Today’s exclusive interview with with author and MTW_2017 participant, Sherrie Whaley Frontz who writes as S.W. Frontz. Sherrie hails from Johnson City, Tennessee and her most recent book is titled, Don’t Look Back (Book Two in the Land’s End Series. It’s available in both Kindle and paperback formats. Let’s take a sneak peek at the blurb: Last autumn Sheriff Andy Patrick rescued his wife, Samantha, after she was kidnapped by Matt Ruiz. Samantha has retreated into a protective shell, afraid to leave home and pushing away the people who love her. Her daughter enlists the help of family friend, Kellyn. Kellyn has plenty of experience dealing with victims of sexual crimes. Kellyn comes to Land’s End to help Samantha, but she brings trouble with her. By saving Samantha, will Kellyn be able to save herself? Tell us something(s) about the book that the blurb doesn’t reveal: One of the villains in the book actually does a good deed. I’m not going to say more, I don’t want to give away any secrets. Any Upcoming Promotions/Giveaways/Events We Should Know About? December 19-January 19: Goodreads giveaway for Don’t Look Back What was your favorite or most surprising comment/review about the book? A reviewer said that my story kept her on the edge of her seat. It made me feel good because that’s what I want to do. If given a chance, which author (living or dead) would you like to meet (have met) and why? Margaret Mitchell. She wrote Gone with the Wind. Do I need to say more? If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast as which characters? Kelly Giddish as Kellyn, Tom Selleck as Blake, Jason Beghe as Dalton, Molly Hagan as Sam and Enrique Iglesias as Madison When and why did you decide to become a writer? My parents gave me a portable typewriter for Christmas when I was 12. I started a novel then but never finished. I wrote short stories and poems throughout my teens. Life took over and it wasn’t until about four years ago a good friend and author convinced me to start writing again. I began working on my first novel, When the Morning Comes, in 2013, but I kept changing it and putting it away until early 2016. I focused and I finally finished and published When the Morning Comes (Book One in the Land’s End Series) in late April of 2016. What other jobs have you held? I was a secretary for 10 years, then a sales agent for 3 and I’ve been a homemaker for 21 years. What are you working on next and when do you expect it to be on the shelves? I’m working on Book three, as yet untitled and I hope to publish by May of 2017 Are you traditionally published or self-published and why? Self-published. I can set my own deadlines. Do you belong to any writer’s groups? Which ones and how have they helped you? I just recently joined the Mystery Thriller Week group. Everyone that I’ve had contact with has been super supportive. If you were going to dabble in a different genre, what would it be? Southern humor
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Today’s exclusive interview is with novelist and MTW_2017 participant, Judy Penz Sheluk. Writing from her home in Toronto, Judy’s most recent mystery is Skeletons in the Attic: A Marketville Mystery #1 (August 2016, Imajin Books), which is available in both Kindle and paperback formats. Here’s the blurb: What goes on behind closed doors doesn’t always stay there… Calamity (Callie) Barnstable isn’t surprised to learn she’s the sole beneficiary of her late father’s estate, though she is shocked to discover she has inherited a house in the town of Marketville—a house she didn’t know existed. However, there are conditions attached to Callie’s inheritance: she must move to Marketville, live in the house, and solve her mother’s murder. Callie’s not keen on dredging up a thirty-year-old mystery, but if she doesn’t do it, there’s a scheming psychic named Misty Rivers who is more than happy to expose the Barnstable family secrets. Determined to thwart Misty and fulfill her father’s wishes, Callie accepts the challenge. But is she ready to face the skeletons hidden in the attic? Tell us something about the book that the blurb doesn’t reveal: Arabella Carpenter, one of the major characters in The Hanged Man’s Noose, the first book in my Glass Dolphin Mystery series, has a role in Skeletons. It was fun to include a crossover character. What was your favorite or most surprising comment/review about the book? The most exciting was a surprise review by Dru Ann Love of Dru’s Book Musings. She’s an icon in the mystery community and while she hosts an author a day, she seldom reviews books and doesn’t accept review requests. When she wrote on her blog that she loved Skeletons, it made my day, week, and month. If given a chance, which author (living or dead) would you like to meet/have met? There are so many! Truman Capote, because In Cold Blood is one of the finest works of crime non-fiction, and I’d like to know what it was like pre-internet, to research and write. Sue Grafton, Tana French, Michael Connelly, John Sandford because their books take me to another place...I could go on and on! If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast as which characters? Jennifer Lawrence as Calamity (Callie) Barnstable, the protagonist in Skeletons. Chris Noth as Leith Hampton, the lawyer. Bradley Cooper as Royce Ashford, neighbor and love interest. What gave you the idea to write this book? The idea for Skeletons in the Attic came to me while I waited with my husband, Mike, in our lawyer's office. We were there to update our wills, and his Goldendoodle kept us company while our lawyer was detained at court. The opening scenes of this book are culled directly from that experience. Let that be your takeaway from this: everything that happens in a writer's life may end up in one of their stories. Do you have pets? I have a 14 month-old Golden Retriever, Gibbs (named after Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS). He is my fourth Golden, and as a kid I had a Golden mix. I love the breed (though not the dog hair!). My previous dogs were Sandy (mix), Einstein (named after the dog in Dean Koontz’s Watchers), Ranger, and Copper. Copper was 12 ½ when he died, and I’d forgotten how crazy puppies can be, but Gibbs is coming along nicely. I can’t imagine a house without a dog. Are you traditionally published or self-published and why? Both my novels are traditionally published, though with two different publishers. I made that decision because I have two series and I didn’t want to place on my books in one publisher’s basket. I have two short story collections that I self-published. They are small collections, which I basically put out to test-drive how to do it. It was incredibly easy. I have an idea for a novella series. I think I will self-publish, but I’m not sure. First I have to write it! What conferences have you attended and what value have you found in attending conferences? My first writer’s conference was Bloody Words in Toronto, 2012 and 2014. I was unpublished at the time and learned a lot. Unfortunately 2014 was the last year for Bloody Words. In 2015, I attended Bouchercon in Raleigh, NC, as a debut author, and in 2016, Malice Domestic in Bethesda, MD as a debut author. They are very different – Bouchercon is huge and Malice is more intimate – but both were very worthwhile. If you attend thinking you will sell enough books for the money spent, you will be very disappointed. It’s more about making connections, getting your name out there, and learning more about the business. Where Can Readers Find You? You can find me at www.judypenzsheluk.com, where I blog about the writing life and interview and showcase other authors. You can also find me on Goodreads, Pinterest, Twitter (@JudyPenzSheluk), Amazon, and on my Facebook author page (Judy Penz Sheluk) Judy was kind enough to share an excerpt of Skeletons in the Attic below:
Leith let out a theatrical courtroom sigh, well practiced but over the top for his audience of one. “You haven’t really been listening, have you, Calamity?” I was forced to admit I had not, although he now had my undivided attention. Marketville was a commuter community about an hour north of Toronto, the sort of town where families with two kids, a collie, and a cat moved to looking for a bigger house, a better school, and soccer fields. It didn’t sound much like me, or my father. “You’re saying my father owned a house in Marketville? I don’t understand. Why didn’t he live there?” Leith shrugged. “It seems he couldn’t bear to part with it, and he couldn’t stand living in it. He’s been renting it out since 1986.” The year my mother had left. I’d been six. I tried to remember a house in Marketville. Nothing came to mind. Even my memories of my mother were vague. “The house has gone through some hard times, what with tenants coming and going over the years,” Leith continued. “I’ve done my best to manage the property for a modest monthly maintenance fee, but not living nearby…” He colored slightly and I wondered just how modest that fee had been. I glanced back at the photo of his vibrant young family and suspected such treasures did not come cheap. There was probably alimony for the other trophy wives as well. I decided to let it go. My father had trusted him. That had to be enough. “So you’re saying I’ve inherited a fixer-upper.” “I suppose you could put it that way, although your father had recently hired a company to make some basic improvements when the last tenant moved out.” He flipped through his notes in the folder. “Royce Contracting and Property Management. I gather the owner of the company, Royce Ashford, lives next door. But I’m not sure much, if anything, has been done to the house yet. Naturally all work would have stopped following your father’s death.” “You said he wanted me to move into the house? When was he going to tell me?” “I think the initial plan was that your father was going to move back in there. But of course now—” “Now that he’s dead, you think he wanted me to move there?” “Actually, it’s more than wanted, Calamity. It’s a provision of the will that you move into Sixteen Snapdragon Circle for a period of one year. After that time, you are free to do what you wish with it. Go back to renting it, continue to live there, or sell it.” “And if I decide to sell it?” “Homes in that area of Marketville typically sell quickly and for a decent price, certainly several times your parents’ original investment back in 1979. You’d have to put in some elbow grease, not to mention some basic renovations, but your father left you some money for that as well.” “He had money set aside? Enough for renovations?” I thought about the shabby townhouse, the threadbare carpets, the flannel sheet covering holes in the fabric of the ancient olive green brocade sofa. I always thought my dad was frugal because he had to be. It never occurred to me he was squirreling away money to fix up a house I didn’t even know existed. “About a hundred thousand dollars, although only half of that is allocated to renovation. The balance of fifty thousand would be paid to you in weekly installments while you lived there rent-free. Certainly enough for you to take a year off work and fulfill the other requirement.” Fifty thousand dollars. Almost twice what I made in a single year at my call center job at the bank. Leaving there would definitely not be a hardship. And my month-to-month lease would be easy enough to break with thirty days notice. “What’s the other requirement?” Leith leaned back in his chair and let out another one of his theatrical sighs. I got the impression he didn’t really approve of the condition. “Your father wants you to find out who murdered your mother. And he believes the clues may be hidden in the Marketville house.” Copyright 2016 Judy Penz Sheluk. Reprinted with permission. Today’s exclusive interview is definitely my most long-distance author dialogue! Armaan Singh Dhillon lives in New Delhi, India and his most recent novel, A Nazi War Criminal in India is a Mystery/Thriller that’s available in both Kindle and paperback editions. Here’s the blurb: Just after the end of World War II, Adolf Eichmann’s best man, Alois Brunner, fled to West Germany, then Egypt, and finally lived in Syria with the help of the government in return for his sharing of the torture techniques the Nazis used during their Reich. But did he actually die there? Simon Wiesenthal claims that yes, he died there when the civil war started, but the location of his grave was unknown. But there is no substantial proof of his death! What if, to avoid the Civil War and any threats to his life, Alois Brunner never died and in fact fled to India with the help of his contacts in the Syrian Government? Alois Brunner comes to India with a new identity and settles down in New Delhi in a locality where he meets a college student (Rohan) and befriends him. Does Rohan discover his real identity? What manipulations and betrayals occur? Tell us something(s) about the book that the blurb doesn’t reveal: There is Rohan’s girlfriend who is not directly a part of the story but plays in the background of it. She is ‘used’ by Rohan during stressful times. What was your favorite or most surprising comment/review about the book? Why? Someone told me, “Man, I can’t believe that you connected a Nazi guy to an Indian college student.” I believe that it was the most difficult part and something that has never been done before. If given a chance, which author (living or dead) would you like to meet/have met? No one in particular. Though I would love to meet all those who have passed away many years back. I’m sure they must have had something in mind that would have taught me many things that I otherwise would never be able to know. If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast as which characters? Rohan - Vivaan Shah Alois Brunner - Naseeruddin Shah Dhruv - A New Actor (Unknown) Girlfriend - Alia Bhatt Army Officer - Jimmy Shergill Professor - Anupam Kher Mom - Dimple Kapadia What gave you the idea to write this book? Nazis have always fascinated me. Although I strongly believe that whatever they did during their regime was wrong and I condemn it, the way they controlled everyone and everything--their uniforms, banners, salute and their way of acting towards an issue--was just unique and different which mesmerized me. The movies that I have watched related to Nazis have always made me want to write something of my own. So relating Nazis to India was a big task but I worked on it for a very long time and came up with this story. And I do believe that I have done justice to the whole concept of my story. What is your favorite quote from the book and why? “I believe that some birds are not meant to be imprisoned. And you just cannot see them when they fly away as their feathers are just too bright. I hope for a peaceful life for that old man.” Because this is when Rohan realizes that not everything will go according to him and shows a sign of recovery. What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of publishing today? In today’s world it is very easy to get published. As far as you have a well-written novel, no barrier should come your way. Also, self-publishing has made it even easier. Though, due to high number of published works, it is harder to get your book out there. In fact, the main work starts after your book is published, with marketing, promotion etc. What advice do you have for other writers based on your experience? This is my first book and I’ve yet to learn a lot from experienced writers but I can tell one thing for sure--there will always be people who will tell you to write what people love to read. DON’T LISTEN TO THEM. Do not kill your creativity. Write what you want to. And do not think twice before writing on a specific topic. After all, it’s your point of view, your story! If your work is good, people will read it! Have confidence in yourself, the rest will follow. Never Stop. Keep Writing. All the best. Where Can My Readers Find You? For all the promotions/giveaways/events, updates will be made on my Facebook, Goodreads and Amazon author page Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cdtArmaan Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16232436.Armaan_Singh_Dhillon Amazon Author Page: http://www.www.amazon.com/author/armaandhillon E-mail: armaan619hbk@gmail.com Here is an excerpt from A Nazi War Criminal in India that Armaan was kind enough to share:
CHAPTER 1 The Remnant Me 21st July 2011 I was tired, exhausted and my mind didn’t seem to work at all. I stared down at the cigarette grasped effortlessly by my fingers. I debated with myself whether or not to smoke it, but eventually gave in to my craving for that nicotine hit and decided to light it in just a bit. I didn’t even realise that I had reached my college after walking for 15 kilometres on an extremely sunny day. I looked up consciously for the first time since I started walking from “that” house. I was sweaty and thirsty. There were a few acquaintances who said “Hi” and “Kaisa hai Rohan Ahluwalia” to me, to which all I could respond was, with mere expressionless stares. I saw a board which said that the renowned film director ‘Ayush Mehra’ is visiting our college to present a motivational speech. I looked at it for a few seconds and later walked towards the college auditorium where the event was to take place. Suddenly someone patted my back with a little force. I looked back and saw that it was Mehak Kapoor, my girlfriend? My senses seemed too occupied to figure out my exact bonds around. It was a muddled day for me, especially after what I saw and read in “that” house. Mehak said “You bastard, I knew you will never call me after I visited your place”. I looked at her cautiously and silently. “Are you going to say something or not?” she sounded quite noticeably exasperated. “No”, was the only word I uttered. I couldn’t get my own mind together, and was far capable of dealing with anyone else. Mehak left, her eyes filled with rage. I looked down at my right hand and saw the cigarette still sitting between my fingers. I had forgotten to light it. I went outside the auditorium and walked to a secluded corner which was used as a smoking area for people out there. I frisked into my pocket and realized I had a lighter, lit up my cigarette and took an exceptionally long drag. A guy next to me, who was smoking a joint, got taken aback while looking at the way I took the drag. “Bhai, are you alright?” he asked with an inquisitive voice. “Yes”, I whispered in doubt, “I guess”. “Hmm” he started to enjoy his joint again. I took a couple of drags more and threw the cigarette bud into a bin. I started walking towards the auditorium and reached there, noticing that there was a long queue to get inside. I stepped behind a nerdy girl who was holding a book in her hand and was impatient to get inside. After waiting for twenty minutes behind her I saw my friend Dhruv Kashyap standing near the entrance door and luckily he saw me too and waived his hand at me. He asked me to come in front and made me enter just along with him since he knew one of the event managers. He asked me to sit in the first few rows of the auditorium along with him where the stage was unobstructed and I could clearly see it. One podium was kept at a distance of a few steps from the table and chairs where the guests were supposed to be seated within half-an-hour. There was quite a commotion among students to watch and listen to such a big name of the Indian film industry speak live before them. It was going to be all about different aspects of life through his personal experiences. “I thought you would skip this event and will be doing some shit with that bastard, who got my best friend, my brother killed” Dhruv said to me with the most hateful expression that I had ever seen on his face. I knew that he was not wrong. I kept quiet for a while and then replied “Whatever happened was tragic and I hate that guy for all that he did to us”. After a few minutes, the Dean arrived inside the auditorium with the guest of honour, the man himself, Ayush Mehra. He came along with two of the more familiar faces of the industry who are not known much for their work but instead just familiar because they were friends to Ayush. Everybody in the audience welcomed them warmly with a standing applause. Within no time the Dean of our college started speaking about the event and introduced Ayush to the students. He greeted him with a bouquet and requested him to speak a few words for the student of our prestigious college. Ayush got up from his chair and walked towards the podium, one could clearly make out that he was a humble gentleman by his body language and walking gesture. “Good Afternoon friends”, Ayush said. Everybody in the audience responded positively. Ayush started speaking about himself when he was in a similar phase of life as we were and within no time he got into serious topics like career management, professional growth, financial stability, etc. I was very impressed by his views on these topics. A statement he gave just before ending his forty eight minute speech duly caught my attention. It clearly depicted him to be a typical business man while he spoke, but trustable one. “I’m an explorer and by that I mean about exploring new stories everywhere I travel. I am sure, you people at such age have a variety of experiences to share with me here as well. I would be highly obliged if some of you will show up to me for telling your experiences which you believe could end up in a film. My office gates are always open for such people.” Ayush said. I got stuck to this statement of his and I was not sure but something inside me kept on telling me that Rohan you have to visit this person soon. “But visit?” I asked myself in doubt. I’ll end up revealing everything about what happened with me in the last couple of days. I have to make a plan of some sort where I deliver the story to him without revealing my identity. 2016 Armaan Dhillon. Reprinted with permission. Today exclusive interview is with author/Mystery Thriller Week participant Elena Hartwell. Elena lives in Seattle and her most recently published book is “One Dead, Two to Go.” This novel is available as a paperback, as an e-book/i-book (Kindle/Nook) and as an Audible audiobook. In this mystery, Private Investigator Edwina “Eddie Shoes” Schultz’s most recent job has her parked outside a seedy Bellingham hotel, photographing her quarry as he kisses his mistress goodbye. This is the last anyone will see of the woman … alive. Then her client disappears and Eddie finds herself knee-deep in dangerous company. Spurred on by her card-counting, poker-playing mother who has shown up on her doorstep fresh from the shenanigans that got her kicked out of Vegas, Eddie has to wonder, is her client the latest victim? Or the killer? Here’s what Elena told us about the book and about the writing life in general: Tell us something(s) about the book that the blurb doesn’t reveal: If Sue Grafton and James Rockford had a love child, it would be private investigator Eddie Shoes. Any Upcoming Promotions/Giveaways/Events We Should Know About? Currently, there is a Goodreads Giveaway, which runs through January 10. Plus, I have a blog tour starting January 23. You can visit my Events Page for more information: http://elenahartwell.blogspot.com/p/mystery-loves-company-book-tour.html What was your favorite or most surprising comment/review about the book? “Avid Alphabet series connoisseurs should flock to this kick-off series.” —Roberta Gordon for InD'Tale Magazine. I loved this review comment because Sue Grafton inspired me as a teenager, and continues to inspire me today. She showed the world that women can be private eyes and mystery novelists in a way that felt groundbreaking. Being compared to her and Janet Evanovich are two of my favorite comments. If given a chance, which author (living or dead) would you like to meet (have met) and why? Shakespeare. I’d like to know how he did what he did with language (he invented so many new words) how he produced the sheer volume of material he did, and how his life and writing career entwined. If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast as which characters? Charisma Carpenter for Eddie. She’s quirky and the right ethnic mix to play a Latina/Jew. For her mother Chava, I can picture Ellen Degeneres. Chava has to be funny. What is the main conflict in your book? Secondary conflicts? On the surface, it’s about a private investigator chasing a killer. Under the surface, it’s about a woman learning to relate to her mother as an adult and deal with her feelings of responsibility to others. Eddie has to learn where she draws the line regardless of loyalty. What tidbits did you leave out of the book? I left out much of Eddie’s backstory, especially her relationship with her mentor, who committed suicide. More of those details will come out over the course of the series. One thing I’m learning in working on a series is how to have arcs for individual books and across multiple books. What are you working on next and when do you expect it to be on the shelves? Two Heads Are Deader Than One, April 15, 2017. Are you traditionally published or self-published and why? I’m published with Camel Press. I’m happy to be traditionally published. My publisher has the ability to get me reviewed in places that aren’t available to self-published authors. I can also be carried in any library or bookstore, which sometimes won’t carry self-published authors. I have fantastic editors and staff to handle cover designs, postcards, and other marketing materials. What former author training/writing have you had, if any? I have worked in the theater as a playwright for over twenty years. What conferences have you attended and what value have you found in attending conferences, if any? I love conferences. I have attended several. It’s a great way to get yourself and your books in front of readers and network with other authors. My favorite is ThrillerFest, put on by International Thriller Writers (they include mysteries, not just thrillers). They have a terrific program for debut authors, which supported me during my first year as an author. I’m currently the Debut Author Program Chair, so I’m thrilled to be able to pay that support forward to the class coming in behind me. Elena was kind enough to share an excerpt from "One Dead, Two to Go" below: The loud pounding shouldn’t have come as a surprise. After all, the police weren’t used to people slamming doors in their faces, and that’s who I’d just locked out of my office. “Eddie? What the—? Open the door.” Chance Parker’s voice hadn’t changed. It was still low, but carried a weight to it like every word he spoke mattered. I leaned against the glass with the hope my heart wouldn’t leap out of my chest and splatter on the ground at my, or worse yet his, feet. The next rap was a knuckle on the glass, instead of the wood frame of the door. The sharp sound of it pulled me out of my panic, and I wrenched the door back open. Just like ripping off a bandage, best to get it over with quick. “Sorry about that. I thought I heard the phone ring,” I said, my response inexplicable even to myself. The woman with Chance looked at me like I might be certifiable; he just looked amused. I’m not sure which expression annoyed me more. “Mind if we come in? We have a few questions for you,” Chance said, though it was clear he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. The “we” included Detective Kate Jarek, who introduced herself and said, “I understand you two know each other.” “We do,” I said, looking to Chance to see if he planned to fill me in on what he’d told her about our history. Chance rubbed the side of his cheek as if checking for stubble. It was an action I remembered well—an unconscious gesture he made when he didn’t know exactly how he wanted to respond. Chance was careful with his words, as if they were valuable and he might accidentally drop one he couldn’t afford to lose. “Down in Seattle,” he said. His eyes held mine, and for an instant I thought he might say more. Something was there in the softness of his gaze, but that brief moment of connection passed and he glossed over a complicated relationship with that single sentence. I told myself he couldn’t do anything else. Even if it might have felt good to hear he forgave me, now wasn’t the time. Maybe we could see each other again soon. Alone. And I could find a way to make amends. “Come on in,” I said, standing aside to let the two of them through the door. I shut it behind them, taking a deep breath before I turned around to face them. Chance began to pace, his nervous energy filling the room. From the way he averted his gaze from the two of us, I could tell his mind was now focused solely on whatever brought him to my door. I respected that about him. His attention would be directed at you for a moment—intense, all consuming—then he’d turn outward again, as his work took precedence. Chance was taller than Kate by at least six inches. I could look him in the eye if I were wearing tall shoes, so he stood just over six feet. His hair was brown, but if we were outside, sunlight would glint off red highlights. His eyes were the color of dark chocolate—that satiny look it took on when you melted it on the stove to make some delicious, fattening dessert you knew you shouldn’t eat but couldn’t help yourself from making. “What can I do for you?” I asked, curious about why a Seattle detective—and my old flame—had appeared on my doorstep up here in Bellingham. “We’ve got some questions about Deirdre Fox,” Kate said. That certainly threw me for a loop. I don’t know what I thought they might question me about, but Deirdre Fox wasn’t even in the top ten. Copyright 2016 Elena Hartwell, Camel Press Today’s exclusive interview is with author Khristina Atkinson, who hails from Charleston, West Virginia. Her most recent novel is titled “Hopelessly, Completely, MADLY in Love,” a Historical Romance/Suspense, available in eBook with the paperback edition to be available soon. Sounds like my kind of novel, and what a terrific cover! Just read this: Lexi Donovan leaves home to visit her grandmother in Louisville when her crush, Cooper Grayson, returns to Bardstown, Kentucky. He immediately asks her father's permission to court her after she's already accepted an engagement ring from her best friend, Silas Reilly. Silas hasn't yet found the courage to speak with her father, Heath. He's a brawny man with a fiery temper, who's extremely protective of his only child. Lexi comes back to town with a new husband, Luke Weston, and is about to deliver the wonderful news he's going to be a father when a shot rings out. Is one of the men who claim to love her trying to murder her husband? Khristina has originally announced the price of the eBook would remain 99 cents only until Christmas, but now she’s decided to leave it reduced until the end of Mystery Thriller Week in mid-February so here’s your chance to snap up a copy! Here’s what Khristina had to say about the book and the writing life in general: What was your favorite or most surprising comment/review about the book? I haven’t had a lot of time for promoting. I have two sequels coming out in early 2017. After their completion, I’m going to slow down and devote more time to getting my books out into the world. I only have one review for this book so far. It’s special because of the 5 stars. “A story that leaves you hoping for love, wondering in suspense, and eager to turn the pages. Obsessive love story that's unpredictable. This story takes you to a different time frame and place, giving you an insight of love in the eighteen hundreds. Loved it and recommended read!” If given a chance, which author (living or dead) would you like to meet (have met) and why? William Shakespeare. I’d love to hear him read a passage from any of his great works. If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast as which characters? I already picture Chris Pine as Luke Weston in my head. Scarlett Johansson looks terrific with any color hair, so we’ll give her long, dark-auburn locks. I’ve been seeing a lot of Zac Efron in movies lately, so let’s put him in the role of Silas Reilly. I’ll darken Matt Boomer’s hair a bit, and he’ll be the perfect Cooper Grayson. I’ve loved Shia Labeouf since “Holes,” so he’s my choice for Jesse Dalton. When and why did you decide to become a writer: I’ve been writing poems and short stories since elementary school. I thoroughly enjoy expressing my ideas on paper, and now the computer. I have a vivid imagination, so about six years ago, I started jotting ideas down in an attempt for a full-length book. I ended up coming up with four stories that were all published this year. What other jobs have you held? I was the counselor at a college. All of the students who were receiving the grants from my department had to check in with me once a week. If they had a problem, I took on most tasks myself. I tutored them, helped them fill out financial aid forms, and typed them up resumes. They would sit at my desk and freely express details about their lives and relationships. Years later, I might recall one our sessions and add a fictional aspect to one of my storylines. Do you have pets? I have a cat that my sons named Charlene. In the spring of this year, my mom saw a bluebird attacking her, but she seemed to run and get away. She was lethargic one Saturday morning when we were leaving to take my youngest son to karate. After returning home, we couldn’t find her. She’s very spoiled and has a perch on our covered porch that she lays on during the day, like a queen. I call my mom “the cat whisperer.” She located Charlotte on Monday under a bush, and the poor cat couldn’t even walk. The bluebird had pecked her neck, and it had become infected. I had a really hard time getting the antibiotics down her, and she wouldn’t eat. I’d soak her cat food in water until it was basically mush and place it into her mouth. This went on for several weeks until she recovered. She killed numerous birds and placed them on our porch for nearly a month. We came home one evening, and she was posed on her perch. She reminded us all of Batman, leaning over top of a building, with her eyes glowing. I immediately mimicked words from the cartoon, “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batcat.” My sons loved the comparison. Are you traditionally published or self-published and why? I’m self-published, because it gives me the freedom to make my own choices. I don’t care about the money. The books are my personal expression. I want to decide how they’re represented to the public. I’ve done research on authors who have been traditionally published for many years with little money to show for their efforts, and who are now switching over to self-publishing. Do you belong to any writer’s groups? Which ones and how have they helped you? I belong to several on Facebook. I’ve been chosen to be featured on Writer’s Rave for the group Write of Passage, which encompasses and encourages all art forms. I had the opportunity to showcase some of my artwork (which I normally would never do), shorts stories, poems, and even a joke. The poets encouraged me to starts writing poems again, and I now have a book of poetry on Chanillo.com. A friend of mine started Indie Author Support group. We have writers from several different genres, who are always available for sharing their experiences and answering questions. The members freely express their failures and successes in topics such as marketing and reviews. They’ve taught me so much. If you were going to dabble in a different genre, what would it be and why? Paranormal. I’ve loved vampire shows and movies since as far back as I can remember. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Charmed” are two shows on television that I watched every single episode. I have several ideas floating around in my brain for this genre. I want to write a book of short stories, so perhaps I can combine the two. Please join me in wishing Khristina great success with this book, its sequels, her poetry and any paranormal books she puts out in the future! And here's an excerpt from “Hopelessly, Completely, MADLY in Love," that she was kind enough to share with us, describing an interaction between Lexi and yet another admirer, Damon, who kidnaps her and forces her into marriage: Damon left early the next morning and informed Lexi that he would be gone most of the day. He’d made his expectations clear to her. She was going to be his wife, whether she wanted to or not, and responsible for the meals and care of their home. Lexi had taken to Bea after her mother died, and she had actually let the woman start teaching her how to prepare their meals. Being around another woman helped keep her mind off of her loss, but later she realized that she despised cooking. Lexi made Damon a list of items necessary for their meals during the week. Bea had a special recipe for a sauce that included mushrooms. She’d given Lexi detailed instructions on how to tell the poisonous variety from the ones she needed as an ingredient. Certain mushrooms could be deadly, and thanks to Bea she knew exactly what she required for her plan to work. She journeyed outside and began to search. The ground was damp from a recent rain, and she quickly found what she was looking for. She gathered the mushrooms she would eat, and also the kind that would take care of Damon. When she arrived back at the house, she went to work on the evening’s dinner. Damon returned early that afternoon with the supplies and a preacher. Lexi was afraid not to go along with him. The couple repeated their vows and were pronounced man and wife. While her new husband stepped out the front door to pay the good reverend, she was busy starting their meal. Damon came back inside the house and ordered her to postpone dinner until after she had performed her wifely duty. She sweetly reminded him that he was going to need his strength for the bedroom. She claimed to be starving and wouldn’t be pleasant company until she was properly fed. He gave in to her reasoning. Waiting an hour or so for his honeymoon night wouldn’t hurt his plans. Lexi made sure she gave Damon the plate that contained the poisonous mushrooms first. When he’d dug in, she sat down with her meal. He ate every bite and made a big deal about how the dish was delicious. Lexi ate slowly. She waited patiently for the mushrooms to take their effect. She prayed she would not end up having marital relations with the man. Lexi suggested they toast their new marriage. Damon concurred and opened a bottle of wine. She’d once vowed never to drink again, but was hoping alcohol would give her courage for what she concluded was going to be inevitable. The thought of being intimate with Damon was making her feel sick to her stomach. Two glasses of wine had gone down her throat by the time he finished his first drink. Damon had waited long enough and took Lexi’s hand to lead her into the bedroom. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes tightly when he entered her. As his body pressed against hers, she was revolting. She wanted to scream for him to stop. Her suffering didn’t last long. A groan escaped his throat, and he stopped his movements. When Damon fell asleep, Lexi got up from the bed and stared at him. She had a sudden pang of regret. She wanted so badly to be reunited with Lucas, but another way must have been possible. Tears began to form in her eyes as the thought of taking this man’s life overwhelmed her mind. Visions of his lifeless, cold body replaced his now breathing form. She did not want to be a murderer. Copyright 2016 Khristina Atkinson. Reprinted with permission. Today’s Author Interview is with L.G. Fabbo-Gonnella, author of many books, most recently The Case of the Deadly Dish: A Mark Julian Vampire PI Mystery Book #8. Fabbo-Gonnella specializes in the Mystery, Detective, Erotic, Supernatural and MM genres and hails from the NYC area. His books are available via Kindle on Amazon.com. In The Case of the Deadly Dish: A Mark Julian Vampire PI Mystery Book #8, Mark is clearly a vampire who solves crimes for the supernatural community and governing council of NYC. He is aided by his partner a NYC detective and his feisty secretary who is a shape-shifting, sex demon who only dresses in styles from the 1940’s Here’s the blurb, to whet your appetite: New York City's supernatural community is ablaze with reports about an upcoming literary publication. An anonymous human, who claims they are intimately involved with a real-life vampire, has written a new tell-all book. The work threatens to publicly “out” New York City’s powerful vampires and “dish the dirt” on the goings on in their world. The entire vampire population is enraged. Many are demanding that the author be found and silenced. Some are also insisting that their collective safety requires that any human involved with a vampire be either executed or turned. Tortego insists this is a local matter, which he can solve without outside help. Jean-Claude, however, as head of the entire city's supernatural community thinks otherwise. Mark and his friends are called upon to join forces to find the author and stop the book from being published before things spiral out of control. As vampire attacks in the city increase, the crafty Tortego devises a scheme to destroy both Mark and Jean-Claude. When more violence erupts and murder is committed, it becomes, “The Case of the Deadly Dish." Tell us something(s) about the book that the blurb doesn’t reveal: Well in Mark Julian book the reader gets to see that characters, who usually stay on the side of justice, must sometimes enter into grey areas. The question is whether it is sometimes necessary to do a minor cruelty to prevent a greater one. What was your favorite or most surprising comment/review about the book? Why? A fan wrote the Julian books showed them beauty and cruelty can co- exist side by side. I never considered that as a theme in his books. It intrigued me. A reviewer said both my mystery series were also a love letter to my city of NY. I confess that is true. If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast as which characters? For Mark Julian it has to be the actor who is the face on the cover, Jacopo Rampini. He is not only super-talented but his look subtly changes in every role he does. Go find his actor page and check out his pictures then tell me if you agree What books influenced you growing up? Agatha Christie for mysteries and Alan E. Nourse in Sci-Fi. I’m sure everyone knows the former but the latter is sadly not as well known. I read his “Raiders from the Rings”& “The Blade Runner” and they opened my imagination. What gave you the idea to write this book? The Julian book was inspired by, what I feel, is a growing bigotry. A married couple, who are dear friends, once asked me “why are we never inspiration for characters in one of your books?” The Max et al book is my playful tip of the hat to them. What are you working on next and when do you expect it to be on the shelves? Book #9 in the Mark Julian mysteries comes out around December 24th. I was quite industrious and book #10 is out 2/14/17. When I finished #9 I realized there should be a follow up to show how good, necessary actions have consequences that hurt. If you’re curious Amazon has them listed and it comes with plot blurbs for each. #9: The Case of the Vengeful Virgin #10 : The case of the Parisian Vendetta Currently I’m in my research mode for both the next Julian and Max et all books. Since Julian has been a tad dark, this one will be a fun plot. He, as a vampire, once did a sex scene in a silent film with his fling of that era. Now someone found the film. He is in a panic and must retrieve it before his current and first real love sees it in some NYC revival. What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of publishing today? Publicity. I am quite shy about self-promoting. I do it. I know it’s necessary but I am ALWAYS self-conscious. Editing. Affording a good editor is a horror and beta readers are few and far between {I do ask on my pages for volunteers. Hint, hint haha.) I try my best and do use a editor I can afford. Then I pray my readers realize independent publications do carry the typo of grammar issue. What advice do you have for other writers based on your experience? Write. Write. Write. Do not let commenters discourage you. Read them of course & learn from them too. Do not be afraid to toss something out and begin all over again. Have an idea of plot but do not be so inflexible you will not stray from it as you write. I soon learned that my stories ended up in ways I had not thought about when I began. I always say I am not an author, just a scribe who takes dictation from my characters. Anything else you'd like to tell us? LOL. I was once asked, during a blog tour, what sex device I would buy in a sex shop. I replied “the one on sale”. Let me end on that note, haha. Here's what's going on:
1. I'm running a Kindle Countdown Promotion for Expired Listings. Price will be only $.99 from December 16-19 (but I'm not sure of the exact starting time!), and then $1.99 from December 20-13. 2. Expired Listings will be featured on Bookmovement.com and I'll be running a contest where the lucky winning Book Club will receive 12-15 free paperback copies of the book. I'm available for any book club discussion of Expired Listings, either in person or via Skype or Google Hangouts if I can figure out how that works (lol). 3. I will be reading at the Jefferson Market Library in NYC on January 18th as part of the Sisters in Crime Open Mic Series. 4. I will be participating in Mystery Thriller Week with a one hour discussion on Facebook on Feb 13 from 11am-Noon. Ask whatever and I'll try to answer. 5. I will soon be featuring interviews with some amazing authors so in the words of Rachel Maddow, watch this space. |
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