Life's Journey by Patricia S. Gibbons

 Please welcome Patricia S. Gibbons author of  Life's Journey

Patricia S. Gibbons Fischer will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Life's Journey

byPatricia S. Gibbons

 

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GENRE:   FICTION / Biographical

 

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INTERVIEW:

1.       I had previously written a book “The Rottweiler In Australia” – the first 20 years, and really enjoyed doing that.   That inspired to write another and have not had the time until now.

2.       It is primary about immigration to Australia in the 50’s when mostly it was Italians, Greeks and UK immigrants.  

3.       My husband and I have now retired and during Covid, I had plenty of time to write this book and I felt my life has been full & varied, and my grandkids were fascinated by my stores of my life.  So there was my idea for a book.   I had not considered writing the book any earlier, as I had to wait until my adopted children had told their children (our grand children) that they were adopted.    I did not want to let the ‘cat out of the bag’ so to speak!    I felt the time was right.

4.       I am a qualified Classical Homoeopath and also an All Breeds Dog Judge.   My husband and I were Primary Producers (growing, strawberries, raspberries, flowers etc) and I incorporated all these experiences into my book.

5.       I am still very active judging dogs, I still practice Homoeopathy, and as a consequence of adopting two wonderful children, my husband and I now have 7 grandchildren who we adore and are very close to.

6.       I am halfway through my second book, and it is a continuation of my first.

7.       I am one of the characters in the book, I am Penelope.

8.       This book is actually my life’s journey as a 9 year old emigrating to Australia with my family and my experiences in a new country and throughout my life.

9.       No, I do not belong to a critique group, but plan to join one.

10.   When I finished the book, I felt it would make a great TV series, like “A Place to Call Home”, but needed to be a book first.   So I decided to submit the book for publication.   I am now considering taking a course in Script writing as it seems an impossibility to find a Screen/Script writer.

11.   The best advice was the book needed to be longer, but I had already submitted it for publication, so that is why I decided to continue on with the second book.    I am still waiting for the worst advice !

12.   Of course when I wrote my first book on The Rottweiler, I needed to do a lot of research, so I spent a lot of time outlining and researching that book.   My second book “Life’s Journey” was all in my head from my life experience, so I just sat down and started writing.   I could have added a lot more, but wanted to keep it flowing and interesting for the reader.

13.   When something pops into my head, I write it down immediately and then include it in my writing where I can.

14.   In the first book of “Life’s Journey” my favourite character is Penelope, which of course is me.   

15.   All three.   The more variation the better.

16.   There was so much more I could have added to the first “Life’s Journey” that I am now adding in the second “Life’s Journey”  It is quite exciting for me bringing back all the good and bad memories from the past and elaborating on a few to make them more interesting for the reader.    

BLURB:

 

Penelope, aged 9, and her family emigrate from the UK to Australia. This book covers her journey onboard the ship and her family's friendship with a Greek family. This friendship continues in Australia throughout their life's journey.

The book includes the life effects of being interfered with as a child, and the ups and downs of adopting children. Along the way there is mystery, murder, love and disappointment.

Patricia Gibbons keeps you intrigued and in wonder of what is to come.

An exciting read!

 

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EXCERPT:

 

September 19th, 1951, was my ninth birthday. The P&O Liner Ranchi pulled away from Tilbury Docks in the United Kingdom, bound for an unknown future in Australia, its engines roaring through the water, drowning out the singing from our friends and family gathered at the dock to bid us farewell. I could hear them singing and attempting to harmonise their favourite Vera Lynn war tune, ‘We’ll meet again’ as well as ‘Good night, Irene.’ The sights and sounds will stay in my memory forever.

 

My name is Penelope (the family calls me Penny), and the immigration of the family to Australia was a sad day for me, but a day of excitement and wonder for my mother Ada and my two sisters, Shirley, who was sixteen, Kate, fourteen, and my elder brother John, who was eighteen.

 

Dad had made the journey to Australia two years before, and mum longed to see him again on our arrival in Melbourne, Victoria. It was not long before this when Dad returned to the United Kingdom from the war. The family had been evacuated from our house in London when the Germans bombed it. We had so many unpleasant memories of the bombings in London, the air raid shelters, the Germans bombing our school, and finally having to evacuate to the country. After the war, when Dad arrived home, he decided there was a better life for us all in Australia.

 

Being in the Royal Air Force, it was not a difficult thing for Dad to ask for a transfer to The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and make the trip to Australia to set up house for us all in this new land. Dad had met several Australians while fighting in the war, and he grew to like their sense of fun and their outlook on life. They painted a picture of Australia in Dad’s mind as a land of opportunity, a great place to start a new life. As a number of his mates were stationed at the Point Cook Air Force base in Melbourne, he applied to be posted there, and it was granted. So on September 19th, 1951, we were on our way.

 

The trip to Australia took six weeks. We travelled through the Suez Canal, and it was an adventure for all the family. The giant liner was a huge playground for us. There were immigrants from the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, and other countries on board, and one of the Greek families – The Papadopoulos family – became good friends with us all. They had three sons and a daughter. The boys were Sebastian, ten, who became my first boyfriend; Alex, who was just the right age at eighteen to be a friend for John; Theo, a good looking dark haired typical Greek boy of seventeen years, who was to become Shirley’s onboard romance, and last but not least, was a fifteen-year-old girl called Mia who was the right age as a friend for Kate who was very outspoken, Mia was quite shy and Kate bossed her around. It seemed to work out fine between them, and they became inseparable.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Patricia writes under the fictitious name of Patricia Gibbons. She has lived a busy life and some of her adventures are in her new novel, Life’s Journey, but not all:

 

In her teenage years singing and dancing were also one of Patricia’s loves and she appeared in a number of stage performances.

 

Patricia successfully bred Rottweilers for 42 years, and wrote her first book The Rottweiler In Australia about the first 20 years. She published this book back in the mid-1980’s. After becoming an All Breeds Dog Judge, Patricia judged Championship Dog Shows all over Australia, and she travelled overseas to judge in the UK, USA, New Zealand, Malaya, the Philippines and China.

 

Patricia has a Diploma in Classical Homeopathy and Bach Flower Remedies.

 

Connect with Patricia Gibbons

 

WEBSITEhttps://patriciagibbonsauthor.com/

 

GOODREADShttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59516112-life-s-journey

 

Get your copy of Life's Journey                 

 

AMAZON.COM https://amazon.com/dp/0228863643

 

AMAZON.CA https://amazon.ca/dp/0228863643

 

BOOKTOPIA https://www.booktopia.com.au/life-s-journey-patricia-s-gibbons/book/9780228863649.html

 

INDIGO CHAPTERS https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/lifes-journey/9780228863663-item.html

 

BARNES & NOBLE https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lifes-journey-patricia-s-gibbons/1140432238

 

BOOK DEPOSITORY https://www.bookdepository.com/Lifes-Journey-Patricia-S-Gibbons/9780228863649

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Patricia S. Gibbons Fischer will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4076

Secrets of a River Swimmer by S.S. Turner

Please welcome  S.S. Turner author of Secrets of a River Swimmer

 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

Secrets of a River Swimmer

by S.S. Turner 

 

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GENRE: Literary Fiction

 

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INTERVIEW:

What are four things you can’t live without?

Pets – We have cats and chickens at the moment, and we recently lost our dog.

Books – I’m always reading and learning from the books in my life.

Coffee – I love starting the day with a good coffee.

Red wine – I don’t often drink but I do enjoy a glass of red wine some evenings.

What is your favorite television show?

Right now Black Mirroris my favorite television show. It reminds me of a modern version of The Twilight Zone. Each episode is carefully crafted and well written. I’m impressed.

If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be? Why?

I’d be Westley from The Princess Bridebecause he lives in a magical world where the baddies are charming and say silly things like “Inconceivable!”. He battles his demons through a fun adventure while he returns to the woman he loves. He’s an inspiring dude.

What have you got coming soon for us to look out for?

My next novel, The Connection Game, is a psychological thriller based in London. 

A family of four, The Basilworths, have fallen on hard times after becoming victims to an online fraud. They are forced to move into welfare housing in London as they’ve been declared bankrupt. The flat they are allocated is located on the ground floor in a rough area, and the only light that enters the flat comes in through a tiny window which only provides a view of the feet walking past on the street above.

Benny, the husband and father, is angry about their downfall and starts ranting against the world. Then one day, he starts staring out the tiny window at the feet walking past on the street, and he calms down. There’s something about seeing people as nothing more than a pair of passing feet that’s therapeutic for him. However, watching the passing feet soon becomes a passion for him, and he starts noticing unusual patterns in the feet, patterns which deeply concern him.

The more he watches the feet, the more Benny believes the entire city is in serious danger. He convinces his children Will and Wendy to join his foot watching operation at the window, but his wife Belinda is concerned for his mental health. However, the more excited Benny becomes by the foot movements, the more Belinda is drawn into the mystery. She’s determined to discover if there’s any truth behind Benny’s inexplicable theories about the passing feet.

The Connection Gameis due to be released towards the end of 2022. 

What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

My biggest influences have been Mark Twain and JD Salinger. Mark Twain taught me how to create real and complex characters who are unique and memorable. And JD Salinger taught me how to allow the reader into the narrator’s head in a way which allows the reader to discover themselves in the story.  

BLURB:

 

As Freddy gazes at the majestic river gushing past him in the depths of a Scottish winter, he's ready to jump in and end his life. But what happens next is not what Freddy expects. From the moment he enters the river, Freddy starts a journey which is more beautiful, funny, and mysterious than he could have imagined. And through this journey Freddy's story becomes interweaved with a cast of unforgettable characters who are equally lost and in search of answers. Eventually they all unite in their quest for an answer to the biggest question of them all: will the river take them where they want to go?

 

In the tradition of inspirational works of fiction like The Alchemist and Life of Pi, Secrets of a River Swimmer is at once a profound exploration into living with meaning and an affecting story of people on the cusp of change.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

From Page 7

 

I dip my toe in.

 

It’s fucking freezing.

 

I sit and watch the majestically sinister Scottish river hurtle along below me. I’m not sure whether to be in awe or terrified, but that was always going to be the case today, my last day. The idea of jumping into the river reminds me of the feeling you experience when you arrive at the beach, and you’re thinking about jumping into the sea, but you know it’s going to cause you grievous bodily harm from your nether regions up. For some reason, your legs are the one part of your body which can handle intense cold without too much stress. But all body parts above your legs are a whole different story. My voice just rose an octave, and I’m not even talking.

 

So you sit and watch the sea while contemplating your next move, as if this thinking time will give you the required mental strength to leap into the cold blue water. However, this thinking time just gives the water an opportunity to look you in the eye with laughing menace, because the water knows the questions you are grappling with deep in your soul. The water understands it is strong and you are weak—the eternal power imbalance at play.

 

The waiting period only makes it worse, of course. All it does is allow you to hand more mental power over to the cold water than a short and simple jumping-in maneuver would have done. Why do we employ such counter-productive strategies in our lives?

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

S.S. Turner has been an avid reader, writer, and explorer of the natural world throughout his life which has been spent in England, Scotland and Australia. Just like Freddy in his first novel, Secrets of a River Swimmer, he worked in the global fund management sector for many years but realized it didn't align with his values. In recent years, he's been focused on inspiring positive change through his writing as well as trying not to laugh in unfortunate situations. He now lives in Australia with his wife, daughter, two dogs, two cats, and ten chickens.

 

https://www.thestoryplant.com/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer

 

Buy Links:

Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JWTK3WN/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

 

B&N- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer-s-s-turner/1139673873

 

AppleBooks- https://books.apple.com/us/book/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer/id1591209788

 

Indigo- https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer/9781611883213-item.html

 

Kobo- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer

 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4072

The Woods of Hitchcock (The Henrietta Series) by Ann W. Jarvie

 Please welcome Ann W. Jarvie author of The Woods of Hitchcock (The Henrietta Series)

Ann W. Jarvie will be awarding a $75 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

The Woods of Hitchcock

(The Henrietta Series)

by Ann W. Jarvie 

 

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GENRE: Thriller, Psychological Suspense

 

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INTERVIEW:

What or who inspired you to start writing?

Two people inspired me the most. The first was a wonderful high school teacher who saw something she liked in my writing, selected me as yearbook editor, and encouraged me to become a journalism major, which I did. She also was one of my biggest cheerleaders when I started writing novels. The second person was someone who passed away long before I was born: my maternal grandmother, Henrietta, who was also the inspiration for my first novel, The Soul Retrieval. Henrietta lived on an Apache reservation with her physician husband until he mysteriously died there. Her life and the family’s murder mystery intrigued and haunted me. I couldn’t let it go. So I started making up a story about it, with a Henrietta-inspired character as my protagonist. 

In my new thriller, The Woods of Hitchcock, my Henrietta character plays a secondary role as the sage grandmother to my protagonist Suzanne Clayborn. The Woods of Hitchcockis the sequel to The Soul Retrieval, although both novels stand completely on their own.

 

What elements are necessary components for this genre?

The most important element of a thriller, besides being suspenseful and compelling, is having a deadline that requires action from the protagonist to save him or herself, someone loved, something important and/or critical in terms of life-and-death. In The Woods of Hitchcock, I have two such deadlines. In the opening scene, there is a ticking bomb from which the heroine must escape to save herself and a co-worker. Later, a mysterious stranger gives her another deadline of only a week for solving a life-or-death riddle to save those she loves.

 

How did you come up with the idea for your new novel?

A lot of story ideas I’ve had over the years and many of my life themes converged to form the inspiration for my new thriller, The Woods of Hitchcock.

When I was growing up in Aiken County, South Carolina, and first heard the name “Hitchcock Woods,” which is a real place, even as a young teen, I honestly thought it sounded more like a suspense novel than the enchanting equestrian forest preserve that it is. Perhaps I was seeing into my own future. While I was living in Chicago and started writing novels, I kept coming back “home” and to Hitchcock Woods, walking and riding horses in it with family and friends, eventually realizing it, as well as Chicago, would be the ideal settings for my protagonist, Suzanne Clayborn, and her suspenseful Hero’s Journey. 

 

Does Hitchcock Woods have anything to do with the filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock?

Not at all. But I’ve intentionally included a few subtle Hitchcockian film themes and plot devices in The Woods of Hitchcock—for fun, surprise and added suspense. I’ve even included something that might be likened to one of Alfred’s famous “cameo” appearances, and I challenge readers to find it! 

 

What expertise did you bring to your writing?

I have a B.A. in journalism and twenty-five years’ experience as a copywriter in advertising and PR agencies, in Chicago and South Carolina. As they say, “write what you know.” So I brought my background into The Woods of Hitchcock, giving my protagonist Suzanne the same career and the type of clients I had while working in Chicago.

 

What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I was classically trained in ballet, which gave me an appreciation for classical music. I like to listen to it while I’m writing because it helps me get into a flow. I then started to realize there is a fascinating rhythm and cadence to writing. For example, action scenes are like a Mozart staccato and must be written with short sentences, sharp verbs and jabs. Descriptive writing is slower and flowing and plays in my mind, much like a Tchaikovsky waltz.

 

Who is your favorite character in the book? Can you tell us why?

My favorite character is unexpectedly a secondary character who ended up surprising my protagonist Suzanne (and me)—and that isSuzanne’s father, JJ. He initially appears to be superficial, obsessed with expensive thoroughbreds, and lacking in any heroic qualities. But later he shows remarkable psychological depth and good humor just when Suzanne least expects it. My next favorite secondary character is Suzanne’s mother, Lita. The most hilarious southern expressions come out of her mouth, and some readers might think I was being overly comical with her. But Lita is a true composite of some of the finest, most generous and funniest southern women I have known. She tickles me to death, as we say in the South. 

 

As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I’m working on the third novel in my “Henrietta Series,” although each story stands on its own.

 

Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?

I think it’s essential to get feedback on your manuscript before you pitch it to an agent or publisher. And I have been fortunate to have a “critique group” of trusted beta readers, writer friends and editors who keep me on the right path.

 

What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

The best advice is this: Don’t even think about publishing a novel until you’ve written a good one. Completing a solid first-draft manuscript requires a lot of hard work. Just to finish, you must have incredible perseverance. And you must love what you’re writing about and the characters you create—the good, the bad and the ugly. Once you have a completed manuscript, give yourself a toast and a hearty pat on the back. Then hire a developmental editor to give you constructive feedback and the “go ahead” before proceeding to the next step.

 

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

Although I did not outline my first novel, I wrote a detailed outline for The Woods of Hitchcock. I found it helpful and efficient, so I will continue to do so for my third and future novels.

 

How do you maintain your creativity?

Meditation, reading, listening to great music and dancing.

 

Are your plotting bunnies, angels or demons?

I’m plotting angels for sure, but you also must have demons (antagonists) to make the story interesting.

BLURB:

 

The Woods of Hitchcock by award-winning author Ann W. Jarvie is a thriller about a psychically gifted Chicago copywriter and victim of violence who returns to South Carolina's equestrian country to solve a riddle involving murder, the metaphysical and the secrets of her eccentric family.

 

Suzanne Clayborn is a psychically gifted southerner working in her dream job in Chicago, which also conveniently takes her away from the ghosts of her past. But when she's nearly killed, she realizes all she wants is to return home to her eccentric family, her horse and the one place she feels safe: Hitchcock Woods, an enchanting equestrian forest in South Carolina.

 

But instead of finding solace, Suzanne becomes entangled in a murder spree, while stumbling upon an old manuscript, written by her sage grandmother. As she explores it, Suzanne uncovers a tome of long-buried family haunts and ancient metaphysical secrets offering healing and inspiration. She also begins to understand her unwanted psychic abilities, especially after meeting a mysterious stranger in the Woods whose ominous riddle suggests others close to her will die within the week...

 

Brimming with raw emotion and a trail of psychological twists, a story of hope and transformation begins to unfold. Yet with the riddle's deadline looming, Suzanne's present must ultimately collide with a violent past. Will she be able to solve her life's riddle and fulfill her destiny? Or will she die along with those she loves?

 

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EXCERPT:

 

Suzanne Clayborn woke up in darkness, mouth taped shut.

 

Jerking only made the ties around her wrists and ankles tighter, but it wasn’t just the bindings holding her down. Her muscles weren’t working right, like her whole body had fallen asleep. All she could do was lie there on a floor, heart pounding in terror, listening to the eerie bangs of pipes hidden somewhere behind the shadowed walls.

 

Her body trembled, despite an overwhelming heat, heavy and putrid, falling on her face and neck like the terrible breath of a monster. She had no memory of what had happened to her or where she was now. She only knew she was immobilized, maybe paralyzed, and every inch of her head ached. She might’ve welcomed another blackout, but the fumes were acting like smelling salts, forcing her to remain awake.

 

Yet she preferred consciousness—she didn’t want to die. It wasn’t that she feared the afterlife. That was actually the only good thing about the tragic accident years ago, when she was thirteen, when she’d felt her soul float away in bliss. It was the coming back that was the scary part. What she’d seen and felt when she’d woken up, and almost every day since then, could not be unseen or unfelt. It was a secret horror, her life irreversibly altered with strange, new abilities she didn’t need or want. Still, she didn’t want to die—not now, not like this—because she was struck in this dark moment with an awful knowing, a bothersome niggling in the deepest part of her soul about something important she had to finish in this life.

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Ann W. Jarvie has a B.A. in journalism and twenty-five years’ experience as a writer in advertising and public relations agencies, in Chicago and South Carolina. Although it stands completely on its own, The Woods of Hitchcock is an indirect sequel to Jarvie’s award-winning debut novel, The Soul Retrieval, which received four literary awards, the highest score by Writer’s Digest e-Book Awards’ judges (5 out of 5 on all points) as well as myriad positive reviews. Jarvie currently lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona with her husband, their boxer dog and boxer mix rescue.

 

Website and Social Media:

 

ANNWJARVIE.COM

facebook.com/annwjarvie

instagram.com/annwjarvie

twitter.com/annwjarvie

 

 

The Woods of Hitchcock, A Thriller by Ann W. Jarvie, is available online everywhere, including:

 

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-woods-of-hitchcock-ann-w-jarvie/1139765258

 

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Woods-Hitchcock-Thriller-Henrietta/dp/0578932008/ref=sr_1_1

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Ann W. Jarvie will be awarding a $75 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

Please use this rafflecopter code on your post: 

 

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Burn This City to the Ground by N. Daniel

Please welcome  N. Daniel author of Burn This City to the Ground

N. Daniel will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Burn This City to the Ground

byN. Daniel

 

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GENRE:   Memoir/Creative Nonfiction

 

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INTERVIEW:

1.             What or who inspired you to start writing?

 

            This is going to sound kind of out there but I was feeling suicidal. I literally felt like I was at the end of my life. I started writing the story of how I came into such an intense and threatening situation. Little by little I realized that I wanted to live and see how the story ended. I ended up having a psychotic episode and landed a court ordered mental health civil commitment. I finished writing the book in a mental health hospital and it was published as “Corners Untouched by Madness” in 2019. My first book boasts a 4.7 out of 5***** on amazon with thirty-one reviews. Yes, I am proud.

 

2.         What elements are necessary components for this genre?

 

            Memoir is a slippery genre. On one hand you're trying to be as realistic as possible. On the other hand you are trying to show people what you learned from the experience in an effective and efficient way, using the narrative as a vehicle for education. How can we describe our memories other than day-dreams? Never quite real. Never quite exactly how it happened or rarely how it happened. A good memory would help but as generations of story-tellers can attest, tell an effective story and you will create a sense of wonder and understanding that can last generations. The more real you can make it in the most interesting way the better. That's the challenge of memoir.

3.         How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

 

            Honestly, I lived through the events of my novel and thought they were interesting in their trauma. I will tell you a little story about this book. I began writing this book during National Novel Writing Month in 2018 and 2019. I was trying to tell a story about living with my disabled client in Downtown Minneapolis. We had intended for it to be about living life poor and disabled since a lot of media about quadriplegics has them wealthy. I sat on the story for awhile but revisited it in the winter of 2021. From 2017 to 2019 I worked as a volunteer at the Salvation Army Harbor Lights Homeless Shelter in Minneapolis. I wrote about my time volunteering there. Obviously, the events of 2020 saw George Floyd's murder and he was also there with me. He was a character in my original manuscript. I rewrote two-thirds of the book which is now “Burn This City to the Ground.”

 

4.         What expertise did you bring to your writing?

 

            I have always had a natural ability to express myself with literature. I can say grammar was never my strong suit. I used to write papers for my sociology teacher. They weren't assignments but just to show him how I thought. I remember the last one I wrote I slid under his door but I never found out what his opinion was. Recently a reviewer compared me to Kurt Vonnegut's Jr's son. My teacher had introduced me to his father's books. That's how I knew I had come full circle as not just a writer, but a person.

5.         What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

 

            You know, I don't think anyone has realized this yet. There are several pop-culture easter eggs in my new book and I am a chronic video-game nerd. I only play one game though. It's called Final Fantasy XIV. There is a passage in the book where I am checking my Quadriplegic client's bed linens and find she had an accident in bed. I say “Such Devastation.” True fans will know the rest.

 

6.         As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

 

            My plans as a writer are to keep writing! Continue to grow and mature as a writer. I am not sure where my career will go but I feel after writing a book about my young adult and mature adult life I want to write more about my childhood. Perhaps not a memoir but something based on my experiences. I grew up at a time where kids knew more about the internet than their parents. I will let you fill in the blanks. Actually, I will give you a hint. Hacking, pornography and conversations with complete strangers. Couldn't be more divisive. 

 

7.         If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

 

            Since it is a memoir I could say that I would want to be myself. The second main character is a quadriplegic, my roommate Sam. God bless her I think being her character would completely devastate me. The anguish, the frustration and the anger she went through. It's the stuff of saints that we even made it through the way we did. Sam might not be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, but for putting up with me? Well, we both deserve a pat on the back if only for getting through. We survived. Enough said.

 

8.         Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

 

            Well, the way I typically describe my roommate Sam is Will Traynor from “Me Before You” meets Marla Singer from “Fight Club.” It is an odd couple pairing with my playing the “White Savior” who meets George Floyd at the homeless shelter. Needless to say I was not successful in my efforts to save anyone and that is the real meat of the story. Why do white people feel the need to help and that their effort will save the human race or make a difference? I know some heed the call but does it really help? Food for thought.

 

9.         Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?

 

            I don't actually belong to a critique group and my criticisms have been few and far between. I don't struggle as much as I should as a writer and everything seems to flow a bit easier with a couple stiff drinks. Hemingway is my guru. Jesus is my savior. Everything in-between is just balderdash.

 

10.        When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

 

            I mean, I hate to say this but I was pretty much on my own through 100% of the project. I was a mental patient, committed to a hospital by a court. No one thought I would get this far. I never even thought I would get this far. My debut novel has done well critically and won some honorable mentions in writing competitions. My second book is in contention for the MN Book Awards. It's safe to say that my insane scribbling was not just a flash in the pan. I am here to stay. The only question is what will I say next?

 

11.        What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

 

            God, if I could only have received the advice I have given people. I had no contacts in the writing community when I began. I have a degree in graphic design and my one writing course in college was hardly something that bore fruit. I can't even remember who the instructor was or what he looked like. I learned the ropes on my own with no encouragement. The few people that did enjoy what I had written were scarce and their voices hardly strong enough to move me forward. Willpower is a thing and it doesn't work for everyone. I think I was driven forward by a desire to not be seen as a crazy person. My feelings are valid.

 

12.        Do you outline your books or just start writing?

 

            In the past I have just written. I make a formal outline but I have never once used one. To me writing is like a dance, each step revealing a truth or comforting one. You may wonder why I didn't say hiding one. I feel there are ways of making peace with these revelations, to ease the blow so to speak. Some say kindness is a weakness but in memoir, it is like the holy grail. Give context. Be real. Use sympathy. We are all the way we are for a reason. Most of the time it isn't our fault.

 

13.        How do you maintain your creativity?

 

            I was Zen Buddhist for several years. Now I am Christian. The one thing I learned from Buddhism that has really benefited me in my writing is the knowledge that we are not our thoughts. They kind of just float through our heads and then float out. When our minds are clear we can kind of grasp onto these deeper concepts and use them in our art. Some call it a gift. Others call it divine inspiration. I don't know what I have done to have a deeper understanding but I attribute some of it to my father. He encouraged me to read Shakespeare, Ayn Rand, Khalil Gibran, Victor Hugo. To study the arts, the great epics of humanity. The vein of our civilization runs deep and once we tap into it, everything is possible. Invest in the arts, in art history. Everyone says it. Just do it.

14.        Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?

 

            Of course my favorite character is Sam. How could it not be? The person who taught me what it truly means to have faith, to laugh at myself and to not be bothered by those on a different path. Samantha is not who she seems and I don't know if I will ever fully reveal what that means to anyone. However, I will say she was a muse, a type of macguffin or a zeitgeist for the disabled community as a whole. She changed my life for the better. I hope she can say the same but that is entirely on her.

 

15.        Are your plotting bunnies, angels or demons?

 

            I am more partial to angels. After volunteering for the Salvation Army for a couple years I definitely feel more partial to them. I used to walk to a parking ramp on the street outside the shelter in the dark. It was a little scary because of all of the homeless people around. My friend Janet, who is mentioned in my book, once told me they don't mess with staff and that they knew who I was. I am not sure I took a lot of comfort in that. Once as I was walking outside on a particularly cold night, I felt a huge set of wings on my back. I am not saying I am an angel but I think one was definitely looking over me while I was at that shelter. I actually think George Floyd deserves all the credit in the world for his work with those homeless individuals. Instead he is seen as pariah by many. It seriously isn't right. He was a good man protected by the same “angels.”

 

BLURB:

 

As Daniel recovers from a psychotic episode and months long mental health civil commitment, he befriends a youthful quadriplegic named Samantha who is dealing with life-threatening health problems. When cohabitation becomes necessary for Sam, caregiver and client both move to downtown Minneapolis to begin a new life together. Before they can get settled in, Daniel is diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and must undergo multiple surgeries. The two navigate the American healthcare system and work towards Samantha's eventual independence, however, their relationship becomes toxic when a global pandemic shakes the nation and George Floyd is murdered by Minneapolis police officers.
Based on the author's life, this endearing platonic love story is the gooey center of a turbulent world set aflame. Through the laughter and the tears, Samantha and Daniel play off each other like a tragic comedy duo that's hell bent on finding humor within the most savage aspects of their everyday lives.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

I pulled into a gas station and had some trouble figuring out which side the tank was on. With some maneuvering I positioned the van next to the pump. Suddenly I realized that I didn't have any money for gas. I paged through the three-ringed binder holding the mileage log and found what looked like a debit card in a pencil pouch. 

 

“That's the gas card, dear. You type in the mileage and the user code when you start the pump.” 

 

“Oh, I get it. What's the code?” I asked. “Look at the back of the card.” There was a tiny piece of paper fastened to the back of the card with clear plastic tape. It read “3742”. Sam put her limp left hand on her forehead as though she was doing a facepalm. I entered the information into the pump and opened the side door so I could talk to her while it filled up. 

 

“So, you have had problems with these sores before?” 

 

“Yes,” she replied, callously. 

 

“They can be pretty serious business, huh?” 

 

“You know the guy that played Superman? Christopher Reeve?” 

 

“Yeah, everybody knows him. He fell off of his horse and broke his neck, right?” 

 

“Exactly,” Sam continued. “He broke his neck at the base of his skull, so he had even less function than I do. Poor Bastard. Do you know how he died?” 

 

“No, how?” 

 

“Just like this. He got a pressure ulcer. Felt fine, just peachy. He went into sepsis and before they could give him antibiotics he dropped dead.” 

 

Sam pointed her hand at me in the thumbs up motion. 

 

“I wish I had the balls to just refuse treatment, but I am too chicken****.”

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

N. Daniel works as a medical caregiver in the greater Minneapolis/Saint Paul Metropolitan area in the Winter and as a landscape laborer for his father in Winona, MN in the Summer. His debut writing effort, “Corners Untouched by Madness: A Personal Journey of Overcoming Mental Illness,” has enjoyed modest success in certain writing circles. The Author lives with his wife and two dogs just outside of downtown Minneapolis."


Website: www.ndaniel.us
E-Mail: author@ndaniel.us
Twitter/Instagram ID: MyUnsafePlace
Facebook: NdanielAuthor

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Burn-This-City-Ground-Daniel-ebook/dp/B09MBPV4K7/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

N. Daniel will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4077