my new book quiz.

the first person to answer all the questions correctly will win a swag bag of unbelievable quality.
You will need to be the first to get on Facebook and get a private message to me.

June 11th is the release date for So You Want To Be A Marine. From Solstice Publishing.
here are the questions.
1.  What happened to me when I came face to face with a King Cobra?
2.  How much time did I append in jail?
3.  How many times do I mention Pontiac, Illinois in my book?
4.  To whom am I referring when i mention the song "Charlie on the MTA?
5.  How do I describe the plane after it arrives in San Diego?
6.  What happened to me when I looked the DI in the eyes?
7.  Why do I spell Viet Nam the way I do in the book?
8.  To what use was the quarter size piece of toilet paper put?
9.  What happened with the cockroaches?
10. What did the cigarette test prove?
11. What did we call the guy who threatened to frag me in Viet Nam?
12. What did getting short mean?
14. Why was I picked to go the Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington D.C.?
15. What is the real name of the Bar I call the Purple Eagle?
16. Where did I meet Faye?
17. In what city were we married? Where Were we married?
18. What did our wedding feast consist of?
19. What great bus did I drive the last day of enlistment?
20. Who always said, "Who loves ya, baby"? (trick question, not intended to count in contest but whom ever answers it will get something special.





 

June 11th

The time is now. Get your reservations in, get that credit card out. Yeah, baby. JUNE 11th is the official release date for my new book.
"So You Want To Be A Marine"
What life was really like in the green machine.
Just a few things the recruiter left out.

The Marine Corps immortalized by Hollywood hardly resembles the dysfunctional organization I joined in 1967, just as the Vietnam War was heating up. Incompetence, arrogance, sadism—all were rampant from the top down in an indifferent hierarchy that rewarded obedience over competence and sycophancy over truth-telling.

My four-year tour took me from California’s Camp Pendleton to North Carolina’s Cherry Point, from Subic Bay Naval Air Station on the isle of Luzon to Vietnam’s Chu Lai, where I served on the flight line as a jet engine mechanic. I never saw combat, but I witnessed enough to convince me that, had I to do it all over again, I would take a different path.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A MARINE

here is what to expect from my book out soon from Solstice Publishing

The Marine Corps immortalized by Hollywood hardly resembles the dysfunctional organization I joined in 1967, just as the Vietnam War was heating up. Incompetence, arrogance, sadism—all were rampant from the top down in an indifferent hierarchy that rewarded obedience over competence and sycophancy over truth-telling.

I joined the corps because I had few choices available to me. As the youngest of eleven children, all of us living in poverty in rural Illinois, and as someone who had lived his whole life intimate with deprivation and hardship, I had few paths available to me.

 I was surrounded by characters—outsized individuals with larger-than-life personalities, colorful ticks, and perplexing complexes.

There was the lance corporal from Pittsburg who liked to call himself Pitt. Rail thin, with a neck like a turkey’s to support his oversized head, he owned a crooked set of teeth that had yellowed from tobacco smoke. He had a quirky habit of sprinkling his cigarette ashes into whatever he was drinking at the time and then chugging it down, all in order to attain a more perfect high. Pitt, as I learned during my first night in Vietnam, was all about getting high, even while manning a checkpoint as an MP.

And there was W.B. Greene, a tall, muscular Marine with Sidney Poitier good looks, Cary Grant charm, and a voice that would make James Earl Jones proud. W.B. had a quick wit and skin just the far side of milk chocolate. He boasted a chiseled chin and dark, expressive eyes that could see into your soul and make many a fair maiden weep.

During much of my four-year tour, one tether remained between me and Pontiac, Illinois: Sandy. She stood tall, almost able to look me in the eyes, and had a build any Marine would die for. With auburn hair and green eyes that sparkled like diamonds when she spoke, Sandy had a come-hither smile and a quick wit that I found adorable—in a masochistic way. We’d met my junior year in high school and had been dating ever since, albeit in an on-again, off-again way. We broke up and reunited numerous times before she finally sent me a Dear John letter.

.           From Camp Pendleton in California to Cherry Point in North Carolina, from the Naval Air Station just outside of Memphis, Tennessee, to Chu Lai in Vietnam, the Marine way was the same: hurry up and wait. It wasn’t important to be busy; we merely had to look busy.

Alive and Well

We are nearing the end of our journey. The book cover is done and the re-write is almost complete. Enjoy the cover and when the book comes out, see if you are tough enough to be one of the few the proud

Meet Charity Barger

1) I was about 15 years old when I discovered my love for writing.  I read a small paragraph in my history class about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.  It was the only information in the entire book about the fire that killed 147 workers and brought to the forefront the need for reform in the working conditions in the United States. That single paragraph described a couple, who kissed each other goodbye and then jumped nine stories to their death. I wondered what had happened in their life up to that point, and that was how my first book was created. I have never stopped writing since that day in history class. 

2) A muse?  My muse can change from day to day. I find that inspiration comes from many people in many places.  If I need inspiration, I will go to the park or sit on the beach.  It is amazing what can come to mind when you sit and watch people interact with each other. 

3) The hours I write change from day to day as well. There are times when I feel so inspired that I will lock myself in my office for days, and come out only to eat and, sometimes, to sleep.  Then, there are weeks I can go without writing because it is just not there.  I do not believe in forcing a story.  When I do, it comes off all wrong, and I spend more time fixing it than anything else. I have never had a problem finding a story, when it wants to be found. 

4) If I get blocked, the music will, suddenly, become extremely loud in my office. Music is what usually clears my mind.  If you were to walk into my office at that time, I would, most likely, be found  laying in the middle of the floor, my eyes closed, and music blaring all around me.  It is peculiar, I know, but It does not take long for that technique to work. 

5)  I enjoy reading young adult series to see what readers are most interested in these days, however, I try to think of what new and exciting material I can add to the genre more than anything else.  My goal is to create something new and relevant to young readers today.

6) I enjoy reading classic books.  I love Shakespeare.  I believe he had an understanding of human nature that went way beyond his time. Jane Austen is also a favorite. 

7) Interestingly enough, I write for fun. I am a full-time student, receiving my Bachelor's at the University of West Florida.  Next year, I will be attending law school.  So, when I want to relax and enjoy myself, I enter the worlds I create inside my stories. 

8) My Teenage Life: Freshman Beginnings is a high school series set in the 1960s.  The story is told from the point of view Cindy Lawrence as she enters high school for the first time.  Friendship, boys, homework, gossip...all those things that make up a high school experience...are intermingled with the history of the time.  Segregation, women's rights, communism, and Kennedy's election and assassination are all seen through the eyes of a young teen girl, who is trying to make sense of the world. 

I began writing the story after working with a group of teen girls.  I realized that their concerns were similar to concerns that, I imagined, all teen girls had experienced at one time or another.  After my several discussions with them, I decided I wanted to write a story that would be relevant to the youth of today, while trying to capture the magic of a more distant era.  I was a teen in the 90s, but I loved everything 60s.  I listened to singers like Elvis, Bobby Vee, Shelley Fabares (my favorite song being "Johnny Angel"), and I watched movies like "Gidget," "Tammy," and "Pillow Talk."  The early 60s was my favorite time period, and I have enjoyed, immensely, learning more about it as I create the characters of My Teenage Life. 

 

Meet Casey Knight

I have the great pleasure to introduce the newest author from Solstice Publishing.
Casey Knight

How old were you when you discovered you had a passion for putting thought to page?

I guess I am a late bloomer. I got my doctorate in 2004 at the age of 52 and realized I really enjoyed writing. However, my job does not give me the opportunity to write. So, I decided to write urban fantasy because I enjoy reading it so much.

 

 Do you have a muse? If so, who (if you want to share) if not what gets you in the seat to start the process?

I have always loved Tolkein, J.K.Rawlings, P.C. Cast to name a few because they created unique worlds to escape into. A writer once told me to read as much as I can in the genre I wanted to write in so, I did. When I write I brainstorm some ideas and then use writing software to create a rough story outline.

 

 How many hours a day do you write?

I spend two to three hours writing a day. I break the time up into several blocks because it keeps me fresher.

 

 If you get blocked, what techniques do you use to clear your mind?

Honestly, when I am not sure where I want to go with a story I talk to my higher power and then release it. Usually within a day or two an idea comes to the surface and the writer's block is gone.

 

What contemporary writers do you draw inspiration from?

I enjoy Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Patricia Briggs to name a few.

 

Of all time, who are your very favorite authors?

My favorite author of all times for escape is J.K. Rawlings. I loved the Harry Potter books. I would make sure I didn't read more than a chapter a day so; I could draw out the story. I knew I would have to wait another year or more to see what the next book would bring. When I want more serious literature I like Jane Austin, Rumi, Adrienne Rich-I enjoy many different types of literature.

 

 What do you like to do for fun?

I enjoy anything on the ocean. I love walking on it and watching the dolphins, seals and birds. The sound and smells are magical to me. Really anything in the California sun makes me smile.

 

 What is your book about?

For centuries, wizards working for the World Council have protected humanity from the supernatural horrors - living undetected among them. Lauren Simon is the wizard in charge of defending the citizens of Los Angeles. She has a flare for fashion and a knack for dispatching the undead, deranged demons and freaky fae -they’re not all cuddly little sprites.

Lauren must stop a turf war between the powerful Prince of the Los Angeles Vampire thrall and a Mexican drug cartel -usually the two killing each other would be a win-win situation.

Lauren faces perhaps the toughest obstacles to her job of keeping Los Angeles and its citizens safe. The vampires have a contract out on her life, a Daywalker has challenged her to a fight to the death, and a rogue wizard was trying to steal the Sphere of Destiny. She can’t afford to fail; she is the only one standing between the citizens of Los Angeles and supernatural death and destruction.

 

 

 Tell everyone the name of your book and where they can buy it.

 Fang Shway LA and it is being edited as I write this.

 

 

Our guest author today is F.J. Thomas

Come on in folks and kick your shoes off. I want to introduce to you one of our great writers here at Solstice Publishing.
She is an honest to gosh Cowgirl, horse trainer an horse show judge.  She has written on outstanding piece of work that everyone could love.
Be you city slicker, farmer, animal lover or cowboy: her novel is a real barn stomper.
So enjoy her interview and when ya all have time, pick up her book, you won't regret it.

How old were you when you discovered you had a passion for putting thought to page?

 

I started out writing poetry in high school and it progressed from there.

 

Do you have a muse? If so, who (if you want to share) if not what gets you in the seat to start the process?

 

I get a lot of ideas while doing chores in the barn or on my long drive to work. When it comes to the actual writing process, I like to listen to music like the Steel Drivers or very old country or Texas Swing like Bob Wills.

 

How many hours a day do you write?

During the week days I get up at 4am and I’m able to get in an hour or so of writing first thing in the morning while it’s quiet. Depending on the weekend, I may get a few hours in. With working full time and running a small farm and trying to keep horses ridden, I don't get as much writing time as I would like. 

 

If you get blocked, what techniques do you use to clear your mind?

If I can get some alone time working my horses that usually helps. I usually keep a couple of different projects going at once so if I don’t feel like working on one there’s always another one.

 

What contemporary writers do you draw inspiration from?

Friend and fellow write, Elle Marlow is an inspiration for me. She’s such a fun gal and you get a strong sense of that in her writing voice.

 

Of all time, who are your very favorite authors?

That’s a hard question because I like to read a lot of different genres. If I had to pick one, I’d say Stephen King. He does such a great job of drawing you in to the story.

 

What do you like to do for fun?

I love to barrel race but I also like just training and working with horses in general, especially difficult horses.

 

What is your book about and what was the inspiration for it?

It’s about a woman who loses her ranch and horse in a tornado and the journey that brings them back together. I got the inspiration for the book after learning that large animals are often the last to be rescued, or they can’t be found.

 

Tell everyone the name of your book and where they can buy it.

Lost Betrayal by F.J. Thomas – It’s available on Amazon. The buy link is http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Betrayal-F-J-Thomas/dp/1496199952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395339020&sr=8-1&keywords=Lost+Betrayal

 

 

 Thanks!

Frances 

 

Frances J. Filson-Thomas

Published Author, Horse Show Judge, Riding Instructor
Fairweather Farm - Sweetwater, TN
www.fairweatherfarmtn.com
http://fjthomasblog.wordpress.com/
http://qheventer.wordpress.com

 

Enter the Platoon Commander

Staff Sergeant Johnston was a diminutive man, slight of build, standing only five feet seven inches, with eyes so scary, the devil himself would cringe in fear. When he glared at me, it felt like he was peering into my very soul. The way he curled his left lip, as he prepared to upbraid the unsuspecting recruit, reminded me of a police dog about to bite. And he had a penchant for violence.

With the rim of his Smokey Bear he was able only to reach the bridge of my nose, and I was to quickly learn just how efficient he was with that ridge of hard fabric. He would become so enraged spittle would spew from his mouth and down his chin. With practiced ease he would grab someone by the throat, and use the finger punch method, under the chin, as punishment for real or perceived indiscretions. It turns out anything they didn’t like was ample reason for severe to moderate to excruciating enforcement by pain.

An Interview With Author Marie Lavender

Hello Fellow Readers, Allow me to introduce to you, Marie Lavender. My first interview for authors of Solstice Publishing.

1. How old were you when you discovered you had a passion for putting thought to page?

 

I was nine years old when I started writing stories.  I always had a pretty vivid imagination.

 

2.  Do you have a muse? If so, who (if you want to share) if not what gets you in the seat to start the process?

 

I consider the muse an invisible entity that sits on your shoulder.  LOL.  But, really, I am inspired by anything - life, current events in the world, my observations.  And sometimes, I can't tie it down to a specific thing.  It just happens.

 

3.  How many hours a day do you write?

 

On a good day, I may write off and on throughout the day.  Maybe a few hours.  On a bad day (when I am too busy taking care of the business of life to get any decent writing done), I may find the time to look through a manuscript and add a paragraph or two.

 

4.  If you get blocked, what techniques do you use to clear your mind?

 

I find it best to step away from the problem at hand to get a better perspective when I come back to it.  Sometimes I will concentrate on another story.  And, barring that, I just do research on the current project and I usually gain some inspiration from that.

 

5.  What contemporary writers do you draw inspiration from?

 

Nora Roberts and Catherine Coulter are a couple of my favorites for both contemporary and historical romance.  For historical, I read Emma Wildes, Jane Feather, Tessa Dare and Kris Tualla.  For paranormal romance, I am into P.C. Cast, Chloe Neill, Kerrelyn Sparks and J.R. Ward.

 

6.  Of all time, who are your very favorite authors?

 

I think I'll stick with Catherine Coulter and Nora Roberts.  I have been reading their books for years.  In fact, Catherine Coulter's Devil's Embrace woke me up to the historical romance book genre, which I absolutely love.

 

7.  What do you like to do for fun?

 

Writing is fun for me.  But, reading is one of my greatest pleasures.  I spend a lot of time reading.  I also like to watch my favorite films and TV shows.  Sometimes, my fiance and I will go out on the town.  I like to try new restaurants, specifically ethnic food.  If I want to unwind at home, I will cook a meal.  I love making stuff up when it comes to food, and usually my spur-of-the-moment creations turn out very well.  Cooking relaxes me at times.

 

8.  What is your book about and what was the inspiration for it?

 

My book is about a girl who has always dreamed of having adventures and finding love. She becomes utterly captivated by a man who rescues her one night.  The book wasn't inspired by any one thing, but a multitude of historical romances that I have read.  I also love the Victorian era so that helped.  The characters just started talking to me one day and wouldn't shut up. 

 

9.  Tell everyone the name of your book and where they can buy it.

 

My book, a historical romance released through Summer Solstice in February of 2013, is called Upon Your Return.  It is available on Amazon and CreateSpace.

 

Book blurb

 

Fara Bellamont has been back in society for a year after leaving Cluny Abbey, where her uncle sent her long ago. When he chooses a suitor for her for marriage, she fears that she will be forced to marry a stranger and live a miserable life. But, Fara finds herself thrust into an adventure of a lifetime when unforeseen circumstances cause her to place her trust in a strange man for protection. His intervention not only saves her, but puts her in an even more compromising position. Grant Hill, a trading captain, is enchanted by the young heiress not only because of her beauty, but because she is hardly conventional. Underneath her ladylike exterior lies a tigress. Grant cannot help but offer his protection as she is in need and he is far from immune from her charms. Fara just never bargained on the passion that she feels for Grant Hill. As events unfold, she must decide whether her desires and the dictates of her heart should trump the rules of society…

 

Author bio

Bestselling author of UPON YOUR RETURN and 16 other books. Finalist in the MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition.

Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for over twenty years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands.

At the tender age of nine, she began writing stories. Her imagination fueled a lot of her early child's play. Even growing up, she entered writing contests and received a certificate for achieving the second round in one. She majored in Creative Writing in college because that was all she ever wanted - to be a writer. While there, she published two works in a university publication, and was a copy editor on the staff of an online student journal. After graduating from college, she sought out her dream to publish a book.

Since then, Marie has published seventeen books. Marie Lavender's real love is writing romances, but she has also written mysteries, literary fiction and dabbled a little in paranormal stories. Most of her works have a romantic element involved in them. Upon Your Return is her first historical romance novel. Feel free to visit her website at http://marielavender.webs.com/ for further information about her books and her life. Marie is also on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

A list of her books and pen names are as follows:

Marie Lavender: Upon Your Return

Erica Sutherhome: Hard to Get; Memories; A Hint of Scandal; Without You; Strange Heat; Terror in the Night; Haunted; Pursuit; Perfect Game; A Touch of Dawn; Ransom; Leather and Lace

Kathryn Layne: A Misplaced Life

Heather Crouse: Express Café and Other Ramblings; Ramblings, Musings and Other Things; Soulful Ramblings and Other Worldly Things

Thanks.

Regards,

 

On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 4:22 PM, Gary Winstead <winsteadgrw@gmail.com> wrote:

good question. send them here. :)
I kinda messed up on that one. lOL
--

Welcome, come on in. Have a seat and kick your shoes off.

--

 

Marie Lavender, Romance Author   

http://www.marielavender.webs.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Upon-Your-Return/221212331354873
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
http://www.amazon.com/Marie-Lavender/e/B00C10Q94I/
http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00I0D9LQ8
http://store.solsticepublishing.com/upon-your-return/
https://www.createspace.com/4284739

“A true man does not need to romance a different girl every night, a true man romances the same girl for the rest of her life.”

-Ana Alas

How It All Began

 

THE MYTH OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE:

WHAT LIFE WAS REALLY LIKE IN THE GREEN MACHINE

THE RECRUITER FORGOT TO TELL YOU WHAT?

 

By Gary R. Winstead

Mom, Dad, future, current and former Marines, join me in a journey. This is the story of poor boy, entering manhood in the shadow of the local lumberyard, hoping to escape a life of poverty and obscurity by joining the Marine Corps.

All the ads ask, do you want to be one of the few, one of the proud? Are they a generalization of the future, or a complete fabrication? Will the Marine Corps give you the opportunity to break the bonds of your class, or forever linger on a lost dream? Will a four year commitment give you the tools to climb the steep ladder of success, or squander your youth?

This is my story. I fully intended to make a career of the Marine Corps, which served as the catalyst for my joining. Did I know what was coming? Yes and no. There is a thin line between evasion and “truthiness.”

 

 

Post Number Two

Star Date 01/27/2014

We are just starting the editing process so, as we say on the farm when moving large bales of hay, go slow and low.
Cant wait though. Kind of exciting.
Professor Plako from Fullerton College urged me to write.

Wait until you read about my encounter with not one but 2 king cobras, face to face.
Or maybe I should not have beaten the crap out of my sergeant.

From the deck of the Star Ship Coventry this is Corporal Winstead signing off
 

One and Up We Go

Star date: 1/25/2014
Hello all out there in reading land. I was lead to believe that print was dead. That no one reads anymore. Well, lets hope that is a mis-conception of reality. My manuscript has been picked up by Solstice Publishing Co and is in the very early stages of editing. I hope to use this blog to connect the avid readers of today with the prose and poetry that makes us the unique entities we are.

Stay tuned to this channel for periodic updates.

Let the fun ride begin.

This is Captain Cutter signing off from the deck of the Starship Coventry.