Who taught me? What I am following? That always brings about by consequences and fault of others and selflessness. However, being worthy and unworthy, but there is a God with us. Ultimately, one day, we realize and stepped out of hell and save ourselves.
The church taught me that
my body was a weapon,
and the consequences were always
my fault;
the church taught me no matter
how good i was i was never worthy
of love because ultimately, I was flawed
and unworthy of being saved and I should
be grateful that I had a god that was
forgiving enough to accept me as is—
it's no wonder I always suffered with
self-image and self-esteem and was riddled
with anxiety,
because the church taught you no matter
how good you did in life that none of it was
ever the effort of your hands, nor should you ever
be given any credit;
I am so grateful that one day I just woke up and decided
that I wanted to live my life differently, and I wanted to
do what was best for me and I wanted to love myself and
be myself and live without fear of their hell because
hell is trying to be someone you are not in order to
please others because some people will never be happy with
you, even if you did everything they think or said you should.
The poem Rebel is a story of a girl who gets advice of fear, dare, don't fly. The poet at the end of the poem gives an excellent message.
There was once a girl, ages ago.
She had big dreams and with big wings, she dared to fly
But they said she would burn,
‘Don’t fly too close to the sun’-
So, she did what she was told.
There was once a girl, ages ago.
She raised her voice, did not keep quiet
But they said she had to obey,
‘Or you will go astray’-
So, she did what she was told.
There was once a girl, long ago
She was tired of running, scared of falling
But, they said, she could never say no
‘Go with the flow’-
So, she did what she was told.
‘Do what you’re told’
‘Don’t think for yourself’
‘Do not disobey’
‘Don’t be bold’
Or you’ll be free.
I hope you enjoyed the poem, Rebel, you may like other famous poems
“I Don't Have to Play by Your Rules” the poem that gives a unique message upon anyone got betrayal.
No one should have to live their lives
in fear of being found out,
spending their time locked in a closet
with all the skeletons and spiders
and dirty little secrets no one wants
to spill;
exhausted of people acting as if being
queer is a lifestyle or a choice,
it is who we are;
we are born this way—
& for those who want to say it's unnatural
here are some animals that are gay in the wild:
lions, giraffes, bonobos, penguins, dolphins,
albatrosses, elephants, sheep, macaques,
bison, walruses, swans, spotted hyenas,
flamingos, orcas, vultures, sea lions, gulls,
and many more;
just because you live your lives differently doesn't
mean that everyone should have to play by your rules—
stop using your religion as an excuse to murder,
hate, and ruin the lives of those who don't subscribe
to your theology;
you're not oppressed simply because we're calling you out.
After reading, I Don't Have… you may also like to read the below poems
Poem on lemonadeexplores the relation between a daughter and father
it's Father's Day,
and I have complicated
emotions about it;
makes me a little sad that my
stepfather and I aren't close
and that my biological father was
nothing more than a nightmare
in the lives of both me and my mother—
makes me jealous of all the people
with good dads that actually love them
and have relationships with them and the
girls and women that get
to have those father-daughter dances
at weddings that I've never ever once had,
makes me hungry for a relationship I'll never have;
because whilst my stepfather loves me
and I love him there's a lot of pain and rage and
resentment there, too;
it wasn't always bad, but it wasn't always good, either—
So, I stand here with this bittersweet lemonade
of emotions, wishing there was more sweetness
because it's mostly bitter, and I've never liked bitter drinks.
After reading poem on lemonade, read another must-read poems
Getting a time for writing for a working professional is quite difficult. However, in this busy life, one must need someone to care, love and support in writing. Therefore, none another but the life partner is the best. Read what Joel shared on writing, including what support he gets from his love and life.
Behind every successful man, there is a woman
Fact
Joel Shulkin
About Joel Shulkin
Being a full-time physician hasn't stopped Joel from writing. Far from it, the complexity of his patients, prior service with the United States Air Force, a Master's in Public Health. And involvement in organized medicine in the middle of an ever-changing healthcare system all provide raw material for his stories.
Joel's short work has appeared in various print and online journals, and he's won several awards, including Best Medical Fiction from SEAK and an Honorable Mention from Writer's Digest Thriller Suspense Competition. ADVERSE EFFECTS is his debut novel.
Joel lives in Florida with his wife and twin daughters. He is represented by Lynnette Novak of the Seymour Agency.
It is true that experiences teach us, and they are our first teachers in the life. When did you decide that you must write about the “Adverse Effect”? Was there any life-threatening incident in your medical practice?
Fortunately, I've never been in a situation at work where my personal safety was threatened or I was afraid for my life. The idea of adverse effects of an experimental drug, however, originated from an uncomfortable experience (see below) and my training in psychotropic medications. I also was pursuing my Master's in Public Health at the time that I started writing the book, including courses on ethics and global human rights. That's when I learned that human trial conducted overseas often lack the institutional review oversight required here in the U.S., opening the door to maltreatment of subjects and the potential for pushing through unsafe drugs for approval. This book was a way of exploring the hazards of the current practice.
You being a full-time physician (MD), how do you find time for writing? To write a book, one need empty mind and calm environment. Therefore, you must be meeting many people in clinic every day, how do you manage time and place for writing?
It's not easy, especially now that I also have to keep up with marketing things like social media posts, interviews (!), and so planning for book launch. But typically I wake up at 5 am daily and write for an hour in my little home office before everyone else awakens. I aim for at least 500 words per day--sometimes it's a lot more, and sometimes it's only a handful of sentences. Or I might use that time for editing. Even 500 words a day over 6 months comes out to 90,000 words, which is a pretty good amount for a thriller.
Share to us what was the moment made you write this book and why? Please tell us a story behind the inspiration.
I used to ride the bus to work when I lived in Boston, and there was a time when the entire bus was empty, until one man wearing old clothes boarded and decided to sit directly behind me. It was uncomfortable, but I could imagine how frightening it might be for a woman in that situation, especially if the man started talking to her. When I got home and told my wife about it, we came up with the idea of a woman who recovered from amnesia, but starts to question if her memories are real. That experience became an early scene in ADVERSE EFFECTS, when a homeless man sits behind Dr. Cristina Silva and says, “I know who you are. Who you really are.”
How do you schedule your day in the busy lifestyle? Tell us more about your family and friends who have helped you in the writing process.
As mentioned, I typically do my writing in the early morning, as I help get the kids off to school, feed and walk the dog, etc. My wife is very understanding and supportive of my writing career, however, and she was actually my first reader and editor until we had kids, and provided wonderful insight into how women think (helping to make sure Cristina acted like a woman, not a woman written by a man)--and, seeing as she is from central Brazil, ensuring that my references to Brazil and use of Portuguese in the book were accurate. Now that we have kids, she doesn't have the time to read my work, but when I need extra time set aside for editing, proofreading, or meeting a deadline, she keeps the kids busy to give me the time I need. I'm also fortunate to have become friends with several authors who share an agent with me, and we read and critique each other's manuscripts.
Do you have any other writing projects ahead? If yes, are they only limited to medical thriller stories, or non-fiction based on true story?
All of my current projects are thrillers--mostly medical thrillers but one is a sci-fi/superhero thriller, while another is a psychological thriller. I was going to co-write a non-fiction book at one point in the past (before I finished ADVERSE EFFECTS), but the agreement fell through.
Tell us more about the book, adverse effects and the characteristics of the protagonist.
ADVERSE EFFECTS is about psychiatrist Dr. Cristina Silva, who is studying the effects of an experimental memory-restoring drug on her patients. But when two of her patients commit suicide, she fears the drug is at fault--especially since she's taking the same drug. Then she begins experiencing unfamiliar flashbacks. When a stranger tells her she's not who she thinks she is, and she experiences nightmares and waking visions, she begins to wonder if she's losing her mind, or if the life she's recovered is the illusion. Determined to help her patients and friends even as she struggles to keep a grasp on reality, Cristina sets off on a search for answers that spans two continents, even if the answers--or the adverse effects of the drug--may destroy her.
Gillie talked about her interest, story behind her book and the most important thing is enjoy yourself being a writer. Read why her thought about writing is intriguing.
About Gillie Bowen
Gillie Bowen was born in Nakuru in Kenya and have travelled the world extensively over the years. She is a retired British journalist, now living with her husband in the Loire Valley in France. Gillie loves to write, cook, to entertain and to travel.
In her book, “Beneath African Skies” She has brilliantly explored the young people's challenges lived in 1820. She believed writing saga fiction, inspired by true events, required a family who can provide deep information about the subject. On other hand, an internet help for more information.
How did you find the story about your book, “Beneath African Skies”
Beneath African Skies is a true story about my ancestors who left England in 1820, as part of a British scheme, to emigrate and become settlers in Southern Africa. I was always aware of Hougham Hudson’s story, but I became more interested as I investigated more about the Hudson family. Hougham Hudson was my great-great-grandfather and my mother Molly was born on his grandson’s farm in 1919.
What are the genres you love to write. However, “Beneath African Skies” what message you wanted to send to your readers writing this fiction?
I love to write historical fiction, based on true stories. Beneath African Skies is fiction based on a true story. As well as my mother’s memories and my own research, my uncle, George Hudson, self-published his life story before he died and that was a very useful source of information, too. I wanted to get across to my readers what brave young people the 1820 settlers were, and the challenges they faced over the years.
Therefore, writing thriller, how much struggle one required? What is your strategy to get onto collect the evidences for pursuing the ideas?
Beneath African Skies is not a thriller, but more of a family saga based on a true story. I research all my books very thoroughly, using the family information I already have, and exploring the internet for more.
How many other books you have written, are they based on real life inspired? Tell us more about your favourite writers and their books.
I wrote the sequel to Beneath African Skies several years after it was published. Entitled Breaking African Ties, it takes the reader from the end of the Second World War to Kenyan Independence. My family lived through these times and their lives are well documented. I wrote Breaking African Ties after a number of my readers said: ‘And then what happened?’ Always interested in genealogy, I turned my attention to the Bowen family and research showed that my husband’s great-great-aunt, Emily, had emigrated from London to Australia in 1882, leaving her five-year-old daughter, Lilian, behind. That fascinated me. Why would any woman travel to the other side of the world, leaving her daughter behind? The Lost Seed of the Pomegranate is Emily’s story, and I loved researching and writing it. I was next to discover, through my genealogy research, that I too had a famous aunt on my side of the family. My seventh great-aunt, born in 1728, was a brave young woman who saved hundreds of sailors’ lives by going out with the rescue boats from her hometown in Kent, England. She went on to design the forerunner of today’s lifeboat, and to this day, the RNLI in England name a lifeboat after her. The Mary White was first published in October 2020. The sequel White on Wight is the story of her nephew, Thomas White, who went on to become the biggest shipbuilder on the Isle of Wight. It will be published this month.
I have also written a modern-day, romantic drama trilogy, The Ville Rose series, which is a family saga, covering three generations of an English/French family. It is based in Toulouse and London. Favourite writers? Ian McEwan is a favourite British writer. I have read most of his books and have recently finished ‘The Chldrens Act’, which I found very moving. McEwan writes about people and their emotions. His genre varies. I love historical novels and I like Marius Gabriel’s writings. I particularly enjoyed ‘Goodnight Vienna’ which is based on a true story during the German occupation of Austria at the beginning of World War 2.
What is your daily target of writing? Number of pages, words, or finishing a particular scene and settings?
I don’t have targets. I like to write in the early morning before my family is awake. I write as much as the mood takes me, but I usually try to finish a scene before I stop for the day. I usually write or edit every day of my life.
Do you write a plot first or decides your characters before you start putting them on Papers?
On the whole, I write by the seat-of-my-pants, but I always have a basic plot before I start a book. I draw a graph, to remind myself of where the story is going, and when things happen. I keep a checklist of all the characters as they come into the story and the page number on which they first appear. I find this very useful when I need to refer back to a Character.
Would you like to say something in your voice to your readers about writing and crafting?
Writing is an addiction to most authors and if you have a craving to put your story into words, then do it! It doesn’t matter how well you write; you will improve as you develop your craft. The most important thing is to enjoy yourself. If you find it a trial, then writing is not for you.
Ashely crafted “Missing in The Pages” by putting, love, revenge and how romance of lies makes us turn the pages until you finish the book. It simply makes you miss the pages of the book at every time you take a break from reading the novel.
Author Bio
Author Ashley Tropea
Ashley Tropea comes from an Egyptian-Italian family and has been writing since she was 11. She finished her first novel by the age of 14 and published it online for free, where she received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, earning a combined 1.5 million reads worldwide.
In addition to her (perhaps unhealthy) obsession with books, she is also a huge tv junkie. She studied writing for tv at Loyola Marymount University where she graduated with a BA in Screenwriting. Her scripts have performed just as well as her novels, placing in numerous screenwriting competitions and regularly ranking in the top 10 on Coverfly's Red List.
With a special place in her heart for fantasies and ball gowns, Ashley intends to spread her love of large worlds, adventure, and romance through her novels and films.
About the book “Missing in The Pages”
Missing in the pages
With over 1 million reads worldwide, Missing in the Pages is an exciting and heartfelt story full of swashbuckling pirates, dangerous romance, and one girl's quest to find her home.
After eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Burrough's father went missing six years ago, all Elizabeth has ever felt is alone. Ostracized at school and ignored at home by her perpetually grieving mother, Elizabeth’s only solace lies within the pages of her favorite book, filled with daring sword fights and adventurous heroines. But when she awakes one morning to discover she's somehow inside the novel, it seems the glamorous world of eighteenth-century England may be more perilous than she'd ever expected. And when the striking but harsh Captain Carter McLeod decides he can use Elizabeth for his own gain, she is suddenly thrust into a treacherous life of deceit, envy, and revenge.
But as Elizabeth finds herself inexplicably drawn to the merciless captain, she begins to realize that Carter’s past is filled with darker secrets than she ever realized. And when Carter determines Elizabeth's help is imperative in recovering a treasure that had been stolen from him long ago, the dangers that lurk beneath the surface of the polished English nobility start to rise up around them. In a place where it seems no one is completely trustworthy and where darkness hides around every corner, Elizabeth must decide whether there is actually anything awaiting her back home or if this dangerously exhilarating world is where she truly belongs.
Opening Paragraphs
Rain slams against the wooden deck of the ship, dousing the candlelight and plunging the ship’s crew into darkness. The moon paints the frantic men in sallow light, reflecting the blanched panic on their faces as they rush to their posts, crashing into each other in the process. Thunder booms and lightning shoots from the sky, breaking through the thick darkness of the night. Offering Elizabeth just a moment to see him across the deck.
She hikes the skirts of her gown as high as she can and hurries toward him.
“Nathaniel!”
He turns and spots her. There is a look in his eyes that makes her blood run cold with a fear she has never known. Her throat runs dry and she almost stops in her approach. But she refuses to believe what his eyes are telling her.
She shoves through the panicked crowd of men until she reaches him. “Where is he?” she demands.
He drops his eyes to the ground, scratching his head sorrowfully. “I don’t know.” His voice is soft...mournful.
Her heart plummets to her feet and she can hardly breathe. “How can you not know? Were you not with him?”
“I was.”
“Then where the bloody hell is he, Nathan?”
He doesn’t answer, giving her that look again.
She shakes her head. Terror’s cold tentacles wrap around her, chilling her to the marrow of her bones. “I have to find him.”
He grabs her arm as she turns to go. “No, you can’t—”
“I have to find him!”
Thunder claps and every single man on the ship falls silent as they stare at the edge of the vessel. For a moment, Elizabeth can’t understand what’s happened. But then she watches as the figure of the man she has been searching for staggers onto the ship.
It wasn’t a thunderclap.
It was a gunshot.
Carter stumbles, clutching at his stomach, blood spilling out. He struggles to raise his head, but when he finally manages it, his eyes easily find hers across the expanse of the deck, a wealth of meaning in them.
Then those beautiful hazel eyes that Elizabeth adores so much roll back in his head.
“No,” she breathes as he collapses. She runs for him, ignoring the way her corset digs into her skin or the way his crew remain frozen.
She drops to her knees beside him, cradling his face in her hands. His skin is pale and his muscles are slack. “Carter?” She shakes him hard, but he doesn’t move. “No, no, no, no—Carter? Can you hear me?”
Silence.
His eyes, eyes that had gazed at her with such love, such passion, now stare unseeingly into the stormy sky. Blank.
Elizabeth cries, terrible, painful sobs as she looks into those eyes. Carter McLeod, the man who always manages to pull her back from the edge, the only man she has ever loved, is dead—
I snapped the book shut and practically threw it across the room where it landed on a round cafeteria table.
What! Carter was dead? Really, truly dead? But he was the male lead! How do you kill the lead?!
I leaned forward and rested my head in my hands, sighing.
These books were going to be the death of me.
I had been so sure the lead characters were safe with Sarah Morales. She had written my absolute favorite books for the past seven years. The release of the final book in the Caspian Rogers series had been record breaking; nearly every bookstore in America had sold out of the novels in the first day.
And in the last book, she killed Carter McLeod. Unbelievable. Unforgivable, really.
I moved to the table the book had landed on, picking it up and scanning over that last page again as if by sheer will I could change the words. But all I accomplished was a deeper feeling of despair and an embarrassing tear that trailed down my cheek.
“Freak,” a girl muttered as she passed me, followed by giggles from her friends.
My cheeks flushed hotly, and I fidgeted on the metal bench, keeping my eyes downcast.
But I felt them watching me a few tables away, their eyes like hot pokers stabbing my skin.
It was my fault. I knew I was sitting in the school cafeteria. I should’ve controlled myself better, done more to appear like the invisible girl I was supposed to be. The invisible girl I so desperately wanted to be.
Because invisible meant no one could see me. Invisible meant no one was looking or laughing or whispering. Invisible meant silence, and silence meant safety.
I had heard that saying over and over about sticks and stones, how words couldn’t hurt. Someone should’ve told the creator of that mantra that the eyes hurt more than the words. Constant accusations of “freak” or “weirdo” I could handle; I’d heard them enough. But it was the things unheard that made my cheeks flame, the judgement that radiated from their faces into my back. It was the unspoken thoughts I couldn’t hear but that I knew existed. That I knew were much crueler than anything anyone actually said.
I let my long brown hair curtain my face from their view, opened the book in front of me again, and blew out a sharp breath. Shield back in place. A meaningless line of defense against laughter and scrutiny, but it was all I had.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and hurried out the door, mentally counting down the days until graduation, until freedom. Just twenty-five more days, I assured myself. I had done twelve years with these people. I could do another twenty-five days.
***
When I got home, a note from Mom sat on the counter:
Emergency at the hospital. Be back late. Dinner in freezer.
I sighed as I practically threw the frozen dinner in the microwave, completely unsurprised to find Mom wasn’t home. Somehow, there was always an emergency at the hospital only my surgeon mother could solve, that just happened to coincide with the time I came home from school at night or when I left for school in the morning. Somehow, she always found a way to stay away from the house.
Away from me.
It was how she coped, she’d told me once. After Dad had gone missing, how could I expect her to be here, where so much reminded her of him? Where I reminded her of him?
Six years. Six years ago, Mom went to work and I went to school, and when we came home, Dad was gone. At first, we’d thought he’d run away. Incomprehensible in itself—he loved us. But his phone, keys, clothes, everything had been left at home. No, he hadn’t run away. Something had happened to him.
But that was six years ago. And Mom and I both knew the odds were he was…dead. The police wouldn’t find him, he wouldn’t stumble through the front door with an explanation. He was gone.
So that made it six years that I had been completely and totally alone in this house. What was one more night?
I shook my head—disappointed in myself for feeling disappointed—and pulled the dinner out as the microwave beeped.
I set my plate at the kitchen table big enough for four but only ever seating one and flicked on the television, not caring at all what channel came on. I just needed something to cover up the sounds of my solitary meal.
Naturally, it was the news, talking about the record sales of the Caspian Rogers finale. The news anchor stood in front of a bookstore with what looked like an angry crowd gathered in front of it. Everyone held copies of the last Caspian Rogers book, and their muffled grumbling could just be heard over the news anchor’s words. “Since first hitting shelves seven years ago, fans have been in love with Sarah Morales’ Caspian Rogers series, filled with adventure and swashbuckling pirates. The final installment of the beloved books was released earlier this month, and today, Morales was set to do a public reading of the novel at this bookstore. However, fans were left disappointed when the famed author failed to show, the third public appearance she’s missed since the final book’s publication. I spoke with many of the fans here today, and the question on everyone’s lips? Where is Sarah Morales?”
I switched to a different channel, to some nineties sitcom that I’d seen so many times it could function as the irrelevant white noise I needed. Though it might seem ridiculous, I felt a certain kinship to Sarah Morales. She was loved, she was famous, and even she wanted to hide. Why couldn’t they just let her hide? Why couldn’t they be content with what she had given them and leave the rest alone? Why wasn’t all of it—any of it—ever enough?
I finished up my dinner quickly and then sped through my homework, which was a joke this late into the school year. Who cared about finishing assignments in precalculus or physics? There was only twenty-five days left. Surely, the teachers had to know we’d given up by now.
Although I felt like I had given up a long time ago.
True, I used to strive for straight A’s. I used to stay up until the sun was near rising to study for exams or finish assignments. I used to think if I just worked hard enough, my mother would snap out of her funk, would smile and laugh with me the way she used to.
The last time I’d tried was sophomore year. I’d stayed up late to catch Mom when she came home from the hospital. She’d stumbled into the house, scrubs wrinkled and eyes watery and bloodshot. But I didn’t care. If I had waited for a time when she was ready to talk, I’d never have spoken to her again. So I’d ignored any signs of exhaustion, plastered on an excited smile, and presented my report card to her.
“What is this?” she’d grumbled before reluctantly taking the paper. She’d looked at it for a split second before clicking her tongue and handing it back. “Not now, Lizzie,” she’d said, and then headed to her bedroom and closed the door.
And locked it. I remembered that vividly. She’d quite literally locked me out.
Since then, I felt mildly proud when I brought home a C, felt like a superhero when I managed a B.
And tonight, as I stared at the symbols of my precalculus homework, I felt that same indifference I’d felt for the last few years. That overwhelming question that pounded in my head:
Why bother?
Why bother when I wasn’t even going to college? Why bother when I knew I’d never study math or science if I did go to college? Why bother when I simply didn’t care?
So I pushed my homework away, put on my pajamas, switched off the light, and climbed into bed.
Loneliness always hit me the hardest when I was lying under my covers, when all was quiet in the house, when I could hear the absence of my mother’s snoring in the next room, when I realized it was only eight o’clock and I was already in bed. And when the loneliness hit, when the isolation became too much, there were only two options: I could cry myself to sleep—which I had done too many times to count—or I could crack open Caspian Rogers and allow my only companions to cheer me up.
Forgetting the grisly death of my favorite character, of course.
Last night, I’d read the epic sword fighting scene, but, tonight, I flipped a few pages further to where Elizabeth Gallagher and Carter see each other again for the first time in years. It always amazed me how brave Elizabeth was when faced with the fearful pirate. Her and I were both “Elizabeth” but we couldn’t be more different, and not just because she was a few years older than me. Carter was by no means the warm and fuzzy type, but somehow this noblewoman found the strength not to cry or cower. She was strong. And I was not.
I sighed and snuggled deeper into my covers. I wished I could be like Elizabeth Gallagher. I wished I could go right up to those snickering girls and give them a piece of my mind. I wished I could find the courage to make my mother talk to me, to get her to ask just once if I was okay. But I knew that no matter how badly I wanted to, there would always be some sort of invisible duct tape sealing my mouth shut.
The words began to blur together on the pages as my eyes drifted shut.
Tomorrow, my companions promised me. Tomorrow will be better.
Here is some great news for Mysterious Love readers. Bint will walk you through the mysteries and horror of his novel, “To Rise Again." Who is Stewart Bint? Keep reading.
Author Bio
Stewart Bint
A former broadcaster and PR writer, Stewart Bint is now semi-retired, devoting just a few hours a day to his next novel, and has his own column in a monthly magazine. He has four published novels and a collection of short stories. Married, with two grown-up children, he lives in Leicestershire in the UK, and celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary earlier this year. He was born in the dim and distant past (under extreme torture he'll admit it was in 1956). Stewart goes barefoot almost all the time, regularly hiking on woodland and moorland trails in bare feet.
Just before the German occupation of Jersey during World War ll, the Marquand family flee their home in the English Channel, and never return. Now, it's the summer of 1983, and the once-oppulent Idlewild mansion is crumbling and derelict. The mansion holds a mysterious lure for 18-year-old David Simeon, who dreams of Idlewild years past, as it used to be., But who is the young girl he sees, endlessly wandering through its corridors?
As the nerve-shattering link between David, the girl, and the mysterious Idlewild comes to light. Is it too late to stop the seeds of destruction and world domination planted there long ago, during Adolf Hitler's last desperate throw of the dice in World War ll?
Fantasy, science fiction, horror, and paranormal mingle in Stewart Bint's “To Rise Again”, as the threads of 1945 and 1983 slowly intertwine to reveal a world on the brink of destruction.
Opening of “To Rise Again”
Colonel von Brauschlow read the directive again. This was the first time his inconsequential outpost on Jersey had received a communication from the Drittes Reich High Command. And addressed to him personally. That made him proud. Especially when his eyes lingered.
The title and name at the bottom: Der Führer, Adolf Hitler. The message outlining Hitler's plan left von Brauschlow in no doubt. The future of the German Fatherland and the master race rested entirely in his hands.
He smiled at the thought that Jersey, this tiny island surrendered by the British Government to the German occupying forces in June 1940 as being of no strategic importance, would be the starting point for the final realisation of Hitler's dream: world domination.
Kelly has published five books, our conversation went on many facets of writings. However, one point she has discussed was strategic book marketing, most of the author forget or ignore on this part.
Award-winning author Kelly Miller is a native Californian and Anglophile, who made her first visit to England in 2019. When not pondering a plot point or a turn of phrase, she can be found playing the piano, singing, or walking her dogs. Kelly Miller resides in Silicon Valley with her husband, daughter, and their many pets. Kelly discussed on book marketing to writer's block and many other things.
How do you get an inspiration for starting a new writing project? Does travelling involve finding a new way to write more about it?
Ideas might come to me anytime and anywhere. I have not traveled much, so I would not say that traveling has inspired my writing yet. However, I took a trip to England in 2019 specifically to visit locations I had written about in my books or manuscripts. By seeing these places, I was able to ensure I captured them in my books as accurately as possible. My trip included Bath, which is featured in “Captive Hearts,” Derbyshire, the location for “Accusing Mr. Darcy,” & “Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley,” and London, the location for “Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match.”
How does the idea of 'Accusing Mr. Darcy, a Pride, and Prejudice Regency' came into your mind for the first time for writing? Please share with us that moments.
“Accusing Mr. Darcy” stands out from my other books for being my only romance/murder mystery, at least so far. From childhood, I have loved mysteries and read authors like Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell. I also loved Alfred Hitchcock's anthologies, not to mention his movies. So, I wanted to combine a “Pride & Prejudice” romance with a murder mystery similar to those written by Agatha Christie, with a bit of influence from Alfred Hitchcock. Since this was always going to be very different from most Austenesque novels, I changed Elizabeth Bennet's background a bit and focused on a number of original characters. The story centers around a house party in Derbyshire, and the guest visit real locations in the Peak District that existed in the Regency era and remain to this day.
What was your first award and for what book you have received. Let our readers know your hard work behind the success.
“Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley” is my first award-winning book. I entered it into a number of award contests as a way to get more attention on the book. The first recognition it received was to be named as a finalist in the Book Excellence Awards. It went on to win first place in the Royal Dragonfly Awards and Indies Today Awards and to be named a finalist in theInternational Book Awards. Since this is my first published book, and I believe my writing has improved since then, it is a great honor to have this recognition. I give much credit to my line editor, Carol Bowes, for helping me improve the story and for guiding my growth as a writer.
The book marketing strategy is as important as writing your debut book. However, before one start to hover over another writing ideas for next book, one need to concentrate on the existing book and its marketing strategy.
What is your turn around time for writing a book, and how do you achieve it?
When I first started writing, I could complete a new story in about a month. Now, everything has changed! I spent a ton of time each day on social media to market my books and connect with other writers, mostly on Twitter. It's quite overwhelming, and yet also rewarding. I have met so many wonder people on social media! This definitely takes away from my writing/editing time, but I consider it necessary; there is no use writing a book if no one will read it, and marketing helps ensure your book will be seen. So now, it takes longer for me to write a new story; several months at least.
Did you face any writer's blocks and If yes, how did you overcome them? Any incident you would like to talk about it.
I am currently editing my next release, “The Dutiful Son,” a Regency “Pride & Prejudice” variation in which Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy's father is still living; though the elder Mr. Darcy is a kind-hearted man, he does not approve of Miss Elizabeth Bennet as a match for his son.
When I was writing this manuscript, I had the beginning and middle in my head, and I knew how it would end, but I had no idea of what to write for the final 3rd part of the story. But I just kept writing and turned many possibilities in my mind until I came upon the answers. I don't know if that was a writer's block, but for several months I was not certain whether or not I would complete the story. I am pleased to say that I am very happy with how it turned out.
How long do you rest your in progress book for rewrite? It is true, more the rest more the ideas. What do you think about rewrite and your recent experiences?
I do not always let a project rest; it depends on how many other things I have going on. To an extent, I prefer to keep going over a project while the details are fresh in my mind. But at times, I am forced to let one thing go for a while. So, it usually works out that my projects get rested, though not necessarily by my design.
Conversation with Bonnie K.T Dillabough upon various aspects of writing. Therefore, I talked about her books and writing habits. However, how book editing and rewriting is important for any aspiring writer and author, explained well here. Read what beta readers does in the process of writing and its benefits, according to Bonnie.
At what age did you complete your first novel?
Bonnie: I published the first book in my series, The Dimensional Alliance, two weeks before my 64th birthday, but I had wanted to write a novel since I was 16 years old.
Tell us what was the experience of writing and rewriting?
Bonnie: I think, like most new authors, I was unprepared for all of the work that had to happen after you type “The End”. I knew I would have to edit the first draft, but was unaware how much was involved. I edited the first book 9 times with the help of a number of beta readers. We still found little errors. So, I sent it to a low-cost proofreader. It was better, but even after it was printed, we found an occasional typo.
After that, I found a professional copy editor, Lynette M. Smith. Even then, I knew from being an avid reader that small mistakes still can creep into a book. Obviously, my favorite part is still the writing, but I feel a lot more confident to produce a professional book and I have gotten compliments from people who know the publishing industry.
Who helped you the most in this process?
Bonnie: Once again, it really comes down to the idea that no author is an island. Enthusiastic and honest beta readers are a must, and I can’t stress enough the importance of engaging a competent copy-editor. It made all the difference for me and frees me to do a lot more writing.
All the books you have written were self-published or traditional one? If it has been self-published, what processed it involved, its merit and demerit?
All of my books are independently published. I use Ingram Spark to print and distribute my paperback books which can easily be found in online stores all over and many independent and franchise bookstores now carry them. As a matter of fact, I have done bookstores in local stores and will be doing a book-signing event at our local Barnes & Noble in a few weeks.
As I considered which publishing track to take, I considered the fact that I am getting on in years and that taking the traditional route would require more time than I might have. This required me to learn and study the publishing industry and its ins and outs. It’s a lot of work.
Traditional publishers provide a lot of services for the authors they accept, like cover design and editing and a limited amount of publicity when you launch your books.
Publishing independently allows you a lot of freedom in cover design and is significantly faster. It does mean you need to educate yourself. There are a lot of scams out there aimed at writers, so you have to be careful. This is one reason that one of the things I do is volunteer my time helping aspiring authors to avoid the pitfalls and make good decisions on which of these to choose.
As an author, where do you want to see yourself in the next five years? And do you intend to stay in the same niche?
Bonnie: There are 9 books planned in this series. With 4 books published and a 5th one being published in November 2022, I pretty much have my work cut out for me. After that, I am considering perhaps doing some non-fiction writing or some historical fiction.
Could you please tell the readers that you have born into writer's family, or is there no connection to writing in your blood relations?
Bonnie: I have no published authors in my family, but I was encouraged to write from a very young age. I was writing poetry and short stories from the age of 8. That being said, my grandfather was a brilliant storyteller. I remember we used to go camping a lot and in the evening he would tell us stories about his childhood.
Also, there was never a birthday or holiday when I didn’t get a new book for a gift. As a teen I was called a “library nerd” which didn’t hurt my feelings, because most of the time the library was my favorite place at school. I had the dewey decimal system memorized in high school.
Who are your favorite authors and a quote that always inspires you?
Bonnie: That’s a really difficult question. I have read thousands of books over my lifetime. Some of the authors I most enjoy are Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey.
Probably my favorite quote is when Gandalf is speaking to a fearful Pippin. It goes like this:
GANDALF: “End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.” PIPPIN: “What? Gandalf? See what?” GANDALF: “White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.” PIPPIN: “Well, that isn't so bad.” GANDALF: “No. No, it isn't.”
Furthermore, kindly let us know your evergreen books you have on your shelves.
Bonnie: Not so many on my physical shelves, alas. I can no longer read regular books due to vision issues. However, I have hundreds of ebooks. Probably the most evergreen is the fact that I have a library card and our library participates in ebook loaning, so my choices are limitless. I still go back and reread The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, and The Ender Saga by Orson Scott Card. It’s actually a pretty long list, and there isn’t room or time enough to describe them all.
Tell us more about your book, “The House on Infinity Loop” how the ideas triggered you and the inspirational story behind it.
Bonnie: First, as I said earlier, I wanted to write a book since I was 16 years old. Around that same time in my life, I started having a recurring dream that seemed to haunt me all of my life. I would have it at least one a year, sometimes more often. It went like this:
In the dream, I was at a house-warming. My house-warming. In my new home were many of my friends, helping me celebrate and oohing and ahhing over all the cool things about the house. At some point in the dream, someone would ask me for something. “Oh sure,” I said happily, “it’s in the other room, I’ll go get it.”
On my way down the hall, I notice a door I hadn’t noticed before. “I didn’t know there was a closet there,” I said to myself. So, I open the door and realize this wasn’t a closet…not even close. It was a room, the size of a warehouse. In it were all kinds of weird and interesting things: a small jet airplane, a luxury car, a grand piano, statues and sports equipment, clothing and toys…even a swing set!
“Wow!” I knew it couldn’t possibly fit into my little house and after gazing around in astonishment I rush out the door to my friends.
“You’ve got to see this!” I cry and lead them down the hallway, only to discover that the door isn’t there anymore.
As you can tell, the dream was disconcerting even to have one time, but to see it over and over again with only slight variations throughout my life was even more so. I asked people over and over again, what can it mean? And they would just shake their heads.
Then one day a friend told me to write it down, so maybe it would get out of my head, and I wouldn’t have the dream again. I did so.
About that time, I was hanging out with a lot of authors on a video editing project and kept thinking… “I think I could write a book. I’ve always wanted to.” About this same time, I got the honor to interview Mercedes Lacky, a favorite very prolific writer of science fiction and fantasy. It was a total fan-girl moment for me, but she was gracious enough to speak with me for about 45 minutes after the interview. I finally got up the courage to tell her, “I’m thinking about writing a book.”
Her reply? “So put your butt in the chair and write!” So I did.
When I decided to finally get down to it, I took the dream story, altered it significantly and thus was born The Dimensional Alliance series.
The Dimensional Alliance series is the story about a young woman who inherited a house, a cat, and a key from an aunt she had only met twice in her life. It turns out that the house has a room in it that couldn’t possibly be there. The cat is not a cat and the key doesn’t fit any of the rooms in her house, but unlocks adventure beyond the known universe in adventures that teach her things about herself she never thought were possible.
Science meets fantasy in this coming-of-age adventure. There are robots AND dragons. I’m so confident that lovers of science fiction and fantasy will love this series that I am offering the first book at no cost on all e-book platforms. The House on Infinity Loop is where Jenny’s adventure begins, but I’m betting you’ll want to see what happens next. There will be 9 books in the series, and the first four are out in paperback and all e-book formats. The fifth book will come out in November and I can’t miss that deadline, as my fans are already asking over and over when it will be out.
