Book Blast: Worst Week Ever

FEATURED AUTHOR: SHIRLEEN DAVIES

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cassie MacLaren has come a long way since being dumped by her long-time boyfriend, a man she believed to be her future. Successful in her job at MacLaren Enterprises, dreaming of one day leading one of the divisions, she’s moved on to start a new relationship, having little time to dwell on past mistakes.

Matt Garner loves his job as rodeo representative for Double Ace Bucking Stock. Busy days and constant travel leave no time for anything more than the occasional short-term relationship—which is just the way he likes it. He’s come to accept the regret of leaving the woman he loved for the pro rodeo circuit.
The future is set for both, until a chance meeting ignites long buried emotions neither is willing to face.

Forced to work together, their attraction grows, even as multiple arson fires threaten Cassie’s new home of Cold Creek, Colorado. Although Cassie believes the danger from the fires is remote, she knows the danger Matt poses to her heart is real.

While fighting his renewed feelings for Cassie, Matt focuses on a new and unexpected opportunity offered by MacLaren Enterprises — an opportunity that will put him on a direct collision course with Cassie.

Will pride and self-preservation control their future? Or will one be strong enough to make the first move, risking everything, including their heart?

No Getting Over You, book seven in the MacLarens of Fire Mountain Contemporary series, is a full-length novel with an HEA.

EXCERPT FROM NO GETTING OVER YOU

Staring at the MacLaren family pictures on the wall, Matt waited for Cassie to join him. It had been over thirty minutes, and given her usual insistence on being punctual, he had to attribute the lag to a desire to let him stew. It didn’t faze him one bit. He’d wait her out, no matter how late it got. At some point, she’d have to face him.

“Okay, I’m here now. What do you want to discuss?” Cassie breezed into the room, not making eye contact as she lowered herself into a chair.

Matt held her gaze, uncaring of how stern his next words would sound. “Your thoughts on the changes. Specifically, if you’ll be able to accept I’m your boss and you’ll be reporting to me.”

“And if I don’t?” She lifted her chin, daring him to threaten her.

“You’ll be gone, the same as anyone else.”

Cassie blinked, knowing if she didn’t produce results, her father would agree to a termination. He’d give her no special privileges. Treating family different than regular employees wasn’t tolerated at MacLaren Enterprises. You were professional, showed respect, and did your job. No excuses. If not, you were gone.

“Fine.” She stood, turning toward the door.

“Hold on a minute, Cass.”

“What? There’s more?”

“I want to know what you mean by fine. Are you saying you’ve bought into the program and are on board? I don’t want any misunderstandings between us.” He took a step forward, then stopped when he saw her eyes narrow in frustration . . . or resentment . . . or possibly desire. He couldn’t tell which.

All she wanted was to leave. Get out the door and away from Matt. She’d made him wait for her to join him, not because of the changes, but because her traitorous heart wouldn’t stop pounding like a bass drum. Being this close to him did dangerous things to her body. Breathing became difficult, labored, the walls closing in around her. Ever since she’d spotted him coming through the front door, she’d fought the attraction so hazardous to her health. She could deal with him, but only if he kept his distance and didn’t require face time. Taking a couple steps closer, she tilted her face up, fisting her hands at her sides. 

 

“What I’m saying is I’ll report to you and do my best to meet your expectations. But I’m warning you, Matt. If you start feeding bullcrap reports about my work to Dad and the others, there will be hell to pay!” Cassie’s face reddened as her eyes sparked
Holding up his hands, palms out, he took a step back. “Calm down, Cassie. No one is trying to sabotage you.

“Oh, right. That’s easy for you to say. You waltz in here after disappearing for years, and all of a sudden, you’re the golden boy, handed a promotion which vaults you above Sean, Skye, or even me. We’ve all been paying our dues. What the hell have you done?”

Crossing her arms and planting her feet, she glared at him, daring him to explain.

“I didn’t ask Heath for a job. He came to me. What would you have done?”

Without missing a beat, she took a step toward him, stopping within inches of his face. “I would’ve realized I’d be jumping headfirst into a firestorm. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be in my position with the change? Of course you don’t. You’re still a selfish sonofabitch without a clue of how your actions affect others. It’s always all about Matt and what he wants. No one else matters, and no one gets in your way. Well, I have news for you, hotshot. Your job won’t be some easy ride where you can float to the top on Skye’s and my achievements. You damn well better show everyone how good you are or you’ll be out on your butt just like anyone else.” Her voice had hardened with each sentence until she’d gotten out the ball of frustration knotted inside her.

The clear combination of anger, betrayal, and pain on her face hit Matt like a punch in the gut. He’d had his share of disappointments, knowing how it felt to be shoved aside
“Cassie . . . I — ”

“Save it, Matt. I’ll do the best I can, but it won’t be for you. My best will never be for your benefit ever again.” Turning, she froze at the sight of Heath, Jace, and Rafe standing in the doorway. Pushing past them, she didn’t explain further. She was certain they hadn’t missed a word.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shirleen Davies has been writing most of her life, but only recently began the transition into fiction. Historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and short stories are what keep her reading, so that is the focus of her writing.



She was born in California, grew up between a growing beach town and a small town at the base of the San Bernardino mountains. Her mother originally planned to name her Katherine, but she read an article in the paper about a woman named Shirleen shortly before her birth, so instead of having a cool nickname, like Kate, she is simply Shirleen. Her mainstays growing up were all the Nancy Drew mystery books; she loved them. Eventually she moved on to mysteries, suspense stories, crime novels, and romance. Pride and Prejudice will always be one of her favorites.



Besides California, life changes have allowed Shirleen to live in Oregon, Colorado, and Arizona. Everywhere she has lived has been inspirational in one way or another, giving her the opportunity to meet remarkable people with their own stories to tell. She’s sailed, skied, owned horses plus lots of other animals, and ridden various off-road vehicles. She enjoys dancing, fishing, hunting, being the back-seater on her husband's Harley, traveling and, of course, reading and writing.



Prior to transitioning to writing fiction, Shirleen worked for Fortune 500 and many smaller, start-up companies. Fortunately, she regained my sanity long enough to start her own consulting firm, which she still maintains today. 

Shirleen’s husband and she spend most of their time at their main home in the mountains of Arizona and their second home in Southern California. Between them, they have five boys with growing careers and families of their own. So, from her perspective, her life is a success and always an adventure. She wouldn't change a thing; well, except finding more time to write.


Shirleen loves hearing from readers, so please email her at shirleen@shirleendavies.com.
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FEATURED AUTHOR: LUCY CROWE

ABOUT THE BOOK

The alleged suicide of heroin king Jimmy “Sugar” Thomas has a lot of the locals in the backwater town of Mount Bloom asking questions. And the fall-out from his death has his only daughter delving – albeit unwillingly – into the spirit world and running from some harsh allegations made by her current love interest. Is it possible to have loved someone for a lifetime and still not have known him at all? Nicola Thomas is searching for the answer to that question while striving to maintain a status quo façade; and her life only grows more complicated when she joins a testosterone-driven fire department, takes in the local Bad Child, and falls in love.

INTERVIEW WITH LUCY CROWE

Lucy, you and I met on a writers site, and I fell in love with your writing. How did you originally get started writing?
I actually started writing before I could write. I can remember my mother helping me put picture books together and penning in the dialogue for me. So the writing process, for me, is nearly as old as myself.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
I love having created characters who feel completely real to me – so real that occasionally they seem to solve problems on their own. It seems to me that a writer is often a conduit of sorts. Once we have created our characters, we are then at their mercy. But that’s a good thing, right??

I think so! Do you write every day?
I do try to write every day, whether on my current work-in-process, my blog, queries or whatever else needs to be done. Even if it’s only a tiny bit, I feel better at the end of the day if I have written.

What do you wish you’d done differently when you first started the publishing process?
I sometimes regret having not queried more widely. I think I was essentially lacking the confidence I needed to approach the very best in the business. Next time around, I am shooting for the stars!

Your characters and plots are very realistic. What do you think is more important – characters or plot? I am a character writer. I so enjoy creating a real person, complete with everything that makes us whole. I love the way the characters seem to take over the story and bend it to their own needs.
 
How often do you read?
Oh, every single day! I won’t be caught without a book, but if I am, I’ll be searching for the closest Barnes and Noble.

I love the way you write. It's almost lyrical. What would you say is your writing style?
A reader once described my novel as “poetic realism,” and I was just so thrilled with that.


I would agree with that description. Is writing your dream job?
Oh, very much so! But I am so blessed to be pursuing my second dream job as well. I work in EMS/fire, which I love, love, love.

I think it's so cool that you work in EMS and firefighting.
 What is the worst job you’ve ever had?
I was a legal secretary, which sounds wonderful, but was not! Imagine wearing a skirt every day!

What did it teach you?
When you work a job you hate, you learn – beyond tenacity – to dream big. Many, many of my hours in the legal office were spent combing the want ads and chanting “I think I can, I think I can.”

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
Oh, definitely Disney! I have never outgrown my love for animation.

What five things would you never want to live without?
Is coffee a thing? Surely it is! So: COFFEE, books, chocolate, fuzzy slippers, and bubble bath. I’m all about being comfortable!

What do you love about where you live?
I live in what is basically a prairie state, but my particular location has gentle little hills on all sides, so it feels very protected. On blustery days, I can hear the wind, but it doesn’t touch me. 


What’s your favorite place to go on date night?
Well, my husband and I are both firefighters, so I actually love the unpredictability of date night.

What’s your favorite beverage? From your earlier answer, I'm guessing coffee?
Coffee coffee coffee. Yep, something of a shameless addict.

What is your superpower?
I wake up really well, and very quickly. Zero to 60 in about 3 seconds.

Wow. I wish I could do that. 
Name one thing you’re really good at and one thing you’re really bad at.
I’m really good at kissing boo-boos and really horrible at washing dishes. Although my family allows me to keep the latter job in spite of my poor performance!


What is one of your happiest moments?
To me, the happiest moments are always about the quick, seemingly small things – the hubby’s kiss at the end of the day, the child’s “I love you.”  These are the things I couldn’t live without.

I agree. Where is your favorite place to visit?
Chicago at Christmastime! Everything is so shiny, brash, and noisy. If you could put it in a globe and shake it, it would sound like saxophones, sirens, and trumpets.

Do you give your characters any of your bad traits?
Oh yes! I’ve often wondered, too, if other authors do this? I let my characters swear, smoke, and drink all the rum they want. Living vicariously, you think?

What’s in your refrigerator right now?
I have so much fresh fruit in my fridge right now! Which is unusual for me, to say the least. But I recently purchased a Ninja Bullet, and I am determined to give responsible eating a try.

Who is your favorite fictional character?
I am shamelessly in love with James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux. What a fantastically layered character!


What are you working on now?
I have finished – drum roll!! - my second novel, Maypops in September, and am querying for a wonderful, awesome, top-of-the-line agent.

Good luck, Lucy! You deserve it!

FROM THE AUTHOR

The pen name Lucy Crowe evolved as a desire to include my daughter in my craft – her nickname is Lucy – while at the same time honoring my favorite band, The Black Crowes. I found, a little to my surprise, that I very much enjoy being two people. My alter ego Lucy writes, and has published one novel, Sugar Man’s Daughter with Rainstorm Press, as well as several short stories. She also maintains a website, Facebook page, and Twitter account. Meanwhile, I (Cathy Jones) am a mother of three married to Superman, and extremely active in EMS/firefighting. Needless to say, Lucy and I often collaborate, as I, too, have a few riveting tales to tell.



Connect with Lucy:

Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  
Goodreads  

Buy the book:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble 

FEATURED AUTHOR: R P CHANNING

ABOUT THE BOOK

~ Kira Sutherland ~
After a near fatal accident (and getting cheated on by her 'boyfriend'), and beating up the lead cheerleader (with whom the boyfriend cheated . . .), and being labeled as having 'issues' in her school because she, uhm, sees ghosts, Kira is left with two choices:

1. Continue her 'therapy' (where she's told the ghost is a hallucination and also gets her legs ogled too often . . .)

Or

2. Go to Starkfield Academy, a boarding school for "Crazies and Convicts" (as the social media sites call them.)

She chooses the latter . . .

~ Cory Rand ~
Cory Rand has not had an easy life. His mother died in a car accident when he was twelve, and so did his mother's best friend...sort of. You see, Janice made a promise to take care of Cory just before she died, and so she lingers. Undead. A ghost that watches out for him.

Brought up in an abusive home, Cory quickly falls into a life of disreputable behavior. After his third offense (which was prompted by a girl, as usual - he has a weakness) he's left with two choices:

1. Be tried as an adult and share a cell with a guy named Bubba (he thinks . . .)

Or

2. Go to Starkfield Academy, which Cory is pretty sure is run by vampires. But, hey, at least he'll get an education.

He chooses the latter . . .

It's at Starkfield that Kira meets Cory Rand, a boy with an insatiable Rage who sees ghosts, too. As well as other things, other things from his past, things that confuse him, things like fire and witches and demons.

Things he's always ignored.

Until now.



INTERVIEW WITH R P CHANNING

What do you think is hardest aspect of writing a book?
Understanding your reader. It’s true that writers want to stay true to their stories, but you also have to consider the reader. You have to consider the genre you’re writing in (again, the reader) and what is expected/liked/despised in that genre or by that reader. It takes some doing, as not all readers are the same.

What do you think makes a good story?
Top-selling stories are both loved and despised by different people. What makes a good story is one written very precisely to a market, sticking within the boundaries of that market. Writers love using words like “genre-bending,” but if you bend too much, your story stops being “good” from the reader’s perspective. And the reader’s perspective is the only perspective that counts.

Do you have any secret talents?
I’m a great cook of under-thirty-minute Mediterranean meals.

Is writing your dream job?
The one where I lie on the beach and look at the water while money rolls into my account. Oh, it doesn’t exist? Darn it.

It would be nice if that job could coexist with a writing job. What do you like to do when there’s nothing to do?
I like jumping in my car and going for a drive with nowhere to go. I just get on the freeway and drive and drive and drive and look around. I think I’ve been doing that ever since I got a license.

Where is your favorite place to visit?
New York is such a great town, so is London. I like big cities, any big cities.

What’s your least favorite chore?
Cooking (is that a chore?). I get to be creative and then I also get to eat!


Do you give your characters any of your bad traits?
Nope, if my characters had my bad traits nobody would like them.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“I will remember this, thought Ender, when I am defeated. To keep dignity, and give honor where it's due, so that defeat is not disgrace. And I hope I don't have to do it often.” 
― Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game

“Don't wait for the muse.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Who is your favorite fictional character? (Not your own.)
Andrew (“Ender”) Wiggins. He’s the super-duperdest whiz-kid in the universe. That book is such a classic. (I don’t think the movie did it justice.)


You have a personal chef for the night. What would you ask him to prepare?
Handrolled Gnocchi in a creamy cheese sauce.

What’s your biggest pet peeve about writing?
|
Typographical errors. They just . . . I mean, you can read a sentence ten times and those buggers somehow still get through.



What is your favorite movie?
Avatar is my all-time favorite. 
But I can watch just about any RomCom in the world and enjoy it. (And I discovered a few years ago that I’m not the only male who does this.)


What are you working on now?
Thirst is a standalone novel, but it has room to grow. I’m working on a book two but also on a dystopian novel that is completely different to Thirst.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R P Channing started writing three years ago, but never published anything even after churning out over a million words of fiction. Thirst: Blood of my Blood is the first book he dared to publish. When asked why, he said, “Because it’s the first thing I wrote that my wife actually enjoyed reading.” When not hammering away (most literally) at his keyboard, he can be found buried in a book, reading anything from romance to horror to young adult to non-fiction to comedy.

Connect with the author:


Website  |  
Twitter  | 
Goodreads  

Buy the book:
Amazon US  |  
  Amazon UK

FEATURED AUTHOR: STEVE MYERS

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dreaming .400, like baseball itself, exists outside of time. Its 11 short stories are infused with the magic of the game—in the seductive swing of a girl who turns tinsel into gold; in the passion of an orphan on a quest to reach the Astrodome; in a vision of the future in which players are made, not born.

Dreaming .400 spawns pen pal love between friends that grows into poetry; it shrinks the gap between the head and heart of a Brewers’ fan; provides a way out for a teenager stuck in the shadows; inspires a vagabond to an impossible dream to be lived out between the white lines.

GUEST POST BY STEVE MYERS

Writing fiction is medicine. A window opens. There's access to an often closed, cut off world of dreams, memories, and motivations. The bluesy side of that window opening is that when a story ends, the window shuts. There's an emotional let down. The hunt and feast are finished. The carcass sits like some bony exposure beside the water. 

This is where the title of my recently published collection of short stories -  Dreaming .400 becomes more than a name. It becomes like a raft in water to get me going again, towards more trouble and tranquility, round and round, gathering up debris along the way which became new memories to explore and write about. 

I don't find many absolutes in this process of writing, but the intoxicating effect of a smell is definitely one of them. A smell hijacks and transports me to far away forgotten places in my past. I can see things in ways I've never seen before. I can be courageous. I can be honest and discover my real motives and fears and transform them into the traits of characters I create. 

Let me talk about smells some more. We have so many ways to store data and sounds. So many efficient ways but when it comes to smells, we have perfumes and after shave and cleaning sprays, but is there any way to store the smells we generate? So darn elusive. Like a vapor or water or sand slipping between our fingers and yet so potent and powerful.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking Mr. Clean or Endust. No way at all. I can be walking along and get hit by a spray from one of those bathroom cleaning sprays and well, I'm transported back to being 11-years old, in my friend's attic, playing strat-o-matic simulated baseball. All the wonderful details float through my mind like a slow mo parade – my friend's fat cat in the window sill looking orange from the sun, the cemetery across the street, my fears.  I'm not sure how this happens, olfactory speaking, but the smell is definitely an ol' factory of memories. That's for sure.

It's for this reason I keep anywhere from 20 to 30 stories, maybe more, active in my mind, in notebooks, on the backs of envelopes, as wordpress posts or Word documents, all of 'em waiting to be smelled again and if they are and if I'm lucky, they go epic and my mind and pen gushes. The story picks up speed and behaves like snow melting down a mountainside in spring and other times, it gets snagged and fizzles out of existence.

I think stories definitely have finish lines. It may take 23 years but it's out there somewhere in the fog and this has nothing to do with improving a sentence or adjusting the flow. That could go on forever. I'm talking about a theme. Often times, I am not aware of one during that initial gush, but as I read over what has happened...what I have written, what I have spit out on the page, I begin to see one there. Then I begin fleshing it out, the theme that is and making it clearer to the reader.

Don't get me wrong, I never want the message or whatever to be too obvious. I'm not writing Cliff Notes of crystal clarity here. I want the reader to do some work, to think a little, to connect some dots,  but at the same time, being cryptic is not my style. There's nothing sadder to me than a reader saying, “I didn't get it.” That means I failed them and I don't want that. Then again, I don't write with readers in mind, not when it comes to subject matter and themes. That's the stuff of dreams and subconscious. I can't control that, but I can read and reread and read some more what I've written and make sure it flows so the reader doesn't have to be bobbing for apples while reading what I've written, up and down, gasping for air. I want their experience to be more like sledding down a winter hill or a water slide;  weeeeeeeeeee. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Myers grew up in Milwaukee, walking distance from Lake Michigan. There was no other side, not visible anyway. The water went on and on. The cliffs were savage. The trees left to die. The abandoned boat houses not bothered.

Steve attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earned an honers degree in history. He studied in southern Spain, lived in San Francisco, Brooklyn, and for the last eight years Montreal, Canada.



He recently completed a Graduate Diploma in Journalism. He is the author of two blogs. Brewers Baseball and Things is where Steve experiments with baseball and fiction. Broken Bats is home to his poetry.





Connect with Steve:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook 

Buy the book:
Amazon

FEATURED AUTHOR: MARCY MCKAY

ABOUT THE BOOK

Eleven-year-old Copper Daniels is homeless and alone. She spends her nights sleeping beneath the cemetery’s Warrior Angel statue for protection, and her days battling the mean streets of Remington, Texas, hell-bent on learning what happened the night her Mama disappeared. While Copper and her rag-tag group of friends uncover more questions than answers, only two things are certain – her Mama’s missing and someone’s trying to kill Copper.

In the tradition of The Lovely Bones and Room, Pennies from Burger Heaven tells a dark story through the eyes of a child. With wit and wisdom, Copper Daniels will steal your heart, as well as break it in two.

Awards for Pennies from Burger Heaven:
*2010 First Place – Writers’ League of Texas, Best Mainstream Novel Competition
*2010 First Place – Frontiers in Writing, Best Mainstream Novel Contest
*2010 Winner – Frontiers in Writing, Overall Best of Show

INTERVIEW WITH MARCY McKAY

Marcy, how did you get started writing?
I’ve always loved to read, but in 1995, a voice told me in a dream to write a book. I’ve been telling stories ever since.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
The secrets I discover about my characters that even I didn’t know I knew about them!

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
I don’t watch much TV, but on the weekends I’ll watch the USA Network while folding the laundry (glamourous, I know). I can get going on a Law & Order SVU marathon that’s EMBARRASSING. Those shows give me nightmares; they’re especially heinous . . .

For what would you like to be remembered?
Making a difference.

What five things would you never want to live without?
1.    My Kindle (I still prefer print books, but my Kindle gives me access to almost any book on the planet).
2.    My Burt’s Bees chapstick (I’m kind addicted).
3.    My car radio. (Not Syrius XM, just good ol’ fashioned FM radio, with a DJ playing tunes I love. Reminds me of driving around in high school with my BFFs).
4.    Homemade Chocolate-chip cookies (soft and gooey ones).
5.    Naps (That’s not a “thing”, but I love ‘em anyway).

Naps totally count! Who would you want to narrate a film about your life?
Meryl Streep or Mickey Mouse, I’m not sure which.

3D movies are . . .
Kinda awesome, kinda distracting. It depends on the movie.

If you had a swear jar, would it be full?
Hell, no!

What do you love about where you live?
I love living in the Texas panhandle where the sky is wide and we enjoy four, real seasons. I love that it’s easy to drive to Dallas for awesome shopping or to New Mexico or Colorado to the mountains.

Do you write every day?
Yes, even just for 10 minutes. Otherwise, I feel grumpy and “off.”

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I’m an odd combination of the two called an ambivert. I love being around people and connecting with individuals, but afterwards I CRAVE solitude. I’m like a battery that shines bright, then must be recharged.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
Letting others read my writing. It feels like standing naked in front of a stadium full of people to judge you.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
A story narrated by a drug addict. I had to find compassion in her, and not condemn her poor choices. I was shocked at how much I liked her at the end because I understood her, even though I disagreed with her lifestyle.


You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
An Oompa Loompa. I want to give life advice through witty songs, and work in a chocolate factory.

That's excellent! When you put it that way, I want to be an Oompa Loompa too! How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
I once had a roommate in college tell me that after 9 p.m., I became “an inoperable wench.” I MUST get my rest. I strive for eight hours of sleep, but six is my bare minimum (otherwise, I’m still an inoperable wench).

Do you sweat the small stuff?
Not usually, but when I DO sweat the small stuff, I know that’s a sign I need to get still, get quiet, and get my priorities straight again.

If you had to choose a cliché about life, what would it be?
Life is what you make it.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on book #2 in the Burger Heaven series. It’s called Hell Bent and Heaven Bound.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marcy McKay knew she wanted to write stories the moment she read about Oompa Loompas in fourth grade. She’s an award-winning short-story author and copywriter, as well as a freelance journalist and the creator of Mudpie Writing blog. Her work has appeared in Writer’s Digest, The Write Practice, Write to Done, Positive Writer and Jane Friedman.com. Marcy lives in Texas with her husband and two teens, who all still like her . . . most of the time. McKay is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and the Texas High Plains Writers.

 

Connect with Marcy:

Website  | Blog  |  
Facebook  |  
Twitter  |  
Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon 

FEATURED AUTHOR: TAK TSE PROFIT

ABOUT THE BOOK

Etiam Tu: Eradicating Hatred is the first definitive position of the philosophy of Etiam Tu. It at once reflects the core values of the philosophy and addresses the most volatile element in human interpersonal interaction and required coexistence. It expresses the absolute necessity of humanity's eminent peril caused by the various forms of hate-filled influence and hateful actors intensifying each persons risk of encounter assault or affronts, as we prosecute each day. Etaim Tu's essential basis in the past lessons and truths given to mankind throughout the ages leading to the current real-time, is intended to be a reiteration of these messages and truths to awaken mankind to become cognizant of the issue it is facing in Hatreds wide spread influence on the direction societal evolution has taken, and the need for concerted efforts to be made to counteract and redirect its path towards peace, freedom, equality and prosperity. Over all the subject presenting the most immediate threat and in need of most rapid correction, Hatred's Eradication most take top consideration. This volume is the first of a series to define the tenets of Etiam Tu to shift the paradigm of existence towards a more Utopian reality. Eradicating Hatred identifies and explains the dangers presented by Hatred and their threat to our continued and long term existence. All of this is done in light of the goals for humanity spelled out by Etiam Tu.

INTERVIEW WITH TAK TSE PROFIT

How did you get started writing? 
A good friend told me of a play she wanted to right and asked me to collaborate on it. We were in 6th grade.

Do you have a writing routine?
Only to be prepared to take advantage of any idle time to continue my project.

Do you write every day?
Once I have started a project, yes: for the most part everyday.

What do you wish you’d done differently when you first started the publishing process?
I wish I had started the promotion process earlier than I did. But the total project lasted nearly ten years, so I couldn't realistically see an end to it soon enough to be sure when to start marketing.

What do you think is hardest aspect of writing a book?
Editing. I tend to do this in phases, and it consumes a lot of time, and you are never really sure you have gotten it exactly right.

How often do you read?
Only during the breaks between completing one section and starting the next section, I do it to clear my mind so I can start the new subject.

What is your writing style?
A great deal of preparation. Extensive research and note collection and distillation to create key ideas, then honing those down to actual specific thoughts for inclusion. Then organizing them in to a cogent theme and putting them to a final version. Also I tend to be redundant, purposely. I write many run-on sentences and do not apologize for them.  They are complete thoughts. Also I like to create a sort of swoon or disorientation in the readers mind with my descriptions. I take my style from Ayn Rand in that.


What do you think makes a good story?
Imagery and word pictures creating the sense of being present in the story.


Is writing your dream job?
No, philanthropist is my ultimate goal, I just need success to achieve it.

Do you have any marketing tips you could pass on to indie authors?
Use technology as much as possible; avoid hand writing as much as you can – it only wastes time.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
Independent Film Channel

How often do you tweet?
Weekly posts, daily retweets.

How do you feel about Facebook?
A great tool reaching a huge population that is sometimes mismanaged.

For what would you like to be remembered?
The love I have for humanity, and my attempt to try and wake it up and correct its course.

Would you make a good character in a book?
I am a character in everything I have ever written, in the future this will become more clear. I am a force for good, but I am not perfect.

What five things would you never want to live without?
Internet Access, Coffee, cool water for swimming, freedom from the struggle to survive, needed medications.

What’s one thing you never leave the house without (besides your phone).
My ink pen.

What do you love about where you live?
The scenery.


What’s your favorite fast food?
Arby's seasoned curly fries.


What is your superpower?
Logic and recognizing probability
.


What do you wish you could do?
If a wish was granted I would ask to be able to control the actions of anyone I had touched.

What would you name your autobiography?
The One.

Would you rather be a movie star, sports star, or rock star?
Movie Star. That gives you the greatest opportunity to impact the widest audience.


What choices in life would you like to have a redo on? 
All the way back to my very young childhood, I should have started doing what I am best at on my very first opportunity to do so.


Who is your favorite fictional character?
Francisco d'Acconia in Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

Describe yourself in 5 words.
Driven by love for mankind.


What is your favorite movie?
I claim that it's Pulp Fiction, but there are many close seconds, like It's a Wonderful Life.


What are you working on now?
My next book is two books in one/or two separate titles in Etiam Tu Which Are Whose God? And VIPreA (Voluntary Individual Perception (rational and emotional) re Alignment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Tak tse Profit spent most of life observing conditions, circumstances and people. In his early childhood he began noting factors such as the influence of the competitive spirit, the importance place on group identity and inclusion, the effects of familia derision on young children and more. He spent most his adult life in service to people known and unknown in one form or another as a defender and utilitarian in his military service, an overseer and protector in his environmental work, or confidant and chauffeur in the service industries. Considering and noting differing factors in life: both in his and others. His reflective approach to life's events and needs for relief from the accumulated negativity he observed and encounter, generated a wealth of insights he would later use to form his philosophy. By the mid 90's his outlook on the future of humanity had become very negative from the years of disappointment he had endured. Feeling humanity was lost and that societal evolution was surely headed a disastrous future he had all but completely given up on any hope for the future. Then as if divinely inspired his young son rejected and admonished his outlook and reminded him that he did not have the right to abandon hope for mankind. Almost clearly telling him that he was, in fact, his brothers keeper. As such he accepted his commission to share the Philosophy of Etiam Tu: inspired by his young son's convicting of  his heart for having given up on mankind.

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