Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Book Feature: The Special and the Ordinary by David Clapham



Inside the Book:





Title: The Special and the Ordinary
Author: David Clapham
Publisher: iUniverse
Genre: Coming of Age
Format: Ebook
John Haworth, despite innate shyness, has floated upward in a comfortable English home environment under the influence of much older sisters and their friends. After he begins a new school in the early fifties, the seven-year-old is looking lost when a classmate, Martin Holford, decides to take him under his wing. And so begins a long friendship.

Ordinary rules of life apparently do not apply to the confident Martin except, perhaps, when he allows his mischievous humor excessive free rein against the self-important. While on separate coming-of-age journeys, Martin and John get on fine, despite John's occasional resentment about Martin's ability to bounce back after perpetrating 'wrong notes' against the wealthy while John slaves away attempting to make new music sound modern. John, who has no desire to be to be an apathetic musician like his viola teacher, unfortunately lacks the talent, personality, and love of limelight to match his glamorous piano teacher or Katherine, the singer he accompanies on the piano. Now all he has to do is somehow find his place amid an uncertain career as a ghost composer where chances come as infrequent as success.

The Special and the Ordinary shares the unique story of two young people as they come of age and step into the future, each with a different idea on what it means to be true to themselves.

iUniverse awarded The Special and the Ordinary the 'Editor's Choice' designation. Here are excerpts from the enthusiastic editorial reviews:

"Definitely a worthwhile read, I recommend The Special and the Ordinary to lovers of literary fiction." - Pacific Book Review

"...heartwarming and uplifting." - Kirkus Reviews

"The writing is clear and refreshing, with clean sentences that move the story along at a brisk pace." - Clarion Review

Meet the Author:


David Clapham grew up in in Sheffield, England and studied botany at Oxford. After working at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station in Aberystwyth, Wales, he moved to Uppsala, Sweden, where he still lives today. David and his Swedish wife Lena have two children. He has also published Odd Socks with iUniverse in 2013. 

Giveaway

David is giving away a $25 Gift Card!


Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
  • This giveaway begins January 2 and ends on January 13.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on January 14..
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

Friday, January 27, 2017

Interview with 'Beethoven in Love; Opus 139' Howard Jay Smith


Howard Jay Smith is an award-winning writer from Santa Barbara, California. BEETHOVEN IN LOVE; OPUS 139 is his third book. A former Washington, D.C. Commission for the Arts Fellow, & Bread Loaf Writers Conference Scholar, he taught for many years in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and has lectured nationally. His short stories, articles and photographs have appeared in the Washington Post, Horizon Magazine, the Journal of the Writers Guild of America, the Ojai Quarterly, and numerous literary and trade publications. While an executive at ABC Television, Embassy TV, and Academy Home Entertainment, he worked on numerous film, television, radio, and commercial projects. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Santa Barbara Symphony - "The Best Small City Symphony in America" -  and is a member of the American Beethoven Society.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

INTERVIEW BOOK CIRCLE ONLINE AT YOUTUBE

INTERVIEW BLOGTALK RADIO


About the Book:

At the moment of his death, Ludwig van Beethoven pleads with Providence to grant him a final
wish—one day, just a single day of pure joy. But first he must confront the many failings in his life, so the great composer and exceedingly complex man begins an odyssey into the netherworld of his past life led by a spirit guide who certainly seems to be Napoleon, who died six years before. This ghost of the former emperor, whom the historical Beethoven both revered and despised, struggles to compel the composer to confront the ugliness as well as the beauty and accomplishments of his past. 
As Beethoven ultimately faces the realities of his just-ended life, we encounter the women who loved and inspired him. In their own voices, we discover their Beethoven—a lover with whom they savor the profound beauty and passion of his creations. And it’s in the arms of his beloveds that he comes to terms with the meaning of his life and experiences the moment of true joy he has always sought.

Purchase Information:

Amazon


Thanks for this interview, Howard Jay.  Can we begin by having you tell us about yourself from a writer’s standpoint?

I am an award-winning writer living in Santa Barbara, California. BEETHOVEN IN LOVE; OPUS 139 is my third book. A former Washington, D.C. Commission for the Arts Fellow & Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Scholar, I taught for many years in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and have lectured nationally. My short stories, articles and photographs have appeared in the Washington Post, Horizon, the Journal of the Writers Guild of America, the Ojai Quarterly, and numerous literary & trade publications. While an executive at ABC Television, Embassy TV, and Academy Home Entertainment, I worked on numerous film, television, radio, and commercial projects. I serve on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Symphony -- The Best Small City Orchestra in America -- and am a member of the American Beethoven Society.

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?

Living near the ocean now, we enjoy hiking and kayaking along the coast.  We also frequent the many local classical music performances and the Opera.

Congratulations on your new book! Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?

Chapter One: 
Plaudite, Amici, Comoedia Finite Est
Applaud My Friends, the Comedy is Over

By all accounts my funeral was a grand success.
     Despite the snow and slush soaking through their shoes, all Vienna turns out. Twenty thousand mourners or more, accompanied by the Imperial Guards, guide the grieving to my grave.  Streets crowded, impassable. My coffin, lined with silk, covered in flowers, rolls through the chaos on a horse drawn bier. Paupers and princes; merchants and mendicants; menials and musicians; clerics and commoners; they all come for this, their Beethoven’s final concerto.
     As if they ever owned me or my music…
     Plaudite, Amici, Comoedia Finite Est. Applaud my friends, the comedy is over.  Inscribed herein rests my final opus.
     Ja. Yes, they are all patrons and lovers… Lovers of my music, the very music the gods have forbidden me to hear. How cruel.  To suffer my last decade without sound – any sound except the incessant surge of blood pounding through my veins - an eternity inscribed on the calendar pages of my life.
     And so it is, these celebrants, anxious for one last encore, crowd the alleys and streets of the Hapsburgs capital in throngs not seen since the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Grande Armee oh so many years ago.
     The cortege rolls on past the taverns and cafés of this fair city where dark beer, schnitzel and sausages reward the day. Ah, the saints and sinners of Vienna have always loved a good party, never mind the excuse. 
     Are they singing?  Alle Menschen werden Brüder. All men will become brothers.  They must be, yet I hear nothing.  
     I wonder if she is among them.  My muse; my love; my passion; my sacred fire; will she be there to safeguard my voyage through Elysium? 
     Or is she too denied me as was the sweet sighs of love and the embrace of family stolen by gods capricious and uncaring?  Are they so vengeful? So embittered by spite?  Like Prometheus, have I dared too close to revelations reserved for them alone?
     The clouds grow ever darker, ominous.
     Must I embrace death silently ere my last symphony suffuses the stage? Is this my end?  To be cast out as by our Creator as history’s cruel joke, a deaf musician?  A composer unable to know the vibrancy of his own scores?
     Tell me why your Beethoven, your servant whose hearing once surpassed all others in sensitivity and degree, must suffer such humiliation and torment?
     Are the crowds laughing? Ja oder nein? Yes or no. I know not. Am I such a failure, such a disgrace to be shoved off the stage without your mercy or compassion?
     As surely as the warmth of summer vanishes and the leaves of autumn crumble beneath the crush of winter, has all hope been stolen? Can I escape this fate? What path must I travel?  What tasks of redemption are to be mine and mine alone?
     Come death; am I to meet your shadow with courage? Must I depart in this winter of anguish before the renewal of spring?
     Can I not find release from this cycle of sufferings like a saint or a Hindoo holy man following the dance of Shiva or a Bodhisattva, back bent upon the path of the great Buddha?              
     The last echoes of joy inside my heart are already fading. Will I never hear or feel those vibrations again?  Never?  Nein. Forever.  Lost for eternity in the fog on the road to Elysium; that is too hard, too harsh.
     But surely a loving father must dwell in the starry canopy above. Are you there, oh sweet Isis, my goddess of compassion? Help me, help guide me.
    Please Providence; grant me this, my final wish… Grant but one day, just one day, one day of pure joy to your poor Beethoven. 
     Is this too much to ask before I embrace darkness forever? Oh, to be in her arms once again.


Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing?  Can you tell us about your journey?

Writing and researching “Beethoven in Love; Opus 139” has been a five year journey, every moment of which was an absolute pleasure.  I have been working as a professional writer, screenwriter, teacher and executive in Hollywood and elsewhere for almost four decades.  All of my teachers from years past, John Irving, Tim O’Brien, Toni Morrison and John Gardner, all won National Book Awards or something similar.  When I first set out to do a novel on someone as famous and well known as Beethoven, I knew I had to first have it thoroughly researched and be accurate or I would have been shredded by the music world.  Given the enormous amount of material on his life, including dozens of major biographies, six volumes of letters as well as his diaries, I quickly realized the scope and size of what I had taken on.  I told myself that I would proceed with this project only if I felt the quality of the writing was at a level that the final draft could conceivably be in the discussion for a National Book Award.  When I was ¾ done, I began showing it around to my friends in the writing community and their response was, “Yes, you’re there.”  Since that time, the reviews from critics in the literary world, the music world and more specifically, the world of Beethoven scholars and devotees has been wonderful – and gratifying.

If you had to summarize your book in one sentence, what would that be?

At the moment of his death, Beethoven must find a way to come to peace with all of the failings of his life in order to order to enter Elysium, be rejoined with his Immortal Beloved and find his one moment of joy.

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

Beethoven was a man of great brilliance, passion and pain, who conveyed those emotions through his music and his love affairs.  My novel is a journey through the trials and triumphs of his life that is not only equally passionate, but is also composed with a literary grace and structure that matches the magic of his music.

If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why?  Valentine’s Day.  What else?

Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done?  No, there is only one life for Beethoven, but my next project is not too far afield, it is a novel about Mozart and the man who wrote the lyrics for his three most famous operas, Lorenzo Da Ponte, entitled simply:  “Mozart, Da Ponte, Scandal!”

What’s next for you?  

 “Mozart, Da Ponte, Scandal!”

And one final note:
The original art work -  Beethoven Dreams of his Immortal Beloved - created exclusively for the novel BEETHOVEN IN LOVE; OPUS 139 is by internationally renowned artist Zak Smith, son of the author.

Zak Smith first came to prominence at the Whitney Biennial with his mammoth work 'Pictures Showing What Happens on Each Page of Thomas Pynchon's Novel Gravity's Rainbow.' Smith's paintings and drawings are held and/or have been exhibited in major public and private collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Saatchi Gallery in London, the Contemporary Museum of Art, Baltimore and the Carnegie Mellon University Museum. The son of the author, he lives and works in Los Angeles. He is represented by the Fredericks Freiser Gallery in New York.
For more information about Zak, please go to: http://www.fredericksfreisergallery.com/artists/zak-smith

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Romance Books '4' Us' Roping the Cowboy Book Blast! Win $25 Amazon Gift Card!

roping-the-cowboy-banner

We invite you to Marianne Stephens for authors at Romance Books ‘4’ Us' ROPING THE COWBOY: 9 ROMANCES ON THE RANGE Book Blast at The Literary Nook today! Marianne and authors will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card! Leave a comment on each of their tour stops for extra entries!

roping-the-cowboy

Inside the Book:

Title: Roping the Cowboy: 9 Romances on the Range
Author: Marianne Stephens for authors at Romance Books ‘4’ Us
Publisher: Romance Books ‘4’ Us
Pages: 306
Genre: Mixed Romance Genres

Sweet through sizzling collection of love stories includes contemporary, period, and historical romance, otherworldly romance, and romance with a touch of magic.


Book Excerpt:

Bear Country by Michele Zurlo

Mallory spotted Gavin at the other end of the bar. Sitting on a stool and taking a swig from his beer mug, he seemed to be alone. Mallory took a seat on the opposite side and asked the bartender to send another beer to Gavin. The more alcohol in him, the more likely he would be to agree to be her guide so that she could fulfill Aunt Abbey’s final wish.

She watched Gavin exchange a few words with the barkeep, and then he looked down at her end of the bar, pushed his Stetson back, and raised his glass. The woman sitting next to Mallory, an attractive blonde, smiled back and blew a kiss.

Mallory wasn’t sure whether that was a good sign. She’d hoped to foster goodwill with her gesture and to also get him a little plastered.  As much as she didn’t want that goodwill to go to the woman sitting next to her, Mallory couldn’t help but think she’d dodged a bullet.

Then the barkeep pointed again. Gavin spit the beer he’d just swigged into his mug and pushed it away. He got up and turned away, and she knew he planned to leave, so she hurried to the other end of the bar and put her hand on his arm. “Gavin-”

“No.”

“But you-”

“No.”

“At least hear me out.”

“I heard you out. There’s nothing more I want to hear from you.”

“But-”

“No.” He turned to face her, and she felt the undiminished force of his hatred. “Get the hell away from me.”




About the Authors

This sweet through sizzling collection of love stories includes contemporary, period, and historical romance, otherworldly romance, and romance with a touch of magic by Award-winning and Bestselling Authors: Janice Seagraves, Nicole Morgan, Rose Anderson, Denyse Bridger, Gemma Juliana, Michele Zurlo, Tina Donahue, Krista Ames, and Suz deMello.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK



Giveaway Details:

The authors are giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive both prizes.
  • This giveaway ends midnight January 27.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on February 1.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, January 23, 2017

Book Blast: Lies And Love by Vanessa D. Werts

lies-love-banner




lies-love


Inside the Book:

Title: Lies and Love: Cleansing the Heart to Make Room for Radical Love
Author: Vanessa D. Werts
Publisher: Higher Realm Publishing
Genre: Christian Non Fiction / Self-Help


The Lies and Love 30-Day Heart Cleanse is a deliberate approach to rid the heart of lingering issues that affect how you think, and limit your capacity to love and be loved. These heart issues or heart “chaos” as Vanessa calls it, includes feeling abandoned, angry, fearful, jealous, holding grudges, being sad, and even hating others. Vanessa says that this chaos will even lie to you, holding you hostage to your past, to keep you from walking in the fullness of who God created you to be.

“What is your heart story?” is the question Vanessa asks in Lies and Love as she shares her own victory over a chaotic heart that started with daddy issues and sexual assault as a teenager. For years, Vanessa questioned her self-worth until God got her attention with his hurricane winds of love and washed away every lie she ever believed. In thirty days, Lies and Love will help you identify your heart chaos, walk you through the cleansing process, and inspire you to receive and give love without limits. Vanessa says the key to unlock your breakthrough and healing is held up in your answer to the question: What is your heart story?


Book Excerpt:


Chapter One

Is the 30-Day Cleanse for You?

So, you’re probably thinking that my case of heart issues is extreme and your life experiences are nothing like mine. Perhaps you’re right. Honestly, I didn’t realize how bad off the condition of my heart was until God got my attention. Trust me. It made no sense then, but that one statement caused me to seek the Lord’s guidance about love, and it has changed the course of my life. So maybe your issues don’t have to do with rejection in childhood by your father or sexual assault, but I can guarantee you that life in general has impacted your heart in a way that God would like to heal and make whole.

Any attitude, behavior, or habit that is counterproductive to your life is an indicator that something is going on in the heart that should be addressed. If any of the following issues play out in your life or concern you on a regular basis, you are reading the right book and, yes, this 30-day cleanse will help you. ƒ Are you angry often and take it out on those close to you? ƒ Are you easily frustrated with people in general? ƒ Are you frustrated with your current station in life (career, personal, spiritual)? ƒ Is sarcasm your way of communicating with people?  ƒ Are you single and discouraged by the dating scene? ƒ Do you have strained relationships with loved ones? ƒ Does your childhood still haunt you today? ƒ Do you have poor customer service? ƒ Do you have a bias against a particular group of people? ƒ Are you indifferent about major decisions you need to make?

This is a short list, but I think it makes the point that the issues of life vary and can affect how we function day to day and how we treat people. God wants to change that, and love—radical and free—is the answer. During the 30-Day Heart Cleanse, your heart will be cleansed of the chaos that is at the root of the issues in the list above. God’s love for you will have the final say and not your past.


So, what is your heart story? You’ve had a glimpse at mine. How has life and your experiences of other people changed who you are? If you don’t fully know, God will unpack and reveal the condition of your heart as you read Lies and Love. Are you ready for the challenge?

For More Information



Meet the Author

vanessa-werts


Novelist, military veteran, and minister with a calling to speak value and honor into the lives of women, Vanessa D. Werts will release her first nonfiction book, “Lies and Love: Cleansing The Heart To Make Room For Radical Love,” A 30-Day Heart Cleanse for Women, on November 30, 2016. The book is published by Higher Realm Publishing.

The Lies and Love 30-Day Heart Cleanse is a ministry tool designed to help women get to the heart of lingering issues that affect how they think, thereby limiting their capacity to love and be loved. These heart issues or heart “chaos” as Vanessa calls it, includes feeling abandoned, angry, fearful, jealous, holding grudges, being sad, and even hating others. Vanessa says that, this chaos will even lie to you, holding you hostage to your past, to keep you from walking in the fullness of who God created you to be.

It is a spiritual injustice for a child of God to remain heart broken, to feel insecure, hopeless, unloved, and unworthy of God’s best for their life, says Vanessa.

“What is your heart story?” is the question Vanessa asks in Lies and Love as she shares her own victory over a chaotic heart that started with daddy issues and sexual assault as a teenager. For years, Vanessa questioned her self-worth until God got her attention with his hurricane winds of love and washed away every lie she ever believed.

Vanessa grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where she fell in love with good food, kind people and especially, Jesus. She joined the military right after high school, traveling abroad and stateside in uniform for 13 years before making the Washington, DC, area her home.
During her time in the military, she married and divorced, and raised two sons as a single parent. After separating from active duty, Vanessa continued her federal service while working in the Intelligence Community. In September 2016, she resigned from the federal government after more than twenty years as a civil servant to write full-time and walk in her ministry calling.

The journey hasn’t been easy, but Vanessa has stayed the course and overcome every obstacle. Recognizing the grave damage that life and its oftentimes harsh realities can cause in the heart, Lies and Love grew from talking points related to her latest novel, Lies: Even Love Has Its Casualties (February 2016), to a full blown book to inspire woman to let go of the past and embrace the future. Lies and Love offers women help with identifying what’s going on in the heart that limits healthy thinking and behavior, a thirty-day step-by-step cleansing process, and provides inspiration to love without boundaries.

Vanessa has been featured in digital magazines such as EBE Magazine (July 2016), The Rhythmic Lounge Magazine (August 2016), a web feature with ItNeedsToBeCED.com: The Industry Cosign (July 2016), radio interviews, blog and podcast features, and a television interview on CTV News, a community station. She was a staff writer for the online magazine, BlackMenInAmerica.com for over five years with published articles, interviews and reviews to her credit. Vanessa is a Northern Virginia-based writer with an abiding love to bridge the gap from people’s life experiences to the promises of God.


For More Information


Event Participants



Monday , January 2 -  The Literature Exchange
Friday, January 6 - The Writer's Life
Monday, January 9 - As The Page Turns
Friday, January 13 - Story Behind The Book
Monday, January 16 - Jersey Girl Book Reviews
Friday, January 20 - Literarily Speaking
Monday, January 23 - The Literary Nook
Friday, January 27 - Book Marketing Buzz
Monday, January 30 - PUYB Virtual Book Club

PUYB Banner - Tours

Author Interview: D.A. Hewitt, author of 'Dominion'



D.A. Hewitt is an award-winning author of four novels and over a hundred short stories. One novel was awarded a gold medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards for best regional fiction. He attributes his success to hard work, honing a skill and providing an outlet for his passion for writing.

Born in Michigan, he lived for 25 years in North Carolina before returning to live in his home state. In addition to enjoying sky diving and mountain climbing, he is a proud veteran of the US Marine Corps and has earned a degree in mathematics.

Mr. Hewitt admits to a fascination with the work of Carl Jung and of the Gnostic religion. He’d always thought intertwining these topics in a science fiction novel was a stretch, but one day the storyline of Dominion came to him. He wrote the novel in a stream of consciousness. “It makes sense, tapping into the collective unconscious,” Mr. Hewitt says, “very much like Carl Jung might have predicted.”

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS


About the Book:

It’s the year 2075. Lunar mining and processing facilities have prospered near the lunar south pole, where the Moon’s largest city, Valhalla, rests on the rim of the Shackleton Crater.

Dominion Off-Earth Resources has beaten the competition into space and is ready to establish its monopoly with the opening of the orbiting space resort Dominion. But Pettit Space Industries has a secret plan to emerge as a major contender in the commercialization of space. The upstart company is training the first space rescue squad at a secluded off-grid site in Barrow, Alaska.

The rescue squad gets nearly more than it can handle when its first mission involves the Pope, who’s traveling to the Moon to establish the Lunar See. During the rescue attempt, they discover Earth is imperiled by an asteroid large enough to cause mass extinction. Using the unique skills taught during their training, skills emphasized by the great psychoanalyst Carl Jung, these Jungi Knights must elevate their game if they are to save both the Earth and the Pope—while not getting killed in the process.


Thanks for this interview, Doug.  Can we begin by having you tell us about yourself from a writer’s standpoint?

I’ve known I wanted to be a writer since the seventh grade. Even then, I knew though that I didn’t want to be a starving artist. In a way, it’s more interesting to me the circuitous route that I took to get the “day job” I have is really more interesting. On the writer’s front, I just love to write and hone my craft. That’s what artists do. But really, to get a B.S. in mathematics along the way? Curious.

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?

It used to be reading. It’s a common lament for writers that the one thing they miss is being a profuse reader. When you’re a writer, you have much less time to read for pleasure. Writing is a business and a craft. And if you want to be a great writer, you really don’t have a lot of leisure time.

Congratulations on your new book! Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?

The bus chortled as it slowed, the magnetic-drive treads slowing their frenzied snow-gyrating pace. “Barrow, Alaska,” the driver said cheerily enough. “Only five percent of the world’s land mass is as far from the equator. Average temperature in January, minus twenty-five Celsius.” White billowing clouds churned briefly from the exhaust. The engine cut off. The driver stood, facing his six passengers, and said, “We’re here.”

I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and headed for the front, shivering reflexively.

“Last chance to back out,” the driver added as the last of us stepped onto the frozen snow. His breath lingered as white mist. He looked questioningly at us and played with the door control, flapping it at us, taunting us.

We were standing in front of a Quonset hut, bundled in parkas and survival clothing, enough to keep us warm for days in the most extreme climates. And I counted Barlow, Alaska, as one of those.

“Go on—get out of here!” the tallest of us barked at the driver. I didn’t know any of their names, but from what I’d gathered from the sparse chit-chat on the drive from Prudhoe Bay (no reason was given for why we hadn’t continued the flight from Juneau to Barrow instead of the drop-off and subsequent bus ride in), this guy was the most gung-ho among us.

The driver smiled. “I’ll be back to pick up any dropouts.” He closed the door, picked up his comm device, and spoke briefly into it.

One moment, we were staring at the bus—I can do this, I will do this—and the next we were all spinning in response to a deep voice projecting out from where the Quonset hut door had slammed open.

“The sheep have arrived!” the voice boomed.

He stood in the doorframe as the door banged against him in the stiffening arctic wind. For a moment, he seemed stuck there, his massive shoulders too wide, his girth too large to fit through. Then he took a step back, spun, and said, “Follow me!”

I’d been thinking my life was getting stranger and stranger as of late, and the next thing that happened cemented that thought-trend in my mind, because we stepped into a room heated to tropical temperatures, the ground covered in sand. The room took the entire width of the Quonset hut. One other door on the opposite wall from the door we’d just entered was the room’s only other exit.

“Throw down your stuff anywhere,” the bulky man said, dropping his parka, revealing himself to be wearing only green shorts and a white muscle shirt. His chest was enormous (ah, the booming voice), and he thumped it when he caught me looking at him. He appeared Polynesian. His skin was dark and his black hair was tied back in a ponytail, thick and scruffy.

“My name today is Mister Chenga,” the Polynesian announced. Whenever he spoke, everyone’s head turned to him as though his voice subconsciously demanded our attention. “Take off your clothes to your underwear and then take a seat.”

“Where do we sit?” one of the girls—the short blonde—asked with what sounded like a Russian accent. “There are no chairs.”

Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing?  Can you tell us about your journey?

Unless you’re a bestselling author or are self-publishing, it’s always a rocky road. First of all, writing a top-notch novel isn’t easy. If it was, there’s be a lot more novels that are well written out there. However, Dominion is my third published novel, so I’ve been through the wringer before. Novels are pieces of artwork, and “publishing” a wonderfully written piece of art that can stand the test of time is not an easy task. Rocky, at best.

If you had to summarize your book in one sentence, what would that be?

In Dominion, an asteroid that could introduce an extinction event on Earth is approaching, so what would the first trained space rescue team operating as a for-profit business do in response?

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

First, I introduce a new psychological dogma, which includes the newly created Process Map of Consciousness, which can be viewed from my website, www.StinkyUniverse.com.

If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why?

This one is easy. The Fourth of July. In Dominion, the Moon declares independence from Earth in the year 2075. And it is also the date that the orbiting space station Dominion opens for business. Of course, in my novel, that’s when the sparks start to fly!

Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done?

For those so inclined, I invite readers to ponder how Dominion is akin to the first installment of the Star Wars series. I mean, my spaceship is the Centurion Hawk, and if you remember that the Millennium Falcon is the name of Hans Solo’s ship. What a coincidence!

What’s next for you?

I’m thinking, make Dominion a series.

Friday, January 20, 2017

Cover Reveal: Dead on the Bayou by June Shaw


Inside the Book:



Title: Dead on the Bayou
Author: June Shaw
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Ecopy 

It may be easier to patch up an old home than a broken heart. But along the Louisiana bayou, where beauty and danger mingle all too seamlessly, thoughts of romance may have to simmer on the back burner . . . 

Twin sisters and fellow divorcees Sunny Taylor and Eve Vaughn have established their home repair and remodeling business with an eye toward quality and personal attention. So when they’re approached by hunky Dave Price to fix up his bayou fishing camp, they’re more than happy to take the job—especially since they both secretly think he may prove to be more than just another satisfied customer . . .

The ramshackle campsite could certainly use a woman’s touch. What it does not need is a dead body—but that’s what the trio stumble across. Clearly, the poor soul was murdered—and once the town tongue-waggers get going, Sunny, Eve, and Dave come under suspicion of the police, not to mention potential clients . . .


Now, with their futures on the line, their brewing love triangle will have to wait. Helped—and harried—by the twins’ mother and her retirement home’s cadre of amateur sleuths, the trio starts snooping on their own. But when another dead body turns up, they’ll have to get their hands dirtier than a swamp-bottom snake if they hope to clear their names . . .


PURCHASE HERE: AMAZON|B&N|KOBO|GOOGLE PLAY|APPLE

MEET THE AUTHOR


June Shaw lives along a lazy bayou in south Louisiana. She became a young widow with five children, completed a college degree, and started teaching junior high students. Then her deferred dream of becoming a writer took hold.

Between grading papers and being involved in her growing children’s activities, she sold stories and learned to write plays. She won a playwriting contest in Boston, and two of her short plays were produced Off-Off Broadway. A short screenplay she wrote aired on a channel for the arts in New Orleans.

She eventually worked on novels, became a grandmother, and then sold RELATIVE DANGER, which received excellent reviews. Deadly Ink nominated it for their new David award for Best Mystery of the Year. Harlequin reprinted it, and Books in Motion bought audio rights.

KILLER COUSINS was June’s second book in the series that features Cealie Gunther, a spunky young grandma with attitude, and her hunky sometimes-ex lover that she tries to avoid so she can rediscover herself. But he opens Cajun restaurants in all the places she travels, and she is so bad at avoiding tempting dishes and men.

DEADLY REUNION, the third book in her series, takes you aboard a cruise ship in Alaska for a class reunion you won’t want to miss!

June has represented Louisiana on the board of Mystery Writers of America's southwest chapter for many years. She has also served a number of terms as the Published Author Liason for the southern Louisiana chapter of Romance Writers of America. 

When June is not writing, she enjoys reading, swimming, fishing, dancing, traveling, meeting new people, and being with her friends and large family.

CONNECT WITH JUNE: WEBSITE|FACEBOOK|TWITTER