David Jemal Interview

Thank you so much for joining us today!

As a seventeen-year-old, what challenges have you encountered in writing?

Nobody really believes you CAN write a book!

Writers of all ages tend to encounter those naysayers. I’m sure at your young age, it’s even worse. Thankfully you didn’t let that stop you!

Tell us a little bit about your novel. What inspired you to write this particular book?

Walking into a library and seeing people look through books. And one day, that might just be me.

Wouldn’t that be an awesome feeling? I’m glad you pursued this dream! Most

writers have many authors who inspire them. Who is your favorite?

I have quite a few! My favorite author has to be Anthony Horowitz. I got hoocked on to reading from his Alex Rider series.

It always makes me happy when an author captures the attention of young adults. How long did it take you to write WHITE STRIKE?

It took me three months from the first word to the last.

What are your aspirations as a writer?

To be able to be in the New York Times Bestselling author club.

David, I think you’re in good company on that one. All of us would love to be in that club someday! What type of novel are you working on now?

A psychopath killer novel.

That sounds interesting. Can you tell us when you first realized that you wanted to be a writer?

Ever since I started reading.

I hear that same answer from authors quite frequently. Tell us a little bit about WHITE STRIKE.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Sending fifty elite soldiers to take over Afghanistan seemed liked the perfect

plan…until they decided to rebel against America, and seize Afghanistan for themselves. It’s up to Theodore Alfred to come up with a counterattack before the rebels inflict damage and destruction.
Both sides will scramble to find allies in a conflict that will leave the world shaking in fear.

Thank you so much for joining us David. WHITE STRIKE sounds very interesting. Where can readers find your novel?

It’s available on Amazon: http://ow.ly/khfpy It’s only .99 cents. That’s a steal!

Do you have a website where readers can find you?

Yes, they may find me at: http://davidjemal.wordpress.com/

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The AR Rifles

The AR rifles are a hotly debated topic now. While there is a common misconception that “AR” stands for “Assault Rifle” when in reality it stands for “ArmaLite”. ArmaLite originally manufactured the AR rifle but in 1959 sold their rights to Colt.

I’ve heard a myriad of reasons why people believe these weapons should be banned, including that an AR is not for self-defense. Recently in a Facebook conversation about guns, someone made the comment assault weapons have no uses except for killing people. As a gun-sports enthusiast, her comment flabbergasted me. Many people are misinformed about guns in general, but this comment was one I’d not heard before.

Since I grew up shooting, I guess my viewpoint has always been a little different. My dad took me to the range before I started school. He taught me gun safety and how to shoot. I knew from a very young age that a gun could prove deadly in the wrong, or careless hands, however, I’ve never thought of a gun as strictly a method for taking a life.

For me, guns are something used for sport and self-protection. We have a version of the AR-10 (the DPMS AP4 LR-308). My husband uses it for wild pig hunting, and we use it as a range gun. It’s a great shooting rifle and doesn’t have horrible recoil. When not at the range or on a ranch, we lock the gun in the safe. Our rifle has many uses, but none of them are evil or nefarious.

While it’s true, the AR is a deadly weapon, I can name quite a few other deadly weapons–some of them are guns, but many are not.

I have a good friend who was brutally murdered by a stalker. He stabbed her to death then stabbed himself to death. She ran to the neighbor’s apartment and tried to get help, but her neighbor was too afraid to open the door, so she called the police. By the time the police arrived, my friend was dead. A one-hundred and twenty pound, unarmed woman was no match for a two hundred pound man wielding a knife. What if the neighbor had been armed? Could she have saved my friend?

Mr. Colion Noir has several YouTube videos out. I’ve attached a couple of his videos on the AR rifle. You can find all of his YouTube videos here.

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Time After Time Saga – Tami Dee & Lynette Endicott

 Please join me in welcoming Lynette Endicott and Tami Dee to Roller Coaster Suspense. We are celebrating the release of the second book in their wonderful Time After Time Saga.

Thanks so much for having us, Marcy. Tami and I are so excited about the release of our new book, Survival Instinct. It is the second in our Time After Time Saga. Tami took the lead on this one – HINT: we take turns, and you can tell from the first name on the cover which one laid out the story and did most of the writing. The other writer gets to go in and “play” and of course we consult on major plot points that carry through the series, as well as write sections whenever the other author is “stuck”. There is a lot of energy in working as a team.

We met in an on-line critique group, and mostly talk by email. We have met twice in person, and just in passing. A modern-day co-author story I guess. We always enjoyed each other’s stories, and one day Tami, who already had half a dozen books with Desert Breeze, emailed me to ask what ever happened to the two she had critiqued? That her editor was accepting submissions – so I submitted, and that makes Survival Instinct book number four for Lynette and number eight for Tami.

The series follows the lives of women in a family line who carry the Heartmark, a heart-shaped birthmark.  An ancestress had a run-in with a woman who wanted to destroy her love relationship – and who is now condemned to chase these women through time, not linear time, but crazy, mixed up back and forth time to attempt to do this to her granddaughters, great great granddaughters etc.

In Survival Instinct, Winter Parker, the granddaughter of the key characters in Animal Instinct, has just made detective in San Francisco PD when a bunch of crooked cops attempt to force her to kill a nosy reporter – who turns out to be a home time boy from Missouri.

Here is a new excerpt from Survival Instinct. This is early in the book, at Winter’s celebration for making detective, and describes an exchange with Mel, the enemy in this time line:

She pushed her hair behind her ears and glanced down, considering her faded jeans, black tee, short, silver studded black leather jacket, and beat up black combat boots. It was her usual off duty attire. There was no reason they couldn’t be her working clothes too.

The other detectives had their own distinct looks, mostly casual, comfortable, but each look uniquely their own. They already ribbed her about her fresh, small town girl face, with a body to pull off a sexy as sin; bad girl, biker image. However, that was their take on her appearance, not particularly hers.

In all fairness; the good natured teasing she had endured for the past five years may have stemmed from that first day, when she roared into the police academy parking lot on a Harley.

She had picked up the hog the same day she’d arrived in San Francisco.

Some guy down on his luck had been trying to sell it. She’d offered him five hundred dollars cash and he’d snapped it up.

Granted, it had looked like a hunk of junk. She allowed herself a wry smile. It still looked a hunk of junk for that matter, but it ran, and that’s all that mattered to Winter.

She chuckled at the memory, especially her ‘crash course’ in learning to ride the thing. Amazingly, she hadn’t killed herself or broken anything.

A body pressed against her back, pushing her stomach into the bar. “Hey baby.”

He slurred into her ear; his breath, laced with cigarette and alcohol made her nauseous, and she narrowed her eyes, meeting his clearly civilian drunken gaze in the giant mirror behind the bar. “Get lost.”

He grinned at her, and then slipped his arm around her waist. Winter’s elbow connected with his ribs with a satisfying crunch just as Mel, a statuesque redhead, grabbed his arm from Winter’s person and jerked it behind his back until he squeaked in pain. Not a bad move for a 911 operator.

Mel shoved him into the crowd and he stumbled away clutching his side, cradling his arm with his uninjured hand.

Winter smiled at Mel. They usually worked opposite shifts, but said the friendly hello when they crossed paths. Winter stuck out her hand to shake Mel’s. “Thanks, Mel, what a jerk. To think, all these guy cops in here and a woman officer comes to my rescue.”

Mel laughed, her exotic eyes sparkling. “Your party is in full swing, San Francisco’s finest are punch drunk by now and likely wouldn’t have noticed if that guy had slung you over his shoulder and carried you out of here.”

Winter snorted and caught sight of Sam Cunningham across the room. He was her new partner; a well-seasoned detective, who was currently doubled over laughing at something the cute blond at his right had just said. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m not drunk enough to let that happen.”

An odd look shifted through Mel’s eyes, but was quickly gone. She released Winter’s hand and glanced down.

A chill slipped down Winter’s spine as Mel stared hard at her Heartmark. “It’s a birth mark, not a tattoo,” Winter tried to joke.

Mel didn’t respond for a good thirty seconds. Her beautiful, ageless face had gone stone still, and another chill had Winter shoving her hands into her jacket pockets — both to warm them, and hide her Heartmark.

The abrupt movement pulled Mel out of whatever trance she had been in and she smiled a bit absently. “Yes, well,” she murmured, glancing through the crowd to watch the creep leave the bar. “All’s well that ends well. I think I’ll call it a night, I have an early shift tomorrow.”

With that Mel melted into the crowd, and, after a moment, Winter saw her leave the bar and head toward the ocean side of the bar, the same direction the creep had gone.

Strange.

She sipped her drink, which had been topped off at some point. She was feeling the alcohol now. Her head swirled, and her limbs felt heavy as she shifted her weight to lean more fully on the glossy bar.

Friends, co-workers, and even some strangers spoke to her, their words not making sense, and her own responses nothing more than gibberish.

As animal lovers, Lynette and Tami feature animals prominently in their Time after Time series. They’ve shared a few pictures with us.

Thank you so much for joining us today and giving us a peek into your series.

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In my Christian Author’s To Watch segments, today I have the pleasure of introducing one of my critique partners – Heidi Glick. Her debut novel, Dog Tags, will soon be released by Pelican Books.

Heidi is one of the authors on the Sleuths and Suspects Blog and writes Scintillating Suspense. Like most authors, Heidi has been writing since she was a child. Check out her website. She has some interesting tidbits about herself and her novels.

Dog Tags could be termed a psychological thriller. It has twists and turns you won’t expect.

Dog Tags Blurb:

“A twisted knight, a wheelchair, and troubling secrets…

Beth Martindale, a middle-grade schoolteacher has loved ex-Marine Corporal Mark Graham since childhood. Trouble is Mark never seemed to notice her until, all grown up, Beth runs into Mark miles away from their hometown. But their attraction isn’t the only thing sparked.

A psychopath will do anything to keep Beth and wheelchair bound Mark from each other. Mark longs to protect Beth, but he’s dealing with his own demons. He has a secret, and he doesn’t want anyone to know—especially Beth. Keeping Beth in the dark could place her in danger, and he’s not sure he’s willing to take that risk.”

When Dog Tags comes out, I’ll invite Heidi back to Roller Coaster Suspense for an interview. I hope you’ll join us!

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The Les Baer 1911 Thunder Ranch custom pistol, is sweet gun to shoot. It handles any .45 ammo without jamming, and the action is tight which leads to accuracy. In fact, the gun is more accurate than many shooters – my husband’s accuracy is about 50% better with this weapon than with a less expensive 1911.

Named after the Thunder Ranch training facility in Oregon, the Les Baer 1911 Thunder Ranch was developed by Les Baer with Clint Smith, Thunder Ranch director’s vision. Thunder Ranch is a premier firearm training center known for their outstanding training and unique simulations. It’s built for accuracy and reliability.

While it’s a great pistol, it does have a tight action and a stiff price. For many women shooters, it might prove difficult to rack and chamber a round, so it may not be the best choice for a female heroine. Also, due to the steep price (close to $2000), a character who isn’t an regular shooter probably wouldn’t choose this weapon.

However, if you have a character who is an avid shooter and likes a high-quality weapon, this might be a great choice. It’s super accurate, and the recoil isn’t too bad.

For more information on Les Baer pistols, check out their website – Les Baer.

Reviews on the pistols: Sight M1911; A Day At the Range; The Firearm Blog; The Packing Rat

The post Les Baer Thunder Ranch 1911 appeared first on Marcy G. Dyer .

Clips versus magazines. Many people think these terms are interchangeable, and I’ve read several books where an author states the hero “dropped the clip in his gun”. As a writer, this type of mistake can cost us credibility. The reader, if he or she knows much about guns, may think the author didn’t do his/her research. Most gun aficionados will quickly correct the interchangeable use of clip and magazine. A magazine cannot be used in a clip fed firearm, nor can a clip be used in a magazine fed firearm.

The photo below is of a stripper clip or charger. Notice how the ammunition is open and not enclosed. Weapons  such as an SKS utilize stripper clips.

photo credit: mr.smashy via photopin cc

The photo below is a clip.

 Below is an XD 1911 with the magazine out. Notice the differences between the magazine and either a stripper clip or a clip

Photo (c) M.Dyer 2013

Magazines are spring fed, and many are detachable. Most semi-automatic handguns and AR rifles use magazines.

When researching guns for your next novel, it’s important to use the correct terms. When in doubt, call a local gun store. Most will be very happy to steer you in the right direction.

For further information, you might want to visit these sites:

The Minute Man Review

The Gun Zone

The Firearm Blog

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Please welcome Matthew Horn, author of The Good Fight and Nothing Good is Free. He’s graciously agreed to an interview about his writing, his life and his new novel.

Matthew, thank you for joining us today. When did you start writing? 

I first started writing in August of 2009.  I’m not sure exactly what got me started.  I know I’ve always had the desire to tell stories, and I had tried once to twice in college to put something on paper, but it never amounted to anything.  I recall that I was reading The Sword of Shanarra by Terry Brooks, and for some reason I had an overwhelming urge to try again to put something on paper.  This time, however, I wrote a 5 page outline rather than try to just start writing a book.  The next thing I know I had a 700 page epic fantasy novel.  As of this date it’s still unpublished.  It’s a daunting task to go back and revise it all, but it was my first work.

I think several of us have those first tomes that we plan to edit one of these days. Who has been most influential in your writing style? 

My mother has her Master’s in English, and she is the one who taught me to write.  I remember having to sit through summer “classes” with her because she didn’t think my sisters and I were learning enough in school about writing.  I didn’t know it at the time, but she was helping to fashion me into a future author.  Secondarily, CS Lewis is the author I try the most to emulate.  He tells amazing stories while at the same time having true spiritualism in his depth.  It’s amazing.

CS Lewis’ writings are very deep. I love his fiction and non-fiction. Is Matthew Horn your real name or a pseudonym? 

Matthew R. Horn is my real name.  I chose not to use a pseudonym because I wanted to see my name on the cover of the book.  I’m proud of the accomplishment, and I didn’t want to hide behind a false name.  I think that if I ever achieve major writing success I may look back and wish otherwise, but I don’t want to assume that will happen.

I know we all would like to have that major success in our writing careers, but even if we never achieve that kind of success, it’s still awesome to see our names on the covers, isn’t it?What is the best advice you’ve received as a writer? 

Revise, revise, revise.  I am one of those naive authors that tried to send his work to agents and publishers immediately after I finished writing it.  I can’t believe I tried that.  It’s amazing how much revision goes into preparing a work to go before a critic.  I was told once by a colleague ”once you finish your work, write a completely different one before going back to edit the first.”  It helps to take your mind away from things and help freshen your point of view.  It was great advice.

That’s very good advice. How do you balance writing with the ever-growing need for self marketing? 

This question is nearly impossible to answer.  Basically marketing takes priority in my mind.  I love to write, but I also have a regular full-time job.  I write when I have free-time only.  Otherwise I use my time at my regular job, and at marketing myself as an author.  Of course having a wife, being a father, a Christian, etc. all have to fit in there as well.  It’s quite a hassle to add writing in, but I love it so much that it just ends up happening.

If you find that balance, please share. Those of us who work in addition to writing have a full plate. Tell us a little about your upcoming novel. 

My upcoming book is called Nothing Good is Free and is the second book in The Good Fight series.  It continues to follow my vigilante hero, Jeff, after the death of his mentor, Jim.  Jim strayed before his death and Jeff is striving to find out what caused it.  His friend, Detective Martell, uncovered a case involving police corruption and has asked Jeff to help find evidence.  Meanwhile, the police department has cooked up a scheme to catch the city’s vigilante, and has put Martell in charge of it.  Also, Jeff’s relationship with his girlfriend, Brooke, is being strained by distance and her new, attractive boss Rick.  Jeff has a lot to balance and a lot to learn about living a double-life.

That sounds very good. Another series to go in my ‘to be read pile’. Where can readers find you and your books? 

The best place to find my books and I is at www.matthewrhorn.com.  There you can see a list of all the books I am working on along with links to buy them.  I also have a news section to show my 2013 Nothing Good is Free blog tour as well as links to articles and interviews that I have done.  You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, LinkedIn, and  YouTube.

Book Blurb:

Detective Martell of the Chicago Police Department has a big problem on his hands when he discovers a connection between a recent drug bust and a case he worked on in the ’80s. Not sure if he can trust his peers, Martell goes to the one person he knows he can count on: Jeff Scott.

Jeff has taken over as the city’s vigilante after Jim, his predecessor, was killed in a drug bust. Toward the end, Jim’s demeanor took a turn for the worse as he became more violent in his work and went after bigger thugs, which ultimately led to his untimely demise. The last thing Jeff wants is to let a life of violence get the better of him and end up like Jim. So, in a pursuit to avoid the same destiny as his mentor, he seeks the truth about Jim and the life he led before the two joined forces.

In his heart, Jeff knows right from wrong, but in his work, the distinction isn’t always clear. He doesn’t want to let the vigilante lifestyle take him over, but he has responsibilities: to look out for the little guys.

Being the city’s vigilante, however, becomes a bit more complicated after he’s spotted doing what he does best. An assignment from Martell puts him under the microscope of the Chicago Police Department. Vigilante work is supposed to go unnoticed as Jeff intends to stay anonymous to the public and criminals alike…

…but now he’s gotten himself noticed—and in a very big way.

His do-gooder, crime-fighting ways put him in the wrong place at the wrong time and now he has the Chicago Police Department on his trail.

To complicate matters further, when he isn’t wearing the vigilante suit, he’s trying to maintain a relationship with his girlfriend. But now her new job is taking up all her time, just when Jeff needs her most. He fears he’ll lose her to her hectic schedule and a schmoozing boss, and the only way to make things right is to be the best vigilante that he can be.

To add to the mess Jeff has gotten himself into, there is a new vigilante in town—and it isn’t Jeff. Now, the only question is…

Will this new vigilante work for good or for evil?

Thank you so much, Matthew, for joining us. I hope you have incredible success with your novels.

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Today’s Christian author to watch, is Tracy Krauss. Tracy Krauss is an author, playwright, artist, director, and teacher. She grew up in small town Saskatchewan and received her Bachelor of Education Degree in Saskatoon with majors in Art, English and History. She has lived in many interesting places in northern Canada, many of them north of the 60th parallel. She is currently a full-time High School teacher of Art, Drama, English and History.

Check out her books below:

WIND OVER MARSHDALE - 

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Continuing with the Christian Authors To Watch series: Please meet, Nike Chillemi, Crime Fictionista. Nike’s current novels are historical crime thrillers.

She creates a compelling setting with her fictional town of Sanctuary Point. Her characters are realistic and engaging.

You won’t regret settling in with one of her great novels. They are available from Desert Breeze Publishing and Amazon

Sanctuary Point Book One: Burning Hearts: Erica Brogna’s parents doted on her and taught her to think for herself. So many young men she grew up with fell in the war, shaking her childhood faith. In rides a handsome stranger, at the hour of her desperate need when her best friend and mentor is trapped in a burning house. This stranger rushes into the inferno and carries Erica’s friend’s lifeless body out.

Lorne Kincade can’t out run his past on his Harley Davidson, though he tried. He’s been a knock-about biker since the end of WWII. His uncle bequeathed him a ramshackle cottage in Sanctuary Point, on the Great South Bay of Long Island, NY and now he has hope for the future, wants to repair the miniscule place, and settle down. The problem is someone’s setting him up for a murder rap, a young woman with hair the color of mink is starting to get under his skin, and that’s the last thing he needs.

Sanctuary Point Book Two: Goodbye Noel: Will a young pediatric nurse determined to make it on her own be able to care for an infant whose mother was murdered and escape the killer, who has struck again? Can she trust the stalwart village detective with her life, and her heart, as he works to catch this killer before somebody else dies?

Pediatric nurse, Katrina Lenart, grew up strong willed and independent minded, while sharing her mother’s flair for high fashion. When the police chief gives her an orphaned baby to care for, her maternal instincts take over and she’s willing to fight anyone who might not have the infant’s best interests at heart, even the man she’s growing to love. After an attempt is made to kidnap the baby, she and the resolute village detective team up and do some sleuthing, undercover as well as at a fancy ball.

Detective Ian Daltry is a widower with a child and is not interested in a new love. Hunting a killer who stops at nothing has placed him in the position where he must protect a beautiful young woman he’s drawn to. Is there’s something he’s overlooked in analyzing the case? Will he find out what that is before this ruthless murderer kills someone he loves?

Sanctuary Point Book Three Perilous Shadows: Pioneer newspaperwoman Kiera Devane is on a mission to prove a woman can do a man’s job, as she hunts a young coed’s killer? Ace radio broadcaster Argus Nye lost one love to a murderous fiend and his pulse races as he tries to protect Kiera from herself as much as from this killer.

Kiera was doted upon by loving parent, but they were killed when she was a girl and she was shipped off to live with a socialite aunt who had little time for her. In her aunt’s house, she learned life could be cold and cruel. As a result, she grew up to be an independent and demanding professional woman.

Argus Nye, still bereft from the loss of his first love, can’t understand why this female reporter is mesmerizing him. As she takes chances with her life trying to catch a killer, he’s determined to protect her.

Sanctuary Point Book Four Darkest Hour: Lucinda Byrne lost her husband and parents at sea. When she discovers the body of her boss, his A-List society fiancee  backed up by her powerful family and a corrupt DA, accuses Lucinda of murder. She struggles on shielding her five-year-old son, her feisty grandfather and arthritic grandmother from the ugliness of her situation. She mistrusts the dapper ME, thinking he’s a ladies’ man, but soon realizes he may be the only one in her corner.

Hank Jansen, the county ME who’s had his share of pain and loss, doesn’t know if this little widow was in on the murder, but he knows by the trajectory of the bullet she’s too short to have pulled the trigger. His professional opinion ignored, he begins his own investigation and at least one cop accuses him of an ethics violation. He certainly can’t deny he’s fallen head over heals for the accused, and also is crazy about her son. A huge problem is there’s a leak inside the investigation and the murderer is always one step ahead of them

The post Christian Authors to Watch: Nike Chillemi appeared first on Marcy G. Dyer .

Some of her novels are contemporary and other are historical, but they all have an element of suspense and intrigue.

Her books can be found on Amazon and at Desert Breeze Publishing. When you’re looking for a great read, check out her novels.

Secrets of Old Santa Fe: When Elise Wells arrives in Santa Fe for her mother’s funeral, she finds herself falling for Ramon Castillo. But what secrets does his family harbor — that they’ll go to any lengths to hide?

The Claymore Legacy: Jenny Claymore travels back home when the father she lost years ago dies. The second night, after the funeral and the reading of the will, someone tries to smother her with a pillow. Then she fears her greedy stepmother is trying to poison her. Other accidents occur. Finally, when the villain is preparing to hit her in the head with a rock and throw her down in the storm cellar, the hero saves her.

The Christmas Bride: Sue-Ellen Grayson travels by stagecoach to Fort Clark, Texas, to console Major Ethan Hartley, because her sister, Cassandra, jilted him. Her trip is fraught with danger, and she arrives penniless, without even a ticket to return home. She gets a job waitressing at the Brackettville Café. 

Christmas Stranger: One snowy, blustery night, Melinda’s quiet existence changes when Zeke, a drifter, and his young son, arrive. She feeds them and lets them sleep in her barn, and after a time begins to hope they’ll stay. Her heart turns cold when Zeke announces they must move on. Will she ever know contentment again?

My next author to watch will be Nike Chillemi. You’ll enjoy her suspense novels!

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