Interview with biographer Malachi Stewart

Today's guest is Malachi Stewart. He's doing a virtual book tour for his personal biography, Journey to Malachi.

At the bottom of the interview is a rafflecopter entry form to enter to win a signed copy of the book.

Bio: 
Malachi Jeremiah Stewart is an ancient vessel housed in a modern body. In 2011, he was entrusted to lead Prophetic Streams Ministries in Philadelphia, PA as a unique tributary of Kingdom life, by declaring the finished work of Christ and dispensing the ‘unforced rhythms of grace.’

Currently, Malachi is pursuing a degree in Religion and Christian Counseling at Liberty University and seeks to work in full time ministry, both at locally and globally. He serves as Youth Advisor & Trainer to Dominion’s Prophetic & Apostolic Coalition Trans-Continental (D'PACT), Youth L.E.A.D. and Youth in Ministry (YIM) organizations, training high school and college students in the areas of evangelism, spiritual devotion, biblical instruction, and Papa prayer. He leads IGNITE! a youth evangelistic outreach in the capitol region, including DC-Maryland-Virginia. As a visionary leader and prophetic flame, he has a strong desire for souls to be saved, families to be restored, and for nations to be reconciled with Christ.

Welcome, Malachi. Please tell us about your current release.

Readers of Journey to Malachi will embark upon a biographical journey through my life as I face the perils of abuse and the tribulations of its many after effects. Through hopelessness and despair I invite readers to join me for the moments that bring great sorrow and the moments that bring great joy. Journey to Malachi is a celebration of the purpose behind our deepest pains.

What inspired you to write this book?

When I was a small boy and my sexual abuse started I was extremely confused and deeply hurt. Since that moment I never felt like there was another person who understood my inner struggles and so my problems made me feel isolated. When I started writing I wrote the book to my inner child. I told the stories I knew he could relate to and I gave him the honesty he deserved. I also gave him the love, support, and spiritual wisdom he would need to survive and overcome his journey to healing and hope.

Excerpt:

After the rape I totally suppressed any feelings I had the same way I had done years ago when the molestation occurred. I knew that I didn’t have the strength to risk exposure and tell any adult what happened. To tell any of my peers, who knew my secret would cause me to feel weak and foolish. A huge part of me really believed that the molestation and the rape were my fault. To most people that probably doesn’t make sense, and in retrospect it doesn’t honestly make any sense to me either but at the time that feeling was so very real to me. I kept wondering how I could have been so stupid. How could I have put myself in that position of vulnerability? The easiest way to cope with what happened was to pretend that it didn’t. Somehow I managed to move forward and by the time I graduated high school I had a pretty good control over my sexual urges and was doing my best to abstain from sinful activities all together. I was deeply involved with the church and had been serving as a youth leader. I was getting my first real taste of ministry as I planned revivals and watched the labor of my hands manifest into powerful moves of God. It felt so good to be living what I believed. A part of me, however knew that it was temporary. How long did I really expect to go through life with my heart separate from the lifestyle that I was living?

 My survival mechanism in the church realm was that I embraced the legalism, which caused my youthfulness to be abandoned. Following all of the doctrinal rules of my denomination and reciting religious dogma made me feel like I had changed. Changing physical things gave me the façade of deliverance. It is for this reason why I understand how the woman the bible describes as being caught in the act of adultery must have felt when they brought her to the Messiah’s feet. She knew the law and knew she was wrong. Her accusers were many and worse of all they were justified. She was indeed guilty as charged. It would have been convenient for Jesus to introduce her to religion and have her to repent and wear a long dress, cover her hair, remove her jewelry and do everything else that would make her feel whole and worthy. Yet he extended grace to her and removed her accusers, releasing her to “sin no more”. Receiving that’s grace was the hardest thing the woman had probably ever done in her life. It is easy to change the external with legalistic practices that produce tangible results but it’s hard to receive grace and allow Christ to transform the internal in the fullness of time. If only I knew that then I would have saved myself years of settling for a ‘form of godliness’! My façade was intact but unfortunately in time all facades fade. Mine was fading faster than I knew.  

What exciting story are you working on next?

I am working on a book called Daddy that illuminates how our experiences with our natural fathers are reflected in how we perceive and relate to God as our heavenly father.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I considered myself a writer at my first book signing. Even after publishing and holding the book in my hands for the first time, it wasn’t until I was seeing strangers purchase my book that I felt like an official writer. Truth be told, I feel I am more of a storyteller. I feel that my destiny it to share the truths that are applicable to us all by telling stories that bring healing, hope and happiness to the darkness that can comprise reality.

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 am a full-time student and transitioning into full-time ministry. I write whenever I can find time. Fortunately, I am able to write large amounts quickly but unfortunately rarely have the time to devote to writing. I suspect this will change as I become more prominent as an author.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

When I am writing I cannot use a pen and paper! I have to type and everything must be completely silent. I do my best writing early in the morning and where I am surrounded by nature and beauty.

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

Interestingly, the first thing I ever wanted to be was a writer. Of course, I found out that other occupations make more money so quickly opted for the more logical and lucrative career path. I never felt I could be successful as a writer. Recently, I decided to choose passion over prosperity, but I hope one day the twain will become one.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I just want the readers to know that my purpose for sharing the intimate details of my life was so that it could inspire, comfort, and cause healing for someone else. This book was certainly written with my readers in mind so as you begin to take my journey, be encouraged in your own.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Thanks, Malachi. Readers, enter here to win a signed copy of Journey to Malachi:

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with crime author Clive West

Clive West is doing a couple of simultaneous book tours and today he's here to tell us a bit about his crime novel The Road.

Bio:

Clive West was born in the West Country of England in the early 60s. He was educated at a traditional English public school before going on to university to study civil engineering. Over the years, he has worked as a civil engineer, tutor of maths and science, schools quiz-master, employment agency boss, and writer.

His work includes a collection of short stories with twists called Hobson's Choice (also available in print), the full-length novel The Road about the consequences of corruption on ordinary people and an accessible job hunting interview guide (based on his years of experience as the boss of an employment agency).

He has also written a book about lymphedema. This is a disfiguring, life-threatening, and incurable disease he now suffers from. His experience shows that most fellow patients have (like him) been abandoned by their respective health services.

Clive now lives in a rebuilt farmhouse in the Umbrian region of Italy along with Damaris, his writer wife of 22 years and their three rescue dogs. Apart from his fictional work, Clive also writes commercial non-fiction on a variety of topics but especially relating to business and employment. He and Damaris run an indie publisher called Any Subject Books Ltd – www.anysubject.com

You can also follow Any Subject Books on Facebook – www.facebook.com/anysubject

Clive is now disabled but, aside from his writing, he also enjoys playing the keyboard, listening to music, and reading.

Welcome, Clive. Please tell us about your current release.

The Road tells the story of the petty and not-so-petty corruption surrounding the building of a new ring-road around the small English town of Stockton. Seen from the eyes of different families, it relates the human tragedies which those who commit the acts of fraud and greed choose not to see.

The main protagonists are:

Henry, a town planner who one day spots an opportunity to escape from his humdrum life and loveless marriage

Sandra, his assistant who, despite being imbued with the work ethic, finds getting on the property ladder an impossible feat – unless she cheats, of course.

The Giddings family who moved to the countryside so that their children could benefit from a rural upbringing but who now find their chosen lifestyle being denied them one piece at a time.

John, an affable but ruthless developer who sees nothing wrong with looking out for his own interests in a dog-eat-dog society.

… and all the others who benefit from dipping their beaks at every opportunity and in open abuse of the positions of trust that they hold.

What inspired you to write this book?

I spent many years as an estimator in the construction business and I’ve witnessed a great deal of corruption and abuse of power in both the private and public sectors. It’s prevalent from the top to the bottom and every bit of the tree is rotten.

Just like every action has an equal and opposite reaction, every crime has its victim. The fact that the perpetrator can’t see the victim or know of the consequences, or even be aware of the victim’s specific identity, does nothing to change that. I wanted to write a book which brought this home to people in a realistic but understandable way.

There are a few other books of its genre but, in my mind, they dwell on the technical aspects and this makes it difficult for those without the relevant knowledge to get to grips with what’s really going on. I wanted to steer clear of too much ‘construction detail’ and concentrate on the characters.

The Road is realistic and, I hope, emotive.

Excerpt:

Caroline and Stuart Giddings knocked on the door, and hearing a vague ‘Come in’ sound from beyond, opened it and entered. Sitting behind a large ancient desk was their member of parliament, Charles Milton, a tall, wiry-haired man of indeterminate age although probably in his mid to late forties. Stuart immediately thought that he looked the sort of person whom you could drop head first into a pile of manure and who would come out absolutely devoid of any trace of the substance while you and anyone around you would be completely plastered in the stuff. Still, he wasn’t there to befriend them, he was there to listen to their grievances and act on them.

Stuart had suggested that before Caroline get too involved with RIM, the two of them pay a visit to their MP and see if he had any power or urge to champion their cause. Deep down, Stuart was sceptical but he was pleased that Caroline had definitely brightened up when he had made the suggestion a few days prior. The children were at school and Stuart had arranged for a colleague to cover two of his lessons. This was important.

At their MP’s gesture, they seated themselves in two upholstered office chairs. Caroline crossed her legs which made her side-slit pencil skirt ride up. She didn’t seem the slightest bit self-conscious of the amount of leg she was showing but Stuart’s bum squirmed uneasily on its cushion.

“Thank you for seeing us at short notice. My name is Caroline Giddings and this is my husband, Stuart,” Caroline offered by way of introduction.

“My pleasure, my pleasure. Nice to meet you both. What can I do for you good people?” Stuart noticed that Milton’s eyes had addressed the question to his wife’s legs rather than to their faces. The man had a predatory look about him.

“We’d like to talk about this new road and the effect it will have on us,” Caroline continued. Stuart had decided he would let her do the majority of the talking – it might help her get some of it off her chest and at least if nothing came of it, she couldn’t say he hadn’t asked the right questions. Women could do that – sit beside you while you chatted away, not saying anything themselves. Then, when it was too late, they were perfectly capable of criticising you for not having said something important.

“Fire away,” Milton’s eyes had travelled up Caroline’s torso and he was now staring at her bust. Stuart already despised the man. Still, beggars couldn’t be choosers. He bit his tongue.

Caroline seemed oblivious – she was very clearly caught up with the matter at hand or perhaps she just enjoyed her figure being admired. “Well, we’ve just discovered that not only are we about to lose all of our trees, they are going to build houses right up close to our home.”

“Mmm, yes. I’m afraid there are always casualties when a new development of this size goes through.” Milton paused and reflected while they waited patiently for whatever pearls of wisdom he could lay at their feet. “I don’t mean to be negative but have you considered putting your house up for sale?” he eventually asked.

“Yes, and the estate agent told us that because of the high number of new houses that will be flooding the market and also because our house will be losing its view, we will struggle to sell it. He also said we will have loads of – what is it called Stuart?” Caroline turned to him.

“Negative equity,” Stuart chipped in.

“Mmm, yes. I see the dilemma. Perhaps you should try other estate agents – see if they view the picture differently.” Stuart noticed that his body language had changed. When they had first arrived it had been expansive and, supposedly, welcoming. Now Milton’s arms had folded across his chest and he was making outward movements with his hands. ‘Go away – it’s not my problem,’ in other words.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’ve several ideas in my head (which is where I do most of my writing).

Depending upon the outcome of the book tours I’ve got going at the moment, it’ll be one of the following:

A new collection of twist-in-the-tail short stories. These are really hard work to write but great fun.

A prequel or sequel to The Road picking up on the ‘family from hell’ and their antics

The ‘autobiography’ of a serial killer written in novel format

… but there are also other ideas kicking around in my noodle that I may run with instead, you never know!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Mathematics was my forte but the English language was quite close behind. I was reading by the age of two-and-a-half and I soon graduated to the sort of books I enjoy to this day.

My mother taught me to type before I went to primary school so that’s helped, too. I won’t say that I’m a fast typist but I can chug along at a reasonable lick all day and I think that’s the main thing.

With regards to writing as a job, my work as an estimator in the construction business entailed me writing countless letters, contracts etc and, since it has to be right first time, I think that induces a lot of basic self-editing skills in you.

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?

Writing is my job and I spread myself between creative writing, commercial writing, and running a small publishing business with my wife (who is also an author).

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I do most of my writing in my sleep. I’ve always been able to control my dreams (as long as I’m not so exhausted that I just need to sleep come-what-may). I can go to bed with an idea but no solution, spend the night flinging it around, and wake up with an answer and also the guts of the dialogue, sub-plot etc.

I think the principal advantage of using sleep is that I’m no longer constrained by preconceived ideas. Obviously some of the initial solutions are fanciful but I soon find that my sleep-conscious rejects the nonsensical ideas in favor of a plausible and logical solution.

Working in my sleep does mean that I wake up feeling tired so it’s not a task for every night. I try to save it for when I need it.

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

I was asked just this question when I was 6 years old and I remember the answer. All the other kids were saying things like ‘Fireman’, ‘Lorry driver’ and ‘Train driver’. I said, “I want to be my own boss and have my own business.” Nothing’s changed.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I remember how (for me and I’m not saying this is everyone’s experience) English Literature lessons could easily take the magic out of a book with its constant navel contemplation of allegories and analogies. I’d hate to force that on anyone, but I do hope that my stories leave you thinking because, alongside entertaining you, that’s my intention.

Thanks for stopping by, Clive. I hope your tours go well!

Virtual Excerpt Tour Stop for Over the Mountain and Back by Marie Astor

Today is a virtual book excerpt stop for Marie Astor and her novel Over the Mountain and Back. Marie is going to be giving away a $25.00 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commentor during the tour, so make sure to comment below (and leave an email address if you'd like to be entered to win.)

For more chances to win, you can visit other stops and comment there as well.

Dear Reader,

Thank you very much for joining me for Over the Mountain and Back blog tour. The story of Over the Mountain and Back began over twenty years ago when I was fourteen years old and decided to write a novel as an anniversary gift for my parents. It was going to be a fantasy adventure about a boy named Peter and a girl named Lara set in a magical country, Transadonia. I remember writing studiously on the pages of an ornate notebook I had acquired especially for the occasion. Back then computers were not yet widely used, so I had to pay extra care to my handwriting. A year later, Over the Mountain and Back was completed, or at least I had thought so at the time. Needless to say my parents were very surprised with their anniversary gift.

Years passed; I finished high school and went on to college. Lara’s and Peter’s story faded from my mind, replaced by the hustles and bustles of everyday life. Then, one day – the day that happened to be my thirtieth birthday, my parents presented me with a gift: it was oblong in shape and wrapped in shiny paper. After I opened the wrapping, I was stunned to find the long forgotten story I had written all those years ago.

Long story short, after two years of extensive work, I rewrote and expanded Over the Mountain and Back into a novel of 95,000 words. For me it had been an exciting journey to be reunited with my old friends: Lara and Peter, Forest Witch Ramona, Chancellor Libra, Bookbrownies, and, of course, Carnelion, among the many others.

I hope that you will join Lara and Peter on their adventure in Transadonia.

If you would like to find out more about my books, please stop by my website: www.marieastor.com.

Regards,

Marie Astor

Blurb: 

With his father gone missing and his mother losing her grip on reality, Peter Bailey’s life is no picnic. Peter’s gray existence changes unexpectedly after he takes his new snowboard for a ride in the mountains of Colorado and is stunned to find himself in Transadonia – a hidden world

that coexists alongside with the Earth.

Lara Grover never listened to her elders, so warnings like “do not talk to strangers” mean nothing to her. When a boy from an unknown world saves her from an avalanche with the aid of a snow dragon, Lara is not stunned in the least. Instead, she joins Peter on his quest to help him realize the purpose behind his arrival to Transadonia.

Together, Lara and Peter embark on an adventure filled with perils, trickery, betrayals, and unexpected alliances.

Excerpt:

“Let’s see what you can do, Silverboard,” Peter whispered under his breath, gently lowering the board on the glistening white snow. A snowboard so magnificent deserved a name and he could not think of a more suitable one. It had popped into his mind the moment he saw the board’s shimmering silver surface. Even before he could grasp the rope pulley, he felt himself gliding up the mountain. Peter looked down and saw that the board was carrying him uphill. For a moment he almost panicked, uncertain of what to do next. As if in an attempt to reassure him, Silverboard flashed brightly with blue light. Gradually, Peter’s panic subsided and was replaced with curiosity. Snowboarding uphill was an entirely new sensation, and he was beginning to enjoy it as Silverboard slithered seamlessly up the mountain. In an attempt to make a turn, Peter shifted his weight as he would normally do with a regular snowboard and almost tumbled downhill. Wow, steady! Peter thought to himself and felt Silverboard grow firmer underneath him. Okay, now try going up again, to the left. Immediately, Silverboard carried Peter in the desired direction. Wow, thought Peter, I can steer it with my thoughts! This was a new sensation, and it would take some getting used to.

At the sight of the smooth, powdery snow that lay on the uppermost peaks of the mountain, Peter felt his heart race with anticipation. Up until now, these soaring cliffs had been  unreachable to him since the lifts did not go that high up the mountain, but with Silverboard he could go anywhere he wanted. From his pocket Peter took out the omniometer - his father’s last invention - that he always carried with him. He had found it in his father’s lab, in the basement of their house, shortly after his father had gone missing. The word “omniometer” was written on top of the box that contained the instrument. The device could scan a variety of objects, ranging from houses to mountains and could generate a blueprint, akin to an x-ray. Peter carried the omniometer with him to scan the mountain for the hidden ice pits or boulders that often lurked behind deceptive layers of snow.

Here we go, thought Peter, up those cliffs! Obeying his command, Silverboard soared up the mountain. Peter’s ability to steer the board grew every minute, and he could feel Silverboard quiver ever so slightly every time he was about to make a turn that concealed a rock or an iceberg as if to warn him about the obstacle. He took a moment to catch his breath and take a look around. He was standing at the very top of the mountain and could not wait to race all the way to the bottom. As if sharing Peter’s joy, Silverboard beamed a flash of blue light.

“Where does that blue light come from?” Peter asked himself as he pointed Silverboard down the mountain. Before he could realize it, he was up against a yawning chasm with sharp, icy edges. The gap seemed to have sprung out of nowhere, and when Peter finally saw it, he was right against its edge and it was too late to stop. He struggled to make a sharp turn, but the snowboard’s edge slipped over the ice, and Peter felt himself tipping over and tumbling down the icy crevice, falling faster and faster. It was all happening so quickly that he couldn’t even think of anything to grab on to, and then before he knew it, the fall ended, and he smashed into a deep mound of snow. Shocked by the intensity of the fall, Peter lay still for several minutes, trying to gather his wits. When he got up, he saw that he was at the bottom of an ice cave that seemed to go on for miles. But how could this have happened? Peter wondered. Why didn’t I see the ravine on the omniometer, and why didn’t Silverboard warn me?

Books by Marie Astor:

For Young Adults:

Over the Mountain and Back – a fantasy adventure novel

http://www.amazon.com/Over-Mountain-Back-Adventure-ebook/dp/B008WF1Y78/ref=la_B004EBDX9Q_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1348537570&sr=1-6

Kindle link:

http://www.amazon.com/Over-Mountain-Back-Adventure-ebook/dp/B008WF1Y78/ref=la_B004EBDX9Q_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1348527276&sr=1-6

For Adults:

To Catch a Bad Guy – romantic suspense

http://www.amazon.com/To-Catch-Bad-Guy-ebook/dp/B008W1L5IA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1348537512&sr=8-5&keywords=marie+astor

This Tangled Thing Called Love – a contemporary romance about overcoming one’s inhibitions, learning to tango, and finding one’s true love match.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Tangled-Thing-Called-ebook/dp/B0078IPNCW/ref=la_B004EBDX9Q_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337972977&sr=1-3

Lucky Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship.

http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Charm-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005BZL3L4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336842915&sr=8-1

On the Rim of Love – a contemporary romance about the unexpected power of love.

http://www.amazon.com/On-Rim-Love-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B005TOWI7K/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

A Dress in a Window – a collection of short stories about love, coincidences, and fate.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Dress-Window-ebook/dp/B004E112TO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.marieastor.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4665230.Marie_Astor

Twitter: @marieastor

Interview with novelist Michael Loyd Gray

Novelist Michael Loyd Gray is here today to give a glimpse into his young adult novel King Biscuit.

Michael will be awarding a $25.00 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. If you’d like to be entered to win, just leave an email address with a comment below. And for more chances to win, you can follow Michael’s tour and leave comments at other blog stops.

Bio:

Michael Loyd Gray was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, but grew up in Champaign, Illinois. He earned an MFA in English from Western Michigan University and has taught at colleges and universities in upstate New York, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Texas. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a Journalism degree and was a newspaper staff writer in Arizona and Illinois for ten years, conducting the last interview with novelist Erskine Caldwell.

He is the winner of the 2005 Alligator Juniper Fiction Prize and the 2005 The Writers Place Award for Fiction. Gray’s novel Well Deserved won the 2008 Sol Books Prose Series Prize. His novel Not Famous Anymore was awarded a grant by the Elizabeth George Foundation and was released by Three Towers Press (2012). His novel December's Children was a finalist for the 2006 Sol Books Prose Series Prize and was also released in 2012 by Tempest books (an imprint of Sol Books) as the young adult novel King Biscuit.  He has written a sequel to Well Deserved called The Last Stop, and another four novels entitled: Fast Eddie, Blue Sparta, The Salt Meadows and The Canary.

Whereas in his first novels Michael focuses very much on Argus and the Midwest, he ventures out into other parts of the world in his last three novels. A lifelong Chicago Bears and Rolling Stones fan, he lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and teaches as full-time online English faculty Professor for South University, where he is one of the founding editors of the student literary journal Asynchronous and sponsor of an online readings series featuring fiction and poetry. Michael is represented by Vilain Innovations – Literary Agency in The Netherlands

Welcome, Michael. Please tell us about your current release.

My new novel, King Biscuit, begins in 1966 and it’s about Billy Ray Fleener, a 17-year-old living in the stifling and fictional small town of Argus, Illinois, who yearns to see the wider world. Billy Ray sets off on a road trip of sorts, sparked by the desire to visit the grave of his Uncle Milt (killed in Vietnam) in Helena, Arkansas. Along the way Billy Ray’s adventures bring him in contact with Elvis Presley, President Lyndon Johnson, some militant nuns, a con man, and a rock band called Gravy is Groovy. He visits New Orleans, too, as his travels inch him closer to maturity and an identity. Certainly it’s a coming of age story.

What inspired you to write this book?

I guess I wrote King Biscuit in part because I am fond of the 1960s – especially the great rock music from those days. The Rolling Stones are part of the novel’s background – they are emblematic of changing times and certainly Billy Ray is drawn to their music as an antidote to conservative Argus and his even more conservative father. Argus is a burg with a quaint town square and Billy Ray’s father owns the local hardware store – Fleener Hardware. Argus would be east of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, on a map, for example.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I just finished a new novel, The Canary, about the last days of Amelia Earhart. Earlier this year I wrote a novel called The Salt Meadows, which takes place partly during the 1985 Haitian Revolution.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I started reading at a pretty early age and always loved it. I can’t say exactly when I wanted to be a writer, or thought I would be, but it was not until after high school. I earned a journalism degree from the University of Illinois and spent ten years writing for newspapers. But journalism was too limiting – too stifling, as was Argus for Billy Ray. I quit newspaper work for graduate school in English and it was there that I became serious about writing fiction.

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 teach full-time for a university, but when I am writing a novel I tend to do it every day until done. That way it’s much easier to keep a firm grip on the narrative thread of the story and extend it to the end.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

My writing quirk—I want a novel’s title before I commit to writing it. Once I get what I feel sure is the title, I am able and ready to learn what story will blossom from that.

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

As a child I wanted to be a football coach and later I thought about becoming an oceanographer, but I’m no good at science and math and so English is where I ended up and it’s what I do best.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

My advice to readers is to not give up on your writing. Keep at it and you can improve. It gets easier the more you do it.

Website | Blog | Pinterest | Twitter | Facebook

Author’s page on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Loyd-Gray/e/B002CX4LJ4/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Order the book:

http://www.amazon.com/King-Biscuit-Michael-Loyd-Gray/dp/1938237048/ref=la_B002CX4LJ4_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1348536068&sr=1-3

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king-biscuit-michael-loyd-gray/1112229915?ean=9781938237041

Guest post by C.J. West - Are We Heading for a Zombie Apocalpyse?

I have a guest blogger today, C.J. West.

C.J. is the author of seven suspense novels including The End of Marking Time and Sin and Vengeance, which was optioned into development for film by Beantown Productions, LLC (screenplay by Marla Cukor). C.J. blogs at www.cjwestkills.wordpress.com. You can also find him at www.22wb.com or at www.facebook.com/cjwestfans

Are We Heading for a Zombie Apocalypse?

The title of this blog post may have you thinking about the recent cannibalism events in the United States. And you may love The Walking Dead on television or even the movie Zombieland and you may be conjuring Hollywood’s version of flesh-eating zombies. I’m personally a fan of the movie and the television series, but I’m not writing about infected, mindless people roaming the streets.

What I’m really talking about is something I heard over and over from the real life hero in my Lorado Martin Mystery Series. He often talks about the Zombie Apocalypse as a metaphor for a rising tide of drug abuse and crime.

Lorado works with recovering addicts and sees firsthand the toll drug abuse takes on people. Families are splintered apart as trust between spouses, brothers, even children and parents is shattered by lies and deceit. Many of these relationships can never be truly mended. Users rack up criminal records so long they can never hold a position of responsibility. Many lose their right to vote. When they finally get clean, many recovering addicts are resigned to life as second-class citizens. Portraying their struggles in Dinner At Deadman’s was heartrending work.

Why this happens and why the Zombie Apocalypse tag is so fitting is because some people are so powerless to hard drugs they have no choice but to feed their addiction at all costs. They mindlessly wander in search of money for their next fix, like the walkers in The Walking Dead, scouring the world for their next meal.

Lorado says that movie makers have been using zombies as a metaphor for drug users for years and that the population at large has yet to catch on. Whether you believe him or not, the push to legalize addictive drugs is more scary than any zombie movie.

Thirteen of 50 states have decriminalized marijuana. Politicians as disparate as Ron Paul and Rev. Jesse Jackson are calling to end the war on drugs. Senator Paul sees the drug war as an infringement on individual liberty, while politicians from the Congressional Black Caucus like Rep John Conyers see the war on drugs disproportionately targeting people of color. Actor Brad Pitt calls the war on drugs a charade.

With so many voices calling to legalize drugs, we have to wonder what would happen to our young people if they could go to a liquor store and buy heroin when they turn 21. Would a cheaper, regulated source of heroin be any less devastating? Or would we be cultivating a crop of zombies that will roam the earth searching for their next fix?

Polls show about 50% of people favor legalization of marijuana and a smaller group favor legalization of heroin. Which side are you on? And what do you think would happen if we opened the floodgates and allowed anyone to go out and buy drugs?

Interview with debut fantasy author Ron Hartman

Today’s guest, fantasy author Ron Hartman is here to tell us a bit about his novel The Prophecy Chronicles: Prophecy Foretold.

Ron will be awarding signed cover flats for each tour stop and a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. If you’d like to be entered to win any of the gifts, make sure to leave an e-mail address so you can be contacted. And if you’d like to increase your chances of winning, follow Ron’s tour and comment at other tour stops.

To purchase book: www.roguephoenixpress.com; www.bn.com; www.amazon.com

Bio:

Ron Hartman has had a life-long passion for the written word and is an avid reader. The Prophecy Chronicles are his first written works. Ron graduated from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy in 2000 and lives in Ottumwa, Iowa with his wife and three children.

Welcome, Ron. Please tell us about your current release.

The Prophecy Chronicles: Prophecy Foretold is the first in a fantasy trilogy following the tale of Daniel Marten, a man from our world that gets transported to another world during a car accident. When he comes to in a country called Naphthali, the injuries he sustained during the accident have healed, but have left him disfigured with scars. The scars mark him as a prophesied savior for the people of the war-torn country, but all Daniel wants to do is get back to the family he left behind…

What inspired you to write this book?

This book grew from a kernel that was planted in my mind long ago. When I was sixteen or seventeen I was driving home from a job at night during a snowstorm. I came around a series of s-curves and saw a frozen pond sitting not far from the highway. My mind’s eye saw a car sliding across the road, breaking through a fence, and crashing through the ice of that pond. That image stayed with me for years, until it finally became the opening sequence in Prophecy Foretold.

That was the initial inspiration for this book, but by far the greatest inspiration was my family. Their love and support has carried me through many dark days when I would've given up if not for them. It shouldn't be surprising that Daniel’s wife Ashley is closely patterned after my own wife Leslie.

Excerpt:

Daniel stopped behind him and just short of the hill's crest, his heart in his throat as he looked at Soren's tense form in silhouette. Afraid of what he'd see, but needing to see it anyway, he forced himself to take the last few steps on numb and shaky legs. Before them the peaks declined into a series for short foothills before reaching a rocky beach. They were surrounded on three sides by the strange green waters of the sea. The tall white-capped mountains continued along the far shore to their right-hand side. Fear and confusion welled inside him as he asked, "How--what happened?"

           

A fierce scowl marred Alaric's face as he dropped his pack and pulled out the vellum map. Soren rested a hand on the map and gently pushed it down. "We lost our bearings," he murmured. "Veered too far west."

           

Daniel's bowels turned to water at the sound of doom in Soren's voice. In a whisper he asked, "What?" Alaric raised the map and his shoulders sagged. He held it out to Daniel, pointing at the mountains and the sea. Specifically he pointed at the small peninsula that jutted into the Sea of Sorrows. "No…" Daniel murmured, realization bringing his dread to fruition.

Clem realized the danger as well. He spun around, as if expecting Imperial soldiers to appear any second. When he turned back to them, his eyes were cold, his voice dead. "We're trapped."

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’ve already written rough drafts of Prophecy Chronicles 2 and 3, so currently I am revising those. I’ve also started on another project that will be more of a mainstream fictional tale. It follows a group of high school friends when they come back together twenty years after graduating. The overall theme of that book will be one of forgiveness, and what happens if you do (and don’t) give or receive it. I’m only a little way into that one so far, but it has been fun fleshing out those characters, and it’s always fun to relive the glory days!!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think I first considered myself a writer when I was close to finishing Prophecy Foretold, my first book. I could see the end in sight and I knew I was finally going to make it. It wasn’t until then that I finally told my family and friends that I was writing a book, and asked them to read it when I was finished. So that was when I became a writer. For me there is a definite distinction between being a “writer” and an “author,” though. To me one is a hobby, the other a profession. Once I finally got Prophecy Foretold published, I finally considered myself both a writer and author. It’s been a long road, but it has been quite educational and interesting!

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?

Writing is my passion, so I do hope to someday be able to write full-time. Currently I wear several hats. I have a full-time job as a pharmacist, but I am also the director of a program at my local community college where I teach students that would like to enter pharmacy-related fields. I also teach junior high boys at my church, but by far my most important job is being a husband and dad to my family. They are the reason for all I do. Without them I would be a lot like Daniel Marten, a stranger lost in a strange land. Mostly I write late at night, when everyone else is fast asleep.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I don’t know if this is truly a quirk or more of an obsessive-compulsive trait, but whenever I sit down to the computer to write, I always check email first. It doesn't matter if I'd already checked it ten minutes before, that is the first thing I do. It’s like my creative juices won’t start flowing unless I do that first. Does that make me crazy, or just a writer?!?

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

I always wanted to be a Paleontologist. The idea of studying animals that lived eons before humans had ever even existed fascinated me, and still do to this day. By the time I was in high school my interest had faded somewhat, though. One day I was sitting in my guidance counselor’s office and he said that pharmacists were paid fairly well and they were always the good guys. With that I was intrigued, and the rest, as they say, is history…

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Thank you so much for tuning in today! I've enjoyed sharing with you all, and I hope you’ve enjoyed it as well. If you have any thoughts or questions, I’d love to hear them! Please visit my website, www.prophecychronicles.com and share anything you’d like. Thanks again, and may the Starburst Stranger set you free, if only for a few hours!

Thanks, Ron. Happy touring! 

Open chat at Writer's Chatroom - 12/2/12

The Writer's Chatroom presents an open chat evening. Come meet the staff and chat with other writers of all experience levels from around the world.

WHEN?

Sunday, December 2, 2012

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