Wednesday 20 November 2013

BLOG TOUR - THE HANGING TREE BY MICHAEL PHILLIP CASH

ISBN:  978-1492274513
ASIN:  B00FRMVJU6
Genre:  YA Paranormal/Thriller
Publisher: Self/Indie
Pages/File Size: 91pages/1667KB
Formats Available:  Paperback, E-Book

BLURB supplied by Bridging The Gap Promotions

Seventeen year old Arielle is at a crossroads in her life. Disenchanted with her father, she is testing the boundaries of his trust by dating someone he does not approve. Under the moonlit sky in Long Island, Arielle and her boyfriend meet beneath the infamous hanging tree. The couple's destiny is rooted to the five spirits in the tree whose lives and deaths are determined by an ancient curse. Will her future be determined by the past or will Arielle's choices alter the course of her life?

PURCHASE LINKS

EXCERPT
The bark bit into the delicate skin of Arielle’s back. Stars twinkled above her, dancing in the reflection of Chad’s eyes.   “Stop, really.  Stop.” She pushed at Chad’s shoulders as he resisted her, his lips caressing the side of her neck. “I don’t want to.”

“Arielle, you promised,.” Chad whispered, assaulting her lips. “I thought you said you love me,” he wheedled.


Arielle looked at the leafy canopy. “I do. I really do, but I...I don’t know if I want to do this.  Especially here,”  she added practically.


Chad wheeled away, clearly annoyed, and bounced to his car door. The car was his pride and joy, a gift for his eighteenth birthday, a Camaro, light blue and totally awesome.  It was a chick magnet, and for a minute he wanted to share that with Arielle. They had been dating for almost six months, and he was more than ready to take it to the next level. It wasn’t his first time, and there were plenty of girls interested in him if Arielle wasn’t. Pulling a pack of cigarettes out of the console, he flipped a Zippo expertly, lit his cigarette, and inhaled deeply.


Arielle walked over and leaned against the car door nearby, moving close to him, trying to feel his moist body heat in the cool summer air. Crickets chirped nearby, and they watched traffic pick up on the road to the left of them.

“Looks like the movie ended,”  Arielle offered up some conversation.


Chad nodded but didn’t respond. The silence stretched before them, anxiety building in her tight chest. She loved him, but this was big, huge; she just wasn’t ready. She considered the spreading oak tree before them. Everybody was mad at her, everybody in the world. She knew she was going to be in hot water with her dad that night. He was pissed when she had walked out. She looked at Chad’s profile in the dark, his features limned by the streetlamp. He was tall with sandy blond hair worn long and loose. It caressed his high cheekbones, and he was always brushing it from his warm, honey eyes. When he looked at a girl, she felt special. Well, he wasn’t looking at her now, so she tried again. “They say the tree is haunted.”

“I’m not afraid of ghosts,”  Chad declared, his wide mouth scowling.  He wanted to punish her. There had been the promise for so long; he wanted to tell her to put up or he was out of here. She was one of the prettiest girls in the school, with hips that moved so gracefully he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. The pale oval of her face gazed up at him, and he brushed her soft lips with his finger. She had the bluest eyes fringed by black lashes. Those eyes lit up with pleasure, and she rubbed her cheek against his knuckles. Picking up a light brown curl, he twined it around his fingers.


“Where’s your penknife?” Arielle asked



ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Michael Phillip Cash’s first book Brood X- A Firsthand Account of the Great Cicada Invasion is presently under consideration for a film adaptation. His well-received second novel, Stillwell- A Haunting on Long Island, has stayed on the top of Amazon's "100 Best Seller" in its genre since its release earlier this year. He is currently working on another ghost story. He lives on Long Island with his wife and children.







AUTHOR INTERVIEW 


What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now? 
My name is Michael Phillip Cash.  I was born in Queens, NY and I currently live on the North Shore of Long Island with my wife and two children.

 Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be? 
I’ve had a fascination with story telling since I’m 5.  I always wanted to be a screenwriter and I have been writing screenplays since I’m 18.  I then took most of my screenplays and converted them to books.  Becoming a novelist found me.

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"? 
After I self-published my first book when I turned 28.

Did it take a long time to get your first book published? 
No, the team at www.createspace.com allows total control over your work.  They expedited all my requests and ensured my books hit the shelves in a timely manner.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work? 
Nope.  Writing full time.

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 latest book is called The Hanging Tree.  The story is about fate and making wise choices that effect people in all different walks of life.

Who is your publisher? or do you self publish? 
Self-publish all the way. 

Do you have a "lucky charm" or "lucky routine" you follow when waiting for your book to be accepted by a publisher? 
I have never taken the route to go to a publisher.  Create Space makes it so easy to get your work to the masses that I just went that route from day one.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it? 
Depends on the idea.  My first novel, Brood X took me about a month to complete.  Stillwell was 5 days.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? 
Books of a different genre? 
I am fulfilling my dreams of writing my first ever fantasy series called Schism: The Battle for Darracia.  It’s Star Wars meets Legend of Zelda meets Lord of the Rings meets Avatar.  I’m having a total blast with this book because it is allowing me to create an entire Universe.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series? 
Yes, my new fantasy novel is going to be a trilogy.

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
 I love them all! 

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair? 
I write in my office.  The TV has to be on in the background on mute.  Generally on the Travel Channel, Food Network or a great movie.

Do you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know? 
My mom and brother are my biggest critics so they get first crack at my novels.  My wife also reads them, but only when she gets the kids to sleep in time. 

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Yes, religiously.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books? 
No, never.  I always want people to be honest about my work.  I generally take those negative reviews and try to use them to my advantage for my next book. I’m not challenged by constructive criticism, I embrace it.

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books? 
My brother is the creative genius behind my book covers.  I would be nothing without him.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title? 
I choose the logline first.  The logline is a seedling that describes what the book is about.  The title of the book always comes to me after the first or second chapters are complete.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?  
I have a general idea how I want the characters tics to be played out before I write, but its never set in stone.  Their behaviors shine more as I write.

How do you market/promote your books? 
My family acts as my publicity team.  I’ve also hired a team of social networkers to get my name out there on the different sites like Facebook and Twitter. Her name is Julie Gerber and Away We Go Media… she is a genius at promotion, especially on a tight budget.

What do you think makes a book a really good/bestseller ? 
Story, story, story.  If you have a great story and know how to tell it well, then the book will sell by word of mouth.  If you don’t have the audience turning the page to see what happens next, all your writing will be for nothing.

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?  Writers block happens to everyone.  It’s a normal part of the process.  The only thing to do to get past the writers block is to WRITE.  Just sit down and write and see where your mind takes you. Eating a cheeseburger without the bun doesn’t hurt either.

What do you do to unwind and relax?Do you have a hobby? 
I love being with my wife and kids.  We go on adventures all the time to different parks, zoos and aquariums.  Even just sitting in the backyard with my family is a great escape.  I love visiting different cities, and I especially love eating great food. I’m a big foodie.

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..") 
That is what I center all of my books around - a moral.  In any great story, there has to be a lesson learned. There has to be change to the main character or you don’t really have much of a story.  In Brood X, Seth has to change in order to save his wife and unborn child from the havoc of the cicada epidemic.  In Stillwell, Paul has to understand how to exorcise the demon to free his wife’s soul.  In the Hanging Tree, Arielle has to change to break the curse of the tree, unknowingly to her.  Every story must have a moral.

Is there a certain Author that influenced you in writing? 
Yes, Quentin Tarantino is my total inspiration for my writing. I love his twists and turns.  He’s always a surprise.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback? 
It’s a tossup between paperback and ebooks.  Ebooks are here to stay and I’ve embraced that type of book, however there is nothing in the world like sitting with a paperback on a cold rainy night.

What is your favourite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once? 
I’m actually a big self-help book lover.  I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the genius of Wallace Wattles and Joseph Murphy.  Their books, The Science of Getting Rich and The Power of your Subconscious Mind has opened up the Universe for me.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer? 
I do feel that books made as movies that are done well can still convey the same great message.  My favorite adaptation is Sideways.  It was an amazing book and an amazing movie.  However, Congo by Michael Cricthon was an amazing book, but fell short in every department as a movie.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback) 
I just finished a book called Nothing in this Book is True but It’s Exactly How Things Are by Bob Frissell.  I read it on my kindle and was completely blown away by the vast store of knowledge Mr. Frissell has.  He takes you on a tour of the Universe and answers any questions you may have about spirituality and growth.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books? 
Unfortunately yes, but I hope not.

Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life? 
School never really ignited the passion for me write, it always came from within.  It came later in life as I matured. 

Do you have a favourite genre of book?
 I love Self Help and Spirituality books.

Is there a book you know you will never read? Or one you tried to read but just couldn't finish? 
I recently tried reading Gone Girl and even though they are making it into a movie, I just couldn’t finish it. 

Is there anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it be? 
No, once the book is complete and being read by the audience, I don’t want to change anything.

What piece of advice would you give to a new writer? 
Skip trying to get published.  Go directly to createspace.com, sign up, upload your manuscript and get your book seen by millions of people.  It’s the best way to get your creativity out there.

Do you or would you ever use a pen name?  
Maybe. 

If you could invite three favourite writers to dinner, who would you invite and enjoy chatting with? 
Wallace Wattles, Joseph Murphy and Anthony Robbins.   We would talk about Success.

Where can readers follow you?
Your Twitter Details? @michaelpcash

And any other information you wish to supply? 
Thank you so much for this opportunity!  Great questions!  It was a pleasure!!

GIVEAWAY 
Michael is giving away 5 signed copies of The Hanging Tree

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