“She” by JD Mader

Today, my buddy JD Mader shares a story with us. He has a soulful noir style that just so beautifully accesses the pain and emptiness and loneliness and darkness that is part of the human experience. See for yourself:

She

By JD Mader

Author J.D. Mader

She was the kind of girl who could laugh when no one else was laughing without appearing foolish. She was tall. She wore tall boots and clothes that fit just right. She made you feel terrible about yourself, and you loved it. She was six feet of fierce intimidation with just enough vulnerability to really make the backlash snap. You loved her. You loved her for the moments of tenderness that slid like a greased ace between the overwhelming drama that coated both of your lives.

Some people know how to smoke cigarettes and some people don’t. You can’t smoke a cigarette furtively. You can’t do it brazenly. It has to hang off your fingers. It needs to look like it could fall at any moment, but won’t because it is an extension of your hand. You need to smoke it gently. The smoke needs to become your shroud. Your veil. She knew how to smoke cigarettes. Continue reading ““She” by JD Mader”

Meet the Author: Lisa Vandiver

Author Lisa Vandiver

Lisa Vandiver sees herself as a story-teller with a simple and to-the-point style. If the reader has to continually stop reading to go look up words, the author has unwittingly detracted from the flow and pace of the story.

She says, “I’ve been criticized for using simple descriptive words and I’ve been praised for using them. . . I do broaden my language and descriptions in various forms, but, I feel that most readers want to read an entertaining novel for pleasure, not to see how many ‘fancy’ descriptive words the Author knows.” Continue reading “Meet the Author: Lisa Vandiver”

Lili Tufel goes to Fantasy Island!

Author Lili Tufel

Friend and author Lili Tufel contacted me with some great news she wants to share. She just signed with Fantasy Island Publishing.

I caught up with Lili while she was house-hunting for just the right mansion with “s” shaped hedges. She said,  “I’ve spent nine months promoting SAND on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and GoodReads, but only as an ebook. Now I’m happy to say that SAND will finally be available in bookstores!”

Her book, Sand is a military-style thriller:

Dallas is a Special Forces Lieutenant who is driven by his promise to protect the Colonel’s daughter Abby from an opium drug lord. He is torn between duty and his love for her and when he discovers that the drug lord’s charming—murderous son has befriended Abby, there’s no limit to how far he is willing to go to protect her.

Learn more at her website and her excellent blog. We wish Lili all the best success and happiness in her endeavors with Fantasy Island Publishing. Lili also promised me an interview and I am going to hold her to that.

Guess Who? (#1)

I asked authors to send me pictures of themselves from 10 years or more ago, even high school yearbook pics, but nothing they’d use on a book cover.

Here is my first volunteer. Yes, you have seen this young lady before. She is one of the authors I have interviewed here.

Her first book just came out and is now available in print as well.

Her advice to aspiring authors is, “If you truly love to write, then don’t think of yourself as an aspiring writer. Just be a writer and write.”

Do you know who she is? (Answer below the fold) Continue reading “Guess Who? (#1)”