DR. MEL'S MESSAGE - From my novels to my other projects, no telling what you will read. This is the only place you will get to read about how I developed a screenplay into a novel and what is the driving force. I will talk about many things from films to books to acting to producing. It really will depend on where my mind takes me. I hope you will join me on this journey.
Today's author and book is very unique as it combines an element of time travel with Christianity. William M Hayes book, "Save Him" promises to be a spectacular read. Look at the trailer below.
Blurb - "Save Him"
When a scientist discovers how to time travel, his sister pleads with him to go back and save Jesus from the cross.
Good morning everyone. I hope you find your morning as vibrant of one as I do. I want to begin by congratulating Emmanuel Omoguno on his book launch today. His book 101 NO FRILLS RELATIONSHIP ADVICE YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU MARRY launched today. This book is a must for anyone in a serious relationship. Buy your copy today on Amazon. Today's author interview is with Tantra Bensko and her book FLOATING SECRETS. Tantra Bensko teaches fiction writing with UCLA Extension Writing Program and Writers.com and edits manuscripts with Book Butchers. Her novels have won multiple gold medals and other awards and she has hundreds of short stories in magazines. She lives in Berkeley.
About the Book Flair listens to an indie playlist while floating alone in the dark in a sensory deprivation tank that induces hallucinations of an ideal man, when she realizes that a man is in the tank with her, caressing her hair. After he pushes her into the corner and runs away naked into the small Indiana town, she covers for the stranger to the police, implicating herself in his crimes. She has no idea who he is or how to find him again.
I’m from Indiana, a beautiful place out in the country, with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, deer eating the crab apples, a colorful sycamore tree by the creek, its roots exposed and rocks underneath them. I moved away from Indiana when I started college and lived all over the place, am settled in Berkeley now. But I set Floating on Secrets in Indiana, equally near Indianapolis to where I lived, though the area has filled in more now than it used to be.
Tell us your latest news?
I won the Bronze medal for my previous book, Encore: A Contemporary Love Story of Hypnotic Abduction, in the eLit awards category of Thrillers/Suspense/Mystery.
When and why did you begin writing?
I wanted to be a novelist even when I was a child. I was inspired by the greats like William Faulkner, who wrote about people resembling my Alabama relatives, so my novel manuscript in high school was based on those pioneers -- from all Mama’s tales about them. I felt it would be a gift to the world if I could create something that would be meaningful to readers. Beginning with Faulkner’s POV innovation, I continued to be inspired by deeper and deeper experimentation in the books I sought out. I decided to throw out the default ideas of what society must be, what limits we have, what a narrative must be.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I started to take that should seriously when I won the Academy of American Poets award when I was an undergraduate and the other people who entered at our university were much older and further along. I was shocked to go to the awards event, and they called my name to present it to. I felt my life unfurl before me.
It started with the image that came to me of a woman in a float tank discovering she’s not alone. I had taken an interest in writing a New Adult novel and wanted to place it in Indiana where there are many readers of Romance, as I felt I had some understanding of them. There’s a kind of earnest goodness. I wanted to provide models for readers of ways they could explore consciousness without needing to resort to mind-expanding drugs. It’s a Hero’s Journey in which Flair goes into the other world of her subconscious, which is connected to everything, and brings back visions to benefit the tribe.
Do you have a specific writing style?
People often say that do, that it’s easy to tell it’s my work, but I can’t say I know what it is.
How did you come up with the title?
I wanted it to refer to the float tank and also be mysteriously intriguing.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I’d like them to follow the arcs, like Austin learning to relax his need to be overly perfect in his body at the expense of prioritizing his music.
How much of the book is realistic?
I think everything in the book could have believably occurred. I researched quite a bit, such as land surveying laws in Indiana, survey helicopters, the sex life of college students, laws relating to bars in Indiana, and so on.
I did float in a tank in a small-town woman’s back yard once long ago and saw visions. I used to go to Philosophy Club meetings at a pizza parlor (in the novel it’s the Jung Club.) And the Narrow Men are based on a young man I met in Berkeley one day. We ended up playing for an hour with his little toy trucks.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Maybe books about nature, social engineering, spiritual exercises, going beyond the usual limits of what humans are expected to be able to do, psychology, the craft of writing, health and such. But if you mean fiction, well, the children’s books My Side of the Mountain and That Quail Robert influenced my life of immersion in nature.
What book are you reading now?
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler. It references something real in the world of research that I knew about because of my father, who studied at Indiana University with a professor who raised his son with a chimp. That happens in this book and it’s a wonderful novel.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I’m thrilled with many of my students’ stories. I teach fiction writing classes with UCLA Extension Writing Program and Writers.
What are your current projects?
I’m creating an online class teaching when to break sentences, paragraphs, scenes and chapters. As far as entertainment – I’m finishing up writing a Horror screenplay about the dangers of projection.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
I could name any of my English teachers when I was young and writing teachers later. They mean so much to their students – that’s why I’m glad to be one.
Do you see writing as a career?
No, I don’t think there are very many authors who are able to support themselves with their writing, unless they have lots of money to put into marketing. My career is editing people’s manuscripts as well as teaching.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No, but I would maybe not do the projects that kept me from having time to market it.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
My mother encouraged me in all the arts. Growing up in Indiana was beautiful, and the friends I saw other than at school were mostly trees and animals. I might go all summer without seeing any other kids other than maybe my cousins when we visited Mama’s Alabama homestead. I felt the authors of the books I had were the people I shared my life with, therefore. I wanted readers to have my books to connect with in that way, too.
Can you share a little of your current work with us? The screenplay is called Monster Project. A young woman named Magdalyna is an Animal Rescue worker, a competent professional woman who is overly compassionate and trusting, swayed by her infatuation with a younger man who is the leader of a sort of an absurd gang of misfits. The miscreants don’t have an easy way to survive, and they take advantage of people to do so. They want to feel good about themselves, though, so they project onto the people who are really just doing their jobs, like their parents, teachers, policemen, the man who made them leave this house because they didn’t pay rent. The kids see them as their enemies in a dramatic battle and incorporate them all into a role-playing game their leader created. They end up taking over Magy’s apartment and drawing her into the dangerous game, and the game itself affects the people they project adversarial qualities onto, making them attack.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Writing is challenging for me personally because it’s physically painful. But for others? Well, I think my other novels are more-so, because they require more of readers. Floating I think is pretty easy reading.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
The contemporary author, Michelle Jaffe. Her YA Chick Lit books are hilarious. Her convoluted, complex adult crime novels show a brilliant mind that I admire greatly. I’ve read everything she wrote, but she’s kind of disappeared. So, since there’s so much more to read by Phyllis Whitney, I could name her too – she was a Gothic Romance author, and I studied that genre intensely to write Encore and Floating on Secrets. She lived to 104! Can you imagine? I love the beauty of her settings, the art and flowers and cliffs and chiffon.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? I don’t travel to research or do readings, but I’ve lived a lot of places in my life. I used to live a more domestic, academic life, teaching in-person at universities. Then, I took off into the world of adventures, and I did that to a large degree because I wanted to truly live, to face life without anything sheltering me from it. I could write more meaningful work that way and not just draw from constrained experiences.
Who designed the covers?
I design my covers, and in this case, I bought images from Dreamstime of water and the couple and added some literal steam from the water. The couple on the book cover inspired me with the characters. I love them.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
I had to open up fully to the desire for lasting love, satisfying romance, heated sensuality, the intensity of infatuation with someone exquisite. To do so, I listened to the kind of music that is aching, mournfully longing, sexually powerful – neo-psych rock. I couldn’t hide from my deepest feelings when I was listening to that music. When I went back later to make the playlist for it on Pinterest, it opened me up again. That’s emotionally raw.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned how overwhelmingly strongly I still feel about someone whom I’ve always loved but can’t be with, someone I may have wounded, which bothers me to no end, someone who is there waiting at the center of my soul when I write a book that tears it open. People imagine writing books as being a calm, distanced event, I suppose, but authors get in touch with our most haunting feelings to write.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Never launch into long expository backstory until you’ve earned the right to do so. To earn it, engage the reader with action. Create mysteries they hanker to know the answers to, and only then provide some answers with the expository backstory.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Today's blog is very exciting because I get to talk about a very funny and incredible person and her new book PROVERBS 32 WOMAN by Kerri Pomarolli. I have talked a lot with Kerri and she is so funny. I have also watched her videos. It's not often when you see a face or a picture of somebody and you go, wait! I think I know her. With Kerri, you might do it because she has been on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno twenty-nine times, on General Hospital and Comedy Central. I hope you enjoy her interview and get to know her. Also, be sure to sign up to her blog at www.hollywoodgoodgirl.com/.
Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
I grew up in Detroit Michigan, and I always wanted to be a performer. I started performing in dance in musicals at a young age and always had a dream of moving to Hollywood. After I graduated from the University of Michigan, with a degree in musical theater, and had been working professionally throughout my childhood. My parents and I loaded up the Mini Van and drove to Los Angeles. They dropped me off and I started a career in acting in film and television. It was an incredible journey, and somewhere in my mid-twenties, I decided I wanted to write my 1st memoir and turn it into a book. It was based upon my diaries and my love life relationships. It ended up getting published by Zondervan Publishing which led to me writing several more books. I was very blessed to be working in Hollywood on The Tonight Show,Comedy Central, and General Hospital, but I always continued to have the love for writing and creating material. Thirteen years ago, I started a career in stand up comedy, and I have been on that roller coaster ever since. I am an out of the closet Christian living in Hollywood, and a lot of my work is standing up for good moral projects that are family-friendly.
What inspired you to write this book?
I've been joking in my stand up comedy act for many years and felt that I could never measure up to the Proverbs 31 woman who is mentioned in the Bible; so I created Proverbs32 Woman for women who need more grace and laughter in their life. It's not your typical faith book. I ripped the mask of perfection right off. #hotmess4Jesus.
Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?
My publisher wanted something that would be a little bit jarring and catch the reader's off guard. At first, I thought it was quite shocking, but I've grown to love it.
Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?
I am really excited to have a wonderful writing partner whom I get to create movies with for the Hallmark Channel. Her name is Claire Lee. She has been an inspiration to me for many years to never give up on my dreams, and keep pursuing new challenges.
What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
I am really grateful to have Harvest House Publishers that were willing to take a chance on a stand-up comedian from Hollywood rating a faith-filled book that is very out of the box. All other publishers might not have been willing to take the chance. These guys let me write the book unfiltered and I believe that is going to bring hope and grace to a lot of readers.
Tell your readers about your book.
Proverbs 32 Woman and Proverbs 32 Woman Devotional are both launching in November of this year. One of them is a devotional with sixty small chapters. The other one is a book filled with thirteen chapters of stories from my life and my moments of grace and laughter. It is not a comedy book at all; I poured my heart and soul into these stories. Each chapter has questions for reflection, and I hope will guide the reader into a deeper relationship with God and to become more thoughtful about their journey.
Who is your target audience and why?
I hope that women of all ages will read this book. I wrote it from a Christian perspective, but it is not legalistic or judgemental. I hope people from all different faiths might enjoy my stories and cause them to think about their journey and faith differently.
If you were going to give one reason for anyone looking at your book to read, why should they buy it?
Because if you need a good belly laugh, then anyone who reads this book, will see someone who is more dysfunctional than you!
What do you consider your greatest success in life?
I consider my greatest achievement in life to be raising two strong self-assured young women in today's society.
Everyone has life lessons to learn, tell your readers one or two of yours and how they make you the person you are today.
I've had to learn the lesson that nobody is going to be a bigger cheerleader for yourself then you are. We can't just sit around and wait for somebody else to make our dreams happen. We have to seize own opportunities and have faith in ourselves that we are worthy of success. I wrote my first book when I was twenty-six-years-old using a pad of paper, and then I self-published and hired a publicist. I couldn't afford it at the time, but I took a chance. Within one year of hiring that publicist, I had a book deal from the largest Christian publisher in the world.
I've also learned that life is going to throw you some major curve balls and you are going to be a member of a lot of clubs that you never wanted to be a member of, period. I never wanted to be a member of the single mom's club, but I have learned invaluable lessons. I now feel that I can speak with empathy for women who have gone through a divorce or have become single moms, and I have a connection with them that I would never have of had before. I choose to use all the bad things in my life for the greater good in the long run.
What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
Well, I'm a professional stand up comedian, so I would like to say that I might consider myself to be pretty funny???
Tell your readers anything else you want to share.
I hope this is a book that groups of women could read together. I can see it used in a Bible study group or a homegroup. I hope this is a book that can stir some excellent conversations.
I don't know about you, but I can't wait to finish reading this book. You know you have something special when the front cover reaches out and grabs you. Vessel: Light of Balance by Derrel Cockerham is a special book by all accounts. It is powerful and engaging and one you don't want to miss. Take a look at the book's trailer.
A storm is coming to Earthos. Bringing terrors as numerous as its raindrops. Its most powerful kingdom must unite to weather the storm.
Aerofer is an adventurous youth that wants nothing more than to explore the world. When an abrupt and mysterious illness lands him in a coma, his world is turned upside down. Aerofer embarks on a journey of self-discovery to find balance within himself so that he can save his newfound friends and all of Earthos from utter destruction.
When a decorated war-hero and bastard of the king returns home, he gets more than he bargained for. Loved by all and respected by all, Parsicus returns home to find his father on his deathbed, a jealous step-brother as heir, and his beloved country falling to decadence and corruption. To save it, he will have to go against his own family. Branded a traitor and betrayed by those closest to him, one man will risk it all to save his country.
Two different paths, two different destinies.
The throne of a kingdom and the fate of the world lies in the Balance. When the End is near, which will matter most? Family or country?
Now meet Tyler Hall, author of the book, "Atop the Bookshelf." Making his debut into the literary world with this anthology of poetry, Tyler Hall entices readers with this volume. From Haiku to Traditional Rhyming to prophetic quatrains, Tyler Hall's words seek to inspire any, and all, who come his way. Now let's learn about Tyler and his book.
Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
I really do not like talking about myself much. It is because I find that speaking too much about myself ruins the quality value. Also, it reduces the problem of saying something foolish. One will have to read my words to find my leanings on certain things. I am someone who would rather focus on learning about other people.
Yet, I will say a few things about me that I believe warrant attention. It will be very hard to cram an entire biography of myself in here. To start off with, I am was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. I still live there to this day, Aside from being an aspiring fiction writer, actor, and various other career fields, I work as a security officer.
As a child, I grew up watching television shows, films, playing video games, and reading comics. I became interested in Japanese Anime in my teen years and that continues to be a staple of my interests.
I first began writing fiction when I was in my seventh year of school. Since the assignment in question was to write about the time I had a bad party, and being as I never been to a party, I decided to write a fictional account of a party gone bad. Since it was for a school assignment, I decided to add in fictional characters, historical figures, celebrities, and just about anything out of the ordinary. Then, in the story, a group of zombies ends up causing problems; eating all the food, stealing the wrappings of a mummy, and even filling a swimming pool full of Jell-O. Although it was completely imaginary, my teacher was still very much impressed by it to give me a passing grade! I guess my way with words was impressive even if it was all made up!
Since then, I have drafted various stories and tales. Atop the Bookshelf is one of many works which I have decided to reveal to the world at large. Whenever I am not writing, I am drawing or creating ASMR videos on youtube under the name of ShadrachASMR.
I also like cats.
What inspired you to author this book?
I was inspired to write because I wanted to experiment with the poetry genre. I had drafted short stories and novels, yet I never wrote any poetry. Also, the way poetry described so much in so few words was appealing to me. Therefore, Atop The Bookshelf was my way of exploring this genre of literature.
Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?
Libraries have always been one of my favored places to visit. I say this because libraries were the go-to place for knowledge in the days before search engines. However, time is so limited in the way of reading every single book, that I am willing to assume the vast majority of texts are never read. Forgotten treasures which yearn for the eyes of a reader to gaze its words. That is why I chose the name Atop the Bookshelf for this volume of poetry. To reflect the many books which are sadly ignored by many readers. Eventually, there will always be that one person whom, out of curiosity, gazes upon the upper shelf and discovers a text unread. Once that person reads it, they find it hard to put down. And questions begin to formulate in the mind of the lone reader about the text as to who wrote it and why. That is what I hope to convey in years to come.
Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?
I would have to say my friends and family who have supported me so far with my chosen path as a writer.
What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
Although poetry can say so much in so few words, there is also the problem of coming off as being too vague. When it came to the haiku and quatrains, I had issues with condensing a novel's worth of information into a few sentences. The traditional poetry proved difficult at times because of the constant rhyming. Overall, it was finding the right word that proved the most difficult.
I believe I already explained the reason why I wrote Atop the Bookshelf. As for what this anthology entails, it is a collection of five years’ worth of poetry I had written. Now, after assembling them into book form, and editing the texts, I have decided to reveal my work to the world. It is an anthology of countless poetry variations ranging in such forms as haiku, free verse, quatrains, and traditional. All of my poems tell of a story of some kind in a few words.
Who is your target audience, and why?
I purposely wrote Atop the Bookshelf to cater to every person's individual literary interest or taste. Regardless if one is into genres such as comedy, sci-fi, war, historical fiction, religion, or horror, I wrote poems which varied from topic to topic as I want to be inclusive with my readers. As the old saying goes, it's got something for everybody.
What do you consider your greatest success in life?
Where do begin? There are so many things, I am not sure which one to list. Therefore, I shall list publishing Atop the Bookshelf to be the main one. This was because I had desired to publish something for the longest time and I finally accomplished something I have longed to do in my life.
What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
I believe it is my unusual mixture of various different type of poetry. I do not like limiting myself to one form or one type of theme because I find such things to be very limiting. I want my words to be varied in countless ways.
Today I woke up in a great mood after a wonderful night's sleep. However, I did have this really strange dream. You know one of those you know you had, but can't remember. Usually, I remember my dreams vividly and most of my novels have come from my dreams. So, it drives me crazy when I don't remember one. I also get to pack today. Yep! Another working vacation. I am leaving on a cruise to Cozumel with books in hand ready to read. I have a couple of books on my agenda. First, I will finish reading Neuro Confinement by Sophie White, published by Absolute Author Publishing House. This book is awesome and I can't wait for it's September release. So sit tight as we learn more about this book and watch the introductory book trailer below.
I also have another book on my agenda by author Sierra Storm called "Taken by Nightfall." I love a good mystery and a cold case murder story. Learn more about the author and her book below,
Author - Sierra Storm
Name of book: Taken by Nightfall (Book 1 of The Midnight Valley Saga)
Midnight Valley in northern California has more than its fair share of disappearances and cold case murders–usually involving canine bite marks and blood drained from the victims. Violet Miller has every reason to panic when her friend Tristan’s growing obsessions lead him to join the mysterious forest cult in the woods. His personality changes gradually, and he insists that the time for him to back out has already passed. He has become one of them, a creature of the night, as he claims.
Violet sets out on her own to rescue him, but she might already be too late. It isn’t long before she discovers that this group of people are far more dangerous–and enticing–than she could ever have guessed.
Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
Where did I grow up? Here and there. No, seriously--I've moved an average of once every two years throughout my life. I've lived everywhere from Southern California to the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo to where I live now, in beautiful New Hampshire. All that time sitting in airplanes and the cramped back seats of cars taught me to be obsessed with reading and writing, my two constant companions.
Fun facts: the first word I read was the word "lift" on an airplane seatbelt. Years later, I started writing my first book while looking for a way to defeat boredom in a hotel room. It was the one thing I could do that didn't cost money, electricity, or many resources, but could entertain me for hours. And it still does!
What inspired you to author this book?
The Midnight Valley Saga started out as an experience. I first tried my hand at self-publishing four or five years ago (has it really been that long?). I tested several different styles and genres at the time, and I really enjoyed the mystery and allure of paranormal romance. It seemed a fun blend of all the weird fantasy I like with a more grounded setting. I also used the early drafts of the series as a way to practice crafting more memorable characters and balance more emotional story-lines. After putting the series away for a couple years, I decided to re-visit it, fix it up, and get it back into the spotlight. I'm very glad I did!
Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?
I come from a family of professional artists, and I'm not one of them. When I first self-published Taken by Nightfall, I mashed together a couple of cheap stock photos and got mediocre results. This time around, I got to work with an actual book cover designer. I wanted this cover to reflect the mystery and romance of the story but also to hint at the beautiful background of the forests in northern California, where the story takes place.
Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?
This is a difficult question because there have been many people in my life who encouraged me to write and grow as a writer. I will say that my husband was the one who really pushed me to out-perform myself. He's a tough critic but very honest, and he really helped give me some more perspective on the emotional growth of the characters and the flow of the plot as a whole.
What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
Where do I start? There was the distraction of other stories I'm also writing. There's been a day job that drains me of energy. For one year I also had carpal tunnel in one wrist, and I still have some atrophy that keeps me from writing as much as I want. I've come to realize that if I want to be successful as a writer, I'm the one who has to prioritize it and practice it. If my day job is hectic, I wake up early to ensure I have time to write. If my wrist is bothering me, I handwrite using an electric pen. I believe the decision to write and to remain active as a writer shouldn't be swayed by circumstance--it's something I have to pursue.
Tell your readers about your book.
Taken by Nightfall is the first book in a series--The Midnight Valley Saga. Our protagonist, a high school senior named Violet, is pulled into the middle of the action when her not-really-boyfriend Tristan announces that he decided to join the strange group that meets in the woods outside of town. It turns out the group is far more than they appear.
A lot of the action in the series revolves around wendigos, werewolves, a sassy seer and a reluctant spirit guide. There's also plenty of moonlight, romance, and a side of vengeance. I'd say more, but then I'd spoil it.
My target audience is people who love paranormal romance and want a slight twist on the stereotypes. I left vampires out because I wanted to write something slightly off-beat but familiar enough for fans of the genre to enjoy. I also have fun world-building and working out the technical and even bureaucratic links that would build a world with many different creatures of the night. I would hope my audience would enjoy learning why a spirit guide might call out sick when meeting a new client--or watching a werewolf laugh at the idea of a human's assumption that vampires also exist.
What do you consider your greatest success in life?
This is another hard one. I think the answer would come down to balance if I had to pick. I know what I love in my life, and I know what I want to protect. I want time to spend with my family and my husband. I want to read, write, and see the world. My greatest success has been my ability to preserve what I hold sacred even when the universe conspires to take it away.
What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
I don't write fan fiction. My stories aren't based on any one thing I've read but on my desire to build characters who will tamper with a well-known genre and find magic around its limits. As a writer, I tend to shy away from comparing my writing with anyone because I don't want to be anyone other than myself. I believe I make that clear through my writing, and that certainly makes it different from the myriad other books available.