In the tradition of Sam Spade, Phillip Marlow and Travis Magee The Fall and Rise of Cain is a modern day Mystery Thriller. Retired in disgrace, Houston Police Detective, Richard Cain, left the Department when a brutal ambush crippled him and killed his partner. Two years after the gunfight that broke his body and spirit he is called back to the town that turned it’s back on him. He must know who was responsible for his shattered life and lost friend. Seeking the help of his ex-wife and former comrades Cain rekindles love for her and seeks to solve the complex mystery that took everything from him.

Author Bio:
A 20 year detective and police sargent in the outskirts of Houston, Texas. Married for 24 years and living in Houston.

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Over the year working the streets as a detective and a a sargent, the stories I would one day tell started adding up. It was time and this is my first novel. I hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Buy Book On Amazon
Link to Book on Barnes and Noble
Link to Book for sale via other sites

Social Media:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fall-and-Rise-of-Cain/199683616725095

Originally posted 2012-12-13 12:13:54.

This is a common and fair question I decided it was time to address it. We have over 40 posts a day now, and rising, and we are glad to have that many posts coming in. However we aren’t able to email everyone and let them know when their book post, interview or guest post is going live.

I have two suggestions, one watch our twitter stream, every post on BookGoodies goes to our twitter AND Facebook page. We are also trying to pin more of our posts to our Pinterest page. Also, set a Google Alert for your name and even the title of your posts or books. That way you will know when you are mentioned not only on our site but on other sites.

We will be feeding the BookGoodies interviews, Tell Us About Your book posts and guest posts to other sites that are devoted to specific topics and themes in the coming months. So by submitting your books and interviews, guest posts and other content to us, you will probably get more exposure than you thought Our BookGoodies RSS feed already goes to my Goodreads page and we get a good amount of traffic from that.

Another thing to remember about submitting interviews and Tell Us About Your Book posts is there are questions on there that people are skipping that are actually there to be able to create books of advice for authors. We will be taking the snippets from the posts you submit, crediting your name and linking to your site if we use your answers. There is a checkbox at the bottom of the forms that I hope you noticed when you submitted that gives us permission to use that info, and to your advantage! Of course if you are included in one of our books we will let you know.

We want to give authors the most exposure we can, and the more you tell us the more we can get readers to your books.

Katora Kase is next in line to take over as guardian to a secret and powerful healing Elixir. Now she must journey into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the ingredient that gives the Elixir its potency. Even though she has her sister and brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker as companions, she feels alone.

For it is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir to serve and protect it until it chooses a new guardian. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings who will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.

Targeted Age Group:
Young Adult

What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Writers?
You’ve probably heard it before, but read, read, read…and write, write, write. My own writing process is painfully slow at times. I’ve gotten better at making regular time for writing, but I still have a family, work, and a life that tends to get in the way. So do as I say, not as I do!

Author Bio:
Katie was born and raised in the small city of Milford, CT. She grew up writing, but it wasn’t until her 16-year-old sister, Kylene, passed away unexpectedly that she considered writing for a career. At the time, Katie was 19 and a sophomore at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. She began writing her young adult fantasy Elixir Bound to give Kylene an adventure of her own.

Katie graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in English and a writing concentration. She still lives in Milford and is now raising her own family there with her husband. In addition to writing, Katie edits middle grade, young adult, and adult novels for MuseItUp Publishing.

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
After my 16-year-old sister, Kylene, unexpectedly passed away, I realized I wanted to be a writer. My dad suggested I write a story for her. She loved the Harry Potter books (although she only lived to read the first four books) and shared them with everyone, making many reluctant readers into excited readers. In Elixir Bound, I decided to give her a fantasy adventure of her own. Originally I wanted to make her the main character, but it was emotionally too hard at the time. I’m currently working on another story that takes place in the same world as Elixir Bound and Kylene is the main character.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Buy Book On Amazon
Link to Book on Barnes and Noble
Link to Book for sale on Smashwords

Social Media:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6467018.Katie_L_Carroll
http://www.facebook.com/katie.carroll.12139

An explosive political thriller ripped from the headlines.

While the United States is focused on diffusing Iran’s and North Korea’s nuclear programs the ultra-nationalist CEO of Japan’s largest Keiretsu plots to build nuclear weapons to protect his country from a menacing China, and a large political action committee within the U.S. to thwart the expected U.S. cease and desist demands.

That’s the catalyst that draws three families intertwined by blood and marriage into conflict with each other, and how conspiracy, lust, infidelity, treachery, betrayal and murder destroy those families.

The Families

The American Nagoyas
John Nagoya―Second generation Japanese American.

Yoshi Nagoya―John’s wife.

Gingi Nagoya Morrison―John and Yoshi’s daughter.

Roger Nagoya―John and Yoshi’s son.

The Japanese Nagoyas

Toshio Nagoya―Chairman of the Cabal. John’s cousin.

Michiko Nagoya―Toshio’s wife.

Ogato Nagoya―Toshio’s and Michiko’s son.

The Morrisons

Senator Ted Morrison

Sandy Morrison―Ted’s wealthy, socialite wife.

Danny Morrison―Ted and Sandy’s son; married to Gingi Nagoya.

Douglas Welfield―Sandy Morrison’s brother.

Targeted Age Group:
Adult

How is Writing In Your Genre Different from Others?
It’s new! It’s different from many suspense novels on the best seller lists. It’s fiction that soon may become a reality as china continues to menace its neighbors.

What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Writers?
Once you begin your writing try to find a critique group that will give you honest feedback on character development, dialogue, voice, plot, conflict and setting. But don’t automatically take anyone’s critique as gospel. Remember, it’s your story. Analyze the critiques to see if they have merit. Say you have a six person group. If one person criticizes something then it may or may not be valid. But if three or four in the group say the same thing about a segment then you should take it under serious consideration.

Author Bio:
Richard Brawer writes mystery, suspense and historical fiction novels. When not writing, he spends his time sailing and growing roses. He has two married daughters and lives in New Jersey with his wife.

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
This book was inspired by many newspaper articles:

“The Chinese Air Force may one day play the most significant role in challenging
America’s Military presence in The Asia-Pacific.”
The Wall Street Journal 8/24/11
“Japan PM Warns on Defense”
“China’s military expansion poses a growing challenge to Japan’s national security.”
The Wall Street Journal 10/17/2011
“In Japan, Provocative Case for Staying Nuclear.
Some Say Bombs’ Potential as Deterrent Argues for Keeping Power Plants on Line.”
The Wall Street Journal 10/28/2011
“China Takes Aim at U.S. Naval Might” The Wall Street Journal 1/4/2012
“Japan’s reputation as one of the world’s sickest economies is exaggerated.”
George Melloan, The Wall Street Journal 1/27/2012
“Japanese Leader Warns of China’s Military Buildup”
The Wall Street Journal 3/19/2012
“Cash-Rich Japanese Firms Go on Global Buying Spree”
The Wall Street Journal 5/30/2012
“Japan’s Nationalist Movement Strengthens”
The Wall Street Journal 8/15/2012
“Chinese Warships Put Japan on Edge”
Huffington Post 10/16.2012
Quotes from some of these articles:
“The pace and scope of China’s sustained military investment have allowed China to pursue capabilities that may contribute to regional tensions and anxieties.”
Michael Shiffer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense.
“China’s increasing assertiveness has significant consequences for the security and stability of the region.” Representative Howard McKeon
“That’s the behind-the-scenes reason Japan decided to develop the Hayabusa (H-2B rocket). It sent a quiet message that Japan’s ballistic missile capability is credible.” Toshiyuki Shikata; former Lt. General in Japan’s military.
In an interview with Mr. Shintaro Ishihara, the governor of Tokyo, Mr. Ishihara said in reference to China’s increasing encroachment on other countries, “Think of Tibet. They don’t have a country. They don’t have a leader. They’ve even lost their culture….I don’t want Japan to end up as a second Tibet.” As reported in The Wall Street Journal August 8, 2012
“Tokyo will have to perform a solo balancing act but expect it to focus more on the growing power in Asia: China.” Michael Auslin, Director of Japan Studies, American enterprise Institute.

“The author presents detailed case studies on East Asia…to bolster his argument that the multipolar nuclear world is already changing…We are once again in a world where nuclear weapons count.” From The wall Street Journal review of Yale Professor Bracken’s nonfiction book titled “The Second Nuclear Age”.

Can a novel be developed from these essays?

Newspaper stories reporting a crime most often describe the scene, the motive and the perpetrator, generally enough information to create a plot and characters. However, opinion pieces and essays generally focus on a subject. Is there enough depth in that single subject to from a plot? Is there enough information to create a protagonist and antagonist?

I think the answer to both of those questions is, yes. A novelist is a person with an extraordinary imagination, a person who is profoundly curious, a person who asks questions, a person who is widely read on many subjects and can use his/her knowledge to create plots, scenes and characters.

For example, I have read numerous essays on China’s growing military and their unabashed encroachment on its neighbor’s sovereign territories in its search for oil and gas. The articles were exceptionally poignant when referring Japan/China relations.

I started asking the following questions to see if I could create a novel from those essays:

What do I know about the historic relationship between China and Japan?

I know that China and Japan have had 750 years of hostilities. In 1274 and 1281 under Kublai Khan, China tried to invade Japan and failed both times. However, Japan has defiled China with the Rape of Nanking and other atrocities during WWII for which Japan has yet to apologize.

China is still fuming over Japan’s brutality during WWII. Will China try to exact its revenge on Japan? My answer was, “Eventually, yes.”

How could China attack Japan today with the U.S. vowing to defend Japan?
Could the U.S. stop China? According to the newspaper articles, my answer was, “No.”

The U.S. is not going to war with China. It would be like Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. The country is too vast, the lines of supply too long even with today’s advanced military expertise, and China’s military is very strong.
Most importantly would Japan continue to put its defense in the hands of the U.S. even though Japan is well aware China is developing missiles and a huge army that will eventually be able to counter U.S. forces including aircraft carriers?
Or would they build nuclear bombs to protect themselves?

Based on Japan’s history with nuclear bombs and the latest nuclear power plant disaster, my first inclination was to answer these last two questions, “Yes,” and “No.”
As I read more and more essays and coupled them with another historical fact about Japan― It only took Japan fifty years to go from fighting with swords in 1853 to become the most powerful military in Asia by 1905―my imagination jumped into high gear, and I reversed my answer to those last two questions to, “No” and “Yes.” Japan already has vast uranium enriching facilities for their nuclear power plants and could easily enrich uranium to bomb quality in a short time. Japan also has a space program so they have ICBMs that can deliver the bombs.
However, there was still one other factor in the equation that might again reverse my answers. Considering Nagasaki and Hiroshima and now the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, would the people rebel against their government building nuclear weapons?
How could the people be persuaded that nuclear weapons are the only defense against an ever growing and intimidating China?
I am not saying the Japanese people are easily manipulated, but despite all their outward appearances of having a contentious democratic government and competitive companies, in times of crises, the Japanese people have always come together as one single minded group. They even have a word for it― ittai―come together as one body.
But how could I develop a novel from these questions and answers without it sounding like a treatise on Japan/China relationships or the reader saying, “Ridiculous!”
I needed to change course and think about the questions that would pop into the reader’s mind. Fiction has to have some basis in fact, and the facts in those essays have been widely reported. If I omit something that is obvious, the reader will be turned off.
Some of those obvious reader’s thoughts would surely be:
With the U.S. demanding North Korea and Iran abandon their nuclear weapons programs, if the Japanese government were to start a nuclear weapons program, the U.S. would most certainly demand Japan cease and desist.

Japan relies on the U.S. for its security. If the U.S. gives Japan an ultimatum, Japan would have to acquiesce because if the U.S. threatened to withdraw its security pact with Japan, Japan would be at the mercy of China.

Those readers thoughts would have to be answered logically or the reader will put the book aside.

Those thoughts led to one more important question, what would Japan due to thwart the expected United States’ demands to cease and desist?

When I had logically answered all my questions I developed the following plot:

Toshio Nagoya, ultra-nationalist CEO of Japan’s largest keiretsu, foresees a dire peril approaching his country from China’s escalating militancy. To protect his country Toshio forms a secret cabal with the CEOs of Japan’s seven largest keiretsus to build nuclear weapons in the shuttered power plants. (Note: You’ll have to read the book to see how they keep it secret) He and his group then provide funding and aid to ultra-nationalist groups already operating in Japan to heighten the peoples’ fear of China.

Toshio is well aware that the U.S. will eventually discover that Japan is making nuclear weapons and demand Japan cease and desist. To thwart those demands, the cabal forms a large political action committee within the U.S. to donate huge sums of money to congressmen’s campaigns. They will then “ask” the congressmen who depend on that financial support to get re-elected to blunt the administration’s insistence that Japan “stop or else.”

Now that I had a plot, I had to develop characters that fit the plot and at the same time are in conflict with each other. It is characters in conflict that keep the reader turning the pages.

These are the characters I developed:

The Japanese Nagoyas

Toshio Nagoya―ANTAGONIST. Ultra-nationalist CEO of Japan’s largest keiretsu; Chairman of the Cabal. He enlists his cousin, John Nagoya, a lawyer in the U.S. to create the PAC. However, he questions John’s loyalty. Toshio and John’s grandfathers were twins. John’s grandfather fled to the U.S. during the turmoil in Japan after the Shogun was overthrown and the Emperor Meiji was returned to power. Toshio has been indoctrinated that John’s grandfather was a traitor to Japan and guilty of treason. Toshio fears that that same traitor’s blood flows in John’s veins.

Michiko Nagoya―Toshio’s wife stuck in a loveless marriage.

Ogato Nagoya―Toshio’s and Michiko’s son; his primary goal is to garner praise from his father; works in America as liaison between Toshio and John; obsessed with John’s daughter, Gingi, from the first day he saw her.

The American Nagoyas

John Nagoya―Second generation Japanese American; Toshio’s cousin; he seeks revenge against his country because at the age of nine he watched a mob beat his parents to death after their release from the internment camps; a lawyer; Never accepted Gingi’s husband, but uses him in his plot with Toshio.

Yoshi Nagoya―John’s wife. Loves everything American.

Gingi Nagoya Morrison―John and Yoshi’s daughter; despises Ogato; married to Danny Morrison.

Roger Nagoya―John and Yoshi’s son. With John away on business for long periods of time, Yoshi raised Roger and Gingi with every advantage wealthy American parents could give their children. Roger is the PROTAGONIST in conflict with his father, Ogato and Toshio.

The Morrisons

Senator Ted Morrison―Powerful Senator; avid fighter against foreign companies donating money to America’s politicians and PACs.

Sandy Morrison―Ted’s wealthy, socialite wife; Enamored by the prestige of her husband’s powerful position in the Senate; Dislikes sex but acquiesces to her husband’s desires but with no passion; never accepted Gingi as her daughter-in-law.

Danny Morrison―Ted and Sandy’s son born with a “silver spoon in his mouth”; not fond of working; likes to race sailboats and stock cars; married to Gingi Nagoya.

Douglas Welfield―Sandy Morrison’s brother; state party chairman; does a lot of business with the Japanese auto manufacturers; grudgingly supports Ted; but not enamored with his brother-in-law’s political position toward foreign companies operating in the U.S.

Imagine the conflicts: Conspiracy, lust, infidelity, treachery, betrayal and murder. Husbands vs wives; fathers vs sons; brother vs sister; mother-in-law vs daughter-in-law; cousin vs cousin.

So now you see how you can take seemingly innocuous essays and turn them into an explosive political thriller.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Buy Book On Amazon

Social Media:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/735730.Richard_Brawer
http://www.facebook.com/richard.brawer?ref=tn_tnmn

Ashburg, California; the city that’s split into rich and not rich, the upper class and the middle class, the snobs and the down-to-earth…that’s how the teenagers perceived it, anyway. And it all stemmed from two schools’ rivalries. The rivalry has grown now that there are a set of twins that go to Ashburg Arts and a set of twins that go to Ashburg Academy that don’t see eye to eye.

Reagan and Ronan Jacoby thought that their only problem was wondering if their cop father, Elijah would make it home from work every day. That is, when he wasn’t trying to keep them out of trouble. They didn’t think their father dating would complicate things even further.

Savannah and Mickayla Powers thought their only problem lied in the intense dislike they had of each other. They should be classified as fraternal twins rather than identical. The only thing they can agree on is that their mother, famous fashion designer Dallas, was acting strange.

The four girls’ lives are turned upside down when they realize that they have something in common, more than just their schools’ rivalry and their own problems. There’s a shocking secret that’s at play…do they have it in the cards to figure it out?

Targeted Age Group:
13 and up

How is Writing In Your Genre Different from Others?
It’s fiction so it’s not that different. We try to keep it as modern as possible so that more people today can relate to it.

What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Writers?
Keep writing and reading, that’s the only way that you’ll get better.

Author Bio:
Jessica, Mackenzie, Meredith, and Stephanie Jackson are identical quadruplets who are current juniors in college. They live in Northern Virginia. Some of their biggest inspirations include their parents and their two older brothers.

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Our own experiences of being a set of quadruplets. The book is mostly fictional but some conversations and some things that happen are what happened in real life.

Website(s)
Link To Buy Book On Amazon

Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/jsisters4
https://twitter.com/TheJsisters4

Andross Ameliyo’s world is constantly beset by tragedy. On a stormy night he is given a choice that will ultimately spell damnation for himself or for those around him. Will he choose revenge or redemption?

In a revival of classic horror with an revenge theme, Memoirs of the Damned is written by a soul who is shackled in suffering. No matter where Andross turns there is to be no reprieve from the void of his existence. His is a story of sorrow, rage and horror.

The choices we make in life are what shape our destiny and even when all is lost, hope can prevail. Can Andross too find hope or will the pain consume all that he is and will ever be?

Memoirs of the Damned is a journey for those with a weary soul and a wounded heart, a revenge filled vampire horror

Targeted Age Group:
16+

How is Writing In Your Genre Different from Others?
Classical in a word, I have a penchant for the dramatic and a hankering for the days of yore. I have a certain quaint understanding of things and I guess it’s reflected in my writing. I’m inspired by Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe and Shakespeare.

What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Writers?
The writing world is harsh and cruel; at every turn there is someone there to put you down. Meeting that adversity head on is what will define you as an author, as a writer.

Immerse yourself in the literary community, join societies, find a mentor if possible, and get in touch with your local libraries. Look at the internet community, find bloggers and reviewers. Do your research and strive to become the best.

Author Bio:
From an early age I developed a strange affinity for poetry after hearing Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem ‘The Raven’. Immediately I tried writing my own, I was fascinated by words in rhyme and their meaning. My mind was set ablaze by ideas and thoughts, unfortunately I wasn’t able to annunciate or project those ideas and thoughts in a manner synonymous with poetry. My love for the craft kept me writing along with the countless praises I got off friends who read my work

As my studies progressed into college the desire to write took a different form. I began writing short stories in times of inactivity to pass the time. My poetry had become better but not to the point where I could be featured in a magazine or make any publicity from it. I continued writing poetry and expanding to stories.

Once my studies progressed to university my writings had developed a mind of their own. I carried on with poetry but created my book Memoirs of the Damned from the short stories I had written in college. I attended writing workshops in my spare time and began taking part in poetry festivals. I met Shamshad Khan, an amazing poet, at the Manchester Literature Festival, she referred me to Zahid Hussain. Both of these wonderful individuals have helped me with my writing.

Now that my studies are over my primary focus is to become an established author. I cannot ignore poetry as it is the keystone of my writing desire but I am considering expansion into playwriting too. I am looking forward to becoming a prominent part of the literary community and I am excited about what the future holds for me. I have simply this message to give,

In the quietened soul we hold a resolve
That many a time we find dissolves
Pursuit is the mother of gains
And love can help subdue any pain

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Basically I wanted to see a real vampire, in my opinion some literature and films out there don’t depict vampires as I would ideally envisage them. I have a pre-set notion of what I think a real vampire is and only one thing satisfied that notion, a game.

Legacy of Kain is a well known computer game franchise, its main character Kain is what I consider to be a “Real” vampire unfortunately there weren’t more like him. My imagination craved more so I had a brain wave, I’ll just make my ideal vampire up, everyone else has.

This is my first time writing a fictional literary piece, the market may be saturated by tales of vampires. Games, books, films and heck everyday life was the inspiration for my book. Bare in mind this story isn’t totally whole rather it’s an amalgamation of those early stories I used to write, a series basically that I was sentimentally drawn towards and had to see developed.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Buy Book On Amazon

Social Media:
http://www.facebook.com/MemoirsOfTheDamned
https://twitter.com/darkbiggie

Rita Ray doesn’t care for personal relationships. She’s single, 37 years old, with a lucrative banking career in Manhattan after a modest upbringing in Florida. Getting ahead in the business world is her sole focus, and she adopts a cold, distant manner to keep everyone, even family, at arm’s length.

But when Rita receives a call from a hospital in Florida, she must confront the difficult past that closed her off emotionally. With no choice but to put aside her ambitious plans and embark on a journey she is forced to encounter a past she never knew she had – and a reality she could never have foreseen.

Rita’s quest to uncover her story is inspiring and the dramatic events that develop will keep readers turning pages late into the night. Born in Rio is a tale of forgiveness, resilience and new beginnings, but, ultimately, it is a story about a woman’s courage to change and come to terms with her truth — in a Marvelous City

Targeted Age Group:
18-85

How is Writing In Your Genre Different from Others?
Well, the best way to describe how writing in this genre is different from others is to start from its title. The tile “Born in Rio” suits the book in so many ways, and it describes perfectly the experience I had while writing this book as well.

First, the book was literary “born” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as I also spend exactly 9 months writing it, in Rio!

Second, Born in Rio is a beautiful story of courage, of life-upheaval and change. The main character goes through a drastic transformation throughout the book, and in a way by being in Rio, the city where she was born, allows her to be able to be born again.

Third, I also really wanted to talk about the culture of Brazil and the soul of Rio de Janeiro; a city that has such a special place in my heart! Brazil will be hosting the 2014 World Cup and Rio de Janeiro will be the next one to host the Summer Olympics in 2016. Additionally, Rio de Janeiro recently has become a home of a World Heritage Site as granted by UNESCO. I wanted to give this gift to the world, and tell readers around the globe why Rio de Janeiro is known to be the “Cidade Maravilhosa”, or “The Marvelous City.”

As to my target audience, I think anyone who has a heart, and an interest in Brazil, should read Born in Rio. It’s an engaging and heart-warming story of self-discovery and peace, in Brazil’s most famous city!

I think the plot, the characters and the background in which Born in Rio takes place targets my audience really well. To me it’s fascinating to get to know Rita: a single, driven, 37-year old woman, who had a lucrative career as a banker in Manhattan but no personal relationships – not even with her own mother. Suddenly when faced with unexpected news about her mother, she is thrown off-guard, and is forced to confront the difficult past that closed her off emotionally. You see, Rita had immigrated to the United States with her mom when she was just 10 years old, and she never learned why. Intrigued by the letters she found between her mother and her dear friend Elizabeth in Rio, Rita embarks on this journey, not only back to her foreign motherland, but also to an unchartered territory of her life. The events that soon unfold while Rita is in Rio de Janeiro, will change her life forever.

What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Writers?
Write. Showing up for work is already more than half the battle won. Create a schedule, stick to it, but respect your boundaries. I had a goal of writing 700 words a day. Sometimes I went weeks without writing, but I respected my time, and made up for it later. Also, expect the unexpected, the greatest insights sometimes come unannounced. In my experience, talent and creativity are not just enough in writing, one must also be sensitive, disciplined and persistent to create great works of art.

Author Bio:
A dog-lover, devoted artist and Wharton MBA, Cássia Martins was born in the mountainous city of Petrópolis, one hour away from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Having spent much of her childhood in Brazil, she subsequently settled in the United States. She graduated from Boston University with a BA in Economics and International Relations and has an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Cássia is also an accomplished artist, and after living abroad for many years, she felt a call to return to her homeland, along with her long-haired dachshund, Dolce, and dedicate time to her artistic, and entrepreneurial, endeavors. Born in Rio, which was conceived in precisely 9 months, is the result of that experience.

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Many things inspired me. The idea of writing this book was first incepted in my mind in 2007, as I was writing application essays to graduate school. Over the years, the story matured, and finally, in August of 2010 I began writing.

My book Born in Rio tells the story of a woman who goes back to her homeland after spending most of her life away. In a way my own experiences and living most of my life away from Brazil, the country where I was born, played a big role in inspiring me. I wanted to write a rich story of personal growth, and take readers through this journey, not only through Rita’s discovery of her past and her heritage, but also through Brazil, its culture, its history and its soul.

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link
Link To Buy Book On Amazon
Link to Book on Barnes and Noble

Social Media:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13033587-born-in-rio
https://www.facebook.com/borninrio
https://twitter.com/CassiaBornInRio

Just before farm boy Daumis’ thirteenth birthday, his alcoholic, minstrel Uncle Jedric reappears after years of travel. In the middle of the night, he wakes his favorite nephew and secures him in a spot where they can watch the road past their fief. When three men go by, Jedric explains that those men are evil magicians who take children on their thirteenth birthdays. Daumis surmises that since they passed him by and it’s the morning of his birth that he’s safe. He and Jedric go into town on an errand for his father, unbeknownst to anyone that he wants to stop the Denizens from abducting someone else. When he stumbles into a botched rescue of Cewyn, the son of the local duke, he is also captured, starved, and tortured for his pluck.

Enter hero Tadrec, a graduate of a prestigious magical university, recently the only member of his party to survive a cursed artifact. He is stoned on witchreed and morning his friends with absolutely nothing to do. When he’s asked by the president of his alma mater to rescue Daumis and Cewyn because they’re the most powerful magicians to be born in a century, he agrees. For a price.

Rilliam is sick of his apprenticeship to Othan, because all he wants to do now was see the world on his own. The old man should retire, but instead he abducted two, frighteningly powerful teenagers, and he wants his help in breaking and training them.

Tadrec, Daumis, and Cewyn must encounter golems, insane monks, cannibals, giant badgers, an undead army, and a demigod all just before they can reach the magical, floating city of Horizon. Not to mention the fact that they are in company that they do not necessarily like, trust, or can even stand in the form of a pompous Citizen who used to pick on Tadrec, an old, blind seer who likes to spit on people, a drunken minstrel, a homicidal metal shard, the sickeningly-perfect teacher and student combo, and a royal vizier who just doesn’t want to go bald. With Rilliam gaining ground from behind them, no matter what all the three of them go through, it always seems to Tadrec and the boys that their destination moves ever-farther away from them.

In fact, it flies.

Targeted Age Group:
13-Adult

How is Writing In Your Genre Different from Others?
I can do whatever I want really…as long as I at least have some sort of justification, continuity, and characters that people can really care about.

What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Writers?
Find a quite place and allow no distractions. Write, write, and write again. Just keep at it. Your subconscious will fill in blanks and bring back picayune details that can be used for other more grandiose things.

Author Bio:
Mark Brisby lives in Fairfax, Virginia, USA with a domesticated Lynx named Thor. He enjoys bowling, music, becoming lost in bookstores, and above all things writing.

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I have always written stories as far back as I can remember. I take inspiration from practically everything I see and hear throughout my normal day. I like taking pieces of my life (or those of my friends) and scattering them about through the pages of an epic story.

Website(s)
Link To Buy Book On Amazon

Social Media:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17213526-untoward
https://twitter.com/MarkBrisby13