Monday, May 31, 2010

Another book give away!

From Linda Weaver Clarke:

Book Give-Away May 31 – June 7: Interview with Historical Fiction Author Shauna S. Roberts and book give away! At the dawn of civilization, one woman must risk her life and her reputation to save her family and society itself from destruction. Like Mayflies in the Stream is an adventure story that takes place at the dawn of history in the world’s first city, Uruk. It’s a precarious time, when civilization is still an unproven experiment that could be destroyed at any time by flood, famine, attacks by wandering bands . . . or a tyrant who abuses his citizens. Visit http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com and leave a comment if you’re interested in this book.
 
Every Monday I try to have a new book give away! If you’re interested in getting to know new authors, don’t forget to check out my past interviews if you haven’t.
 
Sincerely,
Linda Weaver Clarke

Monday, May 24, 2010

Another book give away!

From Linda Weaver Clarke:
 
May 24 – 31: Interview with Author Michele Ashman Bell for young adult novel “Summer In Paris.” I read it and loved it, so it’s good for adults, too. This book is about a 16-year-old spoiled rich girl who is sent to her cousins for the summer in Paris, Idaho. She never realized such a place existed! Feeling like she's been sentenced to three months in Hickville Prison, Kenzie is forced to get up at the crack of dawn, do chores, wash her own clothes, gather eggs, hoe the garden, etc. She feels like she's about to die until she meets handsome Adam White whose got a deep secret. This book is quite humorous and I found myself laughing out loud. Visit http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/2010/05/interview-with-author-michele-ashman.html and leave a comment if you’re interested in this book.
 
Every Monday I try to have a new book give away! If you’re interested in getting to know new authors, don’t forget to check out my past interviews if you haven’t.
 
Sincerely,
Linda Weaver Clarke

Monday, May 17, 2010

Book Give-away!

From Linda Weaver Clarke:

Interview with Author Anne Bradshaw and book give away for “Famous Family Nights,” a book that entertains and teaches us how to have a successful Family Home Evening with our children. "Anne Bradshaw has collected a smorgasbord of ideas to delight any and every family. From foil dinners to teaching scriptures and songs -- this book is full of ideas to make family time the best it can be. Ideas come from families worldwide, a sampling of ways to love those that love you the very most!" - Amy Freeze, Fox News Chicago. Visit http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/2010/05/interview-with-author-anne-bradshaw.html to enter the contest. Don’t forget to add your e-mail to your comment.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Book Give-away!

Posted for Linda Weaver Clarke:

Read “The Importance of Promoting Your Book” and an interview with Cheryl
Malandrinos. Enter a give away for “Writing Your Family Legacy.” It is a
small booklet with Linda Weaver Clarke’s complete lecture that she teaches
throughout the U.S. What is the booklet about? Read the information below.
If you’re interested in this booklet, leave a comment about the interview
at Linda’s Blog:
http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/2010/05/importance-of-promoting-your-book.html.

What Is Family Legacy?

It’s important to teach our children their heritage. Who are your
ancestors? What were their traditions? Did they fight for a cause and what
was it about? Each of us has a story from our ancestors or even our own
story to tell. If these stories are unwritten, then how are your children
going to know of their parentage? It’s up to us to write these experiences
down. Turn your family history into a variety of interesting stories,
something your children will be proud of. For a sample of what you can do
with your family histories, read the short stories on my website.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Author Interview: Ernesto Patino

Today, we'll learn more about Ernesto Patino, author of Web of Secrets. Be sure to read my review!

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your other writing projects…past, present and future.

Ernesto Patino:
I recently finished another mystery titled The Last of the Good Guys, which will be released sometime in October or November of this year. Like Web Secrets, the story is set in South Florida. I am also working on a new novel titled One Last Dance. It is a love story which begins in Florida and ends in Arizona. I use the world of ballroom dancing, about which I am familiar, as the backdrop of the story. 


Jennifer Walker: Do you base any of your stories or characters on real life?

Ernesto Patino:
Most of the characters in my novel are composites of people of I have met during the course of my life as an FBI agent and private investigator. Some of the plot points and fictional situations are taken directly from cases I worked over the years.

 

Jennifer Walker:  You have a lot of detail about Florida in the story. Are you from there?

Ernesto Patino:
I’m originally from west Texas but I spent over twenty years in South Florida working as an FBI agent and then as a private investigator. I now live in Tucson, but I go back to Florida as often as I can.


Jennifer Walker:  Tell us about your background. Education, experience, etc.

Ernesto Patino:
I grew up in the border town of El Paso where I attended the University of Texas at El Paso. I taught school for a couple of years before joining the FBI as a Special Agent. I retired from the FBI after 23 years. My first book, A Boy Named Paco, was published while I was still an agent. After leaving the FBI, I completed my first novel titled In the Shadow of a Stranger, which was published in England. 
 
 

Jennifer Walker: What is your “day job”?

Ernesto Patino:
I am a private investigator. I do most of my writing in between cases.


Jennifer Walker:  What hobbies do you enjoy?

Ernesto Patino:
When I am not working on a case or writing a novel, I practice ballroom dancing at a local studio. I also enjoy cooking and playing the flamenco guitar.

 

Jennifer Walker:  Tell us about your family. Are they supportive of your writing?

Ernesto Patino:
I live alone, so there is no immediate family to support me in my writing. However, I do have three sisters who are my biggest fans.




 

Jennifer Walker:  If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Ernesto Patino:
Barcelona. It is number one on my list of “must see” cities because of its cultural and artistic ambience. I recently saw the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which convinced me that I can no longer put off my trip to Barcelona, home of some of Spain’s most famous artists.


 

Jennifer Walker  What is your favorite sport to play or watch and why?

Ernesto Patino:
Growing up I played many sports, except soccer, which was not very popular in west Texas. I enjoy watching it on T.V. It is truly an international sport which I feel can bridge countries and cultures as no other sport can do.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Book Review: Web of Secrets, by Ernesto Patino

Web of Secrets, by Ernesto Patino

Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: L & L Dreamspell (June 25, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1603181245
Rating (1 to 5 *): ****




Book Review: Web of Secrets


Sarah Baker knew that she was adopted but knew nothing of the circumstances of her birth or her real parents. That all changed when she received a mysterious phone call from someone claiming to know who her real parents were. He told her something shocking that could potentially cause her problems in her marriage and in other areas of society in her Florida home, where these things are not always looked upon positively: her real father was black. While this information does not concern her—she is happy to learn anything about her past at all—her husband is not pleased and is worried about how this revelation might affect his job. She agrees to pay the blackmailer and hopes to put the whole matter behind her.

However, the matter is not settled, and Sarah is not the only person the blackmailer tries to extort. Sarah hires the help of Joe Coopersmith, a private investigator, to find out the whole truth of her illegal adoption, reunite her with her siblings (all placed with other families) and father and put an end to the blackmail threats. Joe soon finds out that the secret is well guarded—to the point of risking his life to get to the bottom of it. The story follows Joe through this investigation, as well as several others.

Author Ernesto Patino has spun an intriguing tale in Web of Secrets, full of questions and insights on life in the South. While the book is an enjoyable read with an interesting storyline, I felt it could use some development—some scenes were glossed over, while others seemed out of place. However, the ending was totally satisfying!

Stay tuned to learn more about the author, Ernesto Patino, over the next couple of days.

An author-provided copy of the book was provided for this review.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Author Interview: Bill Walker

Today we'll learn a little more about author Bill Walker (no relation!), who wrote A Note From An Old Acquaintance. Be sure to read my review!

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your other writing projects...past, present and future.

Bill Walker:
Ironically, my past is about to become my future, in that I'm in the process of revising and updating my first novel, Titanic 2012.  My agent is keen on shopping it around for a re-release in 2012 to coincide with the centennial of the sinking.  It's been a real pleasure to revisit these characters and make tweaks I've always wanted to make.  There is a completely new and more satisfying ending, as well.


Jennifer Walker: What was the inspiration for A Note from an Old Acquaintance?

Bill Walker:
The inspiration for my novel was the desire to tell an intense love story where the characters and their emotions drive the story. My previous books hung on unique premises and the plot was more dominant.  For me, the real inspiration and challenge was to create a story where real things happen between people, where situations have drama and gravity, but are not hinged on a ticking clock or some other suspenseful gimmick.  That's not to say I want a book that languishes, either.  I like a book with a decent pace, and instilling that has become almost instinctive for me.  Here, we have a story of two young people who meet and fall in love in that hopelessly romantic way so many of us dream about, yet life gets in the way, as it has a habit of doing.  Obviously, in a love story like this everyone wants to see it end well, and I like to think I served the needs of readers in that respect.


Jennifer Walker: Do you base any of your stories or characters on real life?

Bill Walker:
Like every author, I use bits and pieces of my own experiences.  But my characters are mostly reflections of differing aspects of my own personality.  We authors are the ultimate actors in that we inhabit each character's psyche as we create them.  For me that really is a wonderful experience, because it is through my characters that I can do things that I can never do in real life.


Jennifer Walker: You have a lot of detail about art and video editing in the story. Are these areas you have real-life experience with?

Bill Walker:
I've always been an art fan, but don't pretend to have a lot of knowledge, so some of that detail came from research.  As for the video editing, I was a film major in college, so that's where that came from.


Jennifer Walker: Tell us about how you became a writer and how you got published.

Bill Walker:
I've been writing since I was eight years old, but didn't become serious about being published until the early 90s.  I started out with short stories, and wrote my first novel, Camp Stalag in 1991.  I became published with a collection of scary stories for what's known as the mid-grader demographic (9-13) with Five-Minute Frights in 1993 and its sequel, Five-Minute Chillers in 1994.


Jennifer Walker: Do you have a "day job", or do you write for a living?

Bill Walker:
Very few writers make their sole living from writing.  It's something I for which I devoutly wish, but not the case...yet.  I'm also a graphic designer.  I work for a company that produces electronic gift cards, as well as having a side business specializing in book design.


Jennifer Walker: What hobbies do you enjoy?

Bill Walker:
Reading and playing electric guitar.  I've been a head-banger for a long time, so what I play tends to more of the hard rock genre.


Jennifer Walker: Do you have any unusual skills or talents or quirks or interests?

Bill Walker:
Aside from being a card carrying contrarian, I don't know that I have that many quirks.  By contrarian I mean that I tend to go against the popular grain.  I tend to like things the general public ignores.  Hopefully, that won't apply to the books I write, because I do enjoy entertaining people with my stories.


Jennifer Walker: If you had to choose your last meal, what would it be?

Bill Walker:
Such a pleasant thought ;-)  Honestly, assuming I even had an appetite, the meal would probably consist of all the highly-caloric, cholesterol-laden foods I tend to avoid.  After all, if it's the last one, what does it matter?


Jennifer Walker: Which author(s) has had the most influence on your writing?

Bill Walker:
The authors with the most impact and influence on me, and not necessarily in this order, are: Richard Matheson, Jack Finney, Stephen King, and Dean Koontz.


Thanks, Bill, for stopping by!