Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Love Letters By Geraldine Solon

Bridal shop manager Chloe Rogers will soon marry Richard Foster—so she thinks—until suddenly, she bumps into her childhood sweetheart, Josh Goldman, whom she hasn’t seen in thirteen years. The sparks between Chloe and Josh fly, but Richard provides safety, financial security. Should she follow her heart or her head? The answer comes in a surprise twist. While cleaning her attic, she stumbles upon love letters written to her estranged mother forty years ago from a man she loved. When Chloe secretly brings them together again and sees how much time they’ve lost, she is challenged not to make the same mistake her mother made. Will Chloe opt for security or will she risk her heart and marry her true love?
Buy Love Letters PDF Paperback

Who is Geraldine Solon?
Author of Romance and Women’s fiction novels. She resides in California with her family. You can visit her website at www.geraldinesolon.com, and or like her Facebook Page.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Bella Signorina by Denyse Bridger

Blurb:
Set in Rome, Bella Signorina is a sweet, romantic story of two people who meet in a trendy caffè, and through the magic of dance and music discover they have many things in common. Bianca comes to Caffè Rosati every week, and for many weeks she's been watching a special man, a handsome, charming stranger who dances, flirts, and leaves alone each week. Bianca is a woman who enjoys her freedom, and has been hurt before, so she's not anxious to fall in love again. Something about the enigmatic Stefano has captivated her heart, though, and she is drawn to him in spite of herself. When she finally gathers her courage to approach him, and ask him to dance, little does she know that her entire world is about to change.
Stefano Esposito is a man who's past relationships have not left him much in the way of ideals about women. Many have claimed to love him, none have understood him. Stefano is a rare breed in today's world of fast-paced life and love. He is a gentleman, a man who many consider a little out of step with the times. For Stefano, falling in love is the completion of a soul, not the consummation of a sexual itch. He wants the woman in his life to respect, understand, and adore him, as he will her. When he meets Bianca, he wonders if he's finally found the one he's waited a lifetime for? She understands his internal conflicts, his desires, and his dreams, after only hours together.
When their attraction to each other flares too quickly and too intently, Stefano pulls back. Confused and uncertain, Bianca flees his beautiful home and business, and goes back to her busy life. But, once the dance has begun, is there a way to go back to what you knew before, or is it just a matter of time before the music lures you back to your dreams and, perhaps, makes them reality?
 
 
Who is Denyse Bridger and where can you find her?
Denysé Bridger:

Canadian born and bred, and a lifelong dreamer, I began writing at an early age and can’t recall a time when I wasn’t creating in some artistic form. My life has had several on-going love affairs that shape much of what I write, the American West, Victorian England, cowboys, a passion for pirates, Greek Gods, and Ancient Egypt. The other endless love affair in my life is Italia and all its magic, beauty, and dazzling culture. That passion spills into all aspects of my life.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Interview with Don Ford

            
1.     Tell us a little about Storytelling, what inspired you to write Royal Ferdinand?  I have a passion for children, young adults, the middle class, the retirement croud (Oldest ‘kids’)  My work is all age-appropriate.







2.     Do you have a favorite character you have written?  I thought no one would ever ask: “Invisibug, Unsung Hero, Private Eye”.





3. What are you currently working on?  8 books for a Grandmother for Christmas and for her Grandchildren.  One is not born yet, but she wants “Royal Ferdinand” for this child.



4. How long have you been writing?  What influenced you to start?  I’ve been writing since the age of 15.  I began by penning poems.  The thing that put a fire under me was the breakup of my parents.  I found writing put a positive spin on life and my attitude.





5.     How do your family/friends feel about your writing?  They are all supportive.  They were suprised how quickly things began to take off for me once I applied myself to begin submitting my work to various magazines and other venues.





6.     Where do you hope to be in 5 years?  I hope to be known well enough by then as a storyteller, that folks begin contacting me to speak.  It has been me doing all the cold calling on them.  Soon I will be able to see calls for my work finding their own way to me.  I hope to have a few books under my belt and published also.



7.     Do you have any advice for new or aspiring author?  Do not think that as you start to see your first work published that you can then sit back and expect work to start heading your way.  It won’t until a good amount of folks have not only read your work, but like it, and will follow you.  That is the measure of success; the following more than the number of readers.



8.     What is your favorite book? (one that you have read) and why?  I can’t think of a favorite book, but many short stories read in Junior High seemed to inspire me to also share short tales.  Most of what I have had published (Paying gigs) were my short stories that are short character-driven stories.  Oops, I do have a couple favorite books:  The Red Badge of Courage and The Scarlet Letter.  Both books led me into the lives and heads of the main characters.  Though both were fiction, I cared about what was happening to these unreal people.



9.     On the fun side, what is your favorite television show and why?  Much of the great writing that was applied to “The Heat of the Night” allowed the listener to hear things that were not spoken, but I knew what was going on in the heads of the main characters, that I took a major liking to.  They all seemed real in the roles they were cast in.  Anything I watch that stirs my emotions or gets me up out of my chair, I enjoy participating in.  It’s like when my favorite sports team is coming from behind to win the game! LOL



10.                        Where can readers find you ? (Include all links you want, facebook, twitter etc....)                                                                                              www.cnyartists.com/profile/DonFord81



          http://dgford.gather.com/










Thursday, October 6, 2011

Interview with G Bryan Smith

  1. Where can we find you?
My five sci-fi novels are available for sale, in both paperpack and E-book formats on Solstice Publishing and Amazon, and in PDF format at Fictionwise, Coffee Time Romance, Manic Readers, and numerous other E-Book sites selected by Solstice.  My website is www.gbryansmith.webs.com/
  1. What is the link for the best review you have had?
My first sci-fi novel,  Challenge To The Stars, was reviewed in 2009 by Coffee Time Romance and received “four cups” which is very good for the strict Coffee Time Romance reviewers.
The link for the review is:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Challengetothestars.html
which you can highlight and paste in your browser. 
  
  1. What’s your favorite cover you have seen recently? (feel free to add a picture but please try to keep it pg 13 lol!)
I am actually very pleased with the cover used on my fifth sci-fi novella, Amira, published early this year. I will give you the link on Amazon as follows:
Solstice Link:
http://www.solsticepublishing.com/products/Amira%252d%252d%252d-PDF-EBOOK.html
You can highlight either link and paste in your brower.
4. If you can have anyone read your book and give you feedback who would it be and why?
Without doubt, master horror writer Stephen King, who is not only the best at horror but, in my view and that of many commentators, the greatest fiction writer of the 20th and 21st centuries so far. Some people would assign that role to Thomas Pynchon (Gravity’s Rainbow) but I disagree.    
5. What is it that addicted you to your genre?
I grew up in the 1960’s with the original Star Trek and that fine, fine sci-fi anthology, the original black and white Outer Limits which best-selling horror writer Stephen King has called the best program of its kind to ever air on network television. I read every “Golden Age” novel of Science Fiction I could check out from the library or buy off the drugstore paperback racks: the novels of Robert Heinlein, Poul Anderson, Andre (Alice Mary) Norton, H. Beam Piper, Lester Del Rey, Robert Silverberg, Clifford Simak, and others.
 6. Your favorite author.
Stephen King. 
7. If you have a day job how do you balance everything.
I am a self-employed attorney. In short, you have to be efficient with your off-work time if you want to write. I have written five sci-fi novels from late  2007 through the end of 2010 and I could not have pulled it off without a disciplined writing schedule. For me, that means generally three hours per weekday evening (if I am not preparing for court the next day) and considerably more time than that over the weekends. Over the Christmas and New Year of 2007, when I happened to be alone, I wrote the first draft of my first sci-fi novel Challenge To The Stars.    
8. What does your writing schedule look like.
Again, at least a three hour writing block on the weekday evenings, and more than that over the weekend when I am immersed in a project. Ernest Hemingway commented that most people cannot ever finish a novel because they bog in the middle. There is always time to refine after you complete the first draft but you have to finish that first draft.  I took that to heart. In each of my five novels, I hit the ground running to finish the first draft. Once that is done, I typically edit and rewrite at least two to three more drafts before I deem it “final.”
     How long does the whole process take? It is said that Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in about 30 days. That may be do-able if you don’t work a day job as I do. Each of my five sci-fi novels took about four to six months from start to finish. I wrote Challenge to the Stars and Lizard World in late 2007- 2008. I wrote A Final Battle and The Master entity in 2009 and, finally, the novella (78 pages) Amira in August through December of 2010. Since Amira’s publication in early 2011, I have taken time off, having no further inspiration presently for the five novels/novellas which I call the “Colonel Kendrick Landry Space Adventure Series.” I don’t know for sure whether there will be a sixth Colonel Kendrick Landry story. Regardless, however, I do feel that there will be some writing project for me around the corner soon.      
9. Have you ever came across a book you don’t know why a publisher published?
Yes, just go to the paperback stands and look at all the trade-published garbage  by third-rate or worse writers. As they say, it is all in who you know.
10. Do you believe in self publishing?
Only if you have no alternative and you have plenty of money for publicity. “Legally Blonde” was self-published and made into a movie. The author spent a fortune on publicity. A better alternative for the average new author to break in exists in the “Indies,” or small independent publishers like Solstice. Large trade publishers are normally closed to new writers unless you have an established agent. In turn, most established agents will not take new writers as clients, a vicious cycle that feeds itself and bars most new writers from making the big time. A paradigm story is that Stephen King’s famous novel “Carrie,” made into a major motion picture, was rejected by the publishers some 33 times before one major trade publisher took a chance and picked it up.  But the Indies at least give the new writer a chance for publication, some public exposure, avoidance of a gazillion reject slips, and a better choice than self-publishing. 
11. Are you a believer in Karma?
The great cosmic “what comes around goes around.”
Frankly I don’t know. I do know that the world’s leading physicist, Stephen Hawkings, has recently expressed his view that there is no great beyond. In his view, life is generated randomly and spontaneously based on gravitational and other powerful but natural forces, and that is all there is to it. He compares the human brain to a computer hard drive and said, “I don’t believe in a heaven for worn-out hard drives.”  Hawkings is a truly brilliant man, but then again, what does he know about it?  That is his opinion—and you know what they say about opinions.   

Check back tomorrow to learn more about G. Bryan Smith!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Guest Post with Andrea Buginsky

 
I have enjoyed writing all my life, but didn’t consider turning it into my profession until college. I grew up with heart disease, and had planned on going into the medical field to work with other children growing up with heart disease; but I wasn’t doing well in some of the courses required for my program. So, I had to reconsider my career goals. My sister said, “You love writing; why not do that?” And that’s when it hit me: she was absolutely right. I switched my goal to becoming a journalist.

After earning my BA in Mass Communications-Journalism, I began working as a freelance writer from home. Over the last few years I’ve written web copy for several different web sites, including Associated Content, Gather.com, and Daily Glow. I also decided I wanted to try my hand at writing a book. My first attempt was an adult romance novel, but I could never seem to complete it, no matter how often I tried. Then I decided I wanted to write for children, and tried, unsuccessfully, to write a series of short stories. When that didn’t work either, I knew it was time to return to the drawing board.

More about Jim Baugh

Well to start I can say that there is a contest on his facebook page, the 100th person to like his page will win a PDF copy of Hooked, so hop on over there and check it out.

Have you had a chance to check out Jim's Blog?


You can view some of the reviews he has had.HERE
You can read the first chapter HERE
You Can enter to win a FREE Kindle HERE
You can order your own copy or contact Jim HERE

Jim Baugh

Producer

Jim Baugh has been producing national and regional television shows for close to 30 years. Programs include: Award winning Jim Baugh Outdoors TV (220 episodes), Ski East, Classic Fishing. Fishing Virginia and, RV Times. Jim also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic Music from Virginia Commonwealth University. Jim writes, performs, and engineers all the soundtracks for his television programs.
Jim Baugh Outdoors has broadcast on The Family Channel, The Outdoor Channel, The Sportsman Channel, Fox Sports, America One, and many broadcast affiliates throughout the Mid-Atlantic and South East.
***
Writer \ Author
Jim Baugh has written over 300 columns for numerous magazines during the last 23 years including:
Motor boating Magazine, Fishing Smart, The Chesapeake Angler, The Sportsman Magazine, Woods and Waters, Colonial Outdoors, Virginia Beach Sports Fishing and Travel Virginia Magazine.
Jim also writes and manages three on-line blogs including “Jim’s Galley” and the “JBO TV” main website.
Jim Baugh’s first published book, “HOOKED” was released by Solstice Publishing world wide late June of 2011. The book instantly won critical acclaim and earned a five star rating and was featured book of the month by the publisher during the first month’s release.
Jim’s second book, “COOKED” stories behind the recipes will be released during the fall of 2013.
***
Jim Baugh resides on the Hampton River by the Chesapeake Bay and still produces Jim Baugh Outdoors TV. Jim works in association with other producers and writers as well.

Click here for Jims weekly column on Virginia Beach Sport Fish

 

Buy Hooked PDF Paperback





Monday, October 3, 2011

Hooked By Jim Baugh

“HOOKED” is based on the true-life story of Virginia outdoor television producer Jim Baugh. Jim Baugh Outdoors TV is one of Americas most diverse and entertaining outdoor programs and has been in syndication since 1989.
“HOOKED” is a hilarious look behind the scene stories of filming a southern outdoor TV show. From the Chesapeake Bay to Key West these on location excursions will make your sides hurt with laughter. A cast of sea faring characters full of color and humor. From the docks in Gloucester Virginia to the Atlantic Ocean and a boat load of jolly swashbuckling Pirates. The stories and characters in “HOOKED” are timeless and span a period of over forty years.
In contrast, “HOOKED” also explores the solemn drama of dealing with divorce, death, and mental illness.
The story also delves into the totally crazy insane world of mid-life on-line computer dating. This is a hilarious look at dating in the computer world after 25 years of solid marriage. These “Dating” stories are contemporary, racy, scary, cheerful, timeless, and based on true events. Anyone who is old enough to date will soon relate to “HOOKED” as the comical reference for dating in the new millennium.
This adult romantic comedy story also relates to the power and testament of faith.
50 Years of an exciting action packed extremely charismatic colorfull life and career, packed into 28 chapters . It is a fast ride for sure.
Buy This book: PDF Print
Bio: Jim Baugh has been producing National and Regional television shows for 25 years. Programs include: Jim Baugh Outdoors TV (220 episodes), Ski East, Classic Fishing. Fishing Virginia and, RV Times.
Jim Baugh has written over 300 columns for numerous magazines during the last 20 years including: Motor boating Magazine, Fishing Smart, The Chesapeake Angler, The Sportsman Magazine and Travel Virginia Magazine.