Rachelle Ayala's Blog, page 86

#BookReview Seeing Julia by Katherine Owen

Seeing Julia by Katherine Owen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very introspective book. I get that Julia is full of grief and confused and had bad things happen to her, but she was way too self-absorbed and not nearly as proactive as she could have been. I actually liked the story somewhat, enjoyed the writing style, and sympathized with Julia, loved Kimmy, and thought Dr. Brad was hilarious. But what peeved me was that the baby, Reid, was a prop who was shunted off to the nanny and other friends. He was always conveniently asleep when the Julia wanted to get hot and heavy with Jake, her dead husband's best friend, and never caused any trouble as far as waking up and interrupting a kiss, or throwing a tantrum when mother dearest wanted to leave him with yet another caregiver.

The repetition of several mannerisms and sayings got tiresome. Yes, I get it's a code word, but it is used over and over again. The same with the blackjack dealer standdown move. Yes, people use the same gestures, but Julia was fluttering those hands all the time. Jake's drawl and hangdog look also got old fast, and I didn't even think he was so hot or anything, just plain pathetic. The author can TELL us that he's handsome and GQ and all that and describe all his cool clothes, but I couldn't feel any attraction myself. I mean, I'm told that Julia gets this unexplained electric feel, but my emotions were not dragged in where I felt it.

The story was too predictable and the ending went on forever. I didn't feel Jake's dialogues were real. They were too long and full of psycho jargon and not how normal guys talk. And of course, the repeated "I've always loved you." at the end was too eyerolling, especially since we spent most of the book with Julia grieving over her two lost loves, Bobby and Evan.

The book could use a line edit and proofreading. Superfluous commas littered the manuscript to the point of visual distraction and auditory stumbling. I didn't bother to mark, but I think there was a mistaken name or some other obvious swapped word and repeated words that could have been easily caught. Paragraph breaks and action beats did not correlate with the dialogue in places, and sometimes I could not tell who was speaking.

Despite the editorial issues, I still give it a 4 star because I love damaged and flawed characters who overcome their depression and grief. I just wish I could have felt it more in the actions and viscerals and not been told by having the emotions named and identified for me.

View all my reviews

#BookChat Mellifica by Melissa Mayberry

About the Book:At sixteen years old, Melissa has already found her Prince Charming. Sandy, the school’s most popular boy, graces her with a dream-like romance. However, a bold and dominating stranger named Arien quickly enters the picture and steals the girl’s heart while at summer camp.What seems like a promising new relationship eventually becomes a downward spiral into heartbreak, leading Melissa down a path to depression, anorexia, and revenge. As the stakes are raised, it seems like the girl’s life may never be quite the same again—even her future plans collapse when an older woman threatens to come between her and her boyfriend. Trapped by her own impulsive affections and misplaced trust, Melissa struggles to find happiness in love without losing herself, her friends, or her sense of freedom. In this coming-of-age story, Mayberry’s well-meaning yet tragically flawed characters trace the thin line between young love and obsession.
Why I wrote Mellifica:
Twenty years ago I went through one of the most trying times of my life. I put a lot of faith in one person, only to be drawn in to a strange and all -consuming relationship. My entire self -worth was founded on him and how he felt about me. When bad went to worse, someone told me to hang in there and one day write a book about it. As life went on, I began to forget. Years later, an ironic turn of events jogged my memory and propelled me to write Mellifica, and a sequel.

To me, Mellifica was excruciating to write. Not only did I have to rehash old wounds, but it caused me to examine how I cope when things go wrong. No, I’m not the same girl I was all those years ago. If not for the true and sad ending to book two, I’d probably laugh about the whole thing now.

Behind the Scene:If I didn’t have my critiquing friends, I may not have even finished Mellifica. Even though it was an important story for me to write, I began to get discouraged. Because I suppressed my creative side, I hadn’t written anything in about twenty years. Writing is not an easy process. Inevitably, somewhere you will write something that other people will not understand. Even when you read it back to yourself, you’ll think it’s clever and witty, but truthfully, it makes no sense.  That’s where critiquing friends come in handy. Lucky for me, I had many that were honest. Occasionally, I’d get offended or embarrassed, but that’s when I’d say, “Whether they meant to be insulting or helpful, I’m going to use it to my advantage.” So, even the meanest critiques gave me a hand up.

On a personal note, writing has become my therapy. I have a great career as a nurse, and a rich family life, but sometimes the world can bring me down. At midnight, I can often be found with my eyes closed, plucking away at my computer. While writing Mellifica, I also finished my BSN and worked full time as a nurse in the local emergency department.
About the Author:Melissa Mayberry grew up on the coast of Virginia, in a small town called Gloucester. One of her biggest philosophies is to do what she loves. That has translated to a degree in computer electronics, having a house full of children and critters, becoming a nurse and writing books. The sky is the limit when you only have around 100 years to live.
Now working as technical support for other Nurses, she lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge of Virginia. There isn’t a lot of time for writing, but Mellifica book 2 is being written, and a new series Critical Access is in the planning stages. 

#BookChat Secrets: Portia's Story by Moody Holiday

Synopsis:

Meet Dr. William Davidson...a prominent pediatrician, a beautiful daughter, an alcoholic wife. When Portia is born, she is healthy and robust. To Dr. Davidson's surprise, a frail and weak baby is also born. Obsessed with perfection, Dr. Davidson turns a blind's eye and allows someone else to raise his defective infant. In time there are three earth shattering secrets, a missing baby, a dead man in a hotel room and a false allegation of rape captured on video tape. When Portia is forced to do community service in a girl's group home, wealth and oppression collide in one climatic secret.
From the Author:I wrote Secrets after my first novel Wild Innocence. Portia appeared in the first book as a nemesis to the main character Shanelle. Her sexual antics in the first book garnered so much attention readers immediately began to email me about a book starring Portia.
Reader's Reactions:Carol from Texas writes: Moody! What a book! I can't believe how many twists and turns occurred in this story. You left no stone unturned. I can't wait to read the next book, you certainly know how to write a page turner. The best part of  this book was when William came clean with Justin. I could not believe how you had me fooled by that plot twist!
Behind the Scenes:Even though this book was well received for its story line, I had a difficult time relating to Portia. I had intended on killing her but I knew it was an easy way out. I wanted to show how her relationship flourished between her daughter and husband.
Secrets: Portia's Story is available at Amazon

Carol Bodensteiner Grew Up Country #AuthorInterview

Carol Bodensteiner is the bestselling author of her memoir, Growing Up Country. It has captivated readers nostalgic for a simpler time as well as intrigued younger city slickers with what it was like to milk cows and mind your manners.
Your memoir covers the years when you were 8-12 years old. Why did you choose that period?I didn’t make a conscious choice. Rather, I just started writing the stories that came to my mind and they were all from those years. As it turned out, though, they made a good package because they all happened when my life was focused in a smaller circle, including our family, the kids in our one-room country school, and the families in our little country church. No computers, limited access to a phone, TV that went off the air at midnight. Also, at that age, children start to experience the conflicts in the values they’re taught, making for memorable moments. Finally, on the farm, when we kids turned 10, we were considered old enough or tall enough or smart enough to start doing adult farm work. You bet I remember the first time Dad let me carry milk!
Yep, I remember when my dad had me wield an oil filter wrench. Does your family remember things the same way you do?Memory is such a tricky thing. If everyone in a room at the same time wrote about what happened while they were together, they’d all write something different. We come to situations with our own perspective, life experiences, social frame. So, my family doesn’t remember many things I wrote about. On the other hand, they did remember some key things. For instance, my mother confirmed that we girls did carry 5-gallon pails of milk when we turned 10. And she remembered the time my little sister and I used one of her white sheets to catch mulberries we were picking. Imagine!
That's so true about families. Bet you got a scolding with the mulberry stains. What was the hardest thing about writing about your childhood?When I started writing memoirs, someone commented that readers can tell if an author is not being honest in what she’s writing. I took that comment to heart and committed to telling the whole truth as I knew it, no matter what. So the hardest part was finally admitting to the world—and to my family—that I’d done some of the things I did!
But it made your memoir much more interesting! Growing Up Country is described as ‘memories of a happy childhood,’ yet you write about the hard work you did. Could all that work really have been something you enjoyed?I know, I know. People who know farming say to me, “You grew up on a dairy farm. You worked hard!” In retrospect, I know we did work hard, but I really did enjoy it. Our parents involved us kids from the get go. If they were working in the garden, we were, too. If they were milking cows, we were there. Up to a certain age, kids really want to be around their parents. Because they always involved us, we simply saw work as something we did. We also saw that doing the work was important. When they let us work with them, our efforts were validated as important. What a great experience for a kid to have.
And it taught you the value of work and family. What has been the biggest surprise to you about writing your memoirs?That anyone other than my mother cared to read them! Truly, there is nothing remarkable about my stories. They’re just images of everyday life on a family farm in the 1950s & 1960s. Yet I constantly hear from readers that the stories captured their lives and triggered such happy memories of them. And—here’s the best part—my stories cause them to remember AND share their own memories with others in their families. So family stories are being shared. I think that is great!
I agree. You had such a wholesome story to share compared to mine, growing up in the inner city. Do you think you’ll write more stories about farm life?People encourage me to do that, suggesting to me that people are curious about that time in our country’s farming history—a way of farming that doesn’t exist much anymore—and also that readers can enjoy a ‘good news’ memoir. It doesn’t always have to be all trial and tribulation.
But at the moment, I’m working on an earlier time in Iowa history. I’m writing my first novel, historical fiction set in Iowa during WWI.  I hope readers will find that just as interesting.
I'm sure they will! Thanks so much for chatting with us.
Carol Bodensteiner is a writer who finds inspiration in the places, people, culture and history of the Midwest. After a successful career in public relations consulting, she turned to creative writing. She writes regularly for The Iowan magazine (www.iowan.com) and blogs about writing, her prairie, gardening, and whatever in life interests her at the moment at www.carolbodensteiner.com  She published her memoir GROWING UP COUNTRY in 2008 as a paperback and as an ebook in 2011.  Tweet @CABodensteinerFacebook http://www.facebook.com/CarolBodensteinerAuthorAmazon LINK 

Whose Ideal Reader? Pick Your Authors!

Recently a beta reader asked me to focus on what my "ideal reader" would want from my book. So who would be my ideal reader? I'd love to say "everyone." But that is impossible since everyone is different.

Before I get to mine, I asked my fabulous author friends who their ideal reader is. Here are the answers. See if you can spot yourself in there!

My ideal reader is one who can feel my words, get lost in the magic, and find hope for something amazing to happen.
Lisa Bilbrey, Author of Angel's Heart: The Keeper, A Season of Change, and Life's Unexpected Gifts.

A reader who has an open mind and who is willing to enjoy different styles, who doesn't need everything spelled out for them, but is willing to reason things out and use their imagination as long as there is enough information present.
Joan Szechtman

Smart, worldly, irreverent fans of epic, episodic international intrigue thrillers who dislike formulaic pap almost as much as they hate clowns.
Russell Blake

Like sarcastic and/or dark humor... Like kick-ass, non-human heroines... Open-minded... Like a touch of romance... Prefer subtle character development... Like drama
Mia Darien

My ideal reader is someone who wants to be taken on a complex, emotional journey. Also, someone who pays attention to the little details that will be relevant two books down the road.
Christina McKnight, Only In Her Dreams, September 2012

Obsessed with my writing style...
Patiently waits for my next release and doesn't stalk me...
Spreads the word to everyone they come in contact with about my novels and encourages others to buy their own copy.
Moody Holiday

Reads the stories of my childhood and when those stories trigger growing up memories of their own, they share those memories with someone in their family - keeping every day family stories alive
Carol Bodensteiner, author of GROWING UP COUNTRY: MEMORIES OF AN IOWA FARM GIRL

Ooh, fun! My ideal reader is open-minded, must suspend disbelief because I write paranormal, believes in all-conquering love, enjoys finding new authors, and reads voraciously for pleasure and enjoyment.
Dariel Raye

My ideal readers are interested in real life drama with quirky or far reaching undertones, they're open to new experiences, love the unexpected, and are not locked into one genre.
Melissa Foster

My ideal reader: Fun loving, likes to laugh, but can cry when the scene presents itself. A person who enjoys a good romance and understands the complexity involved in relationships these days.
Amy Manemann, Author Deadly Reunion, Deadly Science and Dracula's Party.

I write what I like to read – an interesting story with believable characters. I like to be swept into a story be it romance, mystery or thriller, a story that is believable, even in an imaginary world, as long as it intrigues me.
Nancy Popovich

The child at heart... at any age.
Mark Tierno

Someone who loves reading and enjoys great stories, someone who is willing to laugh, cry, and feel for the characters as if they were a friend, someone willing to invest a part of themselves in the story, someone willing to become emotionally involved, and who is willing to enjoy a story for the stories sake, not because they agree with the author.
James Wilcox

Someone quirky, who loves a good old fashioned love story but doesn't mind it being mixed up a bit. Someone who will stay up until 3 am to finish a great book.Whitney Boyd, author of Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It

Open-minded people with the ability to immerse themselves into a book. Caring and curious about others.Kathleen Patel, Author of 'Hiren's Magical Adventure'

loves angst filled romancelikes stories based on mythology
enjoys a heroine who isn't perfect
wants a gripping romance, but not a mushy one
likes a swift plot
Laura Howard

who love to be entertained, educated, love meeting new characters, titillated, emotionally stimulated and surprised.Ken Farmer

learning something new - a skill, thought or concept, take an imaginary trip to a real place or someplace mythical/fictional, experience someone else's life, disappear into a romance or drama, open to other's beliefs, be amazed, enjoy a laugh or shed a tear
Sandra Moore Bernsen, author of Free My Heart of Grief to Love (a memoir)

Adventurous, imaginative, loves animals, dreams big, willing to suspend reality, views characters as friends, and enjoys an ongoing series.
Diane Rapp

Readers who are curious and eager to learn about new ideas, perspectives, and challenges.
Mary Gottschalk

who enjoys humor, who is sensitive, who believes in hope, meets the experiences, pleasures and challenges that life offers with an open mind.
Mary M Forbes

My ideal reader wants to connect with characters, to feel with them and for them. My ideal reader wants to escape reality for a while, caught up in someone else's problems for a change.
Terry Odell

My readers would enjoy character-driven fiction, heavy on relationships, with a multi-layered plot. Romance that is steamy and sensual, but not erotic, layered with a touch of lyrical prose. A story that is rife with conflict, star-crossed romance and a touch of mystery. The end result must always bring an HEA.
Mae Clair, author of Weathering Rock, to be released Oct 2012

My ideal reader is one who wants their characters to feel like realpeople, who aren't neatly black and white, good or bad, but who
struggle through their fictional worlds the same way we do. I love the
readers who get mad at my characters, and who buy into their worlds,
fall in love with them and want to wring their necks. I love it when
people find my characters as real and maddening and lovable as I do!
It makes me feel less alone in my weird little world.
J. C. Andrijeski

"who love a bit of poetry with their prose and don't mind going in the dark before reaching the light; romantic; imaginative; love brooding heroes and strong heroines who fight the odds."
Natalie G. Owens

who love kick-butt action, Marvel comic books, noble characters, bigger-than-life characters, humor, and a wee bit of teenage drama.
Elise Stokes

1) Full of humour, can even crawl with laughter.
2) Not rigid, can flow with the tide.
3) Easily excited, can be emotional when it calls for that.
4) Accomodating, and not too critical.
5) Very imaginative, and can go beyond the given.
6) Soft-hearted, but very constructive
Molly Nyatanga

My ideal reader is brave, willing to push their own boundaries and find something new.
Todd Maternowski, Author of EXMORTUS: TOWERS OF DAWN

who like wit, who like strong leads, who like variety, likes to think but also have fun
J.A. Beard, author of The Emerald City

Loves suspense.
Loves plots that string them along until the very end.
J.P. Lane

Someone who will fall in love with my characters, and look forward to reading the next book in the series before it's even published.
Andrea Buginsky

For Animal Lovers: children, child at heart, compassionate, vegan, tree-hugging hippie. :)
Kim Cano

My ideal reader: love flawed characters, understanding, compassionate, open-minded, roots for the underdog, can find humor while going through pain, wants a happy ending.
Lucie Ulrich

My ideal reader loves realistic characters and romantic moments to swoon over, isn't afraid to cry, and adores happy endings.
Jennifer Comeaux, Author of Life on the Edge

My ideal reader: love the ridiculous, silly situations, humor and heartwarming scenes, fall face first into my stories and buys into my worlds, want a hero who's not all good, loves characters even with all their faults, and likes the extraordinary story set in an ordinary world.
Mary E. Merrell

My ideal reader is someone who: loves to laugh, loves smart romances, appreciates sarcasm, fan of Sex and the City, is looking for a non-depressing read, enjoys beach reads, had/has an interesting dating life (or would have liked to.)
Bonnie Trachtenberg

And finally...
My ideal readers love drama, are able to suspend disbelief, love to laugh, fall in love and are passionate, imaginative, curious, non-judgmental and sympathetic -- all around good peeps!
Rachelle Ayala

But best of all, after looking at this list, I'm happy to say that I'm an ideal reader for many of the authors on this list. How about you? Whose ideal reader are you? Post in the comments and explore those authors' books. Maybe you'll meet your ideal author on this page!

Broken Build Beta Survey

Broken Build Beta Survey
1.      Cover – How does the cover make you feel?



What genre/type of story do you expect when viewing the cover?



2.      How accurate is the tagline: “While eluding a killer, a young woman fears recognition from the man she wronged and falls in love with him.” (20 words)




3.      How avid of a mystery reader are you? Do you like a lot of twists and a puzzle that is hard to figure out, or do you prefer the author to let you (the reader) know what is going on, and only having the characters in the dark?


4.      Did you figure out who the daughter was? (when?) at least one of the villains (who and when?) Did you take notes while reading?


Did you look back for clues you might have missed and were you satisfied with the clues that had been placed?



5.      How hard of a mystery was this? Scale of 1-10. (10 – trickiest Agatha Christie, 1 – so lame you knew what was happening from the first chapter)



6.      How about the romance? What do you enjoy most in a romance?a)      The struggle to fall in love and build trustb)      The thrill of the chasec)      The emotional tug of ward)     Sex and steamy scenes
What did Broken Build provide in terms of Romance? [list all that applied to you]

What did you enjoy in the love story between Dave and Jen? What was the best scene?

Where did it fall flat?


7.      Technical bits. Are you an engineer?


If you’re an engineer, were the technical bits accurately portrayed? Did you enjoy the technical parts? Did you understand what Jen did just before the Black Friday upload?


Any technical corrections? Either in the build/release process or server virtualization?


Did you enjoy the interaction between the team members?

If you’re not an engineer, did you find the engineering subplot distracting?



Were you comfortable skipping or skimming the technical details knowing there wouldn’t be a clue in there for the mystery? Or did you worry that not understanding the technical pieces would have you miss a clue?

8.      Pacing. Were there places where you found the story slow? If you did not finish, where did you stop? How do you rate the pace [1-slow to 5-fast]. Was it too slow or too fast for you?

9.      Plot holes, huh? Dudh? Places that confused you?




10.  Lastly, did you like the story? [don’t worry about my feelings]


Did you like Jen? Dave? [seriously, be honest]
One word to characterize Jen:
One word to characterize Dave:
What would you say to Jen if she were your friend?

What would you say to Dave if he were your friend?

Were you happy with the outcome?

Would you feel comfortable writing a review on Amazon or GoodReads?


If you have a short sentence of praise and wish to share it with other readers please write up here, and I will put you in the “Praise” section:

Thanks so much! You are the BEST BETA TEAM. See you on a Google Hangout where we’ll debrief, chat and draw the winners for the e-reader and gift card.
Name you want to be known as in the Acknowledgments: 

What's Your Bible Verse? #BookChat

Synopsis:
Bible Verses correlated by Month and Day to Chapter and Verse starting from January 1 and Genesis 1:1 to December 31 and Mark 12:31. Need a memory verse? or a life verse? Curious which verse correlates to your birthday or anniversary? There's a special verse for each of the 366 days of the year. Includes Bible Verse Memorization tips.

From the Author:
There are days that can only be described as Romans 8:28 days, when all I could do was put my faith and assurance that God was working things out for good. My friend, Katleen Ping, was gunned down in April at Oikos University by a madman. Throughout the next few weeks, from her memorial service to her funeral, Romans 8:28 ran through my mind and through the lips of those around me. Of course the Bible is more than a single verse, and in fact there are verses the correspond to every day of the year. June 4th became Deuteronomy 6:4 day, June 23, Romans 6:23, and of course March 5th and 6th became Proverbs 3:5 and 3:6 days. If we could dedicate a day to memorizing a verse, we'd be so much richer when we need to cling onto a verse to get us through the day.

Reactions from Others:

"I think the concept is that this is a new way to get personal with the Bible and a new way to think about the Scripture. What does this verse mean to me, today?"

"Never thought of it this way. So what's my birthday verse?"

"Cool, I never could think of a life verse, you know how Sunday school teachers ask you to come up with one? Now all I have to do is look at your book."

Behind the Scenes:
January was easy wheezy. Every book of the Bible has a first chapter and there were so many verses to choose from. I quickly found all my favorite verses, Romans 6:23, John 3:16, Romans 10:13, Revelation 3:20, Philippians 1:6. Mathematically, the choices diminished as the end of the month approached, and even more so at the end of the year. Many chapters ended before thirty-one verses and some of the smaller books did not have twelve chapters. But as God foreknew everything, I did not come up empty. Long books like Romans, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John quickly became favorites. And whenever I had difficulty, Proverbs came to the rescue. Hebrews chapter 11 took care of quite a few November verses, and  Matthew provided November 28-30 whereas Mark finished December 29-31. The Christmas verse is especially touching and appropriate for Christ's mission on earth.

Your Daily Bible Verse (366 Verses Correlated by Month and Day) is available at Smashwords and will soon be at Amazon. This book is dedicated to Katleen Ping, 1987-2012.

Please comment and let me know what you think. Did you find your verse?

#BookReview Crimson Footprints by Shewanda Pugh

Crimson Footprints by Shewanda Pugh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, wow, and triple wow! I absolutely love Deena, even though I can see why her family thinks she's uptight and uppity. But gosh, I can so relate to her as someone who never really belonged anywhere, always an outsider, always at arms length, and unable to let fly and be herself.

In steps confident, brash, and hedonistic Tak Takumi, who just happens to be Deena's boss's playboy son. Charming, rich, and NICE, Tak sweeps Deena off her feet in a whirlwind romantic tour around the United States. He indulges her, caters to her, understands her and puts up with her insecurities.

While Deena's busy proving her architectural genius to Tak's father and hiding Tak from her family craziness, she inadvertently hurts Tak, the source of her newfound confidence and well-being by denying him the validation he needs. Tak is pushed to the limits of his tolerance and love, and in one explosive moment, Deena comes face to face with life without him.

This story was multi-faceted in so many ways. Both families were mixed up and dysfunctional in so many ways. Secrets, vendettas, hatred and prejudice, guilt, regret, neglect, and abuse, cruel words, bitterness and the taint of murder simmer in a toxic mix of volatile emotions and riotous scenes.

Deena turns out to be stronger than she thought, and while not everything was resolved (which is as it should be), many relationships were repaired and Deena walks away richer with the love, acceptance and support she always craved.

Ms. Pugh portrayed Deena's family realistically with a touch of humor and a twinge of tragedy. I'm Chinese and that scene where they ragged on Chinese and Buddin' was a crack up. And I'm sorry, but I agree with Grandma Emma when she banged her fist to the table. There's more to say, but I think I'll interview Deena and Grandma Emma on my blog someday.

Other than needing a proofreading, some wrong words and grammatical errors, I rate this book highly. 4.5 stars. If you like the architectural detail you'll swim in it. Otherwise, it could be a bit slow. AND how the heck did they hide out 3 years with nosy relatives like Grandma Emma and Aunt Caroline???

View all my reviews

Dark Fantasy Author: Todd Maternowski #AuthorInterview

Todd, you describe yourself as a Dark Fantasy author. What does that entail?


Realism with a hint of hope. A lot of fantasy is very this-is-good, this-is-evil black and white, and real life just doesn't work that way. No one is out there dressed in all black, spending tens of billions of their hard-earned cash on doomsday devices (not since the Cold War, anyway). Bad guys are motivated by the same things as good guys, and the differences are often only cosmetic. That said, life isn't all bleakness and horror: there's quite a bit of upside to being alive. A relentlessly negative book would probably be relentlessly unreadable. You've got to have that speck of light for any of the darkness to have effect. That's what the best dark fantasy authors do extremely well.

I downloaded your book, Golem. You list it as Horror. Can you give us a bit of background on it?


My wife and I went to Prague for our honeymoon, and it was magical. One of the many intriguing places in the city was the Old New Synagogue in the Jewish quarter. Allegedly, four hundred years ago the Christians in the city were ready to storm into the Jewish quarter and start another pogrom, so a very wise and learned rabbi went down to the banks of the river and fashioned a "golem" out of clay. Using kabalistic magic, the rabbi breathed life into the golem, ordering it to protect the Jews in the city. It did its job, perhaps too well: depending on the legend, the golem may have gone out into the Christian part of the city and started killing people. Regardless, the Hapburg Emperor intervened, promising that no harm would come to the Jews if they would lock up the golem. So they did, keeping it in the attic of the synagogue... where, the guides and gift shop people will gladly tell you, is still there to this day. We walked around the synagogue, and wouldn't you know it: there's a freaking ladder leading right up to the (presumably locked) attic door! I HAD to get in there, but since committing crimes was not on our honeymoon agenda, I decided to write about it instead. It may not seem like a traditional "horror" story, but... keep reading.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I fought the urge for decades. I'd always pictured "writers" as self-absorbed narcissists with an overwrought sense of importance, so I slaved away at trying to be a productive member of society until Dec. 2010, when I finally gave in to my friend's repeated requests and read George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones." I had read Tolkien as a kid and Neil Gaiman in my early 30s, but absolutely zero fantasy other than that up to that point. Martin was different: there were no high-sounding elves with poles up their rears, no cardboard evil wizards or bland one-note heroes slaying entire armies without getting a scratch. To say I was entertained is an understatement: I was inspired: "I can write like this. I *should* write like this." Before I'd finished reading the first book in Martin's series, I was already hard at work starting my own.

That's great! What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I'm blessed to work from home for an online news site, so I can manage my own schedule. My daytimes are full of being a dad to a three year-old girl, so after she goes to sleep, after my full-time work is done and there are no more distractions, I can write in complete silence.

Ah, yes... silence often comes after all are asleep in the household. What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I'm a storyteller, and hate literary gimmicks. I just write in a straight-ahead third-person narrative with very little experimentation, no unreliable narrators, no clever wordplay, etc. Those things tend to distract rather than add, and I want the reader as fully immersed in the world of my novel as humanly possible. Anything that reminds the reader that they are reading a book is a big taboo for me. The characters and settings need to be as real as the ones outside for a novel to really work. 

Nothing getting in the way of the story, right? How do your books get published? Traditional or Indie?
I tried traditional on my first go-around, and was rejected by 43 of the 43 agents I queried. Going over a list of 100+ fantasy publishing houses, I was shocked to find that only three of them accepted submissions from unknown authors, and that the waiting period for a *possible* callback would be 12 to 18 months (not to mention that 40% of them were out of business... on a list that was just two years old. Imagine that.) Having worked in plenty of other industries that are not on the verge of catastrophic collapse, I couldn't fathom how any of these houses stayed in business. The model itself is sick --if Walmart or Best Buy operated like the publishing industry, they'd be out of business in a week-- and I couldn't justify wasting my time sitting by the phone waiting for some phantom phone call. And that's not even mentioning the horror stories from traditionally published authors regarding titles, cover art, lack of marketing, and editorial direction. So I went indie after two months of waiting, and while I'm not successful financially I have found the process extremely rewarding artistically. I didn't even consider going traditional for my second book. There's simply no good reason to do so.

Well, times sure do change fast. I'm glad you found an audience. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Since I started writing fantasy, I started reading the competition: Abercrombie, Gene Wolfe, Eco, Herbert. I've always loved Russian literature from the 1800s, as well as Dungeons and Dragons, and have tried to meld both influences through my books. The setting of my novels was a D&D campaign I had been designing for years, but knew that I would never get the chance to use (all my friends, like myself, are lame working dads in their mid-30s). So I created different versions of myself through the years, shaped them into the four main characters and put them in a world I find extremely interesting. The side benefit to fantasy is that you don't need to do a lot of research into how things really operate in the real world: nevertheless, I tried to remain as grounded as possible, particularly with something as tricky and over-abused as magic.

Ha, ha, too much magic can take away suspense. Do you have any suggestions to help our readers become a better writers? If so, what are they?
Yes! Ignore the vast majority of advice for self-published authors, because most of it is obsessed with marketing, not writing. If you want to spend your entire life marketing, go join a marketing firm. If you want to be a writer, write what you need to say, not what you think will sell. This is not a "career," this is an artistic pursuit. The idea of authors becoming rich off their books is a relatively new concept, and incredibly short-sighted. Second: go as deep as possible. Don't hold back because you're worried your grandma will read this and think less of you. Go all-in on conflict, desire and pain, even if it embarasses or exposes you personally. If you're worried that imaginary readers might not like a certain scene or plot line, you'd better be doing this for money and nothing else.

I agree. Writing is a chance to explore those forbidden emotions and dark secrets. What do you think makes a good story?
Conflict, conflict, conflict. The protagonist needs to want something, and someone or something needs that same thing. That's the core of every great story, whether it's a twenty-second parable or a 8000-page multi-volume fantasy series.


Thanks for talking with us. I wish you best of luck with your career.



Todd Maternowski
Author of EXMORTUS: TOWERS OF DAWN
Available on Amazon Kindle, Nook, Smashwords and everywhere else eBooks are sold
Find out more at
http://www.towersofdawn.com
tmaterno@yahoo.com

#BookChat The Teacher's Billionaire by Christina Tetreault

Synopsis:Callie Taylor's life is turned upside down when she learns the truth about her birth following the death of her mother.  Not only is her father alive, but he's none other than presidential candidate Senator Warren Sherbrooke. 
Billionaire and confirmed bachelor, Dylan Talbot, is devoted to his family.  When his stepfather Warren Sherbrooke receives a letter from a past love telling him they have a daughter together, Dylan is instantly suspicious. In order to keep the media vultures away and protect Warren's political aspirations, Dylan convinces Warren to let him handle the situation. 
As Callie and Dylan spend time together, they can't resist the feelings that blossom between them.  However, when Callie learns the real reason he has been spending time with her their fledgling romance is put in jeopardy and only complete honesty can save it.
Excerpt:Slowly she dropped her arm back down and turned around expecting Dylan to step back. He didn't move. Rather he reached out to brush a stray piece of hair off her face. As if on autopilot Callie closed her eyes as his fingers skimmed down her check and neck to her shoulder. With the weight of his hand resting on her shoulder, she waited not sure what to expect. And then she felt just the slightest bit of pressure as his lips settled over hers. Everything seemed to stop. The only things she was aware of were his callused hand on her shoulder and his lips on hers. The kiss was gentle. Tender. This shouldn't be happening. Not with this man. Even as her brain protested, Callie's body responded. She wanted to feel his hard-muscled body pressed up against hers. Even though she knew she should break contact, she took a step closer and rested her hands on his wide shoulders.

Reader's ReactionsJade Varden sez:I was drawn to The Teacher's Billionaire because it begins with the revelation of a dark family secret, and that's totally in my wheelhouse even if romances are not. Usually, I roll my eyes all the way through love stories (I am not a fan), but I didn't want to stop reading this one. The characters are completely believable and each setting so vivid, I wanted to hop a plane to Boston to see some of the places where Callie and Dylan actually walked. She's a pretty average schoolteacher that jumped right off the page, a very real female who isn't so secure in her looks and hates her own wardrobe. He's grade-A daydream material with a magazine-ready smile and a pathos so real it's easy to forgive him for being involved in American politics (a truly demonic machine). Sure he's a Fortune 500 favorite son, a wheeler-dealer with a corner office and a home gym, but he's also a pretty basic guy that's driven by the same fears and desires as any other -- and he's all too easy to fall in love with. I can't find anything to complain about in the writing -- the author has a gift for crafting characters and places that smack of sincerity ….. I don't think anyone should pass this one up. I look forward to the next installment in the series, and my biggest complaint is that I can't pre-order it right this very minute!
Lily Silver sez:This is a charming contemporary romance with very likeable and believable characters. I rate this as 4.5 stars. I found the plot instantly drew me in and had a hard time putting the book down. Normally, I stretch a book out for several days to a week, but this one drew me in from the start and would not let me slowly savor it.  I finished it in two evenings.
The author has created very vivid characters and an intriguing backdrop of a pre-election campaign scandal.
This story is worthy of a 5 star rating.  My only reason for giving it 4.5 stars is due to my personal preference for sex scenes to be fully depicted. There were several intimate interactions between the couple, but the author discreetly turns our heads away after the couple begins undressing and closes the bedroom door. This is not a failing of the author but rather a personal choice that must be respected.
For those expecting to have their love scenes a little more fleshed out (sorry, pun intended), be warned going in to the story that this is not the case here, yet the story stands alone without it. On the other hand, those looking for a realistic, believable, compelling romance without the offense of graphic sex scenes will be pleasantly surprised by this author's obvious talent for spinning a complex contemporary fairytale.
Either way you like your romances, hot or sweet, this one is not to be missed. I recommend it as a delightful, fun, summer read!
Meet The Author I wrote my first story with characters similar to those in the Sweet Valley Twins books at the age of 10 on my grandmother's manual typewriter. As I got older my stories and characters became more mature. During my freshman year at UMass Dartmouth, I read my first romance novel and fell in love with the genre. I have been writing contemporary romance ever since.

Today I live with my husband, three beautiful daughters and two dogs in Massachusetts. Whenever I have a free moment you'll find me either reading a romance novel or working on my most current story
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