Robert Pruneda's Blog, page 11

The Next Best Thing Blog Hop

Steven Montano, author of the Blood Skies series, recently tagged me for this cool little blog hop called “The Next Best Thing” where I get to tell you a little bit about my current work in progress (WIP). I would also like to recognize S.G. Lee, author of the working title A Penny Saved, A Murder Earned, who also tagged me a while back with a very similar post, so since I wasn’t able to get that post done before this one, I’m going to hit two birds with one stone (sorry for the cliché).

The Next Best Thing blog hop started on She Writes, and has been circulating around the web for a while now, and I’m happy to take part. Here’s the rundown of how this works:

If I tagged you, use this format. Include an introduction to your interview post and a link to the person who tagged you to participate. Answer the ten questions about your current WIP. Include some pictures if possible. Tag five other writers/bloggers by sending them an email and then add their links to the end of your interview post. Their answers should go up the week after. Sound easy enough? Of course it is! So, now that I got all of the details out of the way, on to my responses.

1. What is the working title of your book? 

The title of my current novel is Devil’s Nightmare.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

The general idea for my book was inspired by a personal experience I had when I was around eleven or twelve years old. Some friends and I would make Ouija boards to talk to spirits, and while we all accused the other of pushing the marker, I’m not convinced it was simply a game. We had heard the stories that you should never play with a Ouija board by yourself or else risk being oppressed by demons. We all dismissed it as a bunch of crap, of course, but I think we were all curious. I was the only one stupid enough to actually do it.

For weeks I would play with the Ouija board by myself out of pure fun, asking childish questions about fame, fortune, girlfriends, etc. I didn’t know if I was actually summoning spirits with the Ouija board or if it was just my mind playing tricks on me and causing me to subconsciously move the marker with my fingers. It didn’t matter; I was having fun with this Ouija board.

The fun and games ended after I started having nightmares, and then late one night I woke up and could not breathe. I tried to get up from my bed, but I could not move. I felt something pressing against my chest and then I saw the eyes floating above me. Those hideous eyes will forever be impeded in my brain. They were almond shaped and a pale yellow. They narrowed and grew closer to my face. I wanted to scream. I wanted to get out of my bed and run away, but my body froze. The pressure in my chest continued to constrict my breathing. All I saw were those horrible eyes among a shadowy figure.

Finally, I could breathe and I screamed with hysteria, but I still could not move. Moments later, my parents rushed through my door and turned on the light. The eyes and shadowy figure disappeared. I then shot up from my bed with my shirt drenched in sweat and my face flowing with tears. I ran to my mother for protection crying about the demon that I had just seen. It was the most horrifying experience I have ever had in my life. Was it a dream? Was it my imagination? Or was it truly a demon oppressing me because I had broken some spiritual rule of the Ouija board? I don’t know for certain, but I can tell you this . . . that Ouija board went in the trash the very next day and I have never messed with one ever since.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Devil’s Nightmare is a supernatural thriller with horror elements.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

This was a tough one that took a lot of thought. I put together a PDF document of my hypothetical cast for Devil’s Nightmare, which includes Christian Slater playing the lead character “Detective Aaron Sanders.” Click here for the rest of the main cast.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

I find it hard enough to write a regular paragraph synopsis, so you can imagine how difficult it was to come up with a one-liner, but in the spirit of this blog hop, I’m going to give it a shot:

Detective Aaron Sanders investigates the brutal deaths of three youth and two adults, and the evidence leads him to an evil force that cannot be defeated without unthinkable consequences.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

At this time I plan to self-publish, but I have considered submitting Devil’s Nightmare to a small publisher. I just haven’t made up my mind yet.

7. How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The first draft took me just under nine months to complete.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I don’t like comparing my work with other books due to simple respect of the creative and unique efforts of those authors. However, for the sake of this post I will say that one of my beta readers recently compared my writing to Stephen King. That was an unexpected compliment that really boosted my confidence, and while I would never try to compare my writing to the King of Horror, I did find it very flattering and encouraging. This also sets up my response to the next question.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Stephen King inspired me to write Devil’s Nightmare. I’m a huge fan of the horror and thriller genres and have always wanted to take a stab at a horror novel and finally decided to go for it this year. Stephen King’s non-fiction book On Writing is probably the biggest inspiration to me as a writer. It was after I read this book that I shifted my thoughts of writing novels from simple aspiration to heartfelt dedication. If you’re serious about writing a novel, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of On Writing by Stephen King.

10. What else about your book might peak the reader’s interest?

I think fans of the thriller and horror genres will find that Devil’s Nightmare is a unique story that will hook you from the very beginning. I wrote Devil’s Nightmare without an outline for the sole purpose of trying to avoid making the story predicable. I found that if I didn’t know what was going to happen next as I wrote it, then it would make for a more enjoyable experience for the reader. I believe I achieved that and found it very challenging and rewarding writing in this fashion. Now I obviously had a general idea of the story’s direction throughout the writing process, but there were many times where I found my characters pushing me in a different direction . . . and I tend to listen to them. After all, it was their lives on the line.

I wrote most of Devil’s Nightmare late at night with the lights off and was very pleased that certain scenes gave me cold chills that ran up my entire spine. It is my desire to share that same experience with my readers. Look for Devil’s Nightmare in early 2013 for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords (and later in print).

MORE rules:

If I tagged you, your blog post should be scheduled to publish between Sunday, Nov. 4 to Saturday, Nov. 10. If you are on She Writes, you put the post up there too. Your blog post should be labeled: The Next Big Thing Blog Hop.

Here are the authors I am tagging. I hope you will be able to participate in this fun blog hop, and I look forward to reading your responses.

Eden Baylee, author of Fall Into Winter and Spring Into Summer

Karen Einsel, author of The Good Dr. Grant

Spencer Brokaw, author of The Impenetrable Spy series

Dannie Hill, author of In Search of a Soul and Death’s Door

Jessie James Freeman, author of the Billy Purgatory series

Be sure to check out their blogs and their books. They are all awesome and great writers. Also, be sure to comment below.

Cheers!

vV””Vv

Devil’s Nightmare Halloween Sneak Preview

Halloween is here and I wanted to celebrate this spooky holiday by giving my readers a special sneak preview of my novel Devil’s Nightmare. I’ve been working on this story since January and initially wanted to publish it on Halloween, but it looks like we’re looking at an early 2013 release. I appreciate all of the support you have all given me as I work towards publishing this chilling thriller.

The editing process is currently underway and  I’m already getting some great feedback from beta readers that received my book this week. The response has been very positive. Here are some comments about Devil’s Nightmare that I received from S.G. Lee who screamed through the manuscript in only a day. Wow! I sure wish I could read that fast! Anyway, here are the comments received via email and also posted on Twitter:

“I just finished reading your manuscript. Very powerful. I loved it.”

“Reading an early copy of Devil’s Nightmare by Robert Pruneda @sharkbaitwrites and finding it a chilling good read.”

“If you like Stephen King you are going to love Devil’s Nightmare coming soon from Robert Pruneda @sharkbaitwrites.”

“[Devil's Nightmare] is as bit as scary as Stephen King is to me.”

Click on the link below to get your free sneak peak of Devil’s Nightmare and let me know what you think in the comments section below. Happy Halloween!

Click here for your Halloween Sneak Preview of Devil’s Nightmare

Guest Post: Land of Hope Blog Tour by Junying Kirk

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of visiting Junying Kirk’s site for an author interview about my writing and my book Pursuit of a Dream. Today it is my pleasure to welcome Junying to my humble corner in cyberspace all the way from the United Kingdom as part of her worldwide tour to promote her latest book Land of Hope. Junying is still adjusting to the time change after getting transported several hours from the future, so we’ll give her a minute or two. We’ll return to welcome Junying Kirk after the break…

Okay, now that we’ve taken care of the Blog Tour advertising and Junying’s head has stopped spinning from getting beamed from the U.K. to the great state of Texas, U.S.A., I’ll hand over the keys to the blog. Enjoy!

Jack Gordon, A Man of Passion and Courage in ‘Land of Hope’

By Junying Kirk

For two nights and two days, Jack and his mates had been hiding in the grown hedge, battling the wind and constant rain, using up their survival rations, and waiting for an opportunity to attack. It reminded him of his jungle days in tropical Malaysia only weeks before, but this time it was real, with some full-­blooded enemies nearby and a mission to kill.

With a slight jolt, Jack was alerted and brought back from his drifting thoughts. He heard a short, buzzing sound from his radio and instinctively tightened his grip on his binoculars. As a new SAS recruit, his task was to watch the farmhouse near Armagh ␣ on the border between Southern and Northern Ireland ␣ while his squad leader, Sgt Graham, led the attack, aimed at destroying whatever weapons they could locate, and killing the guards and any IRA terrorists on sight.

The operation was underway at dawn. Jack put away his eyepiece and readied his sniper rifle, aiming at the entrance of the farmhouse. He heard an explosion after the grenades were thrown, and the target was set on fire, shattered pieces of stones flying all over, and debris creating a massive, dark cloud in front of him. Three members of his team closed in and started shooting amidst shouting and scrambling. From their intel, as well as the surveillance they had kept on the location, they knew that there were eight men inside. One was killed in the explosion, five were shot by his teammates, and two were trying to escape.

The male protagonist in Land of Hope is a handsome Scot, with humble beginnings from the rough part of Glasgow. Jack Gordon begins his adventures, first in the British Army, then the SAS (Special Forces), and finally as a Detective Inspector of the Metropolitan Police in England. His colourful career has taken him to many places, and the above excerpt details one of his early missions as a highly trained SAS man. The action took place during The Troubles when IRA (Irish Republican Army) was in constant conflict with the British Government – the SAS got involved and their reputation soared.

As the story unfolds in Land of Hope, the final installment of my Journey to the West trilogy, we are introduced to Jack Gordon and we follow his footsteps as he goes from one mission to another on different continents. Like other characters in the book, whose lives have been long journeys from their homes to a foreign land, Jack has taken a journey of his own, from the wars against terror in Afghanistan and Iraq, to Southern China, fighting an near invisible war against the Snakeheads, the human traffickers. In his personal life, he is also on a journey of self-discovery and emotional maturity, when his passion is given free reign, and his courage shines through his heroic actions.

If you want to learn more about Jack and his amazing adventures in exciting, exotic locations, get a copy of Land of Hope – if you are a woman, I promise that you will fall in over with this man, as I have done . If you are a man, you may also fall in love with him, or at least admire him – he is, in my view, one of the finest characters you’ll ever meet.

Short Blurb: Junying Kirk completes her ‘Journey to the West’ trilogy with this inter-racial saga. A complex love story is interwoven through a tale of international crime, broken dreams, human trafficking and sexual exploitation. ‘Journey’ is just that, a merciless trek from the coast of Southern China to the drug farms in the heart of England, exposing worlds you never would have imagined exist.

Author Bio: Junying Kirk grew up in the turbulent times of the Cultural Revolution. A British Council scholarship led her to study English Language Teaching at Warwick University in 1988, followed by further postgraduate degrees at Glasgow and Leeds. She has worked as an academic, administrator, researcher, teacher and cultural consultant. When she is not traveling to Courts & Police stations as a professional interpreter, she loves spending her time reading & writing books, and traveling the world. Her ‘Journey to the West’ trilogy, ‘The Same Moon’, ‘Trials of Life’ and ‘Land of Hope’ have been published on Amazon.UK, Amazon.com and Smashwords. She lives in Birmingham, UK with her English husband.

I want to thank Junying Kirk for stopping by the shark tank and sharing with my readers about Jack Gordon and Land of Hope. And to my readers, it’s always a pleasure to see you all. Be sure to leave Junying comments below and then visit Andrew Wood’s site tomorrow to read his review of Land of Hope. Cheers!

vV”"Vv

Interview with Inspirational Author Teresa Morrow

Inspirational author Teresa Morrow recently interviewed me on her website. Click on Teresa’s image below to visit her site and read the interview where I talk a little bit about my writing and also give some advice to writers just getting into the business. Enjoy!

Click the image below for the interview:

SALE! Pursuit of a Dream is Only 99¢

[image error]I just wanted to send out a quick message to let everyone know that my debut novel Pursuit of a Dream (Book 1 of Victory Lane: The Chronicles) is currently on sale for a mere 99¢ for a limited time. So, if you’ve been hovering your cursor over the ‘Buy’ icon waiting for a price drop, now is the time!

Here’s what other readers have been saying about Pursuit of a Dream:

“Pursuit of a Dream is a breath of fresh air. Readers will enjoy following Caleb’s journey from a rambunctious young boy to a determined young man who refuses to allow his dreams to pass him by.” | Sara Furlong Burr, author of Enigma Black

★★★★★

“If you want a compelling story about family, faith and dedication then you definitely want to take the time to read Pursuit of a Dream.” | Wyatt McIntyre, author of The Last Dance

★★★★★

“In the age of zombies, horror, and thrillers vying for attention, Pursuit of a Dream seems out of favor with the current trend … but, and this is a HUGE BUT, what isn’t out of favor is excellent writing and storytelling, and this is what Mr. Pruneda provides.” | Eden Baylee, author of Spring Into Summer

★★★★★

“If you enjoy a wonderful story that takes you through, highs, lows, faith and inspiration then you will find great pleasure in Pursuit of a Dream.” | Dannie Hill, author of In Search of a Soul

★★★★★

“Readers will truly enjoy the transition of Caleb from young boy to a focused adult with NASCAR racing on his mind.” | S.G. Lee, author of A Penny Saved, A Murder Earned

★★★★★

I truly enjoyed “Pursuit of a Dream” by Robert Pruneda. I cannot wait to see what lies around the next lap for the characters in this fine story and discover who will cross the finish line realizing a dream come true!” | Donna L. Sadd, author of Lucci the No Smoochie Poochie

★★★★★

Pursuit of a Dream is available in several formats for only 99¢ during this promotion. Just click on the image of your favorite eBook retailer below and grab a copy. 

Pursue your dreams… and never look back!

Available to purchase in several formats:

Storm Warning by Kenneth Hoss

I’m pleased to announce a guest blogger to Sharkbait Writes today. A couple of weeks ago my friend and fellow author Kenneth Hoss asked if I would be interested in participating in a blog tour to celebrate and promote the launch of Storm Warning, the second book in his Kelli Storm series. Of course I accepted the opportunity and opened up the doors to my humble spot in cyberspace for Kenneth to share with my readers about his upcoming release. I would also like to point out that he is also a huge supporter of “Freedom Is Not Free” an organization that helps wounded service members and their families. Kenneth has given a portion of his royalties from Storm Rising to this organization in support of the brave men and women who serve our great country. For that I applaud him. 

Now, let me hand the virtual microphone over to Mr. Kenneth Hoss, author of the The Kelli Storm series.

Storm Warning

By Kenneth Hoss

First of all, I would like to thank Rob “Sharky” Pruneda for this opportunity.

Many people that I meet around town, when they find out that I’ve written a novel, inevitably ask me if it was hard. My answer is always, yes. However, I don’t look on writing as a task; it’s more as a labor of love. With the first book in the Kelli Storm series, in the beginning, I was a little unsure of my writing. After many failed starts, and with the help of a wonderful group of fellow writers, my work and characters began to come to life. With book two, Storm Warning, things went much smoother, and I had more confidence in my writing. Granted, the book took much longer to write, but I believe that is because I finally became familiar with my characters. They became old friends. Just like old friends, we argued, we fought and we even stopped talking to each other. Feelings got hurt and egos were bruised, but just like old friends, we eventually made up and the story continued. That’s the way I see them, as old friends, and yes, we do have conversations and I tell their story. As E.L. Doctorow once said, writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.

Kelli is a strong willed woman and has been described as a tough as nails detective. On the flip side of that rough exterior is a woman who doesn’t hide her emotions, a woman who loves, and wants to be loved. She can be a fierce opponent, a loving daughter, and a loyal friend. She is one person you don’t want to piss off, and you definitely don’t mess with her friends or family.

When I began writing her story, I really didn’t know her, having just met. After several months of conversations, I began to know her and her views, and I’m embarrassed to say, I began to fall in love with her. She has so many facets to her personality. She is smart, has a sarcastic sense of humor, and she’s a big foodie. Oh, and she loves sports. With the second book, Storm Warning, I found myself still finding out new things about her and the people around her. Things like how she handles loss, the strength she musters to keep from taking a drink when that’s all she wants to do.

Originally, I wanted to start a new case for Kelli to follow, away from the first book. Unfortunately, Kelli didn’t feel this way, and after several false starts, I finally yielded and let her run the show. Unlike the first book, in which I outlined the entire book, I only did a skeletal outline on this one. Oh, I did the bios for the new characters, at least those with recurring roles. With the minor players, I did a brief bio, just enough to get an idea of their background. I won’t go into a lot of details on the story, other than to say that once again, Kelli has gotten herself in deep. A storm is brewing and Kelli is right in the path.

Kenneth Hoss was born at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas in 1957 to Albert and Mary Hoss. He served a combined total of fourteen years on active duty from 1974 to 1987 in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. His tour in the Army took him to Frankfurt, Germany where he had the opportunity to travel Europe. While in the Navy, Kenneth spent most of his time stationed in San Diego and Long Beach. His Navy travels took him to Hawaii, Guam, The Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Okinawa,the Middle East and Pakistan. He has lived in several States, including South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington and California.

Blog: http://kenhoss.blogspot.com

Twitter: @kenhoss

Independent Authors Network: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/kenneth-hoss.html

Storm Warning – A Kelli Storm Novel – Release date: 9/15/12

Exclusively on Amazon.

Book Review: The Impenetrable Spy

I recently read The Impenetrable Spy by Spencer Brokaw. Click on the cover image below to read my review of this young author’s first book.

Book Review: The Impenetrable Spy

Pursuit of a Dream: A Winning Family Saga

I was very pleased to find another five-star review for my novel Pursuit of a Dream today as I was checking some stats. I’ve posted the review below for you. Enjoy! I know I did.

A Winning Family Saga! – September 4, 2012

By Donna L. Sadd (Kempner, Texas)

I truly enjoyed “Pursuit of a Dream” by Robert Pruneda. The story centers on The Lockharts, John, a widowed father and his two young sons Jared and Caleb. Early on, John loses his long-held job and the security of his family turns upside-down. Much of the story is reflective of current American family strife and I believe that this will resonate with readers.

It becomes an ongoing juggling act for John to provide for his boys versus spending quality time with them. Thankfully, he’s got his loving mother, father, sister, brother- in-law, cousins and a new love to help lighten the load. The boys’ grandfather builds a go cart track on his ranch and the rest, as they say, is history. Caleb, the youngest son is bitten by speed and winning, well winning really, only winning. This single-mindedness of the main character drives the story forward. You will get frustrated with his many impatient impulses and root for him in his victories.

I liked Caleb as a boy, but was troubled by his self-centered nature as he grew older. This is when Mr. Pruneda smartly begins to focus a light on Caleb’s best friend and foil Brian. Brian has had it real hard; yet he always manages to persevere with patience. Brian then catches a break through Jared, of all people, who backs him in racing and we begin to see that patient perseverance pay off.

It’s been rightly mentioned in other reviews that this story is a wholesome saga of familial love, complete with the ups, downs, ins and outs of life. What hasn’t been mentioned is how the book’s focus around wildly-popular NASCAR could be a terrific catalyst in getting a young fan, but reluctant reader, excited about books.

I cannot wait to see what lies around the next lap for the characters in this fine story and discover who will cross the finish line realizing a dream come true!

Pursuit of a Dream is available in several formats. Just click on the image of your favorite eBook retailer below and grab a copy. 

Pursue your dreams… and never look back!

Available to purchase in several formats:

Saturday Story Review: Pursuit of a Dream

I woke up today to a very nice review for my novel Pursuit of a Dream. This review is very in-depth and was the perfect way to start my day. Please click on the cover image and race on over to Wyatt McIntyre’s site to read this review… and then buy the book.

Devil’s Nightmare Cover Reveal

I am pleased to announce that I have designed the initial cover for my current novel Devil’s Nightmare. After working on the design for a couple of hours, I decided to omit “The” from the title. What do you think?

Let me know what you think of the cover in the comments below. I’m very excited to have this cover produced as it’s one step closer to completing my novel. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.