Interview with Margaret Millmore

Interview with Margaret A. Millmore, 

Author of The Dragonfly Door 

(a modern day time-travel thriller/suspense novel)

Questions by Roy Murry

Can you tell me a little about yourself? 

I’m a native Californian, and have lived in San Francisco since 1991 with my husband Bryan. I’m the author of 5 books; Doppelganger Experiment and Books I through III of The Four Series via World Castle Publishing (2011, 2012, 2013), and The Dragonfly Door via Amazon (October 2013).

Were you inspired by someone or something? 

A few years back I was driving home from the grocery store, located out by Ocean Beach in San Francisco – the neighborhood is generally quiet and residential, suddenly I noticed swarms of dragonflies, they were everywhere, so many that I had to pull over to watch them. I couldn’t leave the experience alone, so I wrote it down upon returning home (the ice-cream melted a bit while I did this….). That’s where it stayed for a while, but I knew there was something there, it just hadn’t formed yet. A little bit later I was visiting family in Southern California during the Thanksgiving holiday, we were driving through the high desert and the landscape suddenly spoke to me, and the plot was born. It took me a little more than 3 years to bring this book to fruition, but it was worth every minute of it.

Can you tell us about your book?

The Dragonfly Door:

Most people would envy Frank Mann for living off a trust fund in beautiful San Francisco. But Frank was directionless and spiraling downward – lonely, drinking heavily, getting into brawls. He was sitting at a bar when above the gleaming bottles he first glimpsed the thing that would change his life forever.

“It was the largest dragonfly I’d ever seen. Its wings were silver and its body a luminescent blue-green, almost metallic. I swear it was looking right at me.”

But it wasn’t looking at him. It was looking for him. Because it wasn’t a dragonfly at all. It was a door into the future. And it was sent to find Frank Mann for one specific reason: because only he could save mankind from extinction… But success will not be as easy as stepping through the dragonfly door.  (for a detailed synopsis, visit: http://margaretmillmore.com/home)

eBook link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FL572Q4

What genre best fits for the book? 

This book fits a few different genres. First, there is a time-travel element, its integral to the plot, but it’s not the plot, however that element puts it into the science fiction genre. The story itself falls under thrillers and suspense.

Are you working on something new at the moment? 

I’m currently working on a new novel that I’m hoping will evolve into a series. It’s a bit far off at the moment, but I can say there will be ghosts, and of course bad guys, I’ll toss some good guys in there too, just to balance things out.

Where can people go to read your work? 

All of my work is available at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Margaret-Millmore/e/B005ME8QTQ). For more information, visit: www.margaretmillmore.com

Do you have anything to add? 

I hope you have the opportunity to read my newest novel, The Dragonfly Door, and if so, please post a review on Amazon.com, the review is the lifeblood for independent authors and we very much appreciate the time you spend reading and posting. Thank you Roy, for the opportunity to visit your blog again.

Freedom of the Monsoon

Freedom of the Monsoon

Written by Malika Gandhi   

Reviewed by Roy Murry

The horrific events of the Mahatma Gandhi’s Quiet Revolution and the conflict between white and brown Indians are brought to light in Ms. Gandhi’s Freedom of the Monsoon. Mahandas, his real name was the Bapu, endeared father of the non-violent revolution that led India to freedom from British rule in 1947.  

In Malika’s historical novel we feel the pain of being dominated by another race of people, who have no real understanding of what being a Hindu or Muslim Indian entailed in that era. Conflicts arose because of these misinterpretations. Using a village’s involvement as the nucleus of her story, the Indian point of view is enhanced.

Un-necessary deaths, jailing’s, and killings were the norm according to the flow of events that led to the uprising that followed. This story has been told a number of times; however, Ms. Gandhi gets to the core of the conflict.

That miss-understanding of language and customs lead to conflicts. She details the areas between the caste system and the religious norms using the language of the period throughout this story. The reader will have to go with the slow flow of the Indian polite dialog to get the feelings behind each character’s adventure.

Those conflicts: love affairs between people of different classes, religions, color, and government vs. the people will keep you involved. Villager’s interwoven into what was an era that changed all their lives.

Ms. Gandhi did a fine job with her interpretations of the era surrounding The Quiet Revolution.

My book is available on amazon: http://amzn.to/1a50xb6

Interview with Malika Gandhi

Interview with Malika Gandhi

Author of Freedom of the Monsoon

Questions by R. Murry

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I am a young author of one and bit years and I love it. I am also a wife, and a mother to two boys.  I am an illustrator as well as a writer.

Do you remember the first story you wrote?

Yes! I was in junior school then. My story was about a monkey called Manglu and a dried up watering hole! I had the book laminated and wrote Author: Malika Gandhi on the back. I knew then on that I wanted to be an author.

Were you inspired by someone or something?

I was (and still am) an avid reader. I used to read a lot of Roald Dahl and C.S Lewis books then. I think they were the ones who inspired me.

What do you like about writing a story?

I love how characters take over and tell their story themselves. I like to add a little drama and bring the characters to life.

Can you tell us about your book?
Freedom of the Monsoon is set in the harrowing era of pre-independence India, when Mahatma Gandhi called for Quit India in 1942. The story focuses on five individuals who fight battles – of their own, and of their country’s. The reader will see 1940 India, and “live” the lives of those troubled, who face the dangers of losing a lot more than they bargained for.

What genre best fits for the book?
Historical Fiction.

Are you working on something new at the moment?
Yes. I am writing a trilogy based on Fantastical creatures, witches and powerful spells. The story focuses on two worlds: Earth and another which is fictional. I am very excited about this project as it new territory for me!

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

Be true to yourself. The thing about being an indie author is patience. Being indie is not just about writing the book but also marketing it. You are the creator from start to finish.

Where can people go to read your work?
My book is available on amazon: http://amzn.to/1a50xb6

Do you have anything to add?
Love your writing and don't ever let anything stop that. It is a unique treasure we hold.

Review of The Murders at Astaire Castle

Review of 
The Murders at Astaire Castle

written by Lauren Carr

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

Intrigue and fun are the words that describe this whodunit novel by Lauren Carr. She takes mystery to a different level that one gets entertained while trying to find out who or what is doing the killings in this tourist town.

‘The Murders’ is the right beginning of the title. If you’re not careful, you’ll lose count, as I did. The chain of events will come to a conclusion that the reader will understand, after Ms. Carr’s main character Mac Faraday and his support team, including Gnarly his German shepherd, uncover the villain.

The crimes are gruesome and non-link able as one may think. They do have one link and that is the personage that had lived and died at Astaire Castle. Is a ghost, a werewolf, a wolf man, a man or a woman the culprit? You’ll have to buy the book to find out.

Ms. Carr’s writing is fun to read if you like having an animal take over the scene. In this novel, likable and unlike able animals take over most of the scenes other than the investigative police work .

Your emotions will be played with in a good way and you’ll have a hard time picking out the criminal, because it’s a shape shifter according to a wolf man. There are also low key love entanglements. Ms. Lauren Carr draws you in; like I just did.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Carr/e/B001JP4F0Q/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1360868874&sr=8-2-ent

Interview with Lauren Carr

Interview with Lauren Carr                   

Author of

The Murders at Astaire Castle

(A Mac Faraday Mystery)

Questions: R. Murry

Can you tell me a little about yourself? I first fell in love with murder mysteries when my mother read Perry Mason to me at bedtime. From murderous bedtime stories, I grew up to become the author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland.  

The Murders at Astaire Castle is the fifth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series. Within days of its release in July 2013, it was in the Top-100 slot on Amazon under mystery-thrillers/police procedural. It is my Halloween mystery.

This month, The Lady Who Cried Murder, the sixth Mac Faraday mystery, was released and is in the top one-hundred in police procedurals and cozies on Amazon. In this mystery, Mac Faraday and his friends encounter their strangest group of suspects yet in the murder of a fame-obsessed reality star.

I am also the owner of Acorn Book Services, which offers publishing management, consulting, editing, cover and layout design, and eBook formatting for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genres, all written by independent authors, will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

I do all that from my home in Harpers Ferry, WV, where I live with my husband, son, and three dogs (which includes a German shepherd named Gnarly).

Do you remember the first story you wrote? Actually, I remember two stories. I had been making up stories from the time I could use my imagination, but never actually sat down to write one out. At fourteen, I decided to write a short story for a writing contest in a teen girl magazine. It was a kidnapping story. A romance won.

Later, when I was a senior in high school, a friend of mine was in a fix. She was taking creative writing and had the whole semester to write a short story, but she couldn’t. She was completely blocked. So, on the day the story was due, during lunch, I wrote out a short story in long hand. It was a comedy about a dog that was suffering from the humiliation of fleas. He is in love with the dog across the street, but his flea problem repelled her. The story was written in first person. She paid me with a cheeseburger, fries, and soda. It was my first professional writing job. She got an A for the story.

Were you inspired by someone or something? I’d have to say my mother. Books and mysteries are the love we share. She has always encouraged me to write and supported it. I can’t tell you how many times she would read a book and say, “Your stories are so much better than that.” She said it enough for me to believe it.

What do you like about writing a story? It’s the escape into a world of adventure and mystery.

Can you tell us about your book? In The Murders at Astaire Castle, Mac Faraday discovers that he owns a haunted castle. Or is it cursed?

Topping the list of the ten most haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago—and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David’s warning, Mac can’t resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn’t seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

Halloween has always been a fun time. It’s the time to break out and be someone else. As a child, I would pretend to be one of the Bobby Twins searching for clues to lead me to a secret treasure. If I was lucky, it was made up of chocolate. As a teenager, I was Nancy Drew. Always, when October rolled around, I craved mysteries with something extra added—something beyond the normal—something supernatural. As an author, I couldn’t resist taking this one Mac Faraday Mystery on a scary Halloween adventure.

What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet—including a wolf man. No, we’re not talking about Gnarly.

What genre best fits for the book? It’s a mystery.  I would not classify as a paranormal, though they do encounter a wolf man in the castle. Amazon has placed my mysteries under both police procedural and cozy. I guess you would describe them as “gritty cozies.”

Are you working on something new at the moment? Right now, I’m working on the next Mac Faraday, which I am aiming for an early 2014 release. The working title is Twelve to Murder. In this mystery, Mac is taken hostage by the prime suspect in a double homicide, who gives him twelve hours, until midnight, to find the real murderer and prove him innocent. If Mac fails, then the hostage taker is going to kill him—after shooting Mac in the head.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? Write whatever turns you on. Don’t worry about the market or what is hot right now. That always changes and you will go nuts trying to keep up with it. Write what you love. If you love it, there will surely be an audience who will love it, too.

Where can people go to read your work? Amazon.com. All of my books is available in both print and e-book. The e-book versions are only 99 cents each.

You can start by visiting my author page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Carr/e/B001JP4F0Q/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1360868874&sr=8-2-ent

Do you have anything to add? Readers can also get the updated schedule for my tour by visiting my sites:

Visit Lauren’s websites and blog at:

Website: http://acornbookservices.com/

                 http://mysterylady.net/

Blog: Literary Wealth: http://literarywealth.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lauren.carr.984991

Review of Killing Sands

Killing Sands
Written by David Ball

a.k.a. John Cleever

Reviewed by Roy Murry

Intrigue, thrilling adventure, international killing, and police investigation all rolled into one novel is hard to pull off. Mr. Cleever does it by laying the foundation in the first part of his book and then the parts turn into events that shock and disturb the world.

A simple World War II event in Northern Africa ignites and changes the lives of those involved, especially that of a young boy. He sets his goals albeit not the most pleasant ones. Another, who does an act of heroism about the same time, will be the key in an attempt of destroying that boy’s goals.

Each has set their eyes on overcoming adversities to place themselves in a position of security. Only one in the end reaches their place of accomplishment.

A third person of interest is a professional killer at large and the world wants him found and neutralized. He lives the life of a negative James Bond that is provided financially by someone of means. He is invincible to the point that Interpol needs to get involved.

That is just a snippet of what the spine of this multi-layer novel is about. You won’t be confused by the interwoven plots, but you’ll be wondering when the clash will come. When it does, you’ll be glad you waited till the end.

Mr. Cleever’s prose is easy to comprehend and enjoyable for those who like to read detail about the plot. The dialogue was sometimes light hearted but mostly complimentary to the plot giving direction to the next scene.

The book is a long read that will keep your attention. All in all, it’s a book well written.

Mr Cleeve’s links are in his interview http://bit.ly/19XCXZC

Review of Playing with Poison

Review of

Playing with Poison

By Cindy Blackburn

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

The one behind the eight ball has the ability to end the game when playing straight pool or for you Europeans pocket billiards. In Playing with Poison, the sleuth protagonist Jessie has the ability to end the game on a positive note by calling the right pocket.

However, she is put behind the eight ball, figuratively speaking, when a friend’s lover stumbles into her apartment unannounced. He says Jessie’s friend’s name and drops dead on her couch.

The novel starts with that shocker, but continues on, in a light hearted and humorous pace, as Jessie and her new detective friend Captain Rye proceed to find the killer. Of which, Jessie Hewitt, aka Adele Nightingale novelist, is one. How ridiculous, she mentioned to Rye, who has taken her couch away as evidence.

There is a cast of characters who wanted the dead-man dead, but only one did it. Jessie, who won’t let the police do their job, runs them all down to the anguish of Captain Rye.  Sarcasm and sexual intrigue enter into their conversations and non-conversations relating to the case.

Ms. Blackburn’s, first in a series, novel pleasantly entertains as her sleuth investigates using Jessie talk. The language of her romantic novelist character Jessie Hewitt is witty, direct at times and sarcastically on cue. Dialogue is what propels this mystery forward.

It’s interesting, that when Jessie misses putting the eight ball in the pocket, the crime is solved by her and her new acquaintance Wilson Rye, at the same time, from different points of view.  The ending is not what you’d expect. You’ll have to read it to find out.

Ms. Blackburns’ link www.cueballmysteries.com

     

       

Interview with John Cleever

Interview with

Author of Killing Sands

Questions: R. Murry

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

My Nom-de-Plume is John Cleever.

I’m a veteran in the vision media industry, mostly working on feature films and television on four continents over forty years. I am married with four permanently young but ageing children.

Do you remember the first story you wrote?

The first story I wrote was a western screenplay in the Agatha Christie style; full of red herrings and misleading dialogue.

Were you inspired by someone or something?

I was inspired by my Father’s love of westerns and, being the head of the house, we tended to follow his lead.

What do you like about writing a story?

I’m keen on the concept of it being as much an adventure writing it as hopefully it will be for the reader. Writers can fiddle with reader’s emotions and my endings are never plotted; they happen as the story dictates.

Can you tell us about your book?

I’d much prefer you read it. It is a busy first novel and gathers pace as the action unfolds. Unlike many novels,  “ KILLING SANDS”  has two main plots that bump into each other at the crescendo.

What genre best fits for the book?

I’d place this book as a classic “goodies v baddies” action, adventure thriller; easy to read yet easy to put down.

Are you working on something new at the moment?

I’m always doing something, Roy. Currently, there are three feature film screenplays I’m helping to develop for next year and I’m dusting off a bunch of short stories I cobbled together a few years ago. All things being equal, they should be E published before Christmas, tentatively entitled “TRAVEL SHORTS”.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

The best tip I could give would be to remind the writer his performance will be judged by “them” so don’t write it for “you”.

Where can people go to read your work?

My work is available on Amazon or via my website which is:-  http://www.davidballmovieman.com/writing.html

Do you have anything to add?

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to say a few words Roy and for allowing me to become a friend. This valuable service contributes to the creation of an awareness of writers you would probably never otherwise hear of, especially the non USA writers. Thanks so much for the use of the “apple box”. Be well, stay well and read well!  JC.

Interview with Cindy Blackburn

Interview of Cindy Blackburn  

Author of Playing with Poison

Questions: R. Murry

Can you tell me a little about yourself? I’m kind of boring. That’s why I write about Jessie. She’s far more fascinating! Me? I was born in Vermont, raised in NJ, and now live in SC. I read, write, walk, drink wine, play with my cat, and do typical middle aged lady stuff.

Do you remember the first story you wrote? I wrote a story about my pet hamster Hazel when I was 6. My mother liked it!

Were you inspired by someone or something? Other writers inspire me, as do my friends in Sisters in Crime, the Romance Writers of America, and my critique group. And, my hubby John has encouraged me from the get-go

What do you like about writing a story? I love writing dialogue. I love it when my characters start speaking for themselves and I’m just there as the secretary recording what they tell me to.

Can you tell us about your book? Murder meets menopause. Take a guess which wins. Pool shark Jessie Hewitt usually knows where the balls will fall and how the game will end. But when a body lands on her couch and the cute cop in her kitchen accuses her of murder, even Jessie isn't sure what will happen next. Playing With Poison is a cozy mystery with a lot of humor, a little romance, and far too much champagne.

What genre best fits for the book? Cozy Mystery

Are you working on something new at the moment? Yes! Thanks for asking! Book four in the Cue Ball Mysteries, FOUR PLAY should be ready sometime in November.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? Write every day, even if only for a few minutes. Join local writers groups. Writers are nice people and very willing to share their knowledge and skills.

Where can people go to read your work? All three Cue Ball Mysteries are available on Amazon! And my website has some more details about me and the books. That’s at www.cueballmysteries.com

Do you have anything to add? Just  I give you a big huge thanks for letting me join you today. Cheers.