Madam Becky Adams talks about her book and Brothel

 Happy Monday to you all! Today we have with us

Becky Adams, author of Madam
Prostitutes, Punters and Puppets-
Memoirs of a very British Brothel

Welcome!!  And what a title to a book!

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I had a good convent education which I wasted, trained as a horse riding instructor with the British Horse Society and have spent the last 20 years running brothels in the UK. I have appeared many times on TV and in the tabloid papers, campaigning for a change in the public’s attitude to sex work. I had to flee the UK in 2008 and hide in France as the police were determined to send me to prison after a full year of harassment and twenty four hour surveillance.

 

Do you work another job when you are not writing?

 I’m a public speaker and consultant for the BBC and National newspapers on various aspects of the sex industry and women’s sex issues.

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?  

Walking my 3 small dogs and eating cupcakes.

What is your favorite color? Why? 

Pink! Because I’m a girl!

What is your favorite season? Why? Spring or Autumn. 

I love the anticipation of spring and the colours of autumn. 

If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be? Why? 

I lived in S W France for several years whilst the heat died down and the police forgot about me. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth. I’ll return there I’m sure. I feel my soul is at peace in France. It’s a perfect place to write.

If you could have any car, what would it be? 

A horse.

Tell us about your writing: 

How long have your been writing? Was it a dream, a goal or is it just a hobby? 

I had never thought of myself as a writer. I’d never wished to be. Since 2004 publishers and TV companies had been interested in my story and I’d had several attempts to create a book with some very well know ghosts. It didn’t work out as I was frustrated that they couldn’t find ‘my voice’.  After another failed attempt my agent (Darley Anderson) suggested I tried to write the book myself. Sitting in their smart London offices, high on sweet tea and cake I agreed, and then quickly wished I hadn’t. I had no idea what hard work writing would be.

How many hours a day do you devote to writing? 

On the first draft of my book ‘MADAM’ I would often sit for up to 16 hours a day in my night wear. Just typing. Re-writes and edits were more relaxed, but I seem to work better in intense bursts then periods of complete rest and dog walks.

Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?

 As a new writer I just got on with it. As I progressed I realised I needed a routine. I had to get dressed! I had to feed myself and take regular breaks. I would set myself targets. I’d have to finish a chapter before I made more coffee or a sandwich. 

Is there some place special you like to be when you write? 

I sat on my sofa in Milton Keynes with a dog on either side, wishing I was in a cottage in Devon or the South of France.

Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write?

 I write in silence. I find even soft music distracting and I get quite cross when visitors arrive and bother me when I’m in full flow. 

Tell us about your book: 

Nobody wakes up one day and thinks, 'I know, I'll run a brothel!' It was more a case of stumbling, quite by accident into the profession. MADAM is a riotously funny and touching peek through the keyhole of provincial massage parlours. I escort you through my memoirs, from my challenging childhood to brothel keeping in Buckinghamshire. My outrageous story is a witty and thought provoking tale of betrayal, friendship, love and loyalty. From saucy scandals and soft toys, to raids, robberies and Rolf Harris fetishes all accompanied by a nice cup of tea and a ginger nut biscuit. The truth really is stranger than fiction.

What is the name of it and is it part of a series or a stand alone novel? 

 MADAM is the first book and will be followed in 2012 by the second in the series.

Where did the idea come from? How long did it take to write?

MADAM is my autobiography. It took 5 months of writing all day every day to complete the first draft, then another 7 months with much less intensity re-writing. The original draft was 140,00 words which was 60,00 too long so a lot of time was spent cutting and editing stories out which was a shame.

What is it about?  

MADAM begins with my childhood. It was important for the reader to understand why a well brought up middle class girl, educated in convents should choose to spend most of her working life involved in the sex industry. It then tracks my foolish jaunt into organised crime, arrest and a nervous breakdown.  Opening and running brothels with my friends, taking elderly transvestites to Royal Ascot horse races, avoiding the police again and trying to keep my family together. It explores my life journey, business and personal development culminating in my selling my brothels and the tragic murder at 16 of my daughter’s boyfriend which changed all our lives. 

Do you have any upcoming projects in the works or other books that have been published?

 I am presently working on my second book which follows on from MADAM.

Where can readers connect with you? 

I love to connect with my readers and I’m happy to talk to book groups and business groups. My website is a good way to contact me www.madambeckyadams.co.uk

Where can we buy your books?  

MADAM is available on Amazon and Kindle with 12 5* reviews. It can be bought through Waterstones and has been number 1 Waterstones best seller for 2 weeks.

Signed copies can be bought from my website:  www.madambeckyadams.co.uk

Amazon:

Website & Blog: www.madambeckyadams.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madambeckyfanpage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MadamBeckyAdams

Watch some Video's of Madam Becky Adams 

http://www.madambeckyadams.co.uk/Video.html

Virginia owner of a Speakeasy talks about "Willow Pond"

Please welcome character 

Virginia Kingsley

to our blog today!
She is the star of the book Willow Pond

Created by Carol Tibaldi

Let's welcome her to our site and find out what her story is all about!

 I can see Laura as she enters the studio and what a presence she gives off. Almost taking command of the room as the guys here all stare at her dressed in her Chanel Suit and rising above many of them with her tall frame, she looks to be just under 6' tall. She comes over to me and smiles gracefully, but I can see a strength in her that belies the female in front of me. Her hands strong and soft are enhanced in their beauty with her bright red fingernail polish. 

Welcome Virginia, I'm so glad that you made it here today to talk to us about Willow Pond.  Tell us what the book is about.

I blame myself for Todd’s kidnapping. 

Way to start off an interview! A Kidnapping! 

If I hadn’t gotten involved with that louse Rudy, none of it would have happened.

All because of a man, huh? 

I knew I couldn’t trust him, but I let my guard down.

Us woman are known for doing that at the wrong times. 

Harry had been telling me for a long time that I was getting soft and he was right. He always is. When Rudy was pumping me with all those questions I should have known that he was after something. 

He had you distracted, didn't he?

Maybe if he hadn’t been so good in bed he wouldn’t have fooled me. No, that’s an excuse, it was my fault.

Why was it your fault?

 

Having to lie to Laura was the hardest thing of all. I hated doing this, but I had to do it to protect her. But I also had a selfish motive for lying to her; I didn’t want to loose her love. She’s not my daughter, but I’ve always loved her like she was

So was Laura the reason he was kidnapped? 

My lifestyle may have been the reason Todd was kidnapped. That’s difficult for me to say since I’m a very proud woman and don’t like to admit when I’m wrong. Pride isn’t a good quality for anyone to have, but I have enough for it for ten women.

lol... I know the feeling. 

I won’t stop looking until I find Todd because I want Laura to be happy again. I want to see that little boy put his arms around his mother’s neck. I want to hear them both laugh. I feel like nothing in our lives will ever be right again until Todd comes home.

So... Todd is Laura's son... Ok things make a bit more sense now. 

Virginia, We all want to be different, so what is the one thing you wish your creator had done differently with you?

I don’t know. Maybe made me Queen. I would have liked to have been richer and maybe spent time in Italy with a handsome Italian lover. Seriously, I wish I hadn’t behaved so stupidly with Rudy. I wished I would have been more careful.

Hindsight is 20/20... we all know that. 

If you could have added something to the story, and your creator would have let you, what would that have been?

Maybe a little more about what Laura was going through during her pregnancy when she refused to have much of anything to do with me.

lol... that puts a little mystery to things... What do you love best about yourself? What do you like least?

Despite what everything thinks, I have a big heart and I like that about myself. It’s the thing that surprises people the most about me. I hate the fact that I always think I’m always right. I’m starting to learn that I’m not.

That is a hard thing to learn. What part of the book was the hardest for you and your creator to work through?

Finding Todd and bringing him home safely. 

Is there a sequel for this book? If so, what do you want to accomplish in the next book.  If not, do you wish you could continue your story? 

Yes, there is going to be a sequel. Hopefully we will all learn and grow.

Thank you Virginia for coming today and for telling us about Willow Pond.  I hope people take a few minutes to find out more! 

To purchase Willow Pond: 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/AthqHg

To contact the creator Carol Tibaldi:

Blog: http://www.caroltibaldi.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cat5149

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Willow-Pond-a-novel-by-Carol-Tibaldi/212483638798198

Website:http://www.caroltibaldi.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

12 Day Reader's Event SHAMROCKS-N-SIRENS Welcomes Featured Author JJ Toner

12 Day Reader's Event SHAMROCKS-N-SIRENS Welcomes Featured Author JJ Toner

Shamrocks-N-Sirens 12 day Reader's Event 

Welcomes Irish Author JJ Toner and his St Patrick’s Day Special

In 1995, after half a lifetime of plausible excuses, JJ Toner began to write. Encouraged by some modest early success with his short stories, he went on to write novels. His first novel found a home on the garden compost heap; the second and third are historical fiction both waiting for extensive edits. Only the fourth and an anthology of shorts have been published so far. He lives in Ireland with his wife and youngest son.

Today, JJ Toner discusses his book, 'St Patrick’s Day Special'.

How long did it take you to write your book?

Including the work of my editor and several rewrites : Exactly 2 years

Who’s your favorite character in it?

Dessie Bonnar, the snitch. This is a guy who dresses well, but always looks untidy. He has disobedient hair. He has no obvious profession and seems to spend all his time at the bar in The Bleeding Horse, his favorite pub. He has a wicked streak and an irrepressible sense of humor.

What projects are you currently working on?

Doing battle with Ben Jordan 2, the sequel. I sneak a short story in every now and then.

What one word describes how you feel when you write?

Panic

Who designed the cover?

Anya Kelleye with a lot of input from me. I’m not happy with it, though, and planning a change soon.

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?

No. I like to write in the nude but can’t afford the heating. 

What are your pet peeves? 

The cost of central heating.

Writers who can’t construct a decent plot

Writers who break the basic rules, like head-hopping or tense-changing or stupid saidisms

Indie writers who rush into print without paying for any proper structural edits.

Indie writers who call themselves editing professionals just because they have published one or two books.

Don’t get me started!

Do you normally eat breakfast, of do you skip it and get straight to work?

Straight to work. No time to waste. 

If you were deserted on an island, who are 3 famous people you would want with you?

David Baboulene, Chuck Lorre and Stephen King. David Baboulene has written the best ever instructional book on writing, called The Story Book.

What is your favorite quote?

From the moment I picked up your book until I put it down again, I couldn’t stop laughing. I can’t wait to read it. Groucho Marx

If you were to attend a St. Patrick’s Day Party, which one thing would you never leave behind and why?

A pot of gold for obvious reasons.

Where can your readers stalk you?

http://www.jjtoner.net

http://www.jjtoner.net

TO Find out more about the Shamrocks & Sirens event visit : http://michaelordeauthor.blogspot.com/?zx=4480eb8b49c5daa2

Brittany Westerberg talks about her novel Into Fire

 Writer's Wednesday! 
Today we have with us

Brittany Westerberg
author of Into Fire

Welcome Brittany!!

Tell us a bit about yourself:
Do you work another job when you are not writing? 
 

 I am a Convention & Marketing Coordinator at Daktronics Inc., which manufactures large video displays (think of some of the jumbotrons you’ve seen at sporting arenas and stadiums) and scoreboards. 

 What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing? 

When I’m not writing, I’m either baking or reading, or doing both at once. 

What is your favorite color? Why? 

 Brown. It looks good on me. 

What is your favorite season? Why? Spring or Autumn.

 

Fall. The only bad thing about fall where I live is that the bugs try to come into my house to escape the coming winter. Living in South Dakota, there’s a reason they do that.

If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be? Why?

 I don’t know that I’d like to live anywhere outside of the Minnesota-Iowa-South Dakota region. Not that I’d get much choice – my husband loves to ice fish, so we can’t move farther south than about the middle of Iowa, because lakes don’t freeze over otherwise. I do want to visit Ireland, Great Britain and Germany someday.

If you could have any car, what would it be?

A two-door Ford Gran Torino, like the one from the original 1970s series “Starsky and Hutch” – I watched a lot of reruns of this with my mom growing up. 

Tell us about your writing: 

How long have your been writing? Was it a dream, a goal or is it just a hobby?

 

I’ve been writing since before junior high, though it was around then that I started writing full length manuscripts. 

 How many hours a day do you devote to writing?

I try to write at least one hour a day, though it depends on my job and schedule. I don’t have a set routine, though I’m not a mood writer, either. If I get an idea, I write, but sometimes I just know I need to sit down and exercise the writing portion of my brain, so I find a writing prompt (I have an app on my iPhone) and I write something.

   
Is there some place special you like to be when you write? 

On my bed with my laptop in front of me. I can write anywhere, but that’s usually where I’m at. 

Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write?

I listen to music while I write. The music depends on what I’m writing. I have different playlists I listen to, which depend on my mood and what’s happening in the story.

My book is titled “Into Fire”. It’s the first of a planned trilogy. I wrote it in my junior high and early high school years on an old Macintosh computer that was good for pretty much only word processing. I don’t know where the idea came from, though I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction during those years. About my senior year in high school, my writing took a backseat to getting into college and trying to decide what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. A couple of years later, my younger brother, Michael, found a bunch of my old stories (three that were full novels in length) and convinced me to revise his favorite so he could help me to get it published. It was through his hard work and encouragement that I am a published author now. 

 Tell us about your book:

The book is set in a different world, and – to sum it up in one sentence – is about a girl named Leora who discovers she can do magic and has to learn how to use it. She had always planned to work in the family business and was taught to fear magic, but she is discovered by master mages and learns that her mother, who died when she was young, was also a mage. She decides to embrace her abilities and the learning, with the help of her teacher, and learns there is a lot more in the world outside her home than she thought.

I have finished the sequel to this book, which has the working title of “Over Water”, and am working to get it published. I also wrote a story in the compilation “Tales of the Council of Elders” (The Imperium Saga: Tales).

I have a blog: brwesterberg.wordpress.com.

 I am also on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BrittanyWesterberg) and on Twitter (@BrWesterberg).

You can buy my books at 

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/brittany-westerberg?keyword=brittany+westerberg&store=allproducts

Author Stella Atrium talks about SufferStone

 Welcome to 

Stella Atrium author of SufferStone: Book I of the Dolvia Saga

here with us today!

So glad you could join us!

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Do you work another job when you are not writing?

I’m also adjunct professor at DePaul University where I developed a 

course on undocumented workers in America and/or taught existing
Freshman courses for six years.  I enjoy working with the young people 

who keep me abreast of the new social media.

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?

I love to attend the ballet, especially the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago.  I believe my 

devotion comes form the fact that the ballet is mute.  I
can take a break from words.  Although when A Midsummer Night’s Dream 

was performed, I found myself mumbling the lines of poetry for each
scene.  LOL

What is your favorite color? Why?

I love green.  An artist friend once told me that green was the color
of balance.

What is your favorite season? Why?

I live in Chicago, so I get all the seasons here.  I love Spring when
everything is fresh, but my real love is Autumn and the colorful
change.

If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be? Why?

We visited Greece before the unrest there. I would love to live in a
small village on the water.  I would need an internet connection,
though.

If you could have any car, what would it be?

A Buick Skylark convertible, midnight blue with a beige leather
interior.  You can tell I thought about this over time, right?

Tell us about your writing:

How long have your been writing? Was it a dream, a goal or is it just a hobby?

I’ve been writing since I was twelve, so that’s half a century.
(Thanks for reminding me).  I could not find fantasy stories with
female characters to follow, so I started writing them.

How many hours a day do you devote to writing?

All of them.  Maybe not at the keyboard, but always in my head.

Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?

Sometimes the otherworld goes flat and starys that way for months at a
time.  But there are a few good tricks to inflate the worldview.  I
write in the morning and stop at 1 pm to run errands and garden.

Is there some place special you like to be when you write? Do you
listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write?

I like complete silence.  My head belongs in the other world, so noise
only draws me back to the immediate.


Tell us about your book:

What is the name of it and is it part of a series or a stand alone
novel? 

SufferStone is Book I of the Dolvia Saga.  However, any of my
stories can be read as a stand-alone novel.

Where did the idea come from? How long did it take to write? 

The planet story takes place on the savannah of Dolvia which is a desert
planet.  I was inspired by many stories that I read or saw in movies.
I started writing the series in the 1980s, and now 3 books are ready
for publication in 2012.

What is it about?

SufferStone synopsis:On Dolvia the women of the savannah serve under
the burka, but Kyle Le was denied that covering by tribal leaders.
Only her gift of second sight and the mortgage on her father’s land
protects her and her three sisters.

Working alongside Brian Miller from Earth, who manages a textile
factory, and the warrior Cyrus, she labors against the mining
enterprise that robs the savannah of its mineral wealth and leaves the
tribes with only the scarred and suffering land.


Your other work:

Do you have any upcoming projects in the works or other books that
have been published?

HeartStone synopsis:  (due out in June 2012) On Dolvia’s unforgiving
savannah, a chance meeting between stubborn and surefooted Dr.
Greensboro, an Earth-born research doctor, and the abandoned boy
soldier Karlyhi sets into motion a series of events that change the
tribal structure, even as Dr. Greensboro’s eff orts may increase the
opportunities for the veiled women of one tribe.

When Dr. Greensboro catches Karlyhi abusing Brianna, an orphan who is
used by everybody but valued by nobody, the doctor is forced to banish
Karlyhi from her bush clinic. How could she foresee that Karlyhi and
Brianna will turn against her colonial mindset, no matter how hard she
tries to prove that she labors for their best interests?


Where can readers connect with you?  

There’s a popular OpenSalon blog
at http://open.salon.com/blog/satrium/popularity

Website & Blog: http://stellaatrium.com/

Twitter: @SAtrium

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13284251-sufferstone

 

 

Where can we buy your books? 

 Look on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles,
KoboBooks, and other distributors.

Amazon:

Harry Charters talks about the book he stars in!

Please welcome character 

Harry Charters

to our blog today!
He is the star of the book Harry Charters Chronicles

Created by Graham Smith

Let's welcome him to our site and find out what his story is all about!


As I sit in my chair waiting for Harry to come in and get comfortable, I can't help but notice how sharp dressed he is in his three piece suit. My eyebrows raise as I take in the dark raincoat he has draped over his shoulders and the hint of mystery that comes with the fedora he is wearing. Smoke curls up around his face adding some further mystery to him as his cigarette hangs from his lips. 
Is he swaying as he walks? He seems a bit unstable as he makes his way to me, as if he might have been tying one one before he arrives. My question is answered as he takes a seat and I can smell alcohol radiating off of him.  Oh this should be an interesting interview.... 

Welcome Harry... I am very glad you were able to make your way here today. Why don't you start off by telling up a bit about the book you star in.

This young punk called Graham Smith has gone and written a damned book about some of my cases.

lol....  You don't sound to happy about that. 

I wasn’t in favour at first but when he agreed to name it Harry Charters Chronicles after yours truly it became a different matter. 

lol...  Well, I'm glad you finally thought it was a better idea. What are the Chronicles about?

I let him write up seven different stories about my adventures as a private dick. He even told ‘em the way I told ‘em to him. 

So he listened to you... that's good.  What kind of stories did you tell him?

There are stories of murder, betrayal, gang warfare and a haunting lost child story. 

A really big variety.  What is one he wrote about? 

I told him ‘bout a coach trip I took to catch a conman and how I had a little run in with a punk who liked to beat up on defenseless women. The wiseass wrote them up. Hell he even wrote up the tale of what happened when I attended my mother’s funeral

Guess he was listening well when you spoke with him. 

He hasn’t spared me any kind of embarrassment whatsoever. He’s told my stories in all their dramatic, sad and oftentimes horrific detail. 

I bet that makes a good story to read though. 

Graham shows me for what I am, a drunk with a chequered past and a short future. One day I’ll meet up with someone who can outfight and out-think me. But that day ain’t come yet. 

Let's hope it doesn't happen here in the studio either.

I’ve a very violent streak in me when Nasty Drunk appears on my shoulder. It’s all I can do to make sure that I only ever let loose on the right targets. I’m no hero or a saint by any means. I have killed and will probably kill again. 

Did you know I was a cop?  Maybe you shouldn't tell me these things... I mean... Are you close to having Nasty Drunk on your shoulder right now? 

What I do though is rein in the Nasty Drunk so I only hurt people who deserve to be hurt. Sometimes though hurt just ain’t enough.

I sure hope I'm not one who deserves to be hurt.  Harry, let's talk about a few other things. 
If you could have added something to the story, and your creator would have let you, what would that have been? 

I wish he’d taken the time to explain why I get so violent. I’m not a vigilante and don’t see myself as one. The way he’s told the stories is true but he didn’t give my side of the story as fully as I woulda liked. I had good reasons for my actions and I was doin’ the world a favour in most cases.

I am sure you think you were...If you could have added something to the story, and your creator would have let you, what would that have been?

Other than repeating what I’ve just said, I woulda been keen to see some more atmosphere in the tales. Damn schmuck never talked about the weather, the duds or the jazz and blues playing outta my wireless. Man can only tell half a story.

lol.... What do you love best about yourself? What do you like least?  

The best thing about me is the way I always close my cases even though sometimes I nail the coffin lid down myself. The worst thing about me is the side of my nature that allows the Nasty Drunk to whisper in my ear long enough for my temper to rise. It’s far safer for others to let Melancholy Drunk weave his miserable way through my addled brain.

Yes...I think I would prefer Melancholy Drunk Harry to the other... But that is my personal preference.  What part of the book was the hardest for you and your creator to work through? 


The Smell of Perfume is a tale which haunts me. It was a case I solved but took no satisfaction from. I saw things I never want to see or speak about again. Graham was also badly affected and the night I told ‘im the story he drank more’n I’ve seen him drink either before or since.

Sounds like a very intense story Harry.  Is there a sequel for your story? 



He’s talked about doin’ another collection of short stories and flash fiction. He’s also been pestering me to tell him about the case which went wrong and set me off drinkin’. That’s a bigger tale though and would take quite a bit of telling.

Maybe that would be a good idea.  I'm very glad you came to join us today.  Your stories sound very interesting and I know I find myself wondering much more about you.  I hope that our readers stay around and check out more about your books and your creator! 

By the way, can I get someone to drive you home. I'm not so sure you should be driving right now. 

To Purchase Harry Charters Chronicles on Amazon:

To contact his creator: Graham Smith

Blog: http://grahamsmithwriter.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @GrahamSmith1972

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1316200537&ref=tn_tnmn

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/grahamsmith

Writer's Wendesday with Ahmad Taylor

 It's Writer Wednesday and we are happy to have 

Ahmad Taylor, author of Dark Side of the Moon

here with us today!

Welcome!! 

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Do you work another job when you are not writing?

I am a freelance writer in the private security industry.

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing?

Besides constantly checking on my book sale statistics?

I love playing sports. I like the exercise and the competition.

What is your favorite color? Why?

This is gonna’ sound super manly, but as a kid it was pink because I loved strawberry milk and I associated the color with the flavor.

As an adult I like most shades of blue. Navy is strong and powerful, and light blue is bright and inviting.

What is your favorite season? Why?

There is nothing at all like springtime in NYC (where I’m originally from). When the black snow starts melting, the air warms up, and the city is filled with beautiful people happy to shed their bulky winter gear.

If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be? Why?

Somewhere in Scandinavia. I visited Denmark and Amsterdam for a month once and found the culture to be very warm and inviting, even when the weather is not. 

If you could have any car, what would it be?

Maserati. It exudes power and confidence. Plus it is very fast and luxurious.

Tell us about your writing: 

How long have your been writing? Was it a dream, a goal or is it just a hobby?

I started writing poetry in college and had one of my poems published in 2004.

I began writing short stories in college as well. I took several English Literature classes, where is where my true interest in writing fiction began. 

How many hours a day do you devote to writing?

Between emails, blogs, and my working on the sequel to DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, between 4-6 hours.

Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?

Both. I am actually still trying to find just the right schedule for myself in terms of writing and marketing, but I do try and set aside a few hours daily to write something.

I also do believe in “striking while the iron is hot”, so when an idea pops up out of the blue, I try and run to a computer and run with it.

Is there some place special you like to be when you write?

Not really. I write wherever I have space in my home. I like to stretch out a bit and blast my music, so wherever that is possible is where I will get going.

Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write?

I like darkness and loud music when I’m working.

Tell us about your book:

What is the name of it and is it part of a series or a stand-alone novel?

DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. (DSOM)

I am currently working on the follow-up novel, filled with lots more suspense and tons of thrills.

Where did the idea come from? How long did it take to write?

A dream.

One night last March I had a crazy dream about my sister. She and I were working aboard a ship in outer space when suddenly she went missing. The rest of the dream was filled with me trying to find her and trying to convince all those around me that she actually existed and was not a complete figment of my imagination – typical Twilight Zone episode.

When I woke up from the dream I had quite a sweat going. After a few hours of unsuccessfully trying to fall back to sleep, I finally grabbed a pen and pad and jotted down a plot-outline. At first I was only writing down quick thoughts and ideas, but when it was all said and done, I had 8 pages of detailed notes on character development, plot flow and had something I genuinely could turn into a story, so I grabbed my laptop, my outline and began to create.

When writing I started pulled several 18+ hour sessions and had a first draft in 27 days. After another 2 ½ months I had a 90% complete manuscript. Unfortunately, I put it down for several months after that, and therefore did not complete it and publish until January, but in actual writing, editing, proofing time… 4 months total.

What is it about?

DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is an action-packed Suspense/Thriller about government agent Derrick Thomas who awakes from a disturbing dream to find a message from his father asking for help. As he sets out to lend his assistance he quickly discovers that not only can he not find his father, but that a clandestine government agency is out to derail his search before it can begin. After the murders of two of his father’s colleagues and the further disappearances of his mother and sister, Derrick is thrust into a fight for his own life and a struggle to uncover details of a secret government experiment which his family may be part of. 

Will he be able to save them and uncover the truth before he becomes the next victim of an organization bent on keeping him silent?

Your other work:

Do you have any upcoming projects in the works or other books that have been published?

“Are you afraid of the dark?” Well you should be… I am currently working on the action-packed sequel to DSOM.

Where can readers connect with you?

You can check out webpage where you can find information about current and future projects; excerpts from DSOM; 5-star reviews; current FREE Giveaways; and my general whimsical musings via my blog at:

http://www.ahmaddarkside.blogspot.com

Facebook:

http://facebook.com/DarksideAhmad

Twitter:

@AhmadDarkside

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7553921-ahmad-taylor

Google +:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/me/posts

Where can we buy your books?

DSOM is currently on sale at Amazon:

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