Meet Chris Davis, Author

Chris Davis is the author of a new young adult novel, The Adventures Of Merrick The Viking. You can learn more about the book by visiting www.theadventuresofmerricktheviking.com. The novel is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. See also this link to find the book in other ebook formats.

1. What gave you the idea to write The Adventures Of Merrick The Viking?

I really started looking at time periods that intrigued me, and I am a bit of a day dreamer, so I would wonder what it must have been like to grow up as a young teen in about 700 to 900 AD when all of Europe is still new and pre-America. So one thing led to another, and my protagonist turned out to be a young boy who happened to come from a long line of extremely well-crafted boat builders in a small Viking village. From there the adventure starts.

2. Have you always been interested in the history of Vikings and Scandinavia?

I have been an admirer of history and how cultures evolved over time, and I am particularly interested in the Viking and Irish culture, but mostly the advancements in trade and influences on culture not necessarily on the violent history. I also tried not to mention any exact locations or historical names, just more of a reference. Also, I added in some hidden fun references to the Viking famous folklore.

3. Would you tell us a little more about the character of Merrick and what he experiences during the course of the book?

The main character is Merrick, and I am writing this as a series of books with Merrick as the main character. He starts off around 16 to 17 years old, forced out of his village, and he really finds himself growing up pretty fast. Luckily for him, he has special traits that make him unique. He finds himself in survival mode but still keeps his adventurous personality as a coming of age teen. Plus, yes, once he makes it into an Ireland, he happens to start a new romance with a real headstrong Irish redhead girl, Kira, that keeps him in check.

4. What do you see as the challenges of writing for a young adult audience, and what do you most enjoy about writing for this audience?

I see the challenges of a writer these days is a difference with how young readers want immediate action and also wants to follow and enjoy characters into series of books, letting their imagination turn page by page. My biggest obstacle was from the beginning: it is hard to market a book with Vikings that is not gruesomely violent, but I do have to acknowledge, yes, in history they did have groups of Vikings that plundered and destroyed villages, so I am carefully keeping the story more on a positive adventure.

5. Are you working on any new writing projects at the moment?

Yes, I am currently writing the second book in the series which I refer to as Merrick Book 2 and should be a similar style and design so this should make for happy readers to continue the journey. To me I am just fascinated of the time to pull your boat up into an unknown port and be able to communicate and trade your goods--plus exchange ideas, technology, techniques, and food items. Even how that time period was able to put a universal price on their goods and services.

Thanks, Chris!

An Excerpt from Ashes and Asphalt by Trevor Halloway

Trevor Halloway braves the New Orleans swamps every day to go to work. During the commute he works out fantastic stories in his head to put out for future generations. His love of homebrewing and cats is legendary.

His debut novel, Ashes and Asphalt is a story about brotherhood, about reconciliation and honor. Mike and Kyle Byrne's father has died and requested that his estranged sons bring his ashes to the annual Sturgis Bike Rally...together. Naturally, this does not please the duo, but they do honor the old man's request.

They have five days and two thousand miles to cover. If they can elude a pissed-off biker from New Orleans, a trio of whacked out carjackers, and the police, then they might just survive...unless they kill one another first.

Ashes and Asphalt is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle ebook format.

The excerpt below is from the beginning of the novel.

***

"I'll bet you twenty bucks that you won't mess with that old man by the bar."

The large man looked to where his friend pointed. He noticed a few bikers around him and shook his head. "I'm not messing with bikers, bro."

The smaller man took out his wallet and slapped down two twenties. "Toby, would you pull at his jacket for forty?" He pulled out another twenty. "I'll even buy another round. Besides, all you have to do is tug a little at the jacket. If anything, you could play it off as an accident... Pretend you're drunk or something."

"Fine, but make it eighty."

"Deal."

Toby got up and eased over to the bar. No one stood near his target, and the old man slumped over the bar with a beer still in his hand.

Toby approached the bartender and ordered another round. The bartender gave him two bottles and left him to tend to the other patrons. With a swig from his bottle, Toby staggered and gripped the old man's sleeve.

The bar sounds faded as everyone witnessed Toby's move, especially Billy Byrne, who dusted off his sleeve.

The brawny upstart rubbed his swollen jaw, sneering as a pound of pain coursed against the alcohol. "I never expected an old man like you to have such a strong right hook."

Billy Byrne pulled at his opponent's jacket, drawing Toby in close enough to smell the cheap beer on Billy's lips. "I never expected some young punk like you would be dumb enough to grab my jacket."

The bottles slipped from Toby's hands, crashing onto the floor and staining both of their jeans.

Billy locked his eyes with the guy before him. "Lesson number one about biker bar etiquette is you never touch a biker's jacket." Billy's bony fist connected with Toby's not-so-tough stomach and he doubled over. His eyes bugged as he clutched his ribs, gasping.

The old man cracked his knuckles. "Lesson number two is you never knock over a biker's beer, especially on the same jacket you touched."

Toby's friend pushed Billy and got into his face. "Look, asshole. You don't mess around with Toby!"

Billy's friend, Mack, lunged forward, slicing through the air with a cobalt blue custom pool cue. Billy darted right as the stick connected with a tall gutter punk's back. The lanky kid spun around, his mouth open as he struck the tabletop.

Billy looked down at his opponent. "And you don't mess with a Gearhead and his crew."

"Hell, man," said a large black man with the short dreads. "You smashed my stick!"

Billy smiled at Mack, who shook the broken stick in the air. "Don't sweat it, Mack. I'll get you a better one." Billy ducked a blow intended for his face. "Behind you!"

Mack spewed forth unintelligible words. A chair smashed against his neck.

A boy in brown trousers and a collared shirt wiped his hands and dodged another biker's right cross. He didn't take into account a second biker whose fist connected with the boy's stomach, sending him to the floor.

Jason, the bartender, emerged from the back room with a few tequila bottles. A full beer can flew past his head, spraying its contents onto his shirt. He ducked behind the bar and rummaged through his drawers, searching for a few shells for Old Bessie. He gazed at the red cartridge between his thumb and forefinger and readied his shotgun.

Before Billy's fist struck a preppie's face, a blast exploded from the bar, saving his nose from certain fracture. Bits of ceiling sprinkled from above, freezing everyone in mid-fight. The jukebox wound down, leaving the thud of the fainting preppie to fill in the sudden silence. The remaining customers turned as the bartender pumped the shotgun, ejecting the spent shell onto the ground.

"Now that I have your attention, I want to point out that you lot have done some heavy damage to my place."

Broken glass littered the beer-soaked floor, sparkling beneath the few fluorescent lights that were still working. The neon beer sign above the door flickered a few more times before giving up with a final defiant spark.

"Don't be shy," Jason said as he waved his piece. "We accept most major credit cards."

Silence filled the room.

Excerpt from The Foxes' New Family by Geraldine Litz

One of my favorite interviews I've posted so far on With Five Questions was the interview I did with Geraldine Litz, a retired teacher, about her children's book, The Foxes' New Family, illustrated by by Beth Edmunds. The book is available in a paperback edition and as an ebook for Amazon Kindle.

It's a pleasure to welcome Geraldine back to the blog, this time to share an excerpt from her book.

For more about her work, be sure to follow her on Facebook.

In the excerpt below, Geraldine has kindly shared the first two chapters of The Foxes' New Family, as well as some illustrations from the book.

*

Chapter One

Two brown foxes stood near the edge of the trees and watched trucks come and go with furniture and people. They were not happy to see people move into the large house with the very big front and back yards. The house had been empty for a long time, and they were able to go into the yards to find water and sometimes food. No one had bothered them. Now their lives would forever be changed by the new people moving into the house.

The two foxes were feeling upset when they saw two young girls get out of a car that drove up the long driveway and stopped. The girls looked alike and were almost the same size. One had very long dark hair up in a pony tail and the other had blonde hair to her shoulders. Both were laughing and happy, running around the yard, exploring. It must have been their parents who got out of the car and watched them, smiling to each other.

"We're going to be happy here," said the woman.

"I think so, too," answered the man, as he took the woman's hand to lead her into the house.

The male of the foxes, who was a little bigger and his fur a little darker, turned to his mate. "They might be happy, but I don't think we will be anymore," he said to her.

The female fox had a sad look as she nodded in agreement. They faded into the trees, back to their den on the property adjoining the house’s yard.

Chapter Two

A few days went by and the two foxes watched the people set up their house and wander around the yards in the evening. As soon as the two girls came home from school, they would go out to play. Today the girls were running and chasing each other in the middle of the huge front yard when suddenly one stopped and pointed with delight.

"Look, Shannon! Foxes!!" The girl began to run toward the animals.

"Wait, Mary! Don't scare them!" shouted Shannon, but it was too late. The foxes disappeared back into the thick stand of trees that bordered their yard.

At supper that night, Mary and Shannon told their parents about seeing the two foxes.

"That is exciting," agreed their Dad. "But they are wild animals. Don"t try to touch them or chase after them. You could get hurt and you will frighten the foxes as well. Just leave them alone and let them continue to live their lives in the forest next door, just like they probably have always done."

"Your father is right," said their Mother. "Maybe we can watch them sometimes if we don't scare them away."

The next day Mary and Shannon watched for a sign of the foxes as they played ball in the front yard. They never saw the animals, and they were unaware that the two foxes blended into the trees and bushes, enjoying their view of the girls running and giggling.

"They seem like nice girls," the female fox said. She nuzzled her mate affectionately with her nose.

He nuzzled her back. "I think so, too," he finally agreed. "But we can't take a chance of letting them see us. You know we can’t trust humans not to hurt us or kill us, no matter how nice they look."

She sighed regretfully. "I know. And they are probably as scared of us as we are of them!"

The girls went into the house so the two foxes left to try to find some food and water, which was becoming harder to find as people moved in around them. They were competing with the deer and other wild animals.

Meet Geraldine Litz, Author

Geraldine Litz is a retired elementary teacher. She is an award-winning author and has published historical nonfiction articles in regional and national magazines. She lives in Georgia with her husband and family. She would love to hear from you via email. You can also like her author page on Facebook.

Geraldine's latest book is The Foxes' New Family, with illustrations by Beth Edmunds. Two foxes are dismayed to see a new family with young children move into a long vacant house. Their habitat borders the house's yards, and until now, they were free to roam the property looking for food. Now the foxes are afraid for their safety, but they soon learn the new family means them no harm. It is just the opposite in fact, as the people are kind to them. A tragedy strikes the foxes one night, and they learn just how kind the people really are to them. But will it take more than human kindness to save the wild animals? This book is based on a true story and is beautifully illustrated with colorful images which children will enjoy.

The book is available in a paperback edition and as an ebook for Amazon Kindle. Below is a photo of one of the real foxes who inspired the book.

1. Would you tell us about the true story that inspired your children's book, The Foxes' New Family?

My son and his family moved into a new house. Even though it is in a neighborhood, they are at the end of the street and are surrounded on three sides by woods. Two foxes began to appear in their yard. They have a gazebo, and the foxes seemed to get comfortable coming out when my son worked in it. The foxes would lie close by while he worked, so he and his family decided to put stainless steel bowls out there, one with hard dog food and one with water. The foxes took advantage of the offerings. In the fall, they were observed playing with a deer, with leaves, and eating out of the bowl in the company of a deer. I thought all of this was very neat and would make a cute children's book, especially when it is based on a true story.

2. What age of reader/listener did you have in mind when you wrote this book, and what have you heard so far from kids/parents who have read it?

I aimed it at ages 7-12, but it has turned out to be popular from pre-K through old age. Small children like to have it read to them. I visited a school and signed copies of my book. All of the elementary children loved it, and I sold many copies. Adults have read it and said it was nice to read a book without violence, etc., and all ages have enjoyed the beautiful illustrations. I have a friend who knows a lady who read it to older adults with mental and physical challenges who live in a facility together. When she finished, they said they loved it and wanted to read it again! I was so pleased to hear that they had enjoyed it!

3. What was your process like in collaborating with Beth Edmunds, the illustrator of your book?

My son introduced her to me. Beth Edmunds had always liked art, but she didn't have any training. I was willing to let her try the book illustrations, and I am glad I did. She did a fantastic job. We live in separate states, but with email, I would send her my ideas for parts of the story, and she would come up with the illustration for it. It went very smoothly. She is a young woman, and this has inspired her to get some formal training and pursue illustrating further.

4. In writing for children, how do you draw from your experience as a retired elementary school teacher?

Over 34 years, my classes and I have read hundreds of books which fed into my desire to read. I began to know which books would appeal to them. Happy stories with good endings were their favorites. There were so many books for children where the animals died in the end which made all of us cry. So we chose those books that made us feel good, and I wanted to write that type of story about animals which had a happy ending.

5. Why do you think that true stories about wild animals are so compelling to readers of all ages?

Children normally love animals of all kinds, and they enjoy learning about all of them, but especially about wild animals and their habits. Perhaps that is true because wild animals are not often readily available for us to see except in zoos. Petting zoos are so popular because of this desire to touch animals they don't see every day such as dogs and cats. This love of animals carries forth in most of us as we grow to old age.

For more about The Foxes' New Family, view the book trailer below.

Thanks, Geraldine!

Excerpt from Uneven Bars: One Always Loves...

Dr. Anne Watson-Russell is the author of Uneven Bars: One Always Loves More Than the Other, which she describes as a true story about how murder, fear, and extraordinary circumstances hijack the joyful duet of lovers meant for each other. The book is available in paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon, and for more about the author, see her website and her Facebook page.

Below is an excerpt from Uneven Bars...

I place her picture on the easel. As I return to my spot, John Whittington switches on the record player wired into a huge amp and the song Unomathemba booms out.

At first, we all stand stock still, listening to Leslie's song, eyes downcast. Then an enchanted moment unfolds: one of my students--Big Frank, Frank McField, takes my right hand at the same time as Marivel takes my left one, and they begin swaying to the music. We sway in sync. More and more people join hands. The swaying becomes rhythmic, the feet move: step-close-step-close, while more and more classes empty into the yard to join in. By the triumphant end of the song, the entire school population is holding hands and dancing side by side as we play it a second time. Well over a thousand bodies are crammed into the quad, moving rhythmically and smiling at each other. Magic. I am sure I see a Mona Lisa smile pass over Leslie's lips. Leslie loves this. I feel her love in the students' upturned faces.

A spontaneous burst of applause erupts, for Leslie. Everyone turns to their neighbour, exchanging hugs, crying with free-flowing tears. I don't see Greg, but don’t really look for him, in case I do see him. I would run to him at that moment. Rather, I take Jeff's hand. In that act I declare myself his.

Everyone stays standing--there aren't enough chairs anyway--for the Head's eulogy, which is a fair one, given how little he knows Leslie and how often she caused him administrative grief. He avoids mentioning how he often spoke to her for swearing in class and for being late: a bad example to the students. He now extols her inventive lesson plans, as if he actually had some idea about them instead of just repeating other’s praise of her which he heard at cocktail parties. He finishes with asking us to bow our heads for one minute. He dismisses us by simply walking off the cistern.

Just as the crowd begins to disperse, I follow an impulse and leap onto the cistern beside Leslie's picture and, in stage projection voice, I call, "Hold on. Hold it! Stop! Please! Thank you." John Whittington hands me the mike. "Thank you. I just want to say that Miz Milton loved this island, but more than that, she loved the children of this island. You! She loved you!"

A huge cheer! They loved her. They loved Leslie. I knew that and now everyone does. We have all lost someone we loved.

It is so painful, I don't know how I live through it.