Guest Post: FINDING PALMETTO MOON IN THE ETHER

I am so pleased to invite Kim Boykin, author of Palmetto Moon, (which I reviewed last week) to guest post here on Acting Balanced.  I joined this blog tour because the book was set in both my front yard (Charleston) and my backyard (Round O, SC) figuratively speaking and so I asked her to tell us a little bit about how she chose her geographic settings - I hope you enjoy this glimpse into her thoughts as much as I did! 

FINDING PALMETTO MOON IN THE ETHER

With Palmetto Moon, I wrote about Round O, South Carolina like I knew it like the back of my hand. I’d never been there before and had only driven through Walterboro, or stopped there to use the bathroom on the way to Edisto Island over thirty years ago. So, before I turned the Palmetto Moon manuscript into my editor, last summer, I decided I should visit to make sure I got the place right.

I was pleasantly surprised and then shocked at one of those ethereal moments. Dana and Bonita Cheney, the nice couple from the Colleton County Historical Society who showed me around Walterboro, offered to show me Round O. To be honest, with the majority of the story taking place there, and having never been there, I was more than a little nervous.

I’d sent Dana and Bonita a synopsis of Palmetto Moon, that mentioned Miss Mamie’s Boarding House. When we got to Round O, which really is a crossroads community (for those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s a crossroads with a few houses, maybe a church, a little store,) Dana asked me if I’d like to see Miss Mamie’s Boarding House.

There on the corner was a dilapidated two story clapboard home that very well could have been Vada’s home in 1947. I was amazed. Then he asked me if I wanted to see what it looked like in 1947. He eased down the road about 100 feet and there was the EXACT house I’d pictured when I was writing the book. I know this picture is a little cockeyed but I was completely stunned.

A few weeks later, I approached Dick Elliott, the owner of Maverick Southern Kitchens, and nationally renown SNOB inCharleston about contributing recipes for the book. I wanted to use them in lieu of Reader Questions. Turns out the executive chef at SNOB’s name is Frank Lee and my hero’s name is Frank Darling. Coincidence? Maybe, but I’m tagging it as a gift from the ether.

About Palmetto Moon:

June, 1947. Charleston is poised to celebrate the biggest wedding in high-society history, the joining of two of the oldest families in the city. Except the bride is nowhere to be found…Unlike the rest of the debs she grew up with, Vada Hadley doesn’t see marrying Justin McLeod as a blessing—she sees it as a life sentence. So when she finds herself one day away from a wedding she doesn’t want, she’s left with no choice but to run away from the future her parents have so carefully planned for her.

In Round O, South Carolina, Vada finds independence in the unexpected friendships she forms at the boarding house where she stays, and a quiet yet fulfilling courtship with the local diner owner, Frank Darling. For the first time in her life, she finally feels like she’s where she’s meant to be. But when her dear friend Darby hunts her down, needing help, Vada will have to confront the life she gave up—and decide where her heart truly belongs.

For More Information

• Visit Kim Boykin’s website.
• Connect with Kim on Facebook and Twitter.
• Visit Kim’s blog.
• More books by Kim Boykin.
• Contact Kim.

Get the Book:

• Palmetto Moon is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble or IndieBound.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
• Read Chapter One here.

Book Review: Palmetto Moon, A Lowcountry Novel by Kim Boykin @AuthorKimBoykin #pumpupyourbook

I am so pleased to be part of another Pump Up Your Book tour, especially since Palmetto Moon by Kim Boykin is set in my adopted neck of the woods!  I live half way between the two main settings in the book, Charleston, SC and Round O, SC and that made this book so much more fun to read, but even if you don't live in the South, I am going to recommend you pick it up!  You should also pop back by on October 15th and check out Kim Boykin's guest post "FINDING PALMETTO MOON IN THE ETHER" which will share part of her journey in finding Round O.

From the Publisher:

June, 1947. Charleston is poised to celebrate the biggest wedding in high-society history, the joining of two of the oldest families in the city. Except the bride is nowhere to be found…Unlike the rest of the debs she grew up with, Vada Hadley doesn’t see marrying Justin McLeod as a blessing—she sees it as a life sentence. So when she finds herself one day away from a wedding she doesn’t want, she’s left with no choice but to run away from the future her parents have so carefully planned for her.

In Round O, South Carolina, Vada finds independence in the unexpected friendships she forms at the boarding house where she stays, and a quiet yet fulfilling courtship with the local diner owner, Frank Darling. For the first time in her life, she finally feels like she’s where she’s meant to be. But when her dear friend Darby hunts her down, needing help, Vada will have to confront the life she gave up—and decide where her heart truly belongs.

My Review:

This book conveys both an innocence and a sense of coming of age in a time of bigotry and social expectation, while telling a love story.  I can see Vada, fresh from a liberal college education, being forced into a mold developed by years of segregation and elitism that prevailed in the South, and particularly in Charleston's elite circles for many centuries.  I love that within the first few moments in the book, she breaks free of other peoples expectations and takes a risk to create the life SHE wants, rather than the life her parents expect her to have.

The book draws you in to Vada's time and makes you feel like you have been transported back to the post-war ear.  Youi slip seamlessly into her world and can easily visualize characters like Rosa Lee, Desmond, Justin, the Hadleys, Claire, Frank Darling and even Miss Mamie, who runs the Round O boarding house.

If you like historical fiction, with a good, sweet romantic storyline, than you will enjoy reading Kim Boykin's latest novel; Palmetto Moon

About the Author:

Kim Boykin was raised in her South Carolina home with two girly sisters and great parents. She had a happy, boring childhood, which sucks if you’re a writer because you have to create your own crazy. PLUS after you’re published and you’re being interviewed, it’s very appealing when the author actually lived in Crazy Town or somewhere in the general vicinity.

Almost everything she learned about writing, she learned from her grandpa, an oral storyteller, who was a master teacher of pacing and sensory detail. He held court under an old mimosa tree on the family farm, and people used to come from all around to hear him tell stories about growing up in rural Georgia and share his unique take on the world.

As a stay-at-home mom, Kim started writing, grabbing snip-its of time in the car rider line or on the bleachers at swim practice. After her kids left the nest, she started submitting her work, sold her first novel at 53, and has been writing like crazy ever since.

Thanks to the lessons she learned under that mimosa tree, her books are well reviewed and, according to RT Book Reviews, feel like they’re being told across a kitchen table. She is the author of The Wisdom of Hair from Berkley, Steal Me, Cowboy and Sweet Home Carolina from Tule, and Palmetto Moon, also from Berkley. While her heart is always in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, she lives in Charlotte and has a heart for hairstylist, librarians, and book junkies like herself.

For More Information

• Visit Kim Boykin’s website.
• Connect with Kim on Facebook and Twitter.
• Visit Kim’s blog.
• More books by Kim Boykin.
• Contact Kim.

Get the Book:

• Palmetto Moon is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble or IndieBound.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
• Read Chapter One here.

Guest Review and Interview: Sheila Roberts new book, The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane

My mom (Judy from Retired-Not-Tired) was visiting recently and we got to talking about books and I mentioned that I'd be reviewing another one of Sheila Roberts' books (read about my review of Better than Chocolate here) and she said that she'd be happy to review the latest book, The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane while I took the opportunity to interview the author!  It's all part of her Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour:

Here's what mom had to say:

I finished reading " The Tea shop on Lavender Lane" by Sheila Roberts this afternoon. It was a wonderful summer read. Sheila writes in the same  vein as Debbie Macomber who I love. Sheila tells the story of 3 sisters, 2 who want the same man. The story twists and turns as both sisters figure out what man is their true love. The story has a happy ending and the part I like best is how tea plays a part in solving the issues. Tea is an important part of my life and I see this story  as another way many people come together over a cup of tea.
Sheila's characters seem very real and I can picture them in the small town of Icicle Falls. I look forward to reading more of Sheila Roberts.

Here's what the publisher offers as an overview of The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane:

Guest Book Review: The Living Memories Project: Legacies that Last

I am pleased to invite my mom, Judy from Retired-Not-Tired to share another book review with you as part of the Pump Up Your Book Tour for The Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last.

From the Publisher:

Guest Reviewer: Judy reviews Ritual Tea by Mario Zeleny

I am so pleased to have my mom, Judy, reviewing on Acting Balanced again!  Every once in a while, a book crosses my email that just screams - send this one to Mom, and so far I'm two for three in getting it right on the nose... I am so pleased that she agreed to read this one and share it with you!  This article is part of a Pump up your Book Tour and we received a copy of the book at no cost to facilitate the review.  

From the Publisher: 

Media headlines abound these days saying, “Tea is trendy…” and we believe it until we read the first chapter of Ritual Tea: How the 9 Secrets of Tea Can Transform Your Life. Entitled, Tea’s Sordid and Holy Exploits, chapter one is a worldwide, whirlwind tour of tea history that leaves the reader knowing once and for all that tea has always been trendy for very good reasons. Next to water, tea is the world’s most popular drink.

Author Mario Zeleny, lifelong tea lover and personal coach, extracts the magic of tea from its history, uses, and benefits but also from its power to change the world. He brings the secrets of tea into modern light, and makes it accessible for contemporary lifestyles.

“We do not have to be a Buddhist monk, or study The Way of Tea for decades to be your own Tea Master,” says Zeleny, “but you must understand its secrets to reap tea’s transformative qualities in your life.”

Ritual Tea boasts over 30 links to free tea products, ten personal rituals to help with everything from anxiety to sleep, and 10 charts that make crafting our own ritual a breeze.

Discover the transformative power of tea hidden in its history, versatility, and essence through simple, timeless and individualized rituals. To help us on the tea path, the author has made a free Ritual Tea ecourse available through ArtSpellz.com.

Tea has made a 5000 year trek to inhabit the world and in its wake it has altered not only individual lives but cultures and countries. Ritual Tea asks, “Who will we be in tea’s history?” Will we just make tea, or will we allow tea make us?
Judy's Review:

I accepted the book to review because I am a consummate tea drinker. I have been drinking since I was very little. My grandmother always had a cup of tea for me especially when I was in trouble. It is a tradition that has been passed down for generations. I am now as a grandmother introducing my grandchildren to the pleasure of drinking tea.

I found the book fascinating. The history of tea is amazing. Who would have believed that it was the cause of a lot of wars even beyond the "Boston Tea party". Making tea is a very integral part of the enjoyment. Mario takes this to a higher level and tells how it can improve your life.

The book is written in an easy to read manner. Each segment is self contained yet makes you want to read further. I was pleased to find out that the making of tea is well defined and actually enhances the flavours. The reasoning behind the types of tea was important as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes drinking tea. Even a coffee drinker could change their minds after reading this book.

About the Author:


Mario Zeleny – Lover of all things tea.  Mario spent 15 years in healthcare and social services in clinical and administrative roles that offered coaching to employees and volunteers.  An artist and entrepreneur from an early age, Mario now brings his love of writing, art, spirit, coaching and ritual together online at his creative living site, Sancti Spiritusand also from his transformational art site, Art Spellz. Mario looks forward to completing his education with Mentor Coach and St. Clement Seminary. He currently resides in Sacramento with his husband of 8 years, their children and their domestic sovereign, a pug named Brigit.

Behind the Author - Cindy McDonald

I am so pleased to invite Cindy McDonald to sit down and share a little bit about herself and her latest book in the Unbridled Series, Shady Deals as part of her Pump Up Your Book blog tour:

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books:

I love to write in the evening. It is the quiet time of the day. After I have cleaned up dinner, I check to see what my husband is watching on television, and then I pour a glass of wine and go downstairs into my office where my characters are waiting for me—sometimes they are waiting in panic—depending on what debacle I left them in the last time we met. I sit down, take a sip of the wine, and ask myself: what if?

2. How long have you been writing and what do you love about it?

I started writing telescripts in 2005 with great hopes that my Unbridled Series would be a television show—when that didn’t pan out, I started writing the book series—which has been thankfully more successful. I love the creativity of writing—creating characters, situations, romances, and because my location is fictional—I enjoy creating places.

3. What hobbies/interests do you have?

My daughters and I have been showing Quarter Horses for over twenty years. We travel during the summer months to the shows and have also shown at The All American Quarter Horse Congress. Currently, we are showing a Palomino named Magnum. I also enjoy my flower garderns.

4. Something people would be surprised to know about me is…

My first book series, Unbridled, started out as a television series. The Hollywood readers absolutely loved the show, but the sad truth was that we simply couldn’t sell it to the producers. One of the readers who were handling my scripts said to me, “Cindy, don’t be stupid, turn this into a book series!” and so I did.

5. If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?

This is a question that I always struggle with because I really don’t have an answer to it. I’m not a celebrity worshipper, therefore there really aren’t any celebrities who I would want to invite. I’m not into politics, so the cliché answer of John Kennedy simply doesn’t work in my case. And although I love him and have plenty of questions for him, I don’t think Jesus is the proper answer to this question either—for me. I wish I could give you a solid response to this—I simply can not.

6. I can’t live without…

Chocolate!

6. Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it?

SHADY DEALS is the fifth installment of the Unbridled Series. In the past three books I have created a romance between Kate West and Veterinarian, Dr. Holden Reese—but something has been wrong throughout the relationship. In SHADY DEALS it all explodes and the outcome is quite damning. That said, all the books are written in a way that you can pick up any one of then and not be lost—you DO NOT have to read the series in order.

My favorite part was writing the chapters that take place at Gerti’s Bed and Breakfast. That’s all I’ll say about that—I don’t want to give anything away!

8. What's next for your writing?

Currently, I am writing two series’: The Unbridled Series, which is the series that SHADY DEALS comes from and The First Force Series, which is my new romantic suspense series. Presently, First Force has one book that released in November, INTO THE CROSSFIRE.

I will be releasing a children’s book in the spring, GEORGE THE BOSS, which is about a stubborn little pony. As you can see I’m a very busy author—no dust settles on my laptop!

9. How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing?

My website: www.cindymcwriter.com >>> you can read synopsis of all current and upcoming Unbridled and First Force books, view book trailers and sign up for my newsletter, too!

I’m on twitter: @CindyMcDonald7

Of course I’m on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-UNBRIDLED-SERIES/234151313271418

I’m also a goodreads author and on Linkedin!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, Cindy!  Readers if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments section!  And of course you should check out Shady Deals!

Behind the Author: Andre Phillip-Hautecoeur

I am pleased to invite author Andre Phillip-Hautecouer to Acting Balanced today as part of his Pump Up Your Book tour for his book One Exquisite Night in Paris!

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books: 

Honestly I think I go about it a little ass-backwards. I start with the title or an opening line or two. Then if it generates any emotion in me I’ll test it on a friend or two then I’ll see if I can add some meat to make a story.

For example the thing that I’m working on – a line came to me in the shower – “I watched my mother kill my father. I was ten.” Then I have to figure out how it all came to that, who am I in the story, who is mom; and daddy must have done something very silly to deserve it.

I don’t go looking for some deep social topic nor do I make up stuff about aliens.

2. How long have you been writing and what do you love about it? 

I’ve been writing short stories for about seven years but never tried to publish anything. Mostly because I think “why would anybody want to read that?”

What I really love about writing is finding the right and few words to present a feeling. So it becomes a puzzle of write-edit-write till every word means exactly something or remains semantic only if I intend it to be.

3. What hobbies/interests do you have?  

Not many hobbies at all. I write and I read and I think about marketing. Marketing is an excellent hobby; fine-tuning a suggestion till someone embraces a thing which they may never have considered before. I know it sounds boring but it presses you to present properly and face disappointment regularly.

Recently I had been reading quite a bit of French history.

4. Something people would be surprised to know about me is…  

People would be surprised to know that there is nothing surprising to know about me at all. I’m insipidly normal, I have existential angst like everyone else, I would never buy a vacation home because that’s just foolish, I live in an apartment because I’m not handy around the house and I’m one of the most superficial people I know. Not fake just superficial in my outlook, I don’t play it out.

5. If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?  

Jesus, that’s a tricky question but like most people I think I would invite Jesus. Coco Chanel would be first though; I love her-the older version of her in her seventies. Then believe it or not I would invite Adolph. I would really like to know what was he thinking. I mean really; the whole world war, the whole thing. Was it power based thinking, economic; what?

Then Arjuna the son of Pandu (from the Bhagavad Gita). I read the whole thing in my teens about passionate caring with indifference to result and I think it shaped my outlook.

I would serve Kobe stakes with the bone and a gorgonzola-port sauce, small bleached potatoes with pesto and a Chateau Margaux 2009 (3 bottles). We would try the Shipwrecked 1907 Heidseick to start but keep some normal champagne on hand in case it’s corked.

Now Arjuna might not appreciate the beef, being Indian and all but who knows. A cheese plate with toast ends after and then cigars and 50 year old rum.

6. I can’t live without…  Water, my laptop and I love oranges.

7. Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it? 

My favorite challenge was to attempt to create imagery such that if you had never been to or heard about Paris, each chapter would make you feel like you wanted to see this thing or do that thing and that you would come away breathless feeling you could have the most amazing day of your life by doing this trip.

We live between Brooklyn and Paris so it was annoying if I couldn’t quite remember some details while in Brooklyn. I would have to pause till I got to Paris to get it right. But it was great seeing things critically knowing I was to write about them.

Also of the personal story, I didn’t want to make it too ideal (wine and roses) though there wasn’t really any trauma to report.

8. What's next for your writing?  

What’s next for the writing is actually marketing. I think it’s important to spend the next few months marketing/promoting this book. Just being on Amazon doesn’t suggest that the book will sell.

I started writing at intervals on a first line but haven’t flushed out characters, plot or anything. I’m open to suggestions regarding direction for this opening phrase: “I watched my mother kill my father. I was ten.”

9. How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing? My blog is at:

http://exquisitenightinparis.blogspot.com/

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/OneExquisiteNightinParis?ref=hl

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Readers - if you have more questions, please leave them in the comments!

Behind the Author: Emilia Rutigliano

I am pleased to invite Emilia Rutigliano to hang out for a bit on Acting Balanced today as part of her Pump Up Your Book blog tour!  She's touring with not one, but five books that encompass the Layers of Veronica!  The first three books have been released, including Napoleon, which is the first book in the series.

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books:

I write whenever I get a free moment regardless where I am – sitting in my car while my daughter is in dance class; sitting in court waiting to be assigned to a judge for trial; in a lounge at the airport waiting for a flight or in bed “trying” to get to sleep. As long as the battery is working, I’ll write. There is no time allotment, or word count goals. I don’t lose the thought. I’ll pick it up several hours later if I have to.

2. How long have you been writing and what do you love about it?

I started writing fiction two years ago, on a dare from a friend. I love it. I specifically love being able to see a situation and work it into my WIP. It’s the most amazing feeling to be inspired by a setting, or a meal or a conversation and know that you could memorialize it in your writing. In the same way someone journals or scrapbooks to preserve a happy memory, I write it into my novels. I’m fortunate enough that people who read my books like hearing and seeing the things I’ve seen.

3. What hobbies/interests do you have?

I love traveling with everything it entails. I enjoy the commute, the hotel stays, the local eateries, the sightseeing and the local commutes and life. I like writing as a means of telling a story. I love hanging out with interesting people and listening to their story.

4. Something people would be surprised to know about me is…

I don’t like large parties. I just don’t enjoy them at all. I see no reason why 300 people need to celebrate an event. I prefer a night at home with close friends and family to any evening out.

5. If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?

Let’s start with what I would serve: I would have a table laden with salads/antipasti/zakuski/tapas or whatever name you would want to call it. But they would be small appetizing foods that you could eat with your fingers. All of the best conversations of my life were around a dinner table… and the food has to be plentiful and delicious, but not at all fussy. The dress code would be casual. In attendance would be Oscar Wilde, Robin Williams, Malcom Gladwell and Napoleon Hill. It’s a really long explanation why. But that would be my dream dinner.

6. I can’t live without…

Oh are you kidding? I am so particular, I have specific glasses I swear the water tastes better in

I can’t live without my family. I can, of course, but when they are not with me, it’s no fun. They are my favorite companions and entertainers. They make me laugh even when I’m yelling at them.

As far as favorite physical items… my AirBook (which has all my picture, playlists in it). My contigo thermos from which I sip all day (usually with a hot tea in winter, or iced water in the summer.) My iPhone which allows me to shop, keep my schedule and keep in touch with everyone at the same time. My English Pear& Fresia body lotion from Jo Malone (it’s a cult, you wouldn’t understand). And there are roughly 400 other items that I swear by.

7. Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it?

The Layers of Veronica is a series about a 35-year-old divorcee who is NOT looking for the next relationship. She does, however, take any opportunity to enjoy life and strive up. She is most fortunate to meet extraordinary characters each of whom has a remarkable journey. Each of them becomes a layer (story) in the books. The books are not ‘stand-alone’. You need to start from the 1st and read consecutively to the 5th. There are no repeating or introductory passages in the later books. Those that enjoy Veronica’s story cannot wait to continue to find out how her story progresses and what becomes of all of the other characters. Those that do not subscribe to her lifestyle or thoughts, simply don’t continue. There is a lot to take in, but Veronica becomes a friend. You miss her when the series ends.

8. What's next for your writing?

I’ve just started a series called Alexandra’s Order. It is a three-book series. It’ll take me a year or so to write the three books. I don’t think I’ll publish until all three are written. Until then, I’m looking forward to introducing people to Veronica. All five books should be out in the spring. That makes me very happy.

9. How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing?

My Facebook page, www.facebook.com/layersofveronica is always current, and I update when a book is published or when an event is coming up. There is also a page dedicated to Veronica, layersofveronica.com, but I don’t update as often as possible. I’m always available by email if anyone wants to ask me anything, too. Emilia@layersofveronica.com.

Behind the Author: Georgia Le Carre

I am pleased to be interviewing Georgia Le Carre as part of her Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour for her new erotic romance book, The Billionaire Banker

1. Tell us a little bit about how you write your books:

Guest Post: A Memoir to Start 2014 Off Right

I am pleased to invite William Buisch, DVM to guest post on Acting Balanced as part of his Pump Up Your Book virtual tour, in promotion of his memoir, The Ark's Cargo: For the Love of Animals.

Dr. Buisch was inspired by biblical passages and teachings and cherished his work as an international veterinarian. His passion for improving the health and welfare of domesticated and wild animals is most noteworthy. Working within diverse cultures, he observed vast health improvements in animals and, as a result, in people living nearby.

A Memoir to Start 2014 Off Right

If you like romance, love, excitement, drama, adventure, exotic tales/tails and situational comedy, I have just the right book for you!  And then with the ever present animalistic behavior and the discussion of male prowness while being, a bit bullish at times I am sure you will appreciate and love this collection of real life stories.  Don’t be sheepish or cackle at the story line!  But rather, enjoy the horsing around and the discriptions of unusual harems and the sexuality of a semen collection facility.  All of this and more is included in the award winning book entitled, “The Ark's Cargo: For the Love of Animals!

     The memoir is about an International Veterinarian who worked in poverty stricken areas of the world including that of working in Haiti, the jungles of Panama, in Colombia in areas under the control of drug lords, in Mali, along the road to Timbuktu and in Kenya where the Maasi believe they own all of the cattle in the world. 

     The stories include efforts to improve the health and welfare of both wild and domesticated animals in order to improve the well being of the human populations living near by.  While the episodes may get a little wild at times, each adventure doesn’t necessarily achieve the success hoped for.  Nevertheless, the lessons learned and the relationships developed established long lasting effects of international trust and respect that will last for years to come!

     Having worked with the Wild Mustangs in Colorado and Nevada may be the highlight for some.  But facing the terror of a black jaguar, or being “attacked” by a Battalion of Troops, or facing a native with a shield and spear aimed at one’s heart; will often attract the attention of others.  And then there is the matter of the ever “screwing” Screwworm Fly; the experience of shipping cattle in a school bus; or the experience of being an unseasoned seaman in the North Atlantic.  All I can say is; this is only the beginning!  And as such, do enjoy!!!

Behind the Author: Deborah Rix

I am pleased to invite fellow Torontonian and author of External Forces, Deborah Rix to be interviewed for the Acting Balanced Behind the Author segment as part of her Pump Up Your Book tour!

1.   Tell us a little bit about how you write your books: 

So, here’s the thing. I was completely frustrated with another big part of my life (rebuilding a virtually condemned building – you can’t beat City Hall, it’s true.) I was desperate for a feeling of control so I sat down one day and started fooling around, something about being able to make my characters do exactly what I told them to do. Of course it doesn’t turn out that way. The characters just stormed in and took over and told me not to sleep, or do laundry, or take my kids to school. They became very demanding and did surprising things. I was writing one night when all of a sudden I squealed and covered my mouth. My daughter rushed over, “what’s wrong?” “You would not believe what Charlie just did!” was my stern response. True story.

2.   How long have you been writing and what do you love about it? 

I’ve been writing for about two years, and as mentioned above it was an act of desperation. But I do love it, all of it. Well, okay, not the part when I wake up after a virtual all-nighter and I think I’ve done some great work as I stagger around and get the kids sorted out. Then I read it and delete 10,000 words. I’ve done that. Actually, I love that part too. I love the freedom of writing and immersing myself and then being able to say, “crappity crap” and hitting that delete button. And no one knows how terrible it was, except for me. And then I write something brilliant, it just needed to percolate by coming out as crap first. I just wish it didn’t take all night. Sleep deprivation? Not so good.

3.   What hobbies/interests do you have?

Since I started writing? None. Haven’t even watched the last few seasons of Breaking Bad, how’s that for obsessed?  Before that I was a fairly social person. My background is in the music biz, mostly. My husband too. So music is a large presence around these parts. I’m big into community, so I’ve been involved/instigated a lot of things in my neighbourhood. I held a Transit of Venus party last summer, and we played the theme from A Space Odyssey really, really loud as Venus first crossed in front of the sun. I am the proud founder of The Trinity Bellwoods Ladies Scrabble League – about thirty gals who ditch their families once a month and eat and drink and occasionally get a Bingo! I just went to an ‘I fucking Love Science’ event here in Toronto and haven’t laughed so much in a long time.

4.   Something people would be surprised to know about me is…

I have ADD. I can appear very together and can organize incredible events, but paper is not my friend. Neither are bills. There’s this secret cupboard where all the paper goes…

5.   If you could invite 4 people (real or fictional, living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you invite and what would you serve?

Mathematician and ‘inventor’ of gravity Sir Isaac Newton, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield and the current Pope. I’d serve cheeseburgers and ask them if they believe in God. Then I’d grab the ketchup bottle and sit back.

6.   I can’t live without…

Chocolate

7.   Tell us a little about this current book - what was your favorite part about writing it?

EXTERNAL FORCES is the first in a trilogy, The Laws of Motion (Newton again). I never thought of it as a trilogy as I was writing, it is one story. But it turned out to be a long story so I had to chop it up. It’s a bit frustrating when readers comment on something that bugs them and I want to say, “yes, but in book 2…” Secretly I know they’ll say “ah-ha” when they get there. Patience is a virtue, you know? The story is about identity, in all its permutations. Who or what decides who we are? Do we have a choice? It’s an eternal question, especially for teenagers, but it’s redefined in the context of the genetic revolution that we are experiencing. We don’t have to be who we start out as. Conversely, someone else can decide exactly who we do start out as, not just superficial things like eye colour, but the fundamental building blocks of humanity can be altered.

My favourite (excuse the Canadian spellings) part of writing it was getting to do all of the things I wished for in the science fiction I read as a teenager. I hated it when there was some unexplainable super-invention that could do impossible things. I did way too much research and had actual scientifical people vet my science to make sure it was at least plausible. There are things I took out, or rewrote, because the real future caught up with my future and it was happening right now. Like that mix of tense? – Well that was how it felt. I’d make something up and it would come true before I could get to the next chapter.

8.   What's next for your writing?

I am currently rereading the mess of a first draft of book 2, Acceleration. The essence is there, but I’ve learned a lot from working with Howard Mittelmark, my editor. Apparently I’m not allowed to be lazy and I’m supposed to pay attention to grammar and punctuation as I write it the first time. Who knew? Seriously, I’m really excited about diving right in and getting it done. I’ve started waking up in the middle of the night again, thinking about what needs to happen. That’s a good sign. I think.

9.   How can your fans stay up to date with what you are doing?

www.deborahrix.com is my super-fantastic website where they can sign up for my infrequent newsletter. Which means, when I have nothing to say, I won’t say it. When I do, I’ll send out a newsletter. And there’ll be contests and all that jazz along the way on the External Forces facebook page.

More About the Author:

Deborah Rix’s favourite position for reading a book is head almost hanging off the couch and feet up in the air with legs against the back of the couch. She’s been reading too much from Scientific American for research and ideas and needs to get back to some fiction. She has a long standing love of science fiction, some of her favourite authors include William Gibson, Philip K Dick, Kurt Vonnegut Jr, Douglas Adams, Iain M Banks. A bit old school.

Deborah enjoyed a successful career in entertainment publicity, live music promotion and event management. Which means she slogged through muddy fields for music festivals, was crammed into concert halls with too many sweaty teenage boys and got to go to Tuktoyaktuk (that’s in the Arctic Circle) for a Metallica concert. She lives with her family in Toronto, Canada, where she is the proprietor of The Lucky Penny, a neighborhood joint in Trinity-Bellwoods.

External Forces is her first novel.

Visit her website at www.DeborahRix.com.

Connect & Socialize with Deborah!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS| YOUTUBE

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About the Book:

Treason, betrayal, and heartbreak.

A lot can happen to a girl between her first kiss and her first kill.

It’s 100 years since the Genetic Integrity Act was passed and America closed its borders to prevent genetic contamination. Now only the enemy, dysgenic Deviants, remain beyond the heavily guarded border. The Department of Evolution carefully guides the creation of each generation and deviations from the divine plan are not permitted.

When 16-year-old Jess begins to show signs of deviance she enlists in the Special Forces, with her best friend Jay, in a desperate bid to evade detection by the Devotees. Jess is good with data, not so good with a knife. So when the handsome and secretive Sergeant Matt Anderson selects her for his Black Ops squad, Jess is determined to figure out why.

As her deviance continues to change her, Jess is forced to decide who to trust with her deadly secret. Jess needs to know what’s really out there, in the Deviant wasteland over the border, if she has any hope of making it to her 17th birthday. Because if the enemy doesn’t kill her first, the Department of Evolution probably will.

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