Building the Beast:

 The true story of how one married couple made an impulse purchase blind off the internet: a 24.5-tonne vintage army truck. Their plan: to convert into a unique off-grid tiny home on wheels ready for an expedition to Mongolia.

 

Building the Beast:

How (Not) To Build An Overland Camper

The Wayward Truck Book 1

by Jacqueline Lambert

Genre: Comedic Travel Memoir, Nonfiction

Featuring ‘The Beast’, an expedition truck, as seen on TV*

A Vintage Truck: An Amateur Team: An Immovable Deadline
The Comic Memoir of a Crazy Idea

In this captivating true story, join an intrepid married couple as they take another wild leap into the world of nomadic living.
Four years previously, Jackie and Mark gave up work to embark on a permanent road trip with four dogs. However, one Friday the 13th, forces beyond their control cause them to throw caution to the wind and buy a 30-year-old army truck sight unseen from the internet.
Their goal: to create an expedition truck fit to drive overland to Mongolia.
Follow them as they dive headfirst into the daunting but thrilling task of converting this rugged vehicle into a perfect off-grid tiny house on wheels.
Yet their first ever DIY van conversion proves to be a rollercoaster ride, when they sell their house to fund the build, and Friday the 13th comes back to haunt them.
Is their confidence that, ‘there’s always a solution,’ misplaced?
With their relationship, sanity, and finances on the line, can they navigate the pitfalls of their first-ever build and avoid becoming homeless?
Filled with quirky van life friends and unexpected twists, this is an inspiring tale of perseverance, friendship, and finding the courage to conquer the challenges that face those who dare to chase their dreams.

GUEST POST

I was born and spent my early years in Blackburn, Lancashire, an industrial town in the rather damp north west corner of England. World Superbike champion, Carl Fogarty, grew up in the house opposite. I’m sure he often repeats his claim to fame that he sat on a swing with me when we were both aged nine.

Blackburn is not pretty, but has incredible natural beauty on its doorstep. It’s a short hop from the Forest of Bowland, the Pennines, and three national parks: the Yorkshire Dales, the Peak District, and the Lake District.

My Dad was a keen mountaineer, who instilled within me a great love of the outdoors. We spent many weekends and every school holiday in a remote Lake District cottage, scaling some of guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright’s favourite summits. (Wainwright was another of Blackburn’s famous sons!)

It was there we met Bob Orrell: author, TV presenter, and smallholder. He moved in next door when I was in my early teens.

Bob has written several books about his amazing life. Saddle Tramp in the Lake District, documented his journey following ancient pack pony routes with a brace of fell ponies, Thor and Lucy. Fell ponies are one of the nine native British pony breeds, and a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

As it happens, Thor and Lucy had a profound effect on my literary career!

Aged 14, Bob took me and a couple of other young lasses on a four-day trek across the Lake District along old pack pony routes. The plan was for me to ride Thor, who was solid and dependable. His summer coat was shiny black, and he was built like a mini carthorse, with shaggy hair or ‘feathers’ on his heels. His rump and back were as wide and flat as a table. Sometimes, I would lie on him and sunbathe!

In the honeyed golden hour of many a summer evening, I would stand for hours with my arms draped along the top of his field gate. Thor would clop over slowly and rest his head in my embrace. Often, I would feel him release a deep sigh of contentment, or nuzzle his whiskery muzzle into my neck.

It was love.

Unfortunately, at the last minute, the promise of a loan pony for Bob fell through. This meant Thor became Bob’s mount, and against my will, I was forced to ride Lucy on our trek. Besides being much more lightly built, Lucy was a bit of a handful. On Bob's original quest, Lucy had been led, bearing the pack saddle.

There is a saying, “A hundred falls make a rider.” Lucy contributed generously to my total. On every practise outing, she threw me, and on the first morning of our expedition, on the way back from collecting her from her field, she launched me over her head. I swear she was grinning haughtily at me down her slightly Roman nose as she contemplated me sitting squarely on my backside in the middle of a freezing stream!

After subjecting me to this humiliation, I think Lucy felt she had asserted her dominance. Thankfully, she and I arrived at an uneasy truce. Since we had to navigate steep mountain passes together, this was just as well, although Lucy certainly added extra colour to what was already a wonderful adventure.

Each evening, after we’d set up camp, Bob encouraged us to write about our experiences. Then, he entered our scribblings – my first ever memoir – into a national competition open to all age groups.

I’m very proud to say, I won second prize!

It was my initial foray into keeping a travel journal, which has since become a lifelong ritual. These diaries led to my blog, which I ultimately honed into a manuscript for my debut travel memoir, Fur Babies in France.

Fur Babies follows what happened when my husband, Mark and I quit our jobs, accidentally bought our first ever caravan (RV trailer), then decided to rent out the house, sell most of our possessions, and tour Europe full time with our four dogs.

Since then, I’ve published six light hearted travelogues in my Adventure Caravanning With Dogs Series. They have all received multiple five-star reviews, been category bestsellers on Amazon, and my third book, Dogs ‘n’ Dracula, won a Chill With A Book PREMIER Readers’ Award, and was a finalist in the Romania Insider Awards. The British Ambassador to Romania and Prince Charles (now King Charles III), who has a special connection with Romania, both have a copy! 

Currently, I’m just launching volume seven, Building The Beast, which documents how we upgraded our caravan to a 6x4-wheel drive 24.5-tonne army truck we bought sight unseen from the internet to convert into an off-grid tiny home on wheels.

Thank you Bob, Thor, and Lucy.

Without you, this might never have happened!

* The Beast made a guest appearance on Ben Fogle’s New Lives In The Wild

ARC Reviews:

“An honest and often funny account of the realities of when people actually begin to live their dream.” Anna Rashbrook, Author

“A page-turner!…You never know what will happen next!” Carrie Riseley, Author

“The trials and tribulations of building a home on six wheels, told with laughter and insight… a must read – even if it’s just to stop you making the same mistakes!” Maximilian Sam, Award-Winning Author

“This book is a fantastic look at designing a unique project and going for it with humor and perseverance. If one is tired of another ‘chucking it all and renovating an old house’ story, this is a quixotic twist that will keep you entertained.” Kari Iverson Lane

“Hugely inspirational, because I think many would have just given up trying, with all the things they had to put in place to get their dream of owning and converting The Beast off the ground. What a story – and a fabulously entertaining book/read.” Julie Haigh, Goodreads Librarian and Top 1,000 Amazon reviewer.

 

**Get it for Only .99 cents!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZJWR6C4

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/building-the-beast-how-not-to-build-an-overland-camper-the-wayward-truck-book-1-by-jacqueline-lambert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210578663-building-the-beast

 

Tour the Beast:

https://youtu.be/7Jmd4fr-HRI

About the Author

Jacqueline (Jackie) Lambert is an award-winning travel writer, adventure traveller, and dogmother, who loves history and curious facts.

BC (Before Canines) she rafted, rock-climbed, and backpacked around six of the seven continents. A passionate windsurfer and skier, she can fly a plane, has been bitten by a lion, and appeared on Japanese TV as a fire-eater.

AD (After Dog), she quit work in 2016 to hit the road permanently with her husband and four pooches. Initially, they were Adventure Caravanners, who aimed To Boldly Go Where No Van Has Gone Before.

Now, they’re at large in a self-converted six-wheel army lorry, with Mongolia in their sights.

All her books and the anthologies that include her travel stories are available on Amazon:

https://author.to/JLambert

Photo: Mark, Jackie & The Fab Four with The Beast. Photo courtesy of @Liveration, who made a short film about the crew and their lifestyle on YouTube.

 

Website * Blog * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Author Links

Website: https://jacquelinelambert.co.uk/

Blog: https://worldwidewalkies.blog/

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

X: https://twitter.com/JLambertAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldwidewalkies/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jacqueline-lambert

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jacqueline-Lambert/author/B07L4ZK1CL

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18672478.Jacqueline_Lambert

 

Giveaway

$10 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/BuildingTheBeastTour

Caves of Glass

 Rion's prophecy gives him hope through his bleakest years, while Ginny's prophecy haunts her....

 

Caves of Glass

by C.A. Gray

Genre: Epic Fantasy

The illegitimate son of a peasant, Rion of Tryferos has very limited prospects with only one remarkable talent: when he plays the lyre, he ushers in the supernatural balm of peace to all who hear. This turns out to be his ticket into the palace, where he nightly plays for the restless, rejected king. King Hector of Tryferos is paranoid, because he knows his days on the throne are numbered. What he doesn’t know is that his anointed successor is Rion.

Princess Genevieve is a spare to the throne of Mageia, shunned by all but her mother out of fear of her magical gift: she possesses the power to manipulate the thoughts and desires of those around her. But Ginny would do anything just to be normal. When a fulfilled prophecy of her mother's untimely death also foretells that Ginny will ascend the Mageian throne, Ginny wonders whether she has any control over her own fate at all, or whether everything is predetermined.

Both Rion and Ginny are drawn to the forbidden Caves of Glass at the icy pinnacles that border their two perpetually feuding nations. According to legend, the Caves are either a place of strange forbidden magic, or else a place where all deception is stripped away, leaving only clarity and truth in its wake. As Rion flees for his life and Ginny struggles against her destiny, in the Caves of Glass, they find both each other, and themselves.

GUEST POST

What are your top favorite authors?

C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Orson Scott Card, Jeff Wheeler, Jane Austen… those are the ones off the top of my head!

 

 

How long have you been writing?

If we’re only counting books I’ve actually published, I started “Intangible” in 2008 and published it in 2013. But I wrote my first full length novel in elementary school sometime, though it will never see the light of day. :)

 

What genre are your books, and what made you write in that genre?

YA Fantasy/Sci fi. I write YA because I still think of myself as just out of college… and also because I don’t like to write a lot of gratuitous sex, language, etc which is considered typical of older adult fiction these days.

 

 

Do you see writing as a career?

It’s a side gig at the moment, though I’d love to have the option of making it full time someday!

 

What do you think about the current publishing market?

There are plusses and minuses to the self-publishing movement. I’m extremely grateful to have control over my work, as I think the publishing industry has its own agendas with which I largely disagree. But the down side is, it’s very hard to get noticed with so much competition.

 

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

 I am getting into historical fiction and high fantasy lately, which are both new for me. YA fantasy has always been my favorite before, but I’m finding more and more that I don’t have the patience for the familiar tropes I’ve read a thousand times, or the same characters in different packaging.

 

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

I only have 1.5 hrs four days per week to write, so I write one at a time. I'd never finish anything if I did more than that… though that created a conflict while writing this series, as I was already 100 pages in to a high fantasy novel but my heart was with this series. I finally decided to listen to it, though I fully intend to go back to the other one eventually.

What makes a good story?

 Compelling characters, surprising plot twists, and rich world building.

*Maincrest Media Award Winner

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Caves-Glass-C-Gray-ebook/dp/B0C74PHHGS

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/caves-of-glass-by-c-a-gray

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173751142-caves-of-glass

 

About the Author

C.A. Gray is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD), with a primary care practice in Tucson, Arizona. She has always been captivated by the power of a good story, fictional or otherwise, which is probably why she loves holistic medicine: a patient’s physical health is invariably intertwined with his or her life story, and she believes that the one can only be understood in context with the other. For freebies, giveaways, and new release info, sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/F3rof.

Her favorite fictional tales have always been epic battles of good versus evil, with a strong tendency towards parable. An idealist herself, she has always been convinced that these stories have something deeply true to tell us about the human condition, and that is why we love them so much… or at least that’s why she does.

She still wants to be everything when she grows up. She moonlights as a college chemistry teacher (she has a degree in biochemistry, with minors in Spanish and Creative Writing), does theater when she gets the chance, sings, plays piano, was once a personal trainer and in coffee shop management. She is blessed with exceptionally supportive family and friends, and thanks God for them every single day.

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Author Links

Website: http://www.authorcagray.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCAGray

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AuthorCAGray/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-a-gray

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/C.A.-Gray/e/B00GW1DTPO/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/CAGray

 

Giveaway

$20 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/CavesOfGlassTour

Fire of the Gods

 The Hand of the Gods has held all those who survived the Battle of Grandfather Mountain. Now, another has been born under the Fire of the Gods.

Fire of the Gods

The Sahra Chronicles Book 3

by Miriam Newman

Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance

The Hand of the Gods has held all those who survived the Battle of Grandfather Mountain, and now another has been born under the Fire of the Gods. Is it a sign of favor or does it mark him for death?

Sange, sister of Arak clan chieftain Javrik, has followed her husband, Arman, to his native land. But her people half a world away are occupied by forces of the mighty Empirate of Omana, and now she is in Alcinia, an ally of Omana. The Emperator’s sisters hold powerful positions there and, belatedly, she realizes that she and her infant son are hostages.

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sahra-Chronicles-Fire-Gods-ebook/dp/B0CXTVWHK4

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sahra-chronicles-miriam-newman/1145203393

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-sahra-chronicles-fire-of-the-gods

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1543341

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-sahra-chronicles-fire-of-the-gods-by-miriam-newman

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210973989-the-sahra-chronicles

 

**Don’t miss the rest of the series!**

Find them on Amazon

About the Author

I fell in love long ago with fantasy poetry driven by myths and legends, as well as stories of heroes and battles.  Ancient Celtic writings were my special passion, along with the Roman Empire, Roman Britain, the Norman invasion of England, and tales of the Vikings.  My first book emerged when I was an...ahem...youthful 52.  Well, I’m not 52 any more and up to 34 books and it’s been a great run. 

Retired from many years in social work, now I pass my days writing, researching and living with a pack of highly demanding rescue dogs.  I write in every genre I please, usually with a good dose of romance, and you can see my books at www.miriamnewman.com.

 

Website * Website * Blog * Blog * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Author Links

Website:  https://miriamnewman.com/

Website: https://thedarkcastlelords.net/

Blog: https://miriamnewman.com/blog/

Blog: https://thecelticroseblog.blogspot.com/

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

X: https://twitter.com/miriamnewman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dclpublications

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/miriam-newman

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Miriam-Newman/author/B005DBFZUG

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3146550.Miriam_Newman

Giveaway

$10 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/FireOfTheGodsTour

 

The Stewards War

 The Stewards War series and its companion series, The Celtic Stewards Chronicles.

by

Juli D. Revezzo

The two series are a set of fantasy romance novels inspired by the Celtic heroic legend of the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, wherein a leader of the Formorians slighted a poet of the Tuatha dé Danann. His slight led to a war ….which has lasted throughout time.

The Stewards War series takes place in modern day, where the nefarious Formorians threaten Stacy Macken guardian of the sacred battlefield on which the harshad warriors—an elite battalion sent by the gods of the Tuatha dé Danann to protect her will fight with the Formorians to decide who will hold sway in the world for the next five hundred years—the good the Tuatha dé Danann? Or the evil Formorians?

When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, Stacy fights to keep the attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her savior in disguise--but can she trust him?

 

The series begins with Keeper of the Grove (Stewards War, book one)

Synopsis:

Stacy Macken has one goal in mind: saving her renowned history center from greedy creditors. Losing it would be a catastrophe—one she doesn’t know how she’ll avoid.

 Until Aaron Fielding arrives. To all human eyes, he is just like any man, but he reminds Stacy of one of the fae. He certainly enchants her like a fae lover would.

 But Stacy suspects there is more to this sexy fellow, with his tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, and magical warriors from Celtic legend who protect humanity from a wicked enemy seeking their destruction. Does his appearance mean the end of the world imminent?

 Can she, a studious woman more intent on history books, with no training in or love of war, possibly have anything to offer when a long-prophesied druidic battle explodes around her?

 

Then comes Bitter Thorn Tribe (Stewards War, book two)

Destined to be a bride, if only the gods will let her…

Stacy Macken tries to acclimate herself to her training under Tuatha dé Danaan druids–as if she doesn’t have enough work in planning her wedding to her beloved guardian and fiancé Aaron.

When Fomorii loyalists violate their treaty and seek deadly revenge for their recent defeat, even Stacy’s druids are at a loss to explain the mayhem that ensues.

Can Aaron and his brothers-in-arms stop it before Stacy and her family are caught in the crossfire?

And the final battle :)

Druid Defiance (Stewards War, book three)

Synopsis:

Destined for War

As Steward, Stacy travels to her ancestral home in Ireland to wed. When she is granted access to the family’s sacred site, her presence opens a magical portal that brings her into a new version of the world. Does this mean the gods approve and her wedding can move forward or will the evil Balor object and end the world once and for all?

From there, readers wanted a little more, specifically about Stacy’s ancestors, so I wrote two more volumes, set 500-1500 years before the Stewards War series. So, the Celtic Stewards Chronicles filled that gap. They are historical fantasy romance and consist of:

 

 

Druid Warrior Prince (Celtic Stewards Chronicles, book one)

Set in 513 AD Ireland.

Synopsis:

Gwenevieve Macken’s well-ordered world falls into chaos as encroaching interlopers scheme to possess both her and her land. Although she’s been trained to spot the signs of inhuman evil in men, the amassing armies take on guises she never expected.

When a foreign guardian presents himself as her only option for salvation, Gwenevieve must make a choice between her desires, and fulfilling the mythic fate to which she was born. A forced marriage to a Tuatha dé Danann warrior isn’t part of her plan.

~~This book concerns a heretofore unknown group in the Stacy Macken’s family tree, and the harshad battle that took place on the original Irish family homestead in the year 513.~~

 

And Druid Warrior’s Heart (Celtic Stewards Chronicles, book two)

Set in 1513 AD Ireland.

Synopsis:

As the latest in her family’s long line of Stewards, Ruth Macken awaits the arrival of a warrior sworn to the Tuatha dé Danaan, the Celtic gods her family has served since the beginning of time. For on that day, a magical battle will erupt. A war between druids and an evil that will decide the fate of mankind.

 Isaac Connel knows the battle is imminent, and is ready to fight, once again but from the moment he sees Ruth flitting around the sacred ground, he’s captivated by her fiery charms and a need to protect her.

 Despite Isaac’s assurances and the dreams that guide her, what can Ruth and her lover do to drive off this evil? Despite everything, will the world end at the hands of an evil god?

~~This book concerns Stacy’s ancestor Ruth, who readers meet in Keeper of the Grove (see above).

The Stewards War series is available to purchase at Amazon, or to read free in KU: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08K9CLH6P

(There’s also a boxed set of the three books available if you’d rather:

https://www.amazon.com/Stewards-War-Boxed-Set-Books-ebook/dp/B09NXLH9PF)

And the Celtic Stewards Chronicles are available everywhere:

https://books2read.com/b/3Lg711

 

About the Author:

Juli D. Revezzo loves fantasy and Celtic mythology and writing stories with all kinds of fantastical elements. She is the author of the Antique Magic series and the fantasy historical Romance Celtic Stewards Chronicles series, the fantasy series entitled: Stewards War, Victorian romances Camden Girls, Lost Slipper Society, the Steampunk romance Gears, Cogs, and Puppy Dogs, and more. (Including, under the pen name Juli Revezzo, the non-fiction guide to fast drafting a novel Make the Most of Your Writing Time: Writing Fast Without Going Crazy.)

 

Social Media Links:

Website: https://julidrevezzo.com/

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Juli-D.-Revezzo/author/B008AHVTLO

Tiktok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@julidrevezzo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julidrevezzo/

X (formerly known as Twitter): https://twitter.com/julidrevezzo

 

Subscribe to my blog for writing updates: https://julidrevezzo.com/subscribe/

Hidden in the Shadows

 Never trouble Trouble, ‘til Trouble troubles you,

for if you trouble Trouble, Trouble’s sure to trouble you.

 

Hidden in the Shadows

by A.D. Vancise

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery 

"All I can ever think about is murdering her." -C.B.

Twenty-three-year-old Evie Day never dreamt she’d be back in Woodsville Arkansas, a small town in the middle of nowhere, after having left five years earlier, but the death of her grandfather called for her return. After discovering a photo from 1933 of a mysterious woman standing next to a tiny wooden box, a strange vial of blood wrapped up in a handkerchief in the pocket of her grandfather’s overalls, and a key hidden in his desk drawer that belongs to a secret safety deposit box, Evie is unwittingly thrown into a world of evil where those closest to her are the ones to be the most feared and danger lurks around every corner.

Hidden in the Shadows by A.D. Vancise shines a light on the darkness and reveals the underlying players that have been hunting in plain sight.

 

 INTERVIEW

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?

Research into a story depends on the type of story being written. My first book, for instance, didn’t require much research due to it being a semi-autobiography. I knew the story, the characters, the plot etc. I may have had to research medical terms or areas that my brother and his partner had visited as well as speak to Brad, my brother’s partner, about their experiences but that was the minimal research done for that book. This book, however, consisted of close to six months of straight research if not more.

Do you see writing as a career?

I want to see writing as a career, I take it very seriously. Having said that though, my reason for writing is for the love of writing, first and foremost.

What do you think about the current publishing market?

The current publishing market is difficult on many levels. I much prefer the hybrid model. This model isn’t a vanity press, there is quite a difference between the two. A hybrid publisher you still must pitch, and they do not accept all manuscripts for publishing. When your manuscript is accepted the author pays the publisher for structural editing, cover design, copy editing, interior design, and some promotion.

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

I read and read and read again. This I believe should be the pattern of all writers. I learn a great deal from other authors both bad and good or what I like or dislike. Some paragraphs, I’ll read two or three times when they are exceptional. I’ll jot it down in a notebook as well making sure to mark it as someone else’s work because I also jot down ideas or sentences that come to me randomly or conversations between strangers and I don’t want to plagiarize. I read reviews of books I’ve read as well, good, and bad as this also provides great feedback as to what readers want or look for in a book. My favorite genre is and always has been thriller/mystery.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?

I cannot write if it’s too silent around me. I know other authors isolate themselves, but I realized at university that I couldn’t concentrate when it was quiet. I need something to block out in order to focus, so the noisier the better. I often put on music or plant myself in the middle of a room with others watching TV.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

I never saw myself writing two books at once but here I am doing it now. I’m working on the sequel to Hidden in the Shadows and Memoirs from a Killer.

Pen or type writer or computer?

When I’m working on the story, I use a program called Scrivener on my computer. I find it’s the quickest way to get the words out. When they flow, they flow rapidly. I still enjoy pen to paper as I came from the era just before computers. We hand-wrote papers or typed them on a typewriter so I will keep a journal or notebooks that I prefer to handwrite.

Do you have any advice to offer for new authors?

Advice to new authors read, read, read, and then read some more and in the genre, you’d like to write in. I hear people often say they want to write a book, but they don’t read. How do you expect to know what sells or what flows, works, or doesn’t work if you don’t read? I would also advise taking some writing courses to gain confidence. And write for the love of writing not because you want to get published. One more thing, you CAN do it, your story is important, WRITE it.

Describe your writing style.

I would describe my writing style as atmospheric. I am a visual artist and I feel that helps in my creation of a scene but it’s a fine line, too much description and you lose the reader, not enough and you lose the reader I try to set the tone of the scene through atmosphere, smells, touch, and tastes. I want my readers to feel embedded in the scene as if they are right there in it.

What makes a good story?

That depends on who is reading it. For me, a good story takes me on a journey. One with smells, textures, tastes, and with well-formed characters. What do I mean by well-formed characters? I want to know how they grew up, what friends they have or had and why, and what are their greatest fears, wants, or dislikes. A character doesn’t just enter a story at age 30 and has no background. For me, this is one of the most important things in a book. If I don’t care about a character, (good or bad) I’m not going to care what happens to them.

What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?

Outlines, oh the one question that every writer gets asked. I do not work from one. I find them restrictive like I can’t sway from the outline. My creative process I would describe as a gypsy going wherever the wind blows. Haha. Not quite that carefree but I do like to be free to write what comes next. I typically know the beginning and the ending, but everything in between is yet to be seen. I live my life the same way.

Chapters? In my first book, I just wrote not worrying about the chapter breaks but in the second I did write in chapters. Sometimes the chapters merge or rearrange but the Scrivener program is great for editing as each chapter is isolated and can be moved by clicking and dragging. It’s a great program.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I would say that I try to be original without trying to reinvent the wheel. My goal is to always give the reader what I think they want with some surprises. Truth or feeling real seems to be the most important trait for readers.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

If I could tell my younger writing self something, it would be to stop worrying about what others think, stop doubting yourself, and write anyway.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

How long it takes to write a book depends on the writer, research, and desire. My latest book took six months to write but was well over a year before being published. The current books have been over two years and still are not even halfway completed. Sometimes the words flow so quickly that you can’t type fast enough and sometimes it’s an empty canvas. I’ve heard of some writers taking ten years to complete something and some never do.  I find writer’s block to be a very real thing and when it happens, I just let it be. I’ll read and write in my journal or sometimes choose a topic so far removed from my current writing topic just to spark some ideas or flow.

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

 

The survivors of satanic rituals and child trafficking inspired this book, along with a photo I found in my grandfather’s family photos of a mysterious woman standing beside a tiny box. My grandfather died with the real story of what happened. He was a police officer.

I knew I had to take this story down a dark path once I heard the victims’ stories and those who never believed them. The killer’s POV is based on true testimonials of survivors. These horrific acts happened and continue to happen to kids worldwide.

Having said that, I feel the importance of noting a trigger warning for intense graphic material such as child trafficking, sadism, occult rituals, sexual and physical abuse, violence, and murder. If reading this material evokes memories of or PTSD from abuse, please contact professionals or a safe person immediately. This novel is in no way meant to sensualize or exploit these serious events. It requires courage to read this story meant to bring awareness to these heinous acts and give a voice to the children who no longer have one. It’s to shed light on a darkness that has plagued this world for far too long. I am awed by all those who can receive this information and want to help the children. We all need to give them a voice. Thank you for being brave enough to read this story.

 

Sincerely, 

A.D. Vancise

 

Reviews for Hidden In the Shadows

"Writing with crisp efficiency, mordant wit, and bursts of searing terror, Vancise whets the novel's escalating puzzles and portents with an edge of queasy uncertainty." -Editors Pick, Booklife.

 

"If you're looking for a spine-tingling read that will leave you wondering who to trust, what dangers are lurking beneath the surface and when the next twist will come, then Hidden in the Shadows is the book for you."-Booktrib.

 

"Hidden in the Shadows by A. D. Vancise is a thrilling mystery that keeps readers in suspense from the first clue until the end." – Five Stars. Literary Titan.

"A.D. Vancise excels in crafting a dark, atmospheric story." -D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

"If you are a reader who is tired of reading the same old books that are lackluster and forgettable, then take a chance with this one...you will not be disappointed." -The Red-Headed Book Lover.

"The author vividly informs your mind's eye." – Five Stars. Readers' Favorite.

 

“Dark, disturbing, and gripping.” -Five Stars. Bookview Review.

“A grim but exciting and compelling mystery even in its most disconcerting moments.” Kirkus Review.

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop.org * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Shadows-D-Vancise-ebook/dp/B0BNCHMFBP

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hidden-in-the-shadows-a-d-vancise/1142663052?ean=9781639886913

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/hidden-in-the-shadows-a-d-vancise/19158232?ean=9781639886913

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/hidden-in-the-shadows-by-a-d-vancise

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/114969230

 

About the Author

A D Vancise lives in Canada. When she’s not writing, she’s taking care of her three dogs, her cat, two ducks and some chickens. Her daughter is her inspiration for all things wonderful in the world.

 

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

Author Links

Website: https://advanciseauthor.com

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

X: https://twitter.com/ADVanciseauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vancisea

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/A.D.-Vancise/author/B0BNL8FG3J

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23040719.A_D_Vancise

Giveaway

$20 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/HiddenInTheShadowsTour

Ziggy’s Cigar

This one's for the night owls of the world.

Ziggy’s Cigar

by Tony and Nicole Nesca

Genre: Graphic novel, Literary Fiction

One night in the life of a security guard in an inner-city highrise.

Full of after-midnight eccentrics and fringe-dwelling street people, this one's for the night owls of the world.

Amazon * B&N * Goodreads

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ziggys-Cigar-Tony-Nesca/dp/B0CW3KDNLJ/

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ziggys-cigar-tony-nesca/1144935690?ean=9789359202389

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208950747-ziggy-s-cigar

 

About the Authors

Searching for Rebellion: Two Indie Authors Form Edgy Publishing Company

Tony Nesca and Nicole I. Nesca have one question – where have all the fearless artists gone? Unable to find a mainstream publishing outfit that suited their taste for grittier writing, the Nescas formed their own – Screamin’ Skull Press.

For the Beat Generation, controversy was the norm, not the exception.  Creators like Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs and Lucien Carr courted debate and made careers out of pushing the proverbial envelope with their poems, books, music and other creative expressions. Living on the fringes of society was considered to be more exciting and fulfilling than conforming to the mainstream.

Authors and married couple Tony and Nicole Nesca feel connected to that Generation through their own work, and their innate understanding of what it means to be artists whose work cannot be deemed ‘conventional’ by anyone’s standards.

Currently writing, editing and publishing their works through their self-publishing venture, Screamin’ Skull Press, Tony Nesca and Nicole Nesca have both cultivated individual styles but have the same mission.

“To be frank, we see too much pushed out into the world today that is bland and formulaic,” says Tony Nesca, whose unique, humorous and lyrical sixth novel, ‘Hobo’ is out now. “Every other book is a rip-off of another rip-off. The bookstores are packed with these endless vampire stories and dystopian fairy tales. Where is our Anais Nin? Our Hunter S. Thompson?” Our Virginia Woolf?

Screamin’ Skull Press exclusively publishes the worrk of the Nescas - raw, electric and with a free flowing mix of prose and poetry, their books are explorations of freedom, art, death, love, literary experimentation and living how one chooses.

“We knew that mainstream publishers wouldn’t have the courage to publish the kind of work that we want to create,” says Nicole Nesca. “It’s interesting – sometimes we wonder, could Henry Miller or Hemingway find success in today’s market?

It’s as if bravery is a dirty word in literature. Fearlessness, to me, is everything to a writer. Although we have our own styles, I think that’s one thing that Tony and I saw in each other when we met – that drive to find truth and peel back the layers in our own work.”

“I think we first fell in love with each other’s writing,” says Tony. “Which was a fitting beginning to our story.”

Tony Nesca and Nicole I. Nesca have published 19 distinct works through their Indie Press, and their journey toward a more rebellious future for literature continues.

 

Website * Facebook * Facebook *  X * Instagram * Bookbub * Goodreads

Author Links

Website: https://screamingskullpress.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010030449370

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064031138040

X: https://twitter.com/ScreaminSkullPr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screaminskull.press

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tony-nesca

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1071188.Tony_Nesca

 

Giveaway

$10 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/ZiggysCigarTour