Interview with Kevin Chapman @lollujo

The Digital Ink Spot would like to welcome Kevin Chapman and allow him to introduce himself to you.
Kevin Chapman: I spent the early part of my twenties holding down a sensible grown up job as a financial advisor and living a sensible grown up life with my wife and kids. I left my job when the financial crisis happened in 2008 and shortly after, got divorced, became a minor internet celebrity, moved my new partner in, got a first class honours degree in computing, became a teacher and started writing books about it all. I claim it’s not an early onset mid-life crisis. I live in Peterborough, UK with my fiancee, three kids, a cat and a dog called Dave.

The Digital Ink Spot: What are you trying to accomplish as a writer?
Kevin Chapman: I'm trying to entertain people. I've hosted a number of successful comedy podcasts over the last four years, and did my first live comedy show last year, with another one coming up in July this year. Writing seemed like the natural extension to all of that. Obviously I wouldn't ever suggest that I'm not interested in making from it, of course that'd be lovely, but I'm just about break even after four years of podcasting and blogging, so as long as I don't end up losing my house because of writing books, I'll consider that a job well done...

The Digital Ink Spot: Tell us about your latest book?
Kevin Chapman:  My first book, Best Thing From, is an irreverent memoir / Q&A with my co-host from the podcasts and comedy partner Richard Bass, in which we answer questions sent in via Twitter on topics also selected by our followers. The first chapter is about crisps (or potato chips I guess to American readers), and we somehow get 12 pages out of that, which should set the tone for the rest of the book nicely.

We're currently writing the follow up to that book, and I've also got a couple of solo projects on the go, one of which might see the light of day before the end of the summer, but it's too early to go into too much detail about it at this stage.

The Digital Ink Spot: Where can readers find you, (social media, readings, blogs, your books)?
Kevin Chapman: I'm all over the internet! The best place to find me is on Twitter @lollujo, or via personal website kevinchapman.co.uk. If you're desperate to visit every section of the internet I inhabit, all the details can be found on my about page. Away from the internet I'm a bit harder to find, but I am doing a live comedy show and book signing in my home town of Peterborough, UK, on 19th July. Full details are available at maturegamerpodcast.com.

The Digital Ink Spot: Why should people read your stories. What sets them apart from the rest?
Kevin Chapman: We've been described as two of the funniest people on the internet, and both the book and podcasts have received overwhelmingly positive reviews. If you're into rambling anecdotes about watching Superman as a child and being overcharged at theme parks, then our book is definitely for you.

Interview with Michelle Weidenbenner @MWeidenbenner1

Who is a tennis junkie, coffee-addict, blogger and psycho writer who gets crabby when life gets in the way of her word-count? Michelle Weidenbenner. The Digital Ink Spot asked Michelle Weidenbenner what it is she is trying to accomplish as a writer.

   

Michelle Weidenbenner: I write because I am. I am because I write. I want readers to read my stories even after I’m gone. I want to be remembered. What do I want to accomplish? Fun while I’m living. The joy of having the gift to teach and entertain readers.
My next YA novel is about a teen girl, but I don’t want to give away the premise. I haven’t seen it written before, and I don’t want someone else to grab it first. Normally I don’t worry about that sort of thing because we all tell stories differently, but this premise burns.

The Digital Ink Spot: When is your newest book available?
Michelle Weidenbenner: I have a children’s chapter book series that will launch this summer about a seven-year-old girl who has to live with her eccentric grandma when her mom gets sick and her dad leaves to find a new job. I’m in the editing stages of rewriting a young adult supernatural novel (the one I mentioned above) that I wish was done yesterday. I wrote it five years ago, but had to wait in a long line for the editor I wanted to work with. She’s a ninja who will make my writing shine.

The Digital Ink Spot: Where can readers find you?
Michelle Weidenbenner: I enjoy FB because I like to connect on an emotional level with readers and friends. I enjoy listening to their fear, joys, and sorrows. It’s life. I want to be in the thick of it with them, cry with them and pray for them. https://www.facebook.com/mweidenbenner
Twitter feels like a bunch of people shouting about themselves. It isn’t about warm relationships. It feels cold to me. Nonetheless, you’ll find me here: Twitter: @MWeidenbenner1
I love to share writerly information at my blog: http://www.randomwritingrants.com Random Writing Rants. My books are at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Weidenbenner/e/B00E21RMNG

The Digital Ink Spot: Why should people read your stories? What sets them apart from the rest?
Michelle Weidenbenner: My novels will take readers to new places where emotions run high. CACHE a PREDATOR will take readers geocaching for a while. If you don’t know what that is then you should read the book. It’s a fun sport. Well, most of the time, unless you find a body part in a cache box. SCATTERED LINKS takes readers to Russia and then to the states through the eyes of a young teenager who’s never learned how to love. Did you know some parents are trying to re-home their children? It’s true. Like pets. This book will give readers insight as to why this happens.

Interview with Carol Fragale Brill

The Digital Ink Spot was lucky enough to speak with Carol Fragale Brill, author of contemporary women's literature. We start the conversation with the question, Who are you as a writer and when did you start writing?
 
Carol Fragale Brill: I have loved stories ever since my parents read me Grimm’s Fairy Tales and Black Beauty at bedtime when I was five or six. I know Grimm’s may not seem like the stuff sweet dreams are made of, but mostly they read the ones about princesses being rescued by the prince. I started dreaming about writing a book when I was 20-something. It took me another 20 years to finally get started after reading Julia Cameron’s THE ARTIST WAY. The week after I finished the book’s twelve week course, I joined my first creative writing group. I often go back to the wonderful tools in THE ARTIST WAY—like morning pages, where you do a mind dump on paper to clear the cobwebs so the creative juices can flow, or an artist date, where you take yourself out to play to recharge your batteries.
I can’t remember if it is Julia Cameron, or Anne LaMott or Natalie Goldberg, but I heard one of them say writer’s block isn’t about being blocked, it’s about being empty. I try to remember that and do things that fill me up and rekindle my creativity—walking on the beach with my husband, reading women’s fiction, watching humming birds and dolphins.
One last tidbit about me as a writer. I keep a box of 96 crayons—a gift from my husband—on my desk. There’s a line in PEACE BY PIECE where the main character, Maggie says, “I never had a box of 64 crayons.” After reading that line in a very early draft, Jim bought me my box of 96—complete with the built-in sharpener. That green and yellow box is a constant reminder of his support, and I often skim through the box reciting the names of the colors when I need creative inspiration.

 Oh, and I’m still a sucker for happily-ever-after love stories. 

TDiS: What are you trying to accomplish as a writer?

Carol Fragale Brill: My goal when I stared writing creatively was to write a book. Amazingly, I have now written and published two, PEACE BY PIECE and CAPE MAYBE. Most of my writing time is devoted to my novels, blog, and book reviews for New York Journal of Books, with a little time left over to write and publish the occasional short story. After writing and rewriting my novels many times over a 15 year period, self-publishing both in less than a year is a huge accomplishment for me.
In addition to getting great reviews on my novels, my favourite successes regarding shorter works include an excerpt from my newest novel, CAPE MAYBE being recognized by Poets and Writers as the Maureen Egen Prize first runner-up for fiction—so close! One of my writer friends referred to the prize as my best rejection to date.
My short story “Violets”, a reimagined excerpt from PEACE BY PIECE, was published in The Best of Philadelphia Stories after being voted a reader favourite.

TDiS: When is your newest book available? 
Carol Fragale Brill: Both PEACE BY PIECE and CAPE MAYBE are available now in paperback and e-book. Tuesday May 20^th until Sunday May 25^th I’m running a countdown sale on CAPE MAYBE. Sales starts Tuesday at just 99¢.
Both CAPE MAYBE and PEACE BY PIECE are great beach reads, so here’s a chance to sample CAPE MAYBE just in time for Memorial Day and summer beach reading.  
I am thrilled— and a little intimated—that many PEACE BY PIECE and CAPE MAYBE readers want sequels. It’s funny because from the day I started writing PEACE BY PIECE and CAPE MAYBE, I was always sure the stories ended where I ended them. Now, readers have me wondering if there’s more in store for Maggie, Thomas, and Izzie in PEACE BY PIECE, and Katie and Dennis et al in CAPE MAYBE.

TDiS: What sets your stories apart? 
Carol Fragale Brill: What readers tell me sets my stories apart are realistic, well-rounded characters that they care about and that feel like real people they know. One of the hardest parts of crafting my novels was finding a balance between my characters’ strengths and flaws so that readers would relate to them. 
PEACE BY PIECE – Maggie’s story about love in all its many forms—friendship, family, unshakable first love, step-parenting—all overshadowed by anorexia and bulimia. 
CAPE MAYBE - Set in Victorian Cape May, CAPE MAYBE is Katie’s story of love and loss—of the memories, addictions, and secrets that haunt mothers and daughters— and the power of hard-earned hope.
  
I would like to thank Carol Fragale Brill for taking the time for this interview. You can find Carol Fragale Brill at: 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/18BM1md

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Carol-Fragale-Brill/112297472164769 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6924892.Carol_Fragale_Brill

Blog/Website: http://bit.ly/1jNIjO0 

Other:  http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/reviewer/carol-brill

SCATTERED LINKS Book Trailer

Review: Salted Lithium: A Short Story by Karen Jung @TweetKarenJung

Salted Lithium: A Short Story (Red Shorts Series)

Summary: Peter is puzzled. How did he get into this situation? But more importantly how can he get out of it? His road trip with Lisa from London to Hastings leads him and the strange girl towards an unforeseen destination.

Review:  This is my introduction into Jung's writings and what a great job. It takes off like a rocket and quickly reveals that there is more here than you expect. Jung has to pack a lot of information in very little space of only 14 pages. It is a job well done. Please read it carefully, Jung drops clues like bread crumbs for the reader to pick up and follow to their secret destination. It pays off.
Small price with a big ending. Read it.

Interview with Dr. Madhukar Dama @drmdama

The Digital Ink Spot spoke with Dr. Madhukar Dama and asked that he introduce themselves to our readers.

Dr. Madhukar Dama: I was born in India and is an Assistant Professor by job, and a scientist and author by interest. After a career in drug discovery, I am now dedicated to research, and take pride in spreading awareness about the hidden dangers of things that we use daily but take for granted. Most importantly, the effects of human activities on our environment and wildlife, and hazards of indiscriminate use of pesticides and misuse of plastics. Microwave contamination of the atmosphere and hazards to a mobile phone user are my current interests.

The Digital Ink Spot: When is your book available?

Dr. Madhukar Dama: My book Mobile Phone Safety was published on 29 March 2014 and is available in both print and for kindle. The eBook version is available for free on the 16th and 17th of May, 2014.

The Digital Ink Spot: What are you trying to accomplish as a writer?

Dr. Madhukar Dama: I want to spread awareness about the health hazards of cell phones.

The Digital Ink Spot: And how are you going to go about that?

Dr. Madhukar Dama: My book explains why scientific studies are increasingly associating cell phone use with cancer, hearing loss, joint pains, infertility, impotence, accidents, behavioral problems, headaches, ringing ear, sleep disturbance, memory loss and so on. Every cell phone user is in danger, and needs to be aware of the health risks and understand the methods to protect oneself. MOBILE PHONE SAFETY, a first book explaining the hazards as well as protective measures and is labelled a must read for every cell phone user.

The Digital Ink Spot would like to thank Dr. Dama for taking the time to talk with us and sharing a little of his research. Dr. Madhukar Dama can be found on the Internet at the following links;

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/madhukar.dama.9

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/drmdama

Interview with Jessica Hemingway @JessicaHemingwy

The Digital Ink Spot had a chance to interview Jessica Hemingway. We asked that she tell us a little about herself. This is what she had to share.

Jessica Hemingway: British born, I now live in New Zealand with my husband. I am the mother of two wonderful daughters.  I love traveling, and recently fell in love with the stunning scenery and colors of Utah.

A life long writer of letters to friends, family and pen pals, I discovered the world of fiction writing a few years ago when looking for a new challenge. Like many authors I've always loved to read: fiction, non-fiction, the label on the sauce bottle. You name it, I'd read it. I'm an eclectic reader, so I tend to write whatever takes my fancy rather than sticking to one genre. I won't travel anywhere without a book and like to have my next read lined-up before I finish the last page of my current book, but I rarely have more than one book on the go at once.

To unwind besides reading I sew, sketch and belly dance, or spends time chilling out with family and friends.

The Digital Ink Spot: What are you trying to accomplish as a writer? What is your latest story about?

Jessica Hemingway: I'm constantly trying to improve as a writer and explore ideas, feelings, and motivations. My latest publication, Whisper of Lightning  is about belly dancer, Jaz Sinclair, who inherits the family home when her mother dies in an accident. The house is a  veritable museum of artifacts collected by her great-grandparents on archaeological digs. While discussing plans to renovate with a builder they discover the whereabouts of a secret room. Determined to discover what lies behind the wall Jaz breaks through and releases evil beings from another realm seeking a treasure that will plunge the world into darkness. Only Jaz and her cat stand in their way.
It's a story filled with magic and mystery, and suitable for adults and young adults. It's available on Amazon, along with my other books: Consumed , The Beadmaker and Spirit of Obsession .

https://www.facebook.com/jessicahemingwayauthor

https://twitter.com/jessicahemingwy

Review: The Basement by Chad P. Brown @chadbrown72

The Basement

Summary: On a dare from her best friends, Heather goes inside the town's haunted house, where Frank Blackwell killed his wife and then hung himself in the basement. But while in the house, Heather is confronted by a ghost from her past, her mother who died accidentally one year ago. Now, Heather must not only escape from the evil lurking inside the house, but from the demons of her own past.

Review: A quick little horror story. I liked that it started like so many ghost stories written before, then takes off down a road not expected. I think what is most scary is what we ourselves project from our own experiences and our own horrific past. This story encapsulates that premise. A young girl enters a house of horrors looking for what is there and learns that it is otherwise empty except for her personal demons that follow her in and she has no choice but to face them. 
What really got me was the expected ending and then the unexpected twist to it. The author shows real creativity and innovation. Read it.

http://chadpbrown.com/

Review: Floor Four by A. Lopez Jr. @acehilink

Floor Four

Summary: ‘A loud bang was heard from above, scaring the boys. They shined their lights up the stairwell. The sounds of chains rattling on the floor stirred the dust above. Something or someone was up there. Doug, hiding his fear, took a couple of more steps up. Brandon and Kyle looked at him, their feet locked in place. They had no intention of going any further.’

A tale of horror with a twist of the Twilight Zone. The old, abandoned Saint Vincent Hospital is said to be haunted by the ghost of David Henry Coleman, the notorious serial killer, known as The Mangler. Coleman died on the fourth floor after being shot by police. For the three Jr. High boys, their curiosity gets the best of them as they explore the old hospital, despite ‘Old Man’ Jake’s warning. No one knew of Jake’s dark connection to the killer and the hospital. And now, on the anniversary of The Mangler’s death, a group of high school kids are planning a private party on the haunted fourth floor. Jake must keep everyone out and protect them from the true evil that lurks on Floor Four.

Review: Well written but not well executed. It flowed well and developed a good story but not an exciting story,  I was constantly hoping it would end soon. The latter story is better written than the former. I credit this to the rewrite and addition to the story whole. I compare this to a 80s style horror movie. But only the first part, after that it get more interesting but by that time I was looking earnestly for the end. The author is not a bad story teller. I only wish the style of writing was as consistent as the second part. I recommend passing on the story but checking out the author. 

Review: Debbie Does Monsterland by Emma Steele

Debbie Does Monsterland (F*ck All Monsters, Book 1)

Summary:  Life has been stressful for Nancy "Debbie" Archer since she became fifty feet tall. Confined to a medical research facility, she spends her days lost in self-pleasure, desperately trying to satiate the GIANT sexual desire that comes with being a GIANT woman. The guards may ogle her, and her perverted psychiatrist may hit on her, but there's not a lover in the world with the stature to satisfy her... or so she thinks.

Her thoughts change when she sees a TV program about Monster Island, home of the world's giant monsters. Watching two monsters make love, Nancy's fantasies ignite. Soon she can't stop thinking about Monster Island... about the giant monsters (who are giant in more ways than one) and what they could do for her. Breaking out of confinement, she goes on a carnage-filled mission to Monster Island—not to DESTROY ALL MONSTERS, as mankind had once tried to do; but to ENJOY all monsters, as only she knows how.

Review: A very short read with a sex crazed 50 feet tall woman. No man may satisfy her and she's not doing a good on her own but she tries. The only character you get to know very well is Nancy. The rest of the characters are there for little reason other than someone has to hold her captive. This story goes by real hard and real fast and yes that is an euphemism. In case you glance over the title, this is an erotic piece involving mythical monsters. The same monsters I grew to love on Saturday afternoons on TV. As a preteen I guess I never thought what those monsters did to be so many. This story helped to fill the gaps. *wink-wink* What she has to go through to find happiness is heroic. She does swim and ocean to reach her fantasy lover.
For those who love this genre, you will enjoy every drop of this ejaculant filled story.

Review: Ybor Noir - A Frank Geddy Detective Short (Noir De Jure) by John David @johndavidauthor

Ybor Noir - A Frank Geddy Detective Short (Noir De Jure)

Summary: Detective Frank "Giddy" Geddy usually gets his man, and sometimes the girl, too. This isn't one of those times. Ybor City is where the cool people of Tampa go to cut loose and have fun. Getting in to the party is never the problem. Getting out of it sometimes is. In Ybor, you never know what or who you will run into. Between the seedy clubs and bars, in shady back alleys, and at the cigar and tattoo shops--something is for sale on every corner, and there is always trouble within stumbling distance. Where you end up is never where you started . . .


Review: A very short story. Just when you think the story is about to twist and turn, it doesn't. The obvious conclusion is presented and with no apology. The end. Thank you for reading. Move along and do something else. It is an odd way to end a story but also refreshing. But then again, let's say they closed the beach in Jaw from the beginning and everyone packed up and vowed to return next season. The movie would have ended quickly. That is exactly what happened here. An experiment in reality. What if there is no story but you tell it anyway. Ybor Noir is that not story. The author is very talented and it was a great read until it's ending. I recommend this story and enjoy it for what it is, a short story.

Review: Hellsgate: To Hell And Back by T.M. Wells

Hellsgate: To Hell And Back

Summary: In a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, civilization limps forward. And the little town of Hellsgate is no exception... except when the streets are full of mud and there's nothing to do. Adventurous minds turn to adventure, especially after one gin-soaked playboy college professor finds an important clue to the town's history. Inlisting the help of a bookish, but sexy Anthropogy professor, they set out to find the truth, aided by the town's beautiful, eccentric, doll-like witch.

Demons, flying lizards, aliens, a mysterious cave... they embark on a motorcycle ride through underground, puzzle-filled tunnels in search of... none of them knows for sure, though each seems to be motivated by different reasons.

Hellsgate is a steampunk adventure, full of fun and excitement, goggles and Victoriana... and some of the wildest, raunchiest, anything goes, happy sex ever witten! So, join Professors Stevenson and Carlisle, and the little witch, Kato, as they explore their world and each other and become best sex friends forever. It's a filth-filled, rolicking good time.

Review:  The author of Hellsgate, T.M. Wells, is a "university-trained writer and former editor of a college literary journal." This story does a very good job of showing Wells talent of telling a story. It was well paced and well told and very fun to read. The addition of the sex scenes feels like an after thought as if the author wrote a brilliant story and then went back an peppered in explicit sex. The sex in every scene is rushed and immature. This would have been a better read with out it all together.
I was also discouraged to find small editing mistakes. It caused me to stop and reread many times and it took me out of the story.
I really liked this story and characters Wells brought to life. The reader will tell quickly where Wells talents really are. An excellent story but horrible sex. I hope Wells navigates this flying ship toward more steampunk and less erotica.

Review: PROMISCUOUS (The Issues Series) by Isobel Irons @IsobelIrons

PROMISCUOUS (The Issues Series)

Summary:  Slut-Shaming. Anorexia. REVENGE. (You know, High School Stuff.)

Natasha “Tash” Bohner just turned eighteen. Theoretically, that should mean escaping from trailer park purgatory—and her less than stellar relationship with her widowed mother—and running away to Los Angeles with her anorexic best friend, Margot. But life is known for taking some very shitty, unexpected turns.

Already the scourge of the Guthrie High gossip mill, Tash’s reputation takes an explosive turn into infamy when she assaults the captain of the wrestling team. (Spoiler alert: he totally deserved it.) The principal tells her she’s on her last strike.

But when Margot’s will to live is threatened by the leader of the Guthrie Bitch Squad, Tash vows to get revenge on the most popular girl in school—no matter what it takes. Because she promised her favorite teacher she wouldn’t get expelled, Tash is forced to get creative, and beat the reigning Mean Girl at her own game—by running against her for Prom Queen, and winning.

In order to succeed, Tash will have to do the unthinkable: join student government, pretend to be well-adjusted and actually try in school. (Also, she’ll have to quit swearing so goddamn much.)

This might sound like a modern day Cinderella Story, but it is NOT a fairy tale.

Review: Promiscuous reminds me of a John Hughes movie that would be rated R for language and sexual situations. It is a young adult story with emphasis on adult. The issues Irons brings to the table are not easy to face but very real. It is a very predicable cinderella story but that is just the vehicle used by the author to take the reader to a very dark lonely world of Natasha “Tash” Bohner.
It is written from Tash's point of view and she is very angry in the beginning and slowly evolves into the princess. Not the Disney kind of course but a young woman who becomes more self aware and willing to love herself and more importantly, allow someone else to love her.
It is well written with a strong message to young women.

https://twitter.com/IsobelIrons
http://isobelirons.com/

Review: Easing In: A Couple's Guide to Sexual Experimentation and Anal Sex by Judith Powers

Easing In: A Couple's Guide to Sexual Experimentation and Anal Sex

Summary:  This book was written for couples looking to experience the joys of new sexual experiences with a focus on anal sex. The goal of this book is to broaden a couple’s sexual perception and discover the many ways they can pleasure each other.

There are many intricacies to anal sex that must be taken into account in order to make the experience enjoyable for both parties. We will delve into various methods to explore each other’s nether regions and get each other off. You will discover that everyone is unique and has different turn-ons—your goal is to work in conjunction with your partner and maximize pleasure.
We are all sexual beings and the urge to experiment is within all of us. Sex is intended to be both exciting and rewarding. Through communication and compromise, we can fulfill these hidden fantasies. Through the process described in this book, a couple will experience an increase in trust and intimacy that might not otherwise be achieved.

This book provides highly useful information for exploring your fantasies and anal exploration. So what are you waiting for…Ease in.

Review: This book popped up on my radar a while back during a free promotion as nearly all books do. Honestly, I think this is the best title for this book. It sums up everything contained in its pages. All you need to know to begin your anal adventures is ease in. It is well written, straight forward and filled with medical knowledge for safety and sanitation.
If you wish not to go down that back road, this is not for you but at least give the author a thumbs up for such a creative title. If you are looking for information on this stuff. This is a great book for what you are seeking.

https://www.goodreads.com/judithpowers 
https://www.facebook.com/authorjudithpowers

Review: There Are No Gods for Arthropods: The Sourwood by Richard Wolanski @RichardWolanski

There Are No Gods for Arthropods: The Sourwood

Summary: The human race has disappeared and discarded the world as a leftover. But in their absence, it is the insects that emerge and form an interdependent society. They live in the giant Sourwood, the last great sanctuary since a catastrophic incident one-hundred and fifty years ago. Fig, a lint sized mite, toils away pruning the dead leaves off of the Sourwood. He, like most insects, will live a short life and in twenty-seven days he will die. After witnessing a horrific murder, Fig is confronted with his own fleeting fate. He crosses paths with the nihilistic Fly King who offers Fig a chance—the promise of eternal life. With only the name of Alice Abernathy and a crew of bug bunglers, Fig must wander through the twisted realm outside of the Sourwood where he will discover a truth the Fly King has been hiding for over 300 years.

Review: The Sourwood is great read and wonderfully created world and I am excited to see and read more from Wolanski. The main character, Fig, is a bubbling nobody who resides at the bottom of a very tall social totem pole and gets pushed down further everyday. When his path crosses the mortal enemy of The Sourwood, Fig must decide how he will live out the rest of his short insect life. What Wolanski does so well is to tell a story from an insect point of view but not make it cute and childish but real and intelligent. The characters have depth and the world Wolanski has created has so many possibilities. I really enjoyed the story. It is well crafted, intelligent and different.

COBWEB BRIDE by Vera Nazarian @Norilana

Cobweb Bride (Cobweb Bride Trilogy)

Many are called... She alone can save the world and become Death's bride.

COBWEB BRIDE (Cobweb Bride Trilogy, Book One) is a history-flavored fantasy novel with romantic elements of the Persephone myth, about Death's ultimatum to the world.

What if you killed someone and then fell in love with them?

https://twitter.com/Norilana 
http://www.norilana.com/cobweb.htm

Review: Hustled To The Altar by Dani Collins @DaniCollinsBook

Hustled To The Altar

Summary:

With a not so tidy past tucked behind her, Renny O’Laughlin thinks marriage to a steady man will make an honest woman of her. To that end, the last thing she wants on the day before her wedding is to see her eccentric ex-boyfriend—the one with more dollars than sense who provokes the thrill-seeker inside her. But she works for his Gran and has just learned the senior was duped by a professional swindler. Renny has to tell Con what happened before she marries another man and leaves forever.
Games-inventor Conroy Burke won’t buckle to convention, especially marriage. He’s crazy about Renny though. She's the only woman able to keep up with him. When she explains how his Gran was tricked, Con sees an opportunity to convince his wildcard she doesn't really want to settle down.

Review:

Hustled to the Altar reads like a romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Matthew McConaughey. There are some twists to the story I think readers will enjoy as well as the story itself. There are a couple of sex scenes that might wake a few up. The story is interestingly constructed and has a few scenes that feel forced to push forward the whole story but it gets right back on track quickly. The main characters are interesting and fun to get to know. In the beginning, Renny is hard to warm up to but once she shows her true colors, you will easily get behind her. Conroy is a real lovable jerk. You will hope through the whole story that he grows up.
Pick up this romantic comedy and be on the look out for it in the theaters. I would almost bet it will get picked up.

Review: I Have My Husband's Permission by Jacquelyne Alberta @JacquieAlberta

I Have My Husband's Permission

Summary:

Jessica’s husband, Adam, is going through some changes. First, he writes an erotic novel and sells it online, using her name as the author’s name. Then, as sales take off, and male admirers start chatting to them on the internet, he convinces her to assume the role of the sexy female author and flirt with them. As the men want more information, and ask to meet her, Adam does what Jessica never imagined he ever would-he gives her permission!

Through a series of trysts, Jessica re-enacts different chapters from Adam’s book. She has a kitchen scene with the chef, a bedroom liaison with the gardener, and Adam even encourages her to meet the stable-boy in the stables. Working her way through different chapters and different men, she knows there is more to Adam’s behavior than selling books, she just can’t figure out what it is.

Review:

Is this a erotic romantic story? I don't have that much reading experience of this genre to judge. I think it's a sad story. First, the poor woman is encouraged to cheat by her husband in order to push book sales. In essence, he's her pimp. Sure she enjoys the freaky sex from well endowed men at first but as the story grows and she reflects on her choices, as well as her husband's, not even great sex can wash away the bad situation she is in. When she discovers the truth behind it all and her world is forever changed, that is when the romance begins but then the story quickly ends. Alberta could have easily continued the story and really turn up the heat but doesn't. We are left with the same dirty feeling of the main character. There is a hint of optimism but not enough.
The main character isn't comfortable describing her own body parts. I thought that was laughable for an erotic story and the story itself is a real bummer. I say pass on this story. I hope the author has grown since writing this piece.

@JacquieAlberta

Review: Beyond Hades (The Prometheus Wars - Book 1) by Luke Romyn @LukeRomyn

Beyond Hades (The Prometheus Wars - Book 1)

Summary:

What if mythology isn't myth? The ancient Greeks told fabulously detailed stories involving unbelievable creatures - monsters dominating all tales from that time. Were they just highly imaginative, or was their inspiration from somewhere else? Doctor Talbot Harrison, a professor in archeology, receives a phone call one day which will destroy everything he perceives as reality. His brother has been mysteriously killed and within moments the United States Military appear at his door, literally dragging him from his home. Thrown into a helicopter under intense armed guard, it doesn't take long until they are attacked by something which cannot possibly exist, something drawn to destroy the one man who can stop the beasts from a land beyond Hades....

Review: 

I was excited to read my first book by Luke Romyn. I've followed his promotions for Beyond Hades for a while on the Internet. I had the pleasure to take part in one of those promotions and received a free copy of Beyond Hades. I kept it on the back burner and promised myself to read it later. I am happy to report that I got to finally read it and was glad I did. It is a fun supercharged adventure through time and space, with cool tech and even cooler monsters willing to swallow a man whole, body and soul. Emphasis on soul. There are are some terrifying creatures in this story.
I loved Romyn's own take on mythology and how he brought it to the real world in a believable yet still godlike way. The main character, Doctor Talbot Harrison, goes through his own personal struggle though the whole story. Continually pushed by his guardian, Wes. Wes is the ultimate soldier and comic relief. You will love getting to know Wes.
I recommend reading this if you love fun and adventure. The action keeps coming and the tension keeps building until the final battle that is really well written. Romyn lays out the scene and the camera in your mind will take it from there. You will not be disappointed.

@LukeRomyn
http://www.lukeromyn.com/

Interview with Derek Birks @Feud_writer

Derek Birks was born in Hampshire in England but spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand, where he still has strong family ties. For many years he taught history in a secondary school in Berkshire but took early retirement several years ago to concentrate on his writing. Apart from writing, he spends his time gardening, traveling, walking and taking part in archaeological digs at a Roman villa.

The Digital Ink Spot: What can you tell the readers about Feud
Derek Birks: Feud is set during the Wars of the Roses when local disputes are sometimes settled by violent means. It is the story of a fictional family, the Elders, who become embroiled in a savage feud with their neighbors, the Radcliffes.
The central characters are siblings: Ned Elder, a Yorkshire knight, and his sisters, Emma and Eleanor. At the start of the book in September 1459 their father and older brother are killed, their household is ransacked and the two sisters are abducted. The book tells the story of the Elders’ struggle to regain what has been lost to the Radcliffes.
When I wrote Feud I tried to write the kind of historical fiction that I like to read myself: authentic and fast paced. I aimed to include a lot of action which was driven along by the characters and I also wanted several interesting female characters to play significant roles in what was a very male dominated society.

The Digital Ink Spot: You wrote on your website you are inspired by images where a scene might take
place. How much more of your creative process is visual?
Derek Birks: Fiction is born in the imagination of course, so before I can put it into words I need to visualise it. I have to try to put myself in the position of my characters and because I am writing in the distant past that is not always easy. 

With scenes that take place in a known place, for example the town of Ludlow, it’s essential to go there and try to envisage how it would have been at the time. Looking at maps, especially of land use in the Middle Ages, helps to develop for me a mental picture of a site. In Ludlow I walked the line of the old town walls to get an idea of the size of the town in the 1450s. You have to strip back the trappings of modern life: what would the street have been like without the supermarket, pavements, double glazed windows, street lights and so on? The point is: it has to be a mental picture because in most modern places there is very little left to see of the medieval period.
In more natural settings, it’s a little easier. There is a scene in Feud which takes place on a misty autumn morning. When you are writing such a scene it helps to be able to call up images of an actual place in similar conditions. You can visualise stumbling through the swathes of brown, dying bracken. It’s damp and you’re disorientated by the mist closing in on you. Knowing how that feels makes it easier to create scenes which seem more authentic.

I create scenes in my head, often when walking or maybe swimming - the brain has to be focussed only on creating the scene. I play the scene through, always asking myself the question: does it feel right? If it doesn’t then I have to “press the pause button” and think again.

The Digital Ink Spot: As a historical fiction writer, what are your thoughts on the discovery of King Richard III’s skeleton in a parking lot?
Derek Birks: Well, it’s a real scoop isn’t it? I’m a keen, though very inexperienced, archaeologist and I know that these sorts of discoveries are about as rare as you can get. As if there wasn’t enough interest in Richard III, it would have to be him that turns up in a car park. Richard carries so much “baggage” with him I’m surprised he wasn’t found with a few suitcases! I don’t think that finding Richard’s corpse will solve any of the mysteries that surround his actions. As an author I have no doubt that Richard will make an appearance in one of my books about the Elder family, not least because his palace at Middleham Castle in Yorkshire is a stone’s throw from the fictional home of the Elder family in Feud.

The Digital Ink Spot: Do you recall how your interest in history originated?
Derek Birks: I don’t think there was a “eureka moment”. I think it developed gradually during my school years. I was fortunate to have some inspirational history teachers and they introduced me to the stories of history. Most people are drawn in by stories, by the qualities of a set of individuals or perhaps by the resilience or courage of just one man or woman. People are interesting and they are rarely one-dimensional. When I taught history to teenagers it increased my own interest because I began to learn what kinds of historical stories intrigued them. The challenge for me as a writer is to be true to the history and at the same time make my characters interesting to the reader.

The Digital Ink Spot: What can readers expect in the future from you?
Derek Birks: The next book in the Feud series is well under way and I’m looking to publish that in the summer if all goes well. The new story is set a couple of years later when King Edward IV is still trying to stamp out Lancastrian opposition and the Elders face a new challenge. I already have plans for the third book and ideas for a fourth. After that I may have to consider whether I want to start a new series in a different period of history but at the moment I’m enjoying recreating the blood and misery of Wars of the Roses with the Elder family.

Website: www.derekbirks.com

Twitter: @Feud_writer 

FEUD