Feathered Quill Book Award Winners

It's official! The winners of the 2019 Feathered Quill Book Awards have been announced! Check out all the winners here:  featheredquill.com/2019-winners/

Interview with Author Brit Lunden

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Holly Connors is talking with Brit Lunden, the author of Bulwark.

FQ: Bulwark starts out right in the middle of the action, without boring the reader with pages of introductions, scene setting, etc. It’s all right there on that first page. Was this intentional?

LUNDEN: Yes. I start all my fiction right in the center of the action and let the reader learn by showing, not telling. It's how I like to read other author's books, and it's the way I always modeled mine, from children's books to adult fiction.

FQ: The setting of Bulwark, Georgia, is very much a character in the story. Is the town based on a town from your past? Or one that is completely made up?

LUNDEN: I drove through Georgia when I was fifteen years old on a trip down to Florida with my family. The quiet, isolated feel stayed with me. We stopped for a rest break in a rural area. I recall a peach farm. I remember getting out of the car and looking at the night sky, and it took my breath away. I had never seen so many stars. I felt like I was in the middle of space. That sense of wonder never left me, and when I created the characters, I plopped them down in an imaginary town based on that spot when I got out to stretch my legs over forty-nine years ago. I wanted to recapture that feeling that I was completely cut off and anything could happen. I want to add, that I was not scared. I thought the place felt magical.

I started Bulwark with a bunch of authors working on an anthology. They wanted to do something paranormal for a Halloween release. I jumped in and built the town and created Sherrif Clay Finnes and his challenges. Another author supplied me with the delightful cousins Trout and Bobby Ray. Nobody finished their story except me, so I asked if they minded if I published. They didn't. Bulwark became a real town for me.

Cut to almost two years later, I was approached by several authors who want to use Bulwark and the characters for another anthology. So, now eight new short stories will be published (including one of mine) on March 19th, based on the town.

FQ: Sheriff Clay Finnes was an interesting protagonist. While the story was short, which didn’t give you much time to develop your characters, he was a complicated individual which added to the intensity of the story. Did he come to life as you wrote, or was he well-developed in your mind before you began the story?

Author Brit Lunden

LUNDEN: None of my characters are well-developed in my mind. They come to life and begin to tell me how they want to react or what is right for them. As you said, I start stories by jumping into the action, and the characters play the plot out. I ask them how they would handle things and as they reveal bits of themselves. They do become real to me, and I try to be respectful and not impose my own opinions on them. How boring would that be, if everyone thought alike?

FQ: When Clay goes to find the gingerbread house, the drive down Linden Lane came to life in a very creepy way. Was this part of the story fun to write? Difficult?

LUNDEN: I have fun in every part of the stories I write. I never see it as creepy, and only when I reread, I wonder where the heck it came from. I can't watch scary movies or read horror books - I'm too afraid, so I have no idea where this stuff comes from. When I read reviews that something I wrote was frightening, I'm usually surprised - because I'm easily frightened. I'm more intimated writing a sex scene.

FQ: There are numerous fairy tale references in Bulwark. Do you have a special affinity for this genre?

LUNDEN: I was brought up on fairy tales. My grandmother read me a book that was my mom's when she was a kid. Cinderella was my first movie, and I was enchanted with her ever since. I have so much Cinderella paraphernalia in my home, it looks like Disney threw up in here. I think I must have been my mom's princess. I have sons, so the whole princess thing kind of got pushed behind Hulk Hogan and Transformers.

Now I have two grandsons and two granddaughters.

We have different perspectives on fairy tales today. We tell our daughters that they shouldn't rely upon a man to save them and we say to our boys never kiss anyone while they are sleeping without permission.

I read Jane Yolen's How to Fracture a Fairy Tale on a recent plane ride. It was a delightful modern flip on fairy tales, and I loved it. I also remember loving Maleficent, the movie and the spin on true love.

I think fairy tales gave people hope in the old days. I think they also served as morality lessons. I think people today are more sophisticated and don't like stories shoved down their throats. They also don't want to be manipulated or told how they should feel.

FQ: Bulwark – an interesting title for the story, for the town, and also that Clay was Jenna’s “...bulwark and could stand her onslaught.” Would you discuss how you decided on the name “Bulwark” for your book and it’s multiple meanings?

LUNDEN: I was having trouble with the title, and it popped into my head. I knew Clay was Jenna's bulwark. He would stand in front of a tsunami for her. I had such a mental picture of this guy. He was incredibly brave and self-sacrificing, as well as deeply in love with his wife. I realized as I was writing the inhabitants were all sort of depending on Clay, and I felt their isolation - that his bravery and intuition was what was holding the demons at bay. It seemed a perfect name for the town.

FQ: It seems that Clay Finnes has many more stories to tell. Will we be seeing him again in a future work?

LUNDEN: YES! I am so excited about the eight new short stores that are being worked on right now. I continued JB Stratton's story. He is the retired football player in chapter 2 who succors the car accident victims. If you think Clay was an interesting character, wait until you meet JB.

Dr. Kent and Terence are being included n a short story by DJ Cooper, Erica Graham is writing about Clay and Jenna's neighbor, Dell Henderson is working on something related to the civil war, and RL Jackson hasn't told me where she is going with it, but I can't wait to read it. I bet there will be some vampires to be found. Also, included are Kayleigh MacLeod, Katey Kelley, and newbie Brittney Leigh.

FQ: You’ve authored numerous stories for children. Bulwark is your first work of adult fiction. What made you want to tackle this very different genre?

LUNDEN: I read and review mostly adult fiction and nonfiction. When I started writing, I thought it would be the great American novel. I didn't expect to find my niche with children's books. However, I was writing to a very specific audience - my grandchildren. Captain No Beard was based on games we play as a family and situations that occurred with several members. The cultural series was born from my grandson's interest in diversity. Can a Princess be a Firefighter? was a love letter to my granddaughters and Rocket-Bye was the same for my grandsons. As they grew, I started reading early reader chapter books, and that morphed into the Oh Susannah series.

Many of my author friends asked me to write romance or adult themed books. I decided to take a chance with Bulwark, and I enjoyed the experience very much. I am honored that these authors liked the story enough to help the town evolve and continue to live.

FQ: Coming from your children’s genre background, how different is it to write an adult fiction story? Do you have the entire plot worked out before you begin writing or does the story come together as you write?

LUNDEN: All stories, no matter what the genre come together for me as the plot thickens. I can think I have an idea of where it is going to go, but very often, my characters steer the story in another direction. I know I started The Knowing, Bulwark's sequel in the direction of horror and I think it ended up as a tender paranormal love story. I'm waiting to hear from my beta readers if they felt the same way.

FQ: As a very prolific writer, I’m sure you have more books in the works. Would you tell our readers a little about what’s next for you?

LUNDEN: I just published Mindfulness for Kids with Calista Press. It was my first non-indie assignment, and I had a great time. I collaborated with a therapist and enjoyed the experience. It was published under my Carole P. Roman brand. I am hoping they will ask me to do another. I am finishing up a book called Marketing Indieworld with authors Julie A. Gerber and Dr. Angela Hausman that should be published later this spring.

Regarding Brit Lunden, the Bulwark universe will expand. I think I have more stories of the residents. If the anthology is successful, I believe we can get more authors involved. I loved Clay and Jenna, and I want to revisit them. Nobody wrote anything for Dayna Dalton, and I think she has a story to tell as well. She's a rare combination of good and bad and too delicious a character to ignore.

Lastly, I do all the marketing and publicity for my son, another prolific author. He has some exciting things happening this spring. Either way, my calendar is filled!

Meet Author Carole P. Roman

Meet author Carole P. Roman in our new "Meet the Authors" section of our website: https://featheredquill.com/author-bios-carole-roman/

#BookReview - Material Things

Material Things: The Untold Story of a Young Entrepreneur Who Made a Killing in the Jeans Business

By: Larry Spencer
Publication Date: March 2019
ISBN: 978-0578212326
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
Review Date: January 29, 2019

Young and avid for sensation, three young men start a business selling clothes at the height of the hipster years in California, and wind up with a very different kind of business on their hands, one that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Author Larry Spencer (The Tipping Point of Oliver Bass) has created a small, at times cozy, mostly crazy universe as the setting for his colorful cast of characters. 

It starts with a funeral. As might have been predicted nearly 40 years before, when alcohol addicted Logan Alexander was thrown out to fend for himself by his wealthy parents, the old guy has finally taken his own life. Hearing of his pal’s suicide, Chris Styles calls their mutual buddy Matthew Street who now lives in Scotland. Matthew surprises himself by agreeing to fly across the pond and attend the funeral with Chris. There they meet Logan’s daughter who demands to know more about her mysterious father. 

As the three friends recount their story, we watch Matthew, Chris, and their friend Jon Lewis decide, on rather flimsy pretext, to turn Matthew’s small but chic hair salon into an emporium selling bell-bottom jeans. “Jon’s Drawer” takes off, riding a wave of hip fashion, and for a few years the guys enjoy a flourishing business, a few puffs or snorts of illegal substances, and not a few encounters with sultry, sexy ladies. But it all comes crashing down when Jon allies himself with a friend who shares his passion for expensive cars and designer drugs. There’s a major bust and everyone runs for cover. But where’s Jon? And how can Matthew bail out while a presumption of guilt hangs over them?

Spencer is at home with his hippie heroes - their drugs, desires and devices. The reader will assume he’s been there from the authentic way that he lives inside each of the young men, but most especially in the mind of Matthew. Too, young women like lonely Linda, unfaithful Andrea, and Sage the shoplifter have their parts to play in an era when love and lust were suddenly free and everyone seized the moment. The author writes with confidence and builds his plot with notable skill. There’s never a dull moment as the companions move from a laid back ethos that takes life as it's thrown at them, to the frantic requirements of real commerce, to a sad realization that it's all gone down the tubes and everyone has to find his own way out of the rabbit hole. Along with a zesty helping of steamy sex, crime is an insistent counterpoint all along, as those who enjoy recreational highs have to deal with lowlifes and the law. 

Quill says: This tightly plotted 60s/70s subculture saga will provide tangy memories for those who were there, and understandable envy among those who wish they had been. Exuberantly recommended.

#AuthorInterview with John Egenes @jegenes

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Skyler Boudreau is talking with John Egenes, the author of Man & Horse: The Long Ride Across America.

FQ: Your ride took place in 1974, but you waited until 2017 to publish your own account of the experience. How do you feel this distance from the event has affected your documentation of it?

EGENES: I’m glad I waited. I wrote a manuscript shortly after the ride but knew immediately that it wasn’t a good effort. It was because I was too close to the material, still living within the shadows that the ride cast. Hopefully, the years imbue a bit of wisdom and a sense of purpose in a person, and I like to think they’ve done that for me [smiles]. I was able to view the ride with both a macro and a micro lens, to be able to see the big picture and the details within. And it was great to be able to compare and contrast things today with those of yesterday. But I didn’t want to pine away for the good old days, and I think I managed to steer clear of that. The passage of time has given me a perspective that I think made the story much better.

FQ: During your ride, you seem to become somewhat frustrated with media coverage interfering with your journey. What led you to the decision of writing a book and thus creating a kind of media coverage of your own?

EGENES: The media coverage was frustrating at times, but it was more of an annoyance than a real problem. And I suppose yes, writing the book has created media coverage, but I certainly don’t mind it this time (I’m not riding a horse!). In fact, I’d like mind more of it. As corny as this sounds, I reckon I want Gizmo (my horse) to be recognized for what he did. It’s no accident that I put his picture on the cover.

FQ: What is one thing you wish you would have done differently on your journey and why?

EGENES: I’m not sure that I have second thoughts about what I did and didn’t do during the journey. There are many things I wish wouldn’t have happened, and almost all of them involve hardships for Gizmo. There are probably things I wish I would have known beforehand, but a large part of the reason I took Gizmo out on an unknown trail was to experience new things, to learn about the country and its people, and to spend a significant amount of time alone. And I was able to do all of those things. I certainly didn’t do things perfectly [laughs]. I made a lot of mistakes along the way and I definitely had more than my fair share of screwups. But fortunately, I’m a quick learner.

FQ: What were some of the challenges you faced returning to regular society after your ride? Was there anything you were glad to have back?

EGENES: Coming off of self-imposed isolation is difficult, but you don’t realize it for quite some time, until you’re back into civilization and trying to fit back in. At first, I was overjoyed to have finished the ride, to have a horse who was still in one piece and healthy, and to make it home to California. And I know that in his own way, Gizmo was, too. But it’s inevitable that you start comparing your life back in society to what you lived on the trail, and sometimes it just doesn’t quite measure up. Still, I was happy to get back to playing music, to seeing my friends, and not having to worry about finding water for my horse every day [grins].

FQ: Did you receive any criticism along the way (from friends and family, media outlets, etc.) that you felt was unfounded? How did you handle press coverage you disagreed with?

EGENES: Before the ride there were certainly those who thought I was crazy to attempt such a thing, and that it was impossible. I expected that—actually, anyone who attempts something like that probably expects naysayers—but I have always deflected those sorts of opinions. I’ve always followed my heart, as I did in this case. And though I disagreed a bit on some of the things said in the news, none of them were earthshaking, and none really made a difference in what I was doing. So in the end, that part didn’t really matter to me. For the most part, the press was overwhelmingly friendly and supportive, and I still appreciate that to this day.

FQ: How did Gizmo re-acclimate to life off the trail once your journey was finished? How was he changed after the experience?

EGENES: I worked Gizmo for about a month after we got home, a bit less and less each day. It’s not good to work a horse very hard every day for a long time, then just let him stand in a corral or a stall. So I sort of “re-acclimated” him to a life of leisure. After that, I turned him out to pasture on about a thousand acres, with some other horses and mules. He spent about a year up there, and I’d go up to see him often, just to visit, check his feet, and see that he was healthy and to give him a Snickers bar. The ride ruined him as any kind of show or working horse prospect. He had a definite mind of his own, and he did things his own way. But he was great to ride, wonderful on pack trips into the wilderness, and he even carried my daughters around when they were very young (and he was very old). And for the rest of his life he always whinnied and came running whenever I showed up.

FQ: Your love of horses and respect for other animals is evident throughout your book. Have you always gotten along with them? Is there any animal you would not like to meet?

EGENES: Yep, I’ve always gotten along well with animals. Having raised two daughters who are both horse people, we had dogs and cats, horses and mules, donkeys and goats and all sorts of critters. My youngest daughter Julia is now a veterinarian, in fact. And today, my wife and I live with three cats here in New Zealand. Animals have always been a huge part of my life. And I’m not sure there’s an animal I wouldn’t want to meet. And again, it sounds corny, but every single critter on this earth is beautiful and amazing in its own way.

FQ: Have you ever revisited any of the locations you passed through on your journey? Is there any one place that stuck out to you during your travels?

EGENES: I’ve been to some of the places out west, in the Mojave Desert, the Painted Desert, and various places in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas… all the way through to Tennessee. I didn’t really set out to revisit any of them, but whenever I’m on a driving trip and I get anywhere near my trail route, I try to go visit it. It’s always interesting to see the places, and to see how well my memory has preserved them. It’s always amazing when I drive for an hour along my trail, then realize it took four or five days to travel the same distance with Gizmo. The one place, overall, that sticks with me is the Painted Desert, on the Navajo Reservation. There are some specific spots, but I don’t want to advertise them, out of respect for the people who live there.

FQ: If you had the opportunity to repeat the experience all over again, would you? Why or why not?

EGENES: Probably not across today’s America, but maybe somewhere else. During the ride I often went into the library in some little town and would look at the world atlas. I’d hatch plans to ride across China. Of course, in those days China was not accessible to Americans, but I dreamt I could ride across the breadth of that great country. It would have been something, and I probably would have pursued it had the political climate of the day been different. Not sure I’d be up to it today [laughs].

FQ: Describe yourself in three words at the start of the ride. Now describe yourself in three words immediately after the ride.

EGENES: Three words at the start: naïve, eager, optimistic

Three words at the finish: wisened, exhausted, optimistic

https://featheredquill.com/author-interview-john-egenes/

#BookReview - Man & Horse @jegenes

Man & Horse: The Long Ride Across America

By: John Egenes
Publisher: Delta Vee
Publication Date: August 2017
ISBN: 978-0692930854
Reviewed by: Skyler Boudreau
Review Date: January 28, 2019

In 1974, John Egenes decided to embark on a months-long mission to travel across the country on horseback, from California to Virginia Beach, accompanied only by his horse and best friend, Gizmo. Passing through eleven states, they experienced numerous hardships and trials and witness some of the wildest natural places in the United States. Man & Horse: The Long Ride Across Americais a tale of the stunning transformation of a man and his horse on an immeasurably difficult journey from their home, to the other side of the country.

Man & Horseis told through a mix of Egenes’ first person point-of-view accounts, photographs, and old logbook entries. Each piece of the format blends together perfectly and adds a unique element to the story that allows the reader to digest the events in different ways. Egenes’ writing style also makes use of all five senses, immersing the reader in every aspect of his and Gizmo’s journey. The reader feels like they are walking alongside the two of them during their story. 

Egenes chooses to begin their journey on the West Coast rather than the East Coast. He writes, “...because we are traveling west to east and crossing great deserts first, we will become hardened to the trail, rough and feral, and adopt the attitude ‘it’s us against the world.’” (pg. 24) This proves to be the right decision, as “...the eastern part of America is fenced and tame. There is no open country, no place to spend days and weeks by yourself.” (pg. 24) He goes on to explain that had they begun in the reverse, they would not have achieved the complete isolation they did until much later in their journey and would have emerged from the challenge far different than they did. 

It’s difficult to imagine a feat like this being accomplished today. While Egenes faced many challenges in 1974, like being bitten by a black widow spider in the middle of the desert far from civilization and the needed antidote, there are new challenges in 2019 that would make his journey just as difficult. In one line of this book, Egenes says, “I’m reminded daily how fragile this existence of ours is.” (pg. 76) One mistake could be the end of them. From the expansion of cities to the popularization of social media, today’s travelers would be unable to achieve the same level of near-total isolation that Egenes and Gizmo experienced in the 70’s. 

One powerful lesson readers can take from Man & Horse: The Long Ride Across Americais the virtue of taking life at a slow pace. Egenes must find ways to fill long stretches of empty time on his long journey, away from the easy distractions of everyday civilization. He says, “It’s best not to look ahead to see how much time you must fill. The real trick is to simply live in the moment (I know, a bit cliché, but it’s true nonetheless) and allow yourself to focus on what’s in front of you without worrying about how long it will take you to do something or how much time you have before sunset.” (pgs. 122-123)
Quill says: Man & Horseis more than a horse book or a survivalist book. It is an illustration of a great part of a man’s life and shows its audience that if they really want to do something, even something that seems wild, impossible, or unattainable, they can still achieve it with an iron will to succeed.

For more information on Man & Horse: The Long Ride Across America,please visit the author's website at: johnandgizmo.com

#BookReview - Raven Gone Rogue

Raven Gone Rogue

By: John Fennell
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: April 2018
ISBN: 978-1718614017
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
Review Date: January 23, 2019

Cold-hearted killers meet lion-hearted, determined adversaries in this latest offering by award winning writer John Fennell II.

Raven, who was known back home in West Virginia as a smart, pert young thing, has broken all the rules, even abandoning the Foundation, an organization dedicated to finding and eliminating evildoers all over the globe. Raven went rogue because the Foundation would not allow her to put the final touches of her revenge on the murderer of her beloved Uncle Bill. An international consortium, the Foundation is run by Amelia, the grandmother of Raven’s one true love, a downhome boy named Naci who is himself no slouch at intrigue and dangerous deeds.

Raven has joined forces with the mysterious Morgan, a noted and feared hit man whose post-kill “calling card” is a vintage silver dollar.  Befriending Morgan, Raven learns that the great love of his life, a woman named Lilly, was killed in a drug-related incident in Latin America. Or was she? Might she still be alive? Raven resolves to track down the truth about Lilly, also known in undercover circles as the Hawk. Raven will learn more about Lilly – and about her pal Morgan – to her peril, in a saga that reaches from the inviting beaches of Florida to the dingy dives south of the border. Ultimately, it will be Uncle Bill who guides her – with a message from beyond the grave.

This adventurous, murderous, twisting tale follows the first of Fennell’s Raven series, Raven and the Panther. Like that book, this one shows how Raven compounds killings and stacks bodies like a one-woman world war without losing her small-town values or her passion for Naci, who is equally forever smitten with his beautiful, daring lover. Though separated by current circumstances, two lovers will have a chance to get together secretly in one sexy, steamy encounter. This and other erotic interludes are vividly described, offering a counterpoint to ever changing, ever escalating violence that characterize much of this thriller, the balancing act a testament to Fennell’s talents. A prolonged death scene composed of bloody choppings before the final slice is but one of the disturbing images that Fennell has masterfully created to demonstrate the extreme malice of Raven’s enemies. So when she strikes - rapidly, efficiently and effectively – the author makes it seem almost a kindness to the monstrous foes she is dealing with.

Quill says: Readers with a taste for the eternal struggle between greedy, gore-enthralled goons and strong, steady-minded super-sleuths will gravitate to Fennell’s imaginative work and will want more. With a sequel waiting in the wings, they should not be disappointed.

For more information on Raven Gone Rogue, please visit the author's website at: johnfennell.com