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My Book and My Coffee


I can’t believe it’s the last day of November 2013. I am still not ready, you know. I was hospitalized for almost two weeks so I feel like a huge part of Sci-Fi Month was taken away from me. I am still weak but life, as we know it, must go on. I am better now... recovering. Weak but recovering. That’s a good thing, right? Anyway, enough about me.

I want to let you all know that I am really happy to be a part of something magnificent like Sci-Fi Month. I am definitely more interested in the genre and I simply can’t wait to read all the sci-fi books that I’ve lined up for next year. I am very proud of all the things we’ve accomplished this month. Yay us!

To Rinn (Rinn Reads), I want to thank you for sending that email to me last August, inviting me to join Sci-Fi Month. I am very grateful. Again, you absolutely rock! To all the authors that I’ve interviewed this month (David Gullen, Lorijo Metz, and Ben Jeapes), thank you for sharing your insights and for taking the time to answer all of my questions. To Damien Kelly, thank you for sharing your wonderful guest post here. To everyone who tweeted and retweeted my posts this month, I thank you sooo much. Everyone, again, thank you so much! :)

I also want to take this opportunity to announce the winners of the following giveaways:


WW Giveaway: Let’s Celebrate Sci-Fi Month Winner
Morena Black

Season of the Macabre Giveaway Winners
Annie
Holly Letson
Izzy Playle

Wheels Audible Copy Winner
Kaie Hein


*Winners are already contacted via email. Please respond within 72 hours – otherwise, I will have to choose another winner. Thank you.*

Happy Sci-Fi Month! :) I hope we can do this again next year! :) 




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I am so happy to announce that I'm hosting another international giveaway this month. Check out The Christmas Town, a time travel, mystery, romance novel by Elyse Douglas. Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a Kindle copy of it. :)


The Christmas Town by Elyse Douglas WW Giveaway
The Christmas Town by Elyse Douglas
Time Travel, Mystery, Romance
Release Date: October 11, 2013
Paperback | Kindle
While traveling home for Christmas, Jackie and Megan, two young women in their 20s, encounter a huge snowstorm. After crossing a covered bridge, they suddenly find themselves stuck in the past in a small picturesque Vermont town in 1943. While struggling to return to their time, they fall in love with two handsome soldiers. As Christmas approaches, Megan and Jackie are torn between their new lovers and their desire to return to their time. At the last moment, they must make the difficult decision and, because it is Christmas, a miracle happens.  

The Christmas Town is a thrilling adventurous novel interspersed with humor and romance. It's a great read any time of the year, but it's an especially cozy read during the winter months around Christmas.
About the Author: 

Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the husband and wife writing team of Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse began writing poems and short stories at an early age, and graduated from Columbia University with a Master’s Degree in English Literature. Douglas grew up in a family of musicians, astrologers and avid readers. Some of Elyse Douglas’ novels include: “The Astrologer’s Daughter,” “Wanting Rita,” “The Christmas Diary” and “The Christmas Town.” They currently reside in New York City. 
Connect with Elyse: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

... Enter the Giveaway here: 
1 lucky winner
Kindle copy
Giveaway is international
Ends on December 14, 11:59 PM
Winner will be chosen on December 16



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Ara of My Book and My Coffee
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Sci-Fi Month

Hello dear readers! Today, I am so happy to introduce Ben Jeapes, author of five sci-fi novels.

Ara: Hi Ben! Thank you for being “here” today. I am so glad to have this opportunity. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Ben: Well, there’s the five novels; there’s also a collection of stories (most originally published in Interzone), Jeapes Japes, available from Clarion Publishing and Wizard’s Tower Press; and I’ve perpetrated considerably more ghost writing, mostly because the swine keep paying me more money to do it than I make for my own stuff. I’ve been writing since my teens and started getting published in my mid-twenties, which was mumbly-cough years ago. Since graduating in 1987 I’ve worked in academic publishing, with only a minor detour into sf publishing (the short-lived small press Big Engine, 2000-2003, RIP), then technical writing. And I have a website at www.benjeapes.com.

Ara: Did you always want to be a writer? And why the sci-fi genre?

Ben: You know, I think I did. I certainly knew I wanted to be creative, hence the career in publishing, because when I was starting out and nothing was certain I thought that I could at least be with books even if I couldn’t write them (though, as it turned out, I can!). And why science fiction - well … because. Because of Doctor Who and Thunderbirds and Star Trek. Because of Countdown, a comic that essentially reprinted old TV21 adventures from the worlds of Gerry Anderson, but which taught me that you can make up your own adventures. Because it’s a lifelong love, and after a life of reading it, I had ideas in my head that I had to get down.

Ara: Do you have any advice to bloggers out there who wish to be a writer someday?

Ben: Well, if you’re blogging then you’re already writing, aren’t you? That’s a good start. If you’re finding it hard to find the writing time ... think about it.

There’s not a lot I can say that you can’t find with any Google search on writing tips, but here’s stuff that has helped me.

Start each scene as late as possible, end it as soon as. Start with two people in a room talking rather than having turn up, then they talk, then one leaves … Unless of course it’s very important that we get to see those other bits. Which is my next point: try to make your scenes do double duty. Let them be subtle ways of feeding your readers with atmosphere and information and character without actually saying so - without us even noticing, if you do it right, until suddenly we realise that, of course! We knew that! It was … hang on … page 61.

Try to imagine your dialogue actually being spoken out loud. Or, as I once heard it (it might have been from David Langford), try to imagine it being shouted across a room. If you can’t imagine it, rewrite it until you can. Sometimes I write a scene that is purely dialogue, not even with inverted commas and formatting and “he said, she said”. Just the words, letting it flow and making it sound right. Then I go about the work of actually transforming that into a scene. I might even write a conversation that way which doesn’t actually take place until way later in the novel, but the words are in my head and I want to get them down while they’re fresh. I love watching it bob about at the end of the Word file for weeks, or months, until finally the rest of the novel catches it up and engulfs it.

Read lots, read widely; try to encompass the full range of human experience in your input so that at least you have plenty to draw upon in your output. If you’re an atheist, read C.S. Lewis. If you’re a Christian, read Philip Pullman. Know how people you disagree with think and feel. And know your stuff. One reason that I’ve never got into, say, crime or romance writing is that I’ve read so little in those areas that I would have no idea whether I was just re-inventing the wheel. But I’ve read enough sf/f to know exactly how the tropes I’m juggling ought to work. That’s one of the things that gives me confidence to go on.

Ara: Thank you! "Know your stuff" -- I agree. This is very important. Let’s talk about your recently published book, Phoenicia’s Worlds. Please tell us more about it. 

Ben: Well, funny you should say that because this very day Solaris kindly retweeted a comment from a reader who had just finished it and thought it was the best sf novel he had read all year … So there you have it.

Oh, you want more?

Phoenicia’s Worlds is character-driven space opera. Characters first, hardware second - though the hardware is quite prominent, given that most of it is in the form of the starship Phoenicia, without which the story couldn’t happen. We’re some centuries in the future. Earth has one extrasolar colony, La Nueva Temporada, which was settled by humans from the slower-than-light Phoenicia after a 40-year journey. But, Phoenicia brought with it a wormhole terminus so that travel between Nueva-orbit and Earth-orbit is now almost instantaneous. Nueva’s climate is extremely hostile and the Nuevans are totally dependent on resources being brought in through the wormhole - which, one day, snaps shut.

So the only thing to do is for some people to get back into the mothballed Phoenicia for a 40-year journey back to Earth with another terminus to try and open another wormhole. What happens to them? What happens to Nueva in the intervening 40 years?

It has very nice remarks by Simon Morden and Gareth L. Powell on the cover, which I consider high praise.

The thing that no one believes about Phoenicia’s Worlds is that it wasn’t inspired by 9/11. The basic idea goes back earlier than that. I just have a pretty negative view of how populations tend to react to emergencies; and also of the false dichotomy so beloved of a particular type of politician that There Is No Other Way. In the case of the latter, all too often they obsess about one actually not-so-bad thing and anything - anything - becomes acceptable as an alternative. Thus it becomes acceptable for Pinochet, for example, so determined that his country will not fall to communism, to torture and murder his own people rather than allow even a mild hint of social democracy. And his supporters applaud.

(I ranted at length on this in “How the SOE and Pinochet ended up in a space opera”.)

I’ve also always been intrigued about nature and nurture - how similar people placed in different circumstances can end up reacting very differently. There’s no necessary destiny that produces a hero, or an antihero. Would Hitler have ended up as Fuhrer without the nurturing environment of Weimar German, or would he just have lived and ended his days as a sad little anti-Semite with a moderate degree of artistic talent? And so I wrote about two brothers who are actually very similar in temperament and outlook, who end up as very different adults, even though they both manage to save their world - in their own way.

I mentioned juggling tropes earlier. I’m not the first author to have a hostile planet colonised by humans via a slower-than-light starship and now accessible through a wormhole … but just say that all those ideas and a few more fell into place in an intriguing order that I wanted to write about, and everything I was just saying about the characters gave me a cast with which to populate the story. More of that at “The story behind Phoenicia’s Worlds”.

The thing I find hardest about writing is plotting. I like other people’s plots to surprise me and keep me on my toes. This means that the moment I work out a clever plot point of my own, I promptly lose faith in it, because if I can see it, why can't anyone else? But every now and then something will come flying at me out of the blue, sometimes even while I'm writing, that takes me completely by surprise. It makes perfect sense, it follows with utmost logic from the plot so far, and I never saw it coming. Those are my favourite moments, and there's a couple of those in Phoenicia’s Worlds.

Phoenicia's Worlds by Ben Jeapes

Ara: Thank you for sharing these details with us. "Characters first, hardware second" -- I think this is really interesting. Gosh, your book is sooo cool! I will definitely add this to my reading list. Also, I definitely love that cover. Did you design it?

Ben: I’d love to take credit, but no, my design skills are … no. It’s the work of Dominic Harman , by which I am greatly honoured. My editor asked me to suggest a couple of key scenes from the text that could be illustrated and the one he chose was the explosion of the wormhole terminus in orbit above our heroes’ homeworld.

Ara: Any ongoing / future projects that we should be excited about?

Ben: There’s nothing under contract at the moment, but a sequel to Phoenicia’s Worlds and a fantasy novel are currently timesharing whatever bit of my brain deals with creativity. There’s also something in the Solaris slushpile that I have high hopes for, and, in a complete change of scene, my agent is touting around book 1 of what we hope will become a historical adventure series.

Ara: Super! This sounds great! Before we end the interview, I really have to ask these. Coffee, sweet tea or hot cocoa?

Ben: sweet tea, without the sweet.

Ara: So, just tea? Awesome. :) :) If you have to choose one science fiction book as your absolute favourite, which book will it be?

Ben: Oh golly. He’s out of of favour nowadays but the book is still a cracking read, so I will plump for Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. Unless I’m allowed one absolutely massive compendium volume of Bujold’s Barrayar series.

Ara: Got it! :) And finally, who is your favourite ‘friend’ from F.R.I.E.N.D.S.?

Ben: Janice, with Ross & Monica’s parents a joint close second.

Ara: Haha! Thank yooouuu so much for answering these questions! It was really fun, Ben. I appreciate everything you've shared with us. 

Lovely readers, please check out  Phoenicia's Worlds by Ben Jeapes. It sounds really cool, right? :) I'll be adding this to my very (and I mean really) long reading list. :) 


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... that I would like to read next year. 

Sci-Fi Month

Why next year? Well, I still have a lot on my plate at the moment. “So many books, so little time” – this explains so much. :) 

Science. Fiction. Why am I interested in this genre? I call myself a new fan of the genre since I haven’t really focused on this one before. I know to myself that I’ve always been fascinated with science fiction. The possibilities are endless; they are unbelievable but totally entertaining. And sometimes, you will wonder if they are all possible. If some people on earth can actually particle weave. If some genius can really build a time machine and go back to your past or see what the future has for you. If some people (or aliens) can actually get rid of you by using “the force”. If a person can actually be invisible. And so much more. So you see, it’s hard not to be totally amazed by the genre. 

So, I’ve done some research and I found these 10 rather captivating (from their description) science fiction novels. I would surely want to read all of them soon. 


1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut--young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.


Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers, Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. 

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If the world survives, that is.
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.
3. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
So begins the Time Traveller’s astonishing firsthand account of his journey 800,000 years beyond his own era—and the story that launched H.G. Wells’s successful career and earned him the reputation as the father of science fiction. With a speculative leap that still fires the imagination, Wells sends his brave explorer to face a future burdened with our greatest hopes...and our darkest fears. A pull of the Time Machine’s lever propels him to the age of a slowly dying Earth.  There he discovers two bizarre races—the ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks—who not only symbolize the duality of human nature, but offer a terrifying portrait of the men of tomorrow as well.  Published in 1895, this masterpiece of invention captivated readers on the threshold of a new century. Thanks to Wells’s expert storytelling and provocative insight, The Time Machine will continue to enthrall readers for generations to come. 

4. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.

But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.
5. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
The three laws of Robotics:

1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm

2) A robot must obey orders givein to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov changed our perception of robots forever when he formulated the laws governing their behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future--a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete.
6.  Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Matrix is a world within the world, a global consensus- hallucination, the representation of every byte of data in cyberspace . . .

Case had been the sharpest data-thief in the business, until vengeful former employees crippled his nervous system. But now a new and very mysterious employer recruits him for a last-chance run. The target: an unthinkably powerful artificial intelligence orbiting Earth in service of the sinister Tessier-Ashpool business clan. With a dead man riding shotgun and Molly, mirror-eyed street-samurai, to watch his back, Case embarks on an adventure that ups the ante on an entire genre of fiction.
7. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
2001: A Space Odyssey is the classic science fiction novel that changed the way we looked at the stars and ourselves....

2001: A Space Odyssey inspired what is perhaps the greatest science fiction film ever made--brilliantly imagined by the late Stanley Kubrick....


2001 is finally here....
8. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURVIVE ABOARD A SPACESHIP FUELED BY LIES?

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.
9. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The hauntingly prophetic classic novel set in a not-too-distant future where books are burned by a special task force of firemen.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books.

The Classic novel of a post-literate future, Fahrenheit 451 is part of the Voyager Classic series. It stands alongside Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World as a prophetic account of Western civilization’s enslavement by the media, drugs and conformity.

Bradbury’s powerful and poetic prose combines with uncanny insight into the potential of technology to creat a novel which, forty years on from first publication, still has the power to dazzle and shock.
10. Hyperion by Dan Simmons
On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike.  There are those who worship it.  There are those who fear it.  And there are those who have vowed to destroy it.  In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.  On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives.  Each carries a desperate hope--and a terrible secret.  And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands. 

I am so excited about this list! How about you? Do you have a list like mine? Let me know in the comments below. I would love to discover more sci-fi books! :) 

Also, I am running a giveaway to celebrate Sci-Fi Month. Please check it out! :)


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One of the many things I love as a book blogger is that I get the chance to interview authors and let the whole Internet world about it. I get to ask questions that I am really curious about and get to know the author better. We are celebrating Sci-Fi Month and I am very happy to tell you that I am interviewing Lorijo Metz, a sci-fi author, mom, dog owner and more. Take a look! Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post. :) 

Ara: Let’s all welcome Lorijo Metz at My Book and My Coffee! Hi there! How have you been? Thank you for doing this interview. I am really grateful. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Lorijo: Wow, at my age trying to tell you a “little bit” about myself is like trying to whittle down War and Peace into a picture book. So, I’m thinking highlights would be appropriate. When I was about two-years-old, an old gypsy woman told my darling mother that I would be a writer. The one and only time I used a Ouija board, it told me I would marry someone whose name began with TM. (My husband’s name is T-Metz.) If I’m not traveling with my husband, then I spend just about every day the same way. I walk my dog, I drink a lot of coffee and then I spend the rest of the day writing. And, while I love Sci-fi, my favourite show right now is GIRLS on HBO.

Ara: Thank you for sharing these highlights! :) That gypsy woman is gooood! :) I’ve read on your bio that you have a degree in acting and directing. Soooo cool! Lorijo Metz – writer, actor and director. WOW! Please tell us more about your acting and directing gigs.

Lorijo: HA! Yes, I do have a degree in acting. A degree, which by the time I got it, I knew I didn’t want. I’m so much more comfortable being creative in private. That said; I’ve performed lead roles in everything from Gilbert and Sullivan to Guys and Dolls. Directing wise, it’s been mostly children’s theatre, which I hope to do more of in the future. I love live theatre, but have an especially fond place in my heart for community theatre.

Ara: Ahh... children's theatre! I love it. It's always fun! Before we talk about Wheels, your YA sci-fi adventure novel, I have to ask this: When did you realize that you wanted to become a writer? And do you have any advice to bloggers out there who want to become a writer, too?

Lorijo: LOL! I didn’t so much realize, as I was told. If you read the About Me page on my website, you’ll understand. Suffice it to say, I had no choice in the matter. As for advice on writing…butt in chair, write! After you write, edit, and then edit some more. Join a writer’s group and share your work. Don’t be afraid of feedback. Take writing classes, learn how to use social networking—and most important—read.

Ara: "Barbarrrrrra, your-a third child. A girl. She’s-a not going to be so lucky. She’s-a not going to be so talented . . . She’s-a going to be a wrrrriter!" -  I absolutely love your About Me page! Let’s talk about your book, Wheels. I've read it and I just have to say (although I know I've mentioned this in my review - but I can't stop saying this, apparently), it's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Gosh, Lorijo, you're so talented! I look forward to read more books from you! :) For our readers, please tell us more about your book. 

Lorijo: Imagine if you took Superman, dropped him on Krypton and told him everyone was depending on him to save the planet. As you know, Superman does not have super powers on Krypton. It’s his home world, so he’s just like everyone else. (Yes, I know, Krypton was destroyed. This is an alternative Superman universe.) Anyway, that’s the idea behind WHEELS. The superpower my protagonist, McKenzie Wu, possesses is extraordinary by Earth standards, so I had to get her to a planet where her power was plain old ordinary. Then, of course, I had to ask her to save not only the planet, but also the boy she likes. The truth is, even though Wheels is a science fiction novel, at heart, it’s a story about a 14-year-old girl coming to terms with her own baggage.

You can read the blurb about Wheels in any number of places on the web, from Amazon to Goodreads, and check out the reviews as well (I’m amazed by how good they are…well, so far.). Anyway, it’s my first novel and I certainly hope it will not be my best... or my last. But, I had a rollicking good time writing it!

Ara: Was it hard to create McKenzie’s character?

Lorijo: Yes! In fact, after completing the first few drafts, I had to go back and tweak her quite a bit. I’d given her too much baggage. I didn’t like her anymore. She wasn’t any fun. However, I suspect you’re referring to the fact that she uses a wheelchair. That part wasn’t as difficult to write, because I never let it define her. In fact, I was extremely pleased that the first few reviews didn’t even mention her wheelchair.

Ara: I noticed that while reading the book. You never really did let it define her. Thank you for sharing these details. Any ongoing/future projects we should be excited about? :)

Lorijo: I am so excited to announce that ACX, Amazon’s audio book division, paid to have WHEELS produced as an audiobook. While I have a picture book and close to 30 educational books through traditional publishers, WHEELS is my first self-published project. The fact that Amazon thought enough of it to pay for the audio production is amazing! Most important, actress Lauren Baldwin did an outstanding job narrating it! I recently listened and laughed and loved all 10.5 hours of it. Look for the audible version to be available on Amazon, Audible.com and iTunes--if not by the time this interview comes out--then very, very soon.

One more plug – I wrote a children’s song that was picked up by singer song writer, Owen Duggan, and has recently been released as the title track on his wonderful Children’s CD Puppy Dog Jig. Look for it wherever music is sold.

Ara: You are a busy woman, Lorijo! You're awesome, I just have to say. :) Before we end this interview, I just have to ask these:

Coffee, sweet tea or hot cocoa?

Lorijo: Coffee. (Specifically: A quad shot, venti skim latte with extra caramel drizzle)

Ara: Ooohhh! Yum! If you have to choose one sci-fi book as your absolute favourite, which would it be?

Lorijo: Without a doubt, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Novels. Oh… but I really, really enjoyed Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as well. Wait—I going to have to pick Dune, by Frank Herbert—but only the first book, not the series.

Ara: I will check that out! I've been hearing a lot of good things about that book. And lastly, who is your favourite ‘friend’ from F.R.I.E.N.D.S.?

Lorijo: Rachel – I love her sense of humour.

Ara: Rachel Green! LOVE HER, TOO! Thanks so much for answering my questions! :) 

Lovelies, check out Lorijo's YA, sci-fi, adventure novel, Wheels!

Wheels by Lorijo Metz
Wheels: Book Blurb, Book Review and more about the Author here
Connect with Lorijo: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads  

... Enter the Giveaway here:
1 lucky winner
Audible copy
Giveaway is International 
Ends on November 29, 11:59 PM
Winner will be chosen on November 30

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Happy Tuesday, lovely readers! I am featuring Murder Most Foul, a mystery, crime fiction novel by JoAnne Myers. Take a look and don't forget to enter the giveaway below. :)

Book Spotlight: Murder Most Foul by JoAnne Myers
Murder Most Foul by JoAnne Myers
Mystery, Crime Fiction
Paperback: Murder Most Foul on Lulu
When two dismembered torsos wash up on the banks of the local river in the small industrial town of Pleasant Valley, residents are horrified. Between contradicting statements, police ineptitude, lust, lies, manipulation, incest, the motorcycle gang The Devil’s Disciples, crooked cops, and a botched crime scene, everyone becomes a suspect.

The young beautiful Jackie Reeves, a registered nurse, believes the killer is a man from her past. She contacts the dangerously handsome FBI Agent Walker Harmon. An arrest is made, but Harmon and Jackie believe an innocent man is being railroaded by local cops. Determined to find the truth, before anymore killings, Agent Harmon and Jackie are forced to run a gauntlet of deep trouble and turmoil, which marks them for death.
Book Excerpt: 

Undaunted and short on patience, the agent stared at the fat jerk sitting before him gleefully puffing on a cigar, most likely homegrown in Detroit, Michigan, not Cuba. “I attend the Kingdom Hall on occasion,” he said.

“Well most of us like Malloy. He's helped rid this town of criminals. He was a volunteer firefighter, and his wife cooks for the annual policeman's ball. Hell, Malloy even coached volleyball for the kids when he wuz younger. Now a person who does that ain't all bad,” the chief declared.

Barstow's sudden burst of energy to safeguard his fishy friend, picqued Harmon's interest. What had Malloy done? He decided he wasn't leaving until he had the full, sordid story.

“So you and Malloy are pals, and he did something he couldn't get out of, and you tried to salvage his job, but the big shots said, ‘No!' Is that how it went?” Harmon asked.

“Yeah, Malloy did somethin’ real stupid.”

“I'm listening,” Harmon replied.

“The rumors of Malloy allowin' his friends and family members to snoop through the cornfield, and photograph the area after the victims were removed, was true. Everyone is curious about this crime. Nothin' this big ever happened in this town before, and the pictures were for souvenirs, you know. Then after the limbs were removed, he brought in a back hoe, and tore up the whole damned crime scene, involving Thomas.” The chief growled in disgust.

“Yeah, that was stupid,” Harmon said. “So Malloy's unethical conduct was the reason the disciplinary board was in session?”

“Yep, they made their decision this mornin',” the chief said. “He's out. There was nothin' I could do for him.”

“You'd think a cop with over twenty years’ experience would demonstrate better reasoning then destroy evidence. Unless he's covering his own tracks,” Harmon said realizing what he was implying. “Do you believe Malloy committed the murders?”

“Now, I didn't say that. A lot of officers were on this case, so a lot of mistakes happened. We never dealt with this type crime before. Many might have made the same mistakes Malloy did.”

Dismissing the chief's excuses for Malloy's incompetence, Harmon demanded an answer. He was tired of being duped by the local cops and wanted the truth, and wanted it now. Standing and placing both palms on the chief's shiny desk, the agent looked the chief square in his squinty brown eyes and said, “Cough it up, Chief! There's more to it then that. If there were numerous mistakes made by officers other then Malloy, why was he the only one kicked off the force? Now spit it out! What the hell did Malloy do?”

“All right, all right!” the chief whined, “Malloy screwed the dead girl three weeks before she was killed–and got caught!”

The Agent was speechless. Walking to the window overlooking Main Street, he stared vacantly. Hadn't one of our witnesses suggested something like that? But–with the crisp wind howling, the citizens dining in the local cafés, others window shopping for Christmas or starting their shift at the town's businesses–this seems unreal. How can such a seemingly sweet country town be so full of bad apples, savage murders, police misconduct and corruption, evidence tampering? This town is certainly no Mayberry, thought Harmon.


About the Author: 


JoAnne Myers - author
I hail from the famous Hocking Hills region of southeastern Ohio. I have worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I also canvass paint.

When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, my dogs Jasmine and Scooter, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the Hocking Hill's Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family values and following your dreams.
Connect with JoAnne: Website | Facebook | LinkedIn

... Giveaway:

Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between Giveaway
Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between by JoAnne Myers
A collection of personal, inspirational, nature inspired, and spiritual poems by Jo Anne Myers, Author of Murder Most Foul, and Loves', Myths', and Monsters'.
Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a print copy of JoAnne's poetry collection, Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between. All you have to do is comment on this post. Two lucky commenters will be chosen via random.org on December 7, 2013. Giveaway ends on December 6. U.S. only.



Ara of My Book and My Coffee
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Hello lovelies! As you know, it’s Sci-Fi Month here! And today, I am very happy to introduce David Gullen, author of the near-future sci-fi novel, Shopocalypse. 

Ara: David, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. You must be a really busy man and I do appreciate you being “here” today. :) Please tell us a little bit about yourself. 

David: Hello Ara, it’s good to be here!  I think I’m probably about as busy as many writers - most of us have day jobs and mine is in tech support for a small IT company.  I’m fortunate in that I only need to work at this for three days a week, and I spend the rest of the time writing (or as other people say, staring out the window).  I like to write early, it’s when my mind is freshest. Evenings are usually spent doing other writerly things such as reading, rewriting, critiques for other writers in my writing group, blogs and general catching up – tasks that need less creative brain power. 

I was born in South Africa to English parents, I have three grown-up children, and I live with fantasy writer Gaie Sebold. We both got to several genre conventions each year, big ones like World Fantasy, EasterCon, EuroCon, and smaller ones like BristolCon, EdgeLit and Andromeda. If you see us please do come and say ‘Hi’.

Ara: WOW! Busy, indeed. And it's really good that you have time to write. It's also great to have a partner that is also a writer. :) It was mentioned in your bio that you trained as a plant biologist. Tell us a little more about that. I am interested as I don’t really see (or encounter or interview) a lot of plant biologists so this is refreshing for me. :)

David: Plants are brilliant things of incredible variety and resilience. We take them for granted but compared to us they are a deeply alien form of life. A seed grows in a corner and a few years later a ten metre tall tree has insinuated itself into the garden. You chop it down, but too late, two dozen more seeds are already growing.  Plants can’t move but they spread themselves around efficiently and can be very tenacious.  Of course, they are things of immense usefulness and beauty too.

As a child – and maybe I was a strange child – I loved helping mum in the garden and learning to grow plants. It fascinated me that these delicate green things could grow as it were out of thin air – which is exactly what they do as it turns out.  Water aside, the entire bulk of a plant is drawn out of the air using energy trapped from the nearest star, an amazing trick. When I trained genetics was an infant science. Now it’s set to start a new revolution. I’m supporting a Kickstarter project to make glow-in-the-dark plants. One day trees might replace street lights – how cool is that? 

Ara: Very cool, indeed. If this will happen, I think most kids will really love gardening. And I think it's great that you become interested in this area at an early age. :D Before we talk about your latest book, I just have to ask. Did you always want to be a writer? And do you have any advice to bloggers out there who want to become a writer, too?

David: Looking back I can see I was always telling stories. When I was young I used to draw little pencil adventures; at school I co-wrote a play with a friend and performed it at local hospitals. Later on I created worlds and adventures for table-top role-play, mostly AD&D. It was only after I stopped gaming that translated into a desire to tell stories through writing. 

Advice? Oh gosh, there’s a mass of it out there and some of it is pretty good. In the end it comes down to a few simple pragmatic things. First off you should have read a lot. Writers write, so make your writing a habit like breakfast or going for a run, something that you just do and do regularly. And always finish what you start because five half-finished stories are no stories at all. Always try harder. Write for yourself, write the stories you want to read and care about telling, don’t try and second guess what other people want and don’t do what they want you to do (unless you get excited by the ideas and make them your own). I think this is very important.

Ara: Thank you so much for that wonderful advice. So, why the Sci-Fi genre? I’ve read somewhere that this genre is really hard to define. What do you think about that?

David: You’re right! Some people say if you take out the science and the story still works it’s not SF, others say the science has to be plausible, so faster than light travel is out for example. Another view is it has to be in the future. Margaret Attwood is supposed to have said  SF is ‘all squids in space’. I say if it looks, walks and quacks like SF, it’s probably a duck from the future. You’ll know it when you see it.

SF lets you do a lot of things: write a story with grand sweep; explore what might come from where we’re going today, or hold a mirror up to the world. SF writers in Soviet Russia wrote SF so they could write about politics. It’s a big universe, you can go anywhere and do anything. This obviously includes good storytelling and engaging characters, the same as for any genre.

Ara: "I say if it looks, walks and quacks like SF, it’s probably a duck from the future." -- I love this! :) I have to be honest; I am new to the genre. I mean, I’ve seen some sci-fi movies but haven’t really read a lot of sci-fi books. I am definitely interested in the genre and just never had the chance to explore more. Now, when I’ve read the synopsis of your book, I was like, “Shopping? Nuclear War? And cars? That’s it! I have to read more sci-fi novels!”. Please tell us more about Shopocalypse.

David: Shopocalypse is an SF road movie. It’s the book of the film (except nobody has made the film) so it has short chapters, fast cuts, sharp dialogue, intense action – and a talking car that’s smarter than any of its occupants.  Shopocalypse is set in a near-future America of extreme consumerism. The rest of the world has moved on, the southern states are partly uninhabitable due to an endless hurricane, and the economy is failing.

My two heroes, Novik and Josie, accidentally steal a car with a trunk full of hot money. They decide to try and change the world for the better by embarking on a gigantic shopping spree. Meanwhile, the gangsters want their money back, and the president has her own plan for a better world – global nuclear war. The end is so nigh even some aliens have turned up to watch.

If you want an elevator pitch, it’s Red Dwarf meets Top Gear meets The Day After Tomorrow.

Shopocalypse is published in paperback and e-book formats by Clarion Publishing, with a fantastic and very original cover by Ben Baldwin.

Shopocalypse by David Gullen
Connect with David: Website | Twitter  

Book Blurb: 
Novik and Josie have a lot of catching up to do. Two years he's been in jail; two years she's been waiting. They never want to be apart again. 

A stress-filled encounter with some "Old-fashioned Boys" at a chain eatery turns their best of intentions upside-down; they're now on the run and in posession of a super-hot sentient muscle car and over 190 million dollars, covered with a potent psychoactive power. Welcome to the Shopocalypse. 
Ara: Thank you for sharing these details. I love the cover, definitely! Any ongoing/future projects we should be excited about? :) 

David: I’ve a short story collection out at the end of the year, and I’m working on the final scenes of a fantasy novel about a street kid and petty criminal called Carl White. The story moves between modern London and a place called the Underwild - and the worlds that lie beyond it.

And there are the sequels to Shopocalypse, and a couple of collaborations Gaie and I are excited about, and… and… There are always too many ideas and not enough time. It can feel frustrating but it’s actually a very good place to be.

Ara: You are definitely amazing, David. Before we end the interview, I really have to ask these: 

Coffee, sweet tea or hot cocoa?

David:  If those are the choices – cocoa, with a flake dipped in. 

Ara:  If you have to choose one sci-fi book as your absolute favourite, which would it be? 

David: An impossible choice! You have to let me have to have at least three :)

Lord of Light, by Roger Zelazny
Night Lamp, by Jack Vance
Dark Eden, by Chris Becket

And that’s not even getting started.

Ara: Haha. And lastly, who is your favourite ‘friend’ from F.R.I.E.N.D.S.? 

David: Scorpius!  (Sorry, I’ve never seen FRIENDS, but do rather love Farscape.)

Ara: I had to Google "Farscape". It's the first time that I've heard about this. Looks really cool. :) Thanks so much for answering my questions! :) 

David: You’re welcome!

David, again, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. Lovelies, don't forget to check out David's book, Shopocalypse. :) Happy Sci-Fi Month! :D 

Ara of My Book and My Coffee
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Sci-Fi Month

Title: Wheels
Author: Lorijo Metz
Science Fiction, YA, Adventure
Form: Kindle Edition

Book Description: Wheels


Book Review: Wheels by Lorijo Metz
Wheels: Kindle edition | Paperback | Audible

WHEELS is a YA, science fiction, adventure filled with mystery and romance—a coming-of-age tale that proves it takes more than super powers to save a planet.

McKenzie Wu doesn’t know her great-great grandmother married an alien or that her great-great-great uncle is alive and systematically eliminating a race of beings on a tiny planet light years away—she has enough to worry about. Molecules keep rearranging themselves to suit her slightest wish, but only at the most inconvenient times. If that weren't enough, she’s been dreaming about an accident; one she’s had no memory of until now and, if true, means McKenzie is responsible for her mother’s death. 

When McKenzie stumbles upon a portal, transporting her and her friend Hayes to the tiny planet of Circanthos, she learns the inhabitants believe she is the “One” destined to save them from H.G. Wells, a name that sounds strangely familiar, and his Tsendi warriors. But while her newfound ability might give her superhero status back on Earth, halfway across the galaxy, it’s commonplace—all Circanthians can particle-weave—and if they can’t stop H.G. Wells, what can she hope to do?

With the portal closed and no idea how to get home, McKenzie must learn to use a power she does not want and accept her mysterious past, or risk losing everything—her father’s love, her new alien friends and the boy.

Wheels Book Review

"Christmas came early for me this year - Wheels is an incredible sci-fi adventure novel! And I enjoyed reading it. A lot! It’s just so amazing! Well done, Lorijo. :)" – Ara of My Book and My Coffee

I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to read this book. It’s a really great read. I didn’t know that it was possible but the author was able to make every detail and scenario very interesting.  I just love it! 

The story is about McKenzie Wu, a young teenager who loves to play basketball and a star player at that (mind you, she’s in a wheelchair!). And apparently, she has a superpower; she can manipulate matter (or particle-weave). As you know, superpowers can be a bit tricky especially if the one who has it doesn’t know how to use it properly. One may end up with an unfavourable result – or probably something weirder than what was expected. With McKenzie, she was experiencing things that weren’t natural. Since she doesn’t know how to control her superpower yet (and at first, she didn’t really realize that she’s the one rearranging those molecules), she’s a bit, let’s just say, overwhelmed with the whole thing. Who wouldn’t be, right? She even thought that she’s going bananas but something happened that made her realize that she wasn’t going crazy at all. Everything is real and she has a lot to learn along the way especially since later on, she will find out that she’s supposed to save another planet, Circanthos. How will she do it? Is she really the “One”? Or is the “One” already in the said planet? Will she be able to control her power? Can she really save Circanthos? Super exciting!

Let me talk about the characters in this book. McKenzie is the main character here and I love how she handled everything. One thing that I liked most about her is that she’s very real – believable. You will realize that she is, indeed, a teenager with lots of emotions and as usual, she can’t always control them. 

I love Rudy Hayes! For me, he’s amazing. He’s McKenzie’s friend here and he's included in this whole adventure. He’s one curious boy, as expected, and he’s smart. He has his own story to tell and I just love how he was able to remain her friend till the end. Hopefully, when their characters "grow up", they can finally admit what they really feel for each other.  

I think H. G. Wells is so full of himself. Of course, I am referring to the character in this book and not the famous H. G. Wells who wrote The Time Machine. Although in this book, he’s also a famous writer. Tee hee hee! :) In this book, this character is just plain annoying. You know, he’s one of those people who uses knowledge to manipulate every person around him. That everything he does is justified. Argh! So irritating! 

The rest of the characters are so great as well. The author has created a fantastic bunch! One more character that I want to mention though – the FBI agent. Although he’s just doing his job, it’s just so funny coz it’s hopeless. You will know what I am talking about when you read the book. 

I love how the author ended the story. It’s perfect and I want to say more but I’m afraid I’ve given out some spoilers already. :)

Again, Wheels is a fantastic novel and I would recommend you to check it out for yourself. :) Also, if you want to know more about this book and the author, I will be posting an author interview on November 13 and we will be talking about the book, if there's a book 2 and more. Stay tuned! 

One more thing: If you want to win a Kindle copy of this book, please visit my Sci-Fi Month giveaway. If you can receive a Kindle book directly from Amazon as a gift, please go ahead and enter that giveaway.

Gosh, I love sci-fi month! :)



About the Author: 


Lorijo Metz
Lorijo Metz lives with her husband and little brown dog in the great state of Indiana. Though she has a degree in acting and directing, she much prefers the anonymity of the keyboard, allowing her characters to revel in the spotlight while she sits quietly sipping tea or coffee, nibbling on cookies, and dreaming up ways to complicate their lives.

WHEELS, Lorijo's YA, Science Fiction, Adventure, which reviewers say is, "Brilliant," "Whacky, loads of fun," and "...one I know I'll reread," was awarded a stipend from ACX, Amazon's audible division. Look for it on Amazon.com, Audible.com and iTunes in time for the 2014 holiday season.

In 2013, Lorijo made her début as a lyricist. She wrote the lyrics for the title track on PUPPY DOG JIG, performed by children's singer and songwriter Owen Duggan on his newest CD.
Connect with Lorijo: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

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Hello! Hallo! Aloha!

Welcome to My Book and My Coffee blog. I'm ARA, the owner of this blog.
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