Books to curl up with: Good Thursday all

Books to curl up with: Good Thursday all:  Good Thursday all today we are going to review a novella by a new author to me .Check out PRINTED IN BLOOD  a Marybeth Pearson mystery . b...

Good Thursday all

 Good Thursday all today we are going to review a novella by a new author to me .Check out PRINTED IN BLOOD  a Marybeth Pearson mystery . by CS Patra


                             BOOK BLURB 

  The ladies of Portman's Creamery are back with their latest case that hits close to home for most of them. When a popular student and writer of the school paper is found stabbed to death, everyone is baffled. He wasn't known to have any enemies and it doesn't seem like anyone noticed anything suspicious. However, upon digging deeper into this case, the ladies soon discover that perhaps he made more enemies than it appears. Was it one of them? Or is there more to this case than appears?

                                 MY REVIEW  
   Welcome to a small college town where the star reporter for the college paper is murdered Stabbed to death and no one knows why . Everyone loved him and wondered why he was murdered . Will the girls be able to find out who killed this sweet guy and put the killer in jail . 
    This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed it . The characters were well written and I like Marybeth she is like the girl you want to have as your best friend . She is kind of quirky with a can do attitude . There are a lot of characters to mention . But they are all well written . Ther all play a part in the story line and help Marybeth out .
     this was a quick read for me I finished it in an evening . I liked the story and the way the author was telling it . The beginning to me was just a little slow , I felt that it kind of dragged until after the funeral . Then it really took off with the investigation kicking into high gear. You do figure out who did it about half way through but that doesn't stop you from reading . You want Marybeth and the gang to figure it out . This book kind of reminded me in a way of the Scooby gang with out the dog . Over all I really enjoyed this book and I am going to read more from this author . So if you want a fun book to read check it out you wont be disappointed .

Books to curl up with: GOOD TUESDAY ALL

Books to curl up with: GOOD TUESDAY ALL:    Good Tuesday all today is my last day of interviewing victims for the NOVEMBER TO DISMEMBER over at READING ZOMBIE on facebook . Toda...

GOOD TUESDAY ALL

   Good Tuesday all today is my last day of interviewing victims for the NOVEMBER TO DISMEMBER over at READING ZOMBIE on facebook . Today our victim is Suzanne Sussex and her SAFE ZONE  books

Good morning Suzanne thank you for joining us today
Thank you for having me

 Tell us a little about yourself 

I live in the UK, in Wales but right on the border to England with my boyfriend and slightly neurotic cat. I've worked full time for the same company for over 20 years.  When I'm not working or writing I love being outdoors, preferably in the hills. Over the last couple of years I've done a number of walking events, including walking 106km around an island in one day. 

Tell us about your books 

I have two books published at the moment with a third in progress. They are a trilogy called Safe Zone. The first is Safe Zone: The Greater Good and tells the events following a zombie virus outbreak in the U.K. The second is Safe Zone: The Descent, which is set twenty years after the first book. 

How do you select the names for your characters 

It varies, sometimes they just name themselves, which sounds odd, but the name just pops right on to the page. Others I've ended up using baby naming books to get inspiration. 

 Do you hide secrets in your books that only a few people will know and understand 

The antagonist in the second book actually makes a very brief appearance in the first. I'm not sure how many people have spotted that. There is also quite a lot of myself in Chloe, the main character from the first book. Only people that know me would understand which bits are more me or intentionally the opposite of me. For example Chloe hated climbing Snowdonia (highest mountain in Wales) whereas I love the whole mountain range.

 As a child did you have a favourite book 

So many! But the one that stands out that I've read time and again is called The Tower of Geburah by John White. It's very similar to the Chronicles of Narnia, but as a child I loved it so much more. 

If you didn't write what would you be doing 

I only started writing in 2016, yet already I can't even remember what I used to do at weekends and in the evenings before. As I still work full time my life would just be where it was 2 years ago. Working all day then binge watching box sets in the evenings and at weekends with the odd bit of Call of Duty. 

 What is your favourite part of the writing and publishing process and the least favourite thing 

My favourite part is that very rare moment where the words just spill on to the page and events take place that I hadn't planned or even thought of but they just work. For example in The Descent the characters find something (I'll avoid spoilers) relatively early on in the book which changed the entire direction of the book and was so far away from what I thought the story was going to be.

My least favourite part is coming up with the title. Firstly because there are millions of books out there so originality can be a challenge, but also because of the pressure of getting the right title. The cover and the title are what readers see first. My cover artist Claire is incredible and can translate my ideas into amazing covers, but the title is all on me. 

if you could do one thing differently as a child or tee to make you a better writer what would it be 

Write!  I used to start the odd story as a teenager but I never committed to actually finishing any of them. 

 Do you read reviews  on your books and what do you do when you have a bad review

I read every review (and over analyse every word.) I've not actually had a bad review (yet) although I've had a few low ratings on Goodreads, I'd like to think that if the criticism is something I can learn from then I'll take it on board as in future work. If it just along the lines of not liking zombies or the lack of guns in the books, then I guess I'll just shrug my shoulders and move on with my life.

 When you were writing Safe Zone how much research did you do 

I researched as I went rather than plot out the book. I suspect my google search history is a bit questionable. 

Do you believe in writers block 

That's a really difficult question and I can only speak from my experience. There are times when it is hard to think of the next thing to write, this results in procrastination and ultimately loss of motivation. I've developed my own ways of dealing with this and found that getting away from the laptop, sometimes just a few minutes doing something else helps. Other times, I'll shut the laptop and leave it for a day or two. On the odd occasion when self doubt also creeps in, I'll re read what I've written and this generally gives me new ideas.  

NOW FOR SOME FUN AND FAST QUESTIONS 

COFFE TEA OR OTHER 

Coffee. I am addicted to it

DO YOU GOOGLE YOURSELF 

I have a couple of times but I don't get many results

IF YOU HAD A SUPER POWER WHAT WOULD IT BE 

I'd be able to slow down time so that I could get more done in a day

FAVOURITE JUNK FOOD 

Big Mac. I never have anything else from McDonalds.

Last but not least 

What would you tell any aspiring writer out there . 

Do your own thing and don't worry about the 'rules.' Obviously basic spelling and grammar is important, but there are so many different opinions out there about every aspect of writing that you can tie yourself up in knots. Do what feels right for you.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU 

I have a website http://suzannesussex.com/ on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/suzannesussex1/  or on twitter @suzannesussex

BOOK LINKS 

The links to the book are https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074PXHWQR/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i2?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pd_rd_i=B074PXHWQR&pd_rd_r=2ZDHR1SKX4GDAN1Y1D81&pd_rd_w=TGY0T&pd_rd_wg=KqCKz&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=GETSR0E6562PVK880XT3&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=8f696f0a-3abd-4660-b9bd-1931764e0008&pf_rd_i=desktop

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Safe-Zone-Greater-Good-Book-ebook/dp/B074PXHWQR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506888643&sr=8-1&keywords=Suzanne+sussex

Books to curl up with: GOOD MONDAY EVERYONE

Books to curl up with: GOOD MONDAY EVERYONE:    Good Monday all as NOVEMBER TO DISMEMBER slowly winds down over at Reading Zombie . We have a new victim to interview TJ Weeks . H...

GOOD MONDAY EVERYONE

   Good Monday all as NOVEMBER TO DISMEMBER slowly winds down over at Reading Zombie . We have a new victim to interview TJ Weeks .

Hi TJ thanks for stopping by today

Thanks for having me

 Tell us about yourself 

I was in the Army for eight years. I was a vocalist in a band. I started writing lyrics for music at a very young age which led me to writing poetry and then to learning that I loved to write in general. I pushed myself to write Deadly Mountain and realized that my story telling ability was actually okay. I love to hang out with friends and family and cookout and have a serious collection of movies. 

Tell us about your books

I started out writing mystery/psychological suspense, which was Deadly Mountain and the sequel Allison's Revenge which are now in one book called Obsessed With The Kill. I moved on from there and wrote a little bit of a paranormal/horror which is now Valley Drift. I wrote The Horror Squad which is apocalyptic actually to cure some writers block. I really never planned on publishing it out and once I started writing, I enjoyed it and went ahead and published it. In between, I was challenged to a romance short story and dabbled in the beginner reader genre. I have recently put out a book for 8 years old and up called Building A Monster.  

 When you sit down do you have any rituals 

I throw on some headphones and listen to music. Sometimes it is heavy metal sometimes it is country or pop. Just depends on my mood that day. 

 When you write your characters is there any parts of yourself in them 

I am actually a character in The Horror Squad, so in that aspect yes. As for other books, I visualize what I want the character to be like and try and put myself in there shoes. 

  Do you hid any secrets in your books that only a few people would know about 

There is a few secrets here and there. Most of my books are set in Texas because that is where I have lived most of my life. There are a few tidbits here and there like Allison Dane in Obsessed With The Kill, I based off of my wife, 

  Do you read reviews and what do you do when you get a bad review 

I do read the reviews and look at bad reviews as constructive criticism. I don't take them personally, but take them into consideration. 

 What aspect of the writing / publishing journey do you like and what parts do you dislike 

I love the writing aspect and creating a story that people will enjoy. I also like doing the art for my covers, however I hate having to take the time to get everything precise for publish ready. 

 How do you handle writing characters of the opposite sex 

I just try and put myself in their shoes. If I get stuck, I try to bounce some ideas off of my wife or ask her opinion. 

  If there was one thin you could do differently as a child or teenager to make you a better writer what would it be .

I would have started taking writing seriously at an earlier age and putting my name out there more.  

  Do you believe in writers block

I do. I get it quite often and have a tendency to go on about doing other things that have no involvement in writing to see if I can grasp some ideas on what I need to write.  

NOW FOR SOME QUESTIONS 

COFFEE TEA OR OTHER 

Coffee in the mornings and Tea if I am not drinking a cold beer

Do you google yourself 

No, but my wife does and tells me all about it. 

if you had a super power what would it be

I would love to read people's minds.  

favourite junk food

I absolutely love Reese's sticks.  

all time favourite author and book 

I am a huge Nancy Roe fan and her book Secrets Can Be Deadly. I have recently become a fan of Mick Franklin and his book Nightmare Man. There are so many other Indie Authors I have read that I have become a fan of as well. 

last but not least 

What would you tell any aspiring young authors out there 

I would tell them to keep writing. Don't stop over a bad review, or someone telling them that they are not good enough to write. If your passion is to write, then write. I always tell any aspiring authors to hit me up if they have any questions as well. It is always good to have someone to ask questions about the writing world and I would be happy to help them out. 

where can we find you at 

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/tjweeksofficial

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1483829198575945

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/TJ-Weeks/e/B00QG4AENW

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tjweeks6

Instagram: www.instagram.com/author_tj_weeks

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/authortjweeks

Google +: https://plus.google.com/108473834169883173465

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authortjweeks

Book Lemur: https://www.booklemur.com/authors/tjweeks.html

Website: www.tjweeks.com - If you go here and subscribe to my newsletter, you will be emailed a free copy of my newest release Building A Monster! 

I have 2 books that are free: 

The Horror Squad: www.amazon.com/Horror-Squad-Apocalyptic-Tale-ebook/dp/B01ENR4WGI

Unfleshed: www.amazon.com/Unfleshed-1-TJ-Weeks/dp/1514806622

Books to curl up with: Good Sunday Everyone

Books to curl up with: Good Sunday Everyone:   Well today we have another victim in the NOVEMBER TO DISMEMBER  for reading zombie . Thomas Watson  and his book VIRAL MISERY. Wel...