Mercenary Road - Angola Dawn / New Work In Progress by Ken Hoss

Had an odd dream a few days ago, and while I normally forget my dreams within minutes after waking up, this one stuck with me. And so, I started on it and have a good bit so far. Told an author friend of mine, Patti Roberts, who also does book covers and the next day she sent me the cover below. No pressure, right?

The story is about a Vietnam vet who signs up to fight as a mercenary in the Angolan Civil War in 1975. Of course he thinks this will help him feel "right" again, help him to forget the way he was treated when he returned home, and it's a job that he knows and does well. He also hopes that it will help get rid of the demons still running around in his head.

Note: Patti is also the one who did the cover art for Eye of the Storm, the fourth Kelli Storm novel.

If you are an author and need a cover for your next project, I highly recommend Patti Roberts at Paradox Book Cover Designs.

Here is a short excerpt from Mercenary Road - Angola Dawn


WARNING: Explicit language 

SAO SALVADOR, ZAIRE PROVINCE, ANGOLA

JULY, 1975

Hector shouted at him over the roar of the C-130 engines. “Hey, Roberts. You think we’re going to get into the shit pretty soon?”

  “Well I sure didn’t sign up to sit on my ass, Sanchez,” he said and turned to the Colonel. “What do you think, sir?”

  “I think both of you need to shut the fuck up and get off this fucking plane.”

  Dave looked back at Hector and shrugged as he readjusted his duffle bag. The sun was just rising and the heat was stifling. It reminded him of the day he got off another C-130 at Tan Son Nhut Airbase. It felt the same, but the feel in the air was different, and he wasn’t a Sergeant in the U.S. Army, he was a mercenary fighting someone else's war. All he knew about his employers was that they called themselves the FNLA, the National Front for the Liberation of Angola. It didn’t really matter to him what they called themselves, as long as he got paid.

  It was six years and six thousand miles from the jungles of South Vietnam and yet there was a familiar feeling to it all. As they walked to the waiting trucks, he thought about what had brought him here, other than his buddy Hector talking him in to it. After three years in country, he had done his share of killing and had seen hundreds of bodies, a lot of them from his own platoon. And yet he was here, knowing that it would only be more of the same.

OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR 

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Can their dream come true … this time? A book by Emiliana Erriquez

Amira—a bright, beautiful Italian brunette—leaves her homeland after high school to work in California, full of dreams of a new adventure in a new country. 

The adventure intensifies when she meets Steve—a handsome college freshman with penetrating green eyes. They begin their dance but Amira suddenly must leave the floor … a tragedy calls her home to Italy. 

The two would-be lovers reach out to each other across the ocean for years, even as their lives continue with new loves, new friends and new opportunities. Then one day, they find themselves face to face. 

Can their dream come true … this time? 

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful 

By PaigeTurner

Verified Purchase

This is a lovely and heart wrenching romance story. It touched me in so many ways. I think we all have loved and lost, and the pain and wonder last a lifetime. This has romance, love, and unending hope. Can it survive? Is this the True Love we all search for? Read the book and you will know. The characters are perfect and well developed, and so real I felt I knew them. The details are so touching and there are so many twists and turns. It shares the struggles within the hearts of lovers. It is beautifully written and easy to read and follow. I love the passion of this writer and the depth of her soul. I will be looking for more of her work. I definitely recommend this book to everyone. It is a delight to read.

Buy your copy now from Amazon - HERE

Emiliana Erriquez - Facebook

Emiliana on Twitter


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Elaine Calloway - NO GRITS NO GLORY (Southern Ghosts Series 1)

Link to my book online:

 http://www.elainecalloway.com/books/southern-ghosts-series/no-grits-no-glory/

Book description:

Brianna fled to Savannah to escape the voices of the dead. Just when she thought she’d left all paranormal things behind, she discovers her house is haunted. Not just haunted, but haunted by Southern ghosts. These persistent beings not only hide her white shoes after Labor Day, but they leave grits-caked dishes in the sink, and swear to wreak havoc on her life – - unless she helps them.

Steven put Savannah in his rearview mirror years ago to follow his passion for music. When his band splits up and he can’t reach his little sister for weeks, he races home—only to learn his whole family died in a mysterious house fire. The house Brianna now lives in.

Together, Brianna and Steven learn who murdered Steven’s family and become caught in a web of intrigue that will risk their careers, their homes–but especially their lives.

Book review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23249837-no-grits-no-glory

Elaine Calloway Interview - NO GRITS NO GLORY (Southern Ghosts Book 1)

Book Description from Amazon:

Brianna fled to Savannah to escape the voices of the dead. Just when she thought she’d left all paranormal things behind, she discovers her house is haunted. Not just haunted, but haunted by Southern ghosts. These persistent beings not only hide her white shoes after Labor Day, but they leave grits-caked dishes in the sink, and swear to wreak havoc on her life – - unless she helps them.

Steven put Savannah in his rearview mirror years ago to follow his passion for music. When his band splits up and he can’t reach his little sister for weeks, he races home—only to learn his whole family died in a mysterious house fire. The house Brianna now lives in.

Together, Brianna and Steven learn who murdered Steven’s family and become caught in a web of intrigue that will risk their careers, their homes–but especially their lives.

What is your preferred genre?

Paranormal and fantasy. I like the idea of the supernatural, of beings that might be amongst us without our knowing. There’s so many directions the imagination can take for books in those two categories.

How many books have you written?  If more than one, are any a series…or trilogy?

I have a series about Elementals battling Fallen Angels for the innocent souls of mankind. It’s called The Elemental Clan Series and right now, Water, Fire, and Earth books have been released. Wind will be releasing by the end of 2014. To learn more about that series, go here:

http://www.elainecalloway.com/books/elemental-series-paranormalfantasy/

Tell us a little about your book.

NO GRITS NO GLORY is a humorous ghost story with some romantic elements tied in. The book is set in Savannah, which is a haunted and beautiful area anyway, so it was ideal to set the book there. A Yankee moves down South to discover her house is haunted by Southern ghosts. At first there’s some humor, followed by the fact that she must help them and keep a sworn promise to her dead brother to make a difference somehow. And she finds out what she must do.

Do you have plans for a new book?

Yes, always! NO GRITS NO GLORY is Book One in a Southern Ghosts Series. I plan for Book Two (untitled at the moment!) to be released in 2015. A few characters in Grits will become more active in Book Two.

I’m also working on the final touches of my Elemental fourth book in the series, Windstorm, and that should release in early December.

Did you have an editor edit your books?

Absolutely! I use a developmental and copy editor, beta readers, then a few “first” readers of the finished product before putting the book out into the public’s hands. This ensures that no typos get into the final manuscript, but more importantly, it gives me a broad glance as to how different people react to the book. Was anything missing? Could anything be enhanced? Those are the things that make an editor invaluable.

Do you have any advice for other writers starting out?

Keep writing, always back up your documents on a separate drive, and believe that everything is possible.

Pick one - Wine, Chocolate or shoes?

Chocolate!

Cats or dogs?

Dogs. I have a black lab mix who brings such joy to  my daily routine. The dog character in this book was based on my first Shetland Sheepdog, Pandora. I gave him the name Plato in the book.

One of your favorite quotes –

“Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” -- Chekhov

What is a movie or TV show that you watched just recently and really enjoyed?

I recently watched the first (and only) season of Invasion and loved it. The family dynamics were interesting and I loved the characters and actors. Wish it would’ve gone longer, but sadly many series that I enjoy only run for one season. Moonlight and Firefly are two other favorites, both of which only had one season.  

Where can your readers stalk you?

On the top banner of my website, there are social media buttons for where I am. I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, etc. The link is here: http://www.elainecalloway.com/

Book links:

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NNZRSR2

iBooks   https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/no-grits-no-glory/id921010598?mt=11&uo=4

Kobo     http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/no-grits-no-glory

Other retailers coming soon - my webpage has all the info:

No Grits No Glory releases 10/1 and my website has all the pre-order and order buttons:

http://www.elainecalloway.com/books/southern-ghosts-series/no-grits-no-glory/

About the Author

Amazon bestselling author Elaine Calloway writes tales of the living, the dead, and the eerie in-between. Her books are typically described as paranormal, ghost stories, and urban fantasy. Originally from New Orleans, she grew up with a love of Gothic steeples, cemeteries, and all things paranormal. She now resides in the Southeastern USA and believes more than ever in Southern Ghosts. She is currently writing 2 series: The Elemental Clan Series and the Southern Ghosts Series. For more information and to connect with Elaine online, visit www.elainecalloway.com.

Cover reveal and book excerpt, Chloe, by Michelle Horst

I’m the people pleaser.

I’m the party girl. 

I’m the friend that says, “Just another one.”

But then comes Zac with his broken heart and I can’t make him just another one.

This book is not your usual romance. It doesn't have the ending every romantic dreams of. Sometimes fires burn so hot that it destroys what could've been.

Recommended for 18+ 

Told from both MC point of view. (Chloe is British and Zac American)

Release date 7th October. Chloe, by Michelle Horst Author

Chloe~

“Oh, Sunshine, that baby is Big Ben.” I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively. Emma’s face pinches with confusion, and I know I should stop but she’s so easy to take the piss out of. 

“But it’s so … ah …big,” she tries to chuckle, but gives up with a nervous gulp. She cups her hands over her belly and caresses it lovingly. She’s due to pop in three weeks and I mean pop. My best mate’s gone and gotten the size of a baby beached whale. I take in Emma’s glowing complexion, her blonde hair that’s up in a messy ponytail, and sparkling green eyes. She looks so happy. Unlike the last time I saw her and I had to get her away from that bitch who dared to call herself a mother.

This visit is long overdue and with the baby on the way, it was a perfect excuse for me to come and visit.

“Surely that doesn’t all fit, you know, up there?” Her eyes bulge huge.

I bite the inside of my cheek to hold the laughter back. “That’s nothing, Sunshine. Want to see my favorite? I keep this big fella for special occasions.” Lifting an even bigger vibrator from my luggage, Emma’s hand flies to her mouth. “I present The Eiffel Tower!” Her cheeks stain a rosy pink. I should stop but she’s making it so easy.

“Bloody hell, Chloe! That thing should have its own set of kidneys and lungs.”

Michelle Horst is thirty seven years old and is from the land of milk and honey. She’s been in love with reading from an early age. She has a passion for other cultures, but she has an ultimate soft spot for nature and animals. She first tried her hand at writing in early 2009 and as the first words started to form into a book, she knew she was hooked. Dreams spilled onto pages, and that was the beginning of a wonderful journey. One filled with joy. One filled with passion and heart stopping moments. But most of all, it’s filled with such pride and peace as a story comes to life, and characters fill your life, living in the very walls of your mind, living in the minds of your readers. There is nothing as satisfying as that.

Thank you for each and every story you share with me.

Sunshine Smiles from around the world and back,

Michelle :)

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Author Interview - Michael Tavon - Kevin "Dookie" Harris, whom was once voted "Most Likely to Become Famous" by his classmates

When did you discover your gift of writing?

I say when i wrote a fictitious essay entitled "Bin Laden in the Hood", in fifth grade. it proceeded the 9/11 tragedy ,I remember how somber the mood was during that time so I decided pen the essay. My essay brought laughter and joy to the situation . That's when I realized I had the ability to impact people with laughter through words.

What is your preferred genre?

Anything with dark humor , I love it??

How many books have you written?  If more than one, are any a series…or trilogy? So far just one , but I'm currently working on 3 more

Tell us a little about your book?

The moral of my book "Garage Band : The Legend of Dookie Harris " is to never give up on your dream, no matter how old you grow or how crappy life gets. So I'm telling a fictitious story of perseverance

With comedy

Do you have plans for a new book?

Yes I do ,but I'd rather keep that a secret

Is there an Author that you would really like to meet? Well currently not really all of my favorite authors are no longer with us

Was there an Author that inspired your writing? Yes Charles Bukowski ,and James Joyce

Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants?

I like to brainstorm and come up with an outline ,the plot and characters; then I allow my imagination take off from there!

Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcover?  Hard cover of course!

Are you a self- published (Indie) Author? Yes I am !!

Is there a particular movie that you preferred over the book version?

" The outsiders" one of my favorite films ever

What book are you currently reading? "Women" by Charles Bukowski!

Who designed the cover of your book? A young man named Darius Scott

Do you find yourself intrigued by the cover of a book enough to buy it?

He'll yeah!!!!

Do you have any advice for other writers starting out? Since I'm a "novice" myself , I will tell all my fellow writers don't allow procrastination over power your imagination

Do you write under a pen name?

Yup, Michael Tavon

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?

All the time my super mario pj's are so clutch!

What are your pet peeves?  

I really hate getting stuck walking behind old people , and I dislike loud people and smelly women are a big noooo nooo.

You are trapped on a tropical island - who would you like to be stranded with?

 Zoe Kravitz or Jhene Aiko!!!

Tell us about something that just made your day -

 When I looked in the mirror (laughs)

How many hours per day do you try to devote to research and writing?

 At least 2 hours

What are 3 things you never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)?

 Lol well you just named all 3

Sleep in or get up early?

I'm not a morning person at all

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing? In my bed, on the bus , or the beach

Your thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad -

Honestly I've never received a bad review ,and all the reviews I've received have been so heart warming and I'm forever grateful

Do you have a bucket list?

Yes Get married to Zoe Kravitz ,

Have sex in each country and reenact my favorite scenes from "Coming to America "

One of your favorite quotes –

Wow that's a great one , Just about every quote from "The Wonder Years"

List 3 of your favorite movies?

"Coming to America" , "Sin City", "The Last Dragon"

What is a movie or TV show that you watched just recently and really enjoyed? californication i live that show so much

Where can your readers stalk you?

Both twitter and Instagram @michaeltavon

And in goodreads too

Is your book in Print, ebook or both? Both

Do you give free ebooks away in exchange for honest reviews?

Yes I do!

Book links:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/415462

Amazon ebook http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IR4BYD8?pc_redir=1409343403&robot_redir=1

Amazon paperback

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1497343763?pc_redir=1409980270&robot_redir=1

Book Description : Depressed and down to his last hair of hope, Kevin "Dookie" Harris, whom was once voted "Most Likely to Become Famous" by his classmates, is now a part-time sales clerk, and an on-again-off-again father. He spends his downtime drinking until his knees buckle, while singing karaoke in the local bars; trying to live out what's left of his rock star dreams. After a day of shame and self-pity, he arrives home and receives a letter that will change his life...

He attends his 20-year class reunion, where he reunites with his former band mates and best friends for the first time since they dismantled. After a magical night of singing drunken karaoke, the band decides to reassemble, and pursue their dreams of becoming rich and famous.

Take a tour through the life of Dookie Harris, and read a humorous tale of love, struggle, failure…and ultimate success.


5* Book review by Ranger 
“Garage Band : The Legend of Dookie Harris” is one of those heartwarming tales of human frailties and strengths, failures and triumphs, hope and despair, that makes you smile, laugh, and cry, all at once. The book is quite unique as it can only be described as a “funny tearjerker”.

While I laughed hard at the antics of our hero, Kevin “Dookie” Harris and his wonderfully fun friends, Ronnie, Donald and the hilarious Hasheeb, I couldn't help feeling sad at the same time about the constant failures and dejection faced by our friends, especially Kevin.

Kevin “Dookie” Harris could be any of us, a high school kid, seemingly full of promise, but because of a couple of poor decisions in his youth, ends up as a minimum wage helper at Wal-Mart at 39 – showing, there's a very thin line between success and failure.
But fortunately, this book isn't just about despair and bad luck, it's also about faith, redemption, true friendship and loyalty – and finally with a triumphant happy end .Proving that even the most unfortunate do not stay down forever, there is always an escape route, and you just have to look for it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world.  I hope you share this interview with your friends so we can all get to know you a little better

And thank you for allow me this opportunity .

Please support authors and post this blog on facebook and twitter. Many thanks, Patti

The true story of how Edgar Allan Poe helps Kristy fulfill her destiny as a writer and a psychic medium.

“Want to know the truth?” Edgar grinned and fixed the collar on his coat.

“No, that’s okay,” I nonchalantly answered, putting the books in my denim school bag.

He drew closer. 

“What do you mean with ‘that’s okay’? I always liked a good whodunit, and my death,” Poe puffed his chest out, “is one of the best, if I might add.”

“So you tell me how you died, Edgar, and who am I going to tell, and better yet, who is going to believe me?”

I really was quite curious as to the whole story, the true story, but I wasn’t so sure he would offer me the truth. He was a writer, a poet, a tale teller, and I wasn’t confident that he wouldn’t elaborate. And, as I asked him, so I become privy to history changing information and what was I to do with it exactly?

“One day I will tell you, Kristy. No, I will show you. There is a reason that I am your guide.” Edgar pon- dered for a moment, “Oh, I do love abstruseness, but only when I write it!”

Forevermore – Guided in Spirit by Edgar Allan Poe by Kristy Robinett

www.edgarallanpoeforevermore.com

Kristy Robinett has always had helpers in spirit, but when she was thirteen, she met the most fascinating spirit guide of all-- Edgar Allan Poe. Forevermore tells the true story of how Edgar Allan Poe helps Kristy fulfill her destiny as a writer and a psychic medium.

Far from being a madman (as he's often portrayed in the media), Poe is an insightful guide and a sleuth with a passion for justice. Working with law enforcement, Kristy and Poe uncover truths of the past--murders, suicides, missing persons--and shed light on the wrongs that have found their way into the present day.

Join Kristy as she shows how personal growth can come from the unlikeliest places and affirms the comforting fact that we are all given the chance to learn and evolve on the other side.

Biography

I have used my unique gift of psychic mediumship since childhood. Whether it is to connect those that have lost loved ones or to assist in getting your life back on track, I'm here to help with direction, in nothing but a positive light. My ability to use several of my gifts helps me give variance to my clients.

Becoming comfortable with my gift has taken an awful long time and still when I speak with someone who doesn't know "what" I am, I begin - "Now, I am perfectly sane, but....I see ghosts...." I am not different than you. Everybody has the ability to "see", you just have to open yourself to it.

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Interview with Eugene Landon Hobgood, author of the book "Country Roads. The Internal Life of a Mannish Rascal".

Tell us a little about your new book entitled "Country Roads. The Internal Life of a Mannish Rascal".

Country Roads is about an adventurous Black boy in the rural American South of the post WWll era. Randolph Wilford, the protagonist, struggles to understand events that take place in his community, his fertile imagination and his precocious libido.

From where do you get your ideas?

It depends on the project. That is to say, my writing is driven by fictive imaginings and actual events. How the two balance out, depends on the type of novel I am writing. In a historical novel I wrote about Benjamin Banneker, actual events dominate. COUNTRY ROADS is driven by events of my childhood, my imagination and stories told to me by people along the way, in equal measure.

How many hours per day do you try to devote to research and writing?

Research is scattered throughout the day. Mental framing of my stories takes place, mainly during bedtime hours. The actual writing down my thoughts, usually takes under two hours a day.

What was your favorite chapter to write and why?

There is no such chapter. But, some of my favorite scenes, in Country Roads, take place between Randolph and the characters, Mozelle, Cousin Hilda and Miz Mattie. Those women are loosely based on some of the women who shaped my life, as they mold Randolph in the fictive pages of the book .   

Do you write under a pen name?

No.

What's the significance of the book's title?

One day, several years before I conceived the novel, I was playing pool in a bar in Manhattan's Lower East Side. The song Country Roads came on the jukebox. It was my first time hearing the song which made me cry because it evoked childhood memories. It had been nearly forty years since I had visited the country roads with which I was familiar. By the way, the song prompted me to visit those country roads every Summer for the next twenty five years.

How did you find your current publisher, and what experience do you get from that?

I came upon Editions Dedicaces circuitously and fortuitously. A publisher who rejected my manuscript, although he like it, mentioned that he had heard of a publisher who might be interested in the novel.

Is your book in Print, ebook or both?

Both.

Do you ever experience writer's block, and how do you overcome it?

Never. In fact, I will not live long enough to tell the many stories resting at the bottom of my creative well.

What's the main message you'd like readers to take away from the story?

I attempt, in everything I write,  to offer a story that says, "Verisimilitude."

Your thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad...

Truthfully, my reaction to literary reviews is the same as it once was to theater reviews, when I was an actor. The positive ones raise questions in my mind as well as they thrill me. The negative ones remind me of some of the thoughts I had doing the work. 

What project are you working on now?

Currently I am writing a novel about life in Greenwich Village during the Sixties. I am also working on a non-fiction guide to the pronunciations of foreign names, for English speaking announcers.

What advice would you give to aspiring writer?

My advice to fledgling writers is to try and approach the page as if no one has ever done so before.

About the Author:

Eugene Landon Hobgood was born in Washington D.C. on September 6, 1936. Moved to New York City on January 20, 1958. He was educated in Washington DC, New York City, Verona, Italy and Aswan, Luxor and Ghiza, Egypt. In addition to being a writer, he is a long time Singer and Actor. He holds a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwondo, a Certificate in Herbology, and a Certificate in Public Speaking from the Dale Carnegie Institute. The author is also a Marathoner (New York City, 1992).

Eugene Landon Hobgood is a member of the National Writers, the Screen Actors Guild, the Harlem Writers Guild and the Hurston/Wright Foundation. He is the author of four self published works of fiction: "Songs of the Zodiac", "Patapsco. A Novel Of Benjamin Banneker", "Ruwenzori. The Legend Of Moon Mountain" and "Penny Candy".

For More Info:

Author Page: http://papagino.info

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eugene.hobgood

Buy the Book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1770764135

Publisher Website: http://www.dedicaces.us (Editions Dedicaces)