Joan Dempsey's New Novel Gets Raves from Reviewer Karen Dodd

A POWERFUL BOOK FOR OUR TIMES

This Is How It Begins, A Novel

by Joan Dempsey

She Writes Press, October 2017

ISBN 978-1631523083

Paperback $16.95; E-Book $9.95

Fiction: Literary, contemporary, political, LGBTQ

http://thisishowitbeginsnovel.com/

Get Your Copy Here 

Reviewed by Karen Dodd, author of Deadly Switch: A Stone Suspense , originally for Amazon
5-Star Review

I absolutely loved this book! I literally couldn't put it down. At the same time, I didn't want it to end. Everything about the story was exquisite: the rich, beautifully developed characters, the simultaneous sub-plots (which were tied together seamlessly) and the obvious research that went into the writing. I couldn't help thinking how very timely this story is in today's political and social atmosphere.

I was fortunate to be an advance reader for Joan Dempsey’s This Is How It Begins, a novel about an eighty-five-year-old Polish American art professor, Ludka Zeilonka, her family, students, and a mysterious man whose memory has haunted her for sixty years.

The story, set in 2009, but with skillfully written bits of backstory, grabbed me by page four and never let up. Without slowing the pace, Dempsey takes the time  to create multi-dimensional characters, as well as a strong sense of place and setting. Somehow, she has created characters and situations that could easily be defined as “good” or “bad,” without imparting judgment or suggesting to the reader how they should feel. Just the opposite; I found myself challenging my own tendency to see things as black or white. Besides entertaining us, the author’s uncanny ability to expose truly awful modern-day and World War II injustices, and yet remain unbiased, has kept me thinking about this story long after I finished reading it.

I recommend this book to anyone, regardless of the genre they might normally read. I’m normally a consumer of mystery/thrillers but This Is How It Begins has elements of literary fiction, historical fiction, modern-day political and social issues—and yes, it has a compelling mystery to it!

I am thrilled that This Is How It Begins has been accepted as a must-read for our book club this year!

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

	Joan Dempsey Author and Writing Teacher THIS IS HOW IT BEGINS, a novel m: 207-310-0365 w: thisishowitbeginsnovel.come: joan@joandempsey.com
HEAR ME READ AN EXCERPT FROM "THIS IS HOW IT BEGINS"

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ). This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Advance Peek at Pat Patterson's New Dining and Driving with Cats

Dining and Driving with Cats-Alice Unplugged

Author: Pat Patterson

Publisher: IonPublishers LLC , Charleston, S.C. 29401

Editor: Bryna Kranzler (award winning author The Accidental Anarchist)

Release Date: June 30, 2017

ISBN978-0-9987922-1-7; ISBN 978-0-9987922-2-4

Available from Amazon, Ingram, Baker and Taylor, (Paperback and eBook)

Trim 8.5x5.5 paperback  

Price $12.95  

Page Count: 260  Word Count: 82,000     

Web Site: http://www.dininganddrivingwithcats.com/  

                      ARCs Available on request in Kindle, EPUB, PDF, Paperback

           EARLY REVIEWS from ARC READERS at: REVIEWS

Synopsis for Dining and Driving with Cats - Alice Unplugged  by Early Reviews from ARC readers including indie reviewer Karen Purejoy: is a little different from many of the titles you receive and at first blush you may think it will be a little tame for your tastes. However, an acquaintance, Karen Purejoy, (an Indie Reviewer) told me about your site and thought you would identify with the main character's determination and resourcefulness. Her name is Alice and she will not be quickly forgotten.

            The book is pure Southern. The main character's determination and resourceful will not be quickly forgotten. Her name is Alice.  The story is swathed in charm and authored by a South Carolinian  whose voice is mindful of Ondaatje's hypnotic narrative in The English Patient. He has picked up a half dozen 5 STAR reviews  from the first ARC reviewers. You might spot a bit of Irish in the author and his spouse's detailed arguments comparing a dish from one restaurant to the same of another restaurant.

            They, along with the cats, dine frequently along the way. As the miles flip the odometer, we are given insight into how this unusual relationship between the couple came to be, evolved, and gradually, at the end revealed in a secret you didn’t see coming. What, you say? There is a twist in a dining dialogue? Yes! And you’ll just have to read it for yourself–no spoilers here. Dialogue is so natural between the two; you’ll swear he recorded the entire trip. You might also say the book is unusual in that it totally engages the reader from the first page without a hint of violence, bloodshed, graphic sex, drugs or language. His main character (besides the two cats) Alice, does say "you bastards" once.  

Alice is supremely self-confident and comfortable in her own skin as we learn early on when  she promises the author a vehicle of his dreams if he will join her in a multi-state road trip from Mexico across the South and help wrangle two cats into restaurants, diners, cafes and hotels. He expects to find a Suburban or maybe an Escalade in the drive. Alice surprises with a Japanese sub-compact - a Honda Fit. She says it's "flexible." They drive - Scott La. & the Boudin War.  They dine - New Orleans at Gautreau's, Clancy's, and Herbsaint. They laugh - the Carousel Bar.  They cry - tragic death. They remember how it all started with Alice's secret from over thirty-five years ago. When they met he fell hard. He pursued. She said no. She said she had cats. She didn't tell him she also had a secret. 

Over thirty years have passed since Alice revealed her secret. The young man is no longer young but he still pursues her. She calls him hubby. This is their story of a shared love for travel and history, for food and for their sweet and wily cats Munchie and Tuffy. 

CLIK the Book for 5 Star Reviews

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor and--serious stuff for anyone who writes reviews or needs reviews for their books, How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.

Aussie Bloke Reviews "Guardian Angel"

Title: Guardian Angel

Author: Dr. Bob Rich

Reviewer: Gary Clough garyclough@gmail.com

ASIN: B0711C623T

ISBN: 9781521212677

Kindle version 0.99 c

https://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Angel-Dr-Bob-Rich-ebook/dp/B0711C623T/ref=sr_1_90

Paperback version $10

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1521212678?ref_=pe_870760_150889320

Book description

http://bobswriting.com/guardian.html

Reviewed by Gary Clough

I’m a builder: a simple bloke with no pretensions to high-faluting knowledge about anything much. So, I don’t know how accurate Bob Rich’s picture of the Victorian times is. All I can say is that he took me there. It was real.

Like, a 12 year old boy from a wealthy family was near death, and his parents couldn’t show him any love. It was NOT DONE. A poor convict servant could. This seems right.

I used to have Koori man work for me, and some of the stories he told me of the life of his family make me believe everything Bob Rich writes about things like “buck hunts” and casual rape of Aboriginal women, and then judging them as sluts.

But in a way, all this is background. The story told in that setting is powerful, unputtable-down, even makes you pass up on the shows on the idiot box. I spent much of a weekend just reading, till the end, which can only be described as beautiful.

Do yourself a favour and read this story when you have a chance.

I know Bob is working on the sequel, and I hope he hurries up about it.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Dr Bob Rich edits the eclectic free newsletter, Bobbin' Around. Subscribe at http://wp.me/P3Xihq-1.  He says his best book of fiction is Ascending, http://bobswriting.com/ascending.html and his mottoes are "Commit random acts of kindness and "Live simply so you may simply live."

Learn more about his work at http://bobswriting.com.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ). This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Intimate Review of LGBTQ Novel by Well-Known Poet

Title: Two Natures
Author: Jendi Reiter
Author website: http://www.jendireiter.com
Genre: Literary fiction
ISBN: 0996907424
Published by: Saddle Road Press
Where to buy it as paperback or e-book.
Special Offer: 99 cents for the e-book from Sept. 1-28, 2016!
Name of reviewer: Kittredge Cherry
Original review publication: Jesus in Love Blog

REVIEWED BY KITTREDGE CHERRY ORIGINALLY FOR JESUS IN LOVE BLOG

A gay fashion photographer who was raised Southern Baptist moves to New York City for a sexual and spiritual odyssey during the AIDS crisis of the early 1990s in “Two Natures” by Jendi Reiter.

This stylish debut novel from a gifted poet is a rare combination of erotic gay romance and intelligent reflection on Christian faith. Narrator Julian Selkirk seeks glamor and often-fleeting affairs to replace the religion that rejected him. He learns by experience to look beyond shame, surface attractions and short-term desires.

In the five-year period covered chronologically by the novel, he has relationships with three men who embody different archetypes: immature personal trainer Phil Shanahan, cosmopolitan editor Richard Molineux, and earnest activist Peter Edelman. The dense and varied literary coming-of-age novel ranges from comic scenes that could easily become a hit movie to the explicitly sexual and the touchingly tragic. Reiter brings alive LGBTQ touchstones of the era: the visit from out-of-town and out-of-it parents to their closeted son, the AIDS death and awkward funeral, and so on.

Jendi Reiter is a first-class poet and essayist, and her Reiter’s Block is one of my all-time favorite blogs. While reading "Two Natures," I sometimes wished for more of her incisive interpretations rather than her narrator’s witty voice leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Female characters and experiences such as abortion are also portrayed well in “Two Natures.” Perhaps this is not surprising for an author who recently came out as a “genderqueer femme” on her blog.

Raised by two mothers on the Lower East Side of New York City, Reiter is able to portray New York with the casual realism of a native. Now living in western Massachusetts, she is a member of the Episcopal church and experienced first-hand how LGBTQ issues tore apart church groups, including the writing group where she was working on the earliest drafts of “Two Natures.”

Religious references in her novel are subtle… as are the allusions to AIDS in most of the first half of the 374-page novel. Julian finds no easy answers as he wrestles with his faith.The title is based upon the

two natures of Christ, who is fully human and fully divine in the eyes of believers. Julian observes:If what the preachers said

about Christ's two natures was true, I didn't know how he could stand his life anyhow, being split down the middle between the part of him that remembered heaven and the human part that would have touched me back.

I did find myself wondering sometimes whether gay men actually thought like her narrator Julian. I dared to explore this same challenging territory myself, writing as a lesbian author from the viewpoint of a queer male Christ in my “Jesus in Love” novels.

I can only say that “Two Natures” got rave reviews from gay male reviewers whom I respect. Toby Johnson called it “a pleasure to read” and Amos Lassen declared, “We all know someone like Julian and many of us see ourselves in him… You owe it to yourselves to read this wonderful novel.”

As art historian, I especially enjoyed the way that some of Julian’s spiritual reflections were provoked by art. For instance, Julian’s inner spiritual conflict is portrayed at first through his responses to “Piss Christ,” a controversial photograph by Andres Serrano.

The novel is also significant as an example of how a new generation tries to make sense of an AIDS crisis that they were too young to experience firsthand. I happened to read “Two Natures” at the same time that I was rereading my own journals for an oral history interview about doing AIDS ministry at Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco in the late 1980s. Perhaps no novel can capture the agony, ecstasy and desperate intensity of those times.

Julian never found the kind of LGBTQ-affirming church home that we provided at MCC-SF. Sadly that may be true for many young gay men in the early 1990s, and even now. But there’s good news: Reiter is already working on a sequel. 

Julian will have another chance to find long-term love and a gay-positive spiritual community, with readers invited along for the ride.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jendi Reiter is the author of the newly released novel Two Natures (Saddle Road Press)

See the book trailer at http://bit.ly/twonaturestrailer.Midwest Book Review says,  "Intense revelations about what it means to be both Christian and gay...a powerful saga" --

Jendi is editor of WinningWriters.com, a Writer's Digest "101 Best Websites for Writers"

"Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise."
Surangama Sutra

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 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Diane Donovan Lauds Jendi Reiter's Newest Book, Two Natures

Title: Two Natures

Author: Jendi Reiter

Author website: http://www.jendireiter.com/

Genre: Literary fiction

ISBN: 0996907424

Published by: Saddle Road Press (www.saddleroadpress.com) 

Where to buy it:

https://www.amazon.com/Two-Natures-Jendi-Reiter/dp/0996907424?

Name of reviewer: Diane Donovan

Original review publication: Midwest Book Review

Reviewer's link:

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/mbw/jul_16.htm#donovan

Reviewed by Diane Donovan originally for Midwest Book Review

Julian is a Southern boy and transplanted aspiring fashion photographer in New York City in the 1990s; a gay man facing the height of the AIDS epidemic and professional, social, and spiritual struggles alike as he questions himself, God's will, and Christian values in the advent of a specific kind of apocalypse.

It's rare to discover within a gay love story an equally-powerful undercurrent of political and spiritual examination. Too many gay novels focus on evolving sexuality or love and skim over underlying religious values systems; but one of the special attributes of Two Natures isn't just its focus on duality, but its intense revelations about what it means to be both Christian and gay.

In many ways, Julian is the epitome of a powerful, conflicting blend of emotions. Take the story's opening line, for one example. Readers might not anticipate a photographer's nightmare which bleeds heavily into evolving social realization and philosophy: "I woke from another nightmare about photographing a wedding. The bride was very loud and everyone's red lipstick was smeared across their teeth like vampires, except vampires would never wear lavender taffeta prom dresses. It's always the wrong people who can't see themselves in mirrors."

Even the language exquisitely portrays this dichotomy: Julian's parents are still "Mama" and "Daddy", his language and many of his attitudes remain delightfully Southern ("You know, back where I come from, that was the first thing you asked a new fellow: what does your Daddy do, and where do you go to church?"), and his experiences with men, female friends, his evolving photography career, and life in general are wonderfully depicted, drawing readers into not just the trappings and essence of his life, but the course of his psychological, philosophical and spiritual examinations.

As Julian explores this world, readers should expect sexually graphic (but well-done) scenes designed to enhance the storyline (not shock it with departures or dominant heaviness), an attention to the social and political environment of the 90s that swirls around Julian and changes his perspectives and decisions, and a gritty set of candid descriptions that probe real-world experience.

Readers of gay fiction seeking more than a casual series of insights into the world of New York City's culture, enhanced by the deeper perspectives of a young man who spiritually struggles to find his place even as he fine-tunes his career and life, will welcome the close inspection of truth, love, and life provided in Jendi Reiter's Two Natures, powerful saga of Southern etiquette and perspectives turned upside down and the risks involved in moving beyond one's safe zone.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jendi Reiter is also the author of  Bullies in Love (Little Red Tree International Poetry Prize):

http://littleredtree.com/bullies-in-love. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jendireiter.

"Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise."

Surangama Sutra

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Reviewer Would Give All the Stars in the Universe

• Title: Rarity from the Hollow
• Author: Robert Eggleton
• Web site link: www.lacydawnadventures.com  
• Genre: Adult Literary Science Fiction
• ISBN: 9781907133060;1907133062
• Name of Reviewer:  Charity Rowell-Stansbury
• Review Site: On My Kindle
• Amazon Link: Available in paper or as e-book.
• Rating from Reviewer: If I could, I would give it all the stars in the universe.

Reviewed by Charity Rowell-Stansbury originally for On My Kindle

Lacy Dawn seems like a typical Appalachian eleven-year-old girl; bright, resourceful, living in poverty, and trying desperately to "fix" her mother and father. Her father, Dwayne, is a war veteran who suffers from PTSD and prefers to self-medicate; when triggered, he becomes violent and Lacy Dawn and her mother become the target of his rage. Lacy Dawn's mother, Jenny, does her best to protect her daughter; however, she is worn down from years of abuse and sacrificing her dreams to take care of her daughter and husband.

Despite outward appearances, Lacy Dawn is a very unique and gifted child. She spends most of her free time talking to the trees in the Hollow; playing with her deceased friend, Faith, who dwells in the trees; and learning all she can from her anatomically incomplete and semi-organic boyfriend, DotCom. After helping Lacy Dawn implement a treatment plan for her parents, DotCom reveals his true purpose; he was sent to help Lacy Dawn evolve, and then recruit her for a mission to save the universe.

While DotCom has no idea what she is supposed to do to save the universe, the pair decide to let her family and Tom, family friend/local entrepreneur/drug dealer, in on the secret. With the help of friends, family, and the family's dog; Lacy Dawn and DotCom come up with an ingenious plan to save the universe.

When Eggleton requested a review of Rarity from the Hollow, I was hesitant to accept. I usually do not read or review books that discuss child abuse or domestic violence; however, I was intrigued by the excerpt and decided to give it a shot. I am glad that I took a risk; otherwise, I would have missed out on a fantastic story with a bright, resourceful, and strong protagonist that grabbed my heart and did not let go. It is not every day that I find a kindred spirit in a book, but I found one in Lacy Dawn! I admired her courage, her imagination, and her intelligence; I could go on for days about the excellent job that Eggleton did in developing Lacy Dawn's character, but I won't. What I will say is that even if you do not fully understand her perspective, you will admire her spunk.

I also greatly admire Eggleton's whimsical, witty, and understanding approach to sensitive and serious subject matters: child abuse, child poverty, domestic violence, PTSD, drug use, and alcoholism. Eggleton's matter-of-fact and irreverent tone about these subject matters conveys the gravity of the family's situation without sending readers into a spiral of suicidal depression, or being insulting.

Rarity from the Hollow brilliantly combines social commentary in a fantastical and intricate science fiction setting that readers can understand and relate to. It is one of those books that if it does not make you think, you are not really reading it.

FROM THE REVIEWER:

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

An Emerging Literary Star of Magical Realism

Unspeakable Things

By Kathleen Spivack

Knopf

ISBN: 978-0-385-35396-0

Adult/Literary

304 pages

Contact Reviewer: HoJoNews@aol.com

A New Author That Shines and Sighs on the Literary Horizon

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers.

The title of Unspeakable Things by Kathleen Spivack isn’t misleading. Don’t fool yourself into believing this book will be an upper—at least not in terms of your mood. Unless, of course, your mood is positively affected by beautiful language, unusual plotlines, and any tendency toward daring literature.

The language is this book reaches poetic heights that will thrill those who speak English, breaks new ground in the genre of magical realism and it does it all within the boundaries of difficult themes like immigration, survival and pedophilia and spins on the recognition of the destructive underbelly of secrets kept.

I adore Spivack’s literary skills. I hope she takes on something that will appeal to a broader audience in the near future (though I urge readers to stretch a bit and try this one, too!) Having said that, even if you think this book isn’t your cup of tea, track Spivack’s literary progress. She is a not-to-be missed new star that shines and sighs on the literary horizon.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of the award-winning fiction This is the Place ,and Harkening, a book of creative nonfiction short stories. Her newer efforts, Here’s How I Don’t Cook and This Land Divided, are being shopped by agent Terrie Wolf. Howard-Johnson is also the author of fifteen books and chapbooks of poetry including her most recent Imperfect Echoes (http://bit.ly/ImperfectEchoes), that was recently honored by USA Book News.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Interview: Jim Garrison Pens Novel Set in Mekong Delta

Hi! I am Carolyn Howard-Johnson, your trusty New Book Review blogger and author of the multi award-winning HowTo Do It Frugally Series of books for writers. This blog has heretofore been exclusive for reviews but I thought I’d do a special series of interviews after I chatted with Jeanie Loiacono, President of Loiacono Literary Agency – Where ‘can’t’ is not in our vocabulary!  I thought sharing the interviews would help the many subscribers and visitors to this New Book Review blog, including authors, reviewers, and, of course, readers who just might find a new favorite author among the featured books and authors.

So, today welcome Jim Garrison. 

• What is your genre? Is it fiction or nonfiction?
  • I mostly write fiction, typically a cross between genre and literary fiction. My first novel, QL 4, is both historical fiction and a literary crime novel set in the Mekong Delta in 1970 during the Vietnam War. 
• What made you want to be a writer? As long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with books and the doors they open, both in the mind and in life.  So I thought, Why not create my own literary canvas drawn from my experiences and observations and render these tales in a way that entertains and informs?
• Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? There were many writers of all stripes who inspired me, but Ernest Hemingway is probably the one who gave me the writing bug in my teens, especially A Farewell to Arms.
• What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? Going back to when I practiced law, I start with a lump of clay: ideas jotted down on sticky notes and scratch paper, then in a notebook dedicated to the novel.  The first part of the notebook may be ruminations about characters or even a story arc.  As the concept develops, I begin a list of characters with their descriptions and back story, a timeline, and a chapter outline (based on different scenes).  To start writing, I “outline” in a way that usually ends up getting every scene and character down on paper.  Next I flesh out the story (description, characters, and dialogue) in long hand until I have a complete novel that may be hundreds of pages. I try to be flexible; writing chapters out of order, revising, deleting, changing course.  From those handwritten pages, I type a manuscript, which I deem my first real draft.  
• Do you write every day? How much? How long? When I’m not travelling, I usually write or edit, every day, but I have no set schedule (and my writing may take other forms than fiction, from poetry to legal documents).  When I’m working on a novel, I usually spend no more than two or three hours a day unless I have a deadline.
• Do you think reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? How can you write without reading: fiction, nonfiction, current events, poetry, comics?The wider your range of knowledge, the deeper your insights into people, the human condition, everything.  Also, knowing what the reading public reads helps the author write for his or her chosen audience.
• What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors? Get something on the page, no matter how rough, inelegant, or incomplete.  Keep a journal, write a description of a place or person or event.  Observe everything and everyone around you.  Listen, eavesdrop.  Cancel cable television.
• Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? From my scant experience, you must have a platform, including a good website that shows you know your subject.
• Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? Certainly conferences can be beneficial.  Here and there, I’ve picked up some writing tips, but most valuable has been the interaction with other writers and a few agents and editors. I’ve been to the Pike’s Peak Writers Conference several times, as well as to conferences sponsored by the Houston Writers Guild and the Writers’ League of Texas.  I also attended the Maui Writers Conference once in its heyday.
• Where can we find you, your books and when is your next event? https://jamesdgarrison.wordpress.com/ Johnnie Bernhard with Loiacono Literary Agency represents my novel QL4 (available for acquisition), a brutally honest, unflinchingly poetic, final test for a disillusioned American GI as he searches for an honorable way out of his predicament during the Vietnam War.  http://www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/jim-garrison/

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENTS

Agent Johnnie Bernhard is a former English teacher and journalist whose life’s work has been writing and reading.  A published author, her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines, both nationally and internationally.  Johnnie believes that good writing has the ability to transform and transport the reader.

            Her novel, A Good Girl, a second finalist in the 2015 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, is available for acquisition.

Bernhard Events  Featured Writer for Gulf Coast Writer’s Association

Genres:  Literary Fiction, Women’s Literature, Faith-Based Literature, Southern Literature, Historic Fiction, Memoir, and Nonfiction.

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency

A facilitator of dreams, Jeanie Loiacono represents over eighty authors. Her forte is mystery, romance, thrillers, historical/military/southern fiction, and all quality fiction/nonfiction. Her passion is to see her authors succeed.
“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to work with some of the most talented writers in the world.” Jeanie.L@llallc.net  www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS--TO FIND GREAT READING OR TO NETWORK WITH AUTHORS--PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG. YOU ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THIS FAMILY WHO LOVES BOOKS! YOU'LL FIND A WINDOW TO DO THIS AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG PAGE.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Interview: Author's Admiration of McCarthy and Honoring Mother Inspire Writing Career

Hi! I am Carolyn Howard Johnson, your trusty New Book Review blogger and author of the multi award-winning HowTo Do It Frugally Series of books for writers. This blog has heretofore been exclusive for reviews but I thought I’d do a special series of interviews after I chatted with Jeanie Loiacono, President of Loiacono Literary Agency – Where ‘can’t’ is not in our vocabulary! I thought sharing the interviews would help the many subscribers and visitors to this New Book Review blog, including authors, reviewers, and, of course, readers who just might find a new favorite author among the featured books and authors.

So, today welcome Chuck Walsh.

Chuck Walsh, author of Shadows On Iron Mountain, Backwoods Justice, A Month of Tomorrows, A Passage Back and A Splintered Dream is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, and discovered a passion for writing in 2004. Since then, he has written human-interest articles for a dozen publications. He also co-authored Faces of Freedom (featured on Sean Hannity’s book list), a book that recognizes the noble lives of U.S. soldiers who died while fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan.

ENDORSEMENTS

“Chuck Walsh is one of the most committed, passionate, and talented writers I’ve had the pleasure of working with and reading in a long time. [He] constantly seeks new ways to refine his already solid work. Chuck Walsh is one of the best. He writes, not for himself, but for his readers.”

—Thomas Smith, Jr. author, Encyclopedia of the Central Intelligence Agency                     

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“Chuck Walsh is a master storyteller, a writer of extraordinary sensitivity and craftsmanship. Walsh’s fiction shows an uncommon understanding of his characters and their relationships. His writing is both dynamic and economical, with a special energy in dialogue that keeps the reader turning pages.”

— Charles Israel, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of English

What is your genre? Is it fiction or nonfiction? Fiction – historical, murder/suspense, literary fiction

      What made you want to be a writer? My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years ago, and I wanted to write something to show how much she meant to me. And I decided to write A Passage Back, which is about a man who has an accident after the death of his mother and goes back in time to his childhood. As I began writing the book, something sparked to life within me, making me feel as though my life’s calling had been unveiled.

Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? Cormac McCarthy--no one else comes close. McCarthy is the best fiction writer, in my opinion, of all time. His ability to create stories that pit battles between good and evil, God and Satan, heaven and hell, is beyond anything I’ve ever read. Before I work on my novels, I will pick up one of his books, read about fifteen pages or so, and it inspires me to be the absolute best writer I can be.

What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? I would describe myself as a storyteller. I truly try to create characters that readers will feel they know intimately, and I want those characters immersed in compelling situations. Most of these characters are based on people I have a strong connection to which fuels a great passion to fully reveal the desires of their hearts, their joy, their pain, and their fear. The settings of my books are integral and I love to paint the picture, whether it’s the deep backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, or the simplicity of a baseball field on a summer afternoon. I do not outline. Each book begins as an idea and it develops on its own. It becomes an entity, growing slowly, and I just try to find the words to put it in print.

Do you write every day? How much? How long? Working full time, it’s impossible for me to write every day. By the time I get home, my mind is so frazzled, there is no creativity left. Therefore I write on weekends and holidays, beginning early where I spend hour after hour getting into the character’s minds, and into the setting. I can go 10 to 12 hours once I begin.

Do you think reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? I think reading is vital for an author. It opens him to worlds he might not have ever known, and it inspires, and often teaches, the writer how to develop a story. Not in the sense he can copy or mimic, because I think every writer’s mind works differently, and that they can only write what they know; what their mind creates.

What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors? Write about people and places that will fuel a passion within you. If you have a connection to the characters and the setting, it will make you want to expend full effort to make the readers develop a passion for them too.

      Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? Work as hard as you can to make the book the best it can possibly be. Believe in yourself. To me, the most successful venues are book signings that I set up. I solicit help from people in that area who I know that will help spread the word. Have signings at places that are fun for the readers. I’ve had signings at restaurants, at sports bars, minor league ballparks (for my baseball-themed novel, A Splintered Dream). If you go in blindly to a location and have to count on strangers to “stumble” upon you, the odds of them buying your book(s) are slim. Be choosy in the literary festivals you attend. It’s tough to sell books, at least that’s my experience, at places where they have no idea who you are. I will sell 5 times more books at a two-hour signing that I have organized and orchestrated, than I can attending a day long festival.

Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? I think for those starting out conferences are beneficial in networking and getting yourself in front of agents and publishers and other writers. Once you have established yourself with an agent, and your books are being published, then you can use online tools to learn ways to help promote your books.

Where can we find you, your books and when is your next event? You can find me at www.chuckwalshwriter.com Chuck Walsh Events Facebook Twitter Goodreads Amazon Author Page  My books are available on Amazon B&N Fish Pond Book Depository BAM Waterstones IndieBound Google Play Kobo Powell's Books Wheeler's Books Book World Angus & Robertson Copia Scribd Shelfari                            The Book Depository Waterstones WH Smith  Wheelers GoodReads My first book, A Month of Tomorrows, is available also on audible.com.

My next event will be at Columbia College in late January and I will be appearing at two book club gatherings in February. Visit my website for exact dates.

Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency, Jeanie Loiacono http://www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/chuck-walsh/

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency

A facilitator of dreams, Jeanie Loiacono represents over eighty authors. Her forte is mystery, romance, thrillers, historical/military/southern fiction, and all quality fiction/nonfiction. Her passion is to see her authors succeed.
“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to work with some of the most talented writers in the world.” Jeanie.L@llallc.net www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS--TO FIND GREAT READING OR TO NETWORK WITH AUTHORS--PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG. YOU ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THIS FAMILY WHO LOVES BOOKS! YOU'LL FIND A WINDOW TO DO THIS AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG PAGE.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.