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Showing posts with label novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label novel. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

New Release by Nike N. Chillemi - Acts of Malice - Enjoy this Interview of Nike by Lorilyn Roberts




Q:  What is the key theme and/or message in the book? Is it inspirational, ethical, a matter of justice, or something else?

A: In ACTS OF MALICE there are two murders. The story is driven by the murders, the search for the killers, and the need for justice for the victims. The characters are either trying to stay out of the crosshairs of the killers, trying to find the killer or both. Closely related to this is the subtheme about the widows and family left behind, and how they mourn and struggle in the wake of these devastating, senseless murders And, there is a strong inspirational, Christian message. Still, it's the search for the killers and the desire for justice that pushes the story forward. That's why I say that I write from a Christian Worldview, rather than saying I write Christian fiction because what I actually write are classic murder mysteries. Many of the most important characters in my mystery novels happen to be Christians.

Q:  Villains can be hard to write. How did you write yours?

A:  I find most villains disturbing, even the ones I create. That's why I don't get into their mindset too much. I show them in social situations where they've got their public face on. Of course, I do give an inkling of their interior being so that when it turns out at the end that they are the killer, it's believable. I have put down and stopped reading thrillers by authors that delight and revel in the demonic mindset of the psychopathic killer.

Q:  What comes first, plot or characters? How do you develop one or both?

A:  The murder and its motive come first. Then the main characters drive the story and the plot forward. It becomes a question of what would they do next to find the killer(s) and to survive the killer(s).

Two fun bullet questions:

Q. What is your fav thing to eat? Least fav?

A:  Since Thanksgiving is coming up my fav dinner thing to eat is the turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce. My least fav is the traditional green bean casserole of frozen or canned French cut green beans topped with canned onion rings and canned cream of mushroom soup. Then it's baked. Ugh. I even wrote a blog article about my dislike of green bean casserole.

Q:  Do you have a library membership? Do you use it?

A: Yes, I do. I used it for ACTS OF MALICE. I went to my local library and looked up Caracas, Venezuela in the large atlas-type books. This is where my first victim was murdered. I wanted to see the streets in large color photos and get a feel for the city. I needed to understand the layout of the city and how the city was surrounded by mountains.

ACTS OF MALICE in a nutshell…
A taut and compelling classic murder mystery with a national security underlying theme. Interpersonal relationships, greed, dry humor. Uplifting.

Lavender Raines gets the 'doorbell ring' no wife ever wants to get. Her husband has been brutally murdered, and the FBI is more secretive than helpful. The problem is, his body was found in Caracas when she thought his business trip had taken him to New Orleans.

Mackenzie just opened a second beach resort-town restaurant, this one in Ribault Beach, Florida…but now the clandestine national security organization that from-time-to-time sends him on covert missions wants him to find Lavender's husband's killers.

Forces from within the "Deep State" have shaped circumstances that will alter the course of both their lives. Then a local man is murdered. Lavender and Mackey are polar opposites. He is emotionally shut down about his life, but protective of others. She is a pillar of strength in her family, but distrusting of Mackey and guarded around him. Can they find common ground amidst this treachery and turmoil?


Short Bio:



Nike N. Chillemi writes classic murder mysteries/detective novels. It's been said she writes literature that reads like pulp fiction. Plenty of action, a dash of grit, wry humor as her characters navigate through situations and relationships, and there's as an uplifting message. There's usually a national security/public safety underlying theme to her work. She likes her bad guys really bad, her good guys smarter and better. Her newest endeavor is ACTS OF MALICE





Twitter:  @NikeNChillemi


Friday, October 11, 2019

Book Review by Lorilyn Roberts of "Infernal Gates" Written by Michael Jack Webb - A Supernatural Christian Thriller in a Genre of Its Own - Based on Scripture




In today's world, where politics, Hollywood tabloids, and salacious news reporters fight for supremacy in entertaining the masses, most are blind to what is REALLY happening behind the veil. 

Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a different reality from the one in which I grew up. Few people are able to recognize the spiritual battle that is being waged. Not a day goes by that we aren't affected, and in "Infernal Gates," Michael Webb gives us a glimpse into that spiritual realm with thought-provoking history, creative exegesis, and mysterious characters that keep the reader turning the pages. 

Masterfully woven together with a hint of romance, tragedy that is too close for comfort, and an original storyline, Inferno Gates embodies the truth of Scripture with a historical and cultural narrative that is refreshing and eye-opening. With an unpredictable plot, the reader is whisked to exotic locations, and as only Michael Webb can artfully achieve, the story comes together with a conclusion that is truly satisfying.

I can't wait to read the sequel which I hear will be available soon.

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Monday, September 16, 2013

A Memoir or a Novel - How Does One Decide Which Way to Craft a Story Based on Real-Life Events


by Lorilyn Roberts

 

 


Recently on a Linked-In discussion group, someone made this comment:  I’m strongly biased toward fiction unless you are trading on celebrity or some highly publicized event. Memoirs put out as imparting the wisdom of the elders or holding up your past mistakes as object lessons turn me off. The fact you were a moron yesterday doesn’t make you a genius today. Journals and memoirs may be great for family but most are less attractive to a general audience and often convey the message of pleading to be loved or admired. Make it fiction and you can be more candid and the reader can decide whether your experience was informative, moving or amusing based on its own merits.” 

I strongly disagree with his statement and share the following thoughts:

Memoirs are some of the most powerful pieces written today, but people are shortsighted. They don’t always see the value of first-hand accounts in the present. Without memoirs, we have history written by partial observers who bring their own worldview into play—maybe at the expense of writing with accuracy the way the events actually happened. Second-hand accounts are never as factual as first-hand stories and never as valuable for historical purposes.

Many people love reading memoirs and will look for them in libraries and bookstores. Life experiences written by people reveal more about society than any history book or journalist covering a story. I am thankful for all the memoirs written today by all sorts of people to give us a peek into the present and the past.

For example, the world never would have known of Anne Frank if she had not written her diary. She was an unknown 13-year-old kid before her father published her diary.

If you have a compelling story to tell, tell it with passion, revealing your innermost struggles and thoughts. Being “real” with the reader will make your story come alive. In my memoir
Children of Dreams about the international adoption of my daughters, I was open and vulnerable. That was the right way to tell that story. I could never have fictionalized it.

I just wrote another book and this one is fiction,
Seventh Dimension - The Door. In contrast to Children of Dreams, I took certain events from my own life and turned them into fantasy. I had a story to tell and the only way to tell it was as allegory and to fictionalize it. The point being, do what the story calls for and write it. Don’t let naysayers talk you out of writing your story the way you feel it needs to be told. At the end of the day, you have to live with the result and be happy with the story and the way you wrote it.

These are some thoughts I would consider:  Who is your target audience? What is your purpose in writing your story? Can anyone be hurt or impacted negatively if you write your book as a memoir? If you write your story as a memoir in hopes of making money, you need to write your book as “creative nonfiction,” using fictional techniques.

For example, you need a beginning, a middle, and an end. You need to think in terms of “scenes” and “plot” and “problems” that need to be solved. The reader needs a takeaway—what can he learn from your memoir that would be meaningful or cathartic? No one wants to read someone’s boring biography.

If you decide to write your book as fiction, you will have more options and won’t run the risk of being sued or worried about divulging something you might regret later.
 
However, you need the skills to write fiction. Writing fiction is harder than writing a memoir because you have to create “story” out of fiction and make the plot enticing to read. In a future piece, I will suggest some books for writing fiction that I used in my Masters in Creative Writing that I found helpful.

I have written an award-winning piece on writing memoir that is posted on my website. Here is the link for anyone interested. Some might find it helpful. http://lorilynroberts.com/memoir.html

The most important thing as a writer is to keep writing and to keep learning—whether your write fiction, nonfiction, or memoir, and enjoy the journey.