Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson's Blog, page 25

Interview and Ebook Giveaway for Robert Stermscheg Author of Buried Secrets

Buried Secrets

Now available in ebook on Amazon.com



I met Robert Stermscheg when I first published Mrs. Tuesday's Departure. He was a fellow author, new to self-publishing, and we traded emails and encouragement. 




Today it's my pleasure to get to introduce you to Robert along with the launch of his newest book, Buried Secrets.







Synopsis:




In the spring of 1870, France is preparing for an imminent war with Germany. A French cavalry officer, Bernard de Lemarch, has been given the delicate task of approaching a high-ranking Prussian officer, hoping to glean vital military information. But what he doesn't know is that the Prussian High Command has been forewarned…. and is expecting him. Posing as a painter, the disguised officer meets up with a bungling landscape painter forming an unlikely friendship, one that unwittingly propels both men headfirst into unexpected danger, while resurrecting a secret from Lemarch's own past.




Richard von Löwenklau, aided by Franz Schneeberg, finds himself in the heart of enemy territory, tasked with trying to stop the build-up of arms and uncover the establishment of a new para-military presence, the franctireurs... headed up by none other than the irrepressible Captain Albin Richemonte. His task is further complicated by the arrival of a new enemy, Colonel Rallion, who's bent on supporting Richemonte's war efforts, while hampering Löwenklau's plans. 





About the Author:





Robert Stermscheg, born in Europe in 1956, was exposed to many wonderful writers – Edgar Rice Burroughs, Alexandre Dumas, and of course Karl May. He appreciated how they opened up a whole new world to our imaginations through their portrayal of life. His parents were of Austrian descent, and as a result of his father's occupation as an electrical engineer, he moved several times in his early childhood. His father kept a steady supply of books to broaden his son's education, including a repertoire of Karl May books.

The entire family moved to Canada in 1967, eventually settling in Manitoba. Robert was involved in chess, hockey, flying, but always kept up his interest in the German language. His passion to share the works of Karl May, largely unknown in North America, resulted in the search for English translations. After retiring from a satisfying career with the Winnipeg Police Service in 2006, he had the opportunity to pursue his dream—translating one of Karl May's novels into English. His wife, Toni, embraced his dream and encouraged him in the writing process. She supported him in this new venture by being a proof reader.

In 2006, Robert and embarked on his first book, The Prussian Lieutenant, based on an earlier work by Karl May. His first book was well received, encouraging him to continue with the sequel, The Marabout's Secret. Buried Secrets, the third book, shifts back to France. There is much tension, as the ruling authority prepares for a war with its neighbour, Germany. 

Robert resides in Winnipeg and is currently working on his fourth book, Captain Richemonte.





And now for our interview......







 Your bio gives some hints about how your background led you to an interest in European literature. But there's still a huge commitment involved in translating a work into English, and now  you've done it four times! Please describe the process of not only translating a work into English, but taking a story written in the last century and bringing it to today's reader?




Process is aptly put. First, you need to have an understanding of the time period. In my case, 19th century France and Germany. Second, there are elements of romance in the story, which the original author handled discreetly and with subtlety. As a translator, I have to be aware of that and not gloss over it. Karl May also employed idioms from his time (1880s), that not only stemmed from German tradition and folklore, but also presented a challenge in conveying them into modern English. That was perhaps the most difficult. I chose to retain the idioms, as they added 'colour', and provided explanation notes at the end.  Also, the German language is structured quite differently than English. Karl May often employed long paragraphs and run-on sentences that had to be broken up and reworked into a more coherent format. That was certainly time consuming.







Why did you choose Karl May as an author to translate and share with North American readers?




                I "grew up" with Karl May. As a boy, I was naturally drawn to his thrilling stories, many taking place in North America, often in the "Wild West". They depicted the Indian tribes as noble savages, clearly the victims of the "White Man's" insatiable thirst for land. As much as I enjoyed stories about cowboys and Indians, I also delved into his other works, some of which took place in the old Ottoman Empire, dealing with conflict between the French and the Germans.

Although I also read Edgar Rice Burroughs and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I seemed to gravitate back to Karl May. I suppose I was attracted to his keen sense of adventure, portrayal of humanity, and his rendering of history through his novels.










You've translated four of Karl May's books, will you continue with this author or are there other authors that you want to translate?




                Actually, I've completed three translations, which have been published thus far. The fourth book, POW #74324, is my father's memoir and deals with his experiences during WWII and then post-war Yugoslavia.

I've committed myself to doing the Hussar's Love series, spanning five novels. I may do more in the future, but I also want to expand my writing in other areas, exploring other interests, such as historical fiction from the WWII era.










I imagine that  you've grown a great deal as a writer through this process, can you share what you've learned that has helped you to develop your craft?




                That is an understatement. If truth be known, I can honestly say that I had no idea what I was getting into (laughs). In my former career as a police officer, I naturally wrote a great deal. However, much of it was very structured and concise, leaving little room to express my thoughts outside the confines of the police report.  The funniest thing about writing, and writing to be published is that everything takes on a new importance. All of a sudden you're forced to pay attention to previously overlooked things like spelling, syntax, and of course grammar. In short, I took the whole thing more seriously and endeavoured to put out the best effort that I could. Secondly, I started paying a lot more attention to other writers: how they developed their storyline, pacing, character development, even the use of dialogue.  I wasn't shy about getting advice from other writers, and willingly applied many of their suggestions.  Becoming a writer is quite the learning process.










Has this experience given you the desire to venture away from translation and into writing your own novel? If so, would it be historical fiction or something completely different?




                My initial drive was to translate this series so that family and friends could appreciate the works of Karl May. But as so often happens, (perhaps it was just me) we get inundated with all sorts of ideas. I've actually had people come up to me at book signings and comment on their bizarre ideas, and one lady in particular told me I needed to, no, I had to, write a certain story (laughs). During the process, I did however have inspiration to write my father's memoir. He was a WWII veteran, and this was quite the departure from writing fiction. So, yes, it did inspire me to venture into other areas, including writing short stories for magazine publication. I'm currently working on a WWII thriller, entitled Stealth. It deals with an experimental jet fighter the Nazis were developing. The novel delves into human conflict, pitting a few 'good' Germans against Hermann Goering's war machine. It promises intrigue, adventure, even a little romance.










You've chosen to self-publish the books in this series. Please share the best and the most challenging parts of that process?




            As with many new authors, the challenge is to find a publisher who will take on your project and then walk you through the maze of the publishing industry. What I quickly learned was that few are willing to take on new authors, and fewer still if their initial work exceeds 100,000 words. My first novel(translation) had just over 150,000 words. Further, what complicated my entry into the world of publishing is that my first work was a translation. In my search, I ran into all sorts of vanity presses, that for a high price promised all sorts of things, including marketing, but delivered little in the way of real promotion, and certainly virtually nothing in terms of distribution. For any author, particularly in the early stages, you need to be available for book signings, and that means distribution into book stores. It was a real learning process. My advice to current writers and aspiring authors, is to seek out established authors and ask lots of questions. Also, keep reading(expand your repertoire), and of course continue writing. And perhaps most important, be prepared for the long haul and the many rejection letters(emails) that are sure to come.

One of my first highlights was to see my first novel prominently displayed in a local bookstore. The thrill of signing those fist few copies was a wonderful experience and made all the work worthwhile.




  

BOOK GIVEAWAY! 

Leave a comment here between now and Sunday night and I will choose one person to win a copy of Buried Secrets!!!

God Was In The Gentle Whisper

The Lord said [to Elijah], "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:11-13







 This was God's response, when his prophet, Elijah, reached the end of his rope, was literally begging God to simply let him die because the burden of living had become too great.




So God told Elijah that he would come to him, and he did. Not with a great show of force and fireworks. No. God chose a means that befitted the fragile psyche of the exhausted, depressed Elijah. 




God was in the gentle whisper.




Sometimes, when I am feeling depressed and overwhelmed, this is exactly what I hope for, as well. God's gentle, comforting, presence.

Snow Day 3 April 2012

The month of March was completely dry, too warm, and created a fire hazard. 




Today we are so very thankful for a few inches of snow that will bring us much needed moisture. I hope we'll get more, it's not only needed, it's incredibly beautiful.

Mrs. Tuesday Giveway at So Simply Sara!

Sara Kovach at So Simply Sara is hosting a book review, interview, and giveaway of Mrs. Tuesday's Departure HERE. Please stop by Sara's blog and enter to win a book, or just say hi!



And thank you, Sara, for kindly hosting me!

Check Me Out At The Library - Literally!

Mrs. Tuesday's Departure can now be checked out from the Jefferson County Public Library! This is a screen shot of the library's online catalogue. And that is a catalogue listing for my book.



We have a wonderful public library system that is very supportive of its local authors, whether you are traditionally or indie-published.



Adding to the awesomeness is a certain synchronicity. If you look closely, you'll see that they ordered the books on March 19th....my birthday. Now, in more ways than one.



Thank you Jefferson County Public Library for supporting local authors.

Today I Am 50!

Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes.




Here's to the start of a wonderful new year




and 




a fabulous




 ground-breaking




 show-stopping




 record-making




(so the last 50 years look like a warm-up)




 next half-century.







Hugs and kisses,




Suzanne.

10 Questions Every Author Should Ask

Guest Post

By Jeff Bennington

 Author of The Indie Author's Guide to the Universe




The monsters have been screaming in your head for
years, scratching and clawing at your brain until you finally put pen to paper
and let them out.

You had dreamed of writing a book or a series until
you couldn't take it anymore. The itch needed to be scratched, and you needed
to free the creatures that had taken residence in your imagination before they
consumed, devoured, or, worse, possessed you.

So, write you did. You worked for months and years
perfecting not only the story but your delivery through study, peer review, and,
finally, a professional edit.

You sighed, taking in a breath of fresh air when at
last you had a beautiful cover that added color and vitality to your dream.

The monsters in your brain were freed.

You let Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Goodreads,
and Smashwords in on your dirty little secret, a secret that only you knew
until you finally revealed to the world that you were the next Stephen King,
Agatha Christie, or J. K. Rowling.




Screeeeeeech … [enter the scratching record noises]




Now, you know the truth.

Writing is more than tapping your longtime dreams
into your word processor; it's also about running a business, marketing, public
relations, and accounting. And much to your dismay, there are hundreds of
thousands of other writers just like you with the same vision. You begin to
obsess over every new sale. You run a fever at the first sign of a bad review.
You notch up your social media. You pay to advertise. You lower your pricing.
You write guest blogs. Pant, pant, pant.

You do everything and anything to get noticed, until
finally you realize that indie publishing isn't what you thought it would be.

You walk to your bed, lie down, and wish the monsters
were back inside, safe in the cave whence they came.

Of course, you ask yourself a few questions;
questions that you should've asked before your writing life went from big
dreams to tiresome reality:




1.    
Can I handle
subjective opinions of my work?




2.    
Do I have time
to build a platform, market, engage in social media, and continue writing?




3.    
Is my family
prepared and willing to lose a big part of me to a second job?




4.    
Can I afford to
build a quality book: editing, cover, and formatting?




5.    
Am I in this for
the long haul, or do I expect instant success?




6.    
Do I have time
to read and hone my craft?




7.    
Am I willing to
add more friends, contacts, associates, and partners to my already hectic life?




8.    
Am I ready for
the publication marathon?




9.    
Am I willing to
support and promote other authors for my mutual benefit?




10. 
Which is the
true monster, my book or the business of publishing?




After asking yourself these questions, you realize
your eyes must have been bigger than your stomach. Even so, you decide it's a
good idea to ponder your next move.

Will you give up? Can you continue at the pace you're
on? Do you love writing and publishing, or are you simply infatuated with the
idea of being published?

After much consideration, you shake your head, a few
tiny creatures fly out of your ears, and you discover that you're not done. You
seem to have a knack for breeding monsters. You smile, plug the charger into
your laptop, and start another pot of coffee.

There's still one hour left in the day to write, one
more beast to command, one more book left in you. Final question: what will you
do now? If you've read this far, I think we both know the answer.










  Jeff Bennington shared an excerpt from his must read book for all indie authors. Jeff blogs at The Writing Bomb.com   and is the author of REUNION, an Amazon #1 bestselling supernatural thriller, TWISTED VENGEANCE and CREEPY, a collection of scary stories. He is the founder of The Kindle Book Review.  When Jeff isn't writing and blogging, he's busy raising and homeschooling his four children with his wife in Indianapolis, IN.

Guest Post: MJ Rose and The Book of Lost Fragrances

Today I'm happy to happy to host MJ Rose, an author I've long followed on Facebook and who I greatly admire for her writing and her book marketing acumen, she is the author of eleven novels and the founder of AuthorBuzz . 




Today, MJ is launching The Book of Lost Fragrances and on a blog tour introducing us to her book as well as some of the fragrances that inspired the story.




Welcome MJ!















I've been fascinated with lost fragrances since long before I started writing The Book of Lost Fragrances… since I found a bottle of perfume on my great grandmother's dresser that had belonged to her mother in Russia. Here is one of those lost fragrances that stirs the senses and the imagination… (reasearched and described with the help of the perfume writer Dimitrios Dimitriadis)




CHÉRIGAN - FLEURS DE TABAC












At the height of the Art Deco age, Parfums Chérigan launched Fleurs de Tabac in 1929.




Fleurs de Tabac has a brisk citrus opening over a dry, smokey vetiver heart which is imbued with tiny star-shaped jasmine blooms and sheets of pungent cured tobacco leaf. Finally, a rich amber/vanilla base and sensual muskiness reveals itself and trails off well into the drydown. A wonderful example of the European predilection towards tobacco-inspired scents in the 20's and 30's, and one that is sadly now lost to time.










Discover the perfume inspired by The Book of Lost Fragrances




Pre-order The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose and we'll send you a free sample of Âmes Soeurs, the Scent of Soulmates. This exclusive fragrance, inspired by the novel, was created by Joya Studios and is not yet for sale.  Joya's Âmes Sœurs hints of Frankincense, Myrrh, Orange Blossom and Jasmine. It's smoky uncommon finish suggests the past and the future, and lost souls reunited.


Just use one of the links at http://mjrose.com/fragrances/scent.asp and follow the directions there.



















About
THE LOST BOOK OF FRAGRANCES:

Jac L'Etoile has always been haunted by the
past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up
surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfume company. In order to
flee the pain of those remembrances--and of her mother's suicide--she moved to
America. 




Now, fourteen years later she and her brother
have inherited the company along with it's financial problems. But when Robbie
hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly
goes missing--leaving a dead body in his wake--Jac is plunged into a world she
thought she'd left behind.




 Back in Paris to investigate her brother's
disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend the House of L'Etoile has been
espousing since 1799. Is there a scent that can unlock the mystery of
reincarnation - or is it just another dream infused perfume?




 The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses
history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra's Egypt and the terrors of
revolutionary France to Tibet's battle with China and the glamour of modern-day
Paris. Jac's quest for the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for
becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past.




M.J.
Rose is a skilled writer and a remarkable storyteller. Using Cleopatra's lost
book of fragrance formulas as a stepping stone, Rose spins a tale replete with
stunning twists and compelling characters that will keep readers turning the
pages late into the night.




About
the Author:

M.J. Rose is the international bestselling author of
eleven novels: Lip Service, In Fidelity, Flesh Tones, Sheet Music,
Lying In Bed, The Halo Effect, The Delilah
Complex, The Venus Fix, The Reincarnationist, The Memorist, and The Hypnotist. The Book of Lost Fragrances will be published in
March 2012.  Rose is also the
co-author with Angela Adair Hoy of How To
Publish And Promote Online, and with Doug Clegg on Buzz Your Book.




Rose
is a founding member and board member of International Thriller Writers and the
founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. As well as
the co-founder of Peroozal.com and the popular website BookTrib.com.




Rose
has been profiled in Time magazine,
Forbes, The New York Times, Business 2.0, Working Woman, Newsweek and New
York Magazine.  Rose has
appeared on "The Today Show," Fox News, "The Jim Lehrer News
Hour" and features on her have appeared in dozens of magazines and
newspapers in the U.S. and abroad, including USA Today, Stern, L'Official,
Poets and Writers and Publishers Weekly.

 

M.J.
Rose lives in Connecticut with Doug Scofield, a composer, and their very
spoiled dog, Winka. To learn more about M.J. Rose and her work, visit her
website at: www.mjrose.com.
More about MJ Rose:

M.J. Rose is a Renaissance woman.  She is a respected journalist and the
internationally bestselling author of twelve highly acclaimed novels. She is
the founder of AuthorBuzz, the first marketing firm for authors and one of the
founding board members of International Thriller Writers.  Rose has also co-founded Peroozal.com
and the popular website BookTrib.com. She has an enduring passion for art,
mythology and esoterica, as evidenced her Museum
of Mysteries blog.  In essence,
M.J. Rose is a force to be reckoned with.











Rose
is also an impeccable researcher, often blending actual history into her
spellbinding storylines.  And her
latest, THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES
(Atria Books; $24.00; March 13, 2012), an engrossing thriller that weaves
together reincarnation, ancient Egypt, international intrigue, and a lost book
of fragrances, is no exception. It's already been chosen as an Indie Next Pick
for March and was recently named one of Publishers
Weekly's Top Ten Mysteries and Thrillers. Rose will also be part of Atria
Great Mystery Bus Tour—In April, Atria Books will send four authors from three
different countries to twelve cities.




In
preparation for writing THE LOST BOOK OF
FRAGRANCES, Rose spent more than two and half years researching ancient
treatises on perfumery and alchemy, traveling to flower farms and conventions,
as well as studying with fragrance architects, famous "noses," and niche
perfumers. Based on that research, Rose provides exclusive author notes in THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES, as well a
comprehensive glossary that offers factual information about some of the
topics, locations, theories and legends she vividly weaves into her plot. 




While writing, to remain in the
world of the novel, she burned incense and her favorite candles created by
Frederick Bouchardy under the brand name JOYA. When the novel was finished she
searched out Bouchardy to give him a copy of the yet to be published novel.
Bouchardy was instantly intrigued by THE BOOK OF LOST FRAGRANCES—first, as a reader, he said he was taken with the mystery and
romance of the story. In Rose's tale, scent plays a strong role as it pertains
to memory. Bouchardy, who creates using oils and other classic ingredients,
said this notion spoke to him as a designer and producer of fragrances. The
ancient fictional fragrance at the heart of Rose's novel is called Âmes Soeurs,
which means "Soul Mates" in French. Inspired by the book, Bouchardy has brought
the perfume to life with his version: Âmes
Soeurs, The Scent of Soul Mates. Bouchardy interpreted Rose's imagined
fragrance with notes of Frankincense, Myrrh, Orange Blossom, and Jasmine.
It
Wasn't Always Easy—getting published has been an adventure for M.J. Rose who
self-published her first novel, Lip
Service late in 1998 after several traditional publishers didn't know how
to position or market it since it didn't fit into any one genre. Frustrated,
but curious and convinced that because of her advertising background she could
figure out the marketing, Rose set up a web site where readers could download
her book for $9.95 and began to seriously market the novel on the Internet. After
selling over 2,500 copies (in both electronic and trade paper format) Lip Service became the first e-book and
the first self-published novel discovered online. It was chosen by the Literary
Guild/Doubleday Book Club and published by a mainstream New York publishing
house. The rest, as they say, is history… 

First Ice Cream Sandwich of the Season

The weather is unseasonably warm today. It's 60 F and sunny and there are a lot of people who are hoping that winter is behind us. Not me, of course. I'm incredibly disappointed that I'm not sitting under a blanket of four feet of snow.

However.








I thought I should make a little something to kick-off the upcoming summer season. We'll start with some ice cream that perfectly reflects my ever-changing state of mind. Can't decide whether to have vanilla or chocolate? No decision necessary! You can have both!







Then we'll take these chocolate chip cookies that I had in the freezer. It's a good idea to use them frozen so that they won't crumble when you add the scoop of ice cream.









I created a little assembly area. Place a scoop of ice cream on the inside of one cookie. Then put the tops on them to create a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich.









John and Heidi are coming next weekend for a birthday visit. 

Do  you think I should put this platter of delicious cookies in the freezer for them?




Me. Neither.

Book Reviews and Book Giveaways!

Today Mrs. Tuesday is being reviewed over at Little Sprout Growing with the fabulous blogger, Elise! Please click over and check out her review and her beautiful blog.




In honor of Mrs. Tuesday remaining in the Top Ten in Religious Historical Fiction, I'd like to give away ebook versions of Mrs. Tuesday. All you have to do is click over to my author page, like and leave a comment. That's it!




Thank you!