Featured Author: Marie Moore

Marie Moore is on tour with Cozy Mystery Book Tours, and today she stops at A Blue Million Books to talk about her cozy mystery, Game Drive, published by Camel Press.

About the book:

Sidney Marsh is a Mississippi-born, New York-based travel agent. In Game Drive, she and her best friend and business partner, Jay Wilson, are struggling to remain standing in a world where the ground is shifting. Their boss at Itchy Feet Travel has a new scheme to attract customers—-safari tour packages. He sends Sidney and Jay on a familiarization trip to Cape Town and safari country to check out the accommodations and confirm that the experience lives up to the hype in the brochures.

Sidney looks forward to the deluxe trip and so does Jay, despite his deathly fear of animals, both wild and domesticated. Their experience will be far wilder than either could have imagined. First Sidney stumbles upon a suspicious rendezvous and possible murder scene in Cape Town. After Sidney’s pocket is picked on a cable-car ride up Table Mountain, she suspects that someone in their group is an imposter, a suspicion that is soon confirmed. At Leopard Dance—-the luxury game lodge near Kruger National Park that serves as their base camp-—one of the other agents on the “fam trip” turns up dead.

Sidney carries on a risky flirtation with a handsome Afrikaner, who may or may not be the latest manifestation of the “Marsh Curse,” which seems to jinx her every relationship. And Sidney and Jay discover that they have far more to fear from predatory humans than wild animals.

Interview with Marie Moore

Marie, you've been a journalist, a scout for feature films, and have owned a travel agency. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?
    
I started writing for Mrs. Thorne, my third grade teacher. I’ve been writing off and on ever since.

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

I love the imaginative process. As a kid, I loved playing dolls. For me, writing is sort of like that. My least favorite thing is being my own publicist, trying to get my books noticed and read. That very necessary part of today’s writing climate is extremely time-consuming for the author and tooting my own horn is personally repugnant. Those duties also eat time that I would prefer to spend writing. But it is necessary. The “be your own publicist” business is something that bestselling authors likely don’t have to do, but little peeps like me have little choice if they want their books to get out there. Before I was published, I had the naïve idea that once I was published, all I would have to do was write. Boy, was I wrong!
 
How did you come up with the titles of your books?

The Sidney Marsh Murder Mystery series features a Mississippi-born, New York-based travel agent. All the book titles, Shore Excursion (2012), Game Drive (2013) and Open Jaw (in process) are either travel terms or travel related.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

In my career I have been a junior-high science teacher, a weekly newspaper managing editor, and for fifteen years, I owned and operated a retail travel agency. Now I write full-time.

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

Once my characters are born in my head they seen to take over and go where they want to go. They are an unruly lot.

That's the best kind of characters! What’s your favorite line from a book? 

From George Bernard Shaw, in Pygmalion, “The great secret, Eliza, is not having bad manners or good manners or any other particular sort of manners, but having the same manner for all human souls: in short, behaving as if you were in Heaven, where there are no third-class carriages, and one soul is as good as another.”

Love it. Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

No. I sometimes see someone on the street with an interesting look, or hear a phrase, a snippet of conversation that I file away, but my characters are not based on real people.  Not only would that be intrusive and possibly annoying to my friends, but I also think that it actually works against the creative process. If you base your character in someone you know, then the character’s look, conversations, and actions are limited, even subconsciously, to what you know that person looks like, or his/her likes, dislikes, habits and actions. 

How do you handle criticism of your work?

I learn from it, unless I think the motive behind it is mean-spirited or deranged. I have few illusions about my work and know I have a lot to learn.

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

I work really early in the morning, 4:00-6:00 a.m., then stop to have coffee and the newspaper (yes, a printed newspaper) with my husband, take care of the day’s tasks, then work again later in the day. I rarely work at night unless I am under a deadline. I think better in the quiet of the morning.

Do you ever get writer’s block?

Yes. I expect everyone does.

What do you do when it happens?

For me, it’s best to just put the page aside for a while rather than agonizing or trying to force thoughts that aren’t forth-coming. After a while, the story comes around on its own, after my subconscious has had a chance to work on it. 

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

Travel, cook, garden, paint. I share my life with a terrific husband, two great daughters and their husbands, and my sweet, sweet granddaughters. I am also close to my mom and brother and his family. We enjoy being together as a family.

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

Maybe someday...! The island of Iona, off of Western Scotland, is next on my list, and Brasov, Romania.

What are you working on now?

I am currently writing the third novel in The Sidney Marsh Murder Mystery series, set in India and Nepal, and titled Open Jaw.

Can't wait! I hope you'll come back and tell us about it when it's out.

About the author:

Marie Moore is a native Mississippian. She graduated from Ole Miss, married a lawyer in her hometown, taught junior high science, raised a family, and worked for a small weekly newspaper—first as a writer and later as Managing Editor. She wrote hard news, features, and a weekly column, sold ads, did interviews, took photos, and won a couple of MS Press Association awards for her stories.

In 1985, Marie left the newspaper to open a retail travel agency, and for the next fifteen years, she managed the agency, sold travel, escorted group tours, sailed on nineteen cruises, and visited over sixty countries. The Sidney Marsh Murder Mystery series was inspired by those experiences.

Marie also did location scouting and worked as the local contact for several feature films, including Heart of Dixie, The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag, and Robert Altman’s Cookie’s Fortune.

In mid-1999, because of her husband’s work, Marie sold her travel agency and moved to Jackson, Mississippi, then New York City, Anna Maria Island, Florida, and Arlington, Virginia. She and her husband now live in Memphis, Tennessee, and Holly Springs, Mississippi.

Game Drive (April, 2013, Camel Press) is the sequel to Marie’s first novel, Shore Excursion (April, 2012, Camel Press) which introduced amateur sleuth Sidney Marsh. In February, both books were specially chosen for the onboard libraries of Holland America and Seabourn Cruise Lines, and added to the shelves of The Travel Institute’s Bookstore.  Marie will be featured in the May issue of Southern Writer’s Magazine, and spoke May 4, 2013, on a travel mystery panel at the 25th annual Malice Domestic Mystery Conference in Bethesda, Maryland. Marie is a member of Sisters in Crime.


Connect with Marie:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Publisher | Amazon

The Fantastic 4 Cozy Mystery Book Tour Giveaway

There will be four prize packages:

Prize 1 (US/Canada only)
* a Kindle Touch
* a $15 Amazon.com giftcard

Prize 2 (International)
* a Kindle copy of Topped Chef and Bowled Over
* a $15 Book Depository giftcard

Prize 3 (International)
* a Kindle copy of Murder on the First Day of Christmas & Game Drive
* a $15 Amazon.com giftcard

Prize 4 (US/Canada)
* your choice of a cozy mystery paperback (up to $25 in value)

To enter:
1. Fill in the form here.
2. There is no requirement to follow any of the blogs participating, but we hope you will support these amazing blogs by following them. They do a great job, many of whom host for us every month.
3. Giveaway ends on May 15, 2013 at midnight and the winners will be contacted via email.  

Featured Author: Beate Boeker

Cozy Mystery Book Tours brings Beate Boeker here on her tour for 
Delayed Death, the first in the Temptation in Florence series. Banker's Death, the third book in the series, was just published in April.

About the book:


What do you do when you find your grandfather dead half an hour before your cousin's wedding? You hide him in his bed and tell everyone he didn't feel like coming.



Delayed Death is an entertaining mystery set in Florence, Italy. When Carlina finds her grandfather dead on the day of her cousin's wedding, she decides to hide the corpse until after the ceremony. However, her grandfather was poisoned, and she becomes the attractive Inspector's prime suspect. On top of that, she has to manage her boisterous family and her luxurious lingerie store called Temptation, a juggling act that creates many hilarious situations.



Delayed Death is the first mystery in the series Temptation in Florence. The second, Charmer's Death, and the third, Banker's Death, are also available.

Interview with Beate:

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

As my heroine hides her grandfather to save her cousin's wedding, the title Delayed Death came naturally. In the beginning, it was only titled Florence. My novels usually start out with the name of the place or a certain atmosphere and only get their titles much later. Once, I worked on a novel called “snow.” It was later renamed A Little Bit of Passion, but for a long time, it was just “snow” to me.

Do you have a "day job?"

Yes, I work as a global marketing manager for a company that manufactures high-end fountain pens.

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

Cozy mystery w/ mischief & humor in Florence. Taciturn Commissario, high-end lingerie store & crazy Italian family. http://t.co/FAoclak73S

Did you have any say in your cover art? What do you think of it?

Luckily, as I'm an indie author, I was able to choose the cover myself. I love those shutters, particularly if they're all in a row.

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

Oh, no. I know the heroine somewhat, and the hero, but the rest only develop throughout the novel. Sometimes, new people just walk in, and I have to shift my plot to accommodate them.

How do you name your characters?

I look up Italian girl and boy names in the Internet, making sure they don't sound too similar, don't look too similar and don't start with the same letter to avoid confusing my readers. Once, I name a hero Lester and was told that that's an impossible name. I renamed him Marc to avoid problems. :-)

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I'll enclose the excerpt with my favorite scene. It's the first time when the investigating officer, Garini, and my heroine, Carlina talk without being interrupted.

Who are your favorite authors?

Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, Mary Steward, Sarah Caudwell, Elizabeth Peters . . . the list is quite long!

Where’s home for you?

As I lived abroad when I was a child, I don't have deep roots and am happy pretty much anywhere where women have the same rights as men. I need my immediate family around me, though, otherwise, I get homesick for them. I'm German and live in Germany, but I chose to write in English because I found more support for a beginning writer in the US. Now, I'm slowly starting to translate my short stories and novels into German, too.

Name one thing you couldn’t live without.


My family.

Your last meal would be...

grilled fillet of fish, salad, hot chocolate cake.

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


Go for brunch with my friends, take an afternoon nap, take a walk during sunset, read.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

"If you want it, you can do it." I'm not sure who said that, but I think it's a great motto!

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

Somewhere in the South, in a university city by the ocean. It would have to be in the South to have it warm, in a university city to avoid being a dead place in off-season, and by the ocean because I love to look out to the sea. I would have a small house with a great view, and there would be bicycle roads everywhere through town. Does such a place exist? If yes, do tell me, so I can make long-term plans to move there!

Oh yeah, there are a lot of little towns like that. What about traveling? If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I would go on a round trip all over the world to visit all my friends, even those I have only met via the Internet so far, and I would stay some weeks at every place to avoid being stressed.

What are you working on now?

I'm currently plotting the 4th novel in the series Temptation in Florence. It's a lot of fun, and I didn't expect that after having written three novels with the same cast of people. But they grew on me, and I would miss them if I didn't have them around anymore.

I can't wait to hear more about it!

Excerpt from 

Delayed Death

"Where did you find your grandfather?" Garini asked.

Carlina throat tightened. The preliminaries were over. Now came the hard part. "Grandpa sat at the kitchen table." Her voice cracked.

"Go on."

She felt as if he was pushing her bit by bit forward, until she would drop off a cliff. "My cousin . . . Emma threw a fit."

His eyebrows twitched. "Why?"

"Emma was the bride! His death destroyed her wedding."

Commissario Garini looked as if he had no clue what she was talking about.

Do you have no imagination at all? "Can you picture the bride coming up to church and saying that her grandfather just died?" Carlina closed her eyes. It was easier to speak without looking at the man made of steel next to her. "Everybody bursting into tears, the wedding canceled, no dancing, no party, the flowers wilting, the ceremony postponed, the honeymoon annulled . . ." She shook her head so hard, she felt the edge of the shelf beneath her hair.

"I like the wilting flowers," he said. "Nice touch."

Her eyes flew open. I hate you.

He returned her gaze without emotion. "Go on."

Another step closer to the edge. "In the end, we said it would make no difference to my grandfather if we pretended he had died later, but for Emma, it made all the difference in the world."

"Interesting." His voice was dry as dust.

Damn that man. He wanted to provoke her, and he managed all too well. “We had another reason, too.”

“Well?”

“The doctor told Uncle Teo to avoid stress because of his heart. He almost forbade him to join the wedding party. Emma and I were afraid that Uncle Teo would have a heart attack if we told him in the middle of the wedding.”

He lifted a skeptical eyebrow but didn't comment. “What happened then?”

Carlina took a deep breath, but for once, the smell of dust and boxes and brand-new products, the smell of her own universe, failed to soothe her. Where had all the oxygen gone? "Everybody could see my grandfather through the kitchen window, so we decided to put him into bed."

"Fully dressed?" His eyebrow twitched.

"Emma undressed him, but she forgot the socks."

"What were you doing in the meantime?" He sounded as if he thought she had used the interim to dance a solitary waltz in the kitchen.

Carlina clenched her teeth. "I was sick in the bathroom."

"So you did feel some emotions. Congratulations." His voice was vitriolic enough to make a hole into the floor if it dripped.

Don't reply, Carlina. Ignore him.

"Let me get one point clear," Garini said. "If I understood correctly, you were both fully dressed for the wedding in long evening gowns."

"Mine was long." Carlina looked at her hands. "Emma's was short."

"Both with high heels, I assume?" His light eyes seemed to pierce her.

"Yes." Carlina glared at him. "Want to know our hairdos as well? If you wish, I can send you a picture."

"That would be helpful," he said. "Wasn't it difficult to carry a dead man in that outfit?"

"It was."

"Anything unusual strike you?"

Carlina wanted to hit his immobile face. "I don't do this kind of thing every day, if that's what you mean!"

"I meant with the body."

Carlina crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I've never seen a body before. Ever. I wouldn't know if anything was unusual, even if it came up and bit me in the face." Her hand flew to her mouth. "Ugh. Didn't want to say that."

He laughed.

Her gaze flew to his face. He knew how to laugh? The laughter transformed his lean face, made his eyes sparkle. He looked like a different man. Carlina bit back an answering grin.
He looked at her, his head placed to one side, as if he was considering something. "Would you describe how you carried the body?"

Carlina's face twisted.

"Please."

Her mouth dropped. He could be polite? She took a deep breath. "Grandpa was sitting at the kitchen table. His eyes were open. Emma nudged him, and he fell to the side. I - I managed to catch him before he fell. He was heavy - and warm."

"Warm?" His sharp voice interrupted her.

"Yes." Carlina swallowed. "I said to Emma he must have died a short time ago."

"But you were sure he was dead?"

Carlina's mouth dropped open. "Oh, Madonna, yes, of course. If you had seen him . . . there was no doubt."

"Was it cold in the apartment?"

"No. It was stifling. I remember thinking so when I came through the door. It smelled of peppermint." Her throat hurt at the memory. "Grandpa used to eat peppermint drops all the time." Don't cry, Carlina.

"What happened then?"

"I couldn't make him sit up again." Her throat tightened. "Emma said I should place his head on the table, but it felt so . . . irreverent." Damn. She shouldn't have used that word. Nothing in her behavior had led him to believe that she gave a damn about reverence for the dead. She cringed and waited for a scathing comment from Garini. When nothing came, she looked up at him.

His light eyes searched her face. "Go on." It didn't sound quite as commanding as before.

"I made Emma take his feet. We carried him to his bed. It felt . . . indecent, and there was that smell."

His eyebrows pulled together. "What smell?"

"I . . I don't know. I've never smelled it before. Sort of sweet, but in a cloying way."

"And then?"

"And then I was sick." She felt sick now.

"What did his face look like?"

Carlina's mouth was dry. "I tried not to look. I wanted to remember him the way he had been."

"So you didn't see anything? Not a glimpse?"

Carlina swallowed. "It was . . . bluish."

He gave a sharp, short nod. "Did Emma say it had been difficult to undress him?"

"No." Carlina shook her head. "She was real quick. But then, she was in a hurry."

"I see." The ironic note was back in his voice.

Carlina pulled herself together. "I thought it wouldn't make a difference. I only wanted to help Emma." She sounded pleading now. "I also planned to get up early the next morning, to find him. Then nobody else would have suffered the same shock."

"But you didn't?"

"No." Carlina could feel herself blushing. "I overslept." He'll think I'm a total loser.

"Uncle Teo found him."

"His twin."

"Yes." Carlina sighed. "I was so glad that he didn't have a heart attack right there and then. However, later, just as Marco wanted to sign the death certificate, he . . ."

Garini held up one hand. "Hold on. Your mother told me Marco was called because your family doctor was ill."

"That's right."

"What's the name of your family doctor?" Garini was back to his true form. He shot his questions like bullets at her.

"Enrico Catalini."

"Is Marco the official stand-in for Signor Catalini?"

"I don't know." Carlina frowned. "But my mother wanted to have Marco because he's a family member. He married my cousin Angela some months ago."

Garini's light eyes narrowed in thought.

Carlina was glad she had chosen to sit. The shelf in her back gave her a bit of much needed stability to face those x-ray eyes of his.

"What happened next?"

"Uncle Teo exploded into the kitchen and made a big scene because Grandpa still had his socks on." She sighed. "I didn't know he always took off his socks first when he undressed. I never even thought about his socks."

The Commissario didn't comment.

Carlina threw him a glance. No sympathy there. "Next thing I knew, Uncle Teo called the police." Something scratched her ear. Carlina reached up and blushed. Damn. She still had the bra and slip from the mannequin over her shoulder. What a sight she was! She pulled them off with a quick move and stuffed them behind her back. If only he didn't start laughing.

His light eyes never wavered. "Why didn't you stop your Uncle Teo?"

Carlina bristled. "How could I? Wrestle the phone from his hands?"

"For example." His voice was mild. "I'd have thought you're a woman with enough resources." For some reason, it didn't sound like a compliment.

"Uncle Teo turned beetroot-red." Carlina didn't look at Garini. She didn't want to see the disbelief in his eyes. "I was afraid he would have a heart attack if I stopped him. Besides, all the family was listening in.”

"Fine." His voice sounded hard. "And can you explain why you didn't tell me the truth when I came?"

She looked at her hands. They had clenched themselves into a tight knot. "I wanted to, but you came early. When I came downstairs, the gang, I mean my family, had told you everything."

"Everything but the truth."

"Well." Carlina's felt short of breath, as if something strangled her. "I wanted to speak to you alone." She lifted her gaze and frowned at him. "You remember that, don't you?"

He lifted his eyebrows. "You didn't try very hard."

Carlina closed her eyes for an instant. "I didn't want to shake my mother. She was so upset."

"Was she?"

How she hated his snarky questions. "Yes, she was!" She balled her fists. "I don't know if you saw her cushion?"

"I did."

"Well, she usually carries that cushion around with her when she's on the road, but in the house, she doesn't take it. When she came up to me and had that cushion in her arms, I knew she was shaken to the core."

He blinked. "Are you telling me your mother never leaves the house without a cushion?"

Oh, God. She shouldn't have mentioned it. "Yes." She hoped her voice conveyed  dignity.
"It's a little idiosyncrasy."

"Did she take it to the wedding?" He sounded intrigued.

"Yes."

"And did she use it?"

"I don't know why you need to know that! It doesn't have anything to do with my grandfather." Carlina pressed her lips together.

His mouth twitched. "Humor me."

"Oh, all right." Carlina sighed. "She used it to sleep in Church."

"I take it the service wasn't fascinating?"

Carlina suppressed a giggle. "It was the sixth family wedding this year."

"In that case, I understand completely."

Carlina smiled. "Later, Mama used the cushion to sleep on the table."

"She slept on the table?" Now he sounded scandalized.

"Just with her head." Carlina hastened to add. "It doesn't matter; everybody is used to it. In fact, I think it's very considerate of her."

He blinked. "In what way?"

"Well, we always share a taxi back, and when she's tired, she simply goes to sleep. Other mothers would start to nag until the party is broken up."

"I see." His tone spoke volumes.

He thinks we're a bunch of idiots. Carlina stared at her hands and concentrated on relaxing them. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw that he still leaned against the door frame as if he belonged there, a relaxed panther.

From the street, she heard the faint noise of people walking by, talking, laughing. Inside, it was so quiet, her own breathing seemed too loud.

"To sum up, Signorina Ashley. You moved your dead grandfather because you didn't want to upset your cousin Emma. You allowed your great uncle Teo to call the police with a crazy tale because you didn't want him to have a heart attack. You lied to the police because you didn't want to upset your mother Fabbiola. I'm impressed. You're quite the philanthropist."

About the author:

Beate Boeker is a traditionally published author since 2008 and has 11 novels and short stories online available. Some of them were shortlisted for the Golden Quill Contest, the National Readers' Choice Award, and the "best indie books of 2012" contest.



Beate is a marketing manager by day and a writer by night. She has a degree in International Business Administration and her daily experience in marketing continuously provides her with a wide range of fodder for her novels, be it hilarious or cynical.



Widely traveled, she speaks German (her mother language), English, French and Italian fluently and lives in the North of Germany together with her husband and daughter.



While 'Boeker' means 'books' in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as ‘Happy’ . . . and with a name that reads ‘Happy Books,’ what else could she do but write novels with a happy end?



Although being German, she has chosen to write in English because she appreciates the professional support and training opportunities a writer can find in the US.


Connect with Beate:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon author page | Book trailer

Delayed With Death Book Tour Giveaway

Cozy Mystery Book Tours is offering a chance to win a $25 Amazon.com giftcard or Paypal cash!
To enter, fill out the form.
The giveaway closes on May 26, 2013. Winners will be notified by email.
Cozy Mystery Book Tour will be giving away copies of the books of the six May authors on the right sidebar, so follow their Facebook page for a chance to win one of those.

Featured Author: Andy Nieman

"I could not stop drinking."
"I could not stop sticking that needle in my arm."
"I could not get my life together."
"No matter how I tried, I always failed."

"Until...I learned the truth."

Free Man Walking is Andy Nieman's inspirational autobiography about how his life turned from one of alcohol, drugs, and prison to one of a college graduate, pastor, husband, and father. As Andy says, "If you are a chronic alcoholic or drug addict whose life appears to be totally hopeless, or if you are living with one, this is a book for you."

About the book:

Over 10 years in prison. Hooked on heroine cocaine and drugs for 23 years. A chronic alcoholic for 27. Homeless. Eating out of garbage bins. Born into an alcoholic home. Molested by a pedophile in a residential school for three years. Surviving on skid row for 10 years. Living with the threat of suicide on a daily basis. Now this same person has a university degree, is a pastor, an officer of the Legislative Assembly, a poet, a husband and a father. This true story will give you a unique look into a world few know about or experience. Once you read this book, you will know God is real. You will be left with no other alternative because this story will touch you like you never thought possible. If you are a chronic alcoholic or drug addict whose life appears to be totally hopeless, or if you are living with one, this is a book for you.

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

I have been writing in various forms for about thirty years now. I have always been a word monger and enjoyed doing crosswords, word scramble and find-a-word puzzles. Then I realized I had a flair for putting words together that rhymed, and I found other people enjoyed what I was writing. Since I enjoyed writing poetry so much, I stuck to that genre and that genre only until I embarked on writing Free Man Walking.

What inspired you to write this book?

As I told people of various events that happened to me throughout my life, I kept getting the comment, "That's interesting. That's a story that needs to be told, you should write a book!" Since I was receiving this same response from so many different people it inspired me to put pen to paper, ahh, I mean finger tips to keyboard, and decided I would get it done. I was also inspired by a walk-in clinic medical doctor I went to see once and since she did not know me I asked her if she would be willing to provide me with an honest critique as to what she thought of my writing. At the time I asked her, I had sixty pages written and had no idea if my writing was something people would want to read or not. I sent her a copy via email and after she read what I had written she said, and I quote, "You have a gift for writing. I could not stop reading and now you better finish it because I want to know what happens next! And let me get your autograph before you are a world-famous author and don't want to know me anymore." I laughed, but inside, her words inspired me tremendously and reassured me that I need to get this book done! It was her words that drove me to completion of this project.

How long did it take you to write Free Man Walking?

Would you believe eighteen yrs!? The book is a long-time dream of mine, and I wanted it to be what I consider my masterpiece. So I took my time and put my very best into it. As a result, all those who have read it thus far are telling me it captures their attention so completely that they have a hard time putting it down. I had three people who said they enjoyed it so much they read the whole book in one day!

That's the best kind of praise. What do you hope readers will get from this book?

The inspiration that there is hope for every single person no matter how bad of a "hand" life may have "dealt" them. As long as they still have breath in their lungs, they still have a chance to make something very positive of their life situation when they totally trust and obey the teachings of Jesus.

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

I knew that when a prisoner finishes his time, and as he is walking towards the gate on his Release Day, a guard yells out, "Free man walking!" and they open the gate for him to go free. Then it hit me that...I am a free man walking too. A free man walking that is never looking back or going back to do time in a prison ever again.

Tell us about your favorite scene or chapter in the book.

Chapter Sixteen: (It's in the book excerpt). In this scene, it is the very first time I have ever tried cocaine, and I describe in detail how it feels. Also in this scene, I experience my first overdose on cocaine, and I go into detail as to how that scary experience feels.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

Yes, I am the Yukon Child and Youth Advocate.

What is your elevator pitch for Free Man Walking?

Have you ever read a book that actually made you laugh, cry, get mad and feel totally uplifted with your faith in God and humanity completely restored? If not, this is a book that does exactly that. You will feel, smell, taste and believe that you are the one living this real-life story as it unfolds, and you will be so engrossed in the story you will forget about your surroundings completely.

Why did you decide to write Free Man Walking?

So many people kept telling me that I need to put my life story in a book for others to be inspired and to see that any life can be changed.

Do you outline or write by the seat of your pants?

I write from the seat of my pants, straight from my heart and directly into yours.

How did you come up with your cover art?

That is me on the front cover holding up handcuffs and a Bible dressed nice and clean and with a great big smile on my face. I wanted people to see that I am now free from the bondage of prison, because of my obedience to the Bible which has made me totally happy, clean and sober!


What song would you pick to go with your book?

"Simple Man," by Lynyrd Skynrd.



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

Nathaniel Haney. I would fix him some moose meat spaghetti.

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

Endtime Prophecy by Nathaniel Haney. Hardcover.

Who are your favorite authors?

God. Paul Reynolds. Nathaniel Haney.

What are your favorite books...

a) as a child: The Cat In The Hat
b) as a teenager: A Stone For Danny Fisher
c) as an adult: The Bible


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

I have to get away by myself to write where there are no distractions. I can write all day any time of the day, but especially in the morning.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

In an isolated location where I will not be disturbed. An ideal holiday would be by myself pouring myself into what I am writing. Doesn't matter when.



Name one thing you couldn’t live without.

The love of Jesus and my family.

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

The Bible of course. Smile.

Your last meal would be...

A T-Bone moose steak with lots of fat, macaroni and cheese and a baked potato with a coke.

Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?

Bookstore.

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

My house.

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

Deserted island.

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

Travel to Vancouver, British Columbia and go to the beach.

Where would your dream office be?

In the bush in the Yukon by a lake.

Where’s home for you?

Carmacks, Yukon Territory, Canada.

Tell us one weird thing about where you live.

Where the water comes out from the pump house it never freezes in the winter, even when it gets forty below and all the rest of the river is solid ice.

One nice thing.

It is quiet, and you can have more than three dogs.

And one fact.

It is the "hub" of the Yukon.

Do you ever get writer’s block?

Never get it. Writer's block comes from pressure that an individual allows to be put on him/herself. I write for enjoyment and for inspiration.

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

Sit down and think about where I want to go in the story and when it starts to flow I start writing.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

"The past is a nice place to visit but a lousy place to live" (Unknown)

Love it. What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

A Tale Of Three Kings by Gene Edwards; The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson; and Free Man Walking by me. Smile.

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

Being out on the land hunting with my friend Bert Desmarais, going to church, and learning new songs on my guitar.

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

Somewhere in British Columbia, probably Vancouver.

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

What are you working on now?

Free Man Walking 2.

Excerpt From Free Man Walking

I know it sounds like an age old cliché and most people who don’t know, think it’s a tactic to scare people away from trying it, but once I got my first taste of cocaine at the end of that syringe… I fell in love with it IMMEDIATELY! No two ways about it! This was THE HIGH to beat ALL highs! No question about it! The search for relief was over! Once I had drained all the cocaine contents into my blood stream and pulled that syringe out of my arm I was on cloud ten! I found what I was looking for! I finally found INSTANT and I mean INSTANT relief and an instant escape from myself and reality! When I pulled the syringe out of my arm immediately the drug made me feel like I was in another world where everything, I’m telling you EVERYTHING became BRIGHTER! The lights were brighter, the people were brighter, the environment was brighter, the streets were brighter and to top it all off my mind was as sharp as the proverbial tack! I could speak a mile-a-minute! I was floating in the Twilight Zone! I was the Master of the Universe! I was “Joe Cool” “JayZee” “Mick Jagger” “Valentino” and the “King of Rock N’ Roll” all rolled into one and ALL AT ONCE BABY! WHAT? Ya wanna’ talk with ME, the King of the Universe? Let’s get it on BABY! I can TALK WITH THE BEST! My shyness went away. My rotten teeth went away. I wasn’t an alcoholic anymore are you kiddin’ me!? I’m the King of my universe I CAN DO ANYTHING!

Well, sorry to burst your balloon buddy and sorry to have to hit the “reality button” on you but it all lasted the grand sum and total of a whole fifteen minutes! And before you know it my rotten teeth were back, my confidence grew wings and flew out the window as shyness took over its spot and reality slapped me on the back and showed me his ugly face again. HEY! WHAT AM I DOIN’ BACK HERE? GET ME OUTTA HERE! I DON’T NEED THIS DREARINESS! I WANT MORE! I NEED MORE! GIMME, GIMME, GIMME! I would spend the next three years day in and day out, endless days upon endless nights seeking to feel, seeking to just get a small taste of that amazing feeling just one more time, but it would never come to be. Nothing even came close to resembling that very first time I felt like the King of my universe.

I did everything short of selling my body to get money so I could get more “coke” so I could try with all my heart and try with all my soul to feel what I felt on that very first time I pushed cocaine down the walls of that syringe and into the mainline of my blood stream. Every time I chased that “high” it left me feeling cold in my soul and feeling “used”. It left me feeling like a fool yet I COULDN’T STOP the chase. I HAD TO HAVE MORE. The drug DROVE me. It RULED me. It CONSUMED me. It PUSHED me to my physical, emotional and suicidal limits. It drove me to the place where I wanted the drug more than alcohol (now that’s a story in itself), I wanted cocaine more than food, more than sleep, more than sex, more than money, more than any of my friends. When I was simply a practicing alcoholic at least my friends could trust me in their homes and with money and with other important things. Once the “coke” took over, it stripped me of every fiber of decency and of any shred of morality I had left. Even to the point where I lied, cheated and stole even from my closest friends. It got to the point where some of my friends wouldn’t even allow me into their homes because they knew I would steal from them. I am sad to say that I have taken some of my friends most important sentimental valuables and sold them. That is the “grip” cocaine can have on a person.

Every dollar I made went to “coke”, every dime and every penny. That was the “grip” it had on me. And any chance I got, I would increase the amount I put into my veins until I pushed even that to the limit. I can tell you personally and with all sincerity that I know it was God and God alone that brought me back from the brink of overdosing on cocaine many different times. There are three separate and distinct occasions where I can tell you in all sincerity that I was brought back from a serious overdose on “coke” simply because I called out the name of Jesus at the very last second of consciousness. I’ll describe one of those times for you. It was on what we call “Welfare Wednesday” which is the last Wednesday of each month. That is the day welfare checks are distributed. I had just cashed my welfare check and bought two “quarters” (a quarter is a quarter of a gram), of cocaine from one of the “Bikers” at a local biker bar. Back in those days and no doubt still today, cocaine was very, very potent and especially the “coke” you got from the Bikers. I always made sure I bought my drugs off the same people once I found they were a reliable source.

A bunch of my Yukon friends were sitting and drinking in one of the bars and I asked a friend of mine John, “Can I use your room to do a “fix”? (shoot up drugs with a syringe). “Sure,” he said digging in his pocket for his key. John had a great sense of humor and said, “Don’t make a mess I just hired a maid and it’s all spotless in there.”

“Yeah right!” I smiled at him.

I got his key bought a six-pack of beer and went up to his room by myself. The room was the room of a typical skid row alcoholic. It was a mess. Empty wine bottles littered the room and the overflowing ash tray was an over turned metal lid from a tobacco can that had cigarette butts that had been rolled and re-rolled time and time again until the tobacco resembled black ashes. I brushed away some of the ashes on the table as a couple of cockroaches scurried for cover and cleared a spot big enough to set my quarter gram down. I took out my syringe and was just going to do half of one of the quarters but then I thought, “Ah, I’ll do the whole thing,” I had no idea how potent the drug was. I filled the syringe with the cocaine, pushed it into my vein and injected all of it. About two seconds after I injected the drug it started to hit me. As soon as I took the needle out of my arm at that very second I KNEW I had taken TOO MUCH!

From the author:

I used to think my middle name should've been "Lonely." I wandered the streets of the big city all hours of the night trying to get that needle in my arm to kill some of that loneliness. I carried the burden and the shame of being born into a violent alcoholic home and being a product of the residential school and the abuse I suffered there. Nobody knew how I felt and nobody knew what secrets I carried of all that happened to me in my childhood. That is until now. This book holds nothing back. My biggest fear was that someone would find out about my past. I could take any jail sentence, do any crime no matter what the risk and if you gave me a drug, any drug, I would not be afraid to take it just so long as it got me out my reality for awhile or forever. I suffered depression, oppression, obsession and life's hard lessons. Finally. Finally. After all my searching and asking and praying and reading psychology books, self-help books, books on philosophy, eastern religions, and every thing in between, I finally found the rock-solid, sure-proof, long-lasting WAY OUT! And if a hard-core, hell-bound and hell-bent chronic skid row alcoholic, drug addict nobody like me can find a way out of a totally messed up life...you or your loved ones can too. If you follow the steps that I followed it is a GUARANTEE...you too will become a FREE MAN WALKING!

I am Northern Tutchone, a member of the White River First Nation in the Yukon Territory, Canada. Today I am completely delivered from the horrible loneliness, violence and pain of being a former convict, skid-row alcoholic and a cocaine/heroin addict. I am eighteen years clean and sober as of Feb 1, 2012.

After God cleaned up my life, I went back to school and eventually earned a University degree in Social Work. I ran my own counseling business for six years and on December 10, 2009 I became an Officer of the Yukon Legislative Assembly as Yukon's first ever Child and Youth Advocate. I was Ordained a Minister with the UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH INTERNATIONAL on June 27, 2009. Looking back on my dangerous, traumatic, exciting, sad, happy life I have only one regret. I regret that I did not give my life to Jesus sooner...because the life He gives back is the absolute BEST LIFE there could possibly be! Follow me through these pages and through my life, and you will find that freedom too, that is...if you want it.


Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon

Cover Reveal: Land of the Unaltered

I'm happy to join Leti Del Mar in the cover reveal of her new dystopian romance novel, Land of the Unaltered, the first installment of the Unaltered trilogy, on sale June 18. Ta da....

About the book:

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

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


Click on the Goodreads link to add Land of the Unaltered to your "To Read" list.

Find our more about Leti Del Mar on her website.
Also by Leti: The Inadvertent Thief


Find Leti on:
Facebook | Twitter

Featured Author: Steve Marantz

I'm very happy to welcome Steve Marantz to A Blue Million Books today. Steve is the author of the non-fiction book Next Up At Fenway, just recently published by Inkwater Press.

About the book:

"Through the story of Marcos Baez and Fenway High, Steve Marantz shows the humanity and prospects of Latino student in our nation’s public schools. Next Up at Fenway gives us a window into how social forces and education policy decisions are playing out in real people’s lives -- for better and worse -- within America’s fastest growing demographic. This book is both Americana and a reality check for the 21st century.” - Sonia Chang-Diaz, Massachusetts state senator and former teacher.

Interview with Steve Marantz:

Steve, you've been a reporter, and now you're a researcher at ESPN. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

For about 40 years now. I got a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and worked as a newspaper reporter. About ten years ago I switched to television, with ESPN, and continued my writing with books. Next Up at Fenway is my third.

Tell us about Next Up At Fenway.

Next Up tells the true story of Marcos Baez, whose public high school next to Fenway Park was his best hope for a college education and a better life. Baez, the son of a single mother of Puerto Rican descent, personifies the struggle and determination of America's fastest-growing demographic.

Recognized as one of two Boston high schools "where Latinos succeed" by the Mauricio Gaston Institute of the University of Massachusetts-Boston, Fenway High teaches critical thinking and community involvement in a familial environment. Through its innovative curriculum and Latino-sensitive culture, the school helps Latino students succeed academically and in personal development.

Inspired by this educational model, his teachers, and the Red Sox Foundation’s Lindos Sueños program that sent him to the Dominican Republic for training and community service, Baez works toward his goal of college.

Few adults want to go back to high school, yet you did, in a manner of speaking, for two years. What was the experience like?

Fun - to be around so much youthful energy. Encouraging - to see how hard these kids worked. Humbling - to see how far education has come since my high school days. My high school, Omaha Central, was considered top-notch in its day, but it offered little of the innovation I saw at Fenway.


What was the toughest aspect of writing Next Up At Fenway?

Focusing the story. There were so many directions I could have taken it, so many strong characters, so many themes. I had to pick, and narrow it down. I’m a firm believer that a story that tries to do too much ends up doing too little.

How did you come up with the title Next Up At Fenway?

It seemed to fit, since the story is about upward mobility. Just under 70 percent of Fenway’s students live at or below the poverty line.

For what age group is this book intended?

High school-aged readers on up.

Tell us about your "day job."

I am a researcher for the ESPN E:60 show. It is a news magazine show with long-form storytelling, human interest and investigative stories. My job is to support the producers in whatever their needs are. It enables me to work at home four days a week, which frees me up to work on books in my spare time.

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

Quick read. Fun. Provocative. Inspirational. Where America is heading - we hope.

Why did you decide to write this book?

I live in the Boston area - it was accessible to me. It was original - nobody had done it. It was relevant - education and Latino culture are on America’s front burner. It was fun - a high school next to Fenway Park. How cool is that?

Very cool. What do you hope others will get from reading Next Up At Fenway?

Pleasure. Hope and inspiration. Empathy. And maybe some ideas to apply to public schools everywhere and anywhere.

Do you outline or write by the seat of your pants?

Outline.  A narrative needs to follow a few effective principles.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I love the image of Marcos at the ‘Lindos Suenos’ camp in the Domincan Republic, indignant at the behavior of his fellow American non-Latino teenagers, and provoked enough to write the opening lines in his college application essay.

What song would you pick to go with your book?

Marc Anthony’s “Ahora Quien.”



Who are your favorite authors?

Tom Wolfe, Frank Rich, Larry McMurtry, James M. Cain, Raymond Chandler, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Mayer, Elizabeth Kolbert, Malcolm Gladwell.

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

Tolkien. I would fix him whatever he wanted. And ask him what the heck he was smoking.

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

We're with Nobody: Two Insiders Reveal the Dark Side of American Politics by
Alan Huffman and Michael Rejebian. Paperback.


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

Morning. Before my brain is fried.

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

Golf. 36 holes if possible.

Where’s home for you?

Swampscott, Ma. It’s got Vinnan Square and Red Rock Bistro. Just about everything a person needs.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens.” - Woody Allen

“Sex without love is a meaningless experience, but as far as meaningless experiences go its pretty damn good.” - Woody Allen

Okay, that's two, but they're both good, so I'll let it slide. What three books have you

read recently and would recommend?

Stieg Larsson’s the Millennium trilogy. Tremendous. Made me want to see Sweden. 

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

Omaha would be cool. But I’m happy in Swampscott. Everything is here.

Omaha? Seriously? What are you working on now?

A vegetable and cheese omelet.

Always a wise guy. Thanks for being here, Steve!

More books by Steve Marantz:

About the author:    

Steve Marantz is a researcher/producer for the ESPN E:60 show and a former reporter in government, politics and sports for the Boston Globe and Boston Herald.  His last book, The Rhythm Boys of Omaha Central: High School Basketball at the ’68 Racial Divide, won the ForeWord Reviews gold medal for non-fiction sports, and the Nebraska Center for the Book award for non-fiction history.  He also authored Sorcery at Caesars: Sugar Ray’s Marvelous Fight.  Marantz lives in Swampscott, Mass., with his wife, Alison Arnett, and their dog, Arthur.

Connect with Steve:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Publisher |

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Featured Author: Elizabeth Jennings

The Button Collector is Elizabeth Jennings just-released novel, published by PageSpring Publishing’s Cup of Tea Books imprint. PageSpring is offering an introductory discount of 45 percent on the paperback edition only (US markets) through May 24.

About the book:

On a gray day at a gritty flea market, Caroline Tilghman stumbles upon an unlikely treasure—-jars and jars of buttons in a dazzling kaleidoscope of colors.

Caroline is reminded of something she has made herself forget-—she too has a jar of buttons, an inheritance from her mother, which she has put on the back of a shelf. Out of sight. Out of mind. Out of her life.

That night, Caroline takes the jar down from the shelf. Intending only to look at the buttons, she opens the lid . . . and pours out her family's secrets.

The Button Collector unfolds with a series of vignettes in which each button reveals a piece of the bittersweet history of Caroline's family. A tragic accident forever alters the relationship between Caroline, her mother Emma, and her cousin Gail. Caroline sifts through the joys and anguishes of the past, bringing both herself and the reader to the realization that memories—-like buttons—-can sometimes be used to fasten together something we have left undone by mistake.

Interview with Elizabeth Jennings

Welcome, Elizabeth. How did you come up with the title The Button Collector?

I’ve gone through many titles for my book, which is based on stories connected to a family’s button collection. The original was The Button Bag because in my family we kept buttons in an old cloth bag. Next was Circles of Color, a phrase from the opening. Much later I decided to emphasize the story collection aspect and changed the title to The Button Collection. When I got a contract with PageSpring Publishing, my editor wanted me to try The Button Jar because it’s a stronger visual image. Finally, the publisher suggested The Button Collector so that readers would be able to connect with a specific character and real-life button collectors would be able to find it easily. By this point, the book was much more of a novel than a collection, so I think it’s perfect.

Do you have another job outside of writing? 

I am a professional dabbler. Besides writing fiction, I have worked as a newspaper features writer and advertising copy writer, and I’ve done all sorts of free-lance work.  I’ve also worked as a tutor, adjunct instructor for a community college, director of a literacy council, university press intern, and the advisor for the creative arts journal at a girls’ middle school. I never know what I’ll be doing next, but I’m thinking about teaching a continuing education class on blogging. I’ve enjoyed the blogging aspect of being an author. I get to write whatever I want. It’s like opium for a writer.

That's a good analogy. How would you describe your book in a tweet?

A jar of old buttons...A collection of memories...A linking of tales....

How did you create the plot for this book? 

Plot is my weakness so it was a long, painful process in some ways, but now I can say that I’m happy with how it turned out, so I believe that this was simply how my book was meant to evolve. The Button Collector is a novel in stories, similar to How to Make an American Quilt by Whitney Otto or Susan Vreeland’s Girl in Hyacinth Blue.  At first the stories were quite episodic, but the characters began to introduce recurring plot elements on their own, especially the narrator, Caroline. It is her process of reconciliation that forms the basis of the overarching plot, but originally most of this happened in the final section. My editor suggested a revision that would pull elements from this final section and spread them throughout the book, making it clearly a novel rather than a story collection. I’d received other suggestions over the years—-such as limiting the points of view—-but this idea immediately struck me as the right one and it was surprisingly easy to do.    

Did you have any say in your cover art? What do you think of it? Tell us about the artist.

I didn’t have a say in the cover art, but that didn’t stop me from shooting off some panicky emails when my imagination went into overdrive about any number of cheesy possibilities! Fortunately, I love the cover art by Britanee Sickles, and it’s actually very close to what I had in my mind. The buttons spilling out of the jar have a mysterious quality and the colors are like jewels. The thing that is somewhat unique about my book is that in addition to the cover art, a pen and ink drawing prefaces each story. Sarah Allgire was the wonderful artist for these. The drawings offer a nice visual hook and give the book a little multimedia flavor.  

Tell us a book you’re an evangelist for. 

I stumbled across a book called The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami, which tells the story of a Canadian orphan who goes to live with her grandparents in India. The exotic appeal of the Indian segments drew me in—-my book has a touch of India in it, too—-but the plot is also perfectly done in terms of building up suspense. I think the reason it touched me so deeply was because the characters exhibit a deep and genuine tenderness as they struggle to make connections with each other. I wish more people would read it!    

Have you ever bought any books just for the cover? Did you enjoy the book(s)?

I love book covers, and they are indeed factors when I choose a book, but not usually the deciding factor. There is one book, however, that I definitely bought because of the combination of the cover and the title-—The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan, a Welsh author.  I ADORE that title and the cover is this wonderful, mystical drawing of a girl floating upward. I’ve since seen the UK cover and it is even more gorgeous—it shows a luminous orb held by a girl’s hands with her body blocked from view.  Fortunately, the book entirely lived up to its perfect packaging.  I love it. 

What do you do to market your book? 

The most unusual thing I’ve done to market my book is an interactive reader feature on my blog called "Flash Fiction, Button Style."  It invites readers to email a picture of a button, and I write a flash fiction piece telling the button’s story. It’s been fun! I limit it to 250 words in one hour so that I don’t go off the deep end with it. People ask me how I come up with the ideas for the stories, and I have to laugh. Coming up with ideas is one thing I never have trouble doing—-implementing ideas is another story, which is why limiting the scope works so well.    I’ve also jumped into online marketing and I’ve found it almost as enjoyable as writing the book. 

I have a website, blog, book trailer on YouTube, Twitter account, Facebook page, Goodreads, LibraryThing, etc. I’ve enjoyed getting to know other bloggers, writers, and reviewers who’ve agreed to read my book. I’ve also had good luck getting endorsements from authors I admire—-Ann B. Ross, who writes the Miss Julia series of Southern humor books, Amy Willoughby--Burle, who is a North Carolina short story writer, and Susan Vreeland, who wrote Girl in Hyacinth Blue, The Passion of Artemisia and other best sellers. I was over the moon when Vreeland did a blurb for me because her work has a kinship with my own, or at least with what I’m striving to achieve. 

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?

Do you mean there are people who don’t have imaginary friends? I not only have imaginary friends, I have imaginary families, clans, and villages. Sometimes I wonder if I should be concerned that they are so real. I’m usually the one who approaches them, and while they don’t tell me what to write, I’ve found that usually they have some wisdom to offer if I stop and try to figure out what it is. 

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

In The Button Collector, Caroline’s husband, Rishi, made a late appearance in the writing process, but I immediately liked him. By that point, Caroline’s identity of thwarting traditional Southern expectations was firmly established, so it made sense that she would go outside her culture if and when she married. Rishi is from India, with a Hindu upbringing, so he serves as a contrast to Caroline’s WASP family. It was fun to put a twist on the scenario and have Rishi quickly fit in with the clan, which forced Caroline to re-examine some assumptions she had made about her family and herself. Plus, Rishi is easy-going, good looking, and makes homemade chicken tikka masala. Who wouldn’t like Rishi?

What are your favorite books?

a) As a child my favorite was The Witch of Blackbird Pond--even then I was attracted to multi-cultural perspectives, especially when they collided. The interface between the Puritans and the free-spirited girl from the Caribbean fascinated me.
 
b) As a teenager I was a serious Lord of the Rings fangirl. I’m talking posters, calendars, ephemera, multiple re-readings--the whole nine yards. I believe the fantasy genre enables people to examine their own human hopes and fears and dreams from a different angle even as it offers an expansive retreat from the ordinary. To this day, I have a weakness for fantasy and happily claim the title of nerd. 

c) As an adult, Anne Tyler’s Saint Maybe is my all-time favorite, which kind of goes against the whole fantasy inclination, but somehow both are true. The character of Ian and the dilemmas he faced were so heartbreakingly human and true. Tyler’s work is also the type of fiction I usually write—-quiet, introspective, character-driven.

Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live. 
Most of the squirrels in my backyard are white and they bully the gray squirrels. We are surrounded by waterfalls and public forests. The Eastern Continental Divide passes through our county. 

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

I’m a firm believer in the idea that the more you write, the easier it is to experience flow—-that almost magical immersion in your work during which you’re calmly focused and time flies. Little rituals can be helpful in getting to that place, but really the only secret for me is to write almost every day. When you do this, your mind—-both the conscious and subconscious parts-—will continue working on the story even when you’re not writing. Before long a character will tell you something or you’ll envision a scene in your head or a sequence or connection will pop up like an idea balloon, and you’ll have to sneak back to the keyboard and get it down. 

Watch The Button Collector book trailer:

About the author: 

Elizabeth Jennings has worked as a features writer, copywriter, tutor, and adjunct instructor, but first and foremost, she is a reader on the hunt for the next great story. Her short fiction has appeared in a variety of publications, including Prime Number Magazine, Apalachee Review, and the children’s magazine Ladybug. A native of Clemson, South Carolina, she earned degrees in English from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The University of Delaware. She lives with her family within view of Mount Pisgah in the ancient and lush Blue Ridge Mountains. 

As both author and reader, Jennings has a deep affinity for quiet, character-driven stories and novels. She also has a fondness for frame tales and interconnected stories in which the individual pieces offer commentary on each other and come together to create a mosaic of various textures and moods. Since college, she has been fascinated with different forms of female creativity and the ways it has been expressed historically. The Button Collector is her first novel and is based on the idea that the smallest things around us can have meaning and offer perspective on the larger story that is our life.

Connect with Elizabeth:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Publisher

Buy the book!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | kobo

 

Featured Author: Lori Verni-Fogarsi

Lori Verni-Fogarsi is on tour with CLP Blog Tours, and she's stopping by A Blue Million Books to tell us about her newest book, Unexpecting. Don't miss an excerpt from the book and the giveaway after the interview. Everyone who leaves a comment on Lori’s tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Unexpecting before May 13 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.

About the book:

Shelley and David are a couple of almost-empty-nesters whose kids are just about all off to college. They've just ordered white furniture and are planning the vacation they've waited their entire lives to take.

Their lives are catapulted in a completely different direction when Alexandra, seventeen and pregnant, shows up at their door and announces that she’s the daughter they never knew they had!

Shelley feels like she no longer fits in anywhere and to top it off, having two teenaged girls suddenly plunged into being sisters and school mates is not exactly warm and fuzzy. When Alexandra's behavior becomes erratic, the couple is faced with even tougher decisions to make.

Interview with Lori Verni-Fogarsi

Lori, Unexpecting isn't your first book. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

Unexpecting is my third book. I’ve also written the novel, Momnesia, which has won two awards, and Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs, which continues to be one of the most highly recommended in its genre since 2005.

My writing career started in an unusual way: with my Best Paw Forward newsletter, back in 1995 when I owned a dog training school! I was surprised when I began receiving writing requests from other magazines and newspapers, and things just sort of took off from there!

Do you have another job outside of writing?

In addition to being an author, I also offer small business consulting on a case-by-case basis. I build websites, design branding, establish social media connections, and coordinate both in person and online events for small businesses. I occasionally teach seminars at colleges or large conferences on Creative Marketing Outside the Box.

Is that all? You slacker! What is your writing process? Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

I come up with the idea for the story, then just write it. I don’t worry about formatting or editing at first. Often, the story takes turns that are different than what I’d anticipated. Then, after the whole book is finished, I create an outline of what I’ve already done, and search for things that need to be removed, expanded upon, reorganized, etc.

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

I’m really very fond of Tiny, the dog in Unexpecting. I just love the way he’s a big, snuggly goofball! He even has his own page: www.LoriTheAuthor.com/Tiny.

What a great idea. I'll have to tell Ezzie about that. What would your main character say about you?

“Holy crap! That biatch is even more Type A than I am!”
  
LOL. 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?

Goodness! That question sounds like how I would answer an interview question! In both Momnesia and Unexpecting, the main character explores and voices emotions that many people feel, but barely dare think about in the privacy of their own minds, never mind speak out loud!

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I absolutely love the scene where Claire shows up at the house to talk privately with Shelley. It was very difficult to write, but I love the way it came out, and I love Claire’s philosophy on how she handled the very difficult time in her marriage.

Where’s home for you?

I was born and raised in New York City, and I now divide my time between Raleigh, NC, and Lake Gaston, VA.
 
Do you ever get writer’s block?

Yes, for sure. And when I do, instead of panicking I just work on editing, preparing marketing materials, or something else. I find that if I just set it aside, the story will start flowing again another day and time soon.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“If you choose not do decide, you still have made a choice.” ~Getty Lee, from the band, Rush. (Also quoted throughout Momnesia.)

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

So glad you asked! I’ve recently read several books of the variety that you feel compelled to run around telling people about!

Scent of Triumph, by Jan Moran.
Is This All There Is, by Patricia Mann.
The Wisdom of Hair, by Kim Boykin.

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

Lisbon, Portugal. It’s a beautiful, clean, and historic city with friendly people and great public transportation. It’s also close to Cascais, which has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, as well as Sintra, which is steeped with history and beautiful castles. Plus, the wine and food are great, and the nightclubs never close!

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog! I hope you readers have enjoyed getting to know me, and I hope to get to know them too, perhaps through comments or in other ways!

Thank you, Lori, for being here. Come back anytime!

Excerpt from Unexpecting

Chapter 1

It all started on a Tuesday morning. Shelley stood in her kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee and marveling that there was any left in the pot. The house was completely silent; no one else was home and during the busy summer season, that felt like a near miracle.

With three college-aged kids home for their break and a fourth living at home full-time, she and David would often joke that the kids and their friends were like a mathematical phenomenon: They seemed to multiply faster than amoebae, resulting in somewhere around nine teenagers at any given time. Sleeping, running around in bathing suits, asking for a ride, and eating, eating, eating...ceaselessly eating.

So when the doorbell rang, Shelley didn’t run to answer it. The UPS man, whose job brought him to their door with astonishing regularity, would ring it whenever he left a package on the porch. And since she wasn’t expecting anyone, she saw no need to go to the door in her PJs and reveal to the young-ish, good-looking courier that she was still in a state of undress even though it was after ten o’clock.

Then it rang a second time, which meant that either it was a package she had to sign for, or a neighbor stopping by for some as-yet-unknown favor to ask. Sighing, she set down her mug, still her favorite despite the chip on its rim because it said, I’m 30...it seems like I should have money by now. It had been modified with a Sharpie on its ten-year anniversary to read, I’m 40, and when she’d reached forty-five she decided not to bother updating it anymore; it was still funny.

As she approached the door she could see through its glass oval that there was a woman standing on the porch. Bracing herself to deal with whatever solicitation it might possibly be, Shelley opened the door and discovered that it wasn’t a woman at all. It was a girl-woman. And not just any older girl/younger woman, but one that was hugely pregnant, her glistening face pocked full of acne, and bright blue eyes so watery they reminded her that she’d been meaning to water the hanging flower baskets on the porch.

“Yes?”

“Is this the Morsony household?”

Shelley knew immediately that this was not someone intimately acquainted with the family: She had pronounced Morsony the way most people would, more-sewn-ee, when in fact her husband’s unusual ancestors had decided to pronounce it more-sunny.

“Yes it is. Can I help you?”

“I need to talk to David Morsony.”

“He’s not here at the moment. May I help you with something?”

The girl blinked. Her first tear fell and she fidgeted with her blonde ponytail. Shelley noticed that her hand was trembling and watched with horror as the girl’s lips began to quiver in a fashion that she knew could be a precursor to the bawling, snot-bubbling drama she was very familiar with, having raised two girls of her own.

Averting her eyes, Shelley glanced toward the driveway, noticing that there was a Ford Focus that looked as if its only opportunity to move would be via a tow truck. It was blue, with a dented front fender and two different colors of duct tape hanging off one of the headlights. The windows were open and at first glance it appeared that someone was sitting in the passenger seat. Then she realized that it was a dog; one of those gigantic brindle dogs that made her think of that 1980s movie starring Tom Hanks.

The girl was sniffling and wiping under her eyes while Shelley thought longingly—and selfishly—about her coffee, abandoned on the counter inside. She didn’t mean to seem uncaring, it was just that after raising four kids through their teen years, including all the ups and downs with friends, boyfriends, girlfriends and so on, the sight of a crying teenager on the porch seemed like yet another daily drama rather than an actual event.
At the same time, there was a niggling sense of foreboding lurking in the back of her mind. Shelley noted that she didn’t appear to be selling anything, yet she had asked for her husband, David. Strange.

Slapping at yet another mosquito and beginning to perspire, Shelley looked at the girl, waiting for her to say something. Neither the bugs nor the heat ever let up during North Carolina summers and they were both out in full-force that morning. The girl leaned up against one of the porch columns, causing Shelley to realize that since she was so uncomfortable, the pregnant young lady must be about ready to collapse.

Mentally relinquishing any hope of enjoying her quiet morning, Shelley gestured toward the rocking chairs and asked if the girl would like to sit down. But either she didn’t notice the gesture or chose to ignore it because she said, “That would be amazing,” and stepped toward the entry.

Quickly deciding that she didn’t meet the qualifications for a dangerous intruder, Shelley held the door open and the girl squeezed past with her big, tight belly leading the way. Walking straight ahead into the kitchen the way all visitors do, she sat at the counter where Shelley’s stool was already pulled out from her earlier attempt at solitude.

“Would you like some iced tea?”

“Sweet tea? That would be great!” Disproportionately appreciative, Shelley hoped she realized that this was no home-steeped, prepared-in-the-sun-all-day sweet tea. It was Crystal Light, the former New Yorker’s halfhearted attempt at Southern hospitality.

Accepting the glass and a napkin, the girl immediately started mopping the sweat that had beaded up on her forehead.

“So, can I ask why you’re wanting to speak to my husband?”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess so. So, you’re David’s wife?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

A dawning sensation swept over Shelley, bringing pinpricks to her formerly relaxed body as it occurred to her that this girl was not only similar to her own seventeen and nineteen-year-old girls, but she was also not that much younger than her twenty-two and twenty-four-year-old stepsons. And she was pregnant. Very pregnant. Her internal rosary beads started twisting as she understood that they could be in for some seriously bad news. How many times have I talked to those boys about safe sex? The anger welled up inside her even though she had no information yet. I’ll kill them!

The girl fidgeted with her napkin, twisting it into a pointy little cone, then tapping its end with her fingertip. “You’re probably going to be surprised,” she said, her eyes turned downward.

“I may not be as surprised as you think,” Shelley replied, looking pointedly at her stomach.

About the author:

Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been an author, speaker, and small business consultant since 1995. She has been featured in media including “Lifetime Women’s Network,” the “My Carolina Today Show,” and “Boston Globe Forums Live.”

Her public speaking has occurred at many prestigious venues including North Carolina State
University, Nassau Community College, and many more.

She has received two awards for her novel,
Momnesia, and her nonfiction, Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs, continues to be one of the most highly recommended in its genre since 2005.

Lori is a happy married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten. Originally a native New Yorker, she now divides her time between Raleigh, NC, and Lake Gaston, VA.

She is very excited about the release of Unexpecting, and looks forward to her book tour, interviews, launch parties, and other festivities!




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