Book Title: Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound

Author: Paul M. Duffy

Publication Date: 11^th October 2022

Publisher: Cennan imprint of Cynren Press

Page Length: 342 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Twitter Handle: @PDufaigh @cathiedunn

Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #IrishFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-tour-run-with-hare-hunt-with-hound.html

Book Title and Author Name:

Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound

Paul M. Duffy

Blurb:

On a remote Gaelic farmstead in medieval Ireland, word reaches Alberic of conquering Norman knights arriving from England. Oppressed by the social order that enslaved his Norman father, he yearns for the reckoning he believes the invaders will bring—but his world is about to burn. Captured by the Norman knight Hugo de Lacy and installed at Dublin Castle as a translator, Alberic’s confused loyalties are tested at every turn. When de Lacy marches inland, Alberic is set on a collision course with his former masters amidst rumours of a great Gaelic army rising in the west. Can Alberic navigate safely through revenge, lust and betrayal to find his place amidst the birth of a kingdom in a land of war?

Buy Links:

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/4j5pdl

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hare-Hunt-Hound-Paul-Duffy-ebook/dp/B0B4M14L7J/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Hare-Hunt-Hound-Paul-Duffy-ebook/dp/B0B4M14L7J/

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Hare-Hunt-Hound-Paul-Duffy-ebook/dp/B0B4M14L7J/

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Hare-Hunt-Hound-Paul-Duffy-ebook/dp/B0B4M14L7J/

Publisher website: https://www.cynren.com/catalog/runwiththehare

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/run-with-the-hare-hunt-with-the-hound-paul-m-duffy/1141674830

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/run-with-the-hare-hunt-with-the-hound/paul-m-duffy/9781947976344

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Run-with-the-Hare-Hunt-with-the-Hound-Hardcover-9781947976344/1430657106

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/run-with-the-hare-hunt-with-the-hound

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/run-with-the-hare-hunt-with-the-hound/id6443006560

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Run-with-Hare-Hunt-with-Hound-Paul-M-Duffy/9781947976344

Excerpt 5

Táin

We moved before sunrise, silently and swiftly breaking camp. We pushed on beneath uncertain moonlight, the bóthar widening out to a more substantial roadway – becoming a slíghe. The lightly armed scouts they call kern padded the hills on each side calling down softly at times. I rode behind Donchad at the head and at some invisible sign or landmark, he held up his hand stopping the host and led us off the slíghe and into the tree line. I could not imagine what he could read in the darkened surroundings that prompted him to move with such confidence. I began to feel fear. What if he had missed his path. What if he had sold the party over to ambush for the grant of a ráth and a woman somewhere in these hills. The darkness began to take shape around us. Donchad’s broad back ahead of me. Shadows in my eyes. Shades coming across the greyness. We pushed through branches which trailed us like the fleshless fingers of crones. We came to a wide, untended ditch, and crossed over where the bank had collapsed into the bottom, green grown with bramble and nettle. Kern ranged out making sure none guarded the border of the tuath. Through the thinning trees, a blue grey sky appeared and as we approached the eaves of the wood, we saw a sloping meadow running down to a stream and beyond, emerging from the mist, the ráth of Áed Buidhe.

The Tiarna rode up and Donchad dismounted. Shielding themselves behind a large stump they spoke in low tones pointing down over the scene below, toward the outer stockade around the ráth. This was where the herd could be seen, shifting and lowing, brought in for the night against the depredations of wolves or raiders. My eyes strayed back to the stump to find the Tiarna and Donchad both looking towards me. The Tiarna called me over with a motion of his hand. I slid from the warm back of the horse, handing its tether to the man beside me, and approached. The Tiarna sat back into the bole of the tree where the heartwood had been eaten away by louse and fungus and he took both of my hands in his. He spoke softly, his voice full of assurance.

‘Now young kelt-bringer,’ he said smiling, ‘I have another thing to ask of you and this to one who has challenged the sídhe in their own house, will be a thing of no consequence.’

‘We need you to open the gate,’ Donchad said, bringing me around to the edge of the stump and pointing to the wooden doors set between thick posts with a watchhouse rising above – a dark square space beneath its awning of thatch, impenetrable in the pre-dawn. He pressed something into my hand and looking down I saw it was a long-bladed knife, the length of a forearm, the type they call the scian mór. ‘Go now, do not think on it. Move before the light strips the shadows from the valley. Run low and straight, and do not fear. If the alarm is raised, run to the river. We will be thick around you before the household can drag their fat bellies from their beds.’

He laid his large hands on my shoulders and guided me out into the open and, before I could protest, he pushed me gently forward. The hillside took me then, momentum dragging me forward until I was running, clear of the trees, through the meadow grass and onwards towards the tóchar. I ran faster, and faster still until I was running simply to keep upright, the stream approaching fast. The pounding of my feet, the pounding of my heart echoing like an army of tree fellers in a valley and I watched the blackness beneath the awning of the guard turret, watched for movement, for a shout, for an arm rising to strike a bell.

As the slope bottomed out, I missed a step and fell, tumbling violently. I lay still for a moment, amid the stalks of meadowgrass, brushed with their moisture, smelling their greenness and listening. A waking dove cooed in the trees, the imperative sound carrying far. No hint of movement in the treeline, though I knew they all watched, too tense to speak. I crawled forward, staying low, and reaching the stream, I slid down the side of the bank and moved upstream towards the tóchar, the water fast and lively beneath me, masking the sound of my passing. Beneath the tóchar, I climbed across the underside, grabbing the beam with my hands and hooking my ankles over. I dropped into the moss and leaf litter on the far side and pushed up the bank on my front, and peered through sparse branches of a blackthorn.

The palisade stood not fifty paces from me; its circuit built of roughly split beams set into the earth of a bank raised up over a ditch. I studied, in the waxing light, the set of each beam on the stretch closest to me. I looked for the uneven line of one against the other that might afford a handhold in their imperfect join. A cock crowed from within and this spurred me onwards. I stood out from the bush, hunched over, ready to run for the palisade. And to my left, not four paces away, a girl stood. A woman. Lithe, pale, beautiful beyond propriety. I had not seen her, shaded by the rail of the tóchar and at once, I realised that the dove cooing with strange insistence had been Donchad from the trees, warning me of the danger.

She did not move, standing tall with her garment hanging, brushing the ground. Her bare feet planted in the grass. Her hair, the blue-black of a raven in sunlight and a basket on her hip. She did not move, and I raised my hand slowly, as if to a skittish colt.

‘Ail a n-uír,’ she said with an unnerving clam – a stone from the earth. Her words unmasking me. Her curling lip and dark eyes stripping me. I shrank back into the thorn bush, feeling naked and exposed. The blackness beneath the awning of the guard tower glared from over her shoulder, sharing her distain.

‘Please,’ I said bringing my hand to my mouth, gesturing silence.

Her eyes scanned the valley then, probing the margins, looking for more like me. Considering whether to raise her voice. My life in the balance. And then she took a step forward, onto the board of the tóchar. And as she went, she spoke over her shoulder in a low voice, as if recounting something of little consequence.

‘The gate is unbarred. The spears sleeping.’ She walked on, and I watched her crossing the stream and turning to follow its margins looking through the growing shrubs, sorting their lolling heads as a kennel master sorts the hounds.

To trust her word and run to the gate? Into a javelin hurled at my breast? The cock crowing once again, the rooks in the trees beyond waking, the crake of their voices tearing the soft fabric of the moment. Lifting Lasair’s embroidered strip from its place beneath my belt, I put it to my lips, invoking her protection.

I looked back to the darkened treeline, beckoning Donchad forwards with my arms and ran on, hunched low, towards the gate and whatever might come. No shouts rose up, no javelins rained down and I pressed myself flat to the heavy oak doors, invisible from the tower above. I put my shoulder against one to find that the bar had indeed been raised. I eased the gate inwards, taking the scian from its sheath, slipping into the space between. The yard was open, a broad space with few buildings. A second gate beyond, it too with a watch tower, I slammed myself back into the palisade out of view. Hens scratched around in the dusty light and behind a rough stockade of lengths of roundwood, the herd jostled and steamed in the morning chill.

Author Bio:

Paul Duffy, author of Run with the Hare, Hunt with the Hound (2022), is one of Ireland’s leading field archaeologists and has directed numerous landmark excavations in Dublin as well as leading projects in Australia, France and the United Kingdom.

He has published and lectured widely on this work, and his books include From Carrickfergus to Carcassonne—the Epic Deeds of Hugh de Lacy during the Cathar Crusade (2018) and Ireland and the Crusades (2021). He has given many talks and interviews on national and international television and radio (RTÉ, BBC, NPR, EuroNews).

Paul has also published several works of short fiction (Irish Times, Causeway/Cathsair, Outburst, Birbeck Writer’s Hub) and in 2015 won the Over the Edge New Writer of the Year Award. He has been shortlisted for numerous Irish and international writing prizes and was awarded a writing bursary in 2017–2018 by Words Ireland.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://www.paulduffywritings.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PDufaigh

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PDufaigh/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-duffy-a6ab4142/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/62851974

Book Link

From Amazon:

What’s the buzz around your favorite kooky creek? The A-B-Cs, that’s what! Read along as the critters of Cackleberry Creek surf, shimmy, rock, and rhyme you through a colorful, alphabetic adventure! With each page, early readers (future bookworms) will delight in the vibrant scenes and characters while strengthening letter recognition, pronunciation, and memory. Perfect for preschoolers and emerging readers!

* Contains 34 eye-popping, full-page illustrations, critter-counting glossary, and A to Z rhyming experience!

* Fine-tune handwriting, drawing, and retention skills with bonus ABC and name tracing pages.

My Review:

Volchko has written a wonderful book on ABCs for children and she included striking imagery on each page. Brilliant colors children will absolutely love. Words used for each letter have mopre than one and the letters and pages rhyme. The verbiage is such that now and then there is a word that little won’t know. When I write that children will demand to know what the critters are talking about and they will expect answers. That’s how captivated I think children will be with this book is and five gold stars to Volchko.

Book Link

From Amazon:

What’s hidden in the dark will be brought to light . . .
 
When Jewel Wiltshire marries, she vows to love, honor, and obey. Little does she know that her husband’s secrets will push her faith far beyond anything she can imagine. For two years she remains a prisoner until a mysterious stranger appears offering friendship and hope.
 
Jack Vines has the Victorian home of his dreams–or so it seems until he discovers an intriguing beauty lurking in the shadows. Stunned, he finds they share the house but live a century apart. She is a prisoner of the past, shrouded in a world of dark mysteries. He holds the keys that will protect their future. When her letters suddenly stop, can he unravel the mystery that threatens to alter both their lives forever?
 
Timeless Moments is a spine-tingling suspense laced with faith and love that you won’t want to put down. This stirring novel seamlessly weaves together two characters in an intricate balance of emotion and hope that all things are possible.

My Review:

This was a great book to read. I was captivated by the strength and tenacity women have when caught between a rock and a hard place. The romance of more than one couple, the things that are impossible are in actuality real. Although hard to fathom, science can’t prove it doesn’t exist. Five shiny gold stars.

Please welcome Elizabeth Paharsingh to my blog. Shall we have a chat over coffee?

1. Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

Hi everyone!

My name is Elizabeth Paharsingh. I was born and raised in the little town of Corozal in the Caribbean country of Belize. I am a single mother with one daughter who is my biggest fan. Recently I self-published my first ever book titled Quiet Noise: A Collection of Poems and Prose.

2. Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?

Writing, poetry specifically, came into my life when I was eight years old. I was in Standard three (equivalent to fifth grade) when they started teaching us about poetry. The art of figuring out how to write poetry and make it work and make it rhyme was like solving a puzzle to me. I was always a quiet child and afraid to speak about anything which caused problems with anxiety. Learning to write poetry helped save me and it’s been a part of my life ever since.

Over the last twenty years, I have tried to find ways to save my poems. Whether it was in little notebooks, or emailing them to myself when I got older. I always hoped that one day I would have my work published and have a book with my name on shelves. It wasn’t until last year when my daughter found some of my poems and asked me about it and encouraged me that I decided it was time to do so.

3. How difficult was it writing your first book?

I thought it would be easy at first. I mean, I already had enough poems, I just needed to put them together and that’s it. I was wrong. I was very wrong. I watched videos on the internet and read many articles with tips and guidelines on editing and proofreading etc. I felt a bit overwhelmed, but I just took my breaks in between and took deep breaths and got through it and I’m proud of the final result.

4. Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?

Oh yes. Many times. I kept thinking “What if I go through all this trouble and it ends up being for nothing?”. Too many times I worried about what other people would think. Would they hate it? Would they love it? Would they laugh about it? Especially the people in my home town. Again, whenever I felt like that I just took a break and took a deep breath and brought that confidence to myself that this is worth it, I am doing something I love and I am accomplishing my goals. My daughter is ten years old, but she is also my ‘boss’ sometimes. She helped push me and kept saying “You got this mama!”. That kept me going.

5. Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?

My daughter is most supportive. I have support from other family and friends, but if my daughter sees me sad or hears me saying something like I’m thinking this book will fail, she will definitely tell me to suck it up and that I can do it because ‘I’m the best mama in the whole wide world’.

6. Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I would like my readers to know that I like to write based on the emotions I feel or the emotions that others close to me are feeling. I hope by reading my book that there was at least one poem that touched you and I am so thankful for every single one of you that have taken the time to read my collection of poetry written by someone from a small country that most people don’t even know exists. Thank you.

7. What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?

The best advice I got was from my mom and it was to not let people’s negativity get to you. Don’t let it spread to you and take over your life. In Belize we have a saying that goes ‘Don’t sweat someone else’s fever’. Just because someone has built up hate and anger, doesn’t mean you have to share that hate and anger with them.

8. What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?

I am reaching out to an audience that has trouble with mental health. Mental health is such a broad area and affects basically anyone of any age and there are people that are ashamed of it. I titled my book Quiet Noise because that is how I describe my problems with mental health. It is like this ongoing sound in your head with everything you are worried about or scared of or more, but while all of this is going on in your head the people around you are oblivious to what is happening because they don’t hear it. I am hoping that with my poetry collection, it will reach out to those having troubles with mental health and it will help them realize that they are not alone. There are others that feel or have felt the same way, and you can get through it.

9. Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?

I tried working with others to design my cover, but it just didn’t feel right. Eventually I started playing around with it myself and I decided I didn’t want to complicate it. I knew I wanted the background to be black and something bright to pop. I am very happy with how it is and hope others like it as well.

10. What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?

Right now I am going through what many writers are going through, which is I have about 10,000 ideas and no idea how to start either one. I would like to start working on a second poetry collection that revolves around awkward intimate experiences like first kiss, first date etc. I am hoping my followers will be willing to stick around to see what comes next.

11. Any last words before we wrap things up?

I just want to thank you Mary so much for the opportunity to be on your blog and talk about my book Quiet Noise. I appreciate it so much!

Contact and links:

Email: paharsinghpoetrycollection at @gmail dot com

Facebook: @EMP Writings         https://www.facebook.com/empwritings

Instagram: @EMP_Writings        https://www.instagram.com/emp_writings/

Twitter: @EMPWritings                https://twitter.com/EMPWritings

Goodreads:                          https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66408209-quiet-noise

Amazon Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Noise-Collection-Poems-Prose/dp/B0BLYBM4QK

Amazon Author Bio Link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BNWFZ8YV/about

Book Link

From Amazon:

Every high school has football games, lies, crushes, secrets, dances, and murder. Right?

Months have passed since darkness invaded Vale, Louisiana, when a young girl, Leigh Thompson, disappeared. A group of teenagers tries to hide their secrets after they receive a letter threatening to expose them if they don’t tell the truth.

Things take a turn for the worse when Peyton Vale arrives in town, determined to walk each of them to the gallows for what they did to Leigh. But coming face to face with her foe, Dark Horse, she learns striking a deal with the devil is easier said than done.

The closer Dark Horse gets to discovering the truth, the more Peyton Vale conceals her own secret—and the harder it gets for the group of teens to keep theirs dead and buried.

Who is Dark Horse, and what is he after? Will Peyton Vale get her revenge?

And who are the teens more afraid of: Dark Horse, Peyton, or each other?

My Review:

This novel is nothing like novels read in the past. The prose is deeply dark and murders happen in Vale. When you think you have figured out the mystery, who did what, etcetera, the narrative switches that fast. The concept is precise yet foggy when the need arises. Story packs a punch!!

Book Link

Please welcome Daniel DeMille to my blog. Hello, Dan. Shall we sit and chat?  

1. Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

Hi – I’m Daniel! I’ve enjoyed the creative process of writing and illustrating from a very young age. In recent years I’ve focused on writing children’s books and young adult fantasy for my niece (age 8) and nephew (age 12). A few years ago, after successfully releasing a 1,600 legal treatise with a major mainstream publisher (an absolutely thrilling book to read, I can assure you!), my family encouraged me to take the plunge and try self-publishing, to express my more creative side.

• Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book? (If you are here as an invite to promo your small business, then please write your own questions and provide relevant photos and links, thank you.)

I’ve always loved writing and always been a voracious reader. When the pandemic started, like many of us, my office closed temporarily. I started writing on day one of the lockdown and didn’t stop for the next three years. It felt like I had been waiting for over 30 years for this opportunity! So far, I have written 8 books, 6 of which have been published with 2 more forthcoming.

• How difficult was it writing your first book?

The first book was absolutely the hardest and took the longest. I am a lawyer by training, so I am used to writing extensive legalese. But to turn my creative writing muscles back on took sustained effort at the beginning. Joining some online writing sprints really helped! Once I got started, I couldn’t stop. It felt great to get the creative juices flowing again – very cathartic and enjoyable!

• Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?

Not to sound morose, but I have seen life’s hardships, including the loss of loved ones who had to endure painful terminal health conditions over months and even years. To push through writer’s block – while not easy – is a cakewalk by comparison. I consider it a real privilege to have the time and ability to write.

5. Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?

My wife is a huge supporter and is always enthusiastic about my writing. My niece and nephew also think my creative writing is very cool and they want to try it too. Seeing them inspired to write and create their own original work is very motivating to me.

6. Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Although I write to entertain, much of my writing also has a background purpose – whether to teach children more about nature and the environment; or to write a video game story that will inspire my niece and nephew to take a break from their actual video games, to read instead!

7. What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?

No-one is coming to save you. But no-one can stop you from pursuing your dreams, either. Seek out mentors who are already doing what you aspire to do. Be patient and persistent. Take full ownership of your outcomes and pay attention to the feedback the world gives you (good and bad). Keep improving, and you will realize your dreams over time, even more than you imagined!

This is the combined wisdom of many close friends, family, and mentors over the years. Life is not always a bed of roses, but I am grateful that listening to this sound advice has tended to work out very well for me!

8. What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?

I write children’s fiction, young adult fantasy/sci-fi, and adult non-fiction. My writing is inspired by family and friends around me who enjoy these genres and give me very honest feedback. Kids give the most honest and direct feedback of all. I tailor my writing based on their real-time facial expressions – there is no hiding from these young book reviewers’ honest impressions of my work! But it’s all to the good, as it helps me to constantly improve the quality of my content.

9. Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?

The cover went through many iterations to evoke the energy, atmosphere, and characters of the story. There was a lot of back and forth with my critics, and many do-overs to get it right. But we were all very happy with the outcome, and our readers really seem to enjoy it, too! So, the effort was well worth it.

10. What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?

Sure. As mentioned, my writing covers many genres and age groups. I pivoted in the past year from children’s books to young adult fantasy and science fiction. My new book “Game of Scorpions” is a Kindle Vella publication, but the full book will be released to Kindle.

Here is a sneak peek.

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/qmr3wam00c

https://www.ericandsandrajames.com/post/sci-fi-and-fantasy-on-kindle-vella

11. Any last words before we wrap things up?

Yes. Here is a very short, simple quote that gives me inspiration on life’s journey. I hope you also find it helpful!

I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health. – Voltaire

https://twitter.com/DanielJDeMille

https://www.facebook.com/d.demille.3/

https://www.danieldemille.com/

https://BookHip.com/VSKLXBF

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21673338.Daniel_J_DeMille

https://allauthor.com/author/danieldemille/

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3791065332

Book Link:

From Amazon:

Racism, climate change, and violence are in the past. The new world values respect and collaboration with others. But are there secrets lurking in the shadows of the Land of Hope? What truth about the past is being covered up?

When fifteen-year-old Fania returns from Immersion, she is shattered to learn that the next phase of her education is at home with Alicia, her granny. She had hoped for something far grander that would prepare her for an important role with the Earth Project. Their two strong personalities clash as Fania begins to learn more about the past and her family’s role in it.

As Fania grows in confidence and power, she starts to wonder exactly what secrets Alicia is keeping in her underground lab. After Fania discovers the truth, she finds her calling: one that has the power to change everything.

My Review:

I found Spindrifts to be a story of determination and inspiration in a futuristic Earth setting. Two sisters are the main characters and they are strong in their stance. Book appeals to those who like to read YA books.

Book Link

From Amazon:

Calling all fashionistas! From the writing desk of award winning author, Veronica Cline Barton, a thrilling, Fashion Week, cozy mystery tale sure to keep the runways buzzing this season!

The Fashions of Castlewood Manor make their London Fashion Week debut this season as fashionistas from around the globe gather around the runways to see and be seen. The dueling designers bring their couture creations to life as scheming models vie for the top spots on the runway, all carefully approved by a ruthless queen of fashion.

As the dates grow near for the fashion forward events; chaos on the catwalks, deadly mishaps, squabbles, and revenge run rampant, placing Lady Gemma and her family and friends in perilous danger. The ateliers vie to take the fashion world by storm with their avant-garde creations.

Who will end up with this season’s fashion to die for, and whose vogue designs will end up in the morgue?

My Review:

Barton has written my most favorite book to read so far this year. Ah…. where to start. I loved how the married couples showed their true for each other and friends a family were supportive of same sex marriages. It wasn’t reading the nuances of each person’s love; this book showcases this love. As for showcasing, add in a dash of this, or dash of that, and combine with fashion houses and ALL the drama on the catwalk, let the backstage. People die in this novel and I’m even going to hint at who or why. I loved the descriptions for each designer’s gowns. Best to watch for stilettos heading your way – you’ll get that when you read this fantastic novel with exotic settings laid out among a mess of treachery and deceit, love and loss, couture clothing and new hopefuls, the glitz and glamor of high fashion shows, and a complete immersion in the fashion world.

Please welcome T.S. Epperson to my blog. Hello Tom, so nice to meet you! Tom has news to share.

1. Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

Mary, thank you for having me as a guest. And thank you, reader, for spending a few moments of your time with us. If I had to tell you quickly who I am, I would say that I have been married to my high school sweetheart for forty-three years, I am dad to two adult sons, and Papa to four amazing grandchildren. If you are interested in personal trivia, I was born the seventh of twelve siblings in a large Catholic family and all my siblings are still living. I love nature and the outdoors. I grew up in Nebraska and Wyoming and have lived in South Carolina most of my adult life. I love the beach, observing wildlife and surf fishing with my grandkids.

2. Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?

When I was in fifth grade, my older brother was deployed to Vietnam. My teacher assigned a Christmas-themed writing assignment, so I wrote a poem titled Christmas In Vietnam, reflecting the horror we were seeing on nightly television news, and the fear I had for my brother’s safety. My teacher asked me to read it to a man on the telephone. The man turned out to be a DJ who recorded and produced it as a PSA spot which ran on local radio throughout the Christmas season that year. That teacher was the first one to tell me I should write, and his encouragement stuck with me. I always wrote from that time on, but I guess I was in my late twenties when I first decided I needed to buckle down and get serious about writing a book.

3. How difficult was it writing your first book?

It was terribly difficult. My first book failed. I think I failed at about four different attempts. I tried poetry. I tried song writing. I tried short stories. Finally, I sold out and took a job writing technical manuals for industry, and that taught me the discipline of treating writing like a job rather than a hobby. I learned an important lesson about sitting down and cranking out the work on a deadline. Building on that momentum I was able to start, complete, and self-publish a 300-page non-fiction title dealing with mid-life issues. It wasn’t quite what I set out to write, but it was close. The success of completing a book and seeing it in print gave me confidence and opened the door for the current fiction series.

This story took three years to complete. It started out as a 900-page single volume. I asked two priests who I trust to read it, and the feedback they gave me was “It is excellent, but it is not one book, it is three.” So, back to the drawing board I went, and spent another three years breaking it down into the separate story lines. At the launch of book one, I will have been working on this series over six years. It has matured into a collection of six novels that I’m proud of.

4. Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?

I’ve given up many times. I don’t know who first said “If you can give up, you should. If you can’t give up, then you are a writer,” but that fits my experience. Each time I got disgusted or discouraged and quit, a voice inside me kept gnawing away, wanting to get out, so I would start again.

5. Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?

My family has been incredible. My mom, who is 92, self-published a thick volume titled “The house that God built,” about her life. She has always written and inspired me to write. Several of my siblings have served as beta readers for me, and all of them encourage me. The primary help and encouragement comes from my nuclear family. As I said, I have been married 43 years. If you can imagine being married to someone while they went through the developmental struggle I described above, you can understand it would take high levels of love, loyalty, and patience. I have two adult sons, who are both talented writers. They are my writing buddies, encouraging me, challenging me, gently critiquing me. I think every writer needs to have someone who loves them enough to be honest with them. It is critical to success.

6. Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I love telling stories. I love people, and I am fascinated by how complex and unique every person is. I like stories of good vs. evil, but I don’t believe any person is completely good or completely evil. Life is complicated, replete with nuance and subtlety and at the same time, in a way, it is simple. If you learn to love people fully, selflessly, that’s the whole game, but that is not easy.

Writing is deeply personal and exposes the inner life of the writer. Stepping out in front of the world with that level of vulnerability can be unnerving, but when people connect with the story, it is rewarding and meaningful. I would find it more meaningful to connect with one person who really loved my stories for their depth, than to pander to a million readers who are looking for a shallow, cheap thrill.

7. What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?

Winston Churchill’s famous line “never give up,” is very good. It works in writing, in everyday life, in relationships and in your spiritual walk. I think it gets to the core of the hard work of being human. Life is so challenging and comes at you in all sorts of unexpected ways. But if you persevere, if you keep moving, striving, you will eventually find yourself in an amazing place, that transcends the ordinary. A second quote, similar, came to me from a live-in nurse we had. She was from a Marine Corps background, and her motto was “Just do more.” My son is also a Marine, and I’ve been impressed and inspired by the grit he brings to life. “Just do more,” is an echo of Churchill, and I’ve motivated myself with that phrase countless times.

8. What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?

My target audience is readers who love thrillers, suspense, and mystery, but want to read into the deeper motivations that produce the action. In other words, people who are like me. I love that type of story, so that is what I write.

I grew up in a rough and tumble environment. I started playing music in bars with my older brothers when I was eight years old, so I encountered the gritty reality of the world at an earlier age than many people do. On the other hand, my mom was very Catholic, so we walked to daily Mass a lot, and I was an altar server at the same time I was playing music in the bars.

That gave me a unique window into the world. The world I live in is gritty, and at the same time, highly spiritual. I’ve always had an over-active imagination and fantasy is a big part of my writing. My stories go beyond the man on the street and enter the realm of the “other worldly.” I experience life as a grand saga, where each of us is living out an epic centered on the spiritual, and at some point, we each become aware of it. People who resonate with those things are the people I am trying to connect with.

9. Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?

Creating the covers was an agonizing process. I hired two different designers, spent just under a thousand dollars, and could not even get close to what I was looking for. My younger son holds a computer science degree, and has a background in digital art, animation, and game design. He started working with me, helping me, and he eventually came up with the covers for all the books. My older son is also very creative and served as a sounding board for us during that process. The covers are dark, gritty, and hint at the violence in the world. They do a good job of communicating the ambiance of the story.

10. What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?

I am working to finish the series. When I write, I start with an outline, but once I get into the project, I allow the story to unfold naturally, without paying homage to the planned framework. It is more an experience of discovering a story than crafting one. The last three books in the series are at various stages of drafting, and I’m really enjoying that creative process. I would be happy to provide an excerpt of the current work in progress, but it would be kind of raw, as none of the last three books are polished yet.

11. Any last words before we wrap things up?

Thank you again Mary, for hosting me. I love your blog. The service you provide to your fellow authors and to the readers is so important. As you know, an author spends all this time, years of their life writing something, and then it is difficult to get it into the hands of the readers who are looking for it. Thank you for facilitating that connection. To your readers, I would like to say thank you for supporting Mary’s efforts, and for taking time to read this interview.

Please share Mary’s blog with everyone you know, so that she can connect more authors and readers. Your participation in that effort is vital to the success of the independent publishing industry. I hope you will enjoy Once To Die when you get a chance to read it. The greatest kindness you can do for an author is to invest the time to read the words they’ve put down on paper.

Judgement Day

Book #4 in

The Other Side Of Dead series

Advance reader excerpt for When Angels Fly.net blog

Note: this excerpt is from book #4, so there are major spoilers here.

Kojo was driving south on Ninety-five, six lanes of traffic moving eighty miles per hour in a sixty-five zone. Every second or third vehicle was an eighteen-wheeler. In his little Beamer, he felt like a field mouse hopping around in a herd of rhinos. The coupe was equipped with the latest model of autonomous driver, but Kojo preferred to be hands on. This car was his baby. He loved the feel of the sleek machine under his command.

“I’m not an investigator, but if I can help, I will,” he said. “What do you have to go on?”

“Not much,” Traci said. “I asked Lachlan, a friend of mine, who does freelance photography work out of Sydney, to help me set up a photo shoot that would look spontaneous, and then all hell broke loose.”

“What kind of photo shoot?” A blue three-quarter-ton Dodge pickup with a lift kit and loud pipes roared past him on the left like he was standing still.

“I asked him to arrange for Amadeus to meet a couple pretty girls, who would take him out on the town after his performance. Lach was going to get some shots of them dancing in a club, and that was supposed to be the extent of it.”

“So, what went wrong?” The semi in front of him lit his brake lights, made that low growl of an engine brake. Kojo checked his left mirror, saw a space, swerved out around the truck to avoid having to lock ‘em up.

“He said a guy called him, saying he represented the label, and told him to amp it up.”

“Amp it up?”

“Make it more spectacular.”

“And the result was the big scandal? I’d call that a little more than spectacular.” The growling semi merged right, taking an off-ramp to catch a truck stop. He heard a loud air horn and saw that his whole rear-view mirror was filled with a huge chrome grill. He swerved right, and the truck roared up beside him. He frowned and shook his head.

“How did things go so wrong?” he asked. The wheels of the semi were almost as tall as his car, chrome wheels with those big spikes sticking out four inches from the lug nuts.

“My friend got some local beach bum involved, asked him to help set it up. It turns out it was that rapist monster, the scourge of the Sydney beaches. He’s the one who pushed everything off the rails. He introduced drugs, brutally attacked Amadeus, and then later raped one of the girls.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah. Same thing I said.”

“But he’s dead now, right? So, there is nothing that can be done, is there?”

“I want to know who interfered with my original plan.”

“You want to find out who this guy was who called the photographer.”

“Right.”

“Do you have a name?”

“No, that’s the confusing part. Guy is the name. Somebody named Guy called my friend and told him to amp it up, promised him photo placements in national magazines.”

“Oh. And do you know who this Guy is?”

“No, there isn’t anyone affiliated with the label who has that name. So how did somebody named Guy get involved? What does he have to do with any of this? I feel like he must be working on behalf of someone else.”

“Man. That’s a mess.”

“Yeah, it is a mess, and it started an avalanche that ended up killing Amadeus. I want to know who pushed the first snowball.”

“What’s your theory? Who would gain from that?” The axles of the big semi passed by them, then abruptly swerved right, into Kojo’s lane, causing him to have to hit the brakes to avoid being clipped by the back tires. The heavy iron corner of the trailer passed over the  edge of his beamer’s hood.

“That’s the terrible part,” Traci said. “The only people who would gain from it are people who have a vested interest in Amadeus’ publicity rankings. This had to be an inside job.”

“Oh my God.”

“It makes me sick. I mean literally, hug the porcelain sick.”

“I get that. I’ve felt that way myself. It isn’t right, what happened to him.”

“No, it isn’t.” A loud roar made Kojo jump a little. A Harley low rider pulled up alongside him, forks maybe slightly extended, long leather tassels streaming off behind black leather gloves showing bare fingers. Leather saddle bags with silver studs. A white shiny bald head, thick neck stuffed down into a leather vest, dark sunglasses, thick mustache wrapped down below his chin, flapping in the wind like the leather tassels. The guy looked over at him with a scowl. Kojo looked away. What’s his problem?

“Okay, let’s look at this objectively,” he said. “It sounds like the only thread we have, is your friend the photographer. We need to find out how Guy contacted him, and how he received payment. Follow the money. It’s the oldest truism in the book.”

“I agree. I have calls in to Lach, but he hasn’t gotten back to me. He’s probably afraid he’s going to be found liable. He’s not overly courageous, and last time I talked with him I threatened him.”

“That might not have been your best move.”

“Tell me about it. But I was so furious. I lost control for a second.” The bike roared loud enough to shake the window glass and pulled away a little. A rebel flag covered the back of the vest. Big, muscled arms leaning the bike left, right, left, putting other people’s lives at risk to look cool. Kojo could see the definition of his triceps from here. The guy was scowling at him in a little rectangle mirror on a tall chrome tube.

“To do this right, I think we’re going to have to have some help,” Kojo said.

“I don’t know who to trust.”

“I mean professional help. Someone who works for us.” He eased off the accelerator a little, to create some room between him and the big steel bar that formed the bumper of the semi in front of him.

“I have access to some of Amadeus’ money now,” he said, keeping his eyes on the traffic, “and I’ll have access to a lot more, once his Dad’s lawsuit gets thrown out.”

“Are you confident that is going to happen?”

“The attorney is. I hope he’s right. Amadeus should at least be able to have his estate settled in the way he wished. He didn’t have much say over anything when he was alive.”

“Ha. Zero say, you mean. He was basically an indentured servant.”

“That is so messed up.” The truck in front of him lit up its brake lights. Kojo hit the brakes, but then checked the mirror and saw that a huge grill was coming up behind him fast. The Harley hit his brakes, fish tailed, burned off a little white smoke, until he was right beside Kojo’s window.

“Everything about this is messed up,” Tracie said, putting her hand on the dash.

“These people are crazy,” Kojo said, checking his hood, his mirror, the maniac beside him.

“Oh, yeah. Ninety-five traffic. It’s the worst,” Traci said. “So, what are you saying we should do?” Kojo eyed the biker beside him. He was getting closer and closer to the window.

“We should hire a private investigator. Hopefully someone with law enforcement experience. What is this guy’s problem?”

“Watch out!” Tracey shouted.

The bike swerved toward him, inches away, stayed there. Kojo checked the mirrors, but the grill was right on him, looked like it was rubbing his bumper. He was locked in. The biker was perfectly matching his speed. The guy reached out a gloved fist, pointed his bare index finger, and to Kojo’s amazement, reached out and touched the piece of the frame that separates the side window from the windshield. He touched it.

“What is he doing?” Tracey asked, turning in her seat to look behind them.

Kojo’s fist was squeezing the padded steering wheel, making sure not to swerve even an inch.

“This idiot is going to get us all killed,” he said. The biker stayed right there, pointed his index finger at Kojo’s face. Then he converted it to a mock pistol, pointed it, and mimicked a recoil. What the hell? The biker punched it, and a hard impact snapped Kojo’s neck backward. Traci screamed. The semi behind them shoved them forward. They were going to be crushed between the trucks. Kojo hit the brakes, but it didn’t even register. They were still moving forward, tires squalling, white smoke rolling beside the windows. At the last instant, Kojo released the brake, swerved right, trying to get to the shoulder. The semi pulled out into the left lane, taking Kojo’s rear bumper with him. He felt the spin, couldn’t do anything about it.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Traci shouted. His door slammed the guardrail hard, looking out the windshield at the traffic behind them. A rooster tail of orange sparks flying away past the hood, the ugly squeal and vibration of his driver side door being scraped off by the guardrail. A strange sensation, facing backward, still moving forward, heavy traffic closing on them, cars swerving, crashing together, something crashed into Traci’s side door, they flipped up and over the guardrail. A sickening feeling, falling, but also tumbling, floorboard, ceiling, floorboard, ceiling, a hard slap in the face, white.

Author Bio for T.S. Epperson

T.S. Epperson is the pen name Tom Epperson uses for writing in the mystery/suspense genre. Due to his background in Workforce Education and Development, Tom is fascinated with colorful and complex characters. Twelve years spent working on staff at a Catholic parish of 1,500 families, changed his understanding of the rhythm of life.      

Everyone is on a unique journey. Tom was born the seventh of twelve siblings. He was an altar boy beginning at age seven, and a bar band musician beginning at age eight. His childhood was a happy rhythm of walking to daily Masses in the morning and participating in music rehearsals in the evening. On Friday and Saturday nights he would close down the bars with his older brothers’ band and then serve or attend Mass again Sunday morning. 

His life has been and still is, a constant effort to balance the worldly with the spiritual, as his writing reflects. Tom is a hopeless optimist and a romantic realist. He is the proud father of two adult sons, the finest of the finest, and lives in South Carolina with his wife, who is his companion in a sweeping time travel adventure. So far, they have traveled more than four decades. Together, they strive to live more in the present than in the past, and his favorite thing is to stand in salt water and teach his Grandchildren how to lure exotic creatures from the sea. 

Below are all my links. I am missing a few off your list.

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17742275.T_S_Epperson

Twitter: @TSEpperson

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/T.S.Epperson

Website: http://www.multivalentpress.com/T.S.Epperson

Book pre order Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNLTM9JS/ref

Free advanced Reader copy through 3.23.23: https://BookHip.com/KTCBLZN