Approaching the Dark Side in "This Duality"

Taking a turn to the dark side of the human condition today.  It's blood.  It's guts.  It's twisted minds and outcomes.  That's what we're exploring in Aaron Tavarez's novella This Duality.  Shall we begin?

Book Blurb:
Ben Fletcher and Lyel Costin's lives come screeching to a halt when a single mistake takes everything Lyel had to lose. They work as contract killers under Mather Sewald, an arrogant and hostile relative, and over the course of the next forty-eight hours they'll find not only what they were looking for, but expose more than they ever thought possible about the criminal organization they work for and their own dark history. And the warpath they set themselves on ensures the journey will be a bloody one.

My Review:
I need to admit up front - I should've probably passed on reviewing this novella.  It's more horror and bloodshed than thriller, and that's just not my cup of tea.

Ben and Lyel grew up together and spent a smidge of college life at the same school until Lyel up and disappeared.  Ten years later, Lyel shows back up again in one hot car with one hot babe by his side, while Ben is struggling as a low-level police officer who can't hit the side of a barn in a shooting match.  Together again, they hit the mean streets of the criminal underworld as a hit team working for Lyel's uncle, Mather Sewald.  Ben well remembers Uncle Mather because the boys vacationed together regularly at his summer home.

But it appears Uncle Mather has taken things too far when Millie, Lyle's main squeeze, goes missing after a night at the local hang-out.  Ben and Lyle team together against Mather to rescue Millie before it's too late.  The battle for blood begins.

Guys who like shoot 'em up stories and movies will probably find this pretty good, but like I mentioned before, it really wasn't for me.  It's violence and gore for the sake of violence and gore.  There's little character development except in a bunch of flashbacks scattered throughout the story.  We're given no reasonable motivation for why Lyle would imagine his uncle behind Millie's disappearance.  Therefore all of the violence was over-kill (pun intended) for me.

Within certain chapters, we're also taken sideways to a character known only as "this boy".  It's obvious "this boy" is scared and waiting for something bad to happen, but we're given no sense of time or place, no sense of why "this boy" is trapped and thus these numerous scenes felt out of place.  Maybe one or two of these scenes, but there were so many they merely detracted from the main story and began to seem more like filler.  In the end, there's a purpose shown for inclusion, but again these would've been better served with only a couple of these break-in's to the main arc. 

Couple those flash sideways scenes with all of the flashback scenes and at times it was difficult to follow the train of thought for the story, which slowed pacing and pulled this reader from the real point of essence in the story. 

However, structure was pretty decent.  Good showing of the main story arc as it was happening, appropriate scene breaks for change in point-of-view, with only a few editing hiccups.  As mentioned, I'd have liked to see more character development which might have given more hint to the animosity toward Uncle Mather.  For those with weak stomachs, there's a lot of bloody violence, a lot of rough language, and some other pretty messed up moments with a couple of characters.

Overall I did not like This Duality in regard to story and characters, but for the fairly clean writing structure I'll give it two and a-half stars.

Purchase by clicking the link for Amazon

Author Bio:
Aaron began writing horror shorts and posting them online when he first decided that hoarding all of his ideas
to himself was unproductive, if not selfish. Since then, he’s moved on to self-publishing his backlog of mystery and suspense novellas, and he seems to be the only one that can hear the world’s cheering response. He writes out of Dallas, and lets no abundance of school schedule or other work get in the way of writing.

Swept Downstream in "An Education in Deceit"

What would you do if you knew something fishy was floating around your neighborhood schools?  What would you do if students and teachers started swimming with said fishes?  These questions and more face unemployed housewife and mother turned amateur PI, Lena Conner, when she's asked to poke her nose where it's not wanted.  Join me in exploring Eli Blackstone's novel An Education in Deceit.

Book Blurb:
In the fall of his senior year, Jonah, drugged and incoherent, is thrown over the local “suicide” bridge into the dark waters below. With no witnesses present, police conclude it to be an accidental death. Shortly thereafter, Denise Gibbons, educational visionary and principal of Horizons Academy where Jonah attended school, meets her fate at the bottom of the same bridge.

Lena Conner, Jonah’s former therapist and aspiring sleuth is contacted by Jonah’s bereaved mother who convinces her to begin an investigation into Jonah’s mysterious death. Struggling with disappointment in her marriage, her adult children and her employment prospects, Lena dives into the investigation.

While Lena’s initial inquiries into Horizons Academy, a highly acclaimed, alternative high school, initially go nowhere, the arrest of an auto shop teacher and the production of Jonah’s phone records begin to reveal the shadowy inner-workings of the school. Aided by the reluctant assistance of her loyal husband, Bill, her deadbeat son, Caleb, and aloof Detective Andrews, Lena must survive threats to her safety and her marriage to unravel a conspiracy and ensure that a dark host of characters are held to account.

My Review:
Straight up, this one's a toughie for me.  Coming from a family of teachers, I was intrigued with the whole educational component of death and mayhem overshadowing an alternative school as promised in An Education in Deceit.  How could and why would death be so closely tied to what happens within a school?  The thought intrigued me.

However, almost from the first pages, I had a difficult time connecting in any way with our main characters.  Middle-aged husband and wife, Bill and Lena, are facing problems most families struggle with in a downward spiraling economy.  Lena has been laid off and has had no luck finding a job in her field.  After months and months of searching, the phone is virtually silent and Lena is in a depressed funk that Bill simply can't comprehend.  So she considers becoming a private investigator.

I understand that.  Been there.  Struggled with that whole identity crisis thing.

The thing is that even amidst these perfectly relatable events, no character here is likable.  Lena and Bill reflect no respect for one another, their sons, their friends, and even their dog.  They treat their dog, Biscuit, as if they want to run him right back to the pound because he whines so much.  Bill uses every chance he can get to barter the strangest things for "husband and wife" time, such as the fact that Lena - who's supposed to be the private investigator - continually asks her husband to go tail someone until late in the night after he's been at work all day.  Lena sees her younger, directionless son, who dropped out of college and now lives in the basement, as lazy and yet goes back and forth with him that she's going to kick him out / no she won't if he makes calls for her.  Then the older son, who lives out of town and rarely calls his family, knocks up his girlfriend, tries to get her to have an abortion, then breaks up with her, is thought of as the successful son - and yet when they all get together at Christmas they disrespectfully play off of each other's weaknesses.  I don't know.  The whole family dynamic felt like one giant bi-polar roller coaster to me.

Besides having her husband do the following and stakeout work for her, she uses her youngest son, Caleb, to pose as a journalist intern working up a piece about the school and it's problems.  Almost all of her investigative work is accomplished through having her son make phone calls for her while her husband follows suspects over periods of months and months where nothing happens.  Lena does little to nothing - and little to nothing is what really happens in this story.  Instead of investigating, the majority of time we're simply subjected to hand-wringing.

So since Lena isn't getting anywhere in her investigation, in order to tell the reader what really happened we are subjected to four or five flashbacks in the point-of-view of a couple of the deceased characters.  Very contrived and not a convincing use of flashbacks.  Why not actually show Lena doing some investigative work, digging this information up and piecing it together through a little bit of hard work?  We're basically told all of these things instead of shown what Lena is supposed to be accomplishing until we're exposed to a bunch of massive info dumps in the midst of conversation.  No discovery.  No big reveal.

And we all know that telling instead of showing is a big button of mine.  So much of the novel was jumping around and then telling the reader what went on instead of leading us along while said events happened all the way up to the very end of the book.  The few little side stories had little to nothing to do with moving the plot forward and felt more like filler. Point-of-view had a few hiccups, but for the most part we were primarily in Lena's viewpoint. 

One of my biggest issues had to do with editing.  There were several instances where names of characters who were not even in the scene were mistakenly switched out for some other character (Sandra instead of Karen for one) or where Lena was asking Lena questions.  Incorrect word usage was rampant:  owe instead of oh, ya instead of yeah, peeked instead of piqued, there instead of their, and on and on.

An Education in Deceit's major editing issues, lack of sympathetic characters, far too much telling instead of showing, and a meandering storyline where little happened leaves me stranded with a rating of two stars.

Purchase for Kindle on Amazon

Author Bio:
Eli Blackstone is the pen name of a part-time attorney and full time mother of two young children.  After having her first child, Eli determined that it was time to take up writing in her free time, a passion that had been abandoned in the rigors of law school and building a family.  Her first novel, Becoming Aaliyah, written under the pen name M.S. Rooney, which tells the story of a woman's journey to Judaism, can be found on Amazon.  A lover of the mystery genre, Eli developed her second novel, A Education in Deceit, in hopes of crafting a mystery that would keep the reader guessing until the end.  Eli hopes she succeeded.

What to do When You Have "Zero Alternative"

Let's talk about that great and terribly taboo topic today.

Let's talk about money.

Lots of money.

Delve with me into the financial sector where fortunes are won and lost, and it's not always the good guys who win.  It's the seedy underbelly of markets and the Mafia and how anyone will do whatever it takes to come out on top.  That's the scenario we visit with Luca Pesaro's Zero Alternative.

Book Blurb:

Framed.

Hunted. 

Betrayed.

Scott Walker is a fugitive from the quicksands of Finance, with one card to play - DeepShare, a silicon oracle coveted by billionaires, hitmen and hackers. As he fights for survival and vengeance, digging deeper into the dark heart of the global economy, one question torments him: what price will the world have to pay?

ZERO ALTERNATIVE is an action-packed conspiracy thriller that plucks at the heart of human nature. When our grip on love, hope and morality starts to slide, the only future worth living is the one we choose for ourselves.

My Review:
As a former banker myself, I found the opening chapters riveting as Scott Walker preps for the biggest London trading day of his life.  Scott has invested his whole life into playing the markets and being the one person his European counterparts come to for inside advice.  But the real advice he's kept close to the chest.  This day could be the single biggest payout of his career if all goes according to plan.  Then Murphy's Law comes into play, where anything and everything that could go wrong - does.

First a power failure.  Then the computer connections won't come back online before the opening bell.  The only option Scott has available is to connect through a line meant only for a rival.

But Scott will do whatever it takes to ensure DeepShare's success.

DeepShare is a system designed and perfected by the great and powerful DM, Scott's mathematics genius buddy.  The Alpha version performed remarkably well in predicting outcomes within a two week span.  But this is the big test of the Omega version - and it's success rate of market predictions months in advance is set to be tested on the outcome of the forthcoming Italian elections.  If Omega is to be believed, the new Italian Prime Minister will be broadcast that very morning and will announce plans to withdraw from the Euro, shocking and surprising markets across the globe.

All except Scott.

But Scott and DM have targets placed on their backs.  Someone else knows about DeepShare and is desperate to get their hands on the Omega version - and the psychos will do whatever it takes to gain the upper hand.

Like I mentioned before, I loved the energy on the trading floor in the opening sequences, the hours of preparation and build-up prior to market opening, the heart-stopping moments where I held my breath along with Scott, waiting for the newscast announcement of the Italian elections outcome.  The tension crackled.

Then when all you-know-what broke loose, the thrills and the chase began as Scott raced across the continent in his effort to escape the unknown enemies hiding in every dark alley and seemingly around every corner.

Then we have Layla, a stripper Scott meets and ogles as he celebrates victory in his own twisted way.  But is stripping really her night job, or is she something more?

Layla was a strange addition to the picture for me.  There was absolutely no consistency to her as a character.  An agent of seduction, it's difficult to know which side she's on - and that was okay.  But with Layla we have this highly trained agent who rarely ever acts in a manner worthy of her training.  Her motivations and emotions became a muddled mess and she devolved from a kick-butt character into a sappy, rather wimpy disaster as the story progressed.  I found her to be rather unlikable in her hot and cold reactions.  This character simply dragged Scott's story down.

Her recommendations to Scott also call into question his own motivations.  When a terrible tragedy occurs, Layla encourages Scott to run away even though he had nothing to do with said tragedy (I'm really trying not to give away too much here).  There was no contemplation of stay and investigate what really happened.  It was all simply run away.  So he did.

Along the way, Layla introduces Scott to some seedy characters and Scott introduces Layla to more seedy characters.  They both make really obvious choices that nearly get them caught several times, and what started initially as an interesting and thrilling story became a convoluted hodgepodge where no character stayed true to themselves, where motivations were muddled, situations grew repetitive and tiresome, and no one really possessed any real redeeming qualities.  The essence of the main storyline became lost within a crumbling tower with little hope of being rebuilt.

Showing instead of telling was decent.  Point-of-view shifts were almost negligible and properly delineated by a scene or chapter break.  There were quite a few instances of extra words or missing words as the story progressed (to to or missing a conjunction) and it could use a little more editing, but this wasn't too disruptive to the story.

Words of caution for those easily bothered - Zero Alternative contains quite a bit of rough language, a few sexual situations, and graphic torture scenes.  Definitely not for those under 18.

What started out as a potentially thrilling novel ended up leaving me feeling rather ho-hum about both the characters and the overall convoluted plot situations.  But for the fairly clean structure, I'll give Zero Alternative a three and a-half star rating.

Purchase digitally or on paperback through Amazon.

Author Bio:

Luca Pesaro was born in Italy in 1971, but he has spent most of his adult life in the US or UK. After long years gaining a degree and masters in the pseudo-science that is Economics he got bored, jumped the gun and became a derivatives trader in financial markets - first with the tragic Lehman Brothers, then with a bunch of other banks, somehow always managing not to blow up. 

Recently he has decided to dedicate himself fully to his great passion since the age of eight – writing, mainly Fiction, but anything that amuses him at any given time. Zero Alternative is his first English novel, and he is hard at work on his second thriller.

He is married to the awesome F. and has two children, A. and J. who always manage to annoy, surprise and delight him beyond any reasonable expectation.

Connect online at www.lucapesaro.com.

Heading into the Storm with Ken Kerr

Hello dear readers!

The last few weeks have found me using every available moment to write on a couple of my own books and read a few novels for review.  Maybe someday I'll catch up - doubtful.  Oh well!  I'll just enjoy the ride along the way.

Come join me then today as we visit with author Ken Kerr about his recent release The First Madam President.  Welcome, Ken!

DAB:   Was there a point in your life that prompted your desire to write or have you always wanted to be an author?

KJK:    Living in Russia as a Peace Corps volunteer at the age of 58 was a life changing experience in many ways. One of those ways was stimulating a desire to write. While in Russia, I began sending a monthly newsletter to my family and a few friends. The word got around and by the time I left Russia the newsletter was reaching over fifty recipients. My unexpected departure from Russia after my first year as a volunteer sparked the idea for my first book, "Life of a Double Agent". I learned that the writing process gave me unexpected pleasure, which lead me to my second novel, 'The First Madam President (and the dirty bombs)'.

DAB:   What was the catalyst for this novel's premise?

KJK:    My first novel didn't lend itself easily to a second book with the same lead character, but I wanted to continue writing about the CIA. Secondly, I have a strong interest in the political problems facing the United States, and a deep frustration with the political gridlock of our government. I decided to combine those ideas with a new lead character, the first woman President of the United States. If 'The First Madam President (and the dirty bombs)" does well, it could become the first in a series of books about the first Madam President.

DAB:   Do you ever have difficulty writing from the point-of-view of a member of the opposite sex?

KJK:    I don't have difficulty writing from the point-of-view of a woman, but the real test is will my readers relate to my women characters. I have heard within the writing community that men do not write well from a woman's perspective. I am curious to get some feedback from my readers whether or not I effectively wrote from the point-of-view of Carolyn Holliday and Ann Hunt, two of the lead characters in my latest book.

DAB:   Who is your favorite character in your novel, and why?

KJK:    I have two favorite characters, Carolyn Holliday, the President, and Ann Hunt, the young CIA analyst. They are both strong women. Carolyn has reached beyond where no other woman has gone, becoming the first woman President of the United States. Ann is an amazingly talented young lady whose career mostly lies ahead. She impressed the President, and is clearly on her way up. Maybe she will become the first woman it head the CIA or do even more.

DAB:   How long did it take for you to craft this novel?

KJK:    It took me six months to write my first novel, committing to myself to write a minimum of two pages per day, six days a week. It only took me three months to write the first draft of my latest novel, again working six days a week. Once the first draft was done, I spent another three months doing a major re-write, hopefully improving the overall quality with more texture to the characters and scenes.

DAB:   Tell us about a typical day in your writing world.

KJK:    My yellow lab, Etta, gets me up at 7 am. I brush my teeth and then take her for her first walk of the day. When we return, I feed her and have my breakfast while reading the local newspaper. I then spend four to eight hours writing, doing research, editing, outlining & modifying ideas for the different sub-plots in the book. A few days a week, I go to the health club for some exercise, usually late morning or early afternoon. I try to spend time on the computer reading and sending emails and doing things on social media. I will admit I am less active on social media when I am heavy into the writing process. Somehow, I feel the need to find a better balance between my writing process and promoting my books through social media.

DAB:   Other writers have particular composers and music that gets them in the mood for certain scenes and characters. Have you ever written to music?

KJK:    Simple answer, no. I find TV, music, radio talk shows, etc. are distracting to my writing. I do best when I can have silence and no interruptions or distractions. Keeping track of details in a novel can be difficult. I consider many ideas to include as I am writing, and sometimes I can't remember if I included an idea in the manuscript. This is probably less of a problem for "younger" authors.

DAB:   There's the eternal debate whether to outline or not. What is your preference?

KJK:    My preference is to outline, not a lot, but some. My latest novel has three streams in the plot that run concurrently. I keep shifting among the different sub-plots, and it helps me to generally outline where each sub-plot is headed, and how to interweave them.

DAB:   Usually authors are also avid readers - what are you currently reading?

KJK:    I love to read Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, Jonathan Kellerman Clive Cussler, and others. However, I now spend most of my reading time on other indie authors, reading and reviewing their books. I recently joined an online book club, Rave Reviews Book Club, where over 400 indie authors support each other and help each other with book reviews and social media promotional activities. There are a lot of really good, lesser-known authors. Just a few of them are Paul Anthony, Ken Boehs, Roberta Goodman, Dianne Harman, Taylor Fulks, Ceri London, James Bruno, Arthur Crandon, Nicholas Rossis, and many more.

DAB:   Now's your chance - give us the final plug for your novel.

KJK:    "The First Madam President (and the dirty bombs)" is a political suspense novel occurring in the near future. There are three story lines that interweave through the book. First, the President works to build an alliance with the other party to address the many problems facing the country. Secondly, a senior Senator and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court die of apparent heart attacks, leading to an FBI investigation and a possible murder conspiracy including someone in the White House. And finally, the CIA is tracking an Al Qaeda plot to detonate dirty bombs in Washington D.C. Welcome to Washington, Madam President.

            The book is available as an e-book and paperback as follows:

            e-book for Kindle and paperback at www.amazon.com/dp/B00JYKNS3S

            e-book (all formats) at www.smashwords.com/books/view/432665

            e-book also available at Barnes & Noble, iTunes, iBooks and several other online book stores.

            For a signed paperback copy contact the author at kkerr19963@gmail.com

            Facebook:        www.facebook.com/thefirstmadampresident

            Blog:    http://kkerr19963.wordpress.com

            Twitter: @kkerr19963

Thank you, Ken, for taking the time to give us a peek into your writing world.  Be sure and check out The First Madam President if it sounds like something that will tickle your fancy.  Bomb plots are always a plus!

Death Approaches in "The Seduction of Braulio Jules"

Are you ready for a subject exploration of disastrous proportions?  Are you ready for death, political machinations, and mayhem?  The book review today focuses on a topic that is all too real in our present day - what to expect when the Baby Boomer generation retires.  Will a New Deal experiment crash and burn in ugly turmoil or will there be a resolution to the Social Security question?

And what will that resolution entail?

In Tim Treanor's The Seduction of Braulio Jules, we get to explore just that.  Please join me today on a tumultuous trip to Washington D.C.

Book Blurb:
Did you think the Government shut down was bad? Well now it's time to pay the check.

For eighty years, the Social Security Trust Fund - which was designed to make certain that America's seniors had a pension - has been loaned out to the United States. In The Seduction of Braulio Jules it's now 2018, and with the massive baby boom generation retiring, we need that money back. But the U.S., already trillions of dollars in debt, is in no position to repay. And Medicare - health care for older Americans - is headed toward bankruptcy.

For some - a billionaire industrialist, a Strangelovian scientist, and an affable politician with a taste for blood - the answer is obvious: a plague designed to wipe out the baby boomer generation. But in order to carry out their scheme, they need to incubate a virus in the body of someone with an extremely rare blood type. And they need not just his body. They need his cooperation.

Discover, with Braulio, how evil progresses: one step at a time.

My Review:
Don Delano rubs shoulders with some of the most powerful people in Washington D.C.  He's also secretly working behind the scenes with a small group of very important people - powerful businessmen and women and political leaders who are trying to resolve the looming crisis that threatens the very fabric of the Union.

How to account for the mass retirement of Baby Boomers.  Expectations are certain that this generation will overwhelm the already taxed Social Security and Medicare systems.  Chaos is coming and no one wants to accept responsibility.

Dr. Gary Sanders is working on a solution - an unorthodox solution that, if discovered, would threaten the delicate sensibilities of the populace.  He's run into problem after problem trying to get his formula right, but time is running out and his benefactor only has so much patience - even though money is no object.

Amidst the crisis, a sudden shift in succession brings the one man into the Oval Office who just might be willing to do whatever is necessary to avert financial Armageddon - by causing one of his own.

The beginning of the story had me immediately enticed.  The stakes were high.  The possible solutions to the crisis had the potential to create a firestorm no matter which side of the fence people hung onto.  It presented a clear case of no-win scenarios for our characters.  I liked that.

However, about halfway through the story began to nosedive.  The excitement dwindled.  The pace crawled.  The whole story felt bogged down.  The characters did not seem to stay true to themselves, particularly in the case of Don Delano's stepson, Ned.  Motivations became disjointed.  The entire story shifted away from D.C. to upper-state New York and the cast of characters I'd enjoyed up to that point pretty much disappeared from the narrative and were replaced by caricatures.  Then I came to the end and it was like having the book jerked out of my hands and slammed into a wall.

I realize this is a trilogy and sequels are planned, but most tend to have at least a smidge of resolution or come down from the cliff before enticing the reader to wait for the next in the series.  This door slam basically made me put my Kindle down and go what was that all about?  I felt no sense of desire to continue on with the story by that point and really only finished this one for the sake of review.

There were several situations within the political sphere that did not ring true for me, notably the suspicious activity surrounding the President and his physician while in a foreign country and the rapid appointment of a successor (and I don't want to say anything more specifically to avoid spoilers).  So many things that would have taken months and months in reality seem to take mere days here.  The political machine is a very, very slow-moving wheel.  I realize this is fiction, but these things were just too far beyond realistic for me to swallow, even in a novel.

However, point-of-view remained fairly tight within scenes.  Mostly showing of the events as they were happening with very little telling, which is a plus in my book.  This helped keep the beginning moving along at a very nice pace.  The politics of the characters were grayed, without either side of the aisle being all praised or conversely demonized, which I found to be refreshing and more realistic to the D.C. scene.  I think it would help this novel appeal to a broader audience than the typical political thriller.  And like most thrillers, there's a heavy dose of rough language at times - just an FYI.

For the exciting beginning, timeliness of subject matter, and fairly clean structure I'd rate The Seduction of Braulio Jules a three star.  Oh, and I really love the cover!  You can click and purchase the novel for your Kindle at Amazon for the reasonable price of $3.99.  It is also available in paperback.

Author Bio:

Tim Treanor (1951 -- ) was born in Buffalo, New York, where he became a lawyer and a self-proclaimed "foot soldier" in local politics. He has served at all levels of government -- County, State and Federal -- and in the Executive and Legislative branches. He is currently a trial attorney for the Federal Government, and has tried cases throughout the country (and the Virgin Islands). He is a senior fellow in the Excellence in Government program.

When not practicing law, Tim is a playwright ("Murder in Elsinore," "Dracula. A Love Story.") and the senior theater critic for DCTheatreScene.com. He has written nearly five hundred reviews of professional theater, and is a member of the Executive Committee of the American Theatre Critics Association and an O'Neill fellow.

Tim has been working on "Life and Death", on and off, for twenty-five years. "What I have seen in Washington, and in politics in general, is that we lie to ourselves to avoid making hard choices," Tim says. "We tell ourselves bedtime stories and kick the can down the road."

"The Seduction of Braulio Jules," the first novel in the "Life and Death" series, is not a bedtime story. "It's a story about what we do when we're confronted by reality," says Tim. "We delude ourselves even harder, and there's always somebody who's prepared to make it easy for us to do so."

Follow Tim on his website http://www.TimTreanorAuthor.com.

A Trip to the Coast to Visit Jen Lemons

Today's author interviewee has her debut novel out and sounds like something I'd be interested in - that is, if I can ever get to it.  In the meantime, however, she's graciously agreed to an interview to give us some insight into the road to becoming a published author.  Welcome Jen Lemons!

DAB:   Was there a point in your life that prompted your desire to write or have you always wanted to be an author?

JL:        I actually pondered this question while working on Initiation. If you had told me when I was younger I would grow up to be an author I would have laughed in your face. Because of essays and reports in school I HATED writing. But looking back I realized that wasn't true. Any time we were given a free write or write-a-story prompt I would bury myself into the assignment, even using my breaks and/or recesses to finish them. I remember an assignment during my sophomore year in HS was to write a two page fable and mine turned in to a forty page novella. So it's always been there I just didn't like the rules and it wasn't until I got the idea for Initiation that I realized writing was my passion and calling and that now I had the freedom to write what I wanted.

DAB:   This sounds so much like something my son would say.  Where do you come up with ideas for your novels?

JL:        Ha. The inspiration for Initiation was a doozy. You can find the full story on my "About Me" on my website but I'll give you the bridged edition. 

It began one hot August afternoon in 2008, right in the front seat of my maroon, ’95 Mazda MX6. I was outside my sister’s work, waiting to pick her up, (because I’m such an amazing sister) when I got a little bored. I got my iPod outta my pocket, stuffed the earplugs in my ears and cranked up the volume full blast just to pass the time. As I zoned out to the music, my mind skipped happily over to imagination land where it likes to spend most of its days. Visions of me being a phenomenal dancer are its favorite fantasy to concoct while music is playing and that day was no exception. “Move It Like This” by the Baja Men popped on and my fantasy self materialized into a parking garage wearing a black sweater and black leather pants. I thought, “Hunh, weird, but at least my butt looks good” and let it play out. So there I was, dancing in my sexy pants when all of a sudden Will Smith joined me. The two of us had a dance off. Will laughed at my skills and mocked my moves and it ended with us just laughing the whole thing off. Fun time. But sadly the song ended and so did the fantasy. At that point I paused my iPod and pondered this crazy event. And by ponder I mean I sat there and was like, “What the hell was that?” and then just dismissed it because my sister got into the car and we drove off into the sunset. Fast forward three weeks. I sat outside my sister’s work, once again displaying my awesome sisterly skills. Couple minutes in I get bored and go straight for my iPod. I shuffle around the songs and come to “Move it Like This”. I laugh to myself, hit play just for fun and close my eyes. My mind torpedoes to the old fantasy except its a little different. This time Will and I were in a warehouse littered with crates and old rags, he still in his suit and I in my sexy pants and now a white button down with a black sweater vest (don’t ask). So we start dancing and choreographing this awesome dance, moving and grooving in perfect unison when Robert Downey Jr. pops in, wearing an all-black suit and red tie. Like all musicals, RDJ knew the choreography and seamlessly blended into our routine. At this point I start cracking up (his dancing was pretty bad) and immediately turn off my iPod, accepting I’d finally lost it. What the hell was going on with me? Luckily my sister came for distraction and we went home. 

From there my mind was assaulted by images of us fighting, shooting, and making things explode and I realized these were scenes of a story. I grabbed a notebook, wrote JAX across the top and flooded the pages with my ideas. I came home one day, looked at it, decided I was going to write a book, and did. Ta da.

DAB:   Something in common - mine's a Mazda too!  Do you have a character(s) in your novel with whom you closely identify?

JL:        I always tell people that Jinx is me if I had confidence and no conscience. She is my true alter ego. We've sorta seeped into each other over the years and my own personality has changed because of it (hopefully for the good). But X definitely represents my inner geek with our shared obsessions of comics and video-games.

DAB:   Were there any characters you found difficult to write?

JL:        I would definitely say Ace was hardest for me. He has this aggression to him but part of me always wanted him to be witty and the results were disastrous. I can't tell you how many scenes I had to scrap because he just came off immature instead of the confident, cold, and calculated man he is. They weren't natural to his character. It wasn't until I wrote the "Tag" scene that I really understand who he was and how to best represent him. It was also hard to keep him out of the cookie-cutter mold for macho, alpha males. I constantly had to go back to find ways to bring out his depth. Under his brutish shell is an artist, as we see at his art show, and someone who is very dedicated to whatever he does.

DAB:   Who is your favorite character in your novel, and why?

JL:        That's like asking who your favorite child is. I love Jinx, Ace and X equally. Each of them have traits I love and hate about them. But I will say this, if X was real, I would pull the caveman move and bash him upside the head and drag him off. He would wake up standing in front of me at the alter and I would smile and say, "Just say, I do". Course I'd need a ladder to reach that high.

DAB:   The caveman move – I love it!  Do you write full-time or part-time?  If full-time, tell us about the journey to full-time.  If part-time, share with us about your “day” job.

JL:        As much as I would love to write all day, I can't. I have to squeeze writing in whenever I can. Currently I bring home the bacon by working as a nanny for a family I absolutely adore. They totally support my dreams and the book. The oldest one (10 yrs.) even told me I inspired her to become an author, which is the greatest compliment an author can receive. 

DAB:   There's the eternal debate whether to outline or not.  What is your preference?

JL:        I am an outline girl to the core. It baffles me how people can get a glimpse of a character then sit down and write a book. It took me months to outline Initiation. I'm someone that needs a map of direction so I know what to expect and I think with a series like mine, where there is some mystery, you do need a sense of where you're going. You can't have major information pop up in the last book that never even got brought up in the previous ones. But that's not to say I don't welcome a little rerouting, some of the best memories on a road trip come from getting lost or detours. Most of my favorite chapters and scenes were written on a whim. But overall I feel more confident knowing where I'm supposed to go.

DAB:   How do you handle negative feedback about your novel(s)?

JL:        I actually just read my first review and although she had some biting words, I chose not to let it phase me. As an artist you have to know not everyone will appreciate your work. What makes the world such a beautiful, magical place is that we're all different. We all have different tastes and opinions and that's okay. Be true to yourself and your work and the right people will find it and love you for it.

DAB:   You’ve got a great understanding here.  I think it will take you far.  Usually authors are also avid readers - what are you currently reading?

JL:        I am currently reading THE PROPHECY OF ARCADIA by M.H Soars, a fellow indie author. It's a YA fantasy set in present day and I can't put it down. As soon as I'm done here I'm going to dive right back in.

DAB:   Do you have any writing pointers for the authors in our audience?

JL:        Write, edit, rewrite, repeat. You should be writing every day, even if it's only an hour. I also recommend printing off your work to edit. You'd be amazed how much more you see when you edit on paper compared to editing on the computer.

DAB:   Excellent words of wisdom (and now I feel the need to wash my hair for some reason)!  Care to tell us what is next on your writing horizon?

JL:        I am currently working on book two of The JAX Chronicles, entitled COLLECTION. After the team complete a difficult hit in Las Vegas, the man who hired Ace refuses to pay. Jinx, Ace, and X then travel around the country to hunt him down to get their money and revenge. There will be four novels all together and then I'm going to pen a fantasy series about guardian fairies.

DAB:   Now’s your chance – give us the final plug for your novel.

JL:        If you're looking for some fast-paced, edgy fun mixed with a complicated love "triangle", you should check out my action packed, coming-of-age book. Or you can just stop by and say hi. I love meeting new people.

Sounds like a plan, Jen!  Thanks for stopping by the blog and sharing about The JAX Chronicles.  I really hope to have the opportunity to read this first in the series later on this year.  If dark and dangerous is what you're looking for, check it out on Amazon or visit her Goodreads and Facebook pages for more information.

Author Bio:

Growing up around law enforcement, Jen heard more cop stories than fairytales and preferred tactical training over tea parties. Using the skills she was taught, combined with her interest in the criminal mind, she decided to weave her knowledge into her passion; writing. Jen currently resides in California with her sister, niece, and a stray cat she made the mistake of feeding. This is her debut novel.  Visit her website at http://jenlemons.com/about/.

Visiting From the Heartland - Daniel Sink

Live from America's Heartland we have another author in the interview chair.  Join me today in welcoming Daniel Sink to the blog to talk about his latest release Code Black, the tale of a paramedic who commits the unthinkable - murder.  Welcome Daniel!

DAB:  Was there a point in your life that prompted your desire to write or have you always wanted to be an author?

DS:      I always loved to write, but writing was never the macho thing to do.  My father was a state prison guard, so I grew up with tough love.  

DAB:  Where do you come up with ideas for your novels?

DS:      Some of my ideas are from life experiences.  Others I come up with while I'm spacing off.  

DAB:  What was the catalyst for this novel’s premise?

DS:      I got the idea one day at work.  Code Black is about a paramedic who makes a mistake and kills a patient.  This is one of your biggest fears as a healthcare worker.  The old saying goes, "You're not a real paramedic until you've killed somebody."  There is some truth to this, but then I thought about the consequences.  Chances are you lose your license, lose your job, and maybe go jail.  My main character has a lot to lose, so losing everything isn't an option for him.  

DAB:  Do you have a character(s) in your novel with whom you closely identify?

DS:      Most of my characters are a part of me.  I try to throw myself into a hypothetical situation and then figure out how I would get out of it.  There are some challenges though.  Writing from a woman's point of view is a challenge.  Any man that says he knows how a woman thinks is probably wrong.  

DAB:  Were there any characters you found difficult to write?

DS:      I'm working on a project right now that is challenging.  My main character is a homosexual fireman who deals with work-place discrimination, which eventually leads to a lawsuit.  Putting myself in his shoes is a real challenge.  

DAB:  Do you ever have difficulty writing from the point-of-view of a member of the opposite sex?

DS:      Yes, it reminds me of the movie As Good as it Gets.  Jack Nicholson is a romance writer and one of his fans asks him, "How is it that you get inside a woman's mind so well?"  He replies, "I think of a man, then take away reason and accountability."  I'm not sure if this is true, but it's damn funny.  

DAB:  Who is your favorite character in your novel, and why?

DS:      I'm a big fan of Bruce Thomas, the sly detective that is investigating my main character.  He's like a modern day Sherlock with an alcohol problem.  

DAB:  How long did it take for you to craft this novel?

DS:      It took me three months from start to finish, not including editing.  

DAB:  Tell us about the moment you received your first real fan correspondence.

DS:      Wait...I have fans?  It was after my first book signing here in Kansas City.  A fan said, "I just couldn't put it down!"  I asked why.  

DAB:  Tell us about a typical day in your writing world.

DS:      My three-year-old son always comes first, so most of my writing happens after my wife and son are in bed.  My creative hours are between nine pm and two am.  When I'm really deep into the story I walk around like a zombie, writing in my head.

DAB:  Do you write full-time or part-time?  If full-time, tell us about the journey to full-time.  If part-time, share with us about your “day” job.

DS:      I write part-time.  If I'm working at the fire station, I wait until my crew is in bed and stay up late writing.  That is, if I'm not called out to run any medical calls.

DAB:  What kind of research practices do you utilize for writing?

DS:      There is a ton of information on the web.  It's right there at your fingertips. I also read a lot.  That's the best research money can buy, and it only costs a few bucks in late fees from your local library.  

DAB:  How long did your novel take to put to bed?

DS:      Five months if you include editing.

DAB:  Have you ever experienced writer's block?

DS:      Not yet.  I've got about five more novels in my arsenal.

DAB:  When I write, I have particular composers and music that gets me in the mood for certain scenes and characters.  Have you ever written to music?

DS:      I haven't.  I'm easily distracted, and writing in complete silence is better for me.  

DAB:  There's the eternal debate whether to outline or not.  What is your preference?

DS:      My first novel was sitting on my mental bookshelf for about three years.  I'd sit down and write and then get lost.  I stumbled upon Randy Ingermanson's Snow Flake Method of Writing.  It helps you organize your characters and plot.  It includes outlining, which I highly recommend.  Organize your outline by chapters.  I always change the outline half-way through, but it gets me started.  

DAB:  Do you belong to a critique group?  If so, tell us a bit about it.

DS:      No critique group here.  I'm a busy person.

DAB:  How do you handle negative feedback about your novel(s)?

DS:      I suck it up and learn.  You can't please everyone, but your fans are your best teachers.  Your writing should always get better.  Even though it got good reviews, I read my first novel and cringe.  My mistakes jump out of the page and hit me in the chin.  

DAB:  Of all your novels, which one is your favorite, and why?

DS:      So far Code Black is my favorite.  Stovepipe was somewhat predictable, which was a lesson for me.  I had four possible endings and I chose the most unpredictable for Code Black.  Readers like to be shocked.  They may hate you in the end, but at least they shed a few tears first.

DAB:  Usually authors are also avid readers - what are you currently reading?

DS:      I'm currently reading the Jack Reacher series.  

DAB:  What are some things you’ve done to get the word out about your novel(s)?

DS:      Contact bloggers, Facebook, Twitter, and press releases. 

DAB:  Do you have any writing pointers for the authors in our audience?

DS:      I've heard authors say that you should try to write a thousand words every day.  I'm a big advocate for quality over quantity.  Writing should come from deep within.  Don't force it.

DAB:  Care to tell us what is next on your writing horizon?

DS:      My fans are dying for a sequel to Stovepipe.  I'm getting ready to start the outlining process for that.

DAB:  Now’s your chance – give us the final plug for your novel.

DS:      If you're interested in a dark suspense that dives into the life of a paramedic who commits murder, then read Code Black.  

Thanks for stopping by, Daniel.  Check out this recently released novel at Amazon.  

Daniel Sink was raised in Ottawa, KS, which is a small city of about 12,000 people.  He never considered himself a good student, and his grades reflected that.  He would often get bored in class and write action-adventure stories.  Daniel loved to write, but was anxious to leave his small town, so at seventeen years old he joined the Navy.  Daniel served as an Intelligence Specialist on board the USS John F Kennedy.  Two years in, his father had a disabling stroke and Daniel was discharged so he could take care of him.  Eventually, Daniel went to paramedic school and then attended the fire academy in Kansas City.  He currently works full time in Kansas City, KS.  

Working 24 hour shifts as a firefighter gave Daniel the chance to return to his writing.  He just finished his second novel, Code Black, which will be released Memorial Day 2014.