THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion
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Archives - Member Introductions
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PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO YOUR FELLOW JAMES MASON MEMBERS!
Mod
Steve is having some glitches posting on here and happy to assist- as I am for all James Mason members! Steve is one of the James Mason pioneers! When I started the Group in late 2009, Steve was among our first 20 or so members..oh how we have grown!
FROM STEVE
Hello to all members and friends and welcome to the many new members.
In 2009 I became a member of a small (only 25 members) though very interesting Goodreads group--The James Mason Community Club. I liked the way the Moderator organized it and especially--his expertise in handling questions. Rick was very knowledgeable and I enjoyed reading his comments on various, often quite tricky, books’ and movie’ topics. I sent messages to my friends asking them to join JMCC. Today, this group has over 5,400 members—a truly fantastic growth.
And that is why, as a veteran member, I guess, I would like to add a few words about my own novels. I am sure Rick won’t mind because he read some of my books and liked them.
I write thrillers. Why? Because I enjoy reading interesting books. Thrillers allow me to use my imagination combined with my own life experiences, polished by my own previous readings. And, they do not limit me in any way. I can use any style of narration I wish. And—any subject I am interested in. I never wrote a vampire story but, one of these days, I just might sit down and do it.
Today, you get my books with an international flavor in interesting. They have American characters, English, French and Russian. I believe in fun. I try to write quality, I don’t like to cheat my readers. Also, I get my books rated by reputable reviewers: the Midwest Book Review, the US review of books, Apex book reviews and by independent reviewers. According to them, my books are five stars. Of course, the readers have the last word.
My books today are: CROSSROADS, THE RAVEN AFFAIR, FEAR! and TUNNEL / The Lost Diary. Recently, I started writing another novel with a friend of mine. Its title—COMA Sins / Strange memories of Ben Bluman.
My books can be obtained directly through my web site—www.snedelton.com. It is connected to Amazon, Barnes&Noble, etc. and the books are available in most formats.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...
https://www.createspace.com/3688476
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/steve...
Here are a few notes from my books’ reviewers:
"Steven, I truly do like your 'Tunnel.' I am a big fan of writers like Tom Clancy, Daniel Silva, and David Baldacci. Your book is interesting to read and is NOT predictable as many books are. You include many different characters and stories and weave them together well. It has been a pleasure to read your book. Pauline S.”
"This is an outstanding thriller (The Raven Affair). It has everything: beautiful women, crooked politicians, assassins and more. It is very well written, and the multiple plot lines are deftly woven together.
Les Gehman, member at Goodreads.com”
"Read this Five Stars novel (Crossroads) from an author
that I feel is equal to Daniel Silva, Steve Berry, Baldacci...
Fran Lewis-reviewer, radio talk show host, educator”
My best to all readers,
Steven Nedelton
Hi All. I'm looking forward to being part of this group. I work in the book biz as a buyer for a national wholesaler in Canada and am responsible for selection of all of the children's and YA material for schools and libraries. I love books, and will read whatever strikes me as interesting.
Thanks for the invitiation!
Rachel
Welcome to the new members of the James Mason Club. I find that I check in each day and learn of new members, new authors and tips on great books. Glad to have you all aboard this friendly ship.Ken RossignolThe Privateer Clause
Hi all,I'm new here (thanks for the invite Rick). I live in Queensland Australia and am an avid reader of a various number of genres from non-fiction all the way through to heroic fantasy. One of my favourite authors is a British author by the name of David Gemmell (who sadly passed away in 2006).
Thanks for having me and I look forward to joining in.
You can't beat James mason. Five Fingers was great. My favorite is still The Desert Fox.
Mod
Keith wrote: "Hi all,
I'm new here (thanks for the invite Rick). I live in Queensland Australia and am an avid reader of a various number of genres from non-fiction all the way through to heroic fantasy. One of..."
Welcome Keith!
Alex- He was Great as Rommel - played the same role in The Desert Rats a few years later as well- have you seen him in Bigger Than Life? a film he also produced..Have it on DVD and BluRay- amazing performance - ala Ray Milland in Lost Weekend
I'm pleased to be asked to be a part of this group. I'm the author of two books: The House at the End of the Road: The Story of Three Generations of an Interracial Family in the American South and [[book:Ever Is a Long Time: A Journey into Mississippi's Dark Past : A Memoir|1265449]. You can find my Goodreads author page here for more information: W. Ralph Eubanks
Hi everyone! So happy to be part of such an amazing community!Thanks Rick for the invitation. I too have published recently. My memoir Will Love For Crumbs was just released. You can follow this link to check it out -
http://www.amazon.com/Will-Love-Crumb...
Raised by an alcoholic mother and without a father, Jonna learned at a young age to put her needs on the back-burner. After her mother dies of cancer, she goes on a spiritual journey looking for enlightenment and a purpose for her life. Eventually, she ends up as a volunteer in the relief effort following Hurricane Ike. There she meets a man who will forever change her life.
In the swamps of Louisiana and the hills of Arkansas, Jonna follows her heart to build a life with an American hero - a 20 year veteran of the Army Special Forces. Only after uprooting her whole life, leaving everything and everyone she knows behind, do the pieces of this fairytale start to unravel. Realizing the man of her dreams is actually the stuff of nightmares; Jonna must once again go within and discover why she is a woman willing to love for crumbs.
Hello! I am Nicky Wells, author of rock star romance "Sophie's Turn." What would YOU do if your favourite rock star proposed... and you're already engaged to someone else? Well, exactly! Find out what Sophie does in my debut novel.I am originally from Germany but now live in Bristol in the UK with my husband and two children. When I don't write (and I am busy with the sequel to Sophie's Turn!) I volunteer as a teaching assistant in a local primary school. I love listening to rock music, I am an avid reader, and I knit. Oh, and I like cooking when it doesn't involve another 'spag bol' for the kids...
I am thrilled to be part of this group and look forward to many discussions. Meanwhile, you can find my author's page right here on Goodreads, or visit my blog at http://nickywellsklippert.wordpress.com/. I am open to questions and discussion so feel free to launch a new string... when you're ready! X OH and I do virtual book club talks so get in touch if that grabs your interest! x
Welcome, Nicky. This is an excellent group. You'll like it.
Alex wrote: "Welcome, Nicky. This is an excellent group. You'll like it."Thanks, Alex! I look forward to meeting you all and hearing what you like to read! X
Clive wrote: "Willkommen, Nicky. Nice to have you here. Nice part of the country around Bristol. Look forward to chatting with you."Aha, A German Speaker! Danke schoen! :-) Do you know Bristol well? X
Mod
Jonna wrote: "Hi everyone! So happy to be part of such an amazing community!
Thanks Rick for the invitation. I too have published recently. My memoir Will Love For Crumbs was just released. You can follow this ..."
Nicky wrote: "Hello! I am Nicky Wells, author of rock star romance "Sophie's Turn." What would YOU do if your favourite rock star proposed... and you're already engaged to someone else? Well, exactly! Find ou..."
WELCOME W. Ralph, Nicky and Jonna! all of you have such facinating backgrounds and writings!!
Thank you so much for the invite. I am an avid reader and writer. You may find me at keishagreen.wordpress.com
Mod
Welcome Keisha!! great to have you as a member!!
Hi Nicky, I'm originally from the German part of Switzerland and live in California. We seem to have a few things in common. We're both expatriates and love books. Welcome!Christa
Hello all! Thank you for the invite, Nick. My name is Heather. I'm an avid reader and the author of Blood Warrior. I'm currently working on the second book in this series and will release it on Jan 31st... as long as my words dont fail me :) I'm so glad to be a part of the group!
Welcome to the James Mason book club, keep reading and writing and forget about the rithmetic!Ken Rossignol
Hello. My name is Edward Nudelman. I'm a poet and scientist. My new poetry book, "What Looks Like an Elephant" was just nominated as finalist for the Indie Lit Award, best poetry book, 2011. http://www.edwardnudelman.blogspot.com
Christa wrote: "Hi Nicky, I'm originally from the German part of Switzerland and live in California. We seem to have a few things in common. We're both expatriates and love books. Welcome!Christa"
Hi Christa! Goodness, Switzerland to California, that is a long way! How is your German? I had to practically re-learn when I had the kids, whom I'm trying to bring up bilingually. Have been in the UK nearly half my life! I write in English--wouldn't dream of writing in German anymore... What took you out Stateside way?
Nicky wrote: "Hello! I am Nicky Wells, author of rock star romance "Sophie's Turn." What would YOU do if your favourite rock star proposed... and you're already engaged to someone else? Well, exactly! Find ou..."Hi Nicky,
Just download your book and looking forward to reading it. Good luck.
You can check out my memoir, Will Love For Crumbs -
http://www.amazon.com/Will-Love-Crumb...
Thank you soo much for the invitation Rick. My name is Ray. I read for fun. I'll read mostly anything. Happy to be aboard an looking forward to meeting fellow readers like myself.
Hello everyone! I'm excited to be a part of this group. At the start of this year, I decided that I would like to make reading a larger part of my life and resolved to meet this goal by reading at least one book each week. I also started a blog to post reviews, track my progress, and to form a means of support for myself and other readers. I look forward to participating in some of the discussions with this group. -Ethan
http://e135-abookaweek.blogspot.com/
Mod
Ethan wrote: "Hello everyone! I'm excited to be a part of this group. At the start of this year, I decided that I would like to make reading a larger part of my life and resolved to meet this goal by reading at ..."
welcome Ray and Ethan- super to have you with us!
Joshua Heights here , and hello to all. Thank you Rick for the invite and becoming a fan of my work. I am hoping to learn something from all of you interesting writers and readers. Here is a link to my main website and from there you can bounce around and see what I am up to. Joshua http://joshuaheights.weebly.com/index...
Hello all! Thanks very much to Rick for the invite, glad to be here. I'm an avid reader whose main love is all things genre (sf, fantasy, horror), but who tries to read quite widely. I love non-fiction, narrative history especially, and am quite partial to thrillers as well. I look forward to sharing some GREATreads with all of you! Joel
Mod
Joshua wrote: "Joshua Heights here , and hello to all. Thank you Rick for the invite and becoming a fan of my work. I am hoping to learn something from all of you interesting writers and readers. Here is a link t..."
GREAT WELCOME to Joel and Joshua!!
Welcome to the group. It's fun to see folks discover this interesting forum...
Thanks for the opportunity to join your group. I am an author and reader of mysteries. I have just published ON MESSAGE, the first in the Jillian Hillcrest series. Jillian is a PR executive at a small Silicon Valley biotech company who encounters and helps solve a murder. For more: go to http://joycestrand.com and please "LIKE" Jillian at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn
I am currently reading several books including the second Stieg Larsson book, The Girl Who Played with Fire; and Deb Baker's Dolled up for Murder. Since I became an author, I have discovered so many new authors. In particular, I really enjoy Karen Cantwell's fun mysteries, Take the Monkeys and Run and Citizen Insane. I look forward to learning more from all of you.
Thanks for the invite! I'm a published short story author (with a comedy/crime series out as well as a new light romance series starting up), and an (as of yet) unpublished novelist. I love to read -- everything from sci-fi to Hemingway. I really enjoy being part of an author and reader community -- there are so many kindred souls out there who find the written word a precious thing!
Rick, thanks for the invite. I'm an avid reader in a patchwork quilt of many authors and genres. My favorites shelf is filled with mostly American Lit of the 20th Century, an emphasis on Southern Literature. However, Steinbeck is my favorite author. I read most anything from the Greek and Roman classics to contemporary post-moderns. Along the way, I may read historical mystery or science fiction. As long as a book tells a compelling story, I will most likely enjoy it.
I pursue signed first edition first printings with a passion. A good independent bookseller with a fine events calendar is a book lover's best friend.
Looking forward to good discussions and learning from those who are already members of a huge community of friendly readers.
Hi Mike, I think we have similar tastes. Steinbeck is arguably the author who really wrote The Great American Novel, if such a thing is possible. Perhaps Grapes of Wrath...
Evening Alex, It certainly sounds as if we're on the same page. We must compare bookshelves. As much as I enjoyed Grapes of Wrath, Eden will always be my favorite. Timshel, the most beautiful word in the Hebrew Language--Thou mayest, which also allows us to say Thou mayest not. Certainly looking forward to more chats.
Hi Mike, Eden would be my alternate choice. Signing off, now, back tomorrow...nice to meet you.
Hey everyone, my name is Nick and I am knew to the online reading seen. Once I found my footing so to speak I plan on being active in this group!
Mod
welcome Nick! super having you here!
Rick wrote: "Nick wrote: "Hey everyone, my name is Nick and I am knew to the online reading seen. Once I found my footing so to speak I plan on being active in this group!"welcome Nick! super having you here!"
Thanks Rick glad to be here!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Everyone,So nice to meet you. I'm a former teacher turned writer. My novels range from contemporary to historical to paranormal for teens. My most recent books are a picture book and an early reader.
My favorite book of all times is Gone With the Wind.
Have a nice weekend.
Mod
So nice to meet you. I'm a former teacher turned writer. My novels range from contemporary to historical to paranormal for teens. My most recent books are a picture book and an early ..."
Welcome Beverly- wide range for your novels! interested to hear more about them!
I became a storyteller by accident. It all began in Mexico where I attended university and where I learned to accept the supernatural as a normal part of life. From the revered opinions of the local witch, to the preparation of meals for dead grandmothers, I learned to see the world through different eyes and I came to understand that things are not always what they seem.Later, on my way to attend a university in France, I traveled to Morocco. I stopped at a marketplace in Marrakesh and while eating my lunch of dates and oranges, I watched a tattered beggar transform himself into a storyteller. He moved with the practiced gestures and fantastic expressions of his trade, surrounded by a growing circle of people who listened to him with eyes wide open, their own lives forgotten. In another culture, at another time he might have been a rich man, but here he was selling beautiful tales for coins in the dusty marketplace. I longed to be like him, this mendicant from Marrakesh.
Years later, I moved to Tokyo to teach and write articles for The Tokyo Weekender Magazine. Every day I traveled the crowded trains, sharing space and breath with millions of strangers.
There amid the crushing humanity, I watched the surreal combinations of east and west in language and life, the painful and beautiful growth that occurs when two cultures collide. I witnessed two public suicides, and felt firsthand not only the temporality of life but also the beauty of a single moment.
The time spent crushed between strangers, doors and windows of the train became a quiet meditative place where I learned to accept life and death. There on that Tokyo train, I began to write novels in my head, while that tattered beggar from Marrakesh, who had captivated me years before, whispered in my ear like a nagging dead man, “Tell me a story.”
I tell stories and write novels. My new novel is The Concubine's Gift. I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jane Austen, Truman Capote, Jack Kerouac, many more...
Hey everyone,My name is Jessie Chandler, and I'm a mystery writer out of Minneapolis. My first Shay O'Hanlon Caper, called Bingo Barge Murder, was released by Midnight Ink in May 2011. My newest book, another Shay caper, is called Hide and Snake Murder, and will be out this coming june 2012. I write wacky, quirky, humorous mysteries, and I'm honored to be in the company of such diverse and interesting folks!
Hi My name is Stephen Henning, and I have a problem.
Sorry, no. Wrong group.
I love reading - mainly action thrillers and some science fiction, and it is a pleasure to join the James Mason group. Rick, I hope you administer this site from a chic house at the top of Mount Rushmore?
I've just finished the enjoyable /Lockdown by Sean Black.
I'm also a self-published author. Hopefully one day that sentence will have the word "successful" in there too :-)
I've created a young adult thriller series called Class Heroes, which is about teenage twins who develop superpowers.
Given that us self-published types have to work twice as hard to get ourselves noticed out there, I've created quite a few free "extras" for the books (a bit like Easter Eggs, except they're not hidden). There are "fake news" videos and reports, character blogs and twitter accounts, and some excellent artwork by Andrew Skilleter (probably best known for his work on Narnia and Doctor Who books).
Have a look if you're interested. And don't worry, I don't just bang on about my own books :-)
http://www.classheroes.com
http://www.247interactivenews.com/
http://classheroes.blogspot.com
Mod
My name is Stephen Henning, and I have a problem.
Sorry, no. Wrong group.
I love reading - mainly action thrillers and some science fiction, and it is a pleasure to join the James Mason grou..."
Welcome to K, Jessie and Stephen - so wonderful to have you with us!
Hello everyone and thanks to Rick for the invitation. My debut novel is SILICONE, a medical thriller. The plot mirrors the worldwide controversy about the PIP breast implants. Reality following fiction.
Hello, my name is CommanderLotso. Thanks for the invite.This group seems pretty cool. :)
-CL
Mod
This group seems pretty cool. :)
-CL"
thanks! Welcome CL
Thank you, Rick for the invitation.First of all, I am a huge fan of James Mason!
Secondly, I used to live near the city of his birth,
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire!
I still live in Yorkshire and have been a frequent visitor to the Bronte Parsonage. That and the local moors nearby inspired my novel,
The House on Blackstone Moor published by Vamplit Publishing.
I have the sequel to my novel coming out shortly.
It is entitled, Unholy Testament and it's very dark, indeed!
It is the confession of a demon to the woman he loves.
Before I ramble on here is a brief synopsis and excerpt:
“They say my father was mad, so corrupted by evil and tainted by sin that he did what he did. I came home to find them all dead; their throats savagely cut. My sisters only five and eight were gone as well as my brother who was twelve. My mother too lay butchered in her marriage bed. The bed her children were born in…”
Thus begins The House on Blackstone Moor as young Rose Baines discovers the savage murders of her family by her mad, incestuous father.
She is plunged into a nightmare of hell and is incarcerated in two madhouses after which she is helped to obtain a position as governess at Blackstone House.
The house is located on haunted moorland. Nothing is as it seems for Blackstone House and its inhabitants have hideous secrets. There is unimaginable horror there but there is love too--love that comes at a terrible price.
I have endeavored to create a story that is as haunting as it is terrifying. I hope it will remain with the reader long after its disturbing tale has been told.
Excerpt:
“The air was still and warm; heavy. Low clouds hugged the horizon. There was the rumble of thunder too from somewhere far away.
I would have preferred to see the moors in the sunshine, the moody atmosphere made it feel grimly forbidding. I didn’t wish to spoil the children’s fun so I smiled and followed their lead.
“If you walk to town, follow along through there,” Ada pointed, “you see at the bottom of that cliff, there’s an old footpath there, you can’t miss it.”
I made a mental note of it, although I didn’t know when I might go.
The children both held onto me. “Mind your step.”
I listened, as they had already frightened me as to the moor’s dangerous conditions.
“And the weather changes so quickly too.” Simon’s voice was grave. “Sometimes an entire herd of sheep have been known to perish.”
Ada shook her head. “Not so many as that Simon don’t be such a liar!”
Simon looked angry. “It’s true, I know it is so.”
“Well,” I said. “Whether it is or isn’t, I’m certain I shall be very careful where I tread.”
Each of them, it seemed to me, was vying with the other for my attention.
Ada pointed out rocks and brush and Simon spoke of yet more doom and gloom.
Suddenly, they began to pull me forward. “This is the most fantastic thing you will ever see! Oh do hurry Miss Baines!” Ada was most impatient.
Simon tapped her. “She will see it in her own good time.”
“What is it children? What do you wish me to see?”
They exchanged mysterious looks; I thought to further dramatize the situation.
“Yonder. Do you want to see the ancient stone of legend?”
“What legend is that, Simon?”
Ada spoke up. “The legend of Blackstone Moor of course.”
They began to drag me then toward a rocky mount. “Just in here.”
I was led through a narrow crevice. It quite reminded me of Stonehenge. I wondered what it could be and began to grow excited too.
Suddenly we stopped, Simon pointed at a large flat rock. “There, that’s it!”
It looked like a ledge that had been deliberately laid down. I went to touch it but Ada warned me. “Touch it only if you dare.”
“I dare!” I cried. The surface was far smoother than I would have imagined.
“See how black it is, miss?”
“Quite black!” I agreed.
Simon nodded. “It’s as black as the eternal night and do you know why it’s black Miss Baines? It’s black with blood!”
“Simon!”
“Yes truly! It has blackened with blood and gore too and innards and guts and things that soaked into the stone!”
“What a thing to say! Where did you hear such things?”
“I just know! Ada and I both know.”
This was the final straw, I drew him aside. “Simon,” I said. “You should know better.
This is not something either of you should think about; it’s worse for Ada since she’s younger than you. You Simon ought to know better.”
He looked down. “I suppose, but Ada’s older than you think!”
“Is she indeed, well I don’t think it appropriate, do you understand me?”
“Yes Miss Baines.”
“I don’t think it’s a subject for children. Besides, it’s probably not true anyway!”
He was agreeing with me, yet there appeared across his face the most quizzical look.
“But there were human sacrifices practiced on these moors once and all manner of dark rites too. Many people died here.”
This was making me feel sick.
“Who told you this?”
“No one.”
“Don’t lie to me Simon.”
“Someone, I can’t say…” Ada was watching him wide-eyed. Clearly she didn’t want him to give me a name, but I continued to press him.At last he cracked. “Dora! It was Dora! Do you feel better now?”
“It’s not that I feel better, I just wanted to know who told you such things.”
Ada looked at me intently. “Please you won’t have Dora punished, will you?”
“No of course not, but whatever do you mean?”
Ada shook her head. “She might be severely punished that’s all.”
She quite unsettled me with that, but then I took it to mean she might be turned off without a reference. “Well I shall only speak to her about it then, alright?”
“Oh yes, miss. Thank you.”
I took their hands then and we headed back to the house, the children walking just ahead of me whispering with me just behind them wondering what they were saying..."
End of excerpt.
Thanks for the invite! I'm a novelist, blogger, and freelance writer. My debut novel, a supernatural thriller entitled THE RESURRECTION (Realms, 2011), was a finalist in the 2011 INSPY awards for faith-driven fiction. I've written a fantasy novella entitled WINTERLAND, and THE TELLING (Realms 2012), my sophomore novel, is due out this spring. You can learn more about me, my writing projects, favorite music, cultural commentary, and arcane interests, at www.mikeduran.com.
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THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
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