Showing posts with label thriller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thriller. Show all posts
24 September 2016
a look at Lucy Felthouse & 'The Persecution of the Wolves' @cw1985 @evernightpub #PNR #thriller #shifter
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
12 September 2016
Joan Hall Hovey & 'The Deepest Dark' @joanhh @GoddessFish #Suspense #Thriller
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, Joan has a family she adores; including, Scamp, the family dog. She is blessed to look out every day at the tall pine trees and the stunning view of the Kennebecasis River. But although that view is certainly inspiring, her fans will tell you that it is Joan’s view – the scenes and characters within her own creative mind – that is truly unforgettable. This is a talent who brings vibrancy to the page, creating locations that, even in the light of day, chill fans to the bone.
* An insatiable reader, the works of Poe, King, and other masters of the mystery world, inspired Joan to write. And now, with her latest novel – THE DEEPEST DARK – she once again hits the nail on the proverbial head, drawing readers into a world of fear that will leave them absolutely breathless.
* Following the deaths of her husband, Corey, and ten year old daughter Ellie in a traffic accident, author Abby Miller sinks ever deeper into depression. She contemplates suicide as a way to be with them, and to end her unrelenting pain.
* In a last desperate effort to find peace, she drives to Loon Lake where they last vacationed together, wanting to believe they will be waiting for her there. At least in spirit. Barring that, the pills Doctor Gregory gave her to help her sleep, are in her purse.
* The cabin at Loon Lake was her and Corey’s secret hideaway, and not even Abby’s sister, Karen, to whom she is close, knows where it is.
* But someone else does. He is one of three men who have escaped from Pennington prison. They are dangerous predators who will stop at nothing to get what they want - and to keep from going back to prison. Having already committed atrocious crimes, they have nothing to lose.
* Unknowingly, Abby is on a collision course with evil itself. And the decision of whether or live or die will soon be wrenched from her hands.
"...readers will be chilled as they root for Abby to take back her life and escape the Loon Lake cabin alive and breathing. Once the first page is read in this one, nothing will be able to draw your attention away..." Reviewed by Amy Lignor, author of "The Charlatan's Crown," published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine
* In their early eighties now, and in relatively good health, they were enjoying the fruits of their labor in these latter years, including the big screen TV on which they were presently watching an old rerun of All in the Family, one of life’s pleasures that Hartley and Ethel shared. …
* When the commercial came on, Ethel rose from the big stuffed chair across from her husband’s Lazy Boy. She was white-haired, ample of figure, and quick to smile. “Cup of tea, Hartley?”
* He looked in her direction and grinned mischievously. Though his own hair had long gone and he walked with a limp, to Ethel he was as handsome as the first time she saw him walking into Mr. Biggar’s class in grade nine. She could still see him as he was then, tall and lean, with a thatch of fair hair fallen over his brow.
* “Wouldn’t mind having just a tiny slice of that apple pie you baked to go with my tea.” An affectionate coaxing twinkled in blue eyes that had faded only a little over the years.
* Looking at him, she mentally shook her head. He knew he had trouble getting to sleep if he ate after he’d had his supper. “Sure,” she said. And it will be tiny, Mister Nichols, you can bet on that. She had started for the kitchen when she stopped in the doorway between the living room and kitchen, thinking she’d heard a noise outside. She listened. Heard it again. A squeaking of the porch swing chain?
* “Did you hear that?” she called into the living room.
* “Hear what? Didn’t hear nothin’, Ethel.”
* “I’m not sure. Sounded like... oh, I’m sure it’s nothing. The wind.”
a Rafflecopter giveaway
25 August 2016
Jason Werbeloff & 'Defragmenting Daniel: The Organ Scrubber' @JasonWerbeloff @GoddessFish #SciFi #Thriller
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* He's written two novels, Hedon and The Solace Pill, and the short story anthology, Obsidian Worlds. His books will make your brain hurt. And you'll come back for more.
1 vengeful victim.
A gruesome sci-fi thriller.
* Organ scrubbing was a bloody job, but somebody had to do it. Daniel, an orphan from the Gutter, was put to work scrubbing kidneys at aged twelve. The job had its perks: a warm bed, Law and Order reruns, and an all-you-can-eat Mopane worm buffet.
* Until the Orphanage stole Daniel’s parts, and sold them on the organ market.
* Now Daniel has grown up, and yearns to become whole again. The cybernetic organ replacements just aren’t the same – he needs his parts back. But the new owners of his organs won’t give them up. Not without a fight.
* Just how far will Daniel go to regain his missing pieces? And how much more of himself will he lose along the way?
Defragmenting Daniel is a cyberpunk crime thriller that will unnerve you. Every part of you.
“A work of great imagination. Powerful and gripping.” | “A stark and moving experience.” – ReadersFavorite.com, 5 Star Review
The Organ Scrubber is the first fragment of the Defragmenting Daniel trilogy: Fragment 1 – The Organ Scrubber | Fragment 2 – The Face in a Jar | Fragment 3 – The Boy Without a Heart
* Kage knelt down. Examined a hand. Such small fingers. He shivered.
* “Told you. No forensic traces on any of the limbs. No need to examine them. The vic fell from above.”
* Kage looked up. In silhouette above the mobile spotlights, he could barely make out the ceiling. But there it was, a few yards up. He thought he saw square outlines of light perforating the concrete ceiling every five yards or so, stretching ever deeper into the vast underground hall.
* Shoulders was on the move, ascending the mountain of human limbs. Kage followed. He scrabbled up the pile of arms and legs, toes and fingers, elbows and knees. He was surprised how yielding they were. How they bent under his weight. But Shoulders was right. He couldn’t ignore the crunch of breaking bones.
* “Why’d we legalize this?”
* Shoulders threw him a look. “Why not? They’re Gutter kids. This way at least the Bubble gets to have its fun without anyone getting hurt.”
* One of the hands twitched, and Kage almost lost his footing.
* Shoulders held Kage by the wrist. “Woah, you don’t want to be doing that. Those fingernails will rip you open if you land badly. Happened to Jensen just before you got here. Poor guy almost lost his cheek.” Shoulders shone a victory smile.
* “Thanks,” mumbled Kage.
* “Vic’s just on the other side of that ridge.” Shoulders pointed to a mound of limbs that looked a little fresher, a little more plump and moist, than the rest.
* Kage trudged on behind the Detective. Climbed the hillock of arms. Had to grab hold of more than one to ascend it.
* “What … what do they do with them?” asked Kage, breathing heavily under the mask. Beads of moisture condensed on the curve of his lower lip.
* “Do with what?”
* “The body parts?”
* “I hear they send the fresh ones for scrubbing. The rest …” Shoulders shrugged. “The vic’s over here.”
* More mobile spotlights, their metal poles staked in the pile of flesh around the body.
* Kage looked for the flashing red light at the bottom-right corner of his vision. Recording. Good.
* He knelt down. Pulled out a pair of gloves from his leather jacket pocket. He shuddered to think what the jacket would look like after this mess. But that wouldn’t matter if he solved this case. It was the Mayor’s brother. Captain Weeks would pay plenty to the investigator who solved this.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Jason Werbeloff will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
13 July 2016
Stella Barcelona & 'Jigsaw' @StellaBarcelona @GoddessFish #RomanticSuspense
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* In her day-to-day life, Stella is a lawyer and works for a court in New Orleans. She lives minutes from the French Quarter, with her husband of seventeen years and two adorable papillons who believe they are princesses. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Southern Louisiana Chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Her first novel, DECEIVED, was inspired by New Orleans, its unique citizens, and the city’s World War II-era history. Her second novel, SHADOWS, began her Black Raven series.
* She is currently working on her fourth novel, CONCIERGE, another Black Raven novel, which will be released in 2017.
* Zeus Hernandez, a Black Raven partner, is pulled away from a top-secret project to be the personal bodyguard to lawyer Samantha Fairfax. Terrorists have rendered the future frightening and uncertain, but Zeus and Samantha’s past makes two things crystal clear: she’ll be furious to see him and he can’t refuse the job.
* Sorting pieces as stakes rise…
* Danger surrounds the International Terrorism Tribunal, a court convened to combat terrorism. Samantha is thrust into the limelight when her mentor dies as the trial convenes in Paris, France. Her role requires steadfast focus and nerves of steel. She’s determined to do her job and move her life ahead, according to plan…without Zeus. He’s determined she’ll reconsider.
* Completing the puzzle as their worlds collide…
* As personal drama escalates behind closed doors, terrorists take aim at an Achilles’ heel that is capable of crippling Zeus, Samantha, and Black Raven. While forcing puzzle pieces to click into place, a personal reckoning looms for these two strong-willed people. There’s no denying they might be better off apart…but they fit together so well.
* Jesus Hernandez.
* Zeus to anyone who knew him.
* Once, years earlier, she’d known him well. Or so she’d thought. Turned out she hadn’t known him at all. She focused her gaze on the intricately cut crystal water pitcher that the waiter placed on the table. In the last twenty-four hours, she’d been too busy with work to worry about whether her grandfather had truly understood the gravity with which she’d made the stipulation. She hadn’t intended the demand as a request. She hadn’t intended it as something her grandfather could consider and reject.
* Now, with the hard knock marking the arrival of the private security company and the literal changing of the guard for the amicus team, her stomach twisted into a hard, nervous ball. Samuel knew the reasons why she didn’t want Zeus there. At least he knew some of the reasons why. Surely her grandfather had damn well listened to her?
* Knock. Knock. The email notification finally flashed that the message and the attachments were ‘sent.’ The cc copy that she’d sent to herself appeared in her inbox, with an accompanying ding, just as Lorenzo put a vase of fresh flowers on the worktable that he’d transformed into a dining table.
* “Done,” she said, shutting down her laptop and standing. “Thank you for all your hard work today.” As Lorenzo stepped away from the table, she said, “Lorenzo, the table is beautiful. Merci beaucoup.”
* Knock. Knock. Knock.
* She walked across the room as Charles signed for the room service. She opened the door. Zeus, arm lifted and fingers curled together as he prepared to rap on the door again, towered over her five seven by a good ten inches. Dropping his arm to his side, he gave her a cool nod, his brusque manner suggesting a nod was all that was needed to bridge the gap between his decision to leave her and the intervening seven years. “Hello, Sam.”
ANNOUNCEMENT! Stella Barcelona will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
08 June 2016
S.L. Hannah & 'The Need' @sexlifehannah @GoddessFish #erotic #thriller
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
Today S.L. Hannah will be talking about the best and worst pieces of writing advice she's ever received.
BEST:
1. Join RWA.
* When I finished writing my third book I really hit a wall. I was not getting the type of sales I wanted. I felt like everything that I was trying in the marketing department was failing, and I was second-guessing my ambitions as an author.
* I somehow stumbled upon the LA Romance Authors (LARA) group while doing a web search and went to one of their monthly meetings. I immediately felt welcomed and informed, and then got to talking with one of the members after the meeting who suggested I not only join LARA, but Romance Writers of America (RWA). It really was a great piece of advice and if you’re going to endeavor into writing romance I consider it a priority. Both are extremely supportive and knowledgeable groups. I have learned so much since joining not only about the business side of things, but also about the craft of writing.
2. Hire a professional book cover artist.
* I am a pretty good graphic designer and have done design work for myself and certain clients, but book covers are a whole different ball game. It took me a while to realize that because in the beginning I thought all design was the same. However, a professional book cover artist is looking at a lot more book covers than you are and will know based on your genre what is appropriate and what is too out-of-the-box. At the end of the day, the book cover is mostly what is going to sell your book. In fact, if your book isn’t selling, you should strongly consider changing your book cover or your price, or both. Plus, just like you should never publish a book without a professional editor, you should have a professional cover artist at least look at the book cover you’ve created.
3. Write every day.
* There is nothing leisurely about becoming an author because in order to keep growing your fan base you have to keep writing and publishing books, and that demands an awesome amount of time and discipline. And the worst thing you can do is take big chunks of time off from your writing. I’m not saying that you can’t ever take a vacation, but especially if you’re trying to finish a book you need to face that blank page every day, even if you only end up mustering a dozen words. It’s better to face your demons than ignore them, because eventually that demon will turn into a great 50,000 word manuscript.
WORST:
1. Stop writing smut.
* There is a lot of people that look at romance writers as smut peddlers so there can be stigma attached to this genre, even though it is the highest grossing genre in fiction. Many years ago, when someone first tried to burst my bubble, my heart pounded loudly in my chest and my face felt very hot. I had no idea how to defend what I was writing so I pretended to laugh it off, like, you have no idea what you’re talking about, and quickly walked away.
* When people ask me now what I write, I proudly tell them romance, erotica…anything having to do with the female perspective on relationships and sexuality. I try to engage and inform, even if they look uncomfortable while I’m suggesting a few of my favorite titles, like Nine and a Half Weeks, and explain how psychologically complex and riveting romance novels can be.
2. Write what everyone’s reading.
* This to me is code for “follow the trend”. Don’t get me wrong, I think trends happen for a reason, and I have seen some authors capitalize by writing a book in a genre that’s taking off, but if you’re only writing in hopes of making money off a trend, you’re likely in for disappointment. Writing a book does not guarantee hitting the lotto. If a genre is taking off and you legitimately have a great story idea that can follow suit, then go for it, but if you’re doing it for the wrong reasons it will likely show through in your final product.
3. Don’t invest your money in a hobby.
* Except writing isn’t a hobby for me anymore and it’s pretty much impossible to go from hobby to any type of business without an investment. If you’re self-publishing, you’re paying for everything from an editor to whoever is setting up your blog tour. Even if you’re fortunate enough to get a publisher you will still have to invest some of your own money in marketing efforts. Marketing is always, and should always be your biggest book publishing cost. In the movie business, the rule of thumb is, whatever you spend producing the movie, should be your budget for marketing. I would argue, it can be more than that, and it’s very similar in the publishing world.
* Straight-laced coed Angie has never felt daring enough to…experiment. Until tonight. The skin around Heather’s lips is soft, unlike the stubble Erik lets grow in, and the night unfolds like an erotic dream, tapping into an unexplored part of Angie’s body and mind.
* But Heather’s seduction turns into a nightmare when Angie wakes up tied to the bed and is told she can’t leave. Alternately seduced and tormented by her lover-turned-captor, Angie is pulled ever deeper into a twisted world of pain-for-pleasure and multimedia exploits. As the stakes rise, both women give into a desire for connections neither has had, and Angie’s struggle to escape becomes a bigger dilemma: Would she leave if she could?
* Winner of the Golden Palm Contest for New Adult Romance, this erotic thriller dares to explore the darker side of our fantasies and their sometimes unintended consequences.
* She saunters back to where we’re standing and places one of the daggers into Rachel’s opened hand. Rachel smiles wide, as if she’s been waiting to do this all along.
* “Which brings me to you,” she says, thrusting the other dagger against my chest. It lands heavily and almost slips from my fingers.
* “I’ve come to the conclusion that your problem is you’re not sure where your loyalties lie.” She retrieves the key from around her neck. “And that’s not good for business.” She takes a few steps back and hangs the key around Rachel’s neck. “Or pleasure.”
* Moments later, she’s slithering behind me. The fingers of her good hand swim lightly across my shoulders and neck. Her lips brush against my ear. “I love you, Angie,” she whispers, “but I’m ready to let you go.”
* The statement both crushes and relieves me. I almost don’t want it to be true. As much as I hate her for hurting me in so many ways, I still love her too. I’ve experienced more emotional and sexual highs and lows with her in one week than I have in my entire life. And part of me doesn’t want that to end. What is normal supposed to look like after this?
ANNOUNCEMENT! S.L. Hannah will be awarding one commenter a paperback copy of The Need (U.S./Canada only for book) and one commenter a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
02 June 2016
R.S. Anthony & 'Pork' @rosebudmary @GoddessFish #Contemporary #Suspense
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Rosemary lives in a small town in Malaysia and travels as often as possible to broaden her cultural horizon. You can find out more about her books, giveaways, and new releases at her links below.
* Then one day, Steven finds a little girl lying unconscious, perilously close to the woods. As the two get to know one another, Steven experiences real friendship for the first time—and gets closer than ever to knowing the darkness that skulks between the trees.
* He dedicates himself to keeping his new friend safe, but the tranquility of their fragile hidden world doesn’t last long. When an act of cruelty pushes Steven to his limits, his secrets—and those of the dark woods—come close to unraveling, threatening to destroy the one thing making his teenage life bearable. Can Steven save everything he’s built from crumbling under the pressure?
* Steven got off the bed, crept to his bedroom door, and pressed his ear to the wood. He glanced at the baseball bat by the door as his heart slowed down. It was his momma, with a man. It had happened before, but not every day. Every now and then, when it was her day off at the diner, his momma would bring a man home and they’d laugh and moan until morning. The house usually smelled funny the next day and he hated that, but for the most part, he didn’t care about it enough to confront her.
* His heart rate slowed down enough for him to throw an old bathrobe over him and open the door just an inch to take a peep. She was lying on the couch and the man was on top of her. If he’s hurting her, why is she laughing like a horse? Steven pulled the door wider, careful not to let the dry hinges squeak, and tiptoed out. He hid in a shadow in the hall, holding the doorknob behind him.
* The man’s biceps were bulging and he had a tattoo of a cobra on his back. It looked almost alive, and Steven imagined it hissing as the man flexed his body in the dark. Steven’s momma squealed and held the man’s hair tight as he kissed her.
* “Shh…” she said. “My son’s in the next room.”
ANNOUNCEMENT! R.S. Anthony will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
01 June 2016
Mark Spivak & 'Friend of the Devil' @GoddessFish #Thriller
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Mark’s work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Robb Report, Men’s Journal, Art & Antiques, the Continental and Ritz-Carlton magazines, Arizona Highways and Newsmax. He is the author of Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History (Lyons Press, 2012) and Moonshine Nation: The Art of Creating Cornbread in a Bottle (Lyons Press, 2014). His first novel, Friend of the Devil, is published by Black Opal Books.
Today Mark Spivak will be answering a few questions.
Do you have any tattoos? Where? When did you get it/them? Where are they on your body?
* I don’t have tattoos or piercings, nor do I wear jewelry. I guess I’m a purist in that respect. While I can and do appreciate tattoo art at its best, I think it detracts from the body’s natural beauty---rather than adding to it.
Is your life anything like it was two years ago?
* Very similar, actually. The biggest difference in my life would be between now and five years ago, when I left my day job to focus 100% on freelance writing. That decision freed me up and gave me a tremendous burst of creative energy.
How long have you been writing?
* I started when I was 11 years old and have been writing ever since. It took me a long time to master the craft, assuming that I’ve actually mastered it.
What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
* Write every day. Focus on the process rather than the end goal. Remember that almost everyone will criticize you, and many will do it for their own selfish or insecure reasons. Focus on your craft with the intensity of a laser, and don’t allow anyone to stand in your way.
Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.
* My first novel, Friend of the Devil, is really a meditation on the darker sides of spirituality. Believe it or not, a great deal is based on personal experience. While it’s set in Palm Beach, the story is based on a chef I worked with many years ago in another city. Did he or did he not make a pact with his own personal forces of darkness? I still don’t know.
* Journalist David Fox arrives in Palm Beach to interview the chef for a story on the restaurant’s silver jubilee. He quickly becomes involved with Chateau de la Mer’s hostess, unwittingly transforming himself into a romantic rival of Avenzano. The chef invites Fox to winter in Florida and write his authorized biography. David gradually becomes sucked into the restaurant’s vortex: shipments of cocaine coming up from the Caribbean; the Mafia connections and unexplained murder of the chef’s original partner; the chef’s ravenous ex-wives, swirling in the background like a hidden coven. As his lover plots the demise of the chef, Fox tries to sort out hallucination and reality while Avenzano treats him like a feline’s catnip-stuffed toy.
* “Here you go, baby.” Willy stopped a few hundred yards from the intersection and turned to face Joseph. “You on your own. Can’t take you closer than this.”
* “Where are you headed?”
* “As far away as I can git,” he laughed, “as fast as I can git there.”
* “Thank you. I appreciate your help.”
* “Well, this wasn’t no charity. You know that.”
* “Even so.”
* “You got some questions?”
* “What do I do? Just walk up there and wait?”
* “You won’t be waitin’ long,” said Willy. “The man’ll be along shortly. You don’t need no business card, neither. Trust me on that.”
* “Okay.”
* “You’ll be fine.” Willy studied him carefully. “Shoot, you look like you don’t got a care in the world.”
* “I wouldn’t go that far. But I’m here for a reason, of my own free will.”
* “I understand.” He patted Joseph on the arm. “You look me up when you open your restaurant, hear?”
* “I will.” He watched Willy head back for the woods. “I definitely will.”
* “I’ll be here,” Willy called over his shoulder.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Mark Spivak is giving away a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
04 May 2016
Michael Ross & 'Hand Over Fist' @mikerosswriter @GoddessFish #Thriller
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Born and raised in Bristol, England. I spent most of my life in business, my companies turning over in the region of $500 million. The majority of that time marketing cars, eventually owning the largest Saab specialist in the world, before a bitter divorce forced me rethink my priorities. Particularly between 2003 and 2005 when I had to accept that I was no longer a millionaire but literally penniless. I avoided bankruptcy by the skin of my teeth and slowly rebuilt my life.
* This led me to the life changing decision to leave the bustling city and move to live halfway up a mountain in the Welsh valleys. At the same time I started a part time six year English Literature course at Bristol University, and attended creative writing classes at Cardiff University. I left school at sixteen and this was my first taste of further education and an immense challenge.
* I eventually adjusted my thinking to the academic life, and on 30 June 2015 had confirmation of my 2.1(Hons) degree from Bristol University. At the same time I also won the prestigious Hopkins Prize for my essay on Virginia Woolf and the unsaid within her text. Now the university courses are finished it will, with any luck, gives me plenty of extra time that I can devote to my fiction writing.
* Thanks to the university experiences, my interest in English literature has flourished over recent years. Hopefully I have evolved as a writer from my earlier work in short stories (over ninety of them.) Although interestingly my first three novels have all been developed from a long forgotten short story.
* Life is, once again, very good, and I live very happily halfway up a mountain, in the Welsh Valleys, with my wonderful partner Mari, and our rescue dog Wolfie.
* Martin Russell can barely face the future. With dismal life prospects and an estranged family, he is at the end of his rope. When an old friend, Hannah, elbows her way back into his life, Martin’s luck begins to turn around.
* Hidden within the shadows of evil, there must be some good…
* Ex-policeman Bobby Tanner lost everything one rage-filled night. Now he runs a reading group for alcoholics where he meets a young drug dealer, Zack, who disturbs him in a way that’s hard to define. Bobby soon discovers the teenager is in over his head and has been dealing with a despicable individual known as The Chemist.
* The roots of evil run deeper than we imagine…
* Martin’s lucky streak begins to unravel when Hannah suddenly goes missing, and he turns to a friend of a friend, Bobby, for help. Thrust into an underworld empire of corruption and half-truths, he learns his friend may not be who he thought she was.
* In a shadowed world of deception, stalkers, and despicable drug dealers, Bobby and Martin must uncover the truth, and fast…
* Several lives depend on it.
* “What did you read tonight?”; “How did it go?”; “Any new faces?”
* She would answer, but then her thoughts would return inwards. Now and then, she would take a wad of papers from her handbag, fumble through it, and stop while she read thoughtfully to herself. These were the best times for Zack; his mother’s mind was engaged, and she slithered out of her shell and faced the world with a self-belief that she had mostly denied herself. She had now gone well over a year without a drink, and the weekly regime of the reading group was proving to be a positive step on the long winding road to recovery.
* “Come in with me, Zachary.”
* He had already begun to walk away but turned back and stood looking at his mother. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Who was the parent? He wished his sister was around more often.
* “But I don’t read, Mum.”
* “Well, nor did your father and where’d that get him? Eh?” Check mate.
* “Okay. Ten minutes, and then I have to go.”
* He had enough powder in his pockets to buy his mother her own library.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Michael Ross will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
16 November 2015
A Look At R. Arundel & 'The Face Transplant' #RArundel @GoddessFish #MedicalThriller
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* R. Arundel is a practising surgeon. This experience brings realism to the story. The novel asks what would happen if a surgeon were to develop the perfect face transplant. This would allow people to have a new face, in essence create a new identity. You can create the perfect double, the perfect Doppelganger.
Today R. Arundel will be talking about what kind of writer he is.
* I am a fiction writer. I try to make my stories intricate, enjoyable and accessible reads. My writing style is minimalist. I try to use as few words as possible to convey the imagery or dialogue. I think writing is both a craft and an art. The craft can be taught and nurtured. Some great writers are able to rise above this to create art, something that is more than the sum of the parts. That’s the ultimate goal that all writers strive for, to create something special.
* My topics are driven by ideas that are generated by things I have thought about. The Face Transplant arose out of the thought “What would happen if you could transplant a face from one person to the next without any scars.” Most of my stories come from thinking about ideas. I then try to generate a story as the logical conclusion of thinking about this idea.
* I am a very opinionated writer with a strong sense of what I want to say. My characters or stories always have some large underlying theme that they illustrate. The downside of this morality is that my characters can be at times very conflicted but in the end choose the moral path. I’m unlikely to create a story of a flawed individual who doesn’t change throughout the story. The individual would have to come to some epiphany about life, have some insight into their behavior.
* I am a very optimistic writer. I believe in the best of individuals and the ability of all individuals to be better. In The Face Transplant, some of the characters involved in kidnapping Sarah Larsson are very evil. They are the exception that proves the rule. These characters don’t grow. Their depravity is limitless. I was surprised I created these characters, and it is not something I usually do. After I finished the story I was surprised at the evil in the kidnappers. I think they arose out of a need to counterbalance the goodness of Matthew and Sarah who sacrificed so much to help others.
* I have asked myself many times why do I write? I think in the end writers each have their own reasons for writing. I write because I have many different stories that I need to get out. It’s just that simple.
* Dr. Matthew MacAulay is a facial transplant surgeon at a prestigious New York hospital. When his friend and mentor, Tom Grabowski, dies under mysterious circumstances, Matthew uncovers his friend’s secret: a new technique that allows perfect facial transplants. No incisions, no scars. Tom was able to accomplish this monumental feat with the help of Alice, a supercomputer robot with almost human abilities. While trying to find the people responsible for murdering Tom, Matthew realizes he is the prime suspect. He must flee for his life with the help of Dr. Sarah Larsson, a colleague and reluctant helper, who has a secret of her own, and Alice, who helps them make sense of a baffling series of seemingly unrelated events. The clues carry Matthew and Sarah around the world. They stumble onto a sinister plot of monumental proportions that leads Matthew all the way to the White House.
* The Face Transplant is a powerful medical suspense thriller of the first order. The novel was written by a surgeon who weaves politics, medicine, and espionage into a tightly paced, intelligent thriller.
* “My Sherlock Holmes at work again.” Sarah laughs.
* “I know and I don’t care.”
* Sarah smiles at Matthew. “Do you know what you’re saying?” “ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. A progressive neuro-muscular disorder with no cure. You will stop walking one day, and finally, you will lose control of all your muscles.”
* “Not bad, Holmes.”
* “We surgeons aren’t as thick as you think.”
* “Then you know I don’t have long.” Sarah punches in the code to lock the anesthetic machine.
* “I don’t care. I need you,” says Matthew.
* “You know what my life will be very soon, how it is going to end.”
* “I don’t care. I have to take a chance—I have to live. Give me that chance.”
* “In the end I would regret doing that to you. I refuse to have you look after me in the prime of your life. I’m going to be on a ventilator, not able to move any muscle in my body. I’m going to end up being only able to use my eyes. Totally locked in a useless body.”
ANNOUNCEMENT! R. Arundel is giving away to one randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)