Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for the Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures series by Edward M. Hochsmann. This book tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have excerpts from all the books in the series as well as an interesting guest post from the author. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more content. Enjoy!
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Series: Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures #1
Author: Edward M. Hochsmann
Publisher: Haldago Bay Studio
Publication Date: June 7th 2022
Print Length: 346 pages
Genre: Contemporary Action Thriller
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An aging Coast Guard patrol boat is all that stands between the world and nuclear annihilation!
The world is on the brink of war, with NATO mobilizing to counter a Russian threat to Poland and Lithuania and leaders openly discussing war options. In the midst of the crisis, a Russian bomber collides with a U.S. fighter off Florida causing the accidental launch of a nuclear-tipped hypersonic missile.
A Coast Guard cutter on a routine patrol finds a drug-laden sailboat smashed and adrift north of the Florida Keys. The boat’s damage is from a near miss by the Russian missile which has not harmlessly flown deep into the Gulf of Mexico as initially thought, but crashed somewhere in the Keys.
The Coast Guard crew is in a race against a vicious and powerful international crime syndicate to find and recover the Russian nuke before its discovery can trigger a nuclear war.
Exploring the friendship and teamwork of a typical ship's crew, in the face of unexpected and hazardous challenges, Dagger Quest provides a fast-paced, taut story - excellent fare for both sea adventure and military thriller fans.
Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble *
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EXCERPT:
Ben’s first encounter with the 252 Syndicate ends in a high-speed chase through Key West, Florida:
Ben slowed and veered right onto Flagler with a screaming of tires and modest fishtailing as he straightened on the new path. Their pursuers also swung in behind them from Roosevelt a few seconds later.
“Floor it! We’ll be hanging a right on Tenth in ten blocks, same tactic. Keep hitting that horn!”
Ben stayed on the horn, dodging through traffic at speeds approaching fifty miles per hour.
“Counting down,” Simmons said, “Fourteenth, Thirteenth, twelfth, Eleventh, slow down and prepare to hang a right, NOW!”
Ben executed another tire-squealing turn and straightened out, heading north on Tenth, gunning the engine and leaning on the horn.
“Stand by to hit the brakes!” Simmons shouted. “Steady, steady, NOW, hit the brakes!”
Ben stood on the brake pedal, tires shrieked, and the anti-lock braking chattered. After skidding to a stop in the middle of the street next to a large lagoon, Simmons shouted, “Get down!” He opened both doors on his side of the car, using the rear door for cover.
Ben dropped behind the seat as their pursuer began screeching to a stop. Suddenly, there was a tremendous crash with the sound of tearing metal and followed by a large splash. Simmons shut the doors and said in a normal tone, “OK, let’s roll. Back to the base, nice and easy.”
Ben shot up and saw several figures in combat gear with guns drawn running forward from an SUV stopped in the middle of Tenth Street. The car chasing them was coming to rest upside down in the lagoon. “WHAT—THE—HELL!” he shouted at Simmons.
“Come on, friend, we need to move it. It’s handled. We’re clear now, so stay law-abiding all the way, please.”
Ben stared at him for a few seconds, then pressed the accelerator. The engine raced briefly, and then, with shaking hands, Ben shifted into Drive.
“See, you’re a natural,” Simmons said with a smile. “You didn’t even realize you shifted into Park.”
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Series: Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures #2
Author: Edward M. Hochsmann
Publisher: Haldago Bay Studio
Publication Date: June 9th 2022
Print Length: 382 pages
Genre: Contemporary Action Thriller
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Mission: Five days to destroy the enemy in the Caribbean before a catastrophic weapon is unleashed—but all he can think about is the woman he left behind…
The deadliest nerve gas ever made has fallen into the hands of a murderous Caribbean drug cult. The criminal 252 Syndicate has the gas in a secret lab on an oil rig servicing ship, but the ship has been taken for ransom by the Salinas Cartel in a violent drug war. The U.S. can’t use airstrikes and calls on Coast Guard Officer Ben Wyporek to lead his crew through a risky covert raid on the Salinas cult’s fortified island base. He accepts the assignment, but remembers a previous lethal encounter with the 252s and struggles to say goodbye to the love of his life, Victoria Carpenter.
Ben and his crew aboard the stealth-equipped Cutter Kauai must sneak into the harbor and tow the ship away. But if Kauai is detected and defeated, death by gas or at the hands of vicious adversaries will follow. Now, every decision Ben makes will determine the fate of his entire crew—and the chances of reuniting with Victoria.
This second book of the series builds on the friendships and teamwork of Kauai's crew, this time in the face of several challenging missions and one potentially lethal encounter. It is a worthy sequel to Dagger Quest that sea adventure and military thriller fans will enjoy.
Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble *
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EXCERPT:
Pan-Commonwealth Airways Flight 403 with 126 passengers and crew has dual engine failure in a thunderstorm and is headed for a forced landing in the Atlantic over a hundred miles north of the Bahamas:
Taylor grabbed the intercom handset and pressed the call button. Burgess answered immediately, “Cabin, here.”
“We’re going in, Chief. Get them ready for it. We’re going to try for the Hudson River scenario, so keep the aft doors closed.”
“Understood, Captain. I have two burly beauties from the RN on guard in the last row. You worry about bringing us in safe. We’ll be alright back here.”
Taylor smiled slightly. I might have known. God bless you, Richard! “Well done! I’ll ring the bell five seconds before contact. Get them moving as we come to a stop.”
“WILCO. Godspeed, Captain. Out.”
The scenario Taylor referred to involved the ditching of a similar Airbus in New York’s Hudson River when bird ingestion knocked out both its engines shortly after takeoff from La Guardia airport. The flight crew executed a masterpiece of judgment and skill, saving everyone on board. Not so easy this time. They landed in the sheltered water of a river—we’ll have waves and swells to deal with.
“Peregrine Four-Zero-Three, Miami Center, Nassau is losing radar contact. Observe you heading two one five magnetic, over.” Surveillance radar was limited to line of sight, and at this distance, the aircraft dropped below the radar’s horizon at around thirteen thousand feet. The controller would use the aircraft’s last heading, descent rate, and speed to estimate the impact point to be passed to rescue forces.
“Center, Four-Zero-Three, roger, estimate six miles to contact, over.”
Four-Zero-Three, Center, copy. Best of luck, Captain. Out.”
“No joy, Captain,” Patel said as he took his hand off the starter.
“Right, leave it. Give me flaps four at one thousand.” Taylor had held off the flaps until the last possible moment. They would reduce the aircraft’s touchdown speed dramatically, but also added significant drag. “Ring the cabin bell once you position the handle.”
“Will do, Captain.”
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Series: Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures #3
Author: Edward M. Hochsmann
Publisher: Haldago Bay Studio
Publication Date: July 1st 2022
Print Length: 410 pages
Genre: Contemporary Action Thriller
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A New Captain’s First Patrol Turns into a Fight for Their Lives
Young Coast Guard Lieutenant Haley Reardon has not even gotten her feet on the ground on her new patrol boat command when she finds herself and her crew supporting a dangerous covert mission. They must insert and retrieve a Defense Intelligence Agency operations team trying to seize a transnational criminal syndicate boss from a small Caribbean island controlled by a front company of the Chinese government and protected by a superior military force.
A honeymoon period would be lovely, but, as always, the world gets a vote.
Can Haley avoid leaving the DIA team to their fate, when attempting to rescue them could destroy her crew and boat and lead to war?
This third installment of the series conveys the humor, friendships, and teamwork of Kauai's crew from the previous books, with a new series of exciting actions from search and rescue to combat. The crew and their new skipper must come together for the toughest mission they have ever faced.
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EXCERPT:
Kauai has arrived and is retrieving the twenty-two human trafficking victims from the sinking freighter Miho Dujam:
On her second return to the foredeck, Haley noticed Ben was no longer herding the remaining women in line. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen, and she wondered if he had returned on board while she was shuttling survivors to the messdeck. After her third run, she remained on the foredeck and watched as the last survivor came aboard. Drake and Bondurant then cast off Kauai’s mooring lines before jumping across. As the two vessels drifted apart, Haley went directly to Drake and asked, “Chief, where’s the XO?”
“He’s inside looking for evidence, ma’am,” Drake replied.
“He’s what?”
“He told us to cast off and return on board after the last survivor crossed over. He’s taking the RHIB back.” He and Bondurant shared a worried look.
“How much longer will that ship last?”
“Ma’am, I’m surprised she’s still upright.”
Haley hated stepping in, but things seemed to be getting out of hand. “Chief, call the RHIB!”
“Kauai-One, COB, is the XO with you?”
“Negative,” Lee’s voice replied.
Drake lifted his radio again, but before he could speak, a series of loud bangs erupted from the Miho Dujam, and she quickly rolled to the left. He keyed the radio and shouted, “Kauai, COB, XO is still on board!”
The ship continued to roll with a cacophony of bangs and crashes and, within twenty seconds, had completely capsized with only her hull bottom visible. Haley, Drake, and Bondurant were transfixed in shock until the 1MC jolted them into motion.
“Man Overboard Port Side, repeat Man Overboard Port Side! This is no drill!”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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Edward Hochsmann is the pen name of a retired U. S. Coast Guard search and rescue and law enforcement professional. The veteran mariner, aviator, college professor, and defense analyst has added “author” to his list of experiences. Ed likes reading, police procedurals, contemporary music on the road, and classical music in the office. After a career traveling from Australia in the west to Italy and Germany in the east, Ed has settled into a quiet life in the Florida Panhandle to focus on writing (and not shoveling snow!)
Ed has two novels published right now (plus one launching in August 2022) in the Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures series about a Coast Guard patrol boat assigned to "special" missions. Dagger Quest takes place in the Florida Keys and involves an aging Coast Guard patrol boat dragooned into a search for a lost Russian nuclear weapon in a time of international crisis. The second, Caribbean Counterstrike, features the same patrol boat and crew, now with equipment and training upgrades, sent to recover a deadly nerve gas from a murderous Caribbean drug cartel. Bravely and Faithfully has Kauai, under a new captain supporting a covert raid on a Caribbean island held by the Chinese.
Ed's second series, C6S: Patrol Force deals with a combined defense establishment and constabulary for a galactic economic empire called the Confederation of the Six Systems (C6S). Ed has published two novellas and a novel-length collection late last year.
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GUEST POST:
The last scene in my novel Dagger Quest features main character Sam Powell welcomed home by his wife, Joana. Sam is completely exhausted—he has not slept for more than three days. Additionally, he experienced a harrowing life-and-death fight with a death squad from an international crime syndicate followed by secret debriefing conducted by some of the highest officials in the government.
Here’s the scene and an artist’s concept (picture by SpudzArt©):
The relief and surprise of going from the edge of career death to being lauded and decorated had passed, and Sam was dead on his feet. If anything, the brief nap in Ben’s car had rendered him dizzier than he was before. Sam fumbled with his key briefly, then unlocked and opened the door and entered the quiet house. He wondered if he might be the only one up when Jo emerged from the kitchen barefoot in her red nightshirt. God, she’s so beautiful, was the single thought his fatigue-addled brain could form when Sam looked at her long raven hair and lovely dark eyes. “Jo, I…” He stopped when she put a finger to her lips. She stepped forward, cupped his face in her hands, gazing into his eyes for what seemed like minutes, and then tightly hugged him, all without a single word.
She released him, took his arm, led him toward the bedroom, and whispered, “It’s rack time for you, my dear captain. Ben called me with a head’s up while you were on the way. You can tell me all about it after you’ve had some sleep.”
Sam nodded. “Aye, aye, my love.” He paused at Robby and Danni’s bedroom, as he did every morning when he was home, and peeked in to ensure they were sleeping comfortably and covered. Sam then let himself be led to the bed and undressed, practically falling onto the bed afterward. He felt a soft kiss on his lips as he drifted off to sleep.
I witnessed a scene almost identical to this in real life at the tail end of my career as a Coast Guard officer. I was the Executive Officer of the Coast Guard Air Station in Houston at the time. I was flying a night training flight in an HH-65B helicopter along with another pilot, two enlisted flight mechanics (an instructor and a trainee), and a rescue swimmer. Flying skills, particularly those involved in hovering and hoisting, are heavily dependent on muscle memory and very perishable, so we did a lot of training when we were not flying missions. In this case, we were flying from our home base at Ellington Field, just southeast of Houston, to operate with a small boat from the Coast Guard station at Sabine Pass, Texas, near the border with Louisiana.
As often happens, we were diverted from training to search for an overdue fishing boat in one of the large bayous east of Sabine Lake. The search area was about forty-five minutes flight time from Ellington Field, so we only had about an hour on-scene with the first sortie. We still had enough time to search the initial area thoroughly, so as we were en route to Beaumont airport for fuel, I radioed the Coast Guard station to see if there might be more information to optimize the second sortie. The operator said, “Hang on, his wife’s here. I’ll ask her.” (Yikes! Glad I didn’t say anything stupid!).
It turns out the missing boater sometimes went to a different, nearby bayou, so after we refueled, we set out for a search of that one. Everyone got lucky that night: we spotted him about half an hour into the sortie—his boat engine had quit, and he was stuck in a spot that was too deep to wade in and inaccessible for anything but an airboat. It was an early Spring night, not terribly cold, but cold enough that we could not leave the guy until the next day for pick up by the Sheriff or other shallow-water rescue. We put down the swimmer and learned the guy was happy to be hoisted off. So we hoisted him and the swimmer aboard and headed for Beaumont to top off with fuel for the trip back home. I radioed the station to tell his wife we would be going to Beaumont, and she could meet her husband there.
It was about 1:30 in the morning when we landed at Beaumont. While the crew was refueling the helicopter, the other pilot, the rescuee, and I went into the local fixed-base operator to wait. Inside, there was only the night watch and a local reporter who came in search of a story.
A few minutes after we arrived, there was a knock on the front door, and the watchman unlocked it and admitted a woman. She saw our rescuee, walked over, and carried out the scene I described in the novel, except at no time did either of them speak. During the hug, I told the reporter, “There’s your story, Mate.”
To his credit, he shook his head and said, “No, let them have their privacy right now.”
After the refueling was complete, we headed back to Ellington Field and called it a night. In the fourteen years I flew operationally, this was the only time I witnessed “the hug”—on every other occasion, we dropped the survivors off at a hospital or some other facility and went on our way. It was clear that this woman thought she had lost her husband—one could only imagine what was going through her mind when she heard our radio call at the end of the first sortie. It was a profoundly moving experience, a classic “this is why we do what we do” moment that naturally stuck with me over the years. When I started writing fiction, I was hoping for an opportunity to share it somehow with the readers. There you are!
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GIVEAWAY:
Edward Hochsmann will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to one randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Good luck!
(All the Ups and Downs is not responsible for this giveaway, its entries, or the prize. Goddess Fish Promotions and the author assume all responsibility over this giveaway.)
My brother would like this book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.
Hello, everybody, Ed Hochsmann here. I want to thank All the Ups and Downs for offering the opportunity to appear on the blog. My series is about an aging Coast Guard patrol boat, USCG Cutter Kauai, and her crew, taken out of the normal cycle of operations and inserted into the world of covert missions, spies, and international crime.
ReplyDeleteThese books are character-driven, based on personal experience and knowledge, with the best qualities of the many wonderful people I met in the Coast Guard woven into the stories. I aim to put you in the story alongside the characters, experiencing the excitement, fear, humor, joy, and sadness of an elite team of maritime professionals as they face extraordinary challenges. I think you will enjoy the books and if you have any questions that could remove any doubt of that, please ask—I am at your service at info@edwardhochsmann.com.
I look forward to your comments and questions, and thank you and All the Ups and Downs again for your consideration.
You're welcome! Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting. =)
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds very interesting to me. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, especially in today's time.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an epic adventure!
ReplyDeleteHere's to a sensational September~
ReplyDeleteSounds great.
ReplyDeletethis sounds like an interesting read
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great thriller. Thank you
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of pet would you have, if you could any pet?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great question. I presume I'm not limited to traditional pets (dogs and cats) here. I think I'd like an owl - self maintaining, stays outside, hangs out with me when it's mutually beneficial, etc.
DeleteHow do you relax after a long day?
ReplyDeleteI might check out a mystery or police procedural on TV, do a little 3-D modeling, or, believe it or not, write. I have a full-time day job with the DoD and writing helps relax me in my downtime.
DeleteThank you for sharing your guest post, bio and books' details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading your stories
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bea!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt. Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe excerpts are interesting. Thank you for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteI liked the guest post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the opportunity
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great excerpts. The book sounds very interesting. Great covers!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the guest post, great excerpts, Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures Series sounds like exciting adventures that will keep me glued to the pages.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing it with me and have a fabulous TGIF!
Have a great weekend!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.
abfantom at yahoo dot com
Have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your go-to snack?
ReplyDeletebaby carrots
DeleteIf you could have any super power, what would it be?
ReplyDeleteAll things being equal, I'd prefer accelerated perception.
DeleteThank you, everyone, for taking the time to share your thoughts. I hope you have an opportunity to read the books and that they bring you pleasure. Fair Winds and Following Seas and have a safe and enjoyable holiday!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a 3 day holiday?
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed!
Deletehave a wonderful long weekend
ReplyDeleteDo you have any plans for Labor Day weekend?
ReplyDeleteGoing to clear out the homers that have built up over the past couple weeks.
DeleteHave a great Labor Day weekend!
ReplyDeleteI love the alliteration in the title.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favorite movie of all time?
ReplyDeleteThat's a tough one, because it depends what I am in the mood to watch. I have a few favorites among certain genre. For thrillers, it would be "The Pelican Brief", scifi is "Star Trek: First Contact", westerns is "Tombstone".
DeleteWhen was the most exhilarating moment of your life?
ReplyDeleteFirst solo flight in a T-34C at Navy Whiting Field.
ReplyDeletehave you always wanted to be a writer
ReplyDeleteNo, I came very late to party (three years ago). When I was young, I wanted to be a military aviator. I was extremely good at STEM subjects, but did not enjoy writing, particularly creative writing. One of my first-year Academy professors crystalized it for me when she scrawled across my first theme, "How did a functional illiterate get into a Service Academy?" I was disabused of my 1st response to that ("I guess I needn't try anymore") after I graduated and learned that most people judge you by your writing. I became quite skillful at correspondence and technical writing, but it was only after several people commented that my reports read like interesting stories that I thought I might try my hand at fiction. I decided to run a test to see if I could write a decent, coherent chapter - this piece, after some modification and editing is now Chapter 13 of "Dagger Quest."
DeleteHappy Sunday
ReplyDeleteHave a safe weekend!
ReplyDeleteHave a good Labor Day weekend.
ReplyDeletebest wishes on the tour
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the tour, have wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteThese all sound like very interesting adventures! Thank you for the generous giveaway
ReplyDeleteHappy Labour Day
ReplyDeleteHope your weekend was great.
ReplyDeletewhat are you looking forward to this Fall
ReplyDeleteModerating temperatures down here in Florida; new seasons of "Blue Bloods" and "The Rookie"
DeleteHope you have a nice fall.
ReplyDeleteAll the varied career experiences of the author will surely add lots of interesting background, characters, and events to his books.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Do you decorate for fall?
ReplyDeleteWe have a good 1.5 - 2 months before things start getting "Fall-like" around here. I will be decorating for International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September), of course!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of phone do you have?
ReplyDeleteAndroid
Deletewas it hard finding a publisher
ReplyDeleteDamned hard. That's about all I can say without getting myself in trouble!
DeleteSounds like a genius book!
ReplyDeleteHow long did it take you to write this book?
ReplyDeleteDagger Quest took about 11 months (including editing and cover development). Caribbean Counterstrike took about the same. Bravely and Faithfully took about nine months. Please keep in mind I have a full-time job as a DoD analyst and I could only work on them in the evenings or on weekends.
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday
ReplyDeleteAre you having hot weather? Bleh.
ReplyDeleteSummer in Florida is always hot, but this summer seems not as hot at usual (I think we sent all the heat to the Northeast and California this year). ;)
DeleteI like everything about this read - genre title and cover!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with us,.
Many thanks, Barbara! I'll pass the cover compliment on to SpudzArt
Deletehave you started any other books
ReplyDeleteI am putting together a collection of the three books plus the short story prequel in paperback and hardback for the holidays in the short term and formulating the next trilogy for the long haul.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you go to college?
ReplyDeleteU.S. Coast Guard Academy (B.S. Physical Sciences); University of South Alabama (M.S. Computer and Information Sciences); Louisiana State University (M.S. Quantitative Business Analysis); George Mason University (Master Certificates in Military Operations Research and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence)
ReplyDeleteHappy Thursday
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really intriguing.
ReplyDeleteWhat inspired the idea for your book?
ReplyDeleteThere was no one thing that inspired any of the stories. They are inspired by the totality of my experience with a group of people dedicated to service. Basically, the characters are composites of the best people I knew, put into desperate situations. Their reactions and actions in response are as true to life as I can make them.
ReplyDeletehow old were you went you starting writing
ReplyDeleteUnder 60. ;)
DeleteHave a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteIf you could run a store selling anything, what would it be?
ReplyDeleteThat's a tough one. I think I'd like to run a very high-class bookstore, one of those tucked away in small nook with dark wooden shelves and ladders.
DeleteWhat author do you most admire?
ReplyDeleteBy admire, I assume you mean their work rather than the individual. In fiction, it's Jeff Shaara - I have thoroughly enjoyed every book he has written. For non-fiction, it's Donald T. Phillips - likewise. I have not met Jeff Shaara, so I cannot attest to his personal qualities. I have met Mr. Phillips and can say he's a first-rate gentleman.
Deletehave a great weekend
ReplyDeleteHappy Saturday
ReplyDeleteWhat's your guilty pleasure?
ReplyDeleteYou don't REALLY expect an answer to that question in this day and age, do you? ;)
DeleteDo you read your own books?
ReplyDeleteDo you mean other than the dozens of times during editing and troubleshooting? Not so much yet. I wrote them to be enjoyed, and I'm sure I will once I put some distance between us and can read them without the sentences completing themselves in my head before I'm halfway through. I wonder if all authors experience this.
Deletethanks this sounds like an interesting book to read
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday
ReplyDeleteHow many books do write in a year?
ReplyDeleteSo far, about one per year is all I can manage around my day job.
DeleteWhat projects are you currently working on?
ReplyDeleteJust submitted a collection of all three novels and a short story prequel for paperback and hardback publication for the holiday trade. Also, started brainstorming on the next trilogy - it's becoming more challenging to come up with original action vignettes as the series advances.
ReplyDeletethanks again hope the book tour is going well
ReplyDeleteWho is your favorite author?
ReplyDeleteIn fiction, it's Jeff Shaara - I have thoroughly enjoyed every book he has written. For non-fiction, it's Donald T. Phillips - likewise.
DeleteHappy Monday
ReplyDeleteDo you like poetry?
ReplyDeleteI'm too keen on poetry in general, although there are a few pieces I like. I'd say Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" would be my favorite.
DeleteSorry, I meant not too keen.
DeleteWhat's your favourite color?
ReplyDeleteRed.
Deletevery nice cover
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'll pass it along to SpudzArt
DeleteThis sounds like one that will keep me interested and reading.
ReplyDeleteheather
Thank you! Let me know if you have any questions.
DeleteWhat is your favorite season to write?
ReplyDeleteUsually I'm most productive in the winter. However, it's not a matter of mood, but the fact that I am less busy with travel and outdoor activities outside my day job.
DeleteHappy Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteWhat was your favourite comic strip?
ReplyDeleteFinally, an easy one! Dilbert.
DeleteHow do you handle writer's block, if you have it?
ReplyDeleteI disengage with whatever I am stuck on and do research or write on another scene. Although the way I write a novel is somewhat linear, I can jump a bit back and forth. I am brainstorming the next trilogy right now and even after I start the first book, there are always details on that one and the other two to research.
ReplyDeletecongrats on the tour hopes its going well
ReplyDeleteI have to remind myself to do more reading in this sub-genre. Most of my time reading is usually in and around the topic of history or non-fiction. However, this year I've committed to reading a bit more in each genre an sub-genre. Seems like a great author with a career and life before diving into riding deeper and with that likely many great experiences to draw from in the writing and book!
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of book are you writing right now?
ReplyDeleteAs of this moment, I am not writing, but I am brainstorming for the next phase. I have two things in mind - another three-book tranche for the CHSA series and a brief foray into the cozy mystery genre to flesh out the adventure Ben and Victoria had on the honeymoon (alluded to at the end of Bravely and Faithfully).
DeleteI hope you are having a good day.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thursday!
ReplyDeleteDo you ever wake up in middle of night with new and wonderful ideas for your book(s) ?
ReplyDeletePerhaps once or twice. I'm usually pretty knackered by the time I hit the sack.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favourite unsolved mystery?
ReplyDeleteAh, now that brings me back to my former, former, former life (Physics): what does the interior of a black hole look like?
DeleteDo you like working with your editor?
ReplyDeleteYes, very much, I was lucky to find her.
ReplyDeleteis there a time of the year you tend to write more
ReplyDeleteMore in the Winter-Spring than otherwise. Best time to release in this genre is mid- to late-summer.
DeleteDo you have any plans for the weekend? Mine including reading and making mini Perler bead creations for an upcoming music festival.
ReplyDeleteSorting through stuff and brainstorming for the next phase for Ben, Victoria, and Kauai. I had to look up Perler beads - sounds interesting. Which music festival?
DeleteI hope you have a nice weekend.
ReplyDeleteDo you like bread?
ReplyDeleteYes, but I'm eating a lot less of it these days (carbs)
Deletewas it hard getting published
ReplyDeleteTwo answers for this one. If you are talking about traditional publishing, it's practically impossible for someone of my pedigree. Independent publishing is obviously far more doable, but you have to either execute the steps (editing, formatting, cover generation, marketing, promotion) yourself, or pay someone an obscene amount of money to do it for you. It can be done, but it is almost as much work as writing the book.
DeleteWhat is your favorite book?
ReplyDeleteIf I had to choose one, it would be "The Glorious Cause" by Jeff Shaara.
DeleteWhat book to you like to re-read?
ReplyDeleteC. S. Forester's Hornblower series is good for me.
DeleteDo you like poetry?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great series.
ReplyDeleteis there an author that inspires you
ReplyDeleteThere are authors I enjoy, but I can't think of one that is inspirational.
DeleteAll these books sound like realistic thrillers that will keep readers turning pages long into the night.
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
What inspires you to write books?
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, it was creating a set of characters who were good, dedicated people and almost a family. Once I achieved that in Dagger Quest, it became a challenge to help them grow and achieve. Each story is like a large and complex puzzle at the beginning. Their solution is to deliver narratives that are exciting, yet plausible, and lead the readers to invest in the characters and share the adventure. I love solving puzzles.
DeleteWho's your favorite author?
ReplyDeleteFiction: Jeff Shaara, Non-fiction: Donald T. Phillips
DeleteAre you 420 friendly?
ReplyDeleteThe short answer is no. I have no personal problem with people who use marijuana per se, but recreational use of marijuana is illegal in the state I reside. Even if it were not, I still fall under the federal proscription because of my day job with the DoD and my status as a military retiree (I'm still subject to military justice and marijuana use is illegal in the military). So, I can't have anyone using it in my residence and if someone wanted to light up around me in a public area, I would be obligated to excuse myself and depart. I hope this doesn't wreck my Hemmingwayian (is that a word?) image.
Deleteis there someplace quiet you go to write
ReplyDeleteI have an office space in my house. I have classical music on low while I'm writing which helps avoid distraction by background noise, so it isn't completely quiet.
DeleteWhat is your favorite season?
ReplyDeleteDown here in Florida, I like late Fall and Winter best.
DeleteHappy Monday
ReplyDeletedo you write more in the fall or winter
ReplyDeleteI would say I plan more in the Fall and write more in the Winter.
DeleteTell me about your dream home.
ReplyDeleteVaulted ceilings with lots of wood, wooded mountain view, four seasons but not too hot in summer or cold in winter.
DeleteCaribbean Counterstrike by author Edward M. Hochsmann sounds like a book that would keep readers up late at night!
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Up in a good way, I hope!
DeleteHappy Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favorite book?
ReplyDeletedo you have a favorite author or book
ReplyDeleteThis one is for Ed as well. Favorite author/book: Non-fiction - Donald T. Phillips/"Lincoln on Leadership"; Fiction - Jeff Shaara/"The Glorious Cause".
DeleteHappy hump day.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the book!
ReplyDeleteDo you keep writing notes on you phone?
ReplyDeleteNo. I'm not allowed to have any smart devices in my workplace because of security concerns and when I'm home, it's easier to jot ideas down on my PC or just sticky notes.
Deletesounds like a great book to read
ReplyDeleteHappy Thursday.
ReplyDeleteanother week gone by, happy writing
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend.
ReplyDeleteHappy Fall!
ReplyDeleteWho/what is your inspiration?
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be a long one, so hang on. What I have seen repeatedly in my life is that in a crisis (and by that I mean a REAL crisis, were lives and livelihoods are at stake, not someone using the wrong pronoun) people become more of what they already are. Heroic people find the courage to put their lives on the line to save others, trained or not; cowards just cut and run; NPCs sit there either paralyzed or pretending nothing is happening. Pick any natural or man-made disaster, you will see people putting their lives and sacred honor on the line for others (e.g. the passengers on Flight 93, Larry Skutnik in the Air Florida crash). These are regular people forced by circumstances to meet a great challenge and rising to the occasion. Past, present, and future, they are my inspiration.
Deleteif you could meet a famous person who would it be
ReplyDeleteMatt Taibbi. He's one of the few journalists worthy of the name still around. Whether I agree or disagree with his point, it is always a pleasure to read his stuff.
DeleteWhat is your favorite book that has been turned into a movie(s)?
ReplyDeleteI would say the Hornblower series to the first six Ioan Gruffudd movies (the last two were junk).
Deletedo you have a favorite movie
ReplyDeleteFor thrillers, it would be "The Pelican Brief", scifi is "Star Trek: First Contact", westerns is "Tombstone".
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday
ReplyDeleteHave a safe week.
ReplyDeleteDo you work with an editor?
ReplyDeleteYes, of course. Even with experience and all the editing software in the world, you need someone with a clear, unbiased eye to take a hard look at your stuff. Mine is Mary-Theresa Hussey of Good Stories Well Told.
Deletebest wishes with your book tour
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday
ReplyDeleteWhat's the best advice you have for other writers?
ReplyDeleteThat is a wicked open-ended question - highly context-dependent. Could you narrow down the target (new or existing; traditional or independent; fiction or non-fiction, etc.), please?
Deletehow many books have you written
ReplyDeleteThree novels, four novellas, and one short-story.
DeleteHappy Tuesday
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway!
ReplyDelete