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Author Interview with Rachael Stapleton about her new release Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire #contest

1/28/2015

Today, I'd like to share with my readers an author interview with Rachael Stapleton. Be sure to check out her new release, as well as her great giveaway contest at the bottom of this post.

Time travel is sometimes considered cliché. So why do you write about it?

If you chase what is popular without writing about what you love or what inspires you, it will affect your work. It’s easier and more natural to write about something you want to read. I do think that there has been a saturation of time travel in the past couple of years. But readers and viewers are fascinated with the idea of what it would be like to be dropped into another time and place. Besides, I always try to put my own spin on things, and while this series appears to be time travel, it’s really more reincarnation.

Who is your publisher?

Solstice Publishing. They are one of the fastest growing mid-market publishers in the USA and they just finished #2 right in the The Preditors & Editors™ Readers' Poll.

How did you get published?

I began doing online pitch contests about a year ago. I participated in approximately three and saw a lot of success beginning with #Pitmad. They run 3 times a year, March, September and December. I got many requests for partials that eventually turned into requests for full manuscripts from both agents and publishers. The last one I participated in was the September #Pitmad and two days later I received a contract offer from Editor in Chief Kathi Sprayberry at Solstice Publishing.

In your debut novel, The Temple of Indra’s Jewel, your main character Sophia Marcil finds herself pulled into the body of a Princess. Does she go back to 1857 again in the second book? No. The second book in the series mostly takes place in modern day Ireland where she lives with her fiancé. She does experience another moment when her boyfriend proposes with the very ring that’s cursed her. This drops her into her own family’s history in the 1920’s and leaves her with one big question. How did Cullen get a piece of the Purple Delhi Sapphire?

I’ve heard of the Purple Delhi Sapphire and you open with a prologue in book two giving the backstory on the cursed gem. Is it true?

There is truth to the legend. It really is thought to have been looted from the Temple of Indra during the horrific Indian Mutiny of 1857. The temple is devoted to the Hindu god of war and weather, and it is strongly believed that through its theft from the ancient idol, a curse was cast. The Sapphire was brought to England by Colonel W. Ferris, a Bengal Cavalryman who would go on to regret taking the precious stone home with him. Soon after returning to England, the entire Ferris family seemed to be beset by health and financial trouble. They blamed their problems on a series of failed investments made by Mr. Ferris and his son, which left the family in near financial ruin. Things took a grave turn for the worse when a friend of the Ferris family unexpectedly committed suicide whilst in possession of the sapphire. The gemstone went on public display at the vault in the Natural History Museum in London in November.

Will there be more books in the series?

Yes, I’m writing the last book now. Part of the book is from the perspective of Sophia’s daughter, sixteen year old Alanna O'Kelley, who is crushed at the age of sixteen when her mother Sophia is killed. Raised for the last few months by her father Cullen along with her mother's best-friend Leslie, she begins to suspect that they're keeping a secret from her. The search for the truth becomes an adventure of monumental proportions, taking Alanna from dusty libraries to the castles of Eastern Europe as she trails after her father all in the hopes that her mother might still be alive. One question remains, if they find her, can they rescue her from the past?

Do you have any upcoming media events?

Yes, I have a book blog tour happening now until February 23rd. You can check out the links and dates on the media page of my website www.rachaelstapleton.com. I was also recently interviewed by Charlene Jones at "Off the Top" at Whistle Radio. I’ll be embedding a copy of the interview on the interview shortly.

The Temple of Indra Series

Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire

Book 2

Rachael Stapleton

Genre: Adventure, Romance, Mystery, Time travel

Publisher: Solstice Publishing

Book Description:

As a librarian, Sophia Marcil loves reading, especially books about ancient curses and reincarnation, but she never imagined the legend of the Purple Delhi Sapphire was true until she inherited it and was transported back to a past life where she was murdered. Now she knows that not only is reincarnation real, but so is the devil’s magic locked inside the precious gem. Just as she’s about to tell her boyfriend Cullen about it, he proposes with an engagement ring made from a piece of the very sapphire that’s cursed her. Reeling from the shock and surrounded by his family, she allows him to place it on her ring finger. As soon as it touches her skin, she feels herself being wrenched back in time.

Before she knows it, she’s wandering the hallway of an old Victorian house in the body of her great aunt. Unfortunately, her nemesis has also reincarnated in 1920—as one of her family members. Sophia struggles to locate the Purple Delhi Sapphire in time to prevent the deaths of those she loves, but she fails and returns to her present-day life, to the precise moment she left, with a deep understanding that her killer’s soul is also tied to the sapphire and every life she has, he is resurrected as someone close to her. Her stalker ex-boyfriend Nick seems like a prime candidate this time but she’s convinced she’s a step ahead of him, thanks to a tip from a medium, she knows that if she uses the magic of the stone correctly she can trap Nick’s soul in the sapphire and save herself. But when Nick is murdered, she finds evidence that has her questioning everything she thought she knew. Is Cullen husband material or is history doomed to repeat itself.

Available for Pre-Order Now at Amazon

Excerpt:

He lowered to one knee and grinned up at me—so charming and gorgeous. His green eyes, as always, were mesmerizing. They had flecks of gold in them that clung to the edges and danced in the center, like they were on fire. My heart beat so loudly in my ears that it almost drowned out the “awws” and “oohs.”

“Ye’re already mine, lass, in every way possible and I am yers, but I want the world to know,” he said, taking my free hand. Someone took the glass of champagne from the other one, as I was shaking so badly. The black velvet box squeaked open, and his aunts gasped in unison, as if on cue.

“Will ye make me the happiest man in Ireland, Aevil, and join our O’Kelley Clan?” He kissed my fingers as I stared down at him.

The marble-sized rock in the box swirled, and doubled in front of my eyes. Deep purple amethyst with a thin frame of diamonds, set in pink gold and accentuated with a slender shank and crescent details.

I looked past the ring, into his eyes, and found him still staring directly at me. He’d removed the ring from the box and was holding it out, ready to place it on my finger.

He cleared his throat. “It was my great-great-great-grandmother’s and I thought ye might appreciate it, since ye were so intrigued with her portrait.”

I nodded, trying to smile through the confusion, but my head swam with random bursts of chatter, the fiddle, and all the thoughts flooding me at once, mostly that Cullen had just proposed to me with the missing Purple Delhi Sapphire ring. A bead of sweat ran down the side of my cheek as the ring touched the tip of my finger.

Cullen’s face began to distort. A shimmery haze had fallen over the room as if the desert were closing in. The vibration from the ring traveled up my arm, and the room began to shift and blur at the edges. Another room, a darker room, was coming into focus. I could still hear Cullen’s aunt ordering someone to get me a glass of water.

There was something I should remember. Water. Rochus said water was necessary to ease the pain of time travel. Maybe this was what it felt like without. I tried to blink away the heat, tried to stop myself from going, but I couldn’t. The edges of the room were burning away fast now, like a Polaroid scorched by flames. I could hear the trickling of the fountain in the corner. I ran for it, or at least I intended to, but it was too late.

About the Author

As a child, Rachel Stapleton spent much of her time getting lost in the imaginary world of an old Victorian library where she consumed everything from mystery to biography, creating secret worlds, hidden elevators, and magical spiral staircases. As sixteen, she penned a column for the local newspaper and in 2006, while on maternity leave, wrote her first book featuring an adventurous librarian. Most recently, she bought a beautiful Second Empire Victorian with her husband and has been writing in the comforts of aged wood and arched dormers and snuggling up with her family of four. She is the author of The Temple of Indra’s Jewel and Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire with Solstice Publishing and is currently working on a third book in the Temple of Indra series. She hopes that her fans continue to enjoy her wild and crazy imagination. To find out more about the author visit www.rachaelstapleton.com.

Website:          www.rachaelstapleton.com

Blog:               www.rachaelstapleton.blogspot.ca

Twitter:          https://twitter.com/RaquelleJaxson

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7271862.Rachael_Stapleton

Tour giveaway

E-Copy of The Temple of Indra’s Jewel. Please like her Author Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Rachael-Stapleton/137831156290570?ref=hl and sign up with your email to follow her blog www.rachaelstapleton.blogspot.ca to win!

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Interview with Frederick H. Crook

1/25/2015

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1. Greetings, can you tell us a little bit about your history and how your work has evolved up to this point?

I was the kid in high school that always had his creative writing assignments read in front of the class. Sometimes, I had to do it, which was rather nerve racking as I recall. I was told by my English teacher in senior year that I could be a “trail blazer”, but I didn’t take her seriously. I wish I had done so and started writing back then. I waited until 2010 to finish my first novel, The Dregs of Exodus. I was shocked when I was shopping for a publisher back then. The amount of time that they expected you to wait for an answer seemed insane to me. I’m not a very patient man, so I went about self-publishing it even as my second novel, The Pirates of Exodus was being written. I kept on going with short stories that I self- published for e-book only, then I tackled Campanelli: Sentinel, my third novel, which the good people at Solstice Publishing decided to take on. With renewed confidence, I jumped right into the next project, which I hope they’ll like, too.

2. What genre, or genres, do you write?

I’m still fascinated with the dystopian sci-fi line that I’ve been doing. It’s like Star Trek with regards to the overall positiveness of it. For the most part, 6 billion people move to this colony planet and really prosper. Those that remain on Earth have to suffer through the slow regression of technology and the re-emergence of influenza and cancer. Generally, I’m an optimist, but you can’t write very interesting stories if every little thing goes right. There’s no fun to be had there.

3. What is your latest book called and what is it about?

This one’s called, Campanelli: Sentinel. It’s the sequel to my short story, Campanelli: The Ping Tom Affair. It focuses on a future Chicago that has been ripped up by a recycling campaign to reclaim steel and other materials for the sake of starship construction. It’s a city without a Sears/Willis Tower, John Hancock building, etc. It still has quite a few structures, but illness and the continued exodus is making the population of the city plummet to around 700,000 at the time of this novel. That’s down from its current 2.7 million.

Frank Campanelli is the main character, a transplant from New York City, which suffers from the same fate. He is blind due to a fire in his NYC apartment building which also killed his wife and daughter. Bio-electronics plays a BIG part in all of my books, but Frank’s optical replacements are special full service devices, not just the ones that I firmly believe will be commercially available for the populace in our near future. Migration to the colony is illegal as of 2109 due to this population drain, but it continues at a smaller scale with the help of the mob and other criminal organizations. This story is about the CPD trying to take down the largest human trafficking network in the city.

4. What was the inspiration for your book? When did you first get the idea for Campanelli: Sentinel?

It all stems from Dregs really. In that book, it's mentioned that Michael Trane was an aircraft mechanic working at O'Hare International Airport when he was younger. One day, I contemplated what Michael's past would have been like, living and working in the Chicago area during the time prior to a real breakdown of law and order. The anti-migration laws were mentioned in The Pirates of Exodus, so I pondered what it must have been like to try to enforce such a law from the ground. I had not written a crime drama, so I thought I would do it. I thought it would be fun to feature Michael Trane in both Campanelli tales in some small way.

5. How long did it take you to write it? What is your writing process like?

Campanelli: Sentinel is a novella, weighing in at 73K words. I think it was something like 3 months. As a rule, I don’t start writing until the work is done in my head. Not word for word, but it has to have main characters in mind, a setting at the outset, a path for it to follow which is the core of the story and a defined and clear ending. Without this complete picture, I don’t proceed.

6. What can we expect from you in the future?

I’ve written a script which adapts my short story, "Lunar Troll" into a graphic novel. My cover artists, Arvin Candelaria and Velvet Lyght are working on that, among other things. Also, my next short story, "Minuteman Merlin" is completed and I’m submitting that to Solstice Publishing soon. I’ve just begun a fourth novel that uses a minor character from my second book, The Pirates of Exodus, and the main character from the short story "Runt Pulse". The two are teaming up and taking on a new adventure. I’m also trying to get out there and promote myself and Solstice by attending some conventions this year. I have a couple lined up, but I’m shooting for one a month.

7. Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?

There’s nothing like my first novel. I just love The Dregs of Exodus. I’ve been working backwards for the most part since then. Everything else happens chronologically before The Dregs of Exodus, but there’s no real necessity to read them in any order. Every story stands alone. I have to say that Michael Trane from The Dregs of Exodus was my favorite character before Frank Campanelli. Michael even cameos in both Campanelli stories. Right now, Frank is my favorite, but I have a feeling it will change as novel #4 is being written.

8. Do you plot ahead of time, or do you let the plot emerge as you write?

It’s like building a railroad for me. You have to know where point A is, where the tracks will lead you, and what you have to build to get to point B. Along the way, just like the little towns that would spring up along the Transcontinental Railway, the smaller ideas and events get put in as they occur.

9. Who are some of your favorite authors to read? Favorite books?

I like Heinlein, Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Pohl, Tolkien, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Peter Straub. There are so many more and titles from all of them that I just love.

10. Where can we buy your books?

You can find everything on Amazon, although you can buy The Dregs of Exodus, The Pirates of Exodus and Campanelli: Sentinel through B&N as well. There’s a wonderful new & used bookstore here in Villa Park by the name of Cornerstone Used Books that was kind enough to take on the first two novels as well.

Campanelli: Sentinel

It is 2110 and migration to the colony planet, Alethea, has depleted Earth of billions of people. As a result, migration has been declared illegal by all world governments. Human trafficking becomes highly profitable for organized crime and their influence reaches beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. Many starships returning from Alethea are diverted from the scrapping process and secretly refurbished, allowing the population to shrink further.

Frank Campanelli is a blind Chicago Police detective who depends on his fully functional bio-electronic implants to see and do his job. After assisting on a botched infiltration of a top human trafficking network, he and his partner Marcus Williams are transferred into the CPD’s Organized Crime Division to head the newly formed Sentinel group and bring down the Ignatola family business.

Character Interview Frank Campanelli

Character name: Captain of Detectives (Honorary Rank) Frank Campanelli

Book title: Campanelli: Sentinel

Tell me a little about yourself?

Born and raised in New York, New York. I became a cop as a young man. There was not much else for me to do. I couldn’t afford much college education and the choices were really slim by the 2070’s.

Where do you live?

Chicago. Right across the street from the District 1 station house.

Who is the most important person in your life?

Tamara Billingsley. I’d do anything at all for that little lady. Don’t tell her I said that.

What was your childhood like?

Rough. I’ve heard Queens always had its bad times and places. But, while the Great Exodus was going on, there was a strange mix of crimes going on. Less murders but more assaults. More break-ins but less muggings. Not the easiest place to grow up, in any case.

Of all the people you've met, who would you LEAST like to be stuck in an elevator with?

Ha! My partner Marcus Williams after a Gyro sandwich. Murder…absolute murder.

What is the most important thing in your life? What do you value most?

This city. NY had too many memories for me to stay. Coming to Chicago was the perfect thing for me to do. It’s like NY in many ways, but just different. I don’t have to stare at a building as I drive by it and think of my wife and kid.

What is your biggest fear?

An empty city. Being surrounded by death and inactivity actually is the only thing that I think I’m truly afraid of.

What is the most important thing that ever happened to you? Why?

I can’t really talk about it. That was another life, another city. That part of my life is over.

Do you have any special talents or abilities?

Sure. With these optics I can sort of “zoom in" on things. They’re 3D instead of the regular ones that a lot of people have for entertainment and communications. My peripheral vision is really sharp.

How do you see your future?

I’m hoping that enough people choose to stay in Chicago. With the Sentinel Division, I’m supposed to keep them from leaving, but I’ve always thought that it’s really up to the individual. I do my job, that’s all I can say.

If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick?

I think I’d like to hang out for a day with Humphrey Bogart. Tam and I love his movies. Those glimpses into the past are just a lot of fun.

If you had a free day with no responsibilities, how would you spend it?

I do get one every once in a while. I like Chinatown. I like cruising through and stopping at the shops and restaurants. There’s fewer and fewer all the time, though.

Where can we find out more about you?

Just read Campanelli: The Ping Tom Affair, Campanelli: Sentinel and Comfort in a Man Named Jakc. I’m in that last one, too.
(The misspelling of the name Jack is explained in the story. In the title, it’s on purpose.)

About the author

Frederick was born in Chicago in 1970 and now lives in Villa Park with his wife, Rae and their three miniature dachshunds. He began by writing fictional works all through high school, earned an Associate Degree of Applied Science in Electronics in 1994 and the Bachelor of Science in Technical Management from DeVry University in 2005.

In 2009, Frederick began writing his first novel, The Dregs of Exodus, which was self-published in late 2010. This was followed up with another novel, The Pirates of Exodus in 2012.

Throughout that year and early 2013, he continued writing and published four short stories in eBook form for Kindle and Nook. All of these stories share the same premise, but all are independent from one another.

Campanelli: Sentinel was published in December, 2014 by Solstice Publishing. He loves writing and enjoys meeting and talking to readers at book signing events.

Links

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheDregsOfExodus?ref=hl

Twitter name: @FrederickHCrook

Website: http://frederickcrook.wix.com/crooksbooks

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Frederick-H.-Crook/e/B00P83FW02/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1422036266&sr=1-2-ent

Blogspot: http://crooksbookss.blogspot.com/

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Interview with Ognian Georgiev

1/24/2015

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1. Greetings, can you tell us a little bit about your history and how your work has evolved up to this point?

I am from a lovely Eastern European country called Bulgaria. The capital city Sofia is my residential city. In the last 15 years sports journalism has been my work, passion and a way of living for me. It gave me a chance to travel around the world and to meet some of the heroes of our current time.  I am very happy to have a great family. Two years ago, my girlfriend Ralitza gave birth to our lovely daughter, Valeria. The time spent with them is my favorite one.

2. What genre, or genres, do you write? 

My first and only book is a non-fiction. It’s a real life story about sporting character.

3. What is your latest book called and what is it about? 

The White Prisoner: Galabin Boevski’s secret story tells everything about the life of an Olympic, World and European weightlifting champion. His ups and downs, his struggles and happy moments, and all the dark corners of elite sport are put under the lights.

4. What was the inspiration for your book? When did you first get the idea for The White Prisoner? 

The life of the main character Galabin Boevski is like a movie story. He was imprisoned in Brazil for cocaine traffic and during those times there were many negative reactions in our country against him. Almost everybody had forgotten all the glory moments Galabin had brought to our nation.

I was already thinking of writing a book about him when one day he surprisingly came back home. The mystery was born, because Boevski was miraculously released from jail after serving just two years of his nine year sentence. The most interesting part was that no one knew how he managed to get out of prison.

5. How long did it take you to write it?

 I started with the research long before Boevski was released, but the serious work took two months. The editing and publishing of the English version took another five months.

 6. What can we expect from you in the future? What are you currently working on?

My next project will be another non-fiction sports book. It will feature a sports great, who had amazing fate. The researching is taking longer than expected time, but this is non-fiction.

7. What is your writing process like?

I love to stay after my work in the office and to write in the quiet atmosphere for several hours. This is how my focus is at its best. The research phase is something more different, because of so many meetings with people involved with the story of the main character.

8. The White Prisoner is based on a real life story. How did you go about researching these events for the novel?

Hours of interviews were recorded from the closest people around the main character, including his relatives, teammates, friends, coaches, etc. The timing of the events was essential. There were some black holes in his life, but I tried my best to fill them.

 9. Who are some of your favorite authors to read? Favorite books?

 Crime: Michael Connelly; Fantasy: Raymond Feist; Adventures: Karl May and Emilio Salgari. I love history books or history fiction, because I studied Archaeology in University. Books? Let’s say just one, which I read couple of times – Sinuhe the Egyptian by Mika Waltari.

10. Where can we buy your books? 

Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/4808648
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-white-prisoner-Galabin-Boevskis-ebook/dp/B00KMFP2VK

Thanks for having me.

The White Prisoner

This wasn't the first time Galabin Boevski felt oppressed. He had suffered the atrocious legacy of communism and the lack of support that a talented athlete like him should otherwise expect from his motherland.    It had been a week since his arrest. He'd spent a night in the jail of Sao Paulo's airport, then transferred to another Brazilian prison for temporary detention. Now he was in Itai, a prison for foreigners, full of people from all over the world.  His memories kept rushing in and he kept going over the unfortunate events over and over. What went wrong? He spent his first night in jail with 1500 prisoners who were serving their sentences there - murderers, rapists, fraudsters and thieves, but the majority of them people like him - accused of drug trafficking. "I'm not a mule," he thought, "I am Galabin Boevski. Legendary weightlifter and Olympic champion, not a criminal!" 

About the author

Ognian Georgiev is a sport journalist, who is currently working as sports editor at the "Bulgaria Today" daily newspaper. He covered the Summer Olympics in Beijing 2008 and in London 2012.

The author specializes in sports politics, investigations and coverage of Olympic sports events.

Ognian Georgiev works as a TV broadcaster for Eurosport Bulgaria, Nova Broadcasting group, TV+, F+ and TV7. He is a commentator for fight sports events such as boxing/kickboxing and MMA.

The author was born in the capital city of Bulgaria - Sofia. He started work as a sports reporter in 2000. In the following years Ognian Georgiev covered different sports events in USA, Germany, Switzerland, UK, France, Greece, Serbia, Hungary, Spain, and Italy.

The author lives in Sofia with his partner Ralitza and their one year old daughter Valeria.

Links

website: http://ogigeorgiev.wordpress.com/ 
blog: http://ogigeorgiev.wordpress.com/ 
twitter: https://twitter.com/galabinboevski 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/galabin.boevsky 
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/22376625-the-white-prisoner 
Buy links:
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/4808648
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-white-prisoner-Galabin-Boevskis-ebook/dp/B00KMFP2VK

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Interview with Bernard Foong (a.k.a. Young)

1/23/2015

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No Distance Between Us

An Excerpt from A Harem Boy’s Saga - I – Initiation; a memoir by Young.

A Harem Boy’s Saga is a series of seven volumes.

young@aharemboysaga.com

www.aharemboysaga.com

1.    Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Young alias Bernard Foong is, first and foremost, a sensitivist. He finds nuance in everything. To experience the world he inhabits is an adventure which is mystical, childlike and refreshing. He has a rare ability to create beauty in a unique fashion. His palettes have been material, paint, words and human experiences. By Christine Maynard (screenwriter and novelist).

I was born into a privileged Malaysian Chinese family. Following my brothers' footsteps, I was sent to an exclusive boarding school in England. It is there that I was inducted into a clandestine organization, E.R.O.S. The Enlightened Royal Oracle Society. For four years, unbeknownst to my family, I was willingly and happily part of a Harem.

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

My hobbies are Zumba, swimming, reading and doing creative projects. Although I’m a semi-retired fashion designer, I still keep in touch with the international fashion scene; especially Asian designers.

3.    Do you have a day job as well?

My day job is writing and promoting/marketing my memoirs/books.

4.    When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I first started writing in 2010. I had a nagging calling within to document my unique adolescent life and education.

I believe my geographical location (being in spiritual and beautiful Maui, Hawaii) inspired me to pen my seven book series.

Now that I’m semi-retired from my once very active fashion lifestyle, it is time for me to reflect upon my unique early experiences and to inform the world what my positive experiences in the Middle Eastern harems were like.

I believe my early experiences shaped my adult life to who I am today.

I finished A Harem Boy’s Saga – book I – Initiation; a memoir by Young a year later – in 2011.

5.    How did you choose the genre you write in?

I did not choose the genre. It chose me.

6.    Where do you get your ideas?

Remembrance of things past. Luckily I’ve an abundance of photographs, diaries, journals to spur me to remember what transpired during those early years of my Middle Eastern harem experiences.

Although, I’ve taken creative liberties when it comes to the individual dialogues spoken by the various characters in my autobiography. I remember the gist of what transpired.

I’ve also changed the names and places to protect the identities of those involved in the secret society and the unique school and Arab Households I was in service at.

7.    Do you ever experience writer’s block?

I seldom get writer’s block because I let my thoughts flow naturally out of me as I remember the events. Although I cannot remember the actual dialogues spoken – I remember the gist of what was being said.

I also have an abundance of old photographs taken during those early years, documenting my life then. I use these to trigger my memories to document the events in the books.

I do need complete silence when I write – which is 8 – 10 hours daily.

8.    Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I just write. I’m very disciplined when it comes to setting time for my daily writing schedule.

9.    Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by Anne Rice was one of the influences because I have a presage that Ms. Rice went through a similar harem experiences like I did.

Anderson Cooper 360 documentary on the devastating treatment of effeminate boys also influenced me to tell my story.

The abundance of school bullying and shooting prompted me to tell of my unique education.

10. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

The first two books in A Harem Boy’s Saga series were self-published. The easy part is the writing but when it comes to marketing books, it’s an entirely different ball game.

I’m lucky to have found my literary agent, Emerantia Antonia Parnall-Gilbert (Gilbert Literary Agency) after almost 6 months of non-stop searching for a publisher and agent. I wrote to close to 160 publishers/agents before I had a positive response from Gilbert Literary Agency.

I’m lucky to have Solstice Publishing interested in my autobiography to publish the entire 7 book series. It was Emerantia who hooked me up with Solstice Publishing.

11. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?

I would have found myself a publisher and literary agent and not self-published.

12. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

Through the usual channels: Twitter, Facebook, Authors/Books promotional organizations. Entering book award competitions and joining international book fairs. Connecting with book clubs, etc.

13. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

No! The books/series I’m currently writing is what I love doing and it’s an inner calling form a higher power to tell my story to the world.

14. Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

I’ve 2 upcoming books:

·     No Distance Between Us is a coming-of-age gay true love story (based on my sexual experience). It is a provocative story is about a young man (me) who was initiated into a clandestine sexual society. He was spirited away to the Middle East from his UK boarding school. He attended the Bahriji School (Oasis) in The United Arab Emirates in preparation for serving in Harems for the wealthy and elite.

It is also a love story between the young man (me) and his ‘Valet’ who served as his chaperone and mentor during the boy’s Harem service.

·     A Harem Boy’s Saga – IV – Turpitude; a memoir by Young is the continual saga of A Harem Boy’s Saga – I – Initiation, II – Unbridled and III – Debauchery.

15. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

My memoirs are based on my own experiences. Although, I’ve taken creative liberties when it comes to the individual dialogues spoken by the various characters in my autobiography. I remember the gist of what transpired.

I’ve also changed the names and places to protect the identities of those involve in the secret society and the unique school and Arab Households I was in service at.

16. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

The erotic scenes because I remember the situations very clearly and am able to express my emotions and feelings I felt at the time with all my sexual partners and lovers.

17. How did you come up with the title?

It comes to me through a higher source. I just having this knowing what the title for each book is going to be either before, during or after the book is completed. It’s my guardian angel whispering in my ear on what to write and the names for each chapter and books. I listen to my inner voice and heed its messages.

18. What projects are you working on now?

I’m currently working on A Harem Boy’s Saga – IV – Turpitude; a memoir by Young.

My Yuletide short story book No Distance Between Us (a true to life coming-of-age gay love story) was released on Nov. 21st, 2014.

I’m also working with Solstice Publishing on having A Harem Boy’s Saga series made into audio books.

I’m also working on Book II – Unbridled screen treatment and overview for Emerantia, my agent, to submit to producers to consider A Harem Boy’s Saga series being made into films/TV mini-series and Stage Musical productions.

Atop of all of the above, I'm collaborating with an international screenwriter. We are adapting A Harem Boy's Saga - I - Initiation into a screenplay.

19. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

I’m continuously doing that with A Harem Boy’s Saga series.

20. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

I don’t dwell on negativity, only positivity. Therefore the best compliment would be:

5.0 out of 5 stars OMG, OMG, OMG - I can't believe this is a real story!, September 22, 2014

By Wendy Acosta - See all my reviews

This review is for Initiation (A Harem Boy's Saga Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

Never have I read a story that has me exclaiming "OMG, OMG, OMG" every few chapters. This autobiographical story shares the intensely personal journey of a young boy as he comes of age in the midst of a male harem in the Middle East. He experiences all the things that forbidden and taboo...you know those "unmentionable elephants in the room" that we are warned about from an early age. I had to read this real life adventure to find out how messed up and damaged he must be. Imagine my surprise to meet an emotionally healthy young man who successfully grabs all life has to offer and does it with an innocence that is simply beautiful.

Don't read this book if you aren't ready for your ingrained beliefs and values to be challenged. Don't read this book if you are not ready to delve into a side of our global society that is well hidden from most. Don't read this book unless you too are ready to step into a new adventure. Initiation will change how you view the world.

Well done, Bernard.

Wendy had summed up my series excellently and this is exactly what I like to say to my readers.

21. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Stay focused. My modus operandi: the 3Ps: Perseverance, Persistence & Patience.

Be diligent about setting a time frame/goal to finish your manuscript.

Not to worry about what you are planning to write. Once you begin with the first word, you’ll know what the next word is going to be. When I write, it’s like channeling a separate spirit/entity within my person. Thoughts flow automatically through me and I write what comes naturally out of my hand.

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

Historical accuracy is an important factor to consider when I’m writing memoirs/autobiographies and biographies. I like spending time doing research and learning/discovering new techniques in photo-shop/enhancements.

Traveling broadens my mind. My life partner and I are planning an up-coming road trip to the S. of France.

These are some of the goals I hope to achieve through

A Harem Boy's Saga:

·      Provide Tolerance to Sissy Boys by understanding parents/peers and the community.

Anderson Cooper 360 documentary on the devastating treatment of effeminate boys influence me to tell my story.

·      Bullying can be avoided through Big Brother/Big Sister volunteer programs in school or outside school system. Older students acting as mentors to younger students.

·      Gay Adolescent Tolerance – parents/child/siblings relationship issues.

Support/mentorship program to all parties involved to foster understanding and acceptance of Gay kids.

·      Provide an Alternative Educational System;

Understanding Big Brother/adolescent mentorship programs in schools, BB as protector to keep younger kids from being bullied.

·      Human Relationship Building Program;

Between parents/teachers and young students on sexual topics/issues, especially when adolescent are just discovering their sexuality. They can be guided on a healthy and honest sexual journey instead of “don’t ask, don’t tell” hide it behind the closet policy.

No Distance Between Us

An Excerpt from A Harem Boy’s Saga - I – Initiation; a memoir by Young.

There are 7 books to this series.

young@aharemboysaga.com

www.aharemboysaga.com

A Harem Boy’s Saga is a series of seven volumes.

For further information please visit or contact:

Bernard Foong (a.k.a. Young)

www.aharemboysaga.com

young@aharemboysaga.com

Emerantia Antonia Parnall-Gilbert: Gilbert Literary Agency)

hawkspurrproductions@gmail.com

Melissa Miller: Solstice Publishing

solsticepublishing@live.com

Biography

Young alias Bernard Foong is, first and foremost, a sensitivist. He finds nuance in everything. To experience the world he inhabits is an adventure which is mystical, childlike and refreshing. He has a rare ability to create beauty in a unique fashion. His palettes have been material, paint, words and human experiences.

By Christine Maynard (screenwriter and novelist).

Bernard Foong (designer) – A brief history

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At the age of 8, he was assisting his aunt and cousin, learning the art of sewing and fabrics/colors matching. He attended an exclusive private boarding school in the United Kingdom before obtaining his Diploma in Fashion Design at the Harrow College of Art & Technology in London, England. He went on to complete his Master of Design at the Royal College of Art & Design, London, England. During his college years he won several international fashion awards and was already retailing bridal and evening dresses to several well known department stores in England. Liberty of London, Selfridges, Harrods and Harvey Nichols to name a few that carried his designs. His Royal College of Art graduation wedding/evening wear collection was sold to Liberty of London and displayed in their store windows for the entire month of June that year.

For four years, he worked for Liberty’s bridal department as their in-house designer until a trip to Hong Kong, while working on a freelance project for ‘Bird’s’(casual wear) company, he was recruited by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as their Fashion professor for the next 6 years. During his stay in Hong Kong, he freelanced for numerous fashion companies. From designing casual wear, swimwear, lingerie, and fur garments, men’s wear, bridal and evening fashions to accessories (bags, shoes, and head-wear). He also participated and organized numerous fashion shows, events, functions, and presentations in the Asia Pacific region.

Working for Keys Far East Hong Kong as chief lingerie designer - travelling extensively to the United States, he was soon recruited as an Associate Fashion Design/Illustration Professor to the University of Wisconsin, Madison and also lectured at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design for a couple of years.

Foong was then appointed as the Fashion Development Manager by an established department store – Parkson Grand (22 stores in Malaysia and one in Shanghai, China). Producing under the label, Natural Life by Bernard Foong, he designed casual-wear collections for the Parkson Grand’s flagship store in Kuala Lumpur. After a couple of years later, he was invited by the Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore to join their design school to establish a Fashion Design department. For two years, he assisted several founding members of the design school - working on the fashion department’s teaching curriculum.

The Fitzgerald Theatre Department, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Oahu, Hawaii awarded a full scholarship for Foong to complete his second Master of Art in Theatre Costuming. Now a resident on the Island of Maui, he has assisted many charity organizations in their fund raising events with his extravagant fashion and performance shows/presentations. In 2005, he and his partner, Mr. Walter Jay Bissett opened Fire Dragon Bistro Orient & Design Shop. He also designs costumes/fashions for numerous theatrical productions in Hawaii and abroad.

Appointed as chief lingerie designer for Cerie International Limited – Hong Kong, his lingerie designs can be found in major department stores in Canada and the United Kingdom.

He showcased the BERNARD FOONG R-T-W collections and BERNARD FOONG @ Modern Classic Ltd. (an established – Hong Kong bridal & evening wear company) collections in Hong Kong. His 2008 & 2009 bridal/evening/bridal lingerie fashion show, “Grace” & “Coming Up Roses” were premiered at Hong Kong Fashion Week in July 2007 and January 2008 respectively at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center, garnering positive interest in many Asian press reviews, including a China nationwide television broadcast of his latest collection. Aika (International Opera Singer) wore several Bernard Foong special occasion dresses at her Japan & European tour in September & October 2009.

Foong was the chief Creative Director for Official (Special Occasion fashion manufacturing company) Guangzhou, China producing – BERNARD FOONG Couture (specialty one-of-a-kind creations), White (RTW - Wedding/Special Occasion wear), Foxy Cute (Smart Casual/Cocktail wear), SexZ (decorative bustier) & Diva Bitch (sexual lingerie inner/outer-wear) collections.

Besides working on his regular haute couture, R-T-W and lingerie collections he is a visiting consultant/advisor for:

·      Pivot Point fashion college, Chengdu, China.

·      Hong Kong Design Institute (fashion department), Hong Kong, SAR.

·      Hong Kong Poly/U, Hong Kong (School of Apparel Design & Merchandising), SAR.

·      Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association, Hong Kong.

·      Singapore Temasek Polytechnic – School of Apparel Design & Merchandising (ADM), Singapore.

Bernard is also writing his autobiography, a seven book series of Mr. Foong’s young life:

A Harem Boy’s Saga: A Memoir by Young.

This provocative story spanning 4 decades and 3 continents is about a boy who was sent to a very exclusive English boarding school in the 1960s where he was initiated into a clandestine sexual society and then spirited away to serve in wealthy and elite Middle Eastern harems ."

A Harem Boy’s Saga series is published by Solstice Publishing and is available in print and E-books internationally.

Out of his busy schedule, Bernard is also working on a mini series of three contemporary paintings for the Rathe Galleries in Dallas, Houston and soon to open gallery in Austin, Texas.

A Harem Boy's Saga; A Memoir. Book 1 - INITIATION

This provocative story is about a young man who was initiated into a clandestine sexual society. He was spirited to the Middle East, from his UK boarding school. He attended the Bahriji School (Oasis,) in The United Arab Emirates in preparation for serving in Harems for the wealthy and elite.

It is also a love story between the young man and his ‘Valet’ who served as his chaperone and mentor during the boy’s Harem service.

Author’s note:

I had a privileged and unique upbringing in Malaysia, where I was known as a "sissy boy." Following in my brothers' footsteps, I was sent to an exclusive boarding school in England. It is there that I was inducted into a clandestine organization, E.R.O.S. The Enlightened Royal Oracle Society. For four years, unbeknownst to my family, I was willingly and happily part of a Harem.

My story has been kept under wraps for close to 45 years. The correct moment has arrived for me to make known my unique education.

Unbridled is the sequel to Initiation - A provocative story about a young man who was initiated into a clandestine sexual society. He was spirited to the Middle East, from his UK boarding school. He attended the Bahriji School (Oasis,) in The United Arab Emirates in preparation for serving in Harems for the wealthy and elite.

It is also a love story between the young man, his ‘Big Brother’ and his ‘Valet’ who served as his chaperones and mentors during the boy’s Harem services.

This book follows the teenagers’ erotic and exotic adventures and experiences at their 2nd Arab Household Harem, the Sekham. They were apprentices and models, for the household patriarch’s controversial photography project, “Sacred Sex in Sacred Places”.

The author's experiences present facts that are truthful. Through these truths, which are often demonized by contemporary societies that deem such behaviors inappropriate, the author hopes to dispel condemnations and negativity which relate to his experiences.

There are 5 - 7 volumes in A Harem Boy’s Saga series.

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

Lao Tzu

Debauchery is the triquel to A Harem Boy’s Saga, a provocative story about a young man who was initiated into a clandestine sexual society through his UK boarding school. From there, he was spirited to the Middle East to attend the Bahriji (Oasis) School in The United Arab Emirates in preparation for Harem services for the wealthy elite.

It is also a love story between the young man, his ‘Big Brother,’ and his ‘Valet,’ who served as his chaperones and mentors.

This book follows the teenagers’ erotic and exotic adventures and experiences at their third Arabian Household Harem, the Quwah. There, they became confidants to a prince, assistants in an international dance club venture, “Carousel,” and apprentices and models in a controversial photography project, “Sacred Sex in Sacred Places.”

This story is an account of the author’s experiences. Through these truths, often demonized by contemporary societies that deem such behaviors inappropriate, the author hopes to dispel condemnation and negativity related to sexuality, love, and personal freedom.

Links

A Harem Boy’s Saga Amazon sales site (E-books and Print books for Initiation, Unbridled and Debauchery):

US amazon: http://amzn.to/1qmL75W
UK amazon: http://amzn.to/1tUUU7Y

No Distance Between Us Amazon sales link:

US amazon: http://amzn.to/1Asn0fO

Website: http://www.aharemboysaga.com

Blog: http://bernardfoong.typepad.com/in_the_harem

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bfoong1

https://www.facebook.com/aharemboysaga

Twitter @aharemboysaga

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/haremboysaga/a-harem-boys-saga/ (contains adult contents)

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/trisf2013 (contains adult content)

Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/A-Memoir-by-Young/e/B00CENKJKM

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2992700.Young

Video trailer for all the 3 books in A Harem Boy's Saga series (conservative version): http://youtu.be/F0Lv80yhhq0

Video trailer for INITIATION (sensual version): http://youtu.be/db3bTrN1v3I

Video trailer for UNBRIDLED (sensual version): http://youtu.be/6J4ewXGxl-U

Video trailer for DEBAUCHERY (sensual version): http://youtu.be/y8g-hLjRJr8

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Interview with Michael Billington

1/20/2015

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Interview with Michael Billington

1. Greetings, can you tell us a little bit about your history and how your work has evolved up to this point?

I sometimes tell people that I started writing in the womb and haven’t stopped since then. Truthfully, I’ve always wanted to be a writer and, except for three years in the Army, including a couple of tours in Vietnam, that’s how I’ve earned my living since I was 15. I was in the seventh grade when a librarian, who was the mother of a friend of mine, gave me a copy of Here is Your War by Ernie Pyle. I devoured it and from that point on I wanted to be a journalist. The book is a collection of Pyle’s World War II columns and without exception they tell the stories of ordinary men and women caught up in extraordinary situations. As a reporter for nearly 50 years I went looking for those kinds of stories both in the United States and later overseas when I was writing about Operation Desert Storm, the invasion of Panama, the Rwandan civil war and other major news events.

I got my first newspaper job when I was still a high school student living in a small town in Ohio, and back then I covered sports primarily because I think my editor was a little afraid to have me cover anything that was deemed as ‘serious.’ Sports writing is very much an active-voice kind of storytelling, and the fact that I spent time covering everything from high school football games to professional baseball helped me later when I switched to covering the police beat and later still when I started covering news overseas.

I retired from journalism 2-1/2 years ago and began writing novels full time. When I did I discovered that I had so much to learn about character development, plot, and how to describe a scene that it was pretty daunting. I kept plugging away, however, and now have seven books on Kindle with an eighth on the way.

2. What genre, or genres, do you write?

I write mostly mystery novels, though I have written one Steampunk adventure and one historical novel.

3. What is your latest book called and what is it about?

I actually brought out two books on the same day last October. Both were a long time in the making. Blood Debt is a murder mystery set in Fort Lauderdale in 1985 and The Third Servant is an historical novel set in the time of Christ.

4. What was the inspiration for your books? When did you first get the idea for Blood Debt? The Third Servant?

Blood Debt was inspired by my days covering the police beat in Fort Lauderdale. Back then cocaine was king, the drug cartels owned cops, lawyers, judges and politicians and murder was an almost-every-day occurrence. The Third Servant was inspired by the parable in the Gospel of Matthew. In that parable Matthew tells us that the third servant, who did not increase his master’s wealth, was cast into the night. He never tells us, however, what happened to him after that. I was in church one morning when the sermon was about that parable, and as the priest was talking this whole story started unfolding in my mind. It took years to write and research and then rewrite it, but I finally got it finished.

5. How long did it take you to write it? What is your writing process like?

Both books took years to write because when I first got the ideas to write them I was still working full time and that often meant writing three or four news stories a day. I was also often overseas and that could mean weeks or months of not being able to work on either book. Once I retired I also had other writing projects that I was working on.

As for my writing process now that I’m retired, I normally write very quickly, something I had to learn to do as a reporter. I wrote my first novel – Corpus Delectable – in about three months. During my years as a reporter I jotted down a lot of notes about situations, places, characters, how cops work and things like that. I saved many of those notebooks and re-read them on a regular basis. Often while I’m doing that an idea for a new novel strikes me and I start writing.

6. What can we expect from you in the future?

At the moment I’m working on a new mystery set in Buffalo, NY about a female private detective who is searching for a rare first edition of Bleak House by Charles Dickens. What makes the book even more valuable is the fact that – in my novel – Dickens personally inscribed it to a friend. My heroine is a former military policewoman who was forced to leave the service when she lost half of her right leg in Afghanistan. I hope to have it finished in early February.

7. Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?

That’s a tough question. I think if I had to choose I would say my favorite book is Corpus Delectable. My favorite heroine would be Marcy Pantano, a former reporter turned consultant who narrates Corpus Delectable. She’s a 40-something divorcee who now has a hunky (much) younger boyfriend. She’s pretty feisty and kind of funny in the way she looks at life. She gets dragged into a murder investigation when a friend of hers is accused of killing his ex-wife, a former fashion model (a real ‘delectable corpse’). Marcy has to figure out why he’s lying to the cops about where he was when his ex-wife turned up dead in his apartment.

8. Do you plot ahead of time, or do you let the plot emerge as you write?

I don’t really plot ahead of time. I have a general idea of where I think the story is going to end up and I start writing. Along the way, my characters dictate where the story leads, and it doesn’t always wind up where I thought it would.

9. Who are some of your favorite authors to read? Favorite books?

My favorite authors pretty much span the spectrum. Old favorites include Dashiell Hammett, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. I’m also a fan of contemporary writers such as Rebecca Forster, Kory Shrum, Tom Benson and EM Kaplan.

My favorite books – and there are many that I have read and re-read - would have to include Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon and Shrum’s Dying for a Living as well as Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz and The Stand by Stephen King. All of them have very memorable characters, which is what I look for most in a book.

10. Where can we buy your books?

All of my books are available on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KCABGK

Biography

Mike Billington spent nearly a half century as a reporter covering stories around the world and across the United States including Operation Desert Storm, the Rwandan Civil War, hurricanes Hugo, Andrew, Katrina and Rita as well as the Love Canal environmental disaster and the 9/11 airline crash near Shanksville, Pa. During his career he earned more than 40 awards including the Brotherhood Medal of the National Conference of Christians and Jews for an undercover investigation of white-power extremists and the Southern Journalism Award for Investigative Reporting for a series he co-authored exposing police abuse of Florida's Contraband Forfeiture Act. He also received several awards for a lengthy series on infant mortality in Delaware. An Army veteran who spent two tours in Vietnam, his awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman's Badge. In addition, he was twice decorated by the Vietnamese government. He is single and currently lives in Spain.

Author's website: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7827793.Mike_Billington/blog

Twitter: @Billington_Book

Character Interview

Corpus Delectable

Marcy Pantano, a former hard-charging cop reporter who is now a consultant, finds herself trying to prove a friend innocent of murder. It's a job made harder by the fact that her friend is lying about where he was when his ex-wife, a former fashion model turned food critic, was stabbed to death on his kitchen floor. Complicating Marcy's life is her hunky boyfriend Quinn Bowman, a freelance photographer who is considerably younger than her. He wants to take their relationship farther than she is willing to go. Set in a Delaware beach town, Corpus Delectable mixes humor, crackling dialogue and enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing.

Character name: Marcella Anna Maria Madonna Pantano (but please, just call me Marcy).

Book title: Corpus Delectable

Tell me a little about yourself?

Well, I used to be a reporter in Wilmington, Delaware but I quit one day not long after my divorce from my jerk ex-husband and moved downstate to the beach. I now live in a small condo that doubles as the office for my consulting business. I’m 40-something and have been accused of being more than a little sarcastic. I come from Buffalo where my parents and three sisters still live. I’m Italian, was raised Catholic and still am, though my feminist friends say I should leave the church because they think it treats women like second-class citizens.

Where do you live?

I live in Lewes (you pronounce as if it was spelled L-O-U-I-S), Delaware. It’s technically a city but I can’t really think of it as one. I mean, it only has one traffic light and you could fit the entire population in the bleachers at Fenway Park in Boston and still have enough room left over for a Shriner’s convention. My condo is right on the beach and across the street from a Dairy Queen, which makes it pretty much ideal for me.

Who is the most important person in your life?

That would be my boyfriend, Quinn Bowman. He’s a freelance photographer and an adrenaline junkie.

What was your childhood like?

I’d have to say it was pretty typical. My sisters and I went to Catholic school and were pretty much raised with the idea that our real job in life was to get married and start having children as soon as we could. All four of us girls went to college and three of my sisters married Italian guys, which made my parents really happy… well, pretty happy anyway. They don’t really like my sister Rosemarie’s husband all that much but at least he’s Italian and Catholic so they tolerate him. I married a guy who isn’t Italian but he was Catholic and a doctor – well he was a med student then – so my parents were sort of okay with that.

Of all the people you've met, who would you LEAST like to be stuck in an elevator with?

Oh, definitely, my ex-husband Dr. Jack Thalberg. I put him through med school, moved with him to Boston and then to Delaware and got dumped for a nurse. There’s no love lost between us.

What is the most important thing in your life? What do you value most?

There was a time when I would have said my career was the most important thing in my life, but I’m older now so I’d have to say that my relationship with Quinn first and my relationships with friends and family second.

What is your biggest fear?

Quinn is, as I said, an adrenaline junkie. He takes assignments all over the world, usually winding up in places where there’s a lot of violence. My biggest fear is that one day I’m going to get a call saying he’s dead. It’s one of the reasons why, though he’s asked me, I haven’t said I’ll marry him.

What is the most important thing that ever happened to you? Why?

That’s a tough question to answer… I guess, in a weird sort of way, it would have to be getting divorced. It may sound strange but, although it was pretty traumatic at the time, my divorce was actually a good thing. I changed careers, mine is a lot less stressful now than it was when I was a reporter; I met Quinn; I moved to the beach and quit smoking… I’m even working on a novel, though I’ll probably never finish it. All in all, my life is better now than it was when I was married.

Do you have any special talents or abilities?

Not really. I’m a hard worker and I like to think that I’m pretty good at my job but I can’t run a marathon or knock someone out with a karate kick. I’m a pretty good cook but not world class. I can’t sing and friends who have seen me dance say that I look a little like a heavily medicated flamingo.

How do you see your future?

I’d like to think that Quinn and I will stay together, married or not, and that we’ll eventually buy a house somewhere down here by the beach. Someday I’d like to actually be able to say I’m a published author but if that never happens I’ll be okay with that. My biological clock stopped ticking some time ago but I’d like to adopt a child or even two… there are so many kids that have been abandoned either by parents or circumstance. I think I’d be a good mom.

If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick?

That’s another difficult question because I admire a lot of men and women… I think, though, if I had to choose I’d say Katherine Hepburn. She was an independent woman who was unafraid of new challenges. She was smart, unconventional, and sexy in a non-threatening sort of way. I also admire the fact that she had a well-developed social conscience. I think it would be fascinating to spend an entire day with her.

If you had a free day with no responsibilities, how would you spend it?

This will sound so mundane but I’d spend it at the beach with Quinn, a good book and a picnic lunch. We’d talk about anything and everything. When the sun set we’d go get ice cream sundaes at the Dairy Queen and then go home. We’d have a really great dinner and then cuddle on the couch for a while before going to bed. There’d be no phone calls, no projects that have to be done right away and no worries just for one glorious day.

Where can we find out more about you?

Well, assuming you’re not going to drop in at my condo in Lewes, the easiest place to find me is on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KCABGK where I hang out with my friends from other Mike Billington novels.

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Author Interview with Rachael Stapleton about her new release Curse of the Purple Delhi Sapphire #contest

Interview with Frederick H. Crook

Interview with Ognian Georgiev

Interview with Bernard Foong (a.k.a. Young)

Interview with Michael Billington

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