Please welcome Linda Sands author of '3 Women Walk into a Bar'

I was lucky enough to hang out on a beach sipping adult beverages with Linda and ask her a few bookish questions before her novel releases on June 9th.  

(okay, maybe we weren't on the beach and there's a strong chance I was drinking alone)

Anywho, let's see what Linda has to say about Zombies, reading, and writing.

1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.

Linda says: Erin Morgenstern for her ability to write and create magic. Robert Kirkman because he knows zombies like no one else and Mike Rowe because I need comedic and handsome distraction from zombie killing, and plus, he's the king of dirty jobs.

Meredith says: I LOVE all 3! I want to be on your team too! (PS have you ever seen Robert Kirkman's author photo on his Amazon page? I laugh out loud every time I see it) It's right there ----------------------------------------->

Also, have you read his Walking Dead spinoff series The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor ? I got it for christmas last year, read all 4 books in 4 days. Must read for Walking Dead lovers.

Linda says: I can't read the books. It's weird, I become too judg-y when I compare film and print. I fall for one or the other and can't twist my mind to accept both. For me, this is a TV show, and those crappy southern accents are real- even though I drive by the places they film the show all the time. Sigh. I am a conundrum.

Meredith says: Stay away from Rise of the Governor then, it doesn't follow the TV series exactly.

2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why.

Linda says: King, because his ghost haunting me would be too much to bear.
Meredith says: King's ghost would be the creepiest. I'm already scared of it.
Linda says: TBH, I'm kinda scared of him. My best friend took a dare and showed up at his house in Maine a long time ago. She said he was great, so nice... I think she was brainwashed.
Meredith says: I'm frightened for her...

3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?

Linda says: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann

Meredith Says: I really really want to real All the Light We Cannot See.

Linda says: I'm actually listening to it as I drive and walk and workout. My workouts are longer than ever. ( PS, the narrator is awesome.)

4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?

Linda says: None. There are too many books out in the world to re-read anything. I actually gave myself the gift of "not finishing a book" seven years ago. Best thing I could have done for my sanity.

Meredith says: You're killing me, Linda. I'm dying a slow death. Jim Morris doesn't re-read books either. Am I the only one who re-reads books they love?

Linda says: Nah, it's not just you. It's also every high school literature teacher re-reading The Great Gatsby.
Meredith says: Sweet Jesus (opens another beer)

5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?

Linda says: Toss up between Ordinary Grace by William Kent Kruger and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Meredith Says: Did you know "The Goldfinch was its 37th best-selling book, but only 44% of those who started it managed to complete it." So Linda, did you finish it? I'm guessing you did :)

Linda says: I really loved it, and it was for my neighborhood book club, so there is that stigma to avoid being- "The woman who didn't finish the book but comes to drink the wine.

Meredith says: Keeping it classy. I'd sit in a corner and drink all the wine.

6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?

Linda says: I really liked The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, but I'm a sucker for all things Alice Hoffman and her book, The Dovekeepers was simply gorgeous. ( too bad TV sucked the life out of it)

Meredith says: I want to read Girl on the Train sososososososo bad! And a few people I know loved The Dovekeepers. Both are on my TBR list.

Linda says: I actually "read" both on Audible. Yes, it's true. I can read a heck of a lot more when someone is reading to me.

7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?

Linda says: I fly in my sleep all the time, so it must be flight. I would rescue people, change disasters, maybe drag clouds to places with drought, definitely avoid traffic.

Meredith says: I'd love to avoid traffic by flying. Especially Carrier Dome traffic when I have to work on a friday night. Dome traffic in downtown Syracuse is the worst. Oh hey, your book '3 Women walk into a Bar' is set in Syracuse. Do your characters get to experience dome traffic?

Linda says: I don't know how we missed this connection. I grew up in Baldwinsville and have many fond memories of "The Hill," in Syracuse. Well, many foggy ones at least. LOL. That must be why I felt drawn to the Irish pub idea. I almost put in a traffic light with the green on top! You're funny talking about Dome traffic. The traffic is absolutely nothing compared to traffic in the suburbs and city of Atlanta. People in CNY drive soooo slow. (says the girl with the Jaguar XK-R and radar/laser detector)

Meredith says: It's a teeny tiny world we live in. I grew up/live about 30 miles north in Oswego. It's where everyone makes the methamphetamine-not me, just a lot of other people. (and-before you ask-no I didn't marry my cousin and I have all of my teeth). I need a country road. I can't handle big city traffic. It stresses me out. No Atlanta for this girl-says the one with the Jeep with a lift kit to get over the snowbanks :)

8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?

Linda says: My office desk space is holy ground. No one can come in if I raise my hand, wave them off.  But, if my Macbook didn't get so hot I'd be outside in the sun every day.

9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book 3 Women Walk into a Bar.

Linda says: Maybe I'm a bit sick, but I really liked writing the car crash scene with Big Jim. Reading wise, I like the strip club scene. (The shadow dancer scene is based on a true experience.)

Meredith says: Maybe you're just an adrenaline junkie? Car crashes and strip clubs - my adrenaline's pumping.

Linda says: Guilty as charged. Every anniversary, the husband and I challenge each other to a unique adventure. Hang gliding one year, race car driving another, rainforest volcano hikes, bi-plane piloting.. we were even made blind for an hour. That was frightening.

Meredith says: Your diagnosis is clear. Adrenaline junkie.

10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slip into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?

Linda says: I definitely have parts of all three girls: Chamonix, Roxie and Crescent Moon, but I think I'm most like Tedesco in 3 Women Walk into a Bar— even though he is loosely based on an ex-boyfriend.

11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.

Linda says: I love music- all kinds. I use music to set the scene, draw my characters. But when I'm writing dialogue, no music. No noise. Just me talking out loud with my imaginary friends.  The WIP is set partially in Louisiana, so I listen to Le Cowboy Creole to get inspired. For the girls' scenes in 3 Women Walk into a Bar, I started every writing day off with Pink. She's just the right amount of sexy, tough, classy chick.

Meredith says: I love Pink!

Linda says: Funny. I took a group of girls to see Pink in concert here in Atlanta last year. She was amazing and beautiful and strong and brave and could sing perfectly while swinging on a trapeze high over our heads. Afterward, we went to the famous strip club, The Clermont Lounge. Sighhh. I am my novel.

Meredith says: I feel like more women should frequent strip clubs. Sounds like you're living life, which is what you should be doing :)

12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?

Linda says: If you're writing for fame or fortune, find another career.

Meredith says: Good tip

3Women Walk into a Bar

 Release Date: June 9, 2015

Buy Now

  *Also to be released as a paperback by Down & Out Books (date TBD)*

Connect with Linda Sands 

Facebook

Facebook Fan page

Twitter @lindasands

Website/Blog

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

(I like her, she's pretty and looks good in hats.)

Author takeover @ Bookies

Monday at 8pm

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LET HER GO by MRPritchard

OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon

TRUE NORTH by Liora Blake

THE HEALER by Allison Butler 

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What We Left Behind by Peter Cawdron

I am a super fan of the Walking Dead and love everything zombie. 'What We Left Behind' is a refreshing spin on zombie origins. Filled with a hearty load of kick-ass action scenes, Hazel and her teenage pals take a dramatic journey to save her father.

I read this book in 4 hours. It was that good.

And I love this cover, love love love it.



5/5 stars

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I feel like I'm always late to the party on some of these books. A few people that I work with kept suggesting I read this and I added it to my TBR forever ago. Now that Outlander is a hit TV series, I picked up the eBook. (To be truthful, I've been keeping an eye on the eBook and the price finally dropped)

'Outlander' was everything I wasn't expecting. Time travel, romance, hot dudes in kilts. A bit of a twisted love triangle. I'm sad I didn't read this sooner.

5/5 stars

Happy Release Day for 'Let Her Go'

Please welcome Jim Morris author of WHAT LIES WITHIN!

I was lucky enough to "sit down" with Jim and ask him a few bookish questions before his novel releases on June 2nd.  Let's see what Jim had to say about Zombies, reading, and writing.

1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.
Jim says: Norman Mailer, not because I knew him or have read his stuff (yet), but he was apparently temperamental, and seems like he would go crazy on some zombies; Ernest Hemingway, because I did read a ton of his books in my 20s, and given that he liked to hunt, he would know his way around dispatching the undead; and Stephen King, ‘cause with his imagination, we’d come up with some great strategies to survive.

Meredith says: Good choices!

2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why.
Jim says: Probably whoever was closest. They have both impacted our culture, and both deserve a shot at making it out of the water!

3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Jim says: I’m reading The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. It was recently optioned for a film, and I like to be up on what’s happening in the book-to-film world so that I don’t end up working on a novel for months at a time, only to finish it and find out, “Oh, so-and-so is starring in a movie just like yours!”

Meredith says: :)

4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Jim says: I usually don’t read books twice because there are just too many books waiting! But I’ve loved Ray Bradbury since I was a kid.

Meredith says: You're killing me, Jim.

5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Jim says: It’s a boring answer, but it’s the same as #6.

6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?
Jim says: My Amazon wishlist is filled with books, so I don’t often read books in the year they are released because I’m still catching up on things. I will say two books in my memory that I loved were The Night Circus and Beautiful Ruins.

Meredith says: I loved THE NIGHT CIRCUS! (PS if you loved THE NIGHT CIRCUS and HARRY POTTER then you have to read THE PAPER MAGICIAN)

7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Jim says: You know, I’d want wishes from a genie, ‘cause I think we all just need some help every once in a while getting over the bumps in life. Having a superpower would make one particular thing too easy, and I think over time, it might make me feel too separate from my fellow man.

8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
Jim says: My desk. It’s my office, and it’s got things the way I like them. But when I’ve got a bit of writers’ block, I find mixing up the spots helps, as well as moving from the computer to writing by hand. Something about the shift works different parts of the brain. That’s my theory, and I’m sticking with it!

Meredith says: If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book What Lies Within?
Jim says: I have read my draft over a thousand times, so it’s weird, any affection I had for some scenes got reduced because I saw how much other scenes needed my attention. A writer told me about screenplays that the script is only as good as your worst scene. So I try to find the ones that need the most TLC. But I’ve always enjoyed my first chapter because well, it’s what I wrote first, and I like to think I did a pretty good job of hooking the reader.

10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slip into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Jim says: In What Lies Within, that’s probably Winston. He’s Shelley’s best male friend, and he’s got a bad case of being in the Friend Zone, even though he’s funny and sensitive. Alas, that was my high school experience. (Shudder).

11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Jim says: I can only listen to music that doesn’t have lyrics – the lyrics are too distracting. So it’s a mix of orchestral, electronic or upbeat Tango. I do, however, love music, so when I’m not writing, my iTunes is going all the time.

Meredith says: There's nothing quite like a good orchestra compilation. I used to play cello. Have you ever listened to 2Cellos? They're amazing. I wrote many scenes from my book SARATOGA to their album.

12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Jim says: I’ve said this before, but “quit.” If you can quit, then writing was never for you, anyway. It’s harsh, but I say learn now what you love or don’t love, because this road is 99% rejection followed by an avalanche of heartache.

Meredith says: Excellent advice

WHAT LIES WITHIN

Releases June 2

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Connect with Jim Morris on

Facebook

Twitter

His website

Amazon Author Page

(That looks like a Corgi. Corgis rule)
*Correction: It's a Cattle Dog - Cattle Dogs still rule :) *

Unpaved Surfaces by Joseph Souza

A bittersweet story about love, loss, and the delicacy of family ties. 

UNPAVED SURFACES explores the varying degrees of mourning, guilt, and coping mechanisms of an entire family after the loss of a child. Souza delves deep into the psyche of each family member (child, teenager, and adult) a feat in itself, and Souza is flawless. The haunted tone of the prose very much reminded of Joe Hill’s HORNs (minus the occult horror aspects of that book). Overall, a great read that opens up a void in your soul and then slowly stitches it back together.

5/5 stars

The Dog Stars

I just finished this book last night and it was amazing.


Totally loved it.


A post-apocalyptic story about a man and his dog who have lost everything. A bit of hope gets them through. The prose was poetic and perfectly paced. The ending was perfect. So good!

Guys, we won!!

Guys, thank you SO so so much for nominating LET HER GO, 

the book has been selected for publication by the Kindle Press team. 

Yay!!
(Details to follow)

Clash of Eagles (Clash of Eagles #1) by Alan Smale

Clash of Eagles (Clash of Eagles #1)
by Alan Smale

The blurb:
It’s The Last of the Mohicans meets HBO’s Rome in this exciting and inventive debut novel from Sidewise Award-winner Alan Smale that will thrill fans of alternate history, historical fiction, and military fiction.

In a world where the Roman Empire never fell, a legion under the command of general Gaius Marcellinus invades the newly-discovered North American continent. But Marcellinus and his troops have woefully underestimated the fighting prowess of the Native American inhabitants. When Gaius is caught behind enemy lines and spared, he must reevaluate his allegiances and find a new place in this strange land.



Review:
This is the first alternate history novel I've read and it was a pleasant surprise. Clash of Eagles was a well written story that just flowed so smoothly.

It's the thirteenth century and Praetor Gaius Marcellinus travels to Nova Hesperia to quench the Roman thirst for gold. Early on, Marcellinus's legion falls and the Cahokian people of the Mississippi river valleys take the Praetor in. Throughout the book, Marcellinus learns about the Cahokia culture and introduces the people to many Roman ideas and inventions. Rich with graphic descriptions of battle, I found the day to day interactions between Marcellinus and the Cahokian people to be my favorite. If you like alternate history novels, this read might be for you.

Great read.

4/5 stars   


**Thank you to Del Rey Spectra, a part of Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book for review**

The Thyme Fiend: A Tor.Com Original by Jeffrey Ford

 
Blurb:
The Thyme Fiend by Jeffrey Ford is a dark fantasy novelette about a young man who can only prevent seeing visions by eating or smoking thyme. When he finds the skeleton of a missing man the skeleton begins to haunt him. What does it want? 

Review:
This was a bit of a dark read, but totally worth it.  The story of a young boy whose parents help him navigate his demons by making tea and cigarettes with thyme. My favorite part was when the kid's father was teaching him how to roll thyme cigarettes. But then the story sputters to an ending that didn't seem as creative as the rest of it.

3/5 stars

Read it here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2015/03/the-thyme-fiend-jeffrey-ford

The Infinite by Lori M. Lee

The blurb:

The walls of Ninurta keep its citizens safe.
Kai always believed the only danger to the city came from within. Now, with a rebel force threatening the fragile government, the walls have become more of a prison than ever.
To make matters worse, as Avan explores his new identity as an Infinite, Kai struggles to remind him what it means to be human. And she fears her brother, Reev, is involved with the rebels. With the two people she cares about most on opposite sides of a brewing war, Kai will do whatever it takes to bring peace. But she’s lost her power to manipulate the threads of time, and she learns that a civil war might be the beginning of something far worse that will crumble not only Ninurta’s walls but also the entire city.
In this thrilling sequel to Gates of Thread and Stone, Kai must decide how much of her humanity she’s willing to lose to protect the only family she’s ever known.



Review:
Strangely, this was better than the first book, but the ending didn't hit the spot. The author leaves the series open for the third book in the series, but there was just something lacking in the last 25%. In THE INFINITE we see Kai and Avan's relationship struggle to be what it was. Also, there's more world!

I'm not sure why I picked this up to read, since the first book wasn't my favorite. I'm thinking it's those darn covers which are just so pretty.

3/5 stars






ARC received for an honest review.

This world is moving too fast, I'm taking my playlist back a few decades