tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9033377775458725702024-03-12T23:31:39.392+00:00Author QuizCharles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-70445011784822931682013-12-02T18:04:00.000+00:002014-02-13T11:37:26.874+00:00Charles Fudgemuffin, author of the alien comedy 'How To Save the World' books<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Charles Fudgemuffin's debut novel 'How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy' is available for Kindle from Amazon:</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-GB">UK: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6f6ff2;">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy</span></a></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6f6ff2;">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy</span></a></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy</b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><b>by Charles Fudgemuffin</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i>‘Aliens from the planet Fem have decided that as compassionate citizens of the galaxy they have a duty to alleviate suffering and affliction from the rest of the galaxy.</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i>In the majority of cases this will involve sharing their unprecedented prosperity and quality of life with those planets less fortunate than themselves. Of course, in a minority of extreme cases this will also involve eliminating life from those planets in the galaxy where the level of suffering is simply too great to alleviate.</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i>Unfortunately for Earth, the Femlings have deemed us one such planet...’</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. . . . . . . .</span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">An interview with Charles Fudgemuffin…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What is it you love most about writing?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">That moment after months or even years of work when you finally finish the final draft of your book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a powerful combination of a sense of achievement after having invested so much time and effort in the project, mixed with a feeling of freedom at being able to start focusing on your next idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Where did the inspiration for your first novel, ‘</span></span></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Save-The-World-ebook/product-reviews/B007HAC5RM/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&showViewpoints=1&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy</a></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">' come from?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The book opens with Eric and his two mates bantering on while hiking up Mount Helvellyn in the Lake District and a few weeks before plotting out the first few chapters I had actually hiked up Helvellyn myself, so that was where the idea must have originated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Eric, I’m also a big fan of the ‘Would You Rather?’ game and the questions he asks in the opening chapter are some of my own favourite ‘Would You Rather?’ dilemmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aliens presumably came out of the alien based dilemma which Eric asks, and then from then on it was a case of a creative domino effect with one idea leading to the next until it had spiralled into a story spanning six books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></i></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Would your book, How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy, work best as a movie or a TV series and why?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b> </div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A backpacker friend of mine commented that she could picture the book as a movie with a cult following like The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another writer commented in an online review that it was actually more of a screenplay rather than a book, so others seem to picture it as a movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I have to admit the book contains a lot of dialogue and for that reason I think it would probably be better suited to an ongoing TV series, as there’s probably too much dialogue to fit into a typical ninety minute movie without doing some serious editing and trimming of the plot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If you could invite one character from the 'How To Save The World' books to a dinner party who would it be and why?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">People who have read the books almost unanimously pick out Eric (the main character) as their favourite character by far, but his personality is too similar to mine (or at least a younger version of me) so it would feel a bit weird and awkward having Eric as a dinner guest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it would be quite interesting having one of the alien characters as a dinner guest though, and I especially like Jixyl’s banter in particular, so he would make an entertaining dinner guest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well … at least that would be the case if I hadn’t read the books and didn’t know what the aliens were up to…<br /><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="undefined" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFL1Jrv905BGPPfj2Qhc0PwztSX0yxIOjDs_Q5h6CxQeTffC_zlqCpHuScU23MfuaKD0-qteFIFWqhuQTjMyJcg6KBNv2IsrZbMss0trlkY3BpLgAIgycLzUEfMgI3KVwULgDRlszJ8Ar/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Ad+1.gif" title="" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Are there any good book blogs or websites you would recommend, both for discovering new books and authors, and also for promoting your own work?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">One book blog which I like is ‘Review My Book On Amazon’ run by Todd Fonseca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Todd understands the concept that as a reader you don’t particularly care if the reviewer enjoyed the book or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All a reader wants to know is ‘will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I </i>enjoy it?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Todd is excellent at describing a book in a way which allows the reader to assess whether it’s the book for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the link to his site:</span></div>
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<a href="http://reviewmybookonamazon.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Review My Book On Amazon</a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">…and whether you’re a reader or an author I would recommend checking it out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Do you foresee more and more authors making a living from their writing?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Looking at the various sales graphs for worldwide sales by indie authors, it looks clear that the indie book market is on an upward curve at the moment and this looks likely to continue for a few years yet, as more and more people buy ebook readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It’s only going to be a very small percentage of writers that make a living from it though, but for any unpublished author considering releasing their work to the world, this is the perfect time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if you only get a few sales it’s a brilliant experience and an amazing buzz every time you check your account and see another sale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Have you ever found that a fan has e-mailed you with a glowing comment on one of your books, but then when they write a review this praise has been toned down into a more professional less emotional review style and has lost some of its power as a result?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Yes, I had an e-mail from someone once who told me he was reading my book at work (on the sly) and was laughing out loud until it got to the stage where people were starting to ask what he was laughing at, so he had to stop reading it otherwise he might have got into trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he posted a review though, although it was still a complimentary review he had nevertheless toned down the enthusiasm of his comments to make them sound more professional.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Would you rather have great reviews but average sales or great sales but average reviews?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I love it when someone responds to my writing with positive enthusiasm so a part of me is tempted to go for ‘great reviews,’ but on the other hand I’d love to be able to write full time for a living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to choose one over the other as I have to admit I get an equally lush buzz every time I sell a book as I do every time I get some positive feedback.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How To Save The World:<br />
Part 3B - Revenge And Justice<br />
The penultimate book in the<br />
'How To Save The World' saga. </td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What other book would you regard it the biggest compliment to have your own books compared to and why?<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">When a backpacker friend compared the 'How To Save The World' books to The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy I regarded that as a big compliment as I love the uniqueness and wonderful weirdness of Douglas Adams’ books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I think the comparison was more based on the fact that they both share a space-based theme and setting, rather than a comparison of the style of writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of the humour in the 'How To Save The World' books is closer to the crude immature style of The Inbetweeners or Keith Lemon rather than The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, so any Douglas Adams fans would be a bit shocked if they were expecting a similar style of writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I also had a review describing How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy as ‘Monty Python meets Saturday Night Live’ which again I regarded as a massive compliment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I absolutely love Monty Python, and while I haven’t seen much of Saturday Night Live, from what I have seen it seems like the sort of humour I would enjoy.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Overall though, I would say the 'How To Save The World' saga is hard to make comparisons with as it has its own uniqueness to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On some occasions I’ve been met with unrestrained enthusiasm from readers and on other occasions they clearly didn’t get it, so the best suggestion is to download the free sample of the first few chapters from Amazon. If you enjoy that you’ll probably enjoy the rest of the series.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Who do you see as your target audience?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">One of my first readers commented that the opening book, How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy, would appeal to people who don’t usually read books (they themselves weren’t massive readers) and I would probably agree with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Admittedly, that’s not the greatest marketing strategy ever devised (a bit like designing a car that appeals to people who don’t buy cars), but hopefully my books might also appeal to other target audiences as well. </span><span lang="EN-US">I would say anyone with a daft sense of humour who enjoys light-hearted comedy and who isn’t expecting Shakespeare might find them enjoyable. </span><span lang="EN-US">I include this word of caution, though:</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">‘</span><span lang="EN-US">Please note, the 'How To Save The World' books are suitable for ages 18+ and are not recommended for prudes or squares.’</span></div>
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Thanks for your comments, Charles, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>Samples from How To Save the World: An Alien Comedy:</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"> “Look, man. Calm down, you daft fool. I promise you, man … we’ve got no intentions of doing an anal probe on you. Why would we fly halfway across the galaxy to visit a different civilisation, and then when we get here, like, we go, ‘Hmm, how shall we interact with this new civilisation? I know! We’ll stick things up their bum!’ You’re proper mental, you, man.”</span></div>
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"It just seems a bit inconsiderate on their feelings. I mean, like, normally when you snog a lass she assumes it's because you find her physically attractive, but if she realised you were only snogging her as part of a plan to kill her entire species she'd probably feel a bit huffed."<br />
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"Ar, well, I mean I'm obviously tempted, like. I mean, I'm tempted to save the world ... not the spanking stuff, obviously ... just saving the world. I mean I <i>would </i>obviously get involved in a bit of spanking if it meant saving the world, like. But just to save the world ... not for anything else."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Fudgemuffin, author of How To<br />
Save The World: An Alien Comedy.</td></tr>
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Charles Fudgemuffin has a blog where he occasionally mentions his books and also discusses other random daft subjects:</div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Charles Fudgemuffin Blog</a></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Recent blog posts include:</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com/2012/09/10-cool-swedish-words-and-expressions.html" target="_blank">10 Cool Swedish Words And Expressions</a> </span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><br />
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<a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-harder-journey-more-rewarding.html" target="_blank">The Harder The Journey, The More Rewarding The Arrival</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">. . . . . . . .</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Charles Fudgemuffin's debut novel 'How To Save The
World: An Alien Comedy' is available for Kindle
from amazon.co.uk and amazon.com:</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-GB">UK: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6f6ff2;">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy</span></a></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6f6ff2;">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy </span></a></span></span></div>
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-69520401490574210392013-11-09T09:22:00.000+00:002014-07-17T20:46:04.032+01:00Elias Zapple, author of Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor by Elias Zapple is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DPV88CS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DPV88CS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor by Elias Zapple</a>
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UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DPV88CS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00DPV88CS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor by Elias Zapple</a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duke And Michel: The Mysterious Corridor<br />
by Elias Zapple</td></tr>
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<b>Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor by Elias Zapple</b><br />
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<i>Twelve year-old Michel's freaking out as his snotty little cousin has gone missing from the garden. He sticks his head through a hole in the fence and is sucked into a giant vortex where he ends up in an infinitely long and mysterious corridor, with doors leading to many strange worlds. He also meets a pompous, food-obsessed, talking dog called Duke who happens to be searching for his equally fat brothers. Together they go on an adventure to hunt for their missing relatives, unaware that they are also being hunted by an evil villain who has a dandruff problem.</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Elias Zapple...<br />
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<b>What's the best and worst thing about being an author?</b><br />
The best thing is undoubtedly the adulation and hero worship of my adoring public. However, it does mean that the occasional worshipper tramples all over my cabbage patch, ruining cabbages I had planned to hurl at my neighbour, Dieter. This is the worse thing, if it wasn't clear.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkB8D1st4n0y7HYlx6LxHcoIcMxaXm1eCEocEQNkFs91EV_mUave-FTAVQJVLsb-zCTBJgAp0wT3wjv4TqfESofswti__6iZC7yUMs3WeKnUDz4lEK1dkGZBzR8aXbCcPkU4MBjWl-dx72/s1600/Jellybean+The+Dragon+by+Elias+Zapple++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkB8D1st4n0y7HYlx6LxHcoIcMxaXm1eCEocEQNkFs91EV_mUave-FTAVQJVLsb-zCTBJgAp0wT3wjv4TqfESofswti__6iZC7yUMs3WeKnUDz4lEK1dkGZBzR8aXbCcPkU4MBjWl-dx72/s320/Jellybean+The+Dragon+by+Elias+Zapple++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" height="250" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jellybean The Dragon</td></tr>
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<b>Where did the inspiration for your first novel, Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor, come from?</b><br />
As I slept in my four-poster bed, I was rudely awoken by some strange barking. I rushed downstairs to the parlour to see an adorable Basset Hound staring at me with those sad, puppy-dog eyes. He opened his mouth and said nothing because he's a dog and cannot speak, not like us tulips. However, it got me thinking. What if he could speak, what would he say? I went back to sleep, after having kicked the Basset Hound out of the house, and the entire book of Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor came to me, page by page, word by word.<br />
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<b>If you could choose someone famous to record your book in audiobook format, who would you choose as the voice and why?</b><br />
I would choose Peter Sellers. Unfortunately, he's dead so some kind of seance would be in order followed by a resurrection. <br />
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<b>If you could invite one character from your novel to a dinner party who would it be and why?</b><br />
Naturally, I would choose Duke as he would annoy, insult and anger everybody at this dinner party causing them all to leave early and allow me to be on my own again. I detest dinner parties and social gatherings. This is why I surround my house with cabbages.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDrHJZbFlxhnHWqQGoMEKjjvtg4A6TNH1QDqM5PC2tYW-3HxfcvAIn8ld5H_-z1k0ML8W9ANnSLZrKiH24l2wihmS-BByJJLNjXmPyh-PCKGCGs6UVQxavWLH-A42dwv8ZGF_JXNlznlw/s1600/Duke+And+Michel,+The+King+Tingaling+Painting++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDrHJZbFlxhnHWqQGoMEKjjvtg4A6TNH1QDqM5PC2tYW-3HxfcvAIn8ld5H_-z1k0ML8W9ANnSLZrKiH24l2wihmS-BByJJLNjXmPyh-PCKGCGs6UVQxavWLH-A42dwv8ZGF_JXNlznlw/s1600/Duke+And+Michel,+The+King+Tingaling+Painting++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duke And Michel: The King Tingaling Painting</td></tr>
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<b>Do you have any useful marketing tips for other authors?</b><br />
Yes, I do. Court one of the head honchos at Amazon and work your way into their affections then get them to promote your book heavily. If they deny you, grow some cabbages and hurl them at that horrible head honcho.<br />
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<b>If you worked for a publishing house, what sort of books would you be looking to publish?</b><br />
Books that were written by Elias Zapple and books that were titled 'Duke & Michel'.<br />
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<b></b><b>What strategy do you use for getting reviews? </b><br />
I track down potential reviewers and threaten them with my cabbages. They soon cave in until I've wandered away and then they call the police and try to get me arrested. Luckily, I have nimble feet and am super fast due to the amount of cabbages I eat. You should see me when I run, my hair looks fantastic, blowing in the wind.<br />
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<b>Can you remember the moment when you logged into your author account and discovered you had made your first sale?</b><br />
I cannot remember the exact moment as I was exceedingly intoxicated at the time, however, I do remember the aftermath. Papers were strewn everywhere, books scattered around, windows smashed and bookcases burnt to a crisp. The biggest casualty of my severe elation and subsequent intoxication was my bloody, battered and sliced to pieces pet slug, Steve. Killed by my apparent sudden urge to mow the lawn. Steve still hasn't forgiven me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimT_k1BIEULPR0_K20gm3jvaZDQQnSKrzTNE4YgRs8_ptaTp-E1dxgN0iM4mU3u1YAUyKXBA_eHg3mjPYonXaqH398AbHzmcKBNjjN2gRX1dZVvnZzsZk-3SAhpEt7rEf163C2vmgJ2Zk-/s1600/Nicu+The+Littlest+Vampire++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimT_k1BIEULPR0_K20gm3jvaZDQQnSKrzTNE4YgRs8_ptaTp-E1dxgN0iM4mU3u1YAUyKXBA_eHg3mjPYonXaqH398AbHzmcKBNjjN2gRX1dZVvnZzsZk-3SAhpEt7rEf163C2vmgJ2Zk-/s1600/Nicu+The+Littlest+Vampire++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" height="320" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicu The Littlest Vampire,<br />
the latest book from Elias Zapple.</td></tr>
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<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
First steps to take would be to leave your house for the first time in months and breathe in the fresh, clean, toxic air. Remember, put on plenty of sunscreen as your skin will be pale white and unused to the sun's rays. Next, I would speak to a few people to get your vocal chords working again. After which I would do a massive free promo and give your book away to as many top Amazon reviewers as possible. I can be sensible, if only for a few sec... If they refuse, get ready with the cabbages.<br />
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<b>Who do you see as your target audience?</b><br />
Children, mad people and mad children.<br />
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Thanks for your comments, Elias, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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You can download the first three chapters of Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor for free from the following link:<br />
<a href="http://www.eliaszapple.com/uploads/1/9/4/2/19429143/duke__michel_4.6_first_3_chapters_web.pdf" target="_blank">First three chapters of Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor</a><br />
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Some random excerpt from 'Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor':<br />
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Duke wandered over to a used chocolate wrapper that was by the side of the road and sniffed at it.<br />
“Empty. Just my luck.”<br />
“What’s empty?”<br />
“Besides your head?”<br />
Michel went over to Duke and picked up the chocolate wrapper Duke was sniffing at.<br />
“Chocomallo!”<br />
“I didn’t know you could read,” Duke said, as he had a lie down.<br />
“This is Romain’s favourite chocolate bar. He always has one on him.”<br />
“Only one? Selfish boy. He should always carry two. Never know when you might meet a very hungry Basset Hound.”
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elias Zapple, author of<br />
Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor</td></tr>
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For more uninteresting info on Elias Zapple, check out his website:<br />
<a href="http://www.eliaszapple.com/" target="_blank">www.eliaszapple.com</a><br />
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Like the Duke & Michel facebook page or be considered uncool:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DukeAndMichel" target="_blank">Duke And Michel</a><br />
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To hurl insults at Elias Zapple on facebook:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/elias.zapple" target="_blank">Elias Zapple</a><br />
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Follow Elias Zapple on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/EliasZapple" target="_blank">@EliasZapple</a><br />
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Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor by Elias Zapple is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DPV88CS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DPV88CS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor by Elias Zapple</a>
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UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DPV88CS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00DPV88CS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Duke & Michel: The Mysterious Corridor by Elias Zapple</a>
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<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-14389605262461210022013-11-02T08:13:00.000+00:002013-11-02T08:13:00.087+00:00Tara Ford, author of Calling All ServicesCalling All Services by Tara Ford is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8DYEKS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D8DYEKS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Calling All Services</a> <br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D8DYEKS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00D8DYEKS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Calling All Services</a> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02RwdXDVFN2jw79adymA3csWOIjmDh9fGg5Hv2ILDyIzCPcf472G6YKfq2sIBiBTNpGBUF6d30U0zoZfM2nPkzgZlEullhMjl6Kd-aEN290mJZJ5kZ5TS47Ty6z0nFQ2TZEVO628Qe5Rw/s1600/Calling+All+Services+by+Tara+Ford++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02RwdXDVFN2jw79adymA3csWOIjmDh9fGg5Hv2ILDyIzCPcf472G6YKfq2sIBiBTNpGBUF6d30U0zoZfM2nPkzgZlEullhMjl6Kd-aEN290mJZJ5kZ5TS47Ty6z0nFQ2TZEVO628Qe5Rw/s400/Calling+All+Services+by+Tara+Ford++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calling All Services by Tara Ford</td></tr>
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<b>Calling All Services by Tara Ford</b><br />
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<i>Alex Frey, successful businesswoman, wife and mother to a busy and demanding family, doesn’t find it easy to take a break. So when she’s hospitalised with a mysterious illness, paralysed and afraid of what the future might bring, frustration meets fear and she can’t wait to escape the hospital, get back in control of things and return her family to the normality of salmon paste sandwiches.</i><br />
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<i>At home, her husband Grant is determined to manage the kids, Alex’s parents, his sister and anything else life can throw at him while his wife is away recuperating. But what else can possibly go wrong while Alex is in hospital? The Frey family is about to find out. . .</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Tara Ford...<br />
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<b>If you had to sum up your book, Calling All Services, in three words, what would they be?</b><br />
Umm, to sum up my book in three words I would have to choose: humorous, emotional and believable.<br />
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<b>What are you working on now and what projects and ideas do you have lined up next?</b><br />
I am currently working on my third novel, Calling All Customers. This is the third book in the Calling All... series and there are four books altogether. The series is about the lives of the family members from the first book, in one way or another but not always directly. The second book, Calling All Dentists, is currently in the publication process and I do hope it will be released early 2014. <br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Where did the inspiration for your first novel, Calling All Services, come from?</b><br />
I have always wanted to write a book, for as long as I can remember but just couldn’t come up with a good enough idea or plot. I knew I wanted to write in the women’s fiction/humour genre too. Sadly, it took a rather unusual and sudden illness and some time spent in hospital before I realised my dream. Calling All Services is based, very loosely, around my experience and illness but it is a fictitious story. As I lay in the hospital, I seemed to start making up the story in my head and subsequently, I couldn’t wait to start writing it once I was home and able to.<br />
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<b>Why do you enjoy writing in your usual genre?</b><br />
I’ve always wanted to write in the women’s fiction/humour genre as I do tend to see life in a humorous way. I don’t take many things seriously and would consider myself to have a ‘sunny’ disposition. I have a lot of life experiences and believe that my sometimes dark humour can turn the simplest things in life into quite funny episodes. I always manage to make my friends laugh – however, I’m not always sure how or why. <br />
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<b>Would your book, Calling All Services, work best as a movie adaptation or as a TV series?</b><br />
As a stand-alone, I think my book would make a good comedy movie but the whole series would do well as a TV series. Hopefully a long running one like Coronation Street!<br />
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<b>If you could invite one character from your novel to a dinner party who would it be and why?</b><br />
I think I would have to invite Dot, purely for the entertainment factor. She would annoy everyone else with her opinionated, incessant babble. Also, my dark humour would find it highly amusing.<br />
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<b>Without being too specific and without revealing too much about the plot, have you ever killed off a character who you felt particularly attached to and if so was it an emotional experience writing the relevant scene?</b><br />
No, I haven’t killed off anyone in Calling All Services but I have now experienced the ‘killing off’ of someone and it almost made me cry...well actually, if I’m to be honest – it did make me cry. I’m not telling you who, where, when or why, so my readers will just have to wait and see.<br />
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<b>Do you have any useful marketing tips for other authors?</b><br />
Maybe not useful, but my strategy is – market, market, market – network, network, network and never give up! I used to have a husband and lovely family – I think I’ve still got them somewhere in the living room but sadly, they don’t see me much, due to my ever-increasing, latest marketing and networking ideas.<br />
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<b>If you could go back to the moment when you completed your first book and were at the stage where you were ready to release it to the world, is there anything you would do differently this time with regard to promotion?</b><br />
Absolutely! I hadn’t actually realised how important reviews were. Looking back now, I wish that I had sent out review copies earlier. At least I have now learnt this for the future.<br />
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<b>Do you foresee more and more authors making a living from their writing?</b><br />
I’m not sure that I see many authors making a living from writing books, unless they are one of the well-known, best-selling authors. There are so many books out there and it can be quite daunting for a newly published author, when they realise the extent of the marketing and promotion required to ‘push’ their books. The competition is fierce and unless you make yourself stand out from the rest, you’re going to get swallowed up in the Amazon ‘has-been’ pile.<br />
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<b>Do you have a favourite review or has anyone expressed a particularly nice compliment about your writing which stands out as your most memorable piece of praise?</b><br />
I think my favourite review (and I have to add that I am so grateful for all of the reviews that I have received) has to be the most recent one that I received on Goodreads. Although the rating was slightly lower than the ratings I’ve received on Amazon, I felt that this review unpicked my book in a positive way. Here it is:<br />
<br />
This novel, which takes place during a time period of roughly a week, provides us with a rather humorous (if it’s not you) take on what happened when one woman falls ill and her family is left to pick up the pieces. And things most certainly fall to pieces. One thing after another, after another happens right up until the very end where we get our resolution to the story arc.Here are some of my favorite things about this novel:•I simply adored the Englishness of this novel. The rather unique idiosyncrasies of British English snuck their way into this text and added an extra source of amusement. Add in a potentially unhealthy obsession with Tea on Grant’s behalf and I was thoroughly charmed. •In this case, the different layers of the text are revealed by different perspectives from the characters—Alex, businesswoman extraordinaire, at least until a mystery illness hits, Grant, the husband who tries to do it all and fails, her children, Emma, Jack, Aaron, or Alex’s parents, Dot and Charlie. I enjoyed that it allowed the reader to really experience the whole story and not just the one-sided narration that can sometimes occur in other single perspective books.•I could feel Grant’s annoyance at Dot’s meddling—something I’m sure that a lot of people feel about their mother-in-law. Personally, I admire his will power to put up with her, and her good friend Evelyn who lives across the street, meddling in his life. There is just simply so much action that takes place in a mere 325 pages and it makes this novel a worthy read. I feel that this would make a great read curled up with a cup of coffee on a rainy Sunday afternoon, or tea. Whatever floats your boat.<br />
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<b>Would you rather have great reviews but average sales or great sales but average reviews?</b><br />
I would rather have great reviews and average sales as I believe this would lead to more readers for my future books.<br />
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<b>Would you rather sell 1000 books at $10/£10 each or 2000 books at $1/£1, i.e. what gives you the greater sense of satisfaction; overall earnings or overall sales?</b><br />
I would much rather sell 2000 books at £1 as I haven’t written my book for the money and would much rather share my writing with as many people as possible.<br />
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<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
Do plenty of research in to the publication of your book. There are so many different ways to publish these days. Make sure you get plenty of pre-publication reviews. Market and network as much as possible to get your name out there on internet.<br />
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<b>Who do you see as your target audience?</b><br />
I see my target audience as being mainly women, of all ages and backgrounds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara Ford, author of Calling All Services</td></tr>
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Thanks for your comments, Tara, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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Discover more about Tara Ford and her writing at her website and blog:<br />
<a href="http://taraford.weebly.com/" target="_blank">taraford.weebly.com</a><br />
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Follow Tara Ford on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tara.Ford.Author" target="_blank">Tara Ford</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/rata2e" target="_blank">@rata2e</a><br />
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Calling All Services by Tara Ford is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8DYEKS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D8DYEKS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Calling All Services</a> <br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D8DYEKS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00D8DYEKS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Calling All Services</a> <br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-54082251454123231022013-10-26T07:00:00.000+01:002013-10-26T07:45:43.719+01:00Clive Algar, author of CometsComets by Clive Algar is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9EP0BM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00E9EP0BM&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Comets by Clive Algar</a>
<br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E9EP0BM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00E9EP0BM&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Comets by Clive Algar</a> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comets by Clive Algar</td></tr>
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<b>Comets by Clive Algar</b><br />
<br />
<i>Set in the rich and
fascinating milieu of Cape Town in the 1830s, with its shifting patterns
of social awareness and the growth of scientific knowledge, Comets
tells the story of James and Isabelle Forster, whose lives, and those
about them, are changed irrevocably not only by the appearance of a real
comet - Halley's - but by "human comets" including the aristocratic
Michael Percy, the young Charles Darwin and a recently-emancipated slave
couple, Adam and Catharine Cupido. James and Isabelle's comfortable
upper middle-class existence threatens to spin out of control as they
confront moral crises they seem unable to resolve.</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Clive Algar...<br />
<br />
<b>What is it you love most about writing?</b><br />
I love the infinite scope for creating new worlds. As a writer of mainly historical fiction (19th and early 20th century) I enjoy placing fictional characters among real historical characters to create events that could have happened. I love the blank page waiting for me to fill it.<br />
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<b>Where did the inspiration for your first novel, Journeys to the End of the World, come from?</b><br />
Journeys is set in three different eras, but takes place largely during, and just after, World War 1. I have had a fascination with the "Great War" since I was a child, as my late father fought on the Western Front, was mentioned in dispatches, was gassed in the trenches and saw things he could not bear to tell me about. As I heard little about the war from him I read a great deal about it and, when the time came to write my first novel, I was drawn irresistibly to some aspect of the "Great War". The aspect I chose was "shell shock", but I also related it to its unnamed equivalent a century earlier, and to post-traumatic stress disorder a century later.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>If your book Comets were made into a movie and you were asked for input into the sound track, are there any songs that would work especially well for any particular scene?</b><br />
I'm really glad to be asked this question but I'm not going to answer it exactly as asked. For some reason there was a piece of classical music that kept coming into my head while I was writing Comets. It was something I had heard on the car radio - "Canon in D", by Pachelbel - which I found deeply moving, so I played it from time to time after that, sometimes when I was writing, and for me it became the theme music for Comets. The music is a lot older than the 1830s setting of the novel, but it is something that my protagonist Isabelle might well have heard on one of the rare occasions when she could have attended an orchestral performance. And the wistful, bitter-sweet melody of "Canon in D" to my mind mirrors the years of Isabelle's life portrayed in my book.<br />
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<b>If you could invite one character from your novels to a dinner party, who would it be and why?</b><br />
I would like to invite Emma, the main character from Flowers in the Sand. I would make it a small dinner party because I would want to have plenty of opportunity to talk with her - there is so much I want to know about her life after the end of the book. Anyone who has read Flowers in the Sand will know that Emma had a really difficult time in the novel. She longed for children but was unable to have any of her own; her husband died in an accident and she was left to fend for herself in a desolate mining town with war closing in; she had to make extremely difficult moral choices. Eventually she saw a chance for happiness - and that is where I left her at the end of the book! There is a hint, in an epilogue which takes the form of a letter ten years later, but I would love to know what happened during those missing years. I am fond of Emma, I'm sorry I made her life so difficult, and I hope I would feel better about her if she came to dinner and we could talk about it.<br />
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<b>How do you see the publishing industry changing during the next few years?</b><br />
I don't know a great deal about the publishing industry, but the trend away from printed books towards eBooks is so obvious now that it seems undeniable. I am ambivalent about eBooks - I love the feel of a well-bound book in my hands, and even its smell. And I would rather walk in the mountains with a real book in my rucksack, and sit leaning against a rock reading it, than carry my iPad with me for that purpose. On the other hand, on long-haul flights my iPad would come into its own, with twenty books loaded, taking up hardly any space in my luggage. As an author, eBooks are creating new opportunities for me, so I embrace the future while lovingly running my hands over the spines of the "real" books in my home library.<br />
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<b>What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
Reviews of my first novel, Journeys, gave me a lot of pleasure, largely because this was the first time anyone had publicly said anything about my writing. Some of the reviewers said things that I wouldn't have thought of saying, and others said things I had hoped someone would say.<br />
Here are extracts from my five favourite reviews of Journeys - they were mainly written by professional book critics and published in the books pages of newspapers:<br />
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"Spell-binding ... A riveting read ... serious and austere ... an honest, authentic novel."<i> - Phil Murray, The Cape Times.</i><br />
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"A haunting work that traces the patterns of violence, survival and the often guilty-feeling process of healing. The characters ... are drawn with a delicate and subtle hand ... This lovely book is engrossing and will leave the reader thinking." <i>- Amanda Yesilbas, Historical Novels Review Online.</i><br />
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"Algar examines the effects of violence on individuals, both victims and perpetrators ... [his] purpose is to look at issues of forgiveness and atonement ... a thoughtful novel that brings together strands of our social matrix and carries it in a good story." <i>- Jane Rosenthal, Mail & Guardian.</i><br />
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"Clive Algar writes well ... Although technically a historical novel, the book's themes and preoccupations reach beyond the period piece."<i> - Anthony Stidolph, The Witness.</i><br />
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"Ambitious and well-researched, containing a wealth of fascinating material ... there is much here of real value." <i>- Michiel Heyns, novelist and award-winning literary critic.</i><br />
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<b>What other book would you regard it the biggest compliment to have your own work compared to, and why?</b><br />
Given this opportunity, I might as well aim high! My favourite novel is "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak, so if anyone said my work reminded them of that, I would die happy. "Doctor Zhivago" is a great novel because it captures the spirit of an era so beautifully and so profoundly, while remaining an easy book to read. When I read it I hear great chords of music in my head.<br />
<br />
I have similar feelings about "The Leopard" by Giuseppe de Lampedusa, but I don't want to seem greedy.<br />
<br />
I am not seriously suggesting that anyone would compare my work with either of these sublime novels - I'm just indulging in a bit of fantasy!<br />
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Thanks for your comments, Clive, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clive Algar, author of Comets</td></tr>
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Discover more about Clive Algar and his writing at his website:<br />
<a href="http://www.clivealgar.co.za/" target="_blank">www.clivealgar.co.za</a><br />
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Follow Clive Algar on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clive-Algar/26218488772" target="_blank">Clive Algar</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CliveAlgar" target="_blank">@CliveAlgar</a><br />
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Comets by Clive Algar is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9EP0BM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00E9EP0BM&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Comets by Clive Algar</a>
<br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E9EP0BM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00E9EP0BM&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Comets by Clive Algar</a> <br />
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<br />
Other books by Clive Algar available in paperback from Amazon:<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0620383348/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0620383348&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Journeys to the End of the World</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0620476958/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0620476958&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Flowers in the Sand</a>
<br />
<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0620383348/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0620383348&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Journeys to the End of the World</a>
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<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-57690217999707307672013-10-19T09:22:00.000+01:002013-10-19T17:05:22.725+01:00Andrea R. Cooper, author of Viking FireViking Fire by Andrea R. Cooper is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DV0XJ9U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DV0XJ9U&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Viking Fire (Crimson Romance)</a>
<br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DV0XJ9U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00DV0XJ9U&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Viking Fire (Crimson Romance)</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viking Fire by Andrea R. Cooper</td></tr>
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<b>Viking Fire by Andrea R. Cooper</b><br />
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<i>In 856 CE, Ireland is a land of myth, magic,
and blood. Viking raiders have fought the Irish for over half a century.
Rival Irish clans promise only betrayal and carnage.<br /><br />Kaireen, daughter
of Laird Liannon, is suddenly forced into an arranged marriage with her
sworn enemy, a Viking. She refuses to submit. With no mention of love,
only land and the protection of her clan, she endeavors to get her
betrothed banished from her country. Will love find its way around her
stubborn heart?<br /><br />Bram, the Viking, finds himself without future or
inheritance as a younger son in his family. A marriage to the Laird’s
daughter would grant him land if he swears fidelity and if his men will
fight along with the Liannons against any foe—Irish or Viking. However,
the Laird’s feisty daughter only holds animosity for him and his kind.
Is marriage worth the battle scars of such a relentless opponent?</i><br />
<i>With
the blame for a rival laird’s death treacherously set against the
Liannons, Kaireen and Bram must find a way to lay aside their
differences as an unforeseen darkness sends death snapping at their
heels.</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Andrea R. Cooper...<br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>What is it you love most about writing?</b><br />
I love meeting new characters. I am a pantser, so I discover things while writing at the same time as a character does. I do know the ending-ish, but I allow my characters to develop along with the story. It’s a thrill when a character does something I wasn’t expecting.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>What came first, the idea for your first book or the decision to write a book?</b><br />
The idea. I’ve always had characters and story ideas running through my mind. When I was in Elementary school, kids would come up to me and ask what we were going to play. They wanted to be one of my characters and I set the plots. Of course, when I got older, I no longer had children to play the parts, so I started writing to let loose the stories multiplying inside my head.<br />
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<b>If your book, The Garnet Dagger, was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?</b><br />
Brock: Eduardo Verastegui and Celeste: Elisha Cuthbert. Both are as close as I’ve been able to find of how I picture my characters. Of course, Eduardo would need to stay out of the sun for a few months first. ;)<br />
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<b>Have you ever written a supporting character who took on a life of their own or turned out to be far more popular than expected and if so do you have plans to feature them as the lead character in a story of their own?</b><br />
Yes. Elva from my historical romance, Viking Fire. She was so fun to write and gave me hints along the way as to her true character. I’ve gotten feedback from readers that they absolutely love her. I do plan to write her story, though it would be a sequel to Viking Fire. <br />
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<b>If you worked for a publishing house, what sort of books would you be looking to publish?</b><br />
I would want to publish books that I enjoy reading. Stories filled with plot and logic and throw in a little magic or paranormal, but don’t forget the Happily Ever After or at least Happily For Now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Garnet Dagger by Andrea R. Cooper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
“Elves and witches and magic, oh my! Fans of Tolkien will be smitten with Cooper's debut novel, which lures us in to fantasy worlds filled with an array of color, imagination and thoughtful creativity.” And “The world Cooper builds is impressive and her characters are memorable, reminiscent to me of those found in Tolkien or Martin.”<br />
<br />
The reason I love these reviews is I am in awe that they would compare my fantasy / paranormal to the greats J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. I must confess, I never read either of these authors before writing The Garnet Dagger trilogy. I was not allowed to read books (or watch movies) like theirs – anything with magic, paranormal, or mythical creatures – even Disney - was off limits. However, these are the stories I craved. Since I write stories I would love to read, fantasy is a big part of that. <br />
<br />
<b>Which book more than any other have you read and thought, 'I wish I'd written this book'?</b><br />
The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. <br />
<br />
<b>What would you say is your biggest strength as a writer?</b><br />
Dialogue. I think from ‘acting’ out my stories all those years ago with the kids in my neighborhood helped me make more realistic sounding dialogue. I also have been told I write vivid descriptions that allow the reader to see the story like a movie in their mind without going overboard on the details. <br />
<br />
<b>Is there a TV series or movie which you think would appeal to a similar audience as your book?</b><br />
Yes, for The Garnet Dagger I think fans (like me) of HBO’s Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings would be a similar audience as my book.<br />
<br />
For Viking Fire, my historical romance, I think The History Channel’s Vikings would have a similar audience as my book. Or even the TV show The White Queen.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Thanks for your comments, Andrea, and good luck with your writing.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Excerpt from Viking Fire (condensed):<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: timesnewromanps-italicmt, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ireland 856 CE</span></i></span><br />
“I renounce Father for this.” Kaireen threw the elderberry gown.<br />
<br />
“Shame on you and your children for speaking such.” Her handmaid, Elva, gathered the damask and dusted off the rushes. “It’s a wonder one of the clim has not scolded you from your hearth for such talk.” <br />
<br />
“No, curse Father for a fool.” <br />
<br />
“You know your da arranged a marriage within a season.” Elva smirked.<br />
<br />
Kaireen shook her head. “To another land holder,” and waved a hand in disgust, “not t-this heathen.”<br />
<br />
“You’ve not seen him yet.” Elva wiggled her brows.<br />
<br />
“So?” Kaireen shrugged. “I would like to never see him.” <br />
<br />
“Well then, would you not like to know if you have a handsome husband or not?” She waited for her response, but Kaireen scowled at her. Elva chuckled. “I would rather get a good look at him now than the morning after.”<br />
<br />
Kaireen’s ears heated. “I am not marrying.” She shook her head for emphasis. “So there will be no morning, nor night, nor wedding.”<br />
<br />
“If he is handsome, I may fight you for him.” Elva smiled, deepening the wrinkles around her eyes.<br />
<br />
“Welcome to him either way.” Kaireen laughed.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrea R. Cooper, author of Viking Fire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Discover more about Andrea R. Cooper and her writing at her website:<br />
<a href="http://www.andrearcooper.com/" target="_blank">www.andrearcooper.com</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Follow Andrea R. Cooper on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/AndreaRCooper" target="_blank">@AndreaRCooper</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Andrea R Cooper's books are available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DV0XJ9U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DV0XJ9U&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Viking Fire (Crimson Romance)</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BS9HTBK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BS9HTBK&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Garnet Dagger (Crimson Romance)</a>
<br />
<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DV0XJ9U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00DV0XJ9U&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Viking Fire (Crimson Romance)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BS9HTBK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BS9HTBK&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Garnet Dagger (Crimson Romance)</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
And also from B & N:<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/viking-fire-andrea-r-cooper/1116059076?ean=9781440571237" target="_blank">Viking Fire</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-garnet-dagger-andrea-r-cooper/1115218093?ean=9781440565595" target="_blank">The Garnet Dagger</a><br />
<br />
And iTunes:<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/viking-fire/id672329106?mt=11" target="_blank">Viking Fire</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-garnet-dagger/id618121663?mt=11" target="_blank">The Garnet Dagger</a>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-39327333636400780832013-10-12T09:19:00.000+01:002013-10-12T09:19:00.083+01:00Peter G. Pollak, author of Last Stop on Desolation RidgeLast Stop on Desolation Ridge by Peter G. Pollak is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6JG2P6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B6JG2P6&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Last Stop on Desolation Ridge</a><br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B6JG2P6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00B6JG2P6&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Last Stop on Desolation Ridge</a>
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Stop On Desolation Ridge by Peter G. Pollak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Last Stop on Desolation Ridge by Peter G. Pollak</b><br />
<br />
<i>Can
you imagine how you'd feel if you woke up with no memory but knowledge
certain that someone wants you dead? That's what Logan Gifford had to
deal with when rescued from a gully on a desolate road in the
Adirondacks in upstate New York. You'll hang on every word as you follow
his attempt to stay alive and recover his past.</i><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Author Quiz interviews Peter G. Pollak...<br />
<br />
<b>Tell us a bit about yourself and your work as an author.</b><br />
After retiring from the company I founded, I decided to try to finish one of the dozen or so novels I'd started, but never gotten very far on. The half dozen people I sent copies to offered encouragement, so I self-published The Expendable Man, a political thriller, which is still my top-selling novel, in 2011. I followed that the next year with Making the Grade, a police procedural featuring a protagonist who has just been named the first female detective on her squad and, early in 2013, with a suspense novel, Last Stop on Desolation Ridge. I'll release another police procedural whose hero is a retired cop this fall, but I'm also working on an heroic fantasy epic which I hope to sell to a publisher when it's completed.<br />
<br />
<b>If you were to write a novel outside your usual genre, which genre would you like to experiment with and why?</b><br />
It seems in the past that writers specialized in one genre or another, but I haven't felt confined to stick to one genre, perhaps because my reading tastes are so eclectic. As a young man, I read a lot of science fiction, and I read classics in literature courses in college and dabbled in mysteries, literary fiction and historical fiction over the years. But I found I really enjoy multi-volume fantasies, such as Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. So, while having written two suspense and two crime novels, I'm putting most of my effort into completing a fantasy series. I hope that will show my best writing and most creative story telling.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Would your book, The Expendable Man, work best as a movie adaptation or as a TV series?</b><br />
Many readers of The Expendable Man have told me it would make a great movie and I agree. The story has several attractive visual memes, including being set for part of the story in Turkmenistan, an exotic virtually unknown land north of Iraq and Iran. My second novel, Making the Grade, might work well as a TV series except that it takes place about 15 years ago when women were just breaking into leading roles in police work. That theme might not have the same appeal today, but I'd let someone more in touch with those things than I make that decision.<br />
<br />
<b>Are any of your characters based on yourself and if so, to what degree, and do you find it easier or more difficult to write characters based on yourself?</b><br />
None of my characters are based on my life for a very good reason. If I were to write about myself I would want to do it in the form of an autobiography so that I could be as factual and as honest as possible. All of my fictional characters, however, represent parts of me since I have created them, given them certain physical characteristics, given them a view of the world and their place in it, given them behavioral and speech patterns, etc. It's my belief that the more I put of myself into my characters, the better my story should be. That's what distinguishes characters that work from those based on stereotypes or someone else's story.<br />
<b><br />What do you think stimulates sales the most; positive reviews or advertising?</b><br />
The short answer to which stimulates sales the most––positive reviews or advertising––is it depends. Certainly positive reviews help for online sales, but not unless you have enough of them to influence those readers who make their buying decision on whether a book has garnered enough reviews for them to take a chance on. Success from advertising is always dependent on where your ad is placed and the message in the ad. I have not used advertising for my books because they are targeted at general readers and I can't afford to advertise on sites like Amazon or Goodreads. In general what has worked best for me has been outreach to people who know me through social media and personal appearances (book store signings and talks).<br />
<br />
<b>How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?</b><br />
Funny you should ask. I've been following a hot debate on this topic on Linked-In that was touched off by a piece by Seth Godin who argues print books are going to continue to lose ground to e-books. I agree with Godin. The cost structure of traditional publishing and bookstores cannot be sustained in their current incarnation. That doesn't mean all bookstores will disappear or publishing houses will cease to exist. It just means e-books read on e-readers will continue to garner a larger portion of the market. For authors that's not necessarily a bad thing in part because you can buy an e-reader for the cost of half a dozen hardcover print books. That means the audience for our books is growing worldwide and we can expect new and exciting channels to enable us to get our books into the hands of those who want them.<br />
<br />
<b>What strategy do you use for getting reviews?</b><br />
I have worked hard to try to get people to review my books in part because I believe most readers will say positive things that may influence other readers. I also want to increase the number of reviews I've earned for each book since I believe that influences sales. That said, I haven't been very successful. In terms of getting Average Mary Reader to write a review, it's hard because she may not feel competent to write a Book Review. The word review implies expertise, the NY Times Book section, etc. In terms of getting people who write a lot of reviews to read my book, the results have also been mixed. I bought a listing of reviewers and contacted a couple dozen asking for reviews without one hit, but through social media, I've had a few successes with people who review for Goodreads and Amazon. I've also tried to convince newspapers where I live to review my books, but they still resist reviewing self-published books. In sum, this is one of the drawbacks to self-publishing. I'm not ready to pay for reviews. So I'll just keep experimenting and hopefully the quality of my books will help me reach my goals.<br />
<br />
<b>Would you rather sell 1,000 books at $10 or 2,000 books at $1? What gives you the greater sense of satisfaction--overall earnings or overalls sales?</b><br />
I'm fortunate in that I don't have to earn a living via my writing. Therefore, my goal is to get my book into as many hands as I can with the belief that people who like one of my books will want to read the others. That doesn't mean, I give my books away for nothing. I believe authors should be paid if they are providing something the reader values. Pricing, of course, is a major issue and it's nice that authors have now been included in the equation. As I use CreateSpace for print, I price those books close to the minimum price CS sets for each book; for e-books, I've concluded that $2.99 is the right price to maximize sales and royalties.<br />
<br />
<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
Too many young writers think they are the next J.K. Rowling or Suzanne Collins when in truth they don't know where their writing stands in relation to other writers. Therefore, it is crucial IMHO that beginning writers share their writing with as many people as possible before they declare a work "finished". I suggest joining a critique group that meets at least monthly, submitting chapters to Scribophile, YouWriteOn or other online critique sites, attending writers conferences, taking classes (online or in person), and/or finding a published writer, lit. professor, retired editor or anyone with some experience and expertise to help them evaluate what they've written. Equally critical is the need to read widely, especially in the genre they are writing in. Finally, I would not put all my eggs in one book. After you're happy with your first effort, start on your next book while you're getting feedback on the first. The more you write, assuming you're paying attention, the better a writer you'll become.<br />
<br />
<b>Why would you recommend The Expendable Man, Making the Grade, and Last Stop on Desolation Ridge to readers?</b><br />
Each of my books has a special sause that readers seem to enjoy. The Expendable Man finds my protagonist in a fight for his life against the power of big government; Shannon Lynch, the lead character in Making the Grade, has to overcome her doubts and those of her colleagues--a situation many of us face in real life, and Last Stop on Desolation Ridge is about a man who though left for dead and who has lost his memory, must find a way to survive when he knows someone is out to kill him. In other words, my novels while plot driven are also character centered. Readers identify with those characters and tell me they can't put the books down. Readers can find all three in paperback and e-book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Apple I-book store and can learn more about me and my writing, as well as sign up for my blog and my e-newsletter at my website @ <a href="http://www.petergpollak.com/" target="_blank">www.petergpollak.com</a>. I'll also accept your invitation to be friends on Linked-In, Goodreads and Facebook as well as follow your twitter feed if you'll follow mine.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Thanks for your comments, Peter, and good luck with your writing.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Here's a scene in chapter one of The Expendable Man:<br />
<br />
Potter was
standing in front of Secretary of State Stone’s desk with her immediate
report, Andy Lomantano. During the meeting that took place before he
escorted Potter to Stone’s office, the most attractive option Lomantano
proposed for her next posting was the U.S. Embassy in Outer Mongolia.
Potter wasn’t sure there was such an embassy.<br />
<br />
“The sale of this
system jeopardizes Defense’s surveillance flights out of Uzbekistan over
Iran and the region’s other West-loving countries,” Stone was saying.
“So my lovelies, the deal must be stopped, cancelled, killed. Capisce?”<br />
<br />
“Understood,” Lomantano said. “But … but, on what grounds?”<br />
<br />
“I
don’t care on what grounds,” Stone replied her voice rising. “Let me be
very clear. You not only need to kill the deal, but you need to do so
in a way that can’t be traced back to the U.S. government or to this
agency. Got it?”<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter G. Pollak pictured in Yellowstone National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Discover more about Peter G. Pollak at his website and blog:<br />
<a href="http://www.petergpollak.com/" target="_blank">Peter G. Pollak</a><br />
<a href="http://www.petergpollak.com/category/blog/" target="_blank">Write or Wrong Blog</a><br />
<br />
Free samples of each book are available on Peter's website and as well on Amazon.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Follow Peter G. Pollak on twitter and facebook:<br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/petergpollak" target="_blank">@petergpollak</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pgpollak" target="_blank">Peter G. Pollak</a><br />
<br />
You can also find each of the facebook pages devoted to Peter's novels by searching on the book titles.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Peter G. Pollak's books are available for Kindle from Amazon.<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6JG2P6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B6JG2P6&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Last Stop on Desolation Ridge</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004TTWCDG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004TTWCDG&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Expendable Man</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZK7O16/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007ZK7O16&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Making the Grade</a>
<br />
<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B6JG2P6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00B6JG2P6&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Last Stop on Desolation Ridge</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004TTWCDG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004TTWCDG&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Expendable Man</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007ZK7O16/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007ZK7O16&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Making the Grade</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
And from Barnes & Noble for Nook owners:<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/expendable-man-peter-pollak/1101224516?ean=9780615434742" target="_blank">The Expendable Man</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/making-the-grade-peter-pollak/1110498610?ean=9780985036607" target="_blank">Making the Grade</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-stop-on-desolation-ridge-peter-pollak/1114234798?ean=9780985036621" target="_blank">Last Stop on Desolation Ridge</a><br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-43358955171146952472013-10-08T20:42:00.000+01:002013-10-08T20:42:00.485+01:00Author Quiz is taking a break...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since I started Author Quiz just over a year ago, the number of visitors to the blog has steadily grown, with the most popular interviews having recieved over 500 page views.<br />
<br />
However, it does require a regular commitment out of my schedule every week to upload and format the interviews and unfortunately very soon I won't be able to guarantee the necessary time, as for the next few months I'll be away backpacking around the world. I've therefore decided that to avoid making commitments I can't keep, Author Quiz will be placed on a break while I'm away.<br />
<br />
Things will keep running for a while yet, however, as any interviews already submitted have been scheduled to be featured over the next few weeks. Also, to be fair to anyone who's working on an interview at the moment, any interviews which are submitted before the end of October will also be featured.<br />
<br />
After that though, as I'll be away travelling I unfortunately won't be able to guarantee the normality to my schedule to work on the blog on a regular basis and therefore the safest decision is to place the blog on hold for a few months until I get back from my travels.<br />
<br />
Finally, massive thanks to all the authors who have sent in interviews over the last twelve months, and also to
all the readers who have visited the blog. Author Quiz has now featured interviews from over fifty authors covering more than fifty different genres, so thanks again to everyone who has contributed interviews over the last year.Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-59526127566454954472013-10-05T09:11:00.000+01:002013-10-05T09:11:00.264+01:00Java Davis, author of Depression CarpenterDepression Carpenter by Java Davis is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Y5NGAI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004Y5NGAI&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Depression Carpenter by Java Davis</a>
<br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004Y5NGAI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004Y5NGAI&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Depression Carpenter by Java Davis</a><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZjLJoAY1Bjievq3hEJlEbsUHnqhZETCj4EgYzpxjO4zpINMJ8dw9n6Geb362M3nBj1_DAYaqkZfdx2trDIsbA-kqM5lmpN-_r2I-QxzArNKIQ24CQIJ32fp8xLBOVvENgZQU2oz1_LM9/s1600/Depression+Carpenter+by+Java+Davis++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZjLJoAY1Bjievq3hEJlEbsUHnqhZETCj4EgYzpxjO4zpINMJ8dw9n6Geb362M3nBj1_DAYaqkZfdx2trDIsbA-kqM5lmpN-_r2I-QxzArNKIQ24CQIJ32fp8xLBOVvENgZQU2oz1_LM9/s400/Depression+Carpenter+by+Java+Davis++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Depression Carpenter by Java Davis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Depression Carpenter by Java Davis</b><br />
<br />
<i>Jackson Ferry is born into a
privileged New York family, losing them in a car accident at the start
of The Great Depression. Young and wealthy, he needs to justify his good
fortune that contrasts so starkly from most of America. Skilled in
carpentry, he drives to the Gulf of Mexico, working on building projects
all around the gulf with Chin, his peculiar friend and partner from
Florida. Where Chin is happy-go-lucky, Jake is thoughtful, always
searching for more, using carpentry to strengthen his self-esteem. But
together, they are a powerful team.<br /><br />In Alabama, after camping in a
local cemetery, they find themselves among some fresh recruits for FDR’s
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Further up the road, the pair is
adopted by a Negro community, giving Jake his first real lessons in race
relations. Jake veers off to Baton Rouge and reminds himself what it’s
like to be wealthy. But he leaves Louisiana after ten weeks to
continue his Gulf coast journey.<br /><br />When Jake lands in Galveston, Texas,
he stays for several years to help rebuild the island as it recovers
from massive floods, sponsoring an inter-racial school for the island's
orphans.<br /><br />Ultimately, Jake learns to accept himself and makes peace with his circumstances.</i><br />
<i><br />This
book took nine months to write. The research to learn about the Gulf
coast states during The Great Depression was fascinating, especially the
horrendous history of Galveston, Texas. The years of The Great
Depression and the Dust Bowl continue to interest me, and I would love
to write more historical fiction about this era. I’m also a classic car
enthusiast and researched an appropriate station wagon for the trip, a
Ford “Woodie,” a photo of which is on the book’s cover.</i><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Author Quiz interviews Java Davis...<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Do you ever feel yourself becoming quite emotional when writing a particularly intense scene and is there a specific passage in particular where this was the case?</b><br />
This is a strange question, but yes. In my book, Depression Carpenter, I always cry when I reread Chapter 4, or listen to it from the audiobook version. Never fails. The main character and his road trip sidekick drive by a church on a Sunday in Alabama, and the music draws them in. The sermon seems to be speaking directly to Jake, the carpenter. He confronts himself and realizes he has to find what’s missing in his life. <br />
<b><br />If you were to write a novel outside your usual genre, which genre would you like to experiment with and why?</b><br />
I would love someday to write an expose (ex-po-SAY – can’t get an accented e to show up here) of an industry, like Michael Lewis’s Liar’s Poker, which detailed the real story of a brokerage house and how unaware investors can be about wild or shady business practices. Still one of my favorite books.<br />
<br />
<b>What would you say is your biggest strength as a writer?</b><br />
My biggest strength is my directness. I say what I say, and I don’t try to embellish for the sake of using more words, or try reworking hackneyed cliches. I like to think that my style is softened by humor.<br />
<br />
<b>Would your book, Depression Carpenter, work best as a movie adaptation or as a TV series?</b><br />
When I wrote it, I could see the movie happening at the same time. Since it’s the story of a road trip with episodes along the way, there is a flow to it that could be captured on film, but would be too choppy as a TV series. Also, the Gulf Coast scenery would be so beautiful on the wide screen. I gave it to a screenwriter that I know, just for her opinion, not to try and get her to shop it out. She agreed with me that it’s a movie in book form.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Mljd2sikr5gUD8GpPdElJvTKXM_3btw0VrqHFa_t5rLEESmxxHAZYPEA_6OjL_CbBdgno4A4bi9E_SYKT0p11cfkQbVEIi0mQd5CIbLuZmFPh2NLVU_Djd2wA1i0ewfcrJRGa0EdFa6A/s1600/Cowgirl+by+Java+Davis++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Mljd2sikr5gUD8GpPdElJvTKXM_3btw0VrqHFa_t5rLEESmxxHAZYPEA_6OjL_CbBdgno4A4bi9E_SYKT0p11cfkQbVEIi0mQd5CIbLuZmFPh2NLVU_Djd2wA1i0ewfcrJRGa0EdFa6A/s320/Cowgirl+by+Java+Davis++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cowgirl by Java Davis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>If you could invite one character from your novels to a dinner party who would it be and why?</b><br />
Without a doubt it would be Risa, the heroine from my book Cowgirl. She would be able to tell amazing stories about breaking horses for a living, and going bear hunting. She was also a savvy businesswoman, and she might give me some good investment tips.<br />
<br />
<b>Are there any good book blogs or websites you would recommend, both for discovering new books and authors, and also for promoting your own work?</b><br />
My favorite site is <a href="http://awesomegang.com/" target="_blank">awesomegang.com</a>. It’s a great author and book site, and they have a presence on Twitter, too. Twitter is the best promotional vehicle that I’ve found to date.<br />
<br />
<b>How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?</b><br />
One of my titles is On Becoming a Dinosaur, a short memoir of my years as a typesetter. Over the years, I’ve seen huge upheavals in the publishing industries, both book and periodicals. Even packaging. I think everyone can see the trajectory of everything becoming more and more digitized. The people I know who want to hold “real” books are basically snobs. Sorry to all the snobs out there!<br />
<br />
<b>Do you have a favourite review or has anyone expressed a particularly nice compliment about your writing which stands out as your most memorable piece of praise?</b><br />
Someone compared my book Depression Carpenter to John Steinbeck and Pat Conroy. That is beyond doubt the best compliment I’ve received to date! I thanked her profusely!<br />
<br />
<b>What is your opinion on Amazon's KDP program? Have the free book promotions helped overall sales?</b><br />
When I first decided to self-publish, I used the site free-ebooks.net. Thousands of copies went out for free. When I eventually seriously self-published on Amazon.com and used the KDP program, I tried the free book promotions. In a word: Phooey. I’ve given more copies away that will never translate into sales. There are 6,000 copies of my books floating around out there that no one has paid for. I’m determined that I won’t use the free book promos anymore, but will do 99 cent sales, which worked well when I tried that.<br />
<b><br />Which book more than any other have you read and thought, 'I wish I'd written this book'?</b><br />
I wish I had enough poetry in my soul to write something close to the brilliant Cirkus, by Patti Frazee. I can’t recommend it highly enough.<br />
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. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Thanks for your comments, Java, and good luck with your writing.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
A brief sample of Java Davis' writing:<br />
<br />
A story that I’m very proud of is my typesetting memoir, On Becoming a Dinosaur, which chronicles my years of “feast” as a well-paid, self-employed sub-contractor, and “famine” when typesetting as a profession was overtaken by desktop publishing. Here is the opening:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB91Uau-1o9JmKCb91IHPxzZCt3gPnFdREow4puXJOCaKZFUh3a8zWqrOCCG-4WklfpCDk_Kn4US7Z0RQ6XXDSw_fQLa8cxlgAQGTZRMKmhScToxpHZDFF97hilPlFKDbY4pB3TPJ7G0Fr/s1600/On+Becoming+A+Dinosaur+by+Java+Davis++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB91Uau-1o9JmKCb91IHPxzZCt3gPnFdREow4puXJOCaKZFUh3a8zWqrOCCG-4WklfpCDk_Kn4US7Z0RQ6XXDSw_fQLa8cxlgAQGTZRMKmhScToxpHZDFF97hilPlFKDbY4pB3TPJ7G0Fr/s320/On+Becoming+A+Dinosaur+by+Java+Davis++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Becoming A Dinosaur by Java Davis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the 1970s, when I graduated from both high school and college, my future loomed before me. I was destined for the pink collar jungle. Feminists were telling us that we could do anything, we could achieve everything, but real life still wasn’t like that. Best to learn to type.<br />
<br />
With a part-time job history of clerical and library jobs, it was obvious that those were the only jobs I was qualified to do, and indeed, those were the jobs I got. Fresh out of college, and already my future was decided; I would never rise above office work.<br />
<br />
And then, several years down the road, a miracle happened. I was fired. I had taken over the job from a man. I was doing everything the man had done, but I was fired for overstepping my authority. I was choked with outrage until it finally dawned on me. I would collect unemployment checks for months. I sat down and examined my options. I’m not sure when the idea came to me, but the course of my life altered. I went to several type houses and asked to work for free in exchange for learning to be a typesetter.<br />
<br />
Two type houses bit, and I worked for weeks learning the basic and the finer points of setting type. I was learning a typesetting specialty: photocomposition. This was typesetting that was done on special typesetting computers which produced type on black and white photo paper. I would then develop the photo paper the same way that black and white photos were produced, only the product was type instead of photos. I was a natural photocompositor, a prodigy. Soon, one of the two jobs began to pay me. I left the other and looked for more free-lance work, finding it easily. I’d gone from cheesy pink collar paychecks to a journeyman’s blue collar pay. Within a year, I was working two to four jobs at a time, earning top dollars. $10-$12 an hour for a woman back then could raise eyebrows.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Check out Java Davis' website:<br />
<a href="http://dooid.me/javadavis" target="_blank">Java Davis, Independent Author</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Follow Java Davis on twitter:<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/javadavis" target="_blank">@javadavis</a><br />
<br />
Java Davis doesn't have a fan page on facebook, but is on facebook as a 'person'. Come say Hello!<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/java.davis" target="_blank">Java Davis</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE8XglXTqodGOe7z4eWXWrxtKjEW3v_kGjTrdnxIk3dHeMkhM8O0jhWGICx0t_zjiN_xK60maC_0RqoQvAil8KXGbvgOgVsfJCJT_M3hzWAn85ENRyv2OdjRR1E7mj_kuz0wzhwoG2hHP/s1600/Improving+the+world+one+book+at+a+time+-+Java+Davis++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE8XglXTqodGOe7z4eWXWrxtKjEW3v_kGjTrdnxIk3dHeMkhM8O0jhWGICx0t_zjiN_xK60maC_0RqoQvAil8KXGbvgOgVsfJCJT_M3hzWAn85ENRyv2OdjRR1E7mj_kuz0wzhwoG2hHP/s200/Improving+the+world+one+book+at+a+time+-+Java+Davis++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
Java Davis' books are available for Kindle from Amazon.<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Y5NGAI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004Y5NGAI&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Depression Carpenter</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Y5M8R0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004Y5M8R0&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Cowgirl</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=charlefudgem-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004Y5M8R0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Q1UAQ0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007Q1UAQ0&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">On Becoming a Dinosaur</a>
<br />
<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004Y5NGAI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004Y5NGAI&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Depression Carpenter</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004Y5M8R0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004Y5M8R0&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21">Cowgirl</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007Q1UAQ0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007Q1UAQ0&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">On Becoming a Dinosaur</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Java Davis' books are also available in audio format from Audible.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.audible.com/search/ref=search_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Java+Davis&x=-1126&y=-41" target="_blank">Java Davis' books on Audible.com</a><br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-78344963148370864322013-09-21T09:16:00.000+01:002013-09-21T13:11:45.519+01:00C. L. Swinney, author of Gray GhostGray Ghost by C.L. Swinney is avalable for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1610091078/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1610091078&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Gray Ghost by C. L. Swinney</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EBGXWA4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00EBGXWA4&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Gray Ghost by C. L. Swinney</a>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray Ghost by C. L. Swinney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Gray Ghost by C.L. Swinney</b><br />
<br />
<i>While on a fly fishing vacation to Andros Island in the Bahamas,
narcotics detectives Dix and Peterson discover their fishing guides were
killed when a sudden blast of gunfire fractured their speedboat, Gray
Ghost. Local gossip has it that Gray Ghost went to the ocean floor with a
hundred million dollars worth of cocaine in the hull. Dix and Peterson
are drawn into helping their island friends, and chase down leads in
Miami as well as the Bahamas until they identify the diabolical plot of
the man known only as The Caller…things get much more interesting then.</i><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Author Quiz interviews C. L. Swinney...<br />
<br />
<b>What is it you love most about writing?</b><br />
I truly love telling stories that captivate the audience and get them to think. My love for writing enables me to educate and entertain people about the mysterious world of narcotics.<br />
<br />
<b>What came first, the idea for your first book or the decision to write a book?</b><br />
The idea for Gray Ghost came fourteen years prior to me actually thinking I could write it and get it published by a traditional pub. Took quite awhile to find my niche and feel confident.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>If you could choose someone famous to record your book in audiobook format, who would you choose as the voice and why?</b><br />
Sean Connery without a doubt. Such a distinguishable voice and a man of great knowledge and charisma. He’d play an excellent lead detective Bill Dix in a movie about Gray Ghost.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Are any of your characters based on yourself and if so to what degree, and do you find it easier or more difficult to write characters based on yourself?</b><br />
The bad guy in my first novel is known as The Caller. He’s diabolical and manipulative. He considers himself brilliant and enjoys toying with people, including the two detectives in Gray Ghost. The Caller is a lot like me.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you have any useful marketing tips for other authors?</b><br />
DO NOT GIVE your books away. The average author will not sell more than two hundred copies of their book. Time and time again I hear authors complaining that they gave away 50,000 copies of their book, but only sold one or two copies. Write well enough to sell books.<br />
<br />
<b>If you worked for a publishing house, what sort of books would you be looking to publish?</b><br />
I’d look for romance novels. They are the best selling books, and the point of a publisher is to make money. I’d like to see suspense blended with romance, which is what I’m planning to do with the second book in my series. I’m hoping it works!<br />
<br />
<b>What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
“This fast paced thriller-mystery by homicide and narcotics investigator, Chris Swinney, hooks the reader on page one (sort of like a bass) and keeps that reader on the line till the very last page.”<br />
<br />
“Gray Ghost kept me reading till late in the night to see if Dix can save the day.”<br />
<br />
"When two Miami narcotic officers take a fishing trip to the Bahamas, they can't leave the drug world behind...Deftly told by the author, detective and avid fly fisher Chris Swinney, this book will hook any reader of mystery fiction." —Sunny Frazier, author of the Christy Bristol Astrology Mysteries<br />
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<br />
Thanks for your comments, C. L., and good luck with your writing.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Discover more about C. L. Swinney and his writing at his blog:<br />
<a href="http://clswinney.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">clswinney.wordpress.com</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Follow C. L. Swinney on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clswinney" target="_blank">C. L. Swinney</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CLSWINNEY" target="_blank">@CLSwinney</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Gray Ghost by C.L. Swinney is avalable for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1610091078/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1610091078&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Gray Ghost by C. L. Swinney</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EBGXWA4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00EBGXWA4&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Gray Ghost by C. L. Swinney</a>
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<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-51884272398016263062013-09-14T09:13:00.000+01:002013-09-14T09:13:00.418+01:00Rachel Amphlett, author of Under FireUnder Fire by Rachel Amphlett is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EC7341Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EC7341Y&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Under Fire</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EC7341Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00EC7341Y&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Under Fire</a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under Fire by Rachel Amphlett</td></tr>
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<b>Under Fire by Rachel Amphlett</b><br />
<i><br />An explosion rocks a Qatari natural gas facility… a luxury cruise liner capsizes in the Mediterranean… and someone has stolen a submarine… <br /><br />Are the events connected?<br /><br />Dan Taylor doesn’t believe in coincidences – all he has to do is convince his superiors they are next in the terrorists’ line of fire.<br /><br />As Britain enters its worst winter on record, Dan must elude capture to ensure the country’s energy resources are protected. At all costs.<br /><br />In an action-packed adventure, from the Middle East through the Mediterranean to London, Dan and his team are on a quest which will test every choice he makes. Assisted by the exotic Antonia Almasi, Dan realises he faces an adversary far greater than he ever imagined.<br /><br />And not everyone is going to survive.</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Rachel Amphlett...<br />
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<b>If you had to sum up your book, Under Fire, in three words, what would they be?</b><br />
High octane action <br />
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<b>What is it about your usual genre that appeals to you most as a writer?</b><br />
I read thrillers, therefore I write ‘em! Seriously, if I didn’t enjoy what I was writing, what would be the point?<br />
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I really like getting my protagonist into trouble and then letting his character work out a way to get away or get ahead of the bad guys. Readers have described my books as being like action movies – that’s great! If the scenes are enabling a reader to visualise what’s going on easily, then I’m happy!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Would your book, Under Fire, work best as a movie adaptation or as a TV series?</b><br />
Television shows are stealing a lot of the limelight from movies these days – just look at series such as 24, Lost, or what Cinemax have done with Chris Ryan’s Strike Back. In some cases, the financial budgets of television series are the same as that of blockbuster movies, and they give lesser known actors the chance to shine. Personally though, I’d be happy with either!<br />
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<b>Have you ever written a supporting character who took on a life of their own or turned out to be far more popular than expected and if so do you have plans to feature them as the lead character in a story of their own?</b><br />
Quite possibly. There’s a character at the beginning of my new thriller, Under Fire, who might end up with his own story somewhere down the track. He intrigues me – I want to know more about how he ended up where he is and what he does next... watch this space folks!<br />
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<b>What do you think stimulates sales the most; positive reviews or advertising?</b>Reviews. Plus I get the added advantage of a warm fuzzy feeling with good reviews!<br />
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<b>How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?</b><br />
I think it’s interesting that there’s been a handful of authors who started out as indies and are now considered “hybrids” in that they’ve been signed to major publishing houses for the paperback version of their work but have managed to negotiate the retention of eBook sales for themselves – that’s a really clever spin on being solely independent or not. <br />
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I think that we’re going to see more of this happening – as it is, traditionally published authors now have to do as much self-promotion as indie authors and it seems to be a good compromise with the outcome of keeping the industry alive and kicking.<br />
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<b>What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
It’s always humbling when I receive reviews from peers, because they know what I’ve been through to get to the point of publishing my hard work. My two favourites are these:-<br />
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From Clive Eaton, author of The Pyramid Legacy: “If you are looking for an action packed thriller with a strong plot then this book delivers both in spadefuls.”<br />
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From Liam Saville, author of Predator Strike: “A slick environmental thriller that ticks all the boxes.”<br />
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I’ve known Clive for a few years since we both starting developing our debuts, and it was fantastic to get that reaction from him for White Gold. Liam’s review was the icing on the cake – he’s ex-Australian Army so it meant a lot to me that someone from the military enjoyed my take on that style of thriller.<br />
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<b>Would you rather have great reviews but average sales or great sales but average reviews?</b><br />
Great reviews and average sales. Seriously – I’d rather be discovered slowly by readers because they enjoy my work so much that they post a review. It’s a real pat on the back to get a great review and I’m sure I’m not the only author that scrolls through them on days when I’m struggling with my writing!<br />
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<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
First and foremost – pay to get a professional edit. In fact, think of it as an investment. When your book is released with heaps of spelling and grammatical errors, you can kiss your reputation goodbye. It doesn’t matter how good you are at marketing if the product doesn’t live up to the hype.<br />
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Secondly – get a professional book cover designed. Hunt around and work with people until you find the cover designer who gets what you’re imagining in your head. Send them links to book covers by authors you like, or from the same genre as your work. Don’t expect your cover designer to be psychic – give them as much information as possible and you won’t be disappointed.<br />
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Third – be nice. Support other authors. Say thank you publicly to people who help you. Promote their work. Act professionally at all times.<br />
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<b>Can you list a few other books which you feel would appeal to a similar audience as your own books? </b><br />
If, as a reader, you enjoy Lee Child, James Rollins, Stephen Leather, Chris Ryan or Andy McNab, then Under Fire and my previous thriller White Gold will be right up your alley!<br />
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Thanks for your comments, Rachel, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rachel Amphlett, author of Under Fire</td></tr>
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Discover more about Rachel Amphlett and her writing at her website and blog:<br />
<a href="http://www.rachelamphlett.com/index.html" target="_blank">Rachel Amphlett's website</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rachelamphlett.com/blog.html" target="_blank">Rachel Amphlett's blog</a><br />
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Follow Rachel Amphlett on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Amphlett-author/365916040146831" target="_blank">Rachel Amphlett</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/RachelAmphlett" target="_blank">@RachelAmphlett</a><br />
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Under Fire by Rachel Amphlett is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EC7341Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EC7341Y&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Under Fire</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EC7341Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00EC7341Y&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Under Fire</a>
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Under Fire is also available in paperback:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0992268508/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0992268508&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Under Fire</a>
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UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0992268508/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0992268508&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Under Fire</a>
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And from the following online book sellers:<br />
<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Under-Fire-Rachel-Amphlett/9780992268503" target="_blank">Book Depository </a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/under-fire-rachel-amphlett/1116277394?ean=9780992268503" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-33969533427962464152013-08-31T09:00:00.000+01:002013-08-31T09:12:58.447+01:00Jacqueline Brockert, author of The Perils of Ophelia JonesThe Perils of Ophelia Jones by Jacqueline Brockert is avaliable for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DU1NDRI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DU1NDRI&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Perils of Ophelia Jones</a>
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UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DU1NDRI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00DU1NDRI&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Perils of Ophelia Jones</a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Perils of Ophelia Jones by Jacqueline Brockert</td></tr>
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<b>The Perils of Ophelia Jones by Jacqueline Brockert</b><br />
<i><br />From the waters of the Mississippi churns a tale of a woman born in a river town. By chance, she is soon to be entwined in a group of people being led by destiny. The second book of the Karma Corn series lures you back to a bridge that spans a great river. Two cars driving slowly towards a beginning neither of them is aware of. This instant in time will change hearts and lives.<br /><br />Karma Corn started with a small seed of ultimate coincidences. Now the journey speeds ahead with a colorful new character that unwittingly was there from the very beginning. As you turn the pages of the book your heart will warm as you meet Ophelia. From the colorful town of Hannibal, Missouri to places unknown, you begin both the perils and the adventure.</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Jacqueline Brockert...<br />
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<b>What is it you love most about writing?</b><br />
It is the ability to take a reader and myself to places in your heart and soul that move you. The emotion you can get writing, and when a reader connects with the same feeling..<br />
The best is the accomplishment of being creative. The worst is waiting for a person to tell you about your work.<br />
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<b>Are there any parts of being an author that you dislike?</b><br />
I hate the editing- despise it!<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Is there anything about you or your writing that makes you unique from other authors?</b><br />
People say that my books remind them of movies, so I must be painting a clear picture.<br />
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<b>Tell us a bit about yourself and your work as an author.</b><br />
I started writing as early as five. Books on notebook paper and glued together. I have wanted to write my entire life, and I always wanted to write books. I remember my intake of breath the first time I walked in a library and realized I could have a book in a place like this. I have always written but the journey to be a published author took fifty years.<br />
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<b>If you had to sum up your book, The Perils of Ophelia Jones, in three words, what would they be?</b><br />
The Perils of Ophelia Jones- heartwarming, quirky, compelling<br />
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<b>What are you working on now and what projects and ideas do you have lined up next?</b><br />
The fourth book in the series is in the blueprint stage, and I am thinking more than writing right now. I have a fifth book that is not in the series, and I write on it but am not ready to publish it.<br />
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<b>Do you ever feel yourself becoming quite emotional when writing a particularly intense scene and is there a specific passage, in particular, where this was the case?</b><br />
Yes, in the Perils of Ophelia Jones, she is visiting Mark Twain Cave where she came with her father. There is a moment where the lights are turned off and the character experiences true darkness for as this is the first visit since her father passed away. To create this scene, I toured the cave and stood by myself and imagined how deep loneliness can affect you. It was quite moving feeling it and writing it. <br />
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<b>Where did the inspiration for The Perils of Ophelia Jones come from?</b><br />
This is a character that you never meet in the first novel Karma Corn but plays a unique part in the destiny of all in the first book.<br />
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<b>Why do you enjoy writing in your usual genre?</b><br />
I enjoy writing romance as it is the subject that I most like to read about. I spent all my teenage years reading romance and yearned to write them myself.<br />
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<b>If you were to write a novel outside your usual genre, which genre would you like to experiment with and why?</b><br />
I am going to start a mystery novel. I am intrigued by this genre, and although I have touched on it in both books, I have never written a full mystery.<br />
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<b>When you first get the idea for a new story, do you find that the finished product tends to differ quite significantly from your original idea, or does the original idea remain more or less intact?</b><br />
Once I begin writing the book it often takes on different characters and tracts then I first anticipated. In Karma Corn, I was driving one day and saw a painter painting on a hill. This image struck me so profoundly that he became part of the book. In the Perils of Ophelia Jones, it was unique as the main character and how she developed to me brought in characters as I wrote, and I had not dreamed that the book would move along the way that it did.<br />
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<b>What came first, the idea for your first book or the decision to write a book?</b><br />
The idea.<br />
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<b>Would you expect yourself to be most creative as a writer shut off on a desert island or immersing yourself in a busy social life?</b><br />
Absolutely, a desert island!! If I could escape the way that life has a habit of always charging in I would be a writing fool. I love the time and the ability to write.<br />
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<b>Have you ever had an idea which was inspired by a real life incident, but which you ultimately decided not to include in your story because readers would think it was too far fetched? </b><br />
No, in fact in The Perils of Ophelia Jones I have included several embarassing real stories of people around me. <br />
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<b>If your book, The Perils of Ophelia Jones, was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?</b><br />
Zooey Deschanel. She has the quirkiness, the comedic timing and vulnerble like abilty to add the complete depth of Ophelia Jones.<br />
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<b>If you were to write a story featuring a fictional character from another author’s novel, who would you choose and why?</b><br />
This novel goes way back, but it would have to be Scarlett Ohara from Gone with the Wind. I would love to be inside that character's head as she schemes and plots her next romance.<br />
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<b>If you were to write a story featuring a fictional character from any movie of your choice, who would you choose and why?</b><br />
A long-standing favorite of mine is Francessca form the movie Bridges of Madison County. I would write the story after Robert Kincaid left and how she tries to look him up in a phone book. Or she almost calls him. I think I would like to explore the constant aching heart and how she adapts to everyday life.<br />
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<b>If you were to write a fictional story based on a real-life celebrity, who would you feature and why? </b><br />
It would be George W. Bush. The reason is I would make a book as him going back to the ranch as a semi failed president and his private life possibly fighting his failures and old addictions.<br />
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<b>Would your book, Karma Corn, work best as a movie adaptation or as a TV series?</b><br />
As it is part of a series now I think it would make a great TV mini series.<br />
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<b>If your book, Karma Corn, was made into a movie and you were asked for input into the soundtrack, are there any songs that would work especially well for any particular scenes?</b><br />
Michael Buble- I just hadn't met you yet. In the opening scene of the movie. Any Nora Jones song- she was the inspiration as I wrote in the car scene coming home from St Louis.<br />
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<b>Is there a particular scene from your books which would translate well to canvas and provide a powerful inspiration for a dramatic or emotional piece of artwork? </b><br />
In both Karma Corn and Ophelia Jones, there is a missing painting that they are searching for. The painting that they are searching for would be powerful inspiration. It is that image of the painting that will be the cover of the fourth book.<br />
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<b>If you could choose someone famous to record your book in audio book format, who would you choose as the voice and why?</b><br />
Bette Midler for The Perils of Ophelia Jones as I think she would provide the humor that I think the book has.<br />
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<b>Are any of your characters based on yourself and if so to what degree, and do you find it easier or more difficult to write characters based on yourself? </b><br />
None of the characters are ever based on me. However, after I write them, I realize that each main character has some reflection of my personality.<br />
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<b>Have you ever written a supporting character who took on a life of their own or turned out to be far more popular than expected and if so do you have plans to feature them as the lead character in a story of their own?</b><br />
Actually, Paul DeFranklin who emerged in Karma Corn will now have a very reoccurring role in all the books. His character has become much more important than it was originally intended.<br />
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<b>What do you think stimulates sales the most; positive reviews or advertising?</b><br />
Advertising! I think people read reviews but it is the visual cover that relates to people.<br />
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<b>When deciding on your book title what influences you most; potential sales or artistic integrity?</b><br />
I would not change a title of the book once it is named. The name comes to me quickly, and it stays as it helps me develop the book. I would always stay with my artist integrity.<br />
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<b>Are there any good book blogs or websites you would recommend, both for discovering new books and authors, and also for promoting your own work?</b><br />
Kindle Promoter, Indie Authors, Slyv Jenkins blog.<br />
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<b>Have you ever used online advertising to promote your books and if so which sites would you recommend as having produced the best results and where have your ads produced less than hoped for results? </b><br />
Book tweeting service Jeremy Robinson- has been very helpful.<br />
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<b>Do you have any useful marketing tips for other authors?</b><br />
Hoot Suite is very helpful in a marketing campaign. It allows you to schedule your tweets when promoting a new book. Also you can start a blog with no expanse using google plus. It is important to constantly grow your social media accounts and connect with as many people that will retweet you.<br />
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<b>If you could go back to the moment when you completed your first book and were at the stage where you were ready to release it to the world, is there anything you would do differently this time with regard to promotion?</b><br />
Slow it down. Take the time to edit that I do now with my editor. Be patient! Never ever rush anything as it is a costly mistake!<br />
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<b>How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?</b><br />
Indie readers have changed the face of publishing and I think that we will continue to see the market reward and follow indie authors.<br />
<b><br />What changes would you like to see take place in the publishing industry over the next few years?</b><br />
Make the job of being a little fish swimming in a big pond a little easier.<br />
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<b>Do you foresee more and more authors making a living from their writing?</b><br />
Yes with social media you can now have international sales where in the past you could never accomplish that on your own.<br />
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<b>What advice would you give to publishing houses with regard to how to go forward and adapt to the industry over the next few years?</b><br />
There will be a lot of linking together with kindle as the audio books and digital will be the way that the future is trending. I still want the books and the book stores so I hope we get a retro push that makes going to book stores cool again.<br />
<b><br />If you worked for a publishing house, what sort of books would you be looking to publish?</b><br />
Everybody is into reality television. I think that people are trying to connect more and more with real people. I would look for books that help us do that. We all want to be more connected or facebook and twitter would not be so popular.<br />
<b><br />What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
"A book that I want to dive into over the weekend!"<br />
"If you like to be caught up in a book that touches you soul in many ways then you can't go wrong with Karma Corn!"<br />
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<b>Are there any book blogs or websites which you would recommend for an author looking to find potential reviewers for their book?</b><br />
Hot new E books.<br />
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<b>What strategy do you use for getting reviews? </b><br />
Ask everyone I see and also hoot suite on twitter asking for reveiws. Reveiws are tough as I have so many that say they love the book but getting them to write is a whole other story.<br />
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<b>Do you have a favourite review or has anyone expressed a particularly nice compliment about your writing which stands out as your most memorable piece of praise?</b><br />
I met a woman at my book signing that she told me how much my work touched her. She admitted by meeting me and reading the book the positve message was helping her with the death of her son.<br />
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<b>Would you rather have great reviews but average sales or great sales but average reviews?</b><br />
Great reviews and average sales. My writing is the pure joy of it and how I touch people. Making money is easily in second place.<br />
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<b>Which ebook seller has been your most successful outlet? </b><br />
Kindle.<br />
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<b>Have you tried experimenting with different prices for your books and if so what pricing strategy worked best for you?</b><br />
We have experimented but it does not seem to be pricing. I think it is more important to find ways to find your target audience.<br />
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<b>What is your opinion on Amazon's KDP program? Have the free book promotions helped overall sales?</b><br />
I like the free promotions as in the beginning of becoming a published writer the most important thing is getting your name out there.<br />
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<b>Can you remember the moment when you logged into your author account and discovered you had made your first sale?</b><br />
It is everything when you see the sale. It is the validity of everything that I dreamed of walking in my first library. The next moment that really took me by surprise is when I realized that someone in another country was reading the book. It is a overwhelming moment to realize that you have been translated to another language.<br />
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<b>Would you rather sell 1000 books at $10/£10 each or 2000 books at $1/£1, i.e. what gives you the greater sense of satisfaction; overall earnings or overall sales?</b><br />
Sales!!!!!!!<br />
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<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
I am lucky enough to have a son that is my editor and my muse. Make sure you have someone you trust on the journey it makes it a happier and more fullfilling sense of accomploshment.<br />
<br />
<b>Which book more than any other have you read and thought, 'I wish I'd written this book'?</b><br />
The Bridges of Madison County. I still cry at the movie and the book moves me to tears.<br />
<br />
<b>What other book would you regard it the biggest compliment to have your own work compared to and why?</b><br />
Would still be The Bridges of Madison County. I felt there was such a connection in this book as a romance writer that I can only hope that I help people feel true romance when they read me.<br />
<br />
<b>Why should people buy your books, Karma Corn, Once upon a Cupcake and The Perils of Ophelia Jones?</b><br />
I promise to take you along for a good story and make you smile along the way.<br />
<br />
<b>Who do you see as your target audience?</b><br />
Young women between 20-40.<br />
<br />
<b>Why would you recommend your books, Karma Corn, Once Upon a Cupcake and The Perils of Ophelia to other readers?</b><br />
I can connect with you and have you fell the characters are really people. In Karma Corn and The Perils of Ophelia Jones they both take place in the Midwest and you get to experince some of small town living.<br />
<br />
<b>What would you say is your biggest strength as a writer?</b><br />
I paint a good picture that touches your heart and soul.<br />
<b><br />What target audience would you recommend your book, The Perils of Ophelia Jones, to?</b><br />
I think this book can be targeted to male or female. It is a very good read with some strong powerful messages.<br />
<br />
<b>What sort of audience will your book, Once Upon a Cupcake, most appeal to?</b><br />
Is a quick read very suitable to busy moms or teenage girls. I have been told it is a great over the weekend read. Some readers want a shorter book and that is what this was designed for.<br />
<br />
<b>Of all your books, which would you say was the best starting point for a reader to be introduced to your work?</b><br />
Karma Corn. This is the longest book and the book that will set up the entire series.<br />
<br />
<b>Can you list a few other books which you feel would appeal to a similar audience as your own books?</b><br />
Dorien Kelly, Nora Roberts, and Roxanne St. Claire are a few authors that my readers buy books from. <br />
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<br />
Thanks for your comments, Jacqueline, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH64cCm7K-ym74Wf9eqifMTa1fWcVERlvZx9mSM0kpehA0Wo0RUpehXzx4-uw9j016X_yWfSfPo2Pv4td8wEChlaMLPnEjhC9bH55R0tNS07PaRuXV1ayWQcRRO2cDV3bHPcEpO_dLdRTT/s1600/Jacqueline+Brockert,+author+of+The+Perils+of+Ophelia+Jones++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH64cCm7K-ym74Wf9eqifMTa1fWcVERlvZx9mSM0kpehA0Wo0RUpehXzx4-uw9j016X_yWfSfPo2Pv4td8wEChlaMLPnEjhC9bH55R0tNS07PaRuXV1ayWQcRRO2cDV3bHPcEpO_dLdRTT/s1600/Jacqueline+Brockert,+author+of+The+Perils+of+Ophelia+Jones++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacqueline Brockert, author of Karma Corn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Discover more about Jacqueline Brockert and her books at her blog:<br />
<a href="http://karmacornbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">karmacornbooks.blogspot.com</a><br />
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<br />
Follow Jacqueline Brockert on facebook, twitter and YouTube:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karma-Corn/354981448097" target="_blank">Karma Corn</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/KarmaCornBook" target="_blank">@KarmaCornBook</a><br />
YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7KV9eFy9wHVftkfFCdY4_w" target="_blank">Jackie Brockert</a><br />
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<br />
Jacqueline's books are available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TERGM8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009TERGM8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Karma Corn</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AW1BV1Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AW1BV1Y&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Once Upon a Cupcake</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DU1NDRI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DU1NDRI&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Perils of Ophelia Jones</a>
<br />
<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009TERGM8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B009TERGM8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Karma Corn</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AW1BV1Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00AW1BV1Y&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Once Upon a Cupcake</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DU1NDRI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00DU1NDRI&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Perils of Ophelia Jones</a>
<br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-83886183832456093772013-08-24T09:23:00.000+01:002013-08-24T09:23:00.574+01:00Doug Ward, author of Parasite - The True Story Of The Zombie ApocalypseParasite - The True Story Of The Zombie Apocalypse by Doug Ward is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RY6JWO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008RY6JWO&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Parasite; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008RY6JWO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B008RY6JWO&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Parasite; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse</a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parasite - The True Story Of The Zombie Apocalypse<br />
by Doug Ward</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Parasite - The True Story Of The Zombie Apocalypse by Doug Ward</b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Parasite - The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse" has appeared on
the iTunes Horror genre charts 41 times. It has appeared on charts in
Australia, Canada, and the UK.</i><br />
<i><br />The zombies are rising in the sleepy town of Slippery Rock and it is up
to Henry Cooper to figure out why. But first he needs to save his wife,
Melissa. With the help of his neighbor Dean and some super hero clad
comic book fanboys, he's off to the rescue. Join them as they race
across Northwestern Pennsylvania on a quest which involves everything
from undead to fire trucks. Along the way you will discover the hard
science behind how the dead truly rose from the grave.</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Doug Ward...<br />
<br />
<b>What is it you love most about writing?</b><br />
I love that I can do it anywhere. I'm a trained artist. To do an oil painting I had to be in the studio. When I started writing I found that I could do it anywhere, on my porch, my Dentists office, or even in a park. It's a natural extension to painting. Both are telling a story. <br />
<br />
<b>Is there anything about you or your writing that makes you unique from other authors?</b><br />
I have dyslexia. When I was a kid I struggled just to read. Writing was even more difficult. It's a personal achievement for me to publish novels.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>If you had to sum up your book, Parasite; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse, in three words, what would they be?</b><br />
Zombies meet science. I love science. I like to think I give a Michael Crichton spin to the zombie genre. <br />
<br />
<b>What are you working on now and what projects and ideas do you have lined up next?</b><br />
I am finishing up my work on "Predator" which will be the third book in my, "True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse" series. I am also working on a Fantasy book, you know, wizards and an ancient evil. I have also been outlining the storyline of a sci-fi novel.<br />
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<b>Where did the inspiration for your novel, Parasite; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse, come from?</b><br />
After reading Zombie Fallout I friended Mark Tufo (the books author) on Facebook. It was there I saw he was having a fan fiction contest. I entered it and that short story became my first novelette "Saving Jebediah." It was really fun so I decided I needed to write more. Thus began my odyssey. <br />
<br />
<b>Why do you enjoy writing in your usual genre? What is it about your usual genre that appeals to you most as a writer?</b><br />
I enjoy horror and actually love writing about zombies. Before I say that let me explain. A friend of mine sent me a zombie novel for my birthday. When I received it I was thankful but my inner reaction was, "Zombies? Seriously?" About a week later I picked it up and became engrossed. I immediately fell in love. About ten books later I found Mark Tufo.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>If your book, Parasite; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?</b><br />
I always wanted to be in a Frankenstein movie, not as a main character. I wanted to be the guy with the pitchfork, or maybe a torch! Yea, a torch would be cool. Seriously I modeled my characters after my wife and I. My wife is actually both women in Parasite. My wife would be great in the part. Maybe I could play one of the comic book geeks I write about. That's be fun.<br />
<br />
<b>Without being too specific and without revealing too much about the plot, have you ever killed off a character who you felt particularly attached to and if so was it an emotional experience writing the relevant scene?</b><br />
My theory is that everybody dies in the Zombie Apocalypse. No one is immune. It adds a greater sense of reality when you aren't afraid to let go of a character.<br />
<br />
<b>What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
This is one of the reviews I received, "Zombielicious. I am remembering biology class as they explain why people are turning into zombies and clues to stop the infection. Adventure, politicians, lawyers and scientist * oh my *... Very good book." The term zombilicious I thought was hysterical. I just really love the fact that people like reading my book. It's surreal to think someone is spending their night reading what I wrote. I still can't get over it.<br />
<br />
<b>I read a book review on amazon once where the reviewer described the book as a page-turner and had clearly enjoyed the book, and yet only gave it three stars out of five. Have you had any similar experiences with reviews yourself and if so did you take pleasure in the positive comments or frustration from the unduly ungenerous rating?</b><br />
It's funny how people set their personal standard for giving stars. I've had people really like my book and state that they can't wait for the next to come out only to give it three or four stars. So I never go by the star rating but rather by what they say. <br />
<br />
<b>Why should people buy your book, The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse?</b><br />
I believe I've taken a new approach on the zombie genre. They have a Michael Crichton spin to them. It's something I've never seen before.<br />
<br />
<b>Of all your books, which would you say was the best starting point for a reader to be introduced to your work?</b><br />
I would read Saving Jebediah first. It's a free download wherever eBooks are sold. This is the short story I wrote for Mark Tufo's contest. It has a small tie in to my first full book, Parasite, but it doesn't come back into play until book three. It's a completely different style. Takes place in the country with, as one reviewer put it, a distinctive Dukes of Hazard flair. It lacks the scientific components and the Crichton spin but it's a short introduction to my world. the biggest difference being that it has some fast zombies. They are the Mark Tufo variety. In my world there are only slow ones.<br />
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Thanks for your comments, Doug, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doug Ward, author of Parasite - The True Story<br />
Of The Zombie Apocalypse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Discover more about Doug Ward and his writing at his blog:<br />
<a href="http://zombiebookwriter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Zombie Book Writer</a><br />
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Follow Doug Ward on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/doug.ward.754" target="_blank">Doug Ward</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/ZombieDoug" target="_blank">@ZombieDoug</a><br />
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Parasite - The True Story Of The Zombie Apocalypse by Doug Ward is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RY6JWO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008RY6JWO&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Parasite; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008RY6JWO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B008RY6JWO&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Parasite; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Other books and short stories by Doug Ward available from Amazon:<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RY1D2K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008RY1D2K&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Saving Jebediah; Another True Story from the Zombie Apocalypse</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C03QWLQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00C03QWLQ&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Symbiote; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse Part 2</a>
<br />
<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008RY1D2K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B008RY1D2K&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Saving Jebediah; Another True Story from the Zombie Apocalypse</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00C03QWLQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00C03QWLQ&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Symbiote; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse Part 2</a>
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Doug Ward's books are also available from iTunes, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords:<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/parasite-true-story-zombie/id543026740?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/parasite-the-true-story-of-the-zombie-apocalypse-doug-ward/1112037176?ean=2940044671027" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DougWard" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-33895464738669811602013-08-17T09:54:00.000+01:002013-08-17T12:16:53.102+01:00Tom Rico, author of Northern LightsNorthern Lights by Tom Rico is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D5OYKB8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D5OYKB8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Northern Lights by Tom Rico</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D5OYKB8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00D5OYKB8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Northern Lights by Tom Rico</a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFJ-N6eAoNnjHwdkEIbezVag4pixA37IDxFoyxZWQaKYThUcA54WPT24SIi2eFFy_0Ro12fjLQfrfT2bYKs_IFcmiliUG5zbl7smaL5iBg3g-bK69I1VmkykzkzqHjYyMTcObT4NVE6tP/s1600/Northern+Lights+by+Tom+Rico++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFJ-N6eAoNnjHwdkEIbezVag4pixA37IDxFoyxZWQaKYThUcA54WPT24SIi2eFFy_0Ro12fjLQfrfT2bYKs_IFcmiliUG5zbl7smaL5iBg3g-bK69I1VmkykzkzqHjYyMTcObT4NVE6tP/s400/Northern+Lights+by+Tom+Rico++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Lights by Tom Rico</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Northern Lights by Tom Rico</b><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>It was past midnight in Norway when Dante awoke to find his wife Hannah standing by the bedroom window. She was mesmerized by the red glare and high winds pouring into the bedroom from the Northern Lights. The red tornado that touched down in the small town of Fredrikstad on this particular evening, brought with it much more than just a delightful display from the Aurora Borealis. Follow the story of Hannah and Dante as they become chosen by the forerunners to save as many people as they can from the horror that awaits them. Mutations now walk the planet under the emerald colored sky as the battle between good and evil ensues, who will prevail in this story of love and disaster. </i><br />
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<br />
Author Quiz interviews Tom Rico...<br />
<br />
<b>If you had to sum up your book, Northern Lights, in three words, what would they be?</b><br />
Invasion<br />
<br />
Armageddon<br />
<br />
Zombies<br />
<br />
<b>Where did the inspiration for Northern Lights come from?</b><br />
My book challenges the different cultural perceptions of God. It places the concepts of science and religion on a scale, and gives the reader an opportunity to decide which one carries more weight.<br />
<br />
It also makes a strong statement about the corruption in today’s society, not only in politics but in the heart and soul of everyday people. And then asks the most challenging question. How pure is the love in your heart? <br />
<br />
<b></b>
<a name='more'></a><b>Would your book, Northern Lights, work best as a movie adaptation or as a TV series?</b><br />
Movie – for sure! The imagery that is brought forth from an alien invasion that is cloaked by the beauty of the Northern Lights would light up a movie theater. Then to further the vivid cinema experience and watch the planet over-run by mutants under an emerald colored sky would take the movie experience to a whole new level. <br />
<br />
So much could be done with the story-line in this novel that even Stephen Spielberg would feel challenged!<br />
<br />
<b>Without being too specific and without revealing too much about the plot, have you ever killed off a character who you felt particularly attached to and if so was it an emotional experience writing the relevant scene?</b><br />
Yes, Jesse Hendricksen was a beautiful young nurse and aspiring Doctor when she became “INFECTED.” It had to be done but why couldn’t she be saved?<br />
<br />
<b>When deciding on your book title what influences you most; potential sales or artistic integrity?</b><br />
Artistic integrity: Because if you focus on the artistry of the novel and the imagery it puts forth the sales will generate themselves!<br />
<b><br />How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?</b><br />
For sure – The internet, blogging and connecting to social media is the wave of the future for expanding knowledge and awareness of your novel.<br />
<br />
<b>What are some of your favorite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
The Editor’s comment: "The pleasure of this novel is that it is vividly imagined. The reader senses that the writer is really seeing the things he is describing. That's no small feat. He also has a good instinct for pacing and maintaining suspense."<br />
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<b>Would you rather have great reviews but average sales or great sales but average reviews? </b><br />
That’s a tough one its like asking do you want to feed your bank account or your ego? I’d like to think I’m not an egotistical person so I would hesitantly say “sales”.<br />
<br />
<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
Be certain your done editing, and start blogging!<br />
<br />
<b>What would you say is your biggest strength as a writer?</b><br />
IMAGERY – Like the editor says I have a knack for making the reader feel like they are inside the book and after all that’s what reading is about – to escape into another world.<br />
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<br />
Thanks for your comments, Tom, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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<br />
Here's a short excerpt from Northern Lights:<br />
<br />
We all ran for cover in the camp set up for the workers. The heat climbed as it went overhead, and the hairs on my arm singed. It was maybe a kilometer high aloft, but its colors ignited the heavens above. I thought to myself, thank God it’s not lower and closer. I felt the heat radiating from above. Had it been lower we would have been cooked in our shoes for sure. People screamed as it soared by like a meteor. After it passed toward the river, we walked into the clearing. The fields were still illuminated. A pinkish red draped across the landscape of the hills from the afterglow. The winds died down and our hair was tousled in the aftermath. We looked east, over the river, stunned and waiting. It hovered over River Avon, spinning and glowing pink in the orange night sky. The backdrop of clouds was enhancing its radiant hue. It made the clouds glow pinkish-orange, exposing the massive electromagnetic energy cast by the U.F.O. It stopped spinning for a split second, turned white at its oval rim, and dropped like a stone into the river. The wind then quickly died. The crimson night sky behind it slowly faded. We stood there, one hundred plus people, astounded.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcyFXlKkFP2Ngf11l6wBlGgvVvGbTbWb5NPfZLF80SKvnNxy7LZtbp9E3ADTxZNPaZKg7qVaKfMiBBGu-NDHuV8aE9SsUEtf_O6vyuGp46PhwhfCTwiISpHOl8OojIgtvU20VCXAM34Aw/s1600/Tom+Rico,+author+of+Northern+Lights++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcyFXlKkFP2Ngf11l6wBlGgvVvGbTbWb5NPfZLF80SKvnNxy7LZtbp9E3ADTxZNPaZKg7qVaKfMiBBGu-NDHuV8aE9SsUEtf_O6vyuGp46PhwhfCTwiISpHOl8OojIgtvU20VCXAM34Aw/s1600/Tom+Rico,+author+of+Northern+Lights++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Rico, author of Northern Lights</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Discover more about Northern Lights at Tom Rico's blog:<br />
<a href="http://trico41.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tom Rico's blog</a><br />
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Follow Tom Rico on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/T_Rico1" target="_blank">@T_Rico1</a><br />
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Northern Lights by Tom Rico is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D5OYKB8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D5OYKB8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Northern Lights by Tom Rico</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D5OYKB8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00D5OYKB8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Northern Lights by Tom Rico</a>
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<br />
Northern Lights is also available from the following online booksellers:<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/northern-lights-t-rico/1115250638?ean=9781481736329" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
<a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=5723413589796&query=northern+lights%2C+t.rico&where=All" target="_blank">Books A Million</a><br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-73532997791637789112013-08-10T09:15:00.000+01:002013-08-10T15:54:29.239+01:00K. Robert Campbell, author of The Fifth CategoryThe Fifth Category by K. Robert Campbell is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058EWMK4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0058EWMK4&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Fifth Category (Cameron Scott Adventure series)</a><br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0058EWMK4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0058EWMK4&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Fifth Category (Cameron Scott Adventure series)</a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fifth Category by K. Robert Campbell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>The Fifth Category by K. Robert Campbell</b><br />
<br />
<i>Country lawyer Cameron Scott's week begins with a nightmare and ends in a hornet's nest of betrayal and intrigue. A small group of mid-level bureaucrats has formed a secret alliance to quietly restructure the U.S. government from within but a power-hungry cadre, intent on changing the government through violent revolution, has seized the organization and quickly eliminated its founders. Like weeds in a garden, they have spread through the government. Cameron crosses paths with the shadowy organization, and an equally shadowy FBI agent, trying to find out why his court-appointed client was murdered in the jailhouse, and suddenly finds himself in their crosshairs. When he learns that the treacherous group and a raging category five hurricane may both center their destruction on his coastal home town of Riverport, NC, he is forced to fight time and nature to seek and destroy the organization before it destroys him.</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews K. Robert Campbell...<br />
<br />
<b>What are you working on now and what projects and ideas do you have lined up next?</b><br />
Right now, I’m working on the fifth book in my Cameron Scott series, titled First Class.When main character Cameron Scott investigates the early ‘accidental’ demise of several of his law school classmates, he finds that he is next on the list. I have a few ideas rolling around in my head for the next Cameron Scott book, which will be titled "Zero Tolerance."<br />
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<b></b>
<a name='more'></a><b>If you were to write a novel outside your usual genre, which genre would you like to experiment with and why?</b><br />
I actually have written a literary fiction outside my usual genre, under a different pen-name, and have jotted down the ideas for several others. I’ve also written two stage plays which were produced locally a few years ago, and some short stories in the humor and macabre genres.<br />
<br />
<b>If your book, The Fifth Category, was made into a movie and you were asked for input into the soundtrack, are there any songs that would work especially well for any particular scenes?</b><br />
I concocted a particular scene for The Fifth Category–the scene that led to writing the rest of the book–while listening to a cut from Vengalis’ Blade Runner soundtrack.<br />
<br />
<b>Are any of your characters based heavily on people you know or have met from real life and if so, would they regard it as a compliment or an insult to discover they were the inspiration for the character in question?</b><br />
Two characters in First Class, the Cameron Scott book I’m working on now, are responses to two author friends’ complaint that they haven’t made it into any of my books so far. I told them, "Fair enough, you’ll be in the next one. But of course, you’ll both be killed off." I’ve changed their names a bit, but they’ll recognize themselves. Otherwise, most of my characters are composites of people I’ve known over the years, or if none fit, complete fabrications.<br />
<b><br />What do you think stimulates sales the most; positive reviews or advertising?</b><br />
I think positive reviews are the best stimulant, especially if they provide pithy quotes to use in advertising.<br />
<br />
<b>What advice would you give to publishing houses with regard to how to go forward and adapt to the industry over the next few years?</b><br />
Don’t give up on print. Recently, I was asked if I would be available to teach a live business law class because students were having too much trouble with online classes. E-books and audio books are here to stay, but people sometimes tire of the electron bombardment, preferring to curl up in a corner with a real book in hand, and I think they will do so for some time to come.<br />
<br />
<b>Would you rather sell 1000 books at $10/£10 each or 2000 books at $1/£1, i.e. what gives you the greater sense of satisfaction; overall earnings or overall sales?</b><br />
I’d like to be able to make a living from book sales, so that I could devote more time to writing more books, so overall earnings are important, but overall sales give me more satisfaction for two reasons: First, I know that more people are enjoying the books and second, there are more people to spread the word to recruit new readers.<br />
<br />
<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
Talk to established indie writers and find sources for obtaining good editors and proofreaders, publishing houses, and good marketing systems.<br />
<br />
<b>Of all your books, which would you say was the best starting point for a reader to be introduced to your work?</b><br />
The Fifth Category would be the best starting point. Even though each book in the Cameron Scott series can stand alone, there are a few spoilers in the later books related to the first. I hadn’t intended on doing a series, but once I kept going, the themes of the stories lent themselves to the descending numbers I’ve given the titles–Fifth Category, Fourth Estate, Third Degree, etc..so people sometimes get confused as to where they should start.<br />
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Thanks for your comments, K. Robert, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YqorllBallcUQOxrnn_DeiPT0tbLebo9DUgo5bLeAGvIWPWbnmk2V1Y1Biv4wER2Q8AR-U-7U4LwssAwpze3xWlF3i31GxQAk57CbJXzPj67hM7HZUCB2jAH1ZZSKs0z9MzdAoAy3cR6/s1600/K.+Robert+Campbell,+author+of+The+Fifth+Category++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YqorllBallcUQOxrnn_DeiPT0tbLebo9DUgo5bLeAGvIWPWbnmk2V1Y1Biv4wER2Q8AR-U-7U4LwssAwpze3xWlF3i31GxQAk57CbJXzPj67hM7HZUCB2jAH1ZZSKs0z9MzdAoAy3cR6/s1600/K.+Robert+Campbell,+author+of+The+Fifth+Category++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">K. Robert Campbell,<br />
author of The Fifth Category</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Follow K. Robert Campbell on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/authordrummer" target="_blank">@authordrummer</a><br />
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The Fifth Category by K. Robert Campbell is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058EWMK4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0058EWMK4&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Fifth Category (Cameron Scott Adventure series)</a><br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0058EWMK4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0058EWMK4&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Fifth Category (Cameron Scott Adventure series)</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Other books by K. Robert Campbell:<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057SMN3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0057SMN3C&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Fourth Estate (The Cameron Scott Suspense Series)</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1482065150/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1482065150&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Third Degree (The Cameron Scott Suspense Series)</a>
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<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0057SMN3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0057SMN3C&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Fourth Estate (The Cameron Scott Suspense Series)</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1482065150/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1482065150&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Third Degree: 3 (The Cameron Scott Suspense Series)</a>
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<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-60295435666119221822013-08-03T09:15:00.000+01:002013-08-03T09:15:00.329+01:00Kaye George, author of Eine Kleine MurderEine Kleine Murder by Kaye George is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLS5K3G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CLS5K3G&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Eine Kleine Murder (Cressa Carraway Musical Mysteries)</a>
<br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CLS5K3G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00CLS5K3G&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Eine Kleine Murder (Cressa Carraway Musical Mysteries)</a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVntzuhjU2wMRuW3lukLYxxmYh6a2cmrbxBrz-bcF6wMYBiLARkQNDfyLLKtvliXsBFU8I2SYYSm-VMQkQGnxq9Fmyst2Q2IyxmrvvMJfKb9A5HZmCvVXHMJtWZTXQkwuWHHbgQ1SqhO4/s1600/Eine+Kleine+Murder+by+Kaye+George++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVntzuhjU2wMRuW3lukLYxxmYh6a2cmrbxBrz-bcF6wMYBiLARkQNDfyLLKtvliXsBFU8I2SYYSm-VMQkQGnxq9Fmyst2Q2IyxmrvvMJfKb9A5HZmCvVXHMJtWZTXQkwuWHHbgQ1SqhO4/s400/Eine+Kleine+Murder+by+Kaye+George++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eine Kleine Murder by Kaye George</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Eine Kleine Murder by Kaye George</b><br />
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<i>When aspiring conductor Cressa Carraway arrives at her grandmother's resort home, she finds Gram dead. When Gram's best friend drowns in the same place, Cressa knows something sinister is at work in this idyllic setting.</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Kaye George...<br />
<br />
<b>What is it you love most about writing?</b><br />
I love losing myself in the world I'm creating. Sometimes my imaginary places become so real to me, I can shiver from frostbite that I'm writing when it's the middle of summer. I love looking up and realizing it's daytime when my story has taken me to someplace at two am.<br />
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<b>Why do you enjoy writing in your usual genre? What is it about your usual genre that appeals to you most as a writer?</b><br />
The short answer to this question is that I write mysteries because that's the genre I know best. It's my favorite reading. But it goes deeper than that. I really and truly do not know why a person would murder another person. It's such a strict taboo, such an awful, forbidden thing to do. I feel compelled to explore reasons why a person would get the the point where he or she thought that killing another human being was the solution to a problem. I think I'm getting close to understanding this sometimes. At other times, I'm still completely baffled.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>If your book, Eine Kleine Murder, was made into a movie and you were asked for input into the soundtrack, are there any songs that would work especially well for any particular scenes?</b><br />
This might be cheating, since my book, EINE KLEINE MURDER is billed as A Cressa Carraway Musical Mystery. There's music throughout the story as the main character is composing it. She also lives her life against a background of music that plays in her head. In fact, I made a playlist of the pieces mentioned in the novel on a recent blog post:<br />
<a href="http://travelswithkaye.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-playlist-for-eine-kleine-murder.html" target="_blank">My Playlist for Eine Kleine Murder</a><br />
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<b>If you could invite one character from your novel to a dinner party who would it be and why?</b><br />
I think I would invite Cressa's best friend, Neek. In the first of the series (the only one out right now), she never appears, but talks to Cressa on the phone a lot. She's a unique person. In fact, her actual name, given by her hippie parents, is Unity Unique. She likes to predict the future. In this books she's using found money, but in the past, she's found portents in clouds. I think she'd be fun to talk too, but I'd like to see what she looks like, too.<br />
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<b>What do you think stimulates sales the most; positive reviews or advertising?</b><br />
I seem to see upticks after a positive review, if I, or the reviewer, can let enough people know about it. With my first series, the Imogene Duckworthy series, I could see exactly what was happening, since I self-published and had publisher's access to the figures. Since my new series is through a small press, Barking Rain Press, I don't have that access. Instead, I check my Amazon rank to try to see if what I do has immediate effects. It's hard to tell, really.<br />
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<b>If you worked for a publishing house, what sort of books would you be looking to publish?</b><br />
I know that I should publish books that would sell, so I could stay in business and earn a living. However, I'd sure want to publish the ones I like to read the most. My reading is eclectic, both fiction and non-fiction. I love to read biography and true crime. I also like hard-boiled, cozy, and lots of in between mysteries. I always enjoy humor, no matter what the genre. And every once in a while, I devour a tear jerker.<br />
<br />
<b>What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
For EINE KLEINE MURDER, Lynn Farris wrote this: "The name of the book added to my concern. “Eine Kleine Murder.” I wasn’t sure what Eine Kleine even meant. (I later found it means small.) Then, I saw the main character, Cressa Caraway was studying musical composition. Another area where I have little expertise.<br />
Before I got through the first chapter, my concerns disappeared."<br />
I was very happy to read this because I had little niggling thoughts about her concerns and she alleviated them. Whew!<br />
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<b>Would you rather have great reviews but average sales or great sales but average reviews?</b><br />
You mean I can't have both? Oh shoot. I guess I'd take great reviews. I'm writing for the money, luckily, because there's not much of it at this point. I do love it when a reader connects with what I've written and it means something to that reader. I could just melt when I'm giving a talk and someone I've never met before tells me who their favorite character is, and why. As the ad says, Priceless.<br />
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<b>Is there a book out there which you feel is underrated and deserves a bigger audience?</b><br />
I can't say enough good things about any of the books that Sandra Parshall has written. Her writing touches me deeply and is satisfyingly, unfailingly entertaining. <br />
<b><br />Who do you see as your target audience?</b><br />
I really think my books are aimed at women readers, since they're written to be books I'd like to read. I'd like to think they appeal to all ages, but maybe middle-aged women would connect more with them, since I think that's generally who reads mysteries.<br />
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Thanks for your comments, Kaye, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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Here's a brief excerpt from the beginning of Eine Kleine Murder:<br />
<br />
<b>Prologue</b><br />
Stinguendo: Dying away. (Ital.)<br />
<br />
What was that sound? A foot, snapping a twig in the woods? Ida knew she shouldn’t be swimming alone at night, but she’d been antsy all day. She needed to get her mind off Cressa's visit.<br />
<br />
Grace usually swam with her, but Grace had taken relatives to the Quad-City airport tonight.<br />
<br />
Besides, Ida was a strong swimmer. She knew every inch of Crescent Lake. And she thought she knew every sound. But there was that snap again. It prickled the hairs on her arms.<br />
<br />
She stopped stroking and listened, straining toward the trees on the opposite bank, just ahead. It didn't repeat. Must have been a night creature in the woods. A raccoon out foraging?<br />
<br />
Ida cupped her hands and pulled herself through the caress of the cool water, creating tiny ripples and almost no sound. The moon, a mere sliver tonight, lay a shining path across the silent ridges in the inky liquid.<br />
<br />
Bullfrogs boomed from the shallow end of the lake and the wind rattled the oak leaves on the shore.<br />
<br />
She neared the bank and stuck her toes into the soft mud, turned and stood waist deep for a moment before her return trip. The scent of the night woods was verdant, lush. She breathed in the familiar fishy smell of the dark water. <br />
<br />
There was that sound again--snap, then a footfall.<br />
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You can sign up for a free sample of the first four chapters of Eine Kleine Murder at the following link:<br />
<a href="http://www.barkingrainpress.org/eine-kleine-murder-preview/" target="_blank">Eine Kleine Murder Preview</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaye George, author of Eine Kleine Murder</td></tr>
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Discover more about Kaye George and her writing at her website and blog:<br />
<a href="http://kayegeorge.com/" target="_blank">kayegeorge.com</a><br />
<a href="http://travelswithkaye.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">travelswithkaye.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Follow Kaye George on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaye-George/114058705318095" target="_blank">Kaye George</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/KGeorgeMystery/" target="_blank">@KGeorgeMystery</a><br />
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Eine Kleine Murder by Kaye George is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLS5K3G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CLS5K3G&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Eine Kleine Murder (Cressa Carraway Musical Mysteries)</a>
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UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CLS5K3G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00CLS5K3G&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Eine Kleine Murder (Cressa Carraway Musical Mysteries)</a>
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And also from Barking Rain Press and Barnes & Noble:<br />
<a href="http://www.barkingrainpress.org/dd-product/eine-kleine-murder/" target="_blank">Barking Rain Press</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eine-kleine-murder-kaye-george/1115225328?ean=9781935460640" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
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<br />
Other books by Kaye George:<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052BDE4Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0052BDE4Q&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Choke</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008FRWJZ4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008FRWJZ4&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Smoke: An Imogene Duckworthy Mystery</a>
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<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0052BDE4Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0052BDE4Q&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Choke</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008FRWJZ4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B008FRWJZ4&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Smoke: An Imogene Duckworthy Mystery</a>
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<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-67430996826505381662013-07-27T09:09:00.000+01:002013-07-27T14:48:32.219+01:00Sydney S. Song, author of Works Out<h3>
Sydney also writes as Cynthia Meyers-Hanson when writing non-fiction/kid lit.</h3>
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Works Out by Sydney S. Song is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CR68DNG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CR68DNG&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Works Out (Life's Crazy)</a>
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UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CR68DNG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00CR68DNG&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Works Out (Life's Crazy)</a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Works Out by Sydney S. Song</td></tr>
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<b>Works Out by Sydney S. Song</b><br />
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<i>When Bonnie entered college, her mentor or mother
suggested an emergent, career path as a computer programmer. That mom
told her daughter that if she was thirty years younger and had known
more in life that she’d have been in technology. Eventually and
naively, the young lady majored in software, computer programming. In
that technology, the guys were not totally ready for her to ‘break the
ceiling.’ That gal landed in that field when society still believed
that math and logic skills were born in men, only. While the rest of
the world unknowingly sat on the threshold of home computers, mobile
phones, and the Internet, Bonnie helped build some of that
telecommunications infrastructure while it rebuilt that young woman’s
including her frame of mind. What? Was Bonnie brainwashed? Was she
successful in her career? What changed in the man’s world? What is
never ending or the same old same ‘old boys network’?</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Sydney S. Song...<br />
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<b>Is there anything about you or your writing that makes you unique from other authors?</b><br />
Unlike many novelists or children’s literature authors, I started writing non-fiction rather than fiction. Some people dream of being authors; my writing began as what could be described as a nightmare! As my mother died, her experiences ran the gamut from going through all the grieving steps a terminal soul follows to having what would be called a Christian NDE- if she had lived. I was in the room most of the times that she visited with God, Jesus, or multitudes of angels and souls. Believing everything she said even during what others called babbling, I became her translator. When most of her messages from God panned out, people in Orlando buzzed with the story of my parent’s death or Cindy’s tale. My grief counselor listened to my version of the events requiring I write my first book: Mom’s on the Roof and I can’t Get Her Down; that was 1991. Starting in 2000 (the new millennium), God’s prophecies through my mother as found in my first book began to materialize; my story- copyrighted in 1994- was proving itself as the truth! How miraculous! Do you want to know the details of the prophecy? Buy my non-fictions including the one about my mother and My ArmOr. It was many years later that I began dabbling with novel ideas, YA stories, and kid lit.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Where did the inspiration for your latest novel, Works Out, come from?</b><br />
Quite startling to us all, my mother’s best friend lost her child to cancer while that older woman suffered her own bout with breast cancer. The younger of the two relatives died in her 40s; I attended my childhood friend’s funeral but her mother was so surrounded by love and attention that we barely got to talk about her daughter. I went back months later when it appeared that the cancer was claiming that mother. We talked for hours about love and marriage, fabulous vacations, and our lives including jobs. We spent two days chatting breaking to eat and to sleep, only. As I left that last face to face meeting, my second mother remarked that I thoroughly entertained her; and she suggested that I write my stories. My version of Tuesdays with Morrie became a trilogy about love and marriage, crazy vacations, and what it was like to be in computer technology before Microsoft and Apple even existed. Plus, the unique part of my novels based on true life experiences has the younger soul not the dying person leading the conversation’s insights.<br />
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<b>If your book, Works Out, was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?</b><br />
People say I look like Molly Shannon in her role as ‘Super Star.’ I believe that movie star stalked me as a teen because I am Catholic and clumsy. Plus, in my younger years, I did resemble that factious character. Since Molly knows how to play me to a T, she needs to be Bonnie in my trilogy especially the movie based on my book Works Out.<br />
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<b>Are any of your characters based heavily on people you know or have met from real life and if so, would they regard it as a compliment or an insult to discover they were the inspiration for the character in question?</b><br />
I have had about 10 coffee clutch pals during my adult years. Many of them are more outspoken and brazen than me. On the other hand, some are more prudish and provincial. Then, again, some of those women are very similar to me in the way they express themselves. If you ask the clever and self-assured gals if they recognize some of themselves in Ruthie, they’d brag and claim all her best lines. If you asked the reserved pals if they are offended that you’d ever think they are anything like Ruthie, they’d say, “Yes I’m highly insulted!” The friends most like me would nod and smirk possibly pulling out clever lines they wish they’d thought in time to insert into our ongoing conversations so that they could point out their silly dialog captured for posterity.<br />
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<b>If you could go back to the moment when you completed your first book and were at the stage where you were ready to release it to the world, is there anything you would do differently this time with regard to promotion?</b><br />
I used a small publisher that messed up so many things. I started writing pre-mass technology and the eBook revolution. If I had it to do over in the Re-release phase of my first title into this era, I’d have done some book launch events in Facebook and so on. I’d have made that title an eBook sooner. I’d have done it myself instead of thinking a small publisher might be the stepping stone to fame for my book- and me. I’d have slowly released all the books that followed mom’s story instead of jumping in with all the copies ready as print and eBooks all at once. I think I unwittingly overwhelmed my audience.<br />
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<b>How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?</b><br />
Indie authors are not disappearing; they are multiplying like rabbits. However, what the big publishers offered that is missing in the e-world is time to do and get the marketing done right. I see PR firms rolling in to help launch future, bestselling authors and replacing the big publishing houses in that capacity. It’s already happening. As authors find less time to market, they are opting for that kind of help. I hope those assisting groups find the niche the old publish houses held taking a share of the profits instead of charging upfront fees for everything. In other words, if the PR Marketing groups see the true potential of a select few authors instead of going all in ‘for a fee’ to anyone professing to be a good writer, things might get less murky for the best authors or books in each genre. In other words, I see those marketing experts as the agent-publicity group pushing their writers’ talents the way agents do while being more choosey about whom they represent for marketing and PR.<br />
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<b>Do you have a favorite review or has anyone expressed a particularly nice compliment about your writing which stands out as your most memorable piece of praise?</b><br />
Going back to my first book entitled Mom’s on the Roof and I Can’t Get Her Down, many of the reviews are five stars as well as similar in that they say a nice family story that is inspirational. I appreciate those reviews since I didn’t solicit them, and they came from the heart of my readers. However, I wondered if anyone saw the main point of my writing or the reason people told me to write the miracle experiences down before I forgot those revelations of God. Then, along came this next review; it blew me away because someone directly mentioned the main thesis. The book takes you to and from Heaven without the reader having to die or experience a PERSONAL near death experience or incident.<br />
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On February 6, 2012, Kathleen Hagburg (Bayville, NJ) wrote, “Jean (my mom) is very proud!” <br />
Her review stated, “If you're a skeptic wondering if Heaven exists, take this wonderful journey to the "Other Side" and back with Cynthia Meyers-Hanson. If you have ever lost a loved one you will find faith and comfort between the pages. A true story ~ yet reads like a novel. A must read for all Seekers.”<br />
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<b>Do you opt for Digital Rights Management on your eBooks and would you recommend it to other authors?</b><br />
I do DRM. People don’t move their dental fillings from their teeth to a friend or neighbor’s mouth. They don’t share their doctor prescribed drugs such as antibiotics with a friend. They don’t give away their cars to friends except through charitable donations such as to non-profit agencies. So, why do people think the hard work of an author is expendable? Why do they think RE-selling any book- even the paperback version- is fair and evenhanded? I recommend DRM. Authors work hard to write their master pieces! Why should their work be debased by giving it away without their say in that matter? Being a generous soul, I can and do give my tales away but you can’t and shouldn’t.<br />
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<b>Is there a book out there which you feel is underrated and deserves a bigger audience?</b><br />
I’m going to be bold and brazen. I say my nonfiction books are underrated especially mom’s miracle tale, which is full of prophecy that is coming true. That book in particular is proving itself to be authentic. What God shows me- and my co-authors in some cases- will blow your mind. You’ll wonder why you waited to read my stuff. People spend too much on psychic and other nonsense trying to locate their deceased, loved ones; my books tell you where they are and what it’s like in the afterlife for less than $20 per communication and less than $200 total if you bought the paper copies; my eBooks are even cheaper.<br />
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<b>What would you say is your biggest strength as a writer?</b><br />
My honesty is my strength and my weakness. Whether in my stories or a live conversation, you feel the genuineness of my tales. When I went into fiction, I had to keep telling people that I can fib, too. I write clearly and down to earth even as I discuss God and Heaven. Even my fictions seem to honest to goodness or true stories leaving me correcting my readers guessing about who, what, when, where, why, and how a scene happened in my real life.<br />
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Thanks for your comments, Sydney, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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Here's a short excerpt from Works Out:<br />
<br />
In Works Out, Bonnie worked predominately with men during the dawn of Apple, Microsoft and the Internet, and she is retelling her story to a good friend.<br />
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<i> “I asked about the office manual.” My eyes diverted down, “Ali told me that book was key to our department because our manager wrote it; that boss required that his group update and maintain it for prosperity as well as posterity.”<br /> “Who was your manager?”<br /> “One of the guys I trained back in the ‘good ole boys’ era. He got to go to the lab being promoted ahead of me. That man obviously appreciated my work but claimed it as his own.”<br /> “Men! Can’t live with them or without them!” Ruthie attempted to break the tension.<br /> “I could live without some of them!” <br /> “Was he a ‘good ole boy'?”<br /> “No, he was no good at all!” Chuckling, I added.<br /> “What did you think about working for him and your new supervisor? Obviously, the cards were stacked against you.”<br /> “The situation disappointed me but I figured that with a good attitude and some of the changes around me, I might survive.”<br /> “You adopted a positive outlook. You do seem to chase the light at the end of dark tunnels.”<br /> “As long as it isn’t a train in the night trying to derail me!” My wink reminded us that I was human with my own self-doubts and other challenges. “What happened next might amaze you!”</i><br />
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Discover more about Sydney S. Song/Cynthia Meyers-Hanson and her writing at the following links:<br />
<a href="http://mchanson714.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">mchanson714.blogspot.com</a><br />
<a href="http://mchanson714.weebly.com/" target="_blank">mchanson714.weebly.com</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sydney S. Song, author of Works Out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Follow Sydney S. Song/Cynthia Meyers-Hanson on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cynthia-Meyers-Hanson/127257870690610" target="_blank">Cynthia Meyers-Hanson</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Hanson8046" target="_blank">@Hanson8046</a><br />
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Works Out by Sydney S. Song is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CR68DNG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CR68DNG&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Works Out (Life's Crazy)</a>
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UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CR68DNG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00CR68DNG&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Works Out (Life's Crazy)</a>
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Other books by Sydney S. Song on Amazon:<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004TY0MAG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004TY0MAG&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Mom's on the Roof and I Can't Get Her Down</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UWU7YS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004UWU7YS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Vision</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B6C4NQ8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B6C4NQ8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The S.H.E. Anthology</a>
<br />
<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004TY0MAG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004TY0MAG&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Mom's on the Roof and I Can't Get Her Down</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004UWU7YS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004UWU7YS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Vision</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B6C4NQ8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00B6C4NQ8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The S.H.E. Anthology</a>
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You can also purchase Sydney S. Song's books from Smashwords:<br />
<a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=mchanson714" target="_blank">Sydney S. Song's books on Smashwords</a><br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-81228257040527877902013-07-20T09:26:00.000+01:002013-07-20T11:17:34.274+01:00Jeremy Shory, author of The Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of Forgotten SecretsThe Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of Forgotten Secrets by Jeremy Shory is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BKAZKLS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BKAZKLS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of Forgotten Secrets by Jeremy Shory</a><br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BKAZKLS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BKAZKLS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of Forgotten Secrets by Jeremy Shory</a><b></b><br />
<br />
<b>The Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of Forgotten Secrets by Jeremy Shory</b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROH_o06FsRJku2DzEPh1szj82ZGrobmvyNPtGAyFs_EuSWMSqufwp5QMr2Uoh0RzjwhYfi5fFnkHKlhPbPbYiu0LuovuSJmdud4qCveFCKEsusvbAW0UyN5zIXL-v__X6pcv8aP3go090/s1600/The+Orion+Chronicles+-+The+Journal+Of+Forgotten+Secrets+by+Jeremy+Shory++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROH_o06FsRJku2DzEPh1szj82ZGrobmvyNPtGAyFs_EuSWMSqufwp5QMr2Uoh0RzjwhYfi5fFnkHKlhPbPbYiu0LuovuSJmdud4qCveFCKEsusvbAW0UyN5zIXL-v__X6pcv8aP3go090/s400/The+Orion+Chronicles+-+The+Journal+Of+Forgotten+Secrets+by+Jeremy+Shory++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of<br />
Forgotten Secrets by Jeremy Shory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fate guides him. Magic controls him. Evil awaits him.<br />
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When fourteen year old Orion Martins ventures deep into the forest behind his New Hampshire home, he’s quickly lured into a sadistic game of life and death where the prize is the fate of two worlds. After uncovering a hidden land ruled by enchantment and magic, wicked schemes and dark family secrets begin to expose a perilous trail of deception he’s been destined to travel. Can the mysteries trapped inside an ancient journal unlock the enigmas of his past, assuring his victory over an ancient mastermind long believed to have vanished? The board is set and the pieces are ready to be played. <br />
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Three weeks ago, Orion <i>knew </i>he would avenge his father’s murder. Three days ago, he <i>knew </i>there was nothing beyond our own unforgiving world. Three hours ago, he <i>knew </i>magic only existed within the depths of his imagination. Three minutes from now, he’ll discover just how wrong he’s been.<br />
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The first move has been made. Will Orion save our lives at the risk of his own?<br />
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Author Quiz interviews Jeremy Shory... <br />
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<b>What are you working on now and what projects and ideas do you have lined up next?</b><br />
I just wrapped up The Orion Chronicles: The Journal of Forgotten Secrets, which is the first installment in The Orion Chronicles series. It’s about a teenager that finds himself inadvertently lured into a sadistic plan, a game of life and death if you will, that was specifically designed for him by a mastermind thought to have vanished almost a hundred years ago. The more Orion dives into this evil scheme, the more he uncovers about his family and how everyone he’s ever known has been keeping dark secrets from him. Ultimately he decides he’s had enough and he decides he’s going to take matters into his own hands and start controlling his own fate. At least he thinks he is anyways. That story is out now, ready for people to snatch up. While working on promoting that, I’m also diligently working on trying to finish the second episode in the series called Curse of the Phantom Brotherhood. It takes Orion’s journey into the dark underworld of a magical sect supposedly eradicated some time ago. The more he discovers who he is, the more his life is thrown into peril. It’s really a great little adventure that I don’t think is a whole lot like anything else out there.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>If you were to write a novel outside your usual genre, which genre would you like to experiment with and why?</b><br />
This is a really great question. I think most authors look at their body of work and think to themselves, “Gosh, I wish I would have been able to write this or that.” Or something along those lines anyways. I actually have aspirations to write a historical-based piece that centers around World War II. There are a few plot concepts I have tucked away in the old noggin that I hope to develop further once I have The Orion Chronicles series completed. I’d expect that story to be a little more adult, but who knows. The whole idea is currently just in its infancy stage right now.<br />
<b><br />If you were to write a fictional story based on a real-life celebrity, who would you feature and why?</b><br />
It’s funny that you ask this question, because there’s a highly prominent figure from real life that makes his way into The Orion Chronicles: Curse of the Phantom Brotherhood. With this series being more imaginative and fantasy-based, there’s a lot of room for magic and enchantment. So I thought it would be a really neat idea to take someone that <i>everyone knows</i> and give him a little back-story that <i>no one knows</i>. The character is Leonardo Da Vinci. You say that name and everyone immediately thinks of his unbelievable contributions to science and art; The Last Supper, The Mona Lisa, the parachute, and armored tank amongst other things. And there certainly have been a lot of stories about him, The Da Vinci Code being a really prominent one. But I thought it would awfully cool to take Da Vinci in a different path, give him a little more…character if you will. But you’ll just have to wait until Curse of the Phantom Brotherhood is released to find out just how different his story is. Too shameless of a book plug? Haha. <br />
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<b>Are any of your characters based on yourself and if so to what degree, and do you find it easier or more difficult to write characters based on yourself?</b><br />
I actually have a blog piece about this very question:<br />
<a href="http://theorionchronicles.com/let-me-tell-ya-a-lil-bit-about-my-characters/" target="_blank">Let Me Tell Ya A Lil Bit About My Characters…</a><br />
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I get it a lot actually. When I tell people I write, they often ask where I get the concepts for my characters. Truth is that most of my characters are me in some fashion. Creepy right? That probably totally makes me sound like I have multiple personalities or something…which I just might. In all seriousness though, what I set out to do was give each of my characters one of my own character traits or flaws. For instance Grayson Grummel; here’s a kid that’s fun-loving with a penchant for practical jokes and teenage boy crude humor. Anyone that knows me, or follows me on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyShory" target="_blank">@JeremyShory</a>) will tell ya, I go out of my way to try and make people laugh…and it’s usually accomplished via childish, crass humor. I guess you could say I just never grew up. But there are serious sides to me as well. Cremmel Veloria is good example of that. He’s a little more intellectual, especially when it concerns animals, which I’m very much into animals as well as intellectual conversation. So I’d say as I created each of the characters in the series, I did so with an intent to inject a little of myself into them so I could really give them life beyond the pages. They say write what you know, and what do I know the best? Myself. <br />
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<b>Do you have any useful marketing tips for other authors?</b><br />
I know everyone will tell you that Social Media is a must. And it truly is. But the problem is that it can be extremely cumbersome. I mean maintaining a Facebook page, a Twitter account, Google +, and whatever flavor of the month pops up. It’s too much. Besides, those venues are really more for building your brand as an author, your Author platform. They allow people to meet you and connect with you. It’s not the avenue to sell your books because that’s not what people are there for. They’re there to connect with other people. My focus personally is on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyShory" target="_blank">@JeremyShory</a>) and via my own blog site (<a href="http://theorionchronicles.com/" target="_blank">www.TheOrionChronicles.com</a>). I feel that’s where my time is most effectively geared and where I can converse with the most people. So my advice is to decide which social media outlets you feel the most comfortable with and stick with those. If you feel you can balance all of them, great. If you feel like you can only focus on one or two, than do that. The fact is that life’s too busy to be able to work a normal day job, write, AND keep up with social media. So instead focus on the outlets you feel you can work into your daily life. You’ll connect with more people on a more intimate level that way and they’re all potential customers/fans.<br />
<b><br />How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?</b><br />
I think it’s very evident that the times are changing in the publishing world, and it’s only picking up more steam with every passing moment. We’re seeing more and more people take control of their writing careers and publishing their work on their own. It’s what I’ve done as I felt it was the best fit for me. The fact is that self-publication affords the author complete control, so no one’s looking over your shoulder asking you to change this character’s name, or that plot point, or to omit a chapter altogether. But the choice word here is <i>publication</i>. Authors are not just the writer in these scenarios. They’re also the publisher. So there’s a ton more work required including hiring of an editor and graphic designer for the cover, etc. The problem is that not everyone is cut out for all of it. So there will always be a need for the traditional publishing houses. But I really see their dominance on the market diminishing to a point where things will never really resemble what they used to be. And with the rise of self-publication, publishing firms can track sales of indie authors and offer them directly. Most of the work is already done at that point, so they’d be gaining an edited piece with an established presence in the industry. This of course leads to less need for Literary Agents, which is a whole different topic best left for another day.<br />
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<b>What are some of your favorite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
Oh man, I love all the reviews I’ve received thus far. I can’t tell you the joy I feel when I read that people like my work and enjoy Orion’s adventure. But if I had to pick out a few specific snippets from the reviews, these are my favorites.<br />
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“Never thought I would like this. I jumped in and couldn't put it down...loved how visual it was and how I could feel myself there with the characters. I have to say this…I read the Harry Potter series.......I will take this one please!”<br />
“From the first word until the last page the story is engaging and alluring. This is without a doubt the best book I've read in a long time.”<br />
“One of the new greats. Up there with Terry Brooks and R.A. Salvatore.”<br />
“It was exciting and imaginative and managed to build a picture of the ‘other world’ in a colourful and interesting way. My daughter had to keep taking the Kindle out of my hands so she could carry on reading what was meant, after all, to be her book!”<br />
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<b>Would you rather have great reviews but average sales or great sales but average reviews?</b><br />
This is interesting because it’s my personal belief that it’s hard to have great reviews with average sales or vice versa. At least after an author has fully marketed his story, I mean. Certainly not everyone is going to fall in love with a writer’s work, and there will be those that are vocal about it. But if your work is truly a gem, then I think the sales and great reviews go hand-in-hand. Simply put, as more people purchase the book and enjoy it, they will leave the good reviews, which will then lead to more sales. Sort of a cycle if you will. Either way, I feel both are a sign of flattery and I cherish each and every book I sell and review posted. <br />
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<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
FIND AN EDITOR! And a good one! I was conversing with someone on Twitter the other day who was just finishing up their first story, and we got on the subject of editing. She said she’d received advice to edit her own work. That it wasn’t worth the money and that really you can edit your own work just as well as an editor can. I face-palmed so hard. Authors, you CANNOT edit your own work. Editors do what they do and charge what they charge for a reason. They catch things your mind normally won’t. And that’s not a knock on you. It’s just you know your story, so your brain fills in the gaps for you. It also doesn’t catch all of the misspelled words or grammatical errors. Commas! Don’t even get me started on commas. Get an editor because they will take your story and make it presentable to the world. You only have one shot to make an impression. Do you want to waste that chance on a poorly edited book? Even if you do get the errors fixed afterwards, you’re still going to be known as “that author.” The better and cleaner your work is, the better the Indie Author brand is. Also to the editing note, do not hire the people I like to call “Predatory Editors.” These are the 2nd grade English teachers who moonlight as editors. Not saying they don’t know grammar. I’m saying they don’t know editing…or how to edit. They come in and charge a small fee because you’re about to get exactly what that small fee is worth…not a whole lot. You’ll end up with a product that wasn’t much better than when you started and you’re out the cash! There are some very reasonably priced editors out there that are trained for this. It’s what they do. It’s not their hobby. It’s their livelihood. Hire that kind of person. You won’t regret it.<br />
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<b>What would you say is your biggest strength as a writer?</b><br />
This question reminds me of a Saturday Night Live skit with Christopher Walken. The sketch was a behind-the-scenes piece on the band Blue Oyster Cult, and Walken was the Record Producer. There was a funny line where he says, “I’m just like everyone else; I put my pants on one leg at a time. But when I do, I make gold-plated records!” So if I had to say my biggest strength as a writer, it’s that I make gold-plated records. Haha. Okay not really. In all actuality, I’d have to say my ability to add description into my work. The age-old adage of <i>Show Me, Don’t Tell Me,</i> is something I really strive to capture in my writing. And I must pull it off decently because almost every piece of feedback I’ve received on The Orion Chronicles is that the reader really felt like they were there due to the pictures I painted with my descriptive words. The trick, however, is to work it into the action. For instance if I said: <i>The girl had curly blonde hair and a pale skin,</i> you clearly get the picture of this girl. But what if I said it this way: <i>The vibrant rays of sunlight bounced off her golden blond hair, her thick ringlets bouncing with every step she took. The soft, milky complexion gave her an angelic appearance.</i> See the difference?<br />
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<b>Why should people buy your book?</b><br />
I feel everyone should buy my books because I want to be a bajillionaire so freaking bad! Don’t we all? I kid, I kid. Actually I really think that The Orion Chronicles is something different. I have had a lot of people tell me that it’s not their “typical” read, but they walked away loving every bit of it. Hopefully that means they’ll buy next in the series and so on. But it’s really a fun adventure that has some pretty imaginative items and magical moments strewn throughout, not to mention the clever twists. Perhaps a better selling point is the cast of characters. I really tried to capture a group of characters that the readers not only want to root for, but really want to be a part of. Like you want to be friends with these characters. I promise you that you’ll fall in love with them just as I did as I wrote them into existence. <br />
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Thanks for your comments, Jeremy, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoEW2yOo0xT6yhmgoiL2x2R6TFHDUqAGV4vzzQqKD_PuLKx9af0W_gc7JoyOqNAjBPWx45aNOyCvWNpMS0rW-t5wRell5veYacPUsJ6ZfZs4OCsT0rE0MS3rhocVn-atTTuAQSjR5QEn0/s1600/Jeremy+Shory,+author+of+The+Orion+Chronicles+-+The+Journal+Of+Forgotten+Secrets++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoEW2yOo0xT6yhmgoiL2x2R6TFHDUqAGV4vzzQqKD_PuLKx9af0W_gc7JoyOqNAjBPWx45aNOyCvWNpMS0rW-t5wRell5veYacPUsJ6ZfZs4OCsT0rE0MS3rhocVn-atTTuAQSjR5QEn0/s320/Jeremy+Shory,+author+of+The+Orion+Chronicles+-+The+Journal+Of+Forgotten+Secrets++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeremy Shory, author of The Orion Chronicles:<br />
The Journal Of Forgotten Secrets</td></tr>
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Discover more about Jeremy Shory/The Orion Chronicles at the official webpage:<br />
<a href="http://theorionchronicles.com/" target="_blank">The Orion Chronicles</a><br />
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You can preview The Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of Forgotten Secrets at the following links:<br />
<a href="http://theorionchronicles.com/prologue/" target="_blank">Prologue</a><br />
<a href="http://theorionchronicles.com/childrens-games/" target="_blank">Chapter One: Children’s Games</a><br />
<a href="http://theorionchronicles.com/just-how-he-likes-it/" target="_blank">Chapter Two: Just How He Likes It</a><br />
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Follow Jeremy Shory/The Orion Chronicles on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Orion-Chronicles/254014971329207" target="_blank">The Orion Chronicles</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyShory" target="_blank">@JeremyShory</a><br />
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The Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of Forgotten Secrets by Jeremy Shory is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BKAZKLS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BKAZKLS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">The Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of Forgotten Secrets by Jeremy Shory</a><br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BKAZKLS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BKAZKLS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">The Orion Chronicles: The Journal Of Forgotten Secrets by Jeremy Shory</a><b><br /></b><br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-71715247828959106622013-07-13T09:05:00.000+01:002013-07-13T10:30:14.558+01:00Red Haircrow, author of The Agony of JoyThe Agony of Joy by Red Haircrow is available for the Kindle app from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BVZSWOO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BVZSWOO&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20">The Agony of Joy by Red Haircrow</a>
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UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BVZSWOO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BVZSWOO&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21">The Agony of Joy by Red Haircrow</a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Agony Of Joy by Red Haircrow</td></tr>
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<b>The Agony of Joy by Red Haircrow</b><br />
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<i>Former model turned actor Adrian Lee can barely list age range '23-29'
on his resumé anymore nor stand his life of empty social events and
appearances, meaningless roles and casual partners. When he meets
Alexander Skizetsky by clever arrangement of his agent, the enigmatic
yet infinitely attractive Russian kindles a little light of hope in his
aching heart. Yet even the beginnings of a friendship and love beyond
his wildest dreams cannot assuage a life spiraling out of control.<br /><br />The
long estrangement from his devout Irish Catholic parents and family and
the dark secrets they all share combine to drive him to the brink of
despair, though Alexander is determined to stay by his side. After
locking away his own memories of betrayal and loss, the Russian had
decided never to love again but something in Adrian spurs the noblest
intentions in his formerly jaded heart. Returning in pilgrimage to his
homeland, he brings Adrian along on a journey of rebirth, revelation and
redemption.</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Red Haircrow...<br />
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<b>Is there anything about you or your writing that makes you unique from other authors?</b><br />
Although almost everyone, whether they are authors or not, may daily write in different ways, for different reasons, what I would consider unique about my writing and myself is that I do so in a variety of genres and topics, both fiction and non-fiction. I write about a range of topics, from personal true events or memories, to music reviews for local bands and poetry, current events dealing with Native American issues, life and traditions, as well as my fictional works.<br />
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Not as a slight to authors who prefer certain themes or areas, which can be advantageous in building an audience who are looking for just one kind of work, but there is a distinction in that I write in several genres and do not or rather cannot confine myself to one or two, nor wish to pegged in a certain genre. I have many stories, ideas and possibilities within me that I feel the need to express, and I choose to publish all of them under my name.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Where did the inspiration for your latest novel, The Agony of Joy, come from?</b><br />
The Agony of Joy, is based on actual events from my life, and a very serious situation that has affected millions of people across the world and time, no matter their background, sexuality, religion or anything else: child sexual abuse.<br />
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Taking almost ten years to complete, The Agony of Joy, incorporates many of my experiences and observations as a survivor of sexual abuse and violence. But far from being the central theme although psychological and behavioral after-effects continue for many, Agony focuses on the courage it takes, often in the face of opposition, misunderstanding and/or apathy to not allow anything or anyone to keep you imprisoned by that past, not even yourself.<br />
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<b>Are any of your characters based on yourself and if so to what degree, and do you find it easier or more difficult to write characters based on yourself?</b><br />
Whether it’s in The Agony of Joy or others of my works, those who know me on a personal level can always ascertain which character is written based on myself. Usually, that involves how they react to certain situations, their personality and some of their quirks, weaknesses or strengths.<br />
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I would say it’s harder to write characters based on myself simply because I am then revealing parts of me, whether a reader ever realizes that or not. Writing other character types is easier, as I am a keen observer of people, and often accept the role of listener, alternatively in a casual or professional capacity.<br />
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<b>If your book, The Agony of Joy, was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?</b><br />
There are two main characters in Agony, Adrian “Lee” Langstrand and Alexander Skizetsky. For Adrian’s character, without a doubt, I would want Welsh actor, Lee Williams. For Alexander, or Lexx as he’s known throughout most of the book, in similarity of appearance, the closest I know of right now, would be Oded Fehr.<br />
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<b>If you could go back to the moment when you completed your first book and were at the stage where you were ready to release it to the world, is there anything you would do differently this time with regard to promotion?</b><br />
My schedule is always quite challenging as I have several endeavors I’m a part of, sometimes with partners, sometimes alone. I do music reviews on location in Berlin, as well as work with clients in a psychological capacity, enjoy a good deal of time both working and playing at a Mexican taqueria, as well as writing and publishing. Not to mention, many incidentals.<br />
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So, when The Agony of Joy was released Feb. 17th this year, I hadn’t engaged much advertisement before launch, and though I did write several dozen sites requesting reviews, my work schedule didn’t allow the usual amount of time I might spend on forums or discussion groups with readers and other writers.<br />
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I’ve found that is one of the best ways to get people talking about your work is networking, but often I don’t have the time or energy left to spend replying to and discussing topics on a variety of social media apps or websites. <br />
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<b>If you worked for a publishing house, what sort of books would you be looking to publish?</b><br />
I do have my own independent publishing press and writer cooperative called Flying With Red Haircrow, and our motto is one of my quotes: “Dance above the surface of the world. Let your thoughts lift you into creativity that is not hampered by opinion.<br />
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“We publish: Literary Fiction, Poetry, GLBTIIQ Fiction, Fantasy (Dark, Epic, Speculative), Multicultural, International, Memoir, Psychology, Sociology and more. For those interested in being a part of our team, have proposals or offers, please visit our website for more details.”<br />
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What I’d like to do upcoming is a few anthologies or poetry collections on specific themes.<br />
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<b>What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
For The House of Doom, Dreams & Desire, “What I’ve learned from reading Red Haircrow’s stories is to expect the unexpected.”<br />
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For The Agony of Joy, from sound therapist and composer, Ana Cristina Caelen: “You have been able to channel your memories and experiences, create vivid real characters and make something so beautiful out of pain and struggle is the highest meaning of what I believe art is: transforming hurt and becoming healers.”<br />
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For Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World, from The Indie Reviews, “I read this collection with a sense of wonder, humility and inspiration and the writing deeply touched me on a multitude of levels. The honesty with which the writing conveys the joys and sorrows, fears and pains, hopes and dreams of this man serves as a testament and reminder of the capacity of the human spirit to not only persist but also to thrive and to soar.<br />
<b><br />Would you rather sell 1000 books at $10/£10 each or 2000 books at $1/£1, i.e. what gives you the greater sense of satisfaction; overall earnings or overall sales?</b><br />
Neither, because for me its not about the money or sales, although certainly either/both would be nice. For me it’s about those readers who might enjoy my work, where it personally meant something to them. I welcome and treasure some of the emails and private messages I’ve received from readers, which has generated conversation and often a sense of acquaintanceship.<br />
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Also, as I mentioned above for The Agony of Joy, other works like Night Shift and A Lieutenant’s Love, are based on actual events or situations that have happened in my own life or people I’ve know and often cared for, so in effect, they are part of me and my life’s story. In many ways, they are deeply personal.<br />
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Thanks for your comments, Red, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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Author bio:<br />
<i>Red Haircrow is an award winning author of non-fiction and fiction, poet, private chef, and former law enforcement officer of Native American descent (Chiricahua Apache/Cherokee) who lives in Berlin, Germany. Red Haircrow is also a Psychology major and owner and operator of the review/interview site and independent publishing brand Flying With Red Haircrow.<br /><br />Red Haircrow has various poems, shorter works and articles published in magazines like Sword & Saga Press’ American Athenaeum, Sibling Rivalry Press' Assaracus, Danse Macabre, and Indian Country Today. A winner of a Rainbow Award 2012, Best LGBT Biography/Memoir for Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World.</i><br />
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A short excerpt from The Agony of Joy:<br />
<br />
“They seemed alone in a world devoid of men,
and even of beast and bird. A curious softness lit the whimsical shapes
and patterns between the trees: an old stump was transformed into a
miniature elephant shape, its humped back as high as Adrian’s waist.
Hundreds of tall, narrow trees swayed in the light breeze, the creaking
of their wood and their steps the only sounds. Adrian began to speak
after reaching out to take Lexx’s hand in his.<br />
<br />
This
reminds me of times I used to wander the hills above our town. I’d
fallen in love with the legends and stories my mother read to us when my
father wasn’t around. I used to imagine the hero coming for me through
battles against magic and iron, swearing his undying love. Silly
childhood nonsense, but I did. I loved those stories. I spent an ungodly
amount of time dreaming, playing in the woods whenever I could get
away. There are many dark and wild places still in Ireland, hidden
doorways to the fairy world, dangerous places full of fey spells and
creatures. So ‘tis said, anyway.”<br /><br />
I had an uncle,” Adrian began
off-handedly. “My father’s youngest brother, not so much older than the
oldest of my siblings. He reminded me of one of those old knights or
warriors. He listened to me when no one else would. Would take me to see
old stones he’d found, secret places....”<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Discover more about Red Haircrow at his website: <br />
<a href="http://redhaircrow.com/" target="_blank">Songs of the Universal Vagabond</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Follow Red Haircrow on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheRedhairedCrow" target="_blank">The Redhaired Crow</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/redhaircrow" target="_blank">@redhaircrow</a><br />
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. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Check out Red Haircrow's book trailers on YouTube:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R-W00RiqtM" target="_blank">The Agony of Joy </a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbDtjbvxkwI" target="_blank">Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25fg4eJaWsA" target="_blank">The Angel of Berlin</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Red Haircrow's books are available for the Kindle app from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk:<br />
Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BVZSWOO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BVZSWOO&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20">The Agony of Joy by Red Haircrow</a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0086OEXD2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0086OEXD2&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20"><br />Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00523KDCU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00523KDCU&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20">The Angel of Berlin</a>
<br />
<br />
Amazon.co.uk:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BVZSWOO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BVZSWOO&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21">The Agony of Joy by Red Haircrow</a>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0086OEXD2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B0086OEXD2&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21">Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00523KDCU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00523KDCU&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21">The Angel of Berlin</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
And also from Smashwords and Rainbow eBooks:<br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/theredhairedcrow" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rainbowebooks.com/store/advanced_search_result.php?osCsid=hu6gukurvuu6ugvi6f7rdri7n3&keywords=red+haircrow&x=0&y=0" target="_blank">Rainbow eBooks</a><br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-7636461609084754352013-07-06T09:26:00.000+01:002013-07-06T09:26:00.095+01:00Sophie Schiller, author of Spy IslandSpy Island by Sophie Schiller is available for the Kindle app from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZRLXV8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AZRLXV8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Spy Island by Sophie Schiller</a>
<br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AZRLXV8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00AZRLXV8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Spy Island by Sophie Schiller</a>
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<br />
<b>Spy Island by Sophie Schiller</b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY17xobABYNoZG34oBuIVBBy3mEriJ-PgmJC5M2Gf16jmUn8c5WzAOY-6fgcEhNZootZfiDNVTVdDC3i1fmyA9-fz-XlVzbRn0g3brKsXiBWXDK1pLwzWHHmUi5ID-92Vz4ttm7cGJhFWs/s600/Spy+Island+by+Sophie+Schiller++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY17xobABYNoZG34oBuIVBBy3mEriJ-PgmJC5M2Gf16jmUn8c5WzAOY-6fgcEhNZootZfiDNVTVdDC3i1fmyA9-fz-XlVzbRn0g3brKsXiBWXDK1pLwzWHHmUi5ID-92Vz4ttm7cGJhFWs/s400/Spy+Island+by+Sophie+Schiller++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spy Island by Sophie Schiller</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Abby Maduro is an adventurous island girl who saves the life of a mysterious stranger who has washed ashore on her Caribbean island. Despite the danger, Abby shelters Erich Seibold, a handsome sailor with a mysterious past, in the basement of her house. Soon, friendship and love blossom between the unlikely pair, even after Abby learns that Erich is a deserter from a German U-boat. Their cozy situation turns deadly when the island's German Consul, Lothar Langsdorff, discovers Erich's true identity and blackmails him into committing sabotage and murder. Erich is arrested and thrown into prison, forcing Abigail to risk everything to save his life, but with Langsdorff and his spy ring still on the loose, Abigail relies on her wits, bravery and a little island magic to save her tranquil island from a dangerous German spy. Spy Island is a historical spy thriller for the adventure-lover in you. Prepare to be carried away to an exotic tropical island with its potent mixture of action, suspense, romance, and delightful island characters who will cast their spell over you.</i><br />
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<br />
Author Quiz interviews Sophie Schiller...<br />
<br />
<b>What's the best and worst thing about being an author?</b><br />
The best thing is having the freedom to stretch your imagination, to do things that have never been done before. The worst thing is the lack of collaboration. By its very nature, writing is done by an individual in solitude. Oftentimes, we yearn for the synergy that accompanies working in teams.<br />
<br />
<b>What came first, the idea for your first book or the decision to write a book? </b><br />
The decision to write "Spy Island" came first. It took me years to develop the plot and characters, and to mold it all into a thrilling, suspenseful story.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
<a name='more'></a><b>If "Spy Island" was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?</b><br />
There is an amazing new child actress, Odeya Rush, who has the right look and is the right age to play Abigail, the main character. The handsome German actor, Daniel Bruhl, would be perfect in the role of the German deserter, Erich. Of course I would love Viola Davis to play Nana Jane.<br />
<br />
<b>If you could invite one character from your novel to a dinner party who would it be and why?</b><br />
I would invite Judge Neergaard, the lonely Danish judge. I am sure he would capture my imagination with fascinating tales about life in an exotic Danish sugar colony.<br />
<br />
<b>What do you think stimulates sales the most; positive reviews or advertising?</b><br />
Neither. I think that having an Amazon freebie stimulates the most sales at the end of the freebie.<br />
<br />
<b>How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?</b><br />
I see large publishing houses struggling to contain costs while still producing superb work. At the same time, self-published authors shoulder all the costs of book production, which must find a new equilibrium. You'll have a few self-published authors making a living from their writing with the rest struggling. Overall, there will be a downward trend in book pricing, which translates to lower margins for both publishing houses and self-publishers. Overall, the publishing industry will become MUCH MORE market driven, with writers specializing their books and tailoring them for certain audiences. <br />
<br />
<b>What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
"This book is full of intrigue and suspense. For anyone who loves history, trust me this is the book for you. It is a definite page turner." Jennation Book Reviews<br />
<br />
"Really liked this one. The characters were so interesting, there was plenty of mystery, and it was definitely a page turner." Melissa at Beneath the Moon and Stars Book Reviews<br />
<br />
<b>Would you rather have great reviews but average sales or great sales but average reviews?</b><br />
Naturally all authors want great reviews, but if that translates into average sales, something is not working. In the industry, that's not considered a successful book launch. Something would need to be adjusted to improve sales!<br />
<br />
<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
Study your market and genre very carefully and construct the book cover accordingly. The cover represents the overall image and is a most important tool for attracting new readers.<br />
<br />
<b>Is there a TV series or movie which you think would appeal to a similar audience as your book, "Spy Island"?</b><br />
If you enjoy movies like "Titanic" or TV series like "Downton Abbey", you would love "Spy Island" because it takes place during the same Edwardian/WWI era, with scenes in a tropical Danish colony, on board a steamer, on a German U-boat somewhere out in the Atlantic. Spy Island has an international flair, with an international cast of characters, and memorable scenes in Panama, the Azores, and in the West Indies. A story that will uplift you and delight you!<br />
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<br />
Thanks for your comments, Sophie, and good luck with your writing.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
You can find a sample of Spy Island at Sophie Schiller's blog:<br />
<a href="http://sophieschiller.blogspot.com/2013/04/historical-novelists-4-day-book-fair.html" target="_blank"> Introducing: Spy Island</a><br />
<a href="http://sophieschiller.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sophie Schiller's blog</a><br />
<br />
A further excerpt can be found at the following link:<br />
<a href="http://belleoftheliterati.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/excerpt-blog-tour-spy-island-by-sophie.html" target="_blank">Spy Island by Sophie Schiller: Excerpt</a><br />
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. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Follow Sophie Schiller on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SchillerSophie" target="_blank">Sophie Schiller</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SophieSchiller" target="_blank">@SophieSchiller</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Spy Island by Sophie Schiller is available for the Kindle app from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZRLXV8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AZRLXV8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Spy Island by Sophie Schiller</a>
<br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AZRLXV8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00AZRLXV8&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Spy Island by Sophie Schiller</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Spy Island is also available from Barnes & Noble:<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spy-island-sophie-schiller/1114171926?ean=9781481181716">Barnes & Noble</a></span></span>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-87191528969324991642013-06-29T09:13:00.000+01:002013-06-29T10:24:04.072+01:00Judith M Kerrigan, author of Betrayal by SerpentBetrayal by Serpent by Judith M Kerrigan is available for the Kindle app from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ACMPJ66/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00ACMPJ66&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Betrayal by Serpent by Judith M Kerrigan</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ACMPJ66/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00ACMPJ66&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Betrayal by Serpent by Judith M Kerrigan</a>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmAkgxoKbNiqXOWLcj_Pz2RJ30qg-CmeZBIpWWf9l32O_CTYJEQgpAK3Aivb-EhQJ3f6dXthZlkJ2HckhOYpNUfr70PUnXwHvS7nV35OEO5qbjUgd-BHlV_1-_6WXpFWH82PVSv94hvMk/s1600/Betrayal+by+Serpent+by+Judith+M.+Kerrigan+++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmAkgxoKbNiqXOWLcj_Pz2RJ30qg-CmeZBIpWWf9l32O_CTYJEQgpAK3Aivb-EhQJ3f6dXthZlkJ2HckhOYpNUfr70PUnXwHvS7nV35OEO5qbjUgd-BHlV_1-_6WXpFWH82PVSv94hvMk/s400/Betrayal+by+Serpent+by+Judith+M.+Kerrigan+++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Betrayal by Serpent by Judith M Kerrigan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Betrayal by Serpent by Judith M Kerrigan</b><br />
<br />
<i>Anna Kinnealy’s life changed forever when her husband Art was killed in a plane crash in the Yucatan. Left with four children and a huge house, she had a seven-year struggle to feed, clothe and nurture them all through immense trauma. Now, just when she expects to have a normal life, a former partner in his law firm is murdered, someone stalks her children, police open an investigation into his life, and Anna’s digging into their past reveals bitter betrayal and brings a murderer to her door.</i><br />
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. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Author Quiz interviews Judith M. Kerrigan...<br />
<br />
<b>Is there anything about you and your writing that makes you unique from other authors?</b><br />
My age, first of all. I began Betrayal by Serpent at the age of 74, and it was actually my therapy. I’m a counselor and I was experiencing secondary post-traumatic stress, a hazard of the profession. I was having nightmares and realized that my imagination was working overtime in a negative way and decided to put it to work for me and to challenge myself. After two years of part time writing. I decided I really had a book and could do something with it. I published Betrayal last year in November at the age of 76. It’s never too late!<br />
<br />
<b></b>
<a name='more'></a><b>Tell us a bit about yourself and your work as an author.</b><br />
I’m amazed that I’m an author of fiction. It’s not one of the arts I ever expected to use, although I was trained in writing and did well in high school and college. I’ve written papers, reports, case studies, etc., most of my life.<br />
<br />
I’m equally amazed that I like it so much. I love just letting a story unfold in my imagination and pour itself out. I actually wrote much more about my characters than ended up in the final version. I became to enjoy being in their lives.<br />
<br />
<b>Where did the inspiration for your novel come from?</b><br />
It began long ago. A friend and I had the crazy idea to write a murder mystery with an old lady character, like Miss Marple, only American, a retired teacher who spoke constantly in clichés. Fortunately for all readers, we didn’t.<br />
<br />
<b>When you first get an idea for a new story, do you find that the finished product tends to differ quite significantly from your original idea, or does the original idea remain more or less intact?</b><br />
So far, my basic story idea remains the same but some of the events in my stories surprise me. I’m amazed at what pops into my head. My characters never are predictable to me. I never know what they’ll try or do or say. With Betrayal by Serpent, I found that the story continued on and on. A result is that there will be two more books, a series. The titles are In Crocodile Waters, now in progress, and The Jaguar Hunts, now outlining itself in my mind.<br />
<br />
<b>If you were to write a novel outside our usual genre, which genre would you like to experiment with and why?</b><br />
I’d love to write a well-researched historical novel based in ancient history. I love ancient history and might just as easily have become an archaeologist. Those ancient times carry a sense of mystery for me. But the book needn’t be a mystery. It could be any type of story.<br />
<br />
<b>Is there a particular scene from your book which would translate well to canvas and provide a powerful inspiration for a dramatic or emotional piece of artwork?</b><br />
Anna’s time in the jungle, with her heightened sense of color and gradual loss of reality is a picture I have in my head. I’m a painter, an artist, as well as a writer. I would use mixed media/collage. I did actually do illustrations for the book but decided in the end not to use them. A few are on my website…the house, a green anaconda, and Mayan glyphs of the jaguar and snake.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Are any of your characters based on yourself and if so to what degree?</b><br />
To the extent that I have been a middle-aged housewife with children, I can relate to Anna but her life was quite different from mine. We do have one thing in common. We both have an Irish heritage and I used stories I heard from my Irish grandmother and my father to fill in the history of the West Side of Green Bay, where my grandparents lived for many years.<br />
<br />
<b>Are there any good book blogs or websites you would recommend, both for discovering new books and authors, and also for promoting your own work?</b><br />
Where do I begin? Since the publication last November, I’ve spent hours and hours searching for sites for promoting my own book and in the process have found many. Best so far: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Goodreads, and Shelfari, but there are more I’ve only begun to explore. I hope to post the full list to my blog, <a href="http://betrayalbyserpent.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">betrayalbyserpent.wordpress.com</a>.<br />
<br />
I only wish I could read more of other authors’ works. I hold a full time job, promote my first book, write the second, and try to read one book per week, as well as doing art a few hours each week at the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay. That’s a lot.<br />
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<b>Can you remember the moment when you logged into your author account and discovered you made your first sale?</b><br />
Oh yes! It was my first Christmas present of 2012!<br />
<br />
<b>Apart from yourself, which other indie author would you recommend to readers and why?</b><br />
I’m very biased toward Jeannie Kerrigan, author of Layla, her autobiography. First, because she’s my daughter, and second, because she’s written a powerful account of her life and the changes she underwent to become who she is today. It’s a hard read for anyone. She writes with unremitting honesty of her pain. But it’s also incredibly inspiring as she writes of her triumph over all she suffered and her deep spiritual and emitional growth. I recommend it to anyone who has faced abuse and addiction and worked through it.<br />
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<b>Why should people buy your book, Betrayal by Serpent?</b><br />
I’ve written a good story with characters who could be living in your neighborhood, who could even be caught up in the threatening events that happen to Anna and her family. It’s a good read!<br />
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. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Thanks for your comments, Judith, and good luck with your writing.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Here's the prologue from Betrayal by Serpent:<br />
<br />
I woke up flailing the air, a sheet tangled around my body, fear pounding through my mind and my spirit, piercing my chest, searing my heart. I lie in the dark room, exhausted, my body shaking, waiting until my breathing slows, willing myself to a tenuous stillness.<br />
Another nightmare. My enemies, my friends, these nightmares.<br />
They have carried me across years of fear and loss. Sometimes I even welcome them now. They move me to action. They tell my story. When I pay attention to what they reveal, they rip me out of the denial I love so much.<br />
As I stop shaking, I wrap myself in my quilt, leave my bed and move to my desk, turn on the small light, and begin my journal again, as I have so many nights these seven years since our world blew apart.<br />
Writing soothes me, calms my anxieties, mitigates the horror of the pictures that will never leave my mind, no matter how hard I try to erase them. Writing appeases the ghosts who drift in and out of my consciousness.<br />
Writing tells our story. For seven years I’ve made our living writing for others. This journal has been for myself, so I don’t return to the pain and loss that held us all imprisoned in grief and fear for so long.<br />
I know why the nightmare comes now. Today I must tell the whole story to the police who, after all these years, are investigating my husband’s death. I must dredge up all the searing memories.<br />
The clock light glows 2:57 a.m. The smell of a quiet September rain drifts faintly through an open window.<br />
Is it over? Will we finally have some peace?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22R2qqhqGYOD6MLPa6BQX9byExqtDyrejIknCnTNtekstxSiClGHgjw3Mi-RdsV3gj4_8xIytQ8YRXJ-gH6wjUuYDWrO4zNMRA_zeUwqoWBzjgQfhp5fRl-LEU6bMLKFKQiatdB7rdrdD/s1600/Judith+M.+Kerrigan,+author+of+Betrayal+by+Serpent++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22R2qqhqGYOD6MLPa6BQX9byExqtDyrejIknCnTNtekstxSiClGHgjw3Mi-RdsV3gj4_8xIytQ8YRXJ-gH6wjUuYDWrO4zNMRA_zeUwqoWBzjgQfhp5fRl-LEU6bMLKFKQiatdB7rdrdD/s1600/Judith+M.+Kerrigan,+author+of+Betrayal+by+Serpent++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judith M Kerrigan,<br />
author of Betrayal by Serpent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You can find a longer sample from Betrayal by Serpent on Judith's website:<br />
<a href="http://www.judithkerriganribbens.com/betrayal_by_serpent.html" target="_blank">www.judithkerriganribbens.com/betrayalbyserpent</a><br />
<br />
Discover more about Judith M Kerrigan at her blog:<br />
<a href="http://www.judithkerriganribbens.com/blog.html" target="_blank">www.judithkerriganribbens.com/blog</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Follow Judith M. Kerrigan on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/juidthmkerrigan" target="_blank">Judith M Kerrigan Ribbens</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/judidancer" target="_blank">@judidancer</a><br />
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<br />
Betrayal by Serpent by Judith M Kerrigan is available for the Kindle app from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ACMPJ66/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00ACMPJ66&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Betrayal by Serpent by Judith M Kerrigan</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ACMPJ66/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00ACMPJ66&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Betrayal by Serpent by Judith M Kerrigan</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Betrayal by Serpent is also available from Barnes & Noble:<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/betrayal-by-serpent-judith-m-kerrigan/1113851184" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-63024717759425182372013-06-24T09:05:00.000+01:002013-06-24T13:11:36.985+01:00E.K. Gillcoan, author of S.P.I. - Alien LawR. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law by E.K. Gillcoan is available for the Kindle app from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BR9TZM2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BR9TZM2&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BR9TZM2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BR9TZM2&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law</a>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFziEtZAY0b44fi0OaImPAq2dwIa9MhXt7386X_aUZ0Dcji0XSPo2vMg5V9b3jnBO39gY08xNnvoDjTSVmRWyYWTBmu3-R1_rAnF46fXaC2OMESpmD2tOkozUAwiGG2u8LRchtc1ZIGN3/s1600/R.+Nevada+S.P.I.+-+Alien+Law+by+E.K.+Gillcoan++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcFziEtZAY0b44fi0OaImPAq2dwIa9MhXt7386X_aUZ0Dcji0XSPo2vMg5V9b3jnBO39gY08xNnvoDjTSVmRWyYWTBmu3-R1_rAnF46fXaC2OMESpmD2tOkozUAwiGG2u8LRchtc1ZIGN3/s400/R.+Nevada+S.P.I.+-+Alien+Law+by+E.K.+Gillcoan++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">R. Nevada S.P.I. - Alien Law by E.K. Gillcoan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law by E.K. Gillcoan</b><br />
<br />
<i>Is an evil extraterrestrial corporation trying to control the minds of
our elected officials and dictate legislation? And if so, would anyone
notice a difference? Why does a US Senator's daughter seek out R.
Nevada, Strange Phenomena Investigator, for help in finding out what's
happening to her father?<br /><br />Mind reading devices, alien brain scan
machines, hypno-brooches, and lucid dreams all play a role in this
tongue-in-cheek story of the mind-altering efforts of malevolent beings.<br /><br />Join
seasoned investigator R. Nevada, the senator's daughter Ms. McGill,
cryptozoologist Carl Pukwudgie, and professor of anthropology Adam
Douglas as they encounter one strange phenomenon after another in their
search for the truth.
</i><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Author Quiz interviews E.K. Gillcoan...<br />
<br />
<b>If you had to sum up your book, R. Nevada, S.P.I - Alien Law, in three words, what would they be?</b><br />
Are you serious?<br />
<br />
<b>Where did the inspiration for your first novel (in this series), R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law, come from?</b><br />
The first book in this series is about an evil and powerful alien corporation applying mind control to members of the US Congress. I got the inspiration from reading and watching the news.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Would R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law work best as a movie adaptation or as a TV series?</b><br />
This is clearly a trick question. Okay, I'll say TV. No, wait. Movie. Maybe a made for TV movie? What kind of backend points are we talking about?<br />
<br />
<b>If you could choose someone famous to record your book in audiobook format, who would you choose as the voice and why?</b><br />
Well my first choice, naturally, would be Pee Wee Herman. But if he were unavailable I would settle for Morgan Freeman.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicICVKpYqXvd4EysFJpvD0PBLp_xCNNhi1BitOZICoa01lHZkQEEyiZ_1C393E9mulXzV_luZBBEEK03IHXlFPBzDAmPudD2tu5meTHhDcOrrWxRUZ4iSeR9ZtXEvS0lN0W5Kati7cbDkT/s1600/R.+Nevada,+S.P.I.+-+Steampunk+Alien+Invasion+by+E.K.+Gillicoan++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicICVKpYqXvd4EysFJpvD0PBLp_xCNNhi1BitOZICoa01lHZkQEEyiZ_1C393E9mulXzV_luZBBEEK03IHXlFPBzDAmPudD2tu5meTHhDcOrrWxRUZ4iSeR9ZtXEvS0lN0W5Kati7cbDkT/s320/R.+Nevada,+S.P.I.+-+Steampunk+Alien+Invasion+by+E.K.+Gillicoan++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Steampunk Alien Invasion<br />
is the forthcoming sequel to<br />
R.Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>If you could invite one character from your novels to a dinner party who would it be and why?</b><br />
Any of the aliens, but especially Hugo. He's a lot of fun when he's had a few pints!<br />
<br />
<b>When deciding on your book title what influences you most; potential sales or artistic integrity?</b><br />
Oh, artistic integrity, of course. What screams artistic integrity more than "Steampunk Alien Invasion"? And after all, artistic integrity is what sells...<br />
<br />
<b>Which book more than any other have you read and thought, 'I wish I'd written this book'?</b><br />
The Kama Sutra. Yes, that's the one...<br />
<br />
<b>Why would you recommend R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law to other readers?</b><br />
Hey, why not? Look, if someone wants to slog through 400 pages of ponderous descriptive overload written by some delusional guy after he ate a bowl of brightly colored fungus, that's just fine. But sometimes a reader just wants a light tasty salad rather than a heavy, sauce-drenched meal.<br />
<br />
<b>What sort of audience will your book, R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law most appeal to?</b><br />
Steampunkers, especially of the alien variety, and people, like myself, who stay up at night worrying about a Steampunk Alien Invasion. Also, those who occasionally want a break from all-too-serious sci-fi novels…<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Thanks for your comments, E.K., and good luck with your writing.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Discover more about R.Nevada, S.P.I. at the following link:<br />
<a href="http://rnevada.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Fictional Tongue-in-Cheeky Adventures of a Strange Phenomena Investigator</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSI6Z9RsBuSHtqRFvE14TuVMsaOmi246W5PfQ_i3or3w0wvLLwVolpap8R_sCB528t0dauu-VNtznehF07lwu2iBQvRY_EvRe5j1kO_Vjl7-hhbfN1pHYC4IwqFcnTyEVe6vnMQhdXxA_/s1600/E.K.+Gillicoan,+author+of+R.+Nevada,+S.P.I.+-+Steampunk+Alien+Invasion++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSI6Z9RsBuSHtqRFvE14TuVMsaOmi246W5PfQ_i3or3w0wvLLwVolpap8R_sCB528t0dauu-VNtznehF07lwu2iBQvRY_EvRe5j1kO_Vjl7-hhbfN1pHYC4IwqFcnTyEVe6vnMQhdXxA_/s320/E.K.+Gillicoan,+author+of+R.+Nevada,+S.P.I.+-+Steampunk+Alien+Invasion++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">E.K. Gillcoan, author of R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Follow E.K. Gillcoan on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/EKGillcoan" target="_blank">@EKGillcoan</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law by E.K. Gillcoan is available for the Kindle app from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BR9TZM2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BR9TZM2&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BR9TZM2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BR9TZM2&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law</a>
<br />
<br />
R. Nevada, S.P.I. - Alien Law is also available from the following online book stores:<br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/293053" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/r-nevada-spi-ek-gillcoan/1114821751?ean=2940044364196" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/r.-nevada-s.p.i.-alien-law/id617266566?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes</a><br />
<br />
<br />
E.K. Gillcoan's first collection of short stories, Beware Of The Prizes, is available from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CEP6UFS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CEP6UFS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Beware Of The Prizes by E.K. Gillcoan</a>
<br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CEP6UFS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00CEP6UFS&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Beware Of The Prizes by E.K. Gillcoan</a>
<br />
<br />
Quotes from a review of Beware Of The Prizes on Amazon.com:<br />
<i>"The short story is alive and well in Gillcoan's imaginative collection."</i><br />
<i>"Each story had a unique setting with well done, simple and
short world building that shows the artistry of the science fiction
short-story at its best."
</i><br />
...CorrinthiaCharles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-39466198960907078092013-06-14T09:13:00.000+01:002013-06-14T09:13:00.339+01:00Olivia Hugo, author of Black and WhiteBlack and White by Olivia Hugo is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BSIF06W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BSIF06W&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Black and White by Olivia Hugo</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BSIF06W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BSIF06W&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Black and White by Olivia Hugo</a>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXi99cIlomZv8bn9eyyjJGNp7tkht7vFrODk1m15jxPDLX7flQmxIPHyDIlofZJrbVimFDqjfrLPU9Z1AYOLVmMvMaxIx5vD3iuS1dLNr-qGzjL6JY0WfAvVSg6HdNrncQASm8gDkFoKl/s1600/Black+and+White+by+Olivia+Hugo+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXi99cIlomZv8bn9eyyjJGNp7tkht7vFrODk1m15jxPDLX7flQmxIPHyDIlofZJrbVimFDqjfrLPU9Z1AYOLVmMvMaxIx5vD3iuS1dLNr-qGzjL6JY0WfAvVSg6HdNrncQASm8gDkFoKl/s400/Black+and+White+by+Olivia+Hugo+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black and White: A tale of life and love in the city.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><b>Black and White by Olivia Hugo</b><br /><br />Samantha has a well-paid, challenging job in London. She’s just over 30, married and lives in a lovely flat in Clapham with her husband, Steve. Things are going well for her, or so they appear, but she’s worried. Is her job coming between her and Steve? Is it just becoming monotonous? Should she leave it? As she embarks on finding ways to improve her happiness and help her single friend Claire find the perfect man things take an unexpected turn…</i><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Author Quiz interviews Olivia Hugo...<br />
<b><br />Is there anything about you or your writing that makes you unique from other authors?</b><br />
I like to think that I'm a little different from many authors. I'm currently a Management Consultant full time - a job that typically doesn't allow much time to do anything else. However, I woke up one day with the inspiration for the start of a book in my head and felt compelled to write it down. Over the next month or so the rest of the book just came to me and I spent every spare moment trying to record it!<br />
<br />
The book itself is based around my job, which means that unlike many chick-lit books, the lead character has to live in the City and deal with a demanding career whilst sorting out her personal life. I wanted to write something that was more aligned with how I see life than a purely escapist plot line based in the countryside.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
<a name='more'></a><b>Would you expect yourself to be most creative as a writer shut off on a
desert island or immersing yourself in a busy social life?</b><br />
Whilst I would love the peace and quiet of a desert island for a while - the hustle and bustle of London can get a bit too much at times - I think I'd be useless as a writer if I was there. A key differentiator of my work is the focus on describing people and how they behave. I draw my inspiration from watching people and I remember particular interactions. I cannot imagine trying to do that entirely from scratch without being able to sense check against real people.<br />
<br />
<b>If your book, Black and White, was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?</b><br />
If my book was ever made into a movie then I'd want Gemma Arterton to be the lead actress playing Samantha. I enjoy her films, particularly Quantum of Solace and St Trinian's. I think she'd be perfect for the role because she is very versatile - she can play a strong woman on the outside but still be credible when faced with portraying self-doubt. She's also beautiful and that's never a bad thing in a movie.<br />
<br />
<b>If you could invite one character from your novel to a dinner party who would it be and why?</b><br />
If I could have dinner with one character from my book then it would have to be Patrick. He's a fabulous mix of being good looking, successful and charming. It's a heady combination in a man and I'm sure dinner would be absolutely fascinating. I'm just not sure that my husband would let me go!!<br />
<br />
<b>If you worked for a publishing house, what sort of books would you be looking to publish?</b><br />
If I worked for a publishing house then I'd try to focus on finding books that are slightly different. I know the mass market is driven by easy to read books but I would like to think there's also demand for carefully thought out and different books. I know there are fantastically successful 'copycat' series but I would want to be looking for something fresh and different, even if I didn't think there was going to be a direct follow up or a movie or whatever.<br />
<br />
<b>Do you have a favourite review or has anyone expressed a particularly
nice compliment about your writing which stands out as your most
memorable piece of praise?</b><br />
This is my first and only book so I don't have any experience of reviews until now. However, within a week of my book going live on Amazon I got a review from an American girl. She gave me 5 stars and wrote some beautiful things about my book. Arguably, she did a better job of describing the book than I did. I was both overjoyed and incredibly humbled by this response. I never imagined that anyone in America would even buy the book, let alone give it a 5 star review!<br />
<br />
<b>Would you rather sell 1000 books at $10/£10 each or 2000 books at $1/£1,
i.e. what gives you the greater sense of satisfaction; overall earnings
or overall sales?</b><br />
For me it's not about the money, per se. It was never my intention to try and live off my writing. In fact if you'd suggested that I might contemplate it six months ago, I think I would have laughed in your face. Going through school my English teacher was incredibly disparaging of my ability and I came out with B grades. Since then I've laboured under the impression that I'm 'no good at English'. So for me, the positive reviews and the fact that people are buying a book and not returning it straight away are enough! That said, I do think that people should pay for their entertainment (like music, movies and books) so I wouldn't want to give the book away completely free - as I did incur costs in writing it.<br />
<br />
<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing
their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
Try not to feel as if there is a right and a wrong way to proceed, just make sure that you take steps to get your book out there. You can afford to try some things, have it not work and then change tack if you need to. There are 6 billion people on the planet, even if you don't please 100 of them, there are still plenty left. It's easier than you think to publish the book yourself - just do a little bit every day or every other day and before you know it you'll have got your first sale. Good luck!<br />
<br />
<b>What sort of audience will your book, Black and White, most appeal to?</b><br />
I think the people most likely to enjoy my book are professional women in their 30s (although any age should be able to identify with it) who have demanding jobs in a City somewhere. That said, some of my male friends (aged up to their late 40s) have read my book and enjoyed it, so perhaps I shouldn't be so prescriptive! <br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Thanks for your comments, Olivia, and good luck with your writing.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Discover more about Olivia Hugo and her writing at her website:<br />
<a href="http://oliviahugo.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.oliviahugo.co.uk</a><br />
<br />
Follow Olivia Hugo on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/OliviaHugo" target="_blank">@OliviaHugo</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Black and White by Olivia Hugo is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BSIF06W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BSIF06W&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Black and White by Olivia Hugo</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BSIF06W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BSIF06W&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Black and White by Olivia Hugo</a>
Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-70965774893041751592013-06-08T09:13:00.000+01:002013-06-08T18:02:51.844+01:00Bianca Sloane, author of Live And Let DieLive And Let Die by Bianca Sloane is available for the Kindle app from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A3VSJKY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A3VSJKY&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Live and Let Die by Bianca Sloane</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A3VSJKY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00A3VSJKY&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Live and Let Die by Bianca Sloane</a>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsio_OQAXHm49pPPvMBVcn1b_8yqSTDBuW-1pl9LMDgIP2ymJ4ppAlIPxQjVAdWVLnGSw2Q6Ng65S_yy5UfqsbhZorIb-qPPVKlE6oEy0kMUaMeLkBZKQEhqw35guY0UBi0xiWtFgTLj2/s1600/Live+and+Let+Die+by+Bianca+Sloane+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsio_OQAXHm49pPPvMBVcn1b_8yqSTDBuW-1pl9LMDgIP2ymJ4ppAlIPxQjVAdWVLnGSw2Q6Ng65S_yy5UfqsbhZorIb-qPPVKlE6oEy0kMUaMeLkBZKQEhqw35guY0UBi0xiWtFgTLj2/s400/Live+and+Let+Die+by+Bianca+Sloane+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Live And Let Die by Bianca Sloane</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsio_OQAXHm49pPPvMBVcn1b_8yqSTDBuW-1pl9LMDgIP2ymJ4ppAlIPxQjVAdWVLnGSw2Q6Ng65S_yy5UfqsbhZorIb-qPPVKlE6oEy0kMUaMeLkBZKQEhqw35guY0UBi0xiWtFgTLj2/s1600/Live+and+Let+Die+by+Bianca+Sloane+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>Live And Let Die by Bianca Sloane</b><br />
<i><br />On a bitterly cold January evening, Tracy Ellis went for a jog along Chicago’s snowy lakefront and disappeared. Her body was discovered days later, her beautiful face bashed in with a rock. Police determine her brutal death to be a mugging gone wrong and drop the matter into their cold case files.<br /><br />Over a year later, Tracy’s sister, Sondra, still can’t come to grips with what happened. She throws herself into her work as a documentary filmmaker to try and forget the cruelty of her sister’s death. However, a chance encounter with a man from Tracy’s past rips the wound open and sends Sondra on a desperate search for answers about the secrets from her sister’s life that may have led to her death.<br /><br />As Sondra struggles to uncover what happened to Tracy, she’s launched into a tangled web of deceit and danger that put her on a collision course with life and death…</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Bianca Sloane<br />
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<b>What is it you love most about writing?</b><br />
I love the creativity of writing, the process of letting your imagination run wild and crafting a story around characters, places and situations that have been swirling around your head for weeks, months, even years. Most of all, writing is just so much fun to me; it’s hard to imagine doing anything else. <br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>What is it about your usual genre that appeals to you most as a writer?</b><br />
I write suspense novels about the dark side of love and for me, the suspense genre allows me to delve into the complicated emotional bonds that exist between husbands and wives, lovers, even friends – and how those bonds can fray to the point of murder. <br />
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<b>If you could choose someone famous to record your book in audiobook format, who would you choose as the voice and why?</b><br />
What a great question! If I could choose someone famous to record the audiobook for “Live and Let Die,” it would be Halle Berry. Her voice has such a smooth, soothing quality to it, that I think it would really do my characters justice. <br />
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<b>Are any of your characters based heavily on people you know or have met from real life and if so, would they regard it as a compliment or an insult to discover they were the inspiration for the character in question?</b><br />
Sondra and Tracy, the sisters in “Live and Let Die,” are somewhat based on my two younger sisters – one is a total princess and the other one could care less what she’s wearing. They think it’s funny I incorporated a bit of them into my characters and take it as a compliment. <br />
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<b>Are there any good book blogs or websites you would recommend, both for discovering new books and authors, and also for promoting your own work?</b><br />
There are so many incredible websites that are so supportive of indie authors. Some that I would recommend authors check out are:<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2036726392"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.bookmatchers.com/" target="_blank">www.bookmatchers.com</a><br />
<a href="http://wapiaponi.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">wapiaponi.wordpress.com</a><br />
<a href="http://bookgoodies.com/" target="_blank">www.bookgoodies.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.blackcaviar-bookclub.com/" target="_blank">www.blackcaviar-bookclub.com</a><br />
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<b>Do you foresee more and more authors making a living from their writing?</b><br />
Definitely. It’s a great time to be an author, as the role of the traditional gatekeeper has changed, allowing a lot more talented and unique voices to emerge and do really well. This has been last creative industry to really embrace the indie point of view, as the indie filmmaker and indie musician have been lauded for years. It was bound to happen in publishing. <br />
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<b>What strategy do you use for getting reviews? </b><br />
I’ve never asked friends or family to provide me with book reviews, nor will I. It kind of irks me to see a poorly written, poorly edited book bursting with glowing 4 and 5 star reviews. The only conclusion you can draw is that friends and family provided the reviews, which I think ultimately does more harm than good for not only that author, but all indie authors. <br />
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My personal strategy has been to request reviews from book bloggers and develop those relationships. I googled “suspense book bloggers,” and started combing the Internet for bloggers interested in reviewing suspense books. From there, I created an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of the names and just started requesting reviews. It’s a lot of work, takes a lot of time and not everyone you ask will want to give you a review. However, I think it’s a great way to cultivate readers over the long haul and worth the investment of time. I’ve even had some readers say they bought my book specifically because of a good review from a book blogger.<br />
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<b>Can you remember the moment when you logged into your author account and discovered you had made your first sale?</b><br />
I think I may have gasped and then was a little surprised, then a little happy. Then I went back to working on my next book.<br />
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<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
First, once you finish your manuscript, take a little bit of time away from it, then come back and read the work with fresh eyes. It’s amazing how much perspective you gain when you do that. <br />
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Second, once you feel it’s “perfect,” find a brutally honest friend or family member to act as your “First Reader” and give you feedback. I’d also recommend finding a critique partner. I found mine through <a href="http://www.ladieswhocritique.com/" target="_blank">www.ladieswhocritique.com</a> and she’s awesome. I think it’s really critical to get the eye of another writer who can alert you to plot holes, structural issues, etc, that you or your First Reader may have missed. <br />
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If you decide to go the Indie route, research, research, research. Learn absolutely everything you can about this business. A great resource is J.A. Konrath’s blog. Even better, buy his ebook, “Newbies Guide to Publishing.” He gives great, unvarnished advice and insight about the publishing industry from all sides. <br />
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Even if you decide to pursue a traditional publishing deal, research, research, research.<br />
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Further, if you decide to go the indie route, the three best things you can do are to find a professional cover designer (unless you’re a crack designer) a professional formatter and a professional proofreader. I cannot stress this last one enough. Do not put your faith in your own self-editing skills. I promise you, no matter how good you think you are, you will miss you something. Do not rely on your best friend or your cousin to proof your book as a favor. Find someone who charges money and has an extensive background in proofreading. Readers will nail you for typos, grammar and other infractions. Hiring a professional is the best and most important investment you can make in your book and ultimately in your career as a professional author.<br />
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<b>What sort of audience will your book, “Live and Let Die” most appeal to?</b><br />
“Live and Let Die” will appeal to women (and maybe even a few men!) who love watching Lifetime movies during the day, then switching over to watch the Investigation Discovery channel at night. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bianca Sloane, author of Live and Let Die</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thanks for your comments, Bianca, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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Discover more about Bianca Sloane and her writing at her website and blog:<br />
<a href="http://www.biancasloane.com/" target="_blank">www.biancasloane.com</a><br />
<a href="http://biancasloane.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">biancasloane.blogspot.com</a><br />
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Follow Bianca Sloane on twitter and pinterest:<br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/biancasloane" target="_blank">@BiancaSloane</a><br />
Pinterest: <a href="http://pinterest.com/biancasloane/" target="_blank">Bianca Sloane</a><br />
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Live And Let Die by Bianca Sloane is available for the Kindle app from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A3VSJKY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A3VSJKY&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Live and Let Die by Bianca Sloane</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A3VSJKY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00A3VSJKY&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Live and Let Die by Bianca Sloane</a>
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<br />
And also available from Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and Kobo Books:<br />
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/282988" target="_blank">Smashwords</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/live-and-let-die-bianca-sloane/1114337668?ean=2940016337432" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Live-and-Let-Die/book-AoPPHNGO-UePvL2d0pKAoA/page1.html" target="_blank">Kobo Books</a>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-48710335306059425402013-06-01T09:18:00.000+01:002013-06-01T10:01:22.549+01:00Christine Lindsay, author of Captured by MoonlightCaptured by Moonlight by Christine Lindsay is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BG1ZMFA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BG1ZMFA&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Captured by Moonlight (Twilight of the British Raj) by Christine Lindsay</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BG1ZMFA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BG1ZMFA&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Captured by Moonlight (Twilight of the British Raj) by Christine Lindsay</a>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captured by Moonlight by Christine Lindsay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Captured by Moonlight by Christine Lindsay</b><br />
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<i>Prisoners to their own broken dreams…<br /><br />After a daring rescue goes
awry, Laine Harkness and her friend Eshana flee to the tropical south of
India…and headlong into their respective pasts.<br /><br />Laine takes a
nursing position at a plantation in the jungle, only to discover that
her former fiancé is the owner…but fun-loving Laine refuses to let Adam
crush her heart like he had years ago.<br />Eshana, captured by her
traditional uncle and forced once more into the harsh Hindu customs of
mourning, doubts freedom will ever be hers again, much less the
forbidden love that had begun to flower.<br /><br />Amid cyclones, epidemics, and clashing faiths, will the love of the True Master give hope to these searching hearts?
</i><br />
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Author Quiz interviews Christine Lindsay...<br />
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<b>Do you ever feel yourself becoming quite emotional when writing a particularly intense scene and is there a specific passage in particular where this was the case?</b><br />
I get teary-eyed when I kill off one of my characters. This happened when I allowed one of my Indian characters to die in the infamous Jallianwalla Bagh massacre in India 1919. At the same time I really enjoyed writing her death scene.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Where did the inspiration for your novels come from?</b><br />
The inspiration for my books, Shadowed in Silk and Captured by Moonlight, came from reading my favorite novelist, the Great MM Kaye who wrote blockbusters like Far Pavilions and Shadow of the Moon. If I was ever going to write a book, it would have to be as exciting as her books, full of adventure, action, romance, blood, death, history, but from a Christian viewpoint, and with an inspirational message.<br />
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<b>If you were to write a story featuring a fictional character from any movie of your choice, who would you choose and why?</b><br />
I absolutely adored The Painted Veil that featured Edward Norton. He did an amazing job as an Englishman with a stiff upper lip but simmering inwardly for his wife played by Naomi Watts who had betrayed him. <br />
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Love all that simmering romantic stuff, and so I’d love to rewrite their ending. Give them a happy one. The bittersweet was wonderful though.<br />
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<b>Have you ever written a supporting character who took on a life of their own or turned out to be far more popular than expected and if so do you have plans to feature them as the lead character in a story of their own?</b><br />
Yes, that happened with the secondary character Laine Harkness is Shadowed in Silk. This feisty type “A” personality nurse just after WW1 absolutely demanded that I write her story. I write Christian Historical inspirational novels, but about realistic individuals. Laine is not only a hoot with her wit, but she’s so real with her sexuality that she doesn’t know what to do with since she is unmarried. No doubt that’s why she makes such a great nurse—all the sexual energy has to go somewhere, might as well be work.<br />
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<b>When deciding on your book title what influences you most; potential sales or artistic integrity?</b><br />
Always in every writing/publishing decision I make, it is with artistic integrity. Ultimately, I have to feel proud of what I put out there. If it doesn’t please me, then how can I expect it to please others? I always want to be honest with my readers.<br />
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<b>How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?</b><br />
The Ebook is changing everything. I’m happy for this new technological opportunity. I think the Ebook makes it easier for people to obtain books, and that this will encourage people to read more. It’s a great advance in the world of publishing.<br />
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<b>What are some of your favorite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
"Shadowed in Silk will keep you up long past your bedtime--each time you want to put it down, you tell yourself, just one more page, just one more page..." 5 stars.<br />
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"The novel truly transports you right to India, and I found myself feeling as if I was really watching and listening to the events, rather than just reading a book. The story is thoroughly engrossing, so be prepared to have plenty of time because you probably will not be able to put it down." 5 stars.<br />
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"Shadowed in Silk sort of reminded me of a Christian version of The English Patient." 5 stars<br />
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"I was hooked from page one and literally burned the midnight oil reading this one, something I haven't done in a long while!" 5 stars<br />
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"This book was so wonderful and emotionally involving that it took me away from what I should have been doing. I pushed aside everything and kept reading." 5 stars.<br />
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<b>Would you rather have great reviews but average sales or great sales but average reviews?</b><br />
I’d rather have great reviews but average sales. Reason being, I want to know I have written something that has quality. Sometimes quality gets pushed aside for something cheaper that titillates, but doesn’t truly satisfy. As a Christian artist, I’m in for the long haul, something that can stand the test of time.<br />
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<b>Which book more than any other have you read and thought, 'I wish I'd written this book'?</b><br />
Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke—this award-winning Christian novelist writes the way I like to write, and hope that I do. She writes about realistic events in history that we in our modern-day world need to be reminded of. This was true of Band of Sisters, a novel about white slavery at the turn of the 19th century. The whole concept of true Christian do not turn their faces away from those suffering in the sex trade, but do what Jesus would do, and help them. <br />
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<b>Who do you see as your target audience?</b><br />
My target audience is Christian women between the ages 20 and 55 who enjoy inspirational novels with realistic bent to them, such as those who like Cathy Gohlke above. Other writers that are similar to my type of writing are Francine Rivers, Tamera Alexandra, Sarah Sundin.<br />
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Thanks for your comments, Christine, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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Discover more about Christine Lindsay and her writing at her website:<br />
<a href="http://www.christinelindsay.com/" target="_blank">www.christinelindsay.com</a><br />
<br />
Christine's website features an online sample of the first two chapters of Captured by Moonlight:<br />
<a href="http://www.christinelindsay.org/p/captured-by-moonlight.html" target="_blank">Read the first two chapters of Captured by Moonlight online at Christine's website</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDUjRH6-pZJkWRpJwbTA2rsrFiZ8xxdkzgq7gz5k_71Y4J8301IyK27WN5frN8hMB44YXM4X4bbHeWMCOMizV__jsxJW1HJ207JEB7uKuidd42nimF0vPFb_Atz938BApDRyvvbVT-tk9/s1600/Christine+Lindsay,+author+of+Captured+by+Moonlight++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDUjRH6-pZJkWRpJwbTA2rsrFiZ8xxdkzgq7gz5k_71Y4J8301IyK27WN5frN8hMB44YXM4X4bbHeWMCOMizV__jsxJW1HJ207JEB7uKuidd42nimF0vPFb_Atz938BApDRyvvbVT-tk9/s1600/Christine+Lindsay,+author+of+Captured+by+Moonlight++authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christine Lindsay, author of Captured by Moonlight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Follow Christine Lindsay on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChristineLindsayAuthor" target="_blank">Christine Lindsay Author</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CLindsayWriter" target="_blank">@CLindsayWriter</a><br />
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Check out the Captured by Moonlight trailer on YouTube:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUQ03D-rhk0" target="_blank">Captured by Moonlight trailer</a><br />
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Captured by Moonlight by Christine Lindsay is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BG1ZMFA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BG1ZMFA&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Captured by Moonlight (Twilight of the British Raj) by Christine Lindsay</a>
<br />
UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BG1ZMFA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00BG1ZMFA&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Captured by Moonlight (Twilight of the British Raj) by Christine Lindsay</a>
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Christine's debut novel, Shadowed by Silk, is also available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US:
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Z1U2W6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004Z1U2W6&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Shadowed in Silk by Christine Lindsay</a>
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UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004Z1U2W6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004Z1U2W6&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Shadowed in Silk by Christine Lindsay</a>
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Captured by Moonlight is also available from Barnes and Noble:<br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/captured-by-moonlight-christine-lindsay/1114716317" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-903337777545872570.post-58368446019665070692013-05-25T09:15:00.000+01:002013-05-25T09:15:00.234+01:00John Scanlan, author of Of Guilt and Innocence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Of Guilt and Innocence by John Scanlan is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZ2P346/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AZ2P346&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Of Guilt and Innocence by John Scanlan</a>
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UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AZ2P346/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00AZ2P346&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Of Guilt and Innocence by John Scanlan</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZX6okB14FxoQaGwq04FyI5VaiOSVXLoaAqPbXnrYuIhaXuhE5ljq1usBFY0VQl8dIgNXjjITWCbzW6PZ9jMgDEvp-mIumqOQOm7_GMemefGP6BHkaotnuyV-CpI27AvAClM6EnPvtFJz/s1600/Of+Guilt+and+Innocence+by+John+Scanlan+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZX6okB14FxoQaGwq04FyI5VaiOSVXLoaAqPbXnrYuIhaXuhE5ljq1usBFY0VQl8dIgNXjjITWCbzW6PZ9jMgDEvp-mIumqOQOm7_GMemefGP6BHkaotnuyV-CpI27AvAClM6EnPvtFJz/s400/Of+Guilt+and+Innocence+by+John+Scanlan+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of Guilt and Innocence by John Scanlan</td></tr>
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<b>Of Guilt and Innocence by John Scanlan</b><br />
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<i>A missing five year old Boca Raton girl. An elderly murder victim in Davie connected to a long dormant serial killer. Two frantic police investigations searching for and finding the truth. About everyone.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdw5niwH70wGG9femjeuxi6SDAYroYW7kK1YGr9R-kZFDq4NNbX6EB3A2cCkdr-Qtr0Y7Ec3BHBIbmAnxTcn71xXeTEIsdDU8OGOUd9Aqr1nfmLphhanPS-yZX4Uqot0-R_ZnHaRom06U9/s1600/John+Scanlan,+author+of+Of+Guilt+and+Innocence+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>. . . . . . . .<br />
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Author Quiz interviews John Scanlan...<br />
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<b>Is there anything about you or your writing that makes you unique from other authors?</b><br />
Writing began for me quite out of the blue. It was a secret hobby that I one day decided to give a shot. I have been a police officer in Palm Beach, Florida, for the past 8 years and it goes without saying that being a police officer influences my writing. But I feel what sets me apart from other crime writers isn't that I know proper policy and procedures police officers and detectives would follow. It's that I know the emotions of first responders. I know what investigators go through when they deal with difficult situations. And as a father of two small daughters I know how that then affects your perspective on things. I tend to portray those emotions more in my writing than others because, even though it is often overlooked, it is a major part of criminal investigations.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>If you were to write a novel outside your usual genre, which genre would you like to experiment with and why?</b><br />
I would LOVE to write a comedy. I have a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor. I enjoy making people laugh but I don't like taking the easiest route to it. I really like comedies that not only make you laugh but make you think. And it just so happens I have one in the works!<br />
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<b>If you were to write a story featuring a fictional character from any movie of your choice, who would you choose and why?</b><br />
My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. So my obvious choice would be "The Dude". I love the character in the film because he's a deadbeat and hippy, but he's also got a sharp sense of humor. It's what makes the movie great. Though he claims to be a pacifist, his sarcasm and, at times, ornery attitude suggest otherwise. Working him into a crime novel would be a blast. That actually give me an idea...<br />
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<b>If you could invite one character from your novel to a dinner party who would it be and why?</b><br />
I'd have to say the character I'd enjoy hosting would be Jim Brekkenridge. He tells it like it is and doesn't care who's feelings he hurts. I'd enjoy a candid conversation with him I think.<br />
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<b>Do you have any useful marketing tips for other authors?</b><br />
Think outside the box. Unless you're signed to a big publishing house chances are just having a book published won't be enough to draw reader's interests. Think about what makes a good story to sell your story. I'm a police officer who wrote a novel. Not something you find every day. Working that angle was much better for me than simply saying "Hey! John Scanlan wrote a crime novel and it sells at Amazon."<br />
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<b>What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?</b><br />
Early on when my book was released, the first sets of reviews I received were from family and friends. Not exactly objective. But I remember the first objective piece of feedback I received from a reader. She compared me to Michael Connelly. I was high on that for days.<br />
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<b>Would you rather sell 1000 books at $10/£10 each or 2000 books at $1/£1,
i.e. what gives you the greater sense of satisfaction; overall earnings
or overall sales?</b><br />
First, I'd be lying if I told you I don't care how much money I make on my novel, Of Guilt and Innocence. That being said, I would get a much greater sense of satisfaction from overall sales. To me, it's about laying a foundation for the future. I want to get my novel in as many hands as possible. Not so much for monetary reasons, but to build a readership for the future. If I sell 2000 books at $1 per copy I might make less than 1000 books at $10 a copy, however, I have a greater potential for my next book to be successful.<br />
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<b>What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing
their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?</b><br />
For the love of God, be patient. I am about the most impatient person there is and when I finished my first novel I wanted to immediately send query letters to everyone who had ever read a book. Be patient. Develop a plan of attack. Study up on the best way to go about getting published and what suits your particular needs and goals.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdw5niwH70wGG9femjeuxi6SDAYroYW7kK1YGr9R-kZFDq4NNbX6EB3A2cCkdr-Qtr0Y7Ec3BHBIbmAnxTcn71xXeTEIsdDU8OGOUd9Aqr1nfmLphhanPS-yZX4Uqot0-R_ZnHaRom06U9/s1600/John+Scanlan%252C+author+of+Of+Guilt+and+Innocence+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdw5niwH70wGG9femjeuxi6SDAYroYW7kK1YGr9R-kZFDq4NNbX6EB3A2cCkdr-Qtr0Y7Ec3BHBIbmAnxTcn71xXeTEIsdDU8OGOUd9Aqr1nfmLphhanPS-yZX4Uqot0-R_ZnHaRom06U9/s320/John+Scanlan%252C+author+of+Of+Guilt+and+Innocence+authorquiz.blogspot.com.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Scanlan, author of Of Guilt and Innocence</td></tr>
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<b><span id="goog_1422866781"></span><span id="goog_1422866782"></span><span id="goog_1422866791"></span><span id="goog_1422866792"></span>Why should people buy your book, Of Guilt and Innocence?</b><br />
I think people should buy my crime novel, Of Guilt and Innocence, because, simply put, it's just a good story. It has a suspenseful plot that will make you want to keep reading and it is such an easy read that it won't take you two months to finish it. You will run the gamut of emotions with each character as more and more is revealed. And even though it is a crime novel, in the end, you will realize the characters aren't only defined by their culpability in a court of law. They are defined by their character. Like in real life.<br />
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Thanks for your comments, John, and good luck with your writing.<br />
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Discover more about author John Scanlan at his website:<br />
<a href="http://johnfscanlan.weebly.com/" target="_blank">johnfscanlan.weebly.com</a><br />
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Of Guilt and Innocence by John Scanlan is available for Kindle from Amazon:<br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZ2P346/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AZ2P346&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Of Guilt and Innocence by John Scanlan</a>
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UK:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AZ2P346/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00AZ2P346&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Of Guilt and Innocence by John Scanlan</a>
Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0