Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 279
April 3, 2013
Book Tour Blast: CHIVALRY AND MALEVOLENCE by Rae Ryans
Chivalry and Malevolence
When the Unseelie Court sentences an innocent man to death, the elven Princess Morgana cannot sit idly by as the human Knight perishes. The Queen calls her pathetic and worthless. It does not change how Mori feels about the old laws of Alfheim. These rules punish the faultless, lesser races of the Nine Realms of Odin.
Of the nine, this
realm of the Light is home to many mythical creatures. The portal gates
remain forever closed to the human race. However, neglected for
centuries, a Knight from the realm of Earth enters the Light. Holding
onto his faith and code of honor, he holds stoically in the face of
capture and death. Princess Mori remains his only hope, but to save him,
she must first save herself.
Purchase Chivalry and Malevolence on:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords
About Author Rae Z. RyansRae Z. Ryans loves to create mythical lands and characters that entertain, promote equality, and love. She writes for both children and adults in her world of Six and Twenty. When she is not writing, Ms. Ryans spends her days chasing after her own children, and dreaming up new adventures.
Follow Rae Z Ryans:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Amazon
Check out Rae Z Rayns Release Day Party on April 4th on Facebook 12 - 4 CDT
There will be fun and prizes and you can chit chat with the author!
HERE
Wicked queens, knights in shining armor and dragons oh my! Chivalry and Malevolence was a book I read in one sitting. It appealed to my love of fae, elves, dragons and the UnSeelie and Seelie courts. I was hooked. ~Jen @ The Crafty Cauldron
I loved the way the author created such vivid imagery in describing the setting and characters in the fae world of Alfheim. ~ Lisa@ Mommy Reads too Much
Acting Balanced - Excerpt
Chivalry and Malevolence is an lovely blend of romance, strength and adventure. Princess Morgana's journey from insecurity to empowerment is relatable for every young woman. Jessi @ Mama's Got Flair
Gina's Library - Excerpt
Taking Time for Mommy - Review
Andi's Book Reviews - Excerpt
Generations of Savings - Excerpt
Adventures Frugal Mom - Excerpt
The author is giving away a Swag pack and autographed book. Fill out the Form Below to Enter. Open to US Residents.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Interview with Kathleen Jabs
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgf0VGVxsCU..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgf0VGVxsCU..." width="212" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><span id="goog_153736942"></span><span id="goog_153736943"></span>What is the title/working title of the book?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The title is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Wings</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Where did the idea come from for the book?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I worked on a series of short stories centered on women at
the US Naval Academy for almost two years before I started on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Wings</i>. After so many drafts,
I’d finally found the voice for Bridget Donovan, the main character in<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Black Wings</i>, but I didn’t have the
whole conflict. One day I had a vision of a female pilot crashing into the sea.
The line, “Audrey Richards wanted to fly,” came to me. I wanted to know
who Audrey wa<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blog..." name="_GoBack"></a>s and what had happened to her, why she
crashed. Everything pointed back to her time at the Academy. The stories from
the Academy became entwined with the real life quest Bridget undergoes to
discover what really happened to Audrey.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">What genre does your book fall under?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Black Wings</span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> is a mystery but
also a literary thriller.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">What actors would you choose to play the part of your
characters in a movie rendition?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Audrey would be played by Jessica Chastain.
Bridget would be played by Jennifer Lawrence with her hair short and dark or
Ellen Page. Captain Fangmeyer would be played Tommy Lee Jones. Jude Duggan
would be played by Ryan Gosling.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Black
Wings</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> is a mystery centered on Navy Lieutenant Bridget Donovan
and her quest to discover what really happened when her former Naval Academy
roommate, Audrey Richards, dies in a botched take-off from an aircraft carrier.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">How
long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
first draft took about two years, but the entire project took 10 years, which
included two years where the novel languished in a drawer. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Who or what inspired you to write this book?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m a lifelong reader and I always wanted to
write a book. I entered the Naval Academy in 1984, the eighth class to accept
women. I had no idea what I was getting into or what military life entailed.
For a long time, I didn’t write about the military or set my stories in
military settings, but once I started, I kept going. I loved exploring the
world of girls/women trying to navigate their way through the military training
as they chased different dreams. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">While I was writing, I had a vision of a female Navy pilot
crashing into the sea. I wanted to understand what happened to Audrey and why
she crashed and it kept going back to her time at the Naval Academy. The only
person who would be able to put the pieces together was her roommate, Bridget
Donovan. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">What else about your book might pique the reader’s
interest?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Black
Wings </span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">features secret societies, an inside peek at
inner workings of the Naval Academy honor court, a glimpse at the early days of
women in combat aviation and realistic settings from Annapolis, Norfolk and the
Pentagon.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The title, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Wings</i>
is both a reference to a physical object and a metaphor. In the Navy, people
who are warfare qualified, such as aviators, wear a device on the pockets of
their uniforms. In shorthand, the aviator device is referred to as “wings.” Throughout
the novel Audrey is confronted with sets of black wings, which are meant to
scare her away from flying. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Was your book self-published or represented by an agency?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m represented by a small press, Fuze Publishing. I was
especially lucky to reconnect with Molly Tinsley, my former advisor at the US
Naval Academy and one of the co-founders of Fuze. She taught me writing 20+
years ago and helped launch Black Wings into print.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks Kathleen for stopping by Two Ends of the Pen. I have read <i>Black Wings</i> and loved it. Here's the link to my review: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/RU0I62P6... </span><br />
<br /></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgf0VGVxsCU..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgf0VGVxsCU..." width="212" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"><span id="goog_153736942"></span><span id="goog_153736943"></span>What is the title/working title of the book?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The title is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Wings</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Where did the idea come from for the book?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I worked on a series of short stories centered on women at
the US Naval Academy for almost two years before I started on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Wings</i>. After so many drafts,
I’d finally found the voice for Bridget Donovan, the main character in<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Black Wings</i>, but I didn’t have the
whole conflict. One day I had a vision of a female pilot crashing into the sea.
The line, “Audrey Richards wanted to fly,” came to me. I wanted to know
who Audrey wa<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blog..." name="_GoBack"></a>s and what had happened to her, why she
crashed. Everything pointed back to her time at the Academy. The stories from
the Academy became entwined with the real life quest Bridget undergoes to
discover what really happened to Audrey.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">What genre does your book fall under?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Black Wings</span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> is a mystery but
also a literary thriller.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">What actors would you choose to play the part of your
characters in a movie rendition?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Audrey would be played by Jessica Chastain.
Bridget would be played by Jennifer Lawrence with her hair short and dark or
Ellen Page. Captain Fangmeyer would be played Tommy Lee Jones. Jude Duggan
would be played by Ryan Gosling.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Black
Wings</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> is a mystery centered on Navy Lieutenant Bridget Donovan
and her quest to discover what really happened when her former Naval Academy
roommate, Audrey Richards, dies in a botched take-off from an aircraft carrier.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">How
long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
first draft took about two years, but the entire project took 10 years, which
included two years where the novel languished in a drawer. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Who or what inspired you to write this book?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m a lifelong reader and I always wanted to
write a book. I entered the Naval Academy in 1984, the eighth class to accept
women. I had no idea what I was getting into or what military life entailed.
For a long time, I didn’t write about the military or set my stories in
military settings, but once I started, I kept going. I loved exploring the
world of girls/women trying to navigate their way through the military training
as they chased different dreams. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">While I was writing, I had a vision of a female Navy pilot
crashing into the sea. I wanted to understand what happened to Audrey and why
she crashed and it kept going back to her time at the Naval Academy. The only
person who would be able to put the pieces together was her roommate, Bridget
Donovan. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">What else about your book might pique the reader’s
interest?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Black
Wings </span></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">features secret societies, an inside peek at
inner workings of the Naval Academy honor court, a glimpse at the early days of
women in combat aviation and realistic settings from Annapolis, Norfolk and the
Pentagon.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The title, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Wings</i>
is both a reference to a physical object and a metaphor. In the Navy, people
who are warfare qualified, such as aviators, wear a device on the pockets of
their uniforms. In shorthand, the aviator device is referred to as “wings.” Throughout
the novel Audrey is confronted with sets of black wings, which are meant to
scare her away from flying. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Was your book self-published or represented by an agency?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m represented by a small press, Fuze Publishing. I was
especially lucky to reconnect with Molly Tinsley, my former advisor at the US
Naval Academy and one of the co-founders of Fuze. She taught me writing 20+
years ago and helped launch Black Wings into print.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanks Kathleen for stopping by Two Ends of the Pen. I have read <i>Black Wings</i> and loved it. Here's the link to my review: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/RU0I62P6... </span><br />
<br /></div>
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April 2, 2013
Book Tour Blast: THE LEGEND OF MICKEY TUSSLER by Frank Nappi
The Legend of Mickey Tussler
In the late 1940s, the minor league Milwaukee Brewers are foundering yet again and manager Arthur Murphy is desperate. When he sees seventeen-year old Mickey Tussler throwing apples into a barrel, he knows he has found the next pitching phenom. But not everyone is so hopeful. Mickey’s autism—a disorder still not truly understood even today—has alienated the boy from the world, and he is berated by other players and fans. Mickey faces immense trials in the harsh and competitive world of baseball while coping with the challenges inherent to his disorder. An honest and knowledgeable book about overcoming adversity, and the basis for the television movie A Mile in His Shoes, Mickey’s powerful story shows that with support and determination anyone can be triumphant, even when the odds are stacked against him.
Purchase The Legend of Mickey Tussler on Amazon.
Sophomore CampaignIt’s 1949 and eighteen-year-old pitching phenom Mickey Tussler is back with the rejuvenated minor league Brewers in the sequel to The Legend of Mickey Tussler (the basis for the television movie A Mile in His Shoes). Despite Mickey’s proclamation that he will never play baseball again after last season’s violent conclusion, his manager—and now surrogate father—Arthur Murphy cajoles the emotionally fragile, socially awkward boy with autism into giving it another shot. Mickey reluctantly returns to the field and must once again cope with the violence and hatred around him. When a young African American player joins the team, the entire team is subjected to racial threats and episodes of violence, one of which Mickey witnesses firsthand. Struggling to understand such ugliness and hatred, and fearful of reprisal should he tell anyone about what he has seen, the boy’s performance on the field suffers. Mickey now must deal with a side of human nature he scarcely comprehends.
Purchase Sophomore Campaign on Amazon.
About Author Frank Nappi
Frank Nappi has taught high school English and Creative Writing for over twenty years. His debut novel, Echoes From The Infantry, received national attention, including MWSA's silver medal for outstanding fiction. His follow-up novel, The Legend of Mickey Tussler, garnered rave reviews as well, including a movie adaptation of the touching story "A Mile in His Shoes" starring Dean Cain and Luke Schroder. Frank continues to produce quality work, including Sophomore Campaign, the intriguing sequel to the much heralded original story and the just released thriller, NOBODY HAS TO KNOW, which received an endorsement from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille. Frank is presently at work on a third installment of his Mickey Tussler series and his next thriller. He lives on Long Island with his wife Julia and their two sons, Nicholas and Anthony.
Follow Frank Nappi
Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Follow the Tour
The Author is having a contest for a $50 Amazon Gift Card.
Fill out the form below to enter
a Rafflecopter giveaway
NEW #Fantasy Release: THE FOREVER KNIGHT by John Marco
Book Blurb:
Lukien
is the Bronze Knight, beloved by his kingdom and renowned in battle throughout
his world. After betraying his king and losing his beloved, he wishes only for
death, but rather than die, Lukien is given a chance for redemption: to be the
protector of the Inhumans—those fragile mortals who live deep in the desert,
far from the prying eyes of their world. These remarkable individuals have been
granted magical powers in exchange for the hardships and handicaps life has
handed them. And Lukien, now immortal himself, must be their champion. But how
can one man, even an immortal warrior, protect hundreds from a world of
potential enemies?
Buy Links:
Amazon: See buy icon below
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-forever-knight-john-marco/1111395765?ean=9780756407513
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Forever-Knight/book-rt7HZkgx8kWn2cO5FSMTCg/page1.html?s=phASMp4WukG-w9sjQuXGeQ&r=5
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Author bio:</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JnDsOS7P_eU..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JnDsOS7P_eU..." width="156" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In case you don't know me, I'm John Marco and I'm a fantasy writer.
I've written seven books so far, including the Tyrants and Kings trilogy and
the books of the Bronze Knight Lukien. My next book, The Forever Knight, is due
out on April 2, 2013. I also write short stories from time to time, and these
you can find at Amazon as well. Like a lot of fantasy fans, I'm a proud nerd
and often blog about nerdy things over at my blog--<a href="http://thehappynerd.com/">the.... Or, if
it's easier for you to remember, just type in <a href="http://johnmarco.com/">johnma... and that will take
you over to my blog as well. Hope to see you there!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
April 1, 2013
LUKIEN: A DIFFICULT MAN TO DESCRIBE by John Marco
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Today I have the pleasure of
welcoming an author friend, John Marco, back to my blog. John and I go way back
– at least it seems like that. We've spoken many times over email about all matters regarding writing and books. So, without further adieu, I’ll let John take
the floor.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JnDsOS7P_eU..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JnDsOS7P_eU..." /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hello!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I want to thank Debra Martin for
asking me here to talk about my upcoming book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Forever Knight</i>, and in particular about the book’s main
character, Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had the
pleasure of knowing Deb for quite a while now, and I’m still constantly
impressed by her dedication to writing and to helping her fellow authors.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Forever Knight</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> is the fourth book I’ve written about Lukien, often referred to as the
fabled “Bronze Knight.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He first
appeared over ten years ago in my novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Eyes of God</i>, and was the main character in two more books before I put him “on
the shelf” for a while to work on other projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, a character becomes so real to an author,
his voice so powerful, that he insists on being heard from again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what it was like for me with
Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After spending so much time
with Lukien, you might think it would be easy for me to talk about him, and yet
I still find him a difficult character to describe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s never been a typical hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, he’s an anti-hero in a lot of ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back when he first appeared in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Eyes of God</i>, many readers described
their own mixed feelings about him, and some just flat out couldn’t stand
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still laugh when I think
about that, because despite his flaws I like Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, he cheated with his best friend’s wife and drove the
poor man to insanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes, he
kills people, but hey, they all pretty much deserve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lukien might not always be righteous,
but he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tries</i> to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to me, that’s what makes him
interesting.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xXQmRBOQ7L0..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xXQmRBOQ7L0..." width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">An author that I admire one
time spoke about books being like the writer’s dirty laundry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She mentioned how sometimes writers embarrass
themselves by putting too much on the page and not realizing how transparent
they are being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose that’s
happened to me on occasion, but here’s one thing I can say for certain—Lukien
isn’t me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not as fearless as
he is, or as handsome, or as popular, and that’s probably a good thing because
Lukien uses all those qualities as a shield to protect himself from his own
deep feelings of inadequacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
maybe that’s what really resonates with readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said previously that some people hate Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the opposite is true as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are readers who
absolutely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i> Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They see various things in him,
things I might not see myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They interpret Lukien in their own way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That makes me think I’ve done something right.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Forever Knight</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> takes Lukien in some new directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned on a <a href="http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/2...
post</a> here on Deb’s blog, this is the first book I’ve done in his
first-person viewpoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far the
handful of people who’ve read the book have responded positively to this
change, but time will tell how the rest of Lukien’s fan react.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever the reaction, I’m glad to be
spending time with him again.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Today I have the pleasure of
welcoming an author friend, John Marco, back to my blog. John and I go way back
– at least it seems like that. We've spoken many times over email about all matters regarding writing and books. So, without further adieu, I’ll let John take
the floor.</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JnDsOS7P_eU..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JnDsOS7P_eU..." /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hello!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I want to thank Debra Martin for
asking me here to talk about my upcoming book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Forever Knight</i>, and in particular about the book’s main
character, Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had the
pleasure of knowing Deb for quite a while now, and I’m still constantly
impressed by her dedication to writing and to helping her fellow authors.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Forever Knight</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> is the fourth book I’ve written about Lukien, often referred to as the
fabled “Bronze Knight.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He first
appeared over ten years ago in my novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Eyes of God</i>, and was the main character in two more books before I put him “on
the shelf” for a while to work on other projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, a character becomes so real to an author,
his voice so powerful, that he insists on being heard from again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s what it was like for me with
Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After spending so much time
with Lukien, you might think it would be easy for me to talk about him, and yet
I still find him a difficult character to describe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s never been a typical hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, he’s an anti-hero in a lot of ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back when he first appeared in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Eyes of God</i>, many readers described
their own mixed feelings about him, and some just flat out couldn’t stand
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still laugh when I think
about that, because despite his flaws I like Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, he cheated with his best friend’s wife and drove the
poor man to insanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes, he
kills people, but hey, they all pretty much deserve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lukien might not always be righteous,
but he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tries</i> to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to me, that’s what makes him
interesting.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xXQmRBOQ7L0..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xXQmRBOQ7L0..." width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">An author that I admire one
time spoke about books being like the writer’s dirty laundry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She mentioned how sometimes writers embarrass
themselves by putting too much on the page and not realizing how transparent
they are being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose that’s
happened to me on occasion, but here’s one thing I can say for certain—Lukien
isn’t me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not as fearless as
he is, or as handsome, or as popular, and that’s probably a good thing because
Lukien uses all those qualities as a shield to protect himself from his own
deep feelings of inadequacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
maybe that’s what really resonates with readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said previously that some people hate Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the opposite is true as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are readers who
absolutely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i> Lukien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They see various things in him,
things I might not see myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They interpret Lukien in their own way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That makes me think I’ve done something right.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Forever Knight</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> takes Lukien in some new directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned on a <a href="http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/2...
post</a> here on Deb’s blog, this is the first book I’ve done in his
first-person viewpoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far the
handful of people who’ve read the book have responded positively to this
change, but time will tell how the rest of Lukien’s fan react.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever the reaction, I’m glad to be
spending time with him again.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
March 29, 2013
Brilliance of Bunnies by Rebecca Forster
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4026Rm2e6ZI..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4026Rm2e6ZI..." /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s almost Easter and I have bunnies
on my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not chocolate. Not
Marshmallow. I’m thinking about are the gorgeously gammed, heavenly endowed,
multi-talented (ever try to do the Bunny Dip?) ladies who helped to build the Playboy
empire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There are two reasons that Playboy
sprung to mind. First, I recently had reason to take a stroll down memory lane
and ambled back through my previous life as an advertising maven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my 14-year-long personal episode of
Mad Men, I spent my days with a cigarette in hand (quit years ago), stilettos
on my feet (can’t let go of those), and an not-quite-sincere blue suit on my
back as I traveled, cared for my clients, and indulged three-martini lunches
(mostly lunch, not martinis) with media reps. One of my favorites was the guy
from Playboy Magazine. I didn’t actually spend a whole lot on Playboy ads, but
I was still invited to events at The Mansion and treated to a box at the
Hollywood Bowl for the Playboy Jazz Festival every year. The good old days. I
sometimes wonder how I got so lucky to literally fall into a career like that.
Nothing I ever plan is so exciting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The second reason I was thinking
about Playboy was because I am working on a new book. It’s darn tough to build
a solid story on top of an exciting plot and pepper the whole thing with a bit
of style. I was looking for some inspiration, thinking about intensely creative
people, and that’s when Hugh Hefner came to mind. Hefner is the master
storyteller. He didn’t just write a novel, he conjured up an empire, peopled it
with imaginative characters, and did it all with such style that both he and Playboy
became legendary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Hefner’s vision of the
girl-next-door dressed like a siren, as personable as a best friend and yet as
out of reach as a Goddess, was unprecedented. Even more impressive was his
ability to transform that vision into reality and build an empire that was
seamless in its commitment to his vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V76iPpZUoQw..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V76iPpZUoQw..." /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Consider the Playboy bunny. Those
ears, the jaunty little tail, the luxurious satin and daring cut of her maillot
combined to create a look that was sexually provocative without being immodest,
indulgently playful without being prurient. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Playboy as the playbook, I learned an invaluable lesson
about writing, business, and life. Here is what it boils down to: Have a point
of view, choose a way to communicate it, work until it’s perfect, and then own
it without apology. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A million other people might have
dreamed about a business like Playboy, but only Hefner acted upon it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the magazine’s pictorials to the
fiction selections, the bunny costume to the casting, the mansion to the
grotto, every last detail of Hugh Hefner’s narrative was adjusted until his
vision became the reality he wanted. Hefner showed me that there is a fine line
between modesty and abandon, desirability and lust, being colorful rather than
crass. He owned Playboy in the same way we should all own our work and our
lives: he was proud of what he did, professional in how he did it, and joyous
every moment of his creative life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So this Easter when bunnies abound
in all shapes and sizes, I want to celebrate an iconic bunny. Here’s to Playboy
and all the bunnies who were celebrated in print, those who dipped to serve us
at the clubs, and lived in our fantasy worlds. Thanks for the life lessons.
Maybe they weren’t the ones you intended, but they were exactly the ones I
needed.</span></div>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4026Rm2e6ZI..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4026Rm2e6ZI..." /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s almost Easter and I have bunnies
on my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not chocolate. Not
Marshmallow. I’m thinking about are the gorgeously gammed, heavenly endowed,
multi-talented (ever try to do the Bunny Dip?) ladies who helped to build the Playboy
empire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There are two reasons that Playboy
sprung to mind. First, I recently had reason to take a stroll down memory lane
and ambled back through my previous life as an advertising maven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my 14-year-long personal episode of
Mad Men, I spent my days with a cigarette in hand (quit years ago), stilettos
on my feet (can’t let go of those), and an not-quite-sincere blue suit on my
back as I traveled, cared for my clients, and indulged three-martini lunches
(mostly lunch, not martinis) with media reps. One of my favorites was the guy
from Playboy Magazine. I didn’t actually spend a whole lot on Playboy ads, but
I was still invited to events at The Mansion and treated to a box at the
Hollywood Bowl for the Playboy Jazz Festival every year. The good old days. I
sometimes wonder how I got so lucky to literally fall into a career like that.
Nothing I ever plan is so exciting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The second reason I was thinking
about Playboy was because I am working on a new book. It’s darn tough to build
a solid story on top of an exciting plot and pepper the whole thing with a bit
of style. I was looking for some inspiration, thinking about intensely creative
people, and that’s when Hugh Hefner came to mind. Hefner is the master
storyteller. He didn’t just write a novel, he conjured up an empire, peopled it
with imaginative characters, and did it all with such style that both he and Playboy
became legendary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Hefner’s vision of the
girl-next-door dressed like a siren, as personable as a best friend and yet as
out of reach as a Goddess, was unprecedented. Even more impressive was his
ability to transform that vision into reality and build an empire that was
seamless in its commitment to his vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V76iPpZUoQw..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V76iPpZUoQw..." /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Consider the Playboy bunny. Those
ears, the jaunty little tail, the luxurious satin and daring cut of her maillot
combined to create a look that was sexually provocative without being immodest,
indulgently playful without being prurient. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Playboy as the playbook, I learned an invaluable lesson
about writing, business, and life. Here is what it boils down to: Have a point
of view, choose a way to communicate it, work until it’s perfect, and then own
it without apology. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A million other people might have
dreamed about a business like Playboy, but only Hefner acted upon it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the magazine’s pictorials to the
fiction selections, the bunny costume to the casting, the mansion to the
grotto, every last detail of Hugh Hefner’s narrative was adjusted until his
vision became the reality he wanted. Hefner showed me that there is a fine line
between modesty and abandon, desirability and lust, being colorful rather than
crass. He owned Playboy in the same way we should all own our work and our
lives: he was proud of what he did, professional in how he did it, and joyous
every moment of his creative life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So this Easter when bunnies abound
in all shapes and sizes, I want to celebrate an iconic bunny. Here’s to Playboy
and all the bunnies who were celebrated in print, those who dipped to serve us
at the clubs, and lived in our fantasy worlds. Thanks for the life lessons.
Maybe they weren’t the ones you intended, but they were exactly the ones I
needed.</span></div>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>
March 28, 2013
New #Paranormal Release: KEEP ME GHOSTED by Karen Cantwell
Book blurb:
Ghosts. Do you Believe?
Sophie Rhodes doesn't have a choice. She's surrounded by them.
Desperate
to pay the bills, 29-year-old Sophie ignores the advice of her stuffy
spirit-friend, Marmaduke Dodsworth, and takes a job with the handsome
Dr. Callahan, an optometrist with a desperate situation of his own. The
good doctor's problem? He has a spirit-friend as well: one with a fiery
crush and a vicious jealous streak. When chemistry starts to brew
between Sophie and Dr. Callahan, his green-eyed ghost wreaks some
bad-tempered havoc, scaring away his patients and putting Sophie on
edge. Will Sophie give up the ghost and quit the new job, or buck up and
find a way to rid Dr. Callahan of his pesky specter, freeing their
romance to find a life of its own?
Buy Links:
Amazon: buy icons listed below
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keep-me-ghosted-karen-cantwell/1114917068
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Keep-Me-Ghosted/book-xCfUH3AkUkqfvFokN1Nryg/page1.html?s=kPay1ePzwEyYExoC0qGDQw&r=8
Author bio:
I have been writing plays and short stories for many years, some of which are published in short story collections.
My
first novel, TAKE THE MONKEYS AND RUN, is a comedy-mystery, inspired,
to some degree by a true monkey sighting in my own neighborhood. Because
I love to laugh as well as make other people laugh, I have great fun
writing the characters Barbara Marr, her friends and her adversaries.
When I set out to write this book, I knew I wanted to write something
that readers would say, "Now that was FUN." I HOPE I have achieved that
goal. And if I did, please feel free to drop me a line at and let me
know! I love to hear from readers. (especially if they LIKE the book!)
Books
in the Barbara Marr series are: TAKE THE MONKEYS AND RUN (#1), CITIZEN
INSANE (#2), AND SILENCED BY THE YAMS (#3). SATURDAY NIGHT CLEAVER (#4)
will be released December of 2013. You can also enjoy a Barbara Marr
short story collection, THE CHRONICLES OF MARR-NIA, as well a holiday
short story, IT'S A DUNDER-BULL WIFE. All are available on Kindle.
March 27, 2013
Book Tour Blast: THE GUILTY INNOCENT by D.N. Simmons
The Guilty Innocent is the second novel of the Darkness Chronicles Series.
In this installment, Darian, the gorgeous, charismatic and charming master vampire of Chicago is framed for a crime he didn't commit, but why? His lover, Xavier, Natasha and a few others must travel halfway across the world to find out who and why before time runs out and all hell breaks loose!
Original, sexy and gritty, the Knights of the Darkness Chronicles will suck you in and take you for a ride you won't forget!
Purchase The Guilty Innocent on Amazon.
About Author D.N. Simmons
D. N. Simmons lives in Chicago IL., with a rambunctious German Shepherd that's too big for his own good and mischievous kitten that she affectionately calls "Itty-bitty". Her hobbies include rollerblading, billiards, bowling, reading, watching television and going to the movies. She has been nominated at Love Romances and More, winning honorable mention for best paranormal book of 2006. She has won "Author of the Month" at Warrior of Words. She was voted "New Voice of Today" at Romance Reviews and "Rising Star" at Love Romance and More.
Follow D.N. Simmons
Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Read Reviews by Bloggers -
2nd Book to the Right
Sizzle and Swoon
This is a very good length story and the author has put a lot of thought into the creation of a complex plot and well written characters. There is humor, angst, anger and tenderness between all the characters that gives the book a well rounded feel.
Diane @ Turning Back the Clock
The Guilty Innocent was an excellent read. It's packed with action, passion and vivid characters.
If you love the supernatural genre, you'll enjoy The Guilty Innocent.
Jessi @ Mamas Got Flair
The Guilty Innocence is an addicting, sexy, mystery that's very hard to put down. D.N. Simmons crafts a fast paced world where the supernatural works and plays in one of my favorite cities, Chicago.
~Jen @ The Crafty Cauldron
What more can you ask for than shapeshifters and vampires. Wouldn't life be devine stuck in a love triangle with 2 hot vampires.
Lisa @ Mommy Read too Much
D.N. Simmons is giving away a $100 Amazon Giftcard and everyone who enters gets an ecopy of Desires Unleashed.
Fill out the form below to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Review: EASY BAKE COVEN by Liz Shulte
5 of 5 starsThis is the first book I've read by this author. EASY BAKE COVEN is a engaging light-hearted story about twenty-something Selene Warren. She's a witch and with her best friends from college, who also are witches, formed their own coven. They only dabble in witch craft, nothing serious in their minds. Everything changes when a handsome brooding stranger shows up and tells Selene that she's in danger. He also tells her that she is part elf. What?
So begins the story of Selene and Cheney and their complicated relationship. I was enjoying the story when I thought she was only a witch, but throw in half-elf and you have my full attention. The author does a great job of fleshing out these two along with a delightful cast of characters. The dialogue was witty and I found myself laughing throughout the book. Each chapter revealed something new and kept me turning the pages. The twist at the end was fantastic. It's a quick, easy and most enjoyable read. I can't wait to read the next book to find out what Selene and Cheney will be up to next. Recommended.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 25, 2013
Interview with Molly Best Tinsley
Can you give
us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
My latest novel, co-authored with Karetta Hubbard, is SATAN’S
CHAMBER, a spy thriller set in Sudan, Africa, and the environs of Washington,
DC, which turns the macho clichés inside out. Junior CIA case officer
Tory Pierce lands the assignment she covets: Khartoum—the city where her
father, a veteran operative, disappeared five years before. From the
minute she arrives in-country, nothing is what it seems. The one-eyed Kendacke,
descendant of the first female black pharaohs, is a fugitive in her own land.
Bart Wilkins, the buff but bumbling supply officer at the Embassy, keeps
turning up one step ahead. The super-rich Adam Marshall has information, but it
comes with strings attached. Whom can she trust as she begins to uncover
the pieces of a horrific plan?
Did you
try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
I’m one of the many “mid-list” authors who were dumped by
mainstream publishing—in my case, after my first novel (MY LIFE WITH DARWIN,
Houghton Mifflin), a work of literary fiction, didn’t turn out to be a
blockbuster. A collection of my stories, THROWING KNIVES, won the
Sandstone Prize and was published by Ohio State University Press. When I
cut loose and wrote a spy thriller for fun, traditional publishing was
floundering (as it is today), and our queries to agents and one publishing
house didn’t go anywhere. That’s when Karetta and I decided to
launch our independent press, Fuze Publishing, to bring out the book. (We’ve
since published nine other titles.) It’s been a steep learning curve—book
production, bookkeeping (!), publicity, etc.—but it’s been really liberating,
and creativity-affirming, to take charge of our own fate.
Are you
currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you
have manuscripts that you will self-publish?
We’re currently in the second draft phase of the
sequel to SATAN’S CHAMBER—another spy thriller centered on Tory Pierce.
The title is HOTEL LIMBO, and of course, Fuze will publish it. It is set
in Ukraine, as well as Washington, DC, against a backdrop of human trafficking.
Do you
belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?
I love critique groups when they are the setting for honest
and cogent feedback. Some writers may just want encouragement, but I want
to hear what isn’t working as well as what is. A writer doesn’t always
have to act on the response of other readers, but it’s important to know how
your writing is landing on another sensibility. We are, after all,
writing for an audience, not simply for ourselves.
When I lived in Washington, DC, I actually belonged to two
terrific groups. I haven’t succeeded in forming an equivalent since
moving to Ashland, OR, but I do facilitate a writers’ group for former workshop
students that meets monthly. Writing groups also provide a safe,
sympathetic place to moan and groan about the challenges of writing—the
struggle to get your work out there, the inevitability of rejections—how to
survive and surmount them, and carry on.
Do you outline
your story or just go where your muse takes you?
Both. In assembling what I call the “zero draft,” I
like to follow the “what if’s” and allow the characters to develop backstories,
quirks, objectives, not to mention specific bodies and gestures! The
result will be a too-long narrative that goes off on tangents and may include
scenes I wanted to write, but upon later analysis prove unnecessary. That’s
when it’s time to think about structure, and in a spy novel, forward momentum.
I begin to look for the main character’s arc and to identify important turning
points in her development, then orient the narrative around them.
Too-long is good as a starting point, as long as you recognize the value of
cutting away narrative flab and getting down to the live tissue.
Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
After twenty years of teaching literature, composition, and
creative writing, I figured I’d better be able to edit my own work.
Meanwhile, the dynamics of collaboration meant that there were always two
brains processing every narrative choice—making sure that characters were
consistent, action was plausible, and writing that didn’t develop characters or
action was left on the cutting room floor.
Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
SATAN’S CHAMBER is on sale on the Fuze website, www.fuzepublishing.com, at a bargain
price compared to Amazon. It’s also available from Barnes and Noble and
on all the ebook sites.
What kinds
of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for
promoting your book(s)?
We publish a spectacular e-newsletter at Fuze, which
comes out every week and offers an absolute banquet of information and
inspiration for writers and readers! A typical issue includes an article
about the ever-explosive publishing scene, a writing prompt (along with
responses readers have sent in to previous prompts), a literary nugget,
something funny (one of our writers is also a prize-winning cartoonist), and
then information about the latest doings of our wonderful authors.
Fuze Publishing also offers a blog link from our website,
and maintains both a Facebook page and Twitter account. We welcome
friends!!
Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?
Well, it is definitely a juggle—that’s a good word. I
also serve as the chief editor of Fuze Publishing, so I have to factor that
work in as well. It becomes crucial for me to protect whole days for the
writing. Marketing, editing, and other Fuze maintenance work is easier to
take care of in shorter blocks of time. I work weekends.
Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?
The theatre—I’m a produced playwright, and living in the
same town as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, I write a monthly theatre column
for our regional NPR magazine. I often see the OSF productions multiple
times.
What’s
next for you?
Finish HOTEL LIMBO. I’ve also made a start on a YA
fantasy novel about twins.
