Good Morning, Bookworms! 

Today, I'm interviewing author Donald Firesmith, author of the science fiction tale Hell Holes 2: Demons on the Dalton.

No one ever "re-dies" in Heaven; unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to singer Amy Winehouse. Her death, an unprecedented event in Heaven's history, has thrown a once docile world into unfortunate chaos. Because of the new uneasy alliance between angels and citizens, a freshly-arrived detective in the rock & roll town has been tasked with investigating the prime suspects, the members of the 27 Club - Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. To make matters worse, a powerful angel from one of the upper levels of Heaven will soon arrive to make her ten-year inspection, a task that fills the other angels with dread since she has the power to banish anyone of them to the underworld. So, with time running out, the PI and his newly acquired sidekick, both aided by rock legends such as Eddie Cochran, Mama Cass, Kurt Cobain, Karen Carpenter and others, must quickly uncover the mystery that threatens not only to close Heaven’s doors forever, but promises to send a ripple effect through the entire universe that can rip it apart. 



When did you become interested in storytelling?

When I was in high school I wrote a few short stories and a musical. I also wrote fiction whenever I had the chance in college. When real life stepped in, I had to put my writing aspirations to the side. I’ve only since picked up writing again about four years ago, using my pen to script screenplays, short stories, poems, novellas, novels and one book of non-fiction.

What was your first book/story published?

My first published book was “Wetland & Other Stories” through All Things That Matter Press. I’d self-published three books while I was in college, but those are impossible to find now.

What inspired you to write “Murder in Rock & Roll Heaven”?

I knew I wanted to write a mystery, but the thing was, what could I bring to the table that hadn’t been seen before? I’d originally wanted to write a book of interviews I’d conducted with dead geniuses, but when I say a book like that had been published, I figured I could still integrate my interview idea into a murder mystery. Once I had the “who, what, when, where, why and how” of the story worked out, it was just a matter of filling in all those blanks. Some stories write themselves once a set up has been established; “Murder” was one of them. Because the setting was Heaven, certain characters and elements came built in, such as angels and demons. As a mystery, it’s a fairly standard “whodunit’” in that I utilize a detective and his partner who look for clues. Outside of that, because of the nature of the setting (the afterlife and deceased rock stars), it gets pretty wild.

What character in “Murder in Rock & Roll Heaven” is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

The detective, Gregory Angelicus, has some of my personality. He takes his work seriously even though he can clown around sometimes. Also, he’s very questioning and takes nothing for granted. His curiosity also seems boundless. I’m like that, too.

What is your favorite part in “Murder in Rock & Roll Heaven”?

Now available from Books We Love Ltd. is the young adult fantasy Secret: In Wolf Lake, book one in the Secret Series, by author D K Davis.

The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I was probably in the 5th grade, but got serious about learning the craft in 2004.

What was your first book/story published?

Secret: In Wolf Lake is my first book published under this pseudonym.

What inspired you to write Secret: In Wolf Lake?

My grandchildren. I wanted to write stories for them and share the adventure.

What character in Secret: In Wolf Lake is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Samantha (a.k.a. Sam) is most like me in that she is a tom-boy and enjoys fishing because that’s what she did with her father. My father taught me the love of fishing, and me being the oldest of four daughters, got to fish with him the most. Like Sam, I also didn’t like attention from others, pretty much keeping to myself after a certain age – definitely not into trends or fashion statements – no girly-girl stuff.

What is your favorite part in Secret: In Wolf Lake?

When did you become interested in storytelling?

I read all the time as a child, but the writing bug didn’t hit until after college.

What was your first book/story published?

It was a ghost story and is still my favorite to this day.

What inspired you to write Fear Nothing?

One of my publishers had a call for reimagining Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Since I couldn’t follow the guidelines they set forth, I reworked it and shopped it to another publisher.

What character in Fear Nothing is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

All of them have a little bit of me, but not one character in general. Bodhi is kind and well intentioned. Skye is responsible and nurturing, which at time I associate with myself. Most of the time life partner just calls me Demon Baby.

What is your favorite part in Fear Nothing?

When did you become interested in storytelling?

At a fairly early age. Lying is a way of telling stories, right? I also wrote poems when I was little, then articles for the school paper in my teens. It was my nana who gave me the final nudge to write down my stories after I left college.

What was your first book/story published? 

Divide and Conquer was my first. It was published amid delays and close to the publication date of my second book, Guarded, so Divide and Conquer never got the attention I owed it. Such a shame, because it’s quirky and unusual, with a good deal of humor and romance.

What inspired you to write Divide and Conquer?

Frustration. I was fed up with the usual couplings of man and man in the traditional buddy cop movies and of man and woman in paranormal fantasy. So I wanted to write about the lives of two inherently different women who come together for a common purpose. Each follows her own romance interest without sacrificing her friendship with the other, but their bond is at the heart of the story.

What character in Divide and Conquer is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

With All Hallows' Eve only less than two weeks away, there's still plenty of time to read a good spooky novel. 

Author John J. Zelenski has taken time out of his busy schedule to do a Q&A about his his newest novel, the supernatural thriller The Jounral of Ezekiel Walker.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I became interested in telling stories at an early age. As a child, I would love to have stories read to me, and I would use my imagination to create my own mental version of the book. I think that love to create my own scenes and descriptions of the characters naturally carried over to the creation of my own stories to share with others.

What was your first book/story published?

I was quite young, and it was a self-published title called, “Money for Sale.” It was a guide meant to direct people to the investment strategy of investing in baseball cards and sports memorabilia. I think I sold possibly three or four copies, but it was a lot of fun and the research was very interesting.

What inspired you to write The Journal of Ezekiel Walker?

The Journal of Ezekiel Walker is actually the prequel to Walker’s Vale, now in pre-production for a film adaptation. The Journal of Ezekiel Walker gives a background and history to the small and eerie town of Walker’s Vale, Pennsylvania. It also provides some insight into the one of the main characters, Ezekiel Walker, a most understood man.

What character in The Journal of Ezekiel Walker is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I think that award would go to Ezekiel Walker himself in the “similar” category. He is like me in that he is loyal and will do whatever it takes to defend his friends and families from enemies. The least similar character, hopefully, is Simon Tremblestone, the main antagonist. He is insincere, corrupt, greedy, and manipulative to the furthest reaches of the moral spectrum. You might say he is the devil himself!

What is your favorite part in The Journal of Ezekiel Walker?

What or whom inspired you to become a writer?

When I was in the second grade, my teacher had assigned us short stories to write as part of a new lesson plan. I became hooked right away. I wrote a tale about an elephant and his mother, then one giving human characteristics to food items, and several more. The goal was for us to write stories that we could bind with fabric covers and illustrate them ourselves. The teacher called this “publishing” them, and I think that I personally published at least ten.

What types of books do you read?

I like a good mystery, one that is character driven where the people are so dynamic that really anything is possible except the predictable. I’m reading two really great ones now, “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn and “Turn of Mind” by Alice LaPlante.

What well-known authors do you admire most?