Joyce T. Strand's Blog, page 20

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Actor and Author Stephen Jared

Stephen Jared, Actor & Author
THE BRUTAL ILLUSIONActor and author Stephen Jared appreciates movies, books, art, and music from the first half of the 20th century. This love of 20th century culture resulted in his adventure and crime books set in that time period. His latest crime novel, THE BRUTAL ILLUSION, features a young woman in 1936 Hollywood searching to “fulfill her dream,” but finding a mobster. Reviewers recommend it: “highly entertaining, and loaded with mood, history and suspense.”
As an actor, Jared has appeared in feature films such as, He's Just Not That Into You; and in television shows, such as, iCarly, 24, and Touched by an Angel.  As a writer, Jared's adventures and crime novels include TEN-A-WEAK STEALE and THE ELEPHANTS OF SHANGHAI. He is currently working on his next crime story, which is set in 1956 in the California desert near Hollywood.
Don’t miss the excerpt from his newest crime novel, THE BRUTAL ILLUSION, following his interview.

Q: Both you and reviewers describe your most recent novel, THE BRUTAL ILLUSION, as darker than your previous books.  One reviewer said “Great dark Hollywood story” and that it was “Possibly my favorite of his works.” What caused this shift to the “dark” side?
Stephen Jared: I was driving one night and the whole story hit me. My initial reaction was that it was much darker than I was comfortable with, but then I began to wonder if I could pass up such a story. I think stories are elusive. Unlike most things you work at, it’s not about the hours you put into it. On top of that, I had a lot of darker feelings and personal issues I had never dealt with in my writing and I felt this story could provide a vehicle for letting a lot of those feelings out. I’m not in favor of writing books as a therapeutic exercise; I’m just saying that I felt uniquely well suited to pull this story off.
Q: Jared “has remarkable insight in coming up with these plots and ideas, making them real.” How do you “come up with” your ideas? How do you make them “real?”
Stephen Jared: The two main characters in this story are an actor and a writer. I happen to be both. I’ve always been fascinated by the frail fence between fantasy and reality in people’s lives. I’ve explored this in my previous books, but never to the same degree as in THE BRUTAL ILLUSION. We all need to escape reality at times, but at what point does escape become dangerous? If your whole life is pretending to be someone you’re not (and it’s not just actors who do this), or writing about make-believe characters, do you lose some terrific things by being so disengaged with the real world? THE BRUTAL ILLUSION is a melodramatic crime story, but that’s just ornamentation on the tree. Reality is a dangerous place, and there’s a strong temptation to run from it, but running too far can present new dangers.    
Q:  What draws you to set your books in the first half of the 20th century?
Stephen Jared: I love movies, books, music and art from the first half of the 20th century. Those decades will be reflected upon as extraordinary for hundreds of years to come. Much was made to appeal to common people as opposed to an aristocracy, which was a very new thing at the time. Yet, unlike today, the artists competed with tradition. The cinema of the 30s wanted to sell popcorn while competing with the best of Broadway. The modern artists wanted, among other things, to show that more primitive works could compete with the academics. Gershwin wanted his music to appeal to every average Joe while also competing with classical music. 
People with little understanding of art lazily believe the first half of the last century was only about making something new. Most of today’s works are disposable because we’ve moved so far from the classics, and anything that suggests tradition gets dismissed as derivative. So, I’m just far more inspired by those decades and prefer to escape into them when writing. That said, I’d like to write something set in our modern times. I just can’t get a handle on it. I don’t want to write about a guy who texts someone, hoping for a skype chat, and wonders if that might lead to a latte. People live with such high walls around them today, and I just find it uninteresting from a dramatic standpoint, as well as aesthetic. That’s my failing though. It can be done obviously. I just can’t crack it, not yet.
Q: How helpful is the setting of Hollywood to telling your story THE BRUTAL ILLUSION?
Stephen Jared: Hollywood is a place where you can literally walk into a world that is pure fantasy. The city and the movie industry are as important to this story as any other part.
Q: Are your characters based on real people—either historical or alive today? Or are they entirely fictional?
Stephen Jared: They’re a combination of all – historical, fictional, and living today.
Q:  THE BRUTAL ILLUSION is your fourth book. Did you find it easier to write than your first, second, or third? Has writing become easier?
Stephen Jared: Writing has become easier. I’m more confident. I can communicate more clearly, more quickly. But, as I said above, a great story is a difficult thing to catch. You can’t force it. Things seem to fall into place or they don’t. And the story of course is the key. Without that, you’re in big trouble.
Q: As an actor, you obviously read a lot of scripts/screenplays. Have you considered turning any of your books into screenplays? Based on reviews, I think your fans would enjoy seeing them as movies.
Stephen Jared: I certainly wouldn’t be the one to stand in the way of having one of my books made as a film. I used to write screenplays. Jack and the Jungle Lion, which is now included in the sequel novel, The Elephants of Shanghai, was originally a screenplay. It’s a tough trick to pull off. Maybe one day it’ll happen. But I won’t be the one knocking on those doors. My knuckles are too scarred at this point.
Q: Do you outline your stories or do your characters just take you along for the ride?
Stephen Jared: My next one has an extensive outline. THE BRUTAL ILLUSION had nothing. It was all so clear in my head. I didn’t need to write anything down.
Q:  I know you’ve just released your fourth novel, but I’m curious as to what’s next? Will you return to Hollywood for another crime story? Anything new on the acting side of your life?
Stephen Jared: It’s another crime story, set outside Los Angeles in the California desert, 1956. It too is a fairly dark story. As to acting, I just shot a Pepsi commercial in Japan. Was great fun, would love to do more jobs that travel.
Q: In a previous interview, you said when you’re not writing or acting you like to visit art museums and discover artists, especially those in your favorite time period—the first half of the 20th century. Have you discovered any new artists in the past year? Or what else have you been doing besides writing and acting?

Stephen Jared: There’s a contemporary painter who I’ve admired from a distance for a while. He’s in Southern California, and I just think he’s amazing. Anyway, I reached out to him to see if he’d agree to meet, and if I could interview him. He was extremely gracious. His name is Tony Peters, and you can find that interview here: About Stephen Jared
As an actor Stephen Jared has appeared in feature films, such as He's Just Not That Into You, and on television in popular shows such as iCarly, 24, and Touched by an Angel (plus commercials for both radio and television). His writings have appeared in various publications. In 2010, his first novel, Jack and the Jungle Lion, received much critical praise, including an Honorable Mention in the 2011 Hollywood Book Festival. Solstice Publishing began releasing his work, starting with Ten-A-Week Steal, hailed as a "fantastic work in the tradition of the old pulp/noir masters." The Elephants of Shanghai continued from where Jack and the Jungle Lion left off (the original story is included in the opening pages of the sequel), and went on to take Second Place at the 2013 Hollywood Book Festival. His latest novel, THE BRUTAL ILLUSION, is now available.
About THE BRUTAL ILLUSION
1936. Hollywood. A young woman struggles to fulfill a dream. She meets a man with connections, becomes overjoyed, and soon feels indebted when she lands a studio contract. At the studio, a young writer takes a shine to her; however, rumors circulate that the man who got her the contract is a mobster. Unbeknownst even to her, the rumors are true, and her dream soon becomes a nightmare.



Excerpt from THE BRUTAL ILLUSION
Allyson often looked at her reflection in the mirror with pleasure. It wasn’t flattery she craved, nor introspection, but illusion. Alone now, seated, she couldn’t look away. She liked the way her reflection had no inner life, no history. It was like a game, and she’d been playing the game ever since she was a little girl, but never had the game been so compelling, never had her reflection been so convincingly someone new, as when she arrived home from the studio on this late September evening and saw herself as a platinum blonde.She couldn’t stop staring. It was a shock. It completely transformed her. Her beauty changed from one thing to something else entirely. There seemed to be two of her now. One person on the inside with insecurities, a person who felt herself to be nothing special at all, and then the person on the outside who was daring, glamorous, a provocative bombshell.Earlier at the studio, she’d never received so much attention as when the stylist finished with her. In the last few minutes of the day, she walked across the lot attracting the type of stares typically reserved for movie stars.While Mr. Leammle gave his approval, he was too busy to look at results. He sent one of his top producers, Edmund Grainger, who was responsible for pictures like Madame Spy and Affairs of a Gentleman, to get the first eyeful of the new Allyson Rockwell. Mr. Grainger was stunned, and said so. He also made the point—something Allyson had not considered—that platinum blondes never got small parts. They stood out too much, usurped too much attention. Therefore, some risk was involved in the creation of this new Allyson Rockwell. Mooning over her though, Mr. Grainger also proclaimed the risk was well worth it.Flashbulbs burst like fireworks in Allyson’s imagination. She stepped from shiny cars onto red carpets. Hysteria erupted all around her. Allyson wished she could freeze her disposition and feel this way forever. Crossing the studio, having effectively escaped everything she had ever been before, was an unforgettable sensation. She hoped she would see her famous blond friend in every mirror she passed for the rest of her life.More of the night slipped away. Where shock moved on confidence began to reside. She kept still, staring at herself, on a bridge of calm between two lives. She looked almost like a dessert, she considered, her hair nearly the color of wedding cake.Without thinking too much—she told herself not to think too much—she stood. She went to a telephone and dialed for a cab. Again she considered that taking the Cabriolet wouldn’t be prudent. As well, certain anxieties had the potential to cut into her newfound strength. She wanted to take her anxieties and tuck them away, leaving them to collect dust in her old life. Over time, she would move away from ever using the Cabriolet again. Eventually, she would leave the Hancock Park home as well. That time would surely come, but for tonight, she reserved the cab, quickly changed her dress, and dabbed her neck with perfume.
LinksTwitter address…@stephen_jaredAmazonGoodreadsWebsiteFacebook

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Author Dan Dembiczak

Dan Dembiczak, Author
IMPERFECT  PARADISESuccessful playwright, actor, director, producer, and short story author Dan Dembiczak has published his first novel, IMPERFECT PARADISE.  Reviewers describe it as an “intriguing story of self discovery” and tout Dembiczak's “complex, strong protagonist” and the “backdrop of the Big Island of Hawaii” which “adds to the richness of this story.” Dembiczak himself says that he is “interested in crafting an interesting character.  A human being.”
Dembiczak has always been a writer. Eight of his plays have been produced in Seattle. He has traveled extensively to Hawaii and appreciates its magic.  He gained insight into women, such as his protagonist, having been reared with three sisters, befriending women, and reading women’s self-discovery literature of the late 1800s. He is currently working on his second novel. In between, he likes to garden and is a yoga “fanatic.”
Q: Why did you write a story about a woman’s self-discovery? Do you think it’s difficult for a man to comprehend a woman’s feelings? How did you gain insight?
Dan Dembiczak: The inspiration began with taking the women’s self-discovery stories of the late 1800s and putting it in modern times.  I was most interested in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, a book that spoke to me at an early age and the power of the story has stuck with me for a long time.  In those stories, the woman was always seeking to escape – and unfortunately the only escape route meant her own demise.  I wanted to explore a more positive option, but equally delve into the messiness of figuring out one’s true path. 
As far as comprehending a woman’s feelings and gaining insight, beyond being a huge fan of women’s fiction, I grew up around a lot of women.  I’m the youngest of four siblings, with three older sisters.  So it was like I had four mothers!  I’ve also had some very special female friendships over the years and observed the markedly different experience a woman has even in these modern times. 
Q: Reviewers praise your protagonist in IMPERFECT PARADISE as “complex, strong” and “definitely relatable and easy for readers to root for.”  How do you entice readers to root for or embrace your protagonist Sarah Chizeck? Is she based on a real person?
Dan Dembiczak: I always knew she’d be a challenge for some, much like Edna was in The Awakening.  But I’m very pleased that readers are responding to her realness and identifying with where she’s at in her own awakening.  At first we see this woman on a very decadent Hawaiian honeymoon who seemingly has the perfect life.  Why does she seem so malcontent?  That’s just annoying.  But then as the story unfolds and we learn of her backstory, it becomes more evident that she isn’t living life for herself.  She’s trying to fit into a paradigm her family and society have set for her and ignore her doubts, regrets and misgivings. 
Q: How helpful or relevant to telling your story was the setting of Hawaii?
Dan Dembiczak: Huge!  I don’t think Sarah would have made the same choices or had the same discovery somewhere else.  I actually envisioned this story while running on a beach in Kauai in 2005.  It was my first trip to any of the islands, and a very powerful experience for me.  There is something so intense about the beauty there and the vividness that just leads to a startling clarity.  The sensuousness Sarah experiences on all fronts – the food, the air against her skin, the empathy she begins to experience for other women on the island – all leads to her exploration and ultimate decision to choose a new life. 
The Big Island, in particular, is such a magical place.  I’ve been there so many times and yet each visit it’s like I’m falling in love all over again.  And it’s not the glitzy resorts.  It’s the small little ice shave shack or an undiscovered black sand beach.  Beauty is hiding in every corner waiting for the right person to discover and appreciate it. 
Q: Did you write IMPERFECT PARADISE to entertain readers or also to deliver a message?
Dan Dembiczak: Absolutely both.  I mean, who doesn’t want to read a bit of sizzle that takes place on a tropical honeymoon?  So I think the relationship between Sarah and Kalei and Sarah’s exploration of the island is a highly entertaining reading experience.  At the same time, I was very much hoping to convey a message of freedom and hope.  That it’s never too late to start living an authentic life, even if you’ve made huge commitments.  I’m not trying to start a movement for women to leave their husbands, though! 
Q: In addition to IMPERFECT PARADISE, a novel, you have also written short stories, plays (of which eight were produced in Seattle), and articles. Which do you enjoy writing the most? Why?
Dan Dembiczak: It’s changed over the years.  As a kid I began writing short books and going to young writer’s conferences with them.  I then took up short stories and poetry.  In middle school I wrote my first screenplay.  My dad was working nights at the time and photocopied enough copies for me to do a reading with friends.  Then in high school we had an assignment to make a movie and it came to life!  In college I majored in creative writing and worked on short stories and started a novel.  Then the theater bug hit me and I spent many years writing plays.  And I really found a love of writing characters and dialogue.  For me, it’s really important for each individual character to have a unique voice.  So the years in theater really honed that for me.  When I decided to take a break from theater, it felt like the perfect time to sit down and write this novel that had been marinating in my brain for years. 
So I would say that right now writing novels is the most satisfying for where I’m at in my life.  But I’m not closing any doors on plays or screenplays.  Writing articles has always been a way for me to keep my writing sharp and stay involved in the community.   I’m sure I’ll continue with that always as a way to stay connected.
Q: Is the concept of “villains vs heroes” or “antagonist vs protagonist” relevant to your books? What makes an interesting villain and hero? Do you need one to have the other?
The "good vs evil” mentality may work well in action movies, but in my writing I’m more interested in the gray area. We’re all just a product of our experiences.  I like to explore both the darker and lighter sides of characters.  Sarah is no grand heroine, but she’s not a villain either.  And neither is her husband or Kalei or her family.  I love it when I read a story or watch a film and leave with mixed emotions.  I think I’m less interested in what makes an interesting villain or hero and more interested in crafting an interesting character.  A human being. 
Q: Do your characters lead you to write what they want? Or do you draft an outline and stick to it?
Dan Dembiczak: I draft an outline, but I keep it pretty skeletal at first so that the characters can emerge and lead to spontaneity. For IMPERFECT PARADISE, I stuck pretty close to the overall plot outline, but there were scenes that were born naturally as I was writing them.  For example, the subplot with Sarah’s obsession with the cat in the parking lot was not something I had originally put into the outline. 
Q: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Dan Dembiczak: I can’t really remember not having an interest in it.  In kindergarten I was very shy and loved to read.  Writing has always been a way for me to keep company with anyone I want to create.
Q:  What’s next?
Dan Dembiczak: I’m writing my second novel titled The Hardest Pose is Corpse Pose.  It’s written through four main characters’ points of view, some first person and some third person.  It follows a married couple living in South Seattle and facing marital problems.  The wife is a yoga instructor and trying to come to terms with her husband’s infidelity and an unexplained illness that’s struck her.  The family dog is also one of the characters and offers a very different perspective on what’s going on at home.  Each character is struggling with an issue related to faith, whether that be their lack of or a reconciliation with a belief system that’s been in place for a number of years.
Q:  Tell us about Dan Dembiczak. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Dan Dembiczak: I’m fortunate enough to have a decent sized yard and enjoy gardening.  I am a yoga fanatic.  I try to practice every day.  I love food, movies, reading and getting to the Big Island as much as I can.
About Dan Dembiczak
Dan Dembiczak is a Seattle native who began writing stories as soon as he could spell. He earned a BA in creative writing from the University of Washington, and has worked extensively in local theater as a playwright, actor, director, and producer. Eight of his plays were produced in Seattle, including the popular four-part Capitol Hill High series, and a number of his articles and short stories have appeared in publications in Seattle and Los Angeles.
Dembiczak has traveled extensively to the Hawaiian islands, particularly the Big Island, where he was married in 2008, and considers Hawai'i his second home. He primarily resides in Seattle with his husband, dog, and chickens, and is currently working on his second novel, The Hardest Pose is Corpse Pose, which tells the tale of a yoga teacher facing change, adultery, and, possibly, death.
About IMPERFECT PARADISE
For thirty-two-year-old Sarah Chizeck, marriage was not an option, but an expectation. She was raised to believe that a woman’s main focus is to get married and start a family, and she put everything else on hold to accomplish this goal.
So when she finally marries her boyfriend of five years, Sarah and her family are ecstatic. But underneath Sarah’s smiles, something else is lurking.
Sarah’s career and personal interests were not all she put on hold to pursue marriage. She also put her feelings on the backburner and buried her emotions. But when she reluctantly goes to Hawai’i for her honeymoon, these things come to the surface, and she is both pleased and alarmed by the sensory experiences she encounters.
Terrified by her attraction to a handsome young concierge, Sarah is forced to confront her new feelings, as well as what she previously ignored, and she ultimately comes to shocking revelations about her upbringing, marriage, and future.
IMPERFECT PARADISE tells the compelling story of Sarah’s internal awakening and delivers a powerful message about hope, happiness, and finding your place in the world. A classic romance with a contemporary twist, it is sure to appeal to fans of modern, liberating fiction.
Author and Purchase Links
Amazon listing  twitter:  @imperparadiseGoodreads Facebook  

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Author Andrew Clawson

Andrew Clawson, Author
DARK TIDES RISING
A PATRIOT'S BETRAYAL
THE CROWN'S VENGEANCEAndrew Clawson just released his latest present-day thriller using history to entice readers, DARK TIDES RISING. Reviewers describe Clawson’s books as, “historically intriguing,” “fast-paced thrillers,” and “true-to-life well developed characters.” Clawson says his interest in the past combines with his curiosity to explore small moments with a big impact. He says he creates suspense more through dialogue than back story, and divulges his characters slowly.
Clawson lives in Pennsylvania, loves to read, seeks out the sun, and “of course a good craft beer will always get my attention.”

Be sure to check out the excerpt from DARK TIDES RISING following his interview.
Q:  What inspired you to use history to tell modern day thrillers?
Andrew Clawson: The biggest inspiration is a lifelong interest in our past, which bred a fascination with understanding not only where we came from, but looking beyond the surface and wanting to know what events from bygone eras led to the reality we experience today. The tiny coincidences or mundane actions of years gone by, which at the time seemed irrelevant, can have a permanent impact on the future.
Take, for example, George Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware. December 25, 1776. The Continental Army was camped in Pennsylvania, and Washington led a surprise attack by crossing the ice-choked river in the dead of night, which allowed him to take the Hessians in New Jersey by surprise, capturing 1,000 soldiers along with much-needed supplies. Now, how was this bold maneuver able to succeed? Other than excellent planning and decisive action, the much-needed victory came about because a Hessian officer who received word of the impending crossing from a loyalist spy failed to pass on this information, as he was playing poker. Had he folded, the British would have known Washington was coming, could have captured or killed him, along with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, and the Declaration of Independence becomes nothing but a dream. Truth is stranger than fiction, and this is a perfect example of how history can be inter-woven with truth to drive a thriller today.
Q: “Historically intriguing,” “sparked my interest in American history,” “adept handling of historical details…Far from a dry history lesson, the author weaves details from the past into the fast-paced action of the present.” Are you a historian? Do you enjoy history? How do you engage readers with historical facts?
Andrew Clawson: The only historical training I’ve received is in a classroom, much like every other student in the country, but it seems to have stuck. As noted before, I enjoy reading about history, and I’ve been fortunate enough to combine a subject I get excited about with a chance to craft tales that keep a reader intrigued on multiple levels. In every novel I write, extensive research goes into each twist and turn. I do my best to weave an authentic storyline that is as true to the times in which the narrative is set as possible. Utilizing a historian as one of the recurring characters allows me to take the best parts of modern fiction, such as technology, weaponry, and geography, and mold them with the wonders of the past. Part of what I believe makes this all work is that though we have a vast knowledge of our past, there are still countless mysteries regarding what exactly happened in any number of situations. With such a trove of material, the hard part is choosing what to write about, because it’s all so good.
Q: How important is historical accuracy to telling your story? Do you believe historical accuracy leads to credibility and believability? If so, what kind of research do you conduct?
Andrew Clawson: Accuracy is vital – to a point. With the kind of stories I like to write, it’s important that the lines between fact and fiction are difficult to discern, because much of the inspiration for my plots can be found in textbooks. Borrowing from the past allows me to paint a much more vivid and engrossing picture than simply creating most detail from thin air. I believe that type of story is much more likely to make a reader question what’s in front of them, which takes away from the whole purpose of a book – to entertain (at least a fiction novel). By incorporating factual information into the narrative, it allows a reader to more easily accept the story, as many readers who pick up one of my novels will have at least a passing familiarity with the time period from which parts of the tale are drawn. And this all leads to one of, to me, the most important outcomes of a book like mine: making the reader think. I want everyone who finishes a book I’ve written to go out and do a little research. Did that really happen? Was that person real? By drawing someone into the past, and by doing so in an entertaining manner, I hope to stoke, or even create, a newfound interest in the past.
My research is multi-faceted. I have a decent grasp on events of significance from our past, though of course this is painted with the brush of who wrote the history books (a favorite saying: “History is written by the victors”). Once I latch on to an idea for a story, I’ll begin to read about the period, specifically the time and place in which the impetus for my modern-day adventure will be drawn. This initial research is less focused than later readings and investigations, because I’ve found that if I limit myself in the beginning, I risk missing out on facts and trivia that I never knew existed, some of which may work perfectly with my storyline. Once I have a better idea of exactly what the tale will contain, my research focuses specifically on how I can incorporate factual information from the time period or place into my writing. Soon after this, an outline begins to take shape, and I can move forward with confidence.
Q: How do you create interest in your characters—both modern day and historical?
Andrew Clawson:  I try to incorporate traits from people I know or with whom I am familiar, people who have inspired or in some way left an impression on me. I also like to utilize actions or motives that create a strong reaction, positive or negative. Giving characters depth isn’t a product of detailed back story or endowing them with stereotypical villainous qualities. Creating a memorable individual can be much more subtle, a sentence here or a pointed action there. Sometimes, of course, it’s best to hit your audience over the head with one of these, but I try to mix it up and paint characters in small strokes without a wide brush. Complexity, to a point, is paramount. And it should be revealed over time, with a dash of misdirection thrown in when you can. Always keep the reader guessing (except when you don’t).
Q: Are you in charge of your characters, or do they take over? Do you follow an outline? Or…what is your writing process?
Andrew Clawson:  It’s not very often my characters begin to direct the action, mostly due to the fact that I outline every scene prior to starting the novel. I actually work backwards, starting with the ending, and stepping back through time to determine the best (read: most entertaining) path to arrive there. With such an investment in the outline, I tend to stick with it, though of course there are certain times when the story speaks to you, and if that happens, I believe only a fool ignores it. Barring such intervention, however, the most effective method I’ve found involves hours of preparation to allow yourself the luxury of focusing only on the writing itself as opposed to worrying about the storyline at every turn. If you’ve already plotted the dance, there’s little need to worry about each step.
Q: Are there villains and heroes in your books? What makes a good villain? Do you need villains in order to have heroes?
Andrew Clawson: I try to have both, but to paint them in shades of gray as opposed to black and white. Imbuing characters with qualities normally associated with their natural opponents gives them depth, creates a deeper association with the reader, and adds a level of complexity that isn’t found with the straightforward hero versus villain dynamic. And as to the need for both? I say, no, you don’t. A hero can be his own worst enemy if you write him properly.
Q: Your reviewers tout the “fast paced action.” How do you create an “electrically charged thriller?” What are the characteristics of a good thriller?
Andrew Clawson: For me, I seem to have success when my interactions are dialogue-based. By that I mean the characters reveal their motivations, come to realize their situations, and aid in story development through what they say as much as what they do. Tense, tightly-knit plotlines can be built through the careful construction of engaging dialogue, which I believe stems from putting yourself in the characters shoes. What would they say? Does it sound right? Focusing on putting not only the right words, but believable words, in a character’s mouth is what allows me to keep action flowing and reveal plot twists and turns in an engaging manner.
Q: Do you write your books primarily to entertain or were you also trying to educate or deliver a message?
Andrew Clawson:  Great question. For me, it’s both. I believe books are dual-purpose weapons. I believe you can get lost in a beach read that also makes you think. By weaving truths and near-truths together in a tale that gets your pulse racing, my hope is that readers will be inspired to delve more deeply into the issues, even if all they do is toss a few phrases into a search engine to fact-check. I’ve always found that truth is much stranger than fiction, so by incorporating my knowledge of the past with a good tale, I believe a reader can be both entertained and educated in one sitting.
Q: What’s next?
Andrew Clawson: My next tale will take readers to the green fields and bustling cities of Ireland, and from there on a non-stop adventure that traverses the Emerald Isle from north to south, finally ending in the heart of Great Britain, London. An ages-old conflict will serve as the focal point, and of course the story will stretch back through the centuries to bring a long-forgotten period of the British Empire’s past to the forefront, with global consequences on the line.
Q:  Tell us something about Andrew Clawson. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Andrew Clawson: If I can find enough time to read a great new book, that’s always first on my list. Away from the written word, I enjoy spending time out in the sun (though we haven’t seen much of that lately in the northeastern part of the U.S.), and supporting my favorite sports teams. And of course a good craft beer will always get my attention.
About Andrew Clawson
Andrew Clawson is the author of several books, including A PATRIOT'S BETRAYAL, THE CROWNS VENGEANCE, and DARK TIDES RISING. 
He lives in Pennsylvania, where he enjoys reading, writing as much as possible, and spending time with his rescued black cat, who brings him good luck and the occasional dead bug.
You can learn more about Andrew and his novels at andrewclawson.com.
About DARK TIDES RISING
In Philadelphia, Penn historian Erika Carr studies a Revolutionary era map that had been lost for centuries. Scrawled across its surface is a cryptic poem, the contents of which Erika suspects may point to a prize that has fascinated mankind for ages.
Buried treasure.
When a mysterious benefactor appears and offers her a fortune in exchange for the map, Erika cannot imagine what her refusal will unleash. With Erika at his side, investment banker Parker Chase soon finds himself racing for his life as they unravel the mystery of the map and the treasure it protects, deciphering clues charted by some of history's most infamous pirates.
Every clue brings them closer to the truth masked within the enigmatic poem, though they have no idea what darkness awaits. The treacherous course takes them from the remote beaches of North Carolina to the sparkling waters of the Caribbean, and if they can stay alive, Parker and Erika can uncover a treasure that will rewrite history.
Excerpt
Parker slipped into the warm water and all was black. Moments later, silky sand met his heels as he struck bottom.
His light flashed toward the surface. He was about ten feet down. Ahead, all was inky black, the white beam fading to nothing. A mental clock began ticking down the seconds.
Hand raised, he felt for the rocky roof and found it just ahead. Beneath him, he didn't even bother looking. Using the roof as a guide, he kicked hard, back skimming just below the stone, eyes burning.
Ten seconds left. Ahead was nothing, an infinite pool of space.
The first surge of fear hit him. His body floated, weightless in the warm water. His only guide, the rocks above.
Five. Still nothing ahead.
His internal clock hit zero.
Lungs burning, he started to turn around.
Something slammed into his face.
The last breath of air shot from his lungs. Through a mass of bubbles, Parker caught a glimpse of the stalactite, a curving mass of cruel rock hanging from above.
Out of air and panicked, he reached forward to shove off. He needed air.
But the stalactite was slippery, covered with algae. His hand slipped across it like ice.
Desperately grabbing for purchase, his hand was suddenly cold.
His fingers had broken the surface. There was air above him.
He had no other options. Lungs screaming, Parker shot out of the water into a black void.
All he could do was gasp. Parker greedily gulped the warm, salt-tinged air, chest heaving. Only after he'd sucked in the most wonderful breaths of his life did he pull his flashlight up and look around.
What he saw nearly sent him back under.
Not ten feet away was a sandy beach, the mirror image of where he'd left Erika. However, it wasn't the cave that grabbed his attention. It was the shoreline.
Or, more appropriately, what was on it.
Skeletons lay strewn about the sand.
Purchase and Author Links
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Author Cate Beauman

Cate Beauman, Author
JUSTICE FOR ABBY
Sixth book of "The Bodyguards of LA County"Cate Beauman has just released the sixth suspenseful thriller in her series “The Bodyguards of LA County.” In JUSTICE FOR ABBY, Beauman’s protagonist, Abigail Harris, is chased by members of the Mid-Atlantic Sex Ring after she testifies against them. Reviewers tout Beauman’s combination of suspense and romance. She says she enhances suspense through plausibility and romance through 'real' characters.
Beauman currently lives in Tennessee with her family. Music plays a big part in her writing process, and she has offered us a list of the songs that helped her write her latest book. She points out that although JUSTICE FOR ABBY is fiction, sex trafficking is a serious crime worldwide.
Don’t miss the excerpt from JUSTICE FOR ABBY following the interview.
Q: Your best-selling books are part of a series “The Bodyguards of LA County.” Why do you write a series of books rather than independent standalone novels?
Cate Beauman:When I first started my writing journey I had no intention of creating a series. Heck, I didn’t even know I could write! MORGAN’S HUNTER was supposed to be a standalone novel about a bodyguard and the woman he protects in the backwoods of Montana. Hunter’s good friends Ethan and Sarah played very minor roles in the story, but as the manuscript started to unfold, I had this overwhelming urge to bring Ethan and Sarah to life.  At that point, Ethan and Sarah were supposed to be the end of a two-book deal…until Hailey and Austin entered the picture. Halfway through FALLING FORSARAH, I knew I had a series on my hands. Now that I’ve begun research for book seven, I can’t imagine starting another project until all of Ethan’s close protection agents have a turn to share their adventures. Writing The Bodyguards of L.A. County is so much fun.
Q: Reviewers tout the suspense in your books as “a real thrill ride.” How do you create suspense? What contributes to suspense and makes a thriller?
Cate Beauman: I love that my readers find my work suspenseful. I think the key to creating a good thriller is basing a story on plausibility. If the situation couldn’t happen in real life, then it loses a bit of the ‘zing.’ Half the fun of suspense is having an idea of what you think will happen and seeing if it plays out the way you thought it would. Another key component of “a real thrill ride” is believable character development. I basically imagine men or women who embody the worst mankind has to offer. I try to dig deep into what scares most people and bring that to life.
Q: “very suspenseful and believable romance.”  How do you make your romantic thrillers “believable?” How important is credibility to enticing readers?
Cate Beauman:Bringing romance and suspense together certainly has its challenges, but I can’t imagine writing any other genre. I think my thrillers are believable because I try to base them off of some facet of reality. I’m a crime TV junkie. Almost every story I’ve written has been sparked by something I’ve seen while watching one of my favorite shows. It never has to be much. Just recently I watched a program where they showed a bone in a grave and it gave me an idea for a story I plan to tell down the road.
When it comes to the romantic side of storytelling, I try very hard to create characters that are ‘real.’ My heroes and heroines are good people at their core, but they’re flawed just like the rest of us. It’s so much fun to bring two people together and create a love story with plenty of hiccups along the way. Romance is fun, but my heroes and heroines have to work hard to earn their happily ever afters.
Q: How relevant is setting to your books? Are you able to use the background of L.A. to tell your story?
Cate Beauman:Setting is pretty important to all of my novels. What is a story without the details that tie everything together? I like to mix the novels up a bit though. Los Angeles is where Ethan Cooke Security’s main offices are, but Ethan’s agents travel all over to protect their clients. So far my readers have followed the bodyguards to Montana, Mexico, Maryland, Utah, Nebraska, and of course, California.
Q: When writing, are you in control of your characters or do those “bodyguards” push you around?
Cate Beauman: I would say the bodyguards have their fair share of room to grow. It’s not uncommon to rewrite at least half of my manuscript by the time I get to the second draft and really know who each bodyguard and his principal are. I try hard to stick to an outline, but that typically doesn’t last long. As each story grows, original ideas are usually forgotten and the ones that advance the plot and characters are what are used.
About Cate Beauman
“I currently live in Tennessee with my husband, two boys, and our St. Bernard, Bear. I recently resigned from my day job to concentrate on this thing I refer to as ‘My Dream Come True’ career!
“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, threeAbout JUSTICE FOR ABBY – Available NOW!

Fashion designer Abigail Harris has been rescued, but her nightmare is far from over. Determined to put her harrowing ordeal behind her and move on, she struggles to pick up the pieces of her life while eluding the men who want her dead.
The Mid-Atlantic Sex Ring is in ruins after Abby’s interviews with the police.  The organization is eager to exact their revenge before her testimony dismantles the multi-million dollar operation for good.
Abby’s safety rests in the hands of former US Marshal, Jerrod Quinn.  Serious-minded and obsessed with protocol, Ethan Cooke Security’s newest agent finds himself dealing with more than he bargains for when he agrees to take on his beautiful, free-spirited client.
As the trial date nears, Abby’s case takes a dangerous turn.  Abby and Jerrod soon discover themselves in a situation neither of them expect while Jerrod fights to stop the ring from silencing Abby once and for all.
Other The Bodyguard of Los Angeles books


Book One: MORGAN’SHUNTER, the story of Morgan and Hunter.
MorganTaylor, D.C. socialite and wildlife biologist, leads a charmed life until everything changes with a phone call. Her research team has been found dead—slaughtered—in backcountry Montana.
As the case grows cold, Morgan is determined to unravel the mystery behind her friends’ gruesome deaths. Despite the dangers of a murderer still free, nothing will stand in her way, not even the bodyguard her father hires, L.A.’s top close protection agent, Hunter Phillips.
Sparks fly from the start when no-nonsense Hunter clashes with Morgan’s strong-willed independence. Their endless search for answers proves hopeless—until Hunter discovers the truth.
On the run and at the mercy of a madman, Morgan and Hunter must outsmart a killer to save their own lives.  
Book Two: FALLING FORSARAH the story of Sarah and Ethan.
Widow Sarah Johnson struggled to pick up the pieces after her life was ripped apart.  After two years of grieving, she’s found contentment in her thriving business as photographer to Hollywood’s A-list and in raising her angel-faced daughter, Kylee…until bodyguard and long-time friend Ethan Cooke changes everything with a searing moonlight kiss.
Sarah’s world turns upside down as she struggles with her unexpected attraction to Ethan and the guilt of betraying her husband’s memory.  But when blue roses and disturbing notes start appearing on her doorstep, she has no choice but to lean on Ethan as he fights to save her from a stalker that won’t stop until he has what he prizes most.
Book Three: HAILEY’STRUTH, the story of Hailey and Austin.
Hailey Roberts has never had it easy. Despite the scars of a tragic childhood, she’s made a life for herself. As a part-time student and loving nanny, she yearns for a family of her own and reluctant Austin Casey, Ethan Cooke Security’s best close protection agent.
Hailey’s past comes back to haunt her when her long lost brother tracks her down, bringing his dangerous secrets with him. At an emotional crossroads, Hailey accepts a humanitarian opportunity that throws her together with Austin, taking her hundreds of miles from her troubles, or so she thinks.
What starts out as a dream come true quickly becomes a nightmare as violence erupts on the island of Cozumel. Young women are disappearing, community members are dying—and the carnage links back to her brother. 
As Austin struggles to keep Hailey’s past from destroying her future, he’s forced to make a decision that could turn her against him, or worse cost them both their lives.
Book Four: FOREVERALEXA, the story of Alexa and Jackson.
First grade teacher and single mother Alexa Harris is no stranger to struggle, but for once, things are looking up. The school year is over and the lazy days of summer are here. Mini-vacations and relaxing twilight barbeques are on the horizon until Alexa’s free-spirited younger sister vanishes.
Ransom calls and death threats force Alexa and her young daughter to flee their quiet home in Maryland. With nowhere else to turn, Alexa seeks the help of Jackson Matthews, Ethan Cooke Security’s Risk Assessment Specialist and the man who broke her heart.
With few leads to follow and Abby’s case going cold, Alexa must confess a shocking secret if she and Jackson have any hope of saving her sister from a hell neither could have imagined.
Book Five: WAITING FOR WREN, the story of Wren Cooke and Tucker Campbell.
Wren Cooke has everything she’s ever wanted—a thriving career as one of LA’s top interior designers and a home she loves. Business trips, mockups, and her demanding clientele keep her busy, almost too busy to notice Ethan Cooke Security’s gorgeous Close Protection Agent, Tucker Campbell.
Jaded by love and relationships in general, Wren wants nothing to do with the hazel-eyed stunner and his heart-stopping grins, but Tucker is always in her way. When Wren suddenly finds herself bombarded by a mysterious man’s unwanted affections, she’s forced to turn to Tucker for help.
As Wren’s case turns from disturbing to deadly, Tucker whisks her away to his mountain home in Utah. Haunted by memories and long-ago tragedies, Tucker soon realizes his past and Wren’s present are colliding. With a killer on the loose and time running out, Tucker must discover a madman’s motives before Wren becomes his next victim.


Excerpt from JUSTICE FOR ABBY
The black bag was ripped from her head, along with several strands of her hair. Abby blinked against the bold light of the naked bulbs hanging from the low ceiling. She glanced around the dingy space in shock as her gaze traveled from girl to girl—six young teens, dirty, bruised, and malnourished, staring up at her through bland eyes while they sat or lay on filthy mattresses on the dirt floor. “What—”
“In.” Victor shoved Abby into a small, windowless room, slamming the door, locking her in with a rusty scrape of something sliding against the heavy metal barrier.
She walked on shaky legs to the wooden chair in the corner and collapsed to the uncomfortable seat, clutching her arms around her waist, shivering as she bit hard on her bottom lip while tears rained down her cheeks. Where wasshe? What was this place? She shuddered, remembering six sets of listless eyes holding hers. Nothing good was happening here.
She covered her face with trembling hands and gave into her sobs, relieving the worst of her dread, wishing for nothing more than to be home with Lex and Livy. Thinking of her sister and niece, she forced away her tears, taking several deep breaths of stale air. If she wanted to see her family again she needed to pull herself together. She couldn’t get herself out of this—whatever this was—if she didn’t think. There had to be a way out. Her eyes darted around the barely lit space, searching for a weapon, another exit, anything.
The door opened, and she rushed to her feet as a tall, well-built man stood haloed in the beam of light from the room beyond. Abby blinked as he stepped forward. “Renzo?” She bolted from the corner and fell against her friend’s firm chest as a wave or relief flooded her. “Oh, thank god.”
His strong arms wrapped around her.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know what’s going on. I need help. Can you help me?”
“What happened?” He eased her back some, but she refused to release him from her grip.
“My family—we were on our way home from Virginia Beach. We stopped at a rest area, and two men grabbed me and brought me here.”
“You were with your sister and niece?”
“Yes, Alexa and Olivia. I think they’re okay, but I need to call and make sure. Will you get me out of here?”
“Of course.”
She could hardly believe she was leaving. “Thank you. Thank you.” She hugged Renzo again as tears of gratitude flowed free. “I knew this had to be some sort of mistake.”
“Come on, let’s get you home.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and walked with her to the door. “Oh, wait.” He stopped.
“What?”
“I can’t let you go.”
The Inspiration Behind Justice For Abby
"Justice For Abby is one of my favorite stories in The Bodyguards of L.A. County series (Okay, they all are, but I really love Abby and Jerrod!). I truly enjoyed writing their adventure. Oftentimes I found myself caught up in Abby’s rollercoaster ride as she heals from her experiences as a survivor of the Mid-Atlantic Sex Ring. At times I cried with her, and at others, I laughed. She’s so strong and sweet, but she’s vulnerable and struggling. Enter Jerrod Quinn, the perfect man to provide her protection and help her overcome her ordeal in his own quiet way.
"Although Abby’s story is one of fiction, sex trafficking is a very real crisis for millions of young women, men, and children all over the globe. My idea for this novel came after a night in front of the television watching crime television. A segment showcasing the mysterious disappearance of a young woman named Amy Bradley bothered me greatly. She vanished from a cruise ship in March of 1998 while vacationing with her family. Unfortunately, Amy has yet to be found, but she is believed to be alive, stuck in the horrific world of human sex trafficking. I immediately began my research into this very troubling epidemic and shortly after wrote Forever Alexa, the story of Abby’s sister dealing with the aftermath of Abby’s disappearance. My readers have requested Abby’s story, and I felt the need to share her experience.
"I hope you enjoy getting to know Abby and Jerrod as much as I enjoyed writing these two fantastic characters."
~Cate
The Unofficial Justice For Abby Soundtrack
"Music always plays a huge part in my writing process.  With two boys and two dogs in the house, music helps me “get lost” in my story.  I typically listen to Pandora or YouTube and put together a playlist of songs that I feel represent the characters or the situations they face as the novel unfolds.  Here are a few of the songs that I had on “repeat” while I created Jerrod and Abby’s story!  You can listen to them on my website www.catebeauman.com."
The soundtrack, of sorts, for Justice For Abby:·      Applause by Lady Gaga·      Safe and Sound by Capital Cities·      She Is by Ben Rector·      I Should Go by Levi Kreis·      The Other Side by Jason Derulo·      Why Don’t You Love Me? by Hot Chelle Rae ft. Demi Lovato·      We Owned The Night by Lady Antebellum·      Stars Go Blue by Tim McGraw·      Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol·      Come Back by Pearl Jam·      By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North·      Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran

Links
Social links
@CateBeauman Webpage FacebookGoodreads
Buy links for all five books
Amazon Author Page 

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Heather Jacks, Author

Heather Jacks, Author
THE NOISE BENEATH THE APPLE®Heather Jacks has enthusiastically published a unique book—THE NOISE BENEATH THE APPLE®—with its own music (11-track vinyl record) “to legitimize the profession of busking and street culture.”  She tells the stories of 35 New York City street musicians in a “compelling” and “captivating” manner, according to reviewers, in this large book, in a big way. At 200 pages, it weighs 8 lbs and measures 12” by 12".  Her love of street music and busking inspired her to produce the book, and also to continue to support busking in other ways as well. Her next project involves a recording of the Billy Joel song, New York State of Mind with 30 New York City Street musicians, to be released in May.
Jacks has worked in the music industry since the 1980s and today lives in San Francisco, a city she loves. She is an ardent “orange and black” fan (that would be the Giants, for those not familiar with the world champion baseball team). She also appreciates “eating and drinking throughout all the funky and fabulous neighborhoods here.” In whatever spare time she has, she makes (and sells) unique retro shoulder bags from reclaimed records.
Q: How did you become interested in busking? Why did you decide to write a book about it? Are you a musician?
Heather Jacks: My love of busking stems from a childhood spent on Indian land. I was raised in the forgotten sands of the high deserts of southern Oregon during the seventies. The seventies were an interesting time for Indians—who had not yet become Native Americans. We had no running water, electricity or indoor plumbing.  The Vietnam War had ended, the Cold War continued, Nixon was President, Chief Joseph and Leonard Peltier were our heroes.
For Indians, the seventies were a time of great change; of assimilation. Some Indians would leave the ‘rez’—and would forever be apples—(red on the outside/white on the inside). They would never be able to return. Others would stay forever.  But it wasn’t just the Indians who came and went; it was people. The Holy Roller Tent Revivals and the circus’—(which I thought were the same kinds of shows), war dodgers, musicians, traveling bandwagons of performers, gypsies, outcasts, innovators, rebels, rogues and ‘the mad ones’ as described in a Jack Kerouac novel.  They were entertainers, coming onto Indian land for a brief moment, leaving us something of value and taking something of worth with them.  I would excitedly await the arrival of each act, anticipating what ‘show’ they would bring, what new music I would hear, what plays they would perform, what dances and magic I might see. The anticipation was all encompassing. 
When I left Indian land, my love of street performance was firmly ingrained, although I did not know this is what it was. To this day, I still seek out those performers who are standing just outside the mainstream; perhaps they are on street corners, public parks, and train platforms, or at subway stops. No matter where they are, they continue to transform the world around them and by extension; they transform me, just as they did when I was a gap toothed, frizzy haired girl of ten.
Having witnessed the loss of a culture—(my culture, specifically) -- as a young person, I needed to write THE NOISE BENEATH THE APPLE®.  I wanted to capture a piece of busking culture and history, before it evolved into something entirely different; or was legislated out of existence all together. 
Q:  Your book THE NOISE BENEATH THE APPLE features “groundbreaking” musicians from NYC’s “underground music scene.” How did you determine a “groundbreaking” musician?
Heather Jacks:  The word ‘groundbreaking’ was actually not mine; it came from someone who had listened to the vinyl record we produced.  It works, so I kept it!
The current model for mainstream music is one of no to low risk.  That is due to the fact that there aren’t many big labels left. In fact, there are three left standing, (Warner, Universal and Sony.)  These will probably go the way of the dodo at some point as well.
In order to maintain their power and foothold as gatekeepers, they have constructed a massive marketing machine and churn out the same no/low risk formulaic music over and over and over and…..(well, you get the idea). This necessarily means that you will probably not hear some of the best music in the world. The most original, the most daring, the most unique voices, often go unrecognized by the dominant music industry, because they don’t fit neatly inside a pre-designed select number of templates. It’s music performed by the innovators, the rebels, the mavericks, the buskers.
Our book and record, features a Cellist, a Thereminist, folk, ambient, opera and so much more incredible music and the musicians who make it, but you probably aren’t going to hear it—(or them) on the mainstream. Aside from the sound and talent of the buskers, another ‘groundbreaking’ aspect is that theirs is music that exists outside of a financial context—(you don’t have to buy a ticket to go to the show)—and it doesn’t require you to plug out of your daily life to enjoy it.  You just have to be present.
Q: Why did you choose to write about New York’s buskers, rather than those in other cities, such as San Francisco?
Heather Jacks: New York City buskers are the first buskers I’ve written in depth about, but not the last. My goal is to capture the busking culture in other cities as well; New Orleans, Chicago, Boston, Nashville, San Francisco, etc…. So, why New York was the first, has to do with New York herself.
It was the holiday season of 2009 and I found myself drinking rum, listening to rock and roll and reflecting.  Reflecting is what we do at that time of year; the rum and rock and roll simply make that reflection easier to swallow. I had never been to New York before; had never even visited.  My only frame of reference were the postcards that littered my ‘memento drawer’ from people who had been there for business trips or Red Eye weekends and who were all of the opinion;  that I belonged in the Big Apple. At the time I was living in Los Angeles, with no boyfriend, no dog, no job and no prospects; not even an air fern.
Within two weeks, I had given everything away, bought a one way ticket and boarded a plane to New York City.  New Yorkers, I soon discovered, have mastered several things; the bagels, the bars and the buses. I bought an unlimited MTA Pass and began riding the train.  I got off and went ice skating in Central Park, visited Strawberry Fields, took a picture of the Imagine Memorial, and then the three degree temperature, pushed me back onto the train.
At Grand Central Terminal, I met Luke Ryan, who I eventually dubbed The Queen’s Cowboy.  Part Wolf Man Jack, part Waylon Jennings, and part Merry Prankster, he was playing with and cajoling the commuter crowd.  I stayed. I was enthralled. At the time, I was freelance writing for various culture and e’zines, and I knew that there were some good stories here, that would make for good reading.
New York is a city that is brimming with vitality. People come together in this City to clash and fuse and create the future. Cooper Moore, one of our book participants explained it like this. “You cannot be here in New York City without a purpose,” This is not an easy place.  Some people think that if you have money it’s easy to live here. But if you have no purpose, you can end up very lonely. You can end up being ill; emotionally, mentally. You have to have a community. A community may not be people that you see all the time. But you have to feel that you belong here; and that’s something money can’t ever buy. That’s the thing about New York. You have to ground yourself. Not necessarily in people, because people come and go here.  You have to ground yourself in your work and the dream that you have about the work; and you share it with others and that’s your community.”   
As days passed and I navigated the subways of New York, I discovered opera, rock and roll, mariachi, gospel and jazz musicians,  actors and performers, magicians and the Naked Cowboy, to name a few.  I never knew who or what was going to be around the next corner, at the next stop; but, I wanted to find out.  When the idea for a Coffee Table Style Art Book, began to crystallize, I had a purpose.  I went back and found Luke and then I had the beginning of a community. Luke would be my first profile and the inspiration for a project three years in the future; THE NOISE BENEATH THE APPLE®.
Q:  “The book is not just about busking in NY but about living your dreams and doing what you love for all the right reasons.” Why did you publish the book THE NOISE BENEATH THE APPLE? Did you intend to educate readers? Publicize the value of these musicians? Or, as the reviewer suggests, instill fortitude into readers to pursue their dreams?
Heather Jacks: That’s such a good question—the short answer is, for all of those reasons. A few years back, I took a Learning Exchange class in SoHo about blogging. The class got way off track and was going nowhere fast. I lived in Brooklyn at the time, and decided to head back ‘over the bridge.’ On my way to the train, I stopped for a coffee at Starbucks, where I met an amazing man. We ended up chatting, I took notes, he was incredible and I learned a lot from him over that Latte. Some weeks later, my boyfriend and I were at the bookstore, when I recognized the ‘guru’ who saved my evening. He was smiling at me from the cover of a best-selling book. It turned out; his name was Seth Godin, who I am a huge fan of to this day. One of the things he had instructed was for me to create a mission statement. Doesn’t that sound awful? Still, I did. That was over four years ago, and there have been many times I’ve gotten sidetracked and distracted, but I go back to my Mission Statement, which is five points long, but concludes with the reason I created THE NOISE BENEATH THE APPLE® in the first place; to legitimize the profession of busking and street culture. However people receive that message, is perfectly valid.
Q: Reviewers tout your writing of the buskers themselves as “intimate,” “captivating,” “honest,” “compelling,” and “superb and insightful.” How do you engage readers to care about your “characters?”
Heather Jacks: Busking is a niche topic and the performers are often the ‘unsung heroes’—unknown to many; so I am delighted and honored by how well people are receiving the book.  Throughout my own writing history, I have been told by reviewers and audiences alike, that I handle dialogue very well; according to the LA Times, ‘better than most.’ They also said that I had a ‘skewed perspective.’  Those things come directly from my childhood, which was devoid of television, video games, computers, etc… Lacking such items, forced me to develop my imagination and memory.
At an early age, I was in love with language; the cadence, the rhythm and the poetry of it. That coupled with the fact that so many odd and interesting people traversed across Indian land and I found myself memorizing what people said, replaying it in my mind over and over; how they looked, the surroundings, etc... For example; when I was a kid, I had a pet cow named Pepper. A group of hippies arrived on Indian land and built a house out of straw, which my cow, promptly ate. Recently we went back to Oregon for a funeral. It has been nearly 40 years and that hippie was still there! He remembered the cow; I remembered the conversation, the weather, the sound of his voice, and his exclamations of surprise.
So, if I have a secret, (and I don’t know that I do)--then that is it; I can relate stories, pretty close to how I hear them. I hear the slang, hear when a ‘g’ falls off the end of a word, hear the drawls and dialects and can capture and reiterate them.  Ultimately, people like a good story and busking is filled with them.  Luckily, I get to tell them.
Q:  Your interest in busking seems to go beyond your book. How else are you involved in this music scene?
I have a long and varied career in the music industry that began in the eighties. Radio was always my first love. I received my FCC License during a time when you still had to be tested in Morse code! I worked in radio a lot, and then graduated to concert production, beginning with the Monsters of Rock Tour, which always featured Van Halen, Dokken and The Scorpions. Eventually I was working at a record label—when AR still existed, then moved on to writing for the world of music; artist bios to profiles, reviews to previews.
Once I struck upon busking, which fit seamlessly in with so many of my interests, I created a website, in which I featured buskers. Over the past year, I have been asked many questions about the music that have appeared on my site: Where can I buy it?Where can I see him/her perform?Can I get a download?Will you make a holiday album?Can I hire him/her for such-a-such?And many, many more...
With this in mind, my newest project is revamping and refocusing my site to become a host for digital music from street performers and musicians--(past & present).  I hope to provide a digital platform for booking, music sales and digital downloads and synch licensing for indie film and webisode series.
The research is in and it’s very hard for musicians to make money on streaming and download services. It is literally pennies on the dollar. To stay true to the TNBTA®mission statement, which is to ‘help legitimize the profession of busking’; with the exception of the 2.75% bank fee, I will not be keeping any money from the down-loads. For example:
A .99¢ download=.96¢ to the musician.A $5.00 EP = $4.86 to the musician.A $10.00 Album = $9.72 to the musician.
Of course, as mentioned before, I want to replicate this project in other cities as well, and to that end, I am connecting with more buskers and street performers. I especially loved recording New York State of Mind and hope to record future City specific songs from buskers. I’m thinking New Orleans and The House of the Rising Sun or Boston Rag or Chicago.
I would also love to do a holiday album with street musicians.
Q:  What are the “politics” of busking?
Heather Jacks: Even though busking has a rich tradition throughout the world and has greatly influenced music, art and culture, it has not been accepted unconditionally.  In the United States, street performers are commonly subjected to tough legislation and regulation. But most of the court cases against busking are dismissed or thrown out as unconstitutional. Busking is considered free speech protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.  Yet there continue to be court cases, summons, legislation, rules and regulations introduced daily.
Regulating street performance has fallen to individual cities and municipalities and there seems to be little—(if any)—consistency throughout. At the time of this writing for example; New York has an audition process, San Francisco has a permitting process that does not include a fee, Santa Monica, CA has a permitting process which does include a fee, and Hollywood, CA has no permit, no fee and no desire to have street performers. They actively hustle them off the boulevard.
Q:  As a journalist you are accustomed to writing non-fiction. Have you considered writing fiction?
Heather Jacks: LOL! That is a great question. The answer is a resounding NO!  I think Fiction writing is hard—too hard for me, and I can’t get my head around it. I wouldn’t even know where to start.  I read a lot of books, as all people should—and it’s even more important for writers. I would say 97% of the books I read are non-fiction. In fact, so far this year, I have read 20 books and100% are non-fiction.
Q: What’s next?
Heather Jacks: Last year, I ran a successful crowdfunding campaign via Rockethub, in which we raised money to cover licensing and expenses to record the Billy Joel song, New York State of Mind with 30 NYC Street musicians, who were featured in our book. We went to this fabulous, subterranean studio in Brooklyn, Grand Street Recording, for one day, one time and one take!  Our version has a musical saw, Cello, Violins, Beat Rhymer, guitars and tons of vocals. It was EPIC!  The incredibly talented recording and touring artist, Keaton Simons, flew in from Los Angeles to arrange, produce and mix the final song. We will be releasing that song in May, under the leadership of the terrific boutique music public relations firm, Red Boot Publicity, based in Venice Beach, CA. The music sounds Amazing!
From that day, we also created a 13 minute short documentary film. It is great and I am honored to have the wonderful actor, Eric Roberts, volunteer his talents to narrating it. These two projects, along with gaining exposure for the book, are basically ‘what’s next’ for me! Link to Trailer #1 for Short Documentary            Q: Tell us about Heather Jacks. What do you like to do when you’re not writing or working?Heather Jacks: I live in and LOVE my City by the Bay, San Francisco. That being said, I spend an inordinate amount of time eating and drinking throughout all the funky and fabulous neighborhoods here. A lot of people don’t know there is great hiking and biking right in the City limits. In fact, our island is about 7 miles big and we have OVER 87 miles of bike lanes! It makes exploring this great City easy—(with the exception of the hills!)  I also make (and sell) unique, one of a kind, retro shoulder bags, from reclaimed records. The front cover is on one side and the actual vinyl record—(not a pressed blank) on the other side. I was juried into the San Francisco Arts Commission, so I can sell in select spaces throughout the City. It gives me a great excuse to haunt all the vintage shops and record stores in the City. I’m a HUGE Baseball fan. I bleed Orange & Black and watch most of the games—(that takes a lot of time, considering there are about 162 games in a season!) I also read TONS and post little reviews everywhere. Whew! I’m tired just thinking about it!Link to Photos/Descriptions of BagsAbout Heather Jacks
Heather Jacks was raised on an Indian reservation in southeastern Oregon, until age fifteen. Jacks was the first ‘experimental exchange student’ to Australia with an organization called YFU, Youth for Understanding, where she spent 10.5 months in 1982. Once she returned, she received her B.A. from USF and followed that with two years of study at UC Davis.  She has worked in the music industry in various capacities, since the eighties; radio, production, A&R, booking and most recently as a music journalist.  She was recently named a finalist in the Book of the Year Award for her multi-media project, THE NOISE BENEATH THE APPLE®, which was inspired by her love for street music, busking and the people who make it.  Heather can be contacted at: heather@heatherjacks.com
About THE NOISE BENEATH THE APPLE®

Written by Heather Jacks and accompanied by an eleven-track vinyl record, mastered by Grammy and Academy Award winning Mastering Engineer, Reuben Cohen and featuring the original music of a select number of participants, this 200-page art-style coffee table book measures 12’’ x 12’’ and weighs in at a whopping 8lbs. Putting the spotlight on an age-old profession, Jacks also seeks to stem the tide of regulation intended to suffocate creative expression and take performers off the streets.
Links
Amazon (hard cover)  Twitter: https://twitter.com/TNBTA Facebook Blog Book Trailers: #1  and #2

CHECK IT OUT: Cover Reveal for INCANTATION PARADOX by Annamaria Bazzi

Book: Incantation ParadoxAuthor: annamaria bazziCover Designer: Natasha BrownRelease Date:Undetermined


Blurb:A car accident cuts Dolores Reynard’s life short, leaving her with a long list of unfulfilled dreams. When she awakens in a strange bed, inside a much younger body, and living with a new family—she can’t worry she might be going insane. How can she be a teenager again?
Jason Richmond understands the danger awaiting his new houseguest. Wanting to ease her concerns, he works to earn Dolores’ trust. But attraction flares in the most unexpected way, and he finds himself caught between setting the situation right and following his heart.
An enduring evil threatens not only the blossoming love but their lives as well. As Dolores and Jason struggle to unravel the truth behind her resurrection, they find themselves tangled in a web of murder, intrigue and magic. Only together can they hope to overcome the incantation paradox holding them captive.
Dolores:  Hello, my name is Dolores and I'm a forty-something mother of two high school girls, Ella and Chloe. On my way to their recital, I was in a car accident that changed my life forever. We all desire to be young again, but never in someone else's body.
If you think magic doesn't exist, think again. There truly are people in the world who can wield magic, and I'm not talking the illusion kind we see on stage, I'm talking real magic, the magic you read in books with wizards and sorceresses. You don't have to take my word, read my story and find out for yourself the ordeal I had to go through to find my way back home.
Author Bio: annamaria bazzi, author
INCANTATION PARADOX
Although born in the United States, annamaria bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish.
annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.
You can visit annamaria at:Blog - website - Facebook page - twitter - Amazon - email
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Steven Whitacre, Author

 Steven Whitacre, Author
MY FATHER'S PROSTITUTESteven Whitacre has dared to write the true story of how as a child he endured abuse from his father in MY FATHER’S PROSTITUTE: STORY OF A STOLEN CHILDHOOD. One reviewer said, “This book will make your blood boil and break your heart. Written with a flowing gait it captures you from page one and engages through to the end.” Although Mr. Whitacre found the writing of the book fairly easy, he did encounter difficulty with sharing it. But he realized that his story could help others who underwent the effects of childhood abuse which, he says, “literally causes the brain to wire itself differently.”
Today Mr. Whitacre lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, daughter, three cats, and two dogs. He is an IT consultant and small business owner. Since writing his book, he enjoys meeting people more and learning their stories. He has also renewed his interest in music and playing his bass.


Q: MY FATHER’S PROSTITUTE is a very personal story, which must have been difficult for you to write. What compelled you to write your story?
Steven Whitacre: People ask me that a lot – whether it was difficult to write – and it really wasn’t.  It just poured out onto the page as if it were writing itself.  The only reason it took so long to write (about 10 weeks) was that I would only work on it in the early mornings on weekends while the rest of the family was still asleep.  So maybe an hour or two at a time.
As for what compelled me to write it, there were many things behind it.  But I think the biggest one was to help others understand that childhood abuse literally causes the brain to wire itself differently.  The constant stress on the developing brain is chemically very different than what is considered “normal”.  I have been a long(ish) time participant in the forums at www.traumaheadquarters.com, which I joined while trying to find support for raising a daughter who had also suffered trauma (although different from mine) as a very young girl.  It was there that I came to realize that I was living on both sides of that fence – I was not only the parent of a child who had experienced trauma, but I was a child of trauma myself.  I felt I would be able to provide a unique perspective, especially since I had managed to find a path to healing – which is really all any of us want for our children.
Q: One reviewer said MY FATHER’S PROSTITUTE is “Honest and gritty. But best of all – hopeful,” while another reviewer praised your “courage.” Did you intend to deliver a message to readers who might be suffering abuse of any kind?
Steven Whitacre: While I was pondering the book, that was always in the back of my mind.  I wanted other victims of childhood abuse to be able to see themselves in me, and to tell them that healing is possible, that it doesn’t have to ruin your life.  Childhood abuse is a horrible thing that leaves lasting scars, but we CAN take our power back and live a life mostly free of what happened.  While many people have had it worse than me, I would like to think my story is worse than most (not because I want it to be, but because I don’t like the thought of others going through what I went through), and I want people to read it and realize that if I could find healing, then they certainly could as well.  Much like when I stood at the doorway to the rehab center telling myself “If Ozzy Osbourne can do this, so can I”. 
But if there is one thing I would want to tell other victims, it would be “stop internalizing it, let it out so you can heal”.  Unfortunately, we as a society are still at a place where abuse victims (especially males) feel like they are being victimized a second time if they come forward.  Even though that doesn’t make any sense – when we DO come forward, we receive nothing but support and healing.  Yet we feel stigmatized into keeping quiet about it and suffer in silence.  That has to change.  But it will only change when more people start coming forward and making it easier for those that follow.
Q: How important is honesty to telling your story?
Steven Whitacre: Honesty is everything. I think my story is compelling enough without having to embellish or change things around to make it more interesting. Of course, honesty comes with a price, too. There are parts of the book where I certainly don't come across as somebody you would look up to or want to be like. There are some things in there that I think most people rather not have the world to know about them. Even my wife asked me, "Are you sure you want to put that out there?" But that's what makes it so real. I didn't write it to make myself out to be some "hero" or whatever. I wrote it to tell the truth about how trauma affects us and the way we approach life. I couldn't do that if I wasn't going to be 100% honest.

Q: When did you realize that you wanted to write MY FATHER’S PROSTITUTE?
Steven Whitacre: I think I had been mulling over the prospect for about 4 years before I ever put pen to paper.  But I didn’t have an ending.  I was still trying to figure out how to heal and put it all behind me, not knowing if I ever would, and what good is a story without an end?  I have always felt my story was unique and different, which was why I thought people would be interested.  Sadly, I have since learned that what happened to me isn’t nearly as unusual as people want to think.  So as the years passed, the intent behind telling my story went from “Look what happened to me”, to “This is who we are, and we are among you."
Q: The reviews of MY FATHER’S PROSTITUTE on Amazon are quite insightful as well as praiseworthy.  One of them says, “Written with a flowing gait it captures you from page one and engages through to the end.” How do you “engage” your readers? What makes them want to turn the page?
Steven Whitacre: I read a lot of technical books, and each section is a piece in itself.  I don’t find that very exciting and it’s easy to set it aside for a while and forget about it.  I didn’t want that to be the case with my story – I wanted it to hit hard and fast to make people really think.  I feel that to really understand the true effect of childhood trauma, it needs to be right there in your face, and I didn’t see that happening if people were to read one chapter at a time, with a day or so in between.  So I tried to pull from my High School English class (in which I earned a big fat F) and used foreshadowing and cliffhangers at the end of each chapter.  I didn’t want people to put it down – I wanted them to think “oh wow…what next?”  
It seems to make a difference I’ve found.  From the emails I’ve received, the people that couldn’t put it down and read it all the way through seem to be the ones that were most impacted by it. 
Q: What did you find most challenging when writing MY FATHER’S PROSTITUTE?
Steven Whitacre: Again, the act of writing it came easy.  I just let it flow out.  Interestingly (well, to me anyway), although I had spent 4 years or so thinking about it, planning it, picturing it in my mind how it would be, it came out nothing like I had thought.  But it came out.  There were a couple of mornings when I didn’t feel like writing, so I didn’t, but most mornings I found myself getting up early and diving right in. 
More challenging than writing it though, was sharing it.  I created a Facebook page for it and started to invite a bunch of my friends to it.  Hitting that “send” button was FAR harder than any of the writing was.  It’s one thing to share my story with people I’ve never met, or who I don’t have a history with, but totally different to share it with people I have known since childhood. 
Another challenge was leaving it there.  For the first couple of weeks after I published, I experienced waves of panic wondering what I had just done.  I had moments where I just wanted to delete the book, remove the Facebook page, and go back to how things were before I published.  But invariably, it wasn’t long before I would receive an email from somebody telling me how my story had inspired them.  Either to speak out about their own childhood trauma, or to seek healing.  It was those emails that reminded me that this is a story that needs to be told.  In one of my chapters I talk about how I worked with a group to track down online predators, and my driving force behind that was “If I can save just one child, this whole thing is worth it”.  This was pretty much the same.  If I can make a difference in just one person’s life, then that gives meaning to it all.
Q: Who do you think will most benefit from reading your story?
Steven Whitacre: I would like to think that the people who get the most out of it would be other victims of childhood trauma.  Not just victims of sexual abuse, but trauma in general.  The stories may be different, but the chemical changes in the brain are the same.  We all walk similar paths.  But the people who I think will really benefit from it are foster parents, people who adopt, therapists…basically anybody who cares for a child of trauma.  I like to think my story gives good insight into how that trauma affects our mindset, and it is important for people to understand that if they are going to help. I can’t think of a single foster or adoptive parent who cares for a child of trauma and doesn’t want to make that child’s life better. But I guess that does come full circle, and the victims themselves end up benefitting from their caregivers having a better understanding.  It’s a win-win.
I also have pledged to donate up to 25% of the proceeds to the Attachment and Trauma network to help spread the word about how childhood trauma really does affect everybody.  I believe in what they are doing and am proud to be able to help them help children.
Q:  Can you offer any tips to those suffering from abuse?
Steven Whitacre: This is almost a trick question.  One might think that the answer would be “tell somebody”.  But it isn’t nearly that simple.  They teach that in school – if somebody is hurting you, tell somebody.  I knew that.  I knew that if I were to do that, it would end the abuse.  But I also knew that it would drastically change my life, and oftentimes the known is preferable to the unknown – even when the “known” is no good.  Sadly, when abuse starts at such a young age, that just becomes how life is and we develop coping strategies to deal with it.  Those strategies are great at helping us cope, but they also stand in the way of making things different.  When people would say “tell somebody”, my reaction was along the lines of “yeah, that’s easy to say but you don’t know what it’s like.” It almost has the opposite effect of what people think – telling a child to “just tell somebody” feeds the “you don’t understand me, nobody understands me” mentality and they, well I did anyway, tend to withdraw even further.
So my advice would be to look inside yourself.  Find the good person that you are – he or she is in there - and remember that you aren’t bad, you aren’t weak, and you certainly aren’t to blame.  There is nothing “wrong” with you and you don’t have to suffer in silence.  You can take back your power, take back your life.  I won’t lie and say it’s easy, but it’s worth the work.  For me, what helped was to remember that the abuse caused physical changes in my brain.  Changes that made me look at the world differently, but also could be ‘retrained’.  The brain is an amazing thing that is never static – it’s always changing.  The challenge is to control those changes and take back what belongs to you.  The beauty of the world.
Q:  What’s next? Will you write another book? Have you considered writing fiction? Have you always wanted to write?
Steven Whitacre: I hadn’t considered writing anything more, but I have had people ask me about it.  They want to hear more about my time in the band (especially what it was like on tour), or think I should write about when I was involved with a group of hackers going after predators and how it impacted me knowing that we were helping those children.  There are certainly several things I could expand on that I think would make for interesting reading, but for now I just want to focus on this one book, this one message.  Sure, those other adventures may be more interesting and “fun”, but what I’m trying to do with this book is too important to me to let myself get distracted.
As for writing fiction, I think what might come out of my head would be too weird for people to really get into.  I did some fiction writing when I was a teenager about a gumdrop named Joey and his adventures sitting on the porch.  But it rained, he melted and the story ended.  Other than that, I don’t know.  Maybe? 
Q: Tell us about you. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do you have any hobbies? Favorite movies? Books? Etc.
Steven Whitacre: To be honest, I’m not much of a reader.  I was when I was younger, but these days it’s rare to find me with a book in my hands.  I’m much more likely to be found wasting my time on Facebook.  I enjoy the social aspect of things much more than I used to.  Interestingly (well, to me anyway), I took the Myers-Briggs personality test both before and after writing my book (I didn’t plan on it, it just happened), and while I had spent all of my life scoring as a solid Introvert, once the book was done that score had moved over the line into the Extroversion region.  Not by a lot, but I really do enjoy being out and meeting new people these days.  I believe everybody has a story and I love to hear about them.
But I also love being alone (or with my family) out in the woods.  Especially after the rains.  There is something so peaceful and magical about being outside with nature.  I prefer the ocean to the mountains, but it’s kind of difficult to go on a long hike in the ocean. (Smile)  
Also, when I’m not working or doing any of the above, I have started to play music again.  I gave up on it many years ago when I just couldn’t find the room in my life for it after having kids, but my wife recently bought me an amp for my bass and has encouraged me to play, so I have picked it back up.  Even though I haven’t played in 20+ years, it’s like riding a bicycle.  A squeaky, rusted out bicycle for sure, but it’s still there inside me. 
About Steven Whitacre
Steven is an IT consultant and small business owner in the Pacific Northwest.  Although new to the publishing world, his other endeavors have landed him on stage, live radio, television, and the big screen.  Steven enjoys spending his spare time with his wife, daughter, 3 cats and 2 dogs, and can frequently be found somewhere out on any one of the hundreds of regional trails.  You can visit him at www.facebook.com/journeytobpd.
About MY FATHER’S PROSTITUTE

An honest, and sometimes brutal, true story of one man’s struggle growing up in the shadow of childhood sexual abuse. From his difficulties growing up, to his drug addiction, failed relationships, and struggles with parenthood, the author takes us through the ups and downs of a life spent in the shadows, trying to make sense of the events that formed the basis of his being. Sometimes tragic, sometimes hopeful, but never sugar coated, MY FATHER’S PROSTITUTE – STORY OF A STOLEN CHILDHOOD takes the reader on an emotional ride which reminds us that the human spirit is more powerful than the demons that haunt us
LinksAmazon
Email – MFP@stevew.cotse.netTwitter – @SAWhitacreFacebookBlogGoodreads

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Author, Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman

Tabitha "T.R." Freeman, Author
GHOST STORY trilogy
PRINCESS series
BROKEN GLASS
COYOTE CREEKInternational best-selling author Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman writes about young adults to remind them they might have some tough experiences to encounter, but there’s hope to overcome them. Her reviewers tout the uniqueness of her stories--young adult novels such as the GHOST STORY trilogy and the more light-hearted PRINCESS series. But she also writes serious, contemporary fiction books, such as, suicide in BROKEN GLASS and hating life in COYOTE CREEK, where she explores the dark side of life. Although her books feature young adults, her readers span all age-groups.
Before Freeman became a full-time writer, she served as a manager for large-brand hotel chains. She characterizes herself as a “loud, dramatic Southerner who married a loud, dramatic Romanian railroader.” And when she’s not writing or reading she’s enjoying life in her “Big-Fat-Greek-Wedding-Meets-Moonshining-Smokey-and-the-Bandit-on-Red Bull reality.”
Don’t miss the excerpt from BROKEN GLASS following the interview.
Q: You have written and published the young adult (YA) GHOST STORY trilogy, PRINCESSseries, and young adult contemporary fiction books. What makes your books more relevant to young adults? Why did you choose to write for young adults? Or would you say that your books are about young adults but applicable to readers of all ages?
Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman: My books are picked up by readers of all ages, which I think has become a general norm for the YA genre today. I always knew the YA fiction genre was what I wanted to focus on because that’s when the true bibliophile blooms. At that teenage/young adult age, you’re shaping into who you’ll become and trying to figure out what that means—and it’s the time in our lives when we read books that one day will be something we look back on and remember…not only for the story itself, but those books also tie us to certain moments in that really important stage of our lives. There is no better memory trigger! The magic of it is infinite, especially because when we pick up the same book we loved when we were 15, we have a completely different experience reading it when we are 30 or 40 or 70.
As far as my books being more relevant for young adults, I try to take myself back to when I was reading at that age and what books shaped me. I try to cover subjects that are pretty standard of life (i.e. heartbreak, grief, prejudice, faith, etc.) but in a way that isn’t standard—a way that will reach out to a younger reader. A way that says “Hey, you might go through something like this—just like the character in the story—but it’ll all be okay in the end. Life moves on and you will, too.” Hope is the reoccurring theme in everything I write, which is something I believe we all need to see in any stage of life.
Q: Reviewers praise your character development across all your books. How do you create engaging and memorable characters?  
Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman:  I write what I know—or who I know, rather. The human character is so fascinating and complex, and as a writer, that provides an infinite canvas for stories. I try to include several pieces of relatable personalities in my characters—traits and situations that make readers go, “Ah hah! That’s what I would do!” And I also try to create characters that teach readers a little something about themselves in an almost inner-combative kind of way…a character that initially pisses the reader off with a decision that doesn’t seem right, only to have the reader change his/her mind and say, “Wait, this mistake is relevant. I might have reacted this way, too.”
Q:  What makes COYOTE CREEK “not your usual love story” and “a fresh new love story?” (If this involves spoiling the plot, please don’t divulge! Just tell us how you search for and create unique plots.)

Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman: COYOTE CREEK is centered on two people who are in seemingly inescapable, heartbreaking situations that make them hate life. You would think that misery loves company, right? Not in this case. This love story is unique in that it uses the raw definition of real love. Real love brings out the bestin two people. The love story in COYOTE CREEK evolves because these two people both look for sunshine in the dark together. That’s not a tale we see very often.
Q: Why did you decide to use “interview format” for BECOMING A PRINCESS?
Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman: I released BECOMING A PRINCESS after GHOST STORY and BROKEN GLASS, which are really heavy reads. I wanted to give my readers something easier and a little more light-hearted and fun. I chose the “interview format” for BECOMING A PRINCESS for a couple of reasons. The first was to draw in more self-proclaimed “non-readers” and I truly believe the easier readability of the format really achieved that. The fan base for the PRINCESS series is completely different from the fan base for my other novels and I find that incredibly neat.
The second reason I chose the unique format was because I wanted to write a story that developed characters, setting, and theme all within just a dialogue. This was a challenge for me as a writer and I had so much fun doing it, and I think—and hope—that this resonates with the reader.
Q: The Ghost Story trilogy books are set in Scotland. Does this setting enhance the Ghost Story plots? How do you use setting to tell your stories?
Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman: Setting is everything! Scotland—the Orkney Islands, specifically—was a character in itself for the GHOST STORY trilogy. Scotland is not only beautiful and full of rich history and culture, but it’s also a place of mystery and enchantment. This was a setting that allowed me to help the reader smell the sea and taste this new air as the main character, Eleanor, is catapulted blindly into an unknown world. This is what setting should always be—one of the main characters.
Q:  You explore the darker side of life in BROKEN GLASS, a book many reviewers site as “well worth the read.” What inspired you to write about an attempted suicide and experience in an institution?
Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman: Life is “normal” until it’s not. That’s the reality for all of us. That is Ava Darton’s story in BROKEN GLASS. Her life is much like most of our lives and in a second, she is absolutely shattered beyond recognition. How or where can you find hope in a hopeless situation like Ava’s?
Inspiration for the suicide attempts in Ava’s story and her new life in an institution came from the fear I think we all have inside of us—the fear in knowing that Ava’s reality can happen to any of us. That fear that there is no end to the depths we can fall.
It’s a dark subject and it’s a tough emotional experience to read, but I believe it offers something to readers of all ages. And I truly believe the YA age group can handle this darker kind of subject matter, and in some cases, are much less fragile than much older readers who have experienced more of life. I couldn’t be prouder of BROKEN GLASS, and its continuous success and growing fan base never ceases to shock and humble me. I can’t even put into words how incredibly grateful I am that this story reaches out in such a positive way to so many readers of all ages.
Q: You have written your books from multiple points of view. Do you have a favorite? Why?
Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman: I prefer to write in first person because that’s when the most intimate story comes out. I appreciate writing from a third person POV because it allows me to write from all angles and the reader gets to see everything going on, opposed to just one view. However, with that said, first person, to me, is not only more intimate, but it is also more relatable to the reader. The reader gets to plop his/herself into the story directly and immediately become “I, me, myself”. The reader becomes the character and is finding things out as they go along, much like with real life. This also allows me as the writer to surprise even myself with where the story goes sometimes.
Q: Do you write purely to entertain your readers, or do you also strive to educate or deliver a message?
Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman: It’s a mixture of both. I always have a bigger message to deliver—but I’m going to entertain the heck out of you while doing it!
Q: What’s next?
Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman: I’m currently doing a lot more blogging, and this is so my readers can get to know me on a more personal level. We live in an age when authors and writers are no longer mysterious because readers desire to know who’s behind the typewriter now. So I’m trying to give in a little to that. I’m also working on three projects: the third installment in the PRINCESS series, a Kieran Bruce Highlander spin-off of the GHOST STORY trilogy, and a darker, post-apocalyptic novel geared towards the older YA crowd of readers.
Q: Tell us about Tabitha Freeman. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman: I’m a loud, dramatic Southerner who married a loud, dramatic Romanian railroader. So, when I’m not writing or reading, I’m soaking up all the hilarious real-life shenanigans going on around me in my Big-Fat-Greek-Wedding-Meets-Moonshining-Smokey-and-the-Bandit-on-Red Bull reality. It’s tons of fun and provides never ending writing material.
About Tabitha “T.R.” Freeman
Tabitha "T.R." FREEMAN is the international bestselling and award-winning YA fiction author of the GHOST STORY series and PRINCESS series, and the explosive, social contemporary novels BROKEN GLASS and COYOTE CREEK. When she's not writing, she's causing a ruckus with family and chasing around her Romanian sweetheart.
Previously a manager for large-brand hotel chains (and a lifetime, secret closet bibliophile/writer), Tabitha happily traded in her 9-to-5 gig for a rewarding career as a YA author. The best part: working from her home office, she gets to spend more time with fictional characters, fellow booklovers, writers, and most importantly, her muse---otherwise known as the love of her life/husband, Laurentiu.
About The Books

COYOTE CREEK
Molly McGraw was enjoying her life in Savannah, Georgia as a nurse and longtime girlfriend to her college sweetheart—until that normality is unpleasantly interrupted by the death of a grandmother she barely knew. Now, Molly must pack up everything and head out west to pick up where her grandmother left off—in cleaning up the mess that is her older sister, Rainie.
Chayton Lacroix was tolerating his life in Coyote Creek, Idaho as a hospital janitor and lifetime caretaker to his chronically sick mother—until everything is interrupted by the arrival of a new neighbor across the street. Southern, sassy, and full of questions that no one ever dare ask, Molly McGraw turns Chayton’s world—and heart—upside down.
Together, Chayton and Molly will both learn the value of family, the darkness of prejudice, and that no matter what their circumstances were before, they are meant to make the ultimate stand in this quiet little town that has been asleep for far too long.
BROKEN GLASS

Ava Darton had it all: she was a beautiful, spunky blonde with a great group of friends, an amazing fiancé, and a perfect career waiting for her as she was about to graduate college at the top of her class. All this, and she was just twenty-two years old.
And in a matter of moments, it was all gone.
In an instant, Ava’s perfect life turns into her perfect nightmare, and unable to handle what her life has become, she attempts to end it. Failing miserably, she lands herself in Craneville, a hospital for the mentally ill.
From a tough psychiatrist to a locked-down cell to fellow patients talking in riddles, Ava falls into a dark place, unsure of how to pull herself from this personal entrapment. Stripped down to her rawest bits, Ava will discover if her life was really ever perfect, or if she has just begun to figure out who Ava Darton is.



GHOST STORY TRILOGY




**GHOST STORY(Book I)

**THE UNORDINARY (Book II)

**RISE OF THE BENEDICTS (Book III)



At the end of the day, not a lot separates life from death.
Eleanor Benedict was a quiet, kind-hearted, rich kid who could prepare for a biology exam in an hour, but in no way could prepare for her parents to die in a sudden plane crash, leaving her to inherit a century-old manor in Scotland. An ordinary, and otherwise uneventful life twists into anything but for Eleanor and her younger brother as they are thrown into an utterly Unordinary existence, full of ghosts, monsters, magic, and a true test as to how thick blood really runs. 


PRINCESS SERIES
**BECOMING A PRINCESS (Book I)
**CATCHING A PRINCESS (Book II)
She is the most famous woman in the world—a former actress, songstress, ex-girlfriend of the biggest rock star on the planet, and magnetically privy to scandal. She is twenty-eight years old, but doesn’t look a day over twenty with her petite, 5’2” frame and her dark hair teased in a short pixie cut. Her beauty is that of premium natural selection—full pink lips, high cheek bones, big blue eyes framed by impossibly thick eyelashes, a button nose, and deep dimples set into a face of light freckles. This woman is not of high birth, has no college degree, and has graced the covers of every tabloid in the world for years.
And this woman has just married the prince of the devastated country of Kenth. This woman has just joined the royal family of Aravica, a monarchy ridden with their own share of unbelievable scandal and tragedy.
I invite you to embark on the most important interview ever done—and one of the most significant conversations of our time.
Meet Bets Anthony. This is her story of becoming a princess.



Excerpt from BROKEN GLASS
The world was black for a long time. It wasn’t a peaceful darkness, though. It was silent, but not quiet. No serenity, no ease of knowing I was finally free.My eyes opened slowly to a dim, yellow room. My eyelids were so heavy, that I couldn’t focus sight on anything. Everything was fuzzy. I heard someone talking.
“Is that Sylvia?” “Yeah. Only, her name’s Ava.” “Oh, I know. There just calling her Sylvia around here…has she woken up yet?” “Oh, no. She’s been out for a few days now.”“Ever since her mother found her?” “Yeah. She’s been heavily sedated.” “Is her story true? Her boyfriend dies, so she goes crazy?” “Yeah, that’s pretty much it. She says his name a lot. Ty-something or other.”“Sad story. Her mom’s really upset…hasn’t slept in days.”“Yeah, the girl’s mental. If my kid was that crazy, I’d have her locked up, too.” “How many sleeping pills was it?” “Twenty-eight. It’s a wonder she’s still alive. She’d be gone if her mom hadn’t come home from work early and found her.”
I closed my eyes again.
I slept. Heavy sleep lacking the usual nightmares. I awoke, my eyes opening fully to a brighter room. Things were fuzzy at first, but they gradually came into focus. I immediately felt a presence next to me. I turned my head slightly and saw Dr. Julianne Walker sitting in a chair next to my hospital bed.“Hi,” she said, giving me a grim smile. “It’s about time you decided to join us again.” “How long have I been out?” I asked, hoarsely. “A week,” she told me.“Your vacation,” I said suddenly. “You’re back already?” “I came back early,” she said, quietly. “When I found out about you.” I tried to remember. Ah, yes. The sleeping pills. “I ran out of chocolate milk,” I said lightly, but she didn’t laugh…or even crack a smile.“Three strikes and you’re out,” she said, sighing. “Now, they won’t let you go home.”“Who won’t?” I demanded. “Nobody can tell me what to do—” “Oh, yes they can,” she interrupted severely. “Now that you’ve tried to kill yourself three times, the state of Virginia doesn’t think you’re capable of being on your own—and frankly, I don’t either. It’s a wonder you weren’t in here after the first time.” “What!” I exclaimed. “You can’t keep me here against my will! I’m over eighteen! I’m—” “I guess you’ve never heard of involuntary commitment, have you, Ava?” Julianne cut me off. “You have to go through a trial to do that!” I spat, not fully knowledgeable, really, of how involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital worked.“Oh no, I don’t,” she replied, in a very matter-of-fact tone. “Normally someone, say, your mother, would have to petition to the court for you to be admitted involuntarily. But you’re an emergency case, Ava. You are in such critical danger to yourself that we had twenty-four hours to evaluate you and decide if we could release you, even to court.”“So it was your decision to imprison me in this place?” I moaned. “You’re here for sixty days, minimum,” she went on, ignoring me. “And that’s only if you improve. If you don’t pass your evaluation after sixty days, you’re looking at anywhere from ninety days to a year in Craneville Institution.”
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COYOTE CREEK           Kindle            Print 
BROKEN GLASS            Kindle            Print Amazon            Print Barnes and Noble
GHOST STORY (Book I)            Kindle             Print Amazon            Print Barnes  and Noble
THE UNORDINARY (Book II)            Kindle             Print Amazon             Print Barnes and Noble
RISE OF THE BENEDICTS (Book III)            Kindle             Print Amazon            Print Barnes & Noble
BECOMING A PRINCESS (Book I)            Kindle             Print Amazon             Print Barnes and Noble 
CATCHING A PRINCESS (Book II)            Kindle             Print Amazon             Print Barnes and Noble 
Twitter address: www.twitter.com/authorTRFreeman
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: John Cameron, Author

John Cameron, Author; Philosopher
THE SCOND LIVES OF HONEST MENReviewers describe John Cameron’s THE SECOND LIVES OF HONEST MEN as “a must read – the 1984 of our time” and also “’1984’ meets ‘Angels and Demons.’”  Concerned about the impact of modern technology on the youth of today, Cameron envisions a world in the future where Abraham Lincoln returns to “end slavery again.”
A teacher by profession, Cameron considers himself “a modern philosopher.” The current state of education concerns him deeply. Modern day dependence on technology bothers him the most. When he’s not worrying or writing, he likes to read, watch favorite TV shows and movies, and spend time with friends.

Don't miss the giveaway opportunity at the end of the interview.

Q: Reviewers tout the freshness and uniqueness of THE SECOND LIVES OF HONEST MEN even if they disagree with its premise.  How did you conceive of your plot?
John Cameron: I was sitting on my couch with a friend, watching television. We were discussing the concept that in today's society, we're all essentially slaves to a system we have no control over, and that one man is no longer capable of making any difference. At that moment, a commercial for Spielberg's Lincoln appeared on the screen. Off the cuff, I said, "That's what we need - we need Abraham Lincoln to come to the future and end slavery again." I simply couldn't shake the premise, and knew that it was something that needed to be written.
Q: “Here was a world that I could easily see existing” – Why did you choose to tell your story in the future? How did you create a believable world set in the future?
John Cameron:  Telling the story in the future allowed me a lot of flexibility in terms of world building. The book is allegorical - a social commentary of how we live today - this is fairly obvious. However, the dystopian future let me paint a much darker picture, and project forward with where I see some concepts taking us. As a teacher, I feel that I have very legitimate concerns. I'm only thirty-one, but when I was in high school, we didn't have cell phones. Now, most kids have either a cell phone, or a wifi enabled mobile device of some kind, by grade five, if not earlier. The time we had for self reflection has disappeared, and the need for critical thinking has gone out the window along with it. I'm not anti-technological. Technology is an amazing, wonderful thing. It's the lack of temperance, particularly among our youth, that worries me.
Q: “Pessimistic but fun” – An interesting combination. What makes THE SECOND LIVES OF HONEST MEN pessimistic? What makes it fun?
John Cameron: I wrote the book during the darkest time of my life. It's very harsh in some regards, about a lot of things that I was struggling with in the world around me.  However, the dialogue is very sharp, and often light-hearted. The story is a tale of redemption, and hope. There are moments that will make you laugh. There are others that may make you cry. On the whole, the book is something that will make you think very carefully about how we interact with one another, and with society - but that I hope you can also look back on, and smile. 
Q: Is there a message in THE SECOND LIVES OF HONEST MEN that you want readers to grasp?  Did the message drive your plot?  If so, how did you also make the book entertaining?
John Cameron: I want people to question the world around them. We were born into it, and we have no real choice but to live in it, but is it really the way things are supposed to be? Is this how humanity ought to exist? I want readers to consider more than just their present. I want them to think about where we've come from, and where we're going. Unless we know the entire path behind us, it's difficult to consider what's around the next corner. Did the message drive my plot? Absolutely. Still, I kept the book entertaining by keeping the characters real, and believable. I've described the story as 'character driven' - and I absolutely stand by that.
Q:  How did you engage readers to care about your characters?
John Cameron: By making them human. They are flawed, emotional, and vulnerable. In the end, they do what all people do - seek out real connections in the world.   
Q: What are the characteristics of a good villain? Do you need a villain to have a hero? Does the concept of “heroes versus villains” apply to your book?
John Cameron: While there is one character in particular that could be considered an antagonist, the truth is that the book really doesn't have one. The characters that stand in the way of the protagonists are simply driven to act by the system they've been born into - much like us. They're not inherently evil - simply misguided products of the world in which they live.  
Q: How relevant is your vocation of teacher to the telling of your story?
John Cameron: For the world I built, I had to look forward. The viewpoint of that forward vision was dictated by what I see in the education system - what's happening, and maybe more importantly, what's nothappening. 
Q: I have to ask: do you really dislike the internet so much? I’m of the Baby Boomer generation, and I find it useful – even Wikipedia (gulp! Now I’m on record as using it.)  And while “facts” remain elusive, I suspect that using the internet can help us approach the “truth” in today’s world more so than even 50 years ago.  Much can be said about the inaccuracy of “history.”
John Cameron: I don't dislike the Internet at all - I think it's an incredible tool. I was raised on screens - starting with the blue hues of my first Commodore 64 at the tender age of 3. I used an archaic modem from my first "PC" to dial into primitive bulletin board systems, becoming a global citizen in the early 90's, before the Internet even existed at the public level.
I'm only 31, and I've been cutting edge my entire life, until recently. I took a brief step back, so I could really gain perspective on where it's all heading. I may have grown up on the technology, but I'm still part of the first generation born into a world that was only beginning to embrace it. In that sense, I have the best of both worlds - I can see the benefits of what it has to offer us, while also understanding that technology is a double edged sword.
Q: What’s next? Will you write again in the same genre?
John Cameron: I have a sequel in the works, and a prequel planned, to turn THE SECOND LIVES OFHONEST MEN into a well rounded trilogy. After that, I'd really like to try my hand at something totally absurdist and see where that takes me.
Q: Tell us something about John Cameron. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
John Cameron: I like to read! (Okay, that was probably a given.) I love spending time with friends, and I still follow a handful of T.V. shows. I enjoy movies, but I'm fairly fussy about what I watch. (Field of Dreams? Yes! Twilight? Not so much.)
About John Cameron
My family often drives me to the brink of madness; not a difficult thing to do, considering how close to the edge I already am. My daughter is a hellion. At the age of six, she’s both bright and bold, obstinate, and pushes every button I have. My wife blames my genetics: “I was never like that,” she claims. I deny it, despite knowing that I was also an uncontrollable child.
I’m a teacher, but I consider myself a modern philosopher. I’m very worried about the current state of education. I’m concerned about the future, in general. I don’t think we all necessarily need to be alarmists, though I do believe that if you look at the world around you and aren’t a little worried, you and I probably aren’t going to agree on much.
About THE SECOND LIVES OF HONEST MEN

On the evening of April 14th, 1865, a flawless duplicate replaced the 16th President an instant prior to his assassination. Two centuries later, Honest Abe opened his eyes to a world in desperate need of guidance.

THE SECOND LIVES OF HONEST MEN is a prescient vision of where society's dependence on technology could be taking us. It's a character driven story about love, redemption, and hope, with deep philosophical underpinnings related to how we think, feel, and reason in a world where it's ironically easy to feel disconnected.
Excerpt
The sidewalks were crumbling.The once firm footing of gleaming white cement had poorly withstood the weathering of half a century’s worth of winters. Although some slabs fared better than others, all were subject to the same elements. Water permeated the man-made stones, wrenching them apart each time the mercury fell below the grade. The decay was exponential; each crack birthed two more. Jacob didn’t mind the erosion underfoot. The coarse gravel lent traction to his trudging. He’d never fallen while he felt the grit beneath him.He stopped walking, suspiciously eyeing the familiar section ahead, as his wispy gray hair fluttered in the breeze. The memory was still fresh. It’d looked so bright and sunny when he peered out the window that cold morning, on a day not unlike this. He’d been in agony, sprawled atop the frigid ground for over an hour while he called out for help, until he finally came to accept that with everyone virtually a million miles away, they’d never hear him. As cars passed, he crawled toward the closest store, screaming until he caught someone’s attention.His new hip was better than the original, or so the doctors told him. Still, it wasn’t nearly worth the price.Jacob pulled his hands from his pockets, making them more accessible should they need to break his fall. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. His boot found purchase on the cement, and he exhaled a sigh of relief. This time, he’d managed to avoid black ice; so aptly named for the mood of its victims.He continued walking, bundled tightly in his thick, warm leather coat. He’d worn it the first time he walked to work, decades prior. How the world had changed.The first time, he’d smiled at fellow pedestrians as they crossed paths. Now, the decrepit sidewalks were empty but for the bland people wearing bright colors meant to catch the eye. They only used the sidewalks laterally, stepping over the rubble to cover the distance from their vehicles to the entrances of the particular shops or services they cared to partake of, and not one step more.
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Eva Fejos, Author

Eva Fejos, Author
BANGKOK TRANSIT
and 12 other best-sellersHungarian best-selling author, Eva Fejos, inspired readers with her first book BANGKOK TRANSIT “to take your life into your own hands.” It reached the best-seller’s list one month after publication, and is available in English. A writer of “women’s fiction” Fejos features “brave women” as her heroes. Since she published BANGKOK TRANSIT in Hungarian in 2008, she has written 12 other best-sellers.
In addition to becoming a full-time author, Fejos served as an award-winning journalist. She loves to travel—although she favors her hometown of Budapest—and has visited all sites featured in her books. Of interest, she likes to buy flip-flops and riding books. 

Don't miss the excerpt following her interview.
Q: Who should read BANGKOK TRANSIT? Do you consider it “women’s fiction?” If so, how does “women’s fiction” differ from “romance?”
Eva Fejos: Ever since my teens, I’ve wanted to write about something that also interests me as a reader. This is how I arrived at so-called ‘women’s fiction’. My heroines are brave women, who are as everyday people as us, but they can change their life. My readers are mostly women (but it was really surprising for me when I discovered that approximately 15-20 percent of my readers are men in Hungary). I often get feedback from my readers, that after they read a book written by me, they could make big decisions easier. They got power and strength from my characters and from the story. BANGKOK TRANSIT isn’t really a love story, despite the fact that it has storylines that connect to love. And as in our lives, the relationships are important for my heroes, too. My heroines are looking for themselves in the novel – and a love is a bonus for them, as it is in our lives…
Q: You feature multiple characters in BANGKOK TRANSIT. How do you convince readers to care about them?
Eva Fejos: My mother told me while reading BANGKOK TRANSIT that I built up too many characters. I really can’t imagine novel-writing any other way. I’m entertained by the plot’s parallel storylines and when the situation calls for it, I can ‘transplant myself’ from the mind of one character to the next. The sharp transitions and jumps manage themselves somehow, usually at the right places. Since I don’t plan the scenario ahead of time, but rather, allow the story to whisk me along as it runs its natural course, allowing my characters to shape their own lives, I never know ahead of time where and how the storylines will intermingle. But sooner or later they meet, and often I too am surprised by how they connect.
Q:  How important is the setting of Bangkok to telling your story? Could it take place in any city? 
Eva Fejos: No, definitely not. I have novels where locations are only interesting settings or backdrops, but in BANGKOK TRANSIT the city is almost a character itself. This story could not have taken place anywhere else.
Q: Do you write to deliver a message as well as to entertain? If so, what message do you want readers to receive?
Eva Fejos: When I write, I don’t send messages to anyone. I’m the only one I want to please; I want to appeal to my own taste. But I know that despite this, somehow I send an important message by my novels to readers: make the important decisions in your life! Somehow my readers could ‘read’ this message from my stories: they told me that my novels help them in decision-making. For example, one of my readers decided to change her life after she had read The Mexican. She told herself: if The Mexican’s heroine, Zsofi, was able to make a life-changing decision (that she didn’t regret), than she had to follow her own dreams, too! My reader’s childhood dream was to work in London as a classy bar’s manager. She moved there and started to follow her childhood dreams. Now she is the manager of a bar in a luxury hotel, and she is very happy.
Q: What inspires you to write and why? What first attracted you to women’s fiction?
Eva Fejos: I have always been a bookworm. I wrote my first novel when I was a teenager, and since then I have written so many novels. I didn’t know for a long time that I’m a ‘women’s fiction writer’, I just wrote what I wanted to read as a reader. I write what I feel like writing. This gives me pleasure and hopefully offers the same to my readers.
Q: How relevant is the concept of “villain” and “heroes” to BANGKOK TRANSIT? What makes a good villain?
Eva Fejos: BANGKOK TRANSIT is about the everyday people who are looking for their own way in life, seeking their happiness. There is one contradictory character in it (David), but I wouldn’t say he is a villain – he makes mistakes, but he learns something about life and love in the end of the story.
Q:  You have written 12 other best-seller novels. Are they in the same genre as BANGKOK TRANSIT?  Can you tell us a little about them? Are they available outside of Eastern Europe? Which one is your favorite?
Eva Fejos: Since I’m now managing my own publishing house, I know that these novels can be categorized under the genre called ‘women’s fiction.’ My favorite is always that book that I’m working on. Now it’s ‘Because We Must Love Each Other’, the novel that I’m going to publish in the summer. But I like BANGKOK TRANSIT very much. And I like my latest, Vacation in Naples, which takes place in Naples, Italy. This will be out in English sometime in the summer.
I have novels that divide my readers, like my novella, Dalma. Either they love it or they hate it. Dalma is a strange, outcast girl. Her father is Cuban and her mother is Hungarian. She was ridiculed in school because of her Cuban descent (yes, unfortunately these things happen in Hungary), and this introverted girl relates her story with stinging humor. She tells about the years when her mother found a new husband; when her half-brother was born; when the Gypsy boy she was in love with changed schools and Dalma, who had a hard time coming to terms with this, skipped school for a few weeks just to think and ponder life… The novella’s tone is very humorous, but it deals with rather serious issues. It is written in first person singular, and it was a topic I was so obsessed with that I finished it in a few weeks. I think this story touched a nerve with many of my readers. This is one of my favorite books.
Q: You write for international readers. Do you write anything special to assure that multiple nationalities will appreciate your stories?
Eva Fejos: I write mostly as a cosmopolite and write cosmopolitan novels, and I believe that I can help women not only in Hungary with my books, but also in many other countries of the world. My books, I think, entertain and help my readers unwind from their own lives for a few hours, and that is very important, and, as I told you, my novels somehow make decision-making easier for my readers. The heroes of my novels give the strength to my readers to make that choice, and the feedback I receive is proof of that.   
Q:  What’s next? Will you continue to write more novels?
Eva Fejos: Yes, of course. My upcoming novel, I Waited One Hundred Nights is with my editor right now, it will be out in Hungarian in April. Now I’m writing my summer novel’s last chapters (Because We Must Love Each Other).
Q:  Tell us about Eva Fejos. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Eva Fejos: I like traveling, to chat with my partner, to gaze at Lake Balaton, or to sit on our terrace and admire the stunning views of my beautiful hometown, Budapest. I like jogging, buying flip-flops and riding boots, and I like reading. And of course, I enjoy strolling on the bank of the Danube with my dog, Rumli.
About Eva Fejos
Eva Fejos is a Hungarian writer and journalist. She worked in one of the largest Hungarian women’s magazines, Nők Lapja (Women’s Journal), as a journalist from 2001 until 2012. She was the recipient of both the Award for Quality Journalism and the Award for Excellence. She is tremendously fond of traveling. Her many experiences give a personal touch to her exciting, propelling, and exotic novels. Fejos's first Hungarian best-seller book, BANGKOK TRANSIT, reached the top of the best-seller list within one month of its publication.
Following the initial publication of this novel in 2008, she has gone on to write twelve other best-sellers, making her a publishing phenomena in Hungary. According to the many accounts given by her readers, the author's books are "therapeutic journeys," full of flesh and blood characters who never give up on their dreams. Many readers have been inspired to change the course of their own lives after reading her books. "Take your life into your own hands" is one of the important messages the author wishes to convey.She:- has had 13 best-selling novels published in Hungary so far.- BANGKOK TRANSIT is her first best-seller, published in 2008.- has won several awards as a journalist, and thanks to one of her articles, the legislation pertaining to human egg donation was modified, allowing couples in need to acquire donor eggs more easily.  - likes novels that have several storylines running parallel.- visited all the places she’s written about. - founded her own publishing company (Erawan Publishing) in Hungary last year, where she publishes her own books, and foreign books, that are hand-picked by her, too. - Her books published in Hungary thus far are:Till Death Do Us Part (Holtodiglan)Bangkok TransitHotel BaliChicks (Csajok)Strawberries for Breakfast (Eper reggelire)The Mexican (A mexikói)Cuba LibreDalmaHello, LondonChristmas in New York (Karácsony New Yorkban)Caribbean Summer (Karibi nyár)Bangkok, I Love You (Szeretlek, Bangkok)Starting Now – the new edition of Till Death Do Us Part (Most kezdődik) Vacation in Naples – the English version will be published in summer, 2014 (Nápolyi vakáció)
To be published in spring of 2014: I Waited One Hundred Nights (Száz éjjel vártam) - Hungarian
To be published in summer of 2014: Because We Must Love Each Others (Mert nekünk szeretnünk kell egymást) - Hungarian
About BANGKOK TRANSIT Bangkok: a sizzling, all-embracing, exotic city where the past and the present become intertwined. It’s a place where anything can happen… and anything really does happen. The paths of seven people cross in this metropolis.  Seven seekers, for whom this city might be a final destination. Or perhaps it is only the start of a new journey? A successful businessman; a celebrated supermodel; a man who is forever the outsider; a young mother who suddenly loses everything; a talented surgeon, who could not give the woman he loved all that she desired; a brothel’s madam; and a charming young woman adopted at birth. Why these seven? Why did they come to Bangkok now, at the same time? Do chance encounters truly exist?      BANGKOK TRANSIT is a Central European best-seller. The author, Eva Fejos, a Hungarian writer and journalist, is a regular contributor to women’s magazines and is often herself a featured personality. Bangkok Transit was her first best-seller, which sold more than 100,000 copies and is still selling. Following the initial publication of this novel in 2008, she went on to write twelve other best-sellers, thus becoming a publishing phenomena in Hungary According to accounts given by her readers, the author’s books are “therapeutic journeys,” full of flesh and blood characters who never give up on their dreams. Many readers have been inspired to change the course of their own lives after reading her books. “Take your life into your own hands,” is one of the important messages the author wishes to convey.  Try it for yourself, and let Eva Fejos whisk you off on one of her whirlwind journeys... that might lead deep into your own heart.
Excerpt
            “Are you nuts?” asked her husband, when she last spoke to him on the phone a few days earlier. “Why are you going back? Instead of starting a new life, you’re living in the past?”             His voice was angry, impassioned. Her husband – more like her ex-husband nowadays – didn’t understand her anymore, even though they used to have such an amazing relationship… before. But Anne knew that there was no longer anything binding them together.            “I have to go back so I can… end this and move on,” she said, and she hoped he didn’t notice her voice choking up. She didn’t want him upset too. “You can’t possibly understand this,” she added.             “No, I can’t. You’re just torturing yourself. Anne, I beg you, please come back to the present!”             “I can’t. Not right now. I have to go there. For months I’ve felt that I can’t take it anymore and that this is the only thing that can help me.”            “Do you want… do you feel like spending New Year’s Eve with me?” he asked after a long silence.             “No. It’s really nice of you, but there’s nothing to celebrate.”             “I didn’t want to celebrate. I just wanted to see you, to be together, and talk… whatever you’d like,” he said softly. Then, after a long, blaring silence, he added, “You know it’s not easy for me either. That I…”            “No!” her voice was tense. “Please don’t continue. Please… I’m going. I’m not doing New Year’s Eve. I’m packing up and flying away.”             “When are you coming back?”            “I don’t know yet.”            “Where will you be staying?”            “The same place. The Ambassador. Then… later… I don’t know. Somewhere around there. You know…”             “Anne, instead of letting your wound to heal, you keep ripping open the scab. I honestly don’t understand you.”             “Happy New Year,” she said, and hung up.             She felt nothing more than cold, painful emptiness. But she didn’t cry then. Only when she pulled out her brand new, lightweight suitcase and started packing her clothes did the tears begin to fall.
Yes, she knew how the elevator worked. Yes, she knows which floor it’s on. Yes, she also knows what time breakfast ends and that there is a buffet dinner in the restaurant each evening. Yes, she’s familiar with the bar. She could hardly wait to get away from the receptionist. So she could finally be alone. There was a different story whirling in her head already.             Last time (last time? no, that was a different person living a different life) they had listened with interest to all the pampering options the hotel had to offer. They had barely dropped their luggage before they headed down for a swim. The sun was still shining, and there were only a few others by the pool. Her husband dove in while they waved to him from the deck. Her husband splashed them playfully, and they giggled loudly.             Now, she stood there in the room, ready to face her memories. She put on her bathing suit and headed down to the pool.
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