Welcome to Three Questions with Van Heerling. This is where you get to meet authors, actors, painters and anyone else that is bent toward the arts, but on a more personal level. Today we meet Simon Jenner, author of Ethan Justice: Origins. Simon will be giving away up to ten copies of his ebook. If you want to be one of the ten say so in the comments section. Thanks Simon! VH: Okay here we go: if you could change one thing about our world, what would it be and why? SJ: I'd make it law not to interfere in the lives of others without just cause. All crimes against the person would carry the death penalty and good deeds would receive rewards of some kind. This would be a tough law to police and administrate, however I believe it would change the world overnight. It's the world's culture that needs changing and it all stems from how we treat each other. Wow – a serious answer. I promise to lighten up with the other two questions. VH: Yes that's heavy. How's this for lightening the mood? If you had two years left to live from this moment, what would you change about your life? SJ: Everything. I'd call up my life insurance company and negotiate a reduced payout for early settlement. I'd put a chunk away for the family and use the rest to suck every ounce of enjoyment from the time available. I'd travel the world to watch great tennis at all the top tournaments, watch all of my favorite movies again and go to Rio for the next Olympics – hang on – when were the last Olympics? Oops, out of time on that one! Of course my wife might have other ideas and it's doubtful that I'd stop crying for at least a year after getting the news, so now I'm not so sure! VH: I'm not sure either. If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to yourself? SJ: Don't take everything so seriously. Enjoy your childhood to the full and start writing for fun right away because you're going to need some practice. Oh yes, and when you get to ten year's old, don't send your teacher that love letter – it doesn't work out well for you! Also, if your dog barks while you’re eating chips in front of the TV, it's because you left the chip pan on and the house is burning down. Don't throw the dog a chip, run to the kitchen and put it out. One more thing – don't jump on moving cars when you're drunk. It's not clever and the road is much tougher than your skull. VH: Thank you Simon. ![]() In the morning, he’s struggling to remember. By the evening, he’s struggling to survive. John Smith’s risk avoidance policy just expired! Waking up beside the gorgeous Savannah Jones, John is shocked to learn she was for hire, and he can’t pay the price - a thousand pounds or broken legs. In desperation, he turns to best friend, Mark, for the money. Only one problem - Mark has a dagger in his back. John and Savannah are plunged into a dangerous world where wits and adrenaline are their only weapons and trust in each other their only certainty. As the body count mounts, they discover Mark wasn’t the person John thought, and his terrifying invention may well end up killing thousands, John and Savannah included. A race to recover the missing invention pits the unlikely pairing against ex-SAS psychopath, Gregory Fisher, a man who will stop at nothing and kill anyone in his way to wreak revenge against the Government who stole his livelihood. When Smith and Jones team up, the result is explosive. Ethan Justice: Origins is a fast-paced, action-packed, character-driven thriller, guaranteed to make you laugh out loud, cringe, cry and cheer. This book contains a few violent scenes, a dash of sex and the odd bit of bad language, so please don't buy it if you are easily offended. ![]() Simon Jenner is a man whose goal in life is to discover his goal in life. He lives with his wife, who keeps his dream alive and his stomach tight against his trousers; his son, a dreamer just like his dad; and a dog who receives fuss like he’s the one doing the favour.
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Welcome to Three Questions with Van Heerling. This is where you get to meet authors, actors, painters and anyone else that is bent toward the arts, but on a more personal level. Once again I am delighted to have A.J. Walkley on Three Questions. You may recall that she is the author of Queer Greer and Choice. Her latest work is in progress: Vuto. VH Okay A.J. let's get into it. If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be and why? A.J. The one thing I would change is the way women are treated in certain cultures. During my time in Malawi, Africa, with the U.S. Peace Corps, I was privy to what I consider some pretty outrageous customs that women were primarily forced to succumb to -- puberty and birthing rites, wife inheritance. Genital mutilation, while not practiced in Malawi any longer, is still a reality for women in many other countries. Part of the reason I wrote my third novel, Vuto, was to raise more awareness about these traditions. In my book, the protagonist and title character becomes fed up with the cultural rule that prevents a father from acknowledging his child until they have survived past two weeks of life; if they do not, the mother and women of the village bury the child and it is forgotten. When Vuto's third child dies before the two-week mark, she forces her husband to look at the child, leading to her banishment. A Peace Corps volunteer tries to help her, taking her in. When Vuto's husband finds out she has not truly left, he goes to the volunteer's home in the night. In an effort to protect Vuto, the volunteer kills her husband, leading the two women to flee. It is my hope that people will read this book and understand what life might be like for women in Africa. VH If you had two years left to live from this moment, what would you change about your life? A.J. I would dedicate as many waking hours as possible to writing. I want to leave behind a whole slew of books -- I swear I have a new idea for a full-fledged novel daily. I'd probably move back home, lock myself in my room for 12 hours a day, and hopefully die with five or six more novels under my belt! VH If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to yourself? A.J. I would tell myself not to worry, your dream of becoming a published author will come true! As it stands at 28 years of age, I already have two novels out in the world -- Choice and Queer Greer -- and a third on its way. I am actually seeking funding this very month through my Kickstarter campaign to raise enough money to see Vuto through to fruition later this year. VH It is an absolute pleasure to hear back from you A.J. Thank you. If anyone is interested in contributing to Vuto they may do so HERE. No donation is too small. ![]() A.J. Walkley is the author of such titles as Choice and Queer Greer. Based in Arizona, she currently blogs for The Huffington Post. Walkley has served as a health volunteer for the United States Peace Corps in Malawi, Africa, teaching villagers how to protect themselves from contracting HIV; this experience inspired her to write her third book, Vuto. |
"For me, writing is a joyful torture or sorts." ~vh~ “In this life, seek your own answers, and quote yourself for a change.” ~vh~
The muse has tapped my shoulder and my ear is turned toward her lips. I am waiting for her whisper. ~vh~
"The funny thing about life: more often than not it’s laughing at you rather than you laughing at it." ~vh~
"At some point there is a moment when you should give up. I’m here to tell you that today is not that day." ~vh~
“If you are afraid of the truth, never ask a young child a question.” ~vh~
“The frailty of life is most evident at its last breath.” vh
“Prove not to the world but to yourself that you are above your current circumstance.” ~vh~
"Don't be wishful when it comes to your dreams. Take aggressive action in your pursuit of them. Start now with a single step, no matter how insignificant it may feel." ~vh~
"Nothing is more powerful than an unwavering, unapologetic decision to BE." ~vh~
"Strive to be the light in an ever-darkening world. SHINE!" ~vh~
"Think big and then think small. That’s where the details live." ~vh~
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