Live interview/chat with book publicist PJ Nunn

The Writer's Chatroom presents book publicist PJ Nunn. On Twitter as @PJNunn.

WHEN?

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Eastern USA Time.....7-9 PM

Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are? http://www.worldtimeserver.com

WHERE?

The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

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Blurb blitz tour for Joshua K. Johnson

Today is a book blurb blitz tour for Joshua K. Johnson and his novel The Cerberus Rebellion.

He's awarding .mobi copies of his short stories (details available at www.gunpowderfantasy.com/products) to one commenter at every stop. A grand prize is also being awarded to one random commentor The Chesian Wars collection (all published 3 short stories and an additional prelude short story exclusive to the collection).

For chances to win, leave an e-mail address with a comment below, or at any of Joshua's other tour stops. The more you comment, the better chances you have to win. (Please feel free to leave comments without your e-mail address, too.) 

Bio:

Joshua Johnson is the author of "Gunpowder Fantasy," The Cerberus Rebellion, and the creator of the Griffins & Gunpowder universe. When he isn't working or spending time with his family, he writes novels, short stories, and novellas.

He currently lives in Northern Illinois with his wife and young son. 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authorjkjohnson

Book blurb:

One hundred years of peace and prosperity. War changes everything.

On the world of Zaria, Elves, magic and mythical beasts coexist beside rifles and railroads. The futures of two nations hang in the balance as rebels and revolutionaries trade gunfire with loyalists and tyrants.

Eadric Garrard was raised to believe that as the rightful King of Ansgar, his loyal nobles and fearful subjects answered to his every whim, no matter the cost or consequence. His decision to send his troops thousands of miles away will test that fear, and loyalty.

Raedan Clyve was ordinary until an Elven ritual involving a griffin’s heart turned him into something more. Twenty years later, he still struggles with the magics that rage through his body. His mentor holds him back from his full potential and he faces pressure to find a suitable wife and father an heir.

Hadrian Clyve has picked up where his father left off and works to expand his family’s influence amongst the Ansgari nobility. His aggressive negotiation of alliances and shrewd choice of marriage agreements has earned him respect, and resentment. When his King calls his troops to arms, Hadrian has other things in mind.

After a century of scheming and decades of preparation, Magnus Jarmann is ready to bring his family’s plans to fruition by launching a war of independence that will free his people and return his country to its rightful place among the nations of Zaria. The King’s call to arms creates an opportunity that Magnus cannot afford to miss.

In a war, little is held back; in a revolution, nothing is safe.

Excerpt:

Magnus reined up his horse in front of the largest tent pavilion he had ever seen.

“And whose tent is this?” The gaudy purple canvas tent structure stood twenty feet at the center pole, at least twelve at the edge and was more than a hundred feet on each side.

“Your Grace, it is mine!” a short man announced and then bowed. “Sir Byron Alfson, of Harristown.”

“Ah, sir, you have me at a disadvantage.”

Magnus inspected the knight with narrowed eyes.

He had a mop of frail-looking brown hair tied into a short ponytail and a narrow nose that was flanked by light blue eyes. He wore a greatcoat that looked like it had been cut from the same fabric as his tent.

Harristown was one of the small villages that had sprouted up along the rail lines that ran from Agilard to Aetheston. The strange grape beer that had made the town famous gave its color to everything the town did. They had even changed their sigil to a purple field with a golden mug.

“This is quite the pavilion,” Magnus continued after a moment. “I didn’t know that the grape beer business had so much money to be made.”

“We do our best, Your Grace,” the knight said. “I hope my pavilion does not offend you, Your Grace. While it is my tent, I have shared it with many of the knights from Lord Tallet’s levies.”

“It does not offend,” Magnus lied. If he had his way, the knights would be sleeping in camp tents with the rest of his soldiers. But his advisors had warned him that not giving the knights and lesser lords their symbols of pride and authority could drive them away. He had been reluctant to accept the counsel, but in the end the tradition of tent pavilions and knightly feasts had been upheld. “Carry on, Sir Alfson.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” The knight bowed again and disappeared into his purple monstrosity.

Interview with historical novelist Hazel West

Welcome, Readers. Today's guest is historical novelist Hazel B. West. She's sharing a little bit about On a Foreign Field, including an excerpt. And there's a giveaway you can enter below. If you'd like more chances to win, you can visit her other blog tour stops between now and October 3.

Welcome, Hazel. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I spend a good bit of my time writing historical fiction about brave men and women who have graced the pages of history, trying to bring more light to their legacies so readers of all ages will enjoy them. My favorite things to do are writing, obviously, listening to and playing Irish and Scottish folk music, practicing with all eras and types of historical weaponry, drinking GOOD COFFEE, and reading good books. I currently live in Florida.

Please tell us about your current release.

My newest novel is On a Foreign Field. It's set during the Scottish Wars of Independence from the years 1297 to 1305. This was the time period of two of Scotland's most famous heroes, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Both of them can be found in the pages of my novel. The hero is an English knight, Sir Reeve Montgomery, who, when fighting at the famous Battle of Stirling Bridge, is wounded and left for dead by his comrades. He's captured by the Scottish rebels and taken to work as a slave in Wallace's camp. He's bitter at being left by his countrymen to death or capture, and at being wounded by an English arrow during the battle, and now being a prisoner of war is enough to throw him over the edge. But when he sees first hand what the English are doing to the Scottish people, he has a moment where he wonders if what he had been fighting for the whole time was really the right thing. The main themes in this book are loyalty, brotherhood and friendship, some of my favorite elements in a story.

What inspired you to write this book?

First and foremost, my love of William Wallace. He is one of my favorite historical people. I already wrote one novel about him as a teenager ("Freedom Come All Ye") but I really wanted to write a novel about his more traditional life. I also love to write stories told from different view points, and since I don't think a Wallace novel has ever been told from the point of view of an Englishman, I wanted to give that idea a go. For a while it was just an idea running around in my head, with really only the real history and the idea of a young Englishman named Reeve being captured by the Scots. But after reading a good dose of Rosemary Sutcliff's amazing books, I was inspired to write a story about brotherhood and camaraderie and since all that fit into this story line well, I created a whole cast of characters and started working on the story that would become "On a Foreign Field".

Excerpt:
It was in a split second that Reeve realized how desperate their situation was now. They had been cut off from the rest of their army with no hope of them being able to find a ford in the river to cross in time. Their numbers were now mostly equal to the Scots and Reeve hoped they would have the sense to stand and fight as one instead of scatter and make it easier to be picked off by the enemy. Men could train for years to hold a formation, but one never knew how they would react when faced with the real enemy.

The Scots had charged at them in two columns, trapping the English in the middle. The archers released their deadly rain and arrows found targets as they fell onto the opposing army. Reeve and his companions spurred their horses on immediately, knowing that to stand still was to die. Reeve swung his sword from its sheath and urged his horse forward at the charging Scotsmen, swinging the blade in a flashing arch and shouting out a war cry of his own. There was a huge clash that sounded as the two armies met head on. Reeve was immediately separated from Harold and Gerard in the mess. A lot of the knights realized too late that they had been led into a marsh and their horses were sinking in the muck, weighed down by armor. Reeve hoped neither of his friends were caught in the mire to be easy prey for the Scots. He wanted to go back and look for them, but he knew how foolish that was in a battle. You looked ahead, only at your enemy and you killed and killed again until it was done; only then could you spare the time to look for lost comrades.

He hacked left and right with his sword, catching a spear wielded by a screaming Scotsman on his shield with enough strength behind it to bruise his shoulder. He gritted his teeth against the pain as he stabbed downward with his blade and took the man through the chest. He felt hands grip his tabard from behind and he spun just fast enough to stop the man from hauling him from his saddle where he would be sure to meet a grisly end at the point of the long broadsword the man carried. He jerked his sword pommel-first into the man’s head and his attacker fell back instantly.

Reeve suddenly caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and he turned with his sword swinging up for a blow but the man who had been there was already gone. Then his horse lurched under him and whinnied in pain, rearing up before it bolted.

Reeve was flung from the back of the beast, realizing that he had been victim to one of the Scottish dirkers; lithe, fast men, who ran around the field, ducking underneath horses and jabbing their bellies with their dirks to make them throw their riders. Reeve was flung onto the boggy ground, hauling himself up with difficulty in his heavy armor. He quickly un-buckled the plates that covered his shoulders and the greaves protecting his legs. There was no need for them now on the ground; they would only hamper him, and if he was going to have to swim the river...

What exciting story are you working on next?

I've got two in the works, but probably the next one to be published will be By Blood and By Bond which is going to be set in Roman times and explore both the Roman and Celtic cultures. I have two main characters, one is Caolan, the son of a Celtic chieftain who is taken by the Romans in battle and sold into slavery and ends up training to fight as a gladiator. The other character is Viggo, a centurion who lost his son in the same battle in which Caolan was captured, to Caolan's father. Apart from that, I'll not tell you anymore right now ;-) But I will have three short stories published within the next few months to go along with this novel (the first of which should be out during the course of this tour on Smashwords) so if you're interested, check that out!

My other novel is a Victorian steampunk mystery with a wonderful main character named Anthony Maxwell--who you can find on Facebook, I might add! ;-)

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I've been writing since I was ten or so, though I have always made up stories. I didn't really finish a whole novel though until I was fourteen and wrote my first Scottish historical fiction novel where all the characters were animals ;-) I've come a long way since then, but that book was what really started off my writing career in earnest and ever since then I have loved and written in historical fiction genre.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

At the moment, I pretty much write full time, but I do other hobbies too, trying to make whatever money I can. Yep, I'm a starving artist ;-) My work 'day' actually starts at about 10 pm. I do almost all my writing work at night, though I will usually work on editing and research during the day so I can just sit down at night when it is quiet. I have no real set schedule, because I never know how well the writing will go, and it's never a good idea to force something that refuses to come. Sometimes characters are just stubborn, but I usually aim to at least try to write something every night.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Well, I'm not sure how interesting it is, but I like to have special snacks when I write, mostly like Pringles, Nerds, cherry sours and stuff like that. I also usually listen to music to set the scene. I have my itunes folders for different ambiance like battle scenes, dancing, stuff like that.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a kid I wanted to do something with animals like be a vet or zoo keeper or something like that, but after high school biology (the worst form of mindless torture since algebra) I scrapped that idea, and decided to pursue my writing career ;-)

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Random Fact: I'm really obsessive compulsive when it comes to books. I hate it when I go to the library and the book stores and all the books in a series are out of order, or they mix together two authors of the same last name or even when two different series by the same author are mixed together. My own bookshelves aren't actually by author oddly enough, but all my historical fiction books (which is most of what I have) are chronological to time period. 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

On a Foreign Field

by Hazel B. West

Giveaway ends October 03, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Interview with children's author Jeanetta Brancaccio

We have a children's book author in the hot seat today. Jeanetta Brancaccio talks about her book Ann's Amazing Adventure.

Bio:

Jeanetta has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. While keeping busy with her large family, she started a business renting out VW Campers in the 60s and opened a health food store in the 70s, which is still in the family. She has a love for writing, mostly in the forms of poems, positive affirmations, and letters. She also collects Pinocchio memorabilia, simply because it’s a story about unconditional love.

Jeanetta resides in Stuart, Florida, with Donald, her husband of 55 years, is a mother of six and grandmother of 13. While it is not easy to accomplish, she adores having every single family member together under one roof. However, she admits now, as she approaches her 8th decade, that it's better when it's someone else's roof!

Welcome, Jeanetta. Please tell us about your current release and  the inspiration behind it.

Ann’s Amazing Adventure is a story based on a true incident that happened in 1959 when our 4-year-old daughter, Nancy, lost her doll on a road trip. The inspiration for the story came over 20 years later when we “found” the doll at an antique show. There was no intent to write a book for publication. Nancy had a daughter of her own by that time, so we purchased the doll. Pretty soon a story began to swirl around in my head. Wouldn’t it be fun to write about what happened to Ann while she was missing? Where had she been all these years? Was she happy? Safe? I thought of the story as a playful, fun exercise which I would give to Nancy’s daughter, Nicole, along with the doll.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Throughout my life, there was never a time that I wasn’t writing something although never considering myself a writer. There was always time in the midst of raising a family and running a business to jot down notes. Sometimes a sentence, sometimes a paragraph, some pieces ramble on as exercises after reading a self-help book or attending a class on personal growth or positive thinking. These writings include family stories which are where my passion is and is what I’m inspired to write about the most. As I approach my eighth decade, I am remembering what I saw or heard as a child as though it was yesterday.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

No, I don’t write full time, but every 2 or 3 months I mail a Heritage packet off to my 6 children and 12 nieces/nephews so that family history & stories are passed down to the next generation.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

It’s a rule that I made up for myself that is not a rule that writer’s learn about when they take writing courses and it’s going to sound silly, but it works for me. I couldn’t get started. Every time I sat down to write, that’s all I did, SIT! There were boxes and piles of files of rough draft papers & notes and the impossible task of organizing many year’s -worth of material.

How to make it simple and easy? I said to myself; “Jeanetta, you don’t have to write a book. No, no, no, just one PAGE will do.” Click…there was the answer. My RULE: I can only allow myself to write about one subject on one page. (usually double spaced) These one-page stories have become a series which I find easy to keep adding to.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up and when did you first consider yourself a writer?

As a child I always wanted to be a wife and mother. I never dreamed that I would become a business woman or a writer. The first time I felt that I was an author was on Oct. 13, 2011. That was the day I went to the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee, Florida at the invitation of First Lady, Ann Scott. She hosted her first Author’s Tea which included me and two other authors. We read to children from local schools and then joined Mrs. Scott for lunch. The following month, she invited me to the Gator Run Elementary School in Weston, Florida where she did a reading of my book; Ann’s Amazing Adventure. THAT was the first time I felt like an author.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

To any would-be writers, all I can tell you is: Remember, to get started, you only need to write one page!

That's great advice, Jeanetta. Every story starts with the first word.

Readers, you can connect with Jeanetta through her website, or on Facebook.

Interview with contemporary author Kea Noli

Author Kea Noli is here today to tell us a bit about herself and her novel, Pearl Lover.

Welcome, Kea. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am an Aussie from Sydney. I was a designer in the building industry. Because of the bureaucracy, I quit my job, and said: “to hell with all that;” and then, I watched silent movies for a year before I became a writer.

Please tell us about your current release Pearl Lover.

A beautiful girl. A wicked mother. A twisted love triangle.

Nixie Veidt is forced to choose between money and love. She must stay faithful to the bureaucrat she married to save her inheritance, but her love belongs to a Russian dancer. When she hires the dancer for her company, she puts it all on the line.

Although Pearl Lover is a contemporary story, it is the rebirth of Ballets Russes, a company from the early 20^th Century. Most of the ballets produced in the west can be traced back to the Company’s influence.

What inspired you to write this book?

To challenge the status quo on jealousy and show the answer to:

Is it moral for a woman to love two men? I’d had enough of romances with hysterical females.

Another inspiration—the famous Rudolph Nureyev and the Ballets Russes.

Two of the scenes in the book came from real events, although I dramatized them. Sir Thomas Beecham was involved.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Just a few loose ideas at this stage. A man has been looking for his father, a fugitive who disappeared with a billion dollars. He finds him living under an alias in Argentina.  Father and son reunite after 20 years. Will the son, a detective, arrest his father?

  

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

After I had watched all the silent movies I could find featuring my favourite actors and actresses.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your workday like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

Currently, I am promoting my debut novel, from 5:00 a.m., when I look at my screen, until 8:00 p.m., and that’s an easy day.   

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

The capitalist that I am. My parents were immigrants, who both worked very hard, accumulated wealth, and were successful. They taught me to be industrious—a heroic ideal.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

If you do not know the answer to a problem, look beyond yourself. Do not think that there is something wrong with you, just because you cannot work it out. Find the answer. I found that comment in Fiction Writing by Ayn Rand. 

Thanks for being here today, Kea.

Interview with mystery author Denise Hartman

Readers, I'm happy to introduce mystery author Denise M. Hartman to you today. She's sharing a bit about her writing, her new novel, Killed in Kruger, and more. 

You can find out more through her blog and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Bio:

Denise's background in journalism and television production has influenced her writing style and habits, while living overseas for several years, currently in Madrid, Spain, gives Denise's imagination new sites and sounds for her mysteries on a day in and out basis. She is a member of Sisters In Crime, including having been the president of her hometown Kansas City Partners in Crime chapter. Denise has a passion for reading, books, travel, dogs, tea, and teapots not necessarily in that order.

Welcome, Denise. Please tell us about your current release, Killed in Kruger.

Tabitha Krans arrives to discover the veldt of South Africa’s Kruger Park seems to have swallowed up Uncle Phillip. Tabitha’s afraid her writing career has disappeared along with him and dire things lie in wait for her as her mother had predicted. Uncle Phillip’s connections are her only link to travel writing and his photos are crucial. When he turns up dead, she wants the truth. Dead men don’t speak but photos Phillip took evoke strange reactions in park authorities. Her nosing around turns up suspicions of human trafficking, poaching and covert investigations but not many answers. South Africa holds dark secrets and deep beauty but it doesn’t want to give Tabitha the truth. She keeps prying until someone believes she’s a threat in need of elimination.

What inspired you to write this book?

In 1997, I got a job with a nature photographer doing writing and graphics. He was a college president before he retired to do photography and loved challenging me to expand my horizons. When he went to do a photo safari for 16 weeks all over the southern tip of Africa, he challenged me to come during some part of that trip. I did and we photo safari-ed Kruger National Park in South Africa and Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. It was a wonderful experience. I’d done a ton of research setting him up for the trip and out of all that came this book. However, both of us came back from the trip alive .

What exciting story are you working on next?

Right now, I’m really enjoying a character named Blanche Binkley. She is the protagonist in my Work In Progress tentatively titled Nosy Neighbors for release next year. I’m liking Blanche so much I’m thinking of making her into a series instead of a stand-alone book. She certainly gets herself into lots of tricky situations in Florida with neighbors, the police, and a human trafficking ring. It adds up to a good story.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I loved the mystery stories of childhood and in the 5th grade a group of us were challenged to write a play and perform it. We wrote a murder mystery and I knew that’swhat I wanted to do with my life. I studied communications and worked as a reporter straight out of college, so that’s the first time in my life it was a paying gig for me. When my short stories started getting published the last 10 years, I finally grasped that I could be an “author” as well as a “writer.”

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

Well, yes and no. All my jobs since college have involved writing in some capacity. So in a way I write full time, but fiction has to wait for the evening hours and weekends right now. My day job at the moment is as a script writer and production manager/producer for short films for a non-profit group. I’m living in Spain and in the summer it is very hot when I get home from work. Too hot to cook or exercise, so I sit under a hot laptop and write until the sun gets low enough on the horizon to do something else.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I feel like I need to write 1,000 words when I sit down and I like it when my chapters are 800-1200 words. It’s short actually but it feels like it keeps things moving. Once I’ve written 1,000 I might stop for the day unless I’m on a roll. I’m disappointed if I don’t get to 1,000 – sometimes it’s been several hours but between research and figuring out the story arc I just couldn’t move faster that day.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Up until 5th grade, I thought I wanted to be a hairdresser which if you knew my hair habits would make you laugh.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I just lost a friend to cancer in July. A young friend. He had lived life fully – he had practiced his art (painting) even though it meant doing it on the weekends late at night. I’m so proud of that and the inspiration he gave me to pursue writing novels which has been my big dream. I encourage you to take a baby step toward a dream you have, whatever that might be. I have never regretted my efforts and you won’t either.

Thanks for visiting, Denise. Keep us updated on your WIP, especially when they are released!

Readers, here's the direct Amazon link for Killed in Kruger.

Live chat/interview with Karina Fabian

The Writer's Chatroom presents Karina Fabian.

WHEN?

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Eastern USA Time.....7-9 PM

Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are? http://www.worldtimeserver.com

WHERE?

The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Sign In. No password needed.

Please note: The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.