Mary Sage Nguyen's Blog, page 3

December 4, 2015

The Perfect Black by Chase Green

The Perfect Black


The perfect Black 3d


The Perfect Black

Chase Green


Genre: Murder Mystery, and Detective Thriller


Date of Publication: November, 2013


Publisher: Coldspring Press


ASIN: B00H0FJ0VI


Pages: 250


Book Blurb:


When Special Agent Nadine Munroe receives a bizarre text message urging her to turn to the local news, at first she does not know what to make of it. She obeys and is immediately stunned to find out that a dead body was left on the banks of the Hoover Reservoir.


Next she receives an email from the same source that gives her a detailed description of the victim as well as revealing information that leads Nadine to believe that whoever is sending her the messages, is responsible for the murder.


The women of the prestigious sorority Kappa Beta Zeta are being kidnapped only to be brutally murdered. When tragedy strikes close to home, Agent Munroe will do whatever it takes to stop the vicious psychopath that calls himself Osiris.


Although Nadine is intelligent, strong and highly skilled. Taking down Osiris proves to be one of the most challenging cases she’d ever been assigned to. Also the deadliest.


Available at Amazon

Follow Chase Green on Facebook


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


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First I want to thank Chase Green for doing the interview with me. Read the interview below and found how intriguing he can be.


1. What is your writing process?

I try to write almost everyday. I wouldn’t really call it a process necessarily. I treat writing like a hobby, something that I enjoy doing. Once I start thinking of it as a job then it becomes boring, at least for me it does.


2. Who are your largest author influences?

I would have to say Thomas Harris (The Silence of the Lambs) and Stieg Larsson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Both of them write very dark which I try to do. In fact, both writers let me know exactly how dark I could go when writing The Perfect Black.


3. What is your favorite book?

I’ve read so many great novels its hard to pick just one. Two that stand out though is The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet and The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel. One book is about building a church and the other is about prehistoric cavemen. Both are beautifully written. I only hope that I write a book one day that will inspire and touch someone as both of these books did for me.


4. What is your latest news?

My second novel “A Man’s World” is set to be released on Christmas day. It is a completely different type of book than The Perfect Black. The great thing about being independent is that I’m not confined to just writing one particular genre. I like to throw my readers a curveball from time to time.


5. What are the five things people do not know about you?

Number one: The Perfect Black is actually the third novel I wrote but the first I actually had the courage to publish. Two: I’m also a screenwriter and filmmaker. Three: I’m also a sous chef. Four: I taught myself computer programming in a week. Five: I’m addicted to celebrity gossip magazines

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Published on December 04, 2015 06:30

December 2, 2015

INERTIA by A.R Rivera

INERTIA banner.jpg


INERTIA 3dINERTIA

A.R Rivera


Genre: Metaphysical, Science Fiction, and Literary Fiction


Date of Publication: June, 2015


ASIN: B00ZYVEWOU


Pages: 317


Book Blurb:


Its Back To The Future meets Doctor Who in this NEW epic Science Fiction Saga by A.R. Rivera!


Gerry Springer is going to be dead in three weeks. He knows exactly when and where–he’s trying to manipulate the ‘how’.


How to plan every detail of his demise to ensure that Daemon, his nemesis whose acting as Gerry’s personal Angel of Death, doesn’t close-in on his grown son too early. His boy, ‘G’, will need time to understand what has happened and why, time to make the choice Gerry hopes he will make. The one choice that might change everything.


‘G’, a 30-something slacker, was named after his father, Gerry Springer. Can you believe it? Who would name their kid Gerry Springer in this day and age? Well, G hates his name for obvious reasons. Less obvious are the reasons he hates his life.


When G is involved in a bus accident with a quasi-dangerous stranger and wakes up in 1996, he’s sure he’s gone bonkers. But then he decides … maybe not. And if not, then why shouldn’t he try to change his crappy future? The only way G knows to do that is by preventing a horrible tragedy he witnessed as a teenager.


The calamity that befell his family became the catalyst for most of what went wrong throughout his life and if he could stop it … his dad might never start drinking which means he wouldn’t lose his job and the family wouldn’t lose their house. G’s mom would never have that nervous breakdown and leave. His little sister could grow up.


It seems like a solid plan, but life back in good ‘ole predictable 1996 is not exactly as G remembers. Was his dads nose always so big? Was his distant mother ever really that attentive or happy? G is doubting everything he sees as his plans to alter the future unravel.

When the strange man that G recognizes from the bus accident suddenly shows up and helps him out of a jam, G is sure he’s found a new ally, but then he’s never been a very good judge of character.


Available at Amazon

Follow A.R Rivera on Twitter and Facebook


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


A.R Rivera


First I want to thank A.R Rivera for doing the interview with me. Read the interview below and found how intriguing she can be.


1. What is your writing process?

My writing process varies, but most of my story ideas start with the ending. I usually know the finale before I start chapter one. It’s paid off so far, too, as most readers tell me that they don’t expect what they find at the ending of my books.


2. Who are your largest author influences?

Well, I read a lot of books by many different types of authors, but I have to say most of my influence for the Threestone Trilogy has come from Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and J.J Abrams (I love his work!)


3. What is your favorite book?


“Favorite” is one of those things that changes on a weekly basis with me. This week my favorite book is “Time Travel In Einstein’s Universe by J. Richard Gott.


4. What genre do you write?

INERTIA is my first Science Fiction novel. My other books have all been Women’s Fiction with lots of tragedy, romance, and suspense!


5. What is your most recent book INERTIA about?

INERTIA is about G, a regular guy who has a habit of making impetuous decisions that get him into more trouble than he can handle. One of the things he doesn’t handle very well is travelling through time to 1996, and finding himself as a weirdo 16 year-old.


6. What are your favorite characters in INERTIA and Why?

I really love Elijah. He is introduced late in the book and doesn’t play a major role in this one, but what he does is SO important to the main character, G and the overall plot of the trilogy. Honestly, G wouldn’t get anything done if it wasn’t for Elijah.

I also really like G’s girlfriend, Abi. Many readers had trouble with the way G treats her, but they don’t need to worry. Abi’s a strong woman and she’ll prove it in the sequel!


7. Is there a message behind INERTIA?

Absolutely! The message in this book is, “don’t ever forget where you came from. But don’t let where you came from keep you from getting to where you need to be.”


8. How many books do you read a year?

I’ve never counted! If I had to guess, I’d say between 75 and 100.


9. What is the last book you read?

Third Eye PI, by Ravenna Young. It was spooky and funny, and overall great!


10. What is the hardest part in writing INERTIA?

I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say the chapters titled Lamentations and After. Oh! And making sure that this book didn’t end on a huge cliffhanger. That was tough!


11. How long did it take for you to write INERTIA?

YEARS!! I first began writing INERTIA in 2009. I drafted the first book, most of FORCE (the second), and the big finale ending in REACTION (book three). And trust me, it’s going to be epic!!!


INERTIA 3d


Purchase “INERTIA” at Amazon


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Published on December 02, 2015 07:08

November 29, 2015

To Love A Stranger by Michael John Wilde

To Love a Stranger Banner.jpg


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


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Michael John Wilde has been here before, scroll down and find out more about his book To Love a Stranger. Thank you again for the interview Mr. Wilde!


1. What is your writing process?

Usually I approach writing like an office job. But for TLAS, I got so involved in where the story was taking me, that several sessions of midnight oil burning took place.


2. Who are your largest author influences?

Probably the experiences I’ve tripped over when they’ve unexpectedly landed on me.


2. What is your favorite book?

No favorites, anything that holds me past the first chapter.


3. What are the five things people do not know about you?

Just read To Love a Stranger and choose for yourself.


4. What genre do you write?

I’ll tackle most subjects. But can’t see myself writing hard core or anything overly intellectual. Outside my experience and ability.


5. What is your most recent book To Love a Stranger about?

A story partly influenced by a number of actual events, some of which I have first hand knowledge. It tells of Mike Gilbride, a ten year old village lad, who befriends Old Bob a blind ex-soldier who cathartically recalls his life’s secrets to Mike. Old Bob’s stories influence Mike’s life. Mike, closing in on seventy and terminally ill, decides to relate his and Old Bob’s stories to his only grandson Teddy. Mike and Old Bob’s lives are laden with family dramas, spying, treason and the search for love of a stranger.


6. How do you come up with characters for To Love a Stranger?

Now that’s simple. Most are based on actual people that I either know intimately or heard about in passing. A collision of characters that finally blended to make actual and fictional events work together.


7. What are your favorite characters in To Love a Stranger and Why?

I suppose here is a decision where factual and fictional characters compete. The Old Bob character, I met in a similar situation as described in the first few chapters; a charming man who led a village lad down an unexpected educational highway. Although fictional, I’ve crossed swords with other like GT, Old Bob’s grandfather. GT is everything I dreamt of being. And the old devil died with a smile on his face.


8. Is there a message behind To Love a Stranger?

In truth I never set out to send a message. But on reflection it must be to grab every experience that life pitches up. But also to be prepared to accept the consequences with good faith.


9. What compelled you to write about espionage and conspiracies?

Well if one is told of interesting events then at some stage they must be documented, in this case into a “factional” yarn. This experience started with an insight into unwanted exposure to treason and developed from there.


10. What is the hardest part in writing To Love a Stranger?

Knowing when to stop. I could see an expansion of Teddy’s story, as he listened intently to Mike deliver two secret life stories.


11. What did you enjoy about writing To Love a Stranger?

The way I felt close to many of the characters, in some cases having experienced some of their actual and fictional stories.


12. How long did it take for you to To Love a Stranger?

Parts were written several years ago and like many writers suffer, the few pages written were tossed aside uncertain how to make it work as a novel. But when the catalyst appeared, in the shape of Donna my publisher showing me the way forward, it took around six months to complete.


13. Have you traveled for your book, if so where?

To all the countries mentioned in the book, including (Rhodesia) now Zimbabwe, South Africa, Hong Kong, Dubai, and many other countries across the globe.


14. What are your next writing projects?

I’ve started working on a screenplay for a 4/6 part TV series based on To Love a Stranger. Also I’m just proofing Tommy Mac, a novel telling of a teenage Irish rebel, a brilliant rock musician with IRA connections. But I’m also being asked to write the next story of Jango. Jango’s first story, “Jango and the Evil Man-People, seems to have captured the hearts of all who’ve now read of his adventures.


15. How can fans reach you directly?

Facebook, http://www.michaeljohnwilde.com, twitter or through my amazing friend and publisher Donna at http://www.butterflytreepress.com.


To love a stranger 3d.jpg


Purchase To Love a Stranger on Amazon


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Published on November 29, 2015 08:33

November 27, 2015

No Such Things As Monsters by Lora Lye

No Such things as Monsters


no such things as monsters 3d mockup


No Such Things as Monsters

Lora Lye


Genre: Children’s Picture Book


Date of Publication: November, 2015


Publisher: Createspace


ASIN: B017Z3WBZG


Pages: 40


Book Blurb:


School starts tomorrow and Jade needs her rest. She’s all tucked in but after mommy turns off the light Jade begins to get scared. Is it just her imagination or are monsters hiding in the dark? Mommy says there’s no such thing! But if monsters are real can Mommy’s special rhyme help keep her safe? Featuring rhyming text and vibrant child-friendly illustrations, this story about a frightened little girl who can’t get to sleep is sure to charm toddlers and parents alike.


Available at Amazon

FREE ON KINDLE!

Follow on Lora Lye on Website


photocatboobio


ABOUT AUTHOR:


Lora grew up in rural Alabama and developed a fascination with reading and writing imaginative poetry at an early age. She spent so much time reading books her classmates voted her “most likely to become a librarian.” Lora now lives with her family in Birmingham.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


First I want to thank Lora Lye for doing the interview with me. Read the interview below and found how intriguing she can be.


1. What is your favorite book?

Right now my favorite is actually another children’s book Roly Poly Pangolin by Anna Dewdney.


2. What genre do you write? Children’s books for toddlers


4. What is your most recent book No Such Thing As Monsters about?

It’s about a little girl who has trouble getting to sleep because she thinks monsters are in her room. The story is loosely based on evenings I had with my little girl when her imagination would run away and she would get too frightened to sleep in her room.


5. Is there a message behind No Such Thing As Monsters?

The primary message is to reinforce that monsters aren’t real but even if they were real just because they look scary doesn’t necessarily mean that they are bad.


6. What is the hardest part in writing No Such Thing As Monsters?

Since it’s a really short and simple story writing wasn’t the difficult part. What I found the most challenging was finding the perfect illustrator to bring the story to life.


7. Do you have any children or pets? If so, do they distract you, or assist you with writing?

I have a little girl in kindergarten and she was my inspiration for writing the book. I also have several cats and I think they acted as a great support system. They love to sit on my desk while I am writing and I think having them nearby helps me relax.


8. Do you have a muse? If you do, what do you love the most about him or her?

Absolutely, like I mentioned my little girl Jade is in kindergarten and I get so much inspiration each and every day by her enthusiasm for life and how quickly she is learning about the world around her. She is actually learning to read and I can’t wait until she is able to read each page of the book by herself.


9. What are your writing or publishing goals in the future?

I plan on writing several children’s books that will focus on teaching morale lessons through a combination of fun rhyming and child friendly illustrations.


10. How can fans reach you directly? Fans can email me at lora@loralye.com


no such things as monsters 3d mockup


Available at Amazon


FREE ON KINDLE, FOR A LIMITED TIME!



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Published on November 27, 2015 08:40

November 25, 2015

The Gift-Knight’s Quest by Dylan Madeley

The Gift Knights Quest


Gift Knight 3d


The Guest-Knight’s Quest

Dylan Madeley


Genre: Fantasy, and Historical


Date of Publication: March, 2015


Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd


ASIN: B00VAJV41E


Pages: 288


Book Blurb:


“Chandra had yet to fathom why Jonnecht could not have lived and ruled for many long years, or why it was so urgent that she ascend immediately.”


Chandra never asked to rule Kensrik, but fate took a strange course. Known as a usurper and sorceress by most and traumatised by all that has transpired, she is forced to make use of the few loyal allies she has in order to hold together her restless empire. In an attempt to identify and defeat the conspirators who inadvertently landed her in power, Chandra risks putting the lives of many in mortal danger, as well as her own.

Derek is an aimless wanderer – the youngest in a lineage that has long fallen from nobility. He finds himself summoned by tradition to serve a family historically considered his bitter enemy. As he journeys down the same path a fateful ancestor once travelled, he struggles with personal demons and begins to reconsider his loyalty to the mission.


Duke Lenn found one true cause in love and it cost him everything. His legacy shaped the present in which Chandra and Derek find themselves. Now their choice will shape the future of Kensrik…

The Gift-Knight’s Quest is set in a new and vividly imagined world, written with delicate prose that will allow the reader to explore with their imagination. Inspired by authors such as Michael Moorcock, J. G. Ballard and Roger Zelazny, it will appeal to fans of fantasy and historical fiction.


Available at Amazon and Troubador

Follow on Dylan Madeley Twitter and Facebook


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


author photo


First I want to thank Dylan Madeley for doing the interview with me. Read the interview below and found how intriguing he can be.


1. What is your writing process?

The first-draft sprint happens during November, National Novel Writing Month—I have participated in it since 2008 and not yet skipped a year. I tend to write better alone, which can be in a public place as long as I’m not being directly engaged by passersby; I try to find some music to hit the right groove and then start pushing ideas on to the page. After a first draft is finished, provided I have another manuscript lying around from a previous year, I ignore what I just wrote and begin a revision cycle with something I have not laid eyes upon for at least a year.


2. Who are your largest author influences?

Stylistically, I aim to be more like Ray Bradbury; I would rather overwrite than be too spare with words. I also like Ursula K. LeGuin for similar reasons. I also try to include at least some degree of dry, sardonic humor like what you might find in the Amber series by Roger Zelazny.


3. What is your latest news?

I have the sequel (and my second book) all but finished, and I am looking for an interested publisher/agent. While I used crowd funding to self-publish this first novel, I feel that most of my backers are “tapped out” of funds to give me, and I may have gained the stigma over the past year of that guy on your social media who’s always asking for money for a cause; I did have two iterations of campaign with Auxiliary Magazine as well, and that added up to many Kickstarters within the span of a few months.


4. What genre do you write?

The setting of my alternate worlds, usually feeling like medieval Europe or earlier, tends to place my works in the Fantasy camp for many readers. Some readers are disappointed to find that there is not a lot of magic to be seen, just inferred, while others find it a bit refreshing.


5. What is your most recent book The Gift-Knight’s Quest about?

The Gift-Knight’s Quest is where both protagonists find their lives in a state of flux, in a world that is about to feel much the same. Chandra has been a very bookish wanderer of the Kenderley Palace halls; the King is her father but the Queen is not her mother, and she is not considered an heir until both King and Queen are suddenly dead and a bizarre legal technicality makes Chandra the Crown Princess. Now she has to put up with a common public who is really suspicious of how she got power, and while being aware of her own innocence she’s also suspicious and needs to find out who caused this to happen, and stop them from getting her too. If that was not enough to cope with, one of the conspirators, a trusted army adviser, knows that a distant land typically sends a personal guard as a gift to the rulers of new countries, a gift-knight, and this conspirator makes sure that the one requested for the job will be a descendant of a family that has an ages-old feud with Chandra’s. Now Derek is suspicious as well, but he does not think he can escape the world’s largest empire if he just runs off, particularly if this really is the trap he thinks it is, so he wonders if he should make this journey and turn the tables. I think anything else would be spoilers.


6. What are your favorite characters in The Gift-Knight’s Quest and Why?

I made my protagonists my favorite characters so that I would enjoy writing them and their dialogue; Chandra far more so than Derek. They are younger characters than most of the people around them, and each finds their lives going nowhere particularly exciting, until suddenly a lot is happening at once and they are challenged to make the best of it. I envy their fresh set of problems because at this time I feel more like how their stories start.


7. Is there a message behind The Gift-Knight’s Quest?

There are a few smaller ones in here. Make the best of a situation, however less than ideal; it is possible to take things too far, even in the name of something which should otherwise be a good idea, and going too far can make you just a different kind of villain; life’s purpose can sometimes be found in places you would never expect.


8. What is the hardest part in writing The Gift-Knight’s Quest?

Being my very first novel, I had no formal instruction on how to write something that length. I first tried one story, which was essentially Derek’s, and I was slow to start and I felt like I had no idea how this would become a longer story; then I decided to write a serious female character and this mystery she needs to solve while avoiding uprisings in the kingdom—essentially Chandra’s story, which by itself also went nowhere. Then I decided to make Chandra’s land the place where Derek is going, and make Derek one of the obstacles or mysteries for her to solve, and mashing their plots together finally got something of fifty thousand words. It took extensive editing and rewriting to flesh out every other part of the story, but I would say the longest and most difficult thing was getting that first novel off and running.


9. What did you enjoy about writing The Gift-Knight’s Quest?

Those moments I’m writing when I get a very strong visual and scene in my mind’s eye, and when I actually think my narration is doing anything that will allow the reader to see what I have seen. Those moments when on the spur of the moment I get characters to say some really emotional response that makes the character feel more real to me. I think these have been the first rewards of the entire process.


10. How long did it take for you to The Gift-Knight’s Quest?

The first attempts began around 2006, according to word processor file properties from these drafts which I still keep. I was still making corrections until the very moment Matador Books helped me to finish by requesting those final edits and making me sign off on the finished copy, so that it could finally be published. The story as it appears today was generally there by 2012 or 2013, when I first sent out queries to publishers, so we can say six years, conservatively.


11. Do you have any children or pets? If so, do they distract you, or assist you with writing?

I have two chinchillas, which are very fluffy squirrel type rodents from South America. They are fairly quiet creatures but when they get super bored they start letting out these shrill, repeat calls which sound like the most anguished cries for help, but there is nothing visibly wrong when I get to them; generally they’re good after I give them some rosehip bits and apple twigs.


12. Do you have a day job, you would be comfortable sharing? Do you have any good stories about your day job, you would like to share?

I edit some technical reports and transcribe technical interviews for clients. I have a non-disclosure agreement signed so unfortunately there is not much more I can relate to you.


13. What are your next writing projects?

This November’s priority has been what you might call it a fifth book in the Gift-Knight series, or more specifically, the second book of the second trilogy. I keep writing these books and will probably end it on a neat two trilogies, the first of which begins with The Gift-Knight’s Quest and follows that overarching story to its conclusion, and the second is rather historical and tells the story of Derek’s ancestor Duke Lenn, as well as various things that went on in the world around Lenn’s time that shaped the world into which Derek and Chandra would eventually be born. Getting back to this present project, it focused on Chandra’s ancestor Jonnecht who gets some brief time in The Gift-Knight’s Quest, who has been a very successful ruler but is finally taking things so far that his own family starts to wonder what they should do about him. Jonnecht is a very rage filled and controlling person, and his family seems to have a wealth of empathy which he lacks. It’s quite dramatic but everything turns out well for decent people in the end.


14. What are your writing or publishing goals in the future?

I would like to republish this book under a new imprint, which would hopefully also pick up the sequels, so that I can launch the series proper. This has been a nice self-publishing adventure but my goal for now is to get some healthy attention from people with the resources to help me bring it to the next level.


15. How can fans reach you directly?

I am the admin of The Gift-Knight’s Quest Facebook page, and I also have a personal account there and on Twitter, but a simple email to dmadeley7@gmail.com will do fine.


Gift Knight 3d


Purchase The Gift-Knight’s Quest at Amazon and Troubador


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Published on November 25, 2015 06:53

November 21, 2015

Jango and the Evil-Man People by Michael John Wilde

Jango and the Evil-Man People


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


600_terrygarden


First I want to thank Michael John Wilde for doing the interview with me. Read the interview below and found how intriguing he can be.


1. What is your writing process?

I’m quite boringly structured; after breakfast, I work a normal eight to ten hours bashing away at the keys or researching. I also subscribe to the old principles that writing can often be like turning on a tap to find the water is cloudy. Let it run and the water becomes clear.


2. Who are your largest author influences?

Life and the stories that hit us by surprise every day.


3. What is your favorite book?

I’d like to be terribly intellectual, but I’ll read any “sand in the pages paperbacks” – easy reads and no need to be settled on beach chair in the Med.


4. What are the five things people do not know about you?

Now here’s a tricky one. Just read my latest book “To love a stranger” and pick out the actuals from the fiction.


5. What genre do you write?

Childrens’ interest, adult adventure, musical stories. I’ve also written screenplays adapted from “Jango and the Evil Man-People” plus two more screenplays adapted from my other books.


6. What is your most recent book Jango and the Evil Man-people about?

Jango, is a baby elephant who leaves the comfort of his home in Kenya to travel across Africa on his bicycle. He runs into many dangers along with friends he meets along the way. Inadvertently he becomes a worldwide circus star; making him a target to criminal factions determined to capture him for ransom.


7. How do you come up with characters for Jango and the Evil Man-people?

8. It started when I fell in love with sight of an orphaned baby elephant in South Africa. As the story developed so did the other characters. Some changed along the way and others have been introduced in the screenplay.


9. What are your favorite characters in Jango and the Evil Man-people and Why?

Apart from Jango who continues to break my heart, I’ve a fondness for Benny the Chimpanzee who never loses his mischievous character.


10. What is the Space for Giants charity and how does it relate to Jango and the Evil Man-people?

I came across Space for Giants coincidently when I was seeking a way to get the message across about elephants. Their only enemy – is man. Evengy Lebedev, owner of the Evening Standard, London’s premier evening newspaper, published three days of articles promoting charities working to eradicate poaching whilst bringing to our attention endangered animals. I was impressed by the work Dr Max Graham, CEO of Space for Giants, was already achieving. After a number of conversations with his charity we all agreed that “Jango and the Evil Man-People” was a perfect vehicle to help bring the message to the general public, whilst raising much needed cash for the charity.


11. Is there a message behind Jango and the Evil Man-People?

Oh yes –very simple, man is the greatest danger to all our endangered species. We have to stop the slaughter, if not soon then more of our precious creatures with remain just as images for future generations.


12. How many books do you read a year?

Probably a couple each month. Like most writers I spend most time re-reading my own mistakes.


13. What is the last book you read?

Silly as it may sound probably working drafts of mine and my publisher Donna’s sometimes saucy novels.


14. What is the hardest part in writing Jango and the Evil Man-people?

I guess its that strange feeling when you stop writing for the day and you’re uncertain where your pen will take the characters tomorrow. But even though sometimes the next move seems a million miles away, it always shows itself.

15. What did you enjoy about writing Jango and the Evil Man-people?

That’s simple, the way the plot and characters somehow seemed to be waiting to appear.


16. How long did it take for you to write Jango and the Evil Man-people?

The idea first came to me after meeting the baby orphan elephant some 10 years ago. At that time I made a few notes which were swallowed up amongst other story ideas. Then earlier this year, spurred on by Donna, my amazing publisher, I knocked out the first draft in three or four weeks. The final editing took much longer than writing it.


17. Do you have any children or pets? If so, do they distract you, or assist you with writing?

Lots of children, seven in fact, ranging from mid forties to ten years. I’d like to say they have influenced the story, but only one of my kids has given editorial comment. In fact more about my spelling!


18. Have you traveled for your book, if so where?

I first visited Africa in the early seventies and have continued my love affair with many of its countries to this day. So my research goes back many years.


19. Do you have a day job, you would be comfortable sharing? Do you have any good stories about your day job, you would like to share?

Day job, now there’s an interesting question. I guess I’m like many writers and hope for the future. My latest book “To Love a Stranger” probably answers your question, but of course one must never spoil a good story with the complete truth.


20. Do you have a muse? If you do, what do you love the most about him or her?

Sometimes it’s difficult to find the right words and timing to express what you feel to someone. So the answer is yes — but don’t ask!!!


21. What are your next writing projects?

I’m currently nearing completion of “Tommy Mac”. The story set in the early sixties of a talented Irish teenage musician who runs into trouble and spends several visits to prison. He is unaware that unknown family connections are sleepers in the IRA. They have ways of resolving his problems in the music industry.


22. What are your writing or publishing goals in the future?

To complete two more books next year, which are already planned. One being the next stage of Jango’s adventures. The other slightly more saucy, plotting the number of ladies who fall for the charms of a rapscallion English banker during his travels around the globe. It’s suggested title “100 and counting”


23. How can fans reach you directly?

I’m an open door. Phone number, e mail address on my web site http://www.michaeljohnwilde.com


Jango 3d


Purchase Jango and the Evil-Man People! PART OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO “SPACE FOR GIANTS”!


Amazon


Follow Michael John Wilde at Twitter


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Published on November 21, 2015 09:30

November 17, 2015

Distinguished Men by Andreas A. Jones

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Distinguished Men

Andreas A. Jones


Genre: Non Fiction, Business, and Self Help


Date of Publication: November, 2015


ASIN: B01805YR0K


Pages: 102


Format: Ebook


Book Blurb:


The foundation to long-lasting success in business and in life narrows down to one thing…character. It’s no coincidence the greatest leaders, the “Distinguished Men”, are men of impeccable character…and they rule the world! Throughout this book are powerful animal archetypes, which describe different personalities in terms of animal traits, and may show you a side of yourself that you didn’t know.


‘DISTINGUISHED MEN’ is packed full of information which cover everything from trust and unconditional love to reconnecting with those you care about, and healing yourself and moving forward. Animals are truly inspirational role models who, when given a chance, can enrich our own appreciation of life and provide us with a thought provoking promise of what is possible.


In this step-by-step book that describes how you can grow in influence, success and significance you will learn how animals have a lot of valuable lessons to teach us. By reading and implementing the information in this book you will begin your amazing journey in growing in influence, significance and success.


Available at Amazon

Follow on Andreas A. Jones on Twitter, and Facebook


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


download


First I want to thank Andreas A. Jones for doing the interview with me. Read the interview below and found how intriguing he can be.


1. What is your writing process?

I commit to writing at least 500 words per day (Monday-Frday) for 6 weeks and I have an accountability partner to keep me on track.


2. Who are your largest author influences?

John Maxwell, Robert Greene, Abraham Maslow and Napoleon Hill.


3. What is your favorite book?

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.


4. What is your latest news?

My book Distinguished Men debut #1 on the Best Sellers List in USA, Canada an UK.


5. What are the five things people do not know about you?


I am shy, the 3rd of 7 brothers no sister, I served in Afghanistan, I love 70’s and 80’s music, favorite color is blue.


6. What genre do you write?

Non-Fiction – Self Help.


7. What is your most recent book Distinguished Men about?

Helping help men all over world become aware and intentional about living a life of significance. By reading and implementing the information in this book you they begin an amazing journey growing in influence, significance and success.

8. What is the most important lesson you would want the reader to know in Distinguished Men?

Perseverance is the secret sauce of success!!!


9. What is a distinguished men?

Distinguished men are credible. They influence people by the way the talk, dress, and how they respond to issues. They demonstrate a strong knowledge base, respond to questions, and challenges in a timely and complete and accurate manner, and they use their teams to build performance, and outcomes. Employers, vendors, customers, easily learn to trust credible leaders and want to work with and buy from them because their reliability.


10. Which animal from Distinguished Men, do you admire the most, and why?

I am admire lion because it is associated with courage and is capable of surviving competitive environments. In life, courage is regarded as the life blood that fuel us. The lion personality has a unmistakable presence of courage. Moving with an unruffled calm of a cat and the dignified gait of someone in command.


11. What compelled you to write Distinguished Men?

Many men today feel adrift and have lost the confidence, focus, skills, and virtues that men of the past embodied. In a society with information overload and 24 hour news cycles, modern men are confused about their role and what it means to be an honorable, well-rounded man- a Distinguished Man. The causes of this male malaise are many — from the cultural to the technological. One factor is simply the lack of direction offered men in the popular culture. Men’s magazines today are largely about sex, sports cars, and getting six-pack abs.


12. What is great adversity you faced when you served in United States Army?

The greatest adversity faced while in Army was going to Afghanistan and constantly being in a space of uncertainty.


13. Is there a message behind Distinguished Men?

The end goal is to create a synergy of tradition and modernity that offers men a way forward and signposts on how to live a life that makes an impact on the world and leave a legacy your family can be proud of. Ultimately, Distinguished Men aims to inspire men to be better husbands, fathers, brothers, citizens — a new generation of great men.


14. What is the last book you read?

Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill


15. What did you enjoy about writing Distinguished Men?

I enjoyed the journey it took me on. During the process I have grown and increased my awareness and consciousness.


16. How long did it take for you to Distinguished Men?

It took me 3 months.


17. Have you travel for your book, if so where?

No. I hoping to deliver the message of this book to men around the world.


18. Do you have a day job, you would be comfortable sharing?

I am an assistant Vice President at Suntrust Bank.


19. Do you have a muse? If you do, what do you love the most about him or her?

Yes my wife. She challenges my self limiting beliefs and continually push me out of my comfort zone.


20. What are your next writing projects?

My next book is called The Pain of Regret and it is about helping people to get back on the game of life.


21. How can fans reach you directly?

Fans can reach me directly at andreas@distinfuishedmen.org or by phone at 404-376-6452.


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Get the Best Seller today, and see what all the commotion is about!


Amazon



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Published on November 17, 2015 20:44

November 16, 2015

Sight Lines by Michelle DiCeglio

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sight lines 3d Sight Lines

Michelle DiCeglio


Genre: Mystery, & Romance


Date of Publication: November, 2015


Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing Inc


ASIN: B0178ADQF0


Format: Ebook


Pages: 173


Book Blurb:


While investigating a serial killer in her small town, Detective Lacey Mills meets Alison Rhodes, a potential witness to one of the crimes. But as the murders get more intense, so do Detective Mills’ feelings for Alison—and her suspicions that Ali may be more than just a witness.


Available at Amazon

Follow on Michelle DiCeglio Twitter, and Website


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


MD


First I want to thank Michelle DiCeglio for doing the interview with me. Read the interview below and found how intriguing she can be.


1. What is your writing process?

My writing process begins with visualizing a scene – usually a really emotional one. From there, I’ll think of a practical arc for the main character. If I can come up with one, then I’ll start researching names. I like to name my characters based off their persona. That doesn’t always work out though. Once I find the perfect name, I’ll write a summary guide for each chapter. (Chapter 1: murder, Chapter 2: Lacey meets Ali (although the summaries are much more detailed in my notes).) Once I’m happy with the chapter summaries, I will create a playlist on my iPod of songs that inspire the story or character scenes. After all that, I start to write.


2. What is your latest news?

My latest new is I am working on two stand-alone novels for publishing. I’m also gearing up for an interview about Sight Lines.


3. What are the five things people do not know about you?

1. I’m way too emotionally invested in fictional couples (Pretty Little Liars, mostly).

2. I practice being interviewed on a talk show when I’m in the shower.

3. I can usually solve an episode of Forensic Files within the first two minutes of the show.

4. I color coordinate my closet.

5. If I ever record an album, I would sing the Facts of Life theme song as a hidden track.


I’ve written mystery/suspense, young adult, and general fiction. When I have writer’s block, I write fanfiction… but no one sees it.


5. What is your most recent book Sight Lines about?

While investigating a serial killer in her small town, Detective Lacey Mills meets Alison Rhodes, a potential witness to one of the crimes. But as the murders get more intense, so do Detective Mills’ feelings for Alison—and her suspicions that Ali may be more than just a witness.


6. How do you come up with characters for Sight Lines?

Sometimes the characters come to me. In my experience, authors don’t necessearily have 100% control over the story. Sometimes the characters take over. There were many times that I (as the writer) wanted Lacey, the protagonist in Sight Lines, to do X but she wanted to do Y. So, we went with Y. Characters want their autonomy—at times I feel like I am just the messenger between the character and the reader.


7. What are your favorite characters in Sight Lines and Why?

For now, I will say Lacey is my favorite character in Sight Lines. Bishop also holds a special place in my heart. I’m working on the sequel and a new character is starting to pique my interest.


8. Is there a message behind Sight Lines?

Lacey comes across many forks in the road during Sight Lines, both figuratively and metaphorically.


9. What is the hardest part in writing Sight Lines?

The hardest part was writing the last chapter because I knew there was more to Lacey’s story to tell.


10. What did you enjoy about writing Sight Lines?

My favorite scene in Sight Lines is Lacey and Ali in the grocery store parking lot. Read it—you’ll see why


11. How long did it take for you to write Sight Lines?

A little over a year but I took month long breaks in between because I was constantly trying to figure out the characters. That takes time—just like it takes time to get to know a new friend.


12. Do you have any children or pets? If so, do they distract you, or assist you with writing?

I have two dogs and four cats. They are all very distracting while I write, but they’re cute so I don’t mind. One of the dogs and two of the cats try to lay across my lap while I write.


13. Do you have a muse? If you do, what do you love the most about him or her?

My muse is everyone I’ve ever met. I will take parts of people I know and add them to the characters I write.


14. What are your next writing projects?

Currently I am editing two novels I wrote before Sight Lines was released. Fingers crossed they’ll be published by 2017.


15. What are your writing or publishing goals in the future?

I would love to write for a sitcom and I would also like to see one of my novels turn in to a tv show or movie. Especially Sight Lines. It would be a great tv series.


16. How can fans reach you directly?

On twitter: mlred219 or sightlinesnovel

I’m also on Instagram: mlred_photography

Please write to me. I love hearing from people.


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Purchase “Sight Lines” at Amazon



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Published on November 16, 2015 08:01

November 6, 2015

Donna Drejza Interview

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


First I want to thank Donna Drejza for doing the interview with me. Read the interview below and found how comedic she can be.


1. What is your writing process?

Chaotic. Scenes come into my head, like I’m watching a movie of my characters. Then I pass the microphone around and let them speak. I write it down as fast as I can. Then I end up with a big crazy party that needs lots of editing.


2. Who are your largest author influences?

Vladimir Nabokov, Roald Dahl, John Irving, Helen Fielding.


3. What is your favorite book?

Bridget Jones’ Diary. I remember I couldn’t stop reading it – well, only to refill my wine glass.


4. What is your latest news?

I’ve just finished a British TV script called The Playboy, the Poet and the Spy. It’s about an American writer who flies to London to find her soul mate and gets in big trouble.


5. What are the five things people do not know about you?

1. Many are shocked to know I worked at the CIA; yes, they hired a blabber mouth like me!

2. I have a degree in Computer Science – yet have trouble changing a vacuum cleaner bag.

3. I have Synesthesia. This means I mix up my senses. Numbers have colors, voices have flavors. This is great for a writer. Would be bad for an accountant. Nabokov had it.

4. I’m 1/3 psychic. I get snapshots of the future. Trouble is there is no date on them, so I can’t tell if it’s a week away or 7 years away.

5. I’m part American Indian. Not enough to run a casino. I think you have to be ¼ for that.


6. What genre do you write?

Funny Murder Mysteries. Is that a genre?


7. What is your most recent book Palm Beach Busybodies about?

A hapless woman, (me) and her gay best friend and her tipsy pug move to Palm Beach to find love and luck and end up finding a dead socialite. It’s a comedy.


8. How do you come up with characters for Palm Beach Busybodies?

Some are an amalgamation of friends (Kevin) some are fantasy men (Graham, the sexy British Yacht Captain); most just come to me – like Irene, who designs Pug hats and teaches water aerobics to poodles. I don’t know anyone like that.


9. Who are your favorite characters in Palm Beach Busybodies and Why?

I love them all! The zany Irene; The fearless elder Esther Weinstein, The soulful Richard; I’ve enjoyed writing about Graham, especially the sex scenes. Had to have a cigarette afterwards, and I don’t even smoke.


10. Is there a message behind Palm Beach Busybodies?

Eat, drink and be merry!


11. How many books do you read a year?

I have 5 books on the night stand – unfinished. Whenever I start to write, I read a few lines of great writing to get in a writerly mood.


12. What is the last book you read?

To Love a Stranger coming out soon, by John Michael Wilde. Excellent writing.


13. What is the hardest part in writing Palm Beach Busybodies?

Having to sample all that food, drink all that champagne, imagine all that sex. Just kidding. It was the damned re-writes. Having to imagine all that sex all over again!


14. What did you enjoy about writing Palm Beach Busybodies?

I love being with my characters. I can get them to do what ever I want. That’s difficult with real people.


15. How long did it take for you to Palm Beach Busybodies?

The first draft took only 2 months. The next 30 drafts took 4 years.

16. Do you have any children or pets? If so, do they distract you, or assist you with writing?

I have no children – that I know of. I used to have 2 pugs. Stella and Ursula. Ursula was of course a major inspiration for this book. No one could have made up a pug gone wrong like her.


17. Have you traveled for your book, if so where?

I spent many winters in Palm Beach working on this book. I just returned from 4 months in Lugano, Switzerland where I worked on my upcoming novel – the basis for The Playboy, the Poet and the Spy.


18. What are your next writing projects?


(see above)


19. How can fans reach you directly?


The website: DonnaDrejza.com


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Available at Amazon and BN

Follow on Donna Drejza Twitter, Website


5star


MY REVIEW:


Tagline: An uncommon murder mystery with humor, and romance!


Palm Beach Busybodies is a fast and comedic read. The author Donna Drejza has developed a zany cast of characters who get themselves into hilarious predicaments. It is extremely entertaining with a side of mystery. The pug is among one of the most amusing characters in Palm Beach Busybodies. The book is also provocative, and is filled with steamy scenes. I recommend this book for anyone who likes murder mystery with an enormous dose of humor.


MORE REVIEWS ON “PALM BEACH BUSYBODIES”


“Amazingly funny and well written. Fast-paced story, easy and addictive to read. Uproarious cast of characters. Deliciously riotous… Move over, Miss Marple, Emma, Kevin and Ursula will take over… Every page made me want to read more. Very entertaining and much fun to read. I hope there will be more firecracker whodunits with this leading cast in hot pursuit. Including pug Ursula, of course. But for a pug, that’s a given…”


Bea Amazon Review


“Move over Bridget Jones, time for Emma! The adventures of Emma, Kevin and Ursula are funny and witty. The book is a great read and made me smile the whole way through. I was reminded of the first time I read Helen Fielding.”


Carine Amazon Review


“Very funny and witty! Emma Budnjk reminds me of Bridget Jones, but the wit is also very David Sedaris. I love the wacky characters: Irene; with her crossing Chihuahua, Dr. Phil and Kevin the caterer are hysterical. Good clean naughty fun to read poolside this summer.”


D.C Dan Amazon Review


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Published on November 06, 2015 16:38

How to Become A PMO Director by Suresh R. Iyengar

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how to become a PMO director How to Become A PMO Director

Suresh R. Iyengar


Genre: Non Fiction, Business, and How to


Date of Publication: October, 2015


ASIN: B016X0HOEU


Format: Ebook


Book Blurb:


This ebook aims to highlight functions of a Program Management Office (pmo) Director. It is a collection of articles. Your path to becoming a Program Management Office (pmo) director starts with understanding the work of a pmo director.


Available at Amazon

Follow on Suresh R. Iyengar Twitter, Facebook, Website


5star


MY REVIEW:


How to Become a PMO director is an extraordinarily detail book. It is great for business men and women alike. Suresh R. Iyengar is clearly an expert in business. The book has 8 articles on assisting you on becoming a PMO director. Suresh talks about a business’s standards, to projects, customers, suppliers, partners, budgeting, and so forth. The way the book is organized, it is neat, and easy to read. I enjoyed the charts, presentations, and pictures accompanied with the articles. The information is invaluable for anyone looking for robust career in a management profession. I recommend this book for a professional older audience whose personal preference is non-fiction, and business books.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW:


First I want to thank Suresh R. Iyengar for doing the interview with me. Read the interview below and found how intriguing he can be.


1. What is your writing process?

I write to explain my career experiences. I want at least a few, if not many to benefit from my business career in various industries.


2. Who are your largest author influences?

I’ve learned tremendously from Larry Bossidy’s “Execution – The Discipline To Get Things Done”. Other books, which I enjoyed reading include:

• The Fifth Discipline – Peter Senge

• Now Discover Your Strengths – Marcus Buckingham

• The Innovator’s Dilemma – Clayton M. Christensen


3. What is your favorite book?

Execution – The Discipline To Get Things Done by Larry Bossidy


4. What is your latest news?

I’ve rolled out a new Organizational Assessment to improve business performance in 6 areas. You can get it here: BASIC Organizational Performance Assessment


5. What genre do you write?

Business & Finance, Life-Coaching, Career Improvement


6. What is your most recent book How to Become a PMO Director about?

I’ve collected my blog articles to build this book for aspirants seeking a focused career as a PMO Director. It talks about various functions for a PMO Director.


7. Is there a message behind How to Become a PMO Director?

Yes. The message is: You can accelerate your career through a focused approach and earn according to your real potential.


8. What are some tips from How to Become a PMO Director?

Earn your pmo director certification


9. What are the benefits of becoming a PMO director?

Greater potential salary, more recognition and fulfillment of potential abilities.


10. Why should people read How to Become a PMO Director?

It serves as a basic guide for those who seek a career as a PMO Director.


11. Who do you think are the best PMO directors and why?

The best ones can be strategic and tactical at the right time. They learn from others who share their experiences and training.


12. What is the hardest part in writing How to Become a PMO Director?

It’s art of telling the story to inspire people.


13. What did you enjoy about writing How to Become a PMO Director?

Inspiring people to take action and not waste their career.


14. How long did it take for you to How to Become a PMO Director?

10 weeks


15. What are your next writing projects?

I’m writing a White Paper on improving Organizational Performance


16. How can fans reach you directly?

suresh@buexecution.com


how to become a PMO director


Purchase now at Amazon



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Published on November 06, 2015 07:00