Wendy Appleton talks about A Little Girl's War and After the War

 

Welcome to the amazing Wendy Appleton who tells us about her memoires about living in England during World War II. 

Wendy Appleton grew up in Kent, known as 'The Garden of England.' Now a great-grandmother, she writes about her memories and adventures in extraordinary detail. Her amusing and delightful writing style draws you in as if you were right there with her.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.appleton.10

I'm now an 80+year-old great-grandmother, and I wrote my first memoir in 2012. It was the story of a five-year-old perspective in wartime, entitled A Little Girl's War.

After my book was published, I was surprised at the stellar reviews I received from book reviewers and newspaper journalists. My great-niece took it to her primary school teacher who read my book to her young students, and I received 30 letters in response. I replied by hand-writing a letter back to every student.

My sister-in-law, a teacher in France, gave my book to a fellow teacher who was teaching English history. She loved the book so much that she made it part of the school curriculum. The students read my book and formed groups to each pose a question to me. I was asked to send a video reply answering them all.

My second book was published in 2020 and titled After The War – A Memoir. It is the sequel to the first. It begins when the war has ended and takes you through my journey from childhood to womanhood.

Writing both books had its challenges. Being sent away from home, seeing a crashing plane while running through the streets alone during an air raid, and other disturbing experiences were painful to remember. The memories became vivid and scary, re-living them as I wrote them down. In "After the War," the most difficult parts were recalling the death of my parents. For obvious reasons.

The research was minimal as the books are a recollection of my own memories. I researched second world war history to make sure I got the dates right.

I have always loved reading and have found many books inspiring. As a child, I read much more than I do now and loved reading books by Enid Blyton. I would get completely lost in her stories. I have enjoyed books by Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling and C.S Lewis. One of my favourites is "The Keeper of the Bees" by Gene Stratton Porter. Now I love to read gardening books and anything to do with plants as I am still an avid gardener and have always loved flowers. Growing up in Kent, known as 'The Garden of England," has made an indelible mark on my life.

The idea to write my book came from reminiscing with my sister. We were evacuated together and, in later years, still recalled many memories of that time in our lives. I received encouragement from my daughter and my husband, which helped me to start writing. While writing my first book, I was not very computer savvy and lost the entire script three times, and because I had to start from scratch three times, it took me seven years to write.

In my opinion, a great author produces a book that readers enjoy reading. The response that I received from my first book gave me the courage to write the second book. I think it helped that I was always good at English in school. Having an aptitude for reading and writing helped me get my thoughts onto paper and express what I wanted to say. I am also blessed with a good memory, essential when writing about things that happened seven decades ago!

Once my second book was released, I was taken aback to feel conflicted about having shared details on my family's lives. I suddenly felt exposed and did not expect to feel so vulnerable. Writing the book was the only aspect I had been aware of and not the effects on others reading what I had shared. I began to question my decision to publish my story.

I have realized that there is no point in worrying about that now, and I have learned to let it go. Now I am writing my third book. What would have been another memoir is being written as a fictional piece, inspired by my memories. I write when I am inspired to write, with no fixed routine. I enjoy it more that way.

 

A LITTLE GIRL'S WAR

Wendy ran home through the streets of Bexleyheath with the air-raid siren wailing, her little gas mask box bumping against her hip. Just as she reached her front gate, a Spitfire spiralled out of the air and crashed into the school field at the end of the road. You never forget a moment like that. Growing up in Bexleyheath in the Second World War, bombs, air-raid sirens and fear were all Wendy had ever known. Here, through the eyes of a small child, we see family life on the Home Front in 1944 in its entirety - from bombed-out houses to burnt potato peelings, from maths lessons and classroom antics to air-raid sirens and crashing planes. After the family slept through an air raid that destroyed the houses directly opposite, Wendy's parents decided it had become far too dangerous. Wendy, her sister Thelma and her brother Brian were evacuated to the Burnley area of Lancashire. Surrounded by a new accent, shining front steps and outdoor lavatories, this little girl felt a long way from home. However, the two women who took Wendy and her sister into their home helped her adjust to a new way of life. She remembers fondly the kindness of these women, as well as her other experiences as an evacuee: a new school, nits, chickens, gravy, and her first trip to the seaside. Wendy Appleton describes beautifully the memories that were imprinted so deeply on her young mind. As she discussed her recollections with her older brother and sister and started to write them down, everything came flooding back - so much so that at times she was in tears. She is delighted to share within these pages the sights, songs and sounds of her wartime childhood.

https://www.amazon.ca/Little-Girls-War-Wendy-Appleton/dp/1445606399

 

AFTER THE WAR – A MEMOIRE

No more bombs, no more noise, and no more mayhem. No more searching the skies for flying bombs or enemy aircraft. No more food rationing. Instead, family holidays and trips to the seaside in a country that is now at peace. Follow this typical English family as their lives unfold and the children become adults in post-war England. Wendy shares memories of an age past and her journey from childhood to womanhood.

https://www.amazon.ca/After-War-memoir-Wendy-Appleton/dp/1777315506

Carole Fontaine tells us about Sail Above the Clouds

Welcome to "The Sailing Yogi" and author, Carole Fontaine!

  

Known to some as, “The Sailing Yogi,” Carole Fontaine teaches by sharing stories of her 20 years of living aboard a sailboat to illustrate the life lessons and challenges she overcame. A successful professional graphic designer, she left the busy world of design after her health failed and sent her on a 10-year journey to search for answers and heal from chronic disease.

She studied holistic and yogic philosophies and learned ways to manage her health. This ignited a passion for teaching and helping people apply simple techniques to live healthier lives and discover their heart’s purpose. Carole is a certified Life Coach, Meditative Writing, Shakti Dance® Yoga, and Reiki Master Teacher.

Readers live vicariously through Carole’s journey of finding her voice, taking control of her health, and discovering her passion, forgiveness, and strength—all while sailing the ocean, diving in caves, swimming with sharks, surviving hurricanes, waking up in a sinking boat, and maneuvering in a meager 41 feet of living space with an unconventional husband and, of course, a dog.

Who on earth would purposely choose to live this type of inevitably challenging and non-conforming life? One who sought the freedom to reclaim and reinvent herself—meet Carole—she’s driven to inspire others to rise above omnipresent (and sometimes self-induced) drama, so she could manifest a life that offers true prosperity and authentic happiness.

Praised for her ability to connect with individuals on a deeply personal level, Fontaine inspires change through storytelling, mindfulness education, and meditative writing. She teaches online classes and when not in a pandemic, offers local in-person classes.

Fontaine was awarded an Inspirational Leadership Scholarship by Female About Business (FAB), a division of the Florida Deland Chamber of Commerce.

Her four-book series shares adventures, inspiring lessons, and self-mastery tools which underpin her program S.A.I.L.: Simplify, Align, Integrate, and Let Go—so you can live an extraordinary life. Book one, SAIL Above the Clouds—How to Simplify your Life, recently launched to excellent reviews and enthusiastic readers from all walks of life.

After living in Florida for 25 years and sailing the Bahamas extensively, she sailed to Maine where she currently lives with her husband of 30-years, and has a thriving graphic design business. She is currently working on Book #2 of the series.

SNEAK PEEK / WEBSITE: https://bit.ly/3mdK0tm

AMAZON: https://amzn.to/3q4bQdR

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sail-above-the-clouds

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sail-above-the-clouds-carole-d-fontaine/1138495927?ean=9781736150603

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1621129.Carole_D_Fontaine

FB: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredCreationsInc

IG: https://www.instagram.com/awomaninspired/

What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult? 

The chapters that were the most difficult to write were about the years when I was sick and doctors couldn’t diagnose the source of my illness. Understandably, it’s never pleasant to relive your most anguished memories when you’re depressed and considering your mortality. I had to dive deep and relive those fears so I could describe that period, and although I’ve healed so much since, there is still a lot of heaviness around it.

No matter how painful, I honor these experiences because the lessons that I learned were vital to my growth and healing. I know a lot of readers either struggle with their health or have watched someone they love go through a health scare. It’s important to know that we are not alone and that our health is the number one most important thing in life.

What sort of research do you do for your work? 

Since my book is the story of my life, I haven’t needed to do a lot of research. I did look up certain facts when describing locations or confirmed data from events like documented hurricanes.
I also share meditations and tools for personal growth after each chapter and those are either inspired from the years of trainings I’ve had in different modalities, or common knowledge in the mindfulness or health & wellness fields.

Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author that inspires you?

Brené Brown is definitely on the top of my list of adorned inspirational leaders, and I have immense respect for Eckhart Tolle. For fiction, I thoroughly enjoy Starhawk’s The Fifth Sacred Thing and read the first book several times. I haven’t tackled the rest of the series yet but have it on my kindle. I was captivated by Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and loved Jean Auel’s Clan of The Cave Bear series. I love fantasy, magical stories, and period pieces with strong inspirational leading ladies.

Was there a person who encouraged you to write? 

I used to keep a diary as a kid but stopped writing when I went to college. I wish I hadn’t, that would have made a great book! Mom probably would have liked it less! Fast forward 20 years and a friend I used to know when I was sick kept telling me that I should journal. At the time, I was followed by numerous doctors and barely had the strength to think of anything else except healing my body, so I didn’t take her advice. Eventually, I reached my darkest night of the soul, and in a desperate attempt to find answers I started to journal and look for holistic ways to understand why my body was failing me.

As I healed, my journal became a kind friend I could confide in. I found my voice, discovered patterns in my life, and recognized that I had been avoiding issues that were affecting my health. Writing helped me heal. I also got trained in meditation, yoga, and miscellaneous healing techniques, and since journaling had been so beneficial to me, I eventually started to teach Meditative Writing, blending some of these practices for more powerful results.

For 20 years, I always kept a captain’s log of our travels, and on occasion would write short stories for myself to document particular events. Once I started teaching Meditative Writing, I started to illustrate my classes with stories of our life on board and students loved it. This is how the idea of my SAIL ABOVE THE CLOUDS series was born. I feel blessed because I get to share two things I love the most in one book: my life on the boat, and inspiring others to live a healthier and happier life! 

What would you say are your strengths as an author? 

I inspire. I always find a silver ray through the clouds, no matter how bad the storm.
And it’s not out of naivety or avoidance of “bad” situations because I face challenges dead on. Fear may have me shaking at the helm but I stand my ground and look at the storm in the eye, and do what needs to get done to get out of whatever mess I’m in. Yes, afterward I may fall to pieces for a while, but I always acknowledge that there is a lesson waiting to shine through.

It is how I got out of my depression and how I tackled every scary obstacles I have faced. My greatest mission in life is to inspire people. I named my company Inspired Creations. It started out as a graphic design company as I inspired through art. It expanded to jewelry design with Reiki Infused Crystals Jewelry that inspired beauty and health. Then morphed into inspiring people to better their lives through Meditative Writing, personal growth, and Shakti Dance Yoga classes. And now, I am inspiring through words and stories, and that fills my heart with joy.

Inspiration is something that connects us all no matter what culture, background, or walks of life. We all need inspiration to urge us to live our best life. Stories inspire us to rise above the clouds that permeate our daily drama and believe that our dreams can become our destiny. We are infused with energy, speak up, and make a stand. We create a better life for ourselves, better communities to thrive in, and a better world to live in.

It is a great honor to inspire others and no matter how different our stories are, I can relate to almost anyone. We have common grounds, we are all human. My stories may be on a sailboat, but the challenge of finding my voice and gaining the strength to take control of my life is the same whether it is sailing a 20-ton vessel, firing your doctors, or starting your own business.

Hopefully, I can share some light on a cloudy day with my S.A.I.L. book series:
S-implify your life,
A-lign your goals with your heart’s purpose,
I-ntegrate tools for success, and
L-et go of all that doesn’t serve you.

And my adventures on Windsong may just inspire you to Sail Above the Clouds! 

How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine? 

I need to be inspired to write. (Recognize the theme? It rules my life!)
That being said, I am an inspired soul so I write a lot! My favorite time, of course, is as I wake up in the morning when the veil of dreamland is thin, and I still have one foot in the other realm. I find that writing early before the hustle and bustle of the day, or after meditation helps me connect with my inner voice. I even surprise myself sometimes by the harmony of the words that flow onto the pages.

If I’m working on a book, I get up, do my meditation, and then work on the book without interruption or looking at any social media or television. SAIL Above the Clouds is a series of four books, all at different stages of completion. It used to be one large book, but at the suggestion of a professional in the industry I cut it down to four. I have been working on this heart project on and off for five years.

In 2020, I started doing a special meditation to remove blockages. After I did it for 40 consecutive days, I told myself that if I can do this, surely I can commit to working on my book every single day, even if only for ten minutes until it’s done. I did and it was one of the grandest moments in my life when I typed THE END, and say out loud: IT IS DONE! Not just because the book was finished, but because I kept my promise to myself.

In the past, I had broken my word, pushed back my launch date, allowed self-doubts to push aside my writing, and procrastinated. This time, I kept my commitment. I proved to myself that I could accomplish what I set out to do. Dreams do become reality when you take constant actions towards your goal. It was extremely empowering!

SAIL ABOVE THE CLOUDS

GET ONBOARD & GET INSPIRED as Carole invites readers to join her as she sells everything and moves aboard a 41’ sailboat where she’ll spend the next 20 years navigating life’s highs and lows. Laugh at her beginner’s mistakes, cringe at the hurricanes coming, take heart in her search to heal from chronic illness, and rejoice in her finding the strength to conquer it all, and find meaningful purpose.

Packed with adventures, at times humorous, other times far-out scary, it is also an inspiring tool of self-discovery with each chapter sharing lessons she learned, and a journaling question and transformational exercises for the reader to go on an inner journey.

The reviews are outstanding and the most recurring note is “I couldn’t put it down!”

SAIL Above the Clouds—How to Simplify your Life, was the #1 New Release on Amazon for 3 weeks in 3 categories, and has sold copies on 5 of the 7 continents!

Read the outstanding reviews on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3q4bQdR

More info & SNEAK PEEK: https://bit.ly/3mdK0tm

May you sail above the clouds! ~ ⛵ ~

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3q4bQdR

Back Cover:

GET ONBOARD AND GET INSPIRED!

Unafraid to ‘rock the boat,’ this sailor-turned-author drops her truth bombs—like an anchor. Here’s your chance to live vicariously through one woman's journey of finding her voice, taking control of her health, and discovering her passions, strength and capacity for love and forgiveness.

Join Carole as she moves onto a boat, adapts to a new lifestyle, learns hard ‘beginner’ lessons, sails the breathtaking ocean, survives gale storms, and navigates life for 20 years in a meager 41 feet of living space with an unconventional husband and, of course, a dog.

S.A.I.L. Above the Clouds weaves big emotions, humorous impasses, and motivating results through topics such as overcoming major health concerns and chronic disease, tackling mental health, surviving the doldrums of a 30-year marriage, discovering life’s purpose, and learning when you’re the crab’s dinner, or receiving a naked spank from Mother Nature.

How to SIMPLIFY Your Life is the first of a four-book series where each book represents a unique aspect from the author’s signature program S.A.I.L: Simplify, Align, Integrate, Let Go. Readers will benefit from tips and insights on how to simplify all aspects of their life while exploring different healing modalities, writing prompts, and exercises following each chapter.

It is packed with stories that will make readers laugh, cry, or cringe—all weaved into an interactive set of tools that invites you to dive deep into a journey of self-discovery and come out of it energized, enlightened, and inspired!

Raise your sails and set course on an exciting and purpose-driven adventure!

 

Brenda Felber and her alter ego tell us about Captured on Camera and Mystery Island

 

Welcome to middle-grade mystery and cozy mystery author, Brenda Felber 

and her alter ego, Suzanne Bolden!

Brenda Felber recently returned to her roots in central Wisconsin, after living away for over forty years. Brenda loves travel, especially road trips. In her Pameroy Mystery Series for middle graders, she takes young readers along with imagineer Lillia Pameroy to all fifty states! In each story threads of local history and twists of paranormal weave a mystery that encourages curiosity in young readers. Under the pen name, Suzanne Bolden, Brenda writes cozy mystery series for adults. Suzanne Bolden’s protagonists in the first two series share Brenda’s life-long interests of photography and sewing along with a curious mind.

https://brendafelber.com

https://facebook.com/brendafelberauthor

https://facebook.com/suzanneboldenauthor

What genre do you write?

Under my real name Brenda Felber, I write a middle-grade mystery series. Pameroy Mysteries take young readers on a journey to every state in the US…or will eventually! They experience history through Lillia’s paranormal abilities. Book #11 will be published later this year and features the Hoover Dam area in Nevada.

As Suzanne Bolden, I write cozy mysteries. The Parker Photography Series book #4 will be published February 25th. A new series, Sew-Sew Murder Mystery will be publishing next year.

Do your reading choices reflect your writing choices?

I’ve never been asked this before, and in thinking about my answer, I was surprised how much they do! My reading habits have changed over the years, but Dean Koontz was a favorite, and thus the paranormal element in my middle-grade series. I’ve always loved the big sweeping epic historical fiction like those of Edward Rutherford and James Michener. Again, I see how that reflects in my Pameroy series. I want young readers to have an appreciation for whatever area of the world they live in, including its history, both big and small.

Lastly…mysteries! A constant reading choice of mine. From Sue Grafton’s alphabet series to Mary Higgins Clark, the suspense and thrill of a good mystery makes for a book I can’t put down. In writing my cozy mysteries I wanted to create books that readers would reach for and settle in to enjoy. I loved the Murder She Wrote television series and besides reading current mystery authors, I’m binge watching the TV series!

Which type of characters are your favorite to write?

I love writing the characters that pop off the page. The ones with some snark and personality to them. The ones that would exhaust the reader if they were the main protagonist, but are fun to write, putting words in their mouths and giving them a unique physicality.

Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the character you want readers to love?

For myself, I’d have to say it’s my imagination that most characters come out of. But that imagination incorporates photographs for inspiration and also characteristics of people I’ve known or encountered in real life. A character rarely shows up full blown, it’s a layering of voice, look, dress, background, etc.

For years I’ve kept what I call a capture journal. It’s filled with brief notes of things that pass by or through my life. Perhaps a turn of phrase, a unique reaction, or a hairstyle or dress detail that will make a future character loveable and memorable.

Do your characters come before or after you plot?

In my cozy series most are established characters in the village’s setting. They fit a need in the plot as the series is written in first person. I need gossips, police, and nosy neighbors waiting to contribute to the story as the plot develops. New characters will show up to fit the plot i.e. murder victim, suspects. However, in the Pameroy Mystery series there very few continuing characters so new characters are being continually developed, but even here I believe the plot comes first. Except for any real-life historical characters I choose to use, such as Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain.

How do you choose a villain and how do you make them human?

The middle-grade series so-called villains are quite different than the murderer in a cozy mystery. Lillia Pameroy has encountered bad guys from one hundred years ago, like a Deadwood miner from the past who redeems and humanizes himself by leading Lillia to where her friend is lost in a mine shaft. In one of the stories the villain is a pirate queen and is humanized in a surprising way that I can’t give away, but it takes Lillia to make that happen. In the cozy mystery series, the villain appears unexpectedly as the story comes to a conclusion. Often the murderers are humanized to the reader because they are part of the story world the reader is in. Readers are surprised by the unexpected passion of a woman scorned, or the average Joe hiding a secret to kill for.

 

 CAPTURED ON CAMERA

Everything is not harmonious in the Village of Harmony!

The small midwestern community of Harmony is excited about the upcoming nuptials of its matriarch Eleanor Harmony, who is marrying for the fourth time. Jackie Parker, a not-ready-to-retire baby boomer, has arrived to help her great-aunt Ruth photograph the wedding.

But the event is called off when the body of the groom is discovered! Jackie and her friend Wanda stumble upon the scene of his tragic car accident. Jackie instinctively photographs the crash scene, not realizing the pictures will be instrumental in proving what really happened to Eleanor’s fiancé in the dark of night on that lonely road.

With the wedding called off, Jackie prepares to return to Chicago, but instead finds herself staying in Harmony as she begins to suspect the cause of Paul’s death isn’t what it first appeared to be. Her natural curiosity pairs with the police investigation as she follows clues to reveal the truth!

Hugging the banks of the Wisconsin River and rising up into wooded hills and bluffs, the community of Harmony welcomes you! Be whisked away on a fun cozy mystery escape in every book in the series. 

https://www.amazon.com/Captured-Camera-Parker-Photography-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08HW86W8Q/

 

MYSTERY ISLAND

Twelve-year-old Lillia Pameroy senses the mysterious pull of Mackinac Island as she sails toward it on a ferry. An elderly driver waits at the pier with a horse-drawn carriage to transport Lillia, her little brother Charlie, and Grauntie Nora to their summer cottage. Only this cottage is a huge three-story mansion!

Sounds coming from the third-floor lead to the discovery of a child’s playroom. Will clues from disappearing sunglasses and life-size portraits, to a message in a bottle, help Lillia discover what the spirit of the girl in the attic wants?

With the arrival of a violent storm, the island is shut down and shipwrecks at the bottom of the lake soon become part of the story of this magically mysterious place.

 https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Island-Pameroy-Michigan-Book-ebook/dp/B07ZWDDSS5/

Round Robin Blog Fest February 2021

 

Can you believe we're already nearly two months into 2021? Wow! This year has been a blur for me. I've pre-released my newest book ALL THAT SHINES and wrote a play that I'm waiting on critiques for. Not a bad start to the year. Now for a little fun time!  

This month's Round Robin Blog question should be fun. Our question is:

Where do you get your ideas for stories?

My short answere is:  Anywhere and everywhere. 

I’ve had ideas come from:

• dreams
• from conversations I've had or overheard
• from seeing photographs in person or in magazines
• memes
• lines from movies or plays
• while falling asleep at night
• while soaking in the tub
• while out for a walk or doing yoga
• while shopping
• reading biographies
• street signs - seriously!
• inspiration from books or poems
• animals
• kids
• misheard song lyrics

My latest play idea hit me while I walked from my office ten feet down the hall to my livingroom. I was thrilled that I'd just finished my very first play and sent it off to the artistic director for feedback. By the time I reached the couch, I had to sit down and write the scene that popped into my head then the outline, then the ending. I had the whole thing outlined in fifteen minutes. Now I just have to write it.

To be honest, my stories usually don't happen that fast, but when inspiration hits it can be like a runaway train! Most of the time, I just get scenes here and there then piece them all together. Except for writing books during Nanowrimo, that is!

My newest novel, All That Shines book two in my Glitter Bay Mysteries, evolved after I met a lovely woman who is transgender. She walked into the theatre where I worked to buy a ticket one day and I was fascinated with her story. She inspired me to create Quinn, a character I adore who will be back in full force in the next Glitter Bay Mystery novel. While All That Shines doesn't dig deep into Quinn's story, she sure has one to tell! 

To check out ALL THAT SHINES click out my announcement: 

http://dbator.blogspot.com/2021/02/new-book-announcement.html

Now that I've done the self-promotion and told you where my bright ideas come from, I hope you'll check out the great group of writers I get to do this with! I can't wait to see where they get their ideas.

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2eA

Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/

Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

Gary McGugan, Canadian Suspense Thriller Writer

 

Welcome to Canadian thriller writer and one of my inspiring WCYR Write-In buddies, 

Gary McGugan!

Gary D. McGugan

 I'm in love with the same special lady for more than five decades. Together, we celebrate a daughter, a son, a daughter-in-law, and three outstanding grandkids. Our family is close and tightly knit. We live nearby. We travel together. And we love to share life.

Writing started after a 40-year career in the world of business. I’ve worked in a supermarket, sold appliances, distributed motorcycles, launched an automobile dealer network, and provided financing to help businesses grow. Every industry was very different from the other. Each company had a distinctive culture and character, but all were units of large corporations with operations around the globe.
Travel has always been a large component of my business roles. I visited almost every city, town, and hamlet in Canada while leading sales and marketing activities for the motorcycle, then the automobile, division of Suzuki Motor Company’s Canadian subsidiary.

Another sales leadership role took me to most states of the USA with ITT Corporation.

I visited all EU countries while living and working in Europe for several years – spearheading the creation of a new business unit for Deutsche Bank.

And responsibilities with a unit of GE Capital allowed me to explore and create new businesses with several countries in Asia and Latin America.

Experts say we should write about things we know best. In my case, those subjects are business, travel, and people. As an author, my goal is to entertain people around the world – one reader at a time.

Website and other links. 

https://www.garydmcguganbooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gary.d.mcgugan.books

https://twitter.com/GaryDMcGugan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-d-mcgugan

https://www.instagram.com/authorgarydmcgugan/

What would you say are your strengths as an author?

I like to write quick-paced stories, with short chapters, and lots of twists and turns. I know many readers are pressed for time and squeeze their reading into brief segments. With short chapters, readers feel comfortable devoting whatever time they have available and know they can pick up from where they left off without missing a beat!

How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?

When I’m working on a new book, I devote every morning to writing. I also exercise every afternoon and walk 1-2 hours at a good pace, with no headset, earphones, or other distractions. I write the next chapter as I walk. The following morning, I put to paper the chapter I created in my mind.

Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

I’ve written one novel per year since I penned Three Weeks Less a Day in 2016. During the next five years, I expect to continue creating entertaining novels but sprinkle a work of non-fiction or two into the mix.

If you could offer one piece of advice to a novice writer, what would it be?

Without any doubt, the most useful advice I can give is to find and join a writers’ group. A good community of writers offers wonderful opportunities to network with other writers, connect with many useful resources and learn the craft of writing from experienced experts. I’m a member of the Writers’ Community of York Region in Canada. Our group of almost 100 writers does all those things, and also welcomes members from outside our geographic area. With the pandemic, all workshops are via Zoom so members can attend wherever they live. I also heard our guest speaker on Sunday, February 21 will be Diane Bator!  WCYR members and non-members can register to participate here: https://wcyork.ca/events/

What would you consider to be the best compliment a reader could give your book?

“I had trouble putting it down!” Whenever I hear that from a reader, I know I’ve done my job well and told a story that was entertaining regardless of the plot or subtext.

What are you working on now?

I’m working with graphic artists to finalize my newest story, A Web of Deceit. Paperback and eBook versions are scheduled for release on March 1, 2021. I think A Web of Deceit is my most creative story yet. I use characters from all my earlier novels and give them interesting twists in an international suspense thriller that takes place in the early days of an unfolding global pandemic. It’s a self-contained story but readers will enjoy it even more if they’ve read some of my earlier works!

 

A WEB OF DECEIT

Fate, misfortune and opportunity entangle three rivals in a quick-paced suspense thriller.

·       CEO Suzanne Simpson fends off accusations of corporate money laundering on two continents as a global pandemic wreaks havoc on Multima Supermarkets.

·       Fugitive Howard Knight flees from the Caribbean to Asia, trying desperately to elude both an Interpol Red Notice and a dangerous criminal outfit called The Organization.

·       Fidelia Morales stakes her role as head of a powerful criminal element on an outrageous cyber scheme to steal millions from corporations around the globe.

 ALSO BY GARY MCGUGAN: