A Book and a Chat with Dave Moore

As a father I know the worry that can rush through you at the thought that something might happen to your children, if you lose sight of them in a crowd, if they do not come home at the time they should. No matter what you always have those dark thoughts tumbling through your mind.
Dave Moore my guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” went through that and so much more before finding his lost son, but also his faith.

Dave’s son David had been worrying about his first year at college, his grades were dropping and he felt he could not go on, nor could he face his parents and let them know that he was failing them. So he purchased a greyhound bus ticket and left a not e for his parents.

"The Father's Love" tells the true story of how Dave goes on a cross-country search for his missing son.

Becoming increasingly desperate and having done all that is humanly possible without results, what will he do? Who will he turn to? In this amazing true story, you will experience Dave Moore's anguish in going through a father's worst nightmare missing child.

As we heard through the show it is a story of of love hope and the power of prayer.
We learn how through his fear, Dave confronted his soul's emptiness and eventually learned the heavenly Father's Love.

The book is a true emotional rollercoaster.

As one, five star reviewer put it…

No story is better then a real and honest story, and that's exactly what The Father's Love is. A father, on a journey full of fear, questions, and determination, will not rest until his son is found. I know both of these incredible people and knew of this situation before reading the book but was absolutely blown away at how God truly had his hand in all of it. No matter if you have experienced something like this or not, are a non-believer or devoted christian, or have just come across this book by chance, it is truly a moving and profound piece of work.

From one cover to the other you will experience pain, joy, disappointment, hope, determination, faith, and love. I will warn you though, whenever you decide to pick it up and start reading, make sure you have no plans because you will not want to stop reading until the last page is through!

This true story, will have you reaching for the Kleenex as your emotions get churned with every page as you share Dave Moore’s story in “The Father’s Love”

So listen now and share an interesting, emotional and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Dave Moore

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Dave Moore

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Dave Moore"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Dave Moore - The Father's love"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Veronica Blade

Bite's tale, Book and a Chat
When Twilight first came out YA readers divided themselves into factions with “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” each being a heartthrob for YA readers. Veronica Blade however might just have found the next YA hunk, in the form of “Haydn Anders” in her debut YA novel “Something Witchy This Way Comes.”

Though “Something Witchy This Way Comes” is Veronica’s debut novel, it’s by no means the first one she has written, in fact it was her 5th, and as we found out during the show some of those previous creations, might well be hitting the book shelves next year.

About “Something Witchy This Way Comes”:

Brainiac Tessa McClean’s newly discovered magical powers give her an escape from her self-absorbed parents. But the thrill of being a witch fades when she learns of a rival coven and begins to suspect her own coven’s motives. Evidence tells Tessa to trust one side, but instinct drives her toward the other. When the school’s scrumptious delinquent, Hayden Anders, offers Tessa self-defense lessons in exchange for tutoring, his timing couldn’t be better.

Although hanging out with him is a necessary evil in Tessa’s fight to stay alive, resisting a bad-boy she secretly yearns for might be more than she can manage. Together, Tessa and Hayden work to unravel the mysteries behind the two covens to discover why they’ll stop at nothing to lure Tessa to their side. She must form an alliance with one of the covens before it’s too late. But the wrong decision could cost Tessa the lives of all who she holds dear — including Hayden…

The book is one of those great YA novels that appeals to people of all ages, the characters have you cheering for them, the dialogue and emotions are real and raw.
Something Witchy This Way Comes is full of paranormal twists and turns, self-discoveries, courage, loyalty, trust and surprises. As one reviewer put it…

“What I loved about this book was that it dove straight into my emotions. When she and Hayden had a steamy scene, I felt it too. When she was getting into trouble, I was biting my nails. When she discovered truths, I gasped and even cried. It was a great emotional roller coaster...” - booknookclub.blogspot.com

But this is not the end, as we heard there are many new offerings scheduled from Veronica.

She has A Bite’s Tale: A Furry Fable coming out later this month. It’s a novella with a Cinderella spin, but with vampires and werewolves.

In December, there is the prequel to her shape shifter series, a novella called Thrown to the Wolves. To be followed by the first book in that shape shifter series, "My Wolf’s Bane" releasing in January 2012.

And then of course there is definitely more to hear from Tessa and Haydn.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Veronica Blade

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Veronica Blade

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Veronica Blade"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Veronica Blade - Something Witchy This Way Comes"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with David J. Friedman

My guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” is David J. Friedman.

David spent 27 years leading and building RSI into one of the largest independently-owned employee benefits consulting firms in the country. During that time, he won awards for just about every category of business success – from leadership to growth to quality to being a Best Place to Work. After selling the company to a large publicly-held insurance brokerage, he retired from the industry to pursue his writing and speaking interests.

Always a writer, he was editor-in-chief of his High School newspaper; he has produced short articles and documents throughout his career. However, he didn’t focus his efforts on writing a book until his past year. The data was obviously there for once David set about writing “Fundamentally Different” it took him only five weeks to get what he had been teaching for many years, down in a format to share with all.

Fundamentally Different is a business book, and yet it’s not only a business book, as many who have read the book or listened to one of David lectures, it is a also a something that will help in your way of life.

The lessons within “Fundamentally Different” are based on David’s own experiences and reflections as a leader of a high-performance organization. On a business level it teaches leaders and organizations the 8 key steps to institutionalizing their most important values, and provides lots of stories and examples to illustrate just how to do it.

However, as mentioned it is not only a business book, and that’s what makes it doubly powerful and impactful. At RSI, David wrote, developed, and taught a series of 30 values and principles that he calls “Fundamentals.” His book includes an insightful, thought-provoking essay on each of the 30 Fundamentals, each filled with stories and practical examples of how they apply in our daily lives.

They include such concepts as “Check the ego at the door”, “Communicate to be understood”, “Set and ask for expectations”, “Speak straight”, and “Be quick to ask and slow to judge.” Everyone who reads the book comes away with lots of “aha” moments and practical ideas that can make a meaningful difference in their lives – at work, at home, with their families, and with their friends.

As one reviewer put it…

If there was a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" for Business, "Fundamentally Different" would be that book. David Friedman has shared the basic building blocks for creating a business culture that are the foundation of any business that wants to strive for excellence or sustain success. As a change management consultant, and Executive Coach I would recommend this for every employee, manager, leader, and business owner. And as a Executive In Residence who teaches professional development and Leadership this should be a must read for every student who plans to be a part of the workforce. An enjoyable read with valuable takeaways, for business and Life.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today Chat with David J. Friedman

Barry
Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with David J. Friedman

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"David J. Friedman"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"David J. Friedman - Fundamentally Different"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Deborah Winter-Blood

Deborah Winter-Blood is a witch, yes really, a practicing witch…. So as authors are advised “write about what you know” so of course for Debi, her first book had to be about a witch. However what has been produced is not just any book about magic, but a book that though YA genera, is being read and enjoyed by people of all ages.

“The Glendale Witch” indeed is one of those wonderful books that has something for everybody, romance, humor, fantasy, magic even conservation.

Debi was one of those children who was creating little stories as soon as she could hold a crayon, her first published work came when she was a teenager, when a short story of hers appeared in Highlights for Children. From that time she has written many short stories as well writing “stringers” for the travel industry. Both of those facts have helped her develop this great debut novel.

The page turning read is full of wonderfully developed and enjoyable characters, and the various location description are pained like a travel brochure making you feel you are part of the location.

About “The Glendale Witch”:

“The Glendale Witch” tells the story of seventeen-year-old Celeste Needfyre, a typical American girl whose life is turned upside down when she discovers that she is the last in an ancient line of powerful witches known as Guardians. The Guardians disappeared almost twenty years before, having been taken prisoner by a demonic creature.

Celeste must travel through the fantastical elemental worlds of fire, water, air and earth to save her ancient kin, but when she arrives at her destination she finds herself in sympathy with the dark creature she is there to destroy. It’s a fantasy tale full of strange beings, some mythological creatures, three love stories and a talking iguana, embellished with humor and touching upon poignant global environmental issues.

As I said at the start of the blog, though this book was written for a young adult audience, the response to “The Glendale Witch” from readers aged nine years to middle-age has been overwhelmingly positive.

As one reviewer put it…

Since I am usually not a fan of YA fiction, I might have hesitated to pick up this book had I not been familiar with, and impressed by, Ms. Blood's shorter fiction. I must say that I am so glad that this was the case because I would have missed a wonderfully executed book for absolutely no reason other than my own preconceived notions about the limitations of the genre.

Ms. Blood carefully reeled me in and held me captive from page one. Her attention to detail made the entire adventure a joy and her imagination knows no bounds. Celeste and her friends are likable and believable and the creatures they meet on their journey are astounding. It takes great skill to create magical realism and Ms. Blood has proven that she is an expert at it . . . she truly is the YA author to keep your eye on.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today Chat with Deborah Winter-Blood

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Deborah Winter-Blood

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Deborah Winter-Blood"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Deborah Winter-Blood - The Glendale Witch"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Roxanne Bok

Back from the 400th show, today’s broadcast is an example of just why I love doing these shows so much. We have gone through the full range of genres over the last few weeks, now here we are today talking about horses and living like being part of Green Acers.

Roxanne Bok and her family were successful urbanites in New Jersey, used to clean, controlled and orderly lives They decided to purchase a “weekend getaway” in Connecticut and took on and old geriatric horse farm which meant restoring a nearly collapsed empty barn and multiple sagging outbuildings, sixty tired acres littered with decayed fencing, and pastures deep in standing water.

At first, Roxanne and her husband merely wanted to preserve the land across the road from their weekend home from encroaching development. But when maintaining the faded glory of the adjoining El-Arabia horse farm was more than their elderly neighbor could handle, Scott’s success in business made it possible to rescue the place. What could an investment banker and a writer know about the rigors of caring for large animals?

In Roxanne’s pastoral memoir “HORSEKEEPING” we discover the joys, heartbreaks and self-discovery that transformed their lives.

Anyone who has lived through home restoration will appreciate what it takes to restore an entire farm, from the mall-sized stable down to the riding rings, outbuildings and caretaker’s cottage. Bok is delightfully direct as she describes watching the farm come back to life as uninvited wildlife, accumulated mess and years of neglect are forcibly evicted.

The introduction of horses – and all that goes with them – to the newly named Weatogue Stables sheds a light on what makes some people go “horse crazy.” Starting with a charming pony and a lovable horse named for a giant rodent, Bok and her children begin the fundamentals of “horsekeeping.” But along with the pleasures of caring for and raising horses, dogs, cats and rabbits comes the possibility of loss, and Bok must confront her own fears left by the death of her young mother, even as she helps her own son and daughter understand the joys and sorrows of living with nature.

As the family grows as equestrians and learns the ropes of showmanship and competition, they learn what it really means to be a part of the land; the community and a world too few of us get to enter.

As one reviewer put it…

“HORSEKEEPING is a wonderful telling of the history of a Salisbury farm and land including delightful descriptions of the characters that have made up that history. Roxanne makes you feel as if you are a part of the story and allows you to experience the equestrian way of life. She thoughtfully explores stewardship of the land, the lure of country life and the value of raising children understanding the responsibility involved in caring for animals.”

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today Chat with Roxanne Bok

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Roxanne Bok

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Roxanne Bok"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Roxanne Bok - Horsekeeping"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

The 400th "A Book and a Chat" with Cheryl Malandrinos

Back in February 2009, after appearing on a few radio shows, and with experience of running a couple of local TV shows narrating stories from my romance book as well as filming local karaoke, I thought… why not try your own radio show. Loving a good old “chin wag” as we say in England I thought it might be good fun, little did I know just how much.

After a couple of practice runs the first “A Book and a Chat” was aired on March 7th, with my first guest being a fellow radio show starter and author Kim Smith.

Now a couple of years or so later here I am hosting my 400th radio show.

For this special 400th addition of “A Book and a Chat” I am very pleased to say I have Cheryl Malandrinos as my guest. Cheryl is freelance writer and editor, a founding member of Musing Our Children; she is also a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book. Her first children’s book, Little Shepherd, was released in August 2010 by Guardian Angel Publishing.

Cheryl has been working on blogs, reviews and virtual book tours for more years than the show has been running, and was one of the first people, along with Dorothy Thomson who I met when my own book “Across the Pond” was published.

During an entertaining and I hope informative show, we discussed how things have changed in the world of publishing and promotion since the show has been running.
Cheryl herself has had success with her book “Little Shepherd” which as we learned during the show will be followed by “A Christmas Kindness” next year. About “Little Shepherd”

Obed is in the hills outside Bethlehem when the angels appear to announce the Savior’s birth. Can he trust that the miracle of the first Christmas will keep his flock safe while he visits the newborn King?

With Christmas just around the corner, I can highly recommend her book for those young readers in your family.

Over the last 400 shows, I am very proud of the many, many comments I have received from guests, nearly all love the style and many have come back for a second third, fourth or even fifth time.

I have had some very famous guests on the show during these last two years from Emmy award winners such as Louise Shaffer, to authors such as Steve Berry who have 72 million copies in print throughout the world. I love to involve the YA Bloggers, as I call them the “Sham Wow” of YA literature as they soak everything up. I have made it a point to include bloggers as guests on the show as well as many debut authors. After all they might be debut authors today but they could be the stars of tomorrow. Class of 2K10, 2K11 YA debut authors were great and I already have several from Class of 2k12 signed up for the show.

There are a few drawbacks in having what sometimes has been five shows a week, the jokes and anecdotes tend to repeat themselves, but I always try and make the chat flow and love to laugh as anybody who has listened will tell you. Many guests are what can only be described as “scared” when they first call in and we chat before the show starts, but as I say to them, it’s honestly just a chat over a cup of tea (in my case English PG Tips), and so many have told me afterwards how much they enjoyed the easy going format and style, that they were completely at ease.

One good sign as to how the show is being enjoyed is the way the time seems to rush by for all over them, this I very soon realized and started running some 1hr specials, which again people have enjoyed.

I have in the last 400 shows I have covered subjects from abuse to life coaching, from Picture books to historical fiction. I have within three days covered a multi-million selling author such as Steve Berry, to William Link whose name might not be one you remember straight away until you realize he and his late writing partner wrote all the Colombo series, Murder She wrote and so much more. To be followed by a local author who had written some small books of stories about famous horses which were being sold on local “tack” shops
.

I love the various styles that can appear on the show, learning about people’s fights over illness and abuse, historical novels about periods in history, Leaning about floods, disasters, love and laughter, the eclectic mix of shows not only keeps me looking forward each week to the next show but I hope my listeners as well. I have made many friends along the way learned many things, about the art of writing as well as telling a good story.

Along the way I have come up with this parallel universe theory, which has become a pet theory of mine.

I think there is this parallel universe where all these stories are situated, all us writers are is the conduit that allows the stories to be share din our world. Ask almost any author and they will tell you that no matter how much you outline or plan the story, the characters come along that were not even thought of, and take over the story, you get led down different paths not even thought about as the story develops. When you have completed the novel, and look back on it, often you can’t even remember writing some of it, let alone using some of the language and words which you’d never use. Yes... the parallel universe writes story for you… well that’s my slightly tongue in cheek theory.

As you can imagine I’ve had some shows that have ended up more like a comedy show, while others have brought tears to many a listener.

One show that will always stand out for me was back in November of 2009. My guest was M.M Anderson and we were talking about her book “Werewolf Dreams”. There is an option and for people to dial into the show to chat to my guest themselves, and on this day a call came in to my switchboard, that as a show host you are able to control. I opened the phone connection and asked who wanted to talk to M.M. Anderson. All I got in response was some growling a cross between a dog and Chewbacca; yes a werewolf had dialed in to the show.

My guest thought it might be one of her children and threats were made, but on checking the number it was from a totally different state.

So from Werewolf’s to film stars, multi selling authors to ones with their first book, abuse to humor, peoples to pets, tears to laugher I’ve seen had them all on A Book and a Chat” 400 show downs, and hope to have many more to share with you.

I guess a few new one liners are required, and you never know, perhaps I’ll even have another call from a werewolf.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today Chat with Cheryl Malandrinos

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Cheryl Malandrinos

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Cheryl Malandrinos"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Cheryl Malandrinos - Little Shepherd"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Nancy Stewart

Nancy Stewart has travelled around this wonderful world and back again, and continues to do so, finding it both inspirational and invigorating. This is a long way from scrounging apples from an orchard in the greater St. Louis area, though both have lead to adventures.

Nancy, today’s guest on the 399 “A Book and a Chat”, was raised in a book loving environment, though her love of words lead her down the teaching path rather than creative writing, that has come along later in her life.

As mentioned she has toured the world, including a stay in England, where England where she was a consultant to several universities, including Cambridge.

After Nancy and her husband bought a second home in Clearwater Beach, Florida, her life took on another dimension. With a home right on the gulf, the problem of beach litter and the plight of sea turtles became of paramount importance to her. She wrote the two picture books, Sea Turtle Summer and Bella Saves the Beach as a direct result of my new environment. This has been followed by another Bella and Britt story One Pelican at a Time, which has been six weeks on Amazon’s Bestseller List for Children and addresses the deep water Gulf spill on April 20, 2010.

About “One Pelican at a Time”

One Pelican at a Time, is the story of two girls, Bella and Britt, who love living by the beach. During an oil spill they realize their old friend, the crooked beak pelican, is in grave danger. The girls, after having been told by adults that kids can do nothing to help, take matters into their own hands and try to save him from the oily gulf.

As we discovered from the show, there are further “Bella and Britt” adventures in the pipeline along with several other books which she hopes will be published soon.

One very dear to her heart, is for all those reluctant boy readers out there. It’s called "Guts!" A very different book from Pelican.

A couple of others she hopes will be published in the next year or so are, "Viva la Diva" and "Viva Camp Diva", again a series featuring Dee and her best pal, Katie Jimenez, both of whom so badly want to be divas.

Along with that there is also a new book Nancy has just finished called “Rampaige!” about a very naughty girl who is asked to keep an eye on her little sister while her mom and cousin have coffee in the other room. Big mistake!

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Nancy Stewart

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Nancy Stewart

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Nancy Stewart"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Nancy Stewart - One Pelican at a Time"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Barbara Kyle

Living in a house where many of the book shelves are filled with Tudor historical fiction I was really pleased when I managed to get my guest booked for today’s “A Book and a Chat”. However when I delved into Barbara Kyle and her writing, I found a whole lot more than just historical fiction.

Barbara studied in a classical theatre program at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal. She had an acting career of twenty years acting mostly on television in made-for-TV movies, series, sit-coms, and soap operas as well as appearing in many stage productions throughout Canada and the United States. In many ways this theatrical background aided her when she started writing.

She had three thriller books published "Beyond Recall", "After Shock", and "The Experiment" where she used a male pen name of Stephen Kyle, as she explained on the show, she thought thriller novel might do better when under a male name, though after her subsequent success she is now re-releasing the books under her “Barbara Kyle” nom de plumb.

From this early success Barbara has gone on to find huge success in the historical fiction genre. Her “Thornleigh” series of so far four novels have sole over 400,000 copies.

Her first historical fiction novel, "The Queen's Lady" published in 2008 was a success! Two more novels followed: "The King's Daughter" and most recently "The Queen's Captive". These novels are set in Tudor England and feature fictional characters of the Thornleigh family manuevering the dangerous Tudor court. These have now been followed by "The Queeen's Gamble".

Whether it was her love of Shakespeare, thoughts of Lawrence Olivier in “Richard III” or an interest in Sir Thomas More Barbara’s writings about Tudor times and the rarified world of kings and queens has proved nothing but success.

A Barbra wrote about her Thornleigh series..

I love writing about the Tudor/Elizabethan period, whose "on the make" characters and life-and-death intrigues – to say nothing of the era's religious paranoia – speak deeply to our own time. I hope you'll agree, and will enjoy being caught up in the passions and setbacks, adventures and strivings of the Thornleigh family – Honor, Richard, Isabel, and Adam – as they befriend, and sometimes betray, their willful kings and queens.

This however is not all this great author has written, a new thriller “Entrapped” has also been published this year.

Set in Alberta, Canada, Entrapped is the story of Liv Gardner, an ambitious young oil executive intent on stopping farmer Tom Wainwright who is sabotaging her rigs after a spill of lethal “sour” gas poisoned his wife. Desperate to save the company she built, Liv plants evidence to frame Tom. But when the evidence is used to indict him for a murder, only Liv can save him.

With another three books in the Thornleigh series in the creative pipeline, the name Barbara Kyle will be one to follow and enjoy for many years.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Barbara Kyle

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Barbara Kyle

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Barbara Kyle"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Barbara Kyle - The Queen's Gamble"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Laura Lee

Laura Lee was book for a previous “A Book and a Chat”, however the winter storm that caused the lack a week without power in Connecticut led to that show being cancelled, however I am glad to say that she was able to be a guest on today’s “make-up” show.

Previously the author of twelve non-fiction books nonfiction books, including Broke is Beautiful, the Elvis Impersonation Kit, Blame It on the Rain, and 100 Most Dangerous Things in Everyday Life. In fact it was one of these non-fiction books that started the thought creation that lead to her debut novel “Angel”.

She wrote a book called “Bad Predictions” weird predictions, that never happened, earth is flat, man will never fly etc. She was, as a form of comic relief invited to be speaker at a conference put on by NASA. All went well, and after her success addressing a group of actual rocket scientists, she decided that she deserved a reward and I took a bus tour of Mount Rainier.

Throughout the tour, the guide kept mentioning burning out on his old job. Towards the end of the tour, someone asked him what his old job had been. He said, “I was a minister.”

This got her thinking and started the thoughts that with several other pieces of the puizzle and many years later lead to her writing “Angel”

About “Angel”:

Since the loss of his lively, charming wife to cancer six years ago, minister Paul Tobit has been operating on autopilot, performing his religious duties by rote. Everything changes the day he enters the church lobby and encounters a radiant, luminous being lit from behind, breathtakingly beautiful and glowing with life. An angel. For a moment Paul is so moved by his vision that he is tempted to fall on his knees and pray.

Even after he regains his focus and realizes he simply met a flesh-and-blood young man, Paul cannot shake his sense of awe and wonder. He feels an instant and overwhelming attraction for the young man, which puzzles him even as it fills his thoughts and fires his feelings. Paul has no doubt that God has spoken to him through this vision, and Paul must determine what God is calling him to do.

Thus begins a journey that will inspire Paul’s ministry but put him at odds with his church as he is forced to examine his deeply held beliefs and assumptions about himself, his community, and the nature of love.

Angel is a romance but not with a capital “R”. As one reviewer put it…

"Angel" a romance novel. Yes, but no. It provokes thought and feelings within ourselves. It hits the inner question of who we think we are. It pokes at the tender spot in our soul. Do we really know ourselves? And if we go in a new direction, what does that do with our lives and who we think we are? And society, how they view us and what if we do change, how will they judge and view us then? I found "Angel" to be about how we see ourselves and how society sees us. Strong feelings can evoke and change one's life. It is what we do with it. "Angel" puts that question within each one of us.

It is a book that will make you think, you know that the relationship and the church might be heading for a non-happy ending yet you feel you have to keep turning the pages, to find out more.

As Laura wrote…
What is interesting to me is how much people bring to a novel themselves. The author only writes half, the reader writes the other half. I would love to discover that people found things in it that I didn’t see in there myself.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Laura Lee

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Laura Lee

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Laura Lee"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Laura Lee - Angel"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

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A Book and a Chat with Terri Giuliano Long

Terri Giuliano Long teacher and author is my guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” joins me for another interesting and entertaining thirty minutes of radio.

At high school she planned career more in the visual art side of her creative instincts having always been writing and drawing little stories up to that time, however after taking an advanced writing course; she realized that was what she wanted to do and began writing for the school paper. As they say ”from little acorns might oaks are made” and she later brazenly walked into office of her town paper and asked the editor for a job. At first, she covered sports and other high school news; soon, though she was given her own column. She was just sixteen.

That column was her first paid writing job, and she knew then that the only job she’d ever want would be that of writer.

She later wrote a series of articles in which mothers chatted candidly about their heartbreaking struggles about their drug and alcohol-addicted teens. From these articles and with her own experiences as a parent who knew how it felt to be worried about your children’s welfare and future, her debut book “In Leah’s Wake” was born.

About “In Leah’s Wake”:

The Tyler family had the perfect life - until sixteen-year-old Leah decided she didn't want to be perfect anymore.

While her parents fight to save their daughter from destroying her brilliant future, Leah's younger sister, Justine, must cope with the damage her out-of-control sibling leaves in her wake.

What happens when love just isn't enough?

This mesmerizing debut novel tells the tale of a contemporary American family caught in the throes of adolescent rebellion - a heartbreaking, funny, ultimately redemptive quest for love, independence, connection and grace.

Many people agree with the above comments as “In Leah’s Wake” as it has already won awards as a pick for 2011.

As one reviewer put it…

It's hard to believe this book was the author's debut novel. The characters and storyline kept you riveted to the book and you didn't want to put it down. Very true to life story that anyone who is raising or raised teenagers could definitely relate to and see themselves, as parents, in almost the same type of situations. I enjoyed reading about the family dynamics and how each individual's actions affect everyone in the family. Very good read! Great job Terri!

With a second “family” book already underway, we’ll hear more of Terri Giuliano Long – Author.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Terri Giuliano Long

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Terri Giuliano Long

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Terri Giuliano Long"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Terri Giuliano Long - In Leah's Wake"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Karen Simpson

Karen Simpson is a quilting, CSI watching, foodie, in fact you can even find a wonderful recipe for George Washington Carver’s sweet black-eyed pea pie on her web page. Along with that, she is a fascinating lady and the author of a great debut book “Act of Grace”.

As we learned during the show Karen was destined to become a writer, her father even gave her a typewriter when she was around five years old. However it was many years later that Karen has now produced this great book.

Act of Grace is loosely based on an incident that happened several years ago in her hometown during a Klan rally. When what was supposed to be a nonviolent protest became violent, a young black woman saved a white man, who was simply wearing a confederate flag T-shirt, from being beaten by throwing her body over him. She got involved because she believed he had the right to his beliefs even if she and others felt he was wrong.

For weeks after the event people argued about whether she was a guardian angel or just crazy. I Karen’s opinion was that she was a compassionate and brave person, worthy of admiration and respect for living up to her values.

Five years after this rally as Karen shared with us, she had a very vivid dream about a young woman named Grace and during the dream she yelled out what is more or less the first line of the novel.

About “Act of Grace”

Act of Grace is the story of Grace Johnson a bright, perceptive African American high school senior who saves the life of a Klansman named Jonathan Gilmore. Everyone in her hometown of Vigilant, Michigan wants to know why. Few people, black or white, understand her act of sacrifice especially since rumor holds that years ago a member of the Gilmore family murdered several African -Americans including Grace’s father. Grace wants to remain silent on the matter but Ancestors spirits emerge in visions and insist she fulfill her shamanic duties by bearing witness to her town’s violent racial history so that all involved might transcend it.

Grace begins a journal, but she warns readers upfront that if they are looking for a simple or rational explanation for her actions then they need to look elsewhere. She knows that her accounts of her ability to speak to the dead, along with her connections to a trickster spirit name Oba, will be hard for most people to believe. With insight shaped by the wisdom found in African American mythology and the book, The Velveteen Rabbit, Grace recounts a story of eye-for-an-eye vengeance that has blinded entire generations in her hometown.

As one reviewer put it…

“This is Simpson’s first novel. It is a must read. Her poetic style of writing soothes you into the harsh realities of racism, violence, and absolute hate based horror. The hero, Grace, puts an end to historical and current race based violence by her own sacrifice–after learning much from her ancestors…Music and food are the backdrops of Simpson’s work: “better than sex” chocolate cake, red velvet cake, Nina Simone and John Coltrane. Simpson’s work is screaming to be a book club pick. That is why it is my book club selection for June. My theme? Tunes and food inspired by the novel.”

Yes even Karen’s food finds it ‘s way into her novel, this is her first novel but certainly not her last, so keep a look out along book shelves for more books by Karen Simpson.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Karen Simpson

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Karen Simpson

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Karen Simpson"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Karen Simpson - Act of Grace"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Lilian Duval

My guest today’s “A Book and a Chat” is writer “Lilian Duval”, I say writer as she is that not just an author, having been in the creative writing field for over thirty years before her now debut novel.

Being from French speaking parents then living in New York, Lilian explained to us during the show how there was some “issues” when she started school with her thick accent and pronunciation of some words. This however did not stop her love stories, and any third grader, who can compare the books in a library to houses on a street, with the shelves being the roads, obviously had a talent.

Lilian and her husband are survivors of 9-11, and we heard her story about how both she and her husband were workers in the first tower. Her husband should have been in a meeting at the top of the tower when the first plane hit, but had forgotten about the meeting. Such coincidences, or whatever you want to call them in a way leads us to Lilian’s debut novel “You Never Know”.

Anybody who lives around New York/New Jersey knows the phrase from Lottery, and how often have you heard somebody say “If only I could win the lottery”. Well the main character in “You Never Know” does just that…

About “You Never Know”

Tobias Hillyer had a promising future until a car accident claimed the lives of his parents.

Abandoning his dreams, he dropped out of college to take care of his orphaned, brain-damaged younger brother. Now in his late thirties, Tobias struggles to provide for his family, working dead-end jobs that fall far short of the academic career he had imagined.

Then he wins the New Jersey Mega-Millions! His financial worries eliminated, Tobias anticipates nothing but smooth sailing ahead for himself and the people he loves. But he soon finds that his amazing stroke of luck may threaten everything he holds dear.

Over peaks and valleys, this uplifting journey challenges everything we think we know about luck, life, and what we value most.

The book has received numerous great reviews from many readers, the one I like best and used on the show is…

Have you ever read a book you didn't want to finish because it was so good? You Never Know is a book to devour in one night, but also to cherish and read slowly. --Emily Truman, Esq., Assistant Municipal Prosecutor, City of Newark, New Jersey.

Lilian has a collection of short stories coming out next year in her book called “Random Act of Kindness”, but her writing does not stop there, as she is currently working on not one but two biographies.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Lilian Duval

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Lilian Duval

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Lilian Duval"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Lilian Duval - You Never Know"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry