The Road Not Taken Pre-Pub Blast & Win Autographed Copy!

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
Susan Rubin
Fantasy/Time Travel

The debut novel from Los Angeles-based playwright and filmmaker Susan Rubin is a trippy fantasy that uses time travel to explore the inner drives of a woman in midlife. In The Road Not Taken, a simple trip to the lipstick counter becomes an opportunity to unravel the mystery of self.


Widowed suddenly at age 50, Deborah is left with plenty of money but no direction to her life. Shedding her suburban housewife life, she moves back to the West Village where she grew up. When she meets a woman who appears to be an identical twin, Deborah discovers the Lost: a group of 100 fully-formed people who were dropped off on Earth as it cooled down and who have lived on the planet as it developed. The Lost show her the myriad dimensions of Spacetime, taking her to ancient Egypt, Weimar Germany, and planets without inhabitants. They reunite her with deceased loved ones. She forms relationships with an Egyptian god and a famous artist through whom she lives new truths and learns who she needs to become to walk the road not taken.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3jvZ9VJ

Susan Rubin has written for Funny or Die, and in contrast, she’s written more than two dozen documentaries that highlight international women’s issues like domestic violence, forced child marriage, and untested rape kits accumulating in police evidence rooms. Rubin has used her skill, empathy, and compassion to render these darkest of topics into accessible films distributed to tens of thousands of college classrooms.

As a playwright, Rubin has, for 20 years, been the recipient of Los Angeles County Arts Commission Grants and Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Grants. She also was honored with a six-year residency at the prestigious Los Angeles Theatre Center. Her plays have been seen at New York Theatre Workshop, Baltimore Center Stage, and at every major 99 seat theatre in Los Angeles including co-productions with Bootleg Theatre, Circle X, Skylight Theatre to name a few. She is the recipient of Garland, Ovation and LA Weekly Awards. Visit her website at  http://www.susanrubinwriter.com/.

Susan Rubin is giving away an autographed copy of THE ROAD NOT TAKEN!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one autographed paperback copy of THE ROAD NOT TAKEN.
• This giveaway ends midnight August 28.
• Winner will be contacted via email on August 29.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Win Autographed Copy of THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Susan Rubin!

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
Susan Rubin
Fantasy/Time Travel

The debut novel from Los Angeles-based playwright and filmmaker Susan Rubin is a trippy fantasy that uses time travel to explore the inner drives of a woman in midlife. In The Road Not Taken, a simple trip to the lipstick counter becomes an opportunity to unravel the mystery of self.


Widowed suddenly at age 50, Deborah is left with plenty of money but no direction to her life. Shedding her suburban housewife life, she moves back to the West Village where she grew up. When she meets a woman who appears to be an identical twin, Deborah discovers the Lost: a group of 100 fully-formed people who were dropped off on Earth as it cooled down and who have lived on the planet as it developed. The Lost show her the myriad dimensions of Spacetime, taking her to ancient Egypt, Weimar Germany, and planets without inhabitants. They reunite her with deceased loved ones. She forms relationships with an Egyptian god and a famous artist through whom she lives new truths and learns who she needs to become to walk the road not taken.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3jvZ9VJ

Susan Rubin has written for Funny or Die, and in contrast, she’s written more than two dozen documentaries that highlight international women’s issues like domestic violence, forced child marriage, and untested rape kits accumulating in police evidence rooms. Rubin has used her skill, empathy, and compassion to render these darkest of topics into accessible films distributed to tens of thousands of college classrooms.

As a playwright, Rubin has, for 20 years, been the recipient of Los Angeles County Arts Commission Grants and Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Grants. She also was honored with a six-year residency at the prestigious Los Angeles Theatre Center. Her plays have been seen at New York Theatre Workshop, Baltimore Center Stage, and at every major 99 seat theatre in Los Angeles including co-productions with Bootleg Theatre, Circle X, Skylight Theatre to name a few. She is the recipient of Garland, Ovation and LA Weekly Awards. Visit her website at  http://www.susanrubinwriter.com/.

Susan Rubin is giving away an autographed copy of THE ROAD NOT TAKEN!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one autographed paperback copy of THE ROAD NOT TAKEN.
• This giveaway ends midnight August 28.
• Winner will be contacted via email on August 29.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Inside the Pages: Christian Science Fiction THE HERO WITHIN: AWARENESS by Yeral E. Ogando

Today we offer you an inside glimpse of Yeral E. Ogando's new Christian science fiction, THE HERO WITHIN: AWARENESS.

Have you ever wondered about the power we possess as Christians?

Do you love reading about superheroes and their powers?

From The Hero Within Series – Awareness

A Story that will excite your imagination, and inspire you to ask yourself “Who am I”…

It will remind you that the Gifts of the spirit manifest in spiritual warfare and through the battles we face each day.

Let it unveil the reality behind our daily lives and show you how God’s calling can bring wonder to you and those around you.

Walk beside our hero through the challenges he will face each day that will test his resolve and strengthen your spirit.

Discover the Gifts of Revelation, Power and Inspiration in and through the Spirit in our Hero.
Learn how these gifts are used by our Hero with the help of God.

Grow in strength and knowledge alongside our hero and embrace the growing process of the Holy Spirit.

Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbnu04b3nMQ&t=1s

 

Amazon → https://amzn.to/2ZaulBW

Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/3e846jO

Books2Read → https://books2read.com/u/4AjGAb

Kobo → https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/awareness-9

 

 
“Anthony? Anthony, sweetheart, can you hear me?”
Becky’s brown face hovered inches from his own. The relief surging through him was immense, but still not quite strong enough to drown out the crushing pain that barreled through him.
An anvil sat on top of his chest, and every muscle in his body throbbed as if he had just run a marathon. The vise attached to his head kept tightening.
“Becky.” he breathed.
“Thank God, you’re okay.” She leaned forward and kissed him softly, as if she was afraid he might break.
“How long have I been here?” The intense pain grounded him—helped him forget the leaf he’d seen shifting in the breeze.
“Fifteen hours. They took you right back to surgery when you arrived. Thankfully, it went smoothly.”
“I was shot,” he whispered. Knowing a bullet had penetrated his body sobered him. He lacked the strength to even cry.
“I know.”
He glanced around at the generic hospital room, fear and safety tugging at his emotions. “Ben?” he asked.
Becky grabbed his hand “He’s at the neighbor’s house. I’ll call them with an update when the doctor gets in.”
As his Caucasian fingers interlocked with her Hispanic ones, Anthony choked up. He wished Becky could have seen the green outfield from when he had slipped away. He found himself wanting to apologize for so many different things.
“I knew you’d want Janet to know you were here,” Becky said as she squeezed his hand. “I called her right away.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ve been keeping her up to date. When you came out of surgery two hours ago, she indicated she’d be here sometime tonight.”
Anthony agonized over the many texts he’d received from Janet and how he’d ignored most of them. If he had died after the gunshot, those unanswered texts would be his last impression on his sister.
Pathetic when you considered how she had rallied around when their mother died while he was still in college. No wonder Janet continued to mother him.
He glanced at Becky. She’d been crying and looked very tired. Had she been awake all night?
“You know,” he said, hoping to lift her spirits. “I went to Sam and Ethel’s store to get some ice cream bars. The strawberry ones you enjoyed so well.”
“I figured as much. Much as I like them, they are not worth this.”
“I don’t know about that.” The chuckle that rose from his throat hurt his chest. He swallowed. “You’re worth—”
At a gentle knock on the door, they turned to see a cheerful-looking doctor come into the room carrying a clipboard and a folder.
“Good to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” Anthony said. “Tired.”
“You can add lucky to the list.” The doctor moved to the edge of the bed and stood beside Becky. “We were able to remove the bullet and repair the damage. But if that slug had been a half inch lower, the chances of your survival would have been slim to none.”
Anthony clutched Becky’s hand while he searched the doctor’s face. “But I’m going to be okay?”
“You’ll remain sore for a few days, and the injury will itch unbearably while it heals. But yes, outside of keeping you here a while longer for observation, it seems you’re out of the woods.”
The doctor checked the monitors. Then he ran a series of cognitive tests, checked Anthony’s vision, and reflexes.
“Looking good.” The doctor gave a smile of approval. “A nurse will check back in an hour or so. I suggest you get some rest. Right now, it’s the best thing for your body.”
“I’ll try,” Anthony said. “Thanks.”
A very relieved looking Becky smiled at the doctor. “Yes, doctor. Thanks so much.”
“One more thing. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself crying more than usual. Any surgery near the heart seems to affect patient’s emotions.” The doctor turned about and left the room.
Becky’s face scrunched. She heaved deeply and wept into the side of Anthony’s hospital bed. “I thought I had lost you.”
He reached out and stroked her dark hair. “Well you didn’t. “I’m still here, and I’m not planning on going anywhere.”
Again the picture came to him of playing catch on the outfield with his old man. What did it mean? He sensed there was some great power waiting for him on the other side of the grass.
So was it really something to avoid, or not?
~*~
Taking the doctor’s advice and resting was easy because Anthony fell asleep with Becky still clinging to the side of the bed, their hands interlocked.
An hour and a half later, when a nurse came into the room to check on him, he roused. The nurse assured him that his vitals were good and he was headed in the right direction.
He lolled his head back on the pillow but now he was wide awake and too anxious to get back to sleep.
Becky had pulled a chair close to the bed and sat beside him quietly.
He studied her face and wondered what it had been like to receive the phone call letting her know her husband of twelve years had been shot.
How much had she seen? Had she caught a glimpse of him before the surgery, soaked in blood while being pushed on a gurney?
He continued to stare at his wife. She was so beautiful the way her long hair framed her face, and. he was overwhelmed by how much he loved her. Ashamed of how badly he had treated her for most of their marriage, he let a few tears slip out. Things were going to change.
A knock sounded at the door, and Anthony expected it was the doctor or a nurse coming to check on him again. Instead, Janet poked her head around the door. At fifty two, along with her short salt and pepper colored hair, the stress and worry on her face made her look eerily like their mother.
“Come on in.” His voice was amazingly weak.
His sister slowly entered the room looking at him as if she didn’t trust her own eyes.
Becky rose from the chair with a smile, and the two women met with a hug at the end of the hospital bed.
Janet looked back at her brother over Becky’s head and frowned. “Oh, Anthony are you really okay?”
“According to the doctors.”
“Am I intruding?” Janet asked, glancing at Becky.
“Of course not.” Becky patted the back of the chair where she’d been sitting. “In fact, why don’t you stay with him for a while? I need to go find some coffee.”
“Coffee sounds good. Could you bring me a cup too?”
With a nod, Becky headed out.
Janet took up the post Becky had previously occupied by the bed. “I don’t even know what to say. You are all the family I have left. I was so terrified.”
“I was a little scared, too,” Anthony admitted with a sheepish laugh.
“I prayed for you the entire way here. I know you don’t buy into that, but I did it anyway.”
Anthony thought of the green outfield and how their father had spoken to him. “Actually, I appreciate it.”
Maybe, the power I felt on the other side of the grass was God. It was a jarring thought. Anthony had always believed in a god of some sort, but he had basically ruled out the God who Janet devoted her life to.
Still what or who had directed him back to the world of the living, using the vision of his deceased father?
Anthony had been borderline rude to Janet every time she’d mentioned her faith. Now, as she sat at his bedside while a bandage covered his surgery wound, he wondered just how she had acquired such faith.
More than that, he wondered how he could get it. But he immediately put the thought at the back of his mind.
“Whether or not it was your praying that did it,” Anthony said offhandedly, “the doctor indicated I was lucky. Half an inch lucky, to be exact.”
“Yeah, I know. Becky told me. Would you mind if I pray over you right now?”
Anthony was a bit taken aback. But what harm could there be? “II guess it would be okay.”
With a smile on her face, Janet took both of his hands in hers. She clasped them tightly and bowed her head.
“Lord, thank you for saving Anthony. Thank you for your grace and your mercy and thank you for—”
Anthony didn’t hear the rest. Out of nowhere, a tremendous flood of grief tore through him, and he wept.
He saw the green outfield again, but this time, his father and his younger self were nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was just him in his current thirty-seven year old body.
Anthony. A soft voice penetrated his mind. I have chosen you. I have work for you to do. But you need to accept and know Me first.
Then just as quickly it was gone. The voice and the outfield. All gone in the blink of an eye.
When the vision faded, he realized he was still crying, and Janet was holding him close.
“Anthony, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry.”
“What for?” Janet asked.
“I don’t know.” And he didn’t.
He wasn’t sure if the apology was directed at Janet, Becky, or God. Maybe it was intended for all three.
“But II think I need to talk to you.”
“About what?”
He looked at her sheepishly, “God.”

 

 

 

Yeral E. Ogando was born on May 18th, 1977 in Las Matas de Farfán, Dominican Republic. Yeral is polyglot or a multilingual person.
He has been able to learn Spanish, English, French, Italian, Haitian Creole, German, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Modern & Biblical Greek and Biblical Hebrew.
Yeral E. Ogando has earned several degrees:
Master of Arts in Theological Studies
Master of Arts in Languages and Linguistics
Doctor of Philosophy in Theology
He has been a Bible professor for many years and teacher for several languages locally and internationally, such as Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.
He has also been able to write the following books:
* The Hero Within – Power (Volume Two)
* The Hero Within – Nede Land (Volume Three)
* Teach Yourself Italian by Yeral E. Ogando.
* Teach Yourself Haitian Creole Conversation by Yeral E. Ogando.
* Teach Yourself Haitian Creole by Yeral E. Ogando.
* And many other books for language learning (English, Spanish, Creole and Italian)
* Coming Soon From The Hero Within Series (Volume Four – Volume Five – Volume Six)
His hobbies are reading and listening to music. He is passionate for teaching, learning and starting new ministries and businesses.
He is the founder and owner of the successful internet business www.christian-translation.com, thus reaching the world in more than 200 languages since 2004.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website:
www.yeralogando.com
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TheHeroWithinC1
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/yeral.ogando.9

Book Teaser Trailer Feature: How the Deer Moon Hungers by Susan Wingate

About the Book

 

Title: HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS
Author: Susan Wingate
Publisher: Roberts Press
Pages: 384
Genre: YA / Coming of Age / Contemporary Fiction

For those who enjoy reading books like Where the Crawdads Sing and My Sister’s Keeper
MACKENZIE FRASER witnesses a drunk driver mow down her seven-year-old sister and her mother blames her. Then she ends up in juvie on a trumped-up drug charge. Now she’s in the fight of her life…on the inside! And she’s losing.

HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS is a coming of age story about loss, grief, and the power of love.

HOW THE DEER MOON HUNGERS Won “Best Fiction” in the 2020 Pacific Book Awards.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08676VMT3

 

 

Susan Wingate is a #1 Amazon bestselling award-winning author of over fifteen novels. Susan writes across fiction and nonfiction genres and often sets her stories in the Pacific Northwest where she is the president of a local authors association. She writes full-time and lives in Washington State with her husband, Bob.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: www.susanwingate.com
Blog:    www.susanwingate.com/blog
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susanwingate
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsusanwingate

Interview with Daryl-Jarod Author of Pain In My Heart

Daryl-Jarod is an Amazon best-selling author, recording artist, and actor. Born and raised in Hopkins, South Carolina, he always had big dreams of pursuing a career in entertainment.

As a child he’d write short stories and songs, which later aided him in transitioning into the talented storyteller he is today. His writing career all began with a short poem he composed in third grade entitled, “My Teacher is Neat”, which was selected to be featured in a publication of poems from talented students throughout the state. The encouragement of his mother, teachers, and peers, pushed him to continue writing.

Years later, he is now the author of Silk, an acclaimed erotic series that debuted atop of Amazon’s Best-Seller Erotica charts. With many more book releases in the works, he has also displayed his skills as a singer-songwriter and rapper on his debut mixtape, “The Liberation of Daryl-Jarod”. Despite consistently maintaining a busy schedule, he always kept his acting goals in sight as he graduated from Coker College with a BA in Theatre Performance.

Daryl-Jarod is hard at work promoting his latest and most personal offering, Pain in My Heart.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: www.daryljarod.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/daryljarod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daryljarodrandolph

 

Welcome to Nuttin’ But Books. Tell us a little about you and your writing background?

I’m a best-selling author, recording artist, and actor. I’ve literally been writing all my life. My first poem was published while in fourth grade, thanks to my teacher. From there, I started writing short stories in my free time and would even share them with my classmates. Fast forward to now, and I’m the author of seven published books.

Tell us about your book?

Pain in My Heart is definitely my most personal book to date. It’s a poetry book centered around my love life and past experiences. I’d describe it as a raw and unfiltered heart-to-heart of all the events that have shaped me into who I am today.

What is a regular writing day like for you?

I have no set schedule. I’ve learned to set goals, but also to allow myself to go with the flow. If I’m unable to finish a goal on a certain day, I’ll just aim to write a little more the following day.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Oh gosh! That depends. Pain in My Heart took forever! I’d say it took almost two years to complete it. However, it only took a month to write a previous book, Silk: Vol. 2: Steamy Tales of Love & Lust. So, it all depends on my mindset and what I have going on.

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

Most people are interested right off the bat. I tell them my name or the book title and then they immediately find me online. It’s nice being able to reach people that quickly.

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

I’ve tried to force it in the past, but that usually gives me too much dialogue. I’ll end up just fleshing out a conversation between characters. Breaks help sometimes. If not, I give my brain a rest and try to resume the following day.

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

I’ve learned there’s nothing I can do to please everyone. For the most part, everyone around me is supportive. I choose to not focus on those who don’t take me seriously.

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

Most definitely! Especially on those days when I have writer’s block. On the other hand, there are days when everything flows just right and the story fleshes out exactly how I envisioned. Now, those days can be quite joyful.

Do you think success as an author must be linked to money?

I don’t. I mean, if you’re a full-time author and it’s your only source of income, money from your work is definitely important. But I do feel success is about much more than money. Personally, when someone approaches me and tells me how much they loved a book or how it may have affected them, that’s success for me.

What has writing taught you?

Writing has taught me there’s so much power in your words. You have the ability to touch someone’s heart and impact their mind, all with the use of a pen and paper.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Readers can follow me on Instagram and Twitter @daryljarod. Or visit my website at daryljarod.com.

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. 

What’s next for you?

Of course! Thanks so much for the interview! Right now, I’m still promoting Pain in My Heart. I have a podcast devoted solely to promoting the book, the Pain in My Heart Podcast. Readers can find that on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. I’m also busy promoting my single, “Don’t Take Ur Love Away”, now available on all streaming platforms!

 Pain In My Heart is available to purchase at the following online stores:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Pain-My-Heart-Daryl-Jarod/dp/1945748133/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pain-in-my-heart-daryl-jarod/1133198672?ean=9781945748134
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/pain-in-my-heart/id1477992371
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=dVO6DwAAQBAJ&rdid=book-dVO6DwAAQBAJ&rdot=1&source=gbs_atb&pcampaignid=books_booksearch_atb
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/pain-in-my-heart-1

Interview with Laura Preble Author of Anna Incognito

Laura Preble is the award-winning author of the young adult series, Queen Geek Social Club (Penguin/Berkley Jam), which includes the novels Queen Geeks in Love and Prom Queen Geeks. Her novel, Out, dealt with the concept of LGBTQ rights within a young adult dystopia; Alex Sanchez, author of Rainbow Boys, says “Out explores an intriguing, mind-bending, and challenging portrait of an upside-down world that turns the tables on homophobia, acceptance, and love.” She has won a Kurt Vonnegut Fiction Prize, and has been published in North American Review, Writer’s Digest, Hysteria, and NEA Today.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website:  www.preblebooks.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LauraPreble
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/laura.preble1  
 

Welcome to Nuttin’ But Books. Tell us a little about you and your writing background?

I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil, and reading got me through my childhood.
I was also a compulsive reader, so that had a lot to do with it. I went to Ohio State University and got a degree in Journalism, then worked as a reporter for several years. I figured if I could write for a living, that was the way to do it. But I got really tired of writing bad news all the time, and I wasn’t great at being intrusive to other people, so it wasn’t a great career choice for me.  My first published book, Lica’s Angel, I self-published, and I’ve had books published by Penguin (Queen Geek Social Club series) and the latest, Anna Incognito, was published by a small indie publisher, Mascot Books.

Tell us about your book?

Anna Incognito tells the story of Anna Colin Beck, a woman with severe OCD and significant trauma. When she is invited to her therapist’s wedding several states away, she decides to take a road trip to stop the wedding, since she is sure that she and the doctor belong together. A friend of mine actually inspired me to write it…she deals with trichotillomania and dermatillomania (hair and skin picking), but she is so much more than her conditions. She is highly intelligent, funny, and has a skewed look on life that I really love. The story isn’t at all about her, but I based the character on her.  I had her read the book to be sure I got everything right. I wanted to portray a character who dealt with a mental illness, but who was not defined by the illness.

What is a regular writing day like for you?

I’ve never had one, so I don’t know. I am maddeningly inconsistent. I have worked in public schools for 30 years, so most of my writing is done in the summer. When I have that chunk of summer, I usually wake up at 8 a.m., have coffee, pet my dogs, and then at about 9 or so I start writing. I write for about three hours (with breaks…don’t want eyestrain) and then either do marketing stuff or answer email or post nonsense on Facebook. If I’m really into what I’m doing, I might go back to it later, but maybe not. I’m kind of lazy.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

The one I wrote the quickest was Queen Geek Social Club because I had a book contract with Penguin and a deadline. Anna Incognito took several years because I had to work on it when I had time, and I did not have a publisher or an agent at that time, so no deadline except my own. I also have a writing critique group, so I wrote a lot when we had a monthly meeting.

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

It depends on who I’m telling. If it’s a student at my school, they don’t believe me until I show them my picture on the back of the book. If it’s an adult, they usually think I mean that I’m just a dabbler, but when I explain that I have six books published, they most often say “Oh, I have an idea for a book!”   I run really fast away from people who say that. I do not want other peoples’ ideas!

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

As I said, I’m kind of lazy. If I don’t feel like doing it, I don’t, or I do desk work instead (interviews, workshops, etc.) Have you ever heard the phrase ‘don’t force the tool’? It’s like that. I used to make myself write when I didn’t want to, and it was helpful, but I never got anything good out of it. If I don’t feel like writing, it’s usually because something else has taken precedence, and is on the top of my mind, so writing in that frame of mind isn’t useful to me.

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?  

I suppose some people do see it that way. I am definitely not JK Rowling, and I have not made millions. If that makes it a hobby, I guess it is. But you can’t write for praise and recognition. You will always be disappointed, and if you do get attention, you’ll just crave more. I try something called detachment from the outcome. When I write something or send it out to an agent or editor, I let it go, and I hope that if it’s meant to be, it will be.

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

There is nothing better than being in the zone, writing like it’s being dictated directly into your head. That happens sometimes, and other times, it’s like trying to dance with the shoes on the wrong feet.

Do you think success as an author must be linked to money?

Ha! No. Money is great, I’m a fan. But there are many great writers who are never recognized, or only kind of recognized (probably me among them.) It feels wonderful to have someone give you money or tell you you’re talented. But those things are fleeting, and if you depend on them to feel ‘successful’, you’ll find it empty. I feel success when I get an email from a student who tells me my book made her feel less lonely, or when I read a reader comment that a book stayed with them for weeks. That’s success. If I get my cool million, I’ll let you know if it changes my perspective.

What has writing taught you?

Writing has taught me to be honest in my thoughts and feelings. The best writing, to me, is like being privileged to see inside someone’s mind and soul. I treat my characters the same as I’d treat real people: I ask them what they need, what they want, what they are afraid of. And that drives what I write. Writing has also taught me immense amounts of patience. Everything in publishing takes forever.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

The Google machine is very helpful! I’ve also done music, so there are sites about me singing and writing music, but my own website, www.preblebooks.com, is probably the best place to find info about me and my writing. Goodreads is also a really cool place to see what other readers think.

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. What’s next for you?

It was a pleasure! I don’t exactly know what’s next for me. I have an idea that has been pursuing me pretty diligently, so I think I might explore that, but I am also so incredibly moved and angry about the current situation in the US. I would love to write something about race and class. I don’t feel like my voice on those matters would be important, though. There are so, so many writers of color who have never been given attention, and those voices are finally being heard in a wide context, so I think my desire to talk about these issues is less important than listening to what other writers say about that issue.

  Anna Incognito is available to purchase at the following stores:

Mascot Books → https://mascotbooks.com/mascot-marketplace/buy-books/fiction/romance/anna-incognito/

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3gWo7wf

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Book Feature: Slow Down by Lee Matthew Goldberg

SLOW DOWN
By Lee Matthew Goldberg
Thriller/Noir

How far would you go to make your dreams come true? For budding writer and filmmaker Noah Spaeth, being a Production Assistant in director Dominick’s Bambach’s new avant-garde film isn’t enough. Neither is watching Dominick have an affair with the lead actress, the gorgeous but troubled Nevie Wyeth. For Noah’s dream is to get both the film and Nevie in the end, whatever the cost. And this obsession may soon become a reality once Dominick’s spurned wife Isadora reveals her femme fatale nature with a seductive plot to get rid of her husband for good.
Slow Down, a cross between the noir styling of James M. Cain and the dark satire of Bret Easton Ellis, is a thrilling page-turner that holds a mirror up to a media-saturated society that is constantly searching for the fastest way to get ahead, regardless of consequences.

Here’s what readers are saying about Slow Down!

“Slow Down is a frenetic first novel…full of unedifying characters scrambling for the elusive, perhaps imaginary, brass ring.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Lee Matthew Goldberg writes like a young Bret Easton Ellis doing a line of uncut Denis Johnson off the back of a public urinal. Memorable in the best possible way, also mostly illegal, Goldberg’s Slow Down is a mad man’s tour of Manhattan’s vices, follies, and ultimate betrayals.”
–Urban Waite, author of The Terror of Living and Sometimes the Wolf

“What would happen if one of Raymond Chandler’s 1940’s femme fatales were to join forces with one of Jay McInerney’s enfant terribles? Lee Matthew Goldberg wrings every delectable trope imaginable out of this mashup while still managing a fresh spin. A writer to watch out for.”
–David Kukoff, author of Children of the Canyon

“Slow Down starts fast and gets faster quick, gunning through yellow streetlights on its way to a full collision with your shattered soul. Lee Matthew Goldberg takes on the American Zeitgeist in this stunning debut.”
–Stephen Jay Schwartz, LA Times bestselling author of Boulevard and Beat

“Slow Down is a brilliant rush of a work charting the rise and fall of Noah and other pretentious losers. Savor this book.”
—Foreword Reviews

“Dark and hard-boiled writing that grabs you by the throat. Slow Down is one of those rare novels that’s so good you want it to go on forever!”
–Nick Pengelley, author of Ryder: An Ayesha Ryder Novel

“The plot takes off…there’s no denying it’s fun to watch rich snots destroy themselves.”
—Booklist

“Goldberg’s portrayal of the New York demimonde is one of the book’s strengths and brings to mind Bret Easton Ellis’ Less Than Zero. He also succeeds in marshalling a complicated plot.”
—CrimeFictionLover.com

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PROLOGUE

NOAH WATCHED THE PRODUCER’S ASSISTANT PLACE HER PURSE DOWN ON THE STOLEN RED COUCH. He’d taken everything in the apartment, all of it part of another man’s life that he now pretended to lead. The full-wattage smile she gave him never left her face, clear evidence she hadn’t been in the City long, the opposite of a native New Yorker like Nevie Wyeth. Nevie, with her panther-black hair and need for Fast—or any other drug someone had to offer. He was only reminded of Nevie because he’d been waiting endlessly for her to call. He was about to give up hope that she ever would.

“Kristy Edson,” the woman said, shaking his hand. She gave two quick pumps. “Mr. Bronfeld sent me over from the L.A. office.”

Noah knew that a guy like Barry Bronfeld was too much of a power player to ever appear in person, even though Apex Studios was giving Noah a gigantic deal for a novel and for a film based on that novel. The problem was that he hadn’t written a word yet.

“Kid, I can’t wait much longer,” Mr. Bronfeld had yelled on the phone the other night. “Just get it done, whatever it takes. I’m scouting locations already. We’re already spending a fuckload of money.”

They had decided to say that the novel and subsequent film were “based on a true story” to avoid any legal ramifications. They would change all the names, but at the end of the day Mr. Bronfeld wanted as much of the truth in there as possible. The Lee Matthew Goldberg

public craved answers and those answers sold books—reality sold books. Now the terrible things Noah did to make it in this business would be revealed in the guise of a story. Sins that nibbled at his soul more and more until all that remained were crumbs.

“So you’re here to…facilitate this?” he asked Kristy, nodding for her to take a seat on the red couch. He took out a pack of cigarettes and flipped one between his lips. His habit had ballooned from zero to two packs a day.

“Think of me as your cheerleader,” she said, smiling so hard that her back molars showed. He knew she was hungry for this “tell-all” coup, this bad boy bankroll in front of her. She pointed at his T-shirt that asked Who Am I?

“So who are you?”

“Why don’t you tell me when all this is done?”

Yesterday Mr. Bronfeld had threatened that Kristy would be Noah’s last chance; he’d be sued for breach of contract if the book wasn’t finished on time. He’d have to dictate his “novel” to her and then clean it up later on.

“The girl is in love with me,” Mr. Bronfeld had told him. “She can be trusted. And she stands to move up a bunch of rungs if she can get you to open up. She has no reason to go selling your story to some rag. Like I’ve told her some dark stuff. Shit I did at parties in the 80s that would get me arrested today. A hobo I once hit off the Pacific Coast Highway. Anyway… you’re damn young, Noah, but not for too much longer. This is your fucking time to shine. All you gotta do is get me that goddamn book.”

“I’m ready whenever you are,” he heard Kristy say. She removed a digital recorder from her purse and placed it on the glass coffee table between them.

“I’m trying to think of the best way to start,” he said, his mind racing.

“How about when you first met Dominick?”

He put on a pair of sunglasses. There was no need for her to keep looking directly into his eyes.

“Listen, we have an expiration date here.” She was still smiling, but it seemed strained. “Gossip only lasts for so long and then people stop caring. They forget.”

It was hard for him to concentrate on what she was saying. He didn’t know if it was because his brain had turned to mush from all the Fast he’d done the year after college ended, or if it was something else.

“I’m a little on edge,” he said, checking his cell. “I’m waiting for a call, an important call.”

“Forget about everything else right now,” Kristy said, and motioned for him to put away his phone. “And it’s normal to be on edge. So how are we gonna get you to calm down?”

She placed her hand on his knee. He noticed she had a tiny gap between her front teeth. He pictured her ten years ago: getting off the bus in Hollywood with an overstuffed suitcase, overfed on impossible dreams.

“I have to say that Slow Down was robbed at the Oscars,” she said. “You totally deserved Best Director.”

She hadn’t taken her hand off his knee, rubbing it now and casting her spell.

“How can I be sure that you won’t screw me over?” he asked.

She stopped rubbing to put a hand over her heart.

“Why would I ever do that?”

“I promise you’ll have a different opinion of me after we’ve finished.”

“I have too much to lose if we don’t deliver your book. Barry is financing most of your deal himself, and he’ll attach me as producer. He’ll give me the world.”

“You do know he’s married.”

She pouted her lips and shrugged her shoulders.

Noah felt his cell ring. He fumbled around in his pocket and picked it up after the first buzz.

“Hello,” he said, chewing on his lip.

“Noah!” a gruff voice shouted through the receiver. “Barry Bronfeld here. How’s it working out with Kristy so far?” Noah pictured this bigwig on the other end. Manatee-sized and wearing globular rings filled with cocaine that he’d snort in between meetings. The only bastard in Hollywood that promised double anyone else’s offer.

“Tell me we got a fucking masterpiece here, kid.”

Noah took another drag and exhaled the smoke through his nose.

“We’ve got a fucking masterpiece here, kid.”

“Noah, you are a hil-a-ri-ous son of a bitch. You hand me a goldmine and I’ll give you carte blanche with the entire project, even forget about any of these delays. Ah shit, I got Tommy Cruise on the other line…Ciao.”

Noah tossed the cell from one hand to the other, rubbing his tired eyes.

He glanced down as if willing it to ring again.

“Sometimes I think about taking a permanent vacation. Away from all the paparazzi.”

He looked out of the window toward a crowd of photographers below.

“Is it like this everyday?”

“With the film being so big, and of course after what happened….”

“So how true are all the rumors?”

He noticed her staring at the giant painting hanging on the wall. A blank white canvas with a yellow circle in the center and traces of red splattered across the bottom in the shape of a handprint.

“The painting caught your eye?”

“Yes…I’m trying to understand the significance of the red handprint, obviously the yellow circle represents–”

“Not everything has to have a meaning.”

“No, of course not, it’s just the yellow circle resembles the tattoos the different girls had in Slow Down, so I thought the red handprint might symbolize blood or death–”

“I’m ready to begin,” he said, more forcefully than he intended.

“Right….absolutely. Time is money.”

She turned on the digital recorder, her fingers lightly shaking. The apartment remained silent for a long, drawn-out minute.

“I met Dominick Bambach four long years ago.” He let out a laugh that sounded like he was gagging. “And I can’t help but wonder, what if I never had? Where would I be now? Who would I be? Sometimes I feel like the real me died a long time ago, or at least whatever part of me was worthwhile.”

He took a deep breath, one last moment of quiet before the purge. He knew that once he’d begin, he wouldn’t allow himself to stop until he reached the brutal end. He sucked in a last hit of smoke and crashed the butt into an ashtray filled with a pile of other snuffed casualties.

“So here it goes….”

Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of the novels THE DESIRE CARD, THE MENTOR, and SLOW DOWN. He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the 2018 Prix du Polar. The second book in the Desire Card series, PREY NO MORE, is forthcoming, along with his Alaskan Gold Rush novel THE ANCESTOR. He is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Fringe, dedicated to publishing fiction that’s outside-of-the-box. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in the anthology DIRTY BOULEVARD, The Millions, Cagibi, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press, Monologging and others. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: http://www.leematthewgoldberg.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LeeMatthewG
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leemgol
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/leematthewgoldberg