Summer of Indie Talks With Donna Burgess

Readers who enjoy post-apocalyptical or zombie-survival stories will want to check out Solstice, by Donna Burgess. Solstice is a tale of hope, terror, survival, and finding love at the end of a world plunged into darkness.

 

 

 

 

Solstice:

 

THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

On the eve of winter Solstice, a massive flash envelopes the Earth and then there is nothing. The sun no longer shines and civilization is plunged into unending darkness. Those exposed to the mysterious flash have changed—they have become bloodthirsty, cunning, and determined to devour anyone who is not infected.

They are Ragers.

In Sweden, uneasy travelers Tomas an architect, his young son, Christopher, and university student Melanie, hear a broken broadcast. There is hope. Something called Sanctuary waits, but it is thousands of miles away, somewhere on the shores of the British Isles.

Meanwhile, in a London supermarket, Stu, a high school English teacher from the States finds himself stranded along with a handful of students on a senior trip. Outside, hoards of hungry Ragers await, ready to tear them limb from limb. Their only hope is to find Sanctuary.

Solstice is a tale of hope, terror, survival, and finding love at the end of the World.

http://www.amazon.com/Solstice-novel-Zombie-Apocalypse-ebook/dp/B0081L57OO/

 

Donna Burgess lives with her husband, daughter, son, many cats and one goofy Golden Retriever in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. When she is not writing, she can be found on herlongboard, behind a good book. She is the president of E-Volve Books. In addition to her writing work, she also runs No Trees Harmed, a website devoted to the promotion of digitally-published independent authors.

You can find Donna Burgess online at:

http://donnaburgess.com  http://e-volvebooks.com

http://notreesharmedebooks.com

and on Twitter @horrorgirldonna

Summer of Indie Hangs With C.J. Urban

If you're looking for a mystery or thriller with a romantic twist, be sure to check out Diary of a Dead Girl, by author C.J. Urban. The first book in the Julie Townsend Series, Diary of a Dead Girl, follows the suspenseful sequence of events that occur when the heroine, Julie, seeks a change of pace in a new town after her parents' death.

 

 

Diary of a Dead Girl

Julie Townsend’s world is turned upside down after her parents’ tragic death. Now sole guardian of her younger brother at only twenty-three, and desperate for a change, she takes an offer too good to refuse—a house to live in for free in a small town.

Things take a dangerous turn when she discovers a diary full of secrets concerning her cousin’s murder. When Julie begins to investigate, she realizes she’s in too deep—and may soon be the next victim.

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Dead-Girl-ebook/dp/B008EAPBUM/

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/diary-of-a-dead-girl-cj-urban/1111791102?ean=2940014612982

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/175187 

 

Summer of Indie asked author C.J. Urban to tell us more about herself so that readers could get to know her better. We asked her about her personal life, as well what inspired her to become an author:

"I've lived in Orange County my whole life, and I love it. Knowing both the beach and Big Bear are a hop, skip, and a jump away is pretty amazing. I've always loved writing, and I plan to continue until I can no longer type. I have an adorable miniature Pomeranian named Mocha. She keeps me company on those nights (or early mornings) that I'm up typing away trying not to lose sudden bursts of inspiration. I'm also a huge coffee-lover and find it's one of the best ways to bring people together. I graduated with a bachelor of arts in psychology from Cal State Fullerton and loved earning the degree. My goal is to be a full-time writer, and I'm working my hardest to make that dream a reality."

 

 

You can find author C.J. Urban online at:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/CJUrbanAuthor

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100004025913673

Website (Author Blog is also hosted here): www.cjurban.com

 

Summer of Indie Meets Tom Hobbs

Our next guest author, Tom Hobbs, is an independent author who also runs the website www.kindlemojo.com, which promotes independent authors. He recently has released three novels, all of which are novelized versions of screenplays he has written by the same titles. Summer of Indie talked with Tom Hobbs about his novels, The Blue Goose, Trauma Junkie, and Twilight on the Amber Cliffs.

The Blue Goose:

A USAF Security Forces Novel.

In 1981 the hostages in Iran had been released, the Russians were the bad guys, Reagan was the commander and chief, and the DM to Dollar exchange rate was peaking at an all time high since World War II.

 
The free world was in turmoil, and needed someone
to secure it. At least according to the Lieutenant.

Spicher Air Force Base was located in a rural
section of Central Germany known as the Eiffel
Mountains. It was up to Sergeant Anthony Harris
and the rest of the USAF Security Policemen assigned to the 44th Squadron, Delta Flight to make sure that the world stayed free, or that at least their small corner of it did.

“Gentlemen, war is hell, even in peacetime.”

The Lieutenant had actually once said that to the
flight during guardmount, and he meant it.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Blue-Goose-ebook/dp/B005A5YL8W/

 

Trauma Junkie:

What happens when a suicidal paramedic falls in love with an ambulance-chasing reporter?

Brian is going through a rough patch in his life. His wife, Amber, has divorced him and is remarrying a rich wall streethedge fund manager. His boss hates him, his partner tolerates him, and he likes to stand on the ledge ten stories up, bottle in hand.

Four years ago his infant son passed away in his crib sending his life into a tail spin.

All he has left is saving lives, and saving them on his terms. That's not enough.

Enter Brooklyn, a fiery red headed stringer, who works the overnight selling video and stills to the New York media and she's had a long standing crush on Brian.

She's out to prove that a paramedic isn't the only one who can save a life.

http://www.amazon.com/Trauma-junkie-ebook/dp/B007WD7OKW\

Twilight on the Amber Cliffs

 

Brandon is a small town cowboy turned New York City reporter. Hope never left the small town. 25 years ago they fell in love in high school. Only one problem, she was the daughter of the Mormon Bishop and he the outsider who happened to be Catholic... and in 1977 rural Utah that mattered . In 2006 he is returning to Utah for the funeral of his best friend - who married Hope.

http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Amber-Cliffs-ebook/dp/B008EMMPL8/  

 

 

 

 

About Tom Hobbs

 

 

Tom Hobbs Grew up in the National Park Service living in places like the Grand Canyon, Acadia, and Mesa Verde. After High School he joined the US Air Force where he served in Wyoming, Germany, and New Mexico. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Creative Writing and Photography and went to work in film as a Director of Photography while writing screenplays on the side.

Tom moved with his wife, Robin, and their children Rush, Ari, Chris, and Nadia from San Diego to New York City just four days before 911. After that he went to work as an EMT and later on as a Paramedic. He currently works as a freelance Social Media Marketer in Brooklyn. He writes in his spare time.

Tom runs the website www.kindlemojo.com that promotes Independent Authors.

You can contact Tom Hobbs at: tom@kindlemojo.com. Comments are always welcome.

Summer of Indie Sights "The Flight Of The Griffin" With C.M. Gray

Readers who enjoy YA fantasy and adventure novels will want to check out The Flight of The Griffin, by C.M. Gray. His novel follows the events that are set into motion after a burglary causes five unlikely heroes to embark on a grand quest, guided by a magical book, to stop the world from tipping into Chaos.

 

 

The Flight Of The Griffin

Living in their old boat ‘The Griffin’ five young characters become the unlikely heroes at the end of time when a burglary sets them on the path to finish the ‘Last Great Spell’ - a spell to stop the balance of the World tipping into Chaos...

They become the Magician, Thief, Priest and Fighter when a magical book guides them upon a quest that pits them against magic, demons and ‘The Hawk,’ an evil hunter of men.

Join a race against time to find three crystal skulls that must be brought together, while all the forces of Chaos try everything to stop them!

You can purchase The Fight Of The Griffin in ebook format at:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/151395

For Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Flight-Griffin-ebook/dp/B007TKUD7Y

And in paperback at: http://www.lulu.com/shop/cm-gray/the-flight-of-the-griffin/paperback/product-20223161.html

C.M. Gray is an Englishman who has lived all over the world, but only a small part of that in England itself. He currently lives in Spain, just outside Barcelona. The Flight of The Griffin is his second book.

You can find author C.M. Gray online at:

Twitter @cgray129
Author blog http://flightofthegriffin.blogspot.com

Summer of Indie Goes "From Earth To Eden" With Clayton Bye

Fans of science fiction and horror, or those who have read The Sorcerer's Key, will want to check out the latest book from author Clayton Bye: Technomage.

This dark fantasy features a unique cast of characters, and is the second installment in the From Earth To Eden series.

 

 

Technomage

Pursued by a cyborg sorcerer and the devil himself, Jack Lightfoot is forced to give up all that is human in an effort to find a way to stop the destruction of both Earth and Eden.

An epic tale of war brimming with an assortment of unique individuals--Satan as a human, a teenage corporate genius who has solved the problem of long-distance space travel, a man who lives inside the internet, a native healer who is also of the cloth, even a resurrected serial killer, TechnoMage also delves into the nature of both God and man.

http://shop.claytonbye.com

Barnes & Noble.com

Amazon.com

Clayton Bye has been writing and publishing since 1994. Owner of his own multifaceted company, Chase Enterprises, Mr. Bye is the author of 9 books, as well as 100's of reviews, and a multitude of internet short stories, poems and articles.

Editor-in-Chief of The Deepening, a well respected and oft visited review company, Mr. Bye is a voracious reader and the proud promoter of his talented reviewing team.


In December of 2011, Mr. Bye published an anthology of short stories called Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road. These are very different stories from talented authors around the world. The book was released under his new imprint Chase Enterprises Publishing. A trade paperback 312 pages long, Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road is also available in Kindle format.

You can find author Clayton Bye online at:

Twitter

Facebook

Blog

And Author Website

Summer of Indie Hangs With Jess Scott

Summer of Indie's next guest author talked with us about a book of a different genre than most of the books we have featured so far. Self is a collection of short stories that focus on self-discovery and parallel the seven heavenly virtues, and is written by Jess C Scott. 

 

 

Self (Seven Heavenly Virtues Anthology)

 

There are seven virtues to directly counteract the seven deadly sins:

Chastity | Temperance | Charity | Diligence | Patience | Kindness | Humility

SELF is a reflection of the journey of self-discovery and The Seven Virtues, where the only noble battle is the fight for inner personal freedom, spiritual health, goodness and growth.

Be awakened. Be empowered. Be inspired.

 

www.jessink.com/self.htm

Jess Scott is an author/artist/non-conformist who’s dedicated to writing original stories that are both meaningful and entertaining. She writes in a variety of genres including erotic fiction, urban fantasy, young adult fiction, cyberpunk, and poetry.

As a creative professional, Jess experiments with a variety of genres and styles to produce “authentic, original work. . .rather than the same old re-packaged mass-market pulp” (Bibrary.com).

In a Word Riot interview, Jess mentions that the basic message in her work is “always the same: to be unafraid to be one’s true self.”

Most of Jess’s work is fueled by an intense drive to inspire others to favor social/spiritual values over shallow values.

Jess is also the founder of www.jessINK.com, an innovative publishing company that focuses on substance over short-term success with current fads and marketing hype.

 

Summer of Indie held a short interview with Jess Scott to learn more about her as an author:

Q: Can you tell us more about your book?

A: I completed a satirical, pop culture inspired "seven deadly sins" anthology earlier in the year, which left me feeling kind of sullied by the time it was done (I titled it Bad Romance, since it links star-crossed lovers to each of the seven deadly sins). I decided to work on Self (a "seven heavenly virtues" anthology) since there are seven virtues that directly counter the deadly sins. The challenge was to create stories that kept to the themes, without getting overly preachy or predictable. I like a certain amount of 'edge' in most of my projects to keep things fresh and interesting.

Q: You mentioned that you write in many different genres. Could you tell us more about why you don't have a separate pen name for each genre?

A: Writing is both a personal and social, artistic and commercial thing for me. I like being exploratory and experimental with creative work--I figured it'd probably be less confusing "in the long run" if I just kept everything under one name. One of the genres I specialize in is erotic literature, which I've no qualms standing by because my focus has always been on psychosexual themes (instead of explicitness, which would make things more "pornographic" than "erotic"). Sophisticated eroticism is something I've always enjoyed. I've nothing to hide there in terms of literary output, so...

Q: In your book, who is your favorite character?

A: I don't really have a favorite character. They're mostly composites of pieces of me and/or people that I know (personally or in a general sense). That's my personal way of crafting relatable characters :)

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors?

A: Classic authors, indie authors, authors of relationship fiction, fantasy, mysteries, and the writers behind celebrity gossip!

Q: Do you have any advice for new writers?

A: I recently wrote a self-publishing tips checklist which new writers might find useful (in response to an aspiring indie author asking for some help).

Q: What's next for you (in your writing)?

A: I'll be working on completing the Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy (an urban fantasy featuring cyberpunk elves), and maybe a dragon trilogy after that. I own www.dragonsinn.net and would like to finally put out a solid dragon-themed project.

Q: Can you tell us three interesting facts you'd like your readers to know?

A:
1. I've a page of "favorite quotes" on my blog.
2. I've an adopted indoor/outdoor cat.
3. I'm pretty sure I was a medieval scribe in a past life.

Jess currently resides in Maine where she continues to create original stories that are both entertaining and meaningful.

You can find Jess C Scott online at her blog: www.jesscscott.wordpress.com

Her Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/jessINKbooks

Or her Twitter: www.twitter.com/jesscscott

 

Summer of Indie Talks With M. J. Williams

Today Summer of Indie got the scoop on a new mystery series, written by M. J. Williams The first book, On The Road To Death's Door, follows the events that transpire after a young couple inherits an RV, only to have a dead body fall off the top of it.

 

 

 

On The Road To Death's Door

Emily and Stan Remington’s maiden voyage in their newly inherited, second-hand RV goes awry when a body falls off the top of their vehicle. The retired small town police officer and her husband, a retired history professor, find themselves at the center of a murder investigation involving a politician, a corporate executive, and a hippie priest. Emily butts heads with the local sheriff as their search takes them from a backwoods cabin in Wisconsin’s scenic Door County to the Bishop’s Chancery in Madison to an abandoned island in the infamous Death’s Door Straits. 

 

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/On-Road-Deaths-Door-Williams/dp/1468065335

 

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/On-Road-Deaths-Door-ebook/dp/B006CA06BU

 

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-the-road-to-deaths-door-m-j-williams/1108068339?ean=2940013791817&itm=1&usri=on+the+road+to+deaths+door

 

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/176882

On The Road To Death's Door is set in Wisconsin, and is written by two authors who live there. M. J. Williams is the pen name of sisters-in-law Peggy Williams and Mary Joy Johnson. Mary Joy is a retired college professor and professional quilter. Peggy is an elementary school teacher and freelance writer. On the Road to Death's Door is the first in what they hope to be a successful mystery series featuring Emily and Stan Remington and their RV adventures.

 

You can find M. J. Williams online at:

Twitter: @MadCityWriter

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/M.J.Williams.author

Website: http://www.ontheroadmysteries.com

Blog: http://madcitywriter.blogspot.com

 

Summer of Indie Talks With Frank A. Ruffolo

Author Frank A. Ruffolo, recently released his contemporary series, The Trihedral of Chaos Trilogy together as one complete work this summer. Summer of Indie talked with Frank about The Trihedral of Chaos, and his science fiction novel Gabriel's Chalice.

The Trihedral of Chaos

The Trihedral of Chaos trilogy covers the life of Steve Ciccone a semi-retired Vietnam War sniper as he must balance his love of family for his of country. Grieving the death of his wife Steve suddenly finds a new love in his life and the person and place he has found her is quite unusual. Thrust into terror attacks on the Unites States, Steve must balance his personal life with protecting the country he loves. The three books "The Crescent Star, The Falcon's Canticle, and Yellowcake, take Steve from South Florida, to Washington D.C., and back to South Florida pulling him away from his retirement home on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.

http://www.amazon.com/Trihedral-Chaos-Frank-Ruffolo/dp/0983680337/

Gabriel's Chalice

"Gabriel's Chalice is a faith based sci fi that takes place in the year 2028. Plagues, pestilence and vast global disasters suddenly erupt. As spewing volcanoes cover the Earth with a dense cloud of ash, God sends the Archangel Gabriel with an incredible message for mankind... Dr. Raphael Matteo, a leading geologist with NASA, anxiously studies the signs and disasters foretold in Luke 21:11 of the New Testament. Accompany him as he encounters the Archangel Gabriel during a walk outside of Moon Base Challenger. Follow him to the Vatican and the White House as the Earth is faced with the threat of another ice age. Join with the CDC as plagues threaten life on earth as we know it, while signs in the sky make their way over Jerusalem...a city that will shine like a sparkling diamond.

http://www.amazon.com/Gabriels-Chalice-Frank-Ruffolo/dp/0983680329

Summer of Indie interviewed author Frank A. Ruffolo, and asked him how he got started writing:

I have been writing now for about four years. I am 64 years old and semi retired living in South Florida empty nesting with my wife and editor Christine of 37 years. I started this crazy venture one morning when I awoke with what I thought would be a good idea for a movie. That got me to start writing "The Trihedral of Chaos Trilogy". I just released the three novellas in e book format on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The complete work will be released in print format in a set within a few weeks. While writing this work I received my inspiration for my first release "Gabriel's Chalice". That was published late last year and is available in Ebook and print format also on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I am currently writing two murder mysteries and planning a sequel to "Gabriel's Chalice".

You can find author Frank A. Ruffolo online at:
https://www.facebook.com/frankaruffolo

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frank-A-Ruffolo-author/188729521194331

https://twitter.com/#!/ruffoloauthor

https://plus.google.com/u/0/112094975528524947615/posts

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_15?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=frank+a+ruffolo&sprefix=frank+a+ruffolo%2Caps%2C248

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/frank-a-ruffolo?keyword=frank+a+ruffolo&store=allproducts

Summer of Indie Meets Pat Ritter

Summer of Indie spoke with author Pat Ritter, whose first book Closing The Gap found success in helping parents improve communications with their teenager. Currently, Pat is writing his eleventh novel. Summer of Indie spoke with author Pat Ritter today about one of his recent books, The Drover.

 

 

 

The Drover

Droving in outback Queensland was a roaring trade in the late 1940's and 50's. Australia lived off the sheep's back with wool being one pound sterling for one pound of wool. Everyone had money.

Sheep and cattle needed to be taken from place to place. It was common to see at least six droving camps taking sheep or cattle across the outback of south-west Queensland from property to property.

This book is about the life of Harry Williams, who wanted to be a drover, the same as his father and grandfather before him.

 

At aged ten years he left school and commenced work. By thirteen years he had his own droving plant. By twenty-one he was a fully pledged drover in his own right.

At times he overcome many obstacles in his path. One epic trip he was Boss Drover to take 500 bullocks from Bulloo Downs in South West Queensland to Clifton Hills in South Australia, a journey to take twelve months.

He was the last of the ole drovers. A huge part in Australian history.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Drover-ebook/dp/B005YTGUOM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=134092.

Summer of Indie asked Pat Ritter why he started writing. His response was: "I love to write. Daily I write something.My life goal is to write, publish and sell my books."

Pat Ritter is an Australian author. who served as a police officer for twenty years in Queensland Police Service, fifteen years as a detective.  He established Crimestoppers for Queensland Police.

He retired when his wife of thirty-one years passed away from cancer.

After his retirement from police, he worked as an alcohol and drug counselor for Queensland Health.

You can find author Pat Ritter online at:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=380fc36a264925dc5b0c6da69ff31d72.

Website: www.patritter.com.au.