#BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “The Lady of the Pier – The Storm,” BY AUTHOR @FrostieMoss

Lady of the Pier, storm 533X800

  • Title:  The Lady of the Pier – The Storm
  • Author: Effrosyni Moschoudi
  • File Size: 2050 KB
  • Print Length: 302 Pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN:
  •  Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
  • Publication Date: December 11, 2015
  • Sold by Amazon Digital Services, LLC
  •  Language: English
  • ASIN: B018O5OTHW
  • Formats: Paperback and Kindle
  • Goodreads
  • Genres: Women’s Fiction, Romance, Paranormal, Mystery, Historical Fiction

*The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review which follows*

FROM THE AUTHOR:

“When Sofia falls in love, a mourning spirit begins to haunt her… The Storm is the concluding part of the trilogy where the two stories of Sofia and Laura merge into one and redemption seems finally possible…

BRIGHTON 1988
Sofia does her best to get over Danny, but The Lady won’t leave her in peace. The spirit guides her to meet more people who knew Laura and now begins to haunt Danny as well. What will happen when he wears Christian’s scarf? And who is the third person being haunted, and why?

BRIGHTON 1940
Laura is relieved to hear about Christian’s narrow escape from Dunkirk, despite his serious injury. Things at home are as harrowing as ever, but she holds on to a glimmer of hope. When he discovers an old secret, Christian returns to Brighton. Will the old sweethearts find happiness at last or will Charles never allow it?”

My Recommendation:

“The Lady of the Pier – The Storm,” is the third installment in the exciting and mysterious paranormal romance called the Lady of the Pier Trilogy. To read my review of the first book, The Lady of the Pier – The Ebb, click here. To read my review of the second book, The Lady of the Pier – The Flow, click here.

The Lady of the Pier trilogy leads you on a supernatural trip between two time periods. The story fluctuates between Laura and Christian in Brighton in 1940 and Sofia and Danny in Brighton in 1988.

At the heart of the two intertwining love stories are the piers – one in Brighton, and the other in Corfu, Greece. Sofia and Laura are connected through haunting dreams, even though they are separated by fifty years.

I absolutely loved the way these two stories twisted together supported by an enigmatic thread of paranormal activity that let the reader know there is more going on here than meets the eye. It appeared to me that both Sofia and Laura must learn about love the hard way, through their own choices. I was not far off in this assumption.

For me, the Brighton Pier was the symbolic element that acted as the bridge between both eras and both women. In the second book, I felt the tightening of the plot drawing both women along on a path to a destiny that must intersect in the last novel. In the first novel, there were two piers, one in Corfu and one in Brighton. In the second part of the series the two piers have merged into just one, the Brighton Pier where the stories of both women unfold.

By the time I reached the last book, The Storm, I was dying to understand the mystery of the Lady of the Pier, which linked these two couples together between the two intertwining stories. The writing stage had been skillfully set by Effrosyni Moschoudi and I was not disappointed in the revelations. The mystery had deepened to such an extreme I could not put this third book down. I literally finished the book in two nights!

In the final book, time and space merge in a reincarnation of the two time periods and the two couples. By the end of the book, I had stumbled upon the solution to the paranormal connection between the two couples. I was surprised by the depth and clarity of the characters and how neatly the story fit together. Some of the admissions from the characters caught me totally by surprise!

Once again, as with the previous two novels, the characters found a place in my heart. I was emotionally vested in the story. I literally shed tears at the explosive ending! In fact, I was sad to leave these characters behind. I finally understood them and learned that true love has no boundaries.

Of the three books in the Lady of the Pier series, I found The Storm to be the most satisfying. If you love a story that weaves supernatural events into a romantic storyline you will be thrilled with The Lady of the Pier, books one – three. This is one series I will read again and again when I want to be reminded of the power of everlasting love.

My Rating:

Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 5 out of 5 stars

5gold-star3

 

 

 

Effrosnyi Moushidi

About Effrosyni Moschoudi:

Effrosyni Moschoudi was born and raised in Athens, Greece. As a child, she loved to sit alone in her garden scribbling rhymes about flowers, butterflies, and ants. Today, she writes novels with Greek lovers in mind. Her idea of a perfect day involves her three favorite things: books, movies, and the beach. She lives in a quaint seaside town near Athens with her husband Andy and a naughty cat called Felix, but her mind forever drifts to her beloved island of Corfu.

Effrosyni’s #1 Amazon bestseller, The Necklace of Goddess Athena, features an adorable Corfiot lady inspired by her grandmother. In her award-winning novel, The Ebb, she records several real memories from 1980s Corfu.

Effrosyni is a proud member of the writer’s groups, eNovel Authors at Work, ASMSG, and the Fantasy & SciFi Network.

**Visit her website for free excerpts, book trailers, a guide to Corfu, and to discover many other writers who set their books in Greece: http://www.effrosyniwrites.com

**Visit her food blog for delicious Greek recipes: http://bit.ly/1L9GuKu

**Sign up for her newsletter to be notified first about her special offers (very sparse emails):
http://effrosyniwrites.com/newsletter/

**Like her on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/authoreffrosyni

**Follow her on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/frostiemoss

**Find her on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7362780.Effrosyni_Moschoudi

To watch a trailer for The Lady of the Pier – The Storm click the link below.

 Book Review by @ColleenChesebro of silverthreading.com

Colleen 5.3.16

 

Today’s the Day by International Bestselling Author @JeanneBannon #Book #Review

Author: Jeanne BannonJeanne Bannon book cover of Today's the Day
Title: Today’s the Day
File Size: 499 KB
Print Length: 20 pages
Publisher: Solstice Shadows (September 15, 2015)
Publication Date: September 15, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B014TJUWXC
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Amazon: Kindle
Pre-order: .99
Genres: Paranormal, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Short Story

 

I was provided a copy of this book for an honest review. The honest review follows.

John Galloway is a man. A man deep in a world so dark that you’re not quite sure what is real and what is not.

In Today’s the Day by International Bestselling Author Jeanne Bannon, the coping life of a policeman who has nothing to live for any longer is explored in a single day. Bannon gives you everything about John Galloway’s life in the constraints of a short story while you don’t even realize it.

Thriller, suspense, and paranormal or psychological? The truth is, I don’t know exactly what you might call it, perhaps all of them. Bannon takes you inside the mind and thoughts of officer Galloway as he tries to find a missing girl on Halloween. He’s the last man on the force who should go looking for little Trisha. But he’s also the best one available to do the job.

I don’t use the word riveting often, but I might throw it out here. I have to admit this isn’t my subject matter. But Jeanne Bannon handles the theme well, a theme that actually turns out a bit differently than I thought, and gives an ending you aren’t expecting, but makes sense.

Bannon touches on the emotions of a father who has lost—badly—and does so without going over the line to go for the cheap emotional tricks. Well done.

The book is well proofed and edited making for a full immersion into the story without being jerked out by the surprise typo or snafu of wording.

Recommendation:

I would recommend this for audiences who are into the paranormal, somewhat horror genres. It’s a short story available for pre-order now, out on September 15, 2015.

Character Believability: 4Jeanne Bannon book cover of Today's the Day
Flow and Pace: 4
Reader Engagement: 4
Reader Enrichment: 4
Reader Enjoyment: 4
Overall Rate: 4

Now go and pre-order by clicking here or the book cover images.

Jeanne-BannonJeanne Bannon: I’ve worked in the publishing industry for over twenty years, first as a freelance journalist, then as an in-house editor for LexisNexis Canada. I currently work as a freelance editor and writer and am represented by the Serendipity Literary Agency.

My debut novel, Invisible, is a young adult paranormal romance, published by Solstice Publishing and has been optioned for film. Invisible is an Amazon bestseller both domestically and internationally and continues to receive wonderful reviews.

Currently, I’m finishing up work on a paranormal thriller titled, Dark Angel.

Click here for her website. And here for her Amazon Author Page and her other books such as Nowhere to Run.



Ron_LWIAbout the Reviwer: Ronovan is an author, and blogger who shares his life as an amnesiac and Chronic Pain sufferer though his blog RonovanWrites.WordPress.com. His love of poetry, authors and community through his online world has lead to a growing Weekly Haiku Challenge and the creation of a site dedicated to book reviews, interviews and author resources known as LitWorldInterviews.WordPress.com.

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@RonovanWrites

 © Copyright-All rights reserved by litworldinterviews.wordpress.com 2015

Seconds Before Sunrise Book Cover Reveal @ShanAshleeT23

Shannon A. Thompson has been a guest author here on LWI, and an interview. Her services are available in the sidebar. From published to without a book home to published again. And truly the loveliest and sweetest young lady you’ll ever meet. And also the most respectful, which is a huge find today.

And now it’s my honor to be part of her Book Reveal and announcement of her Giveaway.

Seconds Before Sunrise Cover Reveal

A message from Shannon A. Thompson:

The Timely Death Trilogy began as one teenager’s nightmare and morphed into a real-life dream of authorship. The entire trilogy re-releases with new covers and new interiors this summer and fall by Clean Teen Publishing. I hope you’ll check out this dark vs. light trilogy (mainly because the “dark” side is the good side…maybe), and I especially hope you’ll consider becoming a Member of the Dark! Each time there is a special event, you can participate and win prizes—like spotlights on my website, books, and more. Simply email me at shannonathompson@aol.com, and I’ll send a badge over to you. We might even have coffee together.
Thank you for reading about this dark journey.

Shannon A Thompson

Synopsis:

Seconds Before Sunrise (book 2 of The Timely Death Trilogy)

Two nightmares. One memory.

“Chaos within destiny. It was the definition of our love.”

Eric has weeks before his final battle when he’s in an accident. Forced to face his human side, he knows he can’t survive if he fights alone. But he doesn’t want to surrender, even if he becomes the sacrifice for war.

Jessica’s memory isn’t the only thing she’s lost. Her desire to find her parents is gone and so is her confidence. But when fate leaves nightmares behind, she decides to find the boy she sees in them, even if it risks her sanity.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Timely-Death-Trilogy/227663240691565

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18805475-seconds-before-sunrise

CURRENT GIVEAWAY: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/131705-minutes-before-sunset

The Legacy of Fear Q&A with Vanessa A. Ryan @vryan333

RW: I’m reading The Legacy of Fear now and enjoying it. The entire idea is right up my alley. How do you come up with the titles of your books?

VANESSA: Sometimes the title just comes to me. Other times, I ask my family, friends, the publisher, or even strangers I might see on the street to help me choose the best wording of a preliminary title. They’ll all haHorrorAtTheLakebooksve different opinions, and then the hard part is making the final decision.

RW: I am getting the whole the feel of, well, spooky, are you a sunshine weather writer or rainy day type?

VANESSA: I like overcast days. In fact, I love overcast weather. I feel more creative when the sky is gray and the atmosphere is a little foggy. Sunny days are just for enjoying the warmth of the sun, smiling a lot and not thinking much.

RW: Tell us about how writing regime, if you have one that is?

VANESSA: My writing schedule is to write at least a thousand words a day, seven days a week, for the first draft. Most of that happens late at night, when the phone is least likely to ring. I may stay up until two in the morning to get in those thousand words, especially when I’ve had a busy day doing something else. I know if I don’t persevere, I won’t get that first draft written. As for revisions and rewrites, I like those the best. The hard work is already done. Cutting, revising and adding is the fun part.

RW: Do you jump out of bed with coffee in hand or are you an afternoon writer?

I never jump out of bed for anything, unless the house is on fire––which has happened to me. I like coffee and breakfast in the morning, and reading the Los Angeles Times. Three days a week I read it online, and four days a week I get it delivered. It’s an important part of my daily routine. I never turn on the TV or radio for the news in the morning. I’m the type who wakes up slowly. I like to know what’s going on in the world, but without someone barking at me. If I can, I will write in the afternoon for a while. I might finish what I started writing in the afternoon later that night, if I didn’t get enough done.

RW: What do you have to avoid when writing a book?

VANESSA: I have to avoid too many other activities, or cut the time I devote to them. And since I’ve always got ideas in my head for new stories, I have to stop thinking of them so I can write the book I’ve already started.

RW: Do you ever get burned out?

VANESSA: Sure. Writing is work. It’s putting in the time. Since December, I have been taking a break. But the holidays are over, and tomorrow, I will begin looking at the edits of the last book in my trilogy, Horror At The Lake, A Vampire Tale. However, even when I’m not writing, I’m thinking of my next book or series of books.

RW: How do you start to write a book? What is the first step?V.Ryan

VANESSA: The first step is to decide which book floating around in my head I am going to commit to writing down. I usually know who the main character is and whether I’m going to write in the first person or in the third, but I will have to rough out the secondary characters. The next most important thing is to figure out the ending. The challenge then, is how to get from the beginning to the end. Sometimes I write plot points on three by five cards, and sometimes I just wing it and start writing. I try to write chapters that are about ten pages long, and I read over what I wrote yesterday, before I begin writing again.

RW: What books have most influenced your life most?

VANESSA: I think the books of Carlos Castaneda, Curt Vonnegut, Jerzy Kosinsky, and the mystery writers of the twentieth century, such Agatha Christie and Ross MacDonald. Also the noir writers, such as Cornell Woolrich, Charles Willeford and Dorothy B. Hughes. But one of the most important influences in my life was meeting Ray Bradbury after a lecture he gave. I had read Death Is A Lonely Business, and although not one of his most famous books, it is set in Venice, CA, where I once lived. It inspired me to write my paranormal novel A Blue Moon, which also takes place in Venice, CA. It was thrilling to meet the writer who inspired me to write the book.

RW: Recently one of our Team here on LWI wrote an article about being a writer versus being an author. Do you see writing as a career?

VANESSA: I do see writing as a career. Of course, every writer hopes to have a best seller, but regardless, I will keep at it as long as I have stories I feel impelled to write.

RW: Do you recall how your interest in writing first came to life?

VANESSA: I started writing in the third grade. My teacher allotted a portion of her lessons to creative writing every week. In the sixth grade, we put on a school play and I wrote the script.

RW: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

VANESSA: No. I’ll just write another book.

RW: What are you working on now?

palette-for-murderVANESSA: I am currently working on another traditional mystery, the second in the Lana Davis series, titled A Date For Murder. The first, A Palette For Murder, will be released this May by Five Star Publishing.

RW: How do you de-stress from those moments of word overload or word weary?

VANESSA: I don’t know that I get tired of looking at words, but I do need to take time off. I love walking in a park near my house, watching my favorite TV shows, traveling and socializing with friends.

RW: Book covers are more important than people think. I mean an author knows but I like how yours in a series almost brand the series. What’s the book cover process for you?

VANESSA: The publishers of my books have designers and they create covers from settings in the books that I describe to them.

RW: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

VANESSA: That first draft is always the hardest part.

RW: I agree with you there. Although my gazillionth draft seems to be hard too. Now what did you learn during the writing of The Legacy of Fear and really any book you write?

VANESSA: I have learned to be more forgiving. All my characters have flaws, some worse than others, but they have some redeeming or humanizing characteristics as well.

RW: What is one piece of advice you would give another writer?

VANESSA: Talk less and listen more. I get many of my ideas for stories from what people say.

RW: And now, what last thought for our friends today?

VANESSA: I hope you enjoy my books and the journeys they take you on.

 

Vanessa A. Ryan is the author of:

Horror At The Lake, A Vampire Tale (mystery trilogy):

Book 1, The Legacy Of Fear: http://vanessaaryan.com/TheLegacyOfFear.html#buy

Book 2, The Trail Of Terrorhttp://vanessaaryan.com/TheTrailofTerror.html#buy

Book 3, The Blood Of Redemptioncoming in April
A Palette For Murder pre-order now: http://vanessaaryan.com/APaletteForMurder.html#buycoming in April

 

Follow Vanessa A. Ryan at:
https://twitter.com/vryan333
http://vanessaryanwriter.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/VanessaRyan33

http://www.amazon.com/author/vryan
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2543030

 There you have readers. By the way, you’ve seen Vanessa before. You may not realize it but I know many of you have. Snoop around and you’ll discover from where. By her books. I’m enjoying The Legacy of Fear now.~@RonovanWrites

 

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© Copyright-All rights reserved by litworldinterviews.wordpress.com 2015

If Only Interview with Author @NormaBudden

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 weNorma Budden 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.

If Only Norma Budden Book CoverWhen 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.

www.buddenbookreviews.com

 

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.If Only Norma Budden Book Cover 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.

 

Ron_LWI

 

 

 

 

@RonovanWrites

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The Owl Interview with the Owl Lady herself @VivDrewa

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-drewaVIV: 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.

viv drewaThe 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 Owlviv drewa
&
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.

viv drewaFrom 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-    Google+     The Owl Lady Blog
Click a here to go to her Amazon page and get a book!

 

Ron_LWI

 

 

 

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BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “OUTSOURCED” @ETHRILLERWRITER

eric-j-gates-outsourced-review-colleen-cheseboro

Title: Outsourced

Author: Eric J. Gates

ASIN: B00NNNCA7M

Website: ericjgates.com

Published: September 18, 2014 by Amazon

Pages: 302

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Adventure, Paranormal Suspense, Drama

*A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, which follows.

A mystifying package arrives in the mail of New York writer, Nic Stiles. Inside the package, Nic finds an old-fashioned fountain pen made from the remains of an ancient meteorite enclosed inside a carved wooden box. Accompanying the mysterious artifact is a message, which explains that the user of the pen has the capability to change destiny.

Nic uncovers a horrific plot instigated by Robert Polanski, a retired assassin and a previous owner of the pen, who was recently acquitted of murdering hundreds of people, by using the pen to rewrite destiny in his favor. Not believing the power that exists within the ancient artifact, Nic begins to write using the unusual pen. The results are devastating.

Desperate for solutions, Nic teams up with Phil Beasley, (a.k.a. Grayson Fallon), a rival author, who once owned the strange pen himself. Together the two men enter the world of quantum physics looking for answers on how the pen could have the ability to change a person’s destiny with a single written thought. However, they are not alone. The CIA is after the artifact too. Suddenly the issue crystallizes because; whoever uses the pen controls the destiny of the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced suspense in this novel. My favorite part was the research that Nic did into the ancient artifact’s origin. In addition, I enjoyed the unlikely friendship that developed between the two authors, as they teamed up to stop Polanski from his terrible task.

The fact that Outsourced dealt with current issues about government surveillance and even the evils in the publishing industry seemed to weave a thread of truth into the entire storyline for me. The characters were not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. That resolve made me like the characters even more with all their flaws included.

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Eric J. Gates

I found the plot, and the characters to be well thought out in the sequence of events. Eric Gates effectively switched the points of view of some of the characters in the beginning of the book. I found this to be a great tool for understanding the plot and getting into the minds of the characters. Overlook the typos, and you will find yourself wrapped up in a story of intrigue and magic that is hard to put down.

For me, the philosophical elements of “destiny versus fate,” that Gates used to illustrate the magic behind the use of the artifact was delivered with stunning accuracy. Destiny seems predetermined and inevitable, while fate represents the consequences, or a result of something. Eric Gates explored these issues, all the while making the pen have a life all its own.

If you love suspense, non-stop action, literally sprinkled with paranormal mystery, Outsource will lead you on a journey that will leave you questioning the world as you know it.

RATINGS
Realistic Characterization: 4/5
Made Me Think: 4/5
Overall enjoyment: 4/5
Readability: 4/5
Recommended: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.5

Buy it at: Amazon
Format & Pricing:
Paperback: $12.61 US
Kindle: $2.99 US

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@ColleenChesebro

www.SilverThreading.com

 

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The Dazzling Darkness @PaulaCappa1 Q&A TODAY!

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GOTHIC READERS BOOK CLUB CHOICE AWARD WINNER
★★★★★  Outstanding Fiction “Dazzling sums up Paula Cappa’s paranormal/supernatural novel … an elegance and grace that seduces you.”

BRONZE MEDAL WINNER, Readers’ Favorite Book Award for Supernatural Fiction, 2014 “Beautiful and high standard writing style from start to finish … a superb and classy supernatural novel.” Readers’ Favorite Reviews

“Paula Cappa is a master of the metaphysical mystery genre…an extraordinary and original storyteller of the first rank. Very highly recommended.” Midwest Book Review.  

 

 

I sometimes find an Author that jumps out at me, no, not in a scary way like from around the corner. Instead they jump out at me with words. They capture the imagination, the senses and give that subtle sense of not quite fear but that classic something. Yes, for a writer I am having a difficult time capturing exactly what I mean here. So instead of continuing to describe an Author that captures a classic style in a modern manner, let me introduce you to . . .

 

Author

Paula Cappa

paula_cappa.jpg

@paulacappa1    

RW: Where are you from?    
PAULA: Grew up in Connecticut but now live in New York State.

RW: I know you like to discover new authors, but I think one way to give our readers a feel for who you are in style of writing is to let them know who you admire.
PAULA: Writers that I admire greatly are Susan Hill, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Tolstoy, Lovecraft, MR James, Poe, Chekhov, Gertrude Atherton, Ann Rice, Daphne du Marier.

RW: With those classic influences of admiration, what in turn brings you to writing, writing fiction, a novel, do what you do?  
PAULA: I began writing fiction in college. Then dabbled in it in my adults years, but it wasn’t until I began writing feature articles for community newspapers in New York and Connecticut that I really dove in. I took a summer writing course at Yale and that motivated me to commit and I went back to fiction. I’ve been writing short stories and novels and will continue to stay in fiction.

RW: I think if would be very unlikely anyone would be surprised that The Dazzling Darkness falls into the supernatural mystery/quiet horror/dark fiction genres. Tell us about your novel.  
PAULA: The Dazzling Darkness is about a family. Their son goes missing and there’s evidence that he was inside a locked cemetery near his house. Supernatural powers prevail as the police and the family struggled to locate the child.

The main character is Antonia Brooke, a mom who owns a local bookshop in Concord MA. This is a story about a lost child and so many moms and dads have that fear. And it’s fear that propels the story. Fear of never finding Henry again and that some supernatural power will be stronger than our earthly powers.

Henry Vaughan (1600s) made the term dazzling darkness famous in his poem, The Night, which I quote at the opening of the novel …His line reads, “A deep but dazzling darkness.” Actually, it was originally coined by Dionysius (500 AD). Dionysius says, “Truth lies hidden in the dazzling darkness.” I found this symbolism for what Henry discovers to be a good representation. The poem emphasizes light can only be seen from the darkness. Essentially Vaughan is telling us that we can see more than just surface reality.

The novel actually developed from a line in one of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays in his address called Nature. He wrote … “Even the corpse has its own beauty.” Shocking statement, right? The more I read about Emerson’s personal experiences with death, the more the story began to take shape. Emerson lost his young wife Ellen only a short time after they were married. He buried her in the family vault and a year later, still driven by intense grief, he opened her coffin. What a heart-breaking experience! And then twenty-five years later, after his young son Waldo dies at five-years-old, Emerson opened his coffin as well. These images all connected for me: images of a cemetery, images of a boy named Henry suddenly appeared, coffins opening. The story just unraveled in a very exciting way and Emerson was that foundation.

RW: What message do you think your book delivers to the reader?
PAULA: That we don’t know everything about this world or what may be on the other side of death.

RW: What did you learn about yourself from writing this book?
PAULA: Not to close off possibilities to answers.

RW: Describe your book in one word.  
PAULA: Mystical.

 

Paula Cappa is currently is published by Crispin Books in Milwaukee, WI. With:
Night Sea Journey, A Tale of the Supernatural” is about angels and demons. An artist named Kip Livingston paints her dreams. In one of her dreams is a firehawk. What is a firehawk? Probably not what you think. The thing about the firehawk is that it’s not just in her dreams. The entity breaks through into her waking life. And the firehawk has something shocking to reveal to Kip”.

She also has a short story, “Beyond Castle Frankenstein” about Mary Shelly seeking the ghost of her husband out in Journals of Horror: Found Fiction, an anthology of shorts.

You can get her books at: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble. Smashwords.com. Kobo.com and some local bookstores in Westchester County NY.

What’s out next from Paula?

“A novel about the supernatural powers in music. And some short stories (Just got my short story “Magic of the Loons,” published in Dark Gothic Resurrected Ezine on Amazon.)”

 Now for my off the topic questions to delve into your inner being.

RW: What is your favorite beverage to drink, any kind?
PAULA: I’m a tea drinker (love teapots!)

RW: What is your escape from writing when you are at that about to explode point?
PAULA: Take a nature walk, listen to music or watch reruns of Downton Abbey.

RW: What book are you reading at this time?
PAULA: Pierced Heart by Lynn Shepherd.

RW: What is your biggest tip for someone to getting published?
PAULA: Keep studying and practicing the craft. The goal is to be a professional writer, not just get published.

RW: If you could have written any book that exists, other than your own, what would it be and why?
PAULA: I wish I wrote Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black. The best ghost story! Hill is a master at writing atmospheric prose and she can plot very tightly.

RW: What is your favorite word?
PAULA: Please.

 

 

Connect with Paula Cappa:
Blog: paulacappa.wordpress.com 
Offers a free classic short story every week, my own published short stories, book reviews, and a contact me page.
Facebook: Paula Cappa
Twitter: @paulacappa1
Google+: Paula Cappa

 

I think everyone can see how Paula might be able to make you jump just with her words. I want to thank Paula Cappa for this interview. I found her influences interesting in being the classics, those many of us grew up with. Who among us did not read Poe and Hawthorne in Lit class in High School? Anne Rice is a classic of the modern era in her imagery. With those authors firing the synapses in Paula’s brain you just know you are in for an interesting and perhaps sleepless read.

 

Get her books, follower her everywhere and as always . . .

Read a Book, Write a Review.

 

Much Respect

Ron_LWI

 

 

Ronovan

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BAT The Delgado Vampire by @langionevampyre Book Release TODAY!

One of LWI’s authors Jon Langione’s latest book

Out TODAY!!!

BAT The Delgado Vampire

The Second in the series to BAT The Taninger Vampire, see his Author Interview here.

Kindle: $4.99

BAT_The_Delgado_Vampire_Jon_Langione

BAT is under contract to the crime boss of the Delgado drug cartel to take out drug mules of the rival Romano cartel. BAT and her partner Trixie live in Bisbee, Arizona, north of Naco, Mexico. The vampire attacks bring in the federal DAs office and ADA Terri Bright is on the hunt. Terri has vampire hunters on her side, but can they stop the attacks, and can they stop BAT, The Delgado Vampire.

Jon Langione

@langionevampyre

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q&A Jon Langione BAT: The Taninger Vampire @VampyreLangione

BAT BAT: The Taninger Vampire

Jon Langione

 

 

I decided it was time for a change and when I ran across my guest today I knew instantly I had found someone I wanted to interview. Not only because of being an author, but also for the life experiences he has been through. The number of books he has put out is impressive. Today we’re going to obviously talk about his interest in vampires and a certain book in particular but I cannot imagine anyone having as varied a catalog as my guest. So let’s meet . . .

Jon Langione

 

RW: Where are you from?

JON: I grew up in the little burg of Hellam, Pennsylvania. But I had a twenty-two year army career and lived all over the world. I am a Viet Nam and Desert Storm veteran. I was a paratrooper and a helicopter pilot, as well as serving in intelligence and air operations. I describe myself as being from Eastern Pennsylvania by way of Brooklyn.

RW: Who are your favorite authors?

JON:

Ayn Rand

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Michael Lewis,

and recently, Teresa Hawk

RW: What is your favorite beverage to drink, any kind?

JON: Bold K-cup coffee.

RW: What is your escape from writing when you at that about to explode point?

JON: I really don’t have that as I write 11 to 15 pages a day. This is why I can pump out so many books. I have a book go on amazon.com about every four to five weeks. I do watch a lot of evening news.

RW: What is your favorite word?

JON: Counter-productive.

RW: What is your background in writing, what makes you a writer?

JON: I started out writing for the Fort Wolters, Texas post newspaper. I have quite a few op-eds under my belt. I wrote for the US Army’s Aviation Digest. I hold the 4th  Estate Award for military writing. I was also a special correspondent to Gannett for the Kosovo operation.

I wrote a book about my wiseguy uncle and my wife suggested we go to print with it. Since then Cathey and I have written in several genres. She designs all the covers.

 

RW: What is the title of your book and why did you choose that name?

JON: BAT, The Taninger Vampire. I have started a new series known as the BAT Series. Bria Anne Tedesco is the vampire. In the first she is involved with a star chamber making hits on shady brokers and hedge fund managers. The star chamber is called the Taninger Chamber. That book is on the market. I am almost finished with BAT, The Delgado Vampire which takes place in Arizona. The story involves BAT with the drug cartels. The third one in the series is already titled BAT, The Covert Vampire where she gets mixed up with a government agency that uses vampires.

RW: What genre does your book fall into?

JON: The Avi Asher Series (II thru VII) and the BAT series are all about vampires.

RW: Why do you write in the genre that you do?

JON: They used to be called Penny Dreadfuls, then Dime Novels, and now Pulp Fiction. I wrote enough finance material and want to have fun with the vampires.

 

RW: Tell us a little about your book.

JON: BAT, The Taninger Vampire is about BAT (Bria Anne Tesdeco) being used on missions to exact retribution against corrupt financiers.

RW: What inspired the book?

JON: I felt after the seven books of the Avi Asher Series it was becoming derivative. So, I went on to a stand-alone series with the main character being BAT and only one character other than her as a carry-over for the next book only.

RW: What inspired the book?

JON: I thought vampire books were a sellable commodity. They are fun to write and you can get as implausible as you wish. I have been inspired by Russell Blake. He wrote ten thrillers before he sold one. He keeps pumping them out, once writing a book in fifteen days. He has sold over 400k to date. I am going to keep writing as I am retired and treat this as a second career. After all vampires never die. And really they are pot-boilers and a fun read. I keep them to 210 to 260 pages.

RW: Tell us about your main characters and what you think will connect them to readers.

JON: In the Avi Asher Series he was a vampire hunter with a PhD and was an Assistant District Attorney. Thus, law enforcement got involved. However, there were some vampires he could not track down and the on-going story allowed the reader to either take the side of the hunter or the vampires.

Vampire Elizabeth

In the BAT Series the people BAT takes out are due for a come-uppance. But, there are hunters out to stop her and her string of partners. BAT is vicious and an arch-criminal.

RW: Who would play your main characters in a movie?

JON:

Avi Asher – Lou Diamond Phillips (Jon went to school with him! I am geeking, dudes.)

BAT – Noomi Rapace or Rooney Mara (both of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ fame)

Lou_Diamond_Phillips KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERARooney_Mara

RW: What message do you think your book delivers to the readers?

JON: Just sit back and have a fun read.

RW: What did you learn about yourself from writing this book?

JON: Not to look at the sales data and keep on keepin’ on.

RW: Describe your book in one word.

JON: Nightfall

RW: Where can we get your book(s) now?

JON: On amazon.com, Kindle, and Barnes & Noble.

RW: What other books do you have to share with us and can you tell us a little about them?

JON:

Canzio: A Sal Luca Gig – The story of a wiseguy with Sal Luca as a Philadelphia reporter.

Santa Is Out There, Christmas Tales From The Edge – twelve holiday short stories written with my wife Cathey that are a little off center.

Helel, the Nephilim, and Beyond – a biblical fiction with Sal Luca back as the reporter; the angel Helel is keynote in the story.

manic mind – written in all lower case with ellipses’ and no other punctuation. It is about my Bi-Polar experiences. And, again, Sal Luca is the reporter. He is fictional, but I gave him author credit as a twist.

Credit Card, A Personal Debt Crisis. This book is taken from by MBA thesis which was written in story form.

Student Loans, Credit Cards, and the National Debt Crisis is a DVD about the subjects of overwhelming debt.

The Avi Asher Series: Deceitful (a political thriller) and the six vampire books of the series: Vampire Elona, Vampire Edvard, Vampire Gothic, Vampire Wiseguy, Vampire Vice, and Vampire Elizabeth.

RW: How do people connect with you through all forms of social media?

JON: I am on Twitter. I have no plans to go on Facebook. On my twitter site is my website address jonlangione.com. On the website the reader can get a description of the vampire books and see a photo of the cover.

RW: Do, you currently have representation? If so who, and if not describe what qualities you would like in an agent and what you would bring to the relationship.

JON: Through my experience with agents I have collected a pile of rejection form letters. So, I decided to go to amazon and Barnes and Noble via Createspace. I price my books and Kindle books very low at what I feel is an equitable price. I self-promote the books via Twitter. As far as what I could do for an agent is meet a deadline.

RW: What are you working on right now?

JON: I am 163 pages into the second of the BAT Series – BAT, The Delgado Vampire.

RW: What book are you reading at this time?

JON: ‘Are We Rome’ by Cullen Murphy

RW: What is your biggest tip for someone to getting published?

JON: Go to Createspace.

RW: If you could have written any book that exists, other than your own, what would it be and why?

JON: ‘Atlas Shrugged’ by Ayn Rand. Atlas Shrugged has more depth and history for the future than any book written. She captured conservative business and progressive welfare better than anyone. Atlas Shrugged is second in US sales to one book – The Bible.

 

Well, everyone, I told you the man had a varied catalog. Next time believe me. I of course want to thank Jon again for the interview and I must say that his approach to writing his genre is interesting. He seems to have found a genre he is really enthusiastic about. Buy his books, check out his site, follow him on Twitter, and did I mention buy his books? And when you do, make sure to write a review.

Much Respect

Ronovan

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