The Interpreter: Author Interview: Wayne Zurl

Shah Sight
‎Wayne Zurl, Welcome on our live talk show, and thanks for accepting to be our guest today. Wayne, you have so many titles in your name, can I ask you which one of the titles you like the most, and why, which one is dong well in terms of sales, and which one your readers love the most, and why, if you could briefly tell our audience something about them, it would be great?



Wayne Zurl Hello Shah, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to chat with your fans.

Wayne Zurl I guess the book that kicks off the whole series, A NEW PROSPECT has to be my favorite. It sets the scene, brovides backstory for the main characters and was what I really wanted to say. however, because all authors progress in their ability and style, some of the more recent noveletttes are pretty good, because thei've taken on the noir & almost hard-boiled style I like.

Wayne Zurl The audio books have gotten a good following and have some several thousand. But many people who bought the audio versions balked at eBooks and asked for these stories in print. I found a publisher who is going to produce two books containing 5 novelettes each. They come out later this month.

Shah Sight Wayne thanks, tell us please in which genre most of your books are, and also tell us why do you write in the genre you are writing, and if you intend to write in any other genre in the future?

Wayne Zurl Everything so far has been a police mystery or more properly a police procedural. They are all set in the fictional small east Tennessee city of Prospect. Sam Jenkins is the main character. He's a retired New York detective who found a job as chief at Prospect PD. I spent 20 years in NY law enforcement and now live in Tennessee. So, I'm writing about what I know. Most of the stories I fictionalize are cases I worked on, supervised or just knew a lot about. I plan to keep up with these Smoky Mountain mysteries as long as the ideas still keep flowing, but I've got an old interest in doing a western, too.

Shah Sight Wayne, describe Sam to us a little bit more, how does he look like, tell us how intelligent he is, anything interesting about Sam would be much appreciated to hear, please, why did you choose Sam as the main character?

Katherine McCaughan You have the perfect background for these. I'll have to check them out.

Wayne Zurl A NEW PROSPECT begins in 2006 after Sam retired. He's 60 years old. This is not your traditional hero of an action series, but Sam Has lots to fall back on. He spent most of his police career as a detective or det. supervisor. He's a Vietnam War veteran and career Army Reserve officer. In some of the books I describe him as 6 foot tall and he still weighs 180. He's the hero,soo of course he's good looking. I chose to use a guy like Sam because He and I have lots in common. That makes it easy for me to write his dialogue. In a given situation, if I would say something, it's a good bet so would Sam.

Wayne Zurl Thanks, Katherine. coincidentally, Sam's wife, who appears in every book and most of the stories is also a Katherine.

Katherine McCaughan In that case, I will definitely have to get the book.

Wayne Zurl Most readers like Kate. When Sam is at a loss for an idea with a case, She often gives him the inspiration needed to find that all important clue.

Shah Sight Thanks Katherine McCaughan for taking part in this interview, we are going to interview her tomorrow. Wayne can you please describe one of your scenes in your own words, we will have to ask you to read a few lines from your book later, it is fascinating to get a scene from you as an author who has written many detective books?
about an hour ago · Like
Wayne Zurl Let's take the newest novel, A Leprechaun's Lament. After a long investigation trying toi deternine the true Identity of character Murray McGuire who has no past, Murray is found dead in a creek-bed, killed assassination style. Sam has to involve the CIA, FBI and Irish Garda (national police) to find the man's true identity and then give him the reasonable cause to believe who the killer is. That killer is confronted by Sam and his Sergeant, Bettye Lambert. Then to make things a little more sticky, the killer takes a hostage. Any more information and you won't need to read the book.

Shah Sight Thanks, Wayne, that is fascinating, we really enjoyed reading it. Wayne is choosing a name for your characters very important to you, why did you name Sam as Sam and Kate as Kate, do they mean anything to you in any way in your own life, do you know them in real life as well, for instance, in my book the main character is in the name of my nephew?
about an hour ago · Like
Wayne Zurl Sam is named after my maternal gransdfather, with whom I lived as a boy. Old Sam was anything but a cop. Going back to the Prohibition days, he was a bootlegger and after that a truck driver. my wife barbara chose kate's name. The other characters go through a "sophisticated" selection process. I believe names are unique to regions in the US. So, I take phone books from the Smoky Mountains region and look for unforgettable names. I make one column for given names and one for family names. Then I mix and match by sound and fit them to the personality of a character. Junior Huskey is a big, young police officer who Sam takes under his wing. A really bad guy in an upcomming novel is Telford Bone. Another bad guy Sam meets in A LEPRECHAUN'S LAMENT is Dewey Cupps. Most of the characters are based on real people, but of course I have to change the names. Using someone who I knew makes writing dialogue easier. I can still "hear" these people and that helps me give every character a unique voice. The names help the reader remember the people.

Shah Sight That sounds great, now time to read a few lines from your book, why do we ask this is to know how our guests write, one thing, and the other thing is to also enjoy reading a few lines of our guests' art works, so please give us a few lines from your book?

Wayne Zurl Hang in there. I'll get you the opener from LEPRECHAUN.

Wayne Zurl I think about the little guy often. Murray Mcguire looked like a leprechaun. He played darts like a pub champion and drank stout like a socer star. If you worked for the city of Prospect and found problems with a piece of office equipment, Murray would work tirelessly to remedy your troubles. But after I interviewed him for thirty minutes, I could have cheerfully strangled the little bastard. Thanks to Murray, I'll always look over my shoulder with a modicum of tredidation. I have dreams about a beautiful redhead I could do without. And I remember an incident best forgotten every time I see a turkey buzzard. For days, I thought of Murray as the man who didn't exist.

Shah Sight Wayne, we have a couple more questions for this interview, what books do you like to read, and tell us if you follow any other author's path in writing your own books, which other detective writer's works you like reading?

Wayne Zurl I read everything Robert B. Parker wrote. I like his less then serious approach to detective or police mysteries. I've tried to adapt his minimalist style of writing. I too try to tell my story in the fewest possible words and still make a reader "see" the drama...or comedy. That's an important part of real police work. Additionally I love James Lee Burke for the way he can describe people and places. Poetic much of the time. Bernard cornwell writes great historical novels and can do an action scene better thaqn most. After reading one of his battles, I usually need a martini. That "other guy" from Long Island who writes mysteries and thrillers , Nelson Demille, is pretty good, too. And one of the classic mystery writers from whom I learned how to get that hard-boiled cadence is Raymond Chandler. I also read John Sandford, Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Phillip Craig and a few others faithfully.

Shah Sight Wayne we have a question for you from Katherine McCaughan, 'How long does it take you to write a book? You are so prolific, it amazes me.' Please answer Katherine's question.

Wayne Zurl When I get an idea, I know if it will translate into a novel or shorter novelette right away. The later, I can knock out in two weeks. I might read and revise it a few more times, but most of the work is finished in 12 to 14 days. A full length novel could take me 2 months or so to rough out, but now with all the post-publication marketing and promotions I'm doing, it takes longer. For a couple years, I workshopped everything at an on-line writer's workshop. But recently I decided to take a solo flight and I've done okay on my own. So that helps with the time involved. All this is predicated on things going my way and not hitting a stumbling block like coming up with a good idea how to embellish those real incidents to make the story more readable.

Shah Sight Thanks Wayne, it was a pleasure to have you with us today, hope to see you soon our show again. If you want to buy Wayne's books visit:http://shahsightshop.blogspot.de/2012/04/murder-in-wish-book-house-new-prospect.html
ShahSight Literary Book Shop: Murder in a Wish-Book House ,A New Prospect Wayne Zurlshahsightshop.blogspot.com


Katherine McCaughan You are a natural writer. The piece you read to us was so well written and yet so concise. My hat is off to you!

Shah Sight And aslohttp://shahsightshop.blogspot.de/2012/04/reenacting-murder-serpents-scoundrels.html
ShahSight Literary Book Shop: Reenacting a Murder, Serpents & Scoundrels Wayne Zurlshahsightshop.blogspot.com


Wayne Zurl Shah, Thanks for inviting me here. And thanks, Katherine and everyone who stopped by. Please visit me athttp://waynezurlbooks.net/ to learn more about Sam Jenkins. Cheers, everyone.
Wayne Zurl Bookswww.waynezurlbooks.net
Sam Jenkins brings his unique style of law enforcement to the citizens of East Tennessee in Wayne Zurl's novels and stories.
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Post Title. 04/10/2012
 
Shah Sight

‎Ashley Fontainne, Welcome back on our live talk show, and thank you so much for accepting to be our guest this evening. It's a real joy to have you on this show, and please add to this joy and tell us something about your both books, Accountable to None, and Zero Balance?
Ashley Fontainne Thank you for having me as a guest tonight!

Ashley Fontainne Accountable to None and the sequel Zero Balance are the first two books in my trilogy entitled "Eviscerating the Snake" series

Ashley Fontainne The story came to me after reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. I wanted to explore the whole revenge motif in a modern setting, and follow that up by what happens AFTER someone seeks out and exacts revenge against those that hurt them.
Ashley Fontainne The first book, Accountable to None, takes place in Phoenix, AZ at an accounting firm by the name of Winscott & Associates. The heroine, Audra Tanner, is brought forth as she recalls the events of her traumatic rape five years in the past by the Managing Partner, Olin Kemper.
Ashley Fontainne Not only did he rape her, but he then promises to pay her buy-in to become an equity partner as a "gift" for her silence for what he did to her. As Audra flees his presence, she discovers that evening that not only did she just suffer a mind-altering event at the hands of a vile monster, but other partners at the firm were well aware of what Olin had planned for her that evening.

Ashley Fontainne When she realizes that no one came to her aide and just turned a blind eye and refused to help, she decides that not only is Olin going to pay for what he did to her, but everyone else that ignored her cries for help.
Ashley Fontainne The story then unfolds from the perspective five years later of each partner on the day that Audra "eviscerates the snake" by exposing all of their hidden sins and deceptions that she has taken five years to accumulate.
Ashley Fontainne At the end of Accountable to None, Audra finally realized her plans were well worth the wait as she exacted her revenge and believed that the end of her five year nightmare was over.
Ashley Fontainne In the sequel, Zero Balance, the story begins 9 months later after Accountable to None ended. Audra then finds out that seeking revenge on those that were already supremely evil has deathly consequences for all those involved.
Ashley Fontainne The third and final installment, Adjusting Journal Entries, I am currently working on.
Shah Sight Ashley, thanks, who else in the story is helping Audra to achieve what she is after, does she have a family and friends who are supportive of her in the story, what other challenges and difficulties does she face throughout the story, please tell us something about that?
Ashley Fontainne

Audra devoted her entire life to the firm, spending an extraordinary amount of time making sure her work was perfection. This dedication to her work caused her to have a miscarriage a year prior to her rape, and then a few months after her miscarriage, the demise of her marriage. Audra is an only child that had minimal contact with her parents due to her work schedule, and most of her friends drifted away due to lack of contact from her.
Ashley Fontainne For five years, Audra suffered through her issues alone. However, during her five years of hacking into the firm's computers and unearthing all of the other partners hidden sins, she also discovers that Olin may have ties to a murder. Upon this discovery, Audra enlists the help of a Detective named Steve Ronson to aid her with her final retribution plans.
Ashley Fontainne Without giving too much of the sequel away, Audra does make an attempt to bridge the gap in her relationship with her parents and tries to overcome her emotional trauma and baggage that she still carries with her from her rape.

Ashley Fontainne In Zero Balance, Audra is slowing learning to deal with her issues and try to trust again, but those hopes are quickly dashed as she discovers that someone is out to kill her.
Ashley Fontainne

Audra's character, although extremely damaged mentally, is also very strong in some aspects. She is very tenacious and does not give up easily, especially when someone she cares about is in danger. She is no longer a naive, fresh from college graduate just learning the "ropes" of the business world. When she learns the harsh reality that some people are simply evil due to overwhelming greed, her viewpoint on life shifts dramatically.
Shah Sight Ashley, what do you expect your readers to get from your story, do we feel a lot of sympathy towards Audra, do we feel like we want to be in the story and rush for her support, or do we feel that what a great personality and fighter Audra is, what do you want your reader to feel towards your main character?
Ashley Fontainne

Audra is in no way perfect. Although she refers to the firm as a "snake pit full of vipers" for their heinous deeds, at times, she is just as greedy. For example: she devoted so much of her time and energy to her job that she neglected her own body and lost her child, then her marriage. I wanted people to connect with her on a "real" level, because all of us are a mixture of good and bad traits. Her decision to exact revenge on her own, rather than using traditional, legal means to obtain justice, is something I believe that a lot of readers will connect with, since haven't we all wished to seek revenge on someone that has hurt us?
Ashley Fontainne

In the end of Accountable to None, I wanted the reader to stand up and cheer for her strength and determination to bring out the truth of the so called "elite" partners, and force them to come face to face with their dastardly deeds. I also wanted them to see, which I showcase at the end of Accountable to None, the incredible pain and sorrow that Audra has carried with her all this time, as she finally is able to release some of it.
Ashley Fontainne

However, in Zero Balance, I wanted the reader to walk away with the sense that seeking personal justice on your own is never truly the answer to atrocities perpetrated upon them. Audra, as well as others, experience life altering (and for some, life ending) events that, unfortunately, are part of the vicious cycle of revenge. Even Audra realizes at the end of Zero Balance that her actions, even though originally brought about by one evil act of another, having everlasting consequences.
Ashley Fontainne Ultimately, I want the reader that is thinking about seeking revenge on someone for hurting them, to sit back and truly contemplate all of the things that seeking human reckoning could bring down upon not only them, but those that they love. The revenge cycle is like throwing a huge stone in a pond: the ripples spread far and wide, and touch many things in their path.
Shah Sight From what I personally know about you, you are a joyous person, do we see a lot of you in the story, is there also lots of humour and laughter in the story, which character in the story makes us also smile throughout, and how do you rate the humour in your books?
Ashley Fontainne Well, considering I write suspense/thrillers, and both of these books take place in over a very short time period, humor is very minimal. I wanted the tension to be high for the readers, making them WANT to turn the page!
Ashley Fontainne Yes, I am, in real life, a very happy-go-lucky person. I love to laugh, and do so often. So no one in the story really represents any portion of myself, except for one character that has a small part in Accountable to None, but a larger role in Zero Balance: Mrs. Milligan.
Ashley Fontainne Although Mrs. Milligan is well into her seventies, she is the voice of reason to Audra, and the one that speaks to her truthfully about love, hate, revenge, retribution, sacrifice and forgiveness. She is my personal arm of my Christian faith.Ashley Fontainne There are a few moments where some of the characters experience some funny moments, but they are more of "wickedly ironic" humor than actual knee-slapping humor.
Ashley Fontainne I save the humor for my family and friends! :)
Ashley Fontainne So, on a scale of 1-10, I would rate the humor factor at about 2.Shah Sight Thanks, will you please read a few lines of your books to our audience, we would love to see ourselves with your characters in this brilliant story for a while?
Ashley Fontainne Sure, I will read to you from the beginning chapter of Accountable to None, when Audra is alone in her office after being raped and the decision she makes:
Ashley Fontainne

‎"She started forming her plan for the entire firm, the filthy place that had destroyed so many lives over the years, including that of her unborn son. The nasty, blood sucking reptile that lured people into its lair with promises of gold, only to suck them bone dry and toss their empty carcasses aside when they were no longer interesting, would pay. She would make sure they were held accountable and would not stop until every last one of them felt the same shame and humiliation that she had experienced tonight.
Ashley Fontainne

‎"Her eyes widened as she felt a strange sensation deep inside her core, and she noticed that the eyes that looked back at her from the mirror were those of someone else, a stranger she didn't recognize. Even through the intense swelling of her right eye, she saw that they were no longer the naive, innocent eyes from before - the ones that had viewed the world as a place where hard work and ethical behavior prevailed and were followed accordingly by just rewards. Those had been replaced with eyes full of smoldering anger which now skewed her once lofty view of the world and had turned them a deep emerald green.
Ashley Fontainne

‎"Her mind crossed over into territory unfamiliar to her, and her thoughts became dark and sinister as she began to mull over her new purpose in life. Never had the snake been exposed for all to see, for its secrets were buried beneath its lair under countless piles of blood money, just like the pile that had been offered to her tonight. Those piles of money had bought the silence of its victims for so long that accountability was not in its vocabulary. She would change all that, no matter how long it took. She wasn't quite sure yet how she would do it, but she would change every single one of them from being accountable to none to accountable to all."
Shah Sight Thank you so much Ashley, can I ask you where does Audra go from there, I don't want you to give away a lot of the story, but this is the last question about Audra, does she go home, does she go to seek help from someone, does she go to church, for instance, where does she go from the office, you may want to tell us something please?
Ashley Fontainne

Well, at the beginning of Zero Balance, she is searching for answers to help her pain ease. Through the advice of Detective Ronson, she does try counseling with a therapist, but that doesn't help her. Eventually, she is drawn to Mrs. Milligan and the spiritual advice and assistance that Mrs. Milligan offers her truly does offer Audra a different perspective of her life. Unfortunately, Audra does not get much time to reflect upon Mrs. Milligan's advice, for she is confronted by the dire consequences of her previous revenge bore and now, she is fighting for her life. I can't tell you about what happens in Adjusting Journal Entries...trade secret! LOL
Ashley Fontainne What I wrote earlier from Accountable to None was the preface that happened five years ago in the past. You don't hear from Audra again until about half way through the novel. The first few chapters deal with each of the partner's reactions to the day, and then finally she confronts them all with the arsenal of hidden sins of theirs that she carries.
Ashley Fontainne Audra doesn't seek help until Zero Balance.
Ashley Fontainne She was too busy focusing on revenge in Accountable to None to do anything else. :)
Shah Sight Ashley we really enjoyed your story about Audra, now tell us a little bit about how other people enjoy this story, what are you doing to make people know about your books, you may want to tell us something about it please?
Ashley Fontainne Well, the revenge motif behind these books seems to hit readers hard, connecting with a core instinct to "strike out" against something that has hurt us. Most people that have reviewed both books refer to them as page turners, a story they couldn't stop until they finished.
Ashley Fontainne

In terms of marketing, I am active on Facebook and Twitter, posting not only "promos" for myself, but other Indie Authors as well. I also have a blog where I generally post reviews of works I have read, a website with all of my connection links, and I host a BlogTalkRadio show three times a week. This show, Ramblings of a Mad Southern Woman, is a platform for other Indie authors to come and discuss their books. I recently just had my first book signing at two Barnes & Noble locations in Texas, and I have two more upcoming in Central Arkansas in April and May at Hastings.
Ashley Fontainne Oh, and now I am a part of this lovely live interview! :)
Ashley Fontainne Also, I am active on Goodreads.com and have hosted several "giveaways" of my book which has been highly successful.
Shah Sight Thank you so much, do you want to add anything to what you have kindly said here, anything that you think we should know before we end this interview, as we know you have other things to do, believe me we can ask you questions for ever and keep enjoying the answers, but we are well aware of your timing as well, please say anything you want at the end of this live interview?
Ashley Fontainne First of all, I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to host me here this evening. To readers out there that love a suspenseful read, I invite them to watch both trailers to my books to see what they are all about: Here is the trailer for Accountable to None: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHEYq5hCSl0
Accountable to Nonewww.youtube.com

Official book trailer for Accountable to None by Ashley Fontainne.
Ashley Fontainne And here is the trailer for Zero Balance:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBwbOpgZZHg
Zero Balance Trailerwww.youtube.com

Official book trailer for Zero Balance by Ashley Fontainne
Shah Sight If you want to buy Ashley's books, please visit:http://www.facebook.com/groups/shahsightshop/



Shah Sight Literary Book Shop

Book Shop Tip: Only post your book links to Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Nobles, and your website on this shop. No other posts, please. Any other post will be deleted. The Interpreter by Shah Wali...
Ashley Fontainne And if anyone out there would like to learn more, my website is www.ashleyfontainne.com
Biography - Ashley Fontainnewww.ashleyfontainne.com
Ashley Fontainne Thank you so much Shah for having me here tonight. I am almost finished with your book and I must say, what a fantastic read!
Ashley Fontainne Have a wonderful rest of the weekend everyone! Shah, it has been a pleasure!Shah Sight Thanks, Ashley, I appreciate your time, and we hope to have the joy of having you on our show soon. Good night Ash, and ev

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Bones 02/03/2012
 

The difference between life and death is that when you are dead you cannot breathe any more, the wind blows into your nose, but you cannot enjoy it any more, your loved ones mourn for you, you cannot feel their pain and cannot dry their tears. 

When you are dead you cannot get up to go to where you went when you were alive, your brain doesn't work as well as when you were alive, you lay dead on the floor, and don't feel the cold on your back, it doesn't matter to you any more. 
 
In death you are going to go into a tomb, but you don't go home any more, you don't go to see your family, you don't belong to them any more. 

The good thing is that in death you don't see how dark your grave is, you don't feel how small your home has become, you don't know that you will soon lose what you have, your flesh and skin, you are not a corpse any more, you are bones.
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The Kite Runnerwww.amazon.com
The timely and critically acclaimed debut novel that's becoming a word-of-mouth phenomenon. An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present. The unforgettable, heartbreak...




The Interpreter - Special Military Versionwww.amazon.com
One morning, Shabir Khan wakes up and he finds himself in an American NATO military camp, in the Sangin district of Helmand, one of the most dangerous places on earth. What did bring him there when his parents lived in Moscow and his sisters and brother lived in Zurich?&#xa...





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Lisa Selby
ShahSight Hello Shah, Welcome to your website ShahSight. You have interviewed many authors, including myself. You have also interviewed yourself. I thought it would be a good idea to have someone else interview you. So it is my pleasure to be able to do so. You are the author of "The Interpreter" please tell us something about your background so we can understand you better as an author.



Shah Sight Thanks Lisa, it's very kind of you, and it's appreciated. My full name is Shah Wali Fazli, I was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. After finishing my school, I went to university, studying medicine. But the Mujahidin and after them the Taliban took over Kabul and things went from bad to worse and the worst not only for me, but for the whole country. It's a long story, and both my books, The Interpreter, and Running from Life, is about the Afghanistan war.

Lisa Selby What made you want to become an author?

Shah Sight I think it is my job, and the way I have lived my life, full of adventures, full of tragedies, full of accidents and full of dramas one after the other, I haven't lived a normal life, Lisa, I have always been in danger, and that made me write about what I had seen in my life.

Lisa Selby Other than school realted projects had you ever written before as a hobby?

Shah Sight No, Lisa, for me hobby didn't exist much, you can't have hobbies in a country like Afghanistan, you can only think of survival, you can only think of how to make things safe for you and for your family. I was born in middle of a ongoing war in our country.

Lisa Selby What was the first thing you wrote? Was it "The Interpreter"?

Shah Sight I first wrote Running from Life in the Dari language, The Interpreter is my second book.

Lisa Selby Why did you decide to write "The Interpreter'?

Shah Sight When I was writing the interpreter, I thought of so many other names, until I came up with this name. After I wrote Running from Life in my native language, I got the confidence and I started writng this book. The main reason was to make a living out of writing, if possible, let's see if I can do that.

Lisa Selby For those people who might be unfamiliar with the book can you tell us briefly what it is about?

Shah Sight Thank you so much Lisa, of course, I would love to. The setting is in Helmand, Afghanistan. The story is about an Afghan interpreter working with the American forces in the Sangin district of Helmand, one of the most dangerous places in the world. His job is to go on patrols with the forces, to connect the soldiers with the local Afghans, and also with their Afghan partners in different parts of Helmand. Mullah Aslam, the Taliban commander, looks at Shabir, the interpreter, as an infidel and he is after him all the time -- to capture him and then behead him, as he manages to behead many interpreters in Helmand.

Lisa Selby Shah, it sounds fascinating! What do you hope your readers will get out of your book "The Interpreter"?

Lisa Selby Waht message are you trying to send?

Shah Sight Thanks, Lisa, I have said it a few times before, and I love to say it again that when I was writing this book I so much hoped that the war would be over by the time my book comes out. People who have read The Interpreter know what this book can offer. There is a lot to learn about the war and complexities of this war in our country. It's written in a way to make the readers wonder, guess, and ask themselves a lot of questions, and then get their answers in the next chapter or page. There is a lot to learn in this book, about Afghanistan, it's people, it's culture, it's beautiful nature, and also why NATO is and should be in that country.

Lisa Selby Shah, I think this book, "The Interpreter" will answer a lot of people's questions regarding this war and what is really going on over there, instead of what people see on the news. Do you see the current situation in Afghanistan getting better or worse in the future, especially after the US troops leave?

Shah Sight Good question Lisa, I so much hope that things get better for our people, as they have suffered so much. Now the US and the Afghan government are in talks with the Taliban, and the Taliban are ready to join the peace process and give up with this war, that is the only hope for us. But if the Taliban continue fighting in Afghanistan, and the neighbouring countries continue with their support of the Taliban, things will be the same for years to come.

Lisa Selby Shah, I only hope that things will get better in your home country. In the meantime, are your working on any other books? If so what are they about?

Shah Sight I am editing Running from Life, and only thinking of writing a sequel to the interpreter, because I had promised to myself if ten people liked the interpreter I would write the sequel, and I can tell you that more than ten people have approved my first book in the English language.

Lisa Selby Shah, I am sure that once more people learn about your book that they will want to read the sequel to "The Interpreter" as well as "Running From Life". I want to thank you for allowing me to interview you. I have found it fascinating, informative, and very enjoyable. I wish to ask you one last question. How can we purchase your book? Is it online, in the bookstores?

Shah Sight Online, you can buy it nearly every where, on Amazon.com and .uk, and on Smashwords, Barnes and Nobles, and many other sites, just type my name and the name of my book, that is it. But in the shop you have to order it, I don't think it physically exists in the shelves, which is a pity. I only add one link here to make sure people can see the book.http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/103817
The Interpreter - Special Military Edition, an Ebook by Shah Wali Fazliwww.smashwords.com
‎'The Interpreter' is the story of Shabir Khan, an Afghan interpreter working with the American NATO forces in the Sangin district of Helmand, one of the most dangerous places on earth.

Lisa Selby Shah, Thank you very much for granting me this interview. It has been most enjoyable and informative. I wish you nothing but success on your books and your writing career. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I also hope that the Afghanizatin poeple can soon live in peace. Thanks again for joing us on ShahSight.

Shah Sight My pleasure, Lisa, it was great to be with you on this interview, thanks for having me.


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Deborah Logan Just bought The Interpreter

Thanks. I just bought The Interpreter to continue my education about Afghanistan.
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Transformed during an enchanted journey, Lushina children try out their dreamed identities. On Halloween, the wayward Sadie leads her friends past cardboard cut-outs at a house on Windward Road. A wall mural transports them to a star where their costumes become real.

As Fortuneteller, Sadie only has to look in her crystal ball to help the others with their transformations. Children make up a bizarre community of star people and adventures. When Mistral's woman friend finds her star-of-sapphire necklace missing, a treasure hunt ensues in the latter chapters of this madcap fantasy.


Get free  with the coupon at Smashwords: PB55U 
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Buy here on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/House-Windward-Leaves-ebook/dp/B005BYETAW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326837960&sr=8-2 
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Had he known that the men of this world would one day abandon their peaceful ways for violent conflicts over the land, the elder would not have encouraged his kinsmen to come to Earth and settle within it as their home. They all would havepreferred oblivion. After all, the very reason they left their own planet was to avoid the death and carnage from constant retreats into their past where they had to repeat every event in their history, including the wars exactly as they originally occurred, in order to avoid extinction. The governors called them cowards, separatists, even anti-patriotic before they exiled them to the remote and unforgiving land to live among those who were originally criminals and now reformed and defiant like them. Former thieves and murderers, twice found guilty, one verdict wrongly so, had refused to repeat their crimes in order to keep the future the same. 

The elder and those exiled with him were former soldiers, condemned for refusing to fight again, in sanctioned efforts to preserve posterity. They considered themselves revolutionary heroes, and instead of dying a slow death from the harsh climate, they fled. Most of them, upon seeing the planet earth from afar before they entered its atmosphere, had chosen the water for their element and home for it was the bulk of this world, glowing blue from space with a single, massive stretch of land, green on the edges and brown on the interior. Others waited to make their choice until they arrived, and once they did, the new tickling sensation of the growth of plant life drove the next largest group into the land. Some preferred the wind whistling gently in a playful dance in some places and roaring powerfully in others. 

The single continent extended almost entirely from the southern to the northern ends of earth, but the first human inhabitants had lived only in small, clustered villages in the central lands for years before expanding into organized villages, and there were others isolated on the only island to themselves. It took much longer on this planet the second time, for life forms other than their kind to develop, so when the first microbes made the waters their home, the excitement began at the shores where the water and earth teamed with the wind and embraced in waves along the seashore. They had forgotten to spread the news to their kinsmen, the fires of the mountains in this world, so the wind whistled north the great news to the fires who preferred a quiet slumber. When awakened, they came running down the sides of the mountains with flames erupting, as the wind ran along with them. There was already plant life in the waters and the land. Now there were microbes in the water. One day there would be men, again.


From The Elements - Book I Copyright 2011 All Rights reserved by Talitha K. McEachin  http://www.facebook.com/theelementsbookI?ref=ts 
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David stood alone outside the ship, and although he knew it was too late to change his mind, he wondered how things would have been had he decided to stay on Valdorion. Then he thought of Mary and knew that if anything happened to her because he didn’t go home, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. He turned and was about to step onto the ramp when he heard her voice come from the darkness behind him.
“Who are you?” she asked. 
He slowly turned around. As dark as it was in the tunnel, he could still make out the features of her face. Slowly, Mary stepped from the tunnel into what little light the silo had to offer, and then pointed her pistol at him. He had rehearsed the things he would say to her dozens of times, but now that she was in front of him pointing a pistol at him, he was at a loss for words. 
Above him, David could hear the sound of hydraulic pumps and the high pitched whine of motors moving one of the ship’s gun turrets into position. He knew that Legionnaire already had his crosshairs on Mary. He took a step toward her and looked back up the length of the battle cruiser. Holding up his hands, he desperately shouted, “Don’t fire!” 
Mary paid no attention to the heavy weaponry on the ship. She took a step back and continued to point the gun at David. “Why are you doing this?” she cried. 
When David tried to speak he couldn’t find the words. Demanding an answer, Mary shouted, “Why?” 
David fought back a tear and tried to hide the fact that his heart was breaking. He masked his sorrow with a face of anger. “Because I have to.” 
Suddenly the lights in the tunnel came on and spilled out into the silo. Casey and five troopers took their places behind Mary. The old security chief held the letter that David had left him in one hand and placed his other hand on his daughter’s shoulder. While speaking to his daughter he looked at David with a look of regret in his tired eyes. “He has to go, Mary. You have to let him go.” 
Mary looked back at her father. He held the crumpled letter tightly in his fist. With tears and questions in her eyes, she turned back to David. He had taken a step back and now stood at the edge of the ramp. The hard look he used to hide the pain of his breaking heart softened, but before he would let her see the tears that welled up in his eyes, David turned and ran up the ramp into the empty darkness of the ship. Once inside, the hatch closed and sealed shut behind him.
Mary began to weep. She turned to her father and for the first time since her mother’s death, he took her in his arms.
While standing in the airlock Darkblood watched through the porthole in the hatch as the troopers escorted Casey and Mary back into the tunnel. When the countdown began, thick slabs of tempered steel and concrete slid into place and sealed the tunnel off from the silo. 


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Shah Sight

‎Gordon Mathieson, Thanks for your participation in our author interview, we are so pleased to have you with us today. You may want to tell us a little bit about yourself, and also about what you are writing at the moment. We know a little bit about your previous works from here and there, but we love to know about them from yourself, how are they doing, and what are people saying about them? Where can we buy your books, please?

Gordon Mathieson I have written and published 6 books. I have been both mainstream published and independent. My genre is generally Mystery. I have one spy thriller THE COLOR of ICE, a tension filled story between CHINA and the US. It is now a feature film screenplay which I will be pitching to movie producers.

Gordon Mathieson My next book will be my third in my Becky Bing mystery series, the MIssing Winner. THis follows HOOK ISLAND, and SUMMER GAMES featuring a teenage Chinese American. THis amateur detective solve cirmes like the older classic Nancy Drew books, but with contemporary technnology, her feisty pesonality, and bright determination. WHat makes these books special besides the storyline is that I use Mandarin in some of the dialogue (with English translation) to encourage readers to know about the CHINESE language----something I has studied at Yale University. I am encouraged by the sales and feedback of the Becky Bing series and have written a film/TV pilot screenplay for HOOK ISLAND. I will be releasing MISSING WINNER this spring. I look forward to promoting my books on sites such as yours and helping others to do the same.

Shah Sight Can you provide us with some links where we can buy your books please, it will help the readers?

Gordon Mathieson My website is www.gordonmathieson.com where I personally autograph copies for readers. In addition books are available on AMAZON in US, UK Germany, France and Italy. I now have HOOK ISLAND availble on KINDLE.


Shah Sight Gordon, it was a great joy to have you here with us, we really appreciate your time, and we hope to have the pleasure of meeting you again soon.

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