Features Updated: Authors With A Cause

Are you an author who gives a percentage of your book sales to a not-for-profit organization or charity? If so, we want to feature you, your book and your cause.
Send an email to : apasuggestions@gmail.com with "Author Cause" in the subject line. Include a book blurb, JPEG Image of your book, a personal link and a fact or two about yourself. Tell us about your cause and share with us why you support it. Include a link to the organization/charity and an image. 

Authors Promoting Authors is looking for someone to commit to and run a new weekly feature. If you have any interest, please email: apasuggestions@gmail.com 

APA is also looking for someone to coordinate and help with planning give-aways an contests: apasuggestions@gmail.com , if you are interested. 


Authors Promoting Authors has always strive to help writers and authors with finding resources-everything from checking the reputation of a publisher, to helping to find local writer groups.  If you would like to be apart of behind the scenes, drop a line at: authorspromotingauthors@gmail.com

Virtual Book Tour: Our Guest, Alysa Braceau, Dreamshield.

 I am Alysa Braceau, Dreamshield.

I've written about my apprenticeship in the art of mastering concious dreaming. Among other things I learned about techniques for conscious dreaming and traveling in the dreamtime and to receive information about healing. In the dreamtime, I also received my name Dreamshield.

I've studied social studies, qualified myself as journalist and writer and have done courses and workshops (before my apprenticeship) such as aura-reading, ThetaHealing and healing with gems. This, in my quest for spiritual deepening.

One of the things I have encountered and describe in my book is that reality is much more comprehensive than it first appears to be. If you want to be free, want to feel free, you will have to face spiritual, physical and emotional blocks and work on them to release them. And that is one of the ways to develop awareness and the healing of yourself.

I would like to share my experiences with you, giving personal readings and healings to support your process of awareness.

For questions about my book, reading and dreamhealing, workshops and courses, you can email me info@dreamshield.nl
http://www.dreamshield.nl

Sorcerer's Dream:
 In the tradition of Carlos Castaneda, Dreamshield takes the reader to the stage of 'Monumental Beauty.' In this Award Winning book she reveals unique steps to mastering conscious dreaming and traveling to the unknown, following the teachings of the sorcerer Running Deer.

The author describes her initiation into the surrealistic world of dreaming and magic.
In the heart of Amsterdam, a thrilling stride unfolds in obtaining the knowledge of the Second Reality on the way to the ultimate goal: finding the Totality of the Self!

Learn more about: Techniques for Mastering conscious dreaming (lucid
dreaming), traveling to the unknown, shamanic teachings, dreaming and the
meaning of sexual energy and more!

Excerpt:

Dreaming and Sexual Energy

Alysa Braceau (Dreamshield) gives a completely new approach to Shamanic initiation and teachings. Being an apprentice of a North American medicine man in the art of mastering conscious dreaming she learns the lessons and the love of the magic mushrooms. The next excerpt gives you an impression about the connection between mastering conscious dreaming and rising sexual energy.
Right by the author's side or facing her stands the character of Vidar. Sometimes mysterious, then challenging, strict as a guru, or vulnerable as a visitor in a foreign country.

“Vidar sits up straight and slightly uncomfortable on the smooth couch. He bounces up and down, feels it and looks around him as if it is the first time he is sitting on it. He fidgets and starts massaging my calves, during which he starts moaning, first giggly but then more and more passionately and he does that remarkably well and with enormous devotion. With the aaaaah’s and oooooh’s which seem to be coming from his abdomen, he touches every sensitive chord of my body. I shriek from arousal. Vidar smiles contrite, but his demonstration appears to be no more than an introduction to his own sexual development. “Reproduction can be arranged in three minutes,” Vidar starts, “securing the evolution, but on the way to dreaming and visions the arousal needs to be very intense. With shamans, earth-energy and universal energy flow freely through the meridians,” and uncovers, “that explains my sexual charisma. Shamans send sexual energy through the senses until far outside the body through the orgasm. The mounting line of energy is driven by consciousness and awareness, and is taken to a high level by producing primitive sounds from the abdomen, and is kept high by sensuality.” He mentions a couple of resources: sexy lingerie and clothing, stirring and stimulating music, scents, provoking each other by touching, but also someone’s manner, face or facial expression. “It’s important to constantly be in a light state of arousal. The heightening of sexual energy leads to dreaming. And when the energy reaches the level of the forehead chakra, visions will appear and together you recognize your cosmic history. It’s an encounter beyond the intellectual knowledge. At the height of the excitement, words are not spoken, because you transfer to primitive sounds, to the voice of your body. You just got a taste of that,” he grins. “The sexual energy is taken to the spiritual senses outside the body through the orgasm, they are the steps to a higher consciousness. The steps to totality,” Vidar explains. “Then a total transcendence takes place of the material body. Spirits meet, recognition takes place and together you become an androgynous being,” he puts his hands together in front of his chest and turns them a quarter turn towards him. “In this androgynous state you are all-knowing and you can only reach that in this way. This combined action is the reflection of the birth of the universe. If you know this, you’ll understand why there are two polarities, yin and yang and so forth. The number two is a universal principal, where everything in the material universe revolves around.””

The book can be ordered on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Sorcerers-Dream-Dreamshield-Alysa-Braceau/dp/1609101561 
And Everywhere Books are Sold.

Another Story Behind the Book with Jordan Maxwell

 

Where did the idea for this story come from?

In early 2004 I found myself going through a separation and divorce so I had A LOT of empty hours to fill. I had always liked to write and one evening during my “exile” period as I like to call it, I let my mind wander. I remember thinking, “What if there was a part of my father’s life that I didn’t know anything about. What if I found out about it after he died.” With that I began the first attempt at writing what would eventually become “Dandyflowers” and “Dandyflowers – Laura’s Diaries”. It was a momentous flop!

Initially I had Erin Collins Ivey going back home to settle the affairs of her recently deceased father Jerry. When she arrived at his house his attorney met her there and presented her with a key to a chest that was waiting for her in the middle of the living room. Upon opening it she found the story and other mementos from this unknown period of her father’s life. Then I got stuck. I had so many questions that if I were Erin I would want answered. If my father had kept a secret like this and only told me about it “from beyond the grave” I would be very angry. So I deleted what I had written and started over.

I salvaged four things from my first attempt; those being the characters of Erin Collins, her fiancé’ / husband Jack Ivey, Jerry Collins, Erin’s dad and the concept of finding out about a mysterious secret from her father’s past. In version two, Erin’s father is quite alive and on the evening of her engagement, Jerry takes her aside and asks her to come back the following weekend because there is something he needs to tell her. He calls it his “love talk”. During that long weekend Erin learns about the seven year period of her father’s life where he met, fell in love with, married and had two children with a young woman named Laura Butler who he describes as”…the girl of his dreams and the holder of his heart.”

The main portion of the story is set in the 1960’s and so much went on in that time period I intentionally skipped 1968 and most of 1969. It is in those years where “Dandyflowers – Laura’s Diaries” takes place and the reader learns what Paul Harvey would undoubtedly call "the rest of the story".

How did your characters come to life?

Very slowly! The character of Laura is by far my favorite. Bringing her to life was an interesting endeavor. Her physical appearance is based on a young lady that I have known for quite a few years. She is a bit tomboyish and small, I think I made her five foot two or three; she has blonde hair best described as wheat or honey colored and she has intensely blue eyes. Personality wise she is a blend of several different people that I know or have known.

There is a part of the story where she and Jerry had just finished a large meal when his uncle is visiting. After eating they go outside to a porch swing to talk. As Laura starts to speak she burps quite loudly! It is this somewhat embarrassing incident that really made Laura “real”. Imagine being a fifteen or sixteen year old girl and you burp really loud right in front of your boyfriend. Some would be mortified and very embarrassed, however, Laura laughs it off and through her giggles says, “Better out than in!”

I think it’s those little, benign everyday things that I made sure the characters had is what makes them “real” to the reader. They make them seem to be alive.

Blurb:

“Dandyflowers” will take you on an energetic yet whimsical trip from present to past and back again. You will experience the full spectrum of emotion as you enter the world of Jerry Collins and Laura Butler; a world where you watch them as they live and learn and grow, but best of all, as they love. Their story continues in “Dandyflowers – Laura’s Diaries”.

Since learning of her father’s other life Erin (Collins) Ivey has read and reread Laura’s diaries. Although the diaries give much insight into whom Laura was, Erin still has many unanswered questions. During an unexpected trip to Chicago she has a chance meeting with the two people who can answer those questions.

Author Website:

http://www.dandyflowers.com/

Buy link:

Dandyflowers

http://www.dandyflowers.com/

www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=1-5988651-6-1

Dandyflowers – Laura’s Diaries

http://www.dandyflowers.com/

www.lulu.com/product/paperback/dandyflowers---lauras-diaries/6034879

Dandyflowers is available as a 10 CD audio book. Both books are available in a downloadable eBook format.

Video Book Trailer link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLMYaw8cCjI

Another Story Behind the Book with Michelle Davidson Argyle

Where did the idea for this story come from?


I got the idea for Cinders from my four-year-old daughter! She kept watching Disney's version of Cinderella over and over and one day I just though - wow, I what happened after Cinderella got married to her prince? The idea sprouted into a short flash fiction piece and then later into the novella.

How did your characters come to life?

Cinderella, or Christina as she is called in the book, came to life at first because she was already a created character whom everyone knows! It was interesting to start writing the story and have Christina come to life in a completely different way than I expected. Many people have described her as unlikable, but in a good way. She is very real in her personality and choices.

Blurb of your book

Cinderella's happily-ever-after isn't turning out the way she expected. With her fairy godmother imprisoned in the castle and a mysterious stranger haunting her dreams, Cinderella is on her own to discover true love untainted by magic.

Buy link:

http://www.michelledavidsonargyle.com/p/purchase.html

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_19?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cinders+by+michelle+davidson+argyle&sprefix=Cinders+by+Michelle&ih=3_8_1_1_2_0_0_0_0_1.5_128

Author Website: http://michelledavidsonargyle.com/

Thanks for stopping by Authors Promoting Authors for my blog book tour! Don't forget to comment and then click on this link to enter your name into the drawing for prizes! https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFNiQVlrY0RBVXNMT24zaTVUcUg0T2c6MQ

Another Story Behind the Book with F.L. Bicknell

Today I bring you a fascinating inside look at an interracial romance by a very close friend of mine and a woman I truly admire. F.L. Bicknell doesn't just tell a tale, she creates a realistic life for her characters and story that draws the reader in and keeps them hooked well past the end of the book. And if I know F.L. (which I do) this book is a winner.

I give you now, The Darkness of Sable.

Where did the idea for this story come from?


As crazy as it may sound, I was watching a biography program on VH1 about Lenny Kravitz. Lisa Bonet, his wife at the time, had convinced Lenny to cut his dreadlocks that he’d been growing for ten years. The idea hit me for Sable’s dilemma, and I flew to the word processor to write her story. I typed all evening and then again for the better part of the following morning. The story just would not shut up in my brain until I got it all onto the wp screen. Sable has ankle-length hair and through cutting it, she helps remedy a bizarre paranormal problem i.e. the darkness plaguing her throughout the novel.

Originally, The Darkness of Sable was an 8K short story, but over time, more and more ideas came to me and it turned into a full novel.
How did your characters come to life?

It’s difficult to explain. Sable just took on a life of her own. I guess since a subplot involves Sable’s missing daughter, I could relate to her and how she’d feel if one of my children disappeared. Thomas, the hero, and the entire cast of characters are all paranormal, and I love anything paranormal or supernatural, so they developed without any problems and seemed to spring effortlessly from my typing fingers. Researching the paranormal, supernatural, faere lore, witchcraft and the like helped me to make them believable and realistic.

Blurb:

Struggling to deal with the disappearance of her daughter and in a creative slump, sculptress Sable Hendricks-Tade travels to Florida for rest and relaxation only to find herself thrust between divided paranormal worlds. One side wants her dead and the other will do anything to keep her in its “wicked” embrace. Determined to get answers, she searches for her missing daughter and spirals into the realm of immortals and goddesses where she quickly realizes her agent is her only anchor to reality. But can she trust him to keep her safe?

Thomas Valimar, a highly trained marshal working with a network of humans to maintain the line between the paranormal and human worlds, is assigned to protect Sable from the magic she doesn’t realize she possesses. Operating undercover as her agent, his duty soon turns to passion as he falls for the beautiful artist.

Drawing Sable into their world of sex, magic, and intrigue, the dark forces will do anything keep Sable in their clutches so they may feed from her emotions and mysterious ability. Only through sheer determination and Thomas’ love can Sable walk through other realms and not only battle the paranormal creatures that wish to destroy her life but save her daughter as well.
Genre: erotic paranormal romance/interracial romance


Buy link: Buy direct from Passion in Print Press: http://passioninprint.com/ShowBook.php?CR=FBDARKNSABLE


Author Website: www.faithbicknellbrown.com/print-books  However, I may have a new URL to go with my new website soon, so if the link is down, try either faithbicknell.com or flbicknell.com

November 1st 2010, All Publicity Packages 20% Off

 All Book Publicity Packages are 20% Off on November 1st 2010, until 12:00am EST. 
Please contact for a full fee listing: apasuggestions@gmail.com 

Publicity Coaching NEW -By Popular Demand-Ask for a quote

APA PR reviews your marketing efforts and makes suggestions based on your book. Directs you to new promotional avenues, provides you with contacts and suggests publicity strategies.



In Your Locale

APA PR focuses marketing efforts in your local community and surrounding areas, with the focus being on helping you to increase your community profile and strengthening your local author ties with the goal of becoming a known local author. Helps with researching, contacting local media and helps with promotional materials.


Blasting Online $250.00 per month

APA PR creates targeted promotional marketing for a specific audience-those most likely to read your book and works to create promotions for  (libraries, bookstores, whole sellers) your book is marketed to the general online media, book related online media and APA PR helps to create unique online events.

All Out Media Blitz

APA PR creates an unique stand alone campaign for your book. Markets your book to different levels of media: traditional and online. APA PR places requests for interviews, book reviews, author guest appearances and helps with the planning and development of in-person author events.
 This package includes the "In Your Locale Package" and "Blasting Online Package"


All fees are in USD. Contract must be signed and feed paid up front.
apasuggestions@gmail.com

Another Story Behind the Book with Keta Diablo

Today’s guest author is Keta Diablo. I've known Keta for a while now and I know what a fantastic author she is. Each of her books are unique and wonderful to read. Her explanation of how Where The Rain Is Made is absolutely fascinating. Being a mother myself, I know just what she is talking about in regard to helping her son with his homework. So take a moment and check out what Keta has to say about the creation of her book.

Where did the idea for this story come from?


Hi Shiela, thanks so much for asking about Where The Rain Is Made. The story behind how the novel came about is rather unusual. When my youngest son was 12, he took a sudden interest in American history, specifically Native American. We spent a lot of time together at the library and he read every book he could find on the tribes.

The tribe that really caught his attention was the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. Pretty soon, I knew almost as much as him about the brave warriors and like him, took a keen interest in their history and eventual downfall.

After a while, my son moved on to read other topics, but here I was with all his notes and information. I couldn't let it all go to waste. Thus, Where The Rain Is Made was born.

How did your characters come to life?

I knew I wanted to write paranormal because there was/is so much mysticism and spiritualism among all Native Americans. And I was leaning toward time-travel. Then I tossed in shapeshifting, and the story finally started to gel. Choosing the era for the heroine was simple. If our hero, Meko, was the wanderer, then Cesca would have to be the one he found when traveling back in time.

Thanks so much for hosting me on Authors Promoting Authors. I hope visitors will take a moment to click on my Blog Tour Badge for Where The Rain Is Made and grab the schedule. I'll be giving away a book at every stop!


Where The Rain Is Made

Paranormal Erotic Romance

Decadent Publishing:

http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=150&osCsid=ur1gi19gccqto1a0tv6jsmcv20

ISBN: 978-1-936394-12-8

Shapeshifter. Time Travel.

A decadent-looking savage has captured Francesca DuVall and her brother, Marsh. Now she must spend every waking moment planning an escape from the camp of the brutal savages. What she doesn't count on is the powerful draw of desire interfering with her scheme.

Ethan Gray is a curator at a national museum in Washington, D.C. . . . most of the time. But when he travels through time to help his beloved People, he becomes Meko, leader of the most revered and feared tribe of the plains, the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers.
Their worlds are decades apart, yet Meko can’t resist the dark beauty he kidnapped during a raid. He has many battles to fight, but none more crucial than capturing Cesca’s heart forever.


Author Website: http://www.ketadiablo.com/

Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter. I give three books away every month, all year long.

Thrilling Thursday: Author Interview with Lisa de Nikolits, The Hungry Mirror

By Amy Lance, WondrousWomenWorldwide.com

Lisa de Nikolits, author of, The Hungry Mirror, has been “writing like a fiend for over twenty five years,” but this is her first novel published.  From the first few pages of the book her unique and entertaining writing style will have you captured.  Her words are so strong and realistic most any reader can resonate with the character and some of her antics.  Lisa reflects that, “with this book, The Hungry Mirror, I took an issue – eating disorders – and I, with my own issues in this regard and looking at the women around me with similar concerns – opened the channels of characters and scenarios and that's how the story evolved. “

The Hungry Mirror is a witty, captivating, and entertaining read that accurately portrays the reality so many women face; a constant battle with their weight, body image, and food.  On top of that she throws in relationship issues we face with friends and partners.   With every turn of the page there are realistic accounts of thoughts and actions nearly every one of us have had or know someone who has faced the same mirror.   

Although Lisa is not writing about her personal experience she says she has struggled with others misunderstandings of eating disorders.  “To many people; friends, family, lovers, husbands, think it comes down to ‘Just have a sandwich.’  Or, ‘Just don’t have the sandwich, what’s the issue?’” The reality of living with an eating disorder is so much more than that and “I wanted to help create understanding, awareness.” It is Lisa’s hope that women who do not have the support they need to overcome such a serious issue can use the book for support and to know they are not alone.

 Lisa openly discussed with me  the “stigma to eating disorders, a shame. A huge amount of suffering is swept under the rug and I wanted to yank up that rug and say, ‘Here, this is what it looks like, this is world of someone who suffers, now do you see?’” I think this book does exactly that while also being a gentle reminder to each of us to look in the mirror to the issues we privately face; our issues with our body images and our relationships with food.  It’s a frightening reality that so many of us deal with daily.

I asked Lisa who the ideal reader was and she addresses that she intended the book to be “for and about women with eating disorders, for anyone interested in body image issues and I wanted to explore the role the media plays in aggravating these problems.”   However, the book has gathered a larger audience than she had imagined.  Lisa has “been surprised and even taken aback by the most unlikeliest of people having read and enjoyed it – people who have also gone out of their way to let me know.”  

Lisa is working on her second novel which “is a mainstream work of fiction; a coming-of-age, road-trip adventure about a girl named Benny, a drugstore cowboy with a fondness for narcotics and fine art.”  So, I encourage all of you to check out Lisa’s latest novel The Hungry Mirror before her second novel hits the stands!

Lisa is originally from South Africa, yet has chosen to call Canada home since becoming a citizen in 2003. She has also lived and worked in the U.S.A., Sydney, Australia, and London, England. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Philosophy and has contributed to various international anthologies. She has art directed on Vogue, marie claire, and Cosmopolitan.  To learn more about Lisa and stay in touch for her second novel you can find her on the web at: http://www.lisadenikolitswriter.com/

Another Story Behind the Book with T Nicole

Where did the idea for this story come from?


To be completely honest about this, I have had this story in my head for at least 2 years. I had this story before I even wrote my first two books, but I decided to put out those books first. The idea, I don't even know where that came from. I always use life experiences to generate stories. This book deals with more that just an interracial couple; it deals with the notion of dealing with extremes in hopes that the future outcome is profitable or for the overall well-being of your child. But, how much are you willing to put up with before you get that end result?
How did your characters come to life?

The characters aren't based on anyone I know, but their situation isn't a foreign thing. Many women deal with extreme circumstances for the end result or for the sake of their children. So these characters were already living, I just had to bring to the reading audience.

Blurb:

People say that journaling is good for the soul, but those people don’t know Sheree Silver. She knew the deal when she married Matthew Silver Sr. She was supposed to be the silent wife. But when that silence made her invisible, it became big problem. Her invisibility allowed women like Kelly, Matt’s co-worker, to be the woman in the eyes of Matt’s friends, family and colleagues. Matt was the kind of professional that had to keep the perfect image – an image that did not include a black wife and a mix breed baby.
Trying to deal with Matt and Kelly’s relationship and the fact that she can never be seen, proved to be too much for Sheree. Too add insult to injury, their baby was stuck not knowing his father’s side of the family – Matt’s biggest secret of all.
All the while, Sheree continues to be the perfect wife and mother; the rage inside builds until she can no holder hold it inside anymore. There is a plan brewing… and her diary is the only one that knows.Link to buy:

http://www.pheinkpub.com/

http://www.tnicoleonline.com/

http://www.bn.com/

Book Feature: Book 1 of the Emerald Isle Trilogy, Renee Vincent

Mara, the daughter of an Irish clansman, was raised to believe the men of the North are heathens - murderous pagans without a moral bone in their bodies. Despite warnings of the Northmen's raids, and the growing threat of another incursion, Mara is continually drawn to her favorite place - the River Shannon.

Dægan Ræliksen, a wealthy chieftain from Norway's frozen fjords, secretly discovers Mara at the water's edge. He is charmed by her beauty and sensuous grace. As the days pass, his contentment with simply watching her grows thin. He can no longer deny his unabated desire for the young maiden. His search for a wife has ended.
 


However, Mara and Dægan come face-to-face in a time when Ireland is in turmoil - when every Irishman is being called up to fight against the Nordic foreigners. In these times of upheaval, how can Dægan make peace with Mara's father and acquire the woman he treasures? Furthermore, can Mara move past her fears and find the noble man within the savage?

Buy Book 1 of the Emerald Isle Trilogy

To Learn More About Author Renee Vincent and her work, visit her website: 

http://www.reneevincent.com/

Another Story Behind the Book with Dan Dowhal

Today's Story Behind the Book is brought to you by author Dan Dowhal. When Dan first sent me his post I was instantly drawn in. Aside from being a fellow Canadian, I discovered we had something else in common. The Rev. Jim Jones Story. I have always been fascinated by this story and curious how one individual could draw in so many people with his evil ways and cause so much damage. Dan's book,  Skyfisher, is definitely on my To Buy List.
And did you know that Dan will be the first Canadian author to be featured as an iBooks exclusive. Isn't that impressive!

I give you now, Dan Dowhal, explaining his inspiration for Skyfisher.

Where did the idea for this story come from?


The original germ of an idea for skyfisher actually goes back quite a while, to when I first read about Rev. Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre. I remember being appalled yet enthralled by the idea of a mad, powerful cleric manipulating a large following, espousing the highest ideals on one hand while performing the most despicable deeds on the other. I mean, this goes way beyond the hypocrisy of some televangelist getting caught with his pants down in a sex scandal. Hundreds of people were taken in by Jones, and like sheep to slaughter naively followed him all the way to their deaths. I also relished the idea of someone within the flock heroically attempting to bring the truth to light, and fighting an uphill battle in the process, like he was taking on the messiah himself.

By the time I got around to writing the story, some things had changed, both in terms of the world around me, and in terms of my own experiences. First of all, through education and supplementary reading I had personally learned a lot more about comparative religion and human spirituality, and felt like I wanted to make those more than just a superficial backdrop to the book. Yes, the story is in many ways critical of how some spiritual leaders betray their congregations and become the ultimate hypocrites along the way. But skyfisher also tries to present the base idea of religion, or at least personal spirituality, in a positive light – going against the grain of the evil acts the scripture-toting title character performs, or for that matter, contrary to the contemporary scorn of religion by many members of the intelligentsia.

I was recently approached by a clergyman who had read the book, and although he lamented my apparent cynicism, not to mention the less-than-flattering portrayal of the religious leader, he applauded the core sentiment I was trying to get across to the reader, and overall gave it a positive response.

The other major area that had changed since I'd first conceived the story was the dramatic rise of the internet – and my own decades-long professional involvement in the digital realm. My original thought was to have the congregation in some isolated rural setting, but given the prominence of the world-wide web, I decided that any major deception today would now involve the internet. This ended up also making the book partially an examination of contemporary online culture.

How did your characters come to life?


Skyfisher is the first book I’ve written completely from the first-person perspective. I found this both liberating and limiting, from the writing perspective. But what it did do was allow me to establish a very recognizable voice for the protagonist, Brad Evans, who is a bit of a wise-ass and a reprobate, heavily flawed and full of contradictions. His voice dominates the narrative, and very much becomes the overriding tone for the book as a whole. Although we’re really nothing alike, there is still enough of me in Brad so that I developed quite a liking and a sympathy for him while writing the book. I think that made him a more complex and sympathetic character as a result, with noticeable personal growth.

On the other hand, the antagonist, Sky Fisher, came to life basically because he had to because of his key part in the storyline. As the title character, and one who becomes a warped world-class megalomaniac, he naturally overshadows everyone else – even though the story is told completely from someone else’s perspective. But as much as I figured a believable and memorable villain was key to the story, I wanted to make sure Sky Fisher was not too one-dimensional or predictable either. The funniest part for me is that people are coming up to me, and whispering in my ear, "Sky Fisher. That['s really so-and-so, isn't it?"

I think the balancing point for the triangle of main characters that the story hinges on is Stan Shiu, the computer guru who executes the fraudulent religion from the technical perspective. I’ve known many, many talented geeks over the years, and know them to be far more varied and complex individuals than the stereotypes we are presented with today. I wanted to make sure Stan was not some bit player there for plot purposes only – especially since his ultimate death is announced right up front on the first page. In many ways, he forms the literary axis mundi (that's an inside joke for readers of the book, by the way) in the conflict between Brad and Fisher. And in terms of character growth, Stan is probably the one who sees the greatest personal change.


Book Blurb

Fleeing for his life, Brad Evans escapes Manhattan and hides in a trailer in the country. There he writes an exposé of Phasmatia, the world’s first great internet religion, and its megalomaniacal unholy messiah, Sky Fisher.

As one of the trio of ad men who created Phasmatia, Evans knows where all the skeletons are buried, and is ready to tell all—provided he manages to live long enough. His close friend and co-conspirator, Stan Shiu, whose technical genius helped spark the religion's rapid rise, has already been murdered by Sky Fisher's retinue of killer monks. Now they're searching for Evans.

The whistle-blower recounts the religion's genesis and its growth from a get-rich-quick Dot-Com scheme to the Next Big Thing that spreads like wildfire over the web … and the planet. He also exposes the corruption and power lust that festers at the top, even while his hope for a potential new era of spirituality and faith burns brightly.

The events in this gripping novel could well pop up on your computer screen tomorrow. Our wired age of social networks, virtual worlds, and media manipulation is examined in the context of humankind's timeless need for spiritual sustenance and divine hope.

Buy Links

Now

Apple iBookstore --> http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/skyfisher-enhanced-version/id386314482?mt=11
Beginning September 7th

Amazon.com --> http://www.amazon.com/Skyfisher-Dan-Dowhal/dp/192657706X

Volumes Direct --> http://www.volumesdirect.com/detail.aspx?ID=4595


Web Links

Author website --> http://www.dandowhal.com

Book website --> http://www.skyfisher.net

Publisher website --> http://www.bluebutterflybooks.ca

Another Story Behind the Book with Janie Franz

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Today's guest on Story Behind the Book is a fellow Breathless Press author and a friend. I found her explanation of her book, Wayfarer's Road, very fascinating and I know you will to.  Janie is also holding a contest.  One person, who comments to this post will be chosen to win a free book so be sure to leave a comment.

Where did the idea for this story come from?


I first discovered Jan-nell, the bowdancer, in a meditation. I saw her take a bowshot with a flaming arrow across the sky. That became the first scene in the first book, The Bowdancer, that came out last December by Breathless Press. While in meditation, I asked Jan-nell what her name was and found her conflict. I took notes about my mediation, put it in a file, and never encountered her again in meditation. I eventually wrote her story and Bastin, her love interest, popped into it.

The Bowdancer begins the saga that continues in The Wayfarer’s Road. We see Jan-nell as a woman alone, years later, traveling the Wayfarer’s Road with her very precocious child. She is beginning to fear for the safety of her child and herself as events unfold. Meeting the playful handsome bard Khrin offers her hope.

I wrote the first chapter several years after The Bowdancer was written. Both stories were put into a file, along with my handwritten notes and stayed there for several years. I took out The Bowdancer once and did the standard rounds back when the only way to submit was by snail mail and magazine editors liked it but print publications were beginning to shrink their size, reducing the number of pages in them. So, a novelette (at the time) was just too long.

When an opportunity to pitch the story at last year’s Muse Online Writers Conference came, I fleshed out the story until it was a novella, and Breathless Press grabbed it. It was the first Fantasy Romance they put under contract. And one that they had to create a new heat level for---not hotter, much cooler. This was a Sweet Confection, more like mainstream romance. The Wayfarer’s Road is a bit hotter, actually having a Heat Level of 1. My stuff is relatively tame but very sensuous. I’ve been told that readers feel the steaminess there.
Warrior Women, the third book, in The Bowdancer Saga, will be out November 5. The whole series of books explore gender, roles, cultures, the arts, spirituality, and different concepts of family---and hopefully will offer some romance and adventure along the way. I do think the whole Bowdancer Saga empowers women, even though we are sometimes caught by circumstances.
I am currently seeking another publisher for the rest of the series because the books have become more than HEA or HFN romances. The complex themes in The Lost Song trilogy, the next chunk of the story, for example, delve into some disturbing women’s issues that aren’t the stuff of general romance readers.

How did your characters come to life?

Magic. That’s the only way to describe the process. I have said that I have a Zen approach to writing. I do a lose outline that I embed in the document I’m working on. I add notes and details and remove them when those sections are written. But what happens scene by scene is really up to how the characters interact and how they’re feeling at any given time. I also try not to write out of sequence. When I’ve done that, I’ve had to scrap those scenes because it just didn’t work.

I liken my approach to writing to stage acting as opposed to film. Movies are shot out of sequence so that cinematographers can take advantage of lighting or the availability of a location. I always wondered how actors could do build energy and believability doing things piecemeal. Stage acting, even in rehearsal, is one continuous thread that builds on the energy of the scene before. So by the time the curtain falls at the end both the audience and the actors feel a catharsis through the process. Granted early rehearsal may be done in pieces, in little French scenes, but that’s like working on a piece of music, trying to memorize it and get the details all worked out. When the performance comes, though, the energy has to start from the ground and move higher and higher until the climax and the resolution. Then the curtain falls.

So, it’s important to me to build on the scene before and let the characters build their personalities on this stage I’m creating. Of course, sometimes, they can become bigger than I’ve intended for them. That happened in Warrior Women with one character I thought would only be in the background.

With The Wayfarer’s Road, Jan-nell is a known quantity to me. I know her very well. Mira-nell, her daughter, is a combination of my own precocious daughter at near her age and a bit of Alia from Dune, but not quite so creepy. For Khrin, well, I live with a singer/songwriter with a wonderful sense of humor and a keen sense of play. Other parts of Khrin’s story came from friends I’ve known.


Blurb:

The Bowdancer Saga continues in The Wayfarer’s Road. Healer Jan-nell, now a woman traveling alone with her precocious young daughter on the Wayfarer’s Road, meets a handsome wandering bard. But he is carrying his own secrets along with the priceless chance at hope for her and her child to belong.
Buy link:
http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/romance/fantasy/the-wayfarer-s-road-bowdancer-book-2.html

Author Website:
http://thebowdancersage.wordpress.com/