An Interview with Catherine Astolfo, Author of ‘Sweet Karoline’

Catherine Astolfo retired in 2002 after a very successful 34 years in education. She can recall writing fantasy stories for her classmates in Grade Three, so she started finishing her books the day after her retirement became official. Her short stories and poems have been published in a number of Canadian literary presses. Her story, “What Kelly Did”, won the prestigious Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Crime Story in 2012.

In the fall of 2011, she was thrilled to be awarded a four-book contract by Imajin Books for her Emily Taylor Mystery series (previously self-published), and has never been happier with this burgeoning second career!

Catherine’s books are gritty, yet portray gorgeous surroundings; they deal with sensitive social issues, but always include love and hope. They’re not thrillers, but rather literary mysteries with loads of character and setting. And justice always prevails.

Website: www.catherineastolfo.com

FB: http://tinyurl.com/kc4n5xw

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cathyastolfo

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, SWEET KAROLINE. What was your inspiration for it?

A: Thank-you! Sweet Karoline explores the mindset of a psychologically fragile character throughout a journey of self-discovery that involves universal themes of beauty, racism, love, treachery, family history, and crime. There were several points of inspiration for Sweet Karoline. The first one is a theme that runs through all my books. I am fascinated by evil, by the psychopathology that leads people to harm others. How is a monster created? Are they born or developed? How can we recognize them? For Sweet Karoline, I explored that theme through the complicated relationship between two women. My second inspiration, which I have to admit also runs through my other books, is my children’s background. They are a combination of white, black and native ancestry. I find the history unique and intriguing, in particular the family’s undocumented connection to Joseph Brant. As for Anne, the main character, she was very strong and inserted her personality into the book right from the beginning.  In addition, one of my children and his wife live in Los Angeles, so I am somewhat familiar with that area and was inspired to place Anne in the film industry, as my children are filmmakers.

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist.

A: In the first sentence of the book, my protagonist tells use that she killed her best friend. But did she physically murder her? Or is she just feeling guilty about Karoline’s suicide? Anne is a very beautiful woman. She’s part native, white and black. She’s so gorgeous that the attention is actually a problem for her. She builds protective walls around herself. Her world shrinks to two best friends whom she trusts implicitly. She’s very complicated. Sometimes she calls herself the “Ice Queen” because she has a mean side to her; sometimes she’s sweet and loving. I don’t think Anne’s much different from most of us, but she endures some traumatic events that threaten to send her far off course.

Q: How was your creative process like during the writing of this book and how long did it take you to complete it? Did you face any bumps along the way?

A: The hardest part of writing Sweet Karoline was choosing a path for Anne, my main character. She kept resisting the storylines I gave her! Not surprising, since she’s a complicated, feisty, intelligent woman who is undergoing an enormous trauma. She has an emotional breakdown after the death of her best friend. Anne falls in love for the first time. She discovers a trail of manipulation and betrayal that would send anyone into shock. Naturally she was a little taciturn and resistant to her writer. As a result Sweet Karoline went through several permutations.

The creative process for this one taught me a lot about patience. The novel developed very slowly in comparison to my other four, taking almost three years to complete. It was like the taciturn child after giving birth to several placid babies. I learned to let go. Follow my subconscious muse that was directing me away from the ordinary. When I finally gave in to that mode, it was exhilarating. I believe it has changed my writing forever.

Q: How do you keep your narrative exciting throughout the creation of a novel?

A: Part of what I do is to give out sections of the novel to my daughter as it evolves. She’s a producer/casting director and has a terrific visual sensibility. If the narrative is not exciting, she’ll let me know, but she will also give me some suggestions on how to keep it going. As well, I read parts of it aloud, either to myself or to my critique groups. Reading aloud gives an entirely different dimension to the writing. You can hear the mistakes, as well as the cadence of words that are beautifully arranged.

Q: Do you experience anxiety before sitting down to write? If yes, how do you handle it?

A: I don’t usually feel anxious until I’m part way through the novel. The anxiety sets in when I’m afraid it’s not good or I won’t have the inspiration to keep going. I try very hard to soothe my tension by rereading particularly good sections. Sometimes I even allow myself to edit. Lots of my writer colleagues tell me that editing causes their anxiety, but for me, the process often alleviates it.

Q: What is your writing schedule like and how do you balance it with your other work and family time?

A: I don’t have a set schedule, though I try to set a goal of 500 words a day. Some days I’ll get a lot more than 500 completed and the next day, maybe none. I write when and where I can, whether I’m sitting in a waiting room, out in my backyard or in my office. That’s why I love the freedom of the laptop! Bless you, little MAC. In some ways, I’m fortunate because I didn’t start writing until I retired from my career as an educator. My time is very much my own, so I can build in family and other work without too much trouble. I wasn’t able to write much when I was younger and juggled children and a job. But waiting ‘til now means I’m a little older than many authors.

Q: How do you define success?

A: I equate success with joy. To me, joy is a state of satisfaction, peace and love. In my writing career, success is having a reader like my books. Just one reader who really understands my vision can make my day a success.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers whose spouses or partners don’t support their dreams of becoming an author?

A: Oh my. I could cruelly say that you have the wrong partner. However, if someone is determined enough to keep the relationship as well as pursue the art, s/he must find a way to make compromises in order to fulfill both partners’ needs. Get up very early in the morning, when everyone else is asleep, to write. No one’s time is being intruded upon.  Or keep a diary in the bathroom.

Q: George Orwell once wrote: “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” Do you agree?

A: I don’t, actually. I’m a pretty selfish person and probably wouldn’t keep doing something that was horrible or like a painful illness. I LOVE writing. I can’t wait to sit down at my laptop and create. I miss it terribly if I’m unable to write for a while, so I’ll even cook scenes in my head. Now that I’m retired, I experience joy pretty much every day because I can imagine I’m standing on a mountain or cuddling a baby all while sitting at my desk.

Q:  Anything else you’d like to tell my readers?

A: Since one of the greatest joys for a writer is feedback, I encourage your readers to write reviews for their favorite authors. As a writer, I’m interested in your reaction to my novel. This is your opportunity to write two or three sentences giving your opinion. You are not bound by the old rules of book reviews that you might have learned in school. You are relieved of the summary task! You don’t have to prove any expert literary skill to anyone, although you may want to demonstrate correct spelling and grammar to be taken seriously. Your only goal is to tell other readers what you thought of, reacted to or how you felt about this particular book. I’d also love emails from my fans! My email address is cathy@catherineastolfo.com.

Catherine Astolfo’s Bibliography

The Emily Taylor Mystery Series:

The Bridgeman. Imajin Books, October, 2011

Victim. Imajin Books, November, 2011

Legacy. Imajin Books, April, 2012

Seventh Fire. Imajin Books, July 2012

Awards:

Winner, Arthur Ellis Best Crime Short Story Award, 2012

Winner, Derrick Murdoch Award, 2012

Winner, Bony Pete Short Story Award, First Prize, 2010

Winner, Bony Pete Short Story Award, Second Prize, 2009

Winner, Brampton Arts Acclaim Award, 2005

Winner, Dufferin-Peel Catholic Elementary Principal of the Year, 2002, the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario.

Winner, Elementary Dufferin-Peel OECTA Award for Outstanding Service, 1998

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Guest Post and Spotlight: “Reader Bonanza in Indie Books,” by Rachelle Ayala, author of Hidden Under Her Heart

I was the kid who spent hours in the library, headed straight for B. Dalton bookstores in the mall, and lugged around a book wherever I went. Then adulthood happened, and I had a job and a family and somewhere in my twenties and thirties I stopped reading books for fun. I devoured business books and computer engineering books. I wrote specs and reports for my job. And frankly, the price of new hardcover books approached the level of textbooks and even $9.99 seemed steep for an e-book. Instead, I bought the first generation Kindle to download out of copyright classics such as Great Expectations, Sherlock Holmes, Armadale, Pride and Prejudice and The Woman in White.

The day I found 99c books and Kindle Direct Publishing was like letting a chocoholic loose in a chocolate factory. Suddenly, my kindle became useful again. Along the way I discovered authors who told fresh new stories in new and unexpected ways. Stories were no longer hampered by tired genre guidelines or conventional wisdom. Want to kill off your heroine? Go ahead, if it makes sense. Want us to weep for your bad guy? Do it credibly and my throat will get lumpy. Have us so confused we suspected every single person of murder including the pastor? Then pull out obscure character from page 146 paragraph 3 who was mentioned once. Okay… if it was entertaining, sure. I’ll hand it to you.

About a year ago, I answered a poll at the World Literary Café.

———–

INDIE BOOKS (self-pubbed & small press): 

Approximately how many do you read per month? 4

Do you see a need for stronger editing? yes! I know it’s not been edited when it’s full of Introductory Present Participial Phrases and misplaced modifiers. The book becomes humorous. POV shifts are another source of either minor annoyance or jaw shattering head shaking. Oh, and purple prose. I’m really good at that! And I actually enjoy writing that grabs Jesus handles, LOL

Will you pay a higher price than $.99 for books that are edited well? up to $2.99, but it’s not the editing that’s the deal breaker. The story has to be fresh and different. that’s what I enjoy about self-pubbed stories. Small press, not really. They are trying too hard to fit into genre expectations. Break a rule or two, that’s the joy of indie-pubbing.

If you answered YES, would you pay an equivalent price to traditionally published prices? No, because I think traditionally published books are too expensive.

TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED BOOKS:

Approximately how many do you read per month? not that many anymore. I used to read maybe one a month.

Do you see a need for stronger editing? not really. but the stories are boring and cliched, trite and unimaginative. I like the self-pubbed books for mish-mashing genre’s and delivering stories that break rules, e.g. protag dies? a pastor is implicated in kidnapping? a woman falls in love with two different men in a romance?

Do you feel prices are set too high? Definitely! Forget buying Steve Job’s Bio, or the next installment of Outlander when I can find so many fresh reads indie pubbed.

———

And that’s just about how I feel about indie books. They’re a river of fresh, original content at the price of a bag of chips or a cup of joe. I can browse books online into the wee hours of the morning and stay up to read until my husband wakes up to in the morning. You’ll no longer find me sitting at Barnes and Noble trying to decide between two $25 hardcovers when I can snap up 8 to 25 indie published books, or hit the thousands of free books daily.

Indie books have taken me on walkabouts through Australia with Snake-woman-child and into the murky world of a shapeshifting. I’ve witnessed a second trimester abortion through the eyes of a teen, soared high atop a castle wall with King David and dropped down to a knife fight in pre-Aztec Mexico. I have been trapped in Iran, imprisoned in a white supremacist facility, witnessed an inter-species inter-galactic love story, coveted a jar with evil sprites, jumped into the Mississippi with a demigod, and read minds with the best of empaths.(*)

What an exciting journey! Indie publishing has freed literature from the shackles of traditionalism and enable the masses to both read and write. I firmly believe that the right person to tell a story is the one writing it. And it could be YOU!

The only thing I want to add is that in the year since I answered that survey, both editing and formatting of indie books has improved to the point where most are indistinguishable from trad published books. With fresh and exhilarating content available daily, indie publishing is the reader’s best bonanza.

What about you? What do you like about indie published books? Are you more willing to experiment with unknown authors if their books are priced at 99c? $2.99? Above? What book has surprised you lately by presenting a controversial topic not seen in traditionally published books?

(*)Books reference: Secrets From the Dust, Prodigy, Twenty Weeks, Michal’s Window, At Road’s End, A Bitter Veil, Allegiance, Defying Gravity, Beautiful Evil, The Calling, Vision.

————————————

Author Bio:

Rachelle Ayala is the author of dramatic fiction crossing genres and boundaries featuring strong but flawed characters. She writes emotionally challenging stories and is not afraid of controversial topics. However, she is an optimist and laces her stories with romance and hope.

Rachelle is an active member of online critique group, Critique Circle, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has three children and has taught violin and made mountain dulcimers.

Visit her at: Website: http://rachelleayala.me Blog: http://www.rachelleayala.com or follow @AyalaRachelle on Twitter.

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Buy links for Hidden Under Her Heart 

Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Under-Abortion-Courage-ebook/dp/B00B0YBI92/

Paperback:   http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Under-Heart-Rachelle-Ayala/dp/1481993410/

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hidden-under-her-heart-rachelle-ayala/1114140504?ean=2940015981582

Book Blurb:

Maryanne Torres is a compassionate nurse who fails at relationships. After a string of losers, she swears off premarital sex, hoping to land a marrying type of man.

Lucas Knight, a law-school dropout, moves to California to train for the Ironman Triathlon. He’s smart, sweet, and everything Maryanne wants in a man, but their relationship suffers from his dedication to the sport. Seeking consolation in the arms of a handsome preacher’s son, Maryanne attends a church party where she is raped.

Maryanne is pregnant from the rape and plans to abort. But the identity of her rapist is hidden in her baby’s DNA. Lucas asks Maryanne to seek alternatives and pledges to support her through the pregnancy. When Lucas becomes the prime suspect, Maryanne must clear his name and make a life changing decision.

The rapist has other ideas. In order to destroy the evidence, he offers Maryanne an illegal offshore abortion. With Maryanne’s life in danger, Lucas races to save her and her baby. However, Maryanne hides a secret that threatens to tear them apart forever.

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Book Review: Shot in the Dark by Jennifer Conner

Jennifer Conner’s latest romantic suspense is a thrilling, steaming read that will be enjoyed by fans of the genre. 

Handsome, sharp-witted, and smartass Devan Burke is a detective working for the LAPD. In the evenings, he likes to keep himself wired up by ordering double espressos from the Naughty Latte stand’s drive-through, especially because of the pretty blond working there. Dev is a loner and blames himself for the death of a kid during a store shootout, during which he was also shot in the leg and, as a result, has been limping and using a cane since then.   

Beautiful and just as sharp-witted and smartass as Dev, Luci Lombard is working at the Naughty Latte stand in order to support herself through school at the University of Chinese Culture and Health Studies. 

One night, only a few minutes after Dev leaves the coffee stand, he receives a message that the place has just been robbed. Back at the stand, he finds a very distraught Luci lying on the floor with her hands tied behind her back. Fortunately, the assailant didn’t have enough time to rape her. Although the robber was wearing a mask, she remembers he was wearing cowboy boots and tattoos on his arm: strange octagon symbols mixed into a vine. Dev offers to bring her to the hospital and then home. 

Since she doesn’t have medical insurance, he very generously pays for her medical bills. To show her appreciation, Luci decides to help Dev with his leg problem so he can get back in active duty. She believes his pain and limp could be improved with the aid of a chiropractor and holistic medicine. Though Dev is skeptical at first, he decides to let Luci help him. Thus, their relationship begins to evolve, rising in intensity as their feelings for each other deepen.

But the man with the tattoos isn’t a simple robber. In fact, he’s a member of the Mafia. And he hasn’t forgotten Luci and is intent on finishing what he started… 

Shot in the Dark is a light, quick, very entertaining read filled with lots of romance and lots of suspense. Having read Conner’s work before, I know she has a soft spot for tortured, imperfect heroes with big hearts who at times suffer a disability. In this case, it’s Dev’s leg and how it affects his self image and self esteem, and how, with a smart and kind heroine, he outgrows those feelings of insecurity. Her heroines are intelligent and independent, yet feminine enough to turn to their heroes for protection when needed. A very nice combination. The story, which moves at a good pace, is mainly told from both from Dev’s and Luci’s points of view, separated by chapters, so the readers get to know the feelings and motivations of both characters. Some chapters are also told from the robber’s point of view. If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, you’ll want to pick this one up. 

You can find more about bestselling author Jennifer Conner and her romantic suspense novels from her website athttp://www.jenniferconnerbooks.com 

Read more reviews and purchase the book from Amazon.

My review was first published in Blogcritics.

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Guest post by Lisa Mondello, author of THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT

I want to thank THE DARK PHANTOM for having me as a guest blogger today. I’m excited to tell you about my book, THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT, book 2 in my Fate with a Helping Hand series.

Today I’m going to talk about setting. When I started writing THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT, I knew I wanted to set the story in a place that had meaning to me. Growing up near Westport, MA, I always visited Horseneck Beach during the summer. Cape Code is beautiful. But there are just as many beautiful places to visit along the Massachusetts coastline. Westport was a perfect seaside town for romance!

In THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT, Cara is struggling with change. Her biological clock is ticking. Her parents are moving from her childhood home to go live thousands of miles away in Florida. And she’s not feeling complete in her relationship with her current boyfriend, who her mother just happens to hate! While she loves her career, she’s at a crossroad that many women and men face in their lives. Add a mother who is so ready to become a grandmother, a free-spirited grandmother who goes skinny dipping on a public beach, a sexy old friend who just happened to scribble a marriage proposal on the back of a birthday card, the charm of a seaside home, and an inept boyfriend who “just doesn’t get it” and you have a recipe for laughter and romance.

While writing THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT, I went home to Westport in my mind many times and reminisced about walking the beach, picking up shells, camping on the beach and walking along the jetty with my boyfriend who is now my husband of 21 years. As I remembered my good times there, I could almost feel the sand between my toes, the smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves.

In THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT, Cara reminisces about long ago times as well as she navigates her way through her crossroad until she finally realizes what she really wants. Is there a setting from your past that you revisit in your mind from time to time? Tell me about it. I will be giving away a copy of THE KNIGHT AND MAGGIE’S BABY to one commenter today. So don’t be shy. Leave a comment for a chance to win!

BIO:

Lisa Mondello is the bestselling author of 13 published books. Her first published book, the award winning ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU, was recently reissued as an ebook and has had over 350,000 downloads worldwide. In addition to publishing her Fate with a Helping Hand series, which includes THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT and THE KNIGHT AND MAGGIE’S BABY, she is releasing her popular Texas Hearts Romance series as ebooks, which include Her Heart for the Asking, His Heart for the Trusting and The More I See. She currently writes for Harlequin Books and is collaborating with a film producer/screenwriter on a screenplay.

She loves to hear from readers. You can email her at LisaMondello@aol.com, find her on her blog talking about writing, movies and music at http://www.lisamondello.blogspot.com or chat on Twitter at @LisaMondello.

BLURB for THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT

They were destined to fall in love. But sometimes fate has other plans… Cara Carvalho and Devin Michaels became best friends one distant summer. No two people were more in sync about what they wanted their lives to be. But fate and their own inner need for success forced them to separate. But sometimes love needs a helping hand… Now both are approaching that magic age of 35 and are seeking more from their lives. When Cara’s mom finds a glib promise on the back of Cara’s 17th birthday card, she decides to take matters into her own hands and bring Devin and Cara together again. With a little help and “creative” planning, can they have a second chance at happiness?

LINK to Excerpt of THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/2216604-the-marriage-contract-blog-tour-read-an-excerpt

Buy links:

AMAZON

Barnes and Noble

KOBO

iTunes

Smashwords

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Celebrate Read an Ebook Week with Twilight Times Books

Read an Ebook Week begins today!

Twilight Times Books, publisher of critically acclaimed Literary, Mystery and SF/F books, is offering a special during ‘Read an Ebook Week,’ from March 4-10, 2012.

A FREE ebook will be given away each day.

Some of these books include:

How I Wrote My First Book: The Story behind the Story
Twenty authors tell amazing stories about the efforts that went into writing their first book.
http://twilighttimesbooks.com/MyFirstBook_ch1.html

Book Reviewers Talk about their Craft
A series of interviews with 22 publishing professionals regarding book reviewing including Magdalena Ball, Judi Clark, James Cox, Lesa Holstine, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Cheryl C. Malandrinos, Sharyn McGinty, Alex Moore, Stephanie Padilla, Andrea Sisco, Irene Watson and others.
http://twilighttimesbooks.com/ttb_free_ebooks2012.html

Thirty popular titles are available for $3.50 or less via Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, and OmniLit until March 10th during Read an E-Book Week.

In addition, ebook ARCs now available for the following upcoming releases:

Divided, historical novel by Ralph Freedman
Equity of Evil, medical thriller by Rudy Mazzocchi
Essentially Yours, mystery by Aaron Paul Lazar
Griffin’s Fire, fantasy by Darby Karchut
Shadows of Kings, epic fantasy by Jack Whitsel
The Patriot Spy, military historical by S. W. O’Connell.
http://twilighttimesbooks.com/ttb_arc_order.html

Happy reading! Feel free to spread the word via Facebook or Twitter!

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Is It Really Worth It to Live Forever?

Christine Amsden’s second novel, The Immortality Virus, raises an intriguing question: Is it really all that wonderful to find the secret of immortality and live forever?

It’s the 21st century and the world is being ruled by The Establishment, a totalitarian government made of an elite few. People don’t age anymore. As a result, overpopulation has created poverty, hunger, violence, and chaos. People don’t even have empathy for their fellow human beings anymore and cruelty and murder abound. Only the elite few can afford to eat normal food; the rest feed on suspicious, high-protein nutri-bars believed to be made up of human flesh.

At the beginning of the story, our feisty 130-year old PI protagonist, Grace Harper, is hired to complete a mission: she must discover the whereabouts of Jordan Lacklin, the scientist responsible for the ‘virus’ that started The Change about 400 years ago while working on the cure for Alzheimer’s. The secret mission puts Grace’s life in danger. On one side, there are those who want to undo The Change to improve the quality of life and the world; on the other side, there are those who want to keep living forever because they have the means to live in luxury… and they’ll go to extremes to make sure Grace doesn’t complete her mission.

The Immortality Virus is an entertaining, dystopian/science fiction novel with an interesting premise. Grace Harper is a sympathetic, kick-ass heroine: strong, spirited and opinionated. She also has a kind heart that stands out in the cruel society she inhabits. I personally loved her witty comebacks and quirky sense of humor. Although the story gets a bit slow somewhere around the middle, Amsden offers enough action, twists and turns to keep most readers turning the pages. The dialogue is crisp and natural and helps to keep the pace moving. Amsden uses a lot of dialogue and action scenes, and keeps description and narration at a minimum. She also throws in a bit of romance for good measure. I also enjoyed the way she depicts the future, presenting us with a grim and realistic glimpse of what society could become as a result of greed and medical technology. If you love dystopian novels with strong heroines and you’re attracted to the subject of immortality, I recommend you give this one a try.

Title: The Immortality Virus
Author: Christine Amsden
Author web site: http://www.christineamsden.com
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
url: http://twilighttimesbooks.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60619-003-6
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: trade paperback & ebook
Chapter excerpt:
http://twilighttimesbooks.com/ImmortalityVirus_ch1.html

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Read an Ebook Week is March 8-14, 2009

Read an Ebook Week was created by Rita Toews in order to inform the public about the wonderful world of ebooks.

There are many benefits to ebooks, the most important ones being that they don't kill trees and that they're cheaper–sometimes A LOT cheaper–than their print counterparts. For a full list of benefits, you may want to visit EPublishers Weekly.

Between March 8-14, publishers and authors on the web will be offering special deals and discounts on ebooks. Two of these publishers are Zumaya Publications and Twilight Times Books.

Zumaya Publications publishes books in both print and electronic formats in a large variety of genres rnging from romance to mystery to fantasy and science fiction. In celebration of Read an eBook Week, 17 Zumaya authors will offer free copies of their books. All will be offered in eReader format suitable for reading on iPhone and iPod Touch and PDF, and many will be available in other popular ebook formats such as MS Reader.

In addition, copies of other titles by these authors will be offered at our online bookstore, Novel Ideas from Zumaya, at a 20% discount for the duration of Read an eBook Week. As a special offer, anyone who purchases a copy of M. D. Benoit's newest Jack Meter Casefile, Meter Destiny, can claim a free copy of Meter Made, the second book in the series, free. Since the first Meter Casefile, Metered Space, is among the freebies, this means readers can have the complete series for the price of one book.

Twilight Times Books also publishes books in both print and electronic formats.

Publisher Lida Quillen is offering Darrell Bain's autobiography, Darrell Bain's World of Books, as a free download, plus an additional free ebook each day. Among the selections will be Behold the Eyes of Light by Geoff Geauterre, Jerome and the Seraph by Robina Williams, No Place for Gods by Gerry Mills, Striking Back from Down Under by Dr. Bob Rich, The Last to Fall by Anne K. Edwards and Who is Margaret? by Celia A. Leaman.

Here is a list of ebook giveaways during Read an Ebook Week:

All week — Darrell Bain's World of Books by Darrell Bain
Sunday, Mar. 8th — Behold the Eyes of Light by Geoff Geauterre
Monday, Mar. 9th — Jerome and the Seraph by Robina Williams
Tuesday, Mar. 10th — No place for Gods by Gerald Mills
Wednesday, Mar. 11th — Striking Back from Down Under by Dr. Bob Rich
Thursday, Mar. 12th — The Last to Fall by Anne K. Edwards
Friday, Mar. 13th — Who is Margaret? by Celia A. Leaman
Saturday, Mar. 14th — Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine Issue Sept/Oct 2005
Saturday, Mar. 14th — Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine Issue Jan/Feb 2006

So why read ebooks? I asked Elizabeth Burton, Editor-in-Chief at Zumaya Publications:

"Books are books–ebooks are just more convenient than their print brethren. If you have vision problems, if you can't leave the house without something to read, if you spend any amount of time waiting for something to happen, if you have arthritis in your hand that makes holding a book uncomfortable, if you like to read in bed but your partner doesn't appreciate the glare–these are all good reasons to consider ebooks. That there are some incredibly good writers whose work you'll only be able to read digitally is just an added bonus."

On the future of ebooks, this is what she had to say:

"There was much lamenting when the mass market paperback crawled out of the pulp world that it would destroy the wonders of hardcover reading. The same, equally specious wail is not being aimed at ebooks. EBooks are just another way to read, one that appeals to the younger generations who've grown up with digital media but that also draws those who for any or all of the above-listed reasons want an alternative to print. They won't replace print books anytime soon, but the market for them will continue to grow."

There's no question that ebooks are the reading format of the future. Feel free to spread the word about Read an Ebook Week and don't lose your chance to get some free ebooks.

 

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Interview with A.F. Stewart, author of Chronicles of the Undead

Touring the blogosphere this month of February is fantasy author A.F. Stewart. Her book, Chronicles of the Undead, tells the story of three generations of one family and their dark connection to the realm of vampires. Visit the author’s blog at: http://www.squidoo.com/undeadchronicles

Q: Thanks for this interview. Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?

A: Well, I’m a writer of fantasy stories and poetry primarily, and I publish my books independently. I’m still a novice at this whole business and it has definitely been an education trying to learn it from scratch. I think I’m finally getting the hang of it, though.
I’m a single woman from Canada and live on the east coast of the country, in Nova Scotia. I’m a self-professed sci-fi/fantasy geek, action movie buff, and a fan of comic books. I like to draw and paint, mostly landscapes, as a hobby. My other hobby is collecting: comics, sword replicas, and movie collectables.

Q: When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

A: I’ve always written poems and stories, but I actually would have preferred to be an artist. Alas my artistic talent did not extend far enough, so I went with my other creative outlet. I wrote my first book several years ago (an opus of King Arthur, still badly in need of editing), and have been attempting to pursue the career of an author ever since.

Q: Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

A: My latest book, Chronicles of the Undead, is a bit of a departure for me as it is in the horror genre, rather than fantasy. I have written the occasional horror short story, but never tried writing the genre in a book.

Chronicles is a novella, a classic vampire tale set in 18th and 19th century London, written entirely as diary entries with no dialogue. The book exposes the secrets of Samuel Harrington, his son Edmund and Edmund’s daughter Charlotte, as they deal with the tempting influence of the vampires who infiltrate their lives. Chronicles of the Undead is an intimate portrayal of family, weakness, the lure of evil, and how one selfish act can have horrific consequences.

I was inspired to write the book because I wanted to explore the original aspect of the vampire, one of a predatory evil. The romantic, dreamy portrayal of vampires seems to be the prevalent one these days, but I think their evil nature is far more fascinating.

Q: How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

A: I had to do a lot of planning with this book, but I didn’t use outlines, as is my usual practice. It was more of a free form channeling of my characters, writing diary entries as I was inspired. The biggest struggle I had was writing the character of Edmund Harrington, he just wouldn’t behave; I had to change his plotline three times before it finally worked.

Q: Did your book require a lot of research?

A: Yes. I had to research vampire folklore and mythology for the background of my villains, and then I had to do extensive research on the customs of 18th and 19th century London. I had to explore the city layout of the time, the history of the London coffeehouse, the when and where of historic events, and the social structure of two centuries. The strangest thing I had to check were the diary dates, to ensure the entries didn’t contradict with holidays or Sundays.

Q: Who is your target audience?

A: Chronicles of the Undead would probably appeal most to readers who like classic horror or paranormal dark fantasy. The rest of my writing is aimed at people who like a good tale of fantasy and magic.

Q: Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you?

A: My muse generally tends to be most annoying, popping ideas into my head any time of the day. If she ever refused to inspire me in might be a nice vacation.

Q: Do you write non-stop until you have a first draft, or do you edit as you move along?

A: I generally don’t write the first draft of a book in order, but skip around from chapter to chapter. I usually start with the beginning, and then I might write the ending, or a key plot point, editing as needed until the draft is finished. Then I start on the power edits, ruthlessly cutting anything that doesn’t work and polishing the prose.

Q: What type of scenes give you the most trouble to write?

A: Romance scenes. I am the most self-critical when I write those scenes, probably because I don’t use my romance writing skills very often. I’m more comfortable killing off my characters than letting them live happily ever after.

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Halloween Festival: Interview with Karen L. Syed, Owner of Echelon Press

Started in 2009, Echelon Press publishes short stories, novellas and novels in various genres. Under their new imprint 'Quake', they also publish fiction for middle graders and young adults. At present, Echelon publishes two paperback novels a month as well as one or two of their popular short story and novella downloads. Here to talk about the company and how it was created is owner Karen L. Syed. If you want to know what a publisher blog is about, visit Karen at The Life of a Publisher.

Thanks for being here today, Karen. Why don't you begin by telling us a bit about Echelon Press? When did it get started?

Echelon will be eight years old in February 2009. We started the company to make a place for writers to make a name for themselves. People seem to confuse that with not wanting to be successful. It has ALWAYS been my goal for any author at Echelon to go onto bigger and better things. If that means many books with Echelon, great! If that means one or two with us and then a contract with a bigger house, awesome. We are definitely not just a playground for writers who want to be published. I have recently discovered that there is a difference being an author and being a published writer.

You publish a fair amount of horror, both short stories and novels. What type of horror do you publish?

So far it hasn't been as much as I would like. I love the horror genre. What I'd like to see more of is the types written by John Saul or Douglas Clegg. I don't mean alien horror, they are more thrillers. I love the stuff that presents the unknown and grabs you by the throat and holds on tight without letting you immediately know what 'it' is.

What you do not like to see in a horror story and what are the most common mistakes horror writers make?

I am not a big fan of the total gore scene. I love the unknown. Knowing something is right around the corner, your skin crawling with apprehension and fear, while adrenaline rushes through you, leaving you breathless and unable to move. So many of the horror stories I read focus so much on the shock value that they don't give their stories a chance to develop fully. They spew slime and blood all over everything and think that this makes it spooky. It just makes it gross. Why can't authors rely on their senses to indulge the fear gene instead of just wanting to make people sick?

What makes a horror novel or story truly compelling?

The only thing compelling is the unknown. To recognize danger and fear and not know where that danger comes from. To feel the presence of an unknown entity so close that it's putrid breath blows across your cheek. To shiver against the chill of dread caused by words so powerful and explosive you have to close your eyes against the next phrase.

How do you see the state of the horror fiction market at the moment? Is it thriving or declining?

I don't know that it is declining, but neither is it thriving. I think so many authors in the genre have resorted to the shock value of the gruesome. The movie industry has made that so glamorous that authors feel the need to "keep up." This is not the case. Books are not the same as movies. Some people say that Friday the 13th and the Halloween movies are horror, but in fact I think they are more thrillers or gore flicks. Keep in mind this is just my idea, and many others may disagree.

What types horror books do you think are most popular with readers?

I can't even begin to answer that question. Different readers like different books.

You also publish horror for young adults. How much horror is too much horror in a young adult book?

I'll take a stab at this one, but let's be clear on one thing. How much is too much is up to the reader and their parents. For Quake, our new young reader line we like to keep things in the head. We aren't going to go out on a limb and offer gratuitous gore just to sell books. We all know that kids love all that blood and guts spurting here and there, but perhaps it's because it's all we offer them. When you present something as cool then what do you expect? A dude running around chopping off heads is not cool. A cloud of mist that sweeps into a room and envelops a sleeping girl while whispering secrets of evil, a little cooler.

On average, how many submissions do you receive in a month? Of those submissions, what percentage you end up accepting for publication?

Our paperback submissions are closed except for invitations and referrals, and eBooks, but we still get at least a dozen or so unsolicited submissions per week for paperback. Writers seem to ignore the potential for eBook sales and all want paper publication. eBooks have such great potential to build a readership, and if an author can build a readership with an eBook they can do anything.

As for acceptance, we do only twelve titles per year in paperback and right now aren't even getting enough submissions for eBook to do one per month. Did you know that tens of millions of dollars are spent on eBooks each year? Why wouldn’t an author want their share of that?

What tips would you offer authors who are doing book signings this Halloween?

Make them fun! They have to be fun. Don't let the readers wonder why they even bothered to come to your event. Show them with your words, you attitude, and your books that they are important to you. Don't make them wonder. And by all means get into the spirit! A little bit of spook goes a long way!

Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

This industry is one of the greatest. Don't take it for granted, whether you are a reader or a writer. Writers, don't ever forget why you sell your books for publication. It's all about your readers. You can write all you want, but if you are serious about being a solid published author, don't ever forget how you get there.

And readers, let the authors know what you like and don't like. Your opinion matters. If you don't like something, don't buy it, be honest and be open about your favorite authors. If the last five books you read by your favorite best seller stunk, then why keep buying them? Don't be afraid to try new authors, they are the future of the industry, and you might be surprised!

Thanks, Karen!

Interview by Mayra Calvani

Mayra Calvani is a multi-genre author and reviewer. Her paranormal books include Embraced by the Shadows (romantic horror/vampire) and Dark Lullaby (atmospheric horror). She is also the co-author of the nonfiction work, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing.

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On the Spotlight: THE LAST TO FALL, by Anne K. Edwards

The Book:

Have you ever thought what the world might be like if the present-day vices of society are allowed to continue to run rampant? That is the subject of The Last To Fall, a look at the legacy we leave our children. Civilization as we know it has fallen and the United States has been broken into a series of dictatorships, each with its own army. Death and disease, poverty and starvation, walk hand in hand with greed and madness. Three teenagers seeking a safe haven are caught up in a commune’s battle for survival against the armed might of a power mad resident and his henchmen.

The Author:

Anne K. Edwards enjoys writing in various genres and experimenting with new ideas for stories. She likes writing mystery novels, children’s stories about the misadventures of a dragon named Elvis and the little boy named Jeremy who outwits him. Anne also writes short stories about Death and the Detective that are published occasionally in an online mystery ezine. She’s editor of The Voice in the Dark ezine. Visit her website.

The Excerpt:

Jeanne Foster brushed a weary hand over her stinging eyes. It was impossible to see anything through the hanging mist that mixed with the smoke of burning buildings. What streetlights there were cast shapeless, bluish blobs of light. Buildings appeared as shapeless blackened ruins in the yellowed haze.

Worried, she studied Lester as he sagged against a grungy brick wall for support. It seemed hours since they’d started for the hospital, and their goal was no closer. He sank to the sidewalk coughing, a nerve-shattering sound in the predawn silence.

His thin body shuddered as he tried to draw the polluted air into his damaged lungs. “Jeanne, get help,” he gasped.

She felt a rising hopelessness. “But nothin’s open.”

“Get someone,” he begged as a new spasm seized him. His bloodshot hazel eyes pleaded with her. “Please.”

“I’ll try.” Unhappily, she moved away. The swirling yellow murk immediately engulfed his skinny body as he sprawled on the walk.

Turning her head in an effort to keep him in sight, she collided painfully with a public phone stand that loomed out of the mist. Rubbing her bruised shoulder, she shoved the lowered plastic privacy shield up into its groove and fumbled in the change slot seeking a stray coin. Nothing! The box was greasy and smelled of souring humanity. The line was dead. Just like all the others.

“Damn–” She set her jaw and fought against the pressing tears of frustration.

The choking stink of fire thickened. Her eyes watered as she blinked rapidly, squinting to see what lay ahead. She’d never traveled alone through northwest Washington, D.C. and had no idea where she was. Through an unexpected break in the fog, she spotted the blurry shape of a blue and white police vehicle moving slowly along the street. Running toward it, she shouted for help.

* * *
Officer Delon Stimm heard a girl yelling and swung his vehicle to the curb. He and his massive partner, John Kersey, got out. They kept their hands on their weapons, poised for trouble.

“What’s wrong?” Delon asked the slim, brown-haired girl who came out of the fog like a ghost.

“I need help. My friend’s sick,” she spoke in a voice shrill with urgency.

“Jojo?” He bent to look into her frightened brown eyes. It was the latest illegal drug to take over the younger generation.

“No! He can’t breathe.” She covered her face with her hands and began to cry.

“Where is he?” he asked with a sigh. The morning was to be a continuance of the night before–nothing was going right.

“About a block from here. That way.” Impatiently, she pointed, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. “Please hurry.”

The fog closed in again.

“Get in.” He held the door for her. These kids… He shook his head. They get garbaged up and then cry for help.

Was that what the crumbling society he served did to its children? So many walked the streets looking for something solid to believe in and found nothing. So they turned to jojo and each other. It did not bode well for the future of the country. What future there was, he thought.

He exchanged knowing glances with John. Kids had to learn the hard way. In the rear view mirror, he saw the girl huddle into herself, shivering as she searched the street for her friend.

They found him where she’d left him, a convulsed heap of long blond hair and old blue denims. One of his sandals had fallen off.

“Lester, they’ll take you to the hospital,” she told the boy, bending to touch his shoulder.

Delon could tell by the way Lester tried to push himself up, the police were the last people he wanted.

In spite of his protests, John and Delon carried him to the car. Skinny kid. Not any bigger than the girl. Wonder when he ate last. They placed him on the back seat, his head on the girl’s lap. “Looks like bad stuff to me,” Delon muttered.

“I told you, he’s not on anything,” she said fiercely through renewed tears. “It’s his lungs. He’s got emphysema or asthma.”

“Could be.” John Kersey started the car. “Could be. The air’s rotten. All that smoke… Don’t know why anyone would start fires now. My nose burns all the time from this polluted rot we call air.” He grunted as he turned the car around.

Delon nodded in agreement. As soon as the sun rose above the haze enveloping the city, the smoke would mix with heated humidity, making the air almost too thick to breathe. His sweat-soaked, light blue uniform shirt was already clinging to his spine against the plastic seat covers. Everything smelled of smoke. He shuddered involuntarily.

This wasn’t the first trip they’d made before daybreak to The Old University Hospital, nor would it be the last.

“The hospital isn’t going to like this,” he mumbled over the boy’s wheezing gasps. He hoped they didn’t run into any of the roving military groups searching for looters or streeters. He’d have to turn these children over to them.

John caught his meaning. “We’re becoming an ambulance service,” he said as he steered the car into the emergency entrance, passing the remains of the sign that bore the once-proud name of Georgetown University. Peering through the rounded swaths the wipers made on the windshield, he said, “Going to be an ugly day. Sun isn’t going to break through this muck.”

* * *
White-coated attendants wheeled out a squealing gurney to meet the cruiser. Jeanne waited impatiently as the dark-skinned officer opened the rear door so she could stretch her legs to get rid of the cramps caused by holding Lester’s head in the confined space.

Sniffing at the stale odor of heavy pine-scented cleanser used to cover hospital odors, she reluctantly followed them into a dim, green-walled corridor.

Officer Stimm drew her to a battered counter set to the left of the scratched glass doors.

Twisting a lock of her long brown hair, she watched sadly as the guerney carrying Lester’s twitching body disappeared through double steel doors on the right.

A round-faced clerk with green-tinted hair and discontented mouth handed Jeanne a sheaf of forms and a pen. “Are you a member of his family?” she queried, eying Jeanne suspiciously.

Jeanne shook her head.

“Where have you been living?” the officer asked, his teeth flashing white against his dark skin.

“Two thousand two Connecticut Avenue in Northwest,” she mumbled, twisting the hair over her left eye. The old hotel, once an uptown address, had long ago been condemned. It was home to dozens of young streeter couples like herself and Lester. She’d miss it, but without Lester, she didn’t belong.

“I see,” he said flatly. “One of those old places beyond DuPont Circle. Not a safe neighborhood for a girl.”

She didn’t answer.

“Do you know his family or where he’s from?” he prodded.

She shook her head, avoiding his kind brown eyes. His unspoken sympathy would only increase her need to cry. She had no idea who his people were so she focused on the forms, placing them on the counter. “I can’t fill these out.”

“They have to be filled in,” the clerk tapped her chewed pencil on the counter.

“I can’t. I don’t know if he’s allergic to things. I don’t know if he’s been sick before.” Jeanne’s temper edged into her tone.

“Does he have hospitalization?” The girl flashed Jeanne a quick look.

“He never told me,” Jeanne snapped. Most people didn’t have it.

“Does he have a bank account?” The clerk reddened, scrawling angry notations on a pink form.

“No. He’s unemployed.” Jeanne turned away.

The girl chewed her fleshy lower lip in silence. “I see,” she said after a pause and picked up the telephone. She toyed with a pulled thread in her blue knit top. Something red stained the shoulder.

“Will they take care of him?” Jeanne asked, pulling on her own clothes to straighten them. It had been so long since she’d fussed over her looks, she rarely thought about it. All she had was what she wore, jeans and a faded blue blouse.

“Yes. Now, can you answer a few questions about yourself?” the policeman asked in a kind voice. “Do you have a family?”

She shook her head again. No sense in getting her mom involved. She’d only say she didn’t know where she failed, her excuse for everything that happened in her life. Jeanne didn’t want any more of those horrible crying scenes with the well-remembered recriminations. The recollection of the hurt they caused each other nudged her conscience.

“Do you have anyone at all?” he persisted. He guided her to some chairs with patched red-cloth seats along the wall.

“No, nobody.” She took the one nearest the exit sign. The fabric was unraveling and it wobbled when she shifted her weight.

“How old are you?” He sat next to her, putting his hat on his lap.

“Twenty. I left home last spring after papa died.” Tears pressed in her throat. In some ways Lester had reminded her of her dad. Now he was gone again.

She straightened her shoulders and looked at the policeman. Knowing he would want proof of her age, she handed him a driver’s license she’d found on the street. The plastic coating had cracked and water had distorted the features in the picture, but it looked a little like her.

“This is expired.” He handed it back, his expression reflecting his belief the photo wasn’t her.

Jeanne shrugged. “Don’t have a car anyhow.” She shoved her hair back from her face with shaking fingers. She clamped her lips shut. The license said she was twenty, but she felt more like a hundred.

He studied her intently. “We’re just trying to help. You kids come here looking for God only knows what. I see it every day. You get hooked on jojo or sick like your friend.”

She remained silent. The police always knew all the answers.

The officer stood. “If you have a family, go home and make up. This way doesn’t work.” He peered down at her, adding, “Wait here. I have other questions for you, but I want to check on your friend.” He put on his black hat, pushing it back, and walked away.

Jeanne eavesdropped as he spoke to the nurse who chewed the end of a pencil. She wanted Lester to be all right, but doubted he would be. He’d been spitting up blood this time. Fear formed a knot in her chest.

“How is he? Good news might help me get the truth out of her.” He nodded toward Jeanne who read concern in his gaze.

The nurse took her pencil out of her mouth. “You know University takes no public cases now that our federal funding has been cut off. The new owners are very specific about accepting only paying patients. The boy was been sent directly to Cartersea in Northeast with a few others. He was on oxygen when they left.”

“Thanks.” Officer Stimm turned to John Kersey, who stood near the unplugged coffee machine. “I guess that’s better than nothing. We’d better get the signatures on these new service cards to show how we spent the last hour. I miss the old days when all we did was patrol through our shift. This new paperwork is a pain.” He sounded tired.

The waiting gave Jeanne the jitters. If I stick around, I’ll get sent to the juvenile center. And they’ll get word to Mom. She felt the tears pressing again. I don’t wanna go home. It’s always the same thing.

She’d lost count of the times she’d been returned only to run away again. The burden of guilt her mother shifted onto her for her troubles was too much to face any more. The thought of it impelled Jeanne to her feet as the two officers were distracted by the nurse inquiring about the identity of another patient they’d brought in earlier. Catlike, she moved to the door to make her escape. Lester didn’t need her now.

He’d probably never leave the hospital or, if he did live, they’d send him to one of those detainment camps where people without permanent addresses were held. She shuddered. Much as she didn’t want to go home, she didn’t want to wind up in one of the horrible camps she’d heard about. Even if the rumors or torture and death weren’t true, the people were still prisoners.

Sadly, Jeanne accepted that she’d never see Lester again. The best thing to do was get away from D.C.

She headed into the thickening mist where she felt secure from curious eyes, but as dawn broke, the smoky tendrils began to lift and thin. Another ugly day in an ugly city.

Purchase the ebook from Twilight Times Books.

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