Alan McDermott's Blog, page 5

Regret No More

Nothing is safe from the past


Fellow author Seb Kirby is releasing his latest thriller on April 9th and it is my great pleasure to share it with you.  The first book in the series reached the amazon UK bestseller list and I'm sure Regret No More will be equally successful.
The mystery deepens as the tragic events in Florence return as a matter of life or death for James Blake and his family. A stolen Picasso used in an art swindle lies at the root of an international conspiracy that reaches into the life of a prominent US politician with devastating consequences not just for him but for so many of those caught up in the crime.


Wolfgang Heller, a ruthless assassin, is seeking to eliminate those who have any knowledge of the swindle. James has to leave the secure life he has established and become involved in this new threat to the future.

REGRET NO MORE combines thrilling action with a thought-provoking story line centred on international art crime.


Amazon links:


US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C8H6TFS
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00C8H6TFS
FR: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00C8H6TFS

DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00C8H6TFS
IT: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B00C8H6TFS

ES: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00C8H6TFS

CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00C8H6TFS



Background


REGRET NO MORE is the second book in the bestselling James Blake series of thrillers. The first, TAKE NO MORE has been widely praised for its innovative and knowledgeable depiction of art crime. The final book in the series, FEAR NO MORE, is to be published later this year.


Praise for TAKE NO MORE


‘I loved the inclusion of a more modern evil …. along with the search for lost classic art and the romantic tale of James Blake, who loved his wife very much…’


‘Kirby's spare yet rich prose, his perfect word choices, made this a work that appeared to be effortlessly constructed. That seamlessness is the hallmark of a gifted writer.’

‘I really liked the main character, James Blake and his fearless pursuit of the truth.’


'It was a few pages before I realized what I was reading: a sort of modern noir. I walked in the hero's shoes, was privy to his thoughts and intruded on his emotions

‘Memorable characters with murder, organised crime, Italy and art….’


‘Mystery and the arts – a great combo. The art world depiction was fascinating….

'From the first pages 'Take No More' held me enthralled and it delivered on every promise it made. It is a rich story set in a complex tapestry of characters and settings.'


Author Links:

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Seb-Kirby/e/B00...
Website: http://noveltakenomore.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/seb.kirby
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/Take.No.More
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Seb_Kirby

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/....

Seb_Kirby Interview (please use as much or as little as required)


What attracted you to writing?


I was raised with books but not in the usual sense – my grandfather ran a mobile library in Birmingham
and my parents inherited a random selection of the books. They weren't much interested in them; they were piled up in a box room, gathering dust. I would disappear in there and resurrect much read classics. I’ve been hooked ever since. It’s always seemed a natural thing to want to do – to write.


What genre are you most comfortable writing?


I write thrillers and I write sci fi. That’s probably because those are the genres that I get the most enjoyment reading. I’ve written quite a lot of non fiction, as yet unpublished. I have a hankering to write comedy one day but that’s a hard call since you don’t know if what you write will be funny until you try it out on an audience.


How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

I had a tough upbringing in Birmingham. I think that gave me a lifelong understanding of what really matters in everyday life. But I received a good education that gave me a grasp of cultural tradition and the importance of maintaining it. I try to address both these aspects in my writing.


Where do you get your inspiration and ideas from?


Ray Bradbury put it best: ‘My stories run up and bite me in the leg - I respond by writing down everything that goes on during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go and runs away.’ I feel the same. The best ideas come when a story is in full flow and the characters take on a life of their own.


Do you have any writing rituals or listen to “mood music” when you write? Where is your favourite place to write?


I carry a notebook. I write whenever it feels right – on trains, on a flight, in a hotel room, at home. I listen to jazz a lot but I’ve never been able to do that while I’m writing. I prefer silence and I’m lucky to live in a place that has real silence.


What’s your favourite place in the entire world?


That’s a tough one. I’m lucky that I’ve been able to travel and find places that resonate and that I want to return to as often as I can. With the exception of Ambleside (The English Lake District) all are cities: Florence, London, Venice, San Diego, Paris, San Francisco (in no particular order).


What was your favourite part of REGRET NO MORE to write? Which part was the hardest?


I enjoyed recapturing the ascent to Sandia Crest that I made some years ago aboard the Sandia Peak tramway outside of Albuquerque. I find those cable cars very scary. The view over the Rio Grande plain was memorable but the descent over TWA valley was something of a challenge. What I found hardest was synchronising events in Austin, Texas with events in London. There’s a six hour time difference in Summer and it was challenging to make sure that the characters were doing what they were supposed to be doing at the right time of day – sleeping, having breakfast or dinner. I hope I got it right!


Give your fans three fun facts that they may not already know about you.


Not sure how many of these are fun but here goes: I try to walk 15 miles each week; I think Miles Davis was a musical genius; I’m a lifelong vegetarian.


Chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?


It’s just got to be chocolate. I’m a chocoholic, so ‘more than 70% cocoa solids’ is the kind of off the wall talk that appeals to me!


If you could invite any 6 people to dinner who would you choose?


Being a writer, I wouldn’t expect all to be living right now, so I could delve back into history as much as I like. That would make things interesting! I’d like to meet Pythagoras, the guy who invented music,
mathematics and vegetarianism amongst much else. I’d like to hear him bounce ideas off George Gershwin, the guy who just about invented modern jazz. Then, I’d like to introduce them to H G Wells, one of the forbearers of modern science fiction (who, long ago now, had a profound influence on my grandfather when they met and talked in the bookish circle surrounding my grandfather’s lending library). I think they should have some female company and that would have to be Mary Shelley, creator of Frankenstein and all round woman ahead of her time. That would leave just two places and one would have to go to Leonardo Da Vinci. I’d like to hear how a man like him could have done so much in so many fields of endeavour in such a short time. My last invite would go to Albert Einstein. Where would modern science be without the great man? Some dinner party!


So what’s next for you as an author?


I’m ready to develop my sci fi novel DOUBLE BIND with a sequel but the next thing on the list is to complete the James Blake trilogy. The full extent of the corruption merging from the Landos in Italy is a story yet to be told. The working title is FEAR NO MORE. I’m hoping to complete this before the end of the year, or sooner if the creative process goes well.

One Shade Of Red

When good friend Scott Bury asked me to create a post for his new novel, I jumped at the chance.  I read and thoroughly enjoyed his first book, The Bones Of The Earth, and I knew he was going to follow up with something special.
Thank you, Alan, for agreeing to kick off the One Shade of Red launch blog tour.
One Shade of Red is my sexy spoof of the inexplicable best-seller, Fifty Shades ... well, you know what it is. Once I read it (I bought it as a present for my wife — really!), I could not resist the idea of turning it upside down and then trying to write it better.
Where 50 Shades is about an unbelievably naive young woman who finds the perfect man — incredibly rich, unbelievably beautiful, smart, self-made and with one deep, dark flaw for her to fix — One Shade is about a believably naive young man (a 20-year-old virgin for a believable reason) who meets the ideal woman: a little older, beautiful, independently rich, smart, sophisticated and sexually voracious. In other words, there’s nothing to fix.
One Shade of Red hits the e-book retailers on April 2. For links, check out the author’s blog, scottswrittenwords.blogspot.com.
The blog tour begins with an excerpt from Chapter 1, where boy meets girl. The tour continues on March 27 at Siggy Buckley’s Writers Get Together blog.



Scott Bury is a journalist, editor and novelist based in Ottawa, Canada. His articles have appeared in magazines in Canada, the US, the UK and Australia, including Macworld, the Financial Post, Applied Arts, the Globe and Mail and Graphic Arts Monthly.
His first published novel is The Bones of the Earth, a fantasy set in the real time and place of eastern Europe of the sixth century. He has also published a short story, Sam, the Strawb Part (proceeds of which are donated to an autism charity), and a paranormal story, Dark Clouds. His work in progress is tentatively titled Walking from the Soviet Union, and tells the true story of a Canadian drafted into the Red Army during the Second World War, his escape from a German POW camp and his journey home.

Thrills, Chills and Kills 4

Thrills, Chills, and Kills #TCK4 On March 20 to March 22, my YA mystery-thriller, GONE AT ZERO HUNDRED 00:00, will be FREE through “ Thrills, Chills, & Kills” Book Event, #TCK4 . I have joined with the following bestselling authors to offer amazing deals on incredible books.GO FOR IT.FREE:
Velvet Rain by David C. Cassidy
Pit Stop by Carmen DeSousa
The Depot by Carmen DeSousa
Gone At Zero Hundred 00:00 by C.R. Hiatt
Gray Justice (Tom Gray #1) by Alan McDermott
Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula by Elise Stokes
Amelia’s Story by D.G. Torrens99 CENTS:
She Belongs to Me by Carmen DeSousa
This Time Forever by Patricia Paris
Letters to Gabriella by Patricia Paris
Double Bind by Seb Kirby
Take No More by Seb KirbyWhile you’re there, check out the  Tales and Treasures #TTWIN  event, and enter for a chance to win one of those amazing jewelry pieces designed by @deevinehammer. Bullets, Brass, and Badass…

Guest Post: Broken Wings by D. G. Torrens

My good friend Dawn Torrens tells me her novel Broken Wings is going to be released very soon, and I'd like to share her fabulous news with the rest of you.

Take it away, Dawn...


I have been writing BROKEN WINGS for a few months now and I am pleased to report it is coming along nicely! Albeit slowly, I have cmpleted the first draft and now on the second of my war/romance novel. Finding the time to write is very challenging at best and with a four year old in tow you can imagine time is very precious..BROKEN WINGS is set in the beautiful setting of Cumbria specifically, Lake Windermere and Kendal town where my two main characters Joshua and Angelina first meet before he is posted on a five month tour to Afghanistan. This is an intense love story full of angst, passion and drama that will evoke all kinds of emotions. It is by no means predictable and will have you guessing right to the very end! My book cover has once again been designed by the talented cover designer Ares Juan. I am predicting the release of my novel to be during the spring 2013. So for those of you who are looking forward to the release of BROKEN WINGS please see an excerpt below which will give you an idea of what to expect. Enjoy…

BROKEN WINGS EXCERPT:They stood naked in the shimmering cool water; the warm September night was calm and still, with the moon shining beams of light onto the vast lake. The curves of their naked bodies were shadowing the water. Neither one said a word as they looked deep into each others saddened eyes, their united silence saying so much. Angelina did not want to let him go fearing she would never see him again.Joshua smiled, “I will come back to you I promise” Angelina placed her head on his chest, tears falling down her reddened cheeks. “I could not bear it if I never saw you again, please don’t go,” she pleaded with all her heart. “I have no choice. You knew when we met that this would be a possibility Angelina. I will be back before you know it. This is my duty as a soldier, I have to go.”She felt her heart closing in, the tightness was suffocating. All those young men who never made it home alive… She did not want her Joshua to be one of them; however, she also understood that he needed to go along with the rest of his regiment. This knowledge did not make it any easier to bear. She had a bad feeling about this posting in a way she never had with the others. Angelina just could not shake it off. Joshua was not able to disclose the whereabouts of his deployment, although he wanted to with all his being. He had an urge to share his inner fears with her, but he held off knowing this would make his leaving far harder for Angelina to deal with.This was their last night together and they decided to spend it down by the lake, their very special place. This was where they spent their first date together eighteen months ago. That first date had sealed their rare and irrevocable feelings for one another that could not be denied. They have never looked back. When they were together it was as if the rest of the world didn’t exist and time stood still. Joshua fought his undeniable feelings with all that he had, not wanting to get involved with anyone knowing he was being posted soon. But the draw was too strong and the fight was over before it began. He was mesmerized by her. Angelina was deep and sensitive and was the suffer-in-silence type. He liked that about her. She was unlike anyone he had ever known, she understood him in a way no one else ever had before.Angelina wanted to hold Joshua, never let him go and to keep him safe from harm. She held him so tight as if her own life depended on it. “I love you so much Joshua, please come back to me.” She cried uncontrollably now. He took off his ring that was passed down to him by his grandfather many years before and placed it on her finger. “I promise you when I return I will make you my wife.” With that Joshua kissed her gently on the lips. He hated leaving her; he knew this was as hard for her as it was for him.“Joshua, when you’re gone time stands still until you return to me. I can’t move forward or backward. I can’t sleep because of worrying about you. There are so many soldiers returning back home in boxes. Every time I turn on the TV there is a news item about a young soldier not making it back alive the families left behind tormented by their grief.”“Last week there were two soldiers from the West Midlands who were killed by a road side bomb in Afghanistan headlining the news. What if you get posted there again Joshua? I know the loss you suffered on your first tour of Afghanistan that could so easily have been you. You are my very reason for existing so you better come back to me. Do you hear me? ”Joshua looked into Angelina’s beautiful almond eyes. He knew it would break her heart if she found out he was being posted there for a second tour, but there was nothing he could do or say. He wrapped his large arms around her and held Angelina tight. “I love you with all my heart. I promise I will be back for Valentines Day and then I will be back for good. I will not be extending, I promise you, it’s only six months. It will fly by. I promise I will write to you all the time.” Angelina could not control the flood of tears falling down her pale cheeks, she could hardly breathe fearing this could be the last time she ever saw him alive. Joshua ran his finger slowly over the small scar etched into her right eyebrow. He held her face in the palm of his large hands and kissed it, brushing the tears from her sodden cheeks. He felt her pain. He was feeling it too. No words could take their pain away; it was something they had to endure together until his return.

http://dawnsdaily.com/

Guest Post: Seb Kirby - How I Write

This week I asked Seb Kirby - author of Take No More and Double Bind - to share his thoughts on the writing process.  Take it away, Seb...

Well, first I think that's a very personal thing and that every author will have their own take on this. There's no right or wrong way. As W. Somerset Maugham said: 'There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no-one knows what they are.' 

Basically, I prefer the Stephen King approach as set out in his 'On Writing'. You know, the book he wrote after he was hit by a truck when he was out walking to clear his mind after a writing session. The truck that nearly killed him. You get the idea that he felt he had to put it all in that book, just in case. 

I take his approach to be something along the lines of: If you're not surprising yourself when you're writing your book, how can you hope to surprise your readers when they're reading it? So, I try to be excited at what's coming out as I write and let the novel plan itself. With this approach, you don't start with a detailed, worked-out plot or anything more than a part-glimpsed plan, you really do let the characters tell you what should happen next. 

Generally, I don't believe in heroes. I wouldn't want to trust one. I get more from ordinary, flawed, people in situations that take them out of their normal lives. Then things get interesting as you see how they struggle with what seems for them the impossible. And I want to resolve things in the end in their favour. My way, if you like, of righting some of the wrongs, albeit in a small way. 

There are two of Stephen King's aphorisms that I take seriously. The first: 'The road to hell is paved with adverbs.' So, where at all possible I don't use them. The second: 'Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule.' I never use a dictionary or a thesaurus. 

Finally, I'd emphasise the importance of the 'polishing' stage in the writing process. Once the words have formed themselves out of the characters' wishes, once the story has been told, the real work begins. Writing and rewriting, working and reworking the text to give it as much shine and polish as you can muster. And there's then always the hope in discovering another of the goals suggested by Stephen King – that seldom achieved 'gem' where you contribute a striking and novel turn of language that lights up the whole show. 

You can read more of Seb's musing on his blog:  http://noveltakenomore.blogspot.co.uk

Guest post: C. R. Hiatt

Over the coming weeks I plan to add a few posts by fellow indie authors. To get the ball rolling I am proud to present an excerpt from Fireworks on the 4th by C. R. Hiatt. Excerpt from Fireworks on the 4th With the NVGs guiding us in the dark we crossed the desert by timing our moves with the guards alternating walks around the perimeter. Jake kept watch while I crawled through the fence then he followed and we jogged silently in the direction of the guard shack. A couple feet away, he signaled me to get flat on the ground. I complied.Through the NVGs, I watched as one of the security guards stepped out of the shack and began to make his rounds. When he disappeared behind the building, Jake pulled the M9 from his hip and moved in silent, but stealth-like mode toward the shack. He sidled up alongside the building, staying just underneath the windows. Took two steps until he was square in the opened door, and raised the weapon.Before the guard even got the chance to raise his head from his magazine…THWAP – Jake fired.A dart protruded from the weapon and hit the guard center chest. Several seconds passed before the guard’s lanky frame slumped down. Jake quickly moved him out of view. At the same time, he signaled me to run toward the back of the building.I took flight, and hid behind one of the four-wheeler’s. When I glanced back, Jake was no longer at the shack and disappeared from my sight.The first security guard reappeared from the other side of the building, and made his way back toward the shack. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed his partner was not at his post and automatically reached for his weapon. Before he could, Jake unexpectedly rose up out of the ground where he was buried in the sand. The M9 was raised.THWAP – a dart hit the guard in the neck.Jake caught him before he slumped down, lifted him off the ground and returned him to the shack. He grabbed supplies from his side pocket, quickly bound the guards’ wrists with plasti-cuffs, and covered their mouths with duct tape.The take down was so methodical and quick, I knew my father had been doing missions like this for a very long time. I couldn’t help but watch in awe. He signaled me to join him as he entered the garage.“Now, we move fast. They’ll be out for a while, but no guarantees how long.”We did a quick search of the garage, checking inside the white box truck. He signaled me to get behind him as he double-checked the office then we met up at the door to the basketball-sized room I referred to as the kill house.Buy: Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00Buy: Fireworks on the 4thCR HIATT

Tom Gray Trilogy

For one week only, the complete Tom Gray trilogy is available from Amazon for just $3.99!!
If you haven't met Tom yet, you can learn about his exploits here
Hurry, though.  The offer is only good until January 27th 2013!!

FUEL. YOUR. FIRE.

TCK have once again collaborated to bring you the event of events!
From Jan 17th -Feb 27, 2013 this is your chance to win a brand new KINDLE FIRE… That’s right, a brand new FREE kindle fire!  All you have to do is enter to win. You have seen it, you have heard about it, now how about owning it!

Just some of the authors involved in this great event are as follows: Elise Stokes, Seb Kirby, Patricia Paris, Cathy Carson, Carmen DeSousa, D. G. Torrens, David C. Cassidy,  Claude Bouchard, R.S. Guthrie  and of course myself!

Just click here for your chance to WIN!!!

Thrills, Chills and Kills 3!

  On January 10th and 11th, Gray Justice and Gray Resurrection will be  99 cents through the “Thrills, Chills, & Kills” Book Event.  I have joined with the following bestselling authors to offer amazing deals on incredible books. GO FOR IT…FREE:She Belongs to Me: by Carmen DeSousaLetters to Gabriella: by Patricia Paris99 CENTS:Velvet Rain: by David C. CassidyGone At Zero Hundred 00:00: by C.R. HiattA Murderous Game: by Patricia ParisCassidy Jones and Vulcan’s Gift: by Elise StokesHeart And Mind: by D.G. TorrensTake No More: by Seb KirbyDouble Bind: by Seb KirbyBARGAIN PRICE:Fireworks on the 4th: by C.R. HiattThis Time Forever: by Patricia ParisGray Redemption: (Tom Gray #3) by Alan McDermottCassidy Jones and the Secret Formula: by Elise StokesAmelia’s Story: by D.G. TorrensAmelia’s Destiny: by D.G. TorrensLand of the Noonday Sun: by Carmen DeSousaEntangled Dreams: by Carmen DeSousaWhen Noonday Ends: by Carmen DeSousaThe Pit Stop: by Carmen DeSousaEXHILARATING THRILLERS…SWEET ROMANCE…SUSPENSEFUL ROMANCEA YA SUPERHERO WITH OVER A HUNDRED FIVE-STAR REVIEWS…YA SLEUTHS AND SPIESAND A MEMOIR THAT AMAZON RATED AS ONE OF ITS MOST POPULAR…There is something for everyone! So load up your Kindles!CLICK  HERE:  http://bit.ly/TCK_3

Gray Justice revamped

I recently played around with the idea of putting all three Tom Gray books into one printed volume, but the mis-match between the cover for book one and the other two books left me with a problem:  What to show as the cover for the trilogy?

The only answer was to revamp Gray Justice, and so I contacted my wonderful cover designer and asked for something that matched the theme for the other titles.

The result is below, and I think he's done a sterling job once again!!

 To celebrate the new look, you can get Gray Justice FREE on the following sites:   Barnes And Noble Apple  Smashwords