Robert James, Author of The Keeper's Secret

Author Robert James

Welcome to my favorite time of year!

I’m grateful for the praise I received for the opening of The Keeper’s Secret, and I’m excited to have my story in this year’s anthology. Special thanks to Elizabeth Fortin and the Tell-Tale team for their patience and guidance, and congratulations to the other winners! I hope our collection of stories hit their mark.

When I discovered the 2015 Halloween Horror Party and explored the twisted world of Tell-Tale Publishing, something clicked. It just felt right. When I saw the contest, I couldn’t resist the challenge: hook the judges in 500 words or less. Several characters and stories were rattling around in my nugget, but it was The Keeper’s Secret that screamed the loudest. I studied the judging rubric, wrote, revised, obsessed, and perfected a catatonic stare out my bedroom window. I hope you enjoy the result.

To understand where this story came from, you need to know a little about me. Writing is a fundamental aspect of my professional life, but I didn’t start writing fiction until about 5 years ago when I was in the throes of a raging mid-life crisis. I don’t care how you try to spin it, there’s a reason 40 is the magic number. Your mind and your body begin to break down as you start that inevitable slow-motion slide to the grave. Like many, I had face-planted into a wall professionally, demons lurked in the shadows of every corner of my personal life, and my internal clock was racing out of control.

Life was kicking my ass.

So, I did what any relentless dreamer would do, and retreated to my creative shell to cope. I took up the guitar and I started to write – outlines of ideas, character sketches, scenes – just for the sake of my own therapeutic Zen. By the time I heard Tell-Tale’s siren call last summer, I was awash in new struggles with a novel. I had two competing ideas mashed together, fighting a steel cage death match on my computer’s hard drive.

My literary therapy had stalled and I still sucked at guitar.           

Something had to give.

“Short is the new long!” proclaimed a best-selling peddler of literary advice, so I decided to embrace smaller things. I put aside the marathon and started running 5Ks, and I have to say, it was really nice to get across some finish lines.

I wrote The Keeper’s Secret during that time, drawing on my love for Great Lakes maritime history, some of my darkest fears, and the Irish chip on my shoulder. In many ways, Megan is my hero. The chunky (but athletic) 17-year-old girl with purple hair and tattoos looks her fear in the eyes, spits in its face, and starts swinging.

I hope you enjoy my words, and if I inspire some of you to battle your own demons, that would be pretty cool too.

Cheers,

RJ


To see more of what RJ is up to and order a copy of his anthology, be sure to visit Tell-Tale Publishing's 6th Annual Halloween Horror Party! This year's theme is Haunted New Orleans!
 http://www.halloweenhorrorparty.org

John David Bethel's Evil Town Reveals The Truth!

Evil Town: Ripped From Today's National Headlines

The fish are dying and the coastal areas smell like a giant toilet.  The green sludge from the algae blooms are today killing everything in the water and the trail for this death and stench lead to Florida’s sugar cane fields.

The fertilizer run-off and chemicals from those fields poison the waters of the Everglades and surrounding lakes and rivers.  And the reason this is happening is because of the big money that Big Sugar dumps into the campaign chests of the state politicians.

The Five Star political thriller Evil Town tells the dramatic story of how this happens borrowing on events being played out in Congress today.  When the murder of a popular Congressman’s wife is swept under the rug, FBI special agent Matt Thurston refuses to go away.  He enlists the help of a pair of reporters and begins digging for the truth.

And the truth takes Thurston and crew from the Halls of Congress to the offices of the powerful who run the show and own the state’s politicians.  A twisted path leads right into the Oval Office and beyond to past sins of these politicians and their patrons.   

The Clewiston News -- the newspaper in the hometown of Big Sugar -- said of Evil Town: “Though the names have been changed to protect the innocent, Bethel’s novel delves into the sordid world of “American Sugar,” its fight to stop the restoration of the Florida Everglades and the unscrupulous — though commonplace — practices it uses to fight the battle. Throw in murder, sex-for-hire scandals and a snaking plot, based almost entirely on dialogue, that keeps readers on their toes and you have the workings of a great political murder mystery.”

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article88992067.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/florida-algal-blooms_us_577d70cee4b0c590f7e7e3d2

An Interview with New Tell-Tale Author

Amanda Summerbell

 

1        Welcome to the Tell-Tale Family, Amanda! It’s so great to have you as a new member of our team. Can you start off by telling our readers a little about how you got into writing your chosen genre?

I grew up watching old movies, and especially loved anything about ghosts.  So as I began writing, my stories would always gravitate toward mysteries with a supernatural twist. 

2         What is your favorite character from a childhood story and why?

Nancy Drew, because she had the coolest job ever solving mysteries and a really cool car as well.  I have read and re-read all of her books, and now introduced them to my children as well.

3         Who is your favorite movie villain and why?

Rebecca De Winter, from the Hitchcock movie, Rebecca, with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.  She was my favorite because though she is not in the movie per se, she is all over it – the whole movie is about this woman who was known as a warm, inviting socialite, when in reality she was void of compassion and sociopathic.

4         You can have one super power. What is it and why, what will you do with it?

The power to clone myself so I can get more done in a day LOL.

5         They are making a movie of your upcoming book, FAMILY SINS. Who will star in each of the main character roles?

Kat Meninger:  Chloe Grace Moretz

Sam Meninger:  Sean Penn

Ed Stein: John Goodman as far as how I envision his look,

                 but Michael Imperioli could play him too

 Delilah Grand:  Betty White

Donovan (Charlie):  Paul Rudd

That sure sounds like a movie I'd enjoy watching. I'm sure our readers agree. Thanks for taking the time to share some of your background and fun ideas with us today, Amanda. 

Readers, to find out more about Amanda and to connect with her on fb and other social media, visit her author page on our website at:  http://www.tell-talepublishing.com/amanda-summerbell.html

What's the Author of the Newly-Released Forsaken Up To?

Five Fast Friday Questions to Find Out!

Ellen Fritz (left) With a New In the Night Series Fan

1. When you walk into a bookstore, where to you head first?

              The first thing I do is stop inside the door and look around.  Partly, I want to see how things are organized, but I want to feel the ambiance, also.  When bookstores are calming, relaxing, and fairly quiet, I know it’s a place anyone would want to spend time browsing.

              I was in Paragraphs bookstore in Mount Vernon, Ohio a couple weeks ago.  It’s a rare, independent bookstore and decidedly one of the best I’ve seen.  Low shelves so I could see around, with several comfortable seating areas, made me want to stay.

              The owner was there, so I talked to her about doing a book signing.  She does New Author Signings a couple times a year and will include me in the next one this summer.  She and the other employee were both smiling, friendly, and incredibly helpful.

              After all that, I went to the Young Adult section, and then the New Releases.  Those are my usual first stops whether in a little corner place like Paragraphs, or a two-story Barnes and Noble.  Of course, just browsing the shelves is enjoyable to me.

              I’m lucky enough to have a life-long friend who shares my voracious reading appetite.  Over the years, she and I have spent many hours browsing bookstores.  We sample, find each other to share what we found, and get to the counter to make our purchases.  It can make for a great afternoon.

  2.  Picture your favorite writing space.  What are five objects you would find there?

              I sit at the corner desk in my computer room.  I call it that because “office” sounds too much like I’ll have to do work there.  Writing isn’t work to me.  It’s fun.

              Besides my desktop computer, there’s always a cup.  Coffee in the morning, gives way to tea after a couple hours.  I sip as I think.

              Next, are the shelves of “stuff” I might need.  Pen, pencils, a box of little pieces of paper for notes, and my most important “life book”.  It’s just a small spiral bound notebook where I write things I need to keep track of long term.

              I see many of those little pieces of paper resting around the keyboard.  I’ve written something that I need to deal with soon, so it rests there until I’m done with it.  Then it can be thrown away.

              Off to the side is a small TV.  Yes, I’m one of those that listens to TV while I work.  I always did homework that way, why not writing?  I can’t see the screen unless I turn my head, but the background sound is always there.  When I’m editing or proofreading, though, the TV is muted.  That’s when I really need to concentrate.

              Then there are two pairs of glasses.  I wear contacts, but they just don’t line up correctly for the computer.  One pair of glasses is for distance.  I will admit I use those when I want to see something on the TV.  The other pair is for close work which I wear for small print and some websites.

              I don’t think I could write without any of this stuff.

  3. Who is your favorite literary villain and why?

              This took some thinking!  There have been so many through the years, but I finally settled on one that kept coming back to mind.  My favorite villain is Gollum (Smeagol) from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

              To me, a really great villain is one that appears so evil, yet still has something that makes you feel for his situation.  Gollum suffered for so long under the influence of the One Ring.  He spent years in that cave with nothing but the fish he ate and the Ring to keep him company.  He never leaves his cave until the Ring is taken by Bilbo and he becomes driven to follow.

              When it seems that he might have turned over a new leaf to help Frodo, we know that inside the Ring is tormenting him.  We know he will do whatever it takes to get the Ring back.

              That desire for the Ring is what causes him to save Frodo and the rest of Middle Earth.  He bites off Frodo’s finger to get it back, and falls to his death, happily.  He finally has the Ring, his Precious.

              I keep capitalizing the word Ring because it is such a powerful, integral part.  On second thought, maybe my favorite villain is the Ring itself.

  4. Top five favorite titles (these do not have to be favorite books).

              These are the titles that immediately came to mind.  Some are very old time favorites, others not, but I have read them all.  Island of the Blue Dolphin caught my attention when I was in the sixth grade, and is the first book I absolutely fell in love with.

              The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

              The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

              The Name of the Rose

              Midnight Crossing

              Island of the Blue Dolphin

              There’s something about certain titles that just grab you.  Who knows what it is?  One word?  The turn of the phrase?  For whatever reason, these titles all grabbed me.

  5.   Tell your fans what you’re working on now.

              I’m working on two different books at once.

              First is a fourth book of the In the Night Series that is yet untitled.  When finished with Forsaken, I kept thinking about the characters and what might be happening to them.  I guess I simply missed them.  This book centers more around Luke and what he is struggling with on the streets of Indianapolis.  Holly and Parker are happy together, but there are still issues and dangers surrounding them.

              The second is a dystopian story that I’ve had in the back of my mind for quite a while.  A future family of survivalists goes undercover when an asteroid is heading for earth.  Only one of them survives.  The life she finds, and problems she must face, are the heart of the story.

Wow, another In the Night novel, and a brand new dystopian series! You heard it here first, Ellen Fritz fans! Ellen's becoming quite a prolific writer and TT couldn't be happier! Be sure to enter the Memorial Weekend Summer Sizzler Giveaway for the Chance to win a boxed set of Ellen's books and other great prizes!

 Interview With The Dangerous Legacy Author, Darren Simon

AKA "The Talon"

10 Quick and Quirky Questions

1. Why did you choose the pirate theme and male protagonist?

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t set out to write a pirate novel. I was raised in Redondo Beach, California, and spent a great deal of time at the beach. Like my lead character, the ocean is where I feel best. However, professionally life led me to a Southern California desert community. One summer I hadn’t had much time to make the 150 mile drive to the ocean, and I was missing the coast. As a result, I sat down at the computer to start writing about the ocean. That led me to remember a bet in my younger days with a friend to jump from the pier. That’s how it all began. From there, it grew into a time traveling pirate novel mixed with magic.

The male protagonist is very much me. A lot of the same character traits, and the same body type from my younger days. I think a male just worked better for this story, but it’s important to remember it has an equally strong female character.

2. Do you have any unique or quirky writing habits?

When I write, I enjoy listening to the music I grew up –  ’80s rock. I love everything from Journey, to Rush to The Police. Music helps me to focus. Not sure if that is quirky, but it definitely makes a difference for me. I think the most quirky thing I do occurs when I am not writing—just thinking about a story or how to fix a problem with a story. I have my comfort chair—a rocking chair—and the faster I rock, the better I think and create.

3. How has your environment & upbringing colored your writing?

This is an interesting question, and not sure my response truly answers the question. When I was a young boy, my grandmother gave me a brown paper bag filled with classic DC and Marvel comic books from the ’70s. I fell in love with those comic books and when I finished them, I started buying new comic books with the allowance I earned. So, how has my upbringing colored my writing? I’m not sure it has, but my childhood is what made me a writer. Those first comic books, my father’s love for reading and the weekly visits to the library with my mother all inspired me. And today I write for middle grade and young adult readers to inspire them the way I was inspired to read and to write by the comic books, than Choose Your Own Adventure books, and Dungeon & Dragon books and then the Lord of Rings and other fantasy novels that meant so much to me.

4. If you were a super hero, what would your name be? What costume would you wear? What super powers would you have?

Funny, my 11-year-old son asks me these same questions all the time. I am a big fan of the super hero genre. I think that should be known. And, it should also be known that of all the super powers, flight and strength have always been the lead for me. I especially love the heroes with wings, like Hawkman, Falcon and Angel. So if I had powers, I would want to be a winged super hero with super strength. In terms of a costume, I think I’d like to wear some kind of raven black body armor that would make me bullet proof.  In terms of a name, something that would strike fear into the hearts of those who would do evil. Maybe -- The Talon

5. What were you like as a child? Your favorite toy?

I loved to read and even to write. When other kids were writing short paragraphs when asked to do some kind of a story, like for Halloween, I would write two full pages. I just enjoyed it. I also loved sports, especially baseball, but I would play any sport at any time. I loved my action figure toys.  My Star Wars toys were my favorite. And I didn’t just collect them. They were played with – a lot. My best friend and I loved recreating scenes from the movies, and we prided ourselves on being able to generate great sound effects with our voices.

6. Do you dream? Do you have any recurring dreams/nightmares?

Absolutely, I dream. The only problem in answering this question is as an adult with one job that deals with the controversial issue of California water (specifically the shrinking amounts of water) and a second job as an English teacher at the community college in my region, I tend to have nightmares, often about water, and often about students not showing up for class or having their work done.  A lot of my best dreams these days involve my family and the freedom of the ocean. Now, if you were to ask me about daydreaming, that would be another point altogether. Like I did as a youth, I daydream about saving people in need, about being a pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy and about someday making my home in Hawaii—many, many, many moons from now.

7. Who is your favorite literary villain and why?

I guess I would have to say Sauron, the Dark Lord, from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And the only reason I would say that is because J.R.R Tolkien’s work had such a profound effect on me. His writing truly inspired me to write fantasy. The battle against Sauron was epic. I am so thankful that my freshman high school teacher, as a class project, had us read the first book in the series. Other students grumbled. I and my best friend were overjoyed and started our own little book club. Yes, I was a nerd, but so what. 

8. What question do you wish every interviewer would ask you, but no one ever has? (Answer it, too!)

No one ever asks – why do you write? However, my father recently asked me that, sort of. He asked why do you spend so much time doing something when so far you haven’t made much money at it. Don’t get him wrong, he asked that not because he is focused on money, but because he knows I have a demanding full-time job, teach part time, have papers to grade, and a family that needs my time, so why sacrifice what little time I have to write rather than simply relax or get more sleep. The answer is, as many authors would say, is that I am compelled to do it. In a way, it is like a calling. I can’t stop, nor do I want to. In a way it is relaxing for me and gives me a sense of pride that is more important than any financial incentive. That said, I wouldn’t mind it if someday writing novels became my full-time career.

9. Favorite snacks while writing.

It’s not a snack. It’s worse. I love soda. And not that diet stuff. A nice Coca-Cola or Pepsi relaxes me while I write. I try not to drink soda too excessively, but every now and then it just helps.

10. How often do you visit an actual bookstore and where is the first place you head once you get there?

In my community, we don’t have a large bookstore, but I love our small community bookstore. I go there several times a week and start with the Local Author section to see what my fellow authors have written. I then hit the fantasy and science fiction sections, and finally the young adult area. When I am unleashed on a larger bookstore, I head straight for the science fiction and fantasy sections. I have never lost my love for those kinds of books. I still love to read a good Star Wars novel from the expanded universe or some sword and sorcery novel.

That's it for now, but The Talon may likely visit with us again in the future, so stay tuned!

The Dangerous Legacy

A Vital Cog in the Slippery Wheel of Literacy

Now available wherever E-books are sold and in Trade Paperback, this young adult fantasy novel plays a vital role in today's battle against growing illiteracy, especially among minority youth. The Dangerous Legacy is a rare treat, an exciting, adventure-filled book made more accessible to that too often reluctant-reader group, young teenage boys, at a time when #PIRATES is a trending hashtag on social media. Pirates, Mermaids, & Magic, Oh, My! What's not to love? Girls, too, will fall for this magical world made ever more popular by movie blockbusters set on the wild seas and exotic isles in the Carribean. 

Thin, pale, awkward, bullied, Sam Every is a thirteen-year-old who finds comfort among his friends and his days at the beach. The ocean beckons to him. It is where he feels safest. Fitting in no longer matters when he is near the Pacific’s rolling waves. Gazing toward the endless blue where it touches the horizon, he imagines the ports he might someday reach and ponders his future. 

Little does he know an apparition—a hauntingly beautiful girl from the sea—will lead him farther from his home than he could ever dream, for destiny has given him a dangerous legacy.

              

Darren Simon has been a writer for much of his life. His career has included working as a journalist in Los Angeles, Israel and Southern California along the Mexican and Arizona borders. He presently works in government affairs on California water issues, teaches college English for the California Community College system, and does free-lance writing for regional magazines. His work as an author focuses on middle grade and young adult readers to inspire them to read the way he was inspired, first by comic books and then the science fiction and fantasy novels that were so important to his youth. He resides in California’s Desert Southwest with his wife and sons. For more information, and to contact Darren, visit his website http://www.darren-simon.com/

Tell-Tale Author John David Bethel "On the Grid" 

With one of the most incredible political races of all time taking place, political insider John David Bethel’s fan base continues to grow. The insightful lens through which he views events seem much less distorted to the average American these days.

John David Bethel fans already know that the Washington speech writer, the gritty political insider, and the tell-it-like-it-is journalist in him shines through in a startling and often disturbingly realistic way in his fiction writing. The complexity of facts and events that are used as a backdrop to his “fiction” add a fascinating element seldom found in today’s fiction novels.

Bethel’s fans will be happy to know that Tell-Tale Publishing has recently acquired his novel BLOODMOON, also based on true, gruesome crimes, complete with interviews and statements from witnesses and a sole survivor.

Please enjoy this unique and fascinating interview with John David Bethel about his time in Washington, some true events, and his novel EVIL TOWN on blog talk radio: ON THE GRID.

ON THE GRID

Going Audio

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

I wasn't sure about the whole audio version concept when my publishing company first began putting its lineup into this medium. Though I didn't object, I didn't know how involved I would be expected to be in the process, or if I would have any input at all. And I didn't know which I prefered.  

I most often use my kindle or computer for reading these days, though I do still enjoy curling up on a hammock with a paperback. Before kindle, like most folks I read an actual paperback, though way back when I was in grad school I used to listen to audio tapes (yes, audio books used to be on cassette tapes!) during my commute to university. 

I'm pleased to say that I LOVED the entire process of working with Ana Bayat (Modern Language Solutions), and I think the final product is wonderful. The soft Persian accent she used brought my jet-setting characters alive and reminded me (and hopefully future listeners) that their earthy roots hail from ancient Persia. It created the perfect mood and authenticity for my immortal families.

Ana Bayat, Photo by Lisa Keating

Ana was a dream to work with. Always cheerful and professional, she communicated with me often and well. She sent me links to several files at a time, allowing me time to listen and approve them without feeling over-whelmed. If I found a mistake, or something I wanted changed, she quickly addressed my concerns and sent back a revised file. There were very few corrections, and I think she nailed it! There's a sample below. Let me know what you think.

For those of you considering either buying an audio or turning your work into audio, I highly recommend it! As an author, I was surprised to discover that hearing the words I had written read out loud let me visualize the scenes even more vividly than when I originally wrote them. Since The Book of Life is the first in my Illuminati series, listening to the audio helped me reconnect with the characters and plot lines, and infused me with inspiration for my WIP.  Visit my website to listen and find out for yourself! Audio Link The complete audio book should be available by the end of January!