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Interview with Russ Colchamiro, author of sci-fi comedy ‘Genius De Milo’
Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking space adventure Crossline, the hilarious scifi backpacking comedy Finders Keepers, and the outrageous sequel, Genius de Milo, all with Crazy 8 Press.
Russ lives in West Orange, NJ, with his wife, two children, and crazy dog, Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself. Russ is now at work on the final book in the Finders Keepers trilogy.
As a matter of full disclosure, readers should not be surprised if Russ spontaneously teleports in a blast of white light followed by screaming fluorescent color and the feeling of being sucked through a tornado. It’s just how he gets around — windier than the bus, for sure, but much quicker.
His latest book is the science fiction novel, Genius De Milo.
For More Information
- Visit Russ Colchamiro’s website.
- Connect with Russ on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about Russ at Goodreads.
- Visit Russ’ blog.
- More books by Russ.
- Contact Russ.
About the Book:
Best pals Jason Medley and Theo Barnes barely survived a backpacking trip through Europe and New Zealand that — thanks to a jar of Cosmic Building Material they found — almost wiped out the galaxy. But just as they envision a future without any more cosmic lunacy:
The Earth has started fluxing in and out of existence, Theo’s twin girls are teleporting, and Jason can’t tell which version of his life is real.
All because of Milo, the Universe’s ultimate gremlin.
Joined by the mysterious Jamie — a down-and-out hotel clerk from Eternity — Jason and Theo reunite on a frantic, cross-country chase across America, praying they can retrieve that jar, circumvent Milo, and save the Earth from irrevocable disaster.
In author Russ Colchamiro’s uproarious sequel to Finders Keepers, he finally confirms what we’ve long suspected — that there’s no galactic Milo quite like a Genius de Milo.
For More Information
- Genius De Milo is available at Amazon.
- Pick up your copy at Crazy 8 Press.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Russ Colchamiro. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?
Russ: I have several books in publication. My novels include the scifi backpacking comedies Finders Keepers and Genius de Milo -– think American Pie/Midnight Run meets Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — and the scifi mystery adventure, Crossline –- think Flash Gordon meets Escape from New York. I also contributed a short story to the Crazy 8 Press wizards and demons anthology Tales of the Crimson Keep.
Q: When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route?
Russ: I was in deep negotiations with three mid- to large-size publishers, who all wanted Finders Keepers, but because of the economic downturn they all cut back on their production. They all said that if the economy had been better they would have signed me on the spot. So I wound up going with a small indie publisher, Three Finger Prints.
Q: How long did it take you to get published once you signed the contract?
Russ: Once we agreed, it took about six months to produce Finders Keepers and get it published and ready for sale.
Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?
A: Finders Keepers debuted in October 2010, just two months after my twins were born. So the boring truth is that I didn’t do a whole of extra celebrating. I had my hands full, both figuratively and literally!
Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?
Russ: Let out a deep breath!
Q: Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author?
Russ: I’m far more efficient. I have a much better sense of what the story needs and what it doesn’t need, so I’m not wasting nearly as much time with content that will never make the final version. I’m also getting much stronger at pacing, finding the right balance between pushing the plot forward but also taking enough time to develop the characters so that the readers are invested in the outcome.
I tend to write complex, interlocking character arcs and storylines into the overall narrative, so I’ve had to force myself to really focus on what’s most important, and then build around it.
Q: What has surprised or amazed you about the publishing industry as a whole?
Russ: I published Finders Keepers in October 2010. I didn’t know it then, but it was right before e-books took over the market … and also in the middle of what turned out to be the biggest economic downturn in a century. Not what I’d call ideal timing! As I said above, I originally published (print and e-book) though a small indie publisher, Three Finger Prints, but despite the economy I had success right away.
I was able to land a national distribution contract (uncommon for a first-time author), with Finders Keepers carried by several Barnes & Noble stores throughout the country. Finders Keepers also received very supportive write-ups by Publishers Weekly, and I was one of only a half dozen authors globally to be invited by Wattpad to become one of their featured authors.
And then right after Finders Keepers debuted, e-books revolutionized the way readers digest novels, and for authors it’s been an entirely new and ever-changing world since then. I wound up reprinting Finders Keepers through Crazy 8 Press so that I now have my entire catalogue under one imprint, and control all of the rights, which is nice.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about being a published author?
Russ: I take a certain pride in having brought my ideas to the page in a way that others can enjoy. Or ridicule! Ha. But seeing my books on a shelf, in someone’s home, or in a bookstore, or available online, let’s me know that I set my mind to accomplishing something that was important to me, and that I did it as well as I knew how to do — and was able to do — at the time that I did it.
Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?
Russ: Write because you love it, write for yourself, and write every day. And if you can make money at it … all the better.
On a more technical level, work with beta readers and editors who will give you actionable feedback that helps you improve the story you’re working on — and your craft — in very specific ways.
If you’re getting feedback like, “oh, that was good,” or “it wasn’t for me,” then they’re not really helping you.
Be highly selective, choosing people who will tell you what you actually need to hear, not what you want to hear. And keep your world of trusted ‘advisors’ on the small side. Feedback from too many people will distract and confuse you.
Being an author is a lot of work, so try to have as much as you can along the way, and unlike me, celebrate every step along the way. We writers need as much encouragement as we can get!
Interview with Susan Louise Peterson, author of THE YES BOOK FOR TEENAGERS & THE NO BOOK FOR TEENAGERS
Susan Louise Peterson is an author and school psychologist living in Las Vegas, NV. She has taken a twenty year journey working in the tough inner city schools of Las Vegas, Nevada as a teacher and later a school psychologist. Susan has worked with students from pre-kindergarten to high school levels. Working in a large inner city high school she noticed that many teenagers were dealing with communication issues related to their parents, teachers and other adults. Students were given limited information from adults when they asked questions and usually did not understand the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ type of responses they received from adults. In response, Susan Louise Peterson wrote two companion books to help teenagers with this communication dilemma. She is the author of the newly released books entitled THE YES BOOK FOR TEENAGERS and THE NO BOOK FOR TEENAGERS.
Susan is an award winning educator and has won several national awards for improving educational practice. She was named to the Practitioners Hall of Fame for Improvement of Educational Practice from NOVA University.
In addition, Susan is the author of the recently published book IS MY CHILD AUTISTIC OR DELAYED? (Vilnius Press-2013), as well as eight other books in the areas of education, research and child behavior.
You can visit her website at www.susanlouisepeterson.com.
Click here to enter the $25 Amazon Gift Card + Books Giveaway!
ABOUT THE YES BOOK FOR TEENAGERS
The Yes Book for Teenagers was written to address the multiple meanings of ‘yes’ as teenagers often ask parents and adults for numerous requests. Susan Louise Peterson, a school psychologist has worked in the inner city high schools of Las Vegas with a large number of teenagers. She has seen the ‘quick and fast’ requests from teenagers. These requests when answered with a ‘yes’ response often need a little more explanation and detail. It is hoped this book will help teenagers understand the broader meaning of a simple ‘yes’ response.
Purchase your copy at AMAZON.
ABOUT THE NO BOOK FOR TEENAGERS
The No Book for Teenagers seeks to help teenagers understand why adults (such as parents and teachers say ‘no’ to them. Teenagers literally have thousands’ of requests and these requests can cause major disagreements between teens and adults. Parents and teachers are often helping teenagers understand the ‘bigger picture’ and some of the challenges they may be facing now and in the future. The book is written by Susan Louise Peterson, a school psychologist who has worked with teens in the inner city schools of Las Vegas, Nevada. As Susan emphasizes in the book, the word ‘no’ can be connected to many things. She helps teens explore the various meanings connected with a ‘no’ response.
Purchase your copy at AMAZON.
Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Susan. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?
The Yes Book for Teenagers and The No Book for Teenagers will be my tenth and eleventh books published. I have nine other books on a variety of human relations and education topics.
Q: When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route?
I have taken a traditional academic publishing approach to the first eight books, but I am now using a more independent publishing approach for the last three books. I have a greater interest in being involved in the direct publishing issues and promotion of the books than I have had with traditional academic publishing.
Q: How long did it take you to get published once you signed the contract?
Since I have been through the publishing process before I feel it moves at a much faster pace. I think I spend more time getting the foreword and comments for the book than I do writing the book. The delay is not with a contract, but rather in putting the final touches on the book.
Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?
The first book published came after numerous rejection letters, but I really appreciated when an editor recognized and respected my work. He worked with me on seven other books and this was a really good feeling.
Q: What was the first thing you did as far as promotion when you were published for the first time?
Actually, when my first book was published I knew nothing about promotion and just assumed the publisher would handle it all (I was totally wrong about that). I think they listed my book in an academic catalog and that was pretty much all of the promotion there was, so I learned I needed to be more involved in the promotion.
Q: Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author?
I think I have grown as a writer from seeing that it is more than getting a book published. The book has to help someone or say something that gets a person thinking about a change or a new way to look at something.
Q: What has surprised or amazed you about the publishing industry as a whole?
I love the publishing industry because it can change like any other business or field. New technology, new marketing approaches and new companies are popping up and changing the whole publishing field.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about being a published author?
The most rewarding thing about being a published author is the joy I have with self expression of my ideas through the written word. I cannot always express these things orally, but I am much more comfortable expressing them in written form.
Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?
I hear many people say “I am going to write a book someday.” I just want them to know that writing the book is only the first step and that there is so much more to the publishing and promotion process of the book.
First Chapter Reveal: The Beloved Daughter by Alana Terry
Title of Book: THE BELOVED DAUGHTER
Genre: Inspirational Fiction
Author: Alana Terry
Website: www.alanaterry.com
Publisher: CreateSpace
PURCHASE THE BELOVED DAUGHTER HERE
SUMMARY:
In a small North Korean village, a young girl struggles to survive. Catastrophic floods have ravaged her countryside. But it is her father’s faith, not the famine of North Hamyong Province, that most threatens Chung-Cha’s well-being.
Is Chung-Cha’s father right to be such a vocal believer? Or is he a fool to bring danger on the head of his only daughter?
Chung-Cha is only a girl of twelve and is too young to answer such questions. Yet she is not too young to face a life of imprisonment and forced labor. Her crime? Being the daughter of a political dissident.
“The Beloved Daughter” follows Chung-Cha into one of the most notorious prison camps of the contemporary free world. Will Chung-Cha survive the horrors of Camp 22?
And if she does survive, will her faith remain intact?
“The Beloved Daughter” won second place in the 2012 Women of Faith Writing Contest.
FIRST CHAPTER:
A BRUISED REED
“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Isaiah 42:3
The wind howled, pummeling gusts of snow through the cracks in our cabin walls. If the stinging cold and the hunger pains weren’t enough to keep me awake, my parents’ hushed argument was. I hugged my blanket as I listened to their voices, forceful and angry as the winter gale.
“We can’t risk drawing attention to ourselves,” Mother warned. “These inspectors report to Pyongyang.”
I slipped one eye open, just a crack. I knew my parents were anxious about the arrival of the inspections unit from Pyongyang, our nation’s capital. Kim Jong-Il, the Dear Leader himself, sent these inspectors to Hasambong to weed out any subversive citizens. No one in Hasambong felt safe, even us children.
My parents stood in the middle of our cabin facing each other. Father didn’t move at all. His face reminded me of the statue of our nation’s founder in front of our school. Kim Il-Sung’s bronze image never yielded in rain or snow or hail or storm but gazed resolutely at his starving citizens with cold and stony eyes.
“I will not renounce the truths of Scripture just to make my life here on this earth a little more comfortable,” Father spat. He was still whispering, but the forcefulness of his words filled our cabin like the roar of the angry Tumen River in flood season. “‘If you falter in times of trouble,’” Father quoted, “‘how small is your strength’!”
Mother swore. “Don’t talk to me about strength! Don’t you think I wish things were different? But they’re not. You think I’m a coward. But I’m the one who watches out for our daughter’s safety while you bring open suspicion upon our household right in front of the inspectors. No, Husband.” Mother pointed a finger in his face.
“It is you who are the coward.”
Instinctively, I longed to rush to Father’s aid. In the candlelight, I saw Father’s frame droop. His shoulders sagged. He looked older and frailer than I ever saw him before. I waited for Father to respond, willing him to defend himself, but he was silent.
“You dare speak to me about courage,” Mother continued, probably unaware that she was close to shouting now. “You don’t realize how much courage it takes to get up every morning and go to work, knowing that my daughter could be interrogated any day by her teachers at that school. Knowing that I’m powerless to worship God like the Good Book says if I want my only child to see her thirteenth birthday. Knowing that my husband thinks I’m an apostate because I would rather see Chung-Cha survive to adulthood. And meanwhile you – for the sake of a mere philosophy – are willing to condemn our entire family to prison camp. Of course you realize what those guards would do to Chung-Cha there, don’t you?” I prayed for sleep to shield me from my mother’s words, and I clenched my thin blanket tight against me.
“And do you know what will happen to Chung-Cha if she dies without ever learning the good news?” Father asked quietly.
“She knows the good news,” Mother insisted. “Why isn’t that enough? Why do you continue to endanger our only child? Especially now with the inspectors here, looking to make an example of traitors?”
“The Lord will care for us,” Father promised. I pretended not to hear the strain in his voice.
“You are certain of God’s provision,” Mother countered.
“Yet if Chung-Cha doesn’t die of cold and hunger this winter, she’ll just as likely die in a prison camp this spring. All because of your recklessness. You have the word of God in your heart.
Why can’t you keep it there instead of speaking so openly and condemning us all?”
Father was speechless. I willed away the sob that was rising in my throat at the sight of my dear father so humiliated. Could Mother be right? I never met anyone like my father, who memorized whole books of the Bible although Scripture was outlawed in North Korea, who whispered the gospel to his co-workers but never was caught. Father’s faith was so strong that I was certain the Hasambong mountains themselves would one day cave in at the sound of his prayers breathed in the darkness. Could this man – whose love for his Creator was so vast that the entire North Hamyong Province hardly seemed large enough to contain it – really be wrong to love God so deeply? Was Father foolish to obey God so fearlessly?
Father always promised that God would care for us just like he cared for the sparrows. Years ago, I was quick and eager to believe Father’s words of faith. But as each month of the famine grew worse, as each night I shivered from the cold and clenched my empty stomach while listening in on my parents’ disagreements, I wondered if my mother could be right. Seeds of doubt found fertile soil in my empty belly.
In our Hasambong village, even the sparrows were falling to the ground from starvation, not to rise again.
Now with the inspectors here, the danger was even more real. The prison camps were more than rumors. Two families in our small village of Hasambong had been relocated since the start of the famine. One couple was caught with a stolen potato.
The other family, whose infant I played with before she starved to death, was accused of cannibalism.
Was Mother right? With the People’s Safety Agency here to inspect us, wouldn’t God understand if Father was less vocal about his faith, given the circumstances and grave dangers to our family?
My father sighed, and I held my breath to hear what he would say in his defense.
“I am not a fool. I know what risks come from following Jesus Christ.” Father’s voice wasn’t angry anymore, but gentle, like the snow that occasionally covered the Hasambong mountainside in a blanket of unblemished white.
“Chung-Cha is a gift from God … as are you.” Father reached out his calloused, work-worn hand to wipe a tear off Mother’s gaunt cheek. She turned away with a disdainful snort.
Father continued, “Nevertheless, if I began to love these gifts more than the One who entrusted them to me, then I would not be able to look my Savior in the face when I stand before him and give an account of my life.
“It is God who gives me breath.” The confidence of Father’s quiet confession filled our cabin with uncharacteristic warmth. “And as long as my old worn-out heart keeps beating, as long as these tired lungs continue to draw air, I will not remain silent. I cannot. I will proclaim the Good News until my Savior returns to rule the earth or until he calls me home.”
My heart swelled at Father’s words of triumph and faith. I watched Mother’s face to see if she felt the same wave of power, the same surge of hope, that transcended the suffering and fear – even the constant hunger – of our provincial lives in rural North Korea.
Mother brushed past Father and unpinned her hair. She walked to the bed, yanked down the tattered blanket, and hissed, “Your stubborn faith will be the death of us all.”
Lowell Christensen’s The One-Minute Zillionaire Book Blast today! Win $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Pump Up Your Book and Lowell T. Christensen will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card during his The One-Minute Zillionaire Book Blast today! This promotion ends at midnight. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!
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ABOUT THE ONE-MINUTE ZILLIONAIRE
Like any good success book, The One-Minute Zillionaire will get you so crazed with principles, keys, goals, affirmations, and profound and poetic platitudes that you’ll want to dash to Alaska to search for gold and taunt grizzly bears. Christensen delivers a very funny yet sensible message with help from a wide cast of characters, including Shakespeare, Freud, Pamela Anderson, Dante, Greek goddesses, Chewbacca, Charles Manson, Saint Peter, and Pancho Villa. He pondered the powerful achievement techniques and heat-resistant feet of Anthony Robbins, the paradigms of Stephen R. Covey, the excellence of Thomas Peters, the mind power of Napoleon Hill, the brazen squint of Donald Trump, and the fudge-making ability of Martha Stewart. He consequently discovered the number one key to success, “The best way to achieve success is to write a success book.”
Christensen covers financial success but adds advice on wooing, weight loss, time management, travel, and other topics with the goal in mind of making the book thicker. Go to TheOneMinuteZillionaire.com for national and international reviews, excerpts, free bonus offers, and articles.
Praise for The One-Minute Zillionaire:
“The author has a light touch and the ability to laugh at himself and his own ideas. Without a doubt, Christensen is funny.”
— Foreword Reviews
“Lowell Christensen is the author of “The One-Minute Zillionaire,” a new humor book about success. In a press release, Christensen writes that he hopes his advice about “how success requires quite a bit of formal and practical education, hard work, and falling on your face a few times” will resonate with readers.”
— Albuquerque Journal
Purchase your copy:
AMAZON| BARNES & NOBLE
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ABOUT LOWELL CHRISTENSEN
Lowell T. Christensen has kept himself busily occupied as a writer, engineer, rocket scientist, musician, backhoe operator, outdoorsman, chef, rancher, and international traveler. His previous books include Coping with Texas and Other Staggering Feets and Beginning Farming and What Makes a Sheep Tick, and he has written magazine articles that feature presidential elections through the theme of Shakespearean plays.
Christensen also writes articles for his local newspaper about public education, cheesy television shows, Scout camp misadventures, and the county library’s resemblance to a dead rhinoceros. With a degree in chemical engineering, he has worked for DuPont and the University of California.
His latest book is The One-Minute Zillionaire: Achieve Wealth, Fame, and Success in an Instant, Give or Take a Hundred Years.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK
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~ ~ ~ $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~
Book Blast: Feathered by Tom Weston + Win $25 Amazon GC!
Welcome to Tom Weston’s Feathered Book Blast! Here’s your chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash PLUS an autographed copy of his new fantasy, Feathered: Being a Fairy Tale! Feathered is the 3rd book in the Alex and Jackie Adventure Series and we’re so happy to bring you not only a great giveaway but tell you all about Tom and his new book. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents and ends on March 29.
THE BOOK
Whenever Alexandra Caroline O’Rourke, AKA Alex, met with trouble, she generally blamed her younger sister, Jackie. And Alex’s sudden engagement to marry a Viking prince, against her will, probably classified as trouble. If nothing else, a wedding held in 11th century Ireland would make it difficult to invite her friends from San Diego. Regardless of blame, Jackie was the only person who could help Alex, but Jackie was still in the 21st century. And Jackie had her own problems, which included uncooperative fairies and strange songs which only she could hear. But most of all, if Jackie could not find a way to make it rain, marauding Vikings would be the least of their worries, because this is Feathered: being a fairy tale and this is an Alex and Jackie Adventure.
Purchase your copy:
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE
The Author
Award winning writer and film-maker, Tom Weston, returns to the fantasy genre for his 3rd novel in the Alex and Jackie Adventure series, FEATHERED: BEING A FAIRY TALE. Originally from England, Tom now resides in Boston, Massachusetts. Before turning his hand to fiction, Tom had a successful career as the CEO of a consulting company, conference speaker and writer of industry articles and business books. But determining that the business world lacked a sense of humor, Tom decided to hand in his jacket and tie and instead turned to the world of literature. His novel, FIRST NIGHT, set in Boston during the New Year’s Eve festival, introduced the unlikely heroines, Alex and Jackie, and the ghost of a 17th century Puritan named Sarah Pemberton. FIRST NIGHT won an Honorable Mention in the Middle-Grade/Young Adult category, in the Writers Digest 17th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards. The sequel to FIRST NIGHT, called THE ELF OF LUXEMBOURG, was published in January, 2010. As with FIRST NIGHT, THE ELF OF LUXEMBOURG is also a supernatural mystery, with a blend of humor and history that has become Tom’s trademark. Following the publication of THE ELF OF LUXEMBOURG, Tom turned to the medium of film to produce and direct the award winning animated short, THERE BE MONSTERS!, based on one of his TALES FROM THE GREEN DRAGON TAVERN. Tom also wrote the critically acclaimed and award winning, Historical Fiction novel, FISSION, based on the true life story of scientist, Lise Meitner. Tom is now working on a new animated short called DANCING DAISY DAY.
Visit Tom Online:
WEBSITE | TWITTER
And now for the GIVEAWAY!!! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win a $25 Amazon GC or Paypal Cash and an autographed copy of his book, FEATHERED!!!
(Ends March 29, 2013)
Character Interview: Reed Jackson from Holly Bush’s historical romance, Reconstructing Jackson
We’re thrilled to have here today Reed Jackson from Holly Bush’s new book, Reconstructing Jackson. Reed is a 32-year-old lawyer from Fenton, Missouri.
It is a pleasure to have Reed with us today at Beyond the Books!
Thank you so for this interview, Reed. Now that the book has been written, do you feel you were fairly portrayed or would you like to set anything straight with your readers?
This author was unduly critical of my mood early on in the book. I’d lost a leg in battle, lost my plantation and heritage to younger brother and my fiancé to boot. I was well within my rights to be cantankerous!
Do you feel the author did a good job colorizing your personality? If not, how would you like to have been portrayed differently?
She did not give me near the credit I deserved for traveling by train hundreds of miles with complete strangers and having to rely on their kindness to navigate any uneven landscape or building at our inevitable stops and delays. I was the image of humbleness.
What do you believe is your strongest trait?
My intelligence and good looks.
Worse trait?
Pride and stubbornness.
If you could choose someone in the television or movie industry to play your part if your book was made into a movie, who would that be (and you can’t say yourself!)?
Why, Val Kilmer in his Doc Holiday days, of course. He looks a fair bit like me, although not as manly.
Do you have a love interest in the book?
I do. Belle Richards.
At what point of the book did you start getting nervous about the way it was going to turn out?
When outlaws started shooting at me and at those nearest and dearest to me.
If you could trade places with one of the other characters in the book, which character would you really not want to be and why?
Beulah Freeman. Let’s just say that Beulah got mixed up with something unpleasant.
How do you feel about the ending of the book without giving too much away?
I very much like the end of the book. It is an update to my dear, sainted Mama, whom I miss most desperately.
What words of wisdom would you give your author if she decided to write another book with you in it?
I would wish she would make sure to explain to our readers that my bride is the reason for my continued success and the very heart and soul of our family. I am nothing, was nothing, without her.
Thank you for this interview, Reed. Will we be seeing more of you in the future?
I certainly hope not. As a southern gentleman, my privacy and the privacy of my family, trumps the rights of usurpers telling our very personal intimacies. Good day to you!
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Holly Bush was born in western Pennsylvania to two avid readers. There was not a room in her home that did not hold a full bookcase. She worked in the hospitality industry, owning a restaurant for twenty years and recently worked as the sales and marketing director in the hospitality/tourism industry and is credited with building traffic to capacity for a local farm tour, bringing guests from twenty-two states, booked two years out. Holly has been a marketing consultant to start-up businesses and has done public speaking on the subject.
Holly has been writing all of her life and is a voracious reader of a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction, particularly political and historical works. She has written four romance novels, all set in the U.S. West in the mid 1800’s. She frequently attends writing conferences, and has always been a member of a writer’s group.
Holly is a gardener, a news junkie, and was the vice-president of her local library board for years. She loves to spend time near the ocean and is the proud mother of two daughters and the wife of a man more than a few years her junior.
Her latest book is the historical fiction, Reconstructing Jackson.
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1867 . . . Southern lawyer and Civil War veteran, Reed Jackson, returns to his family’s plantation in a wheelchair. His father deems him unfit, and deeds the Jackson holdings, including his intended bride, to a younger brother. Angry and bitter, Reed moves west to Fenton, Missouri, home to a cousin with a successful business, intending to start over.
Belle Richards, a dirt poor farm girl aching to learn how to read, cleans, cooks and holds together her family’s meager property. A violent brother and a drunken father plot to marry her off, and gain a new horse in the bargain. But Belle’s got other plans, and risks her life to reach them.
Reed is captivated by Belle from their first meeting, but wheelchair bound, is unable to protect her from violence. Bleak times will challenge Reed and Belle’s courage and dreams as they forge a new beginning from the ashes of war and ignorance.
PUYB Blog Tour: The Sexiest Drink on Earth by Mark Spivak
The Sexiest Drink on Earth
By Mark Spivak
How did a something that tastes like castor oil flavored with tree bark become the sexiest drink on earth?
Gaspare Campari invented his famous potion in 1860 by infusing sixty herbs, spices, barks and fruit peels in a mixture of alcohol and distilled water. It became a sensation, and Campari turned into an entrepreneur. There’s only one problem: Campari is bitter, and human beings have taste receptors for bitterness that function as an early warning system, alerting us that we are about to consume something that might be toxic or poisonous.
Imagine the dilemma for your brain as you take a sip of cold, refreshing Campari and soda. Part of your mind is saying, “Don’t drink this—it might kill you!” In another sector of your cranium, though, the drink is perceived to be sophisticated and desirable. Given that more than 27 million bottles of Campari are sold each year, the brain has obviously found a way to disregard the potential dangers of bitterness. In researching my book, Iconic spirits: An Intoxicating History, I spoke to scientists doing research on the physiology of taste, and they all had a theory on how this conflict was resolved.
More importantly, though, how did Campari come to be regarded as the sexiest drink on earth?
The shimmering red potion may be infused with dozens of herbs and spices, but the advertising images have always contained a strong dose of forbidden fruit. In its marketing materials, the company describes Campari as a “symbol of passion” and goes on to say that this passion “expresses itself in terms of seduction, seduction and transgression…”
The famous 1920 poster by Marcello Dudovich is a good example. Two lovers are locked in an embrace that can only be described as smoldering, balanced precariously on the edge of a sofa and enhanced by a background of soft crimson light. Two glasses, one half-filled with Campari, sit on a nearby table. The woman’s hand rests on the man’s cheek in a classic gesture, pushing him away and embracing him at the same time.
In 1998 Campari began working with the celebrated Indian director Tarsem, who created the series of “Red Passion” ads. The campaign was the first in Italy to present female homosexuality in a straightforward yet compelling way; from there it went on to target other social norms. In a 2005 commercial, a man stands at the bar during a reception when he spots a tall, beautiful woman on the other side of the room. They exchange looks. The man obtains a Campari on the rocks from the bartender and follows the woman to a secludedpart of the building. His hand slips as he approaches her, and hesplashes Campari on her dress and cleavage. Slowly and tantalizingly, the woman removes her top and reveals herself to be a man. The man then takes off his shirt to display his bra and the fact that he’s actually a woman. The ad blends mystery and intrigue, explores repressed desires, and blurs the lines of gender identity—all in sixty seconds.
So relax and enjoy a cocktail made with Campari, whether it’s a Negroni, Americano, Garibaldi (Campari and orange juice) or a classic Campari and soda—but make sure that someone you care about is there to enjoy it with you.
Mark Spivak is an award-winning writer specializing in wine, spirits, food, restaurants and culinary travel. He was the wine writer for the Palm Beach Post from 1994-1999, and since 2001 has been the Wine and Spirits Editor for the Palm Beach Media Group, as well as the restaurant critic for Palm Beach Illustrated. His work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Robb Report, Ritz-Carlton, Continental, Art & Antiques, Newsmax, Dream of Italy and Arizona Highways. From 1999-2011 he hosted Uncorked! Radio, a highly successful wine talk show on the Palm Beach affiliate of National Public Radio.
Mark began writing Iconic Spirits after becoming fascinated with the untold stories behind the world’s greatest liquors. As a writer, he’s always searching for the unknown details that make his subjects compelling and unique.His latest book is Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History.
Visit Mark’s website at http://www.iconicspirits.net.
Become a fan of Mark Spivak at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mark.spivak.3
Pick up your copy of Iconic Spirits at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Iconic-Spirits-Intoxicating-Mark-Spivak/dp/0762779268/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344434224&sr=1-1&keywords=iconic+spirits
Character Interview: Jasmin “Psycho” Kramer from Richard Blunt’s fantasy novel ‘Lucas Trent 3: Grand Theft Magic”
We’re thrilled to have here today Jasmin “Psycho” Kramer from Richard Blunt’s fantasy novel, Lucas Trent 3: Grand Theft Magic,. Jasmin is a 20 year old Administrator living in Dunstable, England.
It is a pleasure to have Jasmin with us today at Beyond the Books!
Thank you so for this interview, Jasmin. Now that the book has been written, do you feel you were fairly portrayed or would you like to set anything straight with your readers?
In a book like this it’s hard to be portrait fairly. Unless of course your name is Lucas Trent. *laughs* I think everyone from the “Mages of the round fireplace” would have loved to get more frontline attention, but I guess my time will come when Lucas finally gets to interact a bit more with some girls. Our beloved author tries to dodge that bullet pretty rigorously, but he can’t do that forever.
Do you feel the author did a good job colorizing your personality? If not, how would you like to have been portrayed differently?
Oh, I definitely feel that my personality is colorful enough. The problem only is that Lucas is so bad in reading personalities… And mostly this story is written from his point of view, so his misreads are what you see as well. But under the wraps I think I am doing OK. And it might even be an advantage that nobody really knows who I am.
What do you believe is your strongest trait?
My tits of course. Nobody has bigger ones or better formed ones in the entire story. Oh, sorry, you were asking for traits, not trademarks… *grins* Well, seriously, I am the Psycho, so I am the one who deals with human emotions. I think my strongest trait is my capability to calm everyone down. Although… Is this a trait? Or is this part of my magic? Damn…
Worse trait?
I talk too much. But I think you can tell that by now, can’t you?
If you could choose someone in the television or movie industry to play your part if your book was made into a movie, who would that be (and you can’t say yourself!)?
I think Richard once said that the perfect fit for me would be Katherine Hicks. Don’t know why he said that, I don’t even know who that is. I would call for Bonnie Wright. Although… She might need some graphics editing to fit…
Do you have a love interest in the book?
Yeah, but only a very short one. And I think it’s only there because Richard wanted to annoy me. How could I fall for such a dickhead in the first place?
At what point of the book did you start getting nervous about the way it was going to turn out?
I don’t get nervous. Ever. Well… Except when I am in a hospital. But that’s another story.
If you could trade places with one of the other characters in the book, which character would you really not want to be and why?
That would for sure be Cedric Mason. The others might not have noticed it yet, but deep down he is pretty evil… And while that might have turned out to be an advantage for us so far I would never want to be like that.
How do you feel about the ending of the book without giving too much away?
I feel great about it. I am a little afraid though… I know that there is a fourth part coming up, and knowing the ending of this one I am not sure if I will like the next one.
What words of wisdom would you give your author if s/he decided to write another book with you in it?
Richard, next time you better give me the central role. Otherwise I will make your life miserable.
Thank you for this interview, Jasmin. Will we be seeing more of you in the future?
I don’t think Richard will let me roam freely again after what I just said, but let’s see.
Publishing under a pen name to keep his personal life separate from his writing life, Richard Blunt was raised in the heart of Europe, in a nation where English is not the native language. Like his heroes, Richard blunt is nothing more than a shadow – a specter that whispers a story for everyone to hear.
His latest book is Lucas Trent 3: Grand Theft Magic.
You can visit his website at http://www.lucastrent.com/ and his blog at http://richardblunt.blogspot.com/.
After a field trip suddenly turns into a near catastrophe Lucas and the others shift into high gear to avenge their injured friend. But when an unexpected foe arrives at the scene they quickly find themselves in a life or death situation that not even their extraordinary skills can solve. Realizing that they have bitten off more than they can chew Lucas desperately starts looking for trustworthy allies, just to find out once again that things are never as easy as they appear at first.
Can they survive the battles at hand? Will they be able to tell friend from foe? Or will the epic quest they have stumbled into be too much for them to handle?
Follow Lucas Trent and his friends through an action-paced story of mysteries, secrets and deceptions and find out…
Character Interview: Dev Haskell from Mike Faricy’s crime fiction ‘Bombshell’
We’re thrilled to have here today Dev Haskell from Mike Faricy’s new crime fiction novel, Bombshell. Dev is a thirty-something Private Investigator living in St. Paul, Minnesota.
It is a pleasure to have Dev with us today at Beyond the Books!
Thank you so much for this interview, Dev. Now that the book has been written, do you feel you were fairly portrayed or would you like to set anything straight with your readers?
First off, thank you for having me, it’s a real pleasure. Yes, I guess I was fairly portrayed, more or less, I mean it is what happened. I would like to set the record straight on a couple of matters. On those assault charges, everything was dropped so technically that’s no longer an issue. Of course I shouldn’t be blamed for the night my date Heidi Bauer was deliberately over served I mean it really wasn’t my fault. After all she’s an adult. What? Oh yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to cut you off, but I know the way Faricy wrote the book I sort of goof things up and a woman saves the day, okay not just one woman, Heidi in one part. Yeah, I suppose Linh Trang in another and maybe Justine saves the day, too, now that I think about it. Come to think about it, they all did their bit, but I was the guy hired to protect that team of English roller derby girls. I know things didn’t quite work out that way, maybe a few surprises, but I’m only human. You know just maybe I’m not the screw up Faricy made me out to be. Ask any of those women, I can be fun, I like to party, we can go out and I’ll get up the next morning and go get caramel rolls for breakfast. I’m sensitive and caring… sort of, I think.
Do you feel the author did a good job colorizing your personality? If not, how would you like to have been portrayed differently?
Did he do a good job? Yeah, sure, what’s not to like about me. Although now that you mention it, I’m not so sure I liked the part where Linh looked at my outfit, my favorite golf shirt with the Jameson logo by the way and Faricy writes ‘Linh made a mental note.’ Come on I was dressed for comfortable, besides I know he really wants a golf shirt just like that. Then that part where Heidi asks me, ‘Is that what you’re wearing?’ I suppose Mr. Dull the author would have preferred me in a suit and tie. I’m not so sure he had to go into my failings, the scene where I’m hauled up on assault charges by that rent-a-cop at the Veterans Auditorium; did he have to make that public? I was thinking maybe I could have just lined the suspects up and picked the one who was twitching, then again I suppose that would have made a pretty short story. I’ve been lobbying to get a new car, maybe a Jaguar or a Mercedes 640, he didn’t seem too hot on that idea. I guess the good news is he gave me a couple of dates with some very nice ladies and well you’ll just have to read to find out the rest.
What do you believe is your strongest trait?
Tough to say I have so many, the way things seem to go it would have to be my sense of humor. Faricy and I talked about this over a couple of beers down at The Spot bar. He’s not that bad if you get him one on one. I told him I could see myself as a sort of a muscular Special Forces type, speak six or seven languages a Jason Bourne sort of guy and of course sensitive and caring, the ladies like that. He said he wanted someone believable, maybe a little earthy. He gets into all that realistic stuff with flawed characters and believable individuals. Hey look, I just want to have some fun. I took that Bombshell gig because I figured how tough could it be doing security for a bunch of girls from England in town for two days? I might have misjudged things a little… Okay, okay, a lot. My strongest trait seems to be at heart I’m a pretty nice guy. I make some mistakes, I guess we all do. But I would never intentionally hurt someone. I’ve seen enough bad in life not to do that intentionally. Unless the guys a real jerk, hopefully then I’d just have the good sense to walk away.
Worse trait?
Me? Gee that’s really tough. I guess sometimes I tip too much. Oh yeah, I have a tendency to misjudge and maybe jump to the wrong conclusion on the very rare occasion. Well yeah, I guess I occasionally put the beer goggles on, you know thinking someone is just right for me and well, maybe we shouldn’t go there just now.
If you could choose someone in the television or movie industry to play your part if your book was made into a movie, who would that be (and you can’t say yourself!)?
Can’t say myself? Too bad, I’d be almost perfect. Maybe Matt Damon, of course we’re back to Jason Bourne and I already mentioned Faricy won’t listen to reason. Matthew McConaughey or Ben Affleck, maybe, but maybe not. Arnold’s getting way up there and I don’t have a German accent so he’s out. Bieber’s way too young and I don’t really have Bieber fever anyway. If you could somehow mix Jeremy Renner with Daniel Craig, give the guy dark hair like me, of course my usual charm, maybe John Travolta’s dance moves that would probably do it.
Do you have a love interest in the book?
In Bombshell? I think I have a love interest in just about every chapter. Let’s see; Carol, Justine, Heidi, not Fiona, Heidi again, Linh of course. I like the ladies but, well, I think they’re looking for a little more than I’m able to give just now. I’ve known a lot of really great girls, I don’t know, they always seem to throw up there hands and eventually change their phone number or block my calls. I hear this ‘Don’t ever call me again, ever!’ stuff. Heidi put’s up with me, and Sunny Einer too, although I’ve never been romantic with Sunny.
At what point of the book did you start getting nervous about the way it was going to turn out?
Maybe page two, things start to not go my way right then and there. Of course I meet Justine on page one and that works pretty well, for a while any way. I still get goose bumps thinking about the interrogation at the Veteran’s Auditorium. It’s hard not to shudder remembering the SWAT team incident. Things weren’t really working our way when I was trying to get Heidi back safe and sound. Of course the whole scene in the hotel room, I don’t know, why does Faricy continue to do these things to me? You ask me, I think the guy has a lot of issues for an author. I suggest picking up a copy of Bombshell and see for yourself if you don’t agree with me.
If you could trade places with one of the other characters in the book, which character would you really not want to be and why?
Not even a contest, the city’s crabbiest police detective, Norris Manning. The guy is bald, perpetually mad at someone, usually me. He’s over worked, stressed out, probably under paid and hates me. You know how many times I’ve bought that guy coffee? He never offers to pay. Ever see him chew that gum? The guy is nuts. Things never seem to be good enough for him and he’s always trying to play things straight by the book. Come on, stray a little bit, bend the rules, have some fun, man. Course he won’t. But at the end of the day, he’s not that bad a guy, like I said over worked, under paid. No, I wouldn’t want to be Detective Norris Manning.
How do you feel about the ending of the book without giving too much away?
Bombshell’s ending is fantastic. Let’s just say it’s sort of like a second ending, out of no where, a real surprise. Things seem to be all wrapped up, but there’s still some pages left, no it’s not a cross word puzzle back there. See, I meet this cute little police woman, Linh Trang and, oh yeah sorry, don’t give it away. Let me just say Faricy did a pretty decent job with the whole deal, and no one got hurt, especially me. Of course Detective Norris Manning gets mad, surprise, surprise.
What words of wisdom would you give your author if he decided to write another book with you in it?
If he decided? He’s already writing it. The title is Tutti Frutti, due out toward the end of 2012. Yeah I know, I can’t figure out where he came up with the title either, but he won’t listen. Well, actually I do know, but if I told you I’d have to kill you, just kidding. Words of wisdom, let’s see I’d tell him to give me a sports car, plenty of money in the bank, maybe a helicopter, but then, that’s not how life really works is it? And one thing about Mike Faricy’s books, they’re closer to the truth then maybe you or I really want to know.
Thank you for this interview, Dev. Will we be seeing more of you in the future?
You bet you will. You can check out my face book page for starters, while you’re there give me a like, please. Of course I’m down at the Spot Bar most nights for at least one. Oh and check me out in Mike Faricy’s other books, I’m in at least four. Like I said, his next book with me is Tutti Frutti, I know, I know, I already tried, but he won’t change his mind on the title. Anyway, it’s due out before the first of the year. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of Bombshell and then tell two to three hundred of your closest friends what a great read it is.
Hey, thanks for the time, I really enjoyed the interview. You know, I hope I’m not being too forward, but I’m finding you very interesting. I can do a pretty mean steak and I happen to have two marinating at home as we speak. Do you like Cosmopolitan’s?
Mike Faricy is the award winning author of mystery suspense thrillers woven together with a rich strain of humor and even some romance. He and his wife live in Saint Paul, Minnesota and Dublin, Ireland.
His entertaining tales are populated with the sort of quirky, oddball characters we’d all like to know more about, but wisely prefer to keep at a distance. They serve not so much as examples as they do warnings to the rest of us. None of his characters will be saving the world from terrorism, international banking conspiracies or coups to topple the government. Rather, they’re individuals inhabiting a world just below the surface of polite society. The difficulties they find themselves in are usually due to their own bad decisions, but then, bad decisions make for interesting tales.
All of his books are stand alone, read them in any order you wish. Russian Roulette introduces the bizarrely devilish Devlin Haskell as a PI with a foot on both sides of the law. Dev’s adventures continue in Mr. Softee and the soon to be released Bite Me. Mike is currently working on his latest top secret project. He graduated High School from St. Thomas Academy and earned a BA in history from St. Norbert College.
His latest book is the crime fiction, Bombshell.
Connect with Mike: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Purchase Bombshell: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Dysfunctional, bumbling, crazy babe-magnet Dev Haskell, P.I., becomes the envy of every guy with a heartbeat when he’s hired to watch over a team of gorgeous English roller derby stars. Though he’d rather be standing guard in the shower room, he suddenly finds himself under arrest and found guilty before he’s even charged. He’s got an attorney who drinks too much, a beautiful woman with a bad attitude, a feisty team of females ready to kill him – and no answers. Bombshell is another fast paced, engrossing suspense thriller from Minnesota’s master of the bizarre, Mike Faricy.
Interview with Mike Faricy, author of ‘Bombshell’
Mike Faricy is the award winning author of mystery suspense thrillers woven together with a rich strain of humor and even some romance. He and his wife live in Saint Paul, Minnesota and Dublin, Ireland.
His entertaining tales are populated with the sort of quirky, oddball characters we’d all like to know more about, but wisely prefer to keep at a distance. They serve not so much as examples as they do warnings to the rest of us. None of his characters will be saving the world from terrorism, international banking conspiracies or coups to topple the government. Rather, they’re individuals inhabiting a world just below the surface of polite society. The difficulties they find themselves in are usually due to their own bad decisions, but then, bad decisions make for interesting tales.
All of his books are stand alone, read them in any order you wish. Russian Roulette introduces the bizarrely devilish Devlin Haskell as a PI with a foot on both sides of the law. Dev’s adventures continue in Mr. Softee and the soon to be released Bite Me. Mike is currently working on his latest top secret project. He graduated High School from St. Thomas Academy and earned a BA in history from St. Norbert College.
His latest book is the crime fiction, Bombshell.
Connect with Mike: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Purchase Bombshell: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Mike. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?
First off, thanks for having me, it’s great to be here. I’m multi published, my most recent release Bombshell is my tenth book. All my books are indie published. Bombshell is the fourth in my series featuring Dev Haskell, Private Investigator.
Q: When you were published for the first time, which route did you go – mainstream, small press, vanity published or self-published and why or how did you choose this route?
All my books are self published. I attempted to get the attention of traditional publishers and I think I led the league in rejections from every publishing house in North America. When you submit a book you typically don’t send the manuscript or even the first three chapters. You send a query letter. The query letter is one page consisting of three paragraphs. The first two paragraphs describe your work, some character detail and the plot of your soon to be award winning tale. The third paragraph consists of a sentence or two about your wonderful self. This is mailed with a desperate prayer and a self addressed stamped envelope so the publisher doesn’t have to pay to tell you no.
Typically I would mail out fifty or sixty query letters on a work. In return I would receive a form letter, often just a 4 x 5 index card printed with some sort of polite rejection line and no signature. After submitting three or four books over the course of some years I was drowning in rejections. One day I had one of my query letters returned. I’d mailed it to one of the big six publishers in New York, it was stamped crookedly across the front in purple ink ‘Return to Sender’. On the back of my unopened envelope was a hand written note that read; “This does not fit our needs at this time”. They never even bothered to open the envelope and read my query letter. I suppose I should have been thankful some poor fool took the time to hand write a note.
A dim light suddenly went on in my thick skull; Mike Faricy from St. Paul, Minnesota doesn’t have a snowball’s chance with these guys. The difference is, in today’s world there’s a side gate into the publishing yard, it’s called eBooks and self publishing. I haven’t looked back since and I still have that unopened envelope.
Q: How long did it take you to get published once you signed the contract?
I didn’t sign a contract, I self publish, but it took a few years to get to the point where I realized self publishing was and is a viable option. Not only is it viable, I think it’s the only way to go. Would I talk to Random House or Penguin if they called? You bet. I’d crawl across a busy street on my hands and knees to get to them. But I would be able to sit down and do a pretty cold comparison. I talked with a publishing house a while back, they told me if they accepted my manuscript that very day it would be twelve to eighteen months before the thing would be an ink on paper book or an eBook, and then all the promotion would be up to me at my expense. They would hold all the rights to the work and I would gross fifteen percent. Really? You have to be kidding, it sounds like slave labor. That’s a business model that simply is not viable today. I have fans all over the world able to download my eBooks. If they don’t have an Ereader they can order a print on demand copy that is shipped to them in twenty-four hours. I don’t have to warehouse anything. I don’t have to pay for a large print run. I can make a change to my format or fix a missed typo in minutes from the comfort of my desk. Twelve to eighteen months on a completed, edited manuscript in today’s market is simply not of benefit to me. It’s truly amazing the possibilities that exist today for authors.
Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?
I was really proud of the fact, win, lose or draw, it was out there. We, my wife and I, didn’t tell anybody for a couple of days. I had a website going up at the same time as my first book, Russian Roulette, was released. We had my siblings and my mom over for Strawberry shortcake and some wine on a Friday night. My laptop displaying my new website was centered on the dining room table. I gift wrapped an autographed copy of my book for everyone. About a week later my mom was on line showing my website to a friend and Googled my name. A romance writer out of Colorado, Deb Stover had used my name as the romantic hero in one of her books in about 1997, she didn’t know me. Anyway, my mom lands on an article posted on Google comparing the hero with my name to the likes of Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson. By this time Mel Gibson was having some pretty serious marital problems. So, I get the phone call telling me “It’s all over the internet. You are being compared to Mel Gibson. You have to do something about this.” Yeah right, let me stop everything and I’ll just call Google and tell them to make a correction. I contacted Deb Stover via face book and told her about the phone call. We both had a great laugh. We periodically check in to see how one another are doing. I’m not sure my mom has recovered yet.
Q: What was the first thing you did as far as promotion when you were published for the first time?
I’m usually pretty organized, but I wasn’t on my first release. Once it was up on Amazon I probably checked a half dozen times that first day to see how many books had been sold. It dawned on me that you could have a Pulitzer worthy work out there, but if no one knows about it, well? So I began to slowly contact and learn my way around the promotion trail. It’s very easy to become a pest on social media. A lot of people use social media to contact friends, comment, and perhaps support a special cause. They don’t necessarily want to hear from me and a million other writers that we’re offering our third in the series of Cat’s Who Solve Mysteries for half off during the next forty-five minutes and if you just click this link then leave your phone number and home address you might win an autographed copy with a lipstick kiss.
I think what I learned is that the process is basically slow, methodical and has to be built. Occasionally there are exceptions that seem to explode on the scene, maybe Fifty Shades, Hunger Games or the Da Vinci Code, but those are the exception rather than the rule. My experience is slow and steady wins the race. Today we have an opportunity to interact with readers, learn what they like or God forbid, don’t like and then possibly adjust. I had comments from two women on one of my books, the first emailed and said; “I’m just not sure about some of your sexual intonation.” The second said; “One hundred and thirty-five pages and this is all the sex I get?!” That suggested to me I was just about where I needed to be.
Q: Since you’ve been published, how have you grown as a writer and now a published author?
I’ve become much more disciplined, you simply have to be if you’re really serious there simply is not enough time in the day. I write every day and at base writing is a solitary endeavor. You have to sit there and tap keys and while doing that I can’t really interact. My television has virtually been off for a couple of years, not really a complaint. I do not have that additional hour or two to watch whatever I would like. When I’m not writing I read, constantly. I read for enjoyment, but I’m also analyzing style, structure, character development, and plot. I carry a notebook with me at all times and jot down something that strikes me. It might be a story, maybe just one line, perhaps a name or something that grabs my attention. When we go for walks my wife will say something like, “You’re a bit quiet.” Of course I reply with some line about how my guy is tied to an office chair hanging out a fifth story window by a phone cord with a hungry squirrel gnawing on the cord… She usually picks up her pace and leaves me in the dust.
Q: What has surprised or amazed you about the publishing industry as a whole?
The industry as a whole is really in a state of turmoil. This seems to be a version of what the music industry went through a few years back when suddenly there were other options besides just having to pay $18 for a CD. I came out of the lithographic trades a million years ago. We had highly trained and skilled people make very expensive changes to a magazine ad or the image of a model in a catalog. Clients paid a lot of money to get just the right shadow definition, match a color or whatever. We employed hundreds of thousands of people in an industry that for all practical purposes does not exist today. The task that not so long ago took us two or three days and one thousand dollars to complete can now be accomplished by a ten year old in twenty minutes using Photoshop.
I’m not sure the traditional publishing industry as a whole has gotten the message yet, they seem to be circling the wagons. They’re telling me 12-18 months before my book is made into ink on paper? They have eternal rights to my work, even after my death and oh by the way, they’ll pay me 15% twice a year and can’t afford to give me a promo budget. That is just not the world we live in. I’m self published and I’m blessed to have great fans. None of that could have happened as recently as five years ago. The fact that someone can download one of my books at two in the morning in about forty-five seconds while they’re in bed or order a print on demand book at a competitive price, with a full color front and back cover and it’s delivered the next day is nothing short of amazing. I’m not sure a traditional publisher would be able to bring that much to the table; still I’d certainly listen to what they had to say.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about being a published author?
I love what I do. It’s a labor of love, that should be capitol ‘L’ on both words, but I’m very lucky. My teachers would probably say I’ve always been a good liar and now it would seem I get to do it for a living. I’m able to meet really nice, wonderful people from all over the world. I hopefully bring some joy and entertainment into their lives with my books, maybe even the occasional laugh out loud moment. What’s not to like?
Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?
Follow that dream. Sit down and start tapping keys. You don’t have to write a thousand pages, maybe do a short story or a novella. But start. I run into a lot of people who say they’re going to write a book or should write a book. But only a handful sit down and actually begin the process, even fewer finish. Most of those folks wouldn’t think about an editing process. Write just one page today. Write a second page tomorrow, but begin and then stay at it. Make it as perfect as possible, that means edit and re-edit so many times you lose count. Gee, I’m sounding dull even to me, but it’s what you have to do. Many thanks for having me, I hope you’ll have me back. Best of luck to everyone. I hope you enjoy Bombshell, please don’t forget to tell two to three hundred of your closest friends.
Beyond the Books 