Title: Love Thy Neighbor

Author: Mark Gilleo

Paperback: 438 pages (also available in e-books)

Publisher: The Story Plant (March 27, 2012)

Synposis:

Clark Hayden is a graduate student trying to help his mother navigate through the loss of his father while she continues to live in their house near Washington DC. With his mother’s diminishing mental capacity becoming the norm, Clark expects a certain amount of craziness as he heads home for the holidays. What he couldn’t possibly anticipate, though, is that he would find himself catapulted into the middle of a terrorist operation. As the holiday festivities reach a crescendo, a terrorist cell – which happens to be across the street – is activated. Suddenly Clark is discovering things he never knew about deadly chemicals, secret government operations, suspiciously missing neighbors, and the intentions of a gorgeous IRS auditor. Clark’s quiet suburban neighborhood is about to become one of the most deadly places on the planet, and it’s up to Clark to prevent the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives in the nation’s capital.

Fast, acerbic, wise and endlessly exciting, LOVE THY NEIGHBOR marks the unforgettable debut of a startling new voice in suspense fiction.

Review:

I read a lot of books. A LOT of books. I share lots of titles with friends and fellow book lovers…either through my blog or with friends I run into in the real world. But I was really pushing Love Thy Neighbor. You would have thought Mark hired me to stop people on the street and say “I am reading this great book. It’s got me on pins and needles. You would love it!” Incidentally, he didn’t hire me.

I think the best part of Love They Neighbor is that it’s told from two viewpoints. You get to see what’s happening to the innocent neighbor who isn’t sure if he’s living next to terrorists (which his mother swears is true) or if his mother is just a little senile. So he starts poking around…not an easy task since he has no training, no ins in the police department, and a lot of people seem determined not to investigate. Then you get the story through the eyes of the supposed terrorist. And, like all good terrorists, this one doesn’t share the entire plan…even with the most trusted aides…so you’re never sure what you’re hearing and seeing is the truth or part of an elaborate plan to hide the true terrorist attack.

When I was trying to think of a word to describe Love They Neighbor spiderweb popped into my mind. Not an orderly, symmetrical spiderweb but a crazy, random one created by the Jackson Pollack of spiders. A jumble of lines that, amazingly enough, all connect eventually. And it’s up to Clark Hayden, and the crazy investigative team he creates to understand how all these random people, places, motives, and plans come together to create a terrorist attack.

Love They Neighbor had me on the edge of my seat because it wasn’t easy to predict what would happen next or why. Surprises jumped out with every turn of the page. This was a great — a very scary — novel about terrorist activity and the coincidences and good luck that unite to stop what seems like a foolproof plan.

5Ws with Mark Gilleo

Although in this case it’s only 4Ws! But that’s OK, because even with just four questions Mark has some interesting things to say.

WHO
Who are your favorite authors? Who are you reading right now?

The first novel I remember reading was the original Aliens. I was probably twelve years old, and it was a book that my mother had just finished reading. There were quite a few words I didn’t know, and some of the dialogue I didn’t fully grasp, but I read it until the end. I didn’t sleep well for a few days. (I still remember the cover of that book….it had a large egg standing on its end with green ooze pouring from it.) I followed that up with Cujo, figuring I should balance out my fears and also be afraid of something on the planet. Somewhere in the early reading line-up was Vixen O3 by Clive Cussler.

In high school, my reading was largely limited to what I was required to read. We read the classics – Shakespeare, Dante, Salinger, Steinbeck. We also read some pretty contemporary stuff at the time, like the Dune series.

Coming out of college I started reading strictly for pleasure/entertainment. I spent some time overseas, had time to kill and a small library of books left behind from formerly stranded Americans. I read all of Stephen King’s early stuff. I remember reading Ken Follet and Tom Clancy back-to-back, everything they had published up until that point. By the time I read John Grisham, I was limiting myself to a lot of commercial, mainstream, contemporary fiction. I loved John Grisham’s first seven or eight novels. I read everything by Patricia Cornwell. As thirty came knocking on my door, I found Baldacci after he was already pretty well-known. I love his stuff. Right after Baldacci, I read my way through Nelson DeMille. He writes the best first-person stories I have seen. Dan Brown, of course, had a couple of good ones too. I love Barry Eisler and his John Rain series. I just finished one of his books. I am currently reading a non-fiction book, Ghetto at the Center of the World. Typically, when I am in full-blown writing mode, I don’t read fiction. I will switch to non-fiction.

WHEN
When did you get the idea for Love Thy Neighbor?

In the spring of 2002, I was standing in the kitchen, arm resting on the door frame, talking on the phone to a friend from Halifax, Nova Scotia, when I had a sudden urge to write a novel. I distinctly remember hanging up the phone and thinking, “What a curious thought!” Life went on and I spent the next few months trying to dodge the feeling I had felt. The urge seemed to lurk behind the scenes of everyday life and intermittently pounce on me like Cato from the Pink Panther.

WHERE
Where did you write Love Thy Neighbor?

A few months later I succumbed, sat down and started pounding on the keys of an old Toshiba laptop. I had no outline, no preparation, and no idea where I was going with the story. When I finished the first draft in the summer of that same year, I printed out a copy of the manuscript and took it with me on a vacation to the Outer Banks. I felt as if I were a musician who had walked by a piano, paused, considered the possibility for a moment, and then sat down and played something that didn’t have people running from the room. (Although writing a book can take as long as it does to learn to play the piano, it is easier to get people to sacrifice two minutes to listen to a song than it is to get them to read a book.)

When I finished reading the first draft I thought that perhaps it was good enough that I should attempt to write something else.

WHY
Why did you decide to begin writing novels? Why thrillers?

I think I write thrillers because they are the type of book I like to read. I wouldn’t rule out other genres, but you probably won’t see any romance novels or non-fiction from me. Then again, life is long, nothing is static, so who knows.

And thanks to Partners in Crime for inviting me on this blog tour. You can find out about more stops on Stacy’s blog tour here.

Author: Stacy Verdick Case

Paperback: 224 pages (also available in e-books)

Publisher: Before the Fall Books (August 9, 2011)

Synposis:

When a prominent local businessman and friend of the chief of police is murdered on the front steps of his posh Grand Avenue Hill home, Catherine O’Brien a pithy, vertically challenged, St. Paul, Minnesota, homicide detective with a monstrous coffee habit, and her partner Louise are given two days to find his killer.

They soon decide their victim had a list of people with motives to murder him, including his fashion designer ex-wife, his mistress’s husband, and the chief of police. The only evidence they have to go on is a missing cell phone, a stolen book, the victim’s letter opener, and an ugly pair of Alpaca wool mittens.

Review:

Catherine O’Brien, the detective in A Grand Murder, is a memorable character with a well-rounded life away from her business of solving crimes. She isn’t just a crime solving machine. She has her personal quirks, personal life, fears and past. I would welcome meeting her in any type of book because she comes off as so real she could fit into many literary worlds.

In the spirit of several Agatha Christie books, there are so many people with motives that you begin to wonder if perhaps they were all in on it! And you secretly cheer for them because, as the book goes on, you learn that Stanley was NOT a good guy. Case skillfully creates a world where many people have legitimate reasons to wish Stanley harm, allowing you to consider and discard possible suspects throughout the book…only to take them up a few chapters later and say, “Well, maybe it was them.”

This is a mystery of the mind. There are no hidden dangers: gun fights, car chases, explosions, etc. Yet Case manages to get readers’ hearts pumping now and again with the insane driving of Louise, Catherine’s partner. Although driving with Louise isn’t fun, this mystery was a fun romp with a surprise ending to make you want another adventure with Catherine and Louise in the future!

Stacy Verdick Case

The two main characters, Catherine and Louise, are named after two women I used to work with, but they are both an amalgam of female officers and other people that I’ve met. I would say that Catherine is the most like me. She’s no-nonsense and people who know me would agree that I cut right to the chase.

WHAT
What is writing like for you? Is it a 9 to 5 job, something you do in yourspare hours after a 9 to 5 job…how does writing fit into your life?

I still work a 9 to 5 job as an accountant and I have a family that
includes my three-year-old daughter, so I wedge writing in when I can. I try to write every day for at least a half an hour. To me that’s manageable and my family can live without me for that long. I carry around a pen and notebook so I can write wherever I have the time. I’m especially fond of doctor’s appointments because you know they’re going to keep you waiting.

WHERE
Where do you go to pick real cops brains about murder and investigation without them thinking you should be on the next “America’s Most Wanted”?

LOL! That is a real hazard let me tell you. I took a six-week citizen’s police academy which helped a lot. I made good contacts there and once you announce you’re a writer they stop looking at you funny. There was also a library class here locally called CSI: Minneapolis put on by a female officer and lept at the chance to take her to coffee. She was so great answering all my questions about being a female homicide detective.

WHEN
When did you start writing?

I’ve written stories since I learned to write. I wrote my first book in second grade. It was called, “No Snow on Christmas”. My mom gave it to me a few years back and I still have it in a closet somewhere.

WHY
Why the mystery genre? Will you always write mystery are are you thinking of branching out into other types of writing?

Actually, I started out writing historical romances. Now I look back and they were more hysterical romances than historical. I changed genres when a former employer took a lot of money from me. It made me angry enough to want to kill him, so I did . . . on paper.

I wouldn’t rule out writing in another genre some day. If I’ve learned anything over the years it’s that you never can tell what the future will bring.

When Ties Break is an emotional book that makes you marvel that Margaret could ever escape what seemed like a predestined life of unhappiness. But indeed she not only escaped an unhappy life but she thrived! Margaret, that word will always be associated with you now.

If you enjoy memoirs about an average woman overcoming a life of obstacles this is the book for you. I enjoyed that this memoir offered two things: first, her life was so incredible I was cheering for her to conquer her problems but at the same time she was just an average woman, like me. With her story you could easily switch places with her and think, just a few changes, a few different decisions and that could have been me. It gives you powerful things to think about.

Margaret give me an e-book to read and shared her time by answering my 5W questions. The e-book was professionally formatted (you know how I’m a stickler for that) and even had some great photos, illustrations, and poetry as a surprise addition! To celebrate her 60th birthday — Happy Birthday Margaret! — you can purchase the e-book for just 99 cents. Then from Feb. 6 to Feb. 29 there will be a blog comment contest and Twitter hashtag contest (#Celebrate60) to win a print or e-book copy or a 30 minute life coaching session. I’ll give you more info about this closer to the date. For now, check out When Ties Break!

When Ties Break: a Memoir About How to Thrive After Loss

Author: Margaret Norton

Paperback: 260 pages (also available in e-books)

Publisher: Tate Publishing (August 3, 2010)

Synposis:

Divorce, abuse, abortion, excommunication, chronic illness, homelessness, death, bankruptcy, sibling rivalry, adultery, single parenthood, drug addiction, low self-esteem, depression—some people suffer from one or several of these in their life; others deal with them daily.

What makes North Carolina author Margaret Norton’s story exceptional and inspirational is that she has lived through each one of these challenging, sometimes terrifying problems. In her new book, “When Ties Break: A Memoir about How to Thrive After Loss,” Norton shares how, through God’s help and her own courage and perseverance, she not only thrived after loss but came out on top with a new energy, a renewed spirit, and a sense of worth.

5Ws with Margaret Norton

WHO
Who are some of your favorite memoir writers?

I am drawn to memoirs of women who have survived abusive situations or individuals I can personally relate to.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert perfectly portrays what it’s like for many women when a relationship ends.
Riding Grace by Alissa Lukara shows abusive situations in a profound way.
Kevin Jennings memoir, Mama’s Boy Preacher’s Son, I especially enjoyed because my father too was a Southern preacher.
I don’t usually like memoirs about famous people but I was pleasantly surprised last year at how much I enjoyed Warren Buffetts memoir Snowball.

WHY
Why did you decide to write your memoir?

My main reason for deciding to write was that I felt like many individuals struggled with the same problems I did. I wanted to let them know that if I could survive, so could they. I also wanted to encourage people to talk about their issues, to struggle with them, to work on them, to feel them – not become a martyr – but rather my belief is that only when you face your worst pain and most difficult issues do you find peace.

WHEN
When did you start writing your memories? When did decide it would be more than a personal work and you would like to publish it? How long did the writing/editing take you?

I started writing in 2005 as a way to deal with the death of 8 people in 2004. Initially, it was just therapy but I soon realized it was helping me to put my life back together.

I shared it with a few friends and they said “you should write a book.” That started what would be the most difficult journey of my life. It took less than one year to write it, one year to edit it, and then two years looking for a publisher.

WHAT
What is the most rewarding part of writing? The most difficult?

The most difficult thing about writing is finding and making the time. I have a paying job and others interests so it usually feels like I am squeezing writing in. The most rewarding part is having someone tell me how much they enjoyed my writing or how my stories inspired them to make a change in their lives.

WHERE
Where will your writing go from here? Another book? Another genre?

For the past few years I’ve focused on short stories and blogging. I don’t think I’ll ever write another memoir but I have thought about compiling short stories that readers have shared with me. To be honest, if I ever do I’ll probably utilize the internet more, maybe an ebook. Another genre probably not. There are so many talented writers out there. I think that personal, motivational stories are my strength so I’ll probably stick to that.

WHEN
When did you become a celebrity expert?

I have been an entertainment reporter for many years in radio and in print, writing several articles for the now defunct CosmoGIRL!, plus my master’s degree is in celebrity culture and its effect on self-worth. I also spent two years at Nickelodeon researching celebrity effects on the younger set…but it all started with my very first job as Oscar winner Shelley Winter’s personal assistant.

WHY
Why a novel after five successful non-fiction books for women?

After nearly twenty years in radio, much of what I do is story-telling with my listeners. I love to connect like that. And even though this is fiction, its still a story about relationships. Sometimes you can have a learning moment with something that’s not true as much as you can with something that is. In fact, it can create a more lasting impression if the reader connects with the characters as you’ve hoped they would.

WHO
Since you have met so many celebrities how about a twist on the dinner party question…if you were going to invite 5 celebritites to join a book club with you who would you invite?

Ellen DeGeneres-for her witty insights and charm

Lady Gaga-because I am dying to see what she would wear to a book club

Orlando Bloom –so when we take a break we can all stare at him (Yes, even Ellen)

Tina Fey-she’s sure to have a unique take and if we read The Yoga Club she can read the Sarah Palin parts out loud

Jay-Z because he is one of the most fascinating people on the planet

WHERE
Where are you from?

I cut my teeth on the streets of Coney Island, like my character, Coco.

Not a Greenwich gal? Then how do you know them so well?

I have many,many friends from there and spent a great deal of time in Greenwich and was always fascinated by the unique culture that one finds there.

Reading The Yoga Club, Greenwich and its culture seemed like an entirely different world to me. Any other “worlds” in the US you’d like to explore..either on paper or in person?

Hollywood, of course! It is always fodder for discussion about personalities and relationships. But I would love to explore true crime in small town America, I can’t get enough of those shows on the ID channel where”nothing like this has ever happened here”

WHAT
What influenced you and Marconi to become invlved with Angel on A Leash and the Delta Society?

Marconi is one of the most loving and friendly dogs I have ever had. He always makes people laugh and I see how he is with those who are sick, scared, probably going through one of the worst times in their lives. You can see in his eyes he is a gentle soul, which is a natural sedative for those in pain.

Today I’m getting into the Halloween spirit with an interview of Nancy Lynn Jarvis, a author of mysteries where Halloween NEVER involves snow…Santa Cruz, California. And her latest mystery The Widow’s Walk League actually begins on Halloween night. Read chapters one and two here to get into a spooky mood.

Nancy’s also written several other mysteries involving Santa Cruz and local real estate agent Regan McHenry: Buying Murder, Backyard Bones, and The Death Contingency. Click on the titles to get a sneak peek excerpt.

WHEN
When did you begin writing?

I started writing in 2008 as a mind game, kind of like doing a giant Sudoku. Maybe I better back up a bit. My husband and I were, technically still are, Realtors who own a small company in Santa Cruz, California. I’d been in the business since 1989 and had seen down markets with all their cruelty before, so when the real estate market tanked in 2008, we hung up our for sale signs, took a time out, and pretended we were retired. I got bored within a couple of weeks and decided, strictly as an entertaining thing to do, to try and write a mystery.

I had the beginning and ending in mind and lots of stories I could use as background if I made the protagonist a real estate agent. I set the book in Santa Cruz since I knew the community so well. The protagonist, Regan McHenry, began her life as me, only younger, thinner, and more successful than I was. She didn’t stay me, though. Like a method actor who feels his role, I’m a method writer. Regan had to become her own person about the time she found a body because I couldn’t take being her any longer. I couldn’t keep up with her any longer either; she’s much more daring than I am and eagerly gets herself into messes I would avoid.

Writing was great fun, but I never intended to do anything more with what I wrote than print out a copy, put it in a binder, and put it with books on out bookshelves.

WHAT
What prompted you to do more with your writing than play?

I had finished The Death Contingency and started on the mystery I really wanted to write, Backyard Bones, when our friend Charlotte called with the dreadful news that she was dying. She always wanted to write and always put if off for “someday-when-I- have-the-time.” She said she regretted postponing her dream and only wished she could see her name in print before she died. I decided to try to give Charlotte her final wish.

The Death Contingency was ready to go but I had no time to try the traditional publishing route and knew I didn’t want to get involved with a vanity press. I set up a very carefully self-funded micro publishing company. Initial costs were $35 to copyright a company name and logo and $35 for a printer set-up fee. I could have purchased an ISBN number for one book for $55, but they were cheaper in bulk and I like bargains, so I purchased a bank of ten of them for $225. I spent next to nothing for book cover graphics by stealing bits and pieces of free stuff I found online and used a print-on-demand company to print one-hundred books. The book was dedicated to Charlotte; she saw her name in print before she died.

I expected to have ninety-nine copies sitting in the garage forever; instead they sold out in one day. Many reorders, some good reviews, and a few awards later I’m hooked on writing and publishing and my game has become a mystery series.

WHERE
Where do you get the ideas for your books?

I rely on experiences from my real estate career for book ideas. The stress level is high in the business, it attracts a lot of colorful personalities, and clients often get so close to their Realtor during transactions that they share remarkable secrets. Realtors do occasionally find bodies and the profession is one of the more dangerous careers to pursue, with the likelihood of being killed on the job only greater for firefighters and police officers. Mystery with a real estate agent amateur sleuth isn’t as farfetched as it initially seems.

WHY
Why have you given up working as a Realtor?

I’m having so much fun writing and pursuing publicity for the books that it’s become a full time job. I don’t expect this new-found career to ever make me materially rich but I’ve met people I would never have met in other ways, had adventures I would never have otherwise had, and wake up every day excited about what will happen next. Charlotte taught me it’s important to make time to do what you love. Writing is more fun than any other job I’ve had — I think you’d call that a priceless experience.

WHO
Who are your favorite mystery writers?

My all time favorite is Agatha Christie, so you can imagine how excited I was when a couple of reviewers compared my books to hers saying Regan is like Miss Marple because she solves crimes by observing, seeing connections, and asking questions the police overlooked. I also like Dorothy Sayers and Tony Hillerman. If those clues led you to suspect I prefer cozy mysteries rather than harsher police procedurals for both reading and writing, take credit for solving your first case.

WHEN
When did you begin writing? Is Classic Revenge your first book?

MITZI: I began writing way back in middle school. I loved creating short stories for assignments and my teacher at the time encouraged me to keep it up. When I was older, I started writing feature articles for a couple of magazines, but I never really enjoyed it. I wanted to create – not report on what someone else was doing. It was at that point that I started working seriously on novels. I completed a romance manuscript and received many favorable comments on it but the plot wasn’t quite strong enough. In the middle of re-working it, I came up with the idea for The Silver Sleuths. Pushing the romance novel aside, I immediately began to work on Classic Revenge, which became my first published book.

WHAT
A little birdie told us you have a three-book deal with Avalon. What did you do to get that coveted three-book deal?

MITZI: Yes, and I am absolutely thrilled! When I queried Classic Revenge to Avalon Books, I was fortunate to have my initial editor, Chelsea Gilmore, fall in love with the idea. In my mind, I always saw this book as a continuing series and she agreed. I pitched a couple of additional story lines and landed a three-book-deal. My current editor, Lia Brown, is so much fun to work with and she also loves the series, so it will be around for as long as I can dream up trouble for the amateur sleuths!

WHERE
Where do you get the ideas for your books? I was wondering if you start with the idea for the murder first or did you develop your unforgettable characters first?

MITZI: The characters definitely came first. They were jumping around in my mind, impatiently waiting for their traits to be put down on paper so they could get to work! This sounds ridiculous, but it really is the way this series was born. The incidents—the plots of each book—are easy to develop when you have characters that are so eager to interfere with the crime-solving professionals. With characters like these, you can see any scenario—real or imagined—which they can plop right in the middle of and make their presence known.

WHO
Who are you most like: Millie, Edna, or Trish? Or are you a little bit of each?

MITZI: When I think about it, I really am a little bit of each. I’m similar to Trish in that I’m self-employed, hate to diet and exercise, and tend to get embarrassed when I’m around someone like Millie who I also share some minor characteristics such as believing age doesn’t have a darn thing to do with anything. And, I can relate to Edna in the fact that I am deeply in love with my husband, cherish my friends and hate to hurt anybody’s feelings. I also share a major habit with each of them . . . I drink coffee 24/7!

WHY
Why did you decide to write in the mystery genre? Why not romance, or children’s, or chick lit? Or will you be branching out into another genre?

MITZI: My first choice in selecting reading material is a good mystery. I’m not much into horror—scares the daylights out of me!—but I love suspense. It can be very serious dramatic suspense, or light and fun—it doesn’t matter, so it was a natural and enjoyable experience to create a mystery series. I also enjoy romance as long as there is more to the storyline than creative sexual positions. I love the ‘getting to know each other’ aspect of romance and I am currently working on a romance trilogy along with the third installment in The Silver Sleuths series. My biggest fear is I will have Millie falling in love with one of the criminals in the mystery series while my heroine in the romance novel witnesses a murder!

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow to learn more about Mitzi’s first two books and enter the giveaway!

Author: Mark Smythe

Illustrator: Mike Motz

Paperback: 44 pages

Genre: Picture Book

Publisher: Mark Smythe (May 2, 2009)

Synposis:

If you were left out in the cold by yourself, would you be mad? Of course you would! Well, this snowman is out for revenge, especially after he sees those kids in the nice warm house, eating cookies and drinking hot chocolate!

Review:

What happens to snowmen after everyone goes inside? This story turns the idea of a friendly snowman on its head with a snowman who is MAD after he gets left outside when the kids are done playing. He finally gets inside but things don’t go as planned!

My son loved this book, especially the way the words “followed” the illustrations–instead on marching neatly across the page words slid down hills, marched up steps, and got BIG and BOLD when the snowman was mad. This is a fun book all your kids will enjoy. Perfect to save for a special reading on school snow days after they finally declare the snow too wet and too cold!

I searched and searched for a photo of the mysterious Mr. Smythe but couldn’t find one anywhere! I finally asked him and he reluctantly sent me three that he pronounced “terrible” since he just isn’t photogenic. I know the feeling. I have an editor bugging me for a bio pic too…the absolute worst part of writing in my opinion. But don’t worry Mark. Took a survey and my family thinks you’re “OK in a dad way”. What more could you ask for? Next up is a children’s outdoor series which we’re anxiously awaiting. Then we want a picture book about being a volunteer fire fighter! Mark sent us a great photo of him in his fire uniform that would look great on the back of a book!

WHO
Who are your favorite authors: children’s and adult?

Favorite children’s book (vintage) is:
How Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Got Together
Beatrice Schenk De Regniers ~ Brinton Turkle
Of course, classic “Curious George” and “Dr. Suess” books are always good!

Adult authors vary, depending on content. I tend towards outdoor and spiritual content. I read Theodore Roosevelt outdoor historical non-fiction; I like John Eldredge non-fiction; and I enjoy Richard Bach fiction, as well as classic Tolkien.

WHAT
What do you do when you aren’t writing children’s book?

I work in the field of bio-tech/ bio-oncology diagnostics. I am a Volunteer Fire Fighter. Also, the father of two teenagers. (No fear; they are wonderful children!)

WHY
Why did you write about an angry snowman? Did someone lock you out in the snow as a child?

Ha! Very funny! No; actually, I used to tell this story to my children, as a bedtime story, when they were little. I just made it up. They always liked it.

The rhyme is fun and, depending on how you read it (the tone you use, the meter, voice ranges), it can be altered for various age ranges. It can be a very humorous interpretation, you can make it a bit spooky, or you can just let the flow of the rhyme and the nice illustrations encapture.

WHEN
When did you begin writing and how long did it take you to write The Snowman’s Revenge?

Always had an affinity for writing. Well, at least an interest in it. So, always writing, really. It didn’t take long at all to write it, because the story was already there (as per above) and the rhyming comes easy, ‘cuz it’s fun to do.

Now, actually putting the whole thing together, what with the illustrations and all, well – that’s another story! That did take quite some time. (Years, I’d say)

WHERE
Where do you write? Do you have a special spot?

My home is quite cozy, A charming, quaint, old, turn-of-the-century farm house; so, it is quite conducive to writing.

WHO
Who is your favorite author–besides your sister!

Amy: Anne Tyler, Wally Lamb, Jonathan Kozol. I like stories, fiction and non-fiction, about families and personal relationships.

Jo: John Steinbeck, Pat Conroy, anyone who writes about the Italian Renaissance. I like character-driven novels and historical fiction. I like to learn about different periods of history while I am reading. I also like to read non-fiction books about the lives of artists.

WHAT
What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Amy: After the chapter is written and the plot is established, I like to re-write it! I like discussing plot lines with Joanne.

Jo: I love all of it. Even when I feel frustrated or think this is the worst writing I’ve ever done when I have the completed book and I look back, I loved every minute of the writing process.

WHY
Why did you decide to co-author a book? Is it easier/more difficult than individual writing?

Amy: Joanne asked me to. I could not write a novel without her.

Jo: It just came out of my mouth. I had finished writing a novel and was looking to write another one. I was on the phone with Amy and without thought I said, why don’t we write a book together. The best things seem to happen spontaneously! Amy and I don’t actually write together, meaning we don’t sit at our computers together and type the novel so in that regard we are writing individually. We re-write together and discuss plot lines and characters together. In that sense, it’s easier since we get along so well. Two heads are better than one in this case.

WHEN
You’re both very busy ladies. When do you find time to write?

Amy: Evenings after supper; Sunday afternoons; before I go to bed.

Jo: Whenever I am not working. I don’t have a set schedule because I find I resent that. I write mornings, afternoons, evenings and into the night if I don’t have to get up too early.

WHERE
Where do you get the ideas for your novels?

Amy: I live it.

Jo: Different places. Mostly it starts with a topic that intrigues me and then it morphs to some unexpected place.

Wicked Good

Authors: Amy Lewis Faircloth and Joanne Lewis

Paperback: 262 pages (also available in Kindle format)

Publisher: Telemachus Press (August 7, 2011)

Synposis:

Archer Falcon manages to maintain a successful law practice but in her private life she feels inept, especially when it comes to her adopted son, Rory who has been diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and Asperger’s syndrome.

Rory is a teenage boy struggling in a world that doesn’t understand him. He is as intelligent, witty and creative as he is destructive. Like all teenagers he seeks a sense of belonging and decides that his birth parents might just understand him better.

Wicked Good is part drama, part mystery…with a dose of humor. The authors take us on an emotional rollercoaster as we journey with their flawed-but-loveable characters, weaving in social issues and bits of New England’s history to make an entertaining read. Along the way we find ourselves gaining a better understanding of Rory’s world and the love shared between mother and son.

Review:

Like most moms I know, Archer Falcon isn’t quite sure she’s measuring up. If she was a better mother her son would be dealing better with his bipolar disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome, she would be dealing better with being a mom, there would be no late night trips to the police station, or resounding shouts of “I hate you!” from Rory, the person she loves more than anything in the world. Right?

Although Rory, one of the main characters of Wicked Good, is dealing with several problems this book is less about kids with challenges and more about every kid, and their attempt to carve out a relationship with their parents. Rory is searching for his birth parents, and the co-authors manage to weave just enough mystery into the plot to keep you reading, wondering about the who, what and why.

This novel is brave enough to voice all the things we so often leave unsaid in our families: the resentment, the frustration, even the hate that so often clouds the love. I applaud the realism of the relationship between a teenager and a parent that they portray with Rory and Archer, and the additional facets of the parent-child relationship shown through Archer and her mother, Rory and his father, and Rory and his birth aunt. Thanks for showing us that the only “perfect” relationship exists in our overtired brains!

These characters are so real they jump off the page and have readers wondering, “What would I do in their place?”

WHY
Why did you move from nonfiction to novel writing? Do you find you enjoy one type of writing more than another or find one more challenging?

Since I was eight I had wanted to become an author. But first, I had to get an education. I was nineteen when I graduated from the University of Washington. A few months after graduation I married an alum who had earned his degree in electrical engineering four years ahead of me. Sporadically I wrote and sold children’s stories and little articles. But as a wife, a mother of a daughter and two sons, as well as a part time preschool teacher and a Family Life instructor, sponsored by the Seattle Public School District, I was too busy to think about writing. Instead I decided to pursue a career in special education and returned to the University to work toward a Ph.D. By then Cathy was married, Mike was in college and Alex was a high school senior.

In 1982 my first nonfiction book, Time to Begin, was published. Over the past years my career as a specialist in early intervention for infants with Down syndrome was well established. My book, based upon my work with these babies brought national and global recognition to the book and to me. Time to Begin roused such interest in our program for children with Down syndrome, that my colleague and I quickly wrote a second book about our work with older children with Down syndrome.

In 1997, seven years after my husband’s death and a marriage of fifty-one y ears, I published what I expected would be my last nonfiction book. Based upon case histories it is an account of my life as a wife, mother and educator of children with special needs. I had written these three books because I had something important to share with parents, teachers and the general public. With Tears and Triumphs successfully launched, I was free at last to follow my long-delayed dream and write a novel. In a writing frenzy, I wrote the book in about eight months. I sent it to an agent. She accepted my first novel and sold it to Five Star.

Before I could begin my second novel, Lori, Runaway Wife, my agent came up with contracts for three additional nonfiction books. The project took almost two years to complete. Now at last, after 78 years I’m finally doing what I had always wanted to do: writing fiction.

WHAT
What advice would you give to writers working on their first novel?

Select a genre . What kind of books do you like to read, Romance, Mystery, Science Fiction, and so on? Humans and animals have skeletons to support their bodies. Books also have a framework to support its body. Select your genre and study how contents of the novel were put together on the basic framework. Apply what you learned to your own work as you write your novel in your own style.

Location:
Set you novel in a place that is familiar to you. If you live in Alaska, don’t set it in Florida, if you’ve never lived there.

Names:
Names are important. You want the name to fit the personality of your character. Lucy would never fit Scarlett. Avoid using names that start with the same letter. The first and last names of a person should not have the same number of syllables.

Notebook:
I use a notebook where I keep all the information, in great detail, about the characters. It helps when I forget something.

WHO
Who inspires you?

My greatest inspiration comes from the writing process. Creating interesting characters and situations is both challenging and enjoyable.

WHERE
Where do you get ideas for your novels?

Ideas come to me spontaneously. Most often a woman’s name comes to mind. For some reason the name intrigues me and I decide to tell her story. For some time, now, the name Amanda has been rattling in my brain, and in my mind I have already outlined her story.

WHEN
When did you begin writing? Now that you’re 92, do you see yourself hanging up your writing hat anytime soon? Or do you have too many ideas still demanding a book?

I think that I began writing mentally when I was about three. Without speaking I would describe whatever I was doing, referring to myself in the third person. For example, my mind might say ( She went outside and called the dog. “Let’s go for a walk,” she said.) These words would be forming in my mind as I leave the house to call my dog. Despite my advanced age, I’m not ready to give up writing. Although I’m taking a temporary hiatus, the first twenty-one chapters of a new novel are waiting for me to write the following twenty-one chapters.

1″>Lori, Runaway Wife

Author: Valentine Dmitriev

Paperback: 229 pages (also available in Kindle format)

Publisher: PublishAmerica (September 15, 2011)

Synposis:

Pretty, young Lori Becker is a nursing intern at a Queens hospital and is a bettered wife. Professionally skilled, she is socially naive. Intimidated by her brutal husband, Lori lives in the fantasy world of romance mysteries, idolizing their handsome author Ian Damion.

A car accident sends Francine Ross, an unmarried, pregnant woman to the maternity ward where Lori works. The distraught man accompanying Francine is Ian Damion. Francine’s full-term infant is delivered. Her casual liason with Ian is over, and she grants him custody of his newborn son. Ian must return to Washington State, He needs a baby’s nanny. Concealing her identity, Lori volunteers. This is very chance to escape from her husband. Lori matures, develops self-esteem and falls in love with Ian, but when he returns her love and proposes, Lori must confess that she’s a married woman.

Stolen Bride

Author: Valentine Dmitriev

Paperback: 276 pages (also available in Kindle format)

Publisher: CreateSpace (July 28, 2011)

Synposis:

Naomi Knapp, a beautiful nineteen year old Amish girl, is chosen against her will by the domineering, old widowed Bishop of her Order for his new bride. To prevent this marriage, the Bishop’s son, Jacob, who has left the community and is a successful model and actor in New York abducts Naomi. Having been physically abused by his father and wanting to prevent Naomi from having the kind of life his mother endured, his abduction takes Naomi into a world she could not even have imagined.

Come back on Friday for my review of Angelina’s Bachelors and a giveaway!

Normally I only ask authors five questions but I broke the 5Ws rule so I could get the story about both sides of O’Reilly’s life: the foodie side and the wordie side.

WHAT
What is your favorite dish to make or eat? What is your favorite type of book to read?

I really like sautéing, creating something neat in an All-Clad pan with whatever ingredients I can pull out of the pantry and refrigerator. Maybe something like tuna with garlic, olives, tomatoes and capers in good olive oil served over thin spaghetti, sprinkled with red pepper flakes, fresh basil and asiago. Also love to make big one pot meals like red gravy, meatballs and sausages, chili or posole and fresh soups. Lately, we’ve been posting an “omelet of the day” on Facebook- that’s pretty much what eat every morning. Virginia is the real culinarian- she’s a great baker and saucier and the mistress of the roasting pan!

I try to read across a broad spectrum. Been reading food related non-fiction lately. Just read Jacques Pepin’s The Apprentice, George Taber’s The Judgment of Paris, Anthony Bourdain’s Medium Raw. Virginia just re-read all of Jane Austen; she introduced me to Don DeLillo, who is a genius. For fun, I like serial fiction: John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee, Robert Parker’s Spenser; loved all of the Harry Potter books and Lord of the Rings; also enjoyed Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. I can sit down and read a Sherlock Holmes story any time of the night or day- and I’ve read them all fifty times each. Can’t seem to get into vampires, though.

WHEN
When did you begin cooking? When did you begin writing?

My first-ever forays into cooking came in my early 20’s when I was first living on my own; that was a matter of pure economics and not starving to death. I was an early adopter of Food Network; I think I learned more about actually cooking for my family from Emeril: Live than from any other source.

I started writing in high school and college; I’ve written professionally in one form or another as a TV and video producer for more than 20 years; I’ve happily been able to focus more on writing creatively in the last five or six years.

WHERE
Where are you from…Philadelphia? Because I thought you portrayed the Philly neighborhood very accurately!

I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and really started to actively encounter the life of the city in my college days. I’ve lived out of the area (as far away as California for a number of years), but always seem to end up back within striking distance of the Ben Franklin Bridge (and thanks for the compliment!).

WHY
Why did you decide to begin writing cookbooks? Why did you decide to write Angelina’s Bachelors?

The opportunity to write cookbooks came as a direct result of producing a show called Dinner: Impossible for Food Network. Mission: Cook! and Impossible to Easy were collaborations with Robert Irvine and were inspired by different phases in his career and his exploits on the show. Virginia worked tirelessly on creating and framing the recipes and culinary vision of the books and I labored on wrapping it all in acceptable prose!

When we decided to write a novel, we wanted to focus on food-related themes that would, hopefully, take advantage of our individual strengths. In casual conversation (we have a lot of those), Virginia told me a story of an older man she’d heard of who went to an older woman’s house every day for his breakfasts and dinners. That seemed like a wonderfully old-fashioned, food-centric place to start. The rest is Angelina’s Bachelors!

WHO
Who is your favorite chef? Who is your favorite author?

Picking your favorite chef is like picking your favorite song. Once you say it out loud, you immediately want to change your mind (and you will, depending on what you’re in the mood for at any given moment). Notwithstanding the fact that we’ve been fortunate to know and work with a number of great chefs, I’d say that one of Virginia’s favorites is probably Michel Richard, for his sheer brilliance and endless inventiveness. Probably the best meal we’ve had was prepared by Masaharu Morimoto, just after Morimoto opened in Philadelphia. And, okay, Thomas Keller looks pretty good, too.

My favorite reading experience ever was reading Lord of the Rings in high school, so maybe that means J.R.R. Tolkien is my favorite author. I also like James Joyce and an Irish expatriate called J.P. Donleavy. Shakespeare is a favorite; always well worth the effort. I loved early John Irving, all of Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Jules Verne. Two of the best are Dr. Seuss and Mark Twain, for virtually the same reasons. I don’t like Ayn Rand (sorry!). And I’m saving Moby Dick for a rainy week, so I expect I’ll be putting Melville on the list before it’s all over.