Ingrid Hall's Blog, page 48

Book review: Maters Taters and Grits by B.S Johnson – Review by Carol Custer

 

 B.S. Johnson grew up in rural towns in Northern Georgia. She has an incredible love for animals, enjoys the outdoors, the water, and spending time with family.      Her works include a free e-Book available on Smashwords, “Being Kind In An Unkind World”, several poems and short stories published in Literary Magazines, “Maters, Taters & Grits”, which is a non-fiction, and a few others in the pipeline.

 REVIEW OF MATERS, TATERS & GRITS

 This charming little book is an easy-to-read look at southern living.  The author was adopted at age 11 months by “Yankees” but she was raised in the South and adopted all the southern ways.  The preface of the book gives a little background on the author, but in reality, it is part of the book itself as it continues.

 As the book begins with Life in the South, she tells about traits of kindness to strangers, devotion to family, and multiple pets.  In fact, the main themes of southern living seem to be food, family, and friendliness. I grew up in the Midwest, but I can relate to many of the things the author attributes to southerners.  I do know the difference, though.  I spent a week in Birmingham, Alabama a few years ago and was utterly charmed (there’s that word again, but nothing else will do!) by the people.  Everywhere we went, we saw smiling faces and people who were eager to show off their southern friendliness.  In one instance, we were trying to find an antebellum house/museum and got lost.  I was supposed to be the navigator so called the place and talked to someone there.  I explained to the man on the phone where we were and he said “bless your heart” which, I guess, was a nice way of saying we must be idiots to have gotten so lost.  He gave me directions and when we got there, before I could say a word, he looked at the three of us and pointed to me.  “Y’all the navigator I talked to, right?”  I was surprised and asked him how he knew.  “Y’all the blonde” was his reply.

 The book has intriguing chapter headings that keep the reader interested.  Muffins, Bonfires & Whatnot, Redneck vs. Country, Southern Drawl, etc.  Evidently, being called Redneck is a matter of pride and different regions of the south have different drawls.  Bonfires are a big thing as are mud runs.  I knew about bonfires but never heard of the mud runs. Doesn’t sound enticing to me!

 One theme that runs throughout the book is food, food, and more food.  Southerners are famous for their food – and rightfully so.  From fried chicken and cornbread to fried tomatoes and sweet tea, the southerners love their food. The chapter of Country Sayings surprised me because many of the sayings are true to the Midwest as well as the South. The book continues with chapters on Southern Hospitality, craft shows, and – of course – more food.

 This is a fun little book for anyone from the south – - or visiting the south – - or just wanting to know more about the south!

You can check out B.S Johnson’s other book Being Kind In An Unkind World on Smashwords.com.

She also has a Facebook page at http://facebook.com/b.sjohnson12

Bio of Carol Custer

I grew up in the Midwest but have lived most of my adult life in Southern California with my husband.  Five years ago, we adopted a Maine Coon cat from the local shelter, named him Mr. Muffin, and he quickly became the center of our universe!  My hobbies are watercolor painting, photography, music (just listening – no talent myself), and reading, reading, reading!

Checking in…

Hi everyone

WOW! My life is totally hectic at the moment and I have had to take a few minutes of sane time out to try and figure just how on earth I am going to fit everything in.  Thankfully, I think I am getting there!

First and foremost I am aware that we have quite back log of FULL REVIEWS and the waiting time is quite long (especially if you are unlucky enough to be on my list!) I am doing my utmost to address this and I am pleased to announce that CAROL CUSTER will be joining our reviewing team.  A couple of other people have also expressed interest so hopefully over time we can grow the team and reduce the waiting time for reviews.  I am ALWAYS looking for people to review books.  You don’t have to be a writer.  A love of reading and an ability to write in clear, concise English will suffice.  I am going to be also introducing a reward scheme for our full book reviewers and will create a page which will be constantly visible on the blog highlighting this…email Ingrid@grannyirene.com if you are interested!

I also want to see the FLASH REVIEWS continue, however in order to do this I need authors who are willing to put their books up to be flash reviewed! You can find further details as well as info on the giveaway associated with it by clicking here.  I have removed the condition where you have to review a book in return in order to be eligible as I do have several people ready, willing and waiting to do these light reviews.   Jane McBride has submitted an excellent new flash review of Granny Irene and I will be posting this as soon as I get a chance.

A reminder regarding the author interviews: These will be replaced mid October by character interviews.  Thank you to those of you who have expressed an interest in this exciting new format, I haven’t forgotten you, I will send you the questions that you need (hopefully by this weekend) Anyone else looking to book a character interview, please contact me via the contact form or email Ingrid@grannyirene.com

I have managed to do quite a lot of work on the Tunnel of Love over the past seven days and want to keep plugging away at this first draft and I also have plans for a “How to Book” which has worked it’s way into my mind demanding to be written so I will be doing this in whatever spare time I have with a view to releasing both books end of 2013/start of 2014.   Beyond that there is the second part of Granny Irene’s Guide to the Afterlife Revenge and the first Luna Ballantyne novel, both of which I hope to release next year.

In terms of the next few days I will definitely be posting a review of For the Love of Spirit – A Medium Memoir by Liz Winter so watch this space…

LOVE INGRID xxx

Interview with Harriet O’Reilly

Afternoon to you Harriet on this somewhat damp but sunny Sunday afternoon. I am keen as I am sure my readership is to find out more about you… 

Hi Ingrid, well, my name is Harriet O’Reilly and although I was born in London I spent most of my childhood in the north of England. I work in the health profession and write in my spare time. I have two children, who bring me great joy.

What genre is your work Harriet and do you have any plans to step outside of it?

Whilst I have enjoyed writing the first of my memoirs (I have another two books to go) I also write short stories for children. These are unpublished as yet, but I aim to get them on Amazon soon.

I would love to write my own memoirs but I am not sure that the world could cope! Tell me, what inspired you to write your first book?

I have worked for many years now and met people who have had very difficult and challenging experiences throughout their life. I was inspired by a genuine desire to share my story in the belief that a positive outlook can change your life – your inner world really does affect your outer world. I knew from a very early age that I would write and recall struggling to ‘write’ as soon as I was able to hold a pencil.

Do you have a structure to your writing?

I have to have a structure to writing because I tend to work long hours. I usually set out a bullet point plan – literally beginning, middle and end and then develop it stage by stage. I find it really helps the inspiration to flow. I set myself an easy goal of 100 words or more each day. This may sound too easy a target, but I know that no matter how tired I am, I will achieve it. Usually, once I start writing, I hit 1000+ words effortlessly, but there is no pressure on me to do so. We can tend to set ourselves goals that in our everyday working life are  not achievable, purely due to lack of time. This can have the effect of making us feel a failure before we even get started.

That is a very sensible plan and I think that by at least setting yourself a small target each day you will actually write whereas if you were setting yourself a higher goal you might easily be distracted and put off.  I found with Granny Irene I wrote vast amounts at a time but with the Tunnel of Love which I am currently working on I am writing in smaller quantities (because it is much more intense and I want to make sure that the imagery that I use is spot on) Left or right and why?

I am ambidextrous and found this quite useful at times, particularly if I had a lot to write. Swapping hands with ease is wonderful should cramp set in!

Do you have an opinion on life after death and if so what?

As you will see in my book, I had many past life recollections and I am sure that once my journey in this lifetime is complete, I will start another one. I am very fortunate in that I have a good memory. As I get older, like everyone else, I tend to forget silly things, but I have very clear recollections which my late father placed at 6 months old.

I am REALLY looking forward to reading and reviewing your book.  It is on my list and I will get to it as soon as I can.  Where do you want to be in five years time?

In five years’ time, I would like to be writing full time, inspiring people, giving confidence and a self-belief that we are all special and part of a wonderful Universe. I would hope that my books are free or extremely cheap, making them accessible to those on low income or no income. I believe that we decide our life journey before birth and have such admiration for those who choose what seems to be a very challenging path. My own life, compared to some, has been relatively easy and I believe the lessons I have learned can help others overcome their self-doubt and insecurities.

That is very noble of you Harriet, but remember, everyone has a right to earn a living and make sure you don’t sell yourself short by giving too much of yourself away for free…Look the World in the Eye is available by clicking the following link.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Look-World-Eye-ebook/dp/B00ANE7A6U

Book Review: Hoodoo Folk Magic by Rachel Patterson

A review by Lenora

Rachel Patterson, also known as Tansy Firedragon,  is an experienced witch and a Wiccan High Priestess.  Rachel was lucky enough to study with the highly respected Janet Farrer and Gavin Bone on their Progressive Magic Course.  She is also familiar with Shamanism, hoodoo and tarot and many other pathways; she has links to the Order of Bards and Druids.  She is also the founder of the Kitchen Witch Online School of Witchery.

Hoodooo is due to be published by Moon Books.  It will be published on 30 August 2013.

Hoodoo Folk Magic by Rachel Patterson

This book is a concise guide to practical hoodoo.  Coming in at under 100 pages it contains a brief introduction to the historical origins of Hoodoo (African-American Folk-magic and root work, as distinct from the religious practice of Voodoo).  The book contains well-defined sections on all of the main topics including types of root work:  laying tricks and jinxes; spiritual washes; candle magic etc.  The book also provides a plethora of useful recipes for powders, washes and conjure oils including some new, and some old, such as the wonderfully named Bend Over Oil (it’s not what you think – it is intended to bend another to your will….oh well on second thoughts..I suppose actually it could be for that too…). It also provides a brief introduction to various relevant deities and spirits, glossary of terms and some useful sources for further study.

I know very little about Hoodoo,other than what I have picked up from a variety of cheesy horror films, so I was very curious to find out more about this subject.  As it happened I found the subject explained in a fascinating and straightforward manner.  I was intrigued by the similarities and dissimilarities with European Witchcraft and the incorporation of elements of Christianity.  One of the aspects that I found undeniably enticing but also a bit scary related to the dark side of Hoodoo practice.  Patterson is a witch of many years standing and as such is clearly aware of the ‘And it harm none’ philosophy of modern witchcraft.  However, hoodoo does not appear to have such caveats – and Patterson fully acknowledges this and gleefully delves into its dark side.

Although she does warn that if you use magic for harm you are likely to receive harm in return this is not overly stressed in the book, and I think that possibly the Hoodoo philosophy here isn’t so much  ‘Do what thou wilt, an it harm none’ but ‘Do what thou wilt – but don’t get caught!’.   After one particular section on laying tricks on an enemy I had an admittedly hilarious but worrying image of some over-keen Hoodoo newbie lobbing a bottle full of coffin nails, graveyard dirt and bodily fluids at the porch of some unfortunate neighbour and ending up with an Asbo!

Nevertheless, Hoodoo is not all about laying jinxes on your mortal enemies (tempting as that might be) it is primarily about positive and beneficial magic designed to improve your life, and although not a religion in itself, does form part of the practices of many religions such as Haitian Vodou, Cuban Santeria and West African Yoruba and as such should be given due respect.

I very much enjoyed this book, and probably will try some of the recipes for incense and washes – although will probably steer clear of jinxing anyone!  As a keen history geek I would have loved a bit more on the history of the this tradition and the deities involved, but as the aim of the book is to present a practical guide for hoodoo practitioners history clearly wasn’t its primary focus.  Patterson did however provide some fascinating biographies of some of the famous names associated with Hoodoo, such as Doctor John and Marie Laveau – I will definitely be doing some further reading on these intriguing characters.

Patterson presents a very individual interpretation of Hoodoo for the modern, possibly urban practitioner, an audience possibly with other Craft experience but who has not necessarily been raised within the traditions of hoodoo.  As such it is not pure ‘traditional’ hoodoo – and some may object to this.  Importantly Patterson is strongly against the sacrifice of animals for rituals or spells (here here!) but does suggest some harmless and innovative solutions to this aspect of the practice.

I would say that this book’s ideal audience of potential practitioners might be those who already have some expertise in their current field of magic – some of the practices might be a bit ’strong’ for newbies – and after all as the author points out no magical practice should be undertaken lightly and without proper precautions.  All in all though it was an entertaining and informative book about a very misunderstood and maligned area of magical practice.

Hoodooo Folk Magic by Rachel Patterson is due to be published by Moon Books  on 30 August 2013.

Pagan Portals – Hoodoo: Folk Magic

MORE Flash reviews: Here Comes Trouble by Jane McBride and Never the Dawn by Grey Wolf

Afternoon everyone

Well, I have just put in my first shift at work today and I am feeling FRAZZLED.  Before I settle down and unwind for a bit I just wanted to post two more great FLASH reviews by our Flash Reviewers June Starrs and Deborah Davidson.  We URGENTLY need titles to flash review and in case you missed my posts earlier in the week these are reviews of the first 1000-2000 words of an authors work and the aim is to give a taster of what is on offer and there is a fab giveaway to go alongside it  You can find full details here.   You can also check out the full review of A Little Hair of the Dog by Jane McBride which Lenora did a while back here as well as my interview with her here.

We are still doing FULL book reviews so please submit those to us in the usual way and Lenora and I will both be posting reviews this weekend.

Here Comes Trouble by Jane McBride - Flash Review by June Starrs

Immediately in the opening scene you are wondering what will happen next.  Three characters are fastly introduced with other characters being mentioned as the story unfolds. Speaking in the first person to the reader is mum, who appears to be the main character in the story. She has something to say, that her husband thinks will make him mad.

Aunt Leona has had a fall.

Why would this make him mad, he fails to see, until his mouth drops with the prospect of his wife (narrator) going to stay with Aunt Leona and

take the baby for six weeks or better still, might she move in with them for weeks? All he can say is, “Ow! Nah-ah-ah, no, no. She ain’t comin’ here to stay, is she?” In that moment he is also reminded that Aunt Gertrude and relief driver Penelope Hogwalker will be arriving tomorrow. He felt exasperated and groaned. Also realising that she will be staying right up to Thanks Giving, which is not for a further six weeks. Where on that celebration there will be all the mix of family and friends, who he feels will not get on too well, far from it.

Jane has set the scene which will be filled with chaos I`m sure. – What a day that will be Jane. Chaos has already started. Not to mention the Great Dane, who seems to like to be in on the action.

June Starrs

www.facebook.com/junestarrs.writer

http://twitter.com/JuneStarrs

www.goodreads.com/JuneStarrs

NEVER THE DAWN BY GREY WOLF – FLASH REVIEW BY DEBORAH DAVIDSON

Finding myself on a huge ship of some kind, a flying vessel unlike any I have been on before. Surrounded by an entourage including the ships captain who seems to be very experienced and lands the vessel very easily with the help of his able crew.  It seems they have come to visit the fabled city of Timbuktu but for what reason I’m not yet sure although it doesn’t seem like the Imperial Prince on board is very excited about meeting with his cousin Duke Gunther Luis Leander and would rather have the company of others.

It would seem that the Duke has other worries, besides the visit of his cousin, on his mind and things are not as they would seem perhaps in Timbuktu as they reports of patrols being annihilated are reaching his ears. Where are these patrols being lost and why are they not being found for days and sometimes weeks afterwards? Also why are these two relatives not overly thrilled at their reunion.

Many undertones can be found here and have made for an interesting and enticing adventure that seems about to unfold.

Grey Wolf can be found at http://www.alternate-history-fiction.com/

Interview with Ellie Williams

Ellie hon, you were one of the first authors to show me some support when I first published Granny Irene earlier in the year and even though I don’t get a chance to catch up with you as often as I would like, my thoughts are frequently with you… but for those folks who have yet to discover you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Umm, Hey Ingrid, well I’m the Author of the A Broken Paradise Series. Two books of my A Broken Paradise Series is already out there, book one Chasing Fears and The Alliance book two, Book three I hope for early next year release. I have a few things this year I am aiming to accomplish such as the beginning of yet another Series called The Guardian Deity which I have co-written with my fellow ELKAT and Author; Katie Mayo Jackson.

I am also coming to the completed stage of another project I have been writing with my mum, Sylvia Williams called, ‘The Reapers’, hoping for summer 2013 release alongside The Guardian Deity book one.

Ellie you are an INSPIRATION…So I am guessing writing is not your full time career then? 

I like to look at my writing as more of a ‘dream come true’ rather than a job or career. Yeah anyone can write but I look at this more like something I love to do, and not everyone can say they love what they do. I don’t look at it as a job or career, I have aspiration for a lot of things, writing just happened to be one of them and I just happened to be pretty good at it (so I’m told!) and so it happens I plan to stick with it for a while longer.

I haven’t had a chance to read any of your books yet Ellie although they are definitely on my to buy list! I think it’s difficult for most indie authors to call writing their sole “career” It is a passion.  It is what we would all love to be doing exclusively full time but we have to put food on the table…We have to make sacrifices…Spill the beans, w hat is the worst job that you have ever done, and why?

I’ve been pretty lucky in the job compartment Lol I can’t say really that any of them were bad or worse because you always lay it down to experience or rather I do.

I’m pretty flexible and I adapt to any working conditions but I’ve always been a writer, and being that, these jobs I undertook gave me the interest in people. People are fascinating to say the least and all of my past jobs have given me the opportunity to observe that fact, even up closely.

But….if I had to say one it was probably being a stewardess on Condor Ferries. Fantastic job though.

I enjoyed the sea, the learning and the experience, but certain people you will find in jobs like that are arrogant and childish, over confidant, selfish and conceited. It is the head in hot spots such as the ‘tourism business’ where you will experience almost every personality of every human being and it will test your integrity and your patience.

Daily I experienced quite an outlandish perspective and learned a lot about myself in the process, I learned in this job what the saying ‘dog eat dog’ means. It taught me a lot.

But if it weren’t my cabin crew playing the part of ‘arrogance and childishness’ it was more than likely coming across someone else onboard, a passenger, who thought very highly of themselves and very little of you, sometimes (back then) that could have got very disheartening. In that job I found that maybe it didn’t matter who or how many people you had around you you were alone, no one really had your back and no one really cared. That wasn’t everyone I must stress that because I had a couple of people on my cabin crew who I loved dearly but many of them were just out for themselves and it felt like high-school all over again.

Sounds like an experience!!!  If you could have written any other book by any other author, what would it be, and why?

Whoa! Okay, what Book and Author….The lord of the rings by J.R.R Tolkien.

I am a major fan of the rings and of course the hobbit, what an ingenious piece of work. Being a fantasy fiction author myself it’s totally something I would do, unfortunately I’m like 76 years too late on writing it like (Lol) but I would have loved to have been known for such a masterpiece and for it to get into movie like it has also, dream come true for sure.   

How would you think your parents would describe your book? Does this differ from how you would describe it?

Nah not really.

My mams been a big supporter of my work and was one of the two who actually got to read it before I published it, she’s got it down from the P to the T.

Mam’s read two versions of Chasing Fears and when it was, back in 1994, ‘This Way to Paradise’ she helped me a lot with writing it as I was very young at the time.

My Dad actually doesn’t know what it’s really about Lol he’s just proud no matter what it is.

What Genre is your work – Do you have any plans to work outside of it?

Contemporary fiction, fantasy, biblical, paranormal, etc…

Those are so of the many Genres you could put it into; I’ve covered most bases as I wanted to reach out to more people.

I have already begun a few other projects;

The Guardian Deity; I would say was fantasy fiction, supernatural, myths & legends, love & passion.

The Reapers; is another supernatural but it’s a comedy feel-good. Learning retribution, discovering revelation, gaining a better resistance and changing for the better, so much went into this one as well like.

They all sound AMAZING!!  What inspired you to write your first book?

I began A Broken Paradise when I was at school. It was an exam paper that I just couldn’t part with. When I recreated Awen and Will (main characters in my story line) they were just normal lovers stranded on a beach, but it wasn’t just and normal beach, it was enchanted and cursed. My exam submission was only as 100 pages long then but I felt I was going somewhere with Awen and Will; so I continued it and 20 years later here is how far they have come. 

I love the idea of that! Unfortunately all of the stuff I wrote years ago is fit for nothing but the recycling bin.  I would be mortified if any of that every saw light of day!!  Do you ever get ideas at random moments, and if so how do you hang onto them?

Oh lord yes; sometimes it can be at the worst moments of time for sure.

Supermarkets, bus, train, car, over a friend’s house, I was out with friends one night and I had this major break-through, one that annoyed me for weeks and then suddenly came to me in the middle of Retros in Cardiff, I swear peed off wasn’t the word I would use.

It’s mainly though when I’m trying to sleep and I’m sure many writers get these themselves because I know a few whom have said the same; you just can’t switch off sometimes.

I tend to carry my journal sized note book with me or I have my iPhone, both of them have been life-savers in the past. And email, sometimes I’ll email myself something if I can’t wait to find something to write with.

I used to fool myself as well, tell myself ah I won’t remember it anyway and no sooner do I say it does it annoy the hell out of me until I write it down Lol but I don’t forget it!

Yeah, I have that problem with sleep.  Sometimes my head is just so full of different thoughts and it gets really frustrating because I end up tossing and turning all night and then can barely function come the morning!  Drives my poor husband insane too! Which was your favourite character to write, and why?

Of course it has to be Awen & Casius.

Awen was derived from Casius’ DNA so in a certain truth they are of the same. But the complication is you can’t really say that either because Casius is cruel bitter or twisted, Awen is the opposite of her but Awen is capable of much worse if Casius was left to take control of Awen.

The complexity of both these two characters is if I were to describe it I’d say I literally had to put myself, not just my mind, into the thought of both of them and that’s like being in the mind of someone as bad as Hitler but someone as gentle as Gandhi; you see how complex that is.

The story lines can go anywhere when these two are around and that’s what made them both so exciting to write, because not even I knew at the time where things were going, it was like they were telling me. Sounds crazy but who says writing and creating fictional worlds, characters, conversations and life is a job for the sane!

I couldn’t agree more! My husband says I am definitely a contender for the asylum because I am always either talking to myself or talking back to the voices in my head…They are all characters obviously, but anyone who didn’t know me could easily be fooled into thinking I was mad!

Do you read for pleasure or out of habit?

Pleasure but I don’t always read.

It is nice to get away once in a while from your own work, to gain some form of reality.

But other books are also cool because you get to live in the life of someone else, even if it is for a couple of chapters because you say goodbye.

What are you reading at the moment, and why?

My Fiancé lent me ‘Good Omens’ by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman to read. He recommended it and as I expected it’s the type of things I read. I love Terry Pratchett anyway so it’s a no brainer.

Meat eater or vegetarian?

I’m a fussy eater at the best of time, I don’t eat a lot of meat, I have careful selections but other times I might, so I guess neither!

What is your favourite movie and why?

Don’t really have one, I have a few Lol

Love the Lord of the Rings

Star Wars

Star Trek

Twelve Monkeys

Lock Stock and Snatch

Avatar – Cameron

Harry Potter

Twilight Saga ….Loads Lol

Yes, I can see that you have difficulty narrowing it down!!! Moving on to a subject close to my own heart… Do you have an opinion on life after death, and if so what?

I have twisted faith.

I’m open minded to all matters of religion and beliefs even though I have none of my own. It’s pretty weird I know since my book series (A Broken Paradise) is a biblical affiliation, like a bible, a journal of the descendants of JC himself ya know?! But I love the concept that there is something after death, why not? Maybe the idea is you live on regardless of your physical entity. I mean how do you explain ghosts? I know skeptics would rely on an anecdotal evidence before ever considering things such as the afterlife or ghosts/ spirits, but there has to be something more than just a ‘naturalistic explanation’.

I have had personal experience in some form or another with ‘near death’. I accidentally hung myself, I was 11. I was making a slip-knot swing for a tree-house me and my cousins were working on for the summer at the back of their house. The branch I was standing on snapped and I fell almost 30 foot before the rope clearly found itself around my neck.

All I remember was the back of my eyelids and bright light coming through, a voice that I never knew and a face. The face was as close as if you were standing in front of someone; he was that close to me. He was kind and smiled a lot, he was taller than me so sometimes looking at him was hard because my neck hurt and the bright light from in front of my eyelids was too much to focus on.

Anyway to cut a long story short, when my cousin screamed to me and tried freeing me from the rope the man in my vision spoke to me, told me it wasn’t my time, that my mam would be lost without me, I had lots to do before it was my time. I didn’t answer but the next thing I knew I was sitting on the ground with my cousin behind me holding me up, asking me if I was alright? I clearly wasn’t, my neck was a great mess from the rope, my head was fuzzy and hurt; I was in hell of a mess to say the least.

Afterwards I tried to tell my mam through my then broken voice, about the man I saw and it turned out it was my grandfather whom I’d never met. He died when my mam was 16 of a heart attack. She showed me a photo and it was him, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’ve always thought that he must have been watching out for me, no matter the logic and reality of the afterlife, the concept is one I would love to be true.

Ellie, what a terrifying but strangely uplifting experience. You should write a book purely based around that! 

London, Paris or New York and why?

            New York:  Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.   

What do you have in the pipeline?

            This year alone my pipeline is well and truly flowing towards 4 complete books, moving house & marriage.

That is one hectic schedule!!!  What inspired you to be a writer?

            Nothing per-se, I’ve always had aspirations to do something along the lines of entertainment, this was on the list. It was more suitable for my life style as well, a lot easier than trying acting or singing.         

  Do you write poetry or short stories as well? If so what?

Yes I’ve done a lot of poetry and short stories, none published of course but I do dabble.

  How do you overcome writers block?

            I very rarely get writers block, I dont run out of ideas. I get mental block though ha-ha! Sometimes, and I’m sure you get this too, but I need a break, to gather reality like and chill; have some down time.

Yeah, everyone gets that at times and I am very like you in the sense that I always seem to have a factory full of ideas at one given time…So ideas are not an issue for me, sometimes, if anything it’s tiredness and exhaustion.  Where would you like to be in 5 year time?

            I already have a five year plan.

            I plan to be working or in the process of releasing my last and final book of my A Broken Paradise Series.    Also on the agenda of A Broken Paradise Series I hope for it to have gone as far as Hollywood by then. Submitting it in the New Year, it would be awesome if it was accepted.    I hope to have a few more projects of mine out there, my aim for at least 7 or 8 more books (not including A Broken Paradise Series) to have been released and out there.

Hope to have accomplished a screen write or theatre play by then, it’s a goal of mine.

That is one ambitious plan!  If I achieve even half of that in the next five years I will be more than happy!   

                          

http://www.facebook.com/EllieWillz1983  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6576504.Ellie_Williams

Flash Review of Granny Irene’s Guide to the Afterlife – Revenge Part 1 by Ingrid Hall – Review by Grey Wolf

I am amazed and humbled by this flash review by Grey Wolf…

Well eek! And well-written film noir eek at that, with a hint of Terry Pratchett for the point of view! Before I go any further, let me just say that I have never reviewed the 1000-word start to a novella before, without reading the whole thing, so this feels very much like reviewing the first chapter of a story – which it is, of course!

Granny Irene’s Guide to the Afterlife Revenge Part 1 has the first-person perspective of the rather late Granny Irene, in a world where being dead is not a hazard to seeing, thinking or being involved, though apparently it skews the viewpoint enough that its not easy to know if what is seen, indeed experienced, is dream, premonition or what is really happening. One supposes being dead does have some drawbacks!

Taking the point of view as given, this opens nicely with Chloe, our one-step-removed protagonist standing on the hard shoulder of a motorway, looking uncertain, bedraggled and very protective of a rucksack. We learn a little about her, or about how she is supposed to be, how she had some recent difficulty, and join in the late Granny’s wondering of whether this is a resumption of that, or whether something truly terrible has happened.

Add in the dream imagery of the Angel of the North, not just a statue but a sentient, and very annoyed, being, and we are as unsure as Granny is whether we are looking at what is happening now, or if this is an interpretation of reality, an interpretation that clearly has nothing good about it, and thus a reality which needs looking into urgently, for Chloe’s sake.

The tension builds nicely, and we lose our confusion as to whether this is dream or really happening, not by getting an answer, but by ignoring it, along with Granny. The moment is all, and we hold our breaths as we see the white van pull up. White vans are not usually the harbingers of hope, love and the promise of good things, even if they might only be the promise of a lift. Or is it more? Does Chloe care? And what has she got in that bag?

Why doesn’t she want to go to the toilet? OK, that seems an odd question! But if someone told me up in the far North that they would not be stopping again until they reached London, it would certainly cross my mind to go “just in case”. Maybe she is dehydrated, certainly she is exhausted, and perhaps she fears he will drive off without her (for all that the reader might be hoping he does!). Or perhaps it is the rucksack, and its mysterious contents? And of course, perhaps it is because this is only a dream, and there is no time in this dream for toilet breaks?

Needless to say, Granny gets the rucksack open – whether by telekinesis, telepathy, a disembodied arm, or just because it is a dream and one can influence things in dreams on a minor scale. Chloe is worried that the bag is open, and like anyone with a precious cargo cannot resist a peek at it to make sure it is still there. It is – and needless to say, it is not a winning Lottery Ticket in the bag. It is…eek!

Granny Irene’s Guide to the Afterlife Revenge Part 1 is available from Amazon on Kindle and Paperback. If you fancy reading something totally different then please give it a go!

You can find Grey Wolf at

http://www.alternate-history-fiction.com/reviews-of-books.html

Just to let you my interview with the lovely Ellie Williams will be coming up tomorrow along with some more flash reviews.  Lenora and I will also be posting some FULL book reviews by the weekend…

Flash review of Here comes trouble by Jane McBride – Review by Deborah Davidson

Evening everyone!

I am really pleased how some of you have totally embraced the all new FLASH REVIEWS (Reviews of the first 1000-2000 words of a novel) Maybe it’s the allure of a giveaway: The chance to win free books, or maybe it’s the thrill of doing something new.  Whatever, I hope you all keep them coming!!!

For those of you who haven’t got involved yet then it’s not too late.  I am looking for readers to read and review as well as books to be flash reviewed. If you have already submitted your book for a FULL REVIEW you can still have a FLASH REVIEW on top (Simply contact me) and I am going to remove the condition that in order to be reviewed you have to review.  Indie authors who want to submit their work for consideration but don’t have time to do any reviews in return are still welcome to get in touch as I do have people eager and willing to do these short reviews. However you will only be eligible to receive the free book in the giveaway if you actually do a review in return. For more details click here.

REVIEW OF HERE COMES TROUBLE BY JANE McBRIDE – REVIEW BY DEBORAH DAVIDSON

WOW I feel like I just walked in, unnoticed, to a battle in the making. It seems plans have been made that are going to throw a wrench into the next few weeks and then into the Thanksgiving dinner.

The guests at the dinner are a pretty varied bunch and one of those that will be attending has a tendancy to say some pretty off the wall and at times racist things and with a mixed crowd around this table its going to be something to behold.

I only wish I could be a fly on the wall to watch this all unfold!.

I’m hooked and can’t wait to see this all play out.

DEBORAH DAVIDSON

NOTE: I have used an image of one of Jane’s other books as I couldn’t find an image for this title.

LOVE INGRID xxx

Celebrating all things WTF…

Hi

This might seem like a rather bizarre post.  In fact I am sure it is going to be however I have just had an email from a lovely author who is going through the mixer because some cretins are giving him stick because of what he writes.   This guy is funny, he is original, he writes to a high standard however his “problem” is that he writes from an alternative point of view and he is being slated.

Why???? WTF????

I am riled on his behalf. Riled enough to write this post. Why? Because I also write from an alternative view point.  A different perspective.  I don’t see the world like “normal” people see it.  I see it the way “I” see it and I too have come under fire (even from close friends) for my unorthodox style.

I understand that as indie authors we have a duty to make sure that our books are as grammatically correct as it is possible to make them.  I understand that they need to be presented and laid out in the same way as traditionally published books if we are to stand a chance of “making it.”   I understand this and I will gladly walk over burning coals to make this happen.

Does that mean that I will sacrifice who I am? Will I allow myself to be pigeonholed or content myself with churning out chick lit or stuff that “normal” people might buy?  Will I stamp on the ghostly voices that whisper to me in the middle of the night or suppress my creativity, my individuality: Who I am?  No. Absolutely not.  Not for one second will I do that.

I will write the books that I want to write.  I will bring to life those characters which will just not lie down and die. I will be me and sod what everyone else thinks.

So this is my WTF post.   My call to action, my show of solidarity for all those creatives that don’t fit into the conventional, one size fits all box.

Dare to live your dreams and be happy…and above all else WTF…

Interview with Josh Rader

It’s good to meet you finally Josh, tell us something we didn’t know about you…

I was born in Leavenworth, Kansas. I graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s of General Studies in Communication.

So, is writing your full time career?

No. I work for a publishing company.

Perfect job for an aspiring writer. I think I will have to get you to share some tips with us!!! What is the worst job that you have ever done, and why?

I worked for a mailing company and it wasn’t for me.

Yeah, I guess that could get kind of BORING. How would you think your parents would describe your book? Does this differ from how you would describe it?

I really never have asked my parents about my book. But I think seem to be proud of my book and my small accomplishments that I have had with it.

Ah, so modest! What Genre is your work – Do you have any plans to work outside of it?

My Genre is Children Picture Books. I don’t have any plans working outside of it. I really enjoy writing children books. I like creating the mystery and creating clues to solve the mystery.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I wrote it for a Children’s literature class for college. My teacher thought I should have it published. I published it a few years later after college.

Do you have a structure when you are writing, and if so what?

I write the story by just writing the dialogue first. Once I find an illustrator, I describe to them the idea of the pictures to help them create the pictures.

That’s definitely an interesting way of doing it and I would be curious to find out if other writers of children’s books work in the same way.  I can’t imagine that working for any other kind of fiction…Which was your favourite character to write, and why?

Currently the only real character I have written about is Detective Stephy Wephy Holmes. She is my only main character so she would be my favourite character. She is witty and finds the clues to solve the mysteries.

I LOVE the fact that she is Stephy WEPHY rather than just Stephy… I know it is currently on our list pending review and Lenora will have a field day with this particular character if she gets her hands on it before anyone else…What are you reading at the moment, and why?

I am reading the Chet and Bernie Mystery series. It’s a mystery series told from the point of view of the dog Chet. Bernie is a private investigator and he and Chet solve mysteries. 

I am guessing you are doing that so that you can keep an eye on the market place…Left or right and why?

If you’re talking about left handed or right handed, my doctor actually told me I appear to be ambidexterity.

But if you’re talking about politics, I would say neither. I agree on some for both sides and disagree on some as well.

Ah Ha… Finally someone has picked up on the fact that there is a political slant to this question.  It is deliberately ambiguous to see how people respond.  Do you have an opinion on life after death, and if so what?

I really don’t have one. It would be good to have life after death but we will find out one day.  

However if there is NO life after death then maybe not! When you eat out would you choose Chinese, Indian or Italian, or other, if so what?

I would say Italian. The other two I don’t like. My wife is actually getting me to enjoy more Korean food being that her mother from Korea.

What inspired you to be a writer? 

What inspires me now to continue writing is my audience. I was interviewed by a fourth grade class from Honduras via Skype and I really enjoyed knowing that I inspired them to continue reading and writing. 

How do you overcome writers block?

I tend to write in strange scenarios. I wrote my book actually while serving at a restaurant. I have to get myself in place where I’m not pressured to write and the ideas seem to come.

If you only had 60 seconds remaining on this planet, what would you say, and who would you say it to?

I would tell all my family that I love them.

Can you write on demand and under pressure, or do you need time and space before the creativity starts to flow?

I need to have some time. Once I get writing, the flow appears to start. Once it’s going, I get worried that I might have too many pages.

Yeah, I guess with a children’s book you are kind of limited in terms of length…What advice would you give your 18 year old self?

Don’t stress. If you keep at it, it will only get better.

Do you have a football/soccer team that you are passionate about and if so what?

I have to be honest. I have never played soccer so I really never had interest in it. I went to a local club, Sporting KC last summer and it was a great experience. I love the crowd.

Josh, it has been an absolute pleasure to talk to you today – I am looking forward to finding out more about Detective Stephy Wephy, I think my daughter would like her…

https://twitter.com/DetectiveStephy

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Detective-Stephy-Wephy-Holmes-in-the-Missing-Cake/166435243412525