I had to share this one today. Interesting and even entertaining at times.
Just out, Mental Floss: 43 Words Invented by Authors.
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Fixation, fascination, art form, or a bandwagon; what is erotica? With the success of books such as the over exposed Fifty Shades of Grey and its opening weekend box-office take, things are wide open. I mean that in regards to the literary world, not the legs and mouths of men and women around the world.
Minds have begun to open. And through those doors, imaginations are beginning to leave aisles on hands and knees of well lit bookstores, away from family, fantasy, and friendly frolics to the blindfolded, hidden world of the e-reader friendly download sites for taboos, teases, and tongues. Handcuffed to stories of things never imagined, and certainly never admitted to.
The business is booming and thanks to Fifty Shades of Grey every type of writer is dipping their toes into temptation.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing for the literary world? Are we seeing literary minds become open or, as I asked before, are people merely jumping on a sales bandwagon and riding it until it is completely spent?
Call it Romance or Erotica, but call it sales gold. It may have its up quarters of sales and quarters of going down but the key is—sales. If you write it well, you can make a nice living. Readers tend to shackle themselves to a good writer of Erotica and wait in anticipation for a tease of a coming please and an alert to come for their latest release.
Is it the writing quality that gives the reader its fix?
What is it about Erotica that has the world trembling and quivering in the dark with their e-readers and jumping for their energy button or sliding a finger at every sound with fear of discovery in the dark?
It’s the final frontier of human endeavors.
But why the writer boom? Is it the sexual awakening within? According to an article from January of 2014 therichest.com the number one earning genre for writers is Romance/Erotica at $1.44 Billion followed by Crime/Mystery with $728.2 Million.
Who is spending this money? Who are the readers? According to survey commissioned by rwa.org and conducted by Nielsen they are 84% women and the ages of the readers average between 30 and 54 years of age and right here in the good old South is where the people seem to like the Romance the best. Yes, Erotica is in the Romance genre in case some writers have forgotten that part.
Let’s look at some review quotes from Huffington Post reviewer Jesse Kornbluth.
“As a reading experience, Fifty Shades or Grey is a sad joke, puny of plot, padded with conversations that are repeated five or six times and email exchanges that are neither romantic nor witty.”
“As porn tricked up to resemble a novel, there’s no hope for this book — it’s “S&M for Dummies.”
Is it the writing quality that has readers hooked?
“It’s “mommy porn,” racy enough for suburban readers but not hardcore S&M like The Story of O: “Women feel like it’s O.K. to read it… It’s taboo for women to admit that they watch pornography, but for some reason it’s O.K. to admit that they’re reading this book.”
You do the web searching for all the sales figures you want but what you will find is sales are generally strong for this sub-genre of Romance (Pun intended? Perhaps.). Why? As I mentioned before, the e-reader, a device that puts every readers desires at their fingertips without leaving their homes and risking embarrassment of anyone knowing their dirty little secrets is the facilitator of this now well endowed guilty pleasure .
According the survey from rwa.org Erotica is just behind contemporary Romance in what is bought and Erotica is also just behind Contemporary in e-reader purchases with 44% compared to 48%.
There will be some that will read this and turn their snobbish lit noses up at the appalling thought of Erotica being looked upon as literature. If you know me, then you know I do not take any subject on a whim. I like to delve in to my subject and thoroughly get to know it as far as what it is like and what makes it satisfying.
Does that make me an erotica reader? No more than any other person. It is not my particular genre, but then I spend almost every waking hour working on my own novels or reading a book for a review or interview. Would I read a good one if given to me for a review if one takes in to consideration who I am and my interest. I think my about page on my personal blog would give people an idea? Yes.
But what it does mean is I recognize some do hold Erotica to be a legitimate form of literature. In truth, there are many books one might call Erotica if not for the story lines and authors of them that make them mainstream. I am sure you can think of many books with sex filled scenes. I see quality Erotica as the Romance genre with a bit more kick to it.
But how do people decide what to read when it comes to their Erotica? The survey says;
The story is key. It’s not just pumping out hard men and willing women in words. What I see needing to happen is a taking over of the genre. As with all genres before that become a hot thing, there are those who jump on to get their piece before the reader learns there is a difference between good writing and simply words on a page by someone trying to make a buck with a quickie.
Writing is writing and as our profession we should be assuring the highest quality we can. And one person’s Erotica isn’t another person’s. There are various kinds of Erotica.
Those make-a-buck writers, I avoid calling them hacks, or genre whores, are what ruin a genre. There are writers out there doing the good work now. Looking at Amazon’s list of most popular Authors in Erotica, we’ll skip over E. L. James since I believe everyone knows of her and how her series began as a fan fiction thing and went from there, I will mention the numbers 2-4.
Number two is Sylvia Day on that list. Site is sylivaday.com.
Number Three is Jordan Silver from right here on WordPress at jordansilver.net.
Number Four is Ann Charles, site, anncharles.com. Her site is powered by WordPress.
I am not providing details of careers so as not to be seen as endorsing one over another. You can be your own judge. The links are there to their sites and you can easily google names to find more information.
I clicked and read the first page of the inside of a book of each on Amazon, two for one author just to make certain. Normally I would not go to a second book of an author if the first was just that not connecting with me. But, I wanted to see the writing and content. All three are different in their approach to the subject and style of writing. I won’t say which one I would read if I were to read one because that’s not what this is about.
I will say the quality is different with each, and the writing of one is not quite up to what I would expect to find in the top 5 of a list of good writing. I would think some editing and proofreading was needed. And perhaps it was the approach that turned me off. But apparently the approach turns enough on to sell books. Yes, that is the one I tried to read at least two first pages of. There is no way I could read a book by that one author.
I know that I am no top selling author, so if I named names that person could come back to me and say something but you know, sometimes sensationalism and garbage sales, tabloid in paperback and e-book form. And really, I would never trash an author. Even hack authors write. It may not even be they are really hacks, just authors encouraged to write by those who love them and want them happy, but don’t know truth helps a career more than not.
Erotica is nothing new. It’s been around since ancient times and even old Will Shakespeare wrote a touch here and there. I think ultimately if it’s going to be done it needs to be done properly and professionally. Put out quality work and make it a respected genre.
But if it does become a fully accepted or openly accepted genre with accolades left and right will it still hold thrall the masses? Will the final frontier become boring?
I suppose you could look to the fact there is still a market for Star Wars books after all these years. In spire of the horrid trilogy prequel.
Does Erotica have staying power? Does the populace have the appetites to keep it going? Every person comes to a point of awakening and wants to discover and a great majority want to discover in private. Perhaps you will read an Erotica from me some day. But it would need to be the characters telling me that’s what they want. My books go where they will and I don’t get in their way.
Perhaps that’s what we should be looking at as writers. Simply be honest in your writing. What are the characters telling you? Don’t force them in your pre-made box. If they want kink, give them kink. If they want hard driving, heavy breathing, woman satisfying, body aching sex, then satisfy those characters like you’ve never known satisfaction before.

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RW – You have three children and two grandchildren in the house. How do you find a place for privacy to write, or perhaps a better question is how do you find the quiet time?
NORMA – My family and I live in a two bedroom house which will, likely, make you wonder how we
manage to comfortably have six people sleeping in the house. The answer is that we gave up the living room a few years ago and turned it into an open-area bedroom, which used to be mine. I loved it! Except for the washroom and laundry facilities, everything I needed was in the same room; it felt like I had my own studio apartment.
As the family grew, with the same daily grind at the day job, I needed a space to call my own. I achieved it, for a while, because I moved into the smallest bedroom. When my grandson was born, I gave up a little of that space and allowed him to share my room with me since it was a much quieter environment. We formed an agreement: in the evenings, after unwinding a little when coming home from work, I could write to my heart’s content as long as I found a way to shield his eyes from the light surrounding my desk.
Having a fan set on a low speed helped because it shut out the noise from the kitchen and other areas of the house. If the noise got louder, the speed of the fan went up a notch. Though my grandson no longer shares a room with me, the same fan is still in operation.
I have gotten into having easy listening music playing in the background, sometimes, which helps drown out the sounds in the main part of the house, and helps me relax. One other enhancement has been installing a deadbolt on my bedroom door because sometimes I have to meet a deadline and, no matter how much I enjoy little visits from my kids and grandkids, it removes my focus, depending upon what I’m working on at the time. Does the deadbolt get locked very often? No, but it gives me peace of mind knowing it’s there.
RW – Describe your writer’s place.
NORMA – I write in my bedroom. Instead of hanging clothes in my open-area closet, I set a desk in there instead. To my immediate left is a window through which I see a few houses and can look onto the tundra. During summer, when the kids are playing outside, I can easily write and look through my window to make sure they’re in sight and okay.
In front of me is my 23” all-in-one Dell Inspiron computer which sits about 24 inches away from me as I write. There are photos of the kids and an inspirational quote sitting on my desk to the left of my computer. On the right is my little pen and stationery area which comes in handy more than one might think for a writer who primarily uses the computer.
On the wall behind my computer, to the left, are a couple of wall decorations. To the right is a piece of art made at school by my son the first year he was in school titled, Walk With Me, Anaana – Anaana being the Inuktitut word for Mom.
To the right of my desk is a filing cabinet – which comes in handy, but is rarely used.
RW – How does where you live influence what you write?
NORMA – Despite interest people have shown over the years, one thing I don’t do is write books about living in Arctic Canada. Whether I will, who knows, but my heart is stuck on writing fiction. That being said, I may be able to use the Arctic tundra as settings for fiction novels but, in all honesty, I like to escape the frigid temperatures outside as I can, and writing helps carry me to another place.
Since I began publishing e-books in 2011, I’ve noticed that I pay more attention to detail when traveling. My family and I enjoy extended road trips and, because I can’t find such settings and enjoy such experiences at home, I soak everything in so that my characters can enjoy the same towns, road trips and experiences.
RW – Tell our readers about If Only.
NORMA – I’ve written numerous storylines throughout my writing career but I can’t say any previous title I’ve published resonates within my soul the same way as If Only does. I’m so used to beginning a story with only one scene in my mind, but the scene calls to me. The more I try to ignore it, the louder it calls my name – to the point I just set everything else aside and begin to write.
When I began writing If Only, I thought of a mother searching for a baby girl she had put up for adoption several years earlier. At the time, I didn’t know that the biological mother was married. I just knew her heart was aching and she needed to find her child, no matter what. At the same time, I wondered how I could introduce a paranormal element into my story – something I’d be comfortable writing, something my fans would be willing to read. At the heart of the matter, I knew I wanted the story to appeal to peoples’ emotions because, of all the subjects people can study and understand, I understand emotions.
Without giving the story away, If Only takes readers on a journey into relationships and the ensuing emotions the characters feel because of the circumstances they find themselves in.
Demi loved David – the father of the daughter she put up for adoption 16-years-ago – but they moved on with their lives. When feeling desperate to find her firstborn child, Demi calls David and tells him the truth of the situation, that he had sired a daughter as a teen, that two detectives were unable to find her.
I don’t think either of them expected the events which followed, how tragedy would strike, how their lives would change forever. David certainly had no expectation that a young lady calling him, “Dad,” would begin appearing to him in the dead of night. Demi didn’t expect David to come to her with stories she couldn’t make herself believe.
In the midst of it all, we have a budding teen romance and four small children struggling with their emotions. All in all, it’s a story that stirs my soul because so many emotional elements of it are felt by people every day.
RW – What themes can the reader expect?
NORMA – Forgiveness brings healing; it is definitely one of the themes that readers should take away after reading, If Only. Of course, true love conquers all would be another. I’m sure there are others but I’d like to leave something for readers to discover on their own because I’ve already learned people interpret the story differently.
RW – Although the characters are works of fiction in If Only you must have pulled influences from various people in your life. Would you be willing to share some of them? I know where the name David Alexander came from and very likely his relationship with children but, as far as personality traits, where did those come from for some of your characters?
NORMA – I hadn’t thought about this until you asked but, in retrospect, I can see the character of Phillip, David’s father, as being a close resemblance to a pastor friend, John Dueck, of Saskatchewan, Canada. I met him when he was stationed in Arviat with his wife several years ago. In many ways the two of them were like parents to me; they would do anything for me and I could confide in them about anything. In the story, David could tell his father anything and his father would never cast judgment. Instead, he would offer sage advice – for David to be cautious in his steps, for example. This is the kind of advice John would have given me in such a situation. He might have his own thoughts and ideals, but he would never force me to bow to his wishes.
As for Demi, in some areas, she is similar to me. We share the same allergic reaction to tobacco smoke. Also, if I wanted to find someone, I would do everything in my power to make sure I found them, exhausting every possible tool at my disposal, if required. Also, Demi throws herself into her work and often feels inadequate as a parent because she has to work so many hours in a given week. I’m the same. I work between 45-50 hours outside of the home. By the time I get home, I’m exhausted. I’d really like to kick my feet up and relax for a while, but I have this quirk about not wanting to eat after eight o’clock so must force myself to keep going so that, when I can sit down, I don’t need to get up again right away.
As for Riley, I imagined a boy similar to my son. He likes to dance and would be a little scared if he was put into a situation that made him uncomfortable. Wanting to hide would be something I could imagine him doing if he encountered the situation Riley did when with his father in PEI.
As for JD Phelps, his character is based upon an author friend, Michael Phelps, who has worn many hats; his retirement as Chief Investigator from a well-known Miami law firm was the last hat he wore before trying his hand at writing. I just had to have him help David find his daughter.
As for the other characters, they wrote themselves, but it doesn’t mean they are any less important. Caitlin and Jocelyn, for example, are two girls I wish I could meet so I might wrap my arms around them, even if they have David and Demi to comfort them. Those two girls tugged at my heartstrings unlike any other “child” character I’ve created.
RW – If Only seems to be a very personal story. I know you are a talented writer but there are elements here that are portrayed almost too perfectly for the imagination. How did the story develop?
NORMA – The story is pure imagination which started with an idea and grew. I wish I could say I had personal experience which enabled me to write the story as I did but, at the time I wrote If Only, I didn’t. It was months after the story was written that the bottom dropped out of my world from losing so many people I cared about. I guess you can say I threw myself into my characters’ lives so that I became each one of them and went with how I thought I might feel.
RW – There are young children in the book and they deal with some very big emotions. How did you go about writing those parts? I mean they are spot on.
NORMA – When I wrote If Only, I was living and breathing the story no matter what I was doing, where I was or whom I was with. It became my life, consuming every ounce of energy I possessed. I didn’t feel comfortable until I was in front of my computer, having settled in to write for the evening.
The issues the young children had to deal with surprised me because I didn’t see them coming. However, I’m a firm believer that, as something is written, so shall it be. I don’t mean that we shouldn’t review and polish a piece of writing; what I mean is that, for me, if a storyline begins to write itself, I have to go along for the ride and see how everything unfolds. As of yet, I’ve never written myself into a corner.
I threw myself into the character of Caitlin looking at her younger sister’s pain. It was as if Caitlin stepped inside of me and told me how she was feeling. As for Jocelyn, I imagined how I might feel if something I did hurt someone else. I know, without a doubt, I’d be blaming myself, no matter what anyone said. It would take time for me to heal completely.
As for Sophie and Riley, I tried imagining how I would feel if my hero let me down; it wasn’t a difficult thing to do, though I hated that they had grown scared of a person they had loved so much. It brought to mind an experience from my childhood, seeing a man I loved in a drunken state. When he called out to me, I was terrified. I remember hiding, not because I was afraid of the man, but because of the way my name sounded that particular time when he said it. Writing If Only, I went with the way I felt at that time in my life and used my feelings as a starting point for writing the scenes.
The emotions were painful to deal with as I wrote the various scenes but, in some peoples’ lives, those emotions and feelings of being afraid are faced on a daily basis – whether it’s because they lost a loved one or have grown afraid of a person who has been assigned to love and protect them.
RW – Again about the children in the book, I personally look at what you did as taking a lot of strength to do. Even as a work of fiction I know it’s difficult to write certain pieces. How did you handle those parts with the children? How did you not curl up and want to hide under a blanket in the bed?
NORMA – Let me tackle the easiest issue first: the fear that developed for Sophie and Riley soon after they went to PEI for vacation. I’ve been to PEI and I stayed at one of the cottages in Hampton mentioned in the story. I had to deal with my garbage the same way my characters did, having everything sorted depending upon what it was made from or whether it was organic waste. I had the same level of excitement as Sophie did, even if I was confused, at first.
The events that followed – their father taking up smoking and beginning to drink – unsettled Sophie and Riley. It was difficult to write those scenes because these two kids didn’t grow up in such an environment. Their mother was allergic to tobacco smoke so that was the first thing to instill fear into their young minds. When their father began drinking, shouting that they didn’t need their mother anymore, I wanted to knock him on his backside then kick him in the ribs a couple of times – which was shocking for me. I rarely want to bring pain to one of my characters but, in that moment, Robert Glenn was lucky I decided to let him live.
When Riley crawled from underneath the bed, my heart broke for this child who had lost a level of innocence he should never have lost, especially at such a young age. Up to the point when they left for their trip to PEI, he had already been trying, in his own way, to get his father’s attention in the way he craved. Yes, it was difficult to write such a scene. In my mind, Riley deserved the kind of father David was to his girls, a father whose world revolved around his children.
With Jocelyn and Caitlin, however, I could easily have curled up in bed and kissed the story goodbye because I didn’t want to deal with the emotions anymore. What good would that have done, though? In my mind, they would’ve been left in limbo. I would have left two little girls hurting when healing might have come their way, so I did the only thing I could do: I continued to write the story while sobbing like a baby sitting at my computer, reaching for tissues as I needed them. With the emotional scars I feared they’d have to deal with for the remainder of their lives, I had to try to come up with some type of happy ending for them. I owed them that much; after all, it was my writing which brought them so much pain so the least I could do was try to repair the damage.
RW – How important is the seat belt rule in your family?
NORMA – I live in Arctic Canada where seat belts are rarely, if ever, used – at least in the areas where I live. There is no law that states we have to use them, but I can’t speak for the remainder of the territory. We don’t have a vehicle to drive, anyway – except an ATV during summer – so it’s a moot point.
Because I am typically the only adult traveling with the kids, in the distant past, sometimes I’ve encountered situations in which it seemed safest to take one of the little ones in the front with me than leave them crying in the back.
For example, my girls and I were traveling in one of the states several years ago when they were young, before my son was born. My girls were not used to trees since we live above the treeline in Arctic Canada. This particular night, it was dark – though not late – and we were surrounded by trees with little traffic on the lonely road we were driving. The hotel room was booked but we still had about an hour or so to drive before we got there. My youngest daughter, a baby at the time, woke to the darkness outside and started crying. I don’t know how long she cried but I was starting to feel overwhelmed. I pulled over quickly, unstrapped my seat belt and turned around in my seat. I took her out of the car seat and put her on my lap closest to the door, strapped the seat belt the best I could over both of us and continued driving. In all honesty, had it not been such a dark, deserted road, or if I had another adult in the vehicle with me, I likely would have stayed pulled over until she drifted back to sleep but, given the circumstances, it felt safest to make the decision I made.
In general, though, from the time I board a plane with my family, the seat belt is fastened. Like David, I will not move a car unless every seat belt is fastened, even if we are driving outside of the country and enter a state where the seat belt law is not in effect.
Imagine my surprise (in 2011) when stopping at a drive-through in Ohio and seeing a baby sitting on a man’s lap in the back seat. I was astonished! A lady at a restaurant later told me that seat belts were not required in Ohio and, as long as a baby is sitting in the back seat, it’s okay.
Well, the truth of the matter is that I don’t feel comfortable driving unless I’m wearing my seat belt. To me, sitting in a moving vehicle without using my seat belt would be similar to a cop going on duty and failing to take his weapon. It just doesn’t make sense.
A side note: driving in the dark is at a minimum over recent years yet, strangely, my children now miss it. Since they are older, I may begin resuming my old habits because I miss driving at night, too.
RW – Your writing, and I am including your previous books, have a great deal about families in them, even if they are families of friends. How much does your own family influence your writing?
NORMA – Off the top of my head, I can’t see a correlation between my family and the subjects I write. However, family is important and, with a larger number of parents working and having less time to spend with their kids, I like to write stories which brings the family unit to the forefront of readers’ minds, even in their down time.
RW – Tell us about a food court at a mall and how important that is to your writing career?
NORMA – I knew the minute I read this question that you did some extensive homework in preparing your interview. I’ve been searching the recesses of my mind to remember where you might have come across something I wrote that led up to this question, but I’m drawing a blank.
To answer your question, though, I started writing poetry when I was a teenager. I was going through a rough situation and needed an outlet for my thoughts. I worked at a Laura Secord location in St. John’s, Newfoundland, at the time. During lunch breaks, I would quickly grab a bite to eat in the food court and then put pen to paper and write.
I wrote poems and songs about my thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I imagined a situation and how I might feel if I was in that situation and wrote about it. Other times, I looked at people – studied them – and wrote poems or songs about what I thought they might be feeling.
At any rate, it was a starting point. Over the years, I went on to write several novels and short stories – some of which I’ve published – and I’m proud to say I have an ever-growing fan base.
RW – About your writing process. If Only was a ‘let my imagination run its course’ book written during November of 2013, perhaps NaNoWriMo. It’s been over a year later. Is that your normal process? Is that your normal length of time from beginning to being published?
NORMA – From the time I finish writing a book to the time it is published depends entirely upon what is going on in my life. I try not to box myself in too much, in terms of announcing deadlines, since I have no way of knowing what will arise on any given day.
Sometimes I intend to work on publishing a title but another story idea comes to mind and I need to start writing immediately. I follow my gut a lot in everything I do so, sometimes, writing projects get put on hold for a while.
To give you an idea of time lines, I published the first book of my Freedom in Love Series, An Affair to Remember, in September of 2011. The second book of the series, When Love Abides, was published three months later. I was on a roll with thoughts for the third book, Soul Confessions, to be written and published soon afterwards. However, life happened. My grandson came along and I started writing shorter stories because I didn’t have as much writing time.
I went on to publish two short stories and two novellas by September, 2012. By that time, life had settled into a routine and I started working on Soul Confessions. It came to an abrupt halt when I felt prompted in my spirit to write, Coming Unglued: A Mother’s Journey into Hell. The story would not let me go so I had no choice but to follow through; it was published in November of 2012.
Just when I thought, again, I’d be able to focus on writing more of my series, my granddaughter came along. I knew I was in trouble where my writing was concerned. What made matters worse was that I had readers wanting to read the third book of the series and had to put them on hold.
That being said, after writing If Only in November of 2013, I knew I would let the story sit for a while. I had to finish writing Soul Confessions and, because there was going to be such a lengthy time between the publication of the second book and the third, I didn’t feel it was right to publish Soul Confessions until the fourth book (Divided Loyalties) was written.
Months passed. Little writing would be done until June, 2014, when I resumed writing and finished Soul Confessions then, without taking a break, started writing Divided Loyalties.
Sunday, July 20, 2014, would see me at David Alexander Vetra’s apartment where I was house-sitting until he got back in town. I decided to cook dinner so he wouldn’t need to fool around with preparing a meal. It was just a quick weekend trip so, while waiting for the next several hours to pass, I took the opportunity to finish writing Divided Loyalties.
At one point in the early afternoon, I was writing a scene and suddenly stopped, then started sobbing like a baby. I noted the time; it’s another quirk of mine. I wanted to stop writing but I felt in my spirit that I had to finish the story, so I got my out-of-the-blue emotions under control and finished it. I was on such a natural high after writing two books in a matter of six weeks that I thought nothing could bring me down.
Just a short while – I’m talking about a couple of hours – after penning the last words of Divided Loyalties, I received news that David was killed in an accident. He was a dear friend of my family and we continue to miss his presence in our lives. I later learned that the time of his death had occurred around the same time I had started sobbing for no apparent reason.
Let me tell you, an emotional high followed by such a devastating low, in such a short span of time, left me feeling absolutely numb. I couldn’t imagine working on publishing a book. I could barely bring myself to think. Thank God I still had a few days of vacation remaining so I could get my head together before returning to work.
Even weeks after, I still couldn’t write. It felt like something had died within me; I feared I’d never feel normal again. Then came Michael Phelps of Miami, Florida – friend of the late David Jannsen and a dear friend of mine – asking if I might consider editing and formatting his two volume book titled, David Janssen: Our Conversations. In retrospect, I believe God took that opportunity to provide a healing balm to my wounded soul.
After I finished with his book, I figured I’d better get Soul Confessions published. Finally, in October, 2014 – three years after the second book of the series was published – the third title was available to my readers. In November, 2014, I took part in another NaNoWriMo challenge and wrote the fifth book of my series, The Promise, which left me free to work on publishing Divided Loyalties.
However, I felt urged within my spirit to publish If Only first, felt the time was right, and here I am promoting this title as much as possible. By the beginning of March, 2015, I will be working on finalizing Divided Loyalties.
RW – I know you are just releasing this book but what are you working on now for your readers to enjoy next?
NORMA – After Divided Loyalties and The Promise are published in 2015, I intend to write another stand-alone book titled, A Lost Mind. In this story, I’ll be writing about a man who had an accident, whose memory was wiped clean, a man who wakes every morning since the accident with no memory of the day before. I intend to build upon his life before the accident and how his life, and the lives of those he loves, has forever changed after the accident. It will be an uplifting story and, amazingly, I already know what the last words will be – but I can’t ruin the surprise so I will keep them to myself. They are written upon my heart and I shall not forget.
RW – Is there a genre that you would like to explore and if so why?
NORMA – Unlike many writers who would like to become known for writing a certain genre, I don’t want to box myself in. I guess I’m much like an actor who doesn’t want to become known for only being able to act in certain types of roles. That being said, there are subjects I won’t write but every subject I write about will have emotional depth.
RW – One of your interests is writing poetry. Would you write a poem to share with our readers that you believe fits If Only?
An Anchor
Happiness lingers all around,
Smiles and laughter everywhere,
Until, one day, the phone did ring,
Bringing news one couldn’t bear.
An anchor comes from a past life,
Calms the stormy, raging sea,
Spreading her arms of love around,
Falls in love, but it can’t be.
Yearning to know what is the truth,
A voice whispers in the night,
One man can hear and he believes.
His mission is to set things right.
Copyright 2015 Norma Budden
RW – You are very prolific in your writing. I also know you do some editing. Where do you find time for it all?
NORMA – I rarely watch television which gives me a lot of time to get extra things done, even though I spend a large portion of each week day outside of the home. Also, writing is as relaxing for me as reading so, sometimes, I choose to write – instead of read – before going to bed. Typically, if I take on an editing project, I don’t write and do very little reading, so it becomes a balancing act. It’s amazing what can be accomplished in two to three hours each night.
RW – You edited Michael Phelps’ books David Janssen-Our Conversations. I’ve read the unedited versions. How does one go about acquiring your services?
NORMA – I haven’t advertised my editorial services, as such. Editing Mike’s book came along because he read some of my e-books and asked me who prepared them for publication. When I told him I passed my book to an editor but did all of the formatting myself, he was impressed and sent his files to me.
Of course, I can’t attach my name to something unless I feel it’s as perfect as it can be so I took on the editing as well as the formatting, setting up the files for publication and so on. I’ve had other assignments, even turned some down, but it is largely dependent on my schedule.
RW – You’re self-published but reading If Only I would think if you wanted to be you would be signed by someone by now. What is the appeal of self-publishing to you? What is your biggest advice to those looking at self-publishing?
NORMA – The biggest appeal of self-publishing is that I get to keep my story how I want it told. I can retain my rights to it and set my own deadlines. I’m a professional in wanting my books released properly the first time they are out the door and, thankfully, there are many tasks involved with self-publishing that I can do myself. Also, in self-publishing, if I was to read one of my books and find a mistake, there would only be myself to blame and I could fix the mistake rather quickly; if I sent my book to a mainstream publisher and saw typos or less than ideal formatting, I’d be upset.
It takes a lot of time preparing a book for publication. I read it over several times to be sure it’s perfect, even after receiving it back from my editor. If I find mistakes, I polish the book and read it again. Yes, it’s a time consuming process and I haven’t even touched on marketing my books. However, I couldn’t imagine sending my book to anyone and having them tell me a scene has to go, especially if I feel that scene is critical to the story.
On the subject of marketing, though, I enjoy interacting with my readers and people who blog about my books. I enjoy forming friendships which would be missing, to a large degree, if I was to go mainstream – and, with mainstream publishing, unless my books were best sellers, they wouldn’t have a long shelf life.
As for advice to those wanting to self-publish, the most important advice I can give you is to be a professional and give yourself time. Don’t publish a work that isn’t edited or formatted properly. Whether your book is in an e-book or printed format, make your book look the same inside as a book you would see in a bookstore. This means your book needs to have front matter. It needs to have a copyright page and it needs to have a title page. Dedication and acknowledgment pages are optional but the other two aren’t.
If you are not inclined to learn how to master the steps of self-publishing and don’t want to take on the marketing aspects of publishing a book, pay a professional to do those things for you. It will be worth it.
RW – How do you define success?
NORMA – I could write a book on how I would define success, and I’m willing to bet it would turn out to be an emotional story.
I’m alive. I’m healthy and my children are healthy. I have a job, clothes on my back, food on my table each day and a roof over my head which isn’t threatened. To me, these are the basics of being successful because, without any of these, one would define true success as attaining all of these.
You’ll notice I didn’t mention money, any more than what one needs to comfortably meet their basic needs each day. A wise man once told me that money is a tool, that it should never be a god. I’ve taken those words to heart and, in the process, I’ve learned that by giving to others, I become richer in spirit. This is success to me.
However, if I could reach a point in my life in which I could devote most of my day to writing and promoting my stories, it would be the ultimate form of success, especially if I can write from an office with a wall of windows overlooking a large body of water.
RW – I have one question I always ask my authors: what is your favorite word and why?
NORMA – I never thought about this, but the first word which comes to mind is forgiveness. It is the only word I know which completely sets a person free. For example, you can love one person and hate another but, unless you release the hatred, the love you feel will never be as full as it can be because hatred will hold you prisoner. It will keep you from living the life you were meant to live.
RW – What is one book, that you were not involved in any way with, that you would recommend for people to read?
NORMA – It’s interesting that I was thinking about this last night before going to sleep. I read a book by Dean Mayes a couple of years ago called, The Hambledown Dream. The story has forever stayed with me, likely because it was so different.
The author had a passing thought which led him to wonder what might happen if a dying man’s soul inhabited the body of another who had led an undesirable life but would walk away from the emergency room, his body unscathed. The Hambledown Dream has overtones of reincarnation, which I’ve never read before nor since, but this story gripped me. The writing was some of the best I’ve ever read and to say the story carried me away would be an understatement.
There are many great books out there and I’ll never get to them all but some of the books I’ve enjoyed most over the past three years can be found at Budden Book Reviews.
RW – Where can everyone find you online?
NORMA – I have multiple websites but the two I frequent most are Norma’s Books (www.normasbooks.com) and Budden Book Reviews (www.buddenbookreviews.com).
I can also be found at several places but the most popular social networks I frequent are:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authornormabudden
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NormaBudden
Sometimes I’m asked, “Ronovan, how short should my answers be?” when I ask interview questions.
My answer is always, “As long as they need to be.” Today I could have cut down and edited some of what Norma Budden said, but you know what? Don’t you know who she is now and what drives her? Can you feel how much writing is such an integral part of her life? It’s more than a passion. I have grown to know Norma during the interview process, reading If Only for review and giving her feedback. When she says she is a perfectionist, let me tell you, she means it. She cares about the scenes being just right. I reviewed If Only. I called it the most personal review I’ve ever done. I came close to not reviewing books after doing this one. Not because the book was bad. You’ll need to read the review to see the answer. Buy If Only today. Don’t waste time in thinking, “Oh, I’ll do it later.” No, do it now by clicking here now.
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“Amazing! These two authors did an amazing job by combing their talents to bring a wonderful story. The story was written so unbelievably well the characters fine tuned.”~Five Star Review
“Both styles come together to work in devastating fashion. James writes from the London base, making his character Archie Pope real, cocky, and likeable. Isabella is created from the Italian-American side, and it would be easy to say that Miss Kahele wrote all her lines.”~Five Star Review
“J. Kahele and James Duncan together, wrote this fantastic book!! I would describe it as adventurous, dangerous, funny and romantic. The book is a love story with a twist, with Archie an English gangster, and Isabella the daughter of an Italian Godfather type from New York. Both Archie and Isabella knew nothing else, because they had lived in this lifestyle from a very young age!!!! Both wanted more!! both wanted a way out. This adventure romance takes these two and their families back and forth to and from New York, London, and Hawaii, with a lot of action, gun fighting and hiding out!!!”~Five Star Review
Get it on Amazon TODAY! NOW! Click the title or the picture NOW!!!
I’m an Amazon #1 and million-copy NYT bestselling author published by Random House, Simon & Schuster and St. Martin’s. I was also an editor for over 20 years. I worked at Macmillan, Dell and Bantam and for a small but thriving independent paperback house, now defunct—not because of me. 🙂 I was also the Publisher of Kensington.
I’ve been the rejector and the rejectee which means rejection is a subject I know a bit about. So let me cut rejection down to size.
It’s business and (most of the time) it’s not personal.
© Copyright-All rights reserved by litworldinterviews.wordpress.com 2015
Listen to author Michael Phelps talk about his friendship with David Janssen and about his works of fiction based on cases he’s actually been involved in. Mike may write fiction but it’s always the truth. I think that made sense. Click here to listen at your leisure to Tell Me A Story with Annette Rochelle Aben. Yes, the same lady I had my interview with a few weeks ago. Mike actually had things to say.
You can also click the full link below or copy and paste it. Just go and listen!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/themagichappens/2015/02/20/michael-phelps-on-tell-me-a-story

Mike’s LWI interviews begin here. Books are on Amazon here.
© Copyright-All rights reserved by litworldinterviews.wordpress.com 2015
RW: So let’s start this off from the beginning, I read that your husband gave you this idea for a female wizard spying for the Allies in WWII against the Nazis and basically said, see what you can do with it and you did. And you did it quite well if I may say so. Now where did he come up with that idea?
ALESHA: Thank you! He started off trying to create a fun roleplaying game (RPG) character for his sister, and when I heard “female spy” and “World War II” mixed with magic and intrigue, I immediately knew that such a character would fit well in a full-fledged story. I told him to give me that character, and she became Isabella George.
RW: People have said your main character of wizard Isabella George is another take on something Jim Butcher would have created. I have my opinion but why do you think people say that?
ALESHA: I don’t mind taking that as a compliment, because I’m a huge fan of Jim Butcher! I think people may say that because of a wizard openly practicing and offering wizardly services in modern society. When we first meet Butcher’s Harry Dresden, he is a wizard for hire (and he becomes much more). Isabella is a trained alchemist, and British intelligence hires her to spy against the Nazis; throughout the course of the trilogy, she becomes much more.
RW: Tells us why Isabella and your version of wizardry is not Jim Butcher?
ALESHA: I think the difference comes in with the magic system, as well as the fact that in the Gray Tower Trilogy, the number of people with magical abilities are declining, almost like a dying breed. There’s also going to be this unique voice and spark that will come through when you follow Isabella on her journey.
RW: You have different types of Wizards in your books. Why the divisions in abilities? Where did that come from?
ALESHA: Just as we have physical and mental talents, people who are born with magical abilities also have a propensity toward certain powers–mind control, alchemy, healing, etc. One of my characters, a priest named Gabriel, explains that these preternatural abilities were normal and widespread before the Fall of Man, but we’ve lost most of it since then. Throughout time, people like shamans, healers and miracle workers, were remnants of this legacy. The Gray Tower was founded in order to support and train these people for the good of society. They track down people who exhibit abilities (some people have only one predominate ability, others have two) and offer to train them.
RW: How many drafts of The Tower’s Alchemist did you go through?
ALESHA: More than two, that’s for sure. But it was necessary, and the process made me better and stronger as a writer.
RW: How different is the book from that first draft to what we see now?
ALESHA: Very different, which is a good thing, because it shows what you’ve put into the process and what you’ve learned from the process.
RW: Was your plan from the beginning to write a trilogy?
ALESHA: Yes, because a series spanning 10+ books? I ain’t got time for that!
RW: Were there any actual Historical elements that led you to how to approach writing The Tower’s Alchemist?
ALESHA: I definitely played upon the concept that Hitler and his followers were into the occult and wanted to use it to their advantage. In the book, though Hitler doesn’t appear as a character, he is spoken of as having formed an alliance with warlocks who would help fight the Allies and give him victory. This is why my heroine, Isabella, is hired by the British to spy against the Nazis. Is there a rogue alchemist poisoning Ally soldiers? Let’s send in that woman trained by the Gray Tower to take care of it. That’s their line of reasoning.
RW: How did you come up with the names of your characters?
ALESHA: I will not lie. Baby Names book. Sometimes I purposefully set out to find a name with a colorful flair, but I often had to be mindful about taking into account things like a character’s nationality or ethnicity (and this went for both first and last names).
RW: How did you determine what your story would be about? I mean there is a lot in WWII you could go with but for this one it wasn’t going right for the heart of the Nazis like what the next two include. I really need to start reading them.
ALESHA: Please do! I want to chat about the next two books with you. While researching WWII, I found out that female spies going behind enemy lines lasted an average of six weeks. In the story, Isabella has been at it for more than a few months—so she’s a survivor, but she’s also burned out. I wanted her to go from being jaded and tired to being reinvigorated. So the general arc of The Tower’s Alchemist is about Isabella experiencing what should have been her last mission, and how it caused her to become even more entangled in this deadly world of espionage and magic.
RW: That was a very subtle thing you did there. I didn’t even think of it like that. I just enjoyed the story and went along for the ride. Very awesome. Now, was there a temptation to make Isabella George a woman of ethnic background who is good at disguise?
ALESHA: There wasn’t, but I did want a diverse reflection of people who in real life aided in the effort against the Nazis. The character Jasmine Leon, for example, is an homage to the black singer/actress Josephine Baker, who spied for the French. Adelaide was inspired by a real Indian princess (Noor Khan) who sided with the French Resistance and did the dangerous work of radio broadcasting, sending coded messages to the Resistance. Come to think of it, there is an amazing international cast filling this story. I’m searching for a voice actor (for the audiobook) who can do several accents, because we’ve got British, German, French, Russian, American, Italian, and Irish characters.
RW: I read the Amazon Reviews for The Tower’s Alchemist, well I actually read the worst ones because I wanted to see what faults people found. To be honest two of the three were written by the same person using their own log in and a separate one under the title of Amazon customer. And I really could take the time to shoot every single one of this person’s problems down but not wasting any more of my time with that. Actually, I might do that, just not here. I thoroughly dislike amateur haters who don’t know good writing from the back of cereal boxes. When you read a review like that what do you do with it, what do you take away from it? And really what do you do with the reviews at all?
ALESHA: I just let it be. I can’t tell anyone how to feel about the story, or to like it. I respect the fact that we all have our opinions and preferences. I will definitely respond to a reader who has directly contacted me via Facebook or email, because they took the time to send me a note saying how much they’ve enjoyed the books, or they might have a question about them. I love when that happens, because I’ve been spinning stories since I was a kid, and what made it all worth it was seeing others enjoy my tales.
RW: The world The Tower’s Alchemist is set in is filled with magic somewhat openly. I feel it’s more that certain parts of society like the military and maybe the governments are more actively aware but that doesn’t mean it is an accepted thing so much. For me personally I get a since from a character or two at times that it’s like there is a slight fear of Wizards but in part because of an unknown factor and a feeling of being slightly inferior in a way. Are those feelings you were going for and if so why?
ALESHA: Definitely so. “Normal” people’s reactions to wizards are going to run the spectrum from acceptance to rejection. In the world of the Gray Tower Trilogy, people with magical abilities are in the
minority, and those formally trained as wizards by the Gray Tower are even fewer in number. So the general population isn’t afraid of wizards, survival-wise, but because the hierarchy within the Tower is composed of some arrogant Master Wizards, and no one can find the actual Gray Tower unless summoned, there is an air of mystery and hesitation. This is why you also see in the story people who decide that they don’t want or need the Gray Tower, or people who see a spiritual significance in their abilities and end up turning to the Church for guidance (like Gabriel, our resident sword-wielding Catholic priest with elemental abilities). Governments and military are more in tune with wizards and what’s going on. Everyday people are more likely to view a wizard as the equivalent of a Freemason plus cool powers.
RW: Tell us about the book cover design. Is there meaning to it? Who designed it? Why did you pick the colors you did?
ALESHA: I’m one of those people who’ll unabashedly give you stick figures! I’m both jealous and in awe of artists. I knew I couldn’t do the covers alone, so I had my husband design them. He’s been doing art professionally for a long time, so I figured he’d take care of it (plus, you know, I bribed him with tacos). The symbols on the covers are alchemical ones. On The Tower’s Alchemist, I believe the symbols stand for Time, Secrecy, and Hidden Things. For the following two books, the symbols change along with the major theme of each book.
RW: Tacos? Ah, now you are speaking my dinero. Anyone else notice the word dine is in dinero? Perfect. Okay, back on track here. You have done something I really enjoy here and that is you have created something called the Cruenti and the Black Wolves which I somewhat compare to two other magical creations of sorts we all should be familiar with. Would you tell us about them and how you came about them being what they are or more about how they ended up being what they are from who they were if that makes sense?
ALESHA: Oh boy, the Cruenti. Where do I start? You know our vampire myths? In the world of my story, those vampires are really warlocks known as Cruenti. However, the difference is that they’re only interested in your blood if you’re a wizard. You’re tastier to them if you have magical abilities, plus they can steal your powers this way. Usually they’ll leave you alone if you’re Joe Normal Guy walking down the street—unless you get in their way. Another interesting thing about them is that in order to become a Cruenti, you have to make a pact with a demon. It’s not for the faint of heart, but definitely for the vain and greedy. Now, we all know how those types of pacts end—the Cruenti warlock ends up degenerating and losing his humanity until he’s physically and mentally transformed into a monster—and that’s how Black Wolves are born. Black Wolves are powerful magical creatures, former warlocks, but they are also unpredictable and irrational—sometimes they attack their own allies.
RW: You have two works coming out this year. Tell us about those and do I get a copy to review?
ALESHA: Yes! I’ve just sent off my short story, LOGAN 6, to the editor. It’s coming up in the Masters of Time anthology (July 2015) and I’m working my way through a novel as well. I’d love to send you a copy, but first you must promise me
I have no idea what I have to promise but I promise!!! Typical writer cliff hanger thingy.
RW: What is Creative Alchemy?
ALESHA: Creative Alchemy is the small media/publishing company founded by Luis [the taco loving hubby artist] and me. It’s basically a micro-press (we publish a few titles per year), and an author services company. As an independent author, there have been times when I needed things like a press release, a freelance editor, or story feedback, and I didn’t have time to search a million places. This was a great solution for me, and since I’m a lover and promoter of other independent authors, being able to offer these great services became a natural extension of Creative Alchemy.
RW: Who would you say was your biggest literary influence when you consider what you write and why?
ALESHA: Robert Jordan, George Martin, JK Rowling, Jim Butcher. They write amazing stories and create memorable characters. When I stepped out of my “I only want to read Tolkien and Tolkien-like fantasy” bubble, their stories welcomed me with open arms. Dresden Files was the first urban fantasy I had ever read, Jordan’s Wheel of Time made me love magic mashed with politics and intrigue (and apparently, detailed descriptions of what my dinner guest is wearing), Martin ripped my heart out (I’m still salty over the fate of Ned), and I first read Harry Potter while taking a Children’s Literature course in college, back in 2001.
RW: What is your favorite beverage to drink and why?
ALESHA: Coffee. It’s delicious, flavorful, and I think I’ve built up a resistance to it, so I drink more than I should. No! Why am I telling you this? Is this answer going to be part of the interview?
RW: What is your biggest writing pet peeve and why?
ALESHA: For myself, it’s all about time. I can easily get frustrated when I lack time I need to write. I wish I could say I sit down for a couple of hours and bang out a thousand words, but I’m lucky if I get in a paragraph. I’m a mom, constantly trying to convince my three year old that wearing Spiderman pajamas doesn’t mean he can jump off the furniture, or I’m driving my eldest to school or dance class. As a reader who enjoys stories, a writing pet peeve of mine is when I encounter passionless or inauthentic writing. I read books to escape, to imagine a different world, and in order to enjoy all that, I want you (the writer) to pull me in and give it all you’ve got—don’t hold back!
RW: What are two hobbies that you have?
ALESHA: I like working with my hands, so you might find me mixing a homemade hair elixir or beading a necklace. I also enjoy baking desserts.
RW: So now we see where the Alchemist comes from. Watch out Luis! What would your husband say is his favorite thing about you?
ALESHA: He feels I’m a kindred spirit and that I accept him for who he is. I love that!
RW: What is your favorite word and why?
ALESHA: That’s tough, asking me to narrow it down. I know…I have a favorite phrase. It’s the last line of Dante’s Divine Comedy: “The love that moves the sun and the other stars.” It’s beautiful to me.
RW: Finally, why should people buy your book?
ALESHA: People should buy my book because it’s a fantastic ride. It’s a fresh, fun fantasy mash-up that will make you want to continue reading.
And now you all want to go and buy the book, right? You can’t! Why? Because it’s FREE for Kindle right now! Click here.
Make sure to follow Alesha on Twitter @The_GrayTower and check out her site at aleshaescobar.com.
And there you have it. Was I given The Tower’s Alchemist to read for this interview or for a review? No. Did I find Alesha on my own and then read her book after I got it on my own? Yes. I’ll be honest, I don’t often have the time to do that. But I did and I am glad I did. Get it and you will want the next one. I want to see whose butt Isabella kicks next!
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Sourabh Mukherjee has put his Romance Short Story collection Loves Lost for FREE from February 23-27. I’ve reviewed it here on LWI and you can read it by clicking here, or you can read the shorter review on Amazon.
You can also read the Author Interview I did with Sourabh by clicking here or the image below.
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Here are the articles for the week, if you missed one, go and check it out today.
The Owl Interview with the Owl Lady herself @VivDrewa
If you are around WordPress blog world then you now Viv. She speaks about three books she has out, one about her Grandfather who escaped Poland.
Time Management for Writers Jo Robinson
Jo gives some great advice about how to manage all those demands on a writer’s time. Remember, these days it’s not just writing we have to worry about. There is so much more and then there is that things called life.
50 Shades – Storm in a Teacup a Woman’s Thoughts Florence Thum
Florence has read the books and seen the film. After discussing it I asked her to do an article. You’ll find this in our Feature section as well. Florence gives an intelligent and very different take on the subject at hand and I feel it is a must read for all of us. Both men and women.
“Fireworks” by Aimer Boyz @boyzbooks Hugh Roberts
Aimer specifically emailed me and asked for Hugh to review this book. Hugh took his time and did it right. Romance and more run through this book and Hugh tells you what he thinks the only way Hugh knows how. I was tempted to ask if I could review the book as well, but Aimer asked for Hugh and who the author asks for is who they get, if possible that is.
The Judas Apocalypse by @DanMcNeil888 Guest Book Reviewer author N.A. Granger
Based on historical facts and a whole lot of imagination Dan McNeil’s The Judas Apocalypse gets Grangered. What do you think she’ll say? When I find the time I will be reviewing this book along with Dan’s other book Can’t Buy Me Love.
February Farmer’s Market by @MLaSarre Monica LaSarre welcome to our newest member.
Monica’s specialty is with younger readers, as we all know since she wrote Jasper Penzey: International Boy Detective: The Ruby Brooch of Atlantis. She is starting what I think will be a monthly article about young reader finds from Independent Authors that are in case for February similar in nature or theme to those instantly recognized titles every kid can throw out at us. And I have to say, she did a great job this month. (If you want to get acquainted with Monica you can read my interview with her here. Also you can read her guest feature article How to Get Published: Five Tips No One Ever Told You here.)
50 Shades – Storm in a Teacup a Woman’s Thoughts Florence Thum
Florence has read the books and seen the film. After discussing it I asked her to do an article. You’ll find this in our Feature section as well. Florence gives an intelligent and very different take on the subject at hand and I feel it is a must read for all of us. Both men and women.
The Tower’s Alchemist The Gray Tower Trilogy Book 1 by Alesha Escobar @The_GrayTower Ronovan
Read this today in preparation for the Interview author Alesha L. Escobar on Monday. I read the book on my own without prompting. At first I was just going to interview Alesha without having read the book but when I saw for one the book was free and then it was historical and had wizards and sort of vampires and Nazis. Well, having been a History teacher and having met and spoken with Jim Butcher at great length at one point early in his career, yes, I talked him into going up to James Marsters who had been doing his audio books for the Dresden Files. GUILTY! Alesha doesn’t know that. She’ll be jelly if she reads this. Oh, and I got his autograph on one of his early Dresden books. Well, there went a post I could have written. No one reads these anyway, so maybe I’ll do it.
As for The Tower’s Alchemist? How did I rate it? Well if you’ve read the review or been on Twitter the past couple of days you know. If not, go find out.
None that have been thrown in my direction this week. If you are an LWI author, let me know. And if you are an Indie author and want to be mentioned here or have a post created for your book release here on LWI and have it tweeted to all our followers, email me at ronovanwrites (at) gmail (dot) com. Yeah, I’m cool like dat. Word. (People say I don’t know how to use Word right. I don’t know but I gonna keep doing it.)
You lucked out people. No whatevers from me this week.
We have Olga with a Book Review. I have a Book Deal announcement from LWI author Sourabh Mukherjee. (His Loves Lost goes FREE starting Monday. Don’t let him know I told you early.) I have an interview with Alesha L. Escobar. But you might know that already. I have an interview with author Norma Budden. She wrote If Only that I reviewed here on LWI. You can click here in preparation of that. She also was the editor for author Michael Phelps’ books David Janssen: Our Conversations. I interviewed Mike and reviewed book 1 of that two book set. I haven’t been able to get to the other one yet. Too many promises made on the schedule, but I’m working on it. I’m sure there will be something from Colleen, I believe a timely Book Review. Jo will more than likely have something Thursday, unless she would like the day off. That’s a hint Jo! You work too hard as it is. And maybe something else from me on the Whatever side of things.
So Follow us, Bookmark Us, do whatever you need to do in order to come back every day for something new.
Title: The Tower’s Alchemist
Author: Alesha Escobar @The_GrayTower
File Size: 1415 KB
Print Length: 322 page
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Creative Alchemy, Inc.; 2 edition (September 28, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B005QSFXC6
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:Not Enabled
Word Wise: Not Enabled
Lending: Enabled
RW: People have said your main character of wizard Isabella George is another take on something Jim Butcher would have created. I have my opinion but why do you think people say that?
ALESHA: I don’t mind taking that as a compliment, because I’m a huge fan of Jim Butcher! I think people may say that because of a wizard openly practicing and offering wizardly services in modern society. When we first meet Butcher’s Harry Dresden, he is a wizard for hire (and he becomes much more). Isabella is a trained alchemist, and British intelligence hires her to spy against the Nazis; throughout the course of the trilogy, she becomes much more.
RW: Tells us why Isabella and your version of wizardry is not Jim Butcher?
ALESHA: I think the difference comes in with the magic system, as well as the fact that in the Gray Tower Trilogy, the number of people with magical abilities are declining, almost like a dying breed. There’s also going to be this unique voice and spark that will come through when you follow Isabella on her journey.
Isabella George is not your typical spy. For one she’s a female spy in WWII sneaking in to German occupied France. Yes, there were female spies but not the norm in literature of this type. And for another thing, she’s a wizard. Her mission in this first book of the Gray Tower Trilogy is to find and bring home the wizard creating a chemical weapon for the Nazis. But would it be a book worth a Trilogy if it were that simple?
Some have compared Escobar’s book to Jim Butcher and his wizard Harry Dresden. Okay, Isabella is a wizard in the real world and works in the real world using her abilities. End of similarities. Isabella is more than a wizard. In The Tower’s Alchemist, she is a spy, first and foremost in my eyes. She just happens to be a wizard as well. Think of it as her having a specialty like someone might be an explosives specialist on a team that goes in to extract a person behind enemy lines.
Isabella is that explosive expert and boy can she explode things at times. The problem is the Nazis have their specialists as well and they are the Cruenti and the Black Wolves, wizards that use dark magic so much they slowly turn into something less than human or more than human, depending on how you look at it.
Isabella meets several members of the French Resistance, some based on actual historical figures, and runs in to other wizards hunting her long dead father. She receives a letter from her father that’s left for her in case she passes through a safe house in France. It warns her of things to be careful of. As she carries on through her mission she discovers many things are not what she thought they were and slowly becomes aware of a need to learn more. A lot more, but how? If she learns too much the wizards against her will be able to extract what she knows.
Love, hate, friends, foes, adventure, Vampires, and Nazis. What more could you ask for?
Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 4
Reader Engagement: 4
Reader Enrichment: 4
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 4.4
That 4.4 surprised me when it came up. Yes, I use a formula. I do an average of the 5 categories. And that number is what I post here and on Amazon and on GoodReads. It keeps me honest. But I tell you, 4.4 is misleading. I really enjoyed this book. I could tell research and a lot of effort went in to putting out a quality story.
Alesha L. Escobar is an Author and more based out there somewhere. There are two other books available in the Trilogy. Visit Amazon here for her author page to get them all. Book 1 and 2 are Free and book 3 is .99 right now. Get them before they blow up and she starts really charging for them.
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I am a huge fan of Dan Brown, James Rollins and Steve Berry, so when Ronovan suggested I read The Judas Apocalypse by Dan McNeil, I jumped in.
The book begins in Judea in AD 33, then moves on to Rennes-le-Château, France in 1917, creating the basis for the story from actual fact. Rennes-le-Château is a small hilltop town known in modern times for various conspiracy theories, including the possible burial of a treasure discovered by its somewhat mysterious 19th-century priest Bérenger Saunière. The nature of the treasure is at the core of this book.
The story itself is rather remarkably set in WW II. Its protagonist is the German archeologist, Dr. Gerhard Denninger, who works for the German Ahnenerbe, an institute of the Nazi Germany government, founded by Heinrich Himmler and originally purposed to research the archaeological and cultural history of the Aryan race. Denninger is approached by infamous Otto Rahn, who was a real German historian, medievalist and fanatic seeker of the Holy Grail. Rahn tells Denninger a fantastic story of Templars, Church scandal, a long-buried manuscript, and the key to finding the famous lost treasure of
the Cathars. The Cathars were a sect of ascetic priests who believed in the idea of two gods or principles, one being good and the other evil, which was of course anathema to the monotheistic Catholic Church. They lived in the region of Rennes-le-Château, and their treasure is presumably the one discovered by Bérenger Saunière.
Rahn gives him what turns out to be the diary of Father Saunière’s confessor and a sheet of parchment containing clues to the location of Saunière’s supposed treasure. I must admit I became a little lost in Rahn’s story, which encompassed so much and in much detail. However, I came out the other side relatively unscathed and traveled with Denninger to Tibet for five frustrating years of measuring Tibetan heads, noses and eyes for the Ahnenerbe, before he gets back on track to find the treasure.
Denninger finagles passage to France on a German U boat, using his Ahnenerbe credentials and once on French soil, runs into a group of American soldiers, whom he persuades to help him in his quest for the secret of the Cathar treasure. At this point, I had become so engrossed with the story, I couldn’t put the book down. The fact that the resolution to the search is a shocking discovery was the best part.
The author’s characters are highly believable and inherently interesting, real or not, and there were enough twists and turns to keep the reader enthralled. This is a good read for anyone who loves historical fiction as well as a rollicking story.
Author Dan McNeil hails from Canada. He grew up surrounded by books and music, ensuring that he would have a love for both. He spent much of the 80’s playing in bands around Ottawa, winning a number of song-writing contests with his writing partner Steve Casey. After spending 24 years as a camera operator and senior editor in television, often composing music for local productions, he decided to try penning a novel. The Judas Apocalypse was his first book, published in 2008. I hope he writes another in this genre!
Get The Judas Apocalypse on Amazon by clicking here.
Guest Book Reviewer
Noelle Granger of Sayling Away.
“I had a long and active career in academia, and if you want to know more about that, you can Google me. For now, I am just a writer trying to find her voice.”~ Noelle Granger Writing as N.A. Granger, Author of Death in a Red Canvas Sail and Death in a Dacron Sail.
LitWorldInterviews encourages the Reblogging and Sharing of this review all you like. We’re here to spread the word about Authors.
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RW: We’ll get all of my personal questions out of the way first today and then settle into your books. Where are you from?
VIV: I grew up in Detroit and moved to Fort Gratiot, Michigan.
(On the shore of Lake Huron. A little northeast of Detroit.~Look it up Ronovan.)
RW: Who are your favorite authors?
VIV: Stephen King, Dean Koonts, Michael Weems, John Sandford to name a few.
RW: What is your favorite beverage to drink, any kind?
VIV: I love tea, hot or cold.
RW: What is your escape from writing when you are at that about to explode point?
VIV: Sewing. I love to sew and have for many years. Seeing something I can put together helps me relax and then I can get back to writing.
RW: What is your favorite word?
VIV: It’s outdated but I still use it: Cool!
RW: What is your background in writing, what makes you a writer?
VIV: My mom and grandmother always told us stories that they made up themselves. They were fascinating and one day I’m going to put them together in a book.
When I got older I was taken to the library and marveled at the many books I saw. Back then they had a section where they read to the younger children and I was taken there until I learned to read. That’s what started it all for me.
When I was 9 I wrote a poem and won third place for it. Then when I was 14 I wrote a short story and won second place. I knew at that point I wanted to be a writer
RW: What is the title of your book and why did you choose that name?
VIV:I have three books published and have one WIP.
The Owl of the Sipan Lord – When I started doing research for this one the time period chose me. I had a list of tribes in Peru and for some reason the Moche stood out. Researching further I discovered the Lord of Sipan and the story went from there. With this one I also contacted a well know archaeologist when I couldn’t find some information I needed. He was very helpful.
The Angler and the Owl – I was worried about this book because I have a hard time figuring out who the male protagonist would be. My husband and I were watching “River Monster”, something we always do, and I got the idea for an angler for the part. And it worked out well because Jeremy Wade is very intrigued with the Amazon and this is where the book takes place.
From the Pages of Grandfather’s Life – This is a true, short story about my grandfather’s escape from Poland in 1913. I didn’t have any trouble with this title.
The Midnight Owl – I can’t say much because it’s my WIP.
RW: What genre does your book fall into?
“The Owl of the Sipan Lord” is a paranormal thriller
“The Angler and the Owl” is an action/adventure/light romance
“From the Pages of Grandfather’s Life” is non-fiction
“The Midnight Owl” – is a paranormal murder mystery
RW: Why do you write in the genre that you do?
VIV: I love the paranormal! It has always fascinated me and I make a point to read this genre and plan on all my books following suit.
RW: Tell us a little about your books.
The Owl of the Sipan Lord
Martin and Clare Montgomery worked as an archaeological team until Martin’s accidental death at a dig they were working on in Peru. Clare swore she’d never go back, but after having a dream about the dig that didn’t add up to the finds of the area, and the help of the Peruvian Pygmy Owl and a blue-eyed spirit, she did.
Her long-time friend and mentor, Carl Windmueller, believed in following dreams and encouraged her to go. He tries to research what she saw in the dream but is visited by a red-eyed spirit that causes him to have a massive heart attack when he gets close.
Unfortunately, Clare doesn’t understand what Carl was looking into by the books on his desk. Her friend Cord gets a team together and they head back to Peru.
The re-eyed spirit does all it can to keep the team from finding it’s secret that has been kept for the past 1300 years. Near fatalities plague the team taking her back to the day her husband died. But she kept on until the truth was fully discovered.
This is a story about a widow who, with the help of an owl and blue eyed spirit, solves her husband’s murder, and a 1300 year old mystery in Peru.
US: Amazon link.
UK: Amazon link.
The Angler and the Owl
&
France Hunter returns to the Amazon to visit the area she discovered her first new species of owl: the blue-ringed owl.
Danger follows her and the others through the Amazon rainforest and Amazon river. Will they survive?
US: Amazon link.
UK: Amazon link.
From the Pages of Grandfather’s Life
This is a true short story of my grandfather’s escape from Poland in 1913.
US: Amazon link.
UK: Amazon link.
How to stay in contact with Viv? Twitter-@vivdrewa Google+ The Owl Lady Blog
Click a here to go to her Amazon page and get a book!
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Here are the articles for the week, if you missed one, go and check it out today.
The Godling Chronicles Q&A with Brian D. Anderson.
This guy knows what he is doing. One series out. Another just waiting for the word print, and a sequel to the first series being outlined. This man has you set for years to come.
Silver Lightning Q&A with @AuthorWDarling
Do you believe in magic, or whatever it is? Author and Audio Book Voice specialist Wendy Anne Darling talks about her work.
Protection Jo Robinson
Write for a year, 5, 10, and then the computer virus hits, the lightning strikes. What do you do then? Cry. Yeah. Cry. Well do something before it happens.
The Author’s Role in Representation by Guest Author Natacha Guyot @NatachaGuyot
A highly intelligent look at the world of writing and what our part in it as authors is when it comes to representation of characters of gender and diversity. All from one of my favorite people and favorite interviews.
Ales Haley’s Roots. An Author’s Odyssey by Adam Henig Olga Núñez Miret
Olga reviews this account of Haley’s life after Root’s aired on TV. As an author and research fiend herself she was looking forward to this one. See what she thought of it.
“OUTSOURCED” by Eric J. Gates @ETHRILLERWRITER Colleen Chesebro
It sounds like an interesting book with some unique twists. Read to see what she thinks though.
Grá mo Chroí Love Stories from Irish Myth Ali Isaac @aliisaac_ & Jane Dougherty @MJDougherty33 Ronovan
Irish or Scottish? What am I? Who knows? But these short stories tell a tale. Check out the review to see exactly what I thought.
Review of Letters of Note by Shaun Usher @LettersOfNote Florence Thum
This is an anthology of letters from the 17th century to present day written by a myriad of personalities including the likes of Zelda Fitzgerald, Albert Einstein, Mick Jagger and Roald Dahl. Florence is a professor of Law, Attorney, Therapist, and writer. See what her take on this one is.
If Only by @NormaBudden Ronovan
A very personal and somewhat emotional review of a book that hit me in so many ways that I wanted to hide for days and did.
ROMANCE SHORTS by Sourabh Mukherjee
LWI author Sourabh releases a book of romance for the month of Love.
A Galaxy of Possibilities: Representation and Storytelling in Star Wars @NatachaGuyot
Love Star Wars? Love highly intelligent and in depth looks into that universe? Natacha has the book for you that was a long time in the making.
#Authors #Marketing Yourself and Your Work Part ONE This was a reblog from our furry friend Chris Graham the Story Reading Ape Blog. I got lazy this week with Two Interviews and Two Book Reviews and Two Book Release Notices.
Should be an interesting week. Monday I have an interview with one of our author friends Viv Drewa. Olga usually has something for us on Mondays, although I never hold anyone to anything because life does happen. She’s been beyond a rock though. You guys have no idea how dedicated this lady has been. Florence has something timely and special coming up, hopefully by Tuesday at the latest. I do believe I see a Book Review in there from our man Hugh Roberts! You know you’ve all missed his entertaining reviews. Jo will no doubt have something on Thursday. And I will have at least one Book Review this week. And I’ll be reblogging a guest post I did on another site I hope you will all enjoy. It’s getting busy around here. And to think, I’m only supposed to do anything thinky no more than 30 minutes at a time then rest for a few hours. But there are books! And Authors! And stuff! Oh My!
So Follow us, Bookmark Us, do whatever you need to do in order to come back every day for something new.
If Only explores the results a revelation of a secret has on the lives of so many people that I don’t even know if the author, Norma Budden, realizes what she’s done. When 16-year-old Demi discovered she was pregnant, she made a choice. Sixteen years later, Demi Glenn, wife and mother of two, contacts the child’s father, private investigator David Alexander, as he is preparing to go on a family outing with his wife and twin daughters. Her reason for contacting David: she has this unexplainable feeling that his baby girl he never knew of, that she gave up for adoption, needs to be found.
What happens in the span of a few hours is real and surreal at the same time. You don’t want to believe what happens but you know it can happen. Through it all you want Renee, the 16-year-old girl who never felt a part of her family’s world, to be found and meet the family she never knew and the siblings she always wanted.
Being a father, I identify with David. I am a David. As I read the book I wanted to stop reading. At times, I needed to stop reading, but I agreed to read and I continued. Was the writing and story that bad? No, they were that good. They nailed the feelings and thoughts perfectly.
I am a David. As an amnesiac, there are memories I don’t normally have access to, feelings buried deep for whatever reason. Protection? As I read If Only, feelings came rushing to me, feelings I hope I forget, but feelings I need to recall, at times. That’s how powerful this story is for me.
Renee is just like her parents, like her father, like David. There is a connection between these two that plays out in the story; it is pivotal to it all. If not for that connection and how it is handled the story wouldn’t be what it is.
Lying in a hospital over a year ago, I wanted to die or, perhaps, I was in a world that I was so confused about I didn’t want to be there. I was visited by a face, a girl’s face and a girl’s voice. I came home, and even though memories are not there, my own investigation made discoveries. Here I am being as productive as I can be.
If Only by Norma Budden brings all of that back to me and more. Isn’t that what a book should do? Shouldn’t a book make you look at the world in a new way, a way to better understand, a way to step back and look at yourself?
Of all the books I’ve read this past year, even books I’ve written, If Only is possibly closer to elements of my own life than anything I could ever write.
I met Norma through an author and mutual friend, a former investigator. Just as an investigator friend of David’s helped him, this friend helped two people come together so one story could bring a man to mourn and rejoice, yet pray all is forgotten at the same time. I wonder how many times I’ve done that. How many times I’ve relived moments to thankfully forget them and then be reminded again and again.
I thank Norma Budden for honoring me with reading her book in advance of its release. As of the reading of this book, of all I’ve read so far this past year, this is now my top pick.
Amazon: Kindle
Author Site: NormasBooks.com
Genre: Drama, Paranormal, Adult, Young Adult
Character Believability–5
Flow and Pace –5
Reader Engagement– 5
Reader Enrichment–5
Reader Enjoyment–5
Review Rating Results–5
@RonovanWrites
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Author of the 
Diversity in representation has been something important to me for many years. My interest has only deepened as I grew up and became more aware of cultural diversity and how representation matters.
When younger, I first realized unbalances in representation in regard to female characters and how some stereotypes hurt female characters in books or especially on screen. I more easily identified with female characters than male ones, but their ethnicity was never an issue for me. One of my strongest role models while growing up was the comic book character Yoko Tsuno, a Japanese engineer. I also recall how one of my all time favorite characters in Star Wars is Lando Calrissian.
Diversity in stories, in gender, age, ethnicity, species (I have loved Science Fiction and Fantasy since I was little) and background matters to me. This is why I easily am drawn to female character study in my research as an independent scholar. Science Fiction isn’t perfect, but it still has given us some interesting female characters over time. Yet, there is still much to work on to improve representation.
I also began to ask myself questions about representation through my roleplaying experience, which has been my major fiction writing since 2008. I explore different aspects of writing in this universe in my blog series ‘A Galaxy of Possibilites: Discussing Character Writing, Diversity, Star Wars and Fandom’.
It made me consider how I pick my ‘image claim’ to give a face to the characters I write. While I only write human or near human types of characters, I decided to look at my list of characters. Out of thirty three characters, I use persons of color for eight of them. Yet fifteen of my characters aren’t humans, or only partially. So the question of diversity arises from different points of view. As for gender, I only write four male characters! Even in my original fiction, I only recently felt comfortable enough to have a larger number of male characters. I also have an intersex character to make their apparition in my Clairvoyance series in the years to come.
While the question of diversity is something on my mind on a conscious level, my characters generally come up in an organic manner, including when it comes to their looks. When I have a solid concept of character but am unsure of their ethnicity, I try to avoid using a white image claim. I had some of my roleplay characters switch from a latina actress to a white one, just as I had a character switching from a white actress to a black model. In the end, I go with what fits the character best.
When I returned to original fiction in 2014, I realized that while I had a generic idea of the Fantasy universe I was to write a series of short stories in, most of my characters were very open in terms of diversity and how they could look like and who they might love. I like discovering more about my characters as I build their story.
I can’t say that I create the character before the story or the opposite. It is a mix of both. Depending on the mood, the story and the character, the creative process can change a lot.
In my contemporary Fantasy universe Clairvoyance, several species coexist: Fae, Shifters, Weres, Anomalies, humans with supernatural abilities and regular humans. With many supernatural beings having extreme longevity, if not immortality for some, it brought some challenges. While most of the action, at least in the first volume, is between the USA and the UK, several characters come from other places, some going back as far as Stone Age Africa.
After years spent roleplaying, I attach an existing (famous) face to all my characters. I have tried to match the faces to the origins and background as much as possible, when it was an important part of who the character was. And even if I leave interpretation open to the reader in the way I write, I know in my head, that my imaginary cast look the part. Not only does it feed my inspiration, but it also makes me feel more responsible towards the credibility of said characters.
As writers, how do you approach diversity and its multiple forms? Is it something that naturally comes to you? Do you have certain guidelines to ensure that your gallery of characters is diverse enough?
Great post from Natacha! Now don’t wait. Go NOW and get A Galaxy of Possibilities: Representation and Storytelling in Star Wars. This isn’t a fanboy thing. This is a highly educated person with years of research spent doing this the right way. And she had no idea I was going to advertise her book because I’ve had this guest post for a while now. So go get the book by clicking here! I did.
Much Respect
Ronovan
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LitWorldInterviews Author

Click the cover or the title and buy it today. I did. Then come back tomorrow for her Guest Author Post The Author’s Role in Representation
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Grá mo Chroí
‘Love of my Heart’
Love Stories from Irish Myth
Title: Grá mo Chroí Love Stories from Irish Myth
Author: Ali Isaac & Jane Dougherty
Format: Kindle
Price: $.99
File Size: 2095 KB
Print Length: 88 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Irish Mythology
Publisher: Dougherty- Isaac
Published: 11 February 2015
Language: English
ASIN: B00SQ2IUZQ
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Word Wise: Not Enabled
Lending: Enabled
Sold by: Amazon US and UK
I received Grá mo Chroí Love Stories from Irish Myth in preparation of an interview. I want to say I may have been asked to review it but you guys know my memory issues so I’m not positive. Regardless, as soon as I went to Amazon and saw what it was, I responded in email YES!!!! gimme an interview!!! PLEASE! Okay, maybe I wasn’t THAT exclamatory, but I was very interested. This was a new genre for me to venture in to. As for the interview? You’ve read the great answers to my meager questions to the authors already. But did I like the book, or simply liked the authors? You know. that does happen.
Let’s start with the Book Description you find on Amazon:
Long ago in a green island surrounded by protective mists, a people lived among the relics of a bygone age of which they knew nothing, not being archaeologists, but around whom they created a mythology. They were a volatile people, easily moved to love or war, and motivated by a strict sense of honour. They had women warriors and handsome lovers, wicked queens and cruel kings, precious heroines and flawed heroes. Magic was in the air, beneath the ground, and in the waves of the sea, and hyperbole was the stuff of stories. They were the Irish, and these are a few retellings of some of their beautiful stories.
Now it’s my turn.
The stories are of love and tragedy and more. I felt while reading the stories I was reading not about people in a book, or about love between two people and what befalls them but the love of a people for their homeland and their culture and the tragedies they faced throughout the ages. Yes, it hit me where it hurt, or it felt. Got me in the heart. If you want, you can skip to the score and go buy the book now. Or you can keep reading. Buy now or read and then get it, it’s up to you, but you won’t regret getting this one.
The stories selected for retelling are linked at times, not intentionally so, but it happens and in a way you end up reading a longer story, a small novella of sorts. You have a common theme and even recurring characters that either are mentioned or actually show up again. The two styles of writing that Ali Issac and Jane Dougherty have are different but not so much that you really notice or is so much a distraction. I think it is more the selection of stories they chose to retell that shows their differences and interests, but that to me lends some added diversity to the book. And it also shows how Irish stories are so linked together in so many ways.
When first beginning to read the book I had to stop because the language is a bit different than I am accustomed to. The language is beautiful. By that I mean it makes you feel and drift along with the stories. After a few lines, a passage you are in the story and no longer realize you may be reading in a style that you are not accustomed to.
Each story led me to want to see a larger story of each. The imagery was very well done and at times I could truly see what was happening. I would like to see if the authors would take some of the stories and expand on them and tell a what happens next story. Perhaps a future collaboration?
What I really took away from this was a new love of a style of language that I want to incorporate in my own writing. Not so much the actual style but the way words are used. You feel love in the work. You know the people in the stories are feeling what is being said.
A retelling of stories for us today is a great idea. It’s nice to learn about these tales that are part of a culture and heritage. That’s one thing not to miss when reading this book. These are not fairy tales or bed time stories. These are parts of a past.
Character Believability–4
Flow and Pace–3
Reader Engagement–4
Reader Enrichment–5
Reader Enjoyment–5
Review Rating Results–4.2
Get it on Amazon today by clicking HERE!
And UK HERE!
(Isn’t red obnoxious?)
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New For the Month of Looooove!
thestoryteller1974 Google+
PAPERBACK release!
Click HERE for Amazon UK.
Click HERE for Amazon US.
Read his LWI Interview here.
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RW: Wendy . . . dahling, where are you from?
WENDY: I grew up in a tiny little caravan (trailer) in the south of England. My family migrated to South Africa when I was 12 and we lived there until I was 17 when we returned to England. When I was 30 and married with 2 wonderful daughters, my husband was ‘headhunted’ by a company in Chatsworth, California and we moved to the US in 1988.
RW: You’ve seriously gotten around. I moved around a lot as well, and I think that had a huge impact on who I am. Were you extroverted and a trying-to-fit-in type of kid?
WENDY: I was one of those quiet, shy kids who tried never to draw any attention to herself but my love of reading helped make me a sponge when it came to school – masses of free books to read about so many interesting subjects! Needless to say, English was my favourite subject and I was always the first in class to finish reading assignments!
RW: Okay, so we’re sounding a lot alike here. What got you into the Lit World as we know it here on LWI?
WENDY: My grandmother used to bring me bags of books from the Oxford University Press, where she worked. Reading became my lifeline and I started reading aloud to my two younger sisters at an early age. I often read until I was hoarse because they kept clamouring for ‘just one more chapter!’
The years went by and I read everything I could lay my hands on, wrote poetry and stories; often illustrating them too, read to my kids and tried to make a living. At that time of my life, I had decided I wanted to be a graphic designer or an actor so I started on a Theatre degree and took acting and voice lessons but finally decided to go with graphic design. As I love to read, write, and research, I also got a Paralegal Studies degree.
Life changed, as it has a habit of doing and what I’ve gone though over the last several years (I could write a library) finally took its toll. I moved in with my oldest daughter’s family where my amazingly patient son-in-law told me that maybe it was time to ‘regroup’ and work out exactly what I needed to do to be happy… and I knew exactly what that was. I needed to write. I needed to read. I needed to draw, and I needed to become independent.
5.0 out of 5 stars Silver Lightning is a about a fifteen year old boy … November 15, 2014
Silver Lightning is a about a fifteen year old boy that finds a magic motorcycle. He becomes a hero of sorts, saving lives and stopping thieves in action. He has to be careful though. Only someone worthy can keep the bike. Plus, he has other teenage worries to sort out along the way.
I can see a young reader liking this book right away. I believe the three year rule applies to book. Since the hero is a fifteen year old, the targeted reader could be around twelve, give or take a couple of years.
RW: Let’s move into why you’re here for a little bit. What inspired your debut novel Silver Lightning?
WENDY: Much like my character, Alex, I had a dream. I woke up one morning and the book was in my head, vivid and real, as if I’d been there and seen it all. Over the years of trying to just live and make a living Alex and the bike would occasionally pop into my head and say “Is it time to write our story yet?” and I would say “One day.” Until I finally woke up one morning and whispered “It’s time, guys.”
RW: Tell us a little about your book.
WENDY: Silver Lightning is either a book about a boy who finds a rather unusual motorbike OR it’s about a rather unusual motorbike who finds a boy. A boy it has been looking for for a very long time. Of course, it could be both. Yes… probably both.
RW: Silver Lightning falls into the Middle Grade Fantasy genre, why do you write in this particular genre?
WENDY: I’m actually a sci-fi/fantasy nerd. I love new worlds, futuristic tech, Doctor Who, Star Trek, and dragons (Ooh… LOVE dragons!). My long-term goal is to write an entirely new world like The Lord of the Rings or a world-within-a world, like Harry Potter. My thoughts on this subject haven’t really coalesced yet though so I may end up genre hopping or combining a bit while I settle down. Do hope that doesn’t confuse readers too much!
RW: With that bit of information, who are your favorite authors?
WENDY: I love Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, and just about any sci-fi or fantasy writer who ever wrote anything, ever. I particularly like writers like Douglas Adams as I have a pretty weird sense of humour, as anyone who sees my Facebook posts can probably tell you!
RW: Anyone else afraid? Now tell us about your main character(s) and what you think will make them connect to readers.
WENDY: Alex is 15 years old when the story starts. He is a little like me; quiet and shy but with a lot of loud thinking going on under the surface. He is not a hero but has dreams of being one. Unbeknownst to him, there is a magical force out there who has been patiently waiting to help him become the type of hero he always wanted to be, deep down. Silver Lightning is a character in, and of, himself and I can’t say any more than that with a spoiler alert.
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK that took me back to my childhood where … October 11, 2014
By THELMA
I have written 3reviews and they ended in cyberspace. GREAT BOOK that took me back to my childhood where magic was real and to adulthood where the REAL IS MAGIC
RW: What did you learn about yourself from writing this book?
WENDY: I learned that I can do whatever I have the passion to do! I’ve learned to quit wishing and keep working and I’ve learned that I’m nowhere near as good at it as I hoped I might be but also nowhere near as good at it as I’m going to be.
RW: That may be the most honest answer I’ve ever had. Well they have all been honest but this one just really laid it out there. Now for the tough one, describe your book in one word.
WENDY: If I MUST boil it down to one, single word it would probably be ‘compassion.’
RW: Where can we get your book now?
You can find it on Amazon in ebook and physical form at
(U.S.): http://amzn.to/17Qe2fL
(UK): http://amzn.to/1C8bDbm
I still need to get ‘Silver Lightning’ ready for audio but, if there’s one thing stranger than hearing your own voice reading someone else’s book aloud it’s your own voice reading your own book! It’s proving a challenge but I promise to share a section with you all when I have faced those demons. Maybe I’ll have to set my dragons on them.
RW: Let’s get into my oddball questions.
RW: Okay, you continent cavorting . . . hmm, need a c word here? Ahh, creator. There we go. What is your favorite beverage to drink, any kind?
WENDY: Once upon a time it would have been red wine. Or margaritas. Or something else with alcohol in it. Now, it’s good, old-fashioned water. (Yes, I could write a book about that too!)
RW: All that build up I gave her and she gives me water? Not even flavored water, bottled water or like rain water? Water. Okay then. Dare I ask what is your getaway from writing? Will she say pencil making?
WENDY: Reading or… no, that’s it. Reading. Oh, and Netflix.
RW: I bet she puts the captions on so she can read the dialogue of the movie. What is your biggest tip for someone to getting published?
WENDY: Build your presence AHEAD of time! I didn’t. ‘Nuff said. LOL!
RW: What book are you closed captioning at this time?
WENDY: I am trying to help out as many new or newer authors as I can by writing reviews. I just took a break from that and read J.S. Frankel’s YA ‘Catnip.’ Loved it and will be posting a review soon.
RW: Okay, had to go look at that one. Interesting premise. Like the cover and the title design. What other projects do you have to share with us and can you tell us a little about them?
WENDY: I am working concurrently on the second Silver Lightning book and also an adult sci-fi murder mystery. You’ll all know about it when they come out! LOL!
RW: Okay, before you answer further, there is another cool reason I have you here today and that is you do audio books. What do you have out there people might want to check out at the moment?
WENDY: I have 3 audio books completed with Amazon as well and 3 more in the pipeline which include Silver Lightning and the third and fourth in Nicolette Pierce’s ‘Nadia Wolf’ series. The third of the completed books is ‘Blood and Bane’ by CJ McKee and is a sci-fi fantasy about dragons!
If you’d like to hear some of my narration, here are the audios out now or in the next couple of weeks; you can click on the ‘Listen’ link below the product picture.
Narration: The Big Blind by Nicolette Pierce (1st in a series of 4): http://amzn.to/1yKczDl
Narration: High Stakes by Nicolette Pierce (2nd in series of 4): http://amzn.to/17yoMPR
Narration: Blood and Bane The Dragon Sage series by C.J. McKee (1st in series): Currently in Amazon QC phase and out soon. http://amzn.to/1xaPFzc
RW: And while we are doing all the links, how do people connect with you through all forms of social media?
WENDY:
Blog: http://wendyannedarling.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Wendy-Anne-Darling/1515036022113419
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorWDarling
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/AuthorWDarling/
LinkedIn: Just search for Wendy Anne Darling. (or click her name)
If you would like to hear how Wendy sounds, click here to listen to a brief excerpt from Silver Lightning recorded just for this interview.
Why the long links? I know it doesn’t look professional but some people just won’t click a link they can’t see. So, I sometimes include the actual link.
Jesse Frankel‘s review Jan 09, 15
4 of 5 stars
Gee whiz, Batman, what are we gonna do now?
Alex Bascolme is your typical fifteen year old who worries about life, moving around the country, and making friends. When he moves from Colorado out to the West Coast and he and his newfound friend Logan find a motorcycle that magically repairs itself and turns out to be more than a little magic, well, that’s when the story takes off.
Alex becomes a bit of a superhero, saving people on his magic bike (and no, I’m not going to give away the secret) and having a high old time. When things get rough, the ‘keepers’ of the motorcycle let him in on the deal and things get better again. Happy endings and all that, and since this is a YA book geared for young adults–I’d say in the ten to thirteen age range–maybe that’s the way to go.
RW: Let’s leave everyone with your favorite word.
WENDY: Cuddle.
Well, there you have, Wendy Anne Darling. Fits her name, right? And she really does. She’s one of the sweetest ladies I know. Ready to buy her book? Of course you are. Click here and get it. .99 is less than a cup of coffee or a soft drink. Buy a book and help an author out. So get it now before the price goes up.
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From the blog of our friend Christ Graham, the Story Reading Ape. It’s a series there are links within this first one that takes you to the next one. Go check it out!
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

The following is an extract from a talk delivered at the Calgary Public Library in Feb. 2011.
Part 1
Before I begin, please watch this video:
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I’ve named these two characters Wannabe Author (WA) and Real Author(RA).
How many of you have ever said any of the things Wannabe Author says in this video? Come on, be honest. Okay, then, how many of you have heard other writers say any of these things? And, like Real Author, haven’t you just wanted to put them and everyone else out of their misery by ignoring whatever they say? Obviously, Wannabe Author is the least promotable kind of author. First of all, Wannabe is never likely to be published, so will be of little worry to the publishing industry anyway. WA is not listening to an experienced author, knows nothing about the publishing business, and thinks the path to…
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