King Arthur Movie Tristan

Today I have a special treat for my blog readers, author Jennifer Chase has stopped by for an interview.


About the book: Compulsion

Emily Stone doesn’t have a badge. But that hasn’t stopped her from tracking down some of the West’s most dangerous child-killers. Armed with a digital SLR camera, laptop computer and her trusty Beretta, Stone uses her innate gift for detective work to identify the perps — and then anonymously e-mail the evidence to the cops.


Now, the hunt for two brazen serial killers on the loose right in her own coastal California town threatens to expose Stone’s identity — unraveling her carefully constructed cover and jeopardizing her life’s work. But when she gets too close to the action, this razor-sharp hunter becomes the hunted. Cooperating with the handsome local police detective could be the only hope for stopping the rampage directed at unsuspecting young women — and saving herself. Can they piece together the clues in time?


Compulsion mixes CSI-style investigation with a ripped-from-the-headlines plot and a dose of romance for a keeps-you-guessing, fast-paced and savvy thriller, right up until the shocking finale.

Now, onto the interview...



bookworm:
Hello Jennifer and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to stop by my blog for an interview. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.


jennifer chase:
Thank you so much for interviewing me on your blog. I hold a bachelor’s degree in police forensics and a recent master’s degree in criminology (2008). I also have certifications in serial murder and criminal profiling along with an affiliate membership in the criminology section of the Academy of Behavioral Profiling. I have an intense curiosity about crime and the varied connections between the actual crime and the criminal mind. This is what really propels me to write in the thriller and crime fiction genres because there’s an unlimited amount of ideas for characters and stories based on this subject.


I’m also a freelance writer and I assist clients with copywriting, ghostwriting, and screenplay evaluations. I find that this work compliments by novel writing schedule and I take pleasure in all of my assignments.


I’ve enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was old enough, I read everything I could get my hands on. I love everything about books and dreamed what it would be like to be a published author someday, surrounding myself with even more books. Today, I still surround myself with books and I always welcome recommendations for new authors.



bookworm: What inspired you to write Compulsion?

jennifer chase:
My favorite genre has always been suspense, mystery, and thriller books. My inspiration for Compulsion is really three-fold. First, my love for writing and wanting to complete a thriller novel has been the main driving force. Second, my academic background actually gave me the confidence to write about serial killers and related crime scene investigations. And finally, it was my first hand experience living next door to a psychopathic individual with violent tendencies that consistently threatened my life for more than two years, along with my interaction with local law enforcement. But, this bad experience gave me first-hand knowledge and a great jumping off point to begin planning the characters for my book. It was a horrible experience that ultimately turned out to be a great experience.



bookworm: What was the hardest thing about writing this book? How long did it take you to write?


jennifer chase:
Deciding to write a book is the easy part, but it’s what comes next is definitely the hardest part of the process. You have to answer a ton of questions about how long should the book be, how much research needs to be done, writing in first or third person, when to write, and basically if you can hang in there through the long haul of actually finishing a novel. You are so close to your story and characters that you begin to doubt yourself at times. I found that I had to go with my gut instinct and let the story carry me along. It’s probably the single most difficult job that I’ve ever had, but it’s the one that I love the most.


I write six days a week and allow one complete day of rest to do other things and recharge my creative battery. Compulsion took about eight months to complete and submit to Outskirts Press, Inc. I wrote an extensive outline that took about two months, but I had been thinking about this story for some time and this helped my process go much faster. Then I did the complete writing by the chapter that took another two months. I generally let the manuscript sit for about a month in between each step. I had the story read a few times and edited by a professional. Then I spent my final steps making any changes to editing and content.



bookworm: What got you interested in writing? How long have you been writing?


jennifer chase: I’ve loved writing since an early age – books were my escape and entertainment. I would write and draw pictures of short stories about magical places, and even write dialogue for my stuffed animals. When I got older, I would escape into mysteries and suspense novels. I’ve been completely drawn into these types of stories and I would literally dream about writing my first novel. There are so many interesting aspects of thriller stories that they completely captivate me.


I’ve been writing on and off most of my life. It was not until recently that I decided to complete my first novel. It’s funny, but it absolutely felt like the right time. And from this point, many more ideas have inspired me to write more books. I’m currently writing my second thriller novel.



bookworm: Who are your favorite authors and what is it that really strikes you about their work?


jennifer chase: I have so many authors that I love, but if I had to pick three they would be Jeffrey Deaver, Dean Koontz, and John Douglas. Deaver for his brilliant Lincoln Rhyme series with a quadriplegic criminalist. Koontz for his many wonderful characters that aren’t afraid to take on the evil in this world. He has truly inspired me to write over the years. And Douglas for his true crime books that share both the inside of the criminal mind and their victims to the rest of the world. He has given a voice to the many victims.



bookworm: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?


jennifer chase: I really want to thank my readers for their wonderful support and feedback. It really is a joy to share my story with thriller lovers.



bookworm: Do you have any advice for other writers?


jennifer chase: Writing is hard work, but it is also a complete pleasure. The best advice that I can give to other writers is to never take “no” for an answer and write something every day.



bookworm: Last but not least, if you were stranded on a deserted island, and were allowed to bring 3 things, what would they be?


jennifer chase: I would have to say a spiral notebook filled with plenty of paper and writing implements, my favorite Labrador retriever so that I have an upbeat companion to keep me company, and the complete library of all the Dean Koontz novels.



bookworm: Thank you for taking the time to do a blog interview Jennifer! Wow, i'm speechless about your living next door to a psychopath at one point. And I'm a big fan of Dean Koontz as well. Bringing his books to a deserted island is a great idea :)










If any of your readers want to know more information about me and Compulsion, they can go to:
http://www.authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com

http://www.outskirtspress.com/compulsion

Thank you again for the interview opportunity. --Jennifer

The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.

-Kate Chopin, The Awakening

Mothers of Contention and the Money Wars
By Meg Wolitzer,
Author of The Ten-Year Nap

What will become of the mommy wars in the flailing economy? My fantasy (and it is just a fantasy) is that they will eventually fade into obscurity like, say, the Punic Wars -- relics from a past that seems to have taken place a very long time ago. The idea of working mothers pitted against non-working mothers in a sort of mud-wrestling championship -- in which the winner gets what, exactly? -- has a kind of luxury about it that many people, whether they work or not, suddenly no longer feel. While motherhood and work questions have special urgency and relevance in this crisis -- What happens when women leave the workforce to stay home with their kids? What are the financial implications down the line? etc. -- the rush to judgment is something for fatter, softer times. I haven't seen an appreciable increase in hostility or smugness on anyone's part. And I haven't heard about the publication of a new, lacerating non-fiction book called Ha Ha I was Right, or one called Even If I'd Been Working All This Time I Might Have Been Laid Off Like My Husband.



Maybe, instead -- and a girl can dream -- a kind of tolerance is taking over, fueled by the sense that the family of the woman who works and the family of the one who doesn't are both in trouble. A friend of mine says that she's been paying attention at drop-off at her daughter's school, trying to figure out whether or not different parents are working, and what their stories are, based on how they're dressed and other cues. The formerly suited-up man in his early thirties who now appears every weekday morning on the sidewalk in front of the school in casualwear: did he lose his job, or is he working from home? And the woman who until very recently spent hours volunteering at the school library, and who now hurries into the subway: has she traded Laura Ingalls Wilder for, say, Morgan Stanley? Or is she just out there looking? It's really hard to know what's going on in the enclosed world of anyone else's family, unless they're willing to talk.



And many people, right now, are talking. There's a new jabber in the atmosphere. You barely have to say anything at all, on a street corner or on line at the bakery or in a phone conversation, and the other person immediately knows what you're talking about: "Yes, things are terrifying," and "I know, I know." The financial crisis belongs to one-income and two-income families, as well to the families of the suddenly unemployed, who all share ownership of this strange new thing they don't yet understand.



Though the mommy wars have addressed real and powerful questions, even dipping lightly into those conversations could leave you shaking and defensive. It's still true that, even now, there isn't only one definitively right way to have a life. Regardless of this crisis and its cautionary-tale elements (of which there are many), I think it's a given that people still want to find some way to make their own individual decisions about work and home and motherhood.



Women who work full-time or part-time and those who stay home with their kids (as well as those who now spend their days answering help wanted ads on craigslist) may not experience Helen Reddy solidarity. It may be way too soon to speak about the mommy wars in the past tense, for no one has solved the problem of ambivalence about staying home versus working, or the lack of good, cheap daycare; and no one has found a way for some women not to feel they're damned if they do, and damned if they don't. Maybe not even the full-scale meltdown of the economy can keep these particular, familiar wars from raging. But it can try.





©2009 Meg Wolitzer, author of The Ten Year Nap: A Novel


Author Bio

Meg Wolitzer is the author of seven previous novels, including The Position and The Wife. Her short fiction has appeared in The Best American Short Stories and The Pushcart Prize. She lives in New York City.

To purchase The Ten Year Nap please visit http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781594483547,00.html?The_Ten-Year_Nap_Meg_Wolitzer


I'll be reviewing The Ten Year Nap later on in April.


special thanks to Caitlin Price over at www.fsbassociates.com.

Mailbox Mondays




I've been lucky to receive some great books in the mail this past week:



The Obama Revolution by Alan Kennedy-Shaffer

The first book to be written by a campaign staffer and offering rare insider glimpses, The Obama Revolution explores how a generation of believers and the politics of hope won the presidency for Barack Obama and changed the world.

Hungry Woman in Paris by Josefina López (I won this one over at Dar's Blog)

A journalist and activist, Canela believes passion is essential to life; but lately passion seems to be in short supply. It has disappeared from her relationship with her fiancé, who is more interested in controlling her than encouraging her. It's absent from her work, where censorship and politics keep important stories from being published. And while her family is full of outspoken individuals, the only one Canela can truly call passionate is her cousin and best friend Luna, who just took her own life....

So, as you can see i'm adding some great books to my TBR mountain. What will you be reading this week? Enjoy your Monday!

title: The Broken Parachute Man: A Novel of Medical Intrigue

author: Robert Bolin

pages: 292

genre: fiction

published: 2008

first line: I've always wanted to be what I am not.

rated: 3 out of 3





Clyde Young works for a pharmaceutical company and is aboard a plane on his way to make a presentation for work. While aboard, terrorists hijack the plane and Clyde winds up being thrown out of the plane, and using a parachute that barely works, he manages to land and survive the fall.



The scenes were Clyde is trying to survive in the wilderness were interesting but I did find it completely unbelieveable that he survived falling out of the plane to begin with. He also doesn't seem like the kind of person to survive such extreme weather and conditions. He's overweight and over fifty years old. And there's nothing wrong with overweight 50 year olds, but for this character to survive falling out of a plane, only to be stranded for weeks in the middle of the wilderness in snowy Idaho is highly unlikely if not impossible. Plus, he's only wearing a business suit and has no snow gear at all. He loses most of his fingers and toes due to frostbite and is even stalked by hungry wolves at one point, he survives that also. Once Spring arrives, he is able to make it down the mountain and is found by snowmobile riders who take him into town. No one believes Clydes story, and he is even suspected of being one of the terrorists. He then makes his way to Las Vegas, meets a few interesting characters and begins to investigate why all this has happened to him. As he is trying to find answers, Clyde discovers that his employer has created a drug that has deadly side effects. He knows he must expose them before its too late.







So as I said, if you are willing to believe anything can happen, then you will enjoy this book. I thought it was an okay read, I just need my books to be somewhat believeable, even if they are fiction. I wouldn't count out reading anymore Robert B. Bolin books, this book was interesting enough to keep me reading. My one big bother with it was its lack of belief.






Special thanks to Elizabeth McCurry over at http://www.phenixpublicity.com/ for sending me this book.

This book has also been reviewed by: Debbie and Cheryl


About the author:

Robert B. Bolin, M.D. is a hematologist and oncologist for the Skylakes Medical Center. He holds a Bachelor of Science from The College of Idaho and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Colorado. Bolin currently resides in Klamath Falls, Ore., and is working on his third novel, The Pepperbox Diary, which is a
historic look at the prejudices miners faced in early 1900s. For more information, please visit http://www.robertbolin.com/.

It's finally Friday! Enjoy your weekend everyone. I will be taking this weekend off from blogging, I just need a little break. Thanks to all my blog friends who always take the time out to visit me and leave me such sweet comments. You always make me smile :)

I'll leave you with a little Coldplay, this is one of my favorites.

I have no life but this,

To lead it here;

Nor any death, but lest

Dispelled from there;



Nor tie to earths to come,

Nor action new,

Except through this extent,

The realm of you.

-Emily Dickinson



art by J. Wall

Booking Through Thursday:

The opposite of last week’s question: “What’s the best ‘worst’ book you’ve ever read — the one you like despite some negative reviews or features?”

I'd have to say Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. I loved this book and devoured it quickly. I plan on re-reading it soon.


He walked me to my next class in silence and paused at the door; I turned to say goodbye. His face startled me-his expression was torn, almost pained, and so fiercely beautiful that the ache to touch him flared as strong as before.

My goodbye was stuck in my throat.

He raised his hand, hesitant, conflict raging in his eyes, and then swiftly brushed the length of my cheekbone with his fingertips. His skin was icy as ever, but the trail his fingers left on my skin was alarmingly warm-like I'd been burned but didn't feel the pain of it yet.

He turned without a word and strode quickly away from me.






Oh Edward!

Nerissa by John William Godward

There's no real reason for this post, except to show off Diego in his new onesie pajamas :) They are not for sleeping, just for looking cute in while I take his picture.










I'm still reading The Traitor's Wife: Betrayal & Murder in the Court of Edward II, and it's getting juicy! I love a good scandal. Have a good night everyone, what are you reading?

Teaser Tuesdays asks:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

And this Gaveston? Do you truly believe he and the king are nothing more than brothers to each other?

title: The Traitor's Wife: Betrayal & Murder in the Court of Edward II

Mailbox Mondays



Two fabulous books arrived in the mail this week:



The Midwife
A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth


An unforgettable story of motherhood, the bravery of a community, and the strength or remarkable and inspiring women.

At the age of twenty-two, Jennifer Worth leaves her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife to postwar London's East End slums. The colorful characters she meets while delivering babies -- from the plucky, warmhearted nuns with whom she lives, to the woman with twenty-four children, to the prostitutes and dockers of the city's seedier side -- illuminate a fascinating time in history. Beautifully written and utterly moving, The Midwife will touch the hearts of anyone who is, and everyone who has, a mother.

Relentless by Lauren Dane (ARC)

Fifteen Families rule the Federated Universes—and Abbie Haws has spent her life battling the system. She’s always been too driven to pay much attention to love. But when she meets Roman Lyons, Head of House Lyons, who stands for everything she hates, Abbie’s attraction catches her off-guard…


Their world, Ravena, revolves around born leader Roman, who dreads meeting this defiant— if stunning—rabble-rouser. But sometimes headstrong personalities that collide in public become hot-and-heavy, guilty trysts in private.

Carl is hosting the Once Upon a Time III and I couldn't resist.

fan⋅ta⋅sy: a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting.(Wiki)



fairy tale: a fictional story that may feature folkloric characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and talking animals, and usually enchantments, often involving a far-fetched sequence of events. (Wiki)



folk⋅lore: the traditional beliefs, legends, customs, etc., of a people; lore of a people; The traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and practices of a people, transmitted orally. (Dictionary dot com)



my⋅thol⋅o⋅gy: a body of myths, as that of a particular people or that relating to a particular person; a set of stories, traditions, or beliefs associated with a particular group or the history of an event, arising naturally or deliberately fostered.

I'm choosing to do The Journey:

This is really as simple as the name implies. It means you are participating, but not committing yourself to any specific number of books. All reading is a journey, perhaps none more so than reading fantastical fiction. By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to at least read one book within one of the four categories during March 21st to June 20th period. Just one book. If you choose to read more, fantastic!

My picks:


Eragon by Christopher Paolini

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

Hello everyone, it's finally Friday! I hope you all have a great weekend.

I'll be cleaning up puppy poop, like i've been doing all week. Diego is quite the stubborn little chihuahua, but I know he will learn to go outside eventually. And it's impossible to stay mad at him, he's too darn cute! And he's so funny, he loves to get belly rubs and will lay himself on the floor so we can rub his tummy.




I'm currently reading:



The Traitor's Wife: Betrayal & Murder in the Court of Edward II by Susan Higginbotham.

This book was sent to me by Paul Samuelson at http://www.sourcebooks.com/.



I'm also reading:



The Broken Parachute Man: A Novel of Medical Intrigue by Robert Bolin



I'm going to try and get a big chunk of these read because I am very much behind on my reading and reviewing. I had to put Gena Showalter's The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2) on the backburner for now.




I'll post some Lily Allen, she's one of my favorites, she's always tells it like it is.






Enjoy your day! What are you up to?

Booking Through Thursday:

How about, “What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?”

Without a doubt, Love In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez.






I had heard such wonderful things about this book and I went and bought it. But when I finally read it, I really didn't enjoy it. The only reason I even finished reading it was out of sheer curiosity. The main character was a pervert and just when I thought the story couldn't get any more disturbing, it did. The one good thing about the book was the writing was beautiful at times.

I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.


Groucho Marx

title: The Fearless Fish Out of Water: How to Succeed When You're the Only One Like You


author: Robin Fisher-Roffer

genre: self-help

pages: 213

published: 2009

rated: 4 out of 5

Everyone's felt out of place at some point - be they female, minority, a geek, a non-conformist, or just boldly individual. Fearless Fish will show readers how to stay connected while maintaining a unique identity, how to fit in without blending in, how to transform exclusion and have an impact. After all, there is tremendous opportunity for influence when you're on the edge -- you're already noticed! Fearless Fish will demonstrate how to make the most out of being noticed as you gain the tools for becoming more of who you are, instead of trying to change who you are. It will help readers use the tools they already have to find everything they want in their careers -- without sacrificing their souls.

The Fearless Fish Out of Water is a wonderful career success book. Having recently been promoted at work and having moved to a new office, this book couldn't have arrived at a more perfect time for me. The general idea of this book is that instead of trying to conform to something you are not, you can embrace your uniqueness in the workplace and accept yourself. We all need to fit in, but its always important not to lose your unique identity. By being your true self, instead of trying to be someone you are not, you thrive and those around you benefit as well. Author Robin Fisher-Roffer includes inspirational stories from other 'fearless fish'. She advises to first find the real you, and accept yourself. You can then be part of any group, yet not get lost in it.





This is a great book for anyone who is feeling anxious about fitting in at the workplace or at school. There's useful exercises and helpful tips included as you read.




Here's a few of my favorite quotes:

Life is not just about survival; it's about thriving.

Change perceptions of you by fearlessly showing yourself.

Anybody can be fearless when things are going great. It's in times like these that you have to search yourself and be brutally honest. One of the reasons we sometimes feel that we don't fit in with others is because we actually don't like ourselves.

It all comes down to remembering how courageous you already are.

Change is something to look forward to and not something to hide from.

The universe offers a myriad of ways in which we can express ourselves and find success on so many levels, both personal and professional. Our job is to be open to those possibilities and see how far we can go.

You must take charge of you.

special thanks to Anna from FSB Associates for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.