Friday, May 31, 2013

An Invisible Thread...Binds this Story

"An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny" is a book that has heart.  Spoiler Alert: Please know you will cry at various chapters in this book -- male or female.

It is a story of love conquering one of the most dire and, unfortunately, a most common problem in our world -- addiction.

Maurice Mazyck was on 56th Street right around the corner from Broadway.  He was hungry.  He was 11.  He asked Laura for some change to buy food.

"Excuse me, lady, do you have any spare change?"
     This was the first thing he said to me, on 56th Street in New York City, right around the corner from Broadway, on a Sunny September day.
     And when I heard him, I didn't really hear him.  His words were part of the clatter, like a car horn or someone yelling for a cab.  They were, you could say, just noise -- the kind of nuisance New Yorkers learn to tune out.  So, I walked right by him, as if he wasn't there.
     But then, just a few yards past him, I stopped.
And then -- and I'm still not sure why I did this -- I came back.
     I came back and I looked at him, and I realized he was just a boy...he was a child -- tiny body, sticks for arms, big round eyes.



Laura decided in that moment to give him food instead of money.  In that moment, Laura Schroff unconsciously took on the adventure of her life -- sharing the love she had with someone vastly different from herself.

There's not much I can say about this story other than the meandering prose allows the reader to become fully immersed in both Laura's and Maurice's lives in a way that is uncommon.  The story is told with brutal honesty.  Nothing is spared from us.  We see the pain in both of these people's lives.  The childhoods of both Laura and Maurice was not ideal which is why, in part, Laura was open to the idea of helping someone else.  But it was more, much more than that original impetus.

The story unfolds slowly and inexorably drags you under its tow so you cannot resurface until you reach the end.  Beautifully woven between the key events in both Laura and Maurice's lives you will not view the world the same way when you finish reading An Invisible Thread.




5 Blogairy Notebooks



Friday, May 24, 2013

New Release: Wenona Hulsey's - A Warrior's Blood



It's Release Day!

 

A Warrior's Blood—Blood Burden Series Bonus Story

 Many of you may remember that last year I reviewed Blood Awakening by this author -- Wenona Hulsey -- and loved it!  Wenona has now completed the series and has added this bonus story A Warrior's Blood.  Please enjoy the new book as it is its release day!

Previous posts on this blog:

A Warrior's Blood Synopsis:

Before the war, before the powers, and before the world crashed in on him Luke met a mortal woman.  Go back to the beginning of it all and take a look at Nicole through the eyes of Luke's hardened heart.
Luke steps out of the shadows and plants himself into the police department to watch over Nicole who is new to the force. Loyal to his mission he keeps his distance but a missing girl brings them onto the same case.  Together Luke and Nicole unravel the dark underbelly of a small town putting their lives on the line.   Luke can handle criminals, crooked officials, and crazy town people but will he risk his mission for a chance at love or will Sage make sure the warrior walks a line?

About the Series:

The Blood Burden Series is a fantasy/paranormal romance that is different from anything you've read before.  You will not find any vampires, werewolves, or a soft spoken woman waiting for a man to save her in this adventure.  But you will find a head strong woman who will protect those she loves with her last breath and a new paranormal element that is unique to the book world.

Reviewers are raving about the series:

"The thrills start from page one and continue to the very end. I absolutely loved it and am looking forward to (the next book)." 5 STARS! -Kim Norris-The Kindle Book Review

"How can you resist a story set in the South that treads on Irish folklore? You can't!!"

5 STARS! -John Ross, Author of "Another Lousy Day In Paradise"

"A Surefire winner by an author to watch!!"  5 STARS!-Hotmaja54

Series Reading Order:

1. Blood Awakening (Prelude) ** FREE almost everywhere e-books are sold.**

2. Burden of Blood (Novel  1) (Available in paperback and e-book)

3. Blood of Fire (Novel 2) (Available in paperback and e-book)

4. A Warrior's Blood (Bonus Story Novelette e-book)

 - Find them on Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Kobo, IBooks, and Smashwords.

Purchase Links:


Author Contact:

Twitter handle: @wenonahulsey

Thursday, May 23, 2013

The BackStory...

Vivienne Mathew's has generously offered to have me be a guest poster on her blog.  Her request intrigued me because this week's theme is inspiration.

I generally write on and around the topic of inspiration (positive and negative!) in my stories and never thought to write about the inspiration in my life.  I now see that there was a reason for that.  If it wasn't for my friend, Sharon, I would never have gotten this post out for Vivienne's blog today.

It took me over a week to conceptualize and actually write, re-write and EDIT the bloody thing.  I've forgotten so much of my own life experiences but the sting of the emotions attached to these life events still direct my actions in some cases.

Well, without further ado please follow this link to the post Leaping Out on Faith.

http://viviennemathews.blogspot.com/2013/05/day-four-leaping-out-on-faith.html

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Notebook Blogairy Finds "The Notebook"

 
So, I am 6 1/2 months pregnant and had just come in from completing the baby registry with daddy-to-be.  We're both dog-tired and in need of sleep (our dogs were barking!! Uh...feet.)

But, my brain wouldn't shut down.  What do I do? Flick on the TV, of course.  I find The Notebook is on and decide to watch it this time.  You know, the Ryan Gosling love story?  You'd figure that with my moniker being The Notebook Blogairy anything with 'notebook' in it would be something I gravitate towards, right?  LOL.

Anywho, I am drawn into the story and fall in love with the endearing love story and figure out what's happening and who the two mature adults really are and from that moment I became a waterbag!  (You know you cried throughout this movie too!)

The story goes back and forth in time from the past to the present and does it beautifully!  I am so glad I took the time to watch The Notebook.  It reminded me a bit of Bridges of Madison County except for the ending -- of course.

Blogairy Notebook Rating: 4

Thursday, May 16, 2013

NYC Indie Theatre - A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

Actor and producer Heather Cunningham is a study in passion.  She lives two lives as many who are passionate do -- she works a normal day-job and lives by night her real life.  The life that puts her front and center on stage at the Workshop Theater Company's Mainstage Theatre (312 West 36th Street, NYC).

In a recent interview, Cunningham reveals that a stage manager once told her she was born in a trunk and it's not far from the mark.  Both of her parents were devoted to theater and her mother furthered that love by becoming a professor of theater.  "I...remember napping in [the] last row [of the theatre], coming in and out of consciousness during a rehearsal of some beautiful people on the stage going through a scene. It was as home to me as the home where my stuffed animals were."

Cunningham is the the lead actor in the currently running play "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg".  (Watch the trailer below!!)  In her own words Cunningham describes it this way: "[It's] a dark comedy about a couple trying to deal with the hardest kind of parenthood - their only daughter has cerebral palsy, is wheelchair bound and cannot communicate - and their marriage is on the brink from the stress of her afflictions."

Cunningham's favorite line in the play revolves around a triumph of her daughter when the child was 12 months old.  Cunningham shares, "I’ve been told her entire life that she is a “vegetable.” Now I’m reminiscing about a time when she was just 12 months old or so and she saw a stack of colored plastic bricks and managed to knock them down. Part of the memory is, of course, the incredible labor it took the child to manage this feat. The line: “A vegetable couldn’t have done that!” is so filled with pride in the child and despair for her illness and disgust for and anger towards the doctors who for ten years have said she will never improve. It’s a cocktail of emotions, a roller coaster in one line..."

A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, a Retro Productions play, runs until May 25th and you can score tickets right here.


And, yeah -- I know Heather Cunningham!!  She's funny, fabulous and a great actor.  Check out A Day in the Death of Joe Egg!






Saturday, May 11, 2013

Happy Mother's Day with Forgive Me, Martha + Giveaway!

Forgive Me, Martha is an irreverent book about the life and times – in bite-sized pieces – of a modern-day mother of twins vs. the June Cleaver mother of the 50s who could do no wrong.  Becky Pourchot, the author of 4 other books as well as Forgive Me, Martha, prays to the Goddess of Domesticity Martha Stewart for pardon and grace throughout the short vignettes and poems in this book.




The vignettes range from the endearing to the unbelievable in this short book however you’re always turning pages to see what Becky says next!

This Mother’s Day pick up a copy of Forgive Me, Martha.  You will have no shortage of things to discuss! 

What's even better?  A chance to win a copy of the book!  It's simple.  All you have to do is confess your worst Mommy moment in a comment (just type away below!).  Two winners, selected by Becky Pourchot and Penelope Anne Bartotto, will be selected to receive a print copy of Forgive Me, Martha.


So get your comments in today!!!


 Interview with Author Becky M. Pourchot


NB: Becky, tell us about yourself.
BP: I am the author of four books including a young adult paranormal series called Hungry Ghost Books.  All of my books have a vein of humor in them—even the scary ones.  For me, life without humor isn’t really living…thus stories without humor are missing an important element to life.  I currently live in a little beach town in Florida called Flagler Beach with my kids and my husband.  The weather’s looking nicer and I’m hoping to go out surfing with the kids one day soon here.

NB: What inspired you to write your first book, and what was it? 
BP: Forgive Me Martha was my first book.  After my twins were born I was miserable because felt like my life was slipping into chaos, while all my neighbors seems so cool in their cute clothes and their tidy lawns.  In my mind, everyone’s house was immaculate but mine.   So, a friend and I were joking around that I needed to confess all of my domestic sins to Martha Stewart …sort of like a Catholic confessional.  So I started blogging these little poems and pretty soon Martha became a book.

NB: What is your greatest strength as a writer?  
BP: I think people like my writing in part because I’m honest and real.  Even when I’m writing fiction, I am still in some way telling truths about life.  The situations and characters may be made up but they are all connected to real things that have meaning in my life.   I think people connect with my writing, because I’m right there with them, as they dive into my tales.

NB: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? 
BP: I started writing as a kid.  Even then I was tapping into these deeper things.  I remember in fifth grade I wrote a story about a girl who could read people’s minds…but only when someone said the word baloney.  Weird?  Yes.  Even then I was into humor…and paranormal.

NB: What made you want to be a writer?  
BP: I actually never wanted to be a writer.  I just did it because I liked it…but I never had any aspiration to make a living at it.  I thought writers were weird or depressed  (actually I was right about that).  After I began writing freelance articles on the side, I started telling people I was a writer…and wow, you wouldn’t believe how much respect people give you when you say you write for a living.  It was actually kind of funny.  So I kept saying it and I continue to say it.  I still don’t really feel like a writer…I’m just someone who sits at my computer for hours and, well…writes.

NB: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
BP: Well , technically Forgive Me Martha isn’t a novel…it’s a collection of humorous poems and short stories.  But there is a message.  It’s basically that we’re all flawed…I mean with big ugly flaws that we don’t want anyone to see BUT we’re also human, wonderfully human with the ability to laugh at ourselves, then look in the mirror and say, “Hey.  You’re not so bad….I suppose I don’t mind hanging around you.”  

NB: Where can readers find you?

NB: Where can readers purchase your book?  www.beckypourchot.com  & Amazon

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Cover Reveal: Land of the Unaltered by Leti Del Mar

Heya Guys and Gals,

Today we have a special treat!  We are doing a book cover reveal for Leti Del Mar's new book Land of the Unaltered due out June 18th, 2013!  Check out the synopsis below and then head over to GoodReads and mark as "To-Read" today!





Rose comes from the capital of the Confederation of Cities where its citizens live in luxury and the greatest fashion statement of all is being Altered.  People change everything about the way they look as often as they do their hairstyle but Rose is different.  Her position of privilege has made her an outcast and led her to suspect that something sinister is happening to the citizens and flees the capital along with a past that imprisons her in search of a fresh start in the Land of the Unaltered.
Flynn lives in the Land of the Unaltered and hates the capitol and everything it stands for.  So when a spoiled capital girl is assigned to work with him, he wants nothing to do with her and is prepared to make her life miserable.  But Flynn was not prepared for someone like Rose.  She doesn’t fit the mold he expected and finds himself strongly attracted to her.  As she continues to surprise and outwit him, they begin to forge a bond that is tested when they discover a secret that could change everything they know about Land of the Unaltered.  
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17875009-land-of-the-unaltered


Land of the Unaltered is a Dystopian Romance.  It is the first installment of the Unaltered Trilogy.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Part Deux: James Gawley & Exiles of Arcadia - Free this weekend



A month ago, I reviewed a historical fiction novella by author James Gawley.  I read it on a whim thinking it would be interesting reading.  I wanted to expand my reading repetoire and I'm glad I did!  Find the review here.  I enjoyed the book immensely -- way more than I had anticipated and when I found out that Exiles of Arcadia would be FREE this coming weekend I had to let everyone know a bit more about the book and its author.

You can snag your no-cost copy of Exiles of Arcadia by clicking this link from Friday, May 3rd - Sunday, May 5th, 2013 -- http://tinyurl.com/aw6plef.





In the meantime, please find out what makes James tick...

NB: Tell us about yourself.
 JG: My name is James Gawley, and besides being the writer of a Historical Fiction/Fantasy series called “Exiles of Arcadia,” I am a PhD student at SUNY Buffalo. My scholarly research concerns the linguistics and the economics of the ancient world. Specifically, I investigate charity and corruption in the first hundred years of the Christian church, economic policies of the early Roman Empire, and on the linguistic side, I look at the language of everyday Romans and try to determine what their speech habits say about their cultural values.




NB: Tell us about your latest work.  Can you share a little of it with us?
JG: ‘Exiles of Arcadia’ is told from several perspectives, but each novella follows one character exclusively. In aggregate these novella’s depict the personal consequences of sweeping historical change. The next piece of the ‘Exiles’ puzzle follows Lilith Fabian, a young noblewoman living on the provincial borders of Arcadia. Lilith is the governor’s daughter. For years she has attended her father’s meetings, met with his clients, and advised him in his affairs. But violence is brewing on their borders and the province is suffering. When the barbarians are at the gates, Lilith’s father disappears, leaving her alone in the governor’s chair. With few allies and crumbling support, Lilith must find a way to rally her province against imminent destruction.

NB: Tell us about your main character.
JG: The hero of ‘Legionnaire’ is a sixteen-year-old recruit named Primus Seneca. His father is a great general, brought low by a disastrous civil war that began and ended ten years ago. Primus worships his father, and wants little more than to prove himself worthy of his attention. But in the past six years, the Elder Seneca has been away from his son.  In his absence, young Primus attaches himself to a string of unlikely father-figures seeking acceptance wherever he can find it. Yet, the men he looks up to don’t have his best interests at heart.  The choices he’s forced to make will lead him ever further away from the man he wants to be–the man who could make his father proud.




NB: How, if at all, has your upbringing influenced your writing?
JG: I was raised in Florida; Dade County Public schools being what they are, I was largely educated in the library. My parents took advantage of all the activities the public library put on for children; this may have been a cheap trick to get me out of their hair. As a result, story-time at the Coral Gables Public library was a staple of my childhood even before I went to kindergarten. If you aren’t from South Florida, it’s worth saying that CGPL is one of the most beautiful buildings in Miami; it’s built of porous limestone, both its walls and the plaza and fountain at its entrance. Giant ficus trees cast the whole block in deep shade. The library’s doors are two stories tall and built of solid oak, yet they swing in easily on huge brass hinges. The smell of books that floods out when those doors open is a vivid memory even now. The love of reading that ultimately drives my writing was forged there.

NB: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
JG: My father used to read ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to my brother and I as a bed-time story. I doubt that we tackled more than 15 pages on any given night; I was in the first grade when he started, but I was a third-grader by the time we finished. By then my fate was sealed. I was making up stories by the end of that year.

NB: How long have you been writing?
JG: Since the third grade. My first story was called “The Last Mission” and it was about a soon-to-retire space-fighter pilot who finds his commission abruptly extended when his final tour runs afoul of aliens poised to attack the Earth. It was actually a pretty decent story, though I never got around to finishing it. One of these days...

NB: What inspires you to write and why?
JG: My research is a constant inspiration. A historian spends all day attempting to imagine a world and a culture alien to his own. The evidence we have is always fragmented, and while it’s irresponsible to let your imagination fill in the blanks, the temptation to do so is constant. Writing lets me indulge that temptation, and my professional research helps to impart texture and a realism to my work that I’m proud to say you won’t find anywhere else.

 NB: What do you love about independent publishing?
JG: The speed with which one can share one’s work with the world. My father died just six weeks after ‘Legionnaire’ was released. I had been working on the book for ten years by then, and if I had gone the traditional publishing route it would have been another year at least before the book saw daylight as a published work. The way it happened, my father had the chance to read my book on his Kindle and to share it with his friends. He was proud of my accomplishment, and bragged shamelessly about it. That’s an experience that will forever shape the way I look at independent publishing.

NB: How do you come up with new novel ideas?
JG: I steal from history. Seriously, research is the ultimate cure for writer’s block. I have more ideas than I’ll ever get to write about, and it’s thanks to inspiring teachers who constantly expose me to new ideas and areas of the human experience.

NB: What genre of books do you read, or do you stick with the genre you write in?
JG: I rarely read fantasy anymore. If I do, it’s generally to re-read the work of Robin Hobb or George R.R. Martin. I read a bit of historical fiction–I’m currently reading Maurice Druon’s ‘The Iron King.’ I was also tremendously influenced by Studs Terkel’s ‘The Good War,’ an account of WW II through the eyes of generals, candy-strippers, POWs, submarine captains, conscientious objectors, presidential cabinet members, and pretty much everyone else who lived through the experience. In a time when historians are striving (and failing, in most cases miserably) to create a ‘People’s History’ of great events, this journalist has actually done it.

And of course the fake-history version of ‘The Good War’ is the masterpiece ‘World War Z.’

NB: How important do you think villains are in a story?
JG: They are critical, of course! I spent a great deal of time writing about Varro’s life–material that will never see the light of day–in order to make him feel like a real man. His actions, however cruel, must seem justified in his own eyes. I hope the reader gets a sense of that depth when faced with Varro (from the reviews, I think that’s the case). I hope your skin crawls when you think about him and I hope you can’t look away!


NB: Where can readers find you?
JG: My author site can be found at www.exilesofarcadia.com, and my professional (scholarly) site is located at www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jamesgaw/. I’m on twitter as @JamesGawley, and my facebook fan page is facebook.com/exilesofarcadia.

NB: Where can readers purchase your book?
JG: ‘Legionnaire,’ is currently available exclusively as a Kindle download at amazon.com/dp/B00BBFP1LG.