Friday, December 14, 2018

The Story Behind Slay Bells by T.C. Wescott


My inspiration for the Christmas Village Mysteries came largely from drawing upon what I enjoy seeing and what I enjoy reading. When I decided I’d try my hand at writing a cozy mystery series, I wanted to go super-cozy, and the coziest thing I could think of were those little Christmas villages Slay Bells like a classic mystery but with the trappings of a modern cozy.
sets you see every December, with the quaint old-fashioned buildings and shops. I needed a sleuth and Mrs. Claus just clicked into place in my brain when I thought of her. It had to be her! As a reader I’ve always enjoyed the intricacy and ingenuity of the classic mysteries. I don’t like to figure out who the killer is on page 18 and be proved right at the end. I like to think I know who the killer is and be proved wrong. So, I knew I wanted to write

I also enjoy a little extra mystery in my books. Being a fan of Golden Age maestro, John Dickson Carr, I’ve always been fascinated by locked room or impossible mysteries. I wanted to work that into at least some of my Christmas Village Mysteries to give my readers an extra layer of fun and suspense. And to present myself with a bigger challenge than just dropping some hints and unmasking a fiend at the end.

Although Slay Bells, the first book in the series, takes place during the week of Christmas, I plan to explore the village in different times of year in subsequent books. If readers are interested in reading a Halloween Christmas Village book, or ones that take place in the summer, or Valentine’s Day, etc., I will have them. I absolutely loved learning about the village as I wrote it for Slay Bells and am excited about exploring the furthest corners of it. Turning over rocks and seeing what magic emerges. I’m outlining the next book now and intend to explore the village library and historical museum in it, getting to know some characters only referenced in Slay Bells. I’m learning that one of the beautiful things about writing a series is that you can create a world you love and continue to visit it whenever you want, and it’s a shared experience between writer and reader. 

About the Author:


T.C. Wescott was born in Missouri but has lived in Oklahoma most of his life. Like pretty much every author who has ever breathed, he is an avid reader. His favorites are classic mysteries from the Golden Age, as well as just before or just after that period (which is widely considered the period between the two World Wars). His first mystery novel, Running from Scissors, was published in July 2018 and will be the first of at least three books in the Running Store Mystery series.

The Christmas Village Mystery series launched in November of the same year with the debut title Slay Bells. The formula for his books is simple – mixing the classic, traditional detective fiction standards with all the trappings of the modern cozy mystery.

Wescott is also (under another name) the author of two award-winning non-fiction books as well as many essays and articles.

His latest book is the cozy mystery, Slay Bells (A Christmas Village Mystery).

Website Address: www.tcwescott.com
Twitter Address: www.twitter.com/MousetrapBooks
Facebook Address: www.facebook.com/BetterMousetrapBooks



Tuesday, December 11, 2018

The Story Behind The Atlantis Deception by Mark H. Jackson


The Atlantis Deception is my first foray into the tumultuous world of novel writing, and a book I started writing way back in 2009. The journey to publication has certainly been lengthy and one scattered with numerous moments of elation, despair and lashings of writer’s block. In what feels like a different lifetime, I studied Archaeology and Ancient History at university with a nod towards alternative theory, focusing on topics such as the relationship of the Giza complex to the stars;
portolan maps; and the origins of civilisation and religion. It was within this flame the plot for The Atlantis Deception was born.
If I were reading the novel, I imagine it would come as quite a shock to discover that most of the theories described are based on facts and evidence already publicly available. A medieval map of Antarctica showing the continent without ice does exist; the various sets of pyramids across Egypt do all point to a specific point in Heliopolis; there is evidence to suggest the Great Sphinx at Giza is thousands of years older than the current accepted date – the list goes on and on. The more I read around what is patronisingly termed, alternative archaeology, the more I wanted to be involved. I wanted to spread the word and alert people to the numerous bizarre and obscure nuances in our shared history. The best medium I could think of was to write a novel.     
First and foremost I wanted to create a credible piece of escapist entertainment, but if I can realise that aim whilst educating and creating a situation whereby my readers can question the rhetoric of the establishment, all the better. I’m not saying we should all be looking for conspiracies under every rock, only that it is sometimes worth enquiring as to why certain rocks are harder to lift…
I am published by the crowdfunding publisher, Unbound (which had links to Penguin at the time). The route is still in its infancy and certainly cannot be considered an easy option. Unbound set a target figure to publish, between £4k and 20k depending on how the novel is published, digital only, paperback, hardback or audio. As an author, it is then up to you to market and sell your novel on the basis of customers receiving a pre-order and additional rewards depending on the pledge level (art prints, name in the novel or even dinner with the author, to name but a few).
The application stage is no different to any other traditional publisher although as a result of the funding mechanism I understand around 1 in 10 books are accepted and of those accepted, around 1 in 10 make it through to publication. It is certainly a tough introduction into the world of publication and certainly sets you up for the post-publication marketing phase. I now have the hide of a Rhino due to the countless number of rejections received! 
Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to interact with my readers and potential readers. I am always available and willing to discuss my work or wider questions in general. Please do not hesitate to get in touch via the following mediums and thank you again for taking an interest in my work.

About the Author

Mark is a qualified solicitor who splits his time between protecting the rights of academics, writing thriller fiction and raising five mostly lovely children. He studied Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Birmingham with a nod towards alternative theory, focusing on the relationship of the Giza complex to the stars; portolan maps; and the origins of civilisation and religion. It was within this flame the plots for his future novels were born.

Mark’s writing career extends back over a decade and his diverse portfolio includes three novels, a number of short stories and even a six-part sitcom. Long listed for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, he is currently a featured author on the popular writing website, Wattpad, with over 6,000 followers from all around the world and well over one million reads of his first novel. Aside from Wattpad, Mark is an active member on a number of other writing websites, spending his spare time offering editorial and structural advice to fellow authors. Up to now Mark has considered writing as a creative outlet for the myriad of characters and ideas roaming about his head. The time has come to tease them out of hiding and breathe a little life into their lungs.

His latest book is the adventure/thriller The Atlantis Deception.




Friday, November 30, 2018

The Story Behind Shelter Island by John Paul Tucker


The inspiration for Shelter Island cannot be attributed to a single muse. Firstly, as a children’s fantasy writer, I have always been drawn to middle grade fiction. Middle grade fiction is wide open in terms of subject, especially in the fantasy genre. Think of George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin, Kate DiCamillo’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Hobbit, Narnia, the works of Madeleine L’Engle, Kathi Appelt, R. J. Anderson, Kenneth Oppel, Edith Nesbit and Lemony Snicket. It just keeps on going. So, other author’s work partly form the foundation of my inspiration.

Secondly, after working on my manuscript one of my editors commented, You know you are bucking the trend here… I thought, I hope so. Shelter Island is a story for those readers, like the book’s protagonists Cary, Clarisse, and Gregory, who may need to look somewhere other than their own troubled hearts to find the courage they need to face extraordinary circumstances and enemies older, stronger and more cunning. It was certainly true of my life and I wish I had come across more stories of that ilk when I was much younger. A lot of children’s books beat the same feeble drum. Their message? Just dig deep enough, try hard enough, and take charge. Everything will work out. Just reach into your heart and you will find everything you need. That advice seems a naive sort of cure all – like Jake’s ol’ Snake Oil. What if his ‘heart’ should fail? What if he reaches into his heart and finds nothing but the ashes of regret and loneliness? Exploring the possibilities that arise out of such questions was a strong inspiration for Shelter Island.

And as odd as it may sound, the characters themselves are inspiring. Once formed, characters can alter the course of a story. I used to dismiss comments from authors who said they let their characters write their books. It seemed to me like ‘humble boasting’. But after my fourth novel, I can say a lot of that is true. Exciting, unanticipated scenes and situations arise from character’s interactions. A story’s characters think, speak and act in ways peculiar to their motives, flaws and traits. Allowing them to ‘live’ can oft times create an added scene, an unexpected journey down an untrodden path, or surprise with a dramatic twist.

As far as the inspiration for Shelter Island’s bare-bones story, a long time ago, while admiring how birds could alight, snatch a seed and launch from a swinging bird feeder, I imagined myself getting dizzy, and as I collapsed, reaching out for the rim of the bird feeder, to end up dangling from the seed tray, shrunk to the size of a shelled peanut. The idea evolved into a boy whom birds kidnap and whisk away to a world inhabited by secret civilization of intelligent birds. Not long after he arrives prominent birds in this strange civilization exploit the young man’s pride and dupe him into making a catastrophic decision that pushes an ancient conflict to the brink of war. The one boy, it turns out, had a brother and sister. The story, minus the bird-feeder scene, grew into three novels.

About the Author

John Paul Tucker holds degrees in Theatre and Theology and has many years experience as an Ontario Certified English Language Teacher, in addition to teaching mime, puppetry and Drama to teens and children. His unique journey has furnished him with an eclectic head of ideas.
                            
He is currently celebrating his 50th article on www.thewriterslessonbook.com, an educational website he created for writers, featuring writing tips and techniques harvested from the books we love to read. He has published poems in the Toronto Sun, Little Trinity Print Magazine and Imago Arts e-magazine. His poem City Sidewalks won first prize in a Toronto wide poetry contest. Two of his short stories, The Crooked Tree and The Debt Collector have each won a prize awarded by The Word Guild and The Prescott Journal respectively. You will find one of his fantasy stories recently published in the popular Hot Apple Cider anthology Christmas with Hot Apple Cider. JP has been busy polishing up The Rooster and the Raven King & The Rise of the Crimson King, Books II & III of The Song of Fridorfold trilogy, pursuing Cary, Clarisse and Gregory on their fantastic adventures.

John Paul is excited to be putting the final touches to his fourth novel, a YA fantasy inspired by the remarkable storyteller, George MacDonald. Gather the latest news about JP’s upcoming novels, enjoy a book trailer, dive into some free stories and poems, contribute some art work, take a peek at some photos, or for no other reason drop by to say hello at his official author website www.johnpaultucker.com.

John’s latest book is the middle grade fantasy adventure, Shelter Island.





Wednesday, August 8, 2018

The Story Behind I Am The Product of Rape by Catherine Wyatt-Morley & Jalyon Welsh-Cole


In the process of writing this book, an extremely difficult journey that has taken years, I was taken to unfamiliar destinations and exposed to unfathomable pain. Part of that pain was learning that I was created through the atrocities of incest by a brutally manipulative monster and, while only moments old, denied by a heartless grandmother who never bothered to look at me.  Another difficult truth is
that I was carried in the belly of an immature, vulnerable child, connected by the lifeline that carried the blood-rich oxygen and nutrients from her to me, only to be rejected by her from my first breath. My intention for this book is to provide insight into the consequences of family secrets, conspiracy, lies, and denial. Told from my perspective, this is my family story, a snapshot of four women irreversibly scarred by traumatic abuse.
           
First, the family matriarch, a prolific mother of ten, sets the tone for the women who would place their feet in the footprints of her journey, transforming her ancestry for generations to come. Her story sheds light on the transgressions she not only allowed but participated in. 
           
Next, there is the girl who endured the death of her childhood at the hands of incest, abuse, betrayal, humiliation, rape, and the inevitable birth of a child. Well before puberty she was sexually exploited in her own home, her childhood, mind and body all repeatedly violated. 
           
Then, there is me Catherine, I Am the Product of Rape—A Memoir. I am an adoptee, I am a daughter, and I am a mother of three. In search of my future, I found the weighted baggage of the past. Catholic Social Services documents helped to chronicle my life, as did the many conversations I have had over the years with sometimes very reluctant people―relatives, social workers, and paper pushers, all of whom seemed to guard my past as it floundered aimlessly, leaving lingering, unanswered questions.  I found and met my mother well into my adulthood, listening intently as she exposed the atrocities which resulted in my birth. She transmitted the pain of a denied childhood to me like the nutrients fed to a fetus through an umbilical cord. My heritage lay bare; I was speechless as my mother's portrait of her sexual violation crushed me. I was faced with her reality, my subsequent reality, and with what was yet to come.
           
Finally, along this sexual-abuse sojourn, I unfortunately discovered my daughter's devastating experience. Crushing my very core, this revelation sent my life careening in another unexpected direction, straight through my children's lives into a fourth-generation nightmare. The ripple effects of demoralizing incest, the sexual slavery of serial rape, and the brutality of molestation go beyond their impact on the direct victims, transmitting a trauma that oozes generationally. I Am the Product of Rape- A Memoir is a story that intertwines the DNA of my family's bloodline.
           
I recognized that my family was not alone in its experiences. In coffee shop discussions, at restaurants, through emails, and during airplane conversations, I found incest, rape, and molestation to be shrouded in secrecy and buried in the psyches of many women. They however, were often interested in discussions, though almost always those discussions would be on behalf of a friend. Instinctively, in many cases, I believe some of these vulnerable victims were uncomfortable or unwilling to reveal their stories firsthand, owing to the shame, stigma, heaviness or guilt that make them reluctant to bring such ugliness to light. Often overlooked, excused, and even denied, abuse takes on infinite forms ― this is especially true of psychological abuse. Thus my daughter and I birthed I Am the Product of Rape—A Memoir to become the platform for victims.
           
Unlike those who came before us, my daughter and I believe victims deserve compassion, a chance to tell their own story, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing ― whether or not they can accept this truth at the present time ― that they're worthy, unique individuals with dignity and a purpose on this planet. After a while of partaking in these discussions I quickly discovered that 98% of respondents knew someone friend or relative who had been raped; 96% had been raped; 50% had unreported exposure of incest during childhood by a family member; 80% had not received mental health services but were willing to receive mental health services if their confidentiality would be maintained; 100% never reported incest, molestation or sexual assault to authorities; 40% were raped in marriage by their spouses; 100% had or have feelings of guilt and self-blame; 85% struggle in personal relationships; 20% were mothers of a child who raped his own sister and never sought help for the children nor themselves.
           
I can personally testify that I know there is a purpose in all that I've been through. The events described in I Am the Product of Rape—A Memoir led me to the great privilege of reaching out to others with a story in which, somehow, horror becomes hope. Lastly, as this book comes to its conclusion, and with the realization of my daughter’s unwarranted pain, I took comfort in realizing that together our life’s narrative includes advocating on behalf of victims of incest. We are dedicated to raising awareness regarding this and its related subjects, which are most often overlooked, or from which most people easily disconnect themselves. As my daughter and I take you through our journey, remember that we are committed to stopping the intergenerational trauma within our family and we are hopeful that this book and our message help to free others in some small way.

About the Authors

Catherine Wyatt-Morley is the founder, chief executive officer and heartbeat of Women On Maintaining Education and Nutrition, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social service organization for the at-risk and HIV-positive community. In 1994, Wyatt-Morley founded Women On Reasons To Heal (W.O.R.T.H.), the first and what has become the oldest HIV-positive women’s support group in Middle Tennessee.
Wyatt-Morley has appeared in countless media outlets nationwide, including SELF Magazine, the Today Show, A&U Magazine, POZ Magazine, CNN, Voices of America, MSNBC, Talk America Radio, FX Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, the Palm Beach Post, the Indianapolis Indiana Recorder, the Los Angeles Times, the Canadian Sun, Nashville Scene, and the Tennessean.
Jalyon Welsh-Cole has been director of Women On Maintaining Education and Nutrition, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit social service organization, since 2010. Welsh-Cole began writing when she was very young, starting with short stories and poems. As a teen, she was inspired to draw, finding comfort and creativity in her art. She joined forces with Wyatt-Morley to share her story in I AM THE PRODUCT OF RAPE – A MEMOIR. Together, they also have created #HealingSecretHurts workshops, which bring the spectrum of traumatizing sexual assault into the light.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK




Sunday, July 1, 2018

The Story Behind Traveling High and Tripping Hard by Joseph Davida




THTH_final_4.jpg
Some folks might sa-ay that I’m no good
That I wouldn’t settle down if I could
But when that open ro-oad starts to callin’ me
There’s somethin’ o’er the hill that I gotta see
-Hank Williams,
Ramblin’ Man (1951)

I always knew I wanted to travel and see the world. My first “real” trip abroad was to Italy in 1988, when I was 12 years old. We were mainly there to visit my family’s villa in Sorrento, but first, we had to fly in to Rome. It was my first glimpse of the ancient world, and after seeing things like the catacombs, the Colosseum, and the Sistine Chapel—I was absolutely blown away. Aside from some of the amazing artifacts at the Met and Museum of Natural History, nothing that old existed anywhere near where I grew up in New York, or even in North America for that matter. And while I loved taking class trips and seeing all the antiquities at the museums, it couldn’t compare with actually standing inside an arena where gladiators fought to the death.

It wasn’t just the monuments that made Rome different…it was the food, the language, and even the pornography! On one of the first nights there, my mother tried to save a few bucks on a hotel and decided we would stay at a local convent. Earlier in the day, I picked up a copy of some weird Italian nudie mag, and hid it under my mattress before going to bed. The next morning, one of the nuns who made up the rooms found it and started screaming at me in Italian. Although I was definitely embarrassed and in fear of my life…I quickly realized that this was what traveling was all about! There was something about getting into trouble in a foreign place that made things more fun…and somehow the memories that got made became that much more vivid.

And that’s why I wrote Traveling High and Tripping Hard…to try and share some of my adventures from around the world before I forget them all. And while I might not get the chance to trot around the planet the same way that I used to, there are still plenty of things over the hill that I gotta see. If all goes well, maybe I’ll write a sequel in another thirty years: “Traveling with a Walker and Tripping Harder”.

Because ultimately, no matter how old you get…it’s never too late to jump on a plane and find some trouble, and hopefully get yelled at in a language you don’t understand.
Joseph Davida is the pen name of a successful Nashville- based entrepreneur, former rock musician, and New York native.  He is currently at work on his next book, as yet untitled. Connect with him on the web:

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

The Story Behind the War Eternal Series by J.F. Cain

As a child, I was drawn to the mysterious, the magical, and the unfathomable. As I grew older this interest grew, creating a thirst in me to know and understand human nature, the world surrounding it and the mysteries hidden behind the veils of space and time. Searching for answers, I began to study psychology, mythology, philosophy and esotericism. But the demands of work and family forced me to put an end to my intellectual quest.

Years later, when there was no longer anything to stop me from exploring the worlds I was so curious about, I decided to move to a house in the mountains. There, experiencing a sense of profound silence and inner completion, I felt the conditions were right for me to devote myself to the study and exploration of the subjects I was interested in.

This time I included other sciences in my research, such as comparative religion, anthropology and quantum physics. I now knew that, in order to find the answers to my questions, I had to couple the knowledge concealed in religious teachings and philosophies with the findings in physics revealing an invisible, parallel and imperceptible universe – a pairing that many scientists and writers had attempted before me.

It was not an easy endeavor. To succeed, I had to counter the harsh rationalism that life’s experiences had wrought in me with a persistent sense that a metaphysical mystery did indeed exist. And I also had to shape a logic of a different quality and breadth. I travelled arduous spiritual paths, discovered terrifying secrets and learned firsthand how dangerous it can be to enter elusive spheres of esoteric knowledge. I faced unexpected difficulties and had to make many sacrifices, but I did not give up.

One winter evening, as I sat by the fireplace, my gaze pinned on the flames and my mind lost in theories, symbols and trains of thought, I experienced something that propelled me to write an allegorical story based on the knowledge I had gained.

There followed three years of non-stop intellectual ferment and writing, which gave birth to a large part of the War Eternal series. In this novel, over and above the clearly expressed objective logic, I tried to conceal important ideas within tantalizing external forms. Because some truths are hard to accept…

About the Author

 J.F. Cain is a writer with a restless mind who spent years of her life reading and traveling. But of all the places she has been to, her favorite is a house in the mountains where she can focus on her writing. She is a seeker of knowledge who transcribes the results of her studies in her books. Her favorite pastime –other than reading and writing- is scouring libraries. However, she has lately convinced herself that she enjoys shopping just as much, as well as spending time with family and friends –the few that can still tolerate her frequent and extended periods of absence.
Her latest book is War Eternal: Angels’ Whispers.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

The Story Behind ‘The Lübecker’ by M.J. Joseph


View More: http://aislinnkate.pass.us/joejoseph-mini

The Lübecker was written primarily on a breezy, inset porch of a large, white, lap-sided, 1912 house overlooking Pensacola Bay, so architecturally typical, but now, so frequently disappearing, before gentrification along the coastal South. While this setting recalled childhood memories that influenced the novel, I began constructing character apologues that ultimately inspired the development of The Lübecker after a conversation I had with a friend two years before in England, while sitting on a weathered old bench located on the apex of the Lincoln Edge, overlooking a long abandoned Roman well. Our chat concerned, amongst other things,  the life of his German grandmother, the effect that the sight of film actress Gina Lollobrigida’s bosom had on us as adolescents, Lawrence Durrell’s autographical book, Bitter Lemons and the life, work and milieu of Lou Andreas-Salomé.  And, of course, the Roman well. As I wrote during the months subsequent to this conversation, I found myself remembering other stories, as told to me by other European friends, of their relations and acquaintances who wandered about their continent seeking adventure, or employment, or love, or the fulfillment of some spiritual or intellectual cacoethes, which had further effect by recalling the restless history of Andreas-Salomé.

After constructing several character sketches, the structure of another work by Lawrence Durrell, his most famous, The Alexandria Quartet, began haunting my attempts to build a narrative to capture the characters developing rapidly in my imagination. I decided that parallel narratives, spun on their own as farraginous tales using the influence of place, which figures so importantly in The Alexandria Quartet, the old, reliable Bildungsroman and a few shared philosophical challenges, would allow the characters growth, with the presentation of the historical dynamics, chosen to anchor the book, pushing them toward a final, convincing resolution.  I also fancied them as the children of Lou Andreas-Salomé, who bore no children, but I wanted my revelation of Lou, experienced over forty years, to arouse a familial sense among the disparate, primary characters offered in The Lübecker.
Finally, the realization that all of the principal characters were proving to be restive and impatient for progression as I excogitated them, led me to bow to the inevitable commitment to give the most singular among them a book of their own, further imitating Durrell, allowing them their own unique voices to expand the world of The Lübecker.
9781614935247-JacketGray_Lubecker COVER.indd 

NameM. J. Joseph
Book TitleThe Lübecker
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Peppertree Press

The Lubecker explores the dynamics of personal identity and self-knowledge in a thematically braided journey of characters toward a dramatic and unexpected finale. M.J. Joseph achieves this by plunging the reader into a world of parallel and lively narratives drawn into the roiling milieu of European history leading to the onset of World War I. the book also recalls many of Western Literature’s most engaging philosophical and religious challenges and its most memorable and moving human struggles.