What Does A Parable, The Prodigal Son & De Miller Have In Common?

The parable of The Prodigal Son is, unquestionably, one of the most powerful stories in the Bible. However, the title might be a little misleading to some not familiar with the story. While the story is about a son, or actually two sons, one good one bad, the main character is the father. The fairness, strength and faith of the father are the real message of the story. Of course, it represents the traits of God as He watches over all of us, but it has meaning for earthly fathers as well.
In my story, The Long Ride, I have updated the parable and set it on a central Florida horse ranch. The first volume of the eight-part story is available now on Amazon. (http://goo.gl/moSYb) It introduces the background of the powerful Longhorn family, horse and cattle barons for five generations on their spread in North Dakota. The second volume will introduce the Mackenzie family, whose head, Luke Mackenzie, works for the tyrannical J.P. Longhorn. That segment should be available on Amazon and other popular sites by the end of this month.
The story is actually based on the screenplay of the same name. It tells of Luke and his wife, Kelley, who are strong in their faith and very secure in their lives in the wide-open horse country of North Dakota. They are teaching their children, 17-year-old twin sons, Isaac and Jacob and their 11-year-old daughter, Aurora, the value of a Christian life. Things couldn’t be better. Then one night, Kelley is killed in an automobile accident on a slick county road during an unexpected early winter snow storm. As if that was not enough, during the storm, Luke loses several priced horses from the Longhorn stable.
Within a matter of days, the Mackenzie’s lives are turned upside down. Still dealing with the devastating loss of Kelley and now, with the stark reality of being fired for losing the horses also to the snow storm, the family travels to the small central Florida town of Mound City, Kelley’s childhood home, for the funeral. Although she has no family remaining in the town, Luke, comforted only by the material prosperity of an insurance settlement, decides to stay in Florida and start his own horse ranch. With most of the remaining insurance money, he buys a dilapidated 40 acre former horse farm and settles in to rebuild the farm and start breeding horses again.

Aurora and her brother, Isaac pitch-in to help, but Jacob resists. On the eve of the twins’ 18th birthday, Jacob announces he is leaving and demands his share of their mother’s insurance settlement. Reluctantly, Luke agrees and gives his son almost all the remaining cash. Jacob heads to Las Vegas to meet up with a friend to start a new life and new business venture on his own. The two young men, using Jacob’s easy-fortune, go on a wild frenzy of gambling, cavorting with loose women and ultimately squander all the money.
In the meantime, Luke, with the aid of his other two children and their faith that God will restore everything, rebuild the horse ranch. The ranch becomes very successful and Luke is able to expand his stable of winning race horses. Jacob, on the other hand, finally hits rock bottom and is abandoned by his friends. Homeless and about to live on the street, he is befriended by a former lady of the night. She introduces him to God's grace through a well-worn old book entitled "You Can Always Go Home." Jacob is mesmerized by the teaching in the book, reads it cover to cover through the night and in the morning is buoyed by a new-found trust in God. He wants to return home. But will he find the waiting arms of his father? He has to make The Long Ride to find for himself if the parable is truth in the modern world.
We anticipate completing the installment version of the book, by the time we actually start production on the movie version, which will be shot on location in Florida. The movie’s website is www.thelongridemovie.com , and all of our movie plans are at www.lazarusfilmworks.com.

Vampires? Horror? Is William Tooker A Fan Of Twilight? His Thoughts On All Of The Above!

Just Because It’s Got A Vampire Doesn't Make it Horror

Cards on the table, I am not a fan of Twilight.

I understand that people are and I understand why they are but I can't get there with them and I have no desire to try. Different strokes, I can accept that in others we all have our guilty pleasures. But what makes hackles rise on my neck is when someone refers to it as horror.

I understand the confusion, I do. Vampires are considered with a knee jerk to be predatory creatures of the night that ooze sensuality and goth power. But when you remove the literal thirst for blood and make it subservient to a pining heart you have a romance novel. The Anita Blake books and the L.A. Banks genre books are part of a burgeoning wave of treating undeath like a super power as opposed to a curse. I'm fine with that happening but we really have to stop the pretense that its horror. Are there tense moments in these books? Sure. But meeting an angry man in an alley carrying a knife is tense but doesn't qualify as horror.

And while which heroine can shag the most diverse catalog of monsters is an interesting game, it lacks the existential peril of real horror. In Dracula, Mina is struggling against the darkness as they pursue the Count back into Transylvania. It has drama, it has tension, it has an element of sexual peril because even as she is falling under Dracula's sway she is also a danger to her escort.

Twilight does not develop these compelling qualities because that is neither its point nor its intention. It's a romantic fantasy for what I can only assume is a deeply repressed woman who conflates sparkling teenagers as sexually dangerous. I know its snarky but its also painfully shallow. But this sort of literature has existed for a long time and it has its niche. No arguments there, no one's getting rich off of it because everyone hates it. Lots of people are buying.

So if Twilight is indeed your cup of tea, I wish you all the pleasure that reading can give in utter sincerity. But do me the courteously of not pretending that its horror. And just like frisky pirates in Harlequin Romances are nothing like what real pirates were like, hairless werewolves and sparkly, product using, pretty boys aren't real horror.


The link for William Tooker’s Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3AWilliam+Tooker&keywords=William+Tooker&ie=UTF8&qid=1340380263&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B005NU588G

Ron Starbuck Is Center Stage With His Poetry For Mark Miller's "One" Series- "Volume 9- Wheels Turning Inward"

100% of the author’s proceeds will be donated to Give Kids the World, a charitable organization where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families are treated to weeklong, cost-free fantasy vacations. www.GKTW.org. The authors, creator 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 Nine, poet Ron Starbuck explores the world from his Episcopalian background and through various forms of contemplative prayer. These selected poems from his first collection, Wheels Turning Inward, and from his second collection, When Angels are Born, share with the reader an expressive way to view the world. Ron has also been kind enough to include an exclusive poem that can only be found in the pages of One.

Ron Starbuck is an Episcopal lay person and poet living in Texas, who, along with his wife Joanne, attends Trinity Episcopal Church in Midtown Houston. Ron began writing poetry and practicing forms of contemplative prayer as a student and young adult; he continues this practice (Praxis) in his spiritual life today, holding a lifelong interest in Christian mysticism, Comparative Religion, theology, and various forms of contemplative practice. The poetry he writes is an expression of and a response to encountering God's call.
He is also the CEO-Publisher of a new nonprofit, Saint Julian Press. Forming a nonprofit press to work with emerging and established writers and poets, and tendering new introductions to the world at large in the framework of an interfaith and cross cultural literary dialogue has been a long time dream.
Born in Leavenworth, Kansas, Ron grew up in the northeastern part of the state and the greater Kansas City area. Moving as a teenager with his family to Beaumont, Texas and then to Houston, eventually attending Lon Morris College, San Jacinto College, and the University of Houston, where he majored in psychology. In time, he moved into the corporate world as an Information Technology professional.
A former Vice President with JP Morgan Chase, he has over twenty years of experience in Program-Project Management, Business Analysis, Human Resources corporate training, demand and resource planning, executive-level planning, and staff management. He now serves in the public sector, as an Information Technology Program Manager for Harris County, Texas.
Ron and his wife Joanne, live in the Houston Heights Historic District a few miles from downtown. They share their 1940s vintage home with two dogs. One is a lovely burnt orange rust colored German Shepherd Chow mix named Cubbie, and the other, Dominick, a charming black Labrador Retriever mix. Cubbie is a University of Texas at Austin adoptee, and Dominick a hurricane Katrina adoptee; both of them are lovable and enduring creatures of God, mentioned in the poem titled “Winter Pays a Visit.”


The Amazon Kindle link for “One- Volume 9- Wheels Turning Inward” : http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Millers-One-Turning-ebook/dp/B008FF7HC6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340876661&sr=1-1&keywords=mark+miller+volume+one+volume+9


Mark Miller’s Amazon Author Page is : http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Miller/e/B0086TKMUA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_2#/ref=la_B0086TKMUA_pg_2?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_82%3AB0086TKMUA&page=2&ie=UTF8&qid=1340876769

"Amish Forever - Volume 10- Ava's Admirers" by Amazon Kindle Best- Selling Authors Roger Rheinheimer & Crystal Linn IS OUT NOW!

Ava finds herself confused about Zeke’s behavior and wants to be alone to try and figure things out. Yet she finds herself in Wal-Mart with Helen Mathias, the one girl she feels she can call friend. While shopping, Helen sees her cousin, Michael, a handsome – and very Amish – young man who is obviously interested in possibly courting Ava.
In the meantime, Isaac has a talk with John about courting Helen and the two brothers, so fond of each other, almost get in an argument. Then Bliss and Abe get into a big fight about Abe’s treatment of Ava.

Roger Rheinheimer spent the first eighteen years of his life in northern Indiana. His father was the only doctor for a small town of 1200, and had a hitching rail on a side street by his office for the Amish patients. His father bought an eighty acre farm, and Roger and his older brother worked it, raising cattle and growing crops.
While he was still in high school, Roger learned woodworking skills from Elmer Schlabach, his Amish mentor. They built houses in the old-fashioned tradition, from hand-mixing the concrete for the foundations to hand-nailing the shingles. The only phase they did not do was the electrical. To this day, Roger enjoys using his wood crafting skills, making acoustic guitars and furniture.
Roger earned an undergraduate degree in Behavioral Psychology from a small private college in the Shenandoah Valley, took a Creative Writing class, loved it, and published a short story called My Brother. He was a regular contributing writer to the college newspaper.
Roger has two novels in print and ebook, Amish Snow and Yield Spread: a novel.

Crystal Linn is a free-lance writer and award-winning poet who teaches a variety of creative writing classes. Her third book, Poetry for Friends, is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2012. She lives in the greater Seattle area where she enjoys reading mysteries, writing poetry and sailing with friends and family.













The Amazon Kindle Link for “Amish Forever- Volume 10-Ava’s Admirers: http://www.amazon.com/Amish-Forever-Volume-Admirers-ebook/dp/B008F4HB00/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340806047&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=roger+rheinheimer+amish+forever+volume+10+ava%27s+amirers

Have You Read "The Hammer Of God" by Tom Avitabile? Here Is A Little Something About The Author, Novel & My Pending Interview

Thursday @ 11AM EST my guest on The G-ZONE is Tom Avitabile, author of “The Hammer of God”. Here is the link for the show and some info on the author and his novel:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/06/28/tom-avitabileauthor-of-the-hammer-of-god-is-my-guest

Author Tom Avitabile, a senior creative director at a New York City advertising firm, is a writer, director and producer with numerous film and television credits. He has an extensive background in engineering and computers.
Avitabile’s work on projects for the House Committee on Science and Technology helped lay the foundation for “The Eighth Day,” his first novel. In his spare time, Avitabile is a professional musician and an amateur woodworker. He is currently at work on his next novel featuring William “Wild Bill” Hiccock.
About: The Hammer of God
With Americain the crosshairs of terrorists who don’t have to play by the rules, President Mitchell needed an edge. That’s where Bill Hiccock’s Quarterback Ops Group, (QuOG) a top-secret operations cluster run out of the White House, comes in. They are the Commander-in-Chief’s personal ‘pointy end of the stick’. Given unprecedented power, these dedicated men and women cut through the cells and terror networks at home and abroad, unleashing the full force and determination of Americaacross the world. QuOG’s goal: To find the loose suitcase nuke before it finds its way to a city near you.
From psych-ops, where we terrorize the terrorist, to the pure brute force of going in hot, wet and wild, QuOG uses innovative technology and on-the-spot improvisation to beat the bad guys before they know the game is on!

Hiccock fields his handpicked team of the ‘best of the best’ in abilities and prowess. From Brooke Burrell who distinguished herself as an FBI agent, going toe-to-toe with a terrorist mastermind, to Bridgestone and Ross who cut through countries, culture, and bull-crap like a laser through butter. To the former hacker for the mob, Kronos, an offbeat ‘techno-sapien,’ who practically mind-melds with any computer, network or Internet backbone and manipulates it to do his bidding. With Janice Hiccock, Bill’s wife and insight into the human behavioral matrix. And Bill himself, whose brilliant analytical mind and propensity to somehow find himself in the line-of-fire, belies his overachieving academic persona, albeit one who also majored in throwing a pass 60-yards into the end zone as well.
America’s and Hiccock’s greatest challenge is saving millions of American lives in a high stakes game of deception, terror and heart-stopping acts of aggression which could bring America to its knees.
The Amazon Kindle link for “The Hammer of God” : http://www.amazon.com/The-Hammer-of-God-ebook/dp/B007A2SR38/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340795374&sr=1-1&keywords=tom+avitabile+the+hammer+of+god

Jeff Bennington & Gay Balliet -Tonight On The G-ZONE!

Today @ 6.30PM EST I have the pleasure of interviewing not one but two best-selling authors: Gay Balliet & Jeff Bennington.
Currently Gay Balliet’s non-fiction book “There’s A Bear in the Basement” is riding the Amazon Kindle Best Seller charts. Here is the link for the story:
http://www.amazon.com/Theres-Bear-The-Basement-ebook/dp/B008CFV0GS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340710249&sr=1-1&keywords=gay+balliet
Here is the link for today’s show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/06/26/gay-balliet-jeff-bennington-drop-by-to-chat
Now the link for Jeff Bennington’s Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Bennington/e/B002UG4PTE/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1340713292

Do you think that is enough links? Okay, here is a little something on Jeff Bennington:


Jeff Bennington is the author of REUNION, an Amazon #1 bestselling supernatural thriller, TWISTED VENGEANCE and CREEPY, a collection of scary stories. He blogs at The Writing Bomb and is the founder of The Kindle Book Review. When Jeff isn't writing and blogging, he's busy raising and homeschooling his four children with his wife in Indianapolis, IN...which incidentally, is where TWISTED VENGEANCE takes place. Go Colts!

Jeff has written political thrillers, supernatural thrillers and suspense, but he doesn't want to be pigeonholed. You never know what he's going to write next, but you can bet that it will be suspenseful, intriguing, romantic or thrilling -- but not necessarily in that order. His blog posts can be funny, inspiring or informative; depends on his mood. He is truly a creative soul. He designs his own book covers, has been drumming for over 30 years and loves creating glass mosaics!

You can follow Jeff on Twitter @TweetTheBook and his blog, The Writing Bomb. If you enjoyed any of his works, please write a review and then look Jeff up online. He'd love to hear from you!

Want A Glimpse Of The World in 2073? Check Out L.W. Rondeau's "America II: The Reformation"

Following unprecedented climatic changes, resultant pestilence and war brought the world into chaos. Eventually, each nation surrendered its sovereignty to form a global democracy, initially known as The Accord. However, the democratic government proved too weak and was soon replaced by a faux democratic rule.
The year is 2073, and current governor of Western America Province, Edwin Rowlands, is poised to become the Constitutional Government’s second president. Many fear that the sweeping reforms found in his proposed Preservation Act will set him up as a dictator. If enacted, defection both past and present would become a crime punishable by death, thus bringing all outlands into crushing subjection.
While most believe reform is critical, factions disagree on how to prevent the Preservation Act from becoming law. Ahmed Farid, second President, believes reform can be managed within the existing government. Leader of the Revolutionary Army, Jimmy Kinnear, trusts only in military intervention. However, Jacob Goodayle, Chairman of Western America’s illegal outland government, favors separatism.
As tensions rise, civil war seems imminent. Who will be the voice of reason in a world on the verge of a third dark age?


A graduate of Houghton College, Rondeau has spent a previous career in the field of human services, often engaged with families in crisis. She credits these experiences in human drama as the edge in creating unforgettable characters. Furthermore, her prior work has shaped her vision of a future world should current sociological issues remain unchecked over the next several decades.
After more than thirty years in the Adirondack region of Northern New York, Rondeau now resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Steve and their cat Duffer. When not writing, she enjoys theater, golf, and hiking.
She is a member of the Florida Writers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and several on-line writing groups. She is the owner and founder of Pentalk, a community of writers that features networking pages and a blog. Rondeau contributes a monthly column to her former community newspaper entitled, This Daily Grind and maintains a blog of the same name. Other blogs include Back in the Daze.
Also writing under the name of Linda Wood Rondeau, other books by this author include The Other Side of Darkness.
You may contact the author on Facebook, Linked In, Goodreads, or Twitter or visit her on the web.

The Amazon Kindle for the novel is : http://www.amazon.com/America-II-The-Reformation-ebook/dp/B008CGFVUI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340191492&sr=1-1&keywords=l.w.+rondeau

What Are You Doing @ 2PM EST? Listen In To The Discussion onThe G-ZONE With Simon Toyne,Author of "The Key"

Today @ 2PM EST Simon Toyne will be my guest on The G-ZONE!
Here is the link and a little something about what we will be discussing:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/06/25/simon-toyne-starts-the-week-off

In December 2007, Simon Toyne quit his highly successful day job as a BAFTA award-winning television writer, producer, and director to move to a stone farmhouse in the south of France and write his first novel. It was there that the seeds of Toyne’s long-postponed thriller started to come to life in a palpable and epic fashion. In September 2011, Sanctus came out in the United States with rights sold in more than 60 countries. Now, picking up where Sanctus left off, THE Key, delves even more deeply into the world of the Sancti, uncovering a long-secret prophecy that threatens all of mankind, and features two ill-fated lovers whose destiny holds the key to man’s survival.
With the prophecy seemingly fulfilled and the Sancti all but destroyed, Liv Adamsen returns home to New Jersey, unable to recall anything that happened inside the religious enclave known as the Citadel. Despite her lack of memory, she feels possessed by an otherworldly entity, and plagued by a whispered word only she can hear: KuShiKaam, the key.


Liv eventually reunites and falls more deeply in love with the mysterious Gabriel, a warrior for a group working to destroy the Sancti forever. Together they uncover a revelation dating back to the creation of man, another falsehood disseminated by the Citadel.
Back in Ruin, the Citadel has been ravaged by an unknown illness and few Sancti have survived. Enlisting the help of the Watchers—a secret network of Vatican spies who for millennia have monitored the World—the Sancti are determined to reclaim the Sacrament, thereby restoring their source of power.
Now Liv and Gabriel must elude capture and journey to the place where all life began to find the answers before it’s too late.
The perfect blend of high-stakes action, graceful prose, and fully realized characters worth rooting for, THE KEY is a conspiracy thriller with wide appeal and huge imagination.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Simon Toyne worked in British television for twenty years. As a writer, director and producer he’s worked on several award-winning shows, one of which won a BAFTA. He lives in England with his wife and family. Find out more at http://www.thesancti.com. T

Have You Been Wondering Who Will Be On The G-ZONE This Summer? BAM! Here You Go - A Quick Snapshot!

Here are a few of the guests we will be having on The G-ZONE, our blogtalk radio show, this summer:
June 25-Simon Toyne
June 26- Jeff Bennington
June 28- Tom Avitabile
July 2- Davis Bunn
July 11- Paul Levine
July 18- Tom King
Aug 2- D. P. Lyle
August 7- Matthew Dunn
The Big Question is: If you are an author, graphic novelist or artists, blogger, literary agent…why isn’t your name here?

High Noon on The G-ZONE-Two Best -Selling Authors-Amy Clipston & Karen Anna Vogel

Today High Noon-that is EST, 12PM- not one but two Best-Selling authors, Amy Clipston & Karen Anna Vogel, will be my guests. Here is the link to the show and a little something on the new projects both have going right now:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/06/23/amy-clipston-karen-anna-vogel-drop-in-to-chat


Amy Clipston:
In the fifth and final novel of the Kauffman Amish Bakery series, three young women are about to change their lives. Lizzie Anne and Samuel have decided to get married, and Lindsay is about to be baptized in the Amish faith and is courting Matthew. While Katie Kauffman is happy for her friends who seem to have settled their futures, she is also finding herself something of a fifth wheel.When Lindsay's sister Jessica returns to Bird-in-Hand, she finds that Jake Miller has moved on with his life. He lost hope that Jessica would ever be satisfied to settle in rural Pennsylvania and takes comfort in becoming close friends with Katie. However, it's not an easy road as Jake is Mennonite and Katie has just been baptized in the Amish faith. Her father forbids them to see each other, intent that his daughter marry an Amish man. A Season of Love is filled with surprising twists that will grip you to the very last words. As the stories of your favorite Amish community draw to a close, join Lindsay, her friends, and all the people of Bird-In-Hand for one last volume.
The Amazon Kindle link for the novel is : http://www.amazon.com/Season-Kauffman-Bakery-Series-ebook/dp/B006BEKV9E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340453438&sr=1-1&keywords=amy+clipston



Karen Anna Vogel:
Following the tradition of Pickwick Papers (Charles Dickens) and At Home in Mitford (Jan Karon), 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.
In Episode 4, Peaches & Cream:
~Granny cans peaches with Colleen, hoping she’ll open up and cry instead of cutting herself, but Colleen only becomes more of a mystery.
~Fannie is rushed to the hospital, followed by her knitting friends.
~Lavina finally gets a letter from Nathan explaining his sudden departure.
~Ella and Zach come back from New York. Will they move…and encourage others to follow?
Karen Anna Vogel is a trusted English friend to 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 found at www.karenannavogel.blogspot.com
She has a B.A. in psychology and a Masters in Biblical Counseling and loves mentoring young people. Karen and her husband of 31 years, Tim, enjoy living in rural PA and have four grown children. You can contact her at www.karenannavogel.com

The Amazon Kindle Link for the story is : http://www.amazon.com/Amish-Friends-Knitting-Circle-ebook/dp/B008CVK4W8/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340453842&sr=1-4&keywords=karen+anna+vogel+amish+friends+knitting+circle

Barnes & Noble Nook Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amish-friends-knitting-circle-volume-4-peaches-cream-karen-anna-vogel/1111662160?ean=2940014696067

Makeover For Author Sam Lang! What Do You Think Of The Pretty Boy Now!

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 complete series is 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, Sugar and Snails, A Mind of My Own, Vengeance Rides the Bus and Intersection of Atonement.
Sam has written with Giovanni Gelati on The Two Johns, featuring characters from Reprisal. 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.
Blog - http://langsreprisal.blogspot.com/
Facebook links - http://www.facebook.com/samlangauthor
http://www.facebook.com/LangsReprisal - Reprisal
http://www.facebook.com/GotZombies - Severed
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4982868.Sam_Lang
Amazon Author page - http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005N8WPVG
Twitter - @AuthorMark - https://twitter.com/#!/SamLangAuthor
Email - samlangauthor@gmail.com

"It's Only Fiction 'Til It Happens", Guest Post by Tom Avitabile

Tom Avitabile will be my guest on The G-ZONE, June 28th @ 11AM EST!

It’s Only Fiction ‘Til It Happens
I remember when 9-11 happened, a lot of well known faces were surprised, and said, “Who would think to fly a plane into a building?” I immediately knew – Tom Clancy. At the end of one of his books, a Japanese 747 pilot crashes a plane into Congress during the State of the Union speech, leaving his character as the President of the United States. It was only fiction, until it happened.

In my own experience, I had an FBI agent tell me that a month before 9-11, there was no problem with my bad guys crashing a plane into a building, and that it certainly wouldn’t give a terrorist an idea. A month later he died. He was the head of security at the World Trade Center. I freaked out and didn’t write for three or four years. I’d written about a scenario, and then a very similar scenario had happened, and a man had died along with 3,000 other innocent souls.

I’ve had experience working for the House committee on Science Space and Technology. Some of the ideas I gave them, and those that we discussed back in the 90’s, are now in use today. They were only fiction, until they happened. Technology has in many cases accelerated the time span so that all stuff that was fiction ‘two days ago’, today when we read it in the paper, instead of in a novel, it’s real.

I have a selfish, writers’ fear that what I’m writing is going to happen and then my books will be passe. ‘It’s only fiction ‘til it happens’ is a scary thought.

In book two, my character, Bill Hiccock, tries to figure out what the terrorists are going to do next, “You could even try to wedge the thing [a suitcase nuke] at some geo-critical point in the California mountains and use the energy of the blast to possibly initiate a tremor that could tear open a rift in the San Andreas fault and cleaver all of California into the sea. Oh wait, that was the plot of Superman: The Movie. Bill’s mood sank as he realized that Hollywood had already written the only how-to book any terrorist ever needed.”

He determined that Hollywood has already created most of the ways to attack a free society and create death and destruction. In another part …

“Ali Rashid, also known as Rodney Albert, the guy who ran from the subway checkpoint. He’s a loose cannon but he made his money as a freelancer in the L.A. indie movie biz, as an assistant cameraman.”
“Movies again.” Hiccock said.
“Yeah. They’ll be the death of Western culture.” Bridgestone said with a snarl.
In my book, The Hammer of God, movies become the death of western culture, as the terrorists use film production as a way to infiltrate public areas. You can still get a permit to take over a street, a building, or whatever, without a lot of scrutiny in major cities if you’re making a movie. This is a major gap in security, but don’t worry, it’s only fiction ‘til it happens.

The Amazon Kindle link for Bob Avitabile’s “The Hammer of God” is : http://www.amazon.com/The-Hammer-God-Tom-Avitabile/dp/1936558386/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340380466&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hammer+of+god+tom+avitabile

De Miller Is Climbing The Amazon Kindle Hot New Release Charts With "The Amish Mysteries- Secrets- Volume 4- The Outsider"

As different as the Amish are from the outside world, so is the Palatin Commune from the rest of their Amish brethren. Enigmatic and strict, the leaders of the sect have guarded their privacy for generations. In Part 4 of Secrets, Volume I of The Amish Mysteries series, Jake Crew gets his latest target, an attorney the President of the United States wants investigated. When Jake sets up the appointment, he is also setting up the first in a chain of events that will unravel the very fabric of the secretive Palatin community. As we move into the new millennium, an outsider will come into the community and innocently disrupt the very fabric of their lives. Jake, a 25 year television veteran by 1999, continues his clandestine assignments for a new President. He is beginning to question the nature of those assignments and his involvement in them. At the same time, the leaders of the ever-cautious Amish sect set in motion moves that go against their time-honored practice of little or no contact with the outsiders. People and events, both inside and far outside their commune’s fences, move into place, all leading to one catastrophic day which will rock the very foundations of their simple way of life.

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 the late Tiny Tim; wrote the scripts for and directed a series of children's videos and wrote scripts for informational videos for the county government. His website is www.demiller.com.
Since moving to Florida, he has been working on an unpublished series of kozy mystery novels set in his hometown of Mount Dora. He has also devoted much of his time to Christian endeavors, writing and directing a faith-themed movie, Daniel’s Lot, which stars Emmy-award winner Gary Burghoff (Radar from M*A*S*H). www.danielslot.com.
The Amazon Kindle link for the Volume 4 is : http://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/digital-text/157087011/ref=zg_bs_tab_t_bsnr?pf_rd_p=1348016562&pf_rd_s=right-5&pf_rd_t=2101&pf_rd_i=list&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0XW96XSCXSDBDHE1K1RQ
De Miller’s Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/De-Miller/e/B007REQFPG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Bears & Llamas & Pot-Belly Pigs Oh My! Gay Balliet on The G-ZONE - 4PM EST!

In a little while, 4PM EST, Gay Balliet will be a guest on my blogtalk radio show The G-ZONE along with Gary Vanucci. I am guessing that we will be discussing animals besides writing process.
Here is the link for the show and a little something on Gay Balliet and her newest book:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/06/21/gary-vanucci-and-gay-balliet-drop-by


From the author of Touched By All Creatures: Doctoring Animals in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and Lowell: The True Story of an Existential Pig and Lions & Tigers & Mares—Oh, My! comes another riotous book of veterinary adventures.
There’s a Bear in the Basement serves the reader a cocktail of humor, inspiration, and literary engagement. Set in contemporary America’s colorful Pennsylvania Dutch country, the Balliets’ is a timeless world seemingly untouched by modern life. Filled with lush scenery, vividly-drawn Dutch folk and, of course, the strange and tender animals of a local zoo and numerous farms, Balliet dramatically recounts medical emergencies and narrowly averted disasters.
On the lighter side, she describes adventures with a spiteful, spitting llama named Sambuca; revelry at the annual pot-bellied pig festival, Pig Stock; and veterinary medicine showcasing raccoons, deer, turkeys, and many other unusual, sometimes eccentric, animals.
Readers will be charmed by Henry, the rooster, so protective of his goat herd; Minchi Ho, a pot-bellied pig who charms from his owners a cozy nest in the barn alongside the family’s show horses; Clampit and See-No-Evil, two of a family of baby raccoons with their own tree-stump “palace”; Thunder, a horse who battles all odds and wins; Struttin’ Feather and his mate, Hot Wings, two wild turkeys with an attraction for human company, and many other wonderful and odd animal characters.
From the first page, Balliet unites the series of narrative vignettes of day-to-day vet life with the carefree spontaneity, fun, honesty, and humor experienced through life alongside animals.



Gay Balliet is as Pennsylvania Dutch in her heritage and character as many of the animal owners in her books. After receiving her Ph.D. in English from Lehigh University, she taught college English, but her love of writing along with her love of animals finally lured her into writing narrative nonfiction for young adults and adults who share her love of nature and animals.

Balliet enjoyed promoting her books during talk-radio tours for TOUCHED BY ALL CREATURES and LOWELL as well as NPR radio out of Philadelphia. Likewise, she appeared on PA Cable Network, on GOOD MORNING, PHILADELPHIA, and on WGAL-TV out of Lancaster, PA. She has spoken about her books and her life with animals during the annual HORSE WORLD EXPO in Harrisburg, PA; the local humane society gala; the Lehigh Valley Writer’s Guild annual meeting; at events for horse nutrition and wellness and the Canine Learning Experience; as well as numerous bookstores.

Balliet’s mission statement is as follows:

Our interactions and relationships with animals distinguish us as people. How humans relate to their pets and what wisdom we allow animals and our pets to impart is what truly makes us young or old-spirited, civilized or barbaric, tending toward integrity or dishonesty, being compassionate or detached in our relationships with other people.
Neither technology, education, religion, politics nor human community define us nearly as well. However, the way in which we react toward, treat, and embrace the wisdom of our animals is the prime revealer of great character in humans.


The Amazon Kindle Link for the book is: http://www.amazon.com/Theres-Bear-The-Basement-ebook/dp/B008CFV0GS/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340104637&sr=1-3&keywords=gay+balliet

George Michael Loughmueller- Can He Catch His Breath?

Time to catch my breath By George Michael Loughmueller

This past weekend, I turned in the final two sections of “An Amish Journey”. The seven months since I started with Trestle Press have flown by in a whirlwind. This writing thing is a lot harder than the usual way I tell my stories. I think I’m good at talking. I guess some of you folks think I’m good at writing, so I truly appreciate that.
So, I wanted to take a break, a little vacation from writing. But guess what? I am already hard at work on “Amish Wonder” with Mark Miller. We are hoping to have that one out before the end of July.
I end one story and start another. They are different enough that there is a good transition in it for me.
I want to keep a few surprises, so I’m not going to give away the ending, but parting ways with Allan was actually harder than I expected. I know he’s my character, but I kind of envy him. He had the strength to set himself free.
Now, I’m going to turn my attention to young Samuel Plank. This is also an emotional story for me because we have to rip this boy out of his safe, happy life. I try to imagine the shock and wonder how he will recover. I guess that is up to Mr. Miller and me. I am sure it will come down to faith. After all, that is what brings us through anything. We get that helping hand when we need it most.
Finishing my “Amish Journey” this weekend led to a wonderful Father’s Day. I took time to give thanks for my wonderful life and for both my father and grandfather. I wouldn’t be here today without them. I spent the rest of the day with my beautiful wife and daughter.
Monday morning, I’m back on the time clock. I will do my best to make some customers happy while I wait for Mr. Miller to email his next part of “Amish Wonder”.
Thanks for reading. Please visit me on www.facebook.com/LaughingGeorge or at my blog http://laughinggeorge.blogspot.com. Your friend, Laughing George

George Michael Loughmueller’s Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3AGeorge+Michael+Loughmueller&keywords=George+Michael+Loughmueller&ie=UTF8&qid=1340287043&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B006KCE52G


The Amazon Kindle link for “An Amish Journey – Set Free - Volume 9- Humbled” : http://www.amazon.com/An-Amish-Journey-Humbled-ebook/dp/B008CVHCPK/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340287046&sr=1-9&keywords=George+Michael+Loughmueller

Gary Vanucci - 4 PM EST - The G-ZONE- Be There!

Today @ 4PM EST Gary Vanucci & Gay Balliet are my guests on The G-ZONE. Here is the link to today’s show and some info on Gary Vanucci:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/06/21/gary-vanucci-and-gay-balliet-drop-by
My books can be found on my blog: http://eyeonashenclaw.blogspot.com/ and also on our new Writer's Circle blog: http://skulldustcircle.blogspot.com/

COVENANT OF THE FACELESS KNIGHTS: Beginnings Book 1
When a dangerous artifact goes missing from the Temple of The Shimmering One, the high priest in charge of the artifact's protection realizes that he will not be able to retrieve the stolen relic without help. Calling upon Garius, the man who was once his own apprentice, Tiyarnon the High Priest enlists the aid of a man who is now an Inquisitor among the Order of the Faceless Knights. Garius, now a man of power and prestige, gathers a handful of allies to help complete his quest--but who among them is worthy of his trust? Aided by the mischievous Rose, a rogue among rogues, the stoic and blood thirsty Saeunn, and a promising but naive elf named Elec, Garius hopes his training as one among the Faceless Knights has prepared him to keep his small company in check, let alone survive the trials to come. Garius must lead his band of allies into dark regions to recover the artifact before it falls into the hands of the evil being that once held it in order to ensure the continued safety of the Realm of Ashenclaw.



WOTHLONDIA RISING (Series of short stories):
Wothlondia Rising are prequels to Covenant of the Faceless Knights & can be read in any order. They are a series of short stories set in the original fantasy setting entitled the Realm of Ashenclaw. The series details life altering, significant events from the past that shape the course of these important characters, setting them on the path that will change their lives forever! The events take place approximately twelve years prior to Covenant of the Faceless Knights with the exception of Distant Familiarity, which happens just prior to the Prologue of the novel.

ШΟΤΗLΟŊÐΙΆ ŔΙSΙƝԌ: ƛƝƬĦƠŁƠGƳ -All 5 stories & a FREE BONUS story Plus the Prologue to ƇƠƲЄƝƛŊƬ ƠƑ ƬӇЄ ƑƛƇЄŁЄSS ĶƝĮGĦƬS! All for only $3.99 on ĶĮƝƊԼЄ! Or you could choose to purchase any of them singularly for 99 cents. The FREE and exclusive story is entitled Reflections and can only be purchased in the Anthology.

REFLECTIONS is an exploration into the true classifications of self-image. This short and sweet tale tells of the half-ogre barbarian, Orngoth, who begins to realize the true picture of what he is and where he comes from. During a raid with his ogre barbarian kin--the Ironskulls--Orngoth has an impromptu meeting that could forever change his own destiny. Will he see his true self in time or will he continue down the path of reckless endangerment?



DISTANT FAMILIARITY is the tale of three legendary figures in the history of Wothlondia, who are attempting to recover an ancient evil that was stolen away from them. Tiyarnon the High Priest, Rolin Hardbeard and Nimaira Silvershade set out to recover the artifact that has forever altered their former companion Sadreth, turning him into an unclean lich! Can these ancient heroes find and recover the item before it is reunited with its former host? (This short story details the events just prior to the Prologue of COVENANT OF THE FACELESS KNIGHTS!)

A ROSE IN BLOOM recounts the thrilling events of a young Rose Thorne, not yet a woman, who is trying to find her way in the city of Oakhaven. Orphaned and discarded, she finds refuge in a kind madam at a local brothel and eventually meets a man who is more than she bargains for...

MATURATION PROCESS is the telling tale of the high elf, Elec Stormwhisper, who lives in the overbearing shadow of his Father, Keryth, and who is trying to find his way in life. Treated as an outcast and feeling alienated from his own people, he exiles himself for a decade, finding a friend in a strange place and begins to accept his own unique destiny. Will this young and inexperienced elf ever find his true calling?

TEARS OF BLOOD is the amazing recount of the attacks on the region of Stonehill by the ancient and malevolent undead that are known as Blood Rot Zombies! Saeunn and the barbarians of both Chansuk and Greymoors must find a way to stop the undead infestation before they spread their miasma all across the face of Wothlondia! It is a tale that will forever change the young barbarian woman in more ways than one...

STRENGTH OF FAITH is a tale that places a young acolyte of The Shimmering One, Garius Forge, on a path that tests his spirituality and also places him face to face with a demonic presence that has the power to alter the face of Wothlondia forever! Will his reverence and devotion to his deity be enough to overcome this horrible demon?

ABOUT ME:
Gary Vanucci was born in Pennsylvania in 1968. He enjoys writing, reading, music, art, anything at all that promotes creativity and activities that push the mind beyond conventional thinking. He has spent time as an amateur singer/songwriter and has spent multiple decades creating role-playing scenarios and playing games amongst various genres. Years of reading graphic novels, comic books, fantasy/science fiction novels and the like has led him to discover his true passion--writing!

His education includes a Bachelor's of Science in the field of Information Technology and an Associates of Arts in the field of Graphic Design.

Favorite Quote: "It is the mark of an educated man to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it" ~Aristotle.

Exclusive Artwork Debut From Tom King's "A Once Crowded Sky"

I want to thank Tom King, author of “A Once Crowded Sky”, for letting me debut this new artwork.
He will be a guest on The G-ZONE July 18 @ 4PM EST.

Best- Selling Author Karen Anna Vogel Releases : "Amish Friends Knitting Circle - Volume 4 - Peaches & Cream"

Following the tradition of Pickwick Papers (Charles Dickens) and At Home in Mitford (Jan Karon), 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.
In Episode 4, Peaches & Cream:
~Granny cans peaches with Colleen, hoping she’ll open up and cry instead of cutting herself, but Colleen only becomes more of a mystery.
~Fannie is rushed to the hospital, followed by her knitting friends.
~Lavina finally gets a letter from Nathan explaining his sudden departure.
~Ella and Zach come back from New York. Will they move…and encourage others to follow?
Karen Anna Vogel is a trusted English friend to 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 found at www.karenannavogel.blogspot.com
She has a B.A. in psychology and a Masters in Biblical Counseling and loves mentoring young people. Karen and her husband of 31 years, Tim, enjoy living in rural PA and have four grown children. You can contact her at www.karenannavogel.com
Karen Anna Vogel’s Amazon Authors Page Link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3AKaren+Anna+Vogel&keywords=Karen+Anna+Vogel&ie=UTF8&qid=1340205098&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B005LTBBJY
The link to ‘Amish Friends Knitting Circle- Volume 4- Peaches & Cream” : http://www.amazon.com/Amish-Friends-Knitting-Circle-ebook/dp/B008CVK4W8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340205198&sr=1-1&keywords=Karen+Anna+Vogel+amish+friends+knitting+circle+volume+4+peaches+and+cream

OUT NOW! "An Amish Journey - Set Free - Volume 9 - Humbled" by Amazon Kindle Best Selling Author George Michael Loughmueller

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 9 of 10.
Allan must face the consequences of his actions. What will come of his late evening conversation with the schoolteacher? The story culminates a year to the day after Allan’s arrival in Karsten Field.
Another stranger appears out of the falling snow and the events of that night leave Allan humbled.

***BONUS***

Part 10 of 10.
An epilogue, of sorts.
This short piece tells what became of Allan and the fateful events of that December night.
“His last chance was their only hope.” Allan Howarth came to escape a life of mental and emotional imprisonment. A plain life in Karsten Field set him free, but he also changed their Amish lives for the better.
A story of birth, death and renewal shows Allan how bright God’s future can be.




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.

George Michael Loughmueller’s Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3AGeorge+Michael+Loughmueller&keywords=George+Michael+Loughmueller&ie=UTF8&qid=1340195636&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B006KCE52G
Here is the Amazon Kindle link for #9 “Humbled”: http://www.amazon.com/Amish-Journey-Free-Humbled-ebook/dp/B008CVHCPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340195745&sr=1-1&keywords=George+Michael+Loughmueller+humbled

Tom Rasch On The Origin of "Black Alpha"!

First off I want to include the link for the interview I had the pleasure of being a part of with Tom Rasch last night, you can get him at about the 30 minute mark in the show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/06/18/joan-russell-thomas-rasch
Now back to our regularly scheduled guest post:

AND SO IT ALL BEGINS….
Really it all began quite some time ago when I was a young boy. My parents, sister and I lived in Guam, where my dad was stationed. My parent’s brood grew substantially through the years, I being the oldest of 10, but I digress. During this time my first memories of television were of Spiderman (the old 60’s cartoon), Batman, and Star Trek. Only recently did it dawn on me that my own character about an everyman super-hero, who uses a suit and gadgetry, while piloting his star ship through the universe, was really born of those initial images and stories that I loved.
Soon after, I started doodling images of the U.S.S Enterprise ,Bat Mobile and Spiderman swinging from building to building as a result of being inspired by my mother; who was a wonderful artist in her own right. Later, I knew it was my desire and dream to create and draw comics as well as write and direct films. I feel like sometimes what you see right in front of you is the merging of those dreams. I did have a brief career at Marvel years ago. Unfortunately the market imploded; kicking my foot out the door as soon as I got my toe in. This made me realize, as much as I would’ve loved working on the X-Men or Batman, at the end of the day, I was really passionate about creating something to call my own; my character, a character that was initially born of a 5th grade mind. His name, color scheme, and the fact that I wanted him to be a space hero with a ship are the primary things that have remained intact. The rest has matured with me, well -- somewhat. A close friend of mine once mentioned; “Black Alpha has been Tom’s best friend since he was 11”, and I guess that really is true.
What I hope to accomplish with this series is to give some insight into the creative process with a DEV blog. I’ll be doing behind the scenes videos, showing concept sketches of characters, ships, etc. Between episodes, as well as nerd rambles, if anyone’s interested.
So I invite you to join me on the journey. I believe it will be a fun one…..

Tom Rasch

Joe Perrone Jr.-4.30PM EST-The G-ZONE

Today @ 4.30PM EST Joe Perrone Jr. is my guest on The G-ZONE, here is the link for the show and a few tidbits about the author:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/06/19/award-winning-author-joe-perrone-jr-returns-to-the-g-zone
-First writing experience was as a sportswriter for the Passaic-Clifton Herald News
-Wrote advertising copy for a couple of years as a freelancer
-Wrote cover articles for weekly newspapers
-Was a fly fishing guide on the Beaverkill River in the Catskills for ten years, which gave me lots of -materials for my mysteries
-Had several fly fishing short stories published in various magazines
-Began work on my first novel in 1987 while driving a limousine, painting houses, and trying to sell real estate - it started as a memoir that morphed into a novel, Escaping Innocence (A Story of Awakening) a coming-of-age novel. Took nearly 20 years to complete it and finally published it in 2007
-In 1997 I co-wrote and published Gone Fishin' With Kids (How To Take Your Kid Fishing And Still Be Friends) with Manny Luftglass
-Also began writing a murder mystery, As The Twig Is Bent, set in NYC and featuring Internet sex chat rooms


-Published As The Twig Is Bent in 2008
-Published A "Real" Man's Guide To Divorce (First, you bend over and...) in 2009
-Published the second Matt Davis Mystery, Opening Day, in 2010. It recently received an Indie B.R.A.G. award (Book Readers Appreciation Group)
-In 2012 published third Matt Davis Mystery, Twice Bitten, which deals with Pentecostal snake handlers
-Both Opening Day and Twice Bitten are set in Roscoe, NY, and this past April I was invited by the Roscoe Chamber of Commerce to be a "celebrity" first-caster on opening day of trout season. Then, I was a guest speaker at the Two-Headed Trout Dinner
-Am presently at work on my fourth Matt Davis Mystery, Broken Promises, which is also set in Roscoe
-Married for nearly 31 years
-4 children (two of my own and two stepchildren)
-Love music,cooking, fly fishing, and of course writing and reading
-Hope to begin traveling on car trips with my wife, Becky
-Love to help other authors in any way I can
-Provide editorial and publishing services
-My website is joeperronejr.com
- Email me at joetheauthor@joeperronejr.com

Get To Know Best-Selling Author Roger Rheinheimer A Little Better

Roger spent the first eighteen years of his life in northern Indiana. His father was the only doctor for a small town of 1200, and had a hitching rail on a side street by his office for the Amish patients. His father bought an eighty acre farm, and Roger and his older brother worked it, raising cattle and growing crops.

While he was still in high school, Roger learned woodworking skills from Elmer Schlabach, his Amish mentor. They built houses in the old-fashioned tradition, from hand-mixing the concrete for the foundations to hand-nailing the shingles. The only phase they did not do was the electrical. To this day, Roger enjoys using his wood crafting skills, making acoustic guitars and furniture.

Roger earned an undergraduate degree in Behavioral Psychology from a small private college in the Shenandoah Valley, took a Creative Writing class, loved it, and published a short story called “My Brother.” He was a regular contributing writer to the college newspaper.

After nearly thirty years living in Austin, Texas, watching it grow into a large city, Roger and his wife Ginny moved to a small farm in the Pacific Northwest.

“I’m not sure why I chose a story about an Amish kid crossing over into the English world for my first novel,” said Roger. “Probably partly because I’m familiar with the Amish, but also because I’ve always been intrigued with stories that challenge assumptions and break with stereotypes, and boy, does Rumspringa challenge our assumptions!
Roger’s Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3ARoger+Rheinheimer&keywords=Roger+Rheinheimer&ie=UTF8&qid=1340020740&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B002X7SW6C

Who Is On The G-ZONE Today?

Tonight at 7PM EST Joan Russell & Thomas Rasch are my guests. Here is the link for the show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/06/18/joan-russell-thomas-rasch

Tom Rasch is an accomplished comic book and concept artist who has worked with Marvel Comics,Sony Online,The Animation Farm,Actionopolis, and Gazillion Entertainment-among others, contributing his talent to IP's such as Punisher 2099,The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew,the PSN title Pain!,covers for the Actionopolis book line,and the film The People vs. George Lucas, as well as senior concept artist on the Fortune Online MMO--Tom is also promoting Black Alpha--his creator owned sci-fi super hero series.You can find tom's work at the following websites...
http://www.traschart.blogspot.com
http://blackalpha.blogspot.com

The G-ZONE Lineup This Month!

To say that I am amped to announce the guests that I have the remainder of the month and the beginning of July would be an understatement: we have enjoyed one heck of a ride here at The G-ZONE, our blogtalk radio show.
As a quick side note: we like making new friends if you are an author, blogger, artist, illustrator, photographer, basically have anything to do with books, audio books, …drop us a line we would love to have you as a guest on the show.
Here is the lineup going right up to July 2nd:
June 18-Joan Russell & Thomas Rasch-7PM EST
June 19- Joe Perroni,Jr. -4.30 PM EST
June 21- Gary Varducci-4 PM EST
June 23-Amy Clipston & Karen Anna Vogel
June 25-Simon Toyne-2PM EST
June 26- Jeff Bennington-7PM EST
June 28-Tom Avitabile- 11am EST
July 2-David Bunn & L.W. Rondeau-3PM EST
Here is the main link for the show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop
If you have questions you would like to ask any of the guests, be a guest yourself, or have comments on past shows, feel free to email me at gelati.giovanni@gmail.com
Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.

I Am Looking to Make Some New Friends & To Read Some New Blogs!

I Am Looking to Make Some New Friends & To Read Some New Blogs!

Hi,
I would like to see what you are doing in the big bad blogosphere. Making new friends, seeing what others are reading and writing is fun for me.
I am offering a follow for a follow, but with a bit of a twist: Feel free to stop by my place and tell me what I can do to improve my blog. Please be blunt, totally honest and hold nothing back. I may not like it, but when you get close to something for so long receiving some constructive criticism helps.
Also if there are any new widgets you think I can add, social media destinations I should be at,…please mention them also.
Thanks in advance.
Oh yeah my blog: http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
I look forward to hearing from you. Hit me with your best shot.

What Are You Reading Father's Day Weekend?

What are you reading this Father’s Day Weekend? I am going to have a Monkathon, with a side order of more Lee Goldberg and “King City” to finish it off:

Mr. Monk on Patrol
Welcome to the series of original mysteries starring Adrian Monk, the brilliant investigator who always knows when something's out of place....

Randy Disher is perfectly happy living with Monk's old assistant Sharona and working as the new police chief of Summit, New Jersey. But when the city's leadership is arrested for fraud, he suddenly finds himself appointed acting mayor and overwhelmed by the dual responsibilities--especially when the town is hit by a wave of robberies. In desperation, Disher calls on Adrian Monk to put things in order.

As deputized officers, Monk and his assistant Natalie are ready to make Summit the cleanest city on earth--until the burglaries escalate to arson and murder. Now it's time to get down and dirty, before someone puts Officer Monk out of commission for good.


Mr. Monk is a Mess
Obsessive. Compulsive. Detective.
An all-new original mystery starring Adrian Monk, the brilliant investigator who always knows when something's out of place....
No one likes to come home to a mess--least of all Monk and Natalie. But when they return briefly to San Francisco from an extended stay working as cops in New Jersey, Natalie discovers somebody has been sleeping in her bed. But this Goldilocks is not asleep. She's dead.
If that's not bad enough, investigators find marked money from a Federal sting operation stuffed under Natalie's mattress. Now her life is a real mess and she needs Monk's help to clean it up.
But Monk has problems of his own. His brother Ambrose is desperate to find Yuki, his missing lover, but his agoraphobia prevents him from leaving the house. Ambrose needs a man on the outside--and that man is Monk, who is torn, because he's glad to see her go.
As the two investigations begin, and the body count rises, it quickly becomes clear to Monk that Yuki has a dangerous past...and that they are pursuing a ruthless, cold-blooded killer that nobody would ever want to mess with...



King City

Major Crimes Unit detective Tom Wade secretly worked with the Feds to nail seven of his fellow cops for corruption…turning him into a pariah in the police department. So he’s exiled to patrol a beat in King City’s deadliest neighborhood… with no back-up, no resources, and no hope of survival.

Now Wade fights to tame the lawless, poverty-stricken wasteland…while investigating a string of brutal murders of young women. It’s a case that takes him from the squalor of the inner-city to the manicured enclaves of the privileged, revealing the sordid and deadly ways the two worlds are intertwined…making his enemies even more determined to crush him.

But for Tom Wade, backing down is never an option...even if it will cost him his life. It’s one reason why bestselling author Janet Evanovich calls Wade “an unforgettable and deeply compelling character in the most original crime novel to come along in years."



A Little About Lee Goldberg:
Lee Goldberg is an ex-Navy SEAL, freelance Sexual Surrogate and a professional Pierce Brosnan impersonator.
Okay, that's not true. But he wants this biography to be really exciting, so pay attention. If things bog down, I've been instructed to add a car chase or some explicit sex.
Here's the real story. Lee Goldberg writes books and television shows.
His mother wanted him to be a doctor, and his grandfather wanted him to go into the family furniture business. Instead, he put himself through UCLA as a freelance journalist, writing for such publications as American Film, Starlog, Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times Syndicate, The Washington Post and The San Francisco Chronicle (He also wrote erotic letters to the editor for Playgirl at $25-a-letter, but he doesn't tell people about that, he just likes to boast about those "tiffany" credits).
He published his first book ".357 Vigilante" (as "Ian Ludlow," so he'd be on the shelf next to Robert Ludlum) while he was still a UCLA student. The West Coast Review of Books called his debut "as stunning as the report of a .357 Magnum, a dynamic premiere effort," singling the book out as "The Best New Paperback Series" of the year. Naturally, the publisher promptly went bankrupt and he never saw a dime in royalties. (But the books are available on the Kindle as "The Jury Series")
Welcome to publishing, Lee.

His subsequent books include the non-fiction books "Successful Television Writing" and "Unsold Television Pilots" ("The Best Bathroom Reading Ever!" San Francisco Chronicle) as well as the novels "My Gun Has Bullets" ("It will make you cackle like a sitcom laugh track," Entertainment Weekly), "Dead Space" ("Outrageously entertaining," Kirkus Reviews), "Watch Me Die" ("as dark and twisted as anything Hammet or Chandler ever dreamed up," Kirkus Reviews).
"Take me now," she moaned, "you hot writer stud."
She tore off her clothes and tackled him onto the floor, unable to control her raging lust. Nothing excited her more than being around a writer with a big list of books.
Got your attention again? Good. I don't know about you, but I was starting to nod off. Where was I? Oh yes...
Goldberg broke into television with a freelance script sale to "Spenser: For Hire." Since then, his TV writing & producing credits have covered a wide variety of genres, including sci-fi (SeaQuest), cop shows (Hunter), martial arts (Martial Law), whodunits (Diagnosis Murder, Nero Wolfe), the occult (She-Wolf of London), kid's shows (R.L. Stine's The Nightmare Room), T&A (Baywatch), comedy (Monk) and utter crap (The Highwayman). His TV work has earned him two Edgar Award nominations from the Mystery Writers of America.
His two careers, novelist and TV writer, merged when he began writing the "Diagnosis Murder" series of original novels, based on the hit CBS TV mystery that he also wrote and produced. And he also writes the bestselling novels based on "Monk," another show he's worked on. And he's the co-creator of Amazon's "The Dead Man" series of monthly horror novellas.
But perhaps he's best known for his pioneering work mapping the human genome and negotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Goldberg lives in Los Angeles with his wife and his daughter and still sleeps in "Man From UNCLE" pajamas.