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The Emotion of Fear
Peter Hodgson Author Interview
All Your Fears follows Kim, a seemingly normal person, but something sinister returns from her past. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling novel?
The inspiration for All Your Fears comes from different sources. The plot is loosely based on a crime that occurred in the UK some year ago. In order to create a compelling novel I needed to look at alternative ways to drive the narrative, make it interesting and keep the reader guessing. Hours of research furnished me with material gleaned from paranormal events and case studies centered around psychological disorders, particularly with reference to the emotion of fear and what causes it.
Kim is an intriguing character that continued to develop as the story progressed. What were some driving ideals behind her character?
The novel portrays the main character, Kim Robins, as a deeply troubled young woman with a huge emotional burden. She is basically a ‘good’ person: forgiving, compassionate and trustworthy. Most of all, though, she is vulnerable and therefore wary of people and their intentions. Kim’s mental state quickly deteriorates as the novel progresses, and reaches a point of no return. She does, however, possess an inner strength that enables her to fight on, as it were, in the search for spiritual release.
This novel expertly delivers mystery and suspense. Was the story planned or did it develop organically while writing?
Before I began writing the novel I planned the beginning and the end. I formulated several chapters, wrote them, and decided where to go from there. I found that ideas came to me during the writing. The characters, once fully formed, started to ‘speak’ to me; they take on a life of their own. As an author, you have to make sure you don’t deviate away from the plot otherwise it loses focus. The novel has a moral side to it and hopefully will ask the reader to make their own judgements on various aspects of the characters’ motivations.
What is the next book that you are writing and when will it be available?
I am taking a break from writing and pursuing my other interests. I do, though, have an idea for another novel entitled, Chapter 13.
Author Links: Twitter | GoodReads
![All Your Fears by [Hodgson, Peter]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BnVhSbjpL.jpg)
Kim Robins lives a contented life in a peaceful market town. One evening, she encounters a maniac driver who narrowly misses running her over. History teacher Jay Yeldon drives by moments later, takes her home and examines her sprained ankle. A romantic relationship soon develops, but as the weeks progress Kim is plagued by disturbing, bizarre incidents and mounting fear. Trusting nobody, she seeks spiritual help, only to be cruelly deceived.
Fearful that Kim will come to harm, Jay turns detective and discovers the shattering truth about the woman who loves him.
Someone is out to destroy her and will stop at nothing.
Jay faces a moral dilemma and becomes isolated. Undeterred, he conceives a daring plan to expose her enemy, but nothing prepares him for the unexpected, horrifying climax that changes his outlook on life forever.
High-Stakes Trials
Becky Moynihan Author Interview
Reactive follows Lune who must compete in three deadly trials to escape the city and gain her freedom. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling novel?
I’ve always been a huge Hunger Games fan, and after reading the books, I couldn’t get enough of the dystopian genre! I’m a competitive person myself, so the thought of contending in high-stakes trials to earn what you most desire fascinated me. Also, based off some of my personal life experiences and being a bit claustrophobic like Lune, living a trapped life behind walls was something I wanted to explore—how it could damage the psyche and make a person quite . . . reactive.
Lune is a strong and determined woman who remains focused throughout the book. What were some obstacles you felt were important to her character development?
I wanted circumstances leading up to the Trials event to throw a wrench in her plans, have obstacles expose the fears and weaknesses that she tried to hide, even from herself. Since this is a trilogy, her character development is far from over, but despite the many ways she has struggled thus far, above all else, she has remained resilient in the face of adversity.
How did you develop the Elite Trials while writing and what were some themes you wanted to explore in the trials?
For the most part, I took inspiration from real sporting events, ones that I always thought were quite dangerous: sword fighting, boxing, horse racing, hunting big game. None of these sports are won by team effort. You have to tough it alone. The purpose of the Trials as Lune knows it is to prove that you are worthy of a better future, so working together with another contender would be considered weak. I really enjoyed exploring the concept of strength versus weakness in this book.
This is book one in the Elite Trials series. Where will book two pickup and when will it be available?
Adaptive, book two, will pick up right where book one leaves off! I plan for it to release summer or fall of 2019.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website
![Reactive: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance (The Elite Trials Book 1) by [Moynihan, Becky]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/416ND5Is-bL._SY346_.jpg)
AN INESCAPABLE CITY. THREE DEADLY TRIALS. ONE WAY OUT.
For eleven years, Lune Tatum, adopted daughter
of the Supreme Elite, does as she’s told.
She doesn’t ask questions.
She trains for the Trials. She follows the rules.
And she wants out.
Her plan has always been to win the Elite Trials
and earn Title of Choice, her only chance at freedom.
But a boy from her past
shows up on her eighteenth birthday.
His presence threatens Lune’s carefully laid plans
and exposes memories she’s desperate to forget.
One thing is painfully clear: he can’t be trusted.
He has secrets. Big ones.
And they could ruin everything.
The Queen’s Adventurer
As you flip through the pages of this book, you’ll notice all the gorgeous detail, the incredible sketches, and the perfectly fitting font. I absolutely adored that aspect of the book. It made me feel as if I was in the time of the queen. That was just the beginning. Once I started reading the poem, I fell in love with the story being told. It was gorgeous, the story was majestic and fun to read. Plus, the sketches mixed in really went well with the story and allowed it to come alive.
Although each page is a continuation of the story, it also feels as if each poem is individual. I felt like I was being whisked off into a faraway land while reading this book.
When you delve into the story, you’ll see that it’s not just about a queen but different realms of possibility, different worlds, and adventures to behold. I appreciate the time and effort that was put into this book. The writing is clearly professional, and the flow of the poetry is perfect.
I definitely had a great time reading this book, it’s one of those books that you can pick up and put down without having to worry about losing your spot.
If you are looking for a book that blends genres, then definitely keep this one in mind. It’s historical, it’s a little science fiction, it’s a poetry book, but most of all, it’s a lot of fun. I read this as an ebook, but I can see how this would be great as a print book. You must go check this one out!
Pages: 66 | ASIN: B0CWYMNCJH
AND BE FREE
And Be Free offers a fresh insight into American history from the perspective of POCs (Person of colour). Barry Roy Nager examines the ways in which history has often overlooked the experiences of POCs and how their contributions to significant events are often minimized and treated as an afterthought. Nager takes this opportunity to give a comprehensive history of the experience of POCs in America and to give individuals a voice when, for so long, their stories have gone unheard.
Nager creates a timeline of American history from the perspective of POCs giving an overview of the experiences lived. The book covers various sections of American history giving instances of various events and how they effected the lives of POCs. The book covers for example the role of Abraham Lincoln, Brown v. Board of education, and the role of black soldiers in the Vietnam war. The book brings the reader right up to the present day and looks ahead to the future of civil rights and the lives of POCs in the modern day.
One particularly notable point is that the book reflects on the brutality of the slave trade and, unlike most accounts, it successfully humanizes the numbers. Often the personal histories of these events are reduced to a numeric digit which means the raw experience is often lost. However, Nager successfully depicts the reality for these individuals in graphic detail and pays respect to the people that were treated in such horrendous ways.
Nager gives the reader a haunting insight and delves into the fake assertions made about various races. These assertions, that were based on unscientific principles, were a factor that lead to the divisions created within society. The ways in which people were treated and the justifications for such treatment appear Orwellian; Nager does not hold back and confronts the reader with the harsh reality.
The book looks at the broad history of POCs in America, using the past as a warning for the future and investigating contemporary problems that may be a result of the past. I give this book a five out of five as it gives an overview of the challenges faced, the progress made, and the hopes, and sadly, fears for the future. I think that this book is essential for anyone looking to begin their journey into the history of POCs in America and American history as a whole. More importantly the book emphasizes that the histories are united insofar as history does not occur in a vacuum.
Pages: 160 | ISBN: 1450089615
Silent Spring – Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War – Trailer
WHAT HAPPENED IN VIETNAM DIDN’T STAY IN VIETNAM. IT CAME HOME WITH US!
Silent Spring – Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War is both a memoir and an investigative journey into all the complications the U.S. government hasn’t told you about the Vietnam War. It’s not just another book about Vietnam or Agent Orange. Rather it’s a “silver bullet” which cuts through to the heart of the circumstances and pesticides used during that war—highly toxic herbicides and insecticides, which in some cases are still being used to this very day all over the globe, even right here in the USA.
So, forget everything you’ve heard from our government and everything that you think you know about the Vietnam War because this book is much more than a memoir of one Vietnam veteran’s struggles over the decades following the war. It’s a story of all the veterans who served in Vietnam and their children. And it could even be the story of you and your children, too.
As you read through the book and its volumes of information, you will be absolutely stunned at what the US government had willingly dumped on Vietnam and its own troops.
The Missing Reindeer
![The Missing Reindeer by [Smith, Zeke]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Zj3wLjUaL.jpg)
The Missing Reindeer is a short, illustrated children’s Christmas storybook about a little boy named Sammy. The story follows Sammy who lives with his tribe in Northern Scandinavia where they herd reindeer. When the Reindeer go missing, things seem dire for Sammy and his tribe, and so he decides to make a winter’s wish to Santa Claus. This is a cute little Christmas story about being thankful for what you have and those around you.
The book is a little less than twenty pages long, and each page has only a few sentences of text one it, making it a quick read. It is a perfect story to read to small children around Christmas time as it explores a little of the indigenous people of Northern Scandinavia, while also being a sweet Christmas story that has hope and thankfulness. The illustrations of the book are pretty and vibrant. I liked the art style of the book which was a little water-color inspired cartoon drawings. I thought that the backgrounds and animals were particularly beautiful. There were a few of the pages where the people in the illustrations seemed a little out of place with the scene or what the text was describing, but overall it worked together nicely.
Christmas stories are always a fun addition to have to read to your children during the winter, and I appreciated that the setting and plot worked together to give this story some originality. Overall The Missing Reindeer by author Zeke Smith is a sweet children’s Christmas tale that shows endearing heart, and lovely illustrations, a perfect combo for a wonderful children’s book.
Pages: 20 | ASIN: B0794V1ZP8
Keeper of Slaves – Trailer
Keeper of Slaves is Book Two of the Antebellum Struggles series. The lives of the plantation owner, Colonel Trent Winters, his wife, Collette, the slaves, Tabari and Amana, and the myriad of other characters continue in this moving tale of slavery, lust and freedom. The Underground Railroad, Fugitive Slave Act, and their impact on the lives of citizens come to life in the 1850s era set in New Orleans and the Deep South.
Painted by Words
Painted by Words is a gorgeously written life story of a small-town girl who goes through many ups and downs, all while keeping a positive outlook on life. I enjoyed this book for the simple fact that I could relate to it, and it was so easy to read. I felt like I was completely immersed in this book, from the beginning to the very end. It was like I was living her life with her. Every chapter detailed a different event in the author’s life, one that was either triumphant or beautiful. All the while, you learn more and more about the author. If you’re looking for a book to while away the hours, then this is definitely the one that you’re going to want to read. Not only does it give you a bit of nostalgia, as the author explains her life as a little girl, but it will bring up memories of your own past mistakes, which can be therapeutic in a way. I believe this is the authors first book, at least her first published work, and it really stands out to me. I liked how intimate she was on every page, the fact that she wasn’t afraid to tell her truth. She didn’t hold back on any account of her memories. Another thing that sets this book apart from so many memoirs that I have read recently, is that the author writes as if she is talking to a friend. It made reading it that much more enjoyable.
There’s nothing better than curling up on a snowy winter day, knowing that you get to sit back and read about someone else’s life. There are so many different stories and lessons to learn from this book. The only thing that I will say is that I wish there was more to read! But I guess she has to live her life first. If she decides to write more books, I will be the first one in line to get them! Thank you for telling us your story.
Pages: 482 | ASIN: B07945T7KB
LITERARY TITAN 