Monday, March 25, 2013

Review for DIVIDE BY ZERO by Sheila Deeth


Hi, folks.

Here's wishing you a wonderful Easter weekend with your family and friends.

God bless!

- Aaron Paul Lazar
www.lazarbooks.com

Divide by Zero by Sheila Deeth offers a unique perspective on community. Like a human patchwork quilt, this dramatic family novel provides intimate glimpses into the minds of dozens of characters. Some are sweet and submissive, like Mary. Others obsess over with “not being their fathers” (abusers), and end up fighting genetics their entire lives, like Peter. And yet others are innocent children, like the autistic girl Amelia, who appears in the last third of the book. Of all the characters, my favorite was the white cat, Garnet. Mystical and fundamental to the plot(s), she was quite endearing.

LOOK OUT FOR THE SEQUEL, INFINITE SUMAs a writer, I have never undertaken presenting so many points of view in one story. I marveled at how well Ms. Deeth told each distinctly different story with such authenticity.

There were moments of pure poetry within the pages. Here are a few of my favorite passages:

When speaking about a classroom, she wrote:

Sounds washed the room like paint brushes in water, muted with background blue, giving shade but no texture.


Here’s a passage from the autistic girl’s mind:

Amelia stretched her arms to feel the touch of air and drifting cobwebs, bark-dust singing, butterfly wings. Red sunshine warmed the lids of her closed eyes as she started to spin. Her feet scuffed earth, where stones or skeletons of leaves slipped into socks and caught between her toes. She moved as fast as thought while the air, pine-scented, grew earthy and cloudy, scratching in her throat till she fell down.

Like ripples in a pond, as events unfold—mundane or horrific—they propagate and touch every individual in unique and extraordinary ways.

This is not a book you will zoom through. It's not a page turner, or high action suspense. I actually read it slowly, over the course of several months. Beware, you may be lulled into a false sense of security by the vignettes that show each character undergoing his or her unique trials. But I guarantee you will never forget the characters or the horrific act that takes place very near the end of the story, and the spider web of connectivity that draws all characters into the human fabric of the tale.

Recommended by Aaron Paul Lazar, award-winning author at www.lazarbooks.com.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

The Next Big Thing - featuring Beryl Singleton Bissell

Hi, folks.

I love featuring authors on my blog, especially when I am enamored by their writing. And this woman who I'm featuring today -- Beryl Singleton Bissell --  is one of my all time favorites, as a person who you can't help but admire and love, and as a true-hearted, lovely writer.


I highly recommend Beryl's first and second books. Here's a bit about them. Click on the images to buy them on Amazon.


The Scent of God
by Beryl Singleton Bissell

The Scent of God by Beryl Singleton Bissell is a work of fine art, reminiscent of a painting by Rubens or a haunting Saint-Saëns melody. The beautifully crafted memoir offers words that glisten like gems on each page. Lush imagery, dripping with heady scents and vibrant color, transports the reader to locales ranging from the sanctified to the exotic. Readers will savor every chapter of this alluring tale.


A View of the Lake
by Beryl Singleton Bissell


A View of the Lake, by Beryl Singleton Bissell, is a vibrant collection of reflective essays centered on the North Shore of Lake Superior, Minnesota. Each slice-of-life chapter transports the reader into Ms. Bissell’s life in this majestic country, as well as connecting us to her gentle spirit.

You may read about Beryl's "Next Big Thing" here on her blog. 


I will add links to addition folks on this blog tour in the near future, stay tuned!

And now, for my portion of this event, here are my answers to the questions that are propagating around the blogger world. This time I've changed my answers to reflect the newest book I've just started writing, MURDER ON THE SACANDAGA.

THE NEXT BIG THING


1-What is your working title of your book? 



MURDER ON THE SACANDAGA, book 4 in the Tall Pines Mystery series.



2-Where did the idea come from for the book?



The first book in the series, FOR THE BIRDS, came from a dream. Really, it did! But this one is number four in the series, so the characters were set and well-established. The idea of the Sacandaga River playing a major part in a murder investigation came about as I sat overlooking it’s murmuring waters while visiting my favorite place in the world, the Tall Pines cabin in Hope, NY.



3-What genre does your book fall under?



Contemporary mystery from a women’s POV. These are fresh, fun, and packed with romance and suspense, but they also have plenty of heart pounding chase scenes through the beautiful Adirondack Mountains. ;o)



4-Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?



Female lead –  Jessica Brown Findlay (she plays Sibyl in Downton Abbey)  as Marcella Hollister. 










Thelma would be played by Doris Roberts (Ray’s mother in Everyone Loves Raymond), since my grandmother Lena isn't alive to play the part she would have been perfect for! 

Quinn  Black Eagle Hollister would have to look a bit like this guy I just randomly found on the net. I assume he’s an actor, but maybe not? Anyone have ideas for Quinn’s Hollywood alter ego?










I can't seem to get the photo to copy and paste, but here is a link to an actor who might work for Sky Lissoneau - his name is Alex Pettyfer.  He'd had to grow his hair out longer for the movie.


5-What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?



When a serial killer snatches a young leukemia patient from a small Adirondack town, Marcella Hollister and her ex-lover, Sky Lissoneau, try to find her along the wooded banks of the Sacandaga River in the midst of a raging snowstorm.


6-Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?


All of my books are represented by Lida Quillen at Twilight Times Books. I love my publisher! Please check out the great selection of award-winning books on the TTB site. (www.twilighttimesbooks.com)



7-How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?



I’ve spent the last month writing about 25,000 words. I usually write a chapter a day, about 1500-2000 words. This is usually accomplished from 5:30 to 6:30 every morning!


8-What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?


The first three books in the series are really the only other books I know of that feature suspense/mystery/thriller combined with a bit of spiritual/paranormal themes based in the deep woods of the Adirdondacks. Check out For the Birds, Essentially Yours, and Sanctuary at www.lazarbooks.com.



9-Who or what inspired you to write this book?  

 My love of all things Native American and my own heritage from the Metis tribe in Canada.



10-What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?



Marcella and Quinn have their first falling out. It’s tough on both of them, and Marcella is constantly driven into the arms of her high school lover, Sky, who still loves her, 19 years after she turned down his marriage proposal. Also, these books feature Young Living Essential Oils. My characters “discovered” the oils about the same time I did, and we learn about the applications and uses of them throughout the series. ;o)

Here's the first page:


Losing a child is like losing your soul. Only worse. Especially when you’ve waited your whole life for her.

The judge let me keep Kimi for one month, then abruptly decided there was someone more suitable to raise her: her dead father’s sister, who’d come out of nowhere to drop the bomb on us.

I still couldn’t believe it.

One month of cuddling, nurturing, bathing with no-more-tears shampoo, washing her tiny outfits with special detergent. One month of watching her toddle uncertainly toward her favorite black bear teddy, listening to her squeals of delight when Quinn dropped on all fours to play with her.

I pulled the child closer to me, nuzzling her soft curls and holding her chubby hand in mine. She lay against me, completely relaxed, her dark eyes turned up to mine as if she knew something was wrong.

I held back the sobs.

One month was not enough.



Sunday, March 10, 2013

For Writers: Writing Guides you can Listen to! (free to first five reviewers!)

Hi, folks.

I have meant to let you know about these guides for a while... They are the new WRITE LIKE THE WIND eBook and audio book series - a collection of all my writing articles and blogs over the past seven years.


I've had fun with the audio books and found a really cool narrator (a full time actor!) who truly reads the books exactly as I "hear" the words in my head. Can you imagine that?

He's amazing! His name is George Kuch. If you want to listen to a sample, you can hear some from volume 1 here and volume 2 here. Volume 3 is almost ready to go at Audible.com.

Have you ever listened to audio books? These are on sale (if you join Audible) for $3.61 each, or $6.95 ea. if you are a non-member, and they are about 2-3 hours listening time. Really fun stuff - I tried to include some humor in them as well as stories about my own writer's life - some humbling things as well, LOL.

And let me warn you... After you listen to these three volumes, you may well learn FAR more about me than you ever should know...

Meanwhile, you might pick up some encouragement, inspiration, writing tips, and suggestions on how to deal with rejection, etc. The guides are a true potpourri of writing life topics.
If you have time to listen to the samples, let me know what you think about my new narrator. Women have called his voice "yummy" and "sexy," but from a guy's POV I think it is warm and soothing and great to listen to. What do you think?

I'm offering these audiobooks FREE to the first five readers/writers who will listen and post a honest review on Audible.com.

I will "gift" these to you through your email, and you can listen on the Audible.com app on your smart phone, iPad, PC, laptop, etc.

I hope you all have a great Sunday and rest of the week!

Best to all,

Aaron


Twilight Times Books by multi-award winning, Kindle bestselling author, Aaron Lazar:

DOUBLE FORTÉ (print, eBook, audio book)
UPSTAGED (print, eBook, audio book)
MAZURKA (print, eBook, audio book)
FIRESONG (print, eBook, audio book)
VIRTUOSO (~2014)

HEALEY'S CAVE (print, eBook, audio book)
FOR KEEPS (print, eBook, audio book)

FOR THE BIRDS (print, eBook, audio book coming 2013)
ESSENTIALLY YOURS (print, eBook, audio book coming 2013)
MURDER ON THE SACANDAGA (~2014)

WRITING ADVICE:

WRITE LIKE THE WIND, volumes 1, 2, 3 (ebooks and audio books)

Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. An award-winning, bestselling Kindle author of three addictive mystery series, Aaron enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at http://www.lazarbooks.com and watch for his upcoming Twilight Times Books releases, DON’T LET THE WIND CATCH YOU (2013) and SANCTUARY (2013).

FINALIST 2013 EPIC Book Awards * WINNER 2011 EPIC Book Awards, BEST Paranormal * FINALIST 2011 FOREWORD BOOK AWARDS * WINNER 2011 Eric Hoffer BEST Book, COMMERCIAL FICTION * 2X FINALIST Global eBook Awards 2011 * Preditors & Editors Readers Choice Award – 2nd place 2011* Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Top 10 Books of 2012 * Winner of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s 9th Annual Noble (Not Nobel!) Prize for Literature 2011 * Finalist Allbooks Editor’s Choice Awards 2011 * Preditors&Editors Top 10 FinalistYolanda Renée's Top Ten Books 2008 * MYSHELF Top Ten Reads 2008 * Writer’s Digest Top 101 Website Award 2009-2012

Monday, March 04, 2013

FREE MYSTERY TODAY ONLY!

DOUBLE FORTE'

Wintry Mystery FREE TODAY ONLY -  eBook, romantic, thrills galore. Page Turner. DOUBLE FORTE.

Click here for the free download. 

Please share with friends and family!


Friday, March 01, 2013

FREE MYSTERIES! Read an eBook Week, March 3-9th

Hi, folks.

In honor of Read an eBook Week, a few of my mysteries are going to be available as free downloads through my publisher's website, starting today!

You can download my European mystery/suspense MAZURKA today in all formats. This offer is good through March 9th. ;o)



Join Gus and Camille LeGarde as they chase down a family secret with the potential to change European history. When Gus's brother-in-law is framed for a neo-Nazi’s murder, the couple is plunged into a cat-and-mouse game where the stakes are lethal and the future of Europe hangs in the balance.




SAVE THE DATE: You can download DOUBLE FORTE', the acclaimed first book in the LeGarde Mystery series on MARCH 4th. Just scroll down on the TTB website and click on the type of formatting you want to receive.



 

Gus LeGarde’s life essentially ended four years ago, when his beloved wife leapt to her death. Today, Gus lavishes love on his family, trying to bury the pain. But trouble arrives when his arrogant son-in-law’s business partner goes missing, and Gus’s innocent friendis set up to take the fall.





I hope you can take advantage of these freebies!

There are more great books available this week, too.

On March The following titles will be offered as free give-aways via the Twilight Times Books web site during Read an E-Book Week, March 3-9, 2013.

http://twilighttimesbooks.com/ttb_free_ebooks.html

Behold the Eyes of Light by Geoff Geauterre
Book Reviewers Talk about their Craft by Mayra Calvani
Death on Delivery by Anne K. Edwards
Double Forté by Aaron Paul Lazar
How I Wrote My First Book: the story behind the story by Anne K. Edwards and Lida E. Quillen, Editors
Jerome and the Seraph by Robina Williams
Literary Sampler by Mayra Calvani, Aaron Paul Lazar and Anne K. Edwards
Mazurka by Aaron Paul Lazar
Monkey Trap by Lee Denning
No Place for Gods by Gerald Mills
Striking Back from Down Under by Dr. Bob Rich
The Case of the Displaced Detective: The Arrival by Stephanie Osborn
Touch of Fate by Christine Amsden
Who is Margaret? What is She? and Other Stories by Celia A. Leaman


Please let me know if you have any questions, okay?
Happy Reading!!

Aaron Lazar
www.lazarbooks.com