Author Interview with Steve Rzasa

I'm very excited to welcome back Christian Scifi/Speculative author Steve Rzasa. Steve visited last year to talk about his debut book, The Word Reclaimed, and its sequel, The Word Unleashed. Steve has a third book out now, Broken Sight, which he's here to tell us about, and also about what else is going on in his life. Be sure to leave a comment because Steve is giving away a signed copy of his book.

Steve, I know I asked this question in our first interview, but it's been awhile. Will you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born and raised in South Jersey, and have loved to read from an early age—adventure, history, and especially science-fiction. My wife and I live in Wyoming with our two grade school-age boys, where she teaches and I am a librarian. Prior to working at a library I was a reporter/editor for eight years in Maine and in Wyoming.

What have you been up to since you last visited?
Since last spring I finished writing Broken Sight, my new novel, in December 2010 and just last week finished a fantasy/steampunk novel, tentatively titled The Bitter Crosswinds (more about that at the close of the interview!) When I’m not busy preparing new books for library circulation or writing the newsletter, I’m helping folks find the books they need. In my “spare time” I write, draw, watch movies and play video games, play LEGOs and soccer with my boys, and cook dinner with my wife when we’ve got a minute.

Tell us about your new book?
Broken Sight is the tale of Lt. Cdr. Brian Gaudette and the crew of his new rescue starship as they respond to a distress call from a remote planet. Little do they realize they're being plunged into a race against evil forces that could result in a powerful weapon falling into enemy hands. It takes place two years after my previous two novels, The Word Reclaimed (Marcher Lord Press 2009) and The Word Unleashed (Marcher Lord Press 2010.)

 What inspired this story?
I always enjoyed writing about Brian Gaudette, the main character of my 2009 short story Rescued. He was a character I wanted to revisit in detail, and to give a shot at a grander adventure. Well, he got it. My purpose was also to explore the world of the Face of the Deep series after the restoration of religous freedom, to see how things had changed.

Is there an underlying theme?
Themes are not my strong suit, but if I had to pick two, it would be faithfulness and teamwork.

What's your favorite scene/character?
Charlotte Ruby Bell. Ex-pirate, former pirate-hunter, and all around crude individual. She's ill-tempered, rude, but also one very good starship commander and someone who can bully her crew into getting results. She can be cunning and smart. Just an all around fun individual to write.

What do you hope reader take away from reading your book?
I hope they can experience this adventure with a sense of wonder, and not worry too much about the details of sci-fi that sometimes bog down the casual reader. And if they come away from this tale realizing that there is a one true God who cares for them and is in control of all things, even better.

How did you get started as a writer?
 I wrote ever since I was little, and even then science-fiction was always on the brain. Somewhere in our house I have a story I wrote for fourth grade about two space explorers on an adventure -- I think they were based on LEGO guys I built. From there I expanded into writing a novel in high school and working for the school newspaper, and penned some short stories in college. There's still a stack of notebooks with fragments of stories and ideas stashed in a drawer in our back room. And after college I self-published a short novel called This Stirring Strife, a space opera that can still be obtained used on Amazon, I think.

Finally, I worked on the project that became The Word Reclaimed and The Word Unleashed -- a single, large novel called Commissioned -- for about six years until I finished it in February 2009. A few months later I was blessed to have Marcher Lord Press publisher Jeff Gerke agree to publish the story as two books.

Do you have any particular method to your writing, any quirks that help you along in the creative process.
I’ve found that listening to music inspires my writing, especially when working on an action scene. The particular song can make a big difference in helping straighten out the flow of action in that scene—for example, if it’s a dramatic scene I don’t want lighthearted music playing. I also am compelled to draw characters, starships and settings to help visualize. Oh, and I’m a huge sucker for maps.

Have you always loved science fiction?
Sci-fi is definitely the genre with which I’ve had the strongest relationship—can’t tell you how many evenings during my high school years were spent watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. (Me too!) And I went to see the re-released Star Wars in the 1990s when I was recovering from a fever. So that tells you my level of obsession. As for literature, I devoured books by Michael P. Kube-McDowell, Kathy Tyers, Chris Walley,

I think it's very exciting to see Christian fiction broadening into new genres. What are your thoughts on this and where do you see things headed in the future?
I'm encouraged by the raft of new Christian speculative fiction authors who have appeared in recent years, and by the creation of new small publishing houses dedicated to the genre. No longer do writers have to fret that their somewhat odd or out of the ordinary tales of space opera, fantasy or the supernatural have to remain unpublished because they're too weird. We have several publishers who like weird. The genres available to Christian readers will hopefully continue to grow and the selection and quality of writing keep getting better.

What's up next?
Well, I just this week finished a fantasy/steampunk novel called The Bitter Crosswinds and started in on the prologue for the sequel. Not sure when or if those will be published, but I've got more stories to tell. I'm also putting notes down for an alternate history/alien invasion -- hopefully sooner than later! Anyone who's interested can keep tabs at my website, www.steverzasa.com, or find me on Facebook. My books are available at www.marcherlordpress.com and Amazon.com.

Purchase from Marcher Lord
Purchase from Amazon

Steve Rzasa was born and raised in South Jersey, and fell in love with books—especially science fiction novels and historical volumes—at an early age. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University’s College of Communications in 2000, and then spent seven years as a reporter and assistant editor at weekly newspapers in Maine. Steve moved to Wyoming in 2007 to become the editor of a weekly newspaper there, and now works at the local library. He and his wife Carrie have two boys and live in Buffalo, Wyoming

Author Interview with Deborah Malone

Hi Deborah, you and I have been corresponding for awhile now, and have been there to see each other succeed. I want to congratulate you on the publication of Death in Dahlonega. It's an absolutely beautiful book -- except for the axe dripping with blood, but that's the intriguing part. I'm looking forward to sitting down over the holidays and reading it!

Since this is your first visit to my blog, I'd like to welcome you and ask that you tell us about yourself? First I'd like to thank you for having me as a guest on your blog. I live in the mountains of North Georgia about 60 miles from Atlanta. I have two grown girls - Niki and Leah. Niki is disabled and because I have fibromyalgia I need caregivers to come in and help with her care. I've written for a historical magazine "Georgia Backroads" for about 10 years. I also enjoy macro photography.

When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer? I image this is a similar answer most writers give that they knew since they were children they wanted to write - when I was around 11 or 12 I remember starting a mystery, but only got about 3 pages done. I was an adult when I wrote again. I wrote my first article when my friend dared me to write about an old restaurant we had gone to. I said okay I would. And that is the beginning of my writing.

What was your journey to publication like? This is an interesting question. There are certain paths all writers will take but the actual journey will be different for all. I wrote the first draft in about a year then put it aside while taking care of my family. When I discovered ACFW I knew I wanted to make it a Christian fiction book. That meant rewriting it - which I did. I soon found out I had a huge learning curve to make it publishable. I spent time learning what I needed to make it better. I did not have an agent. I sent it out to several publishers and did not hear back anything favorable so I was looking into self publishing when Lamp Post Publishers offered me a contract. Needless to say I was walking on air. It took about six months from editing to the finished product and it was on the market in October 2011.

How did you get the story idea for Death in Dahlonega? I had written several articles for "Georgia Backroads" about Dahlonega. I've always loved to visit this charming little town. I knew I wanted to write a cozy mystery so I just needed to find a setting and decided Dahlonega would be the place. And don't you just love the name? (pronounced Da-lon-a-ga)

How long did it take you to write it and what is your writing routine/schedule like? I was finished with the first draft in a year but then set it aside for a couple of years. Then when I got serious about publishing it took three years from rewriting it to publication. So that is a total of six years. I don't really have a schedule, but I like to write in the evening when things are quiet.
You and I are very similar this way. I set my first book aside for several years also and rewrote it quite a few times. I write in the evening when it is quiet, too.
Do you have a favorite scene? There are several I like. I always like the funny scenes, like the one where they meet up with a mountain man who has a still in his back yard and find out when they try to question him about the murder he's none to friendly to strangers. Then there is a dream scene that I like also. I'll let you read the book to find out about that one.

Is there a message you'd like readers to take from the story? Well, Trixie has found herself starting her life over while in her 40's. She is struggling with her faith and draws strength from her friend. She's also hardened her heart towards men and is working on trusting again. I would hope that after reading "Death in Dahlonega" that the reader would find their own message.

I love that you wrote a story with a more mature heroine. Sometimes I wonder if people think life stops after 29, or becomes too boring to acknowledge.

What are you working on now? I've already finished the second book "Murder in Marietta" and I'm working on the third in the Trixie Montgomery series "Terror on Tybee Island"

Where can readers find out more about you and your books? I would love for my readers to visit my website at www.deborah-malone.com and my blog is www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com. My publisher Lamp Post Publishing is a www.lamppostpubs.com.

Death in Dahlonega Back Cover:

 Historical writer Trixie Montgomery is asked by her editor to cover “Gold Rush Days”, an arts and crafts festival, in the small, picturesque town of Dahlonega located in the north Georgia Mountains. Trixie seizes the chance to mix business with pleasure and asks her best friend, Dee Dee to tag along.

Their well laid plans go awry when Dee Dee is discovered standing over the lifeless body of prominent citizen, John Tatum – the very man she’d had a run in with earlier that day – holding a bloody pickax in her hands. The local Sheriff is determined to solve the case as soon as he possibly can so he can retire with a clean slate and run for town mayor. Can Trixie find a way to finish her assignment and keep Dee Dee out of the slammer?

Author Bio:

Deborah Malone has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, since 2001, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published during this time. Her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails” edited by Olin Jackson. She has also had a showing of her photographs at Floyd Medical Center Art Gallery as well as winning several awards. As current member of American Christian Fiction Writers she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction. She is also a member of Georgia Writers Association. "Death in Dahlonega" Deborah's debut novel won an award in the ACFW Category Five Writer's Contest.

Purchase Death in Dahlonega

My Review of Night of the Cossack by Tom Blubaugh

Nathan Hertzfield awakens to find the houses in his village ablaze and most of the villagers killed. He is kidnapped and forced to become a Cossack soldier, or risk harm to his mother and younger brother. Nikolai, Nathan's captor, insists that Nathan also abandon his Jewish heritage and take on the name Stepan if he wishes to survive. According to Nikolai, the Cossack do not like Jews.

Initially Nathan has no choice but to depend on Nikolai, but as the story unfolds Nathan discovers that Nikolai is different, and his reasons for taking Nathan captive are not what they seemed. A bond forms between the two and Nathan comes to look on Nikolai as a father.

When they are ordered to Odessa, life takes another startling turn, first with tragedy and then betrayal. Nathan is forced to flee. He briefly glimpses happiness when he finds refuge with a family and love with their daughter. But he knows that staying will invite danger. Nathan decides to once again abandon his identity in search of a new life. His journey is one of adventure, with his enemies only a step behind.

I really liked this book! It's a very easy read, written in simple language which gives the book a strong appeal to middle-grade readers and older. The historical setting was absolutely fascinating and gave me a true sympathy for how difficult life must have been for those living in circumstances similar to Nathan's. All in all, the book wasn't just adventurous and enjoyable; it was educational and the story tugged at my heart.

My only complaint with the story is that the ending was a little abrupt. I would like to have seen him through to America. Maybe I just wasn't quite ready for his story to be over. I guess that's a good sign.

There were times when the writing seemed a little rushed or choppy, and about half way through I was leaning toward a rating of 3.5 - 4.0, but after Nathan's betrayal the pace of the book really took off and the story of his plight just became so compelling that I couldn't stop reading. When a story is that strong, the little issues tend to not matter. I'll be recommending this book to families in our homeschool group.

The Visionary Blog Tour

A Visionary is someone who sees into the future, Taylor Forrestier sees into the past but only as it pertains to her work. Hailed by her peers as "a visionary with an instinct for beauty and an eye for the unique" Taylor is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and gifted designer. But she and twin brother Trevor, share more than a successful business. The two share a childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind of abuse that's disgustingly prevalent in today's society. Can the love of God and the awesome healing power of His grace and mercy free the twins from their past and open their hearts to the good plan and the future He has for their lives?

Find out in...The Visionary ~ Where the awesome power of God's love heals the most wounded of souls

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My Review: Excellent!

Taylor and Trevor are twins that share a complicated bond. Bundled beneath their love for one another, festers the shame and heartache of an abusive childhood. Despite their efforts to smother out the pain, it remains close to the surface, always threatening, and never allowing Trevor or Taylor to step outside of their bond and experience the love of another person.

The promise of romance for both Trevor and Taylor brings a new hope into the twins' lives, but the fear of letting others in escalates into a dramatic moment of confrontation, with devastating consequences.

True to human nature, Taylor and Trevor struggle to release their pain into the Lord's healing hands, as both emotional and physical forces threaten their safety.

I love stories of redemption. That's what God is all about -- taking broken pieces and creating something lovely and whole. The Visionary is this type of story, and Pamela S. Thibodeaux held nothing back. This story was written with great sensitivity to the issue of abuse but doesn't gloss over any of its harsh reality. The message of faith flows naturally into the story without being preachy, just honest and true. Despite the dark subject matter, or perhaps because of it, I found this story to be an inspiring read of hope and healing. Thank you, Pamela S. Thibodeaux!

For the chance to win an autographed copy of The Visionary, please leave a comment with your email address. You will be entered into a drawing to take place on Dec. 17th.

AUTHOR BIO:

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com  

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Bayou Writers Group: http://bayouwritersgroup.com  

  

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/n8as1b 

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/o3YrMq

Check out Anne Patrick's new release, Kill Shot

Former combat medic Kory Wagner has been in four war zones, served three tours in Iraq, survived countless firefights, RPG’s, IED’s and even a helicopter crash.  Now she’s home and out of the Army for good and someone is trying to kill her in her own backyard.  Just as disturbing is the handsome sheriff who’s on the case. 

Sheriff Sean Harding doesn’t quite know what to think of the decorated veteran that managed to outsmart an entire search party.  What bothers him more is the body of a PI, whom she hired to find her sister's killer, was found dead in a building Kory owns.  And Kory isn’t being very cooperative with helping him find the answers as to why someone would kill her sister and want her dead.  Will he be able to keep her alive along enough to discover the truth?

Excerpt

The steel door creaked as she pushed it open, the sound echoing throughout the metal building. "Mr. Urlik?" She waited for her eyes to adjust to the change in lighting before stepping all the way inside. A wide stream of light from the door spread out in front of her. "Mr. Urlik. Are you in here?"

Kory heard a sound a few yards in front of her. She quickly scanned the area. Three rows of huge metal shelves lined the interior. She inched forward, peering around the corner of the second row. Mr. Urlik lay on his side, facing her, clutching his chest. His eyes were opened and his mouth moved, but no sound came out. A heart attack? She ran to him, knelt down on the cement floor, and took his hand. It was wet, slimy. She looked down and saw his hand covered in blood. Her eyes shifted to his chest. A large crimson stain spread across the width of his white shirt from a small hole near the center. He was breathing erratically. Experience told her a bullet had pierced at least one lung and he didn't have much time. She immediately pressed the heel of her right hand against the wound.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Where's your cell phone?" Hers was in her backpack but she didn't want to waste valuable time digging it out.

"No time. Get out."

"Who did this, Mr. Urlik?"

He grabbed her right hand and squeezed it tightly. "You were right -- no accident."

His hand went limp.

Kory felt something in the palm of her hand, looked down and saw it was a key. She shoved it into her jeans pocket. A whizzing sound buzzed past her, followed by the unmistakable clink of a bullet ricocheting off metal. She instinctively threw herself over his body as another bullet struck metal. Kory felt for a pulse. There was none. She lowered her hand to his chest and felt under both arms and along his waist. I thought all PIs carried guns. Just my luck this one didn't.

She scrambled to her feet, as more shots ricocheted around her, and dove through an opening on the first row of shelves. A piercing pain sliced through her upper arm as she took cover behind some boxes. They wouldn't shield her from the gunfire but they would conceal her presence while she figured out how she was going to get out of there. She paused long enough to grab her cell phone from her backpack, wishing she hadn't when another bullet tore through a box beside her. She ducked lower to the floor.

Kory ignored the throbbing in her arm and slithered along the floor toward the back of the building. As a child, she and her sister, Callie, had often accompanied her grandfather to the warehouse where he worked on boats as a hobby. She remembered a back exit that led to the side parking lot and nearby woods. If she could reach the door, she had a chance of getting out of this alive. She looked down at the tear in her shirt, drenched with blood.

This isn't good!

Kill Shot: Book One Wounded Heroes can be purchased at most online bookstores or from my publisher – Desert Breeze Publishing: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-227/Wounded-Heros-Book-One/Detail.bok

Anne's Bio: Anne Patrick is the author of more than a dozen novels of Romance, Mayhem & Faith, including the award-winning and best-selling Fire and Ash, Lethal Dreams and Sabotage. When she's not killing off people or falling in love with dashing heroes, you can find her surfing the web or spending time with family and friends.  Born and raised in Oklahoma, she now makes her home in Kansas.

To learn more about Anne, please visit her website: http://www.annepatrick.weebly.com (where I have monthly giveaways) or blog: http://www.suspensebyanne.blogspot.com .

Author interview: E.A. West, The Key to Charlotte

Today I get to welcome. E.A. west to my blog. E.A. is a multipublished author, but she's here today to talk about her newest release with White Rose Publishing, The Key to Charlotte. Isn't the cover beautiful!

Hello, E.A. Please tell us about your latest release.

The Key to Charlotte is an inspirational romance that tells the story of Charlotte Harris and Zakaria Rush. Charlotte is mute because of autism, but she longs to hold a conversation in her own voice. Zakaria is the new director of children’s ministries at Charlotte’s church, and he would love to help her dream of being able to speak come true. Can he help her find the key to unlocking her voice, or will his attempts lock away their chance of love forever?

Do you have any other books?

Yes, I do.  Dreams Do Come True is my first inspirational romance. Aspiring author Cassie Teague is on the verge of giving up her dream of getting published when she meets acquisitions editor David Jameson. Can he help her dream come true or will office politics destroy both of their hopes for the future?

Riley’s Mission is a sweet romantic suspense. Former Israeli operative Jade Rosen is in hiding and never expects to see Indiana National Guardsman Riley Jackson in a flooded hospital. With a terrorist on the loose and seeking revenge, will Jade and Riley find their happy ending or pay the ultimate price?

I also have another inspirational romance, Healing in Haven Falls. Autumn Reger has trust issues due to bad choices in her past, and Keith Burke has physical and emotional scars from a roadside bomb that ended his service in Afghanistan. Can two wounded hearts heal the scars of the past to find the future God has planned for them?

Where can readers purchase copies of your books?

The Key to Charlotte, Healing in Haven Falls, and Dreams Do Come True are all available from White Rose Publishing (http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec). Riley’s Mission is available from The Wild Rose Press (http://www.thewildrosepress.com). Copies of my books can also be purchased through Amazon.com’s Kindle Store.

Were books a big part of your life growing up? If so, what books would you say influenced you most as a child?

Yes! Reading has always been one of my favorite activities. I started reading at age three, and I’ve been a voracious reader ever since. A lot of the books I read as a child were series: the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Babysitters Club, Saddle Club, etc. I’m not sure which books influenced me the most, but one of my favorite authors when I was a teen was Will Hobbs. His books took me on amazing adventures and gave me a look at how teens from all kinds of backgrounds dealt with trials in the wilderness.

Do you have a preference to print or eBooks and if so, why?

I like both of them for different reasons. Ebooks are great for short stories and for instant gratification, not to mention the tiny amount of space needed to store dozens of them. On the other hand, I love the feel of a print book, plus it’s nice to get away from a screen for a while to read.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers out there?

Be patient and flexible, and learn from each and every rejection. Even form rejections can be useful. If you receive several of them on the same manuscript, take another look at the manuscript and the query. Is there something you can improve? Anything that could benefit from a little tweaking? Don’t be afraid to rewrite. It can be difficult to completely change what you think is a great scene, but sometimes that rewritten scene is better than the original. Also, have someone you trust read your manuscript and give you honest feedback. Getting told your story is amazing and perfect may be good for the ego, but it seldom helps get the story published. Critique partners are great for pointing out all the things that will cause an editor to reject a story, while also offering suggestions on how to fix and improve the story so an editor will fall in love with the manuscript.

Where can readers learn more about you and your books?

You can learn more on my website http://eawest.mcphitty.com and my blog http://thewestcorner.wordpress.com. If you’re on Facebook, please “like” my author page for periodic updates and thoughts from my writing life http://www.facebook.com/pages/EA-West/34280264617. I’m also on Twitter http://twitter.com/eawest and ShoutLife http://www.shoutlife.com/eawest.

Thank you, Shawna, for having me on your blog today! It’s always fun spending time with other authors and readers. I hope you all enjoyed this interview as much as I did!

Purchase from Amazon.
Purchase from Barnes & Noble

KINDLE GIVEAWAY with NEW BOOK RELEASE

ALRIGHTY, so here's the big news. To promote my newest release, THE GOOD FIGHT, I'm giving away a $25 Amazon gift card. And... a KINDLE! (or equivalent Amazon gift card. Winner's choice.)

I want to make this worthwhile for me and my readers so there are lots of ways to participate. I'm running two contests: a 'most points' and a random drawing.

The drawing is for the gift card and for every time I see your name in response to a blog interview, a facebook post, like or share, a tweet or retweet, or a recommendation to a friend, I write down your name and throw it in a jar. Yes, my hope is to spend a lot of time writing names. I'm going to need a way to contact you, so if you want to participate, email me at author.skwilliams@yahoo.com. I will send you updates as to how many entries I have for you so as to be sure I'm not missing anything. I will NOT use this information to spam your inbox with any future advertisement or to contact you in any way not unrelated to this contest.

THE KINDLE GIVEAWAY (or gift card equivalent)

This is going to be a 'most points' contest. Not only might you win a Kindle, but you'll be helping me by creating a buzz about the new book. So here's how it works
Follow me on twitter, facebook, or my blog and get a point. For every friend you recommend who mentions your name and follows, you get another three. If they mention you on all three places, that's nine (per friend!). Plus your friends are accumulating their own points in the process. Here are the addresses:
http://twitter.com/#!/shawnakwilliams
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shawna-K-Williams/236629884245?ref=ts
http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/

 For every time you mention this contest or one of my books, whether it be on your facebook page, someone else's, twitter, your blog, someone else's blog, newsletter, whatever... email me the link. author.skwilliams@yahoo.com and that's another five points per mention. I'll be emailing you back to let you know that I received it.

If you post the cover of my newest book, that's ten points. If you include purchase links, that's another ten points per posting.

If you buy one of my books, email me proof of purchase and I'll quadruple all your points for every purchase. If someone contacts me and tells me they bought one of my books based on your recommendation, then I'll triple all of your points, and they'll get the quadruple. Gifting the book to a friend counts as a purchase and quadruples your points.

So, as you can see, it's complicated, but it's also in your hands if you really want it. So help me make this a great book launch and let's have some fun. (The book is pretty darn good, if I may say so.)

THE GOOD FIGHT releases on Nov. 1^st, but the contest begins now. Winners will be announced at 5pm Central on Dec 7^th 2011.