Knockout! by Emma Calin

   I've a soft spot for novels that take me out of my normal surroundings and put me somewhere I've never been. (Heck, I even gave in to a compulsion to set my novels in London just to know what it would feel like to take a reader to a new destination). 
   Emma Calin's Knockout! took me to France and for the first time in my life, I finally got to understand what the big deal is with Paris and romance. 
   Sandra Brown, one of the most recognized names in Romance once agreed with a critic that romantic novels are predictable; they almost always have a happy ending. And what's wrong with that?
   Like most men, I often passed on romance novels. Men are not exactly programmed to delve into the intricacies of love so profoundly after all. However, when Romance is an aspect of a story, enriched by other elements of fiction, the result is akin to an artist employing different pallets to bring their vision to light.

   An Interpol heroine, the promise of a hopeless vortex of sexual and emotional passion, and a boxer as the good guy? It was easy to make the decision to read it.

From having written a novel set in a place I'm fascinated by, I can tell Paris has a special place in your heart. What did you hope to convey about Paris to your readers?

EC: Paris is definitely my favourite city, although there are many cities that I have not yet visited! France is a relatively short distance from the UK so Paris is quickly accessible. 

It's by no means accidental that Paris is the city of lovers and I think the reason for this is rooted far more profoundly in the human spirit than we realise. It is a northern city, often under grey skies and yet many restaurants have outside terraces. There are many outdoor street markets, stalls etc selling art and of course the famous 'Bouquinistes' with their second hand books along the left bank of the  Seine. This incongruence doubly serves as a metaphor for the experience of love which exists as a bloom or a splash of red on the monochrome background of life. I do not think that this is always realised about Paris.  

Another feature of  Paris is of course its atmospheric connection to passion and romance through the generations  – from the bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom and love to the culture of  Edith Piaf and her Love-or-Nothing songs,  the ambience is still there.  

Its river, historical buildings and its Haussmann boulevards are all beautiful in themselves.  Then there are the gourmet aspects of Paris with its world famous cuisine. 

I wanted to convey this excess of passion and love in Knockout! So Paris was the perfect backdrop for the most romantic of Anna and Freddie's encounters. 

Recently I picked out a selection of romantic phrases from Knockout! I linked them together as a prose poem from Anna to Freddie and read and recorded it for a 'videoetry' production on Youtube 'Our Love in Paris'. It is set to a backdrop of photos from my own trips to Paris.

Un beau lieu de mémoire... Easy to understand this eternal love affair with Paris, such an ideal backdrop for some major fireworks. I've come across reads where the IT couple had little or no chemistry, especially in the dialogue, but that was never a problem between Anna and Freddie. Was it difficult to steer their emotions for one another as their relationship progressed?

EC: Anna's character was built around a type of emotion that I think is more typically female. Within her was a vacuum that had developed over a long period and was always ready to implode uncontrollably. In the case of Freddie he had no such pre-existing need and in fact had set out to pick up a pretty girl in pursuit of his own ends. However, he had never met a woman with whom he found such a genuine rapport and was unprepared for his emotional response to her.  What happened then was that both of them lost control but for entirely different reasons. She because of her need which she had always handled so well, and he because of his inexperience in controlling such profound emotion.

And yet, as an author, you controlled the uncontrollable so well. Romance fiction inevitably calls for steamy scenes, which are some of the most difficult elements to write in a novel. There's such a fine line between sexy and vulgar or erotic and pornographic, and it's a feat to balance the physical and emotional aspect of every sensation. What inspired the love scenes in Knockout? 

EC: I think that all of us, women in particular, seek that factor in physical love which the French call 'la tendresse'. I like to create eroticism in the way that you see dolphins or killer whales in smooth water – everything is calm and then you see the water rise, a smooth edge and then a sharp fin come up momentarily and disappear again.  When I am writing a love scene this is how I like it to be – 3 elements – the smooth water, the graceful rise of the body and then a jagged aspect of the beast – before it disappears again below the surface, so that you get a feeling for the real thing without actually ever seeing the whole animal.

I will not lie. It took a long time to get past that last answer. I had to accept defeat, for I had nothing to write about it, but know my reaction was a whispered Wow... What's behind the pages of Knockout?

EC:  I wanted to write a suspenseful romance with an exciting plot as well as a compelling love story.  There had been a lot of attention paid to match fixing in many sports around the time I was thinking about starting the book - particularly in boxing.  My good friend Oscar Sparrow is an ex-cop and was able to give me a lot of inside information about how Interpol works and politics within the police service.  I was able to draw on my own insights into boxing as well as my personal feelings for a romantic heroine and blend this with my insider police information.  I wanted to leave the reader an idea and hope that uncontrolled love does exist and can end well.  I wanted to reveal the melody and beauty of love expressed physically.  I also wanted to dig out that aspect of a Piaf song – that Love-or Nothing as an ambition is better than caution and half a thing.

The gambling over the outcome of sports was an interesting twist. For my male brain, these aspects enriched the story more than I expected. It was more than a romance.
For those of you who've read these blog posts, one question is reserved for characters, and it's usually not about the main character that one normally expects, but there are exceptions. Especially when the character is as fascinating as the main man in Knockout.  Emma, is there a real Freddie LaSalle? 

Emma: There is unfortunately, no real Freddie in my life but I have known some very sexy cultured men and my South London roots exposed me to the life around boxing and many of these men  were physically compelling! Freddie is a wish list composite.  Of the two, the man with the best words is always more attractive to me.

***

   I did not expect Emma's captivating writing voice to flow through her responses the way it did. I found myself reading and rereading just to soak up every sentence.

   Knockout! is Emma's baby, but I'm looking forward to getting that textual embrace from her words in Escape to Love, as well as Sub-Prime and The Chosen

   I promised myself I would not employ certain cliches even though a title like Knockout! just begs for it but... you will find a swift right hook to the heart behind the pages of Knockout! 
  I know I did, and I enjoyed the fall to the mat.

   Javier A. Robayo

to learn more about Emma, visit:

http://www.emmacalin.blogspot.com

Emma Calin Website:  http://www.emmacalin.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/emma.calin 

Each Novel

I began this blog as a way to bring the work of several Indie Authors to more hands, more eyes, more hearts.
Behind the pages of each novel is an ocean of tears, a maddening frustrating longing for more hours in the day, and a rigid commitment to finishing a novel.
The hours of writing, revising, editing, and regretting are long. The rewards are few, but special. You'd be surprised to learn how far every single kind word of praise goes to keep our dreams alive.
Every soul has got one or more stories to tell, but few have the courage to take the plunge and relentlessly hammer at those keys while friends, family, and naysayers shake their heads, wondering why. Why would anyone put themselves through the emotional turmoil writing a novel really is. Why would anyone forgo entire nights just to sit at the keyboard with imaginary friends.
We have no choice. We have a dreamer's brain with the power to put words together, creating entire universes, societies, romances, horrors, villains, heroes, and scenes meant to hold a reader's emotions hostage for as long as those pages are turned.
We live to write.
And if you live to read, we'll do the best we can to make your time worth it, and all we ask is that you let us know what you thought. Should you decide to review our stories and tell the world your opinion then we're forever grateful.
One or few stars will tell us we need to improve. More than a few will validate our efforts, and to a pure writer, that sense of accomplishment is everything.

I'd appreciate it, on behalf of every brave soul who has ever sat down to compose a story, if you would pass this post around to anyone who loves to read. 
The best way to feed our determination to write a novel is knowing what you may find behind its pages.

   Javier A. Robayo

Cassidy Jones Adventures by Elise Stokes

Every so often a novel or in this case, a series comes around that you just know it's a hit. Elise Stokes creates a world that has something for everyone, regardless of age. That in itself is an incredible accomplishment as an author, but there is more than an appealing superhero story at play here. 
The success behind Cassidy Jones is in its characters. Yes, they're special, out of the ordinary, and yet, they deal with situations and relationships any reader can identify with. Elise's novels will pull you in and make you forget the real world while Seattle comes alive around you. 
It's been some time since I've been eager for the next volume in a series. Taking advantage of knowing Elise as a friend in the ever growing world of Indie Writing, I've been one of the many who is constantly asking for the next novel. If The Secret Formula left me grinning for ear to ear, Vulcan's Gift literally blew me away. These two novels actually inspired this blog. Why? Because I've had these questions in my head when I couldn't stop thinking of the story way after I read them.

When I was considering what type of novel to write, I was almost pulled into the wave of paranormal romances, and horror stories, along with Templars and history. How did you come up with a story about a superhero?

ES: My husband and I were brainstorming cool story ideas. He mentioned a superhero whose senses, strength, and speed are enhanced ten times the average capacity. I said, “Love it, if the superhero is a teenage girl.” From there, a storyline quickly unfolded. I call Serena Phillips’ gene therapy Formula 10x in honor of my husband, who tossed the lit match into the cauldron of my imagination (LOL. I have never used that phrase before, and may never again. ;) 

I can tell you're in writing mode, which is great for anyone reading this post. I'm glad for the resulting explosion of great writing that came from that cauldron. The idea of a teenage girl as the central figure is genius, where did Cassidy Jones come from, someone you know?

ES: If you asked me this question before Book One was published, I would have said I had no clue where Cassidy came from. But since then, family members and friends have pointed out on numerous occasions how much Cassidy and I are alike, so apparently I project on her. :) Cassidy values what I value, sees humor in the things I do, and reacts to situations in a similar way as I would if in her shoes.

My favorite author's perk, to live within the pages in our own vision of ourselves. Cassidy is the concept of the American Teen at its best. What's behind the pages of Cassidy Jones Adventures?

ES: Complete and utter chaos. What can I say? I have four kids. I adore them, but they treat my writing similarly to when I’m talking on the phone: like I’m staring at a blank wall, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for someone to rescue me from boredom. I can’t even tell you how many great “writing rolls” have been brought to a screeching halt by one of my kids yelling “Mom,” and by “writing roll” I mean two or three paragraphs. Writing for me is like being in stop and go traffic. I’m always amazed the story makes sense when it’s all said and done.

If the stop and go style of writing results in the stories you write, I'll find the patience I'm not known for while waiting for the next volume of Cassidy Jones Adventures. A writing roll for me entails an entire night, but much like you, I'm just as amazed if the writing makes a lick of sense, so you might be much better off, especially when it comes to edits. I've wanted to ask this question since I first met one of the most unforgettable characters ever written. What inspired Emery Phillips?

ES: Thank you so much, Javier. That is a tremendous compliment. I first began writing Emery as the stereotypical genius nerd, and then thought what’s the fun in that? What I decided would be fun is a teenage boy who appears to be the stereotypical genius nerd, but is actually like a young James Bond. Emery is definitely my character who lives in the gray, “the end justifies the means” sort. In other words, he isn’t above breaking rules, or the law, if doing so paves the way to the greater good. I also use him to demonstrate the qualities I hope my daughters will look for in a man: commitment, loyalty, respect, tenderness, putting other’s needs above your own, a killer sense of humor. 

I push Kendra, my eight year girl old into reading Cassidy Jones Adventures not just because it's one of the most fun reads she'll ever experience, but because in an age lacking solid role models, Cassidy and Emery, superhero and genius mind aside, are two kids with an array of values and attitudes that make them the young people we wish we'd been, and the teenagers a lot of us hope to raise.

***

Elise was still working on the third volume of the series when I asked her to be a part of my blog. Often, I draw conclusions and opinions about the featured novels completely on my own, but this time was different. At home, my father is a huge fan of Cassidy, Kendra's become quite curious and wants to know more. I have no doubt she'll love it. Amber, my five year old, already wants to be a superhero. My wife Sheri enjoyed every page, and I've loved the series enough to start a blog just to know what's behind the pages of Cassidy Jones Adventures. 

   Javier A. Robayo

to learn more about Elise's work, visit:

http://cassidyjonesadventures.com/

Fourth and Forever by Bert Carson

On Christmas of 2003, I gave my dad a leather bound copy of Alexander Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. I inscribed a promise to one day give him a book with our name on the cover on the inset, and nine years later, I was able to make good on my word when I put The Gaze in his hands. I've wanted to write about him, and the special friendship we share that goes beyond the blood bonds of father and son.

We both have read all our lives, but we've seldom come across a novel that hit us both right through the heart like Fourth and Forever. 

The experience went beyond the football theme that might lead anyone to assume it's a boys' book. I can assure you, it's a novel for the soul.

Bert Carson's blogs are infused with genuine emotion and it's easy to become a fan. I wanted much more of his voice, and so I began reading his novels. Since moving back to Connecticut, patiently working towards having a house again, I've had this shelf of honor in the studio I share with my dad. Fourth and Forever stands on that top shelf along with the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Dean Koontz, John W. Huffman, Alexander Dumas, and Charles Dickens among others. Why? Because no one writes from the heart like Bert Carson. 

Fourth and Forever is a novel that should be read by everyone. What inspired the beauty in the friendships and relationships in the novel? 

BC: Javier, for the answer to this question and a couple of others, you need to know a bit of the history of the novel.  I married the first time, on 11/22/63 (which is the day Kennedy was assassinated).  We moved up our planned wedding date in June because it appeared I was about to be drafted.  That worked for a couple of years, and then the draft rules changed and married men with no children were eligible.  I was one of the first to be drafted under the revised rules.  I would have spent my entire tour at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, had I not been promoted and given the job of in-processing guys returning from Vietnam.  After a week of that, I determined I would go to Vietnam just to see what was going on there that could do what I saw in the eyes of returning vets.

I volunteered, extended my term of enlistment, since I didn’t have enough time left for a full tour, pulled some strings (which I’ll probably write about in a blog in the next few days), and got assigned to a helicopter unit.  I was gone in less than a month after my promotion.

One of a number of common denominators among Vietnam Vets is divorce.  I stayed in my first marriage, after Vietnam, longer than most, but finally it crashed.  My ex-wife got custody of the kids; I moved to another state, and became a seriously absent father.

Ten years later, my son called and asked if he could come and live with me.  Of course I said yes, after explaining that I was traveling every week in my new career as a professional speaker.  He said he could handle that.  In making the relocation arrangements with my ex, I discovered he’d dropped out of school a few weeks into the tenth grade.  I told him he had to go to school as part of the living-with-me-deal, and he agreed.

For the next three years, we developed a relationship that I’d always dreamed we would have.  A “Daddy and Bobby,” relationship, and that inspired that portion of the book.

It's difficult to explain all the emotions I felt as I got to know their relationship. I couldn't help drawing parallels between my dad and I. The love, the mutual respect, the trust, it all comes through so vividly on every page. 

You mentioned Vietnam. You and I are big supporters of our boys in uniform regardless of era, but you've taken it a step further by using the story of Josh "Daddy" Edwards to create awareness to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and giving your readers a clear understanding. Was this a goal of yours when you wrote the novel?

BC: The Vietnam portions of the book did not exist in the original draft.  Then Desert Shield became Desert Storm and all my Vietnam issues came up.  My solution ultimately became Vietnam Veterans Southern Command – here’s a link to that story http://bertcarsonauthor.com/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ 

When I finally admitted the magnitude of the Vietnam issue in my life, and saw it in thousands of others that I’d met, I knew it had to be a bigger part of Fourth and Forever.  So, the simple answer to your question is, yes, I intended to address the issue, but more than that, I wanted to speak directly to vets and the families of vets in a voice they could hear.

I've gotten one explanation, back when I was working on a paper for my US History class in college on Vietnam. I went to the local VFW and talked to one good man. He didn't want to say much at first, but his demeanor and the look in his eyes spoke volumes. But seeing it on the page, in your words, I can't tell you the enlightenment it brought to my mind. 

Another strong aspect of the novel is that special friendship "Daddy" Edwards offered to the people around him. When There's a certain passage, "You don't have to know the takeoff speed to fly the plane...when it's ready to fly, it will fly. Don't rush it and don't force it..." That entire scene is one I remember the most, and I often think about it when impatience eats at me. Fourth and Forever has many of these lines and lessons conveyed through flying, football, and even a special mutt. Where do they come from?

BC: For as long as I can remember, and that is back to the age of two or three, and I’m now 70, I’ve had one objective, and that was to know and live the highest truth I could find and incorporate in my life.  I’ve never wavered from that objective and along the way, when I heard or saw a lesson in truth that spoke to my heart, I noted it.  The particular passage that you quoted happened in my life just the way I wrote it in Fourth and Forever.  When I heard it, I knew it could be applied to all of life, not just flying Cessna 150’s, so I noted it, and now it’s part of your life. 

I'm always looking to write that one line that can be a part of someone's life. I have to say, I love the way you wrote that moment, as well as the characters. I have to know, perhaps because I love dogs so much. Is there a real Flexible? 

Flexible is primarily a combination of two dogs that shared my life.  My first dog, Peck, and Christina’s great dog, Tigger, a 100 pound Bouvier who was so special words fail me when I think of him.  I’m more pleased that Christina threw in with me than I am about anything that has ever happened in my life.  That Tigger was part of the deal just made an amazing deal even better.

Bert writes stories about men and women who speak the truth and do the right thing. He'll treat you to a few life lessons along the way, and you'll feel a better person for it. This time, I didn't ask what's behind the pages of Fourth and Forever, only because the answer consists of one word: Heart.

***

Writing in a soulful voice is not easy to do. You're at the mercy of your own emotions and memories. To write from the heart in a way that touches someone else is a feat. Bert Carson's writing voice is a reading experience you won't forget. His words will touch you regardless of who you are or what you've lived, that's the true mark of an author, and you will find those qualities behind the pages of Fourth and Forever.

   Javier A. Robayo

to learn more about Bert, visit:

http://bertcarson.com/

&

http://bertcarsonauthor.com/