Simon Duringer's Blog, page 18
March 1, 2015
The Word Volume 1 Remastered Book Teaser
Then I bumped into local musician Adam Digman BA (Hons) who offered to take my blandly produced background music to one of my promo videos and remaster it with sound and voice overs.
What a great job he did too! *GENIUS*.
Take a look and let me know what you think and if you are a bestselling author and/or know of one who needs a boost tell them to get in touch.
My award winning blog has to date had over 680,000 web hits and has hosted some of today's biggest names in modern literature...
But be warned these interviews are in the main about the author themselves and not their books,. It's challenging and has taken them right out of their genres and comfort zones... The results have been astounding. Their talents have shined through...
Check out the #booktease based upon those interviews then check out the website portfolio and blogs to see the talent that has passed on through.
Simon's 10 Q Interviews, probably the best interviews in the world!
http://www.simonduringer.com
All my books are free to Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited members.
http://youtu.be/wj_Wd_BxTeE
February 28, 2015
4 part video interview with Marianne Azizi
https://lnkd.in/diPUcyE
Marianne Azizi
My next guest to Room 42 is no stranger to this site… She first utilised the Self-Service Author Interview feature of Rambling On…
So impressed and shocked was I with the content of her debut book, a biography, describing the torment she endured over a period of eight years whilst attempting to have her husband released from the state of Israel, that we asked her back. The Skype conversation that followed was so compelling and shocking in its own right that we edited and published it prior to her main interview within Room 42.
So, who is this author and biographer? Let’s find out…
I am talking about Marianne Azizi
, a lady who is not easily intimidated by anybody, including governments! Her biography and debut novel Sour Milk and Stolen Honey
is based upon her journals kept over a period of 8 years as she attempted to have her husband released from a no exit order in the State of Israel.
This true account will shock, stun and bemuse its readers. Already with dozens of 5 Star Reviews, Sour Milk and Stolen Honey led a new hostage held under a similar court order to contact Marianne Azizi for assistance.
This is Marianne’s story about Sour Milk and Stolen Honey: One Woman’s battle to free her husband held hostage by Israel’s brutal family laws. It is an interview broken down into four parts;
Part 1 of 4 – The Book
Part 2 of 4 – The Reading
Part 3 of 4 – Simon’s 10 Q Interview
Part 4 of 4 – The future of Marianne Azizi and the plight of Hana Gan.
If you would like to know more about Marianne, why not visit her Amazon author pages at the following link(s);
US Readers/Listeners: Marianne Azizi Author Page
UK Readers/Listeners: Marianne Azizi Author Page
CA Readers/Listeners: Marianne Azizi Book Link to Sour Milk and Stolen Honey
Simon Duringer is both a Goodreads Indie author and Independent Interviewer. Simon’s most recent book is The Word: The Best of Simon’s 10Q Interviews
, featuring 28 equally interesting and exciting interviews, with some great names in the literary trade from both sides of the fence (Indie and Traditionally Published). It is available on Kindle
, Prime (#Free) and Paperback
. You can also buy The Word Volume II which is now available on Kindle using the following link – The Word Volume II Simon Duringer
.
Links to Simon’s Amazon Author Page are as follows;
UK Link – Simon Duringer Author Page
US Link – Simon Duringer Author Page
Simons 10 Q Interviews was a Finalist in the U.K. Blogging Awards 2014.
If you enjoy Simon’s 10 Q Interviews why not check out some of the previous interviewees from The Word – Volume 1. Volume 2
is also now available on Kindle from amazon.
February 27, 2015
A conversation with Author Marianne Azizi
Ladies and Gentlemen I suggest you have tissues at the ready, it's hard hitting!
http://simonduringer.com/?p=4326
A conversation with Marianne Azizi
Every country in the world appears to have its quirky laws, you know the ones…
Ridiculous EU laws that tell us for example; we can no longer buy a pint of shandy in a pub, instead we must order half a pint of lemonade, half a pint of lager and ask for an empty pint glass so that as the customer we can mix them ourselves… that kind of thing. There are hundreds of quirky and strange laws that most of us cannot understand. It’s although all MEP’s wake up from a bad acid trip and announce;
“We can no longer sell curved bananas or cucumbers, they must be grown in tubes in order they remain straight”
All the other MEP’s raise themselves to their feet, applaud wildly and suddenly, overnight, farmers are forced to grow fruit in tubes to adjust their natural shape…
Well, excuse the rhetoric I guess that’s all well and good they have to justify their enormous salaries somehow and as they don’t appear to have any real ideas, ones that affect us EU citizens in a life changing manner, instead they come up with the most preposterous ideas that make us all scratch our heads in disbelief! (and to think I am not politically minded…)
So, what of the more sinister side of things such as Human Rights, Civil Liberties and Domestic Abuse? What would the EU do if one of its own citizens effectively became hostage in a foreign yet allied country? It’s a thought provoking question…
I caught up with Marianne Azizi last week, author of the biography Sour Milk and Stolen Honey
, with a view to conducting a video interview this weekend for the blog. The conversation, which I had pencilled in to my diary for around 10 minutes, lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes! At the end of the Skype conversation I hung up and an icon instantly popped up onto my desktop to say “Call ended – Recording Complete”. Initially I was both embarrassed and horrified, I had no idea the Skype call was being recorded and neither, clearly, did Marianne Azizi.
Having agreed to the interview I thought I would listen back to the conversation and take some notes… It was only then that I realised that, in effect, an interview of sorts had just been carried out. I called Marianne back, apologised and explained what had happened. I went on to explain that, in my opinion it had been a stroke of good luck and duly informed her that I felt compelled to share parts of the conversation with the masses… She took the mistake well *phew* and duly gave me permission to share this piece with you all.
I managed to edit the piece down to 30 minutes, but I warn you it’s hard hitting, no holds barred and extremely revealing. It Marianne’s account of how a country has effectively destroyed her life, marriage and living. We shall still conduct the 10Q video interview tomorrow about her book Sour Milk and Stolen Honey. Perhaps we should call this a preview although it is rather long to be named as such and not only covers subject matter within her book, available in both paperback and Kindle, but also an incident of late regarding a pregnant Canadian citizen called Hana Gan and other abuses and corruption within said state…
I’ll say no more as you really should listen to this piece it’s an eye opener and for those with a weak disposition I suggest you get that box of tissues ready as, especially with the closing song, it’ll make the eyes water.
I would like to thank Marianne for allowing me to share this with you and come back soon as we will speak more in depth about Marianne’s book Sour Milk and Stolen Honey and what she has planned for the future in her video which will be recorded tomorrow and aired next week.
If you would like to know more about Marianne Azizi, then why not visit her Amazon Author Page using the following links;
US Readers; Marianne Azizi Author Page
UK Readers; Marianne Azizi Author Page
Simon Duringer is both a Goodreads Indie author and Independent Interviewer. Simon’s most recent book is The Word: The Best of Simon’s 10Q Interviews, featuring 28 equally interesting and exciting interviews, with some great names in the literary trade from both sides of the fence (Indie and Traditionally Published). It is available on Kindle, Prime (#Free) and Paperback. You can also buy The Word Volume II which is now available on Kindle using the following link – The Word Volume II Simon Duringer.
Links to Simon’s Amazon Author Page are as follows;
UK Link – Simon Duringer Author Page
US Link – Simon Duringer Author Page
Simons 10 Q Interviews was a Finalist in the U.K. Blogging Awards 2014.
If you enjoy Simon’s 10 Q Interviews why not check out some of the previous interviewees from The Word – Volume 1. Volume 2 is also now available on Kindle from amazon.
February 25, 2015
Room 42 - The Laura Taylor Preview
What I love about my past interviewees can be summed up by her charm, as not only do I get to establish great new, and lasting, friendships with those interviewees (and there have been over 65 since I started!) but many of the interviewees themselves have developed friendships between each other. So, whilst we are talking of love it is surely only fitting that my next victim *ahem* ermmm… interviewee should be one of the most respected romance writers in the US.
http://simonduringer.com/latest-news/...
Laura Taylor
Well… Here we are again at Room 42. Yet another author whose reputation survived a pounding during Simon’s 10 Q Interviews way back in October 2013. She’s not only a charmer having promised to dance a tango with me back then, but also a highly respected and incredible multi award winning and bestselling writer…
What I love about my past interviewees can be summed up by her charm, as not only do I get to establish great new, and lasting, friendships with those interviewees (and there have been over 65 since I started!) but many of the interviewees themselves have developed friendships between each other. So, whilst we are talking of love it is surely only fitting that my next victim *ahem* ermmm… interviewee should be one of the most respected romance writers in the US.
She surely requires no introduction, but take a guess anyway. Who is this lovely lady?
Of course I am speaking of the charming, demure, yet courageous and highly talented Laura Taylor. I shan’t bore you all with the long list of awards Laura has won during her career, if you wish to find that out it is already documented on this very website within the portfolio section, where you can find the original Simon’s 10QI with the fabulous Laura Taylor.
I must say knowing having known Laura for some time now, I knew she would not shy away from the challenge of Room 42. In fact, the challenge that lies ahead rests more on my shoulders to conjure up 10 questions worthy enough to make her think (or cringe!) questions that will take us in to new dimensions…
So, let’s leave it there for now as I have not got such a long time to get my thinking cap on and create the ultimate author challenge and remove this wonderful lady from her comfort zone. I can honestly say it is not that I am sore at not having received that dance yet, promised to me almost 18 months ago *ahem*, but here at Room 42 there is no discrimination between ladies and gentlemen, they all receive the same level of attention, with questions to expose or highlight their talents.
Fear doesn’t come often to this young(ish) gentleman, but I have a feeling this one will be a hard nut to crack… Let’s take a quick look at some of the work and reviews for the lovely Laura Taylor…
The Love at the Beach Boxed Set (Volume One) contains three full-length, stand-alone novels: SEDUCTION, SURRENDER, and SUBLIME.
Amazon US: LOVE AT THE BEACH Boxed Set (Volume One – 3 Full-Length Novels)
Amazon UK: LOVE AT THE BEACH Boxed Set (Volume One – 3 Full-Length Novels)
In SEDUCTION (Book #1 – Love at the Beach)
“Laura Taylor tugs at our heartstrings as a lovely translator, once betrayed under the worst possible circumstances, is seduced into love by a brilliant government consultant. A writer of powerful precision and tender perception, Ms. Taylor brings alive a veritable rainbow of emotions in an impressive piece of writing.” ROMANTIC TIMES BOOK REVIEWS
“Laura Taylor provides gripping romance in SURRENDER, an intense love story about a lovely crisis counselor whose life is saved by a handsome tycoon during a bank robbery. Readers will find this sensual romance quite moving.” ROMANTIC TIMES BOOK REVIEWS
“Laura Taylor goes right for the jugular in SUBLIME, and she delivers a potent injection of unadulterated passion. The clash that erupts when a contractor realizes he’s due to restore a home for his ex-sister-in-law is enough to raise the roof … the love that slowly evolves melts his heart.” ROMANTIC TIMES BOOK REVIEWS
Amazon US: MOMENT BY MOMENT
Amazon UK: MOMENT BY MOMENT
MOMENT BY MOMENT … “Laura Taylor explores the risks of love with sensitive precision. A chance meeting on a California beach between a soul-weary documentary filmmaker and a beautiful former cop leads first to friendship and then to something much deeper. But can these two people overcome bitter lessons of the past to build a lasting relationship? Ms. Taylor’s superb characterization and haunting ambiance will leave a lasting impression on your heart.” ROMANTIC TIMES Book Review
So readers, there you have it…don’t forget whilst you wait for Laura Taylor to enter Room 42 you can read the original Laura Taylor Interview. But bookmark this page as Laura’s new Q & A is bound to make you perspire with excitement! So, come back soon…
Simon Duringer is both a Goodreads Indie author and Independent Interviewer. Simon’s most recent book is The Word: The Best of Simon’s 10Q Interviews, featuring 28 equally interesting and exciting interviews, with some great names in the literary trade from both sides of the fence (Indie and Traditionally Published). It is available on Kindle, Prime (#Free) and Paperback. You can also buy The Word Volume II which is now available on Kindle using the following link – The Word Volume II Simon Duringer.
Links to Simon’s Amazon Author Page are as follows;
UK Link – Simon Duringer Author Page
US Link – Simon Duringer Author Page
Simons 10 Q Interviews was a Finalist in the U.K. Blogging Awards 2014.
If you enjoy Simon’s 10 Q Interviews why not check out some of the previous interviewees from The Word – Volume 1. Volume 2 is also now available on Kindle from amazon.
February 21, 2015
The X Factor
http://simonduringer.com/?p=4214
The X Factor
I suppose as writers we have our own form of X Factors in terms of the many competitions that take place each year for Bloggers and Authors alike. Clearly not financed on the scale of the musical X Factor that some of us are partial to watching on television each year but, nevertheless, a win is a win and/or even a place in the finals is a win in terms of helping one along with book sales and sponsorship for one’s endeavors, whether it be blogging or writing/promoting a new novel…
Well, today I converted somebody I thought would be unconvertable. Steadfast in his love for those unsigned musicians that plug away over the years and never make it to the big time, I took John Winstanley, a recent Simons 10QI Interviewee, as my guest to the popularised music X Factor Finalists music tour in Manchester.
John, previously an Indie music promoter, is also an author and has written the autobiography Unsigned Unscene
. The book, which is available in both paperback
and eBook form outlines his experiences in the world of music promotion and offers advice and inspiration to those attempting to enter the trade in a professional manner. It recently became a Waterstones Bestseller in the Preston store and looks set to go a long way as John is as good, if not better, at promoting his own work as the work of young musicians…
The reason for this post is that I just wanted to share that if one remains open to new experiences and change, it is amazing how one can be surprised by the results. I was initially dubious about taking John
along in fear he may slit his wrists rather than sit through such a show, but true to his great open mindedness and without duress he agreed to join me and take on board the experience.
The exact word he used I hope will not tarnish his good reputation in the indie world. As we left the Phones 4 U arena in Manchester he admitted to having been “overwhelmed” by the experience. I doubt he would ever have bought a ticket for such a show, yet having now been, his eyes have been opened to a new and different world of entertainment which he found thoroughly enjoyable. As a good friend and colleague in the world of literature I truly respect that and thoroughly enjoyed the show myself and indeed his great company. So I thought I would embed the memory by sharing some of the pictures I took during the show. They are not of the best quality taken via phone as opposed to the usual Canon EOS 600 (being my weapon of choice at such events). But nonetheless they are ok and should serve as a reminder that change and new experiences can be embraced and should not be feared…
Enjoy the gallery and have a great weekend one and all!
February 17, 2015
Grace Under Fire
http://simonduringer.com/latest-news/...
