Interview with Trevor Halloway

Trevor HallowayInterview with:

Trevor Halloway

Author of:

Ashes and Asphalt

 

 

 

About the Book: Ashes and Asphalt

Bill Byrne is dead and his last request is for his estranged sons, Mike and Kyle, to bring his ashes to the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota. They have five days to travel two thousand miles and if they survive a renegade biker from New Orleans, three carjacking lunatics, and the police, they’ll be home free…unless they kill one another first.

 

Get Your Copy Here

Reviews
A feelgood “brothers in arms” road tale, spattered with guns, bar brawls, beer, dirty girls, and bikes with its heart in family values, that will keep motorcycle fans revving up with the action.” – Self Publishing Review

Ashes and Asphalt teaches many life lessons while being a genuinely interesting read” – Hollywood Book Review

 

***   Interview   ***

 

Trevor Halloway - ashes asphaultYour new book: “Ashes and Asphalt” is an homage to the biking community and to brotherhood. What made you choose this backdrop? Are you a motorcycle enthusiast yourself?

Oddly enough, I’m one of the few non-bikers in my family. But, we all share the love of motorcycles. I’ve rarely seen novels that represented bikers, especially in a good light, and I said to myself, “Self…why not draw on some of the family stories and create that book.” So I did.

 

Is this your first book?

 The first under this pen name. For security reasons, I can’t speak of the first one.

 

Tell us about your book? What inspired you to write it?

My family inspired “Ashes and Asphalt.” I have two brothers and we could speak more than we do. We do better than Kyle and Mike Byrne though.

 

Is this book part of a series? Do you have related books? (explain)

Series? I’ve had many people ask me that and really, it’s a self-contained story. I suppose the brothers could endure more trials and tribulations, but right now I have half a dozen stories in various stages on my laptop.

 

Have you always enjoyed writing?

I love creating enjoyable stories for people. A friend of mine likened writing to being like God. That’s partially true, but I’m a bit too God fearing to go that far.

 

When did you first know that you had a passion for writing?

It started over a breakup. A girl I had been seeing had been cheating on me and naturally, I was crushed. I wrote out my frustration and soon felt better after purging the emotional toxins. Soon after that, the writing bug bit.

 

What type of work do you do? Is it related to your writing in some way?

I’m the low man on the totem pole at a law firm. The only relation writing has with work is that the lawyers/office staff have me write Halloween skits.

 

What do you want our audience to know about you?

Other than my homebrewing? Let’s see (reviewing my cancelled Match.com posting). Well…I love to travel. I’m never happier than when visiting a foreign country or another state. I’m also a trivia fanatic. I used to play online trivia and won more than a couple games (and beers). I especially hated the nights when I was the designated driver and had to give away free beer. Lastly, I like sci-fi (Dr. Who, The Prisoner) and the supernatural (Gravity Falls, Constantine).

 

What did writing this book mean to you?

Certainly not boatloads of cash, though I wouldn’t sneeze at that. I wanted to write a great story that folks can enjoy. If I were 100% truthful with myself, I would also say that it’s also a little part of immortality.

 

Was there someone special in your life that encouraged you to write?

Three:

  • My dyslexic mom, first and foremost. Literacy wasn’t as important in the 30’s/40’s for women as it is now. Dark times, I agree. She wanted nothing more than for me to do better than her. She tells everyone she knows about the book and her author son.

  • My mentor, Walt, also pushed me. His book, “The Return of Sun-Tzu” is quite good (though the Chinese portions did give me some trouble) and he died before fulfilling his true potential.

  • My wife, Chrissy, always said to follow your dreams and so I did.

 

What’s next? Is there something you’re working on now?

Tons. I have six stories on the laptop and more in my head. I have to take Tylenol sometimes! I’m on hiatus with a local project until after I’ve promoted “Ashes and Asphalt.” I hate spreading myself thin. Focus on one task at a time and do it write…err…right.

 

What do you hope readers will “take away” from reading your book?

Perhaps a new take on the biking community, perhaps a new perspective on their own relationships with siblings, but hopefully a smile after reading the story.

 

What advice would you give to other Indie Writers or those who dream of writing a book?

Ten times out of nine, you’ll face rejections and yes, I’ve done the math. Seriously though, the odds are against you, people might not get what you’re about, agents may give nothing but form rejections, and others might persuade you to give up. Don’t do that. Even if one person likes your book…one person…then that person’s life has been enriched thanks to you. I might not make a dime from this, but if I had people come up to me and say, “Hey, loved the book,” then I would be happy with that.

 

 Kindle Version  *  Paperback Version  *  Trevor’s Website

 

 

 

Interview with Novelist: Ritoban Chakrabarti

Ritoban_ChakrabartiInterview with

Ritoban Chakrabarti

 

Author of the Soon to be released Novel:

When She Smiled

 

Sign up Now for Booklaunch Giveaways at:
Goodreads & from The Publisher

 

 

Interview:

Tell us about your book? What inspired you to write it?

About eight months ago, I picked up JD Salinger’s ‘Catcher in the Rye’ and read it in a few hours. It was a very simple story driven around one teenage guy and how a few days changed Ritoban-chakrabarti-when she smiledhis perception about life. We have all had such moments. I’ve had mine for sure. There was a story that needed to be written. After reading that book, I had an epiphany. I reflected on the choices I made as a teenager and how they influenced my future. My novel is about a fifteen year old guy who had no clue how falling in love would forever change his life. ‘She’ is the girl he falls in love with. Her name is Akanksha. The entire story is set in Shimla, which is a beautiful hill station in India.

 

Have you always enjoyed writing?

I used to be an avid reader as a child, but since college my reading habits had been suppressed because I got busy with engineering studies and my part time internet marketing. But recently, I started reading again, and I had an epiphany a few months ago about writing a novel, and I followed that dream.  I’ve written a few marketing books. I’ve also written a lot of blog posts for my products, company related communications, and personal stories. To be completely honest, writing the novel has been on my dream board for a long time, but I seriously considered it only a few months ago.

 

What type of work do you do? Is it related to your book in some way?

I’d like to think of myself as a jack of all trades who loves traveling and has spent his entire life in India. To be precise, I’ve taken on several roles in the last few years. I’ve programmed software, started companies, hired and managed employees, designed websites and graphics, made videos, marketed the hell out of several projects online, and recently finished my first novel. Next year, I’ll be working on a music album. You could say I live life by the moment and take upon challenging projects that push my limits. I’m a hustler who doesn’t quit. Writing the novel was a completely new and challenging project for me, but once I had decided I would do it, I did. There’s been no looking back since. I’m getting it published in digital and print in February 2015. I’m also marketing it heavily, which incidentally is fairly easy for me considering my background in Internet Marketing.

 

What’s next? Is there something you’re working on now?

Believe it or not, even though this book is not out yet, I have already started working on another novel. This one is a neo noir mystery, and I’m currently doing research. I’ll start writing it after When She Smiled hits bookstores in February, 2015.

 

What do you hope readers will “take away” from reading your book?

Life is all about the choices we make. Little choices and decisions that seem trivial at the moment, end up defining your entire life journey. The story follows the mind of a teenager and how he is exposed to love, feelings, and hardships in the course of a year. And how all this paved way for the choices he makes. I believe we all control our destiny, but we really don’t know exactly how. We just go by the flow and let things happen to us. This story is about getting in control and making choices that define your future.

 

What advice would you give to other Indie Writers or those who dream of writing a book?

To be honest, I didn’t have much support from my family when I told them I wouldn’t pursue an MBA degree, and that I wanted to open my own company. They were very reluctant, but I was more stubborn than they could handle. I kept following my passion, and slowly they got to be a part of my success. Now, they proudly tell everyone they meet about what I do and how I got there. I have always believed in ‘hustling’.

No matter how adverse your situation may be, if you’re somebody who can hustle long and hard at what they believe in, no one will be able to stop you. Your success is in your hands. Your failure is also in your hands. So keep hustling, and you’ll see how each of your goals will keep becoming a reality.

 

 

Connect with Ritoban:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ritoban
Book Website:  http://whenshesmiled.com
GoodReads Giveaway: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/113445-when-she-smiled
Ritoban’s Blog:  http://ritoban.com/about/
Ritoban on Quora: http://www.quora.com/What-is-your-Start-up-story/answer/Ritoban-Chakrabarti
The Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2KgqHsfWqk

 

 

 

 

Book Launch News: Serenity Dance – The First Steps

hasmark-serenity dance

SerenityDance

A riveting new novel

by Danielle Wainwright

 

 

Has your life ever been turned upside down due to loss, betrayal by others or the pain of personal trauma? In these instances the light of hope and faith can seem rather dim and distant. If you’ve ever found yourself in this position, Danielle Wainwright’s new novel, Serenity Dance: The First Steps, will set you on a path of recapturing your faith and building an inner spirit that shines brighter than ever.

 

Click here to learn more about the book, bonus gifts and ordering. http://serenitydancebook.com

 

 

Get Bestseller: The Pitcher On Sale: 99¢

william hazelgrove - The PitcherThe Pitcher

by William Hazelgrove


A Library Guild Selection
Movie Rights Sold
#1 Amazon Bestseller The Pitcher
#1 in Books > Lit & Fiction > Urban Life
#1 in Kindle>Contemp Fiction>Urban
#1 in Kindle>Lit & Fiction>Sports

*99¢ SALE*

Get Your Copy

 

“I never knew I had an arm until this guy called out, “Hey you want to try and get a ball in the hole, sonny?” I was only nine, but mom said, “come on, let’s play.” This Carney guy with no teeth and a fuming cigarette hands me five blue rubber balls and says if I throw three in the hole we win a prize. He’s grinning, because he took mom’s five bucks and figures a sucker is born every minute. That really got me, because we didn’t have any money after Fernando took off, and he only comes back to beat up mom and steal our money. So I really wanted to get mom back something, you know, for her five bucks.”

A boy with a golden arm but no money for lessons. A mother who wants to give her son his dream before she dies. A broken down World Series pitcher who cannot go on after the death of his wife. These are the elements of The Pitcher. A story of a man at the end of his dream and a boy whose dream is to make his high school baseball team. In the tradition of The Natural and The Field of Dreams, this is a mythic story about how a man and a boy meet in the crossroads of their life and find a way to go on. You will laugh and you will cry as The Pitcher and Ricky prepare for the ultimate try out of life.

 

Connect with the Author: William Hazelgrove

Bestselling Author of Six Novels

Book of the Month Club Selections

Ernest Hemingway writer in residence

william_ HazelgroveWilliam Elliott Hazelgrove is the best-selling author of six novels, Ripples, Tobacco Sticks, Mica Highways, Rocket Man,The Pitcher and Real Santa. His books have received starred reviews in Publisher Weekly, Book of the Month Selections, Junior Library Guild Selections, ALA Editors Choice Awards and optioned for the movies. He was the Ernest Hemingway Writer in Residence where he wrote in the attic of Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace. He has written articles and reviews for USA Today and other publications. He has been the subject of interviews in NPR’s All Things Considered along with features in The New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Richmond Times Dispatch, USA Today, People, Channel 11, NBC, WBEZ, WGN. His most recent novel, The Pitcher is a Junior Library Guild Selection and was chosen Book of the Year by Books and Authors. net. His next book Jackpine will be out Spring 2014 with Koehler Books. A follow up novel Real Santa will be out fall. He runs a political cultural blog, The View From Hemingway’s Attic.

Contemporary Fiction/ Sports Fiction /Young Adult

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon

 

 

 

“The Big Wide Calm” by Rich Marcello

Rich_Marcello-TBWC_1129
The Big Wide Calm

by Rich Marcello

 

Rich Marcello brings readers another powerful novel that examines the complexities of love.

 

Paige Plant is destined to be a rock star, to save the world, to inspire revolutions with her songs, and that is exactly what she sets out to do in “The Big Wide Calm.” Rich Marcello’s new novel follows Paige on her quest to create the perfect album–12 songs that will make her galactically famous and, during their creation, take her to places she never imagined possible.

 

“The Big Wide Calm” is at its core a story of trust and the complexities of love through the eyes of the young and old. The novel is the second of three Rich Marcello is writing about different kinds of love, and it explores an emotional connection rarely seen between male and female characters.

 

Praised for his captivating writing and understanding of love, honesty and relationships in The Color of Home, author Rich Marcello brings equally compelling prose and understanding to “The Big Wide Calm.” Marcello gives Paige such a distinct voice that readers will connect with her from the very first page.

 

 

Available on Amazon & Barnes&Noble

 

 

About The Author: Rich Marcello

Rich_MarcelloRich Marcello grew up in New Jersey surrounded by song and word. He wrote and recorded his first original songs for his college folk group at the University of Notre Dame. Marcello eventually ended up in a career in high technology, managing several multi-billion dollar businesses for Fortune 500 companies. However, he never stopped creating art. He is now pursuing his love of poetry, song and fiction with the same enthusiasm and discipline he demonstrated in the business world. “The Big Wide Calm” is Marcello’s second novel. His debut novel, “The Color of Home,” was released in December 2013.

Connect with Rich at: www.richmarcello.com

 

 

 

“The Big Wide Calm” by Rich Marcello

Rich_Marcello-TBWC_1129
The Big Wide Calm

by Rich Marcello

 

Rich Marcello brings readers another powerful novel that examines the complexities of love.

 

Paige Plant is destined to be a rock star, to save the world, to inspire revolutions with her songs, and that is exactly what she sets out to do in “The Big Wide Calm.” Rich Marcello’s new novel follows Paige on her quest to create the perfect album–12 songs that will make her galactically famous and, during their creation, take her to places she never imagined possible.

 

“The Big Wide Calm” is at its core a story of trust and the complexities of love through the eyes of the young and old. The novel is the second of three Rich Marcello is writing about different kinds of love, and it explores an emotional connection rarely seen between male and female characters.

 

Praised for his captivating writing and understanding of love, honesty and relationships in The Color of Home, author Rich Marcello brings equally compelling prose and understanding to “The Big Wide Calm.” Marcello gives Paige such a distinct voice that readers will connect with her from the very first page.

 

 

Available on Amazon & Barnes&Noble

 

 

About The Author: Rich Marcello

Rich_MarcelloRich Marcello grew up in New Jersey surrounded by song and word. He wrote and recorded his first original songs for his college folk group at the University of Notre Dame. Marcello eventually ended up in a career in high technology, managing several multi-billion dollar businesses for Fortune 500 companies. However, he never stopped creating art. He is now pursuing his love of poetry, song and fiction with the same enthusiasm and discipline he demonstrated in the business world. “The Big Wide Calm” is Marcello’s second novel. His debut novel, “The Color of Home,” was released in December 2013.

Connect with Rich at: www.richmarcello.com

 

 

 

The Pitcher – Bestseller – Movie Rights Sold!

william hazelgrove - The PitcherThe Pitcher

by William Hazelgrove

 
A Library Guild Selection
Movie Rights Sold
#1 Amazon Bestseller The Pitcher
#1 in Books > Lit & Fiction > Urban Life
#1 in Kindle>Contemp Fiction>Urban
#1 in Kindle>Lit & Fiction>Sports
On Sale…only 2.99

Get Your Copy

 

“I never knew I had an arm until this guy called out, “Hey you want to try and get a ball in the hole, sonny?” I was only nine, but mom said, “come on, let’s play.” This Carney guy with no teeth and a fuming cigarette hands me five blue rubber balls and says if I throw three in the hole we win a prize. He’s grinning, because he took mom’s five bucks and figures a sucker is born every minute. That really got me, because we didn’t have any money after Fernando took off, and he only comes back to beat up mom and steal our money. So I really wanted to get mom back something, you know, for her five bucks.”

A boy with a golden arm but no money for lessons. A mother who wants to give her son his dream before she dies. A broken down World Series pitcher who cannot go on after the death of his wife. These are the elements of The Pitcher. A story of a man at the end of his dream and a boy whose dream is to make his high school baseball team. In the tradition of The Natural and The Field of Dreams, this is a mythic story about how a man and a boy meet in the crossroads of their life and find a way to go on. You will laugh and you will cry as The Pitcher and Ricky prepare for the ultimate try out of life.

 

Connect with the Author: William Hazelgrove

Bestselling Author of Six Novels

Book of the Month Club Selections

Ernest Hemingway writer in residence

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon

 

 

 

The Pitcher – Bestselling Baseball Book by William Hazelgrove

william hazelgrove - The PitcherThe Pitcher

by William Hazelgrove

 

What A Mother Won’t Do For Her Son…
Top 50 Bestselling Baseball Books on Amazon Kindle

Get Your Copy

 

“I never knew I had an arm until this guy called out, “Hey you want to try and get a ball in the hole, sonny?” I was only nine, but mom said, “come on, let’s play.” This Carney guy with no teeth and a fuming cigarette hands me five blue rubber balls and says if I throw three in the hole we win a prize. He’s grinning, because he took mom’s five bucks and figures a sucker is born every minute. That really got me, because we didn’t have any money after Fernando took off, and he only comes back to beat up mom and steal our money. So I really wanted to get mom back something, you know, for her five bucks.”

A boy with a golden arm but no money for lessons. A mother who wants to give her son his dream before she dies. A broken down World Series pitcher who cannot go on after the death of his wife. These are the elements of The Pitcher. A story of a man at the end of his dream and a boy whose dream is to make his high school baseball team. In the tradition of The Natural and The Field of Dreams, this is a mythic story about how a man and a boy meet in the crossroads of their life and find a way to go on. You will laugh and you will cry as The Pitcher and Ricky prepare for the ultimate try out of life.

 

Connect with the Author: William Hazelgrove

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon

 

 

 

Get Romance and Humor in this Coming of Age Novella

alfred sterling bk

This Is Witt

by Alfred Sterling

 

A coming of age novella with a dollop of romance and dash of humor

Only 99¢ on Amazon

For Chris Witt, life always seems to fall into place. He went to a top school, he’s just married to his college girlfriend, and he’s beginning a respectable career as a middle school science teacher. Only, below the surface, Witt is a wreck. The path he is on he did not choose–everything the result of manipulation by the people closest to him. Now, as his twenties fly by, Witt is realizing that he doesn’t have a single clue about his own identity.

Before the first decade of adulthood runs out, will he come to terms with living in his surgeon father’s shadow, his sham of a marriage, and the girl who just won’t get out of his head?

 

 

 

alfred sterling

Meet the Author:
Alfred Sterling

Alfred Sterling lives in Annapolis, MD, with his wife, four children, and disorderly Australian Shepard. He has a graduate degree in Public Relations from Georgetown University. “This is Witt” is his debut work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Showcase Author: Zonie Felder

~~~
January Jackson & Friends: The Premiere
An Erotic Debut Novel by Zonie Felder

An Erotic Novel by Zonie Felder
Beautiful women can—and will—stoop to ugly acts in the name of love, lust, and power.

In the face of unspeakable erotic betrayal, no one is safe. Behold how lust and passion can quickly cloud judgment—and how wrong choices will forever change a friendship. These lifelong friends will soon learn that beauty is truly only skin deep as the true ugliness of their souls is revealed by the most horrific of acts and emotions.

As young girls, January, Jasmine, Monica, Charlene, and Terry vowed to be friends forever. As teens, their emerging passions began to test the bonds of their friendship. As adults, lust, deception, and treachery cause their lives to come crashing down. Can their friendship survive the ultimate betrayal?

Their passion for life is what connected them as friends, but now this same passion threatens to break them apart.

When the dust settles, who will be left standing and able to pick up the pieces? Can friendship triumph over betrayal?

Get your Copy in Paperback

Get your Copy on KINDLE

 

Meet the Author: Zonie Felder

Zonie Felder was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, and has worked for four years as a resident supervisor at a local halfway house. Never imagining at this point in her life that she would become a published author, Felder is elated to have completed one of her lifelong dreams through the publishing of her first novel.

Felder’s interest in relationships, the true nature of friendships, and how times passing effects both of them resulted in the writing and publishing of “January Jackson and Friends:The Premiere,” the first installment in her exciting erotic series-January Jackson and Friends. Zonie is a former Catholic school girl and Girl Scout, and is now pursuing a career writing erotic fiction. She enjoys football, Zumba, dancing, and spending time with her family and friends. She live in Jersey City, New Jersey, with her husband and family.

 

“Dear Reader,
This is my debut erotic novel and like January Jackson I’m so excited. January Jackson and her childhood friends Monica, Terry, Charlene, and Jasmine discover how hard it is to keep their promise to maintain their friendships in light of recent happenings. These childhood friends discover that memories are not just the only thing that they share. In the face of unspeakable erotic betrayal, no one is safe. Behold how lust and passion can quickly cloud judgments and how wrong choices will forever change their friendships. See just how ugly these beautiful women become when their secrets are revealed and hidden truths are unsurfaced.”

 

Follow Zonie and the January Jackson Series:

Zonie’s Website: www.zoniefelder.com   *    Zonie on Facebook   *   Amazon Book Link

*   Zonie on Twitter   *   Zonie’s Blog    *

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