Katheryn Lane's Blog, page 8

If Women Ruled The World. Meet Lori Lesko

Today
it’s great to have author Lori Lesko here to tell me abut her debut novel, Our
Daughters. Over to you Lori!



Why I wrote OUR DAUGHTERS:



The idea came from a vivid dream, actually of an intense sexual nature. I
was having relations with a man (don't know who) and quite enjoyed it. I then
remember going out of my room and telling other women about my experience,
because they have never had sex. But just then, another woman ran down the hall
crying that our good friend (somehow we all lived in this mansion) had given
birth to a boy.



We were devastated and grieved for her. Because we knew that wasn't allowed.
However, when this woman recovered from her loss and faced her peers, they
allowed her to at least stay in the senate as a member. We rejoiced at this
news.



I woke up from this dream thinking about my friend Claire. She's written a
beautiful screenplay that's set to start filming next year. I was inspired by
her creative story:



https://www.facebook.com/IDrawRoses



I'd never written anything before. She encouraged me to do it no matter what­—whether
as a short story, novel or screenplay. Mind you, this was around June of this
year, when there was an abundance of misogynistic men in our political arena
who claimed expertise on how women would not get pregnant when raped. Or if they
did, they wanted to shove a banana-shaped instrument into them, just to make
sure.



Infuriated, I began to write my little novella amazed at how fast the ideas
were falling into order. It was too easy. I simply reversed everything that was
happening today in our country and placed a little surprise kicker at the end.
While there is some violence in the story, I can honestly say there is not one
GUN! Imagine that?



What
is it About?



Diamond City is a place which lives up to its name. It has beautiful skies,
clean air, tall trees, mountains and lakes. Building structures are simple, but
eloquent. Everything runs on solar energy. Homes are all equal in size.



The people who live there have never known war or brutality. Every individual's
medical needs are taken care of. Education is one of the top priorities. And
money doesn't exist.



Diamond City is exactly how the women want it to be. This is only fair, because
it's women who run the city. But such luxuries come at a painful price… there
are rules to follow and laws to obey. Someone is always watching. This is the
city that Helethia is born into.



Helethia and her friend Marcana are both heirs to the most powerful position in
Diamond City, a seat in the Senate. A position which they are both being
well-groomed for.



They are expected to be sworn into the Senate when they turn 21. At that time,
each woman will be impregnated with the baby formula, then raise their
daughters identically. For Diamond City women have always given birth to girls.
Then one day, the unthinkable happens. A boy is born—tearing mothers and
daughters apart, revealing deep hidden secrets and changing their lives forever.


Why am I writing a screenplay based on it?



Mostly, because everyone who has read it, told me to. Including my editor
Claire Elizabeth Terry. She's been working in this area intensely for 20 years
and her own original screenplay starts filming this year! So page by page, I'm
writing it. Then I'll work on the sequel for the next book, as it will be a
series called "Diamond City Series."



The next book will pick up right where Our Daughters left off. It will be
titled The Snow Globe.



https://www.facebook.com/OurDaughtersNovella




Bio:



Lori Lesko was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Studied Photography
for a year at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Traveled the whole way to
Arkansas for college. There she graduated with a degree in Psychology and
Theatre. She loves to travel and is seen here on a recent trip to Paris and
Ireland. Her first book is a Novella called Our Daughters. She also likes to
attempt screenplays on the side. To be continued....







Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/lori.lesko.7



Twitter:
https://twitter.com/LeskoLori



Buy at
Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Daughters-Diamond-City-Series-ebook/dp/B00AB3FEK2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357071074&sr=1-1&keywords=our+daughters+diamond+city+series



Barnes
& Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/our-daughters-lori-ann-lesko/1112803753?ean=9781478325147



Redroom:

http://redroom.com/member/lori-lesko/books/our-daughters-a-novella



Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16213115-our-daughters



Will be
available at Smashwords and all other iPad, Nook, iPhone, Sony Reader, Kobo,
etc, in the next 2 weeks!



My web site: http://lorilesko.com/

Fantasy, Faeries and Magic. Meet Rosemary Lynch

I am very pleased to welcome author, Rosemary Lynch, who has kindly agreed to tell me all about her wonderful books and what inspired them. Over to you Rosemary!




I have always loved fantasy, and right from an early
age, faeries and magic have held a special place in my heart. As a child, I
spent a lot of time reading in my favourite apple tree at the bottom of the
Garden, and creating magical worlds and stories of my own. I have always tinkered
with writing; when my girls were young, I wrote farm animal stories for them
based on their ‘pets’ which lived on my mum and stepfather’s smallholding, and
a few faery stories as well.

I started writing Kainan, Deragan Sword Prophecy,
Book 1, three years ago, after I had an amazing dream, it was like a memory
stick downloading into my mind, and the dreams and inspirations have come ever
since. I finished, Meladrom, Deragan Sword Prophecy, Book 2 in August, and have
just completed the first draft of Book 3, called Analise that I hope to release
February/March 2013.



The Deragan Sword Trilogy, is more than just a
story, it is a journey into adulthood, responsibility and love. It sees a young
man who loses everything, fight to protect his new way of life, and save the
people that he loves from unspeakable evil. They are books full of magic,
romance, adventure, and fantasy creatures.



A lot of my inspiration also comes when I am walking
in the woods with my dogs; listening to the silence really helps to open your
mind and let the characters speak. I know it sounds crazy, but that is how it
feels sometimes, they have a story to tell, and it is up to me to tell it the
best way I can.



This half of the year I have also finished, TheWizard and the Witch, The Star of Elmrock, Book1. The inspiration for this
book came from the times I spent on holiday at my cousin’s farm in Surrey. We
did, as my characters in the book do, played for hours lost in our own magical
world.



My books are aimed towards young adults age 16+;
however, I have a wide range of readers, from adults to grandparents, who have
also enjoyed them.



Projects for the coming year – To finish and release
Analise, and write the Wizard and the Witch, Book 2. I have a few more stories
and ideas, which I have started, and I hope to tinker with this year, including
a spin off from Kainan, which I am really looking forward to writing.



All my books are available through Amazon.com and
Amazon.co.uk, in Kindle or paperback format.



http://ow.ly/gi1iK



Kainan ~ Deragan Sword Prophecy ~ Book One



http://ow.ly/gi1nz



Meladrom
~ Deragan Sword Prophecy ~ Book
Two



http://ow.ly/gi1rJ



The Wizard and the Witch ~ The Star of Elmrock



www.rosemary-lynch.weebly.com



https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rosemary-Lynch-Author/426037664084814?ref=hl



https://twitter.com/LynchRosemary

Triple Romance Christmas Giveaway!

#XmasGIVEAWAY
 








Gifting Books Christmas hop was organized by Reading Romances!

 

Christmas is a time for sharing and this year, thanks to two wonderful romance authors, K. E. Saxon and Jan Romes, I am giving away three romance novels to one lucky winner!

 

The first novel is the bestselling Scottish romance, Highland Vengeance , by K. E. Saxon.

 

Set in the turn of the thirteenth century Scottish
Highlands, this is the story of Daniel MacLaurin, a handsome, rugged
warrior-laird haunted by his past, and Maryn Donald, the beautiful,
high-spirited lass destined to help him find his heart's ease.



After his mother and grandfather, the only family he has ever known, are
viciously murdered in a surprise invasion when he is a lad of 13, Daniel spends
years focusing on training as a warrior and rebuilding his fortress, determined
to control the world around him so that nothing like it will ever happen again.



Maryn Donald is a wild child; a lass who, as the only offspring of her widowed
father, has been indulged in her high-spiritedness. So much so, that she takes
matters into her own hands when she sees that the neighboring clan is
mistreating their horses. She impetuously steals them and then, as recompense
for her crime, must wed the powerful, wealthy young laird about whom she's
heard such disturbing rumors: Daniel MacLaurin.



HIGHLAND VENGEANCE is a steamy adventure romance, but it is also a family saga.
It's the story of how a man overcomes the horror of his past to find love,
connection, and contentment once more.

 





Amazon | B&N | ARe | iTunes
| Kobo | Sony | Smashwords
| Diesel



 

The second novel, The Gift of Gray by Jan Romes, is a perfect 5-star romance for the festive season! 

 

Alexis Kelly will do anything for her best friends - even
work as a masseuse at their weekend matchmaking ranch. Besides, she needs the
cash and a distraction from the mistakes she made in the name of
self-preservation.



Gray Patterson is a grouchy advertising executive with perfectionist
tendencies. He's tired of going home to an empty apartment but has little time
to date, so he shucks convention in search of a soul mate.



The second Alexis and Gray meet, their personalities collide, but there are
also some amazing sparks. Over the course of the weekend, they dodge the
convoluted attraction until it begs to be acknowledged. Their relationship
takes a major hit when another client reveals Alexis's haunting baggage.



Will chemistry and a peek at love be enough to repair the damage?



Show More Thje

I couldn't giveaway these two great books without adding one of my own, so I'm also giving away a copy of my first romance novel, The Royal Sheikh .

 

Show Less





Clare McKay is a dedicated architect with no time for
womanising men. That is, until she accidentally meets Sheikh Rafiq Al Kahil, an
Arabian Prince, known in the international press as the Playboy Prince. Clare
is intent on not falling for his seductive charm, but when he asks her to design
a mansion, he presents her with an offer that she can’t refuse. Once she finds
herself alone with him in the Arabian desert, how long will she be able to hold
out against his advances? And will he be able to cast aside his womanising past
for her, as well as a secret engagement to an Arabian Princess?







What you can win: 3 great romance ebooks!


Highland Vengeance by K. E. Saxon
The Gift of Gray by Jan Romes
The Royal Sheikh by Katheryn Lane

Number of winners: 1

Open Internationally

How to enter: Enter via the Rafflecopter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

IN PURSUIT OF PLATINUM The Shocking Secret of World War II by Vic Robbie

Today, I'll thrilled to welcome Vic Robbie who has kindly agreed to tell us all about his bestselling book, In Persuit of Platinum , and give us a sneak peak. Over to you Vic! 



IT’S always one of the first questions you’re asked when you
produce a new book: “How long did it take you to write?”



Sometimes in more flippant
moments I’ve felt like saying ‘I knocked it out over the weekend.’ But I’ve
never had the guts, fearing a putdown along the lines of ‘Oh, it read like
that.’



How do you quantify the time
spent writing? Is it from the moment you sit down to write, or from when the
idea first comes into your head and you spend hours, days, weeks thinking about
what you can do with it which is all part of the writing process.



If that’s the case, IN PURSUIT OF PLATINUM
took me more than twenty years.



It’s so long ago that I can’t
remember the date and I have since mislaid the original press cutting from The
Observer newspaper in London that told the story of a very special Bentley that
was up for auction to wealthy collectors of classic automobiles. The car, which
at one time had reportedly been part of Ralph Lauren’s collection, was known as
‘The Bullion Bentley’ and part of its provenance was that it had been used by
the director of the Banque de France to smuggle platinum out of Paris in 1940 as
the Germans were about to invade. The newspaper report went into more detail
which I won’t go into here lest I spoil your enjoyment should you ever read it.



The story gripped my imagination
and every so often I would take out the cutting and read it again and it stayed
with me and with every reading I added another layer to my version of the
story. But the demands of international travel and daily deadlines for
newspapers and magazines and, more probably, my doubts about being able to
capture the atmosphere of the period meant the project was delayed.



But a couple of years ago I
decided I could put it off no longer and the writing of it was in itself a
journey of discovery and an education about the amazing courage and
perseverance of brave people who fought a tyrant and won.



The more I researched the more it
evolved into an amazing secret that the government didn’t want you to find out
– buried in archives and not to be revealed until 2045.



The Bentley, driven by an
American Ben Peters, was carrying
an even more valuable human cargo, a mysterious Frenchwoman escaping with her
young son and a secret that could change the course of the Second World War.



Alena and Ben were the targets of Adolf Hitler's ruthless
investigator Ludwig Weber, whose family would be executed if he failed. His
orders were to silence Alena before she could reveal her secret; capture her
young son and take him back to Berlin; and recover the Banque de France's
platinum.



While the story is about the stark and tragic realities of war and
the raw emotions of two brave people living on the edge of fear, it is also
about Ben and Alena’s developing relationship.



But not everything was as it seemed. Who was Alena and what was
her secret that could destroy everything the Nazi movement stood for?



My research took me to three
countries and it caused me to experience one of the most surreal moments of my
life. I had written several scenes about a specific location never having been
there and in subsequent research visited the area.  And the first time I walked in it took my
breath away – it was as if I had just walked into my own book.



So if you have any ideas hidden
away for a book, dig them out, and write them and find a good book cover
designer like Stuart Bache, who has also designed covers for the likes of
Stephen King and John Le Carre. It’s never too late.



 



For more
information, please visit www.vicrobbie.com





Twitter:
@VicRobbie





To get the
book as an eBook or paperback





Amazon.com
– http://bit.ly/InPursuitofPlatinum





Amazon.co.uk
–  http://bit.ly/InPursuitofPlatinumUK





Barnes
& Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-pursuit-of-platinum-vic-robbie/1113887464?ean=2940045094474





iBooks
–  https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/in-pursuit-of-platinum/id582119318?mt=11





Kobo
– http://bit.ly/InPursuitofPlatinumKobo





Smashwords –  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/221312





CreateSpace
– https://www.createspace.com/3992286



 



EXCERPT



 



IN PURSUIT OF PLATINUM TheShocking Secret of World War II



 

01





SHE knew she must kill her beautiful son. The decision was made in
a moment of ice-cold clarity before panic took over and tears began to flow in
rivulets of sorrow.



Dressed in a dark blue Chanel suit
and a cream silk blouse fastened atthe neck by a ruby and gold brooch, Alena
lay under filthy hessian sacks on a rough wooden floor. A rare red diamond ring
glinted like a droplet of blood on her left hand, but her pale blonde hair was
streaked with dirt and her stockings torn and suit creased.



Her breath guttered like a candle
flame in a breeze as sweat coursed down a forehead lined with stress and she
tasted its bitter sweetness. Pain squeezed her chest and she believed that the
pounding of her heart would betray them. And to her surprise, as fear crowded
in with a crushing intensity, she found she was praying although she had long
since left religion behind.



She had always known it would end
this way. As surely as evil follows good they would never let her go free. Now
she accepted that flight was futile. The boy squirmed around, his head a Medusa
mass of brown curls and his pale blue eyes sparking with a mischief that
usually made her smile,  and she kissed
him on the lips with a tender passion as her hands encircled his fragile neck.



 



02





HE looked out of the window of his office onto a deserted Voss
Strasse and sighed with satisfaction. This was how it should be, not a single
person allowed to impede his view unless they wished to incur his wrath.



The morning sunshine streamed
through the window accentuating the deep lines on his face and making his blue
eyes water, and a weary smile threatened to trouble the corners of his mouth.
It was ironic - no matter how high you soared, no matter how powerful you
became just one small slip and you could fall back to earth with the rest of
them.



He had an idea what information the
young Gestapo officer Huber wanted to share with him. That he had decided to
come alone declared his intent. Huber would have brought a chaperone if it had
been on the record. He suspected that one day it would catch up with him. There
were many who would endeavour to take advantage of any breach, and just when
his plans were going so well. But better now than later, he convinced himself.



For Carsten Huber the intimidating
walk through the new Reich Chancellery was the ordeal it was intended to be.
Albert Speer had designed the monolithic building to reinforce man's
insignificance in relation to the authority of the state, and Huber could feel
it working on him. Every step of the way he questioned his motives for being a
good German, his footsteps echoing like a drumbeat on the red marble floors.
What he was about to do was either the most audacious action he had attempted
or the most foolish. Only history would tell.



Having driven through the imposing
gates, he had entered the Ehrenhof, the court of honour that led to a reception
room. Tall double doors opened onto a large hall clad in mosaic, and he ran up
a couple of steps, passed through a rotunda with a domed ceiling and out into a
gallery that stretched for almost five hundred feet.



Halfway down, outside the office
where he was expected, two large carpets floated like rafts on a sea of marble.
On each, there were several small tables surrounded by chairs on which perched
those waiting an audience with fear and uncertainty shining out of their faces.



Two guards called him forward and,
after checking his papers, the huge double doors were opened to reveal a
cavernous study with the man he had come to see sitting behind a large
marble-topped table and staring out of a window.



Huber hesitated holding his black
fedora in both hands. He could feel his legs trembling and the more he thought
about it the more they shook. He'd wanted to meet this man but the fear of
confronting him was threatening to overpower him.



'Kommen,' the man said and wheeled
around in his seat to face his visitor.



Huber coughed and took several
uncertain steps forward, wondering if he should say something or wait until
spoken to.



'So?' The man asked lifting up the
corner of a book with an index finger, 
distracted as if expecting an insect to break cover. He thought the
Gestapo officer to be very young, possibly in his early twenties, perhaps
someone a German father would think was appropriate for his daughter to marry,
but a devious look in his eyes and a smirk betrayed a secret he was eager to
share.



Huber had mentioned one word in his
telephone call, requesting to see him face to face, and he knew that Huber knew
but how much?



Knowing not to make eye contact,
Huber coughed again. 'I have information which I believe is important to the
Reich and to you personally.'



The man raised his eyebrows as if
indicating to the young man that he had overestimated the importance of his
intelligence. 'So, why me?'



'I'm sorry?' Huber wondered if he
had made a mistake coming here.



'You should give this information
to your superiors. That is the correct procedure.'



Huber surprised him by breaking
into a smile showing a mouth full of white, even teeth. 'I think, perhaps, this
information is for your ears only.'



The man looked away from him. 'Why
are you doing this?'



'For my country, for you,' Huber
smirked again knowing his reasons were far more personal.



'And a reward, perhaps?'



'No, no,' Huber cleared his throat
and looked genuinely affronted. 'I only want to serve the Reich.'



The man kept staring at him,
showing no emotion.



'Well, if you believe I have been
of service,' Huber continued, 'perhaps a promotion, a small promotion?'



The man gestured, impatient for him
to get on with it



He listened with a concentration
that suggested that this was news to him. Huber knew some of the story, but not
all of it, and even that was too much.



The revelation at the end was
explosive. Something he hadn't known. Even Huber seemed embarrassed to reveal
it. It hit him like a blow to the solar plexus and he wondered what his face
showed at that moment. The young man's words filled him with a fear that he
hadn't known since he was a small boy. An anger that he struggled hard to
contain soon replaced it. How had this come about? At first he thought he might
be to blame although that quickly graduated to condemning those around him for
failing to protect him. The poison had defiled him. He couldn't understand it.
It was against everything he stood for and he couldn't tolerate it. And he was
the perpetrator. It was like being accused of a crime he hadn't known he'd
committed. He had a sudden desire to wash, to scrub the contamination from his
skin and cleanse himself.



Deep in thought, he didn't realise
that Huber had stopped talking and it took several minutes before the shuffling
of the young man's feet brought him back to the present.



Glancing around for confirmation
that no one else was present to have heard what Huber had just told him, he got
to his feet. 'Thank you for this information.' His face contorted into a smile
that the young man thought more frightening than when his face was in repose.
'Who else have you told?'



'No, no one,' Huber stuttered.



'Good, good.' He smiled again,
knowing that they would now have to find out how Huber had come about this
information and whether anyone else knew. 'What should I do with you, Huber? If
it's true, then this information



is a personal attack on me -'



'No, I wouldn't -'



He silenced the officer with a
raised hand. 'If it's not true, then you are guilty of spreading anti-German propaganda,
and that is treason.'



Huber swallowed hard and felt that
he might collapse.



'On the other hand, if you are
merely doing your job and will let this information rest with me so that I can
investigate its veracity, then perhaps you should get what you deserve.' Not
looking at him, he dismissed Huber with a wave of his arm.



Huber nodded in gratitude and made
his way backwards to the safety of the door. Outside, he felt dizzy and his
footsteps appeared to grow louder the more he progressed towards the exit and
fresh air. He'd gone two-thirds of the way down the great gallery when two
burly storm troopers fell in either side of him and guided him without touching
him deeper into the bowels of the building.



As soon as Huber had left his
office, the man balled a fist and slammed it into the top of his desk. Someone
else must know and if this got out the ramifications would be immense. He had
to find them.



He picked up a phone and spoke to
an aide. 'Bring the woman to me.  Alive!'



 



 

Corruption, collaboration and treachery. Meet John Hanley

Today
it’s great to welcome author John Hanley, who has kindly agreed to talk to me
about his wonderful debut book,  Against The Tide. First, what is your novel about?




It is set in 1939 and, on
the surface, it's a coming of age adventure with lots of action but underneath
there are more serious themes especially about the way Jews were treated not
just by the fascist dictatorships but also by the apparently democratic nations
including the UK. It also digs into the soil of corruption, collaboration and
treachery.



I believe it is part of the Jack Renouf
series. Does that mean we can expect more of the story?



Jack Renouf is the main
character and his relationships with Caroline and Rachel are driving forces of
the stories. Saul, whom he befriended to shield him from bullies at school, is
his best friend and a catalyst for much of the action in the first three novels
in the series.



I have planned ten books
in all, seven of which take place over a short period for each of the war
years. Eight is set in 1946 and continues Jack's involvement in the scramble to
obtain the Nazis’ secrets and expertise before the Russians can grab them. Nine
deals with the Israeli fight for independence.



The final novel is already
written and ready for publication and is set in 1990. It brings closure to any
readers who have been brave enough the follow the series. It also acts as a back
stop in case I fail, through age, infirmity or sheer exhaustion from book
promotion, to complete the previous novels!



What inspired you to write it?



I was born and grew up in
Jersey, a British island, which was occupied for five years by the Nazis during
the war. My mother lived through the experience and the evidence of German
fortifications were everywhere to be seen. I heard the stories and wondered
what it would have been like to live through that period but not trapped on an
island. I have always been incensed by the insanity of Hitler's obsession with
eradicating the Jewish people and wanted to write about that through the medium
of a friendship which endures some horrific episodes.



It was only through chance
that my mother wasn't killed on 29th June 1940 when the Luftwaffe,
without warning, bombed and strafed the harbour where she normally took a walk
with her mother each evening. On that occasion she felt unwell and they didn't
go, though a married couple who usually walked with them carried on and the
husband was killed. Because of this lucky escape I've always felt a particular
connection with this dark episode and describe it in the 2nd book –
The Last Boat.



The story is set during World War II.
Did you have to do a lot of research before you started writing?



Apart from the evidence
surrounding me as I grew up, I was influenced by British war films which
celebrated the stiff upper lip though I later discovered that this was
artificial as censors wouldn't allow ripe language to be broadcast. From my
research I discovered that the reality of up close and personal warfare:
everyday communication and sexual behaviour was far removed from the Ealing
Studios or Hollywood gloss which was projected in the cinema. I'd always been a
bit obsessed with the detail of warfare and as a child had collected models and
created primitive databases of military equipment. My prize Christmas present
when I was twelve was a book on the characteristics of Japanese fighter planes!



I've been gathering
supporting information for the series for many years and have a library of
nearly 500 books on the period. It seems that every month more and more is
being uncovered about events which took place seventy years ago and I've had to
make adjustments to the novels as these come to light. For example, the third
novel, provisionally titled 'Room 39', has Saul and Jack working for Ian
Fleming whose true role in war has only recently been examined and it is almost
as far-fetched as some of the plots he invented for the James Bond series!



I love the cover! Where is the picture
from?



I did try creating my own
cover from original artwork but I wanted something to convey the central
tension in Against The Tide created by the competition between Caroline and
Rachel who were both accomplished divers. There are hundreds of images of
divers to be found on the internet but hardly any of two in flight together.
Solo divers have been used as book covers so many times before that there was a
danger of creating a clichéd image. However, after much searching I found this
black and white photo which was true to the period and had the girls in
creative opposition. The production manager at my publishers did some Photoshop
work on it included some colouring in and it seemed just right. I did have to
change the text in the story about the diving competition to accommodate the
new colours!



What are you currently reading?



I have some books to
review as a quid pro quo at present and I've found myself purchasing other
Indie authors' work for my Kindle so I'm finding it difficult to spare more
than an hour a day for reading. I've just finished an unusual novella on my
Kindle — 'The 50 Megaton Tweet'  by
R.C.Wade — which I found very alarming and I've reviewed on Goodreads.  I've nearly finished — 'Operator'  by David Vinjamuir —also on Kindle and I've just
ordered Ben Elton's 'Two Brothers' which deals with the same themes as my
series and 'Cruel Britannia' which lifts the cloak of secrecy on the way the
civilised Brits really treated their prisoners when they needed information
from them.



What do you like to do in your free time
when you're not reading and writing?



I'm fortunate enough to
have my own outdoor swimming pool so for six months of the year I swim laps
aiming for at least 1,000 metres every day. I realise that's not even a warm up
for competitive swimmers these days though when, like Jack, my season was
limited to three months, I trained in the seawater pool in Jersey back in the
Sixties that represented a full session in quite cold water! 



I play golf sufficiently
badly to keep the club professional happy, play the piano - the cheats' version
when my mistakes are corrected by the computer which runs my Yamaha Clavinova
and provides full orchestral backing.



My wife and I are very
fortunate to live near our two daughters who have each produced a son. One is
now four and half and the other two and half (where has the time gone?) and we
have been trusted to look after them on a very regular basis. That is a real joy
though being chased by Jack (a coincidence as the novels came first), light
sabre in hand around the house until he corners Grandpa, does test my acting
skills as Darth Vader isn't allowed to laugh!




Do you have any final comments?



I've very new to this as Against The Tide was only published on 1st October this year. The story
starts in the middle of a water polo match in the Jersey Swimming Club's
seawater pool in Jersey on 9th July 1939. For the pre-launch I was
able to persuade the Jersey water polo team to stage a match in the same
location on 15th September. The local press used this as an
opportunity to photograph me against that background. Fortunately, the players
refrained from throwing a ball at me or splashing the photographer!



After the match I held a
book signing in the café. Later I was interviewed on BBC Radio Jersey and an
article about the book was printed in the Jersey Evening Post. The local
Waterstones booksellers put on a display as well. I've documented this event with
photographs on my website under my blog. Since then I've been immersed in the
jungle of social media trying to find some elbow room to let people know about
the book.




Where can readers find out more about
you?



My website which also
contains my blog and considerable background detail on the locations used in
Against The Tide:www.johnfhanley.co.uk
 




I've added some more
personal detail on why I wrote Against
The Tide on Ask David review
site: http://askdavid.com/reviews/book/historical-fiction-adventure/2616



UK Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0095JNJ78

USA Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/8cj5h97

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/new/16110927-against-the-tide

Love Writing: http://www.lovewriting.co.uk/book/9781780882987/isbn/noredirect

Troubador
publisher: http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=1872

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jf_hanley

My facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Johnfrancishanley

My facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/johnhanleyauthor?fref=ts

The Desert Sheikh - The Next Big Thing?

After The Royal
Sheikh and Her Latin Lover, what’s next? Find out in The Next Big Thing!
However, first I’d like to thank Elizabeth
Amisu who tagged me on her wonderful website
for this.



1)
What is the working title of your next book?




I’m
currently working on a book called The Desert Sheikh. It’s a trilogy of three stories
called, Kidnapped by the Sheikh, Married to the Sheikh and The Son of the
Sheikh.
2)
Where did the idea come from for the book?




The initial idea for
this Sheikh romance was inspired by a story I heard many years ago about a
family that was travelling to the airport in the south of the Arabian Peninsula,
and on the way there, they were kidnapped by a local warlord. They were
released two weeks later and reported that they had been treated very well by
their kidnappers, more like guests than hostages. The memory of this story
started me thinking about what would happen if the person who was kidnapped was
a single woman instead of a family, and what would happen if she fell in love
with the warlord? 
3)
What genre does your book fall under?




Exotic
Sheikh Romance!
4)
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie
rendition?




 





The
main male character, Sheikh Akbar, is from the Middle East so he would have to
be played by someone tall dark and handsome! Maybe someone like Tahar Rahim who starred in Black Gold. The main female character, Sarah Greenwich, is a blonde doctor from
England and would need a beautiful, strong actor, so maybe someone like Alice Eve?  

5)
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Sheikh Akbar needs a
hostage, Sarah Greenwich needs to escape, but sometimes what you need is not
what you want.




6)
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I
will publish it myself as this gives me complete control over the book, such as
the cover and the price.




7)
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I
started writing it last summer while I was on holiday. There’s nothing like a
good break to get inspired! I then continued writing it when I came back home and I’m now in the process of editing it.




8)
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Being a Sheikh romance,
it’s a little bit like my first romance novel, The Royal Sheikh. After I
published The Royal Sheikh, many of my readers asked if I could
write another Sheikh romance. However, I decided to write about a different
type of Sheikh this time. Unlike Sheikh Rafiq, in The Royal Sheikh, Sheikh Akbar is not a member of the international
jet-set. Instead, he comes from the more remote parts of the Arabian Peninsula
and rules over a local Bedouin tribe.




9)
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
When
I finished writing the first book in the trilogy, Kidnapped by the Sheikh, I
began to wonder what would happen next to the characters, Sheikh Akbar and Sarah
Greenwood. What would life be like after they were married? How would Sarah
cope as the wife of a Bedouin Sheikh? What would happen if they had a child? The
next two books in the series developed from there.




10) What else
about the book might pique the reader's interest?
 


I live in the Middle
East and work as a teacher. Although some of the children that I teach are from
Bedouin tribes, my story a purely a work of fiction!
I now need to tag 5
more authors for The Next Big Thing. If they would like to take part they need
to answer the same 10 questions and post them on their websites/blogs next Wednesday,
5 December.




K E Saxon - K. E.
Saxon is a third-generation Texan and has been a lover of romance fiction since
her first (sneaked) read of her older sister's copy of "The Flame and the
Flower" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. She is a member of Romance Writers of
America and Romance Divas. When she isn't in her writer's cave writing, you can
find her puttering in her organic vegetable garden or in her kitchen trying out
a new recipe. An animal (and bug) lover since before she could speak, she made
pets of all kinds of critters when she was a kid growing up. Her mother even
swears that she made a pet of a cockroach one time (but K.E. doesn't believe
her). She likes to write funny, sexy romances.
M. G. Edwards - Michael Gene (M. G.) Edwards
is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science
fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. A former U.S.
diplomat, he served in South Korea, Paraguay, and Zambia before leaving the
Foreign Service in 2011 to write full time. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with
his wife Jing and son Alex.



Philip Catshill - Philip Catshill
is a former British police officer and lives in England. He has had several
unique life experiences, near death encounters, physical disabilities and
emotional incidents that have combined to provide a firm foundation for his
excellent stories.




Alle Wells - Alle Wells writes Southern tales
of strength and courage. Readers say that her characters will tug at your heart
and touch your soul. Ms. Wells calls North Carolina home.
Michelle Hughes - Michelle Hughes is
the international bestselling author of the book 10 Nights. She currently
resides in Alabama with her husband and her five children. Hughes began her
career in entertainment as a singer and host for a nationally televised
satellite talent program and continued to perform across the United States
until she decided to move home and start her family.


 

Tragic Romance. Meet Van Heerling

Today it’s
great to welcome the highly talented author, Van Heerling. First, I believe you’ve just published a new book,
Dreams of Eli. Congratulations! Could you tell us a bit about it?

 




Yes, in fact it
was released on November 14. This is the story of a young man
named Eli West. It is a coming of age story. Present day is 1863 but the story
reaches back to 1840, when he was a little boy. This is not a war story.
Although, there are elements of violence, make no mistake this is a love story
through and through. I like to call it my “tragic” historical romance.



 

Synopsis:“Southern soldier Eli West wakes in a cave and discovers
he is held captive by a soldier of the Union. Shot, drugged, and tortured, he
descends into the darkness and the beauty of his unconscious, uncovering a time
when he was still in love, a time before war, a time before everything fell
away.” (Excerpt
here).



 

You have also
published the hugely successful book, Malaika, about a man's friendship with a
lioness. Where did you get the idea for this story?



 

This story has
been really moving. It has been downloaded well over 45,000 times. I am
grateful indeed. The story of Malaika came to me in a dream. I remember the dream being
vivid beyond anything I had ever experienced. So much so that even after two
days, I couldn’t seem to shake it from my mind. I fell into a slight depression
and found myself sort of moping around. (If you have read the story, possibly
you will understand. It isn’t light reading). Anyway, my wife suggested that I
note down what had transpired, and well, that was the beginning of her story.
So I have my wife to thank. Nothing new on that front. Thanks honey.





 
I love your
book covers, who designed them?




 

I’m really glad
you asked. Travis Pennington (probookcovers.com) is my cover designer. He created the
cover for Dreams of Eli. I didn’t know him when Malaika was released. The cover
for Malaika was through Outskirts Press. They did a good job but are too
expensive for my taste.



 

What do you
think is the best and the worst thing about being a writer?



 

By far the best
thing about writing next to writing itself, is hearing from the readers. Few
things in life beat a happy fan. The worst thing… nothing. Not even the bad
reviews. They have their place too.



 

What are your
plans for the future?



 

Starting next
year, I will be writing fulltime. Whoa that feels weird to say.



 

That’s great!
Do you have any final comments?



 

I am a big fan
of the “artist” in our society. That said, if you are a closet artist: painter,
sculptor, writer, what have you, I say, “come out.” It is time to rise. Set
aside your doubts and fears about making mistakes. I make mistakes all the
time. Don’t believe me, ask my editor.



 

Finally, where can readers find out more about you?



 

Website: www.vanheerlingbooks.com



Twitter:
@VanHeerling https://twitter.com/VanHeerling



Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/van.heerling.7




Author Bio:




Van lives in Burbank, California with the lingering
spirit of Redford—his adopted morbidly obese cat, which was more of a
paperweight than a feisty feline, his wife and boy and their very alive
kitty—Abigail.
Van always enjoys hearing from his readers. If you wish
to send your comments you may do so at www.vanheerlingbooks.com

Fall In Love Romance Novel Giveaway

This autumn fall in love all over again with No More Wasted Time by Beverly Preston! This wonderful bestselling romance novel is all about finding true love the second time round.



What's it about?






After losing her husband to a sudden heart attack, Tess
Mathews escapes to Bora Bora to lay her husband and sorrow to rest. What she
doesn’t expect is a new beginning.



Tom Clemmins is an A-list actor whose life
revolves around work and an onslaught of women. He travels to Bora Bora for a
much-needed break. Tom has a few ideas of how he’ll enjoy his vacation, but love
isn’t one of them. Until he sees Tess.



Reserving a private shark-feeding
excursion to scatter her husband’s ashes into the lagoon, Tess is furious when
Mr. Hollywood bribes his way onto the boat, leaving her no other choice but to
share the boat ride.



Tess is torn between tremendous guilt and zealous lust
when their boat ride turns into a week full of romance and desire neither
thought imaginable. Utterly smitten with a woman for the first time in his life,
Tom casts his commitment phobia aside and whisks Tess off to Malibu where he
introduces her as his “girlfriend” on the red carpet.



As the paparazzi
besiege, can Tess survive the media blitz that ensues in order to find her
second chance at love?


In addition, I am offering readers a free copy of my romance novel, Her Latin Lover.



What have other readers been saying about Her Latin Lover?



"Her Latin Lover will capture your attention from the beginning. Meet Mary
Delaney, a 20-something on vacation with her boyfriend. They are in South
America, a long way from home. She wakes up to discover her boyfriend is gone.
She realizes she is stranded and her boyfriend took all of their cash. She also
finds out more details of what lead her boyfriend to abandon her when she meets
Paolo.



Even though she is stranded in South America with little money,
she makes the best out of her situation. She must depend on a complete stranger
named Paulo. Paulo is mysterious and caring. Mary is drawn to him.



I read
Her Latin Lover in two nights. Mary's adventures of trying to find out what
happened to her boyfriend, learning more about Paulo and making it work in South
America was an exciting read. She was forced to grow up, find her way, and along
the way follow her heart." - Beauty Brite
Reviews



If you'd like a free ebook copy of both of these novels, just leave a comment below with your contact details before the end of November! If you want to increase your chances of winning you can follow this blog (if you aren't already) and follow the blog host, Reading Romances on Twitter at @Reading Romances



Don't forget to drop by some of the other websites taking part in this blog hop to win lots more great prizes.

Why A Children's Book?

First, let me thank Katheryn for having me and Kathy at I Am A Reader Not A Writer for hosting the Got Great Giveaways Hop. Thanks also go to Candace's Book Blog for hosting the Saturday Situation Giveaway linky. This is the fourth stop on my blog tour for the release of Lionel's Christmas Adventure . To see a full list of tour dates, click here. Make sure to enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card and a 3-pack of my ebooks. Now, onto my post.



“Why a children’s book?”



 That’s a question I’ve been asked
and have asked myself many times. I’ve thought about it before, during and
after writing a children’s book and the only definitive answer that I have come
up with is, that there is no definitive answer.



There are all types of children’s
books. There are picture books,
beginning chapter books, folk tales, fairy tales, fables, legends, and the list
goes on. There are children’s books with
educational themes, such as Dr. Seuss’s ABC book. There are ones that are enjoyable and
entertain us, like the classic Charlotte’s Web. There are also books that reinforce and help
children learn lessons. Goldilocks
and the Three Bears is an example of this. Goldilocks does learn a thing or two about wandering off all alone didn't she?  

  

Again, there are countless children’s books and genres, but what do (or
should) they have in common? In my opinion,
it is getting children to read. The
benefits of encouraging and getting them to read are countless. Some benefits I have listed above, the others
are too numerous to discuss in this post. So, back to that nagging question,“Why a children’s book?”



I loved reading while I was growing
up and particularly enjoyed Robert Arthur’s The Three Investigators
series. These books entertained me and
took me off into another world, a world where I could be anything and do
anything that I wanted. What is wrong
with that? Nothing, of course! I wanted to create something along those
lines. I wanted to create a work that
would make children use their mind, entertain them, and most importantly,
impart a lesson that would be mutually beneficial to children and adults alike.



One thing I
chose to do is use an earlier setting for my book. I
chose the late 1960’s, a time when children found themselves with fewer
distractions than today. Today’s
children are bombarded by electronic media, computers, tablets, mobile phones,
video games, you name it. By setting my
story in an earlier time, I tried to strip away those distractions for the
reader and just focus on the main character and his personal interactions and
adventures.  



 I wanted to create a
loveable character that everyone can relate to.
Everyone has known a ‘Lionel” when they were growing up. I hope that my book will entertain children
(and their parents), make them use their imagination, encourage them to read,
and teach them a valuable lesson. So, I guess that is the answer to that
question that I have asked myself, been asked, and will continue to be asked, “Why a children’s book?”



Enjoy!



I hope you enjoyed my post. If you want to learn more about Lionel, make sure to pick up Lionel's Christmas  Adventure: Lionel Learns the True Meaning of Christmas , available now on Amazon. Also check out the first two books in the Lionel's Grand Adventure series: Lionel and the Golden Rule and Lionel Turns the Other Cheek . Click on any of the images to go to Amazon for purchase.



For more information about author Paul R. Hewlett click here. He co-authors a children's/YA blog at SherAHart: My Written Art. You can also keep up with what's new on Lionel's Grand Adventure FB page.



Again, many thanks to Katheryn for hosting me, I had a blast! Thank you! My next stop on the blog tour is tomorrow on Suzanne Purvis-Passions and Pursuits. If you haven't already, be sure to check out Katheryn's books The Royal Sheikh and Her Latin Lover. Now onto the giveaway. As a thank you to the reader's, I'm  giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and 3-pack of my ebooks. Be sure to leave a comment!









    
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Passion and Romance! Meet historical romance author, Sonia Galloway

I always love hearing from other romance
authors and today it’s great to welcome historical romance author, Sonia
Galloway. First, what is your debut novel about?




[image error] My debut novel, Wishful Secrets, is about a
peasant girl who is madly in love with a wealthy Earl, a renowned
parliamentarian.  It’s a story about
passion, where the hero and heroine are faced with insurmountable challenges.
It’s about the inner battle between longing and pride, and the dogmatic
thinking in a society built on class and wealth. Above all, Wishful Secrets is
about discovering love.



 



Sounds great! It is listed as being part
of a trilogy. Does that mean we can expect more of the story?



It is part of the trilogy in the sense that
it embraces the main theme of the other two novels, which is “secrecy”.  Wishful Secrets, Shameful Secrets and Deadly
Secrets take place in Regency England, but they are three separate love
stories, independent from each other.



What inspired you to start writing it?



As you know, when you're writing, you're
living in two separate worlds at once, yours and the one you created.



It had been several weeks since I had
finished writing a novel, and on this particular evening I was struggling with
this hollowness that comes along with missing the living and breathing
characters that an author creates and must then leave behind.  As I sat at my desk, sipping my tea and
longing for my characters, an image flashed before my mind's eye.



I saw a peasant girl dressed in a
threadbare gown, huddled in a rocker near the fireplace, in a shabby
cottage.  My heart lurched with interest.
I set my tea aside and paid more attention, and was struck by her “Mona Lisa”
smile.  Why such a sad smile, I thought, and
then I proceeded to find out.



Did you have to do a lot of research for
it?



I had previously done a lot of research
about the Regency era, and so I only needed a little bit more for Wishful Secrets.



I love the
cover, who designed it?



Thank you.  The illustrator at Enete Enterprises, Deidre
Hof, designed it. She and my publisher, Shannon Enete, were very attentive to
my wishes of what I envisioned the cover to look like, but Deidre’s finished
work exceeded my expectations.



What are you currently reading?



I'm reading a book by Emile Zola,
"Fécondité."  I like to alter
between the classics—mostly French classics—and Romance.



Do you have any final comments?



I would like to thank you, Katheryn, for
inviting me to your blog.



I would also like to mention that Wishful Secrets is available in Nook, Kindle, iTunes, and paperback, and that the next
two novels in the “Secrets” trilogy – Shameful Secrets and Deadly Secrets –
should be out in 2013.



Where can readers find out more about
you?



They can visit my website: http://www.SoniaGalloway.com   



And my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sonia-Galloway



Thank you very much Sonia! I look forward to your next two Regency romances coming out.