Aynoit Ashor's Blog, page 7

Not guilty.

I write about controversial issues because I want the world to open their eyes to what goes on behind closed doors.  I write about horrific incidents because there are people who live them.  I write because I want the world to heal.

I don't know what to say about Casey Anthony's not guilty verdict.  But I do know what to say about how I feel.  First and foremost, I was not in the court room, therefore, I did not see the evidence.  There must have been some doubt in the jurors minds.

I am a mother.  I know for a fact that if my child was missing for ONE hour I would call the police.  Let me tell you a story:  I was working at a hospital and my children where in third and fourth grades at the time.  By the time I had returned from work, they would have been home alone for thirty minutes.  (I worked literally five minutes away.)  One evening, I returned home and did not find my children in the apartment.  I found pictures of them and went out in the neighborhood to look for them.  My fiance (now my husband), drove around the neighborhood looking for them and asking if anyone had seen them.  He came back to the apartment and told me some kids had seen them get off the school bus.  About twenty minutes had passed, a total of fifty minutes from the time they should have been home.  What did I do?  I called the police who arrived approximately ten minutes after the call.  There were five police officers who showed  up to my apartment.  I was asked questions like: when was the last time I had seen them, what did they wear to school that morning, was there any family members who could have picked them up....  During this questioning I was frightened!  I was imagining all types of horrific events.  After five minutes a police officer came into my apartment and asked me to come outside and motioned to a boy and girl walking up the sidewalk.  "Are these your children?"  My heart sank.  It was them!  I was relieved.  I thanked the police officers for their time.  They informed me that parents should call the police immediately when the suspect their child is missing, because time is an abductor's best friend.  (They were giving me facts, not chastising me.)

The only thing I have to say is, why didn't she call?  If it was an accident, your child was killed, why didn't she call?  Even Shaniya Davis' mom called and reported Shaniya missing. 

What happened to both Caylee and Shaniya were horrendous. As hard as it may be to believe, I truly believe, everything happens for a reason.  May the reason is to shine light in a dark place.

If you know a child who is suffering abuse, please call Child Help 1-800-4-A CHILD

Happy Birthday to us!

The United States of America is 199 years and 364 days older than me.  So like most people, on their birthdays, I look back at what I've done and what I will do in the next year.  I had things happen in life that I've decided to not let hold me back. Yes, I've been a homeless, abused, single mom.  I choose not to let those "mishaps" define who I am.  They are issues I dealt with that made me who I am today.  I can truly say I am happy with the woman I am today.  I've had set backs but I'm using those set backs as stepping stones to make me stronger.  They are lessons.  I decided that I can not continue to do the same things over and over again.  There's a quote that says something like, "The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results." 

#WriterWednesday w/ Lili Tufel

[image error]
Let's talk to author of SAND, Lili Tufel who was born in Medellin, Colombia and came to live in the US at the age of seven.  She became a US citizen as soon as she turned 18.  As a child, Lili loved Charlotte's Web and wanted a pig just like Wilbur.

Lili, tell the reader about your romance thriller SAND:
Dallas is a Special Forces Lieutenant who is driven by his promise to protect the Colonel's daughter Abby from an opium drug lord. He is torn between duty and his love for her and when he discovers that the drug lord's charming—murderous son has befriended Abby, there's no limit to how far he is willing to go to protect her. 

[image error] SAND is rooted in two love stories which I just had to write about because they are so beautiful, each in their own way. Everything else revolves around those two love stories. So when I think about why I wrote the book, I basically wanted to explore in a novel what it would be like for an active duty US Army Ranger to fall in love with the Colonel's daughter during war time and how much he would be willing to sacrifice for that love.
Who is your favorite character in SAND?
Captain Javier "Javi" Santos is a character I wrote resembling my husband's personality. Although he is not in the military I did reference my husband's character and sense of humor a lot.

Why should a reader purchase SAND?
I compare reading this book like boarding a ride at the fair. This ride is a cross between the fast paced-upside down Zipper ride and the romantic-make out Ferris Wheel. The plot is fast paced action packed and the love stories are the kind that make you day dream and sigh while doing the dishes.

Have you written any other books?
My second novel Letters from the King (which was originally an unpublished novella written in 2003) will be released later this year.

Lili thank you for your time.  It was a great pleasure getting to know you.
Click on one of the links below for your copy of SAND:
Amazon:  http://amzn.to/gSZmYE
Amazon UK:  http://amzn.to/eGFsF9
Apple iTunes:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sand/id428437022?mt=11
Barnes & Noble:  http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Sand/Lili-Tufel/e/2940011222344
Smashwords:  http://bit.ly/hUB4Gm
Facebook Fan Page:  www.facebook.com/novelSand

THE Goal.

I have a goal: to finish 2 Young 4 What by July 15th.  This is an ambitious goal.  I wrote this goal down and have a step-by-step action plan.  I want 2 Young 4 What to be available as an ebook by August 5th.  See why I may be a little crazy?  Don't worry, it will be well edited and formatted.  I'm not going to give you trash.

You may be wondering what 2 Young 4 What is.  It's the follow up to I Wish I Would've.  That's right, because my readers wanted it, I decided to follow up on I Wish I Would've in an "Aynoit Ashor" kind of way.  This book will be gritty and in your face like I Wish I Would've.

The second book in the Family Secrets series was a little laid back.  Sixty-7 was not a gritty story, but I think I got my point across.  What was the point?  If you are in an abusive relationship, think about your children's feelings and what they could possibly do to protect you.

Well now it's time for those raw family secrets.  I have something special and crazy up my sleeve for my readers.  2 Young 4 What will not be a disappointment.  You ready?  I am. 

#WriterWednesday w/ Susan Bennett

This week we will meet Phoenix, Arizona resident and author of An Unassigned Life, Susan Wells Bennett!
Susan tell the readers a little about yourself:  I've always known I was meant to be a novelist, but I didn't come to a point in my life where I believed I would be good at it until two years ago.  I've been writing fulltime since July 2009. Prior to that, I had started and abandoned half a dozen novels.  I love to travel, and I read a lot. I'm also a big fan of zoos – my husband frequently wonders how I can spend so much time watching animals.
What was your favorite book to read as a child?   I have been a voracious reader throughout my life, which is why I find it difficult to nail down my favorite childhood book. If I had to pick, I suppose it would be a book of "true" ghost stories I found in my school library when I was nine or so. Why? The paranormal has always fascinated me, and that book was able to terrify me.
Tell us about your most recently published novel An Unassigned Life:  Suffering from crippling writer's block and depression, frustrated novelist Timothy Chase committed suicide. His post-death plans didn't include any form of an afterlife, so he is shocked to discover that the [image error] end of his life doesn't mean the end of his existence. Since he failed to make a religious decision while he was alive, he has become an unassigned soul. On top of that, his death has jarred loose a fantastic idea for a book. Now he has just two goals in mind: getting his last and greatest novel published and moving on.
What was your motivation for writing An Unassigned Life? I love to entertain people and engage their brains at the same time. This idea took hold and pulled me along for the ride. I know the beginning sounds a little depressing, but the book is actually funny and uplifting.Is there anything in your book's plot that happened in your real life? I've had a couple of family members who have chosen to take their own lives. In a way, this novel is a response to their decisions.

Who is your favorite character from An Unassigned Life? Ezer. Why? I love Ezer because he is an angel – really. And he was an absolute blast to write.
Why should a reader purchase An Unassigned Life?
If you're looking for something funny, light, and paranormal, this is the book for you.

Have you written any other books?
Thank you for asking. Yes, I have written a few other books. If you're interested in a comic romance, I recommend Circle City Blues, a novel about love, loss, and the American highway. If you like historical fiction, I recommend The Thief of Todays and Tomorrows, which is set in post-WWII Chicago and Phoenix. For something darker, check out The Prophet's Wives, which takes you inside a cult leader's life. My most recently completed novel, Forsaking the Garden, will be released in June 2011. This novel follows the teenaged daughter of a reclusive polygamist family as she seeks to learn the truth about the world.

Visit http://www.susanwellsbennett.com/ or http://www.swellsbennett.blogspot.com/ for more information.
Susan, thank you for your time!

Interview & Vacation

I was away on "vacation" (the reason that's in quotes is because it was far from relaxing) and found this interview.

http://www.1stauthorinterviews.com/2011/06/interview-with-aynoit-ashor-author-of-i.html

So back to my vacation.  This has been the Summer of weddings for me.  I've been to three weddings in the past two months!  What does that have to do with my "vacation"?  On my way back from the most recent wedding, which we were considering a vaction- because we were in Florida, our car broke down.  We put out flares on the side of the road and a good samaritan and his wife towed us from South Carolina to North Carolina. 

So we were stuck in North Carolina for two days and two nights because there were no car garages, car rental places or Uhauls open on Sundays (in that area).  The hotel we stayed at was nice and the staff was superb, but we needed to be home Monday because my daughter had (high school) exams.  Well that didn't happen.  I do have a silver lining to this cloud: we bonded as a family and God made sure we were safe and got us home safely.

P.S.  Hope you enjoy the interview!

Secret Red Book

My husband pulled a box filled with books out of the storage space this past weekend.  I found books I had been looking for the past two years in it.  (And I know it's been two years because I wanted to give someone one of those books before I got married.)

In this box I found a (hard-cover) red book with no title or markings explaining what it was.  I knew what it was the instant I saw it: my diary.  I kept this diary off and on while married to my ex-husband.  I didn't write in it while I was living with him, because I didn't want it to cause any "problems".  But when I left, I found the courage to fill it's pages.  There are entries that are years apart due to my fear of my real thoughts being found.  There's an entry that announces, "I left him today", but the next entry reads, "I left him again.  That means I went back." 

Everything in the book isn't bad.  Taped on the inside covers of my secret red book are movie ticket stubs, a flower my daughter gave me when she was six and positive quotes.  There are also small pictures of my children taped on the inside cover; my son was four and my daughter was six.

Reading my secret red book made me uncomfortable.  There were many incidents I pushed out of my mind but reading my diary made them real all over again.  I am embarrassed to read some of the things I went through.  But I smile when I think of where I am.

I think of the day when I read the statistic that was the inspiration for me to leave, "Sixty-seven percent of juvenile males in jail for homicide or murder are there for killing their mother's abuser."  This same statistic was the reason I wrote Sixty-7.  I don't want that statistic to be real.  I want mothers to know their decision to stay is affecting their children.  One day it clicked, how would I feel if my son went to jail for killing a man when all I had to do was leave?
So the secret red book has been hidden again.  I'm not finished with my walk down memory lane, but I am not ready for anyone to hold my hand and walk with me.

Sixty-7 for Kindle, Nook, all other electronic devices, paperback.

#WriterWednesday with Helmy Parlente Kusuma

This week we meet Indonesian author.... HELMY PARLENTE KUSUMA!!!
When did you first know you wanted to write books?
I always wanted to share my dream and imagination to the world, but since office hours tended to bind me -- an excuse for my laziness -- I just let the idea of writing a book lingered somewhere in the back of my mind. Until the event set forth in my first book. 

How long have you been writing?
Since elementary school of course! a...b...c...

What was your favorite book as a child? 
Space Encyclopedia because I am originated from one of those big blue stars...
Uhm sorry, because I like the colors.

Other than reading and writing, what are your hobbies? Eating, procrastinating, sleeping and dreaming...

Tell the readers about your Romantic, Young Adult (Fiction) story Mementoes of Mai Love.Journey.  Magnificent Lady.  Stunning Landscape.

Is there anything in Mementoes of Mai Love's plot that happened in your real life?

Totally! Of course there are manufactured events...

This is sort of a circular work; I write because of the event in this book and this book can be read because I wrote it.
Who is your favorite character in Mementoes of Mai Love?Me, of course.
Why are "you" your favorite character?
Isn't it obvious? Because I am me?

Why should a reader purchase Mementoes of Mai Love?
It has been an unique experience for me to write and read this book. I hope you can taste it too.

Have you written any other books?
No, but I am writing my second book, a collection of short story scheduled to be finished before July.

Purchase Mementoes of Mai Love:
Kindle US
Kindle UK
Kindle DE

Helmy, it was a pleasure getting to know you.  Thank you for stopping by.

#WriterWednesday featuring Allen Schatz!

This week's featured indie author ....... ALLEN SCHATZ!!!
Allen, tell us a little about yourself? I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA, but for past 15 years I have lived in southwestern PA, near Pittsburgh.  I began writing during high school, as a school newspaper reporter. I've been doing professional writing for 25+ years in my jobs in the accounting/finance world (technical writing such as user guides, system narratives, etc.). I've done op/ed and newspaper writing as well in this time. I began doing formal fiction writing in 2008.
When you were a child, what was your favorite book to read? I really don't know that I had a favorite. Some of those I remember reading and enjoying during my school years are Exodus, Great Expectations, and similar "classics" in required readings. Those books can be given credit for planting the seed of wanting to write.

What do you like to do for fun? I like to get outside and do lawn work around my house. In the spring and summer I umpire youth baseball games. I also enjoy the quiet of solving crossword puzzles.
In five sentences, tell us about your mystery/suspense novel Game 7: Dead Ball. Think Dick Francis meets America's Pastime. Major league umpire Marshall Connors believes a vacation cut short is a reasonable price to pay for the opportunity to work the World Series. But that price rapidly escalates when he finds himself in the middle of more than the game on the field. Secrets, lies, and revenge spark a fiery collision between past and present and Marshall quickly realizes some things are better left alone. With the help of his best friend, Thomas Hillsborough--ex-CIA spy--Marshall fights to solve the puzzle before the Series reaches its climax in GAME 7: DEAD BALL, the ultimate contest of survival.
Allen, why did you decide to write GAME 7: DEAD BALL? Because I've always wanted to.

Is there anything in your book's plot that happened in your real life?
The 2008 World Series was "real" in that the Philadelphia Phillies (my lifelong favorite team) played the Tampa Bay Rays. Many of the locations are real as well, places I've been over the years. I wanted to make it recognizeable to readers.

Allen, I have to ask, who is your favorite character in your book?
Marshall Connors. He is the "me" I never was.

Why should a reader purchase this GAME 7: DEAD BALL?
It is an enjoyable read. The action is fast-paced and the characters are interesting. It appeals to men and women because it has a little of everything. Set on a baseball canvas, it is by no means a "sports" book. It has been described as a page-turner and been well-received by both avid readers and avid baseball fans.

Have you written any other books?
Yes -- two sequels are coming later this year.

Allen that you for your time.  I wish you continued success!

To view the GAME 7: DEAD BALL book trailer click a link below:
GAME 7: DEAD BALL- TRAILER
GAME 7: DEAD BALL- BOOK REVIEWS

Order your copy of GAME 7: DEAD BALL.

Dreams

Did you ever have a dream you just couldn't let go?  A dream that burned inside of you like lava in a volcano?  A dream that haunted you like an evil spirit in an old rickety mansion?  A dream as sweet as Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory?  A dream a soft as a bed made of cotton balls?

I have a dream like that.  My dream is to help heal people through my writing. 

(c) Aynoit Ashor MMXI