Wednesday 30 November 2011

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - NATALIE DAMSCHRODER





  1. What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My name is Natalie J. Damschroder. I was born in South Ruislip, England, where my father was stationed in the Air Force. I grew up in Massachusetts, and now I live in south central Pennsylvania.

  1. Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
Unfortunately, yes! LOL I do freelance work as an editor and proofreader, and I work part time for a very busy chiropractic office. If I can’t make a full-time living with my fiction yet, these two jobs are good ones to have. I work with some great people, and enjoy the work itself a great deal.

  1. Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
I often do giveaways as a thank you to readers for their interest in my books. I never attach a review requirement to it, though I’m always grateful if a reader feels like posting their opinion somewhere. My publishers do also send out my books for review, as well.

  1. Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
I do! I guess I shouldn’t. Conventional wisdom says it’s better not to, because negative ones can hurt. And they do, at least for a little while. But I’ve never had a review, positive or negative, that wasn’t an honest assessment by the reviewer, and that’s all that’s important. I don’t like every book I read, so I can’t expect everyone who reads my books to like them. The bottom line is that the joy I get from a really good review is worth the bad feelings of a negative one.

  1. What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller ?
If anyone knew, we’d all be doing it! LOL That’s the beauty of any form of entertainment. We all have our own individual tastes, and I think more and more they overlap less and less. What I mean is that there’s so much variety out there, whether it’s genres of books or types of TV shows, that any of us can find what we want to see. We don’t all have to watch the same things. So it’s harder for stuff that’s well done to get blockbuster acclaim. Good writing, interesting characters, and a strong, exciting plot don’t always make it happen. The one thing that does is giving readers something to talk about. When they love a book so much they want to talk about it, it will be a bestseller.

  1. What do you do to unwind and relax?
I loooove putting on my comfy lounging pants, wrapping up in my fluffy blanket, and watching TV with a cat on my lap. When I get overwhelmed and take a forced day off, I spend most of it reading (my vacations are loaded with reading, too!). When I need to physically get away from everything, I go out for dinner with my closest friends. We usually end up standing on the sidewalk talking for even longer than we were in the restaurant. :) And for the really big escapes, we drive to a nearby city to watch Jason Manns perform.

  1. Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
I don’t think I’ve based anything on actual events, but a lot of my characters and their actions are influenced by things that exist or happened in real life. In Under the Moon, my most recent release, I chose settings important to me, and referenced things from my past, like Sarett Nature Center and Tommy’s restaurant in Fairfield, Connecticut.

  1. Which format of book do you prefer, ebook, hardback, or paperback?
I like them all! If a book is only available in hardback and it’s one of my favorite authors, I’ll buy it or get it from the library and carry it around, reading it in one hand, the same way I do paperbacks or books on my Kindle. I love browsing the bookstore, so I have a full bookshelf of to-be-read books, but I also love the instant gratification of getting stuff on my Kindle, and the convenience of having another book to go to if I finish one somewhere away from my bookshelf.

  1. What is your favourite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
This might be a boring answer, but it’s Harry Potter. Every year, after the New England Patriots are knocked out of the playoffs, I drown my sorrows in the absolutely incredible audio performances by Jim Dale. I’ve never actually read the series, only listened to it, but I love it like crazy.

  1. Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie transfer?
Almost always no, I don’t think they transfer well. The Lord of the Rings is the big exception, because the books are so dense and have so many pages where nothing is happening. I was very disappointed in the movie adaptation of Clive Cussler’s Sahara, but I really liked the movie version of The Hunt for Red October, better than the book. I’m very excited about The Hunger Games, and I think that series has potential to be even better than the books. We’ll see.

  1. Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
I don’t think they will in my lifetime, simply because there’s practical need for print books (like when you run out of electricity or aren’t allowed to have electronic devices on), and there will always be people who either can’t afford an e-reader, or don’t see the need for one. And some kinds of books will never do well digitally. But I think the shift is her to a majority e-book world.

  1. Do you think children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing?
I’m sure it varies from school to school, but in my kids’ school, that’s a definite yes. They’re required to have a book with them at all times for pleasure reading, and they are given written assignments in all subjects, not just the “word-based” ones. Whether the “imaginative” factor sticks as they get older is up for debate, but my high-schooler has far more options in her class choices than I ever did.

Where can readers follow you?
Twitter: @NJDamschroder

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY/ PLEASE NOTICE ME BY JACK MONTGOMERY




This book is a compilation of two short stories, called 

The One That Got Away and Please Notice Me



THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY 

This book is about a woman called Miranda and her team, Rob and Nancy. They travel on business and stay in a rather exclusive hotel to make an impression on the business man they are trying to get a contract from. miranda is a single mum, and she reluctantly leaves her young daughter at home with her sister. Miranda has never had much luck with men, they usually turn out to be slimeballs! 
Anyway on this business trip Miranda is feeling super confident, and is sat in the bar with the rather jealous Rob. who one day soon would love Miranda's job for himself and Nancy the faithful, mother figure. Whilst in the hotel bar Miranda meets a rather gorgeous guy named James, they spend quite a lot of time together, mainly in a hotel room!
Miranda and her team go to deliver their pitch to the important business man and well i won't say what happens otr it will give away too much of the story and spoil it for you reading it for yourselves.

I have to say I really enjoyed this short story, and didn't want it to end! It reminded me of when I was a kid and used to watch Roald Dahl's Tales of The Unexpected on TV with my grandparents (a lovely happy memory I enjoyed revisiting). The characters are so well described and the story slowly build momentum up to its twisted end. You find yourself caring about the characters and what happens to them even though this is a short story.The end of this short story has a serious twist/sting in its tail!! I would say go and buy it now,I certainly recommend it! I am certainly looking forward to the second short story by this author, stay tuned for the review.

PLEASE NOTICE ME

This book is about a man past his prime of life basically lusting after his 9 year old daughter Janet's babysitter. The babysitter Kayley who just so happens to live next-door with just her father as her mother has recently died. Again there is a twist/sting in the tale of this story as it turns out that the wife isn't as blind to the man's lusting after the babysitter, and the babysitter isn't perhaps quite as innocent and pure as she may seem. The man certainly gets his comeuppance at the end. It's difficult to say more without giving away the twist.
I have to admit I didn't like or enjoy this short novella as much as the first one. I think we could have perhaps read a little more from the wife's point of view rather than her just been in the story at the end in the twist. I think the saying "Be careful what you wish for....because you just might get it" really applies to the man in this story. As when he was to get what he had been wishing and dreaming about , he didn't really know what to do with it. He realised he didn't want what he had been wishing for after all.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW - JACK MONTGOMERY






Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I’ve liked writing as a creative outlet since junior high, and have been writing stories, journals and whatever else I could think of since then. But I only started having any discipline about the process a few years ago, when I hit 30. 

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
Not sure I do yet. If/when I have some real professional success maybe I’ll start thinking that way, but for now I’m just a dude with a pen.

  Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
Yes, I work in corporate finance. This is a hobby that I’d love to turn into a career and escape the 9-to-5 rat race.

 What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
It’s a compilation of two short stories, called The One That Got Away and Please Notice Me. Hmm, 20 words or less:
Two seemingly mundane lives get shaken to their core at the worst possible time. Also includes winning 2012 Powerball numbers.

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
Self-publish through Kindle and Nook.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?
I actually find the easiest things to write are subjects I don’t know much about. Probably I overthink the stuff I’m an “expert” on.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
For the time being I like jumping around. I guess I’m still trying to find my speciality and so I’m experimenting every time I start something new. Fast forward 15 years, and I’m guessing the majority of my published works will be novels about politics and human behaviour.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
I’m well into writing my next book, which is a political thriller titled One Nation, Under Siege. I plan to have that available in March. I have a bunch of blurbs written for a non-fiction book – also about politics – but we’ll see if that comes to fruition as a published worked.

 What genre would you place your books into?
For the ones I’ve finished, if you consider “short stories” to be a genre, then that’s the primary place. But for story themes, I’d say suspense or maybe mystery.

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
I’ve written more screenplays than books, and One Nation, Under Siege is adapted from a screenplay that Hollywood basically said is “a great idea that’s too controversial to sel”. That screenplay is my favourite writing because I really pushed myself to get it the way I wanted it, and the way I think it can be marketable as well. If I’m right it’ll be that much sweeter due to the lengths I’ve gone to get it out there.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
My first attempt at TV pilot is a sitcom based on my first apartment out of college – at the time I remember thinking our life was straight from NBC Thursday nights – and the way I...enhanced...the personalities of my friends was a lot of fun.

Do you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them?
Yes, I always ask a friend or two to review. They’re happy to do it, but it’s tough for me cause I’m more nervous about their thoughts than the opinions of strangers.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?
Not as much as I should.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
I will. There’s always something constructive to take from them, and I’ve been a guy long enough I can handle rejection.

How do you market/promote your books?
Learning how to promote my work effectively is probably tougher than writing it.

 What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller ?
Finding the right balance between quality and relevance, with a huge amount of luck mixed in. 

 Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
Constantly. Usually changing the channel is what helps. The number of times I’ve been stuck on something and the answer came to me in the shower or on my way home from the gym is too high to count.

 What do you do to unwind and relax?
In theory, writing is supposed to be my relax time. But now that there’s a business aspect to it, I find myself thinking of it as closer to a second job, albeit a fulfilling one.

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
Quite often. Most of my characters have at least something in common with a person in my life, whether it be a personality trait, career choice or memorable experience.

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
Gray is a lot more common in the world than black or white, so most of my moral statements are relative – i.e., doing the right thing given the hand you’re dealt. Whether or not there’s a greater moral message probably isn’t for me to answer.

 Is there a certain Author that influenced you in writing?
As a kid I LOVED Robert Ludlum, Clive Cussler and Stephen King. My favourite author today is Bill Simmons (aka, ESPN’s “Sports Guy”). 

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?
Whichever one sells the most!

 Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer?
I think that can be beautiful, magical experiences, like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Or that can be awful like Clive Cussler’s Sahara. I think the key is respecting the original book, even if you take some liberties along the way. Just don’t reinvent someone or some situation so much they’re unrecognizable.

 Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
100% replace print? No, there’s too many people who will continue to love getting print on their hands. But I suspect printed books will soon become the niche market. Eventually print books might be similar to the audiophile market of people who still prefer records to Ipods and CDs.

 Is there a book you know you will never read? Or one you tried to read but just couldn't finish?
Ann Coulter’s How to Talk to a Liberal... I like listening to and understanding the opinions of people I disagree with, but her book was one made up simple-minded diatribe after another, even by standards of the Fox News set. Coulter’s just a less intelligent Rush Limbaugh with better hair and smaller breasts.

 Are there any New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we watch out for them?
I’m actually hoping for the opposite, that you and your readers will alert me to new authors I should give a try.

 Is there anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it be?
For the stories I just published, I don’t think so. Of course there are things I missed, but ultimately I can live with the results (good, bad, disaster or indifferent) as long as I feel good about what I put out there. I’d much rather fail with something I’m proud of then succeed due to something I’m embarrassed by.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
Simple, fortune cookie advice: You’ll regret not writing or publishing that piece more than you will regret it not doing well.

 Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
I do use a pen name. I find it liberating, like I can be someone else for a short time.


Where can readers follow you?

Your Goodreads author page?         Pending...I’ll forward when it’s ready
Your Twitter details?                           Twitter.com/wannascribble

And any other information you wish to supply?            

Thankyou for taking the time to do this interview!

OUT TODAY! PARADOX BOOK 2 PROGENY OF INNOCENCE BY PATTI ROBERTS


TODAY IS RELEASE DAY



Tuesday 29 November 2011

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - JEW IN JAIL



BLURB taken from Goodreads


JEW IN JAIL is the true story of the nearly six years that I spent incarcerated in various correctional facilities throughout the state of New York. It deals with my attempts at recovery from past addictions to alcohol, drugs and gambling, as well as my efforts to turn my life around in hopes of becoming a solid citizen and successful member of society upon my release. In addition, my book also provides insight into how I, as a minority in prison, was forced to fend for myself against all of the mistreatment at the hands of the powers that be from the Department Of Correctional Services in this "world within the real world," as well as the daily grind of doing time with hardened criminals, many of whom I felt no close connection to, all the while continuing to fight for the true justice I strongly felt I wasn't afforded during my lower court proceedings.


Available from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk £6.89 on Kindle

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - GARY GOLDSTEIN



What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
  Gary Goldstein, from Brooklyn, New York.  I have lived here my entire life!

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
 Originally, I wanted to be a sportswriter or sportscaster, if I couldn't be a professional athlete first!

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"? 
 When I was a writer, sports editor, and then editor-in-chief of Kingsborough Community College's student newspaper, "Scepter," from 1979-1981.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
My book is "Jew in Jail," and it is the true story of the nearly six years I spent in state prison in New York for robbery, due to my past addictions to alcohol, drugs and gambling, and my road to recovery.

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
"Jew in Jail" was self-published through CreateSpace.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
  I have another book on the horizon, but first would like to continue promoting and publicizing "Jew in Jail," since it sends a powerful message about recovery from addiction and loss of self-esteem, which I strongly feel can benefit everyone.  I am also a motivational & inspirational speaker, and want to continue that too.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?
I graduated from Long Island University in 1983 - where I wrote for the college newspaper - with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism, and have been writing even before that time (Kingsborough Community College), for a total of roughly 30 years now.  However, it was the untimely death of my beloved late father, Irving Goldstein, who sadly and unexpectedly passed away on January 23, 1999, while I was still on Rikers Island, waiting to be sent to an upstate New York prison, that ultimately made me decide to write "Jew in Jail" in my father's honor.

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
 I came up with the title myself, and CreateSpace designed the cover of my book after consulting with me.

How do you market/promote your books? 
 CreateSpace sent hundreds of press releases out to the media after publication, but, now, as a self-published author, I handle all the marketing and promotion myself via social media and other methods.

What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller?
One that holds the reader's attention, either due to crisp, concise writing, the revelation of an important message, or compelling characters, all of which I believe "Jew in Jail" does remarkably well!

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
GREAT question Jeanz!  It doesn't happen to me often, but when it does, I merely turn on some soothing music, and that usually relaxes me, clears my head, and allows me to continue writing.

What do you do to unwind and relax?
Listen to music, as I just mentioned, work out, jog, play sports, or watch television (usually comedies!).

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you? 
"Jew in Jail" is MY true story, so the answer is a definite YES to both!

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?
I prefer the paperback, because there is just something about physically holding a book that I feel a close connection to.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer?
Some do, and some don't, but I feel that mine will, because my message of overcoming one's past addictions and lack of self-esteem is so overpowering.  I think the Harry Potter movies speak for themselves, while To Kill a Mockingbird was one that I was disappointed with.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback) 
I am reading "Life Is Not A Stage" by Florence Henderson (Mrs. Brady of the Brady Bunch TV Show!).  I am reading (and enjoying) the paperback copy, because I prefer to hold the book physically in my hands.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
No I dont, because there are many, many people like myself who prefer to hold the actual book.

Do you think children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing?
 I think teachers do an incredible job with the resources and budget constraints they work under, but I am one who thinks that there is always more that could be done.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
To never stop pursuing your dreams, and continue to do anything and everything you can to get noticed and apply your craft.

      Readers can follow me on:
          Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/jewinjail
         
          Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11188557-jew-in-jail