Winners

Recently some gracious authors offered copies of their books to my commenters.

For Brian Cohen's The Life O'Reilly the winner is Roland. Please email me your mailing address and the author will send you an autographed copy.

For Riddle of Berlin by Cym Lowell the winner is Maurice please let me know what you email address is so we can get the ebook to you.

Thanks to everyone for your great comments!

Neutralize Your Blogs Carbon Footprint and Help Reforest

One of my favorite things is trees. They are so majestic. They have such history. The things they could tell us if they could speak. They are like giant guardians over the world. They clean our air, stabilize on ground, and provide us shelter. And then there is their beauty. Visually they signal the changing seasons with their bright green leaves and often budding flowers and fruit at winters end, the darkening of the leaves and falling of the fruit and blooms as spring progresses into summer, the kaleidoscope of colors that signal fall and the majestic trunks and branches that stand watch through the winter. Without trees the world would have long ago become a wasteland.

and the Arbor Day Foundation are partnering to reforest the Plumas National Forest in Northern California that lost nearly 23,000 acres of forest due to a fire caused by multiple lightning strikes in July 2007. Two short month’s later moonlight Fire struck and took another 65,000 acres. As bloggers we can make a huge impact on the world around us. Running a blog leaves a carbon footprint but we can help neutralize that by the planting of more trees. Here’s how you can be a part of the great reforesting project:

Go to their website and get your button.


Write a short post and send them a copy when it publishes.


How simple is that? Making a difference doesn’t have to be hard. Every effort has the power to change the world.

A to Z Challenge, Final Post

For the last A to Z challenge post I’ve decided to introduce you to unusual words. Be sure to go to the place this challenge started for links to all those participating, Arlee Bird’s Tossing It Out.


U is for uranography.
Uranography is the description or the mapping of the heavens. Though many have tried to map all the heavens they are so vast we will never be able to completely map them in our lifetime. For me I’m content with uranoscopy (star-watching).

V is for vade mecum
With the invention of kindles and other such devices is now possible for for anyone to have one of these. A vade mecum is a favorite book carried everywhere.

W is for Weltanschauug and Weltschmerz
Weltanschauug is a comprehensive world view from a specific poit of view and Welschmerz is a sadness over the evils of the world.

X is for Xylophobia
Vampires are known throught out time to have Xylophobia… a fear of wooden objects.

Y is for Ydromancy
With all the types of fortunetelling out there iit is shocking that ydromancy is not well know. It is fortunetelling with water. Isn’t that how all the wizards, magicians, etc. did it in legends?

Z is for Zatetic
I hope to always have a zatetic mind. Zatetic is an adjective meaning pondering or questioning.

These words and many more interesting seldom used words can be found at Luciferous Logolepsy.

Welcome to the Weekend With.... my twisted thoughts

Today is going to be a little different. It’s been a crazy busy week and I didn’t have an interview lined up. Normally when that happens I track down one of my mystical or historical friends for an interview. Alas, this week there was no free time. So, I’m going to start the weekend with Post 4 of Arlee Bird’s A to Z Challenge.

O is for Optimistic
I’m often told that people are amazed by my positive attitude, especially when they learn the kind of life I have lived over the years. Like everyone, I have a dark side and am no to go there and wallow in the land of self-pity or across the sea on the isle of anger. Luckily, those times are few and far between. Yes, I’ve been to hell and back several times. I’m sure I will even end up with an unplanned vacation there again in the future. I had my time of hating life, the world, everything… you know those times when nothing goes rights, everything you do or say is wrong and you just want to crawl in a hole somewhere. That was my world at the end of my marriage and after my divorce. God knows, I don’t know how I managed to keep the friends I had, because I was not fun to be around. But one day, I woke up, looked in the mirror and said, “I’m not this person. Growing up, I was everyone’s sunshine. I want that person back!” And I began a journey of learning to accept the things in life I couldn’t change, learn from the mistakes I made (and boy do I make a lot. Shhh… don’t tell anyone), to see the good in things instead of the bad. It wasn’t an easy road. I had to retrain the why I thought. Every time a negative thought popped in my head, I would make myself think of something good about whatever it was. Eventually, it became second nature. (Be warned I still have my moments and 5 min fits of rage and/or crying occasionally). The thing about being human is we have all these warring emotions trying to take over or get out, and for some, we bottle them inside until they explode and that’s not healthy. Being intelligent beings, we have the capability to harness those emotions, explore them, learn form them. Will I always see the brighter side? I hope so, but I will relish the good with the bad because that is what makes life worth living and being able to feel all these things is what makes us alive.

P is for Perception/ R is for Reality
I’m combining these two together because they go in hand. In the world, there is what is real... concrete, fact, data or proof to back it up. There is also, perception… how we see things. Now, those two things should be the same, but they rarely are because as individuals with the ability to think for ourselves (at least most of us) we each have unique perception based on any number of factors. For the individual, perception IS reality. This is something to remember not only in writing but also in life. By remembering this simple theory, you are able to have more patience when dealing with those whose perception or reality doesn’t match your own. Having been involved with elderly whose memory is not what it used to be, the overcommitted who often think that they are the only ones doing EVERYTHING, children who have survived neglect and abuse, and some people who, well, just don’t have a firm footing in the real world of the rest of us. I’ve dealt with egomaniacs who think they are gods, agoraphobics who think the world is out to get them, even pathological liars who have told so many lies they no longer know what the truth is. The point is there is what is Real, but sometimes we need to alter our perception and place ourselves in the other person’s shoes, to look at the world through their eyes. We do it all the time when we read. When we write we create whole new worlds for our audience to immerse themselves in. However, in life it often takes a little practice. A great way to practice is to watch people and put yourselves in their place.

Q is for Quiet Time
Ok, honestly, I can’t think of a great “Q” topic at the moment, so since I rambled on a bit on those other letter’s, let’s pause for a Quiet Moment.

S is for Satan
LOL, just kidding, some of you are going, “what the…?” Told you I have a dark side.

Seriously, “S” is for Scenery.
I’m a very visual person, when I read something or someone describes something to me I get an instant mental picture. Most of the time, this is a good thing. For some, they need to actually see something to be able to visualize it or be able to associate it with something they have already seen. That’s where our job, as authors, can get tricky. We have to set the scene and make the reader feel as if they are walking through the world in our book without be so overly descriptive that they get bored and lose interest. It’s a fine line. So I ask you, my fellow readers, how do you like to discover the scenery in a story? And my fellow authors, how do you like to unfold the scene so your reader is as captivated or emotionally effected as your characters?

T is for Titillating Plots
You know the ones… the ones where the author has you so spellbound that you simply can not put the book down until the end. Having read literally thousands of books (actually I own thousands of books), sometimes I get to the point where I just don’t want to read another word of a particular book. Not because it’s bad or even boring really, but I think my fellow reviewers may agree… when you read book after book after book, if it isn’t titillating, you just want to say, “Next!” Sometimes you just need to be grabbed; sometimes you just want to lose yourself between the pages. The book I reviewed yesterday is such a book. Not because it had non-stop action, spicy hot romance, out of this world adventures… it was just so well written that once it got hold of you, you had to ride out. As a fledgling author still trying to find my voice, I haven’t mastered that quality yet. Can it be learned or is it just an innate quality some writers have?

Enjoy your weekend. I'll post the final post of the challenge on Monday.

Dead Man of the Year by Stephen Hawley Martin

I don't usually review a book way before it's publication date but Oaklea Press asked me to, and those of you who know me know I love a good mystery.

Hearken back to the days of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. When tales of mystery were so finely yet simply woven they left us spellbound. Where the characters reached out from the pages and took us along for the investigation. Those mysteries are timeless classics that will be read and loved for generations to come. Now, come back to the present and meet Stephen Hawley Martin. Don’t let it fool you, that he is co-founder of The Martin Agency, an ad agency, probably best know for the GEIKO gecko and caveman campaigns. This book isn’t a slick campaign by an ad man who thinks just because he can come up with good copy he’s a writer. Martin has written an intriguing cat and mouse mystery. Just when you think you have figured out who is the guilty party, he will surprise you. As a playwright myself, I love to break the fourth wall. Not sure what it’s called when the author of a book does it, but apparently Martin likes to break that wall himself. There are several instances where his main character is obviously talking to us, the reader. I loved this. It made me feel as if I was actually in the room with the character. Martin also writes this in the first person, which further gives the reader a sense of being a part of the action. One of the great things about the characters of this book is that they are realistic. Although, we hope to never go through these situations, it is easy to see that they could be very real. As the plot thickens, you will find it impossible to put this book down. And even when you’ve read the last page, you will want to know what happens to these individuals in the future. This is one of the best mysteries I’ve read in a long time. Dead Man of the Year is destined to become a classic murder mystery for future generations. Five out of five stars.

Be sure to check out the author's website for more information about this book and his others. It goes on sale this summer.

Here is the synopsis sent by the publisher:

The story, set in 1994, takes place in an advertising agency with its major account in review. Brian Durston, the protagonist, has recently joined the firm because his uncle, a major stockholder, has promised to bring him in as a partner. But in the first few pages, Brian discovers the uncle dead at his desk with a bullet through his brain. The police think it's suicide, but the protagonist believes otherwise. His only hope to avoid the unemployment line and salvage the situation is to solve the mystery and save the account.

The first question facing Brian is who benefits from his uncle's death? The answer seems obvious at first: The surviving partners, of course. So Brian decides some investigating is in order. In steps the beautiful and enigmatic copywriter, Nickie D'Agostino. She says she wants to help Brian save the account and find the killer. But before long, Brian begins to wonder. Could she be the one who did it? A romance tortured by suspicion follows, and a frantic, white-knuckle race to find the murderer before Brian's share of the business reverts to the surviving partners, or worse --his snooping prompts the killer to strike again, sending Brian to join his uncle in the afterlife.

Around Town... Local Sculpture

Today's post will be short and... well considering the subject of the picture, maybe not so sweet, or sweet in a twisted way. I was going to do a post on the Historic Airlie Gardens in town, but was told by the people there I was not allowed to share photos of their grounds unless I want to pay $200 per picture. Ironically, you can find thousands of pictures posted online if you would like to see what it does look like. It is a shame because it is a beautiful park opened to the public but well, now owned by the city. Ah, politics and bureaucracy, the only institutions, who feel entitled to charge what mother nature provides for free.  

So instead I will share a photo of this sculpture that stands outside our downtown post office. The photo doesn't do it justice. It is amazing in person and when the sunlight hits the glass the makes up the 'jaws of death', it almost appears to come to life. Unfortunately, the artist is not listed but this particular one is titled "Southern Hospitality".

To see more of our pedestrian art, click here.

Reviews

Stressed in Scottsdale by Marcia Fine
Do you need to de-stress your life? Then pick up a copy of Fine’s book and escape from the chaotic pace of life with fits of laughter. Fine has taken the life of one stressed out, over committed woman and made her into someone we can all relate to and learn from. You will see parts of yourself and friends in the lead character, Jean Rubin as she faces some of life’s challenges with grace and humor. 4.5 out of five stars.

Fire Gazer: Arson at the Wolf House by Kevin Burton McGuire
Those of you who follow me know I don’t like overpriced tiny books, but if said book offers something of value to the reader or at least fulfills its promise, I try to give it two scores, one for value and one for content. Unfortunately, this is one that a single rating will cover both. At $12 for approximately 100 pages, I expected a lot. This book was a disappointment, as it followed a reporter, Ken and a self-important homeless man/conman, DC. None of the characters nor the plot are compelling or even interesting. In addition, the book is more about DC’s god complex than about the arson. One out of five stars.

2012 Maya End Date: A New Beginning by Edward Dayne Curry
Who hasn’t wondered what is in store for 2012? Are the prophecies real or hype? As the infamous date draws nearer, people either get more anxious or apathetic. For me, I don’t really worry about it one way or another because there are bigger forces than me at work and my only function is to handle what unfolds in life. That being said, being a history buff and having an innate curiosity about life and the world, I do enjoy reading all the theories and stories. In 2012 Maya End Date, Curry combines history and prophecy, fact and fiction. Curry has done his research and it shows. He is also an excellent story teller, so the reader feels like they are reading about real people and events; not something created in Curry’s mind. A compelling read. 4.5 out of five stars.

Monday Reviews

The Riddle of Berlin by Cym Lowell
Lowell has written a very ambitious first novel. Riddle of Berlin is an intellectual thriller. There are terrorist, inept politicians, international intrigue and numerous satellite characters. At times it feels as though Lowell has tried to be too ambitious by throwing in too many plot twists. At times it feels like it loses its focus, or maybe as a reader I lost focus. This is one of those stories where if it were a movie you would want lots of commercials, because the plot is so complex that if you miss even a second you will be completely lost and have to start over. Overall a decent first novel and it will be interesting to see if the next novel offers more cohesiveness. 3.5 out of five stars.

Hidden Truths by Brenda Youngerman
Emotions run the gamut in this book that follows the lives of four children as they grow to adulthood. Two sets of siblings raised separately in very different environments. This book is about life and the journey it takes you on. One of Youngerman’s biggest strengths is that she gets the human psyche and when she writes not only do you feel like a fly on the wall but you become totally invested in her characters. It is a true gift to be able to put your reader into your character’s mind when the reader would normally not be able to relate. Often I read books that I just cannot get into because I can’t relate to any of the characters. With Hidden truths, I don’t relate to any of the characters but because of Youngerman’s skill, I became invested in their lives. This is not an easy read, it’s raw, it’s emotional, it is real. 4.5 out of five stars.

The Final War and 3001: Birth of a Political Renaissance by Priscilla Herochik
What if greed was so pervasive in politics and religion that corrupt religious leaders and inept narcissistic politicians caused the downfall of the world? Oh wait, we are already living in that world. This book is like two books in one. The first part leading up to a nuclear event and the second half is about what the world can become in the aftermath. Although there are an abundance of religious and political undertones, this book isn’t about either of those. It’s more about mankind’s destructive and self-serving nature and how future generations can simplify and rebuild what current generations destroy. There is a lot of drama in this book and although long, it is a relatively easy read. Four out of five stars,

Issa: The Greatest Story Never Told by Lois Drake
We know very little about the teenage years of Jesus (Issa). Drake gives us one possible accounting of those missing years. The beautiful thing about this story is that it gives us a logical journey not one biased by rhetoric or traditional dogma. Anyone who knows teenagers knows they have a natural curiosity. Issa would be no different and because of his benevolent nature it is easy to see his friends and him learning different cultures. Four out of five stars.

Welcome to the Weekend With... Author Brian Cohen

Back in March, I did a brief review of Brian Cohen's book, The Life O'Reilly and today I give you the man behind the book.

First tell us a little about you-
A native New Yorker, I was born in Queens and raised on Long Island. I have been practicing law for over 12 years, specializing in complex litigation. I live with my wife and our daughters in the suburbs of New York City.

When did you first start writing and did you always want to be an author?
I have had a passion for all things creative, including film, literature, and music, since elementary school. During my Middle School and High School years, when I was introduced to literary classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Les Miserables, and The Count of Monte Cristo, I discovered both a love of fiction and a knack for creative writing. But it wasn’t until my first semester of law school that I truly caught “the writing bug” and knew I had to become a storyteller.

What is the most challenging aspect of writing? Most rewarding?
Having balance in my life is a top priority, so finding the time to write, while also having a family and a demanding legal career, is a challenge. When I'm writing, I usually wake up at 4 a.m. (as crazy as that sounds!), but with the busy life that I lead, it's not always possible to maintain that kind of schedule. After all, sleep is important!

The most rewarding aspect of writing is the wonderful reactions I get from readers!

When you sit down to start a new book do you begin with an outline or synopsis or do you just go with the flow?
I like to have biographical sketches for the main characters and a general outline that gives the novel structure, although as characters come to life during the writing process, they tend to take the story in new directions (which is a good thing!).

I know my readers really loved the cover of The Life O’Reilly. How involved do you typically get with regards to cover art for your books?
I had a vision of what I wanted the cover to look like, and shared that vision with my cover designer. She took that idea and ran with it and, after a few different drafts, we came together on the final product. She did an outstanding job, and I couldn't be happier!

Where did you get the idea for this book?
I am a huge fan of crime fiction, so as an attorney setting out to write a first novel, it naturally followed that legal suspense would be my genre of choice. I spent six months researching, plotting, outlining, and creating character sketches, and then another six months cranking out 150 pages of material. During that time, though, a lot was happening in my life – stories of people my age dying prematurely were being told with alarming frequency, the rat race had become all-consuming, and my wife and I were getting ready to welcome our first child into the world. Then one day, I appreciated that everything I’d been experiencing had inspired another story; I realized that, though writing a crime novel was something I wanted to do, telling the story of Nick O’Reilly was something I had to do. So that evening, I told my wife that I was shelving the thriller and starting on a new project and, the following morning, I began writing The Life O’Reilly and have never looked back.

How much research did you do for your book and how much ended up in the finished product?
I did a lot of research both before and during the writing process and a lot of it made it into the final version!

When a new book comes out, are you nervous about how readers will react to it? How much of yourself do you invest (emotionally and otherwise in your work)?
Sure, there is a bit of nervousness when a book comes out, but I pour my heart into what I decide to publish and do so knowing that there is an audience for my work.

What do you hope for your writing career in the next few years? Any goals that you have yet to obtain that you have set for yourself?
I hope that there will be many more books and, of course, that I will continue to connect with more and more readers!

Do you have written any other stories and yet to be published novels, when can we expect your next book?
I am currently working on my second novel. It's hard to say when it will be out, but hopefully sooner rather than later!

You can influence any one thing in the entire history, the present or the future of the world (what has occurred, how something works, etc.). What would you choose to change and why?
I would prevent The Holocaust from happening.


Thank you for joining us today, Brian.
 

Be sure to check out Brian's website.

Just got an email from the wonderful Brian Cohen and he is offering a signed copy to one lucky commenter. I will announce a winner on the 21st. All you have to do is leave a comment (following would be nice too, but not required.)