Interview with novelist James W. George

Novelist James W. George joins me today and we’re chatting about his new historical novel, The Prophet and the Witch.

During his virtual book tour, James will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

James W. George is a lover of history and historical fiction. He is a graduate of Boston University and a military veteran. He is currently residing in Virginia with his wife and children.

He published his critically-acclaimed debut novel, My Father’s Kingdom in January 2017. The novel described the prelude to King Philip’s War in New England in the 1670s. The Indie View gave it five stars: “This is high historical drama handled wonderfully…a tale that will fully engage you on every level.”

My Father’s Kingdom is a planned trilogy, and book two, The Prophet and the Witch, was published in September 2017. This is an epic novel that spans the entire conflict of King Philip’s War, and includes such notable historical figures as Josiah Winslow, Increase Mather, Metacomet, Benjamin Church, and Mary Rowlandson. The Literary Titan awarded it five stars and a gold medal for October 2017.

The author is looking forward to book three of the trilogy, and he can be found on Goodreads.

Welcome, James. Please share a little bit about your current release.

The Prophet and the Witch is a brand-new release. It is book two of a planned trilogy, but the book stands well on its own even without book one. The setting is New England in the 1670s, and the book explores the obscure but fascinating conflict known as “King Philip’s War.”

We’re all familiar with the tale of the Mayflower in 1620, and the first Thanksgiving. Even the most casual student of history is fairly knowledgeable about the American Revolution in the 1770s. But what, if anything, happened in the intervening 150 years?

The sad reality is, approximately fifty years after the first Thanksgiving, relations with the Native Americans of New England deteriorated so badly that they went to war with the Puritan English colonists. The leader of the rebellion was Metacomet, known as “King Philip” to the English. He was the son of the great Massasoit, who was instrumental in helping preserve and nurture Plymouth Colony in their early years.

The novel is extremely accurate from a historical perspective. It recounts the war through the eyes of major historical figures such as Josiah Winslow, Benjamin Church, Metacomet, Mary Rowlandson, Roger Williams, and Increase Mather. Additionally, a cast of fictional characters such as Israel Brewster, Constance Wilder, and Linto bring this chapter of history to life like never before.

It’s truly an epic tale, with Puritans, Quakers, Mohawks, Frenchmen, pirates, seventeenth-century drinking songs, romance, Elizabethan sonnets, witchcraft, militia marching songs, psalmody, a refined Scottish villain, riveting combat, erotic moments, witchcraft, a seafood feast, lacrosse, a treasurer you will love to hate, deep questions of faith, religion, and friendship, and a slow, insubordinate, flatulent horse. What else could you want?

What inspired you to write this book?

I love history and historical fiction, and I wanted to portray a chapter of history the average American was not familiar with. I’m not trying to be critical, but in my opinion, we’re kind of overdosing on WWII, the Tudors, and the Vikings, and I’d like to see some of the more obscure events in history brought to life. King Philip’s War was one of the most tragic and catastrophic events in American history, and too many of us have never even heard of it.

Additionally, the conflict has been the perfect vehicle to explore themes of religion, friendship, and courage in the face of evil.

Excerpt from The Prophet and the Witch:

This is from Chapter 29. Linto is a Native American Wampanoag, and his people have enlisted the help of New France to aid in their war against the English. Linto is remorseful, because he is convinced he has committed a grave sin during the prior week.

“Vous êtes malheureux?”

Linto morosely drew another card, and ignored Captain Alain Fontaine.

“Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?”

Linto should have been using the opportunity, as Captain Fontaine expected, to study the language of their new allies. As the captain repeatedly conveyed, within a few years New England would merely be an extension of New France, and a working knowledge of French would be vital.

“Are you unhappy, Linto?”

The shift back to English stirred Linto from his dull torpor. He briefly made eye contact, played his card, and sighed. They were playing “one and thirty,” and this would certainly be the fourth consecutive hand Linto would lose. His three cards currently added up to a paltry seventeen points, and he knew Fontaine would capitalize on his discard.

“I will take your three, and…voila. I have thirty-one. Or better yet, I have trente et un.” Linto stared vacantly into space.

“Linto, speak to me. You miss your family, no? I miss my family as well. My daughter is named Madeline. She is with her grandmother in Lyons. Tell me, what are the names of your children?”

Linto blinked and stared at the table. “Will Father Jacques ever come back, Cahp-ee-tehn Alain?”

Fontaine remained cordial. “I do not believe so. I have told you before. He will spend the spring to the west of here, on the shores of the ocean lake. It is very far, but he will save many souls. But I can answer all of your questions. You wish to know more about the English heresies? How they revile the Holy Father?”

Linto reached absent-mindedly for the cards, and lethargically shuffled them, much to Fontaine’s surprise. “A fifth hand, Linto? Surely, your luck must be ready to change?”

Linto briefly ruminated on the concept of luck. “Cahp-ee-tehn Alain, do you confess your sins?”

“Excusez-moi?”

“Father Jacques told me true Christians will tell a holy man all the things they have done wrong, and they will ask to be forgiven. Do you think people are punished if they don’t tell a holy man all the things they have done wrong?”

“You think of such serious matters all the time, Linto. The sky is clear, the English are on the run all over the land, and we are roasting ducks today. There will be a big lacrosse game to watch in the afternoon. I think we will also see at least thirty more warriors arrive this week, and they will bring muskets.”

Linto continued his ineffective shuffling. “How often do you tell the holy man your sins? What if you do bad things every day?”

Fontaine reached for the cards and took them. “Linto, you have been moping like a sad Puritan ever since you went to see the Nipmuc. Weren’t they overjoyed at the news? Aren’t they making preparations for two hundred new warriors?”

The reminder of deception and falsehood triggered an even deeper gloom in Linto. He sat silently, and was relieved when one of Cahp-ee-tehn Alain’s attendants came in with cheese and brandy. Linto hoped the subject would now quickly change.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Book three of the trilogy will move forward approximately fifteen years. There was another obscure but fascinating war that rocked New England during that time, and evidently, in 1692, there was some kind of kerfuffle in Salem that got everyone all excited.

Additionally, the audiobook for The Prophet and the Witch is in progress. My narrator, Mr. Angus Freathy, is phenomenal. He does all the accents, easily differentiates between dozens of characters, and doesn’t falter with any of the exotic names and places. He even does the tipsy singing.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always enjoyed the academic writing associated with school and work, but 2017 is the first year I’ve begun professionally writing.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

No, I’m not a full-time writer. Fortunately, my work schedule affords me time to write, especially when I’ve been working night shift, and I’m at home on my days off wide-awake at 2AM.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Things come much easier when I’m listening to classical music.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I remember a fifth-grade career project when I listed “aerospace engineer” and depicted myself standing next to an airplane with a clipboard. How geeky is that? I guess I was pretty close, as I did get an engineering degree and spent twenty-two years in the Air Force.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’m extraordinarily proud of this book, and the initial reviews have been terrific. One review I’m very fond of came from romance author Shashane Wallace, who noted “The Prophet and the Witch is a book for everyone.” In other words, even if you’re not normally drawn to historical fiction, I’m confident you’ll enjoy this tale of love, war, courage, religion, friendship, and faith.

Links:

Goodreads | Amazon

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

It’s been a pleasure. Thanks for having me!

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Interview with mystery author Kathryn Orzech

Mystery author Kathryn Orzech is here today and we’re talking about her new dark suspense, family saga, historical, thriller, romance, Asylum.

Bio:

Kathryn Orzech writes mystery, suspense, and thrillers set in “New England and other exotic locations.” A seasoned world traveler, she’s anxious to share her “exotic” experiences with readers. An avid film fan and self-proclaimed news nerd, other interests include history and geopolitics, society and culture; archaeology, psychology and science; and parapsychology, leaving few subjects off her literary table.

She developed and manages DreamWatch.com, true paranormal experiences of ordinary people, online since the late 1990s with visitors from every state and more than 50 countries.

Kathryn is a member of Sisters in Crime (SinC), Connecticut Authors & Publishers Assoc. (CAPA) and professional groups: APSS, IBPA, IPNE, RWA.

Please tell us about your current release.

On an innocent day in 1899, while her father travels abroad, twelve-year-old Maggie Delito, daughter of the wealthy industrialist, witnesses a shocking scandal. The next day, she’s dragged from her family’s estate and locked in an asylum, along with the shameful secret. Beneath the noted asylum’s polish of respectability, a wicked villainy hides in dank shadows—and Maggie fears she will be its next victim.

Seventy-five years later, Laura “Del” Delito inherits more than ancestral assets when her prestigious family’s mysterious past comes knocking. After sacrificing an independent career on the brink of success, she assumes control of Delito’s failing jewelry business while daring to expose its ghosts—a strange old woman, cryptic messages, backroom betrayals, and a rare antique key that might unlock the truth. As she pursues clues from the Northeast to North Africa, she fails to see the danger looming close to home.

A book club favorite, Asylum is set in New England during periods of transition with the rise and fall of manufacturing, changing mores and folkways, and struggles for basic and equal rights. Asylum prompts discussion of social and economic issues that continue to resonate.

What inspired you to write this book?

Mere blocks from Mark Twain’s Asylum Hill neighborhood in Hartford, Connecticut, I attended a friend’s dinner party. A guest who worked in a one-hundred-year-old hospital claimed she’d seen a ghost in the hallway outside her upper floor office. I invited myself to a private tour the very next week, sparking an interest in its history during the 1890s, a period to which I had a lifelong attraction. Images stirred in my imagination and Asylum was born.

Excerpt from Asylum:

~ 1974 ~ October

Margaret Rosa Delito should have known the day would come to a grim end. She had a sense about things like that, important things, life and death things.

She lived a deliberate life centered on one purpose—to erase the memories of her dark days.

From the second floor of Delito, Inc.’s home office, Rosa descended the grand staircase with quiet grace, like she had nearly every day at 5:20 p.m. for more than sixty years. She paused at the atrium, sighing with a hypnotic stare through the lobby’s wall of glass.

Her fingers tightened around the scrap of paper clenched in her disfigured hand. The newspaper masthead dated 1900 had been left on her desk during the night … a cryptic message from someone connected to her past, someone employed at Delito. Secrets were bound to surface. Something wicked was sure to follow.

She’d sent her granddaughter to a meeting at their New York sales office and wondered how she fared. She had hoped to protect Laura, but if someone at Delito knew of its tarnished past, of the family’s complicity and the source of her shame, she had to tell her everything. And she would. Tomorrow.

Rosa stashed the torn newspaper into her purse before buttoning her favorite cashmere coat. Outside, dried leaves clattered across the sidewalk in a gusty wind. The American flag fluttered like a beating heart, like her heart, pumping faster in a rhythm gone bad. Pressure in her chest forced the wind from her lungs like when she slammed to the ground that day long ago, that day when it all began.

As her heels tapped across the lobby’s white marble tiles, Rosa’s recall skipped through memories of those times, in that place, that had tormented her life and haunted her dreams, like a phonograph needle scratching across damaged vinyl … walk cold … cold … cold …

My feet walk cold stone floors. I wear no shoes.

I feel my way along a wall and sense a tunnel though I see nothing but darkness.

I sneak toward a distant line of light where a door is cracked open. Voices inside. Moaning. Fear tightens its choking grip as I stand alone, knowing I must look into that room.

A chill crawls the back of my neck. Cold. My hands tremble. My knees weaken as I creep toward the door to see … Oh God … Oh God …

Be silent. Mustn’t scream.

Gray ghosts … Gray ghosts …

Shhh … They’ll see you.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Several. Counting Souls is a contemporary mystery set in a quiet valley town that seems to be the target of an enigmatic serial killer—but not one body has been found at the bloody crime scenes. Citizens are frightened. Police are frustrated. Detectives are baffled. Only two sisters see the signs in ancient writings the killer left behind. (My sister wants to be characterized in a book.)

I’m also pulled towards a prequel and sequel to Premonition of Terror. I love those characters. Ideas to develop that Premonition trilogy are in my head, but writing won’t begin until my sister is placated with her starring role in Counting Souls.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Excitement grew during the months preceding Liberty Weekend, July 1986. Celebration organizers expected millions of New York visitors, but what would they eat? Hot dogs! I learned a nearby wholesale grocery company had been contracted to supply packets of mustard, ketchup and kraut. Fascinated and amused, I contacted the business for details and wrote a article for The Waterbury Republican American, an area newspaper with a solid reputation. My headline read: Five Million Hot Dogs To Go. The editors changed it to a Feeding Huddled Masses theme, but loved the idea, sent a photographer to the plant, published my story in the Financial section, and sent a check for $35. It was official. I was a writer. That’s also when I decided newspapers didn’t pay enough to hold my interest. However, valuable lesson learned: If something quirky interests me, it will likely interest others.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

Retired from a graphics career, I write full-time. When I’m deep into a book and the characters take over, I might write from 6 a.m. till 9 p.m. That would be a productive and satisfying day. Most days are interrupted by marketing and promotion duties, so to jumpstart a writing routine, I might go dark for a while.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I must have a visual bond to a scene’s location. A psychiatric hospital. A shop in Morocco. A cow barn. I once lived in a converted Victorian mansion so for Asylum, it was effortless to imagine the fictional Delito family’s bigger, more luxurious estate. My other book, Premonition of Terror, was more difficult. I was stuck on a crucial scene that needed a body-dump site in Boston, at water’s edge, not far from a warehouse near railroad tracks. I searched Google satellite images for days until I found the perfect spot. I remember saying aloud, “There you are!” The scene came alive and I was in it, on the ground—easily defining positions and interactions of the characters for a realistic and emotional scene.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I had a long list of what I didn’t want to be. In the final semester of high school’s senior year, I had to choose something, so I looked at my grades and picked a subject with high marks. The winner was Art. My dad acquiesced, abandoning his dream of a nurse in the family. Following commercial art school, I worked as a jewelry designer, then ad agency Art Director (think Mad Men), then freelance, which afforded the freedom to travel. I say I wouldn’t change a thing, but often wonder, with different opportunities or encouragement, would I have excelled in Intelligence work? I think, yes, probably a career in the U.S. Navy.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Thank you, Lisa, for sharing this space, and a special thanks to your readers for their time and support of authors. I hope they realize how much we value them. When I’m writing, I’m not thinking about publishing a book, I’m doing my best to shape a fascinating story to tell a friend.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Barnes and Noble

Thank you for joining me here today, Kathryn!

Live chat/interview with mystery author Rosemary Harris - August 11, 7-9PM EST

The Writer's Chatroom presents mystery author Rosemary Harris.

WHEN?
Sunday, August 11, 2013

Eastern USA Time.....7-9 PM

Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are? http://www.worldtimeserver.com

WHERE?
The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Sign In. No password needed.


Please note: The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.

Review of cozy mystery A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die by Edith Maxwell

A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die

by Edith Maxwell

Cameron Flaherty is a self-professed geek turned gardener. She’s given up a cubical for the outdoors. She prefers her fingers in soil rather than clicking across a keyboard. It’s a new life and a new world for Cameron as she turns her great-uncle’s home into her own.

Taking the plunge from salaried, experienced, corporate employee to self-employed, newbie organic CSA (community supported agriculture) farmer is quite an adjustment. But before Cameron can really start to appreciate the new life she is starting to create for herself, she finds her recently fired employee dead on her property. It’s obviously murder and is not a great way to close out the first day of her share program. The challenges and mysteries don’t stop as Cameron struggles to settle into a routine on her farm, with her share program, or with building her new business.

Maxwell combines personal experience with fiction in this novel featuring a cast of characters who have their own opinions about eating local food. For example, young Ellie is working on a Girl Scout badge and is learning to appreciate home-grown food; Portuguese immigrant Lucinda is determined to eat only locally grown food for an entire year; and Chef Jake prides himself on serving meals with as many local ingredients as possible. Other cast members add the right amount of neighborly conflict, jealousies, and suspicions to make the reader nod her head and think, “I know people like that.”

Although set in fictional Westbury, Massachusetts, the novel includes real locations, such as Newburyport and Gloucester. The novel is a wonderful introduction to farmer’s markets, organic gardening, CSAs, and CSFs (fishing).

This novel is Edith Maxwell’s first and is also the start of her Local Food Mystery Series. Maxwell has published several mystery short stories, and has a traditional mystery, Speaking of Murder, published under the pseudonym Tace Baker.

A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die is comfortable to read, which is appropriate since it’s a cozy, but I call it comfortable because as a reader, I felt like part of the cast and included in the conversations. It has a nice pace and is definitely a page turner. This is a highly recommended read for cozy readers, gardeners, and anyone seeking a pleasurable read.

Title: A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die

Author: Edith Maxwell

Published: June 2013

ISBN: 978-0-7582-8461-7

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Interview with romance novelist Andrea Stein

Today's guest is romance novelist Andrea Stein. She's in the midst of a virtual book tour for her New England-based novel Rough Harbor. 

Andrea will be awarding a $50 gift card (winner's choice of Starbucks, Amazon, or Walmart), to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so you want to make sure to leave an e-mail address with a comment below if you want to be entered for a chance to win. And if you want more chances to win, you can visit other blog stops on her tour and leave other comments.

Bio:

Hi, I’m, Andrea Stein an author, mother, wife and blogger and a certified mom-chauffeur. I have been scribbling stories for as long as I can remember, including my first adventure story, inspired by an obsession with Out of Africa (book, movie, and biography) about a young girl stranded in Kenya. It was serial fiction handwritten, given to my sister, who couldn’t read my handwriting. That story dies after one installment, but the next year I got a word processor (not a computer, but an ACTUAL WORD PROCESSOR) that showed about twenty lines of text at a time. This was before laptops were widely available and this allowed me to be able to type to my heart’s content in the privacy of my own room. Which I did. I think I spent the time writing stories about my “frenemies” to amuse myself. I also listened to a lot of the Cure and New Wave music. I have since moved on to a happier place.

Even though I read lots of different types of books, I write romance novels with a twist. More like contemporary romance than romantic suspense (I don’t write about serial killers or FBI agents) but I usually like to include a puzzle or mystery for my hero and heroine to solve.

Rough Harbor is my second novel, set in a small New England town. Coming soon is Ivy Cottage, also set in a small New England town on a river.

Other than writing I spend most of my time reading, watching TV, cooking, cleaning, taking care of kids, trying to keep the house clean and folding laundry. I love Twizzlers, chocolate and shows on the WB. For me, reading has always been an escape, a way to escape the ordinary and dive into a world that feels real – but with all of the ‘boring’ parts edited out.

As for the rest of my life, I grew up on Long Island, spent a lot of vacations in small New England towns, went to college in New York City, married by high school sweetheart, worked, had kids, stopped working, and kept on writing. Now I live in rural New Jersey (yes, there is such a thing), and though I don’t own any horses, I do have a barn, which I share with squirrels.

There’s something successful writers always tell new writers about their secret to success. Just do it…Bum Glue…write 1ooo words a day…write for two hours a day….Keep writing. And they’re right. I got more successful with my writing when I started to do it consistently. I don’t write every day, but I shoot for five days a week. This means that the words and pages pile up — and I have stories to shape, make and mold…and share.

I hope you enjoy my books, currently available at www.amazon.com

Links:

www.Andreasteinbooks.com

http://www.facebook.com/AndreaSteinBooks

https://twitter.com/andreasteinbook

Welcome, Andrea. Please tell us about your current release.

Rough Harbor is the story of the love that got away. When theyw ere teenagers, Noah and Caitlyn shared a passionate summer that ended in tragedy. Caitlyn pushed Noah away and they went their separate ways. Ten years later, they’ve both returned to their hometown of Queensbay where they’ve found that while time may have changed them, it hasn’t changed what they felt for each other. But unresolved questions about the long ago tragedy may just keep them apart.

What inspired you to write this book?

I had the vision for the heroine, Caitlyn for a long time, plus the setting is inspired by the beautiful area where I grew up, which is on the North Shore of Long Island. I love writing about the water and small towns.

Excerpt:

Noah leaned in closer, his lips hovering above hers, his arms moving around her, pulling her closer to him, so he could feel his body next to hers, feel the swell of her breasts, see every freckle on her nose.

“I have people for that,” he murmured, letting his lips feather across her. Her eyes opened wide, and he knew that she was feeling, that he had gotten to her.

“Noah…” It was more of a moan than a whisper.

“Shh, I know you’re not after my money. Just shut up and let me…”

Kiss you. And he did, their lips touching. Softly at first, so he could taste her, smell her perfume, something spicy, and her shampoo, something fruity. She moved in his arms – not away, but closer – and he took that for an invitation, an invitation that his attentions were wanted.

He deepened his kiss, letting his tongue explore, letting his hands slide from her shoulders down to the V of her neck, skimming lightly over her breasts, feeling the fabric of her bra, then the hard nub of her nipples which sprang to attention under his caress.

She moaned, answering his kiss, her hands running through his hair, pulling him towards her as their embrace deepened, grew more passionate, his hands roaming feeling, possessing her.

Until. “Stop, Noah, stop.” She broke free, her head moving away from him, her hands still twined in his hair. She lowered her eyes and leaned against his shoulders.

“What, what is it?” His voice was husky, raspy, and he could feel desire, the sheer wanting of her flowing through him, all the way through it. She felt it, too, and took a step back.

“Noah, you’re the boss. And we barely know each other. I mean now. I just can’t get involved right now.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

The Ivy Cottage, which will be out in January 2013. It’s the story of Noah’s best friend, Chase and Phoebe, who inherits her famous aunt’s house in Queensbay. Chase and Phoebe’s grandparents were a notorious couple, the affair of the century and when they meet, sparks fly. But is this love real – and lasting – this time around, or is just a publicity stunt?

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

As long as I can remember. I started out writing fairy tale fantasy (lots of knights, witches and stuff) when I was in elementary school. I used to write in journals, which I have but can’t bear to read. And then as I got older I started to write more romance/suspense type of things.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

About twice a week I write full time – All the kids are in school and get a solid three to four hours of writing time in. Three other days, I work at night after everyone is in bed. I am not really a night owl or a morning person, so in the near future I am working on getting to more ‘normal’ writing day.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I can only write on a computer. I have terrible handwriting and if I write anything longhand, even a few notes or a scene, it’s basically worthless because I can’t even read it. And I play music, but it’s to block out everything else, not because I need the music for inspiration.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer. An antique dealer, and then an archaeologist. And then I found out that as a writer you can pretend to be anything you want through your characters – and that it’s a lot less work than actually doing it…

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Thanks so much for the chance to share Rough Harbor with you – I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Thank you, Andrea. Readers, remember if you want a chance to win a $50 gift card (winner's choice of Starbucks, Amazon, or Walmart), make sure to leave an e-mail address with a comment below. And if you want more chances to win, you can visit other blog stops on her tour and leave other comments.