DA Kentner: Prize-Winning Author and Journalist

Romance Author BL Bonita

2012-02-10T09:13:00.002-06:00

BL Bonita turns up the heat while the reader turns on the air conditioner with tales of erotic romance. BL is absolutely devoted to family (her fiancé’s a retired Marine Captain) and a love of the grandeur of mountains and pristine lakes. BL was raised in a remote region of Northern Ontario where airplanes were as necessary as firewood, black bears lived a few forests down and occasionally dropped by uninvited, and where travel to a grocery store was determined by seasons, not convenience.

When BL writes about the crispness of mountain air on a nose, the crackle of glazed snow underfoot, and blazing sunsets that go on forever, such as in “Beautiful Criminal,” she pens these scenes from firsthand experience. “Beautiful Criminal’s” Gabriel Miller is a pilot, inspired by the men who flew in and out of the resort BL was raised on. The hum of the Cessna’s engine in an unblemished sky is a memory BL shares. The plane crash and Miller’s awakening to a beautiful woman in a wilderness cabin? All part of the fun, imagination, and romantic mind of BL Bonita.

BL has seen several of her stories published. One of the earliest, “Pathway to Paradise” established the setting and intensity readers have come to know and enjoy -- “From the concrete jungle to the wilds of Northern Ontario, Sianna Williams accepts a management job at a wilderness resort. Coerced to travel by boat with a man who is both unbearable and arousing, her fate is sealed when the boat takes on water. They are forced ashore to spend a night under the stars, where nothing but the wind and the wildlife can hear her passionate cries.”

If you enjoy realism infused by one who has lived it, and romantic liaisons sure to singe your cheeks, be sure to check out BL Bonita.
http://www.bl-bonita.com/

Q) How did you meet your fiancé?

A) My honey was on assignment in Congo. During his evening break he happened by a site online where I was promoting my work. He sent me a message asking if I was interested in writing his life story, that he wasn’t sure how to go about it, and after some lengthy conversations about his past I was very intrigued. We talked for several months and I began a rough draft based on our emails. We became fast friends and decided to meet. Now, this sounds corny and clichéd, but truth be told when we finally met face-to-face almost three years ago that was it. Our fate was sealed when we broke the hotel bed (hehe). He retired after twenty years in the service and now he devotes his time to airbrush art and reading my steamy books.

Q) In your mind, what’s the single most important component you place in your stories?

A) Real people. I like heroes who are not destined to be the hero, and leading women who know how to survive. For example, Gabe in “Beautiful Criminal” is a bad-boy to put it mildly and Mima wields an ax better than most men. I grew up around these character types and I believe they are interesting, often mysterious and misunderstood, which is definitely worth writing about.

Q) Curiosity: Having been raised in the remote regions, where do you and your family vacation for a change of pace?

A) In all honesty, I have yet to take a real vacation. I've lived in basically every corner of Canada, done many a road trip in my life, so I guess that's a bit like a vacation. Although I tell you, there were times I had to siphon gas to get home. LOL But soon (shaking fist) I’ll be spending my days frolicking somewhere on a hot beach where snow is just a distant memory.

Q) When not writing, how do you spend your time?

A) I love to walk, not only for the exercise but to clear my mind. Although let’s face it, a writer’s mind is never really clear. Other than that I lead a very normal life shopping for groceries in nothing but a trench coat and washing dishes in my spandex cat suit. Oh, and chasing my man down to erase the candid photos he likes to take of me on the toilet. I’ll let you decide which of those three is the truth.

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) Keep an open mind when considering purchasing a book. I know many readers like to stick with authors they know. I’m a huge reader myself, and for me, the blurb and cover sells me—not the author’s name. You never know what you might find if you take a chance on a new-to-you author, and besides, some of the unknowns could be the next Nora Roberts. Even she had to start somewhere.

Thank you for interviewing me, David. I had a blast!
DA Kentner is an author and journalist. http://www.kevad.net/

When Is Romance Not Romantic?

2012-02-06T20:59:00.001-06:00

As readers, each of us chooses to enjoy the type of story that appeals to us as individuals. Whether it’s tales of aliens, dashing masked men wielding swords on a dirt highway, or an autobiography, we hold our choice of stories dear to us, as well we should. What we don’t think about are the people who would still the voices writing those stories. After all, this is the United States. We have freedom of the press where no voice can be silenced. Don’t we?

Apparently, yes and no.

In recent weeks a battle occurred. It didn’t make much noise in the press. No lawyers or courts were involved. This fight didn’t even take place between authors and readers, but between the authors themselves. An annual contest was to be held, one that had been around for several years.

A group of writers called Romance Writers Ink (RWI), a chapter of the national organization Romance Writers of America (RWA), announced its annual competition of romance stories. But this year the RWI membership opted to change the rules. The members weren’t comfortable with a specific style of story and no longer wanted those stories eligible for consideration.

RWA member Courtney Milan pointedly stated that the rule change didn’t prohibit stories about “aliens from another planet who have tentacles, or barbed sexual organs,” or “degrading rapes.” Nope. Those stories were still welcome by RWI. What RWI decided was beyond their ability to judge, to accept… what made them more “uncomfortable” than alien foreplay or back alley rapes and deprivation… were romantic tales of same sex partners. A man in love with a man, a woman in love with a woman, was suddenly beyond the membership’s comfort zone. So, RWI excluded same sex love stories from their contest – for the first time in RWI’s history.

Yes, in the past, same sex stories had not only been welcome in RWI’s competition, but actually won twice. Yet, this year, for whatever reason, the members had become “uncomfortable” with allowing those stories into their contest.

The fecal matter hit the oscillating blades. RWI and RWA were bombarded with emails, letters, and phone calls. The end result? The contest was cancelled. RWA will discuss the topic in an upcoming meeting.

Some authors are claiming a victory was won in the contest’s closure. RWI remains unapologetic. RWA will look into the matter.

The bottom line is… the contest won’t be held. No stories will be considered. I don’t see a victory in this. What I see is a gaping wound in literature. For the first time in a contest’s history, the rules were changed to exclude a specific genre. Instead of repairing the problem, acknowledging a mistake had been made, all authors suffered. A door that had been open to all forms of romance was slammed closed. Another door opened - one to segregation and discrimination, and it remains open regardless of whether this contest is ever again held.

No one won this battle. Because it had to be waged, we all lost.

DA Kentner is an author and journalist. www.kevad.net

UK Author Ash Penn

2012-02-03T10:13:00.006-06:00

The United Kingdom’s Ash Penn views her life with conservative discernment and few words. An extremely quiet and reserved woman, Ash continues to pursue a degree at the university while living a tranquil life in a Victorian cottage replete with garden she hopes to one day learn how to tend beyond her seasonal trial and error methodology. She is quick to say there is nothing extraordinary or exciting about her life, nothing beyond the norm the majority of us live within.

This is where I disagree.

Ash is a woman with an uncanny ability to identify people’s strife, our need for acceptance, and transfer the emotions she absorbs into the stories more and more readers are discovering every day. Ash has a heart as large and gentle as any, and uses her skillful prose to provide the lost, the lonely, with love and hope.

In her debut novel “Stray,” she introduced three characters on the edge of nowhere, trying to find their way in a world unaccepting of their homosexuality, and at times, of each other. While a promise of hope exists, the story revolves and evolves around the men’s conflicts with society, their families, and themselves. “Stray” is an emotional rollercoaster complete with unexpected twists and turns.

Likewise, her next novel “Passing Time” centers on a man who has lost his way. His life partner has died, and his mother, a conflict in life, is dying. Their relationship is broken, maybe beyond repair, but his devotion to her remains intact while his grip on reality slips. Then a man our protagonist does not want in his life arrives with containers of Indian takeout and a mustard seed of hope.

Ash says little in conversation. She speaks volumes in her stories of how she views the world, love, life, and her belief that everyone deserves happiness.
Ash's Web Site

Q) Given your proclivity for privacy, what made you decide to become a published author?

A) I have always written stories and I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be published. For a lot of years I didn’t imagine that anyone would want to read about the kind of stories and characters I write about. Back then, no market existed for m/m fiction in my little piece of the world. As far as I knew, I was the only woman in the world writing about gay men. That was never the reality, of course, but just the way I felt at the time.

Now I know there is a huge market and has been for quite some time, and I’m pleased to be a part of that. I just value my privacy and prefer to write and talk about my stories than about myself. Simple as that : )

Q) To what or whom do you credit your innate ability to connect with people’s emotions?

A) I have no idea. I’m a fairly quiet and reserve sort so I do find myself listening in on other people’s conversations and generally observing which may in some way help out when it comes to my fiction writing. I like to think I have a vivid imagination so I also put myself in my characters’ psyches and imagine how they would react to any given situation. I think the official term for this ability is guesswork.

Q) How’s the degree coming along?

A) I’m in my final year of an English degree, which is just as well because our government (I’m not a political person so I shall keep my thoughts of the British government to myself) has seen fit to raise the tuition fees a considerable (around 500%) amount per year. Overall I have enjoyed the learning process, although I’m almost ashamed to say I dropped out of the Shakespeare course, mostly because I had to analyse the plays in such close details I was beginning to loathe the plays I thought I loved. And that would never do.

Q) You graciously allowed me to read “Angell in Chains” which contains some very unique and original characters. Thank you by the way. What are your current plans for this story?

A) That story went on the back-burner when I realised that although I like the beginning and the end, I could do so much more with the middle. Since I adore the protagonists, Steve and Beau, I know that they, and any potential readers, deserve the best story I can possibly give. So, I AIM to get back to work on the story within the next month or so, just as soon I’m done with the edits to my current WiP. I have a huge backlog of unfinished manuscripts going right back to 2007, and 2012 is the year I get cracking on those.

Q) Where would you like to see your writing take you?

A) I’d like to earn enough to write full-time. I’d like to produce four books a year. I’d like more motivation. Motivation for me comes along with a book contract. The problem is I have to work for that contract and by nature I’m a very lazy writer. And I’d like to be less of a perfectionist, because I’m never 100% satisfied with any work I produce. The more I fiddle with it the more I lose touch with what I’m writing. That’s got to stop. I need to spend less time on rewrites and more time on that next yet-to-be-written chapter.

Q) Any parting thoughts for readers who have yet to discover your work?

A) I’ve learned to recognise that my stories tend to focus on what’s wrong with a relationship rather than what’s right with it. No relationship is perfect, but my characters find a way to work around the bad parts to find the good. Because of this I know my books aren’t to everyone’s taste. I often write characters some readers have difficulty connecting with. This was the case with ‘Stray’, where the narrator is a love or hate character. I chose not to compromise his personality in order to make him more amenable because he is what he is. Characters come to me fully-formed with their personality traits. I might not know what they look like but I always know what they’d do in a certain situation. If I started to mess around with those traits in order to mould them with more ‘marketable’ personalities, they rail against me and often stall the story completely. And I hate it when that happens. I’m a slow enough writer as it is without more complications. So, I may change a story’s ending half a dozen times before I’m satisfied but I’ve learned not to try and force a character to go where they don’t want to. They always make me suffer for that in the end.

DA Kentner is an author and journalist. http://www.kevad.net/

Intuitive Author Jim Wawro

2012-01-27T18:20:00.000-06:00

In 1921, Carl Jung theorized intuition as “irrational function” and “perception via the unconscious.” Psychology and science continue to try and understand where intuition comes from and how it plays in our daily lives, potentially the universe, as well as how intuition can be harnessed.

Cornell Law School graduate Jim Wawro chose a different route. Utilizing everyday terms, Wawro wrote “Ask Your Inner Voice,” a book designed to aid each of us not just in understanding what intuition is, but its significance as inner wisdom and how to reap the benefits of that wisdom.

While on the surface the subject may sound complicated, credit Wawro’s vast experience in communication as an attorney and public speaker with reducing the complex into a written dialogue designed to be discussed over coffee or the neighbor’s fence, and since we’re talking about a book… a very enjoyable read that includes references to historical figures as well as interviews with contemporary notables such as Oprah Winfrey and modern day spiritual messenger Neal Donald Walsch.

We all have intuition: that unexplainable turn right when logic said ‘left,’ carrying an umbrella on a cloudless day, the trip we opt to reschedule for no apparent reason, or our child we suddenly decide to drive to school one morning instead of letting him or her walk.

Why do we do these things and how can we best tap into this unconscious wisdom and make it conscious? “Ask Your Inner Voice” provides those answers and more.
http://activateintuition.com/

Q) Briefly, when and how did you first realize intuition was something each of us could tap into and use to our advantage?

A) When I was trying cases, I would often get powerful intuitive “hits” that usually proved exactly correct—particularly in the jury selection process where intuition is about the only thing you have to go on. As I got comfortable with using intuition, I realized that I could actively call on it to get meaningful answers. I’m basically a trial lawyer, not a psychic, and I soon came to understand that intuition is simply an inherent human power that everyone has if they want to develop it.

Q) What is it about intuition that caused you to explore it to the depths of writing a book?

A) After experiencing several instances of surprisingly accurate intuition, I decided to look into what has been written throughout history about intuition to see what more I could do with it. And I found that not much has in fact been written about intuition. So, since I found it so valuable in my life, I thought I could make a contribution by writing a basic book about how anyone can actively use their own intuition.

Q) You headed a 1400-lawyer firm, regularly lecture on a variety of topics, and have written articles in a growing number of journals and magazines. So, I have to ask, did or have you met with resistance to your belief in our ability to accept intuition as a personal wisdom we can each empower?

A) Everyone has had a remarkable hunch, coincidence, or intuition come to them at least once in their lifetime. So people generally accept that they do receive valid inner messages that they should pay attention to. In fact, if you don’t acknowledge the validity of inner messages from conscience, for example, society calls you a sociopath. The only real resistance I’ve encountered is as to how much to trust intuition; whether to rely on intuition instead of “cold, hard facts.” But I’ve rarely met an individual who felt comfortable ignoring a strong “gut feeling,” and that goes for some pretty tough customers, including police officers and trial lawyers.

Q) How has channeling intuition changed your life?

A) That story is told in Ask Your Inner Voice:

It happened at about 6:20 p.m. just as it was getting dark on a rainy Southern California winter evening. After driving into the street-level secured parking for my condominium complex, I got out of my car as the lattice-work metal garage door was sliding closed. When the door slid to within about four feet of closing, a person ran from the sidewalk into the garage. He was about 5'8", weighed about 140 pounds, and was in his early twenties. I am much bigger than he was. He had a bandana pulled up around his nose. As he ran past the closing gate, I heard him pump a round into the firing chamber of the pistol he was holding.

He ran toward me and demanded the gold Rolex I was wearing. I was not afraid but I was very alert. I was not at all thinking of being spiritual. I could not see him clearly because he was backlit by the fading daylight from the garage door. He repeated the demand. By this time he was nearly next to me. I took off the watch and gave it to him. I was standing by the open car door. At this point he said: “Turn around and lie down in the car.” My first thought was that he wanted to kill me.

I paused for a moment trying to decide whether to attempt to overpower him or to, as I then thought, let him kill me. I decided to try to overpower him. When I got that thought, almost immediately I received a deep inner knowing that the reason for his demand was only that he wanted a clean getaway. I paused for an instant to consider whether to follow that inner feeling. He repeated the command that I turn around and lie down in the car. I decided to follow the inner knowing. At that point he simply ran away. There I stayed for a moment, completely unhurt, oddly relieved that the garish Rolex was out of my life, and feeling compassion for a young man whose life was supported by armed robbery. The emotion of the experience was gone within the hour.

I repeated the incident to a friend, who commented “You just bet your life on your inner voice.”

Q) Why should a working mother of three read “Ask Your Inner Voice”?

A) Mothers know that they often have to use their intuition to make decisions in the best interests of their family based on incomplete information. Ask Your Inner Voice sets out a few, historically proven steps for them to use to verify that they have connected with their intuition and that the information they have received from within is reliable. If you’d like to be centered and to make wise decisions with confidence, this book’s for you.

Q) Any parting comments for your readers?

A) You don’t have to wait for intuition to come to you. You can ask your inner voice any question about finances, health, or relationships and get reliable answers. Try it!

Author Sherri Wood Emmons

2012-01-20T09:05:00.000-06:00

Sherri Wood Emmons is a graduate of Earlham College and the University of Denver Publishing Institute. A mother of three, she lives in Indiana with her husband, two fat beagles, and four spoiled cats. As a freelance journalist she has covered stories from the joy of children helping their church and community, to the tragedy and heartbreak of Pati Hensley whose husband was kidnapped and ultimately executed in Iraq.

Sherri’s own childhood involved the coal mining area of the Coal River Valley, West Virginia, and the strong family relationships forged through both love and necessity. It would seem almost prophetic that when Sherri penned her debut novel “Prayers and Lies” the story would involve the complexities of love and betrayal within a family, and an ending of hope built upon human frailty and the strength to overcome, accept, and even forgive. “Prayers and Lies” contains characters a reader will cheer for, and ones we can’t help but loath, and then worry about as they come to terms with their demons and seek to rectify the damage they have done.

Now Sherri’s second novel of family “The Sometimes Daughter” is set for release. Judy is a child of the sixties, raised around flowers, protests, and non-commitment. She grows as her mother seemingly refuses to, including avoiding her nurturing role in Judy’s life. Once again, Sherri provides readers with a finely crafted story of broken relationships, promises never kept, and a child becoming a young woman who must in the end define life and family in her own terms and prepare for the day the mother she never knew decides to come home to her sometimes daughter.

Kensington Books provided me the opportunity to preview “The Sometimes Daughter.” It’s a story well worth reading, and then discussing with family, friends, and book club members. http://www.sherriwoodemmons.com/

Q) Why did you choose the sixties as the opening stage for “The Sometimes Daughter”?

A) A few years ago, my husband and I watched a documentary on Woodstock. At some point during the festival, they announced over the loud speaker that a woman was having a baby in the hospital tent. And I thought, what would that be like, to be born at Woodstock? The story flowed from that original thought. Also, I was a child in the sixties, so it’s familiar territory for me.

Q) Has your faith conflicted with your stories of family relationships that travel some very irregular paths?

A) I think there is a faith element to both of my books. In “Prayers and Lies,” what saves the family from complete chaos is Helen’s strong faith. And throughout the story we see Bethany struggling to make sense of the bad things that happen in her world, and she does that through a lens of faith. In “The Sometimes Daughter,” Cassie is on a search for meaning. She goes about it in all the wrong ways, but at the core, she is looking for a meaning greater than herself.

I find people’s faith journeys fascinating. Whether Christian or Buddhist or Bahá’í or whatever, I think all of us are searching for meaning in life. We just go about it in different ways.

Q) “Prayers and Lies” includes the sometimes uncomfortable topic of child abuse, and then presents a not so customary conclusion. Why did you decide to make abuse part of that story?

A) The abuse was an intrinsic part of the story, and so I chose to hit it head on. I tried not to be too explicit, but Reana Mae’s relationships with her mother and her uncle make her who she is. They shape how she views the world and how she responds to the world.

The scenes between Reana and her uncle were very difficult to write. My own daughter was about the same age as Reana when I was writing that part of the story, and sometimes after I wrote I had to take a walk to just calm down and distance myself from the story. I know they are hard to read, but ultimately, I think they are necessary to the story.

Q) As your stories focus on families caught in the darker side and struggling to find happiness, what do you do with your own family to ensure your children don’t fall into the tribulations your characters do?

A) My husband and I have three great kids. We are a blended family, so there are some additional challenges there, but we made the decision early on that we wanted our home to be welcoming to our kids and their friends. That sometimes meant a lot of noise and chaos, and sometimes lots of kids around the dinner table, but it also meant we always knew our children’s friends. I think that’s important.

We always sat down for dinner together, we read together and played together, and I spent a lot of time at school events, dance recitals, and band concerts.

In the end, though, I think we were also just really lucky. Our kids are now healthy, happy young adults, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

Q) I noted in a previous interview a reference to “Lies and Prayers” taking shape in your teen years. How long did it take to write that story, and why did you devote so much time to it?

A) I didn’t set out to write a novel, actually. My family spent summers in the Coal River Valley of West Virginia when I was a child, and I wanted my own kids to have a feel for where their family came from. So I started just writing about that time and place, and it turned into a novel.

I worked on the story for seven or eight years before I submitted it, but not steadily. I was working full time and raising kids, so sometimes the manuscript sat for months before I picked it up again. Finally, I decided I had to finish it, so I took a writing retreat and wrote the last 200 pages in a single week. And then, of course, I spent another year or so revising. It was a long process.

Q) Any parting thoughts for readers not yet familiar with your work?

A) Well, I hope they’ll give the books a try. And then let me know what they think. I love it when readers give me feedback on my website (http://www.sherriwoodemmons.com/). It’s amazing and humbling and just wonderful to hear from readers.

Author Lisa Worrall and "Thirst"

2012-01-19T09:19:00.001-06:00

Please welcome author Lisa Worrall to my blog today:

While wondering what to say, I realised, duh, Thirst is the name of my latest release about a vampire, so immediately Bela Lugosi sprang to mind, then Lon Chaney Jr, Boris Karloff, Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee and, of course, the gentleman’s gentleman himself, Peter Cushing.

While the black and white movies of old are undoubtedly the best, the up to date versions have their charms. Of course, in current cinema we seem to be treated to remake after remake and some, while not bad, lack the certain something that made us cling to the arms of our seat, or the arm of our companion in the theatre.

Then there are, of course, the remakes that are so dire (in my opinion) that you can hardly bring yourself to say their titles out loud without wincing. Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hitcher, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Land of the Dead, need I go on?

When I think of vampires a vision pops in my head of suave, sophisticated, well groomed with an air of mystery that sucks you in and leaves you gasping for more. But while they appear beautiful and dazzling, you know that beneath the sparkling eyes, is a predator who will kill at the slightest inclination. I hope I’ve given a little bit of that to Carter in Thirst and I hope you will enjoy the ride.

Blurb:

Detective Max Bowman is hunting a serial killer terrorizing the city, who leaves victims drained of blood. No fingerprints, no clues, no ideas. Only a mysterious inscription carved into each body.

Frustrated with the lack of progress, Max takes a break in a local pub. Attacked by the attractive man buying him drinks, he is left for dead in the alley behind the bar.

Waking up in Carter Gray's bed was the last thing he expected. Who was this mysterious man? What was his dark secret? Why does he make Max tremble with anticipation every time their eyes meet?

It becomes apparent that Carter is the only one with the 'expertise' to help him find the killer. But is his attraction to Carter clouding his judgment and is he refusing to acknowledge that the killer may well be Carter himself?

Excerpt:

Pain, lots of pain. Max tried to force his eyes open, but only one would comply; the other already swollen shut from the impact of a closed fist. He wasn't sure how long he'd been lying in the alley behind the bar. He dimly remembered a tall blond man with piercing blue eyes who introduced himself as Tony, or it might have been Tommy, buying him a beer, followed by way too many shots, he'd stopped counting after the fourth; remembered laughing and joking with him, flirting and being flirted with in return. Nothing seemed out of place. Nothing that was until the man suggested they go somewhere quieter.

Instead of heading out into the brightly lit street, Max had found himself being jostled from both sides into the alley behind the bar. The blond held onto him on his left and from nowhere a dark haired man grabbed his right arm. Too late Max realized that everything was out of place, just as the blond man's fist connected with his face and his knee with Max's groin.

The two of them punched and kicked him, and all he could do was curl in on himself on the ground and hope he could minimize the damage. He didn't want to think too much about the sharp snap he heard when a hard boot connected with his ribs, nor the meaty sounds of flesh upon flesh. Max was assaulted by a wave of dizziness and he felt darkness reach out to engulf him in its warm embrace, but he mentally shook his head and stubbornly refused to let it claim him. He felt hands grabbing at his keys and his wallet and then more pain as a boot connected with the muscle in the left cheek of his ass. His head was pulled back by a vicious hand twisting in his chestnut-colored hair, his glassy brown gaze locking onto piercing blue as the word "Fag" was spat at him and his head was slammed back down on the dirt.

Max heard their retreating footsteps and he tried to lift his head, the pain in his side causing a cry to fall from his lips at the movement. He coughed and cringed as he saw dark splatters of blood hit the ground. Wiping the back of a shaky hand across his lips, he stared at the stain of red on his skin. He stumbled to his knees, trying to use the wall beside him to pull himself up. His legs buckled, and he crashed back to the ground, a deep groan wrenched from him as he fell. Suddenly, he felt two strong arms, one around his shoulders and one under his knees, lifting him as if he weighed no more than a small child. His head lolled to the side, coming to rest on a firm shoulder and he had a glimpse of jade green eyes looking down into his as the dark claimed him once more.

* * * *

Carter pulled open the door of his black 1968 Ford Mustang and eased his ward carefully into shotgun, slowly reclining the seat to make the position more comfortable. Taking off his heavy woolen coat, he rolled it and slipped it behind the man's head to prop up the semi-conscious man. He gazed down at the battered face he had been watching all night from his dark corner of the bar, aware how beautiful it was underneath the swelling and bruising. The man's name was Max that much he knew, because he had heard him introduce himself to his assailant. He frowned, furious with himself that he had realized too late the blond twink and his accomplice's plans for the young man. If he hadn't been distracted, if he hadn't been so thirsty…

Carter slid behind the wheel, his green eyes glittering in the muted glow from the dome light as he closed the door behind him. A small smile lifted his lips as he headed his car toward home. The two men who had robbed and beaten Max and left him for dead had already paid for what they'd done. Glancing into his rear-view mirror, he parted his lips and ran his tongue down his elongated incisors.

They wouldn't be hurting anyone ever again, and he wasn't thirsty anymore.

https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/thirst-ebook-p-718

BIO:

I was born in Romford, Essex, but am now living in Leigh on Sea, ten minutes away from the seaside town of Southend on Sea, which boasts the longest pier in the world. My claim to fame! I am having a total ball creating stories for the characters clamoring in my head for attention. And I am totally amazed by the support they've received and hope to give them voice for as long as people want to hear what they have to say.

On a personal note, I am the single mother of two children, aged eight and six, which makes for some interesting conversations, which sometimes end up in my stories! As if that wasn't enough to make me prematurely gray, we also have acquired a puppy called Winnie, named after my biggest vice... the Winchester brothers in Supernatural.

Blog: http://lworrall@blogspot.com

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Email: lisaworrall69@gmail.com

NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Mary Burton

2012-01-13T14:53:00.001-06:00

Crime and thriller author Mary Burton’s professional background is in marketing. In fact, she wrote a book on the subject – “The Insider’s Guide to Direct Marketing.” She also has written (and ghostwritten) articles for periodicals including the Virginia Review and Innsbrook Today. Married with two children, Mary enjoys yoga, cooking, hiking, and triathlons. So, how did this seeming lady next door become the author of some of today’s premier mystery and crime novels?

Mary’s path started with historical romance, not murder and mayhem. “A Bride for McCain” introduced the character Jessica Tierney, a woman on the run who must find the inner strength to forge the life she desires. Set aside that story’s romantic traditions for a moment. Jessica is a woman who must think on her feet as she searches for happiness and an answer to her dilemma. In that character and the ones who followed in sixteen romance novels, Mary established a pattern of women who will and do tackle the world around them while coping with whatever personal issues Mary heaps upon them. Mary’s skill in creating these intriguing characters and masterfully constructed plots has contributed to her success in mystery/thriller.

Mary diligently infuses realism into each of her novels by attending civilian law enforcement courses as well as forensics classes for writers. To do this requires a firm dedication to not just her craft, but her readers. In “I’m Watching You,” Mary made the leap to maniacal murder and shaded pasts, firmly establishing her place as an author capable of intertwining suspense, twisted killers, and unsettling personal issues, with her love of romance.

“Before She Dies” is Mary’s latest offering, due out Jan 31st. ‘No one knows about defense attorney Charlotte Wellington's murdered sister, or about her childhood spent with the carnival that's just arrived in town. For Charlotte, what's past is past. But others don't agree. And as a madman's body count rises, she and Detective Daniel Rokov are drawn into a mission that's become terrifyingly personal.’

Sit back, enjoy, and keep the lights on.
http://www.maryburton.com/

Q) Why did you make the leap from historical romance to stories that rattle our spines, yet put a smile on our face?

A) I’ve always loved suspense. And when I wrote historicals I was always itching to add more mystery and suspense. Many times in the rough draft I’d have a strong suspense element that I loved, but that I also understood just didn’t fit with the gentler genre. Invariably, I’d cut out the mystery thread but the desire to write suspense just got stronger and stronger. However, as much as I wanted to write suspense, I also didn’t want to abandon my romance roots. Romance adds an energy and vibrancy that keeps the reader turning the pages. For me, romance and suspense are a perfect balance of emotion and action.

Q) Do your friends and family ever raise a brow at your ability to come up with such diabolical killers?

A) Most folks who know me are shocked when they read one of my suspense novels. I’ve heard all kinds of comments that make me smile. “Can you believe she is someone’s mother?” “But she seems so nice.” And when readers meet me for the first time they are also surprised. One gal I met recently at a book club meeting was certain I’d be a dark and scary person. For the first half of the book club she didn’t speak to me but just stared. It wasn’t until after the meeting that she came up to me with a big smile on her face. “You are so different than your stories.”

Q) You avidly support Banned Book Week. Would you briefly explain what that project is about?

A) Founded in 1982 and sponsored by the American Library Association Banned Books Week celebrates our freedom to read. Though our right to read any book of our choosing is protected by the First Amendment many classic and modern books have either been challenged or banned. It’s a freedom we should never take for granted.

A couple of years ago I put the call out to some of my author friends and we joined with the local library for a Banned Books Week event. Each of us read from our favorite book that had either been banned or challenged. It was an eye-opener to me that classic books such as "A Wrinkle in Time" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" were once in danger of being pulled from a library shelf.
Q) Your love of baking has taken you to volunteering at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program. Have you considered melding thriller tales and baking into a series?

A) I have not considered putting a baking storyline into a suspense only because my books are pretty fast-paced and there’s just not much time in the story to bake a cake or wait for the bread to rise.

Baking for me is just a really wonderful creative outlet that gets me away from the computer and yet still allows the current story to simmer on the back burner in my brain. I’ve always joked that you can tell how the writing is going by the number of cupcakes on the counter. Lots of cupcakes mean a lot of heavy duty plotting in my head.

I enjoy baking so much I’ve shifted from volunteering at University of Richmond’s Culinary Arts Center to working toward my baking certificate. And needless to say, my husband and kids are totally spoiled with my baking.

Q) Having established yourself in the romance and murder/thriller genres, is there another genre you would like to immerse yourself in?

A) I really do love the romantic suspense/thriller genre. I’ve got so many characters and plots swirling in my head that it will be a good while before I run low on ideas!

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) When I started writing, my now college-age children were both in diapers. In the beginning it was a little crazy trying to squeeze in writing time, which was either very early or late in the day or while the kids napped. But no matter how crazy the day was, I always found time to write even if it was just for five or ten minutes. Thinking back, it took me eighteen months to finish that first 400-page, very rough manuscript. But no matter how slow going the pace, I never considered stopping. I truly love what I do and feel blessed to have made a career of it.

Internationally Acclaimed Author Poppet

2012-01-07T17:57:00.002-06:00

The first interview GateHouse News Service published of mine was with enigmatic author Poppet, who had recently taken an abrupt turn from writing articles for health digests and released “Darkroom,” an unnerving novel of horror and sadism. The success of “Darkroom” turned a page for Poppet, and I thought it might be fun to check in with her to see what has happened in the fifteen months since the book’s release.

I can tell you Poppet has written and published more than ten books since then from horror to romance to the children’s book “Fey’s Adventures.” “Fey’s Adventures” is the story of a six-year-old girl whose innocent, albeit precocious, life in her backyard is only limited by her limitless imagination and ability to see the beauty and mysteries of nature through her child’s eye. Fey meets elves, rides monsters, walks on the wind, and visits whimsical lands. Needless to say, this tale of innocence and joy has rightfully captured the attention of parents around the world.

As one mother so aptly stated: “It's been a challenge as a parent of a young one to find media that isn't scary. I've kept my kid away from television as much as possible, which may have added to her sensitivity about violence, intense chases, bad guys, etc. The point is, Fey's Adventures is offering us a magical tale that is exciting and engaging for all ages. Or at least ages 43 and 5 1/2.”

Poppet is a storyteller, and as such sees inspiration all around her. We can only wait and see where she leads us next.
http://authorpoppet.weebly.com/
http://authorpoppet.wordpress.com/

Q) “Darkroom” was raw terror, “Erra” is contemporary romantic suspense enveloped within struggles between mythology and religion, and then there is “Fey’s Adventures.” Why don’t you limit your writing to any one genre or subject?

A) The straightforward answer to that question is: I don't like limitations.

People like to pigeonhole. But a rock band can have ballads and manic hardcore music, so why can't an author have the same scope of expression?

I started out wanting to write for the children's market, but once I'd tried adult fiction I found I quite liked it. As for subject, I'd have to say my work includes a theme. In almost all of my books you will find an undercurrent (at the very least) of mythology and symbolism.

Q) What or who inspired Fey and her ability to look beyond the obvious?

A) I like Irish fairy-tales. (They are alive with beings inhabiting nature.) I wanted to introduce a young mind to this incredible cultural history, in a contemporary way, while also using the moment to educate them on preserving nature (the planet) and learning through Fey that we are responsible for our actions. Fey was mostly inspired by Druidic lore.

Q) Will Fey reappear in another book? Let’s be honest, if she doesn’t you’ll have some disappointed fans.

A) Fey was a once off excursion. I'm sure I'll return to writing Children's fiction again one of these days, and then Fey can have more adventures. I'm aiming a little higher this year, trying my hand at YA and fantasy (for the first time).

Q) As an artist, you have been exploring the growing tendency for novels to have video trailers and taking said videos to another level all their own. Do you believe book videos may become a medium of interest beyond the books they are designed to promote?

A) Some people are great fans of video trailers (there are websites dedicated to them), but I've found them to be mostly viewed by people who are already my fans.
http://youtu.be/r_l4Tg3g09I

Q) When you are writing, what genre are you most comfortable in?

A) Thriller / Horror / Supernatural. Despite writing romance novels, I still struggle to be comfortable in the genre (and tend to use them as metaphors).

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) The only boundaries we face, are those imposed on us by ourselves. If you remove your restrictions (mentally), you will find there is very little you can't accomplish once you put your mind (and time) to it. David pointed out how I hop around genres (this was once frowned upon). I chose to ignore *the done thing*, and *do my own thing*, and I've been relatively successful at it. Don't ever allow other people to restrict your creativity, do what feels right and let the details take care of themselves. If you are a writer, your only concern is to write. And whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability, push yourself to reach higher (and deeper), and be willing to go to uncomfortable places mentally. When you step outside your comfort zone, your work feels more realistic even if it's just fiction. My only other advice is: Don't think it will get easier, and don't expect success overnight. Hard work usually only pays dividends years from now. Just trust your path and follow your passion.

Award-Winning Art Director and Author JT Lawrence

2011-12-30T10:40:00.000-06:00

South Africa’s Janita “JT” Lawrence describes herself as a ‘long-legged redhead with a penchant for words and pretty things… practices yoga and drinks beer.’ While we obviously see JT’s humorous side, what is hidden is that JT is in reality a businesswoman with an advertising background bent on producing some of the best thriller and suspense stories a reader can find. If her debut novel “The Memory of Water” is any indication, she is well on her way to doing just that.

JT incorporates her native country and snippets of language into a tightly woven tale of murder and the protagonist, Slade Harris, who may have unwittingly plotted the crime, but is now most certainly the prime suspect. Harris is a man yet to come to terms with the ambiguities surrounding his sister’s death years ago. His turmoil has led him along a shaky path leaning toward thrill-seeking self-destruction, but still an inch or two from total collapse into darkness. Within this contemporary tale a reader will find a number of local cultural references that when melded with the author’s brand of humor and exquisite prose serve to paint a vivid picture of the settings and original characters. Simply put, “The Memory of Water” is fun, tense, and a novel that will leave the reader anxiously awaiting JT’s next offering.
http://thememoryofwater.blogspot.com/

Q) You have quite an affinity and devotion to business. In fact, you host a blog recommending books about business. How was it you decided to write thriller novels instead of nonfiction?

A) I find business very exciting; I’d go as far as to say it is one of my creative outlets. It’s hugely satisfying to see something you have created grow and find fast customers. Oh, and the joy that books bring! It trumps being a florist deliveryman any day.

While I love well-written non-fiction (Godwin’s ‘When a Crocodile Eats the Sun’ has stayed with me for years), I am a fiction girl at heart. I devour it, and feel compelled to write it. While my novels are usually thrillers, I don’t confine myself to a single genre. I enjoy experimenting with dark drama and comedy, too.

Q) We share a love of all books. Your enjoyment of reading created an online bookstore as well as suggesting novels to readers whether or not they buy them from you. Where do you believe your passion for reading came from?

A) My mother used to read Roald Dahl to my brother and I at bedtime and I remember being completely entranced with the bizarre, naughty, silly stories. He remains one of my favourite authors and I dream of the day I can repeat the tradition with my own children.

I grew up in a sports-mad family where we were either sitting on some grassy field somewhere or in front of the TV, watching days of (yawn!) cricket, or similar. I only started enjoying sport in my teens so in the mean time I had hours and hours to fill and would mow through whatever I could get my hands on.

Q) I’m curious about your background in art direction. Please share a little about your involvement and how that experience has or hasn’t influenced your writing.

A) I graduated as the top student in my year at the Triple A Advertising Academy and worked at the Jupiter Drawing Room for five years, then at #Network BBDO. I have a love/hate relationship with advertising: I love the people, the big ideas, the camaraderie (and the parties); I hate the frustration that goes with not getting great ideas through. My years in art direction probably taught me about idea generation and the importance (and satisfaction) in crafting, but most importantly it taught me how to handle criticism of my work. Once you’ve had your work torn up in front of you by a gun-wielding creative director with PTSD you don’t take subsequent criticism too personally.

Q) What’s a perfect morning for JT Lawrence?

A) Sundays are my perfect mornings: I read in bed till 10; have a big breakfast with my (dashing) husband, followed by cappuccinos and chocolate, and perhaps a stroll around our leafy neighbourhood. It sounds rather desperately smug, but no matter how good or bad the week has been, there is a kind of perfection in those mornings.

Q) You implanted quirks and foibles within Slade Harris that when combined with South African ambiance created a unique character readers may well want to see more of. Any plans to bring him back?

A) It would be tempting. What I find interesting is that while I disagree with almost everything he says and does, his character was so easy and fun to write. It’s as if I have intimate access to this living person … in my head. I guess all writers suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder to some degree.

Q) Any parting comments for readers who have yet to enjoy the intrigue of “The Memory of Water”?

A) Yes.

Mom, Dad & in-laws: don’t read the graphic sex scenes! It’ll just make things awkward.

Award-Winning Author and Illustrator Sheila Kelly Welch

2011-12-23T09:30:00.004-06:00

One of the joys of writing this column is I never know where I’ll encounter an author who snags my reader’s attention like a bear trap. In this case, it was only ten miles from my house.

For most travelers, Forreston, IL, is a town they passed through on their way to somewhere else. For educator, equine enthusiast, animal shelter volunteer, author, illustrator, wife, mother, and grandmother Sheila Kelly Welch, the rolling hills of rural Forreston is home, the place she conjures stories for young adults of all ages. Sheila truly is an artist, both in literature and on canvas. Her visual interpretations of other authors’ work have appeared in children’s books such as “Something in the Air” by Molly Jones and Leone Castell Anderson’s widely read historical novels “Sean’s War” and “Sean’s Quest.” She has also illustrated her own stories for Cricket, Spider, Ladybug, and Cicada magazines.

But it is Sheila’s young adult stories that have captivated imaginations around the world. "The Holding-On Night," published in Cricket, won the International Reading Association's Short Story Award. “Little Prince Know-It-All” and “A Horse for All Seasons” have become treasured additions to many home libraries. Now Sheila has released “Waiting to Forget.”

Though written for young adults, this tale of a brother and sister seeking release from the painful memories of a foster care system that raised them, and the clouds of uncertainty that veil their future, will have many an adult reaching for the tissue box. Sometimes two sentences can sum up an entire story. For me, those sentences are: “He was told to wait. That’s what he’s been doing.” The story is told through TJ’s viewpoint as he tries to protect his sister who makes origami cranes and then throws them out windows. TJ has been waiting his entire life, both for freedom from the past and for his sister to heal. “We live in a pretend house” 12year-old TJ says as he tries in his own way to explain how he has constructed a world in which he and his sister can safely exist from the life neither asked for, deserves, or will ever fully comprehend. “Waiting to Forget” ends with an understanding of how some things just can’t be understood, but that a seed of hope and promise can always be found if you know where to look.
http://www.scbwi-illinois.org/Welch

Q) What or who was the inspiration behind “Waiting to Forget”?

A) Although I write fiction, all my books and stories contain bits of truth, which are extracted from reality and reshaped by my imagination. I wrote my first book, “Don’t Call Me Marda,” shortly after we’d adopted two children, bringing the head count to seven. My mother-in-law did not react well to the news. I found myself thinking about other children whom she would have been even less pleased to have join our family. My imagination created a little girl named Wendy, inspired by a child I’d taught in one of my special education classes. While our pre-existing family was in the midst of the struggle to accept the newcomers, it seemed logical for me to write a story from the perspective of a child whose parents decided to adopt a little sister who was developmentally delayed. To her credit, my mother-in-law loved the book.

After that first novel, I revisited the subject of adoption in several short stories, but most of my writing concerned other topics. As the years went by, I learned how some of our kids had lived before we ever met them. They had existed in a world that was fragmented, chaotic, even frightening. My husband and I sometimes wondered if we could help these kids. Sometimes we felt as though we were failing as parents.

One of the hardest parts for us was realizing that several of our children resented us and did not appreciate that we were trying to give them a better life. But then I thought about how traumatic adoption must have been from their perspective. Imagine moving to a new home, school, and neighborhood when you were eight or nine or eleven years old. Then add onto that a new set of parents who expected you to act like their son or daughter when you had only met them a few months before.

No matter how difficult a child’s former life had been, leaving it behind could feel like waking up to a bad dream. I decided I needed to tell another adoption story. This one would explore the conflicting emotions of an older child who had been adopted. So I imagined T.J., and he was waiting to tell me the truth.

Q) For you, what is it about storytelling that fuels your passion?

A) My mother hated to write, but she told stories about her childhood that I loved and still remember. When I had rheumatic fever in second grade, my doctor prescribed nearly six months of convalescence. Listening to my mother’s tales, drawing, and reading were my means of escaping the confinement of my bedroom. When I was about nine, my older sister (now a poet and a psychologist) wrote a whole book for me. Stories, I realized, could entertain, inform, and illicit powerful emotions.

Storytellers and authors of fiction are a bit like magicians, conjuring tales rather than rabbits. They toss their stories out into the world, and hope an audience will catch them and love them.

When my mother was getting quite senile with Alzheimer’s, I visited her and read aloud a fantasy novel, “Land of Another Sun,” that I had written. She listened intently, laughing and nodding at appropriate places as I read. When I finished the last chapter, and the children in my story – along with an ornery cat – were returned to Earth via a magic bubble, my mother smiled and said sincerely, “I remember. That really happened.”

My first impulse was to correct her. But then I thought about the little girl character like my daughter who loved gum, the cat who said exactly what our cranky cat would have said if she could have talked, and the tan-skinned boy who loved to read just like our son. Yet I knew my mother was actually talking about a magic bubble. It was a bubble I’d created, but to her it was real, and that made her happy. So I said, “Maybe it did happen.” And I felt as if we’d shared a moment of magic. It’s those moments that keep me writing.

Q) My curious side: How did you and your family end up living outside of Forreston?

A) I grew up in the rolling hills near Boyertown, Pennsylvania, with my brother and sister plus cats, dogs, goats, and horses. So living here is not that different from living there. But in between my husband and I had quite a few homes: an historical house in Germantown, Pennsylvania (we were caretakers); three country places in Minnesota (we bought and sold a farm and my husband worked as a dairy herdsman); graduate student housing at University of Wisconsin (my husband was getting his Master’s in Library Science); an apartment and a house in Rockford, IL.

In the fall of 1986, we moved to this old farmhouse surrounded by cornfields. The house we owned in Rockford would have been too small for our five children with the addition of the two boys who joined our family a few months later. At the time, we also had three dogs, five cats, and five horses. Needless to say, we needed more room.

Q) While in your thirties you had to have a heart valve replaced. How did that change your outlook on life?

A) After the surgery, I could actually hear the artificial valve ticking and still can, fortunately. I’d always intended to write stories for children but had been so busy that I’d relegated that goal to a distant “someday.” Listening to the tick, tick of my heart made me quite aware of the passage of time, and I realized that I needed to get to work. My first short story was published two years after the operation.

Having such an amazing, lifesaving procedure has made me very grateful to be alive. My outlook has remained focused on what I feel are the most important aspects of my life, including my family, pets, volunteer work, as well as writing and illustrating. Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This neurological condition has forced me to cut back on many activities so that I have the energy to pursue creative work. I’m fortunate to have a very supportive husband who’s taken over most of the household tasks.

Q) You and your husband adopted school aged children. What led you down that loving path?

A) Shortly after getting married, we talked about having six children. But I knew that my heart had been damaged by rheumatic fever, and I probably wouldn’t be able to have that many. We agreed that adoption would be a good way to form a large family. At the time, I was teaching special education classes at an inner city school. One day, my students asked me if I planned to have children, and I replied, “Yes, six.”

The class of all girls was shocked. “Six? Why you want six kids? That just crazy!” But when I mentioned that my husband and I planned to adopt, they were all for it.

One girl raised her hand. It was Leila, a difficult thirteen-year-old, who caused more than her share of trouble at school. “Would you adopt me?” she asked. I didn’t think she meant it literally, so I told her that we weren’t ready to have a child yet and when we were, we’d get a baby.

Many years later, after we’d adopted two infants and had one biological child, I saw a picture of a brother and sister in a book that listed waiting children. I could almost hear Leila’s voice asking if I was willing to adopt her. When I showed the photo to my husband and asked if we should get them, he answered, “Sure. Why not?” And the adventure began . . .

Q) Any parting comments for your readers?

A) First I want to thank you, David, for asking very good questions that made me dig into my memories. I also want to mention how much I appreciate my family, friends, SCBWI-IL, and ABC Writers who’ve been so supportive and kind over many years. I extend a special thanks to Carole Dickerson, library director, and her staff at Freeport Public Library, and to Stephen Roxburgh, publisher and editor at namelos.

Many readers would like to be authors themselves. My advice is to write about what has meaning and importance to you. Toss your stories out to the audience and hope some people will love and appreciate what you write. And keep reading! Thanks!

Author and Football All-Star Bruce Beaton

2011-12-16T11:11:00.000-06:00

Three-time Canadian Football League All-Star Bruce Beaton could have easily written a book about his many personal achievements and accolades. But that isn't who he is, not really. This Nova Scotia Hall of Fame inductee chose to retire from football and pursue what truly matters to him – helping people and making a difference in their lives.

To that end, Bruce teamed up with football all-star Dan Comiskey to create a business focused on habit change, personal standards, and behavior modification. The duo subsequently wrote several books on success and leadership, including the acclaimed "The Truth About Success."

Still, Bruce, a father devoted to his children and their growth, wanted to take his message of ethics and betterment beyond the obvious and put it in a perspective parents can utilize with their own children:

"My goal is to help concerned parents meet the parental goal of raising, through organized sport, positive, happy, confident, secure future leaders who might pursue their goals and dreams (whatever they may be) with passion."

In "Little Athletes, Big Leaders: Effective Sport Parenting," Bruce uses eloquence, humor, and sincerity to share with parents what he has learned over the decades. And it is that sincerity that sets this book apart from so many others. The author didn’t write for himself, but for us. He wrote "Little Athletes, Big Leaders" from his heart and in turn revealed the concern, love, and commitment of a father who only wants the best for his children.

When you read "Little Athletes, Big Leaders" be prepared not just to gain insight into methods of inspiration and empowerment, but a look into a man totally in love with life and his family. Yeah. Keep a box of tissues nearby just in case.
http://www.littleathletesbigleaders.ca/

Q) "Little Athletes, Big Leaders" was written for adults. However, you also have Sport Leadership Volume One, an audio CD specifically designed for children. How difficult was it to transfer your thoughts and principals into audio lessons that require a level of entertainment as well?

A) It was not difficult for me because I am incredibly passionate about teaching children success principles through sport. I believe kids need to learn to set goals and they need to learn about the power of small daily steps toward those goals. They have to learn that it takes a long time to achieve mastery at things but if they work hard and practice daily they can become great at almost anything they choose. I love telling stories about athletes that have worked hard, persevered through tough times, and believed in themselves despite short term setbacks, especially when they were young. I really think kids need to hear these stories and my passion is evident in the recording.

Q) You are an excellent motivational speaker seemingly at ease in front of a crowd. To what do you attribute your comfort amongst groups of strangers?

A) There are two reasons why I'm comfortable in that environment. One, I am a content rich speaker who has put the work in for years. Two, my speaking has nothing to do with me. It is all about the listener - I sincerely want to give the listen great content...content that educates, inspires, and transforms. I love caring parents and volunteer coaches. They are the best people in the world. I deliver interesting research and anecdotal stories that these listeners appreciate, and I feel that I have an obligation to show up and help these deserving people with their important work - raising great people.
Q) Sometimes parents walk a fine line between what they want for their child, and what the child's goals are. Are there signs a parent can readily identify when they may well be on a different path than their children?

A) Listen to your child. Really listen. Don't assume. Ask lots of questions. Children usually know what they like, they know what they want, and they'll tell you if they trust that you are interested in their opinion. Then trade apples for apples. Quitting sport to play video games is not a fair trade. Quitting one sport for another, or quitting a sport to pursue music, or art, or something else developmental, is a fair deal. They have to understand that as their guide, you are interested in their skill development, especially in the areas of their strengths and passions, so that they can make a meaningful contribution to society. We all have to contribute.

Q) Volunteer coaches played a huge part in your personal development. What is the one value you learned from them that you believe helped mold the man you have become?

A) I had a coach that consistently emphasized that today matters. He taught me that there was no such thing as stress. he said you set goals for the future, but all you had to do, once that important work was done, was to take small steps toward those goals today. Only focus on today, and just take those little steps. He repeated himself a lot (thankfully) and eventually I got it. That was the most valuable lesson for me.

Q) Okay. You have to allow me one football fan question. What was it like to play with Doug Flutie and Jeff Garcia and know you played a part in their success or failure on the field?

A) When I think of Doug Flutie I think about daily excellence. He set a standard, and everyone naturally rose to that level. He never said anything, he did it all be example. It was a fascinating experience for me as a young player to see how one person could have that effect every day in practice. Now, as a parent, I can't believe he did what he did professionally with two autistic boys at home. Just a very committed, impressive Dad and professional athlete. When I think about Jeff Garcia I think about passion. He was such a hard core, passionate competitor. A fighter with tremendous desire, a guy who wanted to win so badly he just carried people forward with his passion. Both were great guys who went on to the kind of success they deserved.

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) Absolutely. Your children can be great. They can do big things in the world, and we really need those kinds of leaders. Or they can do little things well, and be so important as family members, friends, and community members. My nine year old daughter wants to be a dog breeder and a writer. Your daughter might want to become a world leader. Both of those things are valuable. There is nothing more important than guiding your children toward a life where they have goals, and purpose, and happiness, and connection. You have to do your best work as a parent when you are the busiest you'll probably ever be, so learn every tip and tidbit you can from some of the great research that's being done, and then cherish every moment! And good luck...we are so blessed to have children, so lucky and fortunate, and I wish you and your children a continuation of that luck and good fortune.

Award-Winning Author Jamie Freveletti

2011-12-09T09:56:00.001-06:00

To borrow from Jamie Freveletti's web site: She "is a trial attorney, martial artist, and runner. She has crewed for an elite ultra-marathon runner at 50 mile, 100 mile, and twenty-four hour races across the country, and holds a black belt in aikido, a Japanese martial art." Let's add she's also very devoted to her family. However, Jamie has since placed her attorney status on "inactive" to pursue writing fulltime.

Yet, somehow this amazing and determined lady managed to write "Running from the Devil," which was chosen as a “Notable Book” by the Independent Booksellers of America, awarded "Best First Novel" by the International Thriller Writers, and awarded a Barry Award for "Best First Novel" by Deadly Pleasures Magazine. Not to mention the book became an international bestseller.

So, how do you follow that introduction to readers around the world? With another award-winning novel, of course. "Running Dark" became a bestseller and won a Lovey award for Best Novel 2010.

Now Jamie has released "The Ninth Day," the third offering in her action thriller series featuring biochemist Emma Caldridge. Emma inadvertently stumbles upon human traffickers. Taken to Mexico, Emma learns of marijuana fields infected with a horrible disease that kills within nine days, and a plan for distribution. She also discovers she has been infected and only has nine days to come up with a cure and stop the shipment before it arrives in the United States, or die trying.

Much has been said about Jamie's strong, self-reliant character, Emma Caldridge, and how female adventure stories tend to be overlooked and underrated. For me, the fact is without skilled writing, without a story and plot that rivets me to my chair and keeps me turning the pages until my wife gives up trying to talk to me, who or what the protagonist is or isn't simply doesn't matter. Any story, no matter what genre, requires a mind and level of expertise capable of producing tales that capture the reader's interest, attention, imagination, and breath. And that is precisely what author Jamie Freveletti does.
Jamie's Web Site

Q) What made you decide to write, and when did you ever find the time?

A) I was working on a difficult trial and at night felt as though I needed to unwind so I began writing a novel late at night after putting the kids to bed and when the house was quiet. I just kept going!

Q) The Estate of Robert Ludlum selected you to write the next installment in the Covert One series. Forgive my envy and open jaw, but how did it feel to receive that honor?

A) Wonderful! Amazing! (And my jaw dropped as well after my agent told me that I had been chosen). Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity is one of my favorite thriller books, and just before I learned of their interest I had blogged about how he made me want to be a thriller writer. Don’t know if they saw that before they contacted my agent, but I was glad to have it out there! The manuscript is complete and the book should launch in Fall, 2012.
Q) I've read your first published piece was actually a poem you wrote at the age of twelve for a book Carol Burnett produced. True? If so, what was the poem about?

A) That’s true. The Carol Burnett Show was a favorite in my family and we’d watch her every week. When I was twelve my elementary school teacher told us that Carol Burnett was launching a nationwide contest for children’s poems to be included in an anthology. I jumped at the chance and my poem was chosen! It was about progress and the pollution that sometimes results from it.

Q) There are those who make the erroneous assumption you are a male writing thrillers. How do view this sometimes gender-swayed supposition?

A) I’ve been made aware from reader emails that many think that I write thrillers that are “like those that men write.” Emma Caldridge is a female protagonist who is a biochemist and ultrarunner. She’s like a lot of women that I know: straightforward and curious. I’m not exactly sure why readers make this comparison, but she is a hero, acts alone in the world and is not a sidekick or part of a team.

As a woman she doesn’t often beat up her adversaries like some male protagonists would, but instead she’ll use her intellect to overcome obstacles or pick up a weapon if need be. She’s been making slow steps to gaining proficiency at weapons: in Running From The Devil she learns how to shoot an AK-47, in Running Dark a pilot that flies the (legal) khat drug route in Africa teaches her how to shoot a rocket propelled grenade launcher.

Q) How have the demands of writing and the traveling for public appearances affected your family?

A) Actually, I’ve been home a lot more since I no longer have to commute back and forth to an office. I only tour a couple of weeks a year, so that’s not so bad at all and my husband has been able to work his business travel schedule around mine. During the tour for Running Dark we cut it a bit close and his plane was delayed and mine early, and we ended up bumping into each other at O’Hare airport. Since it was lunchtime and the kids were still in school we ate a nice meal together before he took off. We still laugh about that!

Q) Source: Chicago-Sun Times. "Chicagoan Jamie Freveletti thinks it's only natural that so many successful trial lawyers have become best-selling novelists." What inherent edge do you believe trial lawyers have over non-attorney authors?

A) As a lawyer you learn to listen to a client’s version of events (“the story”) and tell it again to a judge in a way that makes sense. It’s great training to write!

Q) Any parting comments for your readers?

A) Just to thank them for taking the time to read my novels. I really appreciate it!

Romance/Suspense/Paranormal Author Debbie Vaughan

2011-12-02T08:49:00.001-06:00

Former librarian Debbie Vaughan, like so many of us, had a dream to write. The difference is, Debbie pursued her dream with the passion she instills into each of her stories, and she now proudly possesses the title of published author.

Raised in rural Arkansas, Debbie recalls how her grandfather's wagon became her royal coach, his plow horse her charger, and the barnyard animals whatever her child's mind could conjure. Most importantly, she learned early her imagination knew no limits. To this day she refuses to place borders on wherever her mind chooses to lead her pen.

But another lesson she learned was to respect life in all its forms. When not at work at her retail job or writing, Debbie rescues animals and nurses those in need back to health. Her current household includes ten dogs. And when the numerous storms and freezing winter hit the Arkansas area she continues to reside in, she made sure the horses were all fed, watered, and out of the weather, while she wasn't.

"Dare to Dream" became Debbie's first published novel. A time travel romance, this, at times erotic, story unites two people separated by a century. But Debbie enjoys suspense, so she naturally had to add a vein of danger, an evil bent on keeping the two lovers apart.

Her second offering, "Mr. Fix-It," is a contemporary romance surrounding a divorced woman - an animal lover (sheer coincidence, I'm sure) with a pack of dachshunds and some horses – in need of help repairing her farmstead. When a widowed repairman arrives, our heroine realizes he might be able to mend her heart as well. And maybe the mattress in the bedroom. But her psychotic ex has other plans, plans that don't include both of them living long enough to enjoy their divorce.

One sure thing readers will always find and enjoy within Debbie's stories is her inborn sense of humor. This vivacious lady simply can't help it. So, if you enjoy romance sprinkled with a laugh and the bedroom door left open, be sure to give a Debbie Vaughan story a look.
Debbie's Web Site

Q) You went through all the trials and tribulations of seeing the rejections come in time and again. What kept you going until you found the right story for the right publisher, in this case Siren Publishing?

A) Well, Dave, some days it was hard. But life IS hard. That’s a lesson I learned at an early age. I’ve had a lot of “No!” thrown at me. My friends helped to be sure. They always had a kind word of encouragement. You should know since you were one of them. But mostly, and I think this is probably the most important thing any writer can do--YOU have to believe in your work. If your characters don’t live and breathe on the page for you, don’t make you laugh and cry-- they won’t for anyone else.

Q) "Dare to Dream" is a bit different in that you include not just the fantasy of time travel, but Native American legend as well. What inspired you to go in that direction?

A) I’ve always been intrigued by Native American lore and by the connection those peoples had with the land and animals. They were so much more grounded in nature than most, and of course they were historically the underdog. I always root for the underdog. But to be honest, I never set out with that goal in mind. My characters define themselves as I write.
Q) Was there a person in your life who you attribute your infectious humor to?

A) Not really. Life often gives you only two choices—to laugh or to cry. I believe the glass is truly half full. There is no future in wallowing in self doubt and pity, which can only make the situation worse. Put on a smile and the next person you meet will smile back. Your day will brighten. There are a lot of clichés clinging to my tongue, all of them true.

In reality, life is what you make of it. So why make yourself and everyone around you miserable?

Q) Where do you believe your intense love and appreciation of animals came from?

A) Animals were in my earliest memories. Sharpy, the Pyrenees mix who tended my grandfather’s cattle--and me. I lay on the porch in the sun and sucked my bottle with him as my pillow. He guarded me from the copperheads and rattlesnakes as I ran to meet grandpa coming in from the fields. I lay with him when he died under the gardenia bush. No child ever had a better or more loyal friend.

Nellie, the plow horse who graciously allowed seven of us kids to ride her at once. She froze in mid-stride if one of us so much as titled. The list of names would be long and distinguished, each, in their own way, so I won’t recite them all. Animals give with their whole heart, never holding back fearing to be hurt, they love unconditionally. People would do well to emulate them.

Q) Any parting comments for your readers?

A) I hope you enjoy Dare to Dream and Mr. Fix-it and find them meaningful as well as entertaining. I would love to hear from you. Dave has included my website address, please leave a comment or find me on www.facebook.com/author.debbievaughan or at my publisher, Siren Bookstrand, Inc. http://www.bookstrand.com/debbie-vaughan Hopefully, my Legacy Series will find a home soon as well. My vampires don’t rust, bust, collect dust or sparkle in the sunshine. As a matter of fact, they’re like no vampires you’ve met yet!

And, because I would be remiss not to do so, I must add a message dear to my heart. Every day millions of animals die in shelters and abandoned on the streets. They have done nothing to deserve this fate other than be born. There are not enough homes for the ones now dwelling on this earth and yet we continue to breed or allow breeding. After 25 years in rescue I know the only answer to this problem is sterilization. Please, be a hero and save thousands of lives--spay and neuter your pets! Do not breed or buy while shelter animals die. Adopt! Even if you want a pure bred animal, you can find them in shelters and with breed rescue groups.

I do practice what I preach. Six of my ten dogs are purebreds and both of my horses. All are rescue and all are sterilized.

Michael Bungay Stanier and "End Malaria"

2011-11-25T11:37:00.000-06:00

Years, even months, ago, television imprinted on our minds images of children suffering and dying from malaria, and how something as simple as mosquito netting over their beds could be the difference between life and death. And we donated. But time passes, our attention is yanked to the nonstop barrage of other images and news thrust upon us daily, and we go on about our lives. Meanwhile, mothers continue to helplessly and hopelessly watch their children die from a disease rarely discussed within our own nation.

Sixty-two business leaders and authors came together with one common purpose – to continue the struggle, the fight, to wipe out malaria. As writers read by the business community around the world, these individuals united their literary voices into the book "End Malaria: Bold Innovation, Limitless Generosity, and the Opportunity to Save a Life."

Spearheaded by Michael Bungay Stanier, Senior Partner of Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations do less Good Work and more Great Work, and published by Seth Godin and the Domino Project (a new outlook in publishing powered by Amazon.com), "End Malaria" isn’t a book about malaria or the tragedies this deadly disease inflicts. The authors are business people, not doctors or scientists. They write and talk about methods to improve our daily lives. So, that's what they did. Only this time, their singular profit is seeing the proceeds from this book go toward helping children live.
End Malaria Day Link

An anthology on self-improvement, the articles in "End Malaria" range from "Dream Backward to Move Forward" to "The Importance of Failure" to "How Can We Do More, Feel Better, Live Longer?" to "Permission to be Funny." They wrote about us, every one of us, and what we can do for ourselves. And by gleaning from their professional insight, we save children's lives.

The Domino Project
Box of Crayons

Q) Mr. Bungay Stanier, considering all the causes and organizations in the world, why was malaria efforts selected as the group's focus?

A) I did quite a bit of research across various global issues - hunger, water, disease. What I found was $10 - the price of a mosquito net - is the cheapest unit of global change. Part of what's wonderful about the 'End Malaria' book is that when you buy a book, $20 - enough for a net and further support for life saving work - goes to the organization Malaria No More.

Q) How difficult, or easy, was it for sixty-two well-respected writers to come together for "End Malaria"?

A) It was remarkably easy to get people to agree to participate - more than 90% of those I asked said yes, and once we had a core of great writers the project had credibility and momentum. Tracking down all the contributions once they'd said yes? That was a little trickier. However, it turns out that I'm an excellent nagger and everyone came through in the end.

Q) The Domino Project utilizes the concept of passing ideas from one person to the next. How effective and/or efficient has the Domino Project been in marketing "End Malaria"?

A) As you say, The Domino Project relies on good ideas spreading, and one of the main channels for that is through social media. We had hundreds of bloggers writing about the book and an amazing twitter stream on the launch day. The book climbed to #2 on Amazon.com with no "traditional media" support.

Q) Any organized effort has an initial goal or benchmark. Have the expectations for "End Malaria" been reached, and, if so, what is the next goal?

A) We raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for Malaria No More in the first two weeks after the book's launch. We're now encouraging people to buy the book for their colleagues, clients, customers and friends - it makes a fabulous holiday gift.

Q) What is it about the articles in "End Malaria" that the average, non-business minded person would find beneficial?

A) Many of the articles have a relevance beyond just life in business. Some favourites of mine are Derek Sivers' "In a perfect world", Brene Brown's "The Strength of Vulnerability" , Jonah Lehrer's "Don't pay attention" and Gwen Bell's "Unplug". They're all about helping figure out how to live a life that's more meaningful and happier - and then actually living it.

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) It's not often you get to buy a book and save a life. You do with 'End Malaria'

NYT and USA Today Best-Selling Author Terri DuLong

2011-11-18T08:35:00.001-06:00

Occasionally a writer comes along to remind us all that dreams need not be unfulfilled, and passion cannot be denied.

Terri DuLong wasn't raised in literary circles, never obtained a degree in English or literature. Instead, she married young and had three children, only to later divorce, and later still, find love and remarry. To support herself and her children, Terri went to college and eventually became a registered nurse. She didn't write books, she read them, and, as many of us do, wondered what being a writer might be like.

While a critical care RN, Terri's wonder turned curiosity, and she took a creative writing course. When her husband's job transferred the family to Florida, Terri worked part-time and began writing more. She attended writing workshops and conferences, all the while working to improve her craft. Somewhere in this process, curiosity turned passion. Passion within writers fills pages with their stories. It doesn't matter whether those stories are ever published. You see, publication is a reward for a writer's dedication to their skill and craft, being published is not the fuel that feeds the passion.

After years of rejections, Terri's passion for writing was rewarded. "Spinning Forward," with its subtle, gentle prose, captures the reader's interest like a long-missed relative who stopped by for a visit. The first in the Cedar Key series "Spinning Forward" spun the yarn that binds the continuing novels together. Each is the compelling story of a woman at a crossroads, and the decisions that impact their lives.

Be it "Spinning Forward," "Casting About," or Terri's latest, "Sunrise on Cedar Key," readers are sure to enjoy the homespun stories of women linked by a love of knitting and their indomitable spirits.
Ms. DuLong's Web Site

Q) What inspired knitting as the backdrop for your tales?

A) I had to come up with a job for Sydney, my main character in Spinning Forward. Jobs here on Cedar Key aren’t that plentiful. I wanted her work to be realistic for the island and since I’m an avid knitter, having her open a yarn shop seemed appropriate.

Q) Your writing style reminds me of the old storytellers perched atop a barrel in a dry goods store, spinning their tales of quirky characters, though most of the issues your characters must deal with are very contemporary, and very serious. To what do you credit your unique voice?

A) First of all, thank you for such a nice compliment. I’m not quite sure how to answer this, except to say that I write about issues that touch me emotionally. Issues that other women have possibly encountered, such as self-identity, becoming a step-Mom, mother/daughter relationships, etc. I write from my heart with the hope that a good story will evolve.

Q) The road you traveled to becoming a published author wasn't easy, but you never gave up. Is there a person in your life who served as your personal inspiration or mentor?

A) That would be my parents. My mother inspired my love for reading. She was an avid reader and a great story teller. I was an only child and she always made sure I had plenty of books to keep me company. My dad was a lover of words and taught me the use of a dictionary and how powerful the written word could be. They always encouraged me, supported me and instilled the fact that if I worked hard, I could achieve my goals.

Q) I've heard pistachio cake plays a role in your family Christmases. How did that tradition come about?

A) Back in the sixties, it became a popular recipe and it was my mother who decided that since the cake and frosting were green, it would be nice to have it on Christmas Eve. She made it every year until I took over the tradition and now my daughter makes it every holiday for her family.

Q) Certainly, being an NYT and USA Today Best-Selling author is exciting and a dream fulfilled. However, your adopted hometown of Cedar Key makes sure they have your books on the library's shelves. How did that feel the first time you heard that news?

A) It made me feel grateful. Cedar Key is a very special place but it’s the people that make our community what it is. Since I’m a born and raised Yankee, to be told by the locals that I’ve captured the essence of Cedar Key in my novels is the highest compliment I could receive. I may not be southern, but I’m certainly in my element in this quaint fishing village.

Q) Any parting comments for your readers?

A) I want to deeply thank my readers, and I hope they know how much I appreciate their support with Facebook comments, wonderful emails, and word of mouth recommendations for the Cedar Key Series. I’ve always believed that an author pens the words, but it’s the readers that keep a published author fulfilling her passion.

Thank you very much for inviting me to do this Q&A.

Author Joseph Pittman

2011-11-11T15:10:00.001-06:00

Fiction and mystery author Joseph Pittman lives literature. As a professional editor he has worked for several publishers, and with renowned authors such as Stephen King, Joan Collins, and General Norman H. Schwarzkopf, to name a few. A native of the Queens borough of New York, Pittman continues to reside in and around NYC.

In the mystery novel "London Frog," Pittman introduced the world to an oddly magnetic character named Todd Gleason. A petty thief, Gleason walks both sides of society's fence, straddling good and evil in order to pursue champagne tastes. He possesses his own idea of morality, and frequently merges right and wrong into acceptable whenever the need arises. Though not who you would ever want dating your daughter, Gleason is the first person you'd call if she was kidnapped, and Gleason is the first one who would catch that same daughter's eye in a crowded room. The sequel "California Scheming" is due out in January.

But Pittman's writing interests extend well beyond the mystery genre.

"Tilting at Windmills," Pittman's first published novel, is a story of love lost, love found, life renewed, and a windmill that stands watch over the residents of tiny Linden Corners. In "Tilting at Windmills," Pittman left the reader wanting more of Linden Corners and the main characters Brian Duncan and his eight-year-old ward Janey Sullivan. "A Christmas Wish" brings back Brian and Janey in a joyous tale of honoring the past while building a future. "A Christmas Wish" is a heartwarming story of love and Christmas magic. Just make sure you have a box or two of tissues nearby.
Mr. Pittman's Web Site

Q) How did the windmill and Linden Corners come to be?

A) The windmill came to me sort of by mistake. Riding on Amtrak along the Hudson River Valley, I ran across the phrase “tilting at windmills” in the book I was reading. I looked out the window at the river and I began imagining what if there was a windmill out of the window? The Hudson River Valley has a strong Dutch influence, so the idea of a windmill in that area was not out of the question. The story began there.

Q) Writing and editing are intrinsically connected, yet worlds apart. Writers write the story. Editors work to improve that story. As an author/editor, how difficult is it for you to see another editor making/suggesting changes in your story?
A) I’m very structured, both in writing and editing. Each compliment the other, at least in terms of my approach. The secret is keeping the material under control—self editing as you write, narrowing your focus when you edit. Keep the words from getting out of hand and you’ll maintain a better sense of pace.

Q) What first instilled the idea in you that you would like to write a novel?

A) As a know-it-all teenager (what teenager isn’t?), I read a book which I found quite simplistic. I thought: “I could do better.” It was a challenge to myself, and so I began. I wrote five manuscript before “Tilting at Windmills,” so I’ve been working at it for years. “Windmills” just happened to be the one that struck a chord, with an agent and with an editor…and now readers.

Q) Todd Gleason in "London Frog" isn't the average hero. What inspired this character?

A) Having a guy who straddles the legal fence is much more fun to write. He doesn’t always have to do the right thing, but he doesn’t want to go too far either. It’s the moral complexity to makes Todd intriguing—not to mention the dimples that make him attractive. Even though he’s not such a good guy, he’s not a bad guy either. Call him a crook and he’ll correct you. “I’m a sneaky opportunist.” Todd has his demons, but he also has his fun side—though not everyone would agree with that second part.

Q) Since your day is filled with words – editing and writing – how much time do you set aside for reading? And, what do you enjoy reading?

A) I don’t write every day. I tend to go away for a week or two to start a novel, so I can just concentrate on getting to know the characters, the plot, and the twists. Then when I’m back home the book is well under way and I can steal time, mostly nights and weekends, to finish it. I also read a lot. My subway ride to work every day finds me with a book—I like mystery and suspense, thrillers. I read Daniel Silva, Dennis Lehane, Robert Crais, Stephen King, Carl Hiaasen. A real mix. When I’m in the mood for something more quirky, I’m a sucker for John Irving.

Q) Any parting comments for your readers?

A) I’m schizophrenic when it comes to my writing. If you enjoy the feel-good stories of Tilting at Windmills, you may wonder where London Frog came from. Writing is all about experimenting. A forthcoming novel will join my two loves—the small town world of Upstate New York and the mystery genre. But there’s other stuff too—another Linden Corners book, another Todd Gleason mystery, and a few other surprises. I’m having a blast and I hope my readers are too.

NYT and USA Today Best-Selling Author Victoria Alexander

2011-11-04T09:18:00.002-05:00

Victoria Alexander exemplifies life lived and enjoyed to its fullest. This charismatic lady with a perpetual smile is a former TV news reporter who viewed all the good and bad this world has to offer, including the time her own husband and other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed man.

Since leaving television, she has seen sixteen of her more than two dozen books hit the New York Times, USA Today and/or Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. "The Perfect Wife" was a NYT #1 bestseller. In 2009 she was given a Career Achievement Award from RT Bookclub and named Historical Storyteller of the year in 2003.

Victoria's stories of love, romance, and intrigue in bygone eras contain the wit, charm, and sometimes quick tongue the author herself possesses. Her heroines know what they want and aren't afraid to go after it, and the heroes are all man. In "The Perfect Mistress," released earlier this year, Victoria unveiled a proper lady who discovers passion is her legacy. But she also introduced some new characters who now have their own story to tell in "His Mistress by Christmas." Widowed Lady Veronica Simpson seeks the boudoir benefits of marriage without the tedious restrictions. Rogue and explorer Sir Sebastian Hadley-Attwater needs a wife in order to ingratiate himself to his family. Oh yeah, there's a collision course if ever there was one.

While Victoria has found a successful formula for her writing, it is the characters who make each offering delightfully entertaining and the story unique from all her other works.

Today Victoria resides in Nebraska with her husband and a bearded collie who enjoys kitchen counter surfing.
Victoria's Web Site

Q) What prompted you to set your stories in the 1800s?

A) Overall, I think the 19th century is far enough in the past to provide a lovely veneer of romance without being so far in the past that contemporary readers can't relate to it.

When I first started reading romance, I fell in love with the Regency period in England. For a fiction writer it was a fabulous time. The Napoleonic Wars were raging through much of that period so you have men of great courage and war heroes and all the drama that accompanies countries during wartime. There was a fascinating social system with unmarried women under strict social rules but those who were married (and had provided an heir) were free to behave almost as they wished. Plus the clothes were gorgeous.

From there, I moved into mid and now late Victorian. It was a period full of progress and, while fairly civilized, also had great potential for adventure. I think it was a fascinating time to be alive. And I love true stories of Victorian exploration and invention.

Q) How do you consistently create characters unlike the ones in your previous tales?

A) Good question and I'm not sure I have an answer!

I hate the idea of writing the same story with the same characters over and over so I put a lot of thought into the stories as well as the characters I create. But honestly, there are so many different facets of people to explore. It's fun to create a heroine who is firmly a woman of her time and would never think of doing anything improper in one book and then in the next, a heroine who has the means and determination to do exactly as she pleases. My next book (My Wicked Little Lies) is about two people who are already married to each other so I got to explore how and why they would keep secrets from each other. I'm working on one now where the heroine is from a family of, well, Victorian gold diggers. They were brought up to believe that one married for position and money. At least the first time.

Trying to make my characters and my stories unique from book to book is a challenge. It means each book is harder to write than the last. As much as I wish it would be easier, I think that's a good thing. It means I keep working and stretching to write the best book I can.

Q) What one thing do you believe has kept readers coming back to your books?

A) Honestly, I think it's simple. I write the kind of book I like to read. I read for enjoyment, to be entertained. I want a book that's going to take me away from real life for a bit and, hopefully make me laugh or at least smile.

I don’t like writing a lot of angst. As a reporter, I saw way too much tragedy in real life. I'd much rather make readers smile than cry.

And I think there are a lot of people out there like me. Deep down inside, I'm pretty run-of-the-mill ordinary.

Q) "His Mistress by Christmas" is a bit of a departure for you due to its holiday theme. Will we see more holiday inspired novels from you?

A) Absolutely! I'm already working on one for next year called What Happens at Christmas. I love writing Christmas books and actually I do have a couple of novellas (Promises to Keep and Shakespeare and the Three Kings) and two previous books with Christmas themes—A Visit from Sir Nicholas and the reissue of Believe was rewritten a bit to incorporate a Christmas setting.

I think Christmas is a wonderful time of year to set a story. Aside from the obvious holiday festivities it is an innately magical time when anything can happen, when miracles happen. And what is more miraculous than falling in love?

Q) During my preparation for this interview, I encountered several Internet piracy sites offering your books for free. What is your opinion of book piracy?

A) Well, I think it theft. Writing isn't a hobby for me—it's my job. It's what provides my income. If my books are being pirated, that cuts into my income. If I can't make a living—I can't afford to write. There's a fantasy out there that anyone who is published is fabulously wealthy. Trust me—I'm not.

We're all very used to everything on the internet being free. I think the people who download my books would never dream of walking into a bookstore and taking a book without paying. They would see that as stealing. For some reason, they don’t see piracy as stealing. But piracy is theft, it's just a different format.

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) I've started a new family series called Sinful Family Secrets that centers around the Hadley-Attwater family and their friends and connections. His Mistress by Christmas introduces the family and in the notes section of my website (www.victoriaalexander.com) there's a section where the matriarch introduces the family. “Meet the Hadley-Attwaters” is in the Ladies for Tea format I started in the continuing short story at the end of the Last Man Standing books. This is a format in which I invite characters into my living room for tea and a chat. And we have a great time!

I'd also like to thank my readers for liking my work. It's really a thrill to know that there are people who like what you pour your heart and soul into who aren't related to you.

And I should tell them I have a lot more stories left to write!

Award-Winning Author Marilyn Brant

2011-10-28T09:10:00.000-05:00

Marilyn Brant writes with charm, wit, and style. Her stories encompass women unsettled by the directions their lives have taken, and who discover not just their inner power, but their innermost desires to live and love as they have dreamed. In Marilyn's tales, one commonality remains ever-present: Dreams can come true, if you have the strength and tenacity to grab hold and tame the dream to reality.

Holding an MA in educational psychology, Marilyn has taught school, freelanced as a magazine writer and national book reviewer, dabbled in fiction and the arts, and maintained a constant fascination with the works of Jane Austen. So much so, Marilyn's acclaimed debut novel “According to Jane" revolves around a young woman following the wise and witty advice of Jane Austen's voice.

Her second offering, "Friday Mornings at Nine," takes the reader on a journey of self. Not self-discovery, but the pursuit to answer the question most have asked at least once – "What if?" This is a unique and expertly told tale of three women who step out of their norm and blur the lines separating fantasy from reality.

On Nov 29th Marilyn's latest novel "A Summer in Europe" will be released. Once again the author delves into the world of a woman unaware of what she really wants and needs out of life, until a summer in Europe sets her spirit free to take the chances and risks she has subdued and banished to the forgotten recesses of her mind. "A Summer in Europe" is a love story told with grace, humor, and the finesse established and new Marilyn Brant readers will enjoy for years to come.
Marilyn's Web Site

Q) Let's get this out on the table right now. I love anchovies. You don't. What's wrong with anchovies?

A) Ha! Well, I love your sense of humor, even though I don't share your adoration for anchovies. At all. They ruined an otherwise perfectly tasty pizza for me once, and I've never forgiven them. But they're also on an incredibly short list of foods I dislike (I even enjoy Vegemite, shark fin soup and okra -- in moderation), so, in that way, anchovies are very special...

Q) To be honest, "A Summer in Europe" isn't my usual preferred fare. Then I read the first three pages. I was hooked and yours to reel in all the way to the last page. How does it feel knowing for certain your writing can mesmerize a reader?

A) There's nothing like that feeling of being told something I wrote touched a reader, made him or her laugh, compelled someone to keep turning the pages or helped a reader feel less alone in having experienced an emotion. Authors whose stories I've loved have done that for me, and I'll always be grateful to them. It's a privilege to try to do the same for someone else. That said, unless a reader actually tells me in a note or through a review, I'm far from certain I've reached anyone or truly connected. As writers, we take a leap of faith on this every single day -- just hoping that, if we write with passion and honesty, something we've said through our characters will resonate for another person. It's a pure gift when the right book reaches the right reader...as much for the author as for the individual who picked up the story.

Q) What is it about Jane Austen that has made you such a fan?

A) How do I count the ways? I'm convinced Jane was a genius -- not only in the literary world but also in the realm of behavioral science. What I think she did with sheer brilliance was to have understood human behavior so well (no doubt by observing it with such a sharp eye in her real life) that she could write character descriptions and reveal character motivations that ring as true and relevant now as they did 200 years ago. There's a timelessness and a universality to her work. I was only 14 when I first read Pride and Prejudice, but I remember being able to immediately recognize her characters in my daily life -- in the behavior of my friends, family members, even myself. Jane understood the inconsistencies, foibles and self-delusions of us all. In the decades since, I've come to appreciate her creativity and perceptiveness even more. And, you know, I loved her insights enough to write an almost 300-page book in homage to her. No one can claim I don't take my devoted fandom seriously.

Q) Your love of travel obviously played a part in writing "A Summer in Europe." Do you believe a writer has to visit a location in order to successfully use it as a backdrop for a story?

A) I think it's often easier if someone has visited a place to bring the sights and sounds specific to that location to life. But, no, with so many research options available, I don't think a writer has to have been somewhere to write about it. I think what a writer does need, though, is to really know the main character's point of view very well, especially prior to writing scenes that involve that character interacting with his or her environment. We have to be aware of how that person is going to filter the images, noises, tastes and textures of a given setting. How that character will react emotionally or intellectually to a particular place. What aspects of the experience will be most memorable and meaningful to this individual at this precise moment in time. Novels are about change and how the characters populating a story deal with it. So, as writers, we need to know whatever it is about any setting that might play into that change...that might stand out as a significant detail for the character whose voice is narrating the scene. To me this means that while knowing about a place will always be important, it's still secondary to knowing about the person who's visiting that place. Of course, going on a research trip is especially tempting when the location is somewhere like Venice or Paris or London... I'd love to claim I had to go there again, just to make sure I got the narrative details right!

Q) Here's the question I have to ask: A wife and mother, are you living your dream, or are your stories your own subtle pursuit for the answer to "What if"?

A) Oh, what a thoughtful question. Brevity being the soul of wit and all, I wish I could dash off a quick response, but this requires a longer one.

I think a great draw of becoming a novelist is the sense that we're granted a new lifetime with every book we write, and we can answer some of our personal what-ifs through our characters. For a time, we inhabit their fictional worlds and, thus, get to travel down a range of paths, ones frequently left unchosen by us in real life. For instance, when I was writing "Friday Mornings at Nine" I got to fully imagine three women whose lives were, in many ways, fairly different from mine. I drew inspiration for their backgrounds, interests, marriages and temptations from a number of real-life sources and even from a few situations within my own life, but my close friendships, family and feelings about marriage and motherhood didn't directly mirror any one woman's journey in the story.

However, the very act of having to ask myself questions about how each character justified her thoughts and behaviors really helped me to clarify where I stood on a number of issues -- far better than I ever would have if writing the novel hadn't been my task. It inspired in me a genuine compassion for these characters and their struggles, as well as for anyone in my real life who'd experienced similar turmoil. Once the novel was published, I had the pleasure of attending several thought-provoking and really fun book-club discussions, where the women in the room shared with each other some of their own joys, doubts and challenges of marriage. These conversations were always amazing to me. I felt talking about our relationship choices and friendships -- by pointing out what we agreed with or disagreed with in regards to the characters' decisions -- made all of us feel less alone when it came to our personal what-ifs. Many of us had the same uncertainties, the same fears. Being able to use a story as a vehicle for conversations like these shows the incredible power of fiction, both for the readers of a novel and for the author who wrote it. The book compels all of us to look more deeply at aspects of things we may not have ever chosen to see otherwise and, in discussing these concepts, we have an opportunity to view the many threads that connect us.

So, it becomes a fascinating cycle -- a crisscrossing of art and life -- that brings such meaning to every day as a writer. Observing something relevant to my friends in the real world, then considering it from multiple viewpoints in a fictional world and, finally, reflecting back on it with others in the real world again satisfies my curiosity, motivates me to keep writing and is personally very fulfilling. Definitely my definition of "living the dream."

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) Thank you...always!

Poet/Author Todd Moore

2011-10-21T10:16:00.001-05:00

This edition of my column is a bit unique as the writer we're focusing, Todd Moore, passed away in March 2010. But Todd Moore is an example of a man whose life and words will live for decades to come.

On the day of his death, Moore's first full-length short poetry collection "Dead Reckoning" was released. Moore didn't write about paths less travelled, swans on glass lakes, or spring's first blossom. That wasn't the world he was shown. I think Moore described his work best in this excerpt of his instructions for reading "Dead Reckoning":

"I write poetry the way some people bet on roulette. I write poetry the way John Dillinger robbed banks. I do it compulsively, I do it quickly, I do it incessantly, I do it explosively because writing poetry means engaging in an act of unpredictable psychic aggression. When I write a poem I intend to assault you. I need to pull you into my long unforgiving nightmare war. And, make no doubt about it. My poetry is an assault on your person, your identity, your eyes, your skin. When you read one of my poems, you enter into a minefield that is not of your making."

To gain perspective of the world Todd Moore grew up in would require a keyhole to the past. Moore's son, Theron Moore, created that keyhole in a compilation of his father's poems and essays about his youth - "Gangsters, Harlots & Thieves: Down and Out at the Hotel Clifton."

The Hotel Clifton in Freeport, IL, was that place every film noire, hardboiled, private eye slept with a half empty bottle of bootleg liquor under the bed. It was a place where seedy contacts were made, deals broken, lives ignored. It was a place of gangsters, harlots, and thieves, and where Todd Moore lived as a child with his father, a would-be gangster who did odd jobs for the Capones.

"Gangsters, Harlots & Thieves" is a snapshot of desperate and tangled lives we can't pull our eyes from. It is a boy snatching the ten-spot from the hat of man found hanged, the disposing of a murder weapon, and a brittle outlook of "you have to die if you want to dream."

If you haven't read Todd Moore's work, do. But start at his beginning with "Gangsters, Harlots & Thieves."
Todd Moore Appreciation Group Epic Rites Press Amazon.com Buy Link
Q) Theron Moore, what prompted you to create this book of your father's work?

A) There was a lot that prompted me to do this, actually. For one thing, I had heard the Clifton Hotel horror stories growing up. I can remember being a kid and hearing my dad, aunt and grandma talk about my grandfather’s drinking and living at that place, and this could be intense, at least to a kid’s ears, to hear those details told by the folks who actually lived it.

A few years ago, my father started talking to me about the Clifton days again over a regular lunch we’d have together once or twice a month. I always told him that he needed to put his experiences on paper that it’d make a great book, but for whatever reason, he never did. He’d always say that he had already written many essays and poems that dealt with the Clifton and had other projects he wanted to do. Eventually, I convinced him to do the project, but he passed away shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, he never began the writing process for the book.

A few months after his passing, I was going through all of his floppy disks (60 total), organizing, and saving all of his writing and decided to take the time and really read what he had written, something I had done over the years, but not to this extent. I found poems and essays that talked about the Hotel Clifton, his experiences living there, his father, etc. so I decided to put them all together and see what I had, and five days later, I had something like 90+ pages of poems and essays and excerpts from essays collected.

There were times when I worked extensively on this book, and then I’d have low times, where I’d have to let it sit, because it was all emotionally too much for me, thus the reason why it took nearly a year to start the book, edit it and then publish it.

About six or seven months into the writing and editing of Gangsters, Harlots & Thieves… it finally dawned on me that not only was I putting together a kind of cool, film noir styled book that would showcase my father’s writing to folks outside of the small press community who didn’t know my father or his body of work, but I was also creating something of a historical document, a snapshot in time, if you will, of what Freeport, IL was like back in the late 40’s - early 50’s, which also doubled as a biography of my father’s childhood as well. It was all unintentional, but it just kind of worked itself out that way.

I really like the way the book looks and reads, in fact, I’ve had people tell me that Gangsters, Harlots & Thieves… is very reminiscent of Frank Miller’s Sin City comic series and the movie itself, which is high, high praise indeed.

Q) Your father's childhood molded his future. What did he do to ensure his children never lived as he had?

A) My father hated the fact that he and his family lived the way they did when he was growing up at the Hotel Clifton. He vowed, at an early age, that if he ever had a family, he would never subject them to that kind of life. His father was an alcoholic – some days were good, but most were bad, and my dad was a self-professed juvenile delinquent who stole and burglarized. He knew he had two choices – he could continue living his life on skid row just existing as a professional criminal or he could make better choices – go to college and make a real life for himself. He chose the latter, thank god.

Q) What one ideal did your father ensure you possessed?

A) Always see something through to the end, never give up, and be tenacious about it, whatever you’re doing. Don’t quit, see it through and get it done.

Q) Will there be more books like "Gangsters, Harlots & Thieves," and when can we expect them?

A) Oh yes, a lot more. I’m actually working on editing / compiling two other books as we speak. The first book should be ready by spring of 2012. It deals with how certain segments of American pop culture have influenced the genre of Outlaw Poetry. Again, it’ll be my father’s work and maybe the inclusion of interviews I’ll do with a few other folks as well.

The second book is “to be determined,” nothing firmed up yet. Beyond that, I’ll be tackling my father’s body of writing regarding “Dillinger,” which is several thousand pages of loose paper in addition to 300-500 more pages he had saved on computer disk. I definitely have a lot going on here regarding publishing his work.

Q) Any parting thoughts?

A) First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I very much appreciate it, and I’m very humbled. All I’ll say in closing is, if you enjoy movies like “Public Enemies” with Johnny Depp, gangster movies, or Frank Miller’s “Sin City,” you’ll really dig Gangsters, Harlots & Thieves: Down and Out at the Hotel Clifton. Trust me, this book is right there.

New York Times Bestselling Author, John Gilstrap

2011-10-14T08:01:00.000-05:00

John Gilstrap: Fifteen-year volunteer fireman and EMT, explosives safety and hazardous waste expert, earned a Master of Science degree in safety engineering and a bachelor's degree in history, business consultant, director of safety for a Washington, D.C. trade association, screenplay writer, devoted husband and father, master of the thriller novel. Translated and published in twenty countries, Gilstrap's stories have seen more of the world than many of us ever will.

Still, in spite of, or because of that impressive resume, this amazing author remains down to earth and fiercely loyal to his fans and readers. So much so, he personally responds to each and every letter and email and commits himself to a weekly blog post, inviting anyone and everyone to weigh in on his thoughts. In other words, Gilstrap is who he has always been, a man passionate about life, writing, and the people he encounters.

Gilstrap wrote four novels before seeing one published. That book was "Nathan's Run," the internationally acclaimed story of a twelve-year-old accused of murder and his lonely flight to survive against an entire country convinced of his guilt. Then came the obvious question; how do you follow up "overnight success"? Gilstrap's answer came with the equally successful "At All Costs."

But a collaborative effort with Kurt Muse resulted in the nonfiction book "Six Minutes to Freedom," and a turn in Gilstrap's writing. Six Minutes is the true story of Muse's rescue by Delta Force from Panamanian thugs ordered to execute him. Gilstrap met and interviewed a number of the men directly involved in the rescue and learned how gentle and kind these professionals willing to risk their lives against unthinkable odds to save one man, truly are.

From those meetings and Gilstrap's imagination came the uniquely heroic Jonathon Grave, a freelance covert rescue specialist. First appearing in "No Mercy," Grave's popularity with thriller fans continues to grow and now finds the no-nonsense hero in his third novel, "Threat Warning," the tale of a secret society of killers and the power mongers issuing their orders.

John Gilstrap's prose is superb, his plots mesmerizing, and every character wonderfully crafted.
Mr. Gilstrap's Web Site

Q) You committed fifteen years of your life to being a volunteer firefighter. What was it about being a fireman that captivated you?

A) One word: Adrenaline. Imagine being 23 years old and walking into the worst moments of other people’s lives and bringing order to chaos. That’s pretty heady stuff. I’ve delivered babies, rescued people and animals from burning buildings, and talked a very angry woman out of using a very sharp knife on me—all in the company of my firehouse brothers and sisters. For a long time, the fire service doubled as my social outlet. I recommend a stint in public service for everyone—particularly when they’re young enough to bounce without breaking.

Q) The character Jonathan Grave was partly inspired by your meetings with the Delta Force members. However, you have an innate belief in justice and that good things should and will happen to good people. To what do you attribute this abiding faith that right will conquer wrong?

A) Right doesn’t conquer wrong on its own—it takes a lot of hard work, and the dedication of people who will accept nothing less. It’s a personal adage of mine that failure cannot be inflicted on a person; that it has to be declared by the individual. If you detect injustice, you must confront an important choice: do you accept it, or do you fight back? The bad guys win occasional battles, sometimes inflicting enormous damage in the process, but if the good guys are willing to do what it takes to prevail, I believe that in the end, they always will. It’s about not giving up.

Q) How did you and Kurt Muse come to collaborate on "Six Minutes to Freedom"?

A) This is a story of pure serendipity. If we’d met just a few weeks before we did, the collaboration would never have happened. My writing career had hit a pretty severe slump. After having been repeatedly orphaned by my editors at Atria Books, my novels Even Steven and Scott Free were pretty much ignored by my publisher, with the result being really awful sales numbers. I was on the brink of not being able to find an outlet for my next books.

Then a dear friend named Patrick Barney told me about a speech he’d just attended by a guy named Kurt Muse, who was the only civilian of record ever rescued by Delta Force. Kurt, he told me, had run an illegal radio station with some Rotarian friends in Panama who were committed to bringing down the murderous dictator Manuel Noriega. For nearly two years, using amateur radio equipment purchased from Radio Shack, they controlled the airwaves, running anti-Noriega propaganda at will. They rose to the status of public enemy number one, and in the process had a blast dispatching Noriega henchmen to nonexistent incidents one day, and interrupting drive time radio in the mornings and afternoons.

When he was betrayed and arrested, Kurt’s 15-year-old daughter had to flee the country alone with her 12-year-old brother. When he was ultimately liberated in the opening moments of Operation Just Cause, he was reunited with his family just in time for one of Washington, DC’s very few white Christmases. I was shocked that his story had not yet been written.

This was exactly the kind of thriller that I write as fiction, but it was entirely factual. He and his wife met with me and my wife, and we realized that we were a perfect team. We even have the same birthdays.

Q) What many people don't know is that you wrote the original script for the movie "Red Dragon," of Hannibal Lecter fame, but received none of the credit. We could fill pages with the obvious "what if" scenarios. Instead, what did you gain from that experience?

A) Okay, let’s be clear here: Film credit is awarded by an arbitration process, and through that process, the single screenwriter for the film Red Dragon is Ted Tally.

That said, I did write an earlier version of that film—the first version—and in my opinion much of what was in my script is in fact in the movie. Please read nothing into that beyond what it is. My version stuck very close to the book as did Ted Tally’s. I’ve been told that he maintains that he never saw my script, and because we both stuck so closely to the original material, I have no reason to disbelieve him.

As for what I learned through the experience, it’s that Hollywood is a tough town. You can’t take stuff personally in the entertainment business. Through my screen work, I met some extraordinarily talented people—among them the legendary Dino DeLaurentiis, who invited my family and me to his 80th birthday party on the Isle of Capri in Italy. Credit schmedit. That alone was worth it.

Q) As with a number of successful novelists, you frequently refer to yourself as a storyteller and not a writer. In your mind, what is the difference?

A) The difference for me is pivotal to whatever success I can claim. My first novel, Nathan’s Run, was in fact the fourth novel I’d written. Writing is a craft, after all, and like any craft, it continually improves with practice. When I started writing Nathan, however, I made a conscious decision to stop thinking in terms of writing a book and instead thought in terms of telling a story. I wrote that novel—and I continue to write my books today—as if I were telling the story verbally. I became less conscious of sentence construction and more conscious of creating a mood. I don’t know if I explain it well here, but it worked.

Let’s be honest: We learn to write in elementary school, in the sense that we learn to draw the letters and compose sentences that make sense. Thus, a fifth grader is a writer. The guy who writes the instructions for programming your remote control is a writer, as is the guy who writes proposals for government contracts. Are they story tellers? Maybe in their off-hours they are, but you can’t really tell that from their work product.

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) Only to express undying gratitude to them for reading. Without you, none of the rest of this would matter a lick.

Author, Survivor, Lorna J. Brunelle

2011-10-07T10:24:00.000-05:00

Within Lorna Brunelle's accomplished and extensive resume a reader will find private coach for interview and audition preps, acting, and singing. Her skills, experience, and expertise can and has aided many people, including Miss America and Miss USA contestants, to prepare themselves for any challenge. Any challenge but the one Lorna found confronting her at the young age of thirty-three… Thyroid cancer.

To battle this dragon, Lorna donned armor of self-determination, a shield of self-reliance, and wielded a sword of life yet to be lived. In her novel "Dirty Bomb Shell: From Thyroid Cancer Back to Fabulous," Lorna's message is clear: Never give up, never stop fighting. Dragons can be slain. Furthermore, she is adamant about providing a shoulder, ear, or whatever we have to offer those in the battle for their lives against the many diseases preying upon young and old. For no one is too young, too active, too careful to fall victim.

Lorna practices what she preaches. Today she advocates support for numerous organizations such as the Children's Miracle Network, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The bottom line is those afflicted need our help and support.

"Dirty Bomb Shell" is a tale of survival told with wit, charm, honesty, and most of all… heart.
http://www.dirtybombshell.net/pages/home.html

Q) The obvious question we'd all like answered is, how are you doing today?

A) I have been clean of cancer for the past six and a half years. (Can I get an Amen?) Plus I have recently lost over thirty pounds being a member of the new Reality TV series Wicked Fit on STYLE Network airing in October 2011. I feel FABULOUS!

Q) You're an actor, director, performer, almost any role within the arts and helping people to gain the confidence and skills to pursue their dreams. To what do you credit your intense dedication to the arts and people?

A) Music is literally in my blood. My great grandmother Jovanina Gandolfo sang opera in Boston. My mother Wanda sang in night clubs in Boston. My uncle Wayne sang in a rock band. We always had music playing in our home. I remember holding a hair brush and belting out Debbie Boone’s version of YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE when I was four years old. My happiest memories involve music.

The connection between my love of music/art and my passion for giving back occured in 1989. A few hours after my high school graduation, I realized that I was the recipient of the Louisa Burt Wood Pratt Scholarship. Louisa was a talented artist who began teaching voice, piano and cello in my hometown during the 1920's. Upon her death in 1973, a scholarship was founded in her name for students pursuing music studies. The scholarship enabled me to attend The Boston Conservatory. As a girl praying to find the money to study at a state school, an education at the prestiquious top ranked conservatory was a dream come true. Years after I graduated from The Boston Conservatory I opened The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in honor of Louisa. I have been paying it forward ever since.

Q) You sang the National Anthem at Fenway Park. I have to ask, how did that feel?

A) I walked onto home plate at Fenway Park nine months after September 11, 2001. The despicable attack on America was ever present in my mind when I opened my mouth to sing. The roar of the over 34,000 fans cheering and applauding to the lyrics of our great country’s anthem is a sound that I will never forget. Within four minutes the song was over but the overwhelming pride I felt that day is tattooed on my heart forever.

Q) Thyroid cancer is one of the fastest rising diseases in this country. Why do you believe this disease's rate has suddenly increased, or is it that medical science is now more capable of detecting it?

A) It is without question that the medical technology (and equipment) used for thyroid cancer screening and testing has improved over the past twenty years. An ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy is a very successful way to determine thyroid cancer.

During my research I was shocked to learn of the link between exposure to radiation and the environment to thyroid cancer. The radiation from something as simple as a dental exam can put people at risk. I encourage everyone to ask for a thyroid protection extension bib during their next dental X-ray. If your dental office doesn't have an extension bib please pull the lead blanket up over your thyroid during the X-ray.

I grew up in a thyroid “hot spot” section of southeastern, Massachusetts. There are several cases of thyroid disease and disorder in a cluster of communities surrounding my hometown Middleboro, Massachusetts. For years Middleboro was known as the Cranberry Capital of the World. Pesticides have been linked to cancer and were used on the bogs to protect the berries. I lived near bogs and swam in lakes that served as a water supply for bogs. A large nuclear power plant was very close to my home. I swam in water near the plant. Toxic chemicals such as Perchlorate (released from rockets and jets) have been known to spike thyroid dysfunction. I spent a lot of time on Cape Cod near an air force base. My father was in the army when I was a child. I spent many weekends on a military base. Military training grounds are known to have high radiation levels. Cell phones, microwaves and even granite counter tops emit low levels of radiation. The labels on most of the prepared foods we buy are filled with preservatives and chemical additives that we have a hard time pronouncing. Cancer causing agents are all around us. We need to listen to our bodies and have our necks checked annually.

Q) Obviously, family support is critical. What did you and your family do together to prepare for the coming battle against cancer?

A) We laughed every day. Occasionally our cancer humor offended a few "old school" people who think it is taboo to joke about disease. Cancer comedy saved my sanity and soul! If you had to choose between laughing or crying with the people who love you, which would you prefer? Immediately following my surgery I needed a lot of support. I was unable to drive and cleaning the house was out of the question. My family pitched in and kept my life in order. My mother and husband drenched me in daily doses of "You look great", "Keep up the good work", "You can do this", and "Cancer is going to regret messing with you!"

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) The morning after I found out I had cancer I left the house without making our bed. It was the first time since high school that I didn't take the time to make the bed. During my recovery that spring weeds popped up and were left to flourish in our flower beds. Pre-cancer little things like messy beds bothered the hell out of me. Cancer made me realize that our time here is both precious and limited. We need to be devoted to the things that bring us joy and nurture our spirit. Life is short. I wish you long laugher filled days, weeds in your garden and lazy mornings lounging around in messy beds.

Award-Winning Author Neal Schaffer

2011-09-30T10:01:00.000-05:00

Neal Schaffer has taken network and marketing strategies to a level that has not just corporations and businesses vying for his attention, but individuals as well. Though President of Windmills Marketing, a social media marketing strategic consultancy firm, Neal has channeled his expertise in to two easily understood books even someone as marketing naïve as I can understand.

"Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn" is Neal's best-selling guide that revolutionized professionals' utilization of LinkedIn. Enter the average person's confusion – what the heck is LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site. Think Facebook for the business world. But those six words don't begin to describe the services and information available to the general public. Employment information, contacts, references, referrals, and the ability to study businesses and their working models in both practice and marketing are all available for anyone desiring to improve their personal or business situation.

So, how to best utilize LinkedIn if you are an individual seeking to promote a new business, art, writing, or self in general? Here is where Neal Schaffer and his latest book, "Maximizing LinkedIn for Sales and Social Media Marketing," come in to play. Anyone from mega corporation to weekend builder of bird houses to nonprofit organizations can learn to create sales-oriented profiles, improve reputation, and drive more traffic to their web sites. Neal spells out the systems tools and advantages in layman's terms.

Let me put this in a way I, as a writer, can understand. There are 120 million LinkedIn members worldwide. That's 120 million opportunities to sell my books, if I take the time and trouble to make use of the network in a viable and useful manner. And that's what Neal and his books do – they provide the information to take full advantage of LinkedIn.
Neal's Web Site
Q) How did you initially become involved with LinkedIn?

A) Like many others, I got an invite to LinkedIn and joined early on in 2004 but it was not until circumstances changed for me in early 2008 that I discovered one of LinkedIn's true value. I had returned from living in Asia in 2005 and now was set to look for a new job in my native United States where I had never looked for a job before. I was living in an area where I literally knew no one as I had built my professional network in Asia and attended school elsewhere, so I realized I had to develop a new network from scratch. I also realized that LinkedIn would allow me to do this, as I became more and more active on the site, LinkedIn became an invaluable business tool for my future.

To be honest with you, because of these unique circumstances, I saw LinkedIn as a tool where others just saw it as a way to get reconnected with their colleagues. I would (and still do) get into heated debates with professionals I would meet at networking events who still wanted to keep their LinkedIn presence a personal one and not reach out to new people. For instance, very early on I saw how the more connections you had the higher you would appear in the search results for any given keyword that was included in your profile. LinkedIn has changed their search algorithm since then and I am no longer what you would call a LinkedIn LION or LinkedIn Open Networker, but the combination of having an immediate need to build out a network as well as seeing the importance of LinkedIn as a business tool led me to spend more and more time on the site and build up a unique insight as to how professionals can maximize their social presence, and companies maximize their social business, through LinkedIn.

I then began to blog about LinkedIn in July of 2008 as a networking vehicle to share this unique understanding of LinkedIn with the world. Urged on by family and friends, I decided to take my networking and blogging to a new level by actually writing a books on the subject.

Q) Obviously, your intentions and purpose are not to solely promote LinkedIn, but the business community and/or person. To this end you discuss methods of marketing, such as blogging, on your blog. How important are blogs to promoting one's self or product?

A) From a holistic perspective, I believe that blogging is the single most important thing a person or business can do to promote themselves and recommend it to almost every social media strategy consulting client. Don't get me wrong: social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are also extremely important, but at the end of the day you need a home base to lead people where you can showcase what you and/or your business is about in whatever style you wish while maintaining firm control over your brand. This is your website.

Blogging on your website gives your company a social voice. Without a social voice, what are you going to talk about in social media? By blogging, you start to address industry-wide or customer-centric issues without directly marketing your product and can use that information to attract social media users to engage with your content in social communities as well as on your website through commenting and sharing.

The other additional benefit of blogging is the search engine optimization (SEO) benefits that naturally come with publishing new content on your website. The more content you have the more ways search engines will display your company's website for a given keyword search query. Combining this with social media participation helps more consumers and businesses discover your content, increasing the chances of social shares as well as backlink building, two activities which can further aid the SEO of your website.

Q) I get curious about things like this: A California resident, you speak fluent Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. Why did you opt to learn Asian languages over European or South American?

A) I grew up in an area of Southern California where many of my classmates were Asian or Asian-American. By the time I got to high school, many of my friends were of Chinese, Korean, or Japanese descent. I had an experience in high school of going to a birthday party where I was the only caucasian in attendance! Although I had a love for the French language and was studying it in high school, when I got to college I wanted to study one of these Asian languages to better understand myself. My college didn't offer Korean, but I was immediately drawn to the complexity of Chinese characters that exist in Mandarin Chinese and thought that it would be amazing if I could ever read or write them. That interest sparked me to take two years of Chinese in college and then spend my Junior year abroad in Beijing, China.

Two events in Beijing that year motivated me to start learning Japanese in addition to Chinese: 1) Experiencing the Tian An Men demonstrations firsthand and realizing that it would be hard for me to get a job in China at that time after graduation and 2) Having a Japanese roommate and making friends with many of the Japanese foreign students at my university in Beijing. I visited my roommate in Tokyo on the way back to the United States and then took Japanese my senior year of college. I was offered a position at a Japanese high tech company in the ancient capital of Kyoto upon graduation, and as they say, "The rest is history!"

Q) What attracted you to a career in marketing?

A) I come from an entrepreneurial family where my father and most of my siblings have started their own businesses. Having an outgoing personality, I wanted to pursue a career in sales and marketing as a way to meet and learn from new people as well as understand the framework for building my own company. After spending nearly two decades in a sales and marketing role, and having worked a long periond of time for a startup, I understood how marketing strategies and the implementation of those strategies could truly make or break a company. It is that fascination, and the realization that social media is a vital element that should be a part of any corporate marketing strategy, that has led me to developing my 1st company, Windmills Marketing, a social media marketing consultancy with an emphasis on social media strategy. Helping companies with their social media strategy allows me to continue meeting new people as well as helping businesses leverage my expertise for their success, something that I find extremely satisfying. I hope to further leverage this social media marketing expertise and experience for additional entrepreneurial goals in the near future.

Q) You travel the world speaking anywhere you're invited. Consulting to businesses devours your waking hours. What do you do to unwind and recharge?

A) First of all, while many feel that sleep is underrated, I do try to get a full 8 hours of rest at night to help my body get physically recharged. I also try my best to eat a balanced diet to help my internal body get recharged. My favorite thing to do to unwind, although it might not sound like unwinding, is to spend time with my children. Helping them with their homework, reading books with them, walking them to school, or just being silly with them not only helps me take my mind off of business, it also reminds me as to why I do what I do. I also recharge by listening to music on long drives or business trips, traveling with the family as well as jogging when I have the time (although I have been known to tweet from the treadmill!).

Writer Musician Keith Cronin

2011-09-23T09:34:00.001-05:00

What could a professional rock drummer who has performed with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemons, Davy Jones, Pat Travers, and so many other famous musicians have in common with the smash hit novel and movie "Water for Elephants"? Musician, composer, speechwriter, and author Keith Cronin created that now well-known title, as well as other titles for novels written by other authors. Why? Because creating is what Keith does. Whether behind his instruments or a computer keyboard, Keith's mind is a whirlwind of activity.

Though he holds a bachelor's degree in music and an MBA, Keith claims to spend his free time serenading local ducks and squirrels with his ukulele. However, this prolific writer's work has appeared in numerous publications such as Carve Magazine, Amarillo Bay, The Scruffy Dog Review, Zinos, and a University of Phoenix management course. Which leads us to question his claim of having any "free time."

Accustomed to being a pen behind the scenes, the performer we hear but never know, Keith is now seeing his own debut novel, "Me Again," take life. In "Me Again," Keith explores the fragility of life and the strength of the human spirit. The main character awakens from a six year stroke-induced coma only to discover the people in his life have moved on, and he doesn't really remember what that life was. When he meets another stroke victim, the pair learns that who they were may not have been such a good thing, and that what we construe as tragedy can sometimes bestow blessings.

"Me Again" is a tale of courage and awakening told with heart and humor readers of all ages will enjoy and appreciate. Keith Cronin is clearly destined to be a major part of the literary scene… if we can just pry the drumsticks out of his hands.
http://www.keithcronin.com/index.html

Q) A significant portion of the proceeds from "Me Again" is donated to the American Stroke Association. Why have you become so involved with this particular affliction?

A) At the time I wrote "Me Again," I had no real skin in the game; it was just a "what if?" scenario that I found intriguing, exploring the intertwined paths of two young stroke victims forced to start over in life. But stroke is a terrible affliction that impacts not only its victims but also their loved ones. And it affects a huge group of people: stroke is the third leading cause of death, and the leading cause of adult disability. While I was finishing the book, I began to feel increasingly uncomfortable about using such a horrible health problem merely to entertain. So I talked to my agent, and asked if she would think I was crazy if I decided to donate 25% of whatever I made from the book to aid in fighting stroke. She posed no objection, and the decision just felt right to me.

That was back in 2008, but it would prove to be a prophetic impulse on my part. In June of this year, my longtime bandleader and friend Clarence Clemons died as the result of a massive stroke. I'm still reeling from the loss, but I'm proud to honor his memory with a book dedicated to fighting the disease that took the Big Man down.

Q) You also wrote the Comma Boy Comics, quick, witty stabs at the writing profession. Have those barbs ever come back to haunt you? http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/keithwriter/

A) (Laughs) No, at least not yet. There's a prominent literary agent who used to post a very popular anonymous blog as "Miss Snark," and she once contacted me privately to tell me she enjoyed the comic strip - even when she herself was serving as its punch line. But so far James Patterson and Clive Cussler have ignored me, which is probably a good thing. I haven't done a new comic in ages, but it was a lot of fun while it lasted, even if the humor tended toward "inside baseball."

Q) You've lived in Illinois, California, Florida, and a cruise ship. How was life on a cruise ship?

A) It was pretty surreal. Although I was born in Miami, I was raised in Springfield, Illinois (the setting for "Me Again"), and never saw an ocean until I shipped out on a seven-month contract aboard a Caribbean cruise ship in my early twenties. It took a few days to get my "sea legs," but once I got used to the constant motion, I learned to love it. I had some wonderful experiences, played drums with some great musicians and entertainers, had the obligatory passionate shipboard romance, and got the suntan of doom! Adding to the surreality of the experience, I went overnight from total poverty (graduating penniless from music school in the midst of a terrible recession) to living in luxury, where my toughest challenge was choosing between the lobster or the filet mignon for dinner.

It was also a great cultural lesson: there were something like 40 nationalities represented among the ship's crew, and Americans were in the minority - and not at all a favored minority. So that was a real wakeup call, making me aware that the jingoistic "we're number one" conditioning that we unconsciously absorb growing up in the U.S. doesn't necessarily resonate with the rest of the world. That experience made me a huge advocate of the importance of international travel, particularly for young adults. Don't get me wrong - I love the United States, but it's great to learn firsthand that our way is not the only way.

Q) Do folks confuse you with the Irish race car driver?

A) Not if they've seen me drive - I'm a major slowpoke! But it's fun to see videos of his races come up when I Google myself (something authors spend WAY too much time doing). He's got nothing to worry about from me; I'm far too nervous a driver to ever want to race anybody. I seem to be lacking The Need For Speed.

Q) Music and writing are passions within you. Success in writing will funnel time away from music. How will you balance the two?

A) In some ways that funneling is good, because it can occasionally force you to step back from one discipline, and immerse yourself in the other. I think taking an occasional break from an intense pursuit is healthy, and can help you return to your work refreshed and recharged. But writing and music can also complement each other nicely. The life of a professional musician is one of hurry-up-and-wait. Traveling, sitting in airports and hotels, waiting for technical difficulties to be ironed out at soundcheck: all of these provide time for reading and writing. I did a lot of writing - and a lot of homework - while touring with Clarence Clemons. (I know this doesn't fit the image of wild rock n' roll life on the road, but going to grad school while touring in a band calls on an artist to make certain sacrifices.)

Q) Music and writing take time away from your family. What do you and your family do to stay connected and together?

A) In my case, music is a unifying factor for my family, so a lifestyle that might seem odd to others seems normal to us. My life partner is a professional singer, songwriter, producer, and photographer, so she has a firsthand appreciation of the demands of a career in the arts. And my daughter has grown up in the music business: back when her high school friends were working summer jobs at Burger King, she was working on a Springsteen tour. And now she's an attorney, starting her career in entertainment law with a ton of music business experience already under her belt. So I think it all comes down to what you're used to.

And my family has always been incredibly supportive of my writing. Historically I have let them know what I'm working on, and warned them that it will take a lot of my time and energy, but frankly they've been too busy following their own pursuits to feel slighted. There's no shortage of initiative in the family, that's for sure. And staying connected is easier than ever: after all, we're all friends on Facebook!

Q) Any parting comments for your readers?

A) I know some people are intrigued or surprised by the divergent professional paths I'm taking, but I just want to offer myself as an example of something I learned embarrassingly late in life: We are capable of doing more than one thing. For years I never believed that, and was convinced that the only way to succeed at a pursuit was to focus on it and nothing else. I was nearly 40 before I finally figured out it ain't necessarily so. So I'll leave you with this wonderful quote from one of Robert Heinlein's novels:

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

I couldn't agree more. So if you'll excuse me, I need to go plan an invasion.

Author Sacha Z. Scoblic

2011-09-16T08:26:00.000-05:00

Elegance in artistry begins with a block of stone from which the sculptor uncovers the beauty contained within. Such is the life of Sacha Z. Scoblic – with one exception.

Sacha started as elegance, drank her grace to stone, and ultimately chiseled her way back to sobriety and a life filled with potential and happiness. Like many people, Sacha is an alcoholic. Unlike many people who have written about their dark days, "Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety," is about Sacha’s daily and hourly commitment to sobriety and the difficulties and joys being sober brings. Where most stories end with the commitment to sobriety, Sacha’s begins.

This book isn’t just another memoir about the struggles against addiction. Every word is a journey of passion, happiness, and embracing life. Sacha’s is a story of humanity and humility, told with her razor wit and insight.

Sacha is an accomplished, respected writer and editor in many genres and facets. Her work extends from Reader’s Digest to The New Republic, New York Post, The New York Times, and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. A wife and mother, she lives in Washington, D.C., where she is the managing editor at the Aspen Institute, a contributing editor at The New Republic, and the columns editor at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. But most of all she is a woman in love with life and the simple pleasures to be found in every sober breath.
Sacha's Web Site

Q) Why did you write “Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety”?

A) Almost all of the memoirs about addiction seem to focus on the “before” picture—the drunken escapades or drug-fueled debauchery. These books dwell on the lurid and then the narrators magically get sober in the last chapter. But I think sobriety itself is the real story; sobriety has certainly been its own adventure for me—and one worth writing about. So in Unwasted, I get sober in the first chapter (not the last) and then chronicle my life in this new and bright world—complete with outlandish fantasies of relapsing, a field guide to dinner parties, and how I rely on a community of people (who I call my “Wolf Pack”) to help me live a life I can be proud of.

I also wanted to portray the life of an average addict—me!—so rarely depicted in books, television, or movies nowadays. That is, a regular person who quit drinking before hitting Skid Row and who struggles with the new world of sobriety. I think too many times, we are told by pop culture that you’re not an addict until you have lost everything, been arrested, or are at death’s door. But many of us come in from the storm before we end up in those really low bottom stages (which we surely would hit if we kept using). And I wanted to write about that—to give people permission to call themselves an addict before they lose their jobs, their relationships, their dignity. There’s no such thing as quitting too early.

Q) Life is choices. Sobriety is a constant and consistent choice. For a period, you led yourself to believe you could grant yourself "passes" in which you could temporarily fall from sobriety. What finally convinced you it doesn’t work that way?

A) For the first six months or so of sobriety, I still didn’t really believe I’d never drink again. And so I plotted how I might relapse—from wild fantasies about being forced to drink at gunpoint to a more banal desire for an out-of-town work trip that would leave me tantalizingly alone in a hotel. And one weekend that day came: My husband was the one who went out of town, and I was alone in the house. I knew that if I were to relapse, this would be a good opportunity. But a funny thing happened during the previous months of not drinking: I started thinking more clearly. Suddenly, I was grateful for the calmer and more predictable life I was living, I was happier, and I also didn’t want to throw away several months of hard-earned sobriety.

The problem with the “temporary relapse pass” is that it is a lie my addicted brain whispers to me when I am feeling vulnerable. The truth is, as soon as I have one drink—or one sip!—synapses fire, neurons light up, wires criss-cross, and I’m gone. I’ll start rationalizing why I can drink again (it went so well that one weekend...), and the next thing you know, my life is unmanageable, my head is in the toilet, and my family is out the door. And I know this firsthand: I didn’t start out with pure sobriety; I started with all kinds of moderation techniques (no hard liquor, one glass of water for each glass of wine, only on weekends, only if it’s on sale…). You can guess how that turned out. I’m addicted to the stuff and the faster I get honest about that, the quicker a new happiness rushes in—and then I look up and realize, there’s simply no need to fantasize about relapsing, because my life is wonderful just the way it is.

Also, I stopped thinking about never drinking again, and concentrated on just not drinking today. What a load off!

Q) It is very easy for authors to point at Poe, Hunter Thompson, and so many successful authors whose lives and writing revolved around alcohol and drugs and believe that road is a fast track to inspiration and success. You have been described as a "rock star" when you were addicted. How can people be convinced inspiration doesn’t lie in the chemicals?

A) Well, I think the recent death of Amy Winehouse proves that addiction isn’t a muse worth having. Besides, any inspiration one claims to get from drugs and alcohol is also accompanied by chaos, institutionalization, and eventually either recovery or death. Hunter Thompson and Edgar Allen Poe were tortured souls; and their personal stories each end very badly. Was their art worth dying for? In the end, addiction isn’t so fascinating a muse—as artists like Jim Morrision, Janis Joplin, and Amy Winehouse found out when they were each booed off stage in many of their last performances. That’s no longer art; that’s not the result of inspiration.

I wonder why we don’t ask more often what would have happened if all those artists had turned their lives around. Isn’t it possible we might have seen each bloom and rise to new heights? When we say inspiration lies in chemicals, we are enabling those artists to use more, to feed their habits more. We give them an excuse to use. I don’t want to be a part of that. I would rather celebrate the people whose lives changed for the better when they let go of the notion that drugs or alcohol fueled their art. Because for every died-too-young artist, I can name ten got-it-together artists who went on to do even greater things in recovery: Robert Downey Jr., Johnny Cash, Betty Ford, Stephen King, Rob Lowe, Stevie Nicks, Craig Fergusen, Steven Tyler, Mary Tyler Moore, Robin Williams … I could go on. I bet they are all glad they didn’t die young for their art.

As for me, the “rock star” I used to be was barely employable, let alone disciplined enough to write a book.

Q) The Aspen Institute’s mission includes broadening goals and enhancing an individual’s capacity to solve problems. Has being involved in helping leaders discover their potential helped you find your own potential in sobriety?

A) There is no question that, when you work around the kind of leaders the Institute nurtures, it becomes easy to ask more of yourself, to find your true potential. In sobriety, I began to find myself willing to take risks, willing to be criticized or even fail, and willing to challenge myself. Ultimately, I was even willing to write about my own demons. And the next thing I knew, I was writing pieces about addiction and living sober for The New York Times and now I have a book. The sobriety that led me here, that’s inspiration—not chemicals.

Q) What do you and your family enjoy doing together when you need to get away?

A) What’s getting away?! I still struggle with a work-life balance. Since having my son, I’ve realized that I need more time on the “life” side of that equation. One thing my husband and I have always enjoyed doing, and something we now love doing with our son, is going to museums. DC is a wonderful place to live and we try to take advantage of it, from the Spy Museum to the Smithsonian, Rock Creek Park to the Kennedy Center.

Q) You are such a talented writer, and your humor is infectious. Can we expect more books in the future? And if so, what genres are you considering?

A) Thank you! I use humor to tell the truth. When I am writing, I find that the daily absurdities we all face connect us. So, yes, expect more books. But I’ve left a lot of my story on the pages of Unwasted, so I think I’ll turn to fiction. It’s time to write someone else’s story!

Acclaimed Mystery Author Leslie Meier

2011-09-09T08:33:00.000-05:00

Leslie Meier enjoys murdering people on special days of the year. Be it "Turkey Day Murder," "Mistletoe Murder, "Happy Birthday Murder," or Leslie's latest, "English Tea Murder," amateur sleuth, Lucy Stone, solves every fiendish and cleverly designed homicide this creative author can imagine.

Since her first published work, a short story for Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine’s Department of First Stories, Leslie has been writing mysteries and now has sixteen Lucy Stone novels to her credit. The heroine Lucy is a newspaper reporter and harried mother for four in fictional Tinker's Cove, Maine, the kind of charming town where nothing out of the ordinary should ever happen, but always does. In real life, Leslie was a newspaper reporter also. The result, in addition to some marvelously entertaining stories, is an insider's look at the hectic world of the reporter from the perspective of a wife and mother who lived it.

Leslie doesn't follow the traditional gunshots in the dark type of murders; hers encompass manufactured asthma attacks, asphyxiation, and mysterious ailments. And of course, what St. Paddy's Day celebration would be complete without green beer and a beheading?

"English Tea Murder" is the first story that follows reporter Lucy out of the U.S. to jolly old England, and lands her smack in the middle of not just one, but two murders, and more to come if she can't track down the killers while searching for the elusive perfect cup of tea.

Leslie Meier's books are as strong and humorous as her heroine, and as skillfully plotted as her murders. Finish one, and as her many fans attest to, the reader will keep coming back for more.
Leslie's Web Site
Q) What inspired naming the books in respect to particular days?

A) When I began writing I knew very little about the business, but I had heard that most books are sold at Christmas so I made my first effort, "Mistletoe Murder" (originally titled "Mail-Order Murder"), a Christmas book. Readers suggested I write a Halloween book, so I wrote "Trick or Treat Murder" and after that I began looking for other holidays to write about. Some of my favorites, however, feature family events such as "Birthday Party Murder" and "Wedding Day Murder." Families offer so much material!

Q) Wiccan enthusiasts have repeatedly praised your attention to detail in "Wicked Witch Murder." How much and what kind of research did you do in order to be so accurate in your accounts of witchcraft?

A) No, I didn't attend any Black Sabbaths! One of the advantages of being able to write full-time is that I do have time for research, which I really enjoy. I got the idea for "Wicked Witch Murder" from a friend, who mentioned her sister-in-law was a witch-in-training. I was immediately intrigued and asked if I could talk to her but got a very firm rejection -- apparently witchcraft was not to be taken lightly!

So I went on the web and found tons of fascinating material. I also went to the library and took out every book they had. I even dug out my college copy of Frazer's "The Golden Bough." One day I noticed "The Wicker Man" -- the original 1960s version -- listed with the free movies on CATV and spent an enjoyable afternoon watching it. The toughest thing about research, I find, is stopping and getting to work on the book!

Q) Of all the genres to write in, you chose murder mysteries. Why?

A) I guess because they're the kind of books I most enjoy reading. I always have, starting with Nancy Drew books when I was a kid.

Q) As a writer, you have enjoyed the luxury of aging with your heroine, Lucy. Now, as I understand it, Lucy has reached the point where she can't age anymore and maintain the current storylines. How difficult will it be to put that separation between you, or are you contemplating a new character and a new series.

A) That's the wonderful thing about fiction -- Lucy can remain middle aged while I dodder on, growing increasingly frail and feeble.

Q) How do you, a wife, mother, and grandmother, keep coming up with all these unique ways of killing people.

A) Well, I don't know anything at all about guns so I pretty much have to think of other ways of murdering people. I don't really kill them, you know, it's all fiction. But sometimes I do base a character on someone who has really annoyed me and I think it's a very healthy way to work out one's aggressive tendencies. I'm very careful to change any identifying characteristics before the book goes to press, however.

Q) Any parting words for your fans and readers?

A) Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's wonderful to know that people enjoy my books, and that sometimes my books have even helped people get through difficult times. Now it's easier than ever to get them because most are available as ebooks. I'm venturing into social media, I have a webpage and I'm on facebook and I plan to develop more of a presence in the future. In the meantime, the books keep coming: "Chocolate Covered Murder" will be available in time for Valentine's Day 2012 and I'm hard at work on "Easter Bunny Murder" in which, much to my shame, I kill the Easter Bunny. (No, Virginia, not the real one, just a man in a bunny suit.)

Literary Fiction Author Patricia Ann McNair

2011-09-02T08:39:00.002-05:00

Patricia Ann McNair's stories and articles have appeared numerous times in anthologies, journals, and magazines including American Fiction: Best Unpublished Short Stories by Emerging Writers, The Dunes Review, Other Voices, and is a regular contributor to Elks Magazine.

Her honors include a number of Illinois Arts Council Awards and Pushcart Prize nominations in fiction and creative nonfiction, a Writer's Grant and residency at the Vermont Studio Center, a residency at the Glen Arbor Arts Association and Writer in Residence at Interlochen Arts Academy. She was also awarded Columbia College Chicago's Excellence in Teaching Award and was nominated for the Carnegie Foundation's US Professor of the Year. McNair was a visiting lecturer in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University in the UK and is a professor in the graduate and undergraduate programs of the Fiction Writing Department at Columbia College Chicago.

That's the "official" background. Patricia also quietly encourages and promotes new literary talent and takes a break from her busy Chicago life by escaping with her visual artist husband to the quiet community of Mt. Carroll, IL, a small town with a few remaining brick streets that I'm very familiar with as the paternal side of my family originated there.

Now Patricia has published a collection of short stories, each of which centers on the author's love of life, humanity, and the delicate balance each of us must find deep within ourselves in order to persevere over adversity and the challenges life places in our path. The stories within "The Temple of Air" are indeed thought provoking. But what the reader will truly discover are people whose tales will touch a heart, tear an eye, and warm a smile.
http://patriciaannmcnair.com/

Q) The stories in "The Temple of Air" take place in fictional New Hope, a rural setting. What inspired you to choose rural over the urban lifestyle you are so familiar with?

A) A good question, David. Though I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and live in the city a good part of the year now, I come from good, small town stock. My grandparents on my dad’s side were farmers in a tiny town in Southern Illinois; my mother’s parents lived (during my childhood) in a small Ohio town. I spent a lot of time on the farm as a kid, and also wandering around that small town in Ohio. In some ways, these towns were exotic to me then: people walked places instead of using their cars to get everywhere; kids cruised the main streets for entertainment instead of hanging out at the shopping center; people said hello to one another even if they didn’t know each other. I also was drawn to the architecture of such places, although I didn’t know that then. What I loved were the turn-of-the-century rambling houses with lots of rooms and creepy basements and musty attics and wide, front porches with swings.

Since then, I went to school for a bit in small town Iowa, and lived there for some years. That’s where I sold pots and pans and worked at a gas station. I love the small town taverns, the way the town newspapers would publish bowling league scores and how I’d know at least a few of the names on each page of the paper. As you said, we have a home in Mount Carroll, IL, and I have met some of the kindest people there. And the quiet! I am the kind of writer who can work best without a lot of noise and bustle, so I really appreciate that sort of peace.

And yet, there can be a certain melancholy in rural places, particularly as our economy shifts away from what they have to offer. The way young people—all people, really—can feel trapped and bored in small towns sometimes seems more complicated than the anxiousness of emotion folks might feel in a the busy-ness of a city or a suburb. The Temple of Air is as much about place as it is about people. In New Hope, the fictional small town of the book, as in a lot of small towns, a person is likely to be more on display because everyone is visible, and that visibility can create a dramatic tension that I find interesting to explore in my writing.

Q) How exactly did you travel from breading mushrooms, to the Mercantile Exchange floor, to teaching in Chicago, and end up writing about life in a small town?

A) Now that you ask this question, it occurs to me that it may have been a more direct route than it appears to be. The mushroom breading was a typical suburban summer job in the back of a non-chain sandwich shop, at a time when fast food was made fresh. But here’s the thing: it was a great job for a potential writer because it took very little brain power and was very methodical. Wash the mushrooms, dip them in the batter, dip them in the breadcrumbs, let them dry a bit then dip them in the batter again, dip them in the breadcrumbs...lather, rinse, repeat. I could let my mind go other places, tell itself stories.

It wasn’t long after I came back to live in Chicago that I started working at the Merc, a job a friend found for me. And there is a lot of mindless, downtime there, too, between the crazy bursts of activity on the trading floor. I had gone back to college by then to finally, after a long break, finish my degree. And I was taking a writing class. I was able to do a lot of my homework during the slow parts of the day, and a number of the stories from The Temple of Air were explored there. And maybe it was because some part of my creative mind was still processing my six or so years living in Iowa that these stories I wrote were set in a place like the small town I’d lived in, the one surrounded by cornfields and near a couple of lakes and a river. Didn’t Sherwood Anderson write a good deal of Winesburg, Ohio (based on his hometown of Clyde, Ohio) when he lived in Chicago? And James Joyce composed Dubliners primarily when he lived somewhere other than Dublin. I think there is something to be said about being away from a place that allows you a better vantage point from which to see it and write about it.

The teaching thing was a stroke of good luck. Just when I finished my own degree in writing, a number of new writing classes opened up at Columbia College Chicago and I was asked to teach one. I was still working at the Mercantile Exchange at the time, but I found myself more engaged with the teaching part of my life. So by taking small steps, quitting my job, downscaling my lifestyle, I was able to teach more classes until I was fortunate enough to be hired as part of Columbia’s full-time faculty.

Q) Your artistic pursuits have landed you in places such as Prague in order to hone your craft. What benefits do you believe you have derived from these odysseys?

A) I’ll touch back on my last answer and say again that I think seeing the world from a place you don’t usually get to be allows you to more fully look at what you think you know. Does that make sense? When I take the train to school every day, I don’t usually look out the window with any sort of scrutiny; the scenery is the same to me all the time. When I look out of the window of the tram on my way to the center of Prague’s historic district, I not only see it—the orange-tiled rooftops, the castle, the River Vltava, the Charles Bridge—I see it in relation to what I already know, what I usually see. That’s not Wrigley Field, that’s Sparta, Prague’s football (soccer) stadium. That ain’t city hall, that’s an honest to goodness castle! Traveling, to me, is part of knowing where I am from, and that knowledge is the basis for all of my stories, perhaps particularly in The Temple of Air.

And there is also the part of travel that makes you a little uncomfortable, a little ill at ease. These feelings are good ones to create from. You claim your space with your writing; you consider the conflicts of emotion (like the conflicts you might feel while traveling) that make good story. Not everything is happy endings and feel good stuff in fiction. I mean, yes, some of popular fiction is that, and that’s fine, but I am interested in those tales that are about a little discomfort, emotions that aren’t all good (or all bad, either.) That place in between that makes us question our feelings, our place, our response to the world.

Finally, traveling makes you look at the world more closely—I never saw that before, I must remember this, you know—and that is good writerly practice. I am of the mind that a clear sense of place is essential to good writing.

Q) As the granddaughter of Reverend Victor Hugo Wachs, credited as the first man to ride a motorcycle through the mountains in Korea, you obviously have inherited a bit of tenacity, wanderlust, and courage. How do you think that heritage comes through in your writing?

A) Wow, you do your research, David. Such an interesting question, and evocative. Pertinent to this collection. Thanks for asking.

First, to have a grandfather named after the iconic writer Victor Hugo probably sealed my destiny. Writing has always been important in my family. My grandfather’s letters are beautiful; he wrote articles and sermons. His daughter, my mother, was a travel writer. So maybe I couldn’t have run from my life as a writer if I’d tried.

But it was my grandfather’s deep faith that took him to the other side of the world, and that idea of faith has always fascinated me. What makes you believe; what makes you trust? What shakes your faith? These questions are all over The Temple of Air.

My grandfather’s traipsing was passed along to my mother, and she instilled the travel bug in me. I took my first international trip with my family when I was just three. I can still remember wandering the streets of Madrid with my father when I was seven. I lived in Honduras giving vaccinations when I was just seventeen. And my family always did a lot of car camping, road trips, visits to the grandparents. And on these trips, the family legends were told and retold. Story became important to my understanding of the world.

I don’t really consider myself a courageous person, per se; you wouldn’t catch me on the back of a 1910 motorcycle revving up the sides of mountains. But my grandfather passed his desire to change the world on to his children, and I think what I got from that lineage is part of what makes me want to teach, to do community workshops and public art projects. So he is there in what I do.
He is there, too, in what I write. His letters (and those he received from home) were very much questioning faith, questioning the world and the people in it. His work was extraordinary, but when you really look at it, he was actually working in a very ordinary place. Not ordinary to him or me or maybe anyone of us today might see it, but poor, rural villages in Korea were the norm for that time, that place. And this is something that fascinates me—the interplay between ordinary and extraordinary. It has been said that that is at the heart of good writing: finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Q) Having whet readers' appetites with "The Temple of Air," what can we look forward to next?

A) I have some short stories floating around, one that will be published soon in Trilling, a new on-line magazine. I’ve recently completed a novel called Alice in Cubaland, a story set in Cuba and Chicago. And I’ve begun work on a new novel that takes place again in New Hope, the small town from this collection, about a complicated situation that arises between an evangelical family, and a family whose father is an immigrant. I’ll tell you more about that book when I actually know more about it. Right now I am still trying to figure it out myself!

Q) Any parting comments for your readers?

A) For you, David, really. Thank you so much for your work with this column. People say that reading has become unimportant in our society, and it is clear from what you do and what your readers read that this is simply not true. To have a forum like this for folks to share stories and books and conversations is essential to nurturing the literary landscape, and I am honored to bring my collection The Temple of Air, into this exchange of ideas.

Oh, and if there are book clubs out there who might be interested in my joining them for a conversation about The Temple of Air and the writing life, please contact me. I would love to talk story with you all.

Mystery & Suspense Author Cheryl Crane

2011-08-26T22:17:00.001-05:00

Cheryl Crane is a writer and accomplished author. Yet to this day she first has to place a past she never asked for behind her in order for the power of her distinctive literary voice to be heard. So, let's do that right now: In 1958, fourteen-year-old Cheryl became a ward of the state after the stabbing death of Johnny Stompanato, then boyfriend of Cheryl's mother, actress Lana Turner.

We can ask the obvious questions of did that affect Cheryl's life, has it followed Cheryl throughout her life, is she more attune to abuse, what was her mother like, what was it like being Lana Turner's daughter… But the truth is, we already know the answers to those questions as we've seen the story played out on TV and in articles dozens of times. Add to that, as part of her own life path, closure if you prefer, Cheryl authored "Detour: A Hollywood Story" in which she openly discusses and shares her life - good and bad, no holds barred.

Still, we can't disconnect our past from our present any more than Cheryl can. Cheryl utilizes her insider knowledge of Hollywood, its glitz, its drama, and its dark secrets, to weave masterful tales of murder, mystery, and suspense. "The Bad Always Die Twice" is the first book in a new series featuring realtor-turned-amateur sleuth, Nikki Harper. Nikki finds herself the unwanted center of a killer's attention when a dead man resurfaces, only to die, again. "The Bad Always Die Twice" is a whirling thrill ride through the behind-the-curtains Hollywood, told in a way only one who lived it could.

Cheryl Crane, mystery author, has definitely arrived, and readers are in for a crime fiction experience that will have them turning on the lights and keeping the phone within reach as they savor every word.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/finditem.cfm?itemid=19630

Q) What inspired you at this stage in your life to begin writing fiction?

A) Writing has really been a part of my life for the last thirty years, not only with my autobiography, “Detour,” and my coffee table book, “Lana, The Memories, The Myths, The Movies,” but I have also written articles for Architectural Digest, not to mention writing hundreds of Real Estate ads over the years.

Q) Of all the genres to choose from for your debut, why mystery/suspense?

A) It has always been one of my favorite types of reading material. Mother and I had a real life experience when a famous friend and celebrity was being held incommunicado and having their money drained from their accounts, we figured out what was happening and Mother made a few interesting phone calls and we solved the problem….but that is for another book.

Q) The past is instrumental in determining who we will become, but does not define who we are. How would you describe today's Cheryl Crane to a stranger?

A) Extremely happy and content with my life.

Q) It's not uncommon for writers to create heroes/heroines who parallel the author's life. Nikki Harper shadows your life. What attributes did you instill in her that you would have liked stronger within yourself?

A) Nikki is younger than I and as such has a determination and confidence that I didn’t have at that age.

Q) What's the one question interviewers fail to ask you would like asked, and how would you answer it?

A) Over my lifetime I believe that I have been asked everything!

Q) Any parting thoughts for your readers?

A) I hope they enjoy the book and come to care for Nikki and Victoria as much as I do.

Author Erica O'Rourke

2011-08-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

Chicagoland's Erica O'Rourke, mother and wife with a fondness for sushi, naps, and coffee, is a quiet and reserved young woman who has no idea what is about to happen to her. Now an award-winning author with her debut novel "Torn," the first of a Young Adult fantasy/romance trilogy, in the bookstores, Erica is on the verge of discovery by thousands of readers. Readers who will quickly become fans of this writer's fresh voice and ability to grab the reader's full attention with one, brief opening sentence:

"I woke up to the smell of Lysol and the end of the world."

"Torn" is the tale of a young woman needing to understand why her friend was murdered. What she finds is a world of magic, mystery, and shifting alliances, and two men who may be just as wrong as they are right for her.

Erica is dedicated to writing, has stories to tell, and conveys them in a manner everyone can relate to and enjoy. She vividly paints settings in the readers mind so well, one reviewer commented reading Erica's work was like watching the story unfold on TV. High praise indeed. Her plots are fast paced, intricate, and designed with one purpose in mind – to keep the reader entertained and turning the page.

Erica O'Rourke is mild mannered and almost shy, until she sits down at the keyboard. Then she becomes a gifted storyteller with the capability of captivating readers for decades to come.

http://www.ericaorourke.com/erica.php

Q) Why did you choose to write urban fantasy romance with magical elements?

A) Thanks to my father, I was raised on a steady diet of science fiction and fantasy of all sorts, thanks to my father – Roger Zelazny, Robert Heinlein, Raymond Feist, Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffrey – and when I began writing, those genres seemed like a natural fit. I chose to include a romance because falling in love, especially for teenagers, is a complicated, sometimes-messy, sometimes wonderful process that reveals a lot about someone’s true character.

Q) The first book is the "easiest" as it is written at the author's leisure, conforming to the author's daily routine. The second comes with deadlines and levels of expectation set by the publisher, editors, and readers. What changes to your lifestyle did you have to make once that reality set in?

A) For starters, we eat a lot more frozen pizza. And I vacuum a lot less – not that I ever vacuumed very much, since it’s my least-favorite chore. Exercise has gone right out the window. In all seriousness, I realized very quickly that I had to treat writing as a job, albeit one that includes pajama pants as part of the dress code. My husband and I sat down and discussed what changes we needed to make – enrolling our youngest in preschool, shifting household responsibilities around, etc. The biggest shift was my own mindset: once writing ceased being a hobby, I had to write every day whether I felt like it or not. That discipline has improved my writing tremendously, which is a lovely side benefit.

Q) You loath fish, but love sushi. Care to explain?

A) I am terrified of fish. They are slimy and fast and many of them have sharp teeth. As a kid, my parents used to take me to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and they have a giant tank right inside the entrance where there are sharks and fish of all kinds. It’s very dimly lit and exceedingly creepy. I used to have recurring nightmares that the tank would break, and all the water would rush out and fill up the room. And then the fish would eat me alive.

Sushi, however, is delicious – fresh and healthy and an utter delight. And one of sushi’s most sterling attributes is that if I am eating it, there is one less fish in the world likely to eat me. I win.

Q) A true Chicagoan, you set "Torn" in the Windy City. What is it about Chicago that you found so appealing to make it the story's backdrop, or was it simply using a setting you're familiar with?

A) Part of my decision to set TORN in Chicago was certainly a result of knowing the city. But a bigger part was that I wanted Mo, the heroine, to come from a very specific background: a working-class, South Side Irish family. She’s an ordinary girl at the beginning of the story – smart, hard-working, unpretentious – and she discovers a strength in herself she didn’t know existed, but has been there all along. That felt quintessentially Chicago to me. We might not be the most glamorous city in the world (although parts of it are breathtakingly beautiful) but we do have an incredible amount of heart and grit.

Q) What is your long-term literary goal? Where would you like to be in twenty years?

A) My long-term goal isn’t much different than my short-term goal – to write books that people love, and to improve my craft with every story. There’s always something I can do better, some way to stretch myself. Each time I sit down and type “Chapter One,” I am just a bit terrified, but that’s a good sign. It’s important to do something that scares you, because otherwise, you stagnate.

In twenty years, though, I’d hope to have the mess in my office a little more under control. And I’d like a dog. With three kids and two cats, my husband is holding firm to the “no more pets” policy, but in twenty years, I’ll probably have worn him down.

Bestselling Author Richelle Mead

2011-08-12T08:17:00.000-05:00

Holding a Bachelor of General Studies, a Master of Comparative Religion, and a Master of Teaching degrees, Kirkland Washington's Richelle Mead left her teaching career when her debut novel "Succubus Blues" was sold, and hasn't looked back. A steamroller of productivity, this demure redhead has seen fourteen urban fantasy novels published since 2007. An astounding pace.

Her latest, "Iron Crowned," the third in the "Dark Swan" series was published February 2011, and "Succubus Revealed" along with a new series entitled "Bloodlines" are due out this coming August. She also penned the "Vampire Academy" young adult series which has been translated into thirty languages, and the "Storm Born" comic book series.

But Richelle refuses to substitute quantity for quality. Her efforts and mastery of the written word have landed her books on the NYT and USA Today bestseller lists.

The lady has skill, class, and style. She's also a Tim Gunn fan and recently stood in a long line for the chance to meet him – while five and a half months pregnant. Now that's a dedicated fan.

Richelle avails herself to readers on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog "Even Redheads Get the Blues."

www.richellemead.com.

Q) Although you’re wrapping up two of your series this year, you have a fourth series debuting this August and just released a Storm Born comic. How do you manage to get so much accomplished in so little time?

A) It’s really all about time management. I think there’s a romantic image about an author’s life, that you can just kind of lounge around and wait for the muse to come. That would be great! The reality is, there are contracts and deadlines, and to make it all work, you have to treat this like a “real” job and put in the hours each day. I always have an eye on when things are due and parcel out my workload to make it manageable. It’s when you let things slide until the last minute that it gets a little crazy!

Q) Speaking of personal life, what do you enjoy doing when you pry yourself away from the keyboard?

A) I wish I could say I had some really cool extreme hobby, but my daily life is pretty tame. I’m content just to hang out with friends and do low-key things, like watch movies. I do like to travel for fun sometimes, but they have to be spaced well away from my book tours. There’s only so much airport time a person can handle!

Q) Succubus and she-demon Georgina Kincaid is your "flagship" character. Where did she first come from, and how did you develop her into a character readers can't seem to get enough of? Also, why do you think Georgina holds such appeal for the readers?

A) I wanted to have a sympathetic paranormal protagonist, and there weren’t (and still aren’t) too many stories about succubi out there. I also wanted there to be a love story at the core of this series, and a succubus’s life provides a lot of drama and obstacles for romance. I think there’s something achingly real about Georgina’s emotions that readers really connect with. It’s one of the joys of writing a paranormal protagonist that people often don’t realize: non-human characters teach us a lot about what it means to be human.

Q) Having finished the Georgina Kincaid series with the release of Succubus Revealed in September, do you think you’ll miss her character? Do you think there could be a spinoff to the Georgina Kincaid series in the future?

A) It’s not too sad for me because Georgina’s story needed to wrap up. She needed closure. I knew where her series was going and how it would end from the first day I sat down to write her. At the moment, I don’t have any plans to come back to her, but I have a very long writing career ahead of me, and I’m usually only looking ahead a couple years at a time. It’s hard to say what’ll happen in the future!

Q) Do you foresee a time when you will branch into other genres beyond urban fantasy? If so, what genres would you like to explore?

A) It’d be great to try something new, though that’s not always an easy thing when publishers and readers want you to stick to the same genre! It helps that I really love what I write, so this is certainly something I can stay with for a while. If I do branch out, it’ll probably be into sister genres, like fantasy or sci-fi. I don’t see myself doing any westerns anytime soon!

Q) What is your next big career goal / your next step?

A) More of the same! Books and more books. My young adult series is contracted out for the next few years, so that’s definitely on the agenda. Both of my adult series are ending soon, but that just means I’ll have room for a new adult project eventually. I’m not sure what that’ll be, but I can say with certainty I’ll always be writing something.

The Unrelenting M. William Phelps

2011-08-05T08:11:00.000-05:00

M. William Phelps is classified as an investigative journalist, an author of nonfiction thrillers. However, while such labels may be necessary to determine on which shelf his books should be placed, they don't begin to fully describe what Mr. Phelps does or the passion within him.

Mr. Phelps surgically dissects crime. Then, fiber-by-fiber, reconstructs the lives of everyone involved, disclosing not only the facts of the case, but the emotional paths that collided, and the devastation left behind. To do this requires not just a curious and dedicated mind, it requires a heart capable of connecting to the tragedy and sorrow of the families, on both sides, who will never fully comprehend the answer to the most elusive question known to man – Why?

The pursuit of his passions have led him to become an award-winning, bestselling author, past consultant for the TV series "Dexter," to dozens of TV appearances on Montel Williams, Learning, History, and Biography channels, Geraldo At Large (to name a few), and he has his own TV series DARK MINDS debuting on Investigation Discovery channel (ID) in early 2012. Add to this his latest release "Love Her to Death," a book about the Michael Roseboro case out of Denver, Pennsylvania, and the upcoming "Too Young to Kill," the story of the Sarah Kolb/Cory Gregory case in East Moline, Illinois, and we begin to clearly see a man who shouldn't have so much as a moment to himself. Yet Mr. Phelps readily connects with fans on Facebook and public appearances, and invites readers to send him their books so he may sign them with a personal note.

Mr. Phelps' Web Site

Q) What first inspired you to investigate a crime, and when did you realize that decision would become a lifelong career?

A) I met a James Bond-type investigator (who had worked freelance for the CIA, FBI, NYPD, DEA, Customs, Army’s CID) in NYC back in the mid-1990s and, shadowing him, started writing about his life. This man, a Columbian, taught me how to investigate people, places, and things—and, more importantly, to care about and understand minorities in this country, who are largely marginalized to a disgusting degree. He gave me the tools I needed to begin an investigative journalism career. I wrote PERFECT POISON years later, my first published book, and fell in love with writing about people facing tragedy, how they respond to it, and how law enforcement works to solve complicated murder cases. A few years before I met my James Bond, my brother’s wife had been brutally murdered (we thought then by a serial killer). She was five months pregnant. My brother subsequently died. We had to raise their kids. What I call the ripple effect of murder was suddenly part of my personal life. I understood what tragedy on this scale could do to a family (and I still see those effects within my family today).

Q) I have to ask. When do you find time to yourself, and what relaxes you when you need to step away from your frenetic life?

A) Most people have a hard time managing the hours in a day. I make time for these important moments in my life. I read lots of religious (Catholic) history. I cook gourmet dinners. And lift weights. To stay grounded, I also attend Mass on a regular, semi-daily basis in the early mornings. It keeps me focused on the good in the world, while bringing some peace into my life. I see so much evil (darkness) throughout the course of my working day, I need to keep the focus on the light. It may not work for everyone, and not all may agree, but the Catholic Mass and the Church sacraments are incredibly humbling and rewarding to me.

Q) It is your unique outlook and ability to connect with viewers and readers that made the "Deadly Women" TV crime series and your books so successful. How do you believe you were able to find that thread of connection when so many others haven't?

A) I try to be myself on camera and out in the world. This person you see on TV, that is who I am. I have always said what I wanted to about certain subjects and never tried to play to one group or be politically correct in any way. I tell it like it is, I guess you could say. I’m no different than that person reading the book or watching television, so we have a common bond, and most people pick up on that energy. I don’t come from an elitist background, or silver spoon upbringing; I grew up in the city in a small home with six people; we lived near the projects. We did not have a lot. I never even went to college. I can relate to the everyday, working-class person punching a clock because I was there. I also remind myself every day that I am lucky to be doing what I love. I am grateful every day of my life for what I have. I try to practice absolute humility. As someone said to me recently, which I took as a great compliment, “You know what I like about you, Phelps … you don’t walk around with your head stuck up your ass!”

Q) Have you encountered a case where something about it stopped you in your tracks, and you just had to walk away for your own peace of mind?

A) No. But I never want to write about children being raped and murdered. That subject tears me apart. I worked a case like this on my Investigation Discovery (ID) TV series and it nearly broke me. I should note that there were a few instances throughout filming the series, mostly involving women being victimized by men, that weighed heavily on my emotions. I was literally brought to tears a few times by the stories of female crime victims. I learned a tremendous amount about life and our role in the world as a so-called caring society … we need to do more for victims of crime. We need to do more for women in general. In some cases, we treat the perpetrators of a vicious crime a hell of a lot better than we do the victims. That fires me up. I am appalled by some of what I have seen.

Q) What you do isn't easy, and I don't think most people can fully appreciate the range of emotions you must deal with not just within the people you speak with during an investigation, but in yourself. How do you put an investigation behind you in order to move on to the next one?

A) Thank you for this observation—because it is very true. Just coming off some nine weeks on the road filming my ID series, I can say that emotion plays a major role in what I do and it is a balancing act to keep track of who you are and how you view the world. You can become cynical and jaded very easily doing what I do. I don’t kid myself and say it doesn’t bother me. It definitely does. But I do things, as I said earlier, to keep my soul centered and grounded on the light. I don’t want to get philosophical here, but we all need to have a space to enter where there is peace; we need to think about our place in the world and how great life is and what a gift we have been given. I also like to do things for other people who are less fortunate than me. This helps me stay grounded in, well, reality. We can all do more for our neighbors. The emotional toll this job takes on me is easily manageable if I do the right things. I can move on to another investigation quite naturally after I know in my heart I have done everything I can for the case before it. I also stay connected with crime victims and their families from the cases as much as I can. We share a bond. I like to let them know that I am always there if they need to vent their frustrations.

Q) Crime never ends. But one day M. William Phelps will have to say "enough." When will you know that day has arrived …

A) I cannot answer this. Crime is my life. My goal is to open up the minds of my viewers and readers and help them understand the “why” question … Why do people kill? Why does evil exist? I am also a proponent of women’s rights and tend to write about female victims of crime and their courageous stories of overcoming adversity.

Thanks for this opportunity to answer some interesting (and important) questions.

Entrepreneur and Author Anthony Scaramucci

2011-07-29T11:10:00.001-05:00

Anthony Scaramucci is the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2011 New York Award in the Financial Services category. He is also a Managing Partner of SkyBridge Capital, an alternative asset management firm, holds a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, and a BA in Economics from Tufts University. A contributor to CNBC, he is also on the Board of Overseers for the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University and a member of the NYC Financial Services Advisory Committee.

A father himself, Anthony's life took a major and sudden shift when his own father was diagnosed with brain cancer. The Scaramucci family rallied, and following successful surgery, celebrated the victory over a deadly disease. True to Anthony's nature he wanted to do something more though. Today Anthony is a Board Member of The Lymphoma Foundation and The Brain Tumor Foundation. A brief video of Anthony's dedication and story can be seen at YouTube

Another level of this man's depth is his belief in not just the United States of America, but of the individuals themselves. In his book "Goodbye Gordon Gekko: How to Find Your Fortune Without Losing Your Soul," Anthony shares how to find wealth, survive the loss of wealth, and the importance of personal and spiritual relationships.

"Goodbye Gordon Gekko" isn't just about finances. Not at all. It is a peek inside Anthony's firm conviction that this country's greatest asset is the American people, and that by understanding people, capital, and culture, anyone can use that knowledge to enrich their life financially as well as spiritually. In "Goodbye Gordon Gekko," Anthony Scaramucci shares how to succeed in life by doing what's right.

Web Site

Q) You frequently refer to spiritualism. Exactly what does that term mean to you?

A) It is being in touch with and staying in touch with the notion that there are positive reasons for our existence. Spiritualism means recognizing that, as humans, we do not have all of the answers, especially the central: our origins and the reasons for why we are here. The concept of Spiritualism for me means that there is a higher power and an acceptance that we are here for noble reasons.

Q) One reviewer made note that your book provides a "moral compass" for Wall Street professionals to follow. To what or whom do you credit your unwavering belief in the goodness of people?

A) I can't honestly say that there is any one person who gave me this world view. Just a compilation of life experiences and interaction with people that are both well intended and bad intended. Locke or Hobbes? This has been the great debate since the enlightenment. I write in the book that 3% of the planet is inherently evil. So that's 210 million on a population of 7 billion, but it's not everybody. While that group has some brand names, Hitler, Bin Laden and others, the truth is they are the scourge of history and by and large there is a very large group of us and are good and kindhearted and we are consistently annihilating them. Freedom is the best model. Just think about the amount the amount of philanthropy we have in America. No one is perfect, least of all me, but force in our historic future is grounded in goodness.

So for me, I really think it is part of our design. However, without hope or feelings of optimism about the future we can turn very cynical. In January I spent a week in Iraq with the US Army. Corruption is quite high in Baghdad and a number of private citizens that I talked to there feel that until people are hopeful about the future, they turn to figuring out what and how they can get things for themselves in a way that breaks the social contract that Locke described. Yet cynicism can be turned quickly with the right laws and adherence to property laws. If we set up the right form of government and law enforcement as well as start to effectively tap their oil reserves they will turn things around.

Q) You have incorporated many personal anecdotes, mishaps, and conquests in your book. Of all the events in your life, which do you hold most dear?

A) I don't want to sound cliché, but it is really the simplest moments that I hold most dear: a foul ball tipping into my hands that I was able to give to my seven-year-old son. A conversation with a university professor. A kiss from my grandmother. All good times and great memories, but also the feeling that I had on the day I appealed my bar exam failure to the NY State Bar. I lost the appeal. I remember the pain of that and the pit in my stomach. Good times and Bad are the human condition. You are going to be set back by life; it just happens. When it does, when you hit the floor are you made of china or rubber? Be sure to bounce.

Q) What do you do to recharge and relax?

A) I love my children and spending time with them. The number one form of relaxation for me is reading. I also enjoy time with friends and loved ones. A good workout is a great stress reliever.

Q) While "Goodbye Gordon Gekko" is educational and inspiring, the book is also autobiographical. Why did you decide to include your personal story in a book about building financial security?

A) I thought it was important to lay a framework and a context for who I was and where I came from so after I introduced myself to the reader, they could then assess whether they wanted to take what I was saying. I wasn't trying to focus as much on financial security as I was someone's fortune. The word fortune isn't just money; it is about the portfolio of life.

Q) At what point can Anthony Scaramucci look back on his life and know he truly succeeded?

A) Never. I am comfortable with who I am, but I am not going to define life as a destination that you pass through some sort of success portal, and then wa-lah you are successful. The most successful people know that a life well lived is when you are doing your best to help other lives, either through your love, your products and services, or your philanthropy. While it's impossible to please everybody, those closest to you should know your goodness

Calliope Magazine Posted My Prize-Winning Short Story

2011-07-22T13:31:00.000-05:00

Mensa's Calliope magazine posted my story to their web site today. I hope you'll take the time to read it, and maybe let me know what you think.
The Caretaker

Thank you!

- David

Film Producer and Author Max Elliot Anderson

2011-07-22T09:49:00.001-05:00

Max Elliot Anderson writes the books he would have liked to have read while a boy.

To understand that statement is to understand Max's life. His film producer father wrote seventy books, but Max was drawn to the wonders of the film studio, and until the last decade devoted much of his life to film.

A husband and father of two, Max now resides in Rockford, Illinois, after traveling the world in his film pursuits. And his accomplishments are remarkable.

"Pilgrim's Progress" featuring acclaimed actor Liam Neeson won Max a Best Cinematographer award. The PBS special "Gospel at the Symphony" garnered an Emmy nomination and won a Grammy for the double album. Max also won national Telly awards (the non-theatrical equivalent to the Oscar) for his productions of "Youth Haven," a "Safe Place for Kids," and "Tracy's Choices," and he has been directly involved in over 500 TV commercials for True Value Hardware Stores.

Following the terrorist attacks of 9-11, Max's life changed. Though he still avails himself to film, a passion within him awakened and he began to write. He hasn't stopped. To date Max has seen seven of his books for boys published. They range from the "Newspaper Caper," a mystery filled with thrills, humor, and plenty of bad guys, to "Legend of the White Wolf," a tale of devotion and a unique, lifelong bond.

Yet, while all of Max's stories are well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable, sometimes within a writer is one story that simply has to be told. It becomes a part of the writer's life as necessary as air. For Max that story is "When the Lights Go Out," a children's adventure book about the day the United States changed forever (due out August 1^st). And while the story is designed to entertain and enlighten children about 9-11, I believe it is also about this deeply religious author's coming to terms with an event that altered his own course and destiny.

Max Elliot Anderson is a compassionate and caring man who shares his love of life and humanity through film and now children's books.

http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/index_1.html

Q) What do you think was the inner driving force that compelled you to write "When the Lights Go Out"?

A) As I’ve spoken in schools, I began to realize something. Children who are 8 to 13 today, know little or nothing about what happened on 9/11 or why it’s important in their lives. I talked with a few adults about this and found that their experiences were the same. We do a good job of teaching about D-Day, and Pearl Harbor, but not so well with 9/11. With the 10^th anniversary of 9/11 this year, I thought it would be a good opportunity to draw attention through a story that kids would also find exciting to read at the same time. Since 9/11 reduced many of my client production opportunities, this book became even more important to me.

Q) What one message do you hope readers walk away with after reading "When the Lights Go Out"?

A) No matter what your age, it’s important to be aware that there are still people in the world who would like to do us harm. Even children can notice things that aren’t right, and then tell someone about it.

Q) You also write for Guideposts, True Stories of Extraordinary Answers to Prayer. To what do you attribute your abiding faith in God?

A) I was raised in a family of seven children. My father rubbed elbows with lots of people in various ministries. When I was a child, frequent guests in our home included pastors, missionaries, recording artists, actors, and more. I could sense the genuine commitment these people had, and how their faith had helped to chart a course in their lives. My parents also had a positive spiritual influence on me, making issues of faith quite a natural part of a full and balanced life.

Q) A bit star struck, I have to ask. "Pilgrim's Progress" was Liam Neeson's first feature film. Have you two stayed in touch at all?

A) I wish I could say yes, but my work has included a lot of famous people over the years. It simply isn’t possible to have an ongoing relationship with them, and the production business really doesn’t work like that. In a similar way, my life has included travel to some of the most exotic and wonderful places on the planet. Unfortunately, those trips included a camera and hard work. So I never had the opportunity to simply enjoy much of what those locations had to offer.

Q) "Tracy's Choices" also won The Christian Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary. The true story of a young woman's life decisions and the ultimate destruction those choices had on her, you filmed it with your trademark compassion. What was it about this particular woman that affected you strongly? Video trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUpoCXtHJ2E&feature=mfu

A) I think it was the fact that Tracy grew up in a fairly typical Midwest town. Even she admitted that she never expected her life to turn out the way it did. And yet, it was because of the choices she made at each fork in the road so to speak. My interest in producing the project grew out of the fact that society, at the time, told young people that they weren’t accountable or responsible for their actions. What happened to them, especially if it had a negative outcome, was someone else’s fault and they were just the victim. Tracy simply proved that we are each ultimately responsible for our own lives.

Q) You avail yourself to schools and welcome opportunities to speak with children and parents about the importance of reading in education. To stress the significance of what you do, I need to point out many authors don't go to schools. Why do you?

A) I grew up hating to read. Since my father had published so many books during his lifetime, I had to find out why I’d never been motivated to read any of them. This caused me to study nearly 300 books in bookstores and the library. From want I discovered, I began to craft the kinds of stories I would have enjoyed reading as a child. Reading is so important because kids today are not required to use much of their imaginations. Videos, TV, video games, DVDs and other electronic devices, do all their imagining for them. And as I tell kids, readers are the leaders others follow.

Q) What's next for Max Elliot Anderson?

A) I enjoy the writing process more than any other creative outlet. So I hope to get back to writing again soon. It’s just that for nearly four years, I did nothing but write. The result was thirty-six action-adventure and mystery manuscripts for kids. I guess what’s next is to continue finding publishing outlets for them. With the way that much of marketing and promotion have shifted to the author, I’ll continue working in those areas. I produce a video book trailer for each book, and am looking for film production companies that might be interested in bringing some of my stories to the screen. That would be seeing things come full circle in my life, although I don’t intend to be involved in the production process. It’d be a little like a surgeon having to operate on his own child.

When the Lights Go Out http://max-whenlightsgoout.blogspot.com
Books for Boys Blog http://booksandboys.blogspot.com
Soccer Cat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-rLbhrn2uc&feature=mfu
My Youtube Book Videos http://www.youtube.com/user/Maxbooks100#p/u

Addendum

2011-07-17T11:09:00.001-05:00

My apologies to Ms. Carlie.
For whatever reason, blogspot isn't allowing me to post her other book covers where I need them within her interview. So, here they are:

Indie Author Angela Carlie

2011-07-17T10:19:00.000-05:00

With the advent of the Internet and the ease of self-publishing, writers have discovered a viable new platform to present their work to potential readers. While that is good news for serious writers, the fact thousands of books are popping up every month creates a bit of a minefield for readers. For sadly, the harsh reality is independent e-publishing has also created the means for some real junk to be produced by people only interested in earning a few quick dollars at the readers' expense. As such, when a true talent emerges from the forest of new authors publishing their own work, I get excited.

Angela Carlie is a dedicated and gifted writer of Young Adult (YA) and Middle Grade stories. Though this wife and mother enjoys creating fantasy worlds abounding with shape shifters, yellow dragons, wrestlers, and zombie kids ("Land of Corn Chips" and "Loramendi's Story") she also wrote "Dream Smashers," an unpretentious look at the difficulties youth face today, including a meth addicted mother, and the inner courage and strength each of us possesses. "Dream Smashers" is a love story, but it is also a tale of discovery and persevering and well worth reading.

I first encountered Angela over a year ago when she was working on "Land of Corn Chips." In all honesty, I'm normally not a reader of YA. But Angela's ability to tell a story pulled me right in. I took an instant liking to her characters and their witty banter. So much so that a year later I followed up on our chance meeting to find out if "Land of Corn Chips" had been completed. I was elated to learn that it had, and I immediately purchased the book and read it in one sitting.

A vegetarian and massage therapist, Angela enjoys kayaking, hiking, traveling, and just hanging out with her husband and son. Still, she is a believer in giving back. A portion of the proceeds from "Dream Smashers" go to Share of Vancouver, WA, a non-profit sheltering and feeding folks trying to get back on their feet. She is an advocate for the Indie Authors Relief Fund and contributor to the Indie Authors First Book Project which provides books to low income families.

http://angelacarlie.com/

Q) Independent publishing is risky. Why did you choose this route over traditional publishing?

A) Independent publishing was a scary thought for a long time. I tend to navigate toward the scary, though. To be honest, it only caused my heart to pound in my ears for about five minutes. My debut novel, Dream Smashers, was written to be read, and it wasn't being read while waiting to be noticed by the traditional publishing industry. It's now available for the entire world to read. That's why I decided to self-publish, and I haven't looked back. Of course I'd still totally consider traditional publishing, but for now, I'll keep on producing stories and publishing them for the world to read.

Q) Technically, you publish under Darkside Publishing, which is a small group of united YA authors. Why did you elect to write YA?

A) Creating teen characters allows the writer to explore a little more than with adult characters. The teen years are about discovery which allows for interesting and fun opportunities to create from. I love reading and writing this genre.

DarkSide Publishing offers an excellent selection of well written YA novels to choose from. For more information on our titles, check out the website at http://darksidepublishing.com

Q) Do you foresee a day when you will expand to other genres?

A) I have written a few adult paranormal/horror fiction. Perhaps I'll publish some of them in the future.

Q) In an interview you mentioned how as a vegetarian you sometimes receive "hateful comments." What on earth do people find offensive about your choice of diet?

A) Ha! I have no clue. It totally cracks me up. One guy told me once that I'm a hypocrite and a plant hater. He said that plants have feelings too and that I was prejudice for choosing to kill plants over animals. Hilarious. What really got me was this guy was overweight, had high blood pressure, and was recovering from a stroke. He rarely ate vegetables. Go figure. I've decided to choose not to spend my time in arguments with such people and just walk away.

Q) A number of reviews have come from young adults who thoroughly enjoyed your work. How did it feel when you realized your stories had truly connected with your audience?

A) Great question. When reviews began to trickle in I was absolutely elated when they were positive. I'm sure most authors are. The first negative review was a bit hard, though, especially with my novel Dream Smashers because the negative reviews were coming from people who had never dealt with the types of people in this story. They didn't get it. So, to me, it was sad they wasted their time with this novel because I wrote it for people who have had to deal with addiction in loved ones.

After some time, positive reviews didn't give me the same feeling as in the beginning. Sure, they were great, but what I wanted to see was people understanding the story. I'm not going to complain about any positive review, but the ones that make my smile wider are from people who clearly understood Autumn's story and it showed in their review.

The best review was from a reviewer who went through a similar situation growing up as Autumn (the protagonist) did in Dream Smashers. She told me that she was so moved by the story that she hasn't been able to give the book justice (in her mind) with a review. Talk about making every single ounce of hard work put into publishing this novel well worth it.

Q) Any parting thoughts?

A) I'm getting ready to publishing my next novel, Loramendi's Story. It's the first book in a series called Lords of Shifters and should be available mid-August.

It was such a lovely surprise when I received your request for this interview. Thank you so much for taking the time to ask me about my work! I truly appreciate it and wish you and your readers well.

Romantic Suspense Author Jill Sorenson

2011-07-08T06:05:00.000-05:00

Imagine being in a canoe on a silent, peaceful river, just you and your hired guide. A feathery breeze mixes the scent of pines and berries with your sun-warmed hair. Summer's heat embraces your skin. You close your eyes. The subtle, soft strokes of your escort's paddle caress a lulling rhythm to your ears. The beats intensify to pulsing thrusts. You open your eyes to discover the water's serenity now churns in a milky froth. Droplets wet your skin, your body quivers, excitement and a desire to experience the moment, to reach the climax of the raw energy surrounding you races through your core. You find you can't look away, though an ancient throbbing at the base of your skull demands you should. Then the chapter ends and on the next page Aunt Gert pours a cup of tea with a shot of vinegar to help you forget the woodsy musk of the handsome guide. Unless…

…unless you are reading a book by a new breed of skilled authors who have bridged the gap between mainstream romance with its closed bedroom doors and the torn bodices of erotica.

A handful of authors such as Jill Sorenson have melded the two long-divided territories of mainstream and erotica, and interwoven the aspect of physical pleasure and fulfillment into heroines and heroes previously destined to only wear a smile the morning after or the first page of the next chapter. This accomplishment takes a mastery of prose capable of seducing the reader without so much as a missed breath into scenes heretofore thought best kept hidden from view.

A quiet homemaker, wife and mother of two daughters, former school teacher and San Diego resident Jill Sorenson (who never goes anywhere without a spiral notebook within reach) kicks down doors with her literary proficiency and command of language. But first and foremost to Jill is the story itself. She pens riveting tales of suspense filled with original and unique characters for both Harlequin and Bantam Dell. Her work has also appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine.

Her latest novel, "The Edge of Night," finds a struggling single mother forced by conscience to stand against a crime-riddled neighborhood while taunted by a crazed killer. Simultaneously released "Stranded With Her Ex" pits two exes against their simmering passion and the betrayal that broke them apart.

To see the future of romance doesn't require a crystal ball. A reader need only pick up a Jill Sorenson novel.

Jill's Web Site

Q) What prompted you to break traditional boundaries and bring active physical exploration in to mainstream romance?

A) First of all, thank you for thinking I'm ground-breaking! But the fact is that most mainstream romance novels have open-door love scenes. Romantic suspense authors like Linda Howard and Sandra Brown have been turning up the heat for decades. Pamela Clare and Lisa Marie Rice, more recent examples, also write steamy love scenes.

I've always appreciated authors who keep it real and use frank language over flowery euphemisms, so I followed in their footsteps.

For me, sex is the ultimate expression of romantic love. I want to feel the passion between the characters and share it with my readers. Many romance fans, myself included, find it thrilling and satisfying to read about hot sex between loving partners.

Q) You create names that correspond to your characters' attributes. Noah YOUNG - an inexperienced police officer. Ben FORTUNE - wealthy pro surfer. Daniela FLORES - a delicate flower. Why do you do this, and how difficult do you find it at times coming up with a suitable name?

A) Those are the most literal examples of how my characters' names reflect their attributes. Most of the time I try to find something that just sounds right. Right now I'm working on a character named John Ledger, a sex crimes detective with a dark past.

I liked the "edge" in there. It can be difficult to find the perfect name but it's part of my wacky process.

Q) Behind a pen, you're fearless. What's a typical real-life day for you?

A) Oh, thank you. My typical day starts at 4 or 5 a.m. I usually write for a few hours before the kids wake up. My girls keep me very busy, especially in the summer. I take my spiral notebook to swimming lessons, the beach, and the park. No matter how full my day is I always try to fit in exercise. I've recently started running. It works wonders to keep my stress levels down and energy up.

My youngest starts Kindergarten this fall, so I'm looking forward to a quiet house at long last!

Q) Within a number of your stories you incorporate Young Adult characters and themes, but have said you probably won't write a YA book. Why not?

A) I don't have any plans to write YA, but who knows? I was a rebellious teenager and I enjoy channeling that for secondary storylines. Writing a full novel with teen characters might be too taxing for me emotionally. In romance, there is a guaranteed happy ending.

I'm not sure I could write a happy YA because I was not a happy teen.

Q) You have stayed true to your love of contemporary suspense and not given in to the temptations to write the current trend of vampires and werewolves. What is about your chosen genre that instills such loyalty in you?

A) I don't think it's a case of loyalty or temptation. I don't read much paranormal and have no interest in writing it at this time.

But I never say never. If I can't find success in romantic suspense, I will write something else.

Q) Any parting thoughts?

A) I have two new releases this fall with Harlequin, and another next year for Bantam Dell. All of my books are available in print and digital.

You can also request them at your local library.

Thank you!!

Author and Renaissance Man Robert Valdes-Rodriguez

2011-07-01T09:01:00.001-05:00

Renaissance Man: A person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas.

I would add to that definition the requirement of "gentleman," as then the term aptly applies to Robert Valdes-Rodriguez, or RVR as he has been called for the better part of his life.

The business community knows Robert as an entrepreneur and Wall Street executive unafraid to challenge himself as well as others. Where Robert stands apart from so many of us is not his ability to dream and establish goals, but to actually work toward achieving those goals and pursuing the dreams many of us will merely reflect on in later years, wishing we had taken the risk.

Yet, Robert's true passion is for living life. Married with four children his personal time includes the ocean, good wine, great ties, and giving back. To that end, each year his company, RVR, donates a portion of online sales to a new charity.

Robert decided to write a book titled "MEN: 10 Essential Skills."

While the topics he dwells on include tying a tie, playing poker, proposing a toast, and others, it was the last one that truly caught my attention and helps to define the character of Robert Valdes-Rodriguez – "Keep the Girl."

Yeah. "Keep the Girl." Men and women put so much time and effort in to winning each other, and then sometimes forget to put the same energy and passion in to keeping each other.

Passion is a simple word with infinite importance. When we lose our passion for living, we are subject to sitting on the sidelines watching the parade of life pass by.

And living life passionately defines the man known as RVR.
Robert's Web Site RVR Neckwear

Q) What prompted you to write "MEN: 10 Essential Skills"?

A) The idea came to me after many years of bantering with my brother and brothers-in-law during family reunions about the skills that men just need to know. We would never agree, so I always knew that a short list would serve as a fun topic for a book - and it would it give me the last word with them. The motivation to execute the idea started as a gift idea for the menswear stores around the country that carry RVR ties and pocket squares. When I surveyed a few of our best clients, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, ultimately resulting in pre-orders to sell in their stores.

Q) Your company, RVR, provides neckwear designed by you. To what do you attribute this unique interest?

A) Throughout my 20+ years on Wall Street, I had a 'lucky' tie that I relied on for important client meetings and events. Now, as a designer, I have a unique insight into the customer that RVR Neckwear is serving. Our company identifies with professionals such as attorneys, bankers, television personalities and anyone who depends on an eye-catching tie with uncompromising quality as part of their lifestyle. In fact, if you were to ask our typical client what they love most about RVR ties, they would reply, "I get a compliment every time I wear one!"

Q) Truly passionate people generally had someone in their younger years as a role model encouraging and supporting them. Who filled that role in your life?

A) My father, for so many reasons. Firstly, he was always the most elegantly dressed man in the room. My father, an attorney in Cuba, emigrated to the U.S. in 1961. Leaving his worldly possessions behind and starting over in a new country, he taught me about taking risks to pursue one's goals. Watching him succeed with a new life insurance career, I learned about persistence and the balance between confidence and humility. Lastly, by the loving way he interacted with my mother or the kindness he showed to even a stranger in the elevator, I learned to treat everyone around me with respect.

Q) What primary values do you hope you and your wife instilled in your own
children?

A) Take charge of your own destiny. Learn from your mistakes. Work hard, play hard.

Q) What one life lesson do you hope readers carry with them from your book?

A) Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

Internationally Acclaimed Author Simon Corbin

2011-06-24T07:40:00.000-05:00

London's Simon Corbin isn't just a prolific writer unashamedly pushing boundaries others might find intimidating, he's a man cognizant of the world and its beauty, as well as its pitfalls and dangers, and embraces and implants all of that awareness in his stories.

An intensely dedicated man, Corbin's literary voice is profound and resonates both through the halls of academia as well as his fiction novels. While a lecturer and teacher of journalism, Corbin also opted to teach adult literacy to bus drivers, providing a much needed service, which is still on-going. A journalist and copywriter, Corbin has provided his services to a wide array of clients, from newspapers and magazines, to government agencies and blue chip companies.

But it is writing fiction that truly frees Corbin's spirit and curious mind.

His tales traverse life from the retrospective and provocative "All Things Nice," the story of a man on the brink of forty who hopes to find his future by rediscovering his past, to the alienation of a punk rocker rebel and his pain-filled rites of passage in "Rude Boy," to his current chilling release, "Love, Gudrun Ensslin." The latter is a story of the vulnerability of our world to those able to seize upon our worst fears and manipulate those fears for personal gain. In Corbin's words, the story "warns of the dangers of both ideology-led violence and greed-fuelled exploitation."

Simon Corbin is a writer who employs many genres, but always leaves his readers entertained, and most of all, thinking.
Simon's Web Site

Q) You donate portions of the sales from your books to support charities. Many "talk" about helping others, but you have acted. What was the catalyst that pushed you into action?

A) I’ve long thought along the lines of: If you’re not actively involved in trying to make this world a better place then how do you sleep at night or look at yourself in the mirror? It’s an ethos that informs my writing – although I try hard not to make my books overtly preachy or sanctimonious (which would be patronising and, to some degree, inappropriate for works of art). I just happen to think it’s important that people are aware that every individual (no matter how impoverished or apparently disenfranchised they may seem) really can make a positive difference to improving the lot of everyone and everything around them – and that, furthermore, this is a choice they can make for themselves: a conscious choice between being mean-spirited or generous in spirit. I also think the higher up the food chain you find yourself, the greater the onus in terms of responsibility to others – hence, I believe governments, corporates and the (unimaginably) rich owe a duty of care to society at large (and not the converse – which sadly seems to be the global status quo nowadays). I don’t think there was a particular catalyst in my case – I’m just trying to find the most appropriate way for me to do what I can. In that regard, I think it makes sense for me to use some of the profits gained from writing (such as they are!) to help those organizations that are clearly instances of generosity of spirit in action. I aim to choose an organization to benefit from each novel that somehow relates thematically to the novel itself. Hence, Rude Boy supports a charity for London’s homeless young people - Centrepoint. Love, Gudrun Ensslin supports an animal welfare charity – CHAT (The Celia Hammond Animal Trust). The idea that we are common humanity (and, by extension, common animality) sharing this thing we call ‘existence’ (and that we should help and support each other) – is really the central theme of my novel Love, Gudrun Ensslin.

Q) You hold a firm and public appreciation of artists, such as William Foreman and Simon Gales. What draws you inside a painting or sculpture?

A) I used to draw cartoons and caricatures as a kid – the caricatures, in particular, got me into quite a lot of trouble during my school years! There was also a time when I briefly considered doing a Foundation degree in art and trying to become an artist. My mother worked as an artist’s agent and managed a succession of art galleries in London – so I was brought up surrounded by art and artists. When I began in journalism I wrote regular art reviews for What’s On In London (a now defunct rival to Time Out) for several years – touring the galleries and producing double page spreads on the BP Portrait Award, Paula Rego, Georg Baselitz, Bridget Riley and so on. William Foreman and Simon Gales are contemporary artists I met and admired. I wrote an introduction for a book on Foreman and I am very keen to promote Simon Gales’ astonishing current body of work to a wider audience – check it out amigos! And to answer the second part of your question(!): I look for a visceral emotional response to a work – an instinctive attraction. My all-time favourite artist is George Grosz – his bitingly satirical canvasses are the closest thing I have ever to seen to the sort of art I feel I would have produced if I had actually followed that path. As pure technicians I hugely admire Cranach, Durer and Caravaggio.

Q) Does your love of art ever transcend into your writing, and if so, how?

A) It has not done so in any overt way so far – but I wouldn’t rule it out in the future! However, it has actually happened the other way around – in that the afore-mentioned Simon Gales read my novel Love, Gudrun Ensslin and totally ‘got it’ in a way not every reader does. It could be that an artist’s sensibilities allow him (or her) to view a work of art (i.e. a novel) in a particular way. Whatever the explanation, Simon (Gales) posted a spot-on review of Love, Gudrun Ensslin on French Amazon that I hope to use in promoting the novel further. By the way, David, I must add that you have also totally grasped where I am coming from in my writing – and I thank you for the intro you have written to this Q&A section.

Q) While your stories may appear eclectic, the common thread is the spirit of the individual. What is it about people that so enthralls and fascinates you?

A) The principal focus for me is exploring the human condition – and the medium I have chosen is the novel. My first degree (at London University) was a BA (Hons) in Philosophy – and philosophical enquiry still absorbs me. Writing novels adds a layer of freedom and creativity beyond the codified strictures of philosophy (as an academic discipline) that is perfect for me (as someone who instinctively kicks against artificial boundaries). So, you’re right! Superficially each of my novels appears to be wholly different to its predecessor but each one in some way concerns the experience of being human – albeit in a variety of contexts. The plight of the individual is the focus precisely because the ‘human condition’, by its very nature, is necessarily subjective – we all go through life experiencing it from a unique perspective; how we might transcend that is fascinating to me and constantly plays out in my fiction.

Q) Describe the perfect morning of the perfect day for Simon Corbin.

A) At its simplest level (and this does happen quite often – UK weather notwithstanding!) – the sun is shining and I am off to play hours and hours of tennis! On a purely selfish level, I look forward to the day when I can wake up knowing I am earning my sole income from writing (and that it is sufficient to sustain my writing into the indefinite future). On a wider level, a perfect morning also involves knowing all is well with various family and friends. Finally, on the widest possible level, the most perfect morning ever will involve waking up to find that the real world has somehow become the ideal world – somehow the ‘goodies’ among us have finally won; there’s an end to hatred, injustice, cruelty, avarice, greed, warfare, murder, corruption, exploitation (etc!) – i.e. a real life Hollywood ending! One lives (and writes!) in hope!

Thriller Author Cat Connor

2011-06-17T10:53:00.000-05:00

New Zealand's Cat Connor is the self-described mother of a "bunch of children" ranging from just in school to married. Needless to say, this lady is extremely busy with life in general. Yet, somehow, she has managed to author ten novels. However, it was the creation of the heroine, Special Agent Ellie Conway, that ultimately propelled Cat's work to the public's attention and peer recognition. "Killerbyte" was a finalist for the 2010 EPIC Award in the Mystery and/or Suspense category – a very respectable and noteworthy accomplishment.

"Killerbyte," a story of innocence in a chat room that results in murder, was inspired by reality. Yeah. You never know who is really on the other side of the monitor looking in at you.

In "Terrorbyte," the wise-cracking, psycho-prophetic Agent Conway returns to take on a killer using murder to camouflage his true agenda. Now, in "Exacerbyte," Cat's latest release, the special agent is taking on a new threat, seemingly even more intelligent, and thusly, more dangerous than the others Conway has faced. Due to this series' unquestioned success, a fourth book is in the works.

Cat Connor exploded out of the gate with a book that caught immediate attention and a devout following. She's only now coming in to her stride, and we can expect to see much more from this talented writer.
http://catconnor.wordpress.com/

Q) Why thrillers? What is it about this genre that attracts you?

A) I have always read thrillers and mysteries. As a teenager I read a lot of Ian Fleming, (among many others). James Bond was pretty damn cool (and he still is), but like most thriller protagonists, male. The older I grew the more I noticed a lack of thrillers with female protagonists. We were getting the raw end of the deal and being portrayed as weak and in need of rescue – or worse, strong female protags were bitchy, nasty, and quite unlikable. Where were the real women in thriller fiction that I could identify with? Well, there really weren’t any when I started writing to amuse friends and myself.

Funnily enough, I made no conscious decision to write thrillers. The decision was to write a book I wanted to read, period. My stories have a lot of action, high stakes, and are fast paced, because that’s what I enjoy, but I didn’t particularly have a genre in mind.

In fact, when I eventually wrote killerbyte I had no clue what genre it actually was. At various stages of the process, killerbyte had been labeled with many genre suggestions. I’d even been told it was a romance, which I didn’t see, at all! (Romance to me involved throbbing and heaving… I don’t do throbbing and heaving! I’m way more into killing and maiming.)

I’d been told that thrillers are plot driven and literary fiction was character driven. That was even more confusing! My books are both character and plot driven. The _Byte Series books are equally about Agent Conway and whatever plot line emerges.

Q) With your family and schedule, how do you in fact find any time to write?

A) Most of the battle is planting bum in seat and fingers on keyboard – once I do that, I actually have about 6 hours a day in which to write. Writing has always been something that fitted around life, but now that I have more uninterrupted time, I can write during the day and treat it a little more like a real job. Although, if I’m caught up in a scene – everything get’s pushed aside until I’m finished. So on those days I might be serving up canned spaghetti for dinner and writing late into the night! (And quite frankly, don’t expect me to have done the laundry, vacuumed, do dishes, or to dust when I’m working.)

If you really want to write you will find the time.

Q) How did it feel when you learned "Killerbyte," was a finalist, a true contender for an EPIC Award?

A) I learned killerbyte was a finalist for an EPIC award the same week that terrorbyte was released. It was a crazy week. I do believe there was a lot of shrieking and celebrating. If I recall rightly we celebrated with South African wine! There was a heady mix of was delight and surprise that my first novel was being so well received. It didn’t matter that we didn’t win, it was enough of a confidence boost to be a finalist!

Q) What is it about your heroine, Ellie Conway, that you believe has attracted fans?

A)The appeal with Ellie (in my opinion) is her realism. She’s not an airheaded bimbo who runs down the middle of the road when being chased by someone in a car. I used to see those women/girls in movies and grumble to myself, “you deserve to die, you are just too stupid to live!”

Ellie is smart, funny, and can hold her own in any given situation. She may not enjoy everything she does in her job. Every now and then it gets all too much, she’s been known to vomit when a confronted by a particularly gruesome crime scene but she won’t compromise the crime scene doing so. Ellie is tough enough to gain the respect of her team and human enough for us to still like and really want good things for her.

She isn’t perfect, but then who is?

And she is a whole lot of fun to write, which probably comes through in the text.

Q) Do you have any new characters on the horizon readers should be watching for, or any plans to expand into other genres?

A)I introduced two new characters in exacerbyte, which was a lot of fun. The idea of having a rock star character really amused me – you’ll get to see a little more of Rowan Grange in future books and it’s highly likely there will be other new characters coming in.

As for other genres, yes and no. I don’t think I’ll be straying too far from action filled fun and games that are thrillers, but I have a historic novel I’m working on (when I get time and the inclination). It’s more a historic thriller than anything. I also have a kiwi series I’m toying with, but think that will probably be classified thriller too.

The Humbling Genius of Dr. Ervin Laszlo

2011-06-10T09:25:00.003-05:00

Hungarian Ervin Laszlo was a child prodigy on piano. But his creativity, vision, and insatiable appetite for exploration refused to be satisfied with stopping at internationally acclaimed virtuoso.

Today he is the holder of the highest degree of the Sorbonne (the State Doctorate), four honorary Ph.D.s and numerous awards and distinctions, including the 2001 Goi Peace Award (the Japanese Peace Prize) and the 2005 Assisi Mandir of Peace Prize. He has authored or contributed to more than 80 books and is a two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee. A former professor of philosophy, systems theory, and futures studies in the U.S., Europe, and the Far East, Laszlo is founder and president of an international think tank (the Club of Budapest), as well as the General Evolution Research Group.

Now, he has elected to tell his story. But not as a remote personality at a podium, or a stranger in our midst. Laslo has penned "Simply Genius: And Other Tales from My Life" in the manner of an old friend sitting on our couch, a cup of lemon tea in his hand, saying, "Let me tell you where I've been the last seventy-nine years." And that in and of itself lends insight to the uncommon genius of Ervin Laszlo.

Laszlo's father was a shoe manufacturer - his mother played the piano. At age nine, Laszlo performed his first concert with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. By age fifty-two, he participated in clandestine meetings behind the Iron Curtain to explore if it might be possible to identify an evolutionary path toward a better world should mankind destroy this one. Where many see a world filled with degradation, polarization, and disaster, Laszlo sees the possibilities of navigating our future toward humanism, ethics, and global sustainability.
Dr. Laszlo's Web Site

Q) As a boy in Hungary you enjoyed Apache Indians, candy, and suffered the same skinned knees as any other child. In fact, during your debut with the Budapest Symphony, the child you were was focused on whether a particular box of candy had arrived. When did you realize your life would not parallel other children?

A) I never realized it, certainly not as a child. I always thought of myself as "one of the boys" - playing soccer in the summer, ice hockey in the winter and bicycling all year 'round. I enjoyed listening to music - loved the phonograph I got for my 10th birthday and avidly collected the large and scratchy 78 rpm disks I would listen to over and over. My mother played the piano for me every morning and then I played the same pieces in turn - it was great fun. Then I went on with my life - a boy's life, like any other. That I also performed on the piano for others was just more fun. Great fun, in fact.

Q) What prompted you to write your story now?

A) Actually, friends and publishers prompted me, but I didn't want to do it. I said I am not interested in looking back, just forward - what has been, has been. But finally I agreed to write down the anecdote I would come up with when journalists would ask, "how did you shift from being a concert pianist to being an academic - a philosopher?" That is quite a story, and since I have told it quite a few times, I just sat down and wrote it out. It only took a few hours. Then my friends came back saying fine, but can you add how you met and married the Finnish girl who became your wife? That was another question I was often asked and I got used to giving an answer to it. So that took another half-day. To make one long story into several short stories, within three weeks I had a dozen "short-stories" on my laptop. And I began to enjoy myself. It was fun going back over the years and living myself into bygone and I thought long-forgotten times. They were as vivid as ever. For a day I would be an eighteen year old growing up and having romantic adventures in New York, then a thirty year old in Switzerland timorously seeing if he could make it as a budding scientist and philosopher. Or a fifty-five year old becoming an international civil servant and being privy to some of the backstage discussions at the UN that would shape the world (or so I thought). And so it went, until I had all twenty-two stories in hand and said, now basta - that's enough. I added some recollections of how I reconnected with my hometown Budapest over the years, and the book was born.

Q) During my research I encountered one of the obvious detractors of your work. Claims of extremism, a blatant hint at fascism, and the intent to create a one-world government abound. How do you maintain your composure against such inordinate criticism?

A) I have been called many things (though being a fascist and a one-world government advocate is frankly ridiculous) and I never really minded it - I remember Gandhi saying that when you innovate first you will be ignored, then denigrated, and then (with luck and perseverance) your ideas will be embraced as if we would have known them all along. Best is to get past the phase of being ignored. Fine then to become accepted even without being recognized for what one is accepted for. The main thing is to get the ideas across - that's what I had always wanted.

Q) Of all your accomplishments, professionally and personally, which is the one that continues to warm your heart?

A) What I most want and have always hoped for and appreciated is having loving people around me: my immediate family and close friends. I have that privilege, though I don't feel that I really deserve it. Perhaps I have been lucky. In any case, I thank my lucky stars for that.

Q) Throughout your life, it is music that seems to be the blood in your veins that fuels your passion, the drive to pursue your intuition, and your love of wisdom. Should all of us seek to identify a passion beyond the rote of routine?

A) I should say, yes, absolutely. Living for something is what makes life worth living. Having a vision, no matter how pedestrian or how pie in the sky. The ultimate hobby, the ultimate satisfaction, is to do something that you think is worthwhile. For me a day when I pursued my vision-hobby is a day well spent. Otherwise it seems like a day pretty well wasted.

Q) What message do you hope to leave with your readers?

A) Life is a great adventure. The adventure of finding out what it - I mean life - really is all about. And if you can have fun while looking for the answer, so much the better. I abhor being so serious about anything that the sense of adventure is lost, and there is no fun pursuing it. There is a well-known expression in German (which I have known as a child, since it has its equivalent in Hungarian) tierische Ernst, meaning "beastly seriousness." I have always disliked it, in myself even more than in others. I hope this comes through between the lines in all these "tales from my life."

Romance Author Lauren Fraser

2011-06-03T07:15:00.002-05:00

Canadian Lauren Fraser was giving her two daughters the "follow your dreams" speech when she realized maybe she should follow her own advice. Today Lauren is a multi-published author with many more wonderful tales to come. Claiming a huge romantic heart and to be a sucker for happy endings, she naturally gravitated to romance as her writing interest and chosen genre.

Preferring tea, she has a cupboard filled with varying flavors. She's also a self-proclaimed chocoholic. But don't let her gentle persona fool you, she's an avid mixed martial arts fan and has broken off more than one conversation so she didn’t miss a single round of a bout. Lauren's also a lover of the outdoors and regularly goes camping, hiking, and kayaking with her husband and children.

Certainly, a number of Lauren's novels such as "Sex, Sin, and Surf" contain the jaw-droppingly handsome hero whose mere appearance on the page curls your toes in anticipation of his meeting the heroine. But Lauren also believes men with brains can be incredibly sexy. From that belief she penned the novel "The Geek Next Door," the story of a successful and powerful woman who discovers the fantasy she thought would only remain an intangible dream actually lives next door in a man who uses his mind to make her fantasies reality.

And while today's dating world may utilize the Internet to meet, Lauren still believes in what she calls the "Wowza!" moment when your gaze falls on that certain someone who sends your heart into cardiac arrest, and your mind to the clouds.

If you enjoy romance, love, and unforgettable characters and prose, you need to spend some time with a Lauren Fraser story.
Lauren's Web Site

Q) "Undercover Attraction," a story about a DEA agent, was your first published story. How nervous were you about how the readers would accept it?

A) First let me just say thank you so much for having me as a guest today. I'm really excited to be here. Now onto your question, how nervous was I? Goodness, nervous doesn't even begin to describe it, it was more like terrified, but then I am every time I have a book released. LOL

Q) Outwardly, you don't appear shy, yet you claim to be naturally introverted. How have you overcome that in order to communicate with readers, which I know you do regularly.

A) Well I have to admit it's a whole lot easier to get over my nerves when I don't have to do it face to face. Honestly a big part of being an author is getting your name out there so people actually know to look for your books, so even though it wasn't originally in my comfort zone, I put on my big girl panties and did it. Now that I have done several different promotional things it has gotten considerably easier, thank goodness. Although I admit, on social media stuff, I do still find it easier to comment on existing conversations rather than starting my own, but I'm trying to get better at that too. *grin*

Q) You worked in the child protection field for a number of years. Not an easy job at times. How has that experience influenced your writing?

A) I like to think it has made me more in tune with my characters and their conflicts. I'm always trying to figure out what shaped them into the people they are now, upbringing, experiences in the past, etc. all have a huge impact on how you handle various situations and I hope I create characters that have that depth to them.

Q) I know you to have a wicked and off the hip sense of humor. Your book "Aged to Perfection" offers a hint of the depth of your wit. Who do you attribute your humor to?

A) Hmm that's a tough question. Can't I just plead I was born with it? LOL I'm not really sure, but I'd probably have to give a lot of the credit to my grandpa. He had an amazing sense of humor and he used to make up these fantastic stories and in hindsight they were obviously fake but he was so good at spinning these tales and lacing in the real life humor of those situations that I always believed him. He also taught me the importance of being able to laugh at myself which I think helps. Other than that I have no idea.

Q) As a relative newcomer to being published, what advice would you have for those who have a story to tell but have yet to put pen to paper?

A) Umm... get your butt in the chair and write it. LOL I know that sounds a bit simple but it's true. It's really easy to put it off and not write, Life has a funny way of sidetracking you from your goals if you let it. You can always edit the story later and fix POV and punctuation etc. but you can't fix it if you don't write it. Honestly you learn soooo much just getting it down on the page. When I look back at the first things I've written I realize I've learned a lot through this process, but you can't see your growth if you don't have a starting point.

One Stitch at a Time: Author Marie Bostwick

2011-05-27T15:05:00.000-05:00

Marie Bostwick is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, and so very much more.

Marie worked in the bean fields of Oregon, sang and danced in musical productions, acted in TV commercials, taught religion to deaf children, ran an event-planning business, directed a medical mission for the poor in Mexico, worked as the scheduler for a U.S. Senator, and directed women’s ministries, amongst other activities. She's also been married for nearly three decades and raised a family.

Throughout, Marie has enjoyed one pastime in particular – quilting. She still participates in quilting bees, though now she takes her favorite chair with her.

Her debut historical romance novel, "Fields of Gold," was quickly followed by "River's Edge." But it was her third novel, which, I believe, opened a door that Marie probably won't ever willingly walk back through. Continuing in the WWII era, Marie wrote "On Wings of the Morning." In this story, Marie enlisted her heroine in the Women Air Force Service Pilots. The heroine wasn't just empowered, but surrounded by other women possessing great internal strength and character. Marie's heroine had backbone, and a whole army of women standing beside her.

Marie carried this theme to her acclaimed Cobbled Court quilters series. The initial novel, "A Single Thread," introduced the ladies of New Bern, and how tragedy and conflict sewed the group of quilters into a sisterhood of solidarity.

Now, in the fourth title of this series, "Threading the Needle" due out May 31st, the sisterhood is confronted with the difficulties of economic downturn and the ensuing destruction hard times can bring to families. More than ever before the ladies will need each other in order to quilt a future from ragged remnants, one stitch at a time.

Marie's Web Site

Q) "Fields of Gold" took four years to write. Then you discovered publication comes with deadlines. How did you cope with learning you only had months to write a second novel?

A) After I stopped hyper-ventilating, I asked my agent to get me more time. Originally, my editor asked for a second book in four months. I knew I there was no way I could write a worthy successor to FIELDS OF GOLD in that amount of time - I still couldn't. Having to deliver a second novel that quickly would have been a deal breaker for me. After a bit of negotiation, we agreed on a one year deadline. It was challenging but doable. That's still about how long it takes me to write a full length novel.

Then and now, I cope with deadlines the same way - by saying no a lot.

I love writing; it is my calling in life. But writing is a jealous mistress. For me, responding to the call to write often means forgoing other opportunities and activities that I might enjoy, guarding my calendar carefully, prioritizing my career, family, and community responsibilities and relationships, and only saying yes to opportunities or requests which fit those priorities.

Q) Your faith in God is unshakeable as is your ministry, and while you instill divine faith in many of your characters, you choose not to "preach" to your readers when you very easily could. Has that decision ever drawn conflict within you?

A) Not really because I'm clear about my purpose in life. I'm not a preacher - I'm a storyteller. My books often integrate questions of faith and spiritual focus because faith is so tightly woven into my everyday life. I suppose it comes under the heading of "writing what you know".

But, the biggest reason I write about issues of faith is because I think that is one of the major questions each person has to wrestle with in life, at least at some point. I work very hard to write books that are relevant to what actual people are actually dealing with. If you're writing about a character as a whole person, someone with feelings, choices, and experiences that ring true, the picture would be incomplete without some examination of the characters spiritual beliefs and struggles. Not all my characters reach the same conclusions in this regard - some embrace faith, some reject it, and some remain undecided.

Q) You once said you become "a new person" when you begin a new story. What did you mean by that?
A) When I began writing in a serious way, I was a corporate wife and a mother with three children living at home. Then two. Then one. Now it's just me, an indifferent cat, a very spoiled Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and a husband who travels a lot. It seems that every year, the makeup of my family and my corresponding responsibilities change. That requires me to adjust my schedule and writing rituals accordingly.

This year, I became a grandmother and so, once again, I'm a new person. I don't have to squeeze my writing into those few hours between school bus pick ups and drop offs anymore, but being a grandmother will definitely mean an adjustment in my writing habits and schedules. Making time to cherish and help nurture my grandson is a priority for me. I love writing, but it isn't my first love. That distinction is reserved for my family.

Q) While filled with many stories, you initially chose WWII as the setting for your first novel. Why?

A) It's just such a fascinating time period. What other period of time so clearly exposed the most noble and most despicable, even depraved, aspects of human character? If you're writing a novel, that kind of conflict between good and evil is rich soil for growing stories.

At the moment, I'm enjoying writing my contemporary stories but I imagine that one day I'll write another historical novel. When I do, I'll likely set it in the period between the wars.

Q) In "A Thread of Truth" you took on the issue of domestic violence. Why did you choose so early in the series to tackle a subject many readers don't care for? It was a gutsy decision.

A) This might sound crazy, or perhaps naive, but I don't think it every occurred to me that readers might back away from the subject of domestic violence. In Ivy Peterman, the heroine of A THREAD OF TRUTH, I knew I had a character who was compelling, complex, believable, and had a story that was relevant and thought-provoking. Those are the essential elements of a good book and I trusted my readers would embrace that. Fortunately, my faith in them was not misplaced.

That being said, it was a difficult book to write and one that stretched me personally and professionally. I had to do a lot of research and talk to a lot of people to be able to understand how smart, kind, caring women find themselves in these situations and why it can be so hard for women to leave violent relationships. I learned a lot while writing A THREAD OF TRUTH and I think those who read it learned something too. The most important thing I learned about domestic violence is that if we just keep pretending that it isn't there or that it isn't happening in our neighborhood, it will continue to flourish.

New York Times Bestselling Author Nancy Bush

2011-05-20T09:01:00.001-05:00

In 1975, single and carefree Nancy Bush dared a fortuneteller to read her palm. The verdict of the prophecy Nancy would have one child and become a writer? Ludicrous.

Today, with a husband, one daughter, and over forty novels to her credit, Nancy can still scoff. After all, the fortuneteller missed she'd become a proud grandmother and momma to a pug dog named The Binkster.

Nancy first began writing stories for young adults. Her works include five "Nancy Drew" mysteries under the penname Carolyn Keene. As Nicole Brooks she authored several "Days Of Our Lives" and "General Hospital" novels. She also worked for a time as a breakdown writer for the TV soap "All My Children." Contemporary romance readers may know Nancy as Natalie Bishop or Nancy Kelly.

Not content to be locked into one style of writing, Nancy successfully authored several historical romances such as "Scandal's Darling." Her sights set on new territory, she penned the acclaimed Jane Kelly mystery series starting with "Candy Apple Red."

Teaming up with sister and bestselling author Lisa Jackson, the duo wrote the hugely popular "Wicked Game," a thriller with a taste of the paranormal. Continuing her interest in thrillers, "Unseen" has shivered spines across the country and around the world. "Blind Spot" combined Nancy's love of mystery, romance, and thriller genres.

Nancy's latest offerings "Wicked Lies" (co-authored with Lisa Jackson) and "Hush" - due out, respectively, this June and July – are sure to once again keep readers turning the page.

Now, I have to be honest. Kensington Books sent me an advanced copy of "Wicked Lies." Oh, my. You don't want to miss this one.
http://www.nancybush.net/

Q) You hold a degree in Foods and Nutrition. What turned you from a career in that field to writing?

A) Motherhood. I was home with my 1-year-old daughter at the time and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. I read an article in TIME Magazine about young mothers who were making a living writing romance novels. This was in (ahem) 1981. (Sheesh, I’ve been at this awhile!) I told my sister about the article and we sat down and wrote our first novel together, which was rejected all over the place. Deciding we wouldn’t listen to the advice of experts, we began writing separate novels and eventually each sold. Lo, these many years later we finally started writing together again, 2009’s "Wicked Game" and now 2011’s "Wicked Lies."

Q) With you and your sister having such amazing talent, is there a family member you attribute your literary gene to, or one who inspired you to pursue your dreams?

A) Everybody was a reader in my family, so that probably kicked off both of our interest. My sister was the one who dreamed of writing, but I was a science major and thought writing papers was a total pain. Still do. But I was a voracious reader. Lisa was kind of into the horse thing but I devoured mysteries, any I could get my hands on, and then thrillers.

Q) You once said the Jane Kelly mysteries is your favorite of all your work. Does that still hold true, and if so, when can Jane's fans look forward to another helping?

A) Jane Kelly and her exploits are still my absolute favorite books to write. They’re like the dessert at the end of the meal. I’m working on the fourth book. I really want to see it published, but I’ve taken a turn into thrillers and the audience has grown so fast that it kind of derailed my publishing plan for Jane! I really want to get back to the mystery series but I just don’t know when that’s going to happen yet.

Q) Holding the distinction of being a NYT Bestselling Author, does that distinction ever become a millstone pressuring you to repeat that achievement?

A) Not on your life. It’s like the best thing ever! Fans of my thrillers have put me there, and it’s one of the reasons I’m having trouble getting back to Jane, Dwayne and The Binkster. Not that I’m complaining!

Q) When it's time to step away from the keyboard and reconnect with your husband, what do the two of you do to rekindle your own romantic story?

A) You know that 1-year-old daughter I mentioned earlier? Well, she grew up and moved to California, got married and had two little girls of her own. What does it say about our romantic story that my husband and I make visiting her and playing grandparents to both of those two little girls our favorite vacation? Okay, we do get out of the Oregon rain, too, so maybe that counts. But after our vacation time with them, we tend to get on the airplane home and pass out before the plane’s even in the air. The combined energy level of a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old is awesome to behold. Our vacation from our vacation is being home with the DVR and saved episodes of MODERN FAMILY, HOUSE and THE GOOD WIFE!

Award-Winning Author Rick R Reed

2011-05-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

Rick R. Reed, to the casual observer, appears to be an unassuming, polite, and sometimes shy man unobtrusively residing in Seattle, WA, with his life-partner and a Boston Terrier named Lily.

What lies beneath this man's calm exterior is a mind capable of producing unforgettable tales of horror, romance, and tragedy that have been compared to Stephen King, called "an established brand," won awards, and are constantly evolving. Each Rick R. Reed story takes the readers on a journey in which we may tremble, cry, laugh, swear we want to end, but yet, we will not close the book until the last word has been read.

Masterful prose provides settings and characters readers simply cannot get enough of. Rick's ability to cross and blur genre lines has enthralled readers around the world. His stories know no boundaries and courageously open doors some would rather remain closed. His settings may go from a penthouse to Mr. Leather night in an alley club; from characters trying to discover how they fit in a world they don't understand (Dignity Takes a Holiday) to the tragedy of sacrificing passion in order to know love (In the Blood).

His paranormal novel, "The Blue Moon Café" was named the 2010 Book of the Year by Rainbow Awards for Excellence. The dark and suspenseful "How I Met My Man" is currently receiving rave reviews.

Rick's voice is powerful, compassionate, and here to stay.
Website: http://www.rickrreed.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RickRReed
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rickrreed
Blog http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/

Q) Originally, horror and suspense were the centerpieces for your stories. You are now branching out to intriguing tales of romance. What has inspired your shift in focus?

A) I think, as I've grown older and more settled in my life, I'm now more than ready to explore the vagaries of romantic relationships and how human beings interact with one another. I like to write about how people connect, what makes them long for connection, and what can get in the way of that connection. Those themes are timeless and universal. I especially like combining dark suspense with romance.

Q) You have worked as an advertising copywriter and as a movie critic in Chicago. Your entire life revolves around writing. What is it about the written word that has bound you to it so exclusively?

A) I have almost always written. I wrote short stories when I was a small child, a play in 4th grade, a novella in 5th that I read in serial installments to my class…writing is simply something that's constitutional with me, a part of me. I don't look at it as a job or a hobby, but who I am. It's what I do best…and so it's natural that it also plays a part in how I've always made my living.

Q) "Tales From the Sexual Underground" sent you on an odyssey in which you interviewed porn stars, prostitutes, self-proclaimed sex pigs, and delved into bizarre sexual practices. The stories are provocative and, at times, difficult to read. Why was this book so important to you?

A) The book evolved from a column I used to write for a Chicago weekly and many of the columns I wrote at the time are reproduced in the book with some explanatory manner. So are many short stories I wrote which revolve around people living on the sexual edge. I guess what fascinates me about the subject matter is what fascinates me about human behavior--what drives people and what sometimes compels them to do things that they know logically they should resist, but can't.

Q) In "Deadly Vision" you send out a clear message about the importance of a mother's bond with her children. That story was a bit of a departure for you. Why did you feel the need to tell it?

A) The story is not really a departure. It's a story of dark suspense about a reluctant psychic having visions into the murders of young girls in her small hometown. So I think it fits quite well into my canon. But the mother/child bond is central to the story thematically…probably because it was written as my own mother was dying from cancer.

Q) Obviously, you have to step away from the computer. What relaxes and reenergizes you?

A) I happen to live in the Pacific Northwest, which is beautiful and great for outdoor stuff like running, walking, and hiking, all of which I love to do. When I can't get outside, I go to the gym and work out with weights or on the treadmill or cross trainer. Aside from that I love to cook, read constantly, and enjoy movies and theater.

The Readers' Writers - 52nd Edition

2011-05-06T07:20:00.001-05:00

Yes, indeed. Readers have been welcoming our little column into their lives for the journalistic equivalent of a year. Thank you. For without you, the readers, this column simply wouldn't exist. That's a fact. So, thank you again.

But for a column dedicated to authors and the readers who enjoy them to happen requires a lot of people behind the scenes. Eric Petermann, former editor of the (Freeport) Journal-Standard, first took interest in the concept of interviewing writers, not just doing book reviews. I'd wanted a way to thank authors Sam Reaves and Barbara Sheridan for their mentoring of my story writing. Eric saw potential for a continuing article, and quick as that The Readers' Writers was born.

GateHouse News Service liked what they saw, and a twice-a-month column became a weekly.

Jane Lethlean and Bethany Strunk now spearhead the nuts and bolts of ensuring timely publication, as well as keeping me in line – not always an easy job.

Then, of course, are the authors themselves. Wouldn't be much of a column if there wasn't anyone to interview. Fortunately, the majority of published authors and their agents and publicists (we can't forget those folks) are some of the kindest, warmest people you could spend time with. They really are, and over the last year we've badgered, I mean harangued, uhm… interviewed… fifty-one of them.

From Adrian Dodson, author of one book, to Robert J. Sawyer, one of the most award-winning authors ever, to Charlaine Harris, one of the most recognized authors of our time, writers have availed themselves to us in order to be introduced to you, the readers.

Yes. Basically, I'm just the middleman, the literary maitre d' providing you the best seat possible to a day in the life of our favorite writers. And I thank all of you, readers, writers, and newspaper staff across the country, for the opportunity.

So, what to do, who to interview for this particular edition?

One writer, nearly unknown, yet read weekly from coast-to-coast, hinted that he might be willing to consent. He's a bit of a grouch, hard to live with, and very stubborn. Still, for whatever reason, my wife's remained married to him for sixteen years. Apparently she likes long-term challenges.

His name's KevaD, though we know him better as David "DA" Kentner.

A former army medic, EOD specialist, police officer and police chief, auctioneer, furniture restorer, and antiques dealer, KevaD clearly can't hold a job. But he loves to write – about anything. When not at the keyboard, shoveling snow or mowing their five acres outside Freeport, IL, he's trying to explain to his wife SOAPnet and the Game network aren't the only channels on TV, and that pizza really is a required food group.

Q) "Sunday Awakening" isn't quite like other romantic suspense novels. Where did that story come from?

A) "Sunday Awakening" originated from a news story about a young woman kidnapped at an early age and discovered alive years later. At the same time, documentaries investigating sexual slavery were being aired on TV. I wondered what a contemporary woman raised in bondage would do, what obstacles she would be willing to risk her life to overcome, in order to find the family she's never known, and the life she never had.

My character Cheryl needed a man as strong and courageous as she is, and willing to give his life without hesitation in order to gain her trust – and she doesn't trust easily. Taylor Hughes was as necessary as oxygen, because, in the end, home really is where the heart is, and Cheryl deserved only the finest of hearts to call home.

Q) Where did the name "KevaD" come from?

A) I'd been writing and unsuccessfully submitting novels to agents and publishers for two years. Then I was welcomed into ERAuthors, a writers' critiquing group comprised of new, seasoned, and a couple of bestselling authors. Those folks explained I had a lot to learn. I was a willing student.

I critiqued a chapter for gay fiction author Ash Penn. She asked if I'd ever considered writing gay fiction. I said, no. She said I should, as she was impressed with what I'd suggested. I laughed. Ash insisted. I gulped.

My gay romantic comedy "Out of the Closet" became my first published novella, and continues to be my best selling story. Since I'd taken a step I'd never envisioned, I selected a pen name I felt appropriate – KevaD – Dave K through the looking glass.

Q) I hear you just won a national writing competition.

A) Yes, I did. Thanks for mentioning it.

My short story "The Caretaker" took 1st Place in Calliope magazine's (A Publication of The Writers' Specialized Interest Group (SIG) of American Mensa, Ltd.) 18th annual short fiction contest. The story will appear in their Summer Edition sometime after June.

I hope folks will take the time to read it. I'm obviously pretty proud of that story.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ladies and gentlemen, from my heart, thank you so very much for allowing me into your busy lives this past year, and I sincerely hope you will continue to enjoy what we do here.

Medium and Author Maureen Hancock

2011-04-29T07:47:00.000-05:00

Maureen Hancock didn't just write a book – this energetic and profound lady lives and embodies every word.

"The Medium Next Door" is an account of Maureen's experiences as a psychic who, in her words, "sees and hears dead people" and the help to individuals and law enforcement she has provided over the years. But it is also a book designed to provide reflection and insight the reader can use to improve their own circumstances and health.

A standup comedian, Maureen infuses her gift of laughter into all she does. Be it with her readings, assisting to locate a lost child, or comforting those grieving, Maureen extols the joys and miracles of life and how each of us can find peace and the strength to move forward.

Children have been and remain a top priority. To that end Maureen co-founded the not-for-profits Seeds of Hope, which provides holistic care for cancer patients and support for parents who have lost children, and Mission for the Missing, providing assistance and equipment in missing children and adult cases.

Though already nationally renowned, Maureen is about to enter all of our homes through a reality TV show scheduled this fall courtesy Disney ABC. So, don't turn that dial, because there is much more to come from Maureen Hancock.
http://www.maureenhancock.com/

Q) What is the one message you hope "The Medium Next Door" leaves with your readers?

A) The one message I hope my book "The Medium Next Door" leaves with my readers is that those that have gone home before us are simply not dead; just different. The bonds of love cannot be broken by this temporary, physical separation. We all have experienced losing a loved one. In my book, I help readers understand that the layers of grief can be peeled away by opening up to the possibility of the continuity of life.

Q) A wife and mother devoted to her family, yet so busy making personal appearances, and now a reality TV show, how do you balance your time with your loved ones?

A) In dealing with death on a daily basis, I've come to realize what a gift each day is. Witnessing families squeezing every morsel of joy out of their remaining time together has helped me to align my own priorities. I made a promise to myself and my family a few years back when I found I was trying to "squeeze in" family time. I now vow to work to live, not live to work. I make sure to schedule my charity work during the day when my children are at school. My events take place a few nights a week after sports, homework and a hot meal. Time is the one thing we will never get back~I choose to use it wisely and carve memories in my heart.

Q) You are on the verge of becoming a "household name," a celebrity recognized everywhere you go. Some handle such notoriety with grace, some spiral out of control. Are you and your family prepared for the inevitable changes fame brings?

A) I will admit I am a bit anxious about becoming a "household name." Thankfully, I am grounded in my life's mission and feel humbled to be able to share my message with the world. I've been offered a handful of television opportunities over the years and am proud to say I turned them down. The time just wasn't right, the networks didn't have my best interest at heart, and my children were too young. I plan to take one day at a time and remain true to my beliefs and my ultimate goal. No matter what road fame takes me down, I will have my boys on one arm and my husband on the other.

Q) To whom or what do you attribute your innate, quick wit and charm?

A) I attribute my quick wit and charm to my mother, Gracie. Growing up she was the loud, boisterous, strong-willed Irish woman who woke me to do chores early on a Saturday morning. I shrank in the front row pew at Sunday Mass as she bellowed hymns at the top of her lungs. At a family function, the whole room would gather around Gracie's table as she told a joke or shared a funny story. I now wake my children to do chores, I sing in the back pew at church, and I attract a crowd at any event as I share her stories which have now become my stories. I hold my head high realizing that I am slowly becoming my mother.

Q) Life is about moving forward, and you have accomplished so very much in your life. What is your ultimate goal? How would you like to be remembered?

A) My ultimate goal in doing this work is to teach people about living life to the fullest before we leave our leased vehicle behind. I hope to relieve the pain of the masses and show people how to open up to infinite possibilities. My vehicle will be public speaking, additional books, and growing my not-for-profit charities. I hope my mission to give back is contagious.

I would like to be remembered as the girl next door with a twist who never judged, loved unconditionally, gave back in humble ways, and touched thousands of lives with her light-hearted message of unending love and life. I hope the dash between my years is in bold and holds many memories my children can be proud of. Oh, and I'd like to be remembered as a kick-arse "Overseas Operator" bridging the gap between here and there.

Award-winning Author Brett Battles

2011-04-22T08:40:00.000-05:00

Brett Battles is an author, world traveler, and devoted father. His thrilling tales about a cleaner's exploits encompass the world. A "cleaner" is a person who disposes of bodies so no trace remains of the killing or the crime scene. Jonathon Quinn is Brett's recurring protagonist who contracts with a covert agency to clean up their messes, and usually finds himself embroiled in a mess of his own.

What Brett adds to his creatively crafted plots is a reality far beyond his marvelously twisted imagination. As a lover of travel, Brett includes personal observations into his stories. This compulsion to provide genuineness to his readers extends to his uncommon practice of photographing and videotaping people on the street in order to capture their miniscule quirks and gestures, their unique styles of dress, and their expressions, which he then implants into his characters.

Such devotion to detail has produced acclaimed and award-winning novels such as "The Deceived" and his latest release "The Silenced."

This desire for detail also happened to snap a photograph of Paris Hilton scanning the self-help/relationship section in a bookstore. True story.

Brett's books have been distributed around the world, and his fan base continues to grow. The reason is, Brett Battles' stories draw the reader in to international intrigue, suspense, and danger. When you sit down with one of Brett's books, be it a Quinn tale such as "Shadow of Betrayal" or the Logan Harper thriller "Little Girl Gone," make sure your calendar's cleared. Or, if it isn't, Brett knows a cleaner who just might be able to help you out.
http://www.brettbattles.com/

Q) Your taste for life is eclectic. Your music choices range from Billie Holiday to David Bowie. Movies: from Casablanca to The Matador. What drew your focus to writing suspense-filled thrillers?

A) I’ve been a thriller fan since I was a kid, so it must be something sewn into my DNA. I remember reading stories like ICE STATION ZEBRA by Alistair MacLean and BLACK SUNDAY by Thomas Harris and absolutely loving them.

Q) In "Shadow of Betrayal," you focus on children, some with special needs. You, yourself, have a child with Down's syndrome. Obviously, this book was difficult for you to write. So, why did you?

A) Why? That’s a good question, but one I don’t think I have a clear answer for. I had this scene in my mind before I started, a quiet little scene with Quinn and a child with Down Syndrome. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work, or if I even wanted to do it. That scene did make it into my book, and while it was quick, it may have been one of the hardest I’ve ever written. I got very emotional while I was working on it.

Q) You have adapted quite well to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. How important do you believe similar sites will be to an author's popularity in the future?

A) I think they are very important now, and will be even more so in the future. With the move to more and more people reading ebooks, these online venues become the primary place where authors can connect with the readers and where they can share news about new work. They can definitely be exciting and all consuming, but they are here to stay.

Q) You travel extensively. Does the traveling inspire your stories, or do the stories inspire you to travel?

A) Yes and yes. They feed into each other. Sometimes I’m traveling and a scene will come to me. For instance, I have this image in my mind of Nate (Quinn’s apprentice) standing on a dock along the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok watching the water...that came to me while I was there. Haven’t written it yet, but it will probably be in the next Quinn book. Other times go to a location with a story already in mind and look around for specific locales that will help me out. I did this with THE SILENCED by purposely traveling to London and Paris, knowing the book would be largely set there.

Q) "The Silenced" is the fourth novel for Jonathon Quinn. Do you plan to continue this series, or is Quinn's dangerous lifestyle catching up with him?

A) Definitely will be more Quinn books, but Quinn is also starting to show the strain. In THE SILENCED his past comes into direct contact with his Cleaner life, and that is something he never thought would happen. That’s going to have a big effect on him. Plus he’s been growing slowly disenchanted with his profession, and that’s going to make things interesting. Then there’s his whole relationship with his girlfriend and partner Orlando and where is that going. Plus his apprentice Nate, what does his future hold? This is a long way of saying there’s a lot more to come! I’ll be sitting down to write the next one in a few months, and can’t wait to get back into his world.

Author Jerri Drennen

2011-04-16T09:06:00.006-05:00

Born in Nebraska, raised in Minnesota, and now residing in Missouri, author Jerri Drennen is, first and foremost, a wife and mother of four devoted to her family. She is also quite shy and reserved, until she begins adding another story to her list of published novels.

It is then Jerri fills the page with thrilling adventures of love found, lost, recovered, or yet to be in settings such as the bayous of Louisiana, the Florida Everglades, the Amazon jungles, or just about anywhere the reader can imagine. Add in some stolen jewels, a hidden treasure, or a maniacal killer or two on the loose, and you have a peek inside the mind of one of today's up and coming fiction romance writers.

Jerri enjoys writing series such as the Aztec Security series of which "Mauvelous" and "Caddy-Did" are a part of to her latest, the Men of the Jungle series, which houses the attention-getting novel "Untouched," and the just released "Unplanned." And let's not forget the Denver Homicide and Men of the Black Stallion series.

Her gutsy heroines and muscled heroes with theirsometimes-questionable motives are as diverse as the captivating settings. Jerri is well on her way to becoming very established in the world of fiction. So, grab one of her books, turn off the TV, send the kids outside to play, and enjoy the ride right along with her.

http://www.jerridrennen.com/

Q) I've heard you're addicted to yard sales. What's your best find so far?

A) I find treasures all the time, but last year I found this cute little black dress that still had the tag on it, which I paid a dollar for.

Q) You have referred to romance as the "music of your heart." Do you prefer the journey toward love between your characters, or the moment they surrender to their love?

A) I like building up to love more than anything. When the characters are just becoming aware of the sexual tension between them. That's with reading and writing romance.

Q) You are a vegetarian. Do you plant (terrible pun intended) your beliefs in to your characters? Why or why not?

A) I believe I've only had one character who was vegetarian. I love animals, and that was catalyst to me becoming one, but I don't try and sway anyone into the no-meat lifestyle--though both my daughters and one of my son's are vegetarian.

Q) In "Unplanned," you truly are continuing an intriguing subplot started in "Untouched." What inspired you to do that?

A) When I was writing Untouched, I knew I'd have to write Galen's story once I got to know him, though he was a difficult hero to write. Some might even say he's a anti-hero. He hides his pain behind a carefree, unemotional attitude. The man is closed off and afraid to connect with people--especially women because of something dark in his past.

Q) What draws you to writing series and not stand-alone novels?

A) I've been writing series for a long time, though I have written a number of stand-alone as well. My first series was the Department of National Security series, based around a fictitious agency, not unlike the CIA. My reasons for writing them are simply, I have a hard time letting go of characters. I want to keep them around as long as I can, even if that means making them secondary character in the next book.

I want to thank you so much for having me here today!

Pulitzer Nominee Yvonne S. Thornton, MD, MPH

2011-04-08T09:22:00.000-05:00

Dr. Yvonne Thornton: First American woman to be accepted into the OB/GYN residency program at The Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, first black woman in the U.S. to be Board-certified in High-Risk obstetrics and to be accepted into The New York Obstetrical Society, established and developed the program for a new form of early prenatal diagnostic testing known as CVS (chorionic villus sampling), outspoken advocate on women's health issues, spokesperson for The March of Dimes, hosted her own television show on women's health, Pulitzer Prize nominee and bestselling author, wife and oh, so proud mother.

Obviously, such a gifted and successful woman had to have been born into a family and circumstances that afforded such opportunities. Dear reader, if you believe that, you are so very wrong... and so very right.

Dr. Thornton and her five sisters are the daughters of father, Donald, and mother, Itasker, whose wealth was the love and determination to succeed they bestowed upon their children. Donald Thornton was a ditchdigger who worked two full-time jobs to put food on the table. Donald's guidance and creed of "Don't let anyone define who you are" instilled the sisters with the understanding that intelligent and educated are not synonyms. And, that by combining intelligence, drive, and courage, any goal is attainable.

Dr. Thornton stands today as the ultimate example of that philosophy.

In the heart wrenching and inspiring novel "The Ditchdigger's Daughters," Dr. Thornton shares her upbringing and the family values that gave her the strength and faith to venture into a world with many doors closed to women, and especially black women.

"Something to Prove: A Daughter's Journey to Fulfill a Father's Legacy" is Dr. Thornton's personal story of how, armed with her father's teachings, she ascended to the top of her field despite setbacks, bias, and a white male-dominated field.

As a result of Dr. Thornton's continuing dedication to helping women "INSIDE INFORMATION FOR WOMEN: Answers to the Mysteries of the Female Body and Her Health" was released this year.
http://www.doctorthornton.com/

Q) A question from my wife: Why did you choose to pursue a career specializing in obstetrics and gynecology?

A) The answer is in my first memoir, The Ditchdigger's Daughters ("The Thornettes"). I didn't choose obstetrics, I think it chose me. At the age of eight years of age, I was witness to a precipitous delivery in an elevator.

Q) You and your husband, though so busy with your distinguished medical careers, both volunteered to serve active duty in the U.S. Navy. Why?

A) That answer is also in my first memoir ("Navy Blue and Black"). However, it was my husband's fervent belief that, as Americans, we should all give back in service to our country.

Q) Excluding family, what would you consider your crowning achievement; the one accomplishment you feel defines your character?

A) I can't exclude my family because they are the essence of my being and my children are my most valued accomplishment. My husband is my champion. After that, being the first black woman in the United States to be Board-certified in High-Risk Obstetrics is my highest professional accomplishment.

Q) I've heard a rumor about a T-bird and its role in some college shenanigans. Care to share a story or two?

A) If you define "shenanigans" as commuting back and forth home from Monmouth College (West Long Branch to Long Branch) in my fabulous 1965 Thunderbird convertible with sequential turning signals, well that was about it.

Q) Your father said, "If you look back and think you did a whole lot then, you're not doin' a damn thing now." So, what's next for Dr. Yvonne Thornton?

A) He is absolutely right!! My plans are to continue my parents' legacy by supporting and encouraging my children to leap and go as high as their talents will allow. As for me, my hope is that the book (The Ditchdigger's Daughters) will be adapted into a Broadway musical (from the page to the stage)!