Cold Coffee Press's Blog: Cold Coffee Press , page 13

Cold Coffee Press Endorses As Life Goes: Elementary (Book One) by Jason Zandri

As Life Goes Series (Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Light Romance)
As Life Goes: Elementary (Book One) by Jason Zandri
As Life Goes: The End Of The Innocence (Book Two) by Jason Zandri
************************
 
As Life Goes: Elementary (Book One) by Jason Zandri
Mark Sanford returns to his hometown with his son Matthew in tow to rebuild their lives. Recently divorced, and with the mother totally abandoning her parental responsibilities, both father and son are beginning their fresh start together.

Matthew begins to make new friends in the neighborhood and at school while he tries to find his place among people that have been friends with one another for years at elementary school. Mark takes over the reins of the former family corner store with the help of a young woman looking for work. The ability to love and trust that woman entering his life is difficult for him because of all he has lost.

For Matthew, that “first love” is difficult to understand without a motherly influence and with a father that has been deeply hurt.

“Every new beginning starts from nothing. Understanding that you can have everything in the love of one person, isn’t that worth the risk of personal capital? Isn’t that kind of love worth it?” by Diane Wakeford.

“Have I ever told you, you’re the nicest boy I’ve ever met?” by Melissa Bancroft.

“I will have the friends I want. I don’t care what boy likes me or what boy I like. You’re an awesome friend. I am not giving you up because we’re going to different schools or for any one person either.” by Elizabeth Wellsworth.

Cold Coffee Press Book Review For As Life Goes:
Elementary (Book One) by Jason Zandri
This story of heart-break and divorce plays out across America every day. Unlike the higher percentage of outcomes, the main character Mark Sanford is rebuilding his life with his pre-teen son Matthew. I quote the first paragraph as it is a well written indicative snap shot of life as it now stands for Mark Sanford.

“Mark Sanford stood among the boxes in the living room of his father’s former home—a small three-bedroom cape—with a cup of coffee in his hand. The weak morning sunlight broke through the early winter cloud cover and came in the windows and around the hanging drapes. It had been nearly sixteen years since he’d lived on South Cherry Street with his parents. He remembered the day he moved out of the house to his apartment at eighteen years of age, shortly after his mother had passed away. He now smiled at the irony of wanting to come back to a place he was so ready to leave in order to start his adult life so many years ago, in an effort now to simply start over.”

This is a touching story about a father creating a new life out of the circumstances around him while his son Matthew adjusts to his new home, loss of friendships, new school, challenge of building new friends, awkward adolescence, coming of age, and the desire to be grow up and be included in all of the important decisions that affect his life.

The story is well written and realistic. The characters are probably someone you know and could even be yourself. Life lessons are taught within the situations and dialog between families, friends, and co-workers. There is a mixer of character, moral values, and light romance that show how small town communities, especially in the past, impacted each life within the community. For some of us older readers it brings back some nostalgia. For the younger generation it shows that there is more to life than the electronics that consume them. It is a story of family bonds, community, friendships, life, love, passion, direction, and personal interaction.

Cold Coffee Press endorses As Life Goes: Elementary (book one) by Jason Zandri as a reminder of simpler times and straight forward even “elementary” values. As Life Goes: The End Of The Innocence (book two) continues the story. We reviewed this book in a Kindle/PDF format. This review was completed on December 14, 2015. For more information please visit http://www.coldcoffeepress.com

************************Excerpt I
http://bit.ly/1RmOdc6 Excerpt II
http://bit.ly/1NSaAAg Excerpt III
http://bit.ly/1kKfxm6 Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
************************
 
As Life Goes: The End Of The Innocence (Book Two) by Jason Zandri
The one constant in the universe is change.

Matthew, Tim, Melissa, Liz and the gang come to the end of their youth as they turn eighteen and prepare to leave high school.

Old friends and new come together as their lives shift from the moment they are in to the future that is coming at them.

One love is discovered and then lost. Another is never fully revealed. Others are put forward to stand against the tests of life, time, and circumstance.

At a time of letting go, they do their best to hang on, realizing that yesterday is gone and what they have to look forward to is everything that tomorrow offers.

“You have to let things happen and be there for the ones you care about. When they slip, you try to catch them to break their fall. You can’t always be there for everyone; when you’re not and if they should fall, you help them back up.” by Matthew Sanford.

“Now and for the rest of my life, I want to spend the time trying to make you as happy as you’ve made me.”

“There’s no way to know all things with absolute certainty. If you want to love that much, if you want the chance to be Matthew’s entire world, and have him be yours, you’re going to have to risk everything.” by Diane Wakeford.

************************Excerpt I
http://bit.ly/1knbsVeExcerpt II
http://bit.ly/1MycCaGExcerpt III
http://bit.ly/1M4duT0 Kindle Purchase Link
*************************

The Sunset Series (Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Light Romance)
Before Another Sunset (The Sunset Series Book One)
Before Another Sunset: Book Sampler
Another Sunset (The Sunset Series Book Two)
************************
 
Before Another Sunset (The Sunset Series Book 1) by Jason Zandri
Westville, Texas. A small town with friendly people; families that have stayed and endured life's ups and downs.

Many have left as the town no longer can fully support its own. An old woman maintains one of the remaining small businesses at the center of town, helped by Maria, her second floor tenant. Maria's daughter Caroline starts to question her father's absence. She also dreams up an idea to help the local library.

Friends uncover true feelings and a kind drifter's travels bring him closer to the town. – Prequel Novella To Another Sunset.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Kindle Purchase Link
************************
 
Before Another Sunset: Book Sampler
Book Sampler - Titles include:
Another Sunset
I, Hero: The Beginning
I, Hero: Nathan Returns
I, Hero: Phases
As Life Goes: Elementary
As Life Goes: The End of the Innocence
Before Another Sunset is the complete prequel novella short to “Another Sunset” and it is included here in its entirety.
Along with that, I have included the first six chapters to six of my other titles.
Kindle Purchase Link
*******************
 
Another Sunset (The Sunset Series Book 2) by Jason Zandri
David Stephenson is a kind drifter who comes to settle in the small Texas town of Westville. His sense, empathy, and awareness are well received by the residents of the failing town as they welcome and befriend him.

During his stay he helps a small local girl try to realize her dream and while doing so excites and energizes the whole town to help out. Lives change as fate takes a critical turn. The local would-be reporter, tasked by David’s longtime friend, takes off on a mission to unravel the mystery of his travels, where he came from, and discovers why he is on his journey.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
************************

I, Hero Series (Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction)
I Hero: The Beginning (Book One)
I Hero: Nathan Returns (Book Two)
***********************
 
I Hero: The Beginning (Book One) by Jason Zandri
An everyday man, living less than ordinary life in New York City, simply makes his way about his work life and one at home. A kind heart and an empathetic soul, who tended to think of others before he thought of himself.

With his childhood totally left behind and gone with the final resting of his father, Nathan has come to terms with his past as he forges his life in the present, unaware of what lies ahead.

An unlikely friendship, a random act of violence, a budding romance, all part of a life changed.

“At any moment, any tiny, seemingly insignificant event can, and often does, change our life forever. How we react and deal with the consequences of that event, is what develops, and defines our character. Author Jason Zandri uses his amazing writing talent to help us understand that reality in this first book of what is certainly going to be a phenomenal series.

Hero: The Beginning is more than just a science fiction, supernatural suspense story, but also a philosophical journey not just for main character Nathan, but for every reader as well. Like each of us, Nathan is an ordinary person, living his life as best he can. But, like each of us, he must one day make a choice, to become the person he was meant to be (whether he likes it or not) or to ignore his conscience and forever change the direction of his life path, and that of everyone around him.” 5 Star Review by Catherine Grainger on September 6, 2015.

“When it’s your time, there’s nothing you can do to change that outcome. The only thing you can do is meet it head on. You have to hope that the life you had with others, while you were here, has made a positive impact.” by Brian Devron

“Where there is darkness, you are light. Where others know fear, you will be brave. When there are setbacks, you will persevere. Where others find weakness, you bring strength. Where there is despair, you are hope. Where cowardice falls, you rise courageously. Where others do not have the ability to believe, you have faith. You will suffer, so that others will endure. You will triumph where others would fall." by Cici Johnson

“This is it; it all changes tonight. Anything I do tonight, at a minimum, is going to at least expose all of this to the world." by Nathan Devron.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
************************
 
I Hero: Nathan Returns (Book Two) by Jason Zandri
Nathan is back in New York City; the place where it all started, nearly one year later. While he has been away, he has been establishing a base of operations and trying to follow the direction his life has taken – making a difference and answering the call for help where and when he is needed.

He has returned to this birthplace of his powers with more questions of why he is on the path he is on and what is expected of him.

During a dangerous rescue, his powers dissipate, and leave him critically vulnerable.

He connects back with old friends who help him rediscover the man he used to be to in order to help him be the man he has become and the man who he must be.

Magical forces come into play, pulling on nature itself, which introduces an unexpected challenge to Nathan while he is at this perilous juncture.

The pendulum swings even farther out of alignment; it is up to Nathan to respond before forces are set into motion that cannot be countered.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
************************

Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Jason Zandi
Jason has been working in the information technology field in one form or the other since 1996. He is currently employed full time at Bloomberg LP as a Systems Engineer in the R&D group.
Jason lives in Wallingford Connecticut, with his wife Renata. He is the father to four children, three boys and 1 girl - 11 years (Andrew), 9 years (Angela), 7 years (Adam) and 6 years old (Alex).
Jason has six published works of fiction and two “works in progress”. He has three series As Life Goes Series, The Sunset Series and I, Hero Series.
*****************************
Interview:

What makes you proud to be a writer from Wallingford CT? There are very few authors from Wallingford CT. I was born and raised here as the fourth generation of my family to be here and I am raising my four children here (who are the fifth generation).

What or who inspired you to become a writer? I have always had a passion to write; I am not sure there was anything in particular that inspired be other than a real want to tell my stories.

When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? I always hoped to be published but I never was confident enough that my work would be accepted. Then in 2014 I decided I would write “Another Sunset”, my first work of fiction, and self-publish it.

What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? Holding the print copy of “Another Sunset” in my hand.

What has been your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? I had a woman tell me (and put into her review) “I have read hundreds of books over my many years, but I cannot think of one that is as touching as 'Another Sunset'. It is nearly impossible to put this book down - and leaves your heart breaking in so many ways even as you appreciate the kindness and love it portrays. Thanks to Goodreads for an unforgettable gift, and to Mr. Zandri for a wonderful novel.”

How many published books do you have? I have six works of fiction (published) and two “works in progress”. I have the two series – “I, Hero” and “As Life Goes”.

************************
Author Jason Zandi’s Published Titles
As Life Goes Series (Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Light Romance)
As Life Goes: Elementary (Book One) by Jason Zandri
As Life Goes: The End Of The Innocence (Book Two) by Jason Zandri
The Sunset Series (Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Light Romance)
Before Another Sunset (The Sunset Series Book One)
Before Another Sunset: Second Edition Kindle Book One)
Another Sunset (The Sunset Series Book Two)
I, Hero Series (Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction)
I Hero: The Beginning (Book One)
I Hero: Nathan Returns (Book Two)
************************
Do you come up with your title(s) before or after you write the manuscript? If I had to guess right now I would say I am 50 /50.

Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? Well as of right now I am really in two genres. With “Another Sunset” and the “As Life Goes” series I am writing in the contemporary fiction genre and it dovetails into light romance. With the “I, Hero” series it is Fantasy along the Science Fiction.

What was your inspiration, spark or light bulb moment that inspired you to write the book (one book) that you are seeking promotion for? It was an opportunity for me to walk down memory lane in my hometown and write a story (a fictional one) in and around the times I grew up. Isn’t that where many stories begin? With a piece of life you lived or a way you actually wished you went about something? The story takes you on a journey that “could have been” or perhaps one day “might be.”

What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Write for the love of writing. It is so easy to get caught up in everything else; the books sales, the lack there of, marketing, the cost, and so on. If your true love is to put pen to paper and tell a story then do it. Everything else doesn’t matter.
************************* Amazon Author’s Page
Professional Blog
Facebook Twitter
GooglePlus
Goodreads
LinkedIn
Cold Coffee Café
Cold Coffee Press

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Currents Deep and Deadly: Darcy Farthing Adventure Book One by Arleen Alleman

************************  
Currents Deep and Deadly
Darcy Farthing Adventure Book One by Arleen Alleman
In her travel log of murder, romance, and a personal journey of discovery aboard a cruise ship, Darcy Farthing manages to entertain the reader with her descriptions of Caribbean and South American ports, while also detailing the horrific and wondrous events that take place during her four week adventure. A pragmatic scientist by nature, she says she has given up all belief in a spiritual component to life and knows that coincidences are either man-made or chance occurrences that seem related but have no significance. That is, until a series of unbelievable coincidences challenges her belief.
In telling her story, she lays bare her "non-existent" soul and the deeply hidden emotions she has kept in a fragile prison of cold logic and denial for 20 years. She is a savvy, professional woman who has been fighting her internal demons ever since she made a colossal mistake in her personal life from which she knows she can never recover. But on a hastily planned cruise with Dr. Peter Johnson, her latest romantic interest, Darcy's non-belief system is shaken when she is confronted with a set of bewildering and frankly unbelievable coincidences that bring together a tangle of strangers, and people and events from her own past. Darcy is already feeling trapped on the gigantic floating village when she accidentally overhears discussions about a murder for hire plot. Then when members of the crew begin to die under suspicious circumstances, she learns the hard way that she cannot trust anyone onboard the ship. She is forced to run for her own life as she tries to identify both the intended victim of the plot and the murderer before even more disaster strikes.
Finally, as the cruise sails through its final week the mystery appears to be solved and Darcy believes that further tragedy has been averted. Onshore in a beautiful Argentine city she experiences the pain of breaking out of her emotional prison when she meets the one person who will either fulfill her life or destroy her completely. While Darcy finds much needed closure to one chapter of her life, the cruise sails on to what promises to be a restful and romantic end. However, just short of their destination Darcy and Mick meet with unimaginable violence and loss when they are finally forced to confront and battle a vicious killer.
************************
Cold Coffee Press Book Review For Currents Deep and Deadly:
Darcy Farthing Adventure Book One by Arleen Alleman
Darcy Farthing boards the $550-million cruise ship named Sea Nymph with every reason to believe that Captain Espen is in full command of his crew, his passengers and this four week voyage taken by thousands before her to the scheduled exotic Caribbean and South American ports.
She follows close behind her traveling companion Dr. Peter Johnson through the maze of narrow hallways where every hall and every door look alike. Darcy feels uneasy as she becomes intensely aware that her sense of direction is being challenged within this floating mega city. Her senses are on overload. Every movement, every sound and even the conversation of two men in a room off to her right catch her attention. The men don’t see Darcy as they are deeply entrenched in a serious, secretive conversation that catches Darcy’s attention and leads her to believe that they are up to no good. To make matters worse, later that day she overhears people discussing a “scheme”.
Questions bombard her mind; Is it coincidence? Is it two unrelated things that she wants to see meaning in? Should she go to security and tell them what she heard? But what can she say? The fact remains, she knows she has no proof of what she believes she overheard or the identity of who these people are.
Amidst the beauty, history and customs of the off-ship port excursions and the luxurious accommodations with the relaxing people friendly environment, suspicions intensify as members of the crew begin dying under suspicious circumstances.
Join Darcy Farthing by way of her detailed travel journal as she is on a voyage of self-discovery along with a ship full of complex characters, inter-relational story-lines, historical ports, secrets, mystery, suspense, romance and foreign investigations as the Sea Nymph is far from America’s shore.Author Arleen Alleman’s Darcy Farthing Series books stand alone. She reports that at book signing events, readers tend to read her books in order of publication. Currents Deep and Deadly: Book One, Currents Of Vengeance: Book Two, Current Assets: Book Three, Alternate Currents: Book Four and A Current Deception: Book Five are all sold in print and eBook format at Amazon.
Cold Coffee Press Endorses Currents Deep and Deadly: Darcy Farthing Adventure Book One by Arleen Alleman. This well researched fictional Cruise Ship adventure will bring you a brief pause as you book your next travel cruise. We reviewed this book in a Kindle/PDF format. This review was completed on December 12, 2015. For more information please visit http://www.coldcoffeepress.com
************************ Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Hard Cover Purchase Link
Amazon Soft Cover Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Noble
Xlibris Purchase Link *************************
 
Currents Of Vengeance:
Darcy Farthing Adventure Book Two by Arleen Alleman
"New author Darcy Farthing and GAO manager Mick Clayton struggle with the aftermath of their traumatic South American cruise.
As Darcy gets to know her new daughter Rachael, Mick battles depression from his near-death in Valparaiso. Reluctantly, he decides to return to the Sea Nymph with Tom Smythe the ship’s fired security chief to conduct a joint GAO/FBI investigation of crime on cruise ships and to bring a murder suspect to justice.
Darcy and Rachael reluctantly go along, but the nightmare begins anew when they encounter a shipboard saboteur, a rapist, and much more. Mick finally succumbs to his emotional stress and Rachael falls victim to a violent predator, as they all meet with violence and madness wrought by vengeance.
************************** Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Hard Cover Purchase Link
Amazon Soft Cover Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Noble
Xlibris Purchase Link *************************
 
Current Assets:
Darcy Farthing Adventure Book Three by Arleen Alleman
Author Darcy Farthing is writing at her new home in Marco Island, Florida while her boyfriend Mick Clayton conducts a GAO investigation of government property—asset forfeitures—stolen from under the noses of U.S. Marshals and a sheriff’s office.
When close friend, Tom Smythe, is arrested for attempted murder of a deputy sheriff, the couple tries to identify who is behind the property thefts and corruption. When more deputies are attacked, Darcy and Mick are drawn into a bewildering government investigation and an alarming web of murder and conspiracy with a surprising link to Middle East terrorists; as well as a smuggling operation on a luxury yacht.
As they inch closer to identifying a vicious murderer, the violence hits close to home when desperate criminals target Darcy and her deeply troubled daughter, Rachael.
************************* Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Hard Cover Purchase Link
Amazon Soft Cover Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Noble
Xlibris Purchase Link ************************
 
Alternate Currents:
Darcy Farthing Adventure Book Four by Arleen Alleman
"Author Darcy Farthing is living in Washington, DC, with her fiancé, Mick Clayton. They are enjoying a much needed respite from trauma and crime fighting while preparing for a wedding and a romantic cruise. Everything changes when an alarming phone call halts their plans. A good friend, Charlie Scott, has mysteriously disappeared—the apparent victim of an abduction.
Against Mick’s wishes, on an impulse and without much thought of consequences, Darcy flies to Seattle to help Charlie’s partner, Don, and their daughter, Penelope, cope with the loss. She is worried about Mick’s negative attitude about the couple and worries that he is prejudiced toward her friends. As a result, she finds herself reevaluating the direction of her personal and professional life.
Soon after her arrival in Seattle, she becomes immersed in the unfamiliar world of domestic partnerships, birth surrogates, and assisted reproductive technology. Don and Charlie, who became unlikely heroes in the first novel in this series, Currents Deep and Deadly, have their lives turned upside down by elusive kidnappers with no apparent motive. At the same time, their well-intentioned decision to pay a surrogate to bear their daughter for them turns into a nightmare, when the biological mother returns after eight years, claiming that Don and Charlie are not Penelope’s fathers as they believed, and she wants her child back. This revelation sets in motion a series of tragic events that threatens to destroy a parent-child bond, and worse.
Before the police and FBI are able to solve Charlie’s kidnapping, an even more devastating case materializes when Penelope also vanishes. The FBI and Seattle police detectives frantically look for clues. In the process, they implicate a local antigay organization and its leader, two local business owners who are being harassed by antigay demonstrators, a flamboyant stalker who is obsessed with Don, and the birth mother herself. There is no hard evidence against any of the suspects, and the leads are curtailed when two of them are murdered. The authorities are no closer to finding Penelope and now worry that she has been abducted by a vicious killer.
In the midst of turmoil surrounding Penelope’s birth status and abduction, true to her nature, Darcy tries to help her friends. When she ventures into the midst of the case by conducting a freelance interview with a local clergyman, she is nearly killed in a vicious attack by an unknown assailant. Mick rushes to her side and soon overcomes his reluctance to get involved with Don and Charlie’s plight. Together they try to gather information to help solve the case. Before the hostility ends, Don also becomes a victim and then a hero, and Mick must fight an unbalanced killer intent on revenge.
************************ Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Hard Cover Purchase Link
Amazon Soft Cover Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link ************************
 
A Current Deception:
Darcy Farthing Adventure Book Five by Arleen Alleman
"Freelance reporter Darcy Farthing boards a luxury cruise ship for a trip to beautiful Australian seaports with family and friends, where a baffling murder mystery challenges her investigative skills.
The crimes begin when a small-town Kansas woman traveling with a class reunion tour group is plagued by an attack of yellow crazy ants—a dangerous, invasive species—as well as an illness caused by mysterious foodborne bacteria and the odd cancellation of an onshore tour. The bizarre but relatively minor incidents escalate when the ants injure more passengers and crew members. Soon, a peculiar death on the streets of Adelaide and attempted murders on board the ship threaten to cause panic. It is obvious that a crew member or passenger is targeting individuals, but who is it and why?
Meanwhile, Darcy is distracted by daughter Rachael’s uncharacteristic behavior and intense friendship with a handsome passenger. Reluctant to make waves, Darcy tries to suppress her concerns. She turns her full attention to the crimes when evidence is found in Brooks’s stateroom and the security chief names him as the sole suspect. Brooks is clearly innocent, but the chief is inexplicably reluctant to conduct a more thorough investigation to clear him; then Darcy’s best friend, Sid, who is also Brooks’s fiancé, becomes the latest victim. Clue by clue, with husband Mick’s help,
Darcy uses her skills to reveal a homicidal master of disguise and world-class computer hacker intent on exacting revenge related to a twenty-year-old crime."
*************************

  Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Arleen Alleman
Arleen Alleman is a former analyst with the U.S. Government Accountability Office where she wrote extensively on many topics ranging from satellite systems to endangered species. She has a science education and worked as a fashion model, insurance adjuster, jewelry designer, and proprietor of a home décor shop.
Her interests include reading, health and fitness, world religions, and travel. Her world travels supply authentic backdrops for her stories. Born in England and raised in New Hampshire and Nevada, she spent many years in Colorado before moving to SW Florida with her husband, Tim.
She is working on the sixth book in her The Darcy Farthing Adventures. In order of publication: Currents Deep and Deadly, Currents of Vengeance, Current Assets, Alternate Currents, A Current Deception.
Winner of Books and Authors 2012 Best Trilogy Award for "Currents Deep and Deadly" "Currents of Vengeance" and "Current Assets".
The latest Darcy Farthing Adventure, A Current Deception, explores themes of computer hacking, identity theft, and long-held grudges and revenge played out on a cruise ship sailing around Australia. Murder-mystery with the added plots of a yellow crazy ant infestation as well as food-borne pathogens.
The fourth Darcy Farthing adventure "Alternate Currents" was a finalist in Foreword Reviews Magazine's 2013 Indie Book of the Year Awards. This is a timely topical story of mystery, child abduction, and murder set in Seattle, WA. Darcy rushes to the aid of good friend, Don Freeburg, when his partner, Charlie Scott, disappears. She is soon immersed in a murder investigation and the shocking abduction of Penelope, Don and Charlie's daughter by surrogacy.
The first two novels in the series are based on crime and mystery aboard cruise ships. The third in series "Current Assets" is set in South Florida and involves local corruption, terrorism, and the U.S. Marshals asset forfeiture program.
The series is unique in that it addresses social issues along with the murder-mystery elements of the stories. Themes addressed in the first four installments include, family issues and adoption, PTSD, alternative lifestyles, religion, government corruption, and cruise ship safety. This is a series that follows the lives of the characters over time, but the author has taken great care to write each book so it can stand alone. This said she reports that at book signings most people still want to begin with the first book.
************************
Interview:

What makes you proud to be a writer from SW Florida? I am a recent transplant to SW Florida, but have included this area in all my books from the beginning because I am drawn to it. We have many authors living in Naples and Marco Island and I am proud to be among them.
What or who inspired you to become a writer? My inspiration came from many fiction authors and thousands of books from the time I began reading adult fiction at the age of thirteen. Since then, it was a persistent dream to become a novelist---one that I did not pursue until later in life.
Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage? Perhaps the freedom I enjoyed to read anything and pursue any activities I wanted helped give me confidence to finally try fiction writing. I’ve drawn on my history to create a few of the characters and locations in the books. My career as a GAO analyst has helped immensely because I received an education in a wide variety of topics, and my biology degree has given me the ability to research and understand technical information.
When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? I began the first novel in 2007 with the intent to try to publish it. I achieved that in 2008 and went on to publish four more books in the series. I’m working on the sixth and final installment of this series now.
What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? When I began the first book I had written a lot of nonfiction for my employer, GAO, but had very little experience with fiction writing. Improving my writing over time has been very rewarding. A while back, I reedited the first book without changing the story because I wanted to improve the grammar and style.
What has been your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? I think all the book signings I’ve been able to arrange on cruise ships and various Barnes and Noble stores around the U.S., along with accolades from readers are the most rewarding. The first three books in the series were given an award for best trilogy of 2012 and that was very nice as well.
How many published books do you have? Five and another on the way.
Author Arleen Alleman’s Published Books
Currents Deep and Deadly: Darcy Farthing Adventure Book One
Currents Of Vengeance: Darcy Farthing Adventure Book Two
Current Assets: Darcy Farthing Adventure Book Three
Alternate Currents: Darcy Farthing Adventure Book Four
A Current Deception: Darcy Farthing Adventure Book Five
Do you come up with your title(s) before or after you write the manuscript? Most of the titles have come during the writing. In fact, because I’ve chosen to use the word Current in each title it has been a challenge to come up with each one. The titles convey something about the theme of the book using one or another definition of the word. Sometimes it is a play on words. My protagonist, Darcy Farthing, has a personal philosophy that includes envisioning life running on currents and colliding with other people’s currents as well as obstacles.
Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? I call my books mystery adventures. They cross genres. I love murder-mysteries so that is what I began writing. However, I’ve interwoven the mysteries with crime fighting, family and social dilemmas, humanist values, science, and world travel.
What was your inspiration, spark or light bulb moment that inspired you to write the book (one book) that you are seeking promotion for? The first book in the series came about while I was traveling by cruise ship around South America. I was retired from GAO and was working as a silver jewelry designer. Relaxing onboard, I started thinking about my old dream of writing fiction. Right then I decided to try it. As it turned out, I used the Cape Horn cruise as the backdrop for the first two books.
What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? I don’t like to give advice, but I usually tell people who ask that they should write because it gives them great pleasure, rather than believing it will be a way to make a lot of money. If that happens—great, but competition is stiff for new unknown authors.
Who is your favorite author and why? This is an impossible question for me. I love so many authors. If pressed, I would say Diana Gabaldon is certainly a favorite with her Outlander series. Weaving history, anthropology, and fiction together in an educational way is appealing to me.
Which book title would you like featured in this interview? I’ll go with the first in series, Currents Deep and Deadly because I find that most people want to start reading the series from the beginning. In this case, the first book introduces all the main characters to each other and the reader.
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Hard Cover Purchase Link
Amazon Soft Cover Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
************************* Professional Website
Professional Blog
Amazon Author’s Page
Goodreads
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Cold Coffee Café
Cold Coffee Press

Coffee Press Endorses Key Witness by Sandra Bolton

 
Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Sandra Bolton
Sandra (Thomas) Bolton (1941) grew up in northern California's Sacramento Valley.

Immediately after graduation she married her high school sweetheart, Tom Bolton, and left California on a Greyhound Bus bound for Memphis, Tennessee to join her husband. That was her first introduction to racial inequality, and it made an enduring impression on her life.

Sandra spent the next 25 years traveling from one coast or country to another while her husband completed a Navy career. During that time, she raised three children and completed a college education, receiving BA's in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Science Education as well as a Master's Degree in Guidance Counseling.

She has maintained an abiding interest in social causes and environmental issues for as long as she can remember and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras from 1985-87. Sandra currently resides in Raton, New Mexico where she divides her time between reading, writing, hiking, gardening, photography, and gourmet cooking.

Key Witness is her second novel. Her first, A Cipher in the Sand, was published in 2011. She is currently working on a sequel to Key Witness.

************************Interview:

What makes you proud to be a writer from New Mexico? I love this state, the diversity of its people, and the beauty of the landscape. I am thrilled to be able to introduce the rest of the world to the culture and traditions here.

What or who inspired you to become a writer? I began taking writing classes and workshops from southwest mystery writer, Steven Havill. Once I started the process, I was hooked.

Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing, and did you use it to your advantage? The environment played a distinct role. The novel takes place in the southwest, and the New Mexico landscape is highlighted throughout the book, sometimes to add drama, and at other times to invoke a sense of serenity.

When did you begin writing with the intention of being published? I never considered publishing any of my writing until I self-published in 2011.

What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? My most rewarding experience happened when I received an email from Thomas and Mercer stating that they were interested in publishing Key Witness.

How many books have you published? I have published two books so far. Another is in the works.
A Cipher in the SandKey WitnessDo you come up with titles before or after you write the manuscript? I start with a working title and change it later.

Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre. I write mystery/suspense because there is so much material that sparks my imagination, and it is challenging to create a mystery. I generally start with a kernel of the truth and elaborate until the story grows.

Which book title would you like featured in this interview? Key Witness.

What inspired you to write this book? My partner, a classical pianist and now deceased, came to New Mexico from the East Coast. Though all similarities to the main character end there, the awe and since of mystery or discovery he experienced until the day he died remains. It is in partial a tribute to his memory.

What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? I would remind authors to keep writing, even if they think what they are writing is crap, because the first draft usually is. But, stick with it and try to write every day.

What is your favorite author and why? It is hard to come up with one favorite, as there are many. I love Kurt Vonnegut because of his ability to employ humor in his writing and his wonderful way with words.

*************************  
Key Witness by Sandra Bolton
Heading west for the serene deserts of New Mexico with his three-legged dog, Patch, Abe Freeman hopes to escape the memories of his girlfriend’s lost battle with cancer. He expects his cross-country journey to be healing, not life-threatening. And he definitely doesn’t plan to wind up as the main suspect when a drifter he meets along the way, Easy Jackson, gets murdered.

When Abe’s lost knife turns up at the crime scene and Easy’s key appears in Abe’s backpack, Abe finds himself hunted by the police, biker gangs, and drug dealers, all of whom are determined to get their hands on that key. Caught up in the violence, Abe becomes desperate to prove his innocence.
With help from Navajo police officer Emily Etcitty, he just might survive…and his heart just might find another reason to keep on beating.

*************************
Cold Coffee Press Book Review For Key Witness by Sandra Bolton
Key Witness by Sandra Bolton is gaining mixed reviews which shows that readers are talking about this book.

A cross country trip starting in New Jersey with Patch, his three legged dog, Abe Freeman, an unassuming gentle Jewish man seeks mind and spiritual healing after he successfully assisted in his girlfriend’s death when she was dying with cancer. The trip into the desert of New Mexico goes terribly wrong when he becomes a suspect in the murder of Easy Jackson.

Unsure of his arrest, Abe struggles with these logical questions: Had they linked him to Sharon’s death, where is Patch, and what is the penalty for possession of personal use marijuana in New Mexico?

Strong characters, good dialog and descriptive writing keep readers turning the pages with a plot that involves the incendiary mix of FBI, Navajo Nation Tribal Police, Aryan Brotherhood, Mexican Mafia and Kansas City Mafia.

Author Sandra Bolton grew up in northern California's Sacramento Valley. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she spent 25 years traveling from coast to coast and one country after another during her husband’s Navy career. She received BA's in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Science Education as well as a Master's Degree in Guidance Counseling. Perhaps it is her service in the volunteer Peace Corps in Honduras from 1985-87 or her residence in Raton, New Mexico that gives her the inspiration for her descriptive writing, strong characters and complex plot.

I share with you this passage from the book. “Darkness descended on the mountains, carrying with it a sudden influx of cold. Abe shivered and cursed himself for having left his jacket in the Bronco. But the cool air provided clarity to his thoughts as he puzzled over the significance of the key. Abe’s dog ran ahead, sniffing at new intoxicating smells. Without realizing it, he and Patch had walked far from the hunter’s cabin. Deer had recently used the trail, cluttering it with their brown-bead droppings.

Now, however, nothing moved in the forest. Even the small gray juncos had given up scratching the ground for seed. They perched in silent groups on pine branches, as if anticipating some unknown danger.”

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Key Witness by Sandra Bolton. We reviewed this book in a Kindle/PDF format. This review was completed on December 5, 2015. For more information please visit http://www.coldcoffeepress.com
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
**************************  
A Cipher In The Sand by Sandra Bolton
Even before the plane touches down in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Sarah Nelson questions her motives for being there. By the time this feminist adventure novel ends, Sarah's life is forever altered as the naive and idealistic woman encounters more intrigue, danger, and mystery than she ever bargained for.

The year is 1985, and Ronald Reagan is president. Following a recent divorce from her husband of 28 years, Sarah decides to join the Peace Corps. She leaves behind her Minnesota farm, a teaching career, and two grown children to begin a new life on the northern coast of Honduras, a poverty-stricken, tropical paradise, caught between the U.S. funded Contras and the Nicaraguan Sandinistas.

The Garifunas, a unique Afro-Amerindian culture, are her nearest neighbors. Her closest ally in times of trouble is the ancient female tribal leader and spiritualist, Xiomara, who draws her into a mysterious world of the supernatural.

A Cipher in the Sand offers the readers not only a glimpse into a fascinating third-world culture during a turbulent time in history, but also tells the story of Sarah, who, given a second chance at life and love, discovers a greater understanding of herself and the complex world in which she lives.

**************************
The following is the most recently submitted review of her debut novel, A Cipher in the Sand:
“I bought this book (Cipher) on a whim and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story is fast-paced and the main characters are engaging and easy to relate to. Few words are wasted as images, scenes, and conversations come alive.

The story itself is clever, filled with unexpected turns which weave a detailed story of naive Peace Corps volunteers who are thrown into a world of corruption and deceit. Innocence evolves to maturity as the protagonists make tough choices to put their own lives at risk to make the world a better place.

Not in the straightforward ways they envisioned when they joined the Peace Corps, but in ways which tested their commitments and forced them to challenge their own government's complicity in schemes which harm the very people that the volunteers are supposed to be helping.

As someone who travelled through Central America shortly before the time frame of this story, I found Bolton's portrayal of the antagonists' behaviors and values to be disturbingly realistic as she exposes the political and military double-dealing which went on in that part of the world during the era of the Iran-Contra scandal.

Somebody really did their homework before they wrote this novel! But the story is then told in a very personal, touching, and intimate way.

I literally could not put the book down. I was captivated from the first page, and I will keep an eye peeled for future works from the same writer.”

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
*************************
Amazon Author’s Page
Professional Website
Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Cold Coffee Café Author’s Page
Cold Coffee Press Author’s Page

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Confessions of a Transylvanian: A Story Of Sex, Drugs and Rocky Horror by Kevin Theis and Ronald Fox

 
Confessions of a Transylvanian:
A Story Of Sex, Drugs and Rocky Horror
by Kevin Theis and Ronald Fox
Confessions of a Transylvanian is a one-of-a-kind, backstage look at the greatest cult movie phenomenon of all time—the live Rocky Horror Picture Show—told by those who lived it.

Confessions is a moving snapshot of life in a Rocky Horror cast that captures the grit, language and teenage angst of a group of fishnet-clad performers as they explore a world where the only rule was: Don't dream it. Be it.

So get ready to take that jump to the left and that step to the right...and do the time warp again.

*************************
Cold Coffee Press Book Review for Confessions of a Transylvanian:
A Story Of Sex, Drugs and Rocky Horror by Kevin Theis and Ronald Fox
Unique story, a memoir of men, women and yes, teenagers who worked and lived backstage as well as those who sat in the audience and participated in the live Rocky Horror Picture Show, performing their roles as a shadow cast in front of the big screen as the movie played.

Many of us remember this “cult movie phenomenon” but for those of you who either don’t remember, or are too young, let me quote the description of the Ultravision Theatre:

“A few words about the Ultravision Theatre before we proceed. Remember, this was in the early 1980s; in the days before the mega-plexes and maxi-houses. The Ultravision was an old-school auditorium movie house, the kind the I-Max theaters are now trying, unsuccessfully, to mimic. The screens at the Ultravision were simply enormous, stretching well over a hundred feet across and over thirty feet high, surrounded on all sides by a set of lush, red curtains that encircled the entire room.
The sound system was something else, too. These speakers didn’t simply squeak out the score of the film on some tinny little low-rent system; these babies blasted you right out of your f****** seat. If you saw “Raiders of the Lost Ark” at the Ultravision (which I did, five times), you knew what a true movie-going experience was supposed to be like: The sound hit you in the chest like a sledgehammer and the screen pinned your eyes open wide, filling your entire periphery, making it feel, at times, as if Indiana Jones was kicking your a**.

Another distinctive feature of the Ultravision was that it was its own building. It wasn’t connected to a mall or attached to some corporate complex. This entire structure—this huge, sprawling edifice—was built to be nothing more than a place to show movies. That was it. End of story.
Imagine you’re standing in a gigantic round room, fifty feet high and 300 feet across. Just a colossal seating area, okay? As you strolled past the door, you’d find yourself in a gently curving aisle on the outer perimeter of the theater. The seats themselves stretched across the entire width of the circle with no center aisle, so the rows are forty, fifty, sixty seats across. And there are dozens of rows.
The seats were big and comfy; old fashioned movie-house seats with plush cushions that actually rocked back and forth”.

Now let’s go back in time and focus on the stories of those who worked behind the scenes and even the audience members who were drawn into the drama of the live performance aspect. The language in this book fairly depicts the times, times where sex, drugs and self-expression were part of this cult movement. I quote.

“Clearly, joining the Rocky cast involved on-the-job training. We were going to learn how to swim, but the teaching method this cast employed was to throw you in the deep end of the pool, lob an anvil at you and wish you good luck.

In defense of our friends and colleagues in New York: Doing Rocky can get to be a drag after a while.
I know it sounds like Rocky blasphemy (if there is such a thing), but the truth is that performing the same show, week after week without any variation at all, can be draining and demoralizing. This is true of live theater, rock music and dolphin acts. Doing each and every piece of Rocky choreography, by rote, each and every night leads inevitably to boredom and stagnation. You think Keith Richards likes playing “Satisfaction” at every single concert while he’s on tour? No. He f****** hates it. But he does it because that’s what the people want. And, you know, for all the money and stuff.

Fortunately, the people who perform the Rocky show on a regular basis know that atrophy can set in after constant and mindless repetition. And their solution to this malady is: Mix things up every once in a while.”

If you have ever felt left out, ostracized especially in your youth, this story will strike accord in your heart. When all is said and done, this is a coming of age memoir as a young man finds he can be part of something spectacular and cultivate lifetime friendships.

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Confessions of a Transylvanian: a story of Sex, Drugs and Rocky Horror by Kevin Theis and Ronald Fox. The characters are real, the stories are true and times have changed as this generation has moved on with their lives. As dramatic as this story is, it is a part of a generation’s history which this book chronicles.

The authors invite you to visit “RockyConfessions.com/extras for pictures of the original Wild and Untamed Things along with a few more stories and other goodies from the Ultravision years”.

We reviewed this book in a Kindle/PDF format. This review was completed on December 3, 2015. For more information please visit http://www.coldcoffeepress.com

*********************** Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
Amazon Audio Purchase Link *************************
 
Oaken Rings by Ronald Fox
“Wake up, awake,” the voice called. “Reach for what has been laid before you by the Fates. Keep moving forward. Do not waste this time. Your life, good and noble squire, depends on it. Tomorrow your journey begins, and thus begins the rest of your life. Your impact upon your world shall be no small matter. Exhaust yourself to gain safe passage, and pray to God. Go now, in haste, and make thee ready."

It is the Middle Ages. Rand wakes to find himself thrust into a time of violence and upheaval that grips Medieval England.

It becomes for him a journey of discovery, of growth, of love, and of learning. He must adapt to a lifestyle entirely foreign to him, and a culture he has only read about. He must adapt or die. Sword in hand, he charges into the most fantastic adventure of his life.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
  *************************
 
Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Ronald Fox
Actor/Author/Stuntman/Facilitator/Consultant

Ronald Fox is a seasoned veteran of Film, Television, Theatre, and Live Show & Radio with a body of work that spans almost 3 decades.

In Theatre he studied the Bard's work under Stephen Jenn, RSC - Old Vic Theatre.

In Film & TV, his global experience has afforded him the opportunity to work with world-class crew, directors, coordinators and talent.

As an Author, Mr. Fox's wildly imaginative mind supports a prolific production of ongoing projects, spurred on by a tremendously supportive family and public.

In Public Speaking he is a dynamic facilitator often sought for his ability to engage diverse audiences, deliver key insights, and create memorable takeaway moments.

************************Interview:

What makes you proud to be a writer from Florida? The great thing about being a writer is you can do it anywhere. I live in Central Florida and find a lot to be inspired about. The beauty of Central Florida is an hour in any direction takes you to pristine beaches, conservation areas, towns that have stood the test of time for two centuries, and flowing natural springs. Plus, a mere two hours away is the country’s oldest continuously inhabited city, Saint Augustine, a place rich with history. I like to tell stories that resonate. When we connect as writers and bring others into a world we’ve created, and we envelope them in that world, that’s magic.

What or who inspired you to become a writer? Like most authors, I’ve written ever since I discovered pen and paper. I have always crafted stories, mostly short. Reading Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth compelled me to write Oaken Rings.

Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage? I spent a lot of time exploring my world as a kid. I grew up in a suburban area right on the edge of wilderness. A short bike ride would take me to a copse of forested land, and one of my favorite areas to visit had a creek that ran through it. This environment brought out the adventurer in me, a sensation I have successfully carried over to my storytelling.

When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? Oaken Rings was probably the first time I decided I had a story to tell, a story worth sharing with others.

What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? As much as I thought “giving wings to our baby” would be the most rewarding part of the book writing process, more so has been the constant and growing fan base. At the RHPS 40th anniversary convention in New York we were constantly beset by people wanting to meet us, get the book, take photos with us, and simply talk to us. This was an uplifting sensation to say the least, rewarding beyond expression.

What has been your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? One of the most rewarding experiences is having the opportunity to speak about my research. When you work on a project that uses facts as your foundation, you are more likely to connect with your audience, who will be more eager to connect with you. For the book release party of Confessions of a Transylvanian, we had nearly one thousand people show up for two book readings, autograph sessions, and an after party. It was rewarding beyond expression to meet people from the Rocky community who were enthusiastic to be a part of the affair. In the weeks that passed we were comfortably blanketed by countless emails and posts from fans that enjoyed the story, and in some instances felt we were telling the story of everyone.

Just as thrilling as our fan base is to Jack and me, getting an endorsement for Confessions from Susan Sarandon (who played Janet in the film), followed by Barry Bostwick (who played Brad) thrilled our growing fan base as much as it delighted us.

How many published books do you have? I currently have two published books. The most recent is a collaborative endeavor titled Confessions of a Transylvanian. My first book is Oaken Rings.

Please list the titles of all your books with one Amazon purchase link:
Confessions of a Transylvanian: a story of Sex, Drugs and Rocky Horror by Kevin Theis and Ronald Fox Oaken Rings by Ronald Fox Do you come up with your title(s) before or after you write the manuscript? For Confessions of a Transylvanian we worked on the book and had it nearly finished when the title came to us. With Oaken Rings I knew the title and the end of the book before I even started telling the story.

Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? Confessions of a Transylvanian is a nonfiction coming-of-age tale. This particular story had to be told in the first person narrative (even though it was written by two people) because, in this case, truth was more amazing than fiction.

I don’t stick with one genre; I do however tend to write stories that use real locations as a teeterboard for launching my characters.

What was your inspiration, spark or light bulb moment that inspired you to write the book (one book) that you are seeking promotion for? My co-author and longtime friend, Jack, and I both tossed around the idea of documenting some of the experiences we had had as a cast, and group of inseparable friends. When we lost one of our own this motivated us to quickly assemble the various stories and build a storyline by which to tell the world what it was like to be part of a shadow cast (even before the term existed). We sought to write a love letter to our cast, The Wild and Untamed Things, but also an open love letter to anyone who had ever been part of the Rocky Horror Picture Show in any form.

What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Writing is like film production. When you get an idea that won’t leave you alone, start to jot down the details so you can keep track of who’s who. Use a notebook or index cards to keep your locations and characters organized. The more work (pre-production) you do before you start the first draft of your story, the better prepared you’ll be as you embark on your word crafting journey.

Who is your favorite author and why? Ken Follett. His ability to walk you through a scene with tremendous detail allows the reader to see, feel, smell, and experience what is written.

*************************Professional Website Links
http://www.RonFoxMedia.com
http://www.RonaldFox.com
http://www.RockyConfessions.com Professional Blog Links
http://www.ronfoxworththetrip.wordpress.com/
http://www.ronaldfox.wordpress.com/ Goodreads
Amazon Author’s Page
Cold Coffee Café
Cold Coffee Press

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Secrets at Lighthouse Point by Hugh Harris

  Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Hugh Harris
Hugh Harris, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, moved to Virginia as a teenager. Served in U.S. Army 1956-59. Career Certificate in Watercolor from Blue Ridge Community College, BA in Sociology from Bridgewater College, and MDiv from Wesley Theological Seminary. Retired as United Methodist pastor in 1999. Professional artist and president of Watermedia Creations & More! Inc. from 1999 to 2009. Currently owns Art by Hugh Harris in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

How I Became a Writer: I have always enjoyed reading good stories, and at times did some writing. I was trained in news journalism at the Army Information School. Over the years I tried writing some non-fiction, but was never published. During the late 1980’s I had a weekly devotional column, “On the Positive Side,” published in the Mechanicsville Local newspaper in the Richmond area.

In 2012 I began attending the Aspiring Writers Critique class at the Lifelong Learning Institute in Midlothian, Virginia. There I pulled out some fictional writing I had worked on sporadically for many years, which I developed as the initial manuscript for my Dinkel Island Series of novels.

************************Interview:

What makes you proud to be a writer from Virginia? Virginia is a state with a rich history and a variety of communities both large and small, which makes it fertile soil in which to grow the seeds of stories dealing with life in a variety of aspects. I am especially proud to represent Virginia’s coastal communities through my novels centered in a place located on the Chesapeake Bay that I call Dinkel Island.

What or who inspired you to become a writer? Throughout my life I have loved to read novels, and nurtured a faint idea that I might someday write such stories. Ideas for what later became Dinkel Island, were originally inspired by Garrison Keelor and his Prairie Home Companion stories about Lake Wobegon. Those ideas were fed by serving churches in small towns and rural areas. I was also inspired by Jan Karon’s novels centered in a North Carolina community called Mitford.

When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? I spent twenty years writing vignettes about people and events in a small, fictional town. It was with the encouragement of an aspiring writers’ critique group that I decided to develop those stories into what became my first published novel, A Change of Heart. That was in the spring of 2012.

Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage? I was raised both in a major city, and in a very rural area, in two different states. This cultural diversity informs my understanding of people and events. I use this reservoir constantly in my writing.

Do you come up with the title before or after you write the manuscript? A title forms in my mind early in the process of imagining and plotting a story. It may go through some revision as I progress through the work.

Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? My genre is Christian Fiction. I want to contribute to a body of literature that uplifts and inspires people, is rooted in a faith perspective, and deals with real, down-to-earth people and situations.

What was your inspiration, spark or light bulb moment that inspired you to write the book that you are seeking promotion for? There are “secrets” that underlie life in most communities, and I wanted to write a story about someone of faith who takes on a challenge that finds opposition from hidden sources. I also wanted a primary role for Gracie Love to grow out of her introduction in book two. In addition, I wanted to deal with a real social issue that may be alive and hidden in our own communities. The result became “Secrets at Lighthouse Point.”

What has been the most rewarding experience with your writing process? Without question that would be the camaraderie, growth and challenges of working with a bi-weekly writers’ critique group. In this ongoing group, we avoid isolation and provide constructive reflection and interaction.

Have you had a negative experience with your writing career? If so, explain how it could have been avoided. Years ago I experienced rejections when I tried to write a book, and when I tried to syndicate a weekly devotional newspaper column. I let that shut me down then, but now I can look back and see these things as opportunities to question myself and seek fresh channels for achieving my writing goals.

What has been the most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? When my first novel was accepted by Tate Publishing and I had a contract. A second rewarding experience is to pick up one of my books, read it, and feel gratification at what I have created.

Have you had a negative experience in your publishing journey? If so please explain how it could have been avoided? In the non-fiction book I wrote with my wife, we made a mistake in the way we listed a resource agency in the back of the book. Correcting that required a post-production change that interrupted the book’s availability and was expensive. I learned to avoid such things by double and triple checking research and resources.

What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Rewrite—rewrite—rewrite! Strength comes through this ongoing creative process.

Who is your favorite author and why? Probably John Grisham. I like the way he allows his first career as a lawyer to inform his stories, his character development, and the way he ties his stories to real-life issues that touch people in their own lives.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us? If you want to write fiction, listen to your muse, and let your characters lead you in developing your story. Also, ground your work in research.

Please add questions and the answers to any questions that you believe your readers would like to know. Sometimes people ask me why I write fiction. I answer that fiction gives me the freedom to reflect truth in ways that will be seen more clearly and easily remembered. When asked if my fiction masks actual people and situations in my experience, I reply that I do write from a reservoir of life experiences that feed my imagination and provide a vehicle for telling a story, but story is not about real people or situations. If it resonates as real, that’s good. I have succeeded.

************************ Author Hugh Harris’ Published Books
Fiction: The Dinkel Series:
A Change of Heart (The Dinkle Island Series Book 1)
Return of Bliss (The Dinkel Island Series Book 2)
Secrets at Lighthouse Point (The Dinkel Island Series Book 3) Nonfiction:
NPH: Journey Into Dementia and Out Again **************************
 
Featured Book One:
Secrets at Lighthouse Point (The Dinkle Island Series Book 3)
by Hugh Harris
Marty lay back on his pillow and stared at the ceiling. “It’s sort of like Lighthouse Point is loaded with deep, dark secrets.”

He and Gracie lay together in silence, and presently he sat up. “I know God’s light is brighter and stronger than all the dark secrets put together. We’re on the right track, hon. With God’s help, we’ll make it. We have to hang on with absolute trust.”

Sometimes even your best intentions are tested by things you can’t control. Just when Gracie Love and Marty need a break from the gospel music circuit, Fanny Grayson calls with a challenge that takes them back to Dinkel Island. Fanny needs help launching a spiritual retreat center on the old lighthouse property that she has purchased.

Gracie soon finds herself in the center of gossip as volatile as a thunderstorm’s damaging winds. The seller tries to back out of closing. Secret activities at the lighthouse begin to be exposed. Gracie and Marty question their commitment, and Pastor Kate Sheppard helps them stay on course.

A crime syndicate surfaces when a local businessman suddenly disappears. Will the secrets ever end?

Secrets at Lighthouse Point is a story of intrigue, challenge, and the ultimate triumph of faith, centered in Matthew 5:15: “No one after lighting a lamp puts it under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

Cold Coffee Press Book Review for Secrets at Lighthouse Point by Hugh Harris
Secrets are always intriguing. We all love finding maps that point to buried treasure, discovering a rare find in our grandmother’s attic, finding the perfect sea shell on the beach, a nugget of gold or a rare gem on a camping trip, an Indian arrow head in the back yard of the property we just purchased, but what if the secret exposes a criminal element that threatens property and lives?

The Secrets at Lighthouse point begins as “Gracie and Marty parked at the shed beside the lighthouse and walked up through the field toward the woods that framed the area. Gracie shaded her eyes against the sun’s brightness as a warm southerly breeze gently ruffled her hair. She became totally focused on the old weathered structure, almost as though it were a living thing, and she wanted to take its pulse and tap into its soul. Swirling gulls screamed to one another out past the promontory on which it stood. Though she couldn’t see the water from where she was, she knew the high-bluffed, forested parcel was visible from the entrance to Tranquility Bay.”

While rumors spread throughout the small community about the upcoming sale of Lighthouse landmark and surrounding property, Gracie makes plans to take her own miraculous healing journey and turn the darkness that invades this property into hallowed ground where people can come and experience healing for themselves.

What barriers both earthly and spiritual, past and present challenge a ministry that will shed light into darkness?

How does faith of a few bring light into the dark secrets that have lay buried in this land for decades and how does God’s purpose expose the evil and bring about restoration to the land, community, peoples’ lives and future visitors?

How can an old decaying lighthouse that showed the way to weary travelers who happened upon her shores for decades be transformed into a lamp-stand for God healing for all mankind?

Read Author Hugh Harris’ remarks at the end of this fictional story where he sheds light on some dark realities in America today.

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Secrets at Lighthouse Point by Hugh Harris a fictional inspirational story which runs parallel to some very real problems facing America today. We reviewed this book in a Kindle/PDF format. This review was completed on November 29, 2015. For more information please visit http://www.coldcoffeepress.com

*************************
Genre: Christian, General, Cultural Heritage, Religion and Spirituality, Religion Fiction
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Hard Cover Print Purchase Link
Amazon Soft Cover Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link ************************
 
Featured Book Two:
Return of Bliss (The Dinkel Island Series Book 2)
by Hugh Harris
'Whoa,' Stan said, laughing, 'I don't think you got a fish at all. I'll bet that's an old tire somebody tossed in there.'

Within minutes they found out Stan was partially right. It wasn't a tire, but a muddy, seaweed-laden bag of some sort. Stan got the grappling hook and they pulled it up into the boat. It was an old backpack, and it was a mess.

Dinkel Island artist Stan Grayson struggles with lingering grief after his wife's untimely death. While fishing, he and his friend Ed Heygood find a water-logged backpack containing a large amount of money. This stirs reactions in town.

An investigation uncovers an abduction that happened twenty-two years earlier and has implications for Kate Sheppard, pastor of the Dinkel Island Wesleyan Brethren Church. An explosion and robbery bring added stress.

A visiting gospel music group provides a key to unlock the mysteries of both the abduction and the money.

Ultimately, faith and mutual support open doors to the resolution of grief and a return of bliss for Stan, Ed, Kate and others. Return of Bliss is a story of unfolding hope and joy built around Psalm 30:5, 'Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.'

**************************
Genre: Christian, General, Cultural Heritage, Religion and Spirituality, Religion Fiction
Amazon Author’s Page
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link ****************************
 
Featured Book Three:
A Change of Heart (The Dinkle Island Series Book 1)
by Hugh Harris
As Pastor Ed Heygood arrives at Dinkel Island's Wesleyan Brethren Church, he is greeted by two people who reflect the nature of his new charge.

Threading his way through initial challenges, he discovers a group who try to run things from behind the scenes, and an antagonist emerges to challenge him.

He plans a spectacular program featuring a parachute preacher that sets off both opposition and growth.

Then one man's miraculous change of heart puts fresh hope and redemptive possibilities to work with surprising results.

A Change of Heart is about redemption and hope set in a small coastal Virginia town.

Genre: Christian, General, Cultural Heritage, Religion & Spirituality, Religion Fiction

Except Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link ***************************
 
Featured Book Four:
NPH: Journey Into Dementia and Out Again
by Sharon French Harris With Hugh Harris
Do you or a loved one struggle with loss of balance or difficulty walking?

Are you experiencing a loss of memory and cognitive ability?

Do you suffer from urinary incontinence?

These are the three leading symptoms of a condition known as Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). In NPH: Journey into Dementia and Out Again, author Sharon French Harris and her husband, Hugh, tell the story of her experience with this condition, and her recovery from its debilitating effects.

Hugh chronicles the various stages of the journey, while Sharon tells what it was like to experience them.

In a time when we hear much about dementia, Sharon’s story of recovery is refreshing.

Once you’ve read NPH: Journey Into Dementia and Out Again, you will want to spread this hope to anyone who is suffering from the symptoms discussed here.

Genre: Self-Help, Health, General, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), Non-fiction, Health, Diet and Fitness
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
*************************** Professional Website
Amazon Author’s Page
Facebook
Twitter
Cold Coffee Café
Cold Coffee Press

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Just Another Desert Sunset by Nikki Broadwell

Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Nikki Broadwell
Nikki Broadwell grew up an 'army brat', living in several states as well as Germany during her formative years. But it was her time in Virginia on a 400- acre farm that set the imaginative stage for "The Moonstone", the first book of a fantasy trilogy entitled "Wolfmoon".

She received a B.A. in English and Art from Sonoma State University and later studied Marriage, Family and Child Counseling. Over the years Nikki has had several art related businesses, including greeting cards and painting on silk--scarves and wall-hangings--that were displayed in high end galleries.

After living in the Pacific Northwest for over 15 years, Nikki, her husband and a dog and a cat have relocated to Tucson, Arizona (close to the Catalina Mountains) where the light shines, illuminating everything.

Nikki spends a lot of walking and contemplating the beauty around her. She has two grown children and seven grandchildren. Now she writes full time and has 10 books published, 2 Kindle Gift Sets and one planned for release the first of 2016.


************************Interview:

What makes you proud to be a writer from Tucson, Arizona (close to the Catalina Mountains)? I love it and find it endlessly stimulating as well as a way to find out things I never would have known about, as well as exploring issues and dealing with my own emotions that seem to come out through the writing.

What or who inspired you to become a writer? I spent a lot of time alone when I was a child, and that and my interest in the natural world inspired a fantasy life that came out later in the form of writing. I also love to read and read everything I could when I was a kid, another inspiration.

When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? When I finished my first fantasy, The Moonstone, which ended up being three books, I decided to publish.

Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage? My environment was everything to why I became a writer—without the freedom to roam by myself as a child I doubt it would have happened. As a result I have a rich fantasy life that comes out in every book.

Do you come up with your title before or after you write the manuscript? Sometimes before and sometimes after.

Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? I write fantasy/romance as well as murder mystery/romance…the fantasy is really fun, allowing me to make up places and species and worlds. The mysteries have a paranormal element, which makes them fun to write and the romantic aspects are just what always seems to happen! My characters seem to fall in love with alarming regularity!

What was your inspiration, spark or light bulb moment that inspired you to write the book that you are seeking promotion for? “Just Another Desert Sunset” was inspired by living in the Sonoran Desert. I love coyotes and the idea of how a coyote would view the world as a human being made me laugh—also the idea of a coyote falling in love with a human woman I figured could be pretty hilarious.

What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? Sometimes I start laughing out loud as my fingers type. It’s as though the story is unfolding like a book that I’m reading instead of something I’m making up. The writing seems to come through me rather than me working at it.

What has been your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? Deciding to self-publish has been the most rewarding—it is simple and wonderful.

Have you had a negative experience in your writing career? If so please explain how it could have been avoided? My only negative experience is in marketing and working like crazy to publicize my books and feeling as though it’s doing nothing.

What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Don’t give up!

Who is your favorite author and why? I don’t really have a favorite author. I’ve liked many authors along the way—to name a few: Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Drabble, Margaret Atwood, Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Elizabeth George, Leif Enger, Poe, and many, many more…

************************
 Author Nikki Broadwell’s Published BooksGypsy Series
Gypsy's Quest: Gypsy Series Book 1
Gypsy's Return: Gypsy Series Book 2
Gypsy's Secret: Gypsy Series Book 3
Gypsy Trilogy Gift Set: Gypsy's Quest, Gypsy's Return, Gypsy's Secret
Wolfmoon Trilogy
The Moonstone: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 1
Saille, The Willow: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 2
The Wolf Moon: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 3
The Wolfmoon Trilogy Gift Set: The Moonstone, Saille, the Willow, The Wolf Moon
McCloud Paranormal Mystery Series
Murder In Plain Sight: A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery-Book 1
Saffron and Seaweed: A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery (Book 2)
Desert Series
Just Another Desert Sunset
Coming Soon! Coyote Sunrise (Desert Series Book 2)
Stand Alone Books
Bridge Of Mist and Fog
****************************
Desert Series
Just Another Desert Sunset
Coming Soon! Coyote Sunrise (Desert Series Book 2)
 
Just Another Desert Sunset (Desert Series Book One) by Nikki Broadwell
A Paranormal Romance.

Coyote yearns to be human but when his wish is granted he discovers that the shaman left out one tiny detail--as soon as he falls asleep he will always return to animal form.

Meeting the human female Sara further complicates Coyote's life as he is drawn to her in a way he can't explain. Ignoring Raven's warnings that he should stick with his own kind, Coyote-man finds himself heading to Sara's house at odd times, her essence impossible to ignore.

When a cruel trick of fate separates them, Coyote seeks council from a Navajo man who promises to help. Will this man trick him like the other shaman or can he be trusted?

Walking the spirit trail brings answers but not to the questions he asked. What will happen if Sara learns the truth?

Will she turn away from this strange-looking man with the yellow eyes who seems like he comes from a different planet?

Cold Coffee Press Book Review
for Just Another Desert Sunset by Nikki Broadwell
“There was once a coyote who wanted to become a man, but before he could be granted his wish the shaman asked him for three things.”

Just Another Desert Sunset is a provocative paranormal romance that begs the reader to recognize the fine line between humans and animals in a mystical realm that honors Native Americans traditions and beliefs.

This face paced well written story takes place in Arizona where Author Nikki Broadwell uses the beauty of both sky and land with desert creatures that crawl, area birds fly and furry animals that hunt. Nikki weaves spell binding rituals with humans that are going about their lives unaware of the clash of cultures that exists as a fine line ready to tear the very fabric of time and space.

Well-developed characters live in a modern world that collide with a spiritual world were a coyote leaves his familiar pack in search of a way to become a human man. His deepest desire is to see, hear, feel and make love to Sarah who overwhelms his senses with her fragrances and beauty which brings confusion and longing in his spirit. Shape-shifting is not new to literature, but it is new to coyote when his warm, four footed fury body shifts into a Native American man named Istaga with yellow eyes, long braids and smooth, hairless skin.

I quote a passage where romance bridges instinct. “Coyote woke with a start, staring down at the woman curled up next to him. She looked serene and peaceful, a slight smile curling up the corners of her mouth. He wanted to stay as he was, wanted her to know him as animal as well as man, but it was too soon—too early for her to find out the truth. If she woke now he couldn’t imagine how she would react seeing a wild beast lying next to her. He thought of the night before and how he had longed to turn into his coyote form but had managed to control the urge. How he wished his visions would come to pass—that they could change together from human to animal while they mated. When he moved away she moaned in her sleep, reaching for him, but he was already loping into the underbrush, searching for their breakfast.

When Sara woke, Istaga was gone, nothing left to indicate he’d ever been there. She had a moment of panic, wondering if she’d dreamed the entire scenario, but then she felt the sand in her hair, the sore muscles in her shoulders and hips and smiled to herself. There had been no exchange of the usual endearments between them but somehow the episode felt profound and deeper than any sex she’d ever experienced. Except for the first time with Istaga, she thought to herself, chuckling. Hopefully he had only gone to relieve himself and would be back soon. The thought of him disappearing from her life again was too painful to bear.”

Cold Coffee Press endorses Just Another Desert Sunset by Nikki Broadwell as a delightful paranormal romance that intertwines human and animal nature in its purest form. Nikki currently has 10 books within 4 series, two Kindle Gift sets and a new book coming out early in 2016. We reviewed this book in a Kindle/PDF format. This review was completed on November 23, 2015. For more information please visit http://www.coldcoffeepress.com

*************************


Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
Coming Soon! Coyote Sunrise (Desert Series Book 2)
************************
Wolfmoon Trilogy
The Moonstone: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 1
Saille, The Willow: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 2
The Wolf Moon: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 3
The Wolfmoon Trilogy Gift Set: The Moonstone, Saille, the Willow, The Wolf Moon
************************
 The Moonstone: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 1 by Nikki Broadwell
Is magic gone from the world? Was it ever here? Read The Moonstone and you might just believe in magic again! Fans of strong women like those found in 'The Mists of Avalon' series will find themselves right at home.

Finna’s mother is dead. So why is this woman standing on her stoop claiming to be just that?
Catriona arrives bearing a gift—a luminous moonstone that holds the secrets to Finna’s heritage. What heritage?

Catriona insists that the two of them must journey to the castle of the Celtic moon goddess, Arianrhod. Moon goddess?

The story Catriona weaves is preposterous. A parallel reality, known as the ‘Otherworld’, exists next to this one. According to her, this place has no electricity, cars or any other modern conveniences. “The moonstone will show the way,”

Catriona intones cryptically. Newly pregnant Finna is naturally skeptical. Where has this woman been for the past eighteen years? And why would her father lie about her mother’s death?

All her instincts tell her to stay put during this critical time. But Catriona is uncannily persuasive, convincing her despite Finna’s misgivings.

What a trip through this alternate reality really means, and the secrets Catriona reveals about their family and the baby Finna carries, have Finna questioning everything she has ever known. With her life and that of her unborn child in jeopardy, Finna must find a way to survive.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
*************************   Saille, The Willow: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 2 by Nikki Broadwell
Maeve has been having strange dreams but when she goes to the psychic to find out some answers she leaves with more questions. As she walks out of the store a crow stares down at her from on top of a telephone pole and she could swear his gaze seems malevolent. When a shipment of paintings arrives from Scotland Maeve feels drawn to them in a way she can't ignore.

Why do the dark landscapes seem so familiar? And why is there a glowing moonstone hovering in the background of each one?

More dreams plague her sleep and when she finds herself running down a path that only exists in a painting, she realizes that her safe, predictable life has taken a very different turn.

Between consulting the psychic and falling in love, Maeve will find out a secret that will turn her life upside down and send her careening into a future she could never have imagined.

Amazon Customer Reviews Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
************************   The Wolf Moon: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 3 by Nikki Broadwell
It is close to the winter solstice when Maeve Lewin's simple trip to Scotland to re-unite with her mother throws her headlong into a dangerous world. A prophecy written centuries before seems to describe her as 'the one', and despite Maeve's insistence that this couldn't possibly be true her mother and grandmother both agree that it is.

What Maeve doesn't know is that her boyfriend, Harold, is part of her destiny, mentioned in the ancient text as 'the one of noble birth who will stand by her side." But Harold's only plan is to join Maeve in Scotland for the New Year before the two of them fly home to the States.

The night of the winter solstice brings Maeve face to face with a terrifying reality, but it's Harold's arrival that forces her to come to terms with the truth. He seems to have lived in this parallel world before and his part in future events has been sealed as surely as hers.

With dark forces hunting her relentlessly and confronted with a fate she didn't choose, Maeve must come to terms with her future and somehow find the strength to fulfill the perilous task set before her.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
*************************
  The Wolfmoon Trilogy Gift Set:
The Moonstone, Saille, the Willow, The Wolf Moon by Nikki Broadwell
The first book of Wolfmoon Trilogy, The Moonstone, begins in the highlands of Scotland in 1984 but we soon find ourselves in a parallel reality known as the Otherworld. We travel the paths of this mystical land along with Finna and her mother, Catriona, led by a magical moonstone. But an ancient evil follows in the shadows as Finna heads to the castle of the moon goddess to have her unborn child blessed.

In Saille, the Willow, we are twenty years in the future when Maeve unpacks paintings that have arrived at her New England gallery. Her reaction to these mysterious and shadowy works brings up questions that she cannot answer. Why do they draw her in like a moth to a flame? The answers to these questions will set her on a path that she never expected.

The Wolf Moon, book 3, finds Maeve on her way to Scotland to discover her long lost mother. But what she doesn't understand is that she is being summoned there by forces outside of herself. She has been named in an ancient prophecy as the one who will bring balance back to a dark world.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Kindle Purchase Link
*************************
 
Gypsy Series
Gypsy's Quest: Gypsy Series Book 1
Gypsy's Return: Gypsy Series Book 2
Gypsy's Secret: Gypsy Series Book 3
Gypsy Trilogy Gift Set: Gypsy's Quest, Gypsy's Return, Gypsy's Secret
************************
 Gypsy's Quest: Gypsy Series Book 1 by Nikki Broadwell
The last thing Gertrude remembers is landing at the Edinburgh airport, but this medieval world where she finds herself bears no resemblance to Scotland. Here there is neither indoor plumbing, nor any electronics, cars, busses or trains.

When she discovers that she’s pregnant her fear mounts. There are no hospitals, no doctors, and no stores in which to buy diapers or baby food. And why can’t she remember the father?

But things are worse than she imagines—her past is catching up. And when her baby is kidnapped, the horrible memories begin to resurface.

Little does she know that searching for her baby will pull her into a larger quest to save the world. But before she can do either, she must save herself. Does she have the strength to overcome the obstacles in her way before it’s too late to save anyone?

Aided by a man from her distant past and a magical boat, she hunts for her child in worlds that should only exist in myth.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
***************************
 Gypsy's Return: Gypsy Series Book 2 by Nikki Broadwell
A time traveling romance.

The flutter of a butterfly's wings may cause a hurricane across the world, but can the turn of a page cause chaos across time?

Gertrude is about to find out just how mighty the pen is when she publishes The Hanged Man, a fictional account of her time in the future that is meant to prevent the suffering she witnessed. But the love and loss she experienced are brought crashing back when the god Loki informs her that good intentions aside, her book has sent ripples into the future with disastrous consequences.

An evil sorcerer and witch have joined powers with malevolent corporations, creating a society based on massive wealth disparity and the worst manipulations of science. If this weren't enough for Gertrude to deal with, she is given reason to believe that her son is still alive in this terrible new world.

Frantic to find out the truth Gertrude searches out an ancient druid who brings her face to face with the law of unintended consequences. Is there anything she can do to rectify the future before it's too late?

With the help from some old friends, Gertrude sails into the unknown, fearful but determined to make things right and reclaim her son.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
************************
 Gypsy's Secret: Gypsy Series Book 3 by Nikki Broadwell
It is June of 2011 and Gertrude has been working tirelessly to finish The Tower as part of the bargain she made with Loki. The god has made no attempt to fulfill his end of the agreement, and Gertrude is out of patience as she waits to be reunited with her son.

When Ella uses Gypsy to travel back to Gertrude’s timeline and make trouble, Gertrude is able to steal the ship to return to 2457Fell. What she finds is a world in chaos with reoccurring shifts in time that thwart every attempt she makes to find her son and Kafir.

As Gertrude struggles through a world gone mad what she doesn’t realize is that Ella is now pregnant, carrying a child who will bring about the end of Far Isle and every living thing in it. Gertrude’s powers are tested in new ways and her son’s abilities astonish all who encounter him.
Will their combined power, aided by Gunnar, MacCuill, and the gods and goddesses be enough to combat this new evil?

Or is it too late to save the world from ultimate darkness?

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
**************************
Gypsy Trilogy Gift Set: Gypsy's Quest, Gypsy's Return, Gypsy's Secret by Nikki Broadwell
In 'Gypsy's Quest' Gertrude finds herself in a land called Far Isle that seems steeped in the past. When she discovers she's pregnant with no memory of how this came to be she tries to find her way home, but there are no trains, no planes or ships to carry her back to Milltown, Massachusetts. Her fear mounts when she runs into an evil sorceress who tries to kill her and her baby before he's even born. But it is when her baby is kidnapped that things really heat up. With the aid of a man from her distant past Gertrude searches for her seven-month-old son in Norse worlds she's only read about in books. And along the way she learns a thing or two about what it means to love.

Book 2, 'Gypsy's Return' finds Gertrude trying to remedy what she's experienced in the future of Far Isle by writing a book in her own time--she has decided that this is the only way she can retrieve her child from Loki, the Norse god who holds him hostage. But things turn ugly when she returns in order to hold Loki to his promise. Her son's father is not who he appears to be and when she discovers his alignment with a very powerful sorceress called Ella, Gertrude realizes her own powerlessness. Loki demands that another book be written to bring this future into some sort of balance.

In Book 3, 'Gypsy's Secret', Gertrude is once again placed in a precarious position trying to right the wrongs she's caused by her previous books. Far Isle is in chaos with shifts in time that frustrate all her attempts to find her son and the man she loves. And thwarting her at every turn is Ella, the witch and sorceress who was once married to the same man Gertrude holds dear. Ella wants to erase all memory of Gertrude and Gertrude's son in her frenzied race to control Far Isle. And this time Ella has a son of her own who is more powerful than anyone could have predicted.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Kindle Purchase Link
************************
 
McCloud Paranormal Mystery Series
Murder In Plain Sight: A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery-Book 1
Saffron and Seaweed: A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery (Book 2)
************************
 Murder In Plain Sight: A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery Book 1 by Nikki Broadwell
Summer McCloud has been managing without her mother for five years now. But what she knows about Lila McCloud could fill a teacup.

When a woman is murdered the same day she buys a book from Tarot and Tea, the occult shop Summer inherited when her mother disappeared, Summer's life begins to unravel. She is the number one suspect in the murder investigation. But Summer is an amateur sleuth and has visions about murders--she can solve this one, can't she?

The only person on the force who believes in her innocence is a homicide detective that Summer once dated. But now Jerry seems to be working at cross purposes. When ghosts from the past begin to rear their ugly heads Summer begins to lose her confidence. Is her mother alive or dead?

A journal belonging to the dead woman reveals more than Summer wants to know, leading her down several twisting paths that put her life in jeopardy. She must solve this case or lose everything, including her life.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
***************************
Saffron and Seaweed: A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery Book 2 by Nikki Broadwell
Book 2 takes Summer and Jerry away from Ames on holiday. Little do they know what awaits them there!

Summer and Jerry’s romantic weekend takes a dark turn when they discover the body of a young woman in the surf.

When the local police deny the crime and the newspaper prints nothing, Jerry and Summer realize they are on their own. But they have no idea how deep they will have to dig to find out the truth. The murder is only a thread in a web of lies that extends to the furthest reaches of political office.

Are Summer’s visions to be the only clues? Jerry doesn’t think so, his focus on good old-fashioned detective work, but when he doubts her psychic abilities the trust between them begins to crumble.As the days pass, Jerry and Summer come to understand that not only their relationship, but their very lives are in jeopardy.


Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
****************************
 
Stand Alone Book Bridge Of Mist and Fog by Nikki Broadwell
Airy Fitzhugh is anxious when she spots an island off the coast that her mother is unable to see--she's lived in her powerful mother's shadow her entire life. But when she consults the goddess of prophecy and discovers she has a destiny, her mood lifts. According to Corra she's linked to someone on that island and their future involves building a bridge between two worlds.

It's another matter altogether when her parents insist that she attend college in Milltown, Massachusetts, far from the mystical Otherworld where she's lived all her sixteen years. It is only when she meets a boy from the future that Airy's world begins to expand. Fehin makes her aware that her ability to talk to trees is a gift. She is special after all. But many dark and tangled paths must be taken before the two of them can discover what fate has in store.

How can they trust in destiny when everything is working against them?

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
***************************
Professional Website
Amazon Author’s Page Professional Blogs
http://niksblog-authorinprogress.blogspot.com/2015/10/saffron-and-seaweed.html
http://www.jalapenosandjavelina.blogspot.com/ Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Cold Coffee Café Author’s Page

Cold Coffee Press Endorses The Dark Entity and Beatrice Belladonna's Black Magic Web by Mary Burton King

 
The Dark Entity by Mary Burton King
On a cold winter’s night at a federal prison in East Texas, sixty-one year old Beatrice Belladonna Harlow, a sociopath, voodoo priestess, and convicted black widow serial killer on death row, is brutality murdered in her cell by two prison guards and her body secretly buried in the prison’s cemetery.

Beatrice’s murder initiated an eerie and dark chain of events. In life she was a voodoo priestess; therefore, she will live forever—that is her bestowed legacy. Yes, this voodoo priestess will indeed live forever, but not in her fleshy, earthly body, but as a spirit, an entity. Beatrice’s legacy is dependent upon one thing: another living human being, a host. Immediately upon death, her entity must enter the body of her chosen host. Thereafter, that unfortunate soul no longer has control of his thoughts or actions. And if that isn’t bad enough, a shocking physical metamorphosis takes place.

Years earlier, while sitting on death row, awaiting her execution, Beatrice used her time wisely. She had nothing but time; therefore, she spent countless hours planning every detail of her afterlife. She chose as her host her estranged, thankless, thirty-three-year-old adopted daughter, Lola Marie.

Thus, the night Beatrice was killed, Lola Marie was awakened from a deep sleep by a very bright yellow light floating over her bed. This bright yellow light was her mother’s spirit. In utter horror and unable to prevent what happened next, she watched that bizarre, bright yellow light enter her body. At first Lola Marie thought she was dreaming, but that was not the case. Her mother’s dark entity had just entered and taken control of her mind and soul. She was now possessed.

In the blink of an eye, Lola Marie unwillingly became her deceased mother’s evil puppet and is forced to perform bloody, vengeful, heinous acts for her, even murder. To ensure her daughter’s compliance, Beatrice uses an extremely painful but unique control mechanism, a tattoo. Lola Marie quickly finds herself trapped in her dead mother’s evil web with little hope of escape. Against all odds, can she find a way to free herself from her dead mother’s voodoo clutches? And if so, at what cost to her?

With a plot full of unexpected twists and turns, this high-energy, action-packed paranormal thriller will undoubtedly leave the reader spellbound and craving for more!

Cold Coffee Press Book Review for The Dark Entity by Mary Burton King
The Dark Entity by Mary Burton King gives a new meaning to the word “revenge”.

What atrocities lay inside walls of federal prisons and what does it matter to the general population on the outside?

When death row inmate and serial killer Beatrice Belladonna Harlow is tortured and buried alive a short time before her scheduled execution, her spirit travels to the bedroom of her adoptive daughter Lola Marie. The bright yellow light of adoptive mother wakes Lola Marie from sleep. With the precision of her mother’s voodoo priestess spirit, Lola can’t stop the physical metamorphosis as Beatrice enters her body and becomes one with her.

Lola Marie’s Mexican beauty is over ridden by her American/Haitian adopted mother who had rescued her from an abusive orphanage when she was eight. Was this her punishment for ignoring her mother after she was convicted as a black widow serial killer?

Well-developed characters in this paranormal thriller will keep you turning the page as Beatrice possesses her daughter’s body and turns her life upside down with bloody thirsty revengeful energy of Voodoo magic.

Forced to participate in the horrors of Beatrice’s revenge, her legacy while not sealed in blood was sealed by adoption.

Sequel to Beatrice Belladonna's Black Magic Web, this standalone paranormal thriller is dedicated to the countless victims of human trafficking past and present.

Cold Coffee Press endorses The Dark Entity by Mary Burton King. Well researched Mary uses her education and over twenty years of law enforcement experience in the writing process. In addition to this book, please read Beatrice Belladonna's Black Magic Web, Fool Me Once, Fool Me Once: Final Resolution and No Pot, No Window. This review was completed on November 15, 2015 from a Kindle/PDF format. For more information please visit http://www.coldcoffeepress.com

Amazon Hard Cover Copy Purchase Link
Amazon Soft Cover Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Noble Hard Cover Purchase Link
Barnes and Nobles Soft Cover Print Purchase Link
Nook Purchase Link
Other Purchase Link
************************  
Beatrice Belladonna's Black Magic Web by Mary Burton King
Meet sixty-one-year-old vodou priestess, convicted black widow serial killer and cop killer, Beatrice Belladonna. She is a death row inmate housed at The Federal Medical Center, Carswell, Texas, and is five months shy of her scheduled execution date. Seeking notoriety after death, Beatrice accepts A&E Network's request for a televised interview. During this six-hour interview, she reveals her life story which includes being sexually abused as a child by her stepfather and abandoned at the age of sixteen by her mother. Consequently, it is no surprise that Beatrice evolved into a sociopathic black widow serial killer at a very young age, eighteen. On camera, she coldly confesses to murdering all of her subsequent lovers for profi t and states that after their deaths, she felt absolutely no remorse, only sheer elation. Naturally, being a vodou priestess has its advantages when it comes to cold-blooded murder. Find out how Beatrice used her vodou black magic powers to kill her lovers and how she managed to elude arrest by the police for over thirty years! Beatrice Belladonna's bizarre and macabre life story is truly remarkable and one that will not soon be forgotten.

Book Review for Beatrice Belladonna's Black Magic Web by Mary Burton King
I set the bar high when reading this book because the Author Mary Burton King is a former Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Special Agent with over twenty years of law enforcement experience.

‘Beatrice Belladonna's Black Magic Web’ is spell binding. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that I would care to know anything about a Haitian Vodou (old term voodoo) Priestess. Nor did I know that I could become interested in Vodou Priestess’ herbs (grown all around the world), magic potions, blessings and curses.

Believe me when I say that no matter how you feel about this subject or this Vodou Priestess you will come to admire her level of intelligence (just like the black widow spider). You will begin to see the world from her perspective and no matter what her crimes you will be forced to think about human dignity.

Personally I can’t wait for the sequel to be released.

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Beatrice Belladonna's Black Magic Web by Mary Burton King. Review Date: July 31, 204 http://www.coldcoffeepress.com



Book Excerpt
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Noble Print Purchase Link
Nook Purchase Link
*************************
 
Fool Me Once by Mary Burton King
This nail-biting murder mystery revolves around a married couple, Rebecca and Marcus, who after twenty years of marriage realize that they despise each other. Marcus is a prominent criminal defense attorney with a law firm in Atlanta, Georgia, who has accumulated millions but refuses to share his wealth with his wife, Rebecca. Since the couple’s two children are preparing to leave the nest for college, both Rebecca and Marcus decide it is time to make a radical change in their lives. Rebecca, forced by Marcus to be a stay-at-home mom, has been mentally and verbally abused by Marcus for the last sixteen years and can’t stand her life as it is any longer. She desires nothing more than to be free from the clutches of her abusive, controlling, dominating, adulterous, tightwad husband and sees her opportunity for freedom after Marcus’s two failed attempts to kill her. Marcus’s greed ultimately leads to his horrific demise. Rebecca serves him the dish he never expected—revenge served cold.

Book Excerpt
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Noble Print Purchase Link
Nook Purchase Link
*************************  
Fool Me Once: Final Resolution by Mary Burton King
In the first sequel, Rebecca contemplates how to end her twenty year loveless marriage to her greedy, controlling, abusive, womanizing, but extremely wealthy husband, Marcus. Marcus, also desiring to free himself from his marriage contract, decides killing his estranged wife instead of divorcing her is a more lucrative option.

Therefore, he hires a hit man, Big Al, to murder Rebecca however his attempt is unsuccessful and Marcus refuses to pay him. Consequently, Big Al, determined to collect his money, breaks into Marcus' mansion and robs, mutilates, brutally assaults him, and then dumps his lifeless body in the Mexican desert. After an extensive search by the Mexican Federal Police, remains of an American male matching Marcus' description are found and he is presumed dead.

During an unexpected confrontation between Rebecca, Big Al, and Big Al's younger crack head brother, David, Rebecca is forced to shoot and kill Big Al. David, determined to atone for his brother's death, becomes Rebecca's constant tormentor. As the saga continues in this novel, Rebecca, believing Marcus is now deceased and she and her two children are finally free from his abuse, attempts to settle his estate and move on with her life.

After putting Marcus' lavish mansion up for sale, via an estate auction, she moves into a new home and while unpacking her belongings, remembers a key she found hidden in Marcus' bedroom at the mansion. Rebecca discovers that the key is to a storage unit and what she finds stashed in Marcus' secret storage unit is a shocking surprise.

In the final sequel, Rebecca's world comes crashing down when she discovers that the remains found in the Mexican desert were not Marcus' and that he has returned to Atlanta to reclaim his fortune and seek revenge. Follow the adventures of the returning cast of characters, particularly the villains, Marcus and David, in this unforgettable shock and awe climax.

Book Excerpt
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Noble Print Purchase Link
Nook Purchase Link
************************
 
No Pot, No Window by Mary Burton King
NO POT, NO WINDOW is a true story about my life starting in the year1951 when I was born in Marshall, Texas to poor, uneducated parents. This book is intended to be a motivator and inspiration to all the people struggling to survive financially as I did for the majority of my life.

The expression “no pot, no window” means you are so poor you don’t have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out. I believe poverty, lack of education, a negative home environment, alcohol and/or drug abuse, bad judgment, a single parent home, disease/illness, and sometimes just plain bad luck keeps the syndrome of “no pot, no window” perpetuating generation after generation.

My alcoholic abusive father abandoned my two sisters and I when I was nine years old and my codependent mother was absent from my life for many years. After my father left and my parents divorced, my mother spent the rest of her life looking for another husband to support her. She was married nine times and never did find her Prince Charming just another drunk she met at a bar and drug home.

When I was ten years old, my mother sent my two sisters and I to live with her parents for over three years and during this period she was completely absent from our lives. My maternal grandparents, who were survivors of the Great Depression of 1929, were very tight with their money and affection. They really did not want to raise three young children but decided we would be a valuable asset as farm hands on their five acre farm.

My mother came back into my life when I was 13 years old and the saga of stepfathers began. At the age of sixteen I had a job, a car, and was self-sufficient. Unfortunately, I was also a juvenile delinquent because I had little or no parental supervision. For lack of any other options, I joined the military in 1969, during the height of the Viet Nam War and began the long journey of becoming an adult. Due to my immaturity and poor judgment, I was married and divorced three times before the age of 30 and became a single parent to my only child.

When I was 32 years old, I was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer and spent the next five years struggling to stay alive physically and financially. With the assistance of the military, I was able to obtain my Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Mississippi in 1982 and a Masters of Forensic Science from George Washington University in 1986.

After 21 years of active duty service, I subsequently retired as a Lieutenant from the United States Navy in 1993. I refused to accept and was able to overcome the “no pot, no window” plight because of my perseverance, hard work, and most importantly, advanced education. I changed my life from sour lemons to sweet lemonade!

Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Noble Print Purchase Link
Nook Purchase Link
***************************
 
Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Mary Burton King
Mary Burton King has written and published five fiction novels, including the best-selling action-packed thriller Beatrice Belladonna’s Black Magic Web. Her latest novel, The Dark Entity, is a standalone paranormal thriller that continues the saga of Beatrice Belladonna’s evil lifestyle after her death. King has proven herself as a noteworthy author who consistently produces the type of novels that the reader simply cannot put down until the very last page is read. She uses her education and over twenty years of law enforcement experience to her advantage by including in each novel criminal investigative procedures and techniques. King has also published one nonfiction novel, her memoir. She earned a master’s degree in Forensic Science from the George Washington University, Washington, DC, and is a former Special Agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Additionally and more importantly, King retired as a Lieutenant from the United States Navy after serving twenty-one years on active duty. Author Mary Burton King was born and grew up in East Texas but now resides in Pataskala, Ohio.

************************Interview:

What or who inspired you to become a writer? Becoming a writer was a personal challenge to myself. My first published novel was my memoir, ‘No Pot, No Window’. I was born dirt poor and remained so until I enlisted in the military at the age of 17. ‘No Pot, No Window’ is an old southern expression referring to a person or persons who live in poverty.

When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? I began writing with the intention of being published after I completed writing my memoir, ‘No Pot, No Window’.

Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage? My environment and upbringing played a major role and influenced the writing of my first novel, my non-fiction memoir, however those two factors played little or no part in the fiction novels I have subsequently written. I have to say my education and life experiences in law enforcement influenced my current novels; crime scene investigator, detective, NCIS Special Agent.

Do you come up with your title before or after you write the manuscript? I generally come up with the title of my novels before or during the early stages of writing the manuscript and occasionally will alter it slightly.

Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? My genre is fiction, crime, mystery, thriller, horror. I prefer to write in this genre because this is what I know. I possess a Master’s degree in Forensic Science from George Washington University and have over twenty years’ experience in the law enforcement field.

What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? My most rewarding experience as an author is always typing the words "The End" on my manuscript and submitting it for publication.

Have you had a negative experience in your writing career? If so please explain how it could have been avoided? The only negative experience(s) I have endured during my writing profession thus far is learning the 'dos' and 'don'ts' regarding writing a manuscript and subsequently publishing a novel that readers want to buy. My formal education was not related to writing, therefore I taught myself online. Almost everybody thinks they can successfully write and publish a novel, and they most likely can. But if it isn't a very good novel with a captivating plot, believable characters, well written and edited, with an eye catching cover, few people are going to purchase it to read. I have been writing for over five and a half years and have learned a lot. As far as avoiding the mistakes I made when I first started writing, other than going back to college and taking writing classes, there was no avoidance. I learned how to write through the school of hard knocks and by comparing my work to authors who were successful. I soon realized the mistakes I was making and corrected them.

What has been your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? My most rewarding experience in my publishing journey was writing and publishing my latest novel, ‘Beatrice Belladonna's Black Magic Web’. I knew this novel was going to be my best novel (and hopefully a bestseller) and that I had evolved into a true author.

Have you had a negative experience in your publishing journey? If so please explain how it could have been avoided? I guess my most negative experience I have had during my time as an author is being looked down on (bookstores refusing to let me host a book signing) because I was self-published. This event happened shortly after I published my first novel and thankfully Indie authors are shown more respect today. I don't think there was any way I could have avoided that experience, it was simply the way of the times.

What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? One positive piece of advice I would give to other authors is always believe in yourself and your ability to succeed.

Who is your favorite author? My favorite author has always been James Patterson, particularly his Alex Cross novels. They are captivating.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with us? I am currently writing the follow up novel to ‘Beatrice Belladonna's Black Magic Web’, titled The Dark Entity’ and anticipate publication early next year. Counting my memoir, I have four published novels.


  Amazon Author’s Page

Author Mary Burton King Website Links:
http://www.mbkingmysteries.com
http://www.maryburtonkingauthor.com
Cold Coffee Café Author’s Page
Cold Coffee Press Author’s Page

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Nick Iuppa’s Novels

Cold Coffee Press Endorses Nick Iuppa’s Novels
************************
Taken By Witches by Nick Iuppa
When he was a child, Niko Madonie was terrified of his over-protective grandmother. Somehow he knew she was a witch possessed of overwhelming supernatural powers and determined to save him from the real and imagined dangers of the modern world. Now a successful writer in Hollywood, Niko is helping create an animated version of Hansel and Gretel while he struggles to protect his beautiful young wife from sexy, New Age witches who hope to sacrifice her to please the ancient crone. This is an epic horror romance set against a background of legends, with complex villains, a magical young couple, and a storyline straight from the darkest pages of the Brothers Grimm.

Cold Coffee Press Book Review For Taken By Witches by Nick Iuppa
If you have ever thought that reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales to your children or grandchildren might frighten them, then you’d better keep the lights on while reading Taken by Witches to yourself.
Author Nick Iuppa asks questions you might not ask aloud. “Do witches exist; where does their power come from, and to what ends will they use it?”

Masterfully written, this multifaceted story begins in the small Polish village of Zakopane high in the Carpathian Mountains. A warlock skillfully tells the story to a shopkeeper and his young daughter after he returns a collection of gruesome masks that the shopkeeper once sent to America so they wouldn’t fall into the hands of the Nazis. The masks are all images of the same woman, a witch named Babcia (pronounced Bob-cha) the Polish name for grandmother.

The warlock’s story begins with a young boy named Niko Madonie who realizes that his grandmother has supernatural powers that terrify him up until the day she dies. As an adult, Niko marries and becomes a successful writer in Hollywood. But even there he is haunted by memories of Babcia and he finds he must struggle to protect his wife from new age witches who decide to sacrifice the beautiful young woman to please the ancient crone.

Imagine Babcia’s evil smell: (the stench of blood sausage mixed with the spicy sweetness of gingerbread) and realize that ancient history doesn’t always stay in the past. Centuries after Niko’s grandmother lost her first baby to medieval witch hunters, she bears a new family to a new husband in a new land, America. But even in this future place and time, she remembers the vow she made when the infant was murdered: “Atrocities to her loved ones will never happen again,” no matter what the consequences.

Author Nick Iuppa has impressive credentials as the former Creative Director of Paramount Pictures’ Digital Entertainment, Head of Apple Computer’s Learning Technologies Group, and Writer for the Wonderful World of Disney.

Cold Coffee Press endorses Taken by Witches by Nick Iuppa as a modern horror story based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales, which first brought the essence of ancient witchcraft into America’s bedtime stories. Nick’s other novels include Alicia’s Ghost, Alicia’s Sin, Alicia Bewitched, Bloody Bess And The Doomsday Games, and Avenging Adelita.  This reviewed was completed on November 12, 2015 from a Kindle/PDF format. For more information please visit http://www.coldcoffeepress.com

Amazon Author’s Page
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
************************
Bloody Bess And The Doomsday Games by Nick Iuppa
"Nick Iuppa loops a brilliant mix of technology, romance, military lore, and vampires into a terrifying, sexy spree in the Swiss Alps. The details are 3D. If you're looking for a heart-pounder, this is it." S.B. Stinnet

The castle of 15th century duchess Elizabeth Laskaar looks down on the little Swiss village of Murdenwald and the secretive military complex nearby. There, the UN hopes to end world conflict with a vast military simulation that will dramatize the apocalypse that will follow the next major war. To head the project, they hire notorious Hollywood producer Donald Vito, master of explosive action adventures, who still mourns the murder of his teenage love in the 1950s.

Vito and the simulation team use new technology to build hundreds of virtual soldiers and terrorists you can touch, speak to, and reason with. But they also begin to feel the influence of Elizabeth Laskaar. She’s often called Bloody Bess – the first real vampire – because she maintained her youthful beauty by slaughtering her maidservants and bathing in their blood.

Recklessly inspired by their surroundings, the team creates a virtual vampire that soon takes on the characteristics of Elizabeth’s magnificent, long-dead husband. Soon, he and Bess stalk the compound, seducing everyone working on the project, until vampire blood surges beyond the humans to the virtual characters with unthinkable consequences. In the end, perhaps, only the power of Vito’s long lost love can save humanity.

Cold Coffee Press Book Review For Bloody Bess 
And The Doomsday Games by Nick Iuppa
Bloody Bess And The Doomsday Games is a magnificent fictional horror drama featuring ancient vampires, teenage romance, and a top-secret military project. The Doomsday Games, as the project is called, involves a team of international scientists, engineers, and military personnel who gather in the ancient town of Murdenwald, Switzerland, to do no less then put an end to war.

Nick Iuppa developed a cast of authentic and unique characters like Elizabeth Laskaar (Duchess of Hungry) known as “Bloody Bess” to her victims in 1580 in the small village of Nyirbator Hungary. She prowled the streets of Murdenwald seeking out young women to murder so that she could bathe in their blood. Her husband Ferenc, some say, is still the director of the town’s ancient library. A most beautiful man with midnight blue eyes, he waits for naïve young women to come to his tower and aid him in his evil work. Then there’s Donny Vito, the world’s greatest film producer, called upon by the U. S. President to breathe life into the Doomsday Games. Elli Capadonico is the girl Donny loved in his youth; she fell victim to Arnie Cudgel, an obsessive young man with both romantic and sadistic intentions. The cast also includes scientists, mathematicians, military personnel, writers, artists, technicians, Chu Yun Trang (the director of a rogue nation seeking to build nuclear weapons), and a myriad of simulated characters who populate the virtual Armageddon.

Nick’s highly descriptive writing takes the reader from the Middles Ages to a 1950s high school romance, to mysteries surrounding the ‘knowledge’ held in the ancient Murdenwald library, to the International Simulation Center itself where the final challenge becomes solving “the God Problem.” Nick weaves these stories together so skillfully that the separate lines merge to become plot twists in an amazing and unexpected ending.

The author, Nick Iuppa, is the son of a prominent Rochester, New York doctor. Nick attended the University of Notre Dame and did his graduate work at Stanford. Nick’s first job was at MGM Studios in Hollywood where he worked on TV specials with Dr. Seuss and Chuck Jones (creator of the Road Runner). He also had the privilege of writing for the Wonderful World of Disney, working as an instructional designer for Eastman Kodak, leading Bank of America’s in-house TV production group, managing the Learning Technologies Group within Apple Computer, and finally returning to Paramount Pictures in Hollywood where he designed Internet entertainment and built Hollywood-style simulations for the military.

Nick’s extensive travels to Europe have inspired some of his characters and settings. His work history, technical knowledge, and experience have given him the tools and concepts for his novels.
Cold Coffee Press endorses Bloody Bess And The Doomsday Games by Nick Iuppa for the creative genius of the Doomsday Game. Reviewed on October 2, 2014 – http://www.coldcoffeepress.com

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Nobles Print Purchase Link
Nook Purchase Link
************************  
Avenging Adelita by Nick Iuppa and John P. Mendoza
A tender romance with a ticking time bomb at its heart. There’s a bomb on this train. It will explode before you reach your final destination...because you murdered my wife. University professor Tom McKeever has just lost his wife Adelita to cancer. But the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes she didn’t have to die. The faculty and administration of the university where he teaches in Mexico played a major role in causing her death. Now, Tom relives powerful memories of his life with Adelita as he and the rest of the faculty take a train ride into the mountains. He plans to gain revenge by blowing up the train, killing all those who have wronged him and everyone else on board… including himself.

Cold Coffee Press Book Review For Avenging Adelita
by Nick Iuppa and John P. Mendoza
Nick Iuppa, Author of ‘Bloody Bess And The Doomsday Games, has teamed up with John P. Mendoza to bring us another fast-paced, action suspense thriller that will keep readers turning pages and biting their nails.

There’s a large cast of unique characters, many of whom are confined to business class cars on the Copper Canyon Railway as it speeds through the Grand Canyon of Mexico, unaware of the impending man-made disaster that’s about to shatter the serene environment.

Somewhere in the process of grieving for his lost wife, Adelita, his “warrior woman” love, Professor
Tom McKeever walks a thin line between reality and golden memories that keep pulling him back into his her beauty, delicious aroma, and open arms. The gut wrenching knowledge that there was an experimental cancer treatment that might have saved Adelita’s life, had it not been for the decisions of one man, is more than Tom can bear. The need for revenge seethes like red-hot embers but conflicts with thoughts dredged up from a Catholic School upbringing: “Vengeance is mine, saith the lord!”

Time is running out, but somehow the collateral damage begins to seem more and more defensible... a justifiable murder suicide. Is it? Find out; come ride the rails into Copper Canyon when time is definitely not on your side.

Cold Coffee Press endorses ‘Avenging Adelita’ – by Nick Iuppa & John P. Mendoza as these two authors give the reader what they have come to expect; great descriptive writing, with dialog and startling transitions from present to past and back again placing the reader in the mind of this widower. ‘Avenging Adelita’ was given to us by the author in a PDF format for review. The review was completed on December 15, 2014. For more information please visit http://www.coldcoffeepress.com

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Noble Print Purchase Link
************************
Alicia’s Ghost by Nick Iuppa and John P. Mendoza
Carlos Mann Trilogy

"IT’S WONDERFUL; I LOVE IT! I love the characters. And Alicia, OMG, she's so real I think I know her.” B. Escamilla, Palo Alto, CA

"Every time I thought I had it figured out, there was a new twist to the story. I couldn't put it down. Great read!" C. Gallagher, Chicago, IL

LOVE, OBSESSION, MURDER, DEATH, MANNEQUINS, RATTLESNAKES, DRUG LORDS, CHINATOWN, GHOSTS...

AND THE WORLD’S MOST HAUNTING HEROINE!

The astoundingly beautiful Alicia has ended her modeling career in Mexico City, married the love of her life, helped pay his way through college, settled into a comfortable life in Los Altos, California, and now she’s dead... MURDERED.

Her husband, Professor Carlos Mann, has wrapped himself in an obsessive-compulsive disorder to hide from that fact. But when Amy Joy, one of Carlos’s students, is sold into slavery by a Chinese mob that traffics in Asian girls, Alicia returns with a vengeance.

Can Alicia save her man, foil the human traffickers, and destroy her murderer? Overwhelming supernatural forces stand against her. But, hell, that just makes her stronger!

Told in the voices of Carlos and Alicia Mann, Alicia’s Ghost is a funny, imaginative and thrilling ride through the human and spirit worlds of Mexico and the American Southwest.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
**************************
Alicia’s Sin by Nick Iuppa and John P. Mendoza
Carlos Mann Trilogy

“One damn inventive thrill-ride of a story!” Suzanna B. Stinnett, author of Starship Interlude
REVENGE, MURDER, ADULTERY, OBSESSION, GHOSTS, GYPSIES, TIGERS, WITCHES, FREUD, MYSTERY, DRUG LORDS, CHINATOWN, MEXICO, VIENNA... AND THE SPANISH INQUISITION!

To avenge her parents’ death, sadistic sex trafficker Tiger Joy sends deadly assassins after Carlos and his beautiful ghost wife Alicia. The pair escapes to Cancun where they battle witches and drug lords to help their friend Señor Popcorn win the love of his life. But the Afterlife Judges aren’t happy with Alicia’s temper, and they send her off to anger management therapy with the ghost of Sigmund Freud. In old Vienna, the spirit of a seductive crown prince tempts Alicia, and then she’s captured by gypsies who put her on display in the Ghost Chamber of their traveling carnival. Alicia commits an unforgivable sin, and it finally gives Tiger Joy the perfect chance for revenge.

Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes and Nobles Purchase Link
************************
Alicia Bewitched by Nick Iuppa and John P. Mendoza
The Third Carlos Mann Adventure
Logic Professor Carlos Mann sets out to murder Tiger Joy in her prison cell. Unfortunately, the gorgeous queen of human traffickers captures him and ships him off to the Yucatan, where the evil witch, La Bruja, uses all her powers to try to weaken and destroy him. Meanwhile, Alicia calls on friends both living and dead to help save her husband, and in the process she learns many terrible secrets that were born in the days of the great Mayan Empire … secrets that could save or even destroy Carlos and Alicia.
Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
************************
Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Nick Iuppa
Bio Quote: “I grew up in Rochester New York; my dad was a prominent doctor there. I attended the University of Notre Dame and grew up to marry the prettiest girl in Rochester... by far. (We’re still married.)

I always wanted to work in the movies. My graduate program at Stanford got me an internship at MGM and I worked on TV specials with Dr. Seuss and Chuck Jones (creator of the Road Runner). I became good friends with both of them. Later I wrote for the Wonderful World of Disney. I left Hollywood for a while and worked for Eastman Kodak as an Instructional Designer, Bank of America as manager of their TV studios, Hewlett Packard as manager of their creative group, and Apple computer as manager of learning technologies. When my boss at Apple went to Hollywood, she took me with her. We were back in Hollywood again... but still were able to live in the San Francisco area.

I commented every week and used the accumulated miles to visit Europe a lot. That’s why some of my books have realistic European settings. At Paramount Pictures I designed Internet entertainment and built Hollywood-style training simulations for the military. Through all of this I was writing novels, but I could never get them published even though my friend Dr. Seuss worked with his publishers on my behalf. I found a tech publisher and sold lots of books about the technology on which I worked, but that wasn’t really what I wanted to be doing.

When I left Paramount I started writing novels so that I could build my own worlds. My first sci-fi novel was about a high tech simulation like the ones I worked on for the army, but this simulation had futuristic technology and was invaded by vampires. I first called it Virtual Vampires but now have just e-published it as Bloody Bess and the doomsday Games.

I also wrote other horror novels inspired by Stephen King's deep, creepy characters. Now, I work with a writing partner. His pen name is John P. Mendoza, and even though I do all the writing, his participation in story development makes things much simpler. I love developing characters and letting them tell me where the story is supposed to go.

These days, my favorite person is Alicia Mann who is the driving force in our current Carlos Mann Trilogy: Alicia's Ghost, Alicia’s Sin & Alicia Bewitched. Can't get enough of her. I have expanded on many of the details of my biography in the blogs that I write at www.nickiuppawrites.com.”

*************************
Interview:

What makes you proud to be a writer from San Francisco, Silicon Valley? San Francisco gives me a built-in atmosphere for my stories. Everyone loves the place. So it’s easy for me to write about exotic locations all within driving distance. It has also given me entre to Hollywood, Stanford University, the high sierra mountains, and the surrounding desert. It rounds out my experience growing up in Upstate New York and going to college in the Midwest.

What or who inspired you to become a writer? My father was a well-know doctor and a world war two hero. But I could tell that he really wanted to become a writer. He talked all his life about the books he wanted to write. But he died relatively young and never got a chance to do it.

When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? When I was in grade school I wrote a book that the nuns told me they wanted to get published but never did. When I developed a fast friendship with Dr. Seuss, I tried to get several children’s books published. But it wasn’t until I retired that I decided to write full time and make a concerted effort to get published. I had written and had published (By Focal Press) many technical books, but I really didn’t like doing non-fiction. Writing fiction is what I really enjoy.

Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing, and did you use it to your advantage? I still set parts of my books in Upstate New York. I feel that I know the area very well and can write to the time and place and create that period.

Do you come up with your title before or after you write the manuscript? I came up with the title Management by Guilt, in the 70s and then wrote the book. It was my biggest success, picked up by Fawcett Books and released by them in paperback. I’d like to say I never do, but in fact all 3 of the Alicia books started as titles before I even knew what they were about.

Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? I love writing horror novels. I was afraid of the Horror genre all my life, never went to horror movies, had nightmares all the time, which is why I may be good at writing in it. I’ve written several blogs about this topic and they are up on my blog site, including the latest blog. I wrote a biographical novel and showed it to famous screenwriter Bill Idelson. The only chapter he liked was the one in which I told how my grandmother always reminded me of a witch and how I was scared to death of her. In the novel I wrote under his direction I explore our relationship under the assumption that she was one of the most powerful witches who ever lived.

How many published books do your have? Three novels, six technical books and one management-training book.

What was your inspiration, spark or light bulb moment that inspired you to write the book that you are seeking promotion for? I’m trying to promote several of my books, the Alicia series and Bloody Bess. In the case of Bess, I decided to write about the technology that I had been working on for Paramount Pictures, and the Army. I added vampires because they seemed to fit right in. As for Alicia, I was talking to a friend of mine (John Mendoza) who had an idea for a movie about a guy named Carlos Mann, it was set in the US and Mexico. We decided that we would feature his wife Alicia and as we talked she became a ghost. Later we decided to write a novel not a screenplay.

What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? I love rewriting. Getting the first draft of a chapter down is painful, but once it’s there I can polish endlessly, that may be why people tell me that my writing is so easy to read, because I polish it maybe twenty times before I think it’s okay.

Have you had a negative experience in your writing career? If so, please explain how it could have been avoided? All those rejection slips before I finally decided to self-publish. I had a boss at Paramount who didn’t think I wrote very well, this in spite of the fact that I was a published author at the time. He wanted slick ad-copy writing. I’m not especially good at that.

What has been your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? We put an e-mail link in the back of Alicia and asked readers to send us messages if they liked it. We didn’t get many, but every one that shows up is the greatest thing I can think of. Just like finding a new positive review on the amazon page, just like holding the damn book in my hand for the first time.

Have you had a negative experience in your publishing journey? If so please explain how it could have been avoided? It’s just the fact that my books don’t sell as well as I think they should. How could I have avoided it? Promotion... a process which I really dislike.

What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? A good, original story is everything. And they can probably build one from their own experience or personal dreams or nightmares. But almost more than that, get a good editor and proofreader. I read dozens of books from friends and would-be authors and some of the writing is so bad that it’s a real struggle to get through it. If would-be writers can get the grammar right and the spelling, then I could at least start to concentrate on their story.

Who is your favorite author and why? Stephen King, because of the depth of understanding he provides for his characters. Also his book On Writing is a manual on how to write that I follow religiously.


Is there anything else that you would like to share with us? There are mountains of background details in my blogs. I try to make then short stories about my experiences in Hollywood and as a writer. Also, I almost died of some lung disease when I was 25, it almost ended my marriage and sent me into a deep depression. That was the subject of my first bio novel, which I later rewrite as a horror story, to greater success. However, I really don’t like to talk or write about that period of my life and promised at the start of my blog that I wouldn’t deal with it.

Please add questions and the answers to any questions that you believe your readers would like to know.

Do I ever fall in love with my female characters? Every damn time.

How hard is it to kill off characters you love? It’s murder in every sense of the word.

How erotic your novels? My editors hold me down or there would be much more sex. Alicia is a little sexy. Bloody Bess has several hard-core sex scenes, and some very romantic ones. Some of my as yet unpublished novels are much more erotic.

Do you write romance novels? I read them for background, but there is generally too much action and adventure and horror for my novels to be considered romance.

Author Nick Iuppa’s Published Books
Alicia Bewitched
Alicia’s Ghost
Alicia’s Sin
Avenging Adelita
Bloody Bess and the Doomsday Games
Taken by Witches by Nick Iuppa
Author Nick Iuppa’s Websites http://www.nickiuppawrites.com/
https://www.nickiuppa.com
http://aliciasghost.com/Welcome.html
https://www.facebook.com/NickVIuppa
Amazon Author’s Page
Author Nick Iuppa’s Blog
Cold Coffee Café Author Nick Iuppa Cold Coffee Press Author Nick Iuppa

Coffee Press Endorses Veronica’s Papers by A. Colin Wright

Veronica’s Papers by A. Colin Wright
Gerald Clayton suffering from Amnesia, receives a package of papers from Veronica, a former clinical hypnotist. She tells him they accomplish his fantasy of gathering together, on the ship Marguerite, his past loves with the two of them present, but in disguise. In hopes of discovering his own past Gerald invites the passengers to share in a mystery by guessing what, or who, they all have in common.

Cold Coffee Press Book Review For Veronica’s Papers by A. Colin Wright Veronica’s Papers by A. Colin Wright has an amazing premise that makes the reader think about the likelihood and outcome of such an experiment in his or her own life.Well-developed characters like Gerald Clayton, who finds himself in a nursing-home after losing his memory; his wife Elizabeth; and Veronica Castell (who has assembled papers documenting Gerald’s life along with other people from Gerald’s past) help the reader understand Gerald’s and Veronica’s thought processes.The unlikely setting is a cruise ship named Marguerite. This ship is of British registry, sailing out of Southampton to a variety of destinations like the Azores and the Canary Islands. Passengers receive an invitation(Compliments of ‘Creative Travel’) awarding them a fully paid seven-day cruise for two that includes a special program geared to meet their individual needs and interests.The intensity of the author’s style of writing is evident when he writes: “Humans are like individual atoms jostling in time and space in a constantly changing relationship, and every so often what we call chance brings together those who’ve met before so that we wonder whether there isn’t some further purpose. But what of the coincidences that fail to become evident? The odds against Janet’s being on the other side of that train were almost as great, but we’d never have known we were even close. How often have we been in such situations without knowing it? Only our ignorance prevents us from calling those coincidences and from seeing the basic oneness of life.”A. Colin Wright causes the reader to think and question mortality with its limitations in relationship to moral and spiritual concerns. This passage is an example: “The tragedy is that Christianity could be so much more. Christ’s words, it seems to me, rarely limit people to a narrow morality. Rather it’s Saint Paul and those who followed, more concerned with establishing orthodoxy under the leadership of a politically powerful church-who brought a small-minded understanding to a vision that encompasses all people’s strivings. Christians simply couldn’t tolerate rivals: a pettiness repeated often enough since. Yet there’s no contradiction between the worship of pagan gods, say, and that of Christ, for the reality they represent is the same. Why couldn’t Christianity have had vision enough to see this?”Cold Coffee Press endorses Veronica’s Papers by A. Colin Wright as a thought-provoking work of literature that raises the question of whether or not “creation, fantasy and truth are the same”. We received this book in a Kindle/PDF format. This review was completed on October 31, 2015. For more information contact Cold Coffee Press. http://www.coldcoffeepress.com
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
Amazon Author’s Page ************************
A Cupboardful Of Shoes: And Other Stories by A. Colin Wright
"After a life dedicated to the study of languages, A. Colin Wright has distilled his life’s observations into this engaging collection of short stories, most of which have been previously published in literary journals. Now retired, his life’s adventures, which include serving in the British Air Force, attending Cambridge University, and being a professor of Russian, have inspired this collection.
“I’m a librarian and I kissed a film star once. I touched her nipples too. At least, I think I did.” So begins “Queen’s Grill.” Horatio Humphries, one of the unreliable narrators, strikes up a brief friendship with a movie star on a rough Atlantic crossing, but his “twin” brother doesn’t believe him. In “A Pregnant Woman with Parcels at Brock and Bagot,” an unnamed woman may or may not have an affair with a man she met at a party—depending on whether she can get by a woman in front of her. “Distantly from Gardens,” a variant on the theme of the “double” found often in Russian literature, presents a man with a split personality, inhabited by two narrators who are his past as well as his present. While other stories are told in either the first or third person, the subject here demands the use of the second.
The stories in A Cupboardful of Shoes explore subjects as wide-ranging as disappointed love, violence, and war, sometimes with an underlying religious theme, serving to illustrate Wright’s eclectic style and literary interests."
The following stories make up the collection A. Colin Wright: A Cupboardful of Shoes, published in 2008. Those marked * may be viewed in their entirety at www.authorsden.com/acolinwright."
 
A Pregnant Woman with Parcels at Brock and BagotA Cupboardful of ShoesNight Train to CologneOnly FairThe Trouble with SaintsThe JumpFrank's GirlQueen's GrillMake Someone HappyWeddingBethlehemSketches of NatashaDistantly from Gardens"Ghost StationsThe Bells of KhatynSeven Minutes' SilenceUnknown The President ReminiscesThe Comedy of Doctor Foster
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
Barnes And Noble Print Purchase Link
Nook Purchase Link
************************
  Mikhail Bulgakov: Life and Interpretations by A. Colin Wright
Non-fiction, Education, Reference
Amazon Hard Copy Purchase Link
Amazon Author’s Page

************************
  Sardinian Silver - by A. Colin Wright
To Arthur Fraser, a young Englishman, Sardinia in 1960 is perfect. It's an island filled with Roman ruins, exotic scenery, local customs, and morally traditional values-he loves everything. To assimilate into the strange and belong to a society different from his own has always been his desire.
To Arthur Fraser, a young Englishman, Sardinia in 1960 is perfect. It's an island filled with Roman ruins, exotic scenery, local customs, and morally traditional values-he loves everything. To assimilate into the strange and belong to a society different from his own has always been his desire.
Arthur arrives in the resort town of Alghero to work as a representative for a tourist company. His ambition is to find a Sard girl for himself. He is quickly thwarted, though, by the unorthodox beliefs of the inhabitants. Unmarried couples cannot meet without chaperones, and anyone with ""continental"" attitudes is immoral. Arthur quickly learns that dating is fraught with real dangers.
When Arthur finally falls in love with Anna, a Sard girl, he discovers that she lives in Rome and is no longer accepted at home. But she then falls in love with one of his best friends, and Arthur becomes irrationally obsessed. He incessantly schemes about winning back her affections, despite her efforts to dissuade him.
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link

************************
  What I Believe: (But You Don't Have To) by A. Colin Wright
A brief discussion of religious ideas from a non-traditional viewpoint
that should be of interest for all those questioning what life is all about.
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Kindle Purchase Link
Amazon Author’s Page
************************
Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author A. Colin Wright
A. Colin Wright was born and raised in the county of Essex, England. After serving as a linguist in the British Royal Air Force, Wright attended Cambridge University where he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees. In 1964, he was appointed a professor of Russian at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He remained at Queen's until his retirement in 1999 and still resides there today. Dr. Wright is married and has two grown sons.
In his fiction he is interested primarily in works dealing with the purpose and meaning of life. Thus he has a horror of post-modernism and simple, sentimental descriptions of everyday life, and has little interest in works dealing with specific problems. Religion in its broadest sense (but not that of specific churches or creeds) is obviously important to him. He tries above all to create a good story, with realistic characters who question established norms of behaviour, with particular reference to the sexual.
He acts and directs in the local theatre.
With a love of languages (he speaks English, French, German, Russian and Italian, with a smattering of Spanish and Scots Gaelic), he is adamant about correct grammar in his writing. This unfortunately also makes him highly critical of others!
He also loves travel and has led various groups for Craig Travel in Toronto to Russia, Ukraine, China, South Africa, Southern India, Alaska and the islands of the North Atlantic.
Theatrical Credits:
Directing: (Domino Theatre, Kingston)
Ladies in Retirement (assistant director)
Shadowlands
The Importance of Being Ernest
The Night of the Iguana
The Freedom of the City
The Heiress
Acting:
The Troll King, Monsieur Ballon and two other roles, Peer Gynt
Malvolia, Twelfth Night
First Voice, Under Milk Wood
Rosenberg, Amadeus(Theatre 5 and Grand Theatre, Kingston)
Father Jack, Dancing at Lughnasa (Domino Theatre, Kingston)
Claude Amory, Black Coffee (Domino Theatre, Kingston)
*************************Interview:
Tell us what makes you proud to be a writer from Kingston, Ontario, Canada? Canadian literature is of course well known, but I'd regard myself as a British and international writer rather than just a Canadian one. I was born in Chelmsford, Essex, England. After serving as a linguist in the British Royal Air Force (learning Russian), I attended Cambridge University, where I earned M.A and Ph.D degrees. In 1962 I lived for six months in Sassari, Sardinia, followed the next year by a longer period in Reggio Calabria. I speak five languages reasonably fluently, and can stumble along in two more. In 1964, after a year’s study at the Herzen Pedagogical Institute in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), I was appointed professor of Russian at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. I remained at Queen’s until retirement in 1999 and still reside in Kingston. I am married and have two grown sons.
What or who inspired you to become a writer? My French/German teacher at school in England, who subsequently became a writer of detective novels.
When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? At a relatively early age, I read a book on English history from the local children’s library. I decided to dramatize the kings of England, using paper cut-outs as puppets. The project didn’t get very far, but I still have a few pages of elementary dialogue, such as William II dying by an arrow in the New Forest, with him falling off his horse and saying “Oh blow! It was in 1956 that I began writing with the intension of being published, but I wasn't first published until 1967.
Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and why? Encouraged by a teacher at grammar school in England, I just wanted to write, trying short stories — which were so terrible that I haven’t the courage to reread them. I studied French, German and Russian, which included their literatures, at Cambridge University and then taught Russian Language and Literature at Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) for 35 years. I've always regarded literature as a serious activity which should challenge readers; thus I dislike post-modernism and simple stories about everyday life, particularly if there's not much plot. Then, when I was teaching at University, I published academic articles on Russian and comparative literature, including a major book on Mikhail Bulgakov. But I still wrote novels, short stories and plays.
Do you come up with your title (s) before or after you write the manuscript (s)? Depends. With my current novel, Sardinian Silver, the title really suggested itself: the name of an actual wine which seemed appropriate symbolically.
Tell us why you write the genre (s) that you write? Well I have written academic works (many articles and a major book published by University of Toronto Press, Mikhail Bulgakov; Life and Interpretations.) I've published about twenty short stories, written novels and plays (some performed locally). In fact I think I've written everything--even some journalism--except poetry, which I don't relate to. Basically I choose whatever genre seems most appropriate.
Tell us your most rewarding experience while in the writing process? Crafting something into good writing.
Tell us your most negative experience while in the writing process? Writer's block, which I've been suffering from for a while now.
Tell us your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? Having things appreciated by an audience.
Tell us your most negative experience in your publishing journey? Sending out endless query letters to no avail.
What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Just keep at it if you're sure you want that, but be sure that you do.
Who Is Your Favorite Author? Mikhail Bulgakov, who was my main academic research interest. I regard his ‘The Master and Margarita’ as the greatest book of the twentieth century.
Published Books: ‘Sardinian Silver’, ‘Mikhail Bulgakov: Life and Interpretations’, ‘A Cupboard Full Of Shoe’s and now ‘Veronica’s Papers’. Forthcoming novels ‘A Berlin Of The Mind’.
************************Professional Websites:
http://www.veronicaspapers.com/a-colin-wright
http://www.canadianauthors.org/national
http://www.sardiniansilver.com
http://www.cupboardfulofshoes.com

Cold Coffee Press Author’s PageCold Coffee Café Author’s Page

Cold Coffee Press Endorses The Speed Of Dark by Clayton Bye

The Speed Of Dark by Clayton Clifford Bye and PDR Lindsay
27 strangely different and disturbing horror short stories
by talented authors from around the world.
************************
Cold Coffee Press Book Review for The Speed Of Dark
edited by Clayton Clifford Bye and PDR Lindsay
Nineteen authors contributed twenty-seven short stories in this Horror Anthology, The Speed of Dark. Author Clayton Bye is editor and also the contributor of Retrovirus and The Speed of Dark within this collection. In the Introduction Clayton says it best when speaking about the Horror genre. He says, “A story that disturbs is like a deep sliver. It works its way slowly through your flesh, sometimes festering, sometimes not. But it's there, it's with you long after the story is done.”

The short story The Speed of Dark by Clayton Bye reminds me of Twilight Zone’s epic psychological horrors. The premise begins with two questions, “How does one outrun darkness?” and “What's the speed of dark?” I invite you to read this short story and ask yourself, what secret dreams and silent screams inhabit your inner peace?

Enjoy each story as told by different voices, varied life experiences and individual writing style. Read the introductions from authors Casey Wolf, Clayton Bye, Cynthia B. Ainsworthe, Eduard Garçon, E.J. Ruek, Gerald Rice, James Secor, John B. Rosenman, Kenneth Weene, Leigh M. Lane, Lyn McConchi, Marion Webb-De Sisto, Mary Firmin, Megan Johns, Micki Peluso, Minna van der Pfaltz, Tim Fleming, Tonya Moore and Tony Richards before their short story begins.

This book was edited by CC Bye and PDR Lindsay with Cover Art by Zentao. I am most familiar with author Clayton Bye’s published works that include Bare Knuckle MBA: Everything You Need to Know About Running A Profitable Business; Getting Clear; How To Get What You Want From Life: Practical Techniques For Building The Future You've Always Wanted; The Sorcerer's Key; The Contrary Canadian: A Collection; The Hundred: Actions That Make Dreams Come True; The It Can't Be Done, No Way, You've Got To Be Kidding, Crazy Or Unbelievably Stupid To Try It, Handbook For Success; Technomage; What I Found In The Dark; Behind the Red Door and the anthologies: The Speed of Dark, Writers on The Wrong Side of the Road and Det Lupèe: The Impossible Cases. All of these books and books written by authors in this anthology can be purchased through Amazon. Cold

Coffee Press Endorses The Speed of Dark by Clayton Bye as a well written horror anthology by nineteen authors. The short stories will satisfy horror seekers far beyond camp-fire stories told on Halloween. We were given this book in a Kindle/PDF format for review. The review was completed on October 31, 2015. For more information please visit Cold Coffee Press http://www.coldcoffeepress.com
 
************************Awards:
Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road, edited by Clayton Clifford Bye places 4th in the P&E Readers Poll for 2012.The Speed of Dark, presented by Chase Enterprises Publishing places 4th in the P&E Readers Poll for 2013 The Speed of Dark, edited by Clayton Clifford Bye wins the Bronze Medal for 2013 in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards.The Speed of Dark, also won an honorable mention in the 84th Annual Writers’ Digest Writing Competition.

************************
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Other Purchase Link
************************
Technomage - by Clayton Clifford Bye and Keur L. Dawn
Technomage is author Clayton Bye's second installment of the dark fantasy FROM EARTH TO EDEN. THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF JACK LIGHTFOOT Pursued by a cyborg sorcerer and the devil himself, Jack Lightfoot is forced to give up all that is human in an effort to find a way to stop the destruction of both Earth and Eden - Long Blurb: An epic tale of war brimming with an assortment of unique individuals--Satan as a human, a teenage corporate genius who has solved the problem of long-distance space travel, a man who lives inside the internet, a native healer who is also of the cloth, even a resurrected serial killer, Technomage also delves into the nature of both God and man. Note: The Sorcerer's Key: EARTH TO EDEN I is still in print and widely available; or contact the author at ccbye@shaw.ca
 
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Other Purchase Link
************************
The Sorcerer's Key: From Earth To Eden I by Clayton Clifford Bye
Bye offers an intriguing take on the classic hero's journey, meshing biblical myth with Dungeons and Dragons-style sorcery to create a story that is as provocative as it is exciting. - Lisa Lane, author
Amazon Customer Reviews
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Other Purchase Link
*************************
What I Found In The Dark - by Clayton Clifford Bye
The mystery of the veil, of the dark curtain between this life and the next, between past and future or between mind and matter haunts all of us at one time or another. Yet... there is beauty in what we can't see and must imagine. Read What I Found in the Dark.
Amazon Print Purchase Link
Amazon Kindle Purchase Link
Other Purchase Link
*************************
Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Clayton Bye
Clayton Bye is a writer, copywriter, editor and publisher. He has authored 10 books, as many ghostwrites, hundreds of reviews and is the publisher of three award winning anthologies of short stories by other talented authors. 

Interview:

What makes you proud to be a writer from Kenora, Ontario, Canada? The fact that I can live in the most beautiful spot in our great country and go to work every day online is totally awesome.

What or who inspired you to become a writer? A fellow entrepreneur encouraged me to take the speeches I was making at various seminars and turn them into a book. That got me started and I haven't looked back.

When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? 1993 Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage? No it didn't and I haven't as yet.

How many published books do you have? 10 of my own and 9 for other people.

Do you come up with your title before or after you write the manuscript? Usually before.

Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? I am not a genre writer. In fact, to date, I have refused to write in the same genre twice. Here are the genres I've published in: Self-help/Motivational, Business/Success, Psychology/Emotions, Personal Achievement/Workbook, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Poetry, Horror, Autobiography/Philosophy, Business Administration, Short Story Anthology/General plus I've published (other authors): Anthology/General, Anthology/Horror, Anthology/Detective Stories and Memoir/Anorexia.

What was your inspiration, spark or light bulb moment that inspired you to write the book that you are seeking promotion for? I wanted to put together a Horror Anthology that was different from anything else on the market. Every author, including myself, was challenged to write something completely different, to take it to the edge. I think you'll like what we ended up with.

What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? Getting to write the way I think writing should be.

What has been your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? Publishing in a different genre every time I put out a book.

What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Don't be afraid to be different. Who is your favorite author and why? Can't say that I have one. Damon Knight because he was my mentor. Robert McCammon because his horror isn't just horror. Stephen King because he's such a great storyteller. John D. MacDonald because of Travis McGee. Louis L'Amour because he taught me I could write anywhere at any time under virtually any circumstance. See what I mean? Is there anything else that you would like to share with us? I was a self-publisher before anyone had ever heard of POD. Now I'm a traditional publisher. Isn't life funny?

Clayton Bye’s Published Books
Bare Knuckle MBA: Everything You Need to Know About Running A Profitable Business
Getting Clear
How To Get What You Want From Life: Practical Techniques For Building The Future You've Always Wanted
Technomage
The Contrary Canadian: A Collection
The Hundred: Actions That Make Dreams Come True
The It Can't Be Done, No Way, You've Got To Be Kidding, Crazy Or Unbelievably Stupid To Try It, Handbook For Success
The Sorcerer's Key
What I Found In The Dark
Behind the Red Door

Anthologies Published Through Clayton Bye’s Chase Enterprises Publishing
The Speed Of Dark
Writers On The Wrong Side Of The Road
Det. Lupee: The Impossible Cases

Professional Websites
http://www.claytonbye.com
http://shop.claytonbye.com
http://http://clayton-bye.branded.me/

Professional Blogs
http://www.thewriteroomblog.com
https://plus.google.com/+ClaytonBye/posts
http://thecontrarycanadian.wordpress.com/

Goodreads
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Cold Coffee Café Author’s Page
Cold Coffee Press Author’s Page