Author Doreen McGettigan Announces Her Book, “Bristol boyz Stomp”

Author Doreen McGettigan contacted me to share some background on her book.  She says:

“In Bristol boyz Stomp, you will meet David, the victim, a soft spoken gentle giant with a great musical talent and his beautiful Icelandic wife. The reader will agonize with the family as they spend seventy-two-hours in the intensive care unit watching David slip away in front of them as they struggle to make decisions about organ donation and an autopsy while still trying to figure out exactly what did happen that night. The family will take you along on their frustrating journey as they navigate the justice system and learn how to deal with the media. You will become infuriated with the defense attorneys, the murderers families and their lack of compassion and the evil skirt and sneaker wearing district attorney who is only interested in winning an election. The reader will feel the author’s pain as she struggles with grief, depression and defeat. A painfully gripping and honest detail that will leave readers inspired to hug everyone they love and forever to be looking in the rearview mirror.”

Doreen McGettigan has written for several Philadelphia area newspapers. Since the brutal murder of her brother, she is committed to being an outspoken advocate for victims of all crimes and their families. She resides in Delaware County, Pa. with her husband, John.

Find out more about Doreen on her blog.

Meet the Author: Michael Edward McNally

Author M. Edward McNally

Meet author Michael Edward “Ed” McNally. Ed is the author of what he describes as an epic “Musket and Magic” fantasy series, collectively called the Norothian Cycle. Though the novels may be classified as fantasy, genre labels don’t mean much to Ed. He considers himself a fiction-writer whose work contains characters like dragons, samurai, knights and devils. You want to slap a label on that? Knock yourself out.

Ed grew up reading fantasy classics, but says, “. . . to me a lot of the fantasy books coming out now seem to revel in darkness to an extent that makes them as tedious and painful as the national news.” Continue reading “Meet the Author: Michael Edward McNally”

A Writer’s Companion

Dharielle

Writing can be solitary work. Even in a crowded household an author spends a lot of time inside his or her own head. It is not fun to watch someone write. The family does not gather round, riveted by your deft keystrokes, shaking their heads in mild disappointment as you hit the backspace key yet again. The act of writing will never be turned into a television show. Probably not.

Still, many writers do have one or more constant companions. Perhaps a cat or dog or boa constrictor abide in silent company with you as you write, curled up on your lap, or nestled right under where you wish to put your feet.

Nothing much else can get through a writer’s wall of concentration. When upon leaving the house, one of your kids says, “Well, I’m off to join a biker gang.” You murmur zombie-like and wave absently in the general  direction from which you heard the sound. However, your animal companion knows when you need a break because it coincides perfectly with when they need to be fed or walked. You adapt to this. It becomes ritualistic, a part of your writing experience. As I write these very words my wife’s cat Koko is curled up at my feet as always.

They may distract, divert, amuse, annoy, inspire or abide quietly with you for hours. You can call it whatever you like but it is something, and when you lose it, you lose something. Yesterday my friend and fellow author Annarita Guarnieri lost her beloved cat and long-time writing companion Dharielle. Our hearts go out to her.