Archive for the ‘Book Bloggers’ Category
The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted By Andrew E. Kaufman On Sale Now
I’m am honored, humbled, and over-the-top excited to be one of the sites who get to announce to the world that my friend, Andrew E. Kaufman, is releasing his brand new novel The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted. This is one of those books that’s been on the minds and lips of all his fans since finding out that his last novel, While The Savage Sleeps, went #1 on the Best Seller list.
Here’s the synopsis from the man himself:
From Andrew E. Kaufman, author of the #1 bestseller, While the Savage Sleeps…
She only stepped outside for a minute…
But a minute was all it took to turn Jean Kingsley’s world upside down–a minute she’d regret for the rest of her life.
Stepping into her worst nightmare
Because when she returned, she found an open bedroom window and her three-year-old son, Nathan, gone. The boy would never be seen again.
A nightmare that only became worse.
A tip leads detectives to the killer, a repeat sex offender, and inside his apartment, a gruesome discovery. A slam-dunk trial sends him off to death row, then several
years later, to the electric chair.
Case closed. Justice served…or was it?
Now, more than thirty years later, Patrick Bannister unwittingly stumbles across evidence among his dead mother’s belongings. It paints his mother as the killer and her brother, a wealthy and powerful senator, as the one pulling the strings.
What really happened to Nathan Kingsley?
There’s a hole in the case a mile wide, and Patrick is determined to close it. But what he doesn’t know is that the closer he moves toward the truth, the more he’s putting his life on the line, that he’s become the hunted. Someone’s hiding a dark secret and will stop at nothing to keep it that way.
The clock is ticking, the walls are closing, and the stakes are getting higher as he
races to find a killer–one who’s hot on his trail. One who’s out for his blood.
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And for as cool as this is, there’s more. I have had the ultimate pleasure of interviewing Andrew for this prestigious occasion. I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew in October of last year when he was holding a day-long party and giveaway on Bitten By Books. I was lucky enough to win an Amazon Kindle, and to meet Andrew. I cherish both of them to this day. So when Andrew allowed me to be one of the sites to announce his latest book and to do an interview, I was beyond words. Here’s Andrew’s interview. He truly is a one of a kind. 
When did you decide to try your hand at being a fiction writer?
I think it was the first time I held a pen in my hand…or was it a crayon? I honestly can’t remember not wanting to write. It’s innate for me, as natural as speaking, and it always seemed to come easily. As a kid in school, I was horrible at most subjects, just awful, except for writing.
Where do your writing roots lie?
With the crayon. But long after that, I got my bachelor’s degree in journalism, then went on become a television news writer and producer. I worked for the CBS affiliate in San Diego for more than ten years, then went on to Los Angeles. But writing news, I eventually discovered, had its drawbacks where creativity was concerned. I like making stuff up. Can’t do that in news; well, you can, but you won’t be doing it for very long. For me, writing fiction felt like pulling off the chains. After that, it seemed like the sky was the limit.
In your opinion, what are the easiest and hardest aspects of being a writer?
There are no easy aspects—not for me, anyway—not if I want to write well. It’s all hard work; but it’s also liberating and rewarding. The hardest aspect for me is starting with nothing (a blank screen) and then building it into a complex novel. For me, it’s all about adding layers; then once those are in place, it’s a matter of putting puzzle pieces together, ones that don’t always fit. Writing a novel is a complicated process and things can—and do—fall apart at any stage. Keeping a story intact and having a novel that’s cohesive and compelling from start to finish is the biggest challenge for me.
Do you think your style reflects that of any other writer and if so, who?
I work very hard not to copy or adopt other authors’ styles because I want to keep my voice pure and original. Having said that, it’s hard to write in a vacuum and be unaffected by what one reads. So on some level, whether it be conscious or not, I think we’re all products of our environments. More than likely, I guess, all the authors I’ve read have in one way or another helped shape my writing. When I read a novel, I don’t just read it; I study it. When I see a remarkable piece of dialogue or prose, I take notice. I’m sure that influences me in an indirect way.
Other than being a writer, what is the one thing you’d most like to do in life?
Is there anything else in life? I wasn’t aware Joking aside, I’ve always wanted to do team roping. My paint comes from a line of roping horses, but I’ve never had the time to pursue it. But maybe some day…
What, in your opinion, is the trick to becoming a best-selling author?
I get that a lot from people, and my answer is always the same: there is no trick, no magic bullet, no secret handshake. It’s a combination of things. For me, I think it was 25-percent writing a marketable, well-written book, 25-percent knowing how to promote it, and 50-percent pure luck. I wish I could take all the credit for the success of While the Savage Sleeps, but I can’t. The credit goes to all my amazing readers who chose to pick it up. I’ll be the first to say that they’re what matter most to me and that I’m fiercely loyal to them.
What is the one piece of advice you’d give to an up and coming author?
Make sure you really want this, and then be willing to do the work; and I mean work. If you want to sell books or even if you want to achieve success within yourself as a writer, there are no shortcuts. And then once you do the work, do more. I’m constantly striving to improve as a writer, and I honestly believe that avenue is an infinite one. As far as I’m concerned there will always be room for improvement, and the minute I stop believing that is the exact minute I fail.
Where would you like to see yourself 10 years down the road?
I don’t even know where I see myself tomorrow! Hopefully still writing and still having people who want to read what I put out there. That’s really all that matters to me. Oh, that and my health. Can’t have anything else without that.
Who were some of your favorite authors in the past?
Gosh. So many of them. I guess the ones that stand out for me are Jonathan Kellerman, Dennis Lehane, and John Sandford. Those are the books I automatically pick up without even looking to see what they’re about.
What has been your greatest challenge as an author?
Finding my audience and keeping it. It’s so tough right now because the industry is flooded with self-published authors, and there are more books out there than ever before. I feel very fortunate to have received notice this early in my career, but at the same time, I never just assume my readers will stick with me until the end. I feel as though I to have to work hard if I want keep them coming back to me; the only way to do that, I think, is to keep writing better books. That’s always my goal: to improve my craft and get better at it each time.
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I want to thank Andrew for letting me be part of his latest endeavor. Check out his book, The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted . If you’d like, you can check out Andrew’s site and read a little bit of an excerpt of the book before making a final decision. But knowing my friend and the way he has with words, I don’t think you’ll have any questions about getting this book right now. It’s available through the Amazon Kindle and ready to be curled up with as you drift off to sleep. That is, if you CAN go to sleep. Nighty-night!!!
Going On Tour With Ty Johnston
I’ve been very fortunate this year. I’ve landed an awesome job with a great blogging company, I’ve gotten myself back into writing mode, I’m currently working on my NaNo thing, and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some very cool authors. One of those authors is a killer writer by the name of Ty Johnston. I met Ty when he did an interview with me because of one of my other blogs, The Prompt Writer, which he added to his list of the 100 Sites For Fiction Writers. And though I was completely humbled by the honor, I didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to pay him back for his utter coolness. Well now I can.
Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and take a ride on Ty Johnston’s Blog Tour. I’m more than happy to be part of this huge event and I want to personally thank Ty for asking me to do this. And to do the whole “eye for an eye” thing, I’ve decided to do my post in the same way he did his for me. I had the pleasure of interviewing him. The following is from the man himself and I do hope you’ll all check out his site, and his new book.
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Fantasy author Ty Johnston’s blog tour 2011 is running from November 1 through November 30. His novels include City of Rogues, Bayne’s Climb and More than Kin, all of which are available for the Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/Ty-
1.) When did you realize that you wanted to be an author?
I honestly can’t remember a time when I did not want to be a writer. Even as a child growing up in the 1970s, I started writing and drawing my own comic books when I was about five. I wrote my very first novel in fourth grade. It would be called fan fiction today, but back then it was just a rip-off story about James Bond. Ha!
I think comic books were a huge influence on me wanting to be a writer, but in ’77 Star Wars came along and that changed everything for me. Also in 1977, I believe I was first introduced to the fantasy genre through a televised Rankin/Bass animated version of The Hobbit. Those elements kicked things off for my speculative genre interests, and turned me towards literature.
2.) Where do your writing roots lie?
Physically, in my home state of Kentucky. From a literary point of view, like many children of the 1970s, I first discovered fantasy through J.R.R. Tolkien and soon after the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games. About 1980 I discovered Sword & Sorcery literature through the Thieves’ World anthologies. I read my first horror novel in the early ’80s, that book being Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, and that opened up new doors to me for how to tell stories, specifically dark stories. The first novel I ever remember reading was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, followed up soon after with The Three Investigators series of novels originally by Robert Arthur.
I’m not sure that answers your question, though it does give an idea of my earliest influences. Over the years I’ve found myself affected by a number of writers, those who I don’t wish to emulate, but who have urged me toward particular themes or topics. Hemingway comes to mind, as does Truman Capote, Alexandre Dumas, and Steven Erikson.
3.) What would you say is the easiest part/hardest part of being a writer?
The easiest part? I’m not sure there is an “easiest” part to being a writer. Each task has its own rewards and difficulties. Perhaps it would be interacting with readers and fans. My favorite part of writing is working out the plots in my head, but that’s not necessarily easy.
The hardest part? Answering these questions. Just kidding! Actually, for me, the hardest part comes with rewriting and editing. It’s not that I find editing particularly difficult in and of itself, after all I was a newspaper editor for nearly 20 years (not that that’s the same thing as being a book editor), but by the time I’ve reached the editing stage, I have my latest story out of my system. I told the tale, I know everything that has happened, so it can seem like pulling teeth to have to jump back into a story. If I can set a story aside for a few months, this feeling of tedium is not nearly so strong, but when I finish writing a piece and then jump right into writing, I frankly become quite bored. I need time to put distance between myself and my stories, so I can come to a tale with fresh eyes and possibly different ideas.
4.) Who’s writing style would you say you most closely resemble?
Hmm, that’s a tough one. My style probably leans most toward that of late fantasy author David Gemmell, though I mean in no way to compare myself with his talent. And to tell the truth, while I enjoy Gemmell’s writing, I wouldn’t necessarily call myself his biggest fan. But as a storyteller, I see myself doing (or attempting) a lot of things Gemmell did with his writings.
5.) Outside of writing, what is the one thing you’d most like to do during your lifetime?
Oh, gosh, writing is so much of my life, I can hardly imagine doing anything outside of it. Maybe world peace? Or playing more video games? That’s it. Those are my two options. World peace or video games. I wonder which one is more likely to happen?
To be serious for a moment, I’m not sure I would have a single, major goal for my lifetime. But I do have some interests outside of writing. For instance, I’m off-and-on involved in animal rescue, mostly with abandoned pet rabbits. Though somewhat related to writing, I do study quite a bit of philosophical and religious related works, mostly in relation to history, so perhaps I might wish to accomplish something in that area, though it would likely be writing related.
6.) What is the one piece of advice you’d give to up and coming writers?
Learn to write.
Stop laughing. Or cursing. I’m being serious. I run across too many beginning writers who don’t seem to know the basics of solid storytelling. I see characters who act and speak unrealistically, plots and events that jump all over the place and/or make no sense, and often seemingly little thought given to what lies behind a story, the particular themes to a tale (what an author “wants to say” in any given piece).
I don’t mean to belittle those who are learning or struggling with those basics. Everyone has to learn. But don’t slap something together, especially a first novel, then tell me (and readers) how great it is. It’s quite rare a first novel is solid reading material. Let the readers decide whether something is great or not.
As for learning those basics, one of my favorite pieces of advice is for beginners to study screenwriting. Screenwriting breaks storytelling down into basic formulas, almost like simple math, without the writer having to worry so much about their prose. Once those basics are learned, the rules can be broken.
7.) Where do you see yourself as a writer in the next ten years?
I try to not look ahead further than my next writing project, though I always have somewhat vague, distant goals in mind. I’m working on an epic fantasy series that could eventually contain 40 to 50 novels, so over the next decade I hope to be further along with those tales. Then there are a hundred other novel ideas jumping around in my head, and I hope to have at least a few of those out of my system. One of my difficulties as a writer is that I’m always coming up with new ideas, but I try not to force myself into a strict schedule of what stories to write next. I prefer to finish a novel, then give myself a month or so to figure out what my next project will be, to find what draws my interest.
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I want to again thank Ty for allowing me to interview him and be one of the hosts for his latest book, Ghosts Of The Asylum. I’m hoping that Ty will be kind enough to furnish me with a full-on press release when the book comes out November 21st so that I can put it up here on my blog for the whole world to see (Ahem, Ty? Old buddy? Oh Pal O’Mine?) But until then, be sure to stop by his site and check out all the other titles he’s got under his belt. He may come from the days of Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons, but his work is truly a one-of-a-kind.
My Blog Engage Bonanza
It is with both sheer joy and a bit of sadness that I must announce that I will not be playing in the giveaway world as much as I have been for the past year. The reason is that I’ve been offered a position on the staff at BlogEngage.com. Though I’ve known about this bit of awesomeness for a while now, I wasn’t able to announce it until the site owner, Brian Belfitt, made it official on the site. The new Staff Announcement went live today and I am now the Chief Editing Officer and Content Manager for the site. I’m as happy as a catfish in a mud hole. LOL
But, with this being a pretty big deal, I’ll be spending a lot of time one the site. This isn’t just some site needing someone to keep up with things, this is an actual paying gig that requires me to do some actual work. I can dig it. That means no more playing around with the giveaway girls, or at least not as much. I’ll still be checking out some of my more favoritest places and of course, keeping up with the book stuff and talking about fiction. I still have a book to finish for Heather Cashman, which by the was has made me cry 3 different times and I just over half way done.
For those wh0 have never heard of Blog Engage, it’s an amazing place where bloggers come together and check out each others posts. Blog posts are submitted to the site and other members vote on them. If a post gets 11 or more votes, it becomes a published piece and that’s where everyone wants to be. It’s fun and it can bring a lot of traffic to your blog. The site also has their own blog, which is where I’ll be doing my thing. There’s a lot of valuable information on this site, all geared toward helping our fellow bloggers.
And don’t worry, I won’t be giving up on giveaways altogether. I would have a meltdown if I could enter a book giveaway or 2. I’ll keep you all up to date and I still have my own sites to run. Won’t be giving up on those either. So stick around and see what we can cook up. This is going to be a fun and bumpy ride, but that’s what makes it so interesting.
