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Author Interview: Adam T. Newman

3/22/2015

Meet Adam T. Newman, Author of How to Catch a Cold and How to Fight a Cold

BBB: Tell us about yourself.

ATN: My name is Adam T. Newman and I am a children's book author and founder of MiLo Ink Books. My childhood consisted of sports, reading comic books and playing with action figures. My love for film, writing and cartoons brought me cross country to Los Angeles where I landed a job working for a children's animation company. I since have worked for numerous film studios as an art director and graphic designer.

Most recently, I have been working hard making a name for myself as an author and have traveled across the country to over 100 schools, stores and book events, presenting my books and speaking to kids about DETERMINATION.

MiLo Ink Books’s mission is to publish books that will excite parents and grandparents to read to their young children and inspire them to be creative and encourage them to tap into the funny bone of their imagination.

In June of 2010, I lost one of the most beautiful and amazing people I have ever met. My mother-in-law, Lois. She was the best grandmother one could ever have. She was funny, loving and had the ability to brighten up any room just by walking into it. On this day, on her way to her aerobics class, Lois was killed in a horrific car accident.

Time STOPPED. My Father-in-law’s wife of 40 years was taken from him, my wife lost her best friend, and my kids lost an amazing grandparent. It was an extremely rough thing to go through.

As a husband, father, and son, I needed to be strong and supportive for everyone around me. I held myself together by channeling my creative energy, and focused on writing a SILLY story that Lois would have loved to laugh and read to all of her grandchildren. (She had 4 at the time, ages 3-5). “Put on a jacket, or you will catch a cold!”, would often be heard from Lois, which was the INSPIRATION for me to write my first book, “HOW TO CATCH A COLD”.

I shared the story with Mike, my father-in-law. He was just as an amazing person as Lois. He LOVED the story and loved what I was doing in honor of Lois. Unfortunately, before the book was finalized, Mike passed away of a heart attack while driving home to see us for a family dinner. Time stopped once again.

It was then I decided to form MiLo Ink Books. Mike+Lois = MiLo. Lois was also an extremely talented calligrapher which is where the “INK” came into play.

BBB: What books have you written?

ATN: I have written children’s books, HOW TO CATCH A COLD and HOW TO FIGHT A COLD.

BBB: Where do the ideas for your books come from?

ATN: Most of my ideas stem from my childhood experiences. I was an extremely creative kid and my imagination would more than often enhance the actual reality of what was taking place in front of me. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, and I have 2 amazing kids who inspire me on a daily basis. In fact, the boy in my first 2 books are based on my son!

BBB: What are you currently working on?

ATN: I just finished my 3rd book, THE GIRL WHO LOST HER VOICE, which will be available later this year. This silly adventure will feature both my son and daughter and introduce a couple new colorful characters that I am sure families will get a kick out of.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

ATN: I have gained a lot of great fans through my school tour and a rely heavily on social media. I have a website, facebook and twitter account that I personally manage. Please feel free to LIKE and FOLLOW! I am also on GOODREADS and AMAZON.

http://miloinkbooks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MiLoInkBooks
Twitter: @MiLoINKBooks

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Author Interview: Cynthia J. Cordell

3/16/2015

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Meet Cynthia J. Cordell, Author of Alecner

Cynthia Cordell is a Filipino-American author who believed diligently in persistence as the key to completing her debut novel "Alecner." She added a sprinkle of this, and a dash of that, to turn her interest in computer technology into the primary factor that propelled her novel forward. Her awe and wonderment for the recent computer advancements of the times are well-represented in what she calls her masterpiece. In this novel, she re-created computer awareness in the newly re-located inhabitants of the planets orbiting the star Alpha Centauri....starting them off with the basic 'square cubic memory space.'

BBB: What inspired you to become an author?

CJC: Ever since I learned to read whenI was five years old in a Catholic Private school in the Philippines, it has been a straight line for me to adopt writing as my profession. My two brothers influenced my interest in science fiction, as did my husband later onin my life. However, that old adage of having read a hundred novels (some of them more that once) before you begin to start writing your own novel, has some substance to it, because that is the route I took, before “Alecner” came about. It is based on the classics.

BBB: How did you come up wwith the idea for Alecner?

CJC: The idea for Alecner is very Hitleresque. The chancellor rising to glory and stature in the story is no coincidence, because I was very much influenced by that timeline.

BBB: Tell us about your main character.

CJC: Chancellor Riley Sinclaire’s grandmother was treated badly by drug pirates. They hooked her on drugs and he rose to power to do away with the whole planet that she was originally from (which is the planet of Alecner). Along the way he is influenced by two women. The first one is the good one and her beauty saves her planet Alecner from annihilation. The second one is the bad one and he sleeps with her after she seduces him. She dies in the end, but before Riley had the option of having the good one (Eden) in the end by hisside, all seemed glum. He never told Eden of his indiscretion, only that Vexa died ina cataclysmic explosion.

BBB: What are you currently working on?

CJC: I am working on a novel about a housewife and I am finding it lackluster. I’m hoping to add some pizzaz intoher life.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

CJC: My social media platform is not that stable right now, meaning I don’t have stable links.One of my links is CynthiaJCordell.blogspot.com and I also have another one on wordpress. “What is the Disco Ball in your Life” is the platform I use for the blogging, meaning what is the carrot that drives you forward in life? Whenever I have a new one out I’ll tell people on my facebook page which really needs an overhaul graphicwise (but I’m not an expert on that). On facebook, I’m CynthiaCordell. If you try to befriend me, I will try to accept as soon as possible, as I am not on there as much as usual.

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Author Interview: P.J. Roscoe

3/14/2015

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Meet P.J. Roscoe, Author of Echoes

P.J Roscoe, born 1971 and still going strong, author of several historical articles published in 'Country Quest' a Wales & Border magazine. Trainer and supervisor for Cruse Bereavement care, qualified counsellor and therapist, she is also a clairvoyant and it is these experiences that have helped to shape her stories.

Echoes won best e-book in the Paris Book Festival April 2013.
Echoes won an 'Honourable Mention' in the New England Book Festival in Dec 2012

Echoes received a Five Star review from 'Reader's Favorite putting it into the semi-finals.
Her book 'Echoes' continues to receive five star reviews on Amazon.co.uk.

BBB: What inspired you to become an author?

PJR: I began writing at a very early age – as soon as I could form sentences I began writing stories. In English class my friends knew not to disturb me if the lesson was on writing short stories. This was always my favourite class. We’d have up to five titles to choose from and half an hour to write at least a page. I’d always write much more! It became a bit of a joke with the class – how many pages can Paula write today?!

I loved immersing myself in my imagination and found that I was good at producing stories that people liked to read. My interest in the paranormal honed my genre and as I grew, my passion for history was intertwined with my stories as I began doing articles for a Welsh magazine that entwined history and anything weird and supernatural, then all the better! Sadly, ‘Country Quest’ is no longer being published.

Writing helps me remain focused, happy and connected to myself. Writing stories is for me like breathing, I cannot be without it!

BBB: How did you come up with the idea for Echoes?

PJR: Echoes began as a short story that I began writing following the sudden death of our son, Jac who died at birth. I was sitting in my kitchen unsure how I was going to survive the day when I picked up a pencil and began doodling on a scrap piece of paper. Half an hour or so later, I went in search of more A4 paper and within the day a short story had emerged. As the weeks progressed, I began typing it into a book and ‘Ruined Echoes’ was born. Over the years and large quantities of rejections later, I went on a writing course that helped hone my skills and I realized I had found what I needed to do.

‘Ruined Echoes’ became ‘Echoes’ and it changed quite a bit over time, but the core was always about how our past can have a knock on effect on our present and I wanted to show how a woman can survive even her worst nightmare. Women are strong, we have had to be over the centuries and all of my characters are courageous women with a back story. Of course there is a supernatural and historical element to the story.

I self published it myself in 2012 and was blown away when it won the e-book category in the Paris book festival and was awarded an Honorable mention in the London and New England book awards. It was taken on my Christine F Anderson publishing last year.

BBB: Tell us about your main character?

PJR: Bronwen Mortimer is basically me! A strong willed, resilient woman who has been through hell and survived. She has a few defensive mechanisms but that’s hardly surprising considering her early life. I didn’t want to make her skinny, blonde and tall with perfect figure and perky breasts! I wanted her to be real, a slightly over-weight, golden brown haired, 5 foot something woman who likes a tipple and is going to eat whatever she fancies and worry about it later like most women in this world! I also wanted to show how it feels for women who have suffered abuse. We put on a smile and show fearless, but a slight move can put us on edge. Our defenses are up and it’s for the man to prove that he is a real man who can be trusted and that can take a long time. As with the relationship between Bronwen and Adam, her fear fights with her anger corrupting any chance of seeing past Adam’s own defenses, until he proves himself. For abused women it’s very difficult to see beyond their own wall and realize that other people hurt too.

BBB: What are you currently working on?

PJR: I am working on my third and fourth novels, ‘Where Rivers Meet’ and ‘In-between Worlds’. Both have neared the first draft stage, it’s now research and going back to flesh it out. I think I’ll release ‘In-between Worlds’ first now as that is the one that is keeping my attention the most lately! Not to say the other isn’t as interesting, but this story came to me whilst listening to a piece of music and it was written in seven months. I am desperate to see the reactions to this one. I think ‘Where Rivers Meet’ is my more romantic story and perhaps more better suited for a spring release for young lovers out there!

I am also working on my next collection of faerie stories for young children. My first collection ‘Adventures of Faerie-folk’ was launched last week (March 2nd) and is four short stories for children 5-7years. Each story has a moral and teaches children to live in harmony with nature and themselves. I wrote them for my own daughter over thirteen years ago.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

PJR: I have a website www.pjroscoe.co.uk where people can come and read my blog on all things supernatural. They can buy my books via my website, follow links to my blog tour and various other interviews I have done for both radio and other author’s websites.

I have a Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/PJ-Roscoe/566905963377366?ref=bookmarks.

I’m on Twitter @derwenna1

And LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=235268492&trk=hp-identity-name

Readers can also buy my books on Amazon/Kindle .co.uk
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00PTA1TUQ
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PTA1TUQ Amazon.com

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Author Interview: AR Neal

3/8/2015

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Meet AR Neal, Author of After

Andreé Robinson-Neal is a writer, editor, and scholar-practitioner who publishes under the name AR Neal. She has a dream of changing the world, one word at a time.

BBB: What inspired you to become an author?

ARN: I have written since I was very young but it wasn't until I had left my last full-time (out of the house) job that I began to focus on writing more seriously. I have participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and a Camp NaNo, which pushed me to write more. I now work remotely and don't have as much time to devote to writing (gotta pay the bills, right?) but I do make sure I keep up with my own flash fiction prompts each week so I don't lose the bug.

BBB: How did you come up with the idea for After?

ARN: I have had an interest in the (Christian Bible) Book of Revelation for some time. It was always frightening, more because I didn't understand much of it. One of the members of my church put together a very detailed Bible study on Revelation after our pastor preached on it. His sermon sparked an idea and her study fanned the flame, which led to After.

BBB: Tell us about your main character.

ARN: Marlena Jacoby is my MC. She is married (or was ... you decide!) and when the story begins is working full-time as the chief accountant at Simmons Logistics. I wrote an overview of her on my blog before the book was released:
http://starvingactivist.com/blog/2014/09/30/introducing-marlena-jacoby-countdown-to-after/.

BBB: What are you currently working on?

ARN: I have a number of pieces in the pipe line! I am interested in writing a sequel to After and have a few nuggets down on paper (yes, I still use paper and pencil to write some of my stories/books). I also have a few early sections of a science fiction book written that I submitted as a sample for the annual Clarion Writer's Workshop in Seattle. It would be a dream to go up there for six weeks and learn from the best in the biz, so we'll see! I write flash fiction weekly for my own site (when I remember ... there are those weeks that it slips my mind) and keep a notebook handy for those occasions that a story idea simply pops up.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

ARN: My primary site is One Starving Activist (http://starvingactivist.com).
For those readers interested in photo prompts, please visit the Cave of Scribes
(http://caveofscribes.starvingactivist.com).

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Author Interview: Timmothy J. Holt

3/7/2015

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Meet Timmothy J. Holt, Author of Square Affair

BBB: Tell us about yourself.

TJH: I’m a retired physician living with my partner, Dan, in Chicago. My medical specialty was geriatrics. I grew up on a farm in central Illinois where most of my writing inspiration come from. I have written extensively on medical/geriatric issues and when I retired I decided it was time to write on topics I’m more interested in. One of the issues that has defined me is that I’ve been HIV + since 1985. The issues of dealing with this show up in my poetry, short stories, and plays. Writing has been a way to get me through the years of living and the years of seeing others die.I took disability from work in 1997 because I was not doing well, but here I am still alive. While living in New Orleans I was active in the local LGBT community and in AIDS care. I owned a community theatre space there and a country/western bar. Like some of the men in Square Affair, I was married and have 2 children. Realizing my sexuality on the farm it was expected you marry and have children, which I did, though I was sure I was gay. I did not act on my gay impulses until after I married. Like the characters, I too sought sex in public places, running the risk of being caught. My wife found out and wanted a divorce. Subsequently after the initial shock we are best of friends.

BBB: How did you come up with the idea for Square Affair?

TJH: I grew up in the small midwestern town which is the setting for the novel. The affair is real and I heard about it when I was in high school. No one said much and it was swept under the rug. I talked to individuals who remember it happening, but no one knew the names of the men, or were unwilling to disclose them if they did. There is a web site for my home town and when I queried about the incident a number said yes they remembered. When I asked for names I was told to stay away because they still had family alive. That made me more intent on writing the story. Since I knew no names, all the characters are fictional, but consistent with who would have been living in the town in the late 60’s.

BBB: Tell us about your main character?

TJH: The main character of Square Affair is the town of Dewers. The story chronicles what the affair has done to the community, the individuals, and families involved. The story is told on the day of the trial in multiple first person voices. Tying the story together are two narrators, Clara May, and Frieda. Clara May is a retired high school English teacher, and Frieda a retired principal’s assistant. The are the self-appointed town matriarchs and know where all the town skeletons are hidden. They are God fearing women, but do not like the current pastor at the Methodist church who thinks it’s his job to rid the community of this homosexual evil.

BBB: What are you currently working on?

TJH: I have a number of projects in the air. I’ve completed the second in the series entitled, The Train Does Not Stop Here Anymore. When a cornerstone and time capsule from the high school are opened Frieda finds her twin sister in a photo, problem is, she was supposed to have died years earlier of TB. Frieda and Clara May go on a search to see if she is still alive which takes them to Frieda’s Kentucky home town.

The Note is the third in the series of Frieda and Clara May. A high school student disappeared a number of years earlier and he or his body were never found. In the process of demolishing the old high school a note is found behind Frieda’s desk that implicates her in the disappearance. Frieda claims she never saw the note. She and Clara May work to discover what happened to Tommy and to clear Frieda’s name.

AIDS Poetry Collection
I am finishing up a collection of poetry I’ve written about dealing with AIDS over the years.

In the same vein as the AIDS poetry collection, I am working on a personal story of finding grace in my AIDS journey.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

TJH: I have a web page, timmholt.com and I have a weekly blog at blog.timmholt.com.

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Author Interview: Kathleen Gaffney

3/5/2015

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Meet Kathleen Gaffney, Author of Exodus Left

BBB: What inspired you to become an author?

KG: My inspiration to author a book transpired rather naturally after writing for over a decade as an editorialist and guest editorialist for numerous New England daily newspapers. And although the content of my newspaper columns was rather radically different (I penned mostly about political topics) from that of my novella "Exodus Left", (a faith-based fiction based loosely on Biblical accounts) the need to have to capture a reader's interest and hold it by utilizing a mix of creative writing, oft humor, and a storyline that was intriguing - was essential within both formats. Should readers wish to access back editorials, they can do so through a query of my name and the mention of newspapers such as "The Bennington Banner" or "The North Adams Transcript" just to mention a couple or through these and other newspaper's archives.

BBB: How did you come up with the idea for Exodus Left?

KG: Exodus Left was first written by me in a "treatment" and "summary" format in preparation for an eventual screen or teleplay rendition. The aforementioned formats were registered with The Writer's Guild of America many years ago and it was only in 2014 that I sat down and authored this fictional novella originally geared for a Young Adult Demographic. Since its publication in late 2014, there has already been sizeable interest from production companies and an agent potentially seeking to have the book adapted to the screen, as was my original concept and hope.

Exodus Left is a novella that tells the story of Jesus Christ (at least that is the presumption made by most readers as well as many of the characters within the book itself) who comes to walk the Earth one last time near the end of days to salvage mankind...this time around in twenty-first Century America. Although originally written with the Young Adult demographic in mind, the book has found fans amongst adult readers who seem to appreciate the sensitive and often humorous manner "Jesus" (i.e.: "Christopher" as the main character) immerses Himself into modern day life whilst still determined to preach, teach, and instill to the world all the same morals and dogma He did over two thousand years ago. It appears that despite the fact that the world has changed so immensely in terms of technology, science and medicine - our core values of love and respect and decency all, in the end, must remain unchanged. At the book's conclusion, whether or not this man was Jesus reincarnate or simply just an exceptionally good, kind-hearted soul so many wanted to believe in and follow - remains almost unimportant, for it is how we each govern our lives that is of the utmost importance.

BBB: Tell us about your main character?

KG: Christopher, as described in question two, is for all intents and purpose - Jesus reincarnate. The story follows his "unusual" birth in Bethlehem, PA at some point in time within the 21st Century through His adolescence and into His adulthood. He appears to work miracles including healing the infirmed and raising the dead as well as spreading a plethora of love, light, and - some mystery - in all He becomes involved in. Christopher's actions and deeds and all He professes mirror the Biblical works and words of Jesus, but set in modern day times -- to the bemusement of my readership as well as to His own family members and all those lives He touches within the story itself.

BBB: What are you currently working on?

KG: Shortly after Exodus Left was published, my husband Frank passed away very unexpectedly. Consequently, I am devoting all my current time to healing from his loss - something that my book Exodus Left has helped me in doing - also very unexpectedly. This work truly, in my opinion, is a work that exudes some spiritual inspiration as well as divine intervention.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

KG: Readers may contact me directly by visiting Exodus Left on Facebook. The novella is available in specific bookstores as well as through the internet at Amazon or Barnes & Noble sites.

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Author Interview: Francois Keyser

3/3/2015

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Meet Francois Keyser, Author of The Junglies Book Series

Francois Keyser (1970- ) was born in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa in 1980.

He started his corporate career in South Africa before relocating to the Middle East and subsequently South East Asia.

Francois left the corporate world in 2010 and, aside from a brief return to the corporate sector in 2013 has focused on furthering his career as an author, life coach and entrepreneur.

Francois has authored "The Junglies" series of children's books which comprise of 11 titles. More books in the series will be added soon.

BBB: What inspired you to become an author?

FK: From the time that I could first read I loved to lose myself in the world’s created by authors in their books. Since I can remember, I wanted to write my own books and create stories that would inspire others and help them set their imagination free.

BBB: Tell us about your children's book series, “The Junglies”?

FK: I never thought that I would write children’s book but when I finally took the step to start writing, that is where I started. “The Junglies” were inspired by my eldest daughter, Keona and her soft toys and the names she gave them. “Elle” the elephant was her very first soft toy which was a gift to her from a friend shortly after she was born. We lost “Elle” in a taxi in Dubai and that is when “Elle” was replaced with a “Nici” brand tiger soft toy named “Aga”.

“Aga” is still alive and a picture of Aga can be seen to the left and on my website for “The Junglies” books ( http://www.thejunglies.com).

First and foremost, I wrote “The Junglies” for young children to enjoy. “The Junglies” are about five jungle animals namely a tiger, an elephant, a giraffe, a rabbit and a monkey. They have a human friend who is a game warden simply known as “Jungle Man”.

Aside from the primary goal of writing stories for young children to enjoy, “The Junglies” books were all written with a lesson in mind for young readers to take to heart. The lessons include gratitude, honesty and teamwork.

The theme of “Unity in Diversity” is evident in all the books with the characters in the books all being represented by different animals who are friends and work together to overcome challenges and have fun. I believe that it is important for young readers to learn about cultural diversity from as early an age as possible considering how culturally diverse our world has become.

“Jungle Man” represents mankind’s ideal relationship with nature in that he is “The Junglies” friend and offers help and guidance when needed.

When I wrote “The Junglies” series I was well aware that tigers, elephants and giraffes were endangered species. I did further research on endangered species after I completed the fifth book in the series and discovered that there are also subspecies of monkeys and even rabbits which are endangered. I do believe that the books are a good platform to introduce the topic of endangered species to young readers too.

BBB: What do you think children will enjoy most about your book series?

FK: I think children will enjoy the illustrations with the stories. There is not too much text so the books make for easy reading. The illustrations are colorful, cute and large and if the stories are read to young children by parents who put creativity into the reading, I believe children will truly enjoy the books and stories.

BBB: What are you currently working on?

FK: I am currently writing a fantasy novel which is the genre I have always wanted to write. Progress is a bit slow though as I am working to find and fund an illustrator for the next six books of “The Junglies” series as well as another children’s book I have written called “The Tickle Tree”. I am also currently having “The Junglies” series translated into German, Spanish, French, Italian and Indonesian.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your books?

FK: I have a website for “The Junglies” books which can be viewed at:
http://www.thejunglies.com.
I also have a FaceBook page for “The Junglies” which can be found at:
www.facebook.com/tigerloseshisstripes.
I also have author pages on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com. Readers are welcome to send me a message via FaceBook or my website and I will reply to them.

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Author Interview: Kathleen Andrews Davis

3/3/2015

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Meet Kathleen Andrews Davis, Author of the Emerson's Attic Book Series

I live in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania with my husband and a horde of white tail deer who insist on annihilating all my attempts at gardening. We are empty-nesters with two grown daughters and two beautiful grandchildren.

Being a grandmother was the fuel that fed the fire, and I decided to leave my grandchildren a legacy of words that would outlast any other inheritance I could give. I wanted to write wholesome stories where the characters would have to use their brains instead of computers and cell phones. They would have to think on their feet. They would have to take responsibility and make decisions on their own. And, they would just be darn good kids. I wanted to challenge readers to read more by including titles of other books and alluding to their messages. So it will never sell. That’s okay. That was not my plan. I just wanted to hand my grandchildren books that had been written especially for them.

Emerson’s Attic opened a world of possibilities and I dove in with gusto. The first draft of The Blue Velvet seemed too fast and easy, and of course it felt that way because it was just the very beginning. I had, and still have, a lot to learn about writing but with the mentoring of Judith Redline Coopey, my editor, and the encouragement of friends it's coming along.

The knitting needles have slowed, the flower beds (or what’s left of them) have weeds, Emerson's dollhouse remains unfinished, and my fishing rod leans lonely in a corner of the garage, but I just can’t get enough of “Emerson,” the real one and the character. (www.kathleenandrewsdavis.com)

BBB: What inspired you to become an author?

KAD: Actually, it was the anticipated arrival of our granddaughter. I wanted to do something special and decided to leave her a legacy of words.

BBB: What books have your written?

KAD: Emerson's Attic, The Blue Velvet - the first in the series.
Emerson's Attic, Smoke and Mirrors - second book in the series.

BBB: Tell us about your main character, Emerson from the Emerson's Attic book series.

KAD: Emerson is your average 14-year-old until she unexpectedly goes back in time to the year 1892. At first, as you can imagine, Emerson is frightened and confused, but she uses her head and figures out how to cope in a new place and time. Guided by dreams of her grandfather she solves a mystery that involves her current day family. Think of Emerson as a time-traveling Nancy Drew.

BBB: What are you currently working on?

KAD: Emerson's Attic, Quiet Heart - the third book in the series.

BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?

KAD: Please visit my website at:
www.kathleenandrewsdavis.com
Check out the reviews on Amazon.com
Visit my blog: http://www.dollhousesmemoriesandmore.com

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