Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 283

Interview with Frank Nappi

Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

Nobody Has
to Know is a dark and somewhat daring psychological thriller that,
tells the story of Cameron Baldridge, a popular high school teacher
whose relationship with one of his students leads him down an unfortunate and
self-destructive path. Stalked through text-messages, Baldridge fights for
his life against a terrifying extortion plot and the forces that threaten to
expose him. Nobody Has to Know is a sobering look into a world of secrets,
lies, and shocking revelations, and will leave the reader wondering many
things, including whether or not you can ever really know the person you love.
On a more profound level, Nobody Has To Know illustrates how the landscape of
our past influences our present and how, sadly, some of these more indelible
moments hold us prisoner for the duration of our lives. It has also been
described as a cross between Fatal Attraction and The Last Seduction.






Do you have
a favorite character?

Well, all of the characters in this novel are severely
flawed, with the exception of John Volpe.
Consequently, it is difficult for me to really “embrace” any of these
individuals. However, as far as fulfilling my creative intentions, I’d have to
say that Cameron Baldridge evolved into the multi-faceted
character that I had hoped for. Cameron is deeply mired in past tragedy and
grapples with very self-destructive proclivities but is essentially a decent
person who is victimized by poor judgment. I believe that Cameron is an
appropriate vehicle through which many of the novel’s themes may be conveyed.




Have you
ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the
direction of the novel at all?

Sure, minor characters sometimes burgeon into more prominent
figures. The important thing is that all characters, minor or major, become
real. In any great work, one that resonates with the reader, there needs to be
authenticity with regard to the characters. If a reader does not invest in the
characters, the author’s message is lost. It is my experience that “real
characters” think and act just as real folks would. There is nothing contrived
about their existence – their words and emotional responses to situations are
emblematic of those of real people. This can be accomplished in part through
the use of flashbacks, which become windows into the psyches of these
individuals. If a reader knows where a character has been, where he is
presently becomes far more plausible.




Did you try
the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

I have been published in the traditional fashion three
times. And for Nobody Has To Know, my
agent and I pitched the manuscript to several legacy houses, many of which were
interested. The one reservation they had, however, was with the social taboo of
a teacher becoming romantically involved with a student. Many editors suggested
changing that aspect of the story, something that I absolutely refused to do.
As a result, I decided, with the help of my agent and assistant, to publish
directly through Amazon. It was certainly the right decision, as the book has
received much praise, including a glowing endorsement from Nelson DeMille.




Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

This is always a most interesting question to answer. I have
heard so many authors delineate the process by which they write a novel. Many
of the traditional methods include outlining, character sketches, and timelines. None of
this applies to me. And while I do not think this is an indictment of any
sorts, I do feel a little left out. I have yet to talk to an author who does
what I do. My process is far less formulaic. And it varies each time I pursue a
new endeavor. Most of what I do early on begins and remains in my head. There
is no paper involved. The only variable is how I actually begin. For instance,
my first novel, Echoes From The Infantry,
began with a very complex character who suffers from the insidious residue of
WWII. He was fully developed in my mind before I ever wrote one word. The
fictional framework came later on. In the first Mickey Tussler novel, it
was just the opposite. I had already written a first chapter before I ever
really knew exactly who my protagonist was going to be. The same is true for my
latest novel, Nobody Has To Know. Things tend to evolve with me at their own
pace. This is the beauty of the writing process. Stories come from so many
different places and are executed in so many different ways.




What is
your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

Silence is a must. Just the sound of my fingers tapping the
keyboard is all I need.




What kinds
of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting
your book(s)?

My agent and assistant have really helped me promote the
book through a wide variety of venues, including Blog Tours, Facebook, Twitter,
and Goodreads. It has been a fairly time exhaustive endeavor, but well
worth it.




What advice
would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?

Believe in your work. Find some readers you can really trust
to provide you with objective feedback and perfect your story. Once you have
reached the level at which you believe the work is viable, pursue a reputable
avenue to get your book out there.




Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?

I love the beach, especially in the off season. I spend a
lot of time there. I am also a rabid baseball fan, so many hours are spent
watching my two sons play the greatest game there is or lamenting the fate of
my New York Mets. Country music aint so bad either! Naturally,
many of these things have a tendency to creep into my novels. The most obvious
case I suppose is the baseball backdrop for my Mickey Tussler series.
There is always, I believe, a lot of every author is each novel he/she creates.
However, I suppose in light of the subject matter of my latest book, I should
issue the disclaimer that not everything that appears in a work of fiction is
rooted in personal experience.




What’s next
for you?

I am presently working on the third installment of my Legend
of Mickey Tussler series and also playing with an idea for another
thriller. Both works are very different but equally enjoyable to write.

Interview with J.L. Bryan

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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKuf41oWCbs..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKuf41oWCbs..." width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My newest book is <i>Fairyvision</i>, the fifth book in my
Songs of Magic series, which is basically a series of fun fantasy books
appropriate for young readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In
this installment, leprechaun newspaper magnate Aonghus Mac Lobhar introduces an
exciting new magic mirror into Faerie, one that will enable Folk all over the
realm to watch the same concerts, plays, and news criers at the same time.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Have you ever
had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of
the novel at all?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sure, and I love it whenever a character comes to life with
a strong personality. It makes my job so much easier!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>A good example from the current series is Grizlemor, a
cranky goblin who was originally supposed to be a minor character, but his
constant complaining and disgusting personal habits made him a favorite
character for both me and a number of readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>He’s stuck around for all five books.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It was a fairy easy decision that I made a few years ago,
when I first read about other writers doing well by self-publishing on the
Kindle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I already knew that the
vast majority of authors didn’t get much from publishers, anyway—for a midlist
genre novel, the author might get a small advance, a few months of bookstore
distribution, and that was about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Not many authors could make a decent living before ebooks.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you
used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the
creative process for your cover?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I typically hire Claudia from Phatpuppy Art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>She’s done the covers for ten of my
books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>If we’re creating something
from scratch, it’s a very fun back-and-forth process, and I really enjoy
working with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Sometimes I’ll
see a piece she’s already made that happens to be a great fit for my story, and
I’ll just buy that instead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What is
your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It depends on what I’m writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I will play different songs that I feel reflect a certain
scene or character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>That helps me “tune
in” a little bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Sometimes I put
these together as playlists and add them alongside the books on my
website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Music can be a vital part
of the creative process for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The older I get, the more I outline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The outline is flexible and evolves as
I write—it may start as a sketchy list of scene ideas and random-looking notes,
but it fleshes out as I write the first draft.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes, I typically have a story editor, several beta readers,
and a separate proofreader for the final draft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You can never have too many eyeballs or too much feedback
before publishing a book!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I publish on Nook, Apple, Sony, Kobo, and Smashwords.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I like my books to be convenient and
available to as many readers as possible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What kinds
of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for
promoting your book(s)?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I spent a lot of time on Twitter, though very little of it
promoting my books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I keep a
Facebook fan page and a blog so readers can connect with me if they like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>For promotions, I’ll usually provide
material like guest blogs and review copies to book bloggers. I really enjoy
guest blogs when I’m inspired to write fun ones.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I spent most of my time writing and probably too little time
marketing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I have a toddler who’s
not quite two years old, so the real challenge is finding time to work at all!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Make sure you know your craft, and also be aware that books
need extensive editing and proofing before being published.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Be open to feedback of all kinds, and
never stop challenging yourself to improve your craft and push against your
limits.</span><br />
<br /></div>
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Interview with Sarah Pleydell

Do you
have a favorite character?

Maggie Whitaker the stubborn, somewhat ornery, know-it-all
little sister with the stammer, thumb-sucking and occasional bed-wetting habit
who triumphs by the end of the book.




Have you
ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the
direction of the novel at all?

I started out with three foreign au pairs and rolled them
all into one, Renate von Hasselmann; I gave her three distinct faces, ingénue,
femme fatale and omniscient heroine. This made her multi-dimensional but kept
the fun and flair of those original personalities.




Did you
try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

 I landed Ian
Mckewan and Salmon Rushdie’s agent in London, but, alas, after a number of
stops and starts she could not find a home for my novel, Cologne. She is still
keen to get it published across the pond if it does well here.




What
factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?

Molly Tinsley, the co-founder at FUZE, approached me, and I
knew she would be a brilliant editor for my book, so I had no reservations
about using this press.




If you
used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the
creative process for your cover?

My dear friend, artist and graphic designer, Kathy Keler has
a series of paintings she made in the nineties that have always resonated with
my writing and with this book in particular. I have always known her evocative
print, envoi, was the cover art I wanted for Cologne. And I was right; it is
gorgeous.




Do you
belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

I’ve been in loads of writing groups, and they have all been
in equal part enlightening and frustrating. Overall I have to say sharing your
work with other writers can only benefit as practitioners of the craft develop
a sixth sense about what works and what doesn’t. Some just get a tad too
enthusiastic about how they would write it themselves.




What is
your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I lock myself up in the Library of Congress Reading Room
under that magnificent dome and pull words out of the air. It’s magic. And very
very quiet.




Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

It depends on the books: some arrive whole cloth and others
unwind piece by piece. Each story has its own trajectory. Novels are as individual
as souls.




Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

FUZE publishing.com




Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?

Acting, playwriting, gardening and keeping up with my four
children and their wild and crazy lives.




What’s
next for you?

 A telenovela
style novel about the Texas/ Mexico border called Deep in the Heart.

Blog Tour: NOBODY HAS TO KNOW by Frank Nappi

 

Nobody Has To Know
Nobody Has To Know, Frank Nappi's dark and daring new thriller, tells the story of Cameron Baldridge, a popular high school teacher whose relationship with one of his students leads him down an unfortunate and self-destructive path. Stalked through text-messages, Baldridge fights for his life against a terrifying extortion plot and the forces that threaten to expose him. NHTK is a sobering look into a world of secrets, lies, and shocking revelations, and will leave the reader wondering many things, including whether or not you can ever really know the person you love.

 



Purchase Nobody Has To Know on Amazon.



 





  

 "A haunting, briskly-paced page turner that explores the darkest recesses of the human psyche while propelling the reader through an intricate series of hair-raising twists and turns. Nobody Has to Know is a masterfully written tale that is expertly told. Frank Nappi knows how to entertain the reader from start to finish."
-- #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Nelson DeMille



 



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




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Interview with Dani Amore

Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

The book is called BEER MONEY and it’s the first in the Burr
Ashland series. Burr is a private investigator in Milwaukee looking into the
murder of his best friend, a history professor at Marquette University.  Burr ends up rediscovering the trail of
a cold case that involves sex, blackmail and murder.




Do you
have a favorite character?

I obviously had a lot of fun with Burr Ashland.  Having lived in Wisconsin, and
developed a fine appreciation for beer, he’s someone I would love to hang out
with and do “research.”




What is
your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I write early in the morning, jacked up on strong coffee.  I do like to listen  to music, mostly classical or
jazz.  Anything without lyrics,
which I find distracting.




Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I do outline, but then I end up revising the outline
extensively as I write the first draft. 
I usually only finish the outline after I finish the first draft.




Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

Absolutely.  An
editor is essential as is a team of proofreaders.




Did you
hire a graphic artist for your book cover? Were you actively involved in the
creation?

I had a friend do my original book and then I tweak that
design for each new book.  It’s
something  I love to do and I enjoy
working with InDesign and Photoshop.




Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

I’m on Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and the iBookstore. 




Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?

Well, it’s probably a little bit easier for me because I really
only write in the morning, so it’s easy for me to separate the book writing
from the book marketing.




What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?

Write the best book you can and keep going.  Each book will be better than the last
and your audience will grow.




What’s
next for you?

The sequel to BEER MONEY, it’s called NAKED ALE.  I’m doing a lot of research for this
one, just ask my local bartender.

Happy Birthday ABRAHAM LINCOLN

 “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
― Abraham Lincoln



Lincoln warned the South in his Inaugural Address: "In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you.... You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it."

Lincoln thought secession illegal, and was willing to use force to defend Federal law and the Union. When Confederate batteries fired on Fort Sumter and forced its surrender, he called on the states for 75,000 volunteers. Four more slave states joined the Confederacy but four remained within the Union. The Civil War had begun.

The son of a Kentucky frontiersman, Lincoln had to struggle for a living and for learning. Five months before receiving his party's nomination for President, he sketched his life:

"I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families--second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks.... My father ... removed from Kentucky to ... Indiana, in my eighth year.... It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up.... Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher ... but that was all."

Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, and rode the circuit of courts for many years. His law partner said of him, "His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest."

He married Mary Todd, and they had four boys, only one of whom lived to maturity. In 1858 Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860.

As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization. Further, he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.

Lincoln never let the world forget that the Civil War involved an even larger issue. This he stated most movingly in dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg: "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Lincoln won re-election in 1864, as Union military triumphs heralded an end to the war. In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and generous, encouraging Southerners to lay down their arms and join speedily in reunion.

The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds.... "

On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who somehow thought he was helping the South. The opposite was the result, for with Lincoln's death, the possibility of peace with magnanimity died.



http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/abrahamlincoln

Prossia's Universe: Built From What-if by RM Jordan

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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v3J_LI1zI58..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v3J_LI1zI58..." width="198" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You know what? The real
world's boring. I mean, seriously. Look outside. Did you just see a dragon or
UFO fly by? No? Then I rest my case. And if you said yes. . . maybe it's time
to talk to a professional. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the reasons why we're
seeing sci-fi and fantasy films strike it big in the box office is because
people love being able to get lost in a world beyond imagination. It's our
natural human nature. Classical stories like Homer's epic poem, "Iliad,"
centuries beyond centuries old, is a strong evident to that statement. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Human beings love to imagine
the what-if scenario. What if there was magic? What if I had superpowers? What
if aliens actually did exist? With those small sentences, with those few words,
galactic governments have been put on the brink of peril, wars between elves
and goblins have been raged, adventures that have challenged the test of time
have been born, and that was exactly how "Prossia" was created.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After having a basis for the
story in mind, I asked myself, "What if I wrote a story about
aliens?" Sure, that's simple enough, but that thought would branch off
into more avenues and streams. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if they
lived on a single planet?</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if it was
an entire solar system?</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if the
aliens were spread across an entire galaxy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if there
weren't any even humans around, like so many other stories?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Did you see what happened?
Did you see that snowball-turned-avalanche coming down the mountain? When I
asked myself if my story was going to be about aliens, I was already
challenging myself to explain why these people's world was the way it was,
without even realizing it.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sQkLyi0JYHY..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sQkLyi0JYHY..." width="262" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And granted, universes
aren't made over night, so creating the Prossia Universe has been a very long
process. The other challenge of the universe comes from the fact that this is
indeed a science fiction story. Meaning, I can't just say something is the way
it is by magic. This genre requires a little fact, as much as feasible. So,
when I made my main character, Aly, come from people who had infrared vision,
had super reflexes and agility, and could form energy out of their hands, I
actually had to explain that Aly has infrared vision because it helps her see
approaching threats. I have a separate file listing the anatomy of my aliens,
from what type of cartilage and muscle tissue would be possible for Goolians to
move the way they do, to the extrasensory perceptions they have when it comes
to their ability of using fusion to create a ball of plasma.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q4lvFdV99nc..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q4lvFdV99nc..." width="219" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And that only covers one of
the current nine races! What about the other aliens and their designs? I wanted
them to look a certain way, but there had to be a reason why. Humans and other
animals look the way they look due to Earth's size, its closeness to the sun,
the ecosystems it has, and tons, I MEAN TONS, of other factors. So, it's only
natural other life-forms would evolve to fit their environments as well. That
is, after all, one of the key functions of life. Seriously, look at how diverse
the biology on our very own little rock is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, more questions:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we must adapt to our surroundings, what if I make aliens
that can adapt to their surroundings through an advanced acclimation process?
If that were the case, wouldn't that mean what took us millions of years to do
capable of being done much sooner? And how much sooner am I talking? Am I still
talking millions of years, or just a few thousand?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And still, the questions
continue, and guess what else, so does the world I find myself lost in. Maybe
some people would think such world building is just wayyyy too much trouble. I,
on the other hand, think it's totally awesome. Being an artist and a writer, I
like being able to create, so what's cooler than creating an entire galaxy!?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">To think that I studied
Civilization, Psychology, Ethics and Values, Biology and Ecology just so I
could have some ideas for Prossia's Universe. Now, I'm not saying that's what
all writers should do in order to build their worlds. I was just fortunate
enough to be in my college years while I was writing "Prossia," and I
needed to fill in some class electives. :P To me, researching is good, and the
deeper I go into a universe, the better. Still, in the end, none of this
could've happened if I asked the one thing that humans love to ask. "What
if--" . Why don't you ask the same question? Who knows what wonders you'll
bring. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Author bio:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">










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<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7dU4FdGFrGc..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7dU4FdGFrGc..." /></a></div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">Raphyel Montez Jordan grew up in a household
sensitive to the creative arts. As a child, his hobbies were drawing favorite
cartoon and video game characters while making illustrated stories. This
passion for art never left and followed him all the way up to his high school
and college years.<br />
<br />
It wasn’t until college when he underwent a personal “renaissance” of sorts
that Jordan took his interest in writing to another level. When he was 19, he
started writing a novel for fun, taking inspiration from the constant exposure
of different ideas and cultures that college showed him while staying true to
the values he grew up to embrace. However, when the “signs of the times”
influenced the story and the characters to spawn into universes of their own,
he figured he might possibly be on to something.<br />
<br />
As he studied graphic design at Armstrong Atlantic State University in
Savannah, Georgia, Jordan also used his electives to study sciences like
Astronomy, Psychology, and Biology in order enhance the reading experience in
his story. He eventually made it a goal to have the story published after he
graduated, and dubbed the goal “Operation Prosia,” the very same project that
would develop into his first published book, “Prossia.”<br />
<br />
Even though his novel is not necessarily a religious book, Jordan utilizes his
Christian faith by urging people to encourage, not condemn, in his story. Best
known for ending his PSFC newsletters with “Unity Within Diversity,” he hopes “Prossia’s”
success will inspire people to consider and support the positive outlook in the
difference human kind can share, whether it be race, religion, or any other
cultural difference.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">Buy links: </span><br />
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9214" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9213"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9215" style="font-weight: bold;">Amazon:</span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prossia-ebook/d..." id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9212" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1360503196_5">http://www.amazon.com/Prossia-ebook/d...
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Author website: </span><a href="http://www.raphyelmjordan.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9202" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1360503196_8">http://www.raphyelmjordan.com/</sp...
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Novel Facebook
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/RaphyelMJordan" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1360503196_10">https://twitter.com/RaphyelMJordan<...
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Guest Post: Prossia's Universe: Built From What-if by RM Jordan

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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v3J_LI1zI58..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v3J_LI1zI58..." width="198" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You know what? The real
world's boring. I mean, seriously. Look outside. Did you just see a dragon or
UFO fly by? No? Then I rest my case. And if you said yes. . . maybe it's time
to talk to a professional. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the reasons why we're
seeing sci-fi and fantasy films strike it big in the box office is because
people love being able to get lost in a world beyond imagination. It's our
natural human nature. Classical stories like Homer's epic poem, "Iliad,"
centuries beyond centuries old, is a strong evident to that statement. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Human beings love to imagine
the what-if scenario. What if there was magic? What if I had superpowers? What
if aliens actually did exist? With those small sentences, with those few words,
galactic governments have been put on the brink of peril, wars between elves
and goblins have been raged, adventures that have challenged the test of time
have been born, and that was exactly how "Prossia" was created.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After having a basis for the
story in mind, I asked myself, "What if I wrote a story about
aliens?" Sure, that's simple enough, but that thought would branch off
into more avenues and streams. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if they
lived on a single planet?</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if it was
an entire solar system?</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if the
aliens were spread across an entire galaxy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if there
weren't any even humans around, like so many other stories?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Did you see what happened?
Did you see that snowball-turned-avalanche coming down the mountain? When I
asked myself if my story was going to be about aliens, I was already
challenging myself to explain why these people's world was the way it was,
without even realizing it.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sQkLyi0JYHY..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sQkLyi0JYHY..." width="262" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And granted, universes
aren't made over night, so creating the Prossia Universe has been a very long
process. The other challenge of the universe comes from the fact that this is
indeed a science fiction story. Meaning, I can't just say something is the way
it is by magic. This genre requires a little fact, as much as feasible. So,
when I made my main character, Aly, come from people who had infrared vision,
had super reflexes and agility, and could form energy out of their hands, I
actually had to explain that Aly has infrared vision because it helps her see
approaching threats. I have a separate file listing the anatomy of my aliens,
from what type of cartilage and muscle tissue would be possible for Goolians to
move the way they do, to the extrasensory perceptions they have when it comes
to their ability of using fusion to create a ball of plasma.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q4lvFdV99nc..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q4lvFdV99nc..." width="219" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And that only covers one of
the current nine races! What about the other aliens and their designs? I wanted
them to look a certain way, but there had to be a reason why. Humans and other
animals look the way they look due to Earth's size, its closeness to the sun,
the ecosystems it has, and tons, I MEAN TONS, of other factors. So, it's only
natural other life-forms would evolve to fit their environments as well. That
is, after all, one of the key functions of life. Seriously, look at how diverse
the biology on our very own little rock is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, more questions:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we must adapt to our surroundings, what if I make aliens
that can adapt to their surroundings through an advanced acclimation process?
If that were the case, wouldn't that mean what took us millions of years to do
capable of being done much sooner? And how much sooner am I talking? Am I still
talking millions of years, or just a few thousand?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And still, the questions
continue, and guess what else, so does the world I find myself lost in. Maybe
some people would think such world building is just wayyyy too much trouble. I,
on the other hand, think it's totally awesome. Being an artist and a writer, I
like being able to create, so what's cooler than creating an entire galaxy!?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">To think that I studied
Civilization, Psychology, Ethics and Values, Biology and Ecology just so I
could have some ideas for Prossia's Universe. Now, I'm not saying that's what
all writers should do in order to build their worlds. I was just fortunate
enough to be in my college years while I was writing "Prossia," and I
needed to fill in some class electives. :P To me, researching is good, and the
deeper I go into a universe, the better. Still, in the end, none of this
could've happened if I asked the one thing that humans love to ask. "What
if--" . Why don't you ask the same question? Who knows what wonders you'll
bring. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Author bio:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">










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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7dU4FdGFrGc..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7dU4FdGFrGc..." /></a></div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">Raphyel Montez Jordan grew up in a household
sensitive to the creative arts. As a child, his hobbies were drawing favorite
cartoon and video game characters while making illustrated stories. This
passion for art never left and followed him all the way up to his high school
and college years.<br />
<br />
It wasn’t until college when he underwent a personal “renaissance” of sorts
that Jordan took his interest in writing to another level. When he was 19, he
started writing a novel for fun, taking inspiration from the constant exposure
of different ideas and cultures that college showed him while staying true to
the values he grew up to embrace. However, when the “signs of the times”
influenced the story and the characters to spawn into universes of their own,
he figured he might possibly be on to something.<br />
<br />
As he studied graphic design at Armstrong Atlantic State University in
Savannah, Georgia, Jordan also used his electives to study sciences like
Astronomy, Psychology, and Biology in order enhance the reading experience in
his story. He eventually made it a goal to have the story published after he
graduated, and dubbed the goal “Operation Prosia,” the very same project that
would develop into his first published book, “Prossia.”<br />
<br />
Even though his novel is not necessarily a religious book, Jordan utilizes his
Christian faith by urging people to encourage, not condemn, in his story. Best
known for ending his PSFC newsletters with “Unity Within Diversity,” he hopes “Prossia’s”
success will inspire people to consider and support the positive outlook in the
difference human kind can share, whether it be race, religion, or any other
cultural difference.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">Buy links: </span><br />
<div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9214" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9213"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9215" style="font-weight: bold;">Amazon:</span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prossia-ebook/d..." id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9212" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1360503196_5">http://www.amazon.com/Prossia-ebook/d...
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9209"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9208" style="font-weight: bold;">Barnes and Noble:</span> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pross..." target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1360503196_6">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pross...
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Goodreads:</span> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89..." id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9205" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1360503196_7">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89...
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Author website: </span><a href="http://www.raphyelmjordan.com/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9202" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1360503196_8">http://www.raphyelmjordan.com/</sp...
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Novel Facebook
Page: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prossi..." id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360500133146_9199" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1360503196_9">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prossi...
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/RaphyelMJordan" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1360503196_10">https://twitter.com/RaphyelMJordan<...
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">The author is giving away some great prizes. Enter to win below:</span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp..." id="rc-ff6a4f7" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>

New #Romance Release: THE MARRIAGE CAPER by Sandra Edwards

Book Description:

Andre de Laurent is the second son of an extremely wealthy family, which basically means he’ll always be number two. That is, until his mother’s uncle dies and leaves him a multi-billion-dollar fortune. So what’s the trouble? Andre has sixty days to take a wife, and he’ll have to remain married for one year or forfeit the inheritance to distant relatives—who are hell-bent on claiming the inheritance as their own.

Aspiring actress Tasha Gordon has never wanted anything quite so much as that big break—until she met Andre de Laurent. Could his offer turn out to be the role of lifetime?





Buy links: 

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Caper-Billionaire-Games-ebook/dp/B00BC6SVY8 



BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-marriage-caper-sandra-edwards/1045813156




Author bio:

Sandra Edwards is an award-winning author of romance. She has eclectic tastes, penning tales in a variety of genres such as paranormal (mostly time travel and reincarnation), contemporary and suspense. She lives in the U.S. (west coast) with her husband, two kids, four dogs and one very temperamental feline. Sandra's books often push the envelope and step outside the boundaries of conventional romance. 



For more info on Sandra's books, visit her website at www.sandrawrites.com