R.E. Butler - The Tribe's Bride

1. Is there a particular genre you prefer to read when you aren't busy writing?

I'm a huge paranormal romance fan.  If it has a hero or heroine with claws, fangs, fur, wings, or supernatural powers....I'm in!

2. Is there another book in your future?

Yes, I'm always writing!  I'm releasing the fourth in my wiccan-were-bear series, A Bond of Brothers, on August 24th, and the fourth in my Wolf's Mate series will be released in October.  I'm also in the process of editing the second necklace series book, which I hope to release in the fall as well.

3. Your book has time travel in it. What inspired you to go that route?

I read several time-travel books and wondered why no one had thought to take a character back to a Native American tribe.  When I couldn’t find what I wanted to read, I decided to write it myself!

4. What motivated you to go Indie? Are you enjoying the journey?

I hadn’t heard of self-publishing before last year, but I liked the idea of being in control of my book and not going through traditional routes.  I found a beta-reader and with her support, I pub’d my first novella, A Curve of Claw in the fall of 2011.  I love writing and publishing my own books, the freedom is incredible.  I can publish as often as I want and have control over every aspect, from character names to cover design to marketing.

5. Your story involves 3 brothers and one woman. Do you consider this erotica?

Although the three brothers share one wife, there isn’t true ménage-play, and for me, that’s where I think a book with multiple partners crosses from romance into erotica.  So while I don’t necessarily consider it an erotica story, some distributors do just because it contains multiple partners.

6. Is writing a hobby or a lifelong dream?

A little of both.  I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but never had the courage to step out and send something to a publisher.  I’m very blessed that something I love doing so much has become a career and the culmination of something I wanted to do for a great portion of my life.

Include an excerpt or blurb from the book.

When a university job interview goes south, Carrie Wade isn’t certain that she’ll ever find work in her field of ancient Native American Culture. Knowing the only job waiting for her is waitressing at a coffee house, Carrie indulges in a post-disappointment shopping trip. An old necklace in an antique store window catches her eye and she immediately feels as if she cannot walk away without owning it. The very last thing she needs to do is squander her savings by investing in a necklace that may have, at one time, belonged to one of the tribes she studied…but she can’t help herself.

When she tries on the precious necklace at home, she passes out and wakes up in the tent of the necklace’s original owners, three Native American tribesmen from the late 1600s. Will she be able to get back home to the future, or will she find out that the one place she was always meant to be was back in time as the tribe’s bride?

This novella contains m/f/m/m interaction, three handsome brothers that will do anything for each other and their woman, and a magical necklace that brings them all together.

Feel free to add anything you would like me to ask or you'd like to share.

About R.E. Butler:  A married mother of two, R.E. spends her free time exploring paranormal worlds and daydreaming about leading men.  When she’s not writing, she’s reading, playing with her kids and dogs, cooking, boating, and enjoying life.

Share your book links, twitter, facebook,etc. Whatever you'd like to share with your fans. I can grab a few links off your emails.

rebutler.wordpress.com

rebutlerauthor@gmail.com

@rebutlerauthor

FB:  R.E.ButlerAuthorPage 

A comment contest with an ebook for the prize.

I’ll offer two ebooks to commenter's on the post.

   

The question is:

“If you could go anywhere in time, past or future, where would you go and why?”

William Trelawny - The Adventures of Riley Raccoon

I welcome author, William Trelawny. He's talking about his book, The Adventures of Riley Raccoon. Riley Raccoon, is moving up the charts at Amazon!

How long have you been writing? Well, aside from AP English class, I suppose I’ve
been writing since about 8th grade. Nothing serious, of course, and nothing I’m ever
going to publish, but I wrote short, isolated stories or short stories and poems. I
would write from inspiration, much like in Riley Raccoon, but back then I would
always encounter severe writer’s block and the story would end up just being a
single scene. Riley was the first story I wrote that just kept writing and writing,
mostly writing itself. I’d never experienced that before, and it was wonderful that I
was actually able to finish Riley and publish him.

Your book is for children but it will appeal to all ages. Do you feel that's important when writing for children or young adults? When I started Riley, I had a vague intention of it being a children’s story- being about raccoons and all. But as I wrote,
I disregarded all marketing aspects and just wrote what I felt the story should
be, regardless of readers’ age, background, etc. I wrote Riley for me, and what I
wanted him to be. And the deeper, more mature themes and morals just manifested
themselves as I kept writing, eventually to the point that it was hard to consider this
a simple children’s book, because there’s much in there a child alone might not be
able to understand.

Is there a moral to your story? Yes, most definitely. Riley learns, primarily through
the guidance of Charlotte, that the world is filled with mediocrity and creatures
that can’t recognize nor respect beauty and perfection, such as his three “havens”
represent. Riley learns he must do everything in his power to protect and preserve
such beauty in the world, for as long as it exists, it is in danger of being defiled. This
translates very accurately to our current world, in which mediocrity in humans is
praised, and true beauty is either ignored or destroyed by the common average.

What do you do in your spare time...hobbies? 

I enjoy finding ways to live minimally.
I plan on traveling around planet Earth and not spend a fortune doing so.
More conventionally, I enjoy playing baseball, composing music, and reading
philosophically challenging books.

What is your writing process? Do you outline or wing it? I personally don’t like
outlining a story. Unless, of course, you’re writing non-fiction. I did not have an
outline in Riley, I suppose you could say I winged it. But I had a general idea of
what I wanted to happen and what themes and morals I wanted to convey. But like
I said, the story practically wrote itself. Riley and Charlotte are two personas I am
intimately familiar with, so I basically just sat them together and let them talk to
each other, myself acting merely as a scribe of their conversation.

Do you have a favorite author? There are three different things I like about my three
favorite authors. Cormac McCarthy- his writing style, though not too apparent in
Riley’s story (that would surely be something to read- a McCarthian adaptation of
Riley Raccoon!), is very brutal, especially his dialogue scenes. Ayn Rand- for her
philosophical themes and way of embedding them so deeply and effectively in her
fictitious stories. And Charlotte Bronte - for her classic prose, and beautifully artistic
descriptions. That’s probably the strangest mix of authors you’ve ever seen…

Has any author inspired you to write? Well early on, I was very influenced by Charlotte Bronte. I read Jane Eyre my freshman year and proceeded to write some of my
short story/scenes, which were extremely descriptive and artsy. After a few years,
though, Cormac McCarthy added his style to the mix. My senior year, I did a series
of short western scenes that were heavily influence by his writing style. It was a lot
of fun, and helped me fine tune my writing style. Once again, a strange mix- like
peanut butter and mayonnaise…

Share something about your publishing journey. You went Indie. Did you submit to a traditional publisher? No I did not submit to a traditional publisher, I decided to go all on my own this first time through. I wanted to get a first-hand taste of what
the eBook industry was all about. I began by publishing to Smashwords, Barnes &
Noble, and Amazon, but had little success. So just recently, I joined KDP Select and
am going Kindle-exclusive for 90 days. We’ll see how that goes I guess…

How did you come up with the idea for your book? My book was inspired by my
partner, as stated in the dedication. She is a wonderful person, a brilliant mind,
and a lovely woman. She has taught me so much over the years, and I. She is my
blackberry bush, my willow tree, and my view from the boulder on the hill.

Are you working on something new? Yes, if you caught my previous statement, I do
plan on making Riley a series. For those who’ve read the book already, the second
takes place immediately (literally the next sentence) after the first book. The 2nd
installment details the life of Charlotte before she arrived at Riley’s hamlet. I realize
that may not make sense to those who’ve read it, so I’ll say that it is a flashback
story.

You can find William at:
Wordpress: http://rileyraccoon.wordpress.com
Amazon: http://amzn.to/wXipZf

Author - William Petersen

How long have you been writing?

 - I've been writing fiction for about five years, although, I've only recently developed the courage to actually release a story for others to read. I've held a freelance, non-fiction writing position for nearly ten years, and at the urging of some of my clients, I took the plunge and wrote a story with the intention of commercial release, right from the start. From that, my first story: "Mythical", a short urban fantasy thriller, was born, and I've been addicted to fiction writing ever since.

Is there a particular genre you prefer to read or write?

- I absolutely love dark stories of horror, sci-fi and fantasy, but I'm partial to the thriller component in any type of genre. I love to be scared, confused and shocked when reading. I like books that make me stop and think or consider, "What would I do?", or ones that just make me look up and say, "Wow".

What do you do in your spare time...hobbies?

- I'm fanatical about any outdoor activities. Much to the annoyance of my friends, I try to camp, hike or fish anywhere, at anytime. I'll camp or hike in the dead of winter or the height of summer. The natural world never fails to amaze me. My ultimate goal is to become an eccentric mountain man, living in the wilds of Alaska, that somehow still has a laptop and Internet connection in the uncharted wilderness.

What are you working on now?

- I am currently working on my fourth story, and like the first three, it is also a modern-day thriller, with many tie-ins to the issues surrounding conservation, nature and mankind's balance with the world. "A New Empire", is a story about greed, misinterpretation and misguided beliefs, pitting a modern-day hippie-chick and an underachiever approaching a mid-life crisis, against a determined and resourceful foe that is using a clever veil to carry out a plan of world domination, right before the world's eyes.

What is your writing process? Do you outline or wing it?

- I start with a very clear and detailed outline, one which covers the basics of a beginning, middle and an end, then everything is "wing it" from there on. I actually find that once I begin writing, physically putting words and sentences together, the story takes on a direction of its own. Sometimes, it will behave and follow the outline, at other times, the story writes itself a new outline, whether I want it to or not. That is how I know they are good stories, but telling them effectively and writing a 'great' story, well...that's the trick I'm trying to learn.

Who's your favorite character? Why?

- My favorite book character of all time has to be "Gard", James Gardener, from Stephen King's: The Tommyknockers. I love the unlikely good guy.

Has any author inspired you to write?

 - Just about every book I've read has inspired me, in one way or another, to write. However, some of my biggest influences are Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven and Clive Barker, though the list goes on and on...

Share something about your publishing journey. You went Indie.

 - I decided to publish a collection of shorter (50,000 words or less) stories as a way to have something available online that readers, editors and publishers could look at anytime, in a completed and polished format. I have to say, it has worked out beautifully. While self-publishing does have its limitations, I have opened a few doors with it, and encourage those considering it to go for it, but don't spend your hard-earned money doing it. I've published three books and a compilation, promoted them and generated a few sales, not many, but a few, without spending any money or paying for any promotions. If you publish for free, you are then free to use your money for the toughest parts: advertising, building a following and generating sales.

I see you have a web design background. is that for fun or profit?

 -Web design is really what got me started writing full time. Years ago, in a land far, far away...I opened a small website design business in my home town, and it turned out that customers needed just as much content writing as they did website building. As the economy slowly put the last of my clients out of business, more and more writing opportunities opened up, until I was freelance writing non-fiction and fiction full-time. I started putting more time into developing my own stories and writing skills and today, the only thing I really design are my book covers and advertisements.

Share links or excerpts from your work, blogs.

My author blog, http://www.WilliamPetersen.Wordpress.com  is devoted to promoting new and upcoming authors and writing resources, even more so than my own writing, as I know from personal experience just how tough it is to be your own agent, publisher, editor and marketing department. My new motto is "As a GROUP of independent writers, we can make our own market...", and I firmly believe that.

Alas, I still need promotional help as much as the next author, so please take a moment and preview my new books:

"Mythical" - A modern urban fantasy novella about the last magical creatures on Earth and those chosen by fate to protect them.
Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Smashwords and iTunes

"Underground" - A contemporary adventure thriller illustrating how racism, intolerance and indifference open the door for a new breed of monsters to repeat some of the darkest moments in history.
Amazon and Smashwords - Coming soon to B&N and iTunes

"Staying the Hand of God" - A science fiction thriller following mankind's race to escape the impending doom of a restless planet Earth and those who would accept the demise of the human race as the inevitable will of a higher power.
Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Smashwords and iTunes

"Three Thrillers" - A compilation of the above three stories in one, discounted collection.
Amazon and Smashwords

Thanks for reading!
W.P.

Thank you William! What a wide range of genres, there's something for everyone to read and enjoy.

Taken by Robert Crais

Always leaves me wanting more...Pike.

More Pike, more emotion but those two words just don't go together. I keep hoping the facade will crack and we will get a momentary glimpse inside the tortured man we have grown to love. I thought I would see more emotion with Elvis being kidnapped but in true Crais form it was understated and simple, like Pike and his relationship with Elvis, it was broken down into simple, tangible things, the Corvette and a Jiminy Cricket figurine. Each item having meaning to a character in the story.

I understand Pike's need to keep his demons locked tightly away in a box...probably best for the world they stay there. I get to let mine come out to play in my novels. Pike's lack of trust and emotion resonates with some of us. Wanting solitude but constantly battling with that ingrained need for human contact. Elvis and Pike have a unique friendship.They are two people who never had anyone to depend on in the world until they found each other.

Stone is a nice addition and a necessity to this storyline. Stone is the Chatty Cathy to Pike's stoic, intense silence, with Elvis out of the picture someone needs to talk. I'm not sure if Stone would hold my interest as a stand alone character as Pike has, but I can see another joint adventure in their future. Pike does owe his fellow ex-merc 'one' now. I don't see any real depth to Stone, just his self-serving nature, but that can always change.

Everyone involved had an agenda and a need of some sort. Elvis needed to find his client's daughter, Pike needed to find Elvis and Stone needed to relieve his boredom. What is it about L.A. and people exercising in the nude? I must visit this place.

'Taken' was a gut wrenching look into a world of human trafficking that most of us couldn't dream up in our worst nightmares. Bandits who rob bandits and the prize is the human cargo they transport into the country. It was bloody, it was brutal but again, understated perfection! Just enough to draw us in but not enough to turn us off. Crais shows us in novel after novel the hidden worlds just outside our windows.

I happily give Elvis, The World's Greatest Detective moniker after this adventure, nothing like going into the belly of the beast for your client. Pike is the supreme predator, the hunter who keeps going until he completes his mission or dies trying. 
I'm anxiously waiting the next Robert Crais book!

Stop by for some Pike fan fiction. http://www.fanfiction.net/~wildlypoetic

Life After Wrap - RJ

 

 

We have a bit of a 'tell all' book here with, RJ, a Hollywood insider and former security officer and has he got some stories to tell.

 

Is this book a 'tell all' about what goes on behind the scenes?

My security book does tell all the things that I went through while doing security on film sets. I did leave out the really dirty gossip out and maybe turn that into another book that I'm thinking about writing. If I was to come out with those stories I would def be blackballed, and never be able to sell a script in this town again

 

Do you drop any names or have the names been changed to protect the innocent?

I mention all names, but there are a few names that I don't mention, but I'm sure people will be able to 

figure out who I'm talking about with matching the character with the actor.

 

Have you always been a writer or do think this will be your only story to tell the world.

I've been writing since I was in 8th grade, this one TV show really got my attention "Amazing Stories" and ever since then I been writing short stories. I've written a few scripts and even done some ghost writing jobs, getting paid but no credit My security book is my 2nd book that i put out. my first book is a children's book based off my sons life with autism.

 

I worked in security, they are usually underpaid and unappreciated. Same for writers btw!  How did the celebs treat you?

In Hollywood security is at the very very low totem pole in the food chain. But in return you do get paid alot of money. The only reason why I stood doing security on movie sets was because of the pay, but as in respect not too many people give you that. Security guards get treated like shit but when something happens were the first they call on the radio for help. Go figure. There were some celebs that were nice and treated as normal.

 

Are you out of security now and hoping to make this a best seller?

I stop doing security back in 2010, my last job was for a Virgin Mobil phone commercial. I wrote a blog about how terrible the catering truck was and got alot of slack for it I was told i would never work with the production team ever again After that i just concentrated on writing then getting a job as a clerk at a court house in my city.

 

Are you going to shop your story around Hollywood to sell movie rights.

I'm going to shop my story around Hollywood, I believe my book would make a great show or miniseries My book was in the process of being a TV show back in 07, then the writer strike hit and everything went to shit. But I think this time around I'll have a better chance.

 

Are you going to make it available as an ebook?

My security book will be available on ebook in 6 more days, I was told it would take 10 working days but I've been counting the days down. I'm very excited that my book will be out in all forms.

 

How is it being a dad of an autistic child? Challenging? Enlightening? Any advice to others?

As a father with a son who has autism, it is challenging. My son was diagnose in 08, I was already not doing much security at this time. I don't think i would of been able to do my security job and take the many frustrations that comes with autism My security job was 19 to 22 hours a day and doing that 5 days a week really catches up to you. I just wouldn't have the strength and right mind set or patience for my son. So I'm glad I don't do security and have more time with my kids. Networking with many parents with children who have autism not only helped me further my education with autism but also there to talk with for support.

 

Here's a link to RJ on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Life-After-Wrap-R-J/dp/1468062476/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325223110&sr=1-1

RJ on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/LifeAfterWrap

Nadina Boun - The Thinking Man, Paralysis by Analysis

I see you are doing a giveaway do you want to do that here as well, like a free copy? sure ;)

I see you are at #ian1, too.yes! http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/nadina-boun.html 

1. How did you come up with the idea for your book?

What inspired me was a conversation with my brother about some relationship issues that led to the first two rules in the book. The known man made rules of the drink and the ShagNquit. Then like hail, everyone had issues, drama and sensitivity that. They poured on me, which I thought could make up brilliant sets of rules that may apply to all of us as human beings with our fluctuating emotional train.

Hence followed the rules of The Thinking Man in a satirical short, including rules of the ego, love, sensitivity, loneliness and so on.

2. How long have you been writing?

I began writing poetry at 14. Then in 2000 I wrote two novels for fun that were never published. Lately I am working on shorts and plays as well as poetry. However, I will be revisiting the novels and one I began last year, a vampire book, for publishing. It will take a while:)

3. I see you like to poetry. Do you have a favorite poet?

I went to a French school so I am influenced by the old French drama playwrights and poets really, like LaFontaine, Baudelaire, Moliere and others, but I also like Shakespeare and William Wordsworth.

4. You do some graphic or web designs, is that for fun or profit. (Share a link if it;'s a business)

I got my web design certificate at UNLV this Sept., and I've only worked on two sites and my folio. But it helped me a lot with e-book conversions for publishing. I would like to do build more sites as a contractor, and would also like to expand to building phone apps in the near future.

You can check out my sites for samples.

www.purepilates-lb.com www.decoded-design.zxq.net www.vino.zymichost.com  

5. Share something about your publishing journey, you went Indie. So many of us enjoy the control it gives us.

You know, I never really thought of publishing. Then lately, when I realized that my passion is writing, I thought that I could either keep my work rotting behind my pc screen or publish it. Since then, it has been a tough journey but I already learned a lot in terms of publishing and marketing. I also came to realize that other indie authors, like yourself, are not the competition but the helping hand we need for one another. I learned as well that art no matter its form is in the eyes of the beholder, just like beauty, so there is no such thing as bad art and I encourage every artist to believe in his/her work.

I have a poetry book coming out too, shortly, A Heartstorm, and will keep doing what I am doing.

Keep writing, as all say and mostly be patient and connect with others. This I think is the most important, otherwise, one would remain like a drop in the sea.

Bio:
For long my friends called me little Shakespeare, but soon I have adopted my real name to start publishing.
I have been writing poems since a young age, then expanded into short stories, plays and fiction.
I am still learning, and I still make many mistakes. I like philosophy and analysis and so I keep a blog about commonsense nonesense ramblings on life's issues at www.lilshakespeare.blogspot.com
You can learn more about me on my About page

Tiny Excerpt:
The thinking man, having experienced a troublesome morning after a certain shag, pondered on the existence of such rules, as ones to protect him from further troubles and misunderstandings. For it seemed what was meant to be a one night passing
pleasure, turned into a morning after hassle. He did not want to appear impolite nor rude, and yet he wished for a set of rules he could provide his passing ladies, without the need to verbalize his thoughts. Being the king of his own castle, he thus concluded, following his reasoning, the first rules of mankind’s opposites’ interactions, thus naming it the rule of the ShagNQuit.
He thought it helpful, if one could place a little alarm clock under the lady’s pillow, should she decide to stay the night, and hence upon the ringing of the chime she would awaken to the rules.
The rules of ShagNQuit
Upon the hearing of the chime, rules must be adhered to as set here-forth as the rules of this castle:

Read more or find the book at Amazon (in print, ebook, and illustrated ebook), B&N, and Smashwords.

Blog: http://nadinaboun.wordpress.com

To win a free copy of her book leave us a comment here!

Angels Fall - Nora Roberts

I have to admit I saw the movie first and enjoyed it.

The ruggedly handsome and reclusive writer Brody, falls for the new woman in town, Reece Gilmore. Reece, is shrouded in mystery and just as reclusive as Brody, but throw in a good dose of paranoia.The mystery that surrounds her keeps the town gossips churning out ideas, is she running from the law, or maybe an abusive spouse?

Reece has her hands full keeping away the local men, including the bosses son, Lo. Reece, a trained chef, from out east settles into the town and begins slinging hash at the local diner after her car breaks down. Angels Fist is as good as anywhere since Reece is really on the road to nowhere. She is a woman running from inner demons that aren't going to let go of her easily.

The relationship between Reese and Brody evolves as a slow burn. It was touching to see two un-trusting, solitary people connect in a deep way.  Brody was is as gruff and forceful and cantankerous as he was respectful and patient. He seems to know when Reece needs a good kick in the pants to get her going. She has come to let fear rule her life and he is the man to help her shake that habit. Brody is the perfect fit in the wild, rugged surroundings of Wyoming.

Trauma can change people and not always for the better, what Reece lived through will scar her permanently and we watch in the novel as she takes baby steps back to normalcy. Like an icy lake, if we wallow in the past we will get frozen in it.Reece experiences survivors guilt, PTSD and a healthy and justified case of paranoia as she begins to doubt her sanity as strange things happen in the small town. .

While in Angel's Fist, Reece sees a murder or does she? With a history of mental problems, will anyone in town believe her when no body is found?

This was an interesting read and Being a nature girl myself, I loved the wilderness backdrop of the story. It seemed like the perfect place for Reece to regroup and take her life back.

I liked it better in than Montana Sky. I felt the characters in that story were cookie cutter and stereotypical to the extreme. 

My favorite line: Half full, half empty, what the hell difference does it make? If there's something in the damn glass, drink it.