Author John Guzzardo!

Book Title:  A 38 Day Education

Author:  John E. Guzzardo

Release Date:  June 2, 2014

Publisher:  Solstice Horizons

 Today, the character of Craig Johannsen from A 38 Day Education has joined us to answer some questions about his life, his job, and what he does.

Hello, Craig.  Would you like to tell the readers what your role is in A 38 Day Education?

I’m the Senior Editor for The Scope newspaper.  My friend, Jay Ferragamo, offered me the job shortly after becoming Editor himself.  My job is simple – I am Jay’s conscience.  I am the one who stands on his right shoulder, figuratively speaking, and tells him when he’s doing something he shouldn’t.  Bear in mind, it doesn’t always work.  Jay’s pretty stubborn.

What’s it like working for Jay, anyway?

He’s a strange person to work for, but probably one of the fairest bosses I’ve ever had.  He doesn’t tolerate mediocrity, that’s for sure.  The only negative thing I can really say about him is he lets his passions govern him a little too much.  There’s a time and place for passion, and a time and place for wisdom.  Those are the moments you see just how young he really is.  All in all, however, he’s a pretty good boss.

Is there anyone on the staff of The Scope you don’t like working with?

Not really.  Our staff is still pretty new, so nobody’s really had time to piss anyone off.  I’m sure, given time, we’ll found our little pet peeves with each other but, honestly, I can’t think of a better team to work with.

What are your thoughts about your college President, Dr. Falconer?

This is the one area Jay and I greatly disagree.  Jay thinks all politicians are crooked, greedy, lying bastards.  My view of Dr. Falconer is that he is in an impossible job, and just makes the best of it.  There are moments I think his head is not screwed on straight but, hey, he’s a politician!

If you were told you had to go on a date with a staff member, who would it be and why?

Oh wow, that’s dicey!  I’m not big into office romances, but if I had to pick someone, it would probably be our Managing Editor, Anshana Davis.  For one, she’s a contradiction; an African-American conservative Republican.  Try finding THAT in your local hardware store!  Anyway, she’s a hot-tempered, intelligent, highly motivated woman who believes in working hard and not giving in to temptation.  Well, that’s how I see her.

There’s a rumor going around that Jay has a crush on someone in the office.  Is that true?

If that’s the case, I’m going to be the last guy to know about it.  If there is one thing Jay does NOT talk about with me, it’s his love life.

Do you think Student Government has treated The Scope fairly?

That’s a loaded question and I’ll tell you why.  Government and the press must be in an adversarial position because of the nature of what they do.  A government administers and exercises powers, whereas the press holds said government accountable for its decisions and how it executes its powers.  That said, I would say Student Government, despite its somewhat stilted view of its own importance, has gone out of its way to help us despite the battles Jay’s predecessor went out of her way to fight.  Whether that continues remains to be seen.

What are your favorite things to do when not hanging out in the office?

Grabbing a burger at Pompeii’s, watching a baseball game – lifelong Chicago Cubs fan here.  Yeah, I know – family is from Georgia but I love the Cubs.  Goes back to watching games as a kid on the cable channels out of Chicago.  Like to fish and go on the water.  Jay offered to take me on a fishing trip in Tampa one day.  I think I’ll gonna take him up on it.

What are your plans for life after college?

I am going to work on getting accepted into the Psychology Department at the University of Florida.  They have one of the better ones I’ve seen.  After that, probably get my Doctorate in Psychology somewhere and start a practice specializing in Christian Psychotherapy.  I truly believe that faith and science can work together in common cause, so what better thing to do than set the example.

Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us, Craig.  Anything else you want to add before we finish up?

Nothing I can think of at this time, except that Jay is a massive hockey fan.  He keeps hounding President Falconer to put an ice rink any new student center that gets built.  Maybe someday.  Anyway, great to stop by.  Thanks for the opportunity.

Author Diana Rubino!

Interview with Historical and Paranormal Author Diana Rubino @DianaLRubino

 A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE is a fun-filled blend of the vampire world and luxury cruises.

Romance writer Mona Rossi’s book sales are slipping. She needs new ideas and fast! Her vampire love, Fausto Silvius is a doctor aboard the Romanza, a luxury cruise ship. Holding a “Motion on the Ocean” writer’s cruise sounds like a great idea. What better way to combine a career boost with romance? But they soon discover hunters on board who give chase to Fausto and his fellow vampires. While he longs to bring Mona into his world, how can he convince her to join him with fringe lunatics on the hunt? In the prime of her life she’s not sticking her neck out for a shot at eternity.

 

Diana Rubino is my blog guest today. Diana’s passion for history has taken her to every locale of her books, set in Medieval and Renaissance England, colonial Virginia, and New York. Her a fantasy romance, FAKIN’ IT, received a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. In her spare time, Diana bicycles, golfs, plays her piano and devours books of any genre.

 How do you decide on setting?

I’ve always set my books in my favorite times and places—medieval and Renaissance England, Colonial America, and anytime in New York City. But now that I’m writing biographical novels, the setting comes with the figure I decide to write about.

 What genre(s) do you write in?  Why?

 Historical, because I’m such a history nut, and paranormal because I’ve always been fascinated with ghosts, reincarnation, the spirit world—anything otherworldly. Then of course romance has to come into it.

 What is your favorite part of writing?

 The research—I can lose myself in library stacks, and now with the miracle of the internet, one website can lead me to another, until I’ve gone on a multi-hour journey where time just flies by.

 How much research was involved in writing your book?  How did you go about it?

 My husband and I are hooked on cruising, and my very first cruise was on the Eastern Mediterranean, beginning in Rome and ending in Istanbul. The ports of call included Rhodes, Cyprus, Santorini, and Egypt. Because I love Italy and cruising, I wanted to combine those passions with a story about vampires and how they face prejudice in the human world.

 What inspired your latest release?

 My latest release, A NECESSARY END, is a paranormal (ghost) romance centered on Booth’s insane plot to kill President Lincoln. A Lincoln buff since third grade, I always wanted to write about him. Adding the paranormal twist combined two of my biggest interests. 

 E-books, print, or both?  Any preferences?  Why?

 They both have their pros and cons. E-books are so easy to travel with, you can load as many as you want onto your E-reader, but there’s nothing like settling back with a good old fashioned printed book and inhaling those inked pages.

 How much time do you spend promoting your books?

 About a third of my workday—some first thing when I sit down, and some last thing before I log off.

 Have you had other careers before becoming a writer?

 Sure have…I own a construction consulting business with my husband, which I still run when I’m not writing, and I have a real estate license, although I’m not with a brokerage right now.

 What is your least favorite part of writing?

 The times when it doesn’t explode out of me—when finding each word takes major scouring of the thesaurus, when the prose comes out of my head looking sloppy and unpolished. But this stuff comes out of my head at 120 wpm, so I allow myself some sloppiness in first drafts.

 Some writers edit excessively as they write; others wait until a novel is finished to do the bulk of editing.  How about you?

 I edit after I finish writing for the day, after I’ve met my 2,500 word goal. But I go over it and over it, until—as the saying goes—when you’re no longer rewriting, you’re only tinkering.

 Visit Diana at www.dianarubino.com, her blog at www.dianarubinoauthor.blogspot.com and https://www.facebook.com/DianaRubinoAuthor?fref=nf
Purchase A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE: http://amzn.to/NrBF43

 

Julia Suzuki- The Land of Dragor

Fantasy genre a fave of yours? Julia Suzuki visits this week to promote her series of fantasy books. Read on for more information!

The Gift of Charms Book #1 is NOW available in paperback to PRE-ORDER at AMAZON HERE http://tinyurl.com/o95ufw9

 

‘A beautifully presented, wonderfully unique debut’ – The Sun

 

 

‘It was during the time that my son was at junior school that I was inspired to write the first novel.  One day I had an epiphany – ideas came flooding in. 

 I had been thinking back to the wonderful vintage books I had read and wishing there were more like this – but with unique and modern edge and interactive web presence. I knew first hand what parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles were looking for when purchasing a book for their children, yet more than that, I also knew what adults sought themselves. They wanted gripping action, loads of adventure – all the classic aspects of  heroes and villains, mystery and magic, quests and suspense, and the hope of happy endings. 

 I wanted to write books with universal appeal, that were fantastical and ‘out there’ and yet still felt somehow real; to fulfil the expectations of book lovers and also hook  non-readers back into reading.  For me this had to be in the form of a series set in a place we would all be excited to visit – and so the Land of Dragor came to be’. 

 Julia Suzuki

 

 SNEAK PEEK! SNEAK PEEK! SNEAK PEEK!

‘Many great creatures first roamed the earth with us,’ Ma’am Sancy announced to

her class, her wings held wide. ‘There were all different types. Some had trunks

and tusks as long as their bodies. Others had claws that enabled them to leap

through the highest trees in the forests.’ The younglings all gazed at their history

teacher, as her words captured their full attention.

‘At first they were happy to share the lands with us. But as the

years went by, the earth moved and the seas divided,’ she continued.

‘Some of the dinosaurs sought survival by breeding with our dragon

ancestors against their will creating a super-evil species known as

dragsaurs – monsters who were willing do anything to take over the world

and destroy us!’ One of the orange Mida dragons gasped in horror at the

thought of such beasts.

‘But despite their efforts, and indeed after many great wars, both

dragsaurs and dinosaurs became extinct. It was only us dragons who

managed to survive the new climates, though we became slaves to man.

That is until one great rebellion, when after receiving a special gift we

managed to escape and flee to the Land of Dragor, where we now remain

hidden below the smoky mists.’

The Strange Egg

First came the whispers, then the rumours, and by New Birth’s Eve every dragon was

gossiping that Kiara had laid a strange egg.

Some said it was square, like the toffee-nuts gathered by the sweet-toothed

Bushki dragons. Whilst other dragons claimed they had heard a strange sound from

Kiara and Ketu’s cave as they had flown overhead, as if the egg was singing. And the

older dragons said it was the grey colour of a sickly hatchling, that when the shell

broke the Hudrah dragon would arrive with her black wicker basket to ferry the infant

away.

Each clan had its own Hudrah, who would watch over the births. But as the

night darkened on Kiara’s cave there was no sign of her coming.

Then a great crack echoed around the mountain.

The egg was hatching.

Kiara had not left nest for three seasons. She had sat patiently in the same

position day and night, feeding on mouthfuls of powdery quartz whilst hiding her egg

from prying eyes. Now she looked on with Ketu by her side as the shell opened.

It split into two, then four, and a determined little pink snout became visible.

Suddenly, a dark shape appeared at the mouth of the cave – Yula the Nephan

clan Hudrah had arrived.

Some said Hudrahs possessed the sharpest of hearing that could sense the first

pecks inside an eggshell from far distances, whilst others thought it was the black

stones they wore around their necks that had magical powers to foretell a new birth.

But on this occasion the Hudrah’s powers to predict a birth had not worked

soon enough. Yula rushed through the cave entrance, her large red body and silver

cape barely squeezing through.

‘Oh horror!’ she exclaimed. ‘It has cracked open already!’

Healthy dragon eggs were a delicate lilac colour, which after birth lay in pretty

pieces around the baby-pink hatchling, which within hours would change to one of

the seven dragon clan colours.

This eggshell was very different. It was every colour of the rainbow and

jewelled like the contents of a treasure chest. It swirled with yellow, green, blue and

violet and shone and sparkled in the firelight.

The pieces of the shell fell away.

Kiara breathed out in relief to see that her hatchling was the same pink as all

others. The tiny dragon wiggled to dislodge the last piece of shell.

Kiara moved to help nudge it off with her nose, but Yula stopped her.

‘Let me see the hatchling make his own way,’ she insisted.

The determined little dragon shook off the last piece of shell and Kiara

immediately scooped him up in great delight and nuzzled him.

‘Oh, isn’t he perfect?’ she exclaimed, holding him out to the others. ‘See his

straight little muzzle, his lovely ears and just look at his big green eyes!’

Ketu looked at the newborn, full of pride. ‘Our beautiful son,’ he said

watching Kiara holding him aloft and then bringing the baby close back against her

chest.

Kiara continued to smile. ‘Yoshiko,’ she said. ‘His name shall be Yoshiko,’

and with that she leaned forward to kiss her hatchling.

Then there was a flash of black.

For the first time in her history as a Hudrah, Yula had taken out the black

wicker basket. Ketu moved quickly to protect Kiara and the baby hatchling.

‘What do you mean by this, Yula?’ Kiara exclaimed. ‘Our hatchling is a

perfectly healthy addition to the Nephan clan!’

Yula shook her head slowly. ‘Step aside, both of you,’ she snarled. ‘Do not

obstruct the Hudrah in her work. This hatchling is cursed. It is my duty to protect the

clans of our land so I must take him away immediately!’

Kiara stared at Yula defiantly. ‘There is nothing wrong with my hatchling,’

she said. ‘Any who look at him would know he is a blessed creature. There is no need

for him to be carried away by the . . .’ But she could not even bring herself to say the

words.

‘The black wicker basket is for the good of all,’ insisted Yula boldly. ‘Give

me your son, or I shall use my Hudrah powers to take him from you. Once the basket

has emerged there is no hope for this dragon.’

Ketu stepped forward quickly to intervene, taking Yula calmly by the

shoulder. ‘It has been too a long night for you, Ma’am,’ he said. ‘Thirteen births so

far and this your fourteenth.’

Yula nodded with uncertainty.

‘Our dragon is as normal as any young hatchling, who all come in different

shapes and sizes!’ continued Ketu. ‘As for the shell, please look again. It is only the

reflection of the flames that makes it glint strangely. Besides,’ he added, ‘you must be

tired and I have not yet paid you for your services.’

 

WEBSITES

http://www.juliasuzuki.com (Author blog and website)

http://www.landofdragor.com (An interactive website for Dragor fans)

TWITTER

http://www.twitter.com/juliasuzuki_uk (Follow Julia here on Twitter)

FACEBOOK

http://facebook.com/juliasuzukiauthor (Follow Julia and here on Facebook)

GOODREADS

http://goodreads.com/juliasuzuki (See latest book reviews)

AMAZON

http://amazon.com/juliasuzuki (Buy the books here)