A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book...

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2012-01-22T21:45:00.000-08:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Donna Del Oro, author of A BODYGUARD OF LIES. Listen live Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time or hear the recording any time after the show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2012/01/25/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book.

Lady Justice has a long memory as FBI analyst Jake Bernstein investigates a suspected Nazi spy wanted for war crimes.

A BODYGUARD OF LIES is a riveting blend of romantic thriller, mystery and WWII espionage. A Jewish-American FBI analyst, Jake Bernstein, is recruited by MI-5 to go undercover and investigate a naturalized American grandmother. The elderly woman is suspected by MI-5 of being a notorious Nazi spy wanted for war crimes. Jake Bernstein runs into a series of complications: This spy knows a secret that could endanger the British royal family; his attraction to the old woman’s beautiful granddaughter; an Irish, neo-Nazi group tries to kill him; and all the while, a clever, cagey old woman stands in the way of justice.

Learn more about Donna Del Oro and her books at http://www.donnadeloro.com/.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2012-01-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Teresa Roberts, author of Finding the Gypsy in Me - Tales of an International House Sitter.

Listen live on Wednesday, January 18 at 3:30 Pacific Time or listen to the recording any time after the show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2012/01/18/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book.

Finding the Gypsy in me - Tales of an International House Sitter is a true adventure story! If you have ever entertained the idea of just "walking away from it all" in order to travel the world, this book provides enough inspiration and practical advice to make the dream come true.

Find out more about Teresa and her book at http://www.findingthegypsyinme.com/.

Guest Post: Review of It's a Wonderful Spice coffee

2012-01-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

I had hoped to make this a more regular feature of the blog, but what cn you do? Here is a guest post from my brilliant husband Greg Walker, in which he extoles the virtues of our current favorite coffee. Enjoy!

IT’S A WONDERFUL SPICE

Followers of my epicurean writings know that I do not care for flavored coffees. Despite loving most things French, I do not want French vanilla invading my morning brew, and, whilst I am a fan of both pistachios and lychee nuts in their proper places, the mere idea of mixing coffee with them offends. I like a robust brew of fine quality beans with clean, clear water, enriched with a splash of cream, and that is all. If I were to pick a brand label for my favorite coffee, it would be the pure, rich offerings of Peet’s Coffee. When I crave coffee, it is the rich, dark notes of their Fair Trade Blend or their iconic Major Dickason’s Blend that I long for.

And, then, just to be a contrarian, I will make an exception. Around the holidays I love to have the aroma of cinnamon in the air. And, by way of convenient coincidence, cinnamon is a flavor that marries nearly perfectly with coffee. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, the aroma fills the kitchen with this most desirable of spices, bringing to mind autumnal apple crisps and morning cinnamon rolls, hot from the oven.

Cinnamon, however, is the gateway spice. Early in the 2011 holiday season my darling wife pointed out a blend at our local grocery. The name is what attracted her to it – it was It’s a Wonderful Spice. This is a product of the Rio Grande Coffee Company, and it is available in whole bean or ground form, and regular or de-caf. I agreed to it mainly because it was named after one of my very favorite pieces of holiday schmaltz, Capra’s 1946 classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. So I said, “OK. Just this once.”

“Just this once” may one day be inscribed upon my headstone as my last words. Whenever I say them, I end up eating them, or, in this case, drinking them in a delightful holiday brew, the mere scent of which whispers “Christmastime is here.” This was some wonderful coffee. Like cinnamon coffee, the main effect of the spices were in the aroma, but here, in conjunction with the cinnamon, there were suggestions of cloves, cardamom, vanilla, and allspice. The over-all affect was that of mulled ciders or wines on Christmas Eve, or, perhaps, an eggnog by the fire. The coffee itself is a good quality mid-range bean with a medium roast on it. The spice flavors are bright and fresh seeming, though they are not brought by fresh spices – the beans are bathed in a flavoring solution, similar to the way in which most industrial flavored coffees are made. The coffee is mildly acidic – just enough to give it a bright presence on the palate, and perfect for framing the spice flavors. This coffee is perfect with a splash of cream and a scant spoon of sugar.

Though I love this every morning from the day after Thanksgiving until into the new year, this is a coffee that calls out for after dinner treats to be served alongside. Perfect with an autumnal pear galette or with a mildly sweet dark chocolate flourless chocolate cake, It’s a Wonderful Spice is sure to enter your holiday repertoire as a favorite.

Added by Jennifer: Mmmmm I can't wait for morning!

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2012-01-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Bill Pieper, author of What You Wish For, a contemporary family saga dealing with the issue of death with dignity/assisted dying and set in California's beautiful Napa and Marin counties.

Listen live on January 11 at 3:30 Pacific Time, or listen to the recording any time after the show, at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2012/01/11/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book.

Learn more about Bill Pieper at http://www.authorsden.com/billpieper

This Week on a Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2012-01-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Holly Patrone, author of Death is a Relative Thing. Listen live at 3:30 Pacific Time this Wednesday, or listen to the recording any time after the show, at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2012/01/04/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book.

Six years ago, April's husband Sal died while having sex. Now April's raising their three sons alone. Her mother Marie takes April to see a local celebrity psychic, convinced Sal will talk to them. April knows Sal hasn't held up his end of a conversation in a long time but goes anyway. Her life, further complicated by a dead musician, a little latex and a few bad guys becomes a rollicking read that you won't want to miss.

Learn more about Holly Patrone and her books at http://www.hpatrone.com/.

This Week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-12-28T10:23:00.000-08:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Tori Martinez, author of The Royal W.E. Unique Glimpses of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Listen live today at 3:30 at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/12/28/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book, or listen to the recording any time after the show.

Many people think they know the story of King Edward VIII giving up his throne for the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson, in 1936. The truth is: politics and innuendo clouded that story from the very beginning, with the result that few people really understand who The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were and what forces propelled them to their infamous fate. The Royal W.E. by Victoria Martínez examines the individual and intertwined lives of Wallis and Edward – or “W.E.” as they referred to themselves – and provides readers with unique glimpses of the real people, as opposed to the sensationalized characters, that were The Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Tori can be found at her personal website, http://www.victoriahill.com/, and her Arbitrary History Blog at http://www.arbitraryhistory.com/.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-12-18T14:08:00.000-08:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Stephen L. Brayton, author of the novel Beta . Join us Wednesday, December 21st at 3:30 at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/12/21/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book for the live podcast, or listen to the recording any time after the show.

Private Investigator Mallory Petersen, a fourth degree black belt with her own taekwondo school in Des Moines, Iowa, splits her time between teaching martial arts and her often inane cases. It's not that she wants bad things to happen to people, but it makes life more interesting when they do.

When Mallory accepts a case to find Cheryl McGee’s kidnapped eight year old daughter, she is pulled into the dark underworld of child pornography. The trail soon leads to the Quad Cities, where Mallory partners with an officer from the Special Case Squad.

As the investigation deepens, Mallory discovers there’s more to the girl's disappearance than her client let on.

Guest post from Donna Anastasi: The Gerbil Room

2011-12-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

Today we have a guest blog from Donna Anastasi as part of her virtual book tour with Walker Author Tours for her book, Spin the Plate. Let's get a little insight on what this author does when she's not writing or working!

Donna Anastasi Guest Blog: The Gerbil Room

My day job is as an interaction designer with positions in recent years with some of the top “Fortune” companies like Fidelity in Boston, McKesson, and Liberty Mutual. My current job is with a growing company whose radio blast you’ve likely heard. I haven’t yet told them of my secret life: my life as a crazy gerbil lady. I got my first gerbils at this time of year in 1999, shortly after a car-totaling accident. I was on my way to an office Christmas party one evening. For some reason my husband couldn’t go. I was on my way to pick up a girlfriend who I worked with when a newly licensed 16-year-old with a car full of friends came to a T in the road and didn’t realize she had a stop sign and plowed into me. My car was spinning around and I got hit by the airbags. Before I slammed into the stone wall, I really thought that might be it.

About a week later, I was still in the woozy state of mind that follows that kind of accident. I took my two then young girls to a pet store and thought, hmmm…this might be a good time to get a couple. My husband was out of town, and why not? Why not just do the thing you want to do rather than throwing up excuses all the time on why it is you shouldn’t. I’d always wanted gerbils, so I let my girls pick out two. One for each. Over time we got more. We got a boy from a pet store who, with one of the girls, produced our first (very colorful) litter of babies. I was hooked. The next gerbil we got from Texas, bringing with him the gene for Siamese coloring (like a Siamese cat) into this part of the country.

Now I have many gerbils.

Most of my gerbils I’ve bred myself. My three or four favorites have taken years. I’ll see a gerbil in a book or a small animal show and then the image of that gerbil is seared in my mind. I’ve never taken a picture; I don’t need to. Then I’ll travel the country and mix the genetics needed for the entirely and jet black gerbil, the schimmel (orange tailed white) whose genes almost died out in the country, or the holy grail of gerbil: variegated, where the spotted extends through the body and tail and color gets mixed up into the white collar.

One thing that I like about the gerbils is that with a high-responsibility, demanding, stressful job. I find it relaxing to spend time with the gerbils. I also find as a full-time employee, mother, and wife there is always someone who wants my time. Have you ever seen in the grocery store those spring loaded milk or orange juice cartons – I don’t know why but that is what it makes me think of – no matter how many tasks you complete another follows right behind and snaps into place. So the secret is to throw in a few cartons of your own. Fill up the time because God knows if you try sitting quietly with a book or exhibit any other sign of perceived idleness, you will be hunted down within two to four minutes. But if you are “busy” with something, those around you wait for you to finish before hounding you. When I escape into the gerbil room, when I’m cleaning cages and playing with the babies, for some reason, no one seems to bother me. It is a place of quiet, no demands, a tiny joy-fix, a little magic. A room of my own.

See YouTube for a video blog - me in the gerbil room: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAkeQs1V4L4

Thanks to Donna Anastasi for stopping by! Purchase your copy of Spin the Plate.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-12-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Karina Fabian, author of Mind Over Mind and several other books. Listen live this Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time, or listen to the recording any time after the show is over, at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/12/14/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book

Deryl Stephens' uncontrollable telepathic abilities have landed him in a mental health institution, where no one believe in his powers.

Joshua Lawson, a summer intern at SK-Mental Institute, does something no one else has ever done: he accepts Deryl's reality and teaches him to work with it. As Deryl learns control, he finds his next challenge is to face the aliens who have been contacting him psychically for years--aliens who would use him to further their cause in an interplanetary war.

Read my review of Mind Over Mind!

Learn more about Karina at http://www.fabianspace.blogspot.com/.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-12-04T20:16:00.001-08:00

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book, Jennifer will interview Michael Allen. Michael Allen is the author of A Danger to Society and When You Miss Me, the first a novel and the second a children’s book, both of which he has written from real life experiences. He has also written several screenplays that are in post-production and will soon be released.

Listen live Wednesday, December 7 at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/12/07/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book, or listen to the recording any time after the show.

Author Interview: Jennifer Hurst

2011-11-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

Today's interview is with Jennifer Hurst, author of Fall.

Bio: Jennifer grew up in a traveling family. As the oldest of 8 children, she spent most of her childhood in the South Pacific playing in the ocean and going barefoot to school. She graduated with a B.S. in Technology Management at Utah Valley University and worked in the construction industry for 12 years. Jennifer worked her way up from drafter to project manager before retiring to pursue her lifelong passion for writing and art. She lives in Utah with her three sons, a toe nibbling, snuggly Boxer named Tanu, and a deranged siamese cat called Horatio (who also loves to walk up and down on the piano keyboard in the middle of the night).

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Jennifer Hurst: Interested readers can find me at jenniferhurst.com. Fall is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony Ebooks, Smashwords and other places where ebooks are sold.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.

Jennifer Hurst: Fall is about a headstrong, impulsive young woman, Julia Dayle, (JD for short) who is given the chance to prove herself as a project manager for a conversion project. Her grandfather owns the construction company she works for and she is determined to prove to him she has what it takes to run his company when he retires. Little does she realize what she is getting into when the actual work begins on the site. There are twists and turns to the plot that not even the most attentive readers will figure out (I secretly enjoy surprising people). There is a paranormal aspect to the story, and this involves demons, angels and, well, I won’t say. That’ll ruin the surprise.

Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?

Jennifer Hurst: Like a lot of writers, I got the idea for this story from a series of dreams I had. Fortunately, none of them made it into the final cut of the book.

Jennifer Walker: What is your greatest writing challenge?

Jennifer Hurst: Staying focused. Often while I'm working on one story, I'll get an idea for another and I have to start on it right away before I lose the feel of it.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Jennifer Hurst: An action/adventure YA called Muddy, a Sci-Fi graphic novel for tweens based on a computer game called Zening, a Chic Lit Fantasy based on Scotlands Pict people, an action/adventure for tween boys about a family of Monster Hunters, and of course, the sequel to Fall.

Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

Jennifer Hurst: I used to be very organized and detailed. I'd have every chapter outlined and scenes described in detail, but once I got to writing it, I'd find myself in a tug-of-war with the characters over who got to tell the story and how. Finally, I just gave up and let them have their say. It's a win-win situation as I'm not stressing about what goes where and the characters get to tell it their way.

Jennifer Walker: What have you done to develop your writing craft?

Jennifer Hurst: I write constantly. In my journal, notes to my kids, in my head, etc. I carry around a notebook and when words won't come, I use doodles to capture the feel of the stories I want to write.

Jennifer Walker: What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

Jennifer Hurst: Marketing it. I like it - but its more time consuming than writing the book. I'd rather be writing.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us a little about your non-writing life. Family? Pets? Hobbies?

Jennifer Hurst: I have three boys, who are the centers of my universe. They keep things lively and interesting and help me to keep my priorities straight. My hobbies involve my children. I write to entertain them and earn a living to support us. It's becoming more and more a family thing for us - we tell stories a lot.

Jennifer Walker: Who is your favorite author of all time, and why?

Jennifer Hurst:: Frank Herbert. He opened my mind to a whole new world of science fiction and the possibilities. C.J. Cherryh would be a close second. I love her book Rimrunners.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-11-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview Ellen Ruderman, author of CHASING THE RED CAR. Ellen G. Ruderman, PhD, is a psychoanalyst and mental health consultant who has published numerous articles and books about the challenges of women's quest for autonomy in professional and familial relationships. CHASING THE RED CAR is her first novel.

Read my review of CHASING THE RED CAR at http://jennifersbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/book-review-chasing-red-car.html

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-11-21T10:25:00.001-08:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Dennis Danziger. Dennis is the author of A Short History of a Tall Jew and Daddy, The Diary of an Expectant Father. He writes a regular guest column for the Huffington Post and his essays have appeared in Premiere and Education Week.

Listen live this Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/11/23/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book, or listen to the recording any time after the show.

Be sure to read Jennifer's review of A Short History of a Tall Jew.

Book Review: Spin the Plate, by Donna Anastasi

2011-11-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

Spin the Plate, by Donna Anastasi

Paperback: 198 pages

Publisher: Black Rose Writing (May 27, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1935605399
Rating (1 to 5 *): ****

Spin the Plate Book Review

Jo fills her waking hours in an attempt to keep her 128 episodes of childhood trauma from replaying in her mind. She is a talented tattoo artist, she roams the streets at night in search of needy animals to save, she picks fights, and she works out and follows a sumo wrestling training program. However, no matter how hard she tries, those episodes continue to torture her.

Enter Francis, a strange little man (as she thinks of him), who wants to be with her but does not make demands or pressure her. Francis, who tries to live in the manner of his sainted namesake, is much more than he appears, and he seems determined to save Jo from her demons. She's not so sure she needs saving, but she can't quite turn him away.

Spin the Plate, by Donna Anastasi, crosses several genres. There is a romance, but it is much more serious and heavy than typical romance novels. There are Christian themes, but the grittiness of the story would deter the typical reader of Christian fiction. The overarching theme is Jo's transformation from a sexually abused child to a woman who attempts to hide her femininity and quash all signs of vulnerability to a woman who is able to accept a man's love. This, to me, puts it squarely in the genre of Women's Fiction...and let's not confuse that with "chick lit". This is serious stuff, no fluff here. The story tackles some tough issues, and while it doesn't tread lightly, it does handle some harsh scenes very gracefully.

As a reader, this is an interesting, absorbing story. As an editor, I see much potential if a developmental edit were done on it: much of the story is rushed, some descriptions and details are distracting rather than adding to the story, and some of the back story and timelines are a little confusing or contradictory. However, while working on these things would make the book better, it is quite readable and powerful as it stands.

Donna Anastasi's characters are rich and interesting, and the picture she paints in the reader's mind is vivid. She tackles some tough situations that happen in our world every day, which we need to be reminded of, and she does it without being preachy. Spin the Plate is a worthy read!

Listen to my BlogTalkRadio interview with Donna at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/11/17/special-edition-of-a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book!

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book to review as part of a virtual book tour promoted by my company, Walker Author Tours. However, this did not influence my review, and I gave it the same honest assessment I give all books I review.

A special edition of A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-11-16T10:05:00.001-08:00

On a special edition of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Donna Anastasi, author of Spin the Plate. This interview is a part of Donna's virtual book tour with Walker Author Tours.

Listen live on Thursday at 3:30 Pacific Time or any time after the show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/11/17/special-edition-of-a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book.

Spin the Plate is an inspirational story of the central character Jo’s personal journey from an abusive childhood to romance and overcoming the scars of childhood trauma.

Learn more about Donna and the book at http://www.spintheplate.org/.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-11-14T22:51:00.001-08:00

On the 11/16/11 edition of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Heather Justesen about her latest book, Blank Slate.Listen live this Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/11/16/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book, or listen any time to the archived recording after the show.

Read Jennifer's blog interview with Heather at http://jennifersbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/08/author-interview-heather-justesen.html.

After waking from a coma, Adrianna can’t remember who she is, any of her family, friends, or fiancé. As if her recovery isn’t hard enough, she finds she can no longer play the piano—something she’d always loved and made into a career. In a desperate attempt to do something that would make her feel useful, she steps in as office manager for her brother when his quits, and finds she has a knack for the position. That and the developing feelings for her brother’s business partner after she and her fiancé split up give her a new direction in life and hope for the future. Until everything starts crashing down around her.

Heather’s prior novels include The Ball’s in Her Court and Rebound. To learn more about Heather and her writing, visit her website at HeatherJustesen.com or her blog at HeatherJustesen.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from readers and speak to schools, book clubs, and church groups. She can be contacted at Heather@HeatherJustesen.com.

Book Review: The Original Horse Bible

2011-11-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

The Original Horse Bible: The Definitive Source for All Things Horse, by Moira C. Reeve and Sharon Biggs

Paperback: 544 pages

Publisher: BowTie Press; Original edition (August 30, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1933958758
Rating (1 to 5 *): ****** (yes, 6.)

The Original Horse Bible Book Review

Anyone who has ever had a horse or spent any time with them knows you never stop learning about them. There is so much to learn, you could fill an entire set of encyclopedias! Authors Sharon Biggs and Moira C. Reeve attempted to get some of the more important and interesting stuff into The Original Horse Bible, and they did a fantastic job of it.

The Original Horse Bible contains breed profiles, basic information novices must know, training techniques, health and basic care, showing tips, breeding information, and so much more. It's a truly stunning collection of knowledge, supplemented by many pictures--it's worth getting the book just to look at them alone. The amount of research that went into this book is mind boggling.

I have one small beef with the book, and that is minor. There are so many views on training and care that I thought the authors should have acknowledged that more--techniques discussed are presented as the only correct way to do something, which I'm sure they felt is true, but some very successful trainers or vets might disagree. With my level of knowledge, I didn't find any of the information to be bad or incorrect, I just know that there are other approaches that are just as valid.

The Original Horse Bible is a valuable resource that horse lovers could sit down and read cover to cover and be entertained while they learn more than they could ever have expected, but it's also laid out in such a way that it's easy to find information you need to go straight to. It is well written and conceived, and I applaud the authors for their hard work.

On a sad note, Moira C. Reeve is no longer with us. May she rest in peace knowing that she has left a vast legacy in the work she created throughout her career.

This week on a Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-11-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

On the November 9th edition of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview author Chris McLaughlin. Chris is the author of several books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Composting, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables, and Hobby Farms: Rabbits: Small-Scale Rabbit Keeping.

Chris is a prolific gardener and blogger and knower of all things dirt. Learn more about her at:

http://www.asuburbanfarmer.com/

http://thesavvyplant.com/

http://www.kidssafelandscape.com/

http://www.vegetablegardener.com/profile/ChrisMcLaughlin

http://blissfullydomestic.com/author/chrismclaughlin/

Book Review: Chasing the Red Car

2011-11-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Chasing the Red Car, by Ellen Ruderman

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: iUniverse.com (November 8, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1450267181
Rating (1 to 5 *): ****

Join us on November 30, 2011 at 3:30PT when I interview Ellen Ruderman on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show!

Chasing the Red Car Book Review

Kim LeBow grows up in a very scary time, an age when McCarthyism is in full force and threatening many people she cares about, including her father and her favorite teacher at school. Her home life is scary too, with a mother who is emotionally unstable and a father who often disappears with no explanation.

Chasing the Red Car follows Kim through her life, from growing up in the McCarthy era, through college, and later as an educator. It comes full circle after 9/11, when the Patriot Act brought some questionable policies. She struggles with her conviction to voice her own views and beliefs when those in authority tell her not to. Yet, her father taught her to stand up for what she believes in, and she does.

Chasing the Red Car was an entertaining and thought-provoking read. Although I am not liberal, I thought it would be interesting to see that side of the story set in such a volatile time. It was enlightening to see the way the witch hunts of the time affected not only the communists who were flushed out, but those around them as well. (ETA: Just to be clear, I am not in favor of how things were handled at that time.)

Ellen Ruderman's characters were realistic, and there was an interesting balance between the different personality types. I found the timeline a little difficult to follow at times when flashbacks were mixed in with the story. Also, Kim mentioned "my beliefs" many times--to the point of being repetitive--without ever really saying what those were except for a couple of vague comments about human rights. I would have liked to have seen how such a young girl came by whatever her beliefs were and a little discussion of what was so radical. However, I can guess that since that wasn't really the point of the book, the author wanted to focus more on the feelings and emotions of this coming of age story. All in all, I enjoyed the book and found it to be a good commentary on how politics affect us all.

Join us on November 30, 2011 at 3:30PT when I interview Ellen Ruderman on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show!

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-10-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

On the 11/2/11 edition of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Chitoka Webb, author of Something Inside Of Me: How To Hang On To Heaven When You're Going Through Hell. Listen live on Wednesday at 3:30PT at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/11/02/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book or tune in later for the recording.

Read my written interview with Chitoka here!

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-10-23T04:01:00.000-07:00

On the October 26th episode of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will talk with Lori Hedderman, M.Ed., N.C.C., L.P.C, author of Preparing Your Children For Goodbye: A Guidebook For Dying Parents. Listen in at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/10/26/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book or tune in any time after the show to listen to the archive.

Preparing Your Children For Goodbye is a supportive guidebook for parents who are terminally ill. This book is specifically designed for use by parents of children and teenagers. It includes questions to help you consider issues relating to your children, as well as more general questions that will trigger memories about other parts of your life.

Learn more about Lori Hedderman, M.Ed., N.C.C., L.P.C, and her work at www.lorihedderman.com.

Book Review: A Short History of a Tall Jew

2011-10-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

A Short History of a Tall Jew, by Dennis Danziger

Paperback: 468 pages

Publisher: Deal Street Press; first edition edition (February 8, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0615318460
Rating (1 to 5 *): *****

A Short History of a Tall Jew Book Review

Philip Lachman is pushing 40, divorced, and as a teacher in Los Angeles, nearly broke. He's decided it's time to get married again. The problem is, in material girl L.A., it's hard to find a woman who doesn't mind his financial status and isn't scared off by his communist son or his highly self-centered daughter. On top of that, his ex-wife is determined to make his life a living hell as vengeance for one transgression 14 years ago. His life is beginning to look an awful lot like the proverbial Job's, but like that unfortunate character, he is determined to keep his faith and weather the hard times.

A Short History of a Tall Jew is an amusing tale of faith, love, and hardship. Despite Philip's cascading series of woes, there is humor as well. It is a life-affirming read--after all, if you're doing better than Philip, maybe you don't have as much to complain about as you thought. It has plenty of warm moments to offset the times when he is out in the cold, and he catches just enough breaks to keep you from wallowing in his despair. The book is well written and a thoroughly enjoyable read. Although it is long, the pages just fly by.

Author Interview: Rod Miller

2011-10-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Our interview today is with Rod Miller, author of several books, the latest of which is THE ASSASSINATION OF GOVERNOR BOGGS.

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Rod Miller: Visit my web site, http://www.writerrodmiller.com/, to learn more than you ever wanted to know about me, including photos from my childhood and rodeo days. All my books are on the site, with links to the publishers or online book sellers.

Also, http://www.assassinationofgovernorboggs.com/ links to a number of online booksellers and the publisher. Your local bookseller can also order the book through all the major wholesalers if it isn’t on their shelves.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.

Rod Miller: THE ASSASSINATION OF GOVERNOR BOGGS is not easily categorized. It’s a historical novel based on actual people and events, a detective story, a cold-case investigation, a crime novel, an Old West frontier tale, and something of a mystery.

In 1842, Lilburn Boggs, former governor of Missouri, was gunned down by an unknown assailant. He was given up for dead and so reported in the newspapers. But he survived and lived another 18 years. Twenty-five years after the crime, and following the governor’s death, his family engages a Pinkerton agent to investigate the case and name the killer. We follow his investigation from one end of the Old West to the other as he tracks down clues that inevitably lead to Salt Lake City and the prime suspect, Mormon gunfighter Porter Rockwell.

Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?

Rod Miller: The story comes from history, growing out of difficulties between Missouri citizens and Mormon settlers during the 1830s. However, this is an aspect of that story that is not well known and rarely examined, either in fiction or nonfiction. The people involved are fascinating, the events absorbing , and the mystery surrounding it all intriguing. With such great stories out there, who needs idea?

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your previous work.

Rod Miller: I suppose I am an example of how to mismanage a writing career—six books, six publishers, six different audiences. My first book is about the life of John Muir; not a detailed biography, but more a highlight reel of his life. JOHN MUIR: MAGNIFICENT TRAMP is part of the nonfiction “American Heroes” series from Forge Books, and was released in hardcover in 2005 and soft cover in 2009. A paperback Western novel from Kensington/Pinnacle followed in 2005, GALLOWS FOR A GUNMAN. Then a history of the deadliest massacre of Indians by the US Army in Western history, MASSACRE AT BEAR RIVER—FIRST, WORST, FORGOTTEN, released by Caxton Press in 2008. In 2010, Port Yonder Press released a collection of cowboy and Western poetry, THINGS A COWBOY SEES AND OTHER POEMS; Laughing Mouse Press released a limited edition hand-stitched chapbook of poems about the Shoshoni Indians, NEWE DREAMS; and, of course, there’s THE ASSASSINATION OF GOVERNOR BOGGS from Cedar Fort/Bonneville Books.

In addition to books, I’ve written and published several articles for Western magazines, essays for CowboyPoetry.com, lots of poems in magazines and anthologies, short fiction in a number of Western anthologies, short nonfiction for anthologies and an encyclopedia, and a bunch of book reviews.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Rod Miller: At present I am in the middle of a novel, most of the research and some of the writing is done for a book of popular history, I have a couple of magazine articles in the mill, and am reading a book to review for a history magazine.

Jennifer Walker: Do you write full time? If so, tell us how you manage it. If not, what is your day job?

Rod Miller: In a sense, I write full time since my day job is—and has been for more than 30 years—writing copy in an advertising agency. However, that kind of “creative” writing is altogether different than the “creative” writing involved in making poems and stories. I did not imagine I could, nor did really want to, write anything other than advertising until about 15 years ago. Then, for some unknown reason, I wondered if I could write a poem. The same curiosity led me, later, to try short stories, and, later still, books, and so on. I enjoy writing all of it—even the advertising.

Jennifer Walker: What have you done to develop your writing craft?

Rod Miller: My college degree is in journalism. I did not take any creative writing classes and no more than the required literature courses. So, I started writing poetry and fiction unschooled and untrained. But I have always been a busy reader, so I suppose most of what I learned about writing came by osmosis from reading the work of good writers.

Once I started writing, I started studying the work of others with more depth and intention; studying how they said things, how they did things, how they led the reader from point A to B, and how they did it in unexpected and unusual ways. This applies to poetry, fiction, nonfiction, even magazine articles. The more I read good writers, the more I learn about good writing, and the more I can attempt to put what I’ve learned on the page. Membership in Western Writers of America has also been invaluable in more ways than I can count.

Jennifer Walker: What is your favorite genre to read? To write?

Rod Miller: Not a genre, really, but most of my reading is related to the American West. I have had a lifelong interest in the history, people, and culture of the American West. I read about the West in every genre imaginable, including history, biography, nonfiction, fiction, poetry, current events—you name it. Likewise, everything I have written, and probably will write, concerns the American West.

Jennifer Walker Who is your favorite author of all time, and why?

Rod Miller: I don’t believe I could pick a single favorite in anything in life. I like Wallace Stegner, John Steinbeck, John McPhee, James Galvin, Wendell Berry, Cormac McCarthy, Mark Twain, Edward Abbey, Charles Badger Clark, Ambrose Bierce, Banjo Paterson, Ivan Doig, Mark Spragg, Elmer Kelton, Paul Zarzyski, Norman Maclean….

All write beautifully, and most depart from the norm to unexpected and wonderful effect.

Author Interview: S. A. Bolich

2011-10-18T04:20:00.000-07:00

Today's interview is with S. A. Bolich, author of Firedancer.

Jennifer: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

S. A. Bolich: You can always check my website at http://www.sabolich.info/ for news and a little boring background about moi. I do have a blog wherein I talk about writing techniques, how to get stories off the ground and the like at http://blog.sabolich.info/. And, of course, you can find Firedancer at the publisher or in the Kindle store at Amazon, on Smashwords, and at Barnes and Noble.

Jennifer: Tell us about your book.

S. A. Bolich: Jetta ak'Kal was the most talented Firedancer of her generation, destined for the elite Circle of the Fire Clans--until the Ancient, the elemental fire Dancers have battled since the Beginning of all things, broke free from its prison at the heart of the world and killed her lifemate and the village Jetta was charged to protect. A year later, her clan demands that she resume her life and her duties to protect another threatened village, but Jetta no longer has the heart or the confidence. She mistrusts the Dance that is supposed to bind the Ancient, for it has failed her once, and Old Man Fire is acting strangely. Still, to Annam she must go, in company with the most erratic journeyman in all the clans, to protect a place that has never known the deadly incursion of fire--but that must be protected at all costs. And to complicate her life even more, Annam is full of Windriders, masters of air, the Ancient's most potent fuel. With disaster poised on every breath of wind, Jetta cannot fail, for if she does, Annam will not be the only victim of the firestorm that will surely follow.

This is "other world fantasy," set on a planet that is not Earth, with its own ecology and culture and internal logic. It was fun to write and, from the reviews I'm getting, fun to read. I hope so, anyway!

Jennifer: Where did you get the idea for the story?

S. A. Bolich: Therein hangs a tale... The first line, "This fire was malicious." just popped into my head from nowhere, and intrigued me enough I had to keep writing to know what it meant. But eventually it became clear to me that Jetta's battle with a pernicious enemy was deeply rooted in something a lot more mundane--my long and frustrating struggle with a particularly nasty weed attempting to take over my horse pasture! Oh, how I hate knapweed. Year after year I spray it. Year after year it comes back. Being a writer with too much imagination, naturally it has assumed a cunning personality and a sinister purpose in my mind. The Ancient is really knapweed, but oh so much more interesting. This is fire that thinks, that plans, and really, really wants to win.

Jennifer: Tell us about your previous work.

S. A. Bolich: I have several short stories out, in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, On Spec, and other places, including an ebook published by Damnation Books called "Who Mourns for the Hangman?", a dark historical fantasy. I write a bit of everything, but a lot of my stuff is well grounded in history, seeing that I was a history major in college. I fully intended to write historical fiction. Somehow that never actually happened.

I currently have stories out in two anthologies, Defending the Future IV: No Man's Land, which is military SF, and a werewolf in space story in Wolfsongs 2. Both of those are available at Amazon.

Jennifer: What other projects do you have coming up?

S. A. Bolich: I am currently working on the sequel to Firedancer, which is called Windrider, scheduled for release next year, and there will be another one after that. The elementals are fascinating: Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth, and they each have a story. I am also in the midst of a 6-volume alternate history series that looks at a really fun and unexplored explanation for what really happened in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. That one has to wait a bit, though, because I am contracted for Windrider and at least one other book first.

Jennifer: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

S. A Bolich: I really can't outline with any degree of success. I'm one of those seat-of-the-pants writers. I need the first sentence. The next sentence draws from the first, and just keeps going. The story grows organically, and eventually I figure out what it's about and where it's going. I think the muse always knows; otherwise the first sentence or the first scene would not float up out of that endless well of words inside to begin with. But man, she holds her cards kinda close sometimes.

Jennifer: Do you work with a writing group or mentor? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get out of it?

S. A. Bolich: I have moderated the online writers' workshop at http://www.otherworlds.net/ for 13 years. Workshopping has greatly improved my writing. Just having new eyes on a project is incredibly valuable, because they're liable to spot all those logic holes big enough to drive a truck through that the author never sees. They also catch the prose that doesn't flow so well, and can kindly tell you that your plot is, eh, not plausible, your characters unsympathetic, and all the other stuff a serious writer needs to hear. Writing in a vacuum is the last thing any writer should do; you just need to be open to advice, but not a slave to it, because it's your book. Ultimately, your vision is the one that should prevail. But a workshop can certainly help you hone your idea to a very fine point.

Jennifer: What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

S. A. Bolich: The writing took a little longer than usual, mostly because of life distractions, but selling it was easy. My publisher asked to see a sample of my work, I hastily revised Firedancer, which had been moldering in my drawer since I wrote the first draft and forgot it, and sent it off. She loved it, bought it, and bam. The marketing is the hard part, because this is new territory for me, and having only begun to concentrate on my writing in the last 3 years, I have not built up a "name" yet. But I'm learning, and quickly. I do love going to cons and meeting fans and other writers and sharing ideas for everything from marketing to crazy "what if" story ideas.

Jennifer: When and why did you decide to become a writer?

S. A. Bolich: I never decided; it was just always there. From the time I was old enough to realize I could think I was making up stories in my head. I won my first writing contest in 6th grade, and had I been smart, I would have focused like a laser on developing my writing career. Instead, it was just always something I did, my strongest call when I needed something to do, but boring stuff like making a living always came first. Thus, I let myself be distracted for a long time before it finally came home to me that the reason I didn't like working for other people was because I really, really wanted to be at home writing. So finally I surrendered and found a way, and here I am, just a little bit late.

Jennifer: If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would it be, and with whom?

S. A. Bolich: Heh, that's easy. Machu Picchu, with Dr. Who. That awesome place, with the Doctor in tow? You know, of course, that cool things would happen.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-10-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

The October 19th edition of A Cup of Cup of Coffee and a Good book will feature Andrea Pearson, author of The Key of Kilenya. Listen life on Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/10/19/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book or listen to the recorded podcast any time.

When two vicious wolves chase fourteen-year-old Jacob Clark down a path from our world into another, his life is forever changed. He has no idea they have been sent by the Lorkon-evil, immortal beings who are jealous of powers he doesn't know he possesses-powers they desire to control.

The inhabitants of the new world desperately need Jacob's help in recovering a magical key that was stolen by the Lorkon and is somehow linked to him. If he helps them, his life will be at risk. But if he chooses not to help them, both our world and theirs will be in danger. he Lorkon will stop at nothing to unleash the power of the key-and Jacob's special abilities.

Learn more about Andrea and her book at http://kilenyaseries.blogspot.com/

Author Interview: Sarah Williams

2011-10-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

Today's interview is with Sarah Williams, author of Captive.

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Sarah Williams: My book is currently available through Amazon and Smashwords. For anyone interested in finding out more about me I have a Facebook page and a Twitter account. I also have an author page on both Amazon and Goodreads.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.

Sarah Williams: My book is called Captive and is what I would describe as a thriller with a supernatural twist. It’s set in England and starts with a young woman named Lux who wakes up in a hotel room that she has no memory of falling asleep in. She is alone, scared and inexplicably terrified of the dark. I actually try not to go into too much detail about the book as I feel it gives too much away and spoils the twists.

Jennifer Walker: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

Sarah Williams: I get such enjoyment from writing my books. I disappear into a world of my own making and I can let my imagination run free. I’ll lose myself for hours as I create characters and send them on adventures. One of the best feelings in the world is when someone reads your book and tells you they loved it.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us a little about your non-writing life. Family? Pets? Hobbies?

Sarah Williams: I’m originally from England but I moved to Australia in 2008 to support my partner’s business. It was actually a great move for me as it gave me much more time to focus on my writing. Living in Australia offers me a wonderful lifestyle and I feel so lucky to live next to the beach. When I’m not writing I love to read and can often be found scouring books in the library. I also enjoy gardening, yoga, good food and wine, films and music.

Jennifer Walker: Is your family supportive of your writing?

Sarah Williams: My family have always been hugely supportive of my writing. When I first started jotting down stories, writing with pen and paper, my younger sister would always be waiting to read what I’d written. When I upgraded to a word processor she would sit with me, wait for me to finish a chapter and then eagerly await as I read the latest instalment. Even now, though she lives in England and I live in Australia, she continues to be the first person to read and give feedback on my work. My mum edits everything I do and my dad is a great source for my research as he is a retired policeman. My partner and his family are equally supportive of what I do and it’s nice to know that everyone believes in me.

Jennifer Walker: Who is your favorite author of all time, and why?

Sarah Williams: I started reading Dean Koontz when I was probably a bit young to be reading Dean Koontz but his books made a huge impression on me and he remains one of my favourite authors of all time. I love the stories he weaves and the characters he creates. I know that when I pick up a Koontz book, it will be good. I’ve also recently come across Carol Goodman, who is definitely up there with my favourite authors. She is a beautiful writer and creates tales that are absorbing and impossible to put down.

Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

Sarah Williams: When an idea pops into my head I normally want to just start writing but I’ve learnt from experience that some prep work is necessary. I will normally outline the basic storyline and then write bios for my characters so that I know them inside out. When I’m ready to sit down and write the book, I do it to music. I have a very specific soundtrack for writing to and I find this helps to inspire the work that I create. When a first draft is completed it’s sent out for feedback and then when that stage is complete I will move onto my second draft. I’m a perfectionist by nature so I put my book through a lot of editing before I feel confident enough to release it to the public.

Jennifer Walker: What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

Sarah Williams: The easiest thing for me is writing the book. It’s getting it out there that’s the problem. In a highly competitive industry where timing can be just as important as the quality of your book I decided to self publish through Amazon. This was a very empowering thing to do but being a self published author means the marketing side of things is very difficult. Trying to get the word out about my book and making it stand out from all the others out there is going to be my biggest challenge.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Sarah Williams: I’m currently working on the sequel to “Captive”, which is as yet untitled but will be due for release in 2012. I’ve also got a comedy in the works. With my focus on “Captive” and its sequel this has been put on the back burner but I look forward to trying something a little bit different in the near future.

Jennifer Walker: What have you done to develop your writing craft?

Sarah Williams: I always think the best way to improve my skill as a writer is to just keep writing. I’ve been writing for years, for as long as I can remember and feel my work just keeps getting better as I become more experienced. I focused on English at school and then went on to get a degree in Theatre and Creative Writing, which again helped to develop my skills. As well as writing my novels I also work as a freelance writer, which gives me the opportunity to constantly harness my skills. Writing is a part of my day to day life and that means I get to practice all the time.

Author Interview: Christie Anderson

2011-10-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today's interview is with Christie Anderson, author of Deep Blue Secret.

Christie Anderson: Author Bio:

Christie Anderson has gone from a BA degree in Latin American studies at Brigham Young University, to pizza delivery, flight attendant, office manager, and real estate investor, to finally finding her true passion in writing. She loves lounging on the couch knowing her wonderful husband is by her side. She enjoys movies, books, and being outside in the sunshine whenever possible. She misses the ocean like crazy, but is terrified of waves. She's dabbled in photography, drawing, and golf, and she loves all animals. She's still trying to convince herself she likes to cook. Christie grew up in Southern California and currently lives in Salt Lake City, patiently waiting in a tiny, cinder block apartment for her husband to complete his master’s degree in geology. She couldn't be more proud!

Synopsis:

California teen, Sadie James, thinks her life couldn’t get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she’s rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won’t even tell her his name.

Each time the boy appears, Sadie’s unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her. But as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day...why does Sadie need one?

As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn’t as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Christie Anderson: My Web site is the best place to start, http://christieanderson.org/. From there you can find the link to my blog, my book trailer, the Deep Blue Secret playlist, and purchase links for the eBook and paperback formats at Amazon, as well as Barnes & Noble.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.

Christie Anderson: Most of the story follows Sadie who thinks of herself as the typical California teenager, having fun with friends and enjoying the coastal sunshine. But her life takes a drastic turn when a mysterious boy named Rayne (pronounced like rain) shows up out of nowhere to help when Sadie falls victim to an accident. Sadie feels an instant connection and attraction to Rayne, although she doesn’t believe in love at first site and attempts to fight the feelings which she believes are illogical. Meanwhile, we get small glimpses from other characters’ perspectives, all who come from a totally foreign and somewhat dangerous background that Sadie will soon be forced to become a part of, whether she’s ready for it or not.

Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?

Christie Anderson: I love stories that I can relate to, but with some kind of element beyond the normal to spice things up and pull me out of real life. I started researching folktales and legends, hoping to come across something that would spark a unique idea in my mind, but most of what I found—faeries, vampires, angels, etc.—all felt overdone to me. Truthfully, my idea for The Water Keepers was first sparked by reading about the fountain of youth online, but really didn’t come together until after a lot of brainstorming sessions with my husband. And of course my own experiences growing up and attending high school in Southern California played a big part as well.

Jennifer Walker: Is your family supportive of your writing?

Christie Anderson: They are incredibly supportive! They’re always the first to send congratulations, offer up advice or ideas, and cheer me along when things get hard. My husband thought I was a little crazy when I first started out, but I’ll never forget the moment he turned to me and said, “Wow, your story actually sounds like a real book.” And from that day forward he was my number one fan.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Christie Anderson: Deep Blue Secret is just the beginning of Sadie and Rayne’s experiences together, and I’m so excited to be working on book two of The Water Keepers series. I have this big story swirling around in my head and I don’t think I’ll be getting much rest until I can put it all down into words. Unfortunately, it will take at least three (but more likely four) books in order to reach this goal, so I guess I won’t be resting any time soon. Hopefully the readers won’t be too frustrated with me, but I definitely think it will be worth the wait! Of course, my opinion is a little biased.

Jennifer Walker: Where is your favorite place to write?

Christie Anderson: I used to dream of writing in strange locations that would inspire spontaneous writing genius, but that method never worked out for me. I’m not great at concentrating with distractions around, so my answer is pretty boring. I always write at my desk in our home office. I listen to music for the first few minutes to get my creative juices flowing, but after that I usually require complete silence. I like to prop my feet up on the shelf underneath the desk where my husband keeps his stack of old textbooks. This is mainly because I’m so short that my feet don’t reach the floor easily. And I always use the same cushy square pillow behind my back to keep me comfy for hours at a time.

Jennifer Walker: When and why did you decide to become a writer?

Christie Anderson: English was always one of my best subjects in school, but I always felt forced to write about topics I wasn’t interested in. It was the same way all through college. Writing a paper under a deadline was torturous. I really didn’t know I was a writer until about a year and a half ago. I was just coming out of some tough years in my life and I was looking for a source of comfort. I won’t bore you with the details here, but I’ve shared more of the story on my blog for those that are interested. http://christieandersonblog.blogspot.com/

Basically, I turned to audiobooks as an escape from real life for a time and a friend recommended the Twilight books to me. I didn’t become obsessed with Edward or Jacob like so many fans, although I did enjoy these characters. It was actually Stephenie Meyer I felt most drawn to. There are people out there with unkind things to say about her or her books, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. But her stories were influential in helping me during a rough time, and for that I’m eternally grateful. Something about her experiences inspired me to believe I could create stories too. Soon after this, my mom requested I write down memories for Mother’s Day that year. She mentioned how much she enjoyed my writing and encouraged me to do it more often. Writing a book was already a crazy idea taking over the back corners of my mind, and moms know best, so at that point I was convinced easily.

Thanks to Christie for stopping by!

This Week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-10-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

On the October 12th edition of A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book, I will interview Barbara Briggs Ward, author of THE REINDEER KEEPER. Listen in on Wednesday, October 12th at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/10/12/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book, or click any time after that to hear the recording.

Abbey senses something special about the little man tending to the reindeer who, along with a century-old farmhouse, a barn full of animals, and fields abounding in woods and pasture, was a gift to Abbey from a stranger. Abbey and her husband, Steve, move in just before the holidays. They have been together since the '60s, eloping when Steve returned from Vietnam. Now with Abbey's cancer in remission, they're looking forward to their boys coming home for Christmas.

Turns out this Christmas proves to be more magical than anticipated as Abbey realizes an understanding never thought possible through the rekindling of a belief rooted in childhood. Of course it's who delivers this gift on Christmas Eve that gives Abbey and Steve the strength to face their greatest challenge.

Learn more about Barbara and THE REINDEER KEEPER at http://www.thereindeerkeeper.com/

Author Interview: Donna Anastasi

2011-10-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today we learn a little about Donna Anastasi, author of Spin the Plate. Donna is on tour with Walker Author Tours, so stop by her tour page to learn more about her, the book, and the tour stops.

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and your book?

Donna Anastasi: On the book website http://www.spintheplate.com/

Jennifer Walker: Where can we buy your book?

Donna Anastasi: Black Rose Writing publisher: http://stores.blackrosewritingbooks.com/-strse-85/Spin-the-Plate-by/Detail.bok

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Spin-the-Plate-ebook/dp/B005F6SNA8

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Spin-the-Plate/Donna-Anastasi/e/2940011434013

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/spin-the-plate/id455610563?mt=11

or email me at donna@spintheplate.com

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.

Donna Anastasi: Spin the Plate is the story of Jo, a woman who has come through a traumatic childhood not battered and broken, but powerful and enraged. A tattoo artist by day, she roams the streets of Boston nightly to forget her past and feed her two passions: rescuing mistreated creatures and inflicting bodily harm on their perpetrators. Unassuming and unafraid, Francis, a man harboring his own back story, is the one person Jo can't seem to scare off. Right from the start, he sees clearly the caring soul buried deep within Jo's hard exterior and puts into motion a succession of life-altering happenings for them both.

GOLD MEDAL WINNER, Women's Fiction, 2011 Living Now Book Awards

SILVER MEDAL WINNER, Contemporary Romance, 2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards

International Book Award Finalist, Romance

International Book Award Finalist, Women's Literature

Jennifer Walker: What is your greatest writing challenge?

Donna Anastasi: In general…words seem to flow out of some writers like water from a babbling brook, for me, especially when it come to fiction writing, it feels more like coaxing well-water from an ancient hand pump.

For this story in particularly… Normally lead characters have to be likable, but Jo at the start is unlikable by design. That’s why I added the flashbacks at the start to help see the world from her perspective. Jo’s defenses for not allowing people to get close are having an acerbic personality and a foul mouth, which changes over time with Francis’ love. The hope is that when it comes to the reader’s feelings towards Jo, he or she will experience a “plate spin” shifting from disdain to empathy to a love of the character.

Jennifer Walker: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

Donna Anastasi: Getting readers to see these characters as real people. Knowing there are people all over the country curled up on their couch, or outside on a beach, or in a plane reading the story and having the same experience I did when it first hit me is amazing.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your previous work.

Donna Anastasi: My other published works are non-fiction books on small animal care published by Bowtie Press. The first of these, the still popular “Care Made Easy: Complete Guide to Gerbil Care”, was published in 2005 and will have a second printing in 2012, including a chapter on training gerbil agility. Oh, yes they can. Check out my friend “Herman the Show Jumping Gerbil” on youtube if you have any doubts. www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-HUFPO-Bek [Note from Jennifer: watch the video. Oh, so worth it.]

Jennifer Walker: Do you write full time? If so, tell us how you manage it. If not, what is your day job?

Donna Anastasi: I am a part-time writer, jotting ideas in a small journal I always carry as they come to me and taking off an evening or a weekend day as I can to write. My day job is as a user experience/web designer - currently I work for Fidelity Investments in Boston. Writing proposals, technical reports, and user guides for my job has helped me not only to author non-fiction hobby books but also with fiction writing. Design is a highly collaborative process requiring the combined expertise of many different skill sets. I bring the same type of team approach to my writing, providing ideas and drafts to a wide and diversified audience, gathering feedback, and improving the content and presentation through many iterations. One of my goals was for Spin the Plate was to be vetted sufficiently pre-publication, so that once released there would be no major surprise problematic reader-reactions.

Jennifer Walker: Do you work with a writing group or mentor? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get out of it?

Donna Anastasi: By far my biggest asset in writing the novel was my husband Tom Anastasi, a professor and playwright. Tom is a master of conversational dialog and a font of basic knowledge and useless trivia on just about any topic

My mentor was Holly Robinson, a professional writer and author of “The Gerbil Farmer’s Daughter,” who read endless drafts and helped set me in the right direction, e.g., “you need to slow it down…”

Jennifer Walker: What have you done to develop your writing craft?

Donna Anastasi: I read a lot and am a film fanatic. I also enjoy writing reviews of whatever I read, which usually is some combination of non or realistic fiction-animal-spiritual-love-friendship-loyalty-sacrifice-off beat-growth-Christian-healing theme. You can see what I’ve read and watched in the past few months here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A3OXW1R2RMDXBX/ref=cm_srch_res_c_rpli

I also write amazon lists of my all-time favorite works, and when appropriate include Spin the Plate on a list.

Jennifer Walker: What have been your most successful marketing techniques?

Donna Anastasi: I am constantly pounding the keyboard in search of publicity opportunities. In addition to doing this book tour, entering the book in indie award contests, and soliciting reviews I try to get creative about spreading the word. My most unusual marketing idea was to link the free Short Story version of Spin the Plate in an inexplicitly popular youtube video of my baby rat Muzzy on who the lead-rat-character in Spin the Plate was based:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRIPoOVS73k

Jennifer Walker: Is your family supportive of your writing?

Donna Anastasi: Yes, my family is supportive about letting me forgo my home-responsibilities to go off and write. Plus my husband is always at the ready with facts and dialog, or even to do some onsite research for me, like visiting a tattoo shop, when I get stuck or am up against a deadline.

Jennifer Walker: What is your favorite genre to read? To write?

Donna Anastasi: Favorite genre to read and write is animal-spiritual-love-friendship-loyalty-gritty-sacrifice-off beat-growth-mind-expanding-important truths-healing-Christian themed, with non-gratuitous romance and violence. I like works that I can read in one setting, which is why I watch a lot of movies and am reluctant to start a fiction book that is over 1 1/2 inches thick. I’ve been known to read six or 10 hours straight sometimes staying up half the night to finish a book. I can read non-fiction over time, but if I love a fiction book I will finish it in two days at most, no matter what the length.

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

Donna Anastasi: Truthfully, right now, I could use a restful trip. It would be a late Spring cruise right out of Boston to Bermuda (one of the cleanest, lowest stress, and most beautiful places in the world) where absolutely no demands would be placed upon me. I’d go with one other person, either my husband, one of my teenaged daughters, or a best girlfriend. And not pack much more than a bathing suit, a camera, a book, and my journal for writing!

Thanks to Donna for stopping by, and be sure to listen to her live on the radio tomorrow at 3:30PT at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/10/04/special-edition-of-a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-10-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

We have a big week on the A Cuip of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, with two podcasts this week! The first is a special edition, where Jennifer will be visiting with Donna Anastasi, author of SPIN THE PLATE.

Donna is on tour with Walker Author Tours this week. This takes place Tuesday, October 4th, at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/10/04/special-edition-of-a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. Read more about Donna, the book, and visit the virtual tour stops at http://services.authorjennwalker.com/2011/08/27/spin-the-plate-book-tour/.

During our regular time on Wednesday, October 5th, Jennifer will talk with P.S. Baber, author of CASSIE DRAWS THE UNIVERSE. Listen in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/10/05/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, both episodes will be archived for later listening.

Cassie Harper is a brilliant but disillusioned high school senior living with her mother and grandmother in a dilapidated house in a nameless Kansas town. Amy Cole is a beautiful and popular track star who has just moved from California with her father, the school’s—and Cassie’s—new English teacher. After Amy succeeds in breaking down the walls of Cassie’s self-imposed solitude, the girls band together to avoid the common end of all high school students: inexorable assimilation into an increasingly empty and incomprehensible world. But as Amy and Cassie attempt to outrun fate, their pursuit will be cut short by an unexpected adversary, leading Cassie to devise a chilling and unimaginable revenge.

Cassie Draws the Universe is a complex and tragic tale of friendship and betrayal, living and dying, human cruelty, and the terrible price of vengeance.

Learn more about this book at www.cassiedrawstheuniverse.com.

Author Interview: Joanne Lécuyer

2011-10-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Author Interview: Joanne Lécuyer

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.

Joanne Lécuyer: My second children’s book is Kaptain Vamp. It’s the story a young vampire named Allistaire, who is also part human. He wants to change the fact that humans are afraid and distrustful of vampires. His family has been living among humans for hundreds of years and they’ve always used their abilities for good. One day, while reading his favourite superhero comic, Allistaire decides that he’s going to do everything he can to help humans. In order to become a superhero, Allistaire will start by doing good deeds. His sidekick, his human friend Rich, offers to help him out.

Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?

Joanne Lécuyer: Since vampires have been the rage for adults for the last few years, I thought it would be fun to write a story about them for kids. I liked the challenge of taking this theme and making it positive. I didn’t want to give the kids nightmares. Also, I thought a vampire-human superhero would make a good story.

Jennifer Walker: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

Joanne Lécuyer: There are three main things I like about writing. First I really enjoy the writing process and reading the stories to my husband or friends and family. The second thing I really like is working with the illustrators. That’s when the story starts to come to life. I usually have a pretty good idea of what the characters and setting might look like. But what I like is that each illustrator also brings a different way of seeing. The final images are usually somewhere in the middle. Finally, but not least, I thoroughly enjoy getting the feedback from the readers. It’s wonderful when a young reader tells you how much they enjoyed the story. I love the fact that the books allow my readers (and those who are young at heart) to be taken away on a magical adventure. That’s how I feel when I write and read the books.

Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

Joanne Lécuyer: Writing children’s books is new to me. I’ve only been writing them since 2009. For me, the writing process really varies. Sometimes I start by describing the characters, at other times it’s the story that comes out first. I seem to get my story ideas early in the morning while I’m walking to catch the bus or during my commute into the city. But sometimes they come when I’m really tired, after a long day at work. I always keep a notepad and pen with me to jot down ideas. Usually it’s enough to describe the overall concept. For Kaptain Vamp, I wrote a whole chapter in a restaurant while waiting for my husband.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your previous work.

Joanne Lécuyer: My previous book, The Witch, The Cat and the Egg, was the first one I published. It’s a mix of books and animated cartoons that I’ve read and watched over the years. I think as an author, it’s hard not to put some of our own thoughts and desires into our books. When I was younger, reading my favourite Disney books, I wished that I could talk to animals and that I would understand them. So Juliane is a young witch that lives on the border of a magical forest. She knows its secrets and talks to the magical creatures that live there. Her black cat, named Magicus, leads Juliane to a place in the forest where a quest is revealed. Juliane will need to call on a few of her magical forest friends to help her fulfill it and a very important promise.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Joanne Lécuyer: I’m working on a few writing projects. I think the next book will be about a fairy. I’ve also got outlines for the sequels to The Witch, the Cat and the Egg and Kaptain Vamp for 2012.

I’m experimenting with other writing mediums. I’ll soon have one or two comic strips available only on my website. Readers will be able to vote for the one they prefer and I’ll either continue with it as a comic strip or I’ll use the story in a future book.

Jennifer Walker: What do you do when you aren't writing books? Do you do other writing, work a day job, have hobbies?

Joanne Lécuyer: I have a full-time job that involves communications and change management in the Canadian federal government. It keeps me pretty busy during the day. Writing is one of my favorite hobbies. Others include reading and watching sci-fi and fantasy movies. I also want to make jewelry with precious gems and learn to play piano. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day!

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Joanne Lécuyer: Readers can connect with me through my website (http://www.topsybooks.com/), Facebook (Topsy Books), and on Twitter (@JoTopsyBooks). The eBook of Kaptain Vamp will be available on my website in October. The print version will be available in November – just in time for Christmas! I’m working on getting it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble soon.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-09-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

On the September 28th edition of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Andrew Boeshaar, author of this eyar's UNDAUNTED FAITH and .numerous other books. Listen in Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/09/28/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book, or the episode will be archived at that location if you miss it.

UNDAUNTED FAITH:

Can the McCabe Brothers Find Love Amidst the Chaos of the Arizona Territory?

The McCabe brothers have their hands full. Trouble on the range and trouble in town. But they never expected their sweet schoolteacher, Bethany Stafford, to join in the mix of woe. When her reputation is unfairly tarnished, Pastor Luke McCabe is quick to propose marriage. But Bethany wants better than just a marriage of necessity to save her good name. Could Luke ever come to love a plain “little field mouse” like her?

Dr. Annetta Cavanaugh has her own questions about men and their intentions. While Pastor Jake McCabe seems sincere, she still has her doubts about him. But after he accompanies her on a medical call, she sees a whole new side of him and can't help but admit her attraction to the handsome pastor.

However, there’s evil brewing in town—a lawlessness that even the sheriff cannot tamp down. Finally, it comes face-to-face with both Luke and Jake and it threatens the lives of the women they love. Are the McCabe brothers ready for the fight of their lives?

Find out more about Andrea Boeshaar on her website at http://www.andreaboeshaar.com/.

Book Review: Mind Over Mind, by Karina Fabian

2011-09-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Mind Over Mind, by Karina Fabian

Paperback: 314 pages

Publisher: Dragon Moon Press (August 8, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1897492367
Rating (1 to 5 *): *****

Mind Over Mind Book Review

Ydrel (or Deryl, as his mother named him, or Darrel as his guardians insist on calling him), has been in a mental institution for years, ever since his uncontrollable psychic powers got him in some deep trouble at school. No one has been able to help him gain control, that is until 19-year-old Joshua Lawson came along for a summer internship. Joshua uses Neuro Linquistic Programming, and after a few pointers, Ydrel starts learning how to bring his world back under control. The only thing is, there's much more to Ydrel's powers than merely being psychic. He is being used by two alien species in their interplanetary war.

Meanwhile, Joshua has some issues of his own to deal with. He went on this internship to get away from school and girl issues at home and get his mind focused again on his studies and an upcoming audition that could launch his band's career. However, he can't seem to help himself from falling in love with Ydrel's best friend and favorite nurse.

Mind Over Mind is a very interesting take on science fiction, in that we see very little of the science fiction aspect of the story, and what we do see comes in flashes through Ydrel's dreams. The concept of Neuro Linguistic Programming is a real concept, and it was interesting to read about being used in the book. However, I do wish that more of the story had centered on that and on Ydrel's struggles--I felt Joshua's romance with Sachiko distracted just a bit too much from what I thought the main point of the story was. However, the writing is good, the characters well developed, and the story line is very interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next two books in the trilogy go.

Learn more about Karina Fabian at http://fabianspace.com/ or purchase Mind Over Mind on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Over-Karina-L-Fabian/dp/1897942362.

Author Interview: Karina Fabian

2011-09-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

Today we learn a little about Karina Fabian and her latest book, Mind Over Mind. Come back tomorrow to read my review of the book!

Jennifer: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Karina: For more about all my books (and me, if you're really interested), go to http://fabianspace.com. In the books sections (arranged by genre), you'll find links to purchase the books from the publisher or Amazon.

To purchase my latest, Mind Over Mind:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Over-Karina-L-Fabian/dp/1897942362

Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Over-ebook/dp/B005D94LI0

Tell us about your book.

Karina: Deryl Stephen’s uncontrollable telepathic abilities have landed him in a mental health institution, where no one believes in his powers.

But when Joshua Lawson, a student of neuro linguistic programming, takes part in a summer internship, he takes the unique step of accepting Deryl’s reality and teaches him to work with it. As Deryl learns control, he finds his next challenge is to face the aliens who have been contacting him psychically for years—aliens who would use him to further their cause in an interplanetary war.

What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

Karina: This sounds terribly conceited, but I love to go back and reread my work. Even when I'm in the editing phase, I love re-experiencing my characters as they move through the story. It might be because I'm a pantster, so I let the characters dictate the progress of the story, so I'm not reading my writing so much as their stories.

Tell us about your previous work.

Karina: Where do I start? I write comedic horror, funny fantasy, serious science fiction, often with faith themes. I've written a devotional, and nonfiction.

I write in several universes: In DragonEye, PI, our world is linked to the Faerie though a interdimensional gap, and magic and technology don’t mix well. The Rescue Sisters universe centers around an order of nuns who do search and rescue operations in outer space. Neeta Lyffe's world is about 30 years in our future, where zombies have become real and real pests. (Neeta is a zombie exterminator.) Mind Over Mind is a present-day fantasy, though the next two books will take place on the planets of Kanaan and Barin.

The best thing for readers to do is check out my website, http://fabianspace.com and look at my books. The website is organized by genre, so you can explore what you like best.

What other projects do you have coming up?

Karina: In April, the next DragonEye, PI novel comes out, Live and Let Fly. It's super-spy spoofing with a dragon and a magic-slinging nun on a mission to protect our world from a demigod intent on bringing Armageddon to our world. To get ready, I'll be posting some serial stories on my website. The second Mind Over book is with the publisher, but I've not heard anything back yet.

In September, I have a story coming out in Mother Goose is Dead, coming from Damnation Books. "The Faerie Truths Behind the Fairy Tales" is Vern's article on some of the common fairy-tale scams going around our world. I also have an article in The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal, coming from DragonMoon Press in September or October.

Do you work with a writing group or mentor? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get out of it?

Karina: I would love to have a mentor. However, right now, I have a group of trusted friends who are excellent writers who critique my work for me, and I sometimes go to one of my many groups and ask for crits there. The objective set of eyes is vital to me--they find plot holes, show me where readers get confused because they don't know all I know--and they find my typos! I've not found a writers' group, mostly because I'm so busy at home, and we move every couple of years (Rob is in the Air Force), so I've not put much effort in finding a live group.

What have you done to develop your writing craft?

Karina: Practice. Get critiques--tough critiques. Take workshops. I learn best by doing and having my mistakes pointed out to me, rather than reading about theories or methods.

What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

Karina: Marketing. I was never much of a salesman, and never was in the popular crowd. Again, this is where I know all the theory, but putting it into practice isn't as easy. Wish I could find a marketing critique group, LOL. On the bright side, usually once someone buys one of my books, they love them, so I have a loyal fan base.

Tell us a little about your non-writing life. Family? Pets? Hobbies?

Karina: Last year, my family and I decided to try a new marital art, haidong gumbdo. It's Korean sword martial arts. It's the first time I've done anything like that, and I enjoy it. We had the first Pan American games this summer. Rob and Amber, our 16-year-old, participated, but I was heavy into writing my latest books and didn't practice, so I bowed out. I'm a green belt right now. I'm hoping to work up to my black belt this year, though, and maybe I can participate in the next Pan Am games--unless Rob talks me into our going to Korea for the World Cup. Talk about intimidating!

What is your favorite genre to read? To write?

Karina: I have fairly eclectic tastes, but in general, I prefer fantasy and science fiction both to read and to write. I like escaping reality.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would it be, and with whom?

Karina: Rob and I want to make it to Greece one day, preferably on a cruise, but really, anywhere I go with him or one of the kids is a great time for me. In August, I took my daughter to the Catholic Writers Conference Live in Philadelphia, then to New York for a weekend. We had such a wonderful time together. I loved the mother-daughter time, and we shared it with my friend, author Michelle Buckman, and her daughters, which made it extra fun.

This Week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-09-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

The September 21st episode of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show will feature Bill See, author of the autobiographical 33 DAYS, the story of his tour with his rock band Divine Weeks. Listen in this Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/09/21/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, you will be able to listen to the recording after the fact.

Learn more about Bill and 33 DAYS at http://www.33daysthebook.com/.

Author Interview: Andrea Pearson

2011-09-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Our interview today is with Andrea Pearson, author of The Key of Kilenya. Tune in to the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show on October 19th to hear a live interview wtih Andrea!

Jennifer: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Andrea: I spend most my time on Facebook (Author Andrea Pearson) and Twitter (andreapearson2). You can find more information about my books on my website: http://kilenyaseries.com/

Jennifer: Tell us about your book.

Andrea: It's about a fourteen-year-old kid who has powers he doesn't know about. He discovers a link to a different world, and when he gets there, he finds that the inhabitants (good and bad) know everything about him. The good ones want his help in retrieving a stolen key—the Key of Kilenya—and the bad ones want his powers. It’s geared to late middle grade/early young adult readers, but even adults and older teens have enjoyed it.

Jennifer: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

Andrea: The feeling that comes to me when the words flow from my fingers.Seeing my characters come to life. Reading over something I'd written a year earlier, and getting giggles over things that were funny back then and still are funny now. :-) It's really neat. I'm still pretty new to it all.

Jennifer: What other projects do you have coming up?

Andrea: I’m working on book three (Gehrok Fortress) of the Kilenya Series. It should be released late 2011/early 2012.

Jennifer: What have you done to develop your writing craft?

Andrea: I spend a lot of time researching on the internet and reading books. I’ve attended a few writer’s conferences, but have found that most of the information there is also available online, so I don’t do that much anymore. I also love getting into writing discussions with other authors.This helps a great deal.

Jennifer: Tell us a little about your non-writing life. Family? Pets? Hobbies?

Andrea: I have five brothers and one sister. It was chaotic in my parents’ home, yes, but we all loved it and are still really close. I’m married (no children yet—we’ve only been married a few months) and have the world’s best husband. Ever. No competition. :-) I don’t have any pets now, though if I did, I’d probably have another beta fish or a canary. And my hobbies? Art! I strongly lean toward the artsy side. Here, actually, readers can watch a video of me showing my hobbies and interests:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTP0r-rW82s

Jennifer: Is your family supportive of your writing?

Andrea: Yes. Incredibly. My parents and siblings have been there with me through all of the disappointments and triumphs. My husband and in-laws are also very supportive. I feel very blessed and lucky to have such a great support structure.

Jennifer: When and why did you decide to become a writer?

Andrea: While I was serving a mission for my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Two of my only outlets for expressing emotions were my journal and writing home to my family. I discovered a love for words and their meanings, especially while studying the Spanish language. :-)

Jennifer: Who is your favorite author of all time, and why?

Andrea: I know he's not in my writing "genre," but Michael Crichton has been one of my favorite authors for a long time. He really knew how to grip his readers—something most writers wish they could do, but many fall just short. And I love logical, scientific type books—he excels at that.

Next, J.K. Rowling, for starting at the bottom of the totem pole and making it so incredibly high up, maintaining humility through it all. I can't stand arrogant authors. :-)

Jennifer: If you could choose your last meal, what would it be?

Andrea: Dinner at the Olive Garden with my hubby. :-) I know, not terribly imaginative, but their bread sticks and soups are amazing!

Book Review: Pumpkin Roll, by Josi S. Kilpack

2011-09-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Roll, by Josi S. Kilpack

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: Shadow Mountain (September 7, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1609087453
Rating (1 to 5*): *****

Pumpkin Roll Book Review

Sadie Hoffmiller is supposed to be on vacation. Well, she's babysitting her boyfriend's grandkids, but she's supposed to be on vacation from her investigation service. Yet, it doesn't take long for weird things to start happening, all starting with Mrs. Wapple, the neighbor across the street the kids insist is a witch. Mrs. Wapple doesn't make her case any less suspicious when she makes signs in the air and the light bulb in the lamp right next to Sadie explodes.

Things only get weirder from there, when Sadie tries to figure out how to help the poor woman across the street. Soon, it seems that ghosts are invading the house to scare them, although Sadie and Pete refuse to believe that could be true--or could it? Sadie is getting nowhere with Mrs. Wapple's sister, the poor woman's only family. To make things even worse, Jane, Sadie's part-time employee in the investigation business and full-time pain in the neck, shows up to help. Sadie doesn't really want her there, but it seems she can't get rid of her and could really use her. If she doesn't solve the mystery of what's going on and get Mrs. Wapple some help, who knows what could happen?

Josi S. Kilpack's books just keep getting better. You kind of want to strangle Sadie sometimes, but she has a good heart and you have to admire her tenacity. Pumpkin Roll was delightfully suspenseful, playing on the Halloween theme to keep me turning the pages over and over--I lost a lot of sleep thanks to this novel. The characters have fun, easy interactions, and the answer to the mystery was jealously guarded right up to the right moment.

Then, of course, there's the food. That darned Sadie is always cooking, which makes this series a hard one to read if you're on a diet! To further rub salt in the wound, Kilpack includes recipes for most of the treats mentioned in the book. I haven't tried them yet, but I've put in a couple of requests to my chef husband!

Tune in to the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show at 10:00AM Pacific Time when I talk with Josi about Pumpkin Roll and all kinds of other interesting stuff. The recording will be posted in case you miss it!

Book Review: MONEY SECRETS OF THE AMISH, by Lorilee Craker Giveaway!

2011-09-14T02:21:00.000-07:00

Read this whole review to find out how to win your own copy of Money Secrets of the Amish!

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 14, 2011)
ISBN-10: 159555341X
Rating (1 to 5 *): ****** (yes, six)

Book Review: Money Secrets of the Amish

The Amish have long been known for their thriftiness, but few "fancies" (us folk who aren't part of their community) probably have little understanding of just how thrifty these "plain" folk are, or really what their culture is all about. As it turns out, these people are the masters of making do with what they can and saving money--in some cases, putting away hundreds of thousands of dollars while raising a family of 14 children.

Journalist and best-selling author Lorilee Craker found the need in her own life to learn to cut back on her spending, and with her Mennonite roots, the Amish fascinated her. She befriended several and got to know their ways, as well as talked to some experts outside of the community, to see how they lived and saved. What she found was not only highly interesting, but also very useful in the course of every day "fancy" life. Thus, Money Secrets of the Amish came to be.

Although most people aren't willing to give up their cars and televisions and turn to horse-drawn wagons and growing their own wheat, there are a lot of thing the Amish do that we can incorporate into our daily lives, namely: use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without. In Money Secrets of the Amish, Craker goes over some of these concepts and how they relate to the rest of us. She also brings in some suggestions from her thrifty "fancy" friends, so you get a wealth of ideas that are not hard to implement if you're willing to do it. She wraps up each chapter with "My Amish Money Makeover", which is a takeaway you can implement immediately to start saving some cash.

Craker's writing style is fun as well as informative, and what I particularly appreciated was that she is not preachy. In fact, she admits freely that she gives in to temptation from time to time, or that she's not ready to take on certain aspects of Amish living. She talks about what she does and doesn't do, the great ideas her friends come up with, what she wants to try, and how something worked out for her in a "hey, this is pretty cool!" sort of way rather than a "look at how much better than you I am" sort of way. Major kudos from me! I highly recommend Money Secrets of the Amish to everyone who could use to save a little money. In this economy, that pretty much means everyone!

Want to win a copy of Money Secrets of the Amish? Leave a comment on this post, and I will randomly draw a winner. Make your comment by Sunday, September 25th, and I'll announce the winner on Monday. Be sure to give me your email address so I can contact you.

Author Interview: Tracy James Jones

2011-09-13T03:06:00.000-07:00

Today's interview is with Tracy James Jones, author of Secrets and Lies.
About the Author: Tracy James Jones

I grew up migrating between Dallas and Waxahachie, Texas, and started writing while in high school with the help of a wonderful Journalism teacher. At Navarro College I majored in Journalism / minored in Mass Communication. Before college, I worked as an actor with the local Community Theater, and later as an extra/stand-in for two award winning feature films. Writing is my passion because it just simply is. I am totally captivated by the condition of being human.

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?
Tracy James Jones: I can be found on Amazon and the links below;

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tracy-James-Jones/110692882366182

www.twitter.com/hatchiekid

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.
Tracy James Jones: My new book:

Secrets & Lies
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G5L36O

(Provocative multi-cultural modern-romance)

“Sometimes a need for keeping secrets… Can be just as intriguing as a reason for telling lies…”

Secrets & Lies is a 60,000-word in-depth emotional journey into the private lives of four central characters that unfolds as a provocative, multi-cultural, modern-romance with a twist…

Secrets, as they are, rarely devastate the national population as a whole. They are more often limited to the individual going on about their lives. That is what this story is about, a group of not-so-ordinary people, all from very different backgrounds, whose secrets and lies leaves a trail of honest deception waiting to upset the rituals of their daily existence.

* * *

Kennedy Jordan is a handsome young man with a secret past and a challenging future that keeps him in the balance between having what he wants versus what others expect of him.

Camilla Vargas is a beautiful ambitious young woman with big dreams of success that she has planned to obtain by any means possible, and vows to not let anything keep her from it.

Ulanda Jefferson is a hip outspoken fashionista with a fiery attitude. Armored with sharp-wit and an uncensored tongue, she is more than just a force to be reckoned with.

Bren Searcy is a grown-up lost in transition, (literally from male to female). There is almost nothing she wouldn’t bear to hang onto the happiness she has finally found.

* * *

In the end, for everyone involved, even the elements of true confessions gets lost in translation as the explicit details of who they are brings the group together in a surprising, yet necessary finale that could change the course of all their lives forever…

Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?
Tracy James Jones: The idea for this book turned out to be something I believe I have been wanting to write my whole life. Growing up shy and in a very strict, over-protective environment sort of stumped my view or vision of what life and people were really about. I had to learn a lot about life in the real world on my own, and in the process, I had to figure who I was and where I fit into it. Not exactly a pretty picture, but the experiences I had along the way introduced me to a lot of different people and things. What I learned through my interactions with others sort of fed my creativity. The idea, simply put, came from living and the characters I have encountered throughout my life.

Jennifer Walker: What is your greatest writing challenge?
Tracy James Jones: My greatest challenge is trying not to hold my characters back. I keep trying to groom them in a respectable way when I know an uncensored, outspoken character should reflect exactly that. When I first started writing, an agent friend pointed that out to me and insisted that I learn to release my personal views from my characters and just to let them be, whether I like the character or not. That was hard to do because of how I was raised.

Jennifer Walker: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?
Tracy James Jones: In some ways, my writing allows me the adventure of living outside the box. Basically, I live a little vicariously through my characters because they are free to do and be whomever they are and I get to join them. I find their adventures and experiences touch on all sorts of emotions, which is something I love.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your previous work.
Tracy James Jones: My first book, a biography, was about a local guy from my hometown. I was in college when I received the offer to pen his life story.

No Tears For A Hero -The Stephen Mitchell Story - 1995

No Tears For A Hero: The Stephen Mitchell Story is an extraordinary saga of triumph of the human spirit. When Steve is hit by a car while riding a bicycle one day, the Mitchell’s world is shattered. After a long hospital stay, much of which Steve spends in a coma and paralyzed down one side of his body, he returns home to face the long road to recovery….

In 2008, Mitchell’s story was produced as a documentary film by an acclaimed Dallas Director & Brokedown Films, entitled, “Champ: The Steve Mitchell Story,” which won the official selection seal for the Dallas Video Film Festival that same year.

-------------------------

My second book is titled Searching For Eden. Fiction 2003

Searching For Eden – The Story of Stacy Christian

In the middle of the night, seventeen-year-old Stacy Christian ran away from home or he would have been dead by the light of day. He had no idea that his nightmares were only just about to begin… In the end, it is for the lives of others and his own future that his journey to adulthood really begins… (Sort of a YA male adventure turned loose in a grown-up world.)

I am presently reconstructing both books for re-release as ebooks.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?
Tracy James Jones: After Secrets & Lies I am prepared to release another book titled Torn.

Torn: Sixty days of Calaboose

(Psychological Drama)

“It is said that a mind is a terrible thing to waste… For some, it is also a very terrifying thing to lose…”

This title will not likely fit in with the general reading public because of the subject matter. Though there is no graphic sex or extreme violence, it deals heavily with all elements of a single character’s downward spiral into madness and other experiences behind the walls of a local county jail. In a way it can be somewhat compared to HBO’s once popular prison series “Oz.”

Jennifer Walker: Do you work with a writing group or mentor? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get out of it?
Tracy James Jones: Presently, I am just getting into writing groups and thus far, I have learned a lot about the self-promoting/marketing business. My groups offer a lot of interesting thoughts and advice on what to and what not to do. When I am writing, I rely strongly on my test readers, and I have one person for each level of my writing process. 1st draft, second, third and/or final proof. Each person is very important to the outcome of my book because when I am writing my focus remains totally on telling the story. My test readers help work out the flaws and they keep me on my toes.

Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?
Tracy James Jones: Usually, before I begin a book, I decide what the story is fully about in an outline. That helps me to map out the important elements of the story. Then I write out my characters. I start with who they are, how they look, personality traits and what makes them tick. Once that is done everything else plays out in my head like a movie. Even the secondary characters just fall into place once the story begins.

Jennifer Walker: When and why did you decide to become a writer?
Tracy James Jones: The when would be in high school. I had a fantastic journalism teacher who had a way of pulling you into a project with every fiber or your being. No matter what the subject, she taught us to push the envelope with our words until we could covey passion and emotion in anything we wrote. After that, I always looked for books that brought back those same intense emotions.

As for why, besides that teacher, it was my own passion for the intensities of the human condition. For that reason, I have always been observant of people. I’ve always had a fascination regarding how they reacted in all sorts of situations. I just love human emotion. It’s like if someone smiled, I always feel compelled to smile back, or if someone were sad, I feel sad with them. The compassion I have for others is often reflected in my work because it breathes real life into my characters. It also speaks to the kind of person I believe I am.

Thanks to Tracy for stopping by!

A special edition of A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-09-12T23:12:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, I will hold a special edition of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio. I will interview Josi S. Kilpack, author of several culinary mysteries, about her new book, Pumpkin Roll. We'll talk about Josi's books, writing, publishing, and even Halloween!

Tune in on Thursday at 10:00AM Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/09/15/special-edition-of-a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book, or listen to the recording after the fact.

Look for my review of the book on the same day!

Learn more about Josi at http://www.josiskilpack.com/.

This week's book giveaway!

2011-09-12T05:04:00.000-07:00

From our friend, Linda Weaver Clarke:

Book Give-Away September 12 - 19: To win the first book in The Eyes of Innocence series, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. U.S. and Canada.

It's truly a heartwarming story of a young innocent girl coming to terms with an amazing talent and the story of her and her familys life. - J. Woodfield

This popular series depicts the life of an orphaned girl as she grows up displaying an innate way with animals and many surprises for her aunt and uncle. By the age of five, Kalina is showing psychic abilities and the power to heal. The series opens when Kalina is nearly sixteen, and a white horse haunts her dreams. On her birthday, the horse appears. The mare is real, and she is hers.

Kalina's tumultuous life is riddled with unanswered questions. Someone is watching her, and although she is aware of this, she has no fear. When the day arrives that she actually meets these people, she quickly forms a bond with them, much to her aunt and uncle's dismay.

Follow Kalina's escapades, as she matures into a gifted psychic and healer. Her aunt and uncle want her to tone down her abilities, but Kalina is unwilling to do as they ask. If someone needs her, she reacts, especially if a child is involved. People grow suspicious of her extraordinary powers, and try to prove their theories, but haven't been able to uncover the truth....yet. Kalina is unique, as is her story.

To win a book, leave a comment at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/

This Week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-09-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

On the Septemer 14th edition of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, join Jennifer as she talks with Michael Kastler, author of Get a GRASP on Your Budget and Cash. Michael is a budgeting coach, so maybe he will offer some helpful tips for surviving this economy!

Listen in on Wednesday at 3:30PT at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/09/14/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, the show will be archived if you miss it, so you can listen any time!

Learn more about him at http://www.budgetingmoneytips.com/.

Book Review: MARKED, by Kim Richardson

2011-09-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Marked
Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (March 18, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1461017092
Rating (1 to 4 *): ****

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Marked-Soul-Guardians-Kim-Richardson/dp/1461017092/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Kim Richardson's facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/KRAuthorPage?sk=app_163325500392236
Kim Richardson website: http://kim-richardson.ca/
Book Review: Marked, by Kim Richardson

Sixteen-year-old Kara Nightingale has important things to do. In fact, she's on her way to an important presentation at the art gallery when she is unfortunately sidelined by a bus. The next thing she knows, she's on an elevator, manned by a not-very-helpful monkey. As it turns out, she's on her way to Horizon (AKA Heaven), where she finds out she not only won't be making her presentation, but she won't be seeing her family and friends ever again, because she's dead. Instead, she gets to be a rookie in the Guardian Angel Legion, whether she wants to be or not.

She is quickly matched up with bad boy (but sweet and way too cute) David, her petty officer, who guides her on her missions. Even though she is less than spectacular at her job and she has been mysteriously marked as a traitor, which has a terrible effect on her friendship with David, Kara is assigned to a mission that will decide the fate of the whole Legion--and David won't be there to keep her from failing.

Marked is the first in the series called Soul Guardians, although it is not clear at the end of the book how the series will continue. This is a really fun book, particularly for the Young Adult reader. Kim Richardson manages to work in the teenage issues kids deal with, but in a completely different story and setting from most books for this age group. I would like to see some more character development, and the dialogue was a bit too silly, the main character just a bit too slow to understand things. Because of this, I think this is a book that will have a lot of appeal for teens and not so much cross-over appeal for adults. However, it was definitely an enjoyable read with a really fun premise.

Author Interview: Aris Whittier

2011-09-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

Our interview today is with Aris Whittier, author of Across Eternity. Read to the very end to find out how you can win a copy of the e-book!

Genre: Romance, YA-Child Crossover

Recommended Age: Adult & 15+: Teen Who Want To Move On From YA Romance
Author's Blog: http://awhittier.blogspot.com/
Pub Date: 3/2011 ( electronic) 7/2011 (paperback)
ISBN-13: 978-1463655273

Across Eternity Book Description:

Born a genius; education, wealth, and prestige came easy to Logan Richards. Actually, there wasn’t much that Logan couldn’t learn or acquire. However, he knew there was more to life than money and power. Logan was determined to find the woman who he'd dreamed of his entire life and know what it was like to love her before he died.

Amber Lewis, a waitress for a five-star restaurant in Dana Point, California, was overworked, stressed, and wary of life since her sister, Heather, had passed away. Then, one evening while working, she fell hopelessly in love with Logan Richards, a chivalrous man who felt deeply familiar.

For Amber, it was the beginning of a voyage of self-discovery and renewal. For Logan, it was the completion of life. For each of them it was the deepest sort of love.

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Across-Eternity-ebook/dp/B004RVB2EG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310910862&sr=1-1

Aris Whittier Author Bio:

Aris Whittier is a romance writer. She writes suspense, contemporary, and commercial woman's fiction. Her debut novel, Fatal Embrace is a romantic suspense that was featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine as a Red-Hot Read. Foolish Notions is a contemporary romance that has just a touch a mystery too. Across Eternity is a beautiful love story that transcends time. Visit Aris Whittier at: awhittier.blogspot.com

Aris Whittier Author Interview:

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?
Aris Whittier: You can get a glimpse of my crazy life by visiting my blog at: http://awhittier.blogspot.com/. You can buy any of my books at Amazon, B&N, and almost all independent bookstores.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.
Aris Whittier: Across Eternity is a beautiful love story that tells of love that transcends time. It will pull at your heart. It is set in the small coastal city of Dana Point, in Southern California.

Jennifer Walker: What inspired it?
Aris Whittier: Across Eternity was inspired by a dream. I dreamt the entire book one night and sprung out of bed at about 3:00 in the morning, scrambled into my office and immediately began writing—I didn’t want to forget it! Across Eternity is an amazing love story and I hope it makes the reader think and question certain aspect about life, love, and ourselves. And most importantly what do you believe in and is your Logan out there somewhere?

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your previous work.
Aris Whittier: I have two other romance novels out. Fatal Embrace (Fatal Embrace was featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine as a Red-Hot read) and Foolish Notions. I have also written a humorous compilation called, The Truth About Being A Bass Fisherman’s Wife.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?
Aris Whittier: I’m just finishing up SECRETS. SECRETS is a romantic suspense, whose heroine, Ashley Dawson, is a crime writer who has the ability to see spirits. Its hero, Nathaniel Marshall is a hardnosed architect with a long, dark past. A tight web of doubt, uncertainty, and affection is weaved when Nathaniel’s dead wife comes to Ashley in a vision. Throw a stalker turned serial killer in the mix and a crazy cat named Voodoo and the pages keep turning.

Jennifer Walker: Who is your favorite author of all time, and why?
Aris Whittier: Hands down Judith McNaught. She is why I write romance.

Jennifer Walker: When did you know you would be a writer?
Aris Whittier: I never aspired to be a writer. However, I’ve always loved to read and write. Growing up, I would read anything from Readers Digest to Stephen King. When I was younger, I used to love to tell stories…my mom called them lies…but I considered it creative story telling… LOL. When I was 16 I pick up my first romance book (Once and Always by Judith McNaught) and I fell in love with the genre. When I was in college I wrote my first romance novel and it was then that I knew I wanted to be a writer.

Jennifer Walker: Is there anything you find particularly challenging when you’re writing?
Aris Whittier: I write in spurts and that is very frustrating. Sometimes I’ll write dozens of pages in a day and other times I can barely get a paragraph written.

Jennifer Walker: Do you write full-time?
Aris Whittier: That depends by what you mean by full time. I don’t sit at my computer and writer for a certain amount of time each day. I’m a mom, with two kids, so they come first. But I do like to try and write one book every year or so.

Jennifer Walker: Any advice to aspiring writers?
Aris Whittier: My advice is to never give up. And write about what you love. Oh, and develop a very thick skin because you’re going to need it. Everything will be judged and nitpicked—your writing, your plot, your characters, your query, your book cover…get used to it. Some of the criticism will be worthy and some of it not. You’ll know what to take in and what to just let roll off. Trust your instincts!

Thanks to Aris for stopping by! To win a free copy of the e-book of Across Eternity, leave a comment and I will draw a random winner from the comments! Make your comment by midnight on Sunday, September 11th, and the winner will be announced on Monday.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-09-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

The September 7th episode of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show will feature McCarty Griffin, author of Monster Story, Half-Inch, and The Tribe. Join us this Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time by going to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/09/07/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, the show will be archived for later listening.

To learn more about McCarty, visit her on the web at http://www.mccartygriffinbooksonline.com/.

This week's book give-away!

2011-08-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

From our friend, Linda Weaver Clarke:

Interview with YA Author Tracy Marchini

E-Book Give-Away August 29 - September 7: To win an ebook of Hot Ticket, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. International.

Hot Ticket is the story of Juliet Robinson, the only sixth grade in John Jay Jr. High who doesnt have a hot ticket. When one of the dorkiest kids in school, Crammit Gibson, gets a hot ticket before she does, she knows that the only way to salvage her middle school reputation is to stop the mysterious ticket dispenser once and for all. With the help of her best friend Lucy and her semi-crush Crammit, Juliet is determined to catch the ticket dispenser and climb a few rungs on the middle-school social ladder. Unfortunately for Juliet, things dont quite go as planned. To win a book, leave a comment at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-08-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview Darren Frey, author of The Blood Reapers. Join in on Wednesday, August 31st at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/08/31/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book! As always, the show will be archived if you miss it.

Find out more about Darren at http://darrenfrey.zxq.net/index.html.

This week's book give-away!

2011-08-23T05:36:00.000-07:00

From our friend, Linda Weaver Clarke:

Interview with Romance Author Celia Yeary

E-Book Give-Away August 22 - 29: To win an e-book of Wish for the Moon, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. International.

Wish for the Moon is a tale about a 16-yr-old in 1901, Annie McGinnis, who lives on a farm with her family in Northern Texas. Her life changes when a stranger, Max Landry, walks to their house and asks for work. During the 3-year span of the story, Annie becomes the caretaker for her big slow-witted brother, her mother until she dies, her widower father, and a local blind man who has no place to go. She even attemptsand succeedsat rescuing Max from the hangman's noose. Eventually, grown-up Annie gets her wish, the one she asks for every night of a full moon, the one her mother always told her: "Annie, girl, you might as well wish for the Moon." To win a book, leave a comment at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com

Author Interview: Gregg Luke

2011-08-22T03:20:00.000-07:00

Today's interview is with Gregg Luke, author of Bloodborne. Visit him on the web at www.greggluke.com.

Gregg Luke biography

Gregg Luke, R.Ph. spent his childhood and young adult life in Santa Barbara, California. He began college studying art and cinematography before serving an LDS mission to Wisconsin. He then pursued his education in Natural Sciences at SBCC, UCSB, and BYU. He completed his schooling at the University of Utah, College of Pharmacy. His novels include The Survivors, Do No Harm, Altered State, and Blink of an Eye.

Jennifer: Tell us about your book.

Gregg: Bloodborne is about a sociopathic genius, Dr. Jacob Krantz, who has developed a way to spread his deadly designer virus using mosquitos. His former partner, Dr. Erin Cross, is the only one who could thwart his evil plans. But since they have not worked together for more than two years, she has no idea he is in league with a secret organization, or that they want her dead before she can blow the whistle. Barely escaping their first attempt on her life, Erin unravels the mysterious threats with the help of former Special Ops Marine, Sean Flannery. But the closer they get to finding answers, the more questionable Sean’s behavior becomes. His erratic moods and suspicious cell phone messages are more befitting an enemy than a friend. As the crisis comes to a head, she can’t be sure who harbors more secrets—the bioterrorists pursuing her or the one man who can protect her.

Jennifer: Where did you get the idea for the story?

Gregg: The idea for Bloodborne came from studying the H1N1 pandemic a few years back. I found some very interesting facts about viruses in general and which viruses and parasites can be transmitted by mosquitos. At the same time, there was lots of media coverage about bioterrorism and the potential for world-wide outbreaks of uncontrollable diseases. Everything seemed to line up for a story involving a sociopath bent on world domination via a bioweapon, and thus my novel was born.

Jennifer: What is your greatest writing challenge?

Gregg: Because I write for a religious-oriented publisher, I cannot cow to national standards of scenes which include graphic violence and sex, or vulgar or suggestive language. I honestly don’t feel those are necessary in most stories anyway. Anyone can drop an F-bomb; a good writer can deliver the same punch without being offensive. My challenge comes in creating a tale that is thrilling, suspenseful, and entertaining, as well as reasonably clean.

Jennifer: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

Gregg: I love learning. I love reading a book and find myself thinking, “Wow, that’s fascinating!” Most people hate being lectured to, so if I can teach at the same time as I entertain, I have succeeded. I also love to elicit emotions with words—be it fright, happiness, anger, sadness, etc. I find those aspects of writing very rewarding.

Jennifer: Tell us about your previous work.

Gregg: My previous novel was Blink of an Eye. It is a though-provoking story of a young man with repressed memories which come to the surface after a near-fatal traffic accident. Not only does he relive many heartbreaking events from his brutal childhood, he also realizes for the first time that he may have killed his own father. It was a Whitney Award finalist for best fiction novel in 2010.

Jennifer: What other projects do you have coming up?

Gregg: I am currently working on a story that’s sort of an offshoot of Bloodborne. It’s not a sequel but it involves blood. Lots of blood. A would-be med student discovers that most centenarians (people 100 years old) have a similar blood type. He assumes blood has everything to do with their longevity. What he does with that assumption is truly creepy.

Jennifer: Do you write full time? If so, tell us how you manage it. If not, what is your day job?

Gregg: Writing is my second career. I work in a community health center as a Clinical Pharmacist. However, I am also a self-professed nerd; therefore, I don’t participate on sports, hunting, fishing, or waste time in front of the TV. That frees up a surprising amount of time to read and write, two of my favorite past times.

Jennifer: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

Gregg: I begin each work with an idea spawned from a Continuing Ed course or an article in a medical magazine. I then formulate a beginning and an end, with a few crucial plot points along the way.

From there, I am mostly a “discovery writer.” I know I need to get from point A to point B, but I have no clue how until I sit down and start typing. It’s simply more fun that way.

Jennifer: What have you done to develop your writing craft?

Gregg: I do not believe I will ever attain the level of “perfect writer.” I don’t think anyone can. I learn something new about writing every time I pick up a book or magazine just by examining the prose of another author. If there’s something I like, I try to emulate it; if there’s something I hate, I try to avoid it. I also attend writer’s conferences as often as occasion permits. I hope I never feel like I know it all. Learning new technique is too much fun.

Jennifer: What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

Gregg: Each novel presents its own challenges. I love the writing process but it can also be the most daunting. I am a stickler for accuracy. I realize every author will use a certain amount of literary license, but when someone writes about a certain drug causing a certain affect, and they get it totally wrong, that detracts from the story. Even if what you’re trying to create is impossible (according to current knowledge) it needs to at least be plausible. As far as publishing, I think the toughest part is getting your foot in the door. And I believe the only way to do that is to create something fresh, or a unique way of presenting something already told, or find a way to fill an empty niche. Marketing presents a challenge in that it is a time-killer. I am lucky to have a publisher that does most of the marketing for me, but I still try to do as many book signings, classes, and interviews as possible.

Jennifer: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Gregg: Please feel free to visit my website: http://www.greggluke.com/.

And here's the link to my book trailer on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BpIw5Q2-Ts

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-08-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

In the August 24th edition of the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer talks with Chris McLaughlin, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Composting, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables, and next year's Hobby Farms: Rabbits: Small-Scale Rabbit Keeping.

Find out more about Chris and her books at http://www.asuburbanfarmer.com/

Author Interview: Heather Justesen

2011-08-19T03:14:00.000-07:00

Today's interview is with Heather Justesen, author of Blank Slate. Find out more about her at http://www.heatherjustesen.com/.

Bio: Heather Justesen spent hours every day with her nose in a book long before she could read. She grew up in the heart of rural Utah where there was plenty of time and space for reading and daydreaming. After attending Snow College, she transferred to Southern Utah University, where she met her husband, Bill, and received a BA in English literature.

While living in Utah Valley after they both graduated, they foster parented fifteen children and Heather worked for the newspaper and played in her garden. She now lives in her hometown of Fillmore, Utah, where she and her husband own a computer business, run the volunteer ambulance service, and raise a wild mix of cats, dogs, chickens, geese, ducks, guineas and one tom turkey. Once in a while she still finds time to play in the garden.

Heather’s prior novels include The Ball’s in Her Court and Rebound. To learn more about Heather and her writing, visit her website at HeatherJustesen.com or her blog at HeatherJustesen.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from readers and speak to schools, book clubs, and church groups. She can be contacted at Heather@HeatherJustesen.com.

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Heather Justesen: You can find more about me on my website, HeatherJustesen.com, or my blog, HeatherJustesen.blogspot.com. My book is available on Amazon in both paper and ebook, and in pretty much all other ebook formats through major online retailers or Smashwords.com.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book, Blank Slate.

Heather Justesen: After waking from a coma, Adrianna can’t remember who she is, any of her family, friends, or fiancé. As if her recovery isn’t hard enough, she finds she can no longer play the piano—something she’d always loved and made into a career. In a desperate attempt to do something that would make her feel useful, she steps in as office manager for her brother when his quits, and finds she has a knack for the position. That and the developing feelings for her brother’s business partner after she and her fiancé split up give her a new direction in life and hope for the future. Until everything starts crashing down around

Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?

Heather Justesen: I saw a news story that fascinated me and I started playing with various scenarios from there. I get ideas from everywhere, and I write down ones that intrigue me, but lots of them never make it into books—there just isn’t enough to drive the story. This one was a happy exception.

Jennifer Walker: What is your greatest writing challenge?

Heather Justesen: Finishing and then doing the final edits. I LOVE the writing, I even love the rewriting if I’m making significant changes that are really going to improve the story. Finishing and getting those detail edits done is hard for me though. Critique partners really motivate me to get the story finished (because I have to have something to take with me next week), and I just have to really put my focus on a story to get edits finished. Setting deadlines for myself can really help with that.

Jennifer Walker: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

Heather Justesen: Seeing all the pieces come together, falling in love with the characters and enjoying the flashes of insight that come along the way. Blank Slate has a sister story that has some crossover characters and happens at the same time. During one of the scenes, the main character’s parents have a big argument in which we learn why they divorced—it was as big of a revelation for me as for the protagonist—those discoveries are so much fun!

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your previous work.

Heather Justesen: I have two previous books out called The Ball’s in Her Court, and Rebound put out by a small regional publisher. The Ball’s in Her Court is about a woman who was adopted out of foster care when she was twelve, and her decision to search for answers to her past. Along the way she finds family members she never knew about and falls in love.

Rebound is about her roommate a couple of years later. Lily comes home from her prenatal exam, toddler in tow, and learns her husband has been arrested for fraud. She faces losing everything they own, starting over, and raising her children alone. Thankfully, with a helping hand from her sister and a growing friendship with her former roommate’s half-brother, she manages to make a new life for herself and find love along the way. Unfortunately neither book is available as an ebook right now, but I know my publisher is working on making their titles available for Kindle and Nook.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Heather Justesen: Oh, so many! I have another romance coming out with my publisher next January about a man whose brother and sister-in-law die in an accident, leaving two kids behind. Because he’s in the Marine reserves, the state is reluctant to give him custody when he has no family to take on the kids if he gets called up, so he convinces his best friend, Rena, to marry him and provide a stable home. It’s a sweet romance with lots of fun twists.

I have the sister story to Blank Slate, currently titled Switched that’s nearly ready for submission. Danny, a firefighter paramedic, falls hard for a young widow (and her two little girls) who does the daily cooking segment for the local noon news. When she finds out she isn’t her parents’ biological child, she goes on a quest for answers.

I’ve written the first book in a culinary mystery series which I’m totally excited about. It’s nearly ready for submission. And I’ve written the first book for a new romance series about seven women who show up at the reading of their father’s will and find out they’re all his daughters. He coerces them into moving to a remote Colorado ski town to open the latest in his chain of luxury hotels. In addition to picking out a house and jobs for them, he’s lined up what he thinks will be the perfect men—only not everyone is amenable to his matchmaking.

Jennifer Walker: Do you write full time? If so, tell us how you manage it. If not, what is your day job?

Heather Justesen: I do actually have a full-time job which thankfully allows me some time for writing and editing at work on most of my shifts. Between that and the time I log at home, I’m writing very nearly full time now. I have grand aspirations of being able to quit my job and concentrate on my writing more, as so many people do. =)

Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

Heather Justesen: I used to be a total seat-of-my-pants writer with no outlining at all, but over the past few years I’ve turned more and more to outlining—at least on a basic level. The amount of outlining I do varies depending on the story. I planned a lot of setup for my mystery: backgrounds, some journaling from most of their perspectives, motivations for wanting the victim dead. I let myself be surprised about who the murderer was in the end. In my other stories, the outline is a lot more linear, though I prefer to go with general checklists of what needs to happen rather than detailed lists.

Jennifer Walker: Do you work with a writing group or mentor? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get out of it?

Heather Justesen: I’ve been part of a critique group for more than three years, though I traded critiques with other writers even before that. I love my group, the feedback they give me, the embarrassments they save me from, and the motivation to keep going when I get discouraged, or I need a little help when the plot isn’t quite working. I can’t imagine not belonging to a critique group now (I actually have three because I can’t settle on just one book to work on at a time, apparently). I’d never submit a book without getting feedback from other writers first.

AuthorInterview: Chitoka Webb

2011-08-17T03:10:00.000-07:00

Our interview today is with Chitoka Webb, author of Something Inside Of Me: How To Hang On To Heaven When You're Going Through Hell. Find out more about Chitoka at http://www.chitokawebb.com/.

Synopsis of Something inside of Me:

Chitoka Webb shares her poignant, funny and inspiring life story from her humble beginnings as the daughter of a single mother holding her family together in the Nashville housing projects to her rise as the CEO of several companies, choosing to find the light and love in herself and in others along a journey from the lowest valleys of misery to adrenaline-filled tops of personal and professional achievement.

Long before Internet selling was the rage, as a pre-teen she sold what others saw as junk for a profit. At the age of 13 and before it was legal to work, Chitoka talked her way into a job as the youngest checker at a local grocery store. Without a college degree, through tenacity, grit and a healthy dose of faith in herself, she became the owner of several businesses before the age of thirty.

Through personal stories of the many struggles she faced, from poverty to racism to the loss of her vision, Webb demonstrates the amazing human ability to triumph over extreme adversity through willpower, faith, and a constant love for oneself.

Connecting with readers from all walks of life, Chitoka will inspire you to find the “something” inside yourself that provides the hope and courage to discover what is most important to you and attain those things for yourself.

Author Interview with Chitoka Webb:

You are in your mid 30s and you've written a memoir. What prompted you to write such a book at this point in your life?

Chitoka: Even though I am in my mid 30s I feel like I have lived a full life. I have experienced both sides of the track in every sense. I have been the employee, and I have been the employer. I have lived on that side of the tracks, and I have lived on this side of the tracks; and for me, I have found that through it all there is only one message that is constant: Treat people the way that you want to be treated.

At 13 you landed your first job at a grocery store, how did you acquire such an incredible work ethic?

Chitoka: It goes back to that one consistent message. When I was a young girl that was my mother’s answer for everything, “Treat other people the way that you want them to treat you.” If I had a problem at school with another kid, or if I made a mean comment to my sisters, my mom would say, “Now how would you like it if someone treated you like that?” So early on I learned to consider other people’s feelings. I think learning that one lesson as a young girl evolved into good work ethics, good manners and making good choices.

Did you feel like the odds to become a successful business woman were stacked against you being an African American female without any form of college?

Chitoka: Absolutely not. Learning how to take responsibility for your actions at a young age puts your path in a forward motion. Even if the odds were against me, I did not feel it; I always felt like I was in front of the odds. Other great African Americans like Mary McLeod Bethune and Madam CJ Walker have proven that you cannot become great by worrying about the odds.

You have a similarly uplifting story as the one of Chris Gardner portrayed in The Pursuit of Happyness (famously acted by Will Smith). How does Chris' story compare to your own life?

Chitoka: In the movie Chris stops at nothing to become the person he was created to be. Homelessness could not stop him, being a single parent could not stop him. In my book, I share with the readers how your obstacles can be used as energy in your pursuit to happiness. There was something inside of him that would not let him give up. Same with my book, Something Inside of Me. You will learn that your key to happiness is your pursuit to it. Everything you need to get through the storms in your life is in the storm, but one must be in pursuit of happiness in order to see the obstacles as a form of power to help you reach your goals.

You have a universal message that people of any race, color and background can learn from. What will we all find in your book?

Chitoka: You can if you want to, but you must leave your excuses at the door. They don’t belong in the house! Whatever you go through in life—whether it is your fault or not—own it, and move on. The victory is in the battle and the reward is after the battle.

People in Nashville where Oprah Winfrey grew up have compared you to her. How does that feel?

Chitoka: I consider it to be an honor, but let me set the record straight – there will never be another Oprah Winfrey. Some say the comparison is our drive. I think the commonality is the spirit. In all of her endeavors, she has a left a footprint for women like me to follow, and I thank her for the footprints.

What advice would you give a young person struggling to pick themselves up by the bootstraps?

Chitoka: It will not be all right in ten days, or five days. It is already all right! Life is okay right now. You’re doing a good job, and never expect anyone to be as excited about your dreams as you. Believing in yourself is nobody’s business but yours.

Why is the YMCA, and for that matter, the many organizations you are invovled with, so important to you?

Chitoka: I believe success is not what you take in but what you put out. There is nothing more rewarding than living your life in such a way that the generation behind you can pick up where you left off. I am where I am because of women and men seen and unseen made away for me. We have all benefited from someone else’s labor!

This week's book give-away!

2011-08-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

From our friend, Linda Weaver Clarke:

Interview with Sweet Romance Author Ruth J. Hartman and book Giveaway

Book Give-Away August 15 - 22: To win Flossophy of Grace, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. International.

This brings a lot of humorous scenes to the story. Ms. Hartman keeps Flossophy of Grace flowing with a quick wittiness that made me laugh out loud several times.

Grace Hart meets Bruce Gardener when he shows up in her office as a new patient. Shes a smitten kitten from the get-go. But doesnt think anyone as good-looking as Bruce would take a second look at her.

To win a book, leave a comment at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-08-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I'll be interviewing an author whose books I really enjoy. Josi S. Kilpack is the author of the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series, the latest of which, Blackberry Crumble, came out earlier this year. Learn more about Josi at http://www.josiskilpack.com/.

The word is out about Sadie Hoffmiller’s amateur detective work, but it’s not the kind of publicity Sadie wants. When Jane’s article threatens Sadie’s reputation in the community, she accepts her first investigation-for-hire and travels to Portland, Oregon – if only to give herself some space from her whispering neighbors. And from Pete, who is sending her mixed signals about their budding relationship.

Sadie hopes the Portland air will clear her head, and she is eager to get to work for May Sanderson, who has suspicions about her father’s untimely death.

Putting her detective skills to the test, Sadie delves into a complicated past that includes a business partnership that didn’t end well, several unsavory family secrets, and more than a few motives for murder.

Sadie is afraid she might crumble under the pressure, but in a new place with new recipes, she finds herself more determined than ever to uncover the answers buried in scandal, insatiable appetites, and pure and simple greed.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-08-07T23:58:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will be interviewing Rena Romano, author of His Puppet No More. This is the tale of the 20 years of sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of a family member, how she survived, and how she finally broke past it 50 years after her nightmare began. Romano was featured on Oprah as a follow-up to the Mackenzie Phillips story.

Listen Wednesday, August 10th at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/08/10/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book for what shoudl be a very interesting discussion. If you miss it, the show will be archived so you can still hear it.

Find out more about Rena Romano and her work at https://www.createspace.com/3449079.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-08-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview Kim Ablon Whitney, author of THE OTHER HALF OF LIFE, THE PERFECT DISTANCE, and SEE YOU DOWN THE ROAD. Tune in on Wednesday, August 3rd, at 3:30 Pactific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/08/03/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, the show will be archived for later listening.

Learn more about Kim Ablon Whitney and her books at http://www.kimablonwhitney.com/.

Today on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-07-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview Victoria Martinez, author of An Unusual Journey Through Royal History. Join us at 3:30 PT at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/07/27/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, the show will be archived so you can listen to it later if you miss the live show.

This is not your typical royal history book. The table of contents reads more like a menu at a good restaurant, where there’s something for everyone’s taste. Each of the 18 chapters tells a unique story about an overlooked or unusual aspect of royal history, spanning centuries and countries, but in no particular order. From first to last, they will take you on a journey through royal history you’ve probably never seen or thought of before.

From Amazon:

In few – if any – other books will you find the British Monarchy compared to London’s sewer system, or read of the challenges of finding a suitable husband for a 200-plus pound Victorian princess who was nonetheless a “remarkably light dancer.” Rarely are the lives of historic and modern royals from Queen Victoria and Catherine the Great to Prince Charles and Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark “illustrated” not by paintings but by tattoos. Even more intimate topics, like the practice of circumcision among royals – including Princes William and Harry – are explored for the sake of inquiring minds.

Chances are, even readers who usually find historic royalty boring and stuffy or modern royalty anachronistic and detached will find something to enjoy. Who wouldn’t feel a bit satisfied reading about a celebrated 19th century courtesan being paid to steal the thunder of an old and frumpy queen just to prove that queens are expected to be beautiful? It can also be quite amusing to find that a supposedly formal portrait of the current British Royal Family holds hidden, enigmatic clues to family dynamics and individual personalities that amuse and baffle.

In short (much like the Court dwarfs you’ll read about), this book will leave you with a sense that you not only know royal history – and enjoy it – but that you have also journeyed through it and know the royals personally, from who exterminates their palaces right down to their infamous last words.

Find out more about Victoria on her website at http://www.victoriahill.com/.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-07-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will be interviewing best selling author Michaelbrent Collings! He has written several books in the thriller, suspense, and horror genres, including RUN, PERDITION, and THE STRANGER INSIDE, among others. We will talk about his work and his success.

PLEASE NOTE: This week's episode is today, Tuesday the 19th, instead of the usual Wednesday. You can tune in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/07/19/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book.

RUN: When John meets the new girl in town, at first he thinks his dreams have come true. That is, until everyone in their small town begins trying to kill them...

THE MERIDIANS: Scott Cowley thought the worst was over. Eight years ago, he lost his wife and child at the hands of a killer known only as Mr. Gray.

THE LOON: A doctor who has lost his child. A woman in an abusive relationship. A man who thinks he is god. A madman who lives only to kill. These are the people who will come together and find that they are not alone. Cut off by a freak storm, they will discover the meaning of terror...in The Loon.

To learn more about Michaelbrent and his work, visit http://www.michaelbrentcollings.com/.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-07-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview Judith Marshall, author of Husbands May Come and Go, but Friends are Forever. Tune in on Wednesday, July 13th, at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/07/13/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. The show will be archived for later listening.

Set in a small town in Northern California, in the spring of 2000 when the dot-com boom was at its peak, the story centers around Elizabeth Reilly-Hayden, a successful executive in her late fifties and a divorced mother of two. Emotionally armored and living alone, she wants only to maintain the status quo: her long-term significant other, her job and her trusted friends— five feisty women who first met in high school. Yet in a matter of days, the three anchors that have kept her moored are ripped away. The group of lifelong pals gathers at Lake Tahoe to attend to the funeral arrangements of their beloved friend, and tries to unravel the mystery of her death. Through their shared tragedy, Liz learns how disappointment and grief can bloom into healing and hope.

Read my review of the book at http://jennifersbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/book-review-husbands-may-come-and-go.html!

This week's book give-away!

2011-07-06T03:58:00.000-07:00

From our friend, Linda Weaver Clarke. If you have a book give-away or other book news, feel free to send it to us and we'll post it for you!

In celebration of the Official Book Launch for Montezuma Intrigue, I am having a Book Give-Away lasting until July 7: Win a mystery/adventure novel with a touch of romance at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com. But that’s not all! There will be more gifts for you! You may also be eligible to receive several free books as part of this contest: 2 children’s books by Sherrill S. Cannon and Lorilyn Roberts, a fantasy by Serena Clarke and much more.

Book Review: Tranquillity Initiative, by Joan Meijer

2011-07-05T03:13:00.000-07:00

The Tranquillity Initiative, by Joan Meijer

Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: Eloquent Books (August 15, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1609114337
Rating: (1 to 5 *): ****

Tranquillity Initiative Book Review

With a reelection on the line, United States President Charles Anderson's administration knows they have to do something about the war in Astrakhan to bring it to an end in their favor. When Anderson gives them carte blanche to do what they need to do, certain members, known only to themselves as the Medici, move forward with an exceedingly top secret initiative called Tranquillity. Tranquillity bombs are dropped on Astrakhan, releasing thousands of Anthrax spores while the bombs self destruct to leave no trace of their origin. However, before they are loaded, two of the bombs turn up missing, and it isn't long before Astrakhan agents accidentally release the spores in America. Suddenly, Anderson has a lot more to worry about than whether he will win the next election, and people are disappearing from Capitol hill.

Author Joan Meijer has a long history in politics and the medical industry, so it is fitting that she would write medical political thrillers. Tranquillity Initiative is very well thought out, with twists and turns that keep the story interesting. The characters are well developed, although I found some of the dialogue to be unnatural. All in all, a very interesting read for political and medical thriller fans.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-07-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview Roxanne Harris, author of WHAT EVERY FAT GIRL WANTS. Tune in on Wednesday, July 6th at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/07/06/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book, or listen to the podcast any time.

What Every Fat Girl Wants express the heart and desires of a huge part(no pun intended) of today's society. What Every Fat Girl Wants is a book that you will read and laugh outloud. You will want to share it with your friends. Even the skinny ones. Its OK.

http://www.whateveryfatgirlwants.com/

Author Interview: Judy Serrano

2011-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Our interview today is with Judy Serrano, author of Easter's Lilly.

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Judy Serrano: Simply go to http://www.judyserrano.com/. All the information about purchasing my novels in on there. Easter’s Lilly is available in paperback, Kindle and in Nook. Please follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/AuthorJSerrano and my Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Easters-Lilly-by-Judy-Serrano/106636956074771?ref=ts

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.

Judy Serrano: Easter Sunday is the day when everything in her life gets turned upside down. Lilly falls in love with a low ranking drug dealer and finds herself married to the head of the Mexican cartel after her boyfriend abandons her.

Lilly tells the story of her life, and the lives of her children. She is an innocent with no idea of the situation she has gotten herself into. After she marries the handsome Diego Montiago, she meets his very striking and charming brother, Max. Their very flirtatious and inappropriate relationship leads them down a road of betrayal and intrigue. The syndicate takes over their lives, as the Montiago family almost destroys each other over the love of a woman. Easter's Lilly takes you down a road that twists and turns full of passion and forgiveness that will surprise you. You won’t be able to put it down!

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your previous work.

Judy Serrano: Easter’s Lilly is my first published novel. Brother Number 3 is my latest release and it is a sequel to Easter’s Lilly. The third book of the series is scheduled for release January 2012 and is titled, Relatively Close.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Judy Serrano: I am currently working on a young adult spin off to the adult series, featuring one of Lilly’s children. I am also working on book number four of the series, which is almost completed.

Jennifer Walker: Do you write full time? If so, tell us how you manage it. If not, what is your day job?

Judy Serrano: I am a substitute teacher at a high school. I love my job because it gives me freedom to write, to promote my novels and there is no homework. I love working with the kids and although it is usually not full-time, I suspect if I did work a 40-hour job, my writing would suffer.

Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

Judy Serrano: I have heard that many amazing authors spend a considerable amount of time outlining first. Although that would probably be easier, I have never done that. I throw my characters in the situations that be and let them take me where they want to go. I sometimes wonder myself how they got there.

Jennifer Walker: What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

Judy Serrano: Writing the book was easy. It flowed and became an obsession that I simply could not put down. Getting it published took me a little time. There is a methodical process that must be followed to find a worthwhile publisher and it takes some critical time to accomplish such a feat. Once I found him, and I use Black Rose Writing, he made it easy. Marketing has been difficult. Probably the most difficult adventure of the entire process. Promoting your own accomplishments can be difficult for people who are not comfortable pushing their own products. There are some basic things to learn to get you started and I think the rest is really just a learning experience. Fortunately for me there are quite a few authors and experts out there who are generous with their knowledge and experience. I hope to be able to do the same someday.

Jennifer Walker: What have been your most successful marketing techniques?

Judy Serrano: My most successful marketing technique has been handing out the first chapter. Once people read the first few pages, they want to read the book. It was my husband’s idea after watching me do a reading at the Dallas Library. We have even gone as far as posting teasers on my web site, which I understand is pretty common practice.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us a little about your non-writing life. Family? Pets? Hobbies? Is your family supportive of your writing?

Judy Serrano: My family is amazing. My boys watch me from over the top of my MacBook and never complain. My husband promotes my writings whenever possible. We are also a very musical family. I play guitar, write songs and sing. I have one son who plays conga drums, one who plays a little piano and one who plays a little guitar. The youngest will be asking about drums any day now.

I do find it quite uplifting when my boys close my computer screen and say, “Come on mom. Time to throw a football around.” They are so supportive of leaving me alone when I have writing to finish, yet never let me forget the most important thing in the world is family. We have five dogs and live in the country. Although I am more of a city girl, as long as I am with my family, I am home.

Jennifer Walker: When and why did you decide to become a writer?

Judy Serrano: I went back to college as an adult and met a teacher who said I wasn’t giving it my all. At first I was very angry with her for giving me such a hard time but at some point I realized that she was right. I had a handful of books just hanging out on my flash drive. I finally decided it was time to try to get them out there. Scariest thing I ever did but I wouldn’t change a thing.

Jennifer Walker: What is your favorite genre to read? To write?

Judy Serrano: I love to read either romance or romantic suspense, which is the same as what I love to write. I enjoy reading about strong male characters and the women who love them. I encourage non-traditional styles of writing. Books about women, who are so strong that they make their men look weak, do not catch my attention.

Jennifer Walker: Who is your favorite author of all time, and why?

Judy Serrano: Nora Robert has been my favorite author thus far. I truly enjoyed The MacKade Brothers because of the dominant yet vulnerable male figures. Her romance is classy and steamy all at the same time.

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

Judy Serrano: I would tell you it’s French food and how much I enjoy expensive, pretentious food. But if you ask my children, they will reveal the truth. Give me a bucket of hot wings, some blue cheese dressing and a beer and I’m good to go.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-06-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview This Judy Reene Singer, author of HORSEPLAY, STILL LIFE WITH ELEPHANT, and AN INCONVENIENT ELEPHANT. Listen on Wednesday, June 29th at 3:30 Pacific at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/06/29/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, the show will be archived in case you miss it.

AN INCONVENIENT ELEPHANT:

After a year spent caring for baby elephants in Africa, Neelie Sterling is preparing to return to the States and a life filled with exes—ex-boyfriend, ex-husband, ex-house, ex-horse. But she is leaving behind some unfinished business in Zimbabwe: a very special elephant targeted for execution. With the help of her new friend Diamond-Rose Tremaine, an eccentric safari operator, Neelie manages to buy some time for the imperiled pachyderm, knowing that when she lands in New York they'll need to raise funds for his rescue.

Once they're home, everything becomes a struggle. Neelie and Diamond-Rose now must relearn how to survive in an urban jungle of table manners and real beds while coping with the overbearing affections of Neelie's family. Harder still, Neelie desperately needs the help of her wealthy conservationist ex-boyfriend, Tom, to save the magnificent creature—and swallowing her pride just might be the biggest challenge of all.

This week's book give-away!

2011-06-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

From our friend, Linda Weaver Clarke:

Book Give-Away June 20 - 27: To win Gifted, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. International.

Gifted centers on family, friendship, love and sacrifice. After years of wanting to be parents, Brent and Susan adopt Anna, a beautiful baby whose parents died in a car accident. As she grows they discover there are unusual things about her and theyre torn about how to handle these special gifts. The story spans sixteen years and we see how Annas gifts impact the lives of those around her.

To win a book, leave a comment at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/

P.S. If you have any problems posting your comment, then email me and I can post it for you. I don't want you to miss out on these awesome books.

Winner of An Unusual Journey Through Royal History

2011-06-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

Shame on me, I forgot to pick a winner for a free e-book of An Unusual Journey Through Royal History, by Victoria Martinez! The winner is....Cathy! Cathy won simply by posting a comment on the interview. Thanks for playing, and thanks to Victoria for offering this give-away.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-06-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview Carol Anita Ryan, author of the very inspiring story, Right Now Is Perfect: A Romance, an Adventure, the Unexpected Thereafter. I have listened to Carol talk about her book and its inspiration in person, and I am very pleased to have her on the show!

This book is for everyone who dreams of finding a soul mate, ditching a job, and sailing off into the sunset—or for those who’d just rather read about it!

Listen to the show on Wednesday, June 22nd at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/06/22/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, the show will be archived.

Learn more about Right Now is Perfect at http://rightnowisperfect.com/

Author Interview: McCarty Griffin

2011-06-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

Our interview today is with McCarty Griffin, author of Monstor Story, The Tribe, and Half-Inch.

Comment on this interview, and you could win a copy of your choice of her three e-books!

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

McCarty Griffin: I have a website at http://www.mccartygriffinbooksonline.com/. I’m on Smashwords.com. My author profile is found at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/McCartyHGriffin. You can find links to buy all three of my books on this page. I’m also on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Diesel and Apple. My story Half-Inch is on Kobo, but for some reason, they have never listed Monster Story and they haven yet to post The Tribe. I’ve been told they have a huge backlog, so I’m hoping they’ll get on it and list all three of my books.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your books.

McCarty Griffin: Monster Story is a werewolf story set in West Virginia.; Half-Inch is a story about an abused woman who decides to kill her husband, which also takes place in West Virginia; and The Tribe is about a colony of feral cats rescued by a young couple, and once again, takes place in West Virginia. I suppose I have a theme going here, don’t I? West Virginia is my home, regardless of where I’m living. I’m not certain I could set a story anywhere else.

Jennifer Walker: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

McCarty Griffin: When someone reads it and loves it. Especially when they “get” the book in the way I meant it to be understood and appreciated. I feel a deep sense of satisfaction when that happens and an intense desire to do even better on the next book I write.

I love creating a whole other world, with lives and people and events quite separate from my own life. They seem real after I spend so much time with them and when I’m really into the writing, I feel as if I’ve slipped into their world and am living their lives with them. I want anyone who reads my books to feel exactly that way.

Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

McCarty Griffin: The story forms in my thoughts over time as a loose outline with an overall theme to it. I write from that mental picture when I feel like it’s “ripe” enough to be written. This process leaves a lot of room for surprises in the plot, even for me, the writer.

Jennifer Walker: Do you work with a writing group or mentor? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get out of it?

McCarty Griffin: No. I’ve joined some things with the best of intentions, but I’ve known since at least high school that I’m just not a group kind of person. I don’t mind occasionally drifting in and out for some intellectual exchanges, but I can’t do the “group think” thing and crowds, even virtual ones, make me uneasy. I’d rather stay friendly with other indie authors in general, participate in a few activities that interest me, but mostly just keep to myself. In other words, I’m an indie author loner. I was horribly shy as a child, which was often misinterpreted as unfriendly, I think. I hope that’s not true for my interactions now, but I can’t be certain.

Jennifer Walker: What have you done to develop your writing craft?

McCarty Griffin: Oh, the usual. I read a lot. I’ve studied print books and online resources about writing. Once, in a fit of extravagance, I paid a professional editor to look at a book I’d written, and I learned a lot from the things she had to say. I think the process of writing, re-writing, editing, re-writing and editing again, ad nauseam and ad infinitum, is a learning experience, albeit a tedious one. I also have an undergraduate degree and a law degree, which require a lot of research and writing in several courses in order to earn the degrees. I still think I have a lot to learn and no matter how much I study grammar and style, I have some quirks in my writing style that I’m certain I’ll never shake.

Jennifer Walker: What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

McCarty Griffin: If I were still trying to go the traditional publishing route, I’d say that’s the hardest, for the obvious, universally known reasons. Since I’ve opted for self-publishing, it’s not a problem anymore. Writing is the hardest, simply because of the difficulty in getting oneself to actually sit down and write, then apply the mental gun to the head for editing unto death. Marketing is not a skill I have learned yet. I’m really quite flummoxed as to how to convince other people to buy and read my books. Plus, there are so, so many ebooks coming out every single day. Virtual needles in an infinite electronic haystack doesn’t begin to describe the situation. And marketing is a time-eater. Since I decided to get as many bloggers as humanly possible to look at my books and write about them, that’s all I seem to have time for these days. Here’s where I want to say I deeply appreciate the bloggers who take the time to read my books and then write a coherent review for their readers, and I admire them. I don’t see how they do it. Keeping up a daily blog seems on par with writing a thousand-word essay for your high school teacher every day. Talk about torture. These brave, generous souls must truly love reading ebooks and discussing them with their followers. I don’t know what indie authors would do without them.

Jennifer Walker: What have been your most successful marketing techniques?

McCarty Griffin: Nothing. I’ve hardly sold any books, although when I participated in Read an Ebook Week through Smashwords, by providing coupons for readers to download my books for free just for that week, my books went like proverbial hotcakes. As soon as they cost actual money again, no one wanted them. I’ve had some great reviews of all three books, so I don’t think the lack of sales is because the books aren’t good. Some or even a lot of it may have to do with being an unknown. I can understand a buyer being unwilling to plunk down actual cash, virtually speaking, for a book she or he may loathe. I think my books are well worth the risk, but then I would, wouldn’t I?

Jennifer Walker: Tell us a little about your non-writing life. Family? Pets? Hobbies?

McCarty Griffin: My non-writing life is mom, wife, cat mommy, dog mommy and goldfish mommy. I’m up early, taking care of animals and getting kids off to school. At times, I have feral cats I help care for and sometimes trap for rescue. Right now I’m feeding a group of cats who were abandoned by the woman who was feeding them, because her trailer, under which these cats lived, burned. I’ve trapped several, who have been neutered and released to a person who volunteered to maintain them as a feral colony. I still have at least three left I need to catch. Meanwhile, I keep them fed and watered every day. As for hobbies, the closest I come is begging bloggers for reviews. Sad, huh?

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

McCarty Griffin: I’d go home and I’d take my family with me. I miss West Virginia terribly. We moved west to escape the bad economy, which worked at first. Now, the bad economy has followed us cross country and is affecting everyone around us. So, since I can be poor in West Virginia just as easily as I can be poor in the Pacific Northwest, I might as well go home. I’m a hillbilly, heart and soul. Although the Pacific Northwest is a beautiful, interesting place to live, I feel as if I’m living in exile right now. That’s part of the reason my stories are all set in West Virginia; no matter where I am physically when I’m writing, at least in my heart, I’m home.

Author Interview: Vickie Hall

2011-06-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Today's interview is with Vickie Hall, author of All That Was Promised.

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Vickie Hall: I have a website at http://www.vickiehall.com/, my blog is http://www.authorvickiehall.blogspot.com/. My book, All That Was Promised, can be found online at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, CedarFort.com, DeseretBook.com, and can be purchased in the Utah market at Deseret Book and Seagull Book.

Jennifer Walker Tell us about your book.

Vickie Hall: The book takes place in 1847 Wales when a Methodist minister converts to the Mormon Church and faces the rejection of his former congregation, the indecision of his wife, the betrayal of his brother, and the violence of mis-informed villagers. The story is a testament to courage, faith, and conviction, with a good dose of memorable characters and surprises.

Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?

Vickie Hall: The idea came from the journals of my great-great grandparents, who joined the Mormon Church in Wales. Many of their p

ersonal experiences and their strong relationship became a part of the story.

Jennifer Walker: What is your greatest writing challenge?

Vickie Hall: I think trying to keep things fresh. The more I write the more I am aware of trying not to repeat overused phrases or character types. This can truly be a challenge but one I try to keep uppermost in my mind.

Jennifer Walker: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

Vickie Hall: For me it's the telling of the story and hearing from readers how much they enjoyed the book. Although I write because I love it and would even if no one ever read a word from me, there is a wonderful vindication in finding acceptance of your work.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Vickie Hall: I've already completed a Part 2 to All That Was Promised and recently completed a manuscript about the experiences of a Japanese-American family during World War II and their internment in a relocation camp.

Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like?

Vickie Hall: I always have in mind the general plot including the beginning and a clear ending. I do outline my characters and their traits, but everything that happens in between comes as a surprise!

Jennifer Walker: Tell us a little about your non-writing life. Family? Pets? Hobbies?

Vickie Hall: I am single, so in one aspect I probably have a lot more time to devote to my writing than those with family responsibilities. I love animals and have kitty named Katie. I enjoy camping in the mountains with my family, enjoy needlework, and am always on the lookout for an interesting historical tidbit that might lead to a new book.

Jennifer Walker: When and why did you decide to become a writer?

Vickie Hall: I wanted to be a writer from the time I was about 14 years old. I always looked forward to my English assignments and could write a story or an essay. That's when I discovered how much I loved writing and planted the seed of striving to become a writer.

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

Vickie Hall: Chocolate lava cake as an appetizer, with chocolate fudge brownies smothered in chocolate sauce for the main course, with chocolate mousse for dessert!

Two book give-aways this week!

2011-06-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

I have two book give aways for you this week. The first is for a free e-book of An Unusual Journey Through Royal History by Victoria Martinez. To get in on this one, read my interview with her and leave a comment.

The second is from Linda Weaver Clarke:

Interview with Childrens Author Nancy Stewart and Book Giveaway

Book Give-Away June 13 20: To win a childrens book, One Pelican at a Time, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. International.

Bella and Britt think its so cool living by the beach, and they particularly love the old crooked beak pelican that theyve known all their lives. (Pelicans live up to forty years, by the way.) But when an oil spill occurs, everyones life changes, especially the pelicans. The girls try to do something. But what?

To win a book, leave a comment at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-06-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, Jennifer will interview Linda Weaver Clarke about her new book, Montezuma Intrigue. Tune in at 3:30 Pacific Time on Wednesday, June 15th, at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/06/15/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, the show will be archived for later listening.

Montezuma’s treasure, mysterious events, family secrets, and the importance of learning about your ancestors are themes in Montezuma Intrigue. When a leather parchment of Montezuma’s map is found in great-grandfather Evans’ old chest, April and the twins know this summer is going to be a memorable one. With Julia’s help, she and the girls convince John to go on a treasure hunt. Is Montezuma’s treasure a legend or reality? Whatever the case, John insists on keeping their little treasure hunt a secret. If certain people find out about it, the family could be in danger.

Find out more about Linda at her work at http://lindaweaverclarke.com/

Author Interview: Julie N. Ford

2011-06-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today's interview is with Julie N. Ford, author of Count Down to Love.

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Julie N. Ford: I have an author page on both Amazon and Goodreads, a blog, Queries2Reviews.wordpress.com, and a website, JulieNFord.com. My book(s) are available on Amazon and in select bookstores.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.

Julie N. Ford: Count Down to Love is a story about a washed-up country singer, Kelly Grace Pickens, who is deserted at the altar by her manager/fiancé and then ends up going on a reality show akin to the Bachelor. Heartbroken, she barely notices the bachelor, Dillon Black, at first, but as he offers her one invitation after another to stay, she slowly starts to see him and her future in a different light.

Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?

Julie N. Ford: The idea for this story began as most of my ideas do, with a dream. Often I’ll wakeup in the morning with a story brewing. If I’m intrigued by the premise I’ll mull it over some more, allowing it to mushroom until I have a basic concept—characters, plot, central conflict. Then, living in Nashville, around all the struggling music artists, I was inspired to make Kelly a jilted signer/song writer. Since I’m completely tone deaf, I decided to take the opportunity to live vicariously through her.

Jennifer Walker: What is your greatest writing challenge?

Julie N. Ford: That’s an easy one—time. With two teenaged daughters, a husband and a job outside of the home, finding even just a few hours together to sit down and write is a challenge. I have a backlog of stories in the recesses of my brain clamoring to be freed if only I didn’t have so many distractions. However, having said that, I do love my “distractions” and wouldn’t trade them even if it meant clearing my brain of all those pesky potential plot lines.

Jennifer Walker: What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

Julie N. Ford: I love it when the plot and/or words just seem to flow effortlessly as if being sent from a special place I have yet to discover. It truly feels like my own little miracle.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your previous work.

Julie N. Ford: My first novel, The Woman He Married, is about a stay-at-home-mom struggling to find balance, not just with regards to her busy schedule, but also between the expectations she’d always had for her life and the reality she now finds herself living.

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Julie N. Ford: My second novel, No Holly for Christmas, comes out in November and is a follow-up to the first. I took one of the sub-characters, Brian, who turned out to be my favorite, and built the plot around him. Then, I added some romance, suspense, an atypical heroine and topped it all off with a nice dose of the holidays. Essentially, all my favorite genres rolled together in one novel. My first two novels have a different publisher from Count Down to Love, which means the third novel is coming out in between the first and the second. It’s confusing, I know, but we all just have to go with it.

In addition, I have a fourth novel in the works—The Cadaver Ball. It’s sort of a sci-fi/women’s fiction/suspense about a woman who meets the man of her dreams at, you guessed it, Vanderbilt Medical School’s Cadaver Ball. Two weeks later she finds herself saying, “I do,” in a room full of strangers to a man she barely knows. From here she gets caught up in the mystery of what really happened to her husband’s late wife. Throw in a few evil clones and maybe some end of the world stuff, and we’ll have to see what happens. Stay tuned to my blog for more one this one. It’s going to be interesting—wink, wink.

Jennifer Walker: What is your writing process like?

Julie N. Ford: In the beginning I’ll simply allow a plot to stew in my head until I have a good idea of the beginning, middle and end. Then, I sit down and write a synopsis that will likely change, but it gives me some direction and I think helps me feel like I actually have a feasible concept. Next, I’m usually anxious to sit down and start writing, so I will. I’ll write a few chapters until the plot builds enough for me to need some concrete direction in the form of an outline. Usually the outline is rough, just handwritten in a notebook kept by the side of my bed. At this point, I will go ahead and write the end. It always changes a little too, but I like to have it written—settled—and then I can just relax and let the rest flow as I fill in the blanks.

Jennifer Walker: When and why did you decided to become a writer?

Julie N. Ford: I never “decided” to become a writer, per se. I’ve always had stories in my head that I would play around with but never really considered turning any of them into a novel. About five years ago, I had just finished chemotherapy treatments for Lymphoma when we moved to a new city. I didn’t know anyone, my girls were in school, and I was at home waiting for my hair to grow back when the dialog and narration for my first novel just started coming to me—insistent, almost, that I let it out. I thought I might as well go ahead and write some, so one day I sat down at the computer for a few hours and started my first chapter. One chapter turned into twenty and three months later I had my first novel.

Jennifer Walker If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would it be, and with whom?

Julie N. Ford: I would love to see all of Great Britain—England, Ireland, and Scotland. The only person I could possibly fathom taking such a trip with would be my husband, Tracy.

Author Interview: Victoria Martinez

2011-06-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

Our interview today is with Victoria Martinez, author of An Unusual Journey Through Royal History. Be sure to read all the way to the end to find out how to get a free e-book!

Jennifer Walker: Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

Victoria Martinez: I have a website dedicated to my writing, travels and other interests at http://www.victoriahill.com/. I also have a blog called Arbitrary History where I have fun randomly posting arbitrarily selected history gems and tidbits. I’m also all over the web posting guest blogs and articles here and there.

An Unusual Journey Through Royal History can be purchased at the following sites:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X7LYPQ

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/An-Unusual-Journey-through-Royal-History/Victoria-Martinez/e/2940012509307

Who Dares Wins Publishing: http://www.whodareswinspublishing.com/UnusualHistory.html

Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your book.

Victoria Martinez: An Unusual Journey Through Royal History is not your typical royal history book. The table of contents reads more like a menu at a good restaurant, where there’s something for everyone’s taste. Each of the 18 chapters tells a unique story about an overlooked or unusual aspect of royal history, spanning centuries and countries, but in no particular order. From first to last, they will take you on a journey through royal history you’ve probably never seen or thought of before. Chances are, even readers who usually find historic royalty boring and stuffy or modern royalty anachronistic and detached will find something to enjoy.

In few – if any – other books will you find the British Monarchy compared to London’s sewer system, or read of the challenges of finding a suitable husband for a 200-plus pound Victorian princess who was nonetheless a “remarkably light dancer.” Rarely are the lives of historic and modern royals from Queen Victoria and Catherine the Great to Prince Charles and Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark “illustrated” not by paintings but by tattoos. Even more intimate topics, like the practice of circumcision among royals – including Princes William and Harry – are explored for the sake of inquiring minds. In short (much like the Court dwarfs you’ll read about), this book will leave you with a sense that you not only know royal history – and enjoy it – but that you have also journeyed through it and know the royals personally, from who exterminates their palaces right down to their infamous last words.

Jennifer Walker: Where did you get the idea for the story?

Victoria Martinez: For two years, I wrote a weekly column for a website called Unofficial Royalty under the pseudonym “The Royal Scribe.” Each week, I wrote about what I felt were overlooked or ignored people or aspects of royal history. Soon, I began writing similar articles for magazines and journals, and I was really pleased with the feedback I was getting on what I wrote. A good friend of mine suggested that I should publish my articles as collections of themed essays in book format. I agreed with her that it was a great idea, but I never pursued it.

As the saying goes, life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans, and that is just what happened to me. Earlier this year, I was attending a writer’s conference to shop around another book idea to agents. Instead, I met a publisher. She and I hit it off immediately and she asked me not about my current book idea, but about what I had written in the past. She was interested enough to suggest the possibility of doing exactly what my friend had been suggesting for years – publishing collections of my writing from the past augmented with new works. After the conference, the publishers did their due diligence on me – and I on them – and we found we were a great match with the same vision, and my first book was born!

Jennifer Walker: What other projects do you have coming up?

Victoria Martinez: My second book, “The Royal W.E. – Unique Glimpses of The Duke and Duchess of Windsor,” is due out in June. Like my first, it is an anthology of articles, this time focused exclusively on this famous and infamous couple. Some of the articles have been previously published online and in magazines while others are brand new.

I’m currently working on a third book, a biography, which I hope to publish later this summer. Right now, I’m keeping the subject somewhat under wraps since it’s quite an unknown story and I’d hate to give too much away prematurely. At the same time, I’m already working on a second edition of “An Unusual Journey Through Royal History,” that will double the current length of the book and also make it available in print form as well as eBook. Of course, I have several other projects up my sleeve, but I don’t want to overwhelm myself or anyone else by detailing them all here.

Jennifer Walker: What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

Victoria Martinez: It’s so funny that you ask this question because not long after “An Unusual Journey Through Royal History” was published, I suddenly realized just how much work goes into marketing the book. I told my husband that writing and publishing the book were easy compared to marketing it. And this coming from a public relations professional! Although my publisher, Who Dares Wins Publishing, provides great support and help in marketing the book, I now know that it is more than a full-time job to both market your published books and work on future books.

I just read a fascinating biography on Emily Post, and the author talked at great length about how hard Mrs. Post worked to keep relevant, stay in the public eye, and continue her prolific writing. It’s actually been very comforting to read this while beginning to face these challenges myself as a new author. It confirms something I already knew – that writers work very hard – and validates something I had never really thought of before – that what I’m doing now is not very different from what nearly every writer at any stage of their career must do. That said, I wouldn’t say that any of the elements – writing, publishing and marketing – are “easy,” but they are part of a life that gives me great personal satisfaction. Even though doing all of these things at once is a juggling act at times, I really enjoy it, and I know that it’s what I want to be doing.

Jennifer Walker: Tell us a little about your non-writing life. Family? Pets? Hobbies?

Victoria Martinez: At the moment, my husband David and I live not far from my parents in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas-area with our two cats. It’s actually a little bit ironic that we live so close to where I lived starting at the age of 11 because David, a Spaniard, and I met when we were both living as ex-pats in England. We were both travelers, so it’s appropriate that we spent the early years of our relationship traveling and living around Europe. After we were married, we ended up spending two years in Chicago before deciding we wanted to live in the DFW-area. David is a freelance translator and interpreter with knowledge of seven languages, and we both work from home, which allows us to travel frequently.

We love living in the U.S., but the time is coming for us to move back to Europe, and we expect to be living in London by fall 2012. For now, however, we are sort of your typical American suburban DINKs. Well, maybe not so typical, but we do enjoy working on our house and garden, spending time with friends and family, and all the usual things. David has even become something of a master at Texas barbeque. For the past year, I’ve been taking belly dancing lessons to try to counteract what I like to call “writer’s butt” and it seems to be working well so far.

Jennifer Walker: Is your family supportive of your writing?

Victoria Martinez: I have an amazing family who have always supported my writing and encouraged my ambitions. My Dad is a wonderful writer and has been a great editor over the years, while my Mom is a voracious reader and is always there to give constructive criticism. Both my parents are great promoters of my writing, although sometimes they get things a little bit wrong. Recently, when I told my Dad that my book was a best-seller in several categories on Amazon, he clearly misunderstood and immediately emailed his friends to tell them that his daughter was “a New York Times best-selling author!” Bless him.

Like my own parents, my in-laws in Spain are fantastic and think I’m pretty special no matter what I do. Obviously, my husband inherited this generous nature because he has always told me that he doesn’t care if my books sell 1 copy or 1 million; as long as I’m doing what I love, he’ll be happy. As if that weren’t good enough, David has become an excellent research assistant, helping me in my historical research both home and away, especially when foreign languages come into play. Right now, in his “spare” time, he’s translating An Unusual Journey Through Royal History into Spanish.

Jennifer Walker: When and why did you decide to become a writer?

Victoria Martinez: It probably sounds a bit cliché, but I loved writing even as a young girl. I think it was a natural extension of my passionate interest in and vivid imagination for history. I also felt a strong desire to understand and explain aspects of history I didn’t feel were being sufficiently addressed. Although I knew I wanted to write, I also knew that I didn’t want to be a starving writer, so I took my undergraduate degree in mass communications and decided to go into public relations even though I had loved working in journalism in college.

I earned my master’s degree and continued working as a public relations professional until I gradually realized that the writing I was doing for others didn’t give me the satisfaction that my personal writing did. The result was I left the corporate world to do freelance public relations, which allowed me to sell off all my belongings and move to Europe where I could research and write. As I mentioned earlier, I’m back in the U.S. now, but I find myself doing increasingly less public relations work for others and focusing more and more on my writing. Eventually, I hope my public relations experience will serve primarily as a tool to help me market my writing and other interests.

Jennifer Walker: What is your favorite genre to read? To write?

Victoria Martinez: As a writer of primarily historical nonfiction, I think it comes as little surprise that it is my favorite genre both in terms of reading and writing. That said, I do admire high-quality historical fiction and occasionally indulge in a good suspense novel. Not surprisingly, I am most fond of authors who are now regarded as historical in the genres I prefer. For instance, with suspense, my favorites are Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier. As for historical fiction, I can usually tell right away whether I will love or hate something in that genre, and I am passionate about expressing my opinions, which is why my husband tells me I should never be a reviewer for historical fiction. As someone who is passionate about history, I am merciless when it is badly mishandled in fiction because – unfortunately – that is sometimes the only way people ever really learn about history! When I do find great historical fiction, however, I am devoted to the author and generally treasure the book as a masterpiece.

Perhaps surprisingly, I actually started out my serious historical writing career with an attempt at a book of historical fiction. I don’t think it was half-bad, and I’m not ruling out the idea of ever writing historical fiction, but I learned early that my passion for research and my style of writing is well-suited for nonfiction. My goal is to always write history in a way that is as enjoyable to the reader as any good historical fiction would be.

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

Victoria Martinez: Together and individually, David and I have seen a lot of the world, but nowhere close to as much of it as we’d like. My dream would be to take at least a year and literally travel the world with David. I don’t mean stopping in all the major cities for a couple of days; nor do I mean seeing every country in the world. What I imagine is plotting out an itinerary of all the places – large and small – we want to go, and then staying in those places for as much or as little time as we decide once we’re there. Okay, maybe that would take at least two years…

Want to win a free e-book of An Unusual Journey Through Royal History? Make a comment on this blog with your email address, and I'll pick a winner on June 16th. If I don't have a way to contact you, you can't win!

Guest Post: Cheri Chesley on helping her friend

2011-06-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

I received this through a mutual friend, and I hope you will read it and make a purchase to help this courageous woman!

From Cheri:

My friend, Rebecca White, is 35 years old and has breast cancer. She got her diagnosis May 11th. She had a mastectomy May 13th. Three days later, she went back to the doctor to have the bandages removed. She confessed, almost in a whisper, that she just wasn't ready to see under the bandages.

Rebecca is an amazing, strong person. She's so skilled in all those craft-type things that leave me with glue on my fingers and glitter in my hair. She has a happy marriage and three great kids age 10 and under. Rebecca could be me. She could be your sister, your friend, your mother. She could be you. You can meet her and get to know her on her blog, http://allaboutthewhites.blogspot.com/

In general terms, we know cancer can strike anyone at any time. It's not an old person's disease anymore. It strikes children, mothers; in short, anyone. Soon Rebecca will start her chemotherapy. We're all optimistic for a positive outcome, but cancer surgeries and treatments do not come cheaply. Since she won't let me shave my head, I've decided to show my support for Rebecca in other ways.

This is more than taking her meals and taking her kids to and from church; I've done that. Anyone can do that, and they do. We have a supportive ward out here. But I wanted to take it a step further.

I'm donating all my book sales income through August 31st to help Rebecca and her family pay their medical expenses. This is something they need, and in order to make it the most effective I need all the help I can get. And this is why I'm appealing to everyone I can. My book sales don't just mean the royalties from selling print copies of The Peasant Queen (which, incidentally, is on LDS Living's Summer Reading List), but also all income from my two e-books--The Wild Queen and my short story, Ghost Bride.

It's so easy. All you have to do is purchase depending on your interests and ability to help. The Wild Queen and Ghost Bride can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/, which not only offers the e-books for every e-reader including simply your home computer, but also offers the highest revenues.

Printed copies of The Peasant Queen can be found, or ordered, at your local bookstores. You can also find it online at Amazon

Barnes and Noble

And Borders

Amazon and Barnes and Noble also offer each book for the Kindle or Nook, respectively.

Thank you in advance for your help, and happy reading!

Book Review: Nia, by Mella Reese

2011-06-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

Nia, by Mella Reese

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Black Rose Writing (March 3, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1612960103
Rating (1 to 8 *): ****

Book Review: Nia, by Mella Reese

Princess Nia didn't want to be Queen. In fact, no one wanted her to be Queen. She was in some danger of becoming just that, however, if her stepmother didn't produce an heir. Nia was content to practice the healing arts her mother taught her, even though they made her father and members of his council uncomfortable. Unfortunately, she has a lot of opportunities to use her skills, because her war-loving father seems to always be in a conflict with someone. It is after he wins one such conflict that Nia receives a gift she never expected or even wants: a guard who has pledged his life to protect her 24 hours a day and refuses to leave her side. Now, she not only has to take care of her own matters, but deal with a constant shadow as well.

Nia manages to form a friendship with her guard, Garreth, and the shadow who was once unwanted becomes an important part of her life. He is nearly as important to her as her betrothed, Andras, the love of her life. Both of them become instrumental in her quest to avoid the crown, but also to prepare Nia in the event the unthinkable happens and she must become Queen. However, as is always the case in politics, there is danger and intrigue around every corner.

Nia is part one of a three part series, so the princess's story is nowhere near over. At the end, while there is some resolution, it is really just the beginning of a new chapter, and it left me wanting to know what happens next in her life, politically and romantically. Author Mella Reese makes a few mistakes that are common in first novels--rushing the story by skipping through time a little too quickly, telling a little too much of the story in retrospect, and telling vs. showing. Some more development of the story would make for a more robust story that is longer and closer to the typical fantasy novel length. Yet, her characters are engaging with realistic interactions, which is always the most important part of a story for me. It will be interesting to see how she handles the rest of the series.

Learn more about Mella Reese and Nia by listening to the podcast of Mella's interview on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show!

2011-06-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

From our friend, Linda Weaver Clarke:

Interview with Romance Author Dana Precious and Book Giveaway

Book Give-Away June 6 - 13: To win Born Under a Lucky Moon, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. U.S. and Canada.

Born Under a Lucky Moon is a warm comedy. Its the tale of two very important (but distant) years in the lives of Jeannie Thompson and her (embarrassing, crazy) colorful family members to whom things just seem to happen. It is a story of surprise marriages, a renegade granny, a sprinkler system cursed by the gods, and myriad other factors Jeannie blames for her full-tilt, out-of-control existence. But it's also about good surpriseslike an unexpected proposal that might just open Jeannie's eyes to her real place among the people she loves most in the worldthe same ones she ran away from to begin with. To win a book, leave a comment at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-06-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview Vincent Hobbes and Nathan Palmer, co-producers of the horror anthology The Endlands.

Do you believe in a place outside human knowledge-a place where myth and legend collide-where the unthinkable is the mundane?

There is a thin veil between reality and make believe. When you take a moment, and push the veil aside, perhaps you will see this place, a place not of the imagination. Everything you see here is real.

Nothing is what it seems-noises are not what you think. Nothing is off limits-no place is safe.

You might find yourself lost in the past, or trapped in the future-amidst vampires and werewolves-or in a most peculiar lost and found department.

This is where unimaginable creatures roam wild-where humanity is absent, and dreams turn into nightmares. If you are looking for refuge, this is not the place to stop.

Welcome to the Endlands. 12 authors. 17 stories.

Find out more at http://www.hobbesendpublishing.com/.
Tune in this Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/06/08/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. As always, the show will be archived for later listening.

Book Review: When the Getting was Good, by Susan G. Bell

2011-06-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

When the Getting Was Good, by Susan G. Bell

Paperback: 424 pages
Publisher: AuthorHouse (June 4, 2010)
ISBN-10: 9781449081225
Rating (1 to 5 *): *****

Book Review: When the Getting was Good, by Susan G. Bell

Kate Munro is the sole female trader at a prestigious New York bank, and when she completes a trade that nets a profit of millions of dollars, she gains a lot more attention from her peers on Wall Street than she ever intended. Her joy over her success is not long-lived. Morehead "Woody" Woodson, a powerful bond trader from another firm that she shut out in her infamous trade, has been hired as her boss. Kate has enough worries being a woman in a sexist industry, but now she's worried that the egotistical Woody will want to retaliate for the humiliation he faced at her hands. Woody immediately changes the whole atmosphere in the trading room, bullying traders and salesmen and turning people against each other. Things really get hot when Kate receives a tip that Woody's trading practices at the firm are under investigation—and her own job may be at stake.

Susan Bell's When the Getting was Good is a great story that calls into question just how much a job can take over your life—and how healthy that is. It's about thinking everything is falling apart around you, when really it's just clearing out so you can get some clarity and focus on the things that are truly important. It's also about relationships, and how those relationships are everything.

Don't let the little bit of pink on the cover fool you—this is not chick lit, although it certainly speaks to the plight of women in the workplace—particularly at that place and time, which although it has evolved since then, is still not the most welcoming to women. While it is a story people who have worked in the financial industry can appreciate, it's really a story many different people will enjoy.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-05-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book radio show, I will interview Adra Young and Tracie Christian, "The Live Ladies of Literature". Adra's book series,The Everyday Living of Children & Teen Monologues are based upon the real life situations of what take place in the life of kids today.Tracie's books are based on the lives of four young ladies attending a Historical Black College.

Visit them on teh web at www.myliveladiesofliterature.info
Listen to the show on Wednesday, June 1st at 3:30 Pacific Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/06/01/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. The episode will be archived for later listening.

Mella Reese interview rescheduled

2011-05-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

We had some technical difficulties on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book yesterday (different ones than last week...this time my fault instead of BTR's!), so we had to reschedule Mella Reese's interview to Friday, May 27th at 3:30PT. Tune in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/05/27/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book-special-edition to hear about her fantasy novel, Nia, and her battle with Cushing's Disease.

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-05-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book radio show, I'll interview Mella Reese, author of the fantasy novel Nia , a heart-warming story of a princess who doesn’t want to be queen, and the man who will give up his own life to protect her.

From the Back Cover

Suddenly this kneeling, filthy man caused all of my attention to pivot upon him when he grabbed my hand. I was just opening my mouth to warn him that he would surely be killed...no one was allowed to touch me, Princess Nia, without permission. My protesting words were replaced with a swift intake of breath as the soldier produced a strange-looking dagger and drug it lightly over my finger. I stared in wonderment as he gently squeezed my fingertip to produce just one red ball of blood, my blood. Then the man kneeling before me swiped the blood from my finger with his own and plunged it into his mouth. "Your blood is now my blood. Your world is now my world. Your life is now my life," were the words he chanted...

Tune in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/05/25/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book! As always, the show will be archived for later listening.

Book Review: Anasazi Intrigue and Mayan Intrigue, by Linda Weaver Clarke

2011-05-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Anasazi Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans and Mayan Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans, by Linda Weaver Clarke

Anasazi Intrigue:

Paperback: 280 pages

Publisher: American Book Publishing (March 5, 2010)
ISBN-10: 158982587X
Rating (1 to 5 *): ****

Mayan Intrigue:

Paperback: 252 pages

Publisher: American Book Publishing (August 30, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1589826167
Rating (1 to 5 *): ****

Book Reviews:

Anasazi Intrigue

A devastating flood wipes out homes in a small town, but that is only the beginning of Julia Evans's problems. A newspaper reporter intent on finally getting a "real" story to her credit despite the disparaging remarks of her co-worker, Julia soon discovers a possible poison spill that kills many of the fish and her neighbors' pets. Julie springs into action to investigate the matter and soon finds there is much more involved than she originally thought, including illegal theft of artifacts from a nearby Anasazi Indian historical site. Soon, she is stalked and receives threatening notes. She refuses to let her fear stop her from getting her story, hoping it won't come at too great a cost.

Mayan Intrigue

John and Julia Evans are in the Yucatan Peninsula on a combination of vacation and business. They need to rekindle their romantic relationship, and Julia needs to get a great story about stolen Mayan artifacts. As seems to be a pattern in her life, Julia is once again plunged into danger when she stumbles upon some shady business men conducting business in the park. As she and John explore the various Mayan ruins in the area, she discovers she is being followed. Of course, she does not easily give up, and the Evanses soon find themselves in a world of trouble.

Linda Weaver Clarke has been writing historical fiction for years, and she also travels the country giving workshops on preserving family history through telling stories. Her new Intrigue mystery series departs slightly from her traditional historic fiction, blending her knowledge of ages past with her ability to spin a fun adventure with interesting characters. The depiction of the ancient cities is very interesting--especially since I've been to Tulum, which appears in Mayan Intrigue.

I must say the writing could have been stronger--there is a lot of passive wording and descriptions that could be entwined a little more smoothly into the story. However, the sweet interactions of the main characters, the highly interesting info on ancient history and the plundering of artifacts, and the intriguing mystery will keep you reading right up until the last page.

Author Interview: Bill See

2011-05-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

I recently posted my review of 33 Days, by Bill See. I asked Bill a few questions about the writing of the book, and his answers are below. I will also have the opportunity to interview him live about him, his writing, and his views on promotion on my BlogTalkRadio show, A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book, on July 27th at 3:30PT. Be sure to tune in!

Jennifer Walker: Was it painful reliving the days of your youth as you wrote?

Bill See: Basically it was a case of it starting to hurt too much not writing the book. I think as writers we go through stages. The first is a purging, an exorcism of sorts. It's like journaling to and for yourself. Just try and be as unselfconscious as possible. Slowly you strip away the melodrama and focus in on the universal themes that make it relateable to a wider audience. In sharing some of the more painful aspects of my upbringing, what I tried to do was write without judgment or editorializing. No martyrdom. Trust the readers and let them conclude the significance as the story unfolds. And I think I made the right decision in that respect.

Jennifer Walker: Do you have any regrets about Divine Weeks, how you did things, or how things turned out?

Bill See: Generally, I believe that regrets are vain. Standing here many years later and using acquired wisdom, sure, I wish we understood how infinitesimal that window of opportunity truly is. You just assume you keep ascending and never give ground, but you have to literally commit every single ounce of energy and leave everything else behind and even then you need a lot of luck and some muscle behind you. When we returned from our first tour, we were a big deal in L.A., and it probably would have made a big difference to have high powered management right then and get in the studio right away, get another record out and back on the road immediately. We were never a cool or hip band with friends in high places. We operated on a different grid and where a lot of our peers were more guarded and took great care of their image, we were openly passionate and vulnerable. That built trust with our audience, but in a town like L.A. it made things a little harder.

Jennifer Walker: Were there any stories from that first tour that didn't make it into the book?

Bill See: The book is culled from my tour journals so it was largely just what I observed or heard. I'm sure I missed a lot that was out of my eye or ear shot.

Jennifer Walker: Have any of your old band mates read the book? What was their reaction?

Bill See: Our drummer Dave read the book and gave his blessing. Our road manager Ian gave his blessing. I turned to our guitarist Raj quite a bit putting the book together. His story is a huge part of the book. His struggle to break free from home was as profound as my own, and I wanted juxtapose his struggle with my own and share how big a part our liberation played in the music of Divine Weeks and what we overcame just to get in that van. In the end, the book is really about friendship – about sharing dreams and finding through that friendship the courage to summon the courage to go chase those dreams.

Jennifer Walker: What do you feel was Divine Weeks's greatest accomplishment?

Bill See: It's hard to quantify, but I think if you ever saw us live it would be hard to deny that we laid it on the line and played like our lives depended on it. Not everyone loved us, but we were hard to forget.

Jennifer Walker: It seems that in your band mate George's eyes, the band failed to succeed because it didn't reach the status of The Who and other legendary greats. What is your answer to that?

Bill See: Reconciling something as huge as chasing your first real passion is a very personal and fragile thing. The end of the book kind of examines that whole idea of closure and making sense of the past. We all have to find our own answers. For George, he had to stab rock and roll in the heart in order to move forward. That was the right decision for him and no one could be more proud and happy for him than myself. He's a professor at Dartmouth now and a real rock star of the classroom. For me, I couldn't stab rock and roll in the heart because that would kill me. I live to make music. Even if it only ends up in a shoe box in the back of my closet, I'll be making music until my last breath. Success is something you have to define for yourself. You can't buy into anyone else's idea of it. Only your own.

Jennifer Walker: What do you hope readers will take away from 33 Days?

Bill See: I wanted to capture a now or never moment in our lives. Take a shot at making the band work or leave it all behind and go your separate ways. And I think every one of us has that moment at our own personal crossroads where we have to decide to either live our dreams or give up and regret it for the rest of our lives. I wanted to write a book that made you sit up in the middle of your life and ask yourself, you know, 'did I fire my shot?' Hopefully the answer is yes. And if it is, be gentle on yourself and don't get hung up on whether you 'made it' but how much taking the shot is worth because so many of us have to reconcile we played it safe. Instead of reaching for the sweetest fruit that's at the top of the tallest tree, we clutched the trunk of the tree and never moved. It's like that moment when you just get out of college and you're trying to decide whether to take your buddy up on his offer to go backpacking in Europe or do you take that job at your uncle's insurance company. 33 Days, at its core, is a cautionary tale about the perils of sitting on your dreams. Now is the time, because if not now, then when -- ever?

Jennifer Walker: If you could relive one day in your life, which would it be, and why?

Bill See: I'm a pretty forward looking person notwithstanding the subject matter of the book. I guess I've always been inspired by the past to try and stay relevant and make the next thing I do the greatest thing I do. But to answer your question, I'd like a do over of the last time I saw my grandfather. I told him he'd lived his life and to let me live mine. Probably the stupidest thing I've ever said in my life.

Jennifer Walker: If you could pack up and go anywhere and do anything tomorrow, what would it be?

Bill See: I want to go to Spain with my girlfriend and let her show me the place she's tried to make me understand for so long.

33 Days website:

http://www.33daysthebook.com/

Amazon listing:

http://www.amazon.com/33-Days-Touring-Sleeping-ebook/dp/B004M5HKCK/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1/183-1731095-5976458

This week's book give-away!

2011-05-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

From our friend, Linda Weaver Clarke:

Book Give-Away May 16 - 23: To win an e-book of Sabotage, leave a comment about this interview with your e-mail. International.

“Anne Patrick’s heroines are usually strong willed, witty, and often very opinionated … combinations that usually land them in situations where death seems imminent.”

District Judge Katie McKinley takes her career very seriously. No one knows that better than her old childhood friend and first love, Graham Bishop. Her ruling cost him his family’s ranch. So it’s no surprise, when an attempt is made on her life, the sheriff turns his suspicions to Graham. Katie feels horrible knowing what her ruling cost her old friend, and knows his outburst in her courtroom gave the sheriff every right to suspect him. The Graham Bishop she grew up with would never harm her, though...or would he?

To win a book, leave a comment at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/

This week on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

2011-05-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

This week on the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show, I will interview Jonathan Maxwell, a Georgia-based writer and public speaker. He is the author of Murderous Intellectuals: German Elites and the Nazi SS, which received the 2011 Allbooks Review Editor's Choice Award in the Category of Best Non/fiction Book. In addition,the online publication Author Exposure rated the work as being one of the "20 Most Memorable Debut Books of 2010." The book examines why so many well-educated professionals- such as doctors, lawyers, scientists, and the like- willingly joined the Nazi SS, the notorious group that spearheaded the Holocaust.

This should be an interesting discussion! To listen, tune in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-walker/2011/05/18/a-cup-of-coffee-and-a-good-book. This episode will be archived if you miss it.

Book Review: 33 Days, by Bill See

2011-05-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

33 Days: Touring In A Van. Sleeping On Floors. Chasing A Dream., by Bill See

Format: Paperback and Kindle

Publisher: Bill See
Pages: 276
Rating (1 to 5 *): *****

Book Review: 33 Days, by Bill See

In July of 1987, five young men set out on an adventure: their first tour as the rock band Divine Weeks. A Los Angeles band that was starting to build momentum--a video scheduled to appear on MTV's 120 Minutes, their first record in stores, and a following of loyal fans--Bill, Dave, George, Raj, and their road manager Ian set out on an adventure. It was an adventure that would not only spread their music across much of the western part of the United States and parts of Canada, but would bring them together in ways they never expected. Once loaded down with baggage from their families and other influences, the boys learn to be truly on their own for the first time. They rely on each other for support and the kindness of strangers for a floor to sleep on and a meal.

33 Days is your classic coming of age story, but it is so much more than that. It's about putting your life on the line for a dream, making things happen for yourself, making sacrifices for your art, and about leaving behind all the reasons why you shouldn't do what you love and try to make it. It's also about friendship and the pure joy of being young, with the whole world in front of you.

In listening to Divine Weeks's music on the http://www.33daysthebook.com/ website, it's easy to see why Bill See is such a good author. His music is heartfelt and passionate, just like his writing. Perhaps the book struck a particular chord in me (pardon the pun) because I'm an independently published author and I have to do a lot of my own promotion, just like Divine Weeks did, but there was something about the poignancy of this book that really left an impression on me. I walked away from it feeling a little sad, not only because it was over, but for the days of youth that are long past...for the band as well as myself. It made me look at my own life and how I've chased my own dreams. It makes me proud that I've done what I have, but made me question whether I have done enough.

After reading 33 Days, I felt so connected to the author and the band that I wanted to read more. I reread the epilogues, the dedication, everything. I went to the website and listened to their songs, watched videos on youtube, and looked the book up on facebook. I sound like a silly groupie reading that, but it's rare that I take such an interest in a book that I thirst to know more, but author Bill See pulled me in and mercilessly held me captive until the very last word.

Watch this blog for an interview with Bill See, author of 33 Days, and tune in to the A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book BlogTalkRadio show on July 27th at 3:30PT for a discussion of how Bill took what he learned promoting his band and applied it to marketing his book.

Disclosure: The author of this book sent the reviewer a free copy for the purposes of this review.