PRE-ORDER: "An Other Place" by Darren Dash

An Other Place by Darren Dash​ (the alter ego of Darren Shan Official​), is available for pre-order! It will go live December 1st and is so, so worth the read! Definitely the best book of 2016 in my opinion.

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Other-Place-Darren-Dash-ebook/dp/B01MXNBE8O/
Amazon UK:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-Place-Darren-Dash-ebook/dp/B01MXNBE8O/

There is An Other Place... where time and space are fluid... where the moon changes colour and savage beasts run wild... where love is a perilous proposition and the dead are swiftly forgotten... where sandmen offer sanctuary and the Alchemist rules over all.
When Newman Riplan’s flight into the unknown turns into a nightmarish slide between worlds, he must explore an unnamed city where unpredictable terrors are the norm. By the end of his first day adrift, his life has spun completely out of his control, but the most mind-twisting and soul-crushing revelations are only beginning. As he desperately searches for a way out, he starts to realise that the city isn’t in the habit of releasing its captives. And it seems to have a plan for him...

“This is, by far, the best book of 2016, possibly the best book of this decade... the bastard love child of Kafka and Rod Serling, throwing in a dash of Ray Bradbury for good measure. 5/5 -- brilliant. Just brilliant.” Kelly Smith Reviews.

“Darren Dash has opened a new artery of terror... unlike any book I have ever read... hints of The Twilight Zone, Pines, and Station Eleven.” The Literary Connoisseur.

“This book really did blow my mind... each page turn was both chilling and thrilling in equal measure... the conclusion left me with goosebumps. 5/5!” Rachel Hobbs, author.

"An Other Place is a deliciously quirky novel that is surreal and powerful in equal measure. This is by far Dash’s best work to date. It is challenging and absurd, artistically brave and politically conscious, but this abstract painting of a novel is one thing above all else… completely original." Books, Films & Random Lunacy.

“You can try and try but you will never guess the ending nor even 5 pages ahead as to where the story is going to take you.” Daniel Davies, Goodreads.

“This story had me hooked from the get go... an ending that sent my mind into a spin. 5 stars.” Reviews And Randomness.

“This book is utterly unique... I was amazed at how well Dash could create this baffling world from scratch and draw me into it so completely. 5 stars.” A Place In Which Jessie Writes.

"I have never read anything like An Other Place. It is truly a one of a kind... twisted and very disturbing in some parts. 5/5." Jessica Boehm, Amazon.

BOOK REVIEW: "Finders Keepers" by Stephen King

A masterful, intensely suspenseful novel about a reader whose obsession with a reclusive writer goes far too far—a book about the power of storytelling, starring the same trio of unlikely and winning heroes King introduced in Mr. Mercedes.

"Wake up genius." So begins King’s instantly riveting story about a vengeful reader. The genius is John Rothstein, an iconic author who created a famous character, Jimmy Gold, but who hasn’t published a book for decades. Morris Bellamy is livid, not just because Rothstein has stopped providing books, but because the nonconformist Jimmy Gold has sold out for a career in advertising. Morris kills Rothstein and empties his safe of cash, yes, but the real treasure is a trove of notebooks containing at least one more Gold novel.

Morris hides the money and the notebooks, and then he is locked away for another crime. Decades later, a boy named Pete Saubers finds the treasure, and now it is Pete and his family that Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson must rescue from the ever-more deranged and vengeful Morris when he’s released from prison after thirty-five years.

Not since Misery has King played with the notion of a reader whose obsession with a writer gets dangerous. Finders Keepers is spectacular, heart-pounding suspense, but it is also King writing about how literature shapes a life—for good, for bad, forever.

I purchased this book from Barnes And Noble for my own pleasure.

A reader experiences two things when they first hold in their hands the newest novel by their favorite author: excitement (of course), but there is also a bit of trepidation. Will this live up to their last novel? Will I be disappointed? Will I want to hit their computer with a hammer?
For me, I ask myself those questions whenever there is a new Stephen King novel released. If you know me, you know he is the man whose work has influenced me since I was in middle school. And you will also know that I have absolutely loved everything he has put out lately.
I'm not a literary snob. I read popular current authors as well as indies and classics. Rarely will you ever come across a novel that, aesthetically, is true literary gold as well as frightening and entertaining. Finders Keepers is that novel, possibly the novel future generations will look at as two things: how to write a kick-a** thriller that leaves readers on the edge of their seats, and a commentary on human nature in various ways. I won't go into those ways here (I am not a scholar. I read for pleasure 99% of the time.) but I will say that I hope I can take part in these discussions, because I know that King brought up some really dark and accurate points about life in the recession, about obsession, madness and human nature as a whole.
This is a continuation of Mr. Mercedes, his 2014 thriller about a madman who killed and injured dozens of people with a fancy car, but that story takes a backseat...for a while.
We do get to see the heroes of Mr. Mercedes in all their glory: fast-thinking Det-Ret Bill Hodges, the obsessive-compulsive yet lovable Holly Gibney and the intellectual and humorous Jerome Robinson. In this story they have to help a teenage boy get out of a pretty big jam thanks to one crazily obsessed literature fan, Morris Bellamy.
When people read the description, their first thought is, "Oh, he's repeating Misery." No, no, NO! Do not think that. Wipe that thought from your mind. Yes, Finders Keepers is about an obsessed fan of a certain writer and their outrage over what said writer has done to their favorite character. But the similarities stop there, reader. Morris is not as crazy as Annie Wilkes, and his crazy is of a different kind. I could go into psychoanalysis, but I won't bore you.
Here are the high points for me: the amazing cast of characters. Reading about Bill and the gang was like reuniting with good friends. I love them, and will be sad when the third and final book about them is released, because I will miss them.
The characters original to the book are also well developed and memorable: Morris and the Saubers family, even John Rothstein, the fictional novelist killed in the first chapter. Morris and Peter Saubers are two sides of the same coin: both huge Rothstein fans and both obsessed with the stories he wrote about his protagonist but never published. Morris is the insane side, and Peter is the caring side. You, like me, will melt with joy when you see how much Peter cares for his family.
The other thing I loved was how literary appreciation is so prevalent in the story. A love of literature is a beautiful thing, even the insane love Morris has. It's compelling and made me enjoy the story more, because those are emotions I can relate to as a Constant Reader.
Stephen King can write horror better than anyone else I have ever read. But his scariest villains are not the Barlows or the Randall Flaggs. No, his most frightening antagonists are the ones we can relate to, the ones who are all too human. I did not fear the woman in the painting in Rose Madder, because she could never be real. I do fear the Annie Wilkeses and the Morris Bellamys, because they are very, very real. They are the dark part of every human soul and they could be your neighbor, your friend, your sibling...or they can be you.
When it comes to crime thrillers, you will also never come close to the gritty, realistic way King writes. If I can ever be half as good as him, I will be quite pleased.
Finally, the killer we met in Mr. Mercedes has not been forgotten! I can't say much about it, but there is a cliffhanger from Hell at the end, and we will definitely be seeing the murderous son of a b*tch in book three, or my name is Kelly Smith!

5/5--Did you expect anything else after this long, gushing review?



Purchase Finders Keepers at your local bookstore or favorite online retailer in hardcover, ebook or audiobook format! Click here for more information.

RELEASE DAY (BOOK REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW): "Sunburn" by Darren Dash

When three friends go on holiday to Bulgaria, protecting themselves from sunburn is their only concern. But when they run into a beast unlike any they've ever imagined, it becomes a savage fight for survival. They will burn in the day... but the night holds even darker terrors in store.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read Darren Dash's alter-ego ever since I was twelve. That's nearly a decade of dedication. When he moved into the adult horror genre and I was privileged to review The Evil And The Pure, I was so excited. When he contacted me to review his next book, Sunburn, I might have fangirled a little bit. Just a little!
I read Sunburn over three days, savoring each word, each scene. Not because I am biased by my longtime fandom, but because it was just that good.
Rarely in a horror novel does the reader get the chance to really get to know the characters like you do in Sunburn. You know every crevice of their souls, what they like and what they hate; what their hopes and dreams are; who they love. Usually, when a horror novel takes almost halfway through to get bloody, I lose interest. But the beginning isn't just fluffy filler, it's important. It's important that you get to know and love (or hate) the three main characters before the "creature" finds them.
Throughout the book, you get short chapters from the "creature's" POV, which is unique and extremely intriguing, making you want to read on and know just what this thing is, what it wants, and what it has to do with Martini, Newt and Curran.
I cannot go on enough about the book, how great it is and how entertaining. This is an author who knows his stuff, knows how to make the readers laugh, cry and scream in terror, whether he's writing for adults or teens.
To call this a must-read is an understatement!

5/5--introspective, interesting horror!





Purchase Sunburn via:

Amazon
Goodreads




My EXCLUSIVE Interview With Darren Dash:

1. What was the inspiration behind Sunburn?

I have pale skin and get sunburnt very easily, and I never seem to learn my lesson! After yet another scorching, I found myself wondering what it would be like to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, with a monster on the prowl, while completely naked, defenseless and terribly sunburnt. And it all grew from there.

2. You spent a good part of the novel taking us through the characters' daily life, letting us get to know them before getting into the action. What made you decide to do that?

Let's be honest here -- this is a schlocky story. I make no apologies for that -- I wanted to write a fun, over the top monster tale, that does what it says on the tin. At the same time, there's no reason why a schlocky story shouldn't be as carefully plotted and peopled as a more realistic, serious tale. The mistake many horror writers and movie people make is in assuming that the characters are unimportant, only there to be terrorised and torn apart by the monsters. I wanted to write a book where readers would grow to know and side with the main characters, where they would be interested in what happened for them, and rooting for them when the worst came to pass. As Stephen King has often proved, it IS possible to tell a throwaway story that manages to be a decent read at the same time, and this was my attempt to do that.

3. The "beast" is introduced to us slowly and vaguely, at the beginning of each section. Was that done to build anticipation for the reader?

Actually, in the first draft I didn't mention the beast at all, but the introduction of it was then too jarring. There needed to be a build-up and a gradual reveal, not least so that readers would know the nature of the story that they were committing to -- I didn't want to trick people into thinking this was going to be a gently-paced character study, only to suddenly drop them into the middle of a hellish man vs beast scenario.

4. How did you decide exactly what kind of creature you were using in the story?

I knew it was going to be some sort of Bigfoot-type creature, but I didn't have the specifics clear in mind when I started. They grew out of the storytelling.

5. Would you like to see this as a film? How would you want a studio to execute it?

It would be lovely to see it adapted, especially as I think it's a story that would lend itself neatly to film, except maybe for the nudity angle -- I suspect he'd keep his boxer shorts on in the movie! I won't be holding my breath, but hopefully it will happen one day...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Richard Lange

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I never decided, I just always was. As long as I can remember, I’ve been telling stories and writing them down.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

Early on it was Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Raymond Carver, and Charles Bukowski. Some authors I love these days are Richard Price, William Vollmann, Denis Johnson, and Elmore Leonard (RIP). I read mostly old stuff, though, trying to learn from the masters: Faulkner, Zola, Conrad, Dickens – people like that.

3. What was the inspiration behind your various works?

It’s different for each one. My novel Angel Baby, for example, was inspired by an article in the L.A. Times about a white guy who snuck people over the border for a Mexican pollero. That was the genesis of the character of Malone, and the rest of the book came together around him. I can say that I’m always inspired by real life, by things I’ve seen, by people I know, or by great stories people have told me. I start with something like that and figure out how to make it “bigger” in terms of narrative and emotional impact.

4. Living in Southern California seems to affect your work. For those who don't live here, what is it about the area that's so inspiring?

There’s a lot going on here on a lot of levels. People of all stripes come to L.A. to attempt to make their dreams come true, so there’s all this energy in the air. You’ve got smart people, crazy people, bitter people, hopeful people, people from a hundred different cultures and backgrounds trying to get by or get ahead or get something over on someone. It’s a writer’s dream.

5. Sweet Nothing is a collection of short stories. Every author I talk to seems to have a different answer to this question: what is the biggest difference between writing a novel and a short story (aside from the length, of course)?

My short stories are more about taking the reader on an emotional journey rather than building a strong plot. In my novels, I try to give the reader more plot in order to compel them to finish the longer work. This is difficult because plot isn’t my greatest strength or necessarily something I’m that interested in. I’m much more focused on characters, language, and rhythm. The trick is trying to integrate those two things. I’m still trying to master that.

6. Were any of your characters personalities or emotions taken from real life?

All of them are from real life, in one way or another. It’s like acting: You have to become these characters as you create them, even the “bad guys.” It’s fun being a bad guy sometimes.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

I don’t think in term of genre when I’m writing, I just write what I want to. The people who have to sell it can call it crime or romance or sci fi – whatever they want, as long as they sell it!

8. If you could take the place of any of your characters, which would it be and why?

I’m happy with who I am.

9. Your novel Angel Baby won the Hammett Prize. When you were writing it, did you ever think that it would go on to win awards?

Nah. That would be weird. I just write, put it out there, and move on to the next thing. The awards and stuff are much appreciated though. It’s nice to know people like what I’m doing.

10. Which, if any, of your novels would you like to see as a film? Who do you want to see play your characters?

Angel Baby was optioned by Warner Bros., and I was hired to write the screenplay. The chances of it ever getting made are a million to one, but I live in hope. It’s hard for me to “cast” the book. I don’t picture specific people as I’m writing. I’d be interested to see who Hollywood would choose to play the characters.  

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I see myself as rich, famous, and still cranking out good work, whether it be books, films or TV stuff.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

Before I was a full-time writer, I was a magazine editor. It wasn’t a bad life, so I guess I’d be doing that. I don’t have many other marketable skills. 

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

A new novel, set in L.A.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I’m not a good collaborator. That’s why the film business is so tricky for me. Everything there is collaboration. I like writing books, where I’m in complete control.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

1. I’m a big opera fan. 2. I have walked from the Mexican border to Palm Springs (on the Pacific Crest Trail). 3. I used to write dirty letters for Hustler magazine at fifty bucks a pop.

Find Mr. Lange online via:

Official site (has all other links)

If you live in Southern California, you can meet Mr. Lange in person at the Long Beach Comic Expo, at the Long Beach Convention Center on February 28th and March 1st!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: T.H. Morris

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I was inspired to write at a very young age, four or five. I grew up on fairy tales, tall tales, and fables. All of those were full of fantastical beings. I couldn’t get enough of those stories. They instilled in me a love of creating worlds and situations within me that has yet to wane. I think the seeds of wanting to write fantasy fiction were planted at that time, but the moment that I knew I just had to be a writer was in the fourth grade. We had to create nine to ten page “books,” bound by yarn and construction paper, and read them to the other fourth grade class. I loved the feeling of reading to other people, and having other people peruse my work. From that moment on, I was bitten by the bug.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger?

What books do you enjoy reading today? The list of authors that inspired me in my youth were  Beverly Cleary, Lynne Reid Banks, R.L. Stine, Judy Blume, Tamora Pierce, J.K. Rowling, and Meg Cabot. Nowadays, I love reading books by Sharon Shinn, Alan J. Garner, Dzintra Sullivan, James Patterson, Patti Roberts, Matthew Arkin, C.N. Crawford…the list goes on and on.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel The 11th Percent?

The 11th Percent was inspired by an uninterrupted, seven-hour dream I had on February 19th, 2011. I had been thinking about ghost stories (one of my favorite stories during childhood) and was wondering about a story, a ghost story, where the ghosts weren’t haunting people? What if they were a part of the frame work of the whole plot? I was trying to figure out how to make that a reality, but not in the way of Ghost Whisperer or Odd Thomas or anything like that. I wondered at length about it, and that night, my mind answered the questions for me. The 11th Percent was conceived.

4. You say it's the first in a series. How many books do you plan on writing about Jonah?

The 11th Percent will be a series of seven books.

5. Do you, personally, believe in ghosts?

I believe that there are phenomena in this world that can’t sufficiently be explained away by science, logic, and reason. That includes paranormal phenomena. I would never say I’ve seen a slew of spirits or anything, but I believe that they exist in some way, shape or form.

6. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life?

Many characters have aspects of my personality, but there is more of me in Jonah than anyone else. I have put many of my experiences into him. He struggles with self-worth, wonders what mark he is supposed to make on the world, has unresolved feelings concerning bullies and ignorance of his childhood, and he is a good person who simply wants the opportunity to show people that he actually has something to offer. And even though he is already a man in his twenties, he is still growing. That’s what a lot of people in this world do not seem to realize. Yes, coming of age is a very formative time as well as a formative experience. But life and growth don’t END when you reach eighteen. There are still so many things you learn about yourself, learn about your talents, and learn about your mind. And some things you experience can very well make you sit down and say, “Now what?” just like a child would. There is a lot of me in Jonah. I like to say that Jonah is me, just with the volume turned up just a little louder due to the fictional components of the story.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

Science Fiction, definitely!

8. What would you do if you were in Jonah's position?

If I were in Jonah’s position, I would bend over backwards and do all I could to learn everything possible about my new life. I hate being ignorant of facts and knowledge, and I hate being in situations where it seems like new information to me is obvious and mundane to everyone else. I would learn and learn, and learn some more. I’d also have fun with it. I feel like a normal life is boring; what exactly is “normal” anyway? It isn’t like anyone can give a clear consensus on it. I would enjoy learning the new details of my existence and drink up the fascination of it all.

9. Why make the story about an everyman who discovers the paranormal as opposed to a main character who already believed in ghosts?

It is my belief that to have that aspect of curiosity is always a plus. If my character had already been a believer, the mileage that I could get out of his learning new information would have been sorely limited. In my opinion, it’s always better to have someone who is learning something along the way. Since we, as a people, are always learning something new (and becoming better people because of that), I wanted the characters in my novels to be no different.

10. Would you like to see The 11th Percent as a film? Who do you want to see play your characters?

I would love to see The 11th Percent series as a film collection! As far as who I’d want to play my characters…well, that’s a funny thing, because my wife and I have joked on several occasions about who could do them justice. We said that Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Spiderwick Chronicles) would do Jonah justice, Terrence could be played by Michael B. Jordan, Olivia Munn for Reena, Shane West for Creyton, and Michael Vartan for Jonathan.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I will swing for the fence. In ten years time, I see myself as successful.  I see myself as a prominent, prolific, and noteworthy author in ten year’s time. But that’s not for arrogance or self-aggrandizement; I would remain just as humble as I am now. I would love to see that my books have prompted people to look at paranormal phenomena in a new way. I would like very much to be a trailblazer and a pioneer for other paranormal authors.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

I would be doing community outreach of some sort. Or heading a creative writing class.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

I am busy putting the finishing touches on The 11th Percent’s sequel, Item & Time! It’s Book 2 in The 11th Percent Series, and will be released May 29th!

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I would love to collaborate with Tamora Pierce or Sharon Shinn. They just seem to be very versatile authors with a deep range of talent and imagination. I’d love to do something with them!

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

Hmm. Three things that would surprise people about me…
1) I am an advocate for animal adoption (my favorite animals are cats…they are present in my novels!
2) I used to be a therapist. I hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work on the Health/Mental Health track. I was in that field for several years, but left it because it became all about the bottom dollar, and not aiding people.
3) As a kid, my absolute favorite book series was The Baby-Sitter’s Club. My favorite character? Claudia. Love that girl to this day.
Thank you so much! It was an honor and a pleasure to do this interview!

Find Mr. Morris online via:

Official site (has all other links)

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: "Once A Goddess (Brigid Trilogy #1)" by Sheila R. Lamb

For the sake of peace, Brigid of the supernatural Túatha de Danann enters into an arranged marriage with Bres, the prince of the enemy, and casts aside her own hopes for happiness. Set in a time when myths were reality, Once a Goddess brings the legend of the Ireland’s magical Túatha dé Danann to life…

 

Follow along with the Once a Goddess virtual book tour for more exciting content!

 

The following are three small sections from the first few pages of Once a Goddess. Below are footnotes in which the author explains some of her ideas, intentions, and other personal insights!

 

I told no one of this knowledge of Bres. When I discovered we would marry, I wanted to determine his character for myself [1]. He did not know that I, Brigid, watched him. Destined to be his wife, part of a treaty meant to end the summer of fighting between our tribes. His communion with the land was his first encounter with the Danann mysteries. I did nothing to dissuade his experience and believed this one-sided meeting would give me some bit of power over him on the day we wed [2].

***

My earliest incarnation was as a daughter of the Túatha dé Danann. We were the people of Danu, of Eiru, Éire, Erin and Ireland. As Éire’s earliest inhabitants, we were elevated once to the status of gods and goddesses. We were revered after our downfall, remembered, worshiped, until we faded into legends of “fairy folk.” [3] Yet, as in all myths, there lies a bit of truth. The truth is this: Dagda was my father and Macha, my mother. We were one with the green and mist-filled island. Our duty, the purpose of the Túatha dé Danann existence, was to protect and cherish the island. We lived alongside the towering oaks. We scaled stony outcrops to search for eggs hidden in sea birds’ nests as we looked upon the waves pounding on the shore below. Our homes were beneath the emerald hillsides, closer to the earth, the source of our strength.

 

Our isolation enabled us to learn skills which most have now forgotten. We were able to shape shift. With our minds, we learned to communicate with each other without spoken words. Our intuition developed more keenly [4]. Of course, skills such as shape shifting took generations to learn. It was a constant daily practice and way of life.

***

The summer of battles was brief, but intense. The Fomorians, the newcomers, desired to own our land and were willing to kill for it. [5] Our people died, blood soaked into the soil and still the Elders refused to use our weapons, the full force of our magic that surely would have defeated them. They were determined to keep our connection to the elements a secret. They decided the best course of action would be peace. And the way to peace, they told me, was to ally with the enemy. The surest way to an alliance was marriage. [6]

 

“He is called Bres.” Father said when the fighting ended. “He is the next chieftain of the Fomorian tribe.” The valley had been empty for days. Both sides suffered losses; neither side could declare victory. But we couldn’t survive a prolonged war with the Fomorians. I sat at the edge of the Western Sea and tried to turn to stone so I would not hear my awful fate. As stone, I could allow the waves to beat against me and drown out my father’s inevitable words. “Brigid, this marriage will bring peace to our tribe.”

 

Insights from author Sheila R. Lamb:

[1] I wanted the reader and Brigid to see Bres as he was - even just for a moment. If he was completely horrible, I don’t think Brigid would have married him. Despite all of his complications, Bres simply wants to find where he belongs. That opening scene shows one of his few moments of peace.

 

[2] Brigid has been fighting Bres and his tribe, literally, on the battlefield. And now, suddenly, all of that fighting ability, her power, is taken away from her, taken by her own people. The Danann ask her: what’s more important - the good of the tribe or one woman’s happiness? Brigid has no control over her situation, so in this scene, she’s searching for any bit of knowledge or information that may help her. Anything to keep a little bit of her power, her control of her life. She sees in Bres his quieter, more vulnerable side. He does seem to connect to the land as the Danann are able to do, so how can she use that knowledge to influence him? Knowing this commonality, can she work it to her advantage?

 

[3] The Danann battled the Fir Bolg, the Fomorian, and, lastly, the Milesians, or as we know today, the Celts (originally from Iberia - Spain/Portugal). It was Amergin of the Milesians who led the Danann underground so that his tribe could take the land. When the Tuatha de Danann went underground they became known over time as fairies. One of the best historical novels about this final battle is Bard by Morgan Llywelyn (one of my favorite authors and definitely an influence on my writing). The best research site I used for all three books was CELT, Corpus of Electronic Texts.

 

[4] I had a hard time choosing fantasy elements at all. I’m more of a historical fiction reader, rather than fantasy. But these aspects are part of the mythology and later, part of druid belief. In the battle against the Milesians, the Danann brought down the mists to confuse the ships at sea. So, they had powers to work with natural elements. It seems only right that the early inhabitants of Ireland should be able to connect with and shift into the land, especially given what happens to them in the end. Ironically, they are pushed so far underground they could not return.

 

[5] The Fomorians are based on the mythology and legends I researched in Lady Gregory’s stories, CELT documents, and other general texts about Irish history. Not to sound completely unoriginal, but I didn’t have to make up a lot of the Danann story. I took what myth was there and fictionalized it. I did add in their search for metals for weapon making - anything to contrast them with these smaller, fairy-like people they tried to conquer.

 

[6] The various sources do mention marriage specifically. For example, “The marriage of Brigid to Bres was essentially an alliance to bring peace between two warring factions.”

I think in this particular case, the bringing together of two tribal leaders needs a formal ceremony, such as marriage. Anam cara (“soul friend”), in Once a Goddess, is something the Túatha dé Danann believed, but not necessarily the Fomorians. The Fomorians were a much more structured, logical, pragmatic group. No time for soul searching or magic. They were builders and conquerors. Even if the Danann didn’t have the concept of marriage, I think the formalized ceremony would have been necessary in this arrangement and peace treaty.

The Danann do have marriage because of their belief in soul mates. It’s saying unequivocally, this person is who I am destined to be with, no matter what. Later, a character named Eiru’s past is exposed, and the unbreakable bond of soul mates is why her secret was hidden for so long. The fact that her tribe insisted Brigid marry someone who is not her soul mate is unheard of. It shows how desperate they were for peace.

 

Sheila Lamb received an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University. Her stories have earned Pushcart and storySouth Million Writers Award nominations and can be found, along with a few photographs, here. She’s also the journal editor for Santa Fe Writers Project. Sheila has traveled throughout Ireland and participated in the Achill Archaeology Field School. She loves Irish history, family genealogy, and is easily distracted by primary source documents. She lives, teaches, and writes in the mountains of Virginia. Once a Goddess is the first book in the Brigid trilogy.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: "Desolation" by ML Banner

Title: Desolation
Author: ML Banner
Genre: Science Fiction
A #1 Hot New Release in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction

A world devastated: a sky filled with magical auroras at night and deadly radiation during the day; technology all but gone; hundreds of millions dead by fire, starvation, disease and violence. The survivors will have to face their own desolation.
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Three groups struggle to endure and hold onto what little they have, while others will do anything to take it all. On a beach in Mexico, a small town in Wyoming, and a rural ranch in Illinois, epic battles between good and evil will be fought. Winners will have to face forces of nature never seen before.
But there is a dim light on the horizon. A 150 year old secret may lead the lucky few to a place that holds the promise of a new future, unless the sun sets on humanity first.
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The stunning follow up to the #1 Amazon Best Seller STONE AGE.

Movie Rating: PG-17 for descriptions of violence and language.

Author Bio:
Hello lovers of apocalyptic fiction!

I devour the same books I enjoy writing: science fiction, but especially anything apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic or dystopian. I love stories about regular people being put into extra ordinary circumstances, and having to rely on their own cunning and that of others to survive.

Stone Age & DESOLATION are that kind of story. They're fast moving, have some regular and amazing characters who must make life changing decisions, all while the world is experiencing an apocalypse unlike anything imagined.

When not writing fiction, my wife and I split time between Tucson, Arizona and the sunny beaches of Mexico. I also write for a few blogs, and I still write articles to assist small business owners for one of the companies I founded, SmallBiZ.com.

Links:

http://www.amazon.com/DESOLATION-ML-Banner-ebook/dp/B00OQJEGTC

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23508928-desolation

http://mlbanner.com

Excerpts:

From Chapter 1:
Deadly Waters
Rocky Point, Mexico

A loud screeching cut through the raw morning air, rousing Bill and Lisa King from a fitful sleep of restless nightmares. 
The uproar was one more in the endless list of sounds they had never heard before, which made up their life after the apocalypse. It wasn’t the frightening death-throe-screams that followed distant gunshots across the town’s estuaries, or the constant electrical buzz that filled the atmosphere all around them. This sound was a monstrous and powerful outcry immediately outside their beach home.
Bill sprang out of bed, a .45 in his hand, ready to bring death to some poor S.O.B. who was probably just hungry and looking for food.
“What is that?” he bellowed.
“Don’t know, but it’s close,” Lisa shouted barely loud enough to be heard, flying to the window, scarcely touching the carpet.
Impossibly, the roar grew louder. Its deep, penetrating tones were undaunted by their walls and attempts to muffle the assault to their eardrums. It sounded like some angry mechanical leviathan, tearing at the sand and coral with its metal claws.
Standing at the window, Bill pried open the blinds, his jaw dropping farther with each inch revealed. The source of that racket was worse than the prehistoric monster he imagined.
“It’s a cruise ship?” He blinked, transfixed in disbelief. His wife’s eyes mirrored his distrust.
The dark behemoth was a passenger ship but no less terrifying than a T-rex might have been, made malicious by the green auroras illuminating its hull, as though it had been belched out of the depths to destroy them. It crept up onto their beach, slowly pushed by some invisible force, intent on burrowing a bloody trail to town.
The screeching persisted for what seemed an endless amount of time, until the beast ran out of inertia. The high incoming tide deposited it less than one hundred meters from their property.
When the dreadful noise ceased, the relative quiet made the constant thrumming sound of the wind-driven sand drubbing the home’s windows and outside walls sound louder. The hulk lay unmoving, as if asleep, and they stood motionless for fear of waking it.
The light from tonight’s auroras was bright and pulsating, outlining the massive vessel’s form. Out of the water, it looked much taller, not listing as expected but sitting upright almost as if it were properly parked in the port five miles up the coast. Each spectral blast of green revealed more of the ship’s evil presence. A fire on the port side, evidenced by blackened scarring, made it appear that the devil’s own giant hand had reached out from the ship’s bowels, leaving molten prints burned into its hide from the first row of balconies up to the silent chimney stacks. When the pulsating light ebbed, shadowing the ship in a momentary darkness, it almost looked like a normal cruise liner awaiting tourists that would never come. For a ship normally carrying a couple thousand crew and passengers in its belly, there were no signs of life.

BOOK REVIEW: "Relative Strangers (Sophie Morgan Vampire Series Book 1)" by Helen Treharne

Sophie Morgan is 23 and has always done the right thing. She’s caused no stress for her family, worked hard through university, has taken a successful leap onto the career ladder and nurtured a reasonably healthy bank balance. It’s no small surprise then when, on a post relationship break-up, mini-break to Antwerp, she pursues a pair of thieves who steal her friend’s handbag. But this is only the start of her world being turned upside down. She quickly learns that vampires exist, her neighbors aren't what they seem and new boyfriends can be found in the strangest of situations.

Despite the description talking about vampires and boyfriends, don't expect a romantic tale with a sweet, sexy vampire. This is a modern vampire tale where the undead are exactly what they're supposed to be: killers.
The characters in Relative Strangers are very three-dimensional; you feel like they could be your neighbors or coworkers. Sophie is surprisingly average for a female lead, but her ordinariness is what makes her so endearing and makes this story believable. It could happen to you, too.
I know this is a shorter review than I usually post, but this book needs no more talking up! Reading this is like Deborah Moggach and Bram Stoker had a lovechild who decided to write a book. The scenes are vivid, the people are likable and the vampires are deadly. What more could you want?

4/5--a new vampire classic!

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: "Black Ice: The 66 Degree Conspiracy" by Max Morgan

An international conspiracy to gain control over vast Arctic oil and gas resources touches close to home in Max Morgan’s riveting spy thriller Black.

As a senior intelligence officer with the Norwegian Police Security Service, Magnus Ose enjoys both personal and professional success. But his loving family and his career suddenly hang in the balance as he attempts to solve the mysterious deaths of several of his assets.

After discovering that confidential industry data has been stolen from oil and gas executive Finn Aspen, Magnus vows to identify the thief. But his efforts prove too late when Aspen is found shot in the head.

Shortly after, Norwegian diplomat Alf Evenson is found dead in an “accidental” apartment building fire—the second of Magnus’s assets to die in twenty-four hours.

Magnus’s investigation uncovers an elaborate network of spies and double agents that involves assets from North America, the Balkans, Western Europe, Russia, and the CIS.

It’s only as he gets closer to the truth that he realizes he might be too late—and that the web of lies he’s trying to penetrate might have already infiltrated his work…and even his own family.

Max Morgan is a former government official with insight into the workings of security intelligence issues. Having traveled and worked around the world, the author is currently employed as a private consultant. For the author’s outstanding work, Morgan was awarded the State Security and Intelligence Cross of Merit by a friendly country.

Purchase Black Ice: The 66 Degree Conspiracy on Amazon.

BOOK REVIEW: "Charlotte's Secrets (Demon's Love)" by Maryam Malik

As the Dark Ages reign over England, Julian an ordinary village boy is condemned for Charlotte's mysterious murder, his wife and to his surprise—a princess of royal blood. Oblivious of the presence of a centuries old demon, Julian is imprisoned in Elijah's inescapable dungeon where he waits for the injustice of a gruesome death. But when the young man is rescued at the hands of an unexpected guardian...he learns of his role as salvatoris liberet—the single truth that will alter his destiny forever. As alliances form, secrets unfold, and enemies reveal themselves, Julian must decide who to trust and how far he is willing to go for the only woman he's ever loved.

Charlotte's Secrets is the debut novel from Maryam Malik, and yet it feels like we've been reading her work forever. The story is visual and enveloping, taking you straight from your living room to the Dark Ages on page one.
The story feels similar to the BBC's interpretation of Robin Hood: the girl is murdered and her lover is accused. The big difference between Julian and Guy of Gisborne, however, is that Julian is innocent. He's a determined character, one whom you root for from the beginning. He's romantic, a hero and very endearing.
The characters he meets along his journey run the gamut from interesting to dangerous to diabolical. Ms. Malik easily weaves magic and paranormal elements into the tale, creating a unique world of death, love and magic.
I loved the desperation in Julian's heart, his deep love for the princess. Love drives this story, and it is that, not the thriller elements, that make this worth reading. I love it when a male lead wears his heart on his sleeve!
My only criticism is that I'd love to have seen it written in the third person, so we could've seen different perspectives from all characters, especially the queen.
An excellent debut; I see a very long career in literature for Ms. Malik!

4/5--a great debut!

Purchase Charlotte's Secrets via:

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BOOK REVIEW: "Never Say Die" by Bill Carson

Nick Harland has teamed up with Andy Ryan, a special forces/ MI5 operator and the pair are tasked with tracking down a rogue SAS soldier who is on the loose and creating havoc across London in revenge for his unjust imprisonment. But the destruction that he is causing is all part of an elaborate deception which is designed to mask his true intentions. Harland and Ryan are now in a race against time to find him before he carries out one of the most daring, outrageous and audacious crimes of the 21st century. 
Along with all the mayhem and tension created by the hunt for the SAS man there is a secondary story running parallel with the main one and this part of the story is unconnected to the main theme and remains so until the last chapter. Who is the mysterious unknown man found in a field in Essex with a gunshot wound to his head? The unconscious man is barely alive and is rushed to hospital where he undergoes emergency brain surgery and after a long period of recuperation he wakes from the coma. 
The police are anxious to interview him as in the field where he was found were a dozen dead bodies riddled with bullet holes. They don't get the chance to interrogate to him as he decides to abscond from hospital. The stranger has near total memory loss and has no clue who he is or why he'd been shot and the search is now on to find his past life? And he's anxious to find out why someone wanted him dead?

As an avid Doyle reader and NCIS watcher (not to mention the BBC's MI:5 starring Richard Armitage), I love mysteries set around a lot of action and suspense. Never Say Die by Bill Carson delivers a whole lot of suspense and danger within these pages.
Nick Harland is a likable character, Andy I could go either way. This is not really a character-driven story, but rather a plot-driven story. I mean that as a compliment. Rarely can you find a great spy novel driven more by plot than by the spies themselves. Carson wrote a great thriller with interesting components not usually seen together in the same book.
The reader is enthralled and intrigued by the mysterious man who has no memory. The reader is appalled yet can't help but be sympathetic to Steve Dark, the assassin gone rogue. And you certainly will wonder what on Earth one has to do with the other. A great mystery keeps you guessing and o  your toes, and Never Say Die does just that.
A great plot, well-written with enough mystery and action to keep you reading well into the night make Mr. Carson a writer you HAVE to check out!

4/5--a page-turner!

Purchase Never Say Die via:

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BOOK REVIEW: "Compile: Quest" by Ronel van Tonder

In the year 2036, solar storms batter Earth crippling electrical infrastructures across the globe. Night falls and the ensuing pandemonium claims millions of lives, catapulting the world into chaos. 
In the midst of this global turmoil a hero emerges. The altruistic SUN Council intercedes, constructing enormous domes on each continent to protect the world’s population from the radioactive CME’s of the incessant solar storms. 
But not everyone makes it to the domes. In an attempt to survive the deadly radiation, hundreds of thousands of people dig into the earth, living in squalor under an oppressive military dictatorship. 
Now centuries later, the final stage of the SUN Council’s plan to decimate the world’s population approaches. But as victory glimmers on the horizon, two women from discordant halves of this new world start to unravel the conspiracy.

When we think of the greats of the science fiction genre, the first name that comes to mind is Issac Asmiov. He reinvented the genre and gave us a lot of information to process.
When we find ourselves thinking of the greats in the next decade, we will inevitably mention Ronel van Tonder, whose debut novel Compile: Quest is a feast for the imagination.
The story centers around a world in turmoil, even though some of the inhabitants have no idea that things were not always this way.
You have your typical elements, like a corporation trying to control everyone, robots as personal assistants and vicious war raging behind the scenes. But you have your unique points, particularly that the hero isn't a hero: it's a heroine. Two of them, actually. The two women chosen by the author to stop the SUN Council and end the war are as different as night and day, yet offset each other perfectly.
This world she created is frightening and somehow beautiful in its strange, cybernetic way. I love the lifestyles with robots and medical pods, all the strange things that, in 2014, don't seem to be that fictional.
Reading this is like going into a virtual reality machine, actually, and you won't want to leave once you've entered.

5/5--a new age of sci-fi.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jürgen Olschewski

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I began with writing songs in my late twenties, having learned to play the guitar. This moved on to writing poems and stories, attending some evening classes for writing, and joining a local group of writers in my home town. I think the ‘why’ springs out of the enjoyment and consolation I have from reading, and wanting to see if I can make a poem or song or find a story that readers/listeners will care about and enjoy. The freedom of letting one’s imagination go where it may, to experience the lives of the characters that you write about, that is a delightful thing.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

As a child, my reading would have been chiefly comics (Marvel / D.C.). As a young man I gravitated to horror and ghost stories (Pan used to do a fantastic series of anthologies). Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft spring to mind. Then, whilst training as an actor, I read mostly plays and poetry: Shakespeare, Chekhov, Miller, Brecht, Philip Larkin, Brian Patten. As I gradually became interested in writing, writers like Jean Rhys, Raymond Carver, and Chekhov again (for his stories) inspired me greatly, as they do today. Today, I find myself reading quite a lot of independently-published fiction, which might be from any genre. Some books I have recently read and enjoyed very much include: Friendship and Afterwards by Daniel Gothard, Dreamcatcher by Beverley Jones, Gone Fishing With Willie Nelson & Norah Jones by Austin Roarers, and a poetry collection, To the Lions by Claire Meadows. I am currently reading Venetian Cousins (It’s brilliant!) by Stephen Carroll, and am about to start The Syllabus of Errors by Ashley Stokes.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel The Blue Box?

It started off as a short story really, or at least I had no idea it would become a novel. It just grew, and I followed where it led. A man being woken up late one night by a knock on the door was the only idea in my mind at the time. I’m so glad he opened the door and allowed the story to develop from there.

4. Will we ever see any of these characters again?

That’s a fascinating thing to ponder. I have no definite plans at the moment. I know that some writers, such as Stephen King, have characters that crop up across his different novels. That’s a nice idea, even if they are in just one or two scenes, it would be lovely to meet them again. In The Blue Box, the characters of Daumen and Peter, the truck driver, are strong possibilities for this, but potentially, any of them could make a return.

5. What was the intended symbolism behind the miniatures of the characters?

I am fascinated by the concept of the Doppelgänger. In The Blue Box, these entities start small and grow into the shadow-selves of their counterparts. Miniaturisation is also fascinating, and as with the double, I believe engenders a feeling of the uncanny, or the Unheimlich, as Freud termed it. The uncanny is a quality I find irresistible in fiction, from E. T. A. Hoffmann’s tales to a novel like The Glamour, by Christopher Priest.

6. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life?

The characters in The Blue Box are wholly fictional, albeit the quest for purpose and self-actualisation upon which many of the characters embark has clear resonances for me in my life, and hopefully for other people.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

I would really love to try writing a play, perhaps a radio or stage play in the first instance. Writing a screenplay would also be very exciting. I will definitely make an attempt.

8. What would you do if you were Thomas?

I feel that Thomas did what his underlying nature compelled him to do. The concept of character being revealed under pressure holds true for him. I hope I would have done the same as him, given his circumstances.

9. Why a theater, in the end? What was it about performing that made it such a central point in the book?

Perhaps, for me, writing about the theatre and acting is inevitable in some ways, due to my previous training as an actor, and my subsequent experience of working in the theatre for a number of years. I do feel that the novel deconstructs and explores ideas about character, persona, and performance, both in real life and on stage. The theatre is a very limited space in a physical sense, but it contains worlds. I felt the stage setting acted as a crucible to bring together the major themes of the novel, as well as being a suitable venue for the novel’s denouement.  

10. Would you like to see The Blue Box as a film? If yes, who do you want to see play your characters?

I would absolutely love The Blue Box to be a film. I have started making some moves in this direction, in respect of writing to potential directors. Turning the novel into a screenplay is also a possibility. I have a sense it will be a film one day, by some means or other.
With regard to a possible cast, I love the Austrian actor Bruno Ganz (from Wings of Desire, the Wim Wenders original), and think he would make a fabulous Daumen. I wonder if the younger characters would be better played by as yet ‘unknown’ actors. They are all in their early twenties, so this would seem a good idea. For Reynard, just thinking about this now, I would love a younger John Hurt, or perhaps Javier Bardem.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I hope to have written at least two or three more novels, as well as collections of stories and poems. I have recently published three long stories on Kindle, which are getting some very nice reviews (Sliding, Walking Man, and Is it the Cleaner?), and next year I aim to publish a first collection of stories, and a collection of poems. As per a previous question, I would love to have written a play and seen it produced. Writing songs is something I will always do. I have a few up on Soundcloud at the moment, here: https://soundcloud.com/pumpstreetsongs  and shall be recording more in the new year.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

Currently, I need to do other work to pay the rent and bills, and I am grateful for that work. I believe writing is my vocation, and it’s taken a long time to feel secure about saying that. I hope one day that I may earn my living wholly by writing. That would be a wonderful position to be in. I think it will happen, eventually.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

I’m putting together a first collection of stories, and also a first collection of poems. Many of these have been published in magazines and anthologies, or broadcast on radio, over the years. I am also developing an idea for a novel – incidentally, this began as a short story as well, so you never know where things will lead.  

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

Jean Rhys, Chekhov, Hermann Hesse, Raymond Chandler, Brian Patten, Raymond Carver, to name a few.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

· I played a creepy guy who steals underwear in an episode of the TV police drama series, The Bill.
· I’ve probably had over a hundred different jobs over my working life so far. Some didn’t last very long.  
· Dustin Hoffman came to speak to us at RADA while I was a student there. He was appearing as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in the West End.

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BOOK REVIEW: "The Blue Box" by Jurgen Olschewski

Late one night, Thomas Ruder receives a strange package: a small blue box. Another such item is delivered to Liselotte Hauptmann. These ‘gifts’ will change their lives forever. 
The Blue Box is a story about identity, about fulfilling your dreams, and becoming the person you always were, at whatever cost. It is a story of journeys, both external and internal. 
In the far-off border town of Grenze, a play is to be performed at the Sheol Theatre. Reynard the impresario expects a very special audience. Thomas, Liselotte, and their friend Johann, are drawn into Reynard’s seductive web, as Daumen, the box-maker, must decide who his master really is.

The Blue Box is...something else. I can't truly describe how I felt as I found myself immersed in this fantasy world in Germany, where danger lurks around every corner and what you see isn't always what you get. Where dreams that are lost have a way if coming back to haunt you.
I didn't know if I was reading a book similar to Tolstoy, Poe or Dostoyevsky. This was so similar in style to all the if those writers, but it has its own life, its own style and its own message, though what that message is is to be determined by the individual reader, not by yours truly. In my mind, it has a "follow your dreams" message intermingled with a "be careful what you wish for".
But its not just a literal story, oh no. You have living, beating hearts in small boxes, fingers inside cakes, lifelike dolls, geriatric children and an overall sense of the unreal, the likes of which I've only read in Poe's or, to mention a more modern novelist, Stephen King's books.
The characters are all chess pieces in an elaborate play set by the author, as he deftly moves them about his board for the readers' pleasure. It's like a dance with death in a way: you know the end has a fifty percent chance of being horrible, but you must read on...it's a compulsion. I couldn't tear my eyes away.
If you haven't read The Blue Box, go read it. Really. I can't recommend it enough. It's rare to find a book with this style of writing, this sense of intelligence and deep meanings embedded in the story.

5/5--put this at the top of your TBR list!

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Terri Lee

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

At thirteen. That's when I wrote my first novel. It was right around that time that I talked my teachers into launching a newspaper at Twin Hills Junior High in Sebastopol CA. Along with being the editor, I wrote a little serial mystery story for each edition that garnered rave reviews. Needless to say, I was hooked. Sometimes life takes a meandering path and I lost track of that dream for awhile, while I was busy living other dreams. Not regretting a single moment, because sprinkled along that path are all my experiences. many of them written about at length. There are probably a dozen leather bound journals filled with a million random thoughts, safely tucked in the back of my closet. Exactly where they belong. 

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today? 

My tastes have always been and continue to be eclectic. I love biographies about historical figures, fiction, and everything in between. Amelia Earhart's story was the first one to capture my imagination. I was sure I was destined to pick up where she left off, circling the globe, looking adorable in my little leather jacket. I had a change of heart  when I read Florence Nightingale's biography and thought perhaps I might selflessly devote my life to caring for the sick.  But then I read Gone With the Wind and realized that I was Scarlet O'Hara. Well...you get the point. Today my tastes still run to biographies, history and good fiction. I love Pat Conroy, Jan Karon, Garth Stein and Suanne Laqueur. I'm a sucker for a great line, where ever I may find it. 

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel The Bootlegger's Wife?

Real life. It's a true story, based upon my grandparents. When the idea presented itself to me, I was shocked that I hadn't thought of it before. But I'm a firm believer that things happen when they're ready to happen. So, apparently I wasn't ready to write this story until now. 

4. Will we ever see Frances and Frankie again?

The short answer is yes. But not in a sequel. They will appear in a future story when I tell the tales of my childhood years. Those two provided the solid foundation upon which I stand today. And it will be lovely for me to talk about them again. 

5. Do you think, personally, that love is worth what Frances endures?

Absolutely. Life is difficult, and hardships will fall across your path no matter which road you take. But to have a love like that, a hand to hold through it all...isn't that what we all search for?

6. What is it about Prohibition and the Depression that, you think, makes stories set then so engrossing?

It seems to me as if the country was in her teen-aged years. Quite full of herself. Testing boundaries. Embracing everything that was new. The dresses were short and flirty, the hair-styles were sassy, the champagne flowed and like I said in my book... "people had been riding high on a carnival ride that had no end when suddenly the wheels came off."  I also think we're drawn to that period because so many of us have grandparents who are not some dusty statistic in a history book, but rather people we've known and loved who lived those years. Perhaps they've shared some of their own experiences with us. Therefore the connective tissue to that era hasn't been stretched too thin yet. It's very real.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at. Were any of the characters based on real people?

I don't know about genres. I can't see myself writing something that I'm not interested in reading, so I doubt if there will be any Zombies in my future. My first novel, Back to Austen, was a regency era romance. Jane Austen would approve. And the story ideas that are lined up in the pipeline are all diverse enough to keep me excited. But there's always one common denominator...love.

9. What would you do if you were Frances?

I would have chosen the same path. I am her granddaughter. For me, love is the only answer. 

10. Would you like to see The Bootlegger's Wife in theaters? If so, what actors would you like to see play your characters?

I love this question, because I have a Pinterest board devoted to The Bootlegger's Wife that provided all kinds of inspiration during the long months of writing. Mila Kunis is Frances. Her tiny petite frame, dark hair and big doe eyes are exactly what I pictured for Frances Durant. 
Frankie is a little more difficult. I really can't think of a current actor who captures his essence. But Leonardo DiCaprio when he played Jack in Titanic...there...that's the look. That lock of hair falling over his face. That devil-may- care grin. Those gorgeous blue eyes. That's Frankie Lee. [Author provided photos of chosen actors are below.--KSR]

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I hope to still be telling stories and I hope that people are waiting in line to read them. 

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

All of the other things that I already do. Love, laugh, read, garden, cook, decorate...but I can't imagine NOT writing. I've always written. Mostly for myself. And that's fine too. 

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

My current work-in-progress is still in the development stage. Lots of research, plotting and outlining are taking place. Lucky for me...I love the entire process. I can tell my fingers are itching to get into the story. I know when it's time, because the characters start pushing harder. Talking more. They can be quite demanding. This story is set in the south in the early 1960s. This affords me another chance to delve into history. Back to Austen was set in 1815. The Bootlegger's Wife in 1920s...so hey, at least I'm moving forward. Ha ha. 

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I can't imagine collaborating with another author, because writing is so personal to me. But of course there are writers I'd love to sit with and pick their brain for an hour or two. I'd have to throw it way back to Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Mark Twain. Three literary giants, who represent their time yet are just as fashionable today as the day they first put pen or quill to paper. 

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

Three things? This reminds me of the picnic scene at Box Hill in Emma. Where the participants are asked to provide "One thing very clever... two things moderately clever...or three things very dull indeed." I shall strive to not be too dull. 
Number 1: I married my high school sweetheart. Like every other good love story, we have defied the odds and just celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary.  
Number 2: I love silliness. Silly words. Silly faces. Which makes me quite the hit with my grandchildren. I'm a comedian's dream audience. I'm wired to laugh. 
Number 3: I wrote my first REAL novel in my mid-fifties. More than surprising, I think that's inspirational. It just goes to show that it's never too late for your dream to find you. 
In closing I'd like to thank you Kelly, for providing such insightful questions. I loved the fact that I had to give these a little thought.  It's been a real treat. Thanks for inviting me, and I hope your audience will be intrigued enough to take a chance on The Bootlegger's Wife.

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BOOK REVIEW: "The Bootlegger's Wife" by Terri Lee

Frances Durant is the daughter of a high profile society family in New York in the 1920's. She's wild and reckless, svorning the life her family demands that she live: bored and rich, with a suitable husband and never, ever speaking her mind.
She then meets Frankie Lee, a Marine, and falls deeply in love, but he's poor with no family and her parents don't approve of the engagement...but they don't care.
This is the story of rebellion, true love, struggle, the Depression, prohibition and loss...of more than one kind.

I will give everyone reading this a warning: BUY TISSUES. If you don't cry, I highly suspect that you have no heart.
I have no words for The Bootlegger's Wife. It's the story of a young woman with a heart and soul as bright as the rising sun, who doesn't take no for an answer, who rejects the loveless life her parents have and want to force on her. Frances is one if the most delightful characters and a great role model for young girls today.
Frankie, likewise, is a wonderful leading man, with a lot of heart and sweet personality.
The supporting characters, like Lucy abd Sophia, are lovable, while others, like Lena, are absolutely detestable...but they need to be.
It's about forbidden love and hard-won happiness during a dark time: after WWI and during the Depression. While there were some editing errors, I couldn't find fault in this book. I read it in a day, and want to read it again. It's a sad story, but full of hope. There's no Hollywood ending, there's a real life ending.
I LOVED every word of it and want to read more!

5/5--a tearjerker.

Purchase The Bootlegger's Wife via:

Amazon

Goodreads

Book Trailer

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