Author Interview – Ava Zavora @avazavora

What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

The fact that my stories and my novels are no longer entombed in a hard drive, but are alive and being read by people all over the world, is a childhood dream come true.

What books did you love growing up?

The books which formed me are Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Beauty by Robin McKinley, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lioness Rampant series by Tamora Pierce, among others. As a young teen, I devoured an unholy amount of Barbara Cartland novels because they were chaste enough to satisfy my mother.

Who is your favorite author?

Beauty by Robin McKinley has inspired me in so many ways. It’s responsible for my lifelong love of fairy tales, especially Beauty and the Beast. McKinley’s exquisite prose captivated me when I was a child and it inspires me as a writer today.

What genre of books do you adore?

I tend to devour books that are outside of the genres in which I write, which means narrative nonfiction, literary, young adult/middle grade, women’s fiction, science books, and travel guides.

What do you hope your obituary will say about you?

She lived a life as exciting as a plot from one of her books.

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Genre - Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG-13

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Constantinopolis by James Shipman @jshipman_author

His father! Mehmet stewed when he thought of him. His father had never shown him any real affection or spent significant time with him. He was not, after all, originally the heir to the Sultanate. He was a second son and only became heir when his older brother died. Mehmet had been forced from then on to endure a frantic and often harsh tutoring process. He was just beginning to grasp his responsibilities when at the age of 12 his father had retired and named him Sultan. He had done the best he could to govern, but in short order Grand Vizier Halil had called his father back to take over the throne. The Sultan felt Halil should have helped him, should have supported him. Instead he had watched and reported Mehmet’s shortcomings to his father, betraying him and leading to his humiliation.

From then on Mehmet had bided his time. He had learned to keep his thoughts and emotions to himself, to trust no one. He had studied everything: military art, languages, administration, and the arts. He had worked tirelessly so that when he next ruled he would not only equal his father but also exceed him. He would be the greatest Sultan in the history of his people, Allah willing.

His chance came when Murad finally died only two years before, as Mehmet turned 19. Mehmet quickly took power, ordering his baby half brother strangled to assure there would be no succession disputes, and set to organizing his empire. He had learned to be cautious and measured, leaving his father’s counselors and even Halil in power to assist him. From there he had slowly built up a group of supporters. They were young and exclusively Christian converts to Islam. These followers, many of whom now held council positions, were not nearly as powerful as the old guard, but they were gaining ground. They were the future, if Halil did not interfere.

Halil. His father’s Grand Vizier and now his own. He had always treated Mehmet with condescending politeness. He was powerful, so powerful that Mehmet could not easily remove him. So powerful it was possible he could remove Mehmet in favor of a cousin or other relative. Mehmet hated him above all people in the world, but he could not simply replace him. He needed Halil, at least for now, and Halil knew it.

This dilemma was the primary reason for Mehmet’s nighttime wanderings. He needed time away from the palace. Time to think and work out a solution to the problem. How could he free himself from Halil without losing power in the process? He could simply order Halil executed, but would the order be followed or would it be his own head sitting on a pole? The elders and religious leaders all respected and listened to Halil. Only the young renegades, the Christian converts who owed their positions to Mehmet were loyal to him. If Halil was able to rally the old guard to him, Mehmet had no doubt that the result would be a life or death dispute.

Mehmet needed to find a cause that could rally the people to him. The conversations he had heard night after night told him this same thing. The people felt that his father was a great leader, and that he was not. If he could gain the people’s confidence, then he would not need Halil, and the other elders would follow his lead.

Mehmet knew the solution. He knew exactly what would bring the people to his side, and what would indeed make him the greatest Sultan in the history of the Ottoman people.

The solution however was a great gamble. His father and father’s fathers had conquered huge tracts of territory in Anatolia and then in Europe, primarily at the expense of the Greeks. Mehmet intended to propose something even more audacious, to conquer the one place that his ancestors had failed to take. If he succeeded he would win the adoration of his people and would be able to deal with Halil and any others who might oppose him. If he failed . . .

The Sultan eventually made his way back near the palace, to the home of his closest friend, Zaganos Pasha. Zaganos, the youngest brother of Mehmet’s father in law, had converted to Islam at age 13, and was Mehmet’s trusted general and friend. He was the most prominent member of the upstart Christian converts that made up the Sultan’s support base.

Zaganos was up, even at this late hour, and embraced his friend, showing him in and ordering apple tea from his servants. Zaganos was shorter and stockier than Mehmet, a powerful middle-aged man in the prime of his life. He had receding dark brown hair. A long scar cut across his forehead and down over his left eye. He looked on Mehmet with smiling eyes extending in to crow’s feet. He smiled like a proud uncle or father.

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Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG

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Website http://james-shipman.com

Nobody Has to Know by Frank Nappi @FrankNappi

Nobody Has To Know, Frank Nappi’s dark and daring new thriller, tells the story of Cameron Baldridge, a popular high school teacher whose relationship with one of his students leads him down an unfortunate and self-destructive path. Stalked through text-messages, Baldridge fights for his life against a terrifying extortion plot and the forces that threaten to expose him. NHTK is a sobering look into a world of secrets, lies, and shocking revelations, and will leave the reader wondering many things, including whether or not you can ever really know the person you love.

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Genre - Thriller

Rating – PG-13

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Website http://www.franknappi.com

In Love With My Best Friend by Sheena Binkley

1

Camille

How did my life get so complicated? One minute, I, Camille Anderson, was living a pretty normal life in which nothing ever happened to me, and the next I'm practically being hauled away from the premier wedding venue in Houston, The Corinthian, by security because of my sudden outburst to the groom.

I should have known I was setting myself up for disaster, but I had to do it. I had to tell my best friend that I'd been in love with him since I was thirteen.

I really didn't expect the scene to unfold the way it did, especially while Trevor was getting married, but I couldn't hold my feelings in much longer. I felt he was making a terrible mistake, because he was marrying the wrong woman. He should have been marrying me.

I guess I should backtrack to when Trevor and I first met. It was seventeen years ago, when the Williams family first moved into the house next to ours. I was outside waiting for my friend Tia Simmons to come by when I first noticed Trevor. He was absolutely gorgeous as he stepped out of his family's SUV. He had that "boy next door" look, with wavy black hair and smooth ivory skin. He looked over at me and gave me a huge grin, which I greatly returned.

After that day, not only did we become friends, but our parents became great friends as well. We always went by each other's homes for dinner or for game night (until we were too old to appreciate hanging out with our parents on a Friday night).

We were practically inseparable during our high school years, and many of our friends thought we would eventually get married and have lots of kids. When anyone mentioned that to Trevor, he would shrug it off and say, "We're just friends, and it will stay that way until the day we die." Usually those words would tug at my heartstrings, but being the shy person I am, I never let my feelings show.

As we went to college, Trevor and I went into the same major, public relations. That was when he met Chelsea Parker, who was also my roommate. At first I liked Chelsea because she was basically a sweet person, but when she set her sights on Trevor, I quickly disliked her. Not because she took Trevor away from me, but because she became a different person.

If only I could go back to four weeks ago, or even seventeen years ago, I would be with the man I loved...

~

Four weeks ago....

"I don't know why you dragged me to this," I said as I looked at my friend Tia. The two of us were inside the Aventine Ballroom of Hotel Icon waiting for our friend Trevor and his fiancée, Chelsea, to arrive for their engagement and welcome home party. The two had announced their engagement to everyone a while back when Trevor was visiting his parents before going back to Dallas. Not only did he announce his engagement, but he also said that he had accepted a new position at a prestigious PR firm and was moving back to Houston. Although I was happy that my best friend was moving back, I was not thrilled that he was getting married.

"For once, why can't you be happy for Tre? He and Chelsea are finally getting married."

I gave Tia an evil stare as I looked toward the revolving door to the ballroom.

"You know how I feel about Trevor and Chelsea getting married."

"Oh please, Cam, when are you going to get past the fact that Trevor found someone? I told you to admit your feelings to him, but being the person you are, you decided not to."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You felt you would have been rejected if you told Trevor your true feelings."

"If I remember correctly, in high school when Charles asked him why we never hooked up, he said, and I quote, 'We're just friends.'"

Tia rolled her eyes at me and started to stare at the door as well. This was not the first time we'd had this conversation about my feelings for Trevor, so I'm pretty sure Tia was tired of hearing it.

Tia was my other best friend and the complete opposite of me. While I was quiet and reserved, Tia was wild and carefree. She always did what she wanted and didn't care about the consequences. People always thought we were sisters, with our caramel-colored complexion and long, dark-brown hair. But that was where the similarities ended. I looked down at my black sequin dress that went above my knees, wondering if I was dressed appropriately for the occasion; but as I looked at the hot-pink dress Tia was sporting, I figured my outfit was perfect.

"So how are things between you and Eric?"

"Finished; I broke up with him a couple of days ago."

"I'm assuming because he's not Trevor? Cam, you have got to move on."

I sighed as I noticed two figures coming through the door. I started to breathe slowly as I watched my friend walk in with his fiancée. Trevor always was attractive, but tonight he looked really handsome in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and blue and white striped tie. His black, wavy hair was cut short, bringing out his beautiful brown eyes. He walked hand in hand with Chelsea, the woman I wish I'd never met, who was positively glowing in an ivory-colored empire dress. Her reddish brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail and her makeup was flaw- less. Although I was completely jealous of Chelsea, I had to admit the two made a stunning couple.

Tia gave me a frown.

"You OK?"

"I'm cool. Let's just get this over with."

While the crowd of family and friends were clapping and whistling for the happy couple, all I could do was just stand in my place, looking at Trevor as if he was the only person in the room. He gave me a smile that showed the deep dimples on each of his cheeks. As he went to greet a couple of his family members, I took a deep breath to control any tears from flowing.

I shouldn't have come tonight.

~

Trevor

"Why did we plan a huge engagement party? Everyone knows we're engaged," I asked my fiancée, Chelsea, as we were walking hand in hand down the corridor inside Hotel Icon.

"Sweetie, I just wanted everyone to celebrate in our happiness and what better way than a huge party?"

I sighed as I continued to walk, not realizing how frustrated I was becoming.

Chelsea was the love of my life. I instantly knew I wanted to marry her when I first laid eyes on her in Camille's dorm room. The two were roommates their junior year at University of Houston, which was great for me, considering I was able to see my best friend and my girlfriend at the same time. Although Camille and I were really good friends, I got the sense that something had been bothering her since I'd been dating Chelsea. Call me crazy, but it seemed as if Camille was jealous of our relationship. I hope not, because Chelsea loves Camille and considers her a good friend.

As we walked into the ballroom, everyone from our family and our friends were clapping and cheering for our arrival. We started to wave at everyone as we entered. Once I turned my head toward the center of the room, I had to stop and admire the person staring straight at me. My heart jolted several beats at the beauty who was giving me a dazzling smile. Camille Anderson had always been a beautiful woman, from her caramel-colored skin to her deep chocolate eyes; she definitely stood out in a crowd.

Just looking at her long hair flowing around her face and the black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places made me feel sort of embarrassed, because I shouldn't have been looking at her in that way. I always considered her my best friend and nothing more, so why was I looking at her differently now?

Chelsea turned her attention to me, wondering what was wrong.

"Is everything OK?"

I suddenly realized I was staring a little too long as I turned to Chelsea.

"I'm fine," I said as I squeezed her hand.

I gave Camille a huge grin as I walked over to talk to a nearby guest. I snuck another peek at her; she was talking to our friend Tia near the bar. I don't know what was going on with me, but hopefully this feeling I was having about my best friend would go away soon.

That's if I want it to.

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Genre - Contemporary Fiction

Rating – PG13

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Website http://sheenabinkley.wordpress.com/

Birth of an Assassin by Rik Stone @stone_rik

Jez turned his head and saw jeeps stacked up one behind the other, coming at him. They were equipped for combat with mounted mortar cannon and sub-machine guns rigged on the integral bases behind the front seats. The heads of soldiers bobbed behind mortar blast protectors as the vehicles maneuvered over snowdrifts. He couldn’t tell how many vehicles, but seeing them fan out and fire, the number no longer seemed relevant.

He ran. He wanted to drop the ski jacket to quicken his pace, but he’d lose his weapons. The only thing he could do was wind in his head and race flat out. WHUMP! A mortar shell exploded 50 meters forward and to the right of his position. Shrapnel whizzed by, and though he could hear it, he felt nothing. He hadn’t been hit. He crouched lower, but the rabbit-skin hat fell off. No time to pick it up. Stop for nothing. With the rifles set to automatic, they traced straight black lines in the snow on either side of him and then swept horizontally across his horizon – Kalashnikov AKMs. They didn’t quite have him in their sights, but they would get there soon enough.

Not safe running in a straight line, he zigzagged, sacrificing distance for evasive tactics. Even so, it wouldn’t take them long to get a bead on him. He looked ahead for anything that might impede his progress, and saw a murder of crows take to the air on the opposite side of the nearest hill. If only he could join them, he thought. Instead, he ran a short distance to the left and then a longer distance to the right, on occasion reversing the strategy so as not to reveal a pattern.

WHUMP! WHUMP! One after another, mortar shells exploded; and while Jez’s evasive actions proved successful, progress slowed. The jeeps occasionally stopped to drop-blast their mortar shells more accurately, but it didn’t stop them gaining ground.

Clearly, while the snow slowed him, it had no such effect on the pursuit vehicles. They would catch him before he could get to the hills. He had to make a stand. WHUMP! A shell exploded 30 meters ahead. That would do, fight from the mortar’s footprint, die like a soldier. He ran towards it. The jeeps closed in. WHUMP! Another explosion – and it was in the same hollow he was headed for. He ran in the opposite direction to make them realign their weapons.

The aim moved. Shells exploded away from the crater, so he veered back and got close enough to jump. Any other time of year the landing would have been soft, but now solid ground jarred his bones as he made contact with the fissure’s base. The earth moved and rumbled, feet banged against brittle crust that cracked and broke beneath him. A thin layer of earth had been all that remained after the two explosions and Jez crashed through the crater into another hole.

He dropped the depth of the first hollow and through into the hole below. But he couldn’t see out to shoot. If his life hadn’t been about to end he might have laughed. Too low to make a stand, he would have to… but just a minute, what was that? He wasn’t in a hole, but a pothole, a chance, a slim chance, but a chance.

He pulled the landfall aside, squeezed through and scrambled along the tunnel in a direction in line with the hills. The cave got bigger. He could stand up straight. He started running again, and half a minute carried him 100 meters in. WHUMP! Grit and soil blasted along the chasm behind him, stung his legs, back and buttocks as fragments struck. They’d realigned a fix on the crater too soon. It had to be Mitrokhin up there. The regular army weren’t that good.

With adrenalin pumping, he gave that extra push, but the channel narrowed and lowered. Lack of headroom forced him to his hands and knees. Movement slowed. The ground shook. Tremors shuddered through his arms and legs, and then a blast was followed by a rumble.

The channel collapsed and fallen earth charged towards him. Rapid breathing, his heart raced, but he had to steady his thoughts. He couldn’t lose control, but the ground rumbled, ever closer.

Still on his hands and knees, he pushed his back hard against the roof. Earth fell around his feet and legs as the miniature cave fell in. But his body remained rigid, acting as a stanchion. His part of the crown hadn’t fallen, but ahead and behind, the rumble continued and the fragile earth crashed down. The structure of the hollow folded, and when it stopped he’d become entombed. Panic engulfed him. There was no way out.

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Genre – Thriller, Crime, Suspense

Rating – R

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Website http://rik-stone.simdif.com

The Color Pink by Parker Paige

Can wearing the color pink attract true love?

That is the question Summer Jones intends to answer.

In her early thirties, Summer Jones thought that she had found the perfect man, the man she planned to marry until she learned that he still had feelings for his first love. Now, at age thirty-five, Summer is ready to fall in love again. After she hears that wearing the color pink can attract true love, she sets out to do just that–and finds more than just true love.

Follow Summer as she journeys into the world of color magic and find out how she uses that magic to help her choose between one man from her past and another man who is destined to become her future.

This romantic drama serves up something fun and sexy, proving that the road to love can be paved with many painful lessons and memorable moments. It’s a story about paying attention to your past so that you don’t always have to repeat it.

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Genre - Romance

Rating – PG-13

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Website parkerpaige.wordpress.com

Birth of an Assassin by Rik Stone @stone_rik

Set against the backdrop of Soviet, post-war Russia, Birth of an Assassin follows the transformation of Jez Kornfeld from wide-eyed recruit to avenging outlaw. Amidst a murky underworld of flesh-trafficking, prostitution and institutionalized corruption, the elite Jewish soldier is thrown into a world where nothing is what it seems, nobody can be trusted, and everything can be violently torn from him.

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Genre - Thriller, Crime, Suspense

Rating – R

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Website http://rik-stone.simdif.com

Author Interview – George A Bernstein @GeorgeBernstein

What’s your favorite quality about yourself? That I’m driven. Once I start something, I want to finish it, and I’m not satisfied until I’m sure it’s absolutely right. There’s a bit OCD there, I guess. It’s amazing that, no matter how many time you reread a manuscript, you can always find ways to tweak it.

What’s your least favorite quality about yourself? That I’m driven! I have to force myself to say, “enough is enough,” and stop editing and rewriting. At some point, I’ve got to say, “This is ready to go.” Then I can leave it up to an editor to see if something else needs to be done. No matter how many times you rewrite, a good content and/or line editor will find thing to improve your work.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world? I always answer this first by saying, “Home with the wife and my granddaughter, who is current living with us, along with her mother.” But actually, it would be a tie between fly-fishing on a remote, northern Canadian lake for big pike, or wading a medium-sized wilderness river, fly-fishing for smallmouth bass. Those are places where the world disappears for me, and I can live in the moment, challenging great game fish with the long rod.

If I weren’t fishing, it would probably be Argentina. I love Buenos Aires (the Paris of South America), and Patagonia and the Andes are among the most beautiful places in the world. I’ve visited most of the country from the Iguassu Falls to Tierra del Fuego, and did a lot of fishing there, too, in connection with a “previous life” as a fishing & hunting tour operator for several airlines.

When and why did you begin writing (novels)? In 1990, when I was able to “semi-retire” at a pretty young age, my wife said, “You need something to keep busy, and you don’t want to play golf every day. You always loved to write. Why don’t you write a novel?” So we began brainstorming for a subject, and Dolores thought of a neighbor, when we lived in north suburban Chicago, who became comatose after an anesthetic accident during plastic surgery. That became the basis for my first novel, Trapped, which became an Amazon Top 100 Novel in 2012. It only took 22 years for a publisher (TAG Publishers) to recognize its potential.

What Influenced your writing, once you began? Probably the major thing that helped transform me from just a “talented writer” into a skilled writer (there’s a HUGE difference) was attending writers’ conferences.  Those are where I learned that, as talented as I (and many others) thought I was, I had a lot to learn about what makes good writing. The multitude of classes offered at these were a great asset in me developing my craft. I always recommend new writers to attend one or more of these. There are a plethora of classes about every aspect of writing, including how to get published, writing great query letters, and how to promote your work. But the meat of conferences are classes deal with the skills in actual developing characters, plots and descriptive scenes. Many also have agents you to whom can pitch your work, but other than good feedback, this rarely elicits a contract.

As a side note, I took Dolores with me to several conferences. The good news was that she also learned what make great writing, and she’s my stiffest critic. The BAD NEWS was that she learned what makes writing good (!!), and suddenly all the books and movies she used to enjoy were not always so great!

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Genre – Romantic Suspense

Rating – PG13

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The Photo Traveler (The Photo Traveler Series) by Arthur J. Gonzalez

CHAPTER ONE

I can’t ask for a better day to be out shooting. Man, what a view. Something about how the sun’s rays press against the faint distant outline of the mountains. Sick! If it can seem so dominating from all the way over here, I can only imagine what it must feel like up close. I don’t know. It just always kind of does something to me.

I know, I know. Lame, right? But trust me, if you lived in the hellhole I live in, anytime alone is sacred. You start to appreciate all these little not-so-particular things. Yeah—even the outline of the mountains.

Carefully, I focus the lens on my Canon 7D to capture the effect of the clouds drifting across the peaks of Mt. Rose and get my shot. A few seconds later, the sunlight dims. I hadn’t realized it was so late. I glance at my watch, wondering what’s taking Melinda so long. She promised to pick me up by five, even though I knew that would mean five-thirty. It’s five-forty-five.

I call her on my cell. It rings four times, then goes to voicemail. “Come on, Mel!” I mutter. “It’s getting late!”

I’ve had a good day so far, probably because I’ve been alone for most of it, and I really don’t want another confrontation with Jet. I can still taste the faint copper tinge of blood at the corner of my mouth where he split my lip the last time around. Two days ago.

I hit redial. Straight to voicemail. “Dammit, Mel!”

I tell myself to breathe, but my anxiety is really starting to kick in. Sweat is beading on my forehead and my heart is jolting in my chest. Why does she always have to be so impossible? I don’t get it.

The moment I hear the loud thrum of an engine roaring up the dirt road, I jump up from the boulder I’ve been perched on. It’s about damn time!

She screeches up to me in her new, cherry-red Mini Cooper and slams on the brakes. I dodge around to the passenger side. Grab the door handle. It’s locked.

“Mel!” I shout. “Open up!”

But she’s sitting behind the wheel pretending not to hear me. Eyes glued to her phone, purple nails tapping out a text message. With a tiny smirk on her glossed-up lips.

I hit the window with my fist. “Stop messing around! Jet’s gonna be pissed!”

She finishes her text, sends it … and adjusts the rearview mirror so she can check out the jet-black curls at her temples. She still hasn’t given me one look. Is she really serious right now?

I pound at the window again, as hard as I can. “Open up, dammit!” My anxiety is turning into rage. And rage is something Jet’s modeled for me only too well over the years, ever since he and his first wife, Leyla, took me in as a foster kid. Mel was just six at the time, but “my sister,” which she became after they finally adopted me, was a full-fledged brat from Day One, and she’s only gotten worse.

My fist hurts. I’m afraid of what Jet will do when we get back, since he ordered me to be home by six so I can start dinner.

But as far as Mel’s concerned, I might as well not be there. I can’t control it any longer. I take a step back, lift my knee, and kick the passenger door with all my strength. The hollow metal frame vibrates against the sole of my shoe. Mel’s prized car now has a six-inch dent right in the middle of the passenger door.

I guess that got her attention. Her mouth is hanging open. For a moment, she’s so astonished that she can’t speak. She swings her door open and charges around to the passenger side.

“MY CAR!” she screams, staring at the dent. “Are you crazy?!”

“Why couldn’t you just open up?” I yell back.

“Gavin, you’re an asshole! I was just messing with you! You’re never gonna learn to use your head, are you?”

“Go to hell!”

She goes still, then raises her eyebrows with an “Oh, really?” expression. Then she hauls off and slams her fist into the right side of my face. All I can feel is the large stone of her ring jabbing into my cheek. She stalks back to the driver’s side with a wicked smirk creasing her lips and snaps, “You can walk home!”

She slides behind the wheel, slams the door, and peels off so hard and fast that the car kicks up a stinging cloud of gravel and asphalt dust all over me.

She can’t be serious. But as the Mini disappears around the first bend in the road, I realize that she is.

* * *

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Genre - Young Adult Science Fiction

Rating – PG

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Website http://www.arthurjgonzalez.com/

#Free - Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer @cramer_scott

Abby, 13, is looking forward to watching the moon turn purple, unaware that deadly bacteria from a passing comet will soon kill off older teens and adults. She must help her brother and baby sister survive in this new world, but all the while she has a ticking time bomb inside of her--adolescence.

"Cramer creates a picture of our world that's both frightening and inspiring in this heartfelt story that both young adults and adults can enjoy.A heartwarming but not overly sentimental story of survival." KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Outrageous and completely 'out of the box'." MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME review blog
"Three words: Gripping. Palpable. Well-developed." WORD SPELUNKING review blog

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Genre - Science fiction

Rating – PG-13

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Colony East (The Toucan Trilogy #2) by Scott Cramer @cramer_scott

When the bacteria that killed most of world’s adults undergo a deadly mutation, 15-year-old Abby must make the dangerous journey to Colony East, an enclave of scientists and Navy personnel who are caring for a small group of children. Abby fears that time is running short for the victims, but she’s soon to learn that time is running out for everyone outside Colony East. (Parental discretion advised for readers 13 and under)

Colony East will be specially priced at $2.99, 60 percent off the regular price.

Night of the Purple Moon (Book 1 of the Toucan Trilogy) is free.

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Genre - Science fiction

Rating – PG-13

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#AmWatching - The Skeleton Key (starring Kate Hudson)

The Skeleton Key

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6.4/10

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When Caroline Ellis (Hudson) takes a job in Louisiana's bayous, she unlocks a deadly secret involving magic, conjure and sacrifice that pulls her into a terrifying world of strange, frightening and unexplained incidents.

• Starring: Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands
• Directed by: Iain Softley
• Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Release year: 2005
• Studio: Universal Studios

Summary:

Caroline is a twenty-five-year-old hospice worker who cares for the ailing and the elderly, a job designed to atone for her own mistake for ignoring her dying father in the past, when she had been a rock 'n' roll manager. After her latest charge passes away, Caroline takes a job in Louisiana, caring for Ben, a stroke-victim who is bed-ridden and cannot speak. But Caroline becomes suspicious of the house, and Ben's cold wife, Violet only adds to the creepy atmosphere. After acquiring a skeleton key, Caroline makes her way into a secret room within the attic where she discovers hair, blood, bones, spells, and other instruments for practicing hoodoo. Violet says she has never been in the secret room, but that the items probably belonged to the original owners' two houseworkers, who practiced black magic and were lynched as a result. Noting that Ben had his stroke in the attic after entering the room, Caroline is determined to unlock the secrets of the house, and rescue Ben from the horrors that hold him captive within.
- Written by Tickleberry

Author Interview – Dianne Worrall @DiWorrall

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?
I am still experimenting with various social media applications. Twitter and Facebook are great for building a following quickly and getting a brief message out to a lot of people. They work well in free promotions and competitions. Facebook can have a lot of fans, but Linked In still trumps them all for the volume and quality of professional business interactions and comments.
If you could do any job in the world what would you do?
What I’m doing now – running my own businesses in Consulting and Publishing – but on a much bigger scale. I am inspired by those who have turned their writing into an information publishing business like the Chicken Soup for the Soul empire; or the Brendon Burchard Experts Academy
What are you most passionate about? What gets you fired up?
New projects
What’s your next project?
1. Accountability Leadership – my current title converted to paperback and audio
2. The Accountability Workbook on kindle and in paperback with a software application
What would you love to produce in your life?
A succession of business titles that people love, and are inspired to take action
What’s the reason for your life? Have you figured out your reason for being here yet?
To leave a legacy which has helped the greatest number of people go out and get what they want; achieve a better result; break through a barrier; or reach a different level using my writing, speaking, coaching and business talents.
How do you feel about self-publishing?
Better than the alternative. I prefer managing my own interests.

Accountability Leadership Saves Tech Company

In 2005, HCL Technologies was in trouble.

The Delhi-based IT firm was losing market share, as competitors grew by 50% annually.

By 2009, HCL’s president, Vineet Nayar had turned the company around, nearly tripling annual revenues and doubling market capitalisation despite the recession.

Nayar accomplished all this through a top-down culture of accountability, beginning with the leadership qualities of himself—the CEO—and other senior managers.

The Rules Of Accountability Have Changed

Great business leaders understand that acceptance of greater personal accountability and responsibility leads organisations back on the path to success.

But with the evolving nature of 21st century business, the practical steps that go into creating a high performance culture of accountability have become more muddled than ever.

Many organisations have seen temporary improvements, implementing traditional systems of accountability in an attempt to drive high performance in the workplace—only to quickly revert back to their old ways, or worse.

Accountability Leadership Will Teach You:

• What it really takes to lead a high performance culture of accountability
• Why so many of today’s employees avoid personal accountability and responsibility like the plague, and how to reverse that trend
• How to sustain great performance through inspiring feedback, feed-forward and follow-through
• What an accountability plan is, how to create one, and why it’s considered the “secret weapon” behind successful business transformation

Filled with real world case studies and straightforward, easy to digest research, Accountability Leadership offers practical solutions that are direct, engaging, fast, cost-effective, proven, and easy to implement...

Immediate, Concrete Solutions You’ll Take Away From This Book Include:

• How to transform the “dark side” of accountability into a positive force for change
• Why carrots and sticks no longer work—and what they’ve been replaced with
• How to create compelling consequences that inspire people to perform at their best, and achieve the ultra productive workstate known as “flow”
• Crack the code of high accountability conversations, turning confrontation into a productive and positive opportunity

Accountability Leadership Also Sheds Light On Topics Like...

• How negativity bias covertly sabotages your feedback loop with your employees
• The optimal ratio for positive to negative comments in feedback
• The right amount of autonomy to give employees—without overdoing it
• What lack of recognition is really doing to your workforce (hint: it’s staggering)
• The surprising biochemical effect of praise, and why it cannot fail

Plus, You’ll Also Receive A Special Bonus

Reader’s can claim an exclusive 20-minute podcast interview with top-rated thought leader Marshall Goldsmith, sharing his powerful experiences and groundbreaking ideas on coaching for accountability leadership—absolutely free.

A Personal Message From The Author

Accountability is arguably the number-one issue that makes or breaks leadership performance today. Yet most of us were never taught this critical skill—not by our parents, teachers or business leaders.

The good news is, accountability can be coached.

The ideas in this book draw from extensive research and 25 years experience working with executives to improve performance through high accountability.

These ideas work.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Business, Leadership, Workplace Behaviour, Human Resources, Executive Coaching

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Di Worrall on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.diworrall.com.au/

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Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend by Cheryl Carpinello

Chapter 1

The Hunt

Guinevere stared into the shadows along the edge of the forest. She could hear Cedwyn shifting from foot to foot beside her, unable to stand still. She sighed, the bow made of sturdy pine in her hand growing heavier like her heart. Her thirteenth Birth Day was in a few days, but she wasn’t excited. Birth Days were supposed to be fun, but not this year. Not for her, not for a princess.

She frowned as Cedwyn adjusted the leather quiver of arrows on his back again. Sometimes, like today, her patience with the seven-year-old was short.

“Guin’ver?”

“Hush!”

“But ...”

“Hush!”

She stamped her boot on the ground, her displeasure clearly showing.

“Cedwyn,” she snapped. “What is so important that you can’t be quiet?”

“I’m hungry, and the bottoms of my trousers are wet. Can’t we go back to the castle?” His face showed his confusion at her tone.

Guinevere realized that she shouldn’t have directed her anger at Cedwyn. It wasn’t his fault. Glancing down at her own clothes, she saw the bottom of her green ankle-length tunic wet with the morning dew. Her stomach chose that moment to begin grumbling. It started as a low vibration but grew louder as if it hadn’t been fed in days. Cedwyn heard it and started giggling. He tried to smother the sound by covering his mouth with his small hand, but he was too late.

Trying to keep from laughing also, Guinevere shook her head. “How are we ever going to shoot a rabbit with all this noise?” She reached down and tousled his blond hair to let him know that she was not serious and to apologize for her crossness. “Let’s try for just ten minutes longer. Then if we find nothing, we’ll go back. Is that all right?”

Cedwyn shook his head, not wanting to make any further noise. She let her eyes move across the blue sky. The English summer sun had barely reached above the far hills when they had first arrived at the forest. Now, it was well on its way in its climb toward the dinner hour, and they hadn’t even had a proper breakfast yet. Cedwyn’s mum was sure to be upset that they had been gone so long.

“Come on,” he whispered. “The only creatures we’ve seen moving have been badgers and Cornish hens. We could of had five bloody hens by now.”

“I told you, it’s good luck to bag a rabbit on the eve of your thirteenth Birth Day,” Guinevere informed him.

Cedwyn studied her face, unsure if she was telling the truth or not. Then his blue eyes widened, and he grabbed her arm as she turned to continue hunting. “Wait a minute! You promised to help me bag a rabbit on the eve of my tenth Birth Day. You said that was lucky!”

She turned to him, her balled fists on her slim hips. “You need to listen closer when I talk to you. I explained the difference be- tween boys and girls. Boys have to seek luck on the eve of their tenth and fifteenth Birth Days. Since girls are naturally luckier than boys, they only have to seek luck once, on the eve of their thirteenth Birth Day.”

Cedwyn eyed her suspiciously, and then his eyes lit up.

“But I thought that the eve was the night before. Your Birth Day isn’t until the day after tomorrow.”

“That’s true, but the eve of something can also be anytime close to the day.”

“Are you sure?”

Buy Now @ Amazon @ Smashwords

Genre - Arthurian Legend

Rating – G

More details about the author and the book

Connect with Cheryl Carpinello on Facebook & Twitter & Goodreads

Website http://www.beyondtodayeducator.com/

Peter Cunningham – My Publishing Journey

My Publishing Journey

by Peter Cunningham

I remember clearly distinctly the excitement I felt when I first learned to read. I was four. My parents thought I was a genius as I stammered my way through one of my Noddy books by Enid Blyton. My father had a stepladder made for me on which I could perch and read aloud.

I became a voracious reader. Looking back on it now, I realize that reading novels is the way you learn to write. I have never known a writer who has not, at some stage, been a big reader.

I had an added advantage. Every day at lunchtime I cycled up through the streets of Waterford to my grandmother’s house where she cooked my lunch. Her children numbered thirteen—three girls and ten boys—all of them adults by that stage. Her deceased husband had been a buyer and exporter of pigs; many of his sons still continued in that trade. The men in the family were renowned for their storytelling. They often came home for lunch and, as they sat around, waiting for the women to serve them, they would tell stories about their trips around Ireland, buying and selling pigs, and of the characters they met along the way.

Just from listening to the stories, I learned about pace, about how you keep your audience in suspense, and how you control the flow of information in order to maintain interest in what you’re saying.

When I was about twelve I came across the stories of Edgar Allan Poe. They terrified me, but in a delicious sort of way. I was the eldest of five children and began making up Poe-like ghost stories with which to terrify my siblings. Soon, I began writing ghost stories and submitting them to a Dublin newspaper, The Evening Press, that had a weekly page devoted to this popular genre. To my amazement, one day I received a letter in the post confirming they would use one of my stories and enclosing a cheque for ten shillings (in today’s money nearly $50). I went into overdrive. Using pseudonyms and the addresses of cousins and friends, I submitted a blizzard of ghost stories to the Press. On one occasion, four stories appeared on the page and three of them were mine.

I wrote throughout my teens and into my university years. I wrote for college magazines, local newspapers and religious journals. I wrote reports of local sports events for national newspapers. The thing I learned in those days was that I could write, just as I imagine that someone who plays golf or the piano for a living discovers that they are able to do it. It never occurred to me that not very many people could do what I was doing. In university I won a short story competition with a story I had written when I was sixteen. The prize was five pounds. We partied till dawn.

Then it all seemed to stop. I did not want to work as a journalist, a decision I’m glad I took. But I needed to earn a living and so I began a variety of jobs to keep myself. I worked in New York, Paris, London and Dublin. I studied accountancy which was one way of always getting a job. I met my wife, we got married and had a lovely baby boy.

I kept reading and, occasionally, writing. If I didn’t write something creatively once a week, I missed it terribly. On a long holiday in Portugal, sitting beside the pool for a month with our tiny children, I wrote a short story set in New York, which I eventually sent to The Irish Press where the short story editor was a revered literary figure called David Marcus. He bought my story.

I still could not figure out how to become a published author: the day job kept getting in the way. Then one February, flying to Antigua, I read a thriller. It was called ‘Billionaire’ by Peter James. When I had finished it, I said to myself, ‘I can do that.’

In Antigua, on the first night, our room was burgled and our passports, money and airline tickets stolen. The police arrived next day and during the interview I asked the cop if he thought we’d ever retrieve our possessions. He rolled his eyes and looked out at the Caribbean. ‘I think they came by sea,’ he said.

Within five minutes of him walking out the door, I was at the table, writing in longhand the first words of my first book, a thriller, that would be called ‘Noble Lord’. It involves how a burglary in the Caribbean uncovers clues to an attempted assassination of the Queen.

It took me two years to write the novel. I found an agent in London and within six weeks, he had sold the book to HarperCollins. I couldn’t believe it. I was on my way.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre –  Historical Fiction/Historical Romance

Rating – G

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Peter Cunningham on Facebook  & Twitter

Website http://petercunninghambooks.com/

The Pat O’Malley Historical Steampunk Mystery Trilogy by Jim Musgrave

Here are all three suspenseful mysteries in one book!

Forevermore, the first mystery, was a #2 bestseller in Amazon’s Historical Mystery category. It has received outstanding reviews from readers, and it establishes Pat O’Malley as a detective sleuth par excellence. The second mystery, Disappearance at Mount Sinai, continues the development of the characters amidst an excellent caper. The third mystery, Jane the Grabber, plunges O’Malley into the middle of the Steampunk world, and it marks a turning point in the novels to come.

Forevermore Synopsis:

“Musgrave mixes accurate history with a spell-binding plot to create an amazing who-done-it! Watch for more Pat O’Malley Mysteries.”

In post Civil War New York City, Detective Pat O’Malley is living inside Poe’s Cottage in the Bronx. O’Malley is haunted by Poe one night, and the detective finds a strange note. As a result, O’Malley decides to prove that Edgar Allan Poe did not die in Baltimore from an alcoholic binge but was, instead, murdered. O’Malley quickly becomes embroiled in a “cold case” that thrusts him into the lair of one of the most sinister and ruthless killers in 1865 New York City.

Jim Musgrave’s “Forevermore” is a quick read in four acts that will keep your mind razor sharp trying to solve the mystery of Poe’s murder. Pat O’Malley must first find out how to become intimate with females before he can discover the final clue in this puzzle of wits, murder and romance.

Disappearance at Mount Sinai Synopsis:

What if the anti-Semites, racists, and terrorists wanted the final revenge following the Civil War? How do you stop them from committing the worst atrocity?

It’s 1866 in New York City. Civil War Vet and Detective Pat O’Malley’s biggest case returns him to the deep, dark South to search for the kidnapped wealthiest inventor and entrepreneur in America. But the widening gyre of anti-Semitism and racism pulls him down into the pit of hell itself. Disguised as an Oxford England Professor, O’Malley infiltrates the anti-Semites’ group and travels with his partners, Becky Charming and his father, Robert, down to a Collierville, Tennessee mansion.

At the crux of this case are a Jewish father and his five-year-old son, Seth. They have developed a unique bond that relies on Jewish folklore and a belief that they are Mazikeen, half-angel and half-human, born from the loins of Adam’s strange female cohorts during the 130 years he was banished from the Garden. Will O’Malley find Dr. Mergenthaler before it’s too late? What does this world-wide eugenics group have planned for the mongrel races? Read Jim Musgrave’s Disappearance at Mount Sinai, the second mystery in the series of Pat O’Malley Mini-Mysteries.

Jane the Grabber Synopsis:

What was it like before women were given rights to determine their own destinies? How was abortion and birth control used in the 1860s? What happens to a society when the last sexual taboo is permitted? Find out in the third mystery in the Pat O’Malley Historical Steampunk Mystery Series, Jane the Grabber.

Buy Now @ Amazon @ Createspace

Genre – Historical Steampunk Mystery

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with  Jim Musgrave on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://contempinstruct.com/Forevermore/

$250 Amazon.com gift card giveaway

My Definition of Success – Karen Walker @MsBessieBell

My Definition of Success

by Karen Walker

—It’s never too late to go for your dreams.

—It helps to be willing to do whatever it takes to make that dream come true.

—Hard work, persistence, and tenacity DO pay off.

—Letting go of the pictures in our heads, of how things should be, opens up new possibilities and opportunities.

—Letting go of expectations about results makes the journey less painful.

—Look at your definition of success and reframe it, if necessary.

What’s your definition of success?

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE INDIESTRUCTIBLE

100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

Contributing authors:

Alex J. Cavanaugh <> Angela Brown <> Anne R. Allen <> Briane Pagel <> C.S. Lakin <> Ciara Knight <> Cindy M. Hogan <> D. Robert Pease <> Dawn Ius <> Emily White <> Greg Metcalf <> Jadie Jones <> Jessica Bell <> Karen Bass <> Karen Walker <> Kristie Cook <> Laura Diamond <> Laura Pauling <> Laurel Garver <> Leigh Talbert Moore <> Lori Robinson <> Melissa Foster <> Michael Offutt <> Michelle Davidson Argyle <> Rick Daley <> Roz Morris <> S.R. Johannes <> Stephen Tremp <> Susan Kaye Quinn

About Karen Walker:

Karen Walker is a writer who has published essays in newspapers and magazines, as well as in an anthology series. After a 30+ year career in marketing and publishing relations, she went back to college to complete a Bachelor’s degree and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2005 from the University of New Mexico’s University Studies program with a major emphasis in Creative Writing. She is currently working on her first novel and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband, Gary, and their dog, Buddy.

Need motivation and inspiration to self-publish, or sign that contract with an interested small press? Have you done all the research you can, but still feel ambivalent about the idea? “Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle” brings you the experiences of 29 indie authors—their passions, their insights, their successes—to help you make the leap into indie publishing.

This is not a how-to guide. This is the best of the indie tradition of experienced authors paying forward what they’ve learned, giving you information to help you on your journey. The personal essays in this book will leave you itching to get your work into the hands of readers and experience, first-hand, all the rewards indie publishing has to offer.

100% of proceeds from “Indiestructible” purchases will be donated to BUILDON.org

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre –  Non-fiction

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Jessica Bell on Facebook &  Twitter

Blog http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/

#Free–Sweet and Wild by Cerian Hebert @CerianHebert

Sweet and Wild by Cerian Hebert

Amazon

Quinn Emery is a true, dyed in the wool cowgirl, from the brim of her Stetson to the tips of her favorite old pair of Tony Lama’s. She’s returned from college, bent on raising Quarter Horses under the wide South Dakota sky and nothing is going to distract her from that goal. Not a narcissistic ex-boyfriend, her brother’s fantastically successful dude ranch or a her desire for a place to call her own.
Craig Lynch has come home too. Now a widower with a ten-year-old daughter, he has to reestablish a life as a rancher after traveling all over the world. Not such an easy task, but when he sees Quinn, he knows life is going to get much more complicated. Last he saw her she was ten, but now she’s an incredibly sexy woman and the attraction is too strong to ignore.
Falling in love, however, has more complications than either bargain for. A reluctant daughter, the jealousy of an ex-boyfriend, and the shadow of Craig’s late wife nearly destroy everything, but Craig is determined to convince Quinn that love can overcome anything.

Keeper of Reign (Reign Fantasy) by Emma Right

1 - ONE NIGHT

THE LAST THING Jules Blaze thought of before he closed his eyes was how he, how anyone, could undo the curse his people were under. He was in the middle of a dream, a nightmare as far as he was concerned, begging Grandpa Leroy and Grandma Bonnie not to leave, when someone banged on their front door, shaking their entire tree house.

Who’d be crazy enough to disturb them at this hour? He sat up on his bed and cocked his head. His mother’s soft tread tap-tapped on the wood floor.

“Who’s there?” her muffled voice asked, harsh and whispery from sleep.

The banging stopped.

“Erin, open up.” Saul’s voice, gruff and loud, jolted the last fog of sleepiness from Jules. He peered over at his brother sleeping noiselessly in the bunk below him, and quietly slipped down the ladder. On tiptoe he sneaked to the trapdoor opening that led down to the living room where Saul stood dripping from the rain.

“Is everything okay?” Erin said.

“Would I visit now if it were?” Saul said. Then in a gentler voice he added, “I’m sorry. Please, let’s take a seat, Erin.” He nodded at Jules who’d slipped down the pull-down ladder to join them. “Jules.” Jules thought about his father at the war front and swallowed a lump in his throat. Was this why Dad hadn’t sent any word to them for the last months? Because he couldn’t?

Saul held Erin by the arm. He led her to the dining room chairs behind the sofa covered with knitted shawls and afghan throws.

Jules trudged to the window and peered at the branches outside. The arm of the oak tree grew so thick they could easily live in it, although getting up there could be a problem, especially since he was afraid of heights. These days they didn’t even live in stone houses, or even wooden ones, unless living under a tree counted as a wooden home. Elfies lived in trees, or burrowed under rocks, in the forest of Reign.

“Take a seat, Jules.” Saul locked eyes on him for an instant. “I just received word from the riverfront patrol—Leroy and Bonnie’s boat capsized in the storm. They’re searching for the bodies, but it doesn’t look good.”

Erin let out a gasp and brought a fist to her mouth. “No!”

“Boat? How can they be sure it was them?” Jules leaned forward in his chair.

“Some of their belongings floated to shore, and I identified the wreck—the pieces drifted to the bank.”

Erin looked at him blankly.

Saul said, again, “The boat…was a wreck.”

“Boat?” Erin said.

“I’d loaned it to them.”

“Why?”

Saul looked at the ceiling. “They’d wanted to get across to Handover.”

“Handover? That’s preposterous. After telling us never to cross the river and saying how dangerous Handover is?” Erin’s voice sounded angry amidst her sobs.

Saul pushed his chair back and stood. He reached into the cloak of his pocket, brought out a few items and laid them on the dining table. “Some things to remember your folks by.” And with that he turned and stalked back out into the dripping night.

Jules stared at his grandpa’s pocket watch, the green felt hat the old man always wore, especially on damp days, and his grandma’s silk scarf she donned when the wind ruffled her snowy white hair. Erin sobbed more violently, and Jules stood behind his mother’s back, leaned over and hugged her trembling shoulders.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Young Adult Adventure Fantasy  

Rating – G

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Emma Right on Facebook & Facebook (Keeper of Reign)

Website http://www.emmaright.com/Home.aspx

Author Interview – April Bostic

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?

I like to play hidden object games on my computer or watch television.

Do you have any tips on how writers can relax?

Find a comfortable spot, pop in some earbuds, and listen to classical music.

How often do you write? And when do you write?

I’ve stopped writing since I decided I didn’t want publish any new books or short stories.

Do you have an organized process or tips for writing well? Do you have a writing schedule?

When I write novels, I write an outline first. It consists of all the information about each character, their descriptions and relationships to one another. Then I write summaries of what I want to happen in each chapter. If there is specific dialogue that I want to remember, I will jot it down. As I write the story, I follow the outline and fill in the details and dialogue. I used to write on weekends because I had the most free time.

Sometimes it’s so hard to keep at it – What keeps you going?

When I used to write, my motivation was knowing the satisfaction I’d get once I was finished. It feels good to accomplish something, especially if you struggled with it.

Have you met any people in the industry who have really helped you?

No

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?

I hope my stories are able to make them feel a range of emotions, and I hope I can draw them into my imaginary worlds.

What’s your favorite meal?

Sausage and extra cheese pizza, and an ice-cold glass of water.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Paranormal Romance

Rating – Adult

More details about the author

Connect with April Bostic on Goodreads

Website http://www.aprilbostic.com/

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1 Sterling Silver 1/4ct TDW Black and White Diamond Wolf Necklace on 18" chain

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Nadine Ducca – Writer’s Block

Writer’s Block

By: Nadine Ducca

Leaping over the hurdle

It happens in the best families…

Writer’s block!

I said it: one of the most feared predicaments of any writer, and probably one of the most common. I don’t think I know any author who hasn’t gone through a dry spell. Writer’s block isn’t always staring at a blank page or screen. It can also be staring at a bunch of jumbled up ideas, and for the life of you not managing to make them readable. The words simply won’t flow.

When suffering from writer’s block, no matter how hard you try to fix a scene or come up with a new idea, it’s always there: that hurdle blocking your path. Staring into your soul. Taunting you. “You can’t jump me! You can’t jump me!” It points at you and laughs. And what do you do? Bang your head against the keyboard? Poke your eye out with a pen? No. You’re tough. You’re a writer, for crying out loud! You were made to suffer!

No matter what type of writer’s block you might have, there’s one thing you should never do: obsess. Obsessing gets you nowhere, and it drains away your energy. That’s just what the hurdle wants! The best thing you can do is take a deep breath, and try these suggestions.

1) Disconnect: Sometimes it’s best to just set your work aside and let it breathe. Give it distance. Sometimes you might think what you’re writing is awful, until you set it aside and go back to it the next day or a few days later. Only then do you realize it wasn’t worth so much worry. With writer’s block it’s the same. Don’t get frustrated, simply give yourself some time.

2) Listen to music: I find that original soundtracks are especially helpful. Songs without lyrics (for me, the lyrics usually get in the way) can transport you to other worlds, other universes, and other ideas. Take Zack Hemsey, for example. His songs have inspired several of my scenes. (It’s also cool to imagine your characters in total epic badness while listening to Hemsey full blast.)

3) Change your scenery: You can try writing in a different place, or you can reorganize your work area. You should also open doors and windows and let in some fresh air. Sometimes we authors don’t realize how stuffy our workplace is, or what posture we’re sitting in. We spend hours hunched over, reading tiny letters on a screen or on paper, and that can really damage both our backs and our eyes. Remedy this by trying out the next tip.

4) Go for a walk: I’ve found ideas come quicker to me if I’m walking and listening to music. Go out. See something new. Your mind needs a break. Doing some light exercise will get more oxygen to your brain and muscles, and it will help with any cricks in the back or neck.

5) Change the medium you’re writing on: I usually switch to pen and paper when I hit a bump in the road. There’s something especially satisfying about scribbling and drawing arrows and doodles and writing in spirals that really gets my creativity flowing again.

6) Try out writing prompts: Who knows, maybe you’ll find your next great idea. Here’s a post on my blog with several great sites offering writing prompts.

7) Just dive right in: Sometimes, our own fear is what stops us. Stop procrastinating and dive right in to your story. Accept that your writing won’t be perfect on the first go. Sometimes, it helps to just use bullet points to describe a scene or chapter, and flesh it out later.

Well, that’s my little list of suggestions to beat writer’s block! I can’t assure you these techniques will immediately send you leaping over that hurdle, but they’re sure to help in one way or another.

If you have any other tips, I’d love to hear them!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre –  Science Fiction/Fantasy

Rating – Adult

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Nadine Ducca on Facebook  & Twitter

Website http://nadineonwriting.blogspot.com/

Alice Will by Ashley Chappell @AshleyNChappell

With her leaky powers and premature smiting problem, fourteen year-old Trotter was still just trying to get the hang of the demi-godding business when the apocalypse began. In a world where the gods have withdrawn from humanity, leaving mortals bitter toward magic, she finds herself torn between the human and the goddess in her as the world begins to fade away and she becomes the prime suspect. When her search to determine the cause and prove her innocence ends up revolving around a mysterious little girl named Alice, she discovers that not all of the gods had been as distant as they seemed… Now, with everyone against her and the gods fighting amongst themselves, Trotter is on her own to save her world and stop a spiteful god from using Alice to destroy everything.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA Fantasy

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Ashley Chappell on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.ashleychappellbooks.com/

An Honest Man (the Donkey and the Wall) @J_L_Lawson

2

It's an Art

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” 

--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

“Are you getting all this?” asked the stranger after the lingering pause and he straightened his legs. The cat leapt down and padded off after her own business.

“Yes, thank you,” answered the young man promptly, glad that the silence was broken at last and anxious to shift the topic a bit. “So the beginning was when George and Belle had Harry?” the host ventured, still scribbling.

“You missed it by a bit. This story began when Wang Fu Kong, George, committed himself to the journey to a new world, then the trek into the wilderness, and when he finally surrendered to the harsh beauty and rewarding wonder of the natural world in which he found himself.”

“Wait. Are you saying little Harry and his son, or daughter, or whatever, all the way down to Fred Livingson, whenever he lived, is all the same story? So, no one person had an individual beginning or end? That doesn't sound quite fair or right somehow.”

The guest stood up and walked to the door. He looked out into haze of the growing Texas day and the harvested hay fields across the pond, then he thought aloud, “You know, that's an interesting point... like 'What is the tree to the forest?' or, 'Is the story of the river in the melting ice and snow of the mountain?' or...”

“Well, yeah, or 'the chicken and the egg',” added the young man, “But how can you say: 'It begins here!' and not here, or here, or here?” Then he groaned in exasperation at his infirm grasp of what the stranger was getting at.

“The simplest way to answer that is to remind you that humans have the unique capacity to dream and to choose, which stands them in contrast to the rest of the life on this planet. Yet even with that great birthright, so few people develop the ability or make the attempt to swerve even a bit from the whims of the winds of fate or of cause and effect.” He paused, assessed the effect of this last on the young man and continued. “So when on that rare occasion someone commits to a decision made of his own understanding and aspiration, acts on that commitment, and affects the lives of others in a positive way which would not have occurred otherwise... That is a beginning.”

“And it doesn't seem to be ending...” muttered the host not so silently while sharpening his pencil for another round.

“It ends; its life however is mapped, not measured,” offered the guest, “Shall we proceed with your map?” The stranger sat down, and picked up the tale again with a conversation between George and White Feathers.

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Genre - Metaphysical/Fantasy/Action Adventure

Rating – G

More details about the author & the book

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Website http://voyagerpress.org/

How To Find Your Vital Vocation by Brian Cormack Carr

The important thing here is that I noticed what I felt called to do, and I took steps to do it.  I understood even then that this would be the tactic that would help me find the golden thread to my ideal work.

Which brings us back to that fateful day when I told my boss at the store that I wanted to resign. The relief I felt at finally admitting what had been bubbling up inside me for months was enormous. Fortunately for me, my boss was understanding and reassured me that she would provide a good reference and that I could take some time during my notice period to look for other work.

Propelled by the realization that I now had to act on my professional restlessness (or should that be “recklessness”?) I started looking around for other full-time jobs.  In the meantime, my part-time social work job provided a useful buffer.

I found a new job pretty quickly (yes, times were different then). It meant taking a considerable pay cut – to almost half of my previous salary – and moving out of my spacious home into a much smaller pad. But it enabled me to take the leap from the commercial retail environment in which I had felt so stifled, to a fundraising position in a small charity that became an immediately comfortable fit. The drop in salary was a small price to pay for the privilege of working in an environment that enabled me to use my particular talents to their full effect.

In fact, my new job was a revelation. I was revitalized! My focus shifted from trying to maximise sales force productivity to helping impoverished people reduce their crippling debts. My productivity levels, and my enthusiasm, soared. It felt as if I had finally found my calling: a job that was based around my talents and values, and that left me feeling energized and alive rather than drained and dead. It felt like I had found my Vital Vocation.  I have no doubt that I wouldn’t have noticed the opportunity – much less been qualified for it – if I hadn’t listened to that inner “pull” that guided me to do the voluntary work in social services.

Since that major career transition nearly twenty years ago, I’ve been through several further stages in refining my working life, and have developed an exciting portfolio career that remains a constant source of delight today. I’m now chief executive of a major local charity, I’ve built my own thriving coaching and consultancy practice and I’ve carved out a growing niche as a freelance writer. Professionally and personally speaking, I couldn’t be happier – or more excited about the future.

Best of all, I’ve come to see that the career-design process I discovered (by accident and instinct as much as by intention) can be successfully applied by anyone, in any circumstance. 

I will outline that process for you in this book, so you can apply it to your life.

I’ve coached and trained hundreds of people who were in the same place I was back then – tired, burned-out, disillusioned, fearful that things would never get better – and I’m yet to find a single one who hasn’t been able to use the process I’ve designed to move towards their own Vital Vocation.

Whether you’re in a dead-end job and longing for a change, long-term unemployed and losing hope, or just beginning to face the world of work full of fear and trepidation, this book is for you.

It’s the book I wish I’d had at my side before I made that madcap decision to pack in my well-paid and secure job and take a leap into the unknown. It would have saved me many sleepless nights, I’m sure!

You’ll be pleased to know that I’m not recommending that you do anything as drastic as throwing everything up in the air tomorrow and starting from scratch. All you need to do is read this book, diligently apply the step-by-step Vital Vocation process, and you’ll be able to find or create the ideal work for you - and you can do it without giving up your current security.

In fact, the really good news is that you’ll be able to do it from exactly where you are now, even if that means learning to love the job you’re in, until you find a job you love.

Let’s begin!

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Genre –  NonFiction / Careers

Rating – G

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Brian Cormack Carr on Facebook  & Twitter

Website http://vitalvocation.com/