As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
The CIA is facing catastrophic blackmail at the hands of an erratic Guatemalan drug lord: the infamous patrón of Antigua – Pablo Puentes. Desperate for a swift solution, the agency calls in their black operative fixer: John Carpenter.
John is a cold-blooded professional ready for the job. But the mission doesn’t have a simple fix. Pablo has a disastrous kill switch in place.
John is still haunted by the mysterious death of his best friend who died on a far too similar mission, and now is uncertain about how much he can trust his handler or his sensual partner.
Back at the agency, tensions are running hot as the stench of corruption is growing to a boiling point. If things aren’t put to rights – and soon – the entire mission will go up in flames and take the CIA down with it.
Only John Carpenter can bring this drug lord to justice and get the answers he deserves.
Because this mission is personal…
If you like the relentless tension of Daniel Silva and the gritty reality of Lee Child then you’ll love this first book in the John Carpenter Trilogy!
Reader’s reviews:
“★★★★★ This is a tightly-knit story that keeps us wondering who is betraying whom.” – Vine Voice, Verified Amazon Reviewer.
“★★★★★ Forget James Bond, ignore the glamour and cool gadgets in Mission Impossible, chances are real spies are not going to be Kate Beckinsale dressed in skintight leather while she drives around in a Ferrari. In reality, spy agencies want to recruit people with a certain charm that can lure people in, but be physically unremarkable so that their victims can’t really remember anything unusual about them as they wander across the street.“ – Verified Amazon Reviewer.
Collin Glavac is a Canadian born actor and writer who lives in Southern Ontario. He has written, directed, and acted in two original stage plays: In Real Life and LoveSpell. He completed his Dramatic and Liberal Arts B.A. and M.A at Brock University.
Operation Nicaragua is the second book in the John Carpenter trilogy. Ghosts of Guatemala, the first book in the trilogy is his debut novel. Vaulter’s Magic, the first book in a new series will be available soon.
Would you like a chance to win either a print or eBook copy of Ghosts of Guatemala or Operation Nicaraguaor a $15 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about Ghosts of Guatemala by Collin Glavac.
Full of wanderlust and a professional sunset watcher, A.K. Smith writes twisty suspense books that will keep you up late. Her debut novel, A Deep Thing was awarded the Readers Favorite Gold Medal. A freelance travel writer (under another name), she loves to experience the world, and discover new settings to feature in her latest novels and articles. If she’s not on the water or in the water, she is looking at the water. She spends her days working remotely online in either Mexico on the Sea of Cortez, or in the desert or forests of Arizona. Beautiful settings provide thousands of story ideas that she can’t wait to get down on paper. She is convinced, her best life is with a beach, a blanket, and a book. Her big loves are her husband, family, friends, and kindness. Her goal is to step foot on every continent on Planet Earth (maybe even the moon) –she’s slowly getting there.
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I’m a freelance travel writer and have written travel books, and travel articles for the last fifteen years. My favorite books to read are full of twisty suspense, and if they have a beach, an island, or an ocean in the setting, I’m in. I guess you write what you love to read, and both of my published books have settings by the ocean, intertwined with unique places to visit. My debut novel, A Deep Thing, was traditionally published by a small press less than five years ago. My new release, Pseudocide, is independently published by my publishing company, Books with Soul® Press. Books With Soul has published over 400 gift books, including children’s books, travel books and inspirational journals.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
I work remotely from the beautiful Sea of Cortez in Mexico and the desert of Arizona. For my first book, A Deep Thing, I dove the beautiful cenotes of the Yucatan, so I could accurately write about them in my novel. My husband and I took 99 vacations in three years, and I wrote a book about how it is possible on a working budget.
Where were you born/grew up at?
I grew up in a small Western Pennsylvania town outside of Pittsburgh. Although, I have lived in over ten states and two countries.
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
Wow, that’s a tough question to answer, unless I could be like the main character in my book, Pseudocide and just fake my death and start all over again.
What are you passionate about these days?
Kindness, traveling, and sunsets. If I’m not on the water, in the water, or walking on the beach, I’m probably looking at the water. Now that traveling is back, I am passionate about my quest to step foot on every continent and explore this planet. I’m slowly getting there.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I love to stream twisty series or movies especially if they have an island or beach in them. I think there should be more series and movies with boats, oceans and unique destinations. That goes for books as well.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Beach lover writer who loves kindness…whoops that’s six.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I can imagine my first novel, A Deep Thing, would make a great twisty adventure thriller, complete with islands, diving, and a college campus with a secret tunnel underneath. My second novel Pseudocide, I imagine as a young adult series, with gorgeous bay settings, thick green woods, and the shiny lights of Las Vegas.
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
To me that is harder than stating my favorite movie. I love books that take me on a journey and surprise me.
I’m a fan of Karen M. McManus, One of is Lying and Lauren Oliver’s, Panic. I love books that put females in the center of every story.
The Handmaids Tale, by Margaret Atwood is right up there with The Help and I loved Janet Fitch’s book, White Oleander, and the classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. I’ve read every Nicholas Sparks book and loved every minute of The Firm and A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins and Wool series by Hugh Howey and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens are some recent favorites. I also love Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Book Selections that focus on women authors and female protagonists.
What book do you think everyone should read?
Well, A Deep Thing or Pseudocide by A.K. Smith would be great to be on everyone’s list, if a writer doesn’t believe their book should be on everyone’s list, no one else will.
How long have you been writing?
I have journaled and created stories since I was a kid. But, in the last ten years, I made it a priority. Making it a priority and acting on it made it happen.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? I try to create character sketches of my main characters before I write, but as the story develops, some characters creep in and I have to include them.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I am a researcher. In fact, the more I research the more ideas flow. It’s gathering the research together that develops my story. I read books, watch movies, and google everything!
Do you see writing as a career?
Yes, it is what I love to do, and I hope I can do it the rest of my life as a successful career.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
What I think, is there are so many great books out there, that is often difficult to get your book to stand out.But, if you can find enough fans, and you have a great story something good can happen.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
Yes, I love to read, and I will read most fiction genres where I can learn something or go somewhere or that opens my mind to. My go to genre is twisty suspense– especially if it has a beach, an island, or an ocean as it’s setting. I also love magical realism and a twist of sci-fi. I love adventure stories with heart, that introduce me to somewhere new.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise?
I love the focus playlist on Spotify. However, sometimes I like to make a playlist for each book.
Why? My books playlist is something I share with my characters, my readers and they help set the mood or setting of the book. They also bring back great memories.
Do you write one book at a time, or do you have several going at a time?
Oh, I have several going at a time and then pick one to focus and finish.
If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
I read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks for the first time when I was young, and it was such a great story, that I wished I would have written it. But, I also remember my first Dean Koontz novel, Whispers which made me so tense, that I wondered how I could make someone feel those emotions from words on paper.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Wow, Computer all the way, I can’t imagine pen, I wouldn’t be able to read my own handwriting.
A day in the life of the author?
Writing is a very solitary job. Mix it up, set a schedule to write then get up and move around and then stick to your writing schedule.
Advice they would give new authors?
Don’t give up, keep writing
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first?Do you do the chapters first?
I have tried both outlining and writing with a general idea of plot. I think a rough outline works best for me, however outlines morph into their own path as I write. I believe every new writer should try out both methods, to see what works for them.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I think giving up is a common trap. My advice is to go somewhere quiet, set a 30-minute alarm on your phone and just write. If it’s going well, do another 30 minutes, schedule this in every day and by the end of 6 months you will probably have a rough draft. A common mistake is thinking once you have the rough draft your novel is done. Oh, it’s only just begun, but at least you have something to work with. Don’t give up and don’t let others bring you down. Also, you must work with a good editor.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Wow, if I could time travel, I would tell my young self to start writing a book in high school. Would I listen? Hopefully. Imagine how many books I could have written if I only started when I was younger!
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
If I could write fulltime, I could finish a novel in 3-6 months, but unfortunately life and other priorities get in the way. My two completed books have taken several years. My other suggestion, is to try to keep writing even when you are working on the finished rough draft, spend a little time on the next one, even if it’s just doing the research for an hour a day.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Absolutely does not exist in my mind, not having enough time to write is my only block.
There are numerous stories in history of men and women faking their death and starting over again. As technology progresses, and humans create more and more digital footprints, it will become difficult to accomplish this. We are tracked by our digital footprints.
Because of technology, and for the integrity of the story, my main character had to be young. Digital footprints of an adult are much harder to erase. The first few drafts were written before the pandemic, and as the pandemic of 2020 exploded, I tried to rewrite the manuscript and set it during pandemic times. It didn’t work. In the year of the pandemic, we are all more connected by technology than ever before, even children with online learning. So, the novel starts right before the pandemic.
As I googled ‘how to fake your death’, ‘gun violence” and ‘radical and domestic terrorism’ theories, I was concerned what my digital footprint must look like! My wish is to take my readers on a journey from Sunday’s point of view. I hope this book makes you feel. There are strong social issues such as bullying, racism, sexual assault, domestic abuse, and gun violence, which unfortunately are all too real in today’s world. For anyone who has experienced any of those issues, please know you are not alone. Talk to someone. There are resources in the back of the book to help anyone who needs to talk.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m working on a twisty suspense novel, set on a true to life island in the middle of the sea, with a medical school. I will be visiting that island for background and research.
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
The definition of Pseudocide is “faking one’s death”. Thoughts of writing Pseudocide began in 2015. I read an article about a man who faked his death, and then got caught. I reasoned, if I were ever going to fake my own death, I would never get caught. Why would one want to fake their death? Typically to start over, to escape something terrible.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
I used interesting names I like; I always thought the name Sunday was a great name. Sometimes, I use friends or family members names (with their permission) and give that character a trait or two of that person and then mix it in with something completely off-the-wall.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I enjoyed creating the twists. I constantly asked myself, now what else can go wrong?
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
Sunday the protagonist is a good person in a bad situation. Regardless of what terrible circumstances life is throwing at her, she has a drive to succeed and change her destiny. Unfortunately, bad things happen to good people, but it’s what you do after, that counts.
How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
My first book, A Deep Thing was easy. The setting is almost like a character. Cenotes are beautiful luminescent deep underground caves; plus, there’s a deeper message to this thriller. It really is–a deep thing.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
A young Miley Cyrus type actress would be perfect.
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Pseudocide deals with strong social issues teens and adults face every day. I think part of the solution of getting past these issues is understanding and knowing they are out there, not censoring them.
How did you come up with name of this book?
I was fascinated with the word Pseudocide. I want readers to have to think about the word and what it means. Most people do not know what the definition is. I thought about calling the book, Playing Dead or You’re not really dead, are you? But I pictured the cover and just couldn’t change it.
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
I love the ending, but I can’t tell you why or I would be spoiling the conclusion.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be?
Oh, I would like to spend a day with Hudson. I printed out a picture of him from the internet that captured Hudson, he was sitting in front of me when I wrote his chapters.
And what would you do during that day? Well, if you read the book, you would understand, I would like to go on “Hudson’s Ten Buck Tour” in Las Vegas.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? My imagination, mixed in with a little reality. I worked at an Alice Paul House Crisis Center in graduate school in Indiana, Pa. Unfortunately, I witnessed abuse and sad stories. But, I also witnessed strong teens and women that become survivors with a story to tell, and a strong ladder to climb. Teens, women, and any person that has been a victim of abuse need to know they are not alone. They are survivors, their story might just help someone else out.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story? My characters definitely jumped off the page, right before my very eyes and there was a little bit of hijacking going on. One character who wasn’t supposed to be the good guy initially, talked me out of making him the bad guy.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
I think teen social issues should be addressed at home and in school. Discussion of issues is healthy and helpful. If Sunday’s story makes the reader feel, or learn one small thing about understanding troublesome situations, then this is a must read. If the readers are surprised at the outcome, then perhaps they opened their mind to the what if’s.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Well, my character Sunday could answer that question in a heartbeat, as she has an extraordinary sense of smell. A mix of woods and sea with cinnamon and dryer sheets.
Is there a writer which brain you would love to pick for advice?
Oh, I would go straight to the top and pick J.K. Rowling’s mind. What a fascinating mind to pick.
Would you like a chance to win an eBook of A Deep Thing and a $25 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchasea book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Alone, desperate, and beautiful. When bullets fly, she must rely on a handsome stranger or face death. Together, they will risk it all for love.
Her whole life was a lie…
After discovering she was brought to the United States illegally as a young child, Selena Hernandez decides to do the responsible thing and return to Mexico, her country of origin. Selena vows to become a legal immigrant.
When she asks for help with a visa at the US Embassy, she meets attractive Wyatt Demko, a helpful embassy employee. But they are surprised to discover shocking details about her past and connections to a notorious drug cartel.
Wyatt escaped a painful upbringing in a Wisconsin trailer park for a stable career with the State Department. A chance meeting with Selena reveals an instinctual desire to help. But falling for a beautiful girl with dangerous enemies on her trail complicates his meticulous plans.
Wyatt knows he can’t afford to trust Selena. Still, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe and win her heart before time runs out.
But Wyatt and Selena only have a few days to accomplish the impossible: hide from the brutal drug cartels and corrupt law enforcement to make a daring getaway that will take them from the streets of Mexico City to the sandy beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula.
K. J. Gillenwater has a B.A. in English and Spanish from Valparaiso University and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from University of California, Santa Barbara. She worked as a Russian linguist in the U.S. Navy, spending time at the National Security Agency doing secret things. After six years of service, she ended up as a technical writer in the software industry.
She has lived all over the U.S. and currently resides in Wyoming with her family where she runs her own business writing government proposals and squeezes in fiction writing when she can.
In the winter she likes to ski and snowshoe; in the summer she likes to garden with her husband, take walks with her dogs, and take trips into the Big Horn Mountains nearby. She has written multiple books, including several short story collections.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Willow Rose is a multi-million-copy best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 80 novels.
Several of her books have reached the top 10 of ALL books on Amazon in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than six million books all over the world.
She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t see coming. That’s why her fans call her The Queen of Plot-Twists.
Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watching the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Gretchen spawned in the Puget Sound region. After some wandering she returned there and now lives with her husband and the daintiest Rottweiler on the planet. When not drowning herself in coffee, as is custom in the Greater Seattle Area, Gretchen can be found at her day job or sitting at her desk in the home office, flailing her arms as she dictates to her computer.
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I have been writing and telling stories since I was very, very little. I didn’t think seriously about writing and publishing my stories until I was in college. But this was before the Kindle and all that, so I sent out query letters to agents and publishers and no one was interested in publishing my work. Then in 2013 a friend of mine, who published his book independently via Kindle publishing, told me about Kindle publishing and how easy it had been for him and after weeks and months of talking about this I finally published Lady of the Dead.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
Something quirky about me, oh man, one of the funnier ones is that I volunteered in different positions, at haunted houses for about 10 or 11 years in my late teens and early 20s. I love working at haunted houses. I was the casting director for a while and it was so much fun. I love it so much! It was such a large part of my life for those years. The quirky bit, the really funny part, is that one of the haunted houses the group I worked with was, is actually where I met my husband. It took 2 or 3 years before we started dating. When we started dating, we spent that whole season dating in secret, which looking back, was pretty entertaining. I was the casting director and he was the pirate captain for the ghostly pirate ship.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Halloween loving, world creating, kook
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I first considered myself a writer around the time I was working on my fifth or sixth book. My first three books were across three different series and I had them mostly, if not all, written by the time I got around to publishing them. My fourth book I wrote from scratch and my fifth one I think had a few thousand words in it when I settled down to publish it. Once I published those two books I proved to myself that I wasn’t a one book wonder, could write across multiple genres: at that point I had paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and wholesome romance. I considered myself a writer because it wasn’t just books I already had finished that I was publishing. I was writing them expressly to publish them and I remember thinking that I wasn’t a writer when someone called me one and then one day after or during the fifth book that mentality changed. It was a really gradual process for me.
Do you have a favorite movie?
Oh man, I switch between the Saint with Val Kilmer, Ghostbusters one and two, Brotherhood of the Wolf which is a French film that takes place in 1700s rural France, and Bride and Prejudice which is a Bollywood/British hybrid of Pride and Prejudice. Those are my tried-and-true favorite movies and they jockey for first place depending on what mood I’m in.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I think it’s a tie between the Jas Bond series, I think Jas would make a really good TV show. As well as the Anthony Hollownton series, a homicide detective who gets an un-Orthodox introduction, via a murderer, into the supernatural world. I could definitely see Tony being made into movies but I would be super excited if any of my books got made into TV shows or movies
What inspired you to write Book Burgling Blood – Magic?
My inspiration for this book is a little funny. I wanted to write a supernatural book about my husband and his job. My husband is a retail manager and our Rottweiler goes with him to work. The stories he comes home and tells me are hilarious and ridiculous and sometimes you think he’s making it up even though I know for a fact he’s not. So, I wanted to have a very self-deprecating, version of my husband, a store owner that I could throw into a paranormal world and see what happened. Jas bond definitely moved away from that initial caricature of my husband once I was really writing the first book but my husband was definitely the inspiration for this story. When I read it to him he tells me that the Rottweiler Bailey is a much better representation of our Rottweiler then Jas is of him.
What can we expect from you in the future?
All the things! I’m just kidding, I do an author podcast titled Exceptionally Average Authors Explain it All, with an author friend of mine Stevie Ray Causey. In that podcast we talk about how I jump from project to project really easily and struggle with setting goals and sticking to them. But you’ll definitely see the second season of our podcast, we’re currently at the midseason break. I am also releasing the first four books of the Jas Bond series between now and the end of July. Right now I’m thinking there are eight books in the series total and I’m hoping to have all of those out by the end of the year. I am also hoping to have some other books out this year but I’m not sure what other titles there will be or what genre, it will all depend on what I can fit around Jas Bond’s schedule.
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
I do not have any publishable side stories about the characters right now. That could change later, but as of right now I don’t. I do however know things like how Jas started working with Sven, I have that whole scene played out in my head. Or why Jas broke up with his fiancée and the story behind that. But I don’t think any of those side stories will end up getting published, they might be in some small capacity in one of the main series, but as of right now no publishable side stories.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in this book?
Sure, there are a cast of characters in the Jas Bond world. There’s Jas who is a magic-less son of a witch who owns a magical antiques store. His mother owned it before him and his grandmother before her and they are both witches so running the store was a lot easier for them than it is him. He has a rambunctious young Rottweiler named Bailey who is very opinionated and what she wants and when she wants it. He has a best friend Blake who is a werewolf, paranormal police detective who Bailey likes more than Jas. There is also Sven who is a dwarf that works at the antique shop he works in the back fixing objects that come into the shop that are broken. Though his name is Sven he is actually Scottish and very old but we don’t know his exact age. There is also Violetta who is Jas’s ex-fiancé. She is a very powerful witch and a very free spirit, she travels a lot she’s very no-nonsense she and Jas are on very good terms and are still friends even though sometimes they bicker a little bit and there’s a little bit of stress between them from time to time.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I enjoy writing Snark so anytime someone was snarky I enjoyed it. I enjoy writing Sven a lot because he wants no part of what’s happening in about three quarters of the stories and sometimes he just gets dragged in reluctantly and I really love that. I also really love writing Bailey the Rottweiler. I personally love my Rottweiler. She’s fantastic! She’s a great dog. I can’t say enough weirdly adoring things about her. So giving the Rottweiler in the story personality was a big thing for me and anytime Bailey is doing something that displays that personality I’m usually enjoying myself immensely writing that personality into the book.
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
The main character in this book Jas Bond owns a magical antiques store. There’s all kinds of magical objects in it and it’s the business his mother owned and his grandmother before that. He was basically raised to take over the store. So he is doing what’s basically expected of him even though he himself does not possess any magical abilities like his mother and grandmother do. What makes him tick as he is just trying to live his life as best he can while being supernatural world adjacent. He doesn’t have a lot of ambition to do anything else. He’s good at his job. He has a comfortable life and that is enough for him. He just wants to maintain his current level of lifestyle and what happens over the course of the stories ends up making that increasingly difficult.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I was in early elementary school. We wrote stories and then drew pictures with them. My stories were moderately creative for that age. The older I got when I got writing assignments the more creative and outlandish they got. But when I was younger I wanted to be an actress so that was more my creative outlet in writing which meant that my storytelling was more just that, storytelling and not being written down. I didn’t start writing down my stories until I was a teenager and even then it was just bits and pieces I would occasionally work on but since I was writing by hand I was constantly losing them. Once I had my own laptop for college I was taking writing more seriously because I saw how many ideas I had that I just yearned to write down. Wanting to publish was a dream but at that point it wasn’t really available to me and then in October 2013 I published my first book and I have never looked back.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
My characters definitely come to me as I write them. Every once in a while a world will occur to me first and then I will backtrack and see what sort of characters could live in that world. But usually there is one character and I want to see how they react in a given situation. Sometimes there will be two. By the time I start world building and creating the story more characters will pop up as I’m writing. I usually don’t have a solid idea of the entire cast of characters until I’m at least partway into either the first book in the series or partway into that one single solitary book if it’s a standalone.
The one exception is the clean romances where it’s just one set of main characters male and female. Those I tend to know from the get go even if I don’t have a more fleshed out idea of what they’re like. Secondary characters are more fleshed out, like with my Lantern Lake series which takes place in a small town. With a small town romance characters who might be the main character in one book will show up as reoccurring side characters in others.
Do you see writing as a career?
I think writing is a perfectly possible career choice. But it is very hard to break into. I currently have a day job that pays all of my bills and writing is a, I don’t want to call it a side hustle, but it’s something very similar. If I could be a full-time writer and make that my career I would be over the moon. I just keep working at it and working at it and hopefully someday I will be able to reach that goal.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
I think the current publishing market is a fascinating place. When I started it was easier to get people to read your books. There weren’t as many books at the end of 2013 as there are now. There are now more than, I think last I saw, 10 million titles on Amazon which is insane and that’s just the e-books I believe. It’s become much harder to find readers and so you have to be savvy about your marketing, which I definitely am not. It’s a fascinating place to be and there are so many of us so there are more likely to be people that you can connect with however there are so many of us and the network is so vast you can’t always find them really easily. So overall it’s a really interesting place but it is definitely saturated and you just have to be more strategic then you did in even 2016 when it comes to how you place your book and how you market.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
I love to read, though now that I am working so hard on being an author I do not get to read as much as I want. Since covid started I do eat through audiobooks a lot faster. It used to be that I would just listen to them on my commute, my commute into work is about 70 minutes each way so I would listen to audiobooks or music to and from work on the bus. And that’s my main way of consuming literature. I read across the same genres that I write. There’s a lot of paranormal thrillers, urban fantasy, paranormal romances, some clean and wholesome romances. The one genre I would love to break into that I haven’t yet that I read his cozy mysteries. I love cozy mysteries especially paranormal cozy mysteries and my goal is to one day write in that genre as well.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
It varies for me. If I am actually writing like fingers to the keyboard I need music in the background to distract my mind, I guess is the best way to put it. It can’t have a lot of words so it can’t be an audiobook. It has to be music and nothing that’s incredibly catchy so that I want to sing along because than I get distracted and I’m not writing. If I’m dictating it’s harder to have music going because sometimes the mic will pick up the lyrics from the song or get confused and then that gets into the dictation which can be funny but also a little frustrating. So if I’m dictating it tends to be in silence if I’m writing I will have music going and I tend to have that music match the genre that I’m writing. I’ll listen to darker music or something like death metal if I’m writing more of the urban fantasies. If I’m writing the clean romances it’s more upbeat music usually from the mid to late 90s and 2000s so I’ve definitely built myself environmental niches depending on what I’m working on.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I do not write one book at a time. I’m getting better about it but distraction is a big thing for me. I struggle to write one series at a time so writing Jas Bond has been an interesting development for me because I have gotten through 3 ½ books and I mainly concentrating on that series. It’s been interesting to be just focused on one series as normally I will be world building in one book, writing another, and editing in a third. I don’t consistently stay in one world which is probably bad but I’m hoping to pick up better habits as I go.
Advice they would give new authors?
Go at your own pace. Writers do this whole thing drastically different from person to person. If people tell you how they world build or how they write, try it, see if it works for you. If it doesn’t don’t get discouraged or feel embarrassed. We are all different in how we do this. Stevie and I talk about this on our podcast Exceptionally Average Authors Explain it All. Almost every step of writing is done differently and it’s all about finding what works best for you. If you need to be in a crowded café to write the pandemic probably isn’t the best time for you but you know that’s how you have to do it. If you have to be at home in a specific chair with specific lighting and specific candles burning than do it. If you have to edit as you go or you have to plot ahead of time or you have to write on the fly. Don’t be afraid to try new methods but definitely don’t get frustrated if other people’s methods don’t work for you. Also work on sustainability for you. If you’re going to write just one book awesome good for you but if you’re planning to write a bunch find a plan that is sustainable for you. Don’t try to rapid release if it takes you longer to write. Either wait until you have finished writing all of it or maybe piece your releases out farther apart so that you’re not stressing yourself in writing too fast. Find what works best for you and do it. That’s the best advice I can give is due this crazy thing in a way that works for you.
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I used to be strictly a fly by the seat of my pants kind of writer. It wasn’t until I was maybe a dozen books in that I started to incorporate outlining in a meaningful way. I don’t outline in the traditional sense. I might know the major plot points or beats to the story and I pants my way to each plot point. What I tend to do is just start the story until I hit a point where I’m not sure what comes next and then I will do a paragraph outline about what the next steps are the character needs to take or what steps are further down the road. Which gives me a better idea on how to get there. So I still pants the beginning of books but once I’ve started them and have a feel for them I then do an outline of sorts for the rest of the book so I guess I’m a combination writer.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Ideas, I get ideas in my sleep, I get ideas from reading stories, watching TV, or just from doing something in my day-to-day life. When I get a new idea if it’s even somewhat sound I want to write it down and I want to work on it and I want to flesh it out and I struggle with being that easily distracted and producing the books I need to do. You can see this pretty evidently from the fact that only one of the four series I have been working on is complete. My Night World Series has 20 some odd books planned but only five are out. Because I don’t work on the stories back to back and skip all over the place because I get a new idea that I want to work on I don’t release things as fast or as consistently as I should and that is definitely my kryptonite. I get really excited about new ideas and that I want to play with them.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Finish one series before publishing. Or at least write consistently in one series before publishing a new one. I published the first book in my Night World Series first, then the first in my Berman’s Wolves series, then the first book in my Hollownton series before going back and doing book 2 in the Night World Series. I thought at the time that it would be great because I was writing across several fantasy subgenres but in actuality, I was confusing my audience because they wanted the next book in that series and then had to wait years. And then once I had started doing that I felt I had to continue writing one book in each series at a time which meant that there were 2 to 3 years between books and I would definitely tell younger me to knock that off and just work on one at a time.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It depends on the length and how busy I am at my day job. I finished my book Lady of the Dead in seven months, the first Jas Bond book, which is much shorter, took me nine days. Then there’s my second Berman’s Wolves book, which took me almost a year and ½ to complete. It varies on how long it is and my interest on what I feel like writing. Because once you started a series you have to finish it in my opinion and when you want to write something else it makes it harder to maintain what you should be working on. So it definitely takes me a while to finish my books because I get so easily distracted and because I have a day job with a long commute so I can’t spend as much time writing as I would like.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Oh heck yes! Writer’s block was not a big deal for me until I hit my second Berman’s wolves book. By the time I got around to writing the second book I had kind of lost the thread on the series. When I originally wrote the first one I didn’t know how many books it was or where it was going. By the time I got to the second one I was struggling with what I had originally wanted the series to be. It was also hard to write in that world coming back so many years after writing the first one. I’d written the first one in 2007 and I think I wrote the second one in 2015. So there was a very large gap and it was very difficult to come back to that and to figure out where the book was going. Writer’s block hit me really hard for the first time with that story which is why it took me about a year and ½ to finish it.
Would you like a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card or an eBook or Spectacle Stealing Supernatural?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
That’s the question that has dogged Blake Harte, a sadistic thug and co-founder of the Cougars, the most violent and dangerous gang in Westbridge’s history.
That’s the question that has tormented Chris Hauser, a troubled teenager pushed to the edge and lashing out with uncharacteristic aggression.
Who is Nightshade? A teen pushed to the edge. A town on the brink. Both about to change forever. A life-changing event leads Chris Hauser to adopt a vigilante persona and sets him on a collision course with anarchy.
Dr. Stuart Knott is a lifelong fan of horror, science-fiction, and action films, he has spent much of his free time between working and studying writing stories of varying length and quality. Having completed his PhD, he now applies his skills to critiquing the media he loves so much and has been branching out into self-publishing his stories through Amazon. Much of his writing comes from his own sordid imagination or is inspired heavily by his life and the people and events he has encountered and witnessed. At its core, his writing seeks to take the normal, everyday, and the mundane and introduce a fantastical element to it, be it horrific or dangerous, and focuses on dark humor and character-building.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say? It’s titled Nightshade: The Inception. It’s a thriller, something of a coming-of-age tale, in which a troubled teenager adopts a vigilante persona.
Is the above book part of a series? It’s not, no, though all of my works are tangentially related in some ways.
How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)? I made it myself using a website called Canva. It’s a really good, user-friendly website for creating banners and logos and book covers and has some great options on there for independent authors like myself who can’t necessarily afford to pay for a cover to be created.
I came up with it through wanting to use a simple, central image to kind of define one of the themes of the book: anarchy. I wanted something simple but also quite memorable and striking and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)? Absolutely, yes. I always have a few songs on the go when I’m writing, if not an entire playlist, but Nightshade: The Inception was started way back in about 2004-ish, when my love for nu-metal was really starting to blossom, so I listened to a lot of songs by bands like Linkin Park, Adema, and Disturbed. As I edited and finalised the book, though, I was listening to Cold, Five Finger Death Punch, and Breaking Benjamin and basically anything that conjured up the feelings I was trying to evoke in the book. I actually put together a playlist on YouTube if people are interested:
How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? The title actually has been pretty consistent over the years. It began really basic as Project: Mask and then, once I settled on the character’s vigilante persona, I knew that “Nightshade” had to be front and centre. When I started to finalise it for publication, I added the “The Inception” subtitle to indicate that it was the origin/beginnings of this character and to naturally leave the door open for potential follow-ups.
Do you have a book trailer? If so, where can we watch it? I do, actually, yes. I cobbled it together on a website called Biteable and it can be viewed here:
In your latest novel, who is the lead character and can you tell us a little about him/her? So my main character is Christian “Chris” Hauser, a nineteen-year-old boy who live sin the fictional town of Westbridge in the United Kingdom. He’s very much based on me at that age; generally a sarcastic and insightful character, his personality has shifted into uncharacteristic glumness and angst following a difficult break-up. Usually the cool-headed one, he lets his emotions overwhelm him and these drive him towards a somewhat self-destructive and violent path. He struggles a lot to reconcile these emotions, distancing himself from friends and family somewhat, and has quite an in-depth internal dialogue where he tries to come to terms with the impact his actions have on those around him.
What is your character’s greatest strengths? His loyalty to his friends and family, for one, and his willingness to set aside his own issues and problems for others. What’s more paramount though is how selfless the character often is; even though his actions are often out of anger or selfish motivations, he always tries to do the right thing and I think that’s very important to his growth in the book.
And what are his/her greatest weaknesses? He’s far too sensitive for his own good, for one thing. He’s also young; while he might see things differently and have a logical head on his shoulders compared to his friends, he’s still a teenager and hasn’t yet realised how things can be sometimes so he has a steep learning curve in the book. What are some of his/her favorite foods? He’s based on me so he loves a greasy cheeseburger and big, chunk chips/fries.
What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he or she has? He doesn’t realise how much of a positive impact he has on people; he just kind of sees himself as “there” and not as a pivotal element in his friendship circle or even in the town once he starts going out in a mask and such. Things very quickly spiral out of control for him, which makes things a bit intense and scary for him, but he goes largely unaware of how much his actions affect the criminal element of Westbridge until probably the very end of the book.
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why? I hope they do like him. He’s meant to be flawed and vulnerable and sympathetic; he routinely chastises himself and his actions so even if he does something wrong it’s not really from a place of malice. I try to make him layered and complex so that he could be someone you know and surround him with characters who don’t have quite the same balance of emotion and logic as he does so he appears more grounded even when he’s losing control.
What first gave you the idea for your latest book? A very similar event happened to me that Chris goes through; I had a rough break-up and turned those feelings inwardly in destructive ways and writing was a good way of coming to terms with those conflicting feelings. I also read a lot of comic books and watch a lot of superhero movies and one big influence on my book was the film adaptation of The Crow, a fantastically dark and gritty urban story. As the years went by the likes of Kick-Ass and Super came out and I was excited at how similar they were in their premise to my book, so they may have influenced me later in the edits.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter? “Pantster”? I like that! But no, I’m definitely a “plotter”. I get the germ of an idea, jot out the basic premise, then map out the main characters a bit before deciding on how the story will go and then, once I have a rough idea of the chapters, I start to break down what’s going to happen and when and let it evolve from there.
Have you come across any specific challenges in writing or publishing? What would you do differently the next time? So many when trying to publish! First of all there’s the fact that it is incredibly hard to get published traditionally as literary agents and publishers either just ignore you or aren’t interested. It wouldn’t be so bad if you were given some feedback but you rarely are and, if you do get feedback, it’s either very general or it’s a lot of different criteria that fundamentally change your work.
Also there’s the threat of so-called “vanity publishers”, who try to woo you with praise and promises to publish your work and then ask for thousands of pounds/dollars with no guarantee of your work actually being published or successful. The marketing, too, can be very difficult; if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that “likes” and followers don’t equate to sales or reviews so you really have to be bold and network and put yourself out there constantly to get your work seen.
Are you a self-published/Indie author or did you publish through a traditional publishing company? I’m self-published. My dream/goal is to one day be traditionally published and see my book sitting on a shelf in a book shop (or even a thrift shop!) but it’s so hard to go that route. Self-publishing through Amazon is a much better solution, especially for independent authors.
If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route? Not just because traditional publishing is almost impenetrable but also because self-publishing allows you to reach a lot of readers very quickly. E-books and Kindles and such have become tremendously popular and are very cheap to download so it’s great for independent authors who have a lot of short stories or novellas to get their work published.
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? Just to stay the course and stay focused. It’s so easy to become disheartened or frustrated but you have to keep at it; plug your book, writing, and content as much as you can and reach out to other writers on social media to build a network. It all helps and will help to raise your author profile over time but, at the end of the day, nothing happens unless you make it happen so you have to do something.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start writing? Be prepared. Have a plan, do your research, and decide what route is best for you. Invest in an editor or proof-reader, fi you’re not confident at that, and in a cover, banner, and website as well if you think it’s going to help. Most of all, though: write! Even if you’re having a bad day, something is better than nothing and you can always turn a “bad” piece of writing into something positive.
Laurencia Hoffman specializes in various sub-genres of romance. Her stories often focus on the darker side of fiction, but love and survival remain the central themes throughout her work.
When she’s not writing, she also enjoys playing video games with her family, listening to music, satisfying her sweet tooth, and watching films.
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
A big hello to everyone who doesn’t know me! Which is probably most of you. I must have been somewhere around sixteen or seventeen when I decided that I wanted to get my stories published. I did my research and learned the difference between finding an agent to bring your story to big publishers, self-publishing, and independent publishing companies. I didn’t want to self-publish because that seemed too large a task. I’ve tried to find an agent a few times and was unsuccessful. Finally, I decided that putting my stories out into the world was more important to me than getting in with the big publishing houses. It’s hard to remember everything exactly, but I think I was twenty years old when I had my first novella published.
What are you passionate about these days?
I think I’m passionate about the same things I always have been: movies, writing, and my family.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I watch TV and order take-out! For me, there’s nothing more relaxing than that.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve been writing ever since I could hold a pen, or so I’ve been told. I considered myself a writer when I was somewhere around twelve or thirteen, and I started to take writing seriously when I was sixteen.
Do you have a favorite movie?
Honestly, I love movies too much to have a favorite. I’ll say that right now it’s a tie between The King (2019) and Little Women (2019).
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I picture all of them as movies when I’m writing them, but the book that I think would the best fit for a movie is Remember My Name.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
A Unicorn! I have always loved Unicorns. I’ve been fascinated by them since I was a child. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle fueled my love for them.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m working on a Fantasy novella series called a True Knight. Watch out for that one later this year! It’s a project I’ve wanted to work on since I was a teenager, but it never came together. Until now!
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
I do have a few stories/scenes that didn’t make it into the book. I didn’t think they were important to the overall story, but it’s an expansion of Shane’s childhood and memories.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
For every story, I do a Google search for names until I find ones that I like, first and last names included. They have to “feel” right to me.
What did you enjoy most about writing Remember My Name?
I enjoyed the challenge. I had never written a character like Shane before, someone who, let’s face it, can be quite prickly! That, combined with his secrets, his stubbornness to keep them, and his inability to open up to anyone…I really had my hands full!
Who designed your book cover?
Melissa Stevens at The Illustrated Author Design Services. Her work is beautiful!
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Oh, that’s such a tough question. There are always things I want to go back and change, but I have to accept that I did the best I could at the time!
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
I’ve always pictured Timothée Chalamet as Shane Coulter. In fact, the book is dedicated to him for that very reason!
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Thank you for reading my work. Your support means more to me than you will ever know.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
They are all from my imagination. I do try to bring a sense of realism into my stories. Some elements may have been inspired by real life events or several different films, but what originally inspires me or sparks an idea tends to become unrecognizable when it’s implemented into my work.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
They absolutely hijack the story. I couldn’t get Shane to listen to me if I tried! The characters have full control, I’m just the vessel.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
Yes, I have several unpublished works. I’m not sure if I will ever get them published. There are some stories that simply take priority over others. And, truthfully, sometimes I forget that I have finished stories sitting in my documents!
What did you edit out of this book?
I specifically remember removing a scene between Shane and his father. There are flashbacks in the book that are in chronological order being from Shane’s childhood to his adulthood, but at the end of the book, I had a flashback where Shane was back to being a child. It just didn’t fit. I didn’t want to mess up the nice, neat, chronological order I’d worked so hard on!
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?’-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.
Shane was originally a character I created within a roleplaying community of writers. The more his story was revealed to me, the more he intrigued me, and I just had to write a book about him…which has now turned into a series!
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
My main character always comes to me before I write a single word. There are supporting characters and relationships that I learn about as I go along.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
It depends on the book. Sometimes I have to research symptoms and outlooks for medical conditions. For Shane, I had to figure out his specific heart condition, find the best and worst cases, how long someone with his diagnosis is expected to live, etc. It’s difficult to keep track of everything, so I try to take notes and bookmark my sources to go back to when I need a refresher!
Do you see writing as a career?
I would love to write as a career. Writing is my passion and I can’t imagine not doing it, so I’d be happy to write for the rest of my life.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
I think it depends on what scene I’m writing. If it’s an emotional or dramatic scene, I have to play music to set the mood and get into the zone. If nothing particularly complicated is happening, sometimes I write in silence.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I usually have multiple. They don’t all get finished, mind you. On average, I write two books at a time and go back and forth depending on which story I feel most inspired for.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer for speed and efficiency. Pen for emergencies, such as when I’m out and about without a computer.
What are you currently reading?
Bones and All by Camille DeAngelis.
What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I absolutely have to write an outline at least a few chapters in advance. I usually flesh it out as I go, but if I don’t have something to follow and a plan for what to do next, I get lost.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
My inability to focus! If I was able to focus for more than one or two hours at a time, I think I would get so much more work done. Even during those one to two hours, I take breaks in between. Finding quiet time to match up with my ability to concentrate is so challenging!
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
Oh, heck if I know what readers want. I go wherever the story takes me, whether I like it or not! As long as the story feels “right” and I’m staying true to the characters and their story, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Including myself.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Depending on the length of the story and the complications of the plot, it could take me anywhere from 3 months to 5 years to complete a story. There’s been a story or two where I have taken years away from writing it, and then come back and finish it.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Oh, yes. Seems like I have it constantly. Recently, I’ve heard it referred to as writer’s doubt. And because I constantly struggle with writing, and whether or not I can convince myself that it’s any good, I would say I have a mix of both.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Would you like a chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Diversity, inclusion, and equality are at the heart of this character-driven story. While difficult and heart-breaking lessons await Jonah, Severn, and Darnell in their own lives, a shared event along a similar timeline links all three despite their glaring differences. Caught in the gravity of the event, purpose presents itself and their shared blind affect validates the notion that no life is wasted.
The Blind Affect explores the purpose behind existence – the reason we take our first breath, and the rationale behind all the drama leading up to the moment we breathe our last. It is a walk on the wild side of family life and the events, people, and places that make us who we are.
As Jonah reflects on his life an asymmetrical pattern featuring a thousand shades of grey appears as if caught up in a fragmented kaleidoscope – the introduction of any colour negated for fear of denoting some appeal. He’d lived a fruitless existence built around fear and addiction, the blueprint to his life; his twin brother stillborn moments before Jonah’s birth. The guilt he harboured over his brother’s death kept him sedated. His mother’s overprotective parenting supported this inertia. An addict, Jonah struggled through life seeing multiple therapists over his seemingly endless issues until a chance meeting attempts to rewrite his abject history.
Severn was born in a Christian home with an alcoholic mother whose addiction became intolerable after Severn’s father died when she was ten. The affluent lifestyle she was accustomed to remained, but her family life collapsed soon after, leaving her to fend for herself. One fateful night in 1973 Severn was abducted, and any issues she’d had with her past paled in comparison to the life she was forced to endure.
Darnell had it tough his whole life. At 17 his abusive father was killed in a raid on his illegal business, while Darnell’s mother had been shot dead the year before. Discovering a large sum of money upon his father’s death offered Darnell the opportunity to flee his impoverished neighborhood and change his luck, and that of others along the way. Lives are lived and lost ubiquitously, these three just so happened to be in the same city along a similar timeline. Can life be more than the sum of one’s own experiences?
Born in Toronto, Canada, Poeltl went on to study fine art and illustration, honing his love for storytelling while working as a freelance illustrator. Soon the art of writing overtook his artistic pursuits and his stories found their voice.
Michael Poeltl is a multi-genre author with several books ranging from a post-apocalyptic trilogy, science fiction trilogy, upmarket fiction, children’s fantasy, picture books, and educational children’s books. Poeltl’s illustrations feature prominently in his picture books, connecting him to his artistic roots.
He enjoys the processes that drive creativity whether it appears as a conversation in his head while enjoying time outdoors in his kayak or mountain bike, or as a random thought that might otherwise be lost were it not for that napkin on the table or phone in his pocket. If the artistic endeavor has taught him anything, it’s that inspiration can happen anywhere and at any time. All he can hope to do is record it before it slips back into the ether.
Would you like a chance to win a$15 Amazon gift card or an ebook copy of The Blind Affect? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
What is book club fiction? Upmarket fiction. What’s upmarket fiction? Commercial, literary fiction. Is commercial fiction a sell out? No, it’s sellable fiction. There’s a difference. It’s the sort of fiction people actually read. Literary fiction aspires more toward art than entertainment, but when it’s combined with commercial fiction, we call it upmarket fiction which in turn means book club fiction. What’s The Blind Affect? Upmarket fiction. No, we’re not going to go through all of that again.
No, but really, what does The Blind Affect mean? It’s an artful description explaining the affect one feels upon learning of the impact their action had on a person, place, thing, or event. It’s the emotional and intellectual response to discovering how far-reaching your influence was.
If you’re looking for a book that will keep your interest and excite conversation in your book club, this is the book for you. Why? Because it offers everything a book club wants to get excited about but rarely finds. Diversity, inclusion and equality are at the heart of this character-driven story. While difficult and heart-breaking lessons await Jonah, Severn and Darnell in their own lives, a shared event along a similar timeline intimately links all three despite their glaring differences. Caught in the gravity of the event, purpose presents itself and their shared blind affect validates the notion that no act goes unacknowledged.
For better or worse, we’ve all more than one blind affect to experience before we make our exit, and if we’re lucky we’ll get to hear about them, and if we’re really lucky, we’ll hear that our action made a positive difference in someone’s life.
Book clubs, unite! The Blind Affect is your ticket to a lot of pretty serious trigger warnings. Discover how three lives that travel in opposing circles could find a common, localized event that would change their lives forever and give birth to the phrase, The Blind Affect.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Two Kinds of Us(Love in Fenton County Book 5) by Sarah Sutton
Genre: YA Romance
DIAMONDS MEET ROCK ‘N ROLL AND SECRETS MEET THEIR END.
In a life of diamond bracelets and country clubs, I’m the perfect daughter. I get all the right grades, volunteer at all the right organizations, apply to all the right colleges.
And I hate every second of it. At the rate my life is playing out, under the strict rule of my parents, politicians and housewives will be my future.
Until I meet Harry.
Harry’s a singer in a rock band with a voice so beautiful that I actually feel hypnotized. Doesn’t hurt that he’s hot either, and with the kind, flirty personality to match, it’s the perfect trifecta. And even better, he sees the me I want to be. He sees me as the girl who can break free of the life she’s trapped in, who can control her own future.
The only problem? He knows me as Stella, my fun, carefree alter ego—so drastically different from Destelle, the girl who is trapped in the life her parents rule.
But as we get closer, I realize Harry’s keeping a secret of his own, something related to the dark past that he’s trying to move on from, and when I find out, everything we’ve built could come crashing down.
This is the fifth book in the Love in Fenton County Series, but can be read as a standalone. Check out this Opposites Attract + Hidden Identities Romance today!
Sarah Sutton is the author of YA Contemporary Romance books from a tiny town in Michigan. These standalone novels can be read in any order and are sure to leave you swooning. She’s always loved the idea of falling in love; capturing the fall through words and heart-melting kisses is one of her passions! Meet-cutes? She’ll take all of them! Accidental touches? She lives for them! First kisses? Yes, please!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Guns & Smoke (The Fool’s Adventure Series Book 1) by Lauren Sevier & A. Smith
Genre: Dystopian Western Romance
In a world where safety is a luxury and honor is found only among outlaws, two people attempt to outrun dangers lurking around each corner and the tragedies that define them.
Bonnie is an outlaw on the run. Beautiful but dangerous; her dark past stalks her like the crater beasts that roam the desert. As the notoriously cruel outlaw Jones sends his henchmen to track her down and retrieve the gun she stole from him, Bonnie hopes she can stay one step ahead. Because if he catches her, a fate worse than death awaits.
Jesse always dreamed of leaving the farm to explore the ruins of the big cities he’d heard about his whole life. He just never imagined he’d be forced to flee after strange men burned down his rural mountain town and murdered everyone he loved. Responsible for his kid brother and searching for an uncle he’s never met before, he isn’t sure he can navigate the perils of life among con artists and thieves long enough to find him.
Their two paths collide as they find themselves thrown together on the adventure of a lifetime.
Together, they may just discover that life is about more than just surviving.
TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains depictions of graphic violence, language, sexual violence, attempted rape, depictions of child abuse, and depictions of human trafficking.
Lauren Sevier & A. Smith are long time friends and co-authors from southern Louisiana. Guns & Smoke, their first joint publication, began as a “short” story after having too much wine on girl’s night. Nine years later it is now the first novel in a Dystopian/Western Romance series. The duo has plans to publish several series together in the future. A. Smith spends her time with her two rescue dogs and rescue cat surrounding herself with books and Labyrinth paraphernalia. Lauren Sevier collects antique tea cups and tries to stay sane, though as the mother of a toddler she fails brilliantly most days. She also has a growing collection of crowns and tiaras and likes to act silly on Tiktok. Look for more thrilling novels from The Fools Adventure series in the future!
Nina Soden 