Wednesday 31 October 2012

Book Spotlight: 72 Hour Protocol by Howard Manson

72 Hour Protocol
by Howard Manson
Thriller/Espionage

Blurb:

An American scientist with knowledge of nuclear secrets is abducted in China, interrogated, and tortured before being spirited away into a three-day mind-melt in this debut spy thriller from Howard Manson.


Katherine Richmond has two secrets. The Chinese want one of them—and the Americans, embroiled in the political scandal that brought her here, want her to give it to them!

But she isn’t talking, and it falls to ex-Ranger, double agent, master interrogator and torturer, Chinese/American Michael Sunday to use any means possible to learn what she knows.

Three days of constant running, without sleep, they grow close and begin to share a personal hope together. As the certainty of her fate as spy becomes all-to clear to them, they fiercely battle all sides in an effort to save her life…or at least that’s what he says they’re doing.

In China where Tao is The Way, it’s wise to remember: Warfare is the Tao of Deception.

the conversations between Sunday and Katherine keep the narrative moving regardless of the evil political machinations going on around them.

Their back-and-forth banter feels natural and fluid, making these two more interesting and relatable by the page.

Manson’s clear technical knowledge of the work Sunday does, whether interrogation or inflicting pain, is impressive.

The couple’s strange desire for success, unwillingness to compromise and sudden passion for one another all lend depth and nuance…

…strong characterization and an impressive ear for dialogue. –Kirkus Reviews


http://www.greatreads.intheuk.me

https://umenow.com/books

Read an extract of the book after the jump

Author Interview: Howard Manson

About the Author

Howard Manson is the pen name for Kim Chamberlain.

Kim Chamberlain is the name given to a boy who grew up taking a lot of crap because his name was Kim.

Tall and skinny, not a great fighter living in a series of harsh environments, at an early age, Kim learned the art of quickly evaluating personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and then using that to mess-up people’s minds, both defensively and proactively, as a means to avoid getting his butt kicked, or to stay out of trouble with the adults.

His entire adult life has been spent unlearning this behavior and redirecting those talents into the fictional pathologies and behaviors of his characters.

Learning the spy business for fiction purposes is simply a matter of reading and retaining the information in many hundreds of books, mostly non-fiction, and talking to people who know what’s up. Knowing how to make characters stand-up off the page and visit with you is a priceless gift and worth the harshness of the education.

Howard, on the other hand, is all business, writing extensively researched and meticulously organized spy-fiction. 72 Hour Protocol: is Howard’s debut thriller.

“Manson’s clear technical knowledge of the work Sunday does, whether interrogation or inflicting pain, is impressive.” --Kirkus Reviews

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I do both, but I refer to spy-fiction as ‘technical writing about people,’ so I had to read forty non-fiction books and outline the scenes and sequences before I wrote anything. My book is an accounting of a three-day interrogation, and a good interrogator must research his subject and plan the interrogation thoroughly.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Most of the main characters are government or military and they heel-to pretty well. The first word in a description of Katherine, however, is ‘willful.’ So when she’d get out of hand, I’d have to send the authorities after her. Most of the locals in the story just do as they wish; they have no idea what’s going on.

What is your favourite food?

Sushi, dim-sum, and Fatburger (the world’s best hamburger).

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Night.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I wanted to get a group together and make the motorcycle trip through Eastern China that Michael and Katherine make in the book. I spent many hundreds of hours on Google Earth plotting this route, as well as Flicker, travellers’ blogs and city and business websites: all the landscapes and buildings and street names are correct—with allowances for the lag in imagery updates.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Always. 72HP takes place in Eastern China: Nanjing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Suzhou, and all around Taihu (lake Tai). I have a new novella that moves from China, through India, and on into some unsavory, unnamed desert land.

Do you listen to music while writing?

No.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

72 Hour Protocol: is an action spy thriller in which the love story is the reason for the book. I wanted people to feel something I was feeling about my late wife. The structure of the book is what it is to mask the developing emotion in the reader (hopefully) enabling the end to work. The plot is remarkably simple: Katherine Richmond has a secret that she’s not telling; Michael Sunday has three days to find out what it is—and use it to save her life. The purpose of the book is made clear in the closing dedication.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

Imagining a story is art; creating a story is craft; selling a story is a business.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I love my girls too much to make that gamble.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

Everyone, and everything! I am obsessed with improving as a ‘people-renderer’ in fiction. I have a fairly mediocre imagination, so I try to hang on to any observation about any person I see, because someday, that tidbit of humanness is going to be the exact thing I need to make something work in a story.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

So much so that my original author’s page for the book morphed into EspionageMagazine.com, a professional looking web-magazine where new writers can see their stories in print, and then want to make them better.

Or, Don’t get angry; don’t cry; don’t quit—or get angry; cry; don’t quit—read more!

What are three words that describe you?

Coffee. Tired. Coffee.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

Much like a first love, the books that created the foundation for whatever it is I do when I write are: Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.; Crime and Punishment and The Possessed by Fyodor Dostoyevsky; Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte; The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, by John le Carre.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

72 Hour Protocol
by Howard Manson

An American scientist with knowledge of nuclear secrets is abducted in China, interrogated, and tortured before being spirited away into a three-day mind-melt in this debut spy thriller from Howard Manson.

Katherine Richmond has two secrets. The Chinese want one of them—and the Americans, embroiled in the political scandal that brought her here, want her to give it to them!

But she isn’t talking, and it falls to ex-Ranger, double agent, master interrogator and torturer, Chinese/American Michael Sunday to use any means possible to learn what she knows.

Three days of constant running, without sleep, they grow close enough to find they share a personal hope together. As the certainty of her fate as spy becomes all-to clear to them, they fiercely battle all sides in an effort to save her life…or at least that’s what he says they’re doing.

In China where Tao is The Way, it’s wise to remember: Warfare is the Tao of Deception.

List of previous books if any

Nothing professionally published.


Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

EspionageMagazine.com

Facebook.com/espionagemagazine

Pinterest.com/spymag

Indie Wriers’ Network

NAIWE

BookBlogs


Thanks, and good luck with your books :)

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Author Interview: J. Stephen Howard

Today we have an interview with horror and fantasy writer, J. Stephen Howard, talking about his latest book, Frankenstein's Confessional, a collection of horror short stories just in time for Halloween.

About the Author:

J. Stephen Howard has written several books in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Also, he contributed several articles to "American Songwriter Magazine," wrote a humor column for "Evansville Business Journal," and recorded essays for public radio station WNIN.

He teaches English in California where he lives with his wife.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?  

I create an outline and brainstorm important details regarding character development. However, I allow the story flow, guided by character motivations, to alter the outcome.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Yes, they often reveal something about themselves that I hadn't known about. I can think right now of an example. In the one story that's a novella, “The Guitar Pick," the singer-songwriter protagonist discovers the malevolent nature of his guitar pick. What I discovered and didn't fully know about beforehand, though, concerned his reaction to this development. Led by his impulses, the ending surprised me.

What is your favourite food?

I love Mexican food. Give me a fully-loaded burrito, freshly made, and I'm a happy man.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I used to be a night owl, but when I became a middle school teacher and had to get up early, that changed. Now, especially on weekends and during vacation, I like to write as soon as I get up. I find I'm still in a dream state.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I'd love to travel to a major country on every continent. This would give me a well-rounded experience of the world. While I take pride in being American, I want to take in the differing viewpoints of various cultures.

Do distant places feature in your books?

No, but I'd argue that having traveled to other places, my philosophy on the human experience has been influenced. In turn, my writing is indirectly affected.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Yes, I listen to film scores on Pandora. It helps put me in the mood of creating a suspenseful, “cinematic" story. I think it's important to keep the action in motion and paint visceral images for the reader. Movies remind me of how to do that.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

Frankenstein's Confessional is a book of eleven short stories and one novella. It takes so little to create a monster. Add self-loathing, throw in some jealousy, and maybe a pinch of revenge for starters. Serve it all up with guilt, and voilĂ --evil is alive, and it has a voice. From the mouths of self-made monsters come these tales, confessionals so to speak, detailing how their lives went wrong.

As a human, a firefighter lived to save people. Now as a vampire, he kills to live, but what happens when he falls in love with a mortal? Will he have the impulse to run into the fire to rescue others, or will he throw them into the flames of his torment?

A priest meets a troubled penitent whose confession hints at murder. When victims turn up with their hearts removed, striking a chord of remembrance, the priest feels somehow responsible.

A former football player-turned New York C.S.I. agent has a new case and an even newer partner. Thundering headaches smash against his temples like brutal linebackers, blocking his ability to solve the crime. Meanwhile, the glory days on the pigskin field keep haunting him as it turns out to be no coincidence that the victim is a pro football player of great fame.

These are just a few of the characters who discovered how forgiveness comes with a price. They learned that in Frankenstein's Confessional, you enter a sinner but leave a monster.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

I've learned you have to write what you would like to read. Then, you can worry about publishing. After the book is written, then it's a matter of reaching out to potential readers who might enjoy reading the type of story you've crafted.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I'd write more if I had the time! However, since I'm a full-time teacher, I like my current approach. During summer vacation, I do all the planning for a book. Then, throughout the school year, I try to write at least one page a day. Typically, I find myself too exhausted at the end of a school day to do too much planning.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

The two Stephens, King and Spielberg, introduced me to the magic of using my imagination. If I can transport the reader, I've been successful. Most of us appreciate the ability to escape from the stressfulness of reality.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Believe in yourself, and write first to entertain yourself. Don't let critics stymie your artistic urges.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

I appreciate how Stephen King can combine several layers that may seem incompatible. In the same story, a reader can describe what he's reading as being creepy, humorous, and touching.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book:

Anita from The Kindle Book Review says: "If you enjoy reading Stephen King, John Saul, or Dean Koontz then you will enjoy reading J. Stephen Howard." Tracy Cook from “Booked Up" says: “This is a good collection and got me more in the mood for Halloween.” Horror writer, Tara Fox Hall, says it's a “very well written collection sure to entertain and enthrall."

List of previous books if any:

Fear in Appleton.

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

http://www.frankensteinsconfessional.com

http://www.facebook.com/FrankensteinsConfessional

http://www.fearinappleton.com

http://www.facebook.com/FearinAppletonbook


Thank you, J. Stephen and good luck with your books!

Monday 29 October 2012

Book Review: Salem VI: Rebecca's Rising

Review copy supplied by authors' representative.
Salem VI: Rebecca's Rising
by Jack Heath and John Thompson
Horror/Supernatural
Pressque Publishing, LLC
3.5 Stars

Blurb:

Having stepped off the fast track of primetime network television news, John Andrews has chosen a quieter life as editor of Salem News, a small paper in a quiet New England town. Life is perfect until Andrews’ wife is killed in a tragic accident. After several years of trying to numb the pain with alcohol, Andrews is visited by the spirit of a long dead ancestor who opens a door to a shocking family history. After he experiences a surreal glimpse into the past, Andrews must confront the question of whether he is losing his mind or whether for several hundred years his ancestors have been engaged in a secret battle with a coven that worships Satan. Fueled by the need to understand whether his wife's death was really an accident or something far more sinister, Andrews, along with his beautiful assistant editor, risk everything to discover a truth so horrifying it threatens to destroy everything and everyone he knows and loves.

Review:

I've always been fascinated by the Salem witch trials after seeing The Crucible, so it wasn't hard to agree to review this one. Rather than go down the route of an action-packed conspiracy thriller, Jack Heath and John Thompson have gone the route of a more character-driven story and as such it stands out much more than just another religious/conspiracy thriller. What made a God-fearing Puritan community turn against their own?

John Andrews escaped a fire at his college dorm, due to hearing the voice of a woman in his head urging him to wake up. Andrews didn't know it, but the fire was the first of many attempts on his life. He is descended from Rebecca Nurse, one of the accused witches hanged at Salem, and also from Ann Putman, one of Rebecca's accusers.

There is a portrait of Rebecca Nurse in the house he inherited from his aunt, and as part of the will, he must agree never to part with it or sell it. John has never liked it, he always thought Rebecca looked very disapproving.

Four years after his wife's death, coming up to Halloween there have been a spate of runaways going missing. John keeps hearing a woman's voice in his head again, and it helps him save a baby. He hears screams coming from a shop called "Wicca Wonders", but no one else seems to hear it. Is he going mad or is something much more sinister going on?

The authors have created a sympathetic character in John Andrews and you are rooting for him as the story unfolds. However, what disappointed me was that we as readers know a lot about the who, where and why, long before John and Amy, his editor figure it out. It would have been more suspenseful for the readers to find out who the 'baddies' are at the same time as John and Amy. There was one of them who was a surprise near the end of the book, so that part was good.

Amy and John share some romance, but it fell flat for me, I didn't get any spark between them at all. The story would have worked just as well if they were investigating things as colleagues without the romance. Contrary to popular belief, some women will read books even if there is no romance in it.

I couldn't tell it was written by two different authors, the scenes blended so well. It's fast-paced and engaging with interesting characters and a different, imaginative, take on the Salem Witch trials.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby


Author Interview: Paul J Turner

About the Author:

Paul J Turner was born in 1964 in Wombourne, Central England. After underachieving at school, something he apportions to 'messing around', he finally pulled his socks up and started training to be a psychiatric nurse at age 19. During almost 20 years working in the UK's National Health Service, he worked with people suffering from various disorders including the perpetrators and victims of sexual abuse and people with alcohol problems.

He has had a long-term ambition to write a novel and decided to draw upon his professional experience for his first book.

He now lives in Atherstone in Warwickshire, is married for the second time and has two grown-up children from his previous marriage.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

This is my first novel so I wasn't sure exactly where to start. I wrote a very basic plan, decided on character names for the story in my mind and started writing. I wasn't totally sure of where the book would go before I started, only an outline, and the story developed as ideas came into my head both as I wrote and, between writing sessions, when I was driving. I hadn't a clue how it would end before I got to the ending, but I was determined it would have a proper ending unlike books I have read when I have been left feeling that I wasted my time reading them when the book ends with a serious anti-climax.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

They tried :) I allowed them to where it fitted with my overall view but there were times I had to put my foot down with them.

What is your favourite food?

Probably something traditionally English like Bangers and Mash (Sausages and Mashed Potatoes) or Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Definitely a night owl. I am not so keen on mornings, although there are times when I like the fresh morning air BEFORE I go to bed!

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I love Asia and have travelled there many times. My only trips across the Atlantic have been to Toronto and New York City, both of which I loved. I have travelled widely in Western Europe. I suppose, therefore, the remaining places I need to see are Australasia and Africa, both of which have to be on my 'to do' list.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Not so far, my debut novel is set in Central England where I grew up and still live. I would certainly not rule out writing a story based in a distant location.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Not deliberately, although there may be music on in the background. Certain types of music, those which I find repetitive and annoying do put me off, but normally I am not distracted too badly by background sounds.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

This is my first novel. It has been a long-term ambition of mine to write one. I decided to draw from my experience working as a psychiatric nurse for 20 years for this novel which I have called Lethal Guardian. It was a very risky subject to write about and I found very little fiction out there about the same subject.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

Actually, writing the book was less of a chore than I expected and I really enjoyed it. It convinced me that I would like to write as a full-time occupation. I won't pretend to know a great deal about publishing, I am still learning as I go. I have self-published and am still working on getting word out about the existence of my book which seems to be a lot bigger job than actually getting your book on sale.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I am not sure that there is. Certainly, the early reaction to my book from those who have read it tells me that I have probably done a good job of the writing itself. However, it is very early and I may get feedback which changes my mind on that. From the publishing and marketing point of view, I am sure that I will make many mistakes that I learn from so, if you ask me again in a few months time, I would probably have a long list of things I would have done differently.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

I love reading. There are things which I like when I read a book and things which I hate. I have tried to ensure that I avoided the things that I don't like when I am reading, myself. For example, I like a story to flow and I always want to know what happens next. If an author spends two pages describing a tree, I get irritated: 'I know what a tree looks like!!! Get on with the story!!!' I can understand that some people like to read for the creative aspect and I am not critical of that sort of writing, it just doesn't suit my impatient nature and my need to get back to the real action.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

I think the old saying that there is a book in everybody is true. However, I am not sure that everybody can do that book justice due to limits on their writing ability. I don't think you need to be a fantastic writer but, to get people to stay engaged with your book, you need to avoid the many grammatical errors that many people make, causing their writing to be difficult to follow which, in turn, makes readers give up on the book before the end. I was very very careful to avoid inconsistencies and I found a few during the editing of my book where I had put the wrong character name at one point in a scene. I have even read professionally published books with this error and ended up reading the same paragraph a few times trying to make sense of it before deciding that it must have been an error. Having said that, I have just published my first book so I don't believe that I am in a position to preach to others too much.

What are three words that describe you?

Caring, witty, logical.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

I really can't give one answer to this. I have loved many of the books I have read. At the moment, I am reading a lot of James Patterson and have just finished a book he co-wrote with Andrew Gross called The Jester which I really loved. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini was another big favourite of mine.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

Lethal Guardian by Paul J Turner

Nathan Grant is nine years old, his sister, Chloe, is six. They live in a large house in the English Midlands with their parents, Ian and Louise. Their father’s job as a successful lawyer provides an affluent lifestyle and all their emotional needs are met by devoted parents and the extended family. The two children are academically bright and popular at school with both teachers and other pupils and life couldn’t be better.

But all that changes on one terrible night, when Ian and Louise Grant go out to dinner and are killed in a car crash.

Nathan and Chloe go to live with their mother’s twin sister, a loving and caring woman who is determined to give the children the best life possible. Her husband, however, is a social misfit of a man who was raised single-handedly by a religiously-obsessed mother. To please her, he has had to marry a woman, despite being more attracted to men and, tragically for Nathan, young boys.

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

http://www.lethalguardian.com is the book's website and this has a video interview with me and links to where people can either buy the book or download a free sample.

Thank you, Paul and good luck with your book :)

You can read an excerpt from the book below:
http://www.booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/book-spotlight-lethal-guardian-by-paul.html

and also on Paul's website.

Book Spotlight: Lethal Guardian by Paul J Turner

Lethal Guardian
by Paul J Turner
Thriller/Suspense
http://www.lethalguardian.com

Blurb:

Nathan Grant is nine years old, his sister, Chloe, is six. They live in a large house in the English Midlands with their parents, Ian and Louise. Their father’s job as a successful lawyer provides an affluent lifestyle and all their emotional needs are met by devoted parents and the extended family. The two children are academically bright and popular at school with both teachers and other pupils and life couldn’t be better.


But all that changes on one terrible night, when Ian and Louise Grant go out to dinner and are killed in a car crash.

Nathan and Chloe go to live with their mother’s twin sister, a loving and caring woman who is determined to give the children the best life possible. Her husband, however, is a social misfit of a man who was raised single-handedly by a religiously-obsessed mother. To please her, he has had to marry a woman, despite being more attracted to men and, tragically for Nathan, young boys.

Read an excerpt from the book after the jump

Sunday 28 October 2012

Author Interview: M. K. Theodoratus

About the Author:

Snarly elves are my specialty. My scattered reviews consider, my take on elves different, even though conflict over magic is a cornerstone of their society. The general tone of the reviews? My Half-Elven stories are fast-paced, thrilling, exciting, and engaging.

Yeah, I do the fantasy writer thing, mostly in the world of the Far Isle Half-Elven, a hybrid elf/human population that survived genocide by religious fanatics. You can learn more about the history and heroes of the Marches at my website: http://www.half-elven.com.

A writing assignment started my "writing career". My sixth-grade teacher asked for a short story for an English assignment. She got a Nancy Drew pastiche and gave me a "C" because, at 25+ handwritten pages, I hadn't finished the story. [Most of the other kids only wrote two to four pages. *snarl*, *snarl*.] The next summer, I finished the MG novel -- "The Clue of the Clay Cats".

After four or five "writing careers", I now write fantasy. The Far Isle Half-Elven absorb most of my time, but I also explore the world of Faerie and ghosts in some of my tween fantasy WIPs.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I do a combination. Planning comes from a general outline of the story arc, character descriptions, and devising conflicts to hinder the main character’s journey through the story. Flow comes from I set up the situations and let the characters do their thing.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Not really … since they have to fit into the story arc.

What is your favourite food?

I like many different ethnic spice combinations. I enjoy crunchy foods the most, especially well-made popcorn.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Definitely a night owl. It’s hereditary since my Mom was a night owl and my kids are.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

I don’t really dream -- except for characters running around on my mental stage. Where I like to travel is to interesting beaches which are found in abundance along the US Northwest Coast. In Britain: I’d have to say the Welsh coast though Skara Brae had one of the most lovely beaches I’ve ever seen.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Not really … unless you consider fantasy “distant places”. My tween stuff is mostly set in Northern California where I grew up.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Yes … a lot of Celtic, though I should probably say world music and classical. I use heavy metal for fight scenes.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

Troublesome Neighbors is set in my Far Isle Half-Elven world -- which is an alternative Britannia -- just after the High-Elven won the war to save themselves from genocide by religious fanatics to the south who hate magic. Renna, a veteran of the fight, seeks a peaceful civilian life: setting up a weaving workshop on her holding. Only she has the misfortune of having a powerful, greedy neighbor who coverts her lands. In the process of defending her people, she is drawn into the larger conflict of political control of the Marches.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started? I’m a hermit. Have been for decades. So, I learned marketing my stories a particular pain. On the other hand, I embrace the new e-publishing paradigm. It allows me to share my Half-Elven stories. -- I’ve been writing/thinking stories since I was a kid. I’ve watched the publishing industry change from small houses to corporate conglomerates to fragmenting again. Lesson? I think writers must be adaptable.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I’d write faster and more efficiently than I do.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

I’ve always read fantasy. Started when I was a kid and was introduced to the Oz books … all 30 of them … in the library. I still read fantasy, and every author that hooks me into their world influences my writing since I study the way their construct their stories. A couple of my favorite authors [who I reread regularly] are Patricia Briggs, Simon R. Green, Laurell K Hamilton, Jim Butcher, Lee Child, Yasmine Galenorn, Kay Hooper, and Mercedes Lackey. They can all teach writers a lot about drawing three-dimensional characters and keeping the action moving.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Write. Write. And, write some more. Also, find some good critique partners who can help you build your craft skills. Real novels are produced during the rewrite process after you learn what you did wrong.

What are three words that describe you?

Grumpy educated peasant

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

Don’t really have ‘A’ favorite. A list of some of the writers whose worlds I like to get lost in are listed above. Of course, there are others. It all depends on my mood. [Can I mention Nora Lofts and Georgette Heyer?]

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book:

All Lady Renna, a veteran of the Half-Elven Rebellion, wants is respect. But she’s caught between two millstones – her neighbor who covets her lands and her steward who still treats her like a child. People don’t look beyond her small stature and crippled gait. Considered a weakling, Renna lets people think what they want. She’s a weaver, not a fighter.

Renna may be sick of bloodshed, but as the holder of Ren Creek, she is expected to protect her people. When Lord Gorsfeld, her neighbor, starts vandalizing her holding, she is force to confront him. Her friend, Mariah, decides Renna has stayed on the sidelines too long. She pulls Renna into the power struggle with Gorsfeld that reaches beyond Renna’s holding. With pressure coming from all sides, Renna must find her own way to live as she wishes.

Troublesome Neighbours is out now at amazon and amazon uk

List of previous books if any.

All my stuff is short. WolfSinger Publications published my Taking Vengeance novella set 400 years after the Rebellion. I also offer two free short stories set in my Half-Elven world.

I used to sell a lot of short non-fiction to small magazines, but it isn’t pertinent now.

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

My Half-Elven website: http://www.half-elven.com

Twitter: @kaytheod and @TakingVengeance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Updates-on-the-World-of-the-Far-Isles-Half-Elven/100514986718681
https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-K-Theodoratus/235376633158175?ref=hl

Thank you, Kay and good luck with your books :)

Friday 26 October 2012

Book Review: The Abulon Dance by Caro Soles

The Abulon Dance

by Caro Soles
Sci-fi/GLBT
Untreed Reads Publishing
5 Stars
Available at amazon kindle

Blurb:

While on tour to the mysterious planet Abulon, the pleasure-loving hermaphrodites of the Merculian National Dance Company are intrigued by the virile patriarchal society they discover there. The natives seem friendly enough, but when the star’s young lover is kidnapped, the Merculians find themselves plunged into an alien civil war that they are ill-equipped to survive.

Review:

This is how sci-fi should be, an interesting blend of strange worlds and customs, exotic aliens and culture clashes.

The hermaphrodite Merculian dance troupe is on its first visit to the mysterious planet of Abulon, the first off-worlders to ever visit. Neither male nor female, the Merculians feel decidedly out of place amongst the patriarchal society of Abulon. A society ruled over by a Great Chief, a hunter, another thing they don't have in common, as the Merculians do not eat meat.

Triani is the star dancer and his lover, Cham, is excited to be involved in such an adventure, never having been to a different planet before. Excitement soon turns to horror, when Cham is kidnapped, ostensibly by rebels in the hills, but the truth is far more intriguing than that. Why does the Great Chief not want the rebels to be heard? What has he got to hide? His son, Luan, decides to help the Muerculians get Cham back, but he risks being called a traitor for his actions. And the Abulonians don't take too kindly to traitors...

A well written novel, full of sexual and political intrigue, it grips from the very first page and is difficult to put down. It's a sweeping adventure, one very easy to get lost in, with a depth of character sometimes lacking in sci-fi novels. Sometimes the characters get left behind in place of lots of techno-jargon, not so here. Here the characters are centre stage, as much as Triani is the centre of the dance troupe and anything techincal only adds to the story, not detract from it.

A wonderful read.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby

Thursday 25 October 2012

Book Review: Trinity by Kristin Dearborn

ARC from Netgalley courtesy of the publisher

Trinity
by Kristin Dearborn
Dark Fuse
Sci-Fi/Horror
3.5 Stars

Blurb:

Fresh out of jail and hopeful his troubles are behind him, Valentine Slade returns to his hometown of Lott, New Mexico. But for Val, his troubles are just beginning. His girlfriend’s State Trooper brother comes after him with a shotgun, his mother Caroline has been diagnosed with a mysterious form of terminal cancer, and a mutilated corpse is found on the road outside his house.

And there’s something more…something…unnatural out in the desert…something that is not human watches and waits, luring Val deeper and deeper into a terrifying mystery that may very well be tied to otherworldly intelligence…and tied to Val himself. To find the truth Val must delve into nightmares he’d rather forget, horrors he’d rather not know, and into places where there is nowhere to hide.

We are not alone. There is no escape from the truth. No escape from…TRINITY.

Review:

In some parts reminiscent of The X-Files and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Trinity has a good sci-fi base at its core. While the storyline itself doesn't add anything new to the genre - grey, black-eyed aliens who abduct humans for experimentation, another alien race who use humans as host bodies and an alien monster out in the desert, what makes this book stand out is the characterisation.

An ex-convict might have seemed a strange choice for the 'hero' of a novel, and I did wonder whether he was going to be sympathetic and whether I could relate to him. The truth is, I did. Val was a victim of circumstance more than anything, with an alcoholic mother who the all the town folk thought was crazy with her claims of multiple alien abductions, and an unknown father, he's had a hard life.

He was in jail because he had sex with his then underage girlfriend. I don't know what age the woman in question was, so I can't judge on that score. It would make a difference if she was thirteen say, or seventeen. I don't know, it wasn't referenced in the book. From a country where the age of consent is sixteen, I do find it strange to see a seventeen year old as underage. We're also allowed to drink alcohol at eighteen, so the over twenty-one rule seems way out there as well. But, anyway, you get the impression that his jail sentence was rather harsh, although I suppose it would depend on where you live and your own cultural stance on such things.

It's when he gets out of jail that the trouble really starts for Val. He hears a strange humming in his head, he sleepwalks out to the desert and wakes up covered in blood, with no idea how it got there. When the mutilated corpses turn up, the reader and Val are both left wondering if he had something to do with these strange murders. His girlfriend Kate sticks by him, but she suspects him as well and wants both of them to leave and go to Santa Fe. Val doesn't want to leave his ill mother and they both know they won't be going anywhere until she dies. Val's guilt at wanting to leave and knowing his duty to stay is handled very well and you never felt that he was just being an awful person, he was just torn in both directions by the two women in his life - his mother and girlfriend.

The book is fast-paced and quite a page-turner, you need to keep reading to see what happens next. I was a bit confused at first when I got to a section that had the header "Extract from Trinity" and I thought to myself, "Isn't the book I'm reading called Trinity?" Yes, it was, but it has sections from another book called "Trinity" within it. I think I would have called the book within the book something else, not the same title as the one being read. Some scenes are a little bit gory, so not for the faint of heart.

Ms. Dearborn delves deep into the heart of her characters, even the alien ones, and it is this, along with the excellent prose, that makes it more than just another tale of contact.

If you're a fan of traditional sci-fi, with a little bit of horror thrown in, then give this one a go.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby.

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Book Spotlight and Giveaway: House of Cards by Juli D. Revezzo

House of Cards
by Juli D. Revezzo
Supernatural Horror

Blurb:

Can you gamble with Fate?

As a young nobleman, Sinjon escapes the Reign of Terror in 18th century France to find himself dragged into an even worse fate–a hellish underworld wherein he is put on trial by a demon tribunal for crimes he never committed. Can he answer their riddles and thwart his fate, one worse than the guillotine?

There is an extract of the book below the jump and don't forget to comment to enter the draw to win a copy.

Author Interview: Stephen S. Douglas

Today we have an interview with author Stephen Douglas, talking about his latest book, The Great Pyramid Mystery.

About the Author:

The author Stephen Stuart Douglas was born 1966 in Washington DC and grew up in Waldorf Maryland. He and wife Angela now live in historic Georgetown Ohio where his favorite American, General Ulysses S Grant grew up to become the 18th President of the United States. Mr. Douglas's formal education is TSHS MD, then HAC IN, FLETC GA, PGCC MD. For many years, he reads one book a week, active in Christian ministry, in Scottish festivals, in history theory and publication. Occasionally doing public speaking events and consulting work.

His Great Pyramid book has been acknowledged by the Royal British Museum and varied Egyptologist.

""If you enjoy Egypt's pyramids like I do then you will love my new book revealing old and new details about The Great Pyramid Mystery! It includes an historical short story." Stephen S. Douglas

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

For me it is more letting the story flow. As it begins flowing together then I'll go back through it and organize a planned presentation.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Who me, whoo, whoo, whoo.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Yes, Ancient Egypt. In the short story, we sail down the River Nile with Pharaoh and march with the army onto the Giza plateau as the giant limestone blocks are being hualed up to the Great Pyramid site.

Do you listen to music while writing?

No.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the seven wonders of the world, in fact it is the first of them. Did you know its base covers more than thirteen and a half acres of ground and the entire base is level to less than one inch (2.1cm). Did you know only one significant word KHUFU was written inside the entire Great Pyramid structure and it was discovered hidden above a false ceiling. Did you know the Seven Year Famine connection to The Great Pyramid is stronger than any other pop-theory. I include the documented facts with historical and physical eveidence, in an easy to read format. Includes an action adventure story starring Pharaoh Khufu and Governor Joseph. Pharaoh is murdered, rebellion and intrigue, yet two friends are determind the Old Kingdom shall survive.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

I've learned a person could discover real alien manuscripts or the meaning of life and would still have a tough time getting noticed or volume selling. Independent Publishing and marketing is wounderful, freedom at its very best!!! Thanks to Annette for these great questions and opportunity to answer.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I would like to edit some of the wording, edit some of the short story, little things that would make a better public presentation. I would like to have paid for proffesional services but it was impossible for me. I researched and wrote a couple paragraphs each and every week for more than a year between my job and family time. Then copyrighted, published and promoted it with the very little extra money we make. But I am proud of it and know every independent Author understands.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Writing is work, its a job or at least a part time job. Inspiration is part of it and hard work is the other part. It is also rewarding.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

I can not answer a favourite because I read so many books and enjoy so many different subjects depending on my current mood. (do you know what i mean?) It would be safe to say the the Holy Bible is my numero uno. Loved the Private Sharpe Series by BC, Loved the Odd Thomas Series by DK, The Sakket's Series by LL, and so many others. The recent historical fictions on Gangus Khan were very good and the Big Rich about the original Texas oilmen was fairly good, anything on my favourite American Ulysses S Grant comes to mind. In the past couple weeks I have read SC's Hunger Games, How Firm a Foundation, Three Seconds, CC's The Silent Sea, DK's Door to December and Grant the general.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book:

The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Discover it for yourself: the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How it was built. Everything you wanted to know about this Great Pyramid including the Biblical Joseph connection which unifies everyone of its mysteries. Discover its Dual Use Theory, Silo & Tomb Design, Tower & Ramp Center, Load Shafts, Hidden Chambers, Secret Passages, Solar Ships, its place in the Bible and more, in easy to read format. Final chapter is an historical short story.

List of previous books if any: Short Quotes & Jokes; 7 2 U should be released next year.

Any places readers can find you on the web:

Amazon

Goodreads

B&N


Thank you, Stephen and good luck with your books :)


Monday 22 October 2012

Author Interview: James Schannep

Today we have an interview with James Schannep, talking about his latest release, Infected.

About the Author:

James Schannep is an American novelist and screenwriter who has received numerous awards and placements for his work. His first screenplay was optioned in 2011 and the Click Your Poison series was launched September, 2012 with the flagship book INFECTED. A United States Air Force Academy graduate with a degree in English, Schannep left the service honorably to write full time. He has personally stopped three zombie uprisings without raising national attention.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

-I outline for several weeks before I begin, and I generally know all the story beats before I begin. That being said, I often surprise myself as the story's flowing out and end up making major changes for draft #2.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

-In a Click Your Poison book, where YOU are the main character of the story, it's hard not to have the supporting cast steal the show. Often times characters shouted, "We're doing it this way!" but I had to find a way to leave the choices up to the reader.

What is your favourite food?

-My favorite writing food is... coffee. Which more often than not I serve iced here in sunny California. Once editing starts, somehow Bailey's seems to find its way in there too.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

-I try to stick to a morning schedule, but years as a military shift worker has left me with bouts of insomnia. When I can't sleep, I work.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

-I make my dreams of traveling a reality! My wife and I love to travel. We've explored the Greek countryside and some of its islands, hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Piccu in Peru, explored many of the national parks here in the US. Up next is a trip to Japan. Much of my writing is informed by my travels, but really, I'm just a junkie for new experiences. If I had to put a "one day" trip high on my list, I'd like to cruise around the Galapagos islands. It's amazing that an area so small has had so great an impact upon how we see our world.

Do distant places feature in your books?

-Absolutely. INFECTED takes place in an unspecified part of the US, but the next Click Your Poison I'm thinking will be in Brazil and many of my short stories offer foreign locales.


Do you listen to music while writing?

-Always. I have a pandora station full of film scores. I like the grand scale of the music and, personally, I don't like lyrics while I'm writing so instrumental pieces work best.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

-INFECTED started off as a screenplay back in 2008, but didn't attract studio attention because I hadn't re-invented the zombie wheel. It was good, I was told, but it needed to either be based on existing intellectual property or be a zombie musical rom-com. Not wanting to compromise my work, I shelved the project. Cut to four years later, and an off-hand conversation with a friend, "Why are there no choose-your-own-adventure type series for adults?" and I'm now setting out to create the first gamebook (much like the Fighting Fantasy books I understand were big in the UK) series for adults. INFECTED allows readers to put their zombie survival strategies to the test.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

-It's been a long, slow road, so I just try to keep in mind the words of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo, who said, "Genius is infinite patience." Honing your craft takes patience, learning the ropes takes patience, building an audience takes patience. But I believe all that patience will one day pay off.

Is there anything you would do differently?

-Sure. Lots of minor things. But something that your audience can learn from? Look for editors and graphic designers early. Learn ebook formatting early. If you wait until you're done writing, you'll be tempted to rush the final process.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

-I grew up on Ray Bradbury and Michael Crichton, who wrote what I call, "Literary fiction with a sci-fi bent". That's where my interests tend to lie.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

-Write and read every day. Finish the first draft before you start editing, or else you'll never finish. I know you think it's ready, but you probably shouldn't publish the first novel you complete. And good luck!

What are three words that describe you?

-Persistent, imaginative, driven. If I have any gifts as a writer, there they are.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

-My favorite writer is a screenwriter, which is another form in which I write. Charlie Kaufman writes incredibly imaginative scripts that defy genre, and that's my goal with any writing.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book:

-3 Unique Storylines. Over 50 Possible Endings. Just one question... Will YOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? Here’s how it works: You, Dear Reader, are the main character of this story. Live, die, and rise again based solely on the merit of your own choices. Each link represents a choice, and there’s no going back, so choose wisely. Everyone has their plan; what they’d do to survive if and when the zombie apocalypse happens. Now you can see how you’d hold up against the legions of undead—without needing to call the CDC because crazed bath salts users are trying to eat your face off. Like the gamebooks popular in the 1980s-90s (Choose Your Own Adventure, Give Yourself Goosebumps, etc), this is a series where you choose how to progress through the book. Unlike any others, this is the first series designed specifically for adults. And as an ebook, you simply click your choice and the story flows forward for you. No flipping pages.

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

- My personal website is http://www.jamesschannep.com and you can check out "Click Your Poison" at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Buy Links:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

Thank you, James and good luck with your books :)


Book Review: 40 Souls to Keep by Libby Drew

Review copy from Netgalley courtesy of the publisher
40 Souls to Keep
by Libby Drew
Carina Press
M/M Romance/Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Release date 19 November 2012
4 Stars

Blurb:

Seven years ago, Jase awoke with the mystical power to heal people—and no memory of his past. The only clue to his identity is the number forty tattooed on his arm. Driven by a mission he doesn't understand, Jase follows his visions to those he's meant to save. He is convinced that the fortieth person he's drawn to—a little girl named Macy Pearl—is the key to finally learning the truth…

Social worker Lucas Jacobson has made a promise to protect Macy, orphaned when her parents were brutally murdered. So when Jase shows up in Naples claiming he's there to heal the child, Lucas is wary, despite his attraction to the enigmatic stranger.

Then Macy is abducted, and Lucas has no choice but to trust in Jase. Scouring the city from its glitzy resorts to its seedy underbelly only deepens the mystery—and draws the two men closer. But Jase is certain of one thing: if Macy dies, a dark fate awaits them all.

Review:

This book has more of a plot than some M/M romances I've read, but that isn't a problem for me, I like a bit of a plot with my romance. The book opens with a man awakening on a park bench with no memory of his past, or even who he is. A kindly grandmother takes him home, feeds him and gives him some money to help him on his way and calls him Jase, the name of her dead son. Before he goes, Jase senses that she has cancer and more than that, he senses he can heal her. He doesn't know how, but just by touching her he cures her cancer. She was number one and now he has thirty-nine more people to heal.

Macy Pearl is number forty and Jase is determined to save her and once that is done hopes to discover the secrets of his past. Lucas Jacobson, the social worker called to the scene after Macy's parents are murdered, is standing in his way. As well as being able to heal, Jase also has the power to influence people, but for some reason Lucas is immune to this power.

The sparks fly between Lucas and Jase from the moment they first meet, but Lucas is understandably wary of this stranger and his weird talk of saving people. They grow closer over their concern for Macy and after an intimate moment on the couch, Macy is kidnapped from the bedroom.

You can feel their guilt over this, as they both knew Macy was being targeted by someone, but who and why? The mystery keeps you guessing right till near the end. And, such a treat for me, I didn't guess the culprit until way near the end, even though there were a few hints throughout the book.

We have flashbacks in the book regarding Jase's use of his healing abilities and sometimes his not no nice use of his influence, which might have made him a dislikeable character, but the flashbacks also go to show how much he's grown and how he desperately wants to do the right thing now, and not just because he might get his memory back.

There was a bit too much social commentary for my taste, but as it was from Lucas' point of view, and I could well imagine Lucas thinking these things, it didn't interrupt the flow of the story too much. The love scenes were deftly handled, with most of it concentrating on the emotional connection between the characters rather than just the physical. It was a well-written book with engaging characters and descriptions so vivid you could feel the heat, humidity and torrential rains of Florida and almost see the alligators. Lucas and Jase were both flawed in some ways, but that just made them seem that bit more realistic. There was also a touch of humour dotted throughout the book which helped balance the darker aspects.

An enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby


Sunday 21 October 2012

Author Interview: Paul McCormack

Today we have an interview with Paul McCormack talking about his latest book, All the Lights That Have Shone.

About the Author:
Paul McCormack is a freelance writer, occasional webmaster and interviewer.  He’s had articles appear in Yahoo Sports and FoxSports.com, interviewed a wide range of cultural and popular figures from musician/actor/director/artist John Lurie, actor R. Lee Ermey, musicians John Flansburgh (of They Might Be Giants), Linford Detweiler (of Over the Rhine) and a guy who made a nightlight powered by a hamster.  He’s written three books, “All Things Right and Beautiful” a novel (2004), “All the Stupid Little Children” a collection of short stories and vignettes (2007) and his most recent effort, “All the Lights That Have Shone” (released April 2012).

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I guess it depends. I have a couple different ways I approach writing pieces; some are more about establishing a character or mood and those tend to be a lot more intuitive and spontaneous. Others are more plot-driven and in those cases I have specific plot points in mind that I need to connect. How I connect them is usually rather flexible depending on how I view the characters involved; how they’re evolving through the course of the story, and so on.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Well, given the goofy and unfortunate kind of things that I seem to subject my characters to I’m not sure they’d want to. Who wants to be in charge of such a dysfunctional universe?

I think if the character is compelling enough it is more fun to let them run wild through the universe you’ve concocted. If you’ve constructed everything right that kind of controlled chaos makes both the character and story more satisfying.

What is your favourite food?

Oh geeze, probably some slacker staple food. Pizza or maybe a curry or something?

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Night owl. I am the night. I am Batman.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

You know, that’s kind of a funny question. I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of travelling over the last few years through work and I really haven’t gone anywhere. For me it’s not so much where you go, but who you go with. The moments that I remember and have the most meaning for me personally are those moments where you can see the world through someone else’s eyes for an instant. Those moments don’t need to be in some exotic locale or event. In fact they usually are stolen moments in the most banal kinds of places.

Or if that answer is too smug then, um, I hear Thailand is nice. Phuket maybe?

Do distant places feature in your books?

Yes and no. Geographically I don’t think any are in my immediate vicinity but I try to have most of my settings feel familiar. For some reason Omaha , Nebraska seems pop up pretty regularly, so if you count that as “distant” then sure.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Absolutely. I’ll almost always have something playing or a ballgame on in the background when I’m working. When I’m locked in the house could be on fire and I wouldn’t notice. When I’m scuffling a bit with the process having something on in the background is a way for me to reset or find a different frame of reference. It’s a way to keep things fresh until I hit an idea that really captures my imagination.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
Sure. It’s called “All the Lights That Have Shone” and it’s a collection of short stories. It’s a bit of a departure for me in that it’s not quite as absurd or overtly humorous as my previous works. In the introduction I go into some of the influencing factors that shaped this collection—I had some really big life changes take place shortly after I finished the previous book, “All the Stupid Little Children”. There were some really amazing things that happened, from new opportunities, meeting someone who I unexpectedly fell in love with and connecting with some new and truly amazing friends. On the other hand it was also one of the most difficult periods I’ve ever gone through: losing the person I loved, the suicide of friend and mentor, health issues, etc.

Through all of the ups and downs I was writing very sporadically and in the rough patches really wasn’t able to write much at all. The stuff I was working on was definitely more somber than my earlier work and, while not being autobiographical, it was still my way of working through aspects of what I was going through. At one point I started going through the drafts and fragments of what I’d been working on and I realized that I was nearly at a full book-worth of material. It really ended up being a book that I wrote when I wasn’t planning to write a book.

That’s not to say it’s a mope-fest. It’s got talking dog in it; the Devil drives a K car and it underscores the danger posed to pedestrians by falling toddlers. That’s a good time, right?

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned was actually something a brilliant artist and very good friend told me:

“Do it for the right reason. Don’t try and get ahead; just do it and make it better and make it better and make it better. I believe it’s a fallacy that if you do something that’s really great that the world will eventually find it, but still if they do—it’s just like hiding a treasure in the woods and then somebody finds it. Just do it for the right reason and walk on it hard. Then maybe somebody someday will walk in and see this thing you’re making and they’ll be moved to tears, you know?”

Is there anything you would do differently?

You know, I really don’t think so. I tend to look at things in a developmental or evolutionary kind of way. I think that some of the missteps I’ve made in the past have taught me things and I think for the most part I’ve done well by those errors. The things I’ve done are artifacts of their respective periods in my life and they are what they are for better or worse.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

I think everything influences me to some degree. Life is just such a strange collection of awe, wonder and the absurdly horrific that just being immersed in the day-to-day rigmarole could fill a thousand books. I guess that’s why I don’t usually get too much into sci-fi or fantasy when I write even though I do enjoy reading or watching it.

If we’re talking stylistically I think I owe a lot to Kurt Vonnegut and Flannery O’Connor. Philosophically and thematically I probably borrow a lot from Reformation Theology and guys like Nietzsche, Sartre, and Kierkegaard. I think the dissonance between those two extremes explains kind of the absurd tone some of my work takes. It probably also explains why I might be out of my gourd.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Good luck? I don’t know. Try it out. If it’s not for you, that’s fine. We all find different ways to express who we are through our work, through our art, through our relationships. As long as you’re willing to keep working at all of them—including being willing to risk failure—you’ll have something to contribute.

…at least that’s what my fortune cookie told me.

What are three words that describe you?

Bad with size constraints

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

Not sure I have a favorite anything. “Crime and Punishment” was one of the first books that really seemed to click with me as far as thematic content and worldview. “Slaughterhouse-Five” was huge for me. Vonnegut’s world-weary voice was flawless; it took the concepts of sci-fi, memoir and fiction, and mixed them all together and proceeded to break about every constraint of each.

In the end I’m going to have to cop out and go with the Bible. There is so much wisdom, ugliness, humor, brutality, beauty and complexity there that most people don’t even seem to notice or bother to acknowledge. Regardless of whether you subscribe to the idea that it’s a divine book, it is really an astounding piece of literature.


About the Book
"All the Lights That Have Shone" is the latest collection of short stories by Paul McCormack. Often more somber in tone, yet still maintaining the playful, absurdist tone of his previous work, it has drawn comparisons to Vonnegut and Murakami. It features the stories "Iodine" "The Best of Right Now" "A Dog Named Supper" "Always Get the Check" "The Stars Shone Like Callie" and others.

Also by the author:
All Things Right and Beautiful
All the Stupid Little Children


On the web:
http://ichaboddozerpress.com

Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/8f3vqnr

Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6522253.Paul_McCormack

Thank you, Paul and good luck with all your books!






Saturday 20 October 2012

Book Spotlight: Broken Aro by Jen Wylie

Broken Aro

Book One of The Broken Ones
By Jen Wylie
Published September 2012 by Untold Press
Genre: YA epic fantasy

Blurb:
Open your eyes to darkness. What do you see? Does the darkness frighten you? Now imagine the darkness being the cargo hold of a slave ship. Your city has fallen. Your family is most likely dead. You don’t know anyone around you, and some of them aren’t even human. Giving up would be so easy to do, but not for Arowyn Mason. Not after being raised in a military family with seven brothers. Every great story should begin with a plan. Aro’s was to escape and to survive.

Escape comes, but at a price. As they reach the shore, Aro and the other survivors learn that freedom doesn’t mean safety. The slavers want their property back and will do anything to get it. The party uses every ounce of their brute strength, a hearty helping of cunning, and even ancient magics to keep themselves alive. Sickness, danger, and even love surprise them at every turn. Dealing with danger becomes their way of life, but none of them ever considered that nothing can be quite as dangerous as a prophecy. Running turns into another race altogether as her world falls to pieces again and again.

Read an extract of the book after the jump

Friday 19 October 2012

Author Interview: Jeffrey Bolden

About the Author:

I was born October 23, 1987 in San Diego, CA, but I am so Southern. Spent most of my life in the Southern States, living everywhere from New Orleans to McComb, MS to Gulfport, MS, but I've also had the distinct pleasure in living in places like Japan and Hawaii. But again, I didn't just live in those places. If you were to look at my school transcript history and my moving history, you would probably think I was on a world tour my entire life and you wouldn't be that wrong. My mom was in the Navy so being in the Navy I got to travel and experience a lot. Some good and some bad just like everybody, but along the way, I've developed many talents. Not just artistically, but socially as well, which is why I may seem like such an enigma. Usually
writers are known for their reclusive behavior, that's why I get such strange looks when I tell people I am an author. Then they actually read my stuff and then people see why I'm an author. I've been called the voice before, an inspiration as well. That's when I learned that I have power behind these words, and in the great word of Stan Lee, "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility." I have a responsibility to every person who was told would never achieve or would never grasp their dreams because of either where they come from or their past. I owe it to them to show the world that even a Bad Boy like myself can do good.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

The story always creates itself. I'm either on the sidelines taking notes or some part of me is actively taking a part in the story itself.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Of course. My characters are dynamic. It's their story. I don't know the ending. I don't what the're feeling. Only they do and once I received that understanding, once I realized that these were real people with real emotions, I stopped trying to control the path they took and instead, let them walk their own, even if offbeat.

What is your favourite food?

Chicken.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Definitely night owl. Definitely inspired by the moon.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

Any place weed friendly like Ontario or Nova Scotia or Amsterdam because the people are going to be chiller. I also want to go to the UK because that's the motherland of literature. Some African Americans want to go back to Africa to explore their roots, well my veins don't pump blood, they pump poetry, so of course I'd want to visit places where Shakespeare, Hemmingway, and other legendary figures came from.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Nope. I have to be honest, not particularly, unless it's a fantasized place only because if I have to use a real place realistically I want it be accurate. I want the story to feel organic and the best research is exploration, but that's just simply my opinion.

Do you listen to music while writing?

All the time and all kinds. Music is inspiration. As a matter of fact, both of my books that are published are named after songs, all of my manuscripts named after either albums or songs or both. Music has a direct parallel to everything that I write. There's a certain rhythm in every word I paint.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

Book Of Soul is a portrait of poetry, prose, and short stories that fully capture what was going on inside of my mind at that given time. You never know what you are bound to stumble upon. It's a book of lessons. It's a book of pain. It's a book of love. It's a book of rebellion. It's a book of expression. It's a book of soul. My soul to be exact.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

I've learned that constant repetition is the path to progression and with publishing, you have to be active in it. Just because you are good or even great does not mean that everybody will get you. Writing is like trying to translate your soul into words and hoping that the person reading is able to understand you.

Is there anything you would do differently?

Not at all.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

Getting into trouble, living life. I lived the kind of life that should be recording in history books anyways, why not write myself.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Constant repetition is the path to progression. Greatness is 1% inspiration 99% perspiration. Keep writing, keep living, keep loving.

What are three words that describe you?

calm, cool, collected

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

I don't really know. Is it strange to be an author whose favorite book doesn't exist?

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

A collection of poetry, prose, and short stories from the mind of Jeffrey Bolden illustrates the complexities of the dark mind of a struggling dark college student to a starving artist in the face of the most insurmountable adversities with only a notebook and pen in hand. After countless amounts of pens exhausted and numerous composition notebooks filled, Book of Soul was conceived, with short stories ranging from a conflicted superhero in a desolate future, to poetry describing the most profound and deepest love have for one who
could never love him to prose explaining the different levels of love in relation to Sigmund Freud's theory of the human psyche, Book Of Soul explores the very depths of a dark mind as he discovers just who he is meant to be. A writer. The author of a Book Of Soul.

List of previous books if any

Smokin' Hydrophonic

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

www.facebook.com/badazz601

www.twitter.com/indigochild87

www.penofthegoldenchild.tumblr.com

www.ebookmall.com/author/jeffreybolden

Thank you, Jeffrey and good luck with your books!




Book Review: The Travel Auction by Mark Green

The Travel Auction
by Mark Green
Travel/Humour/General
amazon / smashwords

5 Stars

Blurb:

It should have been their trip of a lifetime. But with just days to go, Jonathan Cork finds himself dumped by his girlfriend, Kate Thornly. Even worse, a life-threatening allergy means he can’t travel alone. Unable to change the name on the spare ticket and fast running out of time, Jonathan resorts to desperate measures. He advertises on eBay for a travel companion with the same name as his ex. The problem is, it’s a complete lottery who he’ll end up with.

Kate Thornly (the second) is aware of the unusual eBay auction, but she can’t be persuaded to bid. Enter Maria, her best friend, who secretly applies on her behalf! With her nursing credentials and erotic photo, Kate seems the perfect travel companion. But there’s just one small detail Maria’s conveniently left off Kate’s bid...

What follows is a funny, page-turning, rollercoaster ride around South America.

Review:

I was feeling very under the weather when I started reading this book and it was a perfect pick-me-up. Even with a sore throat and a cold, it was hard to feel miserable while reading of Jonathan and Kate (the second's) adventures in South America.

Jonathan has paid lots of money for his trip of a lifetime, Kate the first was supposed to pay him back, but now that they've split, she's not going and not paying for the trip either. Jonathan has a severe nut allergy which could kill him and he's got a phobia about needles so he needs someone else to administer the adrenaline if he accidentally ingests any nuts. The airline won't let someone else travel on Kate Thornly's ticket, so he sets up an auction on eBay to find another Kate Thornly to go on the trip with him.

The first few bids he gets are hilarious, I was really laughing out loud at the pensioner Kate Thornly who wanted to make sure that she'd be able to draw her pension abroad, and he wonders if he's done the right thing. Of course, it would be a very short book if he didn't pick one of the Kate Thornlys to go with him, so he decides on Kate the second or KT2 as she's referred to later in the book.

It's told in alternating points of view between Kate and Jonathan, both in first person. The banter between them is enjoyable, and they both have quite a bit of baggage with them, although not of the luggage variety. Their pasts are part of who they are and help flesh them out. Both are well-drawn characters and I was impressed how Mr. Green got into the mind of Kate here, she was very believable as a character in her own right, not just there to be a love interest as is the case with some other novels.

The novel is fast paced, with plain, simple writing that makes it easy to sink into. All the places in South America are so well described that it makes you want to pack up and go on your own adventure. Green's love for the places he's visitied (I presume) shines through in the book. It's unpretentious, it's just like being on holiday with two friends.

Does romance blossom between our two intrepid travellers or do they remain friends? You'll just have to read to find out because you don't want to miss any of their adventures or the people they meet along the way.

A wonderful read.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby