P.J. Berman's Blog, page 10

June 28, 2019

Author Interview - Jessica and Keith Flaherty

Hello all,I hope you're having a good week. Those of you who saw last week's author spotlight on Jessica and Keith Flaherty will have seen that they very kindly agreed to conduct an interview, giving us the chance to get to know them both a little better.PB: Hello, and welcome to pjbermanbooks.com. To start off, could you tell us a bit about your background?JF: We’re one of those married couples sitcoms never get right. We’ve been together for over twenty years and still can’t get enough of each other. We currently live in Vermont and use it as a backdrop for many of our stories. I’ve done a little bit of everything. I’ve worked in various types of publishing, been a professional baker, a stay-at-home-parent, a grant writer, a special education and science teacher … Currently, in addition to writing and editing, I work in residential mental health as a program manager and vocational counselor. When I’m not at work, I spend most of my time writing. I also occasionally enjoy playing the ukulele badly, reading, and binge-watching something funny or action-oriented.KF: I served in the U.S. Army, then spent many years as a chef and business manager. I currently work in infrastructure construction safety. In my free time, I write poetry and read. I still enjoy cooking a great deal and try to do something in the kitchen at least once a week. As a couple, we love to cook together, go hiking, and spend time together and with their boys. Of course, we also love writing together.PB: What made you decide to become authors?JF: I’ve wanted to be an author since I was a little kid and I’ve dabbled in it for decades. But a few summers ago Keith had this amazing idea for a story and once we started talking about it, we had to write it.KF: I’d been doing some reading into the occult, a topic that’s always interested me. I came across a demon called Ronove in the Lesser Key of Solomon. I thought he’d make an interesting character in a story. Jess and I started talking about him and his preference for going by the name Ben when he’s summoned. That’s how we met Ben Brody, and how Always Darkest and the rest of The Arbitratus Trilogy and universe came to be.PB: When did you first start writing?JF: I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I wrote pretty seriously in college for a while, then I got out of the habit, sort of lost the spark. Newspapers can suck the fun out of anything. When Keith and I started writing together a couple of years ago, I found that passion for words again.KF: I’ve only been writing seriously for about two and a half or three years. I did quite a bit of recreational writing for Dungeons and Dragons campaigns when I was younger, but that was as far as my creative aspirations took me until we started writing together.PB: What was the first story that you can remember writing?KF: I don’t recall. It was almost definitely something fantasy related and was probably a D&D campaign.JF: The first one I remember specifically was in first grade. We were supposed to write a story for Saint Patrick’s Day and I wrote some scary thing where the leprechaun was a vicious monster. My teacher called my mom. I guess I must have written other scary stories before that, because I remember my mom not being especially shocked. My father thought it was hilarious.PB: Tell us about your upcoming release.JF: In the next year we’ll be releasing Before the Dawn, the sequel to our debut novel Always Darkest. It’s our introduction to Ben and his world. We decided paranormal fantasy needed a new face. Sparkly vampires had their moment. So did charming hunters of things that go bump in the night. But what if the hero was a demon? Always Darkest tells the tale.Ben was looking for a vacation from hell but meets Mal and finds a path toward redemption instead.Heaven and Hell send their agents to walk among us, all intent on one purpose: winning a new war sparked by prophecy and deceit. Unfortunately good and evil are not the absolutes we'd like them to be.The prophecy set the stage, but the players will decide the outcome.The fate of the world hangs in the balance.And Ben has never gone down without a fight.Discover a hero who has survived to Hell and back.Before the Dawn follows our heroes on the run from both heaven and Hell, trying to find a solution, trying to find meaning, and most of all trying to escape what feels increasingly like a dark and inevitable fate. And when darkness is all that’s certain, your only choice is to seek the light.Fiat Lux, Book III in the series, will not be far behind Book II.We will also be releasing The Twelve Days of Fic-mas Volume II. We started the Twelve Days in 2017 as a blog challenge. Leading up to the winter holidays we decided it would be fun to write twelve original paranormal stories (mostly in universe) as quickly as possible. We shined them up and released them as a collection. Volume I came out last holiday season. The 2018 challenge will be released on Black Friday 2019. For readers who are interested in this year’s challenge Twelve Days of Fic-Mas will begin again on demonsrunlit.com in mid-december.PB: What inspires you?JF: I know a lot of writers like to give clever or glib answers to this question, but I think what readers want is something more honest. I read. I also people watch a lot. Something as simple as a great meal has given me a story idea. Granted the last time that happened it turned into a flash fic about cannibalism, but that doesn’t make it less true. I love taking the mundane and giving it an unexpected twist. Paranormal fantasy and horror appeal to me for that reason. What lurks beneath the tranquil surface of the pond off in the distance? In my head, the answer is never just fish.KF: I find inspiration in music quite frequently, but for writing I prefer silence. I get ideas everywhere. I have diverse interests and I really enjoy reading about and researching them. You have to be open to the world around you. Anything can inspire creativity if you approach it with curiosity.PB: What is your favourite fiction genre and why?KF: Fantasy in some way, shape, or form has always been my favorite thing to read, regardless of the subgenre involved. It’s an escape, to a degree, a place where you can leave the world you know behind for a while. I’ve always wanted to be a part of that.JF: I’ve also been a fantasy fan my whole life. The first book I remember reading on my own was The Hobbit and no matter what else I’m doing, what phases I’m going through, I always come back to fantasy. I’m particularly excited about dark and urban fantasy because it takes the mundane things of the world we live in and makes them something new.PB: What are your long-term ambitions career-wise?KF: I’d love to be able to write full-time.JF: I agree. I’m also interested in screenwriting. I was always a big fan of Carrie Fisher and I think Hollywood is missing the presence of a strong woman who enjoys flipping off the camera. Those are big shoes to fill, but I wouldn’t mind trying.PB: If you weren’t an author, what career would you be in?JF: We both have day jobs, but writing is where we are happiest.PB: What’s the next target for you?JF: We have our eyes on the finish line with our series, and some related books and stories. The next target is really getting the work out there to a wider audience, and perhaps tackling the screenplay.PB: And finally, each tell us a random fact about yourself.KF: I love research. I can get lost looking up information or interesting stories.JF: There’s music in my head all the time. If we’ve met, there’s a song I associate with you, and when it plays on the radio you come immediately to mind.Well thank you to my wonderful guests, Keith and Jess Flaherty. It's been awesome interviewing you both. Don't forget you can find out more about Keith and Jess and follow their work via the links listed below, and most importantly, make sure you download your copy of 'Always Darkest', which is out now! You can purchase it here.Facebook.com/jkf.demonsrunlitTwitter.com/jk_demonsrunlitInstagram.com/demonsrunlit
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Published on June 28, 2019 01:34

June 22, 2019

Author Talk - Ammanford Library

Hello all,I have an exciting announcement to make! I will be conducting an author talk at Ammanford Library, Carmarthenshire, Wales, at 12pm on July 5th 2019. I will be talking about Vengeance of Hope and my upcoming novel, King of the Republic, and I will also be selling and signing books.The address is as follows:Ammanford Public Library5 Wind StreetAmmanfordCarmarthenshireSA18 3DNI hope to see you all there!Peter
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Published on June 22, 2019 02:12

June 21, 2019

Author Spotlight - Jessica and Keith Flaherty

Hello all,It's time for another author spotlight, and today, to celebrate the second birthday of their novel, 'Always Darkest', I am going to be pointing you in the direction of the work of fantasy authors Jessica and Keith Flaherty, creators of the Arbitratus Trilogy.Jess and Keith Flaherty are one of those married couples sitcoms never get right. They have been together for over twenty years and still can't get enough of each other's company.They live in the beautiful mountains of Vermont with their two children, three cats, a dog, and an immortal guinea pig. Jess has worked in newspaper and art publishing, freelance writing, cake decorating, and in addition to writing and editing, she works as the program/house manager for a residential transition program for young adults. She enjoys playing the ukulele badly, reading, and binge-watching unhealthy amounts of TV. Keith spent many years as a chef and business manager, and now works in infrastructure safety. In his free time, he enjoys writing poetry, reading, or cooking something his family will think is amazing. As a couple, Jess and Keith love to cook together, go hiking, and spend time together and with their boys. Of course, they also love writing together. Their first book, Always Darkest, was recently called "A very different story," and "A solid fantasy novel," by fantasy icon, Piers Anthony, and fans have compared their style to a combination of Douglas Adams, George R.R. Martin, and Christopher Lamb. From fantasy, to horror, to romance, to humor, if you check out Jess and Keith's work, you won't be disappointed!Look out for my interview with Jessica and Keith, here on www.pjbermanbooks.com on June 28th!Always Darkest (Arbitratus Trilogy)http://mybook.to/alwaysdarkestbook Everybody loves a hero.Everybody loves an antihero with a heart of gold.Nobody loves a demon.Nobody but Mal Sinclair, though she doesn't know it. Ben was just looking for a vacation from hell, but finds himself on the path to redemption instead.Always Darkest, Book I of The Arbitratus Trilogy, draws you into a world of angels and demons walking among us, a world where good and evil are not absolutes. An ancient prophesy sets the stage, but the players will decide the outcome. And the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Piers Anthony (Xanth, Incarnations of Immortality, et al.) calls Always Darkest "A different story," and "A solid fantasy novel".Social media:Facebook.com/jkf.demonsrunlitTwitter.com/jk_demonsrunlitInstagram.com/demonsrunlit
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Published on June 21, 2019 02:35

June 19, 2019

Claim your FREE Audiobook!

Hello all,As I'm sure you know by now, the Vengeance of Hope audiobook, narrated by the very talented Christopher Dukes, as due out later this summer.But how about if I told you that you could download the audiobook for FREE?Well, you can! I have ten promo codes to give away, courtesy of ACX, the company who have made all of this possible.Just register your interest by replying to this message or contacting me via the website. I will then get back to you to let you know if you're among the ten lucky winners.Good luck!Peter
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Published on June 19, 2019 02:33

June 18, 2019

Vengeance of Hope on Audiobook - Coming Soon to Audible, iTunes and Amazon!

Hello all,It is my very great pleasure to tell you that the production of the Vengeance of Hope audiobook, narrated by the wonderful Christopher Dukes (@ChrisDukes_ ), is progressing nicely, and the finished product will be available to download from Audible, iTunes and Amazon from late summer 2019!More to follow!Peter
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Published on June 18, 2019 05:55

June 15, 2019

Thank you Caldicot Library!

Hello all,I would like to start by saying a massive thank you to everyone at Caldicot Library in Monmouthshire, Wales, for allowing my to conduct my first ever author talk in your wonderful Community Hub yesterday to promote my debut novel, Vengeance of Hope. It really was fantastic to meet you all and I had a lot of fun chatting with you.For those of you who weren't able to make it, the whole event went really well, thanks to all the help I received from Caldicot Library's wonderful staff, and I am excited to say that they asked me back! I will most certainly be taking them up on their very generous offer, and I plan on announcing another talk at Caldicot later this year, when I will be talking about Vengeance of Hope's sequel, King of the Republic.In the meantime, my next author talk will be in Pontypridd Library, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, on August 3rd at 11am.I hope to see you all there!Thank you all again for your amazing support.Peter
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Published on June 15, 2019 05:59

June 8, 2019

Vengeance of Hope Reviews

Hello all,I am delighted to tell you about some wonderful reviews that Vengeance of Hope has recently received. So, here we go!Marissa Explains It All - Instagram: @marissaexplainsitall'This novel is set in Bennvika and follows characters: Silrith, Ezrina, and Zethun as they fight against tyranny and religious persecution. I really enjoyed Berman’s use of strong female characters fighting for what they believe in. I’m not usually very into fantasy books, but this one kept me interested. Some of the names were hard to follow but overall, I give it 3.5/5 stars!If you like fantasy, I recommend getting into this series!'Kay Smillie'My first observation on the book was about the title, as I thought it didn't really make sense. However, having read the book, it is absolutely perfect. Secondly, don't let the character list, the glossary, or the maps put you off. These are things to look at if you need them and, indeed, they make more impact afterwards. I didn't need them during my reading as the author had described everything very clearly. I really enjoyed 'Vengeance of Hope', it's full of action, adventure and political drama. Just when you think everything is going along quite smoothly, something happens which throws not just one, but many spanners in the works. The twists are great. PJ Berman writes a blinder of an honest read. The battles are real, they're bloody, and you'll feel every thrust of the sword and clang on the shield. The imagery is striking. It's a very emotive story for some of the characters more than others. There's always greed, money, and how people appear to others involved somewhere. The intrigue is smooth and very well done, and the book itself is well-written and easy to read. I love the way that the prophecy is manipulated to mean the current actions of people or events, and I adored the strength of the female characters. I'm looking forward to reading 'King of the Republic' and 'War of Mercy' in the future. I won a paperback copy in a competition run by the author (thank you!). I voluntarily read and honestly reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.'Patty Is Booked - Instagram: @pattyisbooked'I was given a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. To start out this book is a fantasy book. It’s not my typical genre of book, but this typically includes a new land and a lot of different characters. P.J. Includes a map and character list to help the reader understand each character and their relevance to the story. This was helpful for me because I’m not used to the introduction of many characters. The way he introduced all of them with the many POV was very well done especially for a first book. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many wonderful and powerful female roles. The main character Silrith is the princess of Bennvika. Silrith is betrayed by her cousin Jostan who declares himself king after framing her for murder of her father. The story follows Silrith in her journey to avenge her fathers death and defeat her cousin to take back her rightful place as the queen of Bennvika. Overall I’m giving this book a 3.5/5. The main reason being there were some character POV changes in the middle of the chapter without a proper character change and it was hard to keep straight the many characters in the beginning of the novel in addition to all their beliefs in gods/goddesses. Overall the story becomes much easier to follow once the characters were developed! I truly enjoyed reading this and honestly didn’t notice it was 525 pages until I finished the book! I loved the details in some of the later battle scenes and enjoyed the attention to detail PJ gives each character and place so the reader can completely imagine the scene being told. I don’t want to have any spoilers included but this book totally ends with a cliff hanger! His next book in the series comes out later this year (2019) and I can’t wait to see what happens!'Bookworm Falguni - Instagram: @bookworm_falguniA queen turned warrior, a rebel protecting her tribe and an ambitious politician. All of them fight individually against one, the self proclaimed King of the Empire of Bennvika. "Your ears will ring with the clang of steel on steel. Your heart will tremble at the thundering of charging hooves. You will feel the cut and slash of blades as you follow three very different rebels in their desperate fight against a tyrannical King." (Extract from blurb) This was my first try at reading a fantasy (except Mahabharata and Ramayana. I studied those in my school and even gave exam as those were a part of curriculum). So this first try was definitely worth it. I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the plot. The reason for a war is generally one amongst these (a) to acquire more land and hence wealth and power (b) to spread your culture/religion (c) revenge. But this book has it all. A greedy king who wants power to rule and also force his religious beliefs on the citizens. And a rightful Queen, who has been wrongly thrown away from the throne, who wants to avenge her father's death and take up the throne for the well being of her Kingdom. The character development was amazing. Each character had a strong role and visibility. Powerful women, greedy men, ambitious politicians, and clueless masses. Everyone has their roles and those are written really well. Even with so much of fictional characters, locations, and terms, the author has tried to create a realistic world which is not at all boring and keeps you hooked to know 'what next?'. I can't wait for the second part in the series - King of the Republic which is due to be released in December, 2019 You must checkout the audio book of Vengeance Of Hope which is to be released in July, 2019. (Narrated by @chrisdukes93)'
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Published on June 08, 2019 02:42

June 7, 2019

My First Author Talk - One Week To Go!

Hello everyone!I hope you're having a great day. This time next week I will be taking the very great step of conducting my first ever author talk. Thank you so much to Caldicot Library, Monmouthshire, Wales for hosting the event!The event will start at 2:30pm in Friday 14th of June. After the talk I will be selling and signing books.The address of the venue is:Caldicot Community HubWoodstock WayCaldicotNP26 5DBWalesUnited KingdomSee you there!I will be announcing more dates in libraries across Wales, as well as hopefully a few in England, over the coming weeks. Watch this space!
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Published on June 07, 2019 02:16

May 28, 2019

99p Deal! Two Days Only!

Hello all!Vengeance of Hope is available to download on Kindle for just 99p via amazon.co.uk and $0.99 via amazon.com for two days only! The offer ends on May 30th.Click 'Read more' and then follow this link to download your copy: mybook.to/Vengeance-of-HopeHappy reading!Peter
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Published on May 28, 2019 03:08