P.J. Berman's Blog, page 4

Author Interview - Nigel Messenger

Hello everyone,Welcome back. Today I will be interviewing British historical fiction author Nigel Messenger. If, like me, you love military history, this one is for you!PB: Hi! Welcome to pjbermanbooks.com. Tell us a bit about your background.NM: Firstly Peter, thank you very much indeed for this opportunity.I have worked in the Hospitality Industry most of my working life in London, Richmond, and Gloucestershire.I have worked at many levels in the Industry – as a kitchen porter and also as a general manager and managing director of a hotel company and my wife and I happily owned and ran a hotel in the Cotswolds for several years.We both really enjoy looking after people and trying to make their time with us very special.I have worked with the Poppy Factory for 30 years both as a Trustee, contractor and volunteer.I now work as a Hotel consultant mainly in London.I am a proud father and grandfather.PB: What made you decide to become an author?NM: I was fascinated by a story I read about archaeology in the Holy Land and how studies gave authenticity to many Old Testament events.I have cycled the length and breadth of Israel and Jordan twice and have been fascinated by the historic places.PB: When did you first start writing?NM: 2014. Having sold our hotel I decided to research a story of two battles, and I read everything I could lay my hands on and I started writing my book, The Miracle of Michmash. I had never written a word before this.PB: When you begin writing a new novel, do you always know the ending?NM: No. In my case it is a very disorganised and chaotic process.PB: Tell us about your first novel.NM: The British Army in WW1 were facing the Turks positioned on higher ground in Michmash in Palestine and were planning to engage them the following day. A British Major had heard of the place before and found Michmash mentioned in the Old Testament. 3000 years before, Saul and Jonathan were facing the Philistines in the same place. Jonathan found a secret passage whereby he was able to outflank the Philistines and he won a magnificent victory. The Major reported this to his General and he reasoned that the secret passage could still be there, and his men soon confirmed this. The British managed to outflank the Turks in the same way as the Israelites had done and won a resounding victory.I was so amazed by this story that I determined I would find out more about the two battles. I travelled to Israel and the West Bank with my wife and granddaughter, and after some difficulty we found Michmash (now called Mukhmas) and the battlefield (the locals had never heard of the battles). I had all the material I needed to write my first book.PB: If you could meet anyone who has featured in any of your books, who would you meet, and what would you say to them?NM: In my second book, Megiddo, The Battles for Armageddon, I became fascinated with Deborah from the Old Testament and I really enjoyed writing about her. She was one of the best military tacticians in history and a strong, inspiring leader of the Israelites.If I met her, I think I might be rather tongue-tied as I am so in awe of her achievements.I might be brave enough to ask her how she knew exactly when the rains would come, flooding the river and thereby disabling Sisera’s chariots.PB: Where did the idea come from?NM: My grandfather was in the Indian Army all his working life and fought in the Boer War and at the North West frontier. The battle of Kut in Mesopotamia ended badly for the British Indian Army when they were starved into submission by the Turks over a period of five months and he was responsible for rescuing the wounded, who were shipped down the River Tigris in appalling conditions. He took them from Basra by ship to Bombay and then by train to Simla in the cooler north. He encouraged one of the wounded men, who he knew from before, to write to his sister, a nurse in England, to travel there to look after him. Grandfather fell for the nurse and of course the rest is history!Action also takes place in India, Mesopotamia, Arabia and South Africa.PB: Of all your achievements, which are you most proud of?NM: Spending a year raising money for a management buyout.PB: What is your favourite book series to read and why?NM: I have always loved the Wilbur Smith novels. As well as writing thrilling stories, reading his books are a great way of learning about history.PB: What are your long-term ambitions with regards to writing?NM: I would like to become a good enough author to write full time.PB: If you weren’t an author, what career would you be in?NM: I have very much enjoyed my hospitality career, but I would have also liked to have been a doctor.PB: What’s the next target for you?NM: I am writing my fourth book, Doctors at War, about WW1 in Malta and Salonika, the blitz in London, code breaking, the Battle of the Atlantic and the battle of Kohima, all involving family members once again.PB: Tell us a random fact about yourself.NM: When he was Prime Minister, I managed to persuade John Major to join my Rotary Club.Well, an impressive note on which to end a fascinating interview! Thank you so much to Nigel Messenger for taking the time to speak to us today.If you would like to purchase his books or find out more about Nigel himself, you can do so via the below links:Official WebsiteGoodreadsAmazonInstagramAustin MacAuleyUntil next time, happy reading!Peter

Author Interview - N.L. McFarlane

Hello all!In today's interview we will be meeting British fantasy author N.L. McFarlane, the creator of 'Saving an Earth Angel' and its recently released sequal, 'Flight of the Angel.'PB: Hi! Welcome to pjbermanbooks.com. Tell us a bit about your background.NM: Hello, I am Nicola/Nikki, I love everything books; reading, writing, reviewing I love it all. My best subject was English, having that subject getting the highest marks throughout school then going on to college to do A-levels in English literature and language, I am in no doubt that I was always trying to work hard and get the good marks.PB: What made you decide to become an author?NM: I first thought about being an author when I was going around the house like a maniac scribbling down notes and names of people/places that didn’t exist outside of my imagination. I’d eventually always have a notebook near me. I wanted to write and I had all these ideas for many books which I’ve noted, stored away and planned out what comes when. It was more of a case of, if I didn’t write, then my house would be made of sticky notes and scribblings.PB: When did you first start writing?NM: I first started writing as soon as I’d learned how. I was always making these little stories which now when I look back were so cheesy, but at the time I thought they were absolutely genius. I’d be in and out of the library reading books then making my own variations, sometimes even of the same thing that I had just finished reading... I’d be the author, illustrator and publisher and I thought it was great.PB: What was the first story that you can remember writing?NM: The first story I can remember writing was about a little pig. I used to love the Animal Ark series when I was little and I can remember reading the book from the library, not wanting to part with it and getting upset so I wrote my own variation of it and kept it like the little rebel I thought I was at the time, pleased with my ingenuity and my little front cover design of a stick pig.PB: When you begin writing a new novel, do you always know the ending?NM: No not always, most times I plan an ending, fantastic I know where my book is going, this is structured, professional and great but then halfway through it takes a whole new path and my notes are then absolutely useless leaving my story up to the characters like, hello...I am supposed to be the author here.PB: If you could meet any of your characters, who would you meet, and what would you say to them?NM: That’s a good one, if I could meet any character, I would say it would have to be Valo, he is such a character in my mind undergoing so many tests and trials and his selflessness is heart lifting. There is a new character I would love to meet in the standalone book I am currently writing but I don’t want to give any spoilers away, that will have to wait for now. I would ask Valo how he felt about his journey, whether he could have imagined being one person and ending up as another and if there is anything else that he would have wanted to do... also apologise for everything bad that has happened both to him and around him. I would also have to ask if I could take Soukie for the day, who wouldn’t want a big fluffy dire wolf?PB: Where did the idea for come from?NM: I had at the time recently discovered being more spiritually open minded, and I found it all so interesting and new, I mixed what I knew with fantasy, characters and places I thought of and made this new world for them to be a part of.PB: Tell us about your recent novel, Flight of the Angel.NM: Flight of the Angel follows on from saving an Earth Angel. In this book we see a lot more tests and trials, more legends and huge characters both good and bad. This has been one of my favourite books to write as I love Greek mythology, it is also one of my favourite subjects so being able to delve into the world of Gods and monsters was a huge thing for me, ever since I started writing, this was top of my to do list. Valo continues his journey in this book into much more turbulent waters as he has to learn how to master himself and better help Melahi as she grows into her own powers. This is such a non-stop book where they go from one thing to the next in the race to save Atlantis from sinking.PB: Of all your achievements, which are you most proud of?NM: I am proud that I didn’t give up, I got my books out there and I’m still going. I had in my head; I’m going to write, I’m going to publish, my books will get out there and I will be a published author and here I am gratefully writing an author interview because I didn’t give up.PB: What is your favourite book series to read and why?NM: There are so many incredible series but If I can only choose one I would have to say the ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses' series by Sarah J. Maas. I love the characters and the world they live in, the storyline and the magic within the pages, it’s so enchanting and gripping. I love all of the authors series but that one is always my go to series.PB: What are your long term ambitions with regards to writing?NM: Long term I would love to have written a shelf full of books, more than that hopefully. I have so many ideas for other books written and stored away which are just sat calling to be written. I would love the chance to make a career of this and to be able to do what I love full time. I like to create worlds and share stories with other people so fulfilling that would be my ambition.PB: If you weren’t an author, what career would you be in?NM: If I wasn’t an author, I would have liked to be a teacher, I love to help others discover and learn so that would have been my other alternative (Teaching English of course) ... Either that or someone buried alive with books who couldn’t stop reading!PB: What’s the next target for you?NM: My next target book-wise is a new standalone book that I am currently writing, it’s a new genre and a new test for me as I haven’t written in this style before but it has been in my head for months, I’ve had to start writing it before I go insane with all the thoughts that I want to get on paper, but so far it is such an exciting book to be writing and I can’t wait until I can share it with everyone.PB: Tell us a random fact about yourself.NM: A random fact about myself, that would have to be that I absolutely love history and volcanoes. Pompeii and Yellowstone are the two places at the top of my list that I would love to visit one day. I love seeing how history has shaped us and I can’t get enough of it. Also, I would like to thank everyone who has read my books or supported me throughout my journey, and I also want to thank P.J. Berman for this interview. I hope you all have a lovely day.Thank you to N.L. Farlane for speaking to us today! Don't forget, you can try her books yourself via the links below:GoodreadsAmazon UKUntil next time, all the best!Peter

It's Release Day!

Hello all,It's release day! My new historical short story book, Blood and Greed: Volume 1 is out now on eBook and in paperback. You can purchase yours here.The four stories inluded in Blood and Greed: Volume 1 are:A Bloody Day at Marathon After his home is destroyed and his family slaughtered, Theodosius thirsts for revenge.The Spirit of Poland Poland stands alone - and it’s fighting for its life. A handful of brave pilots embody the country’s defiance in the face of annihilation.Split Loyalties Its glory days may be over, but even in the tumult that engulfs the Western Roman Empire, Sigeric and Licinia are forced to wonder, does love really conquer all, or is that the preserve of the Roman legions?The Fate of Mari Carrying messages throughout the city of Mari is Bashaa’s life, but under the shadow of advancing enemies, his path is about to take a turn he could never have predicted. PLUS: Read the first chapter of Vengeance of Hope, the opening book in P.J.Berman’s award-winning ‘Silrith’ epic fantasy series!Get yours here.To see where you can purchase my full list of books, click here.Happy reading!Peter

Author Interview - Octavia J. Riley and Nia Rose

Hello all!I'm back with another interview, and today I'm talking to fantasy authors Octavia J. Riley and Nia Rose, the creators of the 'Coven Chronicles' series. I recently had the pleasure of reading the first book, 'Spellbound and Hellhounds', and it really is well worth a read. You can find my Goodreads review of it here.So, lets meet the authors behind the series!PB: Hi both! Welcome to pjbermanbooks.com. Tell us a bit about your backgrounds.OJR: Hello! We’re both glad to be here, but I (Octavia J. Riley) will be doing the writing for the both of us today. It stands to reason Nia’s much busier than I am being a stay-at-home mom of four beautiful children – especially now during this pandemic. She doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of work hard, play hard. She only knows work hard, work harder. Nia was born in Germany on a U.S. Air Force base and also came from a family of four children. She speaks German pretty fluently (if at times the confused faces of everyone in the house are anything to go by) and wants to one day go visit her family in Europe.As for me, I’m an online college student working toward my BA in English Language & Literature. I keep tossing between the ideas of becoming a professional editor or traveling overseas and teaching English in Japan. I speak and read moderate Japanese right now, and I am an avid fan of their culture, traditions, language and history. I have no children of my own and I plan on keeping it that way (I’m much happier playing resident aunt). I have a severe case of wanderlust and dream of traveling all over the world.PB: What made you decide to become authors?OJR: Nia knew ever since she was a child she wanted to become an author. Her imagination was too vast to contain, and her life was too packed full of experiences some of us will never face to not add into her stories. Writing to her is what reading is to readers: an escape. She often tells me that if she doesn’t write, she’s plagued by weird (and sometimes terrible) dreams. She has all these ideas in her head for so many stories, it’s no wonder she can switch between writing two or three at a time.I was very much the same when I was a kid. I wanted to be an author, but I was told countless times to go for a more practical job. I found a temporary outlet in drawing characters and portraits, but it wasn’t enough. I stumbled upon a place to dump all my ideas and strengthen my writing in fanfiction sites, though nowadays my head is too full of my own characters to even try attempting at someone else’s. I think receiving such good feedback on my fanfics really helped solidify my desire to make a career out of writing.PB: As a novel-writing duo, you have one of the less common approaches to writing. How did that come about, and what is your writing process?OJR: Nia began writing first, and at the time we had no plans to work together. I wasn’t even an author yet, and we had just become good friends that year. We connected over our love of writing, but back then I had stopped putting pen to paper for years. I had fallen into depression, so my writing suffered, but I always had an idea in the back of my head of a sanctuary for magical creatures. Each time I went to write the story around it, though, I would stop, restart, stop, redo it, stop, and try all over again. I could never get it right. It was as I was confiding in Nia about these struggles that she offered a place in her world for my sanctuary. We got giddy at the idea. Two trilogies by two different authors in the same world? I’d never heard of that before, and we were excited at the prospect of doing something so completely unique. We stayed up for hours each night coming up with world building, lore, magic spells, rankings in government, and creatures that were considered “demons” and creatures that weren’t.Doing something like this is not for the faint of heart, however. We have to make sure we know what’s going down in both of our stories so that a proper cause and an effect plays off the other’s work. We have to be the bad guy to each other and say, “That doesn’t work” or “That doesn’t make sense,” and then we have to fix or redo something we thought would have been an amazing plot point. I can say we’ve had a fight here or there because one of us (me) was being overly defensive.But it’s also so much fun. The looks we send each other when we discover a loophole that we can play off of, or when we ask “Why would this happen?” and come up with amazing ideas. It’s worth the temporary frustration, but I believe it’s also because, through working together, we’ve come to understand each other so much better. It’s like we’ve been friends for ten years rather than four.PJ: When did you first start writing?OJR: Nia had been an avid reader for a long time before she started writing at the age of 12. Poems (that were full of every edgy emotion of a pre-teen and then some) and short stories were her first attempts at writing before she went on to table top RP that evolved into online RPing. She started writing her first full-fledged story at the age of 24.I also started writing around the age of 12, and I remember it was because I read and wanted to write my own vampire book. Mine was a lot more bloody and gruesome. I found such enjoyment in writing that I continued, going on to fanfiction and occupying myself with that for a couple years.PJ: What was the first story that you can remember writing?OJR: We were 12, okay? The emo/punk/goth scene was also thing at the time. It was about Death watching a girl and slowly falling in love with her. He finds her name on his list one day and can't bear the thought of her dying so young. So, he goes against the law of the Reapers to keep her alive, even though that means that he can't be with her for many, many years. was about a vampire girl who hated being what she was, but she found solace in her abilities after one day killing a man that attacked her. She set out to rid the city of murderers, rapists, and other bad folk, leaving white roses on their corpses in her wake. She was never caught, because hey, she was a vampire.PB: When you begin writing a new novel, do you always know the ending?OJR: Yes and no. This goes for both of us. Sometimes we know the beginning, sometimes we know the origins, sometimes we know only a few scenes. Sometimes the characters come walking into our heads and sit down with us, and even though we keep asking them who they are, they just keep talking about their lives and we have to rush to get a pen and a piece of paper and hope they take a breath so we can write all this down.PB: Tell us about the 'Coven Chronicles' series.OJR: Coven Chronicles follows two protagonists in their adventures to save the city they love. In the world Raen, where magic is plentiful, two young women set off on two very different paths when their missions go awry. Vanessa’s task is to investigate an explosion that took out the side of a local academy, and Thea’s assignment leads her to a sanctuary for magic creatures after the refugee numbers have suddenly soared.They quickly discover a darkness that is bleeding into the city of Tolvade, possibly leading to the very government they had always believed to be good and just. The Coven’s leaders, the illustrious High Priest Council, are raising more questions than they are answering. Aided with pets summoned from the depths of Hell, Vanessa and Thea both embark on separate journeys to uncover the truth, never even knowing the other is doing the same.These two young women, along with their respective group of friends, never meet up, though cameo appearances can be found in current and future books. They both must deal with their inner demons, budding and confusing emotions, and monsters that will scar them on the inside more than they will on the outside.PB: If you could meet one of your own characters, who would you meet, and what would you say to them?NR: Bobo. I would ask him out for tea.OJR: That’s it?NR: I’m sure we would gossip once we got to the Grim Bean.OJR: About what?NR: Oh, Vanessa and Leon.OJR: Oh, I want in on that too. I guess if I had to pick from my characters it would be Ma. I would love to just follow her around all day and see what she does. I may be the author, but nobody knows what all Ma gets into. Nobody.NR: Bobo and I would follow after! We want to know too!PB: Take a pen and paper with you. As one of your readers, I want to know what comes up in both of those meetings too!PB: Back on a more serious note, where did the idea for the series come from?OJR: I laugh every time I see this question – Nia just cringed so hard – Leon was supposed to be the bad guy, the love interest. Wasn’t even in the works, and Blythe and Cressida were not supposed to be an item. I don’t think there ever really was an idea for . We sort of started piecing it together little by little with an overarching problem: magic was dying in the world. We just figured out the complete ending not even a month ago.PB: Of all your achievements, which are you most proud of?OJR: Nia and I both agree our proudest moment is what we’ve done so far with our company, Poisoned Apple Publishing, L.L.C. We’ve turned our books into audiobooks, we’ve gained a devoted following, we’ve reached high numbers (to us, anyway) on our Facebook page, and we’ve gotten glowing reviews on all our works. Nia even did the cover art for all Poisoned Apple Publishing books. I know I’m one of the lucky first-time Indie authors to have a spectacular book cover for my debut novel.PB: What is your favourite book series to read and why?NR: Lord of the Rings, a classic, epic fantasy that just stuck with me for years. No matter what I read, that would always come to mind.OJR: The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning. I loved her descriptions, the way she made the characters come alive, and how she mingled fae and fantasy with history and present day.PB: What are your long term ambitions career-wise?OJR: Nia wants to continue being an author until the stories in her head stop coming – which that may never happen. We plan on making it big and using Poisoned Apple Publishing as a place where Indie authors can come to get services like cover art, editing, promotional banners and flyers, and formatting done at an affordable price. We understand how expensive it is just to tell a story, and we’re lucky enough to be skilled enough to cut out the middle man for most if not all we have to do. Like I mentioned before, I’d like to either be a professional editor or travel overseas to teach English. Maybe I can even do both, but whatever I decide, I still want to continue writing because, like Nia, the stories in my head will probably never stop coming.PB: If you weren’t authors, what career would you be in?OJR: I think I already answered this, but this question seemed to short-circuit Nia. She’s honestly never thought of being anything than an author. I suggested to her about being a singer because of her love of singing off-key lullabies to her children, and then somehow the conversation derailed into how each of her children would be up on stage with a different instrument rocking out.PB: What’s the next target for you both?OJR: After, we plan on doing some standalones and emptying out some of the nest from all the characters and stories shouting, “Write me, write me!” After a year or two, we want to come back together and do the same thing we’ve done with , only on a more in-depth, grander scale. We have this story in our heads begging to be written, but it’s going to have to wait. It’s centered in a country going through a civil war. Fantasy meets heavy steampunk. My character is fighting for one side of the war, and Nia’s will be fighting for the other side. We are both so excited for this dual duology (meaning four books, two done by each author), but it’s a project that’s on the back burner for now. Oh, and the kicker? It’s in the same world as .PB: Tell us a random fact about each of you.OJR: Nia met her husband through an online RP site, fell in love with him without ever seeing his face, and when he came to visit her from across America one day, he never left. They’ve been together ever since for 7 years now.I said I didn’t have any children but, technically, I lied. I made a mistake when I was younger and ended up pregnant. Now a loving family, who tried but could never have children, is raising a five year old little girl who looks a lot like me.PB: Those are two beautiful stories. To quote the great Hans Zimmer, 'Family. It's why we do this.'It's been wonderful talking to you both today, and I look forward to starting the next book, Secrets of the Sanctuary.Here are some more links to where you can find Octavia and Nia's work;Official WebsiteAmazonUntil next time, all the best!Peter

Booksale on NOW!

Hello all,I felt that we all needed a distraction, given the current circumstances that the world finds itself in.So, I have lowered the prices on all my books! Everything is 99 cents / 99p / 49 rupees! You can purchase all my books here.Happy reading!Peter

A Free Audiobook - For You!

Hello all,As you may already be aware, King of the Republic, the second book in the Silrith series, is currently being recorded as an audiobook.But the exciting news doesn't stop there!I am looking for anyone who would like a free Audible promo code. With this code, you will be able to download the audiobook and listen to it for free via the Audible app!If you are interested, just reply to this email to let me know, or contact me on either Instagram or Twitter. My username for both is @pjbermanbooksHappy listening!Peter

Author Interview - C.Gold

Hi all!

Today we are meeting American fantasy author C.Gold, creator of the Summoner series.

PB: Hi! Welcome to pjbermanbooks.com. Tell us a bit about your background.

CG: I studied math, physics, computer science, and electrical engineering in school. Yes, I was a bit of a professional student for a while. Then I got a job at Microsoft testing software because of my tendency to want to poke the bear to see what happens. While that works great to find bugs, it isn't as much fun when you do it in a game and it crashes your save file! Hint: don't try to cast a fireball underwater, it doesn't end well!

PB: What made you decide to become an author?

CG: I started helping a friend with his book which was published on Amazon through KDP. That's when I first discovered self publishing was possible and I just knew I could do that, unlike traditional publishing which was far too intimidating.

PB: When did you first start writing?

CG: My earliest recollection was in high school with an assignment to use a list of words in a story. I also wrote articles for the school newspaper. Hopefully nobody ever finds those because my attempts at humor back then were cringe worthy!

PB: What was the first story that you can remember writing?

CG: In an English composition class, we had a five minute warmup period where we could write anything, so I started writing a story about the fall of Atlantis. Unfortunately, the teacher meant anything to mean exposition, so I never did get to finish that story. Maybe someday.

PB: When you begin writing a new novel, do you always know the ending?

CG: I always know the beginning and the end, but it's usually at the top level. I know I want this thing to happen or this character to have this final development, but how they get there is up to the characters to decide. I've tried more specific outlining but it just gives my characters more of an excuse to go off the rails.

PB: Tell us about your upcoming work.

CG: I'm currently working on the second book in the Summoner series. While the first book had only two points of view, this book expands that to four and includes a new person (creature?) that wasn't in the first book. It also delves into a bit more culture and world building, at least until the s- hits the fan.

PB: If you could meet one of your own characters, who would you meet, and what would you say to them?

CG: Could I meet two? I'd ask Nalani to borrow Radcliff's skill and give it to me for a day. Imagine summoning anything at my beck and call! Good thing it wouldn't last long though because exercise is a good thing! I'd probably also apologize to Radcliff for putting him through the wringer.

PB: Where did the idea Radcliff’s character come from?

CG: I love flawed heroes with a dark side and had particular fun creating Radcliff. He's a combination of split personalities from Brandon Sanderson's story "Legion" and the memory loss of "50 First Dates" with my own twists thrown in.

PB: If Radcliff were here now, how would he describe his experiences in ‘The Summoner and the Seer’?

CG: He wouldn't be very happy about his treatment. Tortured for a thousand years and forgetting everything each morning is bound to make a person grumpy. Hopefully, he'd say that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, but I think he'd just rattle off a string of expletives and threaten to summon me over a very long drop.

PB: And what do you think Amira would make of Radcliff's answer to that question?

CG: She'd feel tremendous guilt since part of that whole torture thing was her fault. She was just trying to keep him alive, but she'd also apologize, yet again. He'd gruffly accept it. Then they'd go off to be alone to make up. ;)

PB: What is your preferred method of research?

CG: I love searching the web, though it's all to easy to get sucked in as one fascinating link leads to another. My favorite info dive so far was learning about the evolution of early plants and what Earth was like waaay back then. I also learned that trees have female and male pine cones and that grass came after the dinosaurs went extinct. You can read more about my tree research summary on my blog.

PB: Of all your achievements, which are you most proud of?

CG: Finishing a book without external deadlines or pressures. Though I knew I could do it because I once had to ask for an extension on a class and managed to complete the course work over that summer without any prodding. That gave me the confidence to know I could finish anything I set my mind to.

PB: What is your favourite book series to read and why?

CG: This is a really tough one because I read so much and have many favorites. I think the series I've read and reread the most is "The Wars of Light and Shadow" by Janny Wurts, mostly because it's so complex I keep gleaning new nuggets of information every time I read it since newer books let me pick up on hints that were dropped earlier. It's the only series I've read that's like that and very unique in that regard.

PB: What are your long term ambitions career-wise?

CG: I have multiple folders filled with story ideas waiting to be turned into books. I'd love to have even a fraction of those published. The ultimate goal is to earn more than I spend on everything related to publishing.

PB: If you weren’t an author, what career would you be in?

CG: I might have set myself up as a freelance editor for indies. Or I'd probably just enjoy my early retirement by playing computer games and reading, which I do anyway, just less often now that I'm writing.

PB: What’s the next target for you?

CG: Completing the Summoner series is my top priority right now. Then I can finally give my poor science fiction short stories a main series reason to exist!

PB: Tell us a random fact about yourself.

CG: At the dentist, I saw a Halloween tree with purple lights and HAD TO GET ONE!! This is because when Daylight Saving goes off, it gets really dark in the Pacific NW and I start craving the Christmas light cheer, but I refuse to put out the tree until after Thanksgiving. Now I can have lights and still obey the "Thou shalt not put the tree up until December" rule!

Thank you to C.Gold for taking the time to talk to us here at pjbermanbooks.com!

Until next time, all the best!


Peter

Please Vote for Vengeance of Hope!

Hello all!

I hope life is treating you well. Exciting news! I have entered Vengeance of Hope for next week’s TaleFlick Discovery Contest.



The book with the most votes at the end of the contest wins the chance to be pitched to movie industry experts with the hope of having a film adaption created.

The contest will be open from March 4th at 10:00 PT until March 6th at 16:00 PT.

Thanks in advance for your voting for me!

You can vote for Vengeance of Hope here.

All the best,

Peter

Author Spotlight - C.Gold

Hello all,I hope you are having a good week, the subject of today's author spotlight is American fantasy author C.Gold, the creator of the 'Darklight Universe' series, among others.



C. Gold is an avid World of Warcraft gamer and book reader. She enjoys multiple genres, but her favorites are fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, paranormal, and romance.

After retiring from a career of torturing software (perks of a software tester), she could no longer hold back the flow of ideas demanding to be written. This also let her unleash new torments on unsuspecting characters, though they got even by doing things not in her outlines!

She favors writing about the broken, the unusual, and the shades of grey between right and wrong. Her worlds are influenced by her background in electrical engineering, physics, and computer science as well as her love of authors like Barbara Hambly, Janny Wurts, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke.

If you join her newsletter, you can get a free copy of 'The Vampire's Raven' as well as flashbacks into Amira's life before the events of 'The Summoner and the Seer'.Make sure you check back here next week for my interview with the author herself, but in the meantime, here are the relevent links, where you can find out more about her and purchase her books:

Official website

Amazon

Goodreads

Facebook

Bookbub

Until next week, all the best!

Peter

Pre-Order Blood and Greed: Volume 1 Now!

Hello all,

I have exciting news! I have a new book available for pre-order!

You may know me as a fantasy author, but for this book I have made my first foray into historical fiction.

Blood and Greed: Volume 1 is a collection of for short stories, each of depict events where the greed of a few costs the blood of many, in a range of settings from ancient Mesopotamia to the Second World War.

Pre-order your copy here.

Happy reading!

Peter