Monday, February 28, 2011

FAUSTINE (Bonfire Chronicles Book One) IMOGEN ROSE


FAUSTINE is available on Kindle now! (Please note that there will be a special 99¢ Kindle sale staring on 3/14)

Who is Faustine? When Faustine Spencer was five years old, she discovered a secret that changed her life forever. At twelve, her parents sent her to Bonfire Academy in Switzerland to ensure that she received the training needed to control her increasing powers.

Three years later, Faustine returns to Manhattan. All she wants is to be a typical teenager, at least, one that's part of the in-crowd at her Upper East Side High School. When drop-dead gorgeous Ryker, her long-time crush from the Academy, finally notices her, she couldn't be happier.

However, her desire for a normal life is shattered when her father, a prominent sovereign, disappears after naming her as his successor. Her siblings begin to disappear, and Faustine finds herself in the midst of a power struggle. With her life in danger, Faustine must learn to follow one of Bonfire Academy's most important rules: Trust no one.


http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940012291103



Tarantula Woman by Donald O'Donovan Book release


JUST PUBLISHED

Tarantula Woman by Donald O'Donovan


Located across the U.S.-Mexican border in Ciudad Juarez, Mariscal Street (otherwise known as the Boulevard of Broken Dreams) harbors Donald O'Donovan's quintessential character, Jerzy Mulvaney, as he unsuccessfully courts the Tarantula Woman—a prostitute named Ysela with a tattoo of a tarantula on her left shoulder blade. She is just one of many women in one man's unapologetic and aimless existence in Mexico where each day brings another round of whorehouses, drunken stupors, odd jobs, eruptions of violence and encounters with equally directionless individuals.

Not since Charles Bukowski's Factotum has a transgressive autobiographical novel touched upon with such rawness the everyday realities of a modern-day American desperado. Yet somewhere in the midst of all the strident nihilism, O'Donovan's alter ego, Jerzy Mulvaney, manages to stumble upon an ambition of sorts: to become a real Mexican. "I wanted to destroy whatever remained of my identity, my American identity; to melt down into a primal being, because the greatest thing is to be unknown, anonymous, and truly free."

Rather than a work of fiction, Tarantula Woman is a refreshingly honest document that subtly addresses such essential subjects as life, love, death and the challenge of simply being.

Available now from: 
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Tarantula-Woman-ebook/dp/B004OEJIWO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&m=A39C63JEXGS948&s=digital-text&qid=1298109832&sr=1-6
Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Tarantula-Woman/Donald-ODonovan/e/2940012669483/?itm=1 
Also available in .ePub format, .prc format (for Kindle) and PDF format at Open Books Direct at http://www.open-bks.com/library/moderns/tarantula-woman/cover.html



Donna Burgess Interview



1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

I feel more like writing in the evenings, but am making an effort to write in the mornings—first thing. Saving my writing time until the end of the day tends to cut it a bit short.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

I always start with a felt tip pen & spiral notebook. I’m sort of picky in that regard.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

I would love to say I draw inspiration from just living life. But as a horror writer, that really isn’t the case. I listen to a lot of music, watch a lot of movies and read all the time. I suppose those things inspire me. Often, the news is quite scary, also. But I cannot compete with real life horror.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

I usually try to complete a scene, so the word length varies from day to day.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I am self-published. I usually have an idea in my head. My daughter is a graphic arts & web design student, so I usually have her work up my covers based on a few suggestions. She gives me a break on commission rates.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

I just love to write. I’ve written since I was about seven years old. I like the act of getting the story out. I’m also a Realtor, but I only do enough to maintain my license. I’m terrible at dealing with people face-to-face. It’s just annoying.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

Yes. I have a Kindle. Like most people, I never thought I’d love anything other than real, paper and ink books. Now, I’m all about my “device.”

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

I adore Conrad Williams, Joel Lane, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Caitlin Kiernan and Stephen King, of course. Right now, I am reading Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright. I’m getting geared up for the Gary Oldman flick.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I enjoy watching them. I’ve done a couple. There are not great, but I had fun making them. I’m not exactly sure much impact a trailer has on book sales, however.

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

“Darklands.” I loved the Jesus & Mary Chain album.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

I have an apocalyptic/vampire novel I am really getting deep into. Also, I have a dark comedy/zombie novel for young adults I am planning with my daughter.


Friday, February 25, 2011

Maria Savva Interview




1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?


I used to only write at night, just before going to bed, sitting up in bed.  I used to write everything longhand and then edit it as I typed it up.  My writing habits have changed in the last year or so.  I now tend to write whenever the mood takes me and straight on to the computer.  Whenever I get a bit of spare time, I'm always writing something.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

It depends really.  If I'm going to write a short story I could start that on the computer.  With a novel, I tend to write out a plan, about one side of A4 paper, setting out what the bare bones of the story would be.  


3: What do you draw inspiration from?

My inspiration comes from the world around me.  I have found that a great deal of my writing is inspired by things I have experienced, or stories I've heard from others, news items and that sort of thing.  For example, in my novel, 'A Time to Tell', one of the characters is suffering domestic violence.  I used to work as a family lawyer mainly dealing with domestic violence cases and that left an impression on me.  The main character in my latest novel, 'Second Chances', James, is a solicitor (my day job).  Some of my experiences of working in the legal profession are reflected in that book, for example, the bosses James works for are not dissimilar to bosses I have worked for in the past.


4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

No, I don't.  I do try to write a bit every day when I'm writing a novel, but it doesn't always work out like that.  Some days I write lots and others I don't write at all.     


5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I'm self-published, through Lulu.com (http://stores.lulu.com/MariaSavva).  I like the freedom of being able to work at my own pace and write books the way I want to write them.  I like to be able to write different genres, and wouldn't want to be stuck in a contract where I have to write x amount of books in one particular genre.  I actually don't think I'd be able to do that.  My first novel was a drama, my second a family saga/romance, my third contemporary fiction, and the fourth, which I'm currently editing, is a paranormal/fantasy/timeslip.  I've also written 3 short story collections. I think major publishers prefer authors whose books can be easily categorized.  All my books cross over various genres.

My first two books ('Coincidences' and 'ATime to Tell') have covers that were designed by the in-house artists at the publishing companies that published the books.  These days, I design my own covers.  I've found a great website http://www.morguefile.com where there are free photos that can be used for any creative project, including book covers.  I like to pick photos that say something about the book I've written.

My cover for 'Pieces of a Rainbow' is a water-colour that I painted.


6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

I have always loved reading, and even as a child I always enjoyed making up stories.  When I was younger, before I started writing novels, I would often joke with my friends and family that one day I would write a bestselling novel.  I would love to get to the stage where I am able to make a living from my writing.  I've always had an overactive imagination, and am by nature a dreamer. Writing would be the perfect career for me because I find that the stories come so easily to me and I really enjoy writing them.


7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

No, but I need one.  In the past couple of years, I have been networking with other indie authors and have met some fabulous writers.  I've downloaded many of their books and they're all on my computer.  I hate reading on the computer because it strains my eyes.  As I'm out of work, I can't justify the expense of getting an ereader at the moment, but as soon as I can I will be getting one.  I find that ebooks are so much more affordable than print books these days.  Luckily, I am able to feed my reading habit as I am a reviewer for http://www.Bookpleasures.com, so I get lots of free print books to review.  Also some of my writer friends have sent me free print copies of their books, so I am never without something to read.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

These days my favourite authors are also my good friends, that's the great thing about networking with other writers. Over the past couple of years, I've met many great authors and become friends with them.  I find that if I like a book that someone has written, it usually follows that I will like them too.  I think it's because so much of an author's soul goes into a book, even without an author being aware of that.

At the moment my favourite writers include, Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick, Darcia Helle, Jason C McIntyre, Julie Elizabeth Powell, Quentin R Bufogle, Jen Knox, Victoria Twead, Ami Blackwelder, Jess C Scott, Paul Mansfield Keefe, Stacy Juba, Jeremy C Shipp, Tom Gahan, C E Trueman.  I know it's a long list, but I read a lot of books, and I'm sure I've left some of my favourites out!

I would encourage readers looking for a new author to read, to try some of their books, you won't regret it (But only after you've tried mine, of course).

At the moment, I'm reading two books: Firstly,  'The Cutting Edge', by Darcia Helle (I read 'Enemies and Playmates' and it was one of my favourite reads of last year, now I have to work my way through her extensive catalogue). The second book I'm reading is: 'The Other Side of Life' by Jess C Scott.  Jess is one of my favourite authors; she writes in multiple genres and whatever she writes is fresh and original.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I must admit, I didn't really see the point of book trailers when the trend started to take off.  I mean, a book is not like a movie, is it?  You can never show actual scenes from a book in a way that each individual reader will interpret them. Having said that, I am now becoming a fan of book trailers.  It's nice to see a brief clip, setting the scene for a book, giving some information to readers about what the book contains.  I have made two of my own book trailers.  The first one, I made for 'Second Chances', my latest novel.  I got the photographs for the trailer from Morguefile.com, and a musician I'm friends with on Facebook,  Jason Achilles Mezilis, very kindly allowed me to use his instrumental 'Jerry's Song'  for the background music (that's from his CD Between The Lines, available at iTunes).  I like the way the trailer turned out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4byCJiqHsg

This inspired me to make a trailer for 'A Time to Tell'.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U24Y1pqU88

I had fun making the trailers, and will probably make some more for my other books when I get a bit of time.  Amazon.com now allows authors to upload their trailers to their Amazon Author page, so it's obviously something which is catching on.


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

My latest book is a collection of short stories, 'Fusion'. The title came to me because I wanted a word to describe a collection which was very diverse.  The stories don't have a common theme, and there are all sorts of different genres in there: romance, ghost stories, sci-fi.  'Fusion' kind of sums it up.


11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?


I am working on a few different bits and pieces.  I am fine-tuning my fourth novel, my first fantasy novel.  I've finished it and really like it.  It was a lot of fun to write.  I need to re-read it and get it proofread before I can release it.  It'll possibly be published by the end of the year.

I am also trying to format my existing books as epubs.  At the moment my ebooks are only on kindle, but I know that some people prefer different ebook formats, so that is in the pipeline.

I'm also revising my first novel 'Coincidences'.  That book was only ever published in hardback and is now out of print.  I want to make it available in paperback, and as an ebook, so I am revising it/updating it and reformatting it.  It was published back in 2001, and whilst I am happy with the story, I have learned a lot about editing over the years, and I know that some of the content can be improved.  While revising it, I'm also adding a few extras, so when I'm finished it will be interesting for people who have read the original to compare it. 


I am a resident author/moderator on http://www.bestsellerbound.com a message board where indie/small-press writers can interact with readers. It's a very friendly community and I would like to invite your followers to join.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

ANNOUNCING the release of Modesty (Excuse Me, Miss Series #2)...$2.99





Product Description

Eight calls...

From an unfamiliar number...

For rape survivor and "infidelity photographer" Terri Welker the question is far greater than should she answer. The question is: What should she do now that she has been found? Run again? Or stay and fight for the new life she has created photographing cheating spouses for James Boston Investigations?

The breathtaking continuation of the Excuse Me, Miss Series
***CAN ALSO BE READ AS A STANDALONE***

Praise for EXCUSE ME MISS:

The unusual premise, great characters, and intriguing plot made this a fun, highly enjoyable read. I really can't wait to find out what happens next.
---The Romance Reviews---

This is a sexy suspense short fiction novella that has an interesting premise. Mr. Duck has created a strong, but vulnerable, woman who needs to face her past and get on with her future.
---Eclectic Reviews---





Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Transparent Lovers Book Review






5.0 out of 5 stars She didn't break when you bounced herFebruary 20, 2011

found myself totally engrossed into the story with a touch of crime, comedy, and faith all rolled up into a very entertaining read. Some many lines I Highlighted and found myself laughing out loud at.


http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/transparentlovers.htm

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Kavita Nalawde Interview






In an ideal arranged marriage, parents choose partners for their children; boy and girl get married, have kids and live happily. However, things are much more complicated in real life.

Ria is married to Sunil. She feels that her existence is boring and routine but then suddenly things take a different turn when she starts getting strange clues about Sunil’s life.

She has two very special friends Geeta and Ryan who she meets every Thursday in a cafe. They both are victims of circumstances and had to overcome a lot of hurdles in the past to reach where they are now. They think that they have seen it all but destiny changes their path and they come face to face with their inner reservations.

Will these friends be able to cope with what life has to offer?





1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?
I am a morning person and normally start writing at 9.00 in the morning till lunchtime.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
A long time back I did write on pen and paper but it’s a thing of the past. Nowadays it’s the computer. However, I always keep a notepad in my handbag to write down the ideas that come to mind in unusual places like a car-park, supermarket or the beach.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from life and the events that actually change destinies.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?
I do have a particular word count in mind when I start but every day is different. It’s like a flow once you start then it’s really difficult to stop.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?
I am a self published author and my husband helped me in designing the cover. The Mangal Sutra on the cover page is a wedding chain of black and golden beads that married women across India wear as a symbol of their marriage.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?
I don’t think I ever wanted to be anything else apart from a writer right from a very early age.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?
Yes, my husband gifted me a Kindle for Christmas and I have discovered some very wonderful authors since then. I now feel I would have missed so much if it was not for Amazon Kindle.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are you reading now?
My all time favorite is the Premchand. He wrote a number of short stories in Hindi that have been translated in English and Russian. The stories were simple but left a great impact on the mind. I still remember his words that I had read many moons back. I also like Agatha Christie and Chetan Bhagat.
I am currently reading ‘The Girl on the swing’ by Ali Cooper.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?
Book trailers are a good way to promote books. I haven’t planned any currently but I have kept that chapter open for the future.

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?
The title came in my mind at the same time as I thought about the story. My book ‘Coffee @ 4:00’ is a story of three friends who meet at a café every Thursday at 4:00. All three of them are completely different from each other but there is an unspoken bond that binds them together. I feel that many people who read this book would feel some resemblance in their life as well.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?
I am writing my second book and will post details about it on my website www.kavitanalawde.com in a few days.






Thursday, February 17, 2011

Name Change content remains the same

I have changed the title of my Blog to something a little simpler than the long title it has been. I will be changing the look of it this coming weekend, but will continue bringing the Spotlight to many new and returning Authors.

Thanks to everyone who is a part of my Blog, and I hope in some way that my blog has found you some new fans of your books.

So proud to be part of the community we have created

Kipp Poe Speicher


Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Daniel Arenson Interview




1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

I write on Sunday afternoons.  The weekend chores are done, and I have several hours before the weekend ends.  I slowly sip coffee and write.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

I wrote my last few novels long hand.  Actually, the notebook I wrote "Eye of the Wizard" in is sitting beside me as I type this.  I'm using it as a coaster.  I'm so disrespectful to my art.


3: What do you draw inspiration from?

Aardvarks.  They're fascinating!  There are no aardvarks in my novels, but I do find that looking at those ant-eating snouts kickstarts my muse.  Oh, also:  history, mythology, and my favorite authors.


4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

Usually, yeah.  I try to write about 1000 words an hour.  If I have a full day to write, I'll aim for 5000 or 6000 words.


5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

My first novel, "Firefly Island", was published at Five Star Publishing.  I released my next three novels independently as ebooks.  I work with talented artists to create my covers.  I describe the story and characters to my artists, quote a few passages from the book, and let them do their job.

You can see my covers here:  http://danielarenson.com/FantasyNovelsKindleEbooks.aspx


6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

I love stories – whether they're books, movies, or even stories told in artwork.  Being a writer is a way to invent my own stories and share them with people.


7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

I own a Kobo named Koby and a Kindle named Ethel Merman.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

I'm currently reading "Wizard and Glass" by Stephen King.  Some of my favorite authors (in no particular order) are Roger Zelazny, George R. R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, J.K. Rowling, Issac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and J.R.R. Tolkien.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

Many book trailers I've seen look rather amateurish.  I suppose I wouldn't object to a professionally made book trailer, but I don't know how necessary they are.  I generally just prefer reading a blurb and sample.



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

Well, originally I was going to name my book "Earlobe of the Wizard".  I still think that's a great title.  But it seemed to confuse people, so I changed it to "Eye of the Wizard".  Yes, I sold out.


11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

I'm working on an epic fantasy trilogy.  After four standalone novels, it's time to write a series.  It'll be dark, operatic, and aardvark-free.  I'll let you know when the first book is ready.

Thanks, Kipp!


My website:  www.DanielArenson.com

Eye of the Wizard on Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LLIC3Q

Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004LLIC3Q

Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/40088



More details about Eye of the Wizard:  http://www.danielarenson.com/EyeOfTheWizard.aspx

Thanks!

Daniel



Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Jacqueline Howett Interview





Description to The Greek Seaman novel by Jacqueline Howett.

Katy is just married to Don, her Greek merchant seaman, but now she asks herself what's she's doing traveling the high seas with him. Hadn’t she gone to Greece on tour in a ballet as a dancer? Little do they know a smuggling ring is also on board for this ride on a diamond run. After hurricanes, explosions and threats to sink the ship also happen they must try to save themselves.

Getting to know the smugglers, the Arabic and Pakistani deck hands and Don, the Greek Seaman is an exciting sea adventure with enough suspense and romance that will make you laugh and cry. It will take you on a voyage to experience the magnificent soothing wonders and beautiful scenery at sea, with dolphins, flying fishes, and take you through storms and hurricanes where Katy finds herself navigating through it with a seasick crew. From Piraeus, Greece, your visit the ports of Lebanon and Libya and enjoy the exotic magic of the bazaar. The bond between Don and Katy, in their ordeal at sea makes this a memorable story.



1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

The morning with a good cup of cinnamon and cayenne spiced coffee. I usually carry on until four or seven. If I’m lucky, I’ll try to fit in another session until around ten thirty and start all over again.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer? 

Laptop, but I jot down on many note pads my random thoughts. I place also the date on those notes.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

Not sure. Whenever the spirit moves in me, I guess. I can be anywhere and I just never know what is going to trigger off.  It might be a bird in flight, the skies changing pattern or maybe a simple hello or a strong emotion, or something on the T.V.  I am just the empty vessel being used. I sit out on the porch and carry my notebook or take a mini notepad or a piece of paper and pen in my pocket and walk along the beach to reflect at times.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

     I use too. Now it’s all good just getting some down each day. I will do a word count at some point, naturally built into me now, but it’s not so much the word count anymore, it’s the flow of words that have become more important.
5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I am self published under Elivlio Publishing. I do the cover art my self. Being also an abstract artist, I like to keep my book covers looking a little more arty than the usual. I use a basic graphic program and play about merging images that are my own and then distorting them. I know they could probably look more pristine, but I like them and such is art. I try to base the cover on what reflects in me the mood of the story up to a point. The girl in the book cover to The Greek Seaman is me actually, staying true to the story of being a seaman’s wife in my teens.

6:  What drives you to choose the career of being a writer? 

God knows. But I remember being about eleven on a school outing to a Museum in London and when we got to the printing machines and rubber letters under those glass cases, the hairs on the back of my neck and my body stood up, like I had some familiar but long lost connection to them, and I was the last to leave the hall like a ghost had taken me. About nine I loved listening to the children’s story hour on the radio, and much younger, I would have to read to my younger brother. Later I wrote poems and stories and at eighteen I knew I was going to write very seriously and told everyone so. After some living life in a major way and forgetting all about writing for a time, I woke up one day in bed, and said I’m a writer. I said it over and over again and jumped out of bed with excitement and went hunting for my old stories, then left the world and went off to become a hermit, writing novels, short stories, poetry, articles, Plays. I also created art and stopped listening to rock and roll for a time, and took up the violin and dabbled with the piano, Spanish guitar and flute.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device? 

Not yet, I am using the Kindle PC Apps. It still has a pink background and you can adjust the light and the flap on laptop helps also.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are you reading now? 

Influences came from biographies, and many of the classics. Wordsworth, Coleridge, the Persian and Middle Eastern Poets, Kurt Vonnegut, Mary Renault, Oscar Wilde, Euripides, Henrick Ibsen, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Gustave Flaubert,  Shakespeare, Homer, Steinbeck, William Golding, H.G. Wells, D.H. Lawrence, John Milton, Shelly, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, Daphne Dumaurier, John Paul Sartre, Hermann Hesse, E.M. Forster, Mark Twain, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, George Sands, Sylvia Plath, Edga Allan Poe, Chaucer, John Milton, Arthur Miller, Chekhov, Aeschylus, Euripides and Faulkner, Siddhartha, Chaucer, Hemingway’s -the old man and the sea, Kahil Gibran, Short stories of Guy de Maupassant,  Oh-so many authors I have forgotten I have read. Now I have many new books from new authors on my PC Kindle library I would like to read. I like to read a variety of fiction authors, but nothing too gory. I don’t have any real favorites at this time. It needs sorting out. It’s a new process. There’s just too many, especially now when it’s easier to know authors on Facebook or over at the Amazon forums and on their Blogs. I have books thrown at me all day. I leave that as a job for general readers. It really is a matter of personal choice.  I’m just starting to read all over again. I have three/four books I’m presently reading on my Kindle PC. Coombes Wood, by Lisa Chingley. The Apothecary’s Daughter, by Julie Klassen, Blood Ranson, by Lisa Harris, and Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs. And I have just picked up Bridge to Happiness by Jill Barnett. There are many on my to-read list at Goodreads too. I’ve got some catching up to do, and I wish I had the time to read more.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any? 

They are cool, but I don’t find myself opening them up very much when it comes to books for some reason. I have a video up at this time only with me reading excerpts from my novel and there’s a unique video I have linked to my book up on my blog giving the impression of my having a trailer. It’s by Nikos Xilouris, called, Once upon a time, translated from the Greek language. Nikos Xilouris dedicates the Greek song in the video to all Seaman’s wives. It’s perfect as a kind of trailer for me, as it shows various merchant ships or tugs in a storm at sea, Nikos’s video at sea is only a baby storm in comparison to what I experienced in a hurricane as a Seaman’s wife. I found it on YouTube next to my own video chapter excerpt from The Greek Seaman. Yeah, I might try looking into book trailers later. Right now I’m too involved in other areas of books to have an objective viewpoint on how well they fit in with the book world. I also have a video of me reading on my Smashwords page for my book. I guess if someone did a trailer for me, it would be cool. I just don’t have the time right now to focus on doing it myself, unless one twisted my arm. This story takes place at sea. I guess if someone did it a little like The Perfect Storm, or if I negotiated with Nikos to use parts of his video.

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

      It went through a few changes with different names before finally settling on The Greek Seaman. My first husband was a Greek Chief officer/Captain and I was a once a Seaman’s wife, and that in itself speaks volumes which I will not elaborate on too much here today, as this is a work of fiction.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

Cass, is what follows, and is a much longer novel. In fact, it went up to a wild figure of 375,000 words. I have since cut it down to 90,000 words. It may be two books, or one short version then a longer version. Not sure yet. I hope to publish in the winter of 2011 or at the beginning of 2012 the shorter cut version. Cass takes place in London, Paris, Egypt and Greece. How much gets cut we shall see. There are several shorts or novellas in between coming, then a third major novel that only takes place in America, I’m already 50,000 words into it, but I don’t have the title set as yet. It has been through several title changes, and then there maybe another novel entirely different after that. I have already started on it in between moments, and it has really kind of taken me. This book will flash back and forth from Tibet and America. I have also published Amorphous Angelic, Selected Poems, from its print version into an eBook, and The Secret Passion of Twins, a short story is also an eBook on Amazon- Kindle and with Smashwords. And although I wrote The Secret Passion of Twins as a short story originally, I can see it taking off also as a novel. I am working on bringing forth another poetry eBook, titled, Sands of Time. Its book cover can be viewed on my blog. And lastly there are several plays I have written that might, yet, see the light of day, a few children’s books, a cook book, and I have always wanted to do a coffee book of all my Fine abstract art. Who knows, there might be a few other surprises.
Bio.
Jacqueline has been writing since a child. At sixteen Jacqueline Howett began her own travels of the world as a dancer, and at eighteen began writing living at sea while married to a Greek chief officer/Captain. After her adventures as a seaman’s wife, London, Europe & America became Jacqueline's playground.

The changing scenery in London, from the late seventies to the mid eighties with the novelty of Arabs giving out easy money while they became educated had followed, but the left over stench in the air of the Iran war made many flee to the suburbs of London or the countryside. Heavy metal bands, drugs, the AID scares and the confusing beginnings of the first computers taking over, that empted the paper shelves to discs were all part of the horrors that made her flee to the mountains and lived in a village in North Wales where she continued to edit the novel, Cass. Again, she had to flee from there, due to the Welsh politics of the time, which were burning the British bought homes. Who knew? Since 1989, she continued her writing living in the U.S.A. After living in Maine, Florida and California, she became a US citizen in Tampa, Florida, in April 1993. There after she settled in Maine for twelve years and returned to Florida to live in 2002. Jacqueline is also a Fine Abstract Artist.

 To Buy The Greek Seaman  novel – Amazon: $3.99
The Greek Seaman - Barnes and Noble.
The Greek Seaman – Smashwords. Book and a video excerpt.

My Blog with all video, tidbits and the updates:




Monday, February 14, 2011

David Hammons Interview







1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

Given my schedule, I have to just write and draw whenever time avails itself. Of course, the drawing itself is the biggest time consumer. I find the best time is late at night, after my wife and daughter have gone to bed. This is the time the house is quiet and all I can hear are my thoughts. This is also a good time to work on phrasing the caption of a cartoon, and the dialogue in the speech balloons.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen,or is it all on the computer?

Generally, an idea for a cartoon can come to my mind at any moment.  It may occur during conversations with friends or co-workers, walking around the mall, shopping at the grocery store, etc. At that moment I have an idea, I will jot a note down on a post-it note, scrap of paper, or anything immediately available. When there hasn’t been anything to record the idea with, I have, on occasion, asked my family to remember a catch phrase to help jog my memory when I get home.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

All I can say here is, “Life.” Most of my best ideas come from observing people and from conversations. I will observe a person doing an everyday, mundane task and think to myself, “What if a cow did that?” My mind seems to be able to take ordinary life tasks and put a bizzare, funny spin on it. I can also get an idea that I liked initially which morphs into something completely different from what I originally thought. I can also get an idea that no matter how many different angles I look at it, I cannot get it to work to my satisfaction. Those just go into an Excel spreadsheet and later, sometimes days or months later, I will look at the idea again and I’m able to make it work. Lately, I have found Twitter a great place to get ideas. I see a lot of tweets that, with a little twist, become funny.

4: When you sit down to write, do you set goals for yourself, such as word count?

Of course, word count is not a good measuring tool in cartoons, but I try to get two or three cartoons done in a week. Due to work and other things in life, I rarely reach this goal. However, if I were financially motivated, I could probably find a lot more time to draw. (hint, hint).

5: Are you a published or a self-published author,and how do you come up with your cover art?

I am self-published and I did the art myself. The cover for my book is just a colorized expansion of a cartoon found within the book.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

I started writing “The Bean Straw” in response to comments from family and co-workers about my unusual sense of humor. Initially, I didn’t know how to channel this talent. Since I was a fan of Gary Larson’s “The Far Side,” I decided to try cartooning. I would describe my cartoons as light on the art and heavy on the humor. I am not an artist by any stretch of the imagination, but I believe my cartoons are loaded with humor.


7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

I own the Kindle 3. I purchased it this past December. My primary reason for getting the Kindle was to help in editing the Kindle version of my book. I wanted one anyway, so I bought it to see what my book would look like on the actual device. Amazon puts out a Kindle viewer, but I couldn’t trust that to accurately represent the Kindle itself. I must say that since purchasing the Kindle, I only read a standard book if I absolutely have to. I had no idea that I would enjoy a reading device so much. I love my Kindle.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors, and what are you reading now?

Actually, most of the authors I read are from the classics:  Mary Shelly, Jack London, Herman Mellville, Charles Dickens, etc., as well as various Christian authors. I did recently read “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand. That is a great book - I highly recommend it. Of course, being a cartoonist, my all-time favorite is Gary Larson’s “The Far Side” series.

9: What do you think of book trailers, and do you have any plans to include them?

Book trailers can be very effective, if they are done well. I have seen book trailers that have piqued my curiosity, even though the book genre is one that I don’t particularly care for. Of course, on the opposite side of the coin, I have seen videos that are a complete turn-off. I have released a book trailer for my book and it can found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORNmnUmHIDs

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

The title “Non-Flying Objects” is a phrase that captures the essence, if you will, of a cartoon that is a personal favorite of mine. The following image, I think, tells the whole story. Of course, there are many other instances of cartoon characters that manage to find themselves falling through the air for some reason or another. 

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

I am working on the next book in “The Bean Straw” series; the title is yet unknown. I am about one-third of the way through the book now. I am also considering writing a humorous novel. I have an idea for a possible story, but right now it is just a couple of stray neurons firing around in my brain.



Sunday, February 13, 2011

Closing My Eyes Helps Me To See Clearly (Complete Txt) FREE READ




I awake in total darkness.  I cannot move.  My body is pressed hard against this structure.  I feel as if I’m going to suffocate.  As I struggle, the structure I’m entombed in sways back and forth.  I can hear the sound of water as it slowly drips, and I can smell the scent of lilacs.
Every muscle in my body starts to ache.  I’m trying to move, trying to break free.  My body is gripped with pain.  Claustrophobia is setting in, and I start to hyperventilate.  I’m losing consciousness…
I awake again and notice the tightness of the structure is even more binding than before.  It is crushing me.  Is it shrinking?  Or am I growing?  I feel my body begin to morph as my skin begins to leak secretions.  The walls of my cell become damp with this sweet yet sour, smelling pus as it pours out of my skin.  The structure begins to give way as the pus eats its way through the walls.  Streaks of daylight invade my eyes, drilling in like lightning bolts.  How long have I been here?  The darkness is no more.
As my eyes adjust to the daylight, the cool morning breeze flows through the openings in my cell.  The walls start to flake and descend.  I find myself hanging upside down as I finally gain physical control over the rest of my body.  As I shake and stretch, the structure separates from me and falls to the ground.  I release my grip and start to free-fall.  As the wind blows, I catch onto it and I frantically ascend back into the air in a fluttering, uncontrollable motion. 
The wind whips me into many different directions.  One moment it is pushing me towards the earth, and the next, it is whipping me back into the sky.  Out of the corner of my eye, I see a blur of a hand reaching out to snatch me out of the air.  The force of the breeze from a child’s hand throws me into a whirlwind of flight as the pursuit rages on.  As the earth below changes from a soft, grassy green surface to a concrete grey, I feel a force alter my flight, pulling me into a horizontal slipstream in the opposite direction.
The small bones in my captivatingly beautiful wings start to shatter as I fight against the current of air that spins me in a vortex.  At the center of the vortex, I collide with the front grill of the gigantic mustard colored dump truck.  My wings and my body instantly turn into nothing more than dust, leaving only a blur of my colors on the grill.
Steve looks up from the radio, and at the last moment, he sees the toddler bounding into the street in pursuit of the butterfly.  He slams on the brakes, but with no hope of missing the little girl.  The toddler keeps her focus on the butterfly, when the passenger front side of the truck hits her.  The truck devours her the moment it makes contact.  Her spine is shattered as she is thrown forward from the force of the impact.  The studded tires catch up to her and rip her open as they screech across the pavement in a desperate attempt to stop.
I strain to see through my dirty windshield covered with bug carcasses.  I see the mayhem of the toddler disappearing under the wheels of the truck.  I quickly pull my car off to the side of the road in disbelief of this tragedy.  The dump truck driver jumps out of his cab, looks at the front of his truck, then at the mangled body lying underneath the center of the chassis.
I frantically jump out of my car, leave it running, and rush over to see if I can help.  The driver looks up at me and dashes in full stride towards his cab.  With lightning speed, he hoists himself back up into the cab.  I slip on the bloody road as I hear him throw his truck back into gear.  The truck flies past me, knocking me back into the ditch as he speeds towards my car.  The crash sounds like thunder and twisting metal as his truck bends my car into a pile of rubble.  Grinding gears, he throws it in reverse to back up then slams it back into gear in a forward dash to flee the scene.
Blood is running down my face and oozing from my wounds as I climb out of the roadside ditch.  I see cars approaching from the distance as I run toward the toddler’s mangled body.  As the cars near me, they veer into the center of the road so as to avoid running over the tiny, mangled body.
Why won’t anyone stop to help?  They just swerve past us and act like their only concern is getting remains of the young girl splattered on their freshly cleaned cars and SUVs.  I run over and scoop the little girl up into my arms.  Her body is moist in my arms.  Her brilliant sky blue eyes flicker with life as she tries to speak, but only gurgles emit from her throat.  I search my surroundings and start to run across the field towards the hospital just beyond a group of condos.  The morning air is quickly becoming hot and sticky as I struggle to reach my destination.
As I enter the hospital, the crisp air conditioning washes over my body as I realize how strangely deserted the lower level is.  I run across the white linoleum floor, still feeling the little girl gasping for life in my arms.  I slam the buttons on the elevator, and watch impatiently as each little light blinks to life as the elevator approaches to open and let me in.  The lobby becomes black as the light dims to nothing.
 The elevator doors finally open, spilling light across the room with a welcoming glow.  I enter it, and the doors slide shut as I turn to the wall to push the button, but I only find one. 
A heavy metal version of “The Sound of Silence” plays in reverse over the interior speakers I push the single button and the floor begins to vibrate as we start to ascend.  I look down at her as she starts to cry.  I raise her up and kiss her forehead.
As her eyes open wide, they burst and become pools of blue liquid.  She reaches her tiny mangled hand up and caresses my cheek.  As soon as I feel her hand upon my cheek, her skin turns to the liquid blue.  Suddenly, her whole arm fills with the blue liquid, filling up like a water balloon, and then bursts. 
The liquid fills the bottom of the elevator soaking my feet up to my ankles.  The blue solution continues to take over the rest of her body.  As each body part fills, it bursts, empties into the elevator to the point where I swim upwards to keep above it. The liquid takes over holding my breath, I scramble to reach the top, but it seems to move farther and farther away.  I look back down and the elevator seems to be nothing but a glimmer of light at the bottom of this watery blue shaft.
I feel my lungs ready to explode, and they cry out for oxygen as I swim faster trying to find a surface to break through.  At the last moment, I feel my hand reaching up and hitting the cool damp air as I pull myself to the surface.  As the air fills my lungs and refreshes it with oxygen, my body tingles into almost an orgasm.  Dawn breaks with the sun rising just over the mountain.
I find myself in the center of a round pool of liquid.  I swim to the edge.  There are seven nude bodies with each of their throats ripped apart.  Their heads are floating in the pool, while the blood drains into the pool
 I try to find an exit.  I crawl out over a female body that still feels warm to the touch, but life has left its shell I get to my feet and look across the barren landscape, nothing in sight except for a three-story shack of a house off to the west.
I trudge across the land that is filled with protruding tree roots sticking up out of the ground, but there are no trees for them to belong to.  As I get closer to a shack, I see a flash of light coming from the attic, as if a mirror is catching a stream of sunlight as it sways back and forth.  In the thirty minutes it takes me to walk to the shack, the sun does not seem to have moved from its location behind the mountain range.  I grasp the door handle, and it rattles in my hand as I try to turn it.  As I enter the smell of oil-filled dirt fills my nostrils making it hard to catch my breath.
The entrance is small and narrow with only a hall leading towards a set of spiral stairs the flash of light I witnessed moves in no certain rhythm.  It seems to be shining through some source of water, as the light streams quiver and run across the wall.  As I climb the staircase, my fingers sink into the handrail, which is moist and course like a sponge.  There is an atrocious smell as I get closer to the top, and I start to gag, but the light is beckoning me on.  I cannot turn away.  I must see what I’m being lead to.
I enter the top floor to see a figure sitting in a chair facing the opposite side of the room.  Do I wait for the flash of light to survey the room, or do I just continue on?  I creep towards the hulking figure in fear of what I may find, and I enter the figure’s field of view.  He shudders and raises his arm, pointing toward the sky that is visible through a hole in the roof.  Then, the flash of light fills the room revealing its face.  No skin makes up the hideous face, only mud with crawling insects and worms.  I look up to the hole in the roof and the sky is filled with a white glow.  Everything blurs out in a white hot flash.
I awake in bed and sit up, coated in sweat.  I reach for my glasses on the nightstand and squint to see the clock.  3:34 a.m.  I lay back down with my arm behind my head and recollect my thoughts trying to piece together the night’s visions.  The bed starts to shake, and then the whole house and sky become instant daylight spewing white light throughout my room. 
I jump from my bed Fumbling through this blinding light, I run through the hallway finally reaching the front door.  I see everyone running around like they have all gone mad, pointing up at the sky.  Many are wearing only what they went to bed in, while others are wearing nothing, but that was the least of their concerns.  I look up into the sky. The beauty I see brings tears to my eyes it is breathtaking.  Our solar system fills the sky with planets and stars so numerous that it feels like we can touch them
Our universe is collapsing upon itself… it is our end.  The end of everything we know, and yet, it is stunning.  Then, once more, we all turn to dust.

Kipp Poe Speicher