C.R. Hiatt's Blog, page 3
June 30, 2013
#TCKWIN … win big at the SMOKE ‘N FIRE giveaway
Want a Kindle?
How about a Nook?
Or…how about both?
From July 1, 2013 through July 31, 2013, the authors of Thrills, Chills, & Kills – #TCK – are giving you that chance. We are giving away a smokin’ hot Nook Smoke, a Kindle Fire, and a beach bag full of cool stuff, and all to one lucky winner.
It could be you! To learn how to get your hands on the awesome prizes, just click the button below:
June 27, 2013
New Romantic-Suspense SPLIT DECISIONS by bestselling author Carmen DeSousa is now available!
Split Decisions is a follow-up novel to the romantic-suspense bestseller She Belongs to Me. While you do not have to read the first book to enjoy the second, we believe you should have the option, so click here to avoid spoilers.
If you’re still here, read on for a first peek at Split Decisions and a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.
Book Description:
Sometimes you want something so badly you are willing to abandon everything you’ve ever known—including yourself.
Eighteen years ago, Jaynee Monroe married the man of her dreams, became the mother of four, and fulfilled her career goals. About to turn forty, she senses something is missing from her idyllic life. While Googling her name in an attempt to find herself, she unearths something so impossible, she contemplates her own sanity. Seeking answers, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth, only to end up abducted by a deranged stranger who insists on calling her Caycee.
Caycee took the road less traveled. Rejecting a marriage proposal from the only decent man she ever knew, she ventures to California to become famous. Eighteen years later, success has left her alone and miserable. Attempting to locate her lost love on Facebook, she discovers his infatuation with her. Not only does his presumed-dead wife have Caycee’s uncommon middle name, it appears he has photo-shopped her face over hers.
Never could Caycee and Jaynee have imagined decisions they made years earlier would threaten not only their lives but also their loved ones. Caycee must now reunite with the southern gent she dismissed eighteen years ago and convince him to accompany her to New York to locate his wife, the most important person in both their lives.
Download Split Decisions here:
Now all you have to do to register to win the $10 Amazon Gift Card is share this page via Raffle Copter. Contest ends 7/1/13 at 12:00 a.m. EST and you can share daily if you want. Good luck!
June 4, 2013
COVER REVEAL: LETHAL HOSTAGES (Mcswain & Beck #3)
I am so excited to reveal the amazing cover for LETHAL HOSTAGES, the third book in the McSwain & Beck series to be released very soon! The cover was designed by David C. Cassidy, author of the thriller, Velvet Rain, and mystery novella, Fosgate’s Game. So without further ado…
Patriotism. Heroism. Sacrifice.
Jake Logan, Sydney McSwain’s father, was 18-years-old (the same age that she is now) when he chose to enlist in the military to serve his country. Before he turned twenty-five, he had been the recipient of medals for his heroic deeds and saving countless lives, and then recruited into covert ops.
On the day of Sydney’s birth, he was on a mission abroad, charged with the task of taking down a terrorist on the FBI and CIA’s most wanted list. When a raid on the compound went horribly wrong, members of the terrorist’s family deemed it their life mission to track down the covert ops unit, and issued an ‘Order of Death’ on their heads.
To keep his family safe, Sydney’s father disappeared from their lives, and years passed without any trouble.
Until now…
After her mother died, Sydney found her father. Now, they were back together, trying to bond from the years of absence. Invited to attend a week of spy games, with Sydney and Cody (McSwain & Beck) learning the ropes of covert ops, the make-believe mission quickly turned into the real thing when Jake was lured into a trap, leaving the covert op trainees responsible for saving their lives.
But now that the terrorists knew of her identity, was Sydney the one they were after?
First two books in the series:
I hope you enjoy these action-packed mystery thrillers as much as I enjoy writing them!
CR HIATT
May 24, 2013
Book Launch: Cassidy Jones and the Seventh Attendant
For fans of the Cassidy Jones Adventures, created and written by Author, Elise Stokes, the day you have been waiting for is finally here! The third book in the series, CASSIDY JONES AND THE SEVENTH ATTENDANT, has been released, and just in time to be added to summer reading lists.
DESCRIPTION:
Some Secrets Are Better Left Buried…
When the mysterious Gavin Phillips returns to Seattle after a prolonged and unexplained absence, he threatens to expose fifteen-year-old Cassidy Jones’s incredible secret: she is a superhero. But his presence is far more sinister than she realizes, for it soon becomes apparent that his hidden agenda holds a dark and dangerous intent that will unleash an unparalleled evil upon an unsuspecting world. Can Cassidy stop him before all is lost?
EXCERPT:
A police car screamed past me as I veered off Fifth Avenue and into an alley. Sirens came from every direction on their way to the museum. I ran until I was sure no one was pursuing me and slid into the shadows of a doorway to assess the damage. A small cry of panic tore from my throat when I saw the ravaged costume, spotted with blood. I had been shot so many times, it was a miracle I hadn’t been cut in half.
“No, no, no, no,” I chanted, worming a trembling finger into a bullet hole. Due to the hardness of my skin, I couldn’t feel anything through my numbed fingertips, so I ripped away the costume and lifted the black tank underneath, exposing my stomach, which was peppered with bullets. They reminded me of corks lodged in wine bottles. Small amounts of blood burbled up around the bullets, as if they plugged a dam.
Tears of relief smarted my eyes. This was one of those rare occasions when I was grateful to be a mutant.
“It’s going to be okay. These can be removed. I’ll heal.” I dried my eyes with my forearm and suddenly realized I couldn’t hear Emery in the earpiece, nor the background noise of the coffeehouse. We had somehow lost our phone connection. I retrieved my phone and punched the speed dial.
“Are you all right?” Emery answered. The sounds of sirens,the museum’s alarm, talking, shouting, and a police officer on a megaphone flowed through the receiver along with his voice. “Cassidy,” he said again when I didn’t answer.
“I don’t know what to do.” I wiped back a sudden flood of tears with the tattered sleeve of my mummy costume. “My head’s scrambled. I can’t think straight.”
“Do you know where you are?”
“Yeah.” I glanced around. “No. I’m not sure. It’s weird that I can’t feel any pain. I should feel pain.”
“Cassidy, listen carefully,” Emery said slowly and calmly,which meant he wasn’t calm at all. “You’re only four blocks from Riley’s office—”
“How do you know—” I began to ask, then remembered GPS. I struck my forehead with my palm in an attempt to clear the haze.
“You’ll be fine,” Emery soothed. “I’ll take care of you. Please concentrate.”
He explained how to get to the back of Riley’s building through alleys, avoiding the main streets. I would have known this if I could think properly.
“There are a lot of people on the streets now, so take care not to be seen. I’m only two blocks away from Riley’s office. I’ll let you in through the emergency exit in back. Everything will be fine, Cassidy. This is almost over. Repeat back to me everything I just told you.”
I tried but couldn’t. The bullets felt heavy in my stomach. A horrifying thought struck me: What if my skin suddenly softens and the bullets get swallowed up in my flesh?
“Hurry, Emery.” I disconnected the call and shot toward the street. We need to get these bullets out of me!
At the street, I looked around, recognizing where I was—or believing I did. Spying an alley, I ran across the street toward it, leaping over a parked car. I saw two men and a woman in the alley ahead. One man held a switchblade to the other man’s throat while the woman riffled through his pockets. I moved so fast, none of them saw me until the mugger with the switchblade was yanked off his feet by the back of his jacket collar.
“Help!” he screamed as I dragged him behind me, arms flailing, boot heels bumping along the asphalt.
I emerged from the alley into a street bustling with activity and flung the mugger toward an oncoming police car. Lights flashing,siren blaring, the police car screeched to a halt and the mugger hit the hood,tumbling over it with the switchblade still gripped in his hand.
I jammed the cell phone between my teeth and took a flying leap at the nearest building, catching a windowsill on the second floor. I scaled the protruding bricks as swiftly as a spider scurrying up a wall and heaved myself over the ledge and onto the roof. Pausing to catch my breath, I spat the phone into my hand and looked down. A small crowd had gathered below to gape at me.
The dazed mugger, sprawled atop the police car, dropped his switchblade, which clattered across the hood and onto the asphalt. The officer in the passenger’s seat stared up at me with a radio microphone to his mouth,but his lips weren’t moving, as if he were at a loss about how to call in what he had just witnessed.
See what one lucky reader had to say:
“I was lucky enough to got a ARC copy of this new addition to the Cassidy Jones series and let me tell you it was a action packed ride.” ~ Amazon Reviewer
BUY THE BOOK
Elise Stokes lives in Washington State, with her husband and four children. She was an elementary school teacher before becoming a full-time mom. With a daughter in middle school and one in high school, Elise’s understanding of the challenges facing girls in that age range inspired her to create a series that will motivate girls to value individualism, courage, integrity, and intelligence. The stories in the Cassidy Jones Adventures series are fun and relatable, and a bit edgy without taking the reader uncomfortably out of bounds. CASSIDY JONES AND THE SECRET FORMULA and CASSIDY JONES AND THE VULCAN’S GIFT are the first two books in the series.
Featuring Author David C. Cassidy … Brilliance at its best!
Today, I am honored to feature the amazing and talented author, David C. Cassidy, and introduce his new release, FOSGATE’S GAME, an Alfred Hitchcock-type novella. Not only did he write this superb supernatural thriller; he designed the amazing cover, as well. Check out some of the early reviews of this awesome story:
“After reading many self- published books I had almost given up on finding a story that had actually earned the title of ‘literature’ until I came across this novella” ~ Amazon Reviewer
“In my review for Velvet Rain, I referred to Cassidy as a master puppeteer, due to his ability to elicit strong emotion from his readers. Fosgate’s Game is further testament of his skill to capture his audience and move them through scenes like chess pieces.” ~ Amazon Reviewer
To buy Fosgate’s Game:
Compared to Stephen King and Dean Koontz, his first novel, Velvet Rain, was nominated as best thriller of the year at eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards. Here are some of the amazing reviews:
“There are some books you can’t get out of your mind after you’ve read them, no matter what you’re doing. David Cassidy’s `Velvet Rain’ is one of them. This plot will haunt you afterward… in a great way.” ~ Amazon Reviewer
“From the opening pages of Cassidy’s dark thriller, Velvet Rain, readers will know they are at the mercy of a master storyteller.” ~ Amazon Reviewer
To buy Velvet Rain:
About the Author:
Author, photographer, half-decent juggler–spends his writing life creating dark and touching stories where Bad Things Happen To Good People. Raised by wolves, he grew up with a love of nature, music, science, and history, with thrillers and horror novels feeding the dark side of his seriously disturbed imagination. He talks to his characters, talks often, and most times they listen. But the real fun starts when they tell him to take a hike, and they Open That Door anyway. Idiots.
David lives in Ontario, Canada. From Mozart to Vivaldi, classic jazz to classic rock, he feels naked without his iPod. Suffering from MAD–Multiple Activity Disorder–he divides his time between writing and blogging, photography and photoshop, reading and rollerblading. An avid amateur astronomer, he loves the night sky, chasing the stars with his telescope. Sometimes he eats.
Here are a few of the amazing book covers designed by David C. Cassidy:
The McSwain & Beck series by CR HIATT
The Cassidy Jones Adventures by Elise Stokes
The Pelicant Pointe series by Vickie McKeehan
The James Blake series by Seb Kirby
For more information about David C. Cassidy’s cover designs, and other creative talents that he offers: http://davidccassidy.com/graphic-designer/
May 21, 2013
BLOG TOUR – LITTLE NANI REVISITED
Thank you for visiting this wonderful blog today so you can know a bit more about Little Nani, her stories, her world, and her author. OK, her author is not as interesting as Little Nani, but what can we do? They go hand in hand, so please bear with her.
Why are we here today? Because Little Nani is suffering a series of changes. “The Funny Adventures of Little Nani” was published for the first time last September 2012, both in print and in ebook form, on Amazon and Createspace. However, along the months, I started feeling less enthusiastic about my book, thinking that the cover was dull and boring, and also thinking that the stories could be improved, maybe going through some extra editing and proofing. So that’s what I did, and now I am much happier about the result and I trust that I will start getting many more sales. Why? Because I will make the books available not only on Amazon and Createspace, but also on Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and Feed-A-Read.
There will be also many different options to buy the books. Do you want to buy the whole set of stories? You can do it. Do you want to buy just some stories, the ones you think you would like? You can do it too, since I will publish the stories individually on Smashwords. So you see, different options to match different customers, different readers.
Once all this is settled and the books are republished on all those retailers, I will start to do the same process with the second book in the Little Nani series, which will be available next Fall.
Follow the whole blog tour since I will be announcing all the news in the different blogs!
BLURB
Little Nani is a little girl who likes helping people. However, when she helps people the results can be a bit unexpected. Why is that? Little Nani is a witch! Or at least she wants to be a witch. With her magic wand, she will try to cast different spells to help her friends, but she won’t be successful all the time.
Follow Little Nani in her funny adventures and meet her extraordinary friends. Funny ostriches, horses that love reading, super-fast turtles, grumpy zombies… Little Nani has lots of friends! You can also draw your own characters!
Little Nani is willing to become a good witch. Will she manage to do it? Who knows? Read the stories and discover what happens next!
AUTHOR BIO.
Cinta Garcia de la Rosa is a Spanish writer who has loved the written word since he discovered she was able to read books at age 5. Since then, she has become a bookworm and reads around 100 books every year. She also writes, every day, compulsively, even in the middle of the night. You cannot control when inspiration hits you, can you? She writes in English because she is convinced that in a previous life she was British, so writing in English feels more natural to her than writing in her native language. Yes, she is crazy like that. Cinta Garcia is the author of “The Funny Adventures of Little Nani”, a collection of short stories for children, and “A Foreigner in London”, a short story published on Smashwords. She is a member of Independent Authors International (iAi).
GUEST POST :
The creation of Little Nani and her World.
Lots of people ask me about how Little Nani was created. Well, she is a lot a reflection of myself, and I have already said in other blogs that her name is the nickname that the girls I was looking after in London gave me, due to my small size. But what about her world? How did I create the background for her adventures?
Well, Little Nani is a happy, positive, vitalist, and a bit naughty girl who lives with a horse and two ostrichres. Then, I thought that it would be perfect if she lived in the middle of the country rather than in a town or city. Her exuberant personality goes well with that kind of setting, since she has plenty of space for running, jumping, dancing, and doing all the silly things she likes doing.
But someone can say… “If Little Nani lives in the middle of the country, how can she meet people?” Well, I made her house be close to a town (where she will meet some extraordinary people), surrounded by cornfields, and next to a forest with a river. Both the cornfields and the forest are inhabited by amazing creatures that will bump into Little Nani at certain moments, creating hilarious, funny, and absurd situations.
So the creation of Little Nani’s world was kind of easy, since I just wanted something to reflect her personality: wild like the forest, easy-going like the river, playful like the cornfields, and friendly like towns can be. It just wouldn’t make any sense to make her live her adventures in a different setting. And every setting is created at the same time I am writing the story, without previous thoughts; it is as if the story or the situation I am creating ask me for a certain setting to happen.
Little Nani and her world may seem crazy, but together they make a lot of sense and contribute to the better enjoyment of the stories. Please, everybody, check the stories out and let me know.
Thanks, McSwain and Beck, for hosting me today!
GIVEAWAY!
Don’t forget to leave a comment, so you can enter the giveaway for the opportunity to win a signed copy of “The Funny Adventures of Little Nani”. If you leave comments in several blogs during the tour, you will get an entry for each comment. So don’t hesitate to comment!
LINKS TO THE BOOKS:
MEDIA LINKS:
May 20, 2013
IT’S HIS DUTY AS A SOLDIER… #99cents #Sale
Two people who have both suffered tragic losses in their young life; both of them avoiding love for completely different reasons. Joshua, a soldier in the British Army, a bomb disposal expert and the very best at what he does. Angelina, an editor for a local newspaper and writer in her spare time. Both of them focused on their careers. Brought together unexpectedly, they fall unconditionally and irrevocably in love. All is perfect in their lives until Joshua is unexpectedly posted to Afghanistan for six months. Angelina’s worst fears are finally realized. Joshua has to go, it’s his duty as a soldier, but the pull in his heart is strong and he leaves her behind with a heavy heart. Angelina is devastated and prays for his safe return. Until one day, a few weeks into Joshua’s deployment, there is a knock on her door that changes her life forever…
FOR THIS WEEK, ONLY, the author of the emotionally charged, and Amazon top-100 bestseller, AMELIA’S STORY, is offering this heartwarming romantic war novel for 99cents. So now is you change to take advantage of this great opportunity to read a touching story of love, and heroism. Get it here:
More about the author:
D.G. Torrens was born in England and lives with her husband and daughter. Drawing from personal experience, her first two books, Amelia’s Story and Amelia’s Destiny, inspired readers the world over. An active champion of children’s rights, proceeds from her books go to children’s charities – the NSPCC and Barnardo’s organizations dear to the author’s heart. The author’s third book, Heart and Mind, is a collection of poems, with a second collection, Heart and Soul, to be released in 2013. Broken Wings is her first romantic war story, and she hopes to follow up with a second called, Terms of Endurance.
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/dgtorrens
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Torrenstp
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Website: http://dawnsdaily.com
April 30, 2013
FUEL. YOUR. FIRE. – Win a Kindle Fire! #FYFIRE
A KILLER EVENT!
Time for another FUEL YOUR FIRE!
Don’t have one? Well, no worries. Starting May 1, 2013 and continuing until May 31, 2013, TCK is offering you the chance to get one — we are giving away a gorgeous Kindle Fire to one lucky winner! Just click on the link and follow the simple steps. What could be easier?
Think about it; your own Kindle Fire with your own selection of books…
Look how awesome these book covers look on the screen of the Fire. How cool! Bet you can’t wait to get yours.
So what are you waiting for?
Go for it!
April 24, 2013
Bestelling YA Mystery-Thrillers on #SALE for #99CENTS
Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 and Fireworks on the 4th, both Amazon bestsellers in YA mystery-thrillers, are on sale for 99cents starting April 26 and ending at midnight on April 28. Get your copies now; then get ready for the third book in the series, Lethal Hostages, coming soon!
“High-octane, action-packed and quick-witted romp through the perilous underworld. Written in a vein similar to early James Patterson (his good stuff) the chapters are short and make you want to gobble them down.” ~ Goodreads Reviewer
“CR Hiatt weaves a complex tale of intrigue and suspense that grabbed me right away and never let go, right up to the climactic end” ~ Goodreads Reviewer
An excerpt of Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00:
A HUGE storm threatened to hit the coast of New England forcing seventeen-year-old, Bradley Johnson, to brave the storm in search of food to feed his family. He begged for scraps from nearby restaurants and stood helpless with his hand out hoping locals would have pity.
For days, a man had been lurking in the background with Bradley in his sights.
He continued to watch him.
Stalk him.
He knew his daily routine, where he lived and all about his family. He had a mother at home who was ill, and a baby brother that needed diapers, food and clothing. The father was gone, leaving Bradley responsible for providing for the family. They lived in a one-bedroom apartment owned by the New York Housing Authority on the lower east side of Manhattan. Heat, water and electricity were luxuries they couldn’t afford.
The man devised a plan. He could grab him, just like the others. But he couldn’t take the chance the mother wouldn’t put in a missing-persons report. Instead, he offered him food, and promised to help his family. He knew he would accept. He was desperate. Unaware of the evil intentions, Bradley accepted the aid. Together, they went to a local market to purchase necessities; then carried them to his dismal home. When his family was fed and grateful to the angel who stepped into their lives, the man took the mother aside and made her an offer she didn’t refuse.
The following morning, Bradley was told he was going with the man to start a new life. As a private Cessna airplane with the name: The Blue Sky lifted off the tarmac at Long Island MacArthur Airport, Bradley was told he would never see his family again. With a signed document from the mother, airport security had no reason to question them.
There would be no missing report filed.
There wouldn’t be anyone out looking for Bradley.
There wasn’t anyone who cared.
Soon, he’d be long forgotten.
Now, he belonged to The Privileged Ones.
★★Amazon Bestseller in teen Mystery, Espionage, & Detectives★★
Excerpt of Fireworks on the 4th:
Two hours later, Cody and I knew exactly what Jake meant about getting dirty and the job not being glamorous. We were down on all fours, crawling through a secret tunnel that was normally used to smuggle illegal immigrants. Jake supplied us with extra equipment: gloves, boots, hard-hats with lights strapped around them so we could see, and rucksacks loaded up with gear.
Jake was in the lead position, with me and Cody crawling in tandem behind him, and trying to keep up.
Cody whispered, “When your dad said he knew some special operators in Mexico who were making sure we got in under the radar of authorities, I thought he meant we’d be doing something cool and exciting, like maybe jumping out of a helo.”
“He warned us it wasn’t glamorous,” I reminded him as I inched a little closer when I noticed something crawling on the ground beside me.
Cody clasped an arm around me, and smiled. “I’ll protect you.”
I elbowed him in the ribs.
Jake Logan whipped his head around, and glared at us. “Do you two know what the terms covert ops and under the radar means? Keep it down, will ya. We may be underground, but it’s not soundproof. You want to find yourselves in the hands of a cartel?”
I gulped. “Sorry,” I whispered.
We traveled about another hundred feet in silence, then we came to a dead end. At least that’s what it looked like, until Jake pulled a fake wall of grass and mud to the side. He motioned for us to go through.
When I caught the sight of rats, worms, and who knows what else, and the smell of sewage, my eyes bulged out of my sockets. I said, “No. No way. Not gonna happen.”
Jake cocked his head to the side. “You demanded to be included on this mission, Syd. You either go through there, or circle around and head back home.”
Cody gave me a reassuring squeeze. “Come on, Syd. We’ve handled far worse than this.”
I turned on Cody. “The only time I was this close to something that could slither up my leg, was when you and Jaden dropped the water snake down my shirt.”
Cody shrugged, sheepishly, when he noticed the hard look on Jake Logan’s face. “Dude, I was nine-years-old.” Then he returned his attention back to me, and glared. “And you’re forgetting the part where you snatched onto the snake, and tossed it back into the lake without giving it a second thought. So c’mon, Syd, suck it up and remember the end game.”
I scowled at him then looked at the rats and worms, again. Just the sight of them made me think they were crawling all over me, and the smell made me nauseous. But, if I didn’t go through, I wouldn’t get the chance to nab Aaron Grant.
CR HIATT writes screenplays and action, mystery thriller books for young adults, and romantic-suspense for adults. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends, and playing with her Golden Retriever, Annabelle.
Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 US Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 UK
Fireworks on the 4th US Fireworks on the 4th UK
April 8, 2013
Blog Tour launch for #NewRelease REGRET NO MORE
REGRET NO MORE
Launch Date: Tuesday 9th April 2013
Fellow author Seb Kirby is releasing his new thriller, Regret No More, today, April 9, 2013, and it is my honor to share it with you. The first book in the series, Take No More, reached the amazon UK bestseller list and I’m sure his latest will be equally successful.
Nothing is safe from the past
The mystery deepens as the tragic events in Florence return as a matter of life or death for James Blake and his family. A stolen Picasso used in an art swindle lies at the root of an international conspiracy that reaches into the life of a prominent US politician with devastating consequences not just for him but for so many of those caught up in the crime.
Wolfgang Heller, a ruthless assassin, is seeking to eliminate those who have any knowledge of the swindle. James has to leave the secure life he has established and become involved in this new threat to the future.
REGRET NO MORE combines thrilling action with a thought-provoking story line centred on international art crime.
Amazon links:
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C8H6TFS
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00C8H6TFS
FR: http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00C8H6TFS
DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00C8H6TFS
IT: http://www.amazon.it/dp/B00C8H6TFS
ES: http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00C8H6TFS
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00C8H6TFS
Background
REGRET NO MORE is the second book in the bestselling James Blake series of thrillers. The first, TAKE NO MORE, has been widely praised for its innovative and knowledgeable depiction of art crime. The final book in the series, FEAR NO MORE, is to be published later this year.
Praise for TAKE NO MORE
‘I loved the inclusion of a more modern evil …. along with the search for lost classic art and the romantic tale of James Blake, who loved his wife very much…’
‘Kirby’s spare yet rich prose, his perfect word choices, made this a work that appeared to be effortlessly constructed. That seamlessness is the hallmark of a gifted writer.’
‘I really liked the main character, James Blake and his fearless pursuit of the truth.’
‘It was a few pages before I realized what I was reading: a sort of modern noir. I walked in the hero’s shoes, was privy to his thoughts and intruded on his emotions
‘Memorable characters with murder, organised crime, Italy and art….’
‘Mystery and the arts – a great combo. The art world depiction was fascinating….
‘From the first pages ‘Take No More’ held me enthralled and it delivered on every promise it made. It is a rich story set in a complex tapestry of characters and settings.’
Author Links:
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Seb-Kirby/e/B004J95W0G
Website: http://noveltakenomore.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/seb.kirby
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/Take.No.More
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Seb_Kirby
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4565594.Seb_Kirby
Interview with Seb Kirby
What attracted you to writing?
I was raised with books but not in the usual sense – my grandfather ran a mobile library in Birmingham and my parents inherited a random selection of the books. They weren’t much interested in them; they were piled up in a box room, gathering dust. I would disappear in there and resurrect much read classics. I’ve been hooked ever since. It’s always seemed a natural thing to want to do – to write.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
I write thrillers and I write sci fi. That’s probably because those are the genres that I get the most enjoyment reading. I’ve written quite a lot of non fiction, as yet unpublished. I have a hankering to write comedy one day but that’s a hard call since you don’t know if what you write will be funny until you try it out on an audience.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
I had a tough upbringing in Birmingham. I think that gave me a lifelong understanding of what really matters in everyday life. But I received a good education that gave me a grasp of cultural tradition and the importance of maintaining it. I try to address both these aspects in my writing.
Where do you get your inspiration and ideas from?
Ray Bradbury put it best: ‘My stories run up and bite me in the leg – I respond by writing down everything that goes on during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go and runs away.’ I feel the same. The best ideas come when a story is in full flow and the characters take on a life of their own.
Do you have any writing rituals or listen to “mood music” when you write? Where is your favourite place to write?
I carry a notebook. I write whenever it feels right – on trains, on a flight, in a hotel room, at home. I listen to jazz a lot but I’ve never been able to do that while I’m writing. I prefer silence and I’m lucky to live in a place that has real silence.
What’s your favourite place in the entire world?
That’s a tough one. I’m lucky that I’ve been able to travel and find places that resonate and that I want to return to as often as I can. With the exception of Ambleside (The English Lake District) all are cities: Florence, London, Venice, San Diego, Paris, San Francisco (in no particular order).
What was your favourite part of REGRET NO MORE to write? Which part was the hardest?
I enjoyed recapturing the ascent to Sandia Crest that I made some years ago aboard the Sandia Peak tramway outside of Albuquerque. I find those cable cars very scary. The view over the Rio Grande plain was memorable but the descent over TWA valley was something of a challenge.
What I found hardest was synchronising events in Austin, Texas with events in London. There’s a six hour time difference in Summer and it was challenging to make sure that the characters were doing what they were supposed to be doing at the right time of day – sleeping, having breakfast or dinner. I hope I got it right!
Give your fans three fun facts that they may not already know about you.
Not sure how many of these are fun but here goes: I try to walk 15 miles each week; I think Miles Davis was a musical genius; I’m a lifelong vegetarian.
Chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?
It’s just got to be chocolate. I’m a chocoholic, so ‘more than 70% cocoa solids’ is the kind of off the wall talk that appeals to me!
If you could invite any 6 people to dinner who would you choose?
Being a writer, I wouldn’t expect all to be living right now, so I could delve back into history as much as I like. That would make things interesting! I’d like to meet Pythagoras, the guy who invented music, mathematics and vegetarianism amongst much else. I’d like to hear him bounce ideas off George Gershwin, the guy who just about invented modern jazz. Then, I’d like to introduce them to H G Wells, one of the forbearers of modern science fiction (who, long ago now, had a profound influence on my grandfather when they met and talked in the bookish circle surrounding my grandfather’s lending library). I think they should have some female company and that would have to be Mary Shelley, creator of Frankenstein and all round woman ahead of her time. That would leave just two places and one would have to go to Leonardo Da Vinci. I’d like to hear how a man like him could have done so much in so many fields of endeavour in such a short time. My last invite would go to Albert Einstein. Where would modern science be without the great man? Some dinner party!
So what’s next for you as an author?
I’m ready to develop my sci fi novel DOUBLE BIND with a sequel but the next thing on the list is to complete the James Blake trilogy. The full extent of the corruption merging from the Landos in Italy is a story yet to be told. The working title is FEAR NO MORE. I’m hoping to complete this before the end of the year, or sooner if the creative process goes well.
