Interview with author Jonathan Maxwell

Jonathan Maxwell is a Georgia-based writer and public speaker. He is the author of Murderous Intellectuals: German Elites and the Nazi SS, which received the 2011 Allbooks Review Editor’s Choice Award in the Category of Best Non-fiction Book. In addition, the online publication Author Exposure rated the work as being one of the “20 Most Memorable Debut Books of 2010.” Jonathan holds a BA in English, along with a psychology minor and a paralegal certificate.

Jonathan, please tell us about your current release.
Murderous Intellectuals: German Elites and the Nazi SS examines why so many well-educated professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, scientists, and the like, willingly joined the Nazi SS, the notorious group that spearheaded the Holocaust.

What inspired you to write this book?
In part, I wrote the book to correct some of the misconceptions that people have about the Nazis. Many persons believe that this organization was full of street brawlers and misfits who lived on the fringes of society. To a considerable degree, this was true; Adolf Hitler himself exemplified the “social failure as Nazi” stereotype. However, the organization was also full of intellectuals. Such figures included:
·Johannes Stark. Stark was a German physicist who won a Nobel Prize for his work. He also became a fervent Nazi. He helped to rid German universities of liberal professors. He sent many of these educators to the concentration camps, where many died.
·Philipp Lenard. Lenard was another German physicist who garnered a Nobel Prize. Like Stark, he was a devoted Nazi, and he wrote much anti-Semitic literature.
·Otto Ohlendorf. This man was a death-squad commander who operated in the Ukraine. He and his men shot down about 100,000 Jews over a period of about six months. Obviously, Ohlendorf was a dangerous, fanatical criminal. He was also superbly educated: he held doctorates both in law and in economics.
·Oskar Dirlewanger. Dirlewanger was another death-squad commander. He operated in the former Yugoslavia. He openly encouraged his men to commit atrocities such as plunder, rape, and the murders of civilians. Like Ohlendorf, he was a dangerous felon. He was well-educated as well, possessing a doctorate in political science.
·Josef Mengele is the most famous SS doctor who performed experiments on people within the concentration and death camps. He came from a respected upper class family and held doctorates in medicine and anthropology. By no means was he the only one, though. There were at least 200 doctors who engaged in such inhumane practices, and they often graduated from the best European universities. In addition, many German doctors regularly killed thousands of mentally ill or mentally retarded individuals as part of a “euthanasia program.”
·The SS was full of architects. One such architect was Paul Blobel, a death-squad commander. At a Russian ravine called Babi Yar, he and his men murdered some 35,000 Jews over a two-day period. Another architect, Albert Speer, was a slave master who was responsible for the deaths of millions of forced laborers. He came from a respected upper class family.
·The SS was also full of lawyers. One such lawyer, Ernst Kaltenbrunner founded Mauthausen, one of the most brutal of the concentration camps. Another attorney, Hans Frank, became the governor-general of Nazi occupied Poland. His tenure there was marked by mass murder, graft, plunder, and corruption.
·Robert Ley was a slave master. He possessed a doctorate in chemistry.

These individuals are not particularly exceptional: one-third of SS officers possessed at least a bachelor’s degree. The truth, then, is much more disturbing. Many of the Holocaust’s practitioners were otherwise rational, accomplished individuals. Ultimately, I hope to convey to the reader that evil can come in many forms. It can come from thugs, but it can come from professors and engineers, too. I also hope to convey to the reader that the ideas of social elites need to be questioned from time to time. Sadly, average Germans during this period did not do so. They simply assumed that such leaders and intellectuals were always right. They failed to consider the fact that evil can corrupt social elites as well.

What exciting story are you working on next?
My second book is called Piltdown Man and Other Hoaxes. It’s much different from my first book. It’s a fun work that is designed for both adults and children. It’s about scientific hoaxes through history, including those involving Bigfoot, the Yeti, lake monsters, and Atlantis. It explores why hoaxes are perpetrated, and why people keep falling for them. Piltdown Man and Other Hoaxes is controversial (people tend to have strong opinions about such subjects), but in a light-hearted way.

It's schedule for release this summer.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I finally considered myself to be a professional writer when I received my first publishing contract about three years ago. I wrote for decades, but I had always been hounded by self-doubt. During the writing of Murderous Intellectuals, I had these sad thoughts: am I just a wannabe? Am I just fooling myself? Am I a phony? I don’t suffer from self-doubt much anymore.

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. That being said, my writing schedule is schizophrenic. I operate much like a painter or a sculptor. I have these periods when I get really inspired, and I’ll write thirty pages over a day or two. Then again, I have these periods when I can’t write for weeks on end. I don’t advise such a strategy; ideally, one should write every day. That never worked for me, though. I have found an effective way of dealing with it, however: simply do other writer-related tasks. You can send out queries or book proposals, you can arrange interviews, you can create and then send out press releases, and so on. To be a successful writer, you don’t have to write every day necessarily, but a writer should always stay busy doing one thing or another.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a writer, but I never thought that I could ever become one. My father was a truck driver. I thought that to be a writer, you had to have graduated from an ivy-league college and to have come from the upper class.

The reason why I wrote my first book is because I had been laid-off from work repeatedly. In between sending out resumes, I decided to write a manuscript. After all, I had a lot of free time on my hands, and it sounded like an interesting challenge. At the time, I simply wanted to prove to myself that I could do something like that. At no time did I ever feel like I could ever sell the book. My mother read it, and urged me to send it out to publishers. I was amazed that I received a contract. In addition, I never felt that I could do book signings or arrange interviews or public appearances. I’ve been pleasantly surprised time after time.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Readers can find my title on www.amazon.com, www.borders.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com, as well as at independent booksellers. They are also invited to contact me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Thanks!

Marketing SF/Fantasy/Horror Poetry by guest blogger Scott E. Green

Marketing Poetry
by Scott E. Green

I am a science fiction/fantasy/horror writer who works principally as a poet in the three genres of the fantastic. I have been doing this for 35 years. In the course of my career, I have written a reference book on sf/f/h poetry. I have been a past president of the Science Fiction Poetry Association. My fourth poetry collection, Private Worlds: A Revised Atlas is being published by Speaking Volumes.

Lastly, I manage two blogs on paying markets for sf/f/h poetry and flash fiction: GreenGenrePoetry and Manchester Poetry Examiner.

Below are ten points that poets who wish to work in the science fiction/fantasy/horror genres should keep in mind.

1. There is absolutely no difference among prose poetry, flash fiction, paragraph poetry, and micro fiction. I have looked at all four kinds of writing for hours and I cannot see any difference at all.

2. Unless a publication says absolutely and unequivocally in its guideliness that it is not open to poetry, query them.

3. There was a time when general literary journals were not open to poetry immersed in particular genres. Now, many new general literary journals are open to genre poetry. So don't assume a general literary journal is closed to sf/f/h poetry unless its guidelines actually state that fact.

4. Many of the sf/f/h e-zines also produce an annual print issue. You should verify the print issue either publishes new work or functions as an annual 'best of' collection. Many contracts for the sale of work to publications often include to right to reprint in an anthology. If an e-zine is buying the poem and it has an annual print issue, then make find out whether the annual print issue is the intended showcase for reprints or not.

5. Never sell your poem to an anthology that is only going to pay royalties. Somehow, they never make enough sales to generate royalties for contributors.

6. Never sell to a publication that says it will pay if funds are available. Somehow the funds never become available.

7. Despite what editors say, most of them do treat poetry as filler. In this area, it is easier to sell short poems rather than long poems. That is why you see so many poems using Japanese forms like haiku published in sf/f/h periodicals.

8. A magazine need not be a sf/f/h publication that uses poetry to be the only market for sf/f/h poetry. Consider looking into children's periodicals as well as youth Boys Life-type magazines published in other English language markets. For example, the Australian division of international media giant Pearson's publishes several youth magazines that resemble in style and spirit the Boy's Life of several generations ago, and yes, they buy poetry.

9. It's tough to crack into many Canadian markets because they receive funding from the Canadian Council, which means they buy only from Canadian nationals and permanent residents in Canada.

10. Lastly, read the publication's guidelines for submissions, even the very hard-to-read horror e-zines (deep red lettering on black background is really tough on the eyes ). The editors are fanatic that all would-be submitters follow them, unless you have made an agreement with the editors before hand.

Interview with authors behind crime fiction pseudonym RC Bridgestock

Today, Carol and Bob Bridgestock, the authors behind the name RC Bridgestock talk about their book Deadly Focus.

Carol and Bob were both born and lived in West Yorkshire until they relocated to the Isle of Wight in 2003. Between them they have 47 years employment with the police, Carol being a member of the civilian support staff and Bob being a police officer. They never had any inclinations to become authors, but others found their verbal stories thrilling, which led them to put pen to paper.

Bob was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in 1952. He left grammar school at the age of 15, served an apprenticeship as a butcher, then spent two years in dye works before joining the police force in 1974. In 1981, he was awarded the much acclaimed ‘Denis Hoban Trophy’ for outstanding detective work. On retirement, he received a Certificate of Loyal Service from West Yorkshire Police in appreciation and recognition of 30 years of ‘Loyal and Devoted Service to the Community’. As a career detective, he worked in the CID at every rank.

For over half of his service, he was a senior detective, retiring at the rank of Detective Superintendent. As a Senior Investigative Officer (SIO) in charge of homicide cases, he took command of some twenty-six murder investigations, twenty-three major incidents, including shootings and attempted murders, and over fifty suspicious deaths and numerous sexual assaults, some of which were extremely high profile in his last three years alone.

He received numerous commendations from high court judges and chief constables who credit him with personal commitment and professionalism, expertise and diligence, as well as competence with skilful leadership in sensitive, complex high profile cases with the subsequent presentation of compelling evidence. He was a Force Hostage Negotiator and was also commended for his work into the investigation of a protracted, high profile investigation of police corruption in another police force.

Carol was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1961. She left grammar school at the age of 16 and went on to study hairdressing at college. At twenty, she was running her own successful salon as well as teaching at the college. In 1988, Carol commenced working for the police as a member of the support staff in the administration department. As a supervisor, she received a Chief Constable’s commendation for outstanding work for her determination and drive creating a poster competition for an Autumn Fall Crime Initiative involving local schools. Carol is the Chairperson of Wight Fair Writers' Circle which developed from that course.

Please tell us about your current release, Deadly Focus.
Harrowfield is in uproar as Daisy Charlotte Hind vanishes without a trace. It’s up to Senior Investigating Officer Jack Dylan to find her.

Dylan’s worst nightmare is confirmed as a body is discovered and another child goes missing. Is this the work of a serial killer with a deadly focus? Dylan’s nerve is put to the test. He is attacked on the job and finds his health under increasing strain.

Live the story and the tension of the investigation as Dylan struggles to find a balance between his passion for his job and his love for his partner Jen.

We self-published Deadly Focus in July 2009. It will be re-launched by Caffeine Nights Publishers soon as a platform for the second book in the Dylan Series.

What inspired you to write this book?
Carol: I always knew Bob could tell a good story because of the experiences he had had in his life, but my nagging fell on deaf ears until 2008 - when out of the blue, Bob enrolled us in a college course to 'Write Your First Novel.'

One of Bob’s pet hates is to watch a TV series or read a crime novel and the police procedure is wrongly portrayed. Our writing is about the truth of feelings and correct police procedure with some version of reality in the murder.

Bob: We would never write about factual murders as we don’t feel it would be fair to the victims’ families who have already suffered enough. But, there is something about writing something we know.

What exciting story are you working on next?
Consequences, the sequel to Deadly Focus will be published in the Summer 2011 by Caffeine Nights Publishers. Although both books can be read in isolation, the reader can follow Dylan in subsequent investigations in this book and his home life.

A brief blurb about Consequences: Detective Inspector Jack Dylan’s list of things to do is getting out of control. He has two unconnected murders to solve of a small child and a young woman, plus a missing detective to find. Long hours are part of the job, but does he have the time to figure out the pieces to the crime jigsaws, and save his relationship?

Book 3 is at the final re-writing stage before we submit it to the publisher. It follows Dylan and his colleagues who deal with more heinous crimes.

Please tell us a bit about being co-authors:
Carol: There is no magic formula to our writing. Once Bob has a crime scene in his mind, he can write about the enquiry till he captures the murderers, as he did in real life, with all the highs and lows of any investigation he is duty-bound to take charge of. When his first draft of around 70,000 words is complete, he passes it to me.

I add the emotion. I draws out his feelings and write the scenes from his sometimes harrowing descriptions. It’s cathartic for Bob. Bob says its work.

Bob: There is never the case of not knowing how to move the story forward or writers block because the investigations open up automatically just as they did in real life.

Did we say there’s no magic? Maybe we’re wrong, because suddenly we have a fictional story with the real-life feelings of the man in charge, Dylan, and his partner Jen, who are very loosely based on ourselves.

Do you write full time?
Carol: We are both committed to writing full time.

Bob: Writing is an addiction and once the characters are alive in a book, it is exciting to live with them to the end of the crime investigation. We aim to write everyday and if the writing is flowing we go with it. Writing about taking charge of murder enquiries is easy because I have been there and done it as well as worn the T–shirt as they say. How we use that experience in our writing is more daunting, partially because there's no answer that comes easily to mind, no magic, like we said before, no formula. But, requests for another novel spur us on.

We have daily rituals like anyone else. We walk our three dogs, clean the house, do the laundry, drink coffee, eat pizzas, and love chocolate; turn onto Emmerdale Farm and Coronation Street at night to relax and love films with a romantic twist.

Carol: My office is above the dining room where Bob works at the sitting room table on his laptop. The white noise is a necessity for me to write creatively. Bob can write with the radio on. Once focused he’s not easily distracted.

In between the writing, I am the Chair of the Wight Fair Writers’ Circle that meets on a monthly basis. Every six months the Circle runs a writing competition to encourage others, especially children, to write. The sponsorship allows some great prizes and all monies go to local charities.

In our spare time we help raise money for three hospices: The Earl Mountbatten Hospice’ on the Isle of Wight, Overgate Hospice, and Wakefield Hospice in West Yorkshire. They also benefit from our talks and book sales.

Interview with author Ginger Simpson

Today on Reviews and Interviews, Ginger Simpson talks about her newest book, Shortcomings.

Retired from her big girl job, Ginger Simpson hoped to devote more time to writing, but caught up in the every day world of promotions, e-mails and chatting, she’s decided that one book a year might just be her norm. She spends some of her free time with husband, Kelly, and always finds time for Spencer, the love of her life. Her grandson, diagnosed with Autism, has shown her that with determination, all things are possible. Look how long it took Grandma Moses to find fame.

Please tell us about your current release, Shortcomings.
Our shortcomings don't define who we are, unless we let them. Cindy Johnson needs to learn that. Born with one leg shorter than the other, she has no self-esteem because of the cruel comments and cold stares she receives from her classmates. When Cory Neil, the football quarterback asks her to Homecoming, she's quite sure he's asked her on a dare and refuses. It takes more than just her mother's assurances that Cindy's beautiful before she realizes she may have made a mistake in turning him down.

What inspired you to write this book?
My books are all character-driven. I’ve never plotted anything ahead of time. I’m very fortunate that a revolving door in my mind is always spinning as new characters come inside with new ideas. Usually they come with a title and named characters. I’m just the fingers that do the typing and add the SHOWING to their TELLING.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m trying very hard to finish Hattie’s Hero, which is another western historical romance. Hattie, unlike most of my characters, is being very quiet and not at all helpful. I may need to learn to plot in order to finish this one. I love the first five chapters she’s shared with me, but I’m at a standstill right now. Perhaps if I move on to something else, she’ll start jabbering.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always loved to write so I consider I’ve been a writer most of my life. The important moment came for me in May 2003 when my debut novel was published and I became an AUTHOR.

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 could never write full-time. As you get older, your joints get stiffer and I have to face reality that movement is imperative to my health. I could sit here for hours on end and be perfectly content on the computer, but I’m forcing myself to do other things…like exercise on my Wii board. Of course, I do housework and laundry, but that doesn’t count. I also make time for my husband because he’s my biggest fan.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’m not sure I have one. I gave this a lot of thought and nothing came to me. Perhaps the fact that I try and infuse humor into everything I write, no matter how serious. Life without humor is like living without breathing.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a wife and mother and that’s exactly what I am. I grew up playing with dolls, loving the idea of having a baby and caring for it. I don’t feel like I missed out on any of my dreams.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I’ve been around for a long time now so I’m hoping many readers already know me and appreciate my work. For those who don’t, I invite you to visit my website where my work is showcased, and also my blog, Dishin’ It Out. I’m nearing the 50,000 mark and you can help me achieve that milestone. Anyone who visits and comments on this interview will receive a free download of Life is a Bowl of Toilets and I Clean Them, my short humorous.

Thanks Lisa for hosting me today. It’s been fun, and I liked having some different questions to answer.

Thanks for visiting, Ginger! I hope Hattie starts talking to soon. :)

Live chat/interview with Carolyn Rose and Mike Nettleton - 4/3/11

The Writer's Chatroom presents writing partners Carolyn Rose and Mike Nettleton.

WHEN?

Sunday, April 3, 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.

Interview with children's author Stanley Smith

Stanley Smith is here today to talk about his first book, The Adventures of Cotton Top and Earnest.

Stan was born and raised in Southern Oklahoma and has fond memories of growing up in the history-rich and naturally beautiful state. When Stan was a teenager, his family moved to Dallas, Texas, but his heart stayed in the OK state.

He now resides in Ennis, Texas where he is a US Army veteran, respected father and grandfather, retired General Motors mechanic, and avid horseman. He is currently pursuing a degree in Education through Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. Since starting college for the first time, his love for story-telling has been fired and he has taken to writing novels and short stories.

Please tell us about your current release, The Adventures of Cotton Top and Earnest.
The Smith brothers, Cotton Top and Earnest, are in for the adventure of their lives. Cotton Top, being fourteen, takes his responsibility as a big brother to Earnest seriously. His twelve-year-old brother Earnest is always curious and every once in awhile a little foolhardy. He is smarter than Cotton Top so he doesn’t seem to get himself into as much trouble as Cotton Top does. Dissimilar in personality, yet the two are simply inseparable. From hunting to fishing to going to school to performing pranks, they do everything together.

What inspired you to write this book?
The two things that inspired me the most are (1) I saw what my grandchildren were watching on TV and believed I could do better (too much foul language).(2) After I was injured on the job and could no longer work my brother told me to write the story of the two of us growing up on the Washita River in Oklahoma.

What exciting story are you working on next?
While going to college full time, I am working on the next part of the book. It will be a little more adventerous and have wilder adventures.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Until I completed the first book I was just a story teller. For fun I enjoy, more than anything, horse racing.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
An interesting quirk is most people cannot tell if I am telling the truth or making up a story. Even my professors have questioned some of my stories.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Growing up I wanted to be a farmer, but I was taken from that when I was fifteen.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I think there is a lot of wisdom and good information in my story plus it is easy to read, entertaining and a book all ages can enjoy.

In order to increase sales I tell eveyone that if they read The Adventures of Cotton Top and Earnest there is a good chance they will never get the flu again. *grin*

Folks can read an excerpt on my website.

Review of Lifetime Loser by James Ross

Genre: Fiction
Title: Lifetime Loser
Author: James Ross

J. W. Schroeder, known throughout his life as J Dub, is a golfer. His father taught him some of life’s lessons in tandem with how to excel at hitting a small white ball on a range and then down a fairway. However, not all of life’s lessons can be taught through anything less than direct experience, and not everyone is a gentleman when it comes to the ‘Gentleman’s Game’.

Lifetime Loser is a story about how falling one shot short on making it to the pro circuit changed J Dub’s life’s path. An opportunity to be a partner in and manage an Illinois golf course seemed almost too good to be true. After checking into the details, J Dub decides it’s legit and signs the papers – even though his wife hasn’t seen the property and she’s uncomfortable with his new partner, Lew. J Dub’s passion for golf never wanes, nor does his passion to support his family as best as he can. It’s when he discovers himself in the midst of a thick web of deceit that he pulls on the lessons he’s already learned in order to do the right thing, no matter how difficult.

The author chose to write in omniscient voice, so the reader learns a lot about almost every character who appears on the page. The reader has to play close attention to each line since the head hopping isn’t limited to one character per paragraph. The character backgrounds are entertaining and lend to giving a lot of color to the story. The point of view choice allows for a large cast of characters and a way for the reader to feel a part of the conversations in the pro shop and beyond. 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. Lifetime Loser took eight months to write after four years of crafting it in his mind. James is an avid, low-handicap golfer who enjoys the sport and the lessons of the game. He believes golf may very well hold the key to a lot of life's best secrets.

Lifetime Loser can entertain a golf fan, a golf player, as well as someone who knows nothing about the sport since the sport is used as a metaphor for life. This novel is about a man having the patience and perseverance to pursue the right path, no matter how much easier life might be if he could just walk away from it all instead. It is a good read. Reviewer: Lisa Haselton, Allbooks Reviews, www.allbooksreviewint.com.

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 978-1-4257-8208-5
Pages: 328
Price: $19.99