FEATURED AUTHOR: CHUCK WALDRON

ABOUT THE BOOK


In this sequel to The CleanSweep Conspiracy, Matt Tremain is back, facing an even deadlier threat. Deceit and intrigue lie hidden behind the collapse of Operation CleanSweep. It’s time for revenge.



Instrumental in exposing the evil behind Operation CleanSweep—a diabolical “cultural cleansing” plot masterminded by Toronto billionaire Charles Claussen—investigative blogger Tremain now faces the madman’s desire for vengeance. Claussen intends to settle the score personally by luring Matt into a deadly trap. 



But the clock is ticking for Claussen, too. Fraternité des Aigles, The Brotherhood of Eagles—a shadowy group that secretly financed Claussen’s Operation CleanSweep—wants answers and their money back. Consumed with rage, Claussen risks everything to get to Matt before the Brotherhood gets to him. 



Tremain is once again partnering with a police detective, Carling. Knowing they are being lured into a possible trap, they decide to face their nemesis, Charles Claussen.


Across four continents, Claussen sets traps, pursues Tremain, and continues to execute his signature brand of global chaos.

When his fiancé’s life is on the line, can Tremain stop Claussen’s madness and still avoid getting killed?    

BOOK DETAILS:


Title: The Cleansweep Counterstrike 


Author: Chuck Waldron

Genre: Technothriller

Series: The Matt Tremain Technothriller series, book 2

Publisher: Bublish, Inc (April 21, 2018)

Print length: 293 pages
On tour with: iRead Book Tours




INTERVIEW WITH CHUCK WALDRON

Q: Chuck, tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
A: Writing the Cleansweep Counterstrike as a sequel presented quite a challenge. I wanted to write it as a standalone, yet continue with elements of book one, The Cleansweep Conspiracy. I hope someone reading the Cleansweep Counterstrike first will be inspired to read book one.

Q: Where’s home for you?
A: Port St Lucie, on the Florida Treasure Coast.

Q: Where did you grow up?
A: Iowa–Cedar Rapids to be precise.

Q: What’s your favorite memory?
A: There are two. The most important memory is the day I married. That’s followed by graduation day at the University of Iowa, a first in my family. I have the GI Bill to thank for that degree.


Q: Have you been in any natural disasters?
A: One tornado and three hurricanes are more than enough for me.

Q: What is the most daring thing you've done?
A: Stepping up to the dais in front of 1,300 people and national TV coverage
.

Q: What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
A: We all have some things we would like to redo, but I try to live by the rule of “no regerts” or spelled correctly, no regrets.

Q: How did you meet your spouse?
A: The first class of the first day at graduate school.

Q: What are your most cherished mementoes?
A: A framed recipe in my mother’s handwriting. Old, cherished family photographs, a 1937 manual Remington typewriter, a pocket angel.

Q: If you could only save one thing from your house, what would it be?
A: My wife, Suzanne.

Q: What’s one of your favorite quotes?
A: I know it’s corny, but "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
A: Iceland. Yes, I think I would like that.

Q: What’s your favorite line from a book? 

A: “God what an outfield,' he says. 'What a left field.' He looks up at me, and I look down at him. 'This must be heaven,' he says.
No. It's Iowa,' I reply automatically.
From Shoeless Joe, by W. P. Kinsella



Q: Who are your favorite authors?
A: John Le Carre (David Cornwell), William Manchester, James Lee Burke, Winston Churchill, and Ernest Hemingway.

Q: What book are you currently reading and in what format?
A: Babylon Berlin, by Volker Kutscher in e-book. In hardcover, I’m reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas.

Q: Do you have a routine for writing?
A: I tried my best to develop a routine of writing daily, but it kept getting interrupted by life. When the writing gets tough, I keep plodding on, but when the words are electric I block everything out and write.

Q: Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
A: I write mostly at my desk, mornings are best. I can write on the beach with a notebook. When I’m not writing, I’m usually thinking about writing.

Q: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?

A: A reader telling me she loves my character, Matt Tremain. She wanted more stories featuring him.

Q: Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?

A: My favorite library is the Toronto, Ontario reference library. I also am registered as a professional researcher at the Biblioteca National De Cube Jose Marti, in Havana, Cuba.

Q: Why did you decide to self-publish? 

A: Standing on a golf course in the middle of a thunderstorm, holding up a nine iron, has a good chance of attracting lightening. Alas, new writers don’t have as much luck attracting agents and publishers. I decided to research the industry and learn how to become an indie author with a look that stand out on crowded bookshelves.

Q: Are you happy with your decision to self-publish?

A: I’m happy. I started out making the usual rookie mistakes, a poor cover, and lots of interior mistakes (spelling and grammatical errors). I’ve learned to pay as much as my budget allows for cover design and editorial services.

Q: What steps to publication did you personally do, and what did you hire someone to do?

A: I started out trying to do everything myself. Bad idea. I now turn to Bublish. That is my go to service connecting me with cover art, I also have an affordable copy editor I found on Upwork.com.

Q: What are you working on now? 

A: An alternative history novel with the working title, The Assassination of E. Hemingway.

OTHER BOOKS BY CHUCK WALDRON

The Cleansweep Conspiracy

Tears in the Dust

Served Cold

Remington and the Mysterious Fedora



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chuck Waldron is the author of four riveting mystery, thriller, and suspense novels and more than fifty short stories. Inspired by his grandfather’s tales of the Ozark Mountains and local caves rumored to be havens for notorious gangsters, Waldron was destined to write about crime and the human condition. With literary roots planted in the American Midwest and South, and enriched by the fertile culture of metropolitan Ontario, Waldron now resides on Florida’s fabled Treasure Coast with his wife, Suzanne.

Connect with the author:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble 

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Featured Author: Jarod Kintz

Author Jarod Kintz is here with Virtual Writers, Inc to talk about his humorous novel, The Mandrake Hotel and Resort to violence if necessary. He generously sat down for an interview, and also allowed Tess to talk with Jar Tin Zoo. As well as attending all tour stops, Jarod will be doing a one-hour 
Tweetup, where he will share some of his writing secrets and 
publishing tips on Twitter. He'll be using the hashtag #MandrakeHotel and it will be conducted from @virtualwriters Twitter page. Jarod will also be awarding 80 copies of  
his book to 80 randomly drawn commenters on the blog tour, plus  
another 15 e-copies on the Facebook event page (where there will be some fun challenges and games) and 5 e-copies for the best 
publishing/writing questions asked during his Twitter Chat at 1pm EST  
on 20th July.

About the book:

Right versus wrong, good versus evil, and peanut butter versus jelly—these are just a few of the many eternal struggles this book tackles.

But don’t worry, based on the NFL’s recent concussion scares, all this book’s characters were made to wear helmets before these hard-hitting issues were tackled.

Some central questions will be answered, like:

Who is Dark Jar Tin Zoo, and why is he trying to take over the world?

Will Jackson Jackson Jackson be able to thwart Dark’s diabolical plans? And why does he have a last name for a first and a middle name?

Is Abby Norma Sykes simply too sexy to be featured in such a dramatic thriller such as this book clearly is?

Finally, is it improper to refer to a dwarf as a midget? And what is the shortest height you can be without technically being a dwarf? Is it really as tall as 4’11”? Does that make a person who’s 4’10” the World’s Tallest Dwarf?

This book doesn’t actually discuss such serious social issues as I alluded to in the last paragraph, but it should. I’ll speak to the author immediately, and maybe he’ll address them in the sequel.

Oops! Did I just spoil the surprise? Yes, I most certainly did! Well, there it is—there will be more adventures featuring Dark Jar Tin Zoo, Jackson Jackson Jackson, Abby Norma Sykes, and a smorgasbord of other quirky characters.

This is just the first book of many (unless of course the government poisons me to stop me from exposing their methods of exploitation).

What reviewers are saying:

"Combining absurd, farcical and surreal humour with some more serious and thoughtful musings the book is a firework of clever lines and quirky episodes.

The Mandrake Hotel has a room for everyone, whatever your desires, hobbies and preferences are. It is a madhouse and a world of liberty: Whether you want a room made of sand, one with specific collectibles or a floor full of nudists - the hotel has got it.

I wondered for a long time if the hotel was written as a fantasy world for lazy and hedonistic people (as one reviewer suggested) or as a wider symbol for the world as it is; a statement not unlike the questions of all questions in Douglas Adams book. The world population is exploding, so are we sitting on a powder keg that will go off once the resources run out? Can humanity survive? Are we sane in doing what we are doing?
A lot of ideas are covered in this book at a fast pace, highlighting absurdities and having a good laugh at them.

The author draws you into the book with his wit and once I had handed over total logic to the valet and stopped trying to make sense of every line that was thrown at me - at times very fast paced and confusing - I eased in to the rhythm of the story. It reminds me of the great Eugene Ionesco and Haruki Murakami, without wanting to imply that the style is close to either of them.

'Resort to violence' refers to the plot as it thickens. Our hero of many names and his date Abby decide to fight Dark, the villain from the 13th floor and here a more structured narrative continues.

The book is hugely entertaining, clever and will probably divide the audience into those who appreciate it and those who may not 'get it'. Luckily I was part of the latter group.” Diebus

Interview with Jarod Kintz:

How did you come up with the title of your book?

The title of The Mandrake Hotel and Resort to violence if necessary just sort of occurred to me. I chose The Mandrake because it sounded both luxurious and sinister, and then since it is a humor book, I carried out the title to show the playfulness of it all.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

I do have another job. I work as a concierge in a hotel, though unlike Dark Jar Tin Zoo, I’m not trying to take over the world. But I do like writing love quotes.

How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)

“The Mandrake Hotel and Resort to violence if necessary” is the most important book since “Two Guys, a Goat, and a Ghost: A Love Story.”

Excellent. How did your cover art come about?

I make all my own covers, and for this one I took a picture of myself wearing a fedora. I pulled the hat low so you couldn’t see my eyes, both to disguise the fact that it was me, and not my alter ego Dark Jar Tin Zoo, but also to add a sense of mystery and shadyness to the portrait. Then I converted the image to grayscale before tinting it red, to give it a menacing, evil look. 


I'm impressed. What’s your favorite line from a book?

“The things you own end up owning you. It's only after you lose everything that you're free to do anything.” –Fight Club

Sophie’s choice: Do you have a favorite of your characters?

I really enjoyed writing Jackson J. Jackson and Abby Norma Sykes, because they got to engage in witty banter. What I really liked is how each character sounded like the other, and both sound exactly like me. Also, did I mention that Dark Jar Tin Zoo is an anagram of my name? It’s true! Jarod Ora Kintz equals Dark Jar Tin Zoo. So every character in the book is based on me, and that’s what makes it great. It’s also what makes it terrible.

You're a funny guy. Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.

Weird thing: Florida is the retirement capital of the world. Nice thing: I’ve never had so much sex as I have since I started working in a nursing home. Fact: I just made that up—I have no idea if Florida is the retirement capital of the world.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“Love, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage.”-Ambrose Bierce

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Portland, Oregon

What are you working on now?

A new book of love quotes featuring Dora J. Arod called “Love quotes for the ages. And the ageless sages.”

Tess Talks with Dark Jar Tin Zoo:

About Jar Tin Zoo:
The owner of The Mandrake Hotel and Resort is a man called Rot, a billionaire like Bill Gates, only nerdier.

Rot Kugelschreiber isn’t the name he was born with.

No, the name on his birth certificate is Dark Jar Tin Zoo. He chose that
penname because in German it means Red Pen—and a Red Pen is
mightier than a Red Sword, which in turn is mightier than a Rothschild.

Hello...um...Jar...Tell me, how did you first meet your writer?

My name is Dark Jar Tin Zoo, and I feel like I’ve always known Jarod Ora Kintz. We look alike, we think alike, and we talk alike, though I’m a better lover.

Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

I always knew I’d end up starring in a book. I was born for greatness, wealth, and ultimately to rule the world. It is with a heavy heart that I say I’m going to have to murder billions of people, including the author of this book.

Yikes. Let's make this a short interview, shall we? Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

My favorite scenes in the book are the ones that feature me. I’m not being narcissistic when I say that I think the writing quality is just better in the sections where I appear, which is astounding because even though the writing is better, it’s still not very good at all. In fact, the whole book is rather dreadful. It’s not nearly as good as my book, “Love Quotes For The Ages. Specifically Ages 19-91.” You know you can trust that when I tell you my book is great it’s an honest assessment, and not a ploy to get book sales, because what do I care about selling more books? I’m a billionaire.

Did you have a hard time convincing your author to write any particular scenes for you?

There was this magnificent sex scene between me and Taylor Swift, but Jarod decided to cut it out of the book because, as he said, “I don’t want her writing a retaliation song dissing you, and have it get played on the airwaves for all of America to ignore.” He has a point. If I’m going to be mocked, I’d prefer if people paid attention.

Do have any secret aspirations that your author doesn’t know about?

Everybody knows I want to take over the world, but not many people know that I want to settle down and have kids—six billion children.

Well, Jar, you certainly are an intriguing character. Thanks for talking to me...I think.
(Tess smiles sweetly, but nervously, and hurries away.)

From the author:

From the ages of 8-18, me and my family moved around a lot. Mostly we would just stretch, but occasionally one of us would actually get up to go to the fridge.


Website | Facebook | 
Goodreads |  Twitter |  Amazon




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Featured Author: Leti Del Mar

I'm welcoming back to my blog Leti Del Mar, to tell us about her newest release, Land of the Unaltered, published by Rambaldi Press. Leti was here in December to talk about her novel, The Inadvertent Thief, and to contribute a guest post. I'm happy to have her back today.

About the book:

Rose comes from the capital of the Confederation of Cities where its citizens live in luxury and the greatest fashion statement of all is being Altered. People change everything about the way they look as often as they do their hairstyle but Rose is different. Her position of privilege has made her an outcast and led her to suspect that something sinister is happening to the citizens and flees the capital along with a past that imprisons her in search of a fresh start in the Land of the Unaltered.

Flynn lives in the Land of the Unaltered and hates the capitol and everything it stands for. So when a spoiled capital girl is assigned to work with him, he wants nothing to do with her and is prepared to make her life miserable. But Flynn was not prepared for someone like Rose. She doesn’t fit the mold he expected and finds himself strongly attracted to her. As she continues to surprise and outwit him, they begin to forge a bond that is tested when they discover a secret that could change everything they know about Land of the Unaltered.

Land of the Unaltered is a Dystopian Romance and is the first installment of the The Confederation Chronicles.




Interview with Leti Del Mar:

Leti, this is your second published novel. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I’ve always tinkered around with writing but it wasn’t until 2009 that I sat down and wrote my first novel, The Inadvertent Thief.  After a very long time of looking for an agent, sending away my manuscript, getting rejected, doing it all over again, followed by even more time waiting; I decided to self-publish in 2012. The last year has been an incredible journey from which I have learned so much. I now find myself much more business savvy and ready to promote my newest novel with a strategic marketing plan.

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

I am an obsessive compulsive organizational freak when it comes to writing. I create character charts, plot charts and checklists before I start writing. When I finish my first draft, I go back to these charts and lists and see what needs to be improved upon. I’ve made all of my tools available on my website under the “Author Resources” tab. Feel free to check them out and use them.

I will. Thank you! Did you have any say in your cover art?

As an obsessive compulsive organizational freak, I have a lot of trouble handing over the reigns in any part of the creative process. My covers are all mine. For my recent book, I knew I wouldn’t be able to create the exact cover I had in mind so I got help from the very affordable Digital Donna.

Do you have a routine for writing?

I am a big believer in checklists and calendars. I like to give myself a deadline for when I want my completed product to be finished by. Then I break it down into all the steps I need to do to make this happen and assign them smaller deadlines. That way each week, and even each day, I know what I need to accomplish.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do when it happens?

Writer’s block and I are old friends. We go way back. My solution is to stop writing. Instead, I switch gears and do something else that is productive. Sometimes I focus on the business side of writing. The point is to switch gears until I feel the creative juices flowing again.

Leti's Guest Post:

As a self-published Indie Author, I’ve learned a thing or two about this business from other professional in the publishing industry, fellow authors and book bloggers. This know-how has really paid off. The publishing and promoting of my second novel has gone so much smoother and has seen greater results. Looking back, I think I can consolidate it into 5 tips that I wish I knew before self-publishing.

#1- Market your book before it is even published

If you wait until your book is published, then you have waited too long. By telling people, readers, bloggers about your book before it is even done, you start to build a platform for potential readers. I wish I had done this with my first novel. I published it and then wondered, “Now what?” The key is to have a solid marketing plan in place and begin working on it while you finish writing and publishing your book.

#2- Network

Gaining contacts is golden in this industry. Find and meet fellow authors. I have been amazed by the results. These friendly people have pointed me in the direction of resources that have helped me immensely. Search blogs and blog directories. When you find a blog that looks helpful and interesting, follow it and comment frequently. Read their books and build real connections with these people. I have also directly emailed other Indie Authors with brief questions and those emails have led to wonderful exchanges of tips and ideas. You will get back just as much as you give. I promise.

#3- Choose quality over quantity

It sounds easy to tweet and post daily about your book. But no one likes a commercial, much less a persistent one. If you have something worthwhile to say, then tweet it, post it, ect. For example, while visiting a Kindleboards forum, I posted a question about using KDP Select and had a great discussion there. It was meaningful and helpful to me and in the end, one of the guests told me she just purchased my book! Not all online discussions will lead to a purchase, but you will have a better chance of selling your work if stop trying to sell your work with every breath you take.

#4 Learn your craft

I’m not talking about the craft of writing (although the same advice goes for that), I’m talking about the craft of selling your books. Keep looking for great sites, sign up for informative newsletters, join communities, read books by those who have made this work. This is a business after all, and you should be invested in doing it to the best of your ability.

#5 Write more

You’re a writer, so write. It can be easy to get caught up in the business side of being a writer, but you need a quality product before you can sell it. I have learned two things about successful Indie Authors. They write series and they have a huge back list of titles. This didn’t happen overnight. So if you feel discouraged and think it is never going to happen, then write another book. Keep writing those books, preferably write them as part of a series. It may not happen this year, or next, but it will happen. Believe in it!

From the author:

I live in sunny Southern California with my husband, daughter and abnormally large cat. When I'm not writing, reading or blogging, I am teaching Biology and Algebra to teenagers. I'm also a classic film buff, passionate about Art History and love to travel.

Connect with Leti:
Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Linkedin | Mailing list | Goodreads


Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords |




Leti's tour schedule:

Busy Moms Book Reviews- July 1

A Book So Fathomless- July 2

Writing Belle- July 3

Punya's Reviews- July 4 

Jodie Pierce's Ink Slinger's Blog- July 5

MaMa's Book Corner- July 8

A Blue Million Books- July 9

Curse of the Bibliophile- July 10

Read Between the Lines- July 11

Nette's Bookshelf- July 12

Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews- July 13

Tangled Up in Books- July 15

Notebook Blogairy- July 16

Rosie Amber- July 17

Smart Girls Love Sci-Fi- July 18 

Dream Big...Read Often- July 19



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