Mystery Mondays Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway featuring E.K. Prescott

Today, E.K. Prescott is joining us to talk about crafting stories with paranormal elements from historical events, as it relates to her new mystery release, The Ivy League Chronicles: 9 Squares. I'm also excited to be hosting a giveaway for one print copy -- be sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below the guest post! And if you'd like a sneak peak into the book, I'm also offering the first chapter for download -- see the "About The Book" section below for the link to a PDF copy of the first chapter! Now, let's welcome E.K. Prescott to Melissa's Bookshelf!

Mystics Make Elite Company: Metaphysics and 1920s High Society

If you were to be considered important in the 1920s social elite class of New Haven, CT (the setting for The Ivy League Chronicles: 9 Squares-a historical-fiction-mystery-series) you invited at least one mystic to your event. It was common for people of the time to go to séances, and consult psychics. Thus, crafting a story with paranormal elements from historical events was not as challenging as one might think. Many well known mystics of today lived during this time, such as Edgar Casey and Helena Blavatsky (who created the Theosophical Society). In fact, it was easy to add these two names to the background history of the book since they were such a part of the culture of the 20s.

So when creating an elitist day time TEA having a psychic at the party was like putting on a glove. The metaphysical theme was easy to move forward with the next goal – to explain the unexplainable events connecting the 2cnd Law of Thermodynamics, butterfly effect, and chaos theory with the movement of
energy which takes several forms; from a sand anomaly to an underground city which includes the Grand Ceremonial Chamber.

Illusions are a major theme of the book which intertwine with a metaphysical thread as well as a ruling elite perspective, and negative and positive energies. The United States history automatically provides smoke screens creating illusions of the truth. Thus researching the history and using various subsets of
metaphysics fell right into place. In fact as I was researching this book I couldn't believe all the truths I uncovered; it just took a creative mind to make it come alive.

In fact, to highlight the metaphysical theme in the series The Ivy League Chronicles, a mystic travels with me on my book tours (http://www.fivestarpublications.net/ivyleague/ivy_league_booktour). We offer a free psychic reading with any book purchase on my book tours. I only bring the best! Hope to see you at one of the many events we have planned this year in cities across the country!

- EK Prescott, Ph.D.

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will win a print copy of The Ivy League Chronicles: 9 Squares! Just use the Rafflecopter entry form below -- there are lots of ways to enter, and please leave a comment telling me why you want to read The Ivy League Chronicles: 9 Squares in order to be eligible for all possible entries! Be sure to come back and tweet about the giveaway every day during the contest for an additional 2 entries each day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Website: www.IvyLeagueChronicles.com
Pub Date: March 15, 2013
Publisher: Five Star Publications, Inc.
Download the 1st chapter here!

The year is 1923, and Richard Wikki, a former detective from Scotland Yard and now a professor at the prestigious Yale University in New Haven, CT, misses his days of crime solving. Maize Judson has enrolled at Yale with hopes of becoming an investigative journalist. When Maize and her friend find a skeleton buried in the sand at the beach with a mysterious amulet wrapped around its fingers, she and Richard set out to solve a murder. But Richard soon finds himself following well-planted illusionary clues, and as he continues to investigate, a series of events shake the depths of his philosophical, religious and spiritual beliefs, as well as his perspective on life…forever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

E.K. Prescott has been an educator for 30 years, and has taught at the college level for the past 15 years. She spent many years as a high school English teacher, middle school principal, and national educational consultant. Prescott earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Missouri and her master’s degree at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She earned her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was awarded a three-year, full-time Fellowship. Prescott is currently an online Associate Faculty member, mentor and residency instructor for the University of Phoenix-School of Advanced Studies. Prescott lives in a log cabin nestled in the mountains of northern Arizona.

GET SOCIAL WITH E.K. PRESCOTT!

• Facebook: ‘Like’ EK Prescott on https://www.facebook.com/EKPrescottWritesMystery

• Twitter: Follow EK Prescott on https://twitter.com/ekprescottwrite

• Follow her adventures & learn about mystery writing on her blog: http://www.fivestarpublications.net/ivyleague/blog

Shadow Eyes Anniversary Blog Tour: Guest Post with Dusty Crabtree

Today I'm thrilled to be a part of the Anniversary Tour for Shadow Eyes. We've got an awesome guest post ahead from the author, herself!

The Story of My Cover Art

Shadow Eyes Blog Tour and Kindle Fire Giveaway

Thank you for hosting me, Melissa, and thanks for your amazing review of Shadow Eyes back in July!  Click here to read the review!

(Everyone, don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a print copy of Shadow Eyes, your full name in the sequel, and a KINDLE FIRE!)

The cover of a book, even if it is primarily an eBook, is one of the most important marketing tools an author has in his/her tool belt.  Just think about it.  When you’re skimming through book shelves (real or virtual) or book blogs with covers plastered everywhere, what’s the one thing that will make you pause long enough to stop, pull the book out or click on it, and read the synopsis?  The cover, right?  Generally, from the cover you can tell whether or not it looks like something you might enjoy, often before you even read the title. 

That’s why I was so picky with my cover.  I’d been dreaming about what the cover would look like almost since the idea for the story first came to me.  It was absolutely perfect in my mind, and I knew exactly what I wanted.  The problem is, when you’re working with a cover artist over emails (no matter how amazing that cover artist is – and mine was and is amazing!), it’s extremely difficult to describe the image in your head well enough so the artist can replicate it.  And I’m a very wordy, descriptive person…I mean, I’m an author and an English teacher.  Of course, I’m wordy and descriptive.  But I still found I wasn’t describing it well enough as mock-up after mock-up was sent to me that wasn’t quite right.  I felt bad for continuing to ask for changes, but in the end, after a total of 8 mockups with the final one being absolutely wonderful, I’m so glad I did!

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, so let me show you the progress my cover artist and I made together.

To be honest, I kind of liked this first one and toyed with keeping it, even though it wasn’t what I had pictured.  The main thing was I wanted both eyes, and I wasn’t sure about the font of the title.  It also seemed a little too creepy for the book.

I loved the color of the eyes on this one, but I wasn’t getting the shadow effect I’d wanted.  I wanted the black fogginess to curl around her face like the shadows in the book might.

New font – wasn’t sure about it. Still working on the shadows and blending.

Getting closer…

Better title placement and larger eyes.

Working on the shadows…getting closer…

This was almost perfect!  The color was much better!  The eyes were darker!  The font was perfect (One of my students actually found it)!  I think I had tried to have the cover artist make more defined swirly lines like tendrils for the shadows, but I realized that having the top just like the bottom would be much better.  And that brings us to…

Ta da!!!  I can’t tell you how ecstatic I was when I saw this picture!  I loved it!  I was in between classes at the time, and I couldn’t help but show my next hour and the teachers next door.  I was so proud and excited!  I think it gives off the perfect mood for the book – mysterious and intriguing yet not overly creepy.  Just enough to catch the reader’s eye and entice them to click on the cover and check out the synopsis.  Speaking of…

Shadow Eyes Synopsis:

Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil.  But she is the only one who can see them.  She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier.

 Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters.  First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend. As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

Book Trailer:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out Dusty’s blog at http://dustycrabtree.wordpress.com/

Find her on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dusty.crabtree.1

Follow her on twitter at https://twitter.com/dustycrabtree

Buy Shadow Eyes at http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=176

(also available at all major online bookstores)

View the book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7UP9A0Fm78

The Sunday Salon: Guest Post by Dusty Crabtree

Happy Sunday, everyone! I'm so excited to bring this guest post to you today. It has been quite awhile since I've had one on my blog and I'm hoping to be able to share them with you more regularly. Today, I'd like to welcome Dusty Crabtree, author of Shadow Eyes, which was released earlier this year in February. She will be sharing the inspiration behind her book, and it's not what you might think! Check out that beautiful, spooky cover! But enough from me...

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Christian Horror Movie?
Inspiration Behind Shadow Eyes by Dusty Crabtree

Where did you come up with the idea?  What was your inspiration for the story?  Aren’t those the most commonly asked questions for writers?  Especially fantasy writers, since our plots are often so unique?  I guess it’s hard for most to believe that such creative and crazy ideas can just spring up out of nowhere inside our heads and that our muses can’t magically make the storyline unfold before our very eyes.

In truth, it doesn’t just come out of nowhere.  Even if there wasn’t some major thing that helped us come up with the full idea, there was a slow process, a series of ideas, that evolved over time, morphing and changing until they became the plot that makes up the novel.

For my young adult urban fantasy Shadow Eyes, the idea actually first came to me as a screenplay for a Christian horror movie, if there ever was such a genre.  The movie would have been about a cast of intertwined characters going about their lives and making mistakes with dark, creepy shadows (demons) hovering around them, whispering to them, and influencing them to do evil things. Only the audience would see the shadows.  The characters would be completely oblivious.  I could see it all in my head, and it was awesome!  But I had no idea how to write a screenplay.

A few years after I’d had that idea, my friend suggested I should write a novel like the paranormal angel books we’d been reading and loving.  I’d always loved the concept of angels and demons in stories and immediately thought back to that screenplay idea.  After realizing 3rd person omniscient was not a great narrator choice for a novel, I decided on a 1st person narrator, Iris, who had a special ability to see the shadows, as well as light figures (angels), but nobody else could.

As far as the rest of the plot - all the mysterious characters, the big mystery about what happened to Iris when she was 14 that first gave her the ability, and the details of her making mistakes and discovering who these characters were and, more importantly, who she was – it all just fell into place on an outline out my crazy, overly-creative, overly-stimulated mind.  Shadow Eyes, my pride and joy, my baby, is the result.

Shadow Eyes Synopsis:

Iris thought she could ignore the shadows...until they went after everyone she loved.

Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil.  But she is the only one who can see them.  She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier. 

Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters.  First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend.

As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

Dusty's Bio:

Dusty Crabtree has been a high school English teacher at Yukon High School in Oklahoma since 2006, a challenge she thoroughly enjoys. She is also a youth sponsor at Cherokee Hills Christian Church in Oklahoma City and feels very blessed with the amazing opportunities she has to develop meaningful relationships with teens on a daily basis.  Her passion for teens has poured into her writing as well.  She is the author of the young adult urban fantasy, Shadow Eyes, through Musa Publishing, which she wrote in order to give teens an intriguing and provocative book series that promotes moral messages.  She lives with her husband, Clayton, in Yukon, Oklahoma, where they often serve their community as foster parents.

More Goodies:

Check out Dusty’s blog at http://dustycrabtree.wordpress.com/
Find her on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dusty.crabtree.1
Follow her on twitter at https://twitter.com/dustycrabtree
Buy Shadow Eyes at http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=176
(also available at all major online bookstores)
View the book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7UP9A0Fm78

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Many thanks to Dusty for stopping by the blog to share the inspiration behind Shadow Eyes. I can't wait to share my review with all of you in the next day or two -- I'm right in the middle reading the book as you read this! EDIT: I stayed up until 2:00am last night (well, this morning, technically) to finish Shadow Eyes, so that should tell you something!

Guest Post: CJ West & The End of Marking Time

I am excited to bring to all of you a guest post from CJ West, author of The End of Marking Time, which was released on May 22nd! You might also recall my review of his exciting thriller, Sin and Vengeance, last year. Today's post is in celebration of The End of Marking Time Launch Party that begins on June 10th, and I hope you enjoy it!

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Would You Volunteer for Jury Duty?

I’m one of those people who get called for jury duty over and over. I get called so much that I have been excused twice because I had served within the prior twelve months. That’s the rule here in Massachusetts. They require you to serve one day or one trial when called and they promise not to call you for another twelve months. That doesn’t explain how freakishly often my name pops up. If only my lottery numbers came out that often. Every time I get a summons I wonder if the courts have figured out I’m a law-and-order guy. I understand why they’d be glad to have me. I take jury duty seriously. I weigh the evidence, but I’m not afraid to convict someone if I believe they are guilty. Maybe there’s an asterisk next to my name. I’ll never know for sure.


You are probably shaking your head and thinking I’m making this up because I’ve written a book about a virtual jury, but guess what, I’ve got jury duty again on Wednesday, June 16th! When I tell people I’ve got jury duty, they invariably offer suggestions to get out of serving. One of my favorites is to mutter guilty under your breath when the defense attorney looks at you. I’ve never tried it, but I’m betting it would earn you a quick challenge and a trip back to the jury room. As strange as this may sound, I don’t mind serving. I actually go to court voluntarily some days to learn about the process.

I know, I know, I should get out more, but at least I’m not at the defense table.


Today I’m selecting you for my virtual jury. To answer your summons, pick up a copy of The End of Marking Time. Settle into the virtual jury box wherever you are and listen to Michael O’Connor’s story. I’ll give you two buttons (on the back cover of the book). One red. One green. Michael is desperate for you to press the green button. He believes that if you do, he’ll get another chance. While you are listening to his story, remember Michael has been a criminal since he was six years old and he’ll say about anything to be set free. He’ll tell you some horrible things about Wendell Cummings, the man who is trying to show Michael how to live on the straight and narrow.

One of the mysteries of the book is how you can serve on a jury when the action has already been written. Michael is trapped in a hallway before a one-way window and he talks to you directly about his life. He believes Wendell Cummings has brought you there and hidden you with twelve other jurors behind the glass. While you deliberate over Michael’s sentence, you can try to piece together who is seated in the room with thirteen chairs and what they will decide.

When you’ve finished the book, you can bring your jury experience online. I’ve created a Facebook group called, I pressed the (RED) (GREEN) button for you to share your results. Stop in, tell me what you think should happen to Michael, and see what other readers are saying. There is also an experiment you can try with the cover.

You might be wondering why you’d volunteer for virtual jury duty. In virtual jury duty, there are no hard benches, no dress codes, and no outdated magazines. The End of Marking Time will give you a view into America after the supreme court has released two million felons. Imagine how eager you would be to serve on a jury then.

Enjoy The End of Marking Time and please join me for the virtual launch party on June 10th.

Hourglass Blog Tour - Interview with Claudia Gray

Today I'm excited to bring to all of you an author interview as part of the Book Tour for Claudia Gray's forthcoming third book in her popular Evernight series! I read the book a couple of weeks ago and I just have to say this series gets better with each book! Ms. Gray was kind enough to answer a few questions to share with all of you, so let's get started!

MB: Firstly, I just want to say how much I have enjoyed the Evernight series, and with each book I am even more hooked to the story. How has your approach changed with writing each book of the Evernight series? Has it gotten easier to continue the story or more difficult?

CG: Thanks so much, Melissa!  The main change in my approach to writing the series has been to plan each book in greater detail than the last.  Although I had the fundamental story arcs for the series set up before I’d finished EVERNIGHT, there was still a lot to flesh out – and now I find I want to really break down each book before I dive in.  I’ve always been an outliner, but my outlines are crazy long now!

I can’t really say that anything has gotten easier or more difficult; each book presents unique challenges.  With HOURGLASS, being away from Evernight Academy opened up a lot of new possibilities – but it also required a lot of worldbuilding.  And with AFTERLIFE (which I just handed in last month), the challenge was wrapping everything up tightly in just the way that I wanted.  This story has meant a lot to me and I really wanted to provide a wonderful ending for the readers.

MB: I have to say how much I have enjoyed the characters in the Evernight series--even some of the more minor ones, like Vic and Ranulf, really bring life to the story. Do you have a favorite character--has that character always been your favorite or has it changed with each book?

CG: I don’t really have one single favorite character.  On any given day, I’m happiest with the character who is saying interesting things and making the scenes work well.  That changes from book to book, or even scene to scene.   I know that Bianca got me through most of EVERNIGHT, that Balthazar surprised me the most in STARGAZER and Lucas really came through in HOURGLASS.  But I love the supporting characters too.  In AFTERLIFE, Ranulf always seemed to know the perfect thing to say!  Dana, Raquel, Patrice and Vic are all incredible fun too.

MB: You have presented several fresh ideas on vampires and the lore surrounding them in your books. Did your ideas stem from a great deal of research, and if so, where did you find your ideas?

CG: I don’t know if you can call a lifetime of reading about vampires “research,” exactly.  But of course you want to call on the classic themes – drinking blood, the struggle for control, repulsion by religious artifacts, etc.  Other things I drew from vampire legend as I needed them; for instance, the old stories that vampires couldn’t cross running water?  That came in useful from the get-go.  (And it’s going to play a big role in Balthazar’s book, though there I am getting ahead of myself.)

MB: Where did the ideas for the covers of the Evernight books come from? How much were you able to contribute to their development? Do the different colors among the covers have any significance?

CG: The idea came from Alison Donalty at Harper.  I had almost zero to do with it – in fact, I’d say my only real input came when I asked for there to be a little hourglass hidden in the lettering for HOURGLASS.  (Yes, I’m literal sometimes.)  The colors are chosen mostly for beauty, but I really, really like the fact that, as the books go on, Bianca lifts her head a little higher.  It’s like you can see this shy, depressed girl finding her courage more and more from book to book.

MB: Shifting gears a little... What were some of your favorite books and/or authors when you were growing up? Do any in particular still stick with you today?

CG: So many of them have stayed with me that it’s hard to single out just a few.  When I was younger, I absolutely adored A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which still has the worst headmistress villain ever (though I am convinced Mrs. Bethany could defeat Miss Minchin in a cage match, and I would in fact pay good money to see that).  And oh, the payoff at the end!  Amazingly satisfying.  I reread the book recently and was struck by how accurate it is about storytelling, and storytellers, too.

I also adored A WRINKLE IN TIME, GONE WITH THE WIND (which I have a more complicated relationship with now), I CAPTURE THE CASTLE and Jane Austen.

MB: And along those lines, is there any particular writer who has inspired and influenced you in your own writing?

CG: There are a lot of people who inspire and influence me, but I don’t know that there’s any one person who has most shaped what I do.   I can say that some YA novels I’ve found particularly outstanding in the past few years include THE HUNGER GAMES, HOW I LIVE NOW, THE SILVER KISS, THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION, GRACELING and PERFECT YOU.

(TRUE SECRET CONFESSION: I have written fanfic for one of these books!  No, I’m not telling you under what name.)

MB: And just for fun... If you had one day to do anything you wanted, no restrictions physically, monetarily or anything else you can think of, how would you spend your day?

CG: I would definitely want to be traveling.  But where?  Hmmm.  If money is really no object, honestly?  I’d go to Antarctica.  I’ve always wanted to see it, though trips down there are not cheap.  It would be amazing to travel in those waters, to see the whales, seals and penguins and to set foot on that continent.  And as long as money is no object, I’d travel in a comfortable ship with plenty of friends (my treat!), good food and cozy blankets to make sure we’re warm even at the bottom of the world.

Thank you so much for visiting with us and sharing more about your Evernight books! And for all of you reading this, here's a little teaser with the Hourglass book trailer:



For more stops and fun on the Hourglass Book Tour, please take a look at the schedule below and be sure to visit the participating blogs:

March 1 - http://tainted-poet.blogspot.com/
March 2 - http://www.melissas-bookshelf.com/
March 3 - http://themindfulmusingsbookblog.blogspot.com/
March 4 - http://www.theneverendingshelf.com/
March 5 - http://www.thestorysiren.com/
March 6 - http://thebookcellarx.blogspot.com/
March 7 - http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/
March 8 - http://aparkavenueprincess.blogspot.com/

Please keep an eye out for my review of Hourglass, which I will be posting as we get closer to the release date on March 9th!

Author Guest Post: Pam Jenoff on Covers and Titles

Earlier this week you might have seen my review of Almost Home, Pam Jenoff's romantic suspense that was released in paperback on the 16th. Ms. Jenoff graciously offered to share a guest post with all of you, as well, and I am excited to bring that to you today! Have you ever wondered how much say the authors have when developing titles and covers for their books? Well, you are about to get a peek into the answer to that question, from Ms. Jenoff's perspective on...

Covers and Titles

One of the questions I get asked most frequently by readers is “How much say do you have in the covers and titles of your books?” My quick answer is “very little” but that really doesn’t do it justice, so I think some explanation is required.

Each of my books has a working title when I am writing it. Then at some point, usually after I’ve sent it to my editor, I get a call or e-mail asking about possible alternative titles. Let me use my first novel as an example. When I was writing, I called it THE KOMMANDANT’S GIRL. After it was accepted for publication, the publisher decided that the title was too historical and asked me to come up with a list of alternatives. I came up with about forty titles and the publisher took half of one of my suggestions and called the book A FINE CRACK OF LIGHT -- leading my family and friends to call it “The Crack Book” and teaching me never to put a title on a list unless I loved it. Then one of the major bookstore chains said they liked the book but not the title. So the title reverted to THE KOMMANDANT’S GIRL and the cover was redone to meet the bookstore chain’s preference as well (a very interesting lesson in market power.)

It has been much the same with my other books. THE DIPLOMAT’S WIFE had a working title of HEART OF EUROPE. ALMOST HOME was once titled FOREVER ENGLAND (but in the UK will be called THE OFFICER’S LOVER.) The title that the publisher ultimately decides upon is almost always better than the original, no matter how much I loved it. So I’ve learned not to get very attached.

Book covers are different, though, because they don’t originate with me. I’m asked to give ideas of images and themes from the book that may help the artist. But I’m usually not looped in on the actual artwork until pretty late in the game, when various cover concepts have been vetted in house and there is one frontrunner that most people really like. Then I give input mostly on minor changes, like font or color, unless I feel really strongly about something bigger.

I’ve also been asked by readers if I mind my limited control over the title and over process. No, not at all. For one thing, the people who make these decisions are among the best in the business and I have great trust and confidence in their judgment and skills. I do my job (writing the best books I possibly can) and I let them do theirs. And I am always amazed by the ability of the artists and others at the publisher to get inside my head and find a cover and title that totally capture my vision of the book. These are some of the first indications with a new manuscript that people are “getting” what I am trying to say, and seeing our ideas come together is one of the most exciting parts of publication. So while I am not that involved in the process, I am almost always blown away by the results.

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Many thanks again to Pam Jenoff for this guest post! An interesting look into the development of titles and covers, wouldn't you say?

T'Aragam Tour: Interview with Jack W. Regan

Today I'm excited to be a part of the blog tour for Jack W. Regan's T'Aragam, bringing to you an interview with the author himself! You might recall that I rated T'Aragam 5 stars and it was my top pick for June, so I jumped at the chance to be a part of this book tour when I first heard about it...

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Welcome to Melissa's Bookshelf, Jack! When did you know that you wanted to write a juvenile fantasy novel? Can you tell us a little about your background to becoming a published author?

I work part time at a public library and, as such, handle more books in a day than many people do in a lifetime. It soon became clear to me that there was a gap in the reading material we were offering to our patrons. There are a ton of YA fantasy books out there and some for younger kids,
but there wasn’t so much out there for readers who weren’t quite ready or interested in the YA stuff, but growing out of the younger set. I wrote “T’Aragam” in part to fill that gap.

I’ve always had a love for books and have been writing since I was about twelve. At the behest of my mom, I entered a national essay contest at sixteen and won second place. I wrote and edited the high school newsletter, edited my college newspaper, and once out of college, began an online review service, all this time working on my writing: short stories, etc. I stopped doing reviews in 2004 to focus all my attention on writing. “T’Aragam” is a product of a lot of false starts, failures, long days, and late nights. But then again, that’s kind of what a writer should expect.

Where did you find the inspiration for T'aragam?

While the original seed of the idea just occurred to me one day, most of “T’Aragam” was created through blood, sweat, and tears. It would probably be more accurate to say that I went and found the inspiration, rather than it finding me. And I did this by putting the rest of my life on hold for the duration and just sitting at my computer, knowing I couldn’t leave until I completed my word goal for the day. And more often than not, by the time I reached the word goal, I was into the story and just kept going.

Do you have a favorite character in T'aragam? One that you find you relate to more?

Well, it almost seems like heresy to choose a favorite, but I guess I’d have to pick the main character, Max. While the other characters each have some characteristic I love (or love to hate), he’s the all-around best. Likable, smart, brave, and yet also supremely human. He has limitations and faults, just like the rest of us. He seems most real to me.

Do you have a favorite scene or quote from T'aragam that you can share with us?

My favorite quote is from the monster, Gloom, when he sees Max for the first time. “A child! You know I can’t stomach children!” To which Gramkin replies, “You don’t have to stomach him. He’s not dinner…this is Lord Ransome’s son!” I love silly humor like that.

My favorite scene is probably the sea battle between Captain Baggywrinkle and the ship from Grendale.

What about your own reading? (This is of course, assuming you still have time to!) Who are your favorite authors? Any books you find yourself re-reading? How (if at all) did they play a part in your own path to becoming a writer?

My all-time favorite author is Mark Twain. His sharp, often sarcastic humor is timeless. But most of the books I read are non-fiction. I read a lot of history and biographies. And I don’t usually re-read books, simply because I know I don’t have the time to read all the books on my list even once!

I think any book a writer reads affects their writing in some way. In fact, the best way to learn to write (besides actually writing, of course) is by reading good books. You absorb a sense of rhythm, sentence structure, and vocabulary.

And I imagine many others want to know... What's next for the world of T'aragam? When can we expect to see the story continued?

Hmmm. Trying to think what to say without giving anything away. Let’s just say that the ending of “T’Aragam” leaves several options open. Most of the same characters will return in some capacity, but there may be a few surprises thrown in along the way. The world of T’Aragam is, of course, still in grave danger and Max’s job is far from over.

The second book in the Max Ransome Chronicles will be titled, “Kingdom Heir” and is scheduled to release on December 1, 2009.

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Thank you again, Jack, for taking time out to answer some questions for Melissa's Bookshelf! That's exciting news that Kingdom Heir is due out at the end of the year, I know I look forward to reading it!!

Omnimystery Tour: Author Interview: Rosemary & Larry Mild

As part of their Omnimystery book tour, it is my pleasure to bring to you my interview with Rosemary and Larry Mild, authors of Boston Scream Pie, which I reviewed a couple of weeks ago.

Welcome to Melissa's Bookshelf! When did you decide to try your hand at writing together?

Rosemary: When I met Larry twenty-two years ago, I had no idea how to write fiction. Here I was, divorced for eight years, out on a blind date. As he was driving me home, he announced: “When I retire, I'm going to write a novel and I want you to help me.” Now . . . I was a career editor and journalist, I'd never written a word of fiction and neither had he. He was an electrical engineer. And I had only known this man for four hours! So I chirped, “Okay!” We married the following year, but it was seven years later that we started writing together. Larry retired and, with his typical gusto, wrote the first draft of the novel he’d dreamed about. It’s a suspense/thriller set in Hawaii called Cry ‘Ohana. (meaning “family”). Then he handed me his 450-page manuscript and said, “Okay, your turn.” Yikes! It was truly the halt leading the blind. This is the book on which we cut our fiction teeth. We’ve subjected it to two critique groups, three different titles, and umpteen drafts. It’s been kicking around so long that now we’re on the brink of self-publishing it. (We spend our winters in Hawaii, so it’s loaded with local color and cultures, and we have a ready market there—we hope.)

Larry: I’d been writing nonfiction (technical proposals and manuals) for my entire career, but I’ve always felt something was missing. It was like I was trying to “break out and write free“ in the world of fiction. At last I got my chance when we retired, but we found fiction was a whole ’nother thing. A few creative writing courses at Johns Hopkins University and mystery writing courses at Anne Arundel Community College planted us into the mystery genre. Rather than a moment or an event, we’d like to think it’s a bud that’s grown ever since.

What is it like for the two of you to collaborate on a book? Do you have specific roles in the writing process?

Rosemary: Do we ever! If it weren’t for Larry, I wouldn’t write fiction at all. I just don’t have a fertile enough story-spinning imagination. He conjures up our plots and writes the first draft. His prose is elegant and sometimes rather academic, because he has a quite scholarly mind, as well as a gift for invention. So when I tackle his first draft, I sometimes feel like Winnie-the-Pooh: “I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother me.” Then I settle in, breathing life into the characters, adding scenes and atmosphere. Or I throw a new trait in a character. And that can have consequences: like derailing the plot line. So I have to watch out.

Larry: Writing with Rosemary is like the old story of the Tortoise and the Hare—we write at different rates. I won’t say who’s who, but it follows that we are often working on different project at the same time. Rosemary also has a habit (with good reason sometimes) to rename the first draft characters. So when she interrupts me to ask a question about Chester, I sometimes have to reply, “Who’s he?” The toughest thing we had to learn is how to write with a single seamless voice.

How has the writing process changed for you both now that you have released three books in the Paco & Molly series?

Rosemary: I’ve learned to be a little more diplomatic, rather than a battering ram. Instead of blurting out my objections, I just re-work a chapter and let the dust settle. Larry no longer throws temper tantrums. Somehow we “negotiate” and end up compromising—and we haven’t killed each other yet!

Larry: Where would mystery fiction be without conflict and controversy? The trick is that we keep it out of our marriage.

Molly is such a vivid, not to mention highly amusing, character. Is she based on anyone that you know?

Rosemary: Oh, yes. The real Molly was my psychoanalyst father’s housekeeper/gourmet cook. My father kept a secret list of all her clever sayings, which, as you know, we call “Mollyprops.” She was a born snoop, who knew the secrets of every family member and friend. The fictional Molly’s snooping skills prove to be of great help to Paco. In Locks and Cream Cheese (our first in the series), she overwaters all the plants (leaving white rings) and overfeeds Dr. Avi Kepple’s golden retriever, who lunches on filet mignon and scalloped potatoes. All of this is true to the real-life Molly. Both she and my father have passed away, but we’re delighted to have immortalized them.

I am going to try to ask this in a way that won't give too much away about the story... Did you have to do much research on twins and their subconscious connections for that particular plot line in Boston Scream Pie?

Rosemary: Larry drew from historical novels he’d read. We did some twins research, not a huge amount. We did a little more on the medical aspects: we consulted a friend who is both a nurse and a twin, and learned some stuff about poisons.

Larry: I am also nuts about Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, where themes of misplaced twins abound. I think we just took the concept one step further.

Do you have any more Paco & Molly cozy mysteries in the works?

Rosemary: Not novels. But potential short stories, yes. Every once in awhile one of us comes up with a new “Mollyprop.” We’re storing them away for future use.

Larry: There’s a built-in problem writing about older protagonists—Paco and Molly tend to age on you right beneath your nose. In keeping with real life, we let that happen. We do have a new set of sleuths for our Dan and Rivka Sherman murder mysteries. The first is Murder Goes Postal, which still needs some finishing touches.

And just for fun, who are some your favorite authors? Any that serve as your inspiration in your writing?

Rosemary: I just re-read Anna Karenina—this time as an author. I flew through it for a class many years ago and didn’t appreciate it. Tolstoy’s characters have so much depth and such vivid physical descriptions that you feel you truly know them. He can also be satiric in his portrait of Anna’s husband, Oblonsky, who is so full of himself, and in the descriptions of people who are parasites of society. Another aspect Tolstoy excels in is his detailed recounting (sometimes exhausting the reader) of a particular segment of society. As Levin runs his vast farm, we pitch hay with a scythe, sweat with the peasants. As Vronsky, Anna’s lover, rides in a dangerous steeplechase, we hold our breath. Tolstoy creates a riveting story, expertly pacing his two main plot lines, building suspense in every chapter.

A few other books I admire: Snow Falling on Cedars (David Guterson); the novels of Tom Wolfe (Bonfire of the Vanities, I Am Charlotte Simmons, A Man in Full); A Patchwork Planet (Anne Tyler); A Separate Peace (John Knowles); The Pearl (John Steinbeck); Life of Pi (Yann Martel); “Brokeback Mountain” in Annie Proulx’s collection Close Range; Original Sin (P.D. James); The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields); and the philosophical, literary chocolate Lab, A Dog About Town (J. Englert).

Larry: For my two cents’ worth, I have to mention my all-time favorite, Ken Follett. His two historical novels set in 12th and 14h century England—The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End—are magnificent. Plots, characters, descriptions, adventure, excitement, and an education are all rolled into four covers.

Thank you so much for spending some time with us today! I know I have a new appreciation for Boston Scream Pie!

Bio

Rosemary and Larry Mild have published award-winning short stories and essays. Members of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Maryland Writers Association, the Milds divide their time between their homes in Maryland and Hawaii. Most of all, they treasure spending time with their five grandchildren in Hawaii and South Carolina’s horse country.

Giveaway!

Rosemary and Larry Mild are giving away a signed copy of their book, Boston Scream Pie, to one lucky tour visitor. Go to their book tour page, http://rosemary-larry-mild.omnimystery.com/, enter your name, e-mail address, and this PIN, 5632, for your chance to win. Entries from Melissa's Bookshelf will be accepted until 12:00 Noon (PT) tomorrow. No purchase is required to enter or to win. The winner (first name only) will be announced on their book tour page next week.

Author Interview (& GIVEAWAY!): Julie Lessman

In lieu of Mystery Mondays, I am very excited to bring to you another author interview! Julie Lessman, author of the Daughters of Boston series (A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, and A Passion Denied), was kind enough to answer a few of my questions as we celebrate the recent release of A Passion Denied. I have been very fortunate to exchange many emails with Julie during the last few weeks and have really come to appreciate the author behind all of these amazing, passionate inspirational novels.

I hope you enjoy learning a little more about her and her books--I know I did, and I'm looking forward to sharing my review of A Passion Denied tomorrow. It's another page-turner!

Welcome to Melissa's Bookshelf, Julie!

What led you to decide to write Christian fiction, especially from a more passionate point of view? When did you know this was what you wanted to do?

Four life-altering words: Gone With the Wind. When I read that novel at the age of twelve, I was swept away into the world of romance for the very first time. It captured me like no other book had done, and I immediately set out to write (along with thousands of other love-struck young girls, I’m sure), what I hoped would be “the great American novel.” Obviously my dreams of grandeur didn’t go anywhere (grin), but I did begin writing (150 single-spaced pages worth) of a story that became the basis (some forty years later!) for my debut novel, A Passion Most Pure.

Fast forward to June 2001, when I was sitting in a beauty shop reading a Newsweek magazine cover article about Christian entertainment. It said Christian books, movies and music were on the threshold of exploding. My heart jumped, and something said, “Now is the time to finish your book.” I started A Passion Most Pure the next month, finally selling it to Revell 4-1/2 years and 45 rejections later.

And why Christian fiction? Because I have two raging fires burning inside of me—one for heart-pounding, toe-curling romance and one for God. For me, when you merge the two, it not only leaves you with what I hope is an unforgettable story, but an inspirational lift that may last even longer. :-)

What author has influenced you the most in your writing?

For me, that’s a no-brainer: Margaret Mitchell. The moment Scarlett seared Rhett with a look on the winding staircase of Twelve Oaks in Gone With the Wind, I was a goner, my brain irrevocably branded with the burning desire for romance. God help me, I was only twelve at the time when some innocent, unsuspecting person put a copy of that book in my hand. I swear to this day that the binding not only burned my fingers, but also seared my life forever. Today, I like to think that not only are Margaret Mitchell’s fingerprints are all over me in my religious devotion to passion, but God’s as well—merging my passion for romance with my passion for Him.

A Passion Denied is your third book. How do you approach writing these stories now, in comparison to working on your first book, A Passion Most Pure?

Oh, great question. And the answer is—very carefully! You see, I am first and foremost a “seat of the pants” writer versus the more methodical “plotter” method, which means for A Passion Most Pure (and A Passion Redeemed also), I had a vague idea of where I was going with the story, but little else. For me, it was just a matter of writing that first line (be it the first line of a scene, chapter or even the book), and BOOM, off I would go, letting the story take me where it wanted to go.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy with A Passion Denied, primarily because by the time I got to that story, I had six years of family history to contend with (i.e. birthdays, ages, anniversaries, etc.). Suddenly I had to focus hard on details because not only did they have to line up with the prior stories, but they also had major bearing on future stories in the next 3-book series. As a result I have an age/birthday/anniversary chart that would boggle your mind for FOURTEEN characters. Not only that, but because I couldn’t afford to trip up on the details, for the first time, I crafted extensive and detailed synopses for each of the three books in the next series, which not only outline the stories for the hero and heroines, but a substory for each of the rest of the couples in the family. YIKES!!! Can you say complicated???

Do you have a favorite O'Connor? If so, who might it be?

This may freak out some people, I’m sure, but my favorite O’Connor is Charity. I think the reason is because she is SO much like I used to be (without the beauty) as a young girl and woman before Christ. I love Faith O’Connor, but in all honesty, she is more like the woman I am today—heavily dependant on God, emotionally involved with Him and a person who prays at the drop of a hat, so I almost feel one with her. But Charity—goodness, my heart goes out to her and the woman I used to be—selfish, manipulative, lost. I think that’s why she fascinates me so much, because I look at her (and women like her) in the same way I suspect God looked at me back then—with eyes full of love. And quite frankly, I think she is just downright funny and quirky and such a hoot that she makes me laugh. Mind you, many of the things she did/does are thing I did as a young woman who didn’t know God, so Charity comes by all her quirkiness quite naturally, I’m afraid. :-)

I saw the exciting news on your web site that you will be continuing this series with the O’Connor family for three more books, starting with Kate’s story. Can you give us any hints about what to look forward to?

You bet! My next 3-book series will finish off the saga of the O’Connors in grand style. Book 1 will be the story of the youngest daughter, Katie, which is fun because she is a pistol who comes of age in the Roaring Twenties, right before The Great Depression. Mind you, Katie is, as her father Patrick O’Connor likes to say, “a handful,” an independent spirit who has been struggling to get out from under his thumb for years. So when the Roaring 20s comes riding in with its wave of women’s rights (1922 was when the Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced!), Katie finds her calling. Suddenly she wants to become a lawyer (the first law school for women was founded in Boston in 1910!) and eventually a congresswoman who fights for women’s rights. Only her plan runs into a hitch when she butts heads with another lawyer, Cluny McGee, the pest from her past. And when the Great Depression unleashes in October 1929, it brings a wave of trouble for the O’Connors that changes each of their lives forever.

Books 2 and 3 will be about the O’Connor brothers, Sean and Steven, during the exciting era of speakeasies, dance marathons, gangsters, G-men and era criminals like Bonnie & Clyde and John Dillenger. Sean's love interest will be ... guess who? Emma—Charity's scarred friend from Dublin in book 2, A Passion Redeemed! And Steven will be a tall, brooding G-man-type modeled after Elliot Ness … you’re too young to remember, but a la Robert Stack from the Untouchables, a TV show I used to watch growing up. Hubba hubba. I’m very excited because all three plots are very involved and include detailed sub-stories for ALL the character couples, hopefully with surprises that will blow my readers away. :-)

Do you have any plans for a new book or series after you finish the Daughters (and Sons) of Boston series?

As a matter of fact, I’ve been plotting a semi-contemporary series in my head for a while now, something that would take place in the Baby Boomer era of the 60s, and I’m starting to get pretty excited about it. A series title I’m thinking of at the moment is The Cousins McClare, and basically it would be a love/hate tug-of-war between cousins and their families (and their love interests!) in a small lake community in the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, where, by the way, I have spent many a happy summer!

Thank you, Melissa, for having me as guest on your blog. I LOVE to hear from readers, so they can contact me through my Web site at http://www.julielessman.com/, either by sending an e-mail via my site or by signing up for my newsletter. Currently in my newsletter, I am having a contest to win a signed author copy of Book 4, (Katie’s story) as well as the opportunity to have a character named after you or a loved one in my next novel. Also, I invite your readers to visit The Seekers, a group blog of which I am a part that talks about “The road to publication. Writing, contests, publication and everything in between.” You can find it at http://seekerville.blogspot.com/.

Thank YOU, Julie, for being so kind and for writing such captivating stories! I don't know about everyone else, but I am anxiously awaiting Book 4!!

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And this brings me to the second part of the post, today. Julie has been so kind as to offer a giveaway of any ONE of her three books to one lucky reader!

To enter, please leave a comment stating which book you'd like to win, as well as an email address so I know how to reach you, otherwise I'd have to pick another winner.

For an additional entry, become a follower and leave a comment letting me know you did.

If you are already a follower let me know and guess what--2 additional entries!

For another 2 entries, tweet about this giveaway (@Melsbookshelf) and leave a comment letting me know that you did!

For 3 additional entries, leave a comment on one of my reviews of Julie's previous books: A Passion Most Pure or A Passion Redeemed.

Remember, be sure to comment on this post regarding all your eligible entries and provide an email address! This contest will be open until Sunday, June 7th at 8:00PM Eastern! I will tally the votes and Random.org will choose our winner either that evening or Monday, June 8th!

HUGE THANK YOU again to Julie Lessman, I enjoyed having you as a guest on my blog!