Blog Archives
Curious About The Afterlife
Chapter Thirteen follows a woman who tries to reclaim the life that was taken from her and the young journalist who holds the key to her success or failure. What was the inspiration for the setup to your thrilling story?
I grew up in a very religious environment, so I was always curious about the afterlife. My mother was also extremely superstitious, which I found to be quite diverting. When I was young, I would oftentimes stay up late into the night watching her “read” cards to see what our future would hold. About five years ago, I took a tour of the purportedly haunted Winchester Mansion in San Jose, California. The moment I laid eyes on the sprawling stately Victorian, I knew it had to become the backdrop of my novel, thereby transforming it into “The Brewer Mansion.”
Katy is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Katy, as well as Evelyn, basically lived in a bubble when they were young. They were both quite spoiled and had doting parents. When their mothers died, each had a strong father figure to support them along the way. Katy drew from her bond with her widowed father to become the equally strong single parent for her own daughter. The driving ideal is that every child needs at least one person in their lives to provide them the strength needed to overcome whatever obstacles life might throw at them. I guess, the moral to the story is that love conquers all.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
As I grew older and began to ponder my own mortality, I became very interested in the possibility of reincarnation. In my research for Chapter Thirteen, the more I learned, the more fascinating it became, which led me to explore mediums, hypnotism, past lives, etc. It just evolved from there.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I don’t want to give too much away, but my next novel is a mystery which takes place on a cruise ship. I’m hoping to have it finished by the end of the year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Website
On April 13, 1936, in Morganville, Pennsylvania, a fire occurs at the well-known Brewer mansion, resulting in a mysterious death. Fast-forward to August 28, 2005: After attending school in New York for six years, Katy Barton returns to her hometown of Morganville, when she lands a job as a reporter for the local news station. The antiquated mansion is scheduled to be demolished and Katy is assigned to get a story from the reclusive old woman who still lives there.
Katy is a “survivor” or so she’s been told, although years of therapy have not reconciled her with her own tragic past, to which she has long since been plagued by nightmares. Each time she goes out to the estate, her nightmares are amplified by unexplained visions. When she finally meets the eccentric recluse, Evelyn, she finds that her early portrait bears an uncanny resemblance to her own high school graduation picture–and the more she learns of Evelyn’s past, the more she finds that it is eerily similar to hers. As Katy is lured deeper and deeper into the old woman’s mysterious world, she begins to question her sanity, to the point where she seeks out a hypnotherapist.
In an odd twist of fate, a handsome firefighter comes to her emotional rescue, spiraling her into a whirlwind romance that appears too good to be true. Hoping to resolve her issues, both past and present, Katy reluctantly undergoes hypnosis, where she is confronted with the truth from her past and ultimately, what could be her future. But is the life she sees her own, or is it Evelyn’s?
The Steampunk Vampire Assassins
The Devil Pulls the Strings follows a young man with uncontrollable panic attacks and time travelling abilities that send him on a race through time to capture a cursed melody. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
1) Honor the hero’s journey and infuse Slavic mythology and Baba Yaga in a modern day epic fantasy adventure.
2) Paganini’s association with the Devil.
3) The Rule of Three.
4) David Henry Sterry and Bonnie Solomon.
I wrote Chapter One Promise Me, because David Henry Sterry with The Book Doctors, read my first twenty-five pages, and said “You have to show the inciting incident, the joust, before Boone and Sapphire meet outside Stone’s brownstone.”
I wrote The Prologue, because Bonnie Solomon, Producer of Dreamworks’ SHREK and Walden’s THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, read my story and said “You have to show both secret societies before the joust occurs.”
For awareness purposes, there wasn’t a prologue in the first draft. However, without Bonnie’s suggestion, I never would created the prophecy scroll, or incorporated the domovoi into this story, or shown upfront the centuries old war between two opposing secret societies, or revealed why the horn gets blown at the joust, or created Pep, the runt domovoi, or Laureus the Scottish Warrior Laureus, or Lahash and Zakun, the steampunk vampire assassins.
Boone is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
1) Failure is not an option for Boone because all he’s ever known his entire life is failure and setback.
Boone’s development throughout the story shows he turns moments of failure into the catalyst for his success.
2) Boone discovers as the story unfolds it’s possible to work with, power through and overcome a circumstance, a condition, a disease or disorder.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
1) You can overcome insurmountable obstacles.
2) No one is defined by their circumstances, condition, disease, or disorder.
3) The power of a promise.
4) Everyone has a choice.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The next book Flynn’s Folly is a heist job gone wrong and its availability is TBD.
Author Links: Website | Amazon | Facebook
A Unicorn From Ancient China
A Unicorn Named Rin follows a Chinese unicorn on a mission to find the missing royal Phoenix before the Friendship Concert. What inspired you to write this beautiful children’s book?
We’re a family that loves unicorns but I couldn’t find a unicorn book that featured a protagonist which looked like my daughters. After conducting some research, I discovered unicorns were a part of Chinese history, and even Confucius himself wrote about them. Thus I set out to write an early readers book about a unicorn from ancient China, along with a Tang dynasty princess.
The art in this book is well drawn and vibrant. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Li (Lily) Liu?
Lily lives in France and I’m in the US, so we had numerous video chatting sessions to discuss the illustrations. We both have children so at times our virtual meetings were very chaotic from hilarious kid-related disruptions! I’m just in awe of Lily’s talent. She really brought every page to life! She is originally from China, and I had lived in Shanghai for years, so this book was a very meaningful project for the both of us.
What were some aspects of Chinese culture that were important for you to include in this book?
I’m a big fan of ancient Chinese poetry, so there some Tang dynasty poems included in the book. And although this is a fantastical story with mythical creatures, the geographical locations are real.
Will you write more children’s book of this type in the future?
Yes, my second children’s book will be released next year.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
A Unicorn Named Rin celebrates the wonder and beauty of Chinese history and culture. This exquisitely illustrated picture book makes an ideal gift:
*Easy-to-read vocabulary enables confidence in early readers
*Whimsical illustrations encourage imagination in all unicorn lovers
*Storyline fosters dialogue around collaboration, empathy, and kindness
*Real locations in China make for an inspiring geography, history and cultural lesson
Being a “Fairytale”
Voyage of Pearl of the Seas follows two children who go on a whirlwind adventure where the boy must make an incredible sacrifice. Did the idea for the prequel to Black Inked Pearl come while you were writing that book or sometime afterwards?
Afterwards, in a dream. The idea of it being a “fairytale” comes from away back in my childhood, but also reminded, recently, by The Alchemist, a wonderful book.
I felt like the children were a symbol for something greater. Did you intend the story to portray them this way?
Yes ( though I hadn’t realised it when I was writing the book). Kate on the face of it is timid and exploring but with deep spiritual female strength which sustains them both, Christy male and on the face of it arrogant but a great skipper who is rightly humble before the waves and his beloved ship, recognises his dependence in Kate without whom he knows he wound never have voyaged at all and (her I disagree p with one reviewer’s assessment) makes the sacrifice of his young (growing-up and facing-things) life in turning back for the sake of Holly and Kate.
So the story in a way symbolises the female spiritual side of our nature and “the power of the weak” complementing male strength and expert mastery. We need both.
But forget all that – I’d say that basically it’s just a good yarn in its own right.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Mainly that God/Allah/Oluwa/whoever exists and is known worldwide by many names.
That fairy tales can hold deep truth.
What has been the most surprising reader reaction to your novel so far?
Not identifying insightfully with Christy ( and the Christy- dimension if OURSELVES) and so not realising the deep, well concealed, and enduring pain of his having to give up his lifelong and do-able plan to sail round the world.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads
Expect an Epic Conclusion
The Treachery Of A Weasel follows Aidan as he must face his nemesis as a new foe and obstacles emerge to challenge him like never before. What were some sources that informed this novels development?
As always, Dragonheart inspires a great deal about the entire series. Ever since I saw the movie Willow, I’ve always wanted to do something with brownies. Norvin’s character change in this book is inspired by Wesker in the Resident Evil video game series (sorry, video game nerd here).
What were some challenges you felt were important to Aidan’s overall character development?
I felt that it was really important in this book for Aidan to hit absolute rock bottom. In The Roar of a Dragon, he dealt with a lot of horrible things, but in this one, it gets even worse, I think. It was going to be a testament to Aidan’s character if he could find a way out of this deeper, darker black hole than he had in Book 1.
What was the funnest scene in the book for you to write?
Funny that you would ask me that about this particular book. (Laughs) I said earlier that the brownies in this book were inspired by the ones in Willow. Years ago, I was telling by girlfriend about the idea, and she wanted me to add pixies as well. We talked through how the whole thing would happen, and we laughed the entire time. Ninety-five percent of that scene in the book is completely unchanged from that initial conversation all those years ago!
This is book two in The Roar of a Dragon series. What can readers expect in book three?
Expect an existing character (not Aidan) to deal with serious, debilitating personal issues that threaten the entire group. Expect new characters, new stories. Expect an epic conclusion. Do NOT expect everyone to survive …
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
But instead of being united against this terrible evil, the world is instead in a state of turmoil. People have formed a mob outside the Mage’s Tower in Lorehaven, demanding that the mages be held responsible for the forbidden magic that created the Ther-lor. Elves and dwarves distrust men, men distrust each other – the world is in no shape to battle the spreading horror of Sirak’s twisted vision. Knowing that he and his companions cannot stop Sirak themselves, Aidan works to get the people of the world on his side.
But along the way, Aidan will face an unforeseen circumstance leading to the disappearance of one of his closest companions. Driven to near-insanity, Aidan tries desperately to uncover the truth and save the companion, but along the way he finds more than he bargained for when a new foe emerges and Aidan realizes that there are more obstacles in their way than he thought.
We All Have Some Darkness
Chasing the Darkness follows an assassin who’s given magical powers which unlock suppressed memories that turn his world upside down. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The inspiration for Azrael came from a video game called Overwatch that my boys played. One of the characters is an assassin named Reaper, who can teleport. In my first draft, Azrael’s name was Grim, but after a search for names from different sources, I came across Azrael, which means Angel of Death. I didn’t just want the typical assassin on a quest for revenge, which is why I added the side effect of the magic. An assassin that feels empathy is a liability, which leads to his betrayal and being dependent on those he’s hunted, forcing him to face the past, the unwanted emotions, and the vulnerability of caring for someone besides himself.
Azrael is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
During my writing and research, I found a quote by Plato: “For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of victories.” I love the anti-hero and the conflict of man vs. self, and for an assassin to conquer himself was an intriguing idea. I think we all have some darkness inside that we battle daily, and I wanted Azrael to be forced to deal with his darkness. Also, I learned from the Jerry Jenkins Guild about antagonists needing to be vulnerable (what he calls a “pet the dog moment”), and although Azrael wasn’t the antagonist, he still needed something to make him human, so to speak. Having an assassin cherish the sunrise, admiring its beauty, and the idea of starting new, brought a depth to Azrael that made him likable.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
There were two underlying themes in Chasing the Darkness; redemption and forgiveness. Azrael in his quest for vengeance found redemption. His love interest, Kenz, who held onto bitterness and anger, learned forgiveness when she held Azrael’s life in her hand. These two themes allowed the characters to open themselves to the possibility of love.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m currently working on the sequel to Chasing the Darkness. I plan to have three books in this series, hoping to finish the sequel by the end of the year. It took me two years to complete the first, but I’m hoping to cut that time down so fans won’t have to wait too long between books.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Instagram
Azrael, the Angel of Death, has known his fair share of pain. Losing his mother and sister and forced to join the Watch Guard at the age of twelve, he becomes the most feared assassin in all of Pandaren. As a Hunter, he searches for those with magic, called Spectrals, but has his own agenda–destroying the Fire Spectral who altered the course of his life.
Azrael, obsessed with revenge and power, undergoes an experimental procedure that gives him magic, but unexpected side effects cause chaos, and he becomes a liability to the Hunters and the Watch Guard, for the Angel of Death cannot have a conscience.
Rescued by the people he has sworn to eliminate, Azrael finds himself questioning everything he once believed as years of secrets and lies are exposed. His very nature is challenged as he battles unfamiliar emotions and navigates relationships that contradict the heart of a killer.
Chasing the Darkness is an escape to a land of magic, sword fights, and love, with memorable characters who come face-to-face with the darkness within, forced to journey down a path of either destruction or redemption.
The Story I Should Tell
Tales From The Mud Hole, Why Pigs Are My Friends is an inspiring and light-hearted memoir that shares your personal story and what you learned as a hog farmer. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I think most of us have felt at some point in our lives the desire, or the inspiration, to act on the creative instinct that we can feel now and then. This creative desire can motivate us to develop talent…be it writing, music, art….or designing a highly complex machine. For me, I felt the regular nudge telling me that I needed to write and exercise this tiny bit of talent I had been given. I eventually understood that if I failed to act on this inspiration, then it would gradually become only a daydream, played out in my mind with a twinge of regret.
Since I hate regrets, I decided to write a book…or at least try and since my experience with the hog farm was still fresh in my mind, and had made an impression on my young life, It seemed that this was the story I should tell.
What do you think is the most valuable lesson you learned as a hog farmer?
Even during difficult or trying times, we can have those moments when a beautiful window of sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines right where we are standing. Unless we are paying some attention, we can easily miss those bright moments when they arrive. .
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
That all of God’s creatures have beauty.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
I love a well-told story. I’ve encountered many in my life. I hope in some small way, to have helped someone enjoy a story that perhaps that hadn’t entirely anticipated.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook
A New Social Issue
Let’s Talk! Going to the Zoo educates readers on how fun the zoo is along with what autism is and what that means. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The inspiration was really my own real life experiences. I have a passion and connection with animals. I thought it would be great to use that in the story and show that little ones do not have to be held back by Autism. If they want to go to the zoo, their family should take them. I felt it would really show how little ones with Autism would be able to enjoy this type of experience.
What were some key ideas you wanted to share in this book that were different from book one?
I wanted to show a new social issue that little ones not just with Autism, but in general face. Also, to show little ones how to overcome that kind of an issue. That is why I wanted to put the idea of a group of bullies in. Then having a little one realize that Harper is right and see the beauty in Autism would add to Autism being something positive. I also wanted to show different cultures and that is why each character is a different ethnicity. I really want my books to focus on diversity not only in disability but in culture and ethnicity. Having different themes represented I think is so important because if you look at the current repertoire of children’s books, which I did recently, each character was a boy. Girls are rarely represented. And the majority of books showcase a Caucasian character. Diversity, culture as well as disability is very under represented and I want to break that pattern.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
Strength. I want little ones to realize they are strong and can stand up to that bully. To see they are strong and do not have to hide their disability but proud of it. To be strong about wanting to go new places and try new things. Determination and strength is so important for our children to see represented. I want children to see themselves in my books and gain determination and strength and confidence. If I can do that, then my series has reached its goal.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have written a new series actually. I wrote and put it out there first as a short story and changed my mind. I will be starting the publication process in November of this year for the Rascal Cat Brothers part 1. Which is a story of the silly shenanigans my two cats get into. I am not forgetting about the Lets Talk! Series though, book 3 is done and will go into production early next year, stay tuned!!
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website | Instagram | GoodReads
While enjoying the animals Emma becomes excited and flaps her hands, making noises. A group of children come over and begin to point and stare. What do you think Harper does when she sees this group being not nice to her friend? Come find out when you read the next book in the Lets Talk! Series.
LITERARY TITAN 