The Genesis of Roger Legion: Guest post by Vince Aiello, author of Legion’s Lawyers

by CarolNo Comments
Today I'm happy to welcome Vince Aiello, author of Legion's Lawyers, to my notebook today. He's discussing on of his main characters. The Genesis of Roger Legion By Vince Aiello When I first set out to create a character that would be the leader of a pre-eminent insurance defense law firm, I looked to my experience. There were great lawyers, there were fools, and there were incompetent lawyers that do a disservice to the profession. One thing that all the great lawyers possessed was that they were sociopaths. In the courtroom, they had flair and panache, but when they dealt with others, they were simply terrible people. They would yell and scream, make misogynistic jokes, and let you know that your life doesn’t matter. What matters is billing the client and winning; either in the courtroom or through settlement. What I wanted next was a man with a warrior mentality. Someone who had no problem with throwing a punch, no fear, and would be...
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In the Eye of the Beholder: Guest post by D. J. Adamson, author of Admit to Mayhem

by CarolNo Comments
Today, I'm happy to welcome D. J. Adamson, author of Admit to Mayhem, to my notebook, talking a bit about what makes writing good. Her book definitely sounds like one I would enjoy. In the Eye of the Beholder by D. J. Adamson What is good and what is not good when it comes to writing is really up to the reader. And, what is read is not read is sometimes left to destiny. Thus, those who like to put a pen to paper need to do so without expectations. Art created for the sake of art becomes the most honest and gratifying work. Case in point: There have been many authors who did not see great enthusiasm for their work. Franz Kafka had a day job and saw little of his work heralded. At his death, he asked for his work to be destroyed. Thankfully, no one listened. What would literary life be without a man turning into a cockroach! Emily Dickinson didn’t...
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Character Guest Post: Riella from Tom Stacey’s Exile

by CarolNo Comments
I'm happy to welcome Riella to my notebook today. Riella is a character in Tom Stacey's Exile and she's got a lot to say about women in historical fantasy. I should have my review of the book up soon. From Riella Historical fantasy used to be something only men did. Only men wrote it or only men read it or only men enjoyed it. It used to be that women were relegated to helpless perfumed maidens in castle towers or filthy old hags that had only wisdom and stink to offer. Sure, sometimes we were allowed to fight: we got given elegant looking blades and revealing armour that was more likely to kill you through cold than stop a blade. If we were allowed to stand up for ourselves at all it was only on their terms, as objects for them to gawk at. Perhaps more men do read historical fantasy than women. After all, they’ve always been obsessed with maiming and killing,...
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Letter to Zev in The Book of Zev from his author, Marilyn Horowitz

by CarolNo Comments
Have you ever wanted to write a letter to a character in a book? What would you say to that character? Would you sympathize with their plight, or set them straight? Our guest today, Marilyn Horowitz, author of The Book of Zev, wrote a letter to one of her main characters, Zev. Zev Bronfman, a strapping 32-year old-virgin, angry atheist, refugee from a religious Jewish life, and former engineer for the U.S. Patent Office in Alexandria, Virginia, drives a cab and sleeps around in New York City. And the trouble he gets himself into and must get out of makes for a wild ride with his co-conspirator Sarah. Sarah Hirshbaum, a beautiful, redheaded, depressed, God-hating kosher chef, seesaws between yoga and too much red wine. Keep reading to see what Horowitz says to Zev. Dear Zev, Thank you for inspiring me to write this book. Thank you for being such a cooperative and helpful character. I was troubled by your crisis of faith and wonder...
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Balancing Life and Writing, a guest post by Paul DeBlassie III, author of The Unholy

by Carol2 Comments
Today, I'm happy to welcome Paul DeBlassie, author of The Unholy, to my notebook. He's sharing a bit about the importance of balance in his life. Balancing Life and Writing by Paul DeBlassie III Balancing life and writing is a matter of listening to the energy coming from self, family, and friends so that nothing tips more one way than the other and the creative juices stay flowing rather than being depleted by excessive writing and are therefore constantly in a state of being replenished. I had a music teacher who once told me to practice or play up to the point that I feel bored, that the energy for it has been spent, and then to stop for the day. That’s what I do with writing. I stay with it, hit the page running each day, and go for as long and with as much intensity as I have for the scene that I’m writing. Then, I stop. And, if I don’t...
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The Story Behind Miracle Man: Guest Post by William R. Leibowitz

by Carol2 Comments
Today I'm happy to welcome the author of Miracle Man, William R. Leibowitz, to my blog. You may have read the excerpt from his book I posted last month. The Story Behind Miracle Man by William R. Liebowitz What inspired me to write Miracle Man? Three things, really. Firstly, I wanted to tell a story about a real hero—not a celebrity, but a person who treasures and acts on important human values. A person who, in fact, is an anti-celebrity, in the sense that he pursues his selfless goals in virtual isolation. I think such a person would be inspirational in the times we live in –where baseless fame has seemingly become the chief goal of so many. The protagonist in Miracle Man, Robert James Austin, uses his extraordinary gifts selflessly to cure diseases. He doesn’t want adulation. He doesn’t want his picture to be on magazine covers and T-Shirts. In my opinion, too much time and attention is heaped upon meritless celebrities who contribute...
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