The American and Sacramento Rivers converge at a wooded bank on the outskirts of California’s state capital. There, on a chilly morning in the spring of 2022, elders, leaders, and members of Native tribes from across California assembled for the first in-person gathering (after months of proceedings online due to Covid-19) of the California Truth […]
1. I first laid eyes on Aline MacMahon seventy years ago, when I was five and my parents took me to Brooklyn’s Marboro Theatre to see Alfred E. Green’s schmaltzy 1953 musical biopic The Eddie Cantor Story. MacMahon, who was then fifty-four but looked far older, played little Eddie’s Grandma Esther, a kindly ur-Yiddishe bubbe […]
Ah, how refreshing it is when we fail to do our duty! It’s like being in the countryside! Unreliability becomes a refuge! I breathe more easily now that I’ve missed all my appointments. Yes, I missed them all, with the deliberateness of neglect, I waited to feel the desire to go there, a desire I […]
Although enrollments in college history courses have plunged in recent years, interest in the subject remains high, to judge from both the best-seller lists and history’s place in the gladiatorial combat known as American politics. We are, in many ways, saturated in history. But what purpose does it serve? Academic specialists and the general public […]
What became of Sacagawea after the expedition that made her famous? A scholarly consensus long held that that she died young, of “putrid fever,” in 1812—“a short life with a sad ending,” as Thomas Powers puts it in the Review’s June 8, 2023 issue. In contrast, Powers writes, “a new date proposed by Sacagawea’s descendants […]
The Rogues Who Went Rogue stands out against traditional shifter novels and brings its own twist to the genre. I think this original idea is intriguing. How did you come up with this idea and develop it into a story?
I can say the trick is to start with ‘what ifs’, then ask an endless amount of ‘whys’ and ‘hows’.
Rogues, when they aren’t the main love interest, are often given a peripheral or antagonistic role in shifter worlds. So, I wanted to know what could unfold if they were given a more central, protagonist role instead – one that doesn’t rely mainly on romance. And that’s how it all began. Rogues are known to not run with a pack, either because they’d been kicked out or because they were born as rogues.
But why had they been kicked out or why were they born as rogues? Was it wholly their fault? If it was, how do they feel about what they did, and was there another choice in their circumstances? If it wasn’t their fault and they were punished for it, how has that changed the person they once were and affected who they choose to be today? Do they like who they are today? Do they feel they have a choice in this life? Rogues are a community who – depending on their circumstances – may have most, if not everything taken from them, and this is an aspect that isn’t often explored. It’s always about what the rogues have taken and continue to take, so I delved into the flip side of the coin – of what was taken from the rogues and continued being taken – instead.
As for the newly-introduced species – vampires, it’s a common concept that vampires and lycans/werewolves do not get along, but the reason behind why that is isn’t always given the depth it deserves. So, I played around with their history and expanded the hatred from there to give it more context and to make their animosity understandable, even to lure readers to take a side.
The next issue was how I would bring these two age-old enemies together. And although the usual way would be to form a forbidden romance between two characters of opposite species, I wanted to try something new. So, I plucked out a piece of the plot in the previous book mentioning vampires and expanded that nugget of history, then weaved out a whole new interspecies relationship using the concepts of loss, platonic love, and reincarnation of souls, along with how shared pain can bring people together, no matter how different they may seem.
There was a lot of time spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?
Relatability, because the goal is always to have every character felt, not just imagined.
From the protagonists to antagonists to supporting characters, my aim is to make each one understood, regardless of the stance they take. Each character has their own backstory, motivations, goals or lack thereof, and a reason behind how they approach life and its challenges. It was crucial to make these distinctions and allow their differences to guide me in weaving the plot – you wouldn’t get a character who’s never been wronged suddenly wanting revenge. There has to be something that was taken away from him/her to justify them embarking on the vengeful route. It’s never about moralizing questionable choices. It’s always about having those choices make sense and letting the reader decide whether they would’ve reacted the same way had they been in that character’s shoes.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
Any scene with the Forest of Oderem. I never intended to make the forest what it is now, thinking it was just another fantasized location with magical elements when it started as nothing more than an abstract idea. But when I began writing about it and got carried away, I realized it deserved to be a character in its own right (though a non-verbal one).
Can you tell us where the book goes and where we’ll see the characters in the next book?
The next book, entitled The Indomitable Huntress & the Hardened Duke, transitions into the world of hunters, where new lore, characters, and territories will be explored along with the mystery that’s been weaved into the story. A certain huntress would catch the duke’s eye, and we’ll see whether their courtship would develop into something more while also learning about another aspect of the mate bond.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
An ally bonded to a rogue, a pack evading eradication, and vampires facing an unknown enemy . . . King Alexandar and Queen Lucianne have their work cut out for them.
When the line between allies and enemies blurs, a king and queen must trust each other—even when trust seems lost.
A rogue pack seems to possess almost impossible knowledge to evade capture as King Alexandar and Queen Lucianne learn a difficult truth—the leader of the rogue pack is bonded to one of their allies.
To make matters more difficult, something is stirring in the vampire community.
Rumors, reports, whispers of kidnappings and invasions. With threats pushing in from every angle, the king and queen must fight to protect their kingdom, their allies, their friends, and even one another. As bonds are forged and broken, the royal pair must face a sinister thought—perhaps the threat looms within their circle.
And as their love and trust for one another are put to the test, they must remember that dark forces are no match for their bond. But how can anyone fight an unseen threat with the ability to bring the kingdom to its knees?
When all seems lost, even a pinprick of light can ignite the fires of hope . . .
1000 Fun Facts for Immature Adults: Random Trivia and Weird Truths You Should Know is a diverse collection of facts that will keep readers fascinated and entertained. What inspired you to put this collection of information together?
I have a passion for trivia. As far as I can remember, before I could even read, I’ve always loved learning and sharing the unexpected, unbelievable, and uncanny things I saw on the television, and later read in books.
Back in elementary, I’d always order Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Guinness World Records books when Scholastic sent its catalogs to my school. The Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader series is also a great source of inspiration.
The reason why I started writing my own trivia book is nothing spectacular. One drunken summer day at the family barbecue, I told my family I wanted to write a book, as I always did when inebriated, and someone told me to stop saying for the nth time that I want to write a book and to actually do it; so I finally did.
Once the book was made, I brought an author copy to the usual family BBQ. As soon as I arrived, I walked up to that blessed someone with a big cheeky grin and slapped it hard on the table they were sitting at, right in front of them, cover side up.
It was all in good fun. Everyone was supportive and ordered a few copies for themselves later on, including them.
How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?
An obscene amount of research went into this little passion project of mine. I had to sift through thousands upon thousands of facts. They couldn’t already be in other books, they had to be accurate and up-to-date, and most importantly, they had to be interesting and I had to deliver them in an entertaining and concise way. It was much more difficult than you’d expect.
It took me a year and a half to write and publish the book. Every little sliver of free time I had between working crazy hours to put food on the table, keeping my marriage afloat, and staying sane throughout the pandemic. Though that sanity part can be debated.
I had no days off and there were so many times I wanted to quit, telling myself that it sucks and that it will never be complete. Well, I sure showed me!
What was one fact you discovered when writing this book that interested you the most?
I love the absurd and unexpected and there were so many of them; so I will cheat and give you two. There’s the one about how in the small town of Yoro, Honduras, fish and frogs fall from the sky, like some kind of biblical plague, multiple times a year. The other fact, that cracks me up, is that in Denmark, if you’re not married by the age of 25, your friends and family will tie you to a post and throw cinnamon powder at you. Then if you’re still single by 30, they pelt you with pepper. I hope that tradition never dies.
My family loved that one. It’s a good thing I’m married.
Will you write more books of random facts to help readers increase their trivia skills?
Definitely! I’m not yet in a position where I can afford to write full-time, so it will take a while, but readers can count on Volume 2 and a Japan trivia book to come out eventually. Better late than never, right?
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
If you want to flex your brainpower and impress just about everyone, then keep reading… Did you know that the average adult produces enough saliva in their lifetime to fill two swimming pools? Or that there’s a small town in Central America where fish literally fall from the sky every year without fail? In today’s digital age, what’s life without selfies? Well, in the 1800s, getting a good shot in a snap was unheard of. Since being photographed back then would take hours, people had to wear back braces just to keep still. Imagine adding these fun facts – and hundreds more – to your arsenal. They can be quite handy when you want to put an end to that excruciating awkard silence in social gatherings, stand out from the rest of your colleagues in the office, or simply dazzle your date. After all, serving an earful of trivia just may be the quickest way to someone’s heart – as this book would tell you, hearing is your fastest sense with a near-instant response time of 0.05 seconds. What’s more, knowing little tidbits of mind-blowing information may be just what you need to level up your “small talk” game. At the very least, you can have hours and hours of highly entertaining conversations – just add a little dose of fascinating facts and you’re good to go! Inside, here is just a small fraction of what you will discover: How to sound like a genius without having to do the hard work Seriously fun facts that will give your #adulting life a boost – who says being a grown-up has to be boring? Useful information that just may save your life… for instance, discover which fruits are laced with cyanide! Obscure facts that will help you conquer trivia game night – leave your opponents eating your dust every single time 100+ things to know about different cultures around the world – find out unique quirks and blend in with the locals wherever you go A treasure trove of cool facts, funny jokes, and even funnier drawings in every single chapter The secret to Marilyn Monroe’s famous hourglass figure – what did she eat every single morning to maintain her svelte physique? And much more. Remember when you were a kid and that amazing feeling you had whenever you found out something new? There’s no stopping you from rekindling that simple joy of discovery, that wide-eyed curiosity, and that sense of childlike wonder… no matter what age you’re at. Whether you’re into facts that sound too unbelievable (but are definitely true) or random bits about science, history, food, celebrities, your body, and the universe – or perhaps you’re just in need of a lifeline for long trips and family reunions – this book has got you covered.
Exploration: The Stanfield Chronicle follows a young man in the early 17th century who leaves home to become a sailor and documents his experiences. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Fascination with the largely untold back story of the founding of New England led me to tell that story through the eyes of a young adventurer.
What were some of the trials that you felt were important to highlight the character’s development?
Isaac’s development came through having to learn the life of seaman, responding to opportunity through luck and ingenuity, learning to deal with women. dealing with adversity, and understanding the responsibilities of leadership.
What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?
I spent five years in deep research about the people, intrigue and events that caused the settlement of New England. I have sailed all my life but did further extensive research on off-shore sailing in the 17th century.
When will book 2 be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
Book 2 – Retribution – is available on Amazon and in bookstores. It continues where Exploration ended in 1620 and follows Isaac’s adventures to 1628 when he and his family depart as settlers for New England.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
Seduction. Spies. Sodomy. Starvation. Severe cold. Indian Attacks. A plague of sickness and death. And a love story, too.
Isaac Stanfield is a young man with a thirst for adventure. He leaves his home to become a sailor on a merchantman, the Sweet Rose, and through ingenuity and sheer luck, finds himself in the middle of the drama and explorations that precede the departure of the Mayflower for New England in 1620. Exploration is Isaac’s coming-of-age story, capturing the turbulence of the times through his observations and experiences.
Suspenseful, poignant, and expertly researched, David Tory’s novel brings to life an engaging cultural history of English seafaring exploration and intrigue in the early 17th century.
Mystical Force Volume 5 takes readers on a captivating journey as Detective Shinjo and Shi-Ria battle crime and unravel prophecies amidst the looming rise of Kage Dai Yokai. What was one thing that got you excited to write this book?
It would have to be the introduction of the character of Chiyoko. The first four books were more of world building. While they introduce plot elements which will play a part later on in the series, this was really the part where the actual story really starts getting moving in my opinion. What’s really great about it is that it allows me to really start to explain things that I’ve been hinting at in the previous books. That’s really the hard part in writing a series, you don’t want to give away too much information right at the beginning. They always say you should leave your audience wanting more.
How do you strike a balance between delivering action-packed sequences and exploring diverse points of view in your writing?
That’s a very good question! I wish I had a very good answer for you (HA HA)! Honestly, I don’t really think about it. When I write an action sequence I tend to think more along the line of “how do I get from point A to point B, then C, then D…” and so on. As far as exploring diverse points of view, I always remember the words of my late screen writing teacher Mr. Michael Monty when I studied film and television at Seneca College. He always said that what makes a story work are interesting characters. If you don’t have engaging characters, then no amount of action, sex, violence (or in the case of film/television) impressive visual effects can save your story. I tend to favour the character scenes more, since in my opinion/observation, when it comes to speculative fiction, the focus tends to be more on the characters powers. “What can they do? Can they fly? Can they shoot lasers from their eyes? Can they move things with there minds?” It seems to me (though this is just my opinion – and I don’t watch a lot of movies/TV – so I may be wrong) that a lot of times people tend to create characters with powers simply to have cool things happen to them. For me personally, I’d rather go into the character’s head, find out what makes them tick. So I guess the short answer is I focus more on the characters and exploring their “diverse points of view”, then use the “action-packed sequences” to move the plot along.
Can you tell us more about the process of crafting individual narratives for each character in the book and how they contribute to the overall tapestry of the series?
Another good question! And again, I wish I had a very good answer for you! I don’t really think about it at least not on a conscience level. I guess I tend to either put my views into the characters or have them serve as counterpoints to my views just to debate the matter. I remember a while back reading an article, something about “signs you march to the beat of your own drum”. One of the signs was that you look at both sides of an issue. I’ve always been the type of guy to step back and look at the bigger picture. All too often it seems society encourages us to (as I call it) “think in binary”. To look at the world in black and white. It’s either all or nothing, black or white, one or zero. As for “how they contribute to the overall tapestry”? Mystical Force is really a story of learning to overcome the binary thinking. Specifically the idea of fate and free will being polar opposites. Society in general seems to have this idea that either we have free will or God set some divine plan for us that we must blindly follow without question, whether we want to or not. I don’t agree with that personally. I personally see fate as God/the universe (whatever you choose to call it) giving us the means to follow the decisions we would have already chosen in life. I use my characters individual narratives to show the kind of people that they are, why their lives are the way they are, why they made their individual choices. To go back to my earlier point about ‘fate/free will’, most people tend make their life choices unconsciously, then when things don’t work out the way they expected they claim fate dealt them a bad hand in life. The truth is it’s our thoughts and actions that determine our lot in life, now there are things in life that we can’t control, but we can control how we view/deal with them. That’s how I weave it into the tapestry of the series. Characters like Mystic, Noonien and Shi-ria, trying to show Sister Rose, Chiyoko and Scarlet Knightwalker how to choose their own fate consciously, rather than unconsciously choosing what they don’t want then blaming it on fate.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m currently in the process of editing Liberator vol. 2. I just got the first draft back from my editor, so that one should be out sometime in the fall. While at the same time I’m also writing Mystical Force vol. 6. That’s how I work, whichever series is currently being published by Tellwell, I write the manuscript for the other series. Once that book is out I submit the manuscript for the next one. In this case, I’ll be writing Mystical Force vol. 6 while Tellwell edits and prepares Liberator vol. 2 for publication. After Liberator 2 is out, the manuscript for Mystical Force 6 should be ready to be submitted for publication.
“I saw a teenage girl I took as my apprentice and trained as a Taman Knight. Actually, I saw two possible futures: one where I die and my apprentice becomes a Koldar Warrior and another where I live, and she becomes a Taman Knight,” Shiria told her friends after arriving on Earth. Now she’s finally going to meet her new apprentice, a teenage girl named Chiyoko.
Abandoned by her father, despised by her mother, Chiyoko is determined to join the Poison Starfish and earn the respect she feels she deserves. Now it’s up to Shi-ria and Detective Shinjo to show Chiyoko she has the chance for a better life than that of a petty criminal. Unfortunately if the Poison Starfish find out about this, it may cost the three of them their lives.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, a mysterious cult tied to the prophecy that brought Shi-ria to Earth wants to use Chiyoko as bait to find Shi-ria and kill her to ensure she doesn’t interfere in their goal: resurrecting a powerful shadow demon, the Kage Dai Yokai, and bringing about the end of the world.
And what about Scarlet Knightwalker? She travelled back in time to prevent Shi-ria and Chiyoko from meeting, to prevent Chiyoko from giving in to her inner darkness and becoming a Koldar Warrior. But what if in doing so she ends up creating the very future she’s been so desperate to prevent?
Escaping My Demons shares with readers the abuse you suffered at the hands of the people that were supposed to love you unconditionally. How hard was it to put this story out in the world for people to read?
Writing my memoir and telling my story was hard to do. I relived it over and over again and it constantly took me back to where I had always wanted to escape from. Whilst writing the book, especially during the night in bed brought back the nightmares. Whilst sleeping my wife often wakes me telling me I was fighting in my dream.
I am a different man these days and content with my life
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
My goal has always been for my story to be told and to help others that don’t have the know-how to help themselves.
Telling others not to keep dwelling in the past, but instead learn from the past and keep moving forward. I found that changing my mindset gave me a new scope in life. I have always said that nothing changes if nothing changes!
What advice do you have for victims of abuse to let them know that there is hope for a better future?
My book is aimed at helping victims of abuse of similar circumstances. It was written specifically to help them how to start believing in themselves and move on with their lives with the hope that eventually they will stop listening to that little voice in their head that is telling them they are worthless. My book is a survival kit for all victims on how to become a survivor.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
What it was like to walk in my shoes as a victim and most importantly make “biased parents” realise and recognise the injustice, hurt and pain they are causing their child to bear.
Author Links: Website | Facebook
Throughout this book we learn about the sufferance of a baby boy, unwanted by his teenage parents. This boy grew up with an aggressive and womanising father that constantly reminded him that he was a mistake that ruined his father’s life. While been beaten and mentally abused, all he craved from his parents was love but received nothing but humiliation and sufferance from his father. This caused detrimental trauma to the young boy, and he grew up believing that he would not achieve anything in life. I was this little boy, and this is my story.
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The American and Sacramento Rivers converge at a wooded bank on the outskirts of California’s state capital. There, on a chilly morning in the spring of 2022, elders, leaders, and members of Native tribes from across California assembled for the first in-person gathering (after months of proceedings online due to Covid-19) of the California Truth […]
1. I first laid eyes on Aline MacMahon seventy years ago, when I was five and my parents took me to Brooklyn’s Marboro Theatre to see Alfred E. Green’s schmaltzy 1953 musical biopic The Eddie Cantor Story. MacMahon, who was then fifty-four but looked far older, played little Eddie’s Grandma Esther, a kindly ur-Yiddishe bubbe […]
Although enrollments in college history courses have plunged in recent years, interest in the subject remains high, to judge from both the best-seller lists and history’s place in the gladiatorial combat known as American politics. We are, in many ways, saturated in history. But what purpose does it serve? Academic specialists and the general public […]
What became of Sacagawea after the expedition that made her famous? A scholarly consensus long held that that she died young, of “putrid fever,” in 1812—“a short life with a sad ending,” as Thomas Powers puts it in the Review’s June 8, 2023 issue. In contrast, Powers writes, “a new date proposed by Sacagawea’s descendants […]
