Guest post on Becoming a writer by Tragically Broken author N.J. Danner

 

Becoming a writer:

I first started writing just for myself.  A story would just pop in my head and I had to run with it.  Different scenes would develop and I would evolve the story line around them, however when I write I try to start at the beginning and incorporate the different scenes throughout the book. 

Once I decided to pursue publishing I was totally clueless on how it worked.  I had no idea about the social media world that existed or about ebooks.  I was asked if I wanted a Kindle for Christmas one year and I laughed because at that time I had absolutely no time to read. Wow, was I naive. 

Originally I read about Stephanie Meyer’s route into publishing and tried it, sending the first chapter to different agents.  I either didn’t hear anything back or got rejection letters.  I then joined Goodreads online and was introduced to the new world of reading, writing, publishing and indie-authors. I was totally blown away.

I researched it and looked at author’s websites.  Jamie McGuire’s site is the bomb. She gives great step by step advice to indie-authors.  I also reached out to authors via email and got some really great advice.  I realized self-publishing was definitely the way I wanted to go. 

Here is some advice I wish I would’ve been given before I published.

                -Find a good editor. My original editor didn’t work out.  I think she was over committed or had some sort of family issues and she fell off the face of the Earth for a while.  I was stuck so I tried to edit the book myself and through the help of my friends but that didn’t work either.  I originally published Tragically Broken in 2014 but had some lesser reviews based on editing issues and grammatical errors.  I then had to scramble to find a new editor.  I had it re-edited and published the new improved 2015 second edition.  What an improvement!

                - Find good Beta readers.  My first ones more or less just said that they liked the story and had a few suggestions.  I then found a couple awesome Beta readers who helped me improve the story line and eliminate scenes that read fine to me but didn’t translate the way I thought they did. 

                - Cover Image is important. The cover is the first impression and obviously helps sell the book.  I wanted a cover that expressed the story.  Those of you who have read Tragically Broken understand the special meaning of the cover.

                - Social Media is the window to self-publishing and the indie-author world.  This was all new to me as I was never on social media before.  Now I love my Facebook/Twitter/Goodreads friends.

                - Be patient. In most cases (not all) getting published and selling your book isn’t an overnight process.  It can take a while for word of mouth to get around and to sell your book. 

Good luck to all and thank you all for your support.

Tragedy destroyed Alex Kohen’s life, until fate offered her a chance to escape her nightmares and possibly find love…

Beautiful, compassionate Dr. Alex Kohen had the perfect life – until, in an instant, it was tragically ripped from her. Plagued by her demons, Alex moves to a new city and devotes herself to her work and her patients. But her secrets continue to haunt her, making her afraid to build a future outside of her career. Convinced that her heart is irreparably broken, Alex has closed herself off to the possibility of love.

That is, until she meets sexy, confident Kellen Rhion ­– a wealthy CEO with a reputation as the ultimate playboy. Kellen, plagued by personal tragedies of his own, knows from the moment they meet that Alex is the woman he wants. And with patient determination, he slowly begins to break down her long-fortified defenses.

Although they meet under tragic circumstances, out of that catastrophe is born a connection that neither can deny. And despite the challenges of their demanding and busy careers, Alex and Kellen find the time to nurture their growing relationship. They struggle through obstacle after obstacle, including Kellen’s celebrity lifestyle and Alex’s emotional baggage.

But after Kellen’s supposed betrayal and brush with death, can Alex really trust him with her heart? And can Kellen accept that she will always, in a way, be broken?

 

 

About the Author

If you have already read my book, then you have already seen into part of my soul. Each of my characters is a part of me. They each have some aspect of my personality, or represent who I wish I could be or would hate to be. 

I have always been an avid reader, even as a child, and I’ve always loved to get lost in a good book. Reading a book would take over my life, and at times it still does. It is my addiction. Once I start a book, I cannot put it down until I know the end of the story … which may be a few books later. Same thing with writing – once the story pops into my head, I obsess about it until I have it down on paper. I have notes on scenes all over. Some have already been developed into a book, and some are waiting for the rest of the storyline to be written in order to find their journey and see where it ends.  

For a decade, or more, I had to put all that creativity on hold while I dedicated my life to my professional career and creating my family. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and two angelic children.  Supporting and nurturing them is now my number one priority. 

Once my life reached a stable point, I was finally able to find time to rekindle my love of books. Twilight took me by storm, which then catapulted me to Fifty Shades of Grey. “It all started with a vampire who was replaced by a man with a whip.” Reading tales written by my favorite authors reignited my own creativity, my mind wandered into stories of my own, and now, amazingly, I am an author.  

When my time is not consumed watching my daughter dance or my son play hockey, spending time with my husband, or working, I am lost in either reading a good book or writing. Disney World is my respite and I love all things Mickey. My family and friends are incredible people and support me in all that I do. I have learned that life is too short, and we have to take time to enjoy its simple pleasures.

Website:  njdanner.weebly.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nj.danner

Twitter: twitter.com/NJDanner

Purchase Links

 

AMAZON  ~  SMASHWORDS ~ KOBO ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

 

Excerpt 1 

“Dance with me?” Kellen extended his hand.

“Seriously? To this? I can’t Irish dance.” She shook her head.

Ignoring her protests, Kellen stood and pulled her into his arms. They seemed to fit perfectly together, her nestling easily just below his chin. He guided her through the complicated moves, twirling her expertly. Alex was pleasantly surprised to find that Kellen was quite obviously a practiced dancer. No longer able to contain the happiness that had been building throughout the day, she started laughing – a real laugh, something she had not done in a long time.

Kellen pulled her close with a sparkle in his eyes. In the privacy of the balcony, there was only one thing he could do at that moment; he leaned in and softly pressed his lips to hers. With the alcohol buzzing through her system, Alex couldn’t think clearly enough to push him away, and truthfully, she didn’t know if she could have done so even with complete control of her faculties. He was an amazing kisser, and Alex’s breasts soon grew heavy with arousal, waves of heat shooting to her lower belly. His tongue softly caressed her lips, but she felt it in her most private parts. A moan escaped her, and Kellen’s onslaught became more aggressive. His hands gripped her small waist as if he feared she was an illusion.

Alex reached up to touch his tousled hair, as she had been yearning to do all night. It was as soft as she had imagined, like silk, and Kellen released an involuntary gasp of pleasure as she threaded her fingers through it. She could feel his hard length against her and leaned into it, craving the pleasure he could bring her.

Kellen ran his long fingers down the side of Alex’s face, her neck, her collarbone. When he reached her breasts, she froze. No one had touched her this way in years, and though she desperately wanted to continue, she knew she needed to stop. As gently as she could, she stepped back, resisting further advances. Understanding her intent, Kellen pulled her into an embrace; she rested her head on his chest, inhaling his scent.

After a moment, she pulled back far enough to look up at him. “I’m sorry, Kellen. This has been an amazing night, but I have to go. I have to work tomorrow. Thank you for dinner and…well…thank you.”

Kellen took her hand. “Let me see you home.”

“That’s really not necessary.” Alex, who had been living alone in the city for four years, was more than capable of getting home by herself.

“My grandmother raised me well, and she would roll over in her grave if I didn’t make sure you got home safely.” Kellen smiled, knowing she wouldn’t resist when he put it that way.

 

Excerpt 2

“Alex, you need to eat,” Kellen prompted after a while.

“I know. I just don’t have much of an appetite. The food is wonderful. It was very thoughtful of you to bring it in.”

Disappointed and suddenly feeling like an intruder, Kellen said, “I just wanted to see you before I left for my trip.”

The nursing staff and residents had started trickling in to grab some food, and Alex suddenly needed to get out of the ICU.

“Let’s go to my office,” she said, discarding her plate of picked-over food and striding purposefully from the room. Intrigued, Kellen followed. With a quick directive to Gia to page her if necessary, the two were out the door.

Just down the hall, Alex led Kellen into her office, which was nicely decorated, and had its own bathroom and sleeping quarters. Kellen looked around, checking everything out. There were a few pictures on Alex’s desk of what looked to be her parents and a couple friends, but other than that, the office was impersonal – but private. Taking advantage, Kellen hugged Alex close, then lifted her chin and placed a soft kiss on her lips before trailing down to her neck, which elicited a soft moan. He let go of her long enough to swiftly close and lock the door, then walked back towards her, his stance predatory. He pushed Alex up against the wall and secured her hands above her head.

“I’ve not been able to think of anything but you since Saturday night. I cannot be away from you for another second,” he said, voice deep and seductive. Then, pinning her against the wall with his hips, he kissed her passionately. Alex did not resist – it was good to be able to get away from her thoughts and lose herself in him.

Kellen’s tongue tangled with hers while he ground his arousal into her, leaving her wet and throbbing with need. Her nipples tightened, and Kellen used his free hand to reach under her scrub top and bra to caress her heavy, tingling breasts. His touch was pure heaven. It had been so, so long since a man had made her feel the way that Kellen was making her feel. Alex knew that the prudent thing to do would be to stop before things escalated, but found herself so caught up in the out-of-this-world sensations he was stimulating in her lady parts that she just could not bring herself to voice her concern.

In a fit of passion, Kellen lifted her up and carried her to her sleeping quarters…

Blitz XPRESSO BOOK TOURS : Needing Her by Allie Everhart

Needing Her By Allie Everhart

Goodreads

Pearce Kensington. Age 25. Billionaire. Graduate of the Ivy League. Future CEO. Member of a powerful secret society.

His life is complicated. Dark. Lonely. Dangerous. So when he meets Rachel, a kind, sweet, beautiful grad student, he tells himself to stay away. He’s no good for her. And yet, she’s good for him. A ray of light in his very dark world.

She’s everything he’s ever wanted but didn’t think he could have. But being with her will bring her into his world. A world she doesn’t belong in. A world he wants to escape. A world he’ll have to hide from her in order to keep her safe.

He should let her go. But he can’t. He loves her. He needs her. So he’ll risk everything to be with her.

 

 

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Excerpt 1

Pearce's POV

We ride the elevator to the top floor, which can only be accessed by a security code. The elevator opens right into my loft apartment, which takes up the entire top floor of the building. 

“Is this your place?” Rachel asks.

“This is it.”

She steps into the living room. “It’s huge. Look at all this space.”

“I’m a big guy. I need a lot of space.”

She walks into the kitchen. “I like the open layout. I like how the kitchen and living room are all one big room.”

The kitchen and living room make up the middle of the loft. Then off to one side, down the hall, there are two bedrooms, one of which I use as an office. On the other end of the loft, just off the kitchen, is the master bedroom. The bedroom door is placed so that I can see the elevator and living room from my bed. I had it built that way so that if someone’s in there, trying to rob me or attack me, I’ll see them coming. I keep a gun in my nightstand just in case.

We’re in the kitchen and I go over to the refrigerated glass case that holds an assortment of beverages. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Just water is fine.”

“I have several kinds of water in here. You have to be more specific. Or just pick one.”

She comes over and takes out a bottle of citrus flavored water. I grab a plain water for myself. I don’t buy any of this. The cleaning staff stocks it for me.

We’re both standing by the counter, holding our waters. I take a sip of mine and she drinks some of hers. Our eyes meet and I feel it again. The tension that’s been hovering between us all night. Pure, raw sexual tension that’s stronger than I’ve ever felt before.

I step closer to her, setting my water on the counter behind her. I take her water and set it next to mine. I shouldn’t do this. Doing this will only move this relationship forward, taking it to a place I said I wouldn’t go. But God, I want it. I want it so bad. I want her, and not just sexually. I want her in my life. I want this to go somewhere. Someplace real. For the first time in my life, I want a real relationship and I want it with her. Maybe it won’t work out, but I at least want to try.

Our bodies are just inches apart, our eyes locked on each other, the sexual tension ready to burst. I don’t know what the hell I’m waiting for.

I haul her into me, my other hand buried in her hair as I crash my lips to hers. I wanted our first time together to be slow and gentle, but we’re way past that point. Slow and gentle will have to wait until later.

SIX YEARS by STEPHANIE WITTER

Six Years' blurb:

They hadn’t seen each other in six years. 
She’d always had a crush on him. 
He'd only ever seen her like a little sister. 
And now...he’s back.


Brooklyn

I thought that he was a part of a distant past. I thought I didn’t feel anything for him now, but I was not so sure anymore. Having him back in my life, for however long it was, was making me see things differently. So many things had changed in the last six years and somehow I’d lost myself and forgotten all about my dreams. 

My home life was still a mess, my personal life was nothing to boast about and when I see how successful he is, how everything he’d always wanted came true, I couldn't help but feel lacking in a lot of ways. But he’s back and he needed me. I knew I was the only one who understood that part of his life, the only one he’s willing to share it with. My heart is still beating too hard and too fast for him and this time around, I was as much an adult as he was. 
Having a six year age gap didn't mean shit.


Nolan

Being back in Riverdale was harder than I thought. I’d turned my back on that life, but there had always been that one girl in my head. Little B. Now she’s nothing like the twelve year old girl I’d last seen. She’s a young woman, gorgeous and sexy. I couldn't stay away. There’s something drawing me to her and it goes beyond my need to reconnect with her, to have her back in my life and fill the hollow part of my chest. But I couldn't forget the little girl she had been; I shouldn’t forget the little girl she used to be.

Growing up with a junkie mother and nobody else, my neighbor, Brooklyn, had been my only happy place. I had taken care of her, and when I had left, I had to leave behind a huge part of me. I couldn't do it again. I needed her. Once again, she’s the only person I want in my life, but I wasn’t sure if it was for all the right reasons. 

Were there too many obstacles in the way?

Contemporary Romance standalone novel for readers over 18.

 

Interview with FABLED author Vanessa K. Eccles *

Vanessa K. Eccles graduated Troy University with a degree in English. She currently serves as executive editor of Belle Rêve Literary Journal and is founder of the book blog YA-NA Sisterhood. When she’s not writing or devouring books, she enjoys the lake life with her Prince Charming and their four dogs.

~ Facebook  ~ twitter  ~ Goodreads ~

www.vanessakeccles.com

1.) Favorite Writing Quirk:

 

I like using “O” instead of “Oh.” It just seems more appropriate. That large, empty letter sums up the sentiment behind the thought better, I think, and I always imagine someone pantomiming it when they read. See there, you just did it, didn’t you?

 

2.) What’s your writing process like?

 

Lots of coffee and a touch of madness. In all seriousness though, I usually sit at the computer with my notebook full of index cards, scribbles, and post its and fuss with characters until we come to some compromise about what will be written.

 

I also do a lot of scene writing by hand. This ends up being more of a sketch so that when I type I’m more focused on filling in the gaps and adding details.

 

3.) Plotter or Pantser?

 

I try to plot really well before I begin a new project, but I usually end up getting laughed at by my characters, who always do whatever they want.

 

4.) Favorite writing snack?

 

Skinny Pop! I am so addicted that I drive an hour one way to buy extra large bags because none of our local stores carry it.

 

For fun:

 

5.) Most embarrassing high school experience:

 

Woah. That’s a hard one! I have lived so many lives since high school, as all readers and writers have, but I’ll give it a go. I suppose it would have to be when I went on one of the first dates with my now husband. I was sixteen and working every Saturday as a clown. Yep. You read that right. I wore the full get-up too. The makeup, wig, outfit – the works! Somehow the makeup we weren’t suppose to use (because it didn’t come off well) got mixed in with my stuff that day, and when I left to go on our date, I still had two perfectly round red circles on my cheeks. I looked and felt like a goof. But he eventually married me anyway, so who’s the clown now?

 

 

Rowena thinks the Grimm’s infamous podcasts are simply another teen fad until she finds herself trapped in a land of nightmarish storybook characters. She tries desperately to flee Mezzanine and return home, but Dresdem, Mezzanine’s wicked monarch, plans to use Rowena’s access to her world to bring dark magic and absolute rule into Georgia and beyond.

But when Rowena’s dear friend Madeline falls into Dresdem’s grasp, her battle with him becomes war, and all hopes of home are temporarily thwarted. With the help of an invisible hero, a beast, and an owl, she sets out to free Madeline from a deadening sleep. But Rowena must become her own hero when she finds herself bound by the kingdom’s darkest family. She must make the ultimate choice – align herself with her enemies or live on the run forever.

Goodreads  ~    Amazon  ~ Barnes &Noble

 

Fabled by Vanessa K. Eccles

Excerpt:

The dirt shifted beside me, and the end of the tunnel opened. The crevice felt like it plucked me up in a whirlwind. In seconds, I landed on the ground face first on the surface of whatever lay beyond the tunnel. It smelled like nature after a storm. When I opened my eyes, I stared down at my mud-covered hands. The darkness that I once thought would be my tomb was now gone, and two low hanging moons lit the forest where I found myself. Even though I had no idea where I was, the fact that I was out of the hole sent a surge of relief that filled my entire being. I stood up, dusted off all the mud I could, and looked back. Strangely, there was nothing but trees. As I moved closer to the spot where I’d most certainly came from, all I saw was a mirror that reflected the woods. An illusion. I touched its smooth surface, tried to find the end of it but couldn’t. Another dead-end.

Before I could figure out what to do, I heard a voice and spun around to confront it.

“What are you doing here?” I heard a man’s voice growl, but I couldn’t see anyone. I looked around. He sounded like he was only a few feet from me.

“Where are you?”

“First, tell me why you’re here?”

“I don’t know why I’m here. I’m lost, I think. I was at a party, and while walking in the woods behind the house, I fell into a hole. Now here I am. I have no idea what happened. Where am I?”

Silence. 

Right square in front of me, he appeared out of thin air. I blinked my eyes in disbelief. He seemed to be about my age and wore his hat cocked to one side with suspenders atop a blue button-up and brown trousers. It reminded me of Dashielle’s costume. I guess he could read the amazement on my face, so he answered the question that my mind was trying to form.

“Invisibility. That’s all.”

 

 

Purchase Links

AMAZON ~ Barnes and Noble

#VBTC FUTURE'S EDGE by MORT HERMAN

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Mort Herman has a Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering. Holder of six patents, he worked at several companies including IBM, Texas Instruments, AT&T and Lucent Technologies where his specialty was semiconductor electronics, systems design, and marketing.

Mort lives on the Jersey shore with his mate Mary Ann. When he’s not writing, Mort is an avid sailor, a wood sculptor, and a charter member of the Arts Society of Keyport. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, he added his technical, artistic, and project management skills to the design and implementation of three, free form concrete sculptures that replaced destroyed public art in the town of Keyport, NJ.

Author Links - 

Website: www.futuresedgebook.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/futuresedge?fref=ts

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=316031646&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7880581.Mort_Herman

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1502337002

Book Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy

Publisher: Amazon

Release Date: September 25, 2014

Buy Link(s): http://www.amazon.com/dp/1502337002

Book Description:

Most people do not carry the fate of the world on their shoulders. Sam Greenhut does.

By the year 2230, the world is no longer dependent on fossil fuels. All power is harnessed directly from the Earth’s core. A clever integration of neural technology and wireless energy gives rise to the Global Network (GNET), revolutionizing society. Diverse industries operate efficiently under the umbrella of a neurally connected world economy, powered by an unlimited geothermal fuel supply controlled not by Presidents, Sheikhs nor Monarchs, but by a Corporate Federation run by seven individuals.

This is the state of the world when the Corporate Federation charges Sam Greenhut with ensuring GNET’s unquestioned reliability and integrity.

Sam sees a world whose population is totally dependent on GNET, as if the previously admired trait of self-reliance was weaned from the gene pool. Inevitably, the insatiable demand for energy prompts a reckless decision by Corporate Federation board members to expand the geothermal energy lattices. Despite Sam’s protest, the choice to exceed the cautionary “Greenhut Limits” precipitate a string of earthquakes that destroy GNET and plunges the planet into the chaos known as “The Upheaval.”

What happens next fundamentally alters the destiny of the planet and catapults Sam into the center of The Seed – book one in my science fiction trilogy, Future’s Edge.

Excerpt:

… With the village stabilized and work preparations for the upcoming season proceeding smoothly, it was finally time for Kappi and Elizabeth to depart – a little later than usual, but still in time to be comfortably cradled between winter and spring. They left Tyber in the capable hands of the core group of people who had been with Kappi since the beginning of their enterprise. As agreed, Frank stayed behind to carry out his primary job of caring for the puppies. This was to be Kappi’s and Elizabeth’s alone time.

Their preparations were simple and swift. They chose to take their three favorite dogs led by Jupiter, the oldest, strongest, and most even-keeled of the lot. He had the experience to tame any wild or unsafe actions of the other dogs and could administer discipline when needed. Tassi (Tassiorpok, the guide) was the youngest and she possessed the keenest of senses. When there was uncertainty concerning the weather, a sound, or what path was the safest, Tassi was the one all looked at for guidance. Lastly, there was Angus (Angusuktok, the good hunter). Angus could smell prey for several kilometers and understood by verbal command what animal Kappi and Elizabeth wanted him to seek. This proud team was considered a vital, integral part of their family.

Off they went on their adventure with their dogs carrying food, supplies, clothing, hunting weapons and tools. They were finally able to leave behind the realities of the real world. There was no need to discuss their destination. Each knew instinctively where they would go.

With Tassi in the lead, Kappi provided the verbal commands that guided them toward a special hidden river valley. In the summer months, the river would flow freely, but now it was completely iced over. Tassi understood where Kappi wanted to go, and he let Tassi guide them with little intervention.

Elizabeth and Kappi were struck by the sheer majesty of this place even though they had been there before. Their place, which they called Uyaraut (meaning “precious stone” in the Inuit language), was bounded on three sides by cliffs providing a magnificent vista of the frozen river valley as it stretched for kilometers between the Arctic Ocean on the north end and the cloud-topped mountains to the south. Their camp was about halfway down the steep slope on a relatively flat area with a deep cave at the most easterly point. Uyaraut presented a perfect view of the sunset at this time of year. The setting provided shelter from the strong winds relentlessly funneling across the treeless, snow-encapsulated tundra.

Throughout their stay, Kappi and Elizabeth hardly uttered ten words to each other. In Uyaraut, they let in the solitude, the silence, their heartbeats, their individual breaths and all that surrounded them. It was an empathic event for Kappi and Elizabeth and it bridged the barrier of mental separateness intrinsic to humans. Uyaraut acted as an amplifier…

Schedule
Giveaway - Signed Print (US Only) Ebook (Int'l)

May 24 - Introduction at VBT Café Blog
May 27 - Interviewed at Author CA Milson
May 28 - Guest Blog at Infinite House of Books
June 1 - Spotlight at 3 Partners In Shopping - Nana, Mommy & Sissy Too!
June 1 - Spotlight at BookJunkieMom at Rainy Day Reviews
June 3 - Review at Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
June 3 - Guest Blogging at Hywela Lyn - Romance That's Out Of This WorldJune 3 - Guest Blogging at Lori's Reading Corner
June 3 - Reviewed at A Virtual Hobby Store & Coffee Haus
June 5 - Review at Tea and A Book
June 6 - Spotlight at I Feel The Need, The Need To Read
June 8 -Spotlight at 4covert2overt A Place in the Spotlight
June 10 - Spotlight at KR Morrison, Author
June 10 - Spotlight at Urania's DistractionsJune 12 - Spotlight at Paranormal Romance And Authors That Rock
June 15 - Spotlight at The Voluptuous Book Diva 
June 15 - Spotlight at eBook Review Gal
June 17 - Spotlight at XOXO Book Blog
June 17 - 6 Besties at BK Walker Books

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William Hiles interview Contributing Writer to Heroika: Dragon Eaters

Can you tell me a bit about yourself? 

I was born near Tokyo Japan. I'm an Air Force brat. Though I make my living writing prose, I consider myself a poet first and foremost. Poetry, its rhythm, flow, and vivid snapshots of life are what underline all of writing. I sold my first story nearly thirty years ago and should have continued racking up an extensive and ever-recognized body of work. Instead, I drifted away into video game design (and other writing for hire) for the next 25 years. However, my contribution to Janet Morris' new anthology, Heroika: Dragon Eaters, is an attempt at making my way back to creating fiction for myself. It's my reintroduction to the writing world at large. And also a thank you to my dad, who would have been a great Dragon Eater.

I currently live in Round Rock, Texas with my wife Kim and son Nate. I'm a student of zen and martial arts.  A life-long devotee of baseball.  A lover of history.  

You seem to have an affinity for the past in your stories. What is history to you?

History is what you did yesterday. Your dreams, your hopes, your fears, your loves and joys, all that you experienced yesterday, now belongs to the country of the past. By remembering this, you can transform all those faded pictures, dusty books, and innumerable years, back into people not so remote and not so different than you. And if you listen carefully, if you read closely, you can hear them from across those distant yesterdays: "I lived. I still live. Remember me." I remember them in my stories.

Your story Red Rain is, of course, fantasy, but what do you think the impact would have been if such an event had taken place during the Civil War?

I've tried to imagine  the consequences, the sheer disbelief, of ordinary people faced with such an unimaginable event. My story plays it straight. It's about people facing incredible odds with found courage. With strengths rising from out of hidden or forgotten emotional and mental reserves. I like the notion that people can and will put aside their differences to help one another. Soldiers are classic examples of that altruism.

What do you want your readers to get from Red Rain?

First and foremost it's an adventure story. I want people to be carried away by a palpable sense of time and place, and with interesting characters. I firmly believe that your characters have to resonate with the reader. Hate them. Love them. Don't be bored with them.  Boring is a death sentence for storytelling. I want the readers to feel the flow, the movement, toward deeper and more consequential action. Red Rain is a dark story. It's grim in parts. But it never completely extinguishes hope. Or the possibility of hope.  In this story, these men are engaged in the most terrible of human activities--war. But in that terrifying circumstance you discover that they have the capacity to embrace both the best and worst of humanity.  By throwing these men into a wild "What if" scenario, I wanted to see how they would react. It's a story of the human spirit that I hope I've told well.

Where did you get the idea for Red Rain?

Like most writers I keep fragments and side-of-the eye glimpses of certain things (to give them a crude name) in my head. In my memory. Snatches of conversation. A song. A song lyric. A scene in a book or movie. A face I've seen in a crowd. There's this stew of unrelated experiences in my head. Sometimes, one or two coalesces into an imperative. It wants to grow. To come into being. For Red Rain it began as a daydream. I'd recently finished Michael Shaara's novel about the Battle of Gettsyburg, The Killer Angels, and I was wondering about the "What ifs" of history. What if Stonewall Jackson had lived to command a corps at Gettysburg? What if Lee's invasion of the North had been successful?  At about the same time, I had made the acquaintance of Janet Morris and her plans for a new anthology beginning with Heroika: Dragon Eaters. Dragons and ... Civil War? What if?  And the rest became history! 

Anything else you want to say?

Only that people enjoy the anthology. I'm sharing pages with a great bunch of writers. I hope my contribution holds up with the rest of the story. I also want to thank Janet Morris for seeing something worthy in my work and inviting me to submit to her anthology. I've known about Janet and have read her work for many years. It's a privilege and an honor to have her as both mentor and friend.  Last but not least, Red Rain is a culmination of a lot of personal effort. The writing of it took me through some incredibly difficult times. To have finally finished it was a both a gift and a release. It was an uncommon experience for me as a writer.  I hope it's the start of a many more stories. 

www.amazon.com-HEROIKA