Featured Author: Karen Booth

Today's featured author is Karen Booth, author of the contemporary romance Bring Me Back, published by Turquois Press. 

About the book:

Music critic Claire Abby is a single mom dreading her daughter’s departure for college and worried that turning forty will leave her career running on fumes. She’s floored when she lands a Rolling Stone cover story on 80s British rock legend Christopher Penman. She spent her teenage years fantasizing he was her boyfriend.

In person, Christopher is everything Claire feared he’d be—charming, witty and unwilling to address the rumors he’s dodged for a decade. Still, she contains her adolescent fantasies and manages to earn his trust, unearthing the truth and the devastating secret behind it. His blockbuster story is her first priority when she returns home, a nearly impossible task when Christopher starts calling and flirting. She knows she should maintain a professional distance. She knows she should focus on the story. She knows it would be best to simply walk away. But how can she say “no” to the man she could never forget?

Interview with Karen:

Karen, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?
I have always been a writer. Even in school, it was the one type of assignment I never minded. When I worked in the music industry, I was often asked to write band bios and press releases, even when that was never officially my job. As far as fiction goes, I started in the fall of 2009, and the book I wrote first was Bring Me Back.

What do you like best about writing?
I like to say that when I write, I feel like myself at the end of the day. I’m a person who takes in everything—events, emotions, my environment. The problem is finding a place for all of that to go. Writing provides me with that outlet.

What’s your least favorite thing?

My least favorite part of it is the times when the words aren’t flowing. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it’s torture.

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

My book has an 80s element to it since Christopher Penman, my rock star hero, would have been big in the 80s. When I was stuck on my title, I was listening to an 80s playlist I’d created in iTunes and the phrase “bring be back” stuck out in the Plimsouls song “A Million Miles Away.” Funny enough, the verse it comes from works really well with my entire story. That’s when I knew it was perfect.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

I am a mother of two, and that will always be my number one job. Luckily, both kids are in middle school, which allows me to write during the day. I have a freelance writing job, creating educational podcast scripts, in addition to my fiction writing.

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

Music journalist lands career-defining interview with the rock star crush of her youth. Romance ensues.

Oooh, you did it in 103! I'm impressed. Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

I like to say that I follow my nose when I write. It’s never one thing. Sometimes it’s the characters steering me in one direction and sometimes it’s just a gut instinct. Other times, it’s my critique partner or a friend helping me with ideas. I don’t like the idea of following a single strategy. I prefer to mix things up.

I love your cover art. Did you have any say in it?

I’m so glad you asked this question because I love the cover for Bring Me Back and I am thankful for it every day. Most of the time, authors have very little say in their cover art. My publisher, Turquoise Morning Press, does take suggestions from authors, and I pled the case for this cover image, big time. Luckily, they saw the strength of the image and agreed to go with it. Once you read the book, you’ll see that the photo works on multiple levels. It’s much more than a guy with a guitar. As far as the photographer goes, I don’t know much about him, other than he’s a very talented guy.  

How do you get to know your characters?

This is an interesting question. I would say that writing is the way I get to know them. They simply reveal themselves to me as I work, usually by talking to me. Every now and then, they’ll spring something on me that I didn’t expect—some aspect of their personality that I need to go back and weave into earlier parts of the story.
 
Sophie’s choice: Do you have a favorite of your characters?

This is such a mom answer, but I really don’t have a favorite! I adore each character for different reasons, even the characters who have difficult personalities.
 
That kind of character is usually my favorite! I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?

I use baby name sites and census records. Of course there has to be more to it than that, but that’s a great starting point. I like to think about the era in which they would have been born, what their parents were like, because those will both have a big impact on their name. The final consideration is simply whether or not I think it suits my image of the character.
 
Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

The initial inspiration for Christopher was John Taylor from Duran Duran, partly because he was my rock star crush when I was a teenager, and partly because he was in the dream that inspired the book. Christopher is his own man though—there’s just a tiny sprinkling of JT in there.

Are you like any of your characters? How so?

Of any female character I’ve written, I am most like Claire from Bring Me Back. We’re both wound a little too tightly and are well aware of this trait. Family and love are important to us both, even when they can be a pain in the neck. Claire and I share some history, but that’s only because I felt so connected to her when I was writing.  
 
Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

It’s really tough to choose, but I think it would have to be a scene where Christopher travels to see Claire in North Carolina. At this point in the story, he still has no idea she was obsessed with him when she was a teenager. She’s doing the dishes after dinner the first night, and he’s exploring her record collection, only to discover that she owns everything his band ever recorded, on both CD and LP. She’s squirming like crazy when he brings this up. He loves every last minute of dragging the whole thing out of her. It makes me smile just to think about it.  

Karen was nice enough to give us a peek at that scene:

“Hmmm, Claire? Was it Graham? The girls just loved Graham.” He stepped closer and narrowed his stare. “Maybe Nigel?” He inched toward me again. “Surely, you must remember who your favorite member was.”

I twisted my mouth in an attempt to disguise my embarrassment, but that look of British smugness told me I’d never get out of it. I glanced down at my bare feet and then around the room, studying the red and blue Oriental rug and my dinged up coffee table. I searched for a place to rest my eyes, ultimately landing on a plant in need of water.

“You were my favorite,” I confessed in a whisper.

“I knew it.” He winked at me. “Now things are getting interesting.”

“No, nothing is interesting. That was a long time ago.” My defense was pathetic, but I persisted. “What was I supposed to say to you the day we met? Hi, I’m Claire.” I mocked myself, staring at the ceiling, knocking my head from side to side. “I was totally in love with you and your band when I was a teenager.”

He interrupted. “Hold on. When you say you were in love—”

“You know what I mean.” I squinted, beyond annoyed. “I was in love with the idea of you, let’s put it that way. You don’t honestly think I should’ve told you that before the interview. I would’ve had zero credibility. Would you have still told me everything?”

“No. I would’ve seduced you and sent you on your way. After lunch, of course.”

“Very funny. You know, I totally figured out that you planned the trip to Francesca’s and our lunch, that you were trying to butter me up.” It seemed like the perfect time to bust him and it happily deflected things from me.

“You’re right. I did plan all of it. I thought it’d be more fun.” I was perturbed by his ready disclosure of the facts because it felt as if I hadn’t caught him in a thing.
“Oh, and the whole trying on clothes thing, that didn’t have anything to do with your good looks and the fact that I’m a woman.”

“Just like your change of clothes that night had everything to do with me being a man.”

I pursed my lips, confronted again with my attempt at matching his manipulation.

He lowered his voice, “I never planned for it to go beyond lunch.” Now he seemed unsure of himself—vaguely unsure, but I would take what I could get. “You’re a mystery to me, quite fascinating actually. You’re the first woman I’ve met in a very long time, possibly ever, who didn’t seem the slightest bit impressed by me. You’re definitely the first woman I’ve ever met who didn’t want anything from me.”

He passed along a piercing gaze that left me needing air and took my hand. He wound up with only a few fingers, but it didn’t matter. I was too wrapped up in words like fascinating.

You're right--that's a great scene! What song would you pick to go with your book?

Another super tough question! Can I pick two? If so, “Blindsided” by Bon Iver would be the first. It’s how I imagine Christopher’s solo music to sound, and I love it. The second is “Hammer & a Stone” by Seven Mary Three. It’s a beautifully tortured love song. Both songs are from my Bring Me Back playlist. 

Who are your favorite authors?

Curtis Sittenfeld, Celia Rivenbark, Anne Lamott, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Judy Blume, and E.B. White scratch the surface. I also read a lot of non-fiction and biographies, and that makes the list much longer.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?

The whole list? How to be a Woman, by Caitlin Moran, About Last Night by Ruthie Knox, Vanity Fare by Megan Caldwell, and a draft of an upcoming poetry book titled Closing Doors by A Herbert Ashe. I’m bad—-I have multiple books going at one time. Those are all e-books. I don’t like to go anywhere without my Kindle.

I'm the same way! How do you handle criticism of your work?

I don’t handle criticism very well, but I’m getting better at it. I take it too personally, even when I know I shouldn’t. My writing routine revolves around my kids, but I do my best writing early in the morning and in the afternoon before they get home from school. I rarely have time to write on the weekends.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to cook, putter in the garden, sew, and do crafty projects with my daughter (my son hates that stuff). Sheesh, makes me sound like Martha Stewart. Rest assured, I am not Martha. I also listen to music a lot, but rarely when I’m writing.

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

Italy. My husband and I went there on our honeymoon and I loved it—the pace of life, the food, the art, the wine. Such a beautiful way to live.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? (Don’t worry about the money. Your publisher is paying.

Doesn’t matter—-give me a beach, a book, and a cocktail and I’m good. I’d prefer it if the water was crystal clear and there weren’t a lot of people around. Fiji sounds nice.

What are you working on now?

I just contracted a sequel to Bring Me Back, so that will be the next thing I tackle. No spoilers, though. Sorry!

About the author:

Karen Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on 80s music, Judy Blume, and the films of John Hughes. An early preoccupation with Rock ‘n’ Roll led her to spend her twenties working her way from intern to executive in the music industry. Much of her writing revolves around the world of backstage passes and band dynamics.
When she’s not creating fictional musicians, she’s listening to everything from old-school Cheap Trick to Duran Duran to Superchunk with her kids, honing her Southern cooking skills (she make some mean collards), or sweet-talking her astoundingly supportive husband into whipping up a batch of cocktails.

Guest Post by Karen

Writing When You Don’t Know the Rules

One rainy day in the fall of 2009, I sat down and began to write the book that would eventually become Bring Me Back. I’d had the idea swimming around in my head for years—a woman meets and falls in love with the rock star she was obsessed with in high school, twenty years later.

Mostly, my idea felt like an itch I had to scratch. It wouldn’t go away, and I already knew I loved to write, so I thought I’d try it. I didn’t tell a soul. Surely I would be like 99% of people who try to write a novel: I’d get stuck after twenty pages, realize it’s too monumental a task and quit.

Little did I know that writing the book would quickly consume me. I slept very little. I ate even less (and subsequently lost a bunch of weight). I obsessed over the story morning, noon, and night. Eventually, I had to tell my husband what I was doing because I was starting to feel like I was cheating on him with my book. He rolled his eyes (lovingly, he swears). This made me even more determined.

When I finished, my next task was finding a literary agent. That was so fun, like a big hug from the universe. Uh, no. That was a big fat slap in the face. Sure, I could write, and yes, my manuscript was polished. I even had a great hook. But the problem was I had broken rules. A lot of rules. And that, in the book world, is “bad”. Tsk, tsk. Bad Karen.

Bring Me Back is not technically a romance, even though a love story is the central arc. Claire’s relationship with her teenage daughter and her father are too interwoven. There are other reasons it’s not a romance, trust me—it’s a laundry list. My book isn’t technically women’s fiction either. There’s sex in it, a good amount of sex, and that is also not allowed. One agent told me it was “too familiar” to be women’s fiction. Of my 89 rejections, that one is my favorite.

But here’s the thing. No matter what happens, I know with every fiber of my being that Bring Me Back is 100%, beginning to end, forward and backward, me. It came from the depths, pure and unadulterated, and nobody told me how to steer the ship or where to steer it or where exactly I was supposed to end up. I just went with it and it was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for a thing.

I guess the lesson in this is that if you’re a writer, you can’t let the world sit on your shoulder. They have no business being there. Brush the world on to the floor. Let the words and the characters gush out of you, rules and literary agents and familiarity be damned. I promise you will not regret a single minute of the time you spend writing while ignoring the rules. 

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter / Publisher / Amazon

Featured Author: Diane Gladow

It's a pleasure to have Diane Gladow here today to talk about her non-ficton book, A Journey of Voices: Stewards of the Land.

About the book:

Experience American History once again through the personal letters and accounts of the people who lived it. In Mrs. Gladow’s second book in her A Journey of Voices series, seven generations of the Crume family interact with two hundred years of American History. This book tells the story of the Crume family by interweaving old letters, pictures, land documents, Bible records, and historical references with an account of the family’s life and movement through seven generations. Whether it be flatboating down the Ohio River, building homes in the wilderness, fighting in the American Revolution, enduring the Civil War in a border state, dealing with Indians in Texas, surviving the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, or experiencing two World Wars, this family will continue to surprise and challenge readers to look at history in a completely new way. This book presents a rare opportunity for the ordinary people who lived history to tell their own story.

Author Interview

Diane, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I have always been a good expository writer and enjoyed writing and research. My career was in teaching expository writing to adults along with other essential skills, but I did not become interested in writing full-length books until I saw the amount of family research material that I had and I was able to develop an interesting way to present it. 

What do you like best about writing?

Engaging my reader's interest.

What’s your least favorite thing? 

Finding mistakes because I never find them all.


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

The A Journey of Voices title came from my ancestors’ journey through time, my own personal journey to find more information about them, and their voices as revealed through their personal letters.

What will others learn from reading your book?

So many of the stories in my books are not common just to my family. Everyone’s family members were a part of the history in the time in which they lived. Often I get the comment from readers that their family experienced some of the same things that mine did.  I want my readers to see American history as the lives of their ancestors.

Did you have any say in your cover art?

The cover is a picture taken by my husband of the land of the first Crume man in the line in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.


Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

A.  The first Crume man in the line moving his family from Virginia to Kentucky by wagon over the mountains and by flatboat down the Ohio River in the winter of 1795.

B.  A Crume man taking a trip by horseback to the small town of St. Louis in 1799 and seeing the frontier and its inhabitants, both Indian and white.

C.  President Lincoln's boyhood move to Indiana and visit with his aunt and family in Breckinridge County, Kentucky.

D. Modern day finding the old Crume Cemetery where the President's Aunt Mary is buried.

E.  Farmers choking on dust and trying to survive the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.
F.  An elderly Crume woman traveling by troop train to California during WWII.



Do you have a routine for writing? Do you work better at night, in the afternoon, or in the morning?

I have a rather strict writing process that I follow. I first try to get an initial draft completed which includes as much research material as possible in a logical order in a story format. This is followed by a very preliminary edit to remove obvious errors and add any new material. I then give copies of the draft to readers--sometimes two people, sometimes as many as four or five. I try to choose people with a broad variety of interests and skills but who are good writers. Some of them edit for content only, some edit for grammar, some are interested in my subject, and some are not. This way I get a lot of different feedback, but I don’t feel that I necessarily have to take their suggestions. I then make changes and additions or deletions based upon their comments. As I do this, I edit based upon what I may find in the book as well, and I am open during this entire process to adding new research material if it presents itself. I then put the book in final layout form and add the pictures and illustrations which I have previously prepared. By this time I have been through the book seven or eight times. Once the book is submitted, layout difficulties have to be worked out which requires more reading of the book and spotting mistakes.

Where’s home for you?

I live in the heart of the Flint Hills in Kansas--a region where history happened on a regular basis--early Indian, Spanish explorers, westward emigration, farmers and ranchers, large cattle drives, Civil War "bleeding Kansas," WWI Emporia became the founding city of Veteran's Day, WWII Medal of Honor winner, etc. Where I live stimulates my interest in history.


What’s one of your favorite quotes?

"Some men see things that are and ask 'why?' but others dream things that never were and ask 'why not?'" -George Bernard Shaw


What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Travel and research, read, be with family, sports fan (football, basketball, Olympics).


About the author:

Diane McAdams Gladow is a former English Composition instructor at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. During her nine years at the University, she also served as a director of the Writing Center on campus and was the voice of the Grammar Hotline, a telephone service from which the public could obtain answers to English grammar questions. After leaving the University, she taught adult basic skills at the Adult Education Center in Emporia. For almost twenty years, she was a coordinator for the Emporia Literacy Program. She has authored two other books, one a memoir of her husband’s family, Rich Heritage and the other the first book in the A Journey of Voices series, Chasing the Frontier. She enjoys family research, traveling, and reading among her collection of hobbies. She was born and raised in New Mexico, graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso, and obtained a Master’s Degree from the University of New Mexico. She and her husband live in Emporia, Kansas, and have three grown children and five grandchildren. She is currently working on the next volume in the A Journey of Voices series.

Website / Amazon

Featured Author: Troy Jackson

I'm happy to be talking with Troy Jackson today, the author of The Elementals, a fantasy novel. In addition to the standard interview, Troy also took the challenge and answered my Dirty Dozen. Troy is also my 100th post on this blog. Thank you, Troy!

About the book:

Upon unifying the seven warring states under one banner, the First Emperor of China began solidifying power for what he envisioned as a thousand-year reign. Using those he conquered, the Emperor began a series of arduous projects, including the first Great Wall, the Linqu Canal, and a national system of highways. Ignoring the physical and emotional toll exacted upon the people, his insatiable desire to further his own power has led to a growing, and secretive insurgency. One such organization is the Dragon's Spite who wishes to usurp control of the throne by nearly any means. But first they must marshal their forces strewn throughout the kingdom. More importantly they seek out three extraordinary girls who hold vast supernatural powers that can tip the balance in their favor. But do these unknowing heroines realize the talents that they possess? Will the Dragon's Spite reach them before the agents of the Emperor?

Interview with Troy

How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I have been writing ever since I was a child. I have always enjoyed writing books. But professionally, I would say the past few years.

What do you like best about writing?

Putting pen to paper, and when a scene goes according to plan.

What’s your least favorite thing?

Editing. I cannot STAND editing. *shiver*

I'm totally with you on both accounts! How did you come up with the title of your book?

The supernatural twist to The Elementals is that certain individuals hold vast powers within them in the form of the primary elements (in Chinese lore they would include Fire, Earth, Water, Wood, and Metal) or secondary elements (lightning, spirit, and others). The three young heroines unknowingly hold these powers, and they must be guided or risk destroying themselves. Through training they will transform themselves into The Elementals (which is along the same vein of a comic book story).

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

As one reviewer of The Elementals once said, “This novel has something for everyone!” So I would saying along those lines.

How did you create the plot for this book?

The novel always played in my head as a movie. The opening scene played out like a scene from the movie ‘300’ with someone leaping high into the air in slow motion. From there the pieces fell into place rather quickly. After doing the research I was able to plot things out, and as it turns out I had enough material for at least three books!

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

When I first attempted to write The Elementals I tried to plow through it without any outline, and it was a total disaster.  It was terrible. So after about 5 or 6 chapters, I stopped and made the decision right then and there to plot it out. This took me about 8 months to come up with, and some of the scenes/chapters I nearly wrote as I plotted it out. It was also where I realized I had more than one book on my hands.

Did you have any say in your cover art? What do you think of it? Tell us about the artist.
Having self-published my novel, I could have used certain templates for my book, but I never once considered that. From the very beginning I had a vision for it, including the exact cover that is on it today. A friend of a friend was a graphic artist (Scott Bradford or Bradford Ink) and after telling him what I wanted he was excited. After a few weeks, and going back-and-forth a few times we had the finished cover. He absolutely nailed it!  Outside of having a sound, entertaining novel, the cover is probably the second most important part of any book. Some might even say #1A, because it is the first thing that a potential reader sees. So having a cover grab someone’s attention is HUGE, and I think Scott did a fantastic job. Wait until you see book 2 and 3’s covers!

What books have you read more than once or want to read again?

The Wheel of Time series (all fourteen books!), The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit are the ones I have re-read.  It’s a very rare occurrence that I re-read something. It’s just how I am.

What’s your favorite line from a book?

“There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.” ~ One of the opening lines of each novel in the 14-book Wheel of Time fantasy series.
When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

When I started writing The Elementals, I did have each character planned out. Because I plotted out the entire trilogy ahead of time, I know most of the characters that will appear in all three. However, as I write book 2 there are some minor characters that I had not originally planned on including that have been written in.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?
The Meng brothers – Meng Na, Meng Fei, and Meng Wen. They are cunning and lethal adversaries.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

I am a listener, much like Jin Wei (known also as Master Jin). He is the spiritual leader of the Dragon’s Spite.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

My favorite scene would definitely be the very first chapter in the book. It is what replayed in my head thousands of times over the course of the years it took to put it all together. It played out like an epic scene in a movie.

What song would you pick to go with your book?

I like many different types of music, and I always listen to something while I am writing. For the opening chapter, a song called Points of Authority by Linkin Park would play in my head over and over. If this were a movie, then Aurora Borealis and Through the Gates by Celldweller could easily be used as trailers for it. And while the ending credits are rolling, Play With Fire by The Birthday Massacre.

Who are your favorite authors?

J.R.R. Tolkein, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, and a host of others.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?

I read this when I was young, but after finally finishing The Wheel of Time series recently, I caught the fantasy bug and decided to pick up Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (which is book one of The Belgariad series).

Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow?

I watch movies that inspire me and conjure images that remind me of my own book, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, Road to Perdition, American Beauty, and others.  I also listen to music by certain artists such as Steve Roach, Thomas Newman, and Robert Rich.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

Funny quote: “Evil will always triumph, because good… is dumb!” ~ from the movie Spaceballs
Serious quote: “He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know” ~ Lao Tzu (which is quoted at the beginning of chapter one of my book).

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson.
The Secret History of the World: As Laid Down by the Secret Societies by Mark Booth

What are you working on now?

Book two of The Elementals.

About the author:

Born in 1974 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Troy Jackson moved to the great state of Georgia with his family at the age of three where he has lived ever since. Currently he resides outside the city of Atlanta with his loving wife and daughter. His passion for history, fantasy, and science fiction began at an early age with a little nudge from his older brother. Attending Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia, he received a Bachelor's Degree in History and a Master's Degree in Teaching. In his spare time he enjoys being with his family, watching and partaking in sports. Although new to the profession, he intends on writing about subjects that have always fascinated him, including fantasy, adventure, science fiction and history.

The Dirty Dozen Daredevil Award!

I am happy to give Troy my very first Dirty Dozen Daredevil award for his bravery in answering my dirty dozen questions.

 1. Name one thing you couldn’t live without.

     My daughter.

 2. If you could only keep one book, what would

      it be?

     The Hobbit.

 3. Your last meal would be…

     Steak.

 4. Would you rather work in a library or a
     bookstore?

     Bookstore.

 5. You won the lottery. What’s the first thing
     you would buy?

     A new house.

 6. Would you rather be stranded on a deserted
     island or the North Pole?

     Island – I would rather take clothes off
     then bundle up.

 7. You’re given the day off, and you can do anything but write. What would you do?

     Watch movies.

 8. You’re driven to a private plane and told it will take you anywhere your want to go.
      Where would it be?

     Australia – always wanted to visit there.

 9. You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?

     Gandalf the Grey in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

10. Where would your dream office be?

     My home.

11. If you could do only one, would you rather read or write?

     Write.

12. One of your main characters has to die. Which one would you kill off?

     I’d rather not say, because he/she just might!

Connect with Troy:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter

Buy the book:

Amazon

Interview with Frederick Lee Brooke

Frederick Lee Brooke is here today as part of his book tour with Orangeberry Book Tours. Frederick is the author of mystery & thriller/horror novels Doing Max Vinyl and Zombie Candy.

About Doing Max Vinyl:



Earth first. Okay, maybe second. Third? She’ll KILL you!



Max Vinyl’s type of success story can only happen in America. Rising from humble beginnings, he has reached the height of the computer recycling racket. Problem is, he’s using Lake Michigan as his own personal profit center. Even that wouldn’t have been a problem if his environmentalist girlfriend Tris hadn’t found out his dirty secret. And while Max is devastated by his love crashing down around him, he’s about to learn that the rage of a woman scorned packs far more firepower and potential for destruction than he had ever imagined.

Iraq War veteran Annie Ogden has spent three tormented months living in a cabin alone trying to re-discover her purpose in life. When two of Max’s thugs threaten Annie’s sister, she is dragged into his corrupt world in an unwitting alliance with the environmentalist, Tris. Which is really lousy news for Max. Will he hold up under the coordinated attacks of two furious women? As things spin completely out of control and complications mount, it’s all Max can do to stay one step ahead until it’s all he can do to stay alive!

A farce full of hysterics and chicanery, Frederick Lee Brooke’s first installment of the Annie Ogden mysteries is an incisive examination of corporate lunacy, greed and modern disconnection. Having received multiple four and five-star reviews on Amazon, Doing Max Vinyl: An Annie Ogden Mystery is loaded with razor-sharp dialogue, ingenious plotting and so much fun it should be illegal!

What do you do in your free time?

Read, cook, walk, hike, exercise and talk to friends.

How do you react to a bad review?

I read them carefully, and sometimes learn things and kick myself. Lots of times people don’t like a book because it’s not their cup of tea. Not the kind of book they like to read in general. Those people can get a bit vitriolic in their reviews, and those I take with a big grain of salt. I believe in honest reviews.

Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

There’s a little bit of me in all my characters. But only a little bit. You know, they’re mostly all bad news. Can I take the Fifth Amendment on this?

Who are your favorite authors of all time?

OK, here we go: Shakespeare, Milton, Beckett, Proust, Camus, Tolstoy, Dickens, and then in modern times I would mention Tracy Chevalier, Geraldine Brooks, Vikram Seth, Jonathan Franzen, Orhan Pamuk, Carl Hiaasen, Christine Nolfi, R.S. Guthrie, Laura Elliot and Martha Bourke. Of course, there are dozens more, but attention spans are limited.

What is your favorite quote?

Just a little something I stumbled upon from Albert Einstein: “I fear the day when technology takes over our humanity. The world will then be a generation of idiots.”

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

I’m a great fan of Istanbul. But it’s not so much the place that counts, or even the scenery or the weather, but the people you’re with, right?

What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?

I was definitely a Charlotte’s Web fanatic. I also loved every book Beverly Cleary ever wrote. Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret was a shocker for me. Excuse me, you wanted one title? Are you crazy?

Pet Peeves?

I don’t like the word “no,” closely followed by the word “can’t.” I don’t get along with people who use those words a lot. It’s like an allergy.

Skittles or M&Ms?

M&Ms.

Do you have any other books in the works?
A 3rd Annie Ogden book is on the way in 2013. Then I plan to plunge into the deep water of literary fiction.

About the Author:

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Frederick Lee Brooke graduated from Amherst College and studied writing at the University of Montana before moving to Europe. Having run his own company for almost twenty years (though not in computer recycling), he was inspired to write a novel that captured the way people talk to each other when workday stress is compounded by the conflicts and ethical compromises of everyday life. Brooke currently resides in Europe and visits Chicago regularly. Doing Max Vinyl is his first novel.

Connect with Frederick Lee Brooke:
Website
Facebook
Twitter

Buy the book:
Amazon

Twenty Questions with C. Michaels

Author C. Michaels was here last month to talk about her new book, Bill of Human Wrongs. She's back today to accept my challenge to answer Twenty Questions. First, a little bit about her:

C. Michaels is from the Pacific NW but now lives in Mexico with her Chow Chow, Rani. In her previous life, she taught programming languages at a community college near Seattle, and later taught in the java programming group for Oracle Corp. She has always had a love for the arts, in both writing and painting, finding Mazatlan's Paradise the perfect place to work. Her books are character driven, and will easily draw you into their crazy zany world, a place where for some, there are no scruples or decency. And, as much as you may think you have things figured out, the twisty plots keep the guessing alive, in both Cross Roads and NO FEAR! These two books are part of an ongoing sequel, with an undetermined end in sight. However, each book is independent enough to enjoy out of sequential order. 

Michaels is proud to announce the release of her new political thriller, Bill of Human Wrongs, now on available on Amazon.

 Please visit www.cmichaelsbooks.com.

Twenty Questions

1.     Love or money?

       At this point in my life, money.

2.     Plain or peanut?

       Peanut, must spice it up.

3.     Beef or chicken?

       Really?!  The combo dish sounds so good. Ok, beef. No…
       chicken. Arg! Chicken.

4.     Coffee or tea?

       Coffee, espresso. Black only, please.

5.     Oxford comma: yes or no?

       You had me here, I had to google it. As it turns out, I’ve always been an Oxford
       lady.

6.     Hardback or Kindle?

       Kindle!

7.     Salty or sweet?

       Salty, but in the spirit of health, I now use a pinch (well, maybe several pinches)
       of salsa.

8.     City or country?

       City… for peats, or is that  pete’s, sake! I live in Mazatlán.

9.     Dog or cat?

       Dog, she is my best friend.

10.    Fame or fortune?

       Fame so I can obtain a small fortune.

11.    Laptop or desktop?

       Laptop, so important to be portable.

12.    Health food or junk food?

       Guilty… junk food.

13.    Mountains or beach?

       Beach, my dog and I start each day with a walk, sand between our combined six sets
       of toes.

14.    Gourmet or diner?

       Diner.

15.    Sweet or unsweet? (Tea of course.)

       Unsweet.

16.    Humor or drama?

       Drama.

17.    Dr. Seuss or Mr. Spock?

       Hmmm, Mr. Spock.

18.    Halloween or Christmas?

       Christmas.

19.    Spring or fall?

       Spring, love watching the birds, other creatures fight for
       female attentions.

20.    Morning or night?

       My mornings are also my nights, wake up early. So, morning.


Thank you, Cynthia for accepting the Twenty Questions challenge!

To read my interview with C. Michaels, go here.

About the book:

Claire Winslow has nightmares nearly every night, reliving the event when her sister killed a man, and then shot herself. The man had been a prominent CEO of an electronics company, a powerhouse citizen in their small town, her sister’s rapist. 

Twenty years later, Claire Winslow, now a US Republican Senator from the state of Washington is an advocate for women’s rights. Her national platform gives her the power to be heard and make a difference in protecting women against unfair practices.



Claire is about to be tested.



Senate Bill 1257 is set to be released with only a week to read before the vote. This bill attempts to modify the constitution in a way that could change the future lives of not only women, but all non-white citizens in the country. 

The Senate is dominated by the Republican Party. The authors of the bill have every Republican on board to sign the bill. Except for Claire Winslow.



And they need her vote.



This thriller leads us through the life of Claire Winslow during a time when the people around her will stop at nothing to win her vote. The bill is full of changes that Claire cannot vote for. But her re-election is coming up. Is she more help to women as a Senator? Does she keep her position by voting for this horrendous bill?



Then Claire meets Eve Hart.



Eve lives in a different world from Claire’s, a place that might be the creation of SB 1257. Eve could be a product, a futuristic outcome from this SB 1257. 

Claire is having her nocturnal nightmares depicting the last moments of her sister’s life, her Party’s pressures, nasty tricks are taking a toll on her. There are only a few days left before the vote, when Claire learns something so dreadful, so unthinkable. 

What will Claire do with this knowledge?



Buy the books:
Cross Roads / No FEAR! / Bill of Human Wrongs

Connect with Cynthia:
Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Featuring Author Ty Patterson

I'm happy to welcome Author Ty Patterson today to A Blue Million Books. Ty's novel, The Warrior, is an action suspense thriller that was released in December.

About the author:

Ty has lived on a couple of continents and this experience has helped his writing.

When Ty is not writing the Zeb and Broker series of books, he is working in a demanding job which he likens to saving the world but without wearing the red underpants on the outside.

About the book:

Zeb Carter is almost your average Private Military Contractor. Almost.

When working for a WDE (We Don't Exist) Agency, Zeb witnesses a gruesome crime in the Congo and tracks the perpetrators down to New York. Only to discover that not only are they protected by the FBI, but also are closely connected to a very high profile politician.

Ordered to stand down by the FBI, Zeb finds that his hunt brings those close to him in the sights of the killers.

A thriller that spans Congo and New York, The Warrior is dotted with gritty action, a central character that fuels imagination, and a supporting cast of great colorful characters.

The Warrior is about relentless determination and a burning need to avenge and to deliver retribution against all odds. The Warrior is not just about action but also about character build up and the clash of differing values and how those clashes affect outcomes. Lastly, The Warrior is about the brotherhood of warriors.

The first in the Zeb Carter and Broker series.

Connect with Ty:

Facebook /Twitter / Blog


Book Links:

Amazon /Amazon UK / Smashwords

Featured author: Tracy Brogan

Tracy Brogan is my guest today on A Blue Million Books. I'm happy to share her guest post, "Writing Rituals" and an excerpt from her historical romance, Highland Surrender.

About the author:

Tracy Brogan is a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist who writes funny contemporary stories about ordinary people finding extraordinary love, and also stirring historical romance full of political intrigue, damsels causing distress, and the occasional man in a kilt. Her first two books, Crazy Little Thing, and Highland Surrender, both earned a 4-Star review from RT magazine and have hit the Amazon Best Selling Books list. 

Tracy lives in Michigan with her bemused husband, her perpetually exasperated children, and two dogs, who would probably behave better if they could understand sarcasm.

Guest post:

Writing Rituals
By Tracy Brogan

Writers lean toward the eccentric, perhaps a byproduct of spending more time in virtual worlds than with living, breathing human beings. It’s sort of a chicken versus the egg conundrum. Are we like this because we are often left to our own solitary entertainment? Or do we seek solitude because we know we can imagine a world more engaging than the one physically surrounding us?

Either way, I know I am decidedly eccentric. And perhaps a teensy bit superstitious/OCD. I have several rituals to put me in the mood (for writing, that is). First, I buy myself a venti-sugar-free-caramel-no-whip-soymilk-decaf-latte. It has to be this drink exactly. Venti because I need a big one. Sugar-free and no-whip because I’m always watching calories (usually watching myself devour them). Soymilk because no cows should suffer just because I need my fix. And decaf because I am irritable by nature and caffeine just makes me that much more hostile.

With beverage ready, I clear away the debris littering my desk. School papers from my above-average children, a reminder from Honda that it’s been two years since my last oil change, and copious notes to myself with Pulitzer-Prize-quality story ideas that I didn’t want to forget, which now make little sense to me at all. One simply reads, “Narcoleptic mattress salesman.” Not sure where I was headed with that.

Next, I gather my trinkets. A Jane Austin action figure l next to my computer screen stares at me with benign indifference, in much the same way she was once perused by Mr. Darcy. The irony is lost on her. Probably because she’s plastic. At her feet lies a metal disk bearing the likeness of Poseidon, an ancient coin from the coffers of an Atlantian nobleman. (Okay, so it’s from the Atlantis casino in the Bahamas. Close enough.) My bulletin board is covered with inspirational items: quips from successful writers, photos from a trip to Scotland, magazine pictures of yummy celebrities who have no idea I’ve cast them in a mental movie version of my books, and a Post-it note from my daughter. She left it for me when I was under a particularly difficult deadline. It says simply, “Mom, I believe in you.”

I also have a note from my publisher which I received just today congratulating me on the successful launch of Highland Surrender. It proclaims in big, bold letters that I’ve sold 30,000 copies in just six weeks. What an honor and a thrill. And next to that, I have a note bearing the worst review I’ve received (thus far :D) which reminds me that I’ll never please all of the people all of the time.

In this tiny corner of my house, I begin to write. The emerald green walls of my home office fall away, the drone of the washing machine fades, and my characters begin to speak. Sometimes slow and soft, sometimes shouting and animated. But they always have something to say. I like it here, in this room. They like it here, too. It’s a reunion of sorts, and like a typical family, sometimes they annoy me. Sometimes they make me cry. But always, I am happy that they’ve come to visit.

See, I told you... Writers are a little eccentric.

About the book:

Defiant Highland beauty Fiona Sinclair is shocked by her brothers’ treachery. To seal a fragile truce, they have traded her hand in marriage to their sworn enemy, a man she has never met, a man she was raised to despise. With no choice but to wed, Fiona makes her own private vow: though she may surrender her freedom, she will never surrender her heart.



Commanded by his king, Myles Campbell is no more willing than his reluctant bride. Still, she is a rare beauty, passionate enough to warm even the coldest marriage bed. Buy Myles quickly realizes Fiona Sinclair is no common wench. She has a warrior’s spirit and a fierce pride that only a fool would try to tame. And Myles Campbell is no fool. Their marriage was meant to unite warring clans. They never imagined it would ignite a once-in-a-lifetime love…

Excerpt:



Scottish Highlands, 1537



Fiona Sinclair could not reconcile the irony of nature’s twisted humor. For today of all wretched days the sky should be burdened with clouds as dark and dismal as her mood. But the morning dawned soft and fair, mild as a Highland calf, and she knew that God himself mocked her. At any moment, Myles Campbell and his father, the Earl of Argyll, would pass through the gates of Sinclair Hall, unwelcome, yet unhindered by her clan. Soon after that, she must stand upon the chapel steps and marry a man she had never met, and yet had hated for all of her life.



Through her narrow bedchamber window, sounds from the bailey filtered up. The smithy’s hammer tapped a mellow cadence as if this day were just like any other. Perhaps he shaped a horseshoe or a pointed pike. She smiled at the latter and imaged the heaviness of that same pike in her hand. Oh, that she had the courage to plunge it deep into the earl’s heart, if indeed he had one.



She rose from the threadbare cushion on the bench and moved without purpose toward the stone fireplace. A low fire burned, warding off the spring morning’s chill. From habit, Fiona slipped her hand into the leather pouch around her waist. She squeezed tight the silver brooch inside, its design and inscription etched as clearly in her memory as on the pin itself. A boar’s head, symbol of Clan Campbell, with words chosen by the king himself.



To Cedric Campbell, a true friend is worth a king’s ransom. James V.



The brooch had been a gift to the Campbell chief, the man about to become her father-in-law. But he had left it behind nearly seven years earlier, pierced into the flesh of Fiona’s mother so that all the world might know he had dishonored her. The priest found Aislinn Sinclair’s lifeless body in a secluded glen outside the village, stripped bare and broken, marked by Cedric’s lust and spite. Thus a feud, long simmering at the edges, boiled over.



But today the king thought to put an end to it with this farce of a marriage between a Sinclair lass and a Campbell son. It would not work.



Fiona paced to the window, restless and melancholy. She leaned out to breathe fresh spring air, hoping it might lighten her spirits. The too-sweet scent of hyacinth clung to the breeze, along with the ever-present brine of Moray Firth. Along the west curtain wall, more hammering sounded as masons worked to bolster the steps leading to the main keep. As if precarious stairs alone might halt the Campbell men from gaining entrance. But nothing would. Her fate as a Campbell bride had been declared the very day she drew in her first breath, and sealed when her father blew out his last.

Connect with Tracy:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Buy the book:
Barnes & Noble / Amazon