Nov 19

Bestselling Indie Author Cliff Roberts IS King Conch!

A fresh interview with Cliff Roberts. Cliff Roberts the writer who broke all sales records. The writer who has the Midas touch. This interview will let you into a few secrets…. If you are an Indie author and you want to get ahead– this may well be the interview for you… Read on people… Read on!

 

Cliff RobertsQ) Cliff, how do you mentally follow up the huge hit that was “REPRISAL?” How does a writer do that? Isn’t it a temptation to write the same thing over and over again?

My latest book is titled CONCH REPUBLIC and it is a mystery suspense thriller though it could also be classified as a crime novel. It is a temptation to write commercially– but I stopped myself.

Q) This is a departure from your first best seller, “REPRISAL! THE EAGLE RISES.” Why did you choose to change genre?

Well, I like a lot of different things, and as long as it’s thrilling and an easy, quick read, I want to read it. So I was interested in a crime mystery and it had to be a thrilling so why not? It’s not like any other crime or thriller you’ll find out currently.

Is this book a standalone novel or one of a series?

CONCH REPUBLIC is the first in a series I call the Nate Nevwas series. I anticipate there will two to three new Nate Nevwas’s each year for the at least the next few years. It’s a fun story for me to write because I can be playful to a fault.

Q) What can you share about the writing process behind the creation of “CONCH REPUBLIC?” Are any of the characters based on real life people?

Well, let’s see. I wrote over a two week period because my grandson wanted to have a character in one of my books named after him. His name is Nate. It was exciting to have him  be old enough this year to read finally and when he was given the chance to write a book report on any book he wanted for school, he chose Conch Republic. His teacher had to read it first and they approved it, so I guess it wasn’t too adult oriented for twelve-year-olds though don’t recommend that you get for your pre-teen. It’s an adult subject matter book and the language is definitely adult. The story itself is about an older guy who is overweight and has a medical disability that he has to overcome in order to get through every day. He’s unable to walk very far without resting, and he struggles with lots of arthritis pain, but he perseveres. The biggest issue in his life that he has to overcome is a case of terminal curiosity. He just can’t keep his nose out of other people’s business. Because of that, he finds himself having to fight off hired killers, mobsters, would-be pirates, and a gang of punks, all while explaining himself to the sheriff’s department and solving the crime.

Q) Come clean, Cliff. Is this book fictional or based on your real experiences in Florida?

A) Conch Republic is fiction. Though it is set in the Florida Keys and the locations are made to sound real, some are but most aren’t.

Q) Is the success of this, your fourth novel, CONCH REPUBLIC, different from the success of your first novel, REPRISAL! THE EAGLE RISES? And how do you define success?

Reprisal! The Eagle Rises (an action adventure thriller) was released and it took right off. It was a clear success from day one. Conch Republic was released and started out appearing as though it to was going to be successful and then suddenly stopped selling. It literally stopped selling any copies. I advertised and promoted it heavily for the next two months and at best it sold one or two copies a day never catching on with the public. In analyzing what I did differently with Conch compared to Reprisal, I discovered a significant difference. After some thought, we decided to take a different approach even though it was two months after initial the release date. It was a gamble because, to be honest, I didn’t know exactly why things hadn’t worked.

We re-released it—something that just isn’t done, at least after just two months. But it suddenly took off. It probably would have been a strong mover right from the beginning if I had followed the steps I took with Reprisal to begin with, but I guess you live and learn and hope the learning curve isn’t too steep.

 

Cliff Roberts 2Q) Will you be continuing with the “REPRISAL” series? And when do you anticipate the next book in the series to be released?

I will absolutely be continuing with the Reprisal series. I already have several more Reprisal books waiting in the wings to be edited and released. The next book, due to editing schedules, probably won’t be released until late January at the earliest. I am hopeful though that it might get jumped up the edits queue due to a cancellation.

 

 

 

Q) Do you have a title for the next book in the series? How do you choose titles?

The title of the next Reprisal is “REPRISAL! THE SORROW.” This time the terrorists plan on striking Europe. To say anything else will give too much away. Though I guess I can say the point of view changes in this book, and the reader is given full perspective of the situation.

I normally throw title ideas around with you, Nick– for example remember when you wanted to call “Conch Republic” “Kokomo?” We decided in the end that “Conch Republic” was the title that fitted best.

Q) Since CONCH REPUBLIC is the first in a series, when do you anticipate the second book in the series to be released?

I anticipate the second Nate Nevwas story to be released this coming spring. Again it’s an editing thing. My editor can only work so fast. I plan on keeping them very busy this coming year.

Q) You have sold an estimated 6000 copies of “CONCH REPUBLIC” over a very short period. How do you define that kind of success? How does it happen?

I think you and I, Nick,  figured that out and we’re sort of testing a second time to see if our reasoning was sound. Until then, I’ll keep the reason close to my vest for it may not have been what we think it was. And if it was, with the number of inquiries I’ve received regarding Conch Republic’s success and how I managed to obtain it, I just may write a how do book about it.

Q) Do you have any advice to pass along to your fellow authors?

The best advice has already been given by Ray Bradbury—“You fail only if you stop writing.”  I’ll add, “You’ll never get read if no one knows you’ve written a book. Promote yourself or perish.” ~~Author Cliff Roberts

Q) Are there any future plans regarding your writing career you can share with the readers?

There isn’t anything that is firm, but I will continue to branch out into different genre and I may be part of a new Photoventure which will change the game for Independent Authors creating a more even playing field with the traditionally published. I can’t really explain further because it’s still being discussed and planned. It may not happen, but if it’s possible, I think I’m going to be a part of it, unless someone beats me to punch and presents it first to the public.

Q) Will you share with readers what are your five top favorite books? How about your top five authors?  Top five movies?

I’m assuming you’d like my favorites other than myself and the books I’ve written, so okay, let me see.

My top five books—Patriot Games by Tom Clancy, Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy, The Stand by Stephen King, War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, and The Watchers by Dean Koontz. But I have dozens more I like just as much.

My top five authors—tough choice here—Tom Clancy, James Patterson-when he writes alone, Clive Cussler, John Grisham and Harlan Coben. But again there a dozen more who like equally as well.

My top five movies—it just gets tougher—Dances with Wolves, The Godfather-though I’m played out on it, Kiss the Girls, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. But this category has an asterisk because my favorite Christmas movie I could trade for any one of the top five except Dances with Wolves is, “It’s a Wonderful Life” with James Stewart and Donna Reed. I have to see it every year at the holidays or it isn’t Christmas for me. Having said this, it’s also important to note I am a huge fan of movies in general and at one time had a thousand favorite movies stacked on shelves all over my house.

 

Q) When writing your books do you purposely try to write them to so they could easily be adapted for movies or television?

I don’t think I purposely write them with the movies or television in mind, but I do try to structure them so that each chapter reads quickly—almost like scenes in a movie or TV show—because I think that’s how people are being acclimated nowadays. There are few people still alive in our country that can remember when there wasn’t television. People have just gotten used to short bursts of entertainment, and I do try accommodate their short attention spans by keeping the story moving along.

Q) Finally, I would like to ask who your favorite Indie authors are?

A) This is not a fair question at all! I like them all, and I believe in them all. There’s a guy that you haven’t even heard of who has the greatest book of all time on a beat up laptop sitting somewhere in the world. That guy or girl is my favorite.

 

 Get your copy of King Conch’s “Conch Republic” today!

 

Nov 18

Denise Barry Rewrites the Tooth Fairy for Kids

What does the Tooth Fairy do with our teeth? What a good question and one clever kids have been asking for ages! Until now, there has never been an answer that comes close to revealing just how playful, creative and clumsy the Tooth Fairy can be! Oh, and let’s not forget naughty. Yes, the Tooth Fairy can be a little naughty sometimes, too. Just ask the moon!

Take a sneaky peek inside the Tooth Fairy’s world where you will be amazed and delighted by all of the fun, creative and magical things she might do with our teeth. But be warned, you may never look at the world in the same way again. Not the snow, the stars, or even a chocolate chip cookie! 

What Does the tooth fairyQ) Hi, Denise. Let me start by asking when and why did you begin writing?

When I was 9 years old, I wrote a song for my mother on this little, plastic, red typewriter Santa Claus had brought me that year.  I had begged him for it, thinking my parents couldn’t afford to buy me something so extravagant.  I wanted it so I could become a “writer,” never thinking I could be one without it!  So that’s when I began writing, but being a kid, I didn’t stick with it for long.  It took until I was all grown up with kids of my own to get serious about it.  And I picked it up again out of necessity.  It’s not easy being bossed around by little kids all day long.  I used writing as a stress release and really fell in love with it.

Q) So, when did you first consider yourself a “writer?”

I had written the book “What Does the Tooth Fairy Do with Our Teeth?” and two more books, but even though I WANTED to be considered a writer, I didn’t think I could call myself one because I didn’t have those books published yet.  When I began writing inspirational stories on a regular basis for best-selling author and Oprah columnist, Karen Salmansohn, I began to feel like a writer. But I still felt hesitant to think of myself that way.  One day I realized I was holding myself back by believing I didn’t own the right to call myself a writer.  I was creating some standard for myself that had nothing to do with reality.  The funny thing is, because I broke through that insecurity, everything began coming together for me. I can call myself a writer if I want to today, and I do because people always want to put a label on you, but I’m not stuck on that word anymore.  We are more than what we say we are.

Q) What actually inspired you to write “What Does The Tooth Fairy Do With our Teeth?“

I’m finding that inspiration comes to me whenever it wants to, and I can’t force it.  For this book, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

When my daughter was little and she had lost her first tooth, we did the whole Tooth Fairy tradition thing that night.  We cleaned her tooth, put it under the pillow along with a note, and then we read a book about the Tooth Fairy.

It was about a little girl wanting her tooth back from the Fairy, a really cute book.  The Tooth Fairy kept bringing the girl the wrong tooth; a rhinoceros’ tooth, a shark’s tooth, on and on.

This made my daughter curious about what the Tooth Fairy does with our teeth.  She asked me, and honestly, I couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t sounded lame, like she builds a castle with them.

So I searched online for some answers, and I found things like, “she recycles them for babies,” and “she crushes them to make toothpaste.”  How gross is that?  I thought, I’m not telling her that, it’ll traumatize her!

Then I thought about how some kids are really scared about losing their teeth.  It feels like they’re losing a part of themselves, and I thought, “What if the Tooth Fairy did really cool stuff with our teeth?  What if she loved them and had fun with them? What if they became something incredible?”

I thought that would help make kids feel good about losing their tooth, so I went ahead and created my own ideas of what the Tooth Fairy might do with our teeth.

Q) Do think you have a specific writing style?

I think I do, but I’m not sure what it is.  I tend to want to write the same way often, but I force myself to experiment with different writing styles.  My goal in my inspirational work is to write as authentically as I can.  With the children’s books, I want to write in such a way that kids forget where they are, and get really absorbed in the story.  It has to be fun.  I’m all about kids having fun.  If they’re not smiling, I’m not doing my job.

Q) How did you come up with the title? It’s such a cute, bouncy, irresistible title and fits the book perfectly!

The title to “What Does the Tooth Fairy Do with Our Teeth?” just made sense.  I played with so many different titles, trying to make it cute and clever.  I asked everyone I knew for help, including the head of the marketing department  of an international company.  I really wanted to get it right.  It’s that important to the success of a book.  But it all came down to what I wanted to convey to the readers.  There are a lot of books out there about the Tooth Fairy and I wanted mine to stand out because of what it’s about.  People Google “what does the tooth fairy do with our teeth.”  It’s something kids want to know and parents want to find the answer to.  My book has the answers.  So of course that’s the only thing that made sense.  Sometimes simple is the way to go.

Q) I have to ask you this: What books have most influenced your life?

A book I read before I could understand it was “Mill on the Floss” by George Elliott.  I literally kept a dictionary next to me to understand it.  I don’t remember much about it, but it haunted me for a very long time, in a good way.  I learned what it means to have morals.

The other books that influenced my life were Angela’s Ashes, The Glass Castle and Sophie’s Choice.  Such sad books, but I loved them.  It taught me how we, as human beings, can’t really ever be broken.  There may be a deep well of pain and sadness, but there’s something deeper than that, something that can’t be touched and tainted, and it keeps us alive.  It allows us to take the next step, the next bite of food, the next breath.

Q) Are you currently reading a book?

I’m trying to read “I Am That” but I keep falling to sleep.

Q) Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

You inspire me as much as I inspire you!

Q) Other than writing, do you have any hobbies?

Yes, a ton of them.  I love making videos with iMovie, I could do it all day!  I love to hike, bike, travel, try new restaurants, sleep late on the weekends, have friends over.  I don’t do anything in particular all the time, but I love doing everything as it comes up.

Q) How do you enjoy social media interaction? Does it come easily to you?

The upside of social media is that I have made some awesome friends through it.  I don’t care that I’ve never seen them in person, they are my friends and I love them.  I even met my illustrator, Andy Boerger, through Facebook!  The downside of social media is the work involved.  I don’t think people appreciate how much time it takes to post things regularly.  A lot of thought goes into a posting — and I try to post as many inspirational essays as possible in order to engage my followers and offer them useful tools, and this is very time consuming.  It helps when I receive some positive feedback so I know what’s working, so keep that in mind.  If something I wrote helped you in some way, let me know, so I can do more of that!

Q) Many writers get quite nervous when they interview. Let me ask you this– do you enjoy interviews?

Thoughtful questions, like these, pull things out of me I didn’t know I knew.  So, in that way I like interviews.  I like written interviews way more than live interviews because in live interviews I don’t always say what I mean.  They make me nervous and my words get jumbled up!  I like reading interviews from people I admire, so hopefully someone will like reading mine.

What Does the tooth fairy

 

Get your kids their copy of “What Does The Tooth Fairy Do With Our Teeth?” today!

Nov 17

The Truth and Nothing but the Truth–from Author Charles James

This is a special interview. I want you to read this one carefully and then read “The Tarnished Shooter.” I’m not going to sit around telling you what I think about it. Just read the synopsis and make up your own mind. I think this book will be one you will be buying soon.

Charles James weaves a story that will leave you shocked to the core with “The Tarnished Shooter.” The story begins in 1971. Frank Henry Barker is a troubled young man left in emotional turmoil after years of his father’s abuse. He joins the Marines after getting into more trouble than he can handle—just to escape a probation officer desperate to send him to a reformatory. 

This harrowing true life story will have you reeling with the punches as we follow Frank as he battles the demons that haunt him. His anger and rage only compound the problems he has with relationships and society. This book will reveal the thoughts and actions of a person who has been brought up with violence and trained to solve disputes with his fists. 

“The Tarnished Shooter” —a compelling five star story of adversity, adventure and the consequences of choices one makes—is based on actual events. This is a story you won’t forget for a long, long time…

Q) Your book “The Tarnished Shooter” isn’t really a book that fits into one category. How would you describe it?

A) I would describe the book as true crime. I don’t know what else to call this because it is basically about crimes that really happened. I have been writing for about three years. The book took three years to write. I wrote the book because I felt it was a story worth telling as it deals with so many issues. I wanted to describe what it was like to suffer from child abuse and harassment from the law. I also wanted to express my thoughts about how little by little our rights get eroded by do-gooders and law makers. We need laws but some are just plain foolish. The writing was also a great therapeutic experience. I held so much hatred and rage it had to come out, and writing about those issues softened the edginess I constantly felt.

Q) How closely does “The Tarnished Shooter” resemble your actual story, Charles?

A) Frank Henry Barker is me. Frank Henry Barker is the main character, and I modeled him after myself. My best friend Clem Jones is like me but didn’t get abused by his parents. He is a classic sociopath, or at least has sociopathic tendencies. My father, Les Barker, was a complex man whom I tried to portray exactly the way I saw him.

Q) Can you summarize your book in 140 characters or less (Tweet size)?

A) Emotional and truthful. This book explains how innocent boys are turned into killers.

Q) How did you choose the title? 

A) I had three other titles. One day, I sat and brainstormed until I had the title I thought fit the story.  To my surprise the title hadn’t been used yet so I grabbed it. I searched the Internet when I came up with something. If the title or the words were already being used, I discarded the idea and kept brainstorming. Then “The Tarnished Shooter” came crashing into my mind.

Q) What did you learn that surprised you while writing your book? What was the most difficult part?

A) The most difficult part was reliving the experiences from my past. Many times the emotion was still there. I could feel the adrenaline or experience the tears again.

Q) What was your base concept for this book? How did you want this book to appear to readers?

A) My book was supposed to read like a radical manifesto written by a boy who could see through the masks worn by others at very young age. Frank Henry Barker was beyond his age in wisdom.

Q) I would think that “The Tarnished Shooter” hasn’t been popular with all readers. It is a very hard hitting read, and I am sure many people have had many opinions. What has been the worst thing someone has said in comparison to the best things people have been saying?

A) Some said it couldn’t be true. Family didn’t like it because it touched sensitive areas in their own lives. At the same time, some identified with it, and some loved it because they had not been exposed to the kind of lifestyle the main character lived.

Q) Do any of your characters have secrets you can share with our readers?

A) There are many secrets I didn’t reveal about Frank or others in the book. I think it is up to the reader to paint his/her portrait of those characters from the descriptions I provided. I wanted the reader to wonder when or if Frank would finally break down and follow the voices in his head.

Q) Can you describe your writing process? Do you outline, create rough synopses? How did you approach writing a book like this?

A) I started writing when I wrote the first word in this book. I have never been schooled or trained in typewriting, so I peck away at the keys, and it takes me longer to write. Many ideas I get while walking or riding my bike. It takes me a while to figure out exactly how I want to say something. Language and grammar weren’t important subjects to me when I was in school.

Q) Where do you do most of your writing, anyway?

A) I wrote the entire book while traveling the US and living in my 40-foot RV, a Bluebird Wanderlodge. Most do not know I am a writer. I have traveled to many states in the US. I haven’t been out of the country. Traveling the US has opened my eyes to many things and living on the road for the last three years has also made me realize there are many places I could live and be happy.

 

Get your copy of “The Tarnished Shooter” today!

Nov 17

Her Name is MJ Summers and She Sells Books… Lots of Books…

Her name is MJ Summers and she has one of the most interesting books of the year so far. “Break In Two” tells the story of thirty-one-year old Claire Hatley who is running from Seattle having just discovered that her live-in boyfriend has traded her in for a twenty-two-year old hostess. Devastated and alone, Claire must make a fresh start. She answers an ad for a chef at a guest ranch just outside Colorado Springs and finds herself face to face with Cole Mitchell, quite possibly the sexiest man to ever ride a horse. Common sense tells them to stay away from each other, but their attraction is not to be denied. He gives her a glimpse of what love should be, but just as she starts to trust him, the past comes back to tear them apart. Join Claire and Cole as they embark on the stormy love affair of a lifetime. 

In just over a week, MJ Summers’ “Break in Two” has outsold almost every other Indie book in the industry and is rivalling the big traditional releases. This is a career that will go further than any of us could ever imagine. I have been blown away by her phenomenal success, and this just proves that all Indie authors have the potential, with the right marketing, to make themselves big named authors. Enjoy this interview…

MJ, let me start by congratulating you on the release of your book “Break In Two.” What originally drew you towards writing a book?

A) I read my first erotic fiction novel in April and loved it! I read a few more and thought, ‘I bet it would be a lot of fun to think of my own fantasy world and just get lost for a while’. I have a dirty mind, an active imagination so I decided to give it a try. The characters and the story just flowed out of me as quickly as I could type.

mj summers

What makes you a great writer?

A) I don’t even really consider myself a writer yet, so I definitely wouldn’t say I’m a great one. I’m someone who wrote a book. It’s an entirely different thing. Maybe someday I’ll be a writer.

Q) As a writer what do you find inspirational? 

A) Wow. That question itself could inspire an entire novel. Like most people, I find inspiration everywhere. In writing this story specifically, it was the human struggle to find love, to learn to accept ourselves and appreciate our own beauty. I think women especially have trouble with this – I know I do – and I wanted to explore that for myself. What makes us insecure? Jealous? The answer isn’t all the more beautiful women out there. As I wrote, I think I figured it out and it surprised me. I don’t want to give the answer here because it would be a spoiler for anyone who will read the novel.

Q) I can’t wait to read the novel that I may have just inspired you to write! So how did you approach the concept of writing a book?

A) With this book, I had an idea for how to start the story and what I wanted the two main characters to be like. I knew what they had both been through before meeting each other and how things would end but the rest of the story unfolded before me like a movie, in scenes. I could see it all in my mind as I wrote.  The needs and wants of the characters created the actual plot.

Q) What is the key ingredient of a “great” book in your opinion?

A) Characters that you can relate to, care about and learn from, great dialog, a compelling story line and seeing a character transform by the events that unfold.

Q) So, what are your opinions on the independent writing world? How have you found it, so far?

A) I’ve found it exhilarating! We’re extremely fortunate to be living in an age when independent writers can find an audience. The community has been so supportive and amazing so far. The ability to connect with people around the world in an instant for feedback and support is incredible. The fact that one can make their own way and not have to fit the mould set by a corporation allows for true creativity.

Q) I have an important question here for you. Many people believe that a writer doesn’t have to promote a book. Is promotion important to you? Do you embrace the whole process?

A) Undoubtedly. How will anyone know it exists if it hasn’t been promoted? That would be like hiding a diamond in the rainforest and expecting people to find it without a map.

MJ summers 16 overall

MJ Summers breaks into the top 20 on Amazon. This is what real success looks like.

 

(The next part of the interview process is a word analysis test. I will say a few words and you will say the first things that come into your mind… This could be interesting!)

A drop of rain falls from the sky—what do you think?

Oh good! My perennials need a drink.

How does a cloudy day make you feel?

Like I want to curl up in a cozy chair and read.

What does a bar of chocolate taste like to you?

Like sex feels – delicious.

How do you define your book by genre?

Contemporary romance

How does blog touring make you feel?

Nervous and excited.

How many times have you rewritten a line to try and get the right feel for it?

Maybe twenty. The last paragraph of the book was my toughest. I wanted it to be perfect and it took a lot of rewrites, leaving it for a while, coming back the next day and rewriting again to get it.

Do you like to write with music? Does that help you concentrate?

All the time. I wouldn’t say it helps me concentrate, but I would say it helps me feel.

Do you feel the writing world is full of negativity or positivity?

I believe it’s full of positivity. People have been so encouraging. It’s a wonderful community of people who want to grow and learn as writers and it really seems like people want each other to succeed.  It’s lovely really.

Thank you for your time, MJ! This has been a truly wonderful interview and I hope we can do it again sometime. MJ will be on tour promoting her new book “Break In Two” for the next few days. You can catch her on blogs across the internet. 

Break In Two (heart cover) II copy

Don’t forget! MJ Summers’ sensational, sizzling new novel “Break In Two” is now available from Amazon. Get your copy today!

 

 

Nov 16

Cliff Roberts: The 100 Downloads An Hour Guy

Tonight will not swing. Tonight is for serious.

Inside, Cliff Roberts is at one with his laptop, sitting in a sleeved shirt he sits with a straight back. A cigarette smoulders in the ashtray to the left of his huge, overpowering arms. A pair of glasses, tinted, sit on his forehead. He is a writer at work.

Outside, in the hall, a man waits, wondering what to do with his hands. Cliff Roberts is selling.

Unruly fingers, that love typing like they love paper cuts, type methodically. Cliff Roberts has sales to watch. This one is called “Conch Republic.” It will be his first to hit to sell over 5000 copies in a few days.

Cliff Roberts has been a pauper, a pirate, a poet and a police commissioner. His home is a tribute to his long career. Awards for salesmanship hang from walls, pictures of meetings long forgotten adorn his desk. Now, he has turned a new corner. He has lived enough for two lives and can now write of September. Of the bruising days. Of the rouged lips and bourbon times. Of chill winds. Of forgotten ladies who ride in limousines.

His mind may wander back to days of old Detroit or days of forgotten political campaigns. Perhaps, he thinks of the day he arrived; perhaps he is thinking of the day he will leave.

November can be an attitude or an age or a wistful reality. For Cliff Roberts, it is a time of achievement. A time to write.

A thousand days of writing.

Cliff Roberts conch republic

 

Nov 16

Rosanne Dingli, The Hidden Auditorium And Why Writing Never Ends…

 

An event that occurred in 1883 reverberates down the years to 2012, when antiques dealer Nic Manton acquires a pendant with mysterious provenance.  Its past owners are shadowy and notorious, its value immense, its custodian disturbing. But the secrets it holds, when revealed, astound all who vie for its ownership. Stealth and danger pursue Manton, who needs help to unravel cryptic messages from the past, while his attention is distracted by two very unusual women. An eccentric professor can help—but fear of consequences might stall what starts out as an adventure and ends with violence and confusion.

 

How would describe your book, its genre?  Do you write in more than one genre? 

 

My fourth and latest novel, The Hidden Auditorium, is a romantic adventure, in which history, art, and classical music are the mainstays. I also use brilliant locations and this time, antique jewellery, to evoke the atmosphere I want and ground the story with engaging props.

 

Genre is always a difficult thing with me. Similar books by other authors are usually categorized as ‘General Fiction,’ but I suppose ‘Romantic suspense,’ or ‘Mystery adventure’ are also valid. All my novels are similar in nature—my short fiction varies a bit more and is rather more literary in its language. An author can afford to experiment more wildly with short fiction.

 

How long have you been writing? How long did it take to write your book? And what motivated you to write it?

 

These days I write a novel a year. It takes that long because of the length—about 120,000 words—and because of the research, which sometimes entails travel, but always requires a great deal of reading and looking up of special and little-known details. The art, history, music and literature I weave through my stories is fact-rich, specific, and meticulous, so readers can have fun looking up fine points to see if they are true.

 

I’ve been writing on and off since 1985, which is why I have fourteen books selling, with my fifth novel due to appear in September 2014. My fans and what they say about my fiction motivate me to write. It’s hard work, but I enjoy the research and rewrites, not to mention the editing and production phases.

 

 I’m an autumn person, probably because I was born in October, in Europe. I dislike very warm temperatures, which we get rather a lot of where I live, in Perth, Western Australia.

 

Is “The Hidden Auditorium” a stand-alone novel or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, how did you decide to make it a series? How long will the series run?

 

The Hidden Auditorium is a companion novel to According to Luke—one of the characters comes back. This is exciting, and although the books can be read in any sequence, taking them up in the order in which they were written makes things slightly clearer. The decision was an easy one to make—Bryn Awbrey, the avuncular Welshman all my readers love, is an expert in semiotics whose eccentric ways meant he had to overflow into more books.

 

Is there any symbolism in your book that you’d care to share with potential readers?

 

There is plenty of symbolism in According to Luke. And each symbol is unraveled and explained. It is not as marked in The Hidden Auditorium, the more recent novel, because of the props I used, but there are a few clues that are quite cryptic, and there are always puzzles to be solved.

 

Do any of the characters resemble you? How about friends or relatives.

 

Of course not. Professional authors take great pains to create quirky, interesting, larger-than-life characters with idiosyncrasies one does not easily find in real life. ‘Normal’ people would make boring reading! Having said that, however, it’s fairly obvious authors cannot get away from themselves and their mindsets, their backgrounds, and their experiences, so attitudes and leanings do tend to filter through to one or two of the characters used, but not in any recognizable way. I would love to be as elegant, articulate, and beautiful as Manuela de Francesch, one of the characters in my new novel. But I’m nowhere as sophisticated.

 

What is the worst thing reviewers or critics have said about your book?

 

My work has been found to be highbrow, complicated, and demanding by a very small sector of the public. This is understandable, because I use references that can escape the common reader. My stories are adventurous and full of action, though, so missing some of the references does not take anything away from the rollicking narrative. One reader thought my philosophical references were pretentious—which makes me glad he recognized them.

 

What is the best thing reviewers or critics have said about your book?

 

Too many positive remarks to list here! There are dozens of reviews online that praise the way I write, the inclusions I put in my fiction, and the descriptions of the locations, especially. I think I have built myself a reputation for creating atmosphere and detailing surroundings in a few words, for the reader to absorb quickly but intensely. By far the best thing anyone has ever said was, “I finished it and turned right back to Chapter One to experience it all over again!”

 

If you were to be offered a movie deal, who would you like to see play the main characters? And why?

 

I often imagine Stephen Fry in the part of Bryn Awbrey, because he does that eccentric, shambolic kind of character very well. It’s highly unlikely my novels will ever be made into movies, though. I prefer to outline a few sketches for readers to form their own mental images as they move from chapter to chapter.

 

Describe your writing process. Do you outline, create rough synopses, do you do detailed biographies of the characters before starting to write?

 

Nothing so organized, thank goodness. I am your quintessential higgledy-piggledy, chaotic, and utterly disordered author who loses notes, tries unsuccessfully to remember brilliant ideas that dissolve with the morning light, and works in a study full of sheaves of paper and piles of books. I place my hands over the keyboard and they type…the real work comes when I have two hundred thousand words to bang into some kind of order. That’s the part I love—turning chaos into a reasonably cogent, logical, convincing form.

 

How much research do you do before starting to write?  Where do you find most of your background materials? How do you fact check?

 

Hours and hours of reading, looking up, watching documentaries and consulting maps and pictures…long hours go into each novel I write, Nick. Because I use so much cultural material, history, authentic props, and real procedures I need to understand everything I use quite intimately. I fact-check things like dates, inscriptions on tombs and buildings, street names, architectural periods, occupations, wars, scientific procedures, decorative and artistic styles, the biographies of musicians and artists. It never ends, and is sometimes vastly more interesting than the actual writing. The Internet is of course infinitely useful, but it’s a double-edged sword, because inaccuracy can confuse even the most careful researcher, and the ease with which one can access information means becoming distracted and taking mental, cultural, and entertaining detours! This can be time-consuming and wasteful, but it is always fun.

 

Living in a house with several thousand books on all subjects, in five languages, means I can do most of my research without leaving home. I raise dust when in the height of building my research base.

 

What didn’t you mention in the synopsis that you can reveal here?

 

That The Hidden Auditorium is about the life and death of Richard Wagner, the famous composer. I have taken a gap in his life and filled it with something that could very well have happened. That’s what I do—that’s what I stand for: feasible fiction, verifiable facts.

 

If you had to do the experience of writing your work over, would you still write it? Would you change it? How?

 

Writing my work over! Hah!! I did do this with The Hidden Auditorium—twice or three times. Quite radical re-writes where two whole minor characters fell to the cutting room floor. The main premise changed radically the first time I rewrote; and the second time, after a big plot discussion around the dining room table, I was given a brilliant twist I just could not ignore, so the last third of the novel had to be re-shaped, with an entirely different denouement. Changing and remodeling is nothing new to me: it’s how a novel finds its ultimate development.

 

How did you choose the title?

 

Most of my inspiration comes from words. I love words and how they go together. I am tri-lingual from childhood, so fascination with language is natural. A brilliant sentence I read or hear goes a long way, and stories are built on the turn of a phrase, or an unusual new word. So I sometimes have a title before I have anything else…which is what happened for my next novel. But The Hidden Auditorium was a special and rather involved work, which changed titles halfway through. I found a brilliant quote by Rod Serling which was startlingly appropriate, and that was it! Magic.

 

What is your end goal for your writing career?

 

My goal is for there to be no end.

How did you decide on the cover and did you design it or did you use a professional designer? However you created the cover, will you being do it that way in the future? Why or why not?

 

I have a background in publishing. I’ve worked on magazines, newspapers, corporate and academic newsletters, books, and I’ve even read slush for a university press. I’ve worked in a printing press, and have collaborated with designers and photographers during a rather varied career in publishing. I also trained briefly as a graphic artist, and went to art school. So it seemed a no-brainer to do my own covers. The first few were rather basic, but I’ve reached a level that’s quite acceptable and people like my covers, so I’ll keep doing them, improving as I go. I am continually studying and practicing, so I do not rest or feel I know enough, ever—it’s one of the things I really enjoy about what I do. I’ve created all fourteen of my own covers, and regularly design interiors and exteriors for other authors.

 

Can you summarize your book in 140 characters or less (Tweet size)?

 

An antiques dealer determined to turn his financial situation around finds a historically mysterious pendant that wreaks havoc but forges bonds.

 

How much literary license do you take with your stories? Do you create fictional locations? Do you use real locations with some fictionalizing, or do you stick very close to the actual setting? Why?

 

My settings are all very real and the great majority are personally experienced. I use European locations I’ve been to. My short stories are full of Belgium, Italy, Malta, and Australia. My novels are mainly based in Malta and Italy, and I use Australian characters very often, so the mix is interesting. I never make places up because it’s what readers find most authentic about my writing. I vividly describe places in a few words, through my protagonist’s eyes. So the sights, smells and sensations can’t be faked: the author needs to have been there. And I have.

 

What types of hobbies do you have? Are you active in sports or your community? Do these activities find their way into your books?

 

I am a non-sporty sedentary loner who collects stuff (yes, stamps too) and does puzzles such as Sudoku.

 

What is your favorite time of the year and why? And did you incorporate that into your story? How?

 

I’m an autumn person, probably because I was born in October, in Europe. I dislike very warm temperatures, which we get rather a lot of where I live, in Perth, Western Australia. I hate being outdoors in hot weather. Spring is nice here, although very brief. I rarely describe the weather in my fiction unless it really affects the action, as it does in the pivotal scene in According to Luke.

 

What do you feel is the best personal quality you bring to your writing career?

 

My ability to work with words, first of all. Then there’s my liking of puzzles, and a small measure of analytical capacity, which all help if you are a novelist of cultural adventures full of ingenious mystery, cryptic conundrums, and historical questions.

 

Where do you see your writing career going? Why do you think that?

 

I see myself chugging along at this comfortable rate for quite a while. A lot of hard work brought me to this stage, and I haven’t looked back since 2010. My increased output and the publishing revolution have meant I can maintain this pace. All I can plan are my own actions—what readers decide to read is out of my control.

 

Do you have a special theme, or design that you intend to continue throughout your career as your signature item?

 

Yes, Nick—I enjoy writing about art, architecture, history, music, and literature so much that I intend to pursue this line of “cultural adventure” for as long as I can and as long as my readers want more.

 

What is your end goal for your writing career?

 

My goal is for there to be no end.


If you enjoyed “The Hidden Auditorium,” it’s time to pick up a copy of “The Latin Cushion” from author Rosanne Dingli!

 

Nov 16

“Anything Worth Having Is Not Easy!” Author Tom Ufert Decrees

Tom at Desk

 

I wrote this article at the behest of Nick Wale as a follow-up to last month’s (September 2013) exceptional first full edition of Novel Reads, the new blockbuster e-magazine that is taking the publishing industry by storm.  I ask readers to forgive my abruptness; it is not intended to be rude but plainly speaking, honest, and to the point.

Anything worth having is not easy. This includes a successful writing career. For anyone seeking quick fame, fortune or notoriety—seek another career!  Historically speaking, all of the great authors were conflicted with the need to say something worth saying while still trying to survive financially. Today is no different. As in any profession, the status quo will do its utmost to knock you down, lock you out, and brand you as a crackpot or unworthy hack if your ideas and approach don’t follow a bedrock of guidelines you had nothing to do with creating. The road is an uphill battle of a seemingly act of utter futility. Welcome to life! I challenge you to ask yourself this question, “Why do it?”  Endless days of frustration, financial agony, and literally hair pulling tirades will surely be the norm for any aspiring author. Yet, in the end, every human being has a story to tell worthy of a listening ear. Unfortunately 95% of the world’s population never puts pen to paper for one reason or another. Perhaps, for those of us that choose to embark down this lonely, winding road that is a good thing; otherwise, instead of the projected “2 million books” that noted best-selling author Cliff Roberts mentioned in his article “Promotion, Promotion, Promotion” (September 2013) there would be 7.2 billion books on the market for the coming year. I have heard it said, “Why say anything if you have nothing worthy to say?” This is indelibly true for the written word in a market that is inundated more so now than ever by the rise of the World Wide Web. Any Tom, Dick, or Harriett can now write a book and self-publish it whether it’s worthy of publishing are not. This, perhaps, is the stigma that the traditional publishing world wants to brand on the face of every independent author trying to market their work. I say “balderdash!”

In my humble opinion, if you have something worthwhile to say that may give others hope, instills a miniscule shred of human decency in others, or by chance lights a spark that leads to monumental change in this cold, dark, and dreary world, you have an obligation to the human species, yourself, and the Almighty Creator to speak up and write what you know so unquestionably to be true. Failure to do so is a sin and an unspeakable act of cowardice that relegates you to becoming an apathetic co-conspirator to everything you rant and rave against. As I write in my first book, Adversity Builds Character, “Life is a bed of roses, but you’re a damn fool if you expect it without thorns.”  No cause worth fighting for succeeds without blood, toil, tears and sweat.

As Nick Wale said in his mission statement for this magazine, a revolution is coming, and it’s about time. With the advance of technology and the broadening of the human mind, periods of agonizing transition are to be expected. Human history is replete with these periods of transition, but time and time again, humanity has overcome its faults to rise above common expectations and prophesies of cataclysmic doom. Have faith in yourselves and your talent because you are part of this revolution. This technological feat of 24-hour worldwide communication bridges the gaps of geography and culture uplifting the human race where we can reach out and touch the very lives of people we will never see or meet. Your written word can span the globe in a matter of seconds and have monumental effects on the meaningful causes that are dear to your heart. This accomplishment alone begs the question why not fight the good fight and make your mark like never before? You are a writer.  Be proud and strive to take your place in the hallowed statuary halls among the likes of Shakespeare, Twain, Dostoyevsky, Jefferson, Voltaire, Plato, Goethe, M.L. King, the Apostles, etc… Only time will tell—and the marketplace of ideas will judge—if your written words have the strength and characteristic fiber to be held throughout the generations as words to live by. Remember this, “You only fail when you fail to try!”  No one will ever give a damn about what you have to say if you never say it.  The unwritten word is like a gasping breath so easily forgotten over time and never makes a difference if left unwritten.

Having leapt upon this social soapbox like a blathering lunatic, the reader may genuinely ask who is Tom Ufert and why does he shriek so passionately about the subject of writing and publishing? What are his credentials and educational background that earns him the right to be heard in this arena? To be honest, I’m no one important and cannot rightfully claim the distinction of being an expert. On the contrary, I am a novice, aspiring author just like many of you. However, more than once I have been told that my inspirational words have cut readers to the core with my honesty and blatant lack of self-aggrandizement that they touched their heart and soul. I wrote what I knew, what I lived, what I experienced. It was real and I genuinely plowed through the drama to extol real feelings from the heart.

For most of my life, the idea of becoming a writer never crossed my mind. As is the case for most of us, I wrote purely for educational and occupational purposes when the need arose. Only recently, namely in the last two years, have I purposely sought to become a professional writer. Even that was inspired and given purpose by someone else that saw in me a higher purpose that could possibly improve the lives of individuals who needed hope and could be touched. I am proud of my educational background and feel truly blessed that I was given the rare opportunity to be privately educated at some of the finest schools money could afford. I received a double bachelor of arts in political science and history with a minor in English from the oldest liberal arts college west of the Mississippi, Centenary College of Louisiana. Then, I was most fortunate to receive a Rotary International graduate Fellowship to study East Asian political affairs at Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. So, as can be seen, my educational background was not steered in the direction of becoming a professional writer.

Furthermore, my career aspirations most assuredly were choreographed towards a completely different arena. From the age of seventeen, I immersed myself in delusions of grandeur of becoming a successful politician. Since that time, I have worked or volunteered for eleven different political campaigns on both sides of the aisle. I have been fortunate enough to serve as a Lyndon Baines Johnson congressional intern and then nominated to be a White House fellow. I have served in a number of capacities or been mentored by remarkable political luminaries that range from special assistants to the President of the United States, former Congressmen, state governors, an assistant chief of staff to a former Vice President of United States, and former US trade ambassador in the present Obama administration. At age twenty-three, I was the youngest artistic Board Chairman in the United States for the Shreveport Summer Music Festival during which I helped raise $61,000 for that noble cause. I additionally served on two other 501(c) 3 boards of directors, in which I designed a three year $3 million matching grant fundraising campaign to assist music education. In recent years, I have been proud to assist with a number of fundraising efforts for food banks, AIDS outreach centers, and the only AIDS hospice in northwest Texas. I denote all of these to emphasize two distinct facts:  One, I never intended to become a writer; two, though my educational and career-oriented background do not distinguish me in the field of literary accolades, I am by no means an illiterate hack or uneducated buffoon, contrary to any discrepancy that may be accredited to me as an independent, self-published author.

Nonetheless, in only two years’ time, I have written two books, am writing a third with two additional planned for the future, and through an excellent team of friends and supporters have managed to become a best-selling author and create a social media name for myself. All of this was never intended but came about through hard work, drive, determination and an unyielding will to never surrender! In fact, perhaps the greatest accomplishment is that all of these have been achieved despite surviving the past twenty-one years with three life-altering disabilities that have rendered my hands and legs, for all practical purposes, as essentially untenable for normal use.  I do not ask for pity and constantly strive to remain as independent as possible. Yet, in the end, while most would have easily subscribed to giving up and accepting a life of helplessness and despair. That was not for me!  My essential point is this—anyone seeking a writing career should best be prepared for “a road less taken.”  Moaning and groaning about the trials and tribulations we as writers encounter falls on deaf ears. Only together can we fulfill the fruitful promise of the Revolution that Nick Wale speaks of in the publishing world. Do not accept traditional norms or codes of conduct! Think outside the box! If you genuinely have a story that needs to be told and one that can make a difference in another human being’s life regardless of financial gains, then by all means stand strong and do it!

I will be the first to tell you that trying to self-publish is a socially and financially arduous task. There are an endless number of scam artists, ruthless moneygrubbing publishing representatives, and naysayers that will beat you down with every breath you take. However, if I can do it subsisting on only $1200 a month from Social Security disability income, living paycheck to paycheck and still generously contribute between 10% and 25% to charity from every book I sell, THEN YOU CAN DO IT, TOO!  It takes forethought, commitment, a devout core group of friends that will back you to the ends of the earth, and a genuine sense of purpose knowing that you are part of something bigger than yourself. Remember, my friends, the pen is mightier than the sword… Words cut deeper, cleaner, and can move whole nations to reshape human history. This is your legacy as a writer, knowing that you are making a difference despite the hardships. Be proud of your adversity as a writer knowing you are not alone, and in this age of technological mega change, the words you write can and will make a difference.

Get your copy of “Adversity Builds Challenge” today!

Nov 15

Come Sundown: Bruce Bennett Becomes THE #1 Author

Bruce Bennett is sitting at #1 as we speak. A highly-decorated author with a huge hit thriller on his hands. What makes him one of the few indie authors to have a hit book? What advice can he give to budding writers? Where will the craze for “Digital Air” end?

As we speak “Digital Air” is riding high on the Amazon listings. What is that book about?

 

Digital Air is a suspense thriller with a sci-fi twist.  Don’t let that scare you.  I modeled it after some work of authors like Clive Cussler.  I don’t like to be boxed in.  If I have a feeling about a subject, I want to write about it.  My next planned book will be historical fiction, and I would also like to write something for young adults.  More and more readers like diversity, I think.  I consider myself to be like Michael Crichton—how much different was “Eaters of the Dead” from his other books, yet it was great?

 

How long have you been writing? How long did it take to write your book? And what motivated you to write it?

 

I have been writing for a little more than two years.  It took me eighteen months to write my book.  I wanted to clear my head of ideas that haunted me at night time.  Now I sleep much better.

 

Is it a stand-alone novel or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, how did you decide to make it a series? How long will the series run?

 

Digital Air is the first of three books centering on the character R.S. Cadais.  The trilogy was recommended by my editor, Ken Stewart.

 

Who are your main characters in the story and how would you describe them?

 

I love my main character, R.S. Cadais.  He is a “modern” hero.  I did not want to rehash the same old heroes as other authors are writing about.  He is different, fun, intelligent, self-deprecating, and he gets into trouble.  He is James Bond and Bruce Lee mixed together.

 

Bruce Bennett #1111

Is there any symbolism in your book that you’d care to share with potential readers?

 

I don’t like to compete with Dan Brown.

 

Do any of the characters resemble you? How about friends or relatives.

 

My characters in Digital Air are people that I would like to meet.  I think that R.S. Cadais embodies characteristics that we all would want to believe we had.  Other characters are modeled after ideals more than people.  Loyalty and honor are major character themes in my book.

 

Have you tried submitting your book to publishers? If so, how many? Did they provide any feedback? What was that feedback? Will you be submitting it again? Would you still want to work with a traditional publisher now that you have self-published?

 

Who would not want to work with a traditional publisher?  I think all Indie authors want to be discovered in the same way actors were discovered sitting at a soda fountain back in the 1930s and ’40s.  Indie publishing represents a new age in writing.  In the past, writers who did not get published stopped writing for the most part.  Today, anyone can see their name in print.  It’s good and bad at the same time.  It might be likened to a crowd of new professional golfers who are playing their first Masters, but they can’t get a tee time for all the hackers lined up to play.

 

What has been the most difficult part of your writing experience? Dealing with publishers, agents, editors, getting reviews, query letters, what?

 

Getting reviews seems to be the toughest thing.  Also, I question whether there are many honest reviews.  It seems to me that there are many trolls out lampooning Indie authors’ work.  My guess is that it is other authors trying to eliminate the competition.  I try to review all Indie work that I read, especially if someone has gone to the trouble of publishing.  However, much of what I read is not worth reviewing.  In that case, I do not review the work.  Perhaps that is what is happening to my book.  (ß Funny?)

 

Do any of your characters have secrets you can share with our readers?

 

My characters are mostly people a reader can relate with.  If they have secrets, they have not told me.

 

Describe your writing process. Do you outline, create rough synopses, do you do detailed biographies of the characters before starting to write?

 

With Digital Air, I saw this nebulous story in my head.  I started writing without any outline or character synopses and let it develop on paper.  That led to many re-writes and also creating character synopses after the fact.   When it was edited, the rougher areas were identified and corrected.  Overall, I would not recommend this method to writers.  It was like trying to untangle a mess of knotted gold chains.

 

How much research do you do before starting to write?  Where do you find most of your background materials? How do you fact check?

 

I do a considerable amount of research before I start.  In Digital Air, I opened by writing about a place I have not been.  I thoroughly researched, then drew a picture of the setting so I would remember what it looked like.  The Internet opens a world of knowledge that authors never had in the past.  What might Jules Verne have written if he had the Internet?

 

What didn’t you mention in the synopsis that you can reveal here?

 

Digital Air has an interesting science fiction twist.  Some readers might find they have been blindsided, but I feel most will enjoy the surprise.

 

If you had to do the experience of writing your work over, would you still write it? Would you change it? How?

 

With Digital Air, I think that I wrote most of what I had to say.  If I were a highly financed professional writer, I would do more research before writing and perhaps try to visit all of the places I write about.  For the most part, I am happy with what I have written.

 

How did you choose the story you wrote?

 

I wanted to write a fun thriller with different characters and new ideas.  When people tell you to “sleep on it,” that always helped me.  When I was stuck, sometimes I saw the next chapters clearly in my sleep.

 

How did you choose the title?

 

Dan Brown lent me “Digital” and I added “Air” to lend a hint to the plot of the book.

 

How did you decide on the cover and did you design it or did you use a professional designer?

 

I’d like to have an accomplished designer do my cover.  In this case, I had used someone for my previous book and did not especially like the results.  I decided to take a very interesting and enigmatic picture and turn it into the cover.

 

Can you summarize your book for us, please?

 

An FBI agent tries to solve a series of crimes that have no apparent logical explanation.  When people at the highest levels of our government call him in, he realizes that he might have stepped in a quagmire of international conspiracy.  Soon he realizes that he no longer knows who to trust.  With no other course of action, he decides to go out on his own to solve the mystery.  He teams up with a couple of unlikely partners and takes the reader on a fun and challenging ride.

 

Who were the authors that influenced you? What about them and their style appeals to you?

 

Michael Crichton.  I love the believable way he presents a fantastic story.  He uses detail, but doesn’t overwhelm the reader with boring facts.  “The Great Train Robbery” is one of my favorite reads.  I love books by Clive Cussler, Stephen King, James Lee Burke, amongst others.  I love King’s use of time to create suspense.  I found that to be very difficult, but tried to incorporate it in my story.

 

What did you learn that surprised you while writing your book? What was the most difficult part?

 

Writing the book was like pitching a nine inning baseball game.  The middle innings were the toughest.  It was difficult to keep up the energy that far from the beginning with no end in sight.

 

How much literary license do you take with your stories? Do you create fictional locations? Do you use real locations, with some fictionalizing or do you stick very close to the actual setting? Why?

 

I use both fictional and actual settings in my book.  The sense of realism is better when actual locations are used—especially those locales that may be local to readers.  So, when writing about New York City, I use locations with which readers might be familiar.  When I am using exotic locations, I take more liberties.

 

What types of hobbies do you have? Are you active in sports or your community? Do these activities find their way into your books?

 

I have always enjoyed participating in sports.  I use athletics in my books and also describe martial arts maneuvers as close as possible to the real thing.  This latter is more acquired by attending three years of TKA training with my son.

 

What do you feel is the best personal quality you bring to your writing career?

 

I like to think that my sense of humor adds an edge to my stories that make them fun.

 

Who are your top five favorite authors? And which book of theirs is your favorite?

 

Stephen King, Wolves of the Calla;  Michael Crichton, Eaters of the Dead;  Bernard Cornwell, The Last Kingdom;Cliff Roberts, Conch Republic; James Lee Burke, Heaven’s Prisoners.

 

Tell us something about yourself that you don’t usually share with anyone but close friends?

 

I play the violin.

 

Where do you see your writing career going? Why do you think that?

 

I see myself continuing to write many more novels.  I love to sit down and work with the ideas that I have outlined and create new books.  Eventually, I would like to also write music.  The reason is that the process is enjoyable for me.  I would like to write more books that express my inner feelings on many topics.  Reading and writing gives me great joy.

 

Do you have a special theme, or design that you intend to continue throughout your career as your signature item?

 

I hope I don’t get mired down with one particular theme or character.  Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes because he wanted to write something else.  His readers nearly revolted and he brought Holmes back and continued the volumes for the rest of his life.  I don’t want this to happen to me—I want to write on different topics and explore new interests.

 

What happens next?  Is there another book? What are your future writing plans?

 

Yes, I have a book planned for the Christmas season and a second that I have finished but is being re-written by a fellow author.  When my books are done, I want them to be genuine, priceless.  When someone gives me the honor of reading something I have written, I want them to be able to say that it was the best use of their time ever.

 

What is your end goal for your writing career?

 

I want to write till my thoughts no longer come.  I have no delusions of grandeur.  If one person perceived value from reading one of my books, that’s good enough for me.

 

Do you use a pen name?

 

My pen says “Crystal Ball Contracting” on it.

 

Thank you for your time, Bruce.

 

You are welcome! Enjoy!

 

digital air

 Get your copy of “Digital Air” today!

Nov 15

Lester Van Huss and A Shattered Innocence

Lester Van Huss. A name you will soon enjoy on a regular basis. A writer, a creator and a man who knows that he has something to share with you all. I wanted to interview Lester and allow you all to meet him. Join us for a journey that will be remembered for a long, long time…

What makes “Their Innocence Shattered” such a special read?

“Contemplation.” A one word sentence came to mind to answer this question in hope my readers will wake up and realize what they teach, how they teach it, and to remember the effects others had on them as children.  We, as adults, frequently overlook our actions and words and the impact they have on our children.  So many times we are caught within “normal standard procedures” because life itself has developed certain standards which have devastating effects.  We are trapped in vicious cycles, passing down our own lessons in life (whether good or bad) without regard to the effects they will have on the development of humanity’s future–our children.

In Their Innocence Shattered, my goal is to make people aware of the consequences of their own actions and how these actions affect innocent children.

What makes you the perfect inspirational writer?

Life has opened up and closed many doors for me.  I have had the experience to live as well as observe many pitfalls which consume life itself.   I stand on foundations of encouragement and support.  The ability I possess is somewhat different from others due to a more spiritual (as opposed to traditional religious) belief.  There are way too many people being trapped within religious doctrines of rules and regulations.  Wisdom based on experience creates a wealth of information for us to live by; however, only if you learn from mistakes you’ve made and direct yourself toward new horizons.

What is inspirational to you?

The creation of new life in every form.  The beauty of simple changes of seasons and climate in which I live.  Hearing and seeing the encouragement, faith and support of those who are beaten down and seem to have no hope and yet do not complain.  Observance of those who pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and make another attempt without backing down from obstacles which stand in their way.

A drop of rain falls from the sky—what do you think?

Rebirth.  With the one single drop, there is still hope more will follow.   Mankind has been the destruction of nature.  She has no choice but to wash and clean the air we breathe from the pollution we expel into it.  The rampage of the Earth, which we continually bulldoze down, erecting our towers of concrete and asphalt which spread across her back shows man’s very own annihilation.  Rain brings life and gives sustaining reflections of thankfulness and one more chance to change our ways if we would only seek to do so.

How does a cloudy day make you feel?

Sombre is the only way I can explain this.  I have many feelings during the times when clouds cover my head.  There are clouds which bring devastation and then those of refreshing rain and renewal.  This could be a book in itself.  There are clouds which are heavy and cause a feeling of depression, but I always know sunshine follows behind.

What does a bar of chocolate taste like to you?

Simply the best.   I have always been one who loves chocolate.  Dark chocolate is my favourite with the sweetest bitter taste of all.  My mouth is already watering from just the thought of having one.  Will you go buy me one?  I am broke.  (he says as he laughs out loud!)

Deer – Bambi

Jazz – A cat running up and down a piano.

Pig – Slob

Memory – Reflection

Pat Benatar – Rock star

Frank – Who’s Frank?  Let just say Hot Dog

John Kerry – Elections

Dreams – Images of reality

Love – Continuation

What makes a man happy?

What makes a man happy is such a broad question to which I have not the time to write you another book.  So to summarize a little—I think the ability to make his own way, support his family (or himself if single) and to feel a part of society and needed.  There is nothing I can think of that brings me more satisfaction than to be able to stand on my own two feet and not have to depend on others to do it for me.  Respect, honor and peace of mind are critical substances which gives a man the drive to better his future.

What makes a woman happy?

This is a subject I could only guess at.  They, as well, need to be loved, needed and respected.  They want to be equal but only when it comes to individuality.   Do not forget to open doors, send them flowers and acknowledge their existence.  Love them and treasure their equal input as a partner or colleague.   They are no more and no less important as role players in humanity.   If you want to make a woman happy, treat her with as much respect as you would expect for yourself.

What is character?

Character is the main blood flow of our existence with interactions of others.  It is the makeup of who you are either from teaching or learning from your own experiences.  You have good and bad, wise and foolish.   Your personal touch and individuality is the character of your foundation.  This again would be too broad of a subject for my over-cranking thoughts.  I would end up writing another #1 best seller.  Unfortunately if I got started, I would not shut up.  Perhaps that’s a bad character trait I have? *laughing*

What makes you Lester Van Huss?

My mind and thoughts.  All the experiences I have lived, seen or heard.  The ups and downs of my emotions.   This entire ride through life’s roller coaster has made me who I am for the good as well as the bad.  I am me.

How does it feel to be alive?

Exhilarating from the time I wake up until I fight to go to sleep.  If I could survive without having to shut my eyes and rest, I would never close them except to mentally appreciate the beauty and peace of life’s moments on my journey towards the day I leave this world and move beyond.   I am extremely grateful and blessed to wake up each morning and take a coherent breath and realize that I have been allowed to see one more day come to pass and bring me new opportunities.

 

Nov 14

Ted Cruz, Frank Sinatra, Total Amnesia and Author Tim Northway

When I say that Tim Northway is a fascinating person– I do not say that in jest. Tim is the epitome of interesting, conversant and intellectually aware of his own talents and limitations. “Total Amnesia” is one of his best works to date and he knows it. Not only does he know that he has a hit book on his hands– he also knows that he has a chance at making a difference to the way we think.              

tim northwayQ) I want to ask you to begin with to explain to our readers what makes “Total Amnesia” such a special read?

A) It is a new concept in Sci-Fi.  It isn’t about aliens fighting aliens or an adventure story of interesting new worlds.  These are fascinating stories, particularly when written by an excellent author.

The story does begin with an alien invasion of Earth, but its intention is to set the reader up for the BIG picture!

But Total Amnesia is talking the science in the fiction and applying it to the spirit, not just the physical universe.  Its entire basis is that you ARE a spirit.  So why aren’t you acting like one?  Why can’t you simply fly across the universe and blow up a star?

“Oh no no no!”  You say. “You can’t ‘fly’ without a spaceship you’d freeze!  You can’t blow up a star, you’d get vaporized!  And what if there’s a populated planet nearby.  You’d kill them all!  Furthermore, you can’t see without eyeballs and optic nerves or hear without Semicircular Canals and Tympanic membranes and you certainly can’t think without a brain!  Right?”

Wrong.

In this story, flying across the universe is the most natural thing a spirit does.  Agreeing with all the material constraints is the most un-natural thing you do!  How did you get into this condition?  That’s the adventure of Total Amnesia.

Q) Interesting concepts and ideas, Tim. What in your opinion makes a great writer?

  1.  A great story!
  2. Imagination
  3. Hard Work.

Q) Many people say that they find writers “inspirational.” What is inspirational to you?

I’m a free spirit, non-conformist, freedom fighter.  I like to come up with a concept along those lines, and create a story around that.

In Total Amnesia I started with a concept of having TOTAL freedom and then I asked myself why not?  The barriers become immediately apparent:

Your brain tells you what to think, you body dictates how you feel, the environment controls your actions, you are confined to a food-craving, oxygen-burning body in an atmosphere on a planet!  You can’t go anywhere without bringing along your fragile hunk of meat and caring for it.

This was my attempt to explain it all and it took me on a WILD, unexpected journey!

Q) So, a drop of rain falls from the sky—what do you think?

It’s going to rain.  If I’m outside running, I think “cool, I can run in the rain!”  If I’m in the mountains, I’m looking for a tree to sit under and experience the sound of the rain and the heightened forest smells and the comfortable shelter of a pine tree.  If I’m going to the store it’s irritating because I might get wet between the car and store.  If I’m working outside it’s a stop.  A drop of rain means an impending change and depending on the circumstances, and my mood, it could be good or bad.

Q) How does a cloudy day make you feel?

Less inclined to go outside.  It’s boring.  It’s better than windy (I HATE windy) and worse than sunny, rainy or snowy.  Does it make me feel gloomy?  No I make me feel gloomy (or not) the weather is always just an excuse.

Q) What does a bar of chocolate taste like to you?

A smooth, perfect kind of sweet.

Q) How do you feel about work evaluation tests?

A) I always enjoy them.

Music  

Art, aesthetics (sorry they both poped simultaneously)

Arabia

Camel

Christmas

Holiday decorations

Yesterday

gone

Frank Sinatra

That’s Life

Blue

Velvet

Ted Cruz

Who the hell is Ted Cruz?

Dreaming

Dreaming is free (tune from Blondie)

Lover

Boy  (let’s not get Freudian on this, please)

Q) So, Tim what makes a man happy?

A) The confidence to achieve his goals.

Q) What makes a woman happy?

Being with a man with the confidence to achieve his goals

Q) What is character?

Personal Integrity.  Knowing what you know and having the courage to say what you know no matter what.

Q) What makes you Tim Northway?

Me.

I believe no matter what a person is; be it a depraved bum, a drug addict, a king, a criminal or a “normal person”; they are exactly what they have decided to be.  Which means there are some very strange decisions being made out there.  (Subject of my next novel?)

Q) How does it feel to be alive?

Fine.  What you do with your “life” is the important thing.

 Get your copy of “Total Amnesia” by Tim Northway