Guest Interview - David Lawrence-Young

Today's guest post comes in the form of an interview with David Lawrence-Young:

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and back ground?born & educated in uk. Moved to israel in 1968 and spent most time since then getting a ba & ma in eng lit and teaching in high school & university. Written 13 historical novels & also articles for military history and english teaching magazines. Now live in jerusalem, married +3. I spent 16 years in israeli army active reserve as a combat soldier/driver.

2. What inspired you to write this book? “anne of cleves – henry’s luckiest wife” i like history and saw last book about anne had been written in 1946. Time for new one!

3. Describe what the book/story is about? How anne who is from an unimportant european duchy gets married to henry viii for political reasons.he tires of her immediately and is divorced after 6 months. To buy her off he gives her a fortune and she is very happy and lives happily ever after!

4. Is there a message in this novel you want your readers to grasp? Nothing deep, just a good story and learn to love history like me

5. What was the time frame for writing this book? Anne’s life and death

6. How did you came up with the title? Walking down the street thinking about it

7. Who created your cover? I did

8. Hardest part for writing this novel? Finding interesting details about a little known historical figure

9. How did you find your publisher/agent - if self published, why did you choose to self publish? No agent/ not self-published

10. What was your biggest learning experience/surprise throughout your publishing process? Having gmta taking me on so quickly

11. Do you have any other novels out there? If not, what's next? Yes. See my website: www.dly-books.weebly.com Next; a sequel to anne. A biographical novel about henry viii’s fifth wife, catherine howard.

12. When did writing become a passion? Have written since high school (1964) but published since 2000.

13. Is this a series? If so, tell us a bit about the books planned.it’s a 2-part series. See q.11.

14. Any advice for other writers? Hang in there & pray!

15. Anything you would like to say to your readers? I hope you enjoy my books and learn to love history as much as i do.

16. Favorite authors? None

17. Favorite books? Three men in a boat (j k j erome) & 1066 & all that (sellar & yeatman)

18. Website(s) and social media links? Don’t use facebook,(but should). My website: www.dly-books.weebly.com

19. Where can people buy your novel? From gmta or amazon etc

20. Something personal about yourself people may be surpriced to know?although i usually write about english history, I have been living in israel (now in jerusalem) for over 45 years. I also write every word first by hand and then put it onto a computer.

About the Book: It is winter 1539. King Henry VIII is galloping through the night to Rochester to meet a young woman. Just arrived in England from Germany, Anne of Cleves is destined to become his fourth wife. He has never met her before. He has only seen her portrait – the portrait of a sweet, demure and innocent young woman. The impatient and lovesick king must see her before their marriage. But this rushed and unplanned rendezvous will shock them and the country both. It will also lead to some completely unexpected and fatal results. “Anne of Cleves - Henry’s Luckiest Wife” is a well-written, great read! The author, David Lawrence-Young does a fantastic job in telling the tale of Anne of Cleves - one of the notorious King Henry’s many wives. Set in the early 1500s, the author provides great foreshadowing of things to come in the innocent Anne of Cleves’ life with King Henry. Tension builds as one learns of King Henry’s personality and his ultimate reactions when he becomes displeased. The King sets aside his first wife - abandons her really. His 2nd wife is beheaded and his third wife died after childbirth. In fact, even though his 3rd wife lay dying, King Henry made no attempt to see, nor comfort her. Knowing this, how will life be for the young Anne of Cleves?? She may become queen, - but for how long, and will she survive? Furthermore, if the King is displeased with Anne - then what does life hold for the man who arranged the marriage - Chancellor Thomas Cromwell?

You can find the book on Amazon -

http://amzn.to/1iRzM9w

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Guest Post - Jamie Leigh Haden

When asked the question "what's most important to your writing?", here's what Jamie had to say:

When I first began to think about this question, I definitely knew that legends and history, not myths were the most important to my writing. However, I was mystified because legends and history are certainly intertwined in the retelling of Native American stories. There was no way I could separate the two. As a Cherokee writer, I do believe that Native American legends are a central role in American History.

Indeed, legends are stories that have been handed down and yet, they are historical in that they all have have evolved with time. Spirit Seeker takes place on Silence and Cave, two remote barrier islands, off the coast of North Carolina. The stories of the people on these islands are historical legends because the retelling of the tales is one way the culture of the island people have been kept alive. There is a profound relationship between the story teller and the listener. So much of traditional Native American spirituality deals with ancestors. If it weren’t for the retelling of the stories, the past would be lost.

The legends that I write about in Spirit Seeker, are not necessarily based on historical Native Americans like Geronimo or Sequoya (even though Geronimo and Sequoya are of course legends). Instead, the legends that the island old timers still tell are the ones passed by word of mouth alone, and deal mostly with spirit animals. Hence, the totem poles.

Totem poles are a major part of Native American History.

Native American tradition stipulates that each person is connected to nine different animals in life. These animals serve as guides that appear in our lives, as we need them. The totem animal, in particular, is one that is with you for life. It is the main spirit guide. This animal offers wisdom to the individual. It is not necessarily an animal that you have to nurture and feed. It is more important that you learn the lessons in life that the animal has come to teach. However, finding and searching for a spirit guide is not always the easiest thing to do. This quest can at times, be extremely difficult. Especially if danger lurks in the night.

Nevertheless, with each totem animal, there is a legend and a lesson to be offered. Certainly, there is a legend for the creation of the Universe, and a legend for the Creation of man. There is also a legend that is dying to be told to Talisa Santiago, the heroine in Spirit Seeker. Once Talisa understands what she is capable of doing do, she realizes that there is no turning back.

Talisa Santiago is the granddaughter of a shaman. She is haunted by desire and willing to do the unthinkable. Oh, the stories this girl can tell—especially to those who dare to listen. The relationship between story teller and listener is a profound one indeed!

About the Author: Jamie Leigh Haden is the author of Spirit Seeker, a young adult fantasy. Jamie lives and writes near the seashore in North Carolina. She has a Bachelor's degree in philosophy. Jamie is currently working on An Unimagined Life, the sequel to Illuminate-Alive, She Cried.

Connect with Jamie. 

https://www.facebook.com/jamielhaden

https://twitter.com/sippingbythesea

http://jamiehaden.com/

About the Book: Life is strange and difficult for the granddaughter of a shaman. Sixteen-year-old Talisa Santiago was born in the desert underneath the full moon in January-the wolf moon. However, she left the desert with her mother when she was a young girl. She remembers bits and pieces of her past but it isn't until she and her mom move to a remote barrier island off the coast of North Carolina that she feels fate has finally called-secretive and mysterious he stands alone on the edge of the bank.

Her friends tell her to stay away; she hears rumors that he is dangerous. Still, she can't resist. Whether Talisa realizes it or not, she knows a thing or two about boys like Jag Chavez. Fate is funny that way. For the first time in her life, Talisa meets kids just like her-Native Americans who know the ways of the spirit. The closer she gets to Jag, the more she realizes he is hiding a dark secret. He may have the markings of the Thunderbird, but he is named for the powerful Jaguar. Together they embark on a journey that will haunt her forever.

Spirit Seeker is available now on Nook and Kindle.

http://amzn.to/1a7kU55

Guest Post - Daniel Diehl

A second guest post today comes from Daniel Diehl. He has a little something to say about wizards.

Wizards; a Very Brief Biography –

While doing a final edit on the manuscript of ‘Revelations: book one of The Merlin Chronicles’ a line of dialogue caught my attention. Late in the story a Buddhist monk named Lu Shi comments to Jason, “For reasons which escape me, one seldom meets a young wizard.” At the time of writing it was simply a small part of a larger scene that I was structuring, but on re-reading it I began to wonder why it is that wizards are always portrayed as old men; and even here we have a second curiosity; why are wizards always male?

I can certainly understand that the concept of a ‘boy wizard’ might be cute in a children’s’ book, but in real life there is no such thing as a young wizard for the same reasons there is no such thing as a young surgeon or a young astrophysicist – accumulating vast amounts of knowledge requires many years of study. But why aren’t there any wizards in their early middle-age; gray at the temples but still sporting a rakish smile and a full head of hair? And why do they have to be men? Is there some kind of ‘boys only’ rule in the club of wizardry? Obviously the feminine version of wizard is not witch – a male witch is a warlock, not a wizard. So what does the dictionary say about gender and wizards? According to the copy of Webster’s Seventh Collegiate Dictionary that has been setting on the corner of my desk for more than 40 years a wizard is: “1 archaic: a wise man: sage 2: one skilled in magic: sorcerer 3: a very clever or skillful person.” Ok, so in its archaic form, the one indicating a wise man or sage, the wizard is apparently gender specific and the word does not refer to a wise woman. But the definition pertaining to magic and sorcery does not seem to apply to one sex while excluding the other. This certainly does not answer the question and we are forced to wonder, like Lu Shi, why one almost never meets a young (or young-ish) wizard. And now I want to know why we never meet a female wizard? We really need to address this shortcoming and work toward better integration in the ranks of wizardry. If any of you know of well-known literary instances in which middle aged, or feminine, characters are said to be wizards I beg you to join this blog and enlighten me and our fellow readers.

Several years ago, while I was still working on the Merlin manuscript, someone said to me that Merlin is nothing but a rip-off of Gandalf. Wow. I gently pointed out that the Merlin legend has been around for a millennia-and-a-half but Tolkien only created Gandalf in 1936 while writing ‘The Hobbit’. This exchange did, however, get me to thinking about the wizard’s place in literature. Besides serving as a model for all wizards to follow, Merlin also set three important roles that most wizard characters take on. 1. Deus ex Machina – Literally translating as ‘god from the machine’ this was a device first used in Greek theater to clean up hopelessly confused story lines. When the playwright couldn’t figure out a solution to a messy plot he simply lowered a ‘god’ character on a rope to magically make everything better. It’s good to have magical powers. 2. The Trickster – People with magical powers seem to be incapable of telling the simple truth. The old gods all lied and included ‘catches’ in any promise they made. When Apollonius of Tyana asked for the ability to accurately foretell the future the god’s granted his request but arranged it so no one would believe him. In ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’, Shakespeare’s Puck delights in misdirecting and fooling humans. A close reading of my own Merlin makes it clear that the simple truth is far from simple for Merlin. 3. Mentor – Because they are almost universally old (if not ageless) wizards often serve as mentor to a story’s main character. Merlin mentored Arthur, Gandalf mentored Frodo and Dumbledore, et al, mentored Harry Potter. Now I have brought Merlin back to life with a new student who needs his advice, guidance and tough love at least as much as Arthur ever did. This is our hero, Jason Carpenter, and Jason’s journey from slightly awkward archaeology student to hero will be the topic of my next blog – so stay tuned. And don’t forget to read the Prologue to ‘Revelations: book one of The Merlin Chronicles’ – just move your cursor to the ‘More’ button above and click on Prologue.

Having brought my reluctant hero, Jason Carpenter, into this piece I would like to take a moment and talk about Jason’s journey from archaeology student to hero. In particular I want to look into the particular type of story known as ‘the hero’s journey’. According to the late, great mythologist Joseph Campbell there are only seven basic storylines and the most popular by far is known as The Hero’s Journey. Because ‘Revelations: book one of The Merlin Chronicles’ is a hero’s journey story I will discuss the other types of stories in a future blog The hero and their story – whatever it may be - is as likely to be real as it is to be fictitious because all fiction is an extension and distortion of real-life. According to Campbell the hero’s journey has an identifiable, 12 step progression that goes like this: The Ordinary World; The Call to Adventure; Refusal of the Call; Meeting with the Mentor; Crossing the Threshold; Tests, Allies and Enemies; Approach; The Ordeal; The Reward; The Road Back; The Resurrection; Return with the Elixir. I can’t go into each of these steps here, but if you know fantasy and/or adventure literature you will recognize most of them. In fiction every major character from Oliver Twist to Luke Skywalker to the world’s oldest hero, Gilgamesh, have passed through very similar steps to fulfill their destiny. And speaking of Luke Skywalker, when George Lucas was writing Star Wars he conferred closely with Joseph Campbell for months. Because fiction is drawn from reality you will find most of these same steps in famous real-life stories from the lives of the Buddha and Jesus of Nazareth to the great medieval knight William Marshal. As you read ‘Revelations: book one of The Merlin Chronicles’ keep an eye out for Jason’s passage from each step to the next on his own voyage of self-discovery and his quest to become the hero of his own story.

About the Book: Merlin the Magician only exists in myth and legend – at least that’s what archaeology student Jason Carpenter thought until he discovered the mysterious orb that had housed history’s greatest wizard for 1,600 years.

Forced into an uneasy alliance, Jason and Merlin are sucked into a web of deceit, intrigue and murder that sends them on a chaotic race to outwit, and out run, Merlin’s ancient nemesis, the evil sorceress Morgana le Fay, her gang of drug smugglers and a 500 year-old Chinese necromancer. Tis a race against time to complete their quest before an army of dragons are unleashed on a vulnerable and unsuspecting 21st century world.

About the Author: Daniel Diehl has been an author, writer and investigative historian for thirty-five years. For nearly twenty years Diehl has been involved in writing for publication and documentary television production. Mr. Diehl’s work has won awards from the Houston (Texas) Film Festival, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (US) and the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Arts Foundation. Working alone and as a part of the multi-award winning team of Daniel Diehl and Mark Donnelly, Diehl has produced work in two main categories; trade publication and television documentary scripts. His canon of work includes twenty non-fiction books (which have been translated into ten foreign languages), one previous work of fiction and scripts for more than one hundred and seventy hours of documentary television primarily for A&E Network, The History Channel, History International, Biography Channel and Discovery Network.

Buy the book on Kindle:

http://amzn.to/1hJLSDP

Book Excerpt - Soul Awareness by Carol J. Murto

Today's guest post is an excerpt from the new release by Carol J. Murto.

Soul Awareness

http://amzn.to/HE0V4I

In nurturing your Spiritual practice, you nurture yourself. Love becomes a very real part of your life. Even as you experience Love in this life right now, even before a committed practice with the desire to be in a working relationship with the Divine, you are experiencing Love; with family, with friends, in romantic relationships. What changes is you. The Love in you expands. As you connect with the Divine you are working with Love energy and this is what you are putting into the world. You will experience Love on an entirely different level. You will experience love more intensely, more deeply, more profoundly and with clarity and compassion.

In this process and in your prayer/meditation practice your Soul shifts from where it was to an evolved state of being. This alone is Spiritually healing – this alone is the healing balm for your Soul. As mentioned in Chapter 6 when we connect with Source – when we heal our Souls, all else follows; the physical, emotional, psychological, and the intellectual mind.

Again, do not judge yourself if there is struggle in the process. Part of the human condition is struggle. There may be times when you feel very uncomfortable – as you release from your ego, the human “nature” side of you will want to fight this. Remember that you will go at your own speed in releasing from what you think things should be to what they will be in the Divine.

Create a habit around your spiritual practice. I suggest creating a personal space at home that is quiet and inviting. Choose a time that will allow you to have quiet and stillness. Ask your family to give you this time, and in time they may join you in your practice! If you have five minutes to start, then start with five minutes. Use whatever assistance that will support your practice. Decide before you begin – what do you want available to you? Prayer books, poetry books, the bible, soothing music, visual objects or objects that resonate with you as nurturing and supportive; these are all good starts in creating your prayer/meditation space. For some it may be a quiet area outside – connecting with nature supports both prayer and med- itation.

Work in discernment about your practice. Where have you found Gods presence on this planet that has fed you, nourished you, given you a sense of peace and connection to Oneness? For some it is in art; others gazing at the stars; and then there is music or a combination of these things and more. But it is personal so in your discernment learn or “relearn” – remember the Divine seeks to connect to us all our lives and in various venues – where you have received and where you have felt connected to God. When you have identified this you can bring your evolved spiritual practice with you wherever you go, and without words, be open to receive and give with the Divine.

About the Author: Carol is the author of Soul Awareness - A Spiritual Awakening to Self Knowledge and Healing. This book has its roots in Carol’s Soul Awareness class and it was inspired by Carol’s healing work with her clients. A writer since childhood, Carol has always found a variety of venues as an expression for her writing talents, but it is with Soul Awareness that Carol was truly inspired to bring to the page a reflection of internal content that is not only learned based on her 16 years of experience in her healing work, but also channeled. Carol teaches, holds public forums and hosts prayer/healing gatherings.

About the Book: Soul Awareness – A Spiritual Awakening to Self Knowledge and Healing is a Spiritual self help book, designed to bring a fresh awareness of what our Soul is and to serve as a guide to help heal at the deepest level – the Soul level. With clear, practical instruction and fascinating case histories from Carol’s 16 years as a healing practitioner, Soul Awareness will provide Spiritual direction and support through the text itself; true life stories of personal Soul healing and meditations. Soul Awareness offers tools that are appropriate for the beginner who is exploring the process of their deeper spirituality and the function of the Soul as well as individuals who may have been exploring their Soul connection and Spirituality for a life time. The direction provided in this book can lead the individual to heal on all levels; the Spiritual, physical, and psychological. Once healed, each individual life is opened to new possibilities including finding one’s life purpose.

Connect with the Author: http://channeledspiritualhealing.com/

Kiss and Tell

A year ago, if you told me I would be writing a romance, I'd have called you a liar.

You know what? I would be right.

(sorry, that's an old joke)

Then how do I explain my part in best selling author Murray Pura's Blue Heaven Romance series? I was fortunate enough to be invited to a group of varied and talented writers. Under Murray's guidance, we are putting together a series of romance stories in different genres. I was going to say I wrote a fantasy romance, but that sounded like one of those shades of gray. Instead, let's call it a romantic fairy tale.

Before I give you a synopsis, here is a quick look at the other stories in the series:

Emalyn's Treasure by Joy Ross Davis - http://amzn.to/1eVkmRB

Blister Creek by William Tasch - http://amzn.to/1eVlnJm

Do No Harm by Kathi Macias - http://amzn.to/1aLlZgg

Heaven is Not Far by Marian Baay - http://amzn.to/HlDI72

The Whispers of Angels by Jen Cudmore - http://amzn.to/1eVna16

And here is my entry into the series. The story is called A Dragon's Kiss. The title comes from a birthmark that certain villagers bear which destines them to become great warriors. Instead of your typical "damsel-in-distress", I tried to have a little fun. This time the girl is the hero and the guy needs saving. There is plenty of magic, adventure and, of course, dragons.

When you read A Dragon's Kiss, I would love for you to post a comment (even if it's to tell me to not write romance). I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Comments are open below, or you can always find me on Facebook:

www.FB.com/MarkMillerAuthor

Get A Dragon's Kiss on Kindle for only $0.99

http://amzn.to/1hw5WJG

Do You Like Dinosaurs?

Then we have something special for you!

"Dinosaur George" Blasing and I have teamed up to bring his popular YouTube series to life in a whole new way.

Ask DG is a new series ideal for Kindergarten through Third Grade (or the reading level equivalent). It is also perfect for parents and teachers to read to their young paleontologists.

Mamta Madhavan for Reader's Favorite book reviews gives it 5 stars and says, "I found this book packed with information...The language is simple and understandable for a small child too."

The book is designed in a basic question and answer format. Every answer comes with humorous and explanatory illustrations. The questions come from DG's real-life fans. As the series develops it will become more interactive.

For me, the real treat is working with one of my heroes. George is a kind, selfless and generous human being. He made an impression on me the first time I saw him on Jurassic Fight Club several years ago. He is constantly working for the betterment of young people through education and compassion. We have become friends in that time and it is my privilege to be presenting his knowledge in this way.

In case you are not one of his millions of world-wide fans, here is more about DG from his official website: www.DinosaurGeorge.com: “Dinosaur George” Blasing is a self taught paleontologist and animal behaviorist with more than 35 years of study and research. Blasing is a public speaker, writer and television personality who has performed live to over 2 million people and has lectured in over 2800 museums, schools and public events. He is the writer, co-creator and host of JURASSIC FIGHT CLUB on the History Channel. Dinosaur George has spent over 18 years teaching Elementary, Intermediate and Middle school students about the amazing creatures that once ruled our planet. And with the addition of his latest program, Museum in the Classroom, he is now able to bring an entire museum to the schools he visits.

We certainly hope you enjoy this book!

It is available now at Amazon.com

http://amzn.to/1a3y6dy

Mark and George are both on Facebook too!

www.FB.com/MarkMillerAuthor

www.FB.com/DinosaurGeorgefanpage

Guest Post: Candice Bowser

Inside the mind of an author…now there is a truly terrifying, absolutely mystical, magical place filled with unspeakable horrors, love so deep it transcends time, and the simplicity of a child. 

What makes a writer tick? 

That is double edged question that many have pondered; for me it is a combination of things. Every author is different in how they formulate a story. Some have story boards where they write down all the ideas they have for the novel and then figure out how to weave it all together. Others create outlines with unbelievable details, and then there are authors like me who know the beginning, know how they want it to end, and what comes in the middle, well that is often left to be determined. 

My husband laughs a lot because my purse is a virtual cornucopia of left over characters, undeveloped plot lines, secret betrayals, and unparalleled horror scribbled on pieces of notepaper, napkins, and whatever else was available to write on, including checks! Inspiration can happen at any place at any time. It can be while watching some mindless television show or while picking up a few groceries. 

A novel I am working on now just popped into my head. Now, 190 pages later, Remy is part of larger picture where immortals of all kinds sought refuge in the New World and formed what later became New Orleans…with a twist of course. 

On some occasions, works are dream inspired but honestly I can say dreaming about characters happens more after they have been dancing around in my head for a while. Each author’s inspiration is different. It can be as simple as seeing a sweet kiss exchanged between an unknown elderly couple and wondering how their life might have unfolded or in the passing by of the butcher at the grocery store with his apron covered in blood and the tray full of freshly cut meat!

About the Author: An avid writer, Candace works nearly every day on one of her manuscripts. Though she predominately composes works of horror, she also writes mystery, suspense, and adventure. During the 1990’s she was a featured columnist for PRS in Kansas City. In 2011, Candace was honored by being voted one of the Top 20 Most Prolific Authors by AKG mag.. Her books are an unusual blend of historical places and events, along with fictional and non-fictional characters, which she seamlessly weaves into the story .Originally from south-central Pennsylvania, she currently resides in Kansas City with her husband Todd.

http://www.candicelbowser.com

www.facebook.com/candace.bowser