5Ys5aFh0u2IxQ/s1600/Count+Down+to+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ORmVPkqo4d1vojx5NfBxszn2coIyZZwtLLUZyISRXDbvtYMgQGdQ7aI214FdLwDgE9V1oWMLeUgDb0crdxl-LnwT2coxTxIaU1EdWlxzVeBZWlwm15oDu5wM3p13sK5Ys5aFh0u2IxQ/s320/Count+Down+to+Christmas.jpg" width="320" /></a>Written by
ten-year-old Theresa Seidltz, Countdown to Christmas tells the story
of her family's Christmas tradition. Each night from the first of
December, the family sings, Come of Come Emmanuel, reads a Bible
story, and hangs an ornament on their small tree. The ornaments bear
the likeness of the person the story is about. As the family
progresses through the Bible from Adam and Eve, to Abraham and Sarah,
Saul and David, and Jesus, the tree becomes adorned with the people
who helped shape Judaism and Christianity.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The stories in the
book are short, each being one page. They're suitable for an adult to
read to younger children, but older children could read them for
themselves or read them aloud to younger brothers and sisters. Each
story is accompanied by a drawing introducing the characters. At the
end of the book, the family places the final ornament for Jesus and
sings Silent Night. The paper ornaments are included in the book and
could be used for many years.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I highly recommend
this book. It's a good way for families to be together to enjoy the
religious aspects of the Christmas season. It's also a good time for
parents and children to talk about the Bible stories and what they
mean in their own lives.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I received this book
from PR by the Book for a review.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The book is available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985243961?keywords=countdown%20to%20christmas%20by%20seidltz&qid=1447445327&ref_=sr_1_sc_1&s=books&sr=1-1-spell">Amazon,com</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-27444962456730709112015-10-08T05:00:00.000-04:002015-10-08T05:00:05.981-04:00A Search for the Secret to Eternal Love: A Poet's Secret by Kenneth Zak<b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NA4owGInSmC7lFbGuCz8WutUQLh11iZshr6uBGRlX5fnbFxdRhlLCTD8tdF6_PREtuaECioEaOZIacflKTZZyQF34n9G0T9E8g7bgB980NYEG_1vbEWL940g-FxvjaEYbHCs0ljQWMI/s1600/The+Poet%2527s+Secret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NA4owGInSmC7lFbGuCz8WutUQLh11iZshr6uBGRlX5fnbFxdRhlLCTD8tdF6_PREtuaECioEaOZIacflKTZZyQF34n9G0T9E8g7bgB980NYEG_1vbEWL940g-FxvjaEYbHCs0ljQWMI/s320/The+Poet%2527s+Secret.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="line-height: 100%;">Elia, a lit student,
is infatuated with Cameron Beck's masterpiece, Secrets of Odysseus.
The book is a compilation of poems Beck wrote to his mysterious muse,
but no one knows who she is. Elia is determined to find out. She
desperately wants to know what love is and Cameron seems to have the
answer.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a coffee house
one night before the end of term, she thinks she hears Beck read a
new poem. The poem is left behind when the poet vanishes. Elia
rescues it and now is determined to find Beck. The search leads her
to a remote Caribbean Island. The islanders have befriended Beck and
resent the stranger's intrusion, but she persists.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This love story is
told from several perspectives. Elia is the protagonist in the
present day, but we also see Cameron. In the past, we see him and his
lost love. Usually, I find stories told in two time periods don't
work well. However, in this case with the secret of lost love as the
thread holding the story together, it works well.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Elia is a
delightfully naive character. She is desperately searching for the
meaning of love, but she is also capable of determination to see her
adventure through to completion. Beck is a more nebulous character.
We glimpse his total infatuation with his lover, but in the present
day he is more subdued yet willing to part with his secret to the
right person.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The characters who
inhabit the island: Isabella, the island matriarch, Fatty, the
medical doctor with a drug habit, Paco, the cantina owner, and
Falcon, the pilot, are extremely well drawn. Each is unique and each
fits the setting perfectly. They were some of the best parts of the
book.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you enjoy an
adventure wrapped in a romance, you'll enjoy this book.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I reviewed this book
for PR by the Book.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author Q&A:</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>What
inspired you to write </b></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i><b>The
Poet’s Secret</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">At
the time I wrote </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>The
Poet’s Secret</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">,
I was on a personal pilgrimage. I essentially took a threeyear
sabbatical, sort of an adult “time out,” and embarked on a new
path. I dedicated myself to explore the meaning of life and love and
particularly the arc of passion. I became consumed by the idea of
living in the present, honoring the “now” as the only real moment
in time, the only authentic eternity, which allowed me to both
disconnect and connect like never before and let go of the constructs
of past and future as fictions created by the mind. I gained a new
appreciation for relatively brief moments and encounters as having
potentially profound effects. I was living abroad, reading, writing,
surfing and slowing down my existence. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The
tale that became </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>The
Poet’s Secret</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
was conceived in a hovel perched atop a onetable taverna in the
hillside village of Avdou, just a scooter ride from the blue waters
of the Aegean Sea on the island of Crete. I was sequestered alone,
halfway around the world from my home, and recovering from a life,
and a relationship, that had left me hollow, or at least I thought at
the time. But it turned out words kept flowing out of me, first in
raw, chunky verse that faintly resembled poetry and then in images
and scenes that bore an even fainter resemblance to a novel. For
months I wrote, swam in healing waters and disappeared into this
remote, antiquated Greek village. I had never done anything like that
before, but at the time it was the only existence that made any
sense.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">So
many miracles happened during those months. I experienced a
cleansing, a healing and an awakening, and I began to perceive light
and water and imagery and words and the souls around me like never
before. I eventually returned to California, and then traveled to
Bali, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Cambodia and South America,
following the sea and surf with laptop in hand and continuing to
write. The backstory to writing </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>The
Poet’s Secret</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
is a story in itself.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>How
did you select the locations for the novel?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">It
was tempting to set the bulk of the novel in Greece, a country I
adore. However, as the story evolved the compass for the island
setting spun toward the West Indies, and the story’s life raft
washed ashore on the fictional island of Mataki. I was fortunate to
spend a good part of my sabbatical on tropical islands and coastal
villages that certainly informed the setting. As for the early campus
setting, I based it on a fictionalized version of my beloved alma
mater, The Ohio State University.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>What
was your particular process in terms of plot, outlining and
character?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I
essentially began the novel with two scenes that were haunting me.
First, I had a reclusive poet on a remote island cliff about to
attempt suicide. Second, I had a bookish young woman captured within
the confines of the great romances of literature. I really had no
idea about their connection, if any, but those two images would not
let go of me. As I began to write, the concept of the woman yearning
for what nearly kills the poet began to take hold.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The
process was fairly organic. I let the characters breathe and lead me
into the story. I wasn’t even sure whose story it was until shortly
after the first draft. Once the closing scene appeared to me I
realized that it was really Elia’s story. I then just had to
navigate getting there. While I did not develop any formal outline, I
downloaded scenes as they appeared, stockpiled them and later wove
them in when they seemed to make sense. It was a bit like swimming
across a sea, not sure which direction land might be but hoping that
if I kept going I would eventually find my way.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Stumbling,
a bit blindly, through this creative process was both exasperating
and exhilarating. As I was working on revisions, I attended several
writers’ conferences that stressed the necessity of thorough
plotting, which made me feel a tad vulnerable. I later read an
interview about Michael Ondaatje’s process in writing </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>The
English Patient</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
and realized I was in good company.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>The
novel is filled with excerpts of poetry, which came first, the poetry
or the narrative arc?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Most
of the poetry was written before any narrative took form. The poetry
came in often painful and soulsearching flourishes, and then was
revised over time. There is a line in </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>The
Poet’s Secret</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
where Dean Baltutis refers to the poet’s inspiration being
“survival.” That is precisely how it felt at times. I also wanted
to combine both poetry and prose into one novel and attempt to slow
down the reader a bit at the beginning of each chapter to contemplate
and absorb the poetry, to be in that moment so to speak, before
continuing on the narrative journey.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>What
in particular surprised you about the process of writing </b></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i><b>The
Poet’s Secret</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I
didn’t want to force plot twists or preconceived outcomes. I let
the characters find the story. I let go of expectations and trusted
the story to evolve. Tapping into this creative process was freeing,
exhilarating and challenging, sort of like jumping off a cliff into
the sea for the first time. I had never done anything quite like it,
but this particular process for me felt authentic. I certainly was
surprised how well the early drafts of the poetry and manuscript were
received, which bolstered my confidence to pursue the project through
publication.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b>Water
imagery is abundant throughout the novel, what is the particular
connection for you with water and particularly with respect to this
novel?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I
was thrown onto a swim team at age 8 even before I passed beginners
swim lessons (I was terrible at the back float). But water soon
became my life and in many ways my salvation. Throughout my youth I
swam, played water polo, lifeguarded and hung around Lake Erie in
northeastern Ohio. Somehow, I didn’t even see an ocean until I was
18. But I recall climbing out of the backseat of a Datsun 210
hatchback (or what they claimed to be a backseat) after driving for
twentytwo hours to Ft. Lauderdale for spring break and telling
my college buddies to just pick me up in a few hours. I was
mesmerized. I sprinted into the Atlantic Ocean and swam and
bodysurfed until dark. Today, I surf or swim almost every day. I feel
like I am about eighty percent water, the remaining twenty percent
made up mostly of curiosity and mischief.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Much
of the water in the universe is said to be a byproduct of star
formation. I’m no scientist, but I like the way that sounds.
Because when I look up at the night stars it feels a lot like gazing
west an hour before the sun dips into the sea, at least at my secret
little spot by the water. Flickering diamonds scatter everywhere
along the surface, and if I squint just right, I forget the sea is
even there. Instead, it looks like a galaxy of stars shimmering right
into me, washing across my heart, reflecting off my smile and filling
me with the belief that I can just float away into the universe. So I
often do.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Spiritually,
water often represents purification and healing. To me, water
represents so many things, perhaps most importantly love and life and
the sacred feminine. I once nearly died underwater while surfing in
Uluwatu, a place few have ever heard of and even fewer have visited.
But I know on so many occasions water has saved me, water has healed
me, and water has reset my compass when I have been spinning in some
uncontrollable vortex. So for me, my life and my love seem to be tied
to returning to the great aquatic source, again and again, maybe just
to fill the chasm that still exists in me, and maybe to some degree
still exists in all of us.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I
have been fortunate to swim with sea turtles and dolphins in the wild
on many occasions. When I stare into the eyes of a sea turtle or a
dolphin I cannot help but believe that they understand this great
aquatic connection, a connection beyond humanity, beyond species,
beyond even the stars. So when I am writing about passion,
heartbreak, healing, life and love, it is only natural for me to
write in a particularly aquatic language and style.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Promotional Links:</b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Author
website: </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.kennethzak.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">http://www.kennethzak.com/</span></span></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Book
trailer:</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IS8PwKiW7w" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IS8PwKiW7w</span></span></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>Buy
links:</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Amazon: </span></span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Poets-Secret-Kenneth-Zak/dp/0990320006/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443458760&sr=1-1&keywords=the+poet%27s+secret" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">http://www.amazon.com/Poets-Secret-Kenneth-Zak/dp/0990320006/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443458760&sr=1-1&keywords=the+poet%27s+secret</span></span></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">B&N:</span></span></span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-poets-secret-kenneth-zak/1122230360?ean=9780990320005" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-poets-secret-kenneth-zak/1122230360?ean=9780990320005</span></span></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Indiebound:</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780990320005" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780990320005</span></span></span></a></div>
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</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-52499033712608467672015-10-04T05:00:00.000-04:002015-10-04T05:00:05.829-04:00French Wine, a Missing Woman, and the Mob: Gold Coast Blues by Marc Krulewitch<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Review:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EAaqLm7apq23Q1xNDpA8-YUaJiwdEsne2gXLCB8rr9_rjK7SaOnJRemkpOUqFJ_cTeMp2oIltpu3iMtEI6ayLXxGTJP5dIln1uosAXslooAep0NO2R1E-tHv-gGoCfBgqsF405yS9W8/s1600/Gold+Coast+Blues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EAaqLm7apq23Q1xNDpA8-YUaJiwdEsne2gXLCB8rr9_rjK7SaOnJRemkpOUqFJ_cTeMp2oIltpu3iMtEI6ayLXxGTJP5dIln1uosAXslooAep0NO2R1E-tHv-gGoCfBgqsF405yS9W8/s320/Gold+Coast+Blues.jpg" width="240" /></a>Jules Landeau is a
private investigator, although both his father and grandfather were
in the mob. He's mostly playing it straight, but his knowledge of the
criminal underworld helps when an ex-con, Eddie, hires him to search
for Tanya, his missing girl friend.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jules is reluctant
to take on the case. Eddie is newly released from prison, and he's an
unpleasant character. But Jules is a sucker for a Jersey boy who
wants to find his lost love. After searching through Chicago's North
side, Jules realizes that the case is not as simple as finding the
girl. A valuable French wine and a dirty Jersey cop complicate the
case. After plenty of twists, Jules succeeds with a surprising
ending.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you like stories
featuring tough investigators, the mob, and a convoluted plot, this
is your kind of book. The Chicago background is a perfect setting for
the hunt for the missing girl.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I enjoyed the book,
but thought there were almost too many characters. Once Jules leaves
Chicago for New Jersey the plot twists come fast and more characters
complicate the action. Although I found the subplot with the
expensive wine engrossing, it seemed like a detour from the major
action until about halfway through the book. The other problem with
the book for me was that the character motivation seemed thin. This
was particularly true of Margot and Doug, the owners of the wine.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I recommend this
book if you like a fast paced mystery with plenty of twists.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I reviewed this book
for Net Galley.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Excerpt:</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">Around West Wacker Drive and Orleans Street, the Chicago River forked north-northwest, roughly parallel to busy Clybourn Avenue, which served as an excellent boundary to neighborhoods I thought might accommodate a nice wine bar. Webster Avenue ran through one of those neighborhoods and when I saw the Auvergnat Vin Bar, I slowed down before parking across the street, at Pâtisserie Grenouille<span style="border: medium none;"><span style="border: medium none;">. </span></span>A violin-playing frog dressed as a maître d’,<span style="border: medium none;"><span style="border: medium none;"> </span></span>and<span style="border: medium none;"><span style="border: medium none;"> </span></span>standing on a hunk of Camembert, graced its window.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">A black Porsche SUV with the license plate VINMSTR was parked in front of the Vin Bar. Although a wine tasting wasn’t scheduled until four, the door was unlocked, which I took as an invitation to enter. The venue reeked of country cottage schmaltz. Large paintings of sweeping Rhône sunsets and Loire Valley vineyards covered the walls. Antique wooden cabinets and wine racks hung from exposed brick. A few tiny shelves of distressed wood blended in perfectly despite holding pamphlets advertising something called a “wine equity trust.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">Behind the bar, a man carefully arranged a row of sidecar cocktail carafes. Near him, a gangly redheaded kid, who looked too young to be legally standing behind a bar, held a small spiral-bound notebook while studying a row of glass stemware, each holding a different shade of red wine. Standing in front of the bar, a man wearing a full-length black apron garnished with a stickpin of gold grapes looked thoughtfully over tables covered with bottles, glasses, and menus. He was tall with thick, black wavy hair, and his nose was slender and shiny. Around his neck hung a small silver saucer attached to a chain. I was practically in his face before he glanced at me and said, “Can I help you?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“I’m sorry, I guess you’re not open yet. But your door was unlocked.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Yes, we don’t mind if people curious about wine wander in. Unfortunately, the Provence tasting doesn’t start for another hour.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“What’s a wine equity trust?” I said.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">Grape Man looked me over. Then he kind of shook his head a few times with a look of utter confusion. “Sorry. Who are you exactly?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“I’m looking for a girl named Tanya Maggio. I was told she works here.” I showed him my investigator’s license.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“My god, you’re serious.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“What’s that supposed to mean?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">Grape Man let out a laugh-snort. “I’ve just never met a private eye before. I thought you guys only existed in the movies.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Next time, I’ll wear an overcoat and fedora. Do you know Tanya?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“I’ve never known anyone named Tanya, and she certainly doesn’t work here.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“What about the other staff members? Maybe they knew her before you arrived?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">Grape Man snorted again. “Ahhhh—no. None of them arrived before me. I hired them all—stole them all, some say. Only people with a proven background and education in serving and tasting wine can work here.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Any other fancy wine bars on the North Side, near the river?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">Grape Man’s face lit up. “Any wine north of here along the river is poured from a cardboard box into a plastic cup.” A hearty laugh. I was the perfect straight man. “I put this place out of its misery six months ago.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“You’re the <span style="border: medium none;"><span style="border: medium none;">new</span></span> owner?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">“Six months ago. That’s what I just said.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">I wondered how long this guy would last in Eddie’s world before someone shoved that pin down his throat. “And the poor huddled masses that made up the staff of the previous miserable establishment? All fled from the black-caped wine taster with the silver spoon around his neck?”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: normal;">
<span lang="EN-US">Grape Man gave me a savage look. “I hold diplomas from the Court of Master Sommeliers, the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, and the Institute of Masters of Wine. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you walk into my wine bar and insult me.” As he continued describing my disrespectful behavior, I put a card on the bar, then bowed deeply as I backed away.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-64037088521309442082015-09-29T05:00:00.000-04:002015-09-29T05:00:03.803-04:00A Place We Knew Well by Susan Carol McCarthy<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Review: </b></span><span style="line-height: 100%;">A Family Tragedy
Intersects a National Emergency</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 100%;">Wes Avery, a tail
gunner during WWII, is a good man. He loves his wife and daughter and
works hard at his Texaco Station not far from McCoy Air Force base
near Orlando, Florida. His wife, Sarah, has not been the same since
her hysterectomy. Now with an approaching hurricane, she is
withdrawing from reality and popping pills.</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CpGWK7A0nAjwTFOYdq5iJ4bkeKPoHcjPrIeg-1-3nQbEp5kqxws-KPe5O6ltbhpZEvO7fFYTf4BpwtmHYwarIA07BoYe9O6Hrjdw3qasNdWiHIu7UwkD8hETcZxb3xJNzHsauvSjOOI/s1600/A+Place+We+Knew+Well.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CpGWK7A0nAjwTFOYdq5iJ4bkeKPoHcjPrIeg-1-3nQbEp5kqxws-KPe5O6ltbhpZEvO7fFYTf4BpwtmHYwarIA07BoYe9O6Hrjdw3qasNdWiHIu7UwkD8hETcZxb3xJNzHsauvSjOOI/s320/A+Place+We+Knew+Well.jpg" width="210" /></a>His daughter
Charlotte is in her senior year of high school. She's caught up in
being selected as a member of the homecoming court and falling in
love with Emilio, a Cuban refugee boy. Avery likes the boy well
enough, but Sarah doesn't want Charlotte associating with him. This
creates tension in the family and raises the specter of the family
secret.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As if the
approaching hurricane weren't enough, Avery notices the buildup of
aircraft, including U2 stealth aircraft, at McCoy. This is the start
of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Everyone is worried, but it affects
Sarah especially.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The description of
Florida at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis is excellent. For
anyone alive at the time, it will bring back memories; for younger
people, it provides a glimpse of what life was like at the time.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Wes Avery, the main
character, is well done. He's struggling with a family situation he
doesn't understand, trying to manage his gas station, and keep his
fear for his family in check. The other characters, Sarah and
Charlotte, felt sketchy. Sarah is a fairly typical wife and mother
caught in the trap of too many pills and a harrowing time. Charlotte
makes only fleeting appearances except for the beginning and end.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I enjoyed the book
for the glimpse of history and recommend it for that reason. Some of
the plot didn't work for me. The family secret seemed to be dragged
in at the end, and the conclusion wasn't satisfying.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I reviewed this book
for BantamDell.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">McCarthy on the Writing Process:</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"> I guess my “writing process” is a holdover from when my two sons
were young and my writing time was bookended by school drop offs and
pickups. I was then, and still am, a morning person, which by default
makes me a morning writer. These days, I brew strong coffee and
attempt, by the end of the first cup, to have conquered the daily
Sudoku in </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">The LA Times</i><span style="line-height: 100%;">. I carry my second cup to my desk and
check emails, answering only those that can’t wait till the
afternoon. Then I write, sometimes well, sometimes not, for three to
four hours every day. What’s important—I know this from years of
experiment and experience—is keeping my butt in the chair and my
fingers moving on the keyboard till the good stuff shows up. Early or
late, it eventually shows up. I break for lunch, always, and then
edit afterward in the afternoon. I should probably cop to the fact
that my morning process often begins the night before when, head on
my pillow, I send a message to my subconscious about what I hope and
need to accomplish writing-wise the next day, and I ask for any
assistance available. More often than not, the answer is there when I
wake up. I’m not always writing historical fiction, by the way. I
also do a fair amount of commercial freelance writing, too. Gotta pay
the bills between pub dates, you know? Alas.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>About the Author:</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Susan
Carol McCarthy</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">is
the award-winning author of three novels, </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Lay
That Trumpet in Our Hands</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>True
Fires, </i></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">and </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>A
Place We Knew Well, </i></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">and
the nonfiction </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Boomers
101: The Definitive Collection</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.
Her debut novel received the Chautauqua South Fiction Prize and has
been widely selected by libraries and universities for their One
Book, One Community and Freshman Year Read programs. A native
Floridian, she lives in Carlsbad, California.</span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-19102295656370900782015-08-30T05:00:00.000-04:002015-08-30T05:00:03.857-04:00Aftereffects of Hurricane Katrina: Aftermath Lounge<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blurb:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> AFTERMATH LOUNGE is a compelling tribute to the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Resurrecting the place and its people alongside their heartaches and triumphs, Margaret McMullan creates a riveting mosaic that feeds our wish to understand what it means to be alive in this day and age.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7Q89QmVHuy-QEoNYJMPEzKGyrzHwYJzxqNs5d-Ydr1aSmXzXLDK0CmTO8FVyqMSZD2yu3zakW_vVXgqDFfP3FMiG2HugRua55ix4KxQERtDdANCzb__lbeZx5uUiGhKtp-D3ey4wXh8/s1600/Aftermath+Lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7Q89QmVHuy-QEoNYJMPEzKGyrzHwYJzxqNs5d-Ydr1aSmXzXLDK0CmTO8FVyqMSZD2yu3zakW_vVXgqDFfP3FMiG2HugRua55ix4KxQERtDdANCzb__lbeZx5uUiGhKtp-D3ey4wXh8/s320/Aftermath+Lounge.jpg" width="200" /></a>The devastation and
heartbreak caused by Hurricane Katrina are in the past, but the
people affected by the tragic events are still living with the
aftermath. The Zimmer's house was gutted by the storm. They were
forced to move in with their daughter and her son, Teddy, in Chicago.
The hurricane changed their lives, but being forced to live together
changed them even more.
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<br />
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Zimmers are only
one of the families whose stories are told in this collection of
short stories. However, their's is the thread that holds the
collection together. It's a story of bravery, and growing, and giving
in. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting this family.
</div>
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<br />
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The collection of
stories captures the triumphs and tragedies that resulted from this
terrible event. The author does an excellent job of making the people
come alive. Although I'm not familiar with the Gulf Coast. I felt
that I came to know the area and the people.
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<br />
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I usually prefer
novels to short stories, but the combination of short stories with a
continuing set of characters made the book very satisfying. I think
the vignettes showing how lives were affected at various positions on
the socio-economic spectrum was a very effective way to bring the
story of what happened to people after Katrina to life.
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I highly recommend
this book. If you're a survivor of the hurricane, it's a must read.
If you love well done glimpses of people's lives, you'll enjoy this
book.
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I reviewed this book
for PR by the Book.</div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Author Q & A:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif; line-height: 100%;"><i><b>1.Aftermath
Lounge</b></i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif; line-height: 100%;"><b> honors the 10th
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Can you tell us about your
experience during those days when the storm hit?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">Shortly
after the storm hit, my husband and I drove down from Evansville,
Indiana to Pass Christian, Mississippi. We saw aerial footage of the
town and we could see that the roof on my parents’ house was mostly
intact – that’s all we could see. We brought water and a lot of
supplies to donate. There was a gas shortage then, and limited cell
phone coverage. The closer we came to the town, the more it became
like a war zone. The National Guard was there to keep people away,
but we got through, thanks to a relative. </span>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">The
night before we left, my mother told us to forget about everything
else -- all she really wanted was the painting of her mother, which
had been smuggled out of Vienna during WWII. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">We
had house keys but there were no doors. When we got there, the house
was gutted – the storm surge had essentially ripped through the
house. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">We
put on rubber gloves and spent the day sifting through the debris,
dragging out any salvageable pieces of furniture. The water had
shoved through the closed shutters, plowed up under the foundation
and tore open the back walls, bashing around the furniture, sinks,
toilets, stoves, washers, driers. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">We
never did find the painting.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">Elizabeth
Bishop wrote a wonderful villanelle called “One Art.” She wrote
about losing small items like keys and an hour badly spent, then she
progresses to the greater losses -- her mother’s watch, a house,
cities, rivers, a continent, and finally, a loved one. “The art of
losing isn’t hard to master,” she starts. “So many things seem
filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster.”
I thought of that poem a lot.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">2.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">Your
family played a key role, helping Pass Christian rebuild. What were a
few moments that influenced you during that time?
</span></b>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">We
saw so many people from all walks of life and they were suddenly
homeless. My father organized financial donations. There were no fire
trucks left after the storm, so he made sure Pass Christian got a
fire truck. We were always big supporters of the library too. The
Pass Christian Policemen had stayed during the storm to make sure
everyone was safe. They had tried to stay safe in the library, but
then when the water rose, they had to shoot out the windows to swim
away to safety. I used that information in the title story of
Aftermath Lounge. These men were real heroes. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><b>3.Did
you know from the moment the storm hit that someday you would write a
novel about it? Or did a later experience give you the idea? If so,
what was it?</b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">At
first I just witnessed. I think that’s what writers do mostly. We
witness. Then the material lets us know what it wants to become. I
just took notes. Later stories started taking shape and they were all
in different voices. It was the only way I could work at this
material.</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><b>4.Part
of your inspiration for the novel came from your family's beautiful
mansion. How did your own experiences in that house shape each of the
stories you wrote?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">Well,
it’s hardly a mansion, but I was surprised to discover just how
much a house could mean. Everyone always says </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><i>it’s
just stuff</i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">, but there were so
many collective memories there. When we stood and looked at
everything so </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><i>undone,</i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">
it felt like our times spent there were gone too. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">Katrina
had such a huge impact on the coast, on my family, and on me. I am
always telling my students to write what they most care about, to
write what keeps them up at night. I </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><i>had</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">
to write about Katrina. I had written about the Civil War,
Reconstruction and WWII, so I saw Katrina as an historical event. I
treated the hurricane more as setting. It’s in the background. The
human drama is in the forefront. I’m always interested in what
people do or don't do in the face of real catastrophe. I didn’t
want to write from one point of view either. I wanted to give voice
to a variety of people because Katrina affected everyone.</span></span></div>
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<br />
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><b>5.What
was your writing process like for this novel? Did you know from the
start it would be a novel in stories? Or did that become apparent
only after you began writing?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">There
were so many news stories coming out at the time. I write nonfiction,
but I couldn’t get my thoughts together. I couldn’t make sense of
anything. Out of habit, I took a lot of notes. I could only deal with
writing about all that was happening a little bit at a time. And my
own personal story just wasn’t that interesting. </span>
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<br />
</div>
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</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">I
personally witnessed and experienced the best in human nature. People
and communities came together and helped one another in the most
meaningful way. They endured with a great deal of kindness and grace.
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">So I chipped away at the
material. I wanted to tell a community’s story. </span>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif; font-size: large;"><b>About the Author:</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Margaret McMullan is the author of seven award-winning novels including In My Mother's House, Aftermath Lounge, Sources of Light, When I Crossed No-Bob, and How I Found the Strong. She also edited the popular anthology Every Father's Daughter. Margaret writes for both adults and young adults, and she is especially interested in how historical events affect ordinary people. Her work has appeared in the The Huffington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Glamour, The Millions, Southern Accents, TriQuarterly, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Greensboro Review, Mississippi Magazine, Other Voices, Boulevard, Ploughshares, Teachers & Writers Magazine, and The Sun among others. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><b>Media Contact:</b><span style="font-size: 13px;"> Stephanie Ridge, stephanie@prbythebook.com</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span>
</div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-26185959354741983092015-08-27T05:00:00.000-04:002015-08-27T05:00:05.508-04:00MeetTracy Lawson and her Dystopian Novels<b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNBci2a78Yy-PZPDvnIDlGPNcpur2CkTc1XhT_iIBVpswfyWBy1FJ99DK0bYtKD8hQVt9swpROpv4jsA2M-s_6gR-7YtANBt4VQPaWgvk81YoS2o_5JUMURv3562WUs4VR-sUURmOTa8/s1600/Resist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNBci2a78Yy-PZPDvnIDlGPNcpur2CkTc1XhT_iIBVpswfyWBy1FJ99DK0bYtKD8hQVt9swpROpv4jsA2M-s_6gR-7YtANBt4VQPaWgvk81YoS2o_5JUMURv3562WUs4VR-sUURmOTa8/s320/Resist.jpg" width="200" /></a>In Book 1 of the
Resistance Trilogy, Tommy and Careen, college students, meet when a
drug to help protect the population from terrorism is passed out. The
drug is not what it seems and Tommy and Careen band together to fight
the web of lies that is causing the population to become unable to do
anything but what the government decrees.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In Book 2, Resist,
Tommy and Careen are on the run. They've joined the resistance. Their
goal is to rescue a group of dissenters that includes Tommy's
parents. As they pursue this goal, they meet other people who think
as they do and some who are deceptive. Their relationship is tested
when they find they can't agree about everything, but they continue
to work through their issues and help the other freedom fighters.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is a fast paced
dystopian thriller. The action begins in the first chapter and
continues at a relentless pace throughout the book. Although Tommy
and Careen are the main characters, other characters, including those
behind the evil, have chapters written in their point of view. This
provides a vehicle for giving information about what is happening in
the enemy camp, things Tommy and Careen can't know.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I enjoyed the book.
The characters are likable and the plot has numerous twists. If you
enjoy dystopian novels, you may find this trilogy appealing.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I reviewed this book
for PR by the Book. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author Q&</b><b style="line-height: 100%;">A:</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>What
was the inspiration behind The Resistance Series?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
was mentoring a friend of my daughter’s when the initial idea for
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Counteract</i></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
came about. Chase is a pretty sharp guy and an excellent writer—and
when he was in high school I had a lot of fun working with him and
editing some of his short stories. We had finished working on a story
about baseball, a broken nose, and a broken heart, and were ready to
start something new, when he suggested we write scenes in response to
the prompt: “What if everyone were on LSD and all thoughts were
communal?” It was certainly thought provoking! Chase created the
characters Tommy and Eduardo, I created Careen, and right away, we
knew we were onto something. Obviously, the story morphed and changed
a lot before it became the finished version of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Counteract</i></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">—but
that was how it all began.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Did
you always plan to write another book in the series?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
let my husband read the first draft of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Counteract
</i></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">when I was about a
third of the way through the original outline. He was enthusiastic
and supportive and suggested developing a story line that could be
carried forward if I chose to make </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Counteract
</i></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">the first in a
series. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
liked the idea of doing more than one book about Tommy and Careen,
and as I wrote the rest of the first draft, I pinpointed elements of
the story I’d need to develop and expand to pave the way for a
series.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="line-height: 100%;"><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 100%;">How do the characters of Tommy
and Careen develop in </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 100%;"><i>Resist</i></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 100%;">?</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.19in; margin-top: 0.19in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Tommy and Careen are law-abiding
citizens until they accidentally discover that the Office of Civilian
Safety and Defense lied about the terrorist attack and why it
mandated the use of the Counteractive System of Defense drug. They go
from being accepting and compliant to impulsively joining a rebel
group that’s working to overthrow the oppressive government agency,
without having a chance to think about what they’re doing and why. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.19in; margin-top: 0.19in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">They’ve only known each other
for a week, and their relationship has progressed far too
quickly—they became a team, then a couple, without really getting
to know each other, and soon they realize they don’t have much in
common. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.19in; margin-top: 0.19in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Tommy’s all for the physical
aspects of revolution, and is eager to learn about guns and
explosives. Careen finds kindred spirits among the older leaders of
the group, who are committed to sway the public’s allegiance away
from the OCSD by waging a war of information. Her pacifistic approach
clashes with his need to prove himself on the field of battle, and
further complicates their partnership.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.19in; margin-top: 0.19in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.19in; margin-top: 0.19in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"></span> <b>W<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 100%;">here
we can find your book and more information about you?</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 100%;">My
books are available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle, and on
Barnes & Noble’s online store. If you live near Columbus, Ohio,
you can buy signed copies of my books at three independent stores:
The Book Loft of German Village, Mary B’s, and Urban Emporium.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">You
can get the behind-the-scenes scoop on all things Resistance Series,
see book trailers, and check out my blog at
<a href="http://counteractbook.com/">http://counteractbook.com</a>.
You can also find me on Twitter @TracySLawson and on Instagram as
TracyLawsonAuthor.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tracy Lawson is an Award-winning author of two nonfiction books, and The Resistance Series is her first in the world of young adult novels. Tracy lives in Dallas with her husband, daughter and three spoiled cats.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Media Contact:</span></b> Alessandra Wike, alesandra@prbythe book. com </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-53948544369428631072015-07-18T05:00:00.000-04:002015-07-18T05:00:01.575-04:00A Love Letter to Independent Booksellers Presented in a Mystery<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGspOn3Rh2AMu56ACqOcN-_TUCtGlplpGmxob8QCHAh_drIf6r5DwdBbmwSBWNYtboaIcnvt0hrjZsvqecqSfOUh8NS0ZqgKaC6ehIs6NjpnmHQvE5Sbhwue82kjcl3-oS2CKnn8yd6NA/s1600/The+Widow%2527s+Son+Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGspOn3Rh2AMu56ACqOcN-_TUCtGlplpGmxob8QCHAh_drIf6r5DwdBbmwSBWNYtboaIcnvt0hrjZsvqecqSfOUh8NS0ZqgKaC6ehIs6NjpnmHQvE5Sbhwue82kjcl3-oS2CKnn8yd6NA/s320/The+Widow%2527s+Son+Cover.png" width="240" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Blurb:</span></b></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.17in;">
<span lang="en-US">Thomas
Shawver, author of </span><span lang="en-US"><i>The Dirty Book
Murder </i></span><span lang="en-US">and </span><span lang="en-US"><i>Left
Turn at Paradise</i></span><span lang="en-US">, returns to the
surprisingly lethal world of rare books with a third enthralling
novel featuring a most unlikely hero -- antiquarian bookseller
Michael Bevan.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US">A
furious man from nearby Independence, Kansas demands that Michael
Bevan return a rare first edition of the Book of Mormon, claiming
that it was mistakenly sold by a disgruntled descendant of A.J.
Stout. Contained on the frontispiece are a list of Ford names dating
from 1845 to the present. Beside each name, save the last two, is a
check mark - but what could the checks signify? With this discovery,
Michael Bevan stumbles onto a trail of hatred and murder stretching
back to 1844.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="line-height: 100%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"></span></div>
<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;">A Mormon Vendetta, A Rare Mormon Book, and Murder
A murder in 1844 is the basis for a vendetta. The Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, and several of his followers died at the hands of a mob in Carthage, Illinois. Several of the men who escaped the massacre vowed to kill everyone involved down to the last living descendant.
Michael Bevan, a rare books dealer, has never heard of the Mormon vendetta, but Natalie Phelan, his friend and director of the Celtic Heritage Center, has fallen in love with Emery, one of the descents of the original Mormon vigilantes. He claims to love her and wants to marry her, but they need money. He has an original copy of one of the early Mormon books, which he gives to Michael to authenticate. For Bevan this is an opportunity to get a book good enough to allow him entry to the AABA, Antiquarian Book Association of America, but nothing is simple.
This is a fun mystery with an interesting plot that revolves around an historical incident. It's a quick read. The characters are interesting. Michael Bevan is a mix of scholarship and physical ability. The small town he lives in is like having a vacation from the real world. The other characters Natalie, and particularly, Michael's lover Josie, and sympathetic and well drawn.
If you enjoy mysteries with little violence and an interesting historical plot, you may enjoy this book.
</pre>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Interview:</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b>How did you Get the idea for your hero?</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I
decided to write about a trade I know with a protagonist who somewhat
resembles me. Then I made stuff up.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Josie
Majansik plays a small role in the present book. However,
she and Michael Bevan have now married. Do you see this
changing the series?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Good
question. I’m going to give Michael and Josie a rest for
the time being while I write a different series featuring a Frenchman
who solves crimes in a Missouri river town. With them
married it does present challenges. Obviously, Mike can’t
get away from flirting (or whatever you want to call it) with other
women. But Josie is an independent gal who might just take
off on her own someday. We’ll see.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Would you like to share anything else about the series?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
series is really a love letter to the independent book trade that is
rapidly disappearing, to my wonderful neighborhood, and to the
customers from whom I mined so many characteristics for my
stories—except for the evil parts.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author Bio:</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US">Thomas
Shawver is a former marine officer, lawyer, and journalist with
American City Business Journals. An avid rugby player and
international traveler, Shawver owned Bloomsday Books, an antiquarian
bookstore in Kansas Cit</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.19in; margin-top: 0.19in;">
Website: <a href="http://bloomsdaybooks.com/"><span style="color: blue;"><u>http://bloomsdaybooks.com/</u></span></a> </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.19in; margin-top: 0.19in;">
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThomasShawverAuthor"><span style="color: blue;"><u>https://www.facebook.com/ThomasShawverAuthor</u></span></a> </div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.19in; margin-top: 0.19in;">
<span lang="en-US">Goodreads: </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7383509.Thomas_Shawver?from_search=true"><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="en-US"><u>Goodreads</u></span></span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-92188323412637445752015-07-03T05:00:00.000-04:002015-07-03T05:00:06.328-04:00Discover a Great Mystery -- Fixed in Blood<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7yKs1ZnXI5WS8n6jGXA-KDII-yjDWN4XQHTrPFGtNOOKyghyphenhyphenu34yMHHydt4zF6vF7vLcY6_Ebcf5XC8hoFZtKNnEK7kOGt4PsXVJMJPMKlRoU0S1S5gC7UT70RK3c0q1FE8qYUp4qpI/s1600/cover63845-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7yKs1ZnXI5WS8n6jGXA-KDII-yjDWN4XQHTrPFGtNOOKyghyphenhyphenu34yMHHydt4zF6vF7vLcY6_Ebcf5XC8hoFZtKNnEK7kOGt4PsXVJMJPMKlRoU0S1S5gC7UT70RK3c0q1FE8qYUp4qpI/s320/cover63845-medium.png" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blurb:</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>
<span lang="en-US">Seattle Chief of Detectives Mort Grant is still
reeling from losing his daughter -- again. Now, Mort investigates the
gruesome murder of a beautiful young woman whose death was captured
in a snuff film. When a second victim--and film--are discovered, Mort
knows he's not dealing with an ordinary criminal. Mort hunts a
twisted menace from a chain of sleazy loan shops to the dark
underworld of the sex trade. But he's not the only one. Once again,
The Fixer is on the hunt--and she's desperate to make things right.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 100%;"><br /></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 100%;"><br /></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 100%;">Review:</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lydia and Mort Team Up to Solve the Murders of Young Prostitutes</span></div>
<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;">Lydia, alias the Fixer, and Mort. Seattle's chief of detectives, have been estranged since, Allie, Mort's wayward daughter, left Lydia's care to go away with Vadim Tokarev, a Russian drug lord. Mort is living on a houseboat and continuing his work as chief of detectives. Lydia is a practicing psychologist. She misses Mort's friendship and feels that she was unfairly accused of letting Allie escape.
In Mort's latest case, a young woman's body is found, and it's evident that she was tortured before being killed. Then another young woman is found also tortured before being killed. Both are prostitutes and were involved with an unscrupulous loan shark who charged exorbitant interest rates designed to lead the women into prostitution. When Lydia's patient, another young woman, disappears, Mort and Lydia decide it's time to work together again.
This is another fast paced Fixer novel. The characters of Mort and Lydia are more developed than in the previous books. He's devastated by his daughter's actions. Lydia is trying to leave behind her life as the Fixer. This book gives us insight into their struggles and their need for each other's friendship.
The plot is fast moving and the author does a good job of misdirection. It's hard to tell until the very end who is responsible. Although the idea of young women being tortured and killed is horrendous, the violence is handled tastefully with a minimum of gory details.
I recommend this book if you're a fan of the Fixer series, or if you enjoy a good mystery. </pre>
<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;">
</pre>
<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;">
</pre>
<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author Interview:</b></span></pre>
<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>
</b></span></pre>
<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;"><div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>How did you decide on the character of Lydia?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve long been interested in the word “justice”. Is there any such
thing, really? Can a wrong truly be atoned? Let’s take even the
smallest infraction. Let’s say we’re at a dinner party, chatting.
You say something incredibly funny to me and in my laughter I lean
forward and clumsily spill my red wine on your beautiful white wool
skirt. A minor sin, to be sure. But what could truly serve as </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>justice</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
for my crime? I could apologize. But there’s still that matter of
that ugly red blotch on that soft white fabric. I could pay for
dry-cleaning. But you might always have the perception of the skirt
being “less than” whenever you took it out to wear. Perhaps you’d
always be looking for a faint hint of stain the cleaners missed. I
could even buy you a new skirt. But it wouldn’t be the one you fell
in love with at Nordstrom’s, would it? It could never be the skirt
you bought after a long search with your best friend on that fun
Saturday afternoon when you stopped for coffee at that cute little
place on Elm Street and those two good-looking men in running gear
flirted you both.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Could I ever </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>really </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">make you whole again?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Take that same concept and apply it to major crimes…especially murder.
Is there any way a murder can be truly and wholly avenged? I mean,
even if you kill a killer, the person the killer killed is still
dead, right? Those are the kinds of musings that led me to create a
series dealing with the notion of justice. And once I decided to
write the series I, of course, needed a main character. The Writing
101 tattoo is </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>write what you know</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. I know how to be a psychologist. Bingo, my main character became a psychologist. My profession has given me entry to the lives of many who have been battered, abused, and abandoned. Presto, my
psychologist main character is a woman who continues to struggle with
her own history of abuse and abandonment. I’ve long been interested
in the notion of justice. Voila, justice becomes the driving force of
my abused and suffering clinical psychologist.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I write what I know.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Now, lest you think I am secretly a vigilante assassin with hands so
bloody a gallon of Clorox wouldn’t dent the stain, well…you’ll
just have to take my word for it that writing what you know can turn
the corner and become the foundation for writing what you make up.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%;">The series seems to be progressing from the violence of the first book to</b><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%;">a much more psychological approach. What do you envision for the rest</b><b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%;">of the series?</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%;">Oh, there’s gonna be a whole lot of violence coming. The next book in</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">the series, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Fixed In Fear</u></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, comes out in October, 2015 and opens with a mass murder that is, as they say, not for the faint of heart. But you’re right, as the characters develop, we do get more of an insight into their motivations and
musings. As relates to the rest of the series, I envision Lydia and
Allie growing closer to an inevitable showdown. Will Mort have to
choose between the two of them? And if so, where will his allegiance
come down? Will he stand by his sociopathic daughter out of
dedication to family? Or will he turn toward Lydia, the woman
struggling so hard to live within the rules of society? As relates to
Lydia’s destiny with the series, I see her continuing to wrestle
the demons inside her. Most times she’ll be successful. But I’m
sure there’ll be times when, despite how much she’s trying to
keep her Fixer tendencies chained and bound, she’ll give in and
apply her special brand of repair to those who have escaped justice.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We’ve still got plenty to learn about the other characters in the series as
well. Will Jimmy ever be able to step away from the humor and cynical
world-weary posture that has served to protect him from his grief?
What’s with Micki? Why is a young, smart, successful, beautiful
woman like her alone in life? And speaking of alone, what will happen
as relates to Oliver Bane and Paul Bauer? What’s next for Larry?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">There’s plenty of plot lines and character arcs knocking around in my head. I
can’t wait to get them down in readable form…and I certainly
can’t wait to hear what readers think.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<b style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%;">Would you like to share anything else with my readers?</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’d like to share so much with them! Readers have made my long-standing
dream of being a writer come true. I’d like to share more stories
with them. And I’d like to hear theirs. I’d like to share how
much I appreciate the support and kindness they’ve shown this
series. And I’d like to give them more. I’d like to share a cup
of coffee with them. Wouldn’t that be a hoot? To actually be able
to have a leisurely conversation with someone I don’t know, but who
has read my books? I’m sure most authors would love to stumble
across someone reading their book, sit down next to them, and,
without the reader knowing they’re speaking to the author, ask them
what they think of what they’re reading. No filters. Just a straight-up, person-to-person report.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">If any of your readers </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>are </i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">interested in having a conversation with me, please contact me on Facebook (T.E.Woods) or on Twitter (@tewoodswrites) or on my website <a href="http://tewoodswrites.com/">tewoodswrites.com</a>. I’d love to hear from them.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 108%;">Author Bio:</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 108%;"><b>T.E. Woods</b></span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 108%;"> is a clinical psychologist in</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
<span lang="en-US">private practice in Madison, Wisconsin. Her scientific writings are
well represented in peer-reviewed journals and academic texts. Her
literary works earned her first place for Fiction at the University
of Wisconsin Writers’ Institute. Dr. Woods enjoys kayaking, hiking,
biking, and hanging around the house while her two dogs help her make
sense of the world. Her habit of relaxing by conjuring up any manner
of diabolical murder methods and plots often finds her friends urging
her to take up knitting.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 108%; margin-bottom: 0.11in;">
</div>
</pre>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-70468808296435077002015-06-15T05:00:00.000-04:002015-06-15T05:00:09.766-04:00The Special Bond Between Fathers and Daughters<div style="background: #ffffff; line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.19in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPfbqunXdbNCdWA7CXyt_nrE9flyvy_Erap5TGjngFiU-rQ3thddRo8vM5rnfYjtWMIGMZSC6cSeSgEIcyUEUg8ZgOTLPpJN2OE1hW-Yi14VAJnLsAme3iO8dtcLt6pUB4Zkq27HcYn8/s1600/Every+Father%2527s+Daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPfbqunXdbNCdWA7CXyt_nrE9flyvy_Erap5TGjngFiU-rQ3thddRo8vM5rnfYjtWMIGMZSC6cSeSgEIcyUEUg8ZgOTLPpJN2OE1hW-Yi14VAJnLsAme3iO8dtcLt6pUB4Zkq27HcYn8/s320/Every+Father%2527s+Daughter.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">What is
it about the relationship between fathers and daughters that provokes
so much exquisite tenderness, satisfying communion, longing for more,
idealization from both ends, followed often if not inevitably by
disappointment, hurt, and the need to understand and forgive, or to
finger the guilt of not understanding and loving enough?” writes
Phillip Lopate, in his introduction to </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Every
Father's Daughter,</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">a
collection of 25 personal essays by women writers writing about their
fathers. The editor, Margaret McMullan, is herself a distinguished
novelist and educator. About half of these essays were written by
invitation for this anthology; others were selected by Ms. McMullan
and her associate, Philip Lopate, who provides an introduction. The
contributors include many well-known writers—Alice Munro, Jayne
Anne Phillips, Alexandra Styron, Ann Hood, Bobbie Ann Mason, Maxine
Hong Kingston, among others—as well as writers less well-known but
no less cogent, inventive, perceptive, lacerating, questioning, or
loving of their fathers.</span></span></div>
<div style="background: #ffffff; line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.19in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: #ffffff; line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.19in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Review:</b></span></div>
<div style="background: #ffffff; line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.19in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fathers come in all
types from successes to failures, from loving to abusive, and from
companionable to distant. In <i>Every Father's Daughter </i>twenty-four
women write
about what their father meant
to them. For me, the
theme is expressed best by the author's introduction and the first
essay in the book where Jane Smiley writes about her absent father.
It shows the way two very
different fathers were viewed by their daughters and how
this view affected their lives.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
author had a very close relationship with her father even to taking
care of him during the last days of his life.
Smiley had a different experience. Her father disappeared from her
life as a small child. He returned for only brief moments and that
lack of a father is what she
believes gave her the opportunity to grow into her own person.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
essays run from daughters growing up with famous fathers, like Lily
Lopate with Alex Styron, to a father descending into alcoholism
as described by Barbara Shoup. When most of these women were growing
up, fathers were a glimpse of the world outside
while many mothers stayed at
home. This gave the fathers an
exotic image, tall, handsome
and charismatic.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This
is a wonderful book for father's day, or any day when you think about
your father. It made me laugh
and cry, and most of all it reminded me about the things I loved
about my own father.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: #ffffff; line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.19in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
reviewed this book for PR by the Book.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Interview with the Author:</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><b>1.How
did you decide which authors to reach out to for this collection?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">In
the last month of my father’s life, I read to him Alice Munro’s
essay, “Working for a Living.” We had one of our last book
discussions about that fox farm, the cold work, and the landscape of
Canada. She was the first person I contacted. I wrote her a letter
and a few months later she called </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">and
said </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><i>yes, of course you can
reprint my essay</i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">. I was just
stunned. The other authors followed. I invited the authors my father
loved or had met at some point in his life. He had dinner with Lee
Smith once and she was so quick to respond. Lee led me to Jill
McCorkle. I also included three former students. In the end, this
collection of women writers became one big circle of friends.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><b>2.How
did your vision for this collection evolve from the start to end of
this project?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">At
first I saw this as a collection of southern writers, men and women.
But then I realized I just wanted to hear from women, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><i>daughters.</i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">
I moved away from regionalizing it when I began thinking of my
father’s literary tastes and what kind of man he was. He was
southern but he was also very much shaped by Chicago and the
Mid-West. Each time I read an essay, I would think, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><i>Would
Dad like this?</i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><b>3.What
most surprised you about the creation of </b></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><i><b>Every
Father's Daughter</b></i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><b>?</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">I
was surprised how difficult such a great collection was to get
published. Jane Smiley had a Pulitzer, Maxine Hong Kingston won the
National Book Award, and Alice Munro had just won a Nobel Prize. I
felt this book was no-proof. Who wouldn’t want to read these
writers on this particularly personal subject? And who wouldn’t
want to read about fathers? I’ve always thought this collection was
a sure thing, but it was much more difficult to find a publisher than
I had imagined. Apparently, anthologies were no longer fashionable in
the publishing industry. One editor, who declined the book, has since
contacted me to tell me how she genuinely regrets not taking it. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">In
your introduction, you talk about how this book was a way for you to
grieve. How did you come to realize this? </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">This
particular work felt meaningful because all along I thought so much
about my father. I started soon after my father died. The work –
reaching out to other women, asking for their stories, and then
reading them was therapeutic because it reminded me that there are
other emotions besides grief. After a while, after I organized and
put together the book, after I wrote my own essay, my grief
transformed. It felt less like sadness and more like love.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">I
have encountered so many readers who have read the book and want to
talk about an essay, and then, inevitably, these readers begin to
tell me about their fathers. A conversation starts. This book has a
power. We are remembering our fathers, and, in some cases, bringing
them back to life. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><b>4.Did
you come to realize anything about your relationship with your father
as you read through the essays in this collection?
</b></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">I
knew from the start that we were close, and that a good part of that
closeness was how we stayed connected through literature. Now, I
realize exactly how close we really were. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 100%;">About the Author:</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="background: #ffffff; line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.19in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78LqulXL2o-jKZRqU_2z_ho1GSDjjYUA71nU7EeJNp3zlacDbU1I8TiQSePNhMNRBYLnJlN8rW4EReNQgzXkFkzPnKF8QVOxbaKC7MFccCC2sJqqY27pyj9gg3mxZbhuORdGmoOWRZRk/s1600/Author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78LqulXL2o-jKZRqU_2z_ho1GSDjjYUA71nU7EeJNp3zlacDbU1I8TiQSePNhMNRBYLnJlN8rW4EReNQgzXkFkzPnKF8QVOxbaKC7MFccCC2sJqqY27pyj9gg3mxZbhuORdGmoOWRZRk/s1600/Author.jpg" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Margaret
McMullan is the author of six award-winning novels
including </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>Aftermath
Lounge, In My Mother’s House, Sources of Light, How I Found the
Strong</i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">,
and </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>When
I Crossed No-Bob.</i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> Her
stories and essays have appeared in </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>The
Chicago Tribune, Ploughshares, Southern Accents, TriQuarterly,
Michigan Quarterly Review,</i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> and </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>The
Sun,</i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> among
several other journals and anthologies. She has received an NEA
Fellowship in literature and a Fulbright award to teach at the
University of Pécs in Pécs, Hungary. She currently holds the Melvin
M. Peterson Endowed Chair in Literature and Writing at the University
of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Contact Information: </b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: normal;">@margaretmcmulla @prbythebook </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-77628021703438752602015-05-12T05:00:00.000-04:002015-05-12T05:00:05.127-04:00A Good Trend in Children's Books<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
recently reviewed a book that I think is a good trend in picture
books for children. <i>Big Tractors </i>is
filled with information even adults will find useful, but the book
doesn't talk down to children. The pictures are wonderful and most
important it shows children what the big business of farming is like.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Review:</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLbRycblhPMaE7kFqZvCy4CSzWhRpqXkI26N1eNiA4Jt7vurSRbQ4Vh14ho7QD8XvClsiWpDKJgvHV9xbt5SUlm190v-NC7rzYiRaX9c4q9a-sMzDQm-FSwXvu3VgsqW-VrVG7aTdVDw/s1600/Big+Tractors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLbRycblhPMaE7kFqZvCy4CSzWhRpqXkI26N1eNiA4Jt7vurSRbQ4Vh14ho7QD8XvClsiWpDKJgvHV9xbt5SUlm190v-NC7rzYiRaX9c4q9a-sMzDQm-FSwXvu3VgsqW-VrVG7aTdVDw/s320/Big+Tractors.jpg" width="320" /></a>Farming is big
business. Big tractors are required to do the planting and harvesting
on large commercial farms. <i>Big Tractors </i>gives
an overview of how these tractors look and what they do in language a
child can understand.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
pictures are outstanding. They show off the tractors and implements
to good advantage. In fact, the pictures are so good Daddy or Grandpa
may be interested in looking through the book.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another
feature I liked is the timeline showing how tractors have changed to
adapt to the new farming methods. I highly recommend this book if
your child is interested in tractors. Even if you live on a small
farm and your child is familiar with tractors, the pictures of
monster tractors give another perspective on farming.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
reviewed this book for PR by the Book.</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-16065782056774385642015-04-07T05:00:00.000-04:002015-04-07T05:00:02.317-04:00et Barbara Stark-Nemon Author of Even in Darkness<b><span style="font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></b><br />
<br />
Barbara Stark-Nemon (www.barbarastarknemon.com) grew up in Michigan, listening to her family’s stories of their former lives in Germany, which became the basis and inspiration for Even in Darkness, her first novel. Barbara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Art History and a Masters in Speech-language Pathology from the University of Michigan. After a 30-year teaching and clinical career working with deaf and language-disabled children, Barbara became a full-time writer. She lives and works in Ann Arbor and Northport, Michigan.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Interview:</span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPj26cFNzKxULlbQFQ3nMxZkfnRc_HHvqI-m6tSct7VMux9N_7QkpXGoTy_q5LNh4ehULsGgTh3h_hcCpO7oG55ZgefKYdVJweY5vEACcjy_gfiwlUupMflNcig5_Np3JwiZlNB1oAzVU/s1600/Author+headshot_Low+Res.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPj26cFNzKxULlbQFQ3nMxZkfnRc_HHvqI-m6tSct7VMux9N_7QkpXGoTy_q5LNh4ehULsGgTh3h_hcCpO7oG55ZgefKYdVJweY5vEACcjy_gfiwlUupMflNcig5_Np3JwiZlNB1oAzVU/s1600/Author+headshot_Low+Res.jpeg" height="320" width="214" /></a>1. What inspired you to write Even in Darkness?<br />
Even in Darkness is based on the life of my great aunt, who alone among her siblings did not<br />
escape Germany during the Holocaust. Her story of survival—the courage and strength she had<br />
to remake herself and her life in the face of unspeakable loss—has been an inspiration to me<br />
throughout my adult life. Hers is a beautiful story and having come to know it in depth I wanted to<br />
share it and create a legacy for her.<br />
<br />
<br />
2. You researched the book thoroughly. Did you know from the beginning how extensive<br />
your research would become?<br />
<br />
Yes and no. I’ve known since one of the visits I made to my great aunt in Germany many years<br />
ago, that I wanted to write her story, so I started interviewing her (she was already over 90 years<br />
old) and the priest, who is the other main character in this story. I also interviewed my parents<br />
and grandparents. I already knew a lot about my grandfather and great aunt’s family from Sunday<br />
nights around the dinner table. Then my aunt died, and the priest sent me all her personal<br />
papers, including over 50 letters that her son had written to her during and after the war from<br />
Palestine, where he had been sent at the age of 12. Those letters deepened and changed what I<br />
understood about all their lives in a way I couldn’t have predicted.<br />
<br />
<br />
3. What was one of your favorite stories that your grandfather told you about his life in<br />
Germany?<br />
<br />
My favorite story is one that’s actually in Even in Darkness and describes how, when all hope<br />
appeared to be lost for getting a visa to leave Germany, my grandfather chose to try one last time<br />
at the bidding of my 12-year-old mother who pestered him that she wanted to go to the U.S. to<br />
join her best friend who had already emigrated. My grandfather didn’t want to frighten my mother<br />
by telling her that he’d tried repeatedly to see the American consul and been denied an<br />
appointment. My mother begged him to go that day; it was her birthday. When he said he might<br />
not be able to get in, she told him to tell the diplomat it was his daughter’s birthday. My<br />
grandfather stayed all day in line at the consulate, and as he was about to be turned away yet<br />
again, he pleaded that it was his daughter’s birthday and he just felt it was a lucky day. The<br />
official let him in, and an hour later he had the necessary visa. That was in May of 1938, and they<br />
were finally able to leave in October, just a few weeks before Kristallnacht.<br />
<br />
<br />
4. Where did you begin your research and where did it lead you?<br />
<br />
I traveled to Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and to Israel to trace all the histories and<br />
see all the places I learned about in my grandfather’s stories and later, in the trove of personal<br />
papers my great aunt left to me. I was able to interview even more people related to this story,<br />
walk the streets, photograph the homes, take trains over the same routes to the concentration<br />
camp, look out over the hills surrounding the kibbutz where all my characters lived out their lives.<br />
In archives and museums I learned details of births, deaths, marriages, businesses, deportations,<br />
displacements, escapes and emigrations. All this knowledge fed my imagination for the parts of<br />
the story I didn’t and couldn’t know.<br />
<br />
<br />
5. How did you feel reading letters written by your ancestors? What did you learn from these<br />
letters?<br />
<br />
This was one of the most thrilling and challenging aspects of writing Even in Darkness. To<br />
translate these sixty-five-year-old letters and hear the voice of my mother’s cousin as a 19-yearold<br />
pioneer in Palestine with his description of his escape from Germany and the early years of<br />
his life half a world away was both fascinating and did more than anything else to make that time<br />
and his character live for me. The exhaustion, desperation and heartache of his parents, having<br />
just survived years of persecution under the Nazis, and then three years in a concentration camp<br />
and displaced person camp, can be heard in his youthful assurances that one day it would be<br />
safe for his mother to visit, brushing off the dangers he faced, and his exuberance for all that he<br />
was training to accomplish on the kibbutz he and other young pioneers were starting.<br />
<br />
<br />
6. What kinds of considerations were there in incorporating real letters into your novel?<br />
<br />
The biggest challenge was to capture the voice, the history and the language of the letters and<br />
still work within the story structure of the novel. It was the most poignant and concrete example of<br />
the constant balance I had to maintain as I was writing Even in Darkness between what really<br />
happened to the people on whom the book is based, and what worked for purposes of writing a<br />
good novel.<br />
<br />
<br />
7. What was the most surprising part about your research? Did you uncover any family<br />
secrets?<br />
<br />
There were some surprises. Through interviews with cousins in Europe I learned a different<br />
perspective about other members of my grandfather’s family, whom I knew only though his<br />
stories. I learned about my mother’s cousins who were hidden in a convent by nuns. I learned<br />
about the personal decisions about faith and influence in the Catholic Church at that time that had<br />
enormous impact on my family. I learned that another great aunt was a beautiful singer and<br />
evaded arrest by singing for a German officer. And I learned that what people had to do to<br />
maintain their safety and their sanity during the dangerous years of the 1930s in Germany<br />
resulted in boundary crossing behaviors that were both courageous and painful.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Review:</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Courage and Love in
War-Torn Germany</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8RIXM2cHqDnL_rptgX5GI6T2Hr69ZRbfV0lipvcIG3wAThK4FnPTyXkeyU6XH-UYqt7ITePAaKnSx_ZJWsy-U0kTBCf6Ns2AEVYDGBKDRrhzbrgX-kZu3QVpvqLclw08QWfxqaQswTM/s1600/Even+in+Darkness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8RIXM2cHqDnL_rptgX5GI6T2Hr69ZRbfV0lipvcIG3wAThK4FnPTyXkeyU6XH-UYqt7ITePAaKnSx_ZJWsy-U0kTBCf6Ns2AEVYDGBKDRrhzbrgX-kZu3QVpvqLclw08QWfxqaQswTM/s1600/Even+in+Darkness.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a>In the days leading
up to WWI, Klare, an eighteen-year-old German-Jewish girl, has a big
decision to make. Jakob Kohler, a young Jewish attorney, wants to
marry her before he goes off to fight. Klare likes him. He has good
prospects, but she's unsure whether she loves him. In the pressure of
a country going to war, Klare agrees to the wedding and soon finds
herself a housewife and mother.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The novel follows
Klare's story from her marriage before WWI through the horrors of
WWII and beyond. The book is well researched and paints a realistic
picture of the fate of German-Jews before, during and after the two
world wars. The experiences of the author's family, which form the
basis of the narrative, add realistic detail.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The book is worth
reading to get the flavor of the life of an average person during the
wars. However, the narrative moves very slowly. In some ways, Klare
is a compelling character for the bravery with which she faces the
privations and discrimination of war. However, she is a very average
person. Circumstances drive her. She shows ingenuity in dealing with
some of the worst problems of WWII, however, she does it in a quiet
way. If you want excitement and fast-paced action, this is not a book
you'll enjoy. If you're interested in life in Germany during and
after the wars, the book is well done.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I reviewed this book
for PR by the Book.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Press Contact:</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 16px;">Elena Meredith | PR by the Book</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;">512-481-7096 | <a href="http://elena@prbythebook.com%20/">elena@prbythebook.com </a></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-56699219190538762302015-03-25T05:00:00.000-04:002015-03-25T05:00:02.349-04:00Meet Jerssica Landmon Author of All Mascara is Not Created Equal<span style="font-size: large;"><b>About the Author:</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
Jessica Landmon has ministered to women's groups for over a decade. She is the founder of Women Get Real Ministries, which addresses issues that all women struggle with, including fear, faith, anxiety, depression, and body image. She is happily married, and God has blessed her with two beautiful children.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Introduction to the Book:</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiupVF9YNhr2l_zhcKdU-ELH4ky76b24aamQGsyeYu9AwQhNHJv3Yhd1zmjlwmSrHpcvcAcC1N8j3SkY7vSbtUvMmTj3_8xgbu8Isq0RLIYbugBbjsEZMHx7CgS2VC-auM3tsuaAJ-bo/s1600/Book+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiupVF9YNhr2l_zhcKdU-ELH4ky76b24aamQGsyeYu9AwQhNHJv3Yhd1zmjlwmSrHpcvcAcC1N8j3SkY7vSbtUvMmTj3_8xgbu8Isq0RLIYbugBbjsEZMHx7CgS2VC-auM3tsuaAJ-bo/s1600/Book+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media are sending mixed messages about the way we, as women, are to live our lives. Catch phrases like “YOLO” and “swag” are distorting the ideals that we should strive for. Women have more to contribute to society than being sexy, and we certainly shouldn’t attach our worth to how many likes we get on a selfie.<br />
<br />
As a mother to a tween daughter and a teenage son, I have learned a few things about life along the way. This book is full of valuable tips or bits of wisdom that I have learned, or heard from my parents, while growing up.<br />
<br />
Some of them are quite spiritual and have helped me through some difficult times. Some of them are<br />
practical and certainly would have helped me to avoid some major overreactions to the silliest of things. Some are just plain amusing. They stem from those eureka moments where I was like “That is so true!” Like, who knew that the thread count of sheets really does make a difference?<br />
<br />
This is not just another book where a mother and her daughter walk hand-in-hand in the garden as the<br />
mom passes along life lessons. This book is more of a woman-to-woman guidebook for life<br />
.<br />
Now about mascara...how many of you look at celebrities and are like, there is no way their lashes can be that full! You’ve tried to layer coat after coat with your mascara and wonder why your lashes still look like, well, your lashes. You think, am I applying this wrong? Maybe I need a special brush No.<br />
<br />
All mascara is NOT created equal! This was news to me. I don’t care how much your current mascara costs, it still might not be good. There ARE mascaras that are superior to others. You just need to find the right one.<br />
<br />
So, as you read through the pages of this book, grab a cup of tea, and let these tips sink in. Don’t get<br />
distracted by what society is trying to tell you to become; walk in the plan God has for you. You are God’s beautiful creation, and He has a wonderful plan for your life.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Interview:</b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2QqUj5Sd-kR33sX1mmEYK2RYNgD-DC5ra5I2u-HdHM6-DQqg3yX8a_mjzRCOVNCm_puax57VUUiOSUwcX5mNRfIzGvG8dKe6LkRod15mnM3ofz_sZd57yClk4YhwHfgKuKOlb_98IJU/s1600/Author+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2QqUj5Sd-kR33sX1mmEYK2RYNgD-DC5ra5I2u-HdHM6-DQqg3yX8a_mjzRCOVNCm_puax57VUUiOSUwcX5mNRfIzGvG8dKe6LkRod15mnM3ofz_sZd57yClk4YhwHfgKuKOlb_98IJU/s1600/Author+Image.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>1. Can you give us a brief summary of your book, All Mascara is Not Created Equal?<br />
<br />
All Mascara is Not Created Equal is intended to present lighthearted, witty, and spiritually sound advice to young women and girls in “tweet-like” form to help them live a life God would approve of.<br />
<br />
2. Where did you get the idea to write this book?<br />
<br />
I actually started writing the book specifically for my tween daughter and intended to give it her as she entered middle school. Those years can be tough. As a parent, I’m very concerned about the message culture is marketing to our youth. It contradicts the way God has called us to live.<br />
<br />
3. How did you come up with the playful title?<br />
<br />
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love mascara. I had tried several brands over the years and<br />
finally discovered a fantastic mascara that I just loved. It was full of minerals and actually nourished<br />
your lashes. Plus, it created a very full lash. I would always joke with daughter, saying that if you<br />
remember anything I tell you remember that ‘All Mascara Is Not Created Equal.’<br />
<br />
4. How long did it take you to write the book? Do you have any stories you can share of how you<br />
gathered specific quotes or advice?<br />
<br />
You could say the book took most of my life to write, as my experiences growing up and parenting are what shaped it. But, in actuality, it only took about a year to record them and fine-tune them. Most of them wrote themselves. I would be having a conversation with my kids, and all of a sudden I would give some advice. If I liked it, I would later record it. In fact, as I was compiling the tips, my kids would remind me of the things I had told them through the years. Some of the tips are just reflections of the advice my mother and father passed on to me. Of course, they<br />
needed a little tweaking. I didn’t have to deal with the pressures of social media and cell phones<br />
when I was growing up.<br />
<br />
5. Did you have any challenges when writing this book? If so, what were they?<br />
The only challenge I really faced was stopping. At some point, I had to say, this is enough. I will most certainly continue to give my daughter (and son) advice as they continue to mature, but there definitely needed to be a stopping point for the book.<br />
<br />
6. We would love to know more about the woman behind the book. How would you describe<br />
yourself?<br />
<br />
Practical. Organized. Planner. These are some words that my close circle of friends and family would useto describe me. And I can’t argue with that. But, when the Holy Spirit asks me to do something, all that goes out the door. Jesus’ love for me is the most important thing in my life. My goal is that everyone would experience this type of love, which is why I am so quick to abandon my plans and do what God wants me to do. On a fun note, I am married to my high school sweetheart. I was only 16 when we started dating. He was a football player and I was a cheerleader. You don’t get any cuter than that! God has blessed us with two beautiful children who are my absolute joy.<br />
Also, I just love Yorkies, which is why you see them all throughout the book. One day, when the timing is right, I will add one to our family.<br />
<br />
7. What do you hope readers take away from All Mascara is Not Created Equal?<br />
<br />
I hope women learn that pop culture shouldn’t define the kind of women we become. I hope that they<br />
see that life is hard, but Jesus will be your comforter and strength. I hope that every woman sees her<br />
beauty, even before she puts on her mascara. Our inner beauty is so much more important than anything on the outside.<br />
<br />
8. Can you tell us more about the ministry behind the book, Women Get Real?<br />
<br />
Women Get Real Ministries is all about “getting real” with other women. All too often, women put on the facade that everything is just perfect. But, in reality, they are silently suffering with issues like fear, anxiety, depression, body image, and faith. We break the rules about what is and is not<br />
acceptable to talk about, to try and reach the hearts of women providing them with hope and healing.<br />
<br />
9. Where can we find you online and purchase the book?<br />
<br />
Books are available through my website,<a href="http://www.womengetreal.org/"> www.womengetreal.org</a> and on Amazon. It is also being sold at many boutique stores in Connecticut.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Review:</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A Book for Mothers
to Share With Their Daughters</div>
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We all want the best
for our children and that includes living the way God wants us to
live. In today's rushed world, it's sometimes hard to find either the
time or the words for mothers to talk to their daughters about moral
issues and life lessons. All Mascara is Not Created Equal is an
opportunity to open the discussion with a beautiful book.
</div>
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</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The book
intersperses humerus tips like the idea the movie star's mascara is
different, to practical tips like be an informed voter, to religious
tips like listen to God; he's pretty wise. The book is worth reading
from cover to cover then selecting topics to discuss with your
daughter. It's a beautiful gift to give your child.
</div>
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</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This book will be
featured on a Blog Tour from March 23-27. For more information see
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&q=%23WomenGetRealBlogTour&src=typd" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u><b>#</b></u></span><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>WomenGetRealBlogTour</u></span></a>
.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I reviewed this book
for PR by the Book.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-3746298287552722602015-03-10T05:30:00.000-04:002015-03-10T05:30:01.092-04:00Meet Michael Kechula Multi-Published Micro Fiction Author<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJtIWHNsBlj2QLr4q63GHQU-ZEP7si0rnZ_LZg58Hts_6liIBd7Bxk4wne6bug7fmizFs9JELhoOB0ZLdhxPIbGpY97HMaiuIr_1WCCkkLsRp6Xan2Nbn16ALmjlJomZoDlVzxOfs0Y8/s1600/Micro+Fiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJtIWHNsBlj2QLr4q63GHQU-ZEP7si0rnZ_LZg58Hts_6liIBd7Bxk4wne6bug7fmizFs9JELhoOB0ZLdhxPIbGpY97HMaiuIr_1WCCkkLsRp6Xan2Nbn16ALmjlJomZoDlVzxOfs0Y8/s1600/Micro+Fiction.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Michael Kechula is a prize-winning multi-published author of flash or micro-fiction. His recently published book MICRO FICTION: Writing 100-Word Stories (Drabbles) For Magazines and Contests---A Self-Study Tutorial) is available from <a href="http://booksforabuck.com/">BooksForABuck.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Writing micro-fiction is a way to get published without the substantial commitment of writing a novel. Since Michael has been successful at it, I asked him to give us some background on how he got started as well as some tips for authors who want to try this genre.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Interview:</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">NANCY: You
write short fiction. Could you describe the different kinds? Do you
have a favorite?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">MIKE: I
write flash fiction and micro-fiction. Flash fiction is a
literary form in which a complete story is told in 1,000 words or
less. Micro-fiction is another literary form in which a
complete story is told in 200 words or less. One form of
micro-fiction that’s popular today is the drabble, which is a
complete story in exactly 100 words, not counting the title. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 100%;">I’ve
written more flash fiction tales than micro-fiction tales, so I
suppose that’s my favorite way of storytelling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">NANCY: How
did you get started writing short fiction?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 100%;">MIKE: About
13 years ago, I was browsing books on writing at Barnes and Noble,
and I ran across a title that included the words, “Flash
Fiction.” I’d never heard of that, so I browsed the
book and bought it. However, I should have left it on the
shelf, because it turned out to be mostly an academic discussion on
trying to determine what flash fiction is, or should be. The
book included a few stories, which I thought were mediocre at best,
as they had no plots and were just a collection of words that didn’t
exceed 1,000 word count.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 100%;">Feeling
intuitively that flash fiction might have more to it than what I’d
read in the book, I checked the internet for more information. That
led me to a Yahoo writing group, “FLASHXER” which was short for
Flash Fiction Exercise Writing Group. I joined the group,
read some of the stories posted, then tried to write my own. I
was a complete failure at developing flash fiction. Members
of FLASHXER kept sending me critiques saying my stories were dull and
mundane. For some reason, I just couldn’t get the hang
of writing flash.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The
day I decided to forget flash fiction forever, the moderator of
FLASHXER issued a new prompt. I read it and thought maybe
I’d give flash one more try, and if I failed, that would definitely
be the end of my flirtation with writing stories of so few
words.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I
recall that day very well, because I was in a do or die
mood. Raising my hands over the keyboard, I kept them in
mid air, waiting for an inspiration. To visualize what I
might have looked like at that moment, think of a concert pianist who
is about to perform a famous classical work with a symphony
orchestra. In about 30 seconds, he will begin his
performance, so his hands are raised over the keys with his fingers
ready to strike.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">While
my hands were raised over the keyboard, these words suddenly popped
into my head: “Martian spaghetti, $39.50 a plate.” I
can’t tell you where those words came from, especially since they
sounded like something out a wild sci-fi tale--- and I wasn’t a
sci-fi fan. Nevertheless, the words of an intriguing
opener came to mind, and I started typing. An
hour later, I had written a nutty flash fiction tale of 960
words. I spent a bit of time polishing my creation,
then submitted it to FLASHXER. Within an hour, hoorays
filled my screen from everyone who critiqued my tale, which I called,
“39.50 A Plate.” Unbelievable! I’d
created a story that my peers found funny, enjoyable, creative,
entertaining. One reviewer said I should send it
immediately to Alien Skin Magazine. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I
took the reviewer’s advice and submitted it to the magazine with
some trepidation. After all, just a few hours earlier I
was a total failure when it came to creating a flash fiction story of
any genre that anybody would care to read. Now, I
was actually submitting a flash tale to a magazine that tended to be
quite fussy about what they accepted. To my
amazement, the Alien Skin editor accepted the story a few
hours later. Thus, my first flash fiction tale had
been written, accepted by my peers, and then accepted for publication
in an online magazine, all within 10 hours.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ever
since then, I’ve had no problem coming up with story concepts and
developing them. As of February 2015, my flash and
micro-fiction tales have been published in 157 magazines and 55
anthologies in 8 countries. I’ve been lucky enough to
have won 20 flash and micro contests: 1<sup>st</sup> prize
in 12 and 2<sup>nd</sup> prize in 8 others. I’ve
won 4 Editor’s Choice awards. Four collections of my
previously published and prize-winning tales have been published as
eBooks and Paperbacks. These collections contain a
total of 266 flash and micro-fiction stories. One of
my flash tales was nominated by Gemini Magazine for a Pushcart
Literary Prize. Didn’t win, but never expected my work
to be nominated for any prize. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">In
addition to the 4 books, I’ve written 2 self-study books that teach
how to write flash fiction and micro-fiction. The titles
of these books are: “Writing Genre Flash Fiction The Minimalist
Way---A Self-Study Book” and “MICRO FICTION: Writing
100-Word Stories (Drabbles) for Magazines and Contests---A Self-Study
Tutorial.” </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">NANCY: What
are the publishing opportunities in short fiction?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">MIKE: Hundreds
of online and print magazines around the world clamor for genre flash
and mirco-fiction stories every month. A lesser
number seeks micro-fiction tales, especially in the drabble
format. Dozens of magazines issue submission calls for
literary flash and micro-fiction tales every month.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">In
addition, numerous contests are announced for flash and micro-fiction
tales every month. Most tend to seek genre fiction
works.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">NANCY: What
advice can you give to someone who wants to get started writing short
fiction?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">MIKE: Here
are some points to consider:</span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1) Decide
if you want to develop a genre fiction or literary fiction work. If
you aren’t sure of the difference, consider this: literary
works tend to be lyrical, focus on characters, and have little or no
plot. In contrast, genre works are considered the opposite
of literary drabbles, because they don’t focus on characters.
Instead, they focus on events, plus they have developed
plots. By </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i>events</i></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">,
I mean the noteworthy things that happen in a story. For example, if
you’re telling about a man who’s on his way to a bank to rob it,
you’ll probably focus on what happens when he arrives. You wouldn’t
expend words describing his motivations, what he wore, and the color
of his hair. Instead, you’d establish the fact that someone wanted
to rob a bank, tell what happened when he arrived at the bank, and if
he succeeded or not.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2) If
you decide to try your hand at genre fiction, try to be a storyteller
first and writer second. If</span></span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">you’re
not sure how to develop your flash or micro tale as a
storyteller, consider writing the story using the same words you’d
use when telling it to a friend over coffee. For example, suppose you
want to tell your friend about a party you went to last night. Would
you tell him like this? “</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i>I
went to a great party last night while the stars shone brightly in
the sky and the moon gave off just enough light to give the ground a
wondrous, silvery patina.” </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Or
would you say this? “</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i>I
went to a great party last night.”</i></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Hopefully,
you’d use the words shown in the second example. That’s the
storyteller’s way of relating a story, while the first sentence is
the writer’s artful way of embellishing a sentence with lots of
visuals. You can’t help but notice the startling differences
between the two.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">3) Another
thing to consider: you aren’t writing a novel or short
story. Techniques you may have learned that work very well
in developing novels and short stories usually don’t work when
writing very short fiction. For example, in novels and
short stories authors always include first and last names. We
don’t do that in flash or micro, because it wastes one word count
each time. This brings up the idea of always having word
economy in mind when developing your story. For most
people, this is the greatest challenge they face when attempting to
write flash and micro-fiction.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">4) Consider
adapting a minimalist approach to writing flash or micro. Here
are the objectives I’ve developed for minimalist authors: to
tell as much story as possible, in as few words as possible, without
sacrificing a smooth read. If you can do this, you may
find yourself getting published quickly and continuously.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">5) Edit
your drafts ruthlessly.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Many
more techniques are involved. All are thoroughly covered
in my self-study books that teach and drill readers on the flash and
micro-fiction development process. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">NANCY: What
are you working on now?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">MIKE: I
just completed the final edit on my latest collection of flash
tales. This new book is called, “Revenge Day and Other
Tales of Crime and Espionage.” I expect it will be
published as an eBook and paperback in June, 2015.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">NANCY: Do
you have any other points you'd like to share about this area?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">MIKE: Yes. I’ve
found that stories of any genre can be told via the flash or micro
format. For example, I’ve written light sci-fi, various
subgenres of fantasy, horror, romance, crime, and espionage tales
over the years. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Don’t
choose a concept that is too ambitious for flash or micro. If
your concept will require more than 4 scenes, it probably won’t
work effectively if presented in the flash or micro format.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Try
to use dialog as much as possible. Dialog uses far less words than
narrative.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Include
an opener that will grab reader’s attention and make them want to
read more.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Tell
instead of show. Showing burns excessive word count.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Remember
to use word economy at all times.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Edit
your work ruthlessly, but not to such an extent that the read becomes
choppy.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Read
your first draft aloud and record it. Play the recording
several times. You’ll notice sentences that can be
smoother, especially those containing dialog.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Thanks,
Nancy, for the opportunity to tell my story. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Review: </b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Write Publishable
Drabbles</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Crafting a Drabble
is different from writing a novel or creative non-fiction. At 100
words, each word must count. Flowery description, body movements, or
the weather use unnecessary words. Kechula, a multi-published micro
fiction author and editor, shares his techniques in this self-study
guide.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Efficiently telling
a story in 100 words is the key to writing a Drabble. The chapters
present methods for eliminating words and writing clear sentences.
Topics include: tell don't show, hook the reader, and add a twist.
Kechula includes his published micro fiction to illustrate the ideas.
Questions follow the text to allow the reader to practice. The
answers are given at the end of each chapter. A final series of 165
practice questions allows you to test your ability to understand and
apply the concepts.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I highly recommend
this book if you are interested in writing micro fiction and taking
advantage of the opportunities for publication in contests and
on-line and print magazines. Although Kechula's book is a
comprehensive guide to writing micro fiction, it does not guarantee
you will be published. Telling a good story is key, but if you have a
story, this book will help you hone your technique.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-44216095478836672302015-02-25T05:00:00.000-05:002015-02-25T05:00:05.685-05:00Meet Kyle Prue Author of "The Sparks"<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Author:</span></b><br />
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Kyle Prue is a seventeen-year-old high school student. In an interview, he discusses some of the reasons he decided to write<i> The Sparks,</i> the first book in the Feud trilogy. This post is part of a blogbook tour. You can find more information by following the tour at <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">: </span></span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&q=%23TheSparksBlogTour&src=typd" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">#TheSparksBlogTour</span></span></span></a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dPok_lFWXsoVSOeOIU6qYbpmd4n0JXfmZyv9yv1UWsyWNYA2iYaogPEROIWfi5tx8oZTf5HLn4xQEvfa58U5u-YyG_ocYwcigQWDBNJXcBQOsKM0inEsyG0EDvqQJbBVXVHqcbDUSFE/s1600/The+Sparks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dPok_lFWXsoVSOeOIU6qYbpmd4n0JXfmZyv9yv1UWsyWNYA2iYaogPEROIWfi5tx8oZTf5HLn4xQEvfa58U5u-YyG_ocYwcigQWDBNJXcBQOsKM0inEsyG0EDvqQJbBVXVHqcbDUSFE/s1600/The+Sparks.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">Interview:</span></b></div>
<div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Where did
you get the idea for the Feud series? </b>
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
This
is a coming of age story for young adults and I am a teen in that
demographic. Everyone struggles to find their path in life and my
characters are all struggling with not wanting to let people down and
to find their way; forgiveness and hope is a part of that journey as
well. One night, at the age of 15, I had terrible insomnia and I
couldn’t sleep. I was thinking about the different personalities of
my siblings and myself and how we will all follow different paths.
That gave me the idea to create three different families loosely
based around our differing personalities. I decided it would be fun
to take these families and place them in a fantasy world where the
obstacles we all face could be magnified to a whole new level. I
wrote out the plot for the three books that night.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="2">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What drew
you to write YA Fantasy?</b></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
I
wanted to write for me. Recently, I’ve hit an “in-between” zone
where it’s harder for me to find books I want to read. I wanted to
write something that I would want to read and that would appeal to
other kids my age. I wanted to appeal to boys who have lost interest
in reading and I also created strong female characters that girls
will love.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>When did
you first start writing? </b>
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
Like
a lot of kids, I was bullied in middle school. I doubt you will ever
find a kid that says, “I rocked 7<sup>th</sup> grade! That was the
best time in my life.” I was short and fat and had a bowl haircut
with braces. This was not a great time in my life. But I discovered I
could come home and pick up a pen and create a whole fantasy world
that I could control, when the rest of my life felt out of control. I
learned that I loved to create characters because their potential is
limitless.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
I
was lucky because I learned to use writing as an escape at an early
age. I was in a multi-age program from 1<sup>st</sup>-3<sup>rd</sup>
grade where I had the same teacher for three years. She had an
experimental writing program where she gave us an hour a day to write
in our journals. She told us to just write freely and not worry about
punctuation or grammar, just let the creativity flow. So by the end
of that program, I had a stack of notebooks filled with an adventure
series. I also did a series called Three Rings that I wrote from the
age of 12 to 14 when middle school was really rough. It was a
200-page manuscript. It wasn’t good, but it was good practice.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="4">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What are
your other interests besides writing? </b>
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
I
love stand up comedy because like writing, it requires an ability to
look at the world in a unique way and find the humor in that. I’m a
varsity swimmer for my school. I’m involved with mock trial, I’m
in a number of plays every year, I started an improv club at my
school and I’m really involved with our film club—we spend our
weekends writing scripts and filming. We are currently working on a
web series called “Amockalypse” that I’m really excited about.
I pretty much gave up on sleeping after middle school.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="5">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>When do
you find the time to write?</b>
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
If
you love something, you find the time. I write during any hour that I
can get free. With extracurriculars, I don’t usually get home until
around 7:00 p.m. or later, and then I have homework, so I may only
write an hour or two during the week. I try to make time to write
during the weekends and breaks—I get the most writing done in the
summer. I started the second book in the trilogy, <i>The Flames</i>,
this past summer and am working on editing it over this school year.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="6">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Where is
your favorite place to write?</b></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
I’ve
usually got a notebook or computer on hand so any time I feel even
the slightest bit inspired I can write. I am a big fan of writing in
bookstores—it’s an interesting feeling to be surrounded by the
works of people who have achieved what you are trying to accomplish.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="7">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What is
your family like?</b>
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
My
family is nothing like the families in the book, I better clarify
that up front. My parents are incredibly supportive and have allowed
me to follow my dreams. I have two siblings: a brother and a sister.
They are great; we are very close. I am the youngest.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
My
brother and I used to fight a lot and that dynamic inspired my idea
for the three feuding families in the books. We don’t fight
anymore, as we’ve outgrown that phase, but it gave me plenty to
write about.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="8">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What were
you like as a child?</b>
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA0WBZ1zPfVbilnntucudtVtZbyhXQvqm7XFsuEzdRyuasjABzSreLnEEpA_qaUMjKkGX7EGn8clx3qsCq6T35rybqtAd7vyDS_v2Ov4qRNyPAimEBonC-zaJosuL8VJfoD78rWHGPEg/s1600/KPrue_Headshot_low-res+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA0WBZ1zPfVbilnntucudtVtZbyhXQvqm7XFsuEzdRyuasjABzSreLnEEpA_qaUMjKkGX7EGn8clx3qsCq6T35rybqtAd7vyDS_v2Ov4qRNyPAimEBonC-zaJosuL8VJfoD78rWHGPEg/s1600/KPrue_Headshot_low-res+(1).jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a>I
lived in a fantasy world all the time—I was always inventing
stories and reenacting them. I lived in costumes. I had a cat suit
that I particularly loved. My mom would always get me a new costume
for Halloween and inevitably I would end up back in my cat suit when
it was time to go trick-or-treating. I wore that cat suit until the
legs only came to my knees. It’s weird…for some reason when you
dress like a cat all the time you don’t make a ton of friends. But
anyway, that’s why my parents signed me up for acting classes. I
started taking acting classes at the age of six. I loved it from the
start.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
Currently,
my whole focus is on college auditions. I’m crazy enough to be
applying for programs where thousands of kids audition and they
literally accept only six boys. So it’s kind of like trying to win
the lottery, but I’m giving it my best shot. As I mentioned, I’m
writing, directing and acting in my web series and we are launching a
Kickstarter campaign to fund that this week. I spent last fall in LA
and I was so lucky to take acting classes and perform improv at LA
Connection. It was like what I imagine grad school is like. I spent
40 hours a week in acting classes and seminars—and still had to
keep up with schoolwork online. It was intense but amazing.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<b style="line-height: 115%;">Tell us
where we can find your book and more information about you.</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
You
can find more info on my website,<a href="http://www.kyleprue.com/">
</a><a href="http://www.kyleprue.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>www.kyleprue.com</u></span></a>,
Facebook<a href="http://www.facebook.com/kyleprue">
</a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/kyleprue"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>www.facebook.com/kyleprue</u></span></a>,
Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/KylePrue"> </a><a href="https://twitter.com/KylePrue"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>@KylePrue</u></span></a>
and Instagram<a href="http://instagram.com/kylestevenprue">
</a><a href="http://instagram.com/kylestevenprue"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>@KyleStevenPrue</u></span></a>.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Review: </span></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A Fast Paced Fantasy
Adventure</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Neil Vapros, a
member of the powerful Vapros family, wants to be an assassin to
impress his father. He is assigned to kill the grandfather, titular
head of the Taurlum clan. Once in the Taurlum mansion, he looks for
the grandfather, but instead runs into two young Tarulum brothers,
Darius and Michael. They give chase and Neil is barely able to
escape.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The three primary
families of Altryon: Vapros, Taurlum, and Celerium, have been given
special powers designed to help protect the city from the dangers of
the world outside the city walls, but for years they have been
fighting each other using their powers to kill each other. Now there
is a powerful emperor, but instead of fostering peace among the
families, he appears to be encouraging the feud.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Young adults, teens
and preteens, should enjoy this book. It's filled with action,
battles, and magical encounters where young people fight to protect
their families. The book focuses on plot and action and does it well.
However, there is little character development. Neil does grow as he
faces the forces arrayed against him, but the other characters remain
static.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I recommend this
book for anyone who enjoys fast paced action with a touch of magic.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Published on Nancy Famolari's Authorspotlight (<a href="http://nancyfamolari.blgspot.com/">http://nancyfamolari.blgspot.com</a>)</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Purchasing the Book:</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.16in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">There is a special discount code for readers who want to purchase
The Sparks. They can purchase the book from </span></span></span><a href="http://kyleprue.com/store-2/#!/Autographed-Copy-of-The-Sparks/p/40025918/category=0" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Kyle
Prue’s store on his official website (linked)</span></span></span></a><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">.
The code ‘</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b>BLOG25</b></span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">’
will get them 25% off an autographed copy, signed by Kyle Prue! NOTE:
This code will not work on purchases made on Amazon. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>PRESS
CONTACT</b></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Ashley
Lauretta | PR by the Book </b>
</div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>512-481-7728
| ashley@prbythebook.com </b>
</div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-15092336914601461662015-02-15T14:08:00.000-05:002017-08-04T11:21:42.868-04:00Great Grammar Equals Great Literature?<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Grammar is important
when writing a novel, or even a business letter, but does it equal
great literature? <span style="color: #222222; line-height: 100%;">While
good even excellent grammar is important there are some instances in
which rules can be broken. Missing commas, wordiness, colloquialisms,
accidentally confused words, sentence fragments, and other grammar
mistakes don't necessarily doom your work to oblivion. The key is
knowing when to avoid mistakes </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 100%;">and
when to bend the rules</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 100%;">.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">G</span><span style="color: #222222;">rammar
rules can and sometimes should be ignored i</span><span style="color: #222222;">n</span><span style="color: #222222;">
dialog. People don't speak using perfect grammar. Dialog is a way to
distinguish the speech patterns of your characters and make them come
alive. Some of the most boring books I've read have been written by
authors using the same good grammar in dialog as in the rest of the
novel. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">Another
exception is poetry. The flow of the words sometimes do</span><span style="color: #222222;">esn</span><span style="color: #222222;">'t
lend </span><span style="color: #222222;">itself</span><span style="color: #222222;">
to good grammar. The example from the Grammarly study of
Shakespeare's use of a preposition in the Tempest is an excellent
example. Some memorable quotes ignore the rules of good grammar and
</span><span style="color: #222222;">produce</span><span style="color: #222222;">
</span><span style="color: #222222;">a</span><span style="color: #222222;"> masterpiece</span><span style="color: #222222;">.
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">Grammar
and the expectations of the reader have changed over the years. While
readers of Jane Austen were comfortable with the passive voice,
modern readers are more interested in action. Authors sometimes write in the present tense to give the writing more immediacy. </span><span style="color: #222222;">People
still read and enjoy Austen because of her insights into personality.
The passive voice does not deter them. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;">While
grammar is important and knowing the rules facilitates good writing.
It's also important to know when rules can be broken. Even more
important than grammar is having a good story to tell. Readers are
willing to put up with a great deal if you entertain them. Story
comes first. </span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-842877528168161762015-01-15T05:00:00.000-05:002015-01-15T05:00:03.180-05:00Words Count<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I recently review
Michael Kechula's new book, “Writing 100-Word Stories (Drabbles)
for Magazines and Contests – A Self Study Tutorial.” Reading this
book reminded me of the importance of words. In Drabbles, word count
is key, but to keep withing the 100 word limit, each word
must count. There is no spare space to use adjectives or adverbs to
modify a noun or verb that is almost but not quite perfect.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In novels and short
stories, word count is less important, but finding the right word to
enhance the story is still desirable. When you're writing longer fiction,
it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking a long paragraph of
description does the job a single perfect word would accomplish in
less space.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While many writers
don't want to write short fiction of 100 words or less. It's still
important to realize that the perfect word
can enhance the reader's appreciation of the description. Many readers are not interested in plowing
through pages of description when a few well chosen words would do
the job.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another aspect of
finding the right word is eliminating unnecessary words. Unnecessary
words include the adjectives and adverbs used to modify nouns and
verbs that are almost perfect. An example is using 'really' to modify
what you're proposing. It's a word that may make you feel better
because you're trying to communicate the way you 'really' feel, but
the strong words in the sentence should accomplish that without help.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Even if you're not
interested in writing short fiction, I recommend Michael's book. The
165 exercises at the end will give you practice in eliminating
unnecessary words and make you think about what you are trying to
say.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Michael's book is
available at Amazon.
(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Micro-Fiction-100-Word-Drabbles-Magazines-ebook/dp/B00R6WHL3O/">http://www.amazon.com/Micro-Fiction-100-Word-Drabbles-Magazines-ebook/dp/B00R6WHL3O/</a>)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-16424040793255608952014-12-15T05:00:00.000-05:002014-12-15T05:00:08.746-05:00Meet Bradford Wheler - Author of Inca's Death Cave<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blurb:</span></b><div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRSLFsR3dm2e51if_Q_0DVccfL6AE5er7LoPXvUMh19NIbivK8X3VzZ5iV6GCk_d2blstz753sPxi8ZrIV_q8rSK2FQrer6PjopDHeAVgIZUBo0DxBi3PbtBh7iOKH_-bOYT8rdaeD2Q/s1600/Incas-FrontCover-RGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRSLFsR3dm2e51if_Q_0DVccfL6AE5er7LoPXvUMh19NIbivK8X3VzZ5iV6GCk_d2blstz753sPxi8ZrIV_q8rSK2FQrer6PjopDHeAVgIZUBo0DxBi3PbtBh7iOKH_-bOYT8rdaeD2Q/s1600/Incas-FrontCover-RGB.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A
500-year-old puzzle catapults an archaeology professor and his
brilliant grad student into the adventure of a lifetime in <i>INCA’S
DEATH CAVE</i>, a new mystery thriller from author Bradford G.
Wheler.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">What happened to a band of
Inca rebels who journeyed north in Peru to seek the fabled cave of
the true gods – and escape the disease and destruction brought by
Spanish conquistadors? They were never heard from again. Did they
just melt back into their villages or was something more sinister
involved? What trace or treasure did they leave behind? </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The ingenious plot of this
thriller is full of twists and turns, excitement and adventure,
archaeology and technology. Readers will meet fascinating characters
they’ll never forget: a high-tech billionaire, a quick-witted
professor, his beautiful young student, and her still-tough
grandfather, a retired Marine gunny sergeant.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cornell University professor
Robert Johnson and his star PhD student are hired by a billionaire
entrepreneur to solve a 500-year-old archaeology mystery in northern
Peru. But first, they will have to survive corporate skullduggery and
drug-lord thuggery. And why, 6,700 miles away in Vatican City, is the
old guard so upset? What dark secrets could centuries-old manuscripts
hold?</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Intreview:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">1)
What originally inspired you to get into writing?</span></span></div>
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In
my business career all my writing was business related, proposal,
contracts, and other business documents. When I sold my business and
wanted to do something different, I took my collection of a couple
thousand quotations that I’d written on 3” by 5” cards and
created the book “SNAPPY SAYINGS wit & wisdom from the world’s
greatest minds.”</div>
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Next
I decided to invite artists to submit images from their artwork for
the next books. From this came my art themed quotation books “DOG
SAYINGS wit & wisdom from man’s best friend”, “HORSE
SAYINGS wit & wisdom straight from the horse’s mouth”, CAT
SAYINGS wit and wisdom from the whiskered ones” and, “GOLF
SAYINGS wit & wisdom of a good walk spoiled.” Each book
features the artwork of over 50 artists from around the world.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’d
been thinking about writing a novel and with my wife’s
encouragement, I decided to write</span></span> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><i><b>INCA’S
DEATH CAVE An Archaeological Mystery Thriller.</b></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">2)
Where did the idea for Inca's Death Cave come from?</span></span></div>
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I had a general idea of the plot line. I knew I wanted the setting to
be in Central or South America. However, I didn’t know exactly
where or if it would involve ancient Aztec, Mayan, or Incan culture.
As I researched, Peru and the Incas seemed to best fit the story I
had in mind.
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">3)
Was there any particular character that you liked or felt able to
relate to?</span></span></div>
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I liked aspects of most of the characters. There are several of the
characters that, if they existed in real life, I believe I would
enjoy meeting.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">4)
Was there any particular character that you dislike?</span></span></div>
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I would find it hard to like Dr. Lois Stone.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">5)
Were there any scenes in particular that were hard or easy to write?</span></span></div>
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I found if I could visualize the scenes in my mind it was easy to
write. When I was having a hard time with a scene I would take a walk
or even a nap and let the scene develop in my mind.</div>
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On one walk my wife said. “You look lost in your thoughts.”</div>
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I answered. “I’m not lost, I’m in a cave in Peru.”</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">6)
Did you draw on any personal knowledge or experience for this book?</span></span></div>
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I guess I drew on all the knowledge and experience of my life. I
would watch how different people would behave in different situations
and how they would talk and interact with the others. I also did lots
of reading and research to try and properly represent the history and
technology.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">7)
Have any of your characters been inspired by real people?</span></span></div>
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Yes, parts of each character have traits that I’ve seen in real
people. However there is no one character that is identical to a real
person I know.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">8)
Are there any particular authors or books that have inspired you?</span></span></div>
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There are so many, I’m not sure I can make a full list. I’ve read
many of the classics. I enjoy the writing of Wilbur Smith for the way
he is able to paint the scenery of Africa. I like George MacDonald
Fraser books because they have such great characters. Robert Crais
and Robert B. Parker have snappy dialog that make their books fun to
read. I love Mark Twain’s wit. I like Walter Mosley. His books that
are set in Watts in the 1950s and 1960s are a great insight into a
part of American culture many of us are not exposed to. I also read
David Baldacci, Kingsley Amis, Carl Hiaasen, Janet Evanovich, Ken
Follett, Clive Cussler and many more.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">9)
Do you have any future books planned?</span></span></div>
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Oh yes. I’m working on the next of my art themed quotation books.
This one will be “LOVE SAYINGS wit & wisdom from romance,
courtship and marriage.” It will feature artwork form about 50
artists paired with quotations. It will be the sixth book in the
popular wit & wisdom series. I hope to publish in January 2015.</div>
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</span></div>
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Then Professor Rob Johnson and Abbey Summers will be off to a new
part of the world for a new adventure. Hopefully it will publish in
the fall of 2015.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">About the Author:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEu0qG_bS8AqZ2_jLdp2t_zP9F5iB9HgYeiFmvy0c1sLJP_G113ui2Q2hwSeadyq7P4Kp029n0mOfDU4Hj55h-zyc0GjTgrZOxG_nFZvWOcSB2Z2bEfKOZt7YYcWU0j-NQZttSwo7mmv8/s1600/Wheler+author+photo+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEu0qG_bS8AqZ2_jLdp2t_zP9F5iB9HgYeiFmvy0c1sLJP_G113ui2Q2hwSeadyq7P4Kp029n0mOfDU4Hj55h-zyc0GjTgrZOxG_nFZvWOcSB2Z2bEfKOZt7YYcWU0j-NQZttSwo7mmv8/s1600/Wheler+author+photo+large.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">BRADFORD
G. WHELER is the former CEO, President and Co-owner of Allan Electric
Company. He sold Allan Electric to a New York Stock Exchange listed
company.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">Brad’s
lifelong love of history, art, books, and the inherent humor in man’s
nature led to the founding of BookCollaborative.com and the
publishing of </span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><i>Inca’s Death Cave</i></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">
as well as </span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><i>GOLF SAYINGS: wit &
wisdom of a good walk spoiled, CAT SAYINGS: wit & wisdom from the
whiskered ones,</i></span><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"> and four other
books.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">His
community involvements include being a Trustee of Community General
Hospital in Hamilton, NY, and chairing their Finance Committee. He is
the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Cazenovia College.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">Brad
played polo on Cornell University’s men’s polo team for four
years and was a member of the Cazenovia Polo Club. In 2012 he was
inducted into the Manlius Pebble Hill Athletic Hall of Fame.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">He
holds a BS and ME in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell
University as well as an MBA degree from Fordham University.</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;">Brad,
his wife, Julie, and their golden retriever Quincy live in Cazenovia,
NY and Fort Pierce, FL.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Review by Nancy Famolari:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;">High Tech and Archeology
Professor Johnson and his graduate student, Abby, are asked by Walter Falcone to come to Peru to investigate legends of an Inca Death Cave. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity and the adventure of a lifetime. They agree and setup their base for a year at the Falcone ranch in Peru.
Walter promised them a team and while the team calls themselves “The Rejects,” the young people are bright, technologically competent, and able to put high tech to good use to find and explore the Death Cave.
I have mixed feeling about this book. The plot is great, the information, first class, and the characters interesting. The problem is that this is a fiction book. The dialog is poor. In the opening chapters, Abby and the Professor call each other by their names in almost every piece of dialog. People just don't talk this way. In addition, the dialog, particularly in the opening chapters is almost all data dump. Luckily this data is interesting or I would have put the book down immediately.
The other problem is that the project team is too good to be true. All the team members are bright. They help each other, and Professor Johnson is everyone's favorite boss. While this isn't totally unrealistic, it sounds a lot like Shangrila to those of us who have managed projects.
I would have given this novel five stars, but the writing so amateurish that I have to go with four. If you are interested in archeology, you'll enjoy this book. If you want a well written novel, this isn't it.
I reviewed this book for Net Galley.</pre>
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</pre>
<pre class="review-body-display display" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 4px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #666666; font-family: Raleway-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: normal; overflow: auto; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 600px; word-break: normal; word-wrap: normal;">
</pre>
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<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Books Available From: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Autographed
copies of </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>INCA’S
DEATH CAVE</i></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and past
works from BookCollaborative.com may be purchased at a discount
through visiting the website <a href="http://www.bookcollaborative.com/">www.BookCollaborative.com</a>.
The book is also available in ebook and audio book form.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-66323317879163837742014-11-17T05:00:00.000-05:002014-11-17T05:00:02.201-05:00The Tree of Water -- A YA Fantasy Adventure<b><span style="font-size: large;">Excerpt</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXM1e8mUZ_7JCqnZj36Hx46K0a9Ru9KJhTKwWZjAw4UkFiv6-vQ8rIZ6tlRecHdKXmr2vpGG1Ur8CJUl8J5naID3EyO3czrPkRJD2vQl26dcWfx-HwAlvGe_iZgnda-KEv88xtxGmmxy0/s1600/The+Tree+of+Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXM1e8mUZ_7JCqnZj36Hx46K0a9Ru9KJhTKwWZjAw4UkFiv6-vQ8rIZ6tlRecHdKXmr2vpGG1Ur8CJUl8J5naID3EyO3czrPkRJD2vQl26dcWfx-HwAlvGe_iZgnda-KEv88xtxGmmxy0/s1600/The+Tree+of+Water.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a><br />
<b>1 </b><br />
To Go, or Not to Go<br />
The human boys had an expression back in the faraway city of Vaarn where I was born. It went<br />
like this:<br />
Curiosity killed the cat<br />
Satisfaction brought him back<br />
I am a curious person. I was just as curious back in my early days in Vaarn as I am now,<br />
perhaps even more so, because my curiosity had not yet been given a chance to be satisfied.<br />
The first time I heard this expression, I was very excited. I thought it meant that my curiosity<br />
could make me feel like I was dying, but it would let up if I discovered the answer to whatever<br />
was making me curious.<br />
I told my mother about the rhyme. She was not impressed. In fact, she looked at me as if I had<br />
just set my own hair on fire on purpose. She patted my chin, which was woefully free of any sign<br />
of the beard that should have been growing there.<br />
“That’s very nice,” she said, returning to her chores. “But just in case nobody told you, you are<br />
not a cat, Ven. Unlike you, cats have whiskers.”<br />
My pride stung for days afterward.<br />
But it didn’t stop my curiosity from growing as fast as my beard should have been.<br />
My name is Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme, Ven for short. Unlike the human boys in Vaarn, I<br />
am of the race of the Nain. Nain are somewhat shorter than humans, and grumpier. They live<br />
almost four times as long as humans, and tend to be much less curious, and much less<br />
adventurous. They hate to travel, don’t swim, and generally do not like other people. Especially<br />
those who are not Nain.<br />
I clearly am not a good example of my race.<br />
First, I am very tall for a Nain, sixty-eight Knuckles high when I was last measured on the<br />
morning of my fiftieth birthday. I’ve already mentioned my uncontrollable curiosity, which<br />
brings along with it a desire for adventure. I have been blessed, or cursed, with quite a lot of that<br />
recently.<br />
But as for the curiosity, while I’ve had a lot of satisfaction for the questions it has asked me, it<br />
doesn’t seem to matter. As soon as one burning question is answered, another one springs to<br />
mind immediately. As a result, I am frequently in trouble.<br />
So now I am about to lay my head on a chopping block, on purpose, and a man with a very sharp<br />
knife is standing over me, ready to make slashes in my neck.<br />
I’m wondering if in fact instead of being a live Nain, I am about to end up as a dead, formerly<br />
curious cat.Because now I have three whiskers of my own.<br />
Ven Polypheme had two sets of eyes staring at him.<br />
One set was black as coal. The other was green as the sea.<br />
Neither of them looked happy.<br />
The green eyes were floating, along with a nose, forehead, and hair on which a red cap<br />
embroidered with pearls sat, just above the surface of the water beneath the old abandoned dock.<br />
The brows above the eyes were drawn together. They looked annoyed.<br />
The black ones were in the middle of the face of his best friend, Char, who stood beside him on<br />
the dock. They looked anxious.<br />
In the distance a bell began to toll. Ven looked to his left at the docks of the fishing village to the<br />
south of them, where work had begun hours ago. Then he looked behind him. The sleepy town of<br />
Kingston in the distance was just beginning to wake up.<br />
Ven looked back down into the water.<br />
“Come on, Amariel,” he said to the floating eyes. “I can’t really go off into the sea without him.”<br />
A glorious tail of colorful scales emerged from below the surface, splashing both boys with cold<br />
salt water.<br />
“Why not?” a girl’s voice demanded from the waves. “He’s a pest. And he isn’t nice to me.”<br />
Char’s black eyes widened.<br />
“I—I’m sorry ’bout that,” he stammered. “When I first met you, Ven didn’t tell me you were a<br />
mermaid—” He shivered as another splash drenched him again. “Er, I mean merrow. I’m sorry if<br />
I made you mad.”<br />
“Hmmph.”<br />
“Please let him come,” Ven said. “Captain Snodgrass gave him orders to keep an eye on me. So<br />
if I’m going to explore the sea with you, he kinda has to come along.”<br />
Char nodded. “Cap’n’s orders.”<br />
“He’s not my captain,” said the merrow. “I don’t take orders from humans. You know better,<br />
Ven. My mother will fillet me if she finds out I’m traveling with a human male. Especially if we<br />
are going to go exploring. There are very clear rules about not showing humans around the<br />
wonders of the Deep. And besides, it’s dangerous. You have no idea how many sea creatures<br />
think humans are tasty. I don’t want to get chomped on by mistake.”<br />
Out of the corner of his eye, Ven watched Char’s face go white.<br />
“We’ll be careful,” he promised. “Char will be on his best behavior.”<br />
“I’ve seen his best behavior. I’m not impressed.”<br />
“Look,” Char said. “If you get sick of me, you can always cover me with fish guts and toss me<br />
out as shark bait.”<br />
The merrow stared coldly at him. “Oh, all right,” she said finally. “But remember, there’s a reason they call bait for sharks chum.<br />
‘Chum’ is another word for ‘friend.’” Her eyes stayed locked on Char. “And if you make a<br />
bunch of sharks angry, Chum—”<br />
“I’ll be chum,” Char said. “Got it.”<br />
“So if you’re coming, we have to find a fisherman named Asa with a red-bottomed boat.”<br />
Amariel pointed south to one of the far docks. “He’ll cut your gills, and we can get going.”<br />
Both boys grabbed their necks.<br />
The merrow rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. Do you want to be able to breathe underwater or not?<br />
Gills are the only way I know of to do that. I’m tired of waiting. Decide whether you’re coming<br />
or whether I’m leaving.”<br />
“We’re coming,” Ven said as he let go of his neck. “Sorry—it’s just instinct. Let’s go.”<br />
Char nodded, but did not remove his hands.<br />
The merrow disappeared below the surface of the water.<br />
The two boys hurried south over the packed sand along the shore.<br />
“Ya know, it’s not too late to change your mind, Ven,” Char muttered. “We could get a boat or<br />
somethin’, and follow her out to sea, like we did when we were chasing the Floatin’ Island, and<br />
then dive down to see whatever she wants to show us—”<br />
“You can stay on shore if you want to, Char,” Ven said, trying to see the merrow in between the<br />
waves. “But I promised her a long time ago that I would explore her world with her. It’s now or<br />
never.”<br />
“Have it your way,” Char said gloomily. “You always do anyway.”<br />
They followed the pebbly path in the sand south until the fishing village came into sight. Several<br />
long piers led out into the harbor, with docks along each of them. Small boats lined the docks. At<br />
each boat fishermen were hauling nets filled with flapping fish and cages with crabs and lobsters<br />
onto the piers. Seagulls flew in great wide circles above, screeching and crying, then diving for<br />
food.<br />
“So how did she happen to find this Asa, and how does she know he won’t just cut our throats?”<br />
Char asked as they picked their way among barrels and pieces of rope on the slats of the pier.<br />
Ven shrugged. “No idea. But sailors and merrows have a pretty good connection.” He pointed<br />
about halfway down the pier, where a small green fishing boat with a red bottom bobbed lazily in<br />
the morning tide. A wrinkled man in a wrinkled hat sat on a barrel at the edge of the dock,<br />
cleaning his morning catch of fish. “Could that be him?”<br />
Char squinted. “I guess so.”<br />
“Come on. We may as well ask. If it’s not Asa, he probably knows where to find him. Fishermen<br />
all know each other.”<br />
The two boys walked along the pier, stepping out of the way of men dragging lobster traps and<br />
heavy netting, until they got to the red-bottomed boat. They stopped behind the elderly<br />
fisherman, who did not seem to notice they were there.<br />
Ven coughed politely.<br />
“Excuse me, sir—are you Asa?” The fisherman looked up from his work, his sky-blue eyes twinkling in the sun.<br />
“Who’s askin’?”<br />
“Er, my name is Ven, sir. I was told I might find a fisherman at this dock who could, uh, cut<br />
gills.”<br />
The wrinkly man nodded. “Well, Ven, you’ve found ’im. But I can’t say as I’ve heard of any<br />
recent wrecks.”<br />
Ven blinked. “Pardon?”<br />
“Shipwrecks,” said the fisherman. “That’s the only reason I know of for a man to risk a slice in<br />
his neck—to salvage the treasure from the bones of a shipwreck.”<br />
“Oh.” Ven and Char exchanged a glance, then looked off the edge of the dock.<br />
In the water behind the boat, the beautiful tail of multicolored scales was waving at them from<br />
beneath the surface.<br />
“Uh, we weren’t really planning to dive for treasure,” Ven continued, trying to block the sight of<br />
the merrow’s tail. “We just want to do some exploring.”<br />
The fisherman’s eyebrows arched.<br />
“The sea’s no place to explore without a good reason, lads,” he said seriously. “Lots of bad stuff<br />
down there—believe you me. The only reason a man takes his life into his hands on a daily basis<br />
by going out there is to make a living for his family. Otherwise, we’d farm the land.” The blue<br />
eyes twinkled. “If we knew how.”<br />
“Well, we’d really like to have gills, nonetheless,” Ven said. “We’ve been told you know how to,<br />
er, cut them without too much pain—and safely. Is that true?”<br />
Asa exhaled, then nodded.<br />
“I suppose that depends on how much is too much where pain is concerned,” he said. “That’s<br />
really up to you. It’s not my business what you’re doing. We mind our own business on the sea.<br />
If you want gills, and you’re willing to take the risk, I can cut ’em for you right quick.” He held<br />
up a thin silver filleting knife. “Then I have to get back to cleaning my catch. So, what’ll it be?<br />
Make haste, now.”<br />
Char and Ven looked at each other once more, then nodded at the same time.<br />
“We’re in,” said Char.<br />
“All right then,” said Asa. He reached into the boat and took hold of the top of a small sea chest<br />
that held his tackle. He slammed it closed and put it on the dock in front of them. “Kneel down<br />
and put your heads on this chest, your left ears down.”<br />
The boys obeyed.<br />
“Well, ’s been good to know you,” Char whispered as they positioned their heads on the chest.<br />
“Shhh,” Ven whispered back. “We’re not being executed, for pity’s sake.”<br />
“You hope we’re not. You never know.”<br />
Asa wiped the filleting knife on his trousers, then came and stood over Ven.<br />
“Hold very still, now.” Char winced and put his hand over his eyes.<br />
Ven started to close his eyes as well.<br />
Suddenly, from the end of the dock near town, a bright flash of rainbow-colored light blinded<br />
him.<br />
And the world seemed to stop around him.<br />
Copyright © 2014 by Elizabeth Haydon<br />
<br />
Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Brandon Dorman<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Interview with Elizabeth Haydon, </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>documentarian, archanologist and translator of Ven’s </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>journals, including The Tree of Water</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
Little is known for sure about reclusive documentarian and archanologist Elizabeth<br />
Haydon.<br />
She is an expert in dead languages and holds advanced degrees in Nain Studies from<br />
Arcana College and Lirin History from the University of Rigamarole. Her fluency in those<br />
languages [Nain and Lirin] has led some to speculate that she may be descended of one<br />
of those races herself. It should be noted that no one knows this for sure.<br />
Being an archanologist, she is also an expert in ancient magic because, well, that’s what<br />
an archanologist is.<br />
Being a documentarian means she works with old maps, books and manuscripts, and so<br />
it is believed that her house is very dusty and smells like ink, but there is no actual proof<br />
of this suspicion. On the rare occasions of sightings of Ms. Haydon, it has been reported<br />
that she herself has smelled like lemonade, soap, vinegar, freshly-washed babies and<br />
pine cones.<br />
She is currently translating and compiling the fifth of the recently-discovered Lost<br />
Journals when she is not napping, or attempting to break the world’s record for the<br />
longest braid of dental floss.<br />
We had the chance to ask her some questions about the latest of Ven’s journals, The<br />
Tree of Water. Here is what she shared.<br />
<br />
1. Dr. Haydon, can you give us a brief summary of The Tree of Water?<br />
Certainly. Ven Polypheme, who wrote the, er, Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme,<br />
lived long ago in the Second Age of history, when magic was much more alive<br />
and visible in the world than it is now. His journals are very important finds,<br />
because they tell the story of ancient magic and where it still may be found in the<br />
world today.<br />
In the first three journals we saw how Ven came to the mystical island of<br />
Serendair and was given the job of Royal Reporter by the king of the island, a<br />
young man named Vandemere. The Royal Reporter was supposed to find magic<br />
that was hiding in plain sight in the world and report back about it to the king. As<br />
you can imagine, this could be a fun but dangerous job, and at the beginning of The Tree of Water, we see that Ven and his friends are hiding from the evil Thief<br />
Queen, who is looking to find and kill him.<br />
Amariel, a merrow [humans call these ‘mermaids,’ but we know that’s the wrong<br />
word] who saved Ven when the first ship he sailed on sank, has been asking Ven<br />
to come and explore the wonders of the Deep, her world in the sea. Deciding that<br />
this could be a great way to find hidden magic as well as hide from the evil Thief<br />
Queen, Ven and his best friend, Char, follow her into the Deep. The sea, as you<br />
know, is one of the most magical places in the world—but sometimes that magic,<br />
and that place, can be deadly.<br />
The book tells of mysterious places, and interesting creatures, and wondrous<br />
things that have never been seen in the dry world, and tales from the very bottom<br />
of the sea.<br />
<br />
2. The main character in The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme series is<br />
Charles Magnus "Ven" Polypheme. Tell us about him.<br />
Ven was an interesting person, but he really didn’t think so. He and his family<br />
were of a different race than the humans who made up most of the population<br />
where he lived, the race of the Nain. Nain are an old race, a little shorter and<br />
stockier than most humans, with a tendency to be on the grumpy side. They live<br />
about four times as long as humans, are very proud of their beards, which they<br />
believe tell their life stories, don’t like to swim or travel, and prefer to live deep in<br />
the mountains.<br />
Ven was nothing like the majority of Nain. He was very curious, loved to travel,<br />
could swim, and longed to see the world. He was actually a pretty nice kid most<br />
of the time. He had the equivalent of a baby face because only three whiskers of<br />
his beard had grown in by the time The Tree of Water took place, when he was<br />
fifty years old [around twelve in Nain years]. He had a great group of friends,<br />
including the merrow and Char, who were mentioned earlier. It is believed that<br />
his journals were the original research documents for two of the most important<br />
books of all time, The Book of All Human Knowledge and All the World’s Magic.<br />
The only copies of these two volumes were lost at sea centuries ago, so finding<br />
the Lost Journals is the only way to recover this important information.<br />
<br />
3. What kind of research do you do for the series?<br />
I go to places where Ven went and try to find relics he left behind. Usually this is<br />
with an expedition of archaeologists and historians. I am an expert in ancient<br />
magic [an archanologist] so I don’t usually lead the expeditions, I’m just a<br />
consultant. It gives me the chance to learn a lot about magic and lets me work on<br />
my suntan at the same time, so it’s good.<br />
<br />
4. What is/are the most difficult part or parts of writing/restoring the Lost<br />
Journals? Here’s the list, mostly from the archaeological digs where the journals have been<br />
found:<br />
1] Cannibals<br />
2] Crocodiles<br />
3] Sunburn<br />
4] Sand flies<br />
5] Dry, easily cracking parchment pages<br />
6] The horrible smell of long-dead seaweed<br />
7] Grumpy members of the archaeological expedition [I could name names, but I<br />
won’t]<br />
8] Expedition food [when finding and retrieving the journal for The Tree of Water,<br />
we ate nothing but peanut butter and raisin sandwiches, olives and yellow tea for<br />
six months straight]<br />
9] When salt water gets into your favorite fountain pen and clogs it up. This is<br />
very sad.<br />
10] Unintentionally misspelling a word in the Nain language that turns out to be<br />
embarrassing [the word for “jelly” is one letter different from the word for<br />
“diarrhea,” which caused a number of my Nain friends to ask me what on earth I<br />
thought Ven was spreading on his toast.]<br />
<br />
5. What do you enjoy about this series that cannot be found in any of your<br />
other books?<br />
Getting to write about a lot of cool magic stuff that used to exist in our world, but<br />
doesn’t anymore. And getting to travel to interesting places in the world to see if<br />
maybe some of it still does exist. Also getting to show the difference between<br />
merrows, which are real, interesting creatures, and mermaids, which are just<br />
silly.<br />
<br />
6. What do you hope readers take away from this book?<br />
I hope, in general, that it will open their eyes to the wonder of the sea, which<br />
takes up the majority of our planet, but we really don’t know that much about it<br />
down deep. There is a great deal of magic in the sea, and I hope that if and when<br />
people become aware of it, they will help take care of it and not throw garbage<br />
and other bad stuff into it. I have a serious dislike for garbage-throwing.<br />
Probably the most useful secret I learned that I hope will be of use to readers is<br />
about thrum. Thrum is the way the creatures and plants that live in the ocean<br />
communicate with each other through vibration and thought. As Ven and his<br />
friends learn, this can be a problem if you think about something you don’t want<br />
anyone to know about when you are standing in a sunshadow, because<br />
everyone gets to see a picture of what’s on your mind. Imagine how<br />
embarrassing that could be.<br />
<br />
7. Are there more books coming in this series?<br />
Well, at least one. In the archaeological dig site where The Tree of Water was<br />
found was another journal, a notebook that Ven called The Star of the Sea. We<br />
are still working on restoring it, but it looks like there are many new adventures<br />
and different kinds of magic in it. The problem is that it might have been buried in<br />
the sand with an ancient bottle of magical sun tan lotion, which seems to have<br />
leaked onto some of the journal’s pages. This is a very sad event in archaeology,<br />
but we are working hard to restore it.<br />
As for other books, it’s not like we just write them out of nowhere. If we haven’t<br />
found one of Ven’s journals, there can’t be another book, now, can there? We<br />
are always looking, however. We’ve learned so much about ancient magic from<br />
the journals we have found so far.<br />
<br />
8. You are a best-selling author with other books and series for adults. What<br />
made you want to write books for young readers?<br />
I like young readers better than adults. Everyone who is reading a book like mine<br />
has at one time or another been a young reader, but not everyone has been an<br />
adult yet. Young readers have more imagination and their brains are more<br />
flexible—they can understand magical concepts a lot better than a lot of adults,<br />
who have to deal with car payments and work and budget balancing and all sorts<br />
of non-magical things in the course of their days.<br />
Besides, many adults scare me. But that’s not their fault. I’m just weird like that.<br />
I think if more adults read like young readers, the world would be a happier place.<br />
<br />
9. Tell us where we can find your book and more information about where you<br />
are these days.<br />
You can find The Tree of Water anywhere books are sold, online and in<br />
bookstores. There are several copies in my steamer trunk and I believe the<br />
palace in Serendair also has one. I also sent one to Bruno Mars because I like<br />
his name.<br />
At the moment, I am on the beautiful island of J’ha-ha, searching for a very<br />
unique and magical flower. Thank you for asking these interview questions—it<br />
has improved my mood, since I have only found weeds so far today. I am hoping<br />
for better luck after lunch, which, sadly, is peanut butter and raisin sandwiches,<br />
olives, and yellow tea again.<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
Dr. Elizabeth Haydon, PhD, D’Arc<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Review by Nancy Famolari </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A Magical Adventure
Reminiscent of <i>The Ho</i><i>b</i><i>bit</i> or <i>Lord of the
Rings</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ven Polypheme and
his friend Char are off on another adventure with their mermaid
friend, Amariel. Ven is adventurous for a Nain. Most Nains prefer to
remain at home, but Ven is hungry for adventure. In this fourth book,
he and Char travel to the bottom of the sea, a place usually shunned
by Nair. He is searching for the Tree of Water that is supposed to
exist somewhere in the sea.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Their first obstacle
is to be able to breath under water. They are about to let an old
fisherman cut gills in their necks when Madame Sharra shows up. She
gives them stones to allow them to breathe under water and another
dragon's scale. These devices will prove important on their journey.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The book is a
magical fantasy that will delight young readers, and perhaps some
not-so-young readers who are reading it with their children. The book
is filled with hair-breath escapes from fantastical creatures and
beautiful descriptions of undersea life.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The series is based
on Ven's journals. He is traveling the world recording the natural
wonders, human knowledge, and all things magical. Since this is the
fourth book, readers may want to go back and read the first three.
However, it's not imperative. The author presents information that
allows the reader to catch up with the story and the adventure is
basically standalone.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I recommend this
book for young adults and for anyone who enjoys a good fantasy with
lots of action and magical scenes.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I reviewed this book
for PR by the Book. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thetreeofwatertour?src=hash" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><u><b>#TheTreeofWaterTour</b></u></span></span></span></a>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-81219933139946069992014-10-15T05:00:00.000-04:002014-10-15T05:00:03.069-04:00Ghosts in the House: Research For My Latest Novel, Quarry<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blurb for Quarry</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudHPvbX3aVxLmQAbMPFR3SirCkrwioKkCCsFx0L4k2bitu_J1IGHs7K76dhfBvil11qZp0IiE4VWFP5mZde5PW0JsqpZqcDdyw6-f09QuS7VMF1nV72E0ZU_LEdRGHCTt_8DfYOVy04w/s1600/Front+Cover+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudHPvbX3aVxLmQAbMPFR3SirCkrwioKkCCsFx0L4k2bitu_J1IGHs7K76dhfBvil11qZp0IiE4VWFP5mZde5PW0JsqpZqcDdyw6-f09QuS7VMF1nV72E0ZU_LEdRGHCTt_8DfYOVy04w/s1600/Front+Cover+Image.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><br />
<div style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Reeling
from the loss of her job in New York, Sari comes home to Gramps
mountain-top farm near Montbleu only to find that he has been ill and
has high medical bills. Jake, the man who worked their quarry, is
using Gramps debts to try to buy the farm for a pittance. Sari vows
to help Gamps save the farm. </span></span></span>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">At
the jail, Police Chief, Chess Devon, is waiting for her Deputy, Lance
Andrews, to take over prisoner duty. Flinty Mathews, the town drunk,
is in for drunk and disorderly. Chess thinks he’ll sleep it off
until she hears screams from the cell block. She thinks Flinty is
having DTs, but when Lance comes into the area and nearly passes out,
she isn’t so sure. </span></span></span>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="line-height: 114%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Right
on schedule, Bartlett Thomas, Chief of Detectives from Scranton,
shows up. He has even more bad news. The governor has gotten word
that a group of environmentalists plan to blow up a gas well. It
could be one near Montbleu. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 114%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; line-height: 114%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Available from</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">: </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 18.2399997711182px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quarry-Ghosts-Murder-Montbleu-Murders/dp/1500790885/">http://www.amazon.com/Quarry-Ghosts-Murder-Montbleu-Murders/dp/1500790885/</a></span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 114%;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Research for the Novel</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 114%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When I decided to
have a ghost as one of the characters in my novel, Quarry, I asked my
friends, Beth and Anna, to give me a taste of ghost hunting. We live
in a town founded in the 1800s that has it's share of ghost stories.
The best places in town to find ghosts are the cemetery and fire house. Anna and Beth have done ghost hunting in both locations, but
we opted for a different local, my house.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The main part of my
house was built in 1825. The ownership is fairly well documented in
local histories so we know there have been several deaths there over
the years. I wasn't completely sure I wanted to find out whether I
was living with ghosts, besides I really didn't believe we'd find
anything.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anna and Beth
arrived at my house in the evening with the usual paraphernalia for
ghost hunting: a digital recorder to capture electronic voice
phenomena, EVPs. a digital camera, and a small device to measure
electromagnetic radiation.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When I showed them
around the house, Anna, who is the most sensitive, felt that the
parlor was the place to start. She sensed that a person had been laid
out there, and the people around the coffin were sad. So we set up in
the parlor.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLoQujsxSrXK8kMBC_XbiCCJsCpzdm4zpJqE7ezno1fpjUbFYUjy03RUrDklX_8p_us3lUmqII87xR7bw74JMmE5bb3aiXB5RgviEDgRIPPrZ3F9yzjiBuDlx_Q7kRVkRxNkJqHSObYE/s1600/untitled+album+3+-+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLoQujsxSrXK8kMBC_XbiCCJsCpzdm4zpJqE7ezno1fpjUbFYUjy03RUrDklX_8p_us3lUmqII87xR7bw74JMmE5bb3aiXB5RgviEDgRIPPrZ3F9yzjiBuDlx_Q7kRVkRxNkJqHSObYE/s1600/untitled+album+3+-+04.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>Beth carried the
digital recorder. We had compiled a list of questions. Her job was to
ask the questions to see if the ghosts responded. Nothing happened
until she said, “If you're here please give us a sign.” I heard a
crack from the second floor. It sounded like ice breaking or wood
splitting. This was getting serious. If we really did have ghosts,
rousing them might not be a good idea. I was ready to get call the
whole thing off, but Beth and Anna were perfectly calm, so I sat
still.<br />
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While Beth was
asking questions, Anna was taking pictures. When she reviewed the
pictures she'd captured, she said, “Wow, look at this,” and
passed me the camera. I was stunned. The picture showed me sitting on
the sofa. Two orbs were just above my head in a darkened spot. Orbs
are supposed to be a manifestation of spirits. Not all the other
pictures showed orbs, but there were several in the photo of Beth
asking questions. We also took photos in the attic, and those showed
orbs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVIvcAEI79kP_FC2oKzahjhz0YJz_pv0n5HNUOQAdnq8PuUwHNalzq95TqKqvUfbEdMBokF-omCDXnFMqm2KAQbHPSQ3df-H19irvU8zQ46QIRslU5A7dCt3MnZWVHo4zniPPhq8zyWk/s1600/untitled+album+3+-+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVIvcAEI79kP_FC2oKzahjhz0YJz_pv0n5HNUOQAdnq8PuUwHNalzq95TqKqvUfbEdMBokF-omCDXnFMqm2KAQbHPSQ3df-H19irvU8zQ46QIRslU5A7dCt3MnZWVHo4zniPPhq8zyWk/s1600/untitled+album+3+-+05.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Beth couldn't
analyze the voice recording that night. It takes a special voice
enhancing program to hear the EVPs. In a few days she brought me the
results. There were seven EVPs. I have to admit I had trouble
figuring out what was being said. The crack from the second floor was
clear, and there was a surprise at the end. When we finished in the
parlor, I said, “I'm glad you came. I had fun.” A fairly distinct
voice on the recording, and it wasn't one of us, said, “I had fun,
too.”</div>
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It was a productive
evening of research. I guess there is some sort of paranormal
activity in the house. Thankfully, they are friendly ghosts. They
don't bother us, so I don't mind sharing the house <span style="line-height: 100%;">with them.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Excerpt Showing the Use of the Research</span></b></div>
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Chess
had barely unlocked the door to the old jail when she heard voices
coming up the path. Bartlett opened the door and five people filed
in. Tory and Andy led the way followed by a short pale couple. Sari,
looking frightened, was last. Chess thought the ghostbusters looked
as much like ghosts as the phenomena they tracked.<span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Andy
drew the couple forward. “Chess, Bartlett, I want you to meet
Martha and Howie Collins.”
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Chess
extended her hand; Bartlett followed suite. “Thank you for coming,”
she said. “I don't know if we have ghosts, but some rather strange
things have happened.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Howie
and Martha shook hands. They stayed close together as though drawing
support from each other. Chess wondered if they were brother and
sister rather than husband and wife.
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“We
often don't find evidence of actual paranormal phenomena . . . er
ghosts. Many times there are perfectly logical explanations for
what's happening, but sometimes . . .” Howie grinned broadly. “We
do find evidence of spirits.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“We've
had some unusual cases,” Martha said.
</div>
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“We're
eager to hear what you do.” Chess gestured toward the long table
against the windows. “Why don't we sit here and you can tell us
what to expect.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
With a
scraping of chairs on the old wooden floor, they seated themselves
around the table. Chess looked around. “Lash isn't here yet.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Who
are we waiting for?” Howie asked.
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“My
deputy, Lash Andrews.” Chess glanced at her watch. “Let's get
started anyway. We're working a case, and he may have gotten held
up.” She looked at Howie. “So how do you go about tracking
ghosts?”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“As I
said, we try to take a scientific approach to looking for spirits.
Many times there are logical explanations.” He paused to look at
each of the people seated around the table. “Sometime people hear
what they think are chains rattling at night. We've found more than
once that the sound was caused by pipes in the house, particularly
those houses that use hot water heat. Under the right conditions they
can expand and contract at night causing strange noises. Lights that
go on and off can be caused by faulty electricity. Windows and doors
that open and close by themselves can be caused by the breeze from an
open window.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Martha
broke in. “Once we found a door that opened itself because the
floor was slanted. Most of these phenomena appear, as you would
expect, in older houses.”</div>
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“And
that's why people immediately think of ghosts.” said Howie.
</div>
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“That
all makes sense.” Chess said. “So how do you figure out what's
happening?”</div>
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“We
make a careful evaluation of the physical aspects; looking for loose
wires, faulty plumbing, that sort of thing.” Howie gestured at the
walls and ceiling. “If nothing appears to be wrong then we start
looking for paranormal explanations.”</div>
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“And
how do you do that?” Bartlett, who had been sitting with his chair
tilted back, leaned forward. The front legs snapped against the
floor.
</div>
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Tory
jumped. She gave a slight laugh and covered her mouth. “I guess I'm
nervous expecting ghosts.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“That's
all right.” Martha patted her hand.”I still get nervous on some
of our cases.”</div>
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“We
have several techniques.” Howie said. “Probably the easiest is to
use an audio recording device. Ghosts will often respond to questions
or say things you can't hear with your ears, but come out quite
clearly on the device.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“That
seems simple.” Chess said.
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“We
call these Electronic Voice Phenomena or EVP for short.” Howie laid
a digital recorder on the table. “I'll take this recorder in with
us when we examine the cell block where these manifestations are
occurring. It's easy to do and we may get a hit.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Interesting.”
Bartlett picked it up. “This looks like the kind of recorder we use
for dictation or to make notes during an investigation.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“I'm
sure it's the same. These little voice activated recorders work
extremely well.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bartlett
laid the device down. “If we have a criminal, he should be right a
home having his statement recorded.”</div>
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“If
the ghost is from the 1800's, I don't think so.” Chess frowned at
him.</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bartlett
shrugged. “You never know who or what's in there.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Howie
laid a small digital camera on the table. “We also use digital
cameras to try to get a picture of the phenomena.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 100%;"> “Did
you ever get a picture of a ghost?” Chess asked.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Not
a picture of a person. Usually our pictures look like smoke, a bright
spot, or a series of bright spots.”</div>
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“Then
how do you know they're ghosts?”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“We
don't, but if we have EVP and electromagnetic radiation we can be
fairly confident it's some sort of paranormal phenomena.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“How
do you measure electromagnetic radiation?” Bartlett asked.</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Howie
laid another device on the table. “This is a fairly simple device
to measure electromagnetic radiation. It was designed to detect the
presence of computers and other electronic signatures, but we can use
it to detect paranormal activity.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bartlett
leaned forward to study the device. “This all sounds pretty
sophisticated.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“We
try to use as many modalities as we can to detect paranormal
disturbances.” Howie said. “Usually, if there are some, we can
find them.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Great,”
Andy scribbled in his notebook. “This is really interesting stuff.
Hope you don't mind if I do an article on it for the Tribune.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Not
at all. It's good publicity for us. This is an old town. There may be
lots of paranormal phenomena.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Wow,
more ghosts. Do you really think so?”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“It's
possible.” Howie held up a cautionary hand. “I'm not even sure we
have an entity here.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“What
are we waiting for?” Andy looked longingly at the devices spread on
the table. “I want to see what we get.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Not
quite so fast. Tonight we wanted to meet with you, tell you about our
investigation, but we also want to hear about what you're
experiencing, and whether there are any historical reasons for it.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Chess
said, “It's easy to explain what happened, but I don't know if we
have anything but an old drunk and my deputy, who'd been working too
hard.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“So
tell us about it,” Martha said.
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“We
had Flinty Matthews locked up in back. He was in for drunk and
disorderly. I was going to let him sleep it off and then take him
home.” Chess rubbed her index finger along the wood grain of the
table. “I was sitting out here waiting for Lash to check in when
Flinty started screaming that he was being attacked. I thought he was
probably having DTs. I went back to see what was going on. When Lash
came, he walked into the cells area. Before he'd gone very far, he
doubled over and practically fell on the floor.” She looked toward
the door. “I wish he was here. He could tell you what he felt. I
thought it might be a lack of food. He hadn't eaten that day, but I
suppose the ghost or whatever's in there could have been the
culprit.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“That's
a fairly complex phenomena.” Howie massaged his cheek. “Did any
of you see anything?”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Flinty
said he saw a ball of light in the corner of his cell. I thought it
was just the DTs, but . . .” She spread her hands. “I suppose it
could have been something else.”</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“It
sounds like you may have a demonic entity.” Howie looked from one
to the other. “Good entities don't attack people. Did anything
happen here in the jail that could have resulted in a demonic entity
coming to reside here? Any murders? Things like that?”</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-14866014478941880812014-09-15T05:00:00.000-04:002014-09-15T05:00:07.210-04:00Meet Scott Coren Author of Mathew 13:44Scott has written a fast paced novel about finding God in the face of adversity. It's a book that many people will find helpful because it encourages us to not lose hope and to keep going. Scott provided some insights about how and why he wrote this book.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Tell us
about your book Matthew 13:44</b></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIek_T3nNj_m5ylWTcwVLrG8_URGmb7SCtfw45SwfREauiBdBisEN62JU4UpNME4_720_5WxE1ZIYXPUf7VSqNQK_T-onl1KKoZMR7d33qMHIYIREstkta6D_oVeOT-U_GxaKoLsobNaU/s1600/SCoren_Book+Cover_Low+Resolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIek_T3nNj_m5ylWTcwVLrG8_URGmb7SCtfw45SwfREauiBdBisEN62JU4UpNME4_720_5WxE1ZIYXPUf7VSqNQK_T-onl1KKoZMR7d33qMHIYIREstkta6D_oVeOT-U_GxaKoLsobNaU/s1600/SCoren_Book+Cover_Low+Resolution.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><i>Matthew
13:44</i> is a novel which is influenced by true events. It is about
strength in the face of adversity and how good can sometimes come
from the bleakest of circumstances, though you wouldn’t know it
until the darkness has lifted. Like many of us making our way through
life, Lucy Sinclair will stumble, fall, get up and walk, all because
there is no other alternative but to carry on; in her case for the
sake of her critically ill daughter. And all the while, like the last
days of Christ, she will be betrayed, tried and publicly humiliated
by those who would do her harm for no other reason than their own
personal gain. Although written as a thriller, <i>Matthew 13:44</i>
is primarily a journey from ‘no faith’ to ‘belief’ and from a
world view as seen through the prism of chance to a heavenly view of
divine intervention and love.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<ol start="2">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What
inspired you to write your novel?</b></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
My
firstborn came into this world needing life saving cardiac surgery.
She then suffered a complication. On day ten of life she was given
tracheotomy—an artificial airway cut straight into her
neck—something which even a full grown adult would struggle with.
And so our journey began, though little did I know, a second journey
would be running in tandem.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
The
first, was the pediatric experience which is a vicarious one.
Vicarious, in that as parents, we are not patients and so are lucid.
We have our full faculties to suffer every step of the way as our
children, our small bundles of pure love, suffer in front of us,
while we are powerless to help them. Instead, we put our trust in
strangers, doctors who—like all people—can be brilliant,
appalling and anything else in between. In our case, we had the full
spectrum, as we soon saw that medicine is part science, part art and
part guesswork. We are now two years in to this experience and as a
result, all night, every night, I sit by her bedside, like a ‘break
glass in case of emergency’ dad, as her tracheotomy tube can and
does block, leaving us with thirty seconds to intervene and change
the tube less irreversible brain damage occurs.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
I
wrote this book by her bedside as she slept, in the dark, except for
one dimmed light in the corner. It is in part a catharsis; to
rationalize my experience…the uncertainty, the pain, the ups and
the downs of her condition, the reality of her going from well to
seriously ill at the drop of a hat. But also to touch others who are
living the same solitary, sterile life as me, regardless of their
children’s condition.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
The
second journey was less expected. I found faith. Not in an instance.
Not as a sudden realization, and certainly by no revelation or voice.
But by a slow burning, gradual and very personal meeting with Christ.
<i>Matthew 13:44 </i>is thus a testimony. A statement of faith, made
most surprising of all to me, given that until two years ago I’d
have happily described myself as a militant atheist.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ol start="3">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>You
describe yourself as ‘once an atheist,’ why?</b></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBvth8wmRjjG6MBUw52eZY-eNb9C-c2SpyMgc5F_VFVQ0IJ92lCV2pn3y-HoiWikLmKQP1m9TV4NKCrKeaxsYNEdBdWffkuw2VomR6e7vh6qQ-GrLF3EcXp_Cz_JSuIph9fNJaqU50yk/s1600/SCoren_Headshot_Low+Resolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBvth8wmRjjG6MBUw52eZY-eNb9C-c2SpyMgc5F_VFVQ0IJ92lCV2pn3y-HoiWikLmKQP1m9TV4NKCrKeaxsYNEdBdWffkuw2VomR6e7vh6qQ-GrLF3EcXp_Cz_JSuIph9fNJaqU50yk/s1600/SCoren_Headshot_Low+Resolution.jpg" /></a>Faith
for me wasn’t sudden. And it wasn’t imposed or taught. Like the
male lead character in the story, religion just wasn’t on our
radar. I was brought up an atheist in the United Kingdom. My
grandfather was a medic during the second world war. He spent his
time policing up the wounded and dead in North Africa as Nazi Germany
and Great Britain engaged in an attrition in the sand. In fact, my
grandfather served at the famous battle of El Alamein. If it was ever
possible back then to have had a ‘bad war,’ given the whole
affair was so turgid, then he certainly had one. God for him, as he
would say, died on that battlefield too; a notion which continues to
run strong in my family to this day. In other words, how can there be
a God in the midst of such carnage? Why would He let it happen? Or
indeed, how could any good possibly come from such a tragedy? These
are well charted dichotomies which I wanted to explore, but through
my own life experiences, which is as the father of a medicalized
child. An innocent who is born to suffer.</div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ol start="4">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What
influenced the setting?</b></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
The
latter part of the story—and the setting which the various plot
strands work towards—is a children’s hospice. And for me, a
children’s hospice is surely the very apex of all human suffering,
outside of a concentration camp or a disaster zone. It is a place
where bad things happen to the most innocent of people. And more so,
it is a place where the incomprehensible must be explained to those
who can comprehend the least. If angels do walk our earth then they
exist in places such as these. They are the staff. They are the
people who live their lives in that moment between being alive and
not; between the trauma of a young death and the devastation of its
aftermath. Yet every day they do it with an incredible mix of decorum
and joy. And they do so for no other reason than making those days,
hours and minutes just that little bit more tolerable.
</div>
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</div>
<ol start="5">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What do
you hope readers will take away from this?</b></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
That
no matter how isolated we feel, we’re never alone. I hope readers
will take strength, courage even, to get up and walk regardless of
whatever the setback, obstacle, or hurdle. I hope that readers will
see something of themselves in my lead character Lucy. That she never
knew when she was beaten, even at the bleakest of times.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<ol start="6">
<li>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Where can
we get the book?</b></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
It’s
available on Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle eBook. It’s also
available through Barnes and Noble.
</div>
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<br />
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<b style="line-height: 115%;">Blog Review</b><span style="line-height: 115%;">: <a href="http://nancyfamolari.blogspot.com/2014/09/finding-god-through-adversity.html">http://nancyfamolari.blogspot.com/2014/09/finding-god-through-adversity.html</a> Other reviews can be found on Amazon.com. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1419383782">http:/ </a></span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><a href="http://amazon.com/Matthew-13-44-Scott-Coren/dp/0692256768/">amazon.com/Matthew-13-44-Scott-Coren/dp/0692256768/</a></span></div>
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<b>PRESS CONTACT</b></div>
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<div style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ashley Lauretta,
ashley@prbythebook.com, (512) 501-4399 ext. 712</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-1969313887327296052014-08-15T05:00:00.000-04:002014-08-15T05:00:01.009-04:00Dialogue: Asset or Liability?<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I recently reviewed
a book, Inca's Death Cave by Bradford G. Wheler. I loved the plot.
The author had done a lot of research on technology and how it could
be used in archaeology. The setting in Peru was beautifully described,
and the plot was interesting. These were pluses. However, the
dialogue almost made me put the book down.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The mistakes in the
dialogue were the ones everyone warns beginning writers about. Every
time the main characters had a conversation they used their first
names. People don't talk this way. They may use a first name in
greeting someone, or in adding emphasis to a statement. They do not
constantly refer to each other by name. It isn't necessary and it
becomes tedious to read. It also makes the dialogue sound stilted.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The second mistake
the author made was using conversation as a data dump. In the early
chapters of the book, the female character gives long dissertations
on the technology. The author does it in the guise of explaining
technical areas to a novice, but it quickly becomes wearing. There is
no give and take. If the explanations were necessary, and in this
case they were, description could be used effectively at least part
of the time.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dialogue is not the
easiest thing for most people to write. Even experienced authors have
some character come off sounding stilted. The best advice I've heard
about how to correct this problem is to listen to people. If
eavesdropping on conversations seems too intrusive watch good movies,
or there are places like the library of congress where native
speakers have been recorded. If you listen to them enough you will
get the speech patterns, and your dialog will sound natural.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of the best ways
to draw a reader into your world is a conversation. Readers get
caught up in the exchange between characters if it's well done.
Another plus is that dialogue sentences are typically short, at least
they should be. This means lots of white space on the page. Readers
like to see white space. It doesn't look so daunting.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Writing dialog may
not come naturally to you, but if you work at it, it will pay
dividends with your readers and reviewers.
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-82563966315092548382014-07-14T14:53:00.002-04:002014-07-14T14:53:55.367-04:00Do ebook Readers Want Simple, Unchallenging Novels?<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I recently reviewed
a book, <i>Locked In</i> by Kevin Wilkirson, that raised this issue.
The book has been a best seller in the UK, and Amazon picked it up
in the US. It's a publishing phenomenon that I think deserves a passing look.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's not a bad book,
but as crime novels go it isn't a great one. So what's the appeal? My
take on the book is that the plot is simple to the point of
allowing the reader to move at least a few steps ahead of the police. The
characters are two dimensional. The twists are predictable as is
the ending. It wasn't a memorable book. So what's the attraction.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another reviewer had
an observation that made me think. Do readers want unchallenging
novels. I suspect that may be the case. In this novel, the main
character is a female detective who has a rather abrasive and
aggressive personality, but no lusting after the boss, no steamy sex.
The prose is simple, but that makes the book a quick read. Because
the plot is predictable, you don't have to pay close attention to the
clues, you can pick the book up at intervals and still be quickly up
to speed with what's happening.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's been suggested
before that the reading public likes Dan Brown novels because, while
the writing is less than stellar, the plot moves quickly, and the
chapters are short. That's another way of suggesting that the novel
is unchallenging. Romance writers understand that the public wants
plots that are similar, with romantic settings, attractive
protagonists, and not too many complications.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I love the idea that
people are reading more. An observation on Digital Book World,
reported that ebook sales were down during World Cup Soccer. This
suggests that reading has become a relaxation pastime equivalent to
watching sports, but I may be reading too much into it. However, if
what the public wants is simple, unchallenging novels, that's
something writers have to take to heart and decide whether they want
literary fame, or best sellers. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-75236343065394782342014-06-11T10:19:00.000-04:002014-06-11T10:19:20.173-04:00What About Unlikeable Heroes?<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Heroes don't have to
be paragons. They can even be villains, but can they be arrogant,
egotistical and thoroughly unlikable? My belief is: “No.” I
recently reviewed a books with a hero most reviewers disliked. I gave
it a low rating, and I wasn't alone.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>The Other Story</i>
by Tatiana de Rosnay sounded like a book I'd love to read. A young
writer Nicholas Duhamel has written a best seller on his first foray
into publishing. If you're a writer, this book beckons. It promises a
glimpse of the creative process and how fame can affect a writer's
ability to create. It also has a mystery about how the book he's
written connects to his own life. However, Nicholas turns out to be a
thoroughly unlikable character: egotistical, self-centered and
demanding. I believe the author created him this way to show that at
the end of the book he realizes that he has been driving his friends
and lovers away and that is responsible for why he can't write.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The problem is that
you have to get to the end of the book to see this, and many reviewers
gave up in disgust before they got there. You have to be very
committed to a book to keep reading about a jerk.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So to answer the
question: Can you get away with an unlikable hero to show character
development? I would suggest that you be wary. There are always
people who like a book that others can't stand, but it you want a
large following, it's better to have a character that is attractive
in some way so that people can feel emotionally connected to the
character. This isn't new advice, but it's illuminating to see it in
action.
</div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17506089917013205258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1020406945646080773.post-16857978519605285832014-03-17T05:00:00.000-04:002014-03-17T05:00:00.296-04:00Meet Angela Smith Author of Fatal Snag
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMb9_ropmSX4ZohKNtinqeUkip_ud7gjuaskAjYlqZD4HY2No1TQIr5YA5wZs2yZn4jk3LAy7h9OO3fShq1xv1aRGS2Zf1Qhs8ijFoU5KR7j2YdgZuMpvEoQyd0XT2i48ZqgQQ0GlUmE/s1600/Angela(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMb9_ropmSX4ZohKNtinqeUkip_ud7gjuaskAjYlqZD4HY2No1TQIr5YA5wZs2yZn4jk3LAy7h9OO3fShq1xv1aRGS2Zf1Qhs8ijFoU5KR7j2YdgZuMpvEoQyd0XT2i48ZqgQQ0GlUmE/s1600/Angela(2).jpg" height="320" width="283" /></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Meet Angela:</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">During her senior
year in high school, Angela Smith was dubbed most likely to write a
novel, and that has been her dream ever since her mother read <em>Brer
Rabbit</em> to her and her sister so often that they were able to
recite it back to each other before actually learning to read. She’s
always enjoyed stories about the adventure of love, and getting
involved in the legal field developed her love of suspense. A
certified paralegal, work gives her perfect fodder for her romantic
suspense stories. When not caring for her small farm or spending time
with her husband of two decades, she enjoys creating, reading, and
dreaming of the places she’ll visit one day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I asked Angela some questions about herself and her writing.</span></b></span></div>
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</span></span></div>
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<b>What made you decide
to write romantic suspense?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’ve always loved
reading romantic suspense, and I’ve always known I had to write to
shut up the voices in my head. I had already been writing romance
(unpublished) when I started working at a prosecutor’s office and
once there, I knew suspense was what had been missing. (Too bad it
took me another ten years or so to pursue publication!) </div>
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<b>Did you do research
for your books? If so, what kind?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Absolutely! I do all
kinds of research for my books throughout the entire writing process.
I read a lot of books on topic that relate to my book as well as
search the internet for anything that might help in my research. I’ll
ask questions and read blogs on topics. And when I can’t go where I
want to write about, Google Earth is my friend! I recently contacted
a police department in another state for information I needed and
they were very helpful. Learning new things through my research is
one of my favorite parts of writing.
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>
</div>
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<b>Who is your favorite
character and why?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A favorite character
I wrote about would be like picking a favorite child. I can’t do
it. I have certain characters that won’t leave me alone, but those
are usually characters I haven’t completed stories on. I could pick
a favorite one for a particular subject, but not overall.</div>
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</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>How long does it
take you to write a book? How much revision do you do? Any tips for
other authors working on romantic suspense?</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I typically plan to
write one book a year, and my revision process is grueling because my
first draft is like a puzzle. The three books I have now (one still
in the works, but all part of my Slopeside series) took five years
from start to finish, but they were finished long before I did
anything with them and that’s when I was letting other things get
too much in the way. Although I’d love to write and publish three
to four a year, I have to be realistic with my schedule and other
demands. And I always remind myself that Sandra Brown, my favorite
author, only writes one a year. And she doesn’t have another job
full time! So that always makes me feel better. My biggest tip for
authors of any genre is to write what you enjoy reading, and don’t
be afraid to write bad on the first draft. Keep writing and don’t
give up, and learn everything you can. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>How did you find
your publisher? What made you decide to publish this way?</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A lot of research. I
decided to go with a smaller press because they don’t require an
agent and I love the fact my book won’t take years to get published
once I sign with them. I also love that Crimson Romance is a part of
Adam’s Media, a well-established publisher that has been around a
long time. Going with a smaller press has a lot of huge advantages,
and I’ve been very happy with them. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What sort of writing
schedule do you have?</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have a full time
job, so my writing schedule revolves around my work. I usually try to
get up early enough to write in the morning and I write most
evenings. I usually try to write a few weekends a month, but not
every weekend. I do miss weekdays, though, but have learned not to
beat myself up. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Anything you'd like
to add about your books?</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Fatal Snag</i> is
the second in a stand-alone series set on the ski slopes of Montana,
featuring the brother of the hero in my first story, <i>Burn on the
Western Slope</i>. Along with the romantic suspense, there’s a lot
of adventure, even some history and learning tidbits (i.e. Chayton
discovers his mother is Native American living on a reservation).
Although I’ve always called my stories mindless entertainment that
won’t change the world (to my non-romance reader friends), I always
try to add some depth in the form of setting, character development,
and many unusual ways, including topics that interest me. For
instance, Winona, who you’ll meet in <i>Fatal Snag</i> and who has
her own story coming out, volunteers at an animal shelter. And I’m
a huge animal lover. And I’ve always been infatuated with Native
American history. So I tend to add tidbits in my stories about things
that interest me. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blurb for Fatal Snag </b></span></div>
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</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44jxuiRpDjHk-EgZX6FoeQAmd8aUvYI9sKnv0CxFWbTyXoI5hveC6cgmetkWjHR3y-djIpG4PP0TPMWZeETgHG7YMzjv6ydlgaSzFQAK88nH8PVnwMdaDEAUGwXSyxYIBvlaSpWqowRg/s1600/Fatal+Snag+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44jxuiRpDjHk-EgZX6FoeQAmd8aUvYI9sKnv0CxFWbTyXoI5hveC6cgmetkWjHR3y-djIpG4PP0TPMWZeETgHG7YMzjv6ydlgaSzFQAK88nH8PVnwMdaDEAUGwXSyxYIBvlaSpWqowRg/s1600/Fatal+Snag+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hollywood
fashion consultant Naomi Fisher is happy to use her
obsessive-compulsive planning to assist with her cousin's wedding,
but her history with the sexy and sullen Chayton Chambers, the
groom’s brother, terrifies her. When the groom is kidnapped at his
own wedding, Chayton and Naomi rush to find an important relic to
satisfy the ransom before her cousin becomes a widow before a bride.
Naomi trades garters for guns as survival, and love becomes a deadly
game impossible to resist.</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Information
about the book:</i></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Title:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Fatal Snag</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Author:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Angela Smith</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Genre:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Romantic Suspense</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Release
Date:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
17 March 2014</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.17in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Buy
Links: </b></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crimson
Romance: <a href="http://goo.gl/84nFbt">http://goo.gl/84nFbt</a> </span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">iTunes:
</span></span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fatal-snag/id830854015?mt=11&uo=4"><span style="color: #298cda;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fatal-snag/id830854015?mt=11&uo=4</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #4c4c4c;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">
</span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amazon:
<a href="http://asin.cc/sPcNqL">http://ASIN.cc/sPcNqL</a></span></span></div>
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