Interview with James A. Anderson of Deadline!

So if y'all remember, I reviewed Deadline by James A. Anderson a while ago and  I loved it! So after reading the book and posting a review I sent the author a couple of questions! Below you'll find my interview with James Anderson and hear about his writing process and personal experience as a journalist! 

Me: Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

Him: I am 63 years old and a retired Canadian journalist with more than 35 years experience as a reporter and editor on several weekly and daily newspapers. I was born in Glasgow, Scotland and did my early education in England before we moved to Canada in 1957. I was the first person in my family to go to university and graduated in 1972 with an Honors degree in History (English as my minor). I have always been an avid reader of all types of books, with mysteries and thrillers as my favorite genre, historical fiction second.

I am married to my wife Sherry, a Registered Nurse, and we live in London, Ontario, Canada with two basenji dogs. We have two grown children and four grandchildren. In retirement, I enjoy spending time with my family, golfing in the summer and writing.

Me: What made you decide to go from being a journalist to writing and publishing a book?

Him: As I mentioned, I'm an avid reader and decided to try and write a thriller myself to keep me occupied and keep my mind sharp in retirement. I also felt I could write something that was better than some of the stuff I was reading. I write books that I would like to read -- fast-paced, lots of action, page turners, a quick read, and decided to use my background and experience as a journalist as a setting for my first novel. I took a novel writing course and they tell you to write about what you know.

Me: What was your process while writing Deadline? Did you write whenever the urge hit or did you plan out so many pages a day?

Him: Deadline took me about six months from start to finish. It's about 50,000 words -- 232 pages. I prefer to write in the morning, 9 a.m -- 12 p.m., about three hours every day and some days it goes very well and others not so much. I try to polish off 1,000-1,500 words a day. The real work begins in revising and rewriting and polishing the novel. I wrote five drafts of Deadline before I felt it was ready to publish. You have to develop a work ethic and try to write every day. If you just wait for the urge to strike, nothing will get done. I think it was Stephen King who once observed that writing is 90% perspiration, 10% inspiration. It can be difficult. Writing is not easy. Some days you just do not feel like it and not much gets done, but you must try to discipline yourself to get your ass in that seat and write. I find it helpful to set myself personal deadlines, comes from my journalism training.

  

Me: Which character in Deadline do you associate the most with?

Him: That would be Braden Young, the managing editor of the Daily Express. He has some of my character traits, but he drinks much more than I do. Actually many of the characters in Deadline are based on colleagues I've worked with and many of them recognized themselves in the book. Some of the news stories are actual cases fictionalized. There is lots of material in the real word that makes good fodder for fiction. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.

  

Me:   In Deadline, Trevor gets to interview a very important person in Al Qaeda. Where did you get his answers to Trevor’s questions?

Him: Most of it I made up in my head. I tried to put myself in that person's mind and think like he would. I also drew upon my knowledge of Al Qaeda propaganda and the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan from news sources. A former Canadian army person who served over there assisted me with information about the region and what it was like over there. He vetted my early manuscript and made some valuable suggestions for changes which I included in the final story. The rest I got from searching the Internet.

Me: What was the most exciting story or interview you ever covered as a journalist yourself?

Him: I've had many over 35 years, but a couple really stand out. In the 1970s as a young reporter, I got to cover my first murder trial. A wife shot her estranged husband in front of the family during Christmas Eve dinner after an argument over the younger woman he was sleeping with. He was a vice-president of a university and the family were pretty wealthy. Needless to say, the trial had some pretty juicy details that came out and generated a lot of media publicity. It was my first experience covering the justice system in a major trial and it was fascinating watching how both sides worked the case. She had a high priced lawyer who argued an insanity defense and in the end he won the case because she was found not guilty by reason of insanity by the jury and sent to a psychiatric institute for treatment.

The other was a chance to interview Canada's then Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. A very interesting and charismatic man.

In the 1980s,I was visiting the White House Press Centre in Washington at the invitation of an old college buddy who then worked for ABC News. While there, President Ronald Reagan and his lunch guest British PM Margaret Thatcher dropped in and chatted with the reporters. That was quite thrilling to talk to them.

One thing I love about journalism is that there is always something new; it is rarely dull and boring.

Me:  What are the 3 words you would chose to describe your book to get the reader’s attention?

Him: Action, fast-paced, suspense.

Me asking the question left by Sara Jo Easton, another author and commentor on my review of Deadline:  What was the toughest thing you had to write and why?

Him: Actually writing has always come pretty easy to me. I started writing stories when I was  8 or 9. Wrote a novel while in high school but it never got published. It wasn't very good. Probably the toughest story I had to write as a journalist involved a young child of 6 dying of cancer and whose wish was to go to Disney World. The publicity generated an outpouring of community donations and she got her wish in a special VIP visit. She died two  months later. But it also was one of my most satisfying and rewarding stories of them all.

Me: What do you want readers to know that I didn’t cover in my review?

Him: I don't know, your review was pretty comprehensive.  The free promotion of my novel generated almost 10,000 downloads of the Kindle book in the U.S., Canada and UK. I'm a new and unknown author so hopefully many of these people will read it it and like it and tell their friends or write reviews to spread the word. The book now sells for $2.99 in ebook and is also available in paperback from Amazon or the publisher www.lulu.com

Me:  When can we expect the sequel to Deadline?

Him: The sequel is tentatively titled The Scorpion and I'm about half-way through it. I hope to publish it in the spring. It picks up with many of the same characters from the Daily Express in new news adventures and terrorists are targeting Toronto and Ottawa in Operation Saladin. My hope is to make it more exciting than the first one.

Thanks for the interview, Alex and good luck to you and all your readers.

MAY ALL YOUR NEWS BE GOOD NEWS!

Thank you so much for the interview James! It was great hearing about your writing process and personal history as a journalist! :) 


If y'all want to read Deadline (and I think it is well worth the $3!) then you can buy it here! I can't imagine a more exciting book but look forward to reading the sequel!

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading where you grab your current read, flip to a random page, and share 2 teaser sentences from that page!


Sounds great right?! :) 


My teasers are going to be from Gathering Sticks Along the Way by Tyler Mills!



When God commanded Abraham to carry Isaac up the mountain, the boy was told by his father to gather sticks to build an altar. With each piece he gathered he unknowingly contributed to his own sacrifice. But before the blade would fall an angel of God would appear. The entire parable hinged on Abraham's faith in God's plan and his determination to carry it out with his own hands.


Charles is an average man. He has a loving family and is solid in his own beliefs. But his faith is soon tested with the loss of his son and Charles becomes a man driven by the need for answers. He needs to know what happened to his child and is prepared to do anything to find out. As simple actions by multiple individuals begin to unfold, a tragedy is formed and Charles is caught in the middle. Throughout it all he knows he is not alone. He knows God is with him. As Charles begins to see signs of what he believes to be the truth behind his son's disappearance, he's unsure if these come from God or if they are just coincidences. Is it his vengeance that propels him or is he just doing God's plan? His faith will either see him through this catastrophe or cause him to lose all he has left.

 I flipped to chapter 18 on my Kindle so I don't know exactly what's going on in the story right now but these sentences popped out at me: 


"He had created an entire blueprint of attack."

"He had tediously studied each step of his grizzly pan until it was complete, save for one major factor: time." 

I should finish up Gather Stick Along the Way today so look for my review to be up soon! If you just can't wait then look for the book from Amazon here!

Adoption Reading Challenge

I still have a long list of books to read and review on my TBR pile that I'm going to continue working through but what if I finish my to review pile and have nothing left to read?! Well, actually that won't happen because I'm constantly finding books I'd love to read but that doesn't stop me from being attracted to book challenges where I'm being encouraged and in some cases, rewarded for reading books! Just follow along with whatever theme might be of the challenge and you get to put that little button on the side and the satisfaction of saying "one down. three to go" or whatever for the challenge. What does all this rambling mean? I've finally convinced myself to enter more challenges and that I'm going to post up some sign-up posts. The first of these posts is my entrance to the Adoption Reading Challenge! You can find the sign-up page here and I would love for you to join me! I'm entering this challenge at the basic 3 book level at first though maybe later I'll up my join. I really like the idea of this challenge- and no, I'm not adopted, I don't have a love child out there that I gave up for adoption, and right now I have no children. I think this is an amazingly interesting topic and my boyfriend and I have talked about children that might come in the future and I'm constantly flip-flopping on my position of having children vs. adopting children. It has nothing to do with me wondering if I can love an adopted child as much as a biological child but.... there are a lot of things going in my mind and at 19, I don't think it's decision making time quite yet. So watch this post for my reviews of the books I choose to read for this challenge! I already have 2 of the 3 in mind.


1. Mamalita: An Adoption Memoir by Jessica O'Dwyer - I won this one and can't wait to read it. I wan't to go ahead and tell y'all what it's all about: 

This gripping memoir details an ordinary American woman’s quest to adopt a baby girl from Guatemala in the face of overwhelming adversity. At only 32 years old, Jessica O’Dwyer experiences early menopause, seemingly ending her chances of becoming a mother. Years later, married but childless, she comes across a photo of a two-month-old girl on a Guatemalan adoption website — and feels an instant connection. From the get-go, Jessica and her husband face numerous and maddening obstacles. After a year of tireless efforts, Jessica finds herself abandoned by her adoption agency; undaunted, she quits her job and moves to Antigua so she can bring her little girl to live with her and wrap up the adoption, no matter what the cost. Eventually, after months of disappointments, she finesses her way through the thorny adoption process and is finally able to bring her new daughter home. Mamalita is as much a story about the bond between a mother and child as it is about the lengths adoptive parents go to in their quest to bring their children home. At turns harrowing, heartbreaking, and inspiring, this is a classic story of the triumph of a mother’s love over almost insurmountable odds.

2. Trail of Secrets by Eileen Goudge- This one I checked out from the library and looks interesting. It's completely fiction but it looks like adoption drives the plot along.

3. I'll add this one as I look around.

I'm so excited about this challenge! I hope this might show me a better picture of adoption and what I might be facing! :)

Marty Boggs & The Curse of the Mummy's Curse Review!

Hey y'all! I've been reading and packing the past couple days to go back to school but I just finished up Marty Boggs & The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb! I'll tell y'all how much I loved it and give you the full description in just a sec!

Description from Amazon: Marty Boggs seems to be having nothing but bad luck lately. He has just moved to a new school. That not only makes him the new kid, but the target of the school's biggest bully. Add to that the fact that his grandfather is lying in a coma and his mother has disappeared. What more could go wrong? Oh, yes, some of his best friends are missing and he thinks the new housekeeper may be out to kill him. Marty's grandfather is a famous archeologist and has recently opened the tomb of Kutkara. He sends an amulet from the tomb to Marty's mother, and she soon disappears. Within no time, the grandfather has fallen into a coma and the rumor is that the curse that protected the tomb has caused it all. Delve into the book as Marty decides to play Sherlock Holmes, and perhaps Indiana Jones, both at once. Not only does he encounter mummies, ghouls and ghosts, but there are the additional magicians, monsters and an occasional ancient evil. Marty battles, all with the help of devoted friends, in an attempt to save his mother and grandfather, and even the small town he has just moved into. That is a lot... but a boy's got to do what a boy's got to do. I think the action, mystery and adventure, along with the ghouls and monsters, would hold any young reader's attention. It held mine, and I am far from young.

What I thought about it: I'm not ashamed of my love of young adult books so I'm happy to say I really enjoyed Marty Boggs & The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb!  Marty Boggs is 14 years old and has been going through some rotten luck- and I felt for him. Not only did his mother disappear without a trace but his grandfather was found in a coma and they don't know if he'll make it AND he's the new kid, the new freshman at the local high school. This book was full of mystery and twists and suspense entwined with the normal thoughts and feelings a normal- but maybe physic- young boy would experiencing in these situations. There was a TON of mystery in this book that I really enjoyed. It kept me jumping trying to figure out who was behind the kidnappings in the sleepy little town and in the end I wasn't right at all! I didn't even SUSPECT the true person behind it but the authors did a great job of having the guy explain how and why he's behind it. I really liked this book and I think anyone over the age of 10 will too! It keeps you jumping, there are hints of romance, and it has a good amount of creepiness that I think will appeal to those adventurous boys who are more interested in getting in trouble than reading! I also love how the main character is a 14 year old boy who loves to read! :) You need to read this one. It's on Amazon for just $.99 and if you have a Prime Membership you can read it for free! Find this great book on Amazon here!  And then come back and comment and tell me what you thought of it! :) I would say this one is pretty amazing though it did end with some loose ends and a cliff hanger that makes you burn for the next book in the series! :) 

Interview with Bryan Young of Lost at the Con

I was able to send Bryan Young a couple questions after being able to read his great book Lost at the Con (review here) and he gave me some great answers! Below you can find the questions I sent him and his answers! 

Me: Can you tell me a bit about yourself? 


Him:  Well, I think the primary thing about myself is that I have a habit of biting off more than I can chew. I'm a filmmaker and have produced two award winning documentaries that you can catch on Netflix (This Divided State and Killer at Large). I'm a columnist with a regular geek column in the Salt Lake City Weekly, the alt-weekly here, as well as a columnist at Huffington Post. I'm the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the geek news and review site Big Shiny Robot!, and in addition to all of that, I'm an author, too. (My other books are Man Against the Future and God Bless You, Mr. Vonnegut, in addition to a host of short stories available digitally.) I guess that's more about what I do than about me. As a person, I have two kids I adore, I'm fascinated by politics and film. Also Star Wars. I'm a big believer in Star Wars and all the lessons its taught me. Obviously, I love reading and writing, too. I've got three more novels written and in various stages of editing and probably 30 more short stories I plan on unleashing into the world soon.


 Me: What was your process while writing Lost at the Con? Did you write whenever the urge hit or did you plan out so many pages a day?

Him: I had a deadline and I just worked toward it. I tried spending as much time as I could devoted to writing when I wasn't working on all the other stuff I'm working on.  My goal was to make sure I cared about what I was writing and try to make it as fun as possible for me and, hopefully, for the reader, too. I took it to a couple of workshops where I was eviscerated for not having a likable enough main character and I had some help trying to sort through all that with some really great friends. But the biggest thing was just to write every day. I try to get a bare minimum of 500 words written per day, but I usually average more than twice that. It's important to just do it every day.

Me:  Are you a con-goer? Did you attend a con to research for Lost at the Con? 

Him: I am, indeed, a con-goer. I've been to about a dozen San Diego Comic-Cons, I've been to a couple of Dragon*Con's, I've been to all but one Star Wars Celebration...  I've been a fan of that circuit, both as a geek and as press, for a very long time. The idea for Lost at the Con occurred after my first experience at Dragon*Con, though. That place truly is the Mardi Gras of conventions. And I love it. But it really got me wondering what a drunken reprobate of a journalist with no experience in science fiction or fantasy or comics would think coming into it with no warning or background. And every time I saw something he might react to (Snarry anyone?) I would laugh hysterically about it.

Me: What do you have in common with our beloved Cobb? 

Him: I think one of the things I have in common with Cobb is that we've both attended conventions...?  We've both been inspired by the hero myth to pursue our dreams, eventually. And I think we'd both run if there were a bionic ex-President trying to kill us.

Me: Do you think you and Cobb would be friends if you met on the street?

Him: I don't know if we would be. I think he'd be someone to have an interesting conversation at a bar with, but I think he'd find me to be an intolerable asshole. But I think most people find me that way. I'll try to get along with anybody, though. 

Me: What do you wish I would have said about Lost at the Con in my review? 

Him: That it was the best book ever written and that you were quitting your day job to proselytize it's message to the world. No, I kid. I think any review needs to come from the heart, whether it's good or bad, and yours did that, so it was great to read for that reason, one way or the other.

Me: What are 3 words you would choose to describe your book to get the reader's attention?

Him: Drunken journalist, Space Lincoln  That's four, but you get the point.

Thank you so much for answering my questions Bryan! It was great learning about a real live author and your writing process! And I think you definitely succeeded in creating a likable main character! And I was wondering while I was reading how you and Cobb are alike. I was wondering if you were an alcoholic journalist or so! And why I can't say I'll be quitting school to study your book I did really enjoy it!


Find Lost at the Con on Amazon here for Kindle version and here for paperback! Be sure to check it out! :) 

The Counterfeit Review

I just finished The Counterfeit by Tammie Gibbs and I really liked it! :)

What Is It About? 

Sometimes the Road to Justice is filled with Compromise… 
Jeremy Loud is good at what he does. 
As a Secret Service Operative he’s quick on his feet and a master of his emotions. 
Then, he wakes up naked, disoriented and in physical pain to find a mysterious woman busy at his stove. His first mistake is assuming she’s a barmaid. His biggest mistake is underestimating her ability to get into trouble. Soon he realizes his assignment to infiltrate and bring to justice the infamous Quincy Davenport and his band of counterfeiters might be easier than keeping one strong-willed and beautiful redhead out of trouble. 
Magen MacGuire is determined to find the man responsible for her father’s death and make him pay. 
Then, her plans go awry and a case of mistaken identity leads her to the last thing she expects; a mysterious stranger she could easily fall in love with. She makes a choice to right a wrong, but in her case doing the right thing isn’t viewed as proper and gets them both into even more trouble. 
The odds are against them, but can they find the love of a lifetime before their secrets are exposed and if they do can they overcome the lies? 

What Did I Think About It?
 I fell in love with Magen and Jeremy! This was a sweet historical romance with some mystery in it. I was hooked from the first page where our leading lady decided to run the hero down with her wagon! Magen wasn't a meek, mild woman who sat back and watched the world go by. Jeremy was strong and powerful and yummy! But he appreciated Magen's spunk and didn't try to break her spirit by any means. I laughed at parts of this book and it had some twists that I wasn't expecting! There was the classic they both love the other but are too afraid to say so ploy in the book and a wedding they both want to make work but the circumstances of the wedding was a surprise and very sweet! I think my favorite character of this book was Magen who went to punch an old busybody that was insulting her! I loved Jeremy though and I empathized with him over the lost of his wife.The writing was clear and tight. I  I was cheering for the couple and there was some definite passion between them. That being said, it was also a clean read. I wouldn't be afraid to let a tweenager read this book. I would recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a sweet romance with some mystery! I really liked this book! You need to check out this book guys! here!

The Zader Review

Hey y'all! I just finished The Zader by Sara Jo Easton and I really liked it! It was a great book and when I read the description I thought it was going to be something like the dragon riders or pern or some such but Easton managed to create her own unique world!

Summary: 

For ten years, the dragon-like Onizards who dwelled in the Day Kingdom had been ruled by a tyrant who called herself the Fire Queen. Not even the Queen's son, Delbralfi, was completely safe from her scorn and wrath. For a powerless non-nature like Teltrena or a human slave like Jena, life was spent hoping for a better future while fearing for one's life.
     Then, through a series of most unlikely circumstances, Jena found her mind telepathically Bonded to an Onizard hatchling named Senraeno. The only way to survive the Fire Queen's wrath was to fake their deaths and hide in the forgotten Night Kingdom. 
      With the unexpected help of a few new friends, the Bonds are safe for a while, but their real deaths await them if the Fire Queen discovers that Jena and Senraeno are both alive and Bonded. Now, Jena must learn to fight for herself, and she must help the Onizards see that the love and courage in their hearts is more powerful than the Fire Queen's hatred.

What I thought:  
I really liked The Zarder. It was a short book and a quick read but it didn't feel like it was a short book. I mean, the characters were highly developed and the plot was tight. I liked the idea of the Onizards- they're like dragons with wings and horns and all but there are different categories of them. There are the fire Onizards that breathe fire, there are water Onizards that can breathe a yet of high-pressure water, there are earth Onizards that can heal, and wind Onizards which are the fastest ones out there. There are also the Children of the Light who are gifted with empathy and are the rightful rulers of the Onizards. This system wasn't as hard as you would think to wrap your mind around. Easton has provided us with a prologue that contains the Onizards creation story and explains all the different kinds and the Children of the LIght. I liked how the Onizards and the humans had their own parts in this book. The Onizards were intelligent beings who had their own culture and I was pulled in from the start! The book was full of action and intrigue and it has a couple really GREAT twists in it! The Fire Queen is really good at being a villain and while I would have liked to find out more about what made her the evil she is now, you do see her become the Fire Queen was a heart wrenching story itself. There are some great characters in this book that I'd love to read more about. I recommend this to everyone who likes a good fantasy read! This book would be great for readers of all ages!  I think this would be a great read for 10 year olds up! There is some romance between Onizards and some violence but none that would be off putting for anyone out there. :)  I really liked this book and look forward to more books from Easton! :) 


Get The Zader at Amazon here for just $.99!


$.99! :) 

Deadline Review!

I just finished Deadline by James A. Anderson and was it amazing? It so totally was! I loved it! Now to post a review telling you all what its about and how much I loved it!:)  You're not going to want to miss this book! 

I'm still trying to figure out my review style. This is my 2nd ever review and for the last one I kinda just did a stream of conscious thing about what it was about and why I liked it and included little snippets that made me smile. But I also like the way another blog reviewer formatted her review so I'm going to try her way now. Plus- there are many characters I loved from this book so my other way wouldn't work very well. 

Summary from Amazon: 

A serial killer -- The Wolfman – prowls the streets of Toronto kidnapping young professional women, then targets crime reporter Katie Cannon who has been writing about his rampage.
Trevor Trevanian, a foreign correspondent in Afghanistan, is abducted by al-Qaida and taken on a perilous journey to Pakistan to face an uncertain fate.
Deadline combines murder, action, and romance, with a glimpse into the world of big city media. This thriller, set over a 24-hour period in a fictional Toronto newspaper -- the Daily Express, follows four central characters in Toronto and Afghanistan as they cope with both personal and professional deadlines in their lives.

What I thought:

I personally LOVED Deadline! I fell in love with the characters presented in just 232 pages! I usually don't like books that switch points of view like this and find myself gravitating to one character and just skimming through the other character's sections but that never even occurred to me in Deadline. Anderson has an excellent way of ending each chapter with me chomping at the bit wanting to know more and then immediately capturing my attention at the beginning of the next chapter with a new character! I will say that I got a bit confused about characters at first but after I finally fixed it in my head who Young and Chase where I had no difficulty. Anderson has a way of introducing a new character and in a page and a half you have a clear idea of who they are and their purpose in the story. There is a wonderful web of characters that back a fast moving plot line!

Sorry, just realized that I've been swooning of the characters and forgot to tell you about the great plot lines in Deadline! Wolfman is a great serial killer (that sounds awful, but I like how we get to see into his life and motives behind the killings!) on the loose preying on successful business woman. Katie Cannon is covering the stories for the Daily Express and has been getting emails from the killer! Trevor is a fair minded war journalist in Afghanistan who has been abducted for the story of his life- if he can keep his life that is. Then we have Young and Chase who have their own battles to fight. 

I cannot speak highly enough of this book. I'm usually not a big fan of thrillers- I'm more of a romance or young adult fiction kinda gal where I prefer a happily ever after but I loved this book. Its a fast read but still deep enough to keep your attention- I know it did mine. You just have to read this book. It'll take you a couple hours because you won't want to put it down and its FREE now over at Amazon! Get it here. Go get it. Now. I'll wait. Got it? Ok good. 

Then after you finish this great book come back and leave me a comment telling me how much you LOVED it! I'd also love some question suggestions for Mr. James A. Anderson who has agreed to give me an interview! I have some lined up but I would love some other's questions as well!