Goodbye Tchaikovsky by Michael Thal

Goodbye Tchaikovsky by Michael Thal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The day after his thirteenth birthday David Rothman a violin virtuoso learns that not only is he blessed with his family's musical talent, he is also destined to be stricken with the family's curse. He suddenly finds himself stuck in a world of total silence. Can he ever learn new ways to communicate or will his depression drag him to the bottom? This is a wonderful heartfelt book about self-discovery and recovery, and I enjoyed it very much. I can not even begin to imagine never being able to hear the violin again. I would recommend this book to any adolescent who is struggling to find balance in their lives.

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I would like to thank Michael Thal for joining us today.
1) What genre do you like to write?
 Two of my novels, Goodbye Tchaikovsky and the soon to be released The Abduction of Joshua Bloom are YA novels. I also have a series of middle school novels, The Legend of Koolura and Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback.

2) How long have you been writing? What prompted you to start writing?
 I’ve been writing full time since 2001. In my previous life I was a tenured middle school teacher. After a severe hearing loss leaving my deafened, I took disability and taught myself how to write.

3) What inspires you to write?
The Koolura series, books about a pre-teen girl with psychic ability, was inspired by my oldest daughter, Channie. Goodbye Tchaikovsky, a novel about a teen violinist losing his hearing was inspired by my personal experience with hearing loss. My newest novel, The Abduction of Joshua Bloom, was drawn from a dream I had many years ago.

4) When a story idea pops into your head, how long does it typically take to write it (from start to finish)?
 The idea for The Abduction of Joshua Bloom came to me when I was around 27 years old. The book will finally see the light of day this summer taking 38 years. Goodbye Tchaikovsky took about eight years to be written and published, while The Legend of Koolura took about 17 years. Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback was easy. Since it’s a second in a series book, it went from being written to published in 4 years.

5) What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process?  Easiest? 
Motivating myself to sit down and write is the toughest part of the process. Once I get started, it’s tough to break away. I also find marketing my work tedious. The easiest part of the process is self-editing.

6) Of all your characters whom do you most relate to?
That’s easy…David Rothman. David’s the main character in Goodbye Tchaikovsky. Though David is a fictional character, the emotions and torment he went through after he lost his hearing was what I went through with my hearing loss. When you can’t understand what people are saying to you, you feel lost and isolated. That is why I took control of my deafness and learned American Sign Language. So did David. That’s why, on many levels, Goodbye Tchaikovsky is an emotional autobiography.

7) What is your least favorite part about writing? The Most?
I don’t enjoy marketing. I tried to find an agent, but to no avail, and maintaining a website is tiresome work. I really enjoy writing articles for my Examiner column about education and parenting, and I’m having fun writing the third Koolura book I’ve titled, Koolura and the Mayans. I share my work with my writer’s group, the San Fernando Valley Critique Group.

8) When you are not writing or editing what do you do for relaxation?
I enjoy working out at the gym or jogging around Lake Balboa. I get a lot of writing ideas while running.

9) What genre of books do you like to read?
I like science fiction and adventure novels.

10) What author(s) do you enjoy reading?  Why?
I like James Patterson because of the quick pace of his novels and the cliff hangers he always develops at the end of each chapter.

11) Tell us about your books where can people find them?
(All my books are available in print and as e-books.)
Goodbye Tchaikovsky: A violin virtuoso is plunged into a deaf world, necessitating him to adapt to a new culture and language in order to survive.
David Rothman is an overnight success. He performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with rave reviews attracting the attention of the Queen of England. His future is laid out for him like a well-lit freeway. Then, on his twelfth birthday, David suffers from an irreparable hearing loss, plunging him into a silent world.

How will David communicate with his friends? What about school? Where does his future lie? The novel shows how an adolescent boy copes with deafness.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Tchaikovsky-Novel-Michael-Thal/dp/0880924691/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396994571&sr=1-1&keywords=goodbye+tchaikovsky
Royal Fireworks Press: http://www.rfwp.com/series/books-on-deafness#book-goodbye-tchaikovsky
iBook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id706121966

     The Legend of Koolura: The Legend of Koolura tells the story of the metamorphosis of a pre-teen girl with extraordinary psychic powers overcoming a stalker bent on her destruction.
It’s a middle grade novel about a sixth grade Armenian girl and how she obtained the cool powers.  She has the ability to dematerialize at will and reappear where she chooses. She can move objects with her mind and she can even defy gravity! But will these powers be of any use in stopping a stalker intent on her destruction? This degenerate is determined to retrieve Koolura’s unrealized cool powers and hurt any of her friends who get into his way.
As the hour approaches for Koolura’s final confrontation with her nemesis, she may finally find vengeance to the man who killed her mother
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Koolura-Michael-L-Thal-ebook/dp/B00I10USLW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396994902&sr=8-1&keywords=the+legend+of+koolura
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-legend-of-koolura?store=allproducts&keyword=the+legend+of+koolura
Solstice Publishing: http://www.solsticepublishing.com
Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback.: Koolura has the ability to teleport, levitate, heal, and even fly. But at Camp Saddleback Koolura wakes up drained and powerless. Who or what has stolen her psychic powers?
As Koolura searches for the truth about her power loss, she and the Chumash Girls have to deal with pranksters ruining their cabin and destroying their summer. Campers plan revenge but problems escalate as lives are threatened. Will Koolura and the Chumash Girls solve the mystery at Camp Saddleback?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Koolura-Mystery-Camp-Saddleback-ebook/dp/B00I0DQBBG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396995486&sr=8-1&keywords=Koolura
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/koolura-and-the-mystery-at-camp-saddleback?store=allproducts&keyword=koolura+and+the+mystery+at+camp+saddleback
Solstice Publishing: http://www.solsticepublishing.com

The Abduction of Joshua Bloom: A high school track star is abducted by aliens, explores strange worlds, uncovers genocide on a planetary scale, and is thrust into extraterrestrial politics that decides the fate of an Earth on the brink of war or unification.
The Abduction of Joshua Bloom tells the story of a teen abduction by an alien race who justifies their act in an attempt to save their people. Joshua finds himself in a world dominated by women, and men are subjugated to their whims. He travels to a dinosaur world, visits a water planet, and a world doomed by a star about to nova.
Will be published summer of 2014 and available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the Solstice Publishing website.

Prince of Vengeance By Kurt D Springs

 

 

 

Synopsis:

 

What is the Price of Vengeance? One could understand why Liam was angry. He was orphaned at the age of two by a group of giant carnivorous insects called the chitin. Adopted by High Councilor Marcus and his wife, Lidia, Liam was raised with their older son, Randolf in New Olympia, the last remaining city on the planet Etrusci. As an adult, Liam becomes a soldier. After being cut off from the city, Liam finds that there is an alien intelligence behind the chitin. To defeat it, he must discover who he is and how to use his powers. Then, Liam discovers that a traitor, responsible for his birth parents’ deaths, had murdered his beloved foster parents. Will the price he has to pay in his quest for vengeance prove to be an even more unbeatable foe?

 

Preview

 

Price of Vengeance "Liam! What have you done?" Marcus demanded. "You know our teachings on revenge." Suddenly, irrationally angry, Liam straightened. "How can you defend him after what he did? To you, to Mom, to my birth parents, to everyone we cared about?" With a howl of despair and emotional agony, Liam dashed forward, through the shade of his father, blindly running into the sewers. What is the Price of Vengeance? One could understand why Liam is angry. Orphaned at the age of two by a group of giant carnivorous insects called the chitin, he was adopted by High Councilor Marcus and his wife, Lidia, and raised with their older son, Randolf, in New Olympia, the last remaining city on the planet Etrusci. As an adult, Liam becomes a soldier. After being cut off from the city, he finds that there is an alien intelligence behind the chitin. To defeat it, he must discover who he is and how to use his powers. When Liam discovers that a traitor responsible for his birth parents' deaths has also murdered his beloved foster parents, he might find that the price he has to pay in his quest for vengeance will prove to be an even more unbeatable foe.

  

About the author 

 

 

About the Author: Bio: Kurt D. Springs is presently an adjunct professor of anthropology and archaeology in New Hampshire. He holds a PhD. in anthropology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, as well as a Master of Literature in archaeology from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and a Master of Liberal Arts in anthropology and archaeology from the Harvard University Extension School. His main area of interest is megalithic landscapes in prehistoric Ireland.

 

1) What genre do you like to write?

My preference is for science fiction and fantasy. I may experiment with mysteries at some point

2) How long have you been writing? What prompted you to start writing?

I have been writing intensively, off and on since high school. I tried to write seriously in the late 1980s until the early nineties. This latests push began in 2010. The push to start writing this time was prompted by a number of things.

First, I had just graduated with my PhD. and found that jobs in my field were non-existant. The political climate was making me angry, and I found writing was a good way to let off steam. Second, Price of Vengeance was a story I had in my head since 2003, I did some preliminary outlining in 2004, before I started working on my PhD. After 2010, I picked it up again.

3) What inspires you to write?

I have stories in my head that just want to get out. The need of a source of income doesn’t hurt either.

Sometimes I look a youtube music videos. The Scripts “Hall of Fame” for example.

4) When a story idea pops into your head, how long does it typically take to write it (from start to finish)?

It can take a while to start getting it down. I often write what I call, test scenes first. When I feel ready to make a start, I will do some outlining. Price of Vengeance took about a year and a half to get the first draft. It was another year until it was edited enough to send to the publisher.

5) What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process?  Easiest?  

The most difficult part is to actually plop your behind into the chair and write. There are always things trying to grab your attention. There are also those parts where you feel stuck and forget to sit down and write.

The easiest part is the dreaming. To sit back and imagine something in your mind.

6) Of all your characters whom do you most relate to?

Liam is the character I most relate to. Unlike me, he can always hit the target and can think on his feet.

Like me, he can be introverted and introspective. He also likes to cook.

7) Is there one of your characters that you did not like when you started writing about them but found yourself liking by the end of the story?

The antagonist, Azurius. I started out making him a bad guy everyone could dislike. When I added that he liked Shakespeare, I started warming to him. Anyone who likes Henry V can’t be all bad. This allowed me to write in his contempt for the traitor Licinious. I could also focus on his admiration for Liam, even though Liam was thwarting him.

8) What is your least favorite part about writing? The Most?

The editing, though I can blame my lack of patience. My favorite is creating new species and new cultures.

9) When you are not writing or editing what do you do for relaxation?

I like to read. Sometimes I fire up the X-Box 360 and play a game. First, person shooters like the games from the Halo universe. These can also inspire ideas.

10) What genre of books do you like to read? 

My favorite genres are science fiction and fantasy. I also like mysteries. Since getting involved in reviewing on Goodreads, I have branched out some.

11) What author(s) do you enjoy reading?  Why? 

My favorite author is (the late) Andre Norton. She wrote the Forerunner science fiction series and the Witch World fantasy series. I like her old school style of writing. Her pencil-shaped spaceships always landed “fins down,” even as others were using transporters, shuttles, and dropships. Her way of writing was always very archaic and yet very graspable.

I also like J. R. R. Tolkien for much the same reason.

I like the late Lillian Jackson Braun’s Cat Who series. Murder mysteries where the animals are principle characters are always fun.

Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy mysteries are very similar except the animals can talk to each other, though not to humans.

12) Tell us about your books where can people find them?

I’ll start with where to find them.

Online you can go to:

Amazon US:http://www.amazon.com/Price-Vengeance-Kurt-D-Springs-ebook/dp/B00J4P7QOA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397012939&sr=8-2&keywords=kurt+d+springs

Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Price-Vengeance-Dreamscape-Warriors-Novel/dp/1629944580/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397013003&sr=8-1&keywords=kurt+d+springs

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Price-Vengeance-Dreamscape-Warriors-Novel/dp/1629944580/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397013062&sr=8-1&keywords=kurt+d+springs

Barnes & Noble US:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Kurt-D-Springs?store=allproducts&keyword=Kurt+D+Springs

Books-a-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Price-Vengeance/Kurt-D-Springs/9781629944586?id=5933036343342

Copia: http://www.thecopia.com/catalog/details.html?catId=15851763

Tate Publishing: https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=9781629944586

iTunes: I haven’t seen it here yet, but Tate did send it to Apple. I also found copies available at Alibris, Abebooks, Powells, and a few others. I am slowly working to get them on the shelves of brick and mortar stores.

Price of Vengeance is my first published novel so far. It is set against the backdrop of an interstellar civil war. It tells the story of Liam who was orphaned at the age of two when his parents were killed by giant, carnivorous insects known as chitin. He was rescued and adopted by High Councilor Marcus and his wife Lidia. They raised him with their older son Randolf. The events of the story take place when Liam is an young adult and a soldier. The city’s military is defending the last city (New Olympia) on the planet Etrusci from the chitin. Liam is cut off from the city and found an alien intelligence (Azurius) is directing the chitin . He also learns that his birth parents were betrayed by a traitor named Licinious. When he finally gets back into the city, he discovers that his beloved foster parents had been murdered by Licinious’s men. He eventually goes after Licinious. Let’s just say he doesn’t make it particularly quick or painless. He must then overcome his remorse to continue on and stop Azurius. Along the way, he learns to use his powers and makes friends with strange alien beings.

I have drafts of two other books in the Dreamscape Warrior series. The one nearing submission is Promise of Mercy. It takes place about twenty-five years later. In the interim, Liam has gotten married, fathered four children, and become a war hero. His daughters (identical triplets) have become soldiers and have returned home after receiving their advanced training. Their parents are kidnapped, and they find themselves facing a hostage situation on Etrusci, with their father missing on a distant world.

BUY LINKS:

 

 

Where can you find Kurt?

CADE By V.A. Dold Cover Reveal, CONTEST, and my thoughts!

My Thoughts: Hot, heartfelt and hairy is how I would describe this wonderful romantic shape-shifter book. As fast as I read I just couldn't read it fast enough to soak it all in. I would recommend this to anyone who likes Paranormal Romance, Love stories, or an all around good book!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anna James is single again, finally. In her opinion, men are self-centered and will never love her for who she is, a beautiful, plus sized woman. All except the fantasy man that she’s been meeting in her dreams for five years.

She just never expected her fantasy to be a real live alpha shifter...

Cade Le Beau isn't what he seems. He’s a billionaire wolf. A Shifter. He laments his missed chance six months ago to meet his fantasy woman in the flesh. Just as his second chance presents itself, his fantasy woman, his mate, is threatened by the local mob boss and her ex-husband. Now, he has forty eight hours to deal with this threat once and for all or chance losing her again.

Is it Anna who’s in danger, or the humans who unwittingly threaten her?

The heat is on the moment they lay eyes on each other. Neither, age, children, horrid ex-husbands, nor mob bosses will stop this love affair.
 

Buy it  
Amazon
 B & N

Prologue

 



Prologue- The Plan “Emma, we need to take matters into our own hands or they’ll never find their mates.” Isaac Le Beau set his snifter down before he crushed the glass in frustration. “We have seven virile, grown sons, who after two hundred years haven’t found their mates. If we don’t step in and give a hand to the wolf-goddess Luperca, our sons may spend their lives alone, without children to raise and without their other half to love. Dang it, I want some grandchildren, while I’m still young enough to enjoy them.” He slowly raised his head and gazed at the love of his life, Emma. She was a unique blend of Romanian gypsy heritage and a very powerful voodoo priestess. Even after two centuries her exotic sparkling dark eyes and compact killer soft curves left him breathless. Some would classify her as a big, beautiful woman. He called her ‘sex on a stick‘. He swore she controlled every beat of his heart. The warmth and agreement in those mesmerizing eyes silently prompted him to continue. “Would you do your high-priestess voodoo thing and ask the spirits to identify their mates? With some influence we could bring them together, so they can recognize them on their own. I don’t want to force a meeting. Simply provide the opportunity. How about it, will you give it a try?” Isaac asked. He knew Emma wouldn’t deny him. “Of course, I’ll perform the ritual, but I can’t give you any guarantees. All I can do is try. If we are truly blessed, Luperca will appear to me and give this endeavor her approval. I want our sons happy and I’d love to have a dozen grandchildren running around the house, too.” Isaac opened his arms wide, inviting Emma to slide onto his lap. He buried his face into her hair breathing in her unique scent. The familiar fragrance calmed him like nothing else. He was confident everything would change for his sons very soon. He could hardly wait for each of them to meet their one true mate. No wolf should go fourteen hundred years alone. Two weeks later, they enjoyed the cool breeze that came off the river, flowing through the open windows. A secret little smile lit up Emma’s entire face and her fingers tapped a tune on her cut crystal wine glass. He knew that expression well. “Out with it, Emma,” Isaac said with a grin of his own. “What is it you’re dying to tell me?” He waited patiently for her to tell him her grand news. Emma actually bounced in her seat. “I received answers from the goddess.” She clapped her hands excitedly. “Cade's mate is in New Orleans right now. Her name is Anna James. The goddess said she has had many unhappy years, but is now open to finding her one true love. Isn’t that fantastic? Two days from now she is destined to be in Jackson Square and then stop to eat lunch at Crescent City Brewhouse. She’ll be in the bar around eleven-thirty. As for the rest of the boys, the goddess said we must have patience. She’ll grant me visions in my dreams or come to me for each of them when the time is right.” A surge of excited energy rushed through him as a hundred butterflies took up residence in his stomach. This must be what it felt like to win the lottery he thought. “We’ll have to move fast. We need to think of a way to get Cade there at the right time.” “Maybe we can come up with a way to use Jackson square? Cade sits there so often it might be an option?” Emma offered. “Maybe.” He rubbed his chin, forehead crinkled in deep thought. “First we need to get him out of his home office and into the French Quarter. The bank called yesterday about a restaurant up for sale. I’ll have them schedule a meeting with Cade to review our investments and recommend this new opportunity.” He tapped his chin as the plan took shape, mumbling as he worked it out. He stood and paced across the room, prowled like the animal he was. He couldn’t think properly sitting down. As he strode back and forth, he noted she had settled into an easy chair to watch him. “That’ll get him to the city,” he thought aloud as he continued to tap his finger on his chin. “You’re right about his constant people watching, I’m sure he’ll take a walk and perhaps sit a while. A possibility.” Isaac cupped his jaw in his hand and rubbed the coarse stubble. A satisfied smile tugged at his lips. “I’ve got it! I’ll ask him to meet me for lunch at Crescent City at eleven-thirty. Richie tends the bar, he’ll know the mating signs. When Cade arrives, goddess willing, he will sense his mate. I’ll have Richie tell him I won’t be able to make it. If I’m not there for lunch he will be free to spend time with her.” Smile broadening, he folded his arms across his chest and nodded. They had a solid plan. In less than a week he could have his first daughter-in-law. Isaac settled into his leather captain’s chair. “I’ll arrange everything with Richie." He felt two hundred years younger, like the bold robust young man who had swept his mate off her feet. By the wistful expression Emma wore, he must look it, too. As he sipped his rich, sweet cognac, he imagined a baby in Emma’s lap, sleeping peacefully while a toddler played with blocks on the floor. His sigh brought her attention to him with a raised brow. She would laugh if she knew what he was dreaming. A smile continued to pull at his lips. He couldn’t help it. He was very pleased with his little romance ambush, positive it would be successful. Cade was in for a wonderful surprise in two days’ time. “Now that we have the plan, what do you think she will be like? Did the goddess give you any hints?” She laughed. “No, you silly man, the goddess doesn’t have time for things like that.” “You know he has always favored curvy women. I sure hope she isn’t skinny, he might not even look at her if she is.” A little shiver ran through him. “Remember the gal he dated who looked a lot like you? She was a plus sized beauty. Cade never said anything, but Marcus drove him crazy with that ‘Oedipus’ nickname.” He laughed as he recalled the antics of the boys. “You’re right, he does like a woman with meat on her bones. All the boys do.”

 

 

V.A.Dold is the author of the Le Beau Brothers series, New Orleans wolf shifter novels. A graduate of Saint Cloud University, she majored in marketing. Prior to becoming a full time writer, she was a publicist to the authors, owning Innovative Online Book Tours and ARC Author & Reader Con's (ARC NOLA) (ARC Phoenix). Still is. The companies mesh so well together, much like PB&J.
Her idea of absolute heaven is a day in the French Quarter filled with nothing but her computer, her coffee mug and the Brothers, of course.
A Minnesota native with her heart lost to Louisiana, she has a penchant for titillating tales featuring sexy men and strong women. When she's not writing, she's probably taking in a movie, reading or traveling.
Her earliest reading memories are from grade school. She had a major fixation with horses, and the Black Stallion was a favorite. Then junior high came along and teenage hormones kicked in. It became all about the Harlequin Romances. She has been hooked on romances ever since.

ONLINE LINKS:
• Website http://www.vadold.com/
• Facebook  facebook.com/pages/VA-Dold/1404660546458551?ref=hl
• Twitter twitter.com/VADOLD
• Goodreads goodreads.com/user/show/5356266-v-a-dold

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Virtual Book Tour Spicy Green Ginger A tribute to Hull-City of Culture By Andrew Reid Wildman

 

Spicy Green Ginger A tribute to Hull-City of Culture

Short Stories – Hull and East Riding Yorkshire– Andrew Reid Wildman

A voice from a writer who deserves discovery.

These pieces show Andrew at his best; as an interpreter and observer of human nature, always funny, he describes life in this beautiful area of Yorkshire through decades and people characters who sometimes did or didn’t fit the profile of the neighborhood.

The readers will find the collection full of familiar themes and characters.

Spicy Green Ginger – For people who belong to Yorkshire

Spicy Green Ginger is sour and sweet, deliciously, wickedly misanthropic, and at times sad and tender. The characters are of course entirely fictitious, but who has not at times felt like them? For instance poor Betty Bridgenorth, a hard-working, proud baker who is savaged by a nameless internet troll, and sets out to seek revenge? Or Edna Isenthorpe, who just wants to enjoy her train journey in peace. Some of the historical stories are based loosely on murderous events or legends from the county; others seek to recreate the atmosphere of places now lost, for example the famous Kardomah Café.

 

 

Why Spicy Green Ginger?

The Land of Green Ginger is a narrow street at the bottom of Whitefriargate, in the old town area of Kingston Upon Hull, England.

Stolen Childhood – Excerpt from the book

The Stolen Yorkshire Childhood

Beverley, East Yorkshire, the present day

“Can I help you, sir?” asked PC Darren Kendalson, a recent recruit to the force. He was staffing the desk of the Westwood police station in Beverley. Just over an hour left remained of his afternoon shift.

“Yes,” replied the man, an attractive if rather highly strung man of middle age, his cheeks red, his head balding. The tall man’s blue eyes flickered sadly, great depth etched in his resigned expression. “I want to report a stolen childhood,” said he.

“A stolen childhood?” replied the officer, a confused smile on his sweetly innocent face. He was too young to understand the man’s complaint.

“Yes,” replied the man. “My Yorkshire childhood was stolen you see, and I want it back.” The man scratched his scalp as he spoke, making it bleed.

“I am not sure I can help you with that,” replied the young officer. There was the hint of a smirk in his cherubic face, a little scorn, a little cruelty. His lips twitched in secret amusement.

“Let me deal with this, son,” interjected Sergeant Brown, a man approaching retirement, his stomach fighting a territorial war with his tunic and winning. PC Kendalson smiled professionally, and sat back to watch. He was getting used to surprises in police work.

Who is Andrew Reid Wildman Andy In Hull

Andrew Reid Wildman was born in Beverley, East Yorkshire. He currently lives and works in Essex, and is a lecturer in English at a busy London college.
Andrew loves writing short, acerbic stories, picking up on the foibles of ordinary people, and exploring the complexities of social interaction. His home county often features in his work. Andrew Reid Wildman also enjoys painting in his free time, and has been a best-selling artist with www.artgallery.co.uk for several years. He has a Masters degree in Victorian Studies from Birkbeck University.

Author’s words

”I am a son of Beverley, and I took to short story writing a couple of years ago. Each of my stories is set, with a few exceptions, in my home county.”

Buy links http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spicy-Green-Ginger-Andrew-Wildman-ebook/dp/B00CIHVB5G/ref=tmm_kin_title_0/275-3404329-4643829

http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000632335/Spicy-Green-Ginger.aspx

Website Link https://www.facebook.com/SpicyGreenGingerShortHullAndEastRidingStories

Blog Link http://fancythatofyorkshire.wordpress.com/

Social media Links https://www.facebook.com/SpicyGreenGingerShortHullAndEastRidingStories

 

Photo and information by provided and used with permission from:

Authors PR - Madi Preda
http://about.me/AuthorsPR

I would like to thank Andrew Reid Wildman for taking the time to answer my questions.

1) What genre do you like to write? 

I love short stories, and with a vinegary twist! I also like autobiography, and short and sweet insights to photoblogs. 

2) How long have you been writing? What prompted you to start writing?

  I wrote my first book, an autobiography about converting to Judaism and moving to Israel a few years ago. I started writing short stories a couple of years ago, but found the best ones where the ones that reminded me of East Yorkshire, and that started when I spent Christmas there, and it was the trigger. 

3) What inspires you to write?

 

 I love watching the interaction between people and how false and pretentious it can be and I love taking a scalpel to that and laying it bare. I love sending up snobbery and foibles. 

 

4) When a story idea pops into your head, how long does it typically take to write it (from start to finish)? 

 A matter of hours! But I like to return to it and polish it. That takes longer. 

5) What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process?  Easiest? 

 Getting into the right frame of mind to write is the hardest. I need to be really relaxed and inspired and not tired. But once I start I follow the dialogue in my head and just fly. I find writing a person's own thoughts to be the easiest. It makes me laugh.

 

6) Of all your characters whom do you most relate to?  

Unfortunately my characters are seldom pleasant! But nevertheless I relate to their frailty and vanity. 

7) Is there one of your characters that you did not like when you started writing about them, but found yourself liking by the end of the story? 

 No. I am quite savage. Kitty has claws when writing I am afraid!

8) What is your least favorite part about writing? The Most?  

I don't like proof reading, I get caught back up in the story and forget I am supposed to be looking for typos. I love rereading my stories a few weeks or months later, and thinking "wow, did I write that?"

9) When you are not writing or editing what do you do for relaxation? 

I love painting. And photography, and also cooking. I also like wandering around London.

10) What genre of books do you like to read? 

I love books with humor and also a good sense of location. So for instance Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin; great location and humor and interesting characters. I also like some crime fiction.

11) What author(s) do you enjoy reading?  Why? 

 I do like Miss Read, and the Agatha Raisin series by MC Beaton, both very anchored in the English countryside. I am reading one of hers at the moment actually. I also love PG Wodehouse, Donna Leon, Alex McCall Smith and.....I must confess to returning to Enid Blyton when the mood takes me. 

12) Tell us about your books where can people find them? 

You can easily buy my books online, for instance from Amazon or WH Smiths. There can be some good deals, especially in the US. It is also available from Authorhouse. 

 

Thank you so much for this opportunity I enjoyed it very much here are my thoughts.

Spicy Green Ginger by Andrew Reid Wildman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can only describe this as a collection of fables about various individuals in strange and usual situations. Once again I am glad that I am a perseverant. If I had judged this book by the first story, I would have stopped due to the extreme dislike of it. Not that I didn't give it a fair chance. I even read it twice just to make sure I had not missed something. Maybe there is a back story about the characters that I needed to know in the first place in order to understand what was happening. Like always, I suffered through, however, and I am glad I did. If I had not I would have missed reading the rest of the stories with their quirky dark humor and clear plots. If you like stories about people then this collection is for you. This is a great group of stories about the oddity of people and how their surroundings can affect how they act. Or if you are familiar with Spicy Green Ginger then you may find these enjoyable. I would, however, recommend that you read the first story last or even skip it all together.

View all my reviews

 

 

Cover Reveal For EVENSONG MERATIS TRILOGY- BOOK 1 by Krista Walsh

Blurb:

Author Jeff Powell wakes up to find the impossible has happened. He is within his own novel—summoned into the fictional world of Feldall’s Keep by a spell he didn't write. One the House enchantress hasn't figured out how to reverse.

When the villain he's been struggling to write reveals himself, unleashing waves of terror and chaos, Jeff must use more than his imagination to save the characters he created—and the woman he loves.

Trapped within a world of his own creation, he must step outside the bounds of his narrative to help his characters defeat an evil no one anticipated, even if he must sacrifice his greatest gift. In the end, he has to ask: are novels really fiction, or windows into other worlds?

About the Author

Known for witty, vivid characters, Krista Walsh never has more fun than getting them into trouble and taking her time getting them out. After publishing a few short stories and novellas in various anthologies, she has now released her own anthology, the serial collection Greylands.

When not writing, or working at her day job, she can be found reading, gaming, or watching a film – anything to get lost in a good story.

She currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

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At the local Second Cup coffee shop … but only if you come bearing a White Mocha