donalee Moulton, Canadian Freelance Journalist and author of Hung Out to Die

 

I was thrilled to meet donalee virtually while a part of the Crime Writers of Canada Board of Directors. And now I get to feature her on my blog! I hope you enjoy meeting her!

 

donalee Moulton is an award-winning freelance journalist. She has written articles for print and online publications across North America including The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Lawyer’s Daily, National Post, and Canadian Business. 

Her first mystery book Hung out to Die was published this spring. Her short story “Swan Song” was one of 21 selected for publication in Cold Canadian Crime. A second short story, also featuring the Iqaluit-based chief of police Doug Brumal, was published this spring in Black Cat Weekly. Her literary short story “Moist” was published recently in After Dinner Conversation and The Antigonish Review. As well, she is the author of The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say and co-author of, Celebrity Court Cases: Trials of the Rich and Famous. 

CONTACTS:

Website: donaleemoulton.com 

Amazon Author URL: amazon.com/author/donaleemoulton

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donaleemoultonauthor

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/donaleemoulton

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaleemoulton/

Twitter: @donaleeMoulton

Instagram: donaleemoulton 

Tell us about your life outside of writing.

Life is good. It is filled with family, friends, and furry critters. There is yoga four times a week; I wish it could be more. That is, I know, I wish I could fulfill. There are wonderful times in the hot tub with the snow falling and bubble baths in the other times when the weather says it’s wisest to stay inside and soak.

Professionally, I’m transitioning from corporate writing and editing to doing more developmental, copyediting, and proofreading for writers. That is a joy.

Do you have a work in progress?

I have two works in progress. One is a new mystery with new characters. They meet in a yoga studio and come together to catch a thief. I loved Riel Brava, the main character in my first mystery, Hung Out to Die, but he was very much a surprise. Not what I would have picked as a main character emanating from my imagination. The next book, Bind, sounds and feels a little bit more like me. That said, it’s always good to be taken outside your comfort zone.

My second mystery-in-the-making does that. It’s an historical mystery, my first. It’s a delicate balancing act: focusing on the fiction and ensuring upmost accuracy of information.

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

That’s an interesting question. As a freelance journalist, I wrote on everything from intellectual property to the armoured truck industry to eel grass. Accuracy was paramount as was engagement. However, the most difficult piece I ever wrote was for “Lives Lived” in The Globe and Mail. It was a tribute to my mother following her death in 2020. It was so difficult to write because it was so personal. I had no perspective, and I feared I would not “get it right.” The only thing I know for sure: Mama, would have told me not to worry. And there would have been a hug.

What sort of research do you do for your work?

The historical mystery dictates the era and, in this case, the crime and its outcome. So, I am busy researching that, reading books, listening to documentaries, and finding everything and anything online. For my other fiction work, I research elements of the crime as a first step and, in the case of Riel, psychopathy. Sometimes place is a key component and I immerse myself in this new world. Usually, however, I find specific issues and questions arise as I write, then I take the time to investigate.

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

I relish reading. I was a judge in the Crime Writers of Canada’s most recent Awards of Excellence, and I got to dive into more than 40 fabulous – and very diverse – books that kept me on my toes and my eyes glued to the page. When I was younger and I was discovering the wonder and wow of the mystery genre, I devoured authors like Tony Hillerman, Martha Grimes, Ruth Rendell. More recently I have discovered writers like Richard Osman. And Delia Owens’s Where the Crawdads Sing was nothing short of joyous.

Was there a person who encouraged you to write?

My mother taught me to love language – and to respect it. She cared about words and getting the words right. She was my greatest influence.

 

HUNG OUT TO DIE

Riel Brava, CEO of the Canadian Cannabis Corporation, just wants to be left alone to do his job and one day run for president of the United States. He has a plan. Murder keeps getting in his way. It isn’t easy being a psychopath.

 

THE THONG PRINCIPLE: SAYING WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEANING WHAT YOU SAY

The Thong Principle has nothing to do with beachwear and everything to do with communication impact. The book explores why miscommunication occurs, where writers and speakers are most likely to muddy the waters, and why we put our heads in the sand when it comes to saying what we mean.

 ALL EBooks and Print:

https://www.amazon.ca/Donalee-Moulton/e/B09WVR3K44/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk

 

Mohan Asktakala talks about "Karma Nation" and "The Yoga Zapper"

Welcome to featured author Mohan Asktakala!

Mohan Ashtakala is an initiated Hindu Vaishnava priest and has lived in yoga ashrams across India. His goal is to expose the authentic narratives of the Yoga tradition through the medium of modern, page-turning novels.

He edited a monthly newspaper in Denver, Colorado, for thirteen years and has been published in the Denver Post, the Himalayan News, and other newspapers and magazines.

He has organized conferences on science and spirituality and has presented at interfaith gatherings, diversity conferences and at various churches and schools.

Mohan lives in Calgary, Canada with his wife Anuradha, son Hrishi, daughter Gopi, and Lila, the family’s Boston Terrier. He can sometimes be spotted absent-mindedly chanting mantras in the city’s parks.

A person who encouraged me to write: No one. I had to work against my family's disapproval of my writing, and since I did not go into Creative writing in college, had to go it alone.

Five years from now: I will keep writing, but I try not to make plans. This way, I keep myself open to inspiration. In any case, five years is too far ahead to plan. I try to be in the moment.

What I'm working on now: I am exploring a few ideas, not nothing concrete. My next book may be a historical adventure or a literary romance.

Nine Interesting things about Mohan Ashtakala

1) When Mohan was twelve, he put together a one-page family newspaper and sent it out to family members. A career was born!

2) When Mohan was young, he attended Loretto Convent in Calcutta for one year. This is the same institution that Mother Theresa once served. (Nope, I never met her. By that time she was well on her way to sainthood, and I was, well…not on my way to sainthood.)

3) Mohan has lived in many different cultures: North Indian, South Indian, Bengali, English Canadian, French Canadian and American. He even spent two years in an Inuit (Eskimo) village on the Eastern shore of the Arctic ocean. That makes him either broad-minded or confused.

4) Mohan’s father wanted him to be an engineer or a doctor; actually both! Mohan turned out to be just a writer. Sorry Dad!

5) Mohan once touched down in Lebanon in the middle of a civil war. The plane landed and immediately took off as the airport was about to be shelled. A funny thing, all the soldiers at the airport looked like Saddam Hussein, right down to their mustaches. 

6) Mohan has a degree in Accounting and worked in that field for several years while indulging in his passion for writing. As an accountant, he was a pretty good writer of fiction.

7) Mohan once spent three months in a temple ashram in Bali with his family. Beautiful Bali!

8) Mohan has presented about Hinduism in various churches, high schools and diversity conferences. A few of them even invited him back!

9) Mohan has a son and a daughter. Both are certified yoga teachers. Yes, it runs in the family. 

Karma Nation

Chantley Armstrong, a white woman raised in an ashram in India, and Sam Johnson, a proud young black man, come across each other in Boulder, Colorado. The intense feelings aroused by the chance encounter suggest that they share a relationship from previous lives.

Chantley sees the world through the eyes of karma. “Everyone acts according to their karma,” she says, “maybe even entire nations.”

Deeply concerned with American injustice, racism and militarism, he asks, “What can you say about a country that starts its history with a slavery and a genocide? What kind of karma is that?”

Once sheltered but now on her own, Chantley struggles to adapt and gain courage, while Sam, deeply intellectual, strives to find his center. Discovering that they may have been lovers at a plantation in South Carolina during the antebellum period, they journey through the South, visiting places and people connected to America’s troubled past and uncertain present.

As they fall deeper in love, their travel exposes conflicts whose origins neither is able to explain. They locate their plantation near Charleston, South Carolina, but its exploration reveals a shocking truth about the real nature of their relationship—one that makes them question who they are, their deep-seated beliefs and the meaning of love.

The Yoga Zapper

A mysterious Sanskrit scripture discovered in an ancient Himalayan temple.

Two brothers from the American heartland sharing a close, yet troubled, relationship.

An evil despot determined to conquer the past, present and future.

And a beautiful young woman who tests the brothers’ bond.

Little do Jack and Steve realize that the text is actually a prescription for time-travel. In the midst of a deep conflict, they are transported to different destinations. At time’s beginning, Steve’s heart opens to the beautiful Shanti and learns at last to both love and let go. At the ending age, Jack, sucked into the intrigue and treachery of a civilization unravelling under a dark dictator, is finally forced to become accountable for his actions.

The Yoga Zapper uses themes found in the authentic narratives and prophecies of the Indian subcontinent: yogis meditating for thousands of years, Avatars descending from spiritual realms, magical flying craft known as vimanas, and at the end of time (which is also time’s beginning,) a world-consuming battle between good and evil.

To buy Mohan's books: https://www.mohanashtakala.com/

Mohan's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Mohan-Ashtakala-Author-365611304180291/?modal=admin_todo_tour

February Round Robin Blog Fest

GOOD MORNING!!

Welcome back to another episode of:

My apologies for disappearing for the past couple of months, between getting Book 2 done for Gemma Halliday Publishing and a few other things, I've pretty much been hiding in a cave! I promise you, the results will be worth it!

If you are unfamiliar with the Blog Fest, grab a cup of tea and sit back to jump from author site to author reading their answers to the question: If you have (or even if you don't have) a bucket list, what top priority thing(s) do you want to accomplish?

This made me think of the movie The Bucket List, which I thought was very funny and stirred both my mind and emotions. Aside from the movie, I've been thinking about this question a lot lately. Every January in karate class, we set our goals for the year. The three basic ones include: Something karate based, something personal, and one other. This year, like every year, my goals include earning my next belt and getting a book published. I'm proud to say I exceeded my goals for last year. I had three books published, ran two 5km events, and earned my blue belt. This year may be a little more difficult.

This year's goals include earning my brown belt, publishing two more books and losing 20 pounds - sorry, Letting Go of 20lbs. With one book already off to my agent for submission to Gemma Halliday Publishing, I've started the fourth book in my Wild Blue Mysteries series for my other publisher Books We Love. I'm also at work on a short story for Gemma to put into an anthology this summer and we are doing a revamp of my Yin-Yang series to give it a different vibe and reach a wider audience. 

Eventually, I would like to start a whole new series of books once the Wild Blue Mysteries are done. The characters and settings are already waiting in the wings!

The physical side is where I'm running into trouble. Last year my goal was to run a 5km race. I ran one and ended up walking one. Something in my body has held me back to the point I struggle to walk some days and am in pain most days. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a whiner by any means. I've still done karate and yoga classes up until karate became too painful. Yoga helps alleviate the pain, but only for a while.

On the upside, I've been to my doctor. I have an anti-inflammatory and have had vial after vial of blood taken to find out what's going on. Then I can get my goal to become a black belt (eventually) back on track!

From here, you can jump over to visit Victoria Chatham and see what she's written on her list! Below is the list of all the writers on our tour. Feel free to check them all out and show them some love!

Stay warm,

Diane

Skye Taylor  http://www.skye-writer.com/
Fiona McGier  http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/
Diane Bator  http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Victoria Chatham  http://victoriachatham.webs.com/
Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Beverley Bateman  http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Rachael Kosnski  http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com
Geeta Kakade  http://geetakakade.blogspot.com/
Kay Sisk  http://kaysisk.blogspot.com
Connie Vines  http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Judith Copek  http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Rhobin Courtright  http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/