Featured Author: Will MacMillan Jones

Will MacMillan Jones was here in March to talk about his book, Bass Instinct. I'm happy to have him back today to tell us about his latest novel, The SatNav of Doom, a comic fantasy, published by Safkhet Publishing Limited.
 

About the book: 

Once again, the Dark Lord has a cunning plan. And once again someone else is going to have to carry it out for him: that's what henchmen are for, isn't it? To hench? Oh, and to be sent on the risky missions...

Not that this one should be risky. What could be easier than secretly inserting computer spyware into a laptop, using a Banned Underground gig as a diversion? The Tax Office probably does it all the time. But the Tax Office is not normally being chased for an unpaid credit card bill for a huge round of drinks. (That's the politicians. And the henchmen, of course.) 



And it isn't just any laptop the Dark Lord wants to spy on either. The Government is struggling to find the way out of the Recession without a road map, and what better aid than a SatNav linked to a computer? If the Dark Lord can get inside information on future economic policy, maybe he can clean up and buy a new Mercedes.



Then there is a mystery: where did the time-traveling SatNav come from in the first place? What if the original owner wants it back?



Magic, mayhem and macro-economic policy collide in the latest surreal installment of the acclaimed comic fantasy series, The Banned Underground.

Book trailer: The Amulet of Kings

Interview with Will MacMillan Jones

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

I’ve always been interested in writing, I think. I was lucky enough to have an English teacher at school who encouraged all of his class to write, and I enjoyed it at school.  Then I wrote my first book in my twenties.  And awful rubbish it was as well. But it formed the basis (after a lot of reworking!) of the first book I had published, The Amulet Of Kings - the first in The Banned Underground series. I’ve been lucky enough to be signed by Safkhet Publishing to write a series of eight of these comic fantasy books for them.  Which I think means that they like the books.

I'd say so. The SatNav of Doom is a very interesting title. What’s the story behind it?

Over the last couple of books in the series, I have been more than a little abusive towards my SatNav character. I have a bad habit of taking inanimate objects that have a big influence on our lives and giving them personalities of their own. SatNavs have come a long way since they first started, and one night I was listening to an inane politician (I can’t recall which one, there’s so many to choose from isn’t there?) going on about a Road Map. Then I realized that he wasn’t involved in the transport system, but the economy – and a SatNav seemed a perfect fit! And as neither SatNavs (I refuse to own one) not politicians are particularly helpful to us in our daily lives, Doom was a natural fit too. Anyone who has ever been misdirected down a narrow country lane their SatNav believes to be a four lane superhighway (on the grounds that one was proposed fifteen years previously but abandoned unbuilt when the funding was used instead on a fact-finding mission to Barbados) will connect with the idea.

How did you create the plot for this book?

Amy, I think I’m in love with you for this question! The idea that I actually create the plots is wonderful, you need to go out into the world and tell everyone! (Especially the publisher, who often makes urgent inquiries about this very question.) Truthfully, I start with the germ of an idea and then I let the characters loose on it. After a while, we all meet up over a drink or two. I tell them what they are going to do to bring the book to a successful conclusion, and they tell me to get lost. After eating the pizza and drinking everything I’ve laid on, of course.

What’s your favorite line from a book?

I have to say, it’s still one from my first novel, The Amulet of Kings. I love writing one-liners, and I love misunderstandings, word play and puns. Plus a bit of surreal humour now and again. This line is still so good that it needs no introductions. You don’t need a scene, a setting, a background. It doesn’t matter who delivers it. I reckon that five books later, I’m still looking to top it. Oh, I shouldn’t say that, should I? Actually, there’s a gag in book 6 (the current work in progress) that might manage it, but for now:
“I know it’s live yogurt, but is it meant to come when it’s called?”

I love it. How do you get to know your characters?

I meet them in the pub, of course! I’m a writer! Observation. People watching. These things are vital. I don’t go heavily on the character descriptions, you see: I like the readers to fill in the details in their own imaginations. So a hint here or there, a small character trait, is enough for me to pass along an impression. Gloria, for example, is a dragon receptionist. (Really a dragon, this is a fantasy!) I leave her as tall, dressed in grey, and her heels click aggressively when she walks. Now who hasn’t met a receptionist/PA like that? 

Well, I've never met a real dragon as a receptionist, but the other description certainly fits with some I've seen.

I always have my Moleskine on me for notes of people I’d like to write, too.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

In this book, it is one of the less central characters: Gloria, the love-lorn dragon receptionist. People can be so prejudiced, can’t they? Just because she’s got a teenage attitude to live, despite being a couple of hundred years old, and has a bit of a secret thing for her Boss, the less than competent and unhappily married Dark Lord. It’s not easy being grey, you know. And people are so easily offended by casual incineration, too.

Go figure. What would your main character say about you?

This one I can escape. You see, I don’t actually have a main character. Some reviewers have found this a bit awkward when reading the series, but I actually have quite a regular cast list. In fact, the publisher (demonstrating undue sagacity) insisted from the first book that I write a cast list for every novel, to help those readers who have a bizarre desire to understand what’s going on. I mean, I hardly know so why should they?

But this is the epilogue to book 6, coming sometime next year. It’s a conversation (yes, in a pub – they are musicians!) between two of the characters. One has been reading a local paper.

“It says here that one of the author’s shorts has won a literacy prize.”
“It’s not news that his underwear has a life of it’s own. Sounds like it writes better than he can too.”

One of your characters has just found out you’re about to kill him off. He/she decides to beat you to the punch. How would he kill you?

As a humourist, particularly in the comic fantasy field, I’m not allowed to kill the characters. The uproar from the regular readers would be too much to handle. So, I’m safe from that. But they already like to get their own back. The musicians took me out drinking, and left me on my porch, fast asleep (yes all right, insensible through excess drink. I’ve confessed. Happy now?) and naked, having thoughtfully dropped all my clothes in the pond. The Dark Wizards drove past when I was asleep – this time is after midnight, so I had an excuse – and magically bricked up my front door before driving off. I’ve heard there’s something being planned for the next book, but I’ve no idea what.

My, your characters are devious little boogers. Where’s home for you?

At the moment, I live in Wales. A lovely green verdant land, full of myth and magic and legend...and great rugby and wonderful micro breweries, too. What’s not too like? But my heart lies in the Lake District, and I have firm plans to go and live there once my daughter finishes college and heads off to University to do something so insanely complex and technical that I certainly cannot spell it, and can barely pronounce it. Such is progress.

What would your dream office look like?

I’ve got it already! Nya,nya,nya. A smallish room, with a large window overlooking fields, and a wall completely covered in bookcases, full of my favourite books. No idea how many there are, I’ve never counted them. In one corner is my treasured hi-fi, and a collection of proper vinyl records, and some cds and tapes. The chair has molded itself to the shape of my bum after many, many years of use. Perfect.

How did you find Safkhet Publishing, and how long did your query process take?

Like everyone else, I was just lucky getting publishers. And I’m greedy, because I’ve contracts with more than one company. Safkhet Publishing, who picked up my humour/fantasy do not do horror. They don’t like reading it, so will not publish it: which I think is actually pretty cool of them really. They decided in the end not to take my children’s work, as they felt they couldn’t do it justice, so (cross fingers) that may yet have a third home!

All authors get a lot of rejections. I was still getting rejections from earlier queries after my first book had been released. One problem a lot of authors have is that they rush the query process, and end up sending their work to unsuitable agents/publishers. Take the example of my horror work, which does very well. I offered it to my fantasy publishers first because I trust them and we have a good relationship: they were happy with me sending it elsewhere because it isn’t their cup of tea. But if that had been my first book, I could have sent them the submission, and waited eagerly for a reply...which would have been negative of course, however good the work was. You must, as an aspiring author, do your research first. But if you believe you have written a good book, you owe it to yourself to try the query process before jumping into self publishing, however attractive that option may seem.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Easy one! I’m either hiking, messing about with my beloved Les Paul guitar, or out doing research for the next book. That’s the thing really, once you buy into writing as a way of life, it soon takes over everything else, doesn’t it? And you never stop looking around and getting ideas for stories.

That's very true. What are you working on now?

I’ve got two books that I am concluding at the moment: Have Frog, Will Travel which is the sixth in the Banned Underground series, and The Picture: that’s the sequel to The Showing and is another paranormal/horror adventure. In addition, I am always writing short stories, and several of them have the potential to be turned into full novels in time.

Other books by Will MacMillan Jones:

The Banned Underground series was described in a review in the Guardian newspaper Books Review site as:
Lord Of The Rings as written by Milton Jones to the Soundtrack of Led Zeppelin IV...

The books are:

The Amulet of Kings
The Mystic Accountants
The Vampire Mechanic
Bass Instinct
All of these are available through any bookshop, specifically Amazon, Smashwords, KOBO, and Nook.

His first horror release:
The Showing, available in print or ebook on Amazon.

Book trailer: The Vampire Mechanic

About the author:

  
Will lives in Wales, a lovely green verdant land of myth and legend. He does his best to support local culture by drinking as much local beer as he can, and shouting loudly at the TV during international rugby matches. In between, he writes fantasy to keep sanity at bay.

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

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Waterstones 
      
Coming soon:

Featured Author: Robert Bartram

Today I'd like you to meet Robert Bartram, the author of the historical drama Dance the Moon Down. Get to know him in the interview, and then read an excerpt from the book.

About the book:

In 1910, no one believed there would ever be a war with Germany. Safe in her affluent middle-class life, the rumors held no significance for Victoria either. It was her father’s decision to enroll her at university that began to change all that. There she befriends the rebellious and outspoken Beryl Whittaker, an emergent suffragette, but it is her love for Gerald Avery, a talented young poet from a neighboring university that sets the seal on her future.

After a clandestine romance, they marry in January 1914, but with the outbreak of the First World War, Gerald volunteers and within months has gone missing in France. Convinced that he is still alive, Victoria’s initial attempts to discover what has become of him, implicate her in a murderous assault on Lord Kitchener, resulting in her being interrogated as a spy, and later tempted to adultery.

Now, virtually destitute, Victoria is reduced to finding work as a common laborer on a rundown farm, where she discovers a world of unimaginable ignorance and poverty. It is only her conviction that Gerald will some day return that sustains her through the dark days of hardship and privation as her life becomes a battle of faith against adversity.

Interview with Robert Bartram

Robert, I love the title Dance The Moon Down. What’s the story behind it? 

I read an article in The Nation, a now obsolete periodical, for June 1914, written by John Galsworthy, the author of the Forsyte Saga. Basically it was a critique of the younger generation, of whom he wrote-“they had been born to dance the moon down to ragtime.” In hindsight we now know that they, in fact fought the bloodiest conflict of the twentieth century and paid a terrible price. The irony of  Galsworthy’s  remark made such an impression on me that I took it for the title of my book.

How did you create the plot for Dance The Moon Down?

An enormous amount of fiction has been written about WWI, almost exclusively about the men and even the animals that fought on the front line. It occurred to me that very little had been done about the people, most particularly the women, who had been left behind. I didn’t want to write a war story, in fact Dance The Moon Down is a romance, so the woman’s angle was perfect. The rest was pure research. I took two people passionately in love, separated them by a global event, and then left them with only their courage and faith to see them through.

What’s your favorite line from a book?

That’s easy. Page 227, line 16-20. “As she made her way back to the farm, she wondered if the world would ever become what people in their heart of hearts truly wanted it to be, or if it would remain as it was now, the creation of their greed, anger and stupidity.”

How do you get to know your characters?

Rather in the same way as I get to know “real” people, little by little. Gradually I come to love and respect them (my characters, that is) I explore their strengths and weaknesses, applaud the former and make allowances for the latter. Whilst you might think  I have the “God-like”  ability to do anything I want with them, I simply don’t, for their sake, the novel's, and mine.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

Victoria, of course. She displays such a wide range of emotions, everything that’s best, and worst, in all of us. She’s vulnerable and strong, both naive and wise, it’s how she balances it all out that makes her such a joy to write about.

She sounds like a strong character. What would she say about you?

Happily, Victoria is a lady, so she’d resist using the expletives she’s entitled to, after what I put her through. I rather hope she would say, thank you for bringing me into being and thank you for seeing me through. Now please leave me alone to live in peace.

Is your book based on real events?

Very much so. About 75% of the novel is based on actual events. Naturally I changed the names of those involved and made slight alterations to some events so they fitted the novel, but other than that, there’s less “fiction” in it than you might think.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

One of several is where Victoria is finally persuaded by her girlfriends on the farm to go skinny dipping in a pond in a nearby wood one swelteringly hot summer's night. Her uninhibited friends strip off and jump straight in, but she is much more cautious. Even though she’s been implicated in an assault on Lord Kitchener, accused of obstructing a Scotland Yard inquiry, interrogated as a spy, and come close to committing adultery, she considers that taking her clothes off in a public place is the most daring thing she’s ever done. Then the Zeppelin arrives...

What song would you pick to go with your book?

When Gerald finally has to leave for France, Victoria stands at the gate and watches him go. She puts a brave face on it, but her heart is breaking. All I could think off when writing this scene was Catherine Jenkins singing “Time to say Goodbye.” Play it when you read it and see what happens...

Who are your favorite authors?

Henry James, Ernest Hemmingway and Herman Melville, among others, but these three really impress me as writers.


Do you have a routine for writing?

I prefer to write at night, it’s much quieter then, and I can hear my thoughts. I usually work from 11am to 3pm seven days a week. I tend to start with a basic idea and then write the parts I enjoy most until I have chunks of disembodied plot, then it’s a process of marrying them together. After that it’s rewrite after rewrite, until I  have the draft I want. I always write at the dining table, next to a window which looks out on my large secluded garden. My muse lives there.


You’re leaving your country for a year. What’s the last meal (or food) you would want to have before leaving?

Fish and chips (French fries) with lashings of salt and viniger.

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

I’d probably stay in bed all day. Come on, be honest, wouldn’t you?

I just might. Why did you decide to publish with Authors Online?

The harsh truth is that nobody in mainstream publishing wanted the novel. To be fair to the book, they never asked to see more than ten pages which, I feel, hardly gave them the opportunity to reasonably assess the novel. Nevertheless, that’s the way they do things, so I decided, like many others, to go it alone. Was I right to do it ? Well, I’m only half way through my promotion campaign and the novel has already notched up 30 five star reviews and was nominated book of the month on “Wall to Wall Books.” You tell me.

Those are excellent results. What’s one of your favorite quotes? 

It’s by Oscar Wilde. “I was working on the proof of one of my poems all morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.” I can really relate to that.

Oh, I can too. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love natural history. I take any opportunity I get to stroll through the countryside and make observations, many of which end up in my writing. I also enjoy gardening and going to the Globe in London to watch Shakespeare preformed at its best.

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

I’m already here. I thank God for my health, my strength and letting me live in England.

What are you working on now?

It’s a story set against the background of the American Civil War. This one also has a female central character (my favorite) and I think, as with Dance The Moon Down, I’ve found a new slant on how to write it. Before you ask, no, it won’t be anything like Gone With The Wind, but that’s all I’m saying for now.

I hope you'll say more when it's finished and that you'll say it here! In the meantime, best of luck with Dance The Moon Down.

Excerpt from Dance the Moon Down

Victoria heard someone pass close by, approach the desk and stop.  After a moment, not having felt a hand on her shoulder, she opened her eyes to see a young officer standing in front of her. He bore such a striking resemblance to Gerald that for a moment she thought that it was actually he.

‘This is Lieutenant Fairchild,’ Colonel Bass informed her bluntly, ‘temporarily assigned to this department. I’ve put him in charge of investigating your husband’s case. In future, you’ll direct all your questions to him.’ Closing the file, he handed it to the lieutenant.

‘Carry on, Fairchild.’

The lieutenant took the file, turned to her, smiled and gestured that she should follow him.

Victoria was only too glad to do so, but as she rose to leave, Colonel Bass had one last word of warning.

‘In future, young woman, I suggest that you confine your activities to the appropriate channels. If you persist in pursuing your original course, you may discover that this department is no longer disposed to offer you the leniency it’s shown today.‘ With that, he looked down and began writing again.

With an outstretched hand, Lieutenant Fairchild reaffirmed his invitation for her to follow him. Victoria couldn’t wait to get out of the room. She was shaking from head to toe and in such a state that, by the time she reached the corridor, she was desperate to confide her feelings to just about anyone.

‘That man,’ she told the lieutenant, her voice wavering with emotion, ‘that awful man is overbearing, rude and insensitive!’

‘He’s a colonel in the British army,’ Lieutenant Fairchild pointed out. ‘He’s supposed to be.’

His candour did nothing to alleviate her distress. ‘Do you know, he accused me of being a spy?’

The gravity of her statement merely seemed to amuse him. ‘My dear Mrs Avery, if he’d ever once thought that you were actually a spy, then you’d never have been allowed into this building. At this moment, you’d be languishing in His Majesty’s Prison Holloway, awaiting execution.’

Victoria drew a huge gasp, her eyes widening with incredulity; she could hardly believe her ears. ‘You mean to say that he put me through all that, knowing all the time that I wasn’t a spy?’

‘Believe it or not, he did you a favour,’ Lieutenant Fairchild told her. ‘It could have been far more serious had he wished to make it so.’ Victoria was incensed. She felt completely humiliated.

Disregarding his remarks, her agitation began to boil over. ‘That’s despicable!’ she fumed.  ‘I don’t think the corridor is the best place for this conversation,’ he advised. ‘I’m certain we’ll be much more comfortable in my office.’

The lieutenant’s office was tiny in comparison to the baronial hall occupied by Colonel Bass, but it was far more inviting. It was hardly bigger than a cupboard, lined with filing cabinets and cluttered with stacks of paper that further reduced its size.

‘Sorry about the mess,’ he apologised, ‘but lowly lieutenants don’t rate a lot of space.’ He paused, studying her for a moment. ‘May I offer you some tea?’ he asked. ‘You look as though you need it.’

When the tea arrived, Victoria was grateful to receive a cup. Her ordeal had left her parched, and it was all she could do to stop herself from gulping it. Nevertheless, to her acute embarrassment, each time she tried to replace the cup back onto the saucer, her trembling hand made it rattle conspicuously, and in spite of trying not to, she slurped when she drank.

Lieutenant Fairchild waited patiently for her to recover enough to continue. Eventually, Victoria put the cup down and eyed him warily. Despite his good looks and easy charm, she was still paranoid about military conspiracies. ‘It won’t work, you know,’ she told him.
The lieutenant folded his hands on the desk top and smiled indulgently. ‘What won’t work?’ he asked.

She was certain that he knew exactly what she was talking about, but if he insisted on continuing this silly charade, then she would tell him anyway. ‘I’ve made a nuisance of myself, and after frightening the life out of me, that colonel of yours thinks to distract me by putting a pretty face in my way.’

 It took him some moments to comprehend what she was alluding to. Then suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise. ‘Oh, I see. You mean me. I can honestly say that I’ve never thought of myself in quite those terms before,’ he admitted, still somewhat bemused by her remark. ‘Do you suppose Colonel Bass sees me that way?’

Victoria was only too well aware that his amusement was entirely at her expense, and was determined not to be the butt of the joke.

‘You know precisely what I mean, Lieutenant,’ she remarked coldly.

‘Please, call me Alan,’ he invited, taking her by surprise, ‘and may I call you Victoria?’

He had a beguiling way about him that easily disarmed her caution, and after an appropriate pause required by formality, she nodded her consent.

‘Excellent,’ he beamed. ‘I’m sure we’re going to be great friends.’

Under any other circumstances, his remark might have been considered presumptuous. Perhaps the harrowing events of the last few hours had tired her, wearing down her resistance, making her susceptible to his overtures. In any event, Victoria found the suggestion not altogether unattractive. Maybe Colonel Bass was a better judge of character than she’d given him credit for.

About the author:

Born in Edmonton, London in 1951, Robert spent several of his formative years living in Cornwall where he began to develop a life long love of nature and the rural way of life. He began writing in his early teens and much of his short romantic fiction was subsequently published in various national periodicals including Secrets, Red Letter, and The People’s Fiend.

Never one to let the necessity of making a living get in the way of his writing, Robert has continued to write for most of his life whilst holding down a succession of jobs, which have included, “Health Food Shop Manager,” ”Typewriter Mechanic,” and “Taxidermist” – Yes, you read that correctly.

His passion for the history of the early twentieth century is second only to his love of writing. It was whilst researching for another project that he came across the personal diaries and letters of some women who had lived through the trauma of the Great War. What he read in them inspired him to write his debut novel Dance The Moon Down, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Robert is single and lives and writes in Hertfordshire.

Connect with Robert:
Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon author page 

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Featured Author: Giacomo Giammatteo

Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours brings Giacomo Giammatteo here today to talk about his mystery/suspense novel, Murder Has Consequences, published by Inferno Publishing Company.

About the book:

For a select few people, friendship lasts forever. Nicky Fusco and Frankie Donovan were friends like that, but that was years ago. Now Frankie’s a detective in Brooklyn’s Homicide department, and Nicky is a reformed hit man. But when Frankie gets in trouble—and the law can’t help him—he turns to Nicky.

The problem is that Nicky promised his family, and God, that he’d go straight. 

Book Trailer

Interview with Giacomo Giammatteo

Giacomo, how did you come up with the title Murder Has Consequences?

Murder Takes Time is the first in the Friendship and Honor series. In MTT, there is a set of six rules for murder. Murder Has Consequences is rule number two. All of the books will follow a rule of murder, so the next one out is Murder Takes Patience which is rule number three.

Excellent. Do you have another job outside of writing?

I’m a headhunter in the biotech and medical device industry. I’ve been doing this for thirty years.

How did you create the plot for this book?

All my plots are created in the same basic way. I have a concept or theme that I follow for each series. This is the Friendship and Honor series, so the theme revolves around the problems/conflicts that might arise out of a pact or oath of F&H. All I have to do is imagine a scenario that would create conflict and go with it. I always have an ending before I start, and then I work backwards. I despise a novel where the ending seems fabricated, so I swore I’d never do that.

What’s your favorite line from a book?

I’m a huge fan of the old noir films/books. Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett...and I have to say my favorite lines from all time are from the scene with Sydney Greenstreet and Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon. Some of my other favorites are from Casablanca.

Tell us a book you’re an evangelist for.

The Count of Monte Cristo. My favorite book of all time.

How do you get to know your characters?

They’re real. I base them on real people, or on combinations of real people. I’m a huge believer in knowing my characters and not just the main ones. I think it is just as important, if not more so, to know your secondary characters as it is to know the primary ones. And when I say know them, I mean down to the core. Know what they’d do in a given situation, how they’d react if someone challenges them, if someone kisses them, if someone betrays them. That, in my opinion, is how great characters are created.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?
Nicky Fusco.

You say your characters are based by real people. Who?

Most of them. Can’t say.

Understandable. Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

The scene where Nicky goes to see Millie in the bar. It seems like such a simple, nothing scene, but it isn’t. That scene allowed me to show so many things about Nicky, about the way things have changed in the neighborhood, and about the kind of conflict and respect Nicky had for people. I loved it.

Who are your favorite authors?


Alexandre Dumas, John Sandford, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Frank Herbert, Donna Leon, and when I need to laugh out loud, Luciano De Crescenzo.

How long is your to-be-read pile?

Far too long, unfortunately. And since I’ve been published it’s grown considerably. I’ve met so many wonderful authors, and they have books I want to read. My iPad is stocked with a lot of titles.

You get to decide who would read your audiobook. Who would you choose?

Me. If I find time, I’m going to try it myself.

What book are you currently reading and in what format?

I’m reading an ebook, Sleep Not My Child, by Christopher Bartley. He’s a gifted author, and I love his work.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

I write mostly in the kitchen, and I start about 10:00 at night. If I have blog posts to write, I usually do those earlier, and if I have editing or proofreading to do, that comes before writing. My writing I like to do late.

Where’s home for you?

I live in Texas, outside of Houston, but I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware.

Your last meal would be…

Veal Marsala with good bread, and a good wine.

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

A lot of land for my animals.

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

Italy.

What are you working on now?

This is a loaded question. I always have a lot going on.
Mystery: A Bullet From Dominic, Blood Flows South book II
        Necessary Decisions, first book in new series, Redemption
        A novella about one of the characters in Necessary Decisions
        Murder Takes Patience, Friendship and Honor book III
        Old Wounds, a Redemption Novel

Non-fiction: No Mistakes Interviews, book II of the No Mistakes Career series
       No Mistakes Guide to Misused Words

Fantasy: Vengeance is Mine, Book IV of the Rules of Vengeance series

I realize this seems like an awful lot to be working on, but it’s how I work. I actively write on a non-fiction and a fiction (or 2) at the same time, depending on the mood I’m in, and I actively plot and write scenes as they come to me for the others.

I'm the same way. Good luck with all of your projects, and come back anytime!

Other books by Giacomo:

Murder Takes Time | A Bullet For Carlos | Finding Family | No Mistakes Resumes

Excerpt from Murder Has Consequences

Actions have consequences. I learned that long ago.

• I learned it when I was five years old and got caught stealing cigarettes.
• I learned it when Mikey “The Face” Fagullo beat our asses for not giving him a cut of the smokes we stole from a boxcar.
• I learned it when Father Tom caught us playing cards instead of attending mass.
• Mostly I learned it when I shot Freddy Campisi. That lesson cost me ten years in prison.

Different actions yield different consequences. Do something wrong—-get sent to prison. That’s one kind of consequence. But that’s the easy one. If you go to prison, you do your time and get out. It’s over. Done with.

But there is another, far worse, consequence-—the one you have to live with day in and day out. The kind of consequence you beat yourself up over. The kind that won’t go away. I did my time for killing Freddy Campisi. The other things I’ve done I have to live with. Those are between me and God. They are my cross on earth.

Nicky Fusco

About the author:

Giacomo Giammatteo lives in Texas, where he and his wife run an animal sanctuary and take care of 45 loving rescues. By day, he works as a headhunter in the medical device industry, and at night, he writes. 

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

Buy the book:
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Featured Author: Christoph Fischer


I'm very happy to have the talented Christoph Fischer back today to talk about his third book in the Three Nations Trilogy. On the market for less than a week, the historical fiction/family saga The Black Eagle Inn is already an Amazon best seller. Christoph is a three-time A Blue Million Books guest. He's been here to talk about the first book, The Luck of the Weissensteiners and the second, Sebastian. You can read those interviews here (first book) and here (the second).

What reviewers are saying:

-A comprehensive, entertaining historical novel that does not hold back any punches.
-Brilliant historical fiction: fascinating and entertaining.
-Simply a masterpiece.

About the book: 

The Black Eagle Inn is an old established Restaurant and Farm business in the sleepy Bavarian countryside outside of Heimkirchen.  Childless Anna Hinterberger has fought hard to make it her own and keep it running through WWII. Religion and rivalry divide her family as one of her nephews, Markus has got her heart and another nephew, Lukas got her ear. Her husband Herbert is still missing and for the wider family life in post-war Germany also has some unexpected challenges in store.

Once again Fischer tells a family saga with war in the far background and weaves the political and religious into the personal. Being the third in the Three Nations Trilogy this book offers another perspective on war, its impact on people and the themes of nations and identity.

Interview with Christoph Fischer 


Christoph, you get frequent flier points for being such a good friend to A Blue Million Books. I'm happy to have you back. Can you briefly catch us up with your Three Nations Trilogy and give us your elevator speech for The Black Eagle Inn?

In The Luck of the Weissensteiners, I showed the terror that was WWII and its effect on one particular area and ‘nation’ in Central Europe. In Sebastian, I went to a happier time before WWI to show the issues of nations and identity then. In The Black Eagle Inn, war is in the past and the people who find themselves in Western Germany have to pick up the remains from the ashes and form a new nation.

What’s the inspiration for your characters?

I got some inspiration from life and real people that I have met over the years, from Bavarian and German stereotypes and characters, from comments I overheard on a bus or a train, from stories I picked up and some from the characters themselves as they began to form their life in my book.

You just retired from your “day job.” Are you happy with your decision to retire?

Yes, totally. A lot of it is to do with the changes at the old work place, but I am also happy to have more time for my family when they need me.

Do you have a routine for writing?

When the muse drives me I just sit down and write. All I need to do is walk the dogs first or else Molly will kick my hands of the keyboards and demand attention.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

In my little office space, preferably starting very early in the morning, when it is quiet.

Where’s home for you?

I just returned from a trip to my ‘home’ town in Germany. Now I am back in the UK, home from home if you so will, and despite the lovely time I had ‘back home’ and despite the many things that make me feel like an ‘alien’ in the UK, when we got out of the channel tunnel I felt I was home.

Neil Gaiman said, “Picking five favorite books is like picking five body parts you'd most like not to lose.” So…what are your five favorite books and your five body parts you’d most like not to lose?

The Books: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas, The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng, and We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

Body Parts: Head (never bodes well to lose it); Heart (been my partner’s for so long, I’d hate to transfer it now); Voice (how else would I be telling people about my books or tell my dogs to give me back that tennis ball); Hands (writing, preparing food); Legs (jogging and running away from danger).

You’re leaving your country for a year. What’s the last meal (or food) you would want to have before leaving?

Tofu salad.

Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?

Definitely a library, there’d be no commercial pressure to sell anything.

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

My home town library in Bavaria. I used to work there, I know the staff, and they stock my books. Tons of others.

Give us an update on your dogs!

Wilma had six puppies in February and turned out to be a great young mother. Two of the puppies, Ianto and Molly Junior, are living in the vicinity, and we get to see them often. In two years’ time we will see if Wilma wants to have another go at motherhood. Molly senior will be 9 in November and Greta is most happy at this time of the year for her love of Conkers.

Um...what exactly is Conkers?

They fall from trees like chestnuts. Brown and shiny, once out of the shell. We call Greta conker bonkers when she gets hold of one.

Ah! I see. There's no easy way to segue from dogs and Conkers to publishing, so I'll just get to it. Why did you decide to self-publish?

I was put off by the difficulties to even get an agent to take your calls. As much as I can see why that is, it did not seem a trust-inspiring start. I also hear how new authors are required to do much of their own marketing and publicity work. It seemed easier to do it myself and see where that would lead me.

Are you happy with your decision to self-publish?

I am very happy with the decision. I was fortunate enough to have an Academic partner, a designer friend, and an editor friend who were willing to work with me. I also met a few great writers who have functioned as beta readers for my books and helped me find my foot in the world of FB, Twitter and blogging. Self-publishing is hard work, but it is also great fun.

What steps to publication did you personally do, and what did you hire someone to do? Is there anyone you’d recommend for a particular service?

My partner did all the formatting, and together with Deborah Wall he did the editing.
Read my interview with Debra here.

Design artist Daz Smith.

Do you have any advice for an author who is getting ready to self-publish?

Make sure to do the best you can in terms of formatting, editing and design. People will judge you on formalities, regardless of how good your book is. But also, don’t let anyone discourage you to follow your dream (big symphonic sound track).

What marketing or promotion ideas have worked best for you?

Facebook, blogging and Twitter in combination. Since I got seriously involved on Twitter (and it was hard work to get going) my sales have doubled.

In your last interview here, you quoted Neil Gaiman as one of your favorite quotes: “Everybody has a secret world inside of them. I mean everybody. All of the people in the whole world, I mean everybody — no matter how dull and boring they are on the outside. Inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds... Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe.” Can you tell us one of your secret worlds?

I just told you about those secret worlds in my books.
Okay. I do occasionally meditate and one of my ‘happy places’ I retreat to is a dark green mossy area next to a wild mountain stream, bearing both Bavarian and Irish features, if that makes sense.

One of your characters has just found out you’re about to kill him off. He/she decides to beat you to the punch. How would he kill you?

If he is anything like me, he’d just take a hammer and smash my head. No need to beat around the bush.

What’s your favorite candy bar? And don’t tell me you don’t have one!

A German kinder bar.

What are you working on now?

A Time to Let Go, a novel about a family in contemporary England. The mother has Alzheimers and the rigid father and the chaotic daughter fight over how to handle the illness.

Excellent. And you will be back to tell us more about it--right?

Guest Post

Politics in The Black Eagle Inn

by Christoph Fischer

To write about any Nation and its generational renewal party politics are difficult to avoid, even more so in the case of Germany where for 12 years one party dictated world history. In one plotline of the book I have gone deep into the rivalry between the two main parties in post-war Germany, which exists to this day.

I must apologise for any perceived bias and any offensive remarks against either of the parties portrayed. Party politics at the time were more differentiated than I could afford to showcase them in this book. The fictional party affiliation of some of my characters in the book was determined by certain ideas they stand for and which of the actual parties at the time would have fitted their profile the most.

In my view politicians of every party can be corrupt as they can be idealists. By no means would I like to imply that I favour the politicians of one party of another. My book is not a manifesto for political ideas per se but for humanitarian ideas that should be the foundation for any type of politics.

Politics can also be a frustrating and hard business and I applaud all of the idealists who go into politics and struggle hard for their visions and beliefs. I do not have the endurance for it myself and would like to thank those who have done so and who selflessly help to form and shape Germany into a modern state that has learnt from its past.

About the author:

Christoph Fischer was born in Germany, near the Austrian border, as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. After a few years he moved on to the UK where he is still resident today. The Luck of The Weissensteiners was published in November 2012; Sebastian in May 2013. He has written several other novels which are in the later stages of editing and finalisation.

Connect with Christoph:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Facebook/Black Eagle Inn
Goodreads | Goodreads/Black Eagle Inn | Twitter |

Buy the books:
Amazon Author page  | The Black Eagle Inn on Amazon 

Christmas Blog Tour

Yes, I do realize it's only October and we haven't even had Halloween yet. But what you may not know is...as of today, there are only 70 more shopping days until Christmas. And what better present to give someone than a good book? So without further ado, I present to you one stop on the Paul Anthony Associates Christmas Book Blog Tour.

Paul Anthony Associates Christmas Blog Tour

Welcome to the Christmas Blog Tour: A group of authors entertaining their readers with some thrilling tales of fiction. Let’s find out what they are up to at the moment. Santa Claus wants to ask some questions. Indeed, they’ve all been asked the same questions as they introduce themselves and their work. So, let’s hear what they have to say. First up is Amy Metz.

Q. Whereabouts do you live, Amy?

A. Sometimes I live in Goose Pimple Junction and sometimes Louisville, Kentucky, known as Louavul to native Louisvillians!

Q. Would you describe yourself as a full-time writer or do you have another job?


A. My day job is being a mom to a seventeen-year-old. Since he’s a high school senior, that doesn’t take up as much time as it used to, so I would describe myself as a full-time writer. Especially since my laptop is my constant companion.

Q. How do you spend your leisure time? 


A. I love to read, bake, and take pictures. Once I’ve been on a photography shooting spree, I love to create digital photo books. Outside of the house, my favorite thing to do is to attend my son’s marching band shows and his concerts. I never turn down an invitation to go out to dinner or to a movie either.

Q. Name three people you would like to entertain for Christmas dinner and why?


A. 1) An accountant. I’d like to talk to him or her about how to audit a publisher’s books. 
2) My publisher. I’d like to talk to him about his business practices. I’d also like to feed him an Ex-Lax martini.
3) Betty White. Who wouldn’t want Betty White at their table?

Q. If you could live anywhere in the world this Christmas, where would it be?


A. Ordinarily, I’d answer an “anywhere in the world question” with some place in the South, but Christmastime has to be cold, so I’d say in a house on Nantucket Island, overlooking the water.

Q. If you had one Christmas wish, what would it be?


A. Besides peace on earth, I would wish to be free and clear from my publisher.

Q. Describe yourself using only three ‘Christmas’ words.


A. Faith, hope, and fruitcake. And no, the last one is not because I like fruitcake or resemble it. It refers to my mental status.

Q. What makes Christmas special for you? 


A. Family traditions. I also like to decorate the house with my Santa and Snowman collections, along with a gazillion other decorations. And it wouldn't be Christmas for me without the smell of a real Christmas tree.

Q. What is your favourite childhood memory of Christmas?


A. It would be of my sister and me, ages 4 and 2, running down the hall toward the Christmas tree in the living room, bleary-eyed after just waking up but excited as only a child can be on Christmas morning. Although, I don’t know if it’s an actual memory or if I’m remembering it from the home movie my dad made. By the way, I'm the little one in the picture to the left, but I have no recollection of it!

Q. What is the worst Christmas you have ever experienced?


A. That would probably be Christmas 1987. Our dog was very sick, and a few days before Christmas we learned he wasn’t going to live much longer. I was pregnant with my first child at the time, and I either threw up or wanted to throw up 24/7. It was hard to get into the Christmas spirit that year.

Q. Are you currently published for Christmas or do you have a ‘work in action’ you can tell us about?


A. Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction is available on online bookstores, and some Indie stores in and around Louisville. I’m hoping to publish Heroes & Hooligans in Goose Pimple Junction, and Rogues & Rascals in Goose Pimple Junction, but because I stupidly signed a bad contract, it may be a while before I can publish again.

Q. Tell us about your work and what influenced you to write in this exciting genre?


A. As a child, I’d heard stories about several murders that happened in my family in the 1930s. One of them was never solved, and I always thought it would make a great book. So I used that murder as the basis for the plot. At the time, I wasn’t familiar with the term cozy mystery, but that’s what it turned out to be.

Q.  Do you have a particular character that figures consistently or are you in the stage of developing a lead character?


A. The books will all have the same core characters throughout the series, although each book will focus on different main characters. Murder & Mayhem features Tess and Jack, Heroes & Hooligans features Martha Maye and Johnny, and Rogues & Rascals features Pickle’s mama, Caledonia.  Although you never know when a new character will move to town and demand attention. 
  
Q. Where can we find out more about your work?


A. My website is: http://amymetz.com. You can buy Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction at any of the online stores. Specifically, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Q. And where can we follow and support you on social media sites?


A. My 
Facebook page--like and/or friend me; follow me on 
Twitter; friend me on 
Goodreads; or connect on 
Linkedin.

Q. Santa Claus thanks you for taking part in this interview, Amy, and wishes you good luck with your writing in the years ahead.


A. Thank you, Santa. Can I invite you to meet my friends in this wonderful world of writing? Just click on the names below and you’ll find yourself reading a different set of answers to the same questions. Please support my friends and fellow authors by visiting their sites and checking out their contributions. Thank you for joining me on my blog tour.

PS You do believe...don’t you? Just remember...when you stop believing in Santa Claus, you get underwear for Christmas.


Check out these other stops on the Christmas Blog Tour:

1. Jennifer Degl

2. Maria Swan
3. Jean Reinhardt
4. Joan Fallon
5. C C Champagne
6. Meg Johnston
7. Ceri London

Santa says to also take a look at Paul Anthony's Espionage & Crime Thriller Blog Tour:
Paul Anthony, Kenneth Kerr, James Bruno, Tom Reinhart, Dan Pollock, Ken Boehs, and Khallid Muhammad

Featured Author: Tamara Lee Dorris

Tamara Lee Dorris is here today to talk about her humorous women's fiction novel, Secrets of a Spiritual Guru, in which she puts her real life on the job knowledge of real estate to use. Since the book is subtitled, Real Estate, Yoga & Lies, we're going to assume she also has experience in yoga, but fiction comes in when it comes to the lies.

About the book:

Meet Melissa Murphy: wine-drinking real estate agent who finds herself "accidentally" assuming the role of a spiritual blogger when her boyfriend leaves her for his yoga teacher. Can she keep her role secret while trying to win her man back? If the lying doesn't kill her, the poses might!

Praise for Secrets of a Spiritual Guru:

"...Achingly funny and impossibly wise..." --Jenna McCarthy, author of, If It Was Easy They'd Call the Whole Damn Thing a Honeymoon; Living with and Loving the TV-Addicted, Sex-Obsessed, Not-so-handy Man You Married.

Interview with Tamara Lee Dorris

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

Since I was about 11. I fell in love with John Boy Walton and decided I would be a writer. Then I could meet him and we’d get married on Walton’s Mountain. What?

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

I love the idea-generating process, the obsession I go through when I can’t wait to work on a project, the aha moments when plot thickens, and the feeling I get when people read it and tell me how much they loved it. The least favorite thing is formatting/copyediting.

How did you come up with the title Secrets of a Spiritual Guru?

I actually came up with the title and then thought of the story to support it. It just came to me. I liked the idea a guru online but not in real life.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

I do. I sell houses and am a part-time college professor.

How would you describe Secrets of a Spiritual Guru in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)

If you love or hate real estate, yoga or wine, you’ll want to read this book.
#humor #spiritualguru

How did you create the plot for this book?

Every novel has to start with someone who wants something they can’t have. From there, the obstacles just become more intense. I started with an average woman who wanted to win her man back.

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

I start every novel with a story board so that I can know when I’m at pivotal points, climaxes, etc. I tend to write a lot in my head (I go over scenes in my mind), then when I sit down to type, it comes quick and easy. It’s pretty much all planned.

Did you have any say in your cover art?

My neighbor Amy is a phenomenal artist. I gave her some basic direction and she ran with it. I love it! I think it’s contributed to so many purchases too.

Do you have imaginary friends?

I have a writing angel. His name is Martin and he helps me with plots, ideas, and story set-backs.

How do you get to know your characters?

I sleep with them. Seriously! I lay in bed and watch them in my mind until I feel like I know what moves them.

Best answer ever for that question! Love it. Okay...Sophie’s choice: Do you have a favorite of your characters?

Yes, Melissa, the main character.

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

Usually. In some books I do, though, a character will take on a lesser or greater role than I’d first envisioned.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

Tac. Mainly because he’s arrogant but tries to pretend he’s not. That bugs me.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?

I like everyday names mostly, and then I like to throw in an odd one, such as Tac, just to shake things up.

What would your main character say about you?

That I’m a big fat liar, and I do not drink too much wine.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people? Who?


The mother in Guru is based on my own neurotic mother. Who is so neurotic that when I named her in the acknowledgements as the inspiration for the neurotic mother, she just laughed and said, “I’m glad I’m not like that mother.”

LOL. That reminds me of a Robert Burns quote: "O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us!" How about you? Are you like any of your characters?

I’m like all of my characters in one way or another. I think all writers can only write what they know, and ultimately, we’re all interconnected, but since this isn’t a quantum physics quiz, I’ll just answer: Yes.

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?

Well, see? That goes back to your earlier question. You ARE like those characters in one way, but you’re letting your character do the dirty work for you (shame on you!). Seriously, I think all of us writers are guilty of that. My main character can be a little petty...not that I would ever be. ***looks around innocently***

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?
Tac, because he’s a top producing agent with good hair and lots of awards.

With which of your characters would you most like to be stuck on a deserted island?

Tac, again. For reasons mentioned above. But he won’t need to bring the awards to the island.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

When the main character tells off a racist client.

Ooh, I love a good telling off! What song would you pick to go with your book?

“Walking on Sunshine.”

Who are your favorite authors?

I read a TON of spiritual development books, so Neville Goddard, Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer. For fiction, I like the classic authors: Harper Lee, Hemmingway, even Steve King.

What are your favorite books?
a) as a child: Charlotte’s Web; James and the Giant Peach

b) as a teenager
Go Ask Alice, Gone With the Wind, Valley of the Dolls

c) as an adult
 To Kill a Mockingbird, Bastard Out of Carolina, Legends of the Fall, Heads in Beds.

Which author would you most like to invite to dinner, and what would you fix me? I mean, him. Or her. 

Ha, ha. Whatever you, I mean, she, likes. As long as wine is involved. Besides you, I’d go for Ayn Rand. Mostly so I could ask her what the heck she was thinking versus what society said she was.

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

I call “Trick Question.” I have seven books on my Kindle and four paperbacks going at any giving time. Here’s a sample:
Spider Spin Me a Web, How to Get What you Really Want, Heads in Beds (re-reading it for pure delight), The Neville Goddard Collection.

How do you handle criticism of your work?

Poorly.
It happens. I used to make voodoo dolls. Just kidding. Actually, I’m pretty lucky thus far with reviews. I think we should learn from all the feedback we get (and then make voodoo dolls).

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

As you know, when you’re a writer, time goes really fast, so I try to manage my writing time in the early afternoon when I have at least 2-4 hours to sit in front of my laptop and bang away. However, I could write anytime and honestly think that even when I’m not at my laptop, I’m still writing in my mind.

A writer's mind never rests! Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

Funny you ask. My laptop at the kitchen table. Never mind I have a large, lovely office just down the hall. I use my office for administrative/real estate stuff, but do all my creative writing in the kitchen. It’s cozy in here.

Where’s home for you?

I’m most happy in the mountains, but since all my kids live in Sacramento, this is where we stay. I actually decorate my home like a log cabin to trick myself. It seems to be working.

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

Weird: I have a pet box turtle in my office who is 20 years old. The weird part is her toe-nails are longer than she is.
Nice: Sacramento is sunny a lot, plus we don’t have earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes. I consider that a plus.
Fact: We’ve had more celebrity politicians than any state...maybe that should be under “scary”?

Yes indeedy. Do you ever get writer’s block?

No. More like the opposite. I do most of my writing in my mind (I see my scenes), so when I sit down, my little fingers are poised and ready to type.

Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow? Music? Acting out the scene? Long showers?

I see the scene in my mind. However, I might note that I do this most effectively when I’m in nature, the shower, or listening to Mozart.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“Just do it” --Nike.

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?
Heads in Beds, The New Testament, Yoga Sutras.

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

Think about writing. Seriously. And drink wine and cook things I can put on Facebook.

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

Colorado most the year and the Coast in the winter.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I’ve always wanted to go to Italy...the back country, and go wine tasting on a bicycle. I suppose it should have training wheels , though.

What are you working on now?

I just finished a naughty book that I’m using a pen name for, so we won’t talk about that one. But, I’m working on a story called, The Boy Who Talked to Angels.

Great. Come back and talk to us about it when it's done!

Book Trailer:

Excerpt from Secrets of a Spiritual Guru

            In two days I will be closing the biggest deal in two years. And in two months, I will have a birthday. I am ecstatic about the first one and suicidal about the second. A little about me: Previously, I spent eleven years in the retail industry, mostly squandering my paychecks on the employee discount. I like cute clothes. Eventually, though, I decided to get my real estate license. Five minutes later, the market crashed.

            I am one of the lucky ones, though, because for one thing I live with my boyfriend, Ron, who has been around for several years now. OK, four years, eight months, and two days. How do I know this definite time frame? Because my mother reminds me weekly when we chat. I am certain she keeps a little calendar next to the phone entitled, How Long Since Melissa and Ron Have Been Dating Without Getting Married and Giving Me a Grandchild. And it’s not really a weekly chat as much as it is a guilt call, as in, if I don’t call her at least once a week she makes me feel even more guilty than she does about the fact I’ve not yet produced offspring for her viewing pleasure.

            Now, about Ron: He’s a nice guy, really, and pretty cute, too. He’s nice in the sit-on-the-couch-with-a-beer-yelling-at-the-television-screen-when-his-team-is-losing kind of way. Oh, and he has become a bit of an Internet fiend lately. Always on the damn computer. Ron is the one who convinced me to get my real estate license. He said, “You’ve been selling clothes for years; I bet you’d be great at houses.” While Ron had the ability to see the big picture, I found it difficult to imagine that selling houses would be anything at all like working in the Women’s Fine Fashion Department of Haddock’s. After all, it isn’t like you can stand outside the dressing room while someone tries on a house. And customers get so agitated when they try to return a cardigan; what happens when it’s a condo?

            Ron reminded me that with my own condo paid off (thanks to my father’s life insurance policy), and him covering the rest of our expenses (which is precisely how I donated so much of each paycheck to my special clothing and wine account) that living on commission would be a breeze, I would spend less on clothes (I knew he’d been snooping in my closet), and that when I did sell a house, it would be big money. So, I took the required classes online, passed the state exam, and suddenly found dozens of brokers pursuing me. OK, there were actually only two, but they both wanted me really badly. I choose Cal State Realty. Mostly because it’s close to my condo, and the broker reminds me of Sean Connery (without the accent).

            My mother, of course, had a coronary over me giving up such a “promising” career as assistant department manager of such a “fine establishment” where she got to enjoy my employee discounts almost as much as I did.
            “Oh, honey, I think it’s fine you got your real estate license, but you can’t be serious about quitting Haddock’s. There’s this cute little handbag I saw in the window last week—”

            “Yes, Mom,” I say, cutting her off, but knowing exactly which handbag she’s referring to. “I’ve got enough saved, and of course I have Ron…” my words trail off as I consider what shoes I could wear with that damn purse.

            “But I just read that the housing market is crashing. Things are going to get really bad.”

            “I know, but really, I need a change, and I already have a deal in escrow. Do you realize the commission will be like four paychecks?”

            My mother sits silent on the other end.

            “Well, that was pretty easy,” she finally says, referring to the fact that I only took this nice couple out one time, wrote an offer that day, and did most of the paperwork in an hour or two.

            “I know! Just imagine if I am not dead-dog tired from being on my feet all day, hanging up clothes and smiling at rude women.” And staying up drinking wine and eating ice cream from the container.

About the author:

Tamara Dorris has gone insane selling houses and likes to write books, blog posts and letters to Santa Claus (he has yet to respond). She understands that family, friends, wine and really cute clothes are what matter most in life, and she does her best to buy all of them as her Botox budget allows.

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

Buy the book:
Amazon 

Featured Author: J. Daniel Parra

J. Daniel Parra is a New York-based author of Pieces of Tracy, a work of contemporary fiction, published by Diversion Books. I'm happy to have him here today to talk about his debut novel.
  

About the book:

Two lives... two romantic cities... Meet Teresa Felicia Santana León. In New York, she's Tracy León, a would-be artist and telemarketer who falls for an older tycoon, Bruce Babich. When Bruce's mother sends her to Rome to find a stolen painting, Tracy assumes an alter ego, the zesty Felicia Santana. In Rome, she meets a younger artist named Mario Giordani who helps her on her quest. Before long, she is juggling two romances and two distinct identities: Tracy, demure trophy wife wannabe in New York's high society, and wanton, thrill-seeking Felicia in sultry Rome. Against the backdrop of these exciting cities, she follows her divided heart, even if it leads her in the wrong direction. The secrets behind the stolen painting send her on an unforgettable journey that prompts her to re-examine her own talents and inspirations. As the pieces come together, Tracy faces a life-changing choice, one that will lead to surprising discoveries about love and her own identity.

Interview with J. Daniel Parra 


Who are your favorite authors? 

It’s a long, eclectic list, but I would definitely say Henry James is my top favorite, followed by Edith Wharton, Philip Pullman, Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, James Clavell, Anne Rice, Ian Fleming, Larry McMurtry, Sidney Sheldon, John Jakes, John LeCarre. And I love the French: Hugo, Dumas, Flaubert, Maupassant, Proust, Balzac, Laclos, Colette. I could go on.


With a list like that, you must have a very long to-be-read pile. Just how long is it?

I’m still working my way through my pile from BookExpo America which was in May. At this rate, by the time next year’s BookExpo rolls around, I’ll be only partially through my current pile. 

I think that is a common problem among authors! But it's a nice problem to have. What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)? 

I just finished David Leavitt’s new novel, The Two Hotel Francforts in hardcover.  He has a real gift for dialogue. Now I’m starting The Three Musketeers by


Do you have a routine for writing?

I’m a morning person so the earlier I start, the clearer my head and my thoughts. When I’m writing the heaviest, I usually start around 7 or 8 in the morning and keep going until I’m in a place I can comfortably pick up again the next day.

Where do you prefer to do your writing?

I have a place along the beach that’s quiet and has an office space that’s piled high with reference books and magazines. It’s my escape from the city and its day-to-day stress. I do write in the city but it requires much more effort to concentrate.

Where’s home for you? 

New York City. There’s always something happening here, and I love to eavesdrop on conversations on the street, some of which have ended up word-for-word in my fiction. New Yorkers, you’ve been warned!

What’s one of your favorite quotes? 

From Henry James, of course: “Go everywhere, do everything; get everything out of life. Be happy—be triumphant.”
What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

All these are new releases that I’ve reviewed on my site: Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford, The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan, and The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.

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

Not surprisingly, I read a lot. I draw compulsively and have since I was a child. I also love running and am frequently doing loops in Central Park. If you see me, please say hello.

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

I am lucky to say I already live here, in New York City.

What are you working on now? 

A new novel but that’s all I can say for now.

Well, I hope you'll come back when you can say more!

Alexandre Dumas in trade paperback. I love the French!

About the author:

J. Daniel Parra was born in Mexico City and grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, he has written for a variety of publications. His working experience includes ten years in advertising and marketing where he won awards for campaigns for major national advertisers.

 He lives in Manhattan and is currently at work on his next novel.

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