Rogue Sentinel by Tom Wither-Review, Interview & Giveaway

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Sandy

Rogue Sentinel by Tom Wither-Review, Interview & Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 31, 2019

Lieutenant Commander Mathews’, an experienced Tier One Operator is sent on a solo mission to capture an American who has joined ISIS, planning operations that have killed hundreds. After an extended close surveillance while undercover in Jordan, Mathews and his trusted NCO, Senior Master Sergeant Simms attempt to capture the man known as ‘al-Amriki’ – The American. As they close in, weapons at the ready, they inexplicably receive orders to let al-Amriki go – from the President of the United States. Why is the President of the United States letting a known terrorist live, and what can be done by Mathews to stop The American from killing more innocents?

Supported by David Cain, chief of the Counter Terrorism Shop in Fort Meade, MD, Mathews locates and positively identifies Objective FULLBACK – called ‘al-Amriki’ (The American), and begins to surveil him to establish a pattern of life to enable a capture operation. After locating and tracking him for several days, Mathews, supported by trusted NCO, Senior Master Sergeant Simms, executes the operation to capture al-Amriki. Mathews and Simms stand toe-to-toe with al-Amriki in a deadly standoff when Mathews receives the order to abort the mission. After being recalled to the U.S. embassy in Jordan, Mathews is told why – ‘al-Amriki’ is a CIA deep cover operative, and Mathews is ordered to help him identify and eliminate the senior leadership of ISIS. Al-Amriki arranges a covert meeting with the heads of ISIS to enable the strike, but his cover has been blown – now Mathews and Simms need to save al-Amriki’s life – and their own!

••••••••

REVIEW:Rogue Sentinel begins with Lieutenant Commander Mathews, along with his girlfriend, on a trip to San Diego for some R&R. Mathews is still having a hard time with the fact that he lost a team member on a previous mission. When his girlfriend tries to get him to talk about the loss, it leads to Mathews losing his temper a bit and yelling at her. When Mathews is contacted and advised he’s been tagged for a mission to Jordan, they cut their trip short and head back to base. The trip back is tense between the two of them and only gets worse once they land.

Mathews is briefed on his mission: he is going in solo to capture an American who has joined ISIS, and is the mastermind behind some of their attacks. As Mathews readies for the mission, things between him and X go from bad to worse when she tells him he’ll have to find someone else to feed his fish while he’s gone. Mathews heads to Jordan, knowing that he has to keep his focus on the task at hand. But, he does hope that she’s waiting on him when, and if, he gets home.

al-Amriki (The American) has established himself as one of the top minds in ISIS. Even though some do not trust him, Akil, to whom al-Amriki reports to, trusts him almost implicitly. Once Mathews arrives in Jordan, it doesn’t take long, to his surprise, to run into al-Amriki face to face in a local shop. al-Amriki is suspicious of Mathews but stays the course. As Mathews reports back to his superiors, the decision is made for him and a fellow soldier, Simms, to go in under the cover of darkness to capture their target. Once they gain entrance to al-Amriki’s modest house, they are literally feet away when the mission is called off, which leaves Mathews furious and al-Amriki shaken. What follows leads Mathews and Simms down a covert path that will see them not only working with al-Amriki, but fighting against some of the top leaders of ISIS.

Rogue Sentinel is a story full of intrigue and surprises. The characters are well written and relatable. However, there is a lot going on in this book. Lots of secondary characters and lots of acronyms that lost me at times. Parts of the book almost read like a screenplay with it’s descriptive dialogue. Once I got used to the author’s way of telling his story, I really enjoyed the book. Mathews was a great character. HIs real life issues with losing a teammate on a mission makes him believable and relatable. His support team was great as well. I loved the action sequences and the interactions between the characters. Rogue Sentinel deals with real life, modern day life and death issues faced every day by members of our military. If you’re a fan of the intelligence and military world, you’ll enjoy this one. Well done, Tom Wither!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed By Vickie K

TRC: Hi Tom and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of ROGUE SENTINEL.

Tom Wither: Thank you very much.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

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Tom Wither: I’m originally from Connecticut, but reside in Maryland, outside of Baltimore. Professionally, I’ve worked for Air Force intelligence for more than 30-years, and while I’ve be a writer since 2002, my writing career was officially launched in 2012 when I signed my first contract. ROGUE SENTINEL is my third novel.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Tom Wither: I’ve always been a reader, and when I was in my teens, my mother introduced me to the novels of James Clavell and Robert Ludlum. As much as I enjoyed Clavell’s Asian Saga novels (Tai-Pan, Noble House, and Shogun especially) Ludlum’s thrillers, particularly the Bourne Identity and the Parsifal Mosaic really caught my attention. Later, as Tom Clancy began to find success with his Jack Ryan novels, I devoured those as well. After 9/11, as the intelligence community was being castigated in the media, I coupled my love of reading with a desire to give people an ‘insider’s view’ of intelligence and military operations, driven by characters reflective of the real world people I’ve had the privilege of working with and the realities of modern warfare.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing this story?

Tom Wither: The biggest challenge is mapping everything in a story, so everything is synchronized – all the plot elements and activities across the global scale of my novels need to line up, especially in the massively interconnected world we enjoy. For instance, I can’t have a character sending an e-mail during a sunny late afternoon in Washington D.C. and then have another character reading that e-mail moments later in downtown Kabul in a setting I describe as a sunny day, when in fact, it’s 2 AM in the morning the following day. When it comes to publishing, the challenges vary. I’ve worked with two publishers so far and I do my very best to be responsive to their timelines, which can be challenging if a publisher needs a quick approval on a manuscript change or I’m having a disagreement with an editor – at the end of the day, it helps to keep in mind that the goal for both author and publisher is to see the book in print and deliver a story they both think readers will enjoy.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of ROGUE SENTINEL?

Tom Wither: Sure. Lieutenant Commander Mathews’, an experienced Tier One Operator is sent on a solo mission to capture an American who has joined ISIS, planning operations that have killed hundreds. After an extended close surveillance while undercover in Jordan, Mathews and his trusted NCO, Senior Master Sergeant Simms, attempt to find the man known as ‘al-Amriki’ (The American). Supported by David Cain, chief of the Counter Terrorism Shop in Fort Meade, MD, Mathews locates and positively identifies al-Amriki. Mathews begins to surveil him to establish a pattern of life to enable a capture operation, resolved to make al-Amriki pay after the recent death of one of Mathews’ men. After tracking him for several days, Mathews and Simms execute the operation to capture al-Amriki. As Mathews and Simms close in, weapons at the ready, the CIA intervenes – ‘abort immediately!’ Why does the CIA want them to stop and allow a known terrorist to escape only to kill more innocents? The mission has changed…but action only grows. How can Mathews stop al-Amriki and deal a death blow to the Islamic State?

TRC: Do you plan on writing any more story lines focusing on Lieutenant Commander Matthews, or any of the characters found in Rogue Sentinel?

Tom Wither: I’ve written two other novels featuring Mathews, THE INHERITOR and AUTUMN FIRE. They first two novels of a trilogy that will close out with the story called SWIFT JUSTICE. These three novels take place before ROGUE SENTINEL, and l’m still working on crafting SWIFT JUSTICE. I also have two other projects under development – my project names for them are PALADIN 6 and PROJECT JANUS.

TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning ROGUE SENTINEL?

Tom Wither: I’m a detailed researcher and plotter, but I do leave room for creative license. I gather as much information as I can about the technology, aircraft, military vehicles, weapons, skills, and locations that I want to use in my stories – I’ve even traveled to some of the locations; either during my military career or on my personal time, to experience first-hand the sights and smells of the environment. Where it’s possible and permitted, I also take photographs or use publicly available imagery. When it comes to fictional elements, I’ll hand draw building designs or floorplans, and make sketches of areas where combat scenes will take place, then build the assault or action plans for the scenes, all of which I overlay on the real-world location – not quite storyboards, but good references I can use when writing. I also create a detailed outline for each chapter in the book to help synchronize locations and timing, include the scenes I want to have in each chapter, and then use that as the guide as I draft and re-write each chapter. ROGUE SENTINEL’s outline was close to 30 pages long, while AUTUMN FIRE’s outline was closer to 80 pages (I’ve become more concise in my outlining over time).

TRC: Is any of the story line based in reality e.g. characters, events

Tom Wither: Yes. The story itself it set against the coalition fight against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, led by Combined Joint Task Force Inherent Resolve (https://www.inherentresolve.mil/), a coalition of military forces that are still working to eliminate the remnants of the Islamic State, even after the re-taking of the territory ISIS held in Iraq and Syria.

TRC: How do you manage to keep the military story line authentic without ‘over simplifying’ details, or inundating the reader with overwhelming or confusing military jargon?

Tom Wither: I try to strike that balance in a few ways. I do my best to use a limited amount of internal dialog by characters in specific situations to explain the military technology, weapons, etc., and sometimes the jargon. I also try to leverage context in the conversation between characters to explain military jargon or technology. Lastly, I like to create a situation where one character who is unfamiliar with a term or technology as another character explains it. The first character acts as a proxy for the reader, who receives the explanation as well, which I also feel draws the reader further into the story.

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Tom Wither: I think so, yes. The cover image needs to give a potential reader a clear and focused ‘at a glance’ look at the story inside. If the cover does not represent the story, it effectively deceives a potential reader (or fan), souring them on your work. It’s a key element that publishers must focus on getting right for each book. Also, the imagery and the colors used can make a book stand out on a shelf, and promise adventure, romance, exotic locales, etc. If a cover doesn’t attract a reader and get them to read the flyleaf or the synopsis on the back, you have little chance of gaining a new fan.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Tom Wither: It’s my world, and I build plot first, and then characters to experience the story and react to the events I want to take place in the plot. Once I have the plot elements I want sketched out, then I can design the characters to experience that plot and let them feel the joy and the pain of the storyline. Horrific car bombings in San Antonio, Texas part of the plot? I need a police officer on patrol discovering one of the rigged cars parked on the side of the road, who stops to check a text from his wife to bring milk home for his kids, just before he looks in the cargo area of the car as the timer on the bomb inside reaches zero. I want you to want Mathews to catch the car bomber, and you’ll keep turning pages the moment the husband, father, and first responder dies without ever knowing why or who took his life.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavour?

Tom Wither: I think I might have partially answered this in the last question. I think a reader turns the page because they care about the characters and what’s happening to them. I think the challenge for any good writer is to make your reader identify with the characters by making them relatable – they need to be real and flawed and challenged by a plot that makes a reader want to turn the page, and another page, and so on.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Tom Wither: No, the background noise would be distracting. I re-read my outline for that scene, visualize it, and then use that image and the dialog I come up with to write – background noise would distract me from concentrating on the process of getting the creative image out of my head and onto the paper. I do usually have CNN on with the volume muted. It lets me keep an eye on world events that might inspire another book idea.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Tom Wither: The biggest misconception I’ve come across so far is that everyone I’ve spoken to at signings, etc. thinks that publishers pay for every author to go on actual book tours, traveling the country signing their books.

TRC: What is something that few, if anyone, knows about you?

Tom Wither: I’m a pretty open book to my friends and family. Certainly, the government knows a great deal – I’ve been vetted several times for security clearances. Once you fill out a form nearly 100 pages long that covers everything you’ve done since you were in your teens, there isn’t much left to tell people.

TRC: Who is your favorite author (living or dead)?

Tom Wither: Choosing just one is tough. I’m a fan of James Clavell, Robert Ludlum, Clive Cussler, Eric Van Lustbader, Tom Clancy, Kevin J. Anderson, and Michael Stackpole. If we go by longevity and number of times I’ve read his work, James Clavell wins hands down.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Tom Wither: I’m currently completing a series bible for a project I’m calling PALADIN 6. Once it’s complete, my agent plans to offer to the streaming services for consideration. I’ve also completed a synopsis for my next novel, a project I’m calling PROJECT JANUS, and I’ll start work on the chapter outline for it as soon as the series bible for PALADIN 6 is complete. At that point I’ll spend time working on JANUS and SWIFT JUSTICE.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Tom Wither: I’d just like to say thank you to Sandy and team at The Reading Café for taking the time to interview me; and my thanks to Vickie for reviewing ROGUE SENTINEL. I hope The Reading Café patrons enjoy the story and my other work. Best of luck to everyone who participates in the giveaway.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – How about meal? Filet Mignon w/twice-baked potatoes and broccoli.

Favorite Dessert – Chocolate Mousse

Favorite TV Show – Mission Impossible (the 1960s & 1970s series)

Last Movie You Saw – Star Wars – The Rise of Skywalker

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk

Secret Celebrity Crush – (Only one?) Salma Hayek

Last Vacation Destination – South Dakota

Do you have any pets? – Not at the moment. I am a big fan of German Shepherds. Grew up with one, and raised one.

Last book you read – Clive Cussler’s SHADOW TYRANTS

TRC: Thank you Tom for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of ROGUE SENTINEL. We wish you all the best.

Tom Wither is graciously offering a hard cover copy of ROGUE SENTINEL to FIVE (5) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from March 15-20, 2020

A Bloody Arrogant Power by Malcolm J. Wardlaw-Review & Interview

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Sandy

A Bloody Arrogant Power /Death by Decent Society by Malcolm J. Wardlaw-Review & Interview

IMPORTANT: A BLOODY ARROGANT POWER was re-written and relaunched in July 2020 under a new title and series: DEATH BY DECENT SOCIETY

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 7, 2019

The Public Era collapsed seven decades ago. Generations have grown up in what came after. They think it’s normal.

Donald Aldingford is lucky. A barrister, he is trusted by the ruling elite of sovereign landowners. He neither knows nor cares what goes on outside the Central Enclave of London.

Then he starts to care. A young woman from the slums enters his life. For the first time, he travels outside the Central Enclave. He sees discharges perish on the public drains. He sees glory trusts bombard the slums. These sights force him to question the rule of the sovereign elite.

But he must keep these doubts to himself. Should his sovereign masters even suspect him of disloyalty, they would despatch him to the Nameless Gone.

And then revolution breaks out. Whose side will he take?

To find out, follow the twists and turns of this intricate dystopian mystery.

••••••••

REVIEW:A BLOODY ARROGANT POWER is the first instalment in Malcolm J. Wardlaw’s SOVEREIGNS OF THE COLLAPSE dark, dystopian series following in the aftermath of the ‘Glorious Resolution’ of 2038-2040.

Told from several third person perspectives including barrister Donald Aldingford A BLOODY ARROGANT POWER is a character driven story line that looks at the fascist-type governmental control between the have and the have nots in the former United Kingdom. The year is 2106, and barrister Donald Aldingford is approached by a woman who claims his younger brother Lawrence has been sentenced to work in the slave labor camps on trumped up charges against the sovereign elites. As Donald begins to investigate the claims, he soon discovers the real world beyond their cloistered existence in the Central Enclave of London. From the genocide-like massacres of the ‘surplus people’ to the absolute rule of the all powerful sovereigns, Donald is caught between two worlds that will ultimately come to battle for power and control.

A BLOODY ARROGAN POWER is a sociological study of the ‘isms’ that looks at the suppression of the masses using any means necessary including murder, starvation, and ethnic cleansing. From the time of the Glorious Resolution, those in control (the powerful elite and self-appointed sovereigns) continue to gain power, while the proletariat, and ultimately the ‘surplus’ people are left struggling to survive with the potential of another revolution on the horizon. No one is safe; everyone is suspect; a well-placed lie could mean termination of one’s liberty and life. A dystopian world where gold and silver are the currency of choice but a life bargained for, is ultimately, a life lost to the powerful few.

A thought-provoking, gritty and dramatic look at the potential and frightening possibility of the economic and political collapse of the world as we know it. Malcolm J Wardlaw uses detailed exposition and complex language to bring A BLOODY ARROGANT POWER to life. A Bloody Arrogant Power ends on a cliff-hanger, you have been warned.

Copy supplied for reivew

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC: Hi Malcolm and welcome to The Reading Café.

Congratulations on the recent release of A BLOODY ARROGANT POWER.
Thank you!

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

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Malcolm: I’m Canadian by birth, but get dual British nationality through my parents. At the moment I’m based in Edinburgh, UK, where I’ve lived since 2002. Before that I moved around quite a bit: Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, London, New York, Switzerland, Germany and back to the UK to live in Glasgow for a while. I’m an engineer by profession, so I tend to roam about according to where there’s work for a guy who designs industrial plants. I’m 56 years old. Besides writing, my other big interest is bicycling. I have published research over the years that corrects various damaging myths about bicycling (not that this stops the perpetuation of those myths). I also read a lot of history books.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Malcolm: The basic influence was being a natural born scribbler. I’ve been a scribbler since I was about 7 when I wrote my first biography (of a cuddly toy cat called Passy, who is still around somewhere looking rather mangy). Up until I was about sixteen I scribbled reams and reams of trashy war stories – never with the least ambition to get published, just for the hell of it. After that, ah, other interests took over until I was in my late twenties, when I wrote a novel about a bored engineer living in a crappy industrial town in Yorkshire who gets on his motorbike to find adventure. It was so bad. I put it at the bottom of a box. I scribbled more novels through my thirties – perhaps ten of them. I did hope to publish something, but I could never figure out how to take a raw draft and re-craft it up to a decent standard. This stumped me for many years until I resolved to slog away to the bitter end, allowing myself no pity. A Bloody Arrogant Power was the eventual result of so many redrafts and edits that I long ago lost count.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing this story?

Malcolm: In writing it? The biggest challenge was starting off without any real idea where I was going, and hoping for the best. This made the writing process haphazard in the extreme, but against that, I would not have been able to build an economically and socially coherent world simply by thinking about it. It required dramatic exploration to enable me to see how a new world will likely develop on the far side of the last financial armageddon to come.

As for publishing the story, the biggest challenges arose from there being so many skills and so much know-how required to take even the first step as an Indie writer. To begin with, every accomplishment is a mistake. You have to go back and do it again, and again, and again. Very frustrating! But at length, some competence sticks.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of A BLOOD ARROGANT POWER?

Malcolm: This answer is rather long, but it’s important to understand A Bloody Arrogant Power has a serious basis.
Our global economy is foredoomed to collapse due to inherent flaws in the nature of legal tender and the social contract of affluence. A Bloody Arrogant Power imagines the world on the far side of this terminal disintegration.

Considering legal tender, in our system money is created when banks issue debt. This means that as the economy grows, debt must also grow. The debt can never be paid back, since to do so would suck money out of circulation and cause a depression. That means our economic system is actually a constant race to stay ahead of our own debt. We can do this provided we can lay our hands on cheap resources, in particular cheap oil. However, as the quality of oil reserves declines, the extraction costs go up. This means the world has to borrow more and more to make up the difference.

Concerning the social contract of affluence, this is based on a simple formula: houses + cars + easy credit + cheap foreign holidays = social calm. Every society that has achieved affluence has used this formula. It is simply the real-world action corresponding to the debt-based legal tender. The purpose of the social contract is to pacify the people whilst the top crust of oligarchs harvest immense wealth off the “farmyard” of industry. Mrs Thatcher openly admitted as much to General Pinochet back in the 1980s. Democracy adds to the illusion of a “fair and representative society”.

Now, you can appreciate that all is hunky-dory provided the economy keeps growing at least as fast as debt. The people are happy with their houses, cars and cheap holidays abroad, and the banking system holds together. But if that balance breaks down, then society muct eventually suffer a crisis.

Unfortunately, our system has been in progressive decline since the early 1970s as debt has grown and grown. Today, the only thing keeping the global system going is its own momentum, a temporary glut of Asian savings and the terrifying consequences should the tower of debt collapse.
It’s a perilous situation that all politicians ignore – they keep it right out of public discourse. But at the back of any thinking person’s mind is the certain knowledge that the situation is only a reprieve. There is no way out. It’s only a matter of time before a last, terrible crisis erupts.

A Bloody Arrogant Power is set seventy years after “The Glorious Resolution” that ended our times (the Public Era). Generations have grown up in the new world, knowing nothing else. The fantastic technical achievements we take for granted today are viewed in complete bafflement by those inhabiting a largely de-populated, simple, peaceful, callous world.

TRC: Do you have plans to write a series based upon your post-apocalyptic world? If so, how many books do you anticipate?

Malcolm: I plan to write a series of four. In addition, I will write two prequels.

TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning A BLOOD ARROGANT POWER?

Malcolm: As noted above, I did no research or plotting, and paid a high price in spending years fighting my way out of a mess. Despite this, I believe the world of A Bloody Arrogant Power is more richly imagined than if I had tried to work it all out beforehand. It’s not the kind of thing you can just work out on paper. You have to get into the world and think about the detail of specific daily situations. How do they surface roads without abundant oil? (England has very limited onshore oilfields) What happens to the motorways in a society built around secretive private landowners who feed trespassers to the pigs? How are cars made if rolling mills no longer exist to make (cheap) sheet metal? How are carrier pigeons flying across private land shot down? How do people cope in the total absence of mains water, gas or electricity?

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Malcolm: It’s fundamental. I had great difficulty choosing a base image for the cover of A Bloody Arrogant Power. My problem was that this world does not feature the usual dystopian/post-apocalyptic tropes. There is no nuclear war or pandemic. There is no oppressive state, because there is no state at all, and there is no police force in the sense we understand it. There are no laws as such, just unspoken rules everyone is indoctrinated to obey if they wish to survive. In many respects it is a medieval world, and yet in other respects it is not: they have contraception, aircaft, motor ships, trucks, armoured cars and radar-guided long-range artillery. It is probably closest to the Nazi economy of late in ww2, when slave labourers built ballastic missiles. But it’s very hard to get across such an esoteric message on a cover (without giving the impression it actually is about some Nazi world). I am not entirely satisfied with either the cover or the title, but will stick with them for the moment.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Malcolm: Ummm. What a tough question. Perhaps the best way I can put it is to say I drop the characters in a predicament, and the characters devise their own plans for getting back to safety. It means unexpected things do happen, and I have to revise my general plan of how I wish to push events to a climax.

Malcolm: I think it involves an element of magic, to be honest. I had no idea how my writing would be received by other people until they read it. You need to be in there with the characters. You must be fired up by a genuine fascination with the scene. What are the characters standing on? How warm or cold is it? What do they think is about to happen? What emotion is ruling them in this scene? How do their plans relate to their experiences?

One of the most skilful authors I have ever read in this regard was actually a non-fiction writer describing his career as a submariner in the Second World War. His style is sparing and rarely mentions any emotion, but simply by clear description of the situation and the consequences of dangers he puts the reader down there in a steel tube deep beneath the sea (One of Our Submarines by Edward Young). Akira Yoshimura similarly has a sparing style, with a knack of capturing exactly the vivid detail that nails the experience of a scene.
If writers fail, it is because they do not capture vital details in effective prose, they smear events into lazy abstractions, they fall into the passive voice, their characters are too bland, and life is too easy for them. Effective drama is about the intensification of normal life. It’s hard, but it’s also fascinating. Without that eagerness to enagage with the drama, the story falls flat. Any writer can feel this by instinct, if they have the right instincts.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Malcolm: No. I write in silence. Noise distracts me.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Malcolm: They don’t understand how hard it is to sustain engaging narrative. It’s taken me a long, long time just to get where I am now. My family are mostly academics. They think I’m just messing about.

TRC: What is something that few, if anyone, knows about you?

Malcolm: That would be telling!

TRC: Who is your favorite author (living or dead)?

Malcolm: I can’t give one name. George Orwell, Yvgeny Zamyatin, Boris Pasternak, Akira Yoshimura, Edward Young, Gustave Flaubert and Ernst Junger are all authors I admire enormously. I expect many will find my choice ludicrous, but there it is.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Malcolm: Book 3 of the Sovereigns of the Collapse series. It is drafted, but needs editing.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Malcolm: If your readers have got this far, I think they’ve done pretty well.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – Christmas dinner!

Favorite Dessert – chocolate ice cream

Favorite TV Show – I rarely watch TV, but David Attenborough’s programmes are outstanding.

Last Movie You Saw – Official Secrets

Dark or Milk Chocolate – please don’t force me to choose!

Secret Celebrity Crush – Nicole Kidman

Last Vacation Destination – Nice, France.

Do you have any pets? – No

Last book you read – The Unofficial History of the Falklands War by Hugh Bicheno

TRC: Thank you Malcolm for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of A BLOODY ARROGANT POWER. We wish you
all the best.

Malcolm: Thanks! I hope I’ve not written too much.

Andre, The Kingslayer by Aubrey T. Copeland-Review and Interview

Posted on November 9, 2019 by Sandy

Andre, the Kingslayer by Aubrey T. Copeland-Review and Interview

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 3, 2019

The year is 1427. The Great Revolution has been raging for eight long years, effecting every aspect of life in the Isobellian Empire. Countless are dead, and thousands of families have been torn apart. But the Empire still has hope to be freed.

Andreas Bellbrook is the Kingslayer: a prophesied hero destined by fate to steal the legendary sword Excelsior from the Black King Tiberius. With it, Andre will end the war by killing the Black King despite his immortality.

But Tiberius has grown wise to the Kingslayer’s destiny, and will stop at nothing to see him killed.

Soon, Andre is swept into a war that he wants no part in, and the only way for him to survive is to join the national resistance and steal the legendary sword with their aid. Before long, Andre’s life will depend on their victory.

••••••••••

REVIEW:“The war was almost over.
After eight long years of endless battles, the king would soon be dead. The reign of Tiberius would be known as the darkest in the history of the Empire. Never before had a king been so hated, and never had such hatred been so deserved. But thanks to a man named André (also called “the Kingslayer”), the Black King Tiberius would soon be a memory…..”

Wow!!
That was really good. Although the footnotes that were added after each chapter, were a little confusing at first, but explained much without writing it into the story, so you could skip the footnotes and not really notice too much.

After eight long years the bitter war would soon be over. The most hated king in the Isobellian Empire was Tiberius. He was a cruel and vicious ruler.

Andre is professed to be a kingslayer. (Either a slayer of kings or going to be a slayer)

We then face a long and deadly gave of cat and mouse, Andre must find a special sword in order to kill the “Black King” looking forward clues as to the whereabouts of the sword, all the while avoiding the imperial knights looking to end the legend.

It’s really well written and flows seamlessly from one chapter to another.
The battles are described well. And we get that sense of urgency. Andre needs to find the sword. And he needs to fight the black knight

The supporting characters are written about well. We have a few, that seem more important, a princess that needs to be saved.

It has magical elements in the story also. Wizards, wands and spells. A ring that give the wearer immortality. And a sword that can kill a King!!!

Copy supplied for review

? Reviewed by Julie B

TRC: Hi Aubrey and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the recent release of ANDRE, THE KINGSLAYER.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please
tell us something about yourself?

Follow: Twitter/Amazon Author Page/Instagram/

Aubrey: I am a writer from central Arkansas, who is always down for a good book and a nice beverage. I love animals. I love the simple things. And yes, that includes writing. 🙂

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Aubrey:Honestly, it was probably J.R.R. Tolkien. If he had never been published as a fantasy writer, it’s likely I never would’ve written a single word of fiction. So, you can blame my work on him, though only indirectly.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing this story?

Aubrey:The biggest challenge was the editing process. It is so difficult to find an editor that’s worth the money. Aside from that, another challenge was funding the book’s publication (since I am an indie author). Self-publishing a book that’s a quality product isn’t an easy task. That’s for sure.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of Andre, the Kingslayer?

Aubrey:It’s a high fantasy that focuses on a man named André. He is the subject of a prophecy that says he will end Isobellia’s civil war by stealing a religious artifact (a sword called Excelsior), and by killing the Black King Tiberius with it. In order to do this, André must befriend all sorts of interesting characters, but I’ll keep you in suspense on what kind of characters exactly.

TRC: Do you have plans to write a series focusing on the adventures of Andreas Bellbrook, the Kingslayer?

Aubrey:I don’t currently plan on writing a series. I have an idea for a sequel, but it’s so obscure at this point that it may not ever happen.

TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning Andre, The Kingslayer

Aubrey:That’s an interesting question. I spent virtually no time researching or plotting the book before I wrote the book, but I spent a ridiculous amount of time editing it after the fact. During that time, I did research that I should’ve done at the beginning to make the book better. The whole process took about thirteen years, which is ludicrous because it’s not a huge book.

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Aubrey:I do. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but we all do it. So yes, the cover image is a crucial part of the book as a whole.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Aubrey:I’ve never really thought about it in those terms. Usually, I just come up with an idea and see where it goes. So, I suppose I do a little bit of both, depending on the story.

Aubrey:I think you need to make the reader want to know more information. In a way, you should strive to make them curious about what is going on. I think that curiosity sells. If you can make them curious, you’ll make them want to keep reading.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Aubrey:I can’t write while listening to music. As someone with a severe case of ADHD, I find it way too distracting. So, no music has ever influenced the storyline of my books or my characters.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Aubrey:That writing a book is easy. In a way it’s very easy, but writing a book well—which is key—is quite difficult. If it was an easy task, I think more people would do it.

TRC: What is something that few, if anyone, knows about you?

Aubrey:I can blow bubbles with my tongue! 😀

TRC: Who is your favorite author (living or dead)?

Aubrey:That’s a tough one. There are so many good writers out there. I’ve always enjoyed J.K. Rowling and Brandon Sanderson, but I’ll go with J.R.R. Tolkien because he influenced the entire genre in which I am writing.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Aubrey:Still trying to figure out my next project! Let’s wait and see, shall we?

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Aubrey:The only thing I can add is a big thank you for taking the time to conduct this interview. It makes my job easier.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food Pizza 😀

Favorite Dessert Ben and Jerry’s

Favorite TV Show Smallville!

Last Movie You Saw Ad Astra

Dark or Milk Chocolate Milk

Secret Celebrity Crush Scarlett Johansson

Last Vacation Destination The Rocky Mountains

Do you have any pets? I have three cats and two dogs. 🙂

Last book you read The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson

TRC: Thank you Aubrey for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of Andre, the Kingslayer. We wish you all the best.

On Fractured Ground by Subject BGD-Review & Interview

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Sandy

ON FRACTURED GROUND (The Shattered Lives Chronicles #1) by Subject BGD-Review & Interview

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 1, 2019.

There are no heroes here. Only survivors.

As a child, Tylar Daislea was abandoned at Cellar Institute. A despicable fortress with just one directive: to brainwash, train and traffic women. Introduced to her first trainer at sixteen, she excelled through the initial two years of skills. Until one fateful afternoon, when it all fell apart.

When Tylar leads a second skill trainer to ruin, Corbin Manning receives the call. His father’s unsolved murder left him in charge of the illicit facility his family established decades ago. Forced to return to an underground world he always loathed, Tylar’s behavior threatens to drive him past the brink of his tolerance.

Thrust into the middle is Corbin’s most trusted employee, Chase Tiburon. Faced with a distasteful decision, Chase must return to his former life as a skill trainer or take on a task that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

ABOUT THE SERIES:

Welcome to the universe of Shattered Lives. Dare to take a glimpse into the dark world of the Manning Bloodline. A patriarchal extremist family known for being reclusive in life and ruthless in business. Raised with disregard for everything except bloodline reputation, preservation of genes and success, their heirs are shrewd and without remorse. Over the past three hundred years, all marriages have been arranged and only men have been sired. The leading cause of death is each other.

This series is not for the weak of stomach or the soft of heart. It will challenge the crux of nature versus nurture, as it explores the extremes the mind will go to ensure survival and quality of life.

On Fractured Ground is just the beginning…

*** THIS SERIES IS DARK. IT CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT AND POTENTIAL EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS *** It is unsuitable for readers under the age of 18. Sexual content is frequent, but the story is not formulated erotica and should not be considered romance.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: ON FRACTURED GROUND is the first instalment in Subject BGD’s contemporary, adult THE SHATTERED LIVES CHRONICLES dark, psychological thriller focusing on Tylar Daislea, Corbin Manning, and Corbin’s best friend Chase.

NOTE: Due to the story line content including sexual slavery, assault, rape, non-consensual acts and murder ON FRACTURED GROUND may contain triggers and that may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from several third person perspectives including Tylar, Corbin and Chase ON FRACTURED GROUND follows Tylar Daislea throughout her ‘training’ as a sexual slave. Left at the Cellar Institute as a young child, Tylar would begin a lifetime of discipline and instruction on how to be an obedient sexual slave. Having never known anything other than the ‘guidance’ and instruction of her proctors and trainers at the Cellar Institute Tylar Daislea is coached and indoctrinated into the illegal world of sexual slavery, setting the groundwork for her sale to an unknown buyer. Stripped of their humanity, the ‘slaves in training’ are brainwashed, mentally and emotionally abused in preparation for a world they know nothing about. Having defied her ‘handlers and trainers’ on more than one occasion, our heroine Tylar Daislea must endure solitary confinement, isolation and deprivation for having questioned and disobeyed the people in charge. If not for the desperate act of the reluctant Cellar Institute owner Corbin Manning, and his right hand man Chase, Tylar’s life may have been forfeited months before.

Tylar Daislea is drawn to a man who makes the life and death decisions at Cellar Institute. Power and control, discipline and obedience, form the basis of the Institutes drive to succeed in an attempt to provide a service to the rich and well-connected but Corbin Manning keeps secret the truth about Tylar’s connections to the Cellar Institute, a connection that prevents Corbin from relinquishing total ownership and control.

ON FRACTURED GROUND is a well written, sweeping and detailed, dark, gritty, raw and bleak look at the lengths some people will go to in order to control and destroy the lives of the most vulnerable; a sick and twisted game in order to break the strong, and weed out the weak. The premise is blunt and heart breaking; the characters are broken, damaged, fragmented and torn.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC: Hi and welcome to The Reading Café.

Congratulations on the recent release of ON FRACTURED GROUND.

Subject BGD: Thank you!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow: Twitter / Facebook / Amazon Author Page / Goodreads / Website

Subject BGD: Born and raised in Western Washington, I grew up with horses, and dirt bikes. As an adult, I’m huge into gaming. Tabletop games dominate my non-writing life, though video games also hold a special place in my heart. My favorite mechanics are resource management and worker placement. Party games are fun, but I’m not a huge fan of social deduction. I never turn down a game of 7 Wonders, with our without expansions. Always down for a night of Dungeons and Dragons, or a weekend of Kingdom Death Monster. When console gaming comes into play, it’s usually Borderlands, Destiny, Witcher, Dragon Age, or Skyrim.

TRC: Subject BGD is a mysterious choice for your author name. Would you please address the use of Subject BGD, and any significance it has to the series?

Subject BGD: Due to the theme of the Shattered Lives Chronicles, I wanted to keep my real name separate from the series. I thought it would be neat for my penname to foreshadow a reveal in Book 3, Broken by Blood. Gayle Schnaber is also a pseudonym, since Facebook would not allow me to create a profile as Subject BGD. Not every FB group will allow authors to join as pages, and they are full of great resources. A reoccurring character, readers will meet the inspiration for Gayle in On Fractured Ground.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Subject BGD: The series was as an outlet for tragedies that struck throughout my life, and it was never intended to be published. It helped me work through everything from childhood hospitalizations, assaults, DV, emotional abuse, an earth-shattering discovery about my family, and even a miscarriage. I “finished” the story in 2008, but rewrote it whenever I felt devastated. I would alter reality to make things 10x worse for my characters, and force them to be stronger than I ever could. I cursed Corbin with the ability to shut down, though at the price of sometimes exploding. I granted Tylar the courage to stand up for herself, no matter the risk. And I gifted Chase with the level head I never had, but not the sense to avoid working for a corrupt establishment.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing your first novel?

Subject BGD: Writing was easy, I pantsed the entire series (in Layman’s, no outline or mapped plot, though I did create a retroactive timeline to keep everything straight). The challenge came when a friend read part of the story in 2018 and convinced me to publish. Luckily, she offered help with marketing and editing (she has experience with both). But I had to learn to identify and remove passive voice, and change telling to showing. At over 1,000,000 words, the story also had to be split into volumes. Rewriting to fix pacing has been no small task, but the reward of reading a tighter manuscript is exhilarating. I’ve been thrilled by the reaction from readers!

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of ON FRACTURED GROUND and the Shattered Lives Chronicles?

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Subject BGD: Most people find a way to normalize atrocities when they feel powerless. It’s a survival mechanism, and it is prolific in victims of long-term abuse. Corbin’s psychological abuse began at birth; Tylar’s when she was 4-years-old. On Fractured Ground introduces what they endured, demonstrates how it made them who they are as it continues to shape their lives, and reveals its impact on the people around them. This is NOT a story about heroes. It’s a tale of survival, and the cost is different for each of the 3 main characters.

TRC: There are a number of potential ‘triggers’ for more sensitive readers. What would you like to say to the readers to address their fears?

Subject BGD: Although the settings, events, and people are fictional, the situations that compelled me to write them are real. My self-administered therapy is not suitable for all readers, but creating an adaptation of devastating experiences saved me from suicide more than once. It was how I survived sexual assault by an ex, and another by a coworker a decade and a half later. The Shattered Lives Chronicles was the only means of escaping my darkest hours. I hope others can find the strength I did through Tylar, Chase, and Corbin.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Subject BGD:The finished story will be divided into 5 or 6 novels. Remaining Shards will be the final installment for this story in the Chronicles, though I have a second that takes place 19 years later. At 371,285 words, it focuses more on the Texas Mannings and delves a little deeper into the realm of eugenics. I have no idea how it ends, so it’s hard to tell how many books it will add. Probably another 3 to 5.

TRC: From where did you get the idea for ON FRACTURED GROUND?

Subject BGD:Sexual frustration and too much daytime TV. It was supposed to be a short erotic fanfic based on General Hospital in the early 2000s. Next thing I know it’s a GH-less monstrosity with sex included, although no longer the focus. Oops?

TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning ON FRACTURED GROUND and the Shattered Lives Chronicles?

Subject BGD: I wrote first and asked questions later. When reading back through, I dug for plausibility on certain scenarios that might seem outlandish. Since the story deals with experimental psychology, fact-checking dropped me down a number of conspiracy theory rabbit holes. These always lead to some aspect of the modern-day interpretation of the Illuminati. Yes, I know their real history (way more boring than what people think of them nowadays). No, the series does not contain their theories or ideology. They are mentioned in passing by a character in Book 3. It’s a nod to the conspiracy theorists and to make fun of myself for spending too many hours reading myths about world domination.

TRC: What was the most challenging scene to write?

Subject BGD: Tylar’s extreme naiveté was often a difficult thing to portray. Cellar Institute censors education, reading material, music and videos. Its students can count and tell time, but do not know simple math and have never seen money. Though taught enough to be conversational, they are undereducated to a degree that makes them seem “dumb as a pile of rocks” to outsiders. As someone who benefitted from formal education, I had to rack my brain over what they would or wouldn’t know. Then came the task of figuring out how an intelligent woman raised under such conditions would make deductions the others wouldn’t. Later in the story, I had to give her a believable train of thought for learning the impossible. It was a very interesting challenge.

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Subject BGD: Yes. It’s a reader’s first impression when browsing online or in bookstores. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but truth is most people do.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Subject BGD: I sit down with an idea, a beverage of choice, and the best of intentions. Everything that happens from there takes on a life of its own. Things do not always go my way and most plans fly out the window. It’s another reason I run with ideas, instead of outlining. Too much work for something the characters and plot will deviate away from.

Subject BGD: In Dnd, we call it ‘character vs. player knowledge’. The Author must know their character inside and out, and be able to put themselves in the situation AS that character. Fleshing this out goes so much deeper than a simple character description sheet (those are a great start, though). You need to know exactly what your character would do in any given situation, which often means living as your character for a time. It means rewriting, and backstories. Side fiction also helps A LOT, because it gives the opportunity to flesh out not just who they are, but WHY they are.

I’ve read a number of books where the characters are either underdeveloped, or I get yanked from the story when they do or say things that don’t align with their values/personality.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Subject BGD: I need complete silence when creating. If people are moving about the cabin, it pulls me out of the universe and I get irritated. However, there is a story arc involving a band called Tight Merge, and I created a soundtrack for the series in Spotify. So, music is still an important part of the process!

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Subject BGD: That we are what we write. Sure, most of us pour our souls into our manuscripts, but we are still a separate entity. After reading what my series was about, a friend said: “I didn’t know you felt that way about men.” The story doesn’t reflect my views on men or women. My devastated brain gave birth to a work of fiction, which developed a personality of its own as it grew.

TRC: How should authors measure a book’s success?

Subject BGD:By how the inspires its readers to feel. We create a way for people to escape their everyday lives. For a novel to be truly successful, it must transport its reader to another universe and allow them the opportunity to be someone else for a time.

TRC: What is something that few, if anyone, knows about you?

Subject BGD: I am an extrovert who suffers from a social anxiety that often feels debilitating. Whenever I reveal this, people are shocked. Apparently, I hide it very well.

TRC: Who is your favorite author (living or dead)?

Subject BGD: Brandon Sanderson, hands down. Before I discovered him, it was Dan Simmons.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Subject BGD: Rewriting Book 2: Fragmented Past. Hoping to have it ready before April, 2020!

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Subject BGD: I have a free flash fiction backstory for the Shattered Lives Chronicles available on my website, and I plan to write more. At less than 1,000 words, ‘Collared’ recounts the day Corbin’s parents met in Sicily. Unrelated to Cellar Institute, this 5-minute read can be enjoyed as a stand-alone for those who have not yet read On Fractured Ground. If you have read the first installment of the series, it provides some insight and has an Easter egg for Book 4: Malunion.

I’ve written another short stand-alone called ‘Pixies in the Night’, which uncovers some of the mystery behind Tylar’s parents. It’s been submitted for publication in an online flash fiction magazine. If it’s accepted, I’ll post its link to my site!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Sushi

Favorite Dessert
DQ Blizzard

Favorite TV Show
I’d probably have to say Rick and Morty. I own a number of their board games, as well.

Last Movie You Saw
Mortal Engines

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Milk Chocolate, all the way!

Secret Celebrity Crush
Ian Somerhalder

Last Vacation Destination
Japan (spent 3 days in Tokyo, and 3 in Okinawa).

Do you have any pets?
I rescued a Siamese kitten 7 years ago, and trained her like a dog. She knows ‘no’, ‘come here’, ‘get down’, and comes to her name.

Last book you read
A post-apocalyptic novella called “Life after the Fall” by G.J. Ogden. It’s a prequel to his Planetsider series. I’m currently reading the next installment, aptly named ‘The Planetsider’. I’m also listening to the Harry Potter series on Audible.

TRC: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of ON FRACTURED GROUND. We wish you all the best.

Jake’s Redemption (Angel Eyes Series Prequel) by Jamie Schulz-Review & Interview

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Sandy

JAKE’S REDEMPTION (The Angel Eyes Series Prequel) by Jamie Schulz-Review & Interview

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.au / Amazon.uk / B&N /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 1,2019

In a broken world, he faced a future full of pain. Will one daring woman be his last chance for love… Before time runs out…

Jake longs for the life men lived before war destroyed everything and women enslaved them. When fate forces a temporary reprieve from torment and imprisonment, escape becomes his primary objective. Until his new captor sparks hope, and something far more passionate, in his lonely heart.

After giving up on romance, Monica dedicated herself to sheltering unfortunate souls from a harsh new society. But then destiny delivered a desperate man to her doorstep. A man she soon discovers she cannot ignore and would do anything to save.

Will Monica be able to free Jake from the vicious woman who wants to break him? Or will Jake be forced to leave Monica behind to save himself?

••••••••••

REVIEW: JAKES’ REDEMPTION is the first instalment and full-length prequel in Jamie Schulz’ post-apocalyptic, dystopian, erotic romance series focusing on a world controlled and ruled by women. This is former rancher and slave Jake Nichols, and ranch owner Monica Avery’s story line.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line there are numerous triggers including rape, torture, abuse, non-consent, slavery and imprisonment that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person points of view (Jake and Monica) JAKE’S REDEMPTION follows Jake Nichols spiral into the darkness, and the building relationship between our broken hero, and rancher Monica Avery. Several years earlier a catastrophic war destroyed cities and towns throughout the world, and ‘changed the social order’ between men and women. In the ensuing aftermath, a second civil war between the sexes resulted in women becoming the dominant and controlling sex, while men were slaves to be used and abused. Jake Nichols, and his best friend Bret Masters hid in the mountains only to find themselves captured by raiding parties and sentenced to servitude and slavery for the rest of their lives.

Jake Nichols is a broken man; shattered by months of sexual abuse at the hands of his Mistress and owner Darla Cain, and her equally cruel and abusive friends and council members. When rancher Monica Avery offers Jake a chance at temporary ‘freedom’ from Darla’s barbarism, Jake is sceptical about Monica’s intent. What ensues is the slow building relationship between Jake and Monica, and the potential fall-out as Jake’s time with Monica comes to an end.

The relationship between Jake and Monica struggles in the face of Jake’s imprisonment and torture by Darla Cain. Fractured, and unable to trust, Jake battles the memories, the fears, the humiliation, and the possibility of returning to Darla’s hold, fear that controls every aspect of his life. Monica’s attraction to Jake is met with uncertainty as Jake’s trust has been destroyed by betrayal, abuse and torture.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Jake’s friend Bret Masters; Monica’s best friend Angel Aldridge and her head guard Michelle, as well as Monica’s ranch hands and guards- Shawn Brohm, Rosa Santos, Kristine, Trevor and Kara, and Section Council member Jewel Stewart; Darla Cain, and Carrie Simpson. Angel and Bret’s story line is next.

The world building looks at the aftermath of another world war, and the consequences of corrupt power. Not all women are cruel or vindictive but those that are have destroyed any sense of peace for the men that survived.

JAKE’S REDEMPTION is a heart breaking, emotional, dark and gritty story of survival wherein recovery is next to impossible; and memories control the present and the future.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC: Hi Jamie and welcome to The Reading Café.

Congratulations on the recent release of JAKE’S REDEMPTION.

Jamie: Thanks!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow: Facebook / Website / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page

Jamie: I have been writing on and off for thirty-odd years. Working on this series much of that time, but other stories as well. Including short stories for friends when I was in school.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Jamie: Hum…Well, there are a few things that influenced me. I always really loved to read. My first favorite author was Tolkien. I loved the scope of his writing, the worlds and cultures he created enthralled me. I wanted to do the same. In high school, I had a notoriously difficult English teacher who was the first to comment on my raw talent and encouraged me to write every day to keep improving…and I did…mostly.

Thirdly, thanks to my cousin, I discovered romance novels in my early teens. I’d always made up stories in my head, used to fall asleep at night dreaming them up. After reading my first romance—Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss—I wanted to write my own.
And lastly, I’ve always loved cowboys and been a country girl at heart, if not entirely in life. In the Angel Eyes Series, I wanted to bring that out, mixed in with some other things (genres) to come up with something different and intriguing. I think I did that. Hopefully, readers will too.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing your first novel?

Jamie: Oh, my, there were so many and I had so very much to learn to do it all! One was just finding the time to write. Another was finding good editors. Editing was arduous, but ultimately very worthwhile. Then getting reviews…Ah! All the research and details that go into this and all the other aspects of marketing are exhausting. Even more so when you’re doing it on your own. The cover design took me forever too, but everything worked out in the end. Now, I’m getting ready to do it all over again with my next novel.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of JAKE’S REDEMPTION and the Angel Eyes Series?

Jamie: Well, basically it’s about characters who’ve survived devastating wars, global destruction, and the restart of civilization, only to end up living in an oppressive, reversed society where women rule what is left and men have been subjugated. The main characters must struggle to overcome the harsh rules in order to be together permanently before their enemies can tear them apart.

TRC: There are a number of potential ‘triggers’ for more sensitive readers. What would you like to say to the readers to address their fears?

Jamie: Yes, there are some disturbing scenes—two dream scenes in particular. The society’s harsh rules are what make this a dystopian world. But it is also a romance, and there are some very steamy scenes between the main characters as they learn to trust and fall in love. The strongest themes in the story include love, trust, friendship, and family; about overcoming obstacles and working together to do so. (There is some contemporary cowboy romance in that.)

I asked some early readers to give me three words to describe the story after they finished the book. The three that came up the most were Romantic, Hopeful, and Intriguing. One reviewer also recently said that the story is “uplifting and lets the reader know that if you surround yourself with the right people, you CAN get through” anything. That was what I was hoping to accomplish.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Jamie: Currently the plan is for six books (all a continuing story) and this one prequel. There is also a contemporary short story about how the two male characters discussed in Jake’s Redemption first became friends. People who buy the book will get a link to it at the end. I’m considering doing two or three other stories for other characters, but that’s still undecided right now.

TRC: From where did you get the idea for JAKE’S REDEMPTION?

Jamie: History is where I get a lot of ideas in general. The very first idea for this series came to me in high school history class. We were studying the American Civil War. I remember thinking, “What could be worse than living as a slave?” The idea grew and morphed as my friends and I discussed the topic. Especially after I brought up two questions:
1. “What if slavery wasn’t about race, but, instead, about gender?”
2. “What if women were the ones in control and they weren’t all that nice?”
Those ideas sparked a long, interesting conversation, which encouraged me to put pen to paper. Over the years, lots and lots of notebooks, napkins, parchment—you name the paper there’s a good chance I used it—were filled with outlines and notes and chapters for this long tale.

History is where a lot of the societal base and the inequality in the story comes from, both older and more contemporary. Jake’s story came to light about two years ago, when I felt, that because he plays such an important part in the lives of the main characters in the series, that he needed his own story told first. Once that thought struck me, I sat down and started to write.

TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning JAKE’S REDEMPTION?

Jamie: I’d usually have a specific idea and think about it for a while, often making a quick outline or notes about it before starting a book. Then, once I have a basic idea of what I want, I start writing. I’m a bit of a pantser but I’m also a plotter, so I guess that makes me a “plantser”. I will sometimes stop writing for a day or two to think about the story and/or to read up on whatever scenario that “just came up” or that I feel I’m not knowledgeable enough to get the meaning or image across to the readers accurately. As I said, a lot of the story comes from history, so I did a lot of reading about the past. I researched slavery and the human reaction to trauma among other things. I actually started writing the main part of the series first, so I’ve done a ton of research on all kinds of things, including farming, ranching, construction and more, so it’s hard to put an amount of time on how long I spent.

TRC: There is a fine line between romance, erotic and erotica fiction. What do you believe are the differences? And where should the author draw the line?

Jamie: Hum…well, I haven’t thought a lot about this, but in my humble opinion they are very similar. The major difference that I’ve seen is that erotic romance involves two characters getting together for more than just sex (but with a lot of heat in the sex that is depicted and more of it), whereas erotica can often have many partners and with the main focus of the story being on the sex.

To me, romance is about more than just great sex. Sure, it’s a big part, but I’m more about the emotional connection that, which when there, makes the sex out of this world (and I’m not talking aliens here).

I find the human condition and how we handle/react to things in our environment and lives very interesting, but I think there are some authors that go to extremes in their stories and there are some things that I personally just won’t read. I have read both types of books and there were a few I didn’t finish simply because I didn’t like some aspect of the story or the characters themselves for whatever reason.

That said, I feel authors should write the story inside them, but keep in mind that people shouldn’t have to hurt to be with someone and I’m not talking about consensual BDSM here, if you know what I mean.

TRC: What was the most challenging scene to write?

Jamie: The boring ones. Okay, I’m only partially joking. I like writing almost all scenes. I’ve found that I want to rush through some of the less central parts and get to the good stuff where the characters get together. But I also like building the world and the suspense so that when they get together it’s meaningful.

Later in the series, there is a rather violent scene that was very hard to write and may get whittled down a bit before publication. That one was definitely the hardest one to write that I can recall.

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Jamie: Oh, yes, absolutely. I will often skim through covers and check out ones that catch my eye, but titles and subtitles are also important too and I look at those as well. If those two things are interesting enough, I’ll read the synopsis and buy if it sounds good. That said, I encourage everyone to read the synopsis before you buy. I’ve found some wonderful stories with not so wonderful covers simply because I bothered to read the synopsis.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Jamie: I’d say a little of both. I usually have an idea of where the story needs to go. I call them milestones. The characters determine how the story travels to get them to each predetermined scene. Sometimes those milestone have to change because the character has changed, grown, and the scene needs to show that in their reactions.

Jamie: Oh, wow, this is a deep question and one I struggled with when I first started. I feel that a writer must show how characters are feeling to draw the reader in. There are lots of ways to do this such as body language and dialogue, as well as descriptions of inner physical and emotional sensations that readers will intuitively understand and pick up on and, thus, be drawn into the character’s world and emotions.

So many of us storytellers make mistakes in this by simply telling the story. I’ve done it, but I’ve also learned a lot since I first started too. Hopefully, my readers will feel the same.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Jamie: I used to do this a lot and I do for some stories, but lately I haven’t been. I’ve preferred to have quiet or to sit outside with the sounds of nature. But that may change for the next book, I never know.

Going by my previous experience with music and writing, I can’t say it influences the storyline or characters all that much. However, I have a story where I used quotes from songs to introduce a chapter because it hinted at what was going on and how the characters felt. In that way it may have had some influence, but my swirling brain did most of the work.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Jamie: That we make good money. Most authors, especially Indie authors, have full time jobs, many have families, and they all can only write when they are free of those responsibilities. Usually early in the morning or late at night and on weekends if nothing else is going on.

The other is that Indie authors are not really published authors. If people knew how much work goes into publishing a book, not to mention doing it on your own—and I’m not even talking about writing the thing—they’d have a whole new respect for Indie authors.

TRC: How should authors measure a book’s success?

Jamie: This depends on the author and what they want to accomplish. What is their idea of success? For me, it’s a series of steps. Get the book written. Get the book edited. Get the book published. Market the book. Advertise. Get sales. Get more sales. Make it to the Amazon bestsellers list, then USA Today, and then work on the next one, NYT, etc.

TRC: What is something that few, if anybody, knows about you?

Jamie: I like sauerkraut.

TRC: Who is your favorite author (living or dead)?

Jamie: I have several, but the top three are: Tolkien, Karen Robards, and Kathleen Woodiwiss

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Jamie: Editing Masters’ Mistress, Book 1 of the Angel Eyes Series and trying to finish Book 5 of the same series, Masters’ Betrayal

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Jamie: I am very thankful to everyone who has helped me with this project in some way. From friends and family, to my editors, to my beta readers, and to all those who take a chance to read and spread the news about a new Indie author like me. Thank you!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
French Fries

Favorite Dessert
Almost all of them

Favorite TV Show
Don’t watch a lot of TV, but I do love Supernatural

Last Movie You Saw
In the theater, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
At home, Extinction

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Both… Depends on my mood

Secret Celebrity Crush
Jensen Ackles

Last Vacation Destination
Montana

Do you have any pets?
Yes.

Last book you read.
I just finished three…
Jock by Jacob Chance
After We Fall by Melanie Harlow
A Husband’s Regret by Natasha Anders
All were quite good.

TRC: Thank you Jamie for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of JAKE’S REDEMPTION. We wish you all the best.

Indian Paintbrush (Carson Chronicles #3) by John A Heldt-Review, Interview & Giveaway

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Sandy

INDIAN PAINTBRUSH (The Carson Chronicles #3) by John A Heldt-Review, Interview & Giveaway

Indian Paintbrush
Carson Chronicles #3
by John A Heldt
Release Date: November 26, 2018
Genre: adult, historical, time travel

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 26, 2018

Arizona, December 1943. After surviving perilous six-month journeys to 1889 and 1918, the Carsons, five siblings from the present day, seek a respite in their home state. While Adam and Greg settle down with their Progressive Era brides, Natalie and Caitlin start romances with wartime aviators and Cody befriends a Japanese family in an internment camp. The time travelers regroup, bury old ghosts, and continue their search for their missing parents. Then old problems return, new ones emerge, and a peaceful hiatus becomes a race for survival. In INDIAN PAINTBRUSH, the sequel to RIVER RISING and THE MEMORY TREE, seven young adults find love and adventure as they navigate the home front during the height of World War II

••••••••

REVIEW: INDIAN PAINTBRUSH is the third instalment in John A Heldt’s adult, historical, time-travel series focusing on the Carson siblings-Adam, Natalie, Greg, Cody and Caitlin. INDIAN PAINTBRUSH can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion.

Note: Indian Paintbrush, the favorite flower of Caitlin Carson, is a short-lived, wildflower found in forest clearings and grasslands across the Western, and Southwestern United States

Told from several third person points of view INDIAN PAINTBRUSH follows the Carson siblings, a family of time travellers, as they go in search of their missing parents Tim and Caroline Carson. Months earlier, the siblings discovered their parents were missing but an itinerary of places and timelines found the family on a journey of their own. Starting in 2017, the siblings travelled back in time to 1889, 1918, and presently in the tumultuous era of 1943-44. Adam and Greg, having fallen in love, would bring their new significant others along for the ride.

When the Carson siblings entered the portal in 1918, they had no idea what to expect in 1943 Arizona, an era fraught with the uncertainty of war. The 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor resulted in the forced internment of Japanese, Americans, at the Butte Camp in Rivers, Arizona , as America prepared to go to war. Struggling to locate their parents, always one step ahead or behind, Natalie, Cody and Caitlin would each discover love, but not all loves are meant for a happily ever after.

John A Heldt’s pulls the reader into a turbulent past; an era of distrust and anxiety; the unpredictability of war; and the knowledge of what was, and what would never be. Secrets revealed, and threats from the past force the siblings to, once again, run for their lives but along the way, the Carson clan would welcome two new travellers on their voyage of discovery and love.

INDIAN PAINTBRUSH is a complex story line awash in colorful facts, historical fiction, and the possibility of what might have been. A contemporary family caught up in the past, the Carson siblings, know that to interfere in history, could mean a different outcome for everyone concerned. Knowledge is a powerful tool but to reveal what was and what will be places everyone in danger including the people they love. An amazing storyteller, John A Heldt pens a story of survival, loss, history and love.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
River Rising
The Memory Tree
Indian Paintbrush

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC: Hi, John, and welcome back to The Reading Café.

Congratulations on the recent release of INDIAN PAINTBRUSH.

For anyone who doesn’t know John A. Heldt, would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow John: Goodreads / Facebook / Website/Blog/ Twitter / Amazon / Instagram / Tumblr

John: I’m a married father of two grown daughters and a son and, as of August 15, the grandfather of a delightful little girl named Stella. Before turning to novel writing in 2011, I worked as a sports writer and editor for several newspapers in Oregon and Washington, where I was born and raised, and several more years as a reference librarian in Montana. I love traveling around the western United States, watching sports, cooking, and experiencing the great outdoors. I currently make my home in the Las Vegas, Nevada, area.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing your first novel?

John: Like most authors starting out, I faced several. When I created The Mine in 2011 and early 2012, I did so without any formal knowledge of novel writing, publishing, or selling books in a competitive market. So I sought help where I could find it. Several friends and family members, including my (then) 17-year-old daughter Amy, provided much-needed help and guidance. With their assistance, I managed to produce a novel that is still selling today.

TRC: How did publishing your first book change your writing process?

John: I became much more disciplined and methodical. I evolved into a plotter who set time aside for specific tasks, outlined chapters in advance, and enlisted the help of others. I did what I could to learn from my mistakes and streamline the process of putting out a novel.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of INDIAN PAINTBRUSH and the Carson Chronicles series?

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

John: The series is a family saga with a time-travel twist. In book one, River Rising, Adam Carson, a 27-year-old Arizona engineer in 2017, discovers that his missing parents are not victims of foul play but rather secret time travelers who became stuck in 1888. Armed with the knowledge he needs to find them, Adam convinces his younger siblings — Greg (25), Natalie (23), and twins Cody and Caitlin (17) — to join him on a rescue mission, which soon becomes a perilous life-changing journey that takes the travelers from the 1880s to 1918 and beyond. Indian Paintbrush is series’ third book. Set primarily in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1944, it focuses less on the search and more on the siblings as they get on with their lives in their grandparents’ time. Adam and Greg start families with their Progressive Era wives, Natalie and Caitlin strike up romances with wartime aviators, and Cody fights injustice as a regular visitor to an internment camp for Japanese Americans.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

John: I plan two more books. Number four will be set in Boulder, Colorado, in the fall of 1962, during the height of the Cuban missile crisis. Book number five will be set in Maine in the summer of 1983 and be based on my own experiences as a camp counselor.

TRC: From where did you get the idea for the CARSON CHRONICLES?

John: I got it from reading John Jakes’ family sagas. He is the author of Kent Family Chronicles and the North and South trilogy. I love the way he tells stories.

TRC: What drew you to write a ‘time-travel’ series?

John: I did not decide to write any series until long after I published my first book. When I released The Mine in February 2012, I did not intend to write another book. I wrote The Mine primarily to check off an item on my bucket list. Then came a surprising number of sales and positive reviews. I reevaluated the situation and decided to keep going. Because I liked viewing history through modern eyes, I stuck with the time-travel theme and published The Journey (2012), The Show (2013), The Fire (2013), and The Mirror (2014) in short order. I also built on The Mine story by writing two novels (The Show and The Mirror) that completed a Smith family trilogy within a five-book series. I so enjoyed putting together the Northwest Passage series that I continued with the American Journey and Carson Chronicles series. I hope to create at least one more time-travel series before moving on to other things.

TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning the CARSON CHRONICLES series?

John: I am a plotter of the first order. I spend dozens of hours researching and outlining books and series before I write a single word. I do this mostly for practical reasons. I want to get from Point A to Point B without getting lost or painting myself into a corner. When writing time-travel novels, authors must pay particularly close attention to detail and the established norms of the genre. To do otherwise is to invite unnecessary trouble.

TRC: Does historical accuracy play a large role in the CARSON CHRONICLES series? Do you believe an author should follow historical accuracy when writing a book or series about the past (regardless of genre)?

John: Yes to the first question and mostly yes to the second. I am a history buff who goes to great lengths to achieve historical accuracy in my works. On occasion, I will even change things that most readers would not notice or even care about. For example, when writing The Mine, I removed a reference to Glenn Miller’s “Chattanooga Choo Choo” from a chapter set in July 1941 because the song did not hit the airwaves until weeks later. That said, I understand the need to bend the rules on occasion. Though I believe authors should strive for historical accuracy as often as possible, particularly when presenting the big picture, I also think they should have some latitude when presenting the smaller stuff. I know I have strayed from the “rules” a few times. For example, in several of my works, I have set up humorous, sometimes poignant, encounters between my time travelers and celebrities. Scenes like these are what separate historical fiction from the just-the-facts-ma’am history most of us read in school.

TRC: What was the most challenging scene to write?

John: Without a doubt, it was the first chapter of Hannah’s Moon, the fifth and final book in the American Journey series. Based on a wrenching personal experience, it portrayed a young childless couple in a hospital room following the birth of their stillborn son. I spent more than a month working on that chapter because I wanted to get it right.

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

John: Yes. Readers are a lot like people looking for a new house. They first judge a product on its curb appeal and then decide whether to investigate what’s inside.

TRC: Do you believe the self-publishing industry hurts the traditionally published author, or publishing industry as a whole? If so, how or why not?

John: Yes and no. Some indie authors still publish poorly written works that reflect badly on their peers and the industry as a whole. Many others, however, do not. They make important contributions to the market by producing works — solid works — that might not have seen the light of day ten to fifteen years ago. They are writing books that readers want but could not always find in the past because of restrictions on genre, length, and content.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

John: No. I need quiet when writing. I simply cannot write or edit in an environment where there are distractions or background noises. That said, I listen to music — relevant music — when planning a book, plotting storylines, and creating characters. For example, when laying the groundwork for Class of ’59, a novel set mostly in a South Pasadena, California, high school in the spring of 1959, I compiled a soundtrack of 1950s songs and listened to it for hours. I wanted to get a feel for the times before writing the book.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

John: I imagine it’s that our work is very exciting. In fact, it can be very boring. Writing a novel is a pedestrian exercise that requires gobs of time, quiet, and solitude. On the plus side, we have the chance to meet a lot of interesting people, particularly when marketing our books, and sometimes travel to interesting places when researching them. I have traveled to the primary settings of more than half of my thirteen novels and enjoyed every trip.

TRC: How should authors measure a book’s success?

John: I don’t know about other writers, but I measure a book’s success by the impact it has on readers. If a novel prompts people to read the next installment in the series, it has succeeded. If it does not, it has failed. As an author, I can tell you that there is no better feeling than producing something that complete strangers want to read again and again.

TRC: What is something that few, if anybody, knows about you?

John: I was a triple major as an undergraduate at the University of Oregon in the 1980s. I could not decide whether to major in journalism, history, or political science, so I attended school an extra year and earned a bachelor’s degree in all three disciplines.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

John: I am currently working on converting some of my early books to print. Almost all are available only in Kindle and audio format. I plan to market Indian Paintbrush in December and January and then turn my full attention to writing book four in the Carson Chronicles series. I expect to have the next book out by the summer of 2019.

TRC: Thank you, John, for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the new release. We wish you all the best.

John A Heldt is graciously offering the first three ebooks (mobi, epub or pdf) in the CARSON CHRONICLES Time Travel Series to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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The Laws of Founding (Eververse Chronicles #1) by Nicole McKeon-Review and Interview

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Sandy

THE LAWS OF FOUNDING (Eververse Chronicles #1) by Nicole McKeon-Review and Interview

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon. uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 16, 2018

When Allie finally notices the clues, it’s already too late.
Stuck in the wrong world, her only ticket back to Earth is the group of mysterious strangers who kidnap her from a psychiatric ward, then leave her with Ronan, a beautiful but intimidating man who can disappear at will.

After learning the truth—that she is a Walker, one of the rare few with the ability to move between dimensional realities—Allie discovers the wonders of the Eververse, and confronts terrifying danger that will put the lives of everyone she loves in peril.

Allie is willing to risk her life, her sanity, and her heart to save the ones she loves, but her newly discovered powers won’t be enough save her from the consequences of walking the Eververse.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: THE LAWS OF FOUNDING is the first instalment in Nicole McKeon’s new adult EVERVERSE CHRONICLES fantasy series focusing ‘Walker’ Allison Chapters, a college student who suddenly finds herself ‘walking’ between dimensional realities in an effort to understand the truth of how and why.

When we are first introduced to Allison Chapters she has awoken in an alternate reality where the people are familiar but not. No sooner has she found herself in the local psychiatric ward then our heroine is freed by her would-be ‘rescuers’ a group that call themselves the Venatore, or hunters. As Allison’s world slowly begins to unravel she discovers that she has mystical powers of her own, powers that attract otherworldly assassins determined to kill our story line heroine. ‘Walking’ into mythical worlds thought only to have existed in fairy tales and lore, Allison, along with her mentor and Venatore Ronan find refuge in Avalon, alongside a fabled King, brought to life in True Earth’s stories and movies. From present day, to the medieval times of kingdoms and knights, Allison ventures on a journey of philosophical discovery where she must battle between head and heart, breaking the ‘laws of Founding’ as she travels the Eververse, in an effort to save the man with whom she is falling in love, only to discover that the not is all as it appears to have been.

THE LAWS OF FOUNDING is an entertaining, mesmorizing, exhilarating and animated story of fabled lore, fantasy and mythology; an imaginative tale of times past that traverse the present; of one woman’s discovery of self and the other. A simple yet complex story of energy, magic, power and love.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC: Hi Nicole, and welcome to The Reading Cafe.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow Nicole: Facebook / Website / Goodreads / Amazon Author page

Nicole: The most important things for anyone to know about me are that I’ve been happily married to the love of my life for fifteen years, I’ve got 3 sons, I have a deep and abiding love for fantasy in any form be it video games (Legend of Zelda, I’m looking at you,) books or movies, my curiosity is insatiable, I have no self-control around macarons, and I’m happiest when I’m outside.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Nicole: This is a tricky one, because I’ve loved to make up stories since I was tiny. I think the biggest influence though, aside from my parents letting me watch movies like Legend, The Labyrinth, and Willow when I was little, was my sixth grade English teacher, Stan Smith. He always wore a tie and loafers with no socks, his office area looked like a wizard’s tower with books and papers piled knee high, and he taught us to love and respect the power of well-chosen words. Room 212 forever!

TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you encountered writing and publishing your first novel?

Nicole: The hardest part of the process was finding balance between working on my manuscript, building my career as a photographer, and family life. I lost a lot of sleep writing The Laws of Founding.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of your new fantasy novel THE LAWS OF FOUNDING?

Nicole: The Laws of Founding follows college student Allie Chapter as she discovers her ability to move between dimensional realities in the Eververse, and how that opens the door for her to learn the truth about secrets from her past; secrets that put her life in danger.

TRC: At what age level is the story line directed (young adult, adult, new adult, all ages)?

Nicole: The main character, Allie, is in her early 20’s, which makes the book a natural fit for the New Adult genre. She deals with a lot of issues common to people that age, but I had an adult audience in mind when I wrote the book. Honestly, I wrote the story for myself first, because I wanted to know what happened!

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series or is THE LAWS OF FOUNDING a stand-alone novel?

Nicole: The Eververse Chronicles will be a trilogy; The Laws of Founding, The Founding Lie (the manuscript is about halfway done for this one) and the name of the last book is still to be determined. However, I already have other stories brewing that might have ties to the Eververse, so I don’t think I’ll leave the world(s) behind, entirely.

TRC: From where did you get the idea for THE LAWS OF FOUNDING?

Nicole: I’ve always been interested in mythology, and this book came about from wondering what would happen if Multiverse Theory were a reality, and if our mythologies originated with people who could travel between the different worlds.

TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning THE LAWS OF FOUNDING?

Nicole: I’m one of those writers who allows the story to grow organically and, while I have the outline of the plot in my mind, I don’t always have the details. I love creating and exploring new worlds, but I tend to stay very character focused. Because of that, it’s hard for me to know what to research beforehand. I wasn’t even sure which worlds I was going to visit in TLOF, so research happened sporadically as I wrote the manuscript. I spent a lot of time in front of Google for historical references, I read an awesome book called Reality is Not What it Seems; The Journey to Quantum Gravity by Carlo Rovelli, and a few books centered on mythology.

TRC: What was the most challenging scene to write?

Nicole: You’d think the hard scenes would be the emotionally charged ones, but for me the fight scenes were the most challenging because they needed to be choreographed. I know what I need the fight scene to do for the plot or the characters before I start to write it, but I don’t always know how two fighting styles will blend together, or what two bodies will look like moving in space and reacting to each other. This made for quite a few rewrites, hours on YouTube watching people try to hurt each other, a very sordid search history (it’s all writing related, I swear,) and a bit of time with my husband throwing *very* slow punches at my head.

TRC: How will publishing THE LAWS OF FOUNDING affect your writing style moving forward?

Nicole: I’m not sure that it will affect my style in the long run. Publishing TLOF solidified my tastes and made me more confident in my voice, I think.

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Nicole: Absolutely. A cover says something about the tone of the book and makes a visual representation of what has only been in the authors head up to that point. I tested several different covers with groups of very diverse people and chose the overwhelming favorite.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Nicole: I find this process almost magical. I know in a general sense where I want the story to go, but I’m always amazed by how much agency the characters seem to have. The first time a character made a decision for themselves, I sat there looking at what I’d written thinking, “what in the hell just happened there?!”

There have been times when I’ve needed to wrestle the characters into the storyline but, more often than not, I decide the main plot points and who the characters are as people drives the details.

Nicole: Wow, this is a great question. There are a few aspects that make a story immersive, I think. First, the writer must either deeply understand the character or be incredibly empathetic. Sometimes we write about things we’ve experienced firsthand, so we know the emotions involved, and sometimes we write about things we’ve never done, so we must begin by putting ourselves in the characters place. If an author isn’t empathetic, they’re going to have a hard time drawing the reader in because they’ll be writing emotions and scenarios they can’t properly imagine, which means the character might think, say, or do things that don’t make sense. Readers are quick to catch onto things that create mental disconnects.

The second important aspect, to my mind, is writing with a sensory related focus. It’s much easier to put a reader into a scene when they feel the chill bite of the wind on their cheeks, smell the tang of the salt, and hear the roar of the waves than to simply say, “she stood by the ocean.”

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Nicole: This one is a bit of a mixed bag for me. If I need to think my way through a scene, I like silence. I’m easily distracted by lyrics. When I’m working on a scene that I need to feel, I’ll play music that fits what I want the characters to be experiencing. Never does any music I choose influence where the story is going, though—that’s all up to the characters.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Nicole: That we’re all introverted hermits. I like to be around people, and I’m pretty damn friendly.

TRC: How should authors measure a book’s success?

Nicole: I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules for this. Each person should decide what success means for them, and recognize that it might be different for every book they write. Success might be just finishing the freaking book, and it might be $100,000 in sales. The worst thing anyone can do is use someone else’s life or accomplishments as a measuring stick for their own success.

TRC: What is something that few, if anybody, knows about you?

Nicole: That I’ve been keeping a journal since I was thirteen. My grandkids are going to know way more about their grandma than they’d like to. Sorry, kiddos.

TRC: Who is your favorite author (living or dead)?

Nicole: I love many different authors for different reasons. I adore C.S. Lewis for his brilliant mind and moral compass, Tolkien for creating the archetype, Austen for her insight into human behavior, Brandon Sanderson for his kick-ass world creation, fight scenes and magic systems, Patrick Rothfuss for the tapestry of story and world he weaves, and Diana Gabaldon for the elegance of her prose and creating characters that feel like real people to me. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Jack London, Lois Lowery, Andrew Greeley and David Eddings for having written books that inspired me as a youth. I could go on…

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Nicole: I’m focusing on The Founding Lie, which is the second book in the Eververse Chronicles Trilogy, as well as playing with a short story that follows a character from that book, and a fun new idea that may turn into a book or novella that lies in a different world but ties into the Founding storyline.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Nicole: Just that I’m incredibly grateful for the interview, and I hope people grab the book and go an wild adventure with the characters!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Tomatoes

Favorite Dessert: Macarons

Favorite TV Show: Anne with an E

Last Movie You Saw: Avengers Infinity War. I LOVE superhero movies

Dark or Milk Chocolate: ALL the chocolate

Secret Celebrity Crush: it’s no secret: it’s Chris Hemsworth

Last Vacation Destination: Sedona, Arizona

Do you have any pets? A pug named Sissy

Last book you read: Age of Swords: Book Two of The Legends of the First Empire by Michael J. Sullivan

TRC: Thank you Nicole for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the new release. We wish you much success.

Escaping Exile (Escape Trilogy #1) b Sara Dobie Bauer-Review, Interview & Giveaway

Posted on August 12, 2018 by Sandy

ESCAPING EXILE (Escape Trilogy #1) by Sara Dobie Bauer-Review, Interview & Giveaway

ESCAPING EXILE
Escape Trilogy #1
by Sara Dobie Bauer
Release Date: August 13, 2018
Genre: adult, paranormal, M/M, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 13, 2018

Andrew is a vampire from New Orleans, exiled to a tropical island in the 1800s as punishment for his human bloodlust. During a storm, a ship crashes off shore. After rescuing a sailor from the cannibals native to the land, Andrew becomes fascinated with his brilliant, beautiful new companion, Edmund.

Edmund is a British naturalist who has sailed the world seeking new species. Intrigued by creatures that might kill him, immortal Andrew is this scientist’s dream—but so is making his way back home. Edmund will fight to survive, even while wrapped in the arms of a monster.

As light touches and laughter turn to something much more passionate, the cannibals creep ever closer to Edmund. Can the ancient vampire keep his human alive long enough to escape exile and explore their newfound love, or will Andrew’s bloodlust seal his own doom?

••••••••••

REVIEW: ESCAPING EXILE is the first instalment in Sara Dobie Bauer’s adult, historical ESCAPE paranormal, M/M, erotic romance trilogy focusing on exiled vampire Andrew, and British naturalist Edmund.

NOTE: ESCAPING EXILE contains M/M sexual situations that may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from first person point of view (Andrew) ESCAPING EXILE follows exiled vampire Andrew as he finds himself drawn to the lone survivor of a shipwreck following a deadly storm. Stranded on an island inhabited by cannibals Andrew and British naturalist Edmund struggle to survive against the odds including Andrew’s desire to feed from the man with whom he will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Andrew and Edmund, as our couple must battle the elements, starvation, and attacks by a group of flesh-eating humans.

ESCAPING EXILE is a quick and easy, erotic read that focuses on the growing attraction and building love between a vampire and human thrown together by circumstance and fate. We learn a little bit about Andrew’s past-his history, his ‘turning’, and the events leading to his exile on a not-so deserted island, as well as Edmund’s need to find and challenge that which, could do him harm. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. The premise is entertaining and engaging. ESCAPING EXILE does not end on a cliff-hanger but with a promise of more to come.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC: Hi Sara and welcome to The Reading Cafe.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow: Facebook / Twitter / Website / Goodreads

Sara: I’m a full time writer who wears pajamas all day and only showers because my husband is on his way home from work. Not kidding. I’ve been writing full time for almost a decade now, and I tend to always write romance, usually with a twist, whether that be romantic comedy, paranormal romance, or romantic horror (yes, that’s a thing).

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Sara: Probably reading so many books as a kid. Anne Rice had a lot to do with it since I read her Vampire Chronicles when I was still in elementary school. Maybe a bit young for that …

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing your first novel?

Sara: Finding the right publisher. I ended up with World Weaver Press for the Bite Somebody series based on a referral, thank God. What a blessing back in 2015!

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of your new paranormal, M/M romance ESCAPING EXILE and the ESCAPE trilogy?

Sara: Bloodthirsty vampire meets sexy, shipwrecked sailor. Add a dash of cannibals and lots of sex. The trilogy follows them from new love to established love to … well, that would be a spoiler, wouldn’t it?

TRC: From where did you get the idea for ESCAPING EXILE?

Sara: Oh, gosh, I wish I knew. I have no idea. As a writer, I get ideas all the time, but very few of them actually make it on the page. This one probably showed up as some weird fantasy of mine and just grew into a full-fledged storyline.

TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning ESCAPING EXILE?

Sara: Very little plotting. I’m not a plotter. I follow characters and see what they do. Escaping Exile is the first of the trilogy, so most of the research came into play in books two and three as the boys travel to Victorian New Orleans and London.

TRC: Has your work with the mental health community and as a LGBTQ advocate helped with your writing and story line premises?

Sara: So much! Thanks to working in the mental health community, I’ve been able to create more complex characters that often share my own psychological traits. My LGBTQ advocacy has given me a clear look at difficulties faced, and although I don’t often get too political in my work, you can see glimpses if you look close enough.

TRC: There is a fine line between romance, erotic and erotica fiction. What do you believe are the differences? And where should the author draw the line?

Sara: Romance versus erotica just depends on the sex, not the plot. Romance, to me, is closed-door sex and fade out, whereas erotica shows the sex and can be mature to explicit. I fear people write off erotica as crappy writing, just smut, but I’ve read some fantastic literary erotica. For me, include as much sex as you want; just keep the characters true to themselves whether you fade out or give a doggy style play-by-play.

TRC: Most, if not all, of your books and series focus on the paranormal. Have you ever considered writing another romance genre?

Sara: I have written a romance novel without any paranormal elements! But it hasn’t been published yet … I’m shopping it with agents right now, and we’ll see what happens. I do love paranormal, though. As a huge horror movie fan, I love a good monster.

TRC: What was the most challenging scene to write?

Sara: The first sexual encounter between Andrew and Edmund. By then, I was so hyped for them to just do it already; I had to be careful not to rush it!

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Sara: Yes, for sure. If your cover doesn’t capture the eye, a reader might not even consider your blurb. They might just pass you by. It’s also important for your cover to fit your genre and the tone of your book.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Sara: The characters direct everything, those bastards. Sometimes, they go completely mad—like in The Escape Trilogy. As the series moves on, Edmund takes over. He does things I never saw coming.

Sara: Know your characters. Write huge character bios before you even start writing so you know everything about them—even their favorite ice cream. If the character feels real, readers will relate. Writers fail when they put plot before character.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Sara: Nope. I write in total silence. I listen to music throughout the day when I’m not writing, though, and yes, I’ll hear certain songs and think, “This is perfect for Andrew and Edmund.” In the case of Escaping Exile, Hozier’s “Better Love” is their theme song.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Sara: hat we’re snobby intellectuals. Most of us are just huge, introverted nerds. We really do sit around sipping whiskey, though.

TRC: How should authors measure a book’s success?

Sara: Certainly not by money. That can be a setup for disaster. Measure success by fan response, fan enthusiasm. We don’t do this for the big bucks; we do it because we love telling stories and sharing them with people.

TRC: What is something that few, if anybody, knows about you?

Sara: I’m obsessed with horror movies, but I can’t watch zombie flicks. Zombies are just one step too far.

TRC: Who is your favorite author (living or dead)?

Sara: Impossible. Changes by the day. Today? I’m awfully fond of M/M author Dessa Lux.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Sara: A new adult LGBTQ romantic horror comedy about a monster in Florida. The leading male, Emory, is arguably based on me.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Cheese pizza with black olives

Favorite Dessert: Nah, gimme salt!

Favorite TV Show: Rick and Morty

Last Movie You Saw: Hot Summer Nights

Dark or Milk Chocolate: DARK

Secret Celebrity Crush: Timothee Chalamet (It’s totally not a secret.)

Last Vacation Destination: Milwaukee for SummerFest

Do you have any pets? Two big dogs. Ripley is named after the Aliens heroine. Raylan is named after Elmore Leonard’s Raylan Givens.

Last book you read: Snakes Among Sweet Flowers by Jason Huffman-Black

TRC: Thank you Sara for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the new release. We wish you all the best.

Sara Dobie Bauer is graciously offering an e-copy of ESCAPING EXILE to ONE (1) lucky commentator at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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9. Giveaway runs from August 12-17, 2018

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