Free For All Friday: Can You Name the Parts of a Book?

Can you name the physical parts of a book? See if you can name the term for each description below. Note: In the interest of brevity I do not name specific page content. (Answers follow.)

1. The front and back covers
2. The small groove where the books boards attach to the book that bends when a book opens
3. Raised areas on a book's spine (These once resulted from cords that anchored the book covers but are now mostly decorative.)
4. The bottom of the book, especially at the spine
5. One or two pieces of paper that attach the cover to the book block
6. This bends when the book is opened.
7. The trimmed edge opposite the spine (hint: it sometimes can be painted or gilded)
8. A decorative colored cloth band that protects the spine
9. The inside pages that make up a book
10. Protective paper or plastic that wraps around the covers of hard bound books for protection and often display artwork, title and author of the book
11. The cover surrounding a paperback book
12. The blank page(s) following the front free end paper
13. The top of the book, especially at the spine
14. A part of the book binding consisting of half of the end paper glued to the inside cover of the book
15. The binding that joins a book's front and rear covers where the pages hinge

Answers:

1. Book Cover or Book Board
2. Joint
3. Raised Band  
4. Tail
5. Endsheet or Endpaper
   
6. Hinge
7. Fore edge
8. Headband 
9. Text block or book block.  
10. Dust Jacket or Dust Wrapper 
11. Wrapper
12.  Flyleaf
13. Head
14. Paste down
15. Spine

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: Watch Over Me

Deputy Benjamin Patil finds a newborn baby who has been left to die in a plastic grocery bag in a field. He transports the infant girl to the hospital and returns daily to check on her. When the time comes to place the baby in foster care, Benjamin and his offbeat wife, Abbi, unable to have children of their own, offer to take her in. But can their crumbling marriage stand up under the strain?  And what will happen if Ben's search for the child's parents yields results?

Watch Over Me by Christa Parrish tells the story of two people faced with the choice of ending their marriage or giving it the effort and sacrifice loving requires. Each must choose to trust not only one another, but also a God who seems distant. Illustrated with true lines and colored in vivid hues, Watch Over Me paints an intimate portrait drawn from real-life realities.

Those who enjoy contemporary fiction will enjoy this book. I also recommend it for teens because of its honest portrayal of the issues teens face and its emphasis on practical morality.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House for purposes of review.)

Meet and Greet Monday: Lisa Grace

Today's guest, Lisa Grace, author of Angel in the Shadows, offers a fascinating alternative to the Twilight series.

 

Lisa Grace: Thank you Janalyn for having me on your site. I appreciate the chance to talk to anyone who loves reading and writing as much as I do. For those who would like to know who I am, I've been married to my husband Todd for over twenty years and I have a six-year-old daughter whom I home school. I live along the Gulf Coast of  Florida and also spend part of the year in Tennessee and the North woods of Wisconsin.

BRC: How would you describe your book?

Angel in the Shadows - Book 1 is a young adult supernatural thriller. What sets Angel apart is the supernatural creatures that appear, in Book 1, Angel in the Shadows, only do things we know they can from the Bible. I had my Pastor, Larry Vasseur (he has his Doctorate in Theology) of Fellowship Baptist in New Port Richey, FL, read my manuscript to make sure it is scripturally sound in its message. For fun, there are over a 120 footnotes for the teens who want to check what the characters say in their Bible.

BRC: What message do you hope it conveys?

 I hope teenagers come away with the knowledge that spiritual warfare for their souls is real. The characters in the book show the reader we all make mistakes, but you can be strong with God's help.

BRC: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I enjoyed seeing the characters come alive and when I finished, the sense of accomplishment you feel knowing something has been created out of your imagination. I felt inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this book as I was upset by the message in theTwilight series, that it's okay to try to commit suicide (the main character jumps off a cliff when her vampire boyfriend breaks up with her.) My novel is an alternative as it has a strong female character who perseveres by relying on God and knowing that God has given her everything she needs, even when dealing with supernatural creatures who are smarter and stronger than her.

BRC: What did you dislike most about writing this book?

The constant editing process is not much fun. I edited it about seven times before I sent it out. Then the Publishing house and I did about four more revisions. Even though the book is 60,000 words, which should make it 175 pages, the text block manager cut it down to 144 to make it look more uniform. At least I'm saving some trees!

BRC: What inspired you to become a writer?

I have always written, from the age of five on. That year I wanted a typewriter for Christmas so I could write Star Trek scripts. In fourth grade at a new school, I wrote a book report and received an "F" on it because the teacher was sure I had plagiarized the front flap. What he didn't realize is I was already reading on a college level and going through at least a book a day at that point. Actually, I was flattered that he thought it was that good. My Mother brought in the book to show him the front flap and he adjusted my grade to an "A." I always thought of myself as a writer as I have a whole drawer full of stories, poems, songs and ideas. I realized I better try and get something published soon. I wasn't getting any younger.

BRC: Tell us about your writing process.

I write a page, spell check, grammar check, and then I read it out loud. I start with a very rough outline, broken into about 10 to 20 parts. I set a goal of 2,000 words a day no matter what is going on in my life. I only write my official outline and synopsis after the book is written because too much of the plot and even characters change during the process. 

BRC: What are you working on now?

I have two works in progress. Angel in the Storm  - Book 2  and The 15th Star, ( which I'm working on for National Novel Writing Month) an adult mystery thriller that can be described as 1776 meets National Treasure.

BRC: What books do you enjoy reading?

I enjoy real-life adventure, some of my favorites lately are Fire and The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, The Ice Master and Ada Black Jack by Jennifer Niven, The White Cascade by Gary Krist, Voyage of the Manteno by John Haslett, and I'm currently reading Malcolm Gladwell's books Blink and Outliers. I frequently reread On Writing by Stephen King, C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity and the Screw Tape Letters and of course the Bible.

 

BRC: Where can readers buy your book?

Angel in the Shadows,  ISBN #978-1-60911-001-7, is slated for release in December/January at Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.com. It will be distributed by Ingram and available at fine bookstores everywhere.

The difference between vampires and angels? 

Angels are real.  

BRC: Where can readers find you online?

Readers can reach me personally at www.lisagracebooks.com and I return emails sent to lisagracebooks@yahoo.com I love to answer questions and hope to hear from your readers. Thanks again Janalyn for inviting me here today.

BRC: Thanks, Lisa, for a fun and informative interview.

Free For All Friday: Timeless Best Sellers

Some books never go out of style. Can you name the top ten all-time best sellers? (Answers below* - listed in order of sales.)

 1. Bible

 2. Quotations from Chairman Mao (the Little Red Book) by Mao Zedong

 3. The Qur'an (Koran)

 4. Xinhua Zidian (Xinhua Dictionary)

 5. Chairman Mao's Poems by Mao Zedung

 6. Selected Articles of Mao Zedong

 7. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

 8. Scouting for Boys (A Handbook of Instruction in Good Citizenship) by Robert Baden-Powell

 9. The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

10. Book of Mormon

*source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: "Like a Bird Wanders"

"Like a bird wandereth from her nest. So is a man who wandereth from his home (Proverbs 27:8 KJV).

Authored with rich diversity, redolant with the aromas of small-town life in the Pacific Northwest, and illustrated with beautifully-drawn characters, Like a Bird Wanders sings a song of heartbreak and forgiveness. The timeless story of a wayward girl who leaves home in pursuit of a dream that crumbles bridges the gap between social mores on the cusp of the Twentieth Century and modern times.

Grace Rose McFarlane, while dying, leaves a cryptic note for her great-granddaughter: Julia, the lion will destroy you. Puzzled, Julia pockets the missive. When she discovers old letters and journals in a trunk in her great-grandmother's attic, however, Julia unlocks a family secret that clarifies Granny Grace's message.

The story unfolds as Julia reads the letters and journals, which tell of a younger Grace full of ambition and disparaging of her family's rural lifestyle. Grace makes a decision to leave it all behind and "come up" in the world, running off for a better life with handsome Jake Hudson. But fulfillment of her dreams eludes Grace, and she learns -  the hard way - the definition of "home."

A fine and moving work containing high-caliber writing, Like a Bird Wanders seamlessly blends the voices of its three co-authors: Sharon Bernash Smith, Rosanne Croft and Linda Reinhardt. I found it a little off-putting at first that, although the author of each journal entry was identified, the letters were only identified by their signatures, which might not come for several pages. This made for some flipping back and forth for me until I became familiar with each character and could pick up on clues as to identity. I also found certain aspects of the plot a bit contrived, but the book is so well done overall I recommend it for those who enjoy family sagas and historical fiction. I also approve this book for teenage girls since it focuses on home and family, defines a Biblical morality and gives clear consequences for sin.

*Thanks to the authors for a complimentary copy of this book provided for purposes of review.


**Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when products are purchased on Amazon through links from Book Readers Central.

Free For All Friday: Male Authors with Female Psuedonyms

While it's true women authors sometimes take male or gender-neutral pen names, there are also instances of male authors doing the same in reverse, especially when writing in female-dominated genres such as romance. Can you guess the male authors from their pen names, below? Answers follow.

            Pen Name

1. Dorothea Nile
2. Madeline Brent
3. Lydia Colby
4. Madeleine Ker
5. Leigh Anne Williams
   

      Author 

1. Michael Avallone
2. Peter O'Donnell
3. W.E.D. "Dan" Ross
4. Marius Gabriel Cippola
5. Billy Mernit

Whistlestop Wednesday: The Power of Respect

Deborah Norville, anchor of Inside Edition, makes a strong case for treating ourselves and others with respect in her new book, The Power of Respect.

Norville highlights "the most forgotten element of success" not by sermonizing or giving a dry treatise but rather through the lives of real people and individual companies. She cites, among others, a man who blesses his wife each time he introduces her, schools that reward courteous behavior, and a boss who threatens to leave his company if his employees don't start treating each other with respect. Norville doesn't hedge when describing the effects of disrespect either, telling the tale of a company gone bad, a cheerleader beaten by her peers, and a bullied young boy who committed suicide. But it's not just about story, either. Statistics document the truth of Norville's observations. Quotations by teachers, students, restaurant owners, and husbands and wives weigh in alongside those of CEO's and other national leaders.

Subjects include the power of respect at home, in relationships, at school, in business, for leaders, and for self. Each chapter in the book offers suggestions for improvement and concludes with a list of "Respect Reminders" helpful for review.

Well-researched, well-planned and written in an engaging style, The Power of Respect presents a wealth of rewarding, and even life-changing, material.

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: "Rocky Mountain Oasis"

Lynnette Bonner pulls off an engrossing romantic adventure set in the days of the Old West in Rocky Mountain Oasis, book one of The Shepherd's Heart series. Brooke's uncle sells her as a mail-order bride. Brooke is contracted to marry Sky's disreputable cousin, Jason. Sky has other plans, however, for no girl should have to marry Jason. Thus begins a delightful page-turning adventure.

Attention to detail brings the Old West alive. Cohesive characters explore timeless issues we face today. The brokenness of those caught in abuse, immorality and the desire for revenge faces off against the simple integrity of quiet living. Brooke hides secrets in her heart that hold her back from trusting Sky or his God. In the end, only truth can save her.

With this, her debut novel, Lynnette Bonner more than proves herself an adept story weaver. I suspect we'll hear from her for a long time to come.

Meet and Greet Monday: Linda Reinhardt, Sharon Bernash Smith and Rosanne Croft

Dear Reader,

Today we'll visit with the trio of writers who wrote Like a Bird Wanders, a moving story about family secrets.

Linda Reinhardt

I've lived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest since I was eight years old. I'm married to a wonderful man who is very strong in his faith in Jesus and filled with a lot of love for his girls. In my forties, we were blessed with our miracle daughter Sarrah. Love being around my family and friends. Left the work force in 2002 to follow a call to write stories to reach out to hurting people. My passion is to minister to hurting women, and to those who suffer from abortion related trauma. I lead a table at our churches weekly womens Bible study.

Besides doing my very most favorite thing - hanging with my husband and daughter - I LOVE to write, sit and chat over coffee, watch movies and sing praise songs.

Since I was a child I loved to write a poem, song, short story. I went down a dark path for about 8 years and when I was saved I prayed to be able to write stories. I would get a paper, pen and sit at the table or my desk and wait. It wasn't long until God gave me the beginning of a story to a series I'm working on now and songs, lots of songs. Stories are always in my head and I love movies and books, because I love to hear other people's stories. That is why one of my favorite things to do is to sit over coffee or at a retreat with other girlfriends, to hear their story!

I enjoyed the fellowship of working with my co-authors on Like a Bird Wanders. Truly, the time the three of us spent together is something I will cherish all the days of my life. In order to get the story on paper we had some long discussions and shared so many things. We became sisters.

Right now I'm working on another book, The Doctor, and several short stories, as well as a series called Sister Bluethreads. I maintain a blog at lindajreinhardt.blogspot.com

The first book in the Sister Bluethreads series is about abortion and hopefully written in such a way to help anyone that is up against the choice of abortion to consider choosing life and for those who have chosen abortion in their lives I hope that it will give a message of healing and help them to forgive. It also touches on how abortion affects others in the family. Through Sister Bluethreads I hope to bring comfort to hurting hearts.

Sharon Bernash Smith    

I'm married, and blessed to have raised two sons in rural Washington. During that time I owned/taught my own pre-school, assisted in a midwifery home birth practice, and volunteered as a counselor at several Pregnancy Resource Centers for two decades.

I enjoy spending time with the Lord, my family and friends, happy in the fellowship between us all. My granddaughters keep me young and on my toes.  In March we'll welcome another grand baby and look forward to that birth with utter joy. When I have time, I love to watercolor and "land sail" in the beautiful Columbia River gorge near my home.

I lead a Bible study at my church and love the weekly gathering with my "home" girls.

A country gal at heart, I'm now living in the city where life is bearable only because of close access to Starbucks. (Call me shallow!)

Besides co-authoring Like a Bird Wanders, I also wrote What Do You Say to a King (Focus on the Family) and Prayers for Troubled Times (AMG Publishers).

My future projects include Old Sins/Long Shadows, the soon-to-be released sequel to Like a Bird Wanders and Always Home for Christmas, eleven short stories reflecting the true meaning of Christmas.

Reality Fiction TM, is my commitment to direct my writing toward the human struggles we all face. Because there are no '"pat" answers in life, you won't find them in my books. However, readers will see that God is faithful and through Him, we have hope for life, and hope for living a life of victory.

Touching lives for Christ through the written word.

Rosanne Croft

I'm a lover of stories, and I think that's why I was compelled to write. 

I was raised in Wyoming, am living in Utah, and will soon be moving back to the Pacific Northwest with

my husband and daughter, where I can rejoin Oregon Christian Writers. I hold a B.A. in History.

What a project Like a Bird Wanders was - to write with two "sisters", ending the process with a book that shows God's faithfulness.

I'm currently writing a romantic/adventure novel set in Tanzania. I also have a Young Adult

fantasy on the back burner, because I was so inspired by the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis

as a girl. Imagination is freeing and opens new paths; that's why I love to create new

stories for readers.

As a Bird Wanders

 A dark secret was hidden in their upstanding family…


December 18, 1966
Grace Rose McFarlane, the middle McLeod sister, is dying. Her very
last act is to leave a cryptic handwritten warning for her great-
granddaughter, who will be arriving soon for Christmas break: Julia, the lion
will destroy you. But what does the note mean? Through a stack of yellowing
letters and journals in her grandmother’s attic, Julia pieces together a shocking
tale of rebellion and betrayal…and is determined to track down the truth. The
tangled web she finds will forever alter her perspective on her family…and
may save her from making a heartbreaking mistake of her own.

How would you describe your book?

We believe our book to be original as three authors took on a character and wrote their part through letters, prayer journals and diary entries. It starts like any other book and then Julia finds letters up in her great grandmothers attic which hold a family secret.

What message do you hope it conveys? 

Linda: Like a Bird Wanders and its upcoming sequel, Old Sins/Long Shadows give through their pages a message of hope and love to those who are hurting. To go even a step further, to reach those who believe they are unreachable - those who believe a lie so strongly they step away from people who have what they believe they can never attain. I've been there. Then I discovered the love Jesus had for me and it changed my life. But I had a secret, and although I knew the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, I believed if other Christians found out they would not love me or want me around. I felt like I was outside the circle of believers even while serving in leadership. Then I went to a Bible Study and the lie that was controlling my life and relationships washed out of my heart and mind by the truth of God's Word. Now I truly stand in God's forgiveness and love to tell others who hurt no matter where you are God loves you and created a beautiful person.

Like a Bird Wanders is available on Amazon, Target.com, christianbooks.com or email lindajreinhardt@gmail.com and purchase the book for $15.00 by check or through paypal.

Free for All Friday - Presidential Authors

Can you guess the presidents who authored the following books? Answers follow.

           Book Title

1. Hero Tales From American History
   
2. An American Life
3. My Life
4. Personal Memoirs
5. Why Not the Best?
6. Dreams From My Father 
7. Profiles in Courage 

  
           Answers

1. Theodore Roosevelt
2. Ronald Reagon
3. William Clinton
4. Ulysses Grant
   
5. Jimmy Carter
6. Barrack Obama
7. John F. Kennedy is credited with writing Profiles in Courage, although he may not actually have done so.

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review - "Hearts on the Road"

Diana Lesire Brandmeyer delivers a warm, compelling story in her inspirational romance, Hearts on the Road, which offers an insider look into the world of truckers.

In the aftermath of a broken heart, Randi Bell takes to the open road as a truck driver. Randi rules out the possibility of marriage, although Pastor Matthew Carter catches her eye and threatens the walls she's built around her heart. Tragic events throw Randi into Matthew's company and shake her fragile peace of mind. Randi nicknames Matthew "Preacher Boy" and tries to shut out his message of love, but she can't ignore her growing attraction to him or her need for his God.

I enjoyed reading Hearts on the Road for its well-crafted story, unpredictable plot and interesting characters. I had a little trouble investing in Randi's inner angst, which could have been deepened, and several changes of heart came a tad quickly. Beyond that, my only peeve is the use of gender-neutral names for the two main lady truckers, Randi and Jess. Randi does weigh in as a tiny person, and she's described as all-woman, however, which counters the butch image of lady truckers. I had to sort out my confusion on page one, though, because I at first pictured Jess as a man. Despite these quibbles, for quality, this book stands above the crowd.




 

Meet and Greet Monday: Steve Rzasa

Today's guest, Steve Rzasa, was born and raised in South Jersey, and fell in love with books—especially science fiction novels and historical volumes—at an early age. He and his wife, Carrie, have two boys and live in Buffalo, Wyoming. Steve’s short story, “Rescued,” which is set in the universe of The World Reclaimed, won the 2009 G.K.Chesterton Award in the Athanatos Christian Ministries Writing Contest.


Dear Reader,

The Word Reclaimed, my tale of a young man named Baden who discovers what may be the last Bible in existence, releases this October from Marcher Lord Press, the premier Christian speculative fiction publisher.


I grew up in southern New Jersey with a love for books and sketching. My parents were quite willing - thankfully! - to indulge my insatiable appetite for reading materials. I’ve always enjoyed science-fiction, particularly space opera, which is somewhat less finicky about the “science” part but big on fast spaceships hurtling across the depths of space. I tried my hand at writing my own space adventures off and on in school, mostly in short story form. In high school I wrote a novel-length story called Unifying Factors that will probably never see the light of day (Lord willing).

Soon it was off to college at Boston University and I suddenly had a whole lot of free time – excluding homework and studying, of course. I worked on several short ideas that didn’t really pan out. It was later in my junior year that I committed myself to following Christ. I dove into Bible study, and came up with a space opera of clashing empires called This Stirring Strife. It eventually became a 220-page novel involving Christian protagonists and interstellar war that I self-published through Booklocker.com as an experiment of sorts.

All this took place as I began a post-collegiate career in journalism. As anyone in that field can tell you, you do a lot of writing - even if, like mine, your work appears just in weekly newspapers. For the next eight years I wrote about eight articles a week, approximately. You can imagine my reluctance to go anywhere near a keyboard when I got home from work.

As a result, my fiction writing languished for years. But during this time, the idea for The Word Reclaimed came when I asked myself a question: What would happen if a man on a spaceship found a Bible floating in space? That idea exploded into a universe of starships that jump between solar systems in the wink of an eye. In a world where all printed materials are banned, the royal family and its religious secret police control all electronic information sources. A religious tolerance act ensures that all faiths are equal – anyone who claims a certain path is the sole path winds up imprisoned, or worse. It took me several years to get just partway through the book. But after I began working at a library – and didn’t have to write all day – I finished the book in nine months.

 I encourage you to read the prologue and first part of Chapter One of The Word Reclaimed here. Even if you don’t usually read science fiction, check it out. Several women who don't like science fiction told me they enjoyed the story.

You can buy The Word Reclaimed at the Marcher Lord Press website. Visit my website, www.steverzasa.com, for more information about my book and its universe.



Baden picked up the wrong book - and dark forces will stop at nothing to take it back.

Free for All Friday - Name Author Birthplaces

Guess the birthplace of these authors. (Answers follow.)

               Author

1. William Shakespeare
2. Edna Ferber
3. Mary Stewart
   
4. F Scott Fitzgerald
5. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
6. Gore Vidal
7. Mark Twain
8. Louisa May Alcott
9. Pearl S Buck
10. J R R Tolkein 
    

Birthplace

1. William Shakespeare is believed to have been born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
2. Kalamazoo, Michigan.
3. Sunderland, County Durham, England.
4. St. Paul, Minnesota
5. Edinburgh, Scotland
6. West Point, New York
7. Florida, Missouri
8. Germantown, Pennsylvania
9. Hillsboro, West Virginia
10. Bloemfontein, the capital of an independent African country, the Republic of the Orange Free State
    

Whistlestop Wednesday: "Until We Reach Home"

Three orphaned farm girls abandon their native Sweden for the promise of new life in America. They leave behind everyone and everything familiar and step into the unknown carrying only a trunk filled with practical necessities and precious momentos.

Elin, the oldest, frets over her sisters' safety. Adventurous Kirsten rebels against Elin's restrictions. Sofia, the youngest, wails with annoying regularity that she wants to go back home. Elin, who bears the weight of a terrible secret, knows the safe, ordered existence Sofia led at the farm could not last. Kirsten, dogged by her own secrets, finds she can't escape the past.

Hardships arise in the sisters' travels but also transcendant moments. As Sofia observes: "To me, this whole adventure wasn't about reaching a destination and finding a home - it was about the journey."

Each girl, in the course of events, makes her own voyage of personal growth. Each encounters God's grace. Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin presents true-to-life characters and believable resolutions against an authentic late-1800's background. While this book appeals to an adult readership, I also recommend it for teen girls because of its honest, moral look at sexuality and love.

Meet and Greet Monday: Kerry Nietz

Kerry Nietz is a self-confessed refugee of the software industry. He spent more than a decade of his life flipping bits—first as one of the principal developers of the database product FoxPro for the now mythical Fox Software, and then as one of Bill Gates’ minions at Microsoft. He is a husband, a father, a technophile and a movie buff. He has one previously published book, a memoir entitled FoxTales: Behind the Scenes at Fox Software. A Star Curiously Singing is his first novel.

Q: What inspired you to become a writer?

Doubtless all the books I read as a kid. I used to love getting those Scholastic book order forms in elementary school. I would pour over them, circling the books I wanted. I must have driven my folks crazy (and nearly into poverty.) I think one month I connived them into ordering twenty books for me. I read them all, though, so the money wasn’t wasted. I think I still have many of them too. Will that save me money with my own kids? Probably not.

 Q: Tell us about your book.

 

A Star Curiously Singing is a speculative Christian novel with a decidedly  *cyberpunk feel. It takes place in a future hundreds of years from now, where much of the world lives under sharia law.

In this dualistic society, average people live on the streets in near-squalor and the powerful ride above them in cable car-like conveyances. This latter group shrouds itself in high tech, to the point of needing specialized debuggers to handle their machines.

That’s where my protagonist comes in. Sandfly is a debugger who’s summoned to solve the mystery of why a robot malfunctioned. The unusual circumstance? The robot has been to space. Deep space. Something about the trip made it malfunction.

A Star Curiously Singing is a sci-fi mystery, of sorts.

Q: Is there anything special you’d like people to know about this book?

Yes, it breaks a lot of rules, making me the author that my publisher now has to apologize for when he speaks at writers’ conferences. For example, it is written entirely in first person present tense.

Q: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Envisioning the future, especially the technology portion of it. As someone who has worked in the tech industry, I have a unique perspective on how things might be. I think it gives my book a very original feel. I’m confident I’ve shown things in this book that haven’t been seen anywhere else. For instance, when was the last time you read a detailed description of someone reconstructing a robot? My book has that.

Q: What message do you hope to convey in your writing?

The biggest theme is that freedom is important, and worth sharing. It is also fragile, and needs our constant diligence to protect and expand. That goes for both American freedom, and the freedom we have in Christ.

Q: What books do you enjoy reading?

Though science fiction is a preference, I read a broad range of books. In fact, I tend to alternate between non-fiction books and novels. In non-fiction, I read everything from biographies, to current events, to politics and works to encourage my faith. Some of my favorite fictional authors are:  Michael Crichton, Jack Mcdevitt, Frank Peretti, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov.

Q: What new projects are you working on?

A sequel to A Star Curiously Singing is in the works. After that, possibly another.

Q: Where can readers buy your book?

You can purchase it online directly from the store at www.marcherlordpress.com or from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. And if your local bookstore doesn’t carry it, they can order it for you.

Q: Where can readers find you online?

My Web site is www.kerrynietz.com.

Q: Is there anything readers can do to help your book do well?

If you like it, please tell others. And be sure to post a review online at those places that will let you—Amazon, for instance. Don’t feel like you have to write an exhaustive review. Just an honest summary of what you liked and disliked will suffice. 

* Wikipedia "Cyberpunk" Definition

Free for All Friday: Where Do These Characters Belong?

Name the book or series for each of the following characters. Answers follow.

  

Character

1. Natty Bumpo
2. Cap Garland
   
3. Theoden
   
4. Emma Wagner 
5. Mary Darling
   

Series or Book

1. Leather Stocking Tales by James Fenimore Cooper Learn More
    
2. Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder Learn More
    
3. The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein Learn More
    
4. A Clearing in the Wild by Jane Kirkpatrick Learn More
    
5. Peter and Wendy by J M Barre Learn More