Welcome to the First Kingdom.
The Ryder of the Night, an all-new fated-mates, enemies to lovers, fantasy romance from debut author Eden Eaves is now available!
A blog that offers book reviews, blog tours, excerpts, spotlights, blasts, author interviews, cover reveals, guest posts, and giveaways.
Welcome to the First Kingdom.
The Ryder of the Night, an all-new fated-mates, enemies to lovers, fantasy romance from debut author Eden Eaves is now available!
Title: The Last Lost Girl
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance (Peter Pan Retelling)
Editor: Stacy Sanford/ The Girl with the Red Pen
Cover: @TheFairyFinn
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2024
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
'Suzie: Please tell us something about ‘Fast Times Big City’
Shelly: It was a chance to return to the accessible New York City of my youth, not as a would-be striving actor this time but as a more mature character buffeted by a greater scope of obstacles. In effect, Bud Palmer finds himself in a bind, at a crossroads where everything seemed to be on the verge. I guess you could call it a historical fifties caper
Suzie: I always enjoy looking at the names that authors choose to give their characters. Where do you derive the names of your characters?
Shelly: Somehow the name has to be just right within the setting and given circumstances in order to feed my imagination. For instance, I needed someone who had been jarred loose from the coziness and conformity of Miami of that era to take on the never-ending beat and tinge of danger prevalent in the “Big Apple” of that time. I needed a Bud Palmer to be caught in a bind totally beyond his comfort zone.
Suzie: How completely do you develop your characters before beginning to write?
Shelly: Once I have the names right I know all about them, what they’re capable of and how they may respond under pressure. For instance, I know that Bud is clean-cut, was the vice president of his class at Miami High some seven or so years ago, always complied with the repressive rules of that day and age and would have to let all that go in order to take on this dicey task and truly find himself. All told, what I’m after are three dimensional characters, replete with an inner and outer life and potential contradictions, who come alive and give the story the sense of an act of becoming or, if you like, self-generating.
Suzie: Which actor would you like to see playing Bud Palmer? Why?
Shelly: Tom Hanks when he was in his early thirties. Because he could easily pass as a clean-cut, nice guy of that era. Moreover, underneath it all, he is quite sensitive and has the potential to run the gamut of whatever he might encounter in the “big city,” evolve and survive.
Suzie: Tell us about your cover. Did you design it yourself?
Shelly: I took a segment of my late artist friend’s painting “Times Square” of that era and requested simple lettering in white.
Suzie: What draws you to the mystery genre?
Shelly: It’s never just another day. There’s a significant disturbance that throws everyone off balance. How they cope, the aftermath of each encounter never fails to surprise me. In effect, I discover something akin to the truth about things—something I’d never encounter on the news or by observing safe and predictable behavior.
Suzie: When did you first have a desire to write? How did this desire manifest itself?
Shelly: As you’ve probably surmised, to me what passes for everyday life seems to take place on the surface. It’s more or less safe and predictable which, I guess, is by design. Once in study hall at Shenandoah Junior High in Miami back in the day, I found myself writing cliff-hangers, surreptitiously passing them around and discovering my classmates kept wanting more. “And then what happened?” they all wrote.
Suzie: What writers have you drawn inspiration from?
Shelly: Hemingway, Salinger and Ray Bradbury to name a few from a list of at least a dozen.
Suzie: What do you do when you are not writing?
Shelly: Since my wife suddenly passed away, I just interview provocative people for the local paper, take jaunts with Baxter my golden doodle, attend church once a week, etc. But, to tell the truth, I’m always writing even in my dreams. Sometimes I feel like paying money for a way to get writer’s block so that I can get a good night’s uninterrupted sleep. Which reminds me of something a noted playwright once told me. He had this acquaintance who was always pestering saying, “How’s the story going?” The response was always, “It’s coming along.” One day, when the playwright couldn’t take it anymore he shouted, “It’s finished, okay? Now all I have to do is write it down!”
Suzie: What are you currently working on?
Shelly: I’ve begun a story about a handyman who keeps his distance, appearing on the surface as the proverbial strong, silent type, who is fast approaching the age of sixty. Lately, he has this empty feeling he’s squandered his life, and is suddenly beset with the plight of a young newlywed client whose husband has suddenly gone missing. The working title is “Charlie and the Blue Ridge Caper”.
Suzie: Thanks again and good luck with ‘Fast Times Big City’, as well as your future endeavors.
'Fast Times, Big City,' had me hooked right from the
beginning!
The main character, Bud, accidentally gets pressed
into assisting a gangster named Escobar as the man is trying to track down a
briefcase that has been stolen by a Marilyn Monroe lookalike. Bud only helps
because his mother, who is on a Caribbean cruise, begged him to check in on his
uncle, her younger brother, Rick.
Well, it turns out that Rick is not doing great. Bud
finds him the morning after he has lost a poker game to Escobar and been
accused of working with the Marilyn Monroe lookalike to steal the briefcase. Now,
the lookalike has fled to New York and Rick lies to Escobar, saying that Bud is
his junior associate who knows New York like the back of his hand. So, of
course, Bud gets sent to New York.
This story was so funny and an absolute joy to read.
The fast-paced dialog of the characters made me feel like I was watching an old
Hollywood movie. I recommend this story if you love a good historical setting,
a mystery, and witty characters with a fast-moving plot. Having read a few of
Frome's other books, I can say that this is the type of story where his writing
truly shines!
Releasing: May 14, 2024
Cover: Hang Le
Gigi and the Gym Rats
Candyverse 2
By Mona Black
Hosted by DS Book Promotions