Joyce T. Strand's Blog, page 17

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Jan Moran, Author

Jan Moran, Author
FLAWLESSJan Moran applied her expertise of perfumery and the beauty industry to write FLAWLESS, described by one reviewer as “A classic romantic tale with a modern business twist.” Moran’s “Hostile Beauty” series features “smart, gutsy women” who encounter and overcome opposition in the beauty business.  Moran describes the Hostile Beauty series as a behind-the-scenes look into the “beautiful” industries.
Moran, a bestselling and award-winning author, once wanted to be a ballerina, started several companies, and created special touch-screens for shoppers of perfumery and skin-care. She loves the freedom of dancing and has enjoyed dancing with her husband from New York to Paris. Her next novel, SCENT OF TRIUMPH, is scheduled for release in late March 2015 and pre-orders can be placed now on Amazon.


Q: Where did you get the plot for FLAWLESS and the Hostile Beauty series?
Jan Moran: I worked in the beauty industry for many years. My mother and grandmother had a great love of perfumery. In college I worked as a fragrance model and makeup artist, and later wrote two books on perfumery, Fabulous Fragrances, which earned top ten positions on Rizzoli Bookstore’s bestseller list.
After writing and distributing books for the beauty industry, I conceived and created a software program called Scentsa. These touch-screen programs helped shoppers find fragrances, skincare, and cosmetics in stores such as Sephora, DFS, JCPenney, and Nordstrom. We translated Scentsa into five languages and displayed it at retailers in eight countries (United States, France, Canada, Hong Kong, Denmark, Brazil, Abu Dhabi, and Mexico). The Fragrance Foundation in New York even awarded us a coveted FiFi Award for Technological Innovation of the Year. It was covered in Women’s Wear Daily and Wall Street Journal. The technology was sold to Sephora in August 2013, and the touch-screen programs are now exclusive to Sephora.
My Scentsa team and I worked with the world’s leading beauty brands and luxury retailers. This background was rich inspiration for the Hostile Beauty series.
Q: I love the series title of “A Hostile Beauty Novel.” What makes it “hostile?”
Jan Moran: In my experience, there are many less-than-honorable people encountered in business. In the beauty business, I say that there is often an “ugly side to beauty.” I really wanted to delve into these personalities and their actions, and demonstrate how smart, gutsy women protect their businesses and come out on top in life and in love. Hence the series title, Hostile Beauty.
Q: Did you base any of your plot or characters on real occurrences or people you encountered as part of your background in the perfumery industry?
Jan Moran:While my experiences in the beauty industry inspired this series, the people and occurrences are fictional. Yet the situations are all plausible, and truth is often stranger than fiction.
Q: Reviewers tout your characters and say they, “reach out of the pages and pull you into their lives, and they stay with you long after you close the book.” How do you create such compelling characters?
Jan Moran: My characters have heart; they’re the kind of women you’d want to plan a girls’ weekend with, and share your deepest secrets. I’m so blessed to have wonderful friends. We cheer each other on! My books reflect these supportive relationships, especially the Hostile Beauty series, which is about a group of entrepreneurial friends in the “beautiful” industries.
Q: Does the concept of “villain vs hero” help tell your story? Do you believe that you need a villain in order to have hero?
Jan Moran:My stories are about overcoming the challenges life hurls at us. It might be a villain, a war, a recession, or something else. And, while there are heroic men in my stories, the women are the real heroes. My heroines save themselves. They’re smart, savvy, genuine women who, despite the odds, create the lives they want for themselves and their families.
Q: How supportive is setting FLAWLESS in Beverly Hills to creating your plot?
Jan Moran:The Hostile Beauty series is a behind-the-scenes look into the “beautiful” industries. I used to live in Beverly Hills, so I know the community well. In Los Angeles, one’s exterior is important, from physical appearance to accoutrements, clothing, and settings. It was the perfect place to set this story.
Q: Reviewers also praise your “compelling plot that had me turning the pages faster and faster.” How do you create this suspense?
Jan Moran:I like action! In every scene, I’m intent on driving the story forward. I’m glad readers are enjoying it.
Q: Did you write FLAWLESS to entertain or did you also intend to deliver a message?
Jan Moran: First, my mission is to entertain and deliver a great story. Second, my stories are inherently about hope, triumph over adversity, appreciation of other cultures, and belief in your own abilities. If readers enjoy the Hostile Beauty series, and also feel empowered, then I’ve done my job!
Q: What’s next?
Jan Moran: St. Martin’s Press is publishing my historical novel, SCENT OF TRIUMPH, which is about a French perfumer during World War II, and takes readers to Paris, London, and Hollywood. The next historical is set in the wine industry, in Napa Valley and Montalcino. For the contemporary Hostile Beauty series, I’ll be taking readers to fabulous international locations and spinning sexy new stories.
I’ll make announcements on my website, blog, Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter. Stay tuned on the blog through www.janmoran.com, where I’ll post previews. Better yet, sign up for my newsletter to learn about new books and enter to win Advance Reader Copies and autographed books.
Q: Tell us about Jan Moran. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Jan Moran:Well, once upon a time I was a ballerina, but now I’m quite good at reading financial statements, too. I’ve also worked with PR firms representing brands to the media. And I’ve started several companies. My last company, Scentsa, was sold to Sephora, and shoppers can still use the touch-screens I designed for perfumery and skincare.
I love a spa weekend with girlfriends, or an all-girls ski trip. I also enjoy going out dancing with my husband. We have danced around the world, from the hottest discos in Paris, to dancing in the rain by Central Park in New York to a jazz street band. Dance frees the spirit. I also like to visit art museums to fire up the creative side of the brain.
I have a weakness for shoes and jewelry. I’m a true girly girl, and I’ve designed and created many of my own jewelry pieces. And did I mention desserts? Don’t even get me started on chocolate!
About Jan Moran
Jan Moran is a bestselling and award-winning author. She writes historical women's fiction for St. Martin's Press, contemporary women's fiction, and nonfiction books. Her stories are smart and stylish, and written with emotional depth.Jan often draws on her international travel and business experiences, infusing her books with realistic details. The Midwest Book Review and Kirkus have recommended her books, calling her heroines strong, complex, and resourceful. She blogs for ProjectEve and at JanMoran.com.Jan has been featured in numerous prestigious media, including CNN, Women's Wear Daily, Wall Street Journal, Allure, InStyle, O Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Costco Connection. As a serial entrepreneur, Jan is the founder and creator of Scentsa, a touch-screen software program for retailers and brands. The fragrance and skincare programs are at Sephora stores in the US, Canada, and international locations.
About FLAWLESS
Verena Valent is at the helm of her family's legendary Swiss skincare company, which caters to a glamorous clientele in the heart of Beverly Hills. After her parents are killed in an automobile accident, she becomes the sole provider for her younger twin sisters and her grandmother. Instead of attending college with her friends as planned, she rises to the challenge to guide and expand her family's business. She is in the midst of a critical international expansion into Asia when her carefully organized life begins to unravel.
Verena is shaken to discover that her fiancé, Derrick, might be behind a scheme to take over her growing company. While she struggles to save the business that means everything to her, she meets Lance, an executive chef at the Beverly Hills Hotel. She encounters this intriguing man again while on a business trip to Paris, and soon gains a new perspective on love, romance, and relationships.
When the unthinkable occurs and Verena's world collapses, her friends rally around her, among them Scarlett Sandoval, a top intellectual property attorney; Dahlia DuBois, a perfumer from an esteemed line of French perfumers; and Fianna Fitzgerald, a fashion designer with her own trendy boutique.
Ultimately, Verena learns that truth, family, friendship, and love are the unshakable pillars of life. But will she get a second chance in business, or in love?
Flawless is the first book in the Hostile Beauty Series. Follow a group of smart, stylish, entrepreneurial friends as they navigate the turbulences of modern life in the business of beauty. Set in Beverly Hills with action flung across the globe, this engaging series features gutsy, determined best friends, and how they manage to live the lives of their dreams.
Excerpt
As she walked, watching the moonlight wavering over the faint ripples on the pool’s surface, Verena thought of her grandmother, Mia, and her parents, and how hard they’d worked to build up the business. It had been a slow process, ‘brick by brick,’ as her father had been fond of saying. Her father, Joseph, and her mother, Angelica. How she missed them; she’d ached for them every day of her life since—A large man in a white shirt stepped in front of her. “Excuse me, do you have a light?” Verena jerked her head up, startled. “No,” she snapped. “And you shouldn’t jump out in front of people like that.”“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you.” His voice was a deep, warm baritone, and he sounded genuinely apologetic. Bright pool lights behind him illuminated his broad physique. She couldn’t make out his face, but she could see a cigarette dangling from his silhouetted fingers. “Besides, you shouldn’t smoke.” She heard him sigh.“I know. I quit, but I really need a cigarette right now. It’s been one of those weeks.”“Tell me about it,” she muttered. He made no reply but remained rooted to the ground before her, blocking her way. She put up her hand to shield her eyes from the light. “I can’t see you, and you’re in my way.”He stepped aside, and brought his face near hers. “Is that better?”A shaft of light from the pool shone on his face. Verena caught her breath. Behind his engaging smile, his white teeth sparkled. His eyes crinkled in a nice way when he grinned, and his kind face drew her in. He looked around her age, maybe a couple of years older—about thirty, she guessed. With tanned skin and sun-streaked, chestnut brown hair, it was obvious he enjoyed the California sunshine. He also had a distinct inviting aroma about him—garlic and rosemary. She looked at his clothes. White jacket, thermometer in a slender pouch sewn onto the sleeve, casual cotton pants. “You’re a chef.”He laughed and bowed. “At your service.”“You smell wonderful.” Verena grew warm. With her fair skin, she blushed easily, and she was glad it was dark outside. She was far too old for such immature reactions.“Hungry?”“I had dinner, sort of, but I didn’t really eat it. Actually, I’m starving.”He raised his eyebrows, alarmed. “What was wrong with it?”Verena realized he thought she didn’t like the food. It must have come from his kitchen. “No, it was delicious, but I can’t eat much before I have to appear in public or give a presentation. Audiences make me nervous; it’s stage fright, I guess.” She laughed. “I’m always starving by the time an event like this is over. Everyone else has eaten well, and then I have to find a late night diner. Or room service.”“You’ll have none of that tonight. Come with me.” He took her hand and smiled at her again when she hesitated. “What’s the matter?” He glanced down at her barren left hand—Derrick hadn’t given her a ring yet. “Boyfriend waiting for you?” There it was again, that warm feeling that grew along her neck. “No, not really, but my friends are waiting for me in the Polo Lounge.”“They’ll be fine, but you should eat something. Look, you’re so weak you’re shaking. I’ll call the maître’d at the Polo Lounge for you. What’s your name?”“What’s yours?”“Ah, my manners. Forgive me, too much time in the kitchen. My name is Lance, Lance Martel.” “Verena Valent.”   “Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” A smile curved on his full lips. “You’re going to eat well tonight, Verena. Come with me.” He took her hand, letting his fingers glide to her fingertips in a causal, friendly grasp. His fingers seemed magnetic. She was starving, and he seemed innocuous enough, though he was disarmingly attractive. Not in the powerful, intense way Derrick was, but in a charming, friendly manner. She hesitated for a moment, and then thought, Why not?
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Scent of Triumph 

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Benjamin DeHaven, Author

Benjamin DeHaven, Author
CONFESSIONS OF A SELF-HELP WRITERBenjamin W. DeHaven’s CONFESSIONS OF A SELF-HELP WRITER (THE JOURNAL OF MICHAEL ENZO)-fiction based on fact-has been described by reviewers as "Peculiar but worth reading" and “Quirky, eccentric, and insightful” and “funny.” DeHaven says he wrote it originally as “an act of revenge and an act of forgiveness.” He intended for people to laugh, but he may have ended up showing people the dark side of self-help books.
Currently residing in Las Vegas, DeHaven divides his love of cities between Chicago and New Orleans. He has written self-help books and screenplays, although writing screenplays is not his favorite. When not writing, he spends time doing volunteer work, mostly to help children.

Don't miss the giveaway opportunity following the interview.
Q: What drove you to write CONFESSIONS OF A SELF-HELP WRITER?
Benjamin W. DeHaven: CONFESSIONS OF A SELF-HELP WRITER (THE JOUNAL OF MICHAEL ENZO) is a work of fiction based on factual events. Originally, I wrote this work as an act of revenge and an act of forgiveness. As one reviewer put it, “The reader of “Confessions” is forced to question DeHaven’s motivation... Does he truly want to ruin Enzo’s legacy or is this an act of love? Reaching out to someone who is still lost.”
So in a way, yes, I was trying to flush him out. But that was personal and never meant to be publicized. I hoped people would get a great laugh out of the fiction character who was a con man, and who almost destroyed me. But now if someone found the truth, maybe this would be the last self-help book they would ever read-because it’s the mind of a mad man who was writing those books. CONFESSIONS OF A SELF-HELP WRITER was the #1 Most Wished For Book of the Year on Indie Bound for over 14 weeks and was getting amazing reviews as a book of  “fiction.” I was thrilled-but prior to that some of my original intentions came out and that’s what led to the PR below:
Nearly Ruined By A Con-Man, This Writer Feels Avenged By Telling The World His Story Exposing A Man Audacious Enough To Defraud A Billion Dollar Industry For Nearly Two Decades
One reviewer said, “I think this is a multi-platform fail.” --I hope so, and wish the actual backstory would have never come out. I had no trouble letting this ride as a book of fiction and hope readers will enjoy it for that reason. If you want to believe that inside is the voice of a real person whom might have influenced you in some significant way, it’s an interesting way to read a book. There is a reason I don’t ask friends if they have seen any good movies lately—I want to go in with a fresh slate.
A Huffington Article in the next few weeks will also explain that the book is based on factual events and Radar is desperately trying to find out who Enzo really is. 
It wasn’t until 2005 that Enzo starting stealing celebrities' identities, during the time in this journal he was actually being paid to write for them
Q: How did you become interested in self-help books?
Benjamin W. DeHaven: Greed. Seriously though I have read a ton of self-help books and helped to write a bunch. My ultimate goal is to help people and my grandfather told me the greatest gift you could give another person was to empower them to be the best version of themselves. As I got older though-I realized self-help was more toxic than the diet industry. People will buy a hundred books on how to lose weight before they will consider changing their diets. This sickened me, and while Confessions is a fun book, it’s also a bit of an expose, because you will see the mind of someone who might be supplying your advice and guidance. Think about it this way-people don’t want to learn anything new-they want to reaffirm what they already believe.
Q: CONFESSION OF A SELF-HELP WRITER has been described as “peculiar” and “quirky, eccentric, and insightful.” Did you intend for its “quirkiness” to help tell the story? Does its “peculiarity” contribute to its “insightfulness?”
Benjamin W. DeHaven: I hope so. It’s written as a journal that was never meant to be read, so it’s brutally honest in its presentation and is a “thought in progress.” There are a ton of stylistic choices I made in order to secretly pay homage to other writers who had meant so much to me. My first editor Mimi Fast who is brilliant and brutally honest, and the best kind of friend you could ask for, often said, “I know what you are trying to do here-you’re failing.” Haha, it was great to have her because clearly I am not an American master, but I used what I thought I could mimic, stole the rest, and had been reading a ton of Ginsberg. So I hope that the reader is engaged, because everything is intentional, and there are many points where a strong reader might get distracted by a poor verb tense, or a misused word. This is not a mistake and there are passages where you might be reading a Haiku, and not even know it unless you are looking for it. I think that is what leads to the “quirkiness” of it. You might not even put it into words, but it can make you a little uncomfortable. And I think we all get a little uncomfortable before coming to a realization.
Q: How do you enable readers to engage with your main characters, who reviewers say, are not all that likeable? How helpful is the concept of “heroes vs villains” to tell your story?
Benjamin W. DeHaven: I came to the understanding a long time ago that we are all connected, and while we should treasure our uniqueness, we should also explore our commonalities. “Hero of a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell should be on every storytellers reading list because it teaches us the line between heroes and villains is not always clear. Many reviewers hate the characters, one of which is myself, but some reviewers envy the life style of Michael Enzo and relate to him. I would say whether we like it or not the characters represent a part of us all-although in this case-most of us might have a dark thought-but never fall victim to making it a reality-(Or the courage-depending on your perspective.)

Q: Although fiction, CONFESSIONS OF A SELF-HELP WRITER is considered to be based on true life and “reads like a thriller but is true life at its best.” How do you turn it into a “thriller?” What makes us want to continue to turn the page?
Benjamin W. DeHaven: I spoke with a wonderful librarian from NY at BEA this year, who loved the book but couldn’t understand why the first two chapters were so choppy. I remember we were signing books and we stopped the line and I asked if anyone knew. A very young girl answered, “The intro chapters read like a twitter feed.” While that was almost correct, there is almost a complete thought or story in each sentence. The book reads really fast, and I wanted each line to exist on its own. A good friend called in anger and said, “I’m so mad at you-I’ve read this book a dozen times. And I keep trying to reflect on the ideas and build an opinion-but because it’s so short, I just keep reading it again.” I hope the chapters read as a complete story, or a short story if you will. Even though they are building to a central theme, they can each be taken separately and almost all of them end with a hanging question. It’s up to the reader to decide if they want to pull back the curtain. I was honored by this review, because I had not thought about it as a thriller-but I guess the tempo is similar. All I can say is what makes the movie Jaws so great-is you don’t actually see the shark till you’re an hour into the film.
Q: Did you write CONFESSIONS OF A SELF-HELP WRITER just to entertain readers; or were you intending to deliver a message about life?
Benjamin W. DeHaven: I was hoping to deliver a message, but a silent one. In fact I was a bit hesitant about how the book was marketed, because I wanted people to pick it up as something interesting. I actually thought the target market would be non-readers and my intent was to “sneak up on them” with a message. But so many people have had such strong reactions, that I might have failed in the overall intention. I had a one star review on amazon and I so badly wanted to comment to the reviewer, who ended her review with, “maybe that’s what I learned about self-help-it’s garbage.” Yes. You did understand-and if you picked up this book only because you are hoping to learn some insider secret about celebrities, and were angry it wasn’t the content you were looking for—then hopefully you’ll take the next step to understanding—Maybe you should beware of where you look for information—and what exactly are you looking for.
Q: You have written screenplays and journalistic writings, and now a novel. What’s your favorite format? Why?
Benjamin W. DeHaven: I actually hate writing screenplays. But they pay fast and are steady. It’s funny because if this book ever gets turned into a movie, I would hire someone else to convert it to a screenplay. I love to write constantly and free write characters and short stories, so I think all of that for me eventually converts to a novel.
Q: How helpful is humor to telling your story? The art and/or science of humor is difficult. How do you create it in your story?
Benjamin W. DeHaven: Humor is a must. I think you have to write for yourself, because you would be surprised how similar to the rest of the world you are and how they wish they had the strength to tell a story. You should be interacting and toying with the reader on occasion. If you are in fact brilliant, then you will need to tone it down- That has never been a problem for me. –You must be as true as possible to the characters in the story, or the narrator’s voice. No matter how shocking, or rude, or offensive-you have to free flow write exactly what’s on the tip of your tongue without a filter-because even the tough stuff- is funny to someone. I would also say lust, marketability, and a clear view at a huge cross section of America must always remain in plain site. You must offend at least one group of people at one point or another to be successful.
Q: What’s next?
Benjamin W. DeHaven: I’m lazy, followed by bouts of insane commitment. I am the type of writer that wants to help people, but never have Matt Dillon play me in a movie –(although he did personally request a copy of Confessions-Jesus save me) So next I am going to take a few months and reflect on this painful process of selling a book. LOL. But I just got the wind knocked out of me by an amazing woman, and I am going to give her my all. I am still amazed God had an Angel left for me and even if she’s not mine - a week before I met her, I was content with the fact I wasn’t worth loving- and she set me free from this prison.  I had started a novel but had a tough time writing about love and this person has made me unstoppable. I can’t wait to continue the story.
Q: Tell us about Benjamin DeHaven. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Benjamin W. DeHaven: You would be surprised if you had read confessions, but I actually do a lot of volunteer work, mostly with children. I wrote this short piece for my blog (which has 9 followers! Woo) and I think it’s more fun to describe what a day for me is like:
Not as exciting as my social media profile would have you believe. A saying as a child that always prompted a giggle. - “Call me anything, but don’t call me late for dinner. The morning started in a familiar fashion--struggling through the CPAP machine wrapped tightly around my neck from rolling in circles all night as the Sodium Oxibate chased Morpheus through the back alleys of my dreams. Carradine would be proud. (Insert a Tag-IDK?)#Carradine  Awakened abruptly by the handful pills dispensing magic in my soul as I somehow had managed to swallow all nine off my bedside table without removing my mask. A glorious Halloween bag of success filled colors and shapes prescribed to cure my hypertension, high blood pressure, hypopituitarism, and narcolepsy. I always accomplished this snake oil task between the first alarm, which I snoozed through, and the faint smell of cigarette smoke and puppy dander that now filled my mask from the upstairs level of my aging parents Town Home, where I often found myself in the winter. I pushed my fears aside, cracked another Adderall in half and began about the morning ritual of testosterone injections, vitamins, compulsive cleaning and a sick stomach. Ahh-yes-pills need food. No… I, thank you—my precious body for keeping me healthy. Don’t let them call me late for dinner. Don’t haunt me throughout the day. I’m sorry America! I was the first Outsourcing conglomerate. My body is too expensive, lazy, worn out, or maybe too efficient in its quest for gross margin to produce anything of value in itself. And for over 20 years I have outsourced almost all its essential functions in a mixed argument of “they’re taking our jobs-and no I will not pick up that elephant shit for any amount of money!” The situps, the situps, I have to do the sit ups. But why? I am constantly concerned I might be in a situation where a beautiful Italian traffic cop asks me to remove my shirt and retrieve a child’s toy from the Trevi fountain, and being a brand whore I refuse to go in with my “PINK” dress shirt. But alas-its too late for the exercise. The speed is kicking in. I use my pork filled Kielbasa sausage fingers to shove my hairy old man belly past the European sized Label jeans. The computer is running too slow and my mind is racing.
So-pretty typical, usually followed by some self-loathing and a nap.
A Graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, Benjamin DeHaven keeps his heart in Chicago and his soul in New Orleans. He holds a MBA from Tulane and a film degree from Columbia. Once ejected from a community college for arguing Frost cried out for acceptance in Birches, he has since written screenplays, traded futures in Madrid, and was Editor in Chief of the Nola Shopper Newspaper, a free art newspaper and the 2nd largest monthly paper in the New Orleans, MSA. He also has a "shout out" in a Jay "Z" Song. 

DeHaven, who currently resides in Las Vegas began his writing career with Stone United, a Chicago based Film Company, which works primarily in independent film. As an unknown fiction writer, he feels the best description of himself, is a sarcastic one and is as follows:

Benjamin W. DeHaven was born on a pool table after a Waylon Jennings' concert in 1977. His personal success is outweighed only by his stunning good looks and adherence to unwritten moral guidelines. He has been described as a thinking man's Tucker Max as well as an idiot's Hunter S. Thompson. His goal is to die from an unwavering commitment to be more like Hemingway.

He and Michael Enzo were friends.
About CONFESSIONS OF A SELF-HELP WRITER (THE JOURNAL OF MICHAEL ENZO)
[image error] #1 Most-Wished-for-Book of 2014 on Indie
Bound for over 10 weeks!

Lunge into a funny, audacious, and devastating work of fiction based on factual events. As much a comedy as a tragedy, "Confessions is a unique piece of literature to be remembered for its originality as much as for its significance as a statement about living life in today's harsh reality." Explore the psyche of one of the world's most profound advisors: a Quixotic adventurer who admits freely to lurid depravity, substance abuse, and emotional complexity. Despite personal demons, he's fooled adherents into a unique reverence and might be responsible for saving more
souls than Mother Teresa and Gandhi combined. 

Hypocrite isn't a strong enough word for someone who writes self-help books purely for profit. Two of the world's ten wealthiest used Enzo as a ghostwriter and while they attribute their status in life to Enzo's words, not a single one willingly admits to knowing him. DeHaven, a patsy in Enzo's schemes and a recurring voice, shares his own perspective and often times paints himself in a very negative light, which adds a layer of credibility to such a fantastical story. Brief moments of compassion and insight are even more powerful and poignant from this perspective.

The most disheartening admission presented is that Enzo would only fall back on his tremendous gift, of writing self-help, as a last act to pay debtors and sustain a ridiculous lifestyle. The reader of "Confessions" is forced to question DeHaven's motivation in publishing this journal. Does he truly want to ruin Enzo's legacy or is this an act of love? Reaching out to someone who is still lost. Enzo, wherever you are, pick up a self-help book and give it a read.  Who knows, you may have
written it. 
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Traci L. Slatton, Author

Traci L. Slatton, Author
BROKEN Traci L. Slatton describes her new book, BROKEN, as a “paranormal historical fantasy.” Set in Paris in 1939-1942, the novel tracks the activities of a fallen angel trapped behind Nazi lines. She creates credibility in her story by “paying attention to details” and assuring historical accuracy.
Slatton is currently working on Book IV of her romantic dystopian After Series. Her love of art has produced several books--both fiction and non-fiction; and she has also written a book of poetry. She lives in Manhattan, does yoga every day, loves wine, enjoys travel, and has been posing for her artist husband, who is sculpting her, for the past year (see photo below.)




Q: How did you conceive of the plot for BROKEN—a fallen angel getting trapped in a Nazi-occupied country? In what genre would you place BROKEN? 
Traci L. Slatton: I spent a month in Paris in 2013, researching a different WWII novel, one set primarily in Germany. I had meant to use Paris as a base from which to travel into Germany, because I love Paris and can negotiate the language. I found myself walking the streets of Paris when I should have been writing. For hours and hours every day, I wandered around Paris, starting from the Boulevard du Montparnasse and straying into every arrondissement. I got to know the city from the street level. Then I started taking the walking tours, and reading about the history of Paris. I find Paris incredibly sensual, with its white limestone buildings and the curving Seine and the sense of history.
Somehow all those kilometers of walking inspired BROKEN, and the sensuality of the city led into my protagonist’s sensuality.
I guess I would call BROKEN a paranormal historical fantasy. Does that work?
Q: How do you create credibility for your story? Is believability important to entice readers?
Traci L. Slatton: I create credibility by paying attention to details. In a historical novel like BROKEN, that means I have to get the details right for the time period. For example, Alia the fallen angel makes an offhand comment about her lover Pedro’s Brylcreem. It’s a throwaway line but fashionable men of the time used Brylcreem, and Pedro, who is a bullfighter and concerned about his public image, would have.
Yes, I believe that believability is important. It sucks the reader into a world that the author has created.
Q: What makes readers care about a fallen angel? How do you develop the character?
Traci L. Slatton: In some ways, a fallen angel is a character like any other character, and there are techniques for building likeability. For example, Alia loves her neighbor’s little daughter and is very generous to the girl. Kindness toward children is an appealing trait.
However, Alia, as a fallen angel, is also different from other humans. I imagined her as ethereal, tolerant, mirthful, and profoundly sensual.
Alia, I imagined, was ethereal, with a kind of appealing lightness and delicacy of being, because she had originated in heaven. She was tolerant because she had chosen to fall, which is a straightforward choice to sin. So she wouldn’t judge anyone for their choices. She was mirthful because she had a large perspective on things. She’d seen the panoply of history, after all.
The sensuality came partly from mythology, from the stories of Cupid and Psyche, Cupid being a winged being who had a sensual relationship with his wife Psyche. Cupid’s Greek counterpart is Eros. I also had in mind Canova’s deliciously sinuous sculpture of Cupid and Psyche, and the Biblical stories of angels mating with human beings. So these images combined to give Alia her erotic nature.
Q: Is the concept of villain vs hero relevant to BROKEN?
Traci L. Slatton: Yes. The Gestapo agent Knochen is a villain, both personally, because he is an evil man, and as a representative of the Nazis and everything they represent. Alia and her friends are heroes, and so is the city of Paris.
Q: Reviewers of some of your earlier books praise the emotion that you evoke in your writing. How do you create pathos so readers embrace your characters or the story?
Traci L. Slatton: Interesting question. I suppose what I do is create a character with whom readers identify, or with whom they empathize, and then I put the character into horrendous circumstances. Story is built on conflict and obstacle. Treachery, betrayal, suffering, torture, loss, disease, poverty, heart-break, and injustice are some of the best obstacles going—and they elicit strong emotion from readers.
Q: In BROKEN, how helpful is back story, ie, history of Nazi Germany, to creating a suspenseful story of tension? How important was historical accuracy?
Traci L. Slatton: I consider historical accuracy to be supremely important. Because this era was relatively recent and the population as a whole knows a lot about it, I researched this time in Paris thoroughly. Many of the details are accurate, such as the way Parisians were always hungry during the occupation. Several documents said that Parisians ate only about 800 calories per day at this time. Also, over a million French men had been taken into compulsory work service in Germany, so the Resistance drew on women, high school students, and the elderly. At one point, Alia the protagonist, who is a fallen angel, is walking down the street wearing a jaunty red hat. There are references to those red hats as a kind of subtle rebellion; French fashion continued during occupation.
However, sometimes I depart from accuracy to achieve truthfulness. Truthfulness and accuracy are different issues, and truthfulness is always the most important for me as an author. So, for example, in this novel, Sartre and Camus are together at a party at Alia’s apartment before the war, reading poetry and drinking wine. There are conflicting reports about when these great thinkers met, but it is generally agreed that they met after the war. However, for purposes of the themes of this novel, since they are not just people but also voices of their generation, I put them together at Alia’s before the war. This was a deliberate choice in which I diverged from historical accuracy.
Q: Your bio says that you are especially interested in Renaissance Italy, and I notice that you’ve also written books about art. Are you an artist? What drives your interest in it?
Traci L. Slatton: Ah. My hands are clumsy, such art as I possess is in my stories. However, my husband Sabin Howard (www.sabinhoward.com ) is a famous classical figurative artist. He sculpts in clay and casts in bronze, and his works are likened in the press to Michelangelo and Rodin. The thing about Sabin is that he is all art, all the time. He has tremendous integrity as an artist—art is literally his first thought in the morning and his last thought at night. He’s been a wonderful role model for me in his relentless perfectionism and dedication to his craft.
Because of Sabin, and because of my own predilections, I have an abiding interest in art. Michelangelo and Da Vinci and Botticelli are regular topics of conversation at our dinner table. We go on vacation to Italy (where Sabin has relatives) and we go to the Met and to art galleries all the time. Art is my husband’s life. Luckily I love it too!
Q: Did you write BROKEN strictly to entertain? Or were you trying to educate or deliver a message?
Traci L. Slatton: I wanted to do both, to entertain and to deliver a message. Isn’t “both” more fun? The message is one, that the belief in an external, patriarchal, hierarchical God is the source of great evil; two, the power of love is infinite; and three, spirit informs everything.
Q: What’s next?
Traci L. Slatton: I am currently working on Book IV of my romantic dystopian After Series. I had thought to title it “Fire Storm,” but a friend of mine ranted Anyway, this novel is fun for me as an author because my male protagonist goes mad. It was always in him, but now it erupts in full force. It’s very cool to write a crazy character!

Q:  Tell us about Traci L. Slatton. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Traci L. Slatton: I have four daughters, three and a step. The big ones areout of the house (two have graduated college). The little one is 9 years old and still home, so there is always childcare to attend to. I am a dedicated practitioner of yoga—I do yoga every single day of my life. This isn’t because I’m terribly virtuous, because I’m not. It’s for the most sybaritic, Philistine of reasons: because yoga makes me feel good, peaceful and harmonious. I love to travel and I love red wine and I love to watch movies. I have two Labrador retrievers who think they are lap dogs, though each weighs 55 pounds. And for the last year and a half I have been posing at night for Sabin, who is sculpting a bust of me. (Jpeg attached). It’s not as glamorous as it sounds; I have to sit and hold a specific post for a few hours every night, and I’m convinced that this bust will never be finished.
About Traci L. Slatton
Traci L. Slatton is a graduate of Yale and Columbia. She lives in Manhattan, and her love for Renaissance Italy inspired her historical novel IMMORTAL. THE BOTTICELLI AFFAIR is a playful and suspenseful tribute to her delight in the Old Masters and rich passions. FALLEN is the first in a romantic trilogy set in end times permeated with love, loss, and strange psychic powers. THE ART OF LIFE, written with Sabin Howard, is a book about sculpture and the philosophy and history of art; DANCING IN THE TABERNACLE is her first book of poetry. COLD LIGHT furthers the dystopian tale begun in FALLEN, and FAR SHORE is Book 3 in this romantic cycle. THE LOVE OF MY (OTHER) LIFE is a bittersweet romantic comedy that addresses the question: What worlds would you move to be with your soulmate?
About BROKEN
Power is pornographic
Can love sustain light when the forces of evil close in?
Paris, 1939-1942. A fallen angel is trapped in the web of German occupation. The deadly noose of Nazi control grows ever tighter, ensnaring her and two of her lovers, a bullfighter and a musician working in the fledgling Resistance. Can she save them and the Jewish widow and her child that she has come to love, or will betrayal take them all?

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Amazon Author PageBROKEN  Immortal , a historical novel, a rags-to-riches-to-burnt-at-the-stake story. Fallen , a dystopian romance, Book 1 of the After Series, “When the world ends, all that’s left is love” Cold Light , Book 2 of the After Series, “In the end, love demands everything”  Far Shore , Book 3 of the After Series, “Love is Salvation” The Botticelli Affair , an art history mystery vampire romp The Love of My (Other) Life , a bittersweet sci fi romp  The Art of Life , a photoessay on figurative sculpture through the ages

Smashwords: author Goodreads: FALLEN  COLD LIGHT  FAR SHORE   BROKEN  
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Anne Riley, Author

Anne Riley, Author
AERIEAnne Riley brings us AERIE reviewed as "An enthralling blend of business, technology, and romance!" an “engrossing, revealing look at developing technologies in the 1990s.” Riley chose to set her thriller in the early 1990s to focus on the world before it was dominated by the Internet. To entice the reader to turn the pages, she intertwined the business and the romantic “entanglements.”
Prior to becoming an author, Riley worked as an accountant where she learned about the corporate world. She lives in Oregon with her husband, is an avid biker, and has run eight marathons. AERIE is Riley's second book and her first novel. She is currently working on a new book “to keep readers on the edge of their seats.”


Q: What made you decide to write a novel? And once you decided to write a novel, how did you conceive of the plot for AERIE?
Anne Riley: I dabbled in writing fiction many years ago when I left my job to stay at home while my kids were growing up. But things got busy, and I put my writing away. In 2010, my husband and I decided to take a break from our jobs and see what this whole living thing was about. It didn’t take long for me to get bitten by the writing bug. In 2013 I published “Elusive Little Sucker,” a little book about my lonnnnng struggle to find happiness. I realized then how much fun it was to write and decided to return to fiction.
AERIE was born out of my training as an accountant and my experience in the 1980s and 1990s in the high tech arena. In college, I was trained to look for ways in which business systems could be compromised. When I went to work, to keep from getting bored, I would often think about how people could cheat the systems on which I worked. The high tech arena had more than its share of exploitable weaknesses. The most obvious to me was the clear mismatch in knowledge between the provider of technical services and the purchaser of those services. I realized it was not only easy, but often LEGAL to cheat customers who didn’t know what they were buying. That is the underlying conflict on which AERIE is based.
Q: One reviewer says, “The author clearly knows her way around the boardroom” and “creates a realistic, chilling portrayal of how businesses are fought over, won and lost.” Did your experiences ‘around the boardroom’ help to create credibility for your story?
Anne Riley: As an accountant, I dealt with confidential financial information, and often worked with controllers and CFOs as well as company officers. Those experiences definitely provided me with the background needed to give my story credibility.
For me, it was less ‘boardroom’ and more ‘board members’ that were important. I am fascinated by how people are motivated, particularly powerful people. Human beings are interesting and complex, and their motivations are often as interesting and complex as they are. It was really enjoyable to build characters with complicated motivations, place them in really difficult situations, and then make them work through their challenges. The business world provides a wonderful setting because money and power create such a rich and volatile mix.
Q: Why did you set AERIE in the early 1990s?
Anne Riley: I wanted to write a story about the world as it looked before the Internet was a daily part of our life. There are so many tools that we take for granted today that were just coming into being in the early 1990s. Cell phones were just starting to be used. Laptops were still new and rarely used by anyone except important business people. Modems were the tool for communication; wireless connections didn’t even exist. Most business emails were transmitted through dumb terminals. The Internet was a network of education and research institutions. Businesses linked to other businesses through slow, torturous modem connections that were complicated and often unreliable.
In the early 1990s, technology was moving fast, and there was a huge gap between a small number of technical providers and a vast population of non-tech savvy consumers. The opportunities for exploitation were huge. Also, because instant communication did not exist then as it does today, it was easier to hide manipulation and treachery.
Q: Reviewers tout the combination of learning about the technology of the early 1990s  “with suspense, greed, fraud & bribery, mixed with a little romance.” How do you manage to integrate back-story with your plot so that it is entertaining?
Anne Riley: That is the art of writing. I love reading thrillers, but I have always been dissatisfied when an author creates the opportunity for a romantic relationship, then leaves it unfulfilled. I wanted to write a story where the romantic entanglements and business entanglements were totally integrated so that each one affected the other. The book is not allowed to end until both parts of the story are united and result in a definitive and satisfying conclusion.
It takes a lot of effort to craft a story so that it seamlessly moves between two disparate elements. Believe me, I spent many hours editing for story content, character consistency as well as readability. I think that is the thing I am most proud of about AERIE: when a reader tells me that they couldn’t put the book down.
Q: In your bio, you mention that you are now using your accounting degree and MBA as “sparingly as possible.” Why? (I must confess that I don’t miss working in the corporate environment.)
Anne Riley: This is such a good question. I went into accounting because I was good at it and I wanted a job that would allow me to work anywhere (my husband was an engineer with more geographically limited options, so I wanted to have as many work options as possible once he decided where to land). What I learned pretty early in the game, was that I was not motivated by the typical desires of business people. The technical aspects of the job were always interesting, but ambition, the drive for profits, wealth, position, winning at the game of office politics, these aspects of business left me cold. The parts I do love about business: customer service, quality, fair play, creating win-win situations, often seemed to be at odds with the management emphasis I encountered. Work frequently ended up being a frustrating experience.
When I left my last job in 2010, I decided to examine my values and determine what was really important in my life. I was amazed to realize that a successful business career dropped down so low that I no longer wanted to pursue it. What has taken its place are things that really matter to me. Spending time with my husband. Volunteering in my community. Writing. Biking.
Q: How relevant is the concept of heroes vs villains to telling your story?
Anne Riley: Very important. Conflict is the basis of my story. The heroes represent honesty and fair business practice; the villains represent greed and dishonesty. In real life, people are not so one dimensional, but in writing, you need to make the definitions clear enough so the reader can get the ideas you are trying to communicate, but not so sharp that the characters become unrealistic. It’s a fine line. I made my heroes imperfect but likeable and worthy of respect. I made the villains nasty but smart and worthy opponents to the heroes. Then I let them fight it out in a battle that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
Q: How do you make your characters engaging? Why do readers embrace your protagonist?
Anne Riley: This is where showing not telling is so essential to story telling. I show the characters in action, and let the readers draw their own conclusions about them.
When I read a book, I love to observe and discover the characters. I don't want the author to tell me what to think about the characters or the story. I want to figure it out for myself. That is the essence of the joy of reading. I kept this idea in mind at all times, when I wrote AERIE. I wanted the reader to discover what was happening just as the characters did. And I wanted to let the readers have their own opinions about how the characters behave and how the story unfolds. I am constantly amazed at how readers pick up different aspects of the story that I didn’t intend. I love when that happens.
I think readers love my protagonists because they are flawed but still worthy of respect and admiration. Sometimes they make mistakes, or draw the wrong conclusions, or trust the wrong people. But they also treat each other with respect, they admit when they screw up, and they don’t let failure get in their way. These are qualities the reader can relate to and ultimately admire.
Q: Did you write AERIE strictly to entertain your readers, or were you also hoping to educate them or deliver a message?
Anne Riley: First and foremost, I wanted to write a book that a reader will LOVE to read. If a reader is willing to part with a few hard-earned dollars to buy my book, I feel that it’s my responsibility to give that person an experience worth at least twice the purchase price. I hope I’ve done that. Not everyone loves every book, but I have had enough feedback with AERIE to know that most readers find it rich and satisfying.
For me, I love ideas and I fully admit to planting all kinds of them in AERIE. The reader is welcome to explore them. Or not. If a reader gets nothing from the book except a great reading experience, I am one happy author!
Q: What’s next? Will we see more novels from Anne Riley?
Anne Riley: Yes, I love fiction and am working on a new book. I have come up with a whole new set of ideas to explore, so I am busy massaging them into a rich complicated story that will once again keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Q: Tell us about Anne Riley. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Anne Riley: Well, I am no longer formally employed. Writing is my favorite hobby. I try to participate in some sort of writing related activities on an ongoing basis. Right now, I am marketing AERIE. I’m also drawing up the plot of my new book. I am a regular contributor with the Women’s group Women Who Rise, which is a fantastic organization dedicated to the idea that women can succeed and play nice at the same time. I have been a guest blogger on several websites and have done some radio shows. I generally just do things I like to do and that match my values. Oh, and I love to read.
I volunteer in our local community. I serve on the Budget committee in our neighborhood (that accounting degree does come in handy) and run our local pool in the summertime.
I started a website to encourage folks to put balls in parks so kids can play. It’s a very informal concept but one that I wanted to promote, so I built a website and threw it out into the world. You can take a look at the website at playitforward-us.com.
I really enjoy physical activity, so in the summer I do a lot of biking in the Oregon area. I really enjoy it, though I suffered a pretty bad knee injury in April, and am only now finally back into riding shape. My husband loves to plan multi-day bike trips, so all I have to do is carry my pack and ride, usually a long way! I also swim and lift weights and walk. I have run eight marathons but no longer am injury-free enough to run regularly, so biking and swimming have been great substitutes.
My husband Tim and I have been married for 33 years and he still makes me laugh every day. We have three children, Jim, Celeste and Erin, all of whom have grown up and left the nest. They lead very interesting lives and I am so proud of them for being such fascinating and unique individuals.
I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to spend a little time with you. I have had such fun. You are most kind, and I am most grateful!
About Anne Riley
Anne Riley lives in Hillsboro, Oregon with her husband and better half, Tim. They are the parents of three children, Jim, Celeste, and Erin, all of whom have grown up and left the nest. They make their parents proud with their interesting and uniquely suitable lives.
AERIE is Anne’s second book and first work of fiction. It is a high-tech thriller set in the 1990s where intrigue, deceit and greed are pitted against love, Anne surrendered to the writing bug in 2012 when she published her first book, a non-fiction work entitled Elusive Little Sucker, My Entirely Too Long and Totally Circuitous Search for Happiness. It is the completely true, and occasionally embarrassing, story of how she struggled with and finally found happiness.
Anne’s true love is writing fiction. She will continue to write rich and interesting stories that allow readers the chance to enjoy a delightful ride into the lives of characters who are forced to deal with complicated problems that exist all around us in this complicated world.
About AERIE
Liam Scofield has an idea, and it’s a good one. It is 1991. Liam is the president and CEO of Windwear, a flourishing hiking boot company located in Portland, Oregon. His growing company is planning to go public, and in anticipation of future growth, he has developed an idea for a new computer program to link his systems to those of his customers and suppliers. Always one to evaluate an idea using expert opinions, Liam seeks out Cara Larson, a systems analyst working at the technology giant, Pyramid, to assess the quality of this one. Cara disagrees with Liam. It’s not a good idea, she tells him, it’s a great one. She thinks it has the potential to become a saleable product and earn Windwear millions of dollars. Cara’s team begins working on the software, named Aerie, and after early initial success, runs into problems that have little to do with the complexities of technology. It seems Cara’s boss, Peter Whittington, thinks Aerie would be wasted on Windwear. He devises his own plans for the software and recruits Cara to aid him in his efforts. Then there’s Lauren Janelle, Windwear’s beautiful in-house attorney. She has designs on . . . well, let’s just say she has designs on many of Liam’s . . . assets.It’s not long before Cara has to make difficult choices about how to proceed with the Aerie project. As Cara navigates her way through sticky ethical issues, she finds her respect for Liam growing into something more complicated and altogether unsettling. Unfortunately, Cara’s efforts to help Windwear take an unexpected turn. Where greed is involved, even good deeds can be manipulated, and Liam suddenly finds himself competing with Cara to be the first to bring Aerie to market.It will prove to be a painful two-front battle for Liam. First, and quite inconveniently, he has fallen in love with his competition. Second, and far more problematic for the future of Windwear, he’s fighting the wrong enemy. 
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Chris Malburg, Author

Chris Malburg, Author
GOD'S BANKER
DEADLY ACCELERATIONChris Malburg has authored GOD’S BANKER, described by a reviewer as a book with “All the elements - drama, mystery, action, thriller.” GOD’S BANKER is the second in the Enforcement Division series with protagonist Jackson Schilling, special SEC Enforcement Division and former Navy Seal. In GOD’S BANKER, he investigates what Malburg describes as the most secret bank in the world, the Vatican, and an attempt to murder the Pope. 
Malburg leads a dual life. He is an author of thrillers and also an expert in corporate finance, a background that he exploits in his novels about an SEC investigator. He has published 11 books on finance and the first book in the Enforcement Division series, DEADLY ACCELERATION. He lives in Southern California with his wife, and they raise service dogs for the disabled.


Q: How did you conceive of the plot for GOD’S BANKER? What triggered the idea of writing a thriller involving the Pope and the Vatican’s money? Are you a Dan Brown fan? A reviewer said, “To me this book is up there with Dan Brown’s best.”
Chris Malburg: I’ve had a life-long interest in the Vatican Bank. It’s the longest standing, most secretive institution of its kind. I wanted to explore how one group of corrupt zealots might use it to create a global conspiracy that unseats the entire Roman Catholic Church. As for the Pope—he was a natural character since he’s the target institution’s CEO. Author, Dan Brown, has led the way in using the mysterious church as a backstory, creating a dark undercurrent of all-powerful and deadly corruption. I just kicked it up a notch with GOD’S BANKER.
Q: How accurate is the back-story associated with the Vatican and “the most secret bank in history?” How did you track down information about it? Was your background as a CPA/MBA, former investment banker, and financial consultant helpful?
Chris Malburg: The best lies begin with a grain of truth. That’s what I started with in creating the background of the Vatican Bank. Most everything in GOD’S BANKER about the bank carries that grain of truth. However, I seriously doubt such an institution could or would ever survive the rigors of a public stock offering. There’s a lot of information out there about both the Vatican Bank and the Roman Catholic Church. However, I imagine much of it has taken huge liberties with the truth over the centuries. That didn’t hamper my research—afterall, GOD’S BANKER is a work of fiction. As far as using my financial professional’s background—absolutely that helped in writing the book. In fact, I don’t see how someone without that experience could have created such a credible scenario of taking over Vatican Bank. Still, keep in mind, it is definitely a work of fiction—highly credible in places, but at the end of the day, still untrue.
Q: One of your reviewers said, “Jack Schilling is an amazing hero.” What makes him amazing? Why do readers care about him?
Chris Malburg: My readers have developed a relationship with Jackson Schilling over the two books in the Enforcement Division series—DEADLY ACCELERATION and now, GOD’S BANKER. Schilling is consistent throughout and true to the values of patriotism, justice, faith in himself and his teammates as well as his profession. He is extraordinarily competent, from the training of his early days as a Navy SEAL and later in the SEC’s Enforcement Division. Jackson carries none of the swagger and self-righteousness that some authors give their lead characters. Instead he is humble and focused on his people and his objective. In my interviews with those having such a background in real life, every one of them is that way—me included. I have had the privilege of spending time with men having Schilling’s background—they are the best of the best. Knowing them is quite an experience.
Q: What do you consider to be the characteristics of a great villain?
Chris Malburg: Great villains are tough to create. I think, for me, that’s because I have no frame of reference for people who would do such awful things as shown in GOD’S BANKER. But I’m a fast learner. What helps me most is to think of how I would react in that situation, then do exactly the opposite and ramp it up to inflict the most pain and misery.
A good villain cannot be all bad. That’s certainly the case with Cardinal David Caneman—the villain in GOD’S BANKER. He’s a brilliant financial engineer. Through his efforts, Vatican Bank has risen to become one of the world’s most significant financial institutions. Because of him, millions of dollars have been spent on the poor and downtrodden. Problem is, Caneman has a couple hundred billion at his disposal that he is not spending on the poor. He has diverted it to his own dark and less worthy purposes. He is also totally without a moral compass of any sort. The depth of his deception comes out the more readers see how he has colluded with and duped literally every person who has helped him rise to his seat of power in the Vatican Bank.
Q: How do you create the suspense that entices readers to turn the pages faster and faster—per your reviewers? 
Chris Malburg: For both DEADLY ACCELERATION and GOD’S BANKER I’ve tried to create a seduction that begins slowly at first and gathers momentum as the book proceeds—it’s similar to making love. I believe that readers want to get to know the characters and their circumstances at first. That’s the reason for the prolog, then the sniper scene that both precede the initial introduction of Jackson Schilling. Only by allowing readers to know the characters and care about what happens to them are they going to turn the next page and the next.
As far as turning pages faster—that’s a writer’s technique. As the action proceeds toward the end, have you ever noticed the chapters become shorter and shorter, the sentences as well? This picks up the pace of the action. You have to turn the pages faster to find out what happens next. If I see my readers turning the pages faster, then I know I’ve done my job of entertaining.
Q: A reviewer likes the humor associated with the Pope and Sister Mary Pat. How helpful is humor to telling your story? How do you mix suspense with humor without losing momentum?
Chris Malburg: These are great questions. Thank you. Humor is something that I think helps make the book that much more entertaining. As I writer, I want to give my readers a breather every so often. I use the often-humorous relationship between the Pope and his good friend, Sister Mary Pat. How often in real life would you imagine a nun actually gets to tell the Pope: “Oh wow,” said Mary Pat in a mocking tone. “Now that’s impressive. We’re up against four times the armed men, ground penetrating radar and—”This would not happen in real life. Yet the banter between these two loyal friends gives a welcome break in the action and lets you see the two characters as you would like to imagine them.
Q: Did you write GOD’S BANKER to deliver a message or just to tell a thrilling story?
Chris Malburg: GOD'S BANKER is a story I wrote with just one purpose—to entertain. If people wish to draw a deeper meaning and take away a message that resonates with them, I am thrilled. The funny thing is though, lately several readers have sent me religious books. GOD’S BANKER is definitely not religious in nature. There’s no Godly message that I know of. I guess after reading the book they must think I could use a little religion.
Q: How do you make your books credible? What draws us readers into your fictional story? It is fiction, isn’t it?!
Chris Malburg: I work really hard at establishing credibility with my readers right from the beginning of the story. I do this by incorporating as many real facts as possible, then allow the fictional aspects to revolve around them. Remember that grain of truth? Once I have the reader’s trust, I try never to lose it by making a silly mistake.
There’s a scene where Schilling is shot and his partner, Smitty, needs to perform emergency surgery. I researched the medical journals and emergency manuals. I wrote the scene as best I could and had it reviewed by an ER doctor. Still, I received an email from a real physician complaining about the count of bandages Smitty used. However, he did go on to say that my error did not diminish his appreciation of the book.
Q: What’s next? Will you write another Jack Schilling thriller?
Chris Malburg: I have two more book projects currently in development. And no, I am not yet finished with Jackson Schilling. If he’s up for a few more adventures, so am I. Actually, I’m getting some teens and young adults as readers. I don’t have any kids so this is new to me. These young readers are extraordinarily intelligent and savvy. So the next Enforcement Division book features two teens and is written to also entertain the young adults in our midst.
Additionally, I’ve recently seen a microcosm of uber-wealthy society that keeps women—for sex at first, for companionship occasionally but for ego and appearances most definitely. This book will explore that society from the woman’s point of view. It will be fun, entertaining and offers a glimpse into an aspect of society few ever get to see.
Q: Tell us about Chris Malburg. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Chris Malburg: I’m not a born writer. But I became one as soon as I could. My background is in corporate finance. That’s definitely where I learned to use multinational corporations as the weapons DEADLY ACCELERATION and GOD’S BANKER. I’m happily married, live on the coast in Southern California, and am an endurance athlete—a long distance cyclist. My hobby is raising service dogs for the disabled. In fact, both of my novels feature these two beautiful, intelligent Labrador retrievers, Carrie (left) and Dove. Both are former service dogs. of mass destruction depicted in

About Chris Malburg
Chris Malburg is a widely published author, with work spread over 11 popular business books--including How to Fire Your Boss(Berkley) and Surviving the Bond Bear Market (Wiley, March 2011).  In his other life, Chris is a CPA/MBA, a former investment banker and now the CEO of Writers Resource Group, Inc., providers of professional financial literary content to corporations (www.WritersResourceGroup.com).  That’s the professional side of Chris’ career.  The fun side began when UCLA’s Writers’ school taught him to transition from biz-speak to fiction. GOD’S BANKER and the first installment in the Enforcement Division series, DEADLY ACCELERATION, both combine Chris’ natural talent for story telling with his professional command of the high-stakes investment world and what money and power do to some people.
GOD’S BANKER came to fruition from Chris’ hospital bed while recuperating from an athletic injury.  As a long-time endurance athlete, Chris is no stranger to the surgeon’s scalpel.  Over 130,000 words later, GOD’S BANKER was complete.  “It just poured out me,” says the author.  “I carried my note pad to physical therapy; made plot notes during the hours in the gym doing rehab; even while on my long bicycle rides through the hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean where we live.  Slowly endurance returned and with it, GOD’S BANKER.”
Chris Malburg lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Marilyn.  Their hobby is raising service dogs for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  As of this writing, they have raised eight Labrador retrievers and have had three make the cut for placement with their disabled partners.    About GOD’S BANKER
Jackson Schilling must stop a deadly plot to murder the Pope and take over the largest institution of its kind. Then comes the hard part: Derail a fundamentalist faction led by Cardinal David Caneman—a man who over a billion faithful would call a saint. Jackson Schilling battles a force growing faster and more deadly than the Crusades or the Taliban. If Schilling fails, governments will surely topple before Caneman and his band of fundamentalists.
Excerpt GOD’S BANKER
The President watched the young man brace his plastered leg and struggle to pass one crutch into his left hand.  The President took half a step forward to offer assistance.  Then he saw the look of defiance in the young lieutenant’s eyes.  It said as loudly as if he had spoken the words, I will not succumb to this injury.  The President knew the look; shared the same defiant attitude when he was recovering from a 7.62x39mm round he took in the shoulder from a Talib AK-47 one dark night in Ramadi while on patrol. He stepped back.  The young SEAL slowly raised his right hand in salute. All 243 of America’s Squadron saluted their President at the same time. “Oorah, son,” said the President.The young lieutenant hadn’t expected that from America’s chief executive.  “Oorah, Mr. President,” he said back in a loud and proud voice that did justice to any man or woman who ever wore the uniform.  “Oorah,” thundered 243 voices behind him.              The President stood in the summer sunshine of Washington DC. At this moment, he realized there was no place on this earth that he would rather be than right here. The finest examples of courage and bravery in the American people he had the privilege of serving stretched before him. These people had taken time out of their busy lives to come here to the White House to see him. About what the President still couldn’t say. But he could smell the ribs already beginning to smoke next to the hastily erected canopies that shaded picnic tables off to the side near where they land Marine 1, the presidential helicopter.A White House staffer had already brought a microphone and plugged it into the permanently installed outlet. They often used this spot for events when the weather was nice. The President stepped up and said, “America’s Squadron, I salute you and the American people salute you. I am…” he bowed his head for a moment as it slowly began to dawn on him why they might be here.  “…I am humbled that you have taken the time to come here to what is truly your house.  You have fought for it and have bled for it. Your families have paid dearly for it.  I am just its temporary caretaker. But make no mistake, it is yours and by God always will be yours.”            The President turned the mike around for the young lieutenant to use if he wanted. The Navy SEAL crutched up to it and leaned forward on his metal crutches. “Mr. President, each of us brings to you a part of us today. It’s a little known fact that many of us serving in harm’s way have a private collection. It is testimony and a reminder of the pain we have suffered. But it is much more than that. It also says that we were not beaten. Some may call it gruesome. But they don’t understand the meaning because they have never been shot or taken shrapnel in combat.”            Now the President knew the full purpose of their visit.  His shoulder ached from the 7.62 cal. round from so many years ago. He had to admit he had never stopped thinking about it.              The young man continued.  “Sir, each of us has been wounded in combat protecting our country. We don’t want thanks. We don’t need any special help or attention. Sir, we just want to win—to beat hell out of those attempting to bring harm to our people and friends. That is who we are—America’s first string and first line of defense. We are America’s Squadron.”  When he finished the words, a shout of Oorah from those 243 standing behind him thundered even louder this time. LinksAmazon Smashwords  
Book trailer video  Eavesdropping on author videoChris Malburg on how he wrote God’s Banker videoGoodreads siteBlog Web siteFacebook page
Twitter address:  @ChrisMalburg

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Emerald Barnes, Author

Emerald Barnes, Author
ENTERTAINING ANGELSEmerald Barnes has authored ENTERTAINING ANGELS, described by a reviewer as an “inspiring story of a young woman who overcomes her insecurity.” Barnes says she draws on real-life experiences to tell her story. She likes “to keep us on the edge of our seats as a reader to make it compelling.”
She considers herself a “nerdy writer who writes young adult novels.” When she’s not writing, she is enjoying her nieces and nephews. She lives in Mississippi.
Don't miss the giveaway opportunity at the end of the interview.
Q: One of your reviewers characterizes ENTERTAINING ANGELS as a “spiritual-warfare-romance.” Do you concur? Why? Or why not?
Emerald Barnes: I do agree with that. It originally wasn’t meant to be a spiritual warfare novel, but when there is a good force at work, there is usually an evil one. So, I added in the demon as well since I have an angel. There is always a spiritual battle, and I couldn’t have one without the other and have the story, itself, work as a whole, because I wanted this portrayed realistically.
Q: How do you develop your protagonist’s character to help readers care what happens to her? How important is dialogue to character-development?
Emerald Barnes: In this particular case, I drew on real life experiences. What Madison feels and what she goes through is a lot like what I felt – and at times still do – during high school. So, I drew on those feelings, putting a lot of my own emotions into Madison. As far as dialogue goes, I think it’s extremely important. Dialogue reveals things about our characters. What they say and how they say it indicate so much, especially when there is a particularly tense conversation happening, but the dialogue itself needs to be accompanied by showings of emotions to really develop the characters themselves.
Q: Does the concept of “villains” vs “heroes” apply to ENTERTAINING ANGELS? What makes a hero? What are your favorite characteristics of a villain?
Emerald Barnes: It does, I believe. Like I said before, you can’t really have a good force without having an evil one as well. I think a hero is someone who is working for the greater good, someone who wants to vanquish evil, but not the person doing the evil. A hero always has a way of seeing the good in people, and they will do whatever they can to save the villain, even when the villain doesn’t want to be saved.
My favorite characteristics of villains are probably: one, they have a redeeming quality. I don’t like purely evil villains. I want to feel something for them besides hatred. And two, they always think outside of the box. I love when they do something crazy, but it really seems to work – at first. Three, I love how they just won’t die! You can kill them, but there’s someone else who has worked for them that can keep their idea going – at least until the hero(es) can vanquish them for good!
Q: How did you come up with the title ENTERTAINING ANGELS? (Don’t tell us if it’s a plot spoiler!)
Emerald Barnes: There’s a Bible verse, Hebrews 13:2, that says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” As I was reading that and thinking about my novel as a whole, the “entertained angels unawares” became Entertaining Angels. I can’t really go into more details than that without completely spoiling the plot.
Q: What do you consider to be the most important elements of a compelling story?
Emerald Barnes: I think that it somehow has to keep us on the edge of our seats as a reader to make it compelling. The main character needs to go through something that is bad, make it worse, and then let them come through it relatively unscathed but for the better. I think that’s pretty much my favorite way to tell a story. It keeps me always wanting more when I read a book like that. Of course, a happy ending – or mostly happy ending is helpful too!
Q: How helpful are back-story and setting to telling your story? Could your book have occurred anywhere at any time?
Emerald Barnes: In all honesty, in the telling of this particular story, they really aren’t all that helpful. A little backstory to why Mads is the way she is was necessary, but setting isn’t important at all – well, aside from the fact that most of her problems revolve around school. But yes, my book could have taken place anytime, anywhere because it’s such a common issue in teens these days. It could have taken place in 1980 or 2050, and the results would be the same.
Q: Do you develop your stories from an outline and stick to it; or do your characters push you around?
Emerald Barnes: My characters are so pushy! They never stick to what I have in mind for them, and I’m totally fine with that! I want them to direct the story because when I let them move about freely, the story is always so much better! They, apparently, know themselves better than I do!
Q: What do you think contributes to making a writer successful?
Emerald Barnes: There are so many keys to it. Finding the right opportunity for your novel for one thing, learning how to properly pitch your novel, learning the ins and outs of marketing. All of those things help, but I think the most important thing is perseverance. There’s no giving up, because if you do give up, you certainly won’t be successful!
Q: What’s next? What are your goals as a writer?
Emerald Barnes: To keep writing and putting books out there. I’m counting on being more successful than I am now, and I can’t do that without writing more books and publishing them. So, I have some books lined up, even short stories, to publish soon.
Q: Tell us about Emerald Barnes. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Emerald Barnes: I’m just a nerdy writer who writes young adult novels. I spend most of my time with my nieces and nephews, and now that my oldest two nieces are in school, I’m busy going to see them cheer at peewee football games and also watching my youngest niece (8months old) and nephews (ages three and two) so their mom and dad can run them to practices and the like. When I’m not helping out with them or helping my family in general, I’m usually watching TV shows or reading.
About Emerald Barnes
Emerald Barnes graduated with a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing at Mississippi University for Women.  She resides in a small town in Mississippi and has the accent to prove it.  She mainly writes suspense/thrillers in the YA genre, but she dabbles in other genres and her books are enjoyed by all ages!
She's constantly working on new novels and has more ideas than she knows what to do with.  She is a crazy grammar nazi who also proofreads novels!
She's an auntie to three beautiful nieces and two handsome nephews.  She's a Whovian, a little bit of a nerd, a reader, a writer, and a family-oriented person. God is number one in her life, and she thanks Him continuously for His love and favor.
About ENTERTAINING ANGELS
Madison Andrews can't face her reflection in the mirror. All she sees is a big, fat nobody. Yet, deep inside she longs for something more, something that's not skin deep.
Along comes Zach, the new guy in school.  He's smoking hot and totally out of her league.  She somehow catches his eye, and he makes her feel beautiful for once. But just as she gets close to Zach, her nerdy best friend, Chase, won't let Madison doubt her true beauty, no matter how many meals she skips.
Even as Madison begins to realize that she is more than she thinks, darker forces are at work, darker than the lies and mocking from her peers, stopping her from amounting to her full potential. Can Madison find true happiness in her own skin?
Links
AmazonBarnes & NobleWebsite Blog 1  Blog 2 Facebook Twitter: www.twitter.com/emeraldbarnesGoodreads Pinterest 





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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Cate Beauman, Author

Cate Beauman, Author
SAVING SOPHIE
7th in Bodyguards of LA County seriesBest seller author Cate Beauman has just released her seventh romantic thriller in the “Bodyguards of LA County” series:  SAVING SOPHIE. Reviewers tout this series as having “a great balance of romance, action, and suspense” with “well developed characters” and “believable story.”
Beauman claims she is “quite mundane compared to those of my bodyguards!” She says she is a wife and mother “addicted to storytelling.” She listens to music when she writes and has provided her list for SAVING SOPHIE. 

Don't miss the GIVEAWAY opportunity at the end of the article.
Q:  SAVING SOPHIE is your seventh ‘Bodyguards of LA County’ romantic suspense novel. How do you conceive of new plots and protagonists for these best-selling novels?
Cate Beauman:  I have to admit that ideas just sort of pop into my head and I go with them. Perhaps I’ll be watching something on television or reading something that sparks an idea and “Poof!” a plotline evolves. I typically watch documentaries and read various magazines with a pen and pad of paper close by, waiting to be inspired.
As for the protagonists, I typically have a conflict in mind and try to figure out what type of dynamics and characteristics would work well for that story and build from there.
Q: What is the inspiration behind SAVING SOPHIE?
Cate Beauman:  Stone and Sophie are as opposite as can be—or so it seems—and that’s why telling their story was so much fun!  Readers met Stone in JUSTICE FOR ABBY.  He’s a gorgeous bad boy, more interested in taking care of himself than worrying about anyone else.  Stone’s a hard-ass.  There’s no other way to say it, but everyone has an achilles’ heel.  That’s what drew me to Ethan Cooke Security’s latest bodyguard.  I kept asking myself what type of woman had the power to bring a man like Stone McCabe to his knees.  Enter Sophie Burke, a shy jewelry designer dealing with lots of trouble, and you just might have your answer.
Q: Why did you set SAVING SOPHIE in Los Angeles and Maine? Did the setting add to the plot?
Cate Beauman:  SAVING SOPHIE takes place mostly in Los Angeles, but there are a few situations that bring Sophie and Stone to Maine. Because I write a series, I try hard to keep each story fresh. Luckily bodyguards can do their job anywhere, so they find themselves in circumstances that take them all over the world.
Q: How do you typically integrate romance and suspense to entice the reader to turn the page?
Cate Beauman:  I love blending romance and suspense together. I honestly can’t imagine writing one without the other. Watching characters fall in love is always fun, but add a few elements of danger to the mix and then it’s just plain exciting! I think that alone entices readers to get lost in the story.
Q: Why will readers embrace Sophie? Is she someone we’ll like? What makes an embraceable protagonist?
Cate Beauman:  I think readers will like Sophie a lot. Sophie’s shy and sweet and the perfect match for Stone. Sophie hasn’t had an easy life. Somewhere along the way she forgot how powerful she is. Luckily, Stone’s there to help her remember. 
I think a huge key to creating an embraceable protagonist is making characters as human as possible. I find it annoying when a hero or heroine is “perfect” because that’s just not real. We’re all flawed. We have strengths and weaknesses, as do the men and woman of The Bodyguards series. I think readers like to read about people they can relate to. Sophie and Stone make plenty of mistakes, but they also work hard to fix them.
Q: How much of your work and/or life experiences can you use to write the Bodyguard series? Do you base your characters on people you know?  Do you travel to the locations where you set your plots? Or do you rely on research for back story?
Cate Beauman:  I have to admit that my life is quite mundane compared to those of my bodyguards! I’m happily a wife and mother who is addicted to storytelling! I’m not much of a jetsetter and I’ve never actually touched a gun, so I do lots of research to bring my novels to life. Google and I are very close friends. I quick reference information constantly—and that’s after I’ve spent weeks learning as much as I can about the topics I write about. I’m also a people watcher. I could spend hours on a bench, watching people walk by. I love imagining who they might be and what their lives must be like. I never base my characters on anyone I personally know. I love getting to know my characters as they unfold on the pagesQ: What’s next?
Cate Beaman: I’m currently working on my eighth novel, Reagan’s Redemption, which I plan to release in early spring of 2015.
About Cate Beauman
Cate currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, their two boys, and St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. She is the author of the best selling romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County.  Before her career as an author, Cate worked in special education for 12 years.
“I’m a pretty lucky girl; one day I woke up and my entire life changed. I saw the light, so to speak, and decided I was going to be a writer. Now, four years later, I’m currently working on my eighth novel, Reagan’s Redemption, which I plan to release in early spring of 2015.  I’m very grateful for the support and success I’ve had.”-Cate
About SAVING SOPHIE
When the only choice is to run…
Jewelry designer Sophie Burke has fled Maine for the anonymity of the big city. She’s starting over with a job she tolerates and a grungy motel room she calls home on the wrong side of town, but anything is better than the nightmare she left behind.
Stone McCabe is Ethan Cooke Security’s brooding bad boy more interested in keeping to himself than anything else—until the gorgeous blond with haunted violet eyes catches his attention late one rainy night.
Stone reluctantly gives Sophie a hand only to quickly realize that the shy beauty with the soft voice and pretty smile has something to hide. Tangled up in her secrets, Stone offers Sophie a solution that has the potential to free her from her problems once and for all—or jeopardize both of their lives. 
Excerpt SAVING SOPHIE
Sophie glanced around one last time at the town she’d called home for more than twelve years as Dylan merged south on the onramp towards Brunswick, knowing she would never come back to the place where she and her mother had made their fresh start.
“Your train leaves at nine. We should make it in plenty of time.”
“I’ve never traveled by train.”
“Me neither.” Dylan moved into the right lane, letting faster traffic pass. “Have you decided where you’ll go?”
She shook her head, even though she’d thought of little else since she woke this morning, knowing today had to be the day. “Somewhere big. Somewhere where he can’t find me.” She swallowed. “He’ll look. He’ll never stop,” she said, staring into the side mirror, waiting for the black Mercedes to rush up behind them and force them to pull over. “You have to be careful.”
Dylan huffed out an amused laugh. “That bastard doesn’t scare me.”
She wished he didn’t scare her either. “Be careful anyway.”
“I will, but he’s a coward.”
“No more than me,” she murmured, glancing down at the hints of bruised skin peeking out from under her sleeves.
Dylan tossed her a look. “Don’t go there.”
She sat back fully in her seat, unable to take her eyes off the mirror until Dylan eventually exited the interstate and drove toward the center of town, stopping in front of the Amtrak station as the train pulled up.
“Looks like you won’t have to wait.” She set the emergency brake and searched through her purse. “Here’s my license.” She handed over the Maine ID and paper ticket she’d bought and printed when Sophie gave her the green light from her kiosk at the mall. “We don’t look all that different with your wig, so this should get you your next ticket in Boston.”
“Thank you.” Sophie leaned over and gave Dylan a big hug. “Thank you so much. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
“Don’t look back, Sophie.” Dylan eased away, squeezing her hand. “Get out of here and never look back. Here are the phone numbers for the Stowers house shelters in Baltimore and LA I told you about—just in case.” She handed over the March copy of Trendymagazine with papers sticking out from the edges.
“Thanks. Please don’t forget to put flowers on my mother’s grave.”
“I won’t.”
She nodded and hugged Dylan for the last time. “Bye.”
“Bye. Take care of yourself.”
“I will.” Sophie got out, sliding her backpack on her shoulder as she made her way to the bored-eyed man at the ticket kiosk.
“Ticket and ID, Ma’am.”
Sophie handed over both, holding her breath, waiting for her plan to fall apart.
“Safe trip.” He gave them back.
“Thank you,” she murmured, letting loose a shaky exhale as she turned and moved toward the train, wanting to run instead of walk. She boarded the first available car and stared out the window as she sat down, watching Dylan pull out of the lot in the rusty hatchback, already missing the only person she’d had a connection with. She bobbed her leg up and down, struggling to keep her fidgeting at bay. Minutes passed, feeling like hours, until finally the doors closed. The train jerked forward, moving toward Boston—the first stop on her journey to freedom.
The Unofficial SAVING SOPHIE Soundtrack
“Here are a few of the songs that I had on “repeat” while I created Stone and Sophie’s story!  You can listen to them on my website www.catebeauman.com.
The soundtrack, of sorts, for Saving Sophie:·      Grey Street by Dave Matthews·      Sleep by Plumb·      Come To Me by The Goo Goo Dolls·      All I Want by Staind·      I’d Come For You by Nickelback·      Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran·      In My Veins by Andrew Belle·      Only You by Matthew Perryman Jones·      Feels Like Home by Chantal Kreviazuk
Links
Amazon Author Page  
Social links:Twitter: @CateBeaumanWeb pageFacebookGoodreads


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CHECK IT OUT: Cover Reveal for FATE by Andrea Buginsky

The second book in the New Avalon series will be arriving soon! Here's a look at the beautiful cover, designed by Natasha Brown.



Synopsis:Elena Baxter’s second year at New Avalon may be more challenging than her first. The demons she was warned about show up, a visitor who greatly affects her arrives, and her best friend, Izzy, has to deal with her painful past. Can Elena survive everything that’s coming at her at once? Or will the future Lady of the Lake take on more than she can possibly handle?
Excerpt:Elena ran through the dark woods, tree branches leaving deep, angry, red scratches on her arms, legs, and face. Her legs were heavy and her feet were cold and damp. The moist dirt of the forest floor began to seep through her shoes. She desperately wanted to look behind her to see if the dark figures were still there, but she dared not, afraid it would slow her down and they would catch up to her.

She kept running; she felt as though her lungs were about to explode and her heart would burst out of her chest at any moment. Cold sweat broke out all over her skin.

Just when she thought she couldn’t run anymore, she reached the edge of a cliff that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Peering through the heavy mist, she realized she had run to one of the far edges of Avalon, and knew the only thing below her was the icy cold ocean.

With nowhere else to go, Elena turned to await the dark figures chasing her. She prepared to use her magic on them, even with the knowledge that the few spells she had learned so far would barely touch her oncoming attackers. She would defend herself - she would not let them see how terrified she was.

As she watched ahead of her, three dark figures appeared, and when they saw her, they came rushing at her. They reached out their hands, casting their own spells faster than she could react to them. As several fireballs headed toward her, Elena began to scream.

Releasing September 30

Andrea Buginsky is a freelance writer with a BA in Mass Communication-Journalism from the University of South Florida. She has always wanted to be a published writer, and decided to try to write children's fantasy books a few years ago. The Chosen is her first book, and was released on December 14, 2010, to her delight.Andrea has written three more books since:* My Open Heart, an autobiography of growing up with heart disease.* Nature's Unbalance: The Chosen, Book 2* Destiny: New Avalon, book 1, a YA fantasyShe is currently  editing the third book of The Chosen series, and writing the fourth.
Andrea lives in Kansas with her family, which includes her two precious puppies.You can visit Andrea on her website or Google+

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Ellie Midwood, Author

Ellie Midwood, Author
THE NEW YORK DOLLEllie Midwood, born and raised in Moscow, Russia, brings us THE NEW YORK DOLL, a fictional account of a young woman’s experiences surviving in New York City. Although fiction, Midwood tells us that the book is intended to be a realistic account of what a young immigrant faces and how well-educated women from good families turn to exotic dancing to pay the bills. She draws on her own experiences as an immigrant in New York City—a city that she depicts as a character in the novel—to tell her story.  Although Midwood says that this is a book for adults, she“kept the language very clean and there’s no strong sexual content in the book.”
Midwood is an avid fan of New York City, loves to involve her friends in conversations about current events, and lives with her boyfriend and Chihuahua in New York City. She is currently writing another novel, “The Brooklyn Boys' Tales" about the lives of one of New York’s mob families.
Don’t miss the excerpt from THE NEW YORK DOLL following her interview.
Q: How much did your real life experiences influence your writing in THE NEW YORK DOLL?
Ellie Midwood: I was originally born and raised in Moscow, Russia and right after I graduated from the foreign languages faculty in my University I came to the United States. So the first few years in this country and in New York in particular were put at the base of my book THE NEW YORK DOLL. This is my personal story that basically describes everything I had to go through within the first two years here. 
Q: Why did you write THE NEW YORK DOLL?  Did you intend to deliver a message? Or strictly entertain? Or educate?
Ellie Midwood: First of all, so many books were written on the related topic, but none of them were written by a non-resident of the United States, and that’s what makes it really stand out among the competing titles. I wanted to tell a story from an immigrant’s point of view and to show my readers how hard it is to make it here if you don’t have any papers.
And second, for me the main reason for writing this book was to make the readers understand the real reasons why even well-educated girls from good families sometimes find themselves in a gentleman’s club. Because let’s face it, mostly all the people who I was talking to prior to writing this book, especially those who have never been introduced to the night club world, have this stereotype in their head: all exotic dancers are shameless, uneducated home-wreckers who don’t know any better than to dance almost naked for money.
Well, all those people would be very surprised if I told them that I personally know so many girls who have to dance to pay tuition for their higher education. Those are the future doctors and lawyers, interior designers and fashion journalists for whom dancing is the only opportunity to pay for their dream career choice. For most of the dancers a gentleman’s club is only a phase and normally a very short one, then they move on, get their dream job, get married and have kids and nobody would even know what they used to do.
I wanted to break that stereotype for everybody.
Q: How relevant is the concept of “villain” and “hero” to telling your story?
Ellie Midwood: I’m thinking of this novel as a very realistic one, and just like in real life there are no positively good people with no flaws, and that’s the main reason why I didn’t want to create a perfectly likeable main character. She is a very sweet girl, but undergoes some changes that can make her or her choices unattractive to some readers. But at the same time, I tried to explain that in this particular situation it was the only possible option for her; Mila is just a human being with all her weaknesses and strong sides, she is just fighting for her dream and that kind of a fight has never been perfectly clean and nice for anyone. As for the villains in my story, there are only few negative characters, one of them is Mila’s aunt who is constantly trying to rob her own niece of her hard earned money and at some point takes Mila’s dog as a hostage. I would call her the only real “villain”; the rest of the negative characters are very life-like and that’s what makes this story so appealing to the readers. Some of them probably encountered similar situations (who has never been cheated on in their life like Mila was? Or who hasn’t been tricked by a real estate agent – the situation very common among New Yorkers?), and can easily relate to them. 
Q:  Why will readers care about your protagonist, Mila? How does she engage readers?
Ellie Midwood: You can’t help but to sympathize with this character, she’s so honest about everything she does and says that it makes the reader root for her and hope that everything will work out in the end. The transformation of Mila throughout the story is also very interesting: from a very good mommy’s girl with very high moral principles, who gets offended when the manager confuses her for a pole dancer instead of the waitress job she was applying for in the beginning of the story, but she gradually gets stronger, more cynical and acquires that New York street-smarts so necessary to survive in this concrete jungle. Very naïve and unexperienced in flirting before, Mila soon creates an alter-ego Milana, who knows how to easily manipulate customers, and soon becomes one of the most popular girls in the club. She also takes her stand when it comes to dealing with her greedy aunt, who was trying to jump on Mila’s gravy train and to get every dollar she could from her niece:
“- You know, you’ve really changed since I first met you, Mila. You were such a nice, quiet girl, with no attitude, always so polite and respectful, and I don’t like what you’ve become.
“-You don’t like that I became a self-sufficient person who can take care of herself and finally say something back, and not a foot rug that I used to be. Then yes, I’ve changed. And good for me!”
Mila’s character development due to the circumstances and the new environment she found herself in is very truthful; the readers can easily put themselves in Mila’s shoes and that’s what makes them sympathize with this character even more. She’s very, very realistic.
Q: How important was honesty and realism to THE NEW YORK DOLL?
Ellie Midwood: Even though THE NEW YORK DOLL is classified “fiction”, it’s a very realistic story, which the readers can easily relate to. That’s why for me it was very important to be as honest as I could while delivering the message to the audience.
This story is not a pretty one, but it’s very realistic; this is what happens to those illegal girls, the so-called J-1 girls (it’s a kind of a student visa for the international students) who have no choice but to start dancing in New York and New Jersey clubs to pay their bills and to create a future in this country. All of them are fighters as it requires a lot of psychological strength to get undressed for the first time in front of the whole club full of men they’ve never seen. And don’t forget, these girls come from good families, most of them are either students or already graduated from universities, and most of them have never seen a gentleman’s club from the inside before.
Most of the readers don’t know this side of this business, that’s why my goal was to depict each character and every situation as real as I could. By the way, the book is rated R due to its content (obviously it’s an adult audience oriented novel as half of the story describes a gentleman’s club), but I kept the language very clean and there’s no strong sexual content in the book: my main goal was to tell the story of hardship of an immigrant girl, not the story of a typical stripper.
Q:  How helpful is the setting of New York City to telling your story?
Ellie Midwood: I would say that New York City is one of the characters of the book: the City is the reason why Mila decides to stay in the United States as she falls in love with it right away. In the first chapters she describes New York City as someone would describe their lover, the way it makes her feel, the look, the smell, the sound; she talks about the City with such adoration that even if you’ve never been there you’ll most certainly want to visit it after reading THE NEW YORK DOLL. New York takes part in Mila’s character development: first it’s trying to break her, keeps pushing her away, but just to find out if she’s strong enough to have the honor of being called a real New Yorker. This City will break your spine if you are not ready for it, it’ll chew you up and spit you out. And Mila overcomes all the challenges on her way to prove her right to stay in her beloved city.
One more interesting detail in the book that’s probably going to appeal to a lot of readers is the description of the disaster caused by the hurricane “Sandy”. When it strikes, Mila and her best friend Mikky find themselves witnessing the terrifying consequences of “Sandy.” The day after “Sandy” hit the City, they walk on Emmons Ave in Sheepshead Bay (an area in Brooklyn surrounded by the ocean) and describe the devastation it caused as the whole area got almost completely wiped out (it took almost a year for Emmons Ave to rebuild; some stores and restaurants however are still closed). A lot of New Yorkers are still suffering from the consequences of the hurricane and I thought it would be important to raise this topic in my book, as well as the shortage of gas and food that followed “Sandy.”
Q:  Who will most benefit from or enjoy reading THE NEW YORK DOLL?
Ellie Midwood: THE NEW YORK DOLL is an adult audience oriented novel, and everyone who’s interested in stories revealing the truth about certain aspects of life or businesses will enjoy reading it. I like to compare THE NEW YORK DOLL to THE NANNY DIARIES by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin or THE TWINS OF TRIBECA by Rachel Pine, but instead of revealing an ugly marriage and child raising problems of the Upper East Side moms or showing the real face of the movie-making business, THE NEW YORK DOLL exposes the inner world of a gentleman’s club business, it tells the story behind each character, both good and bad, it dwells on the question why the whole industry is so popular among men and why even the richest brokers of Wall Street who can afford everything, are complaining about their life and trying to find comfort in the arms of these beautiful dancers.
Q: What element to do you think is most important in creating a compelling story? Do you think it’s different across genres?
Ellie Midwood: As an eager reader, I always find the development of a character the most interesting, especially when he or she is taken from their normal environment and has to respond to new circumstances. For example in THE ALCHEMIST by one of my favorite authors Paulo Coelho the main character Santiago chasing his dream finds himself in a completely different country, the language of which he doesn’t even speak. He gets all his money stolen and doesn’t have a place to go. And nevertheless he doesn’t give up and keeps following his path. And I think a lot of people find it very inspiring. That’s why I wanted to create a similar story, with a strong character development that would be appealing to the readers. The main character Mila wouldn’t survive in New York if she would remain the person she used to be. She has to evolve, transform herself in order to fight for her dream and I hope the readers will enjoy following her transformation.
Q:  What’s next?
Ellie Midwood: I’m currently working on my second book under the working title THE BROOKLYN BOYS’ TALES, which depicts the life of several people connected to or members of one of the New York mob families. It’s very different from all the books on the related topic as it tells the real stories of real people that you won’t find in Wikipedia or in the police protocols. It’s going to have a very Brooklyn tone and accent, with a lot of real places mentioned, but all the names will be changed of course to protect the “story-tellers”. Here’s a little blurb from it:
“Some of them were away for several years; some just never got caught. A lot of controversy surrounds them: rumors, tall-tales, some of them are true, some are created by the vivid imagination of the crowd. But once a wise guy enters the room, everybody feels his presence. And even when you get too intimidated, you can’t show your fear; they have the senses of a wild animal and will tear you apart right away. Feel free to show your respect though, they like it, and if you happen to gain their trust and establish a friendly relationship with one of them through offering some free services or helping them out with something, you won’t regret it in the future. Just like in “The Godfather”, one hand always washes the other, and believe me, when you get in trouble you want that hand to be there for you.”

Q: Tell us about Ellie Midwood. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Ellie Midwood: I’m pretty much always writing, whether it’s a new project or a post for my blog (it’s also called “The New York Doll” and you can find it here: Ellieellechka.blogspot.com). I really enjoy doing restaurant reviews for my friends and also for the new hot spots that I discover in New York. Besides writing, I’m very into yoga and a healthy lifestyle and trying to be as active as I can. My best friend Vladlena and I once walked all the way from the Battery Park to Central Park; I’m really into New York City and even though I currently live in Brooklyn, I enjoy going there and finding new places. Sometimes I like being a tourist in my own city, it always inspires me and puts me in a good mood even if I’m upset or stressed out. I also love the process of the never-ending educational process for myself (I think so far I’ve been to every museum in the City, some of them I visited several times) and really enjoy reading new historical and medical articles (my grandmother is a doctor and my childhood books were replaced by medical encyclopedias). I’m very into politics as well and can’t help but to involve people into a conversation about the current events.
About Ellie Midwood
Ellie Midwood came to the United States after graduating from the faculty of foreign languages in Moscow, Russia. Her impressions from the first years in New York were put at the base of her book THE NEW YORK DOLL. Ellie is currently working on her upcoming book "The Brooklyn Boys' Tales" that depicts the lives of several powerful members of one of New York mob families. Ellie currently lives in New York with her boyfriend and their Chihuahua.
About THE NEW YORK DOLL
This is a story of a young girl of Russian-Jewish heritage Mila, who came to New York in search of true love and the American Dream. But after struggling to survive and keep a roof above her head, she turns to an option that she never even considered before: she becomes an exotic dancer. On her way she meets a lot of people, both good and bad, and she depicts every single one of them with incredible honesty. She falls in love with the owner of the club, the powerful Italian-American mobster R., and now they both have to fight for their bright future together.
This is the story of love and hatred, of friendship and betrayal, and everything else that takes place behind the closed doors of a gentleman's club.Excerpt
“One of the myths about this business is that all strippers are whores, or gold diggers, or both combined.  Probably in certain cases you would be right, but 80% of the girls simply have temporary financial difficulties and they are hot and open-minded enough to resolve them quickly and pain free. Some of the girls are dancing to pay off their fake marriages for papers, oh well, let’s be honest, that’s the majority of the whole strip club population. That was the reason why Mikky spent three years in different clubs and now she is a happily divorced legal American citizen with a nice bank account and plans on buying an apartment in Manhattan.
“Some of the girls, however, don’t have the papers yet and that’s the only nicely paid half-legal job that they can find at the time. That’s the case of most of the Brazilian and Puerto-Rican girls who are lucky enough to have prettier faces and rounder butts than those who have to clean hotel rooms 24/7 or babysit some spoiled rotten Park Avenue toddlers.
“Some girls are paying off their tuition by giving lap dances and doing champagne rooms, since they are not that attracted to the idea of being a 30 year old lawyer with a huge debt to pay to the truly fascinating American educational system. These are mostly American girls from the lower middle class families who do this so that their daughters won’t have to.
“You know, when you think of that, I truly admire all these girls and women who actually have a very structured plan on what they want to do with their lives and what are they going to be in 3, 5, 7 years and how much it’s all going to cost. It amazes me what great accountants, managers and personal life coaches they are.”

Links
Amazon  Blog  Goodreads  Wattpad  Twitter: @EllieMidwood

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Euphonos Aus, Author

Euphonos Aus, Author
WINGS OF EMOTION Volumes I and II
PIECES OF TIMEEuphonos Aus has just released the second volume of WINGS OF EMOTION. Reviewers tout her books of free verse and narrative poems as a “compilation of deep and thought provoking poems,” particularly about romance. Euphonos says “If readers can feel the love in their heart and remember the ones they love, my job is done.”
She currently lives in Melbourne, is an engineer by profession, and loves to stay at home and watch TV for relaxation, when she’s not reading, writing, or blogging.
Don't miss the short excerpt from her most recent book following her interview.
Q: Reviewers of your previous book PIECES OF TIME say “this author has a knack for writing romance.”  What makes a good romance? How do you succeed with WINGS OF EMOTION VOLUME II?
Euphonos: The whole spine of the “True Love” series is romance and true love. I think good romance is more about the intimacy that develops in time beyond the world of reasons and practical decisions.
Perhaps the reviewers wrote this because the romance in PIECES OF TIME surpasses the expectation of novel-romance. I should tell you, there is no iota of passion or excitement but it is a love story of trust and belief in search of her true love and whether destiny will bind them together.
My new book is a sequel to the first poetry book WINGS OF EMOTION VOLUME I. Well, the poems reflect raw emotions dealing with love, grief, loss and your inner soul. As always, I pour my heart out and write bluntly what’s in my mind and hope I have succeeded.
Q: How did you conceive of the story for your newest book? What inspired you to write it?
Euphonos: There’s no story in poetry but there’s a story in every poem I wrote in this volume undoubtedly. My thoughts I can say are true source of inspiration. The thought to feel free from the heaviness, the pure reflection of my soul and the ones around me made me write these poems.
Q: You write both poetry and prose. Do you prefer one over the other? Does writing poetry help you write prose?
Euphonos: Readers are the best judges, I must admit. Since my first book is a collection of poems written like a conversation in a natural language, more prose-like but sounds less than the usual poetry substance equated with so-called rhythmic element here and there. Yet, there is a similar pattern of recurrence that’s present. Nevertheless, I cannot definitely agree or come to a conclusion as to what I really write, poetry or prose. All I can say is it is a language I discovered for myself to tell the world what I feel.
Q: How helpful is setting to telling your story?
Euphonos: Well, the poetry does not really have much to do with the setting. Every poem I write, the image flashes and pictures keep me going. Like the poem, “BLUE EYED ESCAPE” from my next book which talks about a girl who is trying to escape while the boy admires and falls in love. So, I only see the characters and the sense of feeling than the time or place or period. On the other hand, PIECES OF TIME has got a lot to do with the setting. The whole story that revolves around the protagonist, Linda happens in Gladstone {small town I created}. So, it is a definite helpful factor, I believe.
Q: Why do readers care about your characters? What do you do to help readers engage with them?
Euphonos: I think characters are the driving force for any story. So, if readers can relate to any of the characters, they will find it more engaging and keeps them interested to the core. I feel connected with some stories when the main character is challenging and energetic rather than playing the victim. I feel attached when there’s emotional aspect and values. It might differ from one to other but certainly it is in the hands of the writer to make the story come alive.
Q: Does the concept of “villain” vs “hero” apply to your stories? Who are the heroes in a romance?
Euphonos: Hahaha!!! So far, there’s no villain in my story. Ian Baker, the high-school crush of Linda closely justifies the sense of “villain” maybe!!!
Q:  You are a “techie” by profession. How do you bridge your creative and techie selves? Do they ever interfere or help with each other?
Euphonos:  Surprisingly, the techie geek in me is dormant while I am writing. So, I never really had to try bridging between my professional front and my writer’s world. Maybe, the urge to write from a very young age and the love for books, the classic characters is an imprint of who I am and what I am doing today.
Q: Do you write to entertain your readers? Educate? Deliver a message?
Euphonos: I am sure there is a strong reason to carve every beautiful story. Also, in today’s world, people have wide variety of choices for entertainment. For me, I grew up reading books and so fond of every book I read, I never feel there’s a bad book out there or there’s a book with no message.
I strongly believe every book has a message, something we can learn from and entertaining in my opinion is purely an individual’s perception. Some might get entertained watching a movie while others would enjoy spending time with friends and so on. People who read books are so fond of them that there’s no scope for entertainment but a sense of joyous way to spend their time. My books have a story to be told. There is a message in every book I write. If readers can feel the love in their heart and remember the ones they love, my job is done.
Q: What’s next?
Euphonos:  Hmmm…I have a couple of projects in mind but it is in the interest of my heart and time I get to bring them alive. Long before I began PIECES OF TIME or the just –released second volume of WINGS OF EMOTION, I was writing a children’s story “Poppy & Granny”. Perhaps, I will resume working on that. It is very close to my heart. I am sure the kids will enjoy this short story about a girl “Poppy” living in the woods with her Granny and a cat.
Q: Tell us about Euphonos Aus. What do you like to do when you’re not writing or working?
Euphonos: I love watching television and just cherish being at home. Sometimes when the weather isn’t tricky, I go fruit-picking and basically I just adore nature. Also, my interest is settling for photography and knitting. So, that will add onto my leisure hours.
About Euphonos by Euphonos
“I am an avid reader, blogger and author of  WINGS OF EMOTION Volumes 1 and II and PIECES OF TIME. Growing up reading classics has always fascinated my belief in fairy tales. Also, I always had the flair for writing when I was a kid. I am an Engineer by profession. But, there is a born writer within me who has great passion to pen what I believe in.

“I live in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, a very happening place. Yet, I am one of those who enjoys sitting at home in my pajamas and watching television. I love living my life the way it is and for who I am and have no regrets. Now, don’t fall for that!!! I do have regrets. Nevertheless, the curiosity to live my life and wish for something miraculous has never left me peaceful. Also, you will always find me with a book in hand.
“My first work includes poetry intertwined with human emotions of love, grief, loss of loved ones in a free verse equated with rhythm and sometimes my writing is breezy. You’ll find me lovable.” 
About WINGS OF EMOTION Volume II
What lies beyond the poet’s mind?       A chance of unknown fate, Poems that speaks one’s life, regrets that come    uninvited while living a wonderful imperfect life with a sense of happiness and wishful ways to spend rest of our lives is what it is all about the second volume.            Excerpt
A profound testament to unconditional love, loss and hope, this free flowing verse paints a picture of the first breathless moments of new love to the heartache of letting go.  Each word is a swath of elegance and grace that will linger in the halls of your memory for years to come.
Links You can reach her @AeuphonosBookAmazon
Wings of Emotion Volume IIBlog Facebook pageFacebook ProfileGoodreads Google+ Instagram: aeuphonosPinterest: aeuphonosBook Trailer