Nancy Lee Badger's Blog, page 66

The JABBIC Reader’s Choice Cover Contest closes FEBRUARY ...

The JABBIC Reader’s Choice Cover Contest closes FEBRUARY 10TH.
JABBIC stands for Judge A Book By Its Cover. My book is in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Paranormal category and I could use your vote. Click& VOTE HEREand make my day!

Nancy Lee Badger says "Do it"

Stinson Lake, Rumney, NH photo by Nancy Lee Badger I heard this saying the other day (author unknown) and I immediately felt it was talking to me...
The world is so fast there are days when the person who says "it can't be done" is interrupted by the person doing it. The words make me want to get my head in the game and write. How about you?  Nancy

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews David Russell

David Russell David Russell has kindly ‘crossed the pond’ to chat with me about his contemporary romance, Self’s Blossom.
I love that you hail from London. The internet has opened the world to international discovery of authors like you and like me. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book. 

David- Well...check out this review...

Queen of Tarts Review of  Self’s Blossom by David RussellI sometimes felt like I was watching a foreign film or an art house movie and that I was missing some of the complexities of the narrative. I finished this book uncertain as to what the heroine had discovered about herself. But I could still appreciate the beautiful pictures the author paints with his words and his unique approach to storytelling .Self’s Blossom is all about Selene and her long awaited, scrimped and saved for, holiday. I connected with Selene on a few levels. She’s a workaholic. She’s single and busy moving through life. And I admired her desire to seek out new experiences and learn new things. I didn’t always like her. But I appreciated her intelligence and that she was unashamedly confident in herself and determined to follow through on her decisions.She uses her vacation to try and break out of the rut she feels her life has become and fling caution to the wind. To have adventures and a passionate affair… or two. Her stay is at a resort in Central America. There are beautiful descriptions of the ocean waves and the lush paradise and how they relate to life and love, lust and passion. And then there are all the characters she meets on holiday and how they help or hinder her journey.   Nancy-Describe the genre of this particular title, and is it the only genre you write in? David-My work has been described as literary erotica. I also do speculative fiction, poetry and literary journalism. Nancy-I wrote poetry in college in the 70s. Little did I know it would morph into novels published since 2010. When did you start writing toward publication? David-Back in the 60s.Nancy-Why have you become a published author?David-I feel it vindicates my worth. Nancy-I tell people this is my 4th job, and the first (and last) career. I write fulltime from home, and love it. What is your writing routine like? David-I operate on flexi-time; I have to be constantly with priorities.Nancy-My hubby thinks he is a priority (he is) but I get more writing done when he’s at work. What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help? David-I do my own via the net – blogs and review sites.Nancy-I hope inviting you here, today, helps. Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing? David-Getting feedback from intelligent readers.Nancy-Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?  David-Be tenacious; believe in yourself. Always be prepared to revise. If you get scathing criticism, analyze it carefully. Nancy-I agree. I received two rejection letters in January. I will not trash that manuscript, but give it another look, then send it out again. What’s next for you? David-A couple of short stories, to be published by Devine Destinies.Nancy-That is great! I hope you will return and tell us about those books when they are released. Self’s Blossom BOOK BLURBThis is about a young woman's self-discovery. Selene is a 'success story', having become a top journalist, while retaining her dazzling looks. However, in the past she has had unhappy relationships, and feels she has missed out on hedonistic fun.  This she obtains, firstly with a young stranger on a beach, and finally with enigmatic Hudson: tryst is preceded by cultural tourism, and careful sizing up of minds. Afterwards Selene returns to her 'I stand on my own' attitude.While she is on holiday, her mind is free to ramble, often into Selene's chequered past. Flashback blurs into the present, past-rooted interior monologue into direct observation. The dialogue is sparse. Selene is a cautious, premeditative type, in whom thought, reflection and analysis outweigh direct action.Selene’s subtle, monitoring mind coolly observes and controls all the events. Maybe she is super-confident, or perhaps has a deep, underlying insecurity. She is many things to many readers.ExcerptHere, she was on a beach, pure and simple. Now the sea breathed heavily,
whispering and murmuring to her. It was returning her stare, speaking to
her. It was the spirit of love, beckoning her with a pulsing, sinewy body.
In all its lines, shades, and fleeting forms, Selene saw the essence of pure
beauty, all grace of form, flesh, limb and feature. It was in one, all the
lovers of whom she could possibly dream, conflated into one elemental ideal.
He, pure love in soul, bade her to enter his domain and make it hers. His
arms moved her hands to unclasp, unbutton, and unzip . . . the blossom
emerged. The sun became the eye of all that was not earth, and Selene loved
fully, though the pallor of her skin left her momentarily abashed.

At first she lay in the tide's path, the top of her head at its most extreme
mark. The sand bank made a soft bed. The sea lover smoothly caressed her
calves, thighs, hips, breasts, shoulders, and cheeks before retreating to
pause in his mossy pinnacles. Three times this action was repeated, and then
Selene stood up, wading in with arms outstretched. Her arms were linked, as
she stood up to her neck in the saline flow. The balls and heels of her feet
wobbled, slithering on the moss. With the next wave, she lost her balance
–her breath prepared in unison with the hissing around her. She threw her
head back, once again horizontal, and launched into a backstroke, sweeping
and circling. She parted her legs wide with each thrust of motion, each
sweep of self-propulsion pushing out to answer the cavernous currents of his
passion. Seven circles gave her a delicious, warm bliss –then the sea lover,
well pleased, carried her back to a near-dry bed. Aching and contented,
Selene dozed a while.MORE ABOUT THE AUTHORB. 1940; live in London UK. Have been writing for many decades. My first publication was a poetry collection called Exacting Modality of the World Web. I produced a work of speculative fiction, High Wired On in 1985. I started trying to write literary erotica in the mid-80s. I have some short stories in this genre in addition to Self’s Blossom. I am also a singer-guitarist-songwriter. My main albums are Bacteria Shrapnel and Kaleidoscope Concentrate. I have many tracks on YouTube. How can my readers buy your book?  AMAZON   AMAZON UK   NOOKYou can find more information about Self’s Blossom at WEBSITE     GOODREADS

AWESOME SCOTTISH PROVERBS

I think of proverbs as simple, popular sayings. The Oxford English Dictionary explains a proverb as: “a pithy saying in general use”, and the Longman Dictionary says it is: “a short well known phrase or sentence, which contains advice about life.” Often repeated, proverbs express a truth based on common sense. Proverbs are wise words of wisdom, said in a hidden way. In many cases, we heard them given as advice or as warnings.

Living History at the NH Highland GamesProverbs are handed down generation-to-generation, country to country, and through more than one language. The ‘Bible’s’ ‘Book of Proverbs’, and medieval Latin, have played a large role in distributing proverbs across Europe, although almost every culture has examples of its own.

Everyone has heard proverbs, in one form or another, retold over and again by the people who influenced their lives. Sage expressions such as hast makes wast, willful waste makes woeful want , and penny wise, pound fool were meant to guide us in our younger years. Spouted by our parents, schoolteachers, and clergy, we children were taught to use them wisely upon reaching adulthood. Recalling their words make us pause when faced with an important decision.

I write Scottish historical novels and my research has uncovered several interesting tidbits. I am amazed at the vast number of proverbs linked to Scottish origins. Many of these I found in literary texts written before 1600! Several of these old adages sounded familiar!

My favorites among the proverbs I recorded for this article are the ones that mention our furry or feathered friends. Please bear with me. I believe they will also ring true, even though their translations from Scottish dialects to English sound funny!

Waken not sleeping dogs . I agree. Good advice! I like owning ten fingers.
Ye cannot make a silk purse of a sows lug. I felt this way when in my younger years, until the braces came off.
Love me, love my dog . My sister, the veterinarian, lives this.
A given horse should not be lookt in the teeth. I never let on which wedding gifts were God-awful-ugly! A few eventually found their way into one of our yard sales.
Better a fowl in hand nor twa flying . I have always had a problem with taking ready cash and investing it in order to make more. With the all-too-recent economic downturn, this became a wise choice.
Ane may lead a horse to the water, but four and twenty cannot gar him drink. I married a man just as stubborn! I find it best NOT to give him a choice about anything. And, this last one made me break out laughing, especially when I remember awkward family dinners!
Fidlers, dogs and flies, come to the feast uncalled. (Just kidding, Mom and Dad)

Born a Scorpio, I have also used several adages from my childhood to tame my temper and found it TRUE that the higher up, the greater the fall . No one loves a bitch. What about all is not gold that glitters ? Many instances in my life have shown me the truth in these words, especially when I recall our first home. It looked like a castle to our young first-time homebuyers eyes. What a money-pit.
Historical Village at the Loch Norman Highland Games, NC
As a volunteer EMT, I often responded to an emergency scene and arrived first. I learned many hands makes light work and always breathed a little easier when my squad showed up to back me up. Of course, my mom used that same proverb around my sisters and I quite frequently! And, a new bissom sweeps clean is recognizable in any language. Maybe we ignored her words at the time, as it goes in at one ear, and out the other , but I remember her wisdom years later.

You can find oodles of Scottish Proverbs in a vast selection of printed books, on-line resources, and even T-shirts! How have proverbs passed through time and space to guide our thoughts and actions? Family stories, one generation to the next, is the most common method. When you find yourself pausing before acting on some impulse which may change your life forever, think back on those little Scottish proverbs. And remember: no door ever closed but another opened . When you do, you may be delighted to find that all is well that ends well.

For more information on Scottish Proverbs try:
http://www.compassrose.org/
www.worldofquotes.com/proverbs
http://www.cafepress.com/
http://www.rampantscotland.com/

Nancy

This article was written by Nancy Lee Badger and first published on November 13, 2009 on http://HistoryUndressed.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday Scottish Poet Robert Burns

Salute the HAGGIS!
January 25th marks the celebration of a birth that occurred over 250 years ago. This person came into the world before America was its own country; before the regency and Victorian eras swept England; before my ancestors had any inkling how the world would turn out.
 The dry facts go like this: Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Ayreshire, in Scotland, in a farmer’s cottage. Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was his first published work. Burns’ poem To a Haggis , is recited across the world during the annual Burns Night celebrations every January. His tongue-in-cheek exaggeration of his love for this oatmeal, onions, heart and liver concoction boiled inside a sheep’s stomach has elevated the simple sausage to a national icon.

Still wondering what all the hoopla about a guy long dead is all about? Do the English host a party on Shakespeare’s birthday? Do the Americans honor Longfellow? Not to this extent. The world has celebrated this poet’s life since a few years after his death when a group of Burns’ friends got together to read his poems and drink a little Scotch Whisky.

Some idolize the man for his poetry and songs. He is remembered in Scotland, where a beautiful museum was dedicated to Robert Burns. 

January is here, again. Since moving from New Hampshire, I have missed attending the annual Robert Burns Night held by the St. Andrews Society of New Hampshire. I miss those gatherings, where over 100 people attend dressed in Scottish attire to enjoy music, Highland dancers, fine whisky, great food, and a story about Robert Burns. The evening always ends with everyone joining hands to sing one of Robert Burns’ songs, a very familiar song… Auld Lang Syne .

Happy Birthday, Robert.

Nancy 

This article was -in part-previously posted in 2009 at History Undressed Blog.

A Scottish Proverb to Live By

Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead—Scottish Proverb
What exactly does this mean to you?

To me, it reminds me of a friend's son who died in a senseless accident in late December. It reminds me that my father's roommate at the VA Home just passed away. It reminds me that a family member's recent surgery could have had a dire result, but I also celebrate that the tests came back normal.

I made no New Year's resolutions. Instead, I asked that we all slow down, see out doctors, eat sensibly, and enjoy life while we have another day.


Unlike the cool, crisp morning hubby and I spent recently in New Hampshire (see photo above), here in central North Carolina, the temperature is in the 70s. I think I'll take a walk.

Slàinte,

Nancy

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I am looking forward to 2013.

Why?

Simple...I was born on Friday the 13th; My Jeep's license plate ends with the number '13'; the last digits on my lottery Tickets are always '13'.

Do you look forward to the year ahead. (I figure we are ALL ahead since we survived past Dec. 21, 2012)

Enjoy the day and have a very HAPPY HOGAMANY (the Celtic New Year's) 

***If you want to learn moreabout the Celtic Hogamanycheck out my article on theCelitc Rose Blog.

1st Pgs-UNWRAPPING CHRIS a Holiday Love Story

   Jayne sipped her coffee and grimaced while her
sister, Marti, laughed. Jayne ought to apologize, but
the burnt coffee smell—accompanied by the charred
scent of over-baked gingerbread cookies—was horrid
enough to make anyone’s taste buds forget that
Christmas was right around the corner. Marti couldn’t
   boil water, let alone brew a decent cup of coffee.
   I should talk.
   Since Johnny’s death, Jayne barely cooked. Her
kids ate well, but she rarely found the strength to
visit the supermarket or cook a wholesome dinner. A
deep weariness had replaced the bouts of depression
that tainted her bereavement.
   Not much of an improvement, she thought.
   “Sorry. I appreciate the effort.”
   “Just wanted to impress you with my newfound
culinary skills.” Marti smiled at her joke. She ran long
fingers through her short, dark red hair. Her digital
camouflage ACU did little to enhance her skin tone,
or her figure. The bulging pockets of her trousers and
the washed-out green-gray of the weather resistant
fabric detracted from Marti’s pale skin. Only the tiny
freckles that peppered her petite nose heralded their
Scottish ancestry.
   “Don’t worry, sis,” she went on. “Our local
commissary has everything we need for a great
holiday dinner.”
   They both laughed.
   Marti pulled open a cupboard door and grabbed a
large jar filled with a candle. After she lit it, she
placed it between them on the table. The scent of
pumpkins and cinnamon wafted up, obliterating the
evidence of her attempt to cook.
   “Jayne, I’m glad you came for the holiday. We’ll
have fun at my good friend’s wedding on Christmas
Eve.”
   “God. Christmas will be here before we know it.”
   “Your nephew and I feel more alone during this
holiday than any other time of year. Can’t I talk you
into moving in? Permanently?”
   “I do miss living on an army base, but Johnny’s
gone and—”
   “Sorry. I forgot. However, things change, sis. You
finally graduated nursing school. No more nights and
weekends filled with homework and studying. Maybe
you’ll meet another great guy. Think about it?”
   Jayne sighed. She’d love to get back into army
life. When her less-than-stellar marriage faltered
after the birth of their second daughter, she and
Johnny received a needed break when he deployed
overseas. The kids missed their dad, but thrived
under her care. The stress-free home life was like a
breath of fresh air. With no one breathing down her
neck to get dinner on the table, ordering her to run
errands, or treating her like a thorn in his side, things
had started to look up.
  Then her world imploded the morning two officers
knocked on her door. Since losing Johnny, she
and the girls had lived through two years of hell;
leaving the base, finding a new home, hiring sitters,
and completing her degree in nursing. Worse, the
man she truly loved remained a distant memory. A
   memory she had never found a way to shake.
 
   Staff Sergeant Christopher Hawkins marched
alongside his platoon. Along with two other drill
sergeants, their AIT soldiers finished lunch in record
time. This group had survived basic combat training
and now neared the end of their advanced individual
training. Chris looked forward to filling their heads
with intense survival instruction before sending them
off into the world with their new skills.
   Glancing up, clear blue sky filled his vision. Diesel
exhaust mixed with pine scent from the North
Carolina forest surrounding the army base. He swore
he smelled the tang of the sea, though it was over
one hundred miles to the east.
   Several of the men chuckled as they marched. The
frigid weather under clear skies had put everyone
in a good mood. Too good. Perhaps a ten-mile hike
would give them all a good night’s sleep.
   Nowadays, sleep came hard to Chris. Nightmares
filled with gunfire and blood had gotten to be a habit.
He’d awaken covered in sweat with a curse on his
lips. This proved tiresome. With Afghanistan a recent
memory, he woke today determined to enjoy a march
on paved roads under an American sky. No guns, no
blood, no bodies laying dead and dismembered in the
sand.
   “Wake up, fool. You’re safe,” he mumbled.
   “What’s that, Sarge?” his second-in-command
asked.
   “Nothing. Just thinking out loud. Quiet today. No
traffic.”
   “Why drive when you can march? The sun is real
bright.” Chris’s sergeant closed his eyes, leaned his
head back, and smiled. “I could get used to this.”
   “Open those eyes. You’re on traffic detail. Can’t
have my boys run down.”
   “Yes, Sarge.” Tipping his cap, he swung his M-
16A2 rifle off his shoulder, and trotted into the next
road. The platoon marched in place until waved by.
Several clapped their hands together for warmth as
their hazy breaths danced in the chilly breeze. Noses,
on several of the men, had grown rosy from the cold.
Chris sighed. Training soldiers on a secure army
base was easy and safe.
   And boring.
   If I had bothered to get me a wife and a couple
of kids, I’d have something to look forward to each
day, he thought as he caught up, and then trotted to
the front of the platoon. An image sprang up, clear as
day.
   Jayne.
  UNWRAPPING CHRIS, by Nancy Lee Badger, was released by Whispers Publishing and is a contemporary military romance. Ring in the holidays with excitement and spice!Buy Links: Amazon   NOOK   AllRomance    WhispersPub

Free Ebook Giveaway!!!

I am guest author at Star-Crossed Romance speaking about my research into herbs, potions, and the magical properties of stones for use in my Highland Games Through Time series.

Please stop by for a chance to
WIN one of FIVE ebooks I will be giving away at http://tinyurl.com/bnf89q7*winners will be chosen Friday the 21st!  Nancy

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Alex Granados

 My guest today is author Alex Granados. His book, Cemetery Plot is a horror/sci-fi farce and was released on October 31st. 

Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.  I like to call Cemetery Plot a horror/sci fi mashup. I can say that because it has two tropes of both genres: zombies and time travel. But more than anything else, what I was trying to do was tell an interesting story. The book has two intertwined stories. In the first one, the world is overrun by graveyards. A virus, transmitted through the ashes of the cremated, necessitates a law banning cremation. As a result, grave space is at a premium, and in place of the strip malls of today, cemeteries have taken their place.  
In this setting, our protagonist, Vanessa, wakes from a decades long sleep. She participated in a satanic ritual to turn her into the living dead, but it didn’t work. Instead she wakes up alive, human, un-aged and miserable. A cemetery tycoon finds out about her and is convinced that he can study her and find a way to raise the dead. If he can do that, he can make room in his cemeteries for more bodies, and, in the process, make more money.  
That’s the first story. The second one, which alternates chapters, is set in the future of the first story. In this future, a zombie apocalypse has taken place. A living dead medium is the protagonist. He can speak to zombies, and he cons rich people into paying him for communicating with their departed loved ones.  
These two stories merge at some point, and you find out how they are inextricably linked.  
Scary thought, but you look so relaxed in your photo. Is this the only genre you write in?  I hadn’t really intended to write a horror novel for my first book. It just came out that way. I write in any genre. I’ve completed a few other manuscripts, some fantasy, some crime and I think one science fiction, so I’m an equal opportunity writer.  
Diversification. I like it! When did you start writing toward publication?  I started last November (2011) for National Novel Writing Month. (aka NaNoWriMo) I had never completed a novel, and I decided to give it a go. By the end of the month, I had two 25,000 word stories that I combined to form Cemetery Plot. Then I decided to try to get it published.  Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?I actually only had the one finished when it sold. I did send it out myself to numerous agents and publishing companies. After many many rejections, my current publisher accepted my manuscript.  
Why have you become a published author?    I’ve always wanted to be a novelist. From the time I was in fourth grade, and my Halloween story was voted best by the rest of my class. That was my first taste of popularity, and I never forgot it. 
Do you have any rejection stories to share?Not really. They all uniformly suck.  
I feel for you. I have kept them all. What is your writing routine like?Ever since last year’s National Novel Writing month, I’ve made it a habit to write 2,000 words a day. I do that until I’m done with a rough draft, and then I try to edit 20 pages a day until I make it through. Then I repeat that over and over again until I’m done.   
Who first introduced you to the love of reading?My mom took me to a bookstore and I saw the cover a book called Castle Roogna by Piers Anthony. It had a dude with a sword on it or something, and it looked interesting. My mom bought it for me and it sat on a shelf for a couple of years. Then one day, I picked it up and fell in love with the story. I ended up reading almost all the Xanth books by Piers Anthony. I was hooked on reading from that point forward. 
Who influenced your decision to become a writer?My sixth grade teacher Mrs. Drawbaugh (I think that’s how you spell it) gave us an assignment to write a short story. We turned them in. Later that day, she came and got me out of Home Ec. She demanded to know if I had received help from my parents. When I told her no, she said I was talented and that I should be a writer for a living. That’s what really put the idea in my head.  
What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?I tweet, post on Facebook and Goodreads, and I have my own blog. I’ve done numerous blog interviews, set up through my publishing company, and I’ve done one radio interview. I’m really struggling with the whole self promotion thing and am always open to advice.
Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?    Getting my book in the mail. Seeing the beautiful cover with my name on it was all the reward I ever wanted.  
Even in this age of all-things-digital, there is nothing that compares to holding YOUR book in your hands. What do you see ahead in your writing career?More novels! I keep writing them. I’m also actively pursuing a literary agent.
Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped? Not currently. I do subscribe to Writer’s Market.  
Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract? I’ll give you the advice that another writer gave me, more or less. If you can quit writing, do it. It’s frustrating, hard and often minimally rewarding. But if you find you can’t quit. If you just have to write. Then do it consistently and never give up. Write every day. Keep sending stories out. Just don’t stop. 
Good advice. What’s next for you? My novel Into the Cave will be released April 1 from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing.  
  BOOK BLURB
Vanessa Hawthorne is a zombie. . .at least that was the plan. Miserable with her life, she agreed to participate in a fatal ritual that would transform her into one of the Living Dead. Instead, she wakes up decades later alive, unaged and living in a world overrun with graveyards.
But when a real estate tycoon finds out about Vanessa, he will stop at nothing to discover how she cheated death. He hopes that this knowledge will give him the power to resurrect the dead. The money he stands to make is incalculable. And he is willing to do whatever it takes — kidnapping, assault and even murder — to get the job done. Luckily for Vanessa, she has Mark Nimocks and his friend Emily to protect her. . . but at what costs?
A zombie apocalypse is in the works, and it will take a medium from the future to find a way to undo the end of the world. But can he actually help change the past? Or is the world fated to be destroyed no matter what? 
Excerpt from Cemetery Plot “Hi. My name is Nathan Mickels. I guess I could tell you about the end of the world, and being one of the last remaining humans on earth or some of that apocalyptic crap. But the truth is that the world hasn’t changed much since it ended. Sure, the dead are walking and people are dying. But there’s still money to be made.

“Take me for instance. I specialize in a particular trade. You see, these Living Dead, they’re not the brightest creatures. Any mother hoping that her little Annie was going to come back and sit at her knee had a rude awakening. Little Annie was much more likely to bite her and turn her into a zombie than give her a hug.
“Nevertheless, people find out that the dead are coming back to life, and they just got to see. That’s where I come in. It’s my job to hunt down the Living Dead. Specific ones. If your uncle Andrew died last year, you might hire me to find him and bring him to you. Of course, if you were smart, you already checked out the graveyard. You probably only come to me if you find a hole where your uncle should have been.
“So out I go, and I track down your uncle. But what good is he going to be to you as a grunting hulk of shit for brains? None, that’s what. I have a unique talent that I get paid for. I’m kind of like what people used to think mediums were like. You know, they figured they could talk to the dead and all that crap. Well, I can talk to the dead. It takes some doing and some concentration, but leave me alone with a walker for a good six hours, and I can start getting something intelligible out of them.
“Mind you, it’s not what you’d think of as intelligible, but it’s a language of sorts. Some kind of guttural, grunting and wheezing that resolves itself into meaning in my head. Well, you don’t believe me? Ask me anything? How old was Uncle Andrew when he lost his virginity? What did he really do to lose that sales job? Was he really just being friendly with his niece that time you caught them together in the bedroom? (Here’s a hint. No. You ought to kill that bastard all over again.)
“Anyway. That’s me. The Living Dead medium.”
A little bit about the authorAlex Granados is a producer for The State of Things on North Carolina Public Radio WUNC and the North Raleigh News Columnist for the regionally acclaimed News & Observer newspaper. Cemetery Plot is his first novel.
Alex received a degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also has a minor in philosophy, which basically means that he used to think he was really smart but realized he wasn't in time to switch majors.
Fishing, reading science fiction, watching crazy movies, walking his dog Zoey and late night dance parties with his wife are some of his favorite hobbies. Alex still doesn't know what he wants to be then he grows up, but he is holding out for astronaut. 
How can my readers buy your book?   EBook at Amazon Print book at  Amazon      You can find more information about Alex Granados and Cemetery Plot at AlexGranadosWrites@blogspot.com
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