Sherry Soul guest post and Midnight Mayhem

To celebrate the release of author, Sherry Soule’s new YA novel, MOONLIGHT MAYHEM, the second thrilling novel in the Spellbound series, Sherry asked one of her favorite fictional heroes, Trent Donavon to stop by today. He has started his own advice column “Dear Trent”. Since several people have asked Trent for help with some very interesting questions, he’s generously taken time away from his demon hunting duties to answer them. Trent is a blunt dude who tells it like it is. Pasted below are some of the emails sent to him. Enjoy!

Question 1:

Q: Dear Trent,

I joined the Navy to see the world. I’ve seen it. And I miss my mom. Now how the heck do I get out?

Thanks,

Wanna Go Home

A. Dear Wanna Go Home,

Well, I think you’re kinda stuck, dude. Best to ride it out and have your mom send you some books like the Spellbound series to help the time fly by.

Best of luck,

Trent

Question 2:

Q: Dear Trent,

My mom asked me to babysit my younger brother and sister this weekend. I hate babysitting them! Anyhoo, I found them playing a game called, "Knife Jab" in the kitchen. This game involves jabbing a knife into a wall socket. Instead, I suggested a game called, "Zappy Toaster", which is similar but requires thrusting a metal object into a toaster while it’s plugged in. So, are either of these games dangerous?

Sincerely, 

Hate Babysitting

A. Dear Hate Babysitting,

Well, jabbing a mental object into a toaster could give you a strong electric shock. So not good! Not only are these games dangerous, but possibly illegal and your siblings could get seriously injured. A more important question is why your mom would be stupid enough to leave you alone with them in the first place. 

Best of luck,

Trent

Question 3:

Q. Dear Trent

I suspect that my girlfriend has been fooling around, and when I confronted her after taking pictures of her kissing another guy at school, she denied everything—and said it would never happen again. 

Respectfully, 

Lost in Love

A. Dear Lost in Love,

My advice? Once a cheater—always a cheater. Dump that girl and find a nice one who’ll treat you right, like my awesome GF, Shiloh.

Best of luck,

Trent

Question 4:

Q. Dear Trent,

I think my friend, Charlie might be possessed or something. He can control the weather. He is inhumanly fast and strong. And sometimes when Charlie gets mad, his eyes turn completely black like a shark. It’s totally freaking me out.

Regards, 

Friend-Possessed

A. Dear Friend-Possessed,

Uh, it sure sounds like something weird is going on. My uncle Tony says that most paranormals cannot enter houses of worship or walk on sacred ground. Try taking Charlie to a church or graveyard—to see what happens, or douse him with holy water—and if his skin sizzles, you’ve got major trouble. Let me know how it goes, because you may need to contact the Paranormal Research Group aka PRG blog.

Best of luck,

Trent

Have any questions for “Dear Trent” about the series? Just post them in the comment section and he’ll answer your enquiry within the next 48 hours. NOTE: Trent accepts no liability for anything resulting from his so-called sage “advice”.

Book Blurb Info: 

Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the supernatural events of Whispering Pines, but the full moon has brought another surge of threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, and Shiloh must gain control of her magical abilities—fast! But it sucks that Shiloh has a crippling fear of the dark. As a demon slayer, this can be an epic problem.

When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace, but Shiloh’s battling a different monster within herself. She’s struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil. 

But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…

Where you can find author, Sherry Soule online:

Official Blog: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com/

Official Spellbound Series Universe: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com/

Twitter @WriterSherry: http://twitter.com/writersherry

Book Trailer/YouTube: http://youtu.be/5uqVXKygvUs

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11634793-beautifully-broken

Mysti reviews Brave and Magic Mike

Mysti Reviews Brave and Magic Mike

First of all, thank you very much for having me here, Ami! When Kate sent over some ideas for this guest post, I was happy to see “movie review” as one of the choices. Since I just finished up a month-long tour and spoke so much about writing stuff, I thought I’d share my thoughts on a couple of movies that I’ve seen this summer: Brave and Magic Mike.

Now, if you know anything about these two movies, you can probably guess these two films are nothing alike. And you’d be right, except for one thing—in both of them, I see a theme of breaking free and growing up. Let me elaborate.

The Scottish (and animated) star of Brave, young Merida, feels trapped at the mercy of her parents: King Fergus and Queen Elinor. They wish her to marry the highest-ranking boy from one of three allied clans. They are gracious enough to arrange a tournament of skill in which Merida gets to choose both the contest and the winner, who will be her new husband. 

This is where the movie took off in terms of breaking free for Merida. As many of you have probably seen in the previews, Merida wisely chooses archery as the competition.  She watches her three suitors shoot at the target, and one of them hits it dead on. Then, the impulsive teenager with wild, red hair decides to compete for her own hand. She sinks an arrow straight through the last suitor’s arrow, which nullifies his attempt. 

However, she’s still expected to choose a husband or risk war between her father’s clan and their allies. But, Merida’s a high-spirited teenager, so she runs away, stumbles upon an old witch, and has her conjure up a potion that can change her life. 

Disney handled the cover-up of this twist VERY well. I saw nothing in the previews before the movie released that hinted at what lay ahead for Merida and her family. And I won’t spoil it here, though post-release previews have a few scenes from those events. I’ll simply say that while I rooted for Merida from the start, I love that her breaking free ultimately led to an even stronger bond with her parents than she ever had before. 

My entire family (me, three kids, and a husband-kid) watched Brave with not even one bathroom break. And that’s a very rare thing in our household! I highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it.

Magic Mike, on the other hand…

I’d actually heard the title before we watched it, but had no idea what it was about. Hubby and I were trying to decide on a movie and he told me about this one. Critics on Flixter raved about it. I was actually leaning toward Spider-Man. So, let it be on the record that My Husband. Talked. Me. Into. It.

He was one of only two guys in the whole audience. 

Magic Mike is based on the starring actor, Channing Tatum’s, experience as a male stripper in Tampa, FL. If anyone is familiar with Channing Tatum, you know he’s one hunky dude. This guy can really perform, let me tell you. I mean, wow, he must have earned the big bucks back in his stripper days! Add Matthew McConaughey as Dallas, the strip-club owner, Joe Manganiello (‘Alcide’ of True Blood) as Big Dick Richie, and you’ve got a testosterone-pumped cast of dancing man meat. 

All the ladies, myself included, enjoyed that. Hubby, not so much, except for Joe Manganiello in a firefighter costume…but don’t tell him I told you.

The plot of the film had a lot of potential. Mike (Channing Tatum) takes a nineteen-year-old, ambitionless guy (‘Adam’, played by Alex Pettyfer) under his wing and mentors him to stardom at the strip club. In the meantime, he falls for Adam’s older sister, Brooke (played by Cody Horn). From the beginning, through the middle, we see Mike’s character emerging from shallow, womanizing money-hoarder to a man who wants more than a life of being dancing man meat. 

That was good—and that was the part of this movie, like Brave, that revealed a breaking free theme. From climax to the ending, however, the movie completely fizzled out for me. It just sort of…ended. I didn’t see a well-played-out struggle to break free and forge new bonds as in Brave. It’s like the screenplay writers got bored and had enough. Maybe the coffee ran out?

So, yes, I was disappointed that a movie that actually had a lot more potential than Showgirls ended up rather bland at the end. But, if you need a ladies’ night out and want a few margaritas later, grab your girlfriends and go see Magic Mike. Just leave the kids and hubby home, unless you like to watch your spouse squirm, then flee as soon as the credits roll.

MJ Ware Guest Post

Book title: Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb

Author: MJ Ware

Short Blurb: When life gives you lemons, kill zombies -- turns out lemon juice neutralizes the undead.

Book link: http://amzn.to/GTCR5d

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Who said I wanted to be an author? I just write because it's the best way to let loose the 12 y.o. boy trapped inside me. Seriously, I was a reluctant reader and try to write books that all kids will be able to enjoy, not just the avid readers.

Why do you Indie publish?

After Super Zombie Juice received 101 rejections from 100 agents (yes, one took the time to reject my book twice), I realized the agents just couldn't grasp the idea of kids running around, taking out zombies with Super Soakers.

Fortunately, kids have bigger imaginations than most agents.

What inspired you to write your book?

I love old zombie movies and wanted to write a book that had the same feeling as those old movies, with honest to goodness brain-eating zombies--but something that was kid safe--not as violent as the adult Zombie novels.

What are three things you want people to know about you or your book?

First, parents should know that there's no cursing, foul language, or excessive violence. And kids should know that's it's still full of zombie-whacking fun!

Strictly speaking I think that's four things--well I was never any good at math.

What advice do you have for parents to encourage their kids to read more?

Take the time to find the type of books kids will really enjoy. The Box Car Children and Hardy Boys just aren't going to cut it for today's kids (though, I love The Box Car Children).

Asian Travels by Ami Blackwelder

Teaching Abroad changes Lives

When I left university I had no idea what I was going to do. I had a degree in English writing. After some persuasion from parents, I went into the military. Bad idea. After getting out, I wanted to travel and see more of the world and different cultures. Mark Twain said we never fully understand our own culture until we’ve experienced another. 

I take those words to heart.

I lived in Korea for a year and then ventured into China, Tibet and Nepal for about 6 months. I lived in Thailand for 6 months. Then I returned home.

But the overseas bug stuck to me like glue. I had to see more and employment in the states wasn’t anything to brag about. I journeyed to Thailand and ended up staying for six years.

How did all these travels change me? 

Korea was my first glimpse at a culture truly different from my own, truly unique. I mean there really is not another culture like it. Many Americans can’t tell the difference between Asian people, so let me educate you here. 

Korea’s written language is much simpler than Chinese or Japanese. It is in block form like square shapes. The country is small and so they build high, upward. They also build underneath the city and that is where you will find the famous bath houses. Some are so big they actually have movie theaters inside of them. Many have various rooms like a big maze where one room is freezing with natural stone walls and another is hot from steam. Massage therapy and eggs and yogurts and milks all help to sooth the muscles and bones.

The people like to keep a distance, and I don’t mean just physically. Because really, there is no physical personal space. But I mean it in another way. Kinda hard to describe. It isn’t quite emotional distance either, but it can feel that way. They live like a collective, and many streets are not marked so that tourists can’t find their way easily. If you are able to make Korean friends, then you will learn so much more.

Similar to Chinese and Japanese in physical appearance, the Koreans differ in style. They usually look like models with their perfect bodies to their perfect attire. The whole thing can feel very superficial. But many people will love to know you and learn English from you. 

While I was there, they won the soccer world cup and Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz showed up for the release of Vanilla Sky. 

I made many Koreans friends and since I had many similar features to them, I fit right in. One thing I did not like was the spicy Kimchi and the fact that they ate dog. I especially did not like the way the killed the dogs, but won’t go into that. Many stray older dogs roamed the streets, because when they were no longer cute to have as pets, the people would rid of them.

China is so diverse depending on where you live. I lived in a small quite rural city where people still rode bicycles regularly for work and leisure. There was also a bus and many motorbikes and some cars. I enjoyed learning a dance there. I also ran in the annual race in the city where everyone runs up a high mountain. Best shape of my life -so far. I was a mere 125 lbs! Gosh, If I could only get back to that again. 

The people were far more friendly than Koreans and for the most part they don’t dress like super models. They just seem more approachable. I loved to eat at a Japanese sushi bar they had close by and my salary was only $300 a month! But the average Chinese in the area only earned $100 a month, so I was living quite well, especially since my apartment was taken care of for me. I only had transport and utility/food expenses.

I made some Chinese friends and western teacher friends and the experience was unforgettable.  But I only stayed a summer.

Nepal and Tibet  were some of the most interesting lands I had ever been too! The landscape is almost identical. Lush mountains with rice fields and beautiful blue skies. Plentiful water from the ground; fertile soil for growing food. Many minerals to make jewelry from as well. Turquoise is very abundant there and I saw the stone used in many designs. 

Interestingly is that there are many Tibetans living in Nepal who fled Tibet since China’s occupation and some of those Tibetans are Muslim. I never knew that until living there for 6 months. I had thought all Tibetans were Buddhist. But that is not the case. I did meet Buddhist Tibetans too. 

Though the country is very poor, a developing country, it is still very rich in basic needs like water food, clothing. Because the land is so fertile the people can live off of it well enough. Unfortunately, many women and children rights are still neglected and while in Nepal during the local political civil spats, I saw women marching with signs for equal rights and saw children as young as three lifting stones with their mothers in working fields.  

I worked at a school to help build up the education the best I could, but I could only offer a little help. The service was free of course, since thy cannot really pay you to work there in most schools in Nepal or Tibet.

My drive on the bus from Tibet into Nepal was listed as one of the most picturesque journeys in the world and it certainly was. I imagine travels in the deserts would be amazing too, but if you like mountains, hills, grassy landscapes, this ride is for you. 

You might be asking how I managed to afford to do all of this? Many people want to travel but don’t have the money to do so. Well, you can offer your English teaching services. This is what I did to land a job in China, Korea, and I volunteered in Nepal and Tibet. Working in the country while there helps to give you the money you need to see as much as you would like. Plus you don’t have to rush back to catch a plane anytime soon. 

Thailand I ended up staying in for six years. I bought two condos there; one on the beach. I rent them out now while I’m in America. But I will return in a couple years. I consider it my 2nd home now and it has a special place in my heart. It is just something you have to experience, travel. But Thailand in particular is so lovely. People are friendly and food is great and prices are always affordable.

If you go to any of the provinces you will find a very authentic Thailand. Cities like Bangkok and Pattaya are busy with tourists and tourism, but both are suitable for living if you are a foreigner like me. Many malls, many forms of transport, and they even have a sky train from one end of the city to the other. Imagine that! 

You only need to say “Swadee Ca” and that means hello, nice meeting you. With your hands together like in prayer which is called the WAI position. It is polite and how you greet everyone. 

I enjoyed teaching there very much.

Vietnam -- the northern area called Sapa is a very rural, village life. Simple, less polluted, and very poor. The geography or land is very beautiful and since it borders Nepal and Tibet, they have very similar land topography. Very interesting tribes of Vietnamese people live in Sapa and each denotes their tribe with a particular headband color. 

The city HoChin is not so friendly, and very busy like any city. But once you get to southern China you will find amazing architecture and a slower way of life. I enjoyed my time in Sapa as I traveled up mountains with a guide and met her family and traveled into various tribes to meet the people. The Red Dao people sew with their fingers and toes! I got pictures! 

I slept in HoChin for a couple nights and had nice food and bought some nice souvenirs, but I liked Sapa much more.  

Tess Oliver Guest Post

Book Title: Camille

Author:  Tess Oliver

Short Blurb:

At a time when society conforms to the strictest rules and most proper etiquette, sixteen year old Camille Kennecott and her guardian Dr. Bennett live a most unconventional life. They hunt werewolves.

When unwitting victim, Nathaniel Strider, wanders into one of their full moon pursuits, Camille and Dr. Bennett believe they have found a specimen for their study. Finding a scientific key to unlocking the mystery of lycanthropy would bring an end to their late night excursions. But beneath the irresistible exterior, Nathaniel is transforming into a flesh tearing monster, and as each experiment fails, Camille loses another inch of her soul to him. She knows that in a month’s time, she will be faced with the prospect of destroying the boy who owns her heart.

Camille is a 63,000 word young adult paranormal/romance set in 19th century London.

Book link: http://www.amazon.com/Camille-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B003V8BHPK/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340923304&sr=1-7&keywords=tess+oliver

When did you know you wanted to be an author? Ever since I fell in love with Jane Austen's books. 

Why do you Indie publish? I've worked with publishers and editors under a different name and I can say that indie publishing gives you much more creative freedom and way less stress.

What inspired you to write your book? With Camille, I knew I wanted to write a romance with a Gothic feel and a 19th century London setting. That's how the story emerged. 

What are three things you want people to know about you or your book? I hope people enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.

What advice do you have for parents to encourage their kids to read more? As a teacher, I get asked this question all the time. Some children take naturally to it because they love it. For others, it is not on their 'list of fun things to do'. But with the right books, anyone can become an avid reader. But they need to find the books that interest them.

Guest Post by David Grace

So, You Want To Write A Novel?

Some Thoughts By David Grace

If you have question about something you can post it on Quora.Com and interested people can post their answers. Recently, someone posted a question along the following lines: "I have an idea for a novel that I've decided to write. How do I get it published?"

You want to write a novel and your only question is how to get it published? 

How about this: "I've decided to build my own home. Where is the best place to buy the picket fence to put on the front lawn?" Or, "I've decided to climb Mt. Everest. What is the best camera to use to take my picture when I'm standing on the top?" Or, "I've figured out how to create peace in the Middle East. How much money will they give me when I win the Noble Prize?"

Do you see my point?

Let me take you through the process, or, at least, a process for writing a novel, assuming that you have the craft and talent to write a good book. I will use the imaginary book, The Slime From Mars, as my example.

First, you've got this idea for a book: A ship from earth visits Mars and encounters some pathogen, virus, plague or whatever that I will call The Slime From Mars. But an idea is not a story. You need a story.

Second, you figure out the story. For example, the Slime infects the ship's captain who brings it back to earth where it begins to infect others with grievous results. The Hero realizes what is happening and after many challenges, defeats the Slime. There, that's the story, isn't it? No, it is not.

Who is the hero? Who is the villain? What, exactly, does the Slime do to people? How do they stop it? Who stops it?

So, you get back to work and actually come up with a real story. The captain is a woman. The first officer/co-pilot is a man. They used to date. The woman is driven and scheming and power-hungry and the first officer is true, blue, and an all-around great guy. Now the captain and the first officer are secret enemies. She views him as a boy scout and a rival. He views her as a mean, deceitful, narcissistic bitch. They are stuck on this ship together and she is the boss. He doesn't like that. The rest of the crew like her, except for one women who has crush on the co-pilot but he doesn't see her as anything but a friend. The Captain gets infected with the Slime. The Hero is the only one who suspects. The Slime gives her additional intelligence but is slowly taking over her mind with the goal to get her to infect others and turn them into Slime-Meat-Puppets. She infects them by having lots of sex with them.

The Hero (first officer) tries to alert people to the menace but fails because all the men want to sleep with her. She is hot! Blah, blah, blah. In this fashion you write out in prose who does what in the book. Who does what -- that's what the story is. Let me repeat that: The story is a factual summary of Who Does What. It should be at least five to ten single-spaced pages long.

OK, now that you have written down five to ten single-spaced pages of prose describing Who Does What, you're ready to begin writing Chapter One, right? Wrong.

Third, you need to create biographies for each of the major characters. Why? For two reasons (1) so that you know their backgrounds (a person's background affects his/her actions) and (2) because doing that will help you discover if you are missing some important characters or if you have two characters performing the same role in the story.

You bio needs to include a time line for each character. When were they born? Why do I need to know that? You obviously need to know your character's approximate age at the time of the story. Suppose your character is 35. If the story takes place in 2012 then he was born in 1977. Suppose he decides to break into an office to steal some vital information. Will he turn to his sidekick and say, "Let's Watergate it"? No, because he wasn't even born when Watergate happened. Is he going to mention Nixon? No. If he hits a figurative home run will he hit it like Ted Williams? No. Like Mickey Mantle? No. Like Barry Bonds? Maybe.

So, you need to know when he was born, where he was born, what his parents did for a living, what kind of a childhood he had, where he went to school, etc. All of these things help you create a 3-D character and avoid making a fool of yourself. If you say that your character fought in Vietnam and then say that the year before the book takes place he was asked to try out for the U.S. Olympic team most people are going to start counting on their fingers and say, "Uhh, wait a minute." 

All right, now you've come up with the idea, written down the detailed summary of the story and you've created both bios and time lines for each major character. Can you now begin writing Chapter One? No. You still need a time line for the book itself. These folks are flying to Mars on a rocket ship. When is this? 2015? 2018? If it's 2018 you need to adjust all your other character time lines including dates of birth backwards from a "now" of 2012 to 2018. When was ship launched? How long did it take to get to Mars? How long did they stay there? How long will it take them to come back?

Fine, you say. I've done all that. Can I start writing now? No. You still need to outline the book. Your story summary is most likely written in chronological order but the book won't necessarily be in chronological order. There may be flashbacks. An outline is often one or two sentences telling what is going to happen in each chapter and it is in the order in which the chapters appear in the book.

It might start with: (1) Captain and Hero argue on the day before launch. Hint of trouble and their history. (2) Jump to ship landing on Mars. (3) Strange events that alert the reader to the possible threat to the crew. (4) The Captain ignores advice because of her bitchy personality and gets infected with Slime. Etc. Etc. Etc. Continue in this way for 50 to 80 chapters. 50? 80? Which one?

My average chapter is 1,750 words. Shorter chapters make books easier to read. If  your average chapter length is 2,000 words and since you want your book to be at least 100,000 words that means 50 chapters minimum and maybe 75 maximum. If your outline runs out after only 34 items then you have not thought your story all the way through. It is too simple. You need add some twists and turns, maybe another subplot or two. You always need at least one or two subplots in addition to the main plot.

Eventually you get the outline up to say 62 chapters. Good, now you can start writing Chapter One.

Is writing the book the only thing you need to do? No. You need to keep a concordat as you write. What's that? It's an inventory of your characters, places and things. Here is just a small section of the concordat on my latest book. Single spaced, the entire concordat is about five pages long:

Alphonse Gagliardi -- County D.A.

Amy Ellison -- Pearl Girl

Anders, Angela -- kidnapping victim

Anderson, Edward James -- murderer whose conviction is on appeal

Angela Anders -- kidnapping victim

Art Wayman -- lead detective on Angela Anders case

Ben Cerutti -- contractor who needed supplies

Every time I name anyone they go into the list twice, once as "John Smith" and once as "Smith, John" because I never know which name I will remember and which I will forget. "I know the neighbor is named Bob something" or "I know the neighbor is named something Smithers". Also, you want to avoid too many uses of the same name. Look down the list. Do you have a John Baker, Jon Carlisle, Johnny Danvers, and a Jack Taylor? Throw in a few Pauls, Ralphs, Stewarts and Blakes.

Keep a list of other things like guns. If the hero uses a Glock is the villain going to use a Glock too? Maybe the villain uses a Beretta. And what kind? A Glock 17? A Beretta 92?

And when you finish the manuscript you are not done. You still need a title, a back cover blurb and a cover.

Now you are getting an inkling of why I was concerned that the only question the would-be author had was how to get his book published.

Links and personal information

David Grace Website: http://www.DavidGraceAuthor.Com

Amazon Author Page: http://www.Amazon.Com/Author/DavidGrace

Smashwords Author Page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DavidGrace54

David Grace Email: DavidGraceAuthor@Gmail.com

My Work: Twelve novels. Eleven available at Amazon and Wildside Press (http://www.wildsidebooks.com/GRACE-David_c_1514.html) as trade paperbacks for $7.99 and $8.99 depending on the length. All twelve available as ebooks on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Smashwords and others for $4.95.

My top five favorite books: Shooting Crows At Dawn, Doll's Eyes, Easy Target, A Death In Beverly Hills. My least favorite book: The Forbidden List

The BoyFriend Thief

Book title: The Boyfriend Thief

Author: Shana Norris

Short Blurb: Avery has her life planned out: this summer she'll work with a humanitarian program in Costa Rica, next year she'll graduate at the top of her class. The only problem: getting the rest of the money she needs for the trip before the deadline. Hannah, her biggest competition for valedictorian, makes an offer: If Avery can make Zac break up with Hannah, a check for five hundred dollars is hers. But within Zac's chaotic world of midnight slushie runs and spontaneous dance parties, Avery's total order is quickly falling apart while Hannah seems poised to get everything she wants. Just how much is Avery willing to give up for the perfect, planned life?

Book link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Boyfriend-Thief-ebook/dp/B0058WCBOI/

When did you know you wanted to be an author? I've been making up stories ever since I was a little kid, but it wasn't until I was around age 11 that I realized authors were just normal people who loved to write like I did. So from that point on, I decided that I wanted to become an author one day.

Why do you Indie publish? I love being able to get something new out to readers on my own schedule and connect with new readers online.

What inspired you to write your book? The Boyfriend Thief is one of those "book of my heart" stories. I had worked on it for years, and it started from my need to explore feelings of isolation and having to grow up really fast. I moved away from my parents during my senior year of high school, 700 miles away, and a lot of the feelings of loneliness that Avery has in the book came from my own experiences. I also wanted to write about the complexities of relationships within family and friends, and what draws people to each other or pushes them apart.

What are three things you want people to know about you or your book? 

#1: I really did work at a locksmith shop for a while, just like Zac does in the book.

#2: I have never dressed up as a giant hot dog (thank goodness!).

#3: Avery's best friend Molly was originally a character in my first published book, Something to Blog About, although she was eventually cut out of it. Then she went through a big makeover when she reappeared in this book.

What advice do you have for parents to encourage their kids to read more? Find books on subjects that your kids already enjoy. A lot of times a kid might say they hate to read just because their only experience with reading is the things they have to read for school, which don't always interest them. If your kid likes aliens, find books about aliens. If they like horses, find series about kids who ride horses. Start with shorter books on things they already like, and then let them gradually move on from there at their own pace.

David Grace Interview

Interview Regarding Shooting Crows At Dawn and

Easy Target

By David Grace

--How did you get the idea for the [Shooting Crows] story? 

I've always liked heroes. Real heroes, not drunks or depressed whiners pining for a lost love. I might start with a hero with a problem but I need to have him or her heal by the end. When I think of heroes, one sort that always comes to mind is the old-time lawman. I can still see Gary Cooper telling Grace Kelly that he just can't run from those killers heading for town in High Noon.

For this book I knew I wanted an heroic sheriff but I didn't want to write a period piece. I wanted my sheriff living  in contemporary times. And it was too much of a stereotype to make him look like a movie star or James Bond. Most people, most heroes, aren't like that at all. The more I thought about Jubal Dark the more I saw him as a man in his late fifties, a bit overweight, maybe his hair is starting to thin a little, but a man with the heart of a warrior if not the appearance of one.

Once I knew who my hero was, Jubal Dark, then I asked myself what his life would be like. I realized that he might have lost his wife, his only wife, to cancer and that with CSI on TV the voters might be wondering if he wasn't too old and out-of-date for his job. So there would be a challenge there. But what would the story be?

It had to be from "bad guys" menacing his town. Jubal is the shepherd who has to protect his flock, so who would he be protecting it from? Escaped convicts immediately came to mind. And the story grew from there.

--Which [Shooting Crows] character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

I think you mean which character from this book, correct? If so, Jubal Dark is not a conversationalist so he probably would not be the best choice. I think I would enjoy talking with Holly Sharps who is still full of life and energy, plans and dreams.

--What are some of your favorite books? 

I think you mean favorite books I did not write. The Godfather, December 6 by Martin Cruz Smith, Hyperion by Dan Simmons, The Blue World by Jack Vance, The Silence Of The Lambs.

--Do you still have much time to read?

I read every single day. I usually read crime novels but also some science fiction. I usually read from 11:00 p. to about 11:30 or midnight. Right now I'm reading The Closers (terrible title, good book) by Michael Connelly, a very good writer.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?

Yes, I have just finished what I think is my best book ever. I don't want to mention the title until it is released which should be in about two to four weeks -- by July 15^th if not a little earlier. It is very emotional. I tell people that if at least half the women and many of the men who read it don't cry at least once then I will be surprised and disappointed. It has several heroes not just one. I love one of the female characters, Jessica, who is twelve when the book begins and seventeen when it ends. She is moderately autistic and I have several sections where the story is told from her point of view. I absolutely love those sections which explore how she sees the people who love her, an emotion, like many emotions, which she finds difficult or impossible to understand.

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?

Because most of the books I read involve murder, kidnapping, interstellar war and the like I probably would not want to be thrown into the middle of such a situation. But if we can assume that the fairy godmother would also give me the powers and abilities of the character I would assume, then I might enjoy being Kirth Gersen in Jack Vance's The Face. Gersen is very wealthy, extremely physically talented and obsessed with killing the arch-criminals who enslaved his family. Wealthy, talented and with a noble mission in life is not such a bad way to spend a day.

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

I start every morning with a cup or two of Twinings Prince of Wales tea (loose not tea bags) but that's about it. I find that music helps me think but distracts me from writing. I have to hear the words in my head. Prose has a cadence to it if you do it right and a dull thud if you do it wrong. Music interferes with my ability to hear that cadence.

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

Power is often a curse. My inclination is to want more intelligence but super-intelligent people are not necessarily happier ones. Sometimes the opposite. I would like to be able to paint really, really well. I cannot draw a good picture of a dog. I'm hopeless that way, so, I would like the ability to be able to paint like Rembrandt. 

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

I cook, take pictures, hike, travel, spend time with friends.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

Yes. Every time I start a book I want it to be "better" than the last one. What is better? For me, better is more emotional. I want to write books that make your heart beat faster, that make you desperate to get to the next chapter. It is a long, long road learning how to do that well. If I had a time machine I would go back to some of my earlier books and write them differently or write a different book in their place, but no one has a time machine so I just have to apply those efforts to the next one. Success is a relative thing, just a point on a continuum, never an absolute result. And I know that no matter how well I think I may have done, I will never succeed with everyone.

People like different things. I know I will never write a book that everyone likes. I think that if The Silence Of The Lambs had never been published and if you gave a copy of it to a thousand people who said they loved crime novels, at least 20% of them would rate it a 7 or less on a scale of 10. I think at least 10% would rate it as a 6 or less. I would give it a 10. One of my favorite books and when asked about it, lots of people would say, "It was all right, I guess." That is a hard truth to accept. 

As a novel Moby Dick was a failure. It was panned. The critics hated it. It just about ruined Melville's career. Moby Dick!

Van Gogh never sold a single painting. People thought they were no good. Van Gogh!

I hated Angels and Demons. I couldn't get past about page fifty. I thought it was a terrible book. I would rate The Da Vinci Code a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. What does that make me? Clearly, millions of people disagree with me. Maybe Dan Brown is right and I am wrong. These are difficult possibilities to accept.

In the end writers can only do what they think is a good job. The rest is beyond our control. Not having control is difficult for everyone. It certainly is for me. Reading a bad review of one of my books, if I think the reviewer got it wrong, makes me crazy. If I have to admit that  the reviewer got it right then I'm embarrassed. But that is something I signed up for. No one made me become a writer. As Hyman Roth said in The Godfather II, "This is the business we've chosen."

Easy Target Answers

--How did you get the idea for the [Easy Target] story? 

I saw the movie, Capote, and I was fascinated by the stark scenes of Kansas in the dead of winter. I started thinking about setting a story there, one that started around Halloween and continued through spring.

I had two choices, either write a story centering around a local person or one with an outsider hero. I liked the "stranger moves to town" idea because he could see things differently from a local. But who would that be? Because I write crime novels I decided to make him a retired cop. Since I have friends on the NYPD I decided to make him a retired New York City detective. Then I started building the personality and history of Greg Webster. I didn't want some bitter loner. I wanted a three-dimensional person with a good marriage and a friends and a real life, but not a perfect life. Real people don't have perfect lives. 

The story grew organically from there. When I finished the manuscript I asked my friend who was at that time the Commander of the Internal Affairs Division of the NYPD to check it for police-department accuracy and he was a great help in that regard.

--Which [Easy Target] character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

While I like the hero, Greg Webster, I think his friend, Dr. Terry Singleton, would be a more interesting dinner companion. He's clever, witty, and a little bent so I think he would be fun to talk with.