Thursday Thirteen – Thirteen things about the mysterious Keziah Theriot

Everyone – from the other characters to readers – is fascinated with Keziah Theriot. Author Gale Laure illuminates us with thirteen things about her character, Keziah “Kizzy” Theriot from the novel, Evolution of a Sad Woman.

1. Kizzy’s physical beauty is unmatched by any woman. Her emerald green eyes, full pink lips, dimples, flawless skin and perfect figure are every man’s dream and every woman’s envy.

2. Not only physical but emotional, Kizzy has a power over men.

3. Kizzy hates cigarette smoke. It makes her sneeze her unique sneeze of three tiny sneezes in a row.

4. Kizzy’s mother died of pneumonia when she was twelve years old.

5. Kizzy’s father died of cancer when she was fourteen years old.

6. Kizzy does not want to be just an actress. She wants to be a movie star.

7. Kizzy never thinks of or acknowledges her own weaknesses or faults.

8. Kizzy sees the world in her own way. It is a way unlike anyone else. When others hear the way she sees things, it often brings them around to think her way.

9. Kizzy is talkative and passionate about everything. She does nothing halfway.

10. Like a chameleon, Kizzy seems to change to accommodate others. She knows what others want and need. She has a way of being true to herself and fulfilling them.

11. Kizzy has a kind and gentle heart. She cares for the homeless and hungry even if it is an animal.

12. Kizzy loves hamburgers with extra onions.

13. No matter how long anyone has known Kizzy, she will always surprise him or her. She remains as elusive and enigmatic as the first day they met her.

Mystery is – and always will be – Kizzy’s charm.

About the Author:
Gale Laure, a native Texan, is the international selling author of Evolution of a Sad Woman, a mystery, suspense, thriller and romance novel. She resides in a small suburban town in the Houston area with her husband and family. Laure’s hobbies include genealogical research, movies, creating stories for the children around her, involvement in her church and people watching. She is busy at work editing her second novel, The Bunkhouse, and writing the sequel to Evolution of a Sad Woman. It is entitled Alana – Evolution of a Woman. As mysterious as her book, Laure writes under a pseudonym. Adamant about maintaining her privacy and the privacy of her family, she keeps her identity a mystery!

About the Book: Five very different men – all strangers – are drawn together to solve a murder by an uncommon thread – the love of the same beautiful woman, Kizzy. When she is murdered, they pull their past into their present, their present explodes, and their future is filled with surprise and changed forever! When police detective Evan Picard, attorney William Newton, cabdriver Jimmy Smithson, former pro-football player turned used car salesman Tom Hastings and Father C.D. Casmiersky are forced together – personalities explode, tensions build and relationships develop. The ending to this chapter of their lives and to Kizzy’s murder will have a surprise none of them will ever expect. You can visit her website at www.evolutionofasadwoman.com.

For more information about Gale Laure or her novel, Evolution of a Sad Woman, visit www.galelaure.com or her blog www.evolutionofasadwoman.com .

World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware – author interview-James Diehl

It was a Sunday morning, December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Growing up and attending school it was a day of remembrance and the flag flying in the front yard of our house. Today, some 30 years later I didn’t see any flags in my neighborhood and I haven’t heard Pearl Harbor mentioned in the news. Has our country just forgotten about this day?

Thank goodness for authors such as James Diehl, author of World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware who keep the memory of the World War II heroes alive and helps remind us that our country hasn’t always been at peace. We caught up with him during his virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion and asked if he would give us a guest post about Pearl Harbor.

Hi James,

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

PBW: James, would you give us an explanation of the words “Pearl Harbor” and the importance of your book?

James: Ask someone who was born in the 1970s or beyond what the words “Pearl Harbor” mean and you’ll likely get an answer straight out of the 2001 movie that became a blockbuster at the theaters for Touchstone Pictures.
Ask that same question to someone who was raised in the 1940s and you’ll get an entirely different answer, one filled with realism and sorrow for what happened on Dec. 7, 1941. Now take the next step – ask a veteran of World War II what those two simple words mean to him. It is likely a day he will never forget; most veterans from that era know someone who made the ultimate sacrifice as a direct result of what happened on that early December day nearly 70 years ago.

Listen to John Ross, who was on the deck of the U.S.S. Selfridge in berth X-9 that fateful day, just off the famed Battleship Row. It’s a day that has defined his entire life, and a day he will never, ever forget.
“We were lucky because they weren’t after destroyers [like the Selfridge]; they wanted the big ships. But it just seemed like all hell had broken loose – bombs were raining down on all the battleships,” Ross recounts in my book, World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware. “I saw the [U.S.S.] Arizona take a bomb through the deck and just settle down in the bottom of the harbor with a lot of people still trapped below deck. I was just dumfounded.”

Or the memories of U.S. Army soldier Clayton Cugler, who was stationed at Schofield Barracks, just a few miles from the harbor.

“When we went around the city, we looked out and the oil was all over the water and it was on fire. And those poor boys from the Navy, the ones who were on the ships that had been blown up, they were out there in the water fighting the fires and trying to get to shore. A lot of them died trying. Those Japanese really caught us by surprise. They had us really puzzled and mixed up for awhile.”

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 was a resounding and complete victory for Emperor Hirohito. On the flip side, it was a devastating defeat for the Americans and thrust then into a war they had been hesitant to enter.

The day changed the course of history and eventually led to President Harry S. Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base lasted for nearly two hours. When it was complete, 2,403 Americans were dead, 1,178 more were wounded, eight battleships were damaged or sunk and 188 aircraft were lost. It was a complete sucker punch to the gut of the United States, possibly the biggest ever, leading to a declaration of war and an intense wave of patriotism all across the county.

For Ross and Cugler and thousands more just like them, it was an event they will never forget. Sadly, our country’s World War II veterans are passing away at record numbers now and with them go their stories, their first-hand accounts of a time unrivaled in the history of the world.

We owe it to all the brave men and women of the World War II era to never forget the sacrifices they made all those years ago so that we may live today in the greatest country in the world. They truly were members of the “greatest generation” as Tom Brokaw so eloquently stated a few years ago. Without them and their service, who knows what the world would be like today. And it all started in a quiet little harbor in the territory of Hawaii, on a peaceful morning that suddenly became one of the most historic days ever.
We must never forget!

About the Book: World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware is a book unlike any other ever written. In its pages are profiles of 50 ordinary Americans who did extraordinary things during a time unlike any other in American history.
These are men and women who today call southern Delaware home. In the 1940s, these brave Americans put their lives on hold to fight for freedom and democracy against the horrific threat imposed on the world by Emperor Hirohito of Japan and German Fuhrer Adolph Hitler.
When Imperial Japan attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941, the world changed forever. These men and women were a big part of that change; they fought to protect our freedom and our way of life.

About the Author: James Diehl is an award-winning journalist who has covered Sussex County, Delaware for various media outlets since 1998. Since 2007, he has owned and operated a freelance writing company based in Seaford, Delaware and is also a partner in a Lewes, Delaware-based public relations and marketing firm. He is the author of two works of non-fiction – Remembering Sussex County, from Zwaanendael to King Chicken, published in 2009 by The History Press, and World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware, published in 2009 by the DNB Group, Inc.
James can be found online at www.twitter.com/sussexwriter, at www.facebook.com/sussexwriter, at www.worldwar2heroes.blogspot.com or via www.ww2-heroes.com.

Hearts of Courage – author interview – John Tippets

www.johntippets.com

Paperback Writers has a special author today, one that tells a tale of surviving a plane crash in extreme winter weather in of all places the cold Alaska frontier. Author, John Tippets share with us how he came up with the idea for this book and talks about the road to publication.

About the Book
On January 5, 1943, an airplane with six onboard goes missing in remote Southeast Alaska with the pilot’s only radio message of “one engine has conked out, expect trouble.” The winter weather is extreme, searchers find no signs of the Lockheed-Electra aircraft, and all are presumed lost. One of those passengers was Joseph Tippets, age 29, of Anchorage, Alaska, an employee of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and the first branch president of the small Latter-day Saint Anchorage congregation. Joseph’s wife, Alta, with her two-year-old son in Anchorage does not give up hope and is a source of strength and encouragement to others. On February 3, the crew of a small coast guard vessel on a routine patrol in Boca de Quadra was stunned to discover two starved and freezing survivors of the missing plane. One of those was Joseph Tippets.

Hearts of Courage is the story of Joseph Tippets’ experiences over those twenty-nine days and his subsequent efforts to help rescue the two injured passengers still stranded in their wilderness camp. Told largely in Joseph’s own words, this is a story of courage, determination, faith, and prayers answered. It is an aviation history story, a survival story, and a love story.

“We all remember the almost incredulous joy and amazement we experienced on February 3 upon hearing that two survivors had been found, including our good friend and coworker, Joseph H. Tippets. After a month of privation and suffering, the fact that even four of the six on board the ill-fated plane survived the long, miserable month almost taxes our imagination, and proves indeed that faith and hope and courage and endurance have tangible rewards.

“The age of miracles is not past!”

Marshall C. Hoppin, Alaska Regional Manager
Civil Aeronautics Administration
Mukluk Telegraph, March 1943

Hi John.

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

Q: Would you share with us how you came up with the idea for your book?

A: Over several years I have been writing chapters of my parents’ life histories for the benefit of their descendents….Dad’s and Mother’s years growing up, Dad’s years in the U.S. Navy, Dad’s service as a Mormon Bishop in the Washington D.C. area in the 50s, etc.. But, I always knew that writing about Dad’s Jan/Feb. survival of the 1943 crash in Alaska was going to be much more than the other pieces of the project, and I wanted to do it really very well.

I looked for all possible sources, and wanted original illustrations, pictures etc. to really help tell the story right. As the process proceeded over about 4 years, and as I kept making improvements/finding new info etc. it became increasingly clear it was going to be a quality book and not just a chapter of the history project for the family.

Q: Was it a light bulb moment or something that you thought about for a very long time?

A: I realized at some point that the book would be both a wonderful legacy for my parents but that it would also be a special and popular story for many audiences; those who love Alaska, aviation or survival stories and for those who appreciate a story of determination, faith and prayers answered.

Q: How did you come up with the title?

A: We had considered several (one, Cheating an Icy Death) but Hearts of Courage was my wife’s choice and it seemed a title that was more inclusive of my Mother’s part of the story and of many others who were participants.

Q: How did you find an agent and publisher?

A: I was in Alaska and a friend suggested that I meet Evan Swensen (PublicationConsultants) who was LDS (and would understand that element of the story) and who might help me pull together some of the final pieces I needed there in Alaska. After going over the options with Evan, I finally decided to self publish but with Evan’s professional design and initial printing, etc. consulting services, He was a great help.

Q: Who reads your work in progress?

A: In truth, at various stages several different people read drafts of Hearts of Courage and each provided valuable suggestions, editing, etc but as I got closer and closer to a final product the really critical proofing, editing, smoothing, etc. was by my wife, Bonnie. With each draft of each chapter (and there were lots) it keep getting better.

Q: Who made a difference in the book’s quality?

A) Bonnie’s input made a big difference, B) the art by Terry Pyles is an exceptional help, as was that by David Draper and David Rubin and C) the photography both the historical and especially the recent work of Chip Porter really helped to tell the story.

Q: How long did it take you to complete the first draft?

A: I don’t think there was ever a definitive first draft, just a continuously evolving draft over about four years (note: this was a part time project).

Q: Do you have any advice for new authors?

A: For nonfiction the research and finding the right illustrations is a long and tedious effort and then the writing, proofing and rewriting is further long and hard work. That said, an end product of which you (In my case, me and my wife) can be proud….and one which is such a wonderful legacy for my parents, Joseph and Alta Tippets….makes it all worth while.

Thank you, John for stopping by Paperback Writer on your virtual book tour. I wish you continued success through the rest of you tour.

About the Author: John Tippets was born in Anchorage, Alaska in 1941. In 1947, the family moved to the Washington, D.C. area where John graduated from Northwestern High School (Hyattsville, MD) in 1959. He attended Brigham Young University, then served two years (1960-62) as a Mormon missionary in Eastern Canada.
John earned his B.A. and M.B.A degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles. While still in college, he started a career in aviation, checking bags for United Airlines, then working summer jobs with the FAA in Alaska and with the CAB in Washington, D.C. In 1966, he joined American Airlines as a part-timer in air freight and, subsequently, worked forty-two years associated with AMR in a variety of management and executive roles. For the final seventeen years prior to his retirement in 2008, he was the President & CEO of the American Airlines Federal Credit Union.
Publishing “Hearts of Courage” in 2008, John now does PowerPoint presentations of the story for interested groups, book signings, and other events. You can visit John Tippets’ website at www.JohnTippets.com.

A Precious Jewel – Author Interview – Mary Balogh

www.marybalogh.com

Paperback Writer is pleased to introduce our author for today, Mary Balogh, author of A Precious Jewel, a Regency-era romance novel. Find out how Mary creates her characters and whether she know the ending of the novel before she written it. She says she loves happy endings. Does this book have a happy ending? Find out when you purchase the book by clicking on the book cover picture.

About the Book:
She was unlike any woman he’d ever met in the ton or the demimonde. But Sir Gerald Stapleton frequented Mrs. Blyth’s euphemistically dubbed “finishing school” for pure, uncomplicated pleasure—and nothing else. So why was this confirmed bachelor so thoroughly captivated by one woman in particular? Why did he find himself wondering how such a rare jewel of grace, beauty, and refinement as Priss had ended up a courtesan? And when she needed protection, why did Gerald, who’d sworn he’d never get entangled in affairs of the heart, hasten to set her up as his own pampered mistress to ensure her safety—and have her all to himself?

For Priscilla Wentworth, the path leading to Sir Gerald’s bed had been as filled with misfortune as it suddenly seemed charmed. But Priss couldn’t allow herself to believe she’d ever be more to a man like Sir Gerald than a well-cared-for object of pleasure. Now, despite Gerald’s deep distrust of marriage, neither scandal nor society’s censure can keep them apart—only the fear of trusting their hearts.

Hi Mary Balogh,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

Thank you for having me!

Q: Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

A: A PRECIOUS JEWEL is a Regency-era romance with a difference. The hero, Sir Gerald Stapleton, is a beta male whose self-esteem was taken from him during childhood by a cold, insensitive father and a stepmother who betrayed his love and trust. He is afraid of relationships and so satisfies his needs with frequent visits to a high-class brothel. The heroine, Priscilla Wentworth, well-born but forced by circumstances into prostitution, becomes his “regular” and later his mistress. It is not an auspicious beginning for a love story, but that is exactly what their story becomes. I love to take on a challenge as a writer, and there was none greater that this.

Gerald was a minor character in THE IDEAL WIFE (re-published in 2008 by Bantam Dell), best friend of the hero. In that book he was struggling with the loss of his long-term mistress (Priscilla), who had left him to marry a former beau. My mind played with the usual what-ifs as I wrote THE IDEAL WIFE. What if Gerald really loved Priscilla? What if she really loved him? What if the former beau and impending marriage were fictitious, an excuse to get away from a liaison that had become intolerable to her? What if…

Gerald intrigued me to such an extent that I had to tell his story. Actually, it became an obsession with me. I knew I could not write it. He was not the alpha male readers expect their heroes to be. Priscilla was a working prostitute. It was all quite impossible. A few fellow writers on whom I tried the idea agreed with me. I did not even ask my editor about it. But those two characters would not let me alone. Finally I wrote their story during a hectic two-week period and put the manuscript up on a shelf in my office for a long time before deciding to send it in just to see what the reaction would be. When I phoned about it some time later, I discovered that the book was in copyediting! All this was back in 1993. Now Bantam Dell has republished A PRECIOUS JEWEL.

Q: Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

A: I try to plan. How relaxing writing would be if I knew in advance exactly where a story was going! Or so it sometimes seems. But perhaps the story would be less dynamic if it did not constantly unfold on the screen before my very eyes, often surprising even me! My stories are character-driven. And because characters reveal themselves to me gradually as the story progresses, I can never decide in advance what they are going to do in a given situation. Sometimes I think I know, but when I get to that part of the story I realize that the characters as they have become would never do that particular thing. Planning ahead is a little like trying to plan out the lives of one’s children as soon as they are born (or conceived). It can’t be done!

Q: Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

A: I write love stories. I write happy endings. I always know who the hero and heroine are, and therefore I know that they will end up together facing a lifetime of potential happiness and love. It is the road to that ending that I do not know. I may have some idea of the scenery and various road blocks along the way, but it is all pretty hazy.

Q: Do you have a process for developing your characters?

A: I like to know my characters soul-deep. It is not enough to know about them, no matter how long the list of facts and characteristics may be. I could list for you a hundred things about myself, but you still wouldn’t know me. Sometimes I don’t even know myself. I’ll do or say something and then go “Huh? Where did that come from?” I struggle with my characters all through a book, especially at the beginning. I always feel that I know them well enough to make a start, but they constantly flummox me. I find myself staring at the screen and asking them aloud, “Who are you?” And if that doesn’t work, I jump inside their head and ask, “Who am I?” Experience has taught me that the answer often lies in another question, “Where is your deepest pain?” Once I know the answer to the questions, especially that last one, I can go back and adjust the character and his behavior accordingly. I hope the whole thing seems seamless to the reader who reads the resulting story, but the creation is certainly not seamless!

Q: It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

A: Oh, yes, it is inevitable. What I find admirable will appear in my heroes and heroines. What I find despicable will not—not as they are by the end of the book, anyway. Their philosophy of life will often be mine or at least one of which I can approve. Just a few minor examples: None of my heroes enjoy hunting even though hunting and shooting were favorite pastimes of Regency gentlemen. Few of my heroines like to have cut flowers in the house—they would prefer to see them to live out their span in the garden. Most of my heroes and heroines make a distinction between being in love (romantic, euphoric, ephemeral) and loving (a deep, lasting commitment that embraces romance and friendship and is unending and unconditional).

Q: What is your most favorite part about this book?

A: It is difficult to pick a favorite part, because that implies that the rest of the book is less favorite and therefore inferior. However, the part I enjoyed writing most and enjoy rereading most is the middle (unusual when many books suffer from the dreaded sagging middle). Priscilla and Gerald, alone together in the country, fall in love even though neither says a word about it to the other. Disaster looms and is surely felt by the reader—it is too soon for happily-ever-after to dawn. But the calm before the storm is tender and beautiful. Or so I believe.

Q: When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

A: I already had a publisher. The only question was—would that publisher accept a book that was so radically different from the norm? And I have a publisher now. A PRECIOUS JEWEL was one of the first of my older books that I suggested for republication, and it has become a particular favorite of my editor at Bantam Dell.

Q: What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

A: It was a long time ago! My struggles were few, all thanks to the fact that I was such a greenhorm I had no idea how to go about getting published. When I had finished my first Regency romance, A MASKED DECEPTION, I bundled up the whole manuscript and sent it off with a very brief letter to a Canadian address I found inside the cover of a Regency romance I had enjoyed reading. That address turned out to be a distribution center! However, someone there read the manuscript, liked it, and sent it on to New York. Two weeks later I was offered a two-book contract. I never looked back after that.

Q: What has been the best part about being published?

A: It was (and is) the fulfillment of all my dreams. From childhood on I wanted to be a writer. As a child I used to write long, long stories. Being published enabled me to give up my teaching job and remain home with my growing family. It opened another world to me. It enabled me to make a comfortable living out of my imagination. What more could anyone ask of life?

Q: What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

A: Basically, I would like readers to heave a great sigh of satisfaction at the end of the book and think, “How romantic! How absolutely lovely!” I would like them to feel convinced that love really is a powerful enough force to heal all the wounds of life that can prevent people from realizing their full potential and stop them from finding happiness in a committed relationship. I would like them to believe that love is a powerful enough bond to carry a couple through what remains of their lives no matter what obstacles the future might hold.

Q: Do you have plans to write another book?

A: I always have plans to write another book! I have just completed a quintet of books about the Huxtable family—three sister, their brother, and their male second cousin. The first four books were out during the spring of 2009. The fifth, A SECRET AFFAIR, Constantine’s story, is set to be released in hardcover at the end of June, 2010. Next up will be two “left-over” books from other series—a prequel to MORE THAN A MISTRESS and NO MAN’S MISTRESS featuring Lady Angeline Dudley and Lord Heyward, and a story for Gwen, Lady Muir, a minor character in ONE NIGHT FOR LOVE, A SUMMER TO REMEMBER and a few other related books.

Q: Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

A: It hasn’t started yet except that I have been answering questionnaires like this one and preparing short essays for blog discussions. I am thoroughly looking forward to the whole experience. A tour from the comfort of my own office chair!

Q: Where can readers find a copy of your book?

A: Everywhere books are sold, I hope. The “Buy a Book” page at my web site ( www.marybalogh.com ) will take readers to numerous on-line bookstores in various parts of the world.

Q: Do you have a website for readers to go to?

A: Yes – www.marybalogh.com. Among other features there, readers will find an excerpt from A PRECIOUS JEWEL.

Thank you, Mary Balogh for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

Thank you.

MARY BALOGH is the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Slightly series and Simply quartet of novels set at Miss Martin’s School for Girls, as well as many other beloved novels. She is also the author of First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Seduction, At Last Comes Love, and Seducing An Angel, all featuring the Huxtable family. A former teacher, she grew up in Wales and now lives in Canada. To learn more, visit the author’s website at www.MaryBalogh.com.

100 Sporting Events You Must See Live – author interview – Robert Tuchman

Paperback Writer is pleased to announce our author for today, Robert Tuchman, author of The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: He joins us during his virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

About the Book:
What do running with bulls in Pamplona, watching contestants scarf down record numbers of Nathan’s hot dogs and witnessing the crowning of the newest Vincent Lombardi trophy recipient at the Super Bowl all have in common? According to Robert Tuchman, they all deserve to be in his new book, The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime, published by BenBella Books this month.

As president of Premiere Corporate Events, Tuchman has spent most of his years traveling to hundreds of events on the top of any sports fan’s ultimate wish list. While at these events, organizing and accomplishing corporate outings, he gained very valuable information about said events. He spent two years researching details for the 337-page book, a veritable Frommer’s guide for sports travel fanatics who want to delve the live sports events world but do not know where to start.

Using live appeal as the main criteria, Tuchman breaks down one hundred events in more than 30 states and 15 countries into an easily readable list format. His pick for the top place: the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta. In the 100th spot? A no holds barred Ultimate Fighting Championship in Las Vegas. Also included: the Tour de France (#13), the Rose Bowl (#26) and a basketball game at Harlem’s legendary Rucker Park (#76).

“It doesn’t matter if you eat, sleep and breathe sports, or if only learned what the Iditarod was during last year’s presidential campaign,” says Tuchman. “There’s something in here for everyone.”

Hi Robert Tuchman

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

Q: Would you share with us how you came up with the idea for your book?

A: Sure. I am in the sports event hospitality industry and have traveled to hundreds of different sporting events throughout my life. I was at the World Cup in germany in 2006 and all of a sudden it hit me that all these people from all over the world were traveling for sports more then ever. The time was right.

Q: Was it a light bulb moment or something that you thought about for a very long time?

A: It was a light bulb moment that was the result of years of experiences at various sporting events. The light should have gone on earlier but im not the quickest one.

Q: How did you come up with the title?

A: “100 Sporting Events You Must See Live” is kind of an obvious choice but one that I thought worked well and that was to the point.

Q: How did you find an agent and publisher?

A: Friends of mine are in the industry and pointed me in the right direction. One thing you learn in order to be a successful entrepreneur is that you need to use your network as allies.

Q: Who reads you work in progress?

A: People close to me whose opinions I trust and value who I know give me honest critiques.

Q: Who made a difference in the book’s quality?

A: All those people who helped me gather information as this book is very heavy on data.

Q: How long did it take you to complete the first draft?

A: I would say that the first draft came together over a period of eight months while still working and running my company.

Q: How long did it take from start to publication?

A: Everything came together over a period of two years.

Q: Do you have any advice for new authors?

A: Yes, don’t be afraid to write about what moves you. If you think it is a good idea, take the steps necessary to make other people see what you see.

Thank you, Robert Tuchman for stopping by Paperback Writer on your virtual book tour. I wish you continued success through the rest of you tour.

100 SPORTING EVENTS BLOG TOUR ‘09 will officially begin on November 2 and ends on November 27. You can visit Robert’s blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in November to find out more about this great book and talented author!

One Holy Night – author interview – Joan Hochstetler

Paperback Writer is pleased to introduce our guest author for today, Joan Hochstetler, author of One Holy Night as she joins us during her virtual book tour.

About the Book:
An unforgettable story of forgiveness and reconciliation, One Holy Night retells the Christmas story in a strikingly original way—through the discovery of a baby abandoned in the manger of a church’s nativity scene. Destined to become a classic for all seasons, One Holy Night deals compassionately with the gritty issues of life—war and violence, devastating illness, intergenerational conflict, addictions, and broken relationships. This moving, inspirational story will warm readers’ hearts with hope and joy long after they finish reading.

Hi, Joan. Welcome to Paperback Writer!

It’s great to be here! Thank you for inviting me.

Q: Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

A: I came up with the basic idea for this story back in the late 1980s when I was working with another author on a book of short stories that revolved around Christmas. I was assigned to write a miracle story, so One Holy Night started out as a short story with the same basic theme but a different setting. When the project got shelved, I put it aside and forgot all about it for a long time.

Around 1998 or 1999, I got it out again, set it during the Vietnam era, and then worked on it off and on for a couple of years. Then 9-11 happened, and right around the same time a young mother in our church was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, and then died within a year. The following year my parents both died as the result of a car accident. The war against terrorism was in all the headlines at the time, with commentators comparing the Iraqi war with the quagmire of Vietnam—a conflict I was well acquainted with since I was in high school and college during those years.

So all my ponderings started to find their way into this story set in 1967 about a family in a small town in Minnesota that is grappling with the kinds of gritty issues we all face, while their son is away, serving in Vietnam.

Q: Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

A: I’m what’s known as a seat-of-the-pants writer. I do a minimal amount of planning when I begin a story, though I always have a general idea of the storyline. But characters and the details of the plot pretty much develop as I write.

Q: Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

A: Not always, though I do know which direction the plot is tending. But by the time I’ve written about a third of the story, I always know exactly where and how it will end. At that point I write the final chapter, which helps tremendously in figuring out the middle of the story.

Q: Do you have a process for developing your characters?

A: Um . . . I just start writing, and somehow they spring to life and start talking and doing stuff. Sometimes stuff that surprises me. Occasionally stuff that annoys me because it complicates the action.

Q; It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

A: It’s probably impossible not to put yourself into your characters at some level. I think some authors are very recognizable in the characters they create, but I’ve been told that’s not very obvious in my stories, at least not in my series on the American Revolution. Little do they know! But in One Holy Night, Julie definitely did inherit a lot of my characteristics, from her strawberry blonde hair to her efforts to persuade everybody in her family to get along and be happy. Maggie has some shades of me too. For one thing, she has a hard time setting aside time and energy to take care of herself as I do, which I think is a tendency we women have. We’re nurturers by nature and also by upbringing, so we feel guilty if we’re not putting others first.

Q: What is your most favorite part about this book?

A: I love the last few chapters, when Frank is finally forced to face his personal demons and come to grips with his hardness of heart and unforgiving spirit. And then the scene in which little Katie leads them all to the church on Christmas morning, where they find a real baby in the manger. The end of this story is full of so much hope and joy after all the pain and sorrow the characters experienced. All because of a baby, just like Jesus’ birth.

Q: When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

A: Not until the full manuscript was finished. That took a while. This story stayed with me for a number of years and through several other manuscripts and a lot of life changes before I finally finished it.

Q: What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

A: It’s been a rocky road, that’s for sure. I started writing in 1977, began submitting to publishers and agents in the early 1980s, and finally got a publishing contract in 2002. Then I lost my editor, the new editor wasn’t interested in me and my books, and my agent finally ended up terminating the contract in 2005. At that point, nobody would look at any of my proposals, and as an author I was at a dead end.

It turned out to be a good thing, though, because it forced me to found my own small press, Sheaf House Publishers, which has been an adventure and a blessing. My partner, Joy DeKok, and I now have 15 authors under contract, with 3 more soon to sign, and 8 books out as of October. We have a full list for 2010 and 2011, and we’re beginning to schedule projects into 2012. God keeps opening doors and raining down blessings.

Q: What has been the best part about being published?

A: Feedback from my readers. I just love to hear how the stories God has given me have touched readers’ lives and hearts. I’m always incredibly blessed and encouraged when they take the time to contact me.

Q: What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

A: When I look back at all the times the Lord has restored my life, strengthened my faith, and given me hope and joy in the midst really bleak circumstances, I have to rejoice. I want readers to know that no matter what circumstances they’re facing, nothing is impossible for our God! Nothing! Even when we can’t see it, God is constantly working for our good. He will accomplish His perfect will for each of us individually, and for our country and the world, if we’ll just believe in Him and trust Him to lead us.

Q: Do you have plans to write another book?

A: Actually, I have several projects going at any one time. Currently I’m working on book 4 of my American Patriot Series, Crucible of War. I also have a romance in the works that’s based on my Mennonite background and another that’s a fictional retelling of the well-known story of my Hochstetler ancestors, who came to this country in 1738 and were attacked by Indians in 1757 during the French and Indian War. There are a few other works in progress hanging around as well.

Q: Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

A: It’s been fantastic! I just love the thought and care they put into designing a tour that fits the individual book and author instead of being the one size fits all kind. The interviews are all really different and fun, and writing articles for sites with different focuses is a blast. I’m having a great time!

Q: Where can readers find a copy of your book?

A: My books are available from any local bookseller and from your favorite online retailers. They’re also available on the Sheaf House Web site at www.sheafhouse.com.

Q: Do you have a website for readers to go to?

A: That would be www.jmhochstetler.com.

Thank you, Joan, for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

It’s been wonderful. Thank you so much! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.

About the Author;
J. M. Hochstetler writes stories that always involve some element of the past and of finding home. Born in central Indiana, the daughter of Mennonite farmers, she graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Germanic languages. She was an editor with Abingdon Press for twelve years and has published four novels. Daughter of Liberty (2004), Native Son (2005), and Wind of the Spirit (March 2009), the first three books of the critically acclaimed American Patriot Series, are set during the American Revolution. One Holy Night, a retelling of the Christmas story set in modern times, is the 2009 Christian Small Publishers Fiction Book of the Year and a finalist for the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Long Contemporary Book of the Year.

Hochstetler is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, Nashville Christian Writers Association, and Historical Novels Society. She and her husband live near Nashville, Tennessee.

You can find Joan online at www.jmhochstetler.com or at this book’s blog http://oneholynight.blogspot.com

Too Many Visitors for One Little House – author interview – Susan Chodakiewitz

Paperback Writer is pleased to introduce our Author for today, Susan Chodakiewitz, author of Too Many Visitors for One Little House.

Hi Susan Chodakiewitz,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

Q: Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

A: Too Many Visitors for One Little House is based on the wild summer that we moved to our new house and every aunt, cousin, uncle and great uncle — decided to visit –ALL– at the same time. I tried to persuade some visitors to come another time but they would not hear of it. My sister was already on her way with 4 kids, a husband and housekeeper in a giant BOUNDER…the biggest camper you ever saw. My sister-in-law was determined to make a clean slate after a divorce was already at the airport plane with her 3 kids with her kids and housekeeper when the call came that THEY also were coming! My parents stowed aboard my sister’s camper to SURPRISE me…and they dragged my newly arrived uncle from Russia along, to show him the USA! On one of my many trips to the grocery store that summer a scraggly dog followed me home. I guess he sniffed the truckload of yummy food I was bringing for the BIG family at home!

The whole summer was very chaotic and bigger than life… I thought I would write the story as a humorous novel or a movie script…Didn’t realize it would become a picture book… that was a surprise to me.

Q: Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

A: I don’t outline when I write a children’s book. I do outline when I write musical theater, Came move on with out that step. But with children’s book I allow the story to flow. Usually I sit down and write the first draft in one sitting. Sometimes the story takes on a new direction takes totally surprises me.

Q: Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

A: I start out with a story line, a character or a concept first. Then I think of an ending that has a payoff emotionally. That helps me develop the story line. The ending may change of course as I develop the story and learn about my characters.

Q: Do you have a process for developing your characters?

A: I write the first draft with a title, a storyline in mind, the characters and an ending in mind. I don’t realize that I don’t know the characters at this point. As soon as I get to a point of not knowing which way to take the story I realize – I don’t know my characters. They I start figuring out the characters. ALMOST every problem is solved by knowing my characters better. What do they like? What do they hate? What are they afraid of? What is their strength? What is their weakness? What is their dream? This knowledge comes later as I re-write and re work. I also like to develop a back story for them…what were there parents like…etc.

Q: It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

A: Of course! I use my own life and family as substrate for my children’s stories. There is a lot of humor and craziness in my family life.

Q: What is your most favorite part about this book?

A: I love the part where the scraggly dog appears and is attracted to this joyful home. I also love the part where the neighbors boogie-to-the-beat despite their apparent uptight nature. But my favorite scene is the scene with all the family dancing and playing music together. That is A LOT like my home life.

Q: When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

A: It took about a year of crafting and tweaking before I dared to send it out to publishers.

Q: What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

A: Many rejections as everyone who writes can attest to.

Q: What has been the best part about being published?

A: The best part of being published is having readers and getting feedback that readers love your book! When a parent tells me how much their kid loves reading my book, or that it is the book they ask for before going to bed, or that they sing the repeating chorus around the house…That is a GREAT feeling of accomplishment. Makes all the work worthwhile. It is a wonderful feeling to know you have impacted a child in some way and brought them joy through reading.

Q: What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

A: Too Many Visitors is a joyful story about the fun and happy chaos of family. One of my readers wrote me that after reading this book to her grand kids she suddenly appreciated her family more and that though she sometimes found her family annoying to be around, experiencing the joy of family from reading the book made her appreciate how blessed she was to have family that cared. That is something I would love readers to carry with them after reading my book.

Q: Do you have plans to write another book?

A: Two books in the wings. Dogstoyevsky – about a dog who wants to be a writer but can’t find his own artistic voice because he doesn’t believe in himself enough and gets confused by listening to everyone but himself about what it takes to write well.

I am also working on a sequel to Too Many Visitors for One Little House featuring the dog as a main character.

Q: Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

A: Dorothy Thompson is very professional and an excellent promoter. I would do it again!

Q: Where can readers find a copy of your book?

A: The book is available at Amazon.com, select Barnes and Noble books stores and accessible through the Booksicals website www.booksicals.com

There is also a musical version of the book which is downloadable now on the website. download for FREE until through Dec 31. The Booksicals Repertory Company performs the book at schools, libraries and special events – encouraging a love of reading through the arts.

Q: Do you have a website for readers to go to?

A: Visit www.booksicals.com to read my blog, get Nanny’s delicious apple strudel recipe from the book, get arts and crafts ideas for the kids, listen to the musical version of the book as well buy the book .

Thank you, Susan Chodakiewitz for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

Daughter of Narcissus – author interview – Lady Colin Campbell

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Wednesday and our author Lady Colin Campbell, author of the biography/psychology book, Daughter of Narcissus (Dynasty Press Ltd, October ‘09).

About the Book :
Daughter of Narcissus is a stunning analysis by Lady Colin of her own dysfunctional family positioned at the heart of upper class Jamaican society from the middle of the 20th century to the present day. Covering the end of the British Colonial Age and the rise of a liberated generation, whilst addressing the narcissistic personality of her mother, the author brilliantly interconnects the sociological, political and personal. As she dissects the family dynamics lying beneath the appearance of wealth and power, Lady Colin’s understanding of personality disorder is revelatory: compelling the reader to comprehend the destructive and tragic reality concealed by rational language and behavior.

Set against a backdrop of glamour, wealth and fame, this compulsive book is both a fascinating history of one socially prominent family, and a uniquely detailed analysis of narcissism, its manifestations and how to survive them in order to lead a purposeful and affirming life.

Hi Lady Colin Campbell, or Georgie as she prefers to be known.

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

Q: Would you share with us how you came up with the idea for your book?

A: I wish I could claim credit for the idea for Daughter of Narcissus, but I cannot as it was not actually mine. I was in New York staying with a dear friend and we were talking to the eminent psychoanalyst Dr Erika Freeman about our narcissistic mothers when Erika suggested I write
about mine. Although I was initially horror stricken by the thought
of doing something so invasive of my mother’s privacy, Erika argued that she had every confidence that I could do the subject justice and, since my mother as dead, I would not actually be violating her privacy.

Q: Was it a light bulb moment or something that you thought about for a very long time?

A: It took me quite a few weeks of thought before I decided that I might be able to run with Erika’s idea. I then needed to see what my sisters’ attitudes were, for they were a part of the story and I would not have proceeded with the book had they been against it. To their credit, neither of them tried to block me and both of them have been supportive in their own ways.

Q: How did you come up with the title?

A: I had described my mother previously as a daughter of Narcissus and I thought the description was not only apt and succinct but would make a good title. Fortunately my publisher agreed. Not all my other books bear titles that I came up with – I have no problem with my own ideas being shot down if others seem better.

Q: How did you find an agent and publisher?

A: I have had three agents in my working life. The first I met through Barbara Taylor Bradford. The second was recommended through another agent. And the third I met through a friend of a friend. My agents have usually found my publishers, though my present publisher found me, so to speak.

Q: Who reads your work in progress?

A: No one reads my work in progress. The publishers of my first two books did look at the first parts of the manuscripts, but when they saw that I was handling the material competently, they let me get on with things without interruption. Since then, I have been my own critic – I write and rewrite until I am satisfied that I am communicating what I want to. And only then do I tick the box and move on to the next part.

Q: Who made a difference in the book’s quality?

A: Once I had finished Daughter of Narcissus to my satisfaction, I handed it over to the editor, Ken Hollings, for him to do the chopping and changing, and to clean up the inevitable grammatical errors to which that all writers are prone.

Q: How long did it take you to complete the first draft?

A: The first draft took me about twenty-one months to write, after which I began the honing and polishing process for another few months.

Q: How long did it take from start to publication?

A: The book took about two and a half years from start to finish, and the production process has taken another nine or so months.

Q: Do you have any advice for new authors?

A: I am not a great one for giving advice, as I feel that each person’s circumstances are different, and what is appropriate for one person might not be so for another. But I would encourage all prospective writers to stick to their guns and not allow rejection to deter them.
Some of the greatest bestsellers of all time have been rejected time and again. The Day of the Jackal was rejected 42 times, if memory serves me correctly, and that was at a time when writers were utterly dependent on publishers and book shops. This is not necessarily so any
longer: The internet will most likely change publishing in the next few years in ways that we will find difficult to imagine right now.
Already writers can self-publish and web-promote their works and that trend, I suspect, will give new writers options they would not have had in days gone by.

Thank you, Georgie, for stopping by Paperback Writer on your virtual book tour. I wish you continued success through the rest of you tour.

About the Author

Lady Colin Campbell is a highly successful and prolific author of several books, including London and New York Times bestsellers, and has been a prominent and often controversial figure in royal and social circles for many years. She perhaps is best known for her international bestselling book Diana in Private, 1992, and her subsequent extended and revelatory biography of the Princess of Wales, The Real Diana published in 2004. She has written books on the Royal Family, been a long term columnist and appeared numerous times on TV and Radio as an experienced Royal Insider and expert on the British aristocracy. In 1997 she published her autobiography, A Life Worth Living, which was serialized in The Daily Mail. Born in St Andrew, Jamaica, she was educated there and in New York, where she lived for seven years. She is connected to British royalty through common ancestors and marriage. She has two sons and lives in London.

You can visit Georgie online at website: www.dynastypress.co.uk or blog:
http://Ladycolincampbell.blogspot.com

Dispel the Mist – author interview – Marilyn Meredith

Happy Friday and thanks for stopping by Paperback Writer. If you haven’t seen our latest Thursday Thirteen, Thirteen Things to Know about Deputy Tempe Crabtree from the novel Dispel the Mist scroll down to below this post, but be sure to come back here and read the interview with the creator of Deputy Crabtree and find out how author Marilyn Meredith came up with the idea for her latest book.

About the Book:

A Tulare County Supervisor, with both Native American and Mexican roots, dies under suspicious circumstances. Because of Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s own ties to the Bear Creek Indian Reservation, she’s asked to help with the investigation. To complicate matters, besides the supervisor’s husband, several others had reason to want the woman dead.

Tempe has unsettling dreams, dreams that may predict the future and bring back memories of her grandmother’s stories about the legend of the Hairy Man. Once again, Tempe’s life is threatened and this time, she fears no one will come to her rescue in time.

Hi Marilyn,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

Q: Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

A: While I was researching information for the previous Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery concerning Big Foot, I came across information about the Hairy Man on the Internet. As it turned out the Hairy Man is our local Indians legend similar to Big Foot. In a place called Painted Rock, there are pictographs (paintings) of the Hairy Man is wife and a child. Of course I was curious and was invited by the local college’s anthropology class to go with them on a field trip to the Painted Rock. That’s all it took, I knew Tempe would indeed have an encounter with the Hairy Man which happens in this latest mystery, Dispel the Mist.

Q: Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

A: Though I don’t do what someone might call an outline, I take a lot of notes before I begin. I did my research about the Hairy Man then I had to figure out how he could be in a mystery that Tempe would have to solve. There are several sub-plots in the story as well as the murder mystery.

Q: Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

A: I have a vague idea how the book will end, though often it doesn’t work out quite like what I had in my head. As I’m writing more ideas arise and I just them down as I go along so I don’t forget. Sometimes I get ideas in the night and I definitely need to write them down or I won’t have a clue in the morning.

Q: Do you have a process for developing your characters?

A: Because I’m writing a series, I have ongoing characters I know a lot about. However, the ones I need to develop are the murder victim and the people important to the victim including the suspects, and of course the murderer. I come up with the names, descriptions, individual characteristics and write them all down before I ever begin.

Q: It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

A: Because my heroine is much younger than I am and part Indian, which I’m not, the only part of me that is in her character is how she feels about things. I’m a woman, a wife, and a mother, so those are things about her that I can relate to and write about.

Q: What is your most favorite part about this book?

A: You can probably tell that I am crazy about the Hairy Man. I found legends about him that I’ve included in the book. There have been fairly recent sightings by credible people—just like with Big Foot. Do I believe there really is a Hairy Man? Why not.

Q: When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

A: Mundania Press has been publishing all my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries so it was merely a matter of sending them a query and then the manuscript.

Q: What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

A: I’ve struggled mightily along the way. My first book was rejected nearly thirty times before finding a publisher. The editor who finally took it moved on to another publisher when I was ready to send in another book, and the new editor wasn’t interested. I’ve had two publishers die, been involved with three dishonest publishers, and had one publisher decide to give up the business.

Q: What has been the best part about being published?

A: When I’ve spent so much time writing a book, of course I want to have people read it. When a reader writes and tells me they loved the book, that makes it all worthwhile.

Q: What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

A: I hope that readers will like Tempe and understand her struggles as a female law enforcement officer in a male dominated profession—and the prejudice she faces as both a woman and an Indian. Tempe is as real to me as any of my relatives or friends and I hope she seems real to those who read about her.

Q: Do you have plans to write another book?

A: I already have another Tempe book finished and with the publisher. Because I write two series, the other is the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, I am always a year ahead and write two books a year.

Q: Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

A: I enjoy doing virtual book tours and have done several with Pump Up Your Book Promotion—the questions are fun to answer and of course I love talking about my book and my characters. I’ve always been well taken care of on these tours.

Q: Where can readers find a copy of your book?

A: Dispel the Mist is both an e-book and a trade paperback. The book can be purchased directly from the publisher: http://www.mundaniapress.com or from any bookstore online or it can be ordered through your local bookstore.

Q: Do you have a website for readers to go to?

A: My website is http://fictionforyou.com and my blog is http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

Thank you, Marilyn Meredith for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

About the Author:
Marilyn Meredith is the author of over twenty-five published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Dispel the Mist from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series. No Sanctuary is the newest from Oak Tree Press.

She is a member of EPIC, four chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, WOK, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville CA, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com

Thursday Thirteen – Thirteen things to know about Deputy Tempe Crabtree

Could you name Thirteen Things about your favorite character from any novel? Today, author Marilyn Meredith enchants us with Thirteen Things about her character, Deputy Tempe Crabtree from the novel, Dispel the Mist.

About the Book:
A Tulare County Supervisor, with both Native American and Mexican roots, dies under suspicious circumstances. Because of Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s own ties to the Bear Creek Indian Reservation, she’s asked to help with the investigation. To complicate matters, besides the supervisor’s husband, several others had reason to want the woman dead.

Tempe has unsettling dreams, dreams that may predict the future and bring back memories of her grandmother’s stories about the legend of the Hairy Man. Once again, Tempe’s life is threatened and this time, she fears no one will come to her rescue in time.

Thirteen Things About Deputy Tempe Crabtree
1. Tempe is Native American and the resident deputy of Bear Creek, a mountain community in the Southern Sierra.

2. She’s married to Hutch Hutchinson, a minister, who isn’t always happy when Tempe uses Indian mysticism to help solve a case.

3. As a young widow, she raised a son by herself until he was a teenager and she married Hutch. Blair is now in college studying Fire Science.

4. Tempe has disturbing dreams with scary images. Though she doesn’t understand them, often they foretell the future.

5. Former adversary, Detective Morrison, has come to rely on her to help him solve puzzling cases—especially if they involve Indians. What he doesn’t understand is because she doesn’t live on the reservation and wears a uniform, the Indians don’t trust her anymore than they do him.

6. Tempe remembers legends told to her by her grandmother when she was a child. These legends are about a creature similar to Big Foot. Tempe isn’t sure what to think about such a creature. Surely, he couldn’t possibly be real.

7. When a popular county supervisor with roots in both the Indian and Mexican communities dies under suspicious circumstances, Detective Morrison calls Tempe in on the case.

8. Tempe and Hutch decide it’s time they buy cell phones even though there is no service in much of the area where they live, including most of the Indian reservation.

9. A friend on the reservation takes Tempe and Hutch to the Painted Rock to see a five-hundred to a thousand year-old pictograph of the Hairy Man.

10. While helping with the investigation, Tempe finds there are many who not only had a reason for wanting the supervisor out of the way but also had the opportunity to make it happen including her husband, a community leader, her sister, and even Nick Two John.

11. Native American Nick Two John is responsible for Tempe’s awakening to the spiritual side of her heritage. He’s also a good friend, confidante, and ally.

12. Tempe helps a young woman with Down Syndrome who wants to become more independent and move out of her own mother’s home, though the community care facility where she wants to go is targeted by a malicious vandal.

13. A phone call directs Tempe to the Painted Rock site on a dark and rainy night, putting her life in danger.

To learn more, read Dispel the Mist, by Marilyn Meredith, available from http://www.mundania.com has an e-book and trade paperback, as well as other online and regular bookstores.

About the Author:
Marilyn Meredith is the author of over twenty-five published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Dispel the Mist from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series. No Sanctuary is the newest from Oak Tree Press.

She is a member of EPIC, four chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, WOK, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville CA, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com