P.C. Zick's Blog, page 18
January 27, 2016
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – FRANCIS GUENETTE
Today a favorite author of mine drops by o share her thoughts on her new novel. Francis Guenette has visited Author Wednesday several times. I’ve been a great fan of her Crater Lake Series, so I wondered how it would be to read a very different sort of book by her. She addresses that very issue from her perspective when she sat down to create her latest work, Maelstrom.
So here’s Francis to tell us a little bit about how it was to leave her friends at Crater Lake for a bit so she could bring Maelstrom to light.
Many thanks to Patricia for hosting me yet again on her blog. Pat has been a solid supporter of my books and I can’t thank her enough. She has posed me a challenging question to answer in light of my recent release of the stand-alone novel, Maelstrom.
How did it feel to switch writing genres and leave the Crater Lake Series behind?
I wondered more than once if I could manage. My main concern was how I would expand the room in my head to accommodate another group of characters. The abundance of personalities worried me more than any issue related to genre.
While working on Maelstrom, I confess to having all the doubts that a soon-to-be parent would have when contemplating the arrival of a second child. Will I love this new one? Will I have enough energy for child number two without scrimping on what I want to give to my first born?
In my novels, plot and setting are character driven. I can imagine myself writing in any genre as long as I am able to create fully-developed characters with well-thought out story arcs. A book’s setting becomes a matter of backdrop. In saying that, I don’t wish to denigrate the research, time and effort required to create a realistic arena in which to let loose one’s characters. For me, such work is governed by where the characters demand to be taken.
With the writing of Maelstrom, I discovered that the prime real estate in my head could only be occupied by one group of characters at a time. The Crater Lake gang had to be willing to wait in the wings and at times, I had to push them back with force. They are a demanding group!
With Maelstrom finished and launched out into the world, I am currently storyboarding the next book in the Crater Lake series. What joy to discover that I have a whole crew of characters who are more than willing to accept an invitation to take up residence once again in my thoughts.
About Maelstrom
A shot is fired into the still night air and a young woman dies on Suicide Ridge. A dangerous game has begun. Over the course of one blistering, hot week, winds of change sweep through an isolated valley in small town America.
Sheriff Bert Calder, with the help of Mayor Amos Thatcher, has held the town of Haddon under his thumb for twenty-five years. As things spin out of control, Calder works the angles, ensuring he can make the most of the upheaval that is to come.
Rafael Destino, facing his own mortality, races against time to gain control of the railroad – a lifeline essential to the town’s survival. His goal – to financially destroy Thatcher, the man he believes responsible for the death of his beloved sister. His tool – adopted son Myhetta. But how far down the road of revenge will Rafael push the young man who owes him everything?
Myhetta is poised on the edge of controlling Destino Enterprises, the job he has been groomed for. While money, power, and influence are his to command, the past continues to torment him.
In a clash of powerful men, with fathers pitted against sons, no one will be left unscathed. Maelstrom is a page turner that speeds along like a runaway train.
About Francis: Francis Guenette has spent all of her life on the west coast of British Columbia. She lives with her husband and finds inspiration for writing in the beauty and drama of their off-grid, lakeshore cabin and garden. She has a graduate degree in Counselling Psychology. She has worked as an educator, trauma counsellor and researcher.
Links
Website – Disappearing in Plain Sight
Purchase Maelstrom by clicking on links below.
Author Wednesday Posts
Book Review Friday – Crater Lake Series
January 22, 2016
Important: New Rules on Amazon
I want to share this information from Jackie Weger, the founder and leader of eNovel Authors at Work.
I’m happy to be held to high standards, both as an author and an editor. I hope Amazon enforces and uses the new rules properly and doesn’t listen to the trolls out there who leave reviews just to hurt competitors.
Click here to read Jackie’s post.
January 20, 2016
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – JAMES MOUSHON
I’m excited to welcome James Moushon to Author Wednesday today. James has been a tireless supporter and promoter of Indie Authors, so it gives me great pleasure to return the favor. He stops by today to talk about his latest release, Operation Alpha Dog, a collection of short stories, featuring the character Jonathon Stone.
Welcome, James! I’m so happy to have you here today. Let’s start with some information about you as a writer. When were you first able to call yourself a “writer” or “author?”
Actually, I have been both. In 1994, I became a published writer in national business magazines. At that time, I was writing about the coming digital conversion of books and business forms and what it would do to companies and their products.
In 2011, I became a published author with the release of my first novel, Call Off the Dogs. This title is being rewritten with the working title: Cajun Ghost (release date in the Spring 2016).
Do all your books have a common theme or thread?
All my books are centered around my main character, Jonathon Stone. Jonathon is a CIA agent, working domestically for a secret CIA division called DOT. Because the CIA isn’t allowed to operate in the U.S. by law, this division is off the books. Jonathon attempts to catch terrorists and assassins while he struggles with drinking, gambling, and the ladies.
Sounds like a bad boy American James Bond. What’s the best thing said about one of your books by a reviewer?
It comes from a review for Operation Alpha Dog:
These stories… don’t waste any time and jump straight into the action. Some excellent plot ideas that work well in the short space given to them, quite different in locations and style but all very compelling and rewarding reading. So good, I devoured it in one sitting.
What’s your one sentence pitch the new collection of short stories?
A six-pack of complete Jonathon Stone Mystery short stories filled with murder, mystery, and espionage.
Sounds intriguing! How long do you estimate it took you to write, and then publish, this collection?
There are six unique stories. I would estimate two months of writing and editing, but the elapsed time was much longer.
Is the book traditionally or self-published?
This is a self-published collection. I started from the technical part of creating eBooks in 1994. That transferred to learning the whole publishing process. Choosing self-publishing was next.
You were really in at the beginning. I didn’t start until 2012 with the Indie Author movement, although I’d been published traditionally since 2000. What is the best thing someone could say about Operation Alpha Dog?
It is a quick, interesting read with twists and turns for the reader to enjoy.
That’s always good for readers living in such a fast-paced world. Explain how this book was conceived in your imagination.
The collection is an extension of Jonathon Stone Mystery series and the various assignment the CIA has had Stone conduct.
What type of research did you do in the writing of this book?
This is part of the fun I have writing. I very seldom write about a location I haven’t lived or visited. I study terrorism, the CIA inner workings, current events and specifics of the locations Stone must visit to carry out the op.
I love doing the research for my books as well. Not everyone does, so that’s a good start. Without giving us a spoiler, tell us a little bit about your favorite scene in this book.
Jonathon Stone catches an assassin in “Operation Red Dragon.”
Jonathon Stone’s plans for a quiet gambling experience is interrupted by the sighting of a known gun for hire from Mexico. A casual weekend in the desert for Jonathon changes into an apparent assassination plot. With the FBI and the Secret Service involved, Jonathon tries to apprehend the elusive hit man before he can do damage.
Thank you so much for stopping by Author Wednesday, James. I wish you great success with this new collection of short stories. And I hope you’ll stop by again–maybe for a guest post on the wisdom you’ve gained through your experience and research on being an Indie Author.
About James: James Moushon is a Mystery author and a published writer in the electronic document field. He is the author of the Jonathon Stone Mystery Novels. He has published two books: Black Mountain Secrets and Game of Fire, and Operation Alpha Dog, a collection of short stories featuring Jonathon Stone. He is currently wearing two hats. He is a mystery author and a book publishing blogger.
Social media sites
Website: James Moushon – Mystery Writer
Author’s Blog: eBook Author’s Corner
Blog: HBS Author’s Spotlight
Blog: HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle
Twitter: @jimhbs
E-Mail: james.moushon@gmail.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Spotlight post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author’s Spotlight
Links to books
January 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW FRIDAY – WHEN THE SUN WAS MINE
Flo and Brittany. Brittany and Flo–a relationship born in shock and fascination, breaking down age barriers immediately. No spoilers in here, but the opening of When the Sun was Mine is filled with mystery and love stories, which leads the young Brittany into an exploration of herself and her views on the elderly. Flo guides her through both.
I enjoyed When the Sun was Mine because of the growth and development of the relationship between the young Brittany and the much older Flo.
Set mostly in the nursing home, Happy Hearts–the greatest misnomer of all–this novel addresses something rarely touched in writing. The author takes us inside the mind of Flo, suffering from the early stage symptoms of Alzheimer’s–or is she? Because of the mystery slowly unraveling at the center of the plot, the reader is never sure if Flo is faking the symptoms to aid her investigation, or if she really doesn’t remember some things. It’s a brilliant literary touch because it creates a confusion in the reader that provides a brief glimpse into how it must be for Flo, who moves back and forth between and through the shadows of her memories and her present existence.
Those beginning stages of this disease can be the most challenging for loved ones and the most terrifying for the patient.
I know from experience with an aunt and a brother. When both of my relatives knew they were declining and knew they were defenseless against what was happening, they broke my hearts in their helpless knowledge. My brother, a respected and innovative mathematician, felt frustrated in those early days.
“There’s plenty of material out there for the caretakers of the Alzheimer’s patient,” he told me. “But I can’t find a thing about how it is for me, the patient.”
He still had those moments of lucidity, and in those moments, he was anxious to find out all he could before he had a setback where he wouldn’t even be able to remember the word for what he had.
Ms. Jones takes the reader on that journey into the mind of the Alzheimer’s victim in her characterization of Flo. Yet she manages to prevent the novel from devolving into a dark abyss by using humor through Flo’s own antics and the inexperienced fumblings of her young accomplices, Brittany and two of her friends.
Mystery mixed with contemporary realities provide for an enjoyable read because once the reader sees Flo in all her naked honesty in that first chapter, the ride surprises us with its twists and turns.
It takes a talented author to bring us contemporary issues that not only entertain but cause us to pause and wonder at the possibilities for our dreams, no matter our age or condition. And Darlene Jones has achieved that in her latest novel, When the Sun was Mine.
Links to find out more about Darlene Jones:
Author Wednesday posts:
Book Review Friday – Embattled
Purchase Links for When the Sun was Mine – $0.99 for a limited time
January 13, 2016
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – DARLENE JONES
It’s time for Author Wednesday and to bring back another of my favorite authors to celebrate the release of her new book. Darlene Jones recently published When the Sun Was Mine, which is a departure from her Em and Yves Series. The new book is contemporary fiction and explores generational friendships, Alzheimer’s, and family in a mystery format. Look for my review on Book Review Friday this week. Today, she’s going to tell us how she created this novel. Welcome, Darlene!
The Seeds of a Novel
By Darlene Jones
In her feature on Author Wednesday in October, author Christina Carson wrote, “Somewhere in the back of our minds saturated with intellectual and emotional experiences, a seed exists around which a story begins to form.”
I agree with Christina (although I could never express it quite so elegantly), for When the Sun was Mine sprouted from one of those seeds. If you were to ask me the moment the idea came to me, or how the idea came to me, I wouldn’t be able to answer. I have no conscious recollection of the beginnings of the story as they formed and grew in my mind.
I had published the Em and Yves series—the “seed” for those books stemmed from my experiences living in Mali—and I’d completed the compilation and publishing of the Mali to Mexico and Points In Between stories. I was floundering with nothing to write but had no “brainwaves” for the next novel. In fact, I feared there wouldn’t be a next novel. I needn’t have worried for suddenly I was writing. The story of Flo and Brit, the main characters of When the Sun was Mine, seemed to grow naturally, with little effort. Once I had the bare bones on paper, I reworked it, building on Flo and her background for she was the essence of what I wished to convey.
The friendship between Flo and Brit is, perhaps, an unusual one, but I had a similar experience (although not as a teen) when I shared a hospital room for many weeks with a much older lady who became very dear to me. We remained close friends until her death at age eighty-nine. Perhaps that friendship was one of the seeds Christina refers to.
Looking back on my writing I discovered, somewhat to my surprise, that teens play a significant role in each of my novels, and I suspect they will in anything I write in the future. I was an educator for many years. More seeds? A natural development in my work? I believe so.
Last night I had a dream that I had found the perfect seed for my next book. Of course, when I woke, the details evaporated. Frustrating? Yes, but a clear sign that now it’s time to relax for a bit and wait for another seed to germinate in my mind and another novel to be written. I know that, whatever the new story is, it will be a pleasure to write, for I can’t imagine a life without writing—and reading.
P.C., I hope that you and your followers enjoy When the Sun was Mine. Thank you for featuring me and my work.
You are very welcome, Darlene. I love to hear how others find those seeds that turn into novels. I’ve had the first line of books pop into my dreams, diverting me to writing a novel I never knew I could write. We never know when the ‘muse’ will come to us, but being open and receptive to those seeds flung to us on the wind is the first step. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
About Darlene Jones: Many years ago a young girl left the safety of Canada for adventure in Africa. This was in a generation when young girls didn’t go anywhere on their own and certainly not to the “the dark continent.”
I had to adapt to the climate, the culture, the language, and above all time travel, for most Malians lived the way they always had. Modern conveniences consisted of basic items such as kerosene lanterns and little else.
It was the plight of Malians that inspired me to begin writing my novel series. Since I couldn’t wave a magic wand to make life better in Mali, I chose to do it fictitiously.
Now that the Em and Yves series is complete, I’ve found that I’m hooked on writing and have moved on to other genres. I’m excited to see what the future holds.
Author Wednesday 2013 – Darlene Jones
Book Review Friday – Embattled
Darlene Jones Website
Purchase When the Sun was Mine by clicking below:
January 6, 2016
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – DIANE RAPP
Happy New Year! It’s Wednesday and time for 2016’s first Author Wednesday. Today’s offering is unique as Diane Rapp stops by to gives us some information about her new novel, Golden Legacy, which blends historical adventure with modern-day mystery. Stepping back to 1888, Diane has provided us with a character interview with Genevieve Elizabeth Donnelly as if it was conduced by me! It’s an interesting way to present this intriguing character.
Interview with a Victorian Lady
Written by Diane Rapp
“Ginny”
Genevieve Elizabeth Donnelly steps through a shimmering light that suddenly opens in my office. Although warned to expect a time-travel portal, I feel unnerved. The lovely woman resembles an old-fashioned portrait brought to life before my eyes. She’s an attractive tall woman with chestnut hair pinned back into a neat bun. Her lively hazel eyes look intelligent and inquisitive. As she enters my domain, her gaze explores the room, noting my laptop computer, cellphone, and my casual attire.
I offer my hand to the genteel lady. “Hello, Genevieve, I’m Patricia Zick, an author friend of Diane Rapp’s. She arranged for your interview today.”
She says, “Do call me Ginny.” Removing a pair of kid gloves, Ginny shakes my hand and smiles. Her mellow voice sounds calm, but I notice a slight tremble in her fingertips. She adds, “I felt incredulous about your kind invitation to chat. I hardly anticipated a female writer from the future might summon me through a time-portal. Of course, having read the Time Machine by H.G. Wells in 1895, I felt eager to take an excursion into the future. It felt ever so exhilarating.”
Eager to know more, I ask, “Did you ever meet H.G. Wells?”
Ginny’s laugh contains a musical contralto resonance. “Not all English citizens mingle in the same social circles, you realize. No, I’ve never been afforded the opportunity to meet the lauded author. Perhaps the experience of time-travel during this interview might provide a proper means of introduction.”
She wanders past my book shelves and fingers several titles with a quizzical expression. The scent of roses fills the room as I observe her old-fashioned clothing. Ginny wears a demure plum-colored silk jacket over a ruffled white blouse and long skirt in a slim design. She carries a small velvet reticule and white parasol.
“What a lovely outfit you’re wearing, but I thought women in the 1880s typically wore bustles. Please make yourself comfortable.” I point to an armchair opposite my desk.
Blushing, Ginny replies, “Thank you for the kind compliment.” Smoothing her skirt, she sits primly upon the chair, maintaining an erect posture. “Truthfully, I seldom dress in current vogue, preferring to delay until I’m forced to alter my habits to suit society. However, travelling the seas wearing cumbersome bustles grew tiresome, and consequently, I relished the idea of a change. I made the acquaintance of a French fashion designer on a long voyage to Japan. I found her a woman of uncommon talent and daring as she outlined a plan to make a name for herself by marketing avant-garde fashions sewn from Japanese silk. Amazed by her illustrations, I knew such attire would make life more tolerable for modern women. In Tokyo, we purchased luxurious materials and hired tailors to create new garments to my measure. I promptly cast aside my entire wardrobe. Can you imagine the comical sight of servants strolling through Japanese streets wearing unwieldly bustles?” She lowered her gaze and blushed. “Pardon me for prattling on like a magpie. It’s a disagreeable habit for which Father often chides me.”
I quickly interject, “Please don’t stop, Ginny! I enjoy hearing such charming details and the information will be useful for my article.”
She fidgets, picks up an open microfiber pen from my desk and fingers the tip. When ink mars her white finger, her eyes grow round. “I’ve never seen such a marvelous writing implement. A fountain pen proved an invaluable tool for me.” She points at my laptop and eagerly leans forward to watch me type. “Is this another magical invention like the time-portal?”
I stifle a laugh and nod. “Computers are inventions that replaced the common typewriter.”
“Extraordinary! I deemed the typewriter an ingenious device, but this astonishing machine displays words upon a glowing picture frame as you strike the keys. I fear no one in my time period will credit the veracity of my observations.” She eyes the clock on my desk and says, “We must commence the interview forthwith. I’m informed we have but an hour available before the portal dissolves. Diane said you inquired about my journey through the American West during 1888?”
“Yes, let’s begin.” Sighing, I peruse my list of interview questions and state, “You claim to be a spinster at the age of twenty-five. You are obviously beautiful, so how did you remain unmarried?”
Touching her shapely lips with an ink-marred finger, she blushes before beginning an explanation. “Mother died upon my birth, therefore, I grew up as an impressionable girl surrounded by gentlemen. My attitudes and conceits were formed by interactions with the masculine gender, who tolerated my opinions. When introduced into society as a sixteen-year-old debutante, I balked at the notion that a husband could become my lord and master. An inheritance from my American mother’s fortune included a dowry of ample size to secure a proper husband, but young gentlemen who courted failed to capture my heart. During two seasons, I attended fancy balls, elaborate hunts, and weekly picnics. I grew utterly bored by members of the ton and subsequently refused several proposals—much to Father’s chagrin. He claimed I became a spinster by choice, and I admit he was correct. At the age of twenty-one, I gained control over my capital and became free to travel.”
Rapidly typing to record the dialogue into my laptop, I pause to ask, “Why did you travel to Ouray, Colorado?”
Ginny’s lovely hazel eyes become somber. “After visiting the Sandwich Islands, the ship I booked passage upon landed in San Francisco where I hoped to enjoy a congenial holiday with cousins. A telegram arrived from Father that changed my plans entirely.” She leans forward and comments in a hushed tone, “You do realize that telegrams seldom carry good news, which is better conveyed in a nice long letter. The cryptic communication from Father alerted me that Johnny, my twin brother, lay injured in hospital—shot by miscreants. Father implored me to cut my visit short and rush to Johnny’s bedside in Ouray, Colorado. Luckily, by 1888 American railroad companies offered expanded routes that allowed for civilized travel across rugged terrain.”
My fingers fly across the keyboard until I sense Ginny watching me again. “Was it common for a woman to travel alone in 1888?” I meet her steady gaze.
I notice a slight flinch at the question but she soon replies, “I felt safe enough, after all, I followed the example of a fellow English gentlewoman. As a girl I faithfully read all the journals published by Isabella Lucy Bird, the daughter of a clergyman and celebrated travel writer. Twenty years prior to my adventure, Miss Bird’s solitary travels afforded me the courage to venture into the wilds of the Colonies on my own.”
The hands on my clock creep forward, and Ginny glances nervously at the shimming light that would soon snatch her back a hundred years. I explain, “Diane Rapp just published Golden Legacy, a novel that features your journal. It sounds like you experienced an exciting and dangerous adventure.”
Ginny shushed me by raising her finger to her lips. “We must not reveal too many secrets from my journal. I allow that I encountered a modicum of danger, even adopting a disguise to thwart those dreadful bandits, but I felt compelled to carry supplies to the hidden mine—armed with a fountain pen and two hat pins. You see, my brother’s business partner, Nick, had no knowledge regarding Johnny’s injuries or the threat of villains watching the trail. I admit my audacity nearly caused me harm, but I faithfully recorded the events. Later I directed my descendants to follow my journal to discover the gold mine and secure their fortunes.”
“Descendants? That means you didn’t remain a spinster. Did you fall in love during your trek to the mine?” I leaned forward, eager to hear more.
Flashing an enigmatic smile, Ginny declares, “A modern woman should never accept less than true love in her story. I shan’t spoil the book by revealing too much, but realize that a splendid love story always contains a handsome hero. My mettle was tested in ways I still shudder to recall. The escapade prompted me to institute a similar test of courage and intellect for my future heirs.” She stands and puts the kid gloves back onto her slender hands. “I hope you enjoy reading my adventure. Be sure to examine the photos taken by descendants inside the tome and discover more clues for the treasure hunt.”
Ginny’s silk skirt swishes as she rushes back through the time-portal. The shimmering light vanishes after she waves good-bye. I feel anxious to peruse the description of the book and view a slideshow of photos at Diane’s website.
Description of Golden Legacy blends historical adventure with modern-day mystery in a novel that follows two time lines. Embarking on a harrowing treasure hunt, two daring heroines tackle the hazards of gold country more than a century apart. Although a stand-alone novel, readers who have already met Kayla and Steven in the High Seas Mystery series, may enjoy their continued love story in the Rockies. See real places around Ouray, Colorado, through actual photos within the narrative.
About the Author: Diane Rapp became an entrepreneur when she opened a dog grooming salon in Santa Barbara, California. She spent the next thirty years as a small business owner. She sold real estate, owned an office supply/copy center, and performed freelance advertising design. During those hectic years, Diane wrote stories as a cure for insomnia. After joining her daughter on a research trip for a Caribbean tour guide, Diane’s daughter suggested the idea of writing a mystery novel set on cruise ships. Although part of the High Seas Mystery series, each book is a stand-alone story.
In Murder Caribbean-Style, readers meet the main characters and learn about life aboard a ship while solving a murder. When Kayla teams up with Steven Young, a handsome British magician working undercover for Interpol, danger and romance get mixed into the action.
The second in the series, Murder on a Ghost Ship takes readers cruising to Bermuda and the Azores. Kayla and Natalia are summoned back to work by Emily Schultz, who bought a ship haunted by a very unhappy ghost. The women must learn who murdered the ghostly victim before another passenger dies.
Take an Alaskan cruise in Murder for Glacier Blue and solve and murder and art heist. While preparing for her own wedding on Glacier Bay, Kayla and the gang must protect six valuable paintings—six chances for thieves to strike. Her dream wedding hits a snag when Steven’s ex-wife shows up alongside his school chum planning trouble for the newlyweds! Readers enjoy photos of Alaskan wildlife and natural landmarks mixed into a tale of art theft and murder.
Diane Rapp also writes a science/fantasy series and a fractured fairytale.
Visit www.quicksilvernovels.com to learn more about all of Diane’s books and see photos.
Connect with Diane at https://www.facebook.com/quicksilvernovels and follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DianeRapp
December 31, 2015
Review post for “Ludwika” on http://rachelmcgrath.net/blogs/books-...
Christoph Fischer is one of my favorite Indie Authors. He’s just released Lukwika, the story of a real woman and her struggles during and after World War II Nazi Germany. Check out this important work of historical “faction.”
Re-blog from http://rachelmcgrath.net/blogs/books-to-read/2015/12/ludwika-by-christoph-fischer/
Christoph Fischer is one of the most talented and gifted writers I have come across. Many of his books could almost certainly pass for non-fiction with their realistic portrayal of characters, well researched plots and more so, the way he tells the story, keeping you thoroughly engrossed from cover to cover.
Having just finished Ludwika: A Polish Woman’s Struggle to Survive in Nazi Germany, I was truly moved; left with a lump in my throat and a sadness for a time in history that many of us will never truly understand.
Ludwika Gierz was a real person, and whilst parts of the story are fictionalised, the essence of this Polish woman’s story through world war two in the midst of Nazi Germany is very real. Where racism was rife, and Hitler’s Mein Kampf dictated the treatment of many nations outside of German, the author portrays…
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December 16, 2015
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – NANCY RADKE
It’s the holiday edition of Author Wednesday, and what better way to celebrate this season than to feature an author with a sweet Christmas romance! Welcome to Nancy Radke who’s going to tell us about her novella, Christmas on Cougar Mountain, which is on sale for $0.99 through the whole month of December.
Click on cover for your $0.99 copy
May you be blessed with peace and love during the holiday season.
Christmas on Cougar Mountain and How It Came To Be
By Nancy Radke
A lot of folks can’t believe that anyone can help a person with dyslexia in just a week. This skepticism furnished the conflict for this romance, as the heroine is a Davis Facilitator, and the hero’s son is dyslexic. The hero, Kellen, thinks that Zoey is running a scam, and he only agrees to let her help his son because they are stuck on the mountain at her home (road washed out). He resists falling in love with her, not wanting to love a scam artist.
This book was a lot of fun to write. My favorite scene was when Kellen, an electrician who claimed that ladders liked him, had a ladder tip over and drop him upside down in a holly tree. His dog, Sam, is an escape artist, who never stays where he is put. It also required a lot of research into dyslexia, some of which I knew about as I had already helped children using the Davis method. A Davis employee read my rough draft and made suggestions to keep the story accurate. The message for this book is about giving someone a second chance.
A one-sentence pitch for this book: An escape artist collie brings a lonely woman and a troubled man together on Christmas.
I changed the title as my first few tries were not interesting enough. I usually don’t get a title until my book is almost finished, as then I can see what it is about. I start a story and build on it as I go, so usually don’t know where it is headed. When I first started writing, I plotted everything, but now I find plotted stories boring to write, as I know where they are headed. I much prefer to start and enjoy the adventure along the way. When I re-write, I drop in the items needed to foreshadow events and link it all together. Christmas on Cougar Mountain started with a stray dog on the freeway, rescued by the heroine. I had no idea where it was going from there, and spent a week at a loss, until I thought of the dyslexia angle. Then it almost wrote itself.
This book took around four months to write. I am currently writing one western historical and one mystery thriller. I write on the one that I happen to be interested in that day. As a child, I used to read three to four books at a time, so guess it works to write several at a time, too.
I self-publish books, as it gives me complete control. My first book, Turnagain Love, was published by a traditional publisher. They got the cover all wrong, as it took place in the San Juans (islands in Washington state), where the tidal change is over five feet, and the docks are built to float. The cover artist had a lake with a regular dock. The dock and the tides made up a large part of the humor of that book. I like being able to choose my cover and title. They wanted more of my stories, but they also wanted sex scenes in them, and I told them I didn’t write that way, and got my rights back.
I use my son as my proofreader, and I proofread his novels. Both of us were English majors, and we wrote one thriller together, Height of Danger, and are working on a second one, Terminal Pursuit, which is about halfway written.
Here’s a review of Christmas on Cougar Mountain.
“Besides just enjoying the story I was impressed with how much I learned. It isn’t just fluff. I don’t want to give away the plot. I’m hoping I can get it in book form someday to share with many friends who would benefit from the wisdom that is shared in the story!”
After seeing the feedback on Christmas on Cougar Mountain, I asked if anyone was interested in teaching a four-year-old how to read, as I had taught all my children and grandchildren at that age. They all were reading at first- and second-grade level when entering kindergarten. I had a huge response, so am taking a month away from writing to put together a reading program. It will also have some home school help on different subjects.
The website for this project is under construction at www.raisinggiants.net. If interested, write to me at romauthorN@yahoo.com. Put RAISING GIANTS in the subject line, so I don’t delete you. It is taking me some time to put it all together, as I am putting the first part on video, and I keep thinking of things to add. So it will probably take longer than a month, as I have gathered an impressive inventory of ideas and techniques over the years.
During my down time I watch sport–football and baseball–and I do math and logic puzzles. Right now, I have no real down time.
Thank you, Nancy, for stopping by and sharing. I’m very impressed with the way the book led you to your worthwhile project. My best to you and this new endeavor.
Author Wednesday will be on hiatus until January, when I return with Diane Rapp and her new book. Happy New 2016!
About Nancy: Author Nancy Radke, started out writing full-length, modern romance and suspense stories, then switched to novella length for her western series, The Traherns, and now writes both, usually two or three books at the same time. She has published ten Sisters of Spirit books, including Christmas on Cougar Mountain, thirteen Trahern books, and one book of a new Brothers of Spirit series. A former special education teacher, her teaching background shows when she includes history in her books, or in the case of Christmas on Cougar Mountain––reading problems. Her books are G-rated, no sex, no swearing.
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December 9, 2015
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – STACY JUBA
Hello and welcome to Author Wednesday. Today the wonderfully talented Stacy Juba joins me to talk about her new release, Fooling Around with Cinderella, a sweet chick-lit romance. 
Welcome, Stacy. I’m excited to hear about your new romance, which looks like the perfect book to relax with over the holidays. Rachel Carson (Silent Spring) said she never chose a subject because as a writer, the subject chose her. Describe a time when a subject chose you.
A few years ago, my family and I were at a fairy tale theme park. We had just gone to visit Cinderella. I think Cinderella was on my brain as a couple weeks earlier, we had all gone on a princess lunch cruise. Anyway, I stopped short in the middle of the theme park and my husband stared at me. He said, “You have an idea for a book, don’t you?” He recognized that gleam in my eye. This idea had popped into my head about a reluctant theme park Cinderella. Details were coming so fast that I was scribbling on napkins at the hotel in the middle of the night. And Fooling Around with Cinderella was born!
That’s a great story. My family has come to recognize that look in my eyes as well. Do you have certain themes that appear in all of your books?
All of my books have the theme of characters at a crossroads – characters who are at a fork in the road in their lives. They can either continue on the same safe, but unfulfilling, path, or take a risk and venture in a new direction.
Fooling Around with Cinderella is the first book in a series you’re creating. What made you decide to write a series?
I have chosen to write the Storybook Valley series, a series of chick lit novels set at an amusement park, as I love visiting theme parks. It’s as if the real world fades away and you’re in some alternate vacation reality. I wanted to share that experience with my readers, providing them a place where they can take a mental vacation and revisit familiar characters from time to time.
Who’s your favorite character from your books?
I love Jaine in Fooling Around with Cinderella. Like Cinderella, Jaine has a couple annoying sisters, and she is often taken advantage of. She is nurturing and tends to take care of others, usually putting herself last. But she is also determined, ambitious, and sassy. I love how she evolves in the book and how she learns to find more balance in her life – and love.
Since you’ve set the book in an amusement park, I assumed setting is very important to the plot. Tell me about the importance of setting.
Setting is important in all of my books, but I have had a great deal of fun developing my latest setting, the Storybook Valley theme park. I went to several theme parks, read books and blogs by former princesses and theme park employees, watched employee recruitment videos and read employee manuals all geared toward theme parks, created my own rides and attractions, and brainstormed what kinds of quirky characters might choose to work at a theme park. In this series, the people who work at Storybook Valley have real life problems, but there is always a happy ending.
Wow! I’m very impressed. You’ve created an entire world for this series. What’s your one sentence pitch for your book?
What happens when the glass slippers pinch Cinderella’s toes?
The title (and cover) are very catchy. How did you choose the title?
I chose the title, Fooling Around with Cinderella, because of the double meaning of “fooling around.” Dylan Callahan, the young general manager of the theme park, has been dealing with a string of incompetent Cinderellas and is tired of fooling around with this job position. Since it is a romantic comedy, “fooling around” has a double meaning as he will become romantically involved with his latest Cinderella, Jaine.
Perfect. I love it when the title can mean several things. How long do you estimate it took you to take the book from an idea to a finished, published?
This one took me a few years, but the other books in the series should be written much quicker now that I have developed the setting and secondary characters. Launching a series means making a great deal of big decisions so I spent lots of time on the first book, making sure I got it right.
I would imagine creating the whole theme park concept took quite a bit of time. I’m sure the rest of the series will go quickly now that the characters have a place to live. Is the book traditionally or self-published?
It is self-published. I’ve had lots of success with my other self-published books and just wanted to get this series out to readers without holding it up for a couple years, as the submission process to traditional publishers can take a long time, and then if gets accepted, it can take another year before the book is published.
That’s so true. Wise choice. What is the best thing someone could say about this book?
That they love it and can’t wait for the next one!
Who is the antagonist in your book?
The antagonist is named Gabrielle, the beautiful, intelligent and conniving director of support staff. She is also an old high school rival of Jaine’s and Dylan’s ex, so she has an ax to grind with both of them.
Without giving us a spoiler, tell us a little bit about your favorite scene in this book.
The last scene. That’s when the double meaning of the title comes full circle!
Stacy, thank you so much for stopping by today and sharing your new book. It sounds delightful.
About Stacy: Stacy Juba got engaged at Epcot Theme Park and spent part of her honeymoon at Disneyland Paris, where she ate a burger, went on fast rides, and threw up on the train ride to the hotel. In addition to working on her new Storybook Valley chick lit/sweet romance series, Stacy has written books about ice hockey, teen psychics, U.S. flag etiquette for kids, and determined women sleuths. She has had a novel ranked as #5 in the Nook Store and #30 on the Amazon Kindle Paid List. When she’s not visiting theme parks with her family, (avoiding rides that spin and exotic hamburgers) Stacy helps writers to strengthen their manuscripts through her Crossroads Editing Service. She is currently writing the next book in the Storybook Valley Series, Prancing Around With Sleeping Beauty.
Click below to purchase Fooling Around with Cinderella:
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December 8, 2015
#NaNoWriMo
I’ve been in shock since November 30. On that date, sometime around nine in the evening, I did something I’ve been wanting to do for years.
I not only participated in National Novel Writing Month (November), but for the first time, I actually completed a 50,000-word novel in thirty days.
Whew.
As the hour approached signifying the end of November, I sat in my recliner, laptop burning up, typing faster than my normal ninety words per minute. Then I typed, “THE END,” fairly certain that what I’d written in the final hour was gibberish.
It was not. That’s not my opinion. My beta readers confirmed it. I’d really written it that quickly, and it still made sense. It confirms what I’ve known since the days of mind-numbing newspaper deadlines. Just sitting the rear end in the chair and writing gets the job done, and it sometimes does a better job of getting it done than when we agonize over every single word, sentence, and paragraph.
So I may be a week late in announcing it, but I thought I should mark the occasion with something here. I even wrote a post yesterday, mentioning the book, but forgetting to mention how it came to be.
Again, the shock that I’d done it blocked some arterial flows to the brain.
In the past week, I’ve made edits to the manuscript and sent it off yesterday to my proofreader. Misty Mountain is available for pre-order now and will be released January 19, 2016.
Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter of Misty Mountain, a sweet Smoky Mountain romance. I hope you enjoy.
CHAPTER ONELacy Schumacher picked up a tray filled with hot chicken wings from the kitchen window. When she turned to head to a booth in her section, “Your Cheating Heart” blasted from the stage at the front of the bar. Suddenly, her feet went out from under her when she slipped on the puddle of beer spilled by one of the customers. Chicken wings flew in the air and the small cup of blue cheese dressing landed on top of her head and rode with her on her descent to the floor. A celery stick landed on her chest.
She heard the laughter all around her, making the humiliation complete. Then a hand appeared and helped her stand. She felt the growing wetness on the back of her jeans from the beer, as she pulled the container from her head. Blue cheese dripped down her long brown curls. George grabbed some napkins from a nearby table and started dabbing at her hair. That’s all she needed. They’d only been dating a few months, but now any doubt he had about her abilities to do anything gracefully were probably dashed.
“It’s all right,” she said, as she took the napkins from his hand. “I’ll be right back.” She headed for the bathroom, hoping she could clean up well enough to continue her shift at Misty Mountain, the bar where she’d worked for several years.
Misty Mountain hopped on a cold Thursday night in January, and Lacy longed to go home and soak her aching feet in a hot bath as she used a wet paper towel to dab at her hair. Too bad her house didn’t have a hot tub like so many of the rental cabins in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains surrounding the small North Carolina town of Murphy.
The economics of the town depended on the tourists whose visits to the mountains were as unpredictable as the weather during the winter months. Locals accounted for a fraction of the crowd most of the time, and the part-timers were scarce from Christmas to Easter. But tonight, the restaurant was enjoying the first busy night of January.
“It’s the winter festival in Blue Ridge.” Julie Cole had told Lacy when she’d come in for her shift a few hours earlier. “We could have a big crowd tonight.”
Julie and Lacy had started working at Misty Mountain about the same time several years earlier. Julie, more outgoing than Lacy, gravitated to bartending. She loved teasing and laughing with the customers. Lacy enjoyed her job, but she was quieter.
“The band from Nashville will draw a crowd, too,” Lacy had said. “I can use the tips, and I bet you and Johnny could use the business.”
“That’s for sure. It’s been a slow month so far.” Julie had stopped washing glasses and put her elbows on the bar. “So have you two talked yet?”
Lacy tied a black apron around her waist. She knew Julie meant well, but she didn’t want to talk about George. Julie, and her husband Johnny, owned Misty Mountain, and George was Johnny’s brother. Even though she and Julie were good friends, she felt uncomfortable discussing George with her. Small towns bred familiarity—she knew that all too well.
Lacy shook her head. “It hasn’t come up.”
“It will. Especially if Becca ever finds out the two of you are dating.”
Becca, George’s ex-wife, still lived in Nashville, where the two of them had moved twelve years earlier. She knew Julie was right. Maybe it was time to just end it with George before it went any further. It was inevitable that Lacy would be left heartbroken when George came under pressure from Becca, if they kept dating.
“George is buying into the bar,” Julie had said as she poured the pitcher of beer. “Did he mention it to you?”
Lacy shook her head. George had moved back to Murphy after his divorce, but his son still lived with Becca in Nashville, four hours away. Last time they’d talked about it, he said he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He’d been handling the music end of the bar for a month, bringing bands in from all over the south for live music on the weekends. Maybe he’d decided to stay. He certainly didn’t need to tell Lacy about all his decisions.
“He sure has been bringing in some good music.” Lacy had said. “I guess he’s decided to stay in Murphy for a while.”
She’d been burned too many times in the past by men she fell for who hadn’t fallen for her in return, so she tried not to think about George’s sandy brown hair that fell softly over his collar or his brown eyes that sparkled whenever he talked about music and his passion for finding just the right sound. She didn’t think about his broad shoulders or the way he looked in his solid-colored flannel shirts rolled up halfway on his forearm. She most certainly didn’t think about those things or about the way he kissed her good night when he walked her to the door of her house. So far that was as far as the relationship had gone, and that was fine with her. She liked George and enjoyed spending time with him, but that was it. She didn’t need another relationship to turn out like the last one—with her boyfriend engaged to another woman.
“George has lots of connections back in Nashville,” Julie had continued, as she put wine glasses in the racks above her head. “It must have been awful with Becca for him to leave his career. He was making a name for himself as an agent, at least that’s what Johnny says. George doesn’t mention Nashville very much.”
“I can tell by the names of some of his clients that he was doing well. Sometimes when life gets difficult, it’s best to make it less complicated. So he came home to Murphy.” She headed to her first table of customers, anxious to stop talking about Julie’s brother-in-law.
George, six years older than Lacy, left Murphy for good after he graduated from college. He and Becca married a few months after George finished school in Atlanta. They left right after the wedding. Lacy knew why Becca wanted to leave Murphy. And Lacy approved, and only felt relief when she left. She vividly remembered Becca and her nastiness after the accident that killed Becca’s father and Lacy’s sister, but Lacy didn’t remember much about George. He faded into the background behind Becca’s monstrous personality.
When George returned home two months before for all the activities surrounding Johnny and Julie’s Christmas wedding, she noticed him immediately. He’d divorced Becca, and when he turned up in town, single and handsome, all the single women noticed him, too. When he entered Misty Mountain, the women didn’t hesitate to tell Lacy what they’d like to do with him. George was handsome, no doubt about it, but she wasn’t going to fall for his rugged good looks. When he’d asked her out his second week back in Murphy, she’d been surprised, but she agreed. Neither one of them were looking for anything serious, since both were coming off broken relationships. They’d been casually dating ever since, but they hadn’t discussed Lacy’s sister and her connection to Becca’s father. And Lacy had never met George’s nine-year-old son. Casual and easy—just what she needed.
Julie and she had stopped talking as people began to fill the bar. Lacy hadn’t had a chance to even think or stop moving, until she fallen on her rear end, sending chicken wings flying through the air. In the bathroom, she attempted to clean herself up so she could finish her shift with a little more dignity. She dabbed at her face and pressed towels against her backside, hoping to lessen the obvious beer stain. Fluffing her hair, she gave herself a pep talk so she could finish out the night. When she returned to the floor, the band played “Crazy” as a female singer with died black hair held the microphone close and channeled Patsy Cline to the stage of Misty Mountain. The song carried her back to the bar, where she almost ran into George when he turned around abruptly. He’d been talking to Julie at the wait station.
“Lacy, you clean up nicely,” he said. “How do you like the band?”
“They’re good. Julie, I need a pitcher of Bud and two shots of Yaeger.”
“I wish we could get together later, but I have Jed tonight—he has a long weekend off school so Becca met me halfway.”
“Where is he?” Lacy asked, looking around for an eight-year-old boy.
“I dropped him off at the Johnson’s to play with Gracie for an hour while I checked in down here. You know Nick’s mom loves kids.”
“I know, she’s adopted Gracie. I’m sure she’ll do the same with Jed.”
“Jed may be more of a challenge, I’m afraid.”
Lacy looked at him, waiting for him to explain. But instead he gave her shoulder a pat, and headed to the small office next to the bathrooms in the back.
Small towns bred their own soap operas. Brains not occupied in noble pursuits dipped into the depravity of the human condition. Lacy knew it very well. Nick Johnson had been her boyfriend up until four months ago. He said he wasn’t ready to commit. But then just two months after making that declaration, he asked Molly Parker to marry him. Molly had returned to Murphy in the fall with her ten-year-old daughter Gracie. And despite the engagement of Molly and Nick, Lacy chose to forgive them both. She and Molly had been childhood friends, and Lacy had fallen in love with Gracie. She didn’t believe in holding grudges, but she knew that placed her in the minority. She knew plenty of people still talked about her sister, and now they probably talked about her friendship with Molly and her relationship with George. She squared her shoulders while she waited for the drink order.
“Becca is a real bitch,” Julie said as she set two full shot glasses on the tray. “She called George at the last minute today and made him drive two hours to pick up Jed. Johnny and I both were happy when George left her. It’s just too bad Jed lives so far away. He needs his father. Wait until you meet him, and you’ll know what I mean.”
“I have a feeling Becca might not be too keen on me having anything to do with her son.”
Julie raised her eyebrows. “That’s why I’ve been telling you the two of you need to talk about it. Julie holds her father’s death against you, even though you didn’t have a damn thing to do with it.”
Lacy’s ‘elephant’ in the room, sat on her chest, suffocating her. The secret. The scandal. The shame.
“It’s been twelve years,” Lacy said, while Julie poured the pitcher. “Can’t she just move on?”
“You don’t know Becca,” Julie said. “She never forgets anything. She still remembers the first time Johnny brought me home for Thanksgiving dinner, and I refused to eat her pecan pie.”
“Aren’t you allergic to nuts?”
“Exactly. But try telling Becca that. She said I had offended her and her mother’s recipe.”
Lacy shook her head. Becca seemed to forget that the accident killed someone else besides her father. It also killed Angel, her sister. Angel—that’s what her mother named Angela and that’s how both of Lacy’s parents treated her, especially after her death. When the wheels of the town’s gossip truck began, the Schumacher family retreated into the cocoon of their mountain home.
Angel was Lacy’s elephant, the favored child of her parents, until that night, that awful night of revelations and death. The town didn’t give the Schumachers any room to mourn Angel’s death because as soon as news of the two riding in the car together on the road to Cherokee became public, the rumors of Richard Perry and Angel Schumacher’s affair began. Angel received the brunt of the scorn, while Mr. Perry became the victim. Becca, one year older than Angel, never forgave the Schumachers, who she loudly proclaimed raised a whore of a child.
Lacy spent her last years of high school taking online courses to graduate, living in a house devoid of any emotion or love, except for that devoted to the shrine of Angel set up in the bedroom next door to Lacy’s. But Lacy knew better. She heard the fight the night Angel left to meet her lover. Her parents had finally seen the Angel others had seen all along. But she still didn’t deserve to die, and she certainly didn’t deserve blame for the accident.
Julie set the pitcher down on the tray, and Lacy brought herself back to the present.
“George and I will talk, but not tonight. I’m praying it won’t even be an issue. After all, it’s not like we’re serious or anything.”
“Don’t count on Becca changing.” Julie grabbed Lacy’s hand. “And you don’t think George is serious about you? Have you seen the way he looks at you, the way he watches you as you wait on tables? George likes you. And I’m pretty sure you like him, too.”
“I do like him, but that doesn’t mean we’re getting serious about one another. I just want to have some fun.” Lacy turned away before tears developed and showed how much of a lie her words were. She stopped crying a long time ago, and she’d be damned if Becca Parker Cole would make her cry now. And she was even more determined that George not make her cry, either.
She had work to do, although she cringed when she saw Don and Kathy enter Misty Mountain. She sighed in relief when they took seats at the bar. Julie, as the owner of Misty Mountain, made more money than Lacy did, so Lacy felt comfortable with the most difficult of customers sitting in Julie’s section, not hers. Besides, Julie handled obnoxious easily. Not only were they obnoxious, they were lousy tippers. She even saw Don scoop up a tip on the table after Kathy had gotten up to leave one night. A real jerk.
“Hi, Lacy,” Kathy yelled out as she passed them on the way to a table. “We’re just having drinks tonight, or we would have sat in your section.”
Lacy smiled and went to wait on a new table. It’s not that Don and Kathy weren’t nice people. They were very involved in several projects around town, always generously giving both money and time to various fundraising projects. They’d even started the Bear’s Den, a nonprofit organization that raised money and did community service wherever needed. Don had been a pilot for Delta, and he never let anyone forget it. Kathy, a flight attendant until she married Don, never let anyone forget that, either. The two made for one condescending team. They also knew everything about everything. And if they didn’t, they changed the subject.
Lacy tried her best to accept everyone she met, but sometimes folks made it difficult. But at least for tonight, miserable in her beer-soaked jeans and tragic memories, she’d be spared their arrogance.
