Friday, September 30, 2022

5 Things You Should Know About Eternal Graffiti by Peter Marlton #5Things

September 30, 2022 0 Comments

 



5 Things You Should Know About Eternal Graffiti


By Peter Marlton


  1. I’m proud to say that Eternal Graffiti is nominated for a PEN/Hemingway Award for a Debut Novel. 
  1. It took seven years to write, off and on, and I ended up writing it all over the place. Parts were written in Seattle, Venice Beach, the Wellspring House Writers Retreat in Ashfield, MA, the Martha’s Vineyard Writers Retreat in Martha’s Vineyard, La Muse Writers Retreat, in Labastide-Esparbairenque, France, the village of Drumcliff, County Sligo, Ireland, and Paris.  
  1. I wrote it without an outline because I never use one. I wrote a lot that I couldn’t use.  I ended up cutting 16,000 words, which is about 65 pages. I wish I could have kept a scene in which Owen works a horrible Day Labor job in the basement of a fancy restaurant in Westwood, using a sledgehammer to break up a concrete floor with several Eastern Europeans. There is an immigration raid which leads to all sorts of complications. 
  1. In order to write with some credibility about Kiera I had to go to Ireland to find her village and her house. I couldn’t afford it, but it had to be done. I thought she was from Kilkenny but when I got there I knew that was wrong. It just didn’t feel right. My daughter and I drove around the island looking.  It took about three or four days and then we drove into Drumcliff and then up to Mullaghmore and that was it exactly. It was an amazing experience. About a year before that Kiera had just appeared on the page one day and took over.
  1. The scene with Owen and his father playing “This Land Is Your Land” is based on a weekend I had with my father when I was twelve. I was happy the story unfolded in such a way that the scene found its way into the book. 


About the Author

Peter Marlton is a pseudonym for Pete MacDonald, both as a fiction writer and as a musician and songwriter. He was born in San Francisco and has lived in Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, and in three European countries. He’s published short stories, a novella, and essays in various literary magazines and The New York Times.

His latest book is the adult literary fiction, Eternal Graffiti.

You can visit his website at www.petermarlton.com or connect with him on Twitter.

 

Book Description:

Title: Eternal Graffiti
Author: Peter Marlton
Publisher: The Story Plant
Pages: 352
Genre: Literary Fiction

Blurb:

“I don’t know if this is a confession or a purge, a scream or a lullaby,” begins twenty-seven-year-old Owen Kilroy’s journal, in which he writes about the remarkable women—friends and lovers—who’ve come and gone and who have shaped his life, as well as the many varieties of heartbreak he’s experienced.

Owen revisits himself as a seventeen-year-old guitar player, songwriter, and drug dealer in a small, fictional California desert town. He relives being arrested, violently, by half the town’s police force and sent to juvenile prison. He faces the pain of being disowned by his mother and having his father disappear. And he re-experiences inadvertently killing his girlfriend by providing her with drugs.

After escaping from juvenile prison, ending up broke, desperate, and homeless in Venice Beach, he eventually meets Kiera, a nineteen-year-old Irish student at UCLA. She is the great love of his life, a love that he knows would cripple him if he were to lose her. Now, ten years later, Owen discovers that writing about her and all that came before isn’t enough. If he is to move on, he realizes he must go back to California and face his ghosts directly.

“Marlton’s prose mixes lyricism with grit, which often results in evocative images. The author has an eye for nuance and detail, and he manages to evoke the era and the youth culture of the time.” ― Kirkus Reviews

Book Information

Release Date: September 6, 2022

Publisher:  The Story Plant

Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1611883329; 352 pages; $16.95; eBook $7.99

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3brycU7 

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3oOBns2 

Indigo: https://bit.ly/3zVhXbf 

Indiebound: https://bit.ly/3OZeLPY 

Book Depository: https://bit.ly/3BIRLlo 

Chapters: https://bit.ly/3QfBpVt 



5 Things You Should Know About A Nick of Time by Mike DiCerto #5Things

September 30, 2022 0 Comments

 




5 Things You Should Know About A Nick of Time


By Mike Dicerto


1. A Nick of Time is the fourth in a series of Rupert Starbright adventures.

2. A Nick of Time was adapted from an animated musical screenplay called “The Zodiac” that I wrote 20 years earlier and just say collecting dust. 

3. A Nick of Time has been optioned (as the first three) to be developed into a motion picture series.

4. I wrote a dozen original songs for this story- one for each of the signs of the Zodiac. It was one of my favorite aspects of writing A Nick of Time.

5. My love of silly words and new bizarre words comes from reading Dr Seuss as a kid. A Nick of Time is full of words I created. 


About the Author

Since his childhood Mike Di Certo has always harvested his work from the abundant crop of his imagination. From the wild and hilarious Rock and Roll space adventure Milky Way Marmalade, to the child-like wonder of his middle grade series, The Adventures of Rupert Starbright (The Door to Far-Myst, The Secret of My-Myst and The Ghosts of Winter Joy) Michael’s passions play out on the pages. His love of animals, his family, gardening, travel, movies, VR, history, Yoga, reading and music guide and influence his life and his writing.

His latest book is the middle grade fantasy novel, A Nick of Time.

Visit his website at www.ruperstarbright.com or connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Book Description:

Title: A Nick of Time
Author: Mike DiCerto
Publisher: Zumaya Publications
Pages: 295
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Blurb:

It’s New Year’s Eve in Graysland, but when the final second fails to come Rupert Starbright finds his entire town frozen in time. Rupert and his school crush Rainn Evertree must travel to the Land of Annum to retrieve the stolen second from the nasty and evil Epoch. They will explore a wild, imaginative, and musical world where all the characters of the Zodiac join Rainn in helping Rupert in his most colorful and challenging adventure yet!

A Nick of Time is thoroughly entertaining and a fun read, this should be made into a Pixar animation!” – Amazon

“All kids should be encouraged to read this unique series and use their imaginings as well! It’s the power of positive thinking for the young adult set. Highly recommend!” – Amazon

Book Information

Release Date: August 16, 2021

Publisher:  Zumaya Publications

Soft Cover: ISBN: 978-1612710990; 295 pages; $11.70; eBook $4.99 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/3vSNQ1x





Sunday, September 25, 2022

Interview with Carole P. Roman Author of Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex @caroleproman #interview

September 25, 2022 0 Comments



Carole P. Roman
is the award-winning author of over fifty children’s books. Whether it’s pirates, princesses, spies, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children of all ages.

Her best-selling book, The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! has reached number one on Amazon in March of 2020 and has remained in the top 200 books since then.

She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren.

Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman.

Roman is the CEO of a global transportation company, as well as a practicing medium.

She also writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and has created an anthology of the mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors.

Writing is her passion and one of her favorite pastimes. Roman reinvents herself frequently, and her family calls her the ‘mother of reinvention.’ She resides on Long Island, near her children and grandchildren.

Her series includes:

Captain No Beard

If You Were Me and Lived in- Cultural

If You Were Me and Lived in- Historical

Nursery series

Oh Susannah- Early Reader and coloring book

Grady Whilland the Templeton Codex

Giggles Galore- Coming in December 2022

Mindfulness for Kids with co-author J. Robin Albertson-Wren

The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids; 800 plus Jokes! 1 and 2

Spies, Code Talkers, and Secret Agents A World War 2 Book for Kids

Navigating Indieworld- with co-author Julie A. Gerber

Marketing Indieworld- with co-authors Angela Hausman and Julie A. Gerber

Adult Fiction under the pen name Brit Lunden

Bulwark

The Knowing- Book 1- A Bulwark Anthology

The Devil and Dayna Dalton- Book 9-A Bulwark Anthology

Her latest book is the YA Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex.

Visit Carole’s website at www.CarolePRoman.com or connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.


Welcome, Carole!  Your young adult fiction, Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex, sounds like quite an adventure! Can you tell us how you came up with the idea? 

I come from a family of authors. We usually get together in the morning and exchange ideas.  My son wanted to write a story about superheroes and then lost interest. My other son suggested it should be about superheroes going to a special school. I saw an opportunity to make it about kids with challenges and asked if he minded if I ran with it. Grady Whill was born and developed that day.

Can you tell us a little about your main characters?  

Grady Whill feels he is too ordinary to make the grade at Templeton Academy. Not only does he not excel at anything and tries his best to avoid confrontations with his former friend, school bully Elwood Bledsoe. Sadly, Bledsoe thinks it's open season on Grady's autistic friend, Aarush. When they all make Templeton, new alliances must be developed with the interesting students going there. 

They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point in the book where the reader just can't put the book down. Can you give us one of your pivotal points? 

I like to think my opening chapter gets the reader hooked. It's an exciting moment that leaves the reader wondering how in the world did these two kids end up on an exploding volcano with pterodactyls flying around.  Early reviewers have indicated that they were unexpectedly hooked from the first chapter.

What did you want to grow up to be when you were a child? 

I wanted to be an author.   But I became a teacher, business owner, CEO, and medium along the way.

Does your book carry a message? 

It carries multiple messages.  Here are a few of them, 

"Failure can be used as a tool to succeed."

"...each one of us excelled in something, contributing to make us a more solid pack."

"Like everything else, we all have good and bad parts."

"How could she get me when I didn't even get me?"

"If you want to change your reality, change what you say to yourself."

"Do not pass judgment on another's choices. You must understand their options first."

Anything you'd like to say to your readers and fans? 

Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex is a great book for both kids and their parents. It's an adventure as well as a coming of age story that people of all ages and genders can identify with.

 






Title: Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex
Author: Carole P. Roman
Publisher: Chelshire, Inc.
Pages: 286
Genre: YA

Blurb:

Templeton Academy- the superhero high school is finally open!

The prestigious academy is recruiting the best of the best to enroll in its student body.

The school is as mysterious as it is exclusive.

Grady Whill thinks there is nothing special about him to make the grade.

However, his best friend, Aarush Patel has been selected and thinks Grady has the right stuff.

Even school bully, Elwood Bledsoe is attending.

If Grady is fortunate enough to be picked, his guardian has forbidden him to attend.

Will a family secret prevent Grady from becoming the superhero he was destined to be?

“Roman’s writing is excellent: portraying wonderful, complex characters. Narrated by Grady, the story reveals his kindness and humor. (“Aarush lived in a smart home as opposed to my stupid home,” he tells readers). It also illustrates the lovely symbiotic friendship between Grady and Aarush, who protect each other from trouble and ridicule…With the book’s many touching, funny, and edge-of-your-seat moments, readers will be cheering to hear more from Grady.” Blue Ink Review

“With a page-turning plot and exciting twists and turns, this book is sure to become a treasured favorite.”- Review by Book Excellence

“If I were to give a book to every young adult in this world, I would give them Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman without blinking. I absolutely loved every moment of this uplifting and fascinating story. It’s filled with valuable life lessons, adventure, peril, and highly relatable and lovable characters.” Reviewed by Emma Megan for Readers’ Favorite

“Harry Potter meets Sky High. If you’re a fan of young adult stories where protagonists go to mysterious schools to train their superhuman abilities, don’t miss out on Grady Whill and The Templeton Codex.” Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Reader’s Favorite

“With a detailed descriptive narrative, great character development, and compelling dialogue, the author has created a story that will have young readers engaged to the very end.” Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Reader’s Favorite

Book Information

Release Date: July 18, 2022

Publisher:  Chelshire, Inc.

Soft Cover: ISBN:  978-1950080434; 286 pages; $10.99; eBook $8.99; FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Qvn3kv


 


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