I’d like to welcome Michael J. Sahno, author of Miles of Files, to my blog.

1. What is your name and where do you call home? Michael J. Sahno; Tampa, FL, USA
2. Do you have a pen name? Nope.
3. 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? Miles of Files: Dude finds out his boss is stealing from the company’s retirement plan; mayhem ensues.
4. Is the above book part of a series? Not that I know of!
5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? I’ve always been writing, but it really took off after grad school. Inspired by Vonnegut, Hunter S. Thompson, Faulkner, Styron, Balzac…and many more.
6. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)? This cover is brand new for the re-launch of the novel. The designer is named Mario Lampic. I gave him some ideas, but he ran with them and exceeded my expectations.
7. Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)? I listen to a lot of classic jazz when I write. I think for this one it was mainly Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, & Wayne Shorter.
8. How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? I like to drop in a little “Easter egg” for my readers who read all my books. The phrase “miles of files” actually comes out of the previous novel, Jana. It was inspired by the name of a Joni Mitchell album, Miles of Aisles.
9. Do you have a book trailer? If so where can we watch it? Not yet.
10. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books? As a reader, I love reading paperbacks, but as a writer, I sell a lot more e-books.
11. Are you a self-published/Indie author? Yes.
12. If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route? I wanted to start my own company to publish all three novels together, and formed Sahno Publishing in 2015. When a book sells, I (the publisher) pay myself (the author). I wouldn’t want it any other way.
13. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it? The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
14. What is your opinion of novellas? They’re fine, but I don’t think I could ever be that concise.
15. Have you ever read a book just based on its cover? No idea. I don’t think so, but I could be wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time.
16. What is your favorite film based on a book? Rebecca, which won Best Picture for 1940. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier. Apparently, I really love authors with French names! (I’m actually a Balzac devotee.)
17. What is your favorite book genre at the moment? Literary fiction.
18. What books have made it onto your wish list recently? And why? The amount of free time I have to read other authors these days is pretty limited, just because of the nature of what I do. But I did connect with another author via social media named Sherry Parnell, and read her novel Let the Willows Weep. It was really good.
19. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format? Right now, I’m in the middle of editing a collection of short stories that I’m giving away to subscribers to my email list at https://msahno.com. So I’m reading myself!
20. If you could invite any four (4) celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why? Charles Dickens – because I’d like his input on writing great literature quickly; Balzac – for the same reason as Dickens, but also because I think they might fight before the night was over; Einstein – because he would blow Balzac’s and Dickens’ minds; and Joni Mitchell, because she’d keep them all in line.
21. What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? Variations on the basic theme of “don’t give up.”
22. Do you have any hobbies that aren’t related to reading & writing? I’m a runner, and that’s informed a lot of what I do. It’s also just as solitary as writing, at least in my world.
23. Any marketing tips you’d like to share with other authors? Yes, a ton! I’ve spent the last 15 years as a marketing writer, and I have a free e-book called Marketing for Authors available at my website: https://msahno.com.
24. Where can your readers follow you? Biggest following is 11K+ on Twitter, but here are all of them:

• Blog: https://msahno.com/blog
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sahnocomm/
• Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14735376.Michael_J_Sahno
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeSahno
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahno
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Michael-J.-Sahno/e/B018PTN964
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/mikesahno/

BOOK Blurb:

In Miles of Files, the main character, Paul Panepinto, an employee at Flambet Insurance, learns that his manager Graham Woodcock is stealing from the company. Paul struggles with whether or not to report the boss at the risk of losing his position. Eventually, Graham fires Paul anyway and Paul is forced to pursue justice, but the story doesn’t end as expected. Readers move through a fast-paced adventure with many twists and turns, including high points, drama, comedy, and an edge that Sahno captures through his writing.

About the Author: 

Michael J. Sahno began writing stories at an early age. Eventually, he was selected for Editor-in-Chief of his high school literary magazine. The quality of his work led to several honorary titles and academic awards by his senior year, which made it clear he was predestined to serve a role in literary excellence.

Mr. Sahno earned his Bachelor’s from Lynchburg College and later went on to earn his Master’s in English from Binghamton University.

After college, Mr. Sahno served in several management positions, including Director at a marketing research firm, Assistant Vice President at a Tampa-based mortgage company and college professor in the field of English composition.

Sahno became a full-time professional writer in 2001 and, in the following years, wrote more than 1,000 marketing articles on a wide range of topics. His quality copy put him in high demand, and his work has appeared in a variety of national magazines, including Fortune, Entrepreneur, Bloomberg Businessweek, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Woman’s Day.

Mr. Sahno has written and published three novels: Brothers’ Hand, Jana, and Miles of Files. He is the founder of Sahno Publishing and available for professional speaking engagements upon request. For further information, contact info@msahno.com.

Guest post by: Marie Lavender

It starts with the seed of an idea. For a writer, it’s one of the most exciting parts of the book process. Perhaps it’s the flash of a scene in your mind, stemming from current events, something you read or witnessed in life. Or an object caught your interest, a mere speck of dust from the comet streaking across the night sky.

Suddenly, a plant has begun to grow. Scenes materialize in fits and starts, gradually forming a loose storyline. If you’re lucky, you know some of what might occur from the beginning. If that’s not the case, discovering each section of the whole is akin to the exhilaration of an archaeologist on her first dig. Soon enough, however, you’ve accumulated sufficient knowledge to get an idea of the overall picture. If the writer has any hope at all of finishing the project, he or she might consider writing an outline for the book.

Then begins the hard work. Diving into the project, writing based on an outline, allowing for changes based on the character’s whims, and, of course, researching so many aspects of the book that the writer’s head begins to spin. Comfort appears through items of sustenance – bottled water, coffee, hot chocolate, and herbal tea, a long forgotten yet half-eaten meal nearby and cookie crumbs on one’s fingertips. Intensity consumes you, your need to tell a character’s story your driving force. Not water, not food, not sleep – most writers in the midst of a project get very little of that. The writing continues while perched on sofas, in one’s bedroom, on the patio table outside during pleasant weather, or hunkered down at your computer, anywhere to help you focus on getting those final details down before time becomes your enemy. All the while, both family and pets make their presences known; daily demands abound, and most usually regard this ‘writer’ as an extraterrestrial. For who would willingly put themselves through such dire conditions?

At last, you lean back, amazed at what has happened. Time has indeed flown. The work is complete; the hard-won fight over. Perhaps it took a month, several months, a year or more, but alas, it is finished. You wrote a book.

Now you may bask in the glory of a job well done. Go out and celebrate. Have a wonderful meal, perhaps a drink, and relax.

Just remember…editing begins soon enough. Of course, not every journey is the same, but all of us end up in a similar place, the manuscript completed and a chance to look forward to the moment a book reaches readers.

The process itself is a writer’s joy and pain. A writer’s life. And we’d have it no other way.

About the Author:

Bestselling multi-genre author of UPON YOUR RETURN and 23 other books. March 2016 Empress of the Universe title – winner of the “Broken Heart” themed contest and the “I Love You” themed contest on Poetry Universe. SECOND CHANCE HEART and A LITTLE MAGICK placed in the TOP 10 on the 2015 P&E Readers’ Poll. Nominated in the TRR Readers’ Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015 PnPAuthors Contest. The Versatile Blogger Award for 2015. Honorable Mention in the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014 MARSocial’s Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader’s Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013 and 2014. Top 10 Authors on AuthorsDB.com. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.

Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 24 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. She has also contributed to several multi-author anthologies. Her current series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Magick Series, The Blood at First Sight Series and The Code of Endhivar Series.

Links:

http://marielavender.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
http://www.ambrosiainnovations.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MarieLavender/posts

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
Amazon author page: Author.to/MarieLavender
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos

Upon Your Love

Publication date: February 28th!!! Mark your calendars! 

The Hill family saga concludes as loyalties are questioned, faiths will be tested and undying love may come at a terrible cost…

Fara Hill, mother, and faithful wife is torn between her family at home and her urge to be at sea. Soon, she learns some disturbing truths. Was the past a fairy tale instead of reality?

Chloe Hill, loving wife, and young mother questions her faith when her husband sets an ultimatum she cannot meet. Will she be able to keep her marriage from falling apart?

Adrienne Bellamont Hill, born of a valiant captain and a fiery redhead, is untamed to her core and will bow to no man. Then Christian du Plessis enters her life with an offer she can’t refuse. Discovering the man behind the polished gentleman, she is drawn to him in many ways. Holding out for love is a family tradition, but can she resist the temptation of passion?

Christian finds this young woman to be a fascinating challenge and is torn between keeping his distance from her and succumbing to her charms. A fierce battle of wills ensues as he sees she is much more than he ever imagined.

But danger lurks, threatening to destroy everything…

Can these two strong-willed individuals unite in the cause before time runs out?

Q&A – When I asked Marie, what inspired you to write this story and does your writing reflect your real life in any way? This is what she had to say…

I wanted to not only finish up the Heiresses in Love Series in a satisfactory fashion but also to tell Adrienne’s story. Adrienne is a woman quite out of her time (since the setting is Victorian), like a female warrior. I wanted to draw out the many facets of her character, sometimes impish, brave yet also strangely innocent and protective of those she loves. With this book, I was able to go into more than her tale, and give the continued stories about the family which readers had been begging for.

If Marie’s use of imagery sounds intriguing here, wait until you read the full story. Check it out on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29083654-upon-your-love

For all you authors out there… have you ever been writing and all of a sudden your character(s) does something you weren’t expecting and just really pisses you off?

And to all the readers… have you found this to be true… You’re reading a book and suddenly it takes a turn, the character(s) surprises you in a way you don’t like?

Well, I’ve been working on my latest novel and something just happened in the story line that I was not expecting at all! NO… I DON’T OUTLINE! I’ll just put that out there. I have in the past outlined my stories, but I find that they always take on a life of their own, so I don’t even bother anymore. It is my style, it isn’t everyone’s style. That is to say, that it might not work for everyone, but authors are unique… we all have our own styles.

The thing is, I know my characters as if they were real living people. I know their stories… their backgrounds… their futures, or at least I thought I knew their futures. So, it takes a lot for them to surprise me. That is why when something happens in one of my stories that just completely blindsides me I GET PISSED. Don’t get me wrong, I think that what has happened – HAD TO HAPPEN – even if I didn’t know it before I typed it. Even if it upsets me… AND I HAS…in a really REALLY good way!

I’m just wondering if I am alone in this. 

As a reader, when something like this happens in a book you are reading, does it make you put the book down and stop reading? I hope not. In the end, I think this twist will lead to the ending the book is meant to have, but I will admit… it is a hard pill to swallow right now.

Just wondering what your thoughts are on the subject. Share your comments if you care!

As I was hunting the web for some information on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), I stumbled across this February 19th post by The Pedantic Punctuator about picking a date for publishing. Since I am getting ready to publish my 6th novel and still feel like a newbie, I decided to take a look and quickly got sucked in. I hope you enjoy the post as much as I did!

Picking a Date for Publishing.