Featured Author: Edward Vilga

I'm happy to have best-selling author, Edward Vilga, here today to talk about his newest book, Downward Dog, published by Diversion Books. Edward sat down for an interview and also was kind enough to write a guest post for us. You'll love it. Read on...

About the book:

Downward Dog by Edward Vilga is a fun, sexy, chick lit/contemporary novel with shades of Schooled and The Nanny Diaries meets yoga. Praised by Chip Conley (Founder of Joie de Vivre Hotels and author of Peak and Emotional Equations) as “not only a sexy/funny page turner, it also shares the emotional journey of one Bad Boy’s transformation and romantic redemption.” Simon Doonan, author of Beautiful People, Gay Men Don’t Get Fat, and the upcoming fashion memoir The Asylum describes Edward as, “What Karl Lagerfeld is to fashion, Edward Vilga is to yoga.

Interview with Edward Vilga

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

Forever. I knew I wanted to be a writer even before junior high school when I chose the middle name “Paul” for my confirmation just because he was the most successful and prolific writer in the New Testament. (I’m not kidding.)

I love that. How did you come up with the title Downward Dog?

It sprang into my mind the moment I thought of the character –– a Bad Boy yoga teacher in NYC –– and I knew it was instantly exactly right.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

Although the book was inspired by my life as a yoga teacher, I no longer teach that many private students or public classes (just a few on Skype and occasional workshops). I do, however, deeply enjoy working with about a dozen people (mostly authors) as a consultant on their creative projects. I’ve found all my various experiences combine to help me an inspiring Creative Guru and I love it. (www.EdwardVilga.com/creative)

How would you describe your book in five words?

Funny, Sexy, “can’t-put-down,” Ironic, & Moving

Um, Edward...maybe I'm being picky, but that's seven words...oh, I'll let it slide. How did you create the plot for this book?

On a gazillion index cards and outlines, and practicing telling the narrative aloud as though it were a story told to a friend.

Are you like any of your characters?

I’m constantly asked if the main character is me and/or how much he’s based on me. We’re both yoga teacher in NYC who enjoyed great and sudden successes. And we both were from blue collar families, and went to Yale, and are extremely handsome (let’s be honest!) and have had more than our share of misadventures.

There are some key differences –– he’s a decade younger and a bit of a womanizer, and although I love going out at night, he wants to be a nightlife czar, and I never have.

His voice, however, is extremely similar to my own, as is his sense of humor and irony.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I love the ending which is an annoying answer because I can’t speak that much about it.  Nonetheless, I feel it bookends the book perfectly and that the transformation feels real and earned and, for me, honest and moving.

What song would you pick to go with your book?

I had a whole playlist for the book.  It ranged from Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up” for the nightlife, to the Balanescu Quartet’s “Waltz” for the yoga movement (which we used in the book trailer), to sad songs that reminded me of his lost love, and others lifted directly from yoga classes I’ve taught and taken.

How long is your to-be-read pile?

Near infinite.

I hear you. Okay, you get to decide who would read your audiobook. Who would you choose?

I’d like to read it but I’d like to sound like Alan Rickman. Yet since the book’s been optioned by Hollywood for the movies, I’m assuming that the lead actor will read it and I know he will be brilliant.

That's great. I hate you. You know I'm totally kidding...congratulations. Seriously. Do you have a routine for writing?

I wish I did! I am both supremely disciplined and incredibly lazy. Each project seems to have its own demands and trajectory and schedule. Maybe my life would be a lot easier if I were somehow able to say, “I write for X hours or X pages a day,” but it just never works out that way for me.

Where’s home for you?

After more than a decade in downtown New York city, for the last few years I have been roving. Right now, I have storage in 4 cities, I’m living in a fifth city, and my only permanent address is a P.O. Box. The only constant is my dog. This is all very ironic because I am deeply home-oriented.

Now, however, I live, more or less, like a yoga assassin.

Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.

WEIRD: I’m staying for the summer in a friend’s Naples, Florida condo and living like a rich Golden Girl in a gated community. My dog and I may take in 2 roommates in order to learn life lessons. (I’m the Sophia, if you’re wondering).

I'd be Rose. sigh.

NICE: I have a spectacular view of the ocean and my dog loves swimming in it with me nearly every day.

FACT: (And this could also be considered weird) Last week, I downloaded Cecilia Bartoli’s genius album “Sospiri” of castrati arias in Naples, Florida, only to read the linear notes to learn that Naples, Italy was the center of castrati creation.

If you could only keep one book, what would it be?

My diary.

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, I always want to have something sensational to read.

Ha! What are you working on now?

Another novel and a new play. Shameless plug: join my mailing list to stay in touch –– only 1 email every month or so because I know you’re busy –– since there’s a lot more ahead!

Will do, Edward. And please come back when your next book is released.

Watch the book trailer!

Guest Post from Edward Vilga

SADLY, I WASN’T WEARING A STOPWATCH

The most frequent question I’m asked since the publication of my novel Downward Dog is “How much of this really happened?” and the answer is “I’ll never tell.”

The second most frequent question I’m asked is is “How long did it take you to write it?”

I really do wish I had a good answer for that, but I just don’t.

I vividly remember the moment I had the inspiration for the novel.  I was on the phone with a friend discussing some adventure related to my emerging life in the yoga world.  It was, in fact, before I’d even completed teacher training.  I was, quite simply, a fledging yoga junkie.

Nonetheless, the basic idea for the main character was born –– an NYC Bad Boy who finds himself a fish out of water ... actually, more a wolf amongst sheep –– in the yoga world.

I was intrigued with the inherent conflict in the character’s passion for both yoga and also the excitement of nightlife and its inherent pleasures of wine, women, and song.  I hadn’t read or seen that story anywhere and I wanted to tell it.

The idea was dormant for a while as I actually became a yoga teacher myself, something I had never planned on doing.  I found the right teacher who spoke directly and powerfully to me, and when I had a bit of downtime (read “unemployment”), I plunged into the teacher training program mostly as a way of deepening my own practice.

A friend asked me to donate a lesson for a charity auction and I did. I was shocked when the couple who bought the lesson completed their session and then whipped out a checkbook, wanting to buy a package of ten.  I had no idea what to charge since I hadn’t really considered that possibility at all, but somehow we struck a deal.

I finished teacher training and on graduation night was immediately offered a class at my center.  Again, it's something I hadn’t planned on, but just felt right, and in fact, delightful to start teaching.  The next thing I knew, I was suddenly gainfully employed and teaching scores of classes and private students all over New York City.

Looking back, I remember half-thinking “this is great material” whenever something particularly wild or interesting or unusual met me on my yoga journey.

Around this time I remember finishing a short novella that received several extraordinarily glowing rejection letters passed on by my agent.

And then I wrote Yoga in Bed (easy stretches you could do in bed) which became a bestseller, got me on lots of TV shows like REGIS, and was translated into a dozen languages.

Inspired, I wrote another book about accessible yoga –– Yoga for Suits –– and made DVDs for both projects.

Somewhere in between all of this I drafted Downward Dog, mostly writing in spurts on Saturday nights after I returned home from teaching my now-packed 5pm class.  I’d write for a few hours, print out the pages, and visit my local tavern to read them over.  In a good week, I’d manage to do this 2 or 3 evenings.  Since I often had 7 am clients and had to be reasonably coherent and couldn’t be my night owl self.

Somewhere during this period, I also co-created and directed a solo-show starring the brilliant Leslie Lewis Sword that’s toured six continents, and although I do remember the first rehearsal in my loft space and the endless standing ovations her performance garners, I’m not sure where and when I worked on the novel during all this time.

In fact, the only reason I know that I was indeed working on the novel while the play was in production, is because I created a visual collage based on it and gave it to Leslie during our opening weekend.

I do, however, remember the moment when my former agent told me that the material was not for her.  The email arrived as my assistants were delivering a poster I’d designed of the book cover as a Creative Visualization exercise (forgive me, but I am a yoga teacher, after all).  The real cover now is 1,000 times better, but at the moment, it was beyond obvious that this agent wasn’t sharing the vision AT ALL.

And I remember getting the new agent who had some succinct and highly intelligent suggestions for a re-write which I embarked upon with great enthusiasm.

Then that agent (#2) suggested I explore self-publishing another short book first before going out with Downward Dog, which was incredibly inspiring, frustrating, and ultimately educational all at once.

Around this time, I left my NYC loft of a decade for warmer climates, and after a brief stint in LA (the city and I were just NOT getting along), pre-moving to San Francisco, I set up a bucket list lunch with a long-ago friend, an incredibly successful casting director named Sarah Finn.  (She’s cast small films you probably haven’t heard of like the IRON MAN SERIES, and THE AVENGERS, and the Oscar-Winning CRASH.)

Sarah offered to help with some movie ideas I had for the novel, and generously offered to read it first.  Astonishingly, she fell in love with the material and wanted to option the novel for film for herself as a producer.  I was ecstatic (of course), and realized that this was typical of how my life was unfolding in its own, unpredictable manner:  my novel had been optioned by Hollywood before being published.

Mysteriously, Agent #2 chose that moment to jump ship, perhaps related to leaving one agency and joining another and “redefining her list” –– whatever that means –– but to this day, I have no idea why anyone would abandon a project AS it’s being embraced by Hollywood Heavies.

Anyway ...

I then began to adapt my own novel into a screenplay while searching for someone to represent it to publishers.  Along came Agent #3 –– someone I’d known from over a decade ago –– who proved to be its true champion.

So now that I’ve shared all this, what do you think is the answer to the question, “How long did it take you write Downward Dog?”

I wish –– like with my attorney –– that my time were billable at an hourly rate so I’d know for sure how many moment I spent writing it.  (Although do all the brooding moments savoring a scotch count, I wonder?)

Do I say succinctly, “Over a ten year period, while completing lots of other work.”

Or do I just say, “About 9 months” –– that seems a reasonable answer, right? And parallel to the birth process, too.

Basically, I am in search of a witty answer akin to Tom Stoppard’s who, when asked “What’s ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ about?” replied, “It’s about to make me rich.”

Let the record show I’m thoroughly open to any suggestions for similarly wise and witty responses to this question –– and I promise to attribute you without fail should you supply one after reading Downward Dog.

Just keep me posted on your progress.

About the Author:

Edward has had seven books published (many of which involve his yoga practice) and written and directed two feature films.

His novel Downward Dog –– the adventures of a bad boy yoga instructor –– was published in June 2013 by Diversion Books.

Edward Vilga’s last yoga book and DVD, YOGA IN BED, hit #1 on Amazon.com for all of wellness after he appeared on Regis & Kelly and CBS’ Early Show and after his book was featured in People Magazine. In addition, Yoga in Bed has been positively reviewed in over 40 publications and translated into more than a dozen languages.

You can follow Edward on his website, on Twitter, and on Facebook, and Goodreads.

Downward Dog is on Goodreads. Don’t forget to add it to your to-read shelf!

Edward Vilga is a Playful Provocateur who creates breakthrough experiences in Books, Body, and Soul.
He writes books, film, and theater –– making a little art on the side.

* * * * *

Edward has had seven books published (many of which involve his yoga practice) and written and directed two feature films.
His novel DOWNWARD DOG –– the adventures of a bad boy yoga instructor –– will be published in June 2013 by Diversion Books.
Edward Vilga’s last yoga book and DVD, YOGA IN BED, hit #1 on Amazon.com for all of wellness after he appeared on REGIS & KELLY and CBS’ EARLY SHOW and after his book was featured in PEOPLE Magazine. In addition, YOGA IN BED has been positively reviewed in over 40 publications and translated into more than a dozen languages.
MIRACLE IN RWANDA, the play he directed and co-created with performer Leslie Lewis Sword, is currently touring the world. With more than 150 performances over 6 continents, the show has earned rave reviews and won numerous awards.  Prior to this, Vilga produced the Obie-winning MY LEFT BREAST by Susan Miller.
He also wrote and directed the feature film DEAD BROKE  (Warner Brothers DVD, 2006) that stars Paul Sorvino, John Glover, Tony Roberts, Jill Hennessy, and Justin Theroux. It has won several best direct-to-dvd awards and opened the New York Stories/Anjelica Film Festival.
Inspired by his writing projects, Edward Vilga also creates visual art.
After a sold out show of his visual art in NYC, an 8 page magazine profile, a short documentary portrait by An Films, and a nomination by GLAAD as Best Emerging Artist, in April 2010 Vilga was honored as the first Los Angeles emerging artist chosen by the KiptonART Foundation for a studio event.
In October of 2010, the Antebellum Gallery in Los Angeles (“The only fetish gallery in America, perhaps the world”) exhibited his SYMMETRY installation which explores obsession and voyeurism.
In 2011, Vilga’s painting/performance piece was the finale of the Duo Multicultural Art Center’s Holiday Happening where he created a canvas in real time.  A video documenting this event can be seen HERE.
From January 4th through March 31st, 2013, his art was on display at the Cavallo Point Gallery.
Edward Vilga is a Yale graduate.
- See more at: http://www.edwardvilga.com/bio/authorized-bio/#sthash.iSRVZzqq.dpuf

Edward Vilga is a Playful Provocateur who creates breakthrough experiences in Books, Body, and Soul.
He writes books, film, and theater –– making a little art on the side.

* * * * *

Edward has had seven books published (many of which involve his yoga practice) and written and directed two feature films.
His novel DOWNWARD DOG –– the adventures of a bad boy yoga instructor –– will be published in June 2013 by Diversion Books.
Edward Vilga’s last yoga book and DVD, YOGA IN BED, hit #1 on Amazon.com for all of wellness after he appeared on REGIS & KELLY and CBS’ EARLY SHOW and after his book was featured in PEOPLE Magazine. In addition, YOGA IN BED has been positively reviewed in over 40 publications and translated into more than a dozen languages.
MIRACLE IN RWANDA, the play he directed and co-created with performer Leslie Lewis Sword, is currently touring the world. With more than 150 performances over 6 continents, the show has earned rave reviews and won numerous awards.  Prior to this, Vilga produced the Obie-winning MY LEFT BREAST by Susan Miller.
He also wrote and directed the feature film DEAD BROKE  (Warner Brothers DVD, 2006) that stars Paul Sorvino, John Glover, Tony Roberts, Jill Hennessy, and Justin Theroux. It has won several best direct-to-dvd awards and opened the New York Stories/Anjelica Film Festival.
Inspired by his writing projects, Edward Vilga also creates visual art.
After a sold out show of his visual art in NYC, an 8 page magazine profile, a short documentary portrait by An Films, and a nomination by GLAAD as Best Emerging Artist, in April 2010 Vilga was honored as the first Los Angeles emerging artist chosen by the KiptonART Foundation for a studio event.
In October of 2010, the Antebellum Gallery in Los Angeles (“The only fetish gallery in America, perhaps the world”) exhibited his SYMMETRY installation which explores obsession and voyeurism.
In 2011, Vilga’s painting/performance piece was the finale of the Duo Multicultural Art Center’s Holiday Happening where he created a canvas in real time.  A video documenting this event can be seen HERE.
From January 4th through March 31st, 2013, his art was on display at the Cavallo Point Gallery.
Edward Vilga is a Yale graduate.
- See more at: http://www.edwardvilga.com/bio/authorized-bio/#sthash.iSRVZzqq.dpuf

Edward Vilga is a Playful Provocateur who creates breakthrough experiences in Books, Body, and Soul.
He writes books, film, and theater –– making a little art on the side.

* * * * *

Edward has had seven books published (many of which involve his yoga practice) and written and directed two feature films.
His novel DOWNWARD DOG –– the adventures of a bad boy yoga instructor –– will be published in June 2013 by Diversion Books.
Edward Vilga’s last yoga book and DVD, YOGA IN BED, hit #1 on Amazon.com for all of wellness after he appeared on REGIS & KELLY and CBS’ EARLY SHOW and after his book was featured in PEOPLE Magazine. In addition, YOGA IN BED has been positively reviewed in over 40 publications and translated into more than a dozen languages.
MIRACLE IN RWANDA, the play he directed and co-created with performer Leslie Lewis Sword, is currently touring the world. With more than 150 performances over 6 continents, the show has earned rave reviews and won numerous awards.  Prior to this, Vilga produced the Obie-winning MY LEFT BREAST by Susan Miller.
He also wrote and directed the feature film DEAD BROKE  (Warner Brothers DVD, 2006) that stars Paul Sorvino, John Glover, Tony Roberts, Jill Hennessy, and Justin Theroux. It has won several best direct-to-dvd awards and opened the New York Stories/Anjelica Film Festival.
Inspired by his writing projects, Edward Vilga also creates visual art.
After a sold out show of his visual art in NYC, an 8 page magazine profile, a short documentary portrait by An Films, and a nomination by GLAAD as Best Emerging Artist, in April 2010 Vilga was honored as the first Los Angeles emerging artist chosen by the KiptonART Foundation for a studio event.
In October of 2010, the Antebellum Gallery in Los Angeles (“The only fetish gallery in America, perhaps the world”) exhibited his SYMMETRY installation which explores obsession and voyeurism.
In 2011, Vilga’s painting/performance piece was the finale of the Duo Multicultural Art Center’s Holiday Happening where he created a canvas in real time.  A video documenting this event can be seen HERE.
From January 4th through March 31st, 2013, his art was on display at the Cavallo Point Gallery.
Edward Vilga is a Yale graduate.
- See more at: http://www.edwardvilga.com/bio/authorized-bio/#sthash.iSRVZzqq.dpuf

Featured Author: Destiny Rose

VirtualBookWorm Publishing brings Destiny Rose here today to talk about Embrace the Man of Grace, an inspirational, self-help book.

About the book:

We were not destined to live the mundane, dry, "rat-in-the-cage-on-the-spinning-wheel" life. Adventure is such a core essential need to human beings. If there is no adventure, then we just sit in stagnant waters. The only place you will find the living, rushing, mighty waterfall is in the adventure of being consumed with Grace, the central core element to everyone's life. The key is to tap into it and allow it to make your life epic and worthwhile.

Interview with Destiny Rose

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

I have always been able to turn a phrase, I wrote several papers in middle school and high school where people started noticing that I had a knack for it, but the part that my teachers didn’t like that is that repeated myself and talked in circles when I wrote. 10 years went by and I didn’t do anything with it.

Then, in the summer of 2012, someone commented on my Facebook page...and how they loved my status updates, and how it gripped them with the way I wrote. And they said, “You NEED to write!” I dismissed it with a bunch of excuses! “No way, I can’t write! Whenever I write anything past four sentences, it DIES! Gosh! I can’t do this! I’m not trying, I am a horrible writer. It goes nowhere.”

A month later, another lady told me the same thing after I had spontaneously written in her notebook a message from the Spirit...it was spot on for her, and it touched her deeply. This different lady said again, “YOU NEED TO WRITE!” I said the same excuse out loud to her... “It DIES after 4 sentences!!!!!” And in the middle of me blurting out in stupidity, I heard a gentle voice in my heart, “Who said you had to change your writing style to become a famous author?”

Time stood still.

Time and chance came together to produce that serendipitous moment...which exploded with destiny. And I had an “ah-hah” moment! I already have a ton of material for a book! I write witty little phrases all the time!

And thus my book was conceived. 
I read my own book and cry... and I help from my own book because I didn’t write it! Really, I didn’t! I knew it came from a Divine Influence.

Why did you decide to write The Man of Grace?

I want people to see the Man of Grace for who He really is. A lot of stuff has been written about which and they have diminished the power of what He really carries...and it’s all through GRACE!

What will others learn from reading your book?


They will see the power of Grace...and what it can do in their lives.

Who is your favorite author?

C.S. Lewis

What do you like best about writing? What’s your least favorite thing?

I love all of it, because I love writing quotes...and what I do is I accumulate quotes for about a year before I compile them together...I am already getting a collection of quotes for my second book. The quotes come from my own personal journey which changes my life first so that I can turn around and change others with it!

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

I knew I wanted to say "Man of Grace”...because I had been calling Jesus that for a year...and then the Embrace part HIT me out of nowhere one day at the beginning.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

I am in the health field. I help people by selling alkaline water machines. Our bodies are so acidic that it is a breeding ground for disease, but when people drink anti-oxidant, micro-clustered alkaline water, we bring our bodies back into balance so that the body can heal itself. I look at this water as the Grace of God in physical form, because so many problems go away on it. Please contact me if interested.

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

Exposing the Wild, Heroic side of Jesus...Embrace, the MAN OF GRACE!!!!”

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

I write down all the quotes I get when I get inspired from the Spirit.

How did your cover art come about?

I designed the whole cover. My adopted grandpa in his 70s made me that swing, I hired a professional photographer, and took 400 pictures. After the photo shoot, Papa Charlie took the swing down since it was on the side of a major road...Quite a few cars drove by slowly to see what was going on!

And I was in school for Graphics Design at the time, so I designed the typography. It was epic!

Tell us a book you’re an evangelist for.


Destined to Reign, by Joseph Prince. This is the “Bible” of how to live by Grace!!!!

What do you do to market your book?

I have a website, and I hosted it on several international sites, Amazon, BN, and the National Association for Professional Women.

What song would you pick to go with your book?

Audio Machine: Eternal Flame, and Sol Invictus

How do you handle criticism of your work?

People who criticize my work are so stiff and beat up emotionally and act like they are half dead and have a hard time receiving Grace to live a full life, so I honestly have compassion on them!

Tell us about where you live.

I live in an apartment (with vaulted ceilings, big thing for me) on the third floor by myself. I feel like it is my lofty palace on the top of a high hill...I feel like a princess/queen!

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

Yes, I got writers block while I was in the middle of actually organizing and publishing my book...now that it’s done, the flow is back...and that’s because I am getting ideas for my second book. When you are caught up in one book, it’s hard to write more for another.

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

MUSIC!!! YES!!!!! I write monologues set to music...the message is driven home much stronger with epic orchestra music in the background.

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


Telling people about anti-oxidant, micro-clustered, alkaline water!

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


In the JUNGLE! Swinging from vines in the trees like Jane and Tarzan!

What is your favorite book?


The Chronicles of Narnia Series... I see the Man of Grace in it!

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

The bucket list of the countries I want to go to is HUGE! ALL OVER!

What are you working on now?

A book about how God is FOR us, not against us... and the premise and setting is in a spiritual “kitchen”... you’ll see when it comes out! I don’t want to give out the surprise!!!

Embrace the Man of Grace Excerpts:

“Grace as the ability to dissipate every agitating situation and transform it into peaceful bliss!”

“Mankind as a whole divides decisions based on right verses wrong, good verses bad. A much better way to live is to determine whether a decision produces life or death in your heart and soul!”

“The Man of Grace has this incredible ability to seep into every closed-off, bitter chamber of your heart, and make it come free and alive again!”

About the author:

“I see and expose the epic, heroic, wild side of Jesus.” Destiny is an inspirational speaker, she believes in the power of witty phraseology to strike the gracious truth into people’s heart, causing them to come alive and have their whole life changed for the good. She currently lives in the Midwest part of the USA, and enjoys, painting, ballroom dancing, and working out.

Website | Amazon

Featured Author: Dan O'Brien

Welcome to the fourth day of the Cerulean Dreams blog tour. It will run until July 24th and will feature excerpts, new author interviews each day, and a video blog by the author. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this dystopian world:

Orion, the last city of men. Deep within the desert, a secret lay waiting. Young women found dead in the street. A corporation that controls the sleep of a populace that never sees the light of day. Alexander Marlowe seeks to unravel the mysteries of Orion as he helps a young girl, Dana, flee the city. The closer they come to the truth, the greater the danger that hunts them. Follow them as they search beyond the boundaries of everything they have ever known for answers. 

A few questions for the author:

Do you ever experience writer’s block? 

From a behavior analysis point of view, I simply remove the antecedent. This is a fancy way of saying I eliminate the possibility of experiencing writer’s block by always having multiple projects to work on, whether it is a another piece of short fiction, a consultation job, blogging, etc.

Do you work with an outline, or just write? 

A little of both. I find a living outline to be very useful for the way I write. I will have important ideas and plot points that I want to make sure find a place within the book, but I often deviate as my imagination takes over. 

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

Herbert, Hugo, and Hemmingway probably had the most direct influence on types of books I like to write, as well as my attitude toward writing in general. Orwell and Bradbury helped to cultivate a love of dystopian science fiction and Lovecraft, as well as King, helped to foster a love of all things horror.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published? 

My first book was a space opera that I went the traditional route with. I queried agents and publishers in the early 2000s, right before the vanity press boom that claimed the careers of many writers. It was a relatively lukewarm experience that I am not particularly interested in re-visiting. Needless to say, it was an important learning experience.

Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:

Chapter IV

The doors opened without incident. The lobby looked far more alive than Cedars Tower. Tenants bustled about. Their voices rose, talking about this and that. About Marlowe no doubt, if his paranoid mind had its way. 

The pair seemed conspicuous immediately. 

Their clothes were dirtied. Their faces were pensive, watchful as they scanned the crowd gathered in the lobby. For a moment, Marlowe could swear that they stopped and looked at him collectively, each of them thinking the same thing: that’s him.

There he is: criminal, terrorist. 

“Monsieur,” called the manager. His bristling walk and crimson suit were both polished. 

Marlowe looked at him, his face haggard. “What?”

The manager was apprehensive, his hands clenching and posture stiffening. Undoubtedly, Marlowe had answered harsher than the man had anticipated. “We are very much abuzz here, monsieur. There have been OrionCorps all about.”

A pencil-thin moustache and placid features were set upon an unscrupulous face. Marlowe looked at him for a long moment, uncertain if he was more repulsive than the strange transient apparitions that beleaguered him. 

“Right, OrionCorps,” said Marlowe dreamily. Dana nudged him hard, giving Marlowe a hard stare. The manager followed her gaze back to the rough mug of Marlowe. “OrionCorps, exactly. I’m Lieutenant Gales,” he started, flashing the badge he had taken from the lieutenant upstairs. He felt a fog lift from his mind for a moment. “I was in pursuit of the suspect. He is in the building.”

The manager looked shocked. 

“This building, monsieur?”

Marlowe felt strange, he walked the line between wanting to laugh hysterically at the little man or smack him across the room. He settled on maintaining the lawful air. “Precisely, I was in pursuit of the suspect,” said Marlowe and then looking at Dana, he grabbed her roughly. “Then I noticed that he had accosted this young girl here and I stopped to help her. I didn’t see where he went.”

The manager looked concerned. He grabbed her hand lightly as he spoke. “I am so sorry, madam. That must have been harrowing for you.”

Dana glanced at Marlowe and then nodded slowly. 

“Frightening.”

Marlowe cleared his throat, adjusting his weapon. “I am going to bring this girl in, but I have instructed OrionCorps that the suspect is in this building. You can confirm this when they arrive. Tell them Lieutenant Gales has brought a witness back to headquarters. Can you do that for me, sir?”

The manager nodded, almost gleefully. He was enthralled to be of assistance. “Of course monsieur, it would be my pleasure. Suspect in building. Lieutenant Gales took a female witness downtown. Understood, monsieur.”

Marlowe smiled and moved Dana forward, not bothering to turn around to watch the manager. He could hear the little man delegating to bellhops and other tower staff to search the area and assume security precautions. 

As they moved through the gathered crowd, Marlowe was sure not to nudge anyone too hard or draw attention. Marlowe reminded himself that it was nothing short of a miracle that the manager had not realized who he was. 

As they pushed through the ornate double doors of the plaza, the open air was alive with the sounds of OrionCorps vehicles. The wailing sound of justice was ever-present. Marlowe breathed out, as if he had been holding his breath. “That was close, Dana. That man obviously hadn’t been on his visor lately, otherwise we would’ve been dead in the water.”

The wailing grew closer and Marlowe turned up his collar, hiding his face as a squadron of OrionCorps poured into the building. Dana watched them with a child-like awe, but Marlowe turned her attention back with a rough tug on her arm. 

“Do you think that will keep them occupied for long?”

“Long enough, hopefully just long enough,” echoed Marlowe as he turned the next corner, dragging them down a flight of dirty stairs into the rail station. The station was dark like in Messiah district. Distant, flickering lights were in desperate need of service. They stalked out of the darkness, disappearing for a moment in the light, though only to return into the shadows once more. 

Marlowe pressed forward, trying not to gawk at the frightful apparitions. He felt a mesmerizing quality from them that trapped you in their gaze. 

That was someplace he did not wish to be. 

The station was modern, electronic fixings and long runner boards changed from one advertisement to the next. Marlowe had begun to feel that it was not safe. The world seemed to be talking to him at all times: whispering, not loud enough to drown out the living world, but just enough that he knew it was there. 

“Where are we going?” Dana asked, her little frame stopping to draw Marlowe’s attention. Her small face had smudges of dirt, black soot that seemed out of place on her almost pristine features. 

Warmth passed over his face. 

At first, it was comfortable. But as the warmth grew, with it came dead eyes and pale features. Marlowe realized that the phantoms were now walking through him as they pleased. The dead had no regard for the living. “We are going to take the light rail back to my place,” he began. 

“They will be waiting there for you,” she cut him off. 

Marlowe ran his hands through his hair, sighing exasperatedly. “Right. Of course, they will be. That is the first place they are going to look…” he trailed off and then jumped as one of the strange phantoms walked right through Dana. For a moment, it was a strange mutated creature that was part beauty and part horror. 

“We need to leave Orion,” she spoke. 

Marlowe looked at the girl seriously. “You keep saying that like it’s an option. We’ll die if we leave the city. We can’t survive in the desert. Anyone who walks beyond these walls dies in that desert. We’ll have to think of something else.”

“We are dead if we stay here.” 

“Very astute answer. Not at all helpful, but very clever. I realize that we are dead if we stay. We are dead if we leave the city, but that doesn’t mean I am going to go off gallivanting into a sweltering sandstorm because you like the heat.”

The sound of the approaching light rail was a high-pitched whistle. They both looked up, watching as the bleached steel tube rocketed into the station, the windows and passengers a blur. 

“When the doors open, get on and keep moving from rail car to rail car until we find an empty one. If we can stay away from people long enough, I can figure something out,” he spoke in a low voice. 

Grunting, he scratched at his right forearm. His fingers dug at his flesh through the heavy cloth of his trench. The doors of the rail opened with a grinding squeal. Dana stepped through without hesitation, her blonde hair bouncing against her shoulders. The interior was cloaked in a scattered darkness, much like everything else about Orion. 

She turned toward him, her eyes sparkling. He couldn’t remember if her eyes had been green before. Hadn’t they been blue? “We can’t ride the rail for long. They will look for us on it,” she stated matter-of-factly. 

Marlowe nodded. Swallowing, his throat was barren and salty. “There aren’t a lot of places we can hide in Orion. We will just have to keep on the move. We will take turns sleeping.”

Marlowe placed one foot on the dirty steel of the rail and the other stayed on the ground. He watched the ground with interest. It had moved. The vibration was slight, as if a wave had passed across the ground. “I think something might be very, very wrong,” he whispered. 

Dana looked at him coldly, her arms crossed. “Worse than everything that is chasing us?” she asked sarcastically. 

Marlowe lifted his foot. A section of the concrete moved with it, a webbed imprint that was a perfect match of his foot. His face slipped to a grimace as he watched the ground bubble, pieces of it popping and sending liquid splatters against the side of the rail. 

“I think the ground is melting,” he muttered.

He placed his other foot on the ground of the light rail. The surge of steel and power as the rail started forward rocked Marlowe’s balance, forcing him to grab a hold of one of the poles that ran from ceiling to floor. They were cold to the touch. He lifted his foot––the webbing of sloshing concrete had dissipated. 

“Could have sworn….”

Dana looked out the wide windows of the rail. Her reflection was that of a beautiful stranger: bright blonde hair and gray eyes. Hadn’t they been green? Her sigh was announced with the pout of her small lips. “It is worse when you sleep. The Lurking watches us, haunting our every step, waiting for us to lower our defenses, let up,” she spoke. 

Marlowe watched the girl. “Why are they after you?”

“The truth.”

Marlowe waved his hand dismissively. 

“There must be more to it than that.”

She remained silent, her thin arms hugging herself. Marlowe pulled himself forward with the light rail pole, looking at the next car. “We should keep moving from car to car, keep in motion.”

She nodded. Eyes glassy, her little body moved out ahead of Marlowe. Moving through the hunched figures of other commuters who muttered to themselves via their visors, he watched them as they passed. Most didn’t take the time to acknowledge their passing, except one.

“Marlowe.” Her voice felt like a cold spike. 

A man had her around the waist. She wiggled against him, trying desperately to find a way to pull herself loose. Marlowe drew his weapon. The man watched, his intense eyes looking from the girl to Marlowe. The blade was sharp. The glinting edge was tight against her throat. 

“Let the girl go,” Marlowe growled. 

He took a step forward. 

The man pulled Dana up, the blade touching her skin, crimson melting into ivory. His teeth gleamed. Some were sharpened to razor points. His face distorted. What had been pale skin was now moldy like old bread. Teeth were decayed, yellow and blackened from lack of care. The cackle that erupted from the man was otherworldly. 

“The pretty one is mine now,” he crooned. 

Fingers were long and slender.

Nails dirtied and cracked. 

Marlowe blinked. 

The very act was heavy. 

He shot once, twice. The first round caught the man in the throat. Greenish blood spilled in a fine arc. Dana fell away. Her shriek fell on his deaf ears. The second shot exploded through the man’s chest.

Dana watched as Marlowe loomed over the man, his wide eyes glazed as he emptied the chamber. Each shot made the man jump, his body lifting from the ground as if pushed from beneath. 

“I think he is dead,” she whispered. 

Marlowe continued to pull the trigger. The man’s face was a haunting smile, blackened lips and bleeding gums forever frozen. The world around him seemed silent. The click of his weapon, Dana’s words, all of it was a silent symphony. 

Then the voices returned. 

Low whispering that at first climbed and climbed until there was a raging cacophony of screams that were indiscernible from one another. He looked at Dana, her lips moving, but the words were lost to him. 

It came slowly, half of the message lost. 

“…leave.”

He looked at her strangely. “What?” he asked, splatters of the man’s blood plastered across his chest. 

Her eyes pleaded. 

“We should leave, get off of the train.”

He nodded, licking his lips again. The world had refocused. “News certainly does travel fast, this kind more so than most. Not often you have a dead demon on a train.”

It was Dana’s turn to look at him oddly. He moved around her, reloading his weapon and aiming at the metal doors. The force of the round charred the steel in a perfect circle. 

The screech of the train frightened the passengers. 

As the doors opened, Dana jumped through, Marlowe following. Many of the onlookers disengaged their visors. They watched as the blood-soaked Marlowe and an angel of a young woman departed the train and fell into the murky tunnel. Marlowe watched the walls, looking for the crawling figures. Immediately, he regretted diving so blithely into the darkness when there were things that wished to speak to him from the shadows.

Bio: A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.

Bitten (US) 

End of the World Playlist (US)  

Cerulean Dreams (US) 

The Journey (US)  

The Path of the Fallen (US)  

The Twins of Devonshire (US)

The End of the World Playlist (UK) 

Bitten (UK) 

Cerulean Dreams (UK)

The Journey (UK) 

The Path of the Fallen (UK) 

Follow My Blog  

Follow Me On Twitter 

Like Me On Facebook  

Would you like to win a copy of Cerulean Dreams?

All you have to do is comment on a post during the tour. Two randomly drawn commenters will be awarded either a physical or digital copy of Cerulean Dreams.

Visit http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/ and follow the blog for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!

Featured Author: Joel Savage

Joel Savage, author of Overseas Chronicle-The Rome and Amsterdam Experience, and he's here today with Virtualbookworm Publishing to talk about the book and writing in general.

Sidebar: I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because a Grammar Nazi can never be too careful.

About the book:

The Roman Catholic priests continuously abused the young boys they had provided accommodation and in Amsterdam the liberal laws on drugs have destroyed a lot of people that there are walking dead on the streets.

In Amsterdam, the police successfully have impounded hundreds of kilos of
drugs which are brought into the country through the airport Schipol, yet marijuana and other harmful drugs find their way into the coffee-shops for customers. Where do those drugs come from? Who is controlling it? The government, the army, the police, or the Queen?

Interview with Joel Savage

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

I have been writing since I was a teenager. I grew up in environment where I witnessed the experiences of those dying in desperation, and it deepened my understanding and knowledge to start writing books inspired by true events.

What do you like best about writing?

Writing has been my passion. It may be a hereditary thing since my father was a journalist and writer.

What’s your least favorite thing?

I don’t have any least favorite thing but I feel restless when a particular book I’m working on is left uncompleted.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

Yes, when I am not behind my desk, I work as a cleaner or sometimes as a forklift driver to support my family.

How did you create the plot for this book?

I was aware of the subject I wanted to write about and since it falls in the genre of non-fiction, I made the book very interesting to read, letting the reader feel that he or she is witnessing firsthand.

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

Having the story in mind, I just plan the outline and the story continues as the book is inspired by true events.

Did you have any say in your cover art?

I love being creative and adventurous. I therefore design the cover illustration of every book I have written.

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

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peal

What’s your favorite line from a book?

There was an advice to a certain lady to refrain from thinking in order to prevent wrinkles from forming on her forehead.

Tell us a book you’re an evangelist for.

The Devil that Danced on the Water by Aminatta Forna.

What do you do to market your book?

I write little feature articles on my blog relating to my books before they are published.

Joel, tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

When I was invited by the police in Amsterdam for my documents, I went without any idea that I was going to be arrested and thrown behind bars. The police told me “We knew that woman more than you; she takes money from foreigners under the pretext of helping them.” I couldn’t say anything.

What song would you pick to go with your book?

I don’t have any song which suits my case but I remember that time the African-American musician, R Kelly’s lyrics, “I believe I can fly” supported me spiritually through faith to survive.

Who are your favorite authors?

Norman Vincent Peale, Aminatta Forna, Jeffery Archer and Ryszard Kapucinski.

What are your favorite books as a child, as a teenager, and as an adult?

Books inspired by true events.

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix him? 


Harrison Ford. I will first ask him what he likes best.

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

I write when time is available. It can be morning, evening and even at midnight.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

At home at night.

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

At the moment I haven’t experienced any writer’s block because I’m still working on other scripts.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“Whatever happens to me benefits me, because it educates me morally and spiritually.”

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, by Jeffrey Archer; My Laugh Comes Last, by James Hadley Chase; and Cry My Beloved Country, by Alan Paton.

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

Watch a favorite program on the television.

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

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

United States of America

What are you working on now?

My new script The Passion of Reggae and African Music.

Joel Answers the Dirty Dozen:

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

      The Holy Bible

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

       The Power of Positive Thinking

3.    Your last meal would be...

        Last meal wouldn’t taste well. I prefer to request the Bible.

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

        I prefer any of them because both are the best way to increase your knowledge and
        interact with people.

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

6.    Would you rather be stranded on a deserted island or the North Pole?         Both aren’t a good experience if one finds himself in any of the two. I will
         therefore pray for this never to occur.

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

         I will still use that precious time to write.

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

         A place I haven’t visited yet, United States of America.

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

         Sammy Davis Jr.

10.    Where would your dream office be?

        A place where business thrives with friendly people.

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?

        That’s a hard decision. I am happy I’m not working on anything like that at the
        moment.

About the author:

Joel Savage was born in the central region of Ghana, Cape Coast, on January 19, 1957. He attended the Ebenezer Secondary School and Accra High School in Accra, Ghana. He later studied at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. 
Joel was a freelance writer for the Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times and the Weekly Spectator. He became a naturalized citizen of Sierra Leone in 1985 and of Belgium in 2008. He is an accredited, card-holding member of the Flemish Journalists’ Association and lives in Antwerp, Belgium, with his wife and three children. 


Connect with Joel:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon 

Featured Author: Cathy Ace

Cathy Ace, author of The Corpse with the Golden Nose, is on tour with Great Escapes Book Tours, and I'm happy to have her here today with a guest post.

About the book:

A heartfelt plea to look into the death of a world-famous vintner goes hand in hand with the opportunity to attend an exclusive gourmet event in British Columbia’s stunning wine country. How can overindulgent foodie and criminologist Cait Morgan resist?

Sure that the award-winning owner of a family-run vineyard was murdered, Cait shares her findings with Bud Anderson, a retired homicide cop. But he is convinced that the woman took her own life, whatever her grief-stricken sister might say. That is, until death strikes once again, in the neat rows of grapevines that clamber up the banks of magnificent Lake Okanagan.

Uncovering obsessions that might have fuelled murderous thoughts among the victim’s wacky neighbours is a start, but as Cait unravels the clues, she realizes that more lives are at stake. Can she think, and act, quickly enough to thwart the killer?

The Corpse with the Golden Nose is the second book in the Cait Morgan Mysteries, a classic whodunit series featuring the eccentric Professor Cait Morgan.

Guest Post by Cathy Ace

Judge a Book By Its Cover?

We’ve all heard the saying, “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,” right? And yet we still do . . . or do we? If we don’t, then all books could be put on sale with just the title and author’s name in bold black lettering, nothing more. So what’s the purpose of a book cover—other than to protect the pages within?

When I’m browsing the bookstore—bricks or clicks—or the library, I always head for the FICTION section and, within it, the MYSTERIES. When I get there, I start at authors beginning with “A” (I’m really hoping you do too!) and have at it. The vast majority of the books are presented spine-on, even in bookstores. That means that the first thing that has to catch my eye is the title, or the author. Maybe you, like me, know certain authors’ names, and dwell on the titles available, or, if a person’s work isn’t known to you, it’s their titles that’ll tickle your interest. It’s only once I make a small commitment and pull the book from the shelf that the cover design can get to work on me.

I’ll be honest and tell you now that I have put books back onto the shelf because a) the cover didn’t appeal to me and b) I still took the time to read the cover notes, and I didn’t think, at that point, that the book would be my cup of tea. So I do try to not let just the cover put me off a book. If I don’t like it, I try to get past it—but I’m then in a frame of mind where the cover notes have to work even harder to win me over. I have chosen to read books with what I think of as dreadful covers, so it’s not an insurmountable obstacle.

However, if the cover is something that appeals to me, I’m already in a more receptive mood when I read the notes, and that means I’m more likely to open the book and check out some more about it . . . an important step in the selection process. Of course there are some books with very appealing covers that I’ve put back on the shelf, because the book didn’t seem to be for me, so it doesn’t make book selection a sure fire thing.

On balance, as an author, I’d rather err on the side of caution, so I work with a wonderful designer named Pete, who’s employed by my publisher, to try to come up with a cover that’s not only appealing, but resonates with something of the atmosphere that the book conveys. I don’t think it should merely be appealing—I think that it should give the reader a real insight into what sort of book you can expect it to contain.

From the outset of my relationship with my publisher, TouchWood Editions, they knew that I had planned a series of at least nine Cait Morgan Mysteries. What sets each one apart from the others is their location—Cait gets about a bit you know!—so we decided that the cover art for the books would be location/setting orientated. Cait’s first Mystery, The Corpse

With the Silver Tongue, takes place in Nice in the south of France, so beauty shots of the location weren’t difficult to come by . . . but finding one that didn’t look like a travel brochure were more challenging. The exact location for the first murder is an apartment in a Belle Époque building overlooking the glittering Baie des Anges, so Pete found a super side-shot of the iconic Negresco Hotel on the Promenade des Anglais, which he cropped perfectly. With the French flag fluttering atop the magnificent pink dome, and a wonderful ageing technique applied to the photograph, giving it some gravitas, I felt he’d really captured the mood of a carefree city by the sea, that hides its secrets under layers of complex history. I also think that the typeface he’s chosen for the titles is reminiscent of “The Golden Age” of mysteries, without imitating, or aping it—which is exactly what I’m trying to achieve with my work.

The Corpse With the Golden Nose is set in British Columbia’s wine country, surrounding Lake Okanagan, so, again, it wasn’t tough to find glorious photographs of such a naturally beautiful environment. This time the challenge was to find something that showed off the vineyards, but with a clearly identifiable section of lake in play as well . . . since both elements are critical to the setting. Once again, Pete found the perfect shot, and, using his wonderful ageing technique again, he’s given the naturally golden glow of the valley an extra shot of oomph! I think the cover is truly beautiful.

Both covers have made me very happy. I think they both speak to what the reader can expect within the book, as well as being very attractive pieces in their own right. Of course I hope that potential readers, and those who’ve reached the end of the books, agree. They also FEEL great in the hand—so hats off to the printers and finishers for that: how a book feels is very important to me, and they have a delightfully cool, smooth, matte finish to them, which I like in the hand (oh dear, I’m stroking one as I type!).

Now we’re working on the cover of my third Cait Morgan Mystery, The Corpse With the Emerald Thumb, which will be published in the spring of 2014. It’s set on the Pacific coast of Mexico in a small municipality which has a resort along the beachfront and tequila-producing agave plantations in the hills. Again, there are a lot of photographs available of this naturally beautiful area, it’s just a matter of finding the right one. If Pete’s track record is anything to go by—he’ll do it again.

So, whether you’re one of those who does, or one of those who doesn’t, judge a book by its cover, please know that this author, for one, tries to make sure that her books are presented to you with the best possible cover for each book.  All I can hope is that you like the title enough to pull the book from the shelf; that you like the cover enough to read a little; that you like the snippet you read to buy or borrow the book . . . and that you enjoy each book so much that you head out actively looking for the next one!

About Cathy Ace:

Welsh Canadian mystery author Cathy Ace is the creator of the Cait Morgan Mysteries, which include The Corpse with the Silver Tongue and The Corpse with the Golden Nose. Born, raised, and educated in Wales, Cathy enjoyed a successful career in marketing and training across Europe, before immigrating to Vancouver, Canada, where she taught on MBA and undergraduate marketing programs at various universities. Her eclectic tastes in art, music, food, and drink have been developed during her decades of extensive travel, which she continues whenever possible. Now a full-time author, Cathy’s short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies, as well as on BBC Radio 4. She and her husband are keen gardeners, who enjoy being helped out around their acreage by their green-pawed Labradors.



Connect with Cathy:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | 

Buy the book:
Amazon | B&N | Powell’s Books | Book Depository


Tour Participants:

July 18 – A Blue Million Books: Guest Post

July 19 – Melina’s Book Blog: Review & Guest Post

July 20 – Kaisy Daisy’s Corner: Review & Giveaway

July 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy: Interview

July 22 – THE SELF-TAUGHT COOK: Review

July 23 – Storeybook Reviews: Review & Giveaway

July 24 – readalot blog: Review & Giveaway

July 26 – Books-n-Kisses: Review & Interview

July 28 – Brooke Blogs-Review, Guest Post, & Giveaway

July 29 – Mochas, Mysteries and More - Guest Post

July 30 – Escape With Dollycas-Guest Post & Review

July 31 – rantin’ ravin’ and reading: Review & Interview

August 1 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard: Interview

August 2 – Socrates’ Book Review Blog: Review

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.


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Featured Author: Denise Moncrief

Denise Moncrief's book, Crisis of Identity, is a romantic suspense novel published by 5 Prince Publishing, and she's here today to tell us about it!

About the book:

Tess Copeland is an operator. Her motto? Necessity is the mother of a good con. When Hurricane Irving slams into the Texas Gulf coast, Tess seizes the opportunity to escape her past by hijacking a dead woman’s life, but Shelby Coleman’s was the wrong identity to steal. And the cop that trails her? He’s a U.S. Marshall with the Fugitive Task Force for the northern district of Illinois. Tess left Chicago because the criminal justice system gave her no choice. Now she’s on the run from ghosts of misdeeds past—both hers and Shelby’s.

Enter Trevor Smith, a pseudo-cowboy from Houston, Texas, with good looks, a quick tongue, and testosterone poisoning. Will Tess succumb to his questionable charms and become his damsel in distress? She doesn’t have to faint at his feet—she’s capable of handling just about anything. But will she choose to let Trevor be the man? When Tess kidnaps her niece, her life changes. She must make some hard decisions. Does she trust the lawman that promises her redemption, or does she trust the cowboy that promises her nothing but himself?

Interview with Denise Moncrief

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

I wrote my first “novel” when I was seventeen. It was an obvious rip-off of the last romance novel I’d read. That was a long time ago. I’ve been writing seriously for publication since the spring of 2003.

How did you create the plot for this book?

I was watching the coverage for Hurricane Ike that made landfall near Galveston, Texas. The news reporter said that Texas authorities had advised those who intended to ride the storm out to write their social security numbers on their arm just in case they needed to be identified after the storm. The premise jumped out of the news report at me. What if a fugitive used a hurricane as an excuse to highjack someone else’s identity?

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

I know where I want to begin a story and know where I want the story to end. In the middle, I allow my characters and their evolving personalities to dictate where the action goes from there. I ask myself how the character would react in a given situation, how the characters would relate to each other, and what consequences would come out of those choices. The character’s story sort of writes itself.

Did you have any say in your cover art?

The publisher’s cover artist sends me a questionnaire about the book and about my preferences and suggestions for the cover. Then she takes it from there. I think Viola Estrella did an amazing job on the cover for Crisis of Identity. It wasn’t exactly the vision I had in my mind, but she conveyed the essence of the book very well. I was very pleased with the outcome.

Do you have imaginary friends? When do they talk to you? Do they tell you what to write or do you poke them with a Q-tip?

Nooooo… I haven’t had an imaginary friend since I was in grade school. I did have an imaginary boyfriend once… I probably shouldn’t talk about that.

LOL. How do you get to know your characters?

While I am writing, I get into their head. I try to think like them and react like they would react. I try to pull something from inside myself that would connect with how the character would feel about what was going on in their life at that moment. What they would see, hear, taste, smell, feel, and think. I don’t become my characters, but I get to know them very well. It’s almost like I’ve lost my best friends when I write the last sentence. Sometimes my husband and I speak about them as if they are real characters. (My wonderful husband reads all of my work before I submit to a publisher.)

When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

No. If the situation begs for a new character, I write her or him into the plot. This gives me a bit of creative flexibility. But…this has gotten me into trouble on occasion, as I have written too many characters for a book and bogged the story down. I love an ensemble of memorable characters, but I also believe the story should include only the number of characters necessary to adequately tell the story. Too many characters can be distracting to the reader.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

In this book, by far my favorite character is Tess. This woman doesn’t take crap off anyone. She is tough when she needs to be and soft when it is necessary. Tess is no damsel in distress. She doesn’t have to faint at her hero’s feet. She can take care of herself.

Wow--your Tess sounds a lot like my Tess! I like writing characters who do and say things I never would, as well as characters who do and say things I wish I could. Do you have characters who fit into one of those categories? Who, and in what category do they fall?

I love to write my characters saying and doing things I’ve only thought about. You know, when you’ve finished with a confrontation and you think about that one thing you wished you’d said? That’s what I love to make my characters say. A writer can get brave hiding behind a character!

Tess in Crisis of Identity is probably the most extreme character I’ve written as far as saying and doing exactly what she feels she needs to do at the moment. She sees an opportunity and uses it. Nothing shy about Tess!

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

I love reading romantic suspense, but lately I’ve read quite a few romantic suspense with a paranormal element. I’m hooked! I just read Heather Graham’s The Unseen and plan to read more in The Krewe of Hunters series. I’d also recommend Gwenan Haine’s Vertigo, a very good book with a hero and heroine I enjoyed reading about. And there was a lighthouse and a ghost. My third choice doesn’t have a paranormal element, but I thoroughly enjoyed Chantel Rhondeau’s Crime & Passion, a story about a woman who falls in love with a police officer suspected of murder. I love cops and murders! But mostly I love a romantic tale filled with suspense.

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

Reading, scrapbooking, traveling

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

Colorado. My absolute favorite place on earth is the Rocky Mountains. I set a series of books in Southwestern Colorado. Two of those books are being released by The Wild Rose Press.

What are you working on now?

A paranormal romantic suspense set in an old plantation house in South Louisiana with the working title The Unmistakable Scent of Gardenias. Yes, there will be a ghost.

Fantastic. Come back and tell us about it when it's released!

Excerpt from Crisis of Identity:

I dropped onto the cot at the far end of the locker room, struggling to remove the stained smock the state so generously provided. Forget about sleep; it wouldn’t come. I had too many memories that begged to become nightmares. I closed my eyes anyway.

The springs in the cot next to mine creaked. “I’m Jake.” Why had it taken him so long to introduce himself?

I released an internal sigh. “Tess.” I told the truth, because I had to say something and I was out of lies.

“Tough job.”

“Yeah.” I wanted him to shut up and leave me alone.

“Why would someone like you volunteer for this?”

I opened one eye and glared at him. “I didn’t volunteer. I was strongly encouraged to help. Why are you here?”

He hesitated. “I’m a U.S. Marshal. It’s my job. Part of the oath and all that.”

I opened the other eye and assessed him. “Why would you move here—” He smiled, cutting off my question. “I can tell from your accent you’re not from Texas.”

“I followed a fugitive here from Illinois.” He leaned forward, his knees not quite brushing mine. “She’s accused of murder.”

“Murder?”

“Stabbed her boyfriend…in the back…in cold blood.”

My reaction gushed from my mouth. “How can you be sure it was cold blood?” I sucked back a gasp at my gaffe. My question probably seemed strangely timed and oddly constructed. “I mean…it could have been self defense.”

He offered me a cold, hard stare with unblinking eyes. “I just know.”

“That’s…awful."

“I guess I followed my lead at the wrong time. I got trapped riding out the storm…just like you.”

“What makes you think I got trapped?”

“If you’d had any choice, you would have left.”

My brother Tony forced me to stay, but he left me. A storm surge so strong it pulled the house out from under us knocked him into the sea. The Gulf of Mexico spit me back onto the beach as if the ocean didn’t like the way I tasted.

I survived, but I had no time to grieve. The realization impaled my heart.

Jake stretched out on his cot. “There’s a boat out of here tomorrow. It’s taking volunteers back to the mainland.” Galveston was in ruins. The thin strips of concrete that once connected the island to civilization lay scattered on the beach looking somewhat like a child's building blocks.

“There is?” I tried not to appear too interested.

“You didn’t know?” A different question danced in his eyes—a challenge of sorts. “So how long have you lived in Galveston?”

“Not long. My brother found a job. So I moved here a few months ago to be with him.”
“Where’s your brother now?”

I blinked at him. “He’s gone.”

His stern countenance wavered, but before I could embrace his presumed compassion, his expression settled into severity once again. “Now you’ll have to start your life over…again.” His eyes captured mine. A shiver of dread slithered down my spine. It was as if he knew me, even though he didn’t seem to know me. “Are you going to sleep?” He nodded toward my pillow as if he didn’t think my conscience would allow rest.

“I never sleep.”

Within minutes, he emitted soft puffs of breath, in and out, obviously lacking any guilt to keep him awake.

The shadows lengthened and receded over the locker room, drifting in and out of the grimy, shattered windows as if the world was still revolving around its axis on schedule. But I was sure it had stopped turning. I was the fugitive he sought.

***

The unrepentant sunshine streamed through the cracks, jubilant in its victory over the storm. Only five days since the devastation of Hurricane Irving and the sun acted as if nothing had ever happened. I turned away from the brightness with an ill-tempered snort.
Jake caught up with me on the gym floor. “Did you get any sleep?” His question hit me as a trifle vindictive.

“No. But you did.”

“I snore.” He grinned. Then his smile faded. “I thought you’d be gone this morning.”

“Why? I have to finish the job.”

“That’s…admirable.”

The thought that pestered me all night erupted from my mouth. “What happens to that woman when you catch her?”

“She’ll go back to jail.” He stopped by the double doors and folded his arms over his chest, blocking my path. “Then she’ll go to trial.”

“What if she did what she had to do?”

“There was no evidence it was self defense.”

I stared hard at his implacable façade. How could the man be alternately warm and cold, compassionate and hard, flexible and unyielding? I stepped around him and entered the gym. There were already bodies lined up waiting for our initial inspection, so I began the task of collecting information from my column of the dead. The hours passed as I searched pockets and noted identifying characteristics on those with no papers or markings. I glanced toward the open door as two men begin loading the last group onto a waiting truck.
One more victim to notate. I squatted next to her. Even in partial decay, her features were enough like mine it pushed me back on my heels. I lifted her arm. My breath hitched. Her Social Security number was so nearly like mine. I scanned the gym. Jake, the one man who might care if she became me or I became her, was absent. With a few strokes of the pen, I could die and live again.

My heart pounded with the possibility I might get a chance to start over without the baggage of my past dragging me down. I changed her identity with a few swipes of a permanent marker. The number went onto my log with an unshaken hand, and I was free to escape the woman I used to be…the woman I didn’t want to be any longer.

About the author:

Denise wrote her first story when she was in high school—seventeen hand-written pages on school-ruled paper and an obvious rip-off of the last romance novel she read. She earned a degree in accounting, giving her some nice skills to earn a little money, but her passion has always been writing. She has written numerous short stories and more than a few full-length novels. Her favorite pastimes when she’s not writing are spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and scrapbooking. She lives in Louisiana with her husband, two children, and one very chubby dog.

Connect with Denise:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Buy the book:
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