Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Interview with Tom Carter, Author of 'Nashville: Music and Murder'



Author: Tom Carter
  
INTERVIEW:

1) Please tell us about Nashville: Music and Murder, and what
compelled you to write it.

I’d collaborated with many Nashville celebrities to write their autobiographies.  After seeing their lives up front and personal, I decided I’d retained an arsenal of real events that could be adapted into compelling fiction.  Also, no significant novel had ever been set on Nashville, Tennessee’s "Music Row," a quaint neighborhood where music is written, recorded, and sent throughout the free world.  "Music Row," an internationally known community is rife with creativity and occasional crime. It seemed like a wonderful setting to birth fiction, including high drama.

2) What is your book about?

Maci Willis, the protagonist, is a beloved entertainer who was performing at a sold-out show in Nashville.  The bright lights prevented her seeing a shadowy and obsessive fan pull himself onto her stage.  He brandished a pistol, and shot her before an astonished crowd.  As Maci fell into her own blood, the assailant was apprehended by astonished policemen who injured him during the arrest.  The shooter was taken to the same hospital emergency room where Maci was taken.  A rookie policeman failed to correctly fasten the handcuffs behind the suspect's back. 

Slowly, the shooter later unfastened himself, eased off of his bed and snatched the officer's gun from its holster.  The suspect shot and missed at Maci, and was preparing his second round when he was killed by another policeman.  Everyone thought the dead villain had been deranged, and Maci could go back to her celebrated life after an isolated incident.  But everyone was wrong.  Soon, another unidentified man in another town tried to kill Maci.  And there were more fatal attempts.  Why were these attempts levied against America’s sweetheart who'd never been harmful or even controversial?  Local police and eventually the FBI tried to stop the attempted murder sprees against Maci, but to no avail.  Maci fell into a nervous breakdown followed by bipolar depression.  The reader watches her systematic undoing, and ultimate return to her safe and glorious perch in the spotlight.  But not until the solving of the mystery behind the attempted murders levied against the iconic and resilient singer.


3) What themes do you explore in Nashville: Music and Murder?

The troubled rise of the human spirit after falling from unsuspected tragedies.  The power of force persistently applied against seemingly immovable obstacles.  That people can be helped by others but only to a point where they must help themselves. That no life, no matter how secure, is immune from traumatic fate. That the constant threat of death will rob the joy from any psyche.

4) Why do you write?

I enjoy it.  And, it’s my livelihood. 

5) When do you feel the most creative?

When I’m rested.

6) How picky are you with language.

A mere quest to impart thoughts should take priority over a showy and expansive vocabulary.

7) When you write, do you sometimes feel as though you're being
manipulated from afar?

If I’m lucky - that's when I reach the "zone."

8) What is your worst time as a writer?

When I’m physically and mentally tired.

9) Your best?

When I’m rested.

10) Is there anything that would stop you from writing?

Death.

11) What's the happiest moment you've lived as an author?

A telephone call in 1992 from my former literary agent who told me my book was entering the New York Times best sellers list.  It was my first listing on the esteemed survey.

12) Is writing an obsession to you?

Yes.

13) Are the stories you create connected with you in some way?

Yes, indirectly.

14) Ray Bradbury once said, "You must stay drunk on writing so
reality cannot destroy you."

I concur.

15) Do you have a website or blog where readers can find out more
about you and your work?




Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Cover Reveal: Sweet Reality by Laura Heffernan




Inside the Book:



Title: Sweet Reality
Author: Laura Heffernan
Publisher: Lyrical Shine
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Ecopy 


SUGAR, SEA SALT, AND SHOW BIZ

Jen Reid’s life after walking off a reality show has been great—she’s gone from being a broke twenty-four-year-old Seattleite with no love life and no job to the twenty-five-year-old who got the guy, moved to Miami, and is starting a bakery with her best friend. She thinks her showmance boyfriend might be about to propose. And with mouthwatering goodies based on everyone’s favorite shows, her business, Sweet Reality, is destined for success.

That is, until a killer competitor opens right across the street. If she’s going to save Sweet Reality, Jen has to come up with a secret ingredient—like the recipe that won Totally 80s Bake-Off. Jen can get it—if she steps back into the spotlight. Soon she and her boyfriend are out to sea on a cruise ship full of reality stars, including her nemesis, Ariana; her lying, cheating ex; and some wicked producers looking to bring the drama. Separate cabins, “surprises” from her past, and scenarios tailor-made to spark fights are just the beginning. But with her self-respect, her business, and her future on the line, the fallout from this made-for-TV plotline will be all too real . . .

PURCHASE HERE: AMAZON|APPLE|GOOGLE PLAY|KOBO|B&N

MEET THE AUTHOR

Laura Heffernan is living proof that watching too much TV can pay off. When not watching total strangers participate in arranged marriages, drag racing queens, or cooking competitions, Laura enjoys travel, baking, board games, helping with writing contests, and seeking new experiences. She lives in the Northeast with her amazing husband and two furry little beasts.

CONNECT WITH LAURA: WEBSITE|TWITTER|FACEBOOK


Friday, February 10, 2017

Cover Reveal: Releasing Henry by Sarah Hegger


Inside the Book:



Title: Releasing Henry
Author: Sarah Hegger
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Ecopy 


A light in the darkness . . .

The youngest son of Anglesea, the once idealistic Henry has survived the Holy Pilgrimage, but lost all his deeply held beliefs in honor and nobility. Captured in battle, he is sold as a slave into the home of Alif

Al-Rasheed, a wealthy Genovese merchant who has converted to Islam. Bereft of faith, imprisoned in a foreign land, Henry has lost hope in his ability to love again—until he lays eyes on his captor’s beguiling daughter.

A marriage of opposites . . .

To Henry, Alya is a beacon of beauty he cannot ignore. But the heart of this proud daughter of Cairo will not be won so easily. Divided by religion, language, and culture, Ayla has little in common with the disillusioned Englishman—and yet he has vowed to protect her life in exchange for his freedom. As they embark on a perilous journey to safety, their bond will grow—and be tested—in ways neither can anticipate. For their greatest challenges will arise where Henry least expects. With threats conspiring to divide them, will he find the strength to stand by Ayla—and together will they find a common ground on which to build a future?


PURCHASE HERE: AMAZON|APPLE|GOOGLE PLAY|KOBO|B&N

MEET THE AUTHOR

Born British and raised in South Africa, Sarah Hegger suffers from an incurable case of wanderlust. Her match? A Canadian engineer, whose marriage proposal she accepted six short weeks after they first met. Together they’ve made homes in seven different cities across three different continents (and back again once or twice). If only it made her multilingual, but the best she can manage is idiosyncratic English, fluent Afrikaans, conversant Russian, pigeon Portuguese, even worse Zulu and enough French to get herself into trouble. Mimicking her globetrotting adventures, Sarah’s career path began as a gainfully employed actress, drifted into public relations, settled a moment in advertising, and eventually took root in the fertile soil of her first love, writing. She also moonlights as a wife and mother. She currently lives in Colorado with her teenage daughters, two Golden Retrievers and aforementioned husband. Part footloose buccaneer, part quixotic observer of life, Sarah’s restless heart is most content when reading or writing books.

CONNECT WITH SARAH: WEBSITE|TWITTER|FACEBOOK


Book Feature: Decoding 666: The Number Of The Beast by Erika Grey




About The Book

Decoding 666

 

Title: Decoding 666: The Number Of The Beast
Author: Erika Grey
Publisher: Pendante Press
Genre: Christian / Theology / Prophecy



No other passages in Scripture have been more talked about in end time Bible prophecy than those dealing with the mark of the Beast. Revelation 13:18 adds to the horror by posing the Bible’s most mysterious riddle. It states: “Here is wisdom, Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

In this Magi Report the riddle is decoded and examined phrase by phrase revealing the deep and seemingly hidden truths in Scripture, such as the frightening significance of being “numbered,” the meaning of 666, how the number will be counted and its shocking role. This commentary provides an overview of current technologies, which fit the prophetic forecasts along with showing how they will be implemented geopolitically.

Quantum computing, D-Wave, nanotechnology, biotechnology, advances in DNA- genetic engineering, holograms, CERN, FAST, transhumanism, and more are highlighted along with their speculated role during the Tribulation.

This report discloses the technologies that match the image and mark of the Beast along with what life will be like under the Antichrist’s police state and the accompanying Biblical references that support technology’s role.

As the technologies have advanced they have helped to provide the full meaning of the prophetic forecasts that relate to technological developments. This report provides a detailed analysis of the mark of the Beast and its road to fulfillment along with the Tower of Babel path that technology is taking and the future discoveries that scientists are anticipating. The analysis reveals why taking the mark guarantees eternity in hell, why it is the unforgivable sin of blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, which is a sin Christians have pondered for centuries. Never before have we been so close to the start of the Tribulation that an expose like this could even been penned.

The Magi Report name is adopted from the Biblical Magi who were analysts and learned men and women in the knowledge and disciplines of their day. At the time of Christ, Herod consulted the Magi who understood the prophetic predictions of the day when there were no living prophets.

The Magi Report delivers careful analysis of Bible Prophecy’s forecasts in light of current events and provides status reports of recently fulfilled predictions, those that remain unfulfilled, geopolitical forecasts and fresh biblical insights.

 

Book Excerpt

Chapter 1
What is the Mark of the Beast?
During the Tribulation, which is the seven year period of judgements predicted in Bible prophecy that ends with the battle of Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus Christ, Satan attempts to establish his kingdom here on the earth through a dictator known in evangelical circles as the Antichrist. He is used by God to judge the world for its sin. During his reign the Antichrist will implement a system by which no man can buy or sell unless he wears a mark placed on his forehead or wrist.  This etching in one’s flesh represents the Beast that is the Antichrist, or 666. It will provide him ultimate control in his police state.

Bible scholars theorized before the recent technological strides of the last decade that the mark would be part of a high-tech system that eliminated cash for the buying of goods.  The Antichrist institutes this system midway through the Tribulation.  He launches it as both a technological breakthrough and a prerequisite for life in his totalitarian regime. Revelation refers to the mark in a spiritual context.  Whosoever receives it spends eternity in hell. 

The mark of the Beast prediction this last century was out of touch with the times.  Writers noted the tattooing and numbering of prisoners at Auschwitz concentration camps during World War II to illustrate a use that fit the era.  This all changed in 1985 with the advent of the information and telecommunications revolution. From about 1990 onward we have seen a major spike upward in end time signs. 

Never before in history have we seen Bible prophecy literally unfold before our eyes. The technologies which could fulfil the mark of the Beast prophecy are now in existence.



For More Information




About The Author

Erica Grey


Erika Grey is an Evangelical Christian author, Bible Prophecy expert, journalist and commentator, www.erikagrey.com features Erika's books, articles and video broadcasts. Erika Grey focuses on current world affairs, and their relation to Bible Prophecy from an analytical and geopolitical view point. Erika first coined the term "geopolitical" in relation to Bible Prophecy, which is now used in writings by renown prophecy teachers. Within Evangelical Christian circles, Erika Grey is the leading authority on the EU and Bible Prophecy, which is evidenced by her exposes and books on the European Union, for which Erika speaks on radio shows across the U.S..

Erika Grey hosts Prophecy Talk" on YouTube. Erika is a member of the society of professional journalists and holds high standards in her reporting of end time news. For this reason Erika sets herself apart from other End Time Bible Prophecy Ministries and labels herself as a Magi, from the Bible meaning wise men or wise women. She models her ministry and work on the Biblical magi who were analysts and learned men and women in the knowledge and disciplines of their day. At the time of Christ, Herod consulted the Magi who understood the prophetic predictions when there were no living prophets.


For More Information




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Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Book Feature: Beethoven in Love by Howard Jay Smith



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We're happy to host Howard J. Smith's BEETHOVEN IN LOVE: OPUS 139 Virtual Book Tour at As the Page Turns today! Please leave a comment to let him know you stopped by!
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Title: BEETHOVEN IN LOVE; OPUS 139
Author: Howard Jay Smith
Publisher: SYQ
Pages: 385
Genre: Literary Fiction/Biographical Fiction

At the moment of his death, Ludwig van Beethoven pleads with Providence to grant him a final wish—one day, just a single day of pure joy. But first he must confront the many failings in his life, so the great composer and exceedingly complex man begins an odyssey into the netherworld of his past life led by a spirit guide who certainly seems to be Napoleon, who died six years before. This ghost of the former emperor, whom the historical Beethoven both revered and despised, struggles to compel the composer to confront the ugliness as well as the beauty and accomplishments of his past. 
As Beethoven ultimately faces the realities of his just-ended life, we encounter the women who loved and inspired him. In their own voices, we discover their Beethoven—a lover with whom they savor the profound beauty and passion of his creations. And it’s in the arms of his beloveds that he comes to terms with the meaning of his life and experiences the moment of true joy he has always sought.

Purchase Information:

Amazon



Book Excerpt:
Prologue:
The Death of Beethoven
Vienna, 5:00 pm, March 26, 1827  
Outside Beethoven’s rooms at the Schwarzspanierhaus, a fresh measure of snow from a late season thunderstorm muffles the chimes of St. Stephens Cathedral as they ring out the hours for the old city.
    Ein, Zwei, Drei, Vier… Funf  Uhr.  Five O’clock.
    Beethoven, three months past his fifty-sixth birthday, lies in a coma, as he has now for two nights, his body bound by the betrayal of an illness whose only virtue was that it proved incurable and would, thankfully, be his last. Though his chest muscles and his lungs wrestle like giants against the approaching blackness, his breathing is so labored that the death rattle can be heard over the grumblings of the heavens throughout his apartment. 
     Muss es sein? Must it be? Ja, es muss sein. Beethoven is dying. From on high, the Gods vent their grief at his imminent passing and hurl a spear of lightening at Vienna.
     Their jagged bolt of electricity explodes outside the frost covered windows of the Schwarzspanierhaus with a clap of thunder so violent it startles the composer to consciousness. 
     Beethoven’s eyes open, glassy, unfocused. He looks upward – only the Gods know what he sees, if anything. He raises his right hand, a hand that has graced a thousand sonatas, and clenches his fist for perhaps the last time. His arm trembles as if railing against the heavens. Tears flood his eyes.
     His arm falls back to the bed… His eyelids close… And then he is gone ...




About the Author

Howard Jay Smith is an award-winning writer from Santa Barbara, California. BEETHOVEN IN LOVE; OPUS 139 is his third book. A former Washington, D.C. Commission for the Arts Fellow, & Bread Loaf Writers Conference Scholar, he taught for many years in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and has lectured nationally. His short stories, articles and photographs have appeared in the Washington Post, Horizon Magazine, the Journal of the Writers Guild of America, the Ojai Quarterly, and numerous literary and trade publications. While an executive at ABC Television, Embassy TV, and Academy Home Entertainment, he worked on numerous film, television, radio, and commercial projects. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Santa Barbara Symphony - "The Best Small City Symphony in America" -  and is a member of the American Beethoven Society.

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