Mike Angley

MA: Born a Military Brat, Marilyn Morris attended schools overseas, in Seoul Korea (1946-47) and Linz, Austria (1949-1952) and various schools stateside.  From this background, she has crafted her autobiographical Once a Brat, relating her travels with her army officer father from her birth in 1938 to his retirement in 1958.

Her first novel, Sabbath’s Room, was published in 2001, followed by Diagnosis: Lupus:  The Intimate Journal of a Lupus. More novels quickly followed:  The Women of Camp Sobingo; Forces of Nature; Sabbath’s Gift; and Sabbath’s House. Additionally, she has published a collection of humor/human interest articles written for a newspaper over a 10-year period, titled: My Ashes of Dead Lovers Garage Sale.

She has taught creative writing at Tarrant County College, Fort Worth TX and survived numerous book signings and speaking engagements.  She is a member of the North Texas Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America.

When not writing or editing emerging writers’ manuscripts, she enjoys her family and friends worldwide and near her home in Fort Worth TX. True to her Brat heritage, she has a suitcase packed under the bed, ready to travel at a moment’s notice.

I have to thank you for your service as a military brat!  I’ve got three of them myself, and they were real troopers each time we moved.  We also served in Korea, and believe it or not, it’s one of the places my kids loved the most.  It was the hardest place for us to leave.

You began writing as a young girl, as I recall you mentioning to me earlier.

MM: I think I was born with a pencil in my hand.  All my family read voraciously, and when I was in kindergarten, I figured out that the squiggles the teacher made on the blackboard were letters, and letters made words, and words made stories.  My mother says I was “writing” stories from age three on.  In school, I wrote for the school newspaper.  I didn’t start writing “for real” until I was about 50; I was divorced, my children were grown and I had the time to do what I really wanted to do.

MA: So why choose fiction over non-fiction?  It would seem with your background, you could produce some great real-life stories for a compelling book.

MM: A vivid imagination.  Writing non-fiction, such as articles where accuracy is required, intimidates me.  I would much rather write imaginatively, than be bored with dry facts.  I’ve read that the definition of a novelist is “Telling lies for fun and profit.”  So far, lots of fun; very little profit.  But I wouldn’t trade fiction writing for anything.

MA: I’d have to second that! I spent a quarter of a century of my adult life writing non-fiction…reports of investigation, intelligence reports, analytical pieces, and so forth.  It was dry and boring.  I like the escape that fiction gives me. Tell us about your novels.

MM: My Sabbath books — two are published, one more is coming soon — could be described as paranormal, or supernatural mystery.  My first novel with Vanilla Heart Publishing is The Women of Camp Sobingo. This novel is based on my mother’s experiences as an army wife in the post-WWII years in a remote military compound outside Seoul, Korea.

Forces of Nature came from a thought while shopping in a suburban shopping mall:  What if one of the Air Force bombers from the base nearby would crash into the mall?  Add to that, what if the plane would be blown into the mall by a fierce tornado?  Who would live and who would die?

Sabbath’s Gift is a reprint of my first novel, Sabbath’s Room, and deals with a black cat who “once belonged to a witch” who is witness to a double murder and provides answers to the mystery of whatever happened to the couple who lived in the remote farmhouse?

Sabbath’s House is the second in the Sabbath Trilogy, and deals with the beleaguered Elliott family who trade one haunted house for another in the Texas Hill Country.

I also have a collection of humor/human interest columns written for a suburban newspaper over a ten year period, titled: My Ashes of Dead Lovers Garage Sale (and other stories from a single woman of a certain age) and two non-fiction books that arose from my own experiences:

Once a Brat arose from a request by the president of The American Overseas Schools Historical Society for me to please document my experiences as having been one of the first military brats to be deployed overseas after WWII with my army officer father.  I gladly complied, and he then urged me to have the ms. published. The original ms. is in the archives in the museum in Wichita KS.   I am currently writing a sequel that will feature contributions from other military brats.

The second non-fiction book is Diagnosis: Lupus: The Intimate Journal of a Lupus Patient where I took pages from three years of journaling about finding a diagnosis and treatment of this puzzling disease.  It has received the designation of Recommended Reading by the Education Committee of The Lupus Foundation of America.  As with my army brat book, I am also writing a second book about lupus; while the first is from my own personal perspective, the sequel will feature contributions from other lupus sufferers.

MA: You have unique protagonists.  Tell us about them.

MM: I think with all my novels, all the protagonists are strong women.  In my upcoming historical romance, The Unexplored Heart, the heroine is a strong young woman who strikes out on her own in Victorian England.  The heroes and heroines in my novels have flexibility that enables them to take unorthodox paths to attain their goals.  And, conversely, it turns out that in many instances, that very strength turns out to be one of their weaknesses.  My characters are always surprising me.

MA: What kinds of antagonists do you manage to insert into your stories to wreak havoc on the heroines?

MM: I think circumstances in which the characters find themselves is the “bad guy”, be it the isolation of a remote military compound or confronting a natural force like a tornado and surviving.  It’s an interesting thought…..my characters must search deep inside themselves to not only solve the problem, mystery, or isolation thrust on them, but to survive.

MA: I know many of your own real-life experiences influenced your writing.  Can you elaborate more on that?

MM: Oh, yes.  I tell people my first novel was written in revenge.  I had gone through a terrible, protracted divorce, and no doubt took out my frustrations on my soon-to-be ex husband….the bodies in the cellar could certainly have had his face on them!  While it was my mother who had the true-life experiences portrayed in The Women of Camp Sobingo, I also felt the impact of that unusual life, even as an eight and nine year old girl.

MA: What are you working on now, and will you migrate any of your current characters to future stories?

MM: Oh, yes.  The protagonist in The Women of Camp Sobingo, Trudy Cavanaugh, who suffered a tragedy while she was in Korea as an army wife, will get her very own sequel, to be called, That Cavanaugh Woman. This will show how her innate strength carries her from her years as an army wife to her world-wide fame as the CEO of a publishing empire in an environment and era where she made her own path.  Other characters from the original book will make appearances to test her mind and spirit.  I can’t wait to get this book under way!

MA: I know you are also involved in some wonderful programs to support the troops.  Tell us about that.

MM: All my books from Vanilla Publishing are available in eBook format.  Recently, through the wonder of the Internet, I was asked to participate in Operation eBook Drop, through a partnership between Smashwords and Vanilla Heart Publishing, It will enable our deployed military personnel to gain access to my books through any of their reading devices.  Free.  Absolutely free.  As many books as they would like.  My late father, RM Morris, US Army Artillery during the WWII and Cold War eras, would be so pleased I’m able to participate and support our troops.

MA:  Thanks, Marilyn, for being my special guest today, for your service, and for your continued support to the troops.  Folks, check out Marilyn’s blog: http://mcmauthor.wordpress.com/ as well as her author’s page on the Vanilla Heart Publishing website: http://www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/Marilyn_Morris.html

MA: Peggy Bechko is a multi-faceted writer. Some would say she’s far-stretched, others, multi-talented. Born in Michigan, raised in Indiana and Florida, she now lives with her husband in New Mexico, a beautiful state of mountains, pines, desert and cactus.

Fiction has been her passion from about the age of fourteen. Her only quandary was that she could never write anything short. So, in the course of things, she just kind of skipped over short stories and jumped right to novel length and submitted what she felt was her first marketable works when she was nineteen, to a literary agency in New York. They welcomed her into their ranks of writers, addressing her as Mister Bechko, which at that time went uncorrected as she was then submitting westerns and was told, repeatedly, “women can’t write westerns.”

Her first sale was to Doubleday, the editor with whom she dealt, was also greatly surprised to find himself talking to a young woman. But, over time, everybody adjusted. The book, THE NIGHT OF THE FLAMING GUNS, written it in the first person as a middle-aged man, was published when she was twenty-two. Doubleday went on to buy a total of five westerns from her.

Congratulations, Peggy, on your success as a writer, a career which began unusually early in life.  Most authors don’t publish until they are older, after experiencing life a bit and dabbling in different careers.  Given your quick start, I assume not much preceded your writing endeavors?

PB:  There’s not a lot to tell about the prequel of my writing career since it’s pretty much what I’ve always done: write.  I had my first novel published with Doubleday when I was 21.  After that I published on a fairly regular basis, westerns, then romance, and finally fantasy.  Along with that, as westerns rarely pay all the bills, I did frequently hold jobs as well.  I’ve been a bookkeeper, an administrative assistant, an assistant bookstore director at a college and legal assistant.  I took a few years off writing novels to be mentored in screenwriting, optioned several scripts domestically and abroad, wrote a script for an animated TV show airing in France and now work on script or novel – whichever appeals.  I’ve also written articles, reports and other commercial projects to help keep the bills paid.

MA: Talk about your passion for fiction, in particular novel-length stories.

PB: I chose to write novels mainly because I couldn’t stop.  Never did write short stories (though I did more recently and won an award for it).  First writings were simply novella length and they expended right into novels when I learned how to fill in the details.

I’ve written in several genres.  Western, romance and adult adventure/fantasy.  Western and romance are in hard copy format.  Fantasy is Stormrider, published at www.fictionworks.com as an Ebook.

MA: Do you find it difficult to write, especially the basic mechanics, plotting, character development, and the like?

PB:  Developing characters – protagonist or others, has always been a pretty natural progression for me.  I usually get a story idea first, then ideas for the characters flow into the mix.  It was all launched by the protagonist in my first western who was actually my grandfather in disguise.   The strengths of my hero or heroine are good character, solid resolve and adaptability…weaknesses are they’re human!

MA: As an accomplished writer, how much do you think an author’s personal life experiences should find themselves inside the plot of a work of fiction?

PB:  I think every writer’s real-life experiences are factors in every plot they write.  It’s life experiences that mold us and give us the grist for our collective mill.  It’s those experiences, life’s pain and triumph, defeat and victory that we instill into our characters.  Living life and being human is the basis of our experience and thus that of our characters.   Understanding by experience what it’s like to love, to hate, to fear – that’s all part of what we write.  Without that experience we’re empty and have nothing to put on the page.   I discuss just that in my book for new and young writers at http://www.newwriterguide.com

MA: Those are some powerful words, and spot-on observations.  So, what’s next?

PB: Beyond this – novel writing, which I am currently doing in the form of a new paranormal romance, I plan to write more scripts (have several ideas that need fleshing out) and do more ghostwriting and commercial writing.  I usually dedicate part of my day to my own projects and part to the projects of someone else to keep the bills paid.

MA:  Do you have any words of advice to aspiring writers?

PB: Writing, in any form, is my first love.  Unfortunately very few fiction writers can earn a living writing full time; it’s a small percentage who do.  Fortunately, there are other ways for writers to fill the gaps.  Think of everyday life.  What doesn’t include writing?  Who writes the newspaper articles serious or fluff?  Who writes screen or TV scripts?  Who writes magazine articles or the reports or instruction books or catalog copy or sales letters or the web content or the blogs?  If everyone suddenly stopped writing for a day what would be the result?  So all my writing life I’ve moved through different areas of writing and have loved every minute of it.  I recommend other writers who love to write, love to sculpt the sentence and paragraph, do the same.  You don’t have to do the shotgun effect, but find several areas of writing you delight in and pursue them.

MA:  That’s some great advice.  Peggy, thanks for visiting with me today and sharing your insight and inspiration with my readers.  Peggy has several websites and social media sites which I encourage everyone to visit:

http://www.PeggyBechko.50megs.com
http://www.PeggyBechko.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/PeggyBechko
http://www.newwriterguide.com

Mike: Melanie Atkins a multi-published author of suspense and romantic suspense, a fan of crime dramas, and an avid reader. Writing is more than an escape for her—it’s a way of life. She grew up in the Deep South listening to tall tales and penning stories about her cats. Now she writes gripping stories of love, suspense, and mystery with the help of her furry little feline muses.

I love your genre, and I also know you have some connection to the law enforcement community.  Tell us about your background and what brought you to writing your novels.

Melanie: I’m the former wife of a police officer, and even though we divorced I admire all the brave men and women who protect and serve–and I love to write about them. Fiction grabbed me at a young age and I can’t stop writing. In an effort to “make it real and get it right,” I’ve completed two local Citizen’s Police Academies and have attended numerous writing conferences with law enforcement sessions taught by professionals, including Forensic University sponsored by the St. Louis chapter of Sisters in Crime. Some of the professionals there have turned out to be excellent resources who are eager to help. Even though I’ve sold many books, I know I’ll never stop learning.  I’ve written a good many short stories and even a little poetry (which no one will ever see) over the years but I tend to write long. I love the escape books provide and I hope to give my readers that same pleasure.

Mike: I was in law enforcement for over 25 years, and I know the sacrifices the spouses make, so thanks for your support to the troops.  Tell us about your novels.

Melanie: PRIME SUSPECT is a suspense set in New Orleans. In this story, New Orleans Assistant District Attorney Marisa Cooper prosecutes murderers for a living, but the tables are turned on her when her ex-husband is found dead in her garage. To prove her innocence, she must team up with her former fiancée, Slade Montgomery, the detective who risks his career–and his heart–to help her find the real killer.

SKELETON BAYOU is s single title romantic suspense set in south Louisiana. In this book, Savannah Love is emotionally and physically battered, but is determined to survive after escaping the hellish imprisonment imposed on her by her psychotic cop-husband. After seven months in hiding, she resurfaces at Mossy Oak, her ramshackle family home on a Louisiana bayou, and attempts to restart her life. The empty house provides shelter, but isn’t the fortress she needs when her cruel ex comes calling.

Mack O’Malley, former cop turned handyman conflicted over a bad shoot on the job, comes to Savannah’s rescue when the psychopath draws them into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Fearful of Mack at first, she soon discovers that beneath his steely exterior lies a resolute defender with a heart hungry for love. Will their alliance save them, or will they fall victim to the Legend of Skeleton Bayou?

Mike: How did you develop the ideas for the stories?

Melanie: I come up with a basic story premise, then develop my characters using character diamonds that include their four main traits–putting my two main characters at odds with each other and the villain. Everything they say and do must come from one of the corners of the diamond. I’ve found that it’s an effective way to build my heroes and heroines.

Mike: Tell us more about your heroines and heroes.

Melanie: My heroes tend to be loyal, brave, and trustworthy–but they are afraid to trust, to risk their hearts. They give their all to save the heroine and defeat their adversary, even if it means being hurt or even dying, but usually they intend to walk away in the end so they won’t get hurt. In PRIME SUSPECT, Slade is afraid Marisa will leave him again. She did once before, so why not now? He fights his attraction to her but finally gives in and together they bring down a killer.

Mike:  And the bad guys?

Melanie: Each of my books has a different villain. PRIME SUSPECT has an entire family of them, allowing for enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing. SKELETON BAYOU is a bigger book with a secondary storyline that has its own villains. It’s a complicated story.

Mike: Since you grew up in the Deep South, I bet your early experiences there shaped your writing, correct?

Melanie: As far as the settings go, yes. As for the plot, not exactly. My love of New Orleans plays a large part in many of my stories. I’m fascinated with the city, and I believe that comes out in PRIME SUSPECT. As for SKELETON BAYOU, I’ve visited the Louisiana swamp, and it scared me–which gave me the idea for that book. The plot of each of my stories comes totally from my imagination–even though I might get an idea from a dream, a newspaper story, or an event I witness. All of life is material, and I try to keep my eyes and ears open.

Mike: What are you working on next?

Melanie: I’m working on a gritty single title suspense set in my hometown. I’m hoping to shine a light in a very dark place and keep readers guessing.

Also, in my six-book New Orleans Detective series (PRIME SUSPECT is the 2nd book), I introduce the hero for the next title in each book, then bring them back from time to time. They all work together, and I love revisiting the characters and seeing how they’ve grown.

Mike: Sounds like some fun reads!  Please visit Melanie’s website and blog for more information about her and her books: http://www.melanieatkins.com and http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com

MA: Dianne Ascroft is a Canadian writer, living in Britain. She has been freelance writing since 2002. Her non-fiction writing focuses on history, arts/music and human interest stories. She particularly enjoys interviewing music personalities and has had the pleasure of chatting with a variety of people including former Bay City Rollers lead singer, Les McKeown and the classical singing trio, The Priests. Her articles have been printed in Canadian and Irish newspapers and magazines including the Toronto Star, Mississauga News, Derry Journal, Banbridge Leader, Senior Times and Ireland’s Own magazine. She has had several short stories published in Irish magazines. Hitler and Mars Bars is her first novel, and it is an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award quarter finalist!

Dianne started life in a quiet residential neighborhood in the buzzing city of Toronto and has progressively moved to smaller places through the years. She now lives on a small farm in Northern Ireland with her husband and an assortment of pets. If she ever decides to write her autobiography the working title will be Downsizing.

It sounds like you’ve had a variety of writing experiences that no doubt led you to your first novel, but that all seems to have begun within the last eight years. What else have you done that may have contributed to your writing career?

DA: Like many writers, writing has never been my primary occupation. I’ve always held a day job and written in my spare time. I’ve held a variety of jobs over the years. In Canada, after I graduated from university, I focused on the information management field. I worked as a library clerk in a corporate library and as an archives clerk in the public sector. When I moved to Northern Ireland, in 1990, I landed every booklover’s dream job – an assistant in a bookshop. Needless to say, that was heaven for an avid reader like me and I stayed there for several years. Since 1998 I’ve held various clerical positions on short term contracts. I like this flexible approach to employment as breaks between assignments give me a chance to spend some extra time writing. It also allows me time to enjoy country life with our animals on our small farm.

MA: With all your experience writing non-fiction, what inspired you to write a novel?

DA: I had toyed with the idea for ages before I began Hitler and Mars Bars. I had ideas for plots but I couldn’t decide which one to start – until I found a tale that I had to tell. And it was a much bigger tale than I could tell in a short story so it pushed me into writing a novel. I heard about a Red Cross humanitarian aid effort, Operation Shamrock, which brought German children to Ireland to recuperate after the Second World War. The story of this endeavor opened up a new aspect of Irish and German history for me – one that has been overlooked in the history books. It aroused my curiosity so I waded into researching the project. Fascinated by what I learned about this little known episode in history, I wanted to bring the events and the era alive for readers. The novel was born from that. I found it exciting and a challenge to create a story that was entertaining and also recounted real historical events.

MA: You certainly have an interesting title for the novel, as well as a fascinating historical backdrop for it.  Tell us about the story.

DA: Hitler and Mars Bars is the story of a German boy growing up in war-torn Germany and post war rural Ireland. Set against the backdrop of Operation Shamrock, a little known Irish Red Cross initiative which helped German children after World War II, my novel explores a previously hidden slice of Irish and German history. Erich, growing up in Germany’s embattled Ruhr area during World War II, knows only war and deprivation. His mother disappears after a heavy bombing raid leaving him distraught. After the war the Red Cross transports Erich and his younger brother, Hans, to Ireland, along with hundreds of other children, to recuperate from the devastating conditions in their homeland.

During the next few years Erich moves around Ireland through a string of foster families. He experiences the best and worst of Irish life, enduring indifference and brutality and sometimes finding love and acceptance. Plucky and resilient, Erich confronts every challenge he meets and never loses hope. Hitler and Mars Bars is the tale of a boy who is flung into a foreign land to grow and forge a new life.

MA: Obviously since you live in Ireland you understand the culture there, so I imagine that helped you shape Erich as a character.  What else did you do to bring him to life?

DA: It was a challenge for me to develop Erich’s character and understand how he sees the world. Erich’s viewpoint is very different from my own. It isn’t his nationality that is ‘foreign’ to me as much as his gender. Some emotions and responses to our life experiences are universal but there are differences between male and female perceptions of the world. I used the recollections of a German man who was part of the initiative to help me understand how Erich might feel about what was happening to him and to decide how he would behave.

This man’s recollections, as well as information I gleaned from my research about other children’s experiences as part of Operation Shamrock, helped me create my character. I tried to create a character that is believable – one who acts and thinks like a real child.

The book is set in 1940s and 50s Ireland where the people had deep Christian beliefs. These beliefs, and the actions they prompted (living their lives in keeping with their beliefs), are clear in the novel’s main characters.

MA: Describe Erich some more.

DA: Irrepressible and impulsive are good words to describe Erich. These characteristics can be either positive or negative aspects of his personality depending on the situation he finds himself in. He frequently gets into mischief but he doesn’t mean any harm. Erich is a fighter in the courageous rather than the brawling sense of the word. Before he’s even school age he has already survived a war and circumstances most adults never face, yet he remains hopeful and resilient. His spirit borders on brashness which annoys some people he meets. But it serves him well as he’s not easily cowed and doesn’t give up even when life just seems to get worse.

He is fiercely loyal to the people he loves. Because he feels so intensely he is also easily hurt by any perceived betrayals. This can cause him to misinterpret situations and overreact. He finds it hard to forgive and can hate as intensely as he loves. Readers have told me they like Erich because he isn’t romanticized; he behaves like a real child.  He will awaken the reader’s parental instincts to love and discipline him in equal measures.

MA: Given the nature of the story’s setting…post-war…I suspect there are one or two antagonists in the novel.

DA: There are several adversaries in this story. People and events both conspire against Erich. The most significant event that affects him is the Second World War. Erich’s early years are difficult and deprived because of the devastation caused by bombing raids. He spends nights huddled in the cellar of the Children’s Home where he lives to shelter from the threat of bombing. He is constantly hungry due to the food shortages. His mother disappears after a bombing raid and he must leave Germany without learning what has happened to her. The war affects every aspect of his life. Several people are also his adversaries.

Erich encounters uncaring, even brutal foster parents at two of his foster placements. The first one is Aunt Rachel, a widow with one daughter. She fosters Erich and his brother, Hans, to earn some extra money to meet her bills and she really isn’t interested in the boys’ welfare. She is cross and cruel, making the boys’ lives a misery. Erich hates every minute he spends at her house and seethes with anger at her treatment of them.

The other one is quick tempered, harsh Uncle Bob. Although Uncle Bob plans to adopt Erich, his main reason for wanting the boy is to have unpaid farm labour. His priority is to get as much free labour as possible and he is abusive and unconcerned about the boy’s welfare. Erich has a place to sleep and the basic necessities for existence but he does not have a real family with Uncle Bob and his wife, Aunt Annie. How Erich overcomes his situation is the climax of the story.

MA: Living in working Europe no doubt helped you frame the story, but did any real life experiences manage to squeak into the plot?

DA: A lot of my writing is inspired by my own memories and experiences. But I sometimes hear an interesting story about someone else’s life and it sparks an idea that forms the basis for a story. As I’ve mentioned earlier, in the case of Hitler and Mars Bars, my research about Operation Shamrock and tales I heard from people who had participated in it sparked the ideas for my novel. I used material I discovered during my research about the project to create a story that was as true to the real events as I could make it.

MA: Are you working on any new project, perhaps a follow-on to Hitler and Mars Bars?

DA: Hitler and Mars Bars was released in March 2008. During the following months I didn’t have much time for new writing as I was busy promoting the novel. After the initial whirlwind of promotion I had a chance to put pen to paper again. I contributed fiction and non-fiction pieces to the Fermanagh Authors’ Association’s yearly anthologies in 2008 and 2009 and I’ve also been writing non-fiction articles about a variety of subjects for several magazines. Most recently articles I wrote based on my interview with the classical singing trio, The Priests were printed in four Irish and Canadian magazines. I enjoy non-fiction writing, especially profiling people in the arts and plan to continue interviewing interesting people I meet.

I’m also doing some short story writing and have begun research for the sequel to Hitler and Mars Bars. Many people have asked me what happens to Erich after Hitler and Mars Bars ends so I will have to answer that question in the next book. The sequel will follow Erich and his adventures. Several of the major characters from the first book will also re-appear. Their lives will have moved on from where we left them in Hitler and Mars Bars but they will be the same people readers loved or loathed. People often ask me where I got the idea for the book’s title. A couple amusing incidents in the story sparked the idea for it. So I linked the words that represented each incident together to form the title. But I won’t tell you anymore – you’ll have to read the book to figure out exactly where the title came from.

MA: Well, we’ll have to let that remain a mystery that people will have to explore on their own by buying the book.  For more information about Dianne and Hitler and Mars Bars, please visit her website and her blog: www.dianne-ascroft.com and www.dianneascroft.wordpress.com

MA: My guest today is the author of The SIN of Addison Hall, Jeffrey Onorato.  In 1968, at the age of 5, Jeffrey Onorato used construction paper and Elmer’s glue to create what he believes was the world’s first graphic novel, Feelings in Baseball. During his high school years he tried to woo girls he liked by penning them haiku poems; however, they were awful and his attempts were largely unsuccessful. In 1982 while attending Lehigh University, Mr. Onorato wrote an award winning essay, The Rapes of Grath and followed it up in 1984 with another award winning essay, Baseball is an Ass. The seed for his debut novel, The SIN of Addison Hall, was planted in the fall of 1999. While in his twenties, Jeffrey visited the gym religiously, and one Sunday morning, as he pulled into his gym’s packed parking lot, he noticed that the lot of the church next to his gym had more empty beer cans than cars. It occurred to him that toning his body was more important to him then nurturing his soul, and obviously he was not alone. Seven years later, writing primarily in overpriced coffee houses and Irish pubs, Jeffrey finished a novel that warns of the dangers of carnality. Mr. Onorato lives in Westchester County, NY with his wife and two young children.

Welcome, Jeffrey.  You obviously have enjoyed writing from an early age, but it wasn’t a career until later.  What did you do leading up to writing your first novel?

JO: I spent most of my adult life in sales, traveling lots.  Waiting for planes and sitting on planes gave me ample time to write.  According to my tally I spent time writing it in 23 US cities, four European cities, and three Caribbean resorts.

MA: I can see how your essay writing experiences evolved into novel writing.  Where there any other influences that led you to it?

JO:  I chose to write novels because I enjoy reading novels and I am a big fan of dystopian literature.  I like stories that are darkly humorous and provocative and stories that make my reader’s reflect upon their own value systems. After reading my first novel, The SIN of Addison Hall, one reader told me she cancelled a botox appointment and threw her Crest Whitestrips in the garbage.

MA: Tell us about the story.

JO: Residing in a country where beautiful people are considered superior, Addison Hall is an anomaly. A mildly repugnant man, he is forced by the twisted hierarchy of his dictator to live in less than adequate living situations. The days become increasingly arduous as he toils in an unpleasant job, stricken with the disappointment of his current situation. Besides the dark comedy of his disastrous attempts at romance and his friend’s antics, Addison’s life is fairly dull. Then he meets Otka, a beautiful woman who owns the local coffee shop. After witnessing a chance encounter where Addison risks his life to save the life of a dog, Otka takes an obvious interest in him. Addison is perplexed by her reciprocated intrigue. Past experiences with such a valued creature of the opposite sex has left him tainted and doubting her motives.

The SIN of Addison Hall entrances the reader with delicious conflicts of human wanting and wavering uncertainty with an ending that will leave you begging for more.

MA: You told me earlier that your protagonist is a bit autobiographical, but did any real life experiences factor into the story line at all?

JO: Not my real life experiences, but The Holocaust was the underpinning for the story.  My wife and I visited Auschwitz in 2003, so a lot of the imagery came from that visit. I also lifted verbatim from Nazi propaganda.  My reasons for doing this is to convey the message that whenever a society devalues a segment of its people, horrible things can accrue.

MA: That’s a good message we should all keep in mind.  Do you have any future novel-writing plans?

JO: I am currently on my third re-write for a novel that lampoons overt materialism. The working title is Betty Boop’s Skirt is Frayed. I expect to send the manuscript to my publisher by beginning of May 2010.

MA: You do come up with some clever titles for essays and books!  So, there won’t be a sequel to The SIN of Addison Hall?

JO: I am also working on the first draft of The Redemption of Addison Hall, an obvious sequel to The SIN of Addison Hall.  My goal is to have the manuscript off to the publisher by Christmas 2010.

MA: That’s good to hear.  If you would like to read more about Jeffrey Onorato and The SIN of Addison Hall, please visit: http://www.blockislandbooks.com/

Thanks, Jeffrey, for stopping by!

MA: I’m delighted to introduce today’s guest-blogger, children’s book author, Susan Crites.  Susan lives in Warrenton, VA (a town with which I am familiar from my assignments to the northern Virginia region) with Jeff, her husband of over 15 years, and two dogs: Emma (a ten-year-old blond mutt from the SPCA) and Sophie (a two-year-old Shiba Inu, also a rescue).  Susan has a Bachelor of Science in Business with a double major in Economics from Mary Washington College 1991 (now University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA).  Her first book is I Love You More than Rainbows.

Welcome, Susan.  Please tell us why you chose to write I Love You More than Rainbows.

SC: I’ve always loved children’s books, but hadn’t ever really thought to write one to be published.  If I wrote one, it would be for fun, but the idea of seriously writing was suggested by my husband.  I’ve spent so much time with children of all ages and love being with them that he knew I’d have a flurry of ideas if I put pen to paper.  Sure enough I did and it’s been fun, fulfilling and has expanded my horizons to an area that I never considered to be a strength of mine.  I wanted to put values and life lessons into words for children and I wanted them to learn and grow while enjoying a fun story.

MA: I think that’s real nice how you transformed the values you hold so dear, and the clear love you have for children, into a book.  But it’s not just a book for children, is it?

SC: I Love You More Than Rainbows is a book that helps an adult express the depth of the love they have for the little ones in their lives using fun and every day joys a child experiences with fun and flowing rhymes and vivid illustrations.  Using some of the tangible things children find fun and exciting allows them to grasp the abstract concept of love and wrap their minds around it.  For example, one of the rhymes states, “I love you more than ice cream with sprinkles on the top, or jumping into the pool with a great big belly flop!”  The result is a light bulb turning on in a child’s mind.  They can put the pieces together and come up with the desired result.  “I love ice cream with sprinkles!  It’s one of my favorite treats and I’m loved more than that?”  The abstract has now become tangible and the concept is understood by a young mind.

MA: When we were setting up this interview, I shared with you a story about how I expressed my love to my daughter as far back as when she was three or four years old.  I told her I had asked God to send me his best angel, and he did so in her.  She’s almost 16 years old now and still remembers that story, and it still makes her melt.  I think what you have done with your book is a great approach parents can take to helping their children understand love.

SC: As parents read my book to their children, it allows them to stop and savor the simple joys of life and helps them step back into childhood.  My book is merely a launching pad for them to share joys with their children.  I have parent after parent tell me they and their children use all sorts of comparisons to express how much they love each other.  It creates a bond and both the child and the parent remember those words “I love you more than . . .” now and years down the road.

Even as life seems to grow busier as time goes by, there are always opportunities for parents to tell and more importantly, show their children how much they’re loved whether they’re together or apart.

MA: How so?

SC: Writing a simple sweet note on a sticky pad and putting it on the bathroom mirror so they see it when they wake up or head to bed can put a smile on a child’s face.  They can write things they love about their child’s character – honesty, kindness, etc. that not only makes the child feel good, but it encourages them to keep it up.  They can take a photo together and let the child keep it with them or put in a special place.  It can be from a place the parent and child went together, being at home, being silly together, whatever.  Time, even in small quantities, makes a huge impact on children.  Turn off the cell phones, TV, video games, etc. and do something together.  It can be as simple as listening to them.  A parent can learn a lot about their child’s life that they can’t be a part of, such as when a parent is at work, the child is at school, etc. if they just take the time to ask questions and truly listen.  Even better, follow up on those difficult areas and see if they’re getting easier for the child.  A child needs love, structure and guidance to thrive. Spending time with them will provide that.

MA: You must have a special temperament, a way of seeing the world that helped shape your approach to I Love You More than Rainbows.

SC: I’ve always loved the simple things in life and have always been one to stop and watch a sunset, swing at the playground, enjoy nature on a walk, spend time being a kid again with the kids in my life, etc. so it was easy for me to pull from my life what brings a child joy.  The desire to help a child understand how much they’re loved was a goal for my book because I don’t think they can hear it enough.  It makes them feel safe and gives them confidence and security.  For a child to know he / she is special to someone is priceless and makes a huge impact on a young life.  It carries them through life’s valleys and I see time and again how a simple hug and “I think you’re so special,” can make a child’s face light up.  Especially after I sustained a brain injury years ago, the love of God was even more evident to me as I experienced His Sovereign hand keeping me safe.  It was something I had to share with others.

MA: Is I Love You More than Rainbows the end of your writing ambitions, or will we be hearing from Susan Crites in the future?

SC: I love to write and keep a notebook of ideas to pull from.  I have several manuscripts that I’d feel comfortable sending out to a publisher or agent and will keep working on the others.  If my manuscripts turn into published books, I’ll be thrilled, for each one shares a life lesson for both the reader and listener that I think our busy lives can sometimes overlook.  If I stay a one book author, I’ll still be pleased because of the impact I Love You More Than Rainbows has made on so many lives, including mine.  For that to be recognized by the Mom’s Choice Awards was absolute icing on the cake for me.  What an honor!  The greatest honor, though, is to see the smiles and hear the giggles and excitement when my book is read.

MA: Well said, kudos to you for the award, and thanks for being my guest today.  Please visit Susan’s website and friend her on FaceBook:  www.susancrites.com, facebook.com/authorsusanecrites.

MA: Today’s guest-blogger is Taryn Simpson, an award-winning novelist, Pulitzer Prize competitor, ghostwriter, screenwriter, and blogger.  Additionally, Taryn has enjoyed success as a classically trained musician which began when she auditioned at the famed Julliard School in New York City at the age of 17 and performed with various symphony orchestras and famed musicians.  Among her literary credits include competing for a Pulitzer Prize, winning a 2008 Indie Book Award, garnering attention from a Project Greenlight and being featured at the International Book Fair in Beijing, China and the Southern Festival of Books in 2002.

Welcome, Taryn.  You have some impressive credentials!  Tell us more about your interesting background and what brought you from music to writing.

TS: My first love was music, and I achieved a bit of success where I performed with various orchestras and artists such as The Tonight Show’s Doc Severinson. I was also accepted to the University of Texas at Arlington college level percussion camp at the age of 12, and was chosen to participate in a master class with famed marimbist Leigh Howard Stevens.   I also auditioned at the Juilliard School in New York City at the age of 17.  I hold a Bachelor of Music degree and I credit my musical creativity as a stepping stone to my writing career.

MA: One of my sons has chosen to study music education, so I can connect with you on that.  Me?  Tone deaf, I’m afraid.  Do you see music and writing in the same creative way?

TS: I love using my imagination to paint a literary picture.  I’m at my creative best when allowing my imagination to run wild with thoughts and ideas.  I adore fiction.

MA: You co-wrote your novel, The Mango Tree Café, Loi Kroh Road, with Alan Solomon of Beijing, China.  Tell us what the story is about.

TS: Imagine owning a restaurant near the jungles of Thailand that sits upon the most legendary mystical road in the world.   Legend states that whoever walks upon Loi Kroh Road will be forever changed or shall never be seen or heard from again.  In fact, the English translation of “Loi Kroh Road” is “Wash Your Bad Luck Away”.   Larry, the main character, is seductively lured to this world-famous street to purchase this business.   The restaurant serves as a place where he observes world travelers such as himself as well as locals who discover their fate upon this historic road.   He is on a journey to discover his mission in life as he is guided by a ghostly figure that appeared to him as a child.  On his adventures, he comes face to face with his greatest fear, his lingering questions of mortality and his soul’s lonely reflection.

MA: Sounds interesting.  How do you approach character development?

TS: I think making a character become three dimensional requires stepping into his shoes and feeling the various emotions that he might be feeling.  I would say it requires a bit of acting talent actually.  It’s a matter of observing the minutest of reactions to painting a mental picture of physical characteristics and personality.   You want the reader to be able to describe and know this character as if he or she is real.

MA: Tell us more about Larry.

TS: He isn’t afraid to venture from his father’s farm which is all he has ever known.  He doesn’t stray across town, but to another country with different customs and language.  He also feels comfortable in his own skin until he reaches Loi Kroh Road.  He has a keen understanding of the people around him such as his parents and doesn’t judge them.  That is rare these days.

But he can’t let go of the demons from Loi Kroh Road.  He meets the love of his life, Noo and when their relationship ends, he can’t face the reality that she is gone and allows it to destroy him.

MA: I understand that none of your real-life experiences influenced the writing of The Mango Tree Café, Loi Kroh Road, but that’s not true for Alan Solomon, your co-author.  Talk about that.

TS: Alan really did own The Mango Tree Café in Chiang Mai and it was very popular with expats and locals alike.  There were also some of the patrons of the bar that we mention in the book, but they were embellished.

MA: What’s in your writing future?

TS: I’m currently working on a book, entitled, Musings from a Writer which contains my thoughts about current events, politics, pet peeves and other issues.  I have a blog with the same name and have encapsulated the better posts for the book.  I’m also working on a novel entitled, The Long Road to Extradition. Meet Nicholas, a precocious yet sensitive teenager who is also the black sheep of his family.  He witnesses a horrific act that tears his family apart and sets his journey in motion. From the time he is 13 years old, he makes his way through the foster system until one day he escapes his life of misery. Through his journey, he meets unforgettable characters along the way who make lasting impressions upon Nicholas which prod him to delve into his bruised emotional issues to make peace with himself. His extensive travels prove that his problems will always be a cumbersome and a heavy burden that will sit upon his shoulders until he has his day of reckoning with his emotional baggage.  “The scars you can’t see are the hardest to heal,” something Astrid Alauda once said, proves to be painfully truthful.  Nicholas’s journey is a long one, but his travels to made amends is even longer. It is through his journey that he discovers The Long Road to Extradition.

And, last but not least, I’m collaborating with a children’s author named Nancy Mura on a book entitled, The Butterfly Table.  I’ve never written children’s books and wanted to write one based on a butterfly table antique that was passed down to me from my beloved grandfather.

MA: I can’t let you go without talking about your collaboration with Alan Solomon on The Mango Tree Café, Loi Kroh Road.  My readers will find the nature of that partnership fascinating.

TS: Alan Solomon and I have never met face to face, nor talked on the phone.  All of our collaboration was done via email and instant messaging.  We took an immediate liking to each other the moment we began discussing the book.  I remember at the beginning, Alan told me he was “ridiculously easy to work with,” and he was right.  It’s as if we’re seated next to each other discussing the plot.  People can’t believe it when they read the book.  Mango Tree was a pivotal book for me and has shaped how I plan to write future novels.

MA: Thanks very much for stopping by and visiting the Child Finder Trilogy.  Folks, visit Taryn’s website for more about her and The Mango Tree Café, Loi Kroh Road novel: www.Solomon-Simpson.blogspot.com

I’ve had the wonderful opportunity and honor these past couple of weeks to appear as a guest-blogger on some fellow author websites.  I wanted to share this with everyone, and I encourage you all to visit these fine authors’ blogs to learn more about them and their writing as well.

L.M. Preston is a young adult science fiction writer.  When you visit her site, be sure to check out the video trailer for her book, Explorer X-Alpha!

Dianne Ascroft is an historical fiction writer in Ireland, and I appear on her blog, Ascroft, eh?  Wish her luck on her competition for the Amazon Breakthrough Novelist award!

Fellow Public Safety Writers Society of America (PSWA) writer, Melanie Atkins, had me on her blog recently.  Visit writing cops…it’s what I do for my interview.

Thanks to all three of you ladies for hosting me!

MA:  I have a very special guest today. Charles Ray is not only an author, he’s the U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe.  Ambassador Ray is a native of East Texas, and has been involved in leading organizations (particularly those in trouble) for over 40 years.  He’s written a number of articles on history, culture and leadership, and recently completed a book on leadership, Taking Charge: Effective Leadership for The Twenty-First Century, which is a follow-on to Things I Learned From My Grandmother About Leadership and Life.  Although he says he goes by Charlie, Geronimo, or Tank…I’ll just call him Mr. Ambassador!

Welcome, Sir.  Tell us about your fascinating background.

CR: I grew up in a small east Texas town, population 715, and have been interested in books all my life.  My mom taught me to read when I was four, and I read Edgar Rice Burroughs as a second grader, and was hooked for life.  I started writing early, publishing a short story at age twelve that won first prize in a Sunday School publication.  When I joined the Army in 1962, I wrote poetry that was published in Stars and Stripes European edition.  I started seriously freelancing in 1973 when I was stationed in Korea, doing travel pieces mostly, but also on other topics.  I have also been a newspaper editor, editorial cartoonist, and have had gag cartoons and art in a few (now defunct) publications, except for Ebony and Essence.  I have been dabbling in fiction for a while, publishing a few short stories on line, and have had poems in a number of print and online publications.  Color Me Dead is the first full-length fiction work I’ve put before the public, but I’m working on making it a series, and am also working on some others.  I submitted a fantasy piece to this year’s Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition.  I am interested in a wide variety of things – Science Fiction, history, etc.  Never quite been able to settle on just one thing.  I spent 20 years in the Army, in Asia and Europe, but mostly Asia, and am philosophically a Buddhist.

MA: Thank you for your service, not just your Army career, but your enduring service to the United States in the diplomatic corps.  With all your experience writing articles for publications, as well as writing non-fiction books, what brought you to write fiction?

CR: I chose to write novels because of a compulsion to write something more substantial than magazine articles or short stories.  Also, I just want to share my observations and experiences.  That’s also why I wrote the two books on leadership, and why I have about five or six more non-fiction ideas in my notebook.

MA:  I wonder how you find the time!  Tell us about your novel.

CR: Color Me Dead is about a PI who lives and works in the DC area.  He’s on retainer to a law firm and does mostly legwork for them.  An elderly woman in the neighborhood of his office asks him to prove that her grandson, who was gunned down in the street, was not involved with gangs or drugs – the cops wrote it off as just another gang killing.  As the PI, Al Pennyback, digs into the case, he uncovers that it wasn’t just another random killing, but was related to another crime that spanned the east coast.  In the process of solving the teen’s death, he comes close to losing his own life.

MA: He sounds like a colorful character.  Tell us more about him and the people around him.

CR: Al’s wife and son were killed in an auto accident, and he has become something of a loner, but with a soft spot for the downtrodden, especially kids.  A retired military officer, he is also disciplined and somewhat opinionated.  Mini-flash backs are used to develop his attitude about life and the case he’s working.  There is also the byplay with his assistant, Heather ‘Honey’ Bunche, and Buster Mayweather, a DC homicide detective.  He’s also a bit unconventional, preferring, for instance, riding the DC subway to driving.  His strengths are his code of honor, discipline, and compassion.  These are also his weaknesses, because they lead him to putting himself and those around him in peril at times.

MA: So who’s the villain in the story?

CR: The main antagonist in this book is a nosy, but otherwise harmless appearing old retiree who lives next door to the murdered boy’s teacher.  He is slowly developed into a devious, dangerous criminal mastermind who does not hesitate to order a killing to achieve his ends.  His other ‘nemesis’ is the uncaring bureaucracy which is sort of a background character throughout the book.

MA: Gotta watch those nosy old retirees!  I like the idea of a deceptively harmless-looking bad guy.  So what’s in your writing future?

CR: I’m working on a follow up to this story.  In the second installment, the reporter who wrote the story on the teen’s killing asks Al to solve a 100-year-old murder case for a historical series she’s writing for the paper.  In doing the research, he stumbles across a modern day murder case that almost gets him killed.  In all the follow up stories, I plan to do tie-ins to previous stories with characters or events – except for those who don’t survive to the last page.  I’m also working on an epic sword and sorcery piece for young adults, and a piece on a group of feisty residents of a retirement home who play amateur detective.  In addition, I have in my notebook, ideas for some further commentary on leadership.

MA: I can’t let you leave without telling us more about your other pursuits.  I know you have other writing and community projects you are involved with.  Please elaborate.

CR: I also write for a number of Internet content sites (Helium and Associated Content), and like my other pursuits, I don’t restrict myself to one genre.  Over the past 48 years since I graduated from high school, I’ve traveled the world and done a lot of things that have left an impression.  While I still can, I want to share them with others.  I do a lot of mentoring and speaking on leadership and personal responsibility, and encourage people of all ages to take control of their own destiny.  When I was a kid growing up in Texas, the view was that people of color were limited in their prospects.  For reasons I do not understand, I never bought into that belief, and try to encourage others to have the same view.

MA: I’m glad you didn’t listen to those views and didn’t buy into that belief.  Mr. Ambassador, thanks for all you do and thanks for stopping by to share your time, background, and story information with us.  I would like my readers to visit Ambassador Ray’s website for more information: http://www.redroom.com/author/charles-a-ray/

MA: Today’s guest-blogger is Nexus Point author, Jaleta Clegg, and I have to warn you…she’s a hoot!  Jaleta was born some time ago, so she tells me. She’s filled the years since with many diverse activities, such as costuming, quilting, cooking, video games, reading, and writing.  She’s been a fan of classic sci-fi books and campy movies since she can remember. Her collection of bad sci-fi movies is only rivaled by her collection of eclectic CD’s (polka, opera, or Irish folk songs, anyone?).

Her day job involves an inflatable planetarium, numerous school children, and starship simulators. Her summer job involves cooking alien food for space camp. She writes a regular column in Abandoned Towers Magazine–fancy dinner menus for themed parties.

Her first novel, Nexus Point (www.nexuspoint.info), is now in print from Cyberwizard Productions. She has stories published in Bewildering Tales, Abandoned Towers, and Darwin’s Evolutions.

Jaleta lives in Utah with her husband, a horde of her own children, and two ancient, toothless cats. She wants to be either Han Solo or Ursula the Sea Witch when she grows up. If she ever does.

She also detests referring to herself in the third person, but sometimes she bows to necessity.

(Chuckling) So, you mentioned to me earlier that you were a geek.  What’s that about?

JC: I’m a geek, always have been even before it was popular. I’ve been reading science fiction and fantasy my whole life. Astronomy and space travel fascinate me.  I spent all three years in high school taking electronics, usually as the only female in the class, so I’m comfortable in my geekiness. I ended up with a BS in Geology, Earth Science Education, and a Minor in Math Education. I currently work at the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center introducing school children to physics, astronomy, science in general and science fiction in particular. Yes, I do fly a starship! I also love telling stories, which is what we do in the starship simulators.

MA: Ha! I love space.  Before I retired from the USAF, I was the Commander of OSI Region 8 at Air Force Space Command in Colorado Springs, CO.  I used to say, “If it enters or exits the atmosphere, I have a dog in the fight!”  What brought you to write novels?

JC: Self-therapy. I spent quite a few years as a stay-at-home mom to my eight children, many with special needs. I had to do something to stay sane. I escaped into my imagination and wrote quite a few novels and stories. I learned how to write by doing. I fell in love with the process and can happily say I am now addicted to writing.

MA:  (Still trying to get my head around EIGHT kids!)  We have three children…a handful; I can’t even imagine eight, but I can understand the need to find some escape.  I imagine with your love of writing , and love of space, that there was a good marriage between the two?

JC: My novels are science fiction, space opera adventure – lots of action and just a touch of romance. The short stories I’ve published are all comic horror and fantasy. My website has links to all of them plus some stories for free download.

MA: I’ve not read much of your particular genre in the past, but you mentioned a hero before, someone named Dace?  Tell us more.

JC:  Dace has evolved since the first draft of the first novel. She sort of grew into the part. Most first-time novelists write what they know – themselves. The trick is to get the character to become someone separate and distinct from the author. Finding her voice was a matter of trial and error and numerous drafts.

MA:  I hear that…been told by close friends that they see too much Mike Angley in my protagonist, Patrick O’Donnell.  What makes Dace unique?

JC:  Dace is tough, she has to be. She’s been on her own most of her life, fighting for everything. It’s also her biggest weakness. In Nexus Point, she gets into trouble much too deep to handle by herself but she has a hard time trusting anyone or admitting she can’t handle it by herself.

MA:  And is there a particular evil nemesis that Dace must face?

JC: Nexus Point has several “bad guys.”  I won’t spoil things by mentioning who because part of the plot revolves around finding out who is and who isn’t. Dace’s actions have repercussions in future books. Some of them come back to haunt her.

MA: Ahhh, a bit of a mystery, too, I see.  In Nexus Point, does art imitate life?

JC: I’ve never crash landed an escape pod, run away from knife/sword fights, investigated drug smugglers, lived in a medieval society, shot anyone, been sold as a slave, burned at the stake, or shoved over a cliff. But I’ve got a great imagination and I know what it’s like to feel lost and overwhelmed. I’ve got some experience falling in love.

MA: (smiling) So what comes after Nexus Point?

JC: Nexus Point is the first in an eleven book series. I’ve got a contract for all of them. One a year until they are all published. And I promise, all of them are complete stories. I hate it when authors leave their readers hanging off a cliff until the next book comes out. I’m also working on some middle-grade science fiction and a few fantasy novels. If I’m not in the middle of at least five different projects, I don’t feel busy enough.

Dace is the protagonist for the entire series. Many of the characters from Nexus Point do appear in other books, especially Tayvis. The underlying story arc for the series is her relationship with him, so he’d better be in the books. Yes, the series is a romance, but in a very understated way. Book 2, tentatively titled Priestess of the Eggstone, should be coming out about this time next year.

MA:  Your series sounds fascinating, and I’m sure my readers will enjoy learning more.  Folks, visit Jaleta’s two websites for more information about Dace and space:

http://www.jaletac.com and, http://www.nexuspoint.info