Talkshow Thursday: Meet John Walker!

Talkshow Thursday: Meet John Walker!

LM: Thanks for joining me today. Congratulations on your most recent release Heartless. What was your inspiration for the story? 

John: Heartless grew from an unsettling interaction with a patient. I can’t give identifying details. But I can tell you that I will never forget my sudden fear in that moment. Something I told him triggered an abrupt change in his demeanor. It reminded me of the story of King Nebuchadnezzar and the fiery furnace. When the three Hebrew servants openly defied him, his countenance changed toward them. That’s what I saw—an immediate change in attitude revealed in every part of his face, his movement, his posture, and his words. That moment inspired my villain.

LM: Sounds scary. You have a full career as a physician – quite different from the life of a writer. Tell us a bit about your journey to publication.

John: It’s been a long road. I started my first novel almost 20 years ago and self-published it when self-publishing was in its infancy and was really considered taboo. I’ve learned a lot the hard way and still have a lot to learn.

LM: What is your favorite aspect of writing?

John: I love diving into a character and letting the character surprise me with something I didn’t expect.

LM: What do you do to prepare for writing, and how do you juggle that with your day job?

John: Sometimes I think I do my best writing when I’m not writing. I will set the story aside and not even be thinking about it when something will trigger a thought that fits into the story. Finding time to write can be challenging. I have a lot of things on several plates, so I have to carve out time to write. I work best under pressure. Setting a deadline to have a manuscript ready for editing before a conference is a strong motivator for me. I lead a critique group. They keep me sharp and give me the motivation to have a sample ready for each meeting.

LM: What sort of research did you do for Heartless, and was there any particular piece of information you were compelled to include in the story?

John: Research adds depth and texture and helps me write a story that feels authentic. If I’m uncertain

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about a detail, I research it. I use Google Maps to see the street view. Sometimes, I will visit a location to derive ideas. When I’m at a restaurant, I’ll make a note of an interesting person, something on the menu or on the wall, a fragrance, the way the server takes my order, anything that’s unexpected or unique. Then I’ll use those memories in a story. For Heartless, I researched the locales in Southern Indiana and Indianapolis. I researched a specific chair, home décor, and styles of homes. And many other rabbit trails, many of which didn’t even find their way into the book but may inspire other stories or characters.

LM: You’ve accomplished quite a lot. What is one thing you wish you could do?

John: I would really love to write an epic fantasy that reflects the depth and mystery of life’s journey. I want it to be a heroic tale with the power and breadth of The Lord of the Rings, but I want it to be something fresh. I’m waiting for the right idea.

LM: What is a piece of advice you have for fledgling writers?

John: I thought I was a good writer when I first started. I wanted to be original and not copy anyone else’s work, so I followed the temptation to figure it out on my own. That is a big mistake. Every new writer needs to be a dry, compressed sponge tossed into the ocean of writing wisdom. There is so much to learn and good writing is not good enough. There are too many good books and readers want great writing, so a new writer, especially, needs to write great books. That might mean scrapping a book or two or rewriting a book. That’s what I ultimately did with my first novel. I rewrote it, set it before my beta readers, and rewrote it again. I encourage writers to learn all they can about their craft. Most importantly, know your readers and write for them. Authors write for readers, not themselves. A writer may find satisfaction in writing, but an author finds satisfaction in writing that connects with readers.

LM: What is your next project?

John: My most successful book has been Moonlight Awakens, a story about a young woman who is abducted and trafficked. The main character Emma needs more than one story, so I’m writing a sequel and building the stories of some of the characters around her.

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

John: http://www.johnmatthewwalker.com is the easiest place to start. From there, you can link to my books, social media, and my inspirational blog (overcoffee.xyz).

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About Heartless:

At only seventeen, Emma is used, abused, and discarded. She runs a thousand miles away from shame and judgment and falls into the arms of a stranger. One careless mistake, and she plummets into the hellish world of sex-trafficking. Her pimp takes everything from her, starting with her name. Deep in that darkness, Emma must find herself and find a way out. Her story is a tantalizing suspense that awakens hope.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3uBmWea

Release Day: Gold Rush Bride Tegan

Release Day: Gold Rush Bride Tegan

Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered Gold Rush Bride Tegan. I had fun writing her story. She is the granddaughter of Hannah and daughter of Caroline (Books 1 and 2 in the series). Exploring this trio of women has been fascinating. In many ways similar - tenacious, bold, and adventuresome, they are also quite different, dealing with insecurities and issues of their own.

I read lots of diaries and memoirs of women who were part of the various gold rushes, and for this book, the Alaskan gold rush in particular. We often romanticize history, and there may have been some glamour in leaving everything behind to travel to a distant location and seek one's fortune. But the reality was more often than not harsh with injury, disease, danger, hunger, cold, bankruptcy, and failure. Some of the women followed fathers, husbands, or brothers. A small number went on their own, to the dismay of most of the men.

I hope you enjoy this peek into America's history. Here's the blurb:

She’s out to prove herself. He’s only looking for adventure. Neither one realizes they’ll find more than gold “in them thar hills.” 

 

Tegan Llewellyn has always been different than her adopted family, except Grandmother Hannah, a prospector during the 1829 Georgia gold rush. Now, seventy years later there are reports of gold in Nome, and the opportunity is too good to pass up. But Tegan doesn’t count on the dangers that strike from the moment she steps off the steamer, including the threat of losing her heart. 

Elijah Hunter has prospected for gold all over the US and Canada and likes being on the move. The last thing he expects to find on his latest search is a lady miner who proves to be nothing but trouble. Can he convince her that leaving is for her own good before it’s too late...for both of them? 

Gold Rush Bride Tegan is part of the exciting multi-author Gold Rush Brides series set in 19th century America. First, there was Hannah, then Caroline, and now Tegan. If you enjoy clean romances with a taste of intrigue, you’re sure to enjoy this series of books. You might even catch some gold fever of your own.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3gqoFvj

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Valerie Goree!

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back, Valerie Goree!

Linda: Welcome back and thanks for joining me today. Congratulations on the release of Justice at Dawn. What was your inspiration for the plot? 

 

Valerie: Since this is the last novel in my Stolen Lives Trilogy, I wanted to return to characters from the first novel. Although they feature in the plot, the story revolves around Cooper, IRO’s training officer, and his new recruit. What does it take to become an IRO agent? What training do they undergo and what skills do they need? 

 

LM: What draws you to write in the suspense genre? 

 

Valerie: I read romantic suspense so it seemed natural for me to write in that genre. I love to create a hook at the end of a chapter to entice the reader to keep turning the pages. A story that only focuses on perfect characters and their wonderful lives would be boring, in my opinion. So I love to put my hero and heroine in difficult situations and ratchet up the trouble. 

LM: How did you come up with the idea for the International Retrieval Organization? Is there something similar in “real life?” 

 

Valerie: IRO is my creation, a detective agency on steroids, with superior technology and unlimited funds. What fun to create a story world where my characters’ ingenuity is supported by the organization’s resources. 

 

LM: Your story is set in California. Did you choose that location for a specific reason? Have you had the opportunity to visit the area where you set your story? 

 

Valerie: Weep in the Night and Day of Reckoning, books one and two in the Trilogy, are set in

California. Although IRO has branches in other states, I needed my hero agent to be based in San Diego for this plot. I have visited San Diego and San Juan Capistrano. Although I have not spent time in the Caspers Wilderness Park, I relied on Google maps and my imagination for the cabin scenes. 

 

LM: What authors have influenced your writing? 

Valerie: I’ve been privileged to be part of a critique group for many years. As I write today, I can “hear” various members’ comments from the past. Corrections to problems I always made, the comma guru adding or deleting, insightful suggestions to improve the scene. I appreciate all the help I received from Catherine Leggitt, Marcia Lahti, Marcy Dyer, and you, Linda. 

 

LM: What is one thing you wish you knew how to do? 

Valerie: I wish I could ice-skate. As a youth, I loved to roller skate, but since I grew up in a small town in Central Africa, we had no access to frozen ponds. When I attended university in the USA, I visited friends in Colorado one Christmas break. They took me ice-skating at Estes park. Well, I spent a lot of time on the ice but not on my feet. 

 

LM: What is one piece of advice you’d like to offer to fledgling writers? 

Valerie: Read novels in your genre, attend workshops or conferences, read craft books, join a critique group, but most importantly, hone your skills by writing, writing, writing. You can only improve your skills by “practicing”. 

LM: What is your next project? 

Valerie: One of my publishers is sponsoring a series of novels under the umbrella theme of “My Mother’s Secret.” My character’s mother worked in a genetic research lab. When Anna reads the will, she is astonished to discover… Aha. You’ll have to wait until that novel is published. 

 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web? 

Valerie: 

Website: http://www.valeriegoreeauthor.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/ValerieMasseyGoree/

About Justice at Dawn:

 

Cooper Callahan has been an International Retrieval Organization operative for fifteen years. In all that time he has never worked with a trainee like Kitty Claire Briggs. Overflowing with energy, KC isn’t quiet long enough for him to think. But when the boss assigns them a training mission to follow Sadie, his wife, KC’s serious side emerges. Sure, former stunt double, KC, wants to be an agent, but she also has an ulterior motive to be accepted by IRO—she wants access to their superior technology. Can she locate her quarry without Cooper finding out? As Cooper shares the finer points of surveillance with KC, his waning faith is strengthened by her enthusiasm for the Lord and for the job. When the training exercise turns into a real abduction, will KC’s naiveté lead to death or to a successful conclusion to the case?

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2V7lIZA

Release Day: Gold Rush Bride Caroline

Release Day: Gold Rush Bride Caroline

I'm thrilled to announce today's release of Gold Rush Bride Caroline, Book 2 in the multi-author Gold Rush Brides series. Set during the Pike's Peak rush of 1859, the book tells the story of Hannah and Jesse Vogel's (Book 1) daughter.  An often-overlooked event, this rush lasted from July 1858 until the creation of the Colorado Territory in February 1861 and attracted more than 100,000 prospectors.

Participants were called "Fifty-Niners" after 1859 (the peak year of the rush) and used the motto Pike's Peak or Bust. Despite its name, the rush occurred about eighty-five miles north of Pike's Peak. Lots of mining camps were created, some of which became cities in their own right, while some became ghost towns after the end of the rush.

In celebration of the launch, I'm doing a fun giveaway you can enter and share with your friends. You are going to love the prizes because each one is handmade by an artist on Etsy. In addition to an autographed copy of Gold Rush Bride Caroline, the winner will receive a framed canvas by TheWoodedLane featuring Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the mountains,  a pair of handmade "mountain" tea towels by Kettenglied, a handcrafted lace bookmark from JAustenBoutiqueCo.  If an international winner is chosen, he or she will win an ebook edition of Gold Rush Bride Caroline and a $50 Visa Gift Card. 

To enter the giveaway,  follow the link to fill out the Rafflecopter form: a Rafflecopter giveaway.

I hope you'll enter the giveaway and help me spread the word about Gold Rush Bride Caroline. Meanwhile, you can grab your copy here.

Have you seen the book trailer?

About Gold Rush Bride Caroline:

She thinks he’s high-handed and out for her gold. He thinks she’s difficult and money-hungry. Will they discover that love is the true treasure? 

 

Scarred in a childhood accident, Caroline Vogel has yet to find a man willing to marry her, so she heads to the Pike’s Peak gold fields to pan enough ore to become a woman of means. When she and the handsome assistant trail boss hit it off, she begins to hope her future may not be spent alone. Then she catches wind of dark secrets from the man’s past, and she’s not sure what or who to believe. 

 

Orphaned as a teenager, Oliver Llewellyn stole to survive, then used his skills for the army during the war. Nowadays, he applies his knowledge to catch dangerous thieves for the Pinkerton Agency, so guarding a young woman during a wagon train journey should be easy. But he didn’t count on the fact she’d angered a man bent on revenge. He also didn’t count on losing his heart.

Purchase link: https://amzn.to/3e1Xeac

Release Day: Gold Rush Bride Hannah

 Release Day: Gold Rush Bride Hannah

I am thrilled to announce the release of Gold Rush Bride Hannah, Book1 one in a brand new multi-author series about...you guessed it...female gold rushers. Most of you know about the California Gold Rush of 1849, but did you know there were two significant rushes prior to that? The first occurred in North Carolina in 1799, and the second in 1829 in northern Georgia. Hannah is set during the Georgia rush, and it was fascinating to research this incredible event. I hope you enjoy Hannah's story.

A brand-new widow, she doesn’t need another man in her life. He’s not looking for a wife. But when danger thrusts them together, will they change their minds...and hearts? 

 

Hannah Lauman’s husband has been murdered, but rather than grief, she feels...relief. She decides to remain in Georgia to work their gold claim, but a series of incidents makes it clear someone wants her gone...dead or alive. Is a chance at being a woman of means and independence worth risking her life? 

 

Jess Vogel never breaks a promise, so when he receives a letter from a former platoon mate about being in danger, he drops everything to help his old friend. Unfortunately, he arrives just in time for the funeral. Can he convince the man’s widow he’s there for her protection not for her money? 

 

Gold Rush Bride: Hannah is the first book in the exciting new series Gold Rush Brides. Steeped in romance, intrigue, and history, the story will keep you turning pages long into the night.

Available for purchase and Kindle Unlimited: Amazon