Meet Debbie Christiana!

Debbie Christiana would sit in her room as a little girl and write stories about ghosts, unexplained events and things that go bump in the night. She combined her love of the paranormal with her fascination of unusual love stories and decided to write paranormal romance.  Her novel, Twin Flames, was released in 2011 with Black Opal Books.  In February 2012, her vampire short story, The Land of the Rising Sun, was one of ten included in the anthology BITES: Ten Tales of Vampires.  Debbie is a member of RWA and Secretary of the Romance Writers Chapter of Connecticut and Lower New York.  She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.

Her Website    Twitter    Facebook    Her Publisher    Amazon    Barnes&Noble

Hello. What’s your name?

Hi, Lisa. Thank you so much for having me today. My name is Debbie Christiana.

What do you write and why?

I love the unexplained things that happen in life especially if there is even a hint of the supernatural involved. Unusual love stories also intrigue me, so I combined the two and write paranormal romance and romantic suspense.  Most of my stories are novels, but the short-story bug bit me, and I had a vampire short published in an anthology, BITES: Ten Tales of Vampires in February of 2012.

Do you read the same genre that your write?

Yes. I love anything paranormal as well as horror and a good edge of your seat thriller. I haven’t tried to write a thriller and the vampire short was as close to the macabre as I’ve come. But who knows what the future holds.

What is the title you are promoting right now?

Twin Flames.

What is it about?

Twin Flames is about forty-year old Natalia and twenty eight year old Marc who meet under peculiar circumstances one cold December evening.  They soon discover they are twin flame soul mates, have spent hundreds of lives together and that Natalia holds the key to Marc’s odd birthmark.  They must overcome obstacles to be together in this lifetime and get help from surprising ally, a mischievous ghost.

What makes this book different from others in your genre?

My story is about reincarnation, delving into past lives and soul mates.  While there have been other novels written about this subject, the market isn’t flooded with them. I hope readers find my theme, which is a bit different, fun and interesting.

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write your book?

My mother handed me a book on reincarnation when I was twelve years old and it has interested me ever since. As much as I love to read novels, I gobbled up all the books I could on the beliefs of reincarnation and especially the regression aspect – reliving past lives. The story was a natural extension of my research and fascination of the whole rebirth process.

What is your goal as an author?

I love to write and hope I always do.  I don’t want it ever to become a chore because if you aren’t writing for the love of the story and characters, but because of deadlines, etc., the reader notices, the story suffers and the enjoyment is gone. I have a small fear I’ll run out of ideas, but I think I’m safe for now.  My head is churning with plots, creatures and people who want me to tell their story.

Are you working on anything new? Give us a preview of what’s to come!

I’m very close to typing ‘the end’ on my WIP.  The working name is Solstice. It’s about an Italian hereditary witch, a Strega, named Sofia, who has the daunting task of breaking a 250-year-old curse that Armend, the hero, has on his head, by the winter solstice. The family who cast the curse doesn’t want it broken, so it becomes a battle of wits and magic to see who will win.

Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite book?

Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Thomas Harris, Anne Rice.  I have too many favorites to pick just one.

Where can readers find you and your work?

My website is debbiechristiana.com. Follow me on Twitter @DebChristiana and Face Book: Debbie Christiana, Author.   Twin Flames is available from Black Opal Books (BlackOpalBooks.com), Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords.

What’s your view on the self-publishing/traditional publishing thing? Ideally, which one would prefer and why?

As an avid reader, there is nothing like holding a book in your hands to read. I love to go back to a book, see pages folded over, food and wine spilt in spots because I didn’t want to put it down long enough to eat a meal. On the other hand, I do own a Kindle, and have grown to like it.  My vampire short in the BITES anthology is only available as an e-book and that’s been a great experience.  I think there is a place for both, but I truly hope printed books never disappear completely.

Do you have a favorite quote?

My favorite is by Dr. Seuss.  “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter, don’t mind.”

What is the most important advice you have for aspiring authors?

Be resilient. Not everyone is going to like what you write all the time and that’s okay. Learn to consider and accept well-meaning and creative criticism. If more than one person recommends a change because it doesn’t move the story along, or it’s too wordy, then take a step back and look at it objectively. They may or may not be right, but at least think about it.  In the end, it’s your story and your voice.

Is there anything else you’d like to say before we finish up?

I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.  I hope everyone will take a moment to remember all the men and women who have served, fought, been wounded and given their lives for our country.

Please take a moment to visit Debbie at the following links:

Her Website    Twitter    Facebook    Her Publisher    Amazon    Barnes&Noble

In Prosperity Glades, a small town on the shores ofLake Okeechobee, you can run across Dr. Axel J. Hyde, the County’s Assistant Medical Examiner. He’s an eye-catching man, yet hides a dark secret from the age of ten. He’s a remorseless murderer with a weird twist: a ‘Rider’ urges him to hunt and dismember ‘people who feeds on fear’. Sexual killers, rapists, pedophiles – none escape his cold fury. However, when someone begins ‘poaching’ into his territory, Axel is caught between the urge to find and kill this kindred soul or greet another of his ‘species’. Is the Rider a real spiritual entity or just the product of a kid’s scarred psyche? Do you dare to find out?

Feeding the Urge is a novel exploring a traumatized man’s inner struggle between feelings and urges. It is Will alone stronger than Demons?

If you enjoyed Showtime’s Dexter or Thomas Harris’ Hannibal, Feeding the Urge can be a pleasant alternative to the modern horror genre of zombies and vampires. Jeffrey Kosh’s debut novel was the first set in the fictional town of Prosperity Glades, and established the setting for his successive short stories collection ‘Spirits and Thought Forms: Tales from Prosperity Glades.

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What People Are Saying:

“This book has so much going on within the pages that once you start it you will never have to worry about your mind wondering off in a different direction. In the beginning it is a story about Dr. Axel Hyde but it becomes so much more. There are so many different stories within this book it is crazy, but it all works and flows so well together.
This book does have some very adult situations and it does have some very taboo subject matter that a lot of people my want to turn away from the book but I can assure you that this book is very well thought out and written in a way that some of the subject matter is never to overwhelming. The characters are so well written that it is very easy for them to become real in your mind. You are able to feel the pain and hate and fear of each and everyone of them and that is what made this book so amazing for me.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a good captivating read and as much as you wouldn’t think it being in a book like this, there is a bit of romance and a hot and steamy part.” – Jenn

“Riveting-fascinating-delightful! Like Dexter’s Dark Passenger, but with more flavor, spiritual horror, and metaphysical impetus, for fast pace, graphic horror, and good characterizations, “Feeding the Urge” is nearly unbeatable. The author’s own brand of metaphysics blends with Native American traditions and modern psychology to create an inimitable backdrop to this novel. The descriptive settings of South Floridaimagery, its flora and fauna, are very well done and propel readers into the story’s suspension of disbelief.
Author Kosh knows how to reach inside his characters and pull their internal selves out into the open. What he does with Axel Hyde, and with Cheri, is incredible. Mr. Kosh juggles a large character set, and manages to delineate each one, mixing first person point of view (Axel Hyde) with third-person for other characters. Still, the story runs smoothly because the reader is enrapt with the action and with the characters’ plights.” – Mallory Anne Forbes

“Mr. Kosh doesn’t just tell you a story, he takes you on an adventure. He straps you in and takes you through the swamps from one moment to the next keeping you on tenterhooks just longing for the next reveal. Feeding the Urge is one of his many amazing works. I loved it, and you will too!” – Jaime Johnesee (Author of Oh, the Horror!)

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Excerpt:

She felt his lewd hands on her, followed by his foul, stale breath on her face. And instinctively reacted. Fast, very fast. Her left hand struck the man’s neck at the Adam’s apple, sending him backward with pain and surprise. The punch was followed by a kick with the point of her right boot, between Jay’s legs, with a lightning elbow strike to his nose. In less than five seconds Jay Fraser was down, his face a mix of running blood, dead leaves, dirt, and mucus. She came slowly, but resolute toward him, her beautiful hips moving with the grace of a wild animal in the hunt, her blue-green eyes transfixing him, shining like gems in the darkness of the abandoned campground. For the first time in his life, Jay was really scared by a woman. She could feel it, and she smirked.

“Look what you did to me!” Jay cried out, trying to convey a sense of threat in his words, but ending to sound more like a scared boy, in his trembling voice.

What in hell was this woman up to? What did she want from him?

He had met her at the Roughhouse, the biker’s watering hole of the town. She had appeared suddenly from nothing, turning the heads of local customers, distracting them from their beverages for the first time in the evening.

An angel out of Hell, the woman was tall, sporting a wonderful developed body under her tight, denim clothes. The skin as pale as the moonlight, her eyes the color of the sea, Jay could not believe himself when she came straight to his table, sitting in front of him with a smiling face.

She had beautiful flowing night-black hair, running down to her waist, which seemed to have a life of their own, when she sat down, running left and right at her shoulders. Black jeans, black duster with silver medallions, black cowboy boots and hat over long black hair. Except for the silver highlights of her accessories, and her skin, everything was black on that woman. The body moved with arrogant grace, swinging an ass you could bounce a quarter off, and yet something was oddly chilling about her. Maybe it was her smile, or her jewel-like eyes. She said she was looking for company, and she had chosen him.

They had some rounds of beer, Jay could not remember how many, then she was on him, never too close, never too far, teasing him in a way Jay Fraser, the leader of local Aryan Brotherhood Bikers, had never experienced with a mysterious gal like that.

Jay was 55 by now, originally sent down for grand theft auto, he had quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Having taken an early beating on entering prison society, he had had his revenge by slipping ground glass into his would-be oppressor’s food in the cafeteria. As the prisoner choked out, coughing up blood, all eyes had turned to Jay who calmly drank a toast to the dying con.

From that point on, no one wanted to mess with him. Jay was then quickly accepted into the Aryan Brotherhood gang in the prison, rising through its ranks through a process of political deals and violent takeover. When he had finished his stretch, he was considered one of the gang’s rising stars. The reason the gang was in town was the senior members of the Aryan Brotherhood had spotted the chance to capture new market for drugs that opened with the construction of the prison.

The task of smuggling in narcotics and looking after the interests of the cons was given to Jay. He was ideally suited for this job. Unlike most of the Brotherhood’s members, he relied on brain rather than raw brawn. However, that night, he had fell in the trap of this predatory woman like a 16 years boy would fall in the clutches of an expert hooker.

“Look at me, Jay…” She whispered, while extracting the wicked blade from under the jacket. Jay saw the gleaming of metal in the moonlight, and reacted in the only way, he knew; by entering combat mode. An adrenaline surge flowed in his body, subduing the pain, and giving him the strength to regain his feet.

Too late!

The She-devil was already on him, plunging the knife’ sharp point toward his neck.

Jay instinctively raised his left arm upward, trying to deflect the lethal strike, but the blade carved into the top of his shoulder in a downward stabbing motion, catching between the bones of Jay’ shoulder and arm and wrenching it out of alignment. Blood flowed profusely from the deep wound, bathing the swampy, putrid, overgrown ground. He reacted with blind fury, mixed with fear, swung a balled up fist which smashed into her lip, crushing it against her teeth and splitting it open, making the woman drool blood. Jay smiled amidst his own bloody face, while preparing himself for a second strike, enjoying the small victory he had achieved.

Nobody was going to off him, especially a broad!

Reversed, the blade stabbed up into his stomach and carved up towards his sternum before being pulled free, Jay’s entrails exposed to the air as blood coursed down into his lap. Fraser couldn’t believe it, the girl had acted fast, allowing herself to be hit, luring again him into a trap, as a way to gain a clear spot to slice into his abdomen. He staggered backward, gazing with shock at his dark blood, flowing copiously from the jagged, irregular, slash in his belly. Then, raised his eyes in time to see the smiling monster, which had been a gorgeous woman, lift her left leg, smashing it into the side of his jaw, grinding Jay’s teeth against each other and snapping his head violently to one side. The man staggered again, spitting out splintered fragments of a shattered tooth. A second blow, so fast Jay believed someone else had struck him out of nowhere, caught him in the knee, dislocating it with a crunch, and sending the man kissing the ground.

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Learn more or purchase your copy at:

Amazon
Lulu
Smashwords
Jeffrey Kosh Website
Author Facebook
Book Facebook
Goodreads

Available in paperback, Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Kobo, Diesel, Sony, and Baker-Taylor formats.
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This book feature is a part of Jeffrey’s tour with Orangeberry Book Tours. Click here to view the tour schedule.

What does that mean? It means the last few days I’ve been hopelessly poring over endless agent blogs, query forums, and other websites in an attempt to understand this monster known as the query letter.

On one site, my query letter is praised for being awesome. Then another site rips the very same letter for breaking all the basic rules. A third says it’s okay, but too vague.  I was almost afraid to look at the fourth.

It’s frustrating. Many of the rules I find some sites preaching as “the only way” are disregarded on others. Some agents say you must have the best hook/tagline ever while other agents say taglines are evil. What’s a writer to do?

Here’s what I’m thinking; go with your gut. Agents are people, even if they are people who’ve read so many query letters that they want to set their hair on fire. They love to read. That’s why they became agents. So are they really going to toss your query because of a rhetorical question when your story is amazing and intriguing? My guess is, probably not.  Will they throw your query away without reading it if you start with the “I’m seeking representation…” paragraph instead of the “hook” paragraph? Somehow I really doubt it.  Just make them want to read your story.

So, for your reading pleasure as well as your scathing criticism, I’ve included the latest version of my very own query letter at the bottom of this post. Have a thought about it? Leave me a comment! See a problem with it? PLEASE tell me. Want me to critique yours in return? Absolutely! Feel free to send me any query letters you are working on at authorlmtaylor (at) gmail (dot) com.  I’d be happy to give you my thoughts based on this past week of painful research

Also for your reading pleasure, here are some of the sources that actually DID help me with my query writing adventure. Take a looksie!

Check out these links for great query letter information and advice!

• AbsoluteWrite: How to Write a Query Letter by Andrew Jameson.  This is the most succinct and to the point advice I have found.
• A Quick Guide to Query Letters.  This lists some of those rules I mentioned earlier, many of which I feel are subjective and never absolute. However, the first few points where they give the basic questions a query letter must asked REALLY helped me. I wrote those questions and then wrote answers to each question. Bam, there are the elements of your query letter – then you just have to organize and work on wording
• QueryShark.  Here are tons of query letters, ripped apart (ahem, I mean critiqued) by a literary agent. Very useful!
• The Complete Nobody’s Guide to Query Letters.  Good, especially for Fantasy/Sci Fi writers. This is a perfect example of how a nobody author sold a SERIES by using techniques that are often portrayed as gigantic No-No’s. See, no rule is absolute

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Meet Melissa Groeling!

Melissa Groeling graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in English. She lives, reads and writes in the Philadelphia region and wherever else life happens to send her. She is a hardcore New York Giants fan and loves chocolate. Traffic Jam is her first young adult novel.

Visit Melissa at:  Facebook   Twitter   Her Blog   Amazon

Hello! What’s your name?

Hi there! My name is Melissa Groeling and I’m a writer who dwells on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! I love chocolate and the New York Giants (please don’t hold that against me) and I am THRILLED to be here today! Thanks for having me, Lisa!

What do you write and why?

Well, I write novels and my genres are literally all over the place. I’ve never been able to stick to one genre AT ALL. I blame this scattering on my brain. It does not adhere to any rules. I am at its mercy. J I’ll get an idea that might turn into a romance or a thriller or a young adult novel—it really depends on what the idea is and what my brain is willing to do with it.

Do you read the same genre that you write? Why or why not?

The only genre that I write that I actually read is the thriller/suspense genre. That’s the genre that’s always appealed to me even when I was a kid. But even as much as it appeals to me, I find that I can’t write just in that genre alone. It’s weird, right?

What is the title you are promoting right now?

Right now, I’m promoting a young adult novel called, Traffic Jam [to be released May 26, 2012] and I am so excited about it!

What is it about?

It’s about human trafficking and the impact it has on one teenage girl and her family.

What makes this book different from others in your genre?

I think what makes it different is the fact that the topic of human trafficking has never been truly discussed. It’s a dark, dangerous world that’s like a disease—it just eats away at everything that makes you human. And not only that but I think Traffic Jam also offers a look of how a lot of families nowadays have this major disconnect amongst themselves. A lot of them are losing their focus on what holds a family together and what makes a family solid. I mean, everyday you read about a couple of kids who get into some serious trouble and their parents are always saying, “I had NO idea my kid was doing that” or “I simply CANNOT believe my kid would do something like that!” And therein lies the problem. So I think this book can be seen as reminder to pay attention and that we have to start connecting again and not by way of texting and emailing or anything electronic. I’m talking about basic human contact—real conversations that don’t include “lol” or “ttyl” or “brb.”

What’s the story behind the story?

Believe it or not, I got the idea from MSNBC! I remember I was reading a book and only listening to the TV with half an ear and the topic of human trafficking came up. Immediately, I was hooked and horrified to learn human trafficking happens not only outside of the US but inside the US as well. Even in middle-class suburbia! So after watching that, the wheels in my head started turning and grinding…and the rest is history. J

What is your goal as an author?

My goal as an author is tell a story. I’m not out to change the world. I’ve always enjoyed writing and reading. To not write is like depriving myself of chocolate and that, my friend, is not good! So, as an author, I just hope to tell some stories that people will like to read.

Are you working on anything new? Give us a preview of what’s to come!

Of course! I’m working on a potential ghost story at the moment! I’m in the midst of revamping it. But the gist of it revolves around two guys who lead completely different lives but who somehow end up in the same predicament. It’s going to be a creepy story, creepier than anything I’ve written. That’s the goal anyway, so wish me luck! J

Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite book?

Oh man, my favorite author?! And my favorite book? Wow! This is nearly impossible because I can’t name just one! But okay, let me see…there’s Dean Koontz, Dan Simmons, Christopher Rice, Stephen King, Karin Slaughter, Preston & Child, Toni Morrison, Joe Hill, Jonathan Kellerman and of course, the old greats like Poe and Dickens…I should tell you that I bawled like a baby at the end of A Tale of Two Cities. But moving on to the favorite book part of the question. At the moment, I am in love with Dan Simmons’ Summer of Night. This book is superb—capturing a lazy summer, a group of friends who encounter an old evil and a fight to stay alive. It’s such a fascinating book—I’ve read it twice already!

Where can readers find you and your work?

Ah, my readers can find me at my blog or on Twitter or on Facebook, of course! My work can be found on your usual sites such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, as well as my publisher’s website, Black Opal Books. So feel free to stop on by!

What’s your view on the self-publishing/traditional publishing thing? Ideally, which one would you prefer and why?

Oh boy, there isn’t enough space here for me on this topic J But ideally, I would prefer the self-publishing only because you, the author, have more control over everything—from the printing to the marketing and everything in between. Sure, it’s more time-consuming and you really have to be committed if you want to get your work out there, but the traditional way of publishing still has a lot of catching up to do and that’s not even mentioning the fact that everything’s going digital nowadays anyway. On another level, it’s extremely difficult to break into a traditional publishing house, too. Most of them don’t want to take a chance on an unknown writer or step out of the box at all, which is why I think a lot of writers go the way of the self-publishing.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”—Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities)

Before I read this book, my mom quoted this to me and it just hit me deep in the chest. After I read the story, I thought it was so poignant. This was the ultimate sacrifice, which is probably why I cried like a baby at the end!

What is the most important advice you have for aspiring authors?

Do Not Give Up! You keep writing, you keep reading! Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do it. I know how cliché it sounds but it’s the truth! DO NOT GIVE UP!

Is there anything else you’d like to say before we finish up?

It’s been great being here, answering these questions! Feel free to pop by my blog or to contact me on Facebook or Twitter to chit-chat some more! Thanks so much! Write on!

Awesome, thanks for allowing me to interview you!

You’re welcome and thank you again!

Please take a moment to visit Melissa at the links below!

Facebook   Twitter   Her Blog   Amazon

First off, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is James R. Tate. I’m a cabinet maker by trade, author by night. If you’re wondering why I use my middle initial, it’s because it makes me sound more educated, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. As a matter of fact, I find it amusing to tell people that I did, in fact, barely pull C’s In English in high school, and never attended college—except several on-line classes so I could teach carpentry at a prison—but that’s a different chapter altogether. I’m just an ordinary person who loves a great book. And even better than that, I absolutely love to write a good story.

Everyone that loves to read seeks the same thing; to get lost in their imagination, or at least the imagination of the author. We find intrigue trying to solve a mystery along with the heroic sleuth, or adventure following the clues leading to the buried treasure, or experience romance as the heroine finds true love through adversity. Whether you like Zombies and Vampires, Serial killers and Detectives, Knights in shining armor and Damsels’ in distress, or just a good old fashioned scare fest, you can’t beat a good book to curl up with. So when I decided to write a book, I envisioned a book I would love to read.

This book would have to have a good deal of action (it’s a guy thing), have multiple layers in the plot (nobody like to figure out the killer halfway through), and have an element of romance. Hey! I’m a romantic at heart. I like Nicholas Sparks, too. (But Stephen King is my favorite)

The bottom line is; books should entertain, whatever your taste.

I think I accomplished a lot of these goals in BLOOD BIAS, my murder mystery set in Southeast Texas. The main character, Reese Glockman, is faced with trying to solve two murders in his small town within days of each other (this is the mystery part), and the FBI gets involved and tries to force Reese into a bystander role (ahh, and the plot thickens!), and his wife is lying comatose in the hospital during all this—a victim of a car accident (this would be the romance part). If you’re not enticed enough yet, how about the fact that his estranged daughter, who has secretly been visiting her mother in the hospital, becomes a kidnap victim of the killer and may very well become his latest victim if Reese can’t piece together the clues in time. The tag line for the book is a quote from the killer:

“Revenge is only a tourniquet for the bleeding soul.”   

You can check out the reviews on Amazon or purchase a digital or paperback copy.  

BLOOD BIAS can also be purchased at my web site or come visit me at my blog.

I’ve enjoyed my visit here and wish to thank Lisa for inviting me over. The tea and crumpets were delish!
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James R. Tate is an award winning author of fiction, magazine and short story. His debut adult novel, BLOOD BIAS, was released in late March, 2012 through BOOKLOCKER.com. You can find him at jamesrtate.com, or at his blog, Tate’s Other Side – http://jamesrtate.blogspot.com/ and also on Facebook and Twitter.

Meet Kat Yares!

Kat Yares has been writing fiction her entire adult life. She is an indie author, screenwriter and filmmaker. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous print publications and online. Currently she, along with her husband Kevin, is editing several short film adaptations of her stories for submissions into various film festivals around the country.

Her fiction is primarily in the horror/thriller genres. Unlike many, she writes horror not to gross out or startle her readers, but to make them think. Most of her stories are mind games and deal with mans (or woman’s) inhumanity to man (or woman).

Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Smashwords    Goodreads

Hello! What’s your name?

Hi, thanks for having me.  My name is Kat Yares.

What do you write and why?

I’m all over in my writing as far as format goes – I ‘ve written short stories, novellas, novels and screenplays.  My better half and I have also made short movies out of several of my short stories.  When I was much, much younger I wrote a bit of poetry.

My favorite genre is horror, with historical, fantasy and thrillers close behind.

Do you read the same genre that you write? Why or why not?

Mostly.  I write what could be called psychological horror, but I’ll read most anything horror.  Except sparkly vampires.  I also read a lot about the Great Depression and one story slated to write will be a coming of age story set with the backdrop of those times.  Really, in all honesty, I’ll read almost anything if a) the subject grabs my attention or b) I’m bored – then I’d even read a  medical journal.

What is the title you are promoting right now?

Vengeance Is Mine

What is it about?

Vengeance is the story of Macie Jones, a young woman unfortunate enough to have been born inside a religious cult with no way out other than death.  Her husband happily gives her that opportunity as he leaves her battered and beaten body outside during an ice storm.

Rescued by a hermit that lives above the small village, Macie enters the dreamtime – the world half way between life and death.  In this world, she serves as a conduit for the other women and children who have died before her to administer their own version of vengeance upon the men in the village, particularly Brother Joseph Jones their leader and advocator of brutality.

What makes this book different from others in your genre?

I don’t know how different it is, but I would consider it more a psychological horror than a supernatural one, although it contains both elements.  I also consider it a social commentary on how religion carried to an extreme cannot be good for anyone involved.

What’s the story behind the story?

I’ve always been fascinated (in a macabre way) with cults.  Jim Jones and the Guyana tragedy, Waco, and others played into this story.  How far would you go and what would you lose to go there in the name of religion.

What is your goal as an author?

To always write something that is not only entertaining on some level, but to also make the reader think.  Many things that you believe are not real are the reality of some.

Are you working on anything new? Give us a preview of what’s to come!

I’m currently working on a book called The Descendants.  It will be released in two parts.  Part one is titled Beneath the Tor.  It is a cross genre, fantasy, alternative history, thriller.  Think Mists of Avalon meets The Da Vinci Code.

Part two is titled The XIII.  Skip 2000 years into the future from the end of Beneath the Tor and discover a thriller that is my interpretation of the mythical Illuminati.

I hope to have Beneath the Tor out by the middle of June and The XIII ready to go by the end of July.

Oh, and I do try to release a short story for Kindle every two to three weeks.

Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite book?

This is a tough one.  Favorite book is easy, The Grapes of Wrath is a book I reread almost yearly.  As for authors, love Hemingway, Steinbeck, Michael McDowell, Robert McCammon and of course, Stephen King.

Where can readers find you and your work?

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Goodreads

Both Kats Tales and Vengeance Is Mine are available in print or eBook form.

What’s your view on the self-publishing/traditional publishing thing? Ideally, which one would you prefer and why?

I’ve had short stories published in traditional print and online magazines.  It’s a great feeling, for sure that someone likes your work enough to fill their pages with it.  But, I’ve always known that there was not a publisher that would accept my longer works.  Vengeance is a novella – so too short for mainstream publishers.  So I self-published it now that the opportunity is there.  The Descendants will be self-published also as I see no reason to try and battle the gate keepers for less profit.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“Where mediocrity is allowed, competence sinks in the mire.”  Or something like that – I had that hanging over my desk for years, because I was surrounded with people who believed that ‘good was good enough’.

What is the most important advice you have for aspiring authors?

If you want to write, write.  Don’t wait for permission and don’t wait for the right time.  Grab a pen and paper and write anywhere and everywhere you can steal a free minute.  Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your short story or novel, but unless you put pen to paper it will never happen.  So, go for it – get that story out of your head and onto paper or a computer screen.

Do the best you can, study the books if needed for proper grammar and style.  Once you have the story, find someone who believes in it and get it out there for the rest of the world.  And if you’re the only one who believes, then do it yourself and let the readers decide.

Is there anything else you’d like to say before we finish up?

Just that I appreciate this opportunity to share with your readers.  And that I hope that even if my books do not interest them that they will continue to look for Indie authors and support them.

Awesome, thanks for allowing me to interview you!

Please take a moment to visit Kat at the links below!

Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Smashwords    Goodreads
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Shards of the Glass Slipper by Roy A. Mauritsen

There Is One Last Chance To Save Happily Ever After! Can a group of heroes, including Goldenhair, Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel, help General Snow White and her dwarven resistance fighters defeat the tyrannical Queen Cinderella? And will they succeed before a war with Wonderland destroys everything? Their only hope to stop Cinderella’s quest for power lies with a young girl named Patience Muffet. She carries the fabled shards of Cinderella’s glass slippers, as well as the dark secret of who murdered the last of the fairy godmothers. Roy A.Mauritsen’s fantasy adventure fairy tale epic begins with Shards of the Glass Slipper: Queen Cinder.

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What People Are Saying:

“I bought this book having an interest in classic fairy tales. It brings a wonderful twist to them, giving each character their own flavor. Keeps you on the edge of your seat as you fall in love with certain characters and detest others. It’s a wonderful book to read to pass the time. You won’t be able to put it down.” –Amanda

“Roy has written a truly beautiful book. A complex fairy tale that will stay with you long after you read it. I look forward to the next installment.” – Joseph

“Mr. Mauritsen has done a wonderful job in taking classic characters that almost everyone knows and showing them in a new and interesting light. I love how he interweaves parts of the classic fairytales with a unique fresh story, He pays homage to their various roots while making them into characters all his own.”- Kimberly

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Excerpt:

The group came upon a clearing in the woods where there sat the burnt and rotted ruins of an old house. Vines grew over most of the remaining framework and bits of wall and chimney. Shrubs and tall grass hid most of the decayed flooring.

Goldenhair paused here, and seemed to reflect for a moment at this spot, as if it held old memories for her. And then, like an old memory, it faded. She was in the present again. The bears seemed familiar with the area as well. They sniffed around the clearing and finding a spot in the sunlight, lowered themselves upon the grass. They placed their heads on their massive paws and sighed.

“Now,” said Mavor, “we can rest a bit.” She sat down and reclined upon the great furred back of Dosso, leaning on the bear like a large fur pillow. The bear did not mind.

Elizabeth leaned against the bear as well. Patience sat next to the smaller bear, Kerker, and hesitantly leaned against the soft warm fur. Hamelin sat upon the ground close to Patience and tentatively reached out to pet the bear Kerker, who all but ignored him. He had never been so close to a real bear before. It made Hamelin nervous, but it was apparent that these bears were more accepting of human interaction; not that they were tame pets, but the bears seemed to have a greater understanding because of Goldenhair’s ability to interact with them. They sat in a circle of dappled sun and shadow; a cool breeze took the heat from the sun. The only sounds were those of the bears’ heavy breathing, the rustle of treetops in the wind, and the distant buzzing of cicadas.

“We have made good time,” Mavor stated, “but we must get to the coast by nightfall.”

Elizabeth pulled out a few apples from her pack and began to pass them around. Mavor scowled at her offering and Elizabeth shook her head. “They were the only food I could find yesterday,” she said defensively. Mavor took the apple from Elizabeth and handed hers to Patience.

“Eat them here. You know they aren’t allowed in the meeting.” Goldenhair gave Elizabeth an incredulous look, but Elizabeth ignored it. She smiled at Hamelin and tossed him an apple.

“They are just apples, Goldenhair. Relax.” Elizabeth bit into one like a rebellious child defying a parent’s wishes.

“How long have you known each other?” asked Hamelin, recognizing the relaxed interaction between the two.

Elizabeth was in mid-bite and answered with a mouthful of apple. “It’s been about a year now, this winter, since the resistance destroyed Guff’s Bridge. I met Goldenhair just after that.”

“Guff’s Bridge is gone?” Hamelin asked with surprised interest. Everyone in the kingdom used that bridge, he recalled. It was the main crossing to the castle.

“Queen Cinder was not pleased about that,” added Elizabeth. “Losing that bridge really hindered the queen’s troops. Though I hear they are rebuilding it,” Elizabeth added as an aside to Goldenhair.

Patience pulled her pack over and placed it on her lap in a forlorn manner. The young girl seemed sad while the others spoke of the recent news. The weight of caring for the glass slippers now seemed a heavier burden on her shoulders.

With a mouth full of apple, its juice sliding from the crook of her lips, Elizabeth looked over at Mavor, concerned for the young girl.

“So?” Hamelin spoke up. “What does it mean?” He started, “She wanted to return the glass slippers to the only proper place she could think of, which was the grave site. It was just going to be a gesture. No big deal, they were just glass, ornamental leftovers from the big wedding…”

“No, Hamelin,” Mavor interjected with frustration in her voice. “They are much more than that. They are the last known source of fairy magic in the kingdom, and those shards are the only things that can stop Queen Cendrillon!”

Goldenhair’s explanation seemed to hang heavily in the air. For a moment, she had let her composure slip, just a little.

“Oh—of course, fairy magic,” Hamelin remarked sarcastically.

Elizabeth interjected, “We suspect they have fairy magic in them, based mostly on the legends and stories; until you both arrived, it was only a rumor that the glass slippers had survived at all. There has not been a fairy godmother around in years. Anyway, we still do not know what to do with them.”

“I have heard that General White’s lieutenant, Rapunzel was to try to talk to someone about the magic,” replied Goldenhair.

“You know General White is not one to latch on to any ideas about magic either, Goldenhair. At least Queen Cinder does not have them, so I guess that is something good. I just hope Cinder doesn’t find out her slippers are still around.”

Patience stared at the backpack on her lap. “They have magic?”

Mavor’s accent flowed over every word she spoke, as she turned back to Patience to explain. “That night five years ago, when the Bloodthorn Wall went up and surrounded the castle, there were a few stories that managed to get out in time before the castle was sealed off. We came across a dying man who spoke of a servant woman still in the castle, who was looking for her daughter, and claimed her daughter had run away with the queen’s slippers. The woman was a servant named Brown.”

Patience’s eyes sparkled for a moment, then her look saddened and softened. That was her mother. How did her mother know about the glass slippers? Patience had not heard anyone speak of her mother in years. It brought back feelings of sadness that the girl had buried deeply. She wanted to ask more but was afraid to hear the answer, so she remained silent.

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Learn more or purchase your copy at:

Shards of the Glass Slipper Website
Amazon
Facebook
The Publisher

… or View the Book Trailer!

Storm of Arranon by R.E. Sheahan

This book was given to me free of charge by the author or publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review may be quoted in whole or part without my express permission as long as “Lisa Taylor” or “Writer’s Block Party” is credited with a link to this post. 

Back Cover Description:

Beneath Erynn’s petite build lies a deeply hidden secret. If the truth about her were revealed, her life would be in danger. Her dream to be a fighter pilot would tailspin, crash, and burst into flames.

Jaer radiates a smoldering strength. Charismatic and moody, he is a physically powerful warrior who defends his world. A warrior afraid to love.

When a marauding alien society is discovered on their planets, a struggle of life and death begins. Erynn and Jaer’s worlds face annihilation.

A mysterious force plunges Erynn into Jaer’s cold, dangerous, and beautiful world with its magical essence and living consciousness. Both the alien enemy and this strange inexplicable power pursue Erynn.

With the death toll mounting, Erynn is thrust into the battle. Her responsibility extends far beyond what she ever imagined. Her secret may be their worlds’ only hope. But using her abilities may cost Erynn her life. When her feelings for Jaer intensify, Erynn hopes to survive the storm and break through that hard, cold exterior to the fire of a warrior’s love.
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Review:

At first glance, I really loved the look of this book. The cover is a bit cluttered, but the typography of the title is beautiful and the description sounded like an exciting and unique story.

The beginning starts off full of action. When I first started reading, I told my sister, “this is going to be one of those books I can’t put down.” The author gives just enough history in the beginning so that the reader understands what is going on, but splits it up among exciting action scenes.  At first, the main character’s powers were hard to understand, but later the reader realizes why her powers seemed strange and undeveloped…because they were!

The main character grows a lot during the story. She finds she’s capable of things she never imagined, and I really liked that. I also like that the romance of the story wasn’t the main focus of the book, though sometimes I wondered where it came from.  It took most of the book for me to get a grasp on the relationships between Erynn and the other characters. I feel like the author was trying to put in a little bit of everything to attract a wider audience…and nothing wrong with that! This is a book that girls, boys, men and women can all enjoy.

The reading did slow down some for me in the middle. The opening of fast action gives away to growth and learning, which isn’t bad, but easier to put down. As the end approached, though, I found myself wanting to pick the book back up more and more. I can forgive the slower pace in the middle since the spaces of less action brought so much depth and growth to the characters, so not really a plus or minus there…just a fact.

I won’t give away any spoilers, but the end took a turn that I didn’t expect. I found the ending much more satisfying than the typical “good destroys evil” plot. The author definitely conveys a message with the way the book ends, and I liked that.

There were a few typos sprinkled through the book, but they weren’t enough to detract from the story.  The author also tended to invent words to describe animals and other things since this is a futuristic world completely different from ours. That’s great, especially when she included enough description to let the reader know what type of animal the word referred to. Sometimes though, no description was offered and the comparison would fall flat.

Still, any and all complaints I could find about this book are small details. The story is good, the writing is straight forward and relatively fast paced, and the characters are believable. Definitely a solid read, and I’d be happy to read the rest of this series when it comes out, or any other work by R.E. Sheahan.
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Buy Storm of Arranon on Amazon

Visit R.E. Sheahan’s Website

SO Writer’s Block Party just wanted to take this time to say HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all you fantastic and wonderful mothers out there.

I live with my sister, and neither one of us are really mothers, but her dogs are the closest to babies we have, and let’s face it…they get spoiled worse than if they were our kids. One of them is named Jake.

That’s me!

We found out yesterday that Jake has hurt his back. We’re not sure how, but he tweaked it and now has a swollen disk. He has to take muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories twice a day and we have to ice the spot on his back twice a day. For two weeks he isn’t allowed to go up or down steps, jump on any furniture, or run. For a four year old border collie, it’s pretty much torture. Especially when his older sister is running around and playing like normal.

The thing about Jake is that he LOVES to snuggle. The reason he is always on the couch is because if me or my sister is sitting there, he wants to be in our lap. It’s torture for him to look up at us sitting on the couch and not being able to get up and snuggle. So my sister did what any good mother would. She went out and bought bean bag chairs so that we can sit on the floor with him for the next two weeks. She is spending mother’s day doing her homework on the floor so that her baby has someone to snuggle with.

And, like any good sister, Cassie is teasing him by jumping on the couch, running around the room, and otherwise doing everything that he can’t.

This is why we have mother’s day…because mothers do things like that.

And are awesome.

The end.

UPDATE:

My sister has now thrown out HER back while trying to get up and down off the floor to keep the dog with the hurt back company. The things mothers go through for their babies.

I’m going to discuss my Science Fiction, Detective, Erotica. Romance novel, Slaves of Love. Looking at the description this seems a perfect opportunity to explore genre purity. Yaa right. If you’ve read much of my stuff you know I have a hard time coloring within the genre lines. I would like to talk about the challenges and joys of writing cross genre.

The joys are that you get to be very original and juxtapose worn-out plot lines and stock elements from one genre into another in ways that make them fresh. For example, in Slaves of Love I begin with a twist on the classic damsel in distress. Astra, my female lead, has been kidnapped and Race, my male lead, has to save her. The twist is that Astra is lying in Race’s bed. Her mind has, in a sense, been kidnapped by Todd, a thug, who slipped her protoerotoskillin, a drug that forced her to imprint on Todd turning her into a virtual slave doomed to have a mental breakdown if she fails to obey his orders. Todd, a member of the criminal syndicate, has ordered Astra to go to the asteroid belt as a mail-order bride. A miner on the belt has paid a pretty penny for the girl of his dreams who, after re-imprinting on the miner, will be completely obedient to his whims.

Thus an old chestnut takes on a new twist. Another old plot line with a fresh face is that Race has to recruit a criminal to help him force Todd to release Astra by supplying more of the drug so that Astra can be re-imprinted and be told not to lose her free will. What makes this unique is that Ralph, the criminal, is actually an artificial personality imprinted into Race years before so he could infiltrate the European crime syndicate.

Thus by applying a science fiction twist to two concepts that you are likely to find in old westerns they become new and open the door for a lot of interesting conflict. Two men inhabiting one body, each vying for supremacy, sounds like fun to me. Make them both interested in the same woman and the sparks are sure to fly.

This kind of thing is made possible because science fiction is primarily a genre of setting. You can tell pretty much any type of story in a science fiction world. There is a proviso though, to tell the story well the science should be an essential element of the story. The futuristic drugs and psychological manipulation in Slaves of Love are the main source of conflict.

The detective story part of the book is in essence fairly standard. A tough as nails gum shoe, ex-cop has to gather information then confront the bad guy. Problem is everybody undergoes psychological conditioning at the age of ten so that they can’t commit an act of violence. Sociopaths are immune to this conditioning and Ralph is a sociopath which is one of the story lines. This would fall under the challenges of crossing genre because you have to stay at least somewhat consistent to the nature of both. So how can Race be a tough guy if he doubles up in pain anytime he throws a punch? I won’t give it away beyond saying that the answer is in some forms of martial arts training. Still, staying consistent to both the science fiction parameters and the hardboiled detective took some mental tap dancing.

The erotic elements of the book were another challenge. You’d think they’d be simple since some things never change, well mostly but you’ll find that out if you read the book. This was more just the challenge that you face every time you write a sex scene. You don’t want to throw the scenes in for no reason. In good writing every word pulls weight. Everything must advance the plot or characterization. The real temptation is to just drop in the sex scenes and think they will be enjoyed for their own titillation factor. This misses the point. At no time is a person more vulnerable or fulfilled and alive than during the act of making love. In contrast, at no time is someone more disenfranchised as a human being and reduced to a material object as when they are rutting like a dog in heat. Both acts share the same mechanics, so a sex scene is a place you can delve into character, explore motivation, and define the character as a hero or a villain. Thus the erotic elements should be used for this. They should drive the plot forward.

Now for the romance. I used this as the driving motivation of the piece. Romance can encompass erotica and in fact does in Slaves of Love, but it also extends beyond it. Race awakening Ralph from the depths of his Psyche so that he can save Astra, placing his own identity at risk, is a classic great Romantic gesture. A man who might not cross the street for sex will move heaven and earth for love. The trick in Slaves of Love was to not let the romance overwhelm the action elements. Love is the key that saves both Race and Ralph and it needs to be present throughout the book, but mostly in the background fueling the heroic actions.

It is very easy when putting romance into a science fiction book to end up with a novel that could have been written in the present day and probably should have been. This is because love, like sex, doesn’t change over time. The stories of a ninety year old woman’s first love may well have marked similarities to the things that her great grand daughter is going through in the present. To integrate that it was important to keep that eternal element but not let it overwhelm the book in general. It was also important to let the state of the society influence things in a logical way. When you have to pay tuition and may have your family cut you off finically because they don’t like your boyfriend you can be motivated to rush moving in together for financial reasons. Also, if you’re pregnant in the future fetal extraction and freezing or transfer to a host mother who can’t conceive on her own may be real possibilities.

So I guess what I’m saying is when you write cross genre you really need to watch your proportions and blend the different elements letting each alter but not overwhelm the others. Making an internally consistent logically cohesive book should be the goal.

In any case, thank you for reading, and thank you Lisa for this opportunity to pontificate.

If you’re interested in finding out more about my published works or me you can check out the other entries on this site and or visit any of the below web addresses.

Stephen’s Sites: Stephen’s Website    Youtube    Facebook
Stephen’s Books: Tinker’s Plague    Slaves of Love   The Hollow Curse   Nukekubi    __________________________________________________________

Gandalf taught me how to be a spirit wrapped in flesh. Aragorn taught me how to be a man. Frodo taught me of perseverance, and Samwise of loyalty. Along the way I learned of the power of the written word, the gift it could give by slipping past our defences to show us the best and the worst in ourselves. So who is Stephen B. Pearl? He is a lifeguard, husband, mystic, science enthusiast, home handyman, backyard mechanic, and writer. Like most of us the face he wears changes with the company and the season. His three cats know him as pride alpha, I like to think so, though servant might be more accurate. Who am I kidding? My wife runs the pride; I just try and stay out of her way.

At any rate, I am a man of middle years who lives in a house in Ontario, Canada with three cats, a wife and a sincere hope that you will enjoy my book.

See Stephen’s Author Interview