Archive for the ‘Author Interviews’ Category:

Pump Up Your Book Feature Interview: James S. Kelly, Author of I Didn’t Forget

“The clock struck twelve. Lucille and three of the other laundry workers took off the scarves protecting their hair, looked in the mirror, applied some lipstick, walked down a long corridor and up two flights of stairs to the main cafeteria. It was Tuesday and meatloaf was the special today. To Lucille, it brought back memories of family meals with mashed potatoes, kernel corn and buttermilk biscuits. Most of her family had passed away; she wondered why time had passed so fast.” — From I DIDN’T FORGET by James S. Kelly James S. (Jim) Kelly is a retired United States Air Force Colonel with over 100 combat missions in
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Pump Up Your Book Feature Interview: Leonard Bassed, Author of The Witch Port Video Game

“I begin to hear an eerie chant being recited in unison as the first three naked women make it to the dark summit. Holding long, makeshift brooms, in their right hands, they chant: “Drink the flight broth, wood in hand. Burn the root …” An elderly woman with lanky hair picks up the goblet, takes a sip of its contents, and inhales the smoke of an already burning smudge stick. The chanting continues: “Then dive from the cliff…” This is perhaps the most startling scene I’ve ever witnessed. The woman runs off the edge of the cliff, seemingly to plummet to her death, but I hear “Not by wind
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Featured Interview: Soren Paul Petrek, Author of ‘Wolves At Our Door’

I’m not on holiday, she told herself, but it’s my first time out of Germany, and I’m not going to waste it. She’d wanted to help with the war effort, and now she had her chance. Even after the invasion, everyone back home still thought Germany would win—Hitler told them so, and the propaganda films left no doubt. Why wouldn’t she believe it as well? –From Wolves At Our Door by Soren Paul Petrek Soren Petrek is a practicing criminal trial attorney, admitted to the Minnesota Bar in 1991.  Married with two adult children, Soren continues to live and work in St. Paul, Minnesota. Educated in the U.S., England
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  • June 4, 2019
  • Author Interviews
  • Comments Off on Featured Interview with Patrick Stull, Author of Encounters

Featured Interview with Patrick Stull, Author of Encounters

American artist Patrick Stull has spent the last eighteen years mostly creating imagery about the lives of women. He searches for what lies beneath the surface of his subjects, empowering each one he encounters. He has recently ventured into the realm of surrealism, creating powerful imagery that reflects on our humanity while dealing with the meaning and power of art. His latest book is the fine art photography book, Encounters. Visit his website at www.patrickstull.com. Book Description: With photography at its base, Stull offers a nuanced explication of his encounters to allow the viewer an opportunity to form a relationship with his art. While looking within ourselves, exploring our
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Featured Interview: Greg Messel, Author of ‘Dreams That Never Were’ @gregmessel #Interview

“Way to go slow, John. Senator Kennedy was shot. You and some other people were also wounded by the assassin.” “No, no, no!” I yelled. “Bobby was shot? No, not this time! This wasn’t supposed to happen! Assassin? Is Senator Kennedy going to be all right?”  — From Dreams That Never Were by Greg Messel Greg Messel grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and lives on the Puget Sound in Edmonds, Washington, with his wife, Jean DeFond. Dreams That Never Were is his 11th novel and is a historical fiction account of a young reporter caught up in the events surrounding the assassination of Sen. Robert F.
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Featured Interview: Michael Houtz, Author of Dark Spiral Down @MichaelHoutz #Interview

“Park remained in his position, looking into the easterly darkness and willing himself to catch a glimpse of light from the mainland. The tremble of the craft’s internal twin engines barking to life vibrated the soles of his boots. Moments later, the vessel moved forward. The last time he’d checked the nose of the forty-two-foot infiltration boat, his rescue craft pointed north in the direction of the intersection of China and at their borders. I will not fail. The world will fear my name.” From Dark Spiral Down by Michael Houtz After a career in medicine, Mike Houtz succumbed to the call to hang up his stethoscope and pursue
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Featured Interview: Fid’s Crusade by David H. Reiss @DavidHReiss #Interview

“A swarm of medical automatons surrounded the gurney on which I was reclined, a humming and swirling dervish of blades, clamps, sponges and other surgical tools focused upon the stump of my shoulder. A surgical laser was carefully burning away flesh in a pattern that would increase the efficiency of repairs performed by the medical nanites once my right arm was reattached…” –From FID’S CRUSADE by David Reiss While growing up, David Reiss was that weird kid with his nose in a book and his head in the clouds. He was the table-top role-playing game geek, the comic-book nerd, the story-teller and dreamer. Fortunately, he hasn’t changed much. David
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Featured Interview: A.S. Finechel, Author of ‘A Lady’s Virtue’ #interview #regency #romance @asfenichel

“A masculine, ungloved hand reached toward her. “I’m terribly sorry, miss. Entirely my fault. Are you hurt?” His accent was strange, American perhaps. Having no gloves on, she was hesitant to touch him, but there was no help for it. She couldn’t remain on her back like a turtle. The warmth of his skin traveled up her arm, and her cheeks heated. His fingers were strong and rough. This was no gentleman’s hand. She stood as he eased her to her feet. “Not at all,” she said. “I was distracted.”” –From A LADY’S VIRTUE by A.S. Fenichel A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to
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Featured Interview: John Joseph Doody, Author of The Guild Saga Series @JohnJosephDoody #Interview

“He knew there was no sense in trying to get away, or in trying to fight with this droid. She was too fast, too strong. He had no weapon to use against her, and worst of all, he was in his underwear.” –From The Guild Saga by John Joseph Doody John Joseph Doody earned a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Coral Ridge University and Seminary, as well as an M.A. in Political Science from George Wythe College. His first publication was a short story, TELEPIO 690, which appeared in Sidetrekked Magazine, Issue #48. His other publications are, his first novel (actually a novella), THE WONK DECELERATOR, his second novel,
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Interview with ‘The ‘Real’ American Diet’ Author Kevin C. Alston @kcasrkev1 #interview

“IF YOU’VE BEEN dieting forever with very mixed results, then you’ve finally come to the right place. These lifestyle changes that I am recommending will be like no diet that you have ever attempted, so if you combine what I’m about to teach you with the proven methods that Dr. Joel Fuhrman teaches you in his books—Eat to Live is the best one to start off with—you will be well on your way to attaining your goal of losing the dreaded weight that you have been desperately seeking to get rid of for so long.” –From The ‘Real’ American Diet by Kevin C. Alston Born & raised in the
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Featured Interview: The Brave Art of Motherhood by Rachel Marie Marting @Finding_Joy #Interview #Mom

  “One November day, I stood at my bedroom window watching as a sharp wind stripped the remaining leaves from the trees. Seeing those limbs laid bare, I felt similarly exposed. I realized I’d been lost in my own life, waiting for something to change. But I couldn’t wait any longer. So I started fighting. Reclaiming the lifeless spaces, unearthing joy in motherhood, and finding hope and purpose. No longer did I hide behind the words “When the kids are grown, I will. . . ” I changed one thing: my mind. Now my kids are happier than they have ever been. And so am I.” From The Brave
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Featured Interview: Lee Matthew Goldberg, Author of The Desire Card @leematthewg #interview

“A shadow passed behind a tree, bigger than any animal. He propped himself up against a rock, too exhausted to move any farther, closing his eyes and waiting to die. He could see tomorrow’s headlines declaring his death as a mugging gone wrong.” –From The Desire Card by Lee Matthew Goldberg Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of SLOW DOWN and THE MENTOR (St. Martin’s Press), which was acquired by Macmillan Entertainment with the film in development. He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the 2018 Prix du Polar. The first two books in a thriller series, THE DESIRE CARD and PREY NO MORE, are forthcoming
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Featured Author Interview: M.D. Fryson, Co-Author of ‘Meridian Chronicles: Black Widow Curse & The Coven @Madelyn_Fryson #Interview

“Meridian couldn’t help but keep looking at the ghost.  John took her by the hand and helped her walk to the back where the bathrooms were.  John was kissing Meridian all over, and it was obvious that he wanted more.  Relic and the rest of the guides, along with Luna, walked to the bathrooms and watched.  Meridian and John had gone into a bathroom stall, and he began to pull her underwear down from underneath her skirt. As the pair continued to get to know each other in the stall, the ghosts hovered above and watched with a look of concern.” –From Meridian Chronicles: Black Widow Curse & The
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Featured Interview: Mike Martin, Author of ‘Sgt. Windflower Mysteries Series’ @mike54martin #interview #puyb

“Tessier didn’t speak long but he spoke of the history surrounding the fishery in this part of the world and how many times they had been told it was a thing of the past, only to see it reclaim its place as part of the town’s on-going economy. “Ya can knock us down, b’ys, but ya can’t keep us down.” With Tessier’s speech the protest was over, and while the smaller boats found a place to tie up along the wharfside, the long liners and larger vessels left port to return home. Windflower thought it was a sad moment, but at the same time he felt the pride the
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Featured Interview: Michael McMenamin, Author of ‘The Liebold Protocol’

“Mattie frowned. It had been well over a year since last she had been in Germany. As a consequence, her reputation in Germany as ‘Hitler’s favorite foreign journalist’ was beginning to fade. The last thing she wanted to do was revive that by doing a story on the SA and the German Army, notwithstanding that she had many high-level contacts in Nazi Germany including Göring and the Nazi foreign press chief Ernst ‘Putzi’ Hanfstaengl as well as Hitler himself.” –From The Liebold Protocol by Michael & Kathleen McMenamin Michael McMenamin is the co-author with his son Patrick of the award winning 1930s era historical novels featuring Winston Churchill and
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Featured Interview: A.L. Bryant, Author of Blessed: The Prodigal Daughter @ALBryantHSW #supernatural #Christian #Thriller #Horror

“Glory sat up sharply. A full minute passed before she stopped gasping and coughing. She had made some progress in controlling the duration of her illusions. Standing, she dusted herself off and picked up her cellphone. From what she could tell, she was underground in a place that resembled a dungeon carved from the rock that the mansion had been built on. It was large and dark. There was no place for light to shine through, so even during the daytime, the room would still be pitch black.” –From Blessed: The Prodigal Daughter by A.L. Bryant A.L. Bryant was born and raised in St. Petersburg FL. She became interested
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Feature Interview: The Kinfolk: Cult of Sex and Cheese by Josh Hickman

“To get close to something a million times is the same as being a mile away from it!” Papa Dilly reminded a hastily-gathered group of upper-level Kinfolk in a scornful shout, wagging his finger judgmentally. “What you see to believe in is what you need… If you need a doorstop, I’ll be your doorstop. As you need me as your aquarium, I’ll be your aquarium, for those of you that don’t have an aquarium… If you need me as your Pat Boone, I’ll be your Pat Boone. Need a pimp? Say ‘Hello’ to Silky Bradford, welcome to my stable! I am just a holy mirror. Turn your nose up
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Featured Interview: John R. Beyer, Author of ‘Iquitos, The Past Will Kill’ @drjohnrbeyer #interview

“Frank had gone from a crimes-against-persons detective to private detective when he retired from the Riverside Police Department. Jonas Peters had gone from homicide detective to falling into a bottle of Jack Daniels and then re-surfacing to finish a case which cost him a dear friend, along with many innocents. Fortunately, that story had a happy ending, with the killing of Zachary Marshall, the psychopath who had started it all. It should have meant the release of the demons Jonas had felt for so many years, but instead, it just reinforced the negativity of the world in which he had lived for so long. He wanted out, but did
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Interview with Mark H. Jackson, Author of ‘The Atlantis Deception’ @markjackson873 #interview #thriller

“The Emperor thrust out a hand and one of his men pulled him to his feet. ‘Cut his throat and bury him in the bog.’ He clenched his fists. ‘Then find his belongings. Find them, or I’ll order you buried with him.’” –From The Atlantis Deception by Mark H. Jackson Mark H. Jackson is a qualified solicitor who splits his time between protecting the rights of academics, writing thriller fiction and raising five mostly lovely children. He studied Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Birmingham with a nod towards alternative theory, focusing on the relationship of the Giza complex to the stars; portolan maps; and the origins
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Featured Interview: Fantasy/Thriller Author Richard Hacker @Richard_Hacker #interview #fantasy #thriller

“I don’t want to move, but I’m not in control. Up and over the mud wall of a trench, the weight of a pack straining my back, the rifle heavy in my hands. A man to my left flies backward as if jerked by a cable, his cry muffled by explosions, his chest ripped open, organs spilling into the muck. I, we, plod forward through mud. A rhythmic takka-takka-takka, tat, tat, tat in the distance and more explosions vibrating through my feet.” –From Die Back: Book One of the Alchimeia by Richard Hacker Richard Hacker is a longtime resident of Austin, Texas who now writes and lives in Seattle.
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Featured Interview: A Few Words with Mystery Author T.C. Wescott @mousetrapbooks #mystery #interview

“Something moves among the birds, along the snowy lanes, skirting the light in favor of shadow. In Christmas Village, this night, a creature is stirring.” –From Slay Bells by T.C. Wescott T.C. Wescott was born in Missouri but has lived in Oklahoma most of his life. Like pretty much every author who has ever breathed, he is an avid reader. His favorites are classic mysteries from the Golden Age, as well as just before or just after that period (which is widely considered the period between the two World Wars). His first mystery novel, Running from Scissors, was published in July 2018 and will be the first of at
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Featured Interview: A Few Words with Psychological Thriller Author Rob Kaufman #interview @RobKaufmanCT

“Horror seized Jesse by the throat and he gasped as he slammed on the brakes. The car went into an immediate spin, flying directly at Danny whose eyes went wide in the headlights. Jesse felt a thud against the back panel of the car. He screamed, the view from every window only blurred streaks of light. He tried to focus, to spot Danny somewhere in the whirl of his surroundings. But the boy was gone. He screamed again, his cry now muffled by the airbag exploding against his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the BMW skid off the side of the road and nose-dive into a shallow
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Interview with Alison Littman, Author of ‘Radio Underground’ @alimcshpiel #interview

“I tiptoed past the Ministry of Interior, where red geraniums lined the building’s windows. In the secret prisons below, police tortured people with whips, limb crushers, nail presses, and scalding and freezing baths. Or else they just executed them. But the geraniums were always fresh.” –From Radio Underground by Alison Littman Alison Littman lives in San Francisco where she’s a writer by day and standup comedian by night. A former journalist in New Mexico, she covered politics and education while also contributing articles on John F. Kennedy and The Beatles to various specialty magazines. Her feature stories focus on listening to rock ‘n’ roll behind the Iron Curtain and
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Author Interview: Preston Howard, Author of ‘The Sheltering Palms’ #historical #satire #vbt

“I USED TO BE SOMEBODY—when Preston Howard walked down the street, kings and queens would move off to the curb. Okay, so that bit of paraphrased hyperbole, courtesy of George Thorogood, might qualify as excessive, but for sure, when I rode into town, mayors, city managers, and police chiefs became more than a little queasy over what kind of wrath I might bring down on their community.” –From The Sheltering Palms by Preston Howard Preston Howard spent his entire career working on behalf of police officers, representing them under adverse circumstances, negotiating contracts to improve officers’ benefits and working conditions, and training police union officials in the art of
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Interview with Juliet Huck, Author of 50 Ways To Get Your Way @JulietHuck #Interview #VBT

“Persuasion in NOT a call to action – it is a directed action. It is time to break up the myth that persuasion is a call to action. To “call” is to “invite.” This puts all the power in someone else’s hands. While to “direct” is to “control.” This is the ultimate way to give you the power you need to get what you want. Inviting someone to do something allows them to say no. You must lead or direct them to what you want in simple words, statistics and/or visuals proportional to the magnitude of your need. Think of a traffic cop. They are not inviting you to
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Interview with Sheila Roberts, Author of ‘Winter at the Beach’ #womensfiction #interview @_sheila_roberts

“Someplace good, she realized as she crawled into bed. A holiday festival was bound to lure people to town. Who didn’t like fairs and festivals, especially holiday ones? She could see it now—the storefronts all lit up with multicolored lights, trees in the restaurants decorated with glittery shells and little lighthouses and mermaids, amusement rides and cotton candy and hot chocolate down at the pier, a live Nativity scene in front of one of the churches. And a Christmas parade with Santa bringing up the rear for a grand finale. You had to include Santa. In fact, the jolly old guy was such a draw, maybe they could include
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Interview with Laura Vosika, Author of ‘The Water is Wide’

“Niall, he’s cold.” Niall’s knife remained pointed at the boy. “Which soldiers?” “They were English, Milord. Meaning no offense, Milord.” His teeth clattered again. “If you’re English.” “Niall!” Shawn stepped forward, his anger growing. “He’s just a kid! He’s about to….” Before he finished, the boy collapsed. Shawn was under him, catching his sagging body before it hit the ground. From The Water is Wide by Laura Vosika Laura Vosika is a writer, poet, and musician. Her time travel series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, set in modern and medieval Scotland, has garnered praise and comparisons to writers as diverse as Diana Gabaldon and Dostoevsky. Her poetry has been published
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Interview with Mike Martin, Author of ‘Darkest Before the Dawn’ @mike54martin

““He started to stroke her when his cell phone rang. “Boss, it’s Jones. We’ve got a situation. We got a call about a shooting up near the seniors’ club.” “Injuries?” asked Windflower. “A teenager,” said Jones. “I’m on my way.” “I’ll be over in a sec,” said Windflower. “Bad news?” asked Sheila. “I’ll call you,” was all he said back. Sheila didn’t ask any more questions. They liked a layer of insulation between his police work and their personal lives. He gave her a peck on the cheek and patted Lady as he left to drive to the seniors’ club, hoping for the best and fearing the worst. The
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Interview with Terje Gerotti Simonsen, Author of ‘Our Secret Powers’

“The majority of the considerations in this book are based on strange incidents reported by scientists of one kind or another—archaeologists, anthropologists, psychologists, physicists and philosophers. Such people are more often than not very resourceful with well-developed skills in observation as well as in thinking. It therefore seems reasonable to take their reports seriously, even when—or especially when—they dare to speak against the consensus and vouch for the paranormal. It is not unusual to think that those scientists who report having experienced paranormal phenomena are misinterpreting their experiences at best or are fraudulent at worst. I suggest we take ‘the road less travelled,’ and regard ‘the defendants innocent until
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  • October 1, 2018
  • Author Interviews
  • Comments Off on Interview with Marian L. Thomas, Author of ‘The Caged Butterfly’ @marianlthomas01 #VBT #Interview

Interview with Marian L. Thomas, Author of ‘The Caged Butterfly’ @marianlthomas01 #VBT #Interview

“I want you to laugh a lot. I believe that laughing is like a sweet-smelling aroma for the soul and the heart. I used to laugh all the time. Back when life was good and innocent, and I was good and innocent. Don’t prove my dream a lie. Don’t be a caged butterfly. Become something and someone that is even better than what I could see. I don’t know what your new parents will call you, but in my heart, I whispered Thomas Gray Livingston III in your ears, if you be a boy. Mama thinks that you are and like I said before, she ain’t never wrong. If
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