From as far back as Kimberly can remember, she has either told stories or written stories.  In the first grade, she stood and made the announcement that her family couldn't afford a stove and they were starving.  Not until the community started to deliver food to the house did her parents find out that the motivation had come from their six-year-old daughter.

Combining her two passions of writing and composing, Shursen's first full-blown musical was produced in Minneapolis by a Broadway producer and went on to open in  Sweden.  Her second musical was produced in 2009.  Plans are in the making to re-open "Eden" with a larger cast and  orchestra.

With  three grown, successful sons, Shursen has a background in marketing and shares her home in the Midwest United States with George and Gracie Burns - a Yorkshire Terrier and Bichon Havanese. 


BRIAN: Kimberly, it’s wonderful having you at the Underground. I’m going to jump right in about your book, Itsy Bitsy Spider. Where did you get the idea for the novel? How long did it take from idea to publication?

KIMBERLY: Thanks, Brian. It’s fun to be home again as I remember when the four of is started Underground Book Reviews – the brain-child of Amy Biddle – it was so much fun to toss around ideas for this site that would review books and interview authors. 

“Itsy Bitsy Spider” took a little over a year to complete—and  then another six months for editing. For years, I’ve heard and read of abuse that mostly focused on lower socio-economic groups. I started to wonder how many adult children had gone to their graves not telling their stories because the abuser controlled them by using power or money. Thus the birth of “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” the story of the powerful Boston Mayor Jack McCallin and his step-daughter Claire. McCallin has threatened Claire that if she ever tells ‘the secret,’ bad things will happen.  
 

BRIAN: Itsy Bitsy Spider is a contemporary action-thriller sent in modern day Boston. As  someone who loves that town, I’m curious why you picked that particular setting?

KIMBERLY: Boston has such a diverse community from multi-cultured citizens to the established wealthy. My characters represent the  diverse communities from blue collar to elite. I educated myself on the city by studying pictures and reading about the suburbs I wanted to write about. I mentally visited the JFK Library, the Globe headquarters in Dorchester, the  St.Charles River, Harvard, and Larz Anderson Park just to name a few.


BRIAN: I’m shocked, because I just assumed you’d been there by how well you describe it.  You obviously did your homework

Indie authors comprise a big slice of Underground Book Reviews audience, so I’d like to ask a few questions about your writing and publication experience.  First, did you try to
publish Itsy through traditional means? If so, what was your experience? If not,
why?

KIMBERLY:  Yes, I did try the traditional method, but not for long. The wait for an answer to my query was harrowing, and even when I received a response it was a form letter. Unless I was a ‘name’, I didn’t stand a chance.  Smaller publishing  companies were interested, but wanted to know my marketing plan. I felt if I had to do all the work, why not publish the book myself?  
 

BRIAN:  You’re a marketing professional by trade. Marketing is a tough nut to crack for any indie author. Can you share your marketing strategy for Itsy Bitsy Spider with our readers?

KIMBERLY: I started pre-marketing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” six months before it was published.  There’s a fine line between “oh my God, be quiet already” to “that’s a book I want to read.”  Once a week, I posted on linked-in, Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter with  posts such as “soon to be released,” or “two more weeks before…”   I invited people to become friends especially to Linked-In as I feel the  site is the best way to find your readers. I also wrote dozens of book clubs  finding e-mails on the net. A few months before the novel was published I  gathered thirty authors together and formed a gorilla marketing group. I interview one of the authors every two weeks for my website. The rules are that each author has to market the interview twice a week for two weeks on all their social sites. Not only do the authors get exposure, but readers who read their interview will take a peek at my work. All the authors in this group are not only quality writers, but quality people,  and it is a privilege to get to know them personally and professionally. The novel was released on May 1st. On Mother’s day weekend I offered the Ebook free to generate exposure and reviews. Imagine how elated I was to discover that almost 1300 books had been downloaded.


BRIAN:  Itsy is tightly edited, but indie writers often get a bad rap for poor editing from the publishing establishment. Tell us about your editing process and, please feel free to promote any editing services you used. 

KIMBERLY: Thank-you. Yes, I agree, if you don’t cough up money for editorial services, you  will not have the reviews or readership you might deserve. There are always errors in every novel and I have found major, ongoing errors in some of the best-selling books. Ann Cooper-Westlake was my editor for Itsy Bitsy Spider.  I feel it is important to have a relationship with your editor and Ann and I established a friendship outside of the editing process. She is very dear to me and can be found at http://writerscrampeditingconsultants.com/Books.html


BRIAN:  You cover is excellent. Did you come up with the concept yourself?  Who did it for you? 

KIMBERLY: Createspace did the cover. I offered ideas, but the team developed the cover.  Many women have written to tell me they have a phobia about spiders, but have to read the book.  The cover of a book is key to someone picking your book. I know this from  my experience in developing brochures and ads in marketing.


BRIAN: What’s your number one piece of advice for aspiring  authors?

KIMBERLY: You can’t do it all.  If you are creative, you don’t have to  have perfect skills in editing, but it takes a village to put your novel out  there. You, Brian, Amy and Katie were a part of the creation of “Itsy Bitsy Spider” as all three of you were beta readers. When I left the underground,  Katie became my beta reader. As a creative person, it’s difficult to take a  step back from your writing however, whoever your trust to be your beta reader represents all readers and, if they don’t understand or feel the emotion you hope to impart, chances are neither will your readers. My advice to aspiring  authors is to find a writing partner who’s writing you respect and open up to their suggestions.


BRIAN: Describe for our readers what kind of dog a “Bichon Havanese” is. I’ve never heard of the breed, but that’s a heck of a name. 
 
KIMBERLY:  Gracie Burns is nine pounds and looks like a miniature sheep dog. She is the sweetest dog ever unless George Burns gets in her way. Gracie is nine and George is ten. They are the first to hear what I have written as they sit at my feet when I write.


BRIAN:  What’s next for Kimberly Shursen?

KIMBERLY: “Hush,” the present-day courtroom drama that revisits the Roe vs. Wade case that legalized abortion, will be out this fall. Penning out at around 100,000 words, the edgy drama that borders on a thriller took months of legal research. My editor for this novel is Joelle Walker who not only has years of experience as in editor in publishing companies, but worked as a paralegal. Staged in Minneapolis where I lived for over 25 years, the “Hush” will also travel to Geneva, Switzerland where one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world will do anything to stop this trial. Why? Well, you’ll  have to read the book.  
 

BRIAN: Kimberly, thank you so much for joining us today. For our readers, you can read my review of Kimberly Shursen’s debut novel Itsy Bitsy Spider here on Underground Book Reviews. 
 
Kimberly Shursen Links:
Itsy Bitsy Spider on Amazon
Kimberly Shursen’s Website
Kimberly Shursen  on Facebook, Twitter, Google, and LinkedIn.  

Review by: Brian Braden
Title: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Author: Kimberly Shursen
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre(s): Action-Thriller
Length: 313 pages


 The Rundown

In order for an action-thriller to work, it must always be in motion. I can never feel comfortable, in control, or safe. I have to care about the hero. The bad guy has to be bad. There needs to be a love interest and she has to be pretty and nice and occasionally vulnerable. I mean, really, if she isn’t vulnerable why the heck do we need a hero? If one’s adrenaline doesn’t spike at least once per chapter, the book doesn’t earn a five star review. If I don’t get an urge to put on 3-D glasses and eat some popcorn while I’m reading it, it doesn’t get a five star review. Bottom line, if its not fun, why bother? These were my criteria for evaluating Itsy  Bitsy Spider by debut author Kimberly Shursen. 
 
Matt Christenson is a young, handsome investigative reporter for the Boston Globe. He’s assigned to track down a missing lawyer with connections to Mayor Jack McCallin. Instead, Matt stumbles upon Claire, the mayor’s beautiful daughter, and her little girl, Lizzie. With the help of a few trusted friends Matt discovers Claire and Lizzie are caught in a tangled web of lies originating from the mayor himself. This bloody web stretches from one end of Boston to the other, and now it’s trapped Matt. Claire holds a secret so devastating the mayor will do anything to silence her. The mayor commands Boston’s cops, underworld, and media. There is nowhere to hide as the web tightens around Matt, Claire and Lizzie. Matt becomes part of the story and finds himself falling for Claire, even though it might cost him his life. 

Itsy is always in motion. I can think of only two chapters where it even thinks about slowing down. The action takes place across the City of Boston, where Matt and  his team find themselves imperiled by the mayor’s powerful allies. I always felt a little on edge, because I knew the characters were never safe. Like them, I  never knew who to trust and expected betrayal at every turn.  I cringed a few times worrying about Lizzie, Claire’s little girl. The easy-going hero, Matt Christenson, is also very likable. I can see a series of books with him as the hero and can easily see Itsy Bitsy Spider being turned into a screen play. 

Never pretentious and always entertaining, Itsy Bitsy Spider is a state-of-the-art action thriller. Enjoyably easy to read,  I had a strong urge for popcorn the whole time I read it. Now, where are my 3-D glasses? 

Five out of Five Stars. 

Kimberly Shursen Links:
Itsy Bitsy Spider on Amazon
Kimberly Shursen’s Website
Kimberly Shursen on Facebook, Twitter, Google, and LinkedIn.

Editor’s  Note: A UBR alumni and founding member, Kimberly Shursen departed
our staff a year ago to pursue new opportunities. We told her when she published
her first novel, we would be honored to review it, but she wouldn’t receive any
special favors or consideration. This reviewer bought this book and did not
receive a free copy. 

If you enjoyed this review, subscribe to Underground Book
Reviews. If you  really liked it, then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. You can also like Brian L. Braden on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, and buy his book Black Sea Gods.

I am very excited to announce my second book, a young adult sci-fi romance called Eyes Ever to the Sky, is now available on Amazon. Writing and launching a second book is an amazing experience and I do hope you like the final product. I'm also celebrating by giving away a $25 gift card on my website.  Check out the book and let me know what you think. And thanks to all my Underground friends who helped make this possible. 


When Hugh wakes up in a smoldering crater—no memory, no clothes—a single thought echoes in his head…trust no one. Frightened and alone, with no memory of who he is, he stumbles upon a grisly murder scene and is fatally shot. He wakes, only to find he can heal himself. He has superpowers and he’s going to need them.

Desperate and bleeding, Hugh stumbles upon fifteen-year-old Cece, who’s got enough troubles of her own. Between caring for her bipolar mother and trying not to get evicted from her run-down trailer, Cece may be the only person struggling as much as Hugh. Drawn to Hugh, Cece finds a love she’s never known. But when the real killer—a man-hunting beast—chooses another victim, Hugh and Cece realize they must unlock the clues to their past if they have any chance at a future.

Matt Langford, author of The Watchman, is a 39 year old full-time ICU nurse in the UK. In his own words: “I rent two  young children and a wife.  I pay  the basic rate so they tend to shout at me rather a lot.  My wife is just about to re-enter full-time education. I manage to fit my mountain biking within, around and underneath my three  full-time activities.  My time is  my passion.  I have been writing  since the age of 11 when my short story, The Clay Hog, was read out in my school  assembly. The reviews were startling. Since the advent of the internet I have  had several short stories published and my work has appeared in the ABC Tales Magazine.  Sadly, The  Clay Hog is now lost, presumed an archive. I also enjoy playing the guitar,  although others may not agree.”


BRIAN: Matt, thanks for joining us today in The Underground.  The Watchman is a fascinating novel about the world, and a family, seen through the eyes of a mentally disabled teenage boy named Adam. Why did you select this particular, and if I may add ambitious, subject matter for a first  novel?

MATT:  The advice I’ve always received when asking about inspiration for writing is ‘write about what you know’.  There is little I don’t know about living within a family where a child has a learning difficulty.  I started writing the novel over ten years ago and, to be honest, my reasons for writing then were very different to my reasons for writing now.  The events that inspired  The Watchman were still fresh in my mind and all the principle players were alive and well and still played a large part in my life. Ten years on and things have changed. My relationships with my family have evolved and I’m a lot more mature.  If I was to start The Watchman from scratch now, I doubt the feelings and emotions I would convey would be anything like how are in the novel at present.  
 
I unearthed The Watchman about a year ago following an 8 years hiatus on my hard drive and found many problems with the initial draft.  I’d included many short passages called ‘Gobbledeegooks’ which were, essentially, asides from Adam’s narration and information taken from the ‘real’ world.  I read the draft through over and over again until it finally dawned on me that these passages detracted from the essence of the novel – namely Adam’s world, which is what the story is all about.  So I cut them all (except for the  opening paragraphs – a diary entry from Jane, who would go on to be Adam’s mother).  I also cut about 90% of the dialogue.  Soon I found that the more I took away from the outside world and the more concentrated Adam’s world became, the more the story developed.  (If I was more brave I would have no dialogue at all. But I’m a bit of a woos).  I lost about 30000 words!  Which wasn’t easy.  But without this cull I don’t think the finished piece would have worked at all.

In a sense I ended up going through a process with my 14 year  old, my 26 year old, and my present self!  An odd meeting of minds I’m sure you’ll agree.   We all had different reasons for writing this book that complemented each  other wonderfully.  What I told my younger selves was that ultimately, the best stories come from within micro-worlds. Nothing is more micro than a family.  Every  family has a Hollywood blockbuster bursting to be written.  I wouldn’t be so bold as to claim my family was particularly more  interesting than any other, but it certainly contained elements that others should be made aware of, and I feel people will feel more affection to their own stories once reading The Watchman.


BRIAN: I take it, then, Adam was inspired by someone in your personal life. How difficult was it to write from the perspective of a mentally disabled person?

MATT:  Adam  is a character based on my brother, Deny.  When I started writing The Watchman my idea was to write nothing less than a memoir. As the writing progressed Adam took on his own personality, his own  words, his fears and his own outlooks. Soon, The Watchman evolved into a fictional novel with characters and events merely based on real life and real people.  I’m unable for one moment to imagine how Deny thought or made sense of  his world.  Like Adam, his only  communication came via made up words, gestures and physical contact.  He was unable to convey any tangible feelings other than frustration –and  this is what inspired me to portray Adam in the way I have.  Deny was an incredible personality and genuinely moved everybody he ever met.  I remember grown men crying in his presence simply because Deny treated them without prejudice and without judgment. He was extraordinary and inspirational. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago. He was truly unique.

Once the character of Adam was established and his motives, personality and language decided upon, he kind of wrote himself. A tip for writers – the stronger the character is in your mind, the  easier it is to write for them.  You should be able to drop your character into any situation and write about their responses.  So, regardless of Adam’s predispositions, I didn’t find it difficult to write for him once the blueprint was established.


BRIAN: From idea to publication, how long did it take you to  write The Watchman? 
 
MATT:  Every one of my 39 years!  I first put  pen to paper in 1999.  That draft was complete about a year later.  I  added nothing until last summer. Over the last 12 months I’ve cut, edited and added about 50% of the entire novel.  

BRIAN:  The Watchman struck me as a well-edited novel. Please tell our readers a little about your editing process. Did you do it yourself or did you hire an editor?

MATT:  No  outside help at all.  The whole thing was edited by myself.  I’ve  found a very personal formula for editing – it works for me, although it may not  work for everyone.  I sketch a plot by hand and draw up the principle characters.  I then write a brief summary of all the chapters, keeping a separate note for key phrases, ideas, developments and other bits and pieces.  I then splurge a first draft in as short a time as possible, correcting basic errors as I go.  Then I leave it in a drawer for a month.  I then read through it very closely, cutting large chunks as I go and adding notes in bold orhighlighting text I feel needs adding to or rewriting. I then print off that draft and copy it, word for word, onto a new document addressing the bold sections and adding/changing/polishing as I go. I then leave it in another drawer for 2 months.  I then have  it printed by Lulu in a typeset and format as close to an off-the-shelf book as  I can find.  I then read and edit this 3rddraft with a pencil.
 
I then make one final series of changes to the final draft. I then put it in a drawer for 3 months. I then read through twice more, correcting those hard to find, very minor errors, before finally considering the novel complete.

I have another novel ready for  publication which followed this process.  It’s taken 2 years to  complete and may even be subjected to another hard edit! It’s a fine balance of not being afraid to change large sections of your work, but also  not over editing and over cutting. Knowing when to stop is as difficult as  sitting down and writing on a blank piece of  paper.


BRIAN: Did you try to publish The Watchman through traditional publication channels? If so, what  was your experience? If  not, why did you go straight to indie
publication?

MATT:   No. I’ve tried the traditional route with other work, but The Watchman went straight to ebook.  I  think time has caught up with me and the status of indie and ebook
publishing is now on a par with traditional publishing houses.  I feel a work such as the Watchman will achieve success by simple word of mouth.   I’m hoping people will pick it up, read it, and pass it on to the next person.  Money is of no importance  to me.  I’ll happily charge pennies  for it and give away as many free copies as I need to.  I think the story suits a less formal publishing route than the  traditional method. Plus, the way indie books and ebooks are heading, soon the readership will vastly outweigh the traditional hardcopy book.  There will always be a place  for ‘books’, I’m sure, but in ten years time every adult  over 30 will own a  smart phone and most will own a tablet or ereader.  That’s a lot of  custom!


BRIAN: What books and authors have had the most influence on you as a writer? 

MATT:  My favorite author is Douglas Adams.  His imagination and ability to create extraordinary worlds and people, and then shoot them down with one abstract line was incredible.  He is sadly missed and my other work is very heavily influenced by him.  I’m in the process of writing the first novel of a series of dark comedy/fantasy fiction very much in the mould of Douglas  Adams.  
 
Other writers who have influenced include Graham Greene (no one can write a flawed character like he could), Sebastian Faulks, Terry Pratchett, Virginia Woolf and Kazuo Ishiguro. All very different, all extraordinary with words.  
 

BRIAN: Okay, I gotta ask...what was The  Clay Hog all about?
 
MATT:  Ha!  When I was about 10 my class at school was  set a project to write a short story based on the premise of the ‘Just So..’ stories by Rudyard Kipling.  My  idea was to tell the story of how the hedgehog came into being. Essentially, hedgehogs used to be made of clay and lived in vast pine forests.  One day one of the clay hogs decided to go for a walk in the forest and a huge gust of wind blew off all the pine needles from a nearby pine tree.   They fell and embedded themselves in the clay hog, turning him into a hedgehog!  My teachers were very complimentary about it and even stuck it to the main notice board.  My parents were terribly proud!


BRIAN: What’s next for Matt Langford?

MATT:  Well,  I have a job interview this week for a promotion.  Which is nice.  As I
mentioned earlier I have a book all but written and ready for publication.  I’m deciding whether to try and place it with an agent or wait for The Watchman to achieve success and publish it as ebook.  Also, as I mentioned, I enjoy writing dark comedy/sci fi as
well as literary novels.  I’m writing the first of a series of novels set in the twin town of Major Minus/Minor Minus – the soul of the UK.  You won’t find these towns on any map.  Time runs differently.  Nobody moves away.  Nobody moves in. It’s a fascinating place and I have a  dozen ideas for novels taking place in the towns. I’m onto the final draft of the first novel and hope to release it on ebook format later in the year.  There is plenty more to come from me, I can promise you that!


BRIAN: Matt, thank you so much for joining us today. For our  readers, you can read my review of Matt Langford’s debut novel The Watchman here on Underground Book
Reviews. 
 

Matt Langford’s Blog and Amazon Page
 
The Watchman on  Amazon

Matt Langford on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

If you enjoyed this interview, subscribe to Underground Book Reviews. If you really liked it, then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. If you liked the interviewer, show him by liking him on Facebook and following him on Twitter. An even better,  buy his book, Black Sea Gods. 

Title: The Watchman
Author: Matt Langford
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre(s): Literary Fiction
Length: 180 pages


The Rundown

What is the difference between a good book and a great book?  People talk about a good book, perhaps recommend it to a friend or even rate it on Amazon. On the other hand, a great book connects in a very personal way. A  great book is inherently honest, without a shred of manipulation. It gets inside  you... tugs, digs, and performs reconstructive surgery on your heart and soul. A  great book leaves you no place to hide and forever changes you to the day you die. Is The Watchman by debut novelist Matt Langford such a book?

Adam is a mentally disabled teenager caught up in the everyday  maelstrom we call life. He cannot speak beyond a few simple words. Most of his  language is made up and known only to him. He possesses a very limited grasp of the past, with even less understanding of the future. Everything exists in the now, and revolves around him. Adam’s family, which is the same as  saying his entire universe, is falling apart. His younger brother and sister  are growing up and changing in ways he cannot comprehend. His parents’ marriage slowly grows cold under strain of a father’s joblessness and alcoholism. Adam is also changing, physically becoming a man, imposing more unrelenting demands and needs upon an already stressed family. The book begins with a short entry from an expecting mother’s journal, full of hope and love for the baby she carries inside. The Watchman ends with a father’s touching connection with his oldest son. The Watchman is an ambitious book by any standard, but Matt Langford took this challenge to a higher level.  

The author tells this story exclusively through Adam’s perspective. In doing so, he forces the reader to actively participate and make their own translations of Adam’s world, their own conclusions about the motivations of the “normal” people surrounding him. Langford pulls this off masterfully. With short, simple and brutally effective prose, Langford creates more character development, more humanity, in a few sentences than most authors can create in whole chapters. In only 180 pages Langford boils a family’s existence down to its raw essence. 

This is the point in my review where I usually point out  something I found wrong with the book. If there were editing problems with The Watchman, I didn’t notice. I was too busy losing myself in the story. For two days it took over my life. A book hasn’t done that to me since I was a kid. 

Is The Watchman a Top Pick? Of course, but good books can be Top Picks. “Top Pick” seems like such a small kudo for such a profound novel. So, does The Watchman qualify as a great book? 

A few nights ago I attended my child’s school play. During the presentation loud, inappropriate laughter and other strange noises emanated from the back row. There, an obviously mentally disabled boy of perhaps thirteen squirmed next to his mother. He smiled, touched, flailed and spoke in a language known only to him. Tenderly, and with the utmost patience, his mother tried to simultaneously restrain her boy while watching her other child in the play. It could have been a scene right out of The Watchman. Until the day I die I will never look at a mentally disabled person, or their family, again without thinking of Adam.

This great novel earns Five out of Five Stars. 

 
Matt Langford Links:

Matt Langford’s Blog and Amazon PageThe Watchman on Amazon
Matt Langford on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. 

If you enjoyed this review, subscribe to Underground Book  Reviews. If you really liked  it, then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. You can also like Brian L Braden on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, and buy his book Black Sea Gods.

I’ve often thought the term “biographical fiction” (or, biofic) sounded like an oxymoron. Literally, it could be translated as “true  make-believe,” giving the impression that an author has completely repackaged history for the sake of entertainment. But as a writer who recently spent almost three years conducting exhaustive research on the Wright brothers to pen a novel about their woman-shyness, trust me, I wasn’t earning about relative velocities, bicycle repair and wing warping to simply do some entertaining. It’s all about sharing your interpretation of that history. So if you’re an author dipping your toe into this pond for the first time, here are three of the biggest questions you might ask:
 

Why write biofic? What’s so rewarding about it?

It’s all about learning something new about the people who most intrigue you. When you peek behind the curtain to find out who those people really were and what made them tick, you feel like you know something special. And when you know something special, you feel compelled to share it. In the case of the Wright brothers, what struck me most was their bachelorhood. I wanted to know why they never married, dangit, and why they felt nervous around women to the point they avoided them. In other words, I believe biofic is rewarding because it’s all about “digging deeper.” And authors are the kind of people who like to do that sort of thing. 


What are the challenges?

Research. Research and more research. Some authors may find this  cumbersome and tedious. I find it fun--thus there are over 3 single-spaced pages  of resources listed at the end of my Wright brothers novel. I’m not trying to  scare a prospective biofic author from wading into the pond by saying that. I fall into obsess mode when drafting a manuscript and probably enjoy the learning experience more than the writing experience. I spent time pouring over ads from the year 1900. I even looked up late nineteenth century CPR, dental care, the stitches used in five-gore skirts, you name it. You don’t have to go to this extent! But if research of this caliber doesn’t drive you crazy, it sure makes the descriptions pop on the page.

 The biggest bear for me--and what other biofic authors have  said--was weaving the fiction within the facts. Caesar DID cross the Rubicon.  Washington DID become America’s first president. Lincoln WAS assassinated and  the Wrights DIDN’T marry. I couldn’t take two love-shy bachelors and turn them  into philandering womanizers. I thought it would be disingenuous and at first,  I found “the facts” too confining. It was imposing limitations on my  imagination. But the longer I worked, I began to find it helpful, like  framework. So I suggest putting your imaginative energy into filling in the details, crafting the dialogue, describing the emotions and building the world.
 
I’ve written historical, literary and women’s fiction, and hands down I’d say that writing biofic is probably the hardest genre to write. But I’d  also say that laboring through my biofic novel was also the most rewarding experience I’ve had as an author.



Why is biofic so hot?

There’s no doubt that biofic is one of the best selling genres.  We simply love learning about people, especially well-known people. As a reader of biofic myself, I enjoy learning some new, overlooked tidbit about a famous  person. Something small, but yet something that substantially defined them, their accomplishments and their lives. 
 
As I mentioned earlier, it’s all about interpreting history, too,  casting and seeing it in a new light. Someone reading about Thomas Edison, for  example, might think he was one of the most brilliant inventors who ever lived,  and thus portray him as a genius in a novel. Someone else, however, could come  away from the same research thinking he was a brute who ignored his wife, cared  little for his children, and treated Nikola Tesla like trash. In that case,  he’ll be portrayed more as a jerk than a genius. And biofic fans value those  different perspectives.
 
But most important (at least, for me), biofic  lets readers and writers experience
real history. It’s the closest we can come to actually “being there” or  “accomplishing that.”In fact, knowing more about the people who made such  impacts on the world, in turn, inspires us to do a little more dreaming,  ourselves. 



About Tara Staley 

Tara Staley is the author of Conditions Are Favorable, biofic  about the Wright brothers during their years experimenting with flight at Kitty Hawk. The book will be published April 23 in paperback and ebook formats and has  been blurbed by nationally bestselling author Caroline Leavitt. Her debut novel  Need to Breathe was selected as a “LitPick of 2012” by Twitter’s popular forum  @LitChat, and Underground Book Reviews named it a Top Pick this past January.  She lives in NC with her husband and two sons, a cat, and too many cardinals to  count.  

Here at the Underground, our goal is to promote as many quality indie authors as we can. Toward this end, we are introducing Author Spotlight Thursdays. Please welcome Jeri Walker-Bickett. 


1. Tell us about your new book. 

My books contains literary short stories adhere to realism and feature characters down on their luck, yet stubborn enough to move on. A tryst between a carnival worker and a pretty high school student  begs the question of who takes advantage of who. A young man’s encounter with a drug addict finds him striking out on his own in hopes of a better life. An English teacher publishes literature deemed inappropriate by a Mormon community. A mother goes on a quest to get rid of the family’s aggressive pet. Finally, New Orleans provides the backdrop for a stroll with a psychotic housewife. Such is life!

Four of the stories were written years ago in graduate and undergraduate workshops, and the newest story, "Not Terribly Important," marks my return to creative writing after years devoting my existence (70+ hour work weeks) to being an English teacher rather than pursuing my original passion for writing. 
 

2. If you had a writing motto, what would it be?
 
Two mottos apply to my writing and all of life in general. "Let's learn together!" reflects my belief that we can learn more from each other than we can alone. My other  motto, "What do I know?" is also the title of my twisted book blog, as well as a throwback to the motto that guided Michel de Montaigne's personal essays and outlook on life. The best experts never stop learning, and the true bravery comes from fully exploring one's own mind.
 

3. What is one thing you want audiences to know about you? 

I've got mad skills. Really. Academic scholarships were plentiful in my past, so I've had the  joy of studying the craft of writing for many years and in many different contexts. Now I am turning my experience as a teacher of college composition,  secondary English and creative writing into a newly forged career as a freelance  editor and author. 

The novel I am currently working on is titled Lost Girl Road. It's a psychological suspense  ghost story that takes place in the woods of northwest Montana. Alas, my
drafting process is not a fast one, but nor do I want to be a writer who rushes  into publication. The draft will let me know when the time is right. 


4. What character in your book do you most relate to and why? 

Hmmm, at this point in time I'm most like the English teacher in my short story "Not Terribly Important." Suffice to say, the themes explored in that story reflect much of what I find myself mulling over regarding the state of education in America and why I could no longer be a part of such a broken system. Back in the day, I would liken myself more to Julie, the teenage girl in "Pretty Girl" who is a bit of a wild child. 


5. What is the best kept secret you've discovered in regard to indie publishing?
 
I'm still new to learning about marketing, and I read tons of great blogs. Personally, what has worked best for me is to use my blog to build a network of professional contacts I can learn from. Certainly, I wish I had taken some marketing classes in college rather than say, The History of the Personal Essay, but then again, being an academic bum made me into the person I am today.
 
All that aside, I'm still on the fence on what path to publication to pursue for my
novel. Time will tell. I will be attending the Pacific Northwest Writers' Conference this July in Seattle and am quite terrified of the agent pitching sessions! Either path to publication is wrought with lots of hard work and its own sets of pros and cons. I just want to make the right choice for me.


Such is Life on Amazon.

Writer and artist Nancy Klann-Moren is the author of "The Clock of Life." It won best unpublished novel when she submitted the manuscript to the San Diego Book Awards. Her previous book of short stories, "Like the Flies on the Patio," also won awards for three of its stories. Please welcome Nancy to the Underground. 


Candi: Your Southern setting and characters feel so authentic.  Can you tell us about your experiences that helped you bring Hadlee, Mississippi and its townspeople to life?

Nancy: I was pretty comfortable with the house setting, and with all the characters, but felt unsure about the actual town itself. So unsure I took a road trip through the back roads of Georgia and Mississippi until I finally found a town that fit all my criteria for Hadlee.  Then, while writing, I literally saw each scene as if I were watching it on a screen.  As for the authentic feel of the book, I once got some advice from a playwright friend who said a writer must be especially mindful about the way their characters think and speak.  He said a character must never say something just so the writer can get a point across.  That advice served me well during the writing of this book.


Candi: What inspired you to explore both the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement in your story?

 Nancy: The idea of human inequality and how it comes to be has always been something I’m unable to understand, so the foundation of that aspect of the book was more emotional than cerebral.  And, it has always been hard for me to stomach the politics of why we went into Vietnam.  Looking back at those times in our history, one can see a living and breathing reality, where our American protests changed the status quo. 


Candi: You address many difficult topics through the eyes of young Jason Lee.  It kept a tone of simplicity and innocence, yet there was a profound sense of discovery as he came of age.  How did you decide to have Jason Lee tell this story?

 Nancy: This narrative began as a short story of about 4,000 words, told in Jason Lee’s point of view. (It’s included my book of short stories, Like The Flies On The Patio.)  One morning while in a workshop at The Santa Barbara Writers Conference, I read an excerpt. When I finished, the instructor, Sid Stebel, asked what I was doing for the next couple years, because, “What you have written isn’t a short story, it’s a novel.”  Realizing the subject matter was really important, I took up the challenge.  Having Jason Lee tell the story was an honest continuation of what I’d started, and it truly is his story.


Candi: I read that your novel was adopted by the Los Medanos College English Department to be used in their freshman writing classes.  Have you had any feedback from the students?

Nancy: Not yet.  It is scheduled to begin in the fall semester, 2013.  In the mean time I’m contacting other English Departments about using it as a framework from which bigotry can be discussed safely in the classroom, comparisons can be made, and recent history can be explored.  It fits in nicely with essay readings from several sources as well as subjects in ReReading America and Changing Society.

 
Candi: How has your experience been publishing this novel?

Nancy: Because of the state of the publishing industry, I opted for indie publishing, which felt satisfying because I had creative control.  With that said, there are also the challenges of “Authorpreneurship,” and learning to market the books.  There are huge obstacles when it comes to spreading the word through established review venues like Kirkus Reviews, and The New York Times, or even “established” local newspapers.  Thank goodness for outlets like The Underground Review to help.  I’m confident that through word of mouth, The Clock Of Life will become a must read.


Candi: As an artist and a writer, do you look to different means of inspiration for each, or does one compliment the other?

 Nancy: I suppose they both tell a story.  Art is more playful and inspired by objects, and writing takes a lot, lot, lot longer.  




ABOUT OUR GUEST WRITER
Candi Sary, author of Black Crow White Lie, has made the finals in several writing competitions, including the William Faulkner William Wisdom Writing Competition and the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. She lives in coastal Southern California with her husband (while her 2 kids are off at college), and can often be found surfing the waters of Newport Beach. You can find her at www.candisary.com.

REVIEWER: Candi Sary
GENRE:   Southern Fiction / Literary Fiction
AUDIENCE:  Adult /Young Adult
PAGES: 364
EDITOR: Diana J. Ewing
PUBLISHER: Self-published through BookBaby and CreateSpace


THE RUNDOWN

Jason Lee Rainey lives in Hadlee, Mississippi in the 70s and 80s. He knows nothing about his deceased father until his first day of school when his mother tells the boy that his father was a hero. As the novel progresses, the story of his hero father slowly unfolds and coincides with Jason Lee’s coming-of-age struggles to grow into a worthy son.

Jason Lee’s father was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement and Jason Lee himself comes to understand the ugly truths of racism through his friendship with a black boy named Samson Johnson. He’s told at school that the interracial friendship isn’t right, but his mother, Cassie, assures him, “It’s a tough thing to do in these parts, but you be friends with anyone you want, Jason Lee. Don’t let nobody tell you different, you hear?”

The tragedy of losing his father in the Vietnam War is not only a great burden on the boy, but also on Cassie. Despite her strength in raising Jason Lee on her own, she never completely mourns the loss.The two are reminded of the war daily as Cassie’s twin brother, Mooks, a traumatized Vietnam vet, lives with them. When Cassie finally breaks down, Jason Lee is faced with yet another hardship. And it certainly is not his last. Challenges continue to come at him in the small, racist town, while Jason Lee struggles to respond in ways that would make his father proud. 

The Clock of Life by Nancy Klann-Moren is one of those books where everything about it feels right. The novel unfolds with the ease of good old-fashioned storytelling. It’s a pleasure spending time with Southern talkin’ Jason Lee. Opening the book is like sitting down on the front porch with this hopeful kid from a less than hopeful town, and listening to him try to make sense of life. His musings are raw and his interactions with other characters are refreshingly honest. Nothing feels forced—even the setting comes to life organically through the boy’s casual observations.

While its genuine language and tone make it an enjoyable read, it’s the story’s depth that makes the novel so memorable. Nancy Klann-Moren takes an intimate look at the impact the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War had on one small family. She shows how these two chapters in our history deeply changed individuals. After reading his father’s journal, Jason Lee says, “And the whole idea of doing right for others, just because it’s right, consumed me.” This revelation, in the mind of one young Southern boy, gives an up-close look at how momentous change in a country takes place one person at a time.  

Reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird, The Clock of Life is a thoughtfully told, powerful story.


THE LINKS
Buy it on Amazon
Barnes & Nobel Nook
Barnes & Nobel Print


THE REVIEWER
Candi Sary, author of Black Crow White Lie, has made the finals in several writing competitions, including the William Faulkner William Wisdom Writing Competition and the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. She lives in coastal Southern California with her husband (while her 2 kids are off at college), and can often be found surfing the waters of Newport Beach. You can find her at www.candisary.com.

Entrance Guidelines

-Pitches must be under 100 words.

-Novels only: no anthologies, chapbooks, graphic novels, non-fiction or children’s books.

-Indie or self-published books only. Nothing published by a major publishing house.

-Your novel must be available to the public, either as an e-book, paperback or hard copy.

-Authors who have previously submitted their book for review, whether accepted or declined, are STILL ELIGIBLE. 

Awards

First Place
               -$10.00
               -Review and Interview on Underground Book Reviews
               -Pitch featured on Underground Book Reviews               
               -Free subscription to the Weekly Newsletter

Second Place
               -Review and Interview on Underground Book Reviews
               -Pitch featured on Underground Book Reviews 
               -Free subscription to the Weekly Newsletter

Top 5
              -Pitch featured on Underground Book Reviews
              -Free subscription to the Weekly Newsletter


How it works:

-Authors send their pitches via our Submissions Manager. Every pitch will be read in its entirety. Pitches are eliminated if they have grammatical errors, confusing or awkward wording, or do not meet the entrance guidelines, as outlined above.

-Authors are notified of elimination/acceptance within 48 hours.*

-Accepted pitches are posted on Underground Book Reviews’ Facebook page.**

-Readers and fans are invited to ‘like’ their favorite pitches.

-Voting and submissions will close at the end of the day on May 30th: midnight, EST.

-On May 31st, ‘likes’ will be counted and the top five winners will be announced on Underground Book Reviews.


*Submissions, eliminations, acceptances and voting will happen on a rolling basis. The later you submit your pitch, the less likely you are to collect ‘likes.’ If you submit your pitch less than two days before May 31st, we cannot guarantee that your pitch will be read or considered.

**We will promptly delete any pitches posted by a third party on our Facebook page.