Author Interview: Jerry Fogarty

Welcome to this weeks addition of our Author Interview. Today, I'd like to welcome Jerry Fogarty author of Nick West and the Curse of the Haunted Island.

1. Please tell the readers a bit more about you.  

 I live in the small town of McAdoo, Pa, the town where I grew up and like most people I dream of the day when I can move somewhere warmer.  Back when I was in high school, in my tenth grade English class, we always had to write the ending to the stories that we read from the text book.  I always came up with a cleaver way to kill off the main characters causing the class to roar with laughter.  Growing up, I’ve always had an overactive imagination and it seems that it carried over to my adulthood.  I came up with the idea for my first book, Nick West and the Curse of Haunted Island, when I was at work one night.  I began brain storming and a few days later I began to write it.  It began as a horror story about a group of teenage kids, who go to an island and get hacked apart by a pirate skeleton, and surprisingly developed in to an action/adventure/sci-fi story that’s suitable for just about any age group.  From then on, the ideas haven’t stopped popping into my mind.  In my spare time, when I’m not working or writing, I like to hang with my dog, work on my 1986 Corvette that I’m restoring, and catch a movie or two.

2. What types of books do you write?   

I like to write action/adventure, sci-fi, and horror.

3. Who's your main audience?   

13 years and older.

4. When it comes to writing- what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?   

I would have to say my strong points are character creation and the research I have to do move the story along.  My weaknesses would be dialogue, grammar, and detailing up the scenes, but I’m happy to say the more I’m writing, the better I’m getting at these.

5. What do you think of this term- Writer's Block? How do you overcome it?   

Writer’s Block is a myth.  I call it “Getting Stuck” and I overcome it by clearing my mind, turning up some Jimmy Buffett, and relaxing.  Sometimes if I work on another project it helps, as well.  But it’s not always that simple, the one time I was “Stuck” for a few weeks.

6. How many books have you written?   

Currently, I have written four books and I’m working on three more.

7. How many are published?  

 One so far.

8. Are you self published or traditionally published?   

Self published as of the moment, but I’m looking into getting traditionally published.

9. What's the hardest part of the writing process for you? 

Finding a company that likes my stories and is willing to publish them.

10. What type of books do you enjoy reading?  

 Generally, I like anything written by Stephen King, but I’m hooked on the Cane Chronicles written by Rick Riordan, but I read any types of horror, action/adventure, sci-fi, and some young adult.

11. Who's your favorite Author?  

 I would have to say Stephen King.

12. What's your all time favorite book?   

 Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

You can find out some more information about me and my first book, Nick West and the Curse of Haunted Island, on my website www.nickwestadventres.com.  There is a link on my website to buy my book through the publisher and you can also find it at Amazon.com, Parable.com, and just about anywhere online that sells books. For more updates, become a fan of Nick West Adventure on Facebook.

Thank you Jerry for stopping by and we look forward to hearing of your future works as well. Thanks for coming over.

(Review) The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir

Title: The Corruptible
Author: Mark Mynhier
ISBN: 9781601420749
Pages: 278
Format: eBook

Description:

Ex-homicide detective Ray Quinn never had glamorous thoughts of the life of a private investigator—but being cornered in a bathroom stall by the enraged philandering husband of a client? That’s something he could live without. Retired from homicide and living with a painful disability, Ray’s options are limited. Stick to the job, keep impetuous sidekick Crevis alive, and spend quiet evenings with trusted pal Jim Beam, that’s about the best he can hope for.

As a new client emerges, Ray finds himself in an impossibly large boardroom holding a check with enough zeros to finally lift him from his financial pit. The job seems easy enough: find Logan Ramsey, an ex-cop turned security officer who’s taken off with sensitive corporate information. But few things are easy in Ray’s world, regardless of the amount of zeros in the check.

In what should be an open-and-shut case, Ray stumbles across Logan Ramsey in a seedy motel room. Only Ray wasn’t the first to find him. Now Logan’s dead, the client’s information is nowhere to be found, and Ray’s employer is less than forthcoming with the details. Suddenly the line between the good guys and bad guys isn’t so clear. With a foot in both worlds and an illuminating look at an unhappy ending that could well be his own, which will Ray choose?


Review:    

The Corruptible begins with Ray Quinn, an ex-cop, private investigator working on a case with his sidekick, Crevis. They team up and work on cases along side the police, which Ray has very good connections with. Ray deals with an internal battle everyday due to being shot while on the job and is masked by his friend, Jim (alcohol). While struggling to do his job with the pain, Ray lands a case that sets him in a tornado of events throughout the book. The events were well thought out and keeps the reader guessing.

The plot ran smoothly and pulled the reader in from the very beginning. Ray finds himself dealing with a murder, secrets, and arrogance of a wealthy man who hired Ray to find important information that was stolen from him. The twists and turns throughout the book, never gives a hint on how the book will end.

For those who are into reading detective/mystery type books, I would definitely recommend reading, The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir.  The journey throughout the book leaves the reader feeling the need to find out what happens. This is definitely a page turner and I have added it to my favorites list. I have given this book a 5 (five) star rating.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. Please rate this review below.

Author Spotlight- Christine Ashworth

Welcome to this weeks Author Spotlight. We have an awesome interview for you to read. First I'd like to welcome Christine Ashworth to The Writing World.

Christine Ashworth

                                                         

Books By Author

 1. Demon Soul

                                                               

Biography

  

Book Review

Links:

   Website

   Twitter

   Facebook

Interview:

1. Please tell the readers more about you.

I'm a writer by birth, I guess you could say. My dad, Chet Cunningham, is a writer; he's had over 300 novels published in the past 4o years. My brother, Scott Cunningham, was also a writer; he published several westerns and romances before he broke in with Llewellyn Publications in the 1980s. His most popular book is Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner. He also wrote The Truth About Witchcraft Today for them. 

2. What types of books do you write? Mainly paranormal romance, and contemporary romance. 

3. Who's your main audience? Adults, please! 

4. When it comes to writing- what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?  I think I world-build very well. I tell a good story that doesn't necessarily go in the direction you think it'll go in.  Weaknesses? I'm a re-writer. I rewrite constantly.

5. What do you think of this term- Writer's Block? How do you overcome it? If the words aren't coming, it's because something is wrong - either with my setup, or the scene, or my characters are acting out of character. So I'll get out of my chair and get moving. Gardening, or walking 3 miles, or doing housework - which I loathe - will usually help me figure out what's wrong with the scene. Usually I end up having to scrap a lot, which I know but resist - hence the block.

6. How many books have you written? Twelve full length (over 70K) novels and several partials that are clamoring to be finished. 

7. How many are published? One, with the second coming out this year and two more planned for the series.

8. Are you self published or traditionally published? I'm published with a small indie press called Crescent Moon Press. They focus on only paranormal books - romance, sci fi, and YA e-books- but they also put our books out in paperback, available online.

9. What's the hardest part of the writing process for you? Getting into the flow. I work a full time job, and I have a family. I love to cook, too, so that cuts short my writing time. When I can, I try to sneak writing in at work. (shh...don't tell!)

10. What type of books do you enjoy reading? I read everything. Right now I'm reading a lot of romances of friends that have been published - need to get those reviews out for them on Amazon!

11. Who's your favorite Author? There are too many! I can't choose. But I do read Rosamund Pilcher (The Shell Seekers, Coming Home) a lot, as well as Stephanie Laurens (love those Cynster men and women!) and of course, Nora Roberts.

12. What's your all time favorite book? Well, if you go by the one book I've read more than any other, it would have to be the Lord of the Rings series. I read those books twice a year, every year, for ten years. It got to the point where I could quote whole passages. It's been a long time, though. Maybe this Christmas I'll start reading them again.

Thanks, Raebeth, for having me today, you've been awesome!

Please Use Spell Check

Review: Enchantment by Charlotte Abel

Title: Enchantment
Author: Charlotte Abel
Copyright: 2011
E book


Description:

Channie is a lovable teenage mage that lives a simple but magical life with her clannish community deep in the Ozark Mountains. She’s blessed with the ability to enchant those around her, charming not only her family and friends, but any boy with a pulse that doesn’t know how to shield himself against her magic. 

When her father’s gambling addiction earns the wrath of a powerful mage, the family is forced to flee for their lives. They escape to the suburbs of Colorado hoping to hide amongst Magically Disabled people (like you and me). 

Channie’s parents are overwhelmed by the modern world and panic when they catch her flirting with a group of “dirty-minded, non-magical city-boys.” They strip away her power of enchantment and replace it with a chastity curse that automatically zaps any boy foolish, or courageous, enough to pursue her.

Josh Abrim -- a BMX racer with a killer smile, Olympic dreams, and dangerous secrets of his own -- is just that kind of boy. When he and Channie realize their interest in each other is more than just friendship, she turns to dark and forbidden magic, determined to break the curse keeping them apart. Her inexperience makes matters infinitely worse and unleashes a malevolent force with the power to destroy everything they love … including each other.

Review:                                     

Enchantment, by Charlotte Abel, is a book about a young woman who's learning the ways of magic and being a mage, when her entire life is picked up and twisted because of her father's gambling addiction. Her family is moved from the the Ozark Mountains where she was born to the suburbs of Colorado. 

Enchantment creates a whole new paranormal romance world where magic changes the entire view of the magical world. The journey will leave you on the edge of your seat, while turning the pages to find out what happens. The romantic relationship between Channie and Josh is so defined throughout the book, it makes the reader feel the love as well and smile with them. The plot runs smooth throughout most of the book with some slower spots within. But this doesn't take away from the adventure because when it picks up, it magically takes off into another dimension where talks of war between mages and power begins to rise from the unexpected.

I give Enchantment by Charlotte Able five (5) stars. I've added this to my must read list and I must say, I'll definitely read this one again. 

Author Interview- Robert Chazz Chute

1. Please tell the readers a bit more about you.

Thanks for asking. I have a background in traditional publishing. I trained as a journalist and worked for Harlequin and for several publishing companies that are now dead and gone. I didn’t kill them. It was suicide.

2. What types of books do you write?

Dark suspense, often twisted and twisty but never gory. It’s psychological horror that interests me. The world is strange enough without introducing more unnecessary blood. Gore seems too easy to me, like a cheat. But get a fear worming into your brain where you think, This could really happen! Then we’re having fun!

3. Who's your main audience?

Insomniacs, book lovers, the trapped and the hopeless and anyone who is interested in suspense with a weird sense of humor. Short people, the Scottish and albinos love me in particular.

4. When it comes to writing- what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?

Strengths? I studied a lot of pathology, so I’m very much tuned into what’s weird and what’s real and where those two realms cross. Once upon a time, I heard two critics try (and fail) to articulate why they loved The X Files as I screamed at my radio. What made X Files work was that each script depicted an absurd situation that was made  more plausible by a context of real events that sounded crazy but was no less true.

Weaknesses? I keep that secret locked in a small box wrapped in razor wire, buried under a booby trap at the bottom of a deep well. Filled with acid. In Sudan.

5. What do you think of this term- Writer's Block? How do you overcome it?

I don’t suffer blocks. I suffer from procrastination. The difference is one happens to you (as I understand it) and the latter is a bad thing you do to yourself, like cutting or drug addiction or watching reality television. I’ve never been blocked. I’ve been uninspired very occasionally, but my solution was to write my way out of that silliness.  I don’t wait for the muse, I go to her.

6.    How many books have you written?

I have seven ebooks out: one novella (The Dangerous Kind), and two collections (Sex, Death & Mind Control and Self-help for Stoners). The rest are short suspense stories: Vengeance is #1, Corrective Measures,  Parting Shots, and Asia Unbound.  Self-help is also in paperback.

7.     How many are published?

All of the above. They are all available everywhere. I have three novels coming this year, all in various stages of production, mostly at the revision stage. This Plague of Days will come first, this spring.

8.   Are you self published or traditionally published?

I published it myself. I had already been part of the world of traditional publishing so it wasn’t a big leap. I’d been involved in production, editing, proofing, publicity and sales, so I had a pretty good handle on the task. I couldn’t give my children up to daycare, either. I’m a bit of a freedom freak. (Control freaks are sad, but my tribe of freedom freaks are quite joyous.)

9.    What's the hardest part of the writing process for you?

Getting started. There is always so much to do. The writing has to come first for it to happen, kind of like getting to the gym first thing in  the morning or that doesn’t happen, either. Once I begin writing, I can hold my breath and stay on the bottom of the fun pool for hours.

10.             What type of books do you enjoy reading?

I like suspense, some how-to as it relates to publishing, Palahniuk, Vonnegut,  Stephen King and very old dictionaries. I get lost in dictionaries and prefer not to be found. I’m reading a Latin dictionary now. It started out as research for one of my books but it’s pleasure, too. Oh my Thor, I just realized I’m a colossal dork. This is awful news.

11. Who's your favorite Author?

William Goldman. He’s the least appreciated American writer still barely alive. Everyone knows his movies (Marathon Man, The Princess Bride, All the President’s Men, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid etc.,...). What’s tragic is they don’t know his books. I’m a big fan of surprise and humor and Goldman has both. Lawrence Block once said that reading a novel by William Goldman is like watching card tricks while drunk. It was a high compliment, I’m almost sure.

12.             What's your all time favorite book?

Undoubtedly, The Color of Light by William Goldman. It’s about a struggling writer in New York. Sadly, some foolish publisher has allowed it to fall out of print, but it’s out there. You can find it and I encourage everyone to do so. I modeled my writing on his template of clever twists. The Color of Light is the standard by which I judge all other books. It’s the Bible, but with less begetting.

AllThatChazz.com is the author site for Robert Chazz Chute where you can find out more about his books and hear his weekly comedy podcast (also called Self-help for Stoners.) His site for writers is ChazzWrites.com.

The short stories are available on Smashwords here. You can buy the books on any digital platform. Here’s the Amazon link to get the collections, the novella and the Self-help for Stoners paperback.

Monthly Newsletter- March

This month we have some great interviews, reviews, and spotlights scheduled. You can always keep up to date with what's coming up by viewing the panel to the left.

If you're an author that's interested in a review, interview, or spotlight... The Writing World is always open. For interviews, grab the questions and answer them. Email them back to the listed email. Please note that we will be mixing things up a bit by adding new questions. Be sure to check back for new interviews with the new questions.

We are still open to guest posting. We prefer all guest posts to be centered around writing, editing, publishing, or anything else that deals with the writing world.

We have an upcoming birthday celebration. We will be celebrating our first blogoversary soon. This means a big giveaway event with many books. More information to come on this at a later date.

We have a poll to the side which we have asked our readers if they'd like to have book giveaways. This will be ending shortly. The results will be seen and a decision will be made regarding this.

The Writing World is also looking into a special newsletter to send to those who appear on the site and to those who would like to help out. More information on this as well.

We have some secret plans coming up and we hope our readers fall into the fun and like what we've got planned. Keep your eyes out for any weird visitors who may appear out of the blue.



There you have it. Our Monthly update. That's a bit late but... hey.... late is better than never, right?

WOULD YOU LIKE THIS EMAILED TO YOU??? Sign up on the right panel.


**If you have any ideas to help The Writing World become even more exciting, feel free to share them. We are always open to our readers and their ideas. **

Stars Shine After Dark by Paula Hrbacek

Stars Shine After Dark

By Paula Hrbacek

Panama City Examiner

Mona grew up in Hollywood as a child actress.  Now in her twenties, she longs for a normal experience and a more mature image.  She enrolls in UCLA and meets Tim, the star quarterback for the Bruins.  They begin to date, visiting many interesting places around Los Angeles.  But someone is leaking stories about them to the tabloids that paint an entirely different version of what is going on.  What kind of friend would do that?  

Everything seems to be going well, until Tim's career is ended by a car crash, and he settles into a routine job selling real estate.  He misses the spot light, and becomes jealous of Mona's success.  Mona thinks she is being strong by revving up her career, but she still longs for a more normal life, the one she thought she would have with Tim. Tim thinks about leaving, but finally realizes that Mona is the only woman he really wants.  They both look at their relationship, and their faith, to make changes, and recapture their love. They both realize that they should strive to be all that they can be, and that there is room in the sky for all of the stars to shine in their own way.  

In seeking out the truth, Mona also realizes who has been leaking the false rumors.  Maybe love forgives all things, but does business?

Tastefully written without all the foul language and bedroom antics, this story focuses on the emotions they feel.  It received four-star reviews from independent romance reviewers, including "tastefully done, compelling, a real page turner."

Stars Shine After Dark is available as a paperback, online only, from Amazon and B& N.   

A new and expanded version has just been released as a Nook, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/stars-shine-after-dark?store=nookstore

Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Stars-Shine-After-Dark-ebook/dp/B003L780CE

  and from ebooks-online.com. http://www.eBooks-Online.com/default.asp?eBookID=7001457

Stars Shine After Dark has been reviewed by several professional book reviewers, and has been given rave reviews.  You can see some comments at B&N, Amazon, Romance Reader, and Road to Romance.

Silenced: Cover Preview

I'm excited to be presented with several custom covers for my book, Silenced. I wanted to give you all a preview of my favorites so far. What do you think?

Kindle Fire vs Nook Tablet

In today's post, we are going to look at the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet. We've done some research and gathered up some important information for each. Then, we placed them side by side to show you the technicals for each. As a reader, keep in mind your views if you own either the Kindle or the Tablet. After reading, post a comment on which reader you rather use and tell us why.

We hope to help clear up some confusion and help those who are considering on buying an e- reader. We hope we help you decide which would be the best choice for your lifestyle.

Product Overview:

Kindle Fire
 Price- $199
Dimensions: 7.5" X 4.7" X 0.45"
Weight: 14.6 ounces
Storage: 8 GM
SD Card Slot: No
Microphone: No
Camera: No
Battery: 8 hr w/o Wi-Fi
Chargers: Computer/Wall Charger
Wi-Fi: 802.11 B/G/N/X
Screen Size: 7 inches, IPS
Resolution: 1024 X 600
Browsers: Amazon Silk
Book Store: Amazon
Book Formats: Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, DOC, DOCX, Audible
Video Formats: MP4, VP8
Picture Formats: JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG
Music Formats: AAC (DRM-free), MP3, MIDI, OGG, WAV
Adobe Flash Support: Yes
Additional Features: Cloud backup, Whispersyne, wireless sync, video rental, 30 Amazon Prime trial, Amazon Lending Library, Email, and many apps/games

Nook Tablet

Price- $199

Dimensions:
     Height- 8.1 in.
     Width- 5.0 in.
     Depth- 0.48 in.
Weight- 14.1 ounces
Storage- 16 GB
SD Card Slot- Yes
Microphone- Yes
Camera- No
Battery- Up to 11.5 hrs of reading; 9 hrs of video
Chargers: Wall
Wi-Fi: Yes: 802.11 B/G/N (Free Wi-Fi in all Barnes & Noble Stores)
Screen Size: 7 in.
Resolution: 1024 x 600
Browsers: Andriod (customized)
Book Store: Barnes & Noble
Book Formats: EPUB, PDF, DOC, TXT, DOCM, DOCX
Video Formats: MP4
Picture Formats: JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG
Music Formats: MP3, MP4, AAC
Adobe Flash Support: Yes
Additional Features:  Nook Newsstand, Nook Comics, Nook Cloud backup, Read and Record, free in-store support, free in-store Wi-Fi, LendMe Option, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora Internet radio, email, and many more apps.
     


So, now we ask those of you who own these products to leave a small review on why you like or don't like the product.