J.M. NORTHUP's BLOG

Saturday, October 28, 2017

GEAR GIRL by J.M. Davis

Book Spotlight

1)      What is the title of your book?
Ø  What is the story about?
Eleanor wakes in an unfamiliar home with unrecognizable people doting over her. She struggles to piece together her past, and in order to discover herself again, she is forced to put her trust in strangers. A startling revelation leads readers on a steampunk-driven storyline that encounters mystery and romance along the way.
Ø  Who is the main character?
Eleanor Howell, a young girl who discovers what it means to be “human”.
2)     What inspired this tale?
Ø  How did the story come to you?
Gear Girl is the result of a meshing of two of my favorite works: The Fault in Our Stars and Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices Trilogy. The idea of a clockwork heart intrigued me, and from there, I created the storyline of Eleanor and Percy.
Ø  Did you have to research for this novel, and if so, why?
I researched illnesses common to the 19th century, and I wanted to be accurate in depicting scenes, so I was sure to research the general fashion and furniture style of the period.
Ø  If you did research, what do you think surprised you most to learn and why?
Florence Nightingale came up during my research. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about her and the way she affected the medical field. The famed nurse pioneered a health reform with her writings, which is truly remarkable!
3)     Do you relate to your character?
Ø  Is your protagonist anything like you personally?
ü   If no, how do you differ from one another?
o   Eleanor is far more quick-tongued than I am. My come-backs are usually two-minutes too late to be effective...
Ø  What made you write this character; were they based on a real person or something that inspired you?
ü   What should readers know about this character?
o   To be patient with her. At times, you may want to shake Eleanor. You may want to tell her to “move on” or “let it go already”, but I’ll gently remind you to put yourself in her shoes. Life isn’t always prettily packaged in a neat little bundle. It’s messy. It hurts. And it takes time to heal.
ü   Why is this character important to you?
o   Eleanor is important to me because of her unusual journey and the sacrifice she’s willing to make all in the name of human nature.
Ø  Do you consider the main character of your story to be good or bad, and why?
She’s absolutely good. Eleanor has a heart unlike anyone else, and I encourage you to read the book to find out why.
Ø  What’s the objective of your character?
To discover what it truly means to be human, and whether each of us have the capacity to love unconditionally.
4)    Is there anything you specific want readers to know about this piece of work?
Only that I fell in love with the story, and I hope each word conveys that.
Ø  Is there a particular idea or morale you are trying to convey?
It wasn’t intentional, but the story conveys that not all love stories end happily, but they do end justly.
5)     Is this novel a standalone?
Yes
6)    Where can readers connect with you and purchase your book?  If you have a universal link, please provide it here.

Friday, October 20, 2017

99 CENT ROMANCE

MAKING MIKE
Can be read as a standalone


MAKING MIKE, book three in the Wounded Warriors series, is on SALE for only 99 cents from Oct 19th to Oct 25th, 2017.
Grab your eBook copy today!



Thursday, October 19, 2017

FREE & 99 CENT eBook PROMOTIONS

A PRISONER WITHIN
English eBook version - 99 cents
Spanish eBook version - FREE

    

My Amazon bestselling YA psychological thriller is on promotion.
the SPANISH version is FREE for a limited time only.
Grab your copies today!

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Michael DeVault's Character, JOE MORTON

MEET MY CHARACTER

  1. Who are you?
    • What is your name?
      • Joe Morton
    • Are you a fictional or historical character?
      • fictional
    • What should we know about you?
      • I like to keep to myself, work in the field with the cows and the land, and stay out of people’s way
  1. Tell us about your story:
    • When and where is your tale set?
      • 2005, East Texas.
    • What is your personal goal?  I mean, what do you ultimately want?
      • Ultimately, I want a quiet life
    • What is standing in your way?  What conflict(s) do you face?
      • Cranston, Texas is kind of a connected place. Everybody knows everybody and they all have their business and your business in mind. Sometimes, even a private moment gets taken over by the people around me.
  1. How do I get a copy of your book?
    • What is the title or working title for this piece?
      •  The Patriot Joe Morton
    • Is it available now or when can we expect to see it released?
      • Amazon, B&N, etc. Available now.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Michael DeVault's Current WIP - The Associated Risks of Reentry

WIPs and New Releases

1)    Tell us about your work-in-progress, or WIP, as it’s known as in the industry or New Release…
Ø  What is the story about?
·   Right now, I have three projects running concurrently.
·   I’m writing a biography of a pop artist and two novels.
·   The project I’m most excited about is called “The Associated Risks of Reentry” and it’s a timely look at race, family, and politics in America.
Ø  Who is the main character?
·   Who you view as “the main character” depends largely on your perspective. There are three possibilities: Eli Harris, his wife Amanda, or his father, Isaiah.
·   Each of the three represent a different facet of the undercurrents that are shaping the country right now, and they each respond to different pressures in ways that are at once familiar and tragic.
·   Eli Harris is a doctor, a family practitioner, and his wife is a NASA safety engineer. His father, Isaiah, has been an absent figure in his life, locked away in prison since Eli was an infant. What happens when these characters are all thrust back together?
·   Where my previous novel, “The Patriot Joe Morton,” focused on change for change’s sake vs. a dogged defense of the status quo, “Associated Risks” is all about how we manage to just “be” where we are in any given moment of time – and what happens when someone is removed from their moment in time for an extended period, decades.
2)   What inspired this tale?
Ø  How did the story come to you?
·   At first, I was more focused on Amanda’s story, which begins immediately during the aftermath of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. As the story unfolded, though, I really got to know her family.
·   An accidental google for the title of the book – while researching the risks of re-entering spacecraft – led to the duality.
·   Prisoners reentering society run many of the same risks as a spacecraft landing on earth – burning up and getting destroyed by the pressure.
Ø  Did you have to research for this novel, and if so, why?
·   Researching this novel has taken me to NASA, to prison blogs, to criminal justice professors and law enforcement officials.
·   For this novel to work, it’s going to have to be grounded in hard facts from both Amanda’s story and Isaiah’s story.
Ø  If you did research, what do you think surprised you most to learn, and why?
·   For years as a journalist, I read and even wrote about recidivism rates and the challenges inmates face post-incarceration. What shocked me the most was just how deep the trauma can be – and the level of abuse of the system that’s taken place.
·   I’ve read a dozen or more accounts of death row inmates who were wrongfully convicted, and even in the face of exonerating evidence, are still on death row. It’s appalling what some of these individuals are facing. They’re humans, their innocence is beyond question, and yet they’re sitting in a 5x10 cell, behind a steel door, waiting for someone to come kill them.
3)   Do you relate to your character?
Ø  Is your protagonist anything like you personally?
·   They all three are, indeed.
Ø  If yes, then how?
·   I’m headstrong, I don’t always know when I’m wrong, and when I find out I’m wrong about something, it can take me a little while to adjust my worldview. But I do adjust my worldview – eventually.
·   At the same time, I’m a profound believer in the ideals of the American family, what family represents and the bonds family forge with one another.
·   And I understand the challenges facing parents today are quite different than they were when I was a teen, when my mother was a teen. Or were they?
Ø  If no, how do you differ from one another?
·   I’m not sure how to answer this. I recognize they aren’t me, but at the same time, there isn’t a facet of the characters that don’t spring from my imagination. They’re all in some part me, but they’re a different version of me.
Ø  What made you write this character; what made them important to you or made you want to tell their story?
·   The Harris family’s story is hardly unique. In fact, it’s far too common, and that’s why I wanted to tell it.
4)   Is there anything you specific want readers to know about this piece of work?
It’s not about what you’re going to think it’s about. It really is about the American family – the whole family – and what it means to be a parent.
5)   When will the novel be available for purchase?
Hopefully in the second quarter of 2018.
Ø  If not, when is the approximate release date, or when does it go live?
·   I’m aiming to have the book to the publisher by Twelfth Night, if not sooner.

Michael DeVault

Novelist, Essayist, & (recovering) Journalist

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