Mischief and Mayhem

Mischief and Mayhem: Part 1 of the Faerlands Chronicles by S.D. Nicholson, © 2019, köehlerbooks

You are in for a treat today. Not only has a new book hit my bedside table, but I have a little more insight into it and the author that wrote Mischief and Mayhem—S.D. Nicholson. As it is the first book in a series, this offers an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new world.

Meet the Faers and the world they inhabit. And meet Samuel, our author and host, as we step into a world of fantasy that is sure to pique your interest.

Mischief and Mayhem: Part 1 of the Faerlands Chronicles

Q: This is your first novel – what got you interested in writing?

Nicholson: For the few who knew I was writing the manuscript; it was all about an escape. I was a commercial real estate agent at the time and was enjoying it, but it was a relentless grind, day in and day out. Stepping away from it, I have a far greater appreciation for the brokers who survive and keep at it. Mischief and Mayhem was my outlet into a world other than my own, dictated by the rules I chose. I feel like a broken record, but I truly believe in the concept of “escape through entertainment” and I decided then that I wanted to not only escape, but become the creator of the worlds I escape into.

Q: Where did the idea for the The Faerlands Chronicles series come from?

Nicholson: It’s difficult to narrow inspiration down to specifics. From my own childhood adventures to reading Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones to “ticking away the moments that make up a dull day,” I want to say everything has been an inspiration. I believe every interaction we have, be it with others or in an activity, shape how we view the world. In this case, I feel like the realm of the Faerlands is constantly growing and evolving as I too learn and do more.

Q: Many fantasy books today are aimed at teens. Why did you choose to write for adults?

Nicholson: Honestly, I find it easier to target adult interests more than teens or young adults. Yes, adults are more complex in their judgment and preferences, but they are also more accepting of new ideas. There are two key elements here. First, there is a level of enjoyment that nearly everyone has for fantasy, whether it be creature specific, magic, or just the general world of a “Middle-Earth.” Second, people don’t like to say it, but humans are intrigued by violence. Part of you enjoys the flutter of your heart when tension rises and emotion overtakes judgment. You cheer for some characters to live and hope certain ones to die. To make a long story short (too late), I felt I could ease adults into my world and attach them to characters, before dousing them with fantasy, and then be more violent and expletive along the way.

Q: Mischief and Mayhem takes readers into a very complex world. When you began writing, was it more around character development, or world creation?  

Nicholson: It was always world building, which is weird to say now that I’m nearly finished with Part Two and I know and love the characters to death. I knew who my characters would be and their general attitude, but until you put the letters on the page and make words come out of their mouths, you only have a description. I started writing with the idea that I’m going to let my characters evolve on their own and “grow into themselves” throughout the story. I said earlier that I wanted to escape into the world, not necessarily walk with the characters. The Faerlands is only one landmass in this world, with many others hinted at. I felt that the reader needed to see what trees and foliage surrounded them in the Woodlands. They need to smell the sweet aroma of honeysuckle and shiver during a cold breeze.

Q: Mischief and Mayhem introduces readers to a lot of new characters. Which one is your favorite? And why?

Nicholson: This is difficult, because I know more characters and more importantly, who dies (insert maniacal laugh). My favorite is by far Ophelia. In short, she’s a little badass. She’s far stronger than she realizes, but it comes at a great cost. Her power forces her to relive tragic moments and nearly drives her insane. I cannot even count how many hardships I’ve forced upon her, yet she always has a positive outlook and refuses to let any loss or wrong doing define her. It hasn’t been shared on socials yet, but I had my most recent tattoo be of her. Soon it will be done with more imagery from different scenes and fights. All in all, I couldn’t think of a better character’s mindset to tell most of the story from.

Q: Mischief and Mayhem is the first book in the series. When will the next one come out, and what can readers expect from it?

Nicholson: Hopefully soon! My goal, as I’m sure is any debut author’s, is to reach a point that I’m constantly producing content. I moved to the Outer Banks at the beginning of the off-season and right when I began the publication process, knowing that I would have a lot of free time. I’m pleased to say that in the past six months I’m just over the three-quarter’s mark with Part Two and it is full speed ahead. As far as expectations go: more story. Part One ideally sets the stage of the world and lays out what surface issues are occurring. Part Two brings in a third storyline, following the forces in the Meadows as they defend against the invaders. It also follows the antagonists more, learning a little about their story. Overall, Part Two is a hurricane of emotion, violence, and mysticism. More races are introduced and understood, along with even more fantastic creatures!

Q: What do you want the reader to take away from Mischief and Mayhem?

Nicholson: I want them to take away the concept that even when the world looks bleak and empty, you only need to turn the page and find a silver lining. Our characters face far worse problems than any of us could imagine in day to day life, yet they endeavor to persevere. I know it’s cliché, but our issues are always minute in the grand scheme. Sometimes we just need to see others, whether they are fictional or not, overcome something worse and inspire them to do better and enjoy life for what it is. TLDR…don’t wait to be happy, go seek it.

🧚🧚🧚

Thank you to S.D. Nicholson for sharing some insight into his debut novel and the worlds you can get to know within its pages. I look forward to the next installments already! If you want to learn more, visit his website for a deeper dive into his world.

Countdown America

In celebration of International Women's Day, today I look at a book not only written by a woman, but featuring an amazingly strong female protagonist. As a woman, we often feel like we have to do it all to come close to making it in today's demanding world. As a single parent, that pressure is even more, as there literally isn't anyone else to step up and take the reins to give that much needed break on occasion. 

Author M.C. Fox gets that and created a character all women can relate to and gain inspiration from. You won't be able to put down her newest book Countdown America. Don't take my word for it though. Hear what Fox has to say about her novel in her own words.

Countdown America: Talking with M.C. Fox

Question: Tell us what Countdown America is all about.

M.C. Fox:. Countdown America is about a single mom, Isabella Bendel, who rises through the ranks of the CIA to Chief Supervisor of the Cyber Terrorism Unit. She finds herself at the other end of a case she never thought she would ever be on. Trying to figure out why she has become a target, while also trying to figure out why her family has been abducted. This is the toughest mission she has ever worked. She finds herself fighting her way through assassins, cyber-terrorists, and duplicitous fellow agents, as she uncovers a Russian plot that is hell-bent on destroying the United States.

Q: What inspired you to write this novel?

Fox: Initially it was hearing about Russia’s attacks against countries of the former Soviet Republic. More recently, the news of the moles found in the United States, the hacking of our elections, and as reported, political meddling in several other countries. I thought it was the perfect ingredients for a spy story set in the world of political cyber-espionage.

Q: Isabella Bendel seems like a fierce character. What was your motivation behind creating such a strong female protagonist?  

Fox: Firstly, I wanted to create a female lead. There are not a lot of female lead characters in the spy genre. In my mind, Isabella couldn’t be anything but strong considering she is a single mom, and in her case, her line of work. I believe she is a good role model for women. She rises above her emotional distress and her vulnerability and carries on with the task at hand.

Q: It is interesting that you created Isabella to be a single mother. What was your thought behind that choice?

Fox: My thought was to create a strong yet vulnerable character. Being a single mom can be very vulnerable. You are doing it all. There are so many single mom’s out there that feel they can’t make it on their own, can’t do what they need to do to take care of their children.  I think it can speak to those single mom’s that don’t feel they can do it all. When they see Isabella doing it, it could help them see that they can too.

Q: And why cyber security – why did you tackle that subject?

Fox: It is a very “now” thing and I thought it would make a great plot line. We hear more and more of cyber related threats out there, for example, identity theft, and hacking financial institutions to name a few. More recently Russia’s reported involvement in the hacking of the elections in the United States. Everything is cyber related and it is a real threat, as we see played out in the news more and more.

Q: Beyond being entertained, what do you hope readers take away from reading Countdown America?

Fox: I hope it moves people to rise above circumstances and succeed. To move past the notion that because they are female, or vulnerable, that success is not an option.  I also hope to bring awareness around cyber threat. We live in a day and age when everything is cyber related.  The threats are real and so too must be the efforts to remove that threat. 

M.C. Fox

For more information, please visit www.mcfoxauthor.com and connect with her on Facebook and Instagram. Countdown America can be found on Amazon and other retailers

Advice for Lovers: Author Interview with Dalma Heyn and Richard Marek

Ah, sweet love. The wisp of tender passion is in the air, as Valentine's Day creeps ever closer. With its imminent approach, many people dwell on love and how to attract and/or keep it, I myself within that poignant crowd. What gentle fools we are...

As much as it would be nice to think it's as easy as an arrow into the heart from Cupid's deft bow, don't fool yourself. Love isn't quite as easy as that. Even Cupid has a harder time these days, despite us living in a time of avid "social" media. Ironic that in many ways, our social media use has actually left us even lonelier than we were before.

It doesn't have to be that way though and I am lucky enough to have a few love experts willing to share some tips on how to fall in love. I recently reviewed How to Fall in Love, and authors Dalma Heyn and Richard Marek have a few tips and advice for the singletons amongst us. Help me welcome Dalma and Richard to A New Day!

Fall in Love with Richard and Dalma

Richard Marek and Dalma Heyn

Being single in the digital age is hard work. There are dating apps to fill out, finding the perfect pics to show off your fun and quirky side, and then all those profiles to swipe through. And that’s just to hopefully get a date or two! How is anyone expected to find and nourish true love via 1” pixelated photos and brief blurbs that leave you feeling flat? Do you have any tips for the lovelorn in 2019? 

Being single IS hard work—much like an audition for a part you don’t even know you want but nevertheless have to keep returning to for call-backs. The “perfect pics” to show off your “fun and quirky side”—plus all other attempts to present the “you” you want a potential date to “get” at first glance—it’s exhausting.

In all the years I’ve written dating columns, I’ve just one serious piece of advice—and it’s mostly for women. (A man seems able simply to be ambulatory and under age 80, and not a serial killer to be considered a good date.)  But women are caught in the age-old “I’m the perfect woman” trap. Here’s how to get out of it: YOU are looking for someone, and that fact is more important than presenting yourself to be looked at. Think of it as looking out of your eyes, not looking at yourself through the culture’s. By that I mean, do not try to please this mysterious group of dates out there—instead be clear about what pleases YOU. This little switch sounds easier than it is. I’ve spoken with some women who aren’t sure what they want and so naturally fall back on ways to be wanted. But focusing on YOUR desires will go far to make filling out these dating apps more of a pleasure than a drag.

Excellent Advice! Knowing yourself is half the challenge when looking for a new mate. What do you really want in a partner? Do some soul-searching first before expecting someone to fit a role which you don't even know the parameters.

Okay, so say we’ve been out on a date or two. Fantastic, but how do we take it to the next level? 

Going from a first or second date to “the next level,” as you put it, is more a matter of intuition. If you’re both feeling good about seeing each other, and are both shy, it just takes a nudge—in words and In person. Before you leave your last date, you say, “This is fun. I hope we can do it again.”  Responsive but not too eager, and hardly requiring much of an attention span.  Your date’s response will either be, “Yeah, let’s go for pizza at that new place on Saturday, okay?” Or it won’t elicit more than a grunt. Either way, you’re ahead. It’s either moving forward or you’re moving on.  

PS: It may take a lot of these deadly attempts at connection, but, as my mother used to say, it only takes two minutes to meet someone and know it’s right. So you have to plow through.

It makes sense that it takes work to find someone you truly connect with. Not everyone is a perfect match to you, but there is someone out there for everyone. Keep looking! And once you find them, keeping working to grow that love every day. 

One of those ways is with a simple note sharing your heart's desires—a love letter. Are love letters still valid and valued today? Do you have tips Dalma and Richard on how readers can create the perfect love letter for their beloved? Or even win your 2019 Love Letter contest!

Love letters are more valid, and more valued, than ever. Attention spans may have hit rock bottom, but that doesn’t mean a quick “Love ya! ” is going to catch anyone’s attention, short as it may be, unless you’re speaking to your dog-walker. Just as desire needs space, time, and room to breathe in order to expand into love, so do words between lovers need space, time, room and thought in order to express love. Part of the joy of sending AND receiving a love letter is that it does take time. Precious time devoted to revealing a precious emotion—one that no little heart-faced emoji can possibly express. 

All letters are valid and valued—when was the last time your received a thank-you note via snail-mail? An apology, written out with care and heartfelt concern for reparation? A letter can say, and mean, everything. And a love letter, of course, means more than anything.

You seem to know a lot about love letters and what should go into them. Is there anything that star-crossed lovers should steer clear of when expressing their undying love to their sweetheart? What are some love letter don’ts?

We could give you a list of don’ts for business letters, personal letters, apology letters….but we have no such list for love letters. Unlike the former, which require certain formats and sign-offs; proper margins and good grammar and correct placement of addresses and dates, the love letter is totally without rules.  It’s as free an expression of an overwhelming feeling that you’ll ever have, an emotion that simply must be expressed.  Your way. It’s YOUR expression, in YOUR voice, with YOUR wit and soulfulness and charm.  You love this person and can’t bear holding in your feelings one more moment., grammar, punctuation, be damned. All that’s required is that it be pure; it mustn’t have any other agenda than to express your love. Our sense of how we’ll judge the letters is simply that we feel what the writer feels!

Hear that readers? You don't need a Masters degree in Love OR University level English to express what your heart feels. Just let those heartfelt emotions flow!

I recently read ‘How to Fall in Love’, co-authored by you both. Did collaborating on this novel bring you closer together? What inspired you to write a love story orchestrated by Cupid, but bungled through by two unlikely characters – Eve, a former ballet star cum maple sugar bush owner, and Evan, an anthologist and car enthusiast? Are the lessons they learned along the way important for anyone contemplating love?

We were inspired to write the book by just what you so wisely point out in question 1: That everyone is overwhelmed with dating apps, texting, sexting, tagging on Facebook, getting the right makeup highlighter for Instagram…..that we wondered how two people not seriously wired got together.  And since we wanted our question to be presented in a light-hearted way, we thought of the old-fashioned idea of Cupid—how his arrow, when it hit, engendered love in one person.  And the rest just flowed. 

Richard is an editor, so an anthologist was a fun way to present an editor, and I know a bit about dancers. We both know a lot about second chances, and the difficulties of making love happen when two lives are so different from each other’s. It was a great collaboration and we had so much fun!

What about you Dalma and Richard? How do you keep the romance alive in your relationship? Any tips on those struggling to find or keep love vibrant and meaningful in their lives?

We have been blessed with a kind of ease between us; we don’t “work” on our relationship as much as we keep in touch about what we’re feeling.  When trust builds over the years, so does empathy for one’s partner.  Even when we’re furious at each other, we can each feel, somehow, what the other is going through, and find ourselves letting it go faster than we did when we were younger and had to make our points really clear.

Thank you so much for speaking with me Richard and Dalma. I appreciate all your advice and inspiration on love and keeping passion alive and well in today's fickle digital age. We need to slow down and take the time to know ourselves and others better if we are to keep our connections strong. Your enthusiasm for reaching that level of connectedness is heartening.

If you want to connect with Dalma and Richard, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and on their website. Don't forget to take a look at their love letter contest. You can win a rose gold Tiffany Paloma Picasso love ring, plus a hand-written, framed copy of your love letter. 

Happy Valentine's week my friends. May love find you and keep you in a special place, even if it's just falling in love with yourself all over again. 

❤️❤️❤️

ABOUT AUTHORS DALMA HEYN & RICHARD MAREK:

Husband and wife team Dalma Heyn and Richard Marek are the authors of  How to Fall in Love , a provocative love story for the digital age. Heyn is the author of the New York Times best-seller The Erotic Silence of the American Wife, Marriage Shock and Drama Kings. Her books, published in 35 countries, have been best-sellers both here and abroad. Richard Marek is one of the most accomplished book editors and publishers of his generation, working with writers James Baldwin, Thomas Harris, and Robert Ludlum, among many others. He is the author of Works of Genius and has ghostwritten a number of best-sellers.

The Secret Life of Mrs. London

The Secret Life of Mrs. London, by Rebecca Rosenberg, © 2018, Lake Union Publishing

Step back in time to the rumblings of the Great War. Europe is preparing for battle and America is watching on, at odds with whether they should join in or leave well enough alone. Many people loudly voiced their opinions, including famous writer Jack London. It was one of the qualities that initially attracted Charmian Kittredge, who later became his second wife.

While Charmian and Jack London were great intellectual equals, Jack took the spotlight in their relationship. Where Charmian was his typist and editor, Jack was the grandiloquent orator and prolific writer. Charmian charmed those she met, but Jack took life to the extreme; drinking, travelling, championing socialism, and womanizing. It was a challenge to fall in his shadow, but Charmian was no shrinking violet. So it should be of no surprise that when she met another powerful man of the era, she was drawn in by his magnetism as well. And who could resist the magical airs of none other than Harry Houdini?

Rebecca Rosenberg weaves a magical tale in this debut novel. Based on true events, she artfully fashions the story as historical fiction, painting a love triangle between Charmian, Jack London, and Harry Houdini. We see a different side to these public figures, as seen through Charmian's eyes and it is hard not to sympathize with her plight. I personally loved the peek under the covers that she offers readers and flew through the book's pages. Despite all of the characters' indiscretions, it is hard not to understand where their motives came from.

Rebecca Rosenberg

Ultimately though, this work is a body of fiction created by Rebecca. Since I had the pleasure to review her book, I thought it might be nice to ask a few more questions about it and learn more about her knowledge of Harry, Jack, and Charmian.

Let's chat with Rebecca!

1. Jack London had several affairs throughout his life, beginning with Charmian herself when he was married to his first wife. Why do you think Charmian accepted his affairs, but he couldn’t let go of her indiscretions?

Rebecca - We have to remember the Londons lived in the early 1900’s when things were very different than they are today. Women did not have the vote. All of a woman’s possessions were owned by her husband. Yet, the Londons were Bohemians and philosophers who believed in exploring the possibilities of life and passion. They read Jung, Freud, and other philosophers of the day and often discussed and argued big issues of fidelity, the value of life, the meaning of the universe. In THE SECRET LIFE OF MRS. LONDON, Jack London writes several novels about LOVE TRIANGLES, including LITTLE LADY OF THE BIG HOUSE, HEARTS OF THREE, MARTIN EDEN. London toys with Charmian in order to experience (or imagine) the feelings of his characters. As the London’s pushed these boundaries of fidelity, they experienced jealousy, which brought them back together, more in love than ever.

2. Both Charmian London and Harry Houdini were supposedly happily married but ended up having an affair with each other. Why do you think they were drawn to each other in the first place?

Rebecca - The mystery of why Charmian London and Harry Houdini would have an affair, when they clearly adored their spouses was the impetus of the novel! The answer to this question would spoil the novel in a few ways, let me just say there are very real reasons the affair happened, and I hope readers will understand that when they read it! Jack London and Houdini had their similarities and differences. Both were driven geniuses, and pushed human existence to its limits. But Jack drank and smoked with a passion and battled with depression. Houdini was an expert swimmer, runner, weight-lifter for his daring escapes. He never smoked or drank. I think Charmian was attracted to Houdini for some of the same reasons as she was Jack, but Houdini had a cool aloofness that could have been a relief after Jack’s intensity.

3. Charmian was an aspiring writer herself. While Jack tried to get her published, it was only with his insistence that her novel finally received publication from his publisher. Considering she was Jack’s muse, typist, and editor, do you think her writing should have stood on its own recognizance or is it fair that it was only published because she was Jack’s wife?

Rebecca - Jack London’s publisher was MacMillan, and he was their best selling author, so they would naturally look at Charmian London’s books, especially since they were biographies of their lives. I think her books, Hawaii and Log of the Snark are fascinating about their travels in the early 1900’s through the South Sea Islands and Australia, encountering Lepers, Headhunters and cannibals. Yes, I think they could have stood on their own, but given Jack London was the most famous, well paid author, the books served a double purpose of giving the public a glimpse into the London’s adventurous life.

4. Where Jack London and Harry Houdini’s lives are both well known, Charmian is barely a footnote in their stories. Why did you choose to make her your main protagonist? What attracted you to her story in the first place

Rebecca - First and foremost, I feel that Jack London could not have written 50 books in 15 years without the talented Charmian Kittredge.

She was truly a woman ahead of her time. Charmian was college educated and worked as the assistant to the president of Mills College. She learned to type as a teenager and typed 150 words a minute. She was a champion horsewoman and concert pianist. She was an intelligent conversationalist, and consummate hostess at Beauty Ranch. She managed Jack’s moods and kept him writing one thousand words a day, no matter how he felt or what else was happening. She typed up his stories as he told them to her, then edited them later, filling in characters and description. She was a huge part of why Jack London’s stories are still popular today. In fact, CALL OF THE WILD was just named top 50 best loved books of all time by PBS.

5. A major sticking point for Jack was when his beloved Wolf House burned down. Who do you think started the fire and why?

Rebecca - This is a spoiler alert, since I leave the question open for the reader to decide! According to Charmian London’s biography, JACK LONDON, “We never knew who torched Wolf House.” You can still see the haunting ruins of the 25,000 square foot log lodge at JACK LONDON PARK, in Glen Ellen, California, an hour north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Much later, scientists have claimed the house was burned down from spontaneous combustion.

THE SECRET LIFE OF MRS. LONDON has been named as WIKI’S 12 MARVELOUS NOVELS OF THE 20^TH CENTURY. https://wiki.ezvid.com/m/kNkCn2l8yxVIl

~~~~~

Thank you so much to Rebecca Rosenberg for sharing a little more about her debut novel The Secret Life of Mrs. London! Add it to your Christmas wish list this year.

The Pink Steering Wheel Chronicles

The Pink Steering Wheel Chronicles by Laura Fahrenthold, ©2018, Hatherleigh Press

Earlier this summer I received a request to review a memoir by debut author Laura Fahrenthold. The premise of the story rang close to my heart—grief. A young mother loses her husband and goes on a journey to rediscover life and begin to forge a path to her new normal. I have walked in those same shoes, so it should be no surprise that I said yes for this review.

Instead of writing a review though—I feared I would take over with tales from my own grief journey—I asked if Laura would answer a few questions for me. In addition to learning more about the book, I thought my readers could discover more about the process behind Laura's journey. And I happily have a little more to share about Laura's journey with you! I hope you enjoy a few more insights from Laura's journey in life.

If you haven't had a chance to read The Pink Steering Wheel Chronicles, I highly recommend it!

 A Closer Look at The Pink Steering Wheel Chronicles...

Grief is a much longer journey than many people realize. When did you decide it was time and you were ready to write your chronicles highlighting your grief journey? How long did it take to write the book?

Actually, life is a much longer journey than most people realize! There are so many stages to it. That’s really what the book is about—it’s a book about going through the stages of life and how I coped with a huge tragedy by driving 31,000 miles across Canada and the U.S. searching for answers to life’s biggest questions. Sometimes, I got answers in the arms of Costco and Walmart shoppers; other times I found my own truths when staring into the sky. And I definitely learned so much from being with my daughters. It’s crazy how everything can change in a matter of six devastating minutes.

While that sounds so deep, and perhaps dark and depressing, the book is anything but that, as suggested by the title itself: The Pink Steering Wheel Chronicles! It’s truly an often hilarious look at my efforts to gain emotional and physical strength through the open road in a beat-up old RV we named HaRVey with my two eyeball rolling teenagers and a stray dog, driving through our grief while gaining new experiences to work into our backbones.

So really, I didn’t decide to write this book. It decided to write me.

What do you mean the book decided to write you?

I never set out to write The Pink Steering Wheel Chronicles. That isn’t what our ashes-sprinkling RV trips were about. They were about spending time with my daughters, having amazing experiences that would hopefully replace our sadness. We needed to climb mountains like Les Palissades de Charlevoix (which helped me overcome a fear of heights…well, sort of), ride the tidal waves in the Bay of Fundy and go mud sliding down the banks of the Shubenacadie River. We also ended up invited to a wedding in Cape Breton where we got to milk goats on their farm! We were always up to something during those 31,000 miles of adventures.

Friends kept saying I should share my story, that I should write a book, given that I am a journalist. And I thought, you know what? They are right! My story is so relatable on so many levels that it could really help motivate people to get out there and live before they die, too.

I started and stopped several times, but then when I found my husband’s journals, I knew I had to do this. Those journals were the puzzle pieces which put the whole thing into perspective. It was astounding, really.

It took about three years from start to finish while working my full-time job as an editor at Woman’s World Magazine. This meant I spent every second of my off-hours, including nights, weekends and holidays, writing, rewriting, examining every single word, rewriting more, editing more, putting it down, picking it up, crying, writing, doubting, declaring it done and then picking it back up again before finally pitching agents, and finding the best publisher— Hatherleigh Press, distributed by Penguin Random House. And now here we are with a book that was published this summer.

It takes immense strength to rebuild a life after the loss of a spouse. I know firsthand the process is not always pretty but is amazing in how transformative it can be. What are you most proud of accomplishing? What are some of your continuing struggles?

I’m most proud of accomplishing what I set out to do—which is rebuild our lives in the most wonderful way that I could, to give my daughters crazy, fun, positive experiences to draw upon so that their father’s death did not become bigger than our lives. None of us had the tools to deal with what we saw and experienced that night, but now we do. You can drop us in the middle of nowhere with a dollar in our pockets and we will find our way out. Mission accomplished. We are three strong, smart independent women who can now change RV tires, rock climb mountains, swim across rivers, ward off alligators—you name it! And find our ways back home.

I continuously struggle with having to do it all myself (I call myself Mr. Laura). I especially hate taking the garbage out; that’s when I miss my husband the most, on Monday mornings! But seriously, we all have struggles. My struggle is that I continuously struggle with my struggling to stop struggling.

Do you have any words of advice on how best to support someone going through their own grieving process?

Grief comes in all forms. Loss of a job. Unrequited love. Broken promises. Health issues. Divorce. Death. Disappointments. We all go through something at some point. My best advice is not to expect too much of a person in grief. Don’t take their responses or lack of responses personally. They need time. And when you are with them, just listen. Just be there for them.

You never know what a road trip might bring. Adventure, misadventure, laughter, tears, epiphanies, arguments, and hopefully a little growth along the way. Do you have any other road trips planned for you and the girls?

My daughters used to say they’d rather die than go on another RV trip! But then my older begged me to take “HaRVey the RV” on another trip with her and her best friend this past summer. And she drove most of the way! I joked that there’s a new sheriff in town!

HaRVey is and will remain a big part of our lives. It’s like having a giant dog in the driveway that always want to run free and play. Sometimes I like to go sleep out there. It’s fun and feels like a mini-vacation. I know the girls can’t wait for more trips. We’ve talked about Vancouver next! But no more sprinkling Mark. He’s RIPing at his boyhood home in Kansas in a giant field of bright yellow sunflowers.

***

Thank you so much to Laura Fahrenthold and Hatherleigh Press for sharing this poignant story and the strength it takes to grab life when you think it has escaped you. As Laura reminded me, Everybody needs love. The journey of finding it is within all our grasps, even if that means finding it within ourselves. 

Waiting for the Man

Waiting for the Man, by Arjun Basu © 2014, ECW Press

Joe is in his mid-30s. He is in advertising and does quite well at it, laying claim to successful beer, beans, and dog food campaigns. Everything Joe attempts, turns out right.

But one day he wakes up in a panic. He's 35 and life somehow appears meaningless. He can get any girl he wants, but is single. He is surrounded by people daily, but is without real friends. His family loves him from afar. He's good at his job, which pays the bills, but at the end of the day, it all leaves him empty.

Until a voice in his head tells him to wait. So he does.

So began a vision quest that took Joe from the streets of high-profile New York to middle-of-nowhere Montana. The voyage holds much soul-searching, questions about what life is all about, and debate about if we are supposed to find meaning in it all. Joe is a cynic and his journey isn't easy. For one, there is a mini van. And lots of bad pizza. Showers and sleep are minimal.

Sounds like the making of any great adventure, right?

Are you interested in learning more? How about a few words from the author, Arjun Basu himself? I had the pleasure of asking him a few questions. Here is what he has to say about "Waiting for the Man" and the writing process that went along with it.

1. How long did it take you to write the first draft of “Waiting for the Man”? How long was the editing phase? When it came time to publish it, did you debate self-publishing or insist on the traditional route of a publishing company? What made you decide to use ECW Press?        ~ AB: The first draft was written so long ago, it's hard to properly answer the question. The story behind getting this story out is long and arduous. It involves probably 10 drafts, a huge rethinking of the story after draft 4, the discarding of two complete threads (and one major character, almost a co-narrator), and really winnowing this thing down to its essence. It also involves 4 agents (!) and, yes, a time when I was considering self-publishing so that I could move on and get with my life and my writing. But then ECW stepped up, and I was "given" a great editor in Emily Schultz and we worked really well together - she saw a fully realized work but then made it that much more complete. 
2.       Many people speculate throughout the book as to who “The Man” actually is, i.e. God, Jesus, a Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist, etc. His omnipotence is what attracts people to Joe’s story, but is he any of these things? As much as his presence is the driving force in Joe’s journey that begins in New York, his time in Montana is devoid of any influence from The Man. So what role did The Man actually have in Joe’s story?
       ~ AB: That speculation is valid and is even brought up in the book itself. But because The Man is in Joe's head (and only his head), he/it gets imprinted with a lot of meaning by a lot of people. And Joe being an advertising guy, probably sees a certain irony in his situation, sure, but on some level he also understands that his story is not his at all, that all stories are given meaning by those receiving it, and that we all interpret stories to suit us. I don't know that Joe gives up on The Man, but he sees everything for what it is. In Montana, The Man is already in his rear view mirror. And perhaps he/it ends up being Joe's inner voice just telling him to find something, anything, and get out of the rut he finds in New York.
3.       Have you ever gone on a “vision quest” or done any extreme soul searching of your own? Why and what was its outcome?
       ~ AB: I've gone on road trips. When I was younger I went on road trips every summer - some of those memories made their way into the book. I've never gone on a vision quest, per se, though some journeys seems to become a kind of vision quest. My desire to write was the result of a lot of baby steps growing up, but when I was 18, I left home and hung out in Banff for 6 months and when I returned home I realized I was going to write. I didn't head out West with that goal, it just happened. Was that a vision quest?
4.       Joe has an interesting relationship with people. He is a self-proclaimed womanizer and has a decided lack of connection with anyone. So how is it that he was picked by “The Man” for this journey? Do you think that we all have a little piece of “Joe” in us? How did this affect his relationship with characters in the parallel story in Montana?
       ~ AB: The Man doesn't so much pick Joe as Joe picks The Man. At least that's how I see it. There's probably some deep self-improvement mumbo-jumbo in that statement. But I don't see Joe as anti-social as much as he's a bit numbed by modern life. That doesn't make him unique.
5.       Were you changed by the writing of this book? Do you have any other books in the making?
        ~ AB: I don't know that I was changed by the writing but it's possible that I was changed by the process. I wrote this book at the same time as a huge shift in the publishing industry. It was amazing to see such change occur while I was writing. In a way, it shifted my goals, but in the end, my goal, my primary goal, remained the same. And now my goal is to finish my next novel. I've started writing it. My only hope is it doesn't take as long to write as Waiting for the Man.

Thank you so much for sharing Arjun! Myself and my readers appreciate your thoughts and time. 

This review/author interview/giveaway is part of a book tour promoted by ECW Press. Words of Mystery started off the tour last Monday, but please take the time to visit the other bloggers on the tour.

Thursday, May 1st - Words of Mystery - Tour kickoff & review

Monday, May 5th - Buried in Print - Review

Tuesday, May 6th - A New Day - Review & giveaway

Wednesday, May 7th - The Book Stylist - Review

Thursday, May 8th - bookgaga - Review

Friday, May 9th - A Bookworm’s World - Review & giveaway

~~~

So, does this put you in mind of any journeys of your own? Have you broken with the status quo, even for a moment, to dip a little deeper into what life is all about? Would you care to escape life's confines to travel along with Joe, as he stops and waits for the Man? Tell me about your own soul searching moment and you will be entered into a contest to win your own copy of "Waiting for the Man" by Arjun Basu. The folks at ECW Press were good enough to send me a copy to review, plus included an extra just for YOU!

All I want to know is a little bit about your own experience with "The Man". Share this contest with your friends, followers and whomever might be on a vision quest of their own. I look forward to your answers!

In the interim, feel free to watch the trailer about the book below. And don't forget to dig deep for your existential dreams to share with me...



a Rafflecopter giveaway