Sunday, July 31, 2011

Welcome, Marva Dasef


MISSING, ASSUMED DEAD by Marva Dasef


Prejudice, murder, insanity, suicide: Every small town has its secrets.

You can find Marva at: Marva Dasef http://marvadasef.com/
 Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com/
Twitter Handle: @Gurina
MuseItUp Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/Missing-Dasef
MuseItUp Author page: http://tinyurl.com/MIU-MarvaDasef
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZI_8LgOIb4


Bio: Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat. Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation. Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several already published books and a few more scheduled for 2011 and 2012 from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.

Back Cover Copy:

When Kameron McBride receives notice she’s the last living relative of a missing man she’s never even heard of, the last thing she wants to do is head to some half-baked Oregon town to settle his affairs. But since she’s the only one available, she grudgingly agrees.

En route, she runs afoul of a couple of hillbillies and their pickup in an accident that doesn’t seem...accidental. Especially when they keep showing up wherever she goes. Lucky for her, gorgeous Deputy Mitch Caldwell lends her a hand, among other things. Her suspicions increase when the probate Judge tries a little too hard to buy the dead man’s worthless property.

Working on a hunch and trying to avoid the Judge’s henchmen, Kam probes deeper into the town’s secrets and finds almost no one she can trust. With Mitch’s help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity. But someone in town doesn’t like her poking around, and when they show their intentions by shooting her through the police chief’s office window, the stakes are raised. Kam must find out what really happened to her dead relative before someone in this backward little town sends her to join him.

And she thought Oregon was going to be boring.

Excerpt:

Kam gasped and jumped down the embankment toward the creek, stumbling through the underbrush. She heard the pickup tires screech and glanced back. Scruffy had gotten out and headed down the slope behind her. She moved faster, gripping her hair spray. A strap broke on her sandal, and she kicked it off. Ignoring the brambles poking into her legs through her jeans, she moved as fast as she could, the terrain preventing her from flat out running.

She heard the crashing of bushes behind her and put on more steam. She knew the pickup would have reached her car by now, but she’d be coming up on the passenger door, slightly downhill from the driver’s side. She switched the hair spray to her left hand and pawed into her purse for the keys. Finding them, she dropped the bag on the ground to free her hands and kept moving.

When she reached the Chrysler, the driver had already skidded down the embankment and was standing on the driver’s side. Thin compared to the other man, but his arms were solid muscle under the tats. She rushed to the passenger side, jerked open the heavy door, dived in, slammed the door and hit the lock button on the key fob.

The driver pounded the window with his fist. The scruffy one had caught up and pulled on the passenger side door handle. Kam hit the panic button on the fob. The deep and seriously loud Chrysler horn went off with honking bursts. Both men jumped back from the car.

The driver yelled, “I’ll fetch the rifle.” He scrambled to climb up the embankment.

Kam’s heart almost stopped. Even the shatterproof windows wouldn’t stand up against a hunting rifle. She looked around the car wildly, her breath coming in sharp rasps, and then launched herself over the console and into the rear. Sweat ran from her armpits, soaking her blouse. She ran her shaking hands across the top of the seat back hunting for the latch. She hoped the Chrysler had fold down back seats. If she could just reach the tire iron, she’d have a weapon. If this stupid car even had one that is.

She felt the latch pin, grasped it and pulled it up. It clicked. She grasped the seat back in both hands and pulled it down. On her belly, she crawled halfway into the trunk searching for the spare tire well.


Available today at MuseItUp Publishing http://tinyurl.com/Missing-Dasef


Saturday, July 30, 2011

It's here - Autograph copies for eBooks!


There’s finally a way for authors to sign ebooks.   And it's easy. But you must have a Twitter Account. Go to the Kindle Graph website, http://kindlegraphbooks.com  scroll to the bottom, and click on the Author sign-up link. Follow the directions and before you know it, your books are ready for your signature.
You'll immediately receive a request from Evan Jacobs asking for an autograph! This will allow you to do one of two things: either choose from a signature templates or use the mouse to write your own. Once you click Accept it’s yours forever so make sure you have it exactly right!

All readers have to do is follow the directions when they request an autographed copy. 
When readers request a signature, you will receive an email message. Simply go to Kindle Graph and follow the instructions to add your signature to the book cover document The reader will receive it on their kindle or through email as a PDF if they don't have a Kindle.
Hats off to Evan Jacobs!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Welcome, Joel M. Andre





Book Synopsis:
All around her Lauren Bruni is faced with destruction. Her marriage has ended, and her professional life is at the breaking point. For Lauren, this is only the beginning of her pain.

In the small town of Cottonwood, AZ everything seems to be headed in the same direction. A serial killer is on the loose, and his trail of victims holds no connection. His rampage escalates and becomes far more brutal with each murder he commits.
As Lauren attempts to prevent her own life from collapsing down around her she must stop a killer with supernatural strength. But there is something far more sinister in the works than she could ever imagine. In the end it is up to Lauren to make the ultimate sacrifice to save a community from the purest form of evil.

About the Author:
Joel M. Andre was born January 13, 1981. At a young age he was fascinated with the written word. It was at fourteen that Poe blew his mind, and Andre began to dabble with darker poetry.

Between the years of 1999 and 2007 Joel was featured in various poetry anthologies and publications. In 2008 he released his first collection,Pray the Rain Never Ends.

Knowing there was something deeper and darker inside of his soul, Joel decided to take a stab at commercialism. Releasing the dark tongue in cheek, A Death at the North Pole, created a dark world among the death of Kris Kringle. Ultimately providing a tale of redemption.

October of 2008 saw Joel release his second book, Kill 4 Me. A tale in which a woman is haunted by a vengeful spirit through text messages and instant messaging.

Taking some time off and doing a lot of soul searching, Joel took things in a new direction and dabbled in the Fantasy Genre with, The Pentacle of Light. The tale dealing with five major races battling for control of Earth, and the acceptance of their God.

Finally, after missing his detective Lauren Bruni, he released the book The Return in October 2009, this time moving the action from the North Pole and placing it in the small Arizona community he was raised in.
Andre’s latest book is The Black Chronicles: Cry of the Fallen about a dead man who seeks revenge on the woman that tormented him in peaceful Northern Arizona.

Currently, he resides in Chandler, AZ.
You can visit his website at www.joelmandre.info

Book Details:
Publisher: Darkcountry Publications
Published:
 September 2010
Genre: Suspense/Horror
Website:www.joelmandre.info



EXCERPT:

What inspired me to write, The Black Chronicles: Cry of the Fallen? That is an interesting question that probably doesn’t have a very interesting response.

For the last few years, I have been on a Lauren Bruni kick. The character is a fun and witty gal that has some edge to her. I know some people find her cold, but that is only a protective layer to her. Inside, there is a woman who has been through hell and maintains her composure. She wants to give all she can to the people she cares about, but her past demons prevent her from opening up.

It was with that in mind, that I decided to take the world that she lived in and create a dark environment that she could be in. The first book in this series is about focusing on the pain she has and to allow her darkness to flow through the pages. This certainly didn’t make her a likeable character, but it does make her human. We all have these periods in our life that seem to consume us and we want to break free from those trappings, that is what this book is about.

Beyond that, I just wanted a good old fashioned horror tale to share with people as well. I wanted to take werewolves, demons and a serial killer and blend them into something that would entertain the reader. I then wanted the chance to take my hometown of Cottonwood and share it with people who might have never been there.
As I write a story, I also think about what readers have liked in my past works as well. My dark humor and thought provoking elements are an essential part of the process. Of course, these points are not beaten into the reader and the book can be enjoyed on a casual reading level as well.
What I do know after writing this book, is that I want to take the healing process forward with Lauren and start to build additional emotion in her and have her branch out as well. The Black Chronicles are going to continue and the next book is certainly going to have an interesting set of twists to it. I want to reward the readers for taking the journey with Lauren, by giving them more of her history and then having the chance to watch her shine.
I think I strayed from the original question, but I gave you some insight into me and the book. I hope those who do read it, enjoy the tale. There is something for everyone in it and I am pretty proud of this book.
All the best,
Joel M. Andre
  


Sunday, July 24, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday

From my recently released book, May I Have this Dance, available from MuseItUp Publishing  http://bit.ly/MayIHaveThisDance





Elizabeth stopped, the light pressure of his grip sent a tingling sensation through her, igniting sparks deep inside her. Gathering her composure, she remembered her manners. “Are you new to Lakeview?” Her gaze caught his blue-green eyes and locked.
“Just arrived.” A smile twitched on his lips, as if he wanted to laugh but thought better of it.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Welcome, Karina Fabian


Thank you so much for being here, Karina.

1: What genre do you write?

Whatever fits the story, though mostly science fiction, fantasy and horror.  I have also written a lovely devotional, and a couple of non-genre pieces.

2: That's very diverseHow long have you been writing?

ROFL.  I've written four interviews today, and they all ask me this.  Let me answer differently: how long I've written is not as important as the fact that I have written, am writing and will continue to write.  Some people write masterpieces their first time out; others never get good even after years.  My first book, an anthology, was published in 2007 and won an EPPIE. 

3: Great answer and congratulations on the Eppie. So tell us, what do you like the most and least about writing?

Most:  Having written, and going back over the story and thinking, "Wow!  This gal is good!"

Least:  Sitting at the computer and getting those first words out when that opening sentence has not presented itself to me.  That, and marketing--mostly because marketing takes away from writing.

4: I couldn't agree more. When you're not writing, what do you for fun and relaxation?

Watch TV or play games with the kids; practice haidong gumbdo (Korean sword art, which I don't do enough of), read, clean house.  (Clean houses relax me.)

5: I love clean houses, and sometimes don't even mind cleaning. Okay, tell us, which authors do you like to read?
Terry Pratchett, Jim Butcher, and anyone whose book catches my fancy. 

6: What’s the one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

That I'd really appreciate them going to my website and buying one of my novels.

7: Tell me about your current novel, where I can find it?

My latest story is "Perfect Ten" which is about a blind date with Coyote the Trickster God.  Very funny story published by MuseItUp on e-book.

My next novel coming out is Mind Over Mind (Aug 8 from DragonMoon Press).  Deryl Stephens has dealt with uncontrollable telepathy for years.  Finally, psychiatric intern Joshua Lawson believes him and tried to teach him control.  His next challenge, however will be to combat the aliens who would use his unique abilities to further their cause in an interplanetary war.

8: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Write a lot.  Edit thoroughly.  Realize rejection isn't personal. Hone your craft.

9: Great advice. Do you base your characters on real-life people?

Not intentionally.

10: We probably all draw a bit from people we know for our characters. How did you come up with the idea for this book?

"Perfect Ten" was from an idea from Lea Schizas.  Mind Over Mind came from thinking about what it'd really be like to have psychic powers.  My answer: Not Fun.

11: What are you currently working on?

I'm writing a superhero story about a guy who moves furniture for a living and gets super strength.  It was my husband's idea.  After that, I am going to finish my zombie exterminator novel:  I Left My Brains in San Francisco.


12. Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?

My books are more interesting than I am--go check them out.

13. Where can we find you? Website? Blog?




Purc ase link: Amazon: http://amzn.to/mTmeGW




Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Barbershop Music Appreciation Day


Barbershop Music Appreciation Day is a day to relax and enjoy the sweet voices of the Sweet Adelines, or a Barbershop Quartet.





Edna Mae Anderson of Tulsa, Oklahoma invited some women to her home to sing on July 13, 1945. Their husbands were members of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA). The ladies wanted to participate in the singing fun and enjoyment. On that evening, the "Sweet Adelines" were born. The group later became Sweet Adelines International., which now boasts hundreds of groups and thousands for members.
Barbershop Quartet


Also see Barbershop Quartet Day in April.

Today is a great day to listen to barbershop music. Better still, join a Barbershop Quartet, or the Sweet Adelines.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Origin of Barbershop Music Appreciation Day:

Barbershop Music Appreciation Day was created in 2005 by Sweet Adelines International. It was started to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of their organization. This organization boasts over 300 choruses, and 15,000 singers.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Welcome, Nathaniel Tower

Thank you so much for being here, Nathaniel.


1: What genre do you write?

I dabble in a variety of genres. My focus lately is on short fiction, usually absurdist or surreal work. My novel, A Reason to Kill, is a psychological thriller.



2: Sounds interesting. So,how long have you been writing?

For over 10 years, off and on, with the last 5 years being quite serious.



3: What do you like the most and least about writing?

I like the freedom to create worlds that can't exist, as well as the joy of seeing what happens to a character as a story unfolds. I dislike the editing and submission processes. Sometimes I feel like I spend more time sending out my work than actually writing it.



4:I feel the same way. But it’s a necessary evil. Tell us what do you for fun and relaxation when not writing?

Music, running, reading, spending time with family. The usual. I collect records and constantly look for new artists to enjoy. I also manage my own literary magazine, Bartleby Snopes.



5: Definitely sounds like a busy schedule. I see you enjoy reading, which authors do you like to read?

Barthelme, Kafka, O'Brien, Faulkner, Melville, Vonnegut, O'Connor, and many others of course. I'm big on short fiction authors.



6: What’s the one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

I can imagine anything.



7: LOL, I guess most writers can. So, tell me about your current novel, where I can find it?

My current novel, A Reason to Kill, is available in pretty much any e-book form. Right now it can be found in the MuseItUp Publishing bookstore. http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=77&category_id=64&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1





8: Great! Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Write with your own voice. Don't copy someone else's style or write just to get published. Write what you want to write. And don't take rejection personally. Everyone gets rejected many times. If you aren't getting rejected then you aren't taking challenges with your submissions.



9: Great advice. Do you base your characters on real-life people?

I sometimes will bring in something of a real-life person, but I don't make any characters a carbon-copy of someone I've met. None of the characters in my novel are based on anyone real. At least not consciously.




10: I think authors can’t help but base their characters habits and traits from real life people. But I agree, we don’t consciously base them on people we know. On a different note, how did you come up with the idea for this book?

I'm really interested in motivation behind crime, so I wondered what it would be like to tell a story that focuses more on the criminal and why he's out there committing crimes. There seems to be a shortage of good fiction that puts the bad guy at the center. Once I had the idea to focus on the bad guy, I thought maybe it would be even more interesting to focus on both the good and the bad, so that gives us the shifting point of view I use in the novel. It was definitely a challenge to write, and I confused myself a few times, but I think it worked in the end.




11: Wow, that is different. So, what are you currently working on?

Lots of short stories in the absurdist vein. I'm trying to put together a collection, but that's always a tough sell. The collection is going to be called Stories from Birth. I just finished a story about a woman who falls in love with a blade of grass. I love how it turned out, but it doesn't fit thematically into the collection. Like I said, absurdist stories have been my focus lately. As ridiculous as this story may sound, absurdist writing always (or should always) have some deeper or real meaning to it. There are real human emotions here. It's just a different way to tell the story.



12. A blade of grass. That is a bit absurd. Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?

My wife and I just had our first daughter in March. Not to sound cliché, but it was definitely a life-changing experience.



13. Congratulations, that’s wonderful. It is life changing. Tell us where we can find you? Website? Blog?

My magazine is here: www.bartlebysnopes.com. A comprehensive web site with more about my fiction is here: www.bartlebysnopes.com/ntower.htm. You can email me at bartlebysnopes@yahoo.com.



EXCERPT:

Clint's self-assurance didn't prepare him for what awaited him inside. He pulled out his dust mask as he went inside. The mask fell out of his hand at the sight of the blood-soaked floor and furniture in the front room. The blood hadn't pooled in one spot like it would have from a quick wound. Clint was glad he hadn't worn new shoes as he stepped through the scattered bloody seas that flooded the room. On the other side of the couch he found the victim, at least what was left of him.



Rather than finding one body with a solitary wound, he found several pieces of a body, each with numerous stab marks. Whoever had done this had chopped the body into pieces after slitting its throat. Or perhaps the perp cut off the limbs to torture the victim first, and then slit the throat. Neither explanation sat too well with him. Clint imagined the situation. He couldn't understand someone cutting up a body after killing it. The sight of a man standing over the body and chopping off its limbs disturbed him more than anything he had seen in any thrasher movie. He hated to think anyone would spend all that time torturing a dead body. But he also couldn't understand the opposing scenario. If you were going to cut someone up to make them suffer, why would you slit their throat and drain out all of their blood afterward? Neither explanation seemed to fit in with the Do-Good Killer's general motivations or styles. The Do-Good Killer operated quickly and efficiently, leaving behind no potential traces. A murder executed in this fashion must have left behind dozens of traces, and Clint intended to discover them all. Perhaps the killer had become sloppy, or perhaps he was angry that night. Or perhaps he had truly a psychotic mind and was not the swift justice criminal they thought he was.


As Clint crouched near the body, he tried to get into the head of the criminal. The Do-Good Killer killed because he thought the legal system had failed. He made the killings as quick as possible, and probably got no pleasure out of the actual killing, only taking pleasure from the actual deed of eliminating a criminal. This act looked like the aggressor had gotten plenty of pleasure. Clint assumed the Do-Good Killer was responsible for this even though the pieces didn't all fit. He assumed this because it was his job, but he wondered why the man would have stooped to such a heinous act. He knew there must be a reasonable explanation as to why the Do-Good Killer would've done it this way, but he was too shocked and tired at the moment to think of that reason.


He investigated each piece of the scene, starting with the neck wound. Its diameter was less than three inches, just like the others had been. A clean cut. Straight in, straight out; on the right side of the neck, just like the others. He assumed DGK was right-handed and stabbed the victims from behind. Or was he left-handed and had the gall to stab them while facing them?


Clint took photographs of the wound from different angles. Before arriving at the scene he expected to see a gun shot wound this time. So much for the symmetry of the crimes. It was impossible to tell if there had been any struggle, but Clint guessed this victim put up a fight. The victim might've even recognized the DGK. Perhaps that was what caused the DGK—if it was him—to act in such a way. Or maybe he was changing up his style to create a more difficult trail.

Clint wasn't interested in the other wounds, but he examined the rest of the body. The victim had light brown hair, much lighter than his own. From the picture ID of Brad Thompson, Clint knew this color matched. As he scanned the body closely, he finally found the clue the Do-Good Killer had not given him before: a single dark brown hair was stuck to the bloody stump connecting the left leg to the torso. The hair color was quite similar to his own, and he hoped this indeed was the killer's and not one lodged loose out of his bed-messed head as he bent over the mutilated pieces. Regardless, he picked it up carefully with tweezers and placed it into a translucent zippered bag.


"Torrez," he shouted after sealing the bag.

Torrez came with a silent nod.

"Found this hair on the victim. Doesn't match his own. See what you can do with it."

"Yes, sir," Torrez mumbled, demonstrating he wasn't a mute.


"And Torrez," Clint said without looking up at the short officer he knew was about to walk away.

"Yes, sir?" he repeated, this time adding some inflection.


"Next time, speak for yourself."
"Yes, sir," Torrez responded as he turned and walked away, leaving Clint wondering if the little man could say anything else.




Thursday, July 7, 2011

Four Star Review

The Romance Reviews is pleased to announce that a review of STRANGER ON THE SHORE is now posted: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=1681
Book Reviewed by Bridget (reviewer)

I normally say that the more detail I can get about a character, the better. This book, however, proved me wrong. Who would have thought that a man with no name and no history could be so incredibly attractive, or a single night spent with a stranger could be so memorable? With a great starting concept and a few deftly placed details, this story manages to pack a great amount of sizzle and sentiment into a much more compact form.



Go to the link to read the full review.