Thursday, December 15, 2016

Sealed Up by Steve Dunn Hanson

The Da Vinci Code unsettles. SEALED UP shakes to the core!

 

UCLA anthropologist Nathan Hill, in a funk since his young wife’s death, learns of staggering
millennia-old chronicles sealed up somewhere in a Mesoamerica cliff. This bombshell rocks him out of his gloom, and he leads a clandestine expedition to uncover them. What are they? Who put them there? No one knows. But, self-absorbed televangelist Brother Luke, who funds the expedition, thinks he does. If he’s right, his power-hunger will have off-the-charts gratification.
Striking Audra Chang joins Nathan in his pursuit and brings her own shocking secret. As they struggle through a literal jungle of puzzles and dead ends, she finds herself falling in love with Nathan. Her secret, though, may make that a non-starter.
When a shaman with a thirst for human sacrifice, and a murderous Mexican drug lord with a mysterious connection to Brother Luke emerge, the expedition appears doomed. Yet Nathan is convinced that fate—or something—demands these inscrutable chronicles be unearthed.
And if they are . . . what shattering disruption will they unleash?
Intricately layered and remarkably researched, this enthralling suspense-driven and thought provoking tour de force begs a startling question: Could it happen?

Amazon

Book Excerpt:
“How much farther?” Paul’s shirt was soaked from sweat.
Itzel looked at him and laughed. “Just like Torrance, huh?” Paul rolled his eyes.
“The cenote.” Ichika pointed to a three-foot-wide path that was recently cut through the brush. They followed it as it turned to the left then sharply to the right. The sinkhole loomed in front of them. The water, a huge blue sapphire, sparkled 15 feet below. Thick emerald-green growth reached down the sinkhole’s sides, but where they were standing, the vegetation had been cleared all the way to the water’s surface.
Paul stood at the cenote’s edge and stared down into the bowl. “You slipped here, you’d go all the way in.”
Itzel shuddered and pulled back; thoughts of her father overwhelming her. Was this what it was like where he fell? She trembled and turned away from the cenote. “Let’s leave.”
Paul looked at her and understood. He almost said something about his stupidity, but decided one foot in his mouth was enough. He motioned for Ichika to take them back the way they came. He put his arm around Itzel, and she leaned her head against him.
“Where are the ruins?” Paul asked. Ichika didn’t say anything, just pointed ahead. The brush and ferns that surrounded them were head high and prevented their seeing anything except along the trail. As they turned to go to where they first entered the path, Kish’s men stood waiting. Ikan, Muluc, and Yochi had machetes, and Gukumatz held a tranquilizer gun.
Paul and Itzel stopped. Ichika, her eyes fastened on the ground, kept going until she stood on the other side of the men. She turned back toward Itzel but wouldn’t look at her. “What’s going on?” Paul demanded in Spanish as he stepped in front of Itzel. Gukumatz raised his gun and shot a dart into Paul’s stomach. Paul flinched at the pain and looked down at his stomach. “What the ....” Paul yanked the dart out and threw it on the ground. A small circle of blood soaked through his shirt. He lunged at Gukumatz and swung his forearm around catching him on the bridge of his nose. Blood spurted from Gukumatz’s nostrils as he fell to the ground; a gash flaring open on top of his nose. Ikan and Yochi dropped their machetes and jumped Paul.
“What are you doing?” Itzel yelled in Lacandón. “Where is Kish?” Muluc grabbed her and threw his arm around her neck, holding her from behind.
“Don’t you hurt her!” Ichika screamed, as she advanced on him. Gukumatz stood up and wiped his nose with his sleeve; blood soaking through his shirt to his skin. His stare at Paul was chilling, and he swore at him in Spanish. Paul tried to get up to come at him. It was all the two men could do to keep him down even though his strength was ebbing. Gukumatz turned away from Paul and pulled a cartridge and a dart from the bag on his shoulder and loaded them into his gun. He walked to Itzel and shoved Ichika aside. He lowered the gun and shot the dart into Itzel’s stomach. She flinched at the pain and stared at Gukumatz. “You pig!” she spat.
Within a few minutes Paul and Itzel were unconscious. Gukumatz pulled the GPS trackers from their belts, turned them off, and slammed them against a rock. He grunted as he picked up Itzel and slung her across his shoulder. The other three men lifted Paul. They headed to the platform ruins.
The place of sacrifice.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Dominion by Doug Hewitt



Title: DOMINION: FIRE AND ICE
Author: D.A. Hewitt
Publisher: Double Dragon eBooks
Pages: 372
Genre: Science Fiction

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.

Purchase at Amazon


Book Excerpt:
The girl shook her head impatiently, the ponytail swaying back and forth. “You don’t recognize me?” she asked.
I looked closer. “I’m not up on the latest supermodel scene,” I told her, “and I haven’t seen many movies lately.”
“Supermodel? Movies? What on Earth are you talking about?”
“You seem to think I should recognize you. I assume you’re a model or an actress, someone who would be easily recognized.”
She whispered something under her breath, and having a modest ability to read lips, thought she’d said, What an idiot. “I’m Jessica Thibideau.”
I thought Julia was going to leap out of her chair and try to strangle the girl. I reached over and laid my hand on her forearm with as much reassurance as I could muster.
Julia reached over, grabbed the back of my neck, pulled my head down, leaned in, and whispered, “She runs the science departments in DOER’s space program. She’s the daughter of Benjamin Thibideau.”
“Oh,” I whispered. “Yes, of course I’ve heard of her. Never seen a picture, though. Why would she assume I’d recognize her?”
“Even in the Ural Mountains, I’ve seen news pics of the famous Jessica Thibideau. Her spaceship designs incorporate integrated shielding generators. She’s responsible for the explosion of industry in space.”
“And on the Moon,” I added. “Maybe I have seen her picture. She looks different in person.”
Jessica Thibideau began tapping her toe. “If you don’t mind, I have things to do.” She waved her arm in a wide sweeping movement. “And in case you haven’t noticed, we have a problem here.”
I began straightening myself but Julia grabbed my wrist. “Be careful,” she whispered. “Her company practically buried yours. Some say the stress is what killed your father.”
“Yeah, well, my dad worked too hard.”
I pulled away and straightened myself in my chair and folded my hands in front of me on the table. “Are you referring to the street music?”
She snorted. “Of course. What are you, some kind of joker?”
“Just trying to communicate.”
She reached up and pinched her nose, equalizing pressure. “You stole my asteroid retrieval drone.”
My reaction caught me by surprise. I jerked back as though jolted by a cattle prod such was my surprise at being accused of something so off my radar that she may very well have accused me of being an alien in disguise. “What?” I managed to eke out.
“You must’ve sanctioned it, at least. There are only two players in space—DOER and PSI. And DOER wouldn’t steal from itself.”
“Are you accusing me of something?”
“A DOER asteroid interceptor-collector drone has gone missing. Not only that, a dummy drone was left in its place to camouflage the theft. Now tell me, Mr. Pettit, how many companies have the capacity to handle what an interceptor-collector drone can deliver?”
I held up two fingers, eyebrows raised with uncertainty.
She stared as though trying to melt me with her glare. After a few moments, she made a sound that resembled harrumph and placed her hands on her hips. “Anibal Sanchez is your stooge, right?”
She throws out big tomatoes and observes your reaction.
I realized that this woman believed she possessed the skill to discern changes in blood pressure, eye dilation, and other change indicators that revealed when a person was lying.
Interesting.
“Never heard the name before,” I told her. “And now that I’ve answered your question, Miss Thibideau, I’ll tell you that you’re in no position to judge me. You don’t know me, and I doubt you have the depth of field to see clear enough for me to even want to have a conversation with you.”
“We all make judgments constantly,” she shot back. “You’re judging me right now.”
“You’re the one who barged in on us.”
She took a step to her left, then to her right. She placed her hand on her chin, opened her mouth, then finger-tapped the side of her head. She looked like a frenzied shopper who’d lost her shopping list and was trying to recall each item in the order in which they appeared.
She reached up and pinched her nose. Instead of finding it annoying, I found myself attracted to it.
Here, let me help …
Finally she stopped fidgeting and looked at me. “Mr. Pettit, allow me to apologize, please. I just got back from Valhalla, and I’ve got a bit of the jitters. I’m jumping at conclusions.”
“I hear jitters can be a common problem for space-goers,” I said. I reached over and nudged a chair away from the table. “Have a seat.”
Julia jabbed me with her elbow. I leaned over and whispered, “Let’s see how much information we can get.” Then I kissed her neck and this seemed to appease her.
Jessica Thibideau glanced back at her sedan. “All right. I am starving.” She sat and whispered a command that brought up a translucent eight-panel octagonal grid interface that encircled her.
Impressive. But where’s the projector? An implant? No—more likely embedded in clothing.
Signorina Thibideau twirled her finger and jabbed at one of the displays on the panel to her left. She glanced at me. “How’s the pizza here?”
“Out of this world,” I said, trying to suppress the corner of my mouth from rising slightly. I failed.
Jessica closed her eyes, sighed, then placed her order.
Julia leaned in and whispered, “She seems flighty to me.”
“Jitters is typically temporary.”
“Permanent jitters, in her case, if you ask me,” Julia commented.

Kracken by Ray Ellis

Title: KRACKEN
Author: Ray Ellis
Publisher: NCC Publishing LLC
Pages: 367
Genre: Inspirational Science Fiction

The year is 135 New Reckoning. A Godless world is rebuilding itself.

When a stranger from Mike Stone’s past appears on his doorstep, his ordinary life is suddenly and violently destroyed. Mike’s past has come back to haunt him. Now with his family attacked and his home destroyed, Mike finds himself running for his life through a jungle-planet filled with terrors and a monster known only as the Kracken.

In the midst of the chaos, Ted Waters launches his plan for domination. In a post-apocalyptic world, Waters sets himself up as the sole leader of the emerging world government. Using children as slaves, he mines a new narcotic used to subdue the people’s will.

Kracken, the story of two men, two opinions and two bases of power set on a collision path. When the two collide, Mike finds himself confronted by the God he thought he left behind.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Book Excerpt:

Chapter One
The village square was busy. Moist streets and the smell of sweat and dirt, mixed with the aroma of raw sewage, hung heavy in the air. Dirty-faced children played in the streets, and escaped animals ran under foot. Skipp Langg had come to find the needed components to finish the project that he was working on.
Skipp stopped, pretending this time to study a set of sonic amplifiers. He looked back the way he had come. The lone figure stopped as well. Now he was sure he was being followed. He rubbed his chin. He wasn’t sure by whom or why, but he was sure whoever it was or for whatever reason, it wasn’t good.
Tossing his raven-colored braid over his shoulder, Skipp used the occasion to scan the area more thoroughly. Nothing. Where are you guys?
He grimaced and spoke into his wrist communicator, “Jonas! Jay! Anybody!” He let his gaze travel over the sea of faces, studying them. He looked at the walls again. He swore. Signal must be blocked. His gaze shifted upward, tracing the canyon-like walls of the buildings in the inner city.
Since being let go by The Company, Skipp had made his home in the underground; the subterranean world, which had evolved in the abandoned subway systems that ran for over 4700 kilometers in length and more than 2.5 kilometers beneath the city streets. After years of no contact, Jonas had left a video message, calling in an old debt, urging Skipp to meet him that
afternoon in the city. Now he was wondering if coming had been the best decision. He called again; still no answer.
Closing the connection, Skipp glanced over his shoulder again and then burst into flight, hoping to draw his pursuers out into the open. As he did, he realized his plan had worked, if only too well. Lowering his head, he simply ran. Rounding a corner, he came to a skidding stop; he had run into a dead-end alley.
Skipp turned—too late. Behind him, blocking the mouth of the alley stood four very large men and one smaller figure whom Skipp took to be their leader. With slow, purposed steps, the men made their approach.
“Jonas,” Skipp called frantically into his wrist-com. “Jonas, now would be a good time to show up.” Despite the cool breeze and damp weather, beads of sweat rolled down Skipp’s aquiline face.
The group was near enough now that Skipp could see their faces. The five figures continued to close the distance between themselves and Skipp, fanning out in a half circle as they advanced. Suddenly, one of them pulled a handheld energy weapon from his pocket, an IMR/S457-Agitator. The weapon banned from legal sale had long been outlawed, even for military use. The energy beam did more than just kill its victim but was designed to torment as well. The beam attacked the central nervous system, disrupting the brain’s electrical activity, increasing the body’s core temperature. This would cause the brain to swell simultaneously, triggering violent muscle spasms. Finally, due to increasing pressure and contractions, the victim’s heart and other vital organs would simply implode.
As the man leveled the weapon on Skipp, he smiled, exposing broken, yellowed and missing teeth. “After all I he’rd about you, I thought you’d be smar’er than this.” He gestured with the weapon indicating the alley. “To allow yerself to be trapped in a blind alley. Too bad though.” He began to laugh. “You don’t get to learn from your lil’l mistake.”
Skipp could see the man’s dirt encrusted finger tightening on the trigger. “Wait!” It was all he could think to say.
“What, you want to beg first? Not that it’ll do ya any good.” The man continued laughing. “Hey, boys, he wants ta beg fer his life. Shall we let him beg or should we just kill em?”
“Oh, let him beg first. Who knows, he might even make me laugh, too,” the second of the large men said. Then turning a fiery gaze on Skipp, he said, “I’m not as easily amused as my friend is though.”
Skipp’s words came quickly, “You don’t have to do this. How much you getting paid for this? I’ll double it.” His hazel-blue eyes dancing all over the alley looking for something—anything that might be used in his defense. “You have me at a disadvantage.” He managed a nervous smile. “At least tell me who you’re working for. A man should at least know why he’s being killed.”
A third man spoke, “Our client just wants him dead. Didn’t say nothing about keep’n him pretty. I say we have some fun first.”
“Wait, fellas,” Skipp said slowly, lowering his hands.
The third man grabbed Skipp by his collar and threw him against the wall. Skipp slid to the ground, the side of his face landing in a thin puddle of rancid water. With his hands beneath him, Skipp worked frantically to remove his wrist communicator. Just as he pulled it from his wrist, he was kicked hard in his side. Along with a burst of air forced from his lungs, he felt several ribs crack.
As he lay there fighting for breath, Skipp could see his attackers. The smallest of the group stood back; Skipp assumed he was the lookout, though why they would need one, he couldn’t figure out. No one would interrupt them. Trying to force himself up, his breathing became labored; each intake brought with it a stab of searing, white-hot pain.
“Come on, get up, pretty boy. You’re not done yet,” the man said as he jerked Skipp from the ground and held him level with his face. Skipp’s feet dangled several inches above the ground. “Look at me,” the man bellowed into Skipp’s face, flecks of sour spittle spattering him.
Skipp winced before staring defiantly at the man. Taking a breath, he settled himself then spat in the man’s face. He grimaced. He knew this was going to hurt.
Roaring like a mad bear, the man flung Skipp all the way across the alley, slamming him off the far wall like a child’s play thing.
This time Skipp was expecting it; in fact, he hoped that it would happen. He was ready. Twisting as he flew, he managed to absorb the impact on his side. Lying on the ground, he finished connecting the new components to the energy cell in his wrist-com.
Staggering to his feet, Skipp defied the men. “So, you gonna let this brute beat me to death and cheat you out of using your toy.” Blood ran from Skipp’s nose and mouth, his eyes swollen nearly shut, each breath coming rough and ragged. He stepped toward the men, antagonizing them. “Go ahead,” Skipp yelled at the man, then closed his eyes and lunged forward. “Shoot me!”
The man fired.
At that precise moment, Skipp pressed the activator switch on his wrist-com. There was a bright flash and an accompanying blast, which threw him backwards, slamming him into a row of partially filled trash barrels. He felt the air rushing out of his lungs as his world suddenly began to grow dark.
Moments passed.
Struggling to his knees, Skipp willed himself back from the brink of unconsciousness. Grasping desperately, trying to catch that elusive first breath, he celebrated the fact that he wasn’t dead.
Skipp looked up to see all five of the would-be assassins struggling to regain their footing. Overcome by the intensity of the optical burst, and unprepared for the backblast, the assailants had momentarily lost consciousness. Skipp made a mental note of the unexpected bonus and continued his struggle toward the mouth of the alley and freedom.
Willing his legs to obey, Skipp began in his best imitation of a man running but looking more like a common drunk after too many last drinks. Slowly, strength returned and just as he staggered past the last of the fallen men, he felt a hand close around his ankle.
He fell—hard.
With his body not fully recovered, he landed face first onto the murky pavement, his ribs screaming in protest. Dragging his breath through gritted teeth, Skipp turned to see the business end of another weapon, an optical neutralizer pointed directly at his head. Then the barrel swung away.
The cloaked figure turned and fired on the four other men, who in their weakened state, realized too late that they, and not Skipp, were the intended target. The men fell backwards, moaning and screaming, enraged and in pain. Their optical nerves seared, blindness claimed them.
The fifth and considerably smaller of the assailants turned his attention back to Skipp. The weapon leveled at him, directing Skipp to the back wall of the alley. The assailant stood, blocking any possible chance of escape.
As the assailant removed the hooded mask, Skipp realized to his amazement, that the fifth man was actually a woman, a fact lost to him during the earlier stress. “What?” A look of unbelief and confusion washed across his youthful face. “What are you doing here?” was all he could manage.
“Looks like I’m saving your rear end,” she said smugly. “And good thing, too, you were about to run into the rest of this squad. There’s Mercs all over the square.”
Skipp could see, now that she had taken off the too-big-for-her mercenary’s uniform, that although not a pretty girl, she had a strong athletic body and a confidence that gave her a certain attractiveness. Remembering himself and feeling slightly embarrassed at being saved by a female, Skipp tried bravado. “Well, I had everything under control. I was just about to—”
“—Get yourself killed and ruin an entire day’s work for me,” she said waving off his comment. “I saw these guys tracking you and was just about to make contact when you decided to run into this blind alley.” She couldn’t help smiling.
Skipp could feel his cheeks turning red. He looked away, pretending to check the burnt-out wrist communicator. “Not that I’m not grateful, but who are you anyway? So, I suppose I’m your prisoner now?”
She laughed. “Prisoner? You are full of yourself, aren’t you? No, Skipp, you’re no prisoner of mine. Jonas sent me in here to find you before these guys did. You almost messed that up.”
At that moment, a chirping noise came from her pocket. She answered her communicator with a crisp military tone, “Julie here.”
“Who is—” Skipp had tried to ask, but was stopped by an upraised hand.
“Copy. Setting position now. ETA?”
A rope ladder fell along the back wall, causing both Julie and Skipp to look up. Above the rim of the building, just over the rooftop, they could see Jay waving and speaking into a communicator. “How about right now,” said a voice with a Caribbean accent and a widening smile.
Behind them, the four men began thrashing wildly, a barrage of profanities flooding the quiet of the alley. Julie stopped to kick aside the discarded weapons, taking the IMR/S457-Agitator with her. “How did you get past those guys,” Skipp asked, stepping aside and offering her first up on the ladder.
“No way, pretty-boy, up you go,” she said, tucking the weapon in her belt. “I didn’t go through all this just to watch you get whacked while I’m climbing a ladder. Now store your chauvinistic attitude and climb the rope.”
“Some people call it chivalry, but—”
“You know, I really don’t care what you call it. Move your hiney before I carry you up.”
She was smiling, but something about her stance made Skipp believe she was serious, and looking at her, he believed she could.


Monday, December 12, 2016

S.H.I.N.E. and WIN: 5 Keys to Conquer the Fear of Failure



Title: S.H.I.N.E. and WIN: 5 Keys to Conquer the Fear of Failure
Author: L.T. Lewis
Publisher: Kick Boxing Believers, L.L.C.
Pages: 18
Genre: Nonfiction Success/Self-Help

If you feel stuck in a mediocre life and you can’t seem to break free, be inspired by the guidance of L.T. Lewis in S.H.I.N.E. and WIN: 5 Keys to Conquer the Fear of Failure.  As a Spiritual Strategist, Coach and Entrepreneur, L.T. utilizes time-tested truths and spiritual secrets to help women identify the fears and beliefs that are keeping them boxed into an ordinary life.  To live the life you desire, rise above your obstacles, SHINE and WIN.

Launched at #8 on Amazon in Success Self Help.

S.H.I.N.E. and WIN: 5 Keys to Conquer the Fear of Failure is available at Amazon

Book Excerpt:

I am in the industry of spiritual empowerment and transformation.  I got started in this industry many years ago by accident, so to speak.  By all indicators, I was living a good life.  I had focused all of energies on advancing my career in order to adequately raise my children.  My children were young adults, and after they launched into their lives, I finally had an opportunity to sit and think; hey what would I like to do with myself now?  What would I like to do in the next stage of my life?

I had to overcome a lot of limiting beliefs in order to move forward after my divorce.  All the limiting beliefs that I had to address while I was moving up the career ladder and lost what I believed to be my dream job.  In particular the fear of failure was at the core.  The steps that I had to take repeatedly to eradicate the fear of failure and authentically live the out-of-the-box life I believe I was created to live.  I decided to turn this journey into a business, and that how Kick Boxing Believers, LLC, was born.  Along the way, I have mentored hundreds of women to do the same thing that I have done and live an authentic, transformed, and fearless, out-of-the-box life!

This book is primarily for women who have already achieved success in various areas of their lives, but they want more.  They want to live a more out-of-the-box life instead of a life others expect them to live.  They dream about doing more with their lives and creating opportunities.  After reading this book, I want you to take away that failure in not something to be feared or avoided.  Actually, when it’s viewed through the lens of faith, failure is simply a footstool to living an out-of-the-box life.

There a better way to look at fear: embrace it and use it to your advantage instead of your disadvantage.  For example, when I lost what I felt was my dream job, the situation looked like failure to me, and I also felt like a complete failure.  I had worked so hard to get that position.  After grieving over the loss, I turned to my faith and took another look at the failure I was experiencing.  This failure was merely a stepping stone to my next level of living the more authentic out-of-the-box life I desired.  Had I not lost that job, I wouldn’t have started my business.  So failure is just part of the course.

PUYB Virtual Book Club Chats with 'Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving' Cheryl C. Malandrinos

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of Little Shepherd and A Christmas Kindness. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married.

WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

About the Book:
Ten-year-old Macy is waiting for her grandparents to arrive on
Thanksgiving. When the front door swings open, Grandma and Grandpa are covered with hugs and kisses. Crash! Everyone rushes in to find the dog gnawing a meaty turkey leg. Can Macy’s quick thinking save dinner?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself?
I performed online research about the first Thanksgiving for this story.
Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub?
Guardian Angel Publishing (GAP), an independent publisher out of St. Louis, published Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving.
If published by a publisher, what was your deciding factor in going with them?
They had published by first children’s picture book, Little Shepherd, in 2010. I love being part of the GAP family and firmly believe in their mission: change the world by investing in children, one child at a time.
If published by a publisher, are you happy with the price they chose?
GAP offers competitive pricing on their books. Paperback copies of Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving are available for $9.95 and a PDF download is only $5.00. You can download the digital copy at http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/mac-cheese.htm
Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?
The publisher dictates the release date, but because it is a Thanksgiving book it was released in November.
How did you choose your cover?
Talented artist Marina Movshina created the cover art based upon something that happens in the story. She has created artwork for numerous GAP books and I am honored she agreed to work on Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving.
Did you write your book then revise or revise as you went?
Like most of my projects, I write out a first draft and then revise. It’s easier when you’re talking picture books, but I also find that I don’t accomplish as much on my longer projects when I try to revise as I go either.
Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book?
 
Not yet. Bookmarks are a neat idea I would like to explore. Depends on the budget if I expand to other things.
Did you consider making or hiring someone to make a book trailer for your book?  If so, what’s the link?
I’ll be producing the trailer. I used to work for Pump Up Your Book, so I am familiar with creating book trailers.
What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?
If the giveaway copies turn into reviews it can be successful. My own experience as a blogger has been that you receive more books than you can realistically review in a year—many unsolicited—so I would limit the number of giveaway copies.
What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?
1.      Create an online presence. I began blogging in 2007, three years before my first book came out. I quickly realized that in order to generate interest, I needed to help out other writers by displaying their work on my blogs. The great thing about doing that: when my first book came out in 2010, I had close to 70 blog stops on my virtual book tour. Writers reciprocate.
2.      Create a relationship with other authors in your publishing house. I’m lucky to be part of a small publishing family where most of us know each other—if not in person, then definitely online. For years before I was published, I reviewed books by other GAP authors. Not only did that allow me to get to know what GAP was looking for in books, it allowed me to build relationships with their authors. We truly are a family. That type of support is important.
3.      Reach out to bloggers who read books like yours and see if they will review your book once it arrives. Release day can be a frantic, so get everything set up ahead of time. Then you can simply mail out copies once they arrive.
What are three of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?
1.      TELL PEOPLE! Announce it online using social media to promote your new release.
2.      Set up a virtual book tour or hire a company to set one up for you. Book reviews and online exposure are very important. I used to be in the business and I’ve seen the impact virtual book tours can have.
3.      Reach out to your local community. One of the things I didn’t go a good job of when Little Shepherd came out is tell my local friends and neighbors about it. I was so focused online that I forgot about the people in my own backyard. Send a press release to the local paper and see if they will do an interview. See if your library will host a book reading or if they have plans for a local authors event. Check out your public access channel or weekly paper for news of community events where you might be able to sell your book. 
What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?
 
I was much better prepared when my last two books came out—Little Shepherd (2010) and A Christmas Kindness (2012) than I was this time around. I’m a full-time real estate agent now, so that can interfere with book promotion time. Thankfully, there are sites like TweetDeck and Hootsuite to help me manage my social media accounts. I’ve also used Buffer to pre-schedule social media posts.
I’ve been talking about Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving online since learning of its release and all the people at my church know. I have a home office, so there are copies hanging around when friends drop by. That helps too.
Do you have a long term plan with your book?
Like my previous books, Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving is seasonal. Though they will sell anytime of the year, the big push is around that particular holiday. I usually hold a virtual book tour once a year around that holiday and look to be featured on more blogs those times of year. In addition, I bring copies of my book with me to our annual Christmas bazaar at church.
What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?
Thanks for all your support through the years. It’s wonderful to know readers enjoy my books. It’s a humbling experience and a true blessing.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Q&A: Greg Messel, author of 'Fog City Strangler'



Greg Messel grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives in Edmonds, Washington on the Puget Sound with his wife, Carol.  Fog City Strangler is his seventh novel and is the fourth in a new series of Sam Slater mystery novels. Greg has lived in Oregon, Washington, California, Wyoming and Utah and has always loved writing, including stints as a reporter, columnist and news editor for a daily newspaper.

Follow news about Messel’s writings and books at www.gregmessel.com.

Thanks for coming to the book club today, Greg!  Before we begin the interview, I have to ask.  Who made that beautiful cover?
Greg:I'm very proud of the covers of my books and "Fog City Strangler" is one of the best. My publisher has a team of designers and I am always excited to see what they will come up with. I'm never disappointed. I've been in book stores, book fairs and book signings from Costco to the Los Angeles Festival of Books. I believe the cover is the first reason someone picks up your book. You have just seconds to get someone's attention and a good cover really does it.
How did you get into the mystery/romance genre and what is it you like about it the most?
Greg: It's the genre I most like to read. I always wanted to write a mystery but was not sure I could do it.  I also wanted to write a series. Thankfully, one day when I was walking around San Francisco, Sam Slater and Amelia Ryan were born in my imagination. I also love the 1950s. Very interesting time and it's a different planet than where we now live. I have some memories of San Francisco in the 1950s and I have built on those. I love San Francisco in all decades but I think it's a wonderful canvas for my stories.
A mystery evolves as you write it. "Fog City Strangler" definitely changed as I wrote it. I'm very happy with the story and plot but it's very different from what I first imagined.  That's the fun of writing a mystery. You have to create a mystery and solve it yourself before you start writing. Then you slowly reveal it in an interesting and hopefully suspenseful way to the reader. 
Who is your main character and would you like to tell us more about him/her?
Greg: I really like Sam Slater. I've been asked in interviews how much of Sam is really me. Sam is tall, handsome, athletic, irresistible to women, brave, tough--it's practically autobiographical!  Just kidding. I wish. Sam is a really good person who tries to help people but is very capable of handling himself when the bad guys threaten him and especially when the love of his life--Amelia--is in peril. And that's fairly often. Sam is a good guy to go have a beer with or accompany to a football game. He does both things in "Fog City Strangler."
What about secondary characters?  Would you like to introduce them?
Greg: Amelia Ryan, who in the third book became Amelia Slater, is hardly a secondary character. In many ways she's the main character in "Fog City Strangler." Amelia is feisty, very curious and funny. There are two parts to Amelia. She's the beautiful TWA stewardess who lives an exciting life. Airline stewardesses were very glamorous figures in the 1950s. They were also the victims of discrimination and harassment as objects of desire for the affluent mostly male passengers on airliners. Amelia lives in this world but when she is on the ground in San Francisco, she morphs into a hard nosed private eye herself, who will stop at nothing to get at the truth. Amelia is very brave and gets herself in some real jams in "Fog City Strangler."
Every book of fiction has a pivotal point for the reader that they can’t forget.  What do you think is one of the pivotal points in your book?
Greg: Amelia Ryan becomes part of a nationwide advertising campaign for TWA and her face is suddenly on billboards all over San Francisco. The timing is bad considering that the Fog City Strangler is stalking young blonde women. At the end of Chapter 9, Sam Slater begins to realize that the billboards may cause a problem. Here is that excerpt: 
Sam stared off into space contemplating the meaning of the tumultuous day when Amelia became a public figure. 


Things would never really be the same after today. Amelia and Sam had crossed the Rubicon. Her face was all over the city and even on Times Square in New York


Now everyone would know Amelia. She was out there for public consumption like Prell Shampoo or Pepsi-Cola. Tonight all over San Francisco, men were gazing up at billboards looking at Amelia's smiling face. 


One of those men was undoubtedly the Fog City Strangler. 
Is there anything else you’d like to tell your readers?
Greg: Even though "Fog City Strangler" is part of a series, it is a stand alone novel. I hope readers will give the whole series a try. Keep up on the latest news about my books at www.gregmessel.com

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Interview with Annu Subramanian, author of 'Another Heaven' & Giveaway!



Annu Subramanian is the director of the Writing Center at Brown School, Schenectady, New York. She co-founded Albany Women Connection, a support group in Albany, New York. She was chosen as one of four national finalists by the Norman Mailer Center and National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 2011 for her short story, SO FAIR AND VERY LOVELY. She was chosen as Educator of Excellence in 2011 by the New York State English Council.
Her latest book is the factu-fiction, Another Heaven.
Visit her website at www.annusubramanian.com.
About the Book:
Annu Subramanian's new novel, ANOTHER HEAVEN, exposes with unflinching honesty and deep psychological insight the twisted relationship between terrorism and human trafficking. ANOTHER HEAVEN may be difficult to digest in part, but its frankness and refusal to turn away from the unsparing horror of its terrible premise make the book an essential addition to the literature of terrorism and its links to international human trafficking.
Subramanian, a self-described “writer of conscience,” employs her considerable literary skills in the service of shining a bright light on human rights abuses and terrorism. In her previous novel, WAITING FOR THE PERFECT DAWN, Subramanian focused on bringing awareness about the suppression of women and domestic violence.

Purchase your copy:

AMAZON


It’s a pleasure to have you at the book club, Annu!  You describe your book, Another Heaven, as a factu-fiction.  Can you explain to us what that is and how it applies to your book?


Annu:  ANOTHER HEAVEN is fiction that is based on current events of terrorism and human trafficking. I chose to address these global issues through fiction instead of presenting facts through non-fiction—by using life-like characters and day-to-day episodes—to help my readers relate better to human trafficking and terrorism. While teaching a high school course titled Eastern Literature, my research invariably led to two global issues; human trafficking and terrorism. Compelled by the more recent events involving acts of terrorism, I decided to write this research-based novel. An incident that occurred close to my home in India, an explosion that was triggered at the end of a dispute between two religious groups, cemented the purpose in my mind to expose the atrocities associated with human trafficking and terrorism, and I began to write the first chapter of ANOTHER HEAVEN. This is a story I had to tell.


Even though this book is fiction, it focuses on human trafficking where thousands of children, women and men fall into the hands of controlling and manipulative people who exploit them in ways that are incomprehensible.  You wrote your book to bring everything to light. What kind of research did you do in order to write this?


Annu: I read news articles, journal abstracts, books on psychological manipulation, and spoke to professionals and listened to talks. My research showed me how human trafficking operates as an organized criminal activity. It is a horrific violation of human rights where thousands of children, women, and men fall into the hands of traffickers, either in their own countries or somewhere abroad. The victims are controlled, terrorized, exploited, and forced into prostitution and indentured labor. ANOTHER HEAVEN, my novel, sheds light on a different reason for human trafficking; how the victims are manipulated and shaped into missionaries of terrorism. My novel focuses on three elements: human rights abuse, extreme religious beliefs, and psychological deception of terrorism, and the three elements feed each other.


Can you give us a brief description of the main characters in your book?


Annu: Main character: Tina Matthew- an American doctoral student in the field of psychology from Pennsylvania. She goes to India for an internship in counter-terrorism, and her visit changes her life forever.

Main/Supporting characters: 

Dr. Neil Shaker - An American psychoanalyst who is on a temporary assignment in Chennai, India (Tina’s mentor). In some ways, he becomes Tina’s ally.  
Usman- antagonist (a master terrorist who recruits and trains missionaries for terrorism-some of the missions are terminal). His single-minded goal of attaining salvation and reaching heaven at any cost, even at the loss of several lives, is the reason for the title of the novel.  

Maya- the key victim of human trafficking. Her horrific and tragic experiences change the course of the novel. While completing her thesis in India, Tina unknowingly is thrown into a terrorist’s plot based on religious fanaticism. With the help of her mentor, Dr. Shaker, she learns how Usman executes his crazed religious righteousness through psychological manipulation of trafficked victims. After encountering real-life trauma faced by the victims, Tina’s resolution to address terrorism turns into a passion and becomes her calling.

In your native land of India, was human trafficking more or less a problem than in the U.S.?  Can you give us an example of what you saw in India?


Annu: I see (through news articles and my conversations with like-minded individuals) that human trafficking is a growing problem, not only in India but everywhere. It has become a global issue.




Many incidents occur in the USA which are consequences of human trafficking. Here is the link to an incident that occurred in the suburb of Albany, NY. Young women are unwittingly drawn into horrific situations, and it is very hard for them to get back to normal lives.



When ANOTHER HEAVEN was launched in Albany, New York, during a panel discussion on human rights, I dedicated the event’s proceeds to Aapne Aap, a grassroots movement in India that is struggling to end sex trafficking. In fact, my novel is dedicated to victims of human trafficking, and the proceeds benefit organizations helping victims of human trafficking.


What can we do as citizens to help in the fight to stop human trafficking or is that the million dollar question?


Annu: We have to approach human trafficking as a universal concern. It is an organized criminal activity, a billion-dollar industry ( http://www.prajwalaindia.com/).

It is very hard to break through the many-layered organizations which thrive on human trafficking. Nevertheless, we must work as a community to address this epidemic. We can discuss this issue regularly through news media, magazine articles, and videos. I welcome opportunities to talk about human trafficking at local libraries and support groups to raise awareness about this global issue.


What have been some of the responses from those who have read your book?


Annu: The readers are shocked but glad to see that a book is available that covers two global issues, human trafficking and terrorism, under one project.

Here are some of their comments:


“The basic message of the novel seems to me to be one of hope.”

“Another Heaven by Annu Subramanian is a vital book for our time.”

“...a fascinating story with a suspenseful plot and rich with characters you care about and root for until the end.”

“I was hooked to the novel right from the prologue!”

Another Heaven is a dauntless effort to protect mankind from the snares of the universally abhorred demon called Terrorism.”

The book adds to our communal knowledge about why terrorism takes hold and perpetuates in our world.”

This novel exposes the readers to the psychology behind terrorism.”

A story that will remain in your mind forever!”

“This book is soaked with emotion and wrenches your heart strings.”


What would say was one of the most pivotal parts of your book?


Annu: This is the scene where the key victim of human trafficking is going through the last stages of brainwashing while she is being prepared by her ‘Master’ (the primary member of the terrorist organization) for a terminal mission:
 

“I’m all you have, Maya,” Usman whispered softly, intoxicatingly, gently pulling the sheet to reveal her bare body. He opened a tube of ointment and methodically applied the balm on her gaping wounds. He covered her body with the sheet again and rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’m all you have, Maya. Your father sold you. Your fiancé abandoned you. Your society discarded you. You’ve nothing to live for. Will you do anything I ask you to do? Will you promise me to do anything I ask you to do?”
“Yes.” Maya’s breathing became strenuous while the drug raced through her veins. “I promise. I promise to do anything you ask me,” assured Maya, again and again, and drifted into a dream-filled sleep. As she started to run, Gods, demons, men, and women began to chase her, pushing her towards the bottom of a bottomless ocean.There was no way out. Her father sold her. Her love abandoned her. Her society discarded her. Yes, she would destroy the world.

In this scene, Dr. Shaker (a psychoanalyst) and Tina Matthew (the doctoral student who is working on her research in counter-terrorism) are questioning Usman, the terrorist, in his prison cell. After several interviews over a few weeks, the prisoner’s unbending conviction that he would go to heaven, despite the atrocious crimes he has committed, shows how far he has himself been brainwashed during the course of his career.

“You can call me anything you want, but my means have no end. They’ll never have an end.”

“Why?” asked Shaker, disconcerted by Usman’s cool, collected tone. 
 
“The end of all means is the beginning.”

“What do you mean by that?” Tina asked boldly. All the maddening emotions she had suffered in the past converged and made her heart miserably heavy.

“That means, Miss Matthew, I might go now, not exist anymore, but my mission will never end. So you see, there is really no death for me. My mission is my life, my every breath, my heart and soul. And when I stop existing in your world, my heaven will accept me with open arms. My end will result in a new beginning. My mission will thrive in another hand.”


Is there anything else you’d like tell your readers or the public in general?


Annu: Human trafficking is not an isolated incident that is happening in a remote part of our world. It is a rising universal issue that is affecting our global community. I have tried to use ANOTHER HEAVEN as a bold campaign against human trafficking and terrorism. I hope my novel reaches my readers as a movement against human rights abuse.
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