King Trevor Has Arrived

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

I’ve got two fun guests today! We’ll be talking about author Susan Helene Gottfried’s new book King Trevor. This is the sequel to her first novel, Trevor’s Song. You’ve probably guessed that one of my guests is Susan, this book’s author. The other guest has come strapped with attitude, so be prepared. His name is Trevor Wolff, otherwise known as King Trevor. By the way, for those of you unfamiliar with Trevor, he’s not called ‘King’ because he’s true royalty. He’s a rock star and the ‘King’ bit is all about his ego. :shock:

Before we get too involved with Trevor, here’s a brief introduction to his creator:

Susan Helene Gottfried is the author of ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 1, ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 2, Trevor’s Song, ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 3, and King Trevor.

A tone-deaf rocker-at-heart, Susan worked in retail record stores, in radio stations, as stage crew, and as a promoter while earning two college degrees in creative writing.

You can connect with Susan in the following places:

Website: http://westofmars.com
Blog: http://westofmars.com/blog
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/WestofMars or @WestofMars
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WestofMarsFans

***

Now for a look at the book:

The aftermath of his onstage collapse has taken its toll on Trevor Wolff. He’s become a virtual shut-in, dependent on the people around him to help in his healing. To make matters worse, he might have hung up his bass for good.

This is not the Trevor Wolff way.

When Mitchell hatches a plan to turn Trevor into the official King of ShapeShifter, it sounds like bunk. However, when Mitchell finds the perfect building to repurpose, the Big Idiot hires the best architect around—the brother-in-law he’s never met. Trevor can’t help but smell secrets that awaken the person he used to be.

After all, there’s nothing Trevor Wolff likes more than intrigue—except maybe a chance to square off against his arch-nemesis: Mitchell’s wife, Kerri.

***

On to the fun part – a chat with Trevor and Susan. For those of you yet to meet Trevor, this is not him in a foul mood. This is him on a normal day. :lol:

Trevor…

Despite your status as King, much of this story revolves around Kerri. How do you feel about sharing your spotlight with her?

I’ll never like sharing anything with her, especially books with my name on them. And Mitchell. And the fucking dining room table. Or the table in the kitchen. Or… well, anything. That covers it, doesn’t it?

I do love your restraint. :lol:

Your illness and recovery process have prevented you from touring. Do you miss it?

Do you get paid to ask stupid questions? Of course I miss it; it was all I did for years. Now, there’s no one around to chase around with our rubber snake, or smack with one of those sticky hands, or … yeah. Go read the books. You can see the sort of fun I used to have. Wouldn’t you miss it?

Actually, I’m not getting paid to ask questions, stupid or otherwise. Maybe that’s the problem. :???:

I’m sure you received lots of get well cards and gifts from fans. Do you have a favorite? Did anything stand out as funny or unusual?

Mitchell wouldn’t let me see anything that made it past management. Talk to him about it.

Leaving out your own music, what are the top 5 favorites on your playlist?

Bands you’ve never heard of because Trevor Wolff lives in a parallel universe that exists simply so Susan can make shit up without anyone getting pissed that she fucked up the details.

Ah, yes, how could I have forgotten? :oops:

Susan…

Each of the characters in both Trevor’s Song and King Trevor has a distinct personality. What is your approach to character development?

I let them run around my brain and interact and come alive. Maybe I’m actually schizophrenic, but I doubt it. After all, the only thing I do that they tell me to is write down their activities.

Seriously, that’s the approach. I take a real-life situation or experience and drop my characters into it and say, “Go. What do YOU do?” Instead of putting myself on the characters, I like to step back and watch them do their thing.

You’re also a super talented professional editor. I know from experience that you keep all your suggestions true to the specific characters and storyline. I’m not an editor, but occasionally when I’m reading a story I find myself saying things like, I wouldn’t have gone that route. Do you find it difficult not to interject your own thoughts on where a story should go or how a character should react?

No, not really – I’ve been hired to do a specific job, so I focus on doing that job. However, I also work as a paid book reviewer for one of the big, long-time media outlets such as Kirkus or Publisher’s Weekly. When I read those books, I often yell at them. Not that it’s the book’s fault, but sometimes, all you can do is shoot the messenger.

You know I have to ask: Do you foresee a third book for Trevor?

Not at the present moment, although you’re not the first or last to have asked that question!

I think it will depend on how sales go. Right now, the books aren’t selling enough to justify the time spent on more Trevor instead of new characters, who will pull fresh people into my world.

If you could spend the day with any one rock star, who would you pick and why?

Okay, steel yourself for this answer. Most people automatically assume I am going to answer this by picking James Hetfield, the lead singer/rhythm guitarist of Metallica. After all, the Mighty Metallica is, far and above all else, my favorite band. Ever. I may even like them more than my own fictional creation, ShapeShifter. Maybe.

But to spend a day with someone? Dude. Gotta be Axl Rose.

Why? Because he’s effing nuts and equally as brilliant (I think). Because I want to know if the reality matches the version of W. Axl Rose that, over the years, I’ve created for myself.

I love Axl in all his craziness! But spending an entire day with him? I must be getting old because the prospect scares me a little! :lol:

Anything else you’d like to say?

On behalf of Trevor, I’d like to thank you, Darcia, for hosting us today!

Thank you, Susan and Trevor, for hanging out with us here!

***

Here are Susan’s books on Amazon, in both print and Kindle format:

You can find Susan’s books in a variety of other online stores, including Smashwords and Barnes and Noble.

I hope you’ll take the time to connect with Susan.

Thanks for reading. :)




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Secrets In The Making

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: In The Works

I’m working on the blurb for my upcoming novel Secrets. I have two versions below and would love some opinions. Do you like the first, the second, or a mixture of the two?

***

SURVIVAL

Samantha’s monsters aren’t under the bed; they’re the people she calls Mom and Dad.

ESCAPE

She makes it out alive, her sanity barely intact.

LIES

She creates a new past that manages to fool everyone, including herself.

HOPE

She discovers a world of love and security, built on her house of lies.

SECRETS

Samantha’s past comes full circle. Will she survive it this time?

***

MONSTERS

They aren’t under the bed; they’re the people Samantha calls Mom and Dad.

SURVIVAL

She escapes with her sanity barely intact.

LIES

A new identity fools everyone, including herself.

HOPE

A life filled with love and security teeters on its base of lies.

SECRETS

When it all comes crumbling down, will Samantha make it out alive?

***

If you hate them both, go ahead and say so. I’ll sob quietly. :cry:

Thanks for reading. :)





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Web of Lies

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

My guest today is author Sarah Tate, a remarkable woman whose memoir Web of Lies – My Life with a Narcissist reads like a psychological suspense novel. Before we get to the book, let’s meet the woman behind the words:

Sarah Tate is a single mother living and working in Switzerland. She arrived in Switzerland ten years ago and apart from a brief stay in France, has remained ever since, as Switzerland has become her adopted homeland.

Sarah has three young kids, who take up most of her time, but she still managed to find time to write her first book ‘Web of Lies – My life with a Narcissist’. The book is an auto-biographical novel which describes in graphic details, the ups and downs of life with a person who suffers from (amongst other things) Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Web of Lies takes the reader on an emotional journey and gives a deep insight into what it’s like to be sucked into the world of a disordered individual, and more importantly, how to escape with your sanity in tact.

Her second book, with the title ‘Renaissance – A Journal of Discovery‘ was released in March 2011. It describes the road to recovery from narcissistic abuse, and charts the progress of Sarah and her children as they rebuild their lives following the break up of the family, and slowly come to terms with the devastation caused by Sarah’s ex.

***

This is the book we’ll be discussing:

Web of Lies takes you on an emotional roller-coaster, experienced through the eyes of Sarah Tate, an intelligent, young newcomer to Switzerland who is swept off her feet by an older, more experienced company manager. Within weeks of their meeting, Bill impresses her with a courtship vastly unusual in modern times. He lures Sarah with his intellect along with numerous gifts, expensive restaurants, and trips to luxury hotels. Sarah, who is searching for not only love but security, quickly finds herself falling for the worldly but sensitive and caring man Bill represents himself to be. In Web of Lies, she describes the highs and the lows of what it is like to be involved with a person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), how to come to terms with the abuse, and most importantly, how to escape.

***

Now for a chat with Sarah:

What made you decide to write your story and share it with the world?

I knew from the very beginning that I had an important story to tell. Many of my friends and family encouraged me to get the whole experience down on paper whilst it was still fresh in my mind. Once I began researching the psychology behind what had happened, I was struck by how few ‘real life case histories’ are out there for public consumption. I wanted to write a book that was not only a gripping read, but could also be used as a tool to help others who have suffered in a similar situation. My motivation in writing Web of Lies was to help others (both men and women) to spot the red flags, by seeing these traits being played out in an everyday situation. I also wanted give the readers hope that there is a way back from it.

A big part of your struggle seemed to be getting past your own guilt. You felt responsible for much of the problems in your relationship, which I think is all too common with women. Looking back, why do you think it was so much easier to blame yourself, rather than see your husband for what he was?

Not only is guilt a common problem for most women, invoking feelings of guilt is also a huge part of the Modus Operandi of the psychopath. It wasn’t really a question of it being ‘easier’ to blame myself, it was a question of being manipulated into genuinely believing that I was the one who was failing in the marriage. This is all too common in these situations, and I’ve heard from countless women and men who all had a ‘lightbulb’ moment whilst reading the book, realizing that they too were blaming themselves instead of recognizing that they were being manipulated. It’s very easy with hindsight to spot the red flags and glaring lies, but when the person concerned is a practiced pathological liar, they can easily pull the wool over your eyes. I’ve written articles about this on my blog and websites. I feel that an important part of the process of recovery is to recognize which of your own character traits left you open for manipulation or exploitation by the NPD/APD. A narcissist/sociopath/psychopath cannot sustain a relationship unless the partner provides a source of supply. Once you have recognized that you are the supply, you’re half way to making the break.

I’ve had my own experience with a pathological liar, and you’re so right about the manipulation. That’s an excellent point about recognizing what it is or was in yourself that allowed the manipulation to go on.

At the end of your book, you state, “The key to successful recovery lies in the letting go.” Have you been able to let go?

I won’t pretend it’s easy to let go, especially when you have to live day to day with the fallout of the toxic relationship. Getting out of the situation is only the very beginning. Recovery is a process which can take many years. I wasted a great deal of energy on self-recrimination; you can read about that in the book. I no longer feel those emotions. I have recognized my mistakes and I’ve accepted them. I have also recognized his character traits, and accepted them too. There is no longer any blame. This is what I refer to as ‘letting go’.

How are your children coping with their father’s absence?

Children are amazing and incredibly resilient. I took great care from the very beginning to get the best advice to enable me to support them through what was initially a grieving process.
All children require to thrive is love and security. As long as they have your attention, and feel loved, they are happy. Mine no longer ask about why their father left. They have accepted that it was what he needed to do. They were incredibly young when he left and they have now spent longer without him than they did with him. They still mention him from time to time, but he has become a figure from the past.

As they grow, they will no doubt want to learn more, and I will always remain honest and open with them about what happened and why I made the decisions I did.

Narcissism is just one of many personality disorders. Often, a person will have a combination of two or more. Now that you’ve escaped the situation and can look back on things clearly, what signs do you wish you’d seen earlier? Are there personality traits that stand out as things to avoid?

There are several levels of narcissism and not all of them are dangerous. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is when narcissism becomes pathological. It is one of the Cluster B variety of disorders, grouped together with APD (Antisocial Personality Disorder….ie. a sociopath/psychopath), Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder. This cluster of disorders almost always has co-morbidity with other disorders in the group.

NPD and APD are closely related. I think it’s safe to say that whilst not all narcissists are psychopaths, ALL psychopaths are narcissists.

Looking back, I wish I’d spotted the superficial aspects of Bill’s character much sooner. I was unable to spot many of the red flags because I was ignorant to the personality disorders being displayed. The only way to recognize these traits it to learn what to spot:

Elevated sense of self importance
Over exaggeration of personal achievements
Disregard for the feelings/achievements of others
Inability to empathize
Superficial charm

Do you have advice for women who feel they might be married to or involved with a narcissist?

If you can, get out. Cut off the supply. There is no cure for pathological narcissism and psychopathy. Try to talk to somebody about what you’re experiencing. There is a wealth of information available on line, and also many fantastic support fora. Sharing your experience with others makes you feel less alone and more able to face up to what is happening.

I know nothing about Switzerland but your book made me want to visit. What is it about the country that you fell in love with?

The peace and tranquility, the pristine beauty of the mountains and the lakes, and the sedate way of life. All these things were a big attraction initially. I believe it’s a great place for children to spend their younger years, as it’s generally a very safe place with little crime. I would certainly recommend it for a holiday, you’ll be blown away by the scenery!

You’ve written a follow-up to Web of Lies, entitled Renaissance – A Journal of Recovery, which is currently available. You’ve also stepped into the fiction world with a psychological thriller called In the Shadow of an Angel. Can you tell us about that book? When will it be available?

‘Shadow’ will now actually be the fourth book, the second fictional title. I’m currently working on another book entitled ‘The Middle Aged Twist’, which is the story of two lifelong friends who meet at University against the back drop of the early nineties party scene. Their lives then take very different paths, but they both struggle with depression and addiction as they grow older. Their lives are intertwined, but both cope with their demons in very different ways. It’s a book about triumph and tragedy, which I hope a lot of people will find both interesting and moving. I’m about a third of the way through it, and plan to have a finished manuscript by late June.

I can’t wait to read it!

Thank you, Sarah, for joining me here today.

***

You can watch the trailer for Web of Lies below, or you can find it on YouTube:

You can find Sarah’s books in both Kindle and print format on Amazon:

If you’d like to learn more about Sarah and her writing, you can find her in the following places:

Author Website: www.sarahtateauthor.com
Awareness Website: www.waking-you-up.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Tate-Author/358586909900
Blog: http://singlemumsal.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SarahTateAuthor or @SarahTateAuthor

I hope you’ll take the time to connect with Sarah and learn more about her journey in life.

Thanks for reading. :)




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Caught Reading – Embarrassing Evidence

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: General Nonsense

May is Get Caught Reading Month!

Let the world know how much you love to read. Get caught with a book in your hands!

Just this morning, I caught Sid reading one of my books…

I caught my Mom reading all the way back in 1975 and I still have the evidence:

I caught my Dad reading the newspaper in 1979. (I also caught him paying homage to the disco era):

In 1985, I caught my grandmother reading to Anthony, my oldest son:

I caught my husband reading on the beach in 2002:

Later that year, my husband caught me reading in my parents’ backyard. I was reading to Sid. He’s quite the educated dog:

This is the month to proudly show off your reading material! Go ahead and get caught. Sneak around and catch someone else. Just remember, the evidence will be preserved forever, so you might want to lose the disco shirt. :lol:




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Let’s Go Treasure Hunting!

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

I’m excited to present something a little different today. My guests are Les and Sue Fox and they’ve written a book called The Art Hunters Handbook: How To Buy Art For $5 And Sell It For $1,000,000. Here’s a look:

The Art Hunters Handbook is an Antiques Roadshow type book that reveals Trade Secrets to hunting down valuable paintings at garage sales and flea markets. The cover photo is the true story of Ripening Pears, a 19th century masterpiece by Joseph Decker bought at a garage sale for $5 and sold to the National Gallery of Art for $1,000,000! Will you find a million-dollar painting for five bucks? Probably not. But you might find a $5,000 painting for $100. Think Of This Book As A Lottery Ticket, the Foxes claim, With Better Odds. The Art Hunters Handbook is a profusely illustrated art book for the average person, not just art collectors, who’d like to make money while having fun. Based on decades of personal experience, it contains dozens of exciting stories of art discovered in garage sales, schools, attics, basements, farmhouses, estates, even in the trash, often bought for very little and sold for a lot. However, in order to find some of the millions of undiscovered paintings that may be waiting for you just around the corner, the authors need to teach you the basics of Art Appraisals (they offer Free Art Appraisals to the general public), and How To Sell Art At Auction, including Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Believe it or not, by following the simple Art Hunter Tips in this book (like don’t assume a painting isn’t valuable just because you don’t like it, especially modern art), and comparing the Artist Profiles of 120 American, European and Latin American artists, Les and Fox say they’d be surprised if you don’t find several valuable paintings a year. How valuable? That’s the thrill of the chase! Although this book is intended for everyone who loves TV shows like The Antiques Roadshow, American Pickers, Pawn Stars and Buried Treasure, the Foxes are knowledgeable art experts with a knack for plain talk and common sense. You won’t be intimidated by this art book. Instead, will find it as entertaining as a page-turner novel. But what you’ll also like is that your $16.95 investment may come back to you a hundred-fold, or maybe a thousand-fold or more, if that weird painting of colored rectangles, or people eating dinner, or a winter landscape, turns out to be something unexpected. The Art Hunters Handbook is not about finding Picassos or Van Goghs. Forgetaboutit. This book will teach you about the other 240,000 listed artists whose paintings are worth $1,000 to $10,000,000, most of whom you’ve probably never heard of. Like Lyonel Feininger, Emile Gruppe, Hayley Lever. One of these three artists is worth millions. The other two are generally worth $5,000 to $25,000. The only way to find out who’s who, and how you can cash in on becoming an Art Hunter, with Les and Sue Fox as your personal guides, is to read The Art Hunters Handbook.

***

This is really a fun book for both art lovers and anyone who enjoys estate sales and secondhand shops. I learned quite a bit by reading this! Les and Sue are super nice people, who agreed to answer my questions and share some of their knowledge with us today. Here’s our chat:

How did the two of you first get involved with art hunting?

Actually, we started buying art on our honeymoon in 1968! We stayed at a nice hotel in upstate New York when someone told us about a local art auction, which sounded exciting. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we had just received some wedding gifts. It was enough to buy a few inexpensive paintings and lithographs in very attractive frames. In time, we learned that the frames were worth more than the art. The lithographs were by famous artists like Mark Chagall. But while Chagall’s originals are worth millions, most of his lithographs are only worth $10 to $100. This was the beginning of a life-long quest to understand the value of art. We are self-taught art experts.

According to your research, an estimated 50 million valuable paintings are out there waiting to be discovered. In your opinion, how did all these valuable paintings get overlooked for such a long time?

Most valuable paintings “in private hands” were inherited from people who bought them from the original artists, or from galleries, at very reasonable prices many years ago. While the best paintings in the world (Monet, Picasso, Rockwell, etc.) are in museums and billionaire art collections, millions of lesser works by famous or semi-famous artists are still hanging on the walls of people who like them but who often have no idea of their true value. When someone leaves art to their children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, surprisingly it isn’t always appraised professionally. As described in the chapter titled “Art Just Around The Corner” in The Art Hunters Handbook, a woman who worked as a seamstress for a wealthy New York family gave two valuable 19th century paintings by the famous American “Hudson River School” artist Jasper Cropsey to her family, which she had apparently received as a gift from her employer. For decades, the paintings were believed to be reproductions and the family almost used them as a dart board before discovering the truth, and selling them at auction for $840,000! In addition to the 50 million valuable paintings waiting for art hunters to find them, there are probably 50 billion pieces of junk! Many people can’t tell the difference, especially with modern art.

I’m one of those people who can’t tell the difference!

One of the things you point out in your book is that the value or art doesn’t have anything to do with its beauty or appeal. Instead, the value depends on the artist’s fame. I’ve always been curious about this. What brings fame to one artist, while another, whose work might be more appealing to the majority, never reaches the same stature?

Fame is hard to explain, not only in art but in music, literature, sports and Hollywood as well. But there is something very original and distinctive about the work of famous artists, even modernists like Mark Rothko who painted gigantic rectangles now worth up to $70 million apiece, and Jackson Pollock, whose “drip paintings” sometimes appear to be the creation of a child or a chimpanzee! Famous artists all have a “voice” that sets them apart from others. You may not like the voice of some artists, but when knowledgeable art critics, museums, prestigious art galleries and other connoisseurs put their stamp of approval on an artist, he or she will become famous. That is no easy task. True, you don’t automatically become famous by painting “pretty pictures” like Thomas Kinkade, and an artist doesn’t become famous just because he dies. It’s a lifetime process. Most famous artists were taught by other famous artists, they attended important art schools, they showed their paintings at hundreds of public exhibitions, they had a vision, they were obsessed, they were dramatically different, and they often struggled for 10 to 40 years before achieving serious recognition. Ironically, Vicent Van Gogh, one of the most famous artists of all time, did not receive fame or even commercial success during his brief lifetime of only 37 years. This is because he was the first “Expressionist”, which describes an artist who paints what he feels, not just what he sees. Even the French Impressionists, who had just broken away from the traditional Barbizon / Realism art genre, did not understand or accept Van Gogh’s new voice and great talent. They said he was ruining Impressionism. In fact, he was transforming Impressionism into Modernism which now embraces every style of art.

Of the artists included in your book, do you have a favorite?

Our favorite artist is Fern Coppedge, the only female member of the “Pennsylvania Impressionists” group (or the New Hope School) led by Daniel Garber and Edward Redfield, All three artists are showcased in The Art Hunters Handbook, and can be seen at The Michener Museum in Doylestown, PA. Fern was a prolific artist who painted seasonal landscapes, including phenomenal winter scenes along the Delaware River and primarily in Bucks County. She also painted very nice harbor scenes in Gloucester, Massachusetts. She did not paint portraits, and people almost never appear in her outdoor scenes. Like Van Gogh, Coppedge took the liberty of painting what she felt and frequently altered the colors of her landscapes to suit her inner self. Her paintings generally keep to the standard of Impressionism, but they are stylized in a way that none of the other Bucks County artists did. We own two painting by Fern Coppedge, one from the 1930′s and one from “New Year’s Day, 1949″ (dated in fountain pen on the stretcher). They’re worth $50,000 to $100,000 apiece, and we bring them to art events and book signings to show people what can still be found. Both paintings were found in attics, one in Florida in 2009, the other in Pennsylvania in 2004.

Is there one state or area of the country where these undiscovered gems turn up for often, or are more likely to be found?

Although valuable paintings literally turn up everywhere, a higher percentage seem to be found in Florida, the Carolinas and the southern states. Maybe because when people retire, they bring their stuff with them. Surprisingly, we are offered a lot of art from people in Minnesota and California, as well as New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Because people move a lot, family treasures get scattered about the country. If someone is thinking of taking a cross-country road trip they could probably recover the cost of the trip by visiting flea markets, garage sales and antiques shops along the way, accompanied by our book, a computer and a cell phone!

My husband loves this idea!

What is your favorite piece of art that you’ve found yourself, and where did you find it?

We bought a 30″ x 36″ oil painting by the Indiana Impressionist Edward K. Williams on eBay about 8 years ago. It’s dated 1922, and it was either painted on a farm in Wisconsin or Indiana. Williams was in the process of moving east at the time and there is no documentation as to exactly where this beautiful painting was done. The painting surfaced in Chicago, where someone had apparently nailed it to the wall as a decoration for many years. Fortunately, the small nail holes were very close to the edge of the canvas and were covered by the frame. Other than this slight mistreatment of Williams’ earliest known masterpiece, the painting was fresh and original. The eBay auction enjoyed competitive bidding from several serious Indiana collectors, and we had to pay $35,000 for the painting. A similar painting (which we don’t think is as nice) is shown in our book. It was sold in an Indiana auction in 2005 for $70,000.

Tell us about the Art Auction Partnership.

We began our “Art Auction Partnership” program in 2006 when we realized that people with valuable art for sale had only two choices: (1) Sell to a dealer for a fixed price, where the dealer kept the entire profit, or (2) Sell at auction, which takes 3-6 months with no guarantee of what the price will be, or if your painting will even sell. So we came up with a creative alternative: Sell to us for a fair price based on previous auction sales, then we put the painting up at auction and share the profit 50-50 with the original owner. For example, if we think a painting is likely to bring $25,000, we might buy it for $15,000 to $20,000 plus half the auction profit. The price we pay up front is a guaranteed minimum, and we pay as much as any other dealer would pay. But we are the only dealers, or as we call ourselves, art auction brokers, who will share our profit with the original owner. Because we sometimes lose money at auction, we are very selective in the paintings we choose for this program. We don’t buy paintings worth less than $3-$5,000, and we try to choose paintings with “eye appeal” or historical perspective in the hope that this will translate to strong competition at auction, which is what drives prices up. By the way, we are happy to appraise paintings for people at no charge if they send us good digital photos of both sides of the paintings, the artist’s name and the size. We only appraise original paintings, not prints or reproductions, by artists with public auction records. All of this is explained in great detail in our book. (Note: The 120 artists in our book are not necessarily easy to find. But they clearly illustrate why you shouldn’t judge a book, or a painting, by its cover! We can research an online database of 240,000 artists with 5,000,000 auction records to determine current market values.)

You’ve written several books on the art of collecting, including The U.S. Rare Coin Handbook (which my husband has) and The Beanie Baby Handbook. Are there ways to tell at the start when a certain toy or product will become a collectible?

To be honest, it’s hard to tell when something like Beanie Babies will become a national obsession. In April, 1997, when we published the first edition of The Beanie Baby Handbook, the toy had been around for three or four years. Beanie Babies didn’t become a huge phenomenon until “Lefty” and “Righty” became the hot collectibles of the 1996 Democratic convention. At that point, the manufacturer, Ty, Inc. decided to start “retiring” Beanie Babies, which created “limited editions” instead of an unlimited open production run. A woman in Chicago named Peggy Gallagher published the first book about Beanie Babies, titled “The Beanie Baby Phenomenon” which was an instant success. We published the second book, and the most successful. The Beanie Baby Handbook became the # 2 New York Times bestseller for 6 months, selling 4,000,000 copies. This allowed us to develop our Art Auction Partnership business. It would be nice to know what little-known toy or product will become a huge collectible. Rare coins and high quality art are staples. They will always enjoy a large collecting base, from modest prices to millions of dollars. So we just stick with the winners!

Thank you, Les and Sue, for joining me here today!

***

This book is a brand new release! Here it is on Amazon:

You can learn more about Les and Sue Fox, and their world of art, on their website: www.AmericanArtAdvisor.com

I hope you’ll get a copy of The Art Hunters Handbook: How To Buy Art For $5 And Sell It For $1,000,000 and go on your own treasure hunt! You never know what you’ll find in Grandma’s attic or your neighbor’s garage sale!

Thanks for reading. :)




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What Do You Get Out Of Fiction?

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: General Nonsense

I was recently asked a question that made me pause and really consider my answer. The question, and my answer, made me wonder – What do you get out of fiction?

What would you like your readers to take away from your books?

This is a difficult question for me to answer. I could list a dozen things I’d love readers to take away from any one of my books. Each has underlying themes, sometimes intentional, sometimes not. While important aspects of the various plots, I hope these issues never come across as preachy or overpowering. The best themes are always subtle.

The reason this is a difficult question for me is because fiction is a personal venture. Each reader approaches a book from a different vantage point. Their own experiences in life give different shades of color to all they see, hear, and read. Telling someone what I’d like him/her to get from a book takes away their crayons. I want them to color the pictures along with me.

People who know me won’t be surprised to learn I’m interested in social justice – or the lack thereof. These issues pop up in much of my writing. For instance, with Beyond Salvation a reader might rethink the homeless situation here in the U.S. With Enemies and Playmates, a reader might get a different perspective on domestic abuse.

Into The Light might be less subtle in its themes because they are woven into Max’s character and his journey. To follow Max’s story means taking in and examining the things he learns about himself. In part, this book is about loss, regret, and what happens when we allow other people to shape our opinions of ourselves. I would love for readers to learn from Max and maybe shed a bit of the baggage we all carry with us.

That being said, the primary goal of fiction should always be entertainment. Ultimately, my answer is simple: I hope my readers take away a smile and a feeling of time well spent.





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Gone, But Never Forgotten

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

My guest today has experienced the worst imaginable tragedy – the loss of a child. I hope you’ll read on, because Julie Elizabeth Powell is an incredible woman and she’s sharing her gift with the world.

Hello everyone. If you haven’t guessed by now I have a passion for words and have ten books published…all thanks to Lulu and Kindle, much hard work and sleepless nights.
My eldest daughter has flown the nest and is married to a man who doesn’t mind his mother-in-law though my son is still fluffing his feathers.

My middle child is off on a mysterious adventure, the like of which I can only guess…and tried to do so in my first book, Gone.

I love to read and am looking for ways to double time so to indulge in the mysterious and wonderful and delicious and strange…my favourite kind of story.

Writing is my passion, though I enjoy creating handcrafted cards, jewellery making, scrapbooking and dabbling in encaustic art whenever I can.

Oh yes, I used to teach or mark exam papers but now concentrate on writing and enjoying my new life, which materialised, as if by a miracle. Though still dislike all those necessary domestic chores that would, for me, be included in the Rings of Hell!

That’s it. Thank you to anyone who reads my books…enjoy the flight!

***

We’ll be discussing two of Julie’s books – Slings & Arrows, the nonfiction account of Samantha’s life and death, and Gone, the magical tale inspired by Samantha. Here’s a look:

Nobody expects to lose a child but when it happens what can we do? In the sea of grief that seizes the soul how can we swim against the tide? But when that loss is compounded in each minute of every day, what do we do then?

Slings and Arrows is a story about the consequences of a moment, a moment, which separates a mother and daughter in ways impossible to imagine.

It charts their parallel lives, each suffering, one knowing, one not.

It is brutally honest; an account filled with bewilderment, guilt, anger and pain yet it also holds the key to hope. That whatever happens, the bonds of love can never be broken.

***

After Charley dies in her office chair, how is it that she finds herself propelled into the mysterious world of Avalon?

Upon encountering an essence, which insists is her daughter – the one she knows she left behind – insanity battles with fear inside her mind.

The further she delves, the more puzzling things appear, especially after she rises into the Orb of Caprice – a realm of fairies, talking flowers and goblins…and something else, something that lurks in the shadows ready to swallow her whole.

Can she realise in time what it is she must do…or has she left it too late?

Gone is a story inspired by a true event.

***

Little input is needed from me here. Let’s get right to my chat with Julie:

Before we talk about the books, please tell us about Samantha before the tragedy.

Samantha was born (1982) with transposition of the main arteries, two holes in her heart and a blocked valve. When she was eight months old she had corrective heart surgery and all seemed fine until her heart stopped and she died for the first time…leaving her severely brain damaged. I will say that before she ‘vanished’ she was brave, intelligent, funny, loving and kind, and I imagine that without the tragic event she would have attempted to conquer the world!

Let’s start with Slings & Arrows. Samantha was born with a heart defect requiring surgery. My older son was very sick and had major surgery at 27 days old. While I can’t even begin to compare my situation with yours, a couple things that stood out for me were the guilt and the fear. We can’t help but wonder if we are somehow responsible for our child’s defect. How did you cope with that? Is it something you’ve been able to move past?

It’s every woman’s nightmare that something terrible should happen to her child and I’m sorry that any must suffer – and it’s good to know your son is okay. However, guilt and fear do play a major part in times like these and yes, speaking for myself; I did take on the responsibility for what happened.

Having said that, knowing of my ex-husband’s heart disorder, we consulted a doctor and we were told that it would be impossible for it to be passed down to children because his was caused by his mother catching German measles during the first three months of pregnancy, therefore… How wrong they were. We didn’t find out until many, many years later that Samantha had indeed the very same defects as my ex-husband.

Although that didn’t stop me from taking the blame. I do still carry the burden, although since being with my present husband, he has helped me enormously in the healing process. He is understanding, and never minds how much I talk about her…in fact encourages me. I now try to celebrate her life –those two years before she died the first time – and keep in my heart the precious memories of how wonderful she was. I will never ‘get over it’ but with the right person in my life, it has made me feel that I deserve to live, despite my powerlessness and guilt in allowing her to suffer the way she did for seventeen years.

Writing the books have helped me address some of the issues, although I wrote Gone before she died the second time (trying to answer the ‘whys’) and Slings & Arrows I couldn’t write until after she was finally at peace. Though I will add that fear still remains, especially for my other two children (now grown), that something may happen and I will lose them.

I can only imagine how that fear lingers, regardless of how old your children are and how many years pass. And kudos to your husband! I’m glad you’ve found the love and support you deserve.

I admire your unflinching honesty in telling this story. You talk about how, after Samantha died the first time and was brought back to live in a vegetative state, you sometimes wished her dead. Some readers might initially feel this is a selfish, even horrifying, thing for a mother to feel. I actually think it’s the most humane reaction a mother could have. In situations like Samantha’s, do you think a parent should have the option of ending the misery in a safe and gentle way?

Yes, I wished her dead. And yes, many will be shocked by this statement. However, I can only say that after years and years and years of watching my daughter suffer, as her body and limbs twisted out of control, as her mind remained lost, with no understanding of whom I was or what was happening to her or why she had to suffer so, I could only wish for her torment to end. If that sounds selfish then so be it. In my opinion there are far worse things than death.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Do you have any advice for a parent who has lost a child, or is going through something similar to your family’s experience?

Advice? I think that’s impossible. All the emotions are real and you’ll feel and think some terrible things. All I can say is try to be kind to yourself, ignore the protestations /condemnation of others and do what’s best for you and your child. And it’s good if you have support and can talk things through. Being isolated is extremely difficult. And keep hoping.

Gone, a magical tale inspired by Samantha, takes place in a fantasy realm called Avalon. Tell us about your creation process. Did you sit down and purposely outline what Avalon would be, or did you go on the journey along with Charley?

I had no idea about Avalon until one night I thought, ‘if she’s not here then she must be somewhere’ so I began to write. Avalon was created in the moment and grew as my fingers typed the words. I had no idea where it would lead. It has become a very real place for me and Charley brought it alive – yes, I journeyed with her and just waited to see what would happen next. In fact, I loved the ‘world’ so much that I couldn’t let it go to waste and so began the Avalon Trilogy with The Star Realm – an epic fantasy adventure supposedly for children (12+?) yet, I love children’s stories. :)

Oh, that has to go on my to-read list! I loved Avalon!

I loved all your characters! From Penelope the talking flower to Brogan the Goblin, each has a unique personality and they felt so real I expected them to jump off the page. What sparks the creation of each of them? Do you start out with the intention to create a specific type of character/creature, or does each come to you at the point in the story where they are needed?

Thank you – yes, I love the characters too…there’re like old friends now. The spark of their creation comes from my mind, as if they were there all the time and I just needed to pluck them out. And it’s weird – they take charge! I don’t know when or where they’ll appear (as in all my books) but when the time is right the character says, ‘here I am; now we’re off’. Sounds odd but it’s true and I love them all (even the baddies).

A big part of Charley’s journey involves confronting her fears, learning acceptance, and being able to forgive herself. While this story is fiction, I couldn’t help but think only someone who had experienced this type of personal journey could write about it so eloquently. Obviously you didn’t travel through a world like Avalon (at least I don’t think you did!), but did you go through your own journey of discovery on your way to acceptance and forgiveness?

Hmm, Avalon is a wonderful place and I’ll never tell if I did or did not! ? Yes, there was certainly a journey and through Charley I did address many of the issues, even if I didn’t at that time feel more at peace, as I do now. Nevertheless, it did help bring to light the tangle of emotions that needed expression. I quote from the Author’s Note at the end of Gone:

I’ve written so much over the years, but this story is the one most prized…for obvious reasons. I often wonder if it could be true and the wishes in my heart thrill at the thought.

I suppose I ought to say my favourite authors are Shakespeare, Dickens and Chaucer (and that’s not to say their writings aren’t absolutely brilliant) however, there is nothing I like more than settling in a quiet corner to read Dean Koontz, Stephen King and (yes, I’ll admit it) J.K. Rowling’s perfectly scrumptious exploits with the Prince of Magic himself, where my mind can dwell on the mysterious and wonderful and delicious and strange.

But for now, to those who have read this story – thank you, and to those it helped – I’m glad.

And for those who have lost a loved one, especially a child – long may Avalon reign!

Do you believe in destiny?

I think that destiny awaits our choices. There are certain things we can do when opportunities arise but we can choose to ignore or go forward, although we might never feel complete if we do close our eyes.

What is your favorite…
a) song?
b) dessert?
c) time of day?

a) Song = Over the Rainbow
b) = Chocolate
c) Whenever I’m with my new husband, he definitely makes life worth living.

What are you working on these days? Do you have something new in the works?

My current work (Lost Shadows) investigates memory. It’s a fantasy, and somewhat darker than the previous ‘adventures’. I’ve always been fascinated with the mind and so… I’m about ¾ through but it has many characters that all vie for attention, as well as the plot and the ‘world’, so I’m busy!

I can’t wait for this one!

Thank you very much for your interest in my work and to all the readers – I hope you enjoy and become as embroiled in it as I do. Thank you all :)

Thank you, Julie, for being with us today, and for your honesty. I have no doubt your words will help countless others.

***

Julie has graciously offered her email address for anyone who has questions or would like to talk about this difficult topic: julizpow -at- yahoo.co.uk.

You can also connect with Julie in the following places:

Website: www.freewebs.com/julizpow

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/1349023.Julie_Elizabeth_Powell

Twitter: www.twitter.com/starjewlez or @starjewelz

Here’s a look at all Julie’s books on Amazon:

You can also find her books on Amazon UK, Lulu.

You can also order print copies of the two books we’ve discussed via CreateSpace:
Slings & Arrows
Gone

I hope you’ll all take the time to read these two stories. Also, they would both make for great donations to children’s hospitals and grief support centers.

Thanks for reading. :)




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My Writing Support Group

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: General Nonsense

A month or so ago, I did a blog tour for my book Into The Light. For one of the stops, I was asked to answer a specific question. For reasons unknown to me, that person didn’t participate in the tour. (Maybe she hated my answer! :lol: ) Since I spent so much time figuring out and writing the answer, I thought I’d share it here today.

The question is:

Who was your biggest supporter while writing your book? Please tell us why.

I have to admit, this one stumped me. I spent an entire day mulling it over. The phrasing is what caught me off guard. Who supports me while I’m writing? Writing, for me, is a solitary endeavor. There isn’t a lot of support going on as I’m typing the words. Or so I thought. Finally, the answer clicked. Here it is:

My parents and my husband have always been my biggest supporters for my writing in general. As far as supporting me while I’m writing, my biggest supporters are my dogs. I know, you’re rolling your eyes and thinking I’m either crazy or pathetic. You might be right on both counts. But I’ll do my best to explain my reasoning for this answer.

I have late-stage, chronic Lyme disease. I’m pretty much housebound and have been for many years. My husband works full-time, my sons are grown up. I spend a lot of time alone – with my dogs. I always do my writing on my laptop, usually sitting on the couch, surrounded by my canine kids.

Writing Into The Light was an emotionally intense experience. The writing process requires me to step into the character’s life. I have to feel the emotions in order to express them with enough depth and believability to suck in a reader. This book brought me to difficult places. Some scenes had me in tears, others had me laughing. After writing a particularly poignant scene, I’d cuddle with my dogs. Kaylee, my Chihuahua, is a squishy little love. If I cry, she’ll lick the tears from my cheeks. Oliver will climb in my lap and stare at me with curious eyes, while Sid nestles close. Often the two boys find distracting me with their antics is the perfect way to lift my spirits. Together, the three of them never fail to make me smile.

When I get in a good writing groove, I will sit for hours, tuning the world out and ignoring my body’s cramped protests. Oliver, my youngest, is like a hyper toddler. He is patient with me until mid afternoon. Then he insists on a play break. Sometimes I get irritated with him because I want to continue writing. He doesn’t care. He keeps bringing me toys, running to the door, his eyes telling me, “Look! It’s sunny outside! Let’s play!” I always give in. And, when I do, I realize he was right. The break is rejuvenating. Writing requires balance. I have to step back, get a little distance, in order to see where the path is taking me.

And there you have it. My three biggest supporters – Sidney, Kaylee and Oliver. Yes, they are dogs. They are also my best friends. :)




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The Bastard Year

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

My guest today is author Richard Lee Zuras. While Richard has been part of the writing community for quite some time, he has only recently published his first book, a coming of age novella with the awesome title The Bastard Year. A little about the man behind the book:

Richard Lee Zuras was born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where his father worked as a CIA analyst. Richard earned a degree in writing at George Mason University, then studied at the graduate level at the University of Colorado before earning his M.F.A. from McNeese State University. After doing Ph.D. work at the University of North Dakota, he accepted a teaching position at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, where he is now Professor of Creative Writing/Film Studies Advisor. He has held the Bernard O’Keefe Fiction Scholarship at Bread Loaf, a Wesleyan Fiction Scholarship, and has garnered a Yemassee Prize. His work has appeared in over twenty literary journals, including Story Quarterly, South Dakota Review, The Laurel Review and Passages North. In his free time Richard enjoys playing sports, watching Oscar-bait films, and spending quality time with his family. He is currently at work on a new novel.

Learn more about Richard and his writing here: http://redroom.com/member/richard-lee-zuras

***

Here’s a look at the book we’ll be discussing:

“It was exactly one year ago today,” my father said, “that the hostages were taken.” He looked at me as if he wanted me to say something. I figured he was probably wrong about it being a year to the day, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. “A year is a long time,” he said. “A lot can happen in a year.” In the company of classic coming-of-age works, Richard Zuras’s debut novel tells the story of a boy’s final year of childhood and a family’s near disintegration. When Zain’s father is fired from the CIA in March of 1980, it creates a tremor that threatens to upend the family’s precarious balance. Zain’s awakening to a world riddled with cracks and his adolescent attempts to mend them are the stuff from which young men, and great stories, are made.

***

Now for the fun stuff – a chat with Richard:

Like Zain’s father, your own father was in the CIA. Are there other similarities to your life or is this book purely fiction?

I write from a real and honest place and then, as they say, the book is the boss. I think it was Ansel Adams that talked about getting out of the way of the picture. I once gave a reading at Barnes and Noble and a man came up after and said I really understood being the child of divorce. My story was purely real to him. He was actually mad when I told him my parents never divorced.

Zain and his parents don’t communicate. In fact, they tend to be secretive about their lives and particularly their feelings. Consequently, they barely know one another. The facts and descriptions you supply in the book are also sparse, which leaves readers wondering along with Zain. Was this an intentional writing technique? Or does your natural writing style lean toward this type of story?

I teach college fiction writing and have for fifteen years. I teach and believe each story or novel should be organic. My style and structure melds to fit the job at hand. Writers are like singers that way. Check out the long career of the Stones or U2–those guys sing the song the way that song needs to be sung.

Describe your writing environment. Neat or messy? Silence or noise?

I write in silence. No distractions. I write on legal pads. I’ve revised twice before the work sees a computer keyboard.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Is there an author and/or book that helped spark the desire?

I wrote a short play when I was eleven or twelve. Always been a huge reader. I love readers. I care about them–about giving them my best work. I probably read ten or fifteen assigned novels in junior high. I got into theater for awhile, but the reading/writing bug was deep within me. My office is a wall of books. My students always hear me quoting Fitzgerald’s letter to his daughter: Read all the Hemingway you can then wash it away with all the Joyce you can then Wharton and so on. Something along those lines. Reading and writing are married.

You’re at work on a new novel. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Never tell anyone about the book you are working on. Never. Every famous writer will tell you that. It is advice I follow. Now showing some work to a trusted reader, early draft stuff, that’s a little different…

What inspires you?

Reading great work. Viewing great films. Anything done on a high level. Oscar Wilde said the only way to live is to slavishly admire Art.

When you’re not reading or writing, what might we find you doing?

Teaching takes a lot of time. I teach fiction writing, poetry writing, screen-writing, film courses, literature and composition, and even philosophy. The University and my family life keep me quite busy.

Describe your current mood in one word or phrase.

I’m excited to find new readers! But unhappy my dog Sasha just left the room…

Thank you, Richard, for joining me here today. And thank you, Sasha, for helping inspire Richard’s answers! (My own dogs are very good about offering inspiration.) :)

***

The Bastard Year is available on Amazon. Here’s a look:

I hope you’ve all enjoyed getting to know Richard as much as I have!

Thanks for reading. :)




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Dusting Off Secrets

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: General Nonsense

Unfinished projects drive me crazy. Yet, I have drawers and folders full of them. I’m referring to writing projects – novels in the making. I’m on a mission to clean out my desk, to finish the unfinished. But, now I’m wondering, is that always a good idea? Maybe it’s collecting dust in a drawer for a reason.

I typically tell people that Enemies and Playmates is the first book I wrote. That’s technically not true. It’s the first book I published, but not the first book I wrote. The first one is called Secrets. I wrote it at about the same time as the first draft of Enemies and Playmates. In fact, at one point I was working on them both together. I don’t even remember which one I finished first. But Secrets is the first one I started.

The original manuscript has been sitting in a box for roughly 18 years. A few weeks ago, in my mission to clear the clutter and unfinished from my life, I pulled it out of its hiding spot in my desk. In one of my spontaneous moments, I decided to give it a final edit and publish it. After all, the manuscript is complete. It only needs a little fine-tuning.

Now I’m about 60 pages in and I’m remembering why it remained sitting in my desk all these years. No, the story isn’t bad. And, while I can see where my writing has grown (thankfully!), it’s far from awful and doesn’t require massive editing. The problem? Content. This story is dark. Yes, most of my writing ventures into the dark side of life. This one, though, tackles an issue some people will find offensive. I know that without question. You see, Enemies and Playmates is about domestic abuse and I occasionally get hammered for that. I don’t flinch from writing the truth. Readers need to see it in order to feel it. And I won’t apologize for writing about an issue that needs to be addressed.

If domestic abuse is such a hot topic, I know Secrets will have more than a few people screaming at me. Why? Well, again, this book addresses abuse. (And, no, I don’t care to examine why abuse is at the core of my first two books.) You’re probably thinking, Spill it already. So here we go. Secrets is about a woman raised by parents who cannot love her properly. Her mother doesn’t love her enough, her father loves her too much. His love turns to the physical. Yes, okay, I’ll spell it out. This book touches on incest.

Are those horrified gasps I hear?

I’ve been taming it down, editing the content. But not completely. I won’t remove it all. I can’t. That’s the story and I can’t flinch from the truth of it.

As I’m editing, I continue through a back and forth yo-yo feeling. I should stuff it back in the drawer. This is too dark to share. I should continue on, because the story is valid. Worthy. Back and forth I go.

In the end, I’m choosing to ignore that nagging voice telling me not to create waves. If I’d listened to that voice, most of my choices in life would have been different. I’ve always lived my life on the outside edge. Why stop now?

Yes, Secrets is dark. The content might make readers flinch. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a story of hope, endurance, love, vengeance, trust. It’s a story that, for reasons I might never understand, needed to be told. This story was born on its own. I didn’t decide to write it. This one spoke to me and, in many ways, wrote itself. So, to hell with the noise it will make. I’ll dust it off, shape it up, and send it off to the world. Whether it’s read or not will then be up to you.

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