A Word Please

A couple of months ago, I published a collection of short stories I’d written during 2011. The title is Quiet Fury: An Anthology of Suspense, and here’s a look at both the print and Kindle format:

Quiet Fury is a state of being that we’ve all experienced; calm on the surface, rage bubbling underneath. For most of us, that is a brief moment. Restraint takes over. We grumble and walk away. Some allow the rage to marinate until they are consumed. They cross the line, seek revenge, retribution. Or is it satisfaction?

These stories explore each individual’s breaking point. Which will win, the Quiet or the Fury?

This is sort of an accidental collection. Writing short stories was not something I routinely did. In fact, prior to this collection, the only short stories I’d ever written were for my kids, many years ago. But I’ve learned circumstances in my life often bring about the best kind of accidents.

2011 was a challenging year. The late-stage Lyme has been wreaking havoc, making concentration difficult. Treatments for the Lyme are pushing me further into the hazy, neurological nightmare of brain fog. The combination made it nearly impossible for me to work on a full-length novel. Yet, I am unable to not write. Characters dance around my head and won’t let me sleep. I had an endless, daisy chain of ideas I had to do something with. Without intending to, I sat down and wrote a short story. Then another. And I found I love creating the shorter form as much as I love creating a novel.

For me, the writing process for short stories is the same as that of a novel. A character pops into my head. One sentence. A quick ten-second clip of someone doing something. An idea begging to be explored. One of these things happens, then I sit down and write.

With my short story Tiny Dancer, these three lines popped into my head:

George limped up the steps and set the box by the door. No one noticed the blood on his hands. The city kept its eyes closed.

I couldn’t tell you where the words came from. I didn’t know who George was, what was in the box, or where the blood came from. I wrote the words down, thinking I’d use the paragraph as an opening to a future novel. Months later, I went back to that paragraph and wrote what wound up as Tiny Dancer. As I sat with George and typed his story, I still had no idea who he was. He gradually revealed himself to me, in much the same way he reveals himself to my readers.

I didn’t intend for this to be a short story. George’s journey fit into the less demanding world I’d stepped into. A product of a hazy mind that can only see so far into the fog. Sure, we could learn more about George. That’s true of all short stories. In fact, it’s also true of novels. No matter the length, all stories need a beginning and end. Nothing and no one exists in a vacuum. What we want when we read is the part that matters.

The first short story I wrote is called The First Kill. The main character is Sean Riley, who happens to be a minor character in my two Michael Sykora novels. In the first book, No Justice, Sean began his existence as a character of convenience. He wasn’t supposed to have a big role and I wasn’t concerned with his back story. By the second book, Beyond Salvation, Sean had stepped in and claimed a larger place. His character became something more for me. He revealed himself in ways I hadn’t expected. And I needed to share that with readers.

Since Sean is a minor character, without a viewpoint in those first two books, I decided he needed a story of his own. I wanted readers to know who he is on a different level. The beginning of his story, The First Kill, was born:

The first kill was the hardest. His father staring with those dark narrow eyes that had incited fear for so many years. Even as the life seeped out of him, those eyes were full of scorn.

“You killed my mother,” Sean had said.

In the process of writing that story, Sean told me how he wound up a hit man – and why he is so good at it. Sean became much more than a minor character for me then. When the idea for book three came to me, which I’m working on now, it only made sense that Sean would have a much larger role.

This collection of stories has some things in common. First, which is obvious by the title, they all fit into the suspense genre. The other thing is, to varying degrees, they explore the mind of the bad guy/girl. What does it feel like to kill someone? What drove him/her to murder? Is a killer inherently different than the person who has not killed? If we see abuse but do nothing, are we as bad as the person who murders? These questions fascinate me. I hope the answers you find in these stories will fascinate you, as well.

Thanks for reading.

My guest today is author Jason Jack Miller. As soon as I came across his book The Devil and Preston Black, I knew I had to read it. This is one of those rare books that combines my two addictions – reading and music. I loved the book and I’m impressed with the author. I think you will be, as well. Here’s a brief introduction:

Jason Jack Miller hails from Fayette County, Pennsylvania, as in, “Circus freaks, temptation and the Fayette County Fair,” made famous by The Clarks in the song, “Cigarette.” He is a writer, photographer and musician who has been hassled by cops in Canada, Mexico and the Czech Republic. An outdoor travel guide he co-authored with his wife in 2006 jumpstarted his freelancing career; his work has since appeared in newspapers, magazines, literary journals, online, and as part of a travel guide app for mobile phones. He wrote the novels Hellbender and All Saints during his graduate studies at Seton Hill University, where is now adjunct creative writing faculty. He’s been a whitewater raft guide, played guitar in a garage band and served as a concierge at a five star resort hotel in Florida. Now he’s an Authors Guild member. When he isn’t writing he’s on his mountain bike or looking for his next favorite guitar. He is currently writing and recording the soundtrack to his novel, The Devil and Preston Black. Find him at http://jasonjackmiller.blogspot.com. Tweet him at www.Twitter.com/jasonjackmiller, or @JasonJackMiller.

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

Preston Black has a nasty habit of falling in love with the wrong type of woman. But girls who don’t play nice are the least of his problems. This handsome bar band guitarist isn’t washed-up, but he’s about to be. He’s broke, he’s tired of playing covers and he’s obsessed with the Curse of 27.

He’s about to add ‘deal with the devil’ to his list.

Lucky for Preston, he has help. Like the angelic beauty who picks him up when he’s down. And the university professor who helps him sort through old Appalachian hexes and curses to find the song that may be his only shot at redemption. And when things get real bad, he has the ghost of John Lennon to remind him that “nothing is real.

Jason took on my questions and held nothing back. His answers give a little taste of the depth of his writing. Here’s our conversation:

This book has many layers, one of which is the connection to the ‘27 Club’, also known as ‘The Curse of 27’. Many great musicians have died at that age and Preston Black was afraid he’d become one of them. What inspired you to tackle this topic?

I think 27 is a crossroads. That’s about when you have to finally let go of childhood and accept being an adult. I know I did. Getting a job and a house became my main focus. I couldn’t see anything else. And when I finally got my ‘real’ job I found myself wondering, “Hmmm. What was the rush? And why did I buy so many neckties.”

But my job lets me pursue the things that I love, like writing and music. So in a way, I did the adult thing, realized it didn’t satisfy the emptiness I felt and said ‘screw it, I’m going back to the stuff I love.’ And that’s probably where a big part of Preston comes from—realizing if he doesn’t make it in music he’s going to have to give it up and get a ‘real’ job. That’s his motivation. He sees Pauly with his new job and knows he can lose music forever if he heads down that path.

True happiness comes when you follow the path in life that lets you be responsible without losing yourself. For too many people, being “grown-up” means letting go of the passion. And why did you buy so many neckties?

Preston is a complicated young man, not at all the stereotypical wannabe rock star. How did you go about developing his character?

Preston came about because I was a complicated young man myself. I just wrote what I knew. During my junior year of high school I spent a month in rehab (thanks for the memories, Saint Francis.) My parents got divorced when I was twelve and I spent three years trying to get them back together. I got kicked out of college after running (literally) from the law. Got my heart broken a few times (by the same girl.) The self-destruct timer had been set, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Later, I realized that these experiences made me who I was. It took a long time, but when I finally started to accept my flaws and failures, things got a lot less complicated for me. It helped that I’d met a wonderful woman who kept me out of trouble. Kind of like how Preston has Katy. He doesn’t mind that she does some of his thinking for him.

I was immediately struck by what you said about accepting your flaws and failures. We all have them and you’re so right that accepting them makes life a lot less complicated.

I loved Preston’s connection to the Appalachian region, where he explores the roots of rock music. The characters and scenes you created were so vivid, I felt like I was on the mountain with them. Why did you choose this setting?

Appalachia is an amazing area. Plants and animals have been mingling here for 65 million years. Maybe people don’t understand this, but central Appalachia is one of the most diverse mixed mesophytic forests on earth, making it the North American equivalent of the Amazon Rainforest. In a single location there can up to 30 different species of trees. When people started showing up about 14,000 years ago they became the most recent force to change Appalachia, but certainly not the last.

As a product of Appalachia I was always too aware of the negative stereotypes associated with the region. The things people hated about Appalachia are the things that made us strong. My mom’s grandparents emigrated from Croatia to work in the coal mines and my dad’s people were railroaders and steel workers. They worked their asses off for a pat on the back and black lung. The coal and steel define the region occupationally. Pittsburgh Steelers, anyone? But ‘mill hunk’ and ‘red neck’ are terms derived from labor that can be used as negatives.

The mountains shaped the people even further by isolating the different cultures that existed as close as over the next ridge. For example, the Monongahela Valley of southwestern Pennsylvania has a very Eastern European flavor that disappears as you go upstream into West Virginia, where Italian ethnicity dominates. But if you go east just thirty miles it’s all German, Irish and English. Immigration skipped over these regions because there wasn’t any coal, and the older German, Irish and English traditions and music remain because nothing moved in to replace them.

Appalachia isn’t homogenized—it’s a patchwork where anything can happen because of the physical and cultural barriers that keep the outside world out. When Preston leaves Morgantown to go into the mountains with Jamie, he’s not leaving home. He’s leaving his country. And going back in time.

I had no idea that life in Appalachia was so diverse. I find that fascinating!

You are a musician yourself. Do you share Preston’s yearning for success in the music industry?

Basically, any time Preston talks about the music industry you can imagine my disdain for Big Six-style publishing. My endless frustration with jumping through hoops manifested itself in Preston’s rants. The archaic system of submitting to agents is a small part of why publishing is in flux right now. Musicians don’t wait for approval to release their work to the public. The ability of a writer to get work directly to readers has been what the publishing industry has been missing until recently.

Making it big in the music business was never a thing for me. But selling books, on the other hand…

I read that you are working on a soundtrack for this novel. Awesome idea! Do you have an idea when it will be available? And where will readers find it?

I’m going to go back to recording after the holidays and see what happens. When I started last year I realized I had a horrible voice and have been taking lessons. So when I do finally get some songs down I’ll release them for free on my site and maybe put some up on iTunes. But that’s down the road a bit.

Who is your favorite musician or band?

I love music, so it’s hard to just pick one. Sometimes it depends on the season. Radiohead and Wilco are great for long winter nights because they create such great musical textures. When I’m writing I can really get wrapped up in the themes, I think, because when it’s cold I’m never in a hurry to quit what I’m doing. In the summer I like bands that write powerful, anthemic songs like The Clash or The Black Keys. You can get in the car, crank a song or two, and that’s it.

So, if I’m going to pick a favorite, I’m going to pick a band that does everything all the time. The Beatles are hard, soft, thoughtful, and superficial. “A Day in the Life” is a textured song that means something. “Tomorrow Never Knows” is one you want to turn up when the windows are down. And since so many bands can trace their ancestry directly back to The Beatles, they are an obvious choice for favorite band.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be? Please share a bit of the lyrics and what they mean to you.

Ask me tomorrow and it’ll be totally different. That’s why I saved this question and #8 for last. I don’t generally have songs I’d consider theme songs because I change like the wind. Right now though, let’s say it’s “Two Step” by Dave Matthews Band, because he’s a guy I took a lot of inspiration from back in the day.

And here’s why: “Celebrate we will, Because life is short but sweet for certain, We climb on two by two to be sure these days continue, These things we cannot change…” This whole self-publishing thing, for me, has been a leap of faith. But I seized the moment. Most writers (who are pursuing agents) don’t realize this, but self-publishing isn’t a coward’s way out. It takes cojones to say these agents and publishers are wrong. It scares me to think about what would’ve happened if I’d have been too afraid to put my book out on my own.

Besides, life is short but sweet. I know the number of tomorrows I have is limited, and that means something to me.

Great song!

Do you have a favorite author and/or book?

My favorite authors are the ones I know personally who have lent a hand, or more, over these last few months. Some let me use their name and their kind words, some read multiple drafts of both books. Some were just there to talk.

But I know that’s not what you’re asking. So, maybe Neil Gaiman, AMERICAN GODS. No, wait, it’s Jack Kerouac, DHARMA BUMS. Let me change that, it’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez, ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE. Okay, I’m going to change one more time…

You have one view for eternity. Mountains or ocean?

When we’re returning from Florida or the Outer Banks I feel like I’m ‘home’ as soon as I see the mountains. But if it’s for eternity, I’m going to break the rules and pick some place like Costa Rica or Cali, where I can see both forever.

I’m all for breaking the rules! And I have to agree. I’d want a view of both, as well.

Jason has a few books available in ebook format. Here they are on Amazon for your Kindle:

Thanks for reading.

Did you get a new Kindle for Christmas? I got the Kindle Fire and love it! (Yes, I’m spoiled. ) If you’ve got a new reader – or an old one – and you’re looking to fill it up, here are some of my favorite ebooks from this year:

This is geared toward the YA market but can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Our heroine is a teenager, struggling through all the things we all deal with in high school, while also trying to understand her powerful psychic powers. There is much to love about this book and Stacy’s writing.

At some point in our life, we all wonder what it would happen if we could go back in time and change one detail, one decision, one thing about our past. Maria Savva explores this and more in this fun and insightful story.

A perfect mix of historical fiction with a paranormal twist, this is a beautiful story of love and hope.

This is a thriller with substance. Not only did this book keep me on edge (I couldn’t turn pages fast enough!), but it also has an incredibly thought-provoking issues throughout.

This novella is part horror, part paranormal. James knows how to weave a tale and he sucked me right into this one.

Do you like short stories? How about edgy, dark fiction that holds nothing back when showing the not-so-pretty side of life? If you said yes to these questions, you’ll love Joe Schwartz.

This is the third and most gripping book in RJ’s Rock & Roll Mystery Series. You don’t have to read the first two in order to enjoy this one, though you might want to read them just because they’re good.

A powerful story told from the viewpoint of a young woman who’d been sold into the sex slave. This is fiction that reads like nonfiction – and, sadly, stories just like this one are truly taking place all over the world, right this minute. Sibel tells this important tale with talent and grace.

An Urban Fantasy, this vampire tale has a different spin than the typical story. Vampires and werewolves are at war. Can love cross boundaries, conquer prejudices? Gareth explores this and more, while keeping readers on edge.

Charlie Courtland’s mind is twisted and it shows in this book! This one has some graphic scenes, though they belong in the story and aren’t there for shock value. Mixed in with the creepiness is a great amount of humor. If you want to laugh and gasp, this one’s for you.

I am a sucker for characters that make me forget they aren’t real and Marty Beaudet creates them with flare. This is a psychological thriller, a mystery, and a suspense story, with a multi-layered plot and aspects that will leave you thinking about things long after you’ve read the last page.

One old man, a park bench, and revenge. The end made me cringe – but I live for that twisted stuff.

Reading anything by Joel is an unforgettable experience. In this book, we’re taken back to 18th century Italy, where we meet a young woman who teaches us what it means to truly follow your passion.

Meet Trevor Wolff, rock star with a bad boy image and a spirit struggling to soar. Susan knows about the rock world and that knowledge shows in her writing.

I could not stop reading. This is a thriller with nonstop action and characters that make you want to jump into the book to save them. Blake Crouch is phenomenal talent.

And if you still have room, you can always check out my books. You’ll find them all in the carousel to the left.

To discover more indie authors and their books, check out the ‘BsB Kindle Store‘ The link is always to the right, under the ‘Blogroll’ heading. And we add to it continually, so check back often!

Whatever your reading preferences, I hope lots of books fill your new year.

Thanks for reading.

Back in late September, I set the ebook version of my novel Enemies and Playmates as a free download. I did this as part of my tribute to Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, which is the month of October, and had planned to raise it back to its normal price afterward. The incredible response I received stunned me and I decided to leave it free through the holidays. In the three months Enemies and Playmates has been free, it’s been downloaded more than 80,000 times!

I know it’s a freebie, but that’s a lot of people who now have my book in hand. (Okay, I’ll admit it. 80,000 paid downloads would be even better! )

Enemies and Playmates is my first book and I’m honored that so many people are taking the time to download and read it. I wrote this one during a tumultuous time in my life. The writing process was my salvation and knowing my words are touching others, some also in difficult situations, is humbling. Readers have written to tell me what the book meant to them, how they connected with certain characters. I’ve gotten to know abuse survivors, whose strength is an inspiration. Writing is a solitary act. But once we send our words out to the world, and those words touch someone deep inside, we’ve connected. Even if author and reader never meet, never speak, never exchange a word, something has passed between us. When someone takes the time to write and let me know what a book of mine has meant to him/her, that’s a feeling I don’t have words for.

While I love when a reader takes the time to send me an email, I don’t typically seek out and read my reviews on Amazon. The good ones lift my mood for a few hours. The bad ones can devastate me for days. And, while I admit to being a little crazy at times, I am not so delusional that I think everyone will love my writing. As the reviews built up with all the downloads, I gave in to temptation and read a few of them. Many people loved the book. Others hated it. I wanted to know what sparked the hatred. After reading some of them, I have to say I’m still not sure.

One review stated that Jesse, the “hero” of the story, wasn’t believable because he drank Coke. Umm… What? This particular reader said all he drank was soft drinks and that no hunky hero was believable if he drank Coke. I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the gist of it. This review made me laugh. First, I find it absurd to think that all “heroes” have to drink alcohol in order to be believable. Is that the society we live in? All cool people must get trashed? Second, and this is the part that made me laugh, in the opening scene, Jesse is at a nightclub and he is drinking rum and Coke. Did this reader miss the opening scene? Further in the book, he drinks a beer with a friend. In another scene he is drinking wine with dinner. Jesse is not a drunk but he does drink alcohol in the appropriate scenes. Yes, he does, on occasion, drink soft drinks without the alcohol. Like while he’s working. Maybe those were the only scenes this reader read?

Another reader gave me a bad review because he/she didn’t like the abuse in the book. I… I’m not sure what to say to that one. It’s difficult to write about abuse without, well, writing about the abuse. That the book is about domestic violence is clear in the description. So, I ask, why read and review a book that is clearly about a topic you do not wish to read about?

Of course there are others who simply don’t like the way I write or the characters who live in my head. Thankfully, there are many more who do.

Here’s the free download for your Kindle:

When the abused decide to fight back, the abuser’s world might just shatter.

Amidst devastating loss, betrayal, and her father’s destructive pursuit of Jesse, Lauren finds the trust and love she had always longed for.

Thanks for reading.

My guest today is bestselling author Scott Nicholson. For many readers, Scott requires no further introduction. I’m embarrassed to say that I only recently discovered Scott’s work. I know, where have I been? Assuming I am not the only one who took forever to stumble upon Scott’s words, here is a quick summation of this prolific author and his writing:

Scott Nicholson is author of Creative Spirit and more than 20 other books, as well as children’s books, screenplays, and story collections. His thrillers Liquid Fear and Chronic Fear will be released by Amazon on Dec. 20. Connect with Scott on Facebook, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Twitter, blog, website or Amazon page.

I recently read Scott’s novel Creative Spirit, which is what we’ll be talking about today. First, here’s a look at the book:

“Scott Nicholson explores the dark legends of the southern end of the Appalachian mountain chain, a nightmare country that ends in Stephen King’s yard.”– Sharyn McCrumb, author of The Ballad novels

CREATIVE SPIRIT
A paranormal thriller by Scott Nicholson

After parapsychologist Anna Galloway is diagnosed with metastatic cancer, she has a recurring dream in which she sees her own ghost at Korban Manor. She’s compelled to visit the historic estate to face her destiny and the fate of her soul.

Sculptor Mason Jackson has come to Korban Manor to make a final, all-or-nothing attempt at success before giving up his dreams. When he becomes obsessed with carving Ephram Korban’s form out of wood, he is swept into a destructive frenzy that even Anna can’t pull him from.

The manor itself has secrets, with fires that blaze constantly in the hearths, portraits of Korban in every room, and deceptive mirrors on the walls. With an October blue moon looming, both the living and the dead learn the true power of their dreams.

View or sample it at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kobo, Smashwords, BN.com, or Goodreads.

CREATIVE SPIRIT is Scott Nicholson’s revised edition of the 2004 U.S. paperback THE MANOR

After I read Creative Spirit, Scott generously agreed to spend some time answering my questions, and now I can share that conversation with all of you:

You were inspired to write Creative Spirit after visiting a place called Cone Manor. Can you tell us about that?

As a reporter, I always had to do the Halloween ghost stories and folk legends, so I started using them as inspiration for novels. The actual Cone Manor has ghost stories about its founder, who was an art collector, so I turned the place into a remote artist’s retreat and went from there. There’s an article about the real manor on my website.

You mentioned that you wanted to do a ghost hunt at Cone Manor but were unable to at the time. Have you ever seen or heard a ghost or unexplained paranormal activity?

I hosted a couple of paranormal conferences with ghost hunts, and aside from one perception of being “touched,” I have never really had any encounter I would consider supernatural. It’s a really complicated field because so much of it relies on our unreliable subjective perception.

Creative Spirit was optioned for a movie. Has that movie been made? If so, where can readers find and watch it?

It never got to formal option stage, but a producer chased my script for a year or two. I enjoy screenwriting as a way to develop my storytelling skills. I put the screenplay in a “bonus edition” if anyone wants to see the difference between the two formats.

Too bad they producer didn’t use it. The book would make a fantastic movie!

You have written an impressive amount of titles that draw on paranormal and horror. What is it about this genre that attracts you?

I grew up with the old mountain folk tales, many of which involve magic or the supernatural. I feel like I am telling modern folk tales, updating them in novel form.

Aside from your own work, what is your all-time favorite horror novel?

That’s a tough one, as I could give a dozen different answers. Stephen King has some great ones, but my favorite of his is Misery and it may be a suspense or thriller novel instead of horror. I also love religious horror like Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and The Sentinel. But I’d say Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is my favorite paranormal novel.

I read The Haunting of Hill House for the first time a couple of years ago. Great book!

Thank you, Scott, for hanging out with us!

Now for a look at some of Scott’s books on Amazon, in both print and Kindle format: