This week’s musing asks…

Why do you think that the Young Adult genre is so popular with even the adult readers? Do you read YA books, yourself?

About Abby Luby

Abby Luby is a freelance journalist who, for over ten years, has covered nuclear power, particularly issues surrounding the Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York. Her articles have appeared in The New York Daily News, The Villager, The Westchester Guardian, The Real Deal, SolveClimateNews, The North County News and the Record Review. She also writes for the Poughkeepsie Journal, The Stamford Advocate/Greenwich Time, Valley Table Magazine, Roll Magazine, Hearst publications HealthyLivingCT, Living@HomeCT covering news, art, food and health. She teaches writing and literature at Marist College.

To find out more about Abby visit http://www.abbylu.com

To find out more about Nuclear Romance visit http://nuclearromance.wordpress.com

About Nuclear Romance

In Nuclear Romance, a debut novel by New York journalist and writer Abby Luby, the tragic death of a 7-year old girl – after swimming at a beach across from a nuclear power plant – sets off a chain of events that involve a sports journalist, an anti-nuclear activist, a grieving mother and her son.A young woman reporter falls prey to a callous plant executive whose job depends on keeping the multi-billion dollar nuclear corporation viable. Set in the US Northeast, the terrifying story that unravels the cause of the girl’s death coincides with growing local anti-nuclear sentiment. The tension escalates after highly radioactive steam escapes from the plant, forcing a mass evacuation.

This novel grips readers’ imaginations with the tension and fear that surround many of today’s nuclear power plants, especially powerful in the aftermath ofJapan’s recent and still unfolding nuclear disaster.

Nuclear Romance Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

To Be Announced Shortly!

Abby Luby’s NUCLEAR ROMANCE VIRTUAL BOOK PUBLICITY TOUR will officially begin on February 6 and ends on March 30, 2012.  Please contact Tracee Gleichner at tgleichner(at)gmail.com if you are interested in hosting and/or reviewing his book. Thank you!

About Thomas Waite

Thomas Waite is an author, entrepreneur and consultant whose writings have appeared in such publications as the Harvard Business Review and The New York Times and he has been featured in a wide variety of media, including CNN Mondy and a number of cable news programs. As an entrepreneur, he founded and co-founded two companies, including one that was sold to an Internet firm. He has consulted to dozens of technology corporations and other companies, and serves on the Board of Directors of others. He was born in the seaside town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, where his father was John Updike’s dentist. He attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison and Oxford University. He now lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

About Terminal Value

When Dylan Johnson sold his mobile  computing business to TriumVant Consulting – a red-hot technology firm about to go public – he thought he and his partners would realize their wildest dreams. But before the deal is even completed, Dylan senses that something isn’t quite right. He should have trusted his instincts. He quickly finds himself marginalized and his partner and best friend Tony suspects that they are all caught in a sinister web of deceit. The very night of TriumVant’s wildly successful public offering, Dylan discovers his best friend dead – and is convinced he was murdered. Dylan forms a close alliance – and romantic relationship – with his former partner Heather and the two follow an electronic trail into TriumVant’s secrets…only to discover that the death of their friend is the result of a betrayal they never could have imagined.

Terminal Value Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

TOUR STOPS ANNOUNCED SHORTLY

Thomas Waite’s TERMINAL VALUE VIRTUAL BOOK PUBLICITY TOUR will officially begin on March 5 and end on April 20 2012. Please contact Tracee Gleichner at tgleichner(at)me.com if you are interested in hosting and/or reviewing his book. Thank you!

About Lou Aronica

Lou Aronica is the author of several novels and works of nonfiction, including the New York Times bestseller, The Element (written with Ken Robinson) and the national bestseller, The Culture Code (written with Clotaire Rapaille). He lives in Southern Connecticut with his wife and four children.

To find out more about Lou or to learn more about Blue visit The Fiction Studio

About Blue

Chris Astor is a man in his early forties who is going through the toughest stretch of his life.

Gordon Gumpertz brings fiction readers another exciting action/adventure experience in his new novel RED HOT SKY. This is the author’s second book, following his highly acclaimed novel TSUNAMI.

In addition to writing novels, Gordon has won gold and silver awards in national and regional short story competitions. He is a member of the Authors Guild, the Palm Springs Writers Guild, a UCLA graduate, and an instrument-rated private pilot. He keeps his website current by blogging on natural disasters and natural phenomena.

Gordon and his wife Jenny live not far from the San Andreas fault, where the Pacific Plate thrusts into the North American Plate, building increasingly high levels of faultline stress which, the seismologists say, may soon produce the Big One.

Visit his website at www.tsunaminaturaldisaster.com.

Website | Amazon | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

The Interview

Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Red Hot Sky is a fast-moving novel about what happens when the buildup of CO2, methane, and other greenhouse gasses in earth’s atmosphere reaches a tipping point. In this scenario, global weather destabilizes and turns chaotic. Ice storms, dust storms, floods, blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes pummel the earth nonstop. A secret computer model reveals that the frantic weather will peak out, and transform world climate into an alien environment devastating to human survival.

Scientists Ben Mason and Claudine Manet, developers of the computer model, are lovers as well as lab partners. While they work frantically to head off the approaching catastrophe, a disgraced Russian general hacks into their model and sees earth’s bleak future as his opportunity for ultimate world power.

Ben, who had left the CIA to develop the computer model at the national lab, is reactivated by the Agency and sent on a perilous mission to block the rogue general’s plot. Claudine is placed in charge of a massive NASA project that, if completed on time, could stop the approaching doomsday climate change. But her project is stalled by bureaucracy. Ben, his cover blown, is on the run in hostile territory. The climate change calamity steadily approaches.

Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
I read a report that CO2 concentration in the air has increased dramatically since the start of the industrial revolution 200 years ago, most of the increase coming in the last 50 years. I wondered what would happen if CO2 concentration zoomed so high it reached a tipping point and destabilized earth’s atmosphere. What if it re-stabilized as an atmosphere resembling some other planet, not conducive to human life? I built my story around that possibility.

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
I wanted to write a suspenseful, action-packed novel with interesting characters that readers would enjoy. I hoped at the same time to get people thinking about the impact of rapid climate change on our planet.

Who is your biggest supporter?
My wife, Jenny, is my biggest fan.

Your biggest critic?
My wife, Jenny, is my biggest critic. She’s a former nonfiction editor and vets all my manuscripts.

What cause are you most passionate about and why?
Taking care of our planet. It’s the only one we have.
I learn something new every day about writing and about life.

Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
The great fiction writers of past and present, including Dickens, Tolstoy, Melville, Hemingway, and Steinbeck.

What is the most important thing in your life right now?
Family first. Writing a close second.

What are you currently working on?
My third disaster novel. It’s first drafted and being revised. Hope to publish by fall of this year. Don’t want to reveal theme quite yet.

Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
My advice to writers is stick with it and never give up.

About Red Hot Sky

CO2 buildup in earth’s atmosphere reaches a tipping point. Global weather destabilizes, turns chaotic. Ice storms, dust storms, floods, blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes pummel the earth nonstop. A secret computer model reveals that the frantic weather will peak out, and transform world climate into an alien environment devastating to human survival.

Scientists Ben Mason, Claudine Manet, and Bertrand Short are developers of the computer model. Ben and Claudine are lovers as well as lab partners. While they work frantically to head off the approaching catastrophe, a disgraced Russian general hacks into their model and sees earth’s bleak future as his opportunity for ultimate world power.

Ben, who had left the CIA to develop the computer model at the national lab,  is reactivated by the Agency and sent on a perilous mission to block the rogue general’s plot. Claudine, not realizing that Ben is on a secret mission, misunderstands his absence, putting their relationship on thin ice.

Claudine is placed in charge of a massive NASA project that, if completed on time, could stop the approaching doomsday climate change. But her project is stalled by bureaucracy. Ben is on the run in hostile territory. The climate change calamity steadily approaches.

No offense but I would be gone, lol!  I would have left with Steve to start my new life.  I love my family very much, but with the amount of stress and pressure she has I almost can’t believe she stayed.  Who wouldn’t want to try a new life with a new love?  Add in some nice warm weather too?  Sounds ideal to me:)

 Season 2 tune in is on Sundays 9PM ET/PT on Showtime.

Check out the promo trailer: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xn45p3

DVD: http://bit.ly/unesOb

Lillian R. Melendez received a B.A. degree in English with a minor in Psychology from Trinity University in Washington, D.C. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America. She lives in South Orange, NJ.

To find out more, please visithttp://www.lillianrmelendez.com

The Interview

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

Christopher Parker is finding it hard to believe that his architect firm is being affected by the recession. His firm’s overall budget is decreasing in a rapid pace, employees are complaining that their funds are being tampered with, and the unforeseen attacks on top employees outside of his firm and murder, has Christopher’s heart racing. Witnessing his own company’s downward spiral, Christopher holds suspicions, but does not accurately know who is responsible for the sabotage. Through newspaper articles published by the Disclosure Daily Tribune, he is getting closer and closer to the suspect. At the same time, Christopher’s health is declining and he is trying to make peace with those he hurt in the past before it’s too late. To his surprise, help comes from the unlikeliest of sources.

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?

The current fragile economy inspired me to write about the frailty of human behavior. The content of my book is about greed, selfishness, and murder.

What are you currently working on?

I have a second novel in the works and a short story.

Do you have any advice for writers or readers?

Continue to read, write, and learn as much as you can. Listen to other authors’ experiences and suggestions. Let them be your guide.

What do you feel is your biggest strength?

I am least distracted when I write. Whether I am in my quiet bedroom or sitting at a noisy train station, I am focus on writing. Writing relaxes me which in turn makes me more energize when I begin another chapter of my manuscript.

What is your biggest weakness?

Taking book reviews of my work to heart is my biggest weakness. There are times when reviewers may give their heartfelt impression of my work. I read and reflect on their suggestions, and take some pieces that can help me along the way.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I hope readers enjoy the book, Dismantling Vindictiveness.

About Dismantling Vindictiveness

Christopher Parker is finding it hard to believe that his architect firm is being affected by the recession. His firm’s overall budget is decreasing in a rapid pace, employees are complaining that their funds are being tampered with, and the unforeseen attacks on top employees outside of his firm and murder, has Christopher’s heart racing.

Witnessing his own company’s downward spiral, Christopher holds suspicions, but does not accurately know who is responsible for the sabotage. Through newspaper articles published by the Disclosure Daily Tribune, he is getting closer and closer to the suspect. At the same time, Christopher’s health is declining and he is trying to make peace with those he hurt in the past before it’s too late. To his surprise, help comes from the unlikeliest of sources.

Although Fiona Ingram has been a journalist for the last fifteen years, writing a children’s book—The Secret of the Sacred Scarab—was an unexpected step, inspired by a recent trip to Egypt. The tale of the sacred scarab began life as a little anecdotal tale for her 2 nephews (then 10 and 12), who had accompanied her on the Egyptian trip. This short story grew into an award-winning children’s book, the first in the adventure series Chronicles of the Stone. The author has already completed the next book in the series—The Search for the Stone of Excalibur—a huge treat for young King Arthur fans.

Although Fiona Ingram does not have children of her own, she has an adopted teenage foster child, from an underprivileged background who is just discovering the joys of reading for pleasure. Fiona’s experiences in teaching her daughter to read has resulted in her interest in child literacy and in creating ways to get kids more interested in reading, as well as helping parents to instil a love of reading in their children.

Naturally, Fiona is a voracious reader and has been from early childhood. Her interests include literature, art, theatre, collecting antiques, animals, music, and films. She loves travel and has been fortunate to have lived in Europe (while studying) and America (for work). She has travelled widely and fulfilled many of her travel goals.

Fiona’s latest book is the middle grade adventure novel, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab – Book 1 in the Chronicles of the Stone series.

Visit her website at www.fionaingram.com.

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The Interview

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab: A 5000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives two young South African tourists, Adam and Justin Sinclair, an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger. Dr. Khalid wants the relic at all costs. Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them. They survive terrifying dangers in a hostile environment (such as a giant cobra, as well as sinking sand), pursued by enemies in their quest to solve the secret of the sacred scarab. They must translate the hieroglyphic clues on the underside of the scarab, as well as rescue the missing archaeologist James Kinnaird, and their friend, the Egyptologist Ebrahim Faza, before time runs out. They must also learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor. With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another!

Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?

I went to Egypt with my mom and my two nephews aged 10 and 12. We had an amazing time and upon our return to South Africa I thought I would write a short story about two boys who have an incredible adventure in Egypt. Naturally my nephews were the inspiration for the heroes. Well, the short story became a book; the book became a series, and I changed careers from journalist to children’s author.

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?

I would say going to Egypt was the spark; researching the fascinating ancient culture of Egypt, discovering wonderful legends and tales completed the story.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My mother who has always been the backbone of all my endeavors.

Your biggest critic?

Me…

What cause are you most passionate about and why?

Child literacy is something that I have become deeply concerned about, both in my own country where one-fifth of the population is illiterate and also worldwide where in many homes there is a lack of books. I fostered an eleven-year-old African child the year I began the book. She came to me just about illiterate and I wondered how on earth she had managed to be pushed through the grades when she could barely read. I had to teach her to read, and now that the world of words has opened up to her she is an avid reader. By the way, she has just finished high school with flying colors!

In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?

Yes, I have finally severed my longtime attachment to adverbs!

Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?

No, because I never quite think of anything as finished. On the eve of sending to the publisher I would decide to reread it all, just in case there was room for improvement. I am getting better. I have just sent my second book in the series (The Search for the Stone of Excalibur) to the editor and I saw a mistake and did not freak out … so I must be improving.

Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?

I read widely so I am not sure if there is a specific influence.

What are you currently working on?

Book Three (The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper) if only I can clear the decks and just begin. It’s all there in my head, with characters stuck in dangerous situations calling out for me to write them a rescue…

Do you have any advice for writers or readers?

Three tips should be in the back of a writer’s mind: Never give up. Make sure your work reaches the industry’s standards. Tell everyone about your work.

What are some of your long term goals?

Finishing the seven-book planned series, and since I have signed a movie option on Book One I really would love to see all the books turned into movies.

What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as an author?

Telling a great adventure story, something that could possibly happen!

What do you feel is your biggest strength?

My imagination is a huge plus for me. I never get stuck for ideas. The story just seems to unfold in my head. Sometimes I include things that will only come to fruition in later books, but somehow it all flows together.

Biggest weakness?

I am very critical of myself.

What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?

My book is what one calls ‘magical reality’ — the kind of adventure where it’s all real, and you too could go to an amazing place and embark upon a trip of a lifetime. I draw from actual locations, real myths and legends which are utterly fascinating. The reality behind the books makes them believable for the readers. The twist in the tale, the spark of ‘magic’ driving events makes it compelling reading.

You know the scenario – you’re stuck on an island. What book would you bring with you and why?

I would make it a very big book so the amazing Lord of the Rings trilogy (bound in one book, of course) is my choice to while away the hours until my hero rescues me. (Preferably Aragorn and not Gimli).

What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?

To my eternal annoyance and the glee of my more spiritually minded friends, the lesson I have learned is accepting what they call ‘divine timing.’ The idea that everything comes in the right time and when you are ready. I tend to be very impatient and keep yelling, “I’m ready! I’m ready!” at the ceiling.

Is there anything you regret doing/not doing?

I wish I had written my books ten years earlier, but if we fling in a bit of ‘divine timing’ that would mean I wouldn’t have written the books I have written. Maybe I would have written something else and not been as inspired as I have been.

What is your favorite past-time?

I love books, music, the theater, movies, and the countryside. So all or any combination makes me happy.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Books are wonderful things. Simply having twenty books or more in the house immediately increases your child’s chances of going to study at college. Books in a home, or a parent involved with books is a great way for kids to enjoy reading. Make sure your children or young relatives are exposed to books from an early age. Books are the mark of a civilized society and hold all life’s lessons. I am passionate about child literacy and have written many articles on the subject. (www.FionaIngram.com) I know from personal experience how a child can struggle with reading. My adopted daughter (an African child) was illiterate when she came to live with me. I had to teach her to read and that was an enlightening experience.

About The Secret of the Sacred Scarab

A 5000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger. Dr. Khalid wants the relic at all costs. Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them. They survive terrifying dangers in a hostile environment (such as a giant cobra, as well as sinking sand), pursued by enemies in their quest to solve the secret of the sacred scarab. They must translate the hieroglyphic clues on the underside of the scarab, as well as rescue the missing archaeologist James Kinnaird, and their friend, the Egyptologist Ebrahim Faza, before time runs out. They must also learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor. With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another!

Young explorers will enjoy an interactive journey through Egypt, following Justin and Adam’s exciting adventure on www.secretofthesacredscarab.com. Readers can also browse the first chapter of the book. Those who survive the journey and manage to translate the Curse of Thoth will be able to read the first chapter in Adam and Justin’s next adventure—The Search for the Stone of Excalibur—as they hunt for the Scroll of the Ancients.

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab has received the following awards:

• Book Award Nominations & Wins:
• Finalist Children’s Fiction  USA Next Generation 2009 Indie Book Awards
• Finalist Juvenile Fiction USA National Best Books 2009 Awards
• Winner Pre-Teen USA 2009 Readers’ Favorites Awards
• Number 2 in the USA Children’s & Teens Book Connection Top Ten Favourite Books of 2009 for Kids, Tweens & Teens
• Winner Silver Medal Teen Fiction 2010 Nautilus Book Awards
• Finalist Children’s Fiction 2010 International Book Awards
• Winner Bronze Medal Pre-Teen Fiction 2010 Moonbeam Book Awards
• Finalist 2011 Rubery Book Awards
• Winner Gold Award Mystery Pre-Teen 2011 Children’s Literary Classics Awards

Purchase ebook for $2.99 here!

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LATEST NEWS!

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab a Finalist in the 2011 SharpWrit Book Awards. Winners will be announced in Jan 2012. http://t.co/JIDokPlv

A voracious book fan since first learning to read, Mary Stella fell in love with romance novels while pursuing her English degree decades ago. A professional writer since someone first paid her to write radio commercials while she was still in college, she always dreamed of writing a book someday. Eventually, she realized that a book wouldn’t spring fully written from her brain so she’d better get cracking.

All Keyed Up, a humorous contemporary romance set at a dolphin facility in the Florida Keys with a determined researcher and a stubborn DEA agent, was her debut novel, originally published in print format a few years ago.Key of Sea, published a year later, proves that an ex-trophy wife can create a new life for herself, find love again with a hot younger man, and successfully battle land crabs.

Mary updated both books prior to releasing them electronically. She’s hard at work on a new project, which will also be set in the Florida Keys – the beautiful, fun, slightly abnormal island chain that she calls home.

Mary loves to hear from readers. Please email her at mary@mary-stella.com

The Interview

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

All Keyed Up and Key of Sea are humorous contemporary romance novels set in the Florida Keys. All Keyed Up takes place at a failing dolphin facility where a woman wants to make her name as a marine mammal research scientist. Her dream runs into conflict with the nephew of the facility’s owner. He’s an injured DEA agent with his own plan to save his beloved aunt’s dolphins. Whether or not they can work together to succeed in their goals is a challenge and the sensual sparks between them only complicate matters – at least in her eyes. He’s not the least conflicted.

Key of Sea tells the story of a woman who returns home to the Florida Keys after her older, wealthy husband kicks her to the curb. She’s pushing 40, she’s not a size 4 any longer and she absolutely doesn’t know what she’s going to do for the rest of her life, but she has to figure it out. At home, in addition to her loving grandpa and her best friend, she’s also back on the radar of the hot younger man whose heart she unknowingly broke years before. He’s definitely got his sights set on her once more.

Who is your biggest supporter?

I’m so lucky to have a great circle of friends – all of whom are also writers – to support me and I do my best to support them in return. We understand the challenges we all face and know how to be excellent cheerleaders, listeners, or motivators.

Your biggest critic?

I’m the hardest on myself always. I always want my writing to get better and better and I worry that I’m not portraying the story in my head in an entertaining enough way for readers. Thank goodness for the support group that reads my work and assures me when I’m on the right track, or helps me readjust if I need to.

What cause are you most passionate about and why?

I’m a huge supporter of marine mammals and ocean conservation. I’ve lived all of my life by the ocean. I’ve loved dolphins and whales since I was a little girl. Mankind is the number one threat to the health and survival of the world’s seas. All of marine life needs us to be more pro-environment in our every day practices. They need us and we need the ocean to be healthy!

Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?

Yes. I celebrate with a bottle of champagne and call my closest friends to say, “It’s done! I typed The End!” We don’t live near each other so we have to celebrate together in a virtual sense.

Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?

Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Nora Roberts. They set a high bar for excellence and I learn so much from reading their books – the second and third times. The first time I’m so captured by the story and characters that I’m absolutely transported into the books.

What is the most important thing in your life right now?

Family, friends, my dogs – always!

What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?

As long as you’re alive and kicking, it is never too late to pursue what makes you happy. I made a major life change when I was 43. I published my first book when I was 45. I have a wonderful life. If you want to do something, you can set your mind and your energy to accomplishing whatever it is that you want. Never doubt it and go for it!

What is your favorite past-time?

I love being out on the water. I have a boat that I can take out to just cruise in, go fishing or snorkeling, or even to get together with friends at the sand bar. I love, love, love the ocean.

Thanks so much for letting me join you today!

About All Keyed Up

A Man with a Plan
At home in the Florida Keys on medical leave, undercover agent Jack Benton is on a mission to save his beloved aunt’s failing dolphin facility. He’s positive he can close a seven-figure land development deal, until his sassy Aunt Ruby accepts the proposal of world renowned marine mammal scientist Dr. Vic Sheffield. Against his better judgment, Jack must cooperate with the project or break Ruby’s heart.

A Woman with a Dream
Things aren’t what they seem. More than the Keys temperature heats up when Dr. Victoria Sheffield finesses her way into the facility under the guise of her famous father’s name, hoping to finally establish herself as a top notch researcher. A lifetime of behavioral observation hasn’t prepared her, however, for a suspicious, sexy homo-sapien like Jack. She’ll need every last point of her elevated I.Q. to outwit this wily alpha male. He knows she’s hiding something, and sooner or later he’ll figure it out. In the meantime, not only his suspicions are aroused by the beautiful brainiac.

Two Hearts on Fire
When dreams collide and passion storms, it’s no wonder everybody’s All Keyed Up!

About Key of Sea

In her youth, Dora Lee Hanson set her dreams on distant goals. A more exciting life waited, if not over the rainbow, then at least somewhere out of the quiet Florida Keys. The twenty-something beauty left home for a modeling career, but a wealthy magnate swept her off her ostrich-plumed mules. Unfortunately, after more than a dozen years of marriage, the wicked wretch kicked her to the curb. Facing a very uncertain future, she returns to her beloved grandfather and the home she eagerly left behind all those years before.

Successful Keys fishing guide Bobby Daulton has the life he always intended, with one notable exception. He never caught Dora Lee, the love of his youth. After all these years, he never expected her to blow back into his world with tornado force, but he’s a far cry from the kid who once let her slip the line and escape.

When an ex-trophy wife with a mid-life crisis hooks up with the hot guy whose heart she unknowingly broke years before, the passionate pair rock more than the romance boat. Dora Lee has her eye on a brand new dream. Bobby has his eye on Dora. He’s fallen for her again, hook, line and sinker, and this time she won’t swim away.

Peyman Pejman is an award-winning journalist with over 20 years of experience. He has worked with respected newspapers, news agencies and radio stations such as The Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Cox Newspapers, The Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters, Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Pejman has extensive experience in the Middle East and the Arab world. His tenure in the Middle East has corresponded with important timelines in the region: the Iranian revolution, the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the Gulf Wars and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In addition to his journalistic career, he has been a media and communications professor and a media consultant/advisor/trainer.

The Interview

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

The book is somewhat unusual in that it is a fictitious narrative about a very politically-topical issue: Would Iran acquire sufficient technology to attack its biggest enemies: The United States and Israel. But it also tells the story from a human perspective. In it, an Iranian-born American who is a journalist is recruited by the CIA. While traversing hotspots like Cairo, Dubai, Iraqi Kurdistan and Israel, the new spy learns how Iran is trying to destabilize the Persian Gulf and buy Chinese military secrets to achieve its goals. Who is the mastermind of such grandiose Iranian scheme? None other than his estranged sister, who, unlike her brother owing allegiance to the United States, had devoted her life to recreating the old glory of her homeland.

Your biggest critic?

Myself. I am rather a “Type A” type of person, for those who have taken those kinds of tests before. I want everything to be as close to perfection as possible. That is not to say that this book was! I have received criticism from “experts” saying this book is not “fiction enough” or that it does not quite conform to industry-standard style of fiction writing. That may or may not be true. But it was my first book and hopefully the next one/ones will be better.

Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?

David Ignatius, a respected journalist and novelist. I have read every book he has written and hope that I have learned from him. I know I have a lot more to learn!

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a second novel, about an Afghan boy who leaves his country with family during times of civil war. After a stop in Pakistan, he finds his way in the United States, where he becomes enamored with American values, or at least he thinks he is. Professional ambition and self-doubts enforced by “American way of life” lures him back to his ancestral homeland, where he starts doubting everything he had strived for. In the end he joins the ranks of religious fundamentalists who do not hesitate to use terrorism to advance their goals.

Is there an author that inspired you to write?

Yes, as I mentioned above, former colleague and recognized novelist David Ignatius has been a big inspiration not just in forming my style but in why I want to write.

What are some of your long term goals?

(Very) ideally, I would like to reach a point in life (sometime in the coming few years) where I can work six months a year for a living and then travel around the world to write long investigative magazine piece and use the ideas to generate more books.

What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as an author?

Someone told me long ago that the hardest thing about writing a book is mustering the discipline to actually sit down and write the book. That’s when you know you want it badly enough, I was told. I think writing the first book, and now the second, is in a way my greatest achievement in that I know—I feel—the conviction that I have something I want to say and force myself to find the best way to say it! Whether it sells or not is a product of many factors. Whether it is written well is one factor, but not necessarily the only one.

Biggest weakness?

I have taken to heart the criticism/advice that the book is not “fiction enough,” that it is written by someone who is primarily a non-fiction writer, and I am working on it in the second book.

About Age of Intolerance

Age of Intolerance is both an espionage thriller tackling a serious and newsworthy current affairs topic and heart-warming saga of a relationship between estranged brother and sister, each having pledged allegiance to a political master bent on defeating the other.

Charles Shahin is a American journalist of Iranian descent whom the Central Intelligence Agency convinces to become a spy, skirting a long-held tradition that spy agencies not recruit reporters. Pretending to be a reporter for a US-based Internet newsgathering site, Shahin settles in sleepy Cyprus, long the center of spies and money launderers dealing with or keeping an eye on the Middle East.

While in Cyprus, Shahin gets wind of an Iranian plan to destabilize the Persian Gulf and purchase Chinese military secrets to build nuclear technology capable of hitting the United States and Israel. The plot was hatched by none other than his long-lost sister, now a ranking official in Iran.

Despite repeated warning, CIA bosses fail to mount a coherent strategy. What occupies Washington’s mind more is a spate of domestic acts of terrorism. Careful examination reveals the existence of a fanatic religious group inside the United States, bred and funded by none other than Washington’s best ally in the Arab world: Saudi Arabia. The Saudi goal: to “export” its internal “troubles” and force America to pick a fight with a common enemy: Iran.

Convinced an Iranian attack is imminent, Shahin and his wife — a Saudi princess — try to stop it, knowing US government bureaucracy is fractured and reaching a consensus might take too long.

Help comes from an unlikely ally, which, no doubt, has its own political ambitions, and its card to play.