Stephanie from Simon & Schuster contacted me regarding today’s guest.  When I read the synopsis, I knew that I wanted to share this book with all of you.  So please help me welcome Mr. Mark Hosack!!

MARK HOSACK

Mark Hosack is a screenwriter whose credits include Pale Blue Moon and Give ‘em Hell, Malone.  He lives in Los Angeles where he also directs and edit movies. IDENITY is his debut novel.

GUEST POST

The E-Book Species

By Mark Hosack

Dinosaurs. Now there’s something we can definitely agree on—they’re all awesome and they’re all dead. The printed book isn’t a dinosaur, not yet (though indie bookstores, sadly, seem to be going extinct). But books have evolved as a new digital species, and the industry is following suit. E-books are becoming the new mass-market paperback. It’s the biggest evolution since the printing press–and we’re smack-dab in the middle of it.

The numbers say its good business: It’s been shown that people with e-books read and buy more books. E-book reader and tablet sales are skyrocketing. And now, following the rise of indie publishing, the big publishers are jumping into the game.

That’s where I come in.

My debut novel, IDENTITY, is something of an experiment. It’s one of the first books to be published by Pocket Star, Simon & Schuster’s brand new e-book imprint.

I’m friends with a lot of indie authors—writers who work very hard at publishing and marketing their own work. And in return, they get to keep a bigger piece of the back end. I’m going the other way, giving up more of my back end in return for a great editing and marketing team over at Simon & Schuster. I have no idea where I’ll end up financially, but I do know that this means there is room in the digital world for everyone, and that’s a great thing for writers.

Don’t want to wade through the tedious process of securing a traditional publisher? Great. Do it yourself. Want to get a big publisher in your corner? Good news—now that publishing is cheaper, they can take on more novels.

If there’s a truth to publishing, it’s that many deserving books never see the light of day. Hopefully, with more access, that will change. And therein lies the greatest benefit of the e-book evolution—diversity.

Of course, all of this also means more competition. As a writer, you’re going to have to elbow your way to front of the pack. As a reader, you’ll have to search hard for that undiscovered gem. It’s out there, but its drowning in a sea of 1s and 0s with little marketing to rescue it.

With such access, it’s a great time to be a writer—but it’s still hard. It will always be hard. That’s because writing a book is hard. And if it isn’t hard, you’re probably doing something wrong. Writing is a long process that comes with very little certainty and, often, very little reward. For a writer, you have to love the process. And that process is the same whether it is an e-book or a printed book. Traditional or Self Published. In the end, I feel as though a lot of this debate is just noise. The business is going to go where the readers go, and everyone will have to chase them there. It’s that simple. And maybe that’s the point. A book is a book, whether it’s digital, printed on paper, or scribbled on a tower of bar napkins. It doesn’t really matter.

The reader is what matters.

If you’re a writer, write for the reader—not the e-book.

The animal has evolved, but the guts are the same.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A novel of mistaken identity and corporate financial fraud, IDENTITY Is Wall Street with a Hitchcockian flavor.  IDENITY tells the story of Paul Majors, a respectable businessman who, in trying to unravel fraud within the Corporate offices of SunSoft’s parent company, gets not only pulled in deeper into the illegal doings there, but into those of another firm as well.  Soon he’s on the run across the United States, chased by dirty executives, international underworld figures, the FBI, and local  law enforcements, trying desperately to unravel the mysteries he’s caught in and save the 1,500 employees who depends on his leadership.  Relevant to our modern times, IDENTITY is an everyman tale about someone battling the frauds of “Corporate”, told as a suspenseful thriller.

IDENTITY, Mark’s first novel, will be released by Pocket Star, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, on August 7th. You can pre-order it now for a special sale price of $1.99 at: amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and iTunes.com.

Also, you can win a free Kindle or Nook Touch by entering our IDENTITY giveaway. Please sign up and help spread the word!

As promised, Lisa from Sparkpoint Studio, is stopping by today with another author to introduce us to.  So without further ado, Thérèse !!

THÉRÈSE

My mother was Irish but for reasons best known to herself, gave me a French name; Marie-Thérèse, note the grave, acute and hyphen. Very posh. I’ve tried to be French all my life but it was hard in Liverpool, where I grew up and difficult in California where I now live. I have a son as well as a daughter and a lovely husband, who for future blogging purposes will be known as ‘husband.’
You can visit Thérèse at her website and on Twitter.

GUEST POST

Thank you for inviting me to CMash. After reading a few of your guest posts I’m seriously tempted to spend the rest of the summer reading rather than writing, there are so many great books out there.

Until we immigrated to Los Angeles, I lived Stratford on Avon, a small town in middle England, famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. If you’ve ever lived in a town that is themed you will understand that after a while the theme gets old and you have to either move or get over it. We moved.

We brought our teenage kids with us (they heard were leaving.) Our two cats were flown out in advance and stayed at The Best Little Cat House, a facility offering cat concierges, rooms with views, web cameras, complimentary manicures, pedicures, daily massages and a choice of menu. Okay I admit this sounds a little over the top, but they were emigrating too.

In the following months life became surreal; my new assistant thought she was a reincarnated angel. Our son was coming home from sleepovers with tales of meeting Jack Nicholson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Our daughter was sporting an American accent and doing a round of Bat Mitzvahs that would make Lady Gaga’s stage set look bland.

And then our own social life kicked in with a vengeance. We were invited to garden parties, fundraisers, dinners and receptions. Hostesses frequently insisting their event would be  ‘very casual.’ I’ll admit it took me quite a while to get the hang of that. In rural England casual means flat shoes, Capri pants and a long (preferably navy) sweater. It is not a good feeling turning up to something looking like you’re through to the final episode of Survivor and finding yourself on what appears to be the set of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  In these situations alcoholic beverages are important.

Exactly how casual are uniformed maids, waiters, hired bands and enough ice sculptures to deplete Alaska? I wondered. How casual a Cartier watch, eight -carat diamond and a Shih Tzus in a personalized Gucci tote? This was giving whole new meaning to the words ‘culture shock.’

After a year of furious scribbling, I was awash with material and wrote a book titled How to Stay Upwardly Mobile When You’re Spinning Out of Control.  Little Brown rejected it because I didn’t have a platform; I wasn’t a columnist and didn’t have a blog at the time. They suggested I might consider using the material for a novel. They loved the observations.

And so I took their advice and India was born. I lived vicariously through her. At one point she had her own Facebook page and more ‘friends’ than I did. I would post pictures of her in Malibu riding horses, or jet-skiing with Adam Brooks her drop dead gorgeous boyfriend. Her life became way more exciting than mine has ever been and yet I do believe that her story is not improbable. I think she is grounded and real and from what I hear, people fall in love with her. I hope you do too.

Thank you Thérèse for spending time with us.  I am sure many will enjoy reading your book, India’s Summer.  I know I am looking forward to reading it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

THANKS TO LISA AT SPARKPOINT, I HAVE ONE (1) COPY
OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Today our friend Nicole, from Tribute Books is stopping by to introduce us to a very distinguished author and gentleman.  So I ask you in helping give today’s visitors a warm welcome.    Greetings Mr. Haskell G. Edwards!!

HASKELL G. EDWARDS, D. Min.

Haskell G. Edwards, D. Min. has vast professional experience for more than forty years as pastor, administrator, family therapist, and director of a family therapy center. His extensive experience gained from working with immigrant families in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic setting, as well as his own personal journey and genuinely encouraging approach, positions him not only to help immigrant families adapt to new surroundings, but grow stronger together in their journey.

He has successfully held immigrant seminars, workshops, and lectures throughout North America. Now a retired pastor, he continues to help immigrant families of a wide cultural heritage transition into their new homeland.
You can connect with Mr. Edwards at the blog tour website here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Adaptation is a must. But how does one go about doing this? It takes great planning, finances, and courage to leave one’s homeland; but then finding support and comfort or anything of familiarity in a new land presents a whole new set of challenges. The stress is overwhelming. How do you gain the happiness and success you dreamed of attaining in the new land?

Immigration and Adaptation is here to help you navigate through these challenges. With the information herein, immigrants coming to North America will be prepared to identify and resolve social, family, and personal challenges with confidence. Mr. Edwards’ vast professional experience with diverse immigrant families, as well as his own personal journey and genuinely encouraging approach, not only help immigrant families adapt to new surroundings, but grow stronger together in their journey.

This book includes:
– A family wellness test
– Step-by-step guidelines
– Real-life examples
– Inspirational stories
– Family, parenting, and spousal exercises
– Illustrations
– Single-parenting advice

Immigration and Adaptation also includes tips on: building self-confidence, resolving conflicts, tuning communication skills, networking and building social supports, budgeting, parenting, enhancing spousal relationships, helping teenagers adjust, communicating effectively, and more.

Book Details:
Paperback
Publisher: Langdon Street Press
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 9781936782239
Pages: 272
Release: September 15, 2011
Purchase Links:   Amazon    B&N      Books-A-Million     IndieBound

THANKS TO AUTHOR, HASKELL G. EDWARDS, D.MIN,
I HAVE ONE (1) PB COPY OF HIS BOOK TO GIVE
AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Robyn, our friend from WOW, has come back to visit us today and as usual, has brought a very multi talented and impressive female author to introduce us to, Ms. Destiny Allison.  So without further ado, let’s welcome them to the CMash blog!

DESTINY ALLISON

Destiny Allison is an artist, a business woman and a writer.  Her work is collected by public institutions and private individuals internationally.  In addition to her numerous awards for excellence in art, she was also recently named Santa Fe Business Woman of the year for 2011.

In addition to being a full time artist, she is also a managing partner in La Tienda at Eldorado — a commercial complex, community center, and arts center inSanta Fe,NM.

She is represented in prominent galleries across the country and owns her own gallery, Destiny Allison Fine Art, located at La Tienda.

Allison’s first love was writing.  Her first poems were published while she was a child and she received numerous awards during adolescence.  The story of how she became a visual artist is told in her book, Shaping Destiny: A quest for meaning in art and life.  While her focus over the last 20 years has been primarily on sculpture, Allison also paints on steel using acids and natural oxidation, and in acrylics.

The eloquence of Allison’s language dates back to her childhood when art was constantly discussed and debated by her father, a writer, and her mother, a painter. Born and raised inSanta Fe,N.M., Allison moved toBostonafter college where she worked as a freelance journalist while raising her three children. It was there that she discovered her voice through sculpture. Predominantly self-taught, Allison apprenticed at a bronze foundry in Massachusetts, and later taught sculpture at the Attleboro Museum of Art and the Fuller Museum of Art, both in Massachusetts. In 1997, Allison returned toSanta Fewhere she currently resides.
Connect with Destiny Allison at her website here.

GUEST AUTHOR POST

Our lives are our greatest works of art:

This morning I woke to possibility.  Sun and birds, the sight of my husband opening his arms to me as I staggered one-eyed into the kitchen, the sound of my dogs rising to greet me, and the smell of breakfast gone cold overwhelmed my senses like the first strokes of  vivid color on the vast white of a blank canvas.  What picture will I paint today?

Will I push the dogs away as they nuzzle against me?  Will I ask my husband why he didn’t wait for me to join him for breakfast?  Will I rub the sleep out of my eyes and settle into my computer chair to greet the day electronically – placing emails and analytics over the realities of my life?  Will I let habit win, or will I do something different?  What would the day look like if I made time to kiss my husband deeply or dropped to the ground to play with my loving mutts?

It seems that every minute of every day, I am faced with these kinds of choices.  Most of the time, my decisions are out of habit or necessity.  My husband is ok with his quick hug and the dogs never seem to mind when I ignore them.  They all know my routines and understand that I will greet them, if there is time, once my eyes are fully open. But what if I surprised them?  What if I surprised myself?

Making art is wrought with similar questions.  Every day I am faced with the possibilities of a blank canvas, a blank screen, or the cold grey sheets of metal on the floor of my blackened studio.  What will I make today?  In art, every line and plane matter.  A sculpture that leans as little as an eighth of an inch must be cut apart and re-welded. In sculpture, balance is everything.  When I muddy a canvas because I was impatient, I kill the painting.

The challenge of being an artist is that I never really know where I’m going until I get there.  I have to listen to the voices inside me as they manifest on canvas, page, or metal.  I have to throw away all the junk that comes to the surface as I try to find that one shining thread I am called to follow.

I believe that living my life is just like making art.  When I listen, am not afraid to try new things, and clear my junk (habit, self-indulgence, and my need to control), my life becomes rich, clear, and filled with meaning.  When I don’t, days blend into a long, running stream of muddy memories and my life is without form.

The beauty of living life like making art is that everything matters and contributes to the whole.  The kiss we shared in the kitchen forms shape of my day.  That couple of minutes on the rug wrestling my dogs becomes an ongoing joy that balances mundane frustrations.  Over time, those moments shared deeply and authentically with my husband and dogs become some of the lines, planes, and colors of my life.  My junk will always be in the way, but if I want my art to speak and my life to be art, I have to clear it to the best of my ability.  Then, my life will have form, my smile will be contagious, and my days will be wrought with meaning.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Shaping Destiny is the inspiring story of Allison’s life from the creation of her first sculpture to her acceptance into a prominentSanta Feart gallery.  The book, which recounts her journey from traditional female roles to self-actualization and independence, is told with three voices: the emotional, the intellectual and the instructional.  Though she had no formal training, Allison moved quickly from small, Plasticine clay sculptures to an apprenticeship at a foundry to teaching in a small museum. Along the way, the author wrestled with shedding and then reclaiming family. To add to the extended metaphor binding her story to the theory and language of sculpture, Allison infuses an ample dose of popular philosophy in lessons culled from childhood days spent with her father. The 22 lessons at the beginning of each chapter intend to guide readers’ passage through the complexities of clay and life; each lesson works with the idea that art is a process, as is life.

Watch the trailer:

THANKS TO AUTHOR, DESTINY ALLISON, I HAVE
ONE (1) SIGNED COPY OF HER MEMOIR TO GIVE
AWAY. OPEN TO U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Ohhhhh…so many books!!!  Are you like me, that at times you wish you could read 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because of all the novels you want to read?  Our friend Lisa, from Sparkpoint Studio, is stopping by today and next Wednesday to introduce us to 2 authors and 2 more books to add to our lists.  Today she is here with author Maria Geraci.  So I ask, that you help me welcome them to the CMash blog.

MARIA GERACI

Maria Geraci was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised on Florida’s Space Coast. Her love of books started with the classic, Little Women (a book she read so often growing up, she could probably quote). She writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with a happy ending. The Portland Book Review called her novel, The Boyfriend of the Month Club, “immensely sexy, immensely satisfying and humorous.” Her fourth novel, A Girl Like You,  is released today, August 7th, 2012 by Berkley, Penguin USA.
You can visit Maria at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

GUEST POST

Inspiration from the Unexpected
Like most writers, I’m always asked where I find the inspiration for my novels. I’d be answering honestly if I said that my ideas come from just about everywhere. But I’d be a little more than chagrined to admit that the idea for my latest novel, A Girl Like You, came from the Real Housewives show.

Now, I don’t watch the Real Housewives of Anywhere. Not that there is anything wrong with the show. I’m a total reality show junkie. Survivor, The Bachelor, So You Think You Can Dance. Bring ‘em on! But the Real Housewives isn’t a show I’m addicted to. Lucky for me, however, that while switching channels one afternoon, I came across an episode. Two of the housewives were talking and one mentioned that she had just dropped her daughter off at college, then went on to commiserate that all the girls at her daughter’s sorority were beautiful and how was her daughter to “shine” if there wasn’t an ugly girlfriend around? Talk about an epiphany! I immediately began to “see” my novel and my central story question was born: What if you found out you were the ugly girlfriend?

In case you’ve never heard of the expression before, let me give you the definition I found in the Urban Dictionary. Ugly Friend: A friend a person brings with him/her to a gathering /event in order to make him/herself appear more attractive in comparison.

When my main character, Emma, overhears herself referred to as the ugly friend, she’s devastated. But it begins a chain of events in her life that lead her to discovering more about her friends and ultimately, about herself, changing her life forever. Sometimes the unexpected turns out so much better than we first imagined.

Thanks, CMash, for inviting me to guest blog today!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Emma Frazier is smart, hardworking, and loves her job as a journalist for a Florida lifestyle magazine. Emma knows she’s no great beauty, but she’s pretty certain she has a shot with her handsome new boss, Ben Gallagher—until Emma overhears a mutual acquaintance refer to her as the “ugly friend.” In an effort to reclaim her battered self-esteem, Emma decides to impress Ben at work by promising an exclusive interview with NASCAR legend, Trip Monroe.

Emma and Trip went to high school together and although it’s been fourteen years since they’ve spoken, Emma is certain she can score an interview with the elusive super star. But connecting with Trip turns out to be harder than Emma imagined. Her quest for the interview leads her back to her tiny hometown of Catfish Cove, where old secrets and a new romantic interest shake up Emma’s views on life and teach her that maybe the key to finding true love is as simple as accepting yourself for the person you were always meant to be.
Purchase links:    Amazon    IndieBound

THANKS TO LISA, FROM SPARKPOINT STUDIO, I HAVE ONE (1)
COPY OF THE BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Please, grab a coffee and have a seat, get comfortable because I have a real treat  for you today.  I haven’t felt this passionate about a book in a while!!

When I first started in this wonderful community, I was contacted by Mr. Lou Aronica, publisher of The Story Plant, to read and review a book by one of his authors, Michael Baron.  Since that day, I have become a fan of Mr. Baron’s and many other authors from The Story Plant.  Not too long ago, Mr. Aronica started a program called “Spread The Word Initiative” via NetGalley and I was invited to become a reviewer, which I accepted.  So when I got the email detailing last month’s novel being showcased for “Spread The Word Initiative” and saw that today’s guest was compared to Michael Baron, I HAD to sign on.

After I finished reading this author’s book on Monday, I just HAD to invite him to visit, which I am so lucky that he accepted because this is definitely an author to put on your radar!!  So without further ado, Please help me give a warm welcome to Mr. Steven Manchester!!

STEVEN MANCHESTER

After returning home from a difficult tour of duty in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, I stepped back behind the walls of a Massachusetts penitentiary where I battled each day as a prison investigator. Needless to say, there was great negativity in my life at that time, and very little opportunity to heal from my wartime demons (or pursue my dreams of being published). I finally decided to return to college to finish my degree in Criminal Justice. During one of the classes, my professor, Barry McKee, detailed police work, but barely touched on other topics. I finally raised his hand and asked, “As the criminal justice system is so vast, what about the courts, probation, parole – corrections?” Barry smiled and told me to see him after class. I thought I’d done it! In his office, Barry explained, “Except from the slanted perspectives of inmates, there’s no real written material out there on corrections, or prisons.” Barry smiled again and then dropped the bomb that would change my life forever. “If you’re so smart,” he said, “why don’t you write it?” It was the last push I needed to get writing. Nine months later, I placed the first draft of 6-5; A Different Shade of Blue (under the pen name, Steven Herberts) on Barry’s desk. From then on, I was hooked. I was a writer.

Under the pen name, Steven Herberts, I wrote in newspapers, magazines, and even penned two collections of poetry. Once I’d found my true voice, I began, The Unexpected Storm: The Gulf War Legacy; an emotional account of the Gulf War that would heal my soul, and the souls of other suffering veterans.

Today, 20 years later, I have been blessed with a beautiful family; my wife, Paula, and our four children–Evan, Jacob, Bella and Carissa. From a professional perspective, I’ve written 16 books (with 12 in publication), and have contributed to more than three dozen international anthologies. My work has been showcased in such national literary journals as Taproot Literary Review, American Poetry Review and Fresh! Literary Magazine, as well as various magazines to include Angels on Earth, Obadiah, Titan, G.F.O. (U.K.), Skyline Literary, Alive Now, Dark Animus (Australia) and Spinnings Short Stories. Hundreds of my essays, poetry and short fiction have been contributed to Internet publications such as Zine5, New Mystery Reader, Wilmington Blues, Heartwarmers, The Murder Hole, Father’s World, and dozens of others.

My work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning, BET’s Nightly News, Good Day Atlanta; in the New York Daily News, Newark Star Ledger, Boston Globe, Detroit Free Press, Providence Journal, Dallas Morning News, Orlando Sentinel, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, The Daily Oklahoman; and on 50+ nationally-syndicated radio shows from coast-to-coast.

As a public speaker, I’ve presented before thousands. From Congressmen to schoolchildren, my lectures cover the realities of the Gulf War, adult incarceration, and the motivation needed to write and become published. I currently teach the workshops, Publish: See Your Work In Print, and Writing Fiction That Sells.

When not spending time with my kids and wife, I’m either writing, teaching, or promoting my published books/films.
Visit Steven Manchester at his website here and on Facebook.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Don DiMarco has a very good life – a family he loves, a comfortable lifestyle, passions and interests that keep him amused. He also thought he had time, but that turned out not to be the case. Faced with news that might have immediately felled most, Don now wonders if he has time enough. Time enough to show his wife the romance he didn’t always lavish on her. Time enough to live out his most ambitious fantasies. Time enough to close the circle on some of his most aching unresolved relationships. Summoning an inner strength he barely realized he possessed, Don sets off to prove that twelve months is time enough to live a life in full.

A glorious celebration of each and every moment that we’re given here on Earth, as well as the eternal bonds that we all share, Twelve Months is a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit.
Read my review here.

It is such a compelling read that I HAD to share it with all of you. This novel will leave an indelible mark on your heart, soul and mind. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.
Purchase links:   Amazon   B&N    IndieBound

I just love when authors come back and visit.  To me, this means that they have been very busy writing books that we enjoy reading and that they truly like the followers of CMash Reads.  I ask that you help me give a warm welcome back to Allan Leverone.

ALLAN LEVERONE

Allan Leverone is the author of the Amazon bestselling thriller, THE LONELY MILE, as well as the thriller, FINAL VECTOR and the horror novellas, DARKNESS FALLS and HEARTLESS. He is a four-time Derringer Award finalist for excellence in short mystery fiction and a 2011 Pushcart Prize nominee. Allan lives in Londonderry, NH, with his wife of nearly thirty years, three children and one beautiful granddaughter.
Learn more about Allan on Facebook, Twitter or at www.allanleverone.com.

GUEST POST

Guest Post: Inspiration for Novels
By Allan Leverone

If a writer is paying attention, a plot idea can come from almost anywhere. It’s not an exaggeration to say I’ve written stories, novellas or novels based on: a line from a song, an item I saw on the news or on a television news magazine, a dream, a suggestion from my wife, an experience I had as a child, an incident I made up out of whole cloth in my mind, and any of dozens of other sources.

The one thing all of the above examples have in common, though, is that each idea was followed up with one simple question: “What if?” In most cases, the “what if” was then followed up with, “Well, if that happens, then what?” “And if that happens, then what?”

My most successful book to this point is an Amazon bestselling thriller titled THE LONELY MILE, which spent three days in the Top 25 in the paid store at Amazon back in February, peaking at #21 and selling over twelve thousand copies. It was based on a simple premise, one which can’t help but strike a chord with every parent: a man’s daughter is kidnapped by a remorseless sociopath, and he is forced into a desperate attempt to rescue her, racing against time to get her back before it is too late.

Is he successful? You’ll have to read the book if you want to find out, but this post is about inspiration, and the point is this: the idea for THE LONELY MILE came to me three decades before the book was written, when I was in college, driving nearly a thousand miles one-way several times a year between my home in central Massachusetts and my school, the University of Notre Dame, located in South Bend, Indiana.

The trip was a relatively straight shot. I would drive to Interstate 90, roughly twenty miles from my home, and then stay on that highway until I arrived in northern Michigan, where my exit would put me almost right on top Notre Dame’s golden dome. To save time, I would drive straight through, nineteen hours in one shot. It was a questionable tactic, one I would never allow my own kids to try, and one which almost cost me my life any number of times. It’s not something I would recommend to anyone.

But dotting the highway on those 950-mile sojourns from New England to Indiana and back were small Interstate rest stops, little plazas where weary drivers could pull in, gas up, get some fast food and coffee, and continue on toward their destination. Everyone’s seen them; you’ve probably used them dozens of times without thinking anything of it, right?

Well, try pulling into an isolated highway rest stop at three o’clock in the morning, tired and strung out. The places are never totally empty, but they are spooky and creepy, often populated in the middle of the night with questionable-looking characters, and I remember thinking—many times—how easy would it be for some psycho to pull in here, wreak havoc, and then take off? He would be miles away before anyone could even respond.

That was in the days before cell phones were anything more than a twinkle in some engineer’s eye, but even in this era of instant electronic communication, a highway rest stop located within a couple of miles of one or more exits still presents what seems like a pretty attractive staging point for an evil person intent on doing evil things, don’t you think?

Anyway, that one image, of an amoral sociopath using an isolated highway rest stop as an area to commit horrible atrocities, remained embedded in my mind for thirty years. When I began writing fiction, the idea crystallized into the modus operandi for the antagonist in THE LONELY MILE, a serial kidnapper/murderer named Martin Krall.

The important thing for the writer is not so much the inspiration, but the followup to the idea. Inspiration is everywhere. What makes or breaks the writer of genre fiction is the ability to take that inspiration to the next level, and develop a gripping, exciting storyline. I’d like to think I’m pretty good at that. I invite you to check out one of my books and see if you agree.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Mike McMahon moves to the remote village of Paskagankee, Maine, to take over as chief of police following a tragic shooting, he’s hoping for nothing more than to get a new start on life. Instead, he encounters a series of brutal murders, beginning almost immediately upon his arrival.

Together with a beautiful rookie cop and a disgraced college professor, McMahon races against time and a mounting body count in a desperate attempt to stop a seemingly unstoppable killer…

Book Details:
Genre:Adult, Horror,Suspense,Thriller
Publisher: Rock Bottom Books; First Edition
Publication Date: June 29, 2012
Pages: 224
Purchase:  Amazon

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

It’s been 2 1/2 years that I have been part of this incredible book blogging club and still enjoy every minute of it.  It never gets old or boring, there is always something exciting happening, just like today.  I have the honor and privilege to introduce you to another amazing author.  I am especially thrilled with today’s guest because not only is she an author but one of our tour hosts at Partners In Crime Tours.  Please help me give a very warm welcome to Jo Linsdell as she tells us about her new book.

JO LINSDELL

Jo Linsdell is a freelance writer, author and illustrator. Originally from the UK, she now lives in Rome, Italy with her husband and their two young sons.
Visit Jo at her website here.

GUEST POST

Checklist for hosting Tweetchats
By Jo Linsdell

Jo Linsdell is the author and illustrator of the rhyming children’s picture book OUT AND ABOUT AT THE ZOO. Find out more about her at www.JoLinsdell.com

A Tweetchat is a public conversation on Twitter using a unique hashtag and is a great way to interact with your Twitter followers and get new followers quickly. This hashtag allows people to follow the discussion and participate in it.

One of the easiest ways to do a Tweetchat is using www.tweetchat.com. Once you’ve logged in using your twitter account you just need to insert your hashtag in the designated area at the top of the screen and you’re set.

Here’s a few ideas for how to run your Tweetchat:

1.  Start with a welcome and introduction.
2.  Announce the topic of your Tweetchat.
3.  To encourage group discussion label your questions Q1, Q2, etc… to make it easy for participants to answer.
4.  Retweet and summarise the best answers
5.  Announce when the end of the chat is approaching and thank everyone for participating.
6.  Tweet any conclusions from the chat.
7.  Announce the date and time for future chats and their topics.

If others are helping promote when the chat is and what it’s about, send them a quick @ or DM thanking them. If someone does a recap of one of your chats, retweet it. Let your chat participants know that they are an important part of the success that your chat is having. This gives them the incentive to promote and grow the chat even more.

The networking and promotional potential of a Tweetchat is huge so whether you plan to host a one-off event or make it a regular gig it’s well worth looking into.

If you have any tips of your own for hosting a Tweetchat please share them in the comments section. I’d love to hear them.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Rhyming text and colourful pictures accompany this fun day out discovering different animals at the zoo.

Reviews:
5 Stars
“Out and About at the Zoo by Jo Linsdell is a delightful story set in rhyme about a boy and his mum. The two spend the day at the zoo and meet many animals along the way. Your child will enjoy reading this book time and time again. The colorful illustrations make this book a joy to read. Pick up a copy of this book and share a day at the zoo memory with your little one”.
By Kate Mueller, Author of Bella’s Birthday Surprise

5 Stars
“Out And About At The Zoo is a cute book that describes a child’s memory filled trip to the zoo. Are you heading to the zoo and you would like to tell your kids what animals they will see there and what they might be doing? Then Out And About At The Zoo would be a great choice. Easy to understand and easy for children to read along with. It is filled with simple yet colorful pictures that even held my one year old’s attention!
Would also make a good gift for young readers who are just beginning to read!”
By Virginia L. Jennings, Author

Book Details:
Release Date: 1st June 2012
ISBN/EAN13: 1477446591 / 9781477446591
Page Count: 32
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 6″ x 9″
Language: English
Colour: Full Colour with Bleed
Related Categories: Juvenile Fiction / Stories in Verse

Purchase Links:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.it
CreateSpace.com

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com,
Barnes & Noble and/or any other retail/wholesale
outlets either online and/or elsewhere.
I am providing this link solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties