Tribute Blog Tour "In His Own Words" Interview - Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn

Release Notes is happy to feature Jerome Charyn, the author of Back to Bataan, in a "In His Own Words" segment.  I hope you all enjoy this great interview.

1.      What are your thoughts on the explosion of popularity concerning the YA genre?

I think it might very well be that it started with Harry Potter, that young adult writers are trying to tell good stories and adults have moved into that kind of dream.

2.      You are the master of writing across a realm of different genres, what excites you about connecting with different audiences?

I’m not so sure that these are different audiences, I think we all love stories, whether we’re children or great-grand and when you move from genre to genre you are still telling a story like Scheherazade and the king is always waiting for the next tale.

3.    Your writing is so precise, yet evocative - how do you work at crafting your unique style of prose?

Everything begins and ends with the word, with the music of the sentence and as Tolstoy once said, “I’m always composing.”

4.      Being a published author for nearly 50 years, what do you think of eBooks?

I think that this is a kind of logical step as we move from the internet into eBooks. 

Publishing is changing even as we speak. I think there now will be a more complicated dance between the eBook and the printed book, and as we’ve seen recently, successes in eBooks allow the author to move into print.

5.       What would be your advice to young people who aspire to a literary career?

It’s not worth the money – only write if you’re absolutely in love with it.

6.      How much of your life is in Back to Bataan? How did you personally experience New York during World War II?

I think so much of the source of my writing comes from my childhood, I grew up during the War  - so many of the terrors and the magic of certain films have remained with me.  And all of this appears in the character of Jack.

7.      Your older brother was a detective. Did your experiences with him influence the plot?

Not really, I think all writing is crime writing. And Back to Bataan is a crime novel with a very original twist.

8.      Why did you decide to include the fascination with the famous as a theme - Gary Cooper, Eleanor Roosevelt, etc.?

These people were heroes to me as a child, particularly Eleanor Roosevelt, who was one of the most extraordinary women who ever lived, and of course as a child I fell in love with Gary Cooper’s face and with his very slow drawl, that seemed so exotic to me.

9.     Jack finds acclaim through his writing, yet feels guilty for exploiting other people (Mrs. Fink). How does a writer starting out work to bridge this gap?

You’re always cannibalizing other people and writers when you start to write, so it’s natural that Jack should be a young cannibal.

10.   How important is the New York Times in your own life? Why did you decide to make it a form of connection between Jack and the Leader?

As a child, I didn’t even know that the Times existed – I grew up in a neighborhood without newspapers and books, so that when I first fell upon the New York Times, I was very very greedy, and wanted to include it in Jack’s middle-class life.

Tribute Blog Tour Spotlight - Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn

Release Notes is thrilled to spotlight Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn. Please take time to enjoy the excerpt and purchasing this exciting tale. 

  Back to Bataan Summary

New York City, 1943. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific, while Jack Dalton is stuck attending Dutch Masters Day School. What Jack really wants is to enlist in the army, to fight...

Everything changes when Coco, Jack's "fiancee," throws him over for one of his classmates. Jack sees red and does something drastic. Then he runs away. Hiding out in a nearby park, Jack joins ranks with a group of vagrants and is soon under the sway of a man called the Leader, an ex-convict who is as articulate and charismatic as he is dangerous. The Leader turns Jack's world upside down. To put things right, Jack must prove himself a braver soldier than he ever imagined.

Excerpt:

Mauricette told Harriet Godwin I was the pig of the class. I had treated her like garbage. Mauricette wouldn't answer my phone calls. She wouldn't read the notes I dropped inside her desk. But Arturo Fink kept reminding her who she was. “Fiancée,” he said. “Jack’s fiancée.”

I promised myself I wouldn't write anymore compositions, but how could I graduate from Dr. Franklin's class and join General MacArthur?

It felt lonely without a fiancée.

Mauricette began seeing Barnaby Rosenstock after school. They were holding hands and having chocolate malteds at the Sugar Bowl on Seventy-ninth Street. Fat Arturo was eating two ice-cream sodas. The Sugar Bowl is our hangout. It’s the official candy store of Dutch Masters Day School. I didn’t have money for ice-cream sodas. I didn’t have money for malteds. I'd buy a Hershey bar or some Chuckles once a week. I'd peek at the comic book rack and wonder what was happening to Captain Marvel or the Sub-Mariner. Marvel and the Sub-Mariner were already at war, fighting Japs. And when Mauricette was still my fiancée, I'd sit with her over a glass of water and treat her to some candy whenever I could. But now she was sucking malteds with Barnaby Rosenstock. I could hear her from my corner, next to the comic book rack.

“Oh, Jack Dalton,” she said. “He has a wild imagination. He likes to fling words around. He thinks half the school is going to marry him.”

She didn’t have to shame me in front of her friends. Arturo was laughing into his fat cheeks. Barnaby had a chocolate rainbow on his lips. I didn’t even bother with the comic books. Marvel would have to fight the Japs without me. I walked home.

Mama was at the factory. She makes parachutes. Sometimes she’d bring home a little piece of silk left over from one of the chutes. That's how I get my handkerchiefs. Not even Arturo with all his father’s money has a handkerchief of genuine silk. But handkerchiefs couldn’t make me feel good. Silk is only silk. I wondered about the American fliers who had their planes shot down and had to fall into the dark wearing some of that silk.

I couldn’t concentrate on my homework. It didn't seem important when you considered all the Japs and Germans out there. I hope General MacArthur takes me with him to Bataan. I’m not asking for a Purple Heart. I'm only asking to kill Japs. And if I have to die, I want to die near my dad...

Mama came home at seven. The streets from my window looked so dark, I thought the world had gone gray. I didn’t care. I wouldn’t mind going to school after midnight.

“Darling,” Mama said, “what’s wrong?”

I couldn't tell her how I lost a fiancée, because she would have figured I was insane.

“Mama, I’m blue...that's all.”

“You’re still dreaming of the Army, aren’t you? We'll have dinner and listen to the radio, my little blue boy.”

We had soup and bread and boiled potatoes and peas out of a can. It’s not Mama’s fault if meat is rationed and sugar is rationed. No one can inherit ration stamps, not even the President or Arturo’s dad.

We listened to Jack Benny. He played the violin and talked about the Japs. Mama laughed, because Jack Benny is the biggest miser in the world. He would never spend a nickel. But he told everybody to buy war bonds.

“What about you, Mr. Benny?”

Mama told me it was time for bed.

I put on my pajamas. But I didn't feel like sleeping. I dialed Mauricette’s number and let the telephone ring. Somebody picked up the phone.

“It’s me,” I said. “Jack Dalton. Your former fiancé. Coco, are you there? I wanted to—”

Mauricette hung up. And I wondered who was lonelier. The dead cowboys on Bataan, or young Jack Dalton.

Back to Bataan web site:  http://backtobataan.blogspot.com/

Jerome Charyn's Bio:

Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since 1964, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

Jerome Charyn's Facebook

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To purchase Back To Bataan or for more information:

Kindle buy link - $2.99

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New Review and Author Interview -The Brotherhood Of Piaxia by Michael Drakich

Release Notes is thrilled to feature The Brotherhood of Piaxia by Micheal Drakich.  In addition to the review, Micheal has been gracious enough to answer a few questions about his book and how it came to be.  I hope you enjoy!

 Book Synopsis

Years have passed since the overthrow of the monarchy by the Brotherhood of Warlocks and they rule Piaxia in peaceful accord. But now forces are at work to disrupt this rule from outside the Brotherhood as well as within! Follow Tarlok, Savan and Tessia as their paths intertwine, with the Brotherhood in pursuit and the powerful merchant's guild manipulating the populace for their own end.

At the author's request, I reviewed this story and I can say that I did really enjoy it.  It is well written with a wonderfully thought out plot and will leave the reader truly engaged.  One issue I had was the number of characters and at first, I was a little confused until I could sort everyone out.  This, however, does not distract from the story and the characters themselves are interesting and delightful.  It's not often that you see male characters shown with such closeness and camaraderie with each other.  That fact helped to make you really become engaged with the characters and want to see them succeed in their quest.  My only change would be maybe fewer characters so there could be more character development along with the plot.

It was so easy to become one with the story.  Everything was so vivid and I couldn't be help but be sucked into this fantasy world.  Even though this was a different universe, it was still realistic and the descriptions allowed you to visualize the different scenes and settings. This story was full of magic and fantasy and all of it was believable, well, as believable as fantasy can be!  There is also political intrigue and just a touch of romance. It was an imaginative story and my time was well spent.  If you are a fan of fantasy, I think you would enjoy this story.

To purchase this book:

 Smashwords

 Amazon.com

  

 Amazon.uk

In Micheal's Words: 

 

When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?

It was about six and a half years ago. I had recently purchased a fantasy novel which was part of a series of some repute. In fact, it even had a television series made after it. After reading it I came to the conclusion it was one of the worst novels I had ever read. I thought I could do better. So on Monday, February 20, 2006, at 5:23:53 PM I sat down and began writing. I haven’t looked back since.

On average, how long does it take you to write a book?

Novels vary in length and vary in the amount of research required. Don’t forget I still have a full time job employed as other than a writer. My average time is eight to nine months.

Where do you find writing inspiration?

It’s hard to pinpoint that one. With each novel I’ve written I’ve sat down and simply started writing. I’d come up with a concept and then run with it. The development of the plot, characters and subplots would manifest as I wrote.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I’m fifty-five now, so obviously a late bloomer at this. Simple math puts me at forty-eight when I began.

What do you think makes a good story?

Characters. Readers want to emote with them, feel their struggles, their moments of anguish, and their triumphs.

Does your family (and/or close friends) know that you write and are a published author? If so, are they supportive of your efforts? 

Absolutely. A group of my close friends serve as beta readers of my novels.

Is there another sub-genre aside from your primary sub-genre that you would like to write for and why?

I consider myself a writer of speculative fiction which is much more encompassing than saying fantasy or science fiction, my two favorites. I would hate to get pegged into one specific genre. So far, I have released a science fiction novel and novelette, and now an epic fantasy. Waiting for editing is a thriller and my current WIP is another scifi. I have two more fantasies planned and would like to take a shot at a horror.

Are there any other types of fiction/literature that you enjoy reading? 

I like ancient history and have enjoyed thrillers, but the vast amount of my reading has been science fiction and fantasy.

How important is reader feedback, good or bad, to you?

I list in my author bio a request for anyone who buys one of my novels to visit again and post a review. I’ve taken an approach where there are no bogus reviews on my works. All are submitted by honest bloggers and strangers. I don’t want someone reading the reviews on my work and thinking, “Who wrote that? His mom?”

 

What advice, if any, do you have for aspiring authors?

Openness. My experience with most new writers is a resistance to criticism. Any critique, no matter what is written, is to be taken as one of value. It is unlikely that as a writer you will appease everyone, but you have to try.

New Review - Touched By Death by Dale Mayer

Touched by Death is an outstanding novel by Dale Mayer.  Unlike her usual novels that contain paranormal activity, this novel is sheer malevolent actions from ordinary humans.  Set in Haiti after the earthquake, the setting provides a lush but damaged background to the true horror hidden under the broken landscape.

The main character Jade Hansen, anthropologist, had been to Haiti before, immediately after the earthquake first hit.  Broken by the scenes of destruction and death around her, she lost her unborn child, her fiance and almost her sanity.  Prodded by her brother to return to face her demons, Jade joins a team going to Haiti to retrieve the bodies of an American family so they can be returned home and interred. 

Dane Carter is already in Haiti, helping the country rebuild and visiting with his brother and sister-in-law.  When he and Jade meet the sparks fly but as strange things began happening at the dig site, they both realize there are dangerous secrets that someone is willing to kill to keep buried in the mass grave.

This book had so many twists and turns and I can honestly say that the ending truly surprised me!  I was not expecting it to end the way it did so kudos to Ms. Mayer for keeping the suspense up until the ending.  There are mentions of voodoo in the story but because this is Haiti, how can there not be?  However, these do not take over the story and the evil in this story is purely human.  This was a great mystery entwined with a good love story and just enjoyable all the way around.

Blog Tour - Off The Beaten Track by Lucy Felthouse

Release Notes is thrilled to feature Off The Beaten Track by Lucy Felthouse.  Enjoy the excerpt and make sure to purchase this hot new release!! 

Off the Beaten Track by Lucy Felthouse

When workaholic Libby Strong’s friends and family make her take a long overdue holiday, she’s not impressed. A week of lounging by a swimming pool and doing nothing is not her idea of fun. In an act of rebellion, she books a day trip, touring in a jeep. When her guide arrives, Libby’s astonished to discover she’s the only patron going on the trip. But as hunky Demetrio takes her off the beaten track and deep into the beautiful Portuguese countryside, she soon leaves her worries behind and hangs on tight for the ride of her life.

Available from:

All Romance eBooks
Resplendence Publishing
1PlaceforRomance.com
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Barnes & Noble

Excerpt: 

Libby huffed and puffed as she made her way up the steep slope leading to the rear exit of the hotel complex. She swore the builders had had secret CCTV cameras installed so they could watch people suffer their poor planning for years to come. At least it was early. Had it been lunchtime, she’d surely have passed out with the heat.

Ah well, Libby thought as she finally reached the road, it’ll be worth it. This trip is going to be amazing.

As she stood on the mercifully flat pavement and got her breath back, a thought niggled at her. Nobody else was here. Panicking, Libby wrenched open her bag and pulled out her paperwork. She examined it, then a glance at her watch confirmed she had both the right date and time. So where was everyone? Yes, she was ten minutes early but surely the others should be here by now? Looking down the slope she’d just ascended, Libby frowned as she saw it was deserted. Everywhere was deserted.

Fuck, she thought, perhaps they were all here earlier and they’ve gone without me!

The rumble of an engine distracted Libby from her worries. Turning, she saw a jeep trundling down the road towards her. She watched hopefully as the driver pulled the vehicle up beside where she stood and reached into the passenger seat.

Picking up a clipboard, the man glanced down, then at her, and said, “You are Libby Strong?”

She nodded.

The man grinned widely, revealing dimples in both cheeks, and hopped out of the jeep. Walking around the vehicle to where she stood, he held out a hand.

“I am Demetrio. Your guide for the day.”

Libby took his hand and shook it. It was warm and strong. Much like the rest of him, she suspected, as she gave him a subtle once over. He was tall, with black curly hair to his shoulders, luscious brown eyes and olive skin. A white t-shirt bearing the holiday company’s logo covered his top half—though without obscuring his impressive biceps—and he wore longish tan colored shorts on the bottom. A pair of non-descript white-ish trainers and faded red cap completed his outfit.

“I’m Libby,” she said, even though he already knew her name. She was just being polite. “Pleased to meet you.”

They broke off the handshake and Demetrio smiled again, then moved to the passenger side of the jeep and pulled open the door.

“Please,” he said, gesturing she should get in.

Libby did as she was told, but couldn’t help asking the burning question.

“Where is everyone else?”

Demetrio waited until she was safely in the passenger seat, closed the door and made his way to the driver’s side. He got in, then turned to her.

“There is nobody else. You are only person on this trip. You get best views!”

He laughed then, the flash of white teeth against olive skin resulting in an unexpected jolt in Libby’s nether regions. She studied his profile for a few seconds, then grudgingly admitted to herself that Demetrio was, in fact, very attractive. Despite the fact she was a red-blooded woman, she rarely noticed such things.

Like most people, she’d come on this holiday to recharge her batteries. Unlike most people, she’d been practically forced into it. Libby was somewhat of a workaholic, which left her little time for anything else. It was this fact which had cost her last relationship. The long working hours, frequent rain checks on their dates and her lack of interest in any kind of affection, let alone sex, had finally caused James to walk away.

Libby had barely noticed. She’d just carried on working, and working…until her friends and family had finally intervened. They’d booked the holiday to Portugal, arranged with her boss for her to have the time off, and basically given her little choice but to go.

*****

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Constable and Robinson, House of Erotica, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Resplendence Publishing, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. 

Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

Summer Sizzler Free Par-Tay!!

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