Interview with Author Behcet Kaya

Today we're talking with Behcet Kaya, author of Murder on the Naval Base

FQ: This book starts with an unexpected murder leaving the reader almost as confused as Anderson. Was this how you had planned to open this story from the beginning?

KAYA: Absolutely! My belief is that if I can’t get your attention in the first page or first chapter; you are not likely to continue to read the novel. It’s not always easy to capture the reader’s attention in the first page but, in this book, I think it worked very well. So much so that, because I shocked the reader with the murders happening in first page, and because the main character (Anderson) had motive, but no alibi, I decided in Part I to tell their story in flashbacks and everything that led up to the point where the murders took place.

FQ: Both Anderson and Bevin have similar goals in that they both want to overcome difficulties in their past. Did you always intend to make them so similar?

KAYA: I did, but Bevin and Anderson go in two completely different directions to reach their ultimate goals. Bevin is a smart, beautiful, ambitious girl; a gold digger who lets nothing stop her from reaching her goals. She hates her boarding school, the authority over her, and makes demands of herself to have a better life. “The outward happiness and the superior advantages of the young women around her gave Bevin inexpressible pangs of envy. ‘What airs that girl gives herself and all because she is the granddaughter of Warren Beauford!’ She wasn’t ashamed to make the remark out loud to one of her roommates.” {Murder on the Naval Base, Chapter 11, page 78}

On the other hand, Anderson accepts the misfortunes life has thrown at him and continually struggles to better himself. His one flaw is that he is so ashamed of his mother being a prostitute that he tells lies to perpetuate the position that he is from an honorable family.

FQ: Do you have a background with the Navy or any branch of military?

KAYA: No, I do not and I must add here that there are two reasons why I wrote this novel. First, I have had in mind to write a military novel for many years. I was influenced by the movie, Conduct Unbecoming, (produced in 1975), starring many famous British actors and the American actor, Stacy Keach. I wanted to make my protagonist a military person who had reached the highest standards of his career and then took his own life due to the fact that a hidden shame surfaced on the day he was awarded his highest merit. My other-half warned me that if I wrote another tragedy; my readers will type cast me a tragedy writer. My wife also kept urged me to write the sequel to Voice of Conscience, but I did not want to waste time before I was sure I could write something entirely different. I also chose the military because in my childhood I wanted to go to the military academy, but circumstances did not allow that to happen.

Second, my first novel received an award from Writers Digest, but my reviewers thought that the novel was my own biography. In reality, I did include the main character’s life choices very similar to my own, but the actual tragedy was fictional. In several interviews, including yours, I was asked questions such as, “Are your parents still alive?” (If you remember my first novel, “Voice of Conscience,” reviewed and interviewed by Feathered Quill.) After my debut novel, I began to believe that my readers thought that I could only write novels about what I knew personally. The voice on my shoulder shouted, “Okay, you can write a novel based on your life experiences, but can you write anything besides that?” I needed to know if I really was a writer and so I decided to write something totally not me.

FQ: What research did you have to do in regards to the Navy and its code of conduct shown in this story?

KAYA: Oh my God! Where do I start? I have read numerous biographies about famous military persons, such as John McCain, Eisenhower, Bogeys and Bandits, The Making of a Fighter Pilot, by Robert Gandt, Fearless, by Eric Blehm, Tennessee Patriot, by William P. Lawrence and Rosario Rausa, and many, many more. I am also a big fan of Brain Haig, whose military novels fascinate me and I have read just about every one of his books. I wish I could write like he does, but he has a military education. I have visited the Pensacola Naval Museum numerous times. In addition, I have been to the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsfield Alabama, and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in DC. Also, in my younger years when I was in high school in London, I visited the Imperial War Museum countless times simply because I was fascinated with the aircraft the British flew. While in high school I also used to collect WWII war magazines and had a collection of sixteen volumes each containing sixteen magazines.

I believe that if you are a true writer you can write anything, but you have to do thorough research. And, you have to know how to search. This novel was my challenge and I wanted to know whether I could write a novel different from my debut novel. As I said, my wife helped research court martial procedures. With the research my wife and I did, over 2500 pages just on court martial procedures, I could have written a book just about that.

FQ: Military jets and flying techniques are mentioned frequently in this book, what research had to be done for that particular element?

KAYA: Here again, because I am a fighter plane junky, I bought “Jane’s Aircraft” magazines and read whenever I could get my hands on. I am fascinated by the FA-18 Hornets and Russian Migs. I read and read about aircraft simulators; it’s all on-line; even today’s fighter plane training is on-line. I bought several pilot training documentaries and watched them as well as documentaries about carriers and life onboard and researched how the British steam-catapulted takeoff and landing system leveling lights work.

FQ: There are many twists in this book, how do you decide when and how to reveal these twists when you are writing?

KAYA: A very good question. Although, this may seem off topic, I must first tell you that I am a mechanical engineer and I build prototype machines for production use. What that means is, I build machines which are used for just one particular function. First, I find the core idea of what that machine is to do, and then I build around it. This is exactly the same process I use to I write my novels. I know the beginning, the middle and the end; how I arrive at the complete story is my challenge. For example, I know the character of Anderson inside and out. Being brought up in a not very stable or honorable home he is fascinated by those who are noble, and then he meets McPhearson at Annapolis Naval Academy and finds out that McPhearson’s father is an admiral. It occured to me, why not make Anderson the admiral’s illegitimate son. Call it Karma, or cause and effect. That was one of the twists.

FQ: Having part two showcase the complete trial was intriguing for me to read, was it always intended to split this book into two parts?

KAYA: Yes, that was my intention. And, there seemed no other logical way to have the book progress. There are the murders, and then how do I resolve this? It just seemed natural to have the murders, the flashbacks, and then resolve the story through the court martial.

FQ: The character of Elizabeth was quite complex, where did the inspiration for her character come from?

KAYA: I have always enjoyed James Bond movies and I have often asked myself why his movies are so exciting? I believe it is because the antagonist is as smart as James Bond, and beyond that evil and ingenious. I wanted my murderer to be smart, cunning and beautiful. Elizabeth was the most colorful character for me to create. Although she does not appear that often in the book, she carries a powerful presence. I researched about psychopaths and sociopaths and learned the difference between the two. Both psychopaths and the sociopaths are basically the same when inflicting pain on their victims; they do not have empathy and enjoy their deeds. The difference is that sociopaths are sloppy and careless, leaving clues behind, and are generally caught very quickly. However, psychopaths are much more clever and secretive, therefore harder to catch.

To learn more about Murder on the Naval Base please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Book Review - McKay and the Magical Hat

McKay and the Magical Hat

By: Kate David
Illustrated by: Helen Turner
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Publication Date: June 2014
ISBN: 978-1478729686
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: August 2014

When we last visited the ‘magical hat’ (Murphy and the Magical Hat), we met Murphy, a young girl who was bored, bored, bored on a rainy day with nothing to do. With the help of Nana’s magical hat, however, her world opened up and she was taken to a wonderful place to be entertained and enchanted. Now, in the second book in this charming series (will there be more?), we are introduced to Murphy’s younger sister McKay. What will happen with the magical hat this time?

As the story opens, McKay can’t decide what she wants to be when she grows up. Seeking advice, she asks her big sister “...What do you think I should be?” Murphy, wise beyond her years, tells her, “It’s what YOU want to be that matters...” Excellent advice! Murphy suggests that her sister use the magical hat to help imagine all the possibilities.

The girls head to Mom’s room where the magical hat is kept. McKay hops on the bed, puts the hat on, closes her eyes and poof! She opens her eyes and endless possibilities appear!

McKay first sees herself as a beautiful ballerina, leaping and twirling, then a cook baking an amazing cake. Lest you think that this young lady only imagines traditional woman jobs, I’m here to report that that is not the case. McKay has a fantastic imagination and she’s able to think up (with the hat’s help, of course) a great selection of careers from pilot to doctor to veterinarian.

If you read my review of the first book, you’ll know that I loved it. I’m happy to report that the second book does not disappoint – it’s just as sweet, enjoyable, and manages to gently insert an important message to children about making their own decisions. When McKay starts imagining her future, the text switches into a gentle rhyming format that flows easily and helps move the story along. The illustrations, by Helen Turner, who also illustrated the first book, are wonderful. The use of pastels adds a soft glow to the children and really makes them come alive. Overall, a wonderful book that I truly enjoyed reading/reviewing.

Quill says: A great way to introduce children to future career choices and imparting the message that the future is up to them!

Book Review - M is for Monster

M is for Monster: A Fantastic Creatures Alphabet

By: J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by: Gerald Kelley
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: August 2014
ISBN: 978-1585368181
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: August 2014

Muwhahaha! There are monsters everywhere you look, not just under the bed! All kinds of people know about the legendary Nessie. “L is for Lock Ness Monster / am I fake? Or am I real? / An enormous monster eel? / The truth is anybody’s guess. / Maybe I’m just clever-Ness.” Yes, there is Nessie and there is the naiad. There are ogres we can find in our fairy tales and that Phoenix who rose from the ashes. Some are mischievous like the Imp, but some are downright scary like the Native American Skin-walker. Watch out because those things can steal your very being!

Some monsters are old ‘n legendary, but some are rather new to the scene. Look out! There goes Harry Potter’s hippogriff! “H is for Hippogriff / Half an eagle, half a horse, / I’m all hippogriff, of course. / Back end tail, front end beak; / put together make me s-t-r-e-a-k!” There are friendly unicorns, but then there are vampires who just might want to nibble on your neck. Kraken. Do you know what a Kraken is? How about a Roc? Not to worry, if you don’t you will after you read this book!

This is a fun, fabulous alphabet book about monsters, monsters, and more monsters. Patrick Lewis, who certainly knows his verse, spins some perfectly monstrously great ones in this book. Each verse is accompanied by a sidebar with a “real” historical vignette about each lettered item. For example when we check out “C is for Centaur” we learn all about its mythological origin and where it appears in literature. The artwork is positively spooktacular and awesome too. Everything about this book is very kid friendly and beckons them to open the pages and begin to read and learn.

Quill says: Any youngster who adores monsters will love learning a bit more about their favorite ones!

Book Review - P is for Pirate

P is for Pirate: A Pirate Alphabet

By: Eve Bunting
Illustrated by: John Manders
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: August 2014
ISBN: 978-1585368150
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: August 2014

Ahoy, matey! There are all kinds of pirates, including Cap’n Crunch, but if you want to really know pirates from A to Z, this book has everything you’ll need. Of course every good pirate needs a cutlass to round out his outfit. “C is for Cutlass (and other weapons) / A cutlass, pistol, grappling hook, / a sharp and wicked knife. / These are all a pirate needs / to lead a pirate life.” If you’re wondering whether or not the good old Cap’n on the cereal box knows a captain whose last name starts with a K, it’s rather unlikely. Captain William Kidd was someone who began his life of crime on the high seas in the 1600s.

If you think all pirates were men, think again. There was one little gal who could plunder the high seas with the best of them. “Q is for Queen of the Pirates, Grace O’Malley / she was the Queen of Pirates, / as brave as anyone. / she could wield a cutlass, / She could shoot a gun.” Yep, she was quite an unusual gal in her time! Yo-ho-ho, did you know that “X is for X Marks the Spot?” There are lots of pirate treasures in the book and you can watch a few of them as they bury that loot on the beach. There are all kinds of pirates in literature and in the movies. Do you have a favorite? Wait, do I see Black Bart under B?

This is a fun, fabulous alphabet book about everything “pirate.” Eve Bunting has just the right formula to make youngsters want to learn all about them through her impeccable verse. I probably learned a few things myself in the process. Each verse is accompanied by a sidebar with a “real” historical vignette about each lettered item. For example when we check out “J is for the Jolly Roger,” we learn all about its meaning and possible origin of the name. The artwork pops and has great kid appeal with its humorous overtones. P is for Pirate is the perfect addition to the shelves of anyone interested in pirates and life on the high seas!

Quill says: Any youngster who has taken a fancy to pirates and their life of crime on the high seas will love this book!

Book Review - First Day at Zoo School

First Day at Zoo School

Written and Illustrated by: Sarah Dillard
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: August 2014
ISBN: 978-1585368907
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: August 2014

Oh, ho! School was going to start soon and Amanda panda was all excited, but Alfred alligator ... well, he was not. Mrs. Wattles had everything ready in her classroom and was ready for all her students to arrive. “I can’t wait! Can’t wait!” Amanda practically shouted as she danced around. In fact, she did shout. Alfred wasn’t so sure about the whole thing and paced back and forth. “Why do I have to go to school?” he thought. It was really a worrisome thing for Alfred. There were all kinds of students on the playground talking to their best friends when they arrived.

Amanda started to worry because a best friend was something she didn’t have. Amanda smiled and clapped her paws when she saw Alfred. Yes! He could be her best friend. “Gator” was soon her best friend and before long they were doing all kinds of things that Amanda liked. Amanda loved to sit in front of the class, but not Alfred (he was kind of shy). Amanda wanted Alfred to share his chocolate chip cookie (he wanted to eat the whole thing). Amanda wanted Alfred to be “it” when they played tag (he hated that). Alfred soon started to wonder if this best friend thing was for him. Was there something he could do about it?

This charming story about friendship will teach young children the value of a best friend. Of course Amanda meant well, but simply couldn’t see that Alfred didn’t necessarily like everything she did. No, that banana was not quite as good as that cookie and Alfred most certainly wasn’t quite as exuberant as Amanda. This tale will teach children about the give and take of friendships. It will be easy for them to see what’s going wrong with Amanda and Alfred’s friendship and think about their own. The artwork is quite appealing and it’s easy to read the emotions on Amanda and Alfred’s faces. This is the perfect book to introduce young children to friendship skills.

Quill says: This adorable story is perfect for the preschooler who is just about ready to "graduate" to kindergarten and wants to have that very special friend!

Book Review - Kay Kay's Alphabet Safari

Kay Kay's Alphabet Safari

Written and Illustrated by: Dana Sullivan
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: August 2014
ISBN: 978-1585369058
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: August 2014

Kay Kay was walking past the grass huts in Bungoma and soon arrived at the Star of Hope school. It was a new school and the children danced around them and pulled at his hands. “Kay Kay, look at our new classroom!” Ah, ha! There was something missing, but Kay Kay couldn’t think of what it was. He smiled as he discovered just what it was. “Your bright, white wall could use some pictures,” he told them. Naturally what that wall needed was animals, all kinds of them. Animals from A to Z would be just perfect, but Kay Kay was going to have to put on his thinking cap.

Kay Kay began to walk around the fields of Bungoma. Surely something would come to mind. As he was walking, he ran across a friend. “Why, hello, friend Ant,” Kay Kay said as he leaned down to talk to Ant. There was no way he could stay and talk because he was trying to think. Just what kind of A to Z animals could he paint on that wall? Baboon, Crocodile, and Dragonfly asked him to dance. No way Kay Kay could dance because he was trying to think. Elephant, Fox, and Giraffe invited Kay Kay to tea. “No tea for me,” he explained, “I’m looking for animals from A to Z.” Just what kind of animals was Kay Kay going to paint on that wall?

This is a charming animal A to Z animal tale that young children will love. Of course they will easily see that Kay Kay is talking to those very animals who should go on the Star of Hope school’s classroom wall. The animals dance though the pages trying to get Kay Kay to play with them, but no go until he gets his thinking done. The critter artwork is very lively, especially a centerfold that features all of them. This fictional tale is, in part, based on the Star of Hope school near Bungoma, Kenya. There’s an author’s note that talks about the school along with photographs of the children. There’s a mini-dictionary of Swahili words and phrases in the back of the book.

Quill says: This is a fun, adventurous book of Kay Kay, a Kenyan boy, and his search for those A to Z animals that will give little ones a case of the giggles!

Interview with Author Carol June Stover

Today we're talking with Carol June Stover, author of Surviving 26th Street

FQ: In reading your biography, I was impressed to learn of your background in the hotel industry. Were any of your career encounters inspirational in developing any of your characters in Surviving 26th Street?

STOVER: I specialized in hotel advertising and marketing, and my favorite part of that work was writing brochures, press releases, etc. To attract guests, I had to put myself in their place so I could answer questions like, “What does the prospective guest want to know about this hotel? What are they looking for and why are they visiting?” So that aspect of hotel work served to peak my imagination about people and lead to my writing in general, rather than leading to a specific character.

FQ: "Justice" seemed like the antithesis of the character "Winton." How did you decide on using it as the family name?

STOVER: I wanted daughter Jane Justice be the one seeking truth in all matters and her father Winton Justice to be the one who was truly unjust. I thought the contrast was ironic, as was the fact that these two opposites shared the last name of Justice.

FQ: After a successful career in the hotel industry, was there a particular moment (or series of incidents) that redirected you toward pursuing your writing career and would you please share?

STOVER: I always wanted to spend my days doing what I liked best...writing. So when I remarried and moved to Chicago in 1994, it seemed like a good time to make the change. I started writing non fiction books about my hobby of doll collecting...my childhood doll was Ginny created by the Vogue Dolls Inc., so I wrote about her and her many competitors in Small Dolls of the ‘40s and ‘50s, and co authored two editions of The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Vogue Dolls, and also Doll Values: Antique to Modern, Eighth Edition. After that I decided to work on my first novel, Current River Redemption, www.currentriverredemption.com, a story I borrowed from my Grandmother’s family of pioneer preachers. Next I borrowed the story for Surviving 26th Street, www.surviving26thstreet.com from growing up in New Jersey with my wacky family. Both novels are also e books as well as hard copy.

FQ: Laura Justice’s character is bright, positive and she is motivated. Yet, she joins forces with Winton and assumes subservience in many aspects. Do you think women have become too independent and self-sufficient in today’s society? If so, what example would you site toward such premise?

STOVER: I think it’s great if a woman today can be independent and self-sufficient when need be, but not to the point of “ruling the roost.” I think marriage should be a partnership of two equals who can give and take and appreciate each other for who they truly are. I site my own second marriage as a good example of that.

FQ: Without too much of a spoiler, why was Laura’s discovery of Winton’s antics with the neighbor somewhat down-played?

STOVER: In the end, Laura realized what she’d known all along...that there was something wrong with her relationship with Winton and that despite her best efforts, she couldn’t fix it. However 1950 taboos and expectations kept her tied to the relationship, and her own mother told her to stick it out. However, when she finally found out about Winton’s games, she had to admit what she already knew. His antics were just another example of the truth--she had an unloving husband. There was no shock, just resignation. That's why she didn’t launch yet another round of fighting or shouting to straighten Winton out. She’d already done that trying to keep him in line and she’d had enough. It was time for her to just walk away. Smart lady.

FQ: Am I naïve in saying I found it difficult to believe a woman in the 50’s with young children worked outside of the home? I found this to be a bit of a disconnect (i.e., did mom’s work outside the home in the 50’s)? Was this intentional and if so, why?

STOVER: Like many authors, I used my own family experience growing up in the 50s to create the Justice family. My mother was the only mother on the street that was not at home baking cookies. She went back to night school to take courses to get her teaching certificate and was a teacher in the local Junior High School to support my father’s small business efforts. That left me and my brother alone after school when she stayed late to tutor, roaming the neighborhood and latching on to kind neighbors for support, just like Jane Justice did. My best friend lived on the street next to ours and she was also the only kid on her street whose mother went off to work every morning. We did a lot of bike riding and roaming together. So yes, mothers with young children did work in the 1950s, but it was the exception in my neighborhood. I tried to show that reality in my tale.

FQ: Were there any parts ofSurviving 26th Street that were difficult to write and if so, what did you do to overcome the discomfort of writing it?

STOVER: I’m not one to write romance novels, so I found it hard to write about Rachel Christian and Winton’s affair. However, I made the woman so bizarre, it was actually funny to write it. I got through it that way.

FQ: What words of wisdom would you impart on todays up and coming women to the working world to enlighten them?

STOVER: Competence is important, but being good on the job isn’t the only key to success. Don’t forget to think positive, listen to others with an open mind, always lend a helping hand, and volunteer often. You learn a lot this way and it doesn’t hurt when promotion time comes around.

FQ: Who has been the most positive influence for your writing and what makes him or her “the one”?

STOVER: On a personal level, my husband Frank had been so very encouraging about my writing. However, he’s also not one to mince words or to give out unwarranted compliments, so when he says something “works” I know it’s good. I always count on his read. My daughter in law Marie Summerfield has also been a trooper about reading my chapters and gives great feedback on scenes. On a professional level, Sue Roupp (www.sueroupp.com), a fellow writer, and also a superb lecturer, seminar leader, editor and all else creative has been so very encouraging and instructive. She is also a TV host and a stage actor, so she has helped me to understand how critical it is to include a character’s movement and actions in my writing and to creatively stage in my scenes.

FQ: Are you currently working on a new project? If so, would you mind providing a sneak preview?

STOVER: I am just completing the manuscript for my novel entitled Kenmore Square. It is set in Boston in the 1960s, the tale of a ner-do-well son of a notorious bookie who is raising his daughter as a single father in the Kenmore Square rooming house he owns. His biggest problem? His daughter is convinced that on her tenth birthday he murdered her mother. When his daughter turns eighteen, she sets out with one of his boarders (a has-been nightclub chanteuse!) to discover the truth once and for all. I'm looking for a publisher now. Wish me luck!

To learn more about Surviving 26th Street please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.