Monday, May 25, 2020

Character Interview with Balsy Dewitt of Emilio Corsetti III's 35 MILES FROM SHORE




Character Interview Day! Today's guest is Balsy Dewitt from inside the pages of 35 MILES FROM SHORE by Emilio Corsetti III.  It is a pleasure to have him with us at The Literary Nook!



What is your name? Balsey DeWitt. My wife never liked my first name, so she always called me by my middle name of Dean.

What do you look like? I’m almost 87 years old right now, but when this happened, I was a young 37. I was an airline pilot. If you’re picturing Tom Cruise or Matt Damon, you’d be wrong.

Where are you today and what are you doing? I’m at home in upstate New York living in the house I built.

Describe the outside of your home. A wooded area full of wildflowers, trees, and leaves.

You come face to face with your worse enemy. How do you react? I still have dreams about that day. What could I have done differently? Why did this happen? Why did we have to lose those two little girls? It’s been nearly fifty years.

You keep a photo album of memories from your lifetime. If you could only keep one photo, which one would that be? It would probably be a picture of me in my United Airlines uniform.

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Morning.

A police officer stops you for a minor violation. What violation is that and how do you react? Having an expired license plate. Yes sir, I’ll take care of it as soon as I can.

What is your favorite piece of clothing? Really? How about my pajamas.

Do you have any phobias? What are they and how intense are they? How have they impacted your life? For the longest time I dreaded having to relive that day. It wasn’t until I told my story to the author and got it all off my chest that I was finally able to accept and forgive myself.

Open your wallet, purse, or briefcase. What do you find? A few dollars that I happily give to my grandkids.

You move into a new home. What's the first thing you buy for it? A nice chair.

How do you feel about mortality? It’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. I survived an accident that took the lives of twenty-three people, including two young girls aged four or five. I think about Maragareth Abraham, the twenty-four-year-old flight attendant, who didn’t survive. I’m lucky to be here, but I do think about those twenty-three people.

What scares you? Knowing that people still blame me for what happened.

How would your parents describe you? Conscientious and ambitious.

What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed at night? I say a prayer.

Who is your best friend? My wife Edith. She stood by me all this time.

Who is your worse enemy? Memories

Are you faith-oriented? Yes.

Are you married or in a relationship? Happily married.

Do you have children? Two

Where is your favorite hangout? Hawaii

You are at the zoo. What is your favorite animal? The penguin. I’ve been told that I sometimes walk like a penguin.

You just woke up to find that war has been declared. What’s the first thing you would do? Pray for everyone involved.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A pilot.

If there was one thing you could change about yourself, what would that be? It would have to be my first name. Balsey, really? What were they thinking.


About the Book  

On May 2, 1970, a DC-9 jet departed New York’s JFK international airport en route to the tropical island of St. Maarten. The flight ended four hours and thirty-four minutes later in the shark-infested waters of the Caribbean. The subsequent rescue of survivors involved the Coast Guard, Navy, and Marines. In this gripping account of that fateful day, author Emilio Corsetti puts the reader inside the cabin, the cockpit, and the rescue helicopters as the crews struggle against the weather to rescue the survivors who have only their life vests and a lone escape chute to keep them afloat.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/39zbKBq

 Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/39HL7dz

 

About the Author 


Emilio Corsetti III is a professional pilot and author. Emilio has written for both regional and national publications including the Chicago Tribune, Multimedia Producer, and Professional Pilot magazine. Emilio’s first book 35 Miles From Shore: The Ditching and Rescue of ALM Flight 980 tells the true story of an airline ditching in the Caribbean Sea and the efforts to rescue those who survived.

Emilio’s latest release Scapegoat: A Flight Crew’s Journey from Heroes to Villains to Redemption tells the true story of an airline crew wrongly blamed for causing a near-fatal accident and the captain’s decades-long battle to clear his name. Emilio is a graduate of St. Louis University. He and his wife Lynn reside in Dallas, TX.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website Address: https://www.EmilioCorsetti.com
Blog: https://www.35milesfromshore.com (dedicated website)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilioCorsetti 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Emilio.Corsetti.III

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Q&A: Alison Neuman, Author of HOME

Alison Neuman is a writer, author, choreographer, and dance artist, who is passionate about sharing underrepresented voices. She holds a Bachelor’s of Applied Communications Degree, a diploma in Professional Writing, and a Master of Arts degree with a focus on Educational Studies.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: www.alisonneuman.ca
Blog: http://www.alisonneuman.ca/blog/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Alison_Neuman
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alisonneuman.ca
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4375290.Alison_Neuman

Thanks for this interview, Alison.  Congratulations on your new book! 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?

Thank you for having me on your blog. The process of writing Home, the last installment of my Friends and Family Series, was challenging, and I wasn’t sure if the series would ever be finished after my mom passed away two years ago. Throughout my entire life, my mom was always there with me. Through all my hospitalizations and doctors' appointments, she was my sense of home. My family had a love for reading, and many a night when I was a small child and in and out of the hospital, my mom would read to me before I fell asleep. My mom always made time to read, and when I was older, we would silently read together.



As macular degeneration stole my mom's vision and made it challenging to read, I started reading out loud to her. While the activity was reversed, we could still share our love of reading. In the last few years, my mom had dementia, and we were her caregivers. I wanted to share my writing, my love and appreciation for all she had done. I started the first book in the series called Don't Eat Family, about a cat (Fluffy) who meets a mouse (Levi) experiencing a disability, and they become friends. My mom’s childhood pet inspired the cat, and the mouse is the literary character I wished I had to identify with when I was a child experiencing a disability. The follow-up book, Help From Friends, was about ability and adventures between friends. Home, explores the journey of memories and friendships as Fluffy brings her friend Levi and his family back to the safety of her family home. As I was writing this book and still grieving from losing my mom, it made me realize that wherever I was, my mom was always my home and I will always carry her with me.



Home is being launched before Mother’s Day because this book is my gift for her. I hope this book and the series will be shared with parents and their children and grow a love of reading.

If you were to pen your own autobiography, what might the title be?

Searching for My Life or Pushing Through would be some potential autobiography titles.

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

When not writing, I love to spend time with my family and friends, read, dance, craft, bake, and be outside.

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

My book stands out from the rest because there is a strong character that is experiencing a disability and not a negative plot point for the main character. All of the artwork in the book is comprised of paintings that were done with sketches, paints, and special paper, versus digitally on a computer.


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

Home would go in the Mother’s Day section of the store because the series is for sharing with family.

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

Home is part of the Friends and Family series.

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time profession?

As a child, I loved books, but I never thought of a career as an author despite the fact I have written my entire life.


Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?

Yes, Ice Rose – A Young Adult Spy Novel and Searching For Normal: A Memoir were both rejected numerous times before finding their current publishers.

What is your view on co-authoring books; have you done any?

I would love to co-author a book and share the writing and publishing journey with another author. Being able to have an additional view and writing skillset to include in the creation of the manuscript would be beneficial. Not to mention, having a second person to work in tandem on book promotions would be fun.

What’s next for you?

My next project, which I have worked on for a few years, is my manuscript entitled Hindsight. It is about a young woman, Olivia, who is experiencing a disability and balancing University and work, grieving the loss of a parent, and searching for love. She begins researching a story for her university paper and discovers a secret that, when revealed, will threaten not only her life but also her family and love.


About HOME

Fluffy, the cat, knew the minute she met Levi that he would become fast friends with the friendly mouse using a special wheelchair. In the third installment of their adventures, join Fluffy, Levi, and his family on their final leg of adventure to find their forever homes together.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2Va96Ox

Smashwords → https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1015552

Monday, May 18, 2020

Q&A: J. Richman, Author of A MAN'S LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS

J. Richman is the author of A MAN’S LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS, a collection of thoughts about life, relationships, and humanity.

Richman’s work history includes his service as an undercover intelligence officer in the US Air Force; later, he established a thriving business in real estate investment. For 16 years, Richman owned and operated Modify My Mortgage, a company that worked with homeowners to prevent foreclosures. His business success allowed Richman the time to pursue his passions, which included serving as the president of Nova, a workshop that provided work and life skills training for clients with disabilities; cofounding A Way Across, a drop-in center for teenagers with emotional and substance abuse problems; and fundraising for several more public service groups.

Richman enjoys writing and editing at night after allowing his ideas to blossom and expand during the day. The author is married with three sons and five grandsons.

When did you come up with the idea to write your book?
This book was not a book for over 10 years as it beginnings was a journal of my daily thoughts that over time became more interesting as I found I had a talent reducing long meaningful thoughts into very a short concise thoughts. I included these thoughts in my commutations to friends and they responded that they caused them  to rethink some of reactions to their errors and those of their family members.
A better understanding of our human frailties and add self-compassion relieve a lot of stress and reduce self anger and anger for others.
As the numbers of thoughts added one on another to over 200 and the idea of a book was born.
Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?
My publisher is Dorrance Publishing has a 100 year history helping author self publish.
Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?
Everything was a surprise. They had never seen a book of 344 short concise original thoughts by one author and it turns out no one had---Having a completely different soon caught interest of some radio shows and the title of  A Man’s Later Night Thoughts piqued the interest of women.
Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?
The book cover must catch the eye and my cover shows a park at night with the title and a thoughts.
How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?
Problems occur when we confuse how a women looks for who she is----
What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?
To understand we are all prone to errors and self compassion for our self and other leads to less self anger and anger for others.
Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?
Holding on to anger is like holding a rope pulling you to oblivionsave yourselflet go !!!
 
About A MAN'S LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS


A MAN’S LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS by J. Richman is a creative and life-affirming collection of ponderings that expose the deep thoughts and feelings of a man who has lived a life full of diverse
experiences and challenges. This uniquely constructed compilation of more than 300 reflections focuses on several areas of living, including intimate relationships and acceptance of human frailty, as well as the author’s internal conflicts.

A MAN’S LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS homes in on the complications inherent in intimate relationships from the opening pages of the book: “Problems accrue when we confuse how a woman looks with who she is.” Richman brings the perspective of a mature man to the lessons on love presented in the book, including, “Exploitation of another depreciates both parties,” and “The reason we fall in love with flawed people is that that’s the only kind of people there are.”

In addition to offering a brief study of intimate relationships, A MAN’S LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS probes human frailty and offers readers guidance in accepting this fact. “We must learn to be strong enough to be gentle,” brings into focus the need to deliberately work at treating people well. The author also encourages readers to show self-compassion when dealing with their own baggage: “Sometimes it’s difficult to see beyond the wreckage of our lives, but we must! Take heart! We are more than our mistakes.”

In A MAN’S LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS, Richman further challenges readers to take the reins of their lives when he says, “Name those things that you would do if you had no fear then do something about it.” He offers words of caution regarding political rhetoric: “Beware of politicians who whip up emotions to make us suspicious of others unlike us.” And rounds the book out by sharing his internal conflicts: “The world has bent me more than I have bent it”; “too often my logical mind and my emotional mind are hostile enemies”; “every time I look in the mirror, I expect to see a younger man.”

A MAN’S LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS began as a series of notes that Richman wrote to himself. “I found that if I do not write out my true, and often painful, thoughts and feelings, I do not deal with them.” Richman wishes a book like this one had been available when he was a boy because the knowledge enclosed could have assisted him in navigating his teenage and young adult years. He hopes A MAN’S LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS will assure men that they are not alone in their quiet musings. For women, Richman believes the book will provide a window into men’s unexpressed emotions.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2RVEoqX

 Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/3b7HaRo

 

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Q&A: Jennifer Chase, Author of FLOWERS ON HER GRAVE

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and best-selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling.  She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://authorjenniferchase.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JChaseNovelist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferChase/

Thanks for this interview, Jennifer.  Congratulations on your new book! 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?

This book, Flowers On Her Grave, moved smoothly. But, that hasn’t always been the case. I’ve been working for almost ten years independently publishing, which has been a bumpy road. About a year ago, I was approached by Bookouture and my Detective Katie Scott Thrillers were published and hardships and frustrations began to lessen, which allowed for this book to sail through the process with little tensions. 

If you were to pen your own autobiography, what might the title be?

Life & Times of Author Jennifer Chase: Jump Into the Deep End of the Pool

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

I love to read of course. But whenever I can, I love to be outdoors walking, hiking, training with my dog, or just spending time at the beach.

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

The police procedural and crime fiction genres are saturated out there—that’s for sure. However, from the responses I’ve been receiving from readers, they tell me that it’s refreshing that my heroine Detective Katie Scott is not only smart, but flawed. More specifically, she suffers from PTSD. She’s a veteran, and must handle the stresses of police investigations. Of course, everyone loves a dog in the story—there’s a black German shepherd too.

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

PROLOGUE



The dense forest remained isolated. It was deserted. The sun was perched straight up in the sky and scorched the ground. The dry earth was thirsty for the first season’s rainfall. A soft rustle in the trees indicated that there were birds and other small varmints making it their homes protecting them from the harsh weather and roaming predators.

Stepping from the main hiking trail, the park ranger took a moment to catch his breath and to stomp the caked dirt from his hiking boots. He regretted almost immediately that he didn’t bring an extra bottle of water as the heat intensified. Relieved that he had reached the camping area where the grad student had stayed, he began his routine search.

The static from his walkie-talkie interrupted the natural quiet. “Rob, are you there yet? Over.”

Pressing the button, he replied. “Just got here. Over.”

“See anything? Over,” said one of the other rangers from headquarters.

Rob saw blue shreds of fabric intertwined in the low lying bushes. He curiously walked over to them, leaned down, and pulled one of the long pieces of fabric between his fingers out of the brush. Several dark droplets had spattered the end of the fabric. He followed a trail as he examined the other nearby pieces which looked the same.

“Rob? You there? Over,” headquarters asked again.

“I’ll get back to you. Over,” he said securing the walkie-talkie to his belt.

“10-4. Over and out.” And then the radio went quiet.

Rob turned and began searching the nearby area. “Hello?” he said loudly hoping for a response. “Hello?” he said again—this time louder. “Cynthia? Cynthia Andrews?”

No response.

Rob scanned every tree and bush within the vicinity, but there was no sign of the grad student. He began to think that the worried family hadn’t been mistaken with their concerns, but there had to be a logical explanation as to why she hadn’t contacted them in several days.

He let out a sigh. A breeze ignited in the air and blew around him rustling the leaves and pushing up some dust clouds. And that’s when he saw it. He stopped. Taking a moment to re-focus his eyes, he saw what was left of a tent. Moving his hand to his holstered gun, Rob readied himself for what, or who, he was about to encounter.

*

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

Love this question! I would say Fourth of July. Since my main character was in the military as an explosives K9 handler, there are many shocking and light up the sky moments. Many things in the story makes readers feel like they are in a whirlwind of fireworks.

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


Yes, the Detective Katie Scott thrillers are part of a series.

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time profession?

I loved books and read whenever I could. When I was young, it was actually a large part of my life. No, I don’t think I ever thought about writing as a full-time profession.

Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?

Early in my career of writing, I did send out manuscripts as well as screenplays, and received rejections. It didn’t stop me and I didn’t want to slow down to wait for a publisher, so I pushed full speed ahead as an independent author.

What is your view on co-authoring books; have you done any?

I have not co-authored a book. It’s not something I’m looking for in my career; however, I may co-write a couple of books with retired law enforcement officers. You’ll just have to wait and see what comes next ;)

What’s next for you?

For me, I’m currently working on the fourth Detective Katie Scott Thriller. I also have some of my previous series that I’m working on whenever I can. You can find out all the details at my blog www.authorjenniferchase.com



Thank you so much for the wonderful interview opportunity.


About FLOWERS ON HER GRAVE


On the floor, amongst the piles of freshly pressed laundry, lay the woman’s lifeless body, her pale yellow nightdress soaked in blood. 

“I didn’t do it…” came a whisper from the corner of the room. 

Detective Katie Scott has never seen two people more in love than her aunt and uncle as they danced on the decking the night of their wedding anniversary party. But the next morning, when Katie finds her aunt’s body sprawled across the floor, that perfect image is shattered forever.

All fingers point to Katie’s uncle, Pine Valley’s beloved sheriff and protector – after all, his prints are all over the antique knife found at the scene. Grieving, but certain of her uncle’s innocence, Katie is consigned to the cold case division after she’s discovered searching the house for clues. Does someone want to keep her as far away from this investigation as possible?

Ignoring warnings from her team, Katie digs into her uncle’s old case files and discovers photographs of the body of a young girl found tied to a tree after a hike in search of a rare flower. Her body is covered with the same unusual lacerations her aunt suffered. Katie knows it can’t be a coincidence, but every lead she follows takes her to a dead end.

Moments before the sheriff is arrested, Katie realizes that a single piece of thread she found at the crime scene could be the missing link that will stitch old crimes to new. But how can she prove her uncle’s innocence without throwing herself directly into the line of fire? She doesn’t have a choice, he’s the only family she has left

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2IOsQQW