"International bestselling author Anthony Horowitz's short story collection expands the universe of teen spy Alex Rider with more thrilling action, espionage, and pulse-pounding heroics."
-Amazon
Showing posts with label action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Alex Rider: Secret Weapon | Book Feature
"International bestselling author Anthony Horowitz's short story collection expands the universe of teen spy Alex Rider with more thrilling action, espionage, and pulse-pounding heroics."
-Amazon
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Dony Jay & Spy-Thrillers | Guest Post
Emilie here: Welcome author Dony Jay to the blog today as he talks about his favorite genre: spy-thrillers!
____________________________
Get to know Dony Jay...
How did you start writing? What made you choose this genre?
I’m a thirty-eight year-old husband and father of two. I’ve been a cop for just over thirteen years, the last eight of which I’ve been assigned to CID (Criminal Investigations Division). When I’m not writing, I’m reading. When I’m not reading, I’m writing. More or less. I love being home with the family and going to my kids’ soccer and basketball games and practices and tournaments. A few other things I enjoy doing are hiking in the woods, going for a good run and knocking the soccer ball around.
I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I started writing seriously after I read two books back to back: Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn and Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. They inspired me to write my own spy thriller series. And while I devour all kinds of books, spy thrillers will always be my favorite.
What was the inspiration for your book?
Primarily my inspiration comes from the men and women of the special operations and intelligence communities—the real warrior spies, but more broadly all those who serve at home and abroad. The idea that there are people out there sacrificing their time with their loved ones, their dreams, their lives for me and my family, for America, is deeply moving. It continues to inspire me and always will.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why? My clear favorite is the main character and protagonist, Reagan Rainey. He’s of course named after Ronald Reagan, one of my favorite presidents. Rainey lost his dad at a young age—his dad was in the CIA and was killed in the line of duty—and has taken up the mantle of vigilant protector of his mom and sister. He’s this fierce and fearless American warrior, a trained killer really, yet he’s a man of strong faith in Almighty God. He’s a unique combination of George Washington, Ronald Reagan and Adam Brown. Adam Brown was a U.S. Navy SEAL about whom Eric Blehm wrote his book titled, Fearless. I will never stop recommending that book to people by the way. Go read Fearless…even before my book. Do it now. You will not be sorry.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
God is in control. No. Matter. What. There is so much that goes on in our lives and around the world that just doesn’t seem to make sense. Read the news these days; the world is upside down. But God’s ways are not our ways. We must learn to put our trust fully in Him. He is in control and He knows what He’s doing. (tweet this)
What was a challenge you faced while writing it?
Time. I know I’m not alone here. All authors deal with trying to find the time to write. But as an indie, writing is only the first of many tasks required to publish a book. Obviously, I have a regular full-time job (with rotating shifts and every other week being on call), but my biggest frustration is being the husband and father my wife and kids deserve. All this while I try to write and publish the next bestseller. The result is a heavy burden of guilt. That time with my characters and story is time away from them. But I’m blessed to have a lovely, supportive, godly wife and a son and daughter who offer faithful encouragement. They actually pray for old dad and his books at dinnertime. It’s great! And humbling. Sometimes though the writing just has to wait as life’s circumstances swirl. But God is good and He is faithful. As I mentioned before, He is in control even when (especially when) I feel like I’m losing it.
Was there a passage of scripture you came across or used while writing it that you’d like to share?
Psalm 97. I sign all my books with it. It starts off, “The LORD reigns…” Present tense. I love that.
What are you reading right now?
Inside the CIA by Ronald Kessler. Both for entertainment and research. I’m about a third of the way in.
Tell us something about yourself that has nothing to do with writing or books.
Hmm. Well, I recorded an original song that my wife and I danced to at our wedding reception. I’m no Michael W. Smith, but I have to admit, it was a pretty special moment. It’s funny, my daughter sometimes asks me to play the song now.
Here’s another I’ll throw in free of charge (lol): I’m extremely competitive…in a healthy way. I hate to lose even more than I like to win. I’m serious. I absolutely hate to lose. When I do fail at something though, I use that as fuel to get better. It’s just who I am. When I put my mind to something, I am stubbornly determined to succeed.
The Warrior Spy
by Dony Jay
The CIA has a problem. Its best clandestine operatives keep turning up dead. And now, as if things couldn't get any worse, a Defense Department scientist, specializing in high-energy lasers, has gone missing. America needs answers. And fast.a Rafflecopter giveaway
Delta Force operator Reagan Rainey, on temporary duty assignment with a secret CIA entity known as Directorate Twelve, is tasked to do just that—get answers. But to do so, he not only has to outwit and outmaneuver a dangerous cabal of foreign actors believed to be at the center of it all, he must contend with a deadly assassin who is bent on destroying him.
Relying on his bedrock faith in Almighty God, Rainey is forced to race against the clock to uncover what is really going on and why, before his beloved America is pushed to the brink of war.
____________________
He is an avid reader and enjoys all kinds of books, most of all thrillers. In 2010, Dony set out to author his own spy thriller series, one with a distinctly Christian worldview and a patriotic flair for America...as she was founded.
When he's not reading or writing, he loves playing sports (soccer mostly), staying fit and cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles.
Above all, he's a follower of Jesus Christ. According to Dony, the tenets of a rich & rewarding life include faith, family and freedom. In that order.
He resides in south-central Pennsylvania.
Website: www.DonyJayBooks.com
Facebook.com/DonyJayBooks
Twitter.com/DonyJayBooks
Goodreads.com/DonyJay
E-mail: DonyJay@DonyJayBooks.com
_______________________________________
::WINNER::
Last week I had Cathy Elliott on the blog and she offered to give away a copy of her fun cozy mystery, A Vase of Mistaken Identity. We've got a winner :
Annie JC
Congrats! I'll be in touch :)
Saturday, October 4, 2014
HAWK by Ronie Kendig | Re:View
As a pilot, Fekiria Haidary shatters the stereotype for Afghan women. She's headstrong yet brilliant, a winning combination that doesn't escape Hawk's eye.
When the Raptor team is faced with faulty information and Hawk get's separated from his team, he needs to make a crucial decision: protect those in his care or his brothers-in-arms.
***
Warning: From the moment you open HAWK you will not be able to
put it down. Take this into account when attempting to keep a regular
schedule or even thinking about sleep at night because...it's not going
to happen!
As I've come to expect from Ronie Kendig, HAWK is filled with real emotions, characters that leap off of the page, and action that will thrill the most discerning critic. You will walk away from HAWK feeling the chill of the winter and drawn to the stories detailed within the pages that pass all too quickly.
I more than recommend this novel, and all of Ronie's books, to any reader. The quality and depth of story are unmatched in my opinion!
Purchase Hawk (The Quiet Professionals Book 2)
Book Description
(from Ronie's website)
Staff Sergeant Brian “Hawk” Bledsoe is a communications expert who takes life with a grain of salt—until he must sacrifice everything to save a humanitarian and her class who come under fire—literally—by the Taliban.
_______________
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.
And while I'm at it, you NEED to know that Raptor 6 by Ronie Kendig is FREE right now on Amazon!!!
Get Raptor 6 (The Quiet Professionals Book 1)
What better way to prep yourself for HAWK than to read (or re-read) Raptor 6?
Trust me, you'll love it!
Friday, August 1, 2014
Operation Zulu Redemption: Overkill - The Beginning by Ronie Kendig | RE:View
Blood pumping, adrenaline inducing writing that will leave you desperate for the next installment!Ronie Kendig has done it again! Her serialization, Operation Zulu Redemption, is one wild ride after another. As I've mentioned in previous posts, this work is spread out over 5 weeks drawing you a little further into the story each week.
We're currently at Part 3, Hazardous Duty, but I'm going to start with sharing my review of Overkill - The Beginning.
In this FREE (yep, get your copy now!!!) introduction to the serialization, you will meet some of the key players of Operation Zulu (or OZ for short).
Ronie doesn't even let you catch your breath before you're out the door and part of the wild ride the OZ team is facing. As each character is introduced, a new twist of the plot unfolds until you're completely wrapped up in it.
I won't say much more than that at this point since Overkill introduces the series and I don't want to give anything away. I will say, however, that you'd better get this right away! I'll be reviewing Collateral Damage (part 1) soon and you'll want to be caught up by then.
Download
Operation Zulu Redemption: Overkill - The Beginning
Purchase
Operation Zulu Redemption: Collateral Damage - Part 1
Operation Zulu Redemption: Out of Nowhere - Part 2
Operation Zulu Redemption: Hazardous Duty - Part 3
Serialization Description
(from Ronie's website)
They never should’ve existed. Now they don’t.
In the aftermath of their first highly successful op, the first all-female special ops team, known as Zulu, discovered that innocent civilians—women and children—died at their hands. Zulu was set up to take a devastating fall.
Fearing for their lives, the Zulu team vanished. With new identities and spread across the globe, they live in relative but isolated peace—yet still haunted by the past. Terrified of being discovered.
Five years after that horrific night, they begin to hope they might be safe and the tragedy forgotten.
Until two of them are murdered.
_______________________
I
received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no
obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own
motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest
and entirely my own. 
Go deeper...Check out these character interviews and informative OZ posts by my fellow RFFTF Team members!
Music for the Mission - OZ Playlist
Why Zulu?
Summer Shoot-Out: Vacation with Ronie Kendig & Zulu
Meet:
Keeley
Annie
Nuala
Boone
Sam
Trace
Friday, June 20, 2014
The Judgement Stone by Robert Liparulo | RE:View
Met with the challenge to recover the Judgement Stone, a fragment left over from the Ten Commandments, he sets out on an impossible mission: stop The Clan, a murder-hungry group of immortals, before they use the stone to their own advantage, seeking to destroy the most devout followers of Christ.
One part Indianan Jones, one part The Screwtape Letters
, and one part Frank Peretti, the in-your-face action of The Judgement Stone will have you turning pages late into the night.For those of you (like me) who haven't read book one, The 13th Tribe, I would highly recommend reading it first. I came into this book like I do most - without reading the back cover copy. I'll admit to being wide-eyed and slightly disbelieving for the first few chapters as parts from book one were reintroduced in a typical 'catch up' fashion. Some things come out sounding slightly ridiculous and highly improbable when recounted in an off-hand way. Of course, I chalked that up to coming in late to the game with book two and pushed passed.
Once I'd gotten a hang of Liparulo's style and grasped what I could from the back story, I was immediately hooked! Great detail, action sequences, and an extremely clever plot that kept me guessing. His descriptions of the spiritual realm were by far my favorite though. The vivid pictures of angles and prayer I take away from this book will forever be imprinted into my mind.
This is a must read novel for fans of action, adventure, and spiritual warfare - but again, read book one first!
Book Description
(from Amazon)
Former Army Ranger Jagger Baird thought he had his hands full with the Tribe—the band of immortal vigilantes fighting to regain God’s grace by killing those opposed to Him. But that was before he encountered the ruthless group of immortals called the Clan. The Clan is after a prize that would give them unimaginable power—a piece of the Ten Commandments known as the Judgment Stone.Purchase The Judgment Stone (An Immortal Files Novel #2)
Those who touch the Stone can see into the spiritual world: angelic warriors, treacherous demons, and the blue threads of light that signal the presence of believers in communion with God.
By following the blue beam radiating from those closest to God, the Clan plans to locate His most passionate followers and destroy them.
Jagger quickly realizes his high-tech gadgetry and training are no match for these merciless immortals. But how can he defeat an enemy who hunts believers through their prayers . . . and won’t stop until they’ve annihilated all those close to Him?
In this high-action thriller, best-selling author Robert Liparulo examines the raging battle between good and evil on earth . . . and beyond.
and The 13th Tribe (An Immortal Files Novel #1)
_______________
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
H. L. Wegley {Writer Wednesday}
A little bit about H. L. Wegley...
H. L. Wegley served in the USAF as an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. In civilian life, he was a weather forecaster and a research scientist in atmospheric physics. After earning an MS in Computer Science, he developed computing systems for Boeing before retiring in the Seattle area, where he and his wife of 47 years enjoy small-group ministry, grandchildren, hiking Olympic Peninsula beaches, snorkeling Maui whenever they can, and where he writes inspirational thrillers and romantic-suspense novels.
How to connect with H.L. Wegley...
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HLWegley
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/10hubj8
Web site: HLWegley.com
Blog: The Weather Scribe
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hlwegley
Purchase On the Pineapple Express
Author Interview | H. L. Wegley
You And Writing
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I started writing poetry for extra credit in elementary school, took advanced writing classes through high school, and extra writing classes in college. Working as a research scientist, I wrote books, research reports (often book length) and journal articles. But only after I retired did I start writing fiction. My first project, written in 2010, was so much fun that I worked on it until I received a contract for it in 2011. The enjoyment has remained, despite the brutality of book marketing, and now I have a contracted 4-book series, am finishing my 7th novel, and planning my 8th.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
...My favorite is book 4 in the Pure Genius Series, Triple Threat, releasing November 14, 2014. I love the main character, Katie, a 15-year-old genius from book 2 who now is about to receive her PhD in Computing Security at the age of 20 (nearly 21). She’s rapidly falling for another genius in the department, also a PhD candidate, but he’s an agnostic, while Katie is a Christian. Over the course of the story, they argue, in short sound bites, nearly every major objection to the Christian faith. It was a fun way to condense my 10 years of apologetics study into the gaps between the action in this fast-paced thriller.
What was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...The hardest thing – rejections aren’t fun, but the hardest thing for me is the drudgery of marketing. I don’t like it and that makes me not as good as I might otherwise be. The easiest thing is, of course, the most fun part, drafting a new story. Creating characters and dangerous adventures for them is a blast.
Your Writing
Tell us a little bit about your book or what you’re working on currently? Why are you/did you write it?
...My latest release is On the Pineapple Express, book 2 in the Pure Genius Series. My heroine, Jennifer Akihara, a beautiful young lady with an IQ of around 200, does research for NSA and inadvertently discovers a human trafficking organization selling girls to international clients. I chose the subject matter after attending an awareness meeting on human trafficking. We live in one of the worst areas in the U.S. for child trafficking, and I wanted to expose this evil and, hopefully, motivate some people to take action in their communities.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...Jennifer, a bright, beautiful Japanese-Hawaiian genius who has a heart for the oppressed, and is willing to go wherever God leads her, even into the gun sights of human traffickers. Jennifer is only 5 foot 2 and 110 pounds, causing people to underestimate the abilities of this formidable opponent. She’s not strong, but she’s quick, knows how to defend herself and can perform under pressure. One miscue around Jennifer will put you in checkmate.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...I’m going to mention 2 take-aways. First, God provides the courage we need to carry out His will, even in the face of our worst fears. That’s why He says 400 times in His word, “Do not be afraid.” Second, God has a heart for the oppressed. He hates oppression and loves for us to help the oppressed. We, who know Him, need to be helping the victims of trafficking. They are the oppressed, having been violated beyond what we can imagine … but not beyond what God can repair.
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...Many times I’ve drawn on experiences from my own life and woven them into the fabric of my stories. I’ve also drawn from the lives of people I’ve known, and I glue it all together with my imagination and a little logic.
When you write, what is your overall intention with your stories?
...My answer might surprise you, but please read the entire response. I write to entertain, but I do this so people will continue to read my stories. If they keep reading, then I have the opportunity to encourage and inspire them and to show them God’s character through the characters I create. That’s the ultimate goal, to let my readers know that this great God exists and to give them a better picture of who He is so they will establish, or grow in, a relationship with Him.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
...The recognition of a good story seems to be planted in the heart of man, and stories have the power to impact our lives. Jesus showed us that. Once we realize this, learning the craft of story telling then takes on a great significance. So my advice is to learn the craft of story telling through good writing books, through reading good stories, by seeking help through organizations like ACFW, and, if you want to accelerate up the learning curve, through paid memberships in mentoring organizations like My Book Therapy.
You
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?
...Much of the time I do. When writing intense action scenes, I have some play lists on the Internet of themes from military movies.
...When writing romantic scenes, I often put on some of the oldies, the romantic classics like Unchained Melody, I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You, or the Beethoven-Billy Joel medley called This Night.
...I’ve learned that I can write romance with a vocalist singing but, for any other type of scene, the music must be instrumental only.
What is your favorite season and why?
...Summer! I don’t even have to give that a second thought. My body is sun-starved most of the time and my achy joints and bones crave warmth. Those cravings are maximized by living in the Seattle area. Anyone want to trade homes for a few months? If you live in Florida or South Texas, how about a November through March trade. We have some really nice Christmas trees up here in the Northwest. :)
What is your favorite genre to read? Why do you enjoy it?
...High-action, romantic suspense and thrillers with romance are my favorite. Being a guy, I like action and action means something’s burning, blowing up, being shot or shot at, or such events are imminent. But thinking back to that very special time when we experienced young, first love. I only had that experience once and I’m glad. But 47 years later, it’s fun to give that experience to my characters and vicariously to my readers.
H. L. Wegley served in the USAF as an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. In civilian life, he was a weather forecaster and a research scientist in atmospheric physics. After earning an MS in Computer Science, he developed computing systems for Boeing before retiring in the Seattle area, where he and his wife of 47 years enjoy small-group ministry, grandchildren, hiking Olympic Peninsula beaches, snorkeling Maui whenever they can, and where he writes inspirational thrillers and romantic-suspense novels.
How to connect with H.L. Wegley...
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HLWegley
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/10hubj8
Web site: HLWegley.com
Blog: The Weather Scribe
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hlwegley
Purchase On the Pineapple Express
Author Interview | H. L. Wegley
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I started writing poetry for extra credit in elementary school, took advanced writing classes through high school, and extra writing classes in college. Working as a research scientist, I wrote books, research reports (often book length) and journal articles. But only after I retired did I start writing fiction. My first project, written in 2010, was so much fun that I worked on it until I received a contract for it in 2011. The enjoyment has remained, despite the brutality of book marketing, and now I have a contracted 4-book series, am finishing my 7th novel, and planning my 8th.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
...My favorite is book 4 in the Pure Genius Series, Triple Threat, releasing November 14, 2014. I love the main character, Katie, a 15-year-old genius from book 2 who now is about to receive her PhD in Computing Security at the age of 20 (nearly 21). She’s rapidly falling for another genius in the department, also a PhD candidate, but he’s an agnostic, while Katie is a Christian. Over the course of the story, they argue, in short sound bites, nearly every major objection to the Christian faith. It was a fun way to condense my 10 years of apologetics study into the gaps between the action in this fast-paced thriller.
What was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...The hardest thing – rejections aren’t fun, but the hardest thing for me is the drudgery of marketing. I don’t like it and that makes me not as good as I might otherwise be. The easiest thing is, of course, the most fun part, drafting a new story. Creating characters and dangerous adventures for them is a blast.
Tell us a little bit about your book or what you’re working on currently? Why are you/did you write it?
...My latest release is On the Pineapple Express, book 2 in the Pure Genius Series. My heroine, Jennifer Akihara, a beautiful young lady with an IQ of around 200, does research for NSA and inadvertently discovers a human trafficking organization selling girls to international clients. I chose the subject matter after attending an awareness meeting on human trafficking. We live in one of the worst areas in the U.S. for child trafficking, and I wanted to expose this evil and, hopefully, motivate some people to take action in their communities.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...Jennifer, a bright, beautiful Japanese-Hawaiian genius who has a heart for the oppressed, and is willing to go wherever God leads her, even into the gun sights of human traffickers. Jennifer is only 5 foot 2 and 110 pounds, causing people to underestimate the abilities of this formidable opponent. She’s not strong, but she’s quick, knows how to defend herself and can perform under pressure. One miscue around Jennifer will put you in checkmate.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...I’m going to mention 2 take-aways. First, God provides the courage we need to carry out His will, even in the face of our worst fears. That’s why He says 400 times in His word, “Do not be afraid.” Second, God has a heart for the oppressed. He hates oppression and loves for us to help the oppressed. We, who know Him, need to be helping the victims of trafficking. They are the oppressed, having been violated beyond what we can imagine … but not beyond what God can repair.
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...Many times I’ve drawn on experiences from my own life and woven them into the fabric of my stories. I’ve also drawn from the lives of people I’ve known, and I glue it all together with my imagination and a little logic.
When you write, what is your overall intention with your stories?
...My answer might surprise you, but please read the entire response. I write to entertain, but I do this so people will continue to read my stories. If they keep reading, then I have the opportunity to encourage and inspire them and to show them God’s character through the characters I create. That’s the ultimate goal, to let my readers know that this great God exists and to give them a better picture of who He is so they will establish, or grow in, a relationship with Him.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
...The recognition of a good story seems to be planted in the heart of man, and stories have the power to impact our lives. Jesus showed us that. Once we realize this, learning the craft of story telling then takes on a great significance. So my advice is to learn the craft of story telling through good writing books, through reading good stories, by seeking help through organizations like ACFW, and, if you want to accelerate up the learning curve, through paid memberships in mentoring organizations like My Book Therapy.
You
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?
...Much of the time I do. When writing intense action scenes, I have some play lists on the Internet of themes from military movies.
...When writing romantic scenes, I often put on some of the oldies, the romantic classics like Unchained Melody, I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You, or the Beethoven-Billy Joel medley called This Night.
...I’ve learned that I can write romance with a vocalist singing but, for any other type of scene, the music must be instrumental only.
What is your favorite season and why?
...Summer! I don’t even have to give that a second thought. My body is sun-starved most of the time and my achy joints and bones crave warmth. Those cravings are maximized by living in the Seattle area. Anyone want to trade homes for a few months? If you live in Florida or South Texas, how about a November through March trade. We have some really nice Christmas trees up here in the Northwest. :)
What is your favorite genre to read? Why do you enjoy it?
...High-action, romantic suspense and thrillers with romance are my favorite. Being a guy, I like action and action means something’s burning, blowing up, being shot or shot at, or such events are imminent. But thinking back to that very special time when we experienced young, first love. I only had that experience once and I’m glad. But 47 years later, it’s fun to give that experience to my characters and vicariously to my readers.
____________________________
Thank you so much for coming back to the blog, Harry! I love that, as you talk about your favorite book being #4 in your series, you are able to use your knowledge of apologetics in your writing. It's great that the Lord gives us passions and experiences to fit right into our writing! Plus, I love your take-away's for this next book in your series. Thanks so much for sharing with us and I'm sorry to say I don't have a house to swap with you because I'd take Seattle in a heartbeat! I just love the northwest :D Thanks again for stopping by!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Catherine Castle {Writer Wednesday}
A little bit about Catherine....
Catherine Castle has been writing all her life. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. Besides writing, Catherine loves traveling with her husband, singing, and attending theater. In the winter she loves to quilt and has a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) in her sewing case. In the summer her favorite place to be is in her garden. She’s passionate about gardening and even won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club.
To see pictures of her garden, read her poems and blogs, connect with her, and follow her stop by her blog at http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com or check out her author page on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle. She’d love to see you there.
How to connect with Catherine...
Website: http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com
Blog: http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17908310-the-nun-and-the-narc
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle
Author Interview | Catherine Castle
You & Writing
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I’ve been a writer ever since I learned how to string words together. My first writing was poetry, which I still write. I have some of my poems posted on my blog. Then I graduated to short stories in middle school, which have since been lost. I think one was a sci-fi story about a moon landing. That was big back then. I wrote my first romance as a teenager, in longhand, and bound it in a paper notebook. I still have it, buried in the depths of a file drawer. I pull it out occasionally if I want a good laugh. As for what keeps me writing—I think it’s all the ideas that pop into my head, and when I’m actually writing, it’s the characters who take my story to unexpected places. Even though I plot, I love it when they decide to go their own way.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
...I love The Nun and the Narc. Who doesn’t love their first published book? However, I think my unpublished devotional—Lessons from Nature-A Gardener’s Devotional— might be my favorite work. That book has been described as having a lyrical quality to it, and the stories contained in the devotional book are very personal to me.
What was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...There’s nothing easy, in my opinion, about getting published. Being an author is not a job for the faint of heart. As for easiest thing about getting publishing—I’d have to say it’s the constant smile that’s on my face whenever I say the words, “I’m a published author!”
Your Writing
Tell us a little bit about your book or what you’re working on currently? Why are you/did you write it?
...The Nun and the Narc didn’t start out as The Nun and the Narc. Sister Margaret Mary was originally a missionary on a house building trip to Mexico. But somewhere along the way, the story got stuck. One of my critique partners suggested I change her from a missionary to a nun, a novice actually. I loved the idea, partly because I love nun stories like The Sound of Music, the television show The Flying Nun, and the movie A Change of Habit with Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. I decided to take her suggestion and when I did, the story took off.
...Sister Margaret Mary is a bit stubborn, and perhaps not the best nun material, according to Mother Superior, but she’s determined to follow her commitment to take her final vows. Then while on a house building mission to Mexico, she gets captured by drug lords and imprisoned with undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Sparks fly between the two and destinies are changed.
Here’s a blurb of the story:
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...I absolutely love Sister Margaret. She’s full of spunk and sass, yet holds so firm to her beliefs.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...I hope after reading The Nun and the Narc readers will realize there are many ways to serve God, and you don’t have to be the foreign missionary who dedicates his or her entire life in order for your service to be important. Whatever good works we bring to the Lord’s service are important for furthering His kingdom.
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...I think ideas for stories come from everywhere.We just have to be on the lookout for them. Although I interviewed and know some nuns who left the church to marry, Sister Margaret isn’t like any of them. I do admit to having a curiosity about how those women dealt with leaving the convent, and I think part of that curiosity spurred my story. So, I guess I’d have to answer this questions by saying, the real world and my imagination is a source for ideas.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
...Learn your craft and don’t give up.
You
What is one thing you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing?
...We go to a lot of movies, but in some regards that isn’t totally relaxation as my husband and I critique every movie we see. A hazard of being a writer, I suppose.
What is one thing you are looking forward to for the Summer?
...Getting all the gardening cleanup chores done so I can sit back and enjoy my flowers and get back to working on the next book.
_______________________
Thank you so much for sharing with us, Catherine! Your book sounds amazing and I'm looking forward to reviewing it soon. I can identify with you when you talk about your first works. My dear friend Steffani and I have many of those notebook bound novels...and I know for certain we laugh at them when we re-read anything we thought was "inspired" in your younger years. The wonderful thing is knowing we grow and change as writers.
Make sure you check out The Nun and the Narc and be on the lookout for my review soon :)
Catherine Castle has been writing all her life. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. Besides writing, Catherine loves traveling with her husband, singing, and attending theater. In the winter she loves to quilt and has a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) in her sewing case. In the summer her favorite place to be is in her garden. She’s passionate about gardening and even won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club.
To see pictures of her garden, read her poems and blogs, connect with her, and follow her stop by her blog at http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com or check out her author page on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle. She’d love to see you there.
How to connect with Catherine...
Website: http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com
Blog: http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17908310-the-nun-and-the-narc
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle Author Interview | Catherine Castle
You & Writing
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I’ve been a writer ever since I learned how to string words together. My first writing was poetry, which I still write. I have some of my poems posted on my blog. Then I graduated to short stories in middle school, which have since been lost. I think one was a sci-fi story about a moon landing. That was big back then. I wrote my first romance as a teenager, in longhand, and bound it in a paper notebook. I still have it, buried in the depths of a file drawer. I pull it out occasionally if I want a good laugh. As for what keeps me writing—I think it’s all the ideas that pop into my head, and when I’m actually writing, it’s the characters who take my story to unexpected places. Even though I plot, I love it when they decide to go their own way.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
...I love The Nun and the Narc. Who doesn’t love their first published book? However, I think my unpublished devotional—Lessons from Nature-A Gardener’s Devotional— might be my favorite work. That book has been described as having a lyrical quality to it, and the stories contained in the devotional book are very personal to me.
What was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...There’s nothing easy, in my opinion, about getting published. Being an author is not a job for the faint of heart. As for easiest thing about getting publishing—I’d have to say it’s the constant smile that’s on my face whenever I say the words, “I’m a published author!”
Your Writing
Tell us a little bit about your book or what you’re working on currently? Why are you/did you write it?
...The Nun and the Narc didn’t start out as The Nun and the Narc. Sister Margaret Mary was originally a missionary on a house building trip to Mexico. But somewhere along the way, the story got stuck. One of my critique partners suggested I change her from a missionary to a nun, a novice actually. I loved the idea, partly because I love nun stories like The Sound of Music, the television show The Flying Nun, and the movie A Change of Habit with Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. I decided to take her suggestion and when I did, the story took off.
...Sister Margaret Mary is a bit stubborn, and perhaps not the best nun material, according to Mother Superior, but she’s determined to follow her commitment to take her final vows. Then while on a house building mission to Mexico, she gets captured by drug lords and imprisoned with undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Sparks fly between the two and destinies are changed.
Here’s a blurb of the story:
Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.
Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...I absolutely love Sister Margaret. She’s full of spunk and sass, yet holds so firm to her beliefs.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...I hope after reading The Nun and the Narc readers will realize there are many ways to serve God, and you don’t have to be the foreign missionary who dedicates his or her entire life in order for your service to be important. Whatever good works we bring to the Lord’s service are important for furthering His kingdom.
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...I think ideas for stories come from everywhere.We just have to be on the lookout for them. Although I interviewed and know some nuns who left the church to marry, Sister Margaret isn’t like any of them. I do admit to having a curiosity about how those women dealt with leaving the convent, and I think part of that curiosity spurred my story. So, I guess I’d have to answer this questions by saying, the real world and my imagination is a source for ideas.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
...Learn your craft and don’t give up.
You
What is one thing you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing?
...We go to a lot of movies, but in some regards that isn’t totally relaxation as my husband and I critique every movie we see. A hazard of being a writer, I suppose.
What is one thing you are looking forward to for the Summer?
...Getting all the gardening cleanup chores done so I can sit back and enjoy my flowers and get back to working on the next book.
_______________________
Thank you so much for sharing with us, Catherine! Your book sounds amazing and I'm looking forward to reviewing it soon. I can identify with you when you talk about your first works. My dear friend Steffani and I have many of those notebook bound novels...and I know for certain we laugh at them when we re-read anything we thought was "inspired" in your younger years. The wonderful thing is knowing we grow and change as writers.
Make sure you check out The Nun and the Narc and be on the lookout for my review soon :)
Friday, June 7, 2013
RE:View | Talon: Combat Tracking Team by Ronie Kendig
Talon: Combat Tracking Team I have found a new author-crush! Ronie Kendig has completely rocked my world with her latest novel, Talon: Combat Tracking Team from her A Breed Apart series. Honestly, there aren't enough good things I could say about this novel. Exhilarating action from page one. Characters that you can relate to. A plot you couldn't hope to anticipate. And a loveable dog--what more could you ask for?
Aspen Courtland want's to find her brother. They have pronounced him dead after 8 months MIA but she just knows he's still alive.
Dane Markoski, haunted by his past and a set of rules he's placed on himself, will not work with women. Aspen is out of the question.
Talon, wrought with trauma and PTSD is their only hope at finding Aspen's brother--if indeed he is alive.
Join these amazing characters as well as others from the previous novel, Trinity: Military War Dog, on an action-packed adventure into eastern Africa. You will feel the heat, smell the dirt, and wait in anticipation to discover what is going to happen!
I give this book 5 BIG stars and recommend to anyone who enjoys reading. Especially amazing suspense and heart-racing action with beautiful, believable romance. Ronie's writing is fantastic, descriptive, and so accurate that you will escape easily into this military thriller. The romance is sweet. The punches hard. The story satisfying.
_______________
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was
under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my
own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are
honest and entirely my own.Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Heidi Glick {Writer Wednesday}
I'm excited to introduce you to Heidi Glick for today's {Writer Wednesday} feature. Make sure you stay hello :)
A little bit about Heidi...
Heidi Glick has a B.A. in biology, a minor in Bible from Cedarville University, and a passion for writing Christian fiction. She has over seven years of technical editing experience, a certificate in technical writing from Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, and is working towards her Master of English at Utah State University. Additionally, she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and has written two articles for Intercom. When not working, Heidi spends time with her husband, son, and two dogs, Cocoa and Sparky. She attends Grace Chapel in Mason, Ohio.
How to connect with Heidi...
Her website: heidiglickbooks.com
A blog she is an author for: http://sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com
Her Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/
Her Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheglick
Author Interview | Heidi Glick
You and Writing
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I started writing as a teenager. As a teen, I participated in a church drama, The Bethlehem Marketplace, which is an interactive, walk-through nativity. I communicated to a fellow actor that I was interested in one of the lead roles, but I was too young. The actor suggested I write my own plays, and so I did. As a teen, I started out writing plays and scripts, including a sequel to the Indiana Jones movie series (hey, a girl can dream). I even created a sound recording of a Civil War drama I’d written, complete with a soundtrack (yes, I was one of those geeks).
...The short answer is that God has kept me writing. The long answer is that God has used situations to keep me writing.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
...My favorite work (still in progress) that I’ve written is Ten Degrees from Normal. It’s my favorite because of the main character, agent Chance McPherson. I’ve had a lot of fun writing about him. He’s funny and can pretty much get away with anything; he steals every scene he’s in.
What was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...The hardest thing about publishing is marketing. The easiest thing about publishing is the (very brief) moment of relaxation between the completion of one’s first novel and the start of the next.
Your Writing
Tell us a little bit about your book or what you’re working on currently? Why are you/did you write it?
...Dog Tags is a suspense novel. I originally wrote it as a romance and then revamped it as suspense with a touch of romance. I revolved my story around my hero. I suspect there are others than can readily identify with him and his struggles. I’d say more, but I don’t want to give too much away.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...The hero, Mark Graham, is a man of integrity and honor. Society lifts up pro athletes and actors, etc. as heroes, but we often forget many of our “true heroes”—our men and women in the armed forces.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...I hope readers learn that God allows hard times in our lives, but we can still trust Him. Also, we need to forgive generously (sometimes that means forgiving ourselves).
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...I find inspiration for my story and characters from both real life and pure imagination.
...For example, the hero of Dog Tags is a history major. My husband is a history major, and I based parts of my character on my husband. Also, the dog in Dog Tags is largely based on my own pet, Sparky, a Schipperke.
When you write, what is your overall intention with your stories?
...I have many intentions. Mostly, I write to inspire, but I also write to encourage and to make people laugh and to entertain.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
...Keep writing and find a professional writing community to join. Read the genre in which you’d like to write but be open to change. As a teen, I started writing scripts. I never would have imagined that I would end up writing suspense. Be open to criticism and learn from it.
You
What is one thing you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing?
...When I’m not writing, I like to work in my garden or spend time with my family.
Thinking of Fathers Day, is there a story you’d like to share with the readers about your father?
...I love my father and miss him very much, but I’m glad that he’s pain free in Heaven with Jesus. My father passed away in September 2011 of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). I’ve based a character in another story on my dad. Also, I’ve dedicated Dog Tags to him. Unfortunately, my dad died before I became a published fiction writer, but I know he’d be proud of me.
What is one thing you are looking forward to for the Summer?
...My son will be 4 months old then. I look forward to taking him outside more.
Here's a little blurb to wet your appetite:
A little bit about Heidi...
Heidi Glick has a B.A. in biology, a minor in Bible from Cedarville University, and a passion for writing Christian fiction. She has over seven years of technical editing experience, a certificate in technical writing from Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, and is working towards her Master of English at Utah State University. Additionally, she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and has written two articles for Intercom. When not working, Heidi spends time with her husband, son, and two dogs, Cocoa and Sparky. She attends Grace Chapel in Mason, Ohio.
How to connect with Heidi...
Her website: heidiglickbooks.com
A blog she is an author for: http://sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com
Her Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/
Her Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheglick
Author Interview | Heidi Glick
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I started writing as a teenager. As a teen, I participated in a church drama, The Bethlehem Marketplace, which is an interactive, walk-through nativity. I communicated to a fellow actor that I was interested in one of the lead roles, but I was too young. The actor suggested I write my own plays, and so I did. As a teen, I started out writing plays and scripts, including a sequel to the Indiana Jones movie series (hey, a girl can dream). I even created a sound recording of a Civil War drama I’d written, complete with a soundtrack (yes, I was one of those geeks).
...The short answer is that God has kept me writing. The long answer is that God has used situations to keep me writing.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
...My favorite work (still in progress) that I’ve written is Ten Degrees from Normal. It’s my favorite because of the main character, agent Chance McPherson. I’ve had a lot of fun writing about him. He’s funny and can pretty much get away with anything; he steals every scene he’s in.
What was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...The hardest thing about publishing is marketing. The easiest thing about publishing is the (very brief) moment of relaxation between the completion of one’s first novel and the start of the next.
Your Writing
Tell us a little bit about your book or what you’re working on currently? Why are you/did you write it?
...Dog Tags is a suspense novel. I originally wrote it as a romance and then revamped it as suspense with a touch of romance. I revolved my story around my hero. I suspect there are others than can readily identify with him and his struggles. I’d say more, but I don’t want to give too much away. Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...The hero, Mark Graham, is a man of integrity and honor. Society lifts up pro athletes and actors, etc. as heroes, but we often forget many of our “true heroes”—our men and women in the armed forces.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...I hope readers learn that God allows hard times in our lives, but we can still trust Him. Also, we need to forgive generously (sometimes that means forgiving ourselves).
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...I find inspiration for my story and characters from both real life and pure imagination.
...For example, the hero of Dog Tags is a history major. My husband is a history major, and I based parts of my character on my husband. Also, the dog in Dog Tags is largely based on my own pet, Sparky, a Schipperke.
When you write, what is your overall intention with your stories?
...I have many intentions. Mostly, I write to inspire, but I also write to encourage and to make people laugh and to entertain.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
...Keep writing and find a professional writing community to join. Read the genre in which you’d like to write but be open to change. As a teen, I started writing scripts. I never would have imagined that I would end up writing suspense. Be open to criticism and learn from it.
You
What is one thing you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing?
...When I’m not writing, I like to work in my garden or spend time with my family.
Thinking of Fathers Day, is there a story you’d like to share with the readers about your father?
...I love my father and miss him very much, but I’m glad that he’s pain free in Heaven with Jesus. My father passed away in September 2011 of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). I’ve based a character in another story on my dad. Also, I’ve dedicated Dog Tags to him. Unfortunately, my dad died before I became a published fiction writer, but I know he’d be proud of me.
What is one thing you are looking forward to for the Summer?
...My son will be 4 months old then. I look forward to taking him outside more.
____________________
Thank you so much Heidi for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit us here at Thinking Thoughts! I'm excited for my chance to review your new release, Dog Tag's. For those of you who are interested in reading it - you won't have to wait much longer! The release date is June 7th! So make sure this Friday you hop on over to Heidi's website and get your copy!Here's a little blurb to wet your appetite:
When disabled ex-Marine Mark Graham reconnects with his best friend’s sister, he finds himself falling in love. But Beth Martindale’s presence is a constant reminder of events he’d rather forget. Mark wants to move forward, but the secrets surrounding her brother’s death as well as his own confinement to a wheelchair threaten to tear them apart.When a psychopath who calls himself The Knight fixates on Beth, Mark is determined to give her the protection he failed to give her brother on the battlefield, yet he discovers that a wheelchair isn’t the only impediment he has to keeping Beth safe. Will terror win or can Mark find the strength of mind and body to rescue Beth and find his own redemption?Make sure and check back to see more reviews coming up soon and next weeks featured author: Stephanie Landsem!
Friday, April 12, 2013
RE:View | Hide and Seek by H. L. Wegley
First off, did you catch my {Writer Wednesday} post? If not, check it out [here] and find out a little more about H. L. Wegley from his interview for Thinking Thoughts...
Hide and Seek
All Lee Brandt wants to do is say, "I told you so" when there is a significant computer security breach at the company he works for. When technologically savvy, not to mention beautiful, Jennifer Akihara steps in to give Lee a hand, they are in for a wild ride through the lush mountains of the Northwest.
For Jennifer, trust is the most important thing. As they fight for their lives, racing against the clock, Jennifer must learn to trust Lee, but Lee places his trust in Someone much more powerful than technology or quick thinking. His trust is in God and Jennifer comes face to face with true faith in action. The question is - will she see it for what it is?
I really enjoyed this novel! With it's fast paced action and romance intertwined in a believable way, I found it to be a great balance between suspense and emotion filled moments. Wegely also weaves in truth about the gospel in an understandable way. Lee doesn't force his faith on Jennifer, but rather lives it out and openly answers questions when the time come. I really appreciate the authors wonderful approach to practical Christianity!
I will say that the tech side of things was a little confusing at points - there is a lot to computers that I will probably never understand - but most times H. L. Wegely delivers the information in an understanding (if not comprehensive) way.
If you are in search of an action packed adventure with a sweet romantic side to it, Hide and Seek by H. L. Wegley is definitely the book for you!
What people are saying about Hide and Seek...
Head on over to Amazon and pick up your copy of Hide and Seek today!
Hide and Seek
All Lee Brandt wants to do is say, "I told you so" when there is a significant computer security breach at the company he works for. When technologically savvy, not to mention beautiful, Jennifer Akihara steps in to give Lee a hand, they are in for a wild ride through the lush mountains of the Northwest.For Jennifer, trust is the most important thing. As they fight for their lives, racing against the clock, Jennifer must learn to trust Lee, but Lee places his trust in Someone much more powerful than technology or quick thinking. His trust is in God and Jennifer comes face to face with true faith in action. The question is - will she see it for what it is?
I really enjoyed this novel! With it's fast paced action and romance intertwined in a believable way, I found it to be a great balance between suspense and emotion filled moments. Wegely also weaves in truth about the gospel in an understandable way. Lee doesn't force his faith on Jennifer, but rather lives it out and openly answers questions when the time come. I really appreciate the authors wonderful approach to practical Christianity!
I will say that the tech side of things was a little confusing at points - there is a lot to computers that I will probably never understand - but most times H. L. Wegely delivers the information in an understanding (if not comprehensive) way.
If you are in search of an action packed adventure with a sweet romantic side to it, Hide and Seek by H. L. Wegley is definitely the book for you!
What people are saying about Hide and Seek...
...The author has done a great job of weaving a very exciting, well written story together that I could not put down until I finished it in one reading.
...Hide and Seek by H.L. Wegley is a definite keeper if you love suspense with a touch of romance.
...I am NOT a "techie," but even I had no problems understanding the technological stuff.
...If you like fast-paced, high-stress books? Then you just might like this action-filled adventure from H. L. Wegley.
...I started reading this book because it had something to do with computer security, since I work in this area. However, while that is part of the very exciting story, there is much more to the book than that with a number of different plots, including a great romance story and surprises along the way.
Head on over to Amazon and pick up your copy of Hide and Seek today!
_______________________
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was
under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my
own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are
honest and entirely my own. Wednesday, April 10, 2013
H. L. Wegley {Writer Wednesday}
Suspense. Intrigue. Action.
I think these things have been playing into my dreams recently because I've been reading H. L. Wegley's novel Hide and Seek! The good news is that he is the featured author for {Writer Wednesday} and I'm reviewing Hide and Seek on Friday! Give him your warm regards and enjoy getting to know him a little better.
A little bit about H. L. Wegley....
H. L. Wegley served in the USAF as an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. He is a Meteorologist who worked as a Research Scientist in Atmospheric Physics at Pacific Northwest Laboratories. After earning an MS in Computer Science, he worked more than two decades as a Systems Programmer at Boeing before retiring in the Seattle area, where he and his wife of 46 years enjoy small-group ministry, their seven grandchildren, and where he pursues his love of writing. His publisher recently released Book 1 of a contracted 3-book romantic thriller series.
How to connect with H. L. Wegley...
His web site: HLWegley.com
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HLWegley
His blog: The Weather Scribe
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/H.L.-Wegley/e/B00B1XMR56/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Publisher, Pelican Book Group: http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/hide-and-seek-softcover
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4460203.H_L_Wegley
Author Interview | H. L. Wegley
You & Writing
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I started writing poetry for extra credit in elementary school. Took all the college-prep writing classes in high school, then creative writing and technical writing in college. As a research scientist, during the ‘70s and ‘80s, I published extensively in the scientific world. But my first work of fiction, Hide and Seek, wasn’t written until 2010. I wrote Hide and Seek in seven days in the sun at Lake Havasu, rewrote it twice that year after studying the craft, and then received a contract for it in 2011. After that first project, I realized I couldn’t not write.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
...My third novel, also the third book in my Pure Genius Series, was a blast to write. Moon over Maalaea Bay is set entirely in Maui. The research was as enjoyable as writing the story—ten days of walking beaches, shooting sunsets, snorkeling. This is a short, fast-paced thriller about a honeymoon that gets hijacked by international criminals, human traffickers who want revenge by ending the honeymoon before it can begin. It’s contracted and you can check it out on my blog: Weather Scribe
If published, what was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...Early in the publishing process, the hardest thing for me to deal with is the editor wanting to make significant cuts to my story. Not only do I have to “kill my darlings,” but sometimes I have to alter the story I wanted to tell. After release day, marketing is by far the hardest thing for me. I like talking to people face-to-face, one-on-one, but peddling my wares using the social media is not something I enjoy.
Your Writing
Tell us a little bit about your book. Why are did you write it?
...My debut, Hide and Seek, is an espionage thriller with romance, released on February 1. Besides telling a suspenseful story, I had a couple of things in mind when I wrote this novel. For those who know our Lord and Savior, I hope they will see that the barriers to faith on others' lives are most often the heart-rending existential questions, not the big intellectual issues. We have the answer to all their questions, the Person of Jesus Christ, and we need to share that answer with them. For those who don't know our Savior, Hide and Seek is my heroine's redemption story. I hope these people will see that a relationship with the one true God is available to them through Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...I really like both my hero and heroine. Lee is me with a shorter version of my resume. You’ve got to like yourself. But my favorite is Jennifer Akihara, a stunning, Japanese-Hawaiian beauty who has an IQ that’s off the scale, a temper to match, and she works magic with mathematical algorithms. She’s also the person you want behind the wheel in a car chase. One more thing—the .38 in her purse has one notch on it. She has a good heart, but trouble seems to follow her.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...The biggest take away I hope the readers grasp is the point illustrated by my two main characters. It's a point made many times by apologist Ravi Zacharias. He emphasizes that the barriers to faith are most often the heart-rending existential questions, not intellectual issues. Hide and Seek emphasizes through the heroine, Jennifer, that all of these questions are answered by God in the person and work of Jesus Christ. A follow-up to that take-away is that we shouldn’t fear sharing our faith with anyone, including people we think are much brighter than us. The things that trouble people most in life are common to everyone living under the curse philosophers call the human dilemma, the curse which God calls sin. If we know Jesus, we know the One Who can meet people’s needs.
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...I usually look first in real life for my story. I subscribe to several e-zines that provide news about topics that would make good plots for thrillers. For my fourth novel, I found a real-life person who has some experiences I wanted to share. But in the final analysis, there is always a synthesis of the real and the imaginary to complete a story. That’s where we get to use our creativity—the really fun part of writing.
When you write, what is your overall intention with your stories?
...For about 12 years I studied Christian apologetics and planned to write a textbook or study guide on that subject, but the experts started publishing far better works than I could’ve written. Now I find that the answers to questions about God and the human dilemma find their way into dialogues in my stories, especially the redemption stories. So far there has been a redemption story embedded in the plot of each of my novels. Aside from the spiritual message in my writing, I want to entertain the reader such that they have something they can legitimately feel good about. I like to make the readers laugh a little, even during some of the danger.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
...Learn the craft as much as you can before you write that first manuscript. With a story running around in your head, it’s hard not to start writing. But I can tell you from experience that it’s even harder to rewrite your story for the third or fourth time. If you don’t want to lose your story, make a detailed outline of it, then critique the outline for good story structure using books on the craft of fiction. Study how to develop characters, how to write dialogue, and to evoke emotion. Then, when you’re ready, write your story. This approach may cost you a couple of months on the front end, but it will save you six months or more of rewriting, time that you could be using to draft your second story.
You
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?
...I sometimes listen to romantic music when writing romantic scenes. If something creates the right emotions in you, it is more likely that your writing will evoke those emotions in your readers. A music video works even better for me. I watch part of the video, write a little, then alternate between watching and writing.
What is your favorite season and why?
...Summer wins, hands down. I live near Seattle and am always sun starved. I have a touch of SAD. When the sun shines, my writing productivity goes up by a factor of ten. Nearly the entire MSS for Hide and Seek was written in 7 days at Lake Havasu, between trail hikes by the lake.
What is your favorite genre to read? Why do you enjoy it?
...I started reading full-length novels when I was nine. In my early teens, I devoured novels. This probably dates me, but as a kid I read the entire Edgar Rice Burroughs and Zane Grey collections—a lot of action, adventure, and some romance. That became what I enjoy writing, high-action romantic suspense and thrillers with romance.
Thank you so much for this fantastic interview. I really appreciate what you desire the overall intention of your novels to be. I love listening to Ravi Zacharias - he always seems to appeal to the logical side of Christianity without displacing the impact that emotions and faith also play in it.
You also mentioned that you live near Seattle and (for those of you that know me, this is no secret) I love it up there!! It's my dream to live in that area :) I'll take all those cloudy days over the ridiculous amount of (HOT) sun Southern California gets almost all year round!
Thanks again H. L. Wegley, and for my readers - make sure you check back here on Friday - I will have my review of Hide and Seek up - if an interview with the author didn't convince you to try out his first novel, maybe knowing a little more about the book will ;) See you then!
I think these things have been playing into my dreams recently because I've been reading H. L. Wegley's novel Hide and Seek! The good news is that he is the featured author for {Writer Wednesday} and I'm reviewing Hide and Seek on Friday! Give him your warm regards and enjoy getting to know him a little better.
A little bit about H. L. Wegley....
H. L. Wegley served in the USAF as an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. He is a Meteorologist who worked as a Research Scientist in Atmospheric Physics at Pacific Northwest Laboratories. After earning an MS in Computer Science, he worked more than two decades as a Systems Programmer at Boeing before retiring in the Seattle area, where he and his wife of 46 years enjoy small-group ministry, their seven grandchildren, and where he pursues his love of writing. His publisher recently released Book 1 of a contracted 3-book romantic thriller series.
How to connect with H. L. Wegley...
His web site: HLWegley.com
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HLWegley
His blog: The Weather Scribe
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/H.L.-Wegley/e/B00B1XMR56/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Publisher, Pelican Book Group: http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/hide-and-seek-softcover
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4460203.H_L_Wegley
You & Writing
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I started writing poetry for extra credit in elementary school. Took all the college-prep writing classes in high school, then creative writing and technical writing in college. As a research scientist, during the ‘70s and ‘80s, I published extensively in the scientific world. But my first work of fiction, Hide and Seek, wasn’t written until 2010. I wrote Hide and Seek in seven days in the sun at Lake Havasu, rewrote it twice that year after studying the craft, and then received a contract for it in 2011. After that first project, I realized I couldn’t not write.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
...My third novel, also the third book in my Pure Genius Series, was a blast to write. Moon over Maalaea Bay is set entirely in Maui. The research was as enjoyable as writing the story—ten days of walking beaches, shooting sunsets, snorkeling. This is a short, fast-paced thriller about a honeymoon that gets hijacked by international criminals, human traffickers who want revenge by ending the honeymoon before it can begin. It’s contracted and you can check it out on my blog: Weather Scribe
If published, what was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...Early in the publishing process, the hardest thing for me to deal with is the editor wanting to make significant cuts to my story. Not only do I have to “kill my darlings,” but sometimes I have to alter the story I wanted to tell. After release day, marketing is by far the hardest thing for me. I like talking to people face-to-face, one-on-one, but peddling my wares using the social media is not something I enjoy.
Your Writing
Tell us a little bit about your book. Why are did you write it?
...My debut, Hide and Seek, is an espionage thriller with romance, released on February 1. Besides telling a suspenseful story, I had a couple of things in mind when I wrote this novel. For those who know our Lord and Savior, I hope they will see that the barriers to faith on others' lives are most often the heart-rending existential questions, not the big intellectual issues. We have the answer to all their questions, the Person of Jesus Christ, and we need to share that answer with them. For those who don't know our Savior, Hide and Seek is my heroine's redemption story. I hope these people will see that a relationship with the one true God is available to them through Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...I really like both my hero and heroine. Lee is me with a shorter version of my resume. You’ve got to like yourself. But my favorite is Jennifer Akihara, a stunning, Japanese-Hawaiian beauty who has an IQ that’s off the scale, a temper to match, and she works magic with mathematical algorithms. She’s also the person you want behind the wheel in a car chase. One more thing—the .38 in her purse has one notch on it. She has a good heart, but trouble seems to follow her.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...The biggest take away I hope the readers grasp is the point illustrated by my two main characters. It's a point made many times by apologist Ravi Zacharias. He emphasizes that the barriers to faith are most often the heart-rending existential questions, not intellectual issues. Hide and Seek emphasizes through the heroine, Jennifer, that all of these questions are answered by God in the person and work of Jesus Christ. A follow-up to that take-away is that we shouldn’t fear sharing our faith with anyone, including people we think are much brighter than us. The things that trouble people most in life are common to everyone living under the curse philosophers call the human dilemma, the curse which God calls sin. If we know Jesus, we know the One Who can meet people’s needs.
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...I usually look first in real life for my story. I subscribe to several e-zines that provide news about topics that would make good plots for thrillers. For my fourth novel, I found a real-life person who has some experiences I wanted to share. But in the final analysis, there is always a synthesis of the real and the imaginary to complete a story. That’s where we get to use our creativity—the really fun part of writing.
When you write, what is your overall intention with your stories?
...For about 12 years I studied Christian apologetics and planned to write a textbook or study guide on that subject, but the experts started publishing far better works than I could’ve written. Now I find that the answers to questions about God and the human dilemma find their way into dialogues in my stories, especially the redemption stories. So far there has been a redemption story embedded in the plot of each of my novels. Aside from the spiritual message in my writing, I want to entertain the reader such that they have something they can legitimately feel good about. I like to make the readers laugh a little, even during some of the danger.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
...Learn the craft as much as you can before you write that first manuscript. With a story running around in your head, it’s hard not to start writing. But I can tell you from experience that it’s even harder to rewrite your story for the third or fourth time. If you don’t want to lose your story, make a detailed outline of it, then critique the outline for good story structure using books on the craft of fiction. Study how to develop characters, how to write dialogue, and to evoke emotion. Then, when you’re ready, write your story. This approach may cost you a couple of months on the front end, but it will save you six months or more of rewriting, time that you could be using to draft your second story.
You
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?
...I sometimes listen to romantic music when writing romantic scenes. If something creates the right emotions in you, it is more likely that your writing will evoke those emotions in your readers. A music video works even better for me. I watch part of the video, write a little, then alternate between watching and writing.
What is your favorite season and why?
...Summer wins, hands down. I live near Seattle and am always sun starved. I have a touch of SAD. When the sun shines, my writing productivity goes up by a factor of ten. Nearly the entire MSS for Hide and Seek was written in 7 days at Lake Havasu, between trail hikes by the lake.
What is your favorite genre to read? Why do you enjoy it?
...I started reading full-length novels when I was nine. In my early teens, I devoured novels. This probably dates me, but as a kid I read the entire Edgar Rice Burroughs and Zane Grey collections—a lot of action, adventure, and some romance. That became what I enjoy writing, high-action romantic suspense and thrillers with romance.
_________________________
Thank you so much for this fantastic interview. I really appreciate what you desire the overall intention of your novels to be. I love listening to Ravi Zacharias - he always seems to appeal to the logical side of Christianity without displacing the impact that emotions and faith also play in it.
You also mentioned that you live near Seattle and (for those of you that know me, this is no secret) I love it up there!! It's my dream to live in that area :) I'll take all those cloudy days over the ridiculous amount of (HOT) sun Southern California gets almost all year round!
Thanks again H. L. Wegley, and for my readers - make sure you check back here on Friday - I will have my review of Hide and Seek up - if an interview with the author didn't convince you to try out his first novel, maybe knowing a little more about the book will ;) See you then!
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