Elyse Salpeter's Blog

Gold Coast Book Fair – Come Meet Me!

It’s that time of year again… Book Fairs and Author Events! I absolutely love getting the chance to meet readers and I’ve been so fortunate to have some I’ve met on social media come on down and say hello to me.

This weekend, May 18th, I’ll be displaying at the Gold Coast Book Fair and I’d love it if you live on Long Island to come on down and say hi! I’ll have my Kelsey Porter series with me along with all my other new horror and thriller books.

It’s 11 – 5 at 17 Audrey Avenue in Oyster Bay and I’ll be at the Long Island Author’s Group Tent with some other amazing writers!

My newest thriller for those who don’t know, is NOWHERE TO RUN. Here’s what it’s about….

In the center of the ocean lies a dark secret. Ten strangers, each with a unique gift waiting to be unleashed, find themselves stranded on a remote island. But their arrival is no accident.

Kidnapped and brought there by a shadowy organization, they are pawns in a deadly game of experimentation and manipulation. Their captors believe they possess abilities unlike any seen before, powers that could change the course of humanity and ones they can harness for their own evil purposes.

In this supernatural thriller, where the line between reality and nightmare blurs, the ten must confront their fears and fight for their lives. For on this island, nothing is as it seems, and the true enemy may be closer than they think.

NOWHERE TO RUN is a gripping tale of suspense, romance, and superhuman abilities, where survival is the ultimate test of strength.

Author Interview with Dan Mariani

Hey, Readers! I’d love to introduce you to author Dan Mariani and his non-fiction work, Manifesting Joy. Dan is a multi-genre author who specializes in Wellness and has worked in the healthcare industry for 30 years interfacing with doctors, nurses, and hospitals throughout the NY Metro area. Wellness is always at the top of his mind and his current projects include a release of five children books that stimulate the imagination and promote mental fitness. While also President of the Long Island Author’s Group, he has an incredible list of achievements under his belt. A stint in the Air Force as a navigator trainee, participating in a cross-country trip from Dallas to Boulder that ended with the author sleeping in a public park and nearly getting frost-bite, spelunking in freezing temperatures in an underground cave during the worst of winter, a tour guide at the NY Aquarium where he learned about whales and was entranced by Belugas while educating the public on the vanishing wetlands and their threat to fisheries. Talk about an eclectic list of accomplishments! And now to his book, Manifesting Joy.

Manifesting Joy tries to address some of the mental health wellness issues that have been plaguing adults and children since the COVID crisis. Many people have retreated into what he would call “safety bubbles” and still live to various extents in a state of fear. They have withdrawn to the point where they can no longer realize higher levels of happiness and joy in their lives.

Dan had to know more about this concept, because he personally knows people that seem to have retreated into this “safety bubble” since Covid hit.

Elyse: Dan, what inspired you to write this book?

Dan: The desire to get people to think more about what inspires them, what brings greater joy into their lives, and what mechanisms can you use to bring more happiness in their lives.

Elyse: Are there any personal experiences or real-life events that influenced the story?

Dan: Yes. Memories of moments of great joy and disappointment in my own childhood. I focused on those events and analyzed how they shaped me into the person I am today. I mention personal experiences in the book that were learning moments and how I grew from them.

Elyse: What message or theme do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Dan: I hope people make better choices in their own lives that can bring them to higher levels of joy. We seem to concentrate less on what makes us happy and more on just keeping busy.

Elyse: Are there any specific challenges you faced while writing this book?

Dan: Getting people to really open up about what the drivers of joy are and what grieves them. I found out most people live in a neutral state, having episodes of happiness, but there isn’t always a balance.

Thank you so much for sharing your work, Dan. If anyone would like to learn more about Dan and his works, please check out his amazon page here. Or his Webpage here: https://danmariani.com

Author Interview with Ann Swann

I would love to introduce everyone to an amazing author. Ann has done everything from answering 911 Emergency calls, and scheduling commercials in a rock-n-roll radio station to teaching reading in elementary school. Talk about a bunch of diverse skills! Perfect skill set for all her novels! So let’s dive into her newest book launch, Remainders, the third book in her Apocolypse in Eden Trilogy.

The trilogy, (Takers, Seekers, Remainders) tells the story of a teenaged boy named Jack who sees his entire town of Eden, Texas decimated by creatures who fall through holes in the sky. 

Elyse: Tell us about these books!

Ann: The books are an homage to speculative fiction readers and the original manuscript for Remainders was almost six hundred pages long. It took me forever to whittle it down to a manageable word count. Perhaps I just wasn’t ready to be finished with Jack and Snake and the remains of the crew. I’ve always enjoyed reading this type of fiction, because in my heart, I believe anything is possible. To me, that’s the basis of this entire genre. As you can tell from my writing, I also believe in God, yet I feel certain He is much, much larger than our brains can comprehend. Maybe someday we will be truly enlightened. Until then, I will keep on thinking about, and writing about, Heaven and Hell and everything in between. Science and religion will intersect one day, I’m certain of it.

Elyse: Did I hear there was a specific experience that inspired the trilogy?

Ann: Yes! It occurred one day when we were driving through the small town of Eden, Texas on the way to somewhere else. You see, there is a prison there. And because of this prison, there are signs along the highway, quite regularly spaced, cautioning drivers to keep their vehicle doors locked and to never pick up hitchhikers. Those signs nearly set my brain on fire. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to precede such dire warnings. I envisioned monsters with their thumbs out. Of course, the fact that this was all centered around the small town of Eden seemed quite Biblical. The perfect place to begin an apocalypse. 

I jotted some notes in my phone, and when we got home, I wrote the short story that became Faith’s backstory.

Elyse: Can you tell us about the character, Jack?

Ann: Jack, well, he’s just my inner boy-child, kind of goofy, kind of goody-two-shoes, but with a giant heart and lots of faults. His best friend and companion, Snake, is a deaf version of my own childhood sidekick, a pit bull mix named Simon (whom my dad nicknamed Snake, but whom our neighbor insisted on calling Solomon). Seriously, if I believed in reincarnation, which I haven’t absolutely ruled out, Snake would be a prime example. He was simply one of a kind.

Although this is the end of The Apocalypse in Eden trilogy, I can’t absolutely rule out another Jack and Snake tale. After all, Faith did say they could always explore life as nomads who follow the seasons.

Elyse: Are you working on anything else?

Ann: Yes, at the moment I’m working on a few other writing projects. One is a novel of suspense which is almost complete, another is a women’s novel—what some might call a family drama—and the other is a collection of short stories that span decades. I’ve been digging them out and dusting them off little by little.

Ann lives in Texas with her husband, Dude, and when she’s not writing, she’s an avid reader. Her to-be-read list has grown so large it has taken on a life of its own and it’s so big, she actually calls it, “Herman.” (Have I told you she’s funny, too?) If you’d like to read any of Ann’s books, feel free to check her out here! or here: https://www.wordcrafts.net/ann-swann/

Author Interview with Raine Thomas

Hi everyone! I’d love to introduce you to Raine Thomas, who is a multiple award-winning author of Young Adult, New Adult, and contemporary romance. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, she is a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and… wait for it… Wedding Planning – which are crazily two areas that intersect far more than one would think. Her years working with children and young adults with emotional and behavioral challenges inspired her to create protagonists who overcome their own conflicts. I wanted to ask her a bunch of questions about her newest book, RETURN OF THE ASCENDANT and she didn’t disappoint!

Elyse: What inspired you to write this book?
Raine: Return of the Ascendant came about following the publication of a short story I wrote called “The
Ascendant,” initially featured in the Take Me to Your Reader anthology. Some fellow authors and I
published the anthology to support the UtopYA writer’s conference. Each year, the conference featured
a different theme, and the upcoming year’s theme was going to be Sci-Fi. We challenged each other to
come up with Sci-Fi themed stories, and “The Ascendant” proved so popular among my readers that I
decided I just had to expand the characters of Kyr and Ty. Their story ultimately turned into the
Ascendant trilogy.

Elyse: Can you tell us about your writing process and how you developed the characters and plot?
Raine: The initial idea of an alien bodyguard sent to protect a woman who had no idea she was from another
world came about while brainstorming with the authors I mentioned. We were heading home from the
previous year’s conference and hashing out plot ideas for everyone’s stories. I was driving, and it was
dark and raining. That set the scene for “The Ascendant,” which ultimately led to Return of the
Ascendant.

I’m a plotter, which means I spent weeks creating the Alametrian world before I started writing. From
the environment to the currency to the culture of the Alametrian people, I had to think it all through and
consider how it would influence the story. Only then did I dig into the main characters and figure out
their goals, the obstacles they’d face, and how to achieve their Happily Ever After.

Elyse: Are there any specific challenges you faced while writing this book?
Raine: The Ascendant series was my first foray into science fiction. There are certain rules writers are supposed to follow to honor the genre, so learning those rules and making sure to stick to them was certainly a challenge. In the end, though, I created a series I’m proud to share with readers.

Anyone interested in reading “The Ascendant” can do so for free by signing up for her newsletter
(http://rainethomas.com).

When Raine isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, she can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives. Come connect with her here and at the links below!

Amazon – http://amzn.to/1fZ6NCV
Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/1mYlDeh
Barnes and Noble – http://bit.ly/1qgzhJK
iBooks – http://bit.ly/1lWxCvz
Kobo – http://bit.ly/1e6ah81
Goodreads – http://bit.ly/1iqw6wc

X https://x.com/Raine_Thomas
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRaineThomas)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rainethomas/)
Bookbub (https://www.bookbub.com/authors/raine-thomas)
Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5053436.Raine_Thomas)
Amazon Author Page (www.amazon.com/Raine-Thomas/e/B005FLP14E/)
Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/raine_thomas/)
Linkedin ( http://www.linkedin.com/pub/raine-thomas/53/111/bb3 )
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/RaineThomas)
TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@author_raine)
Website + Newsletter Signup (http://rainethomas.com)

Manifesting in 2025

Do you always find yourself “wishing” for something? Spending our days “wishing” for things can feel so defeating. We “wish” we could get a literary agent, we “wish” we could drop weight, we “wish” we were stronger, faster, more successful, more accomplished.

So, what happens? We “try.” We “try” to diet, we “try” to make time to write, we “try” to send out queries, go to the gym, call people, connect.

This is the horror novel I’m converting to a screenplay first.

I was at an author event recently and a marketing manager spoke to us about manifestation and the concept really connected with me. Manifesting something is very different than wishing and trying. To manifest something we have to change the narrative and start DOING.

I am determined to enact this manifestation concept for 2025 and I’ve already started to change my own narrative. I AM going to convert one of my novels to a screenplay this year, starting with my horror novel, THE MANNEQUINS. In fact, I am now taking a screenwriting class that started already with Gotham’s Writers. I AM going to get a literary agent for my newest thriller. I’ve already started working on my query letter and I’m in the second round of edits with my amazing editor Scott Bury. I AM going to get back into shape after a terrible year of injuries. I will be biking, swimming and running, though I am trying to wrap my head around NOT training for marathons or half marathons due to degeneration in my disks. I always want to be a superstar, but I know it’s OK if I just do sprint and Olympic distance triathlons now.

Life is about living. The older we get, the harder things get, but if we change our narratives, wonderful things can happen. What will YOU do in 2025 to change yours?

Author Interview with Seb Kirby

Hello Readers! I’d love to introduce you to author Seb Kirby, who hails all the way from Wirral, UK! He is the author of the James Blake Thriller series (TAKE NO MORE, REGRET NO MORE and FORGIVE NO MORE), the psychological thrillers EACH DAY I WAKE, SUGAR FOR SUGAR and HERE THE TRUTH LIES, and the sci-fi thrillers DOUBLE BIND and JESSICA 8.

An avid reader from an early age, Seb’s grandfather ran a mobile lending library in Birmingham and he was hooked from the first moment he discovered the treasure trove of books left to his parents. Now, as a full-time writer, his goal is to add to the magic of the wonderful words and stories he discovered back then.

I’d love to introduce you to his novel Jessica 8!

Deception is the name of the game…

When Detective Cheryl Ryan is paired with Jessica 8, a next-generation AI, they form a formidable partnership.

Yet nothing comes easy.

They face opposition from those who say AIs have no place in police work.

When Jessica discovers she can enter Cheryl’s memories and uncover the truth about the detective’s damaged past, she questions what it means to be human – leaving Cheryl to wonder if this isn’t Jessica’s plan all along.

Join them as they investigate a deceptive game of disappearances and murder and confront a life-threatening conspiracy of the rich and powerful.

I wanted to ask Seb a few questions about Jessica 8.

Me: What inspired you to write this novel?

Seb: The inspiration for my effort is the stage play ‘Marjorie Prime’ by Jordan Harrison which appeared as a film in 2017. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Prime ). This raised the prospect of presenting a character normal in appearance and most actions that happens to be the product of artificial intelligence, an AI. My concept is to utilize this in a crime thriller and push this to take in near-future science fiction themes including life extension and the social response to AI itself.

Me: What message or theme do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Seb: I’m not that keen on sending messages but I’d be interested for readers to form their own views on the themes at work in the book. It looks certain that use of AI will increasingly become a fact of life in both our working and personal lives. Is this an opportunity or a threat? And at the philosophical level, will AIs develop to display a consciousness equal to, or even superior to, that of humans? Also, how far is it moral to pursue life extension to its limit? Big questions for our time. But be assured, these concerns are woven into the fabric of a crime thriller with the main aim to be entertaining and immersive in its own right. 

Thank you Seb for letting us learn about you! If you are interested in checking out Seb’s work, please click here: https://mybook.to/q0zt1X

Author Interview with Lucy Appadoo

Hello, everyone! I would love to spend today’s blog introducing you to a fantastic author named Lucy Appadoo. Lucy writes in so many different genres that you’ll definitely find something you’ll love, from romantic suspense and contemporary romance, to Italian historical fiction and non-fiction books about grief, loss, mental health & career guidance.

I’m excited to share with you her novel, In Rio’s Shadows, which is the first book in her Women Of Strength Series. In Rio’s Shadows was nominated for Best Book Cover with the Page Turner Awards this year. It was also nominated recently for the Best Thriller Book with Indie Visible Charity Book Awards, hosted by Hayley Anderton.

Recap: The story is set in Brazil and features Blanca who travels to Brazil from Spain after the offer of a promotion as an editor/journalist. But during her trip, nightmares from her childhood return, having first begun after a trip to Rio with her parents. Blanca meets photographer Carlos, and together they investigate the depravities of child exploitation in Rio. Why? Because she senses a strong connection to these children, one that she is yet to fully understand.

I asked Lucy to tell us about her inspiration for the novel. It’s truly fascinating!

“My inspiration for the book had started because of my fascination and love of the Latin culture, having the desire to travel to South America (but I have travelled to Spain with its similar culture on two occasions). I had researched child exploitation in Rio and thought it was a solid way to work through the real troubles of Brazil and to share something so powerful with the world. This book was also a strong rewrite from the very first book I published that needed a lot of work. I unpublished my first story from 2015 and reworked it into In Rio’s Shadows. The story’s theme of exploitation resonates with me while growing up by wanting to have more of a voice, wanting to find that sense of belonging and confidence, and to be a strong advocate for myself and others. The strong themes I’d like readers to take away from this book is about ‘finding the truth versus staying in blissful ignorance,’ fighting against injustice, resolving past trauma, finding the love you deserve, family secrets, strong women overcoming adversity, and the support of a strong friendship group.”

You should definitely check out her author page on Amazon here: The book is available on Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and Google Play. Also, check here! This is the link to all the places you can get this wonderful book!

Let’s Talk about Trolls on Social Media

So let’s talk about social media. Why do we go on it? For interaction, right? The reality is that if you engage on social media, and make your accounts public, you open yourself up to trolls. These are people that go onto your page, posts, comments, and speak derogatorily to you. They start arguments, they say contentious things. Sometimes they curse, or call you names. People are extremely brave behind the anonymity of their keyboards.

For this discussion I’m going to focus on those trolls we don’t personally know. I’ve had my share of people that were once in my circle who come onto my posts and always seem to argue with me. Question me, remark on things that have no bearing on them. We like to call them “instigators” and if you confront them, they get angry and defensive. Dealing with people like that is much harder because unfriending them or arguing with them can bring a lot of personal drama.

I’m talking about the people we don’t know. There is a very simple way to respond. BLOCK THEM. I’m on Threads and I block people nearly every day. I never go onto social media to be confrontational. I might want to spur a discussion, but I never go on to intentionally hurt someone. Nearly always the keyboard warriors arise just to create tension and drama. Anything can be taken out of context and it’s exhausting trying to defend your words that were meant to be innocuous to begin with. So, I go to their profile and look at them first and see if they have followers, a photo, and review their posts. Invariably they post really strong, contentious content. You can easily see how they speak to a certain gender. Their political affiliations, how they feel about marginalized groups. Once I do that tiny bit of research, my decision is easy. Block them. Threads also has a way to hide their conversation for everyone so your followers don’t have to even see the thread. If you would like to follow me on threads, click here.

We must always try to protect ourselves. Unfriending people, blocking people and such, is sometimes the only way to protect yourself. Happy posting!

Let’s talk about Threads

So for the longest time I was on Twitter, which is obviously now X. At one point I had over 34,000 followers there and early in my writing career it was just the best place. I was able to do a lot of exposure for my novels there, I did writing contests, there were so many amazing conversations.

Unfortunately a lot of people I used to follow and chat with there… well, they fled. It’s become a political hotbed. I used to make lists of people by specialty. Now and again, I’ll go to that list and see what people are talking about and invariably it’s been years since most people have even done their last post.

Which leads me to Threads. Thousands and thousands of authors are coming over to Threads. But what is so crazy is that the vibe is just different there. There is NOT a lot of promoting of our novels. In fact, it’s almost… almost frowned upon. Many people I’m chatting with are authors, but we don’t even know that until we go and look at their bio. If we do chat about our books, it’s more about where we are on our WIP and getting the time to write.

There is also a platform called Blue Sky. I was on that for months and I never accumulated any followers (less than 20) and more than that, no one conversed with me. It was like I was talking to the void.

I haven’t given up my 27,000 followers on X. I go on especially when I’m searching for experts in a particular field, but I don’t get a lot of engagement to any posts I do. Not like on Threads. Anyone else see this? Love to see how you’re using these platforms.

If you’d like to follow me on any of these platforms, please go to my Linktree account here!

Update on my writing: I’m 71K words into a brand new thriller – with no supernatural elements! This is a first for me so I’m pretty excited. Just working through it a few more times before it goes to my editor!

Here’s a little peek at 5/6 books in my Kelsey Porter thriller series. Over 100 reviews on these and about a young girl on a hunt for her parent’s killers, but along the way, she finds out SHE is the one being hunted. Have a great day everyone!

Hosting an Author Panel at Bryant Library

Last week, I had the opportunity to host my very first author panel at Bryant Library. It was promoted as “being a way for readers to chat with thriller and horror writers.” I reached out to 3 other authors who write in that genre and we had an opportunity talk about our writing process, character development, how to get published, there was a Q&A and we had an opportunity to sell our books as well. It was just so much fun!

As authors, we love to do signings and get the chance to speak to readers. For me, I wanted to try to do something that would be different and stand out, so I went to a bunch of my local libraries and proposed this format. The Bryant Library loved this idea and while we didn’t get paid for this, we did get a chance to get exposure, experience, and they let us sell our books, so it was a win/win for all of us. I’d highly suggest going to your libraries, researching the types of events they do and perhaps thinking of ways you can stand out and do something different.

If you’re interested in the authors who spoke at the event, they are here below with some of their amazing work!

Elyse Salpeter, Author of The Hunt for Xanadu and Nowhere to Run

David V. Mammina, Author of Death or Volentus and Death or Volentus: Macabre Masquerade
Dan Mariani, Author of Exploring The Boundaries of Time-Space and Our Lives: An Inquiry into Unexplained Phenomena and The Road to Chapultepec Park 

Roseanne Baxter Frank, Author of Bite Size Reads and Legacy & Legend 

Love to hear what types of author events you’ve found most unique!