A Word Please

My guest today is author Jonathon Kane, and he’s here to talk about Corpse Days. Sounds rather ominous, doesn’t it? This is a zombie story, which, I have to admit, initially made me hesitant. Zombies and vampires have been overdone and often the stories, to me, feel like the same stuff rehashed with different character names. But the description for Corpse Days intrigued me, so I decided to give it a chance. I’m glad I did.

Before we talk more about the book, here’s a little about the man behind the words:

Jonathon Kane has been writing fiction since he was just a skinny lad in middle school. What was once an outlet, has developed over the years into a serious passion.

Here’s a look at the book:

Is this the end of the world? Is the Rapture upon us? Has a Zombie Apocalypse arrived? That’s a matter of opinion, but it doesn’t hurt to be a licensed Shooter in these uncertain times.

Meet Stan Norton – a middle-aged Shooter with a haunting past. He wants little to do with the living dead, and less to do with the living, until that is, a mysterious young woman with an affinity for guns and martial arts enters his life. An adventure begins, and the hunt is on for a reclusive enemy, as the clock ticks down toward a full-blown resurgence of the Corpse Days.

Now that you know a bit about the author and the book, let’s move on to my chat with Jonathon:

Corpse Days is your first novel and would be classified as horror. What is it about the horror genre that drew you in as an author?

To start with, I’m a Halloween fanatic. It’s my favorite time of the year. I’ve always been attracted to anything that triggers the dark side of the imagination. Also, I feel that one of the great things about horror is that there are different types or styles within the genre – and I love them all. A good friend of mine told me he thought one of the character’s lines in the story (one of Stan’s lines) was cheesy. He said no one in real life would ever say that. I thought – you really just don’t get it, do you?

Now you’ve left us all wondering which line he was referring to!

I read that this story was born on a drunken night out, though I might be embellishing a bit. Tell us how the concept for this story originated.

The best ideas (and the worst) often come from an altered state of mind. Can I just leave it at that? Seriously though, I suppose I had been thinking about cult religions at the time. It’s not a big leap from there to horror.

Did you outline the plot and spend time on character development prior to writing anything? Or did you dive into the story relatively blind, letting the details form along the way?

The characters developed mostly on the fly. The plot was a combination of diving in and outlining. When I first started writing the story, I had the basic overall concept, and I had a good idea of how it could begin. So, I sat down and wrote the first chapter, and then it was like – okay, let’s see if this thing has legs. Fortunately, it did. As the story progressed, and especially as it got closer to the end, I did some outlining because it was becoming difficult to keep it all straight in my head.

Corpse Days ends with the possibility of more. Do you plan on writing a sequel? Or turning this into a series?

Yes, the story will continue. As of right now, I’m writing Chapter Nine of the sequel to Corpse Days. I’m hoping to have it ready for release within the next few months.

What did you find most difficult about the writing process?

I found the re-writing part of it a little difficult. There’s a certain amount of humility involved. You have to be able to admit that something you spent so much time working on has some problems, and then be willing to fix them.

And what was easiest for you?

It was easy for me during those times when the story seemed to write itself. Honestly, there were a few parts I couldn’t write fast enough.

Describe your writing environment. Neat or messy? Silent or noisy?

Mostly noisy, and less than clean. Sometimes I write while slouching on the couch with the television on. Other times, I’m at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and headphones on. Once in a while, it’s completely silent, and that works too.

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

I play guitar in an alt/rock band with a few of my friends. All original stuff. Not saying it’s any good… just saying it’s original.

Awesome! I’m a *bit* of a music addict. Is any of your stuff on YouTube or available elsewhere?

What inspires you?

Songs that pull me away from whatever I might be into at the time – the kind that are impossible for me to ignore, even if I’ve heard them a hundred times before.

Describe yourself with one word or phrase.

I was only kidding.

Thank you, Jonathon, for hanging out with us here today.

If you’d like to learn more about Jonathon and his writing, you can find him in the following places:

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/jonathonkanesite
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/14740794-corpse-days

You can find on Amazon for Kindle:

Thanks for reading.

My guest today is author Jenny Hilborne. If you like mysteries, a good story, and characters that feel like real people, you’ll love her books. Jenny has just released a new mystery called Hide and Seek. This is technically the second in a series, with Madness and Murder being first, but is easily read as a stand-alone.

Before we talk more about the book, here’s a little about the woman behind the words:

Jenny Hilborne has worked in a variety of fields, including the retail music industry, residential real estate, commercial real estate and finance. She was born in Wiltshire, South West England, and relocated to Southern California in 1997.

Madness and Murder is her first novel, a thriller set mostly in San Francisco and the first in the Inspector Mac Jackson series. Her second suspense novel, No Alibi, is also set in San Francisco featuring betrayed spouse, Isabelle Kingsley. Mac Jackson returns in Jenny’s third novel, Hide and Seek, another San Francisco thriller, which takes place over Halloween.
Jenny is working on her fourth suspense novel; this one a break from the previous settings and set in Oxfordshire, England.

On the rare occasions Jenny is not writing or working, she catches up with family and friends and enjoys reading, travel, and a good movie – usually a mystery.

Now for a look at Hide and Seek:

Halloween. A group of friends gather at a mansion and decide to play a game. When one of them disappears and a large pool of blood is found in the grounds, San Francisco homicide inspector, Mac Jackson, is called out to investigate. Two days later, the body is discovered.

As Jackson questions the guests, he uncovers old hostilities, secretive pasts, and the victim’s ties to another unusual death. At the center of it all is the lingerie bar, where the victim once worked. Are the girls in some sort of danger? Who is the thug with the scar? His best chance at solving the case hinges on an uncooperative source and Jackson must work fast, before it’s too late and his source disappears.

Now for the part where I get to ask lots of questions:

One of the things I love about your books is the character development. Each has his/her own unique multifaceted personality. You never go for the stereotypical bad or good guy. How do you go about creating such real-life characters?

I try to give every character at least one redeeming quality and include unexpected quirks in their personalities to make them more unique. I pluck out character traits from interesting real-life people and weave them into my stories.

The plot for Hide and Seek is complex, with many layers that kept me guessing all the way through. Yet, it’s never confusing. I know from experience that this can be a difficult balance to achieve. Do you spend a lot of time outlining the storyline and various subplots?

I’m a panster, meaning I don’t outline. I write what comes into my head at each sitting and let each chapter lead me into the next one. I rarely start a novel with more than a title and a motive. The rest comes when my characters all start talking (often at once) and let me know where they want me to go.

Are you ever surprised at the direction your story takes?

Yes. I’m always surprised, which is what I love most about being a “panster.” If I’m surprised, I know my readers will be.

What about the mystery genre attracts you as a writer?

Like many of my characters, I’m baited by the unknown. I can’t resist a mystery and a puzzle or riddle to solve.

You’re from the U.K. and now live in the U.S. Not only are many of our words spelled differently, we also have different slang and unique ways of speaking. Has it been difficult for you to make the transition in writing style?

I struggle with it and get caught out all the time. You may have noticed, all of my novels contain a British character, which helps me disguise my Brit English/US English confusion .

You hide your confusion well!

Any plans on writing a novel set in the U.K.?.

My 4th novel is set in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. I’m 80% through the first draft and love writing about home. Trying to remember my British spelling and terms is a challenge. Maybe I’ll incorporate an American into this novel

What scares you the most and why?

It used to be the fear of failure. I learned it’s okay to fail, but it’s not okay to never try. I’ve always hated the dark and I fear the dentist.

What inspires you?

Those who go after their dreams.

Your favorite…
a) color? – yellow
b)food? – I’m not a foodie at all, so I’ll go with chocolate.
c) TV show? – I don’t have a favorite show, but I watch the Lifetime channel a lot.
d) song? – Bright Sunshiny Day by Johnny Nash

Your favorite song goes well with your favorite color!

Give us one word or phrase that describes your current mood.

I’m flying high and finding my balance.

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

Website: http://jfhilborne.com
Blog: http://jfhilborne.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1641377034
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JFHilborne or @JFHilborne

Here’s a look at Jenny’s books on Amazon:

You can also find her books on:

Amazon UK
Smashwords
Barnes and Noble

I hope you’ll take the time to connect with Jenny and explore her world of books.

Thanks for reading.

Author Michael Sussman is hanging out with me here today. We’ll be talking about his new book Crashing Eden, which is a fascinating and unique read, guaranteed to spark a little controversy.

Meet Michael:

Michael Sussman is the author of Crashing Eden, a YA fantasy/paranormal novel, and Otto Grows Down, a children’s picture book featuring illustrations by Scott Magoon.

Dr. Sussman is a clinical psychologist and has also published two books for mental health professionals. He’s the author of A Curious Calling: Unconscious Motivations for Practicing Psychotherapy and the editor of A Perilous Calling: The Hazards of Psychotherapy Practice.

Dr. Sussman resides in the Boston area with his son, Ollie.

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

For one boy and his friends, the path to Paradise comes at a cost—one they may not be prepared to pay.

When a biking accident leaves 17-year-old Joss Kazdan with the ability to hear things others can’t, reality as he knows it begins to unravel.

A world of legends exists beyond the ordinary life he’s always known, and he is transported to the same Paradise he’s studying in World Mythology. But the strange gets even stranger when his new friends build a device that delivers people through the gates of the Garden of Eden.

Now Samael, the Creator God, is furious. As Samael rains down his apocalyptic devastation on the ecstasy-seeking teens, Joss and his companions must find a way to appease Samael—or the world will be destroyed forever.

Now on to my chat with Michael:

What was the inspiration for this story?

First, I’d like to thank you, Darcia, for inviting me to discuss Crashing Eden.

About ten years ago I began playing around with the question: What if the widespread myths of a past golden age had some validity? Then I began imagining a story in which people could somehow recover what has been called Edenic consciousness: a blissful state of feeling at one with the universe. At first, the transformation was going to involve brain surgery based on fossils of early hominid brain anatomy. But how would you convince large numbers of people to undergo brain surgery? Luckily, my mother suggested altering the brain with a sound instead, and that idea sparked the story that became Crashing Eden.

This book’s theme revolves around Gnosticism, Christianity, and mythology. (And I should stress that this is not Christian fiction.) Some of the places your plot takes us will no doubt spark controversy. Does this concern you?

I didn’t set out to write a controversial novel, it just came out that way! But I welcome spirited discussions.

The story certainly contains elements that could be considered blasphemous to Jewish and Christian fundamentalists. Gnosticism is provocative in that it turns our conventional theological notions on their heads. I incorporated Gnostic cosmology into the novel simply because it fit very nicely with the plot, and because it aims toward a personal experience of transcendence, much like Buddhism and the Jewish mysticism of the Kabala. This is a strong theme of the story, that it might be possible to personally experience some form of cosmic consciousness.

You did an excellent job with the family dynamics. Relationships have many layers, particularly within families, and you captured that beautifully. How did you go about creating your characters?

Thank you! I think the greatest challenge in writing fiction is in developing believable characters. I start with brief character sketches and then try to fill them out as the drafts progress. Writers inevitably draw upon aspects of themselves and people they’ve known. But it’s always surprising how characters take on lives of their own, saying and doing unexpected things.

I agree. It’s like we have these invisible people living in our heads!

You’ve also written a children’s book called Otto Grows Down. Tell us a bit about it.

My debut picture book was published by Sterling in 2009, with illustrations by Scott Magoon. It tells the story about a boy who is jealous of all the attention his newborn sister is getting. When Otto makes a birthday wish that Anna was never born, time reverses and his wish comes true! Otto is rid of his bothersome sister, but becomes trapped in backward time. Soon, he’s just one year old himself and in danger of disappearing like his sister. The book has suspense, humor, and fabulous illustrations by Scott, who writes: “I like how Otto grew up when he grew down.”

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

Messy! Notebooks and folders and scraps of paper all over the place. I prefer silence, but I’m next door to a daycare center!

I read that you once lived in a commune. This fascinates me, so I’m going to ask a self-indulgent question here. What drew you to the commune, and what were the pros and cons of the lifestyle for you?

First, I wanted to be way out in the countryside, so I chose a commune in rural Nova Scotia, where a friend’s sister lived. I also wanted to be in a community that was as self-sufficient as possible.

The pros were living in such natural beauty, the companionship of friends, and having the time and space to think and get to know one’s self. The cons were having no modern conveniences, being far away from family and friends, and only having a handful of people to interact with.

As much as the commune life fascinates me, life without electricity and a computer would send me straight to a padded cell!

You have to live with a sitcom family for 3 months. Who will it be (which TV show) and why?

Well, it’s not exactly a family, but I’d say Seinfeld. I love the humor, the nutty characters, and the sense of never knowing what might happen next.

Give us one word or phrase that describes your current mood.

Given that this is my first published novel, I’d say a combination of dread and exuberance.

Sadly, that odd mix of feelings will probably linger into your third, fourth and fifth published novels!

Thank you, Michael, for hanging out with us here today!

Here’s a look at Michael’s books on Amazon

Want to learn more about Michael and his writing? Connect with him in the following places:

Website: www.MichaelSussmanBooks.com
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/MichaelBSussman or @MichaelBSussman

I hope you’ll take the time to explore Michael’s world of books.

Thanks for reading.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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!

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:

Thanks for reading.

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:

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.

Charles Colyott. Remember that name, because someday soon you’ll see it on the bestseller lists. Charles has released the first book in his Randall Lee Mystery series. The book is called Changes and it’s one of those you can’t help but immerse yourself in. If you like mystery, humor, suspense, memorable characters and a truly great story, you’ll love Changes.

Charles is a fascinating guy:

Charles Colyott is the author of Changes — A Randall Lee Mystery, Black — Canto I of the Nephilim Codex, and the collection Unknown Pleasures. He lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere (Illinois) with his wife, 2 daughters, cats, and a herd of llamas and alpacas. He is surrounded by so much cuteness it’s very difficult for him to develop any street cred as a dark and gritty writer. Nevertheless, his stories have appeared in Read by Dawn II, Dark Recesses Press, Withersin magazine, Horror Library Volumes III & IV, Terrible Beauty, Fearful Symmetry, and Zippered Flesh, among other places. He also teaches a beginner level Tai Chi Ch’uan class in which no one has died (yet) of the death touch. You can get in touch with him on Facebook, Twitter, or email him at charlescolyott@gmail.com. Unlike his llamas, he does not spit.

Here’s a peak at Changes:

When a young woman is found murdered in a seedy massage parlor near his neighborhood, the police recruit Randall Lee – an American acupuncturist and Tai Chi master — as a translator and expert in Chinese culture, to assist in the investigation. Lee discovers that the murderer is an expert in a forbidden Chinese martial art – the dark mirror to his own healing practices – and joins in the hunt for the killer to escape his own inner demons and save the woman he loves.

Are you ready for murder, tai chi, acupuncture, and llamas? On to my chat with Charles:

Randall Lee is such a vivid character. What inspired his creation?

Thanks! It’s strange… I had never written a mystery before, and I didn’t really know how to even begin. At the time, I had injured my back and, because of that, lost my job, so I was not in high spirits or anything… and I was more or less bedridden. And one morning I just got this image in my head of a young Chinese woman who was blue. That image was so strong, and I had no idea what it was all about, but I knew that she was the mystery — who was she, why was her skin blue, etc. As soon as I figured that out, Randall just appeared, pretty much fully formed, in my head (and believe me, I know how weird all of this sounds, but I think some of the writers out there will agree that it happens that way sometimes). From there, I made myself get to the computer and start writing. And painful as it was, the first draft of Changes only took 3 months, which is a record for me.

While this book is set in the U.S., Chinese culture is a big part of the story. You handle it so well, I can’t help but assume the culture is or was part of your life. Did you ever live in or have you visited China? What is it about the culture that draws you in?

I am an enormous nerd for pretty much anything involving Chinese culture, and I pretty much always have been. I don’t really know how or why it started. I used to watch the cheesy movies that they played on Kung Fu Theater on Saturday afternoons, but I really became obsessed when I saw John Woo’s The Killer when I was in high school. From there, I found every Hong Kong action movie I could – which, coincidentally, were only available in Randall’s neighborhood, in the kinds of grocery stores that I describe – and made many laughable attempts to learn Chinese. It wasn’t until I went back to college after my injury that I was able to take a formal Chinese class and actually start learning. I was an Asian studies minor, and that let me take a travel study trip to China about two years ago. I can’t wait to go back.

So you were a Chinese master of martial arts in a past life? There’s a story there somewhere.

Randall is adept at the Chinese martial art called Tai Chi Chuan. Again, you handled this from a writing perspective with incredible ease. Have you studied this or any martial art?

Yes. When I was a kid, I really wanted to learn kung fu… but Southern Illinois in the 80′s pretty much only had Taekwondo schools. When I was in high school, I learned some Kempo and Aikijiujitsu from a friend. I went on to study Aikido, Lohan Kung fu, and a bit of Capoeira. All that time, I had read the crazy Tai Chi stories about the legendary skills of the Yang family, but the only Tai Chi instruction I could find was – let me put this delicately – not concerned with the martial history of the art. It wasn’t until after my back injury that I found out that there was a teacher in my area who was a student of the current Yang family lineage holder. I started studying with him in 2005, and I really credit that with healing my back and getting me mobile again. Tai Chi is truly an amazing art.

Your characters talk about something called Dim Mak – the ‘Death Touch’. Is this a legitimate aspect of martial arts?

Well, it’s one of those things that has been rumored for a long time in various Chinese martial arts… Some say it’s what killed Bruce Lee. Some say it’s complete nonsense. If you do an internet search, you’ll see that there are people who claim to be able to knock out opponents with a touch and people who claim those people are charlatans… and it all just goes back and forth. So who knows?

What I will say about it is this: Changes is a work of fiction, so just keep that in mind.

The second book in this series will be out this summer. (I’m looking forward to it!) Can you give us a little tease? What will Randall be tackling in this one?

Sure! The next one is called Pressure Point. In it, someone close to Randall is seriously injured in a bizarre attack, so he takes it upon himself to try to find out what’s going on. Along the way, he gets tangled up in a twisted plot involving drugs, underground fighting tournaments, and a figure from his own shadowy past…

Is that enough of a tease?

I’m already hooked!

What inspires you?

Gosh. Pretty much everything. Life is pretty wonderful and terrible and astounding if you don’t let yourself get wrapped up in all the bullshit.

I love this answer!

Aside from reading and writing, what are some of your favorite pastimes?

Tai Chi, of course. I love spending time with my wife and two kids. I’m still always trying to improve my Mandarin whenever possible.

What scares you the most and why?

Being a parent, I think, is pretty much the most terrifying thing ever (and that shows up in a lot of my writing, including Changes). My oldest daughter was in the newborn I.C.U. for about a week when she was born, and I was a wreck. I had read all the books when my wife was pregnant and of course I had sort of considered the worst case scenarios, but the whole game changes when you hold this tiny person for the first time, and you love them more than you could ever imagine loving anything… and then to realize that they could be taken away from you… That’s scary.

I hope all is well with your oldest daughter now. I totally understand the fear. My older son had surgery at 3 weeks old. There is nothing more terrifying.

Thank you for joining me here today, Charles!

You can find Charles on Amazon:

Thanks for reading.

I want everyone to read Facing the Son, A Novel of Africa. This book is that good. Today I get to introduce you to Mark Rudolph, the book’s author, and share our Q&A session.

Meet Mark:

M L Rudolph has worked for CNN, HBO, and Playboy among other American and British television companies around the world. He has written for general interest and trade publications. He has a bachelors degree in English Literature and an International MBA. Rudolph is a dual US/UK national and lives in Pasadena, CA. Currently: Teacher, trainer, tutor, spy.

You can learn more about Mark and his writing on his website: http://markrudolph.wordpress.com
Connect with Mark on Twitter at: www.Twitter.com/MLRudolph or @MLRudolph

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

American Matt Reiser travels to The Ivory Coast on a mission to locate his estranged son. His only guide is a three-year old postal address. Fighting cultural vertigo and disorientation at the Abidjan airport, Matt relies on a glib and persistent limo driver who speaks just enough English to gain his trust.

The next morning, Matt wakes up drugged, robbed, and dropped into a grim city slum. Without ID, without money, and with no idea where to turn, Matt forges unlikely alliances that take him on a perilous journey out of the city and through the backcountry, where he fights on to continue his search for his son.

When he finds him, the struggle really begins.

Intrigued yet? Mark’s background fascinated me almost as much as his book. I could have – and wanted to – ask all sorts of questions. But I mostly restricted myself to questions pertaining to this book and Mark’s writing process. For now, that is. Maybe we can get him to come back and tell us more another time.

Matt is an average guy who’d never traveled, and suddenly he’s traipsing through African villages in search of his son. This plot has many layers, with tremendous emotional depth. What inspired the story?

Ouch. Right to the heart of the matter.

All of us have parents. Some of us have children. Some of us have terrific problem-free relationships with our family. Some of us struggle to achieve that sort of balance.

The story is fiction. The characters are developed to carry the story. But the emotions are real, and many of them are mine. When I struggled with a painful family situation some years ago, I turned to the blank page to analyze and understand the pain, and to a great degree the composition of Matt Reiser’s tale was therapeutic. (Though the family situation is unchanged.)

Also, whenever I met someone new and we swapped backgrounds, my years working in West Africa seemed to spark all kinds of interest. People responded to my stories. And I didn’t mind expanding on my tales to keep people’s attention. So when I needed a background for a family saga, why not West Africa? I enjoyed digging into my old materials, into my old memories, and researching the area for the story.

I’ve long believed that the best fiction comes from a personal place within the author. You proved that with this book.

The story takes place in Africa in the late 1970s. You paint a vivid portrait of the various African countries. I felt like I was there with the characters. Only someone familiar with the areas could have transported me so easily. I read that you had traveled extensively in West Africa. Did you immerse yourself in the native culture, as Matt reluctantly did? What was the experience like for you?

Unlike Matt, I never ran into any troubles in West Africa though I traveled alone most of the time. I developed great admiration and respect for the people, both expats and natives, that I got to know. And I maintain a keen interest in that part of the world.

That said, I’m by no means an expert in West African lore. I realized how little I knew when I got into the thick of writing this story. I read about fifty books of fiction and non-fiction while I was creating the early drafts. I needed to keep reading in order to have any level of confidence to write about the area. Even though I spent three years, on and off, traveling there, three years is no more than an introduction to cultures as rich as these. And I know there is so much more I could have inserted about the peoples and their lives. But to be true to Matt’s story, I had to be careful not to take local side journeys just to show off my reading. I got pretty ruthless in the editing and if something didn’t pertain to Matt and his trip, out it went. I did try though to include enough cultural and historical background so the reader might share my enthusiasm. If anyone wants more, she can always grab one of the many great works coming out of Africa today by major talents who do much better work than I do.

Jean-Louis, a native African, has a lot of negative feelings on the French and their treatment of Africa. Are his sentiments typical of the African people at that time?

Jean-Louis is not meant to be typical. He is a character with father issues that align with historical and cultural issues. I wasn’t in Africa at the time of independence and I’m sure feelings ran pretty high on both sides. The French did abandon their former colonies in pretty ruthless fashion. De Gaulle never expected the votes for independence to go against him. When they did, well, bah. Let them fend for themselves, was the first reaction. Jean-Louis allows expression of that part of the history.

The following generation would have only known boom – until the bust – but during the boom, independence was pretty fine for many people. Jean-Louis is one of those men drawn to the city for work education, income, who found himself there when the boom began. He lived a life completely different from what he knew as a child, in good ways and in bad.

Your characters are well-developed and multidimensional. They felt real and I easily got swept up in their world. How do you go about developing your characters?

How to create characters from scratch and make someone care about them? I’m glad you were swept away. That’s a real compliment.

We all have multidimensional lives. We play many roles in the course of any given day, sometimes in the course of an hour. As I started with the characters it seemed natural that they too would have all these different roles, all these different demands on their time and on their emotions. With each scene, each character would reveal more about his or her past, and with each scene, we would get to know them better through their interactions with other people, through the choices they make, and through how other characters perceive them.

One more thing. I revised over and over again. With each revision the characters came into better focus, how they would act in a given situation became clearer, and it became easier to let the characters do the talking. I know that sounds like a silly cliché, but I learned through this process that a character will eventually flesh out, and trying to make one act out of character simply will not work. Your fingers won’t go there. Your instinct will tell you no. And if you don’t listen to your instinct, your readers will tell you no.

I totally agree about the characters doing the talking. If mine are talking to me, or through me, then I know I’ve lost touch with their truth and the story I’m writing.

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

Rough draft stage: ideas all over the place. Messy brainstorming. Notes on legal pads. Texts, emails, and voice messages to self. Breaks during the process to outline, but the outline is descriptive not prescriptive.

Now into a fourth book, I’ve got to the point where I have trouble keeping track of all my characters. So, I bought a little composition book and each character gets his or her own page. They are all numbered, and each character’s page includes key relationships, traits, and whatever.

Mixture of quiet and noise. When I need energy, I crank it up.

Do you work from an outline? Or an idea sparks and you run with it?

I start with a character, a scene, and a general story idea. Every writer has their own approach, but I believe story flows from character. And character is revealed by story. So I develop characters and turn them loose on the story.

You have a fascinating career history, including a job with CNN that, I understand, included a lot of travel. What was your favorite place to visit? Least favorite?

I’m not a favorites kind of person, other than to say my favorite place is probably where I am at the moment. When I was in Berlin it was Berlin. Moscow it was Moscow. New Delhi, Cairo, Johannesburg, …or a salt lick two hours outside Niamey. Pasadena, today, that’s pretty nice. I loved all the travel, everywhere I worked, and I’m especially proud of my time at CNN. I had the best job in the world.

What a great answer!

You have a new book in the works. Please tell us a bit about it.

Two books coming out later this year hot on the heels of one another. First one is Pasadena Payback, a story that unfolds on the seamier side of Pasadena following an old debt repaid with dirty money through the hands of some unlikely characters. Pasadena Put Down, a trainee private investigator stumbles on a criminal enterprise in the heart of this storied town and quickly realizes he’s in over his head.

Some recurring characters, but the main carry over is the town of Pasadena. Such a great place with such an interesting history. But also with a great PR department. There’s more to this town than meets the television eye on New Year’s Day.

I’m looking forward to reading them!

Aside from writing and reading, what might we find you doing in your spare time?

Family. Friends. Fitness. I swim in the Rose Bowl pool every morning at six a.m.

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Knowing Matt’s story, there is only one possible answer to this one: Rocky Road.

Of course! That makes perfect sense!

Thank you, Mark, for taking the time to answer my questions.

As I said at the start, I would love for everyone to read this book. The characters are richly developed, with strengths and flaws. The plot is immediately engaging. There is mystery, suspense, drama. There are layers to uncover, emotions to explore. The setting gives a sense of wonder, a feeling of exploring as if you’re trekking across Africa right alongside Matt. I was riveted. I laughed and I cried. I connected. This is a book you won’t simply read. It is one you will experience.

Thanks for reading.

My guest today is the talented author Lea Ryan. I recently had the pleasure of reading Lea’s book Lair of the White Wyrm. Is pleasure the right word when something creeps you out, but in a good way? This book is a little paranormal, a little horror, and a lot entertaining! Here’s an introduction to the woman behind the words:

Lea Ryan was born and raised in Indiana. She currently lives there with her husband, two kids, two cats and a dog. Her specialty is fiction about the paranormal. She is the author of two fantasy novels – Babylon Dragon and Destined for Darkness, some short stories and a novella entitled What the Dead Fear. She also blogs about life, writing, books, and movies at http://Lea-Ryan.blogspot.com

You can also find Lea in the following places:

Website: www.LeaRyan.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LeaRyan1 or @LeaRyan1

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

Sometimes when you run from your problems, they follow you.

Eric Duncan wants nothing more than to be an ordinary, sane guy. He believes he can escape his troubled past by leaving home. However, the voice in his head, that of his dead friend Benjamin, fights him every step of the way.

Eric finds his new home is a place filled with secrets far darker than his own. A monster prowls the grounds, and it wants to keep him close.

He will discover that his inner demons aren’t the only things he should fear. In order to confront the wyrm and survive, he must also face the worst parts of himself.

On to the fun part, where I get to ask lots of questions:

What inspired you to write this specific story?

Lair of the White Wyrm was inspired by Bram Stoker’s final novel. I read it last year after downloading it from Project Gutenberg. I really loved the premise. Lady Arabella is this creature who has two forms – a reptile called a “worm” (Stoker’s spelling) and a human woman. I thought she was an interesting character because she lived a dual existence. When she wasn’t a carnivorous reptile, she appeared almost normal and was driven by human desires, specifically when it came to her obsession with Edgar Caswall.

I loved your array of characters. Each has a unique personality and all are multi-dimensional. How do you go about creating them?

Thank you! I try to make them as vivid as possible. I usually work out who I want the characters to be before I start writing the story. I can hear their voices in my head, which probably sounds crazy. If they have memories they need to share, I sometimes come up with those later.

Dialog is really important to me. I try to develop speech patterns for the characters. For instance, Chelsea speaks quickly, sometimes without really thinking or listening. She’s high energy, and I tried to convey that through what she said and how she reacted to certain things.

The voices in your head doesn’t sound the least bit strange, particularly since my characters speak to me as well!

While we have closure at the end, you’ve also left an opening for a possible sequel. Do you have future plans for Eric?

I don’t have a sequel planned, but I did intentionally leave it open, just in case. I get attached to my characters, so I like to have the option of circling back around to them.

Do you outline? Or do you get an idea and run blindly?

I plan meticulously. I use outlines and worksheets. For Lair of the White Wyrm, I also had a sketchbook page with a map I drew of the property and a diagram of the tower with each floor labeled with its respective resident. It’s the only way I can keep track of stuff like that. I need to get my thoughts in order and be able to refer back to those thoughts often or I lose track of where I am and what I should be doing.

What is your writing environment like? Messy or neat? Noisy or quiet?

My writing environment is reasonably neat. I take my writing stuff to the day job and work on lunch breaks, so I try to keep everything compact and mobile. I also work in different areas of the house, my recliner or the bedroom.

I need my work environment to be somewhat quiet when I’m really deep in a story. However, if I can’t find quiet, I can substitute instrumental music on headphones and that does the trick.

As a reader, what draws you to the paranormal? And as a writer?

As a reader, the paranormal makes things interesting. Regular life gets boring sometimes. I think of books as a way to escape, both the reading and the writing of them. As a writer, I like being able to make anything happen. Maybe it’s a control thing. Incorporating the paranormal into a book is like filling your world with magic.

Do you have a favorite book? Favorite author?

My favorite book of the moment is American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I read it last year. It was deeply creative and vividly written. I read that HBO is developing a series based on it, so I’m really excited about that.

My favorite author is Stephen King. He’s brilliant – his descriptions and people and his crazy stories. His imagination seems endless. I would like to meet him at some point.

I have American Gods but have yet to read it. I loved his book Neverwhere.

Aside from writing and reading, what are your favorite pastimes?

I draw. I do my own book covers and trailers. I did some illustrations for an earlier version of Destined for Darkness. Those are up on my website if anyone wants to look at them.

I also play video games. We have an Xbox, Playstation 3 and wii. The Playstation is my fave. I’ve been a playstation girl for as long as there have been playstations.

Rock or country?

Ooh, rock. My current audio obsession is the Black Keys. I saw them in concert last summer. A-mazing. I would definitely go again. They are very talented.

Great band!

Give us one word or phrase that describes you.

Persistent. If I really want something, I’ll get it eventually. Getting there might take a while, but I get there.

Thank you, Lea, for hanging out with us here today!

Here’s a look at Lea’s books on Amazon:

You can also find her books in all ebook formats on Smashwords, and a limited print edition of Lair of the White Wyrm on Lulu.

I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about Lea and her writing world.

Thanks for reading.

Thanks for reading.