Sunday 30 September 2012

Author Interview: A H Amin

Today we have an interview with A H Amin to celebrate the release of his futuristic thriller, Psychs.

About the Author:

A H Amin was born in Iraq, and he had lived most of his life in Kuwait. He studied dentistry in Emirates in his first years and then he continued in Egypt.


He had first come across his talent when he met a group of students in Emirates who were discussing the making of a movie. After seeing how his ideas had impressed them, he started to take a little interest in literature. He came up with the idea of a new fiction thriller, Psychs, which is his first published book, after he received good criticism about his new idea.

At present he continues to write the Psychs series, with the second one entitled The Remnant just around the corner and a new fictional short story inspired by true events that happened in South Africa.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?


A bit of both actually, I plan the characters, give them their personalities, place them in a location and then I let them take control. Having these many personas every time I write is what keeps my story moving, sometimes toward shocking results.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

They can’t, because they are competing with each other, so eventually when a character hugs a lot of the reader’s attention that’s when you’ll see a shift in the scale. It helps my story actually, having two main characters competing over who will become the favorite.

What is your favourite food?

I wish you didn’t ask me that, I’m on a diet… Stranded on an island I’d say… Pasta with tomato and Alfredo sauce.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I’m a morning person… I like being in the sun and seeing the world clearly.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I dream of going to Japan. It has history, nature, culture and technology in one place.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Yes, there are parts in the story where one of my main character’s previous life is shown in the form of flashbacks, spending time studying Psychology in Liverpool was one of the places distant to where they are.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Not while writing, but a lot of my ideas came to me while I was listening to music, it helps imagining the scenes and it’s a very good stimulus to my subconscious; best ideas originate from our subconscious since our conscious is too busy with our reality.


Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

Well, ‘Psychs’ is mainly a fantasy thriller, our protagonist has eight spirits connected to him by the tragic even of his birth, so as he grows his path morphs with him and he will chose to use those spirits to his advantage, he’ll try to gain experience from them and with them and while doing so he’ll find him self facing death repeatedly and he will be wishing a lot for a miracle… other than the one he has.

For more info on the book, check out the book spotlight:
http://booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/book-spotlight-psychs-by-h-amin.html

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

I learned that time is a main factor in the process of becoming a published writer, patience and dedication is what brought me to where I am right now. I learned never to race time and to try to be less hasty. But to be honest I’m still working on that last one.

Is there anything you would do differently?

Leonardo Da Vinci said ‘Art is never finished, merely abandoned’ meaning there’s always something to add, so of course, I’ll find my self rethinking and reimagining some small bits. The hardest part for me when I write is finding the courage to abandon my story at the end.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

My first influence is my father, he is an Engineer and a writer himself too, my brother, whom I based the main character on and of course, many other writers out there have helped in conditioning my talent to be better through their writings. Like James Patterson, Paulo Coehlo, Dan Brown, Matthew Reilly, and Charles Dickens.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Patience when you condition your idea, otherwise you’ll waste what could have been the best work of literature, also, write, write, write, and then write some more, the best author in the world could be out there and we may never know about her or him, because he or she was too lazy to sit down and write.

What are three words that describe you?

Dreamer, old, implosive.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

My favorite book would be the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, but my favorite writer is James Patterson.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bhMMxhb2ZI


Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
Website: http://psychs.wix.com/ahamin
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/authorahamin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AA_psychs
Blog: http://ahamin.wordpress.com/
Widget: http://book2look.com/vBook.aspx?id=BYOlb1oXNc
Links to online stores: http://psychs.wix.com/ahamin#!online-stores


Saturday 29 September 2012

Book Spotlight: Psychs by A H Amin

Psychs
by A H Amin
Futuristic Thriller
Author House

Blurb:

A psychiatrist with a secret and another identity. A betrayed US Marine on a quest for vengeance.


Two characters collide when sequential events started in two cities. Two characters, two sets of abilities, and one escapade.

The first book in the Psychs series, a fiction thriller like no other.
It started with a feeling, followed by a realization, then ended up into a future. All that started by the tragic event of his birth and revealed by a near death, and ever since, he had never been alone. Sequential events started to occur in two cities, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, escalating into chaos. At that point he finds himself in an enigma he’s not aware of its cause.

Using his miraculous gift, which gave him knowledge and guarded him, he will be placed in that chaos to try and figure out the truth, and for that, he is being marked. In these perilous times, he can only hope for a miracle, other than the one he has.


A chat with the author on the video below:

Book Review: The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

The House of Silk
by Anthony Horowitz
Orion Books
Mystery/Detective/Historical
The New Sherlock Holmes
4 stars

Blurb:

It is November 1890 and London is gripped by a merciless winter. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are enjoying tea by the fire when an agitated gentleman arrives unannounced at 221b Baker Street. He begs Holmes for help, telling the unnerving story of a scar-faced man with piercing eyes who has stalked him in recent weeks.

Intrigued, Holmes and Watson find themselves swiftly drawn into a series of puzzling and sinister events, stretching from the gas-lit streets of London to the teeming criminal underworld of Boston and the mysterious 'House of Silk'...

Review:

I've read some children's books by Anthony Horowitz and he wrote some of my favourite episodes of Robin of Sherwood in the 80s, so I was intrigued by this new Sherlock Holmes mystery written by him. It's been a while since I've read original Holmes, but I have to say that the story Horowitz has written had the same mysterious, intriguing feel as the originals. He has an excellent eye for description, but without going overboard. You can see what the characters see.

There are quite a few different strands that at first seem unconnected: Mr. Carstairs, an art dealer being stalked by the strange scarred man, the murder of one of the street boys Holmes uses as his eyes and ears, a wrongful arrest and the mysterious House of Silk. But as the story progresses, you see how the threads are all connected. I loved seeing how they all merged.

Reading the book you are transported back to Victorian London and surrounding countryside, but without it ever becoming a history lesson. It has a good sense of time and place, but I'm not so sure about the guns. There seemed to be an awful lot of guns about in this tale, were they really that easy to get hold of in Victorian London? The characters are well-drawn, well-rounded so that you could almost imagine talking with them.

I enjoyed the book, but I would have enjoyed it far more if I hadn't guessed what the House of Silk was quite early in the book. It may be that I've read too many mysteries and so it is very difficult to surprise me. I was disappointed that I had guessed correctly, I wanted to be proven wrong, with some outlandish theory from Holmes, but alas, that was not to be. There was one secret I didn't guess, so it was nice to be surprised on that one - and no I'm not going to give it away!

All in all, it's a good yarn well-told and I hope he writes some more Sherlock Holmes in future.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby

Friday 28 September 2012

Book Spotlight: Moments Collide by Angella Graff

Moments Collide
by Angella Graff
Fiction

Blurb:

Felix LaPage was a rising Classical Cellist.  His career was taking off, but his personal life left something to be desired.  For ten years he struggled through his relationship with a woman who had affair after affair, trying to stay true to what he had been taught by his parents; make a relationship work no matter what.  It's after he meets a woman on a train that he starts to truly question everything he had ever stood for, and the idea of happiness.

The book isn't sweet romance, it's fairly nitty-gritty.  It's not erotica, either, though there are some adult themes and adult language.

Read an extract of the book after the jump:

Author Interview: Angella Graff

In the hot seat today, we have US author, Angella Graff.

Angella Graff was born and raised in the desert city of Tucson, Arizona. She married and became a mother very young, and after getting started with her family, began her University studies where she found her passion for creative writing, history and theology.

She now resides in Tucson with her husband Joshua, three children, Christian, Isabella and Adia, and their three cats, Archive (Ivy), Lasciel and Fix. She prefers to spend her days writing, gardening, and reading non-fiction theology theory books. Angella is also an avid, if not fanatic fan of Doctor Who and BBC Sherlock, which tend to dominate her dry, sarcastic humor, a lot of which is apparent in her writing.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

It depends on what I'm writing, and how the story is going. I generally have the meta plot sorted out in my head before I begin, but I don't write outlines, they tend to distract me. With Moments Collide, I wrote it in non-linear chunks and sort of quilted it together. The book I'm working on now is flowing pretty well in a linear fashion, so I'm just letting the story flow. It's kind of neat, I've watched twists sort of develop that were absolutely unplanned and I love it!

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Some do. Characters that I had never intended to be main characters tend to develop a personality that I fall in love with and find myself giving a bigger role to. Sometimes I find myself having to force detail and background because a character and their dialogue is so dominating in a chapter.

What is your favourite food?

Curry, no questions asked. Tikka Masala and Daal Makhani. I eat it nearly every day.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I'm an everything person. I have three kids so I'm up early and in bed late. Not by choice!

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I want to go to Greece with my husband, and also the Vatican City. I'm a theology scholar and studying the cities of ancient religions is my dream. I'd also love to go to Kashmir to visit the grave of Isa, rumored to be the same person as Jesus of Nazareth!

Do distant places feature in your books?

They can, but I try and write only what I've experienced, so I only branch out beyond my experience if I've done extensive research to make it as realistic as possible.

Do you listen to music while writing?

I find music distracting most of the time when I write. I will listen to music on full blast when I'm gearing up for a long day of writing, and I listen to it almost any time I'm not writing.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?


My latest release is actually my first book I've had published. I finished it near the beginning of 2012 but sent it through several beta readers and people who helped me edit to prevent it from going live without many mistakes. The story is told from the male perspective as he deals in his ten year relationship with a woman who, in the end, turns out to be not a very nice person. The character, Felix, was brought up with the idea that no matter how hard it is, you must do everything you can to make a relationship work, so for years he fails to see they would both be better off alone. As his career starts taking off as a Classical Cellist, he meets a woman and discovers the possible idea of love at first sight. They agree to meet in a year, and during that year he starts desperately searching for the courage to take more positive steps in his life, while his wife continues to be more violent and out of control.

I wanted to tell the story of a man dealing with a difficult relationship where he is the victim, not the woman, because so many books are written, and it seems that people forget men go through terrible things too. I drew inspiration from a lot of the men that I know as friends and family, to create the story and make it as realistic as possible

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

That's a tough one, because there is so much. I've been writing since I could write. I have boxes of hand written pages I did when I was in high school, so it's been a long and intensive road from writing for fun, to taking advanced writing and fiction courses in university. Being an indie publisher, I'm learning how much work self-promoting can be, and how much time you have to dedicate to getting your work out there and introducing it to the masses. Though it might be the harder road, it feels like it might be the most rewarding, and I'm definitely not regretting my decision.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I would start trying to build a network long before I published, had I known the work it was going to take to market. Otherwise I'm pretty happy with the progress I've made in such a short time.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

Life, to begin with. I draw inspiration from everything I've been through, and from listening to others. Being able to empathize with other people makes it much easier to write a sympathetic character that people can relate to. My first ever influence was Anne Rice. I was such an Anne Rice fangirl when I was about twelve and thirteen, and for years my writing style was very similar to hers. It was with practice and school that I was able to develop and hone my own unique skill, but she's always going to be my first influential writer.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Practice, take creative writing classes, and a great way to hone your skill is to beta read for others. It helps recognize where mistakes commonly occur. Also, build your network, and make sure you read, re-read, and re-read again, and have at least three people read your work before letting it get published. It helps so much with catching the little mistakes that are hard to find in your own work.

What are three words that describe you?

Tenacious, dedicated, and neurotic. Haha. I'm brutally honest, especially about myself.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

My favorite author currently is Elaine Pagels. She writes non-fiction theology theory books, and my favorite of hers is The Origins of Satan. As much as I love to write fiction, I'm always a theology scholar, and I'm always lost in theology books.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

Coming Soon, The Awakening, the first book of The Judas Curse series. Take everything you know about modern theology and throw it out the window. The old gods of Greek Mythos are desperate for attention. They're using any means necessary to manipulate mankind into creating another religion where they can be worshiped once more. Detective Ben Stanford and his sister Abigail find themselves lost in theological mystery with an immoral Judas Iscariot and the gospel writer Mark, trying to figure out their ideas of God, their own immortality and powers.

List of previous books if any

Moments Collide by Angella Graff

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/AngellaGraffAuthor
Amazon Author Page- http://www.amazon.com/Angella-Graff/e/B009GLDA9C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
CreateSpace- https://www.createspace.com/4006072

Thank you Angella, good luck with your books :)

You can read an extract of Moments Collide below:
http://booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/book-spotlight-moments-collide-by.html



Wednesday 26 September 2012

Author Interview: Rebecca Byfield/Riley Banks

Today we have Australian author, Rebecca Byfield in the hot seat to celebrate the launch of her new book, The William S Club.



About the Author:

Riley Banks is a pen name. My real name is Rebecca Byfield (I write Young Adult novels under my real name).

I started my career in journalism while living in Papua New Guinea and Saudi Arabia. I have since travelled the world with my husband, three children, two Cocker Spaniel dogs and one very lucky street cat.

I have since returned 'home' to Australia and now live in Tasmania

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

A little of both - I try to have some idea in mind of where the story is taking me but I am not one to plan out every step along the way. More than anything, I like to let the characters lead me where they want to take me...

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?


Ha, and now I have seen this question so yes, my characters definitely change things up. Sometimes I've been heading in one direction but it just doesn't feel right for the character and I've changed the plot to fit them. After all, it is my characters I befriend, not the plot line.

What is your favourite food?

Very difficult question. I enjoy so many different types of cuisine that I'd be hard pressed to pick just one but I do have a soft spot for French food... and Japanese, and Thai...

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Definitely a morning person. With three kids and a husband (all who love to hog the computer) the only way I get time out to write is to get up at the crack of dawn while they're all still in bed. Have been known to be at the computer typing furiously at 4.30am while they all sleep in.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I have done quite a bit of travel over the years but there are still so many places I'd love to go. Russia, Canada, South America, to name just a few. In fact, one of my biggest dreams - and what I'll do when my writing finally pays me a full time wage - is to drive around the world with my husband. First stop would be Alaska where I'd love to drive all the way down to the tip of Argentina.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Definitely. Having travelled so much and having lived overseas, I love to feature exotic destinations in my books. The William S Club starts in London and takes in Paris, Nice, Vienna, Portofino and Dubai before getting to Sydney. It also has scenes set in Switzerland and Washington DC so it is quite a 'global' book. Another series I write for YA (www.vampireorigins.net) features an expatriate family who have lived in nine different countries before landing in Romania. Having lived as expats ourselves, and having raised my children as expats, it will always be there.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Sometimes. It depends on my mood. I have two play lists dedicated to writing. One is purely instrumental for when song lyrics get in the way of my creativity. Another just has songs I love that inspire me. But sometimes, I just need silence.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

The concept for The William S Club started when reading an article about property prices throughout history. I had just ordered Chinese and started thinking 'wouldn't it be great if we could have bought property during the war? How much would that property be worth now?' From there I started jotting down notes and creating characters that could be interwoven into the story and voila! The William S Club was born. It follows journalist Charlotte Burke who changed her name to escape her past.

Charlotte's latest assignment sees her attending a cross-continental press trip with Harvey Incorporated, which puts her on a collision course with the past she was trying to escape. Everything Charlotte thought she knew is about to be turned upside down as the William S Club pulls strings behind the scenes, leading her back to the one place on earth she swore she'd never return - Sydney.

It is hard to pinpoint one genre for the book. It has elements of romance in the growing connection between Charlotte and Damon Harvey. There is the suspense in the background with readers turning pages to find out what The William S Club's big secret is and what their interest is in Charlotte. With quite a few heated sex scenes, it has elements of erotica without actually being an erotic novel. The one thing that is clear - every person who has read it has found it impossible to put down, with nearly all finishing within a day or two at the most.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

Heaps. When I look back over my early writing, I cringe and wonder how I ever sold anything. That goes for both my fiction and my journalistic work. An over reliance on adverbs and flowery prose, not enough character development and backstory...

Is there anything you would do differently?

I have changed all of the above. I also send my work out to be critiqued and edited by others. One thing I have also learned how to do is to place a hook at the end of each chapter that makes readers hate to put the book down. Never, ever end a chapter with a relaxing scene. Always keep the adrenaline levels high.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

I've always loved to write. I remember writing short stories for my friends when I was still in primary school. Funny, those friends kept those stories and still love to read through them. As a child, I grew up reading lots. I was insatiable with books, reading well into the night. Some of my favourite authors as a child were CS Lewis, Enid Blyton and Stephen Lawhead. I loved to read these magical worlds the authors had created. My dad always hated that I read so much, thinking I should concentrate more on the real world. But the real world will always be there. Fiction allows me to escape into my imagination for brief periods of time.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Read voraciously. Don't just stick to your favourite genre. Read many different styles and by many different authors. And yes, even read some that get caned by the critics so you can see how NOT to do it. Don't go overboard on descriptions and limit your use of adverbs and exclamation marks (I'm reading The Hunger Games right now and on one page, I think I counted 30 exclamation marks). A wise author once told me there should be no more than 2 or 3 per book (says me fighting the urge to put an exclamation mark at the end of that sentence).

What are three words that describe you?

Passionate (about my family, life, travel, writing, books - if you don't believe in things with passion, then you're just wishy washy). Dreamy - I do love to live inside my head and have so many dreams at night, I've taken to keeping a notebook by my bed. Talkative - whether it is in my writing or verbally, I don't mind having a chat. I was blessed with the gift of the gab.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

Just one? Hmm, I love Gone with the Wind. For its time, it really pushed the envelope. Scarlett O'Hara might have been a hussy but she had the courage to stand by her choices and accept the consequences for her actions. She is my inspiration in writing strong female leads that don't always need to be rescued (but don't mind it every now and again).

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book:

The William S Club

A beautiful Australian journalist who changed her name and fled her homeland, a billionaire property magnate who dredges up her tortured past and an elite club with a secret they have killed to protect.
Sydney is the one place Charlotte Burke swore she would never return but The William S Club have other plans.

Lust, sex, violence, blackmail and even murder, they will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden, pushing Charlotte and the other players towards their dangerous end-game.

List of previous books if any: The Vampire Origins (previously available
for sale but now going through a rewrite). (www.vampireorigins.net)

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/aussieicon
http://amzn.com/B00986TD2S
http://amazon.com/author/rileybanks
http://www.vampireorigins.net
https://www.twitter.com/rebeccabyfield
https://www.twitter.com/vampireorigins
http://www.facebook.com/VampireOrigins
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRileyBanks
http://www.wix.com/rebeccabyfield/aussieicon-consultancy
http://www.aussieicon.com (being redeveloped).

Thank you, Rebecca and good luck with your books :)

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Book Review: Primary Fault by Sharon Kae Reamer

Primary Fault: Tales of The Schattenreich
by Sharon Kae Reamer
Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Romance
5 Stars

Blurb:

Geophysicist Caitlin Schwarzbach, out of work and weary of small-town Texas, leaves home. For good. Separated from her beloved brother Gus at age seven when their parents divorced, she moves to Cologne, Germany to be with him. Instead of meeting her brother upon her arrival, a Gus lookalike attempts to kidnap her by pulling her into a wall of glass. His accomplice: a curvy Nordic beauty dressed in black taffeta and lace and swarmed by ravens. Caitlin believes her experience to be a product of jet lag and disorientation. Later that evening at a university reception, Caitlin feels intimidated by one of her brother's former colleagues.

The conversation is interrupted by a dangerously attractive man who introduces himself as Hagen von der Lahn. She learns her seismologist brother has included her in a research project with the amateur archaeologist and stylish aristocrat. After Gus is called away by an earthquake, the deranged Gus doppelgänger again tries to drag her away. Hagen rescues her and spirits her to his castle near the Rhine. After her brother fails to return from a meeting in the Praetorium in Cologne, Caitlin discovers him on his terrace bleeding from a head wound. Gus vanishes, sought by police for multiple sexual assaults.

Before she can follow a promising lead as to his whereabouts, a blow to the head sends her to the hospital. An unwanted visitor appears by her bed; someone she feared since childhood, the being she thinks of as Death. His appearance can only mean one thing: her brother is in mortal danger. A novel of supernatural suspense, Primary Fault tells the tale of a woman's quest to save her brother. The mixture of science meets beings from a Celtic Otherworld against atheistic Druids and will delight fans of a tightly plotted fantasy with richly drawn characters.

Review:

A lot of fantasy is very similar with the same rehashed characters and plots. Primary Fault is different, a very imaginative ride. The author has blended science, earthquakes, history, mythology, mysticism and adventure into something very unique. It is very well-written and is quite a page-turner, you have to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Most of it is written in the first person, by our heroine Caitlin, and although it's not my favourite point of view, here it works very well because we as readers get to discover things at the same time as her. It has both a down-to-earth feel and a mysterious/otherworldly feel as well and the author has done both very well. Other less, skilled writers might find themselves doing better at the one than the other.

I'm not usually such a fan of urban type fantasy, where the fantasy elements encroach on the real world as it were, but here I didn't mind at all because I was transplanted into the middle of such a good story that it didn't matter what particular genre it was. In this book I loved the blend of fantastic and normal, with Caitlin never quite sure whether or not she was hallucinating. I also adored the fact that Caitlin comes face to face with her brother's Doppelganger in Germany, that just seems so apt to me.

The romance between Caitlin and Hagen von der Lahn could have felt overdone, handsome man, baron with his own medieval castle, but in the context of this book, it just clicked and who hasn't dreamt of being rescued by the knight in shining armour (or in this case a silver limousine) on his white horse at some time? All in all, it was a sweeping, romantic, exciting adventure not to be missed with enough twists and turns to keep even the most jaded thriller fan happy.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby

Night Owl Reviews Scavenger Hunt

Win Books and Prizes in the Night Owl Reviews Full Moon Web Hunt

Hello, everyone :)

I'm participating in the Halloween Full Moon Scavenger Hunt over at Night Owl Reviews.

Come over and join the hunt. You could be the winner of my prize.

I'm giving away ebooks of Silent Screams, New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer, a $15 amazon gift card, ebook copy of The Chosen, ebook copy of Shadows of the Rose, and an ebook copy of the Strange Love anthology.

You enter the hunt by reading book blurbs and doing some fill in the blanks. This is a great way for you to find new books and authors. Along the way you also get entered for great prizes. Prizes range from Kindles and $100 gift cards to eBooks and signed copies.

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Pages/FullMoonDetails.aspx

Take care,
Annette

Monday 24 September 2012

Author Interview: David Kessler

Today we have multi-talented author David Kessler in the hot seat.

About the author:


 I have been writing since the age of 15. My writing ranges from thrillers to science fiction, to children’s books to chick-lit, but my greatest distinction is to be the master of the thriller genre. When you start to read a thriller by David Kessler, you know that you are going to be reading a devilishly cunning thriller full of twists and turns, almost every chapter ending on a cliffhanger and big twist at the end. But even then you cannot be sure that you’ve heard the last of it – there’s usually a sting in the tail.

I started my writing career more as an act of self-indulgence than anything else, with a screenplay that I sent to my mother’s cousin – film director Clive Donner. He was kind enough not to rip it to shreds but he did point out both its good points and its flaws.

It was at that point that I realized that I really did have a talent for creative writing and I resolved to become a professional writer.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I try to plan everything. If I write without a detailed plan, I tend to pad the story with a lot of gabbling that fails to move the story forward. Or it just ends too quickly. When I plan ahead, I am able to write a more complex story and to keep up the pace with short scenes and sharp cuts. But in order to plan, the book sometimes needs a long gestation period between initial concept and writing - like an architect spending a long time at the drafting table before the builders are allowed even to dig the foundations. But I have noticed that even with planning I tend to make changes on the fly as new ideas come to me. Some time I would like to have another go at writing a story with very little planning - as I used to do in my youth when I first started out. It will be interesting.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Yes that does happen. There are always certain characters who take on a life of their own and surprise me. When that happens it is one of the most pleasant even joyous experiences of writing. I like to be surprised... and to be surprised by one's own characters is a thrill.

What is your favourite food?

Chicken schnitzel and potato kugel - home made of course! Also fried gefilte fish and potato latkes! And chicken soup with kneidelech and... Don't start me on food! I eat too much of it already. I also have a sweet tooth which is very bad for the waistline, the pancreas, the heart and God knows what else!

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Hard to say. I suppose more of a night owl. But when I am able to adjust my body clock and get up early (in certain environments) that can be great fun.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I'd like to go to Japan some time and explore both its bustling metropolises and its more exotic sites like Mount Fuji. I'd also like to do a road trip across the USA and then maybe come back via Canada. Why? Mainly because I haven't travelled much in my life. Even for research purposes I tend to do most of my "travelling" via Google Earth and Street View. I really need to get out more. I would like to go one some camping trips in America's big national parks. I'd also like to do a walking/hiking trip through Britain's Lake District and maybe a river/canal trip around Britain. I've been a townie most of my life, but I'd like to change that.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Very much so. My Alex Sedaka series of legal thrillers is set in San Francisco. This was because it was a death penalty story and I needed to set it in the USA. After settling on California, I had to set it near San Quentin because the whole story takes place in a day and the lawyer needs to be near the prison. So I set it in San Francisco and relied on internet research and a friend in California (albeit Southern California) to see me through. Since then I've made friends online with people in San Francisco and Oakland who have helped me with other Alex Sedaka thrillers.

My "Dan Brown" style thrillers, written under the pen-name Adam Palmer and featuring an expert on Semitic languages called Daniel Klein (note the initials) are set in all sorts of exotic locations. The first one (The Moses Legacy) spanned Egypt, Israel and Jordan. The one I am writing now takes in Romano-Britain, Italy and Israel. And the one I am planning after that will take in Greece, Crete, France and possibly some other locations.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Only if I want to get distracted and not do any work! I like music and sometimes it relaxes me. But if I really want to concentrate I have to turn off the music. Paradoxically, talk radio distracts me less than music. I can write creatively when I have talk radio on in the background, but music is concentration killer. I just enjoy it too much.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

My latest book is called Hello Darkness My Old Friend (I was initially going to call it Marked Man). It starts with two young rich men getting into a skiing race on a dangerous slope in Switzerland that leaves one of them dead. Then it cuts to San Francisco, where a one-legged homeless man stabs another, only to get caught while running away. Confused and disoriented at the arraignment court, he asks for Alex Sedaka to defend him. Out of sympathy, Alex agrees to take the case pro bono (i.e. no fee) but his client is uncooperative and what starts as a clear-cut case is shrouded in mystery and takes on a life of its own full of unexpected twists and turns. For a start, no one knows the dead man's identity, but outsiders appear to be taking an interest in the case, including a suave, besuited Englishman, a tough guy with some sort of ex-military background and even Homeland Security, MI6 and the British Prime Minister. And as Alex Sedaka peels away the layers of the mystery, some of these outsiders are beginning to take an interest in him.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?    



Publishers don't know everything and don't always have your interests at heart. Of course publishers want every one of their books to succeed. But it's a numbers game. If your book flops but enough of their other titles succeed, then on balance they're ahead of the game. But you're not. You've only got one career and if you blow it, or let them blow it for you, you're unlikely to get another chance. I am probably one of the few who had two bites of the cherry, with a whole decade separating Hodder dropping me and Harper Collins giving me a new lease of life.


US Kindle Cover


But however grateful you are to have a publishing contract signed and sealed, once you've got it, you may have to fight them - and that could be over anything and everything from the cover design to the publication date. If it's a paperback, push for spring or early summer. If it's a hardback, November or December is fine. Resist a September release like the plague. If you don't like the cover design, tell them - and tell them forcefully. If they say they have the experience and you disagree, argue with them. Don't defer to them. Ditto for the title. If you don't believe me, take a look at the cover design of my book Mercy. Then look at the cover design that I used when I retitled the book You Think You Know Me Pretty Well and marketed it for the Kindle in America.    
Paperback cover


What may surprise you is that the cover design I used for my own version is very similar to one of the many excellent cover designs that my publishers came up with and then rejected before they adopted the bland, vacuous cover that they put on the equally vacuously titled Mercy!

Is there anything you would do differently?

Apart from what I said above about dealing with publishers, I suppose the big difference is that I might have chosen to go down a completely different path and write literary fiction instead of genre fiction. When I was 15 I wrote what I still think was my best ever piece of writing: a first person account of a teenage girl driven to suicide by bullying. It was a 10 page short story - based on a real case - which I wrote it in one day, directly into the old manual typewriter that I worked on in those days. It was a straight-from-the-heart explosion of emotion onto the page, which I subsequently rewrote about three times. Each time I rewrote it, it got worse as I spent more time thinking and the narrative became progressively more cerebral and less emotional. Sadly, several changes of address and a flood in my father's basement means that I no longer have the original first draft but only the third or fourth.

Why is that so relevant, I hear you asking? Well somewhere along the line I took a wrong turn in my professional life and decided to write thrillers. I had always liked thrillers and when I started out, I had quite a "catholic" approach to writing: thrillers, comedy, novels, screenplays, etc. But then I settled on thrillers in particular and stuck to it. Then, when I signed a publishing contract, I found myself even more constrained and constricted. Don't get me wrong, it has been both fun and lucrative. But as I get older, I realize just how ephemeral thrillers really are and I wish I had written at least one timeless piece of literary fiction.

Now with the new ePublishing platforms making self-publishing more practical and lucrative, I am diversifying my efforts (science fiction, Children's/YA, chick-lit) and even planning on writing material other than books. I am currently revising a play I have written about a couple of drug-addict brothers. It is a serious drama like the old "kitchen sink" dramas of the 1960s. I am also working in my spare time on a musical. But I don't want to say what it's about just yet, in case any one else gets the same idea.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

At one time Ayn Rand influenced my writing - probably too much. More recently Harlan Coben. Also, Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner and Robert Heinlein.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

In another interview, I stuck my neck out and suggested that struggling writers shouldn't have any qualms about sock-puppetry and posting fake reviews to kick-start their careers. My reasoning was that both the purpose and the likely outcome of such reviews is to boost the writer's profile, not to deceive potential readers. With the "look inside" option and personal networking, people are unlikely to buy a book on the strength of a stranger's review - unless it is a reviewer whose advice they have followed with happy results in the past.

But those four and five stars increase the likelihood that the book will appear on the first page when the customer signs in, and thus bring it to the attention of readers who might otherwise never learn of its existence. The greatest problem that the unknown writer faces is not that they will be pilloried by honest reviews but that they will be ignored altogether. My controversial advice was designed to counteract this silent but deadly threat.

However, I learned from the irate responses that if there's one thing worse than writer's block it's the execution block and I came damn close to being decapitated by my peers in their righteous indignation! So instead, I will proffer only this advice - which like all good advice is easier given than followed: Work hard, keep trying and to quote the Bard of Avon: "This above all: to thine own self be true."

What are three words that describe you?

Loving, Ambitious, Frustrated.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

It used to be Atlas Shrugged, but I now feel; that the interminable speeches and preaching detract from the novel. The content of the speeches is best left unstated and should be proven by the events of the story itself. Stripped of the speeches, it is still a good book, but Ayn Rand's earlier novel The Fountainhead is in some ways more subtle.

I also loved Lady by Thomas Tryon. It was a wonderful book told through the mouth of an adult recalling his childhood. The book's theme was racial intolerance and in my opinion, it was better than Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

My current favourite writer is Harlan Coben. Some people say he writes the same book every time, but try as I may to guess, he nearly always manages to surprise me. His last few books have been a bit off, but I have no doubt that he'll get back to form pretty soon.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

Hello Darkness My Old Friend

SWITZERLAND - the Jungfrau Region: A young man, from an extremely wealthy and powerful Middle Eastern family, dies in a skiing accident. The incident is captured by a lone photographer who cannot believe what he has just seen.



SAN FRANCISCO: A few months later, two homeless men stagger into a bar. One of them leaves, but minutes later the other is stabbed by a one-legged homeless man - George Stone.

Arrested at the scene and charged with murder with special circumstances, Stone asks for Alex Sedaka to represent him. But Alex is met by a wall of evasiveness from his own client. Even the identity of the victim is a mystery - the only clue being a tattoo on the dead man's torso.

However, it soon becomes apparent that this is anything but a straightforward case of violence between homeless people. After all, how many homeless people have $2000 on them. And why would a homeless killer leave such a large sum on his victim? More significantly, why is the British Prime Minister taking such an interest in the murder of a homeless "John Doe" over five thousand miles away?

But when Homeland Security become involved and an attempt is made on the accused man's life, both Alex and the DA realize that matters are running out of control. And as powerful forces up the ante, Alex also has to face the fact that his client isn't the only one in danger. And the threat reaches all the way across the Atlantic from the most powerful family in the United Kingdom - leading to a stunning showdown!

List of previous books if any
A Fool for a Client
The Other Victim
Tarnished Heroes (out of print)
Reckless Justice (out of print)
Who Really Killed Rachel (non-fiction, out of print)
The Wimbledon Common Murderer (carries on the story of Who Really Killed Rachel) ebook.
Mercy (US title: You think you know me pretty well)
No Way Out (US title: It started out quite simply)
The Moses Legacy (as "Adam Palmer")

ebooks (excluding those above)
Checkmate at the Beauty Pageant (a Dov Shamir novella)
Hidden Menace (a Dov Shamir novella)
Ethan and the Devious Doctor (Children's, as "Dan Ryan")
Ethan and the Cryptic Clues (Children's, as "Dan Ryan")
The Luddite Girls (chick-lit as "Karen Dee")
The Year of Compulsory Childbirth (sci-fi, as "Nigel Farringdon")
Spirit of Icarus (sci-fi, as "Nigel Farringdon")

(NB the sci-fi books are bloody awful, everything else ranges from okay to excellent!)   Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

www.davidkesslerauthor.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kessler_%28author%29
https://twitter.com/DKesslerAuthor
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Moses-Legacy/164066356994258

Sunday 23 September 2012

Author Interview: Chris Rakunas

Today we have thriller author, Chris Rakunas in the hot seat to celebrate the launch of his new book, The 8th Doll. Welcome :)

About the author:

I currently live in Clinton, Oklahoma, with my wife, Darcey.  When we’re not travelling or painting our new house, I enjoy scuba diving.  I’m a native of Los Angeles, California, and have been lucky enough to spend some time on 5 continents.  I love hearing from fans and am always available to chat through my FB site www.facebook.com/chrisrakunas

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I actually spend a long time planning my books to make sure that they’re going to end up the way I want them to. After a 10,000 or so word outline, I get to writing. Whenever I’ve tried to just let things flow, I find that I either get stuck in the middle or I have a hard time getting to the final point I want the characters to end up.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

Yes. In fact, sometimes I have to make sure that the characters don’t become so defined that I’m unable to get them to do whatever is next in the plot. I do enjoy when characters have a defined feel to them, as though you can guess what they’d do in a given situation. It just makes them seem more real which, in turn, makes the book more enjoyable.

What is your favourite food?

I have to choose just one? I enjoy food from all over the world, including Vietnamese pho, Carolina pulled pork, and sushi. But today is pretty hot, so I’m craving a traditional Lithuanian soup called saltbarsciai. It’s made with buttermilk and beets and looks fluorescent pink. You can’t beat it on a hot day.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Both. Who said the party has to stop?

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I have been very lucky in my life to have travelled extensively around the globe. I really enjoyed Mongolia, Lithuania, and Turkey and would love to go back there sometime. The 8th Doll was actually something I thought about while I was in the Yucatan in Mexico, so I value travel as a useful tool in writing. I really wanted to go to Morocco, but with all the unrest throughout the Middle East, I’m not so sure it’s good for an American to be wandering around there right now.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Yes. My first book, Tears for the Mountain, is about Haiti, and this book is about Mexico. My third book, which I hope to have out by the end of the year, takes place in Thailand, and the next book in this series will be in Eastern Europe. I love writing about places I’ve been.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Whenever possible! There are a few albums, like The Highwaymen and The Killer’s Day and Age that I can turn on and just drift away. Music has an amazing ability to touch people differently from other media.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

The 8th Doll is a fast paced thriller that is set in the Yucatan. It follows the investigation of a murdered geologist who was killed on the site of some ancient Mayan ruins. No one is sure if there is a tie to the 2012 apocalyptic prophecy or something more sinister. All of the architecture, culture, and geology in the book is factual, as are all of the locations I mention down to the restaurants and bars in Mexico.



What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

Some people are going to love what you write and some people are going to hate it. There are millions of Harry Potter fans out there, but some people just don’t like that type of story. The same is going to happen with anything you write, and you can’t take it too personally. Now, when a publisher tells you they don’t like something, you have to listen. They’re not saying they dislike the story; they’re telling you they don’t think it will sell. There’s a big difference between the two.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I probably would have relaxed a little bit more. With self-publishing, just having a book published has lost a little bit of its oomph. Anyone can be an author now. It’s really about selling books and building an audience that sets apart Stephen King from Joe down the street.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

The more I write, the more I realize that what I am trying to achieve are two things: first is to tell a good story, and second is to tell the story well. I really have started paying attention to other story tellers, whether they’re movies, songs, or even just someone in a bar who captivates an audience. I try to pick apart what it is about the story and about how they’re telling it and incorporate those elements into my writing.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Just keep writing and keep querying. I meet lots of people who say they want to be an author, and I tell them there’s nothing holding them back. All they have to do is write.

What are three words that describe you?

Loyal. Fun. Alligator. (I couldn’t really think of a third so I just said whatever came to mind)

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

Hands down Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is the best book in the history of best books! I have a love for Hemingway and Fitzgerald, too, and a lot of respect for Jenn Lancaster. Yes, I just said Jenn Lancaster in the same sentence as Fitzgerald. I think she would have torn it up in Paris in the 1920’s. In the same way that Hemingway has a massive impact with tight sentences, I think Lancaster has an impact on readers with an easy, conversational tone. My wife kept telling me that “Bitter is the New Black” was a great book, and after I finally broke down and read it, I could see what she was talking about.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

The 8th Doll

When the body of geologist Charlie Landry is found beheaded beside the cenote at Dzibilchaltun, Skips Kane does the last thing he wants to do — he calls his old friend Professor Alex Guidry to help solve the murder. It’s not that Skips and Alex have had a falling out, but rather that their last adventure together resulted in the death of Alex’s wife. The team begins to look for anything that might help explain the geologist’s murder, but their only clue turns out to be a small doll with the number “8” written in Charlie’s own blood on the front. Is it a reference to the famed Temple of the Seven Dolls in Dzibilchaltun, or does it have to do with the sighting of Ah Pukuh, the Mayan god of death, and the Mayan 2012 apocalyptic prophecy? The mystery of the 8th doll will take Kane and Guidry down the winding paths of the Yucatan where they will discover the answer to the age old question: what will happen when the Mayan calendar ends?

List of previous books if any

My first book, Tears for the Mountain, is about a 2010 medical mission trip to Haiti following the earthquake there. A portion of the proceeds benefits New Life Children’s Home, the orphanage in Port-au-Prince where we worked.

Thank you, Chris and good luck with all your endeavours :)

Friday 21 September 2012

Passionate Cooks now available for pre-order

Passionate Cooks
Various Authors
Free cookbook

All Romance Ebooks

Food and love have had a long association, for Passionate Cooks: Free Recipes From Today’s Hottest Romance Authors, over 150 authors of the genre have put their pens and computers aside to don aprons, get down and dirty in the kitchen, and share their love of food.

Much like romance novels themselves, the dishes range from spicy to sweet. There is something for every taste and every level of culinary expertise. The cookbook includes New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mari Carr’s “Wild Irish” Cream of Crab Soup recipe. Western GBLT author BA Tortuga contributes a dish as spicy and colorful as the straight-shooting author herself with Ranch Hands—a blend of Tabasco, salsa, onions and cumin, added to pinto beans, eggs, Canadian bacon and cheddar cheese and served in a tortilla. And for those of you who are feeling extra creative and sexy, there’s the Avocado Dip that doubles as body paint from mystery writer Marcia James.

Some recipes are simple, such as Down Home Mac & Cheese, while some are more exotic, such as Spicy Shrimp Risotto. There are even some gluten-free selections, like the Sweet and Spicy Gluten-Free Lo Mein-ish Noodles from erotica author Sommer Marsden. And a few are perfectly timed for a Halloween, such as Tracey H. Kitt’s Gamberi del Diavolo or Shrimp of the Devil.

Best of all, they are FREE!

The book includes my own recipe, Passionate Pears :)

The book goes live on 1 October, but you can pre-order it here:
Passionate Cooks

Take care,
Annette


Thursday 20 September 2012

Book Review: Bound by Deception by Ava March

Reviewer's purchased copy
Bound by Deception
by Ava March
Loose-Id
M/M Historical/Erotic Romance
4.5 Stars

Blurb:
Lord Oliver Marsden has a secret. He's been in love with his childhood friend for years, though Vincent's never shown an interest in him beyond friendship. Ruggedly handsome, wealthy, and successful, Vincent is everything Oliver is not. And Vincent doesn't prefer men.

Then Oliver discovers Vincent hires a man during his visits to a London brothel. Desperate to be with Vincent, Oliver orchestrates a deception, switching places with the brothel's employee. When Oliver arrives at the bedchamber, he's in for another surprise. Restraints and a leather bullwhip? Apparently Vincent isn't as conservative as he appears.

Lord Vincent Prescot has a secret of his own. One kept locked away and only indulged once a month. But this month's appointment is different. The mysterious man is so perfect, so beautiful in his submission, rousing protective instincts Vincent can't deny. Yet he refuses to believe he might truly prefer men, for it could mean the end of his hopes of earning his father's respect.

Will betrayal destroy them or will they be bound together by deception?

Review:

This is a very hot and sensual novella, peeking into the lives of Oliver Marsden and Vincent Prescot, both second sons of the aristocracy who met and became firm friends at boarding school. As the years moved on, however, Oliver fell in love with Vincent, who shows no hint of sharing his friend's preferences for men. That is until Oliver discovers that Vincent goes to a brothel once a month, in order to avail himself of the services of a male prostitute, the same one Oliver uses.

Oliver devises a very ill-informed plan, wherein he will take the place of the prostitute and have Vincent, even if it's only for one night. But the reader knows, long before Oliver does, that one night is never going to be enough and what happens when Vincent discovers the deception?

Although a short novella, you don't feel cheated of storyline and characters. Oliver and Vincent are both well-drawn, rounded characters, Oliver has a bit more depth than Vincent, I would say. Vincent is quite well-to do, but Oliver's families fortunes have waned due to his father and grandfather's gambling problems and the contrast between their two lifestyles is well done. Oliver's house has gone to seed a bit, as he has no maids or valets, unlike Vincent and I had to laugh at the scene wherein Vincent tries to convince him to get a maid, but Oliver doesn't want her to wonder what the hook in the ceiling is for. Vincent says that Oliver doesn't have a hook in the bedroom ceiling. "No, not yet."

The love scenes between our two heroes are scorching and who knew there were so many sex toys around in the Regency era? - Oliver has quite the collection! Some people might be put off by the BDSM elements, but though it is there and is quite sexy in my opinion, you also see the emotional connection between the two characters, it's not all just physical gratification. I don't think Oliver would have been that interested in it if it hadn't been with Vincent. It works for these two characters and that's what's important.

You have to suspend your disbelief a little during that first scene, where Vincent doesn't know it is Oliver he is with. They'd been friends for years, surely he would have recognised his voice even if Oliver had been trying to disguise it? Anyway, I was reading it for the romance, so I can forgive that and it is an interesting way for our two heroes to get together at first. I don't think I've ever read a book with that premise before, so kudos to the author for originality. I think Ava March has cornered the market with Regency M/M erotic romances, she does it very well and you can tell from the writing she loves the era she is writing about, but her books never turn into a history lesson.

A great read.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Book Review: The Caregiver by Astrid Cruz

Review copy supplied by author
The Caregiver
by Astrid Cruz
Book 1 of the Caregiver Series
Thriller/Crime/Romance
3.5 stars
ebook available now from amazon and smashwords

Blurb:

Scarlett Lang always dreamt of becoming an Interpol agent. When her hard work pays off and she's given the chance to work as an undercover agent with London's biggest drug lord, Armand Sayer, she can't help being ecstatic about it.

She's employed by Armand's sister (to aid in his recovery from a gun attack) as both caregiver and bodyguard. Her resourcefulness in both areas helps her win much more than Armand's trust, to the dismay of both his right-hand man and her ex-boyfriend / colleague.

As she makes her way into the business she swore to help tear down, she's faced with the dilemma of choosing between being loyal to her profession or her heart. And we all know it can't be both.

Review:

I'm in two minds about this book. On the one hand you have an interesting story and fascinating characters that you want to find more about but on the other some of the facts just don't sit right. From what I could discover, Interpol doesn't send undercover agents around the world, they work with the police in each country, it's the country's own police/detectives/agents who would handle arrests etc. and work undercover.

This book is set in the UK, but that was hard to discern. The names didn't sound very English and there were a lot of guns about, even with a story about drug dealers. Guns just don't play that big a part in the UK, even with criminals. More knife crimes would be more realistic in the book than guns. Then, when Scarlett and Armand went to a restaurant in London, the keys were handed to a valet. I have never seen anywhere in the UK with valet parking. Not to say it doesn't exist, I've just never seen it. Maybe I need to go to some better restaurants ;) It seems the author wanted to set the book in the UK, but a lot of it seemed very American to me. Not that that was a bad thing, it just jars a bit when you were expecting something more English-ey.

I did like the book and I loved Scarlett as a tough, no-nonsense woman. Too often in crime thrillers the woman is just there as decoration, not so here. Scarlett holds her own. Armand, I'm not so sure of. The romance between them seemed to happen suddenly, without any hint of foreshadowing. I think it might have worked better with Armand as Scarlett's mentor rather than lover. Personally I just didn't get the romance between them at all. But maybe that's just me, I was never one to fall for the 'bad boy' mentality.

It is a well paced and plotted book and is a fast read, but a bit of a let down with the cliffhanger ending. Even if it's part of a series, I like books to have a good, solid ending. It's good, but could have been so much better with a bit more research.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby.

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Book Review: Shelf Life: Fantastic Stories Celebrating Bookstores

ARC From Netgalley
Shelf Life: Fantastic Stories Celebrating Bookstores
Edited by Greg Ketter
Introduction by Neil Gaiman
4 stars

Blurb:

Bookstores are the greatest places on earth, yet there's never been an anthology devoted just to them. Here are sixteen stories, fourteen original to this anthology, each of which includes a bookstore at its core. Science fiction, fantasy and horror. Authors included are David Bischoff, P.D. Cacek, Ramsey Campbell, Charles de Lint, Marianne de Pierres, Harlan Ellison, Rick Hautala, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Gerard Houarner, John J. Miller, A.R. Morlan, Lisa Morton, Melanie Tem, Patrick Weekes, Jack Williamson, Gene Wolfe. Introduction by Neil Gaiman. Cover art by John Picacio.

Review:

Anyone who knows me knows I love books and bookshops and here we have an anthology where the bookshop is the setting for each of the stories. All the stories are different, but each have an element of the fantastic. They range from SF, to Horror, to fantasy to some with a fairy tale feel. From stories set in Nazi Germany to stories with kittens who can read. As with any anthology, you tend to prefer some stories over others, but all of them are good here. One of my favoruites was The Hemmingway Kittens, even though I'm not really a cat person, but they were just so cute. I didn't even know they were an actual breed, so I learned something too.

This is a great collection for anyone who loves books, it would make an ideal gift for a bibliophile. My one niggle is to do with the editing - some typos and the wrong words used take you out of a story very quickly. Things like 'an' instead of 'and' for example. But still a good read.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby


Monday 17 September 2012

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Reviewer's purchased copy.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
by J. K. Rowling
Fantasy
Signature Edition
Bloomsbury
5 Stars

Blurb:

Harry Potter is midway through his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup. He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal - even by wizarding standards. And in his case, different can be deadly.

Review:

Books aimed at children or the YA market don't usually appeal to me, so I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Harry Potter books, and still do. I first got into it when we went to a midnight showing of the first film and my husband bought me a set of the Harry Potter books for my birthday. There were five then and he didn't know what he'd started! I was hooked and am a big fan and waited eagerly for the last two.

Because I am a fan, it's difficult to write a review without too much gushing, but I have to admit that I loved Goblet of Fire and I re-read it quite a bit. Here, we get to see Harry, Ron and Hermione growing up and navigating the choppy waters of adolescence, with arguments, heartache and facing up to the fact that no one is safe from Voldemort.

Harry and Ron's attempts at finding dates for the Yule Ball were hilarious with just the right tone of akwardness and humour. The romance parts I could take or leave really, but you do feel for Harry when he finally gets up the courage to ask Cho to the ball but she's already going with Cedric. That was very realistic.

There was so much to love about this book - the Triwizard Tournament, Quidditch world cup, dragons, secret discoveries, learning more about the Death Eaters and Voldemort's past. It was a long book but as I was reading it for the first time (before the film came out) I really couldn't see what they should cut. Every scene seemed essential to me, from Ron's old-fashioned dress-robes and his falling out with Harry over being chosen as a champion, to Hermione seeking emancipation for the house-elves. They cut the house-elf storyline for the film, but I loved it in the book and it lets you find out more about Hermione too.

Some of the book is quite light and jolly, like Harry getting to see the Quidditch world cup for the first time and the Yule Ball, but the book sets a darker tone towards the end. I like how things were set up before hand, such as Harry discovering about Portkeys on the way to the world cup and how they play a part much later on. It's like parts of the book have been set out like a giant jigsaw puzzle and it's only as you get near to the end that you see how they all fit together as a whole.

The writing is simplistic, but that same simplicity draws you in and before you know it you've read 200 pages and have to stop because you need some sleep, but really, you just want to keep reading to see what happens next. Even though I've read it before. My husband asks why I re-read things that I've read before and know the story, well for the Harry Potter books, the answer is simple: I love Harry as a character and every time I'm re-reading the books, it's like getting to know a friend all over again. Will I still be re-reading the Harry Potter books in ten years time? I don't know for sure, but I'd like to think so.

The Goblet of Fire is a great, escapist read.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby

Sunday 16 September 2012

New Lines opening at Lyrical Press - call for submissions

Lyrical Press is proud to announce the induction of four Lines to our current catalog structure.


Embrace

 • Fresh take on popular contemporary romance tropes.
• 40,000 – 70,000 words
• Tropes considered, but are not limited to: Enemies to Lovers, Boss/Employee to Lovers, Reformed Rake, Millionaire Playboy, The Love Triangle.
• Engaging hero. Alpha male preferred.
• Believable, relatable and likable heroine.
• Heat level can range from sweet to spicy.
• Erotic romance will not be considered for Embrace.
• Digital. Print option based on digital sales.
• Please include Embrace in the subject line of your query, word count and trope used in the body of your email.

Detailed submission guidelines here: http://www.lyricalpress.com/submissions.html

Please submit to: submissions@lyricalpress.com

Once Upon

• Erotic twist on fairytales, myths, legends and folklore.
• 30,000 – 95,000 words
• Tortured hero/heroine is always a plus
• Alpha males are a must.
• Heat level can range from sensual to red-hot.
• Erotic romance welcome for Once Upon
• Digital only.
• Please include Once Upon in the subject line of your query, and word count, fairytale, myth, legend, or folklore used in the body of your email.

Detailed submission guidelines here: http://www.lyricalpress.com/submissions.html

Please submit to: submissions@lyricalpress.com

Hometown Heroes

• Fresh take on small town contemporary romance.
• 40,000 – 70,000 words
• Tropes considered, but are not limited to: Best friend’s sibling…all grown up, Childhood enemies to lovers, The bad-boy next door, Just came to town.
• Engaging hero. Beta heroes welcome.
• Believable, relatable and likable heroine.
• Heat level can range from sweet to spicy.
• Erotic romance will not be considered for Hometown Heroes.
• Digital. Print option based on digital sales.
• Please include Hometown Heroes in the subject line of your query, word count and trope used in the body of your email.

Detailed submission guidelines here: http://www.lyricalpress.com/submissions.html

Please submit to: submissions@lyricalpress.com  

Vintage  

• Modern take on retro-style period romance.
• 40,000 – 95,000 words
• Authors we love: Johanna Lindsey. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Julie Garwood, Rosemary Rogers
• Periods considered: Regency, Viking, Victorian, Medieval, Tudor, Pirate, Western, Native American.
• Tortured hero/heroine is always a plus
• Alpha males are a must.
• Heat level can range from sensual to red-hot.
• Erotic romance welcome for Vintage.
• Digital and print.
• Please include Vintage in the subject line of your query, word count and period used in the body of your email.

Detailed submission guidelines here: http://www.lyricalpress.com/submissions.html

Please submit to: submissions@lyricalpress.com

Lyrical Press welcomes all romances and love stories, not just M/F - the story can be M/M, F/F, M/M/F or any permutations thereof as long as it is a love story.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Book Review: The Devil Will Come by Glenn Cooper

The Devil Will Come
by Glenn Cooper
Conspiracy/Thriller
Arrow Books
3.5 Stars
Reviewer Purchased copy.

Blurb:

A terrifying secret.A shocking discovery has been made deep within Rome's ancient catacombs. One that the Vatican is determined must never be made public – for the sake of all mankind.

A deadly conspiracy.But there are others who want to keep the truth hidden for far more sinister reasons, others who believe that not only are the church and the faith of a billion at threat, but life as we know it is about to be destroyed – for ever. And only one woman – a young Italian nun – can save us...


The nightmare is about to begin...


Review:

I've read and enjoyed Glenn Cooper's other books and am eagerly awaiting the next book in the Library Trilogy. As with his other novels, the book is fast-paced, filled with interesting characters and divides the narrative between different timelines, in this one that is ancient Rome, present day Rome and Elizabethan England.

The modern day story deals with the death of the pope and the election of a new one as well as the discovery of skeletons in the catacombs of men, women and children who all seemed to suffer some terrible fate. They all had one thing in common besides the manner of their death - they all had tails. Who were they? Why were they killed and are their descendants still around today? And what has the prophecy of Malachy, twelfth century Irish saint got to do with it all?

I don't mind a book changing timelines but with this one the parts on ancient Rome were my least favourite and the weakest in the book. They didn't seem to be part of a novel, but more of a history report and that let it down for me. There were lots of historical facts, but we were told them, not shown them. I couldn't get to grips with the characters in that part, they were just names on a page to me.

The parts on Elizabethan England were my favourites, there we got more inside the heads of the characters, especially the playwright, Christopher Marlowe. It was interesting having a nun, Elisabetta, as the lead character in the modern day parts and I really liked her. She is sympathetic without becoming a token female in distress who has to be saved, here it's Elisabetta doing the saving.

An interesting read let down a bit by the execution of the parts in ancient Rome.


Reviewed by Annette Gisby

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Book Review: The Diamond Seekers by Jack Everett and David B. Coles

Review copy supplied by author
The Diamond Seekers
by Jack Everett and David B. Coles
Mystery/Crime/Thriller
Barking Rain Press
4 Stars

Blurb:

When a courier for the powerful crime family descended from Niccolò Machiavelli realizes he’s being followed by a rival family assassin, he takes a detour through the English countryside to shake his pursuer. He manages to hide his precious cargo—a fortune in blood diamonds from Sierra Leone—before his pursuer collides with an English family on a holiday drive. The courier drowns in a swollen river; the mother and son die in the crash. The father is emotionally devastated, and retires in despair from his MI5 cipher career.

Five years later, the head of the Machiavelli crime family, Alberto Lorente, is still in pursuit of his missing diamonds and is ready to launch an ambitious scheme to recover them. What follows is a twisted trail of murder, kidnapping and layers upon layers of subterfuge. The British Security Services are seriously compromised, but no one knows how or by whom. Suddenly, our former MI5 cipher expert is on everyone’s shopping list…

Review:

There seems to be a universal fascination with secret service agents, note the popularity of James Bond and Jason Bourne for example. Our hero in this book, Philip Madden worked in the cipher department at MI5, as did his wife Tracey. When his wife and son, Joshua, are killed in the car accident, Madden is forcibly retired and retreats to the countryside where he spends most of his days gardening and trying to get over the loss of his wife and child. But once working for the security services, you never really retire. Was the car crash really an accident? And if not, who was the target, Philip or his wife?After a strange phone call from a man claiming to be his illegitimate son, an attempt is made on his life, and his friend is murdered, as the sniper mistook him for Philip. He goes on the run to Austria to a friend he knew from university. Someone has kidnapped his alleged son, Carl, and the kidnapper's want something from Philip. But what? Philip hasn't escaped the danger, he's brought it with him to his friends. Philip is being chased by various departments, MI5, MI6, Interpol, different sets of villains and he is not sure who to trust.


This was a roller coaster ride taking you from the English countryside, to Italy, to Austria and through quite a bit of Europe as Philip does his best to evade whoever is chasing him. The chapters are short and well-paced, leading you onto the next one and you just have to keep reading. Philip is a sympathetic character and you are immersed in his emotions, from his grief at losing his family to his determination to catch the culprits, single-handed if need be.

I enjoyed the book immensely and I couldn't tell it was written by two people, it gelled so well.

However, there were a few niggles which took me out of the story. Philip Madden is the epitome of an Englishman, yet we had some lines from his point of view where he stopped at a gas station instead of a petrol station. English people would rarely call it a gas station. He also mentioned majors at university. No, again that would be a US term. British people study a subject, such as English, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics etc. It wouldn't be called a 'major', you would just call it by the subject. "I'm studying Chemistry" for example, or sometimes "I'm reading Chemistry" depending on the university. There is no major because you usually study one subject, and don't minor in anything. Some universities allow you to do a joint degree, Physics and Chemistry, for example, and both would be a full degree, not one of them being a minor.

Don't get me wrong, the book is a well-told tale with interesting and expertly drawn characters. Even the villains have depth, that is sometimes lacking in thrillers, but not here. Each character has their place in the overall arc, but it's really Philip Madden who you get to know the most and want to see him succeed. A very interesting read. The book has a bit of everything: adventure, action and even a bit of romance and I'm glad I got a chance to read it. Once started, it's a hard book to put down, you want to know so desperately what's going to happen next.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby