Monday, November 12, 2012

Cat Robinson


Interview with                   

Cat Holden Robinson


Question: R. Murry






Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I would love to.  I am a survivor of single motherhood, and anyone who has ever done this knows this is something of which one can be very proud.  I am a long time lover and performer in community theater.  I am a passionate animal lover and advocate, and I hope to one day open Tenth Life Sanctuary, a respite home for senior cats. 

Do you remember the first story you wrote?

I remember the first serious story I wrote was about a child who had come upon an accident in which another child had been seriously injured on a bicycle.  The rescuer had to make a perilous journey down a hill to rescue the victim.
Were you inspired by someone or something?

I was inspired to reevaluate my life after the loss of my father in 2006.  I had begun writing in 2005 after he was diagnosed with cancer.  After his death I really committed to completing a novel.  Writing was my sanctuary, the one place I felt safe and protected from the grief that threatened to overcome me.

What do you like about writing a story?

I love the journey.  Writing and reading allows to travel to another place without ever leaving the comfort of our favorite chair.  I love bringing characters and images to life, and more than anything I love to make people laugh.  I think writing, or any art for that matter, is a true gift.  The opportunity to put something beautiful into the world is amazing.

Can you tell us about your book?

My book follows Mona Lisa Siggs, as she struggles to cope with the tedium of everyday life.  Trapped in a marriage gone stale from boredom, Mona gets a makeover, recommits to her landfill of a marriage, and begins to embrace the joy that life has to offer. 

What genre best fits for the book?

Romantic comedy.

Are you working on something new at the moment?

I am always working on something new.  I am rewriting my first novel which has not yet made it to print.  I am doing a blog-to-book conversion of my hilarious comedy blog, Tommy's Tool Town, and I am working on a project titled, And Her Name Shall be Beloved, a poignant story of animal rescue.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

Don't give up!  Learn as much as you can, even from the negative stuff.  Believe in yourself, your message, and your talent.  Surround yourself with a great team, and don't be afraid to ask for help.  Most of all, keep writing!

Where can people go to read your work?

Becoming Mona Lisa, and, The House of Roses, are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Link: http://amzn.to/1jUmL3vhttp://amzn.to/1jUmL3v

Do you have anything to add?

I would like to thank anyone who has ever supported my writing, and those fans yet to come.  My ultimate goal is to open my animal rescue.  If you're supporting my writing, you're making that happen, and I adore you for it.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Terry Tyler


Interview of Terry Tyler

Questions: R. Murry

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I live in the north of England with my husband.  What else would you like to know?  I used to run my own shop in the 1980s; I made a range of mohair jumpers.  My then husband was a goldsmith, and we sold his jewellery, too, amongst other things.  I lived in Northampton from the age of 2 until the year 2000, then on the North Norfolk coast until 2009 (wonderful place), then up here from 2009.  I hope you noticed how skillfully I have given those details, thus not revealing my age.  Joking – I am not coy about stuff like that!  I’m 96.  Oh, you mean you want to know about the writing?  

Brief résumé: a few appalling stories and some funny stuff in younger days.  I wrote about 9 novels in the 1990 s.  Had interest in some of my work from an agent, but was too silly and stubborn to change it slightly to fit in with what she thought likely to impress a publisher.  I've always written funny stuff to entertain friends.  When I was working in Cromer Job Center I wrote a short play based on a day at work there, and my manager found it so amusing that he didn't tell me off for writing it in work time, and took it to a management meeting to show everyone.  He was a bit of a nutter, though (a very nice one!), and the others at the meeting were probably too ‘straight’ to be amused by it.  I've written four novels since 2010, which are on Amazon, and I’m in the process of writing the 5th , which is a sequel to the 4th.

Do you remember the first story you wrote?

No, but I’m sure it was ghastly.

Are you inspired by someone or something?

I've written about the people who've influenced more than once in other interviews, so I won’t repeat myself in case the same people are reading this one!  When I am writing a novel, though, I’m usually inspired by a concept about which I wish to write; for instance, in ‘You Wish’, which you recently reviewed on this blog, I wanted to write about the idea of destiny versus personal choice.  With ‘The Other Side’ I had decided to write about how the decisions we make in youth influence not only the next few years, but the whole path of our lives.  Once I know what the theme of the story is to be, it’s a matter of thinking up a story to illustrate it. 

What do you like about writing a story?

Suddenly having a great idea about how to make the plot better!   I love it when you suddenly have a brainwave!  I also love being able to write about subjects that interest me, and that I like to read about – for instance, people ruining their lives through addiction or obsession, grand passion type love affairs that wreck the lives of people around them – and more ‘light’ things, like rock musicians in pub bands, send-ups of the pseudo and the pretentious, the day to day problems facing ordinary people , the powerful influence of social networking sites.

Can you tell us about your book?

There are four; as I said, ‘You Wish’ is about destiny versus personal choice, ‘The Other Side’ about possible alternative lives – it’s about what might have happened, had the main character made different choices.  ‘Nobody’s Fault’ is about the breakdown of a family after the father falls in love with another woman, and ‘Dream On’ is about struggling musicians!  All of them are set in the UK and mostly in the present, no longer ago than the 1980 s.  I’m aware all the time of popular culture and current trends when 

I’m writing; for instance, ‘Dream On’ features both a TV talent show and a spot on The Jeremy Kyle Show, and the young women in ‘You Wish’ use Facebook, of course - Petra’s stalking of the chap she loves takes place mostly via this.  In ‘Nobody’s Fault’ there is a mysterious fake Facebook profile – and one of the characters goes internet dating.

What genre best fits for the books?

Contemporary fiction.  I used to say contemporary women’s fiction, but men read them too!

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

Oh dear, hundreds!  It’s only what I think, though; other people might disagree with me.  I don’t pretend to be an expert on anything.  But here are a few things that might help:

Don’t try to write like anyone else.  Write what you want, let Amazon worry about fitting it into a genre.  

Don’t jump on bandwagons.  Be prepared to spend A LOT of time promoting your work, or it will sink without trace, unless you are very lucky.  Don’t think you have to have a blog in order to sell books, and if you do have one, write about something other than writing.  Accept that you will have to put writing before, for instance, going to the pub or watching television, if you want to get it done.  Learn how to tweet in such a way that it sells your books.  There is an article called ‘Twitter Tips for Beginners’ on my blog http://terrytyler59.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/twitter-tips-for-beginners.html - many people have told me they've found it very useful – it tells you a bit more than the usual ‘how to use social media to promote your book’ type articles.

If someone tells you they've enjoyed your book, ask them to write you a review.  Don’t get stressed about bad reviews; not everyone will necessarily think your work is the best thing since sliced bread.  Beware of cliches like that one!


Where can people go to read your works?


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

YOU WISH


YOU WISH
      By Terry Tyler

Reviewed by R. Murry             

Her main character Ruth tells the stories, including her own, about the desire of having something the easy way by wishing for it.  This is where the human imagination kicks in – one believes what one cares to believe.  And we attach the notion that it is some universal circumstance that we put in motion because we wish for it, using a conduit albeit a cross, a candle lit in a church, or a stone.

Ms. Tyler takes us through encounters with fate that keeps the reader engaged to find out what happens right to the end.  The people come alive trying to change their personal situations – love of a particular individual, being the right size, or possessing something that hard work can only attain.

There were no lulls in any of the situations Terry introduces.  She has you thinking from the first plot – why would anyone believe that?  The truth be known, we all might fall into the traps of life that Ms. Tyler puts her characters through.  We all want to be loved.  We all want to be the right shape.  And we all want to say the right thing at the right moment, but we always don’t, like the people in her book. 

I give thumbs up to this novel that gets into what motivates the human mind in such a clear and precise way. 
    

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Danny Kemp



Interview with Danny Kemp, Author


Questions: R. Murry, author


Can you tell me a little about yourself?

         This should be easy so let me first confess something to you, I'm vain and like talking about myself. Usually I'm surrounded by people who only want to speak about themselves. I call them selfish and myself; misunderstood.
I will not bore you with my likes and dislikes; there are far more interesting people out there where you can measure your own against theirs. Instead, I will give you an example of what influenced my life. Just past my seventeenth birthday my Father died suddenly leaving me, his only child, and my Mother, who was verging on blindness. I was studying to be a Chartered Accountant, having changed my aspirations, from becoming a Helicopter pilot, on getting my 'O' level results from Shooters Hill Grammar School. I was a disappointment to both parents, having concentrated more on becoming a competent cricketer and the best open side wing forward never to play rugby for England than on my academic studies. Anyway, there I was on my way to the office when, without rhyme nor reason, I signed up to become a Police Cadet.
At the age of nineteen I was an up and running Police Constable, and here comes the thing. One day, whilst on duty, I found an eight year old boy who had been reported as missing from his home. Dutifully I returned him there to be greeted by a thankful Mother and a contemptuous Father sitting next to a roaring fire, stoking it with a steel poker.
When I saw the fear in his sons' eyes I knew immediately what had caused the inch wide festering wound on the boys face. I'll let you imagine what injuries I wanted to inflict on that man, but I didn't; and I've been ashamed of myself ever since. I had a short career in the 'Job,' but no less eventful. I was the first to arrive at three deaths. One a sudden natural death, one a very 'bloody' suicide and one, where a jealous soldier shot his wife full in the face with both barrels of a 12 bore shotgun. All three were horrific and disturbing, but nothing has haunted me as much as that eight year old wounded child. I wonder if he ever lived long enough to extract revenge on his Father. I guess, in the age that we all live, I shouldn't say that, should I?

Were you inspired by someone or something?

         More by something than someone. I was at work one sunny November day in 2006, minding my own business, stopped at a red traffic light when a van, driven incompetently, smashed into me. I was taken to Hospital and kept in for while, but it was not physical injuries that I suffered from; it was mental.
I had lost all confidence in myself, let alone those around me. The experts said that I had post traumatic stress disorder, which I thought only the military or emergency personnel suffered from. On good days, I attempted to go to work, sometimes I even made it through Blackwell Tunnel only to hear, or see, something that made me jump out of my skin, and the anxiety attacks would start.
I told my wife that I was okay and going regularly but I wasn't, I could not cope with life and thought about ending it.
Somehow or other with the help from my dear wife, and professionals, I managed to survive and ever so slowly, rebuilt my self-esteem.
It took almost four years to fully recover and become what I now am, somewhere close to what I was before that day, but it was during those dark depressive days that I began to write.
My very first story, Look Both Ways, Then Look Behind, found a literary agent but not a publisher. He told me that I had a talent, raw, but nevertheless it was there. After telling me to write another story, he said that there were two choices open to me: One, wait for a traditional deal. At sixty-two, with no literary profile or experience; little hope. Two, self-publish through New Generation.
This, I'm delighted to say, I did.
The success of my story, The Desolate Garden, is down to my sheer hard work, luck, in meeting a film producer and the uncompromising stance taken by Daniel Cooke my publisher, who never 'massages my inflated ego,' as he so often puts it.

What do you like about writing a story?

         Playing with words and living the life of the characters I have created. My Father used to call me deceitful, by that I think he meant that I told lies and stories to conceal the truth. Not much different then, than writing a book!

Can you tell us about your book?

         It is a twisting murder mystery centered on a secret Government bank known as Annie’s, which is situated in Queen Anne’s Gate, Westminster. The bank has been managed, since its inauguration in the fourteenth century, by one family; the Earls of Harrogate and always by the youngest son born into that family.
Shortly after taking over the bank, in 2007, Lord Elliot Paterson starts to ‘modernise’ its affairs, leading to the discovery, in a hidden 1936 ledger, of an address in Leningrad, Russia. As he digs deeper he finds some unexplained initials, and an unaccountable missing fortune.
         He suspects that his deceased grandfather, Lord Maudlin Paterson, has been funding a Russian spy and the family will be disgraced.
Six months after telephoning his estranged eldest son Harry, and telling of his suspicions, he is found murdered in his London home, in Eton Square.
         Harry, already working for the Secret Intelligence Services, is recalled from the family home, the grand Harrogate Hall, to London to meet with the head of that mysterious department.
         He stays at The Duke’s Hotel St James’s and on returning there, from that prearranged engagement, seemingly meets by ‘accident,’ an attractive women; Judith Meadows.
         “Tell me a joke,” she says, enticing him from the lobby into the Martini Bar. “I’ve had a really shitty day and need cheering up,” she adds.
She plays him, until he believes that his luck is in, and then she destroys his hopes of bliss.
Calling him chauvinistic, she discloses that she works for The Home Office and is to be his case officer, in trying to unravel the circumstances of Elliot’s death.
         As the story unfolds, the rubber band relationship between the two is paramount to the tale. Harry knowing more than he is willing to reveal and Judith having more knowledge of his family than he knows!

How did you come up with the story?

         My wife and I were given as an anniversary gift, an invitation to a dinner and wine tasting event at Berry Bros. and Rudd, in St James’s Street London. Knowing that I would be drinking that night a booked a room at The Duke’s. One night, after returning home, I dreamt of such a meeting and built the story out of that.

What genre best fits for the book?
  
        I didn’t believe that it fits a so called genre, the book is a combination of a thriller, romance and historical fiction. All in all, it’s an old fashioned adventure story.

Are you working on something new at the moment?

I was writing another story, titled Mitzy Collins, and had completed about 56,000 words of it before the publication of The Desolate Garden, but all my time is taken up by promotion of that novel now, so I have stopped writing.
It is a moralistic tale of how lies, told by influential people covering up the death of a seventeen year old, affect the life of Mitzy, a successful photographer, told by her dead twin brother in a third person narrative.
If the film, for which I have been paid for the option, is made, then I will be able to afford time away from driving a cab and then, maybe, I can continue.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

         I am neither old enough, nor wise enough to advise anyone.

Which authors inspire you?

         I have read a wide range of authors, but two would stand out: John Fowles, with ‘The French Lieutenant’s Women’ and ‘Daniel Martin,’ and John Le Carré, with all the ‘Smiley’ novels.
On two occasions I picked up, in my London cab, the late Sir Alec Guinness who played the part of George Smiley in the BBC production of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Where can people go to read your work?

         It is on forty odd internet sites worldwide, including all Amazon sites, and its accessibility can be found here;
http://www.bookbutler.com/compare?isbn=9781908775924

         It is in all major UK Bookshops including Waterstones, where it is available in 48 hours.
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/simpleSearch.do?simpleSearchString=The+Desolate+Garden&typeAheadFormSubmit=

Where can people find you on the internet?

Face Book.     http://www.facebook.com/dannyandpatkemp?ref=tn_tnmn
Twitter.            https://twitter.com/danielkemp6
My blog.          http://theauthordannykemp.com/
Webpage.       http://www-thedesolategarden-com.co.uk/


Sunday, October 28, 2012

Phil Davis



Interview with Phil Davis            
Author of The Affect of Red

Questions by R. Murry  

1.   Can you tell me a little about yourself?
I was born in Los Angeles, CA and at the age of four my family moved to Laguna Beach, CA which is what I consider my home town. I am the son of an electrical contractor but never really considered following in my father’s footsteps. 

I have always had a creative bent, and as a youth I admired the work of some of the local architects in Laguna. When it came time to go to college I surprised my family and made a turn to music. After two years I decided the hours and the pay were terrible. I came around and returned to architecture and have been on that track since.

I’ve been writing small pieces for as long as I can remember and in 1984 I started expanding a short story that I turned into a complete novel in 1994 (The Red Poppy). I hope to retire from architecture in about five to seven years and spend more time writing, playing golf, and who knows.

2.   Were you inspired by someone or something?
It’s hard to point directly to a single person or entity with regards to inspiration.

Writer’s who have inspired me in fiction are: Pat Conroy, Frank Herbert, Liz Hoban and Leo Tolstoy. Science fiction writer’s who inspire me are: Frank Herbert, Ray Bradbury, and Sarah Hoyt.

I learned a great deal about the use of language from J.D. Salinger and the beauty of harmony in language by reading the poetry of Robert Frost.

3.   What do you like about writing a story?
Writing is challenging and complicated, it requires tremendous planning, and it demands that you pour your soul out on the page without fear. 

To me, conceiving of a story and then setting up a general plan depicting how it plays out is the easy part. I enjoy expanding the outline, for me this is where my creativity really takes off, and where the story happens.

I love to do research, especially now that I don’t have to wade through the stacks at the library anymore! I guess the architectural training is ingrained as I make sure my facts and descriptions are correct before the work goes out to the public.

4.   Can you tell us about your book?
The Affect of Red is a tragic love story. Robert Jordan and Camille Durran both find themselves victims of failed relationships. Robert is a studio manager for successful engineering firm and Camille is a young attorney in San Francisco. They both have consuming jobs that leave little time for romantic affairs.

Through her normal discovery research, Camille realizes that the plaintiffs in her court case are a front for an international human trafficking operation run by the Russian mafia. She exposes them to the FBI and threats on her life begin. Anxiety and epinephrine become a way of life, resulting in fear and despondency. Her friend, Stacy shakes her loose from her melancholy, but the threat remains.

Camille meets Robert in a bar in San Francisco. She is wearing a red evening dress and she attracts Roberts’ attention. They both quickly realize their connection is a fairy tale of love at first sight. They meet the following weekend in Reno, Nevada for lunch, and then find themselves fleeing from the Russian Mafia thugs who are after Camille.



5.   How did you come up with the story?

The Affect of Red really blind-sided me. I was finishing up my second SciFi novel (Raindancer) and I wanted to take some time off writing. I did make some notes for a new novel, but didn’t plan to act on the notes for a few months.

I think I lasted a week. My wife went to Phoenix for two months to help our daughter through the end of her pregnancy, and I had huge blocks of time to myself. One evening I went back to my notes, looking for ideas I remembered writing for my next work. I had a section titled “Writing Ideas” and I began looking for the notes I made and they weren’t there. Turning a few more pages I found the notes, there were five: Witness protection; Women’s rights; Abortion; Color; and  Human trafficking

These were all powerful subjects, and human trafficking was a cause whose roots disgusted me (and still does today), and an expose appealed to my writing needs. I wanted to write a love story, but a story with more of a purpose, and based on some reality. In my mind, human trafficking made a perfect backdrop for a tragic love story.

I read two other novels about human trafficking, one before and one during the writing process. Both concentrated on the dark side of the subject, and each contained graphic details of the hideous lives these young girls were forced into. I wanted a wider audience and decided to stay within my original plan, and I was off and running.

After a huge research project I finally laid out a general outline, created the characters: Camille Durran, Stacy Babineaux, and Robert Jordan. Stacy became a unifying character that I needed throughout the story, but I still wasn’t sure how to begin.

One morning (at an ungodly hour) I wrote what is now the first Soliloquy before Chapter 1. It has changed little since that first writing, and it was the fuse to the rocket that ensued. By the time my wife returned in late May, I was into the editing phase.

6.   What genre best fits for the book?
Fiction – generally in the crime area.

7.   Are you working on something new at the moment?
Yes. I’m growing as a writer and focusing on character-based stories. I like the subjects of: personal growth, conflict, the subtleties of relationships, and redemption. My next novel is about 75% complete now and is very different from all my previous work. The work goes slower as I’m spending more time marketing and communicating with fellow authors on social media. I’ve projected a completion in early/mid 2013 and still feel it’s a good timeline.

8.   Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
*      Read
*      Write
*      Go on sites like Autonomy and read others work. Solicit other writers to critique your work, and write critiques for them.
*      Put your ego outside and listen to what is said and make adjustments in your knowledge and ability, and to your style of writing, if necessary.
*      Write reviews.
*      Read
*      Write
*      Don’t be afraid to spill your guts on the page.
*      Learn social media / share with followers and other authors
*      Read
*      Write
*      Do it all over again.


9.   Where can people go to read your work?
Both ebooks and paperbacks are available at this site.
My blog: http://padaarch.blogspot.com/ (there are samples here)

10. Where can people go to find you on the internet?
Author Site:http://padavisauthor.webs.com/ (there are samples here)
Twitter: padavis249

11. Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?
I think I can speak for all the authors I know on this subject.
Readers and fans; please don’t be afraid to send us a note, make a suggestion or request. Even a “Hi, how are you” is welcome. Most of us are spending hours writing and reading, and the break of a friendly voice is welcome. 

If you’re writing a review, let the author know, get more in-depth information about the piece you read before committing to a review. We love feedback and we love providing context with regard to our stories. Writing in a vacuum inhibits growth, who knows, you might influence our next novel.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

The Highlander



The Highlander, The Rise of the Aztecs Series,      Book 1
        Author Zoe Saadia

Reviewed by R. Murry

      The Highlander is a well thought out historical novel that portrays real people doing what their nation-tribes have done for years.  The main characters are young leaders breaking out into their own predetermined   adventures.
     The elders are determined to control their situations in the world.  The young people (Coyotl, Kuini, and Izrac) rebel that world in their own way to change it for others and themselves.
     Ms. Saadia brings this out in detailed conversations and confrontations that propels this intriguing developed story forward, keeping the reader’s attention.  The reader will not be bored with historical data. 
    The young people are the future and the only names that are important: Coyotle, the emperor’s first born son, wants to change the way things are done – social reform.  Kuini, the great warlord’s son, wants to change breakdown bearers between peoples.  Iztac, the princess, wants to liberate herself and others from their bondage to the way men think.
     Zoe Saadia makes their points clear, using well developed conversations.  Although these young people are not Aztecs, they see common ground in others, where the elders don’t.  Especially Kuini, The Highlander, in his confrontations and communal exchanges with the only Aztec – The Aztec Warlord.  To a point, the Aztec influences Kuini’s decisions. Against the Aztec and his father’s wishes, Kuini becomes a warrior in Coyotl’s father’s army – their enemy.
     In this end is a new beginning for Coyotl and Kuini, which may include princess Iztac. Fate will determine that end.
     Saadia’s novel is an excellent lead in to the next chapter of the lives of these three young leaders.  I for one will continue to read the series, because of the enjoyable read of book #1.  Will you?     

Purchase at http://www.amazon.com/Highlander-Rise-Aztecs-book-ebook/dp/B009CCBCU4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398682876&sr=1-1&keywords=the+highlander