Review of Into the Wilderness by Deborah Lee Luskin

Into the Wilderness
Author: Deborah Lee Luskin
Fiction
Rated: Excellent (*****)

It’s 1964 and 64-year-old Rose Mayer is living in Florida by way of New York. Rose is now a two-time widow who’s wondering what’s next in life. Sixty-four-year-old Percy Mendell is a life-long bachelor and Vermonter who takes each day as it comes.

Rose is just getting a taste of living on her own, especially after she convinces her son and daughter-in-law to leave her alone in their Vermont summer home for the winter. It’s nice to have quiet and not be responsible for taking care of anyone but herself. Percy is still adjusting to the void his sister’s death has left in his life, and in the large house they shared. And with retirement only months away, he’s beginning to wonder what he’ll do with all his new time.

The author brings the reader right into the lives of Rose and Percy by using their points of view. The writing is tight; no words are wasted. The details match the scenery – where Florida brings about an undone button, perspiration, and well-meaning neighbors; the words on the page are few, but filled with meaning that can be rung out. New Jersey and New York are bustling with people and words, yet there’s loneliness in being single; the words are short, clipped, and written with a sense of needing to keep moving – never stopping. There’s always the next activity to do, the next point to be made. In Vermont, life is friendly and easy. The words flow across the page like color in a landscape. The author also gives the characters varied musical interests, political points of view, religious experiences, and hobbies as a way to give them something to talk about, or keep them apart, which makes the story all that more intriguing and exciting to read.

Deborah Lee Luskin has been writing about Vermont life, past and present, since relocating from New York City in 1984. Learn more at her website, www.deborahleeluskin.com.

Into the Wilderness is an excellent read. The fictional tale has a nice sprinkling of historical facts woven in. Having the story take place mostly in Vermont is personally appealing to this life-long New Englander. It’s a well-told story, and I enjoyed the ‘mystery’ of wondering if it would be a happily-ever-after ending. It’s a different type of romance that is truly enjoyable.

I had an interview with the author back in February.

Title: Into the Wilderness
Author: Deborah Lee Luskin
Publisher: White River Press
ISBN: 978-1-935052-20-3
Pages: 292
Price: $18.00

Interview with crime fiction novelist Douglas Corleone

Today we get to chat with crime fiction author Douglas Corleone about his newest Kevin Corvelli book.

Douglas Corleone is the author of the Kevin Corvelli crime series set in Hawaii, and published by St. Martin’s Minotaur. His debut novel One Man's Paradise won the 2009 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award. A former New York City criminal defense attorney, Douglas Corleone now lives in Hawaii, where he writes full-time. Night on Fire is his second novel.

Welcome, Doug. Please tell us about your newest book.
In Night on Fire, hotshot Honolulu defense attorney Kevin Corvelli, who was first introduced to readers in One Man's Paradise, narrowly escapes a deadly fire at a popular Hawaiian beach resort, only to land the prime suspect as a client. The client, Erin Simms, is a stunning but troubled young woman charged with murdering her husband on their wedding night. Although Kevin tries to distance himself from Erin on a personal level, he feels himself being pulled in. And it may ultimately lead to his undoing. You can view the trailer for Night on Fire on YouTube.

What inspired you to write this book?
The imagery of fire is very powerful, and the crime of arson is, to me, incredibly intriguing. I wanted to explore a world I wasn’t terribly familiar with. Though as a defense attorney, I’d represented clients charged with murder, I’d never represented anyone charged with arson. So this was a first for both me and the book’s protagonist, Kevin Corvelli. I found the research fascinating, particularly the research on arson investigation. It was exciting to learn how investigators determine the fire’s point of origin, what types of materials are used as accelerants, and how they go about identifying a suspect.

What exciting story are you working on next?
The third Kevin Corvelli novel is currently in the works. In Choice of Evils, the governor of Hawaii is suspected by the FBI of hiring an international assassin known as The Pharmacist to murder his pregnant mistress. Defense attorney Kevin Corvelli is retained, not only to conduct an independent investigation, but to handle the national media and ensure that the FBI's suspicions do not interfere with the governor's bid for reelection. Meanwhile, Kevin's most loyal client, Turi Ahina, is accused of gunning down an off-duty cop on a dark street in Pearl City days after he agrees to provide the DEA information on the ruthless drug kingpin Orlando Masonet. Did Turi actually shoot and kill the cop in self-defense? To find out, Kevin must plumb the depths of police corruption and ultimately unearth some of the city's deepest, darkest, and dirtiest secrets.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I first considered myself a writer the day I stopped considering myself a lawyer. It’s difficult to pinpoint when that was, because whenever the writing wasn’t going well, I’d think more and more about returning to the practice of law. It wasn’t until last year that I finally officially retired from the law by informing the state of New York. Symbolically, that was a very important step for me. Coincidentally, the state of New York acknowledged my retirement by a letter dated April 27, 2010, the same day my debut novel One Man's Paradise was released.

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?
I write full-time, 7 days a week. I try to stick to a routine: wake at 8, eat breakfast, read emails, begin writing right up until lunch. If the morning goes well, I’ll take the afternoon to do research and read. I try to end the working day by 4. Of course, if someone were to observe my day, it would probably look nothing at all like this.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’ll have a month where I turn out 60,000 words of final draft material, then follow it with a month in which I can barely write my own name.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a writer, but I was always told it was a hobby, not a career choice. So, almost by default, I became a lawyer. When I was in high school, the legal thriller genre was just taking off, thanks to the likes of John Grisham, Steve Martini, and Scott Turow. So I figured the next best thing to writing about lawyers was to become one. Unfortunately, it didn’t compare.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Just that the writers and readers of mystery and crime fiction are a tight-knit bunch. Take advantage of technology and get to know us, tell us what you like and dislike about our books. Most writers enjoy hearing from readers. I’m certainly no exception. I encourage readers to contact me through my website.

Thank you for sharing a bit about your writing today, Doug. I hope those days where you can barely write your name are few and far between.

Interview with business author Marlene Caroselli

Today I get to welcome business author Marlene Caroselli, Ed.D. and talk to her about her newest book, Jesus, Jonas, and Janus: The Leadership Triumvirate.

Marlene, please tell us about your current release.
Jesus, Jonas, and Janus: The Leadership Triumvirate explores leadership through the prism of historical figures. I note the current thinking--John Maxwell: "Others will not care about how much you know until they know how much you care"--and correlate it to practices and principles from the time of Jesus.

The difference between those who genuinely care and those who may use the less fortunate as a career opportunity is perhaps best illustrated by an encounter between Mother Teresa and a reporter. She was tending to the lepers in the Shanti Nagar ("Town of Peace") colony. A reporter was shadowing her, looking for photo ops. At one point, as she reached down to comfort a man infected with the disease, his skin disfigured by sores, she overheard the reporter's distaste for the scene. "Ugh," he said under his breath. "I wouldn't touch that man with a ten-foot pole!"

"Neither would I," was Mother Teresa's rejoinder, as she leaned over the man to comfort him and laid her hands on his head.

I also talk about what leaders can learn from nature by citing Jonas Salk's answer to the question of how he discovered the polio vaccine: "I learned to think the way Mother Nature thinks." The second section of the book draws lessons from the teachings of nature.

In the third section, I show how leaders can use creativity--specifically the creativity of opposites, embodied in the figure of the Roman god Janus.

Whether one hopes to develop leadership skills for everyday-confidence or for professional growth, the book contains hundreds of ideas for doing so.

What inspired you to write this book?
The book actually began as a speech. The more I thought about the three basic concepts, the more ideas I had. I just expanded the main points from the speech until I had the book done.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I have about 100 book ideas competing for my attention. The one that seems to be grabbing my attention most, though, is a book to be titled What To Do When A Chippendale Dance Flirts with You. (Did it grab yours?)

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I was a mere child, my mother saw the light on in my bedroom in the wee hours. She thought I had fallen asleep and came in to shut it off. Instead, she found me wide awake, reading the dictionary. I've always loved words and the most logical thing to do with such a love is to put it to work. Hence, my books.

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?
Before selling my consulting business, I was averaging three books a year. Nowadays, I'm a lady of leisure and am doing some other things I love--e.g., art and entertaining. But I still write every single day. Typically, I'm at the Y by 7:30 for an hour in the pool. Then I rush home to turn on my computer, which remains on until about 5 pm, when I quit for the day. In-between, I'm doing a lot of writing--but only for 15 minutes at a time. I'm easily bored so I'm always meandering--to feed the cats, to write out bills, to do the laundry, to make a call...you get the idea.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I give birth diurnally it seems to a new book idea. Things I see, hear, read all lead me to concepts that work as article or even longer pieces. To illustrate, my sister and I recently met an 82-year-old man. We looked at each other and she was shaking her hand as if to say, "Isn't he hot?" Meanwhile, my hand was over my heart in the universal gesture that signifies visual pleasure evoked by a fine specimen of the opposite sex. Today, I read that he had appeared on the cover of a bodybuilding magazine and it suddenly became clear what the attraction was. Self-confidence (in this case, because of one's body) is undeniably attractive. Then I began thinking about all the other sources of self-confidence and said to myself, "This would make a good book." But, as you know, I will die before I can write all the books I've started.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was in 4th grade, Mrs. Hogeboom called me to the blackboard and asked me to write the week's spelling words. When I finished, she stood back and announced, "You, my dear, have schoolteacher's handwriting." BOOM! My fate was sealed. Not only did I become a teacher, my next two sisters in birth order did as well. It wasn't long before I moved from the high school English classroom, to the university/corporate classroom. There, I found distributing books was more professional a gesture than distributing handouts. And so, my book-writing career was born.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
As soon as the idea hits you, jot it down. You think you'll remember, but you won't. Your logs will be good fodder for any number of things you wish to write.

Thank you for stopping by today, Marlene.

After earning her doctorate in education at the University of Rochester, Marlene Caroselli left the public classroom and her native New York State in 1980 and headed to the West Coast. She soon began working as a manager for Trizec Properties, Inc. and as an adjunct professor for UCLA and National University. Her university work led to training contracts with the Department of Defense and with such Fortune 100 firms as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, TRW, Hughes Aircraft, and Allied-Signal.

In 1984, she founded the Center for Professional Development and began adding books to her list of professional achievements. Her first book, The Language of Leadership, was chosen a main selection by Newbridge's Executive Development book club. Since that publication, she has written sixty additional books and several ebooks. A recent book, Principled Persuasion: Influence with Integrity, Sell with Standards, was named a Director's Choice by Doubleday Book Club. One-to-One for Managers, has been selected by Barnes and Noble for an on-line course; Business Ethics Activity Book has been co-released by HRD Press and the American Management Association (AMACOM); 500 Creative Classroom Techniques for Teachers and Trainers, 8 Leadership Secrets from Real Leaders and The Critical Thinking Toolkit are among her latest releases

In addition to books, Dr. Caroselli writes frequently for Stephen Covey's Executive Excellence, for the Employment Times, as well as for numerous other print and electronic publications. She also writes podcasts for Workplace English Training E-Magazine.

Interview with autobiographer Diane Fisher

Today we get to find out a little bit about Diane Fisher and her autobiography Once Upon a Time....Never Comes Again

Welcome, Diane. Please tell us about your current release, Once Upon a Time...Never Comes Again: My True Personal Story about Adult Sibling Rivalry.
This is my own true personal story of adult sibling rivalry and how I stood up to all three of my siblings after they disowned me.

What inspired you to write this book?
The reason I wrote this book was because I felt I had a story to tell; but most of all, it helped me work my way out of my depression after my three siblings disowned me.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I'm working on a true story about my father - something I never had closure on.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Ever since I could remember, I always wrote poems about family situations.

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?
I do not write full time. I am a Legal Assistant for a Managing Partner in a powerful law firm in NYC. Whenever a thought comes to me, I jot it down, whether it be on the bus on the way to work, while driving my car, or something just pops into my head in the middle of the night.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I think my most interesting writing quirk is always wanting to plug in clip art pictures into my story.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I would say I always wanted to be a court reporter and to this day, I am so sorry I never pursued it.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
This is the first book I have ever published - something I really never thought would happen in my life. However, when I 'Google' myself or go on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and find my name with the name of my book, it hits me that I, Diane Fisher, AM AN AUTHOR! That is my tremendous accomplishment. My two little grandchildren, 5 and 6, run around telling everyone "my grandma is an author" - it does not get better than that!

Live chat/interview with author Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein - 5/1/11

The Writer's Chatroom presents author Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein.

WHEN?

Sunday, May 1, 2011

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 Login. No password needed.

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

Review of Finish Line by James Ross

Genre: Fiction
Title: Finish Line
Author: James Ross

Thirteen-year-old Justin Ventimiglia is a good kid who seldom gets into trouble and manages well enough in school. He has issues with his step-father, but what kid doesn’t? And what kid doesn’t have a friend who pushes the boundaries of right and wrong? Justin has Keith Puccio to nudge him into trouble, and for the most part, the pranks are harmless.

Justin and Keith find themselves having to work their entire summer break at the golf course seven days a week from sun up to sun down to make amends for a prank gone too far. Curt, an old friend of Justin’s mother, agrees to take the young teens under his wing for the summer. Curt mentors the boys and teaches them all about the work needed for a golf course. Some of it is fun, some not so much, but Curt is always there to lend a hand or an ear. Learning to respect themselves and others goes a long way as these boys work to pay off their debt. Curt learns as much from the boys as he’s able to teach them, and everyone grows through the up and down experiences they have over the summer.

The omniscient voice choice by the author gives the reader insight into almost every character that appears on the page. The mostly male cast works well together and the author is able to capture many nuances of male relationships. Curt is crafted well as a mentor to teens and a man that other men look up to. Like in the first novel, the character backgrounds are entertaining and lend to giving a lot of color to the story, since every story is unique. The point of view choice allows the reader to get to know a large cast of characters but not any one character in particular. The short chapters allow for many scene and point of view shifts and keep the activity moving along.

James Ross graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia. After turning fifty, he searched for a positive outlet to battle the economic ups and downs that most people experience. He went to a keyboard and let the words flow through his fingertips. Finish Line follows Lifetime Loser in a series of books centering around the Prairie Woods Golf Course. James is an avid, low-handicap golfer who enjoys the sport and the lessons of the game. He shares his belief that golf may very well hold the key to a lot of life's best secrets, through his novels.

Although Finish Line is set on a golf course, it can entertain any reader. It’s also suitable for young adult and adult readers. Finish Line is a novel about the importance of setting goals and meeting them. It’s acknowledging that the goal isn’t achieved until the “finish line” is crossed. It is a good read. Reviewer: Lisa Haselton, Allbooks Reviews, www.allbooksreviewint.com.

Available through: Xlibris.com, Amazon.com, and BarnesandNoble.com.

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 978-1-4363-3326-9
Pages: 290
Price: $6.95

Interview with romance author Judy Nickles writing as Gwyneth Greer

Today is a Goddess Fish Promotions virtual book tour stop for author Judy Nickles writing as Gwyneth Greer as she promotes her book The Showboat Affair.

Readers, you have a couple of chances to win some prizes from the author today. Details are at the end of the interview.

Judy, please tell us about your current release.
The Wild Rose Press released my third novel, The Showboat Affair, on April 15. It’s with their Last Rose of Summer line—that is, the main characters are older. It’s also a romantic suspense in that Nick and Jean are finding each other—and finding themselves running for their lives.

What inspired you to write this book?
The idea came from a trip to Branson, Missouri, where I enjoyed a dinner cruise on ‘The Branson Belle’ and also glimpsed the enticing Chateau on the Lake Resort. What better setting for a romance?

What exciting story are you working on next?
The Face on Miss Fanny’s Wall, a romance-historical-mystery, has been contracted by Champagne Books for release in 2012. But I’m very excited about the six-book cozy mystery series I’ve sketched out. Book #1 is finished, and book #2 almost there. I love my small-town B&B hostess Penelope Pembroke and her assorted family and friends! Now I just have to find a publisher who will love them as well.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I can’t remember when I didn’t write, but it was always for my own entertainment. Being published seemed the impossible dream until a few years ago. I think that anyone who writes, published or not, is a writer. It’s something you are inside.

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?
I retired four years ago and began to research information on writing for publication—not a minor task—and I still have much to learn about the industry and about the writing craft. Fortunately, I have an empty nest and plenty of time to come up with ideas and get them down on paper—though I’m finding that writing (and all that being published entails, like editing, promotion, and marketing) is a full time job.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t know if it’s interesting or not, but I have to do a lot of research for my books—whether historical, geographical, or technological. I can let some things go under the guise of ‘literary license’, but for the most part, I want what I put down to be factual—even if it’s in fiction!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A lady detective! And remember, this was soon after World War II, when women weren’t fully integrated into the workplace. If they’d done a ‘Rosie the Riveter’ during the war, afterwards most returned to home and hearth if at all possible. So people laughed and patted me on the head, and of course, I didn’t grow up to be a lady detective. (However, my oldest son is a police detective!) I think that’s why I’m enjoying writing Penelope Pembroke, because I get to go sleuthing through her.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I’m having so much fun writing and seeing my books come to life. Hopefully, they will keep me young—or at least breathing until I have them all written! That might be when I’m 106!

Thanks, Judy. Readers, Judy is giving away a copy of The Showboat Affair in any format (including print) chosen by winner, pink laser flip-top mirror with engraved info about book, and a $10 gift certificate to Bath and Body Works to one randomly chosen commenter from her blog tour. The more comments you leave (throughout the tour), the better your chances of winning. The dates and blog stops can be found here.

Judy Nickles is a retired teacher who has spun stories since she could hold a #2 pencil. In elementary school, when storms threatened, the teacher would send her up to the front to tell a tale, taking the other children’s minds off the weather. After retiring four years ago, she got serious about getting published.

The result was three novels with The Wild Rose Press: Where Is Papa’s Shining Star?, Finding Papa’s Shining Star, and The Showboat Affair (as Gwyneth Greer).

Champagne Books just contracted The Face on Miss Fanny’s Wall, a historical romantic suspense, for release in 2012. In addition to writing, Judy enjoys traveling, doing genealogical research, and spending time with her granddaughters, Hanna and Aubrey.