Broken Pieces

Showing posts with label Authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Authors. Show all posts

Author Interview – Dora Machado @DoraMachado

Image of Dora Machado

What books have influenced your life the most?

I’m one of those people who think that the human mind is influenced by every contact and every read, no matter how casual or light. As a young woman growing up in the Dominican Republic, I was exposed to many different influences. I thrived on young adult novels from Louisa May Alcott. I loved Enid Blyton and blazed through The Famous Five, The Seven Secrets and The Malory Towers series. I think I wanted to be a student at Malory Towers as much as my kids wanted to go to school at Hogwarts!

But, talk about being a hybrid of many worlds! At the same time I was reading Louisa May Alcott and Enid Blyton, I was also reading the Latin American classics. Books such as A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosas, and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende left lasting impressions. I also tapped into my parents’ wonderful library, enjoying the Russians (I favored Tolstoy), the French (Victor Hugo), the Germans (Eric Maria Remarque), the Spanish (Jose Maria Gironella), and the Americans (Hemingway, always Hemingway).

Later, when I came to the States, I discovered fantasy and was dazzled by J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen Donaldson, Frank Herbert, Robert Jordan, and George R.R. Martin, way before he became popular, I should add. I also fell in love with commercial fiction. Diana Gabaldon, Bernard Cornwell and Anne Rice are some of my all-time favorites.

Does your book have an underlying message that readers should know about?

We don’t have to be magical to be strong. We just have to believe in ourselves.

Do you do another job except for writing?

Not anymore! These days I’m lucky enough to write full time and I’m enjoying every minute of it.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?

Writing for me is a natural fit. Yes, the hours are long and the obsession can take a toll, but I love all of it, and therefore I thrive on it. I think the most challenging aspect of writing a novel has to do with the time and dedication required and the tough choices you have to make in order to get it done.  To be honest, sometimes I think that my biggest challenge is the part that comes after writing the books. I love my readers. There’s nothing that I enjoy more than meeting them and hearing from them. I can talk about my books until after the cows come home. But self-promotion? Yikes. It just doesn’t come naturally to me.

What genre would you place your books into?

Like the Stonewiser series, The Curse Giver falls into the fantasy genre and fits well in the subcategories of epic fantasy, dark fantasy and fantasy romance.

When or where do you get your best writing ideas?

The shower, definitively the shower. Maybe it’s because I can’t sing, so instead, I think. Seriously, I think that after a long night writing, a hot shower relaxes the body, clears the mind and allows the stories to flow. I also get a lot of ideas in my dreams when I’m asleep. Driving is good too. In fact, I have a pen and pad always ready in my car. The scribbles are really hard to read, and so that you know, I only update my notes during long red lights.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people, or are they totally from your imagination?

My characters belong to my imagination, and yet my imaginary worlds feel very real to me.

Besides books, what else do you write?  Do you write for publications?

I keep up with my newsletter http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php. and my blog http://www.doramachado.com/blog/and, occasionally, I guest post on other sites. I have a regular gig on Wednesdays at http://murderby4.blogspot.com/, a wonderful community that has been selected by Writer’s Digest Magazine as one of the best top 100 websites for writers several years in a row. Come by and check us out.  I have also written short stories for anthologies. But whenever possible, I spend my time writing novels.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

It was an awesome feeling and I celebrated with more writing, by finishing my second book.

How do you think book publishing has changed over the years?

I think the book publishing industry has been through some cataclysmic changes in the last few years. Just look at how the rise of Amazon has completely changed the field. The advent of the e-book, the decline of the bookstore, the growth explosion of the self-publishing industry, these are only a few of the elements that have contributed to reshape the industry. From the technical innovations that have reshaped the industry, to our attitudes about reading, writing and publishing, to the shifts in how we read, buy and promote books, I’m blown away every day by how fast and thoroughly the industry is channeling change.

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

Hmm. I think I’m really hard-working.

What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?

I’m always a little leery of giving anyone advice because writing is a highly individual process and people write for all kinds of different reasons. Writing for me is a craft but also an indulgence and an adventure. But I think questions are the aspiring writer’s best friend. Why do you want to write? What do you want to accomplish when you write? What are you willing to give up in order to write?  If you can answer some of these questions, then you can begin to set a path for yourself. If you are a true writer—whether you publish your stories or not—you will always write.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

I’m currently working on several different projects, including a contemporary dark fantasy with a Latin twist and another standalone fantasy romance that takes place in the world of The Curse Giver. It’s not a sequel, not exactly, but rather a related novel. It’s currently called The Soul Chaser.  Also, the Stonewiser series is coming out in audiobook. The first book of the trilogy, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, is already available at http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Stonewiser-Audiobook/B00F52CJIY/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1379186069&sr=1-1. Take a listen. It’s good, old-fashioned storytelling at its very best.

Thank you for this interview, Dora.  Can you tell us where we can find you on the web?

To learn more about me and my novels, you can visit my website at www.doramachado.com or contact me at Dora@doramachado.com. You can also read my blog at http://www.doramachado.com/blog/, sign up for my newsletter at http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php, and follow me on Facebook and Twitter. For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, go to  http://twilighttimesbooks.com/TheCurseGiver_ch1.html or you can catch the book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv8WFYpdqQo&feature=youtu.be

Thanks again for introducing me to your wonderful readers.

Curse Giver

Lusielle's bleak but orderly life as a remedy mixer is shattered when she is sentenced to die for a crime she didn't commit. She's on the pyre, about to be burned, when a stranger breaks through the crowd and rescues her from the flames. Brennus, Lord of Laonia is the last of his line. He is caught in the grip of a mysterious curse that has murdered his kin, doomed his people and embittered his life. To defeat the curse, he must hunt a birthmark and kill the woman who bears it in the foulest of ways. Lusielle bears such a mark. Stalked by intrigue and confounded by the forbidden passion flaring between them, predator and prey must come together to defeat not only the vile curse, but also the curse giver who has already conjured their demise.

Award-Winning Finalist in the fantasy category of The 2013 USA Best Book Awards, sponsored by USA Book News

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Genre – Fantasy/Dark Fantasy

Rating – PG-18

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Connect with Dora Machado on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.doramachado.com/

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Author Interview – Deidre D Havrelock @deidrehavrelock

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What is one book everyone should read?

Since I’m a fan of good Christian theology, but I also enjoy story…I think I’ll pick The Shack by Wm. Paul Young. Of course, everyone has already read this book, but if you’re one of the few people who haven’t then you should. The book is just packed full of interesting tid-bits—you never know what you’re going to get out of it.

Another favorite of mine is Scivias by St. Hildegard…it’s a book of visions; but for top memoir pick, I choose The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This book is sad, but it makes you laugh because her family is super crazy. For a good exorcism book, I pick Hostage to the Devil by Malachi Martin. You think my story is weird, wait ’til you read the personal accounts in this book!

If you were a superhero what would your name be?

I’d be Super Sensitive. I’m a naturally spiritually sensitive chick.

If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

Those dreams where you can fly, those are the best. So I pick flying. I don’t want to be stretchy—that’s too weird. And I don’t want to be anything where I’m naked, like the invisible woman. I don’t like being cold.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Vanilla…but I read somewhere that only really complicated people choose vanilla!

If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose?

First I’d like to spend some time with Jesus and learn as much as I could about whatever he wanted to talk about. But I’d also really like to meet Joan of Arc. That would be cool. We’d hang out in my back yard and sip iced coffee and tell God-stories where crazy stuff happens. I think we’d get along. Yeah, we’d be best friends.


Living the testimony

We testify in accordance with what we know and have experienced.

…It’s time to learn and experience more!

The first book in this thought-provoking series explained how testimony relates to the Bible; this book will help you understand how testimony relates to living. Living…The Testimony will not only encourage Christians to reflect on who they believe Jesus to be (and why they choose to believe this), but it will also correct current misconstrued ideas as to what the Christian testimony is all about.

- a testimony is not about church;

- a testimony is not about God;

- a testimony is not about faith in general terms;

- this book contains numerous testimonies that will strengthen your faith in Jesus.

A strong Christian testimony is one that continually grows in the knowledge of Jesus, continually shares that knowledge boldly, while at the same time performs good works based on Jesus’ teaching of love—all while abstaining from works of darkness.

Because a biblical testimony deals not only with our belief system, but also with the way we conduct our whole lives, our Christian testimony becomes our most valuable asset. It is life itself.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Christian Living

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Deidre Havrelock on Twitter

Website www.deidrehavrelock.com

 

Quality Reads UK Book Club Disclosure: Author interview / guest post has been submitted by the author and previously used on other sites.

Author Interview - J.B. McCauley @MccauleyJay

Image of J B McCauleyWhen you get free time on the internet or you go to the library – what do you want to read about?

Current Affairs and History

Do you find the time to read?

Not as much as I would like

Last book you purchased? Tell us about it.

The Acid King. A book based on the Rolling Stones drug bust in the 70’s. Very good

Who do you admire?

Nelson Mandela and Mohammad Ali.

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

My sense of humour

King of Sunday Morning

The King of Sunday Morning is a geezer. Not in the traditional sense of the word as in old man. This geezer is a face, a wannabe, a top notch bloke. He is the greatest DJ that never was. He should have been. Could have been. Would have been. Now becoming a has-been.

Tray McCarthy was born into privilege but with the genetic coding of London’s violent East End. Having broken the underworld’s sacred honour code, it is only his family’s gangland connections that save him. But in return for his life, he must deny that which he has ever known or ever will be and runs to Australia where he is forced to live an inconsequential life.

But trouble never strays far from Tray McCarthy and eventually his past and present collide to put everyone he has ever loved in danger. He must now make a stand and fight against those that are set to destroy him and play their game according to his rules.

Set against the subterfuge and violence of the international drugs trade, The King of Sunday Morning is the tale of what can go wrong when you make bad decisions. Tray McCarthy has made some of the worst. He must now save those he holds dear but in the process gets trapped deeper and deeper into a world where he doesn’t belong.

“I want three pump-action shotguns, about twelve sticks of dynamite and a blowtorch”

THIS BOOK CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE, FREQUENT DRUG USE AND SEX SCENES – NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PEOPLE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE

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Genre – Thriller, Action, Suspense, Gangster, Crime, Music

Rating – PG-18

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Connect with J.B. McCauley on Facebook & Twitter

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Quality Reads UK Book Club Disclosure: Author interview / guest post has been submitted by the author and previously used on other sites.

Author Interview – Sarah Krisch

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What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?
My family.  We have three happy, healthy boys.  I met my husband in high school and we’ve been together ever since.  What we’ve built together, it’s like a dream come true.
What’s your favorite place in the entire world?
Realistically?  I would say Grand Haven, Michigan.  It’s a short drive for our busy family.  We’ve vacationed there a number of times, enjoying the quiet beaches and nearby small towns.  Laying in a hammock and a good book is serenity.
How long have you been writing?
About three years.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
I love writing romance, but I can picture writing paranormal and even a thriller at some time down the road.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My husband has been writing since high school.  He’s been a published author for over a decade and over the years I’ve always been his first reader.  I guess you could say I’ve become a writer out of osmosis.  After giving my input for so long, I finally decided I wanted to tackle my own stories.  While Glen mostly writes horror stories, I much prefer HEA (happily ever afters).
Write now I write because I enjoy it.  Even with indie publishing, I think selling the amount of books it would take to make writing a career is still a lot like winning the lottery.  Sure, some people win, but the odds are against it.
Julia
A failed actress, twenty-something Julia McCarthy begins writing a fictionalized blog as a form of self-therapy. Based on her carefree summers at her grandparents’ farm, she never expects her little experiment to garner a viral following, but it does. Boy, does it ever.
Now, with thousands of loyal blog followers, and a syndication deal with the Chicago Herald, Julia is approached by GreenTV to adapt her blog into a TV show. The producers see her as a “Rachel Ray on the Prairie-type”. She sees herself as a fraud.
In Julia’s fictional world, she’s successful. She can pay her bills on time. Heck, she even has a fictional gorgeous husband and charming little boy. Ready to realize her dreams, Julia returns to her grandparents’ farm to shoot the TV pilot.
Brad Taylor is definitely not her type: he’s rugged, sensible, and oh-so smug about learning that Julia’s blog is a farce. As the manager of her grandparent’s farm, Brad doesn’t have time to deal with whimsical women who don’t even know how to cook.
Julia can’t allow her attraction to Brad to distract her, not when her dreams are about to come true. But are these truly her dreams, her good life?
A fun, fast (150 pages) contemporary romance
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Genre – Contemporary Romance
Rating – PG-13
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Connect with Sarah Krisch on Facebook
Quality Reads UK Book Club Disclosure: Author interview / guest post has been submitted by the author and previously used on other sites.

Author Interview – Ramz Artso @RamzArtso

Image of Ramzan Artsikaev

Who do you admire?

I admire billionaires. Not because of their money, though, but because of the charitable causes they promote. Take Michael Bloomberg, for instance. That man is an extremely avid philanthropist, and I respect him immensely for that.

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

Consistency.

What is your favorite food?

Junk food. I love anything spicy, too. And, although it’s not exactly relevant, I love Red Bull and Powerade. The former more than the latter.

What is your least favorite quality about yourself?

Rare episodes of stupidity.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

I love Einstein’s quote about imagination being more important than knowledge. I like it because it’s true and sort of inspiring.

Ramz_cover_3_blueBG_1800x2560

Peter Simmons thinks he is an ordinary boy, before he is abducted by a man with certain special abilities, learns of his inescapable destiny, befriends immortals and becomes famous wordlwide. Why? Because Peter Simmons is mankind’s last hope for survival.

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Genre – Young-adult, Action and Adventure, Coming of Age, Sci-fi

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author and the book

Connect with  Ramz Artso on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://ramzartso.blogspot.com/

Author Interview – Michael J. Webb @mjwebbbooks

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Why did you choose to write this particular book?

I regularly drive long distances and have a great deal of time to think.  One morning, as I was headed to an appointment, the opening lines from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities scrolled through my mind unexpectedly:  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.”

As I meditated on those powerful words in terms of the present condition of our fallen world, a fascinating thought popped into my head.  What would happen if my wife and I were on a commercial airliner that crashed within a few minutes of takeoff killing everyone on board—except us!  We awaken exactly 24 hours later, at home, in our bed, dressed in the same clothes we’d worn to the airport.  How would we explain what happened to us?

What was the hardest part about writing this book?

Finding a way to successfully integrate multiple points of view from my various key characters.  I started out with only two primary characters, Ethan Freeman and Sam Weaver.  The other characters were supposed to be supporting actors and actress.  Well, a funny thing happened along the way to the final cut.  My supporting characters took on fascinating lives of their own.  They also began to take over my story!

I found myself inundated with demands from them to give each of them more screen time.  Not to mention, I fell in love with every one of them. It was very hard to say no.  I knew I was treading on thin ice, not to mention breaking a number of key writing “rules,” but they were relentless.  I struggled to keep them in their place until I decided that the best way was to try and mimic stylistically what Tolkien did with his characters.

Not surprisingly, it was a daunting task. The jury is still out on whether or not I even

came close to achieving my goal.  In my own mind, I know I have a long way to go as a writer before I can even think about being mentioned in the same breath as Tolkien, but it’s not a bad goal to set.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Most of us, sadly, see the world three-dimensionally.  But, as Rod Serling, the creator of The Twilight Zone was fond of saying: There is another dimension–a fourth dimension. A dimension not of sight or sound, or taste or touch, or hearing, but one that overlays the one we accept as the “real” world. A parallel universe layered over the terrestrial realm like a gossamer veil. In order to “see” into this realm and interact with it we must use gifts given to us by God that transcend our fleshly bodies—and our souls.

The realm of Spirit.

I’m inspired by God to write about this realm and explore the consequences of ignoring, denigrating, or misrepresenting its power to impact our lives for all eternity.  There is a quote from one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament, Hosea, in which God says: My people perish for lack of knowledge.  People perish every day because they are ignorant of the things of the spirit and live only in the dimension of what their five senses tell them is real.  We were created to achieve far more than most of us realize.  We seek answers to our questions from an intellectual perspective, believing the disciplines of science, psychology, sociology, law, etc. can provide them.  While they can, in measure, we should not neglect to ask the One who created those disciplines, and everything else. He has ALL the answers and gives them freely to us of we simply knock at His door and keep on knocking until He responds.

Infernal Gates

Ethan Freeman, ex-Special Forces Ranger, wakes up to discover he is the sole survivor of a fiery commercial airline crash that killed his entire family. His nightmare is only beginning when he becomes the FBI’s prime suspect. Only Ethan knows he’s not a cold-hearted murderer, but he has no idea what happened to him–and why he alone survived.

He finds an unlikely ally in Sam Weaver, the NTSB Chief Investigator. An ex-military pilot, Sam senses Ethan is innocent. She tries to remain dispassionate in her investigation of the crash even as she finds herself attracted to the man who may be America=s worst homegrown mass-murderer.

Neither Ethan nor Sam realize that shadowy spiritual forces are at work which will alter their lives forever.

A monstrous evil, imprisoned since the time of the Pharaohs, has been released by The Nine, a sinister group of powerful men and women who believe they are the direct descendants of the Anunnaki, ancient Sumerian gods. The demon they have unleashed intends to free The Destroyer from The Abyss, the angelic prison referred to in the Book of Revelation, and unleash a worldwide reign of terror and annihilation.

Facing impossible odds, time is running out for Ethan and all of humanity as he is drawn into an ever-deeper conspiracy–millennia in the making–and learns that he is the key to stopping The Nine. Will he overcome his deepest fears and find reserves of strength he never knew he had as he confronts pure evil in order to save himself and an unsuspecting world?

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Genre – Christian Thriller, Fantasy, Adventure

Rating – PG-13

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Connect with Michael J. Webb  on Facebook & G+ & Twitter

Website http://www.michaeljwebbfiction.com/

Author Interview – Pepper Winters @PepperWinters

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

Yes. I normally start another book, go back to my plot notes, or read a few chapters of another book to help reboot my brain.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Three little words.

If anyone asked what I was most afraid of, what terrified me, stole my breath, and made my life flicker before my eyes, I would say three little words.

How could my perfect life plummet so far into hell?

How could my love for Brax twist so far into unfixable?

The black musty hood over my head suffocated my thoughts, and I sat with hands bound behind my back. Twine rubbed my wrists with hungry stringed teeth, ready to bleed me dry in this new existence.

Noise.

The cargo door of the airplane opened and footsteps thudded toward us. My senses were dulled, muted by the black hood; my mind ran amok with terror-filled images. Would I be raped? Mutilated? Would I ever see Brax again?

Male voices argued, and someone wrenched my arm upright. I flinched, crying out, earning a fist to my belly.

Tears streamed down my face. The first tears I shed, but definitely not the last.

This was my new future.  Fate threw me to the bastards of Hades.

“That one.”

My stomach twisted, threatening to evict empty contents. Oh, God.

Three little words:

I was sold.

How did you come up with the title?

It sort of named itself to be honest. It fits the book perfectly.

Can you tell us about your main character?

Tess is strong and fiery. She doesn’t really know herself and her journey of self discovery is a big plot point in the story.

How did you develop your plot and characters?

They develop for me as I get to know them more indepth as I write. The first draft is always lacking a lot of little quirks and mannerisms. I add those later once I know the characters intimately.

Tears of Tess

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

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Genre – Dark New Adult Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG-18

More details about the author

Connect with Pepper Winters  on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.pepperwinters.wordpress.com/

Author Interview – Colin Falconer @colin_falconer

Image of Colin Falconer

What book should everybody read at least once?

The electric fry pan manual, especially where it says DISCONNECT FROM MAINS POWER BEFORE ATTEMPTING REPAIRS. This from my days working on an ambulance. It’s great advice. Stick to it.

Are there any books you really don’t enjoy?

Books I read for research. I just want to read them, find out what I need, and put them up on the shelf again. Facts drive me crazy but they’re indispensable. But I just don’t like history books, they remind me too much of school.

What do you hope your obituary will say about you?

‘We apologize for yesterday’s typographical error. He’s not dead yet.’

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?

I was born in a terraced house in north London and we moved to a little fishing village in Essex when I was 4. It grew into this horrible satellite dormitory suburb and I just couldn’t wait to get out of there. I used to play a lot of Springsteen. Baby this town rips the bones forn your back, got to get out while we’re young. Born to Run. And boy, did I run. I eventually raised my own family in a surfing and wine growing area in south west Australia. Now my girls are grown I live in Barcelona.

What else do you do to make money, other than write? It is rare today for writers to be full time…

I’ve been a full time professional now for 29 years. I started in advertising – 90% bullshit and 10% commission – then I was a freelance journalist then became a full time novelist in 1990. I paid off three houses and raised a family from writing. None of it was easy.

Isabella

She was taught to obey. Now she has learned to rebel.

12 year old Isabella, a French princess marries the King of England – only to discover he has a terrible secret. Ten long years later she is in utter despair – does she submit to a lifetime of solitude and a spiritual death – or seize her destiny and take the throne of England for herself?

Isabella is just twelve years old when she marries Edward II of England. For the young princess it is love at first sight – but Edward has a terrible secret that threatens to tear their marriage – and England apart.

Who is Piers Gaveston – and why is his presence in the king’s court about to plunge England into civil war?

The young queen believes in the love songs of the troubadours and her own exalted destiny – but she finds reality very different. As she grows to a woman in the deadly maelstrom of Edward’s court, she must decide between her husband, her children, even her life – and one breath-taking gamble that will change the course of history.

This is the story of Isabella, the only woman ever to invade England – and win.

In the tradition of Philippa Gregory and Elizabeth Chadwick, ISABELLA is thoroughly researched and fast paced, the little known story of the one invasion the English never talk about.

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Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Colin Falconer on Facebook & Twitter

Website https://colinfalconer.wordpress.com/

Author Interview – Rayne Hall @RayneHall

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How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?
I find switching between different ways of writing stimulates my creativity. Sometimes I use a laptop, sometimes I type with an Alphasmart, sometimes I write by hand. For longhanding, I like ruled hardback A5-sized notebooks and coloured gel pens.
I write at a desk at home, in quiet coffeeshops and (weather permitting) in parks or on the beach.
Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?
Thirty Scary Tales is a collection of creepy, atmospheric, unsettling stories. They’re the suspenseful, psychological, disturbing kind of horror, not the violent gory kind. However, I wouldn’t recommend the book for young readers without parental guidance.
It’s a compilation of volumes 1-5 of the Six Scary Tales series. For this book, I wrote a paragraph  for each story about where the inspiration came from. Fans tell me they love these insights into the author’s mind.
The collection includes some of my most popular stories, including The Bridge Chamber (which some readers say still scares them years after reading it) and the award-winning Burning.
When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?
I enjoy long walks along the seafront and sunbathing on the beach – both if the weather permits. Alas, I live in England, where we have more rain than sunshine.  I also enjoy studying ancient history, container gardening and of course reading.
What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?
Horror stories like the ones in Thirty Scary Tales give the reader the thrill of danger, but also the reassurance that they can shut the book at any time and be safe.
I like to captivate my readers and take them on exciting journeys to new places where they meet new people.  At the same time, I like to open up new perspectives for them, to make them think, and invite them to probe their own conscience. Some of my stories are psychologically disturbing, because readers ask themselves what choices they would have made, how they would have responded to the dilemma, if they could have resisted the temptation, if they would have the moral courage to do what’s right.
I believe that dark fiction invite the reader to explore the boundaries between good and evil in new ways.
What color represents your personality the most?
Navy blue: quiet, deep and dark
Thirty Scary Tales
Thirty creepy, atmospheric stories by Rayne Hall.
The horror in these stories is spooky, creepy, unsettling and sometimes disturbing. It is not very violent or gory; however, the stories may not be suitable for young readers without parental guidance. PG 13.
This book is a compilation of volumes 1-5 of the Six Scary Tales books. It includes the acclaimed stories Burning and The Bridge Chamber.
All stories have been previously published in magazines, ezines, collections and anthologies. British English.
Stories in collection include:
The Devil You Know, Greywalker, Prophetess, Each Stone A Life, By Your Own Free Will, The Bridge Chamber, Only A Fool, Four Bony Hands, The Black Boar, Double Rainbows, Druid Stones, Burning, Scruples, Seagulls, Night Train, Through the Tunnel, Black Karma, Take Me To St. Roch’s, Turkish Night, Never Leave Me, The Colour of Dishonour, Beltane, The Painted Staircase, I Dived The Pandora, Terre Vert and Payne’s Grey, They Say, Tuppence Special, Disturbed Sleep, Normal Considering the Weather, Arete.
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Genre – Horror
Rating – PG-13
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Quality Reads UK Book Club Disclosure: Author interview / guest post has been submitted by the author and previously used on other sites.

Author Interview – J.L. Myers @BloodBoundJLM

Image of J.L Myers

How many friends does a person need?

I think people need friends for different things, and different people, depending on their personalities, can need less or more friends overall. My husband is my best friend, the person who knows all my dark little secrets, and the man who accepts me no matter what. I’ve always been a one amazing friend kind of person, but everyone is different. I still have my best friend from when I was 5, and my high school best friend, but living in different states we’re now forever friends that can see each other once a year and take off from where we left off.

What does love mean to you?

Love to me isn’t perfect; it isn’t all warm and squishy with slow walks on the beach and holding hands. Love to me is real. It’s understanding and accepting, it’s passionate and comforting, and it can be painful and heartbreaking. True love is everlasting. Through good and bad times it’s knowing that one person will always be by your side, holding your hand and urging you on. Love like this makes your shed a tear when you write what it really means to you.

Do you find the time to read?

Yes, absolutely. Reading is part of my relaxation time, of letting my brain take a break from writing to appreciate what someone else has created.

Last book you purchased? Tell us about it.

J.R Wards Lover Revealed was the last book I purchased. It’s the 4th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and it’s amazing. Like all the books I’ve read so far in the series, it focuses on the unlikely and sometimes dangerous romance between one of the brotherhood’s warriors and the female he’s destined to make his. Different issues plague their journey from strangers to what they will become, and a threat to their race also provides added conflict. On top of that the author manages to foreshadow future stories with insights into other sub characters’ lives in each book, making you want to read one after the next, after the next. The writing is gripping and action filled, and the romantic scenes are steaming hot. A fantastic adult series I strongly recommend!

Who do you admire?

I admire my husband for his strength and support. He’s a optimist and even though I’m a pessimist and generally jump to ‘it’s the end of the world’ when something bad happens, he helps me see that even in bad situations there’s always a positive, no matter how small.

What Lies Inside

Amelia Lamont never asked to unleash her inner vampire

Amelia’s normal teen world is shattered when a terrifying nightmare awakens the monster inside her. A newfound, insatiable thirst for blood that leads her to drain the school quarterback is only the beginning; she’s horrified to discover that her family and best friend Kendrick have been harboring the secret all along. And is the strangely alluring boy who seems hell-bent on curbing her murderous, blood-filled desires a friend, or foe?

To escape detection Amelia and her twin brother Dorian are forced to move to a new town, and the challenge of a new, exclusive high school where nearly every classmate smells like prey. Including the irresistible Ty, who seems hauntingly familiar, yet darkly menacing …

Amelia’s disturbing dreams and entanglement in a web of forbidden romance render her increasingly powerless against the chilling lies and secrets of vampire power struggles. And, as she soon discovers, vampire politics mixed with outlawed love can be a lethal cocktail.

Falling in love may just cost Amelia everything: her friends, her family…even her life

Move over Twilight, True Blood and Underworld! J.L. Myers’ first book in the Blood Bound series will have you swooning for more!

Warning – This book contains some language and sexual situations.

YA/ Vampire/ Paranormal Fiction

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Genre – YA Paranormal Romance

Rating – PG-13+

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Website http://bloodboundnovels.com

Author Interview – James Shipman @jshipman_author

Image of James Shipman
What’s the reason for your life? Have you figured out your reason for being here yet?
I hope to be a good father, a good person, and to truly live my life one day at a time.
How do you feel about self-publishing?
I think it’s great, and it appears that the new model will be that most “discovered” authors will first make it through self-publishing and self-marketing.
How important are friends in your life?
Friends are very important, although for me, most of my friends are at work, or are close family.
How many friends does a person need?
One is enough if you have the right one, quality is far more important than quantity.
What social issues interest you the most?
Poverty and hunger.
http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Constantinopolis.jpg
In 1453 Constantinople is the impregnable jewel of the East. It has stood as the greatest Christian city for a millennium as hordes have crashed fruitlessly against its walls.
But Mehmet II, the youthful Sultan of the Ottoman Turks, has besieged the city. His opponent is Constantine XI, the wise and capable ruler of the crumbling Eastern Roman Empire. Mehmet, distrusted by his people and hated by his Grand Vizer, must accomplish what all those before him have failed to do: capture Constantinople. To prove that he deserves the throne that his father once took from him, Mehmet, against all advice, storms the city. If he fails, he will not only have failed himself and his people, but he will surely lose his life.
On the other side of the city walls, the emperor Constantine must find a way to stop the greatest army in the medieval world. To finance his defenses, he becomes a beggar to the Pope, the Italian city-states, and the Hungarians. But the price for aid is high: The Pope demands the Greeks reunite the Eastern and Western churches and accept the Latin faith. If Constantine wants aid for his people he must choose between their lives and their souls.
Two leaders, two peoples, two faiths battle for their future before the mighty walls of Constantinople.
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Genre – Historical Fiction
Rating – PG
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Author Interview – Nhys Glover

How did you develop your plot and characters? The plot was simple – rescue children from the Titanic before it sinks. The subplots just evolved as the larger story played out. I decided the Titanic would make a good place for my New Atlanteans to Retrieve from. After all, over a thousand people ‘disappeared’ that night. Then I decided I wanted to have a variety of perspectives or POV across all the echelons of society on-board. Then I did the research. By the time I had my head around the whole period and very specifically this journey, the characters had started to present to me. A bit like kids in a class putting up their hands saying, ‘Pick me, pick me!’ So I did, and I told their stories as they took part in those last days of the Titanic.

Who designed the cover? Me, but the text was redesigned by a brilliant graphic designer called Carla Chadwich

Who is your publisher? Belisama Press

Why did you choose to write this particular book? I was looking for the next place my New Atlanteans could find people to Retrieve. It was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. There were over 1,000 people missing after that disaster. It seemed perfect!

What was the hardest part about writing this book? Rewrites. It’s always the second and third drafts that are hardest. That’s the work. The rest is play.

How do you promote this book? Freebies with KDP Select, a wonderful PR person called Lynn West, and by Book Tour with Orangeberry.

Will you write others in this same genre? Romance always, time travel, maybe. New Atlantis has seven books in the series now, but still has lots more meat on its bones, if I ever feel drawn to go back there.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Love wakes you up, shakes you up and forces you to confront your demons. But as traumatic as the ride might be at times, it’s worth every minute.

How much of the book is realistic? Are there time travelling Retrievers from the future? I’m not sure. There might be. Are the last days of the Titanic as historically accurate as I could make them, and therefore ‘realistic’?  Yes, I hope so. Are the issues each of the central characters deals with realistic? Definitely. You don’t have to be from the future to suffer the fear and numbness that follows a traumatic experience in your life, and to fear what coming back to life might mean. Most of us have been there, or will go there…at least once in our lives.

Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot? The world of New Atlantis is symbolic of the life I now live. Eilish I intentionally modelled on a beautiful full-figured friend of mine who can’t see her own beauty. I hoped she would see herself in Eilish and start seeing what the rest of us see in her. I also spent a total of 3 months on an ocean liner like the Titanic when I was a child. My dad took me ‘home’ to England from Australia. In the sixties you did that journey by ship not by plane. I think the reason I could really get into this story so deeply was because I know what it feels like to travel on that kind of liner. You can’t truly imagine what that feels like. You have to experience it to write about it.

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Genre – Romance

Rating – Between PG13 and R (sensual but not erotic)

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Website http://nhysglover.com/

Author Interview – Bob Mayer

Can you share a little of your current work with us? I’m working on the third book in my Nightstalkers series and a possible serial called Burners.  The latter is the best “big” concept my wife and I have ever had and we’re very excited about it.

How did you come up with the title? Good question.  I didn’t realize title was critical early in my writing career and no one made me the wiser.  So I had titles that didn’t say much sense like Eyes of the Hammer, Dragon Sim-13 and others.  The worst was Z.  That’s it.  Just a single letter.  A title has to invite readers into the book.  We added The Green Berets to those first six books but kept the titles since we didn’t want to confuse readers and have them buy the same book again.  So we have The Green Berets: Chasing the Lost.  The Chasing part comes from the character’s last name:  Horace Chase.  The first book was Chasing the Ghost and all the rest in this series will be chasing something.

Who designed the cover? My business partner, Jen Talty.  We do all our own covers and we’ve learned a lot over the years.  I love the image, the color and the boat that you can see through the letters.

Who is your publisher? Cool Gus Publishing, my own company.  We view ourselves as publishing partners, where the author comes first.  Publishing has got to change from the distribution model to the discoverability model, and we’re leading the way on that.

Will you write others in this same genre? Yes.  The end of Chasing the Lost sets up the next book, Chasing the Son.  I like the team of misfits I’ve put together in the low country of South Carolina.  I view it as a modern Deadwood, where there is little law and order and only the toughest survive.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? A theme that keeps coming up in my books lately is the conflict between honor and loyalty.  My epic Duty, Honor, Country: A Novel of West Point & The Civil War really touched on that, focusing on the way West Pointers fought on both sides in the Civil War.  But in Chasing the Lost I focus on it at a personal level. Would you rather have an honorable friend or a loyal one?  When can either turn into a liability?

How much of the book is realistic? More than people might realize.  My background in Special Forces showed me a side of the world most people don’t experience. Often we cloak the seriousness in humor, such as the movie RED, but there has been a war going on in the world of covert operations ever since World War II.

Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot? Yes.  I took what I knew of covert operations as a former Green Beret and used that.  I change some thing to protect classified information, but much of the action and all of the gear is real.

How important do you think villains are in a story? In this book it’s critical, but I can’t say much, because what appears to be isn’t.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? I tend to set books in places I’ve already been or lived in.  I lived on Hilton Head Island for four years, so setting Chasing the Lost in the low country was easy.  Chasing the Ghost is set in Boulder, CO and I lived there for four years also.

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? Definitely.  Nightstalkers 2: The Book of Truths is coming out on 30 July.  It’s a very wicked story dealing with nuclear weapons and how dangerous they are.  I put a lot of facts in the book, such as the fact we’ve officially “lost” 11 nuclear weapons.  And Jimmy Carter sent out the launch codes with his laundry one time.  And that the Air Force once set the launch code to 00000000 in order to bypass those pansies in the White House.

Are you reading any interesting books at the moment? I just finished Kate Atkinson’s Life after Life and my head almost exploded.  I’ve begun re-reading it because it’s worth a re-read.

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Genre – Thriller

Rating – PG

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Website http://www.bobmayer.org/

Author Interview with Marc Schiller (Pain & Gain)


Tell us a bit about your family. Most of my family has passed on. I have a brother. My son and daughter live with their mother of whom I’m divorced.

What is your favorite quality about yourself? My mental tenacity and ability to handle whatever life throws at me. Learn its lessons and catapult myself into being a better person and new directions.

What is your least favorite quality about yourself? That I can’t let things go, I’m relentless and never give up. It can be good but it can it also be detrimental.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? Nietzsche-“What doesn't kill you makes you stronger”

Because I find out too well to be true.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? That I have been able to pick-up the pieces of my shattered life after what occurred to me, and move on. Lead a normal life without thinking or allowing those events to haunt me.

What is your favorite color? Blue is my favorite color

What is your favorite food? I love all type of pasta and anything Italian. I enjoy cooking as well.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world? Machu Pichu – because I think it’s a magical place.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? Since very young I enjoyed books and reading. I find them to be magical and a place to immerse myself in. The natural progression was to create my own.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? I started writing articles about financial matters that interest me.

When and why did you begin writing? I started writing seventeen years ago to tell my story and as a cleansing process. I put the manuscript down and never finished it, although I made several attempts. Finally when I found out the Michael Bay movie was coming out, I decided that it was important for me to finish and publish it.

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Genre - True Crime
Rating – PG
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Author Interview – George A Bernstein @GeorgeBernstein

Can we expect more books from you in the future? As I’ve said, I’ve already written four novels. A Third Time to Die is my 2nd. The other two are my Al Warner detective series, which I hope to publish with GnD Publishers over the next year or so. I’m now busy promoting a 3rd Time to Die, so I haven’t even started with editors on the Warner series.

How important do you think villains are in a story? Pretty hard to have suspense without a villain, isn’t it? I guess villains don’t have to always be people, though. It can be weather, as in “A Perfect Storm,” or a short story I wrote, A Lucky Coincidence, available on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CEFXT1Q) . Or it can be location, like the story of the climber who had to cut off his arm to escape a boulder, pinning him down. But you NEED a villain.

I attended a fiction writing seminar by famed fiction agent, Donald Maass, and when discussing plot, he asked, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” After we wrote down our calamity, he asked, “Now, what can be WORSE than that?” and then, “What can be EVEN WORSE than that?” That’s how you create tension for your characters, and it’s not something to be conquered in a few sentences… or even a page. Danger has to be strung out, getting worse and worse… until it gets better.

What writing are you most proud of? I think the response I’ve had, with over forty 5-Star & 4-Star reviews (many from professional reviewers and book clubs) for my first novel, Trapped. Not just that they loved the story… that they couldn’t put it down (one reader wrote me she couldn’t get her housework done, another that she read the ending THREE TIMES, she loved it so much)… but the frequent complements on how well I write. There are many reviews citing how they loved the way I describe and build the characters, how I drew them into her love and her terror. One reader I know said, “I want to marry Kevin,” and she’s a married woman. It’s wonderful to feel so validated about the real quality of your writing… not just your ability to tell a story.

What’s the hardest – getting published, writing or marketing? How about all of the above? Well, not so much writing. That generally comes pretty easily for me, once started. But it took 22 years to get my first novel, Trapped, published, and that only happened after I won TAG Publishers “Next Great American Novel” Contest. Prior to that, I had probably 80 rejections from agents and editors. Small potatoes, compared to someone like Louis L’Amour (Americas greatest Western Writer, with 89 novels published), who was reputedly rejected 350 times! But it’s still not easy to get conventionally published. Agents really aren’t interested in you unless you’ve got a track record, and that becomes the classic Chicken or the Egg quandary.

Marketing is tough, because most of us are writers, not publicists. It’s hard work to develop the experience and skill to market your work, and publishers do next to nothing to help. My first novel, Trapped, has had Best Seller review response, and in fact, did jump into the Amazon Top 100 in November, 2012. Still, sales aren’t reflecting the praises it’s received, and it’s a struggle to get public recognition. Readers may leave reviews at Amazon and Goodreads, where it also has loads of 4 and 5-Star reviews, but until they start pushing it on Facebook, Twitter, etc., sales aren’t keeping up with those praises.

How often do you write, and when do you write? When I’m into a novel, I usually write even day for a few hours, at least. I prefer writing in the morning, after breakfast. That’s when I seem to be most creative. When I’m in a “zone,” I’ll often write past lunch-time, without stopping. I’ll keep going until I’m too hungry to think.

I use the afternoons for editing and story review, and follow-up on any other projects I may have underway at the time. Then I need some time with my wife and the rest of the family.

3rdTime3D-2

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Genre – Romantic Suspense

Rating – PG13

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Author Interview – Jim Musgrave

Where do you get your inspiration from?

From the headlines every day.  From my dream world.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?

Marketing, by far, is the hardest.  In fact, I almost fit into the Shirley Jackson School of Marketing.  She was agoraphobic.  I’m in charge of the creative work.  Why should my physical essence figure into anything?  The fact is, if you don’t market today, you don’t sell.  Period.

What marketing works for you?

Blogging and radio.  Google ads have also helped me.

Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you?

It really doesn’t matter if they are supportive or they aren’t.  I would write either way.  However, it is “nice” to get accolades from ones you love.  They, however, not being writers, don’t know how to kick your ass when you need it.

Do you plan to publish more books?

I have four plots for my Pat O’Malley Historical Steampunk Mysteries in the making.

Jim Musgrave

Here are all three suspenseful mysteries in one book!

Forevermore, the first mystery, was a #2 bestseller in Amazon’s Historical Mystery category. It has received outstanding reviews from readers, and it establishes Pat O’Malley as a detective sleuth par excellence. The second mystery, Disappearance at Mount Sinai, continues the development of the characters amidst an excellent caper. The third mystery, Jane the Grabber, plunges O’Malley into the middle of the Steampunk world, and it marks a turning point in the novels to come.

Forevermore Synopsis:

“Musgrave mixes accurate history with a spell-binding plot to create an amazing who-done-it! Watch for more Pat O’Malley Mysteries.”

In post Civil War New York City, Detective Pat O’Malley is living inside Poe’s Cottage in the Bronx. O’Malley is haunted by Poe one night, and the detective finds a strange note. As a result, O’Malley decides to prove that Edgar Allan Poe did not die in Baltimore from an alcoholic binge but was, instead, murdered. O’Malley quickly becomes embroiled in a “cold case” that thrusts him into the lair of one of the most sinister and ruthless killers in 1865 New York City.

Jim Musgrave’s “Forevermore” is a quick read in four acts that will keep your mind razor sharp trying to solve the mystery of Poe’s murder. Pat O’Malley must first find out how to become intimate with females before he can discover the final clue in this puzzle of wits, murder and romance.

Disappearance at Mount Sinai Synopsis:

What if the anti-Semites, racists, and terrorists wanted the final revenge following the Civil War? How do you stop them from committing the worst atrocity?

It’s 1866 in New York City. Civil War Vet and Detective Pat O’Malley’s biggest case returns him to the deep, dark South to search for the kidnapped wealthiest inventor and entrepreneur in America. But the widening gyre of anti-Semitism and racism pulls him down into the pit of hell itself. Disguised as an Oxford England Professor, O’Malley infiltrates the anti-Semites’ group and travels with his partners, Becky Charming and his father, Robert, down to a Collierville, Tennessee mansion.

At the crux of this case are a Jewish father and his five-year-old son, Seth. They have developed a unique bond that relies on Jewish folklore and a belief that they are Mazikeen, half-angel and half-human, born from the loins of Adam’s strange female cohorts during the 130 years he was banished from the Garden. Will O’Malley find Dr. Mergenthaler before it’s too late? What does this world-wide eugenics group have planned for the mongrel races? Read Jim Musgrave’s Disappearance at Mount Sinai, the second mystery in the series of Pat O’Malley Mini-Mysteries.

Jane the Grabber Synopsis:

What was it like before women were given rights to determine their own destinies? How was abortion and birth control used in the 1860s? What happens to a society when the last sexual taboo is permitted? Find out in the third mystery in the Pat O’Malley Historical Steampunk Mystery Series, Jane the Grabber.

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Genre – Historical Steampunk Mystery

Rating – PG13

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Website http://contempinstruct.com/Forevermore/

$250 Amazon.com gift card giveaway

Author Interview – Lisa Regan

Why did you choose to write this particular book? Well I’ve been completely obsessed with the Jacob Wetterling case since I was eleven years old.  He was an eleven year old boy who was abducted at gunpoint in Minnesota in 1989.  His mother has never lost hope that he is alive and will one day return home.  Around that same time, a TV miniseries called “I Know My First Name Is Stephen” came out and it was about Stephen Stayner, an abducted boy who returned to his family after several years missing.  It was really very eye-opening for me, this idea that some of these kids were alive and out there somewhere. I just kept wondering what happens to them all those years that they’re away from their families?  I always wondered what would it be like if you ran into someone and later found out they were a formerly abducted child?  That was the premise of my book, really.  So it grew out of an almost lifelong obsession with missing children and what happens to them if they’re actually out there alive somewhere.

What was the hardest part about writing this book? It was definitely all the scenes where Claire is tortured and abused by her abductor.  It was very difficult to write those scenes but I thought it was very important to focus on the violence so that people might understand how hard it is for real life children in her situation to escape or to put down their fear and terror long enough to attempt escape.

Will you write others in this same genre? Yes, I love writing in this genre.  My second novel, a crime thriller called Aberration, which is about a stalker/serial killer has just been released.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Well now that so many children have been recovered like Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard, Shawn Hornbeck and just recently the three missing Cleveland women were recovered, I would say the same thing that Shawn Hornbeck said, “If you see something, say something.”  Also, try to be sensitive to people who have been recovered from these horrific situations.  The trauma they’ve been through is beyond anything we can imagine.  Questioning their choices during their captivity is not constructive.

How much of the book is realistic? I think a great deal of it, especially now that this same story has played out in real life a half dozen times since I wrote it.  The similarities to my book and the most recent Cleveland story are quite chilling, actually. When that story broke and the public was given the very few details that authorities are choosing to release at that time, I got easily 100 messages from people who had read my book saying they couldn’t believe how eerily similar it was.  I wish this was only the stuff of fiction but unfortunately we live in a world with some very, very sick and depraved people.

Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot? I actually try not to—not specifically—I do try to include qualities that people have but not specific people.  I would worry too much about legal issues to do that.  But there is one character in Finding Claire Fletcher that at least 3 people have asked if I based her on my mom.  I totally didn’t but I think it’s funny that people think that.  I will include certain things that are from my own life.  Like Brianna and Claire eating brownies and watching the movie, The Cutting Edge when they’re down—my cousin who is also my best friend used to do that.  Brownies are very therapeutic.

How important do you think villains are in a story? In my genre they are essential because they bring the conflict.

What are your goals as a writer? To write stories that people will enjoy.  To constantly improve and always be honing my craft.  To produce the best work that I can.  Every writer wants a bestseller and lots of accolades—and sure I’d love that–but I’m very content with simply pleasing my readers and maybe picking up more along the way.

What books have most influenced your life? Even though I’m a crime writer, the list of books that have most influenced my life is pretty eclectic.  The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne; Black Boy by Richard Wright; The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin; The Works of Shakespeare; The Old Man and The Sea by Hemingway; The Handmaid’s Tale by Atwood; The Death of Innocents by Talan & Firstman; The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga; The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.

“Readers should drop what they’re reading and pick up a copy of Finding Claire Fletcher.”  -Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author

“A powerful, emotionally-charged story by a debut author you’ll want to keep an eye on!” -J.C. Martin, author of Oracle

Newly divorced and with his career in jeopardy, Detective Connor Parks takes solace in the arms of a beautiful woman he meets at a bar. The next morning, Claire Fletcher is gone, leaving nothing behind but an address and a decade-old mystery. The address leads to the Fletcher family home where Claire’s siblings inform Connor that their fifteen-year-old sister was abducted from a city street ten years ago and is presumed dead.

During those ten years, Claire endured the cruel torture and depravity of the man who abducted her. Paralyzed by fear and too ashamed to return to her family, Claire is resigned to her life as Lynn, the identity her abductor forced upon her. Every time she attempts escape or betrays him in the smallest way, someone dies. Even now, her clandestine run-in with Connor Parks may have put his life at risk, as well as the lives of her family.

Connor is convinced that not only is Claire Fletcher alive, but that she is also the woman he met at the bar. Driven to see her again, he begins his own investigation, off the clock and without the police department’s consent. He is determined to find her and unravel the mystery of her abduction and odd reemergence. But finding Claire Fletcher proves more dangerous than he anticipates. In fact, it may be deadly.

5-Stars! “. . .heart wrenching, suspense ridden, and eye opening.”  -Amy Castellano, Chic Book Chick

5-Stars! “Her characters are strong and believable and they will fill you with emotions that will rock you.” -My Cozie Corner Book Reviews

5- Stars! “. . .This was a fantastic novel and I am looking forward to many, many more in the future.”  -Alex J. Clatch, Amazon Reviewer

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Genre – Psychological Thriller / Crime Fiction

Rating – R

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Website http://www.lisaregan.com/