Dreaming in the Pages

Books ... where dreams are better than reality

Broken Pieces

Jack Canon's American Destiny

Friday, January 17, 2014

Shelf Life: The Publicist, Book Two by Christina George @publicistgal

Chapter Two

Mac leaned back in his chair and observed Rebecca, a fellow editor, as she walked in and sat down.

“So how is it to be back?” he smiled, knowing the answer.

“It’s hard to leave a newborn,” she sighed. “It’s even harder when the minute I get back to work, Edward’s insisting we sign nothing but porn.”

Mac laughed, “Well, he tactfully called it ‘erotic romance’ but yeah, same thing.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes, “I hate Fifty Shades. Well, I hate what it’s doing to the industry. This hideously written book is being marked as a game-changer. I have to wonder if anyone who actually read the book said this. It was a repetitive and boring pile of crap. I want more literature. I was hoping to come back and do more children’s books and instead I’m ‘encouraged’ to sign porn.”

Mac spotted Kate walking past his office, “Katie, come in and say hi to Rebecca. She’s back from maternity leave and mad as hell.” Mac’s light blue eyes were on her; as usual, she heated up instantly. A smile rose from his lips, crinkling those eyes set off by his dark, thick hair. She wished she could run her fingers through it.

Pull yourself together, she thought. She took a deep breath, walked in, and sat down.

“Good to see you back. You’re not mad at me, are you? Chelsea did great this morning.” Mac’s eyes were still on her, burning into her. Kate shifted in her seat.

Chelsea was one of Rebecca’s authors, Kate wondered if she should tell her that she had to drug her up. It looked like her coworker had enough on her mind; Kate decided to wait to share Chelsea’s fear of national television.

Rebecca shook her head, “It’s not Chels, though I do appreciate the update. It’s the memo Edward sent around this morning.”

“I didn’t see it.” Kate was puzzled.

“It only went to editors,” Mac began, “encouraging us to sign more erotic books. ‘It’s what the readers want,’ Edward insisted.” Mac tapped a pen on his desk, clearly impatient with his boss.

“Shocker.” Kate threw Rebecca an encouraging smile, “I’m sorry, but you know this will wane. At some point housewives will get tired of reading about red rooms and being tied up.”

Rebecca laughed, “You’re right, I know we need to jump on trends. It was one thing when we were trying to sign young adult after the Potter craze, but this takes the cake.”

“I know,” Mac said supportively, “but you know Kate’s right. Edward will lose interest once something else shiny pops up on his radar screen.”

Rebecca stood, “You’re right, Mac, thanks for listening.” She turned to Kate. “Glad it went well with Chels this morning, I’ll catch her segment online.”

After Rebecca left, Mac turned to Kate. “So,” he smiled a broad sexy smile that drew her in, “how did it really go this morning?”

Mac observed a tiny muscle flicker near her eye. It always happened when she was stressed. She’d smile, her poise never wavering, but Mac knew. He could always tell when she was feeling ready to punch someone.

“I had to drug her to get her to go on. Her manager told me that she gets nervous from time to time, but it’s nothing major. Nothing major my ass! She was in a full-blown meltdown and there I was, shoving a pill under the door.”

Mac laughed so hard, he rocked his chair back. “Katie, world class publicist and author rescuer saves the day, again.”

A tiny smile slipped across her face. Mac was right; she was often less of a publicist and more of an author 911. She shook her head. “I have to call her manager and tell her that she’s either here for the rest of Chelsea’s TV gigs, or I’m pulling them. I barely got her to go on air this morning.”

“I think as a general rule, all authors should be sedated from the moment we sign them.”

Kate stood up. “It sure would make my job easier.”

Mac’s laughter followed her down the hall.

ShelfLife

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Genre – Contemporary Romance

Rating – R

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Author Interview - Dermot Davis @dermotdavis1

Tell me about the book that the author in the novel writes; the book that changed the world?

I forget who it was that said that madness and genius are very close allies but sometimes it’s not so easy to tell them apart. We don’t really understand the nature of creativity and where it comes from but that seems to be where all the great ideas and the great art of the world originates. This book posits that one of the greatest books ever written comes not from a person that we consider a “genius” but rather a neglected and failed author that we consider “crazy.”

Tell us about your book? What’s it about and why did you write it?

Stormy Weather is a novel about a psychologist who specializes in dream interpretation and who one day wakes up in a dream that he can’t seem to wake up from. Like a dream detective, he must look around his dream reality for clues in order to solve the enigma of his entrapment.

The book is about dreams?

The book is partly a questioning about what reality or what we call ‘consciousness” really is. Whatever state you find yourself in, then that’s your reality. When you’re in a dream, then that’s the only reality you know. We only call that reality a “dream state” when we’re in another reality that we call “waking reality.” We have no knowledge of a “waking reality” when we’re in the reality of the “dream state.”

But your protagonist knows that he’s in a dream?

Not at first, no. Just as some people question that this reality we share just might be a dream, he also begins to reason within the dream that he just might be in a dream. It’s his training that prompts him to question. However, it’s also his training that just might keep him stuck in his dream state.

Explain that?

Reasoning and intellect can only take us so far. Integration and healing of the whole person can only take place when we allow ourselves to heal on an emotional and spiritual level as well.

This is a book about healing, then?

Yes, although the protagonist, Robert Monro, is not aware that the problems he is having in his life and in his marriage are related to incidents in his past that require healing. It is only when he summons the courage to remember and to experience his past traumas that they provide the key for him to wake from his dream world.

Brain

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Genre - Contemporary Fiction

Rating – PG13

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Website www.dermotdavis.com

Quality Reads UK Book Club Disclosure: Author interview / guest post has been submitted by the author and previously used on other sites.

#SciFi #Book The Soul of the World (Legends of Amun Ra #2) by Joshua Silverman @jg_silverman

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The ancient powers lost to Potara have returned. The Brotherhood of the Black Rose rises to bring Thoth into disorder. And, while the Brotherhood reclaims their power, chaos reigns among the survivors. Six individuals have emerged from the aftermath struggling for control over their lives and a divided land. Kem and Shirin, who abolished the five thousand year reign of the Amun Priests, rule from the golden throne of the Oracle’s Chair in the Hall of the Nine. 

Dio and Axios struggle to piece together a resistance worthy to challenge the ancient magic which resides in the Great Temple of Amun, and Leoros and Atlantia try to remain true to their hearts and their cause despite tragedy.

But when the Book of Breathings is discovered, the path to immortality is revealed. Leoros and Kem race to capture the Soul of the World unaware of the challenges awaiting them. This time, the gods themselves will intervene.

In a tale where boys become men and girls become women, where treachery and deception are around every corner, and where primeval mysticism finds its way back from the grave, victory is reserved for neither the good nor the evil, but the powerful.

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Genre – Science fiction, Fantasy
Rating – PG-13+
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Robert Breeze's #Book Tour Interview @robertbreeze



Tell us a bit about your family. Mum, Dad and dog Winston live in Hereford, a small town near Wales. Brother James lives in London and I pop over to see him when I need a good roast dinner.
How do you work through self-doubts and fear? It’s a torturous process and one I’ve not found a solution to, other than working on something else/crying.
What scares you the most? I have recurring nightmares about ships and being back in an exam situation.
What makes you happiest? Writing with my dog at my feet.
What makes you angry? Injustice/cruelty to animals.
What’s your greatest character strength? Work ethic.
What’s your weakest character trait? Obsessive about planning.
If you could do any job in the world what would you do? A lorry driver appealed when younger. Now I think being a vet or a teacher would be incredibly rewarding.
Are you a city slicker or a country lover? A mixture of both just weighted in favour of the good old countryside.
Why do you write? Sounds vomit inducing but it’s just become my main passion.
What writing are you most proud of? I guess publicly I have to say The Chronicles Of Hope series (www.thechroniclesofhope.com) which I’m writing now. Secretly it’s probably a little known offensive book I’ve written that’s like an offensive critique on modern society. 
Who is your publisher? Palace Park Press, a subsidiary of Acorn independent publishing. A great brother and sister team at an award winning publishers. They offer great flexibility with regard publishing options and level of interaction required.
What book should everybody read at least once? The Bible. It’s a great science fiction novel but the more we evolve as a species and the more it’s read, the more people will become conscious of the fact that it’s nonsense and that the main charac­ter is a jealous, vindictive, misogynistic, homophobic, racist, genocidal bully.
Do you plan to publish more books? Yes, The Chronicles Of Hope series is likely to consist of 5 books, spanning the years 2082 – 2086.
What else do you do to make money, other than write? It is rare today for writers to be full time I work full time in local government so have to write around that (sometimes I can’t resist and cheekily fit some in at work)
What other jobs have you had in your life? I think I’ve had 22 jobs at last count, 20 of which were pretty horrendous. Working in a chicken factory was particularly galling. 
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? The UK. As much as I think patriotism ridiculous the weather and people in the UK have character and soul. I think we understand better than anywhere else in the world that having a sense of humour is key to fighting adversity.
Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you? Much the same as success in life, merely as long as you’re happy.
What do you hope people will take away from your writing? The intent of the books is merely to make people think and question everything a little more, I think that would have such a positive effect on society.

2082
Frank Noon divides opinion. Whilst some say he’s a philosophical genius, some say he’s a fanciful dreamer who deliberately courts controversy with his anti-establishment views about the failings of modern society.
Seemingly nearing the end of his life in politics, he reluctantly fronts an experimental inter-galactic government project late in the 21st century aimed at making life on an overpopulated Earth more sustainable. As he battles to gain control of a relative asylum, consisting of a cross section of the populous as much at odds with themselves as the situation, he unwittingly embarks on a life-changing journey of self discovery.
As they learn more about the project and its intentions how far-reaching might the consequences be for the future of humanity?
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Genre - Political Fiction
Rating – PG
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Thursday, January 16, 2014

Icarus Rising by Rob Manary @robmanary

Thursday, Day 4

I’ve decided to leave for Toronto tonight. After hearing Wayne’s report I might have left immediately, I am that taken with St. Claire, but guilt holds me here. I visit my sister, Elise, each week without fail, but I doubt she would realize if I have missed a week, or indeed if I never visited her again.

My mother was “not well” is how it is politely put. My earliest memory is of scalding hot water and the stink of bleach. I remember vividly my mother pouring bleach on my tender young skin and scrubbing my hands raw with a wire brush. “Dirty, so dirty, how do you get so dirty?” she would intone over and over again as she flayed the skin from my hands. I would cry out in agony and Elise, my saviour, my older sister, would come to my rescue.

I can hear her shaky, terrified little voice as she interceded on my behalf. “Mother,” she would say in that weak voice, struggling to be strong for me, to take the pain from her younger brother. “Look at my hands. I’m filthy, so dirty.”

Mother would drop my hands and appraise Elise as my sister held out her hands to Mother for inspection. Elise was my Christ. But Mother didn’t stop with Elise’s hands. Mother would also attack Elise’s beautiful sweet face with the wire brush and scrub raw her porcelain skin.

This terrible ritual seemed to bring Mother to a cathartic release of sorts. Realizing at last what she had done to her children she would hold us close and weep, begging us for forgiveness, promising to never lay a hand on us again. And then she would take to her bed for weeks or months. Her “lazy days” is what she called them and how thankful I was when they would come.

Home was a sprawling twelve bedroom prison to me. Most of the rooms were never used and we were not allowed to go into much of the house. At night I was tied to my bed, and there were days when Mother would leave me restrained, days when I would scream and scream because I didn’t want to empty my bowels and be left in my own excrement.  Mother kept the place like a museum. Her husband, my father, left her before I was born. Elise told me years later that Mother thought her love would one day come home and she must keep the house as he left it.

We had two servants that served the family faithfully for decades, a married couple, Charles and Abigail. They served my grandmother before my mother inherited the family estate and by all accounts my grandmother was, like my mother, “not well.” They were, therefore, accustomed to my painfully eccentric family. They were kind to Elise and me, but kept silent about what went on under the roof of their long time employers.

I’ve never blamed them. They lived in the little cottage house on the grounds, were paid little, and were already advanced in age when I was young. I don’t think either can read or write and serving our family was all they knew. They must be in their late seventies now and they still live in their little cottage house on the grounds of what is now my estate, I suppose. They care for my museum prison.  I pay them well and Abigail keeps the place spotless for visitors that will never come. Charles, I am told, still maintains gardens that are the envy of the neighbourhood. They were kind to Elise and me so I am kind to them.

My fondest memories are of working in the garden with Charles when Mother had her “lazy days” and of sitting in the kitchen and listening to Abigail sing as she prepared elaborate meals that only my sister and I would eat.

When Mother began wandering the halls of the estate in her faded and tattered wedding gown, cradling a shotgun, Abigail was finally moved to call the police.

icarusRisingPhotoCover_test 

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Genre – Erotic Romance

Rating – R

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Website http://robmanary.com/

Author Interview – Dermot Davis @dermotdavis1

Do you find it hard to share your work?

Absolutely. It was a big shock to me to discover that I actually get very terrified when I put out a new work. I think there’s some part of me that is afraid that people will laugh at me or worse, maybe form a posse and one night knock on my door or stage an intervention with a request for help me stop deluding myself into thinking that I’m a writer of any value. Is that the doorbell?

Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you?

Yes and yes. Although I do notice that the more books I put out, the less enthusiasm there is among them compared to the champagne-popping excitement of the first, which is only natural, I guess. I may have to wake them up when book number four gets released.

Do you plan to publish more books?

You couldn’t stop me, at this point. Writing and releasing a new book into the marketplace is about as intoxicating as it gets. At least until the first negative review gets posted and then I sober up and wonder what I’m doing with my life.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

Writing in bed doesn’t work for me, nor writing in a coffee shop, either, for that matter. I do prefer to write at a desk as I find that it helps me concentrate better. I used always to write in longhand but soon got tired of typing it afterwards, as I seemed to be doing double the work and I honestly hate typing unless I’m composing something in my head. Having said that, there is something about writing in longhand that I noticed is different from typing. The more personal the project is, the more I will gravitate to longhand but if that’s the case I have to write with a fountain pen and absolutely not a ball point pen of any kind. Don’t know why that is.

How much sleep do you need to be your best?

I totally have to get a good eight hours sleep or I find it very hard to write, period. The fresher I am, the more the good ideas come and it’s usually fun. Writing when I’m feeling groggy gets reflected in the writing: it’s dull, unimaginative and sloppy. In that frame of mind I’ll usually read, edit or take a nap. I love taking naps at all times of the day and when I have my office on the studio lot, it will be in the contract that they supply a cozy sofa to nap on. So sue me.

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?

I’ve had wonderful success with my books so far but certainly not enough to live exclusively on my earnings. Doing so would be success on the level of having all my dreams coming true.

Stormy Weather

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Genre - Literary Fiction

Rating – PG

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Website www.dermotdavis.com

The Alpha Choice (The Te'an Trilogy) by MD Hall #Mystery #Free


Three thousand years ago, the Vespoid Khitine are about to learn they must live with the disappointment of trade negotiations collapsing - or at least most of them will have to live with it - Chindara has other things to occupy her mind.

Their erstwhile partners to be, the Te, have their own plans. This is merely one more conquest, hardly different to scores that have gone before, Well, that isn't quite right; it's the first time they have had their actions halted by the appearance of a tiny electric blue light, a Custodian. Never have they watched, helplessly, as two of their battle cruisers blinked out of existence, before receiving a polite, but firm warning: attempts to circumvent the, hitherto unheard of, Accords will result in their complete destruction.

Twenty-one years ago, in the Gallsor system, the warning all but forgotten, Commander Jaron makes a choice that will have unimaginable consequences, the least of which follows his return to Te'ath, when the Supreme Council are prompted - on the urging of the most dangerous of the three heads of the covert Agency, Garnoth - to sanction a plan circumventing the Accords. The target? Telluria (Earth).
Garnoth's most able protégé, Tala, is tasked with leading the expedition, the success of which is dependent upon the Tellurian, Hugo Black (a Boston corporate attorney) heading up a multinational corporation, TeCorp.

Only two people can disrupt Garnoth's plan: Gorn, a twenty-one year old Te'an prodigy, whose brilliance is matched by his self-doubt and social ineptitude. He is recruited, when particularly vulnerable, to the cause of the Te'an rebellion by the single minded Narol. Gorn will betray his best, his only friend and, if he succeeds in his 'mission,' condemn his people to almost certain destruction. While taxing his mind over the choices to be made, he is completely unaware he has been marked for assassination.

The second potential fly in the Te'an ointment is history lecturer, Jonathon (Jon) Tyler and his recently acquired, rebellious young companion, Emily. Spirited from his bed, in the dead of night, he meets the physical embodiment of the electric blue light; a woman, whose beauty reminds him of a classical statue, an impression heightened by a cold and humourless aspect enhanced, in turn, by her inhuman electric blue eyes, completely electric blue eyes. Jon is told that an Artefact exists - a sentient, artificial life form, which may, or may not choose to help - and his job is to bring it to the attention of those who speak for Earth. How difficult could that be?

He is allowed to glimpse the consequences of converging forces, far beyond the danger posed by the Te'an threat, and guesses this to be the real reason for Custodian interest in his planet. For now, he has no choice but to act as a Custodian pawn in an opening gambit, on a board only just beginning to take shape, and where all the pieces have yet to arrive.

Rating – PG13
Genre – Sci-Fi
5.0 (8 reviews)
Free until 16 January 2014

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Author Interview – Dana Hui Lim @odysseybooks

What social issues interest you the most? The plight of refugees is a raw wound in Australia at the moment. I don’t have the answers but I know that the resolution is not to demonise people who are running from a nightmarish situation. I find it very difficult to blame people for wanting just a little bit of what most people in Australia take for granted.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? “If there’s no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters…, then all that matters is what we do”. I just looked up who said this, and it turns out it was Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

When and why did you begin writing? I was telling my partner about my life soon after we first met, and he said that I should write a book. I thought about it for a while and decided that I wanted my story to still be here after I am gone. All that lives on after us is the impression we’ve made on others, be it in writing or via a personal relationship. I didn’t want to go quietly.

How did you come up with the title? The title is from an incident where my Mother defended us from an actual flesh, blood, toothed and clawed tiger. After all we had been through there was no way she was going to allow some overgrown tabby to take one of us.

Who designed the cover? Michelle, my wonderful publisher from Odyssey Books.

What was the hardest part about writing this book? Reliving the pain all over again, and not just remembering it but turning it over and over in my mind, scene by scene and word by word. I had never thought I would do that; I had never spoken about it to any of my family or even my ex-husband during the years we were together. We all lived through the same terror and did not want to show our mental scars.

How much of the book is realistic? All of it, from the first word to the last. It no doubt contains inaccuracies, but everything is how I remember it. What I can’t do is take the reader there and make them see and smell the Killing Fields, although I’m glad that I can’t. They would never forgive me and they would be right.

Do you have any advice for writers? Write first for yourself, and then see if anyone else is interested.

If you could leave your readers with one bit of wisdom, what would you want it to be? This is not a test. You didn’t exist for almost all of the past and you’ll be dead for almost all of the future. Do something, anything, with the time you have, and do it now.

Mother and Tiger

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Genre – Memoir

Rating – PG13

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Website http://odysseybooks.com.au/

 

 

Quality Reads UK Book Club Disclosure: Author interview / guest post has been submitted by the author and previously used on other sites.

#Author Donald J. Amodeo Shares His #Writing Process @DonAmodeo


What are your favorite types of scenes to write?
I love writing action sequences. As a martial arts instructor and a longtime fan of action films and novels, writing fast, hard-hitting exchanges comes naturally. There’s a fine balance between describing the details of the action and keeping the plot rolling, and I’ve found a pace that I hope is as exciting to read as it is for me to write.
What type of writing do you struggle with?
Writing good dialogue takes effort. It doesn’t come as easily to me as action scenes tend to. And there’s a whole lot of dialogue in Dead & Godless. Trying to capture philosophical debates in language that is both witty and natural was a big challenge, and a rewarding one to overcome.
Do you find it hard to share your work?
I’m not the shy or timid type. If my work is terrible, I want to know about it, though it certainly helps when the criticism is constructive. As such, I really enjoy sharing my work. Every week I attend a write night, in which several friends and myself meet up to share some of our recent material. It’s great to get honest feedback from people you can trust to tell you both the strengths and weaknesses of your story.
How do you work through self-doubts and fear?
I was an entrepreneur before I was a writer, so doubts and fears are nothing new to me. Once you’ve fallen, picked yourself back up and realized that life goes on, failure loses its bite. You can fail a hundred times, but it only takes a single big success to make all your efforts worthwhile, so why stop trying?
Why do you write?
I’ve always been drawn to creative pursuits, whether its creating digital art (I attended art school for a time), building websites or launching businesses. I’m not happy unless I’m creating something. I love writing in particular because it’s such a pure art. In many creative fields – such as films or video games – it takes hundreds of people to produce a final product. That product’s vision often feels “designed by committee” as a result. But with novels, a single artist can express his or her vision without compromise. That’s incredibly appealing to me.
Which do you find more difficult: writing or marketing?
Definitely marketing, even though I probably have more experience with marketing than with writing fiction. It comes down to passion. My passion is for story telling. Even when it’s difficult, writing seldom feels like an outright chore, as does much of the marketing process (although doing interviews can actually be quite enjoyable ^_^).
How did you develop your writing?
Like most authors, my writing was largely shaped by my reading, but there was definitely an evolution of sorts. At first, I was a “just start typing” writer. I didn’t plan or put together outlines. I simply let the story take me wherever it led. After mixed results with that approach, I gave in and started outlining the key points in my plots, while still leaving some room for the unplanned. This middle road has proven to best suit my writing style.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
All the art I consume finds a place to dwell in my head, but it seldom stays there. Novels, films, music and even games – I draw inspiration from whatever strikes me as atmospheric or powerful. In terms of philosophical inspiration, much of that comes from classic Christian thinkers such as C.S. Lewis and Blaise Pascal.
How do you write – laptop, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?
I’ve gone through several laptops now (PCs, I’m not a Mac guy). They’re my preferred writing tools, though I’ll use whatever is at hand if a good sentence comes to me. I especially like to perch my laptop somewhere at chest level, so that I can stand while typing and randomly pace around the room. I feel terribly lazy if I stay sitting in one spot for too long.
How do you feel about self-publishing?
Becoming a self-published author is a lot like starting a business. Thanks to the rise of ebooks, getting your product out there is easier than ever, but getting people to notice is a different story, and it’s only going to get harder as the space grows. I think it’s exciting, but also daunting for writers who just want to write. Being an author isn’t enough. You need to be a marketer.
Have you always enjoyed writing?
I’ve long enjoyed creative writing, but it wasn’t my first love. When I was younger, I was more drawn to the visual arts. I filled my notebooks with sketches of characters from comics and cartoons. As reading grew to replace those interests in the art I consumed, it likewise came to be the art that I wanted to create.
Do you plan to publish more books?
I hope so! There are other stories I’d like to tell, and while I don’t have an exact time frame for my next book, I’m looking forward to diving into it. At the moment, however, I’m mostly focused on promoting Dead & Godless.
Where do you get support from? Do you have friends in the industry?
I’ve met some fellow writers since publishing Dead & Godless (largely thanks to communities such as goodreads), but my support has come mostly from my family and friends. My sister Christine is an avid reader who helped with structural editing, and the story wouldn’t be as polished without the feedback I received from my friends at Write Night (our writing club).
It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign?
Targeting makes a huge difference. Dead & Godless is Christian fiction, so it clearly has a specific audience. I wrote it partly in response to hearing people ask “What book should I get my teenage son/daughter/grandchild to help them keep the faith?” Like most new authors without a real budget, I’ve used free book offers to drum up some initial readers, posting on Christian community sites to get the word out when I run giveaways.
How often do you write? And when do you write?
Once I’ve started a book, I try to stay disciplined. That usually means committing to at least one page a day, every day. Early afternoon is my most productive time, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have that time free thanks to the flexibility of my online business. I’m not a fast writer. It always amazes me to hear about authors who pump out a book (that isn’t terrible) in a matter of weeks. That’s impressive, but the fact is you don’t need to be fast. Write a little something every day, and eventually you’ll have a book.
Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it. What keeps you going?
Writing, like exercising, can feel like a grueling task when you’re not doing it. However, once you find the motivation to start, you often end up enjoying yourself. There’s also the excitement of sharing your work, the satisfaction of hammering out a passage that really captures the vision in your head, and the sense of accomplishment that comes when you’re finally holding a finished book in your hands. If you’re diligent (and maybe a little lucky), you might even make a dime or two.
Have you developed a specific writing style?
There is a distinct style to my writing, though it’s nothing as pronounced as the style of, say, a Cormac McCarthy or a George R.R. Martin. My style is descriptive but fast. I tend to keep paragraphs and chapters on the shorter side, use obscure vocabulary sparingly, and keep a certain flow to my sentences (it may sound weird, but I don’t like using sentences with the same number of commas back-to-back). I employ the occasional cliffhanger, but avoid ending books with them.
What is your greatest strength as a writer?
I’m no C.S. Lewis, but I do tend to have a knack for taking complex philosophical arguments and repackaging them into words that you don’t have to be a philosopher to understand. Keeping my work easy to read without diluting the truth behind it is always a top priority.
Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
While writing Dead & Godless, frustrating bouts of writer’s block hit me on quite a few occasions, but I’ve found several techniques that tend to help me overcome it. The first is to skip ahead to a different scene when a particular passage is giving you trouble. You can always come back to it later with a clear head. If it’s really not working, consider cutting the scene from your story altogether. Maybe it’s not working because it’s not meant to be. When all else fails, just get away from the computer for a while. Take a walk or a drive. Sometimes the perfect words come to you only once you stop trying to force them.
Dead_Godless

When outspoken atheist Corwin Holiday dies an untimely but heroic death, he’s assigned a chain-smoking, alcoholic angel as his defense attorney in the trial to decide the fate of his soul.
Today many cast Christianity aside, not in favor of another faith, but in favor of no faith. We go off to school or out into the world, and we learn that reality is godless and that free thinking means secular thinking. But must faith entail an end to asking questions? Should not the Author of Reason be able to answer the challenge of reason?

Dead & Godless is a smart and suspenseful afterlife adventure that explores the roots of truth, justice and courage. In these pages awaits a quest that spans universes, where the stakes are higher than life and death, and where Christianity’s sharp edges aren’t shied away from, because we’re not called to be nice. We’re called to be heroes.

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Genre - Christian Fiction
Rating – PG-13
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Connect with Donald J. Amodeo on Twitter

Author Interview – Diana Bocco

When you get free time on the internet or you go to the library – what do you want to read about?

Free time? What’s that? When you live in a non-English speaking country, local libraries tend to be a little short on good reading material. I do have a Kindle, though, and I’m always reading something.

Do you find the time to read?

I make it. Especially when I’m writing a novel, I find that I crave reading even more.

Who do you admire?

People who don’t follow the rules. Those who do daring things regardless of what society thinks.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

Surprisingly, it’s not a quote from a writer. It’s by Margareth II, Queen of Denmark. The quote goes: “I have always had a dread of becoming a passenger in life.” I’ve tried to live my life by that motto: take the wheel, make your own future, don’t let life just take you along.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

The fact that I’ve never let fear stopped me from doing what I want to do. Moving to a new country, diving into a new career or just trying things that terrify you (like learning to swim in my case)… these are all adventures for me. I’m proud of myself for never letting fear stop me. I had a friend tell me once that it was easy for me to do all these things because I was obviously fearless. I thought she was crazy! I’m not fearless. I just don’t let those fears stop me from doing the things I want anyway.

What is your favorite food?

Oh, junk food – which is not something you should be hearing from somebody who has a background in fitness and nutrition! On the other hand, I’m a vegetarian, so at least I have a limit on what type of junk food I can eat. When I lived in Hanoi, there was this little vegetarian restaurant that served the best fake meat I’ve ever tasted in my life. They had dishes like “roasted duck” and “crispy chicken wings” (made with no real meat, of course) that I absolutely adored. I would go back to Vietnam just to eat there again!

City of the Fallen

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Genre - Paranormal Romance/Dystopian Romance

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with Diana Bocco on Goodreads

Website http://www.dianaboccobooks.com

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

#MustRead #Romance Book Feature - The Forgotten Child by Lorhainne Eckhart @LEckhart

 Lorhainne Eckhart
How do you tell a man there is something wrong with his child?
This is by far one of the best books I have read. Lorhainne Eckhart proved herself yet again  by pulling you in with a heartfelt story and keeping your attention with the passion that fills   the pages. ROMANCE JUNKIES
A Real Tear Jerker: Omg, I loved this book. I stayed up all night trying to finish it. I cried,  My heart broke, I have an 18 year old with autism. This would make a fabulous movie...  Tammy
Overview:
He wasn't looking to love again. But what he got was a woman who shook his lonely bitter world upside down, and touched him in a way no other woman could.
Emily Nelson, a courageous young mother, ends a loveless, bitter marriage and strikes out on her own. She answers an ad as a cook and live-in caregiver to a three-year-old boy on a local ranch. Ranch owner Brad Friessen hires and moves in Emily and her daughter. But Emily soon discovers something's seriously wrong with the boy, and the reclusive, difficult man who hired her can't see the behavior and how delayed his son is. So Emily researches until she stumbles across what she suspects are the soft signs of autism. Now she must tell him, give him hope, and help him come to terms with this neurological disorder--to take the necessary steps to get his child the help he needs.
As their lives become intertwined, their attraction is unavoidable--a connection sparks between them. But just as they're getting close, Brad's estranged wife, Crystal, returns after abandoning the family two years earlier. Among the shock and confusion is one disturbing question Brad can't shake: How does Crystal know so much of his personal business, the inner working of the ranch, and Emily's relationship with his son?
Crystal must've had a plan, as she somehow gains the upper hand, driving a wedge in the emotional bond forged between Brad, Emily, and the children. The primary focus for care and therapy of three-year-old Trevor is diverted. The lengths to which Crystal will go, the lies, the greed, just to keep what's hers, are nothing short of cold and calculating. Emily's forced out of the house. Brad fights to save his boy, to protect what's his, and struggles over his greatest sacrifice--Emily, and the haunting question: Has he lost her forever?
More Praise for THE FORGOTTEN CHILD...
"Brilliant, there is no other word for it, heart grabbing, heart warming, gut wrenching, well written well researched, wanted to read it over & over again." Amazon Reviewer – Maureen
BLACK RAVEN'S REVIEWS - Ms. Eckhart has crafted a delightful story with engaging  characters, enough drama for a Hallmark movie, and enough unconditional love to last a lifetime.  ~Rated 5 Ravens and a Recommended Read by AJ!~ 
READERS FAVORITE *5 Star Review A real page turner ~ fast moving plot ~ a must read!
Reviewed by Brenda C. For Readers Favorite
I didn't expect I'd fall for the four main characters as hard as I did, but The Forgotten Child is an amazing book, not just for a romance fan like myself, but for single parents who may or  may not have a child with autism. ~ Reviewer ~ Adria
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Genre – Contemporary Western Romance
Rating – PG
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Connect with Lorhainne Eckhart on Facebook & Twitter

Monday, January 13, 2014

#YA #Author Chat with Anne-Rae Vasquez ... #amongus #paranormal @write2film


What are you most passionate about? What gets you fired up?
I’m passionate about being creative.
What’s your next project?
Book 2 of the Among Us Trilogy… and my developmental editor is bugging me to get started.
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
Quote by me:  Writing is emotional. It is baring your soul to the world and waiting for someone to acknowledge and love it, or shun and hate it, or worse be indifferent about it. --- Anne-Rae Vasquez
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
As you can see I inject a lot of culture in my stories no matter what the genre. I come from a mixed background and witnessed many clashes between both sides of the family especially from the different cultural traditions and way of life. I like to throw my characters into situations where they have to overcome cultural differences to achieve their goals.
Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?
I usually write by myself but I learned that being the Lone Ranger is not the best way to write. Thankfully, when I was writing Doubt, I had my developmental editor by my side. It was mostly a collaboration of minds, although we frequently butted heads. But the outcome, once we ironed things out, was pure magic.  In addition, my team of beta readers participated in missions (in the theme of the book) and also provided further feedback of each chapter. I also worked with my critique partner who helped shake up the story and make it richer.  Finally, the manuscript went through two copy and proof editors to refine the work and polish off the writing.
How did you come up with the title?
Aaron Swartz who passed away in early 2013 and Harry Fear, two young truth seekers were the inspiration for my book’s main character Harry Doubt.  The title Doubt not only is a play on the main character’s last name but also reflects how the characters question the reality of the world they live.
How did you develop your plot and characters?
The story mixes social media communications such as text messaging and video messaging as a form of communication between characters as they go on missions to find their family members.
All characters have aliases and avatars, which are displayed as a splash page image at the beginning of the book.  The official website of the book (amongus.ca) also has detailed M.O.’s of the characters so readers can also view and interact with the characters on the website.
The story although geared to young adult/ early adult readers is also entertaining for general readers who are interested in the supernatural, sci/fi urban fantasy, apocalyptic genres with themes similar to the TV show Fringe (by J.J. Abrams).
As a filmmaker, journalist and web design programmer, I tell stories in multiple mediums.  Doubt (book 1 of the Among Us Trilogy) was literally created from an interactive online reality game that I created with the help of my developmental editor (Josefina Rosado).
The official website http://www.AmongUs.ca interacts with visitors allowing them to participate as Truth Seekers following the theme of the story.
I wanted to give readers another way to connect with my story.  Entertainment does not need to be contained in one medium. I believe in telling your story in many mediums. How do we do this?  One way was to entice readers  to participate in the experience of the story as it is being written. Putting Theory to the Test Here was the plan I used for fan recruiting  for my new novel Doubt, Book 1 of the Among Us Trilogy:
1)    Design website for the book series using the theme of the story
(Theme: Truth seekers who are online gamers use the internet to communicate with each other and also hack into global networks to save the world from catastrophic events caused by an unknown entity.)
2)    Entice beta readers to read drafts of the chapters as I write them but only awarding the first 10 who register
3)    Assign characters from the novel to each beta reader.
4)    Provide the beta reader with their assigned character’s strengths, weaknesses, personality traits and physical characteristics.
5)    As more chapters in the book are written, the ten beta readers will be asked to provide input with the incentive that what they write may be included in the next chapter. They will not know until the next chapter is released.
6)    Release each new chapter to the first ten fans as an award for having joined early.
7)    As more beta readers register to the site, ask them to create their own character and post the character’s 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses and 3 physical characteristics on the website.
8)    Entice additional beta readers to complete simple mission assignments related to the story with the incentive that their character may be chosen to be written into the Book 2 and Book 3 of the series.
9)    Give beta readers a Thank you credit on a Thank You page on the site and also on the credit page when the book is published.
10)    When the beta readers pass a mission assignment, a chapter will be released to them.
Using this approach to write Doubt, I also allowed fans to participate and shape the story. This has helped build the fan base and also promote the book launch. The release of the book is November 9, 2013 and because of this approach, Doubt is being featured at the Rain Dance Book Festival in Canada.

DoubtAmongUs
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Genre - Young Adult, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Thriller
Rating – G
More details about the author and the book
Connect with Anne-Rae Vasquez on Facebook & Twitter