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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. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Lisa Calell author of "Disconnected." Let's jump in. VH: If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to your former self? LC: The use of the word ‘whatever’ is definitely over-rated and quite annoying. It should never be used when a child is talking to their parents. (as I am learning from my 11year old son). Never stop saying the first thing that comes into your head. The innocence of a child’s thoughts is a precious and valuable gift that we have all been given and sometimes we just need to connect with that child within. Never give up, never leave anything to chance and never ever stop believing in the magic of Christmas. VH: At what age were you the happiest? How come? LC: I am happiest now. I thought turning 40 was going to be the worst thing ever to happen to me but to make the transition easier I created a ’40 list’ of things I needed to achieve before I got there. Writing a book was just one of many. I have achieved so much in the last year but the ‘icing on the cake’ was my Dad telling me how proud of me he was, something I have waited 40 years to hear. VH: What is the number one lie you tell yourself? LC: There are no calories in any food consumed around Christmas – in fact I think it may even be negative calories!!! VH: I agree, I just had a zero calorie piece of cake. It was delicious! Thank you Lisa.  Disconnected Katherine (Katie) Calder is happy, or is she? Married to a patient, loving and handsome lawyer who has been her life for 6 years – Chris. He wants nothing more than a ‘normal’ happy family life -will being with Katie ever give him that? Katie didn’t know how to love him or anyone but she knew she couldn’t be without him. She had detached from life, from love, from any true emotion yet Chris continued to love her unconditionally wishing for the day she would declare her love and even cry for the first time since he had known her. Katie’s mother - Jill Williams was desperately trying to have a relationship with her daughter who had been missing from her life for six years for reasons she never understood. Bringing Gerry back into Katie’s life was not the answer. Gerry brought back the horror of her ‘missing years’ causing her distress, misery and even blackouts, but why, what had Gerry done? What had happened in those two years when she had been missing that could cause this pain and anguish and if they found out would they feel the same about her? Katie didn’t think so, she had to protect them against the truth and she had to face her past - but at what cost? Disconnected is an intense, emotional journey that will have you smiling one minute and then feeling hurt and pain the next. You want it to work out, you want the happy ending - but then life is never that straightforward, this book will leave you with a void, this book will leave you disconnected! Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA  Lisa Calell was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, the youngest of three children. As a child, her appetite for Fiction and Poetry became evident from a very young age. Now married with two children of her own and has recently been through the trauma of turning '40', writing is her new passion. Disconnected is her first novel of a two-part series - the emotional heart-wrenching story of Katie and her quest for survival. Disconnected takes you through the horrors of her past, the uncertainties she faces day-to-day and her will to feel love with her one constant in her life - Chris. Within two weeks of publication, Disconnected hit #21 in Thrillers and #72 in Romance during an Amazon promotion. More recently, Disconnected reached #6 in Kindle and #1 best-seller in Psychological & Suspense and Family Saga.
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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. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Dawn Torrens (D.G Torrens) author of Broken Wings and several other fabulous books. Let's get started. VH: If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to your former self? Dawn: If I could really transport my adult self back to when I was seven years old, I would give myself a much needed-hug (these were pretty sparse back then) and I would tell myself to hang in there that everything would turn out just fine... VH: What is the worst advice you ever received? Did you follow it? What happened? Dawn: I remember having a conversation once with an ex work colleague a lady I worked with for quite sometime. I was in my early thirties and had half written a novel. I was sharing with her my hopes and dreams of becoming a full time writer one day and dreams of publishing my first novel! I remember clearly to this day her response, "That's a pretty tall dream Dawn, maybe you ought to set your sights a little lower, something more realistic perhaps!" She said in a rather patronizing tone. I never challenged her response that day, I simply smiled a knowing smile! Because you see, I knew then that one day my dream would be a reality... VH: When was the last time you felt alive? I mean really alive! Dawn: Lol! The last time I felt truly alive and I mean truly alive was when I was holidaying in Greece a few years ago now! I was stood on a high cliff and I mean a really high cliff and I had the urge to dive off it into the deep blue see below that looked so calm and inviting. It was such a hot day and I remember looking over the edge standing there in my swimsuit... So I did just that and jumped off without giving it another thought! I have never felt so scared and yet so excited all at once in my entire life! It was an incredible feeling, would I do it again you ask? Hell yeh... VH: Dawn, it is always great having a chat with you. I know there is a sea between us but at times I feel like we are as close as two chairs, a table and sips of tea. I wish you continued success!  Broken Wings Two people who have both suffered tragic losses in their young life; both of them avoiding love for completely different reasons. Joshua, a soldier in the British Army, a bomb disposal expert and the very best at what he does. Angelina, an editor for a local newspaper and writer in her spare time. Both of them focused on their careers. Brought together unexpectedly, they fall unconditionally and irrevocably in love with one another. All is perfect in their lives until Joshua is unexpectedly posted to Afghanistan for six months. Angelina's worst fears are finally realized. Joshua has to go, it's his duty as a soldier, but the pull in his heart is strong and he leaves her behind with a heavy heart. Angelina is devastated and prays for his safe return. Until one day, a few weeks into Joshua's deployment, there is a knock on her door that changes her life forever.  Author Bio: D.G. Torrens is the author of seven books which she has written and published over the past three years with a toddler in tow! D.G. Torrens currently lives in Birmingham, United Kingdom with her husband and four year old daughter. The author is also a member of RABMAD, "Read a book make a difference" where a group of like minded authors donate a percentage of their sales to their chosen charity. The author is currently penning her latest novel, The Poppy Fields which is due for release in the New Year. Need more D.G. Torrens? Broken Wings Tears of Endurance Whispers from Heaven Author fan page Blog 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 I have the pleasure of speaking with Jude Ouvrard, author of Wonderland. Buckle up. This will be a heck of a ride. VH: When was the last time you felt alive? I mean really alive! JO: When I was 14, I was in a car accident. My dad was driving and I was sitting in the passenger seat. We were hit head on. The only thing I remember is my father telling me to watch out and he placed his arm in front of me when we were about to be hit. Seconds later, my dad was opening my car door and asking me to move my legs. I was okay but my face and my eyes were burning. At the time of the impact, I was calling my mother with my father's cellphone. When the air bag deployed, the phone crashed into the right side of my face. The paramedics arrived and I was on my way to the hospital minutes later. I looked like a boxer after a really rough match. My right eye was terribly swollen and I had scratches all over my face. My eye was in a pretty bad shape. I had internal bleeding and traumatic injuries. As a result, I had lost 90% of my vision and could only see shadows and some colors. I stayed in that condition for a year and finally had a surgery. The most beautiful day of my life was when I walked out of the hospital two days later and I could see again. I felt alive again and relief for having survived such a terrible accident. Although I was still not perfect, I felt a lot better. I had to wear sunglasses to protect my eyes, but I remember seeing the sun rays. This particular time in my life will always be one of my happiest moments. My right eye will never be how it was prior to the accident, but I'm happy that I can see again. VH: If you had one hour left to live from this moment, who would you seek? What would you do? Why? JO: One hour doesn’t give me enough time to drive to my parents. I would get there but I would have maybe five minutes with them. I would spend the hour with my son. I would write him a list of things I want him to achieve. Things that I wish I had time to do or things that I wish I had witnessed him doing. I would give him all the advice I could think of and I would take pictures of us. Pictures are so meaningful to me, they sometimes mean so much more than words. A family portrait is the perfect memory. I would also call my family and tell them how much they mean to me and how much I wish I could have been closer. An hour is definitely not enough. VH: If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to your former self? JO: I would tell myself to Be Myself and to not care about what people might think or say about me. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve spent my life trying to be what other people wanted me to be instead of being myself—this is not the way to live. At that young age, you are trying to make friends at school and to be loved by them as well. I wish that I had been stronger at the time. I had friends but it wasn’t always easy. Their influence was strong and at the end of the day, I was following them instead of doing my own thing. Elementary school and high school were the hardest for me. I struggled and it affected my life. I had good grades and I was a good student but my feelings and emotions were all mixed up. Being strong enough to truly be yourself shows how dedicated you are and it helps you get or achieve what you want in life. VH: Jude thank you for allowing us to peek behind the curtain for a moment. It was a pleasure getting to know you better.  Wonderland Summary: Lucas Colton is far too young to go through all this pain but meeting poetry teacher, Preston Davidson, changed everything. His life went from heartbreak to joyful and then, from friendship to love. The impact Preston had on Lucas’ life was mesmerising. What would you do if you knew you may not have a tomorrow? EXCERPT: When I arrived at Central Park, Preston was sitting by the statue of Alice in Wonderland with two steaming cups of coffee in hand. He wore a canary yellow sweatshirt with a pair of dark blue jeans and black leather converse. “You’re on time,” I teased, taking one of the cups from him. “I figure I shouldn’t waste any more time.” Preston took a sip of his coffee. “Life is too important right now. I don’t want to miss anything.” “I can see that you’ve thought about my situation thoroughly.” I couldn’t help but be flattered. It was obvious now that he cared about me, even if just as a friend. “I have a few questions for you. If you don’t mind, of course.” Curious, I wanted to know what was going on inside his brain. Looking through his glasses, I saw how tired his eyes were, how the rims were red. He hadn’t slept all night, I would bet. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to answer all of them, but I’m willing to try.” Preston made me nervous, and I hoped he wasn’t going to ask for a medical explanation. I had asked to be told what was necessary. The details weren’t important to me. All I knew was that I had kidney cancer, and that it had started to spread to my other organs. My lungs were affected, but they were giving me enough medication to keep me out of pain. “I want you to name three things you can’t live without,” he said. That seemed pretty simple, nothing to be worried about. “Coffee, a good movie, and cheesecake.” I laughed. “You took me off guard. I don’t know, but those are things that I enjoy, I guess.” “It’s perfect. Now tell me: what would you do if bacteria were killing all the coffee beans in the world, and you foresaw that thirty days from now, you wouldn’t be able to find a single coffee bean in the world?” Was Preston serious? What kind of question was that? I shook my head and smiled. “I’d drink as much as I could, and I’d try to freeze some to keep for special occasions.” “Good answer. Now tell me: what would you do if the film industry decided that it was no longer profit-earning to produce movies and that thirty days from now, there wouldn’t be any movies anywhere for sale or rent?” “I would buy as many movies as I could afford, and go to the movie theater one last time.” “Another great answer. Last, but not least: what would you do if the Cheesecake Factory was going bankrupt, and thirty days from now, you couldn’t find a single piece of cheesecake in the entire world?” “I would eat cheesecake for every meal, gain weight, and die of heart failure,” I joked. Preston laughed. “I’m asking you all these questions because I’ve come up with a plan. You said you might have weeks to live. Let’s hope you have a month. You have to make the most out of it. You have to enjoy and do everything you’ve ever dreamed of doing. Are you ready to have the best time of your life?” A smile spread over my lips. “Okay, I see where you’re going with this.” “I’ll spend that month with you. I want to be with you every time you smile or cry, when you feel good, or when you’re in pain. You can’t do this alone, Lucas. So tell me: what is it that you’ve always dreamed of doing?” “I’m a pretty simple guy; don’t need much to be happy, so forgive me if we aren’t going to Australia. I think we’ll stay here in New York.” “Sounds good to me — and my wallet.” Preston looked at me, waiting for me to tell him everything I wanted to do before the end came. “I want to go to a rock concert.” “Perfect.” He wrote it down in his pocket size notebook. “What else?” “Um, I want to watch all the Star Wars movies while eating greasy pizza in front of a fireplace.” “Today is your lucky day; I have a fireplace at home.” Preston had a huge grin on his face. He was enjoying this, probably more than I was. “Next?” “I want to see a Broadway show. Don’t care which production, just want to watch one.” “I’ve seen them all so I’ll take you to see my favorite.” He lifted his eyes from his pad up to mine. “Anything else?” I took few moments to think, my hand reached for my chin while I looked at the sky. “I want to go to a gospel celebration.” I laughed while he wrote it down. “And I want us to sing our hearts out and dance with them.” “We’ll see about the dancing part. Keep going with the ideas.” “I don’t know. I want to take long walks in Central Park. This is my favorite season.” “We’ll come here every day, if you want.” I nodded. Preston put his notebook into the back pocket of his jeans and looked at me like he was seeing my soul. I felt the vibration and the appreciation for everything he was doing for me, but I couldn’t get my head around it. Why would he do all of this for me? I had just met him, after all.  Author bio: Jude was born and raised in a small village named Lacolle. She now lives in Montreal, Canada.She is the proud mother of a beautiful four year old son, and has spent the last twelve years with her partner, Cedric. French is her native language, but she prefers to write in her second language, English. Jude has a passion for books, both reading and writing them. She is currently working on a novel called Body, Ink, and Soul. Coming soon! Also by Jude Ouvrard: “Under the Sun,” Heat Wave: Beach Reads Volume Two Need More Jude Ouvrard? My website/blog Facebook Goodreads About me Amazon Barnes and Noble 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.
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.
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 I welcome James Wilcox again. He is back for more. For those that are not acquainted with Mr. Wilcox, allow me to introduce you to his work: Sex, Lies, and the Classroom, The M-16 Agenda, and Musings of a Particular Bear: A Poetry Collection. His new book Miracle Child will be released on March 25, 2013. VH: What is the number one lie you tell yourself? How is that working out? JW: Probably the number one lie I tell myself is that I will start my diet tomorrow. It is a lie, because I still haven’t started the diet. I know I need to get into shape and lose some weight (okay maybe a lot of weight), but it is so much easier to put it off a day, a week, a month, whatever. I promise that I am going to start the diet tomorrow. Really, I mean it this time. Is that chocolate cake? Oh, never mind. VH: Oh James I understand completely. Most of us are up against that one. After a difficult day what do you do to recuperate? Does it work? JW: After a difficult day, the number one thing I do to recuperate is spend time with my children. They are such miracles. They always manage to make me smile and bring joy back into my day. The other thing I like to do to recuperate is to grab my laptop and write. Although writing can be stressful and frustrating, it also keeps me sane. It is my relaxation. So far, it is working pretty well as I now have three kids and four books. VH: If a zombie virus took over the world, how many days do you think you could last before you were infected? And what would you do to postpone the inevitable? JW: If a zombie virus took over the world, I am toast. I probably wouldn’t make it an entire day. As a teacher, I am surrounded by people all day long and I figure one of my students would infect me before I even knew about the zombie apocalypse. If my students didn’t get me, my own kids probably would. Not much I could do to postpone the inevitable. Even if I didn’t get infected by my students, I am sure they would enjoy trying to eat my brain. VH: Thank you James.  This is a story of miracles, both big and small, and the story of one little boy born sixteen weeks early, weighing only one-and-a half pounds. Nathaniel Wilcox needed a miracle. He wasn’t expected to make it through the night. This is Nathanial's story of his five month journey to survive, and how he touched the hearts of everyone who cared for him. This is the story of how one family managed to overcome tragedy and despair, to find a renewed faith in each other and in God. A miracle child? Indeed. Amazon B&N James P. Wilcox is the author of Miracle Child, two novels – Sex, Lies, and the Classroom and The M-16 Agenda – and Musings of a Particular Bear: A Poetry Collection. James, a former newspaper photographer and writer, is currently a high school teacher in the Kansas City area, where he lives with his wife and three children.
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 I welcome Rhoda Baxter author of Having a Ball. VH: Hello Rhoda, for what are you grateful? RB: Apart from the obvious things (my family, my health, my job etc) the thing I’m most grateful for is the NHS (the National Health Service). In the UK we have a health service that will treat anyone, regardless of who they are, at the point of need, for free. There’s a lot of nonsense written about the NHS (Death panels?? I mean, really? Who came up with that one?). It is over stretched, underfunded, under staffed and yet it works. It works because there is a fundamental mindset among the staff that says – this person is ill. We will do our best to help them. My elderly mother and my very young daughter both owe their lives to the excellent care they received (and continue to receive) from the NHS. So thank you NHS. I’m grateful you exist. VH: If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be and why? RB: Transport. I’d make teleportation possible. Think of all the time we’d save by simply zipping from one place to another without having to walk/run/drive to get there. Failing that, I would change the transport system so that there were fewer roads that required cars and more trains. Travelling by car is so BORING. Trains are much more fun. You get to sit and read, or walk around. And there’s always the possibility that you might accidentally end up in Hogwarts. VH: What is the number one lie you tell yourself? How is that working out? RB: You can have your cake and eat it. Turns out this is not possible. I keep eating my cake and then finding I don’t have it anymore. VH: Good one! Pleasure Rhoda. Thank you. :)  Having a Ball, published by Uncial Press. Released 17 March 2013. When the going gets tough, the tough throw a party. Stevie has always relied on her brother to bail her out of trouble. Now she needs to prove to him that she can be independent and mature. When she takes on a job organizing a charity ball for some slightly barmy retired academics, she’s not expecting to fall in love with the rambling old house, the even more rambling family that lives there and Tom, the boss’s son. If she can make the ball a success she could show the world, and herself, that she’s her own woman. She doesn’t need anyone else. Nope. Not anyone. Not at all. For Nook and Kobo (etc) Amazon  Rhoda Baxter lives in the north of England, where she works a day job and writes romantic comedy when her kids are asleep. She is a member of the US Romantic Novelists Association and her first novel was shortlisted for the RNA new writer’s award. She has a Biochemistry degree from Oxford. She wanted to study English, but her parents suggested she should do science (to get a Real Job) and pursue her love of literature in her ‘spare time’. Which, funnily enough, is what she ended up doing. So it turns out her parents were right. Again. How irritating.
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 I welcome Tony Miller author of I'll See You In Your Dreams. VH: If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be and why? TM: To think and speak in specifics not generalizations. Men are _____is always untrue, women are _____is always untrue, and people are _____is always untrue. Specifically which man…which woman? Generalizations are evil, including that one. VH: When you put it like that, yes, I can see how generalizations can be harmful. If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to yourself? TM: I loved being seven years old! I recall it being the best time. I was so optimistic at seven. Back then happiness consisted of learning, accomplishing, and realizing something. I remember a neighbor lady teaching me how to plant a seed. When it grew into a bush I recall her saying I had a green thumb. I felt a great since of accomplishment and pride in myself. I would say the advice I would pass on to myself is to listen and learn from those who have traveled before you that have gained wisdom. VH: At what age were you the happiest? What triggered such joy? TM: Again I would say seven years old. An older, wiser person taught me how to do something and I realized I had gained a skill. I loved the fact that I had gained wisdom and that I had made my mentor very happy. When you succeed, you help all those that help you succeed. This gave me great joy. VH: Indeed. Thank you Tony.   Bio: Tony Miller started the pursuit of his dreams in Texas at the age of 17. He wrote poems and a third of a novel that got lost over time. At 21 Tony moved to California to become a hairstylist. He dreamed of styling the hair of celebrities and owning his own successful business. Tony fulfilled those dreams and more. Throughout the years he listened to his many clients’ points of view and enjoyed writing about them and how they overcame the obstacles to their dreams. Tony has always been passionate about research and discovering little known facts that make life what it really is. Tony hopes to be successful as a writer, so that he may help his friends and his dreams come true. There is an old saying; “get what you want, by helping others get what they want” seems to be true. Writing is a tool for Tony to help others overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and make their dreams come true. Tony Miller's first novel is "I'll See You In Your Dreams" and he is currently writing the sequel, "Dream Sleuth." Note from the author:
I love historical novels. So, I wanted to write a novel that used true facts and real science to make a believable story. I wanted my book to help the reader realize that almost impossible obstacles can be overcome and that what seems the end can be a new beginning. What makes “I’ll See You In Your Dreams” a worthy read is the research behind it. I have spent many years researching psychopaths. I studied their attributes extensively anew to make my antagonist believable. I have a very good bad guy. More importantly, I have very believable protagonists. The characters are based on real people. The book originated as I sat in my recliner watching ‘The Parallel Universe’ on the History Channel and pondering my first novel. So I combined a love story, ‘The Parallel Universe,’ and a ghost story. I used true stories I have gleaned from my clients in 40 years as a hairstylist. I researched in detail all the historical facts and metaphysical and laws of physics. 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 I welcome Mary Ann Bernal, author of The Briton and the Dane novels. VH: For what are you grateful? MAB: I’ve always been lucky with my health and vitality. People tell me I don’t look anywhere near my age. In fact, no one has ever guessed my age correctly, so I guess I can’t complain about anything. I walk the treadmill 4 miles a day and keep as active as I can. When I was in Greece last month, I was racing up stairs carved in 300BC while others in the group decided to sit it out. And I have pictures of my feet standing on the ancient steps and Roman roads. How can I not be grateful for this gift? VH: I think you have me beat. When was the last time you felt alive? I mean really alive! MAB: Last month, while visiting Greece. The ruins at Ephesus, Corinth, and Philippi, and the burial mound of King Philip, Alexander the Great’s father...and The Acropolis where The Parthenon towers majestically over the city of Athens...and the Porch of the Maidens, and the list goes on! My thousand plus photos, yes the number is correct, are available on my shutterfly webpage, and if anyone is interested in viewing them, they may contact me at www.maryannbernal.com for the url link. The weather was fantastic, the company was terrific, and the Moussaka was to die for! VH: If a zombie virus took over the world, how many days do you think you could last before you were infected? And what would you do to postpone the inevitable? MAB: Oh I’m tough. Come get some, buster!! The Zombie virus would get nowhere near me. I’m from New York!! We survive anything. I’d be like Charlton Heston in the Omega Man – I’d be the Last Woman on Earth. Not a single microbe would get through the door. But if it was inevitable, I would stock up on Advil and extra Listerine and pass the time until doomsday with a nonstop Spartacus: Gods of the Arena marathon with my heartrhrob Gannicus!! What a way to go… VH: You paint quite a picture! Thank you Mary Ann.  After the last of Rome's legions left Britannia to the mercy of the invading barbarian hordes and before the age of chivalry, when knighthood was in flower and troubadours sang of courtly love, there lived a King whose love for his people and the land left a legacy coveted by his descendants who sought to wear his crown. Travel back in time to the late Ninth Century, to the tumultuous days in the reign of Alfred the Great who successfully defeated the Danish Viking King Guthrum and kept his precious Wessex free from Viking rule. Journey to the Burh of Wareham where Lord Richard oversees the training of Alfred's army; where his children, Stephen, David and Gwyneth, swear fealty to their King and support his vision to build a nation to rival the glory that once was Rome in a land ravaged by war and conquest. US Amazon UK Amazon Germany Amazon France Amazon Japan Amazon (The Briton and the Dane: Concordia will be available early 2013)  Author Bio: Mary Ann Bernal, author of The Briton and the Dane novels, is an avid history buff whose area of interest focuses on Ninth Century Anglo-Saxon Britain during the Viking Age. While pursuing a degree in business administration, she managed to fit creative writing classes and workshops into her busy schedule to learn the craft, but it would take decades before her “Erik the Viking” novel was ultimately published. Mary Ann is also a passionate supporter of the United States military, having been involved with letter writing campaigns and other support programs since Operation Desert Storm. She has appeared on The Morning Blend television show hosted by KMTV, the CBS television affiliate in Omaha, and was interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald for her volunteer work. She has also been a featured author on various reader blogs and promotional sites. Mary Ann is a New York “expat,” and currently resides in Omaha, Nebraska. 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 I have Penny Grubb author of Like False Money, The Jawbone Gang and The Doll Makers. VH: For what are you grateful? PG: I’m grateful for being born when I was and where I was. A generation earlier and I’d have been constrained by society’s views on women and not been able to have the family and working life I’ve enjoyed. I’m grateful, too, for living in a temperate climate, in an advanced society. I don’t have to worry about where my family’s next meal will come from or whether my home will be swept away in a hurricane. I live in a society where health care is free at the point of delivery and I’m grateful for that, too. My parents lived through ‘interesting times’. My father had travelled 1000s of miles as a refugee before he was five and when he was a young man – younger than my sons are now – he lost his family for two years when war swept through Europe, after which the new political boundaries stopped him ever seeing his mother again. If none of that had happened, I wouldn’t be here. But I don’t feel the need to feel grateful for that. That was just chance. What it comes down to is that I’m grateful to be here. VH: After a difficult day what do you do to recuperate? Does it work? PG: I come home. That often does the trick all on its own. If the difficult day means there is fallout to deal with I either deal with it, plan to deal with it or put the detail aside to look at when I need to. The thing I’ve learnt not to do is dwell on bad stuff. I know people who dwell to the extent they refuse to acknowledge happiness because there’s bound to be something bad on the way. I prefer the other side of that coin. Why dwell on bad stuff when there’s always something good on the way? Basically I just leave bad stuff behind me. If and when the time comes to have to face it again, a solution usually presents itself – that’s the magic of the subconscious. VH: If a zombie virus took over the world, how many days do you think you could last before you were infected? And what would you do to postpone the inevitable? PG: The way I see it, I can already operate as a zombie at the drop of a hat. When I’m focused on something I’m a bit too good at missing the obvious – the bus that I ought to board, the thug with the knife who I shouldn’t push past, the glass door that I ought to open not just walk right into... I had something else on my mind the time I downloaded One Day to my e-reader and started reading it to see what all the fuss was about. I registered that it was *nothing* like I’d expected, but I was several pages in before I realised the e-reader had done something odd and I was actually reading Treasure Island. I feel that anyone who can mistake Treasure Island for One Day has nothing to fear from a Zombie virus. VH: Thank you Penny.     Where There’s Smoke When Annie’s arch-critic, Barbara Thompson, goes to extraordinary lengths to get her help, Annie doesn’t have to play along, but curiosity wins and she has to know why. It’s when someone gets to Barbara first that Annie realises Barbara was playing a dangerous game. And now it’s too late to walk away. She’s left with guesswork, supposition and the knowledge that whoever silenced Barbara now thinks Annie herself knows too much. Pre-order for only £17.99 including FREE UK POSTAGE Co-authored with Danuta Reah The Writers’ Toolkit – http://www.thewriterstoolkit.blogspot.co.uk/ Both Where There’s Smoke and The Writers’ Toolkit are currently on offer with reduced international postage (and free UK postage) at the above links but can also be obtained through Amazon.  Penny Grubb is a novelist. She writes a contemporary crime fiction series set in England and Scotland, featuring Private Investigator, Annie Raymond. Penny won the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger for her novel, The Doll Makers, and was nominated for the CWA John Creasey Dagger for the first book in the series, Like False Money. The fourth book, Where There’s Smoke, came out in October 2012. A fifth is underway. Penny’s has had a day job in British universities since the 1980s, and has enjoyed a diverse academic career that started in a Science Faculty, moved through Social Science and Business and now lies in Health Care. She spent a decade at the leading edge of Health Informatics research, but now specializes in teaching and research in active-reading and critical-writing as well as teaching creative writing techniques. She has a second day job as Chair of the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society which is a multi-million pound not-for-profit organisation that collects secondary royalties for writers. With over 85,000 members and growing, it is the largest writers’ organisation in the world. A writer all her life, Penny wrote her first story at age 4 and won her first writing competition at age 9. She has published in many contexts: academic technical tomes, textbooks, non-fiction, poetry, radio features and newspaper articles as well as her crime novels. Need More Penny Grubb?
Website Penny’s books are available through bookstores, Amazon and all the usual channels. Signed copies can also be bought at discount through Penny’s publicist, Fantastic Books at; www.fantasticbookspublishing.com Twitter @Fantastic_Books Email: [email protected] |
"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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