Q&A with Patricia Gligor

Let’s start with the basics. Where did you grow up? Did your childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer? If so, how? I grew up on the west side of Cincinnati. When I think back to my childhood, I realize it’s no wonder I became a mystery writer. My parents, younger brother and I lived in an old two-story house with all kinds of good places to play Hide’n Seek. The basement was an especially scary place; the foundation had thick stone walls, a fruit cellar and a coal bin. We had a large backyard and, at the end of it, a woods extended as far as the eye could see with a cemetery just barely visible in the distance. It was the perfect breeding ground for a young girl, who loved to read Judy Bolton and Nancy Drew mysteries, to develop a fertile imagination. Did the inspiration for your characters and/or plot come from people you know, a specific place or personal experience? If not, what got you started? The initial idea for Mixed Messages came to me one day, shortly after I’d moved into a new apartment. I went for a walk in the neighborhood and spotted an old Victorian. I remember standing there, gazing up at the house, captivated. I’ve always loved old houses; they have so much character. Every old house has a history; people have lived there and, in many cases, died there. I never missed an episode of the show, “If Walls Could Talk,” when it was on TV. The stories of the people who had lived in those homes fascinated me. As I looked up at the Victorian, I found myself wondering what those walls would say if they could talk. The plot and characters developed from there. Did you plan your series before or after you wrote the first book in the series? Actually, in the middle of writing the first novel, Mixed Messages, I decided to write the sequel. The decision to create my Malone mystery series came after I finished the first draft of the sequel, Unfinished Business. I realized that my characters have so much more to say and do and I want to give them ample opportunity to do that. Can you tell us about Mixed Messages?

I think the blurb from the back of the book says it best. “It’s estimated that there are at least twenty to thirty active serial killers in the United States at any given time. There’s one on the loose on the west side of Cincinnati. It’s the week of Halloween and Ann Kern struggles with several issues. Her primary concern is her marriage which, like her west side neighborhood, is in jeopardy. Her husband is drinking heavily and his behavior toward her is erratic. One minute, he’s the kind, loving man she married and, the next minute, he’s cold and cruel. Ann dismisses a psychic’s warning that she is in danger. But, when she receives a series of ominous biblical quotes, she grows nervous and suspicious of everyone, including her own husband. As the bizarre and frightening events unfold, Ann discovers a handmade tombstone marked with her name, pushing her close to the edge. Will she be the Westwood Strangler’s next victim?” Do you have a website we can visit? And, where can we buy your book? Thank you for inviting me to be here today. I hope you’ll visit my blog at: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/ Mixed Messages is available at: https://www.amazon.com/author/patriciagligor

Marinda Asks the Question: M is for MP3,but where do I shelve it?

Marinda Asks: M is for MP3, but where do I shelve it?? Hi there! The store has been live for a month and it has been an interesting four weeks. It seems that people don’t quite know what to make of South African audio books in downloadable format. The response from readers who have browsed our digital shop has ranged from “Finally! Here you are. South African audio books!” to “OK. So when do you post my CD?” or even to “So why isn’t this stuff for free?” Mmm. Well firstly, we don’t sell CDs, only digital downloads: audio files in .mp3 format. You create an account; buy the audio book you like and then download the file to whichever device you prefer (computer, cell phone, tablet etc). Secondly, the more one becomes an avid lover of audio books, the more you come to recognise and appreciate the huge amount of production that goes into creating them. About 120 hours were spent in studio, creating 14 short story audio books, with the generous help of more than 60 South African artists. It takes some elbow grease to get these guys on the shelves! Not that we are complaining, producing exciting new South African writing is what Beta Than Paper is all about. The feedback did get me thinking though. We live in digital age where everything is changing so rapidly. It’s hardly surprising to find oneself struggling to keep up and embrace new technologies. Especially when said technologies are encroaching on a very “old school” paper-based medium like books. This is the dilemma and adventure that is gripping the global publishing industry at the moment. It got me thinking about the difference between storytelling in audio and printed format. Let me put it in a different way. What do you prefer: to listen to a story told to you or to read a story yourself? The “paper-based” writer guides the reader in creating characters and events according to printed words on the page, allowing the reader to fill in all the “unsaid” information himself. The writer of audio books focus on the TELLING of the tale, the momentum needed for storytelling and the impact of dialogue. The reader is given an already rounded character from the outset: you hear the hero’s voice and can immediately form an image in your mind. It’s sort of like going to the theatre, in your mind! Both methods leave much up to the imagination of the reader/listener. In the end it becomes more a question of what fits into your lifestyle, I think. Do you have time to read? Or are you stuck on the highway for 2-3 hours a day and have no spare time at home? I love printed books, but I rarely have time to read them. So which do you prefer? There’s probably a bookshop just round the corner from your home, right? You could go grab a new South African short story omnibus from them, surely. Perhaps you want to try something new though: plug your iphone into your car on your way to work, listen to a 20 min audio book in your lunch break or simply listen to stories from home if happen to be abroad. Do let us know if you prefer to listen to our stories by visiting us on Facebook, Twitter or Youtube (where you can listen to audio trailers for free J)! Thanks for dropping by and have a lovely month. Regards Marinda Owner www.betathanpaper.co.za On www.marindabotha.co.uk

Find Your Voice - Marinda Botha

Finding your voice. That does sound so euphoric, but it has a good ring to it. Take the example below: Like most actors living in London, I attended classes at the Actor’s Centre, in an attempt to hone my skills. I especially liked the one-on-one sessions with a vocal coach. My vocal coach was always extremely interested in my accent as she didn’t meet many South African actors. She said she had never had an Afrikaans student at all. Well great, that made for good conversation – she asking cultural questions, me answering her with slight (snobbishly amused?) disbelief at her obvious lack of knowledge about my culture (or the fact that she was actually, sincerely interested in it?). Anyway, we only had an hour per session, so better crack on. Having committed myself to a career in acting, I spent hours practicing to lose my South African accent, to sound “more British”, to try and conquer the elusive Received Pronunciation. “The bells must be tingling, my dear” she said once, referring to the crystal clear articulation that is required for RP. It was a struggle for me. As a rule, we Afrikaans speakers can be quite lazy with our pronunciation. (Oh, shoot me. It’s true). I had to practice my voice exercises daily, as a day or two without doing it, would cause a lapse that was quite irritating and embarrassing.( If you are staring at a client through the glass pane separating the vocal booth from the technician and you just. cant. get that word pronounced so it sounds natural, you do wish you had done your homework.) It’s a great feeling to be fully warmed up and “on top” of your toolbox – your voice. If you are a VO artist, I recommend that you keep doing your vocal exercises, as often as you can. But that’s not what today’s write-up is about. Having practiced my rolling R’s and softening my guttural G, I ended up being thrown in the following scenario, many times. I read a script to a client, in South African English or Afrikaans and receive the following note: “ Mmmmm. Ok…But can you sound a bit more South African?” “ ?” (Pause. What does he mean?) “Erm? What do you mean?” (Do you mean you actually WA NT to hear my over-pronounced Afrikaans R and just love the scraping G in my throat? ) Mumbling from the other side of the glass, fumbling for words to express what is needed. (You do? ?) “Oh. OK. Sure…” I would nail the session by opting for a balance between clear articulation and that familiar Afrikaans combination of “flat” vowels and the overstressing of certain consonants. Well doesn’t that sound fancy. It just means I had to carefully traverse the river between training and falling back on comfortable speech patterns from back home. This scenario made me aware of the perceptions different nations have of each other. I’m talking about positive, if misguided (ignorant?) perceptions we harbour for other cultures. We South Africans definitely do it too. It’s often not malicious, just misguided. What does make it dangerous, from a business point of view, is that you always need to keep your target market in mind. More than once I had to give my opinion on the matter to the client, informing him that his chosen approach may not resonate with his market. As any professional voice over artist will tell you, this is something you steer clear of. You keep quiet unless spoken to! (Really.) The stereotype will live on, in all of us perhaps, for as long as we watch TV and devour what the film industry give us. Being asked to “sound more South African” did confuse me though. Were all those exercises at the actor’s centre for nothing? Where do I receive training for THIS? Why not just stop training altogether, what de heck. Having returned to South Africa and now living here these past 3 years, I am confronted again with the perceptions from this side of the ocean. My answer is this: Of course you need to keep training. And then listen. Listen to what the client envisions. Try and see the picture and final product he has in his head. Then jump in and swim. It’s important to be proud of your language, accent and culture, but this industry needs you to be versatile. Do what the client asks, he is always right, remember… Have a lovely month. Follow me on twitter @MarindaBO if you like J -- Marinda Botha www.betathanpaper.co.za www.marindabotha.co.uk

Simple Techniques For Writing an Introduction to Your Story by Katrina Parker Williams

Reprint with permission from author, Katrina Parker Williams Writers struggle with how to write the introduction to a story. If the introduction is dull and unexciting, the reader is apt to put it down, never to even read the second paragraph. If the introduction is engaging and interesting, the reader will want to read further to see what will happen next in the story. There is no easy way to learn how to write the introduction to a story. The best way to learn is to read how other writers create attention-grabbing and appealing introductions to their stories and use some of the same techniques they employ without copying their style or their words verbatim. If finding simple ways to write an introduction to your story is keeping you from putting that burning story inside you down on paper, try these simple techniques. Begin By Telling a Brief Story Many writers begin their introductions with an anecdote or a brief story that grabs the reader's attention. Be sure the anecdote or brief story introduces clearly the story that comes after it. Describe a Scene in an Interesting Way Describing a scene is a good way to arouse the reader's curiosity. The reader will be intrigued by the setting and wonder what happened at the scene and why the scene was significant to the whole story. However, the scene must be interesting and relate to the story that follows. Begin with a Quotation When using a quotation, make sure to use a quotation that is provocative and says something significant. The story that follows should explain the meaning of the quotation or the purpose for using it in your story. Your story must build upon the quotation so that readers will want to read further to find out what you have to say. Begin with a Definitive Statement Most introductions begin with a general beginning and follow with specific and concrete details about the subject. Write a definitive statement that simply states your stance on an issue. Then follow the statement with interesting and/or factual information that will provoke agreement or disagreement from the reader. Pose a Question A good way to introduce a subject is to use a question. Sometimes questions can be answered immediately following the question and then proceed on to the story, or the question can be left at the beginning to be pondered over until later in the story. The writer can answer the question at any point in the story, but the question should be answered at some point before the story ends. Use Contrast Another way to introduce your subject is to state a commonly held belief or statement of fact and follow quickly with a contrasting view. You present a situation that your readers may agree with, and after a paragraph or two, you assert that you will take an opposing or differing view. This type of introduction compels the reader to take a stance on the issue. One very important point to remember about introductions is to include a clearly defined thesis statement that indicates to the reader the overall point you are going to make in your story. The thesis statement must be stated clearly in the introductory paragraph (it is most effective as the last sentence). Be sure that with any of the techniques you use to introduce your story, you conclude the introductory paragraph with a strong, well-developed, and thoughtful thesis statement. Now you are off to a good start. The introduction is no longer a roadblock to writing that burning story inside you. Katrina Parker Williams maintains a blog of her musings about literature, writing, art, and culture at http://katrinaparkerwilliams.wordpress.com/. She is the author of a fictional novel titled Liquor House Music and publishes writing and publishing articles online. Her work has appeared in Charlotte Viewpoint, Muscadine Lines, USADEEPSOUTH, and on the Wilson Community College website. Her work has recently been published at The Saints' Placenta and is forthcoming in All Things Girl, the Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, and Muscadine Lines. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katrina_Williams

To Be Released This Weekend: Amazon Kindle Best-Selling Author J.T. Lewis "Pepper & Longstreet-Volume 4- The Unsolved Robbery"

Sixty seven years ago, the Fourth Street Bank was robbed and the assistant manager murdered. The money was never recovered, and their only suspect disappeared into thin air. Everyone knew that he did it…except his family. Pepper has been hired to clear his name, but that leaves her with another big problem…finding the real robbers. Pepper Jones and her unusual partner Jacob Longstreet take on the ultimate cold case…one whose clues they will have to dig up in the last century. JT Lewis is the author of the new YA series, Pepper and Longstreet, exciting mysteries that hearken back to the old Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mystery series./ Also check out his mystery/suspense novels…Murder! Too Close To Home and Gabriel’s Revenge.

Father & Daughter Team Up Again for "Sons of The King-Volume 3- The Creator's Ark"

Another Title in the Trestle Press Digital Short Story Series: Mark Miller (One, Small World Global Protection Agency) teams with his daughter and first time author Olivia Miller. In Sons of the King, they have created a fantasy world with a touch of science fiction. In the land of Mysstira on the planet Kaskaya, a great King has three sons. When a mysterious visitor falls from the sky, their world is changed forever. The sons of the King will soon face their destiny. Episode Three tells of the oldest son Taro’s journey to the hidden Creator’s Ark. He plans to dedicate his life to honor the Creator of the planet Kaskaya and the universe. At the same time middle brother Diggold heads in the opposite direction in search of adventure and escape. Which leaves the youngest of the three, Fallon, almost like a prisoner in the Dome. Olivia Miller is currently a full-time student. She completed a three year dual language program, in which she learned Spanish as a second language. Olivia is an Honor Roll member and has been recognized as a gifted student. Born in Kansas, she moved with her family to Florida at an early age. She has a passion for writing and a unique way with words. Sons of the King is her first collaboration with her father. She has many more stories to tell, but also holds a secret wish to sing on America’s Got Talent. Readers can find more about Olivia at www.MillerWords.com and on Goodreads. A Kansas Native, Mark currently resides in Florida with his wife and four children. Since moving to Florida, he has pursued a lifelong aspiration of becoming a published author. He believes he has always been a writer and strived to follow in the footsteps of his namesake, Mark Twain. His education started early as his father was a newspaper writer, editor and photographer for both the Kansas City Star and Kansan. Formal development started in high school writing classes at Sumner Academy where he completed the International Baccalaureate program. Additional teaching came from both Kansas City Kansas Community College and the University of Kansas. It was at KU where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Film. Informally, he was educated by the writings of C.S. Lewis, Lloyd Alexander and as he matured, Tolkien. His interest in fantasy did not end on the page as some of his favorite movies include The Dark Crystal, Excalibur, and Star Wars. Professional experience dates back to the 1990’s. Mark has co-written four screenplays, two of which were produced as ultra-low budget direct-to-DVD features by East of Hollywood Productions. Through his relationship with East of Hollywood, Mark also became co-creator of an educational and entertaining children’s program. That show used the talents of a local radio personality and a group of child actors to update classic fairytales and fables. Each of the episodes brought a twist to the familiar stories and conveyed a positive message. On his own, Mark has completed five other novels, a screenplay, three digital short story series and several other short stories. The first three books of his Empyrical Tales have been published by Comfort Publishing, LLC out of North Carolina. Book I: The Fourth Queen, Book II: The Lost Queen and Book III: The Secret Queen are available in print and eBook. Trestle Press published his adaptation of the Christian movie Daniel’s Lot, filmed in and around Mount Dora. With Trestle, Mark also heads a spiritual, introspective series called Mark Miller’s One and a children’s eBook series about to elementary school students that become international spies called Small World Global Protection Agency. This series teaches culture and geography in an exciting way. Mark has another all-ages, faith-based fantasy series that he is co-writing with his nine year old daughter. It is called Sons of the King and is available only on eBook. In addition to his own writing, Mark is currently lending his talents to a faith-based movie production company Lazarus Films. He believes being a father of four makes him uniquely qualified to write The Empyrical Tales, an eight story series that comes from our collected myths and fairytales. He hopes his writing sends a positive message with strong role models and a beneficial moral element. And every day is an adventure with his children as they continue to teach him as well. His two young daughters unknowingly provided the models that helped create the main character sisters in The Fourth Queen. Many of their phrases and behaviors are shared with their fictional counterparts.

An Invitation From Mark Miller & The Authors of "One"

Mark has invited you to the event: The Authors of One, a G-Zone Panel. Date: May 12, 2012 01:00PM Venue: BlogTalkRadio- http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop Location: The United States Description: The eclectic group of best-selling and award-winning writers and poets known as the Authors of One will be on the G-Zone blogtalkradio program for an hour of insightful conversation. This is an internet-based event and will be available by archive immediately following. The "One" series is a celebration of life and faith. Authors from around the world share true stories of what it means to have faith on this one world. What's more is that all participating authors have agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds to charities such as Give Kids the World and World Concern. Praise has been high for this series. Reviewers have said "[It] may change how you see the world..." "[The authors] courageoulsy opened their hearts..." "[This] writing deserves to be read...felt...lived..." Guests will include: Your co-hosts Giovanni Gelati (Story Four) and Mark Miller (Story One, The Empyrical Tales) De Miller - St ory Two, The Amish Mysteries series Sude Khanian - Story Three, On the Silk Road to Love Melissa Studdard - Story Five, Six Weeks to Yehidah Scott Lutz - Story Five Rachel Hunter - Story Seven, Empyreal Fate Crystal Linn - Story Eight, Amish Forever series Ron Starbuck - Story Nine, Wheels Turning Inward

Available This Weekend: George Michael Loughmueller's Latest "An Amish Journey-Set Free-Volume 7-Love In Bloom"

His last chance was their only hope. In this new, best-selling, periodical short story series from Trestle Press, a man on the brink of self-destruction is given the opportunity to start over. Part 7 of 10. With spring in full swing, Allan learns to start working his farm. He has chickens in the barn and weeds in his field. His good friend Ben Abrim is there to lend a hand and share a helpful word. The only thing that throws him off is Alice. She decides to make her intentions known regarding Sam Menlach. Things end with a startling event at the schoolhouse. George Michael Loughmueller is a descendant of German heritage. Finding joy in being a husband and father, he is known by his friends as “Laughing George” because of his cheerful disposition and the pronunciation of his last name. Born in the Midwest, George has spent time both in Omaha, Nebraska and Des Moines, Iowa. He works in retail, but has long had the dream of being an author. With the support of family and friends, George decided to write a story inspired by his grandfather. “Set Free: An Amish Journey” is a work of fiction. However, some of the events are based on facts and stories told by George’s late father about the unusual life of his grandfather. In George’s mind, the fictional church district of Karsten Field is set in the small communities of eastern Iowa.

Ladies & Gentlemen I Present To You My Blogtalk Guest This Saturday Morning @ 10AM EST- Thomas Kaufman

Thanks, Giovanni, for letting me be here today, and hello mystery fans. I find myself fin a funny place. I've lived and breathed STEAL THE SHOW for well over a year, but now I have to stand back and talk about the book, tell folks what it's about. You'd think that would be easy, right? But it ain't. Maybe that's because the book contains so many elements. Weaving them together was a lot of fun, but talking about these separate elements means I have to unravel what I've done, just a little bit. I'll start with Willis Gidney, the private eye form DRINK THE TEA, which came out last year. Gidney grew up without parents or a home, on the streets of Washington, DC. So when he finds an abandoned baby, he has a hard time simply handing her over to the authorities – he knows what will happen to her. And because he saved the child's life, he feels some responsibility towards her. Now, most private eyes are tough, competent men and women who know exactly what they're doing. They don't make mistakes. Look at Sam spade, Phillip Marlowe, or Spencer. I love these stories, but I wanted to do something different. So my detective, who is blinded by his own good intentions, makes one bad decision after the next. He barely survives his own mistakes. In the end things work out, but not in the way he thinks they will.

Once upon a time, in a place called Hollywood, there was a writer/director named Preston Sturgess. Playwright, inventor, film director, Sturgess was a bona fide genius, and his movie SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS may be the best Hollywood film ever made. I own a copy of the screenplay, and Sturgess wrote this short prologue. No one who saw the movie ever saw the prologue, it was written for the studio exces who read the script: This is the story of a man who wanted to wash an elephant. The elephant darn near ruined him. In a way, that sums up what I'm doing with STEAL THE SHOW. Something else that's a little different is the emphasis on character. When I wrote this book, I had to ask myself, which is the main story? Is it Gidney trying to prevent a Hollywood blockbuster from falling into the hands of film pirates (who cost the industry between 6 and 20 billion dollars a year)? Or was the story about Gidney trying to save the life of a two-year-old girl? It comes down to who Gidney is, and for me, clearly, it was choice #2 – the girl. So what, for a different writer, may have been a subplot – Gidney and the girl – for me became the main story. I still wanted a mystery, of course, but the mystery depends on the story of the girl. One last thing I should mention – I work in the movie business. For over 25 years I've been behind the camera, watching life unfold through the viewfinder. It gives me a perspective that maybe other people would like to read about, and I try to use that perspective when I write. When I write a scene, I try to visualize it for the reader. Ideally, the reader can "see" the scene unfold, watch the actors move around the set, observe their body language. A lot is said through dialogue, of course, but so much is there is visually, it would be a shame to waste it. When people tell me they could "see" the story unfold, it feels like I've done my job. I hope you get a chance to read this book, I'd love to know what you think.

Wiliam Tasch Releases His Debut Novel: "Outlaw Salvation"

Best friends, Todd and Boyd have recently graduated high school, in the small desert town of Icicle, California. On the eve of his eighteenth birthday, one friend receives a mysterious package containing a leather vest and an invitation to visit the Wolf Pack, an outlaw motorcycle club. His best friend has no illusions, at all, about what he’d do with the vest. Get rid of it and don’t go! The two friends have always shared a connection that has seemed almost ‘supernatural,’ but separated by a wedge. One is a Christian, and, the other, is not. Blinded by his desire to be part of the Wolf Pack, Boyd accepts the mysterious invitation and begins his initiation as a prospect. Feeling the same almost ‘supernatural connection’ to the club’s leader, Zev, Boyd soon discovers it is not about a bunch of fun loving, motorcycle riding guys. The Wolf Pack has a murderous, lust of money and control. Its guise is hidden by throwing an annual Community Day event. Boyd is then torn between the father he just met, and getting himself out before it’s too late. After seemingly selling his soul to the devil, Zev has a lot of things he wants done before his reign with the Wolf Pack ends. His plan to provide a blood legacy to run the club when he’s gone, also holds secrets of its’ own. The Icicle Police Department’s Gang Task Force has a ‘prospect’ of their own. A Task Force wannabe who’s over zealous careless acts lead him to the right places with the wrong outcome, believes that busting the Wolf Pack will earn him respect. Often inspired by the crazy antics of his best friend, Max; Paul, one of the town’s local preachers, must deal with the attraction he has to a congregation member who would like to date him. The rumor is she has a tainted past. Add a couple of motorcycle gangs who want Zev dead before his time, the lives of a close knit community looking for salvation, and friendships that are challenged by the truth that is revealed when everyone’s past comes together during an annual Community Day that Icicle, California will never forget. William Tasch is a twenty year retired, U.S. Army Veteran who enjoys writing in his spare time. He currently works in law enforcement and lives in Southern California with his wife, Deena and the youngest of their three children, Noah.

Out Right Now- "Amish Paradise-Volume 3- Atonement" from Amazon Kindle Best-Selling Authors Isaac & Sarah Martin

Atonement, a simple word, one that has a very simple meaning, yet in many ways it is incredibly complex, difficult, and at times emotionally painful. At its core it is a simple noun that means-” satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends “ or, “reconciliation; agreement” and if you are looking for a spiritual definition:” the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ. “ The next steps my brother Jacob makes are very careful ones, as he is being helped and guided by Hannah through this reawaking and enlightenment. Jacob must come to grips with who and what he wants to be, the real Jacob, shedding the mistakes of the past and righting his way on the path to his and their future together. Hannah takes her big lug by the hand again and not only shows him with her words but her deeds how one can make good for any injury caused, no matter how slight. Please join them in their journey as they continue to discover more about themselves and each other. Also included in “Amish Paradise-Volume 3-Atonement” is a fantastic recipe for “Low and Slow Roast Beef & Carrots”. Coming next in the “Amish Paradise” series at the end of April-“Volume 4-Giving”. Hi! First off my wife Sarah and I wish to thank everyone that has purchased our stories thus far. We are both humbled, happy and amazed at the response. We fully intend to deliver the best stories we possibly can and also have some great recipes for you. To date there are two stories, “Volume 1-TheEpiphany” and “Volume 2- Forgiveness”, in the series we have started called “Amish Paradise”. The name comes from where I lived, a bit of a play on words let us say. I grew up on a farm on Paradise Lane right off of Route 741 in what most people would call Lancaster, Pa. but really for those of us that got mail delivered there it is Ronks. The Strasburg Railroad is right down the street from us and the trains would go by our farm all day filled with kids of all ages wanting to experience the great steam engines and get a glimpse of the Amish life. People that enjoy railroads and train modeling are like that, kids no matter what age. I often wondered while I was doing my chores what it would be like on the other side, what my life would and could be like as an outsider, not in Plain clothes. When I got my chance, I chose to stay out but have held onto many of the ideals and core beliefs my family instilled in me. It is part of who I am and what I choose to do. My wife Sarah is not from an Amish Family but once she met everybody she finally got to understand “me” and really got to see what helped make me tick. Where my thought process came from and where I got my work ethic. The stories in our series are steeped in reality. I got permission from my little but bigger brother to fictionalize his life so he could be an example to others. Hoping that they will not make the mistakes he made, instead hoping they see that living with open eyes, mind and heart they will live a much fuller life and gain the grace and peace they seek with their Maker.

Karen Anna Vogel Discusses Her New Series "Amish Friends Knitting Circle"

Karen Anna Vogel on her new series, Amish Friends Knitting Circle When I got done writing Amish Knitting Circle, I felt so sad. The series that took 30 weeks to write was over and I’d miss Granny Weaver and her girls. Although “Granny Weaver” is real and I can visit her in Smicksburg, I never thought I could be so attached to the fictionalized version of her. So I went to Amish Literature Fans on Facebook and posted, “I’m so sad it’s all over.” Well, so were they, and protested. “You can’t stop! I feel like I’m one of Granny’s girls,” many said. But I felt taking readers through an Amish summer and autumn would be boring. There are no Amish holidays and they work from sun up to sundown. They literally make hay when the sun shines. But the group asked me about work frolics, auctions, barn raisings, canning bees…. Well, I’m so familiar with the Amish, I didn’t think those things would be interesting. But then I thought about my book Knit Together: An Amish Knitting Novel and what if I had the Baptist join the Amish to knit for the homeless. It’s something I can write about from experience, since I went to a tiny Baptist church in Upstate, NY and saw the harmony and conflict with the neighboring Amish. So, in Amish Friends Knitting Circle, Granny Weaver invites the Baptist in town to knit for the homeless. Characters from Knit Together will go, such as Janice Jackson and a girl from Forget-Me-Not Manor, a refuge for homeless moms. Of course, Suzy will be invited to teach the Amish how to knit with needles instead of looms. And, Marge, Granny’s new neighbor who’s living off-the grid, will also attend, getting too “religious” for her atheist husband, Joe. The conversations that take place at the knitting circle are very believable because some will be real, based on some of my conversations with Amish women. What most people don’t realize is that the Amish are open to advice from the English, once you’re a trusted friend. Their humility always amazes me. They’re not as cloistered as many imagine, and I hope to bring this out in this new eight part series. And like Amish Knitting Circle, many women’s issues will be solved, the Amish way…with the help of their Baptist friends.

This Week David L. Hoof, G.A. Zanni, and Thomas Kaufman on The G-ZONE!

A power packed line-up this week on The G-ZONE filled with Best -Selling authors: Monday- April 23- David L. Hoof-11am EST Weds. – April 25- G.A. Zanni- 11am EST Saturday- April 28- Thomas Kaufman- 9am EST

Reclusive Author Sam Lang is At It Again: "Reprisal-Volume 9- Intersection of Atonement"

Trestle Press presents Sam Lang’s Reprisal, a digital short story series. Reprisal is a dying town built on secrets and haunted by a mysterious shadow since its beginnings. Eddie Newport must survive one night in this town with his oldest friend as a bus full of escaped murderers breaks down on Main Street. Eddie and the Chief had a meeting with the Mayor. Five murderers boarded a bus for a routine transfer. The town is empty, everyone went to the Holidome for a weekend getaway. The town is empty, except for the Shadow. In the final chapter of Reprisal, what should have been a simple, uneventful weekend has turned into chaos. The body count is escalating and Eddie has nowhere to hide. Eddie, Arizona, the Chief, the convicts and the Shadow are about to collide at the Intersection of Atonement. Sam Lang lived a cold, dark life. Ignored for most of his existence, he developed a fascination with things of a macabre nature. His writing explores the dark recesses of human behavior. Lang writes with heavy thematic elements and symbolism, creating harsh, hyper-realistic characters. Lang currently resides in Florida where he spends his time thinking of new ways to delight and horrify his readers. Trestle Press has brought him out of the shadows with his series, Reprisal, a murderous tale of escaped convicts in a deserted town haunted by a mysterious shadow. The first six episodes are available as digital short stories from Trestle Press, starting with Making Plans, Making Memories followed by The Impeccant, Shadow Boxing, She’ll Get Your Engine Started, The First Cut is the Best and Sugar and Snails. More chapters are yet to come. Sam has participated in the Author’s Lab collaboration series with Giovanni Gelati on The Two Johns. He also has the one-shots: A Vampire’s Guide to Sex, a short tale about (you guessed it) vampires and sex, and Theoretical Fishsticks, a holiday story full of dark humor. Not much else is known of this reclusive author.

Are You Ready For "The Long Ride" by De Miller?

Do age-old Bible stories still hold relevance today? Does a forgiving God still exist? In Volume 1, the first of eight installments of The Long Ride, the Mackenzie family, who seem to enjoy an idyllic Christian life on a North Dakota horse ranch, is introduced. The aftermath of one stormy night changed everything. The incidents of that night will test Luke Mackenzie’s family to the breaking point. With his personal life in shambles he moves his family to central Florida to start over. One of his sons, though, does not agree and strikes out on his own for the lure of easy money in Las Vegas. Luke and his remaining children continue being faithful to the plan God has for them and they prosper. The Prodigal son’s fortunes are not so good. Then, a chance meeting with an unlikely angel moves the son to take action. Is this a word directly from God? Is it too late? Will the father really welcome his wayward son home? And as they did from North Dakota to Florida, the Mackenzie family will again have to make The Long Ride…. but will the son do it alone? This story is set to become a motion picture later this year. Check out the movie plans at www.thelongridemovie.com and other planned faith-themed movies at www.lazarusfilmworks.com. Bio De Miller is a former newspaperman now living in Mount Dora, Florida. He has been writing for three decades, first as a reporter, photographer and editor for The Kansas City Star and The Kansas City Kansan newspapers, then as the Public Information Officer for the Wyandotte County Commissioners in Kansas. Over the years as a freelancer he has had material published in such diverse publications as Crafting Magazine, The Sporting News and The National Enquirer. Among other writing accomplishments, he wrote the script for and produced two direct-to-video comedy movies starring Jerry Mathers and 60s music icon Tiny Tim; wrote the scripts for and directed a series of children's videos and wrote scripts for informational videos for the county government. Since moving to Florida, he has become a Christian and devoted much of his writing time to Christian endeavors. He wrote and directed a Christian movie, Daniel’s Lot, starring Emmy award winner Gary Burghoff (Radar from M*A*S*H) which is now in worldwide release through the Bridgestone Multimedia Group. (www.danielslot.com) He has also devoted a great deal of time to his writing passion, working on novels and short stories. (www.demiller.com) His other passion is the Christian radio station he operates. The station, WTYG, 91.5 FM (We Thank You God) serves north-central Florida in the town of Sparr. (www.wtygfm.com)

Coming Soon-Lightbearer by David F. Gray

LIGHTBEARER A NOVEL By David F. Gray ‘Old City…New Thrills’. Gideon is a Lightbearer, a servant and friend of the Lightgiver. He is making the long journey to the True City, the dwelling place of the Lightgiver. Accompanying him are his fiancée Ruth and a few close friends. In the course of their journey, they travel through the Old City, where entertainment, sex and luxurious living are accessible and cheap. Gideon becomes enamored with the Old City’s diverse pleasures and abandons his journey. He takes up residence at one of the many luxury hotels while his friends and fiancée are forced to move on without him. All too soon, Gideon’s money runs out. People who called him friend desert him. He is evicted from his hotel and forced onto the Gauntlet, the main street that runs through the middle of the Old City. He becomes a Lurker, one of the thousands of nameless, faceless people who have lost all hope. For ten years, he ekes out a living handing out flyers of prostitutes to the passing tourists. His fragile world is shattered when he encounters a Messenger from the Lightgiver. The Messenger, who’s name is Mark, delivers his message to Gideon. He is forgiven for the betrayal of his oath and is recalled to active duty. He is ordered to find three missing Lightbearers, who are wanted for a string of murders that they did not commit, and get them safely out of the city. Gideon begins a perilous journey into the depths of the Old City. Not only must he find the three Lightbearers, he must remember who he is and what it means to be a Lightbearer. He will encounter the Enforcers, the Governor’s private police force, who are rumored to have strange and terrible powers. He will be arrested and brought before the Governor, where he must choose once and for all who he will serve. And he will travel through the Maze, a bewildering, decaying slum on the outskirts of the Old City that is overrun by vicious, bloodthirsty gangs. LIGHTBEARER is a story of betrayal, redemption and ultimate victory. It is a story of faith and hope; that no matter how dire the situation, it is never too late to turn back to the Lightgiver.

Mark Miller-My Guest On The G-ZONE-Saturday 1PM EST

A Kansas Native, Mark currently resides in Florida with his wife and four children. Since moving to Florida, he has pursued a lifelong aspiration of becoming a published author. He believes he has always been a writer and strived to follow in the footsteps of his namesake, Mark Twain. His education started early as his father was a newspaper writer, editor and photographer for both the Kansas City Star and Kansan. Formal development started in high school writing classes at Sumner Academy where he completed the International Baccalaureate program. Additional teaching came from both Kansas City Kansas Community College and the University of Kansas. It was at KU where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Film. Informally, he was educated by the writings of C.S. Lewis, Lloyd Alexander and as he matured, Tolkien. His interest in fantasy did not end on the page as some of his favorite movies include The Dark Crystal, Excalibur, and Star Wars. Professional experience dates back to the 1990’s. Mark has co-written four screenplays, two of which were produced as ultra-low budget direct-to-DVD features by East of Hollywood Productions. Through his relationship with East of Hollywood, Mark also became co-creator of an educational and entertaining children’s program. That show used the talents of a local radio personality and a group of child actors to update classic fairytales and fables. Each of the episodes brought a twist to the familiar stories and conveyed a positive message. On his own, Mark has completed five other novels, a screenplay, three digital short story series and several other short stories. The first three books of his Empyrical Tales have been published by Comfort Publishing, LLC out of North Carolina. Book I: The Fourth Queen, Book II: The Lost Queen and Book III: The Secret Queen are available in print and eBook. Trestle Press published his adaptation of the Christian movie Daniel’s Lot, filmed in and around Mount Dora. With Trestle, Mark also heads a spiritual, introspective series called Mark Miller’s One and a children’s eBook series about to elementary school students that become international spies called Small World Global Protection Agency. This series teaches culture and geography in an exciting way. Mark has another all-ages, faith-based fantasy series that he is co-writing with his nine year old daughter. It is called Sons of the King and is available only on eBook. In addition to his own writing, Mark is currently lending his talents to a faith-based movie production company Lazarus Films. He believes being a father of four makes him uniquely qualified to write The Empyrical Tales, an eight story series that comes from our collected myths and fairytales. He hopes his writing sends a positive message with strong role models and a beneficial moral element. And every day is an adventure with his children as they continue to teach him as well. His two young daughters unknowingly provided the models that helped create the main character sisters in The Fourth Queen. Many of their phrases and behaviors are shared with their fictional counterparts.

Does Karen Anna Vogel Have another #1 Hit on Her Hands? "Amish Friends Knitting Circle"

Following the tradition of Pickwick Papers (Charles Dickens) and Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery), Amish Friends Knitting Circle is a continuing story, broken down into 8 parts. If you liked receiving the installments of the best-selling, Amish Knitting Circle Series, (the prequel to this series), then join Granny Weaver as she invites her friends from the Smicksburg Baptist Church to a summer circle to knit for charity. Granny Weaver believes women are stronger spun together, just like the wool she spins. But will her Amish knitting circle snap if spun with women from the Smicksburg Baptist Church? Granny’s believes they can be knit together for a worthy cause: knitting hats, gloves and scarves to the growing homeless population across the USA. So Granny invites: Colleen, a young woman living at Forget-Me-Not Manor, a refuge for homeless mothers. Janice, a burnt out pastor’s wife…or a women going through the change of life. Marge, a new neighbor learning to live off-the-grid, whose husband fears her new-found faith. Suzy, who will teach knitting with needles, but is distressed over her aging dog’s health. Granny does many “casting off” prayers that her English friends will bond with Ella, Ruth, Lizzie, Lavina, Maryann, and Fannie, and not unravel the knitting circle she holds so dear. Author Bio: Karen Anna Vogel is a trusted English friend to many Amish in Western Pennsylvania and New York. She’s the author of Amish Knitting Circle, Knit Together, and The Amish Doll. She has a worldwide audience at her popular blog, Amish Crossings http://www.karenannavogel.blogspot.com She has a B.A. in psychology and a Masters in Biblical Counseling and loves mentoring young women. Karen and her husband of 31 years, Tim, enjoy living in rural PA and have four grown children. You can visit her at www.karenannavogel.com or Amish Literature Fans on Facebook.

Today on The G-ZONE blogtalk radio show CK Webb & DJ Weaver

'COLLECTING INNOCENTS' Highway travel can be lonely and treacherous. Broken down vehicles litter the Emergency Lane like corpses on a battlefield. What if you were alone with no one to call when you found yourself stranded? Your only companion; your small child sleeping in the back seat. What would you do?

On I-10 in Louisiana the answer is simple… you use the Emergency Call Box. cBut while you sigh a breath of relief in the knowledge that help is on its way, a much more sinister listener has heard your 911 call. Calls for help are coming in from Emergency Call Boxes along I-10 in Louisiana. But, when the State Trooper or wrecker service arrives to assist, there is no sign of the vehicle. Days later, the driver is found savagely murdered with no trace of their tiny passenger in sight. When a police officer, formerly of the Aberdeen Police Department sees a twisted pattern of murder and child abduction arising from 911 calls, he contacts Sloanne Kelly, now known for her work with child abduction cases. Together, Sloanne, Shawn Tyler and Mac Mackenzie, with the help of reporter Birney Sullivan, go on the hunt for a killer and the innocent children he is collecting. “A harrowing, edge of your seat thriller, the frightening premise sucks you in, while the twists and turns will keep you guessing to the last breathtaking word.” Richard Doetsch, bestselling author of "Half-Past Dawn" "Wow! This book grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go till the very last word of the last page. A terrific read by two authors who know their way around a story." --Shane Gericke author of TORN APART

Walking Dead Has Me Wondering by Sam Lang

Walking Dead Has Me Wondering by Sam Lang I am finally getting around to watching season two of AMC’s The Walking Dead. I’ve actually got about four episodes left. Before I get into it, I need to say I am a huge fan of season one. The first season offered a concise, compelling story. It was a story about people that happened to have zombies in it. The second season started off about the same way. It took a heart-wrenching turn with the disappearance of Sophia and, consequential, shooting of Carl. There is some fantastic chemistry and tension between most of the characters. Daryl has really stood out for me. Without giving any spoilers, I have one big question. Wouldn’t the whole group be better off without Rick and Lori? Seriously, aren’t all of their problems caused by those two? If Rick didn’t make half the decisions, they would not have lost Sophia in the first place. Is hiding under a car really safe from anything? Sure it worked in The Darkest Hour, but other than that… Both of them are pretty selfish. And the worst was when Lori took off ON HER OWN to go after Rick. That one defied all logic. I still have to finish the season and I am sure I will be hungry for season three. I do have to admit I never read the graphic novels. We’ll see what happens. I do hope the characters in my zombie story, Severed, don’t make such bad choices. Sam Lang lived a cold, dark life. Ignored for most of his existence, he developed a fascination with things of a macabre nature. His writing explores the dark recesses of human behavior. Lang writes with heavy thematic elements and symbolism, creating harsh, hyper-realistic characters. Lang currently resides in Florida where he spends his time thinking of new ways to delight and horrify his readers. Trestle Press has brought him out of the shadows with his series, Reprisal, a murderous tale of escaped convicts in a deserted town haunted by a mysterious shadow. The first six episodes are available as digital short stories from Trestle Press, starting with Making Plans, Making Memories followed by The Impeccant, Shadow Boxing, She’ll Get Your Engine Started, The First Cut is the Best and Sugar and Snails. More chapters are yet to come. Sam has participated in the Author’s Lab collaboration series with Giovanni Gelati on The Two Johns. He also has the one-shots: A Vampire’s Guide to Sex, a short tale about (you guessed it) vampires and sex, and Theoretical Fishsticks, a holiday story full of dark humor. Not much else is known of this reclusive author.

Out Now! Crystal Linn/Mark Miller's One-Volume 8- God's Counterpoints

A portion of the author’s proceeds will be donated to World Concern, a Christian global relief and development organization. World Concern’s efforts reach deep into the most remote corners of the planet, where climate and geography, societal instability and scarce infrastructure create incredible challenges to the people living there, including disaster response, clean water, education, food security, child protection, microfinance and health. Visit WorldConcern.org for more information. The series creators and publisher are in no other way affiliated with this organization. Mark Miller’s One is a spiritual anthology examining True-Life experiences of Authors and their Faith. As the series evolves expect to discover what it means to have faith, no matter what that faith is and no matter where they live. Remember that we are all part of this One World. In Story Eight, another award-winning poet, Crystal Linn, shares her moving experience with a rare form of cancer. The author’s husband was diagnosed with cancer and Crystal tells how they came through it with faith. This story is an inspiration to anyone facing life’s difficult challenges. Crystal Linn is a freelance writer who writes both fiction and non-fiction. Her book credits include A Touch of Renga, a poetry book, co- authored with Kristin Morris; From the Heart, Volume 1, an inspirational anthology; and Amish Forever, an Amish romance co-authored with Roger Rheinheimer, who is the author of Amish Snow. Her second book of poetry, Poems for Friends, is scheduled to be released soon. Ms. Linn also teaches creative writing classes and is an award winning poet. In addition to her creative writing, Ms. Linn is a technical writer who helps individuals and businesses with their written communications. Ms. Linn lives in the greater Seattle area where she enjoys reading mysteries, writing poetry, and sailing with family and friends.

Out Now and Already On the Amazon Kindle Best-Seller Lists-G.A. Zanni's "Dreadful Places"

DECEITFUL THINGS SERIES BOOK II D r e a d f u l P l a c e s When the horrifying images that Carter Dawson has been seeing for days finally come for him in the middle of the night, he clings to a new found hope deposited in him from a supernatural apparition. On a quest to discover the root cause of his spiritual awakening, he visits a psychic named Balera recommended to him from longtime business acquaintance, Stevie Lyons. Carter must uncover the purpose of his new found abilities before he is consumed and led into ruin by the force of darkness that plots against him. Jack “Bear” Branton has reluctantly allowed his sister Rebekah to decrypt some of the demonic serial killer’s ciphers and after months of turning up dead ends, the trail of the fabled serial killer, the DHK suddenly heats up. In his new findings, Bear discovers that although the killings seemed random at first glance, a profound connection, an incredible link between all of the DHK’s victims had been missed in the initial investigation. And this new connection puts his sister, Rebekah directly in the sights of the killer. As future promises become marred in doubt; Caleb and his host of angels can only hope that the human spirit proves to be a salvageable entity; one that can be delivered from the dreadful places in which they find themselves. G.A. Zanni resides in Johnston, RI with his wife, Caroline of 10 years, his children, Veronica (9) Gabriel (5) and Olivia (2). He served four years in the United States Marine Corps from 1996-2000 and drew on his experiences abroad to write The Deceitful Things series. Currently, he is working on multiple projects and has a deep passion for writing and enjoys sharing his inner most thoughts and stories with others.

What Do Vampires,Tiny Tim, Jerry Mathers,An Olympic Gold Medalist and De Miller Have In Common? Why "High Stakes" of Course!

The stakes are definitely high when the demure landscape company owner Amy Lucard bites off more than she can chew in a clash with the 400-year-old evil vampire, Ulysses Tarefson in the comedy vampire love story, High Stakes. Not only must she vanquish the vampire, she must also save her two best friends and co-workers, Nina and Lucy, from the clutches of the vampire household. Along the way, Amy and her new-found love, Jonathan Parker, must prepare themselves for the showdown battle by learning all the vampire legends, from what type of wood from which to make a stake to scattering grain to slow a vampire down. They enlist the help of a pacifist vampire killer, Professor Abraham Van Heavensing, (“Van Helsing? That’s the other side of my family tree!”) who arms the couple with all the tools they need to defeat the vampire. In the end, Amy and Jonathan free the trusted caretaker, Rentfield and the rest of the vampire household, twin sons Romulus and Remus and their mother, Carmella. Think Twilight meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets the Marx Brothers, and you have High Stakes! Filled with every conceivable vampire cliché, High Stakes stops just short of causing you to die laughing. Based on the direct-to-video movie from the mid-90s, which starred Jerry Mathers (Leave it to Beaver), 60’s pop icon, the late Tiny Tim (Tiptoe through the Tulips) and Olympic Gold Medalist Cathy Turner, High Stakes is guaranteed to be one book that really bites! Producers report that a digitally enhanced 20th Anniversary DVD release is in the works for sometime in the next two years! BIO De Miller is a former newspaperman now living in Mount Dora, Florida. He has been writing for three decades, first as a reporter, photographer and editor for The Kansas City Star and The Kansas City Kansan newspapers, then as the Public Information Officer for the Wyandotte County Commissioners in Kansas. Over the years as a freelancer he has had material published in such diverse publications as Crafting Magazine, The Sporting News and The National Enquirer. Among other writing accomplishments, he wrote the script for and produced two direct-to-video comedy movies starring Jerry Mathers and 60s music icon Tiny Tim; wrote the scripts for and directed a series of children's videos and wrote scripts for informational videos for the county government. Since moving to Florida, he has become a Christian and devoted much of his writing time to Christian endeavors. He wrote and directed a Christian movie, Daniel’s Lot, starring Emmy award winner Gary Burghoff (Radar from M*A*S*H) which is now in worldwide release through the Bridgestone Multimedia Group. (www.danielslot.com) He has also devoted a great deal of time to his writing passion, working on novels and short stories. (www.demiller.com) His other passion is the Christian radio station he operates. The station, WTYG, 91.5 FM (We Thank You God) serves north-central Florida in the town of Sparr. (www.wtygfm.com)

Meet Amazon Kindle Best-Selling Author Theresa Ricci!

Hi, I want to thank everybody that has been nice enough to read my stories, share their personal experiences with me, and send me suggestions for story ideas. Believe it or not I am just getting into this thing called social networking. I know, a bit behind the times. Just a bit of my background and maybe you will understand why I am a bit behind the times. I am a stay at home mother of three adorable kids- 2 girls ages 3 and 5 and one boy age 7. My husband and I were high school sweethearts, went to the same small college near Lancaster .Pa. and were married once we graduated. Right out of college I began work in the medical industry, specifically helping patients with diabetes. It is a subject that is near and dear to my heart as both my parents had it. Right before we found out that we were fortunate enough to have our son, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. We were fortunate that my husband’s job was good enough to handle our simple needs so it was decided that I would help take care of my mother and father as he was developing complications from his diabetes and failing heart. To make a long story short, all the education I received and the deep faith that surrounds our family was needed and used to help them through the trying times up to their passing on. During that journey we had a new neighbor move in that we have become very close with. They have a special needs child and that has given use new insights and understanding of how God works in all of us. My husband being the wise guy he is, and I mean smart not smarty pants, said :”You know if you put this all together and add in some of the people we met in college that were Amish, you have the makings for a good story here.” My questions was, “Who is going to write it?”. He just looked at me and said, “Why you of course, you lived most of it.” So here I am. In between doing many things in a normal day that we all do, I have also put on the hat of author; well at least I hope so. My intention is to bring you the best stories I can and show you that there are other sides to the story: The care, the thought, the prayer, the interaction, and interconnection of our actions with one another and the repercussions they may have. I hope that you enjoy the journey and the characters.

Four Days Five Guests on The G-ZONE This Week

Four Days Five Guests on This Weeks G-ZONE! Power packed lineup this week on The G-ZONE! Four Days + Five Guests = Fun Check it out, here is the lineup: Tuesday April 17-C.S. Lakin 6pm EST Weds. April 18 –David Gray and L.W. Rondeau 7pm EST Thursday April 19- C.K. Webb and DJ Weaver 5pm EST Sat. April 21- Mark Miller 1pm EST For all the upcoming shows and the archives just use this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop

Are You Ready For "Turn,Turn,Turn" ?

The Department of Homeland Security was formed in 2002 in response to the growing terrorist threat after the World Trade Center bombings. The department is an umbrella for 22 other agencies which were pulled into the new department. A cabinet position was established and given far-reaching powers, one of which was to form super-secret agencies within the agency. Jacob Jake Dees and Roland Roadie T. Blue work for one such unnamed agency. In this first installment of eight of the mystery-action novel, Turn, Turn, Turn, the pair is on the trail of an unidentified group of terrorists looking to obtain explosives. For what? Neither the Agency, nor the two agents know yet. They don’t even know who the terrorists are. They just know the terrorists must be stopped before their plan comes to fruition. In Volume 1 of Turn, Turn, Turn, Jake and Roadie go on what should be a routine mission. They have been carrying on surveillance of a suspected illegal explosives business. On the day they go to make arrests, the simple mission goes wildly awry, but they end up getting their man….or did they? This first novel, Turn, Turn, Turn, is the first from fictional author, Trent Cooper. Cooper, a character in the as-of-yet unpublished series of kozy mystery novels, is a pen name of Central Florida writer, De Miller. Like Miller, who is a former newspaper reporter and editor, Trent Cooper is also a former newspaperman. In Miller’s novels, Cooper is headquartered in Mount Dora, Florida, having come to the area to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city of Kansas City and also to escape the snow. (Miller is also from Kansas City, now living in Mount Dora, and he also does not like snow. ) Cooper is introduced in Miller’s first book in his series of kozy mysteries, entitled Murder in Mount Dora. While solving crimes, helping friends and getting to know his new girlfriend, Cooper is also working on his first Great American Novel. The novel he is working on throughout the first three books in Miller's In Mount Dora series, is Turn, Turn, Turn. Read all about Cooper and Miller’s plans and novels at www.demiller.com.

Say Hello To William Tasch, Author of "Outlaw Salvation"

Hello Everyone, When I was asked to write a guest post, I thought to myself, what would anyone want to know about me? Would they want to know how I came up with a story for a book? Would they want to know about my home life? Maybe they would just want to know what my life is like. I really couldn’t come up with a direct answer of what anyone would want to know about me, so I decided I’d give a little bit of it all. Well, the first thing I would say is that given the opportunity to serve in the United States army for twenty years gave me plenty of world travel. I have lived in European countries for ten years of my life. I lived in Saudi Arabia for a year, lived on the East coast, the West coast, lived in the North, South and the Midwest. I even got the chance to work at the Pentagon and survived three grueling years as a Drill Sergeant. I have finally come to rest and have lived in Southern California for the past eight years with my family. We are still debating if California will be where we settle down to retire. We get restless being in one place too long compliments of the army.

I have always liked to write, but had never thought about publishing a book until a little later in life. About twenty or so years ago, I was reading a good book, or so I thought. Anyway, the ending of that book was very disappointing. I couldn’t believe how the author ruined that story for me. I ranted for several days and finally my wife had enough and said “Write your own book then.” Hmm, could I write a book? Sure, I thought. That sounded easy. Ha, little did I know what was involved, so I set out to create a masterpiece. A best seller, number one on the New York Times best selling list. Ever hear the line that starts out with “A funny thing happened on the way to the…” Or how about the one I hear at work all the time “Yeah, about that…” Long story short is I wrote five books. All were hand written on long yellow lined paper. I still think that in the future, I will re-write two of those stories, but I ended up shredding them all. As time went on, I would start a story off and on. Finally one day I was searching about publishing and ran across an article that said if you keep trying to perfect your work, you will never finish it. Words to live by, I finally sat down and hammered through a whole story without trying to re-write it a hundred times. A lot of people ask me how to write a book, or where did I get the idea for this book? That’s a good question. It’s probably different for almost every single author. Who knows what inspires them? I got the idea for this book from several things. I currently work in corrections and deal with inmates. I’ve also been afforded the opportunity to work in specialty assignments. One of those assignments is called Classification. That’s where you interview inmates and decide where they can be housed. It also has you deal with gangs. Given this specialty job, you need to know about gangs and so we get to go to a lot of gang conferences. Outlaw Motorcycle gangs gave me quite the fascination after interviewing some who came into custody. I decided I’d like to write a story about one. I also like the stories to be real, but I don’t believe you need foul language to make a good story. I hear enough of it at work. I wanted the story to be something everyone could read, a story with action, romance, comedy and a positive message. Outlaw Salvation is that story. Well, I guess I didn’t answer one question that is asked of me quite often when people find out I wrote a book. How do you do that, they ask? The best I can describe the way I write a story is to start with a beginning, but also have a real good idea or the actual ending in mind. The story seems to develop the more I write, but I always tell them this. I know where it starts, and I can see the ending. It’s like driving a car straight toward the ending, but there is a detour and you have to take a left. The rest of the time, you are pulling the steering wheel back to the right to get back to the ending. Well, that’s my analogy and I’m sticking with that. Sincerely, William Tasch

C.S. Lakin:Writing for Life: 5 Practical Goals for Writers

Writing for Life: 5 Practical Goals for Writers [posted on www.thecreativepenn.com] Sometimes the writing journey feels overwhelming. There aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish the mind-boggling amount of things we writers feel must get done in order to grow not just as writers but in order to establish our place in the publishing world.

Years ago, all an author had to do was write a book and send it off to a publisher (one handwritten copy at a time!), and if her manuscript was accepted, the publisher did all the work of publishing and promoting. Now, authors have to be writer, marketer, publicist—and sometimes publisher—in order to make strides to become known and to have their books sold and distributed. And still, after long hours each week applying ourselves to so many career-promoting tasks, we may feel frustrated and unsure whether we’ve accomplished anything at all. And our books? Well, sometimes we don’t even have time to write, it seems. We also set huge goals at the new year and sometimes these can also add to the overwhelm. So I’d like to recommend a few helpful writing related goals that will help you achieve your broader goals. 1. Try some new plotting and structuring techniques on your WIP or next project I am always trying to stretch myself with each new novel, trying out new techniques, new ways to plot, structure, and organize my ideas. For many of my novels I used index cards for scenes. I’ve created character flow charts, character arc charts. For my last novel, Intended for Harm, I used six large pieces of poster board and used Post-It notes for the scenes. These are all ideas I got from other writers—either from their workshops or from books on the writing craft. If it’s in your plans to write a new book this year, think about stretching yourself and forging into new territory. 2. Try to attend at least one writers’ conference I was given the advice to attend a writers’ conference seven years ago. I had attended a few here and there over the years, but this time I planned carefully which one to attend. I couldn’t afford to go to many, so picked the one where I knew I could learn a lot on the writing craft. To my surprise, the author who made this suggestion said that not only did she receive an offer of a publishing contract at a conference, but that’s how all her author friends got published. Really? Well, six years later and after having contracted eight of my novels with mainstream publishers by attending writers’ conferences and pitching there, I can also say that nearly all my writer friends who have gotten contracts or signed with an agent did so through pitching at a writers’ conference. I wish someone had told me this twenty years ago when I started out. This is the best piece of advice I can give you for the New Year, for it has twofold benefits—giving you the opportunity to hone your writing by taking classes and the chance to pitch your book (either idea or finished novel) to agents and publishers. Even if you’re not ready to submit, chatting about your story and perfecting your pitch is extremely helpful. 3. Pick one weak point in your writing and focus on that We can become overwhelmed when we think of all the weak aspects of our writing. Surely there is room for improvement on so many fronts, and with lots of rejections we can become disheartened and feel like quitting. Make it a point to focus on just one element of your writing that you are weakest in and see how you can improve that this year. Athletes will spend 80% of their time working on the 10% or 20% areas they are weakest in. We should do the same. And when you see improvement, you will feel encouraged. 4. Find (or keep and appreciate!) at least one good critique partner If you have someone who really gives you honest, helpful feedback, that’s a great joy and aid to your writing. You can set them up as an accountability partner, too, if you tend to procrastinate. One author friend agreed to do this with me, and each week we sent one new chapter for the other to edit and critique. This keeps you writing and on target for finishing a manuscript. You can find critique partners through online writers’ groups and organizations, and again, by attending a writers’ conference and hooking up with someone you feel a good connection with. I treasure my critique partners. 5. Apply yourself to becoming a better master of your language As a professional copyeditor and writing coach, it stands to reason that I’m going to suggest this. I can’t overemphasize how much your writing will improve if you learn some good grammar and editing techniques. So many published authors aren’t great with grammar, spelling, and punctuation. They may feel that’s not their concern—trusting the proofreader at their publishing house will catch and fix all the errors. But my feeling is that when you work hard to write better and more accurately—learning just where commas must go, when to use hyphens or italics, and how to properly punctuate dialogue—your writing will improve. When you’re not hindered by these things you don’t know how to do, you can focus on writing beautiful sentences and creating powerful imagery. It’s not a waste of time to learn to master the handling of the English language. Challenge yourself to improve your writing chops. It will show in your writing, and the agents and editors who read your work will see you in a better light. Editors love seeing their authors prepare error-free manuscripts. I wish you all a joyful and productive (and hopefully stress-free) New Year full of writing!

History Lover? L.W. Rondeau Weighs In

“Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history.” George Bernard Shaw I love history and am a museum freak. Then why don’t I write historical novels though I enjoy reading them? Maybe someday I will. For now, I enjoy blending history into my novels. In my first book, The Other Side of Darkness, an inspirational romantic suspense written under the name Linda Wood Rondeau, I weave historical references into a contemporary setting that creates an ethereal aura throughout the book. M soon to be released novel, written under L.W. Rondeau, America II: The Reformation, begins the saga of a post apocalyptic world, a global government on the verge of civil war. It tells of the struggle of freedom, and the never-dying quest for individuality. Early America was formed by individuals who sought to make a better world in a new land, many to pursue religious freedom. Like-minded colonies banded together forming a separate government yet remained loyal to their mother country. As the colonies flourished, they became stronger, diminishing their dependence upon England. They even formed government apart from English rule. However, England could not afford to lose the wealth and goods the colonies provided. English rule became oppressive and the colonies rebelled to form a new nation. In America’s future, all nations have surrendered their sovereignty to form a global democratic government called The Accord, short-lived and replaced by an oppressive faux democracy called the Constitutional Government, so named for its Fourteen Articles of Constitution, where religious observance of any kind is forbidden. However, dissidents could leave the fortified cities and fend for themselves in uninhabitable areas called the outland, much like the colonists traveled to a new world for their religious beliefs. The Western America outland learned to band together and thrived, their goods and tribute to the Constitutional Government invaluable. When these communities formed a cohesive government called the Network, the core of The Constitutional Government: one nation, one world, one vision, becomes threatened, especially if these dissidents claim themselves an independent land. If they secede, other outlands are likely to follow suit, thus splintering the Constitutional Government, plunging the world into global civil war once again. To prevent this, the in-coming President of the Constitutional Government, has designed a Preservation Act which will make all dissidence, past and present, an act of treason punishable by death. The harsh stance of the Constitutional Government cannot quell the deafening cry for freedom.

Son of Gumshoe by Nike Chillemi

When I met the living and breathing Detective Sam Spade of the NYPD, in one of the local precincts in the outer boroughs (meaning NOT Manhattan), I had to force myself not to giggle. A million thoughts ran through my mind. Were his parents fans of detective stories? With a moniker like that, how odd that he chose police work as his profession and became a detective. He doesn't look at all like the fictional Sam Spade. That brings me to a subject close to my heart. I'm fascinated by lone wolf detective stories. The main character can be a police detective or a private eye. I don't care. As long as he or she is a maverick. The main character might start out with one strike against her, having had a lousy childhood filled with abandonment or abuse. She might have just suffered a great personal loss that's rendered her damaged on the job. Or the story line might portray the detective trying to stay aloof from a world that seems to be getting more and more heinous. Perhaps he cares too much and is battered by the evil he combats. For all of the above reasons, I went totally ape about J. Mark Bertrand's Detective Roland March in both BACK ON MURDER and PATTERN OF WOUNDS. The other reason I went bonkers for this series is that it's really, really well written. Of course, the novel has Christian themes, as does my Sanctuary Point series. I like to think of Det. Ian Daltry, the hero in my most recent novel, GOODBYE NOEL, as a loner. Though he's not a maverick. He's a man of honor. He'll always do what he believes to be right. He can't be bought, can't be pressured. He'll take on both a bad cop and a mafia don. It certainly helps that he's a fast draw and an excellent shot. The general market is rife with sons of the fictional Sam Spade jumping off pages. My favorites are the wise cracking Elvis Cole and his enigmatic sidekick Joe Pike in the series written by Robert Crais. Then there's Michael Connelly's moody and self-destructive Harry Bosh who's on a mission to dispense justice. If detective stories are your genre, you'll have no trouble finding a good read. The year is 1947. Bodies keep piling up. Will a young pediatric nurse determined to make it on her own be able to care for an infant whose mother was murdered and escape the killer who has struck again? Can she trust the stalwart village detective with her life and her heart as he works to catch this killer before somebody else dies. Purchase Links: Amazon (Including Kindle). http://goo.gl/ao22W Barnes & Noble (Including Nook). http://goo.gl/jiAdq Sony Reader. http://goo.gl/kK4Oe

The G-ZONE Blogtalk Radio Schedule for This Week!

After a little time off, I will back on the air today, Weds. @ 4PM EST. The guests this week are diverse, fun and amazing. We are discussing End of Time stuff, all things Amish, the Titanic, and fun stuff about prayer and God. Here is the schedule as it stands now: Weds. 4PM EST –L.W. Rondeau-author of “America II: The Reformation” Friday-4PM EST- Karen Anna Vogel-author of the “Amish Knitting Circle” series, “Knit Together: An Amish Knitting Novel” and the soon to be released “The Amish Doll: Amish Knitting Novel”, and also on the same broadcast-William Walker-author of “Titanic 2012”. Saturday 10.30 AM EST-Jeanette Levellie-“Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top” Here is the link for the show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop If you want to be a guest ,drop me a line let’s talk!

South African Audio Books – How doing voice overs in London prompted a South African start-up

I am a professional voice over artist currently living in Centurion, South Africa. I studied Performing Arts in Pretoria and then swiftly jetted off to London, where I lived for 8 years. I gained experience in the British voice over field but also did some theatre performances, created a one-woman show and collaborated with other UK actors. My time in London provided me with so much insight into what makes me South African. It also gave me a valuable gift: it yielded the secret to what connects us all as human beings, regardless of nationality. Stories. Storytelling is the glue that cements friendships. Stories build bridges between strangers. Telling familiar tales makes us feel more at home. You get the idea. Now, my first voice over job in the UK was for a pharmaceutical company, at this very snazzy recording studio in the heart of London. A big, big building , glass panels everywhere, state of the art recording facilities and a director who couldn’t speak a word of Afrikaans. This was not unusual, of course. I was in Britain, after all, home to the queen’s English. What made it unusual was that the voice over I had to read was in Afrikaans. I was in London reading an Afrikaans advertisement that was to be aired on a South African radio station! How odd and exhilarating it felt to me. That was my very first taste of the voice over industry – I left South Africa so quickly, after my studies, that I didn’t get a chance to do any local voice over jobs at all. Well the recording session went smoothly. More importantly, the bug had bitten. From that moment onwards, I adored doing voice overs. I had the opportunity to do many more recordings, not all in my mother tongue, but my South African accent was always a hit – the Brits seem to love the sound of it. (How odd, I thought, again.) The idea for the audio book company started on a bus. As a South African expat in the UK, I was spending yet another cold Christmas away from my family. I was missing the warm, sunny beaches and generally feeling homesick for all things South African. Like most city dwellers I commuted by bus and train to work. From my first day in London, I noticed the amount of reading material people brought with them, to pass the standard hour-long journey to their destinations. I also noticed how many people preferred to cocoon themselves in other worlds, plugging their ears with mini headphones attached to MP3 players, IPods and Cell phones. And that’s when the idea struck. Wouldn’t it be great if I could listen to South African stories, told by someone with my own accent? I’d love to have my nostalgia fed and satisfied by stories from home, whether it be drama or comedy. As long as it made me feel connected to my people. Almost four years down the line, that initial idea shaped itself into a company. I returned to South Africa three years ago and started implementing my ideas, speaking to writers and gaining support from my friends in various art-related fields. Beta Than Paper Productions, a modest audio book production company, was born out of a hunger for fresh South African stories. The website itself went live at the beginning of April 2012. Currently there are 14 audio books available, 8 Afrikaans and 6 English short stories. The short story audio books are aimed at people on the move and those unable to easily access South African books. All the contributors are South African: writers, voice artists, musician and illustrators. In the future, I would also like to make audio literature available in all 11 South African languages. This is a long term goal and will be a challenge. I do believe that anything is possible though. I also believe that things take time. Some dreams need to hibernate and resurface when they are ready. Sometimes it’s best to learn a skill on your feet, to do your utmost to swim when you are thrown into the deep end. Sometimes one needs to leave your home in order to find it again. And most importantly, stories connect us all. Marinda Botha Owner of Beta Than Paper Productions www.betathanpaper.co.za www.marindabotha.co.uk

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND! ENJOY!

An Author You Shouldn’t Overlook- Whit Howland!

Are you looking for a new author to check out? Give Whit Howland a look! His writing has edge,passion,and a grit to it that you can really sink your reading teeth into. Feed your ereader something new today, something that will give it a jolt of juice that it hasn’t had in a while! Here are the three titles Whit has with Trestle Press: For a taste of Crime that you won’t soon forget, ”The Pandora Case”:

Joey Pantera, a mid level gangster has been ordered to go to the bus depot and retrieve a brief case from its current occupant, by any means necessary. Unfortunately, he has to bring along Teller, a low level hood, trying to make name for himself in the syndicate. Things go from bad to worse when Joey is double crossed by Teller, and finds out that other sinister people want this same case and are willing to kill for it as well. Take a blood and guts tour with through this dark and seedy underworld full of ruthless clowns, brutal mimes, and other assorted lowlifes, on trail of The Pandora Case. Whit Howland also has two Westerns, both part of “The Cain Series”:

“The Cain Series-Volume 1-Good Smoke and Whiskey” Cain, an outlaw/bank robber is a man who is seeking redemption for his stormy and violent past. He wants to go someplace where no one has heard from him and start a new life. Unfortunately, crime is in his blood and he always manages to get caught up in one last shadowy scheme after another involving, cutthroats, conmen, and crafty double dealing saloon women. And “The Cain Series-Volume 2- Another Town, Another Torch”

Cain, an outlaw, rescues Sarah, a beautiful woman being chased by a posse and then gets tangled up in a robbery with her and her abusive con man husband. Gun play and double crosses abound in this strange multi-layered western. Whit Howland connected with Trestle Press in September 2011. He is the author of the Cain Series, a strange western, and has several more titles on the way in the near future. He is an avid reader of crime fiction and namely draws on Mickey Spillane for inspiration. Other influences would include Richard Stark, Joe R Lansdale, Peter Brandvold and many other authors. A Little About Whit Howland: When Whit Howland is not writing about westerns, he is fueled by a voracious appetite of crime fiction from the likes of Richard Stark, Joe r Lansdale, Mickey Spillane, James Ellroy, Seth Harwood, to name a few. An L A native he currently resides with his wife in Godfrey Illinois.