ExcerpTuesday: Kaye George

Excerpt of SMOKE
Imogene Duckworthy did not like pigs. She was fairly fond of cattle, having grown up surrounded by them. She hadn't been around pigs much. Until now she would never have been driving toward a pig farm.

Immy drove the family vehicle, an ancient Dodge van, out of Saltlick, a small Texas town with at least one foot planted firmly in the last century, and down the highway where cattle ranches, thickets of mesquite, and a few old oil wells stretched to the horizon. Cowboy country, not pig country. Not a pig in sight.
Her daughter, Nancy Drew Duckworthy, three-years-old-going-on-four, who was squealing like a pig in her car seat, adored swine. Drew had recently transferred her passion from Barbie dolls to pigs (with a brief interlude of worshipping hippopotamuses--because she liked saying the word). Since Immy loathed the fixation on Barbies, she was trying really hard to like pigs.
In fact, she was on her way to pick one out for Drew's upcoming birthday.
"Pig, pig, pig!" squealed Drew. "I'm getting a big, big pig!"
Immy cringed. Not too big, she hoped.
Ralph Sandoval, who had come along to help handle the animal looked back at the child. "Yes. A big big pig." Immy glanced over and they were both grinning like maniacs.
"They're miniature potbellied pigs, y'all. Not big ones."
Her statement didn't dampen their enthusiasm at all. They kept up a chant of "Big big pig," until she turned the van up the dirt road that led to the pig breeder's place, just outside the neighboring town of Cowtail. The van bumped over the dry dirt, raising even more glee from Drew.
The ancient, bilious green van belonged to Immy's mother, with whom she and Drew lived, and was their only vehicle. But it was a trusty old thing.
Immy would do anything for her daughter, but she wondered if this was the right thing. Her mother thought Drew should have a pig. Drew certainly wanted a pig. But the money to pay for it was making a dent, a ravine--no, a crater in the pile Immy had saved to buy herself a car. A nice, clean, used car that had shiny paint and no rattles. Or maybe less rattles than the van.

Blurb:
Imogene Duckworthy, who yearns to be a PI, has landed a job assisting Mike Mallett in Wymee Falls, Texas. In the course of bring a pot-bellied pig home as a birthday gift for her daughter, Nancy Drew Duckworthy, Immy discovers the body of the owner of Jerry's Jerky hanging in his own smokeroom. The pig breeder, Amy JoBeth, is implicated, Immy feels compelled to try to find the real killer. The gentle, somewhat depressed woman couldn't have killed Rusty Bucket. Could she?

Authorsday: Rionna Morgan

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? About the time I learned that someone actually wrote the book…immediately. I’ve always wanted to be one.
2. How long have you been writing? My first distinct memory of writing was in the 3rd grade. I wrote a story about stolen roller skates and all the scary trials they went through before they got home again.

3. How did you pick the genre you write in? I’ve always been drawn to suspense and mystery. I’m also a hopeless romantic. I love Poe, and I love that he loved and missed his wife so dearly that he slept on her grave. That seems to me to be the ultimate in heart wrenching. It’s romantic and creepy all in the same.
4. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants? I used to just write by the seat of my pants…but no more. That takes way too long. I’ve decided that if I plan first and spend quite a bit of time on it, the book basically writes itself.
5. What do you know now that you are published that you didn’t know pre-published that you wish you knew? All the social media involvement. I had a Facebook timeline previously. I knew about Twitter and a few others. But I had no idea the extent of the activity. It is amazing! Overwhelming at times. But I love it!
6. How many rejections have you received? For The Wanting Heart – 200+ My favorite one is the first one I received. This was back when snail mail was the name of the game. I received my original query letter back in the self address envelope with “No thanks!” written in pencil in the upper right hand corner. So heartbreaking and such a celebration in the same moment. Someone out there in publishingland saw my work and wrote on it!! Yay!
7. What is your favorite word? Language is my favorite word to write.
8. What place that you haven’t visited would you like to go? Ireland, Greece and Australia
9. Who is your greatest cheerleader? My family: my four kiddos and my wonderful husband.

Author Bio Growing up out West, Rionna Morgan followed her love of horses to the rodeo arena and her love of English to the classroom and to writing. She has been looking forward to sharing her stories with you her whole life. Rionna is a founding member of Montana Romance Writers; she reads as much as she can possibly hold, and she loves most of all combining the chilling edge of a knife with the sweet surrender of romance. Rionna shares her home in Missoula, Montana with her husband, her four children and the mountains outside her window.

Book Blurb
“The Wanting Heart is a sexy, intriguing, modern-day western romance. A fun summer read.” -- Kat Martin, New York Times Best Selling Author
Katherine White, a barrel racer from Colorado, lives in a fast-paced world where rhinestones shine, hooves pound, and dreams come true. She plans on winning World Champion Barrel Racer and being with her friends until she graduates from college.
She doesn’t plan on the man who broke her heart strolling back into her life. She doesn’t plan on finding solace in a charming stranger’s smile or falling victim to his knife.

Please be invited to visit my blog to Enter to Win a Piece of Montana!
http://www.rionnamorgan.blogspot.com/p/enter-to-win.html
I can be found at the following locations. I enjoy the company so please stop by!
http://rionnamorgan.com http://www.rionnamorgan.blogspot.com/ https://twitter.com/#!/RionnaMorgan https://www.facebook.com/RionnaMorgan http://www.goodreads.com/rionna_morgan


US Amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Wanting-Heart-ebook/dp/B008BIAFF8/ref=la_B008C7Y69O_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341763134&sr=1-1
UK Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Wanting-Heart-ebook/dp/B008BIAFF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341844025&sr=8-1
BN http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wanting-heart-rionna-morgan/1111664538?ean=9781440551482
iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/rionna-morgan/id539545850?mt=11
Google Books http://books.google.com/books?id=4r_bT5UubgsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=rionna+morgan&source=bl&ots=a8m1Jz8Z7s&sig=aGbVZzYQaZdf0x0z0sMoohEwFK8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lMMIUKbNGIiqrQHKp4zKCg&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

ExcerpTuesday: John Lindermuth

Excerpt: The squeak of a rubber heel on the deck just behind him and Hetrick looked back over his shoulder. The Don, running hard as though to catch up to him. The man’s face was florid with the exertion and his breathing was an audible rasp. “Hey,” he called out now. “Could you hold up a minute?”

Hetrick stopped and turned to face him. “Are you talking to me?”
The man came up beside him, puffing and nodding his head at the same time. He raised a hand, indicating he wanted a minute to catch his breath. The man wore a yellow polo shirt, tan slacks and boat shoes. Not exactly a running costume, Hetrick thought.
“You sure do walk fast,” the man said, finally. “I had a helluva time catching up.”
“You were trying to catch up to me?”
“You see anybody else?” he said, irritation evident in the tone. “I called to you down below, but I guess you didn’t hear me. I had to chase you all the way up here.”
Hetrick stared at him without saying anything.
“You think we could sit down?”
Sticks looked around, then pointed to a pair of lounge chairs. They walked over to them and the man flopped down on one. Sticks sat on the other. “You were looking for me—Mister…?”
“Marcuse,” he said, extending a hand. “Melvin Marcuse. You’re the cop, right?” Sticks shook the man’s hand, soft and clammy. “A retired one. Dan Hetrick. How can I help you, Mister Marcuse?”
“You heard about the robberies?”
Sticks nodded.
Marcuse scanned the deck. An elderly couple were walking toward them. He waited until they passed and were well out of earshot. “I lost a few things.”
“Have you reported it to security?”
Marcuse inhaled, exhaled in a long sigh. “The watch, the wife’s ring and necklace—those I can afford to lose.” He focused on Sticks, then added, “There’s another thing I’d rather not advertise to just anybody, if you catch my drift. I thought…”
Hetrick raised a hand and shook his head. “I’m not sure you should be telling me this, sir. Like I said, I’m retired. I’m just here on vacation like everybody else.
If you had a loss I think you should be talking to ship security.”
Marcuse pursed his lips. “I’m willing to pay for your help. I got plenty of dough. It can be in cash, if that’s the way you want it.”
Hetrick rose. “Sorry,” he said.
Marcuse gazed up at him. His dark eyes glinted in the light. “Don’t be too hasty, friend. Take your time and think it over.” He stood and extended a hand again. “We’ll talk again later.”

Blurb:

Trouble follows Sticks Hetrick when he and Anita Bailey, the new woman in his life, go on a Caribbean cruise. Though he has no jurisdiction, Hetrick assists a Jamaican police inspector investigate two murders which have roots back home in Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Officer Flora Vastine, Hetrick’s protégé and the team in Swatara Creek, are probing mysterious assaults on young women which will put Flora’s life in jeopardy.
Both Hetrick and Flora will learn the past has consequences which can’t be denied.

Bio: The author of 10 novels, including five in his popular Sticks Hetrick series, J. R. Lindermuth is a retired newspaper editor who lives and writes in central Pennsylvania. His short stories and articles have been published in a variety of magazines. He currently serves as librarian of his county historical society where he assists patrons with genealogy and research.

Finding a Publisher by B.C. Brown

I don't like popcorn. In any of its forms. Unless I'm starving or broke, popcorn is not a food selection. So why is it that my childhood memories include walking to the store to buy Cracker Jacks by the arm full? Looking back on those memories, I've searched for the answer, to see if I ate this food. What I remember is carting home my bundle, anticipation bubbling in my tummy; sitting down in my grandma's bedroom; tearing all the tops open prior to looking at their contents; and, finally, handing them off to my cousin whose store loot consisted of chocolate and fruit-flavored sugar. So what was the purpose of me buying the caramel popcorn if I was handing it off? Simple. I bought it for the prize.

Many people have the same memories - although a few, I'm sure, ate the popcorn - so why is my story valuable? Well, it's because, in the end, most of us were looking for the prize at the bottom. What does this have to do with writing? I promise I’m getting to the point. My trip down memory lane ties closely many writers and their search for the legitimate publisher. While I chose to self-publish my last two novels, I get flooded with emails daily about the publisher search. A professional friend gave me a formula for checking publisher legitimacy. It’s time to pass on this information. It seems like common sense but, trust me, when you are wading through the myriad of publishers and your eyes have crossed from the light of your laptop's screen, common sense has long since decided to take a coffee break. Keep a copy of these check-rules beside you when you begin the long hunt to finding a legitimate publisher. THE LIST 1. Ask for Author references. 2. Ask for a local bank reference. 3. Look them up on Amazon. 4. Ask for samples of their printing / binding. 5. Look for an office you can go into. 6. Type their name into Google followed by PROBLEMS. 7. Ask for samples of book cover designs. 8. Ask if they use template. If they do RUN AWAY. 9. Ask for store references where they have books at. Also, making contacts with people already in the writing industry is one of the sharpest tools a writer can have in their tool belt. So, remember, we're good with the words flowing out of our mouths as well as the ones flowing from our fingertips. Author Bio: B.C. Brown was born with six fingers on each hand endowing her with super powers, thus enabling her to fight crime. When a freak Cuisinart accident severed the additional digits and her powers, B.C. was forced to fall back on her secondary talent -writing. Now she lives between the pages of a book - whether she has written it or not. Since she has not found the surgeon to restore her fingers and powers, she has published three novels to date and contributed to one anthology. She enjoys writing mystery, paranormal romance, science fiction and fantasy but is always in the mood for a challenge to branch out. You can follow her crime fighting or writing at her blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads.

Contact/Buy Links: www.bcbrownbooks.blogspot.com www.twitter.com/bcbrownbooks www.facebook.com/bcbrownwrites www.goodreads.com/bcbrown www.amazon/com/author/bcbrown Book Blurb: Abigail St. Michael, a former cop, has joined the recently growing ranks of metaphysicals, individuals with abilities outside that of normal human nature. When a murderer stalks her town killing children, Abbey uses her ability of touch clairvoyance to hunt him down. Her only roadblock is that her murderer seems to have his own unique talent, the ability to 'wipe' his victims and their surroundings of any metaphysical energy. With little physical evidence and no supernatural evidence, Abbey is forced to rely on instinct and luck to solve the case. However both Abbey's luck and instinct seem to have taken a permanent vacation as the victims keep piling up with the killer's escalating blood lust.

Authorsday: Patricia Gligor

1. How did you pick the genre you write in? I love a mystery! I’ve always been an avid mystery/suspense reader and, for as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a writer. So, for me, it was a no brainer. I write what I know and love.

2. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants? I’m definitely a plotter. I have two outlines. For the first, I start out with a story idea and I jot notes on scraps of paper as new ideas occur to me. I eventually organize them into a chapter-by-chapter outline. My outline is really a guideline. It tells me what needs to happen in each chapter; it gives me direction. And, believe me, it’s subject to change. I developed the second outline, “Characters and Chronology,” as I wrote Mixed Messages, the first novel in my Malone mystery series. It has the key information about my characters and their lives: birthdays, important events, hair color, you name it. I refer to it as needed. I wouldn’t want a character to have blue eyes in one chapter, or book, and green eyes in another. 3. What drew you to the subject of Mixed Messages? I was taking a walk one day when I spotted an old Victorian. I love old houses and I found myself wondering what those walls would say if they could talk. Little by little, the idea for the book grew and the plot and characters evolved. 4. What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing? They say you should do what you love and love what you do. That’s true for me when it comes to my writing. So, I would say, passion and determination are my main strengths. 5. What do you consider your weakness and what strategies do you use to overcome it? I have a tendency to start a book too slowly with a scene that doesn’t have enough punch to draw in readers. I think it goes back to the old “Once upon a time, there was . . .” stories of my childhood. But that doesn’t work with today’s readers and I understand that. The solution? My critique group! I’m very fortunate to belong to the Queen City Writers Critique group and the women in that group don’t let me get away with my “slow” starts. 6. Describe your book. I’ll give you my “elevator” pitch. “A serial killer is on the loose in Westwood. Is it someone close to Ann? With all the mixed messages she’s been getting, she can’t be sure it’s not.” 7. What’s your favorite thing about your book? My characters! I’ve always been fascinated with psychology. What makes people say and do the things they say and do? Why do two people react differently to the same situation? As I developed the characters for Mixed Messages from bits and pieces of people I’ve known, etc., I needed to get to know and understand them in order to portray them realistically; I needed to get inside their heads. 8. Who is your favorite character in your book? That’s a tough question. I guess, if I have to choose, it would be Olivia. She’s the seventy-nine year old owner of the old Victorian and she lives in the upstairs apartment with her son while Ann and her family live downstairs. Olivia has lived a long time, been through a lot and yet she has a wonderful outlook on life and a great sense of humor. 9. What was your favorite scene to write? I enjoyed writing the scenes with Ann’s children, Danielle and Davey. They lightened up the book with the things they said and did. And they made me laugh. 10. What was the hardest scene to write? The scene where Ann is attacked by an intruder was probably the most difficult to write. I can’t say anymore about that without giving away what happens in the book. But, if I’ve piqued your curiosity, I hope you’ll order a copy of Mixed Messages.  Chris, thanks for inviting me to be your guest. It’s been fun! Patricia Gligor lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, touring and photographing old houses and traveling, especially to the ocean to see lighthouses. She has worked as an administrative assistant, the sole proprietor of a resume writing service and the manager of a sporting goods department for a local retail chain but her passion has always been writing fiction. Mixed Messages is the first novel in her Malone Mystery Series. Visit her website at http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/.

Blurb for Mixed Messages There are at least twenty to thirty active serial killers in the United States at any given time. There’s one on the loose on the west side of Cincinnati. Ann Kern struggles with several issues. Her primary concern is her marriage which, like her west side neighborhood, is in jeopardy. Her husband is drinking heavily and his behavior toward her is erratic. Ann dismisses a psychic’s warning that she is in danger. But, when she receives a series of ominous biblical quotes and several strange and frightening events occur, she grows nervous and suspicious of everyone, including her own husband. Mixed Messages is available at: http://www.amazon.com/Mixed-Messages-Patricia-Gligor/dp/0615603815/ref=la_B007VDDUPQ_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338825207&sr=1-1

ExcerpTuesday: Gregory Frost

What was unique about the University of Bucureşti was that it had no single campus. Its buildings were spread all over the city.

Her small mailbox was full, in fact stuffed. Journals, notices about events that had already occurred, and books that she had requested had been crammed into the pigeonhole with her name on it. An overflow basket bearing her name sat on the counter beneath it. That was full, too. She sorted through most of it. The rest she carried or stuffed into her shoulder bag. She could read it more carefully at home, tomorrow. Outside, the moonlight seemed to track her like a searchlight along the sidewalk. She watched her breath steam and glisten in the glow. The ground had a rime of frost on it. She saw nobody about, but it was so cold, there would be no one out. No lovers. Thinking that as she climbed in and started the engine, she imagined herself and Costin naked in snow. Now, why was that so arousing? The door of her car was flung back suddenly. Before she fully comprehended, fully turned, a fist slammed into her cheek. Hurtled across the front seat, she struck her bag and it flipped, spilling its contents onto the floor. The shift lever stabbed at her belly. Sparkles scattered everywhere. Her thoughts refused to coalesce—what had happened? Someone had a hold of her, was turning her onto her back, at least she wasn’t on the shift knob now. Fingers dug at her hips, under her slacks, her panties, yanking all of it down. Abstractly she understood what was happening and kicked out.

Heard her shoe hit the pavement, heard the breathing. Then came the pressure on top of her, his stinking mouth on hers. She heard his blood whooshing through his arteries. Lightning crackled through the car. It lit his scruffy face: Dark eyes wide, slavering lips--but almost immediately the face twisted with terror. A claw hooked the corner of his mouth and sliced it open, all the way to the ear. His scream must have shattered windows for a mile. A flash and she stood outside the car, above him. He was trying to crawl away. Her blood raced, heart hammered. She rose up, saw the moon all red now, and then lunged into blackness.

Excerp: David LeRoy

June 11, 1940 SS George Washington, At Sea “Ten minutes” was the signal that came as the ship came to a full stop at sea. The first officer on the bridge frantically signaled to the U-boat. “American, United States.”

“Ten minutes,” a terse response came back. “Don’t they see the flags?” the captain said. “The lights are on, I checked,” the first officer said. “Keep signaling,” the captain said. He then walked back to the panel with the watertight door switches that had already been activated. He then switched over the large toggle switch to the ship’s alarms. Nigel awoke to the alarm ringing throughout the ship. He quickly put on his life jacket, as did the four other men piled into a cabin meant for two. The hallways filled with passengers in pajamas and nightgowns. “May I have your attention, please: All passengers muster to the lifeboat stations,” blared over the intercom. The ship’s sirens grew louder up on the boat deck in the early air of just after five in the morning. People spoke in hushed tones, only a few words to each other. Nigel walked from his cabin into the hallway and made his way to the main staircase. He exited onto the port promenade deck. The lifeboats had been swung out and the doors had been opened already. It was almost as if he never stopped moving or even needed to wait as he stepped onto the boat on the ship’s side, sliding over and making room for two women and a teenaged boy. “Can’t they tell we are American? We have flags on the side of the ship, for fucking crying out loud!” the second officer said as he came across the bridge from the port side. “Get this out now. It is our position,” the captain said to the radio officer.

“What is the time? Are they going to warn us before they fire?” the first officer called out on the bridge. The only noise Nigel could hear was the wind, and it was gentle. The sound of the ship alarms seemed to disappear, as if his mind had shut them off. People moved around in the boat a bit. Some cried, though they tried not to be heard. There seemed to be just this sense of destiny about everything. And time seemed to fall away. People moved and sat together. He had never seen so many people do one thing so quickly without saying but a few words. David Leroy did extensive research on the German occupation of France for his debut novel The Siren of Paris. This historical novel follows the journey of one American from medical student, to artist, to political prisoner at Buchenwald Concentration Camp during World War Two. You can purchase The Siren of Paris in Kindle e-book format from Amazon -- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088CA098 and learn more about this author and novel at http://www.thesirenofparis.com/ For more information about this virtual book tour, please visit -- http://bookpromotionservices.com/2012/05/22/siren-of-paris-tour/

ExcerpTuesday:Giacomo Giammatteo

Chapter 1 Rule Number One―Murder Takes Time Brooklyn, New York—Current Day He sipped the last of a shitty cup of coffee and stared across the street at Nino Tortella, the guy he was going to kill. Killing was an art, requiring finesse, planning, skill—and above all—patience. Patience had been the most difficult to learn. The killing came naturally. He cursed himself for that. Prayed to God every night for the strength to stop. But so far God hadn’t answered him, and there were still a few more people that needed killing.

The waitress leaned forward to refill his cup, her cleavage a hint that more than coffee was being offered. “You want more?” He waved a hand—Nino was heading towards his car. “Just the check, please.” From behind her ear she pulled a yellow pencil, tucked into a tight bun of red hair, then opened the receipt book clipped to the pocket of her apron. Cigarette smoke lingered on her breath, almost hidden by the gum she chewed.

The bill was $4.28. He pulled a five and a one from his money clip and left them on the table. As he moved to the door he glanced out the window. Nino already left the lot, but it was Thursday, and on Thursdays Nino stopped for pizza. He parked three blocks from Nino’s house, finding a spot where the snow wasn’t piled high at the curb. After pulling a black wool cap over his forehead, he put leather gloves on, raised the collar on his coat then grabbed his black sports bag. Favoring his left leg, he walked down the street, dropping his eyes if he passed someone. The last thing he wanted was a witness remembering his face. He counted the joints in the concrete as he walked. Numbers forced him to think logically, kept his mind off what he had to do. He didn’t want to kill Nino. He had to. It seemed as if all of his life he was doing things he didn’t want to do. He shook his head, focused on the numbers again.

Toni Aleo

I have to tell you,” she said with a shy grin, “It’s usually not this easy.”

He looked down at her questionably, “Easy how?” “This easy to pick me up. I usually make guys work for it.” He grinned and her smiled grew more, “So you want me too?” She eyed him, her face bright with excitement. He may have been a little too forward but he was a blunt person, and hardly ever hid his feelings from anyone. She moved closer, her eyes bright with lust as she said, “I do and I don’t even know you’re name.” “Do you want to know it?” he asked with a cocky grin. She moved in close, her wide brown eyes locked with his, “All I want to know is when you can leave? I have a room not even a mile from here.” Author Bio I am a wife, mother, and hopeless romantic. I have been told I have anger issues, but I think it’s cause of my intense love for hockey! I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play! When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughters dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, and reading the latest romance novel. I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, and did I mention I love hockey? Twitter: tonilovesweber6 http://tonialeobooks.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/tonialeo1 Synopsis: Definition of an Empty Net: When a team pulls the goalie for an extra attacker, desperately seeking a goal. Audrey Parker was in a horrible place. She hated her job, her sister was getting married and moving out, but worst of all, she was in love with a total jerk. No matter what she did, every guy she met hurt her. All she wanted was her happily ever after. Her Prince Charming. Her Lucas Brooks! She didn’t know how to change her life but she knew she needed too. Feeling like she was about to hit rock bottom, Audrey wakes up next to Tate Odder. Tate Odder had lost everything. After being brought up from the Assassins’ farm team, the Florida Rays to the Nashville Assassins, Tate hopes he’ll forget everything he has lost. He doesn’t. Each day gets harder to live in a place he doesn’t know. Even being the first rookie goalie to shut out an opposing team three times during the Lord Stanly Cup Finals, he still felt empty. With the loss of his parents and sister still heavy on his heart, Tate isn’t sure how to live like everything is okay. But when he wakes up beside Audrey Parker, things start to change. She turns his life upside down with her kooky sense of humor and her bright clothing. She is intelligent and beautiful, and for once, he doesn’t feel empty. Will Audrey be the person to fill the holes in Tate’s heart, making him whole again? Or will another player ruin everything, leaving him feeling forever like an empty net?

Authorsday: Vincent Zandri

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? When, for the first time, I was woken up by my dad at six in the morning not a week after graduating from college. He shouted, “Time for work!” I nearly vomited. I thought, no one ever woke up Ernest Hemingway and told him to get to work. Work sucks.

2. How long have you been writing? Professionally for twenty-one years. But I’ve always been writing and making things up for as long as I can remember. I have two older sisters and no brothers so I was sort of an only child. 3. How did you pick the genre you write in? It picked me. I was turned on to authors like Jim Crumley and Robert B. Parker by friends of mine who loved to read but couldn’t write. When I read Dancing Bear for the first time, I knew I wanted to write like Crumley. Interestingly, I didn’t even realize he was writing in the noir and mystery genre. For a while I was reading him as just another literary guy with a real talent for plotting. Only in American do we genre-ize so much. In France and other parts of Europe, I’m just known as a “writer.” 4. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants? The first draft is more or less a very detailed outline. At this point in the game, I’ve written so many novels that I’m pretty comfortable with making it up as I go, and allowing things to develop organically. But sometimes I end up writing myself into a corner. You just have to tie on a pair of steel cojones and write yourself back out of it. 5. What drew you to the subject of Permanence? At the time, my sister in law had moved into a big house that had an attached garage with an apartment over it. The apartment had been used as an office by a psychiatrist who carried on an affair with one of his female clients. I found that fascinating. Did they engage in their psychiatric session before they had sex? Or did they have sex first and then discuss things in the buff? We’re they in love? Or were they just getting off? Did they eventually pursue a relationship outside the office? In my novel, they do, and it turns out tragically. 6. Did you encounter any obstacles in researching it? Not really. I’d been to the places I wrote about in New York, Venice and other parts of Italy, and I was able to research a little about women and psychotic tendencies especially those that might occur immediately after giving birth. The internet was in its infancy then, so I did a lot of research over a dial-up connection that was often interrupted by my then four year old who on occasion would pick the phone up off its cradle. 7. What do you know now that you are published that you didn’t know pre-published that you wish you knew?

That publishers aren’t interested in selling books. That’s the author’s responsibility. Publishers just have a checking account and a printing press. 8. How many rejections have you received? More rejections than the procreating blood cells in my veins. 9. What was the best writing advice someone gave you? If you want to be a serious journalist you must learn to write interestingly about a teabag. That advice comes from a colleague of mine at RT, Lizette Potgeiter who is based in Kabul and one hell of a journalist. Genre: Suspense Publisher: Bear Media; 2 edition Publication Date: May 4,2012 Number of Pages: 143 Purchase Links: Amazon Synopsis: Based upon Vincent Zandri's most anthologized Pushcart Prize-nominated short story of the same title, Permanence, is the "Hitchcockian" story of Mary Kismet, a travel agent and grieving mother of a toddler who suffered an apparent accidental drowning. Now, all alone in the world, she attempts to ease the pain of her suffering by immersing herself, body and soul, into a love affair with her psychiatrist, a man haunted by his own demons. A tragic novel of obsession, dark compulsions, and madness, Permanence transports the ill-fated lovers from New York to Venice, Italy, and back again Author Bio: Vincent Zandri is the No. 1 International Bestselling Amazon Kindle author of THE INNOCENT, GODCHILD, THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT FALLS, CONCRETE PEARL and the forthcoming MOONLIGHT RISES. He is also the author of the bestselling digital shorts, PATHOLOGICAL and MOONLIGHT MAFIA. Harlan Coben has described his novels as "...gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting," while the New York Post called THE INNOCENT, "Sensational...Masterful...Brilliant!" In March, April and May of 2011, he sold more than 100,000 Kindle E-Books editions of his novels, and is rapidly closing in on the 200K mark all totaled. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri's work is translated into many languages including the Dutch, Russian and Japanese. An adventurer, foreign correspondent, and freelance photo-journalist for RT, Globalspec, IBTimes and more, he divides his time between New York and Florence, Italy.