Effrosyni Moschoudi's Blog, page 49

Book review: Mad Water by Nicholas Rossis

The third installment of the Pearseus series has the same two elements that normally put me off my reading: a large number of characters and gore/graphic violence. Still, the writing is so excellent that by the last page, I felt enormously satisfied.

The author introduces even more characters in Mad Water, weaving with them an intricate fabric of ingenious plots that are dotted with twists and turns that keep the reader hooked to the pages. There are characters that keep throwing themselves into dangerous situations and who triumph in their heroic acts, there’s tenderness in other places, as well as ruthless rulers and advisors who prove to be masters of manipulation.

Nicholas Rossis is a highly imaginative author who picks his words with mastery. Once again, I give him top marks for the same elements that I’ve praised him on for the previous volumes: for the excellent style of writing, the suspense, the wisdom imparted and the ingenuity with which he spins his yarn. Looking forward to the next volume already.

 

My rating

5 stars

Ingenious plots and heroic acts delivered with mastery

 

Do you enjoy dark, epic fantasy? Then make sure to check out the enthralling Pearseus series on Amazon!

 

 

Interview with Angel Sefer, author of the Greek Isles Series

Today, I’m pleased to host my lovely author friend, Angel Sefer. Angel is a fellow Greek and Athenian, which is the reason why she’s been one of the first authors I’ve connected with on line. Her thrilling, Greek Isles Series, is set in places of Greek iconic beauty; the islands of Corfu, Mykonos and Santorini. Her publisher, Booktrope, is an innovative hybrid publisher that is slowly shaping itself into the holy grail of savvy indie authors.

So, let me introduce you to Angel and her books first and then on, for a good chinwag!

#1 Barnes & Noble Bestseller, #2 Amazon Bestseller, Winner of the Crowned Heart Award for Excellence from InD’tale Magazine, and 2014 RONE Award Finalist.

A mansion full of secrets…

From the moment investigative reporter Jackie Alexander steps foot inside the mansion dominating the Demiris estate on the beautiful Greek island of Corfu, her suspicions are on high alert. This is no ordinary assignment… the life of her beloved cousin, Aphrodite, is in grave danger, as the heirs to the incredible fortune of Greek tycoon Andreas Demiris are dying one after the other, under mysterious circumstances.

A man with secrets of his own…

The only person who can help Jackie is Michael Apostolou, former Special Forces Officer and one of the finest detectives on the Athens police force. Jackie realizes soon enough that despite her simmering desire for him, she can’t really trust him, as the seductive detective seems to be investigating those mysterious deaths for reasons of his own.

Trusting the wrong person can be deadly…

Jackie and Michael are forced to work together, but the suspicions and unanswered questions are devouring them, just like their rising passion for each other. In games like this, the stakes are high and the players are ruthless. When Jackie is kidnapped by the most dangerous player of all, time is running out as Michael is forced to choose between jeopardizing his mission and personal quest for justice, or the life of the gorgeous intruder of his heart…

Amazon:   http://viewbook.at/SpellboundInHisArms

Barnes & Noble:   http://buff.ly/1f1Vmq9

iBook on iTunes:   http://bit.ly/1fMwwu0

Amazon UK:   http://amzn.to/1iaJofH

 

A quest for truth…

Helena was only eight when her father disappeared, and her life was shattered. Thirteen years later, she returns to her birthplace—the Greek island of Mykonos—on a quest to learn the truth about her father. Eerie warnings from her late mother and prophecies hidden in her grandmother’s diary compel Helena to delve into her family’s mysterious past. But well-buried secrets and a hidden mastermind plotting revenge create a deadly combination that could destroy Helena’s life.

A powerful and seductive man…

Upon discovering that the seductive Captain Dimitris Nikolaou has taken everything once belonging to her father, Helena is devastated; but in spite of his treachery, she is drawn to him like no other. As danger and passion collide, Helena realizes that nothing is what it seems.

Keeping a promise can be fatal…

Despite her desire for the irresistible captain, Helena is wary of his insistence to keep the promise he’d made to her father—the promise to marry her. Dimitris wants this feisty enchantress, and he’s used to getting what he wants. Making Helena his wife isn’t about the promise anymore—he wants her…and he’s willing to put his heart and his life at risk to keep her in his arms forever.

Amazon:   http://viewBook.at/DeadlySecrets

Barnes &Noble:   http://bit.ly/1gcPV8T

iBook on iTunes:   http://bit.ly/1p3IkjO

Amazon UK:   http://amzn.to/TXZjIS

An unexpected threat…

When insurance manager Alexandra Stewart is assigned to the Imperial Resorts Corporation account and has to travel to the island of Santorini, she’s worried about keeping the promise she made to her late father. Alexandra swore to keep her real identity a secret and to stay away from her maternal grandfather, a Greek billionaire who lives on the island. However, what Alexandra thought was fate is actually a plot to bring her home.

An undeniable attraction…

The new assignment embeds Alexandra in a deadly game of vengeance and greed that threatens to destroy her grandfather’s empire. The only one she can turn to for help is Mark Taylor, the seductively handsome Managing Director of the Corporation. Mark is torn between his intense attraction to Alexandra and his promise to her grandfather to guard the secret that could destroy the entire Vassiliou family. His puzzling behavior infuriates Alexandra, but it can’t quell her desire.

A startling revelation…

Will Alexandra be able to trust Mark when he has already lied to her once? Will Mark be able to convince Alexandra he’s not the enemy? And when the time comes, will he be able to confess the truth to her?

Amazon:  http://viewBook.at/TheHeiressOfSantorini

Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1DAxWV1

Amazon UK:  http://amzn.to/12AmrBF

 

Hello Angel and welcome to my blog!

Hi Fros! Thank you; I’m very excited to be here.

Tell us first of all, what has inspired you to write the first book in the series, Spellbound in His Arms?

During a summer vacation to the majestic island of Corfu in the dazzling aquamarine waters of the Ionian Sea, my family and I visited a lot of mesmerizing locations and, as always, my mind started working on a story… I love creating stories! The backbone of the story forms in my mind by sitting at a beautiful spot and looking out to the sea or the mountains. Sometimes, I even create stories in my dreams.

The mystery in Spellbound in His Arms unfolds around a stunning, old mansion on Corfu. There are lots of beautiful estates on the island, but there is a particular mansion—the Achilleion—which triggered my imagination. It’s named after Achilles—Homer’s hero in the Iliad. This mansion—now acquired by the nation of Greece and converted to a museum—is where Empress Elisabeth (Sissy) of Austria stayed, during her visit on the island. It’s also the place where the casino scene of the James Bond movie “For Your Eyes Only” was filmed.

What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been intrigued by the fascinating world of fiction, and I would devour every romance, mystery, suspense, and adventure novel I came across. Reading those stories, I realized that other stories kept popping up in my mind, and at some point, I felt the need to share them with the world.

As a teenager, I wrote some children’s and young adults’ stories. A few years later, I wrote my first mystery romance, Spellbound in His Arms, a suspenseful tale of murder, deceit, and political cover-up, where sexy investigative reporter Jackie ignites the fury and stirs the passion of mysterious police detective Michael.

What other writing have you done? Anything else published?

Since Spellbound in His Arms, I have written a whole series of standalone mystery romance novels, The Greek Isles Series, each taking place on a different island—alluring destinations that cast a spell on the visitor from the very first moment.

In this series, dark mysteries mingle with sizzling romances, while the reader enjoys the virtual experience of visiting some of the most enchanting Greek islands. The impeccable beauty of those islands—where nature exists lavishly in hundred shades of green and blue, and centuries of Greek tradition coexist harmoniously with cosmopolitan activity—will steal the reader’s heart away.

Deadly Secrets is the second novel published in The Greek Isles Series. In this suspenseful tale of murder, deceit, embezzlement, and treachery, stunning Helena and seductive Captain Dimitris confront each other and make sparks. The action unfolds on picturesque Mykonos—one of the most beautiful islands in the sparkling sapphire waters of the Aegean Sea—and is supported by a steamy story of forbidden love.

The Heiress of Santorini is the third novel published in The Greek Isles Series. The startling truth about her billionaire client drives breathtaking insurance manager Alexandra over the edge but cannot quell her desire for sinfully handsome and off-limits Mark. This tale of non-stop action, suspense, deceit, and murder unfolds in Atlanta, New York, and on the awe-inspiring island of Santorini—a precious gem in the Aegean Sea that is still an active volcano with spectacular rock formations, impressive lunar landscapes, and breathtaking red and black sand beaches.

Dark Shadows of The Past is the fourth novel in The Greek Isles Series. Dazzling Christina is caught in a deadly game of conspiracy, murder, treachery, and vengeance while desperately trying to conceal her real identity. Seductively handsome police detective Dan puts his job and life on the line to protect this feisty enchantress from the threat hovering over her. The non-stop action and steamy romance unfolds in Atlanta, the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northern Georgia, and the island of Cephalonia—the fascinating setting of “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” in the amazing aquamarine waters of the Ionian Sea. Dark Shadows of The Past will be available Winter 2015.

They all sound amazing, Angel! Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

Spare time? What’s that? LOL Now, seriously, as my Greek ancestors used to say, healthy mind in a healthy body, I enjoy yoga, aerobics, dancing, basketball, and I practice Wado Ryu Karate. Of course, not as much as I used to since I’m a mother now and my free time is limited.

Wow, that’s impressive! Do you see yourself in any of your characters, or do any of them have traits you wish you had?

All my female protagonists share some traits with me. And yes, there are a lot of their traits that I wish I had, like being brave and adventurous.

What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?

I enjoy mystery romance and suspense novels. Besides that, I also like paranormal romance, and right now I’m reading Arielle Immortal Fury, the sixth book in the amazing Immortal Rapture Series by Lilian Roberts.

Choose a male and a female character from your book and tell us which actor/actress you’d wish to play them in a film adaptation.

I love Ian Somerhalder, and I think he is perfect for the mysterious police detective Michael in Spellbound in His Arms. As for sexy, investigative reporter Jackie, I think that Nina Dobrev would be great.

I do admit, I just had to look them both up. I’m a film buff but don’t know many TV actors, you totally threw me, lol! Good one! Tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?

At my website, http://www.angelsefer.com , my readers can find information about me and my books, and enjoy free reads.

At my blog, http://www.angelsefer.blogspot.com , I post author spotlights and interviews, book reviews, excerpts of my novels, posts about writing, inspiring quotes, and other interesting articles and photos.

I also love communicating with my readers, expressing my feelings, and exchanging views and ideas with them.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

With every book I write, I feel that I’m becoming a better writer, and I find more interesting ways to convey what I have to say. I always keep in mind what I enjoyed in reading other authors’ books—intriguing mysteries, breathtaking romances, well-developed characters—and I make sure I fulfill those expectations in my novels. I respect my readers, and I want them to enjoy reading my novels as much as I enjoyed writing them.

I write about real life situations sprinkled, of course, with fantasy. I create my characters, especially my protagonists, to spark interest and have my readers become emotionally attached to them. I also carefully select my settings, since I always enjoyed reading fascinating stories that took place at amazing locations.

Thank you for your time, Angel! Wish you success with the launch of  The Heiress of Santorini.

Thank you very much, Fros! All the best with your writing, too.

Bio

Award-winning, bestselling author Angel Sefer was born in Athens, Greece, and has studied and worked on both sides of the Atlantic. She holds a degree in Economics and divides her time between the corporate world and her true passion: reading and writing mystery romance novels, full of heart-racing action, suspense, twists and turns, and breathtaking romance.

Angel lives in Athens, Greece, with the two loves of her life—her son and her husband—and is a member of several writers groups.

Connect with Angel

Website: http://www.angelsefer.com

Blog: http://www.angelsefer.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/Vq75eu

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelSefer

Google+: http://bit.ly/13Fa6aU

LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/19uc4Sk

Amazon Author’s page: http://author.to/AngelSefer

Goodreads Profile: http://bit.ly/15ePyoE

E-mail: angelsefer@ymail.com

Another major promo and a Thunderclap campaign

In mid September, I posted an article about Thunderclap; an amazing tool to amplify your social media messages. As I said therein, I thought it would be an awesome idea for authors to use this tool in order to publicize their seasonal promos.

Well, eager to try this, I headed over there a couple of days ago and added a campaign for my upcoming Kindle Countdown Deal. This is the very first one I run and I am putting up both books for 99c in the US Marketplace exclusively.

This is the second day of my Thunderclap campaign and at the point of writing this, I have 32 supporters. I need 100 and I have 13 days left to acquire the rest.

I have tweeted and FB’d about it and harassed my author pals at eNovel so now, it’s time to blog it too. I know we’re all busy people, but if you could spare a minute to add your support too, I’d really appreciate it!

Thunderclap will only post once for you (my message for the promo) on Twitter or/and Facebook (whatever YOU choose).

Once again, I recommend this awesome tool to you for your own promos if you’re an author or any kind of online marketer.

Admittedly, I’m a bit worried that I won’t reach my goal. Thunderclalp won’t publicize my message unless I recruit at least a 100 supporters. But if it all comes to nothing, I know I won’t beat myself about it. After all, it’s a case of having nothing to lose, right? But if I do manage it, the impact on the social media should be very helpful, so the time I spend these days asking people for their support, should be worth my time.

Other than running this campaign in preparation for the big day–November 13–I am also working through a list of a great number of sites to submit my discounted books to.

So far, I’ve managed to post them for free in only a fraction of them, but I hope to submit to them all in the next 10 days, then I will make sure to blog and share this list with you all.

A note on paid advertising: I am still unable to afford it on a large scale but I did try this time, by applying to two sites that come highly recommended. So far, one has rejected me twice (for both my books) and the other one hasn’t responded as yet (it’s been 2 days).

The one that rejected me twice is Booksends. They came across quite vague in their response too. Instead of letting me know why I got rejected so that I could improve myself next time if I can, they refered me to their submission guidelines. No idea what I missed there, because they didn’t tell me! That was quite frustrating for me.

The other site is ENT (eReader News Today) which as I said, haven’t responded to me yet.�� Here’s hoping they will!

Luckily, I have the amazing support of Community Orange Magazine once again during this promo. Last summer they advertized my free promo on the byline of my travel article of Zagori, Greece. On their November issue, they are featuring my travel article on Rome, “Following the Robert Langdon Trail”. You can see the article on their site or alternatively, browse the whole November issue of the magazine (it’s quite amazing!), where you’ll find my article on page 44. There is a mention of my promo in the magazine at the end of the article. It was very generous of them to offer me free ad space and that makes me truly grateful.

I’ll get back to you after the KCD promo is done with my results and any insights (if I have any to share). Until then, if you feel so inclined, your support to my Thunderclap would really make my day!

Thank you in advance and have a wonderful Sunday!

 

Another major promo and a Thunderclap campaign

In mid September, I posted an article about Thunderclap; an amazing tool to amplify your social media messages. As I said therein, I thought it would be an awesome idea for authors to use this tool in order to publicize their seasonal promos.

Well, eager to try this, I headed over there a couple of days ago and added a campaign for my upcoming Kindle Countdown Deal. This is the very first one I run and I am putting up both books for 99c in the US Marketplace exclusively.

This is the second day of my Thunderclap campaign and at the point of writing this, I have 32 supporters. I need 100 and I have 13 days left to acquire the rest.

I have tweeted and FB’d about it and harassed my author pals at eNovel so now, it’s time to blog it too. I know we’re all busy people, but if you could spare a minute to add your support too, I’d really appreciate it!

Thunderclap will only post once for you (my message for the promo) on Twitter or/and Facebook (whatever YOU choose).

Once again, I recommend this awesome tool to you for your own promos if you’re an author or any kind of online marketer.

Admittedly, I’m a bit worried that I won’t reach my goal. Thunderclalp won’t publicize my message unless I recruit at least a 100 supporters. But if it all comes to nothing, I know I won’t beat myself about it. After all, it’s a case of having nothing to lose, right? But if I do manage it, the impact on the social media should be very helpful, so the time I spend these days asking people for their support, should be worth my time.

Other than running this campaign in preparation for the big day–November 13–I am also working through a list of a great number of sites to submit my discounted books to.

So far, I’ve managed to post them for free in only a fraction of them, but I hope to submit to them all in the next 10 days, then I will make sure to blog and share this list with you all.

A note on paid advertising: I am still unable to afford it on a large scale but I did try this time, by applying to two sites that come highly recommended. So far, one has rejected me twice (for both my books) and the other one hasn’t responded as yet (it’s been 2 days).

The one that rejected me twice is Booksends. They came across quite vague in their response too. Instead of letting me know why I got rejected so that I could improve myself next time if I can, they refered me to their submission guidelines. No idea what I missed there, because they didn’t tell me! That was quite frustrating for me.

The other site is ENT (eReader News Today) which as I said, haven’t responded to me yet.  Here’s hoping they will!

Luckily, I have the amazing support of Community Orange Magazine once again during this promo. Last summer they advertized my free promo on the byline of my travel article of Zagori, Greece. On their November issue, they are featuring my travel article on Rome, “Following the Robert Langdon Trail”. You can see the article on their site or alternatively, browse the whole November issue of the magazine (it’s quite amazing!), where you’ll find my article on page 44. There is a mention of my promo in the magazine at the end of the article. It was very generous of them to offer me free ad space and that makes me truly grateful.

I’ll get back to you after the KCD promo is done with my results and any insights (if I have any to share). Until then, if you feel so inclined, your support to my Thunderclap would really make my day!

Thank you in advance and have a wonderful Sunday!

 

Greek delights: Imam Baildi (eggplants in tomato sauce)

Every year since their retirement, my parents have split their lives by half in two places. From October to April they live in Athens next door to me and from April to October in their summer home on the Greek island of Lemnos where dad comes from. There, they have a large expanse of land where dad tends to every vegetable plant imaginable, as well as raising a pig, a sheep and a bunch of chickens every year. When they return next door early October, their spacious car trunk is full to the brim with fresh, organic produce, lots of which wind up in my fridge and freezer to last me all winter.

In this serene environment and with this view from his property, my father is inspired to farm every year to his heart’s content.

This year has been no different. One of the first organic vegetables I chose to cook was a combination of dark purple and light green eggplants from my dad’s land. The way I enjoy them the most is in the Turkish dish Imam Baildi that has been adopted by the Greeks (that’s 400 years of slavery for you!) and is regarded as a Greek dish these days too. Loosely translated from Turkish, Imam Baildi means ‘The priest has fainted” which is no surprise, seeing that when traditionally prepared, this casserole, made with absolute lashings of olive oil and rich spices, can be quite heavy on the stomach when consumed in large quantities. Yet, fear not, as my version is quite light and healthy. I don’t even fry the eggplants in preparation for the pot, but instead boil them in water for a way lighter/healthier dish.

So, read on and here’s a promise: cook this version and there won’t be any bearded old men in long black robes fainting on your kitchen table!

INGREDIENTS  (serves 3-4)

3 large eggplants (or 4 medium ones)

1 large red onion (sliced finely)

1-2 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 beef tomato (skinned and chopped)

1/2 a pack (or tin) of tomato purée

1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

A sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)

Parsley (chopped)

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt, pepper

 

PREPARATION

Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, then chop each piece in two or three pieces (I cut them in three when the aubergines are big).

Throw them in a pot of boiling water and add a generous amount of salt. Boil for 5 minutes in high heat, uncovered.

The salt will rid the eggplants from their bitter taste so this part is crucial.

Put them through a sieve, leave them aside for later.

In a large pot, put a generous amount of olive oil (what you would put in a tomato sauce for pasta). I’d say roughly about 1/3 of a wine glass. Sauté the onion and the garlic lightly, add the turmeric and stir. When slightly soft, add the tomato purée and the chunks as well as about half a cup of water from your kettle. Add salt, pepper, sugar. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the eggplants to the pot, placing them with the fleshy side down and pressing them gently into the sauce. Turn up the heat and add more water from the kettle as needed so that the wedges can cook comfortably. They should be immersed at least half way into the liquid. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Occasionally, check and move the pieces around gently with a ladle as needed.

Taste a bit of eggplant to see if they’re soft. Add salt as needed. Add the chopped parsley on top and the optional nutmeg. Let it simmer for another couple of minutes but if there’s still a lot of liquid, leave the pot uncovered and turn up the heat. When the sauce thickens, you’re all done!

Best served with french fries, fresh bread and feta cheese.

 

 KALI OREXI!

 

 

 

Interview with Pete Barber, author of Love Poison

Today, I’m delighted to present to you another awesome member of  the writers’ group, eNovel Authors at Work. Pete Barber and I connected quite recently and he soon made quite an impression on me being a man of many talents; a Liverpoolean living in North Carolina, he’s not only a writer of exhilarating plots, but also a keen farmer who raises his own chickens and–wait for it–llamas!

Pete is touring these days for his tantalising latest novel, Love Poison. His publisher, Red Adept Publishing, has kindly offered you peeps, the chance to enter the tour giveaway. You’ll find it at the bottom of this post, along with an excellent opportunity for ALL of you, to grab your own FREE copy of Pete’s un-put-downable thriller, Nanostrike. It goes free for only 2 days; November 8-9, so mark your calendars!

Lab assistant and avid climber Amber Wilson is no stranger to risk. But she feels invisible around her handsome boss, Mark, until she accidentally doses him with an irresistible aphrodisiac that leaves him with a suicidal hangover. Abruptly fired, Amber and Mark partner up to research the source of the drug—a rare New Zealand mushroom—in hopes of refining it for safe use.

On their way to New Zealand to collect fungi samples, Amber is blindsided by a deep and intense romantic connection with Mark. Their new business plan is endangered by ruthless Maori mobsters who control a mushroom scheme they’re killing to protect. As the body count rises, Amber struggles to salvage her and Mark’s dreams, but when she risks her heart and acts alone, both of them could end up paying the ultimate price.

PURCHASE LINK - AMAZON US

 

Hello Pete and welcome to my blog!

Thank you Effrosyni, for inviting me to contribute to your excellent blog. I’m very pleased to be here.

What has inspired you to write Love Poison?

I wish I could summon up an earth-shattering reason or theme that inspired me to write any of my stories, but sadly I don’t operate at such an elevated level. Love Poison, like all of my tales started with an incident. In this case–a woman, Amber, sitting in a bathroom stall hiding from the crowd at her office Christmas party and trying to overcome an anxiety attack. Why that? Who knows? She just popped into my head, so I wrote her down. Then, of course, I had to explain why she was anxious, and more importantly, I had to get poor Amber out of the bathroom. During her escape, she stumbled across a mushroom that made men instantly fall in love, and that’s how it all started. Nothing deeper, I’m afraid. But I did have a lot of fun with the concept.

What other writing have you done? Anything else published?

I’ve written three other novels. Two of them are permanently FIT (filed in trash). When I first started writing fiction about seven years ago, I couldn’t imagine tossing 90K words away—twice. And it wasn’t easy. But I realize now that they weren’t wasted words. They just weren’t good enough, and I had to get them out of the way so the good stuff could flow.

My third novel, NanoStrike–available on Amazon—has been well received. Just last week, it garnered its one-hundredth five-star review. I’m proud of that. Reviews are the fuel that keeps you going as a writer. I read every word of every review, positive or negative, and listen to how people perceive my work. It’s important input I can use to improve.

I’ve heard through the grapevine that Nanostrike is that something else and I can’t wait to read it myself. Congrats for the raving reviews! Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

For the past ten years, I’ve been fortunate to live on a small farm in the foothills of Western NC.  I keep an organic garden and love to grow my own food. There’s nothing quite like planting rows of potatoes, tomatoes, greens, kale, peppers, cucumbers, and squash in freshly tilled soil in early spring.

My wife and I tended a small herd of llamas for eight years. They ate grass and hay and gave me perfectly balanced fertilizer that made my garden flourish. We also kept a dozen or so chickens that ranged the pastures, ate the bugs, and gave us fresh eggs. The harmonious nature of working the land using nature’s own cycles keeps me grounded and sooths my soul. I don’t use pesticides and I pull weeds by hand—not the most efficient use of the land, but it gives me satisfaction.

It all sounds absolutely wonderful and quite impressive, I must say. What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

My next novel is already at second draft stage and scheduled to go to an editor in November. It starts in Southern Iraq two weeks before Christmas, 2009. A stray Iraqi rocket explodes a few feet from three US Army Sergeants. When the soldiers return home, their wives are duty-bound to become caregivers as their husbands wrestle with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Although this story started in my normal manner—with the rocket attack—because I’ve never been in the military, I had to hit the books and research almost from the get-go. In the process, I came across a number of web and Facebook sites focused on the complex struggles facing spouses of injured vets. These, mostly women, face extraordinary challenges with as much bravery as their warriors showed on the battle field. In the writing, the story morphed from a thriller into a drama.

Incidentally, I am actively seeking beta-readers for the draft. I need people with first-hand experience in the military and/or as caregivers for soldiers suffering from PTSD. Although this is a work of fiction, I definitely do not want to misrepresent the facts upon which it’s based.

I’m sure it’ll make for very interesting reading. I hope you’ll find suitable beta readers for that, although I’m sure the deep research has already done wonders for the manuscript. Which are your favorite authors, and what are you reading now?

I’m a sorry example of an author, because I don’t remember the names of the writers I’ve read. For the last couple years I’ve been reading and reviewing for Books & Pals book blog. I read forty or fifty books a year, mostly indie.

In my youth, I read a lot of sci-fi although I don’t find it as attractive nowadays. I do enjoy women’s fiction. I like the raw emotion that comes through the pages. Often those stories take on really tough subjects. Also, I know from writing Love Poison, that a well-written romance is a tough act to pull off, so I’m always happy when I find one.

I honestly believe that I learn from every book I read, although nowadays I’m tougher to please–I just can’t turn off that internal editor in my head.

Are there any sites or writing tools that you find useful and wish to recommend?

There are two parts, equally important I think, to a good novel. The story itself—an interesting premise and compelling plot populated by engaging characters you can root for—and mechanics. There are exceptions, of course; some books with poor mechanics are successful, but in the main even a reader with no understanding of POV or attribution, or showing vs telling techniques will glaze over if the mechanics aren’t in place.

Stories come from within, but writing mechanics have to be learned. I learned most of mine from the online critique group, Scribophile. There are plenty of other similar sites, but here’s the thing–it forced me to put my work in the public domain even though I was scared to death at first. Heck it is scary. Especially when you see other work posted by people who can really write, and your only constructive comment is: “Wow! This was great, why aren’t you published?”

Obviously, they’re going to take one look at your piece of amateur yuck, and barf, or laugh until their sides split. But the critiques I received taught me a lot. Those accomplished writers were generous with their time. They gave me pointers and links to places where I could learn how to do what they did. Not everyone was nice, and the negative comments, most valid, some not, hardened me to accept those cutting remarks that will continue to go with the territory, because we can’t please everyone.

Choose a male and a female character from your book and tell us which actor/actress you’d wish to play them in a film adaptation.

Hmm, well, Amber is thirty-five. When we first meet her she is uncertain of herself and where her life is going. So the actress would need to show a vulnerable side. As the story progresses, Amber has to change and grow. Additionally, she is quite an athlete. Toward the end of the novel only great physical strength and endurance allows her to reach her happy-ever-after. Although she’s a little older than Amber, I’d have to go with Uma Thurman.

Mark, her love interest is a no-brainer—Hugh Jackman. He’d manage the Kiwi accent without any problem, and my wife wants to meet him in the worst possible way!

Excellent choices, if I may say so! If you could have one superpower what would it be?

I’m about 60K words into what I hope will be a trilogy that features twins who have the power of healing. Through their touch, they can cure the otherwise incurable. I think that would be a terrific superhuman ability to possess. Although it is causing my young characters (and this writer) some very interesting challenges. For example how to choose who gets healed. Also, the healing happens through gene modification and the recipient changes in other ways as well—what will the consequences of that be? These and many other questions I hope to answer in 2015.

Wow – hurry writing that one Pete! It sounds absolutely fantastic! Well, it’s been a real pleasure having you here today. I wish you success with your writing and best of luck with your Love Poison Tour!

Thank you Effrosyni; all the best to you too!

Born into a blue-collar family in Liverpool, England, I immigrated to the US in the early 90s and settled in North Carolina. After surviving near death experiences at ages six and eighteen, I led a haphazard life, putting bread on the table as a plumber, computer programmer, salesperson, marketing executive, hotel operator, real-estate developer, and llama breeder. I love chickens and dogs, and write fast-paced fiction that makes people think.

Website:  http://www.petebarberfiction.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeteBarberFiction

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PBfiction

eNovelAuthors page: http://bit.ly/XxCXQa

Author page on RAP:  http://redadeptpublishing.com/pete-barber/

Enter here for the giveaway from Red Adept Publishing

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Terrorists attack a London Underground train, slaughtering two-hundred innocents in seconds with a nanoweapon small enough to hide in a hint of perfume.

First responder, Detective Chief Inspector Quinnborne, defies orders and hunts for the weapon’s unhinged genius creator. The authorities label Quinnborne a traitor, but when the nanotechnology spirals out of control, his grit and bloody-minded determination become humankind’s last thin hope of survival faced with a weapon of mass destruction that can be deployed at will and against which there is no defense.

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How to choose the best Amazon categories for your book

Effrosyni Moschoudi:

I just had to reblog this incredibly useful post with lots of insights for indie authors from the blog of my savvie friend, Nicholas Rossis. I draw your attention specifically to the downloadable Excel sheet of all Amazon categories! Look for subcategories with as few books as possible (see numbers in brackets) but at the same time, choose a subcategory with a relatively high ‘competitiveness’ number too. If you fancy using more than the max 2 categories, just use the rest as keywords as Nicholas explains. How cool is that? I hope you’ll find this excellent post as useful as I have. Happy weekend, peeps!

Originally posted on Nicholas C. Rossis:

First of all, congratulations! You’re now a published author – and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Second, you’d be amazed how often I hear that question in LinkedIn’s author groups. With some 3,000 new books published every day, I have serious doubts that you can just sit back and wait for readers to stumble on your book, or for word of mouth to work its magic. The chances of that happening are probably similar to that of winning the lottery, in which case you don’t even need the long hours and hard work that goes hand-in-hand with a career as an author (if you don’t believe me, you may want to check out this post by Pedro Barrento on Indies Unlimited).

So, what are the next steps after publication? Before I can answer that, I need to ask one question of my own first: is this your first book? You see…

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Cover reveal: Fate Accompli by MM Jaye

Today, is a very special day for me as I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time. Today, I’m proud (and very moved) to present the ‘firstborn’ of my beloved friend, MM Jaye. Her book will be launched next month, on November 21st, and today she’s touring for the cover reveal. I’m quite certain that her Aegean Lovers Series will enthuse the fans of both women’s fiction and romance.

Book One is Fate Accompli which is a true gem. I’ve had the pleasure and the honor to beta read for MM Jaye and I can vouch for its fresh voice and well-fleshed out, delightful characters. The book comes in two versions–clean and spicy–so that you can adjust the heat level of Alex and Monica’s passion to your liking!

The tour is brought to you by Book Enthusiast Promotions. Make sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Book Title: Fate Accompli (Clean & Spicy)

Author: MM Jaye

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 21st, 2014

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Monica Mitchell flies all the way from Boston to Athens, Greece, not to get a tan but a very specific job. Because besides an MBA, this twenty-four-year old has a mission: to prove to Alex Argiros, the gorgeous Greek magnate, that she has now grown out of the habit of flashing her underwear and looking like a zombie flick extra … in the presence of hundreds.

The catch? She has to hide who she is. Thankfully, not having seen him since her early teens helps, and soon she gets all she wants and so much more. Not only does Alex not connect his highly qualified new assistant to the disaster magnet of his distant past, but apart from his admiration, he also offers her his heart.

Now, Monica has a new mission: to keep it forever. But first, she has to come clean before he finds out her connection to the bane of his existence. Because if he does, he’ll rightfully assume she plays the part of the Trojan Horse, and then he’ll shed the sleek businessman exterior, letting his hot-blooded Greek nature take over.

She knows he could destroy her.

She knows, yet she needs just a bit longer to savor his searing kisses…

MM Jaye’s mom claims that she spoke her first word at the age of six. Months. As a kid she would record fairy tales in her own voice, play them back and then re-record adjusting the pitch and tempo. Later, she used her voice to inspire young adults and teach them the art of translation. But there came a time when life took a turn for the worse, and her voice temporarily died out. That’s when she turned to writing.

Fate Accompli is the first book in her Aegean Lovers series, set on the Greek island where her husband proposed. MM Jaye lives in Athens, Greece, with her husband, daughter and Kindle.

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Book review: Tales of the Mantequero

Every once in a while, there comes a book that makes me wish that I could rate with 6 stars, just to make that one book stand out triumphantly as it should. This book is definitely one of them!

The Mantequero is not your average vampire. This Spanish lad is surely handsome and just as evil as vampires come, yet, instead of sucking blood, he sucks the fat of beautiful young girls. He picks the plump ones and loves them, entering their bedroom through their open window at night and carries on until they’re dead; a mere carcass of skin and bones.

Although I am not a fan of horror, this delightful compilation of novellas on the subject has thrilled and enchanted me. Jenny Twist sure has a gift of delivering compelling prose and vibrant descriptions that transport you to the lush mountainsides of Spain, leaving you to roam the streets of ancient villages at dusk, full of trepidation over the damned creature lurking in the shadows.

It was hard to pick a favorite among these stories but I’ll tell you this: they seem to mature and improve as the story progresses. The author first wrote “Mantequero”, then “Disappeared” and the rest of the tales came under the pressure of her fans pushing for a sequel. The more the author imagined, the darker the story got, but at the same time the characters grew deeper and more involved with this evil creature. It’s odd actually, because althrough this is a set of novellas written in different times, each one in itself complete, this book reads like a single novel separated by chapters. It has a beginning, a middle and an end, and the author’s had one after another brilliant idea to keep the story going, all the more heightening the fascination and the horror in the mind of the reader.

I did pick a favorite among these novellas in the end; it’s “Sins of the Father”. It was the darkest of them all and the one that had me turning the pages at my most thirsty. Having said that, be warned: your reading pleasure will be ruined if you pick to read these stories out of sequence. Instead of buying any of the earlier novellas separately, pick out this specific publication and find out all about the Mantequero by reading it as a novel like I did. By the last page, chances are you’ll be feeling the same: detached from reality and tingly all over, overwhelmed by the thrilling, magical journey in rural Spain that this author has granted you. Well done, Jenny Twist!

 

My rating:

5 Stars

A thrilling vampire myth set in Spain that will enchant you. Un-put-downable!

 

Do you love vampire stories, horror, or dark, mysterious tales set in exotic places? This book is for you and it comes highly recommended! Check it out now.

Click here to read more about the book on this blog (it includes a tantalising excerpt)

Remembering my beloved pet, Nerina

An author friend asked me one day, “what is that hairy beast showing on the side of your profile picture on the social media?” Well, I think it’s high time to tell you all about it today; the date being perfect for it. Like I told my friend, that hairy mass was my beloved pet, Nerina, who has now passed away. What I didn’t tell her is that I picked this picture for my social media presence as a kind of good luck charm, while I give it my best to succeed in the indie world. The subtle presence of Nerina in the picture serves as a silent protector for me; a kind of guardian angel if you like, since she’s always been so good at making me feel happy and safe.

I still remember the day I saw Nerina for the first time; it feels only like yesterday. The memory is so vivid because of the deep feeling of sadness I experienced when I first laid eyes on her. It was a rainy day in the end of May, 2007. It was a Greek holiday called Holy Spirit Day. I was standing before the kitchen sink looking out the window absentmindedly, as torrential rain fell furiously down from the heavens. And then I saw her; a little black dog, walking slowly down the empty street, looking lost. She stopped at my next door neighbor’s gate and tried to fit through the railing, to no avail. I watched her trying for a good while, my heart crying out for her, for being exposed like that in such a heavy rainfall, obviously being a new addition to the many strays that roam the streets and fields of my neighborhood.

Having tried and failed, the little dog then slid under my neighbor’s parked car to lie flat on the ground that was flooded with the rainwater rushing downhill. I remember feeling so sorry for her, my heart contracting with sorrow. I even considered letting her in and allowing her to seek shelter in my front porch but thought better of it, as I knew my husband wasn’t keen on dogs at all.

The next day, a sunny one this time, I saw her again and fed her some scraps from our meal. I did the same the next day and the next, and by then, that doggie lived permanently outside my gate, seeking shelter from the sunshine occasionally under the parked cars. It was like she was waiting for something, only back then I couldn’t work out what. I thought she’d just felt unwilling to keep roaming, since she’d found a stranger to feed her. I remember the first time I reached out and patted her on the head. What followed had astounded me. I have petted strays many times in the past, but this dog actually cried in response. It was a mixture of sobs and sighs, I swear, I didn’t know dogs could do that…

To cut a long story short, a couple of days later, my husband and I found her in our garden. Somehow, she’d managed to fit through the railing of our gate. Andy spotted her first, lying on the ground under a large, leafy zucchini plant in our vegetable patch.

“Come quick,” Andy shouted out, “I think there’s something wrong with her leg. She keeps licking it.”

I rushed there and peered through the leaves at the little black spot she kept tending at. “That’s no leg she’s licking; it’s a puppy!”

The little doggie who had looked so frail, so thin, and not much bigger than a puppy had actually been pregnant all along and had just given birth to five puppies in our vegetable patch. The date was June 2nd, 2007; an easy date to remember as it’s my sister’s birthday. That doggie sure had a way of easing into my life on memorable days! Needless to say, we decided to adopt her on the spot, guessing that whoever had her from a puppy, had abandoned her in our area when she grew bigger and was no longer as much fun as before. I am ashamed to say this happens a lot here, where strays are a big problem. Private cars often pass by our semi-rural area to chuck an unwanted pet out in the street to fend for itself. Our little doggie had clearly been one of them. With the memory of her wandering desperately in the wet still fresh in my heart, there was no way I was ever going to put her back on the street or even in anyone’s care but ours. Luckily, my husband had no objection. The whole thing had really broken his heart too.

We called her Nerina—Blackie, in Italian—since she was all black but had white on her chest and a white paw that made her look like she wore a sock. It was the cutest thing and we just adored her. She was a very attentive mummy but hardly barked and never played in the first month or two. She was very quiet and seemed really upset. Once we found homes for all her five puppies, we concentrated on her and slowly, she started to act more jovial, playing with her toys and chasing us around all day, running up and down the garden like a mad thing.

We loved her to bits and she wound up living with us in the house. She hated the wet. Whenever it rained she refused to go anywhere and if she were outside, at the slightest threat of rain, she’d run indoors. Every Easter, she suffered from the noise made by firecrackers and shotguns. Due to the Greek custom, people fire them for days on the run up to the big day. All through Easter Week, she seemed to live by my feet, following me everywhere around the house in case she heard loud noise and panicked. We were hardly able to walk her all Holy Week and if she heard a shotgun fire somewhere, her heart would race and I’d have to pick her up and rush her home where she’d lie literally on my feet (whether I was standing or sitting) and refuse to budge. On the night of Good Saturday when fireworks light up the sky in Greece, she’d crawl under our bed and sleep right under our heads, or lie on the carpet by us while she trembled like a leaf.

Nerina loved her walks around the fields and olive groves surrounding our street. However, we never let her off the leash as she had the tendency to bolt if we did that. Even tethered to the leash, she was eager to smell everything and often dragged us here and there. You could say that despite our best efforts, sometimes it was a case of her walking us, and not the other way round!

Other than these problems she faced every Easter, for the rest of the year she’d be a source of constant entertainment. When I’d come back from work after a 1.5 hr commute, the moment I’d come through the door, she’d start running around the living room table, panting audibly, knowing I’d soon start running behind her. When I did, she’d bark her head off, running like a mad thing and chasing her tail. Later in life, when I was constantly at home, having become unemployed, we became inseparable. When I’d be in my study writing, she’d sit on the carpet by me, often falling asleep and snoring by my feet. It’s no wonder that The Necklace of Goddess Athena that I was working on at the time features a similarly adorable canine called Odysseas that is greatly loved by its owners.

Needless to say, Nerina soon converted my husband into a passionate dog lover. He loved to give her her chocolate treats every night, just before we went to bed. It was something Nerina would always expect as the evening progressed and the moment she’d see Andy head for the fridge to get her treats, she’d make a slow, funny grumbling sound that always made us laugh. Then she’d sit in front of him expectantly, gazing into his eyes with extreme concentration and he’d deliberately make her wait for a few moments just to see that amazing look on her face a bit more. Often, we’d teach her tricks at this time. Some she accepted to do, some she never seemed to like. We knew she was clever, but she was very stubborn too and you could never make her do something she didn’t want to do; hence my reasoning over the tricks she never did.

Nerina had a great instinct for protection. She became the shadow of my frail grandmother when she visited us a few years earlier. Similarly, she put up with children screaming and shrieking around her, pulling her ears, and she never reacted in the least. When visiting grandma in Corfu during our summer holidays there together, she even managed the impossible: to allow gran’s cats to sit beside her and even brush against her. Back home, she’d chase cats with ferocity and passion but made one hell of an exception for gran’s pets!

With us, that dog lived the life of Riley. Being childless, I took care of her as if she were a baby. Every night, after she had her treats and we headed for bed, she’d jump on the living room sofa and curl up in a ball. I’d go up to her in the semi-darkness and pet her tenderly and only then would I feel ready to go to bed. Sometimes, I’d linger a few steps away, just watching her lying still in the warmth, perfectly safe in the dim light from the last embers crackling in the hearth; a doggie no longer desperate, no longer wandering, no longer upset or afraid. In those moments I felt incredibly happy for being able to give that to her.

In October 2012, my husband Andy had a hernia operation. I spent 3-4 days keeping him company in hospital and during that time we had no choice but leave Nerina in the garden. I was worried about her, especially on the day when there was a thunderstorm and I knew she’d grow distressed on her own. But I was also worried for another reason. Often, people passed by and tossed her food, and kids offered her sweets too, causing her to get sick afterwards for a day or two. Sadly, this time, she had been exposed to a mortal danger I could never have imagined.

At the end of that week, with Andy back at home, it seemed that our days of distress had been over. We started to settle back to our normal happy routine with Nerina at home but then noticed she was acting strange. Instead of getting excited at the prospect of a walk, we had to drag her outside and she’d walk reluctantly for a couple of hundred feet, then try to turn around. We thought perhaps she could hear a noise we couldn’t hear that scared her; we had no clues at all. Then, the next day she got sick. Her pee was mixed with blood and she became slow, looking at us with half-closed eyes. We rushed her to the vet’s and it turned out she had ingested rat poison.

It was a Friday and we were given vitamin K to inject in her under her skin every few hours. That weekend was a nightmare for us. Nerina grew all the more frail. She hardly ate and now I had to pick her up in my arms to take her to the garden to pee. Unsure on her feet, she kept trying to get to a corner and lie on the dirt. That was a bad sign I was desperately trying to ignore.

By Monday morning, when we returned to the vet’s, she couldn’t lift her head any more and generally had no strength left in her at all. The vet did all she could; asked us to leave her there while she tried to find a dog that could be a blood donor for her. Just an hour later, I got the dreaded call. They had found a donor but Nerina’s heart had stopped in the meantime, her blood having turned as thin as water.

Devastated, we picked her body up from the vet’s and as my husband was in no position to dig a grave, we had to ask a kindly neighbor to help us bury her in the olive grove that’s near our home. So this is where we said our goodbyes and we buried her there, but not before I placed some of her favorite chocolate treats between her paws.

Oddly enough, it rained shortly after we returned home. Looking at the rain from that same window where I’d first seen her, I thought how strange it was that rain seemed to follow our history together. Also, strangely enough, just as I’d seen her and adopted her on special days, she’d also left us on another date of significance; this time, my mother’s birthday, October 15th. It was almost like this dog was meant to be, and meant to never be forgotten, hence coming and going from my life exclusively on days of high note to me.

Regarding the rat poison that took her life, I chose not to dwell on it. Perhaps someone poisoned her, or maybe she bit a mouse that had ingested it. According to the vet, that would have been enough to kill a dog. But, given this opportunity, I have this to say to the people who are capable of abandoning, neglecting, torturing or poisoning strays: A dog is not just a thing or asset you acquire to guard your home against intruders. It’s not a furry ball that you can give your children to play with and then abandon it in a street to fend for itself once your kids have turned to other toys. It is a living and feeling being with a soul; an innocent child, similar to a human one, subject to fear and pain, and capable of demonstrating unsurpassable gratitude, loyalty and love to its rescuers.

I’ll never forget the adoration I saw again and again in Nerina’s eyes during the five precious years and four months that she stayed with us. According to the vet’s assumptions, when we adopted her she was two years old which means she died at the age of seven; well before her time.

Nerina made me laugh and forget my sorrows like noone else ever has. In 2010 when I lost my job, I hit rock bottom. But Nerina, with her company, her silly antics and love, somehow kept me afloat. To be frank, I feel that at the end of the day, we saved each other. This is why I’ll never forget her. Two years and counting.

I’ve heard that pets go to heaven too when they die. I certainly hope so! There has to be one blessed place up there in heaven where we can chase each other again someday until we’re both out of breath, until we’re a heap of limbs again, collapsing from exhaustion. I know I’ll be laughing my head off and she’ll be licking my hands again, gazing at me with the same adoration I remember so well, the sunlight dancing in her eyes.

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