Showing posts with label author interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label author interview. Show all posts

Book Blog Tour with Author Message and Giveaway: Hell or High Water by Jullie Ann Walker

Did you see my 4 star review of Hell or High Water? Well, here is a special message and giveaway from the author!

Message From The Author

Hi everyone!  My name is Julie Ann Walker and I'm tickled pink to be here today talking about my BRAND SPANKING NEW romantic suspense series, Deep Six!  It revolves around six newly retired Navy SEALs who just can't seem to shake their past and the Navy SEAL motto that "the only easy day was yesterday."  Set in the Florida Keys, the series is filled with sun, sand, danger, intrigue, adventure, and plenty of half-dressed alpha hotties.  LOL!  Sound like a good time?  I guarantee it is!  And I guarantee you're going to fall in love with these six men. 

Take Leo "The Lion" Anderson.  With his sun-streaked, sandy blond hair and perpetual tan -- not to mention those hazel eyes and beard stubble -- he's sure to win your heart.  And that's before you get to his no-bullshit, take-command-of-any-situation attitude and the fact that he's trying to fulfill his father's dying wish. 

Then there's Brando "Bran" Pallidino.  A native New Jerseyan, Bran grew up on the mean streets of Newark.  He's rough.  He's tough.  And his Italian-American heritage means he comes complete with soulful brown eyes, a face that belongs on billboards, and a love for good food and good wine.  (That last part means his beer-loving teammates give him a lot of grief. *wink*)

You won't be able to resist Mason "Monet" McCarthy.  As a boy from Beantown, Mason learned to use the F-bomb in really colorful ways.  He's big.  He's burly.  He's not the kind of guy you'd like to meet in a dark alley.  Yet his thick black hair and crystal blue eyes soften what would otherwise be an entirely intimidating appearance.

Who doesn't love a country boy?  Dalton "Doc" Simmons was born and raised in Montana.  He's a lean, mean, fighting machine, with a face that's all angles as if it's been carved down to its barest essentials by a hot, stinging prairie wind.  Doc has a tragic past.  And he's fighting to come to terms with it.

Next up is Ray "Wolf" Roanhorse.  Wolf's Cherokee heritage makes him strikingly handsome, with a blade of a nose, high cheekbones, flashing black eyes, and a lush, beautifully-shaped mouth.  Born into poverty on a reservation in Oklahoma, Wolf has more than himself to worry about.  He has his whole family depending on him.  But if anyone can shoulder that burden, it's Wolf.

And last but certainly not least, we have Spiro "Romeo" Delgado.  Romeo likes to play up that whole Latin-lover thing.  And with his swarthy skin, precisely trimmed goatee, and honed physique, he does a pretty good job of it.  But that's just what's on the surface.  Underneath it all, Romeo is desperately trying to make up for the mistakes of his past.

See?  What did I tell you?  You love them already, don't you?  Read on for a bonus scene from HELL OR HIGH WATER where you get to meet all of the Deep Six heroes!

Book Information

Title: Hell or High Water
Author: Julie Ann Walker
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Deep Six, Book #1

Summary
Only two things could make former Navy SEAL Leo Anderson return to the world of weapons and warfare. First, a capsule of chemical weapons lost on the ocean floor, and second, a plea for assistance from the one woman he can't seem to forget-CIA Agent Olivia Mortier.

Now, working together to race against the clock and a deadly terrorist faction, Leo and Olivia must find the missing capsule, all the while battling the intense desire burning between them. If they can survive, can their growing attraction become more than just a momentary flare?

Buy Links
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1HFf0IK
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1BP774y

Author Biography

Julie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as "alpha, edgy, and downright hot." Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Social Networking Links


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Early Book Review and Author Interview: Toby by Stacy Nyikos, Shawn Sisneros

Toby is a children's picturebook written by Stacy Nyikos and illustrated by Shawn Sisneros. It is currently scheduled for release on July 15 2014. Birds, and crabs, and crocodiles stand between Toby and his new ocean home. Can he out-slip, out-slide,and otherwise outsmart them? Just jump in to find out!

Toby is bright, fun, and teaches young readers about how newly hatched turtles make their way to the relative safety of the ocean. While the plucky Toby faces many dangers on his way to the water, and there is tension in the story, there is not a frightening feel to the story. Readers will root for Toby and enjoy both the rhythm and flow of the text. the illustrations pair pretty much perfectly with the story, imparting extra bits of information and some fun on each page.

I would recommend Toby for reading one on one with young readers, in classroom or storytime settings, and for interested readers to explore on their own. the story will speak particularly to animal and adventure fans, but could also be used as a discussion starter about nature, turtles, young animals, the environment, and more.



Questions for Stacy A. Nyikos:
1. Exactly how many pencils did you destroy in the making of Toby? As a fellow pencil chewer I really need to know.
  • Toby pencil toll: Well...let's just say I'm learning to whittle my own pencils now. You wouldn't think chewing pencils is an expensive habit, but oh the things teachers don't tell us. Pencils are expensive! I tried mechanical, but plastic isn't nearly as inspiring as wood slivers between my teeth. The upside: I can now whittle! 
2. My favorite munchies of choice while reading or writing vary between Goldfish and anything chocolate. What is in your secret stash?
  • Munchies (besides pencils): Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! I have two chocolate bars in my right hand desk drawer (see incriminating photo). So, chocolate is definitely my munchie of choice. However, if that's not cutting it, I bring in the gummy bears. I like how I can squish them when I'm really frustrated, but they spring right back, and then we get these little gummy bear adventures going where they scale my computer (no incriminating photos. Gummy bears are way too shy), which makes me totally forget why I got them in the first place...until I eat them. Oops.
3. Do you have any special writing quirks, besides pencil chewing. I often need to be barefoot to think well, do you perhaps write sitting cross legged, on the floor, in pj's, or something else that just helps you focus?
  • Super secret writing quirk: I run. I run every morning at about 5:30. It's so early and so dark, it's like being in a half sleep/meditation place where my dog, Desi, who runs with me, and I have conversations about writing. Desi swears this isn't true, but since she refuses to talk outside out little runs, it's my word against hers. Between you and me, we all know who's right. Dogs talk! or is it rock?? Either way, running with my dog is where I work out story problems and get a lot of cool new ideas. My dog is my best writing partner ever, which is why I feature her in my upcoming picture book, WAGGERS.  
About Stacy A. Nyikos:
Stacy A. Nyikos is the author of three aquatic picture books, Squirt, Shelby & Dizzy (Stonehorse), as well as a middle grade novel, Dragon Wishes (Blooming Tree Press, 2008). Her books have received numerous awards, including Winner in the Arizona Authors Literary Contest, Finalist in ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year, and Featured Picture Book of the Oklahoma Aquarium.

Stacy conducts school visits at both elementary and middle schools across the U.S., using dummy books, selected (somewhat embarrassing) early drafts of her writing, and power point presentations to teach children about story-making and sea life. In 2008, she will finally! be able to add Chinese dragons to her presentations. 
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Book Spotlight with Author Q&A; Turning on a Dime by Maggie Dana

Turning on a Dime: A time travel adventure for MG/tween readers. Two girls from two different centuries and the horse that brings them together.

Teenage equestrian Samantha DeVries wants to be the first African American to ride in the Olympics. Her father, a successful trainer, pushes Sam to excel, while Sam’s academic mother tries to instill a sense of heritage in her headstrong daughter who’d rather be riding horses than studying history. But Sam’s beliefs and her carefully constructed world shatter like a jelly jar when she travels through a time portal and lands in the canopy bed of an 1860s Southern belle.

Even more surprised by Sam’s unexpected arrival is Caroline Chandler. She’s a tomboy who wears breeches beneath her crinoline and rides horses bareback, much to the dismay of her critical mother.
But neither girl has time to fret over petticoats and prejudice. The Civil War is raging, and soldiers from both sides are stealing horses. At risk is Pandora, Caroline’s beloved mare. Without her, Sam’s future Olympic horse, Nugget, might not exist in the present.
Neither will Sam if the slave catchers grab her.
Maggie Dana Q&As: TURNING ON A DIME
1. Was there a specific moment or idea that inspired writing Turning on a Dime?

This story has been cantering around inside my head for so long, I can’t even remember how I came up with it. But I was nervous about writing it. I mean, where did I get off, a middle-aged Englishwoman putting herself into the head of a contemporary black American teenager?

So I resisted the story for a long time, like 6 or 7 years, until it couldn’t be contained any longer. To keep myself on track, I kept repeating . . . “girls are girls, no matter what color they are and some of them love horses.” This, I could wrap my head around. So I built the story with these two girls (one black, one white, from two different centuries) and their mutual love of horses . . . and of adventure. They’re both gutsy and brave, full of angst, and often vulnerable—just like any other teenager, modern or otherwise. Then I tossed in time travel and away we went!

2. Do you see bits of yourself, your family, your friends, or your life in your characters that surprise you?

Writers invariably put some of their own attributes (good and not so good). Like me, both girls in Turning on a Dime love horses and they’re strong-willed and stubborn, but unlike me they’re positively brilliant on horseback (far better than I ever was). I think authors also endow their characters with traits they wish they (the authors) had. I wish I was half as brave as Sam and Caroline and could ride horses as well as they do.

3. Did you always want to write, did your characters or a particular story just need to be written, or were you brought to writing in a completely different path?

Like many kids I wrote (and illustrated) a story about my dog in grade school, then I wrote essays in high school, but I didn’t really get into writing seriously until the late 1970s when I worked as a secretary at a children’s publisher (Weekly Reader). My boss had very little work to give me which meant that I sat, bored out of my mind, in front of a typewriter (yes, it was that long ago) with nothing to do. When I begged him for work he just told me to ‘look busy.’ He didn’t care what I did.

“Write letters, a shopping list,” my boss said. “Write a book.”

So I did.

On Weekly Reader’s time, their typewriter, and their paper. And then, sweet irony, I sold it to them, and my first book, The Golden Horse of Willow Farm, was published by Weekly Reader in 1981.

A year later, after I left Weekly Reader to become a book designer and typesetter, I wrote another children’s book and I sold that to them as well. Armed with visions of future glory, I got an agent and kept on writing whenever I had a free moment (while bringing up kids, building a house, and working full time), and while I’ve enjoyed quite a bit of success, I also have a bottom drawer filled with rejected manuscripts to prove that you can’t always rest on your laurels. You have to keep learning and growing as a writer.

4. Do you have any set writing routine or rituals, or do you work as inspiration strikes? 

I write when the muse (or whatever it is) strikes. Some days I manage a whole bunch of words; other days, I get nothing written down except a reminder to buy paper towels next time I go shopping. Normally, I need perfect quiet at home, but sometimes I can write a whole load of great stuff while in my daughter’s busy kitchen with teenage kids and their friends (and dogs and cats) rushing around, to say nothing of the ducks, chickens, and horses outside that require feeding and attention …  and playing with!

5. What do you do when you are not writing?

Most of the time if I’m not actually writing, I’m thinking about writing—composing scenes, drumming up plots, and inventing new characters for Timber Ridge Riders, my horsey series for middle-grade/tween readers. This, of course, can be done while I’m outside pulling weeds and waging war on the shrubbery, or mucking stalls at my daughter’s barn and feeding her chickens. On rainy days, I indulge myself with fabric, making quilts and tote bags in my tiny sewing room. Oh, and I read a lot, too.

6. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Yes … and it’s a H-U-G-E thank you for buying my books and reviewing them, and for emailing to ask when the next one is coming out. One of my young readers wrote to tell me that she’d started volunteering at a therapeutic riding center, inspired by Holly—one of my Timber Ridge characters—who was once in a wheelchair.

 About Maggie:
MAGGIE DANA’s first riding lesson, at the age of five, was less than wonderful. In fact, she hated it so much, she didn’t try again for another three years. But all it took was the right instructor and the right horse and she was hooked for life.
Her new riding stable was slap bang in the middle of Pinewood Studios, home of England’s movie industry. So while learning to groom horses, clean tack, and muck stalls, Maggie also got to see the stars in action. Some even spoke to her.
In addition to writing books for young horse lovers, Maggie also writes women’s fiction, and her new book, TURNING ON A DIME, is a time travel book for MG/tween readers about horses, the Civil War, and two girls from two different centuries. Born and raised near London, Maggie now makes her home on the Connecticut shoreline where she divides her time between hanging out with the family's horses and writing her next book in the Timber Ridge Riders series.

Want to know more? Here is where you can find out more about Maggie and Turning on a Dime.


Buy Links for Turning on a Dime:
Amazon US (ebook and print) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985150491


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Fire of the Sea by Lyndsay Johnson: Blog Tour including Interview and Exerpt

A New Young Adult Book, Fire of the Sea by Lyndsay Johnson

Synopsis: 
Sharp, sleek, and golden. Like the dagger she has worn since childhood, eighteen-year-old Aeva is all three of these things. But there is something else that this mermaid and her prized weapon share – they are both hunted.

Hidden within the caves off Iceland’s dark shore, Aeva waits to take her place as the next ruler of the Meriads. But when Aeva uses her potent and alluring song to save a drowning human, she disrupts a delicate balance. Realizing she has unexpectedly bound herself to Gunnar, Aeva is torn between duty and love.

Aeva severs one life to begin another, and soon finds herself not only rejected by the sea, but also stalked by an old enemy. As the worlds of myth and man intertwine, Aeva will challenge fate to protect her own sacred relic and the man she loves.

But legends and lies cast an intricate net. With time and safety quickly unraveling for Aeva and Gunnar, there is only one clear course: Find and defeat Delphine before she can shift again.


Social Media:
www.lyndsayjohnsonwrites.com
www.facebook.com/lyndsayjohnsonwrites

Interview:

 1. Was there a specific moment or idea that inspired writing Fire of the Sea?
 I had a dream, actually. I’ve always had really vivid, detailed dreams. One morning I woke up after dreaming that I was a mermaid. I had rescued a pilot who had fallen from his plane (he was being dragged under by his parachute). I was swimming through all of this billowing, white fabric. It was amazing. I woke up and had to type a rough draft of what would eventually become the second chapter in my book. (*for an excerpt from this chapter, see below)

 2. Do you see bits of yourself, your family, your friends, or your life in your characters that surprise you?
 I can definitely see some of my flaws in Aeva. She worries a lot about what her course in life should be. I think that’s something inherent in all of us at some point. But I can look back at myself at 18 and see how I shared a lot of the same anxiety about life and love and which direction to take. (Granted, I wasn’t a daughter of a sea king with a heavy mantle weighing on me…)

 3. Did you always want to write. or were you brought to writing by a completely different path?
I have always loved to write. For me, there is a constant creative drive, whether it’s writing, illustrating, painting, or designing. I have degrees in graphic design and creative writing. When I was younger I wrote and illustrated a lot of stories and poetry. Once I was older, I focused on graphic design for more than ten years. But over time the desire to write began to resurface again. So I decided to just go for it! Writing offers different fulfillment creatively. I love being able to still take part in the visual arts while exploring what stories are floating around in my head, as well.

 4. Do you have any set writing routine or rituals, or do you work as inspiration strikes?
I think it’s a bit of both. Sometimes I have a day where I feel like I HAVE to sit down and just write as much as possible. Those days I feel like I am hard-wired into a steady flow of inspiration. Other days I have to set goals. When I am writing I definitely have my playlists that I listen to on repeat. And I like to have a box of Junior Mints on hand to keep up the writing energy, of course!

 5. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
Oh gosh. I have to admit I loved writing so many scenes in this book. My main character, Aeva goes on quite a journey throughout the story. So there are a lot of beautiful Icelandic settings that I was able to delve into. The underwater caves were wonderful to write. I also really enjoyed the shift in the book when Aeva makes her way to land, and I could describe what that would be like for the first time. Iceland is a raw and wild place. It is just being born compared to the rest of the Earth. So to have Aeva’s first encounter with the Earth as a human happen in Iceland seemed magical to me. I had to experience what it was like for Aeva to wake up for the first time as a human. Learning the words of objects, the feel of wood and grass beneath her feet, the way that saltwater now burned her body. I had to discover it as I went along, which was really thrilling.

6. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a different theme or idea you’d love to work with? 
 Definitely Aeva’s best friend Sissel. Sissel is a unique mermaid because she is a “Seer,” and has special abilities to see things in her mind’s eye. Sissel has a complicated and detailed back-story that was originally included in the novel. But it was adding unnecessary distraction to my plot, and seemed to slow things down. But it would make a great prequel or novella!

7. What do you do when you are not writing?
I have three children (my youngest is just over a month old). So I am very busy staying at home with my spirited kiddos every day. I am also a graphic designer, which means I have to balance all of my motherly and creative pursuits. In my pockets of spare time, I like to watch movies (I could watch the new version of Pride and Prejudice on repeat forever), go exploring in our small mountain town, and of course I love to read!

8. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I am so happy to share Fire of the Sea with you! I’ve been swimming through Aeva’s world now for almost three years before the dream became a reality. One of my favorite aspects of writing is sharing the final experience of the story. So thank you for taking part in that!

Excerpt from Fire of the Sea by Lyndsay Johnson Chapter Two: The Call:

  In the deepening blue, what appeared to be an enormous jellyfish was descending slowly and steadily. A white plume the size of a ship’s sail, with long trailing tentacles, hung in the agitated water. Part of it still clung to the surface.
  I moved closer. Reaching out, my fingers felt the edges of the ghostly form. Fabric. I’d read of its tight weave used in human clothing. I’d never seen so much of it, much less touched it.
White strings were attached to the fabric, tangling down into the depths. My gold hair whirled in front of my face as I paused to make sense of what hovered before me. As I whipped my head around for clarity, I saw him.
  Snared at the center of the mass was a young man. A human. What I had first thought to be a jellyfish was something else entirely. The human was attached to the now collapsing net of fabric and rope by a bundle strapped to his back and shoulders. He sank deeper and deeper in a slow-motion descent, as the last of the fabric slipped below the surface. His head was bowed, but his body wasn’t completely limp. He struggled sluggishly. Was he giving up? Why didn’t he remove the pack?
  It took me a moment to tear myself away from my fascination. I managed to remember that humans couldn’t hold air in their lungs underwater for very long. They would lose strength in the sea, not gain it. He was drowning.

 About the Author:
Lyndsay grew up in the wide expanses of Texas, where the only thing stronger than the accents was the state pride. An over-active imagination, tale-telling father, and encouraging librarian mother lead to her love of all things creative.

 When it comes to books on her bedside table, young adult lit has always been a favorite (Blue Balliett, Libba Bray, and Stephenie Meyer, to name a few.) But it was actually an old, yellowing copy of Scandinavian Folk and Fairy Tales that planted a particularly relentless seed. Shapeshifters and sea nymphs began forming the seed of an idea that would eventually grow into Lyndsay’s debut novel, Fire of the Sea.

 When she is not writing, you can find Lyndsay spending time with her family in the Rocky Mountains of Utah. She enjoys sitting in dark theaters, trying new gluten-free recipes, watching breaking storms over the peaks out her window, and secret naps.


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Blog Tour Book Review and Guest Post: The Ninja Librarians by Jen Swann Downey

The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand by Jennifer Swann Downey is a middle grade chapter book. Dorrie Barnes loves swordplay, but wishes she could use it for more than play acting on a stage. When an overdue book, run away mongoose, and unfortunate bet led Dorrie and her brother Marcus to the janitor's closet in her local library they accidentally fall through a passage into another place. They land in Petrarch's Library, the headquarters of a secret society of librarians that aim to protect independent thinkers that have gotten themselves into hot water because of their new ideas. These sword-swinging, karate-chopping, crime-fighting ninja librarians do their work anywhere in the world, during any time in history. However, when traitors are lurking, suspicion falls on Marcus and Dorrie as the prime suspects. Can they clear their names before they are sent home for good?

 Okay, I'll admit it. As I librarian I just had to read The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand, I had no choice. Thankfully, the book was fabulous and made my day. Dorrie loves to think of herself as a hero, and of the good she could do with her sword, but realizes that there is not much use for sword wielding heroes in our day. She is smart, good hearted, and honest but stubborn. Marcus is a born slacker, he can talk his way into or out of just about anything, which ever would benefit him most. I loved the sibling relationship, and their relationships with the rest of the wacky family. I hope to see more of their sticky fingered younger sibling in future adventures, because she just seems like a good source of entertainment. The solid character and world building made all of the character interactions flow well and feel very real to me.

 There are some standard elements to this story, that seem to be in most middle grade and young adult novel lately. There is the mean girl, who is surely motivated by insecurity or jealousy. There is also the unexpected mentor,  the sweet friend that comes through in a pinch, the distrustful leader, and of course the villain. However, the way the story plays out, the enjoyment in the reading, is not lost because of this familiar elements. I found that these pieces were reworked and fit together perfectly to create a story that felt new and exciting. 

 I would recommend The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand to middle grade readers (and adults) that enjoy action, adventure, and a touch of magic. Readers that love libraries and the power of information as well will have a special enjoyment in the story. The flow of words and story make this a great book for reading aloud or listening to on audio book if or when it becomes available in that format.

From the Author: Who’s your favorite truth sayer and why?

As it happens, I have many truth-telling heroes. Some of them told (are telling) the truth about human circumstances especially unjust ones, some refused (are refusing) to pretend to conform with the beliefs of the powerful, and some told (are telling) exquisite and brave truths about themselves when it would be easier to remain silent.  It's so very tempting to, if not to outright lie in this world, then to hang back from telling whole, uncomfortable truths about what we're noticing in the world or what we're feeling and thinking. It makes us vulnerable. Sometimes very vulnerable. 

A truth-teller I've been thinking about a lot lately is Ida B. Wells. She lived here in the United States in the late 19th century/early 20th.  She ran a newspaper, she took on the railroads when they tried to make her leave a "whites only" car, and she exposed the massive number of lynchings of african-americans taking place across the south and not-so-south. Despite threats against her life, despite her newspaper office being burned down, she never retreated into silence. She's someone for whom I bow my head, and then raise it again, thankful, inspired and hoping, that in a moment when it counts, I can channel one hundredth of her courage to speak out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jen Swann Downey’s nonfiction pieces have appeared in New York Magazine, The Washington Post, Women's Day, and other publications. She’s never visited a library in which she didn't want to spend the night. Jen lives in Charlottesville, VA with her family.
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Book Blog Tour for The Noise Beneath the Apple Including a Giveaway and Author Interview

**Foreword’s 2013 Book of the Year Award Finalist**

About The Book
Written by Heather Jacks and accompanied by an eleven-track vinyl record featuring the original music of a select number of participants, this 200-page art-style coffee table book measures 12’’ x 12’’ and weighs in at a whopping 8lbs. Putting the spotlight on the age-old profession of busking, Jacks also seeks to stem the tide of regulation intended to suffocate creative expression and take performers off the streets.

A limited-edition coffee table book, The Noise Beneath the Apple®, is a unique and vibrant study of the culture of street performance, its legitimacy in modern times and above all, an intimate look at thirty-five buskers throughout New York City. Released with an eleven-track vinyl record that was mastered by Grammy and Academy Award winning mastering engineer Reuben Cohen, this book is a singular achievement and a one-of-a-kind tribute to the chaotic, beautiful and spirited world of busking.

Bio:  
Heather Jacks was raised on an Indian reservation in southeastern Oregon, until age fifteen. Jacks was the first ‘experimental exchange student’ to Australia with an organization called YFU, Youth for Understanding, where she spent 10.5 months in 1982. Once she returned, she received her B.A. from USF and followed that with two years of study at UC Davis.  She has worked in the music industry in various capacities, since the eighties; radio, production, A&R, booking and most recently as a music journalist.  She was recently named a finalist in the Book of the Year Award in the Performing Art & Music category, for her multi-media project, The Noise Beneath the Apple®, which was inspired by her love for street music, busking and the people who make it.  Heather can be contacted at: heather@heatherjacks.com

Visit Us Online:


Enter the Giveaway
  1. Was there a specific moment or idea that inspired writing this book?
I became who I am today in 1976.

Jimmy Carter was president. Vietnam was granted admission to the United Nations. The US of A was celebrating her 200th birthday, and Chief Don Sconchian had finished his time on this planet; (which is our fancy way of saying; he died), and I discovered Jack Kerouac in the Outhouse. These seemingly unrelated things are the exact pieces of my youth that cemented an early love affair with street performance.

Once Chief died—(btw: everyone is called Chief or Cousin on Indian Land), I was promptly shipped off to white school with my Outhouse edition of On The Road. The experiment was deemed unsuccessful by all involved, so I was sent to the Outback in Australia, as an ‘experimental’ exchange student. This was in 1982 and I was 15. It is safe to say, that the nomadic lifestyle was instilled in me at an early age. The tradition of busking also finds its roots in this type of nomadic lifestyle. Time honored Indian dance, Aboriginal ceremonies and Pow-Wow’s were all things I grew up with—and one can find close parallels between these things and busking—(performing on street corners for money.)

I arrived in New York City in December of 2009. At Grand Central Terminal, I met Luke Ryan, a perfect incarnation of jester, prankster and musician, who I eventually dubbed The Queen’s Cowboy. “About 10, it gets weird,” he said, glancing at me sitting on a subway bench. He looked into the garbage bin located next to him. “The first Starbucks cups make their appearance. Then the Starbucks cups get bigger; and when the biggest Starbucks cup makes its appearance, the day is pretty well done. When I see all the Wall Street Journals piled in the garbage pail next to me: We’re screwed. I know that’s it.” He began to pack up his guitar, collect his tips and move on. It would be Luke who would ultimately be the inspiration for a project three years in the future; The Noise Beneath the Apple®.

When The Noise Beneath the Apple®, began to crystallize in my mind, I was a freelance writer, submitting to various culture and online ezines. As I wandered the streets and subways of NYC, I discovered some great street musicians and thought it would make for some good stories and fun reading. For me, that was about it. But, as I got to know some of the musicians and see how the street culture was manifesting, I realized I could do something more; something socially relevant: capture a piece of history and help legitimize the profession of busking. I went back and to find Luke, who is a 40 + year veteran of busking. He was my first.

      2. Do you have a favorite story about busking or the streets of NYC in general? 

Although not necessarily a ‘busking’ story per se, it is a moment that catapulted me from observer to participant in the world of street. I arrived in New York City in the wake of Barack Obama’s election. Needing to earn a living, I chose to sell novelty political condoms on the streets. I got all my licenses, forms and inventory and set up station in Union Square, where I was promptly handcuffed, arrested and taken to jail. Some months later, my case was dismissed with the wave of a hand and the flick of a stamp. I went back to the streets, dismissal document in hand. Twenty minutes later, I was approached by the police, who gave a cursory glance at my paperwork and dismissal and then instructed me to put my hands behind my back. Handcuffed for a second time, I demanded an explanation. I was told—(and I quote) “Just because it was dismissed, doesn’t make it legal.” In the end, it was the Obama Condoms that gave me the much needed‘cred’—and prompted street performers to open up and talk to me. The Obama Condom Lady was legit. ;-)

       3. Do you have a favorite instrument or song that just makes you smile before you can even see the busker responsible?

Life is a voyage of discovery, and throughout this project, I have discovered so many cool instruments and styles of music; the Theremin, the Kora, glass cowbells, and the Nyckelharpa—to name a few. I love Latin music and flamenco guitar; heavy metal and electric violin. It was absolutely wondrous to bring all these sights and sounds together in a unique version—(and vision) of the song New York State of Mind—which I talk about in #7. After listening to our version of the song, no less than 1,000 times, I’m sure; I still LOVE it; the collective sounds of passions merging and artists shaking loose.

4. What was your favorite part of creating this book?

My favorite part of creating this book changes, based on where I am standing in relation to the project as a whole. Now that the project has been produced, I look back at the hardest parts—(which for me, was production; ie: paper type, bleed lines, InDesign, measurements, slipcase, etc…) or actually pressing a vinyl record! Not only putting the music together, but those records start out like hockey pucks. And I think, ‘WOW! I did that! I learned a LOT! There’s real validation in learning and completion, which ultimately leads to further learning and moving forward.

It goes without saying that I LOVED doing the interviews, hearing people’s stories, writing the profiles, capturing and honoring who they are and their contributions to the society and culture, of which they are an integral part. I guess in end, that remains my favorite part of the project; the human connection. I am standing here four years later—and am a better person; because of the musicians I met on the streets; and the newfound friends I made. I hope they took something of value from me as I did from them.

5. I know a few people that have spent significant time busking, have you noticed any common characteristics beyond talent and just being awesome people?

There are many misconceptions about busking; “They can’t get a real venue.” “They have no talent.” “They are homeless.” My experiences have shown these to be exactly that; misconceptions. What I have witnessed, is that buskers choose to perform on the streets, the rawest, most authentic stage there is; to share their craft outside of a financial context for everyone to enjoy and participate in. I think the operative term here is ‘choose’…very simply, buskers/street musicians choose to be there.

To quote Shedrick Williams of The Jason Adamo band, “A lot of people do this for the perks or the money, but a lot more choose to do it for the love of the music.” Then there is the fantastic violinist, Jim Graseck, who is a Julliard graduate and has chosen to make his career as a busker for the past 40+ years, even though he currently plays in the most amazing venues in New York City and appeared on The Johnny Carson Show, back in the day. There is freedom in artistic expressions that survive and manifest with no financial context. It might be called an esoteric level of experience, for both performer and audience.

Know that audience participation is a huge component. If you dig what you hear or see; then dig a little deeper and drop them a buck, for the song, the experience, the story, the photo, the YouTube video. This small exchange of daily experience is a currency, which is not exchangeable for articles of consumption—in other words, ‘You can’t buy it at Walmart.’

6. What do you do when you are not writing?

I live in and LOVE my City by the Bay, San Francisco. That being said, I spend an inordinate amount of time eating and drinking throughout all the funky and fabulous neighborhoods here. I also make (and sell) unique, one of a kind, retro shoulder bags, from reclaimed records. The front cover is on one side and the actual vinyl record—(not a pressed blank) on the other side. It gives me a great excuse to haunt all the vintage shops and record stores in the City. I’m a HUGE Baseball fan. I bleed Orange & Black and watch most of the games—(that takes a lot of time, considering there are about 162 games in a season!) I also read TONS and post little reviews everywhere. Whew! I’m tired just thinking about it!

7. Do you have any plans for what you would like to do next?

Last year, I ran a successful crowdfunding campaign, via Rockethub. We had so many wonderful and amazing supporters. From their generous contributions, we took 30 participants from the book—(NYC buskers/street musicians), to Grand Street Recording in Brooklyn, New York and recorded the hit song by Billy Joel, New York State of Mind. The uber talented recording and touring artist, Keaton Simons, flew in from Los Angeles to arrange, produce and mix the tune. The music is incredible! We have a Beat Rhymer, musical saw, violins, Cello, tons of vocalists…it is amazing. So far, only our Rockethub funders have heard the song, but we will be doing a media-launch in about May. From that day, we also created a 12 minute short documentary film. It was such an inspiring time and we are all very proud with the way everything turned out.

My hope is to replicate this project in other cities such as Boston, New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville, etc… Link to Trailer #1 for Short Documentary

       8. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you for giving me the gift of time, to pursue, create and manifest my passion.
Thank you.


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Blog Tour for The Unholy by Paul DeBlassie III, Including an Author Interview

ABOUT THE UNHOLY
A young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop. Set in the mystic land of Aztlan, The Unholy is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. Native lore of dreams and visions, shape changing, and natural magic work to spin a neo-gothic web in which sadness and mystery lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision. PAUL DeBLASSIE III, PhD, is a psychologist and writer living in his native New Mexico. A member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association, and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, he has for over thirty years treated survivors of the dark side of religion.

PURCHASE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D., is a psychologist and writer living in Albuquerque, New Mexico who has treated survivors of the dark side of religion for more than 30 years. He is a member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. Dr. DeBlassie writes psychological thrillers with an emphasis on the dark side of the human psyche. In The Unholy, a young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil archbishop. Set in the mystic land of Aztlan, The Unholy is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. Native lore of dreams and visions lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision.


  1. Tell us about the background of the book:
The story comes out of over thirty years of treating patients in psychotherapy who are survivors of the dark side of religion…have been used and abused and cast to the side. I’ve seen that when this happens people, those around the victim, to include family and friends, often turn a blind eye and deny what has happened. Rather than writing a self help book I decided to approach this realm of human suffering in fiction. To tell a story moves the reader into a deep and unconscious dimension that bypasses conscious defenses, leaving us open to truths that otherwise would be blocked. So, dramatizing the dark side of religion, pulling what can be the most vile and evil, and pivoting it against an innocent and sincerely searching soul leaves the reader on edge, hopeful, but unsure as to what will happen and who in the end will survive…a truth conveyed symbolically and dramatically. To have written out a list of what to do or not to do in the midst of religious abuse might have helped some individuals, but would have left many people stone cold because there is no emotion is such guidance. In The Unholy, the story is pure emotion, fear and rage and hope and challenge, that inspires and frightens and causes us to stay up late at night in order to finish the story. Dream and chronic nightmares plagues people who’ve gone through the horror of being abused within a religious system. It could be emotional, spiritual, physical, or sexual torment---or all of the above---a true encounter with the unholy---that people undergo during childhood or adolescence or adulthood. They become anxious, depressed, or suffer a terrible emotional breakdown. I’ve treated them, helped them, and they helped to inspire the story of The Unholy!
  1. How do you balance life and writing?
It’s a matter of listening to the energy coming from self, family, and friends so that nothing tips more one way than the other and the creative juices stay flowing rather than being depleted by excessive writing and are therefore constantly in a state of being replenished. I had a music teacher who once told me to practice or play up to the point that I feel bored, that the energy for it has been spent, and then to stop for the day. That’s what I do with writing. I stay with it, hit the page running each day, and go for as long and with as much intensity as I have for the scene that I’m writing. Then, I stop. And, if I don’t stop I’ll have nightmare that night that I’m being seduced and used by the muse and that such a thing could lead to utter ruination. There are horror stories about this. Writers in the stories feel the tug to write, the muse senses that someone is taking the bait and then the writer is hooked and reeled in. So, if I let myself be hooked and reeled in then I lose my balance. There is something to being hooked and reeled of course, but the true and balanced thing of it happens when it comes from a hook and a reeling that is my own and not one that causes me to be possessed by something other than my own common sense. After all, what matters is the living of life, and living a good one to the best of one’s ability, writing only a part of that.
  1. Where do ideas come from?
Ideas come from the deep repository of the collective unconscious mind that inspires images and symbols during the fantasies of waking life and during dreams and nightmares. Mainly, it’s the nightmare stuff that bodes best for writing psychological thrillers and dark fantasy such as is in The Unholy. When I wake up in a cold sweat with the characters of the novels threatening me (I remember when Archbishop William Anarch, sinister prelate in The Unholy tormented me for nights on end, demanding that I not write the story) that’s when I know that real inspiration is flowing and that to listen to it and follow the images and symbols that emerge from my deep, unconscious mind during sleep and during the reverie of writing the story will end up in the development of spine tingling realities that jettison both me as the writer and the reader into phantasmagoric realms that have a way of shaking up conscious mindsets and get our heads blown out in a very, very unsettling but ultimately useful way. My writing, in other words, comes from an inner place of torment that needs to be let out so it can be set right. When mind stuff is set right inside me I can feel it by sensing a quality of being at peace, that I’ve written to the best of my ability and been true to the deep, archetypal energies swirling through my mind during the narrative. It really is a trip to listen to ideas, let them become images, and suddenly have them take over a page. It’s like the pages catch fire and everyone has come to life and things become disorderly, fraught with conflict, and danger looms.


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