Beneath the Surface, Suzanne Perazzini (Check out this book written by a fellow Author)

Jo has the darkest of secrets in her past, which drives her to seek out the most traumatic of hotspots in the world as a war correspondent so she never has the time to confront what she did.


A fellow reporter, Craig, accompanies her into war-torn Sergavia to recover rolls of film from a dead colleague and along the way Jo finds love and a reason to go back to the beginning so she can move forward.

To purchase Beneath the Surface, please visit Suzanne's Blog @

www.suzanneperazzini.blogspot.com/

Excpert from Beneath the Surface:


Branko’s eyes, unseeing, gazed up to the heaven I hoped he had gone to. What freakin’ heaven, for God’s sake? Who was I fooling? Out of the black sky, a wave of hopelessness thundered over me.


For an instant a cavity opened and closed, but I had seen inside, and that image of empty loneliness scratched at my sanity.

I fell forward onto my knees by his side and touched an unblemished cheek. It was cold. This was the face Ana loved. I felt her sorrow, and tears threatened. I brushed his hair into place and rubbed at the dirt on that cheek. I had seen more death than most people see in a century of life, but this was Branko. He had a name. I had talked to him. I had liked him.

I heaved my pack onto my back, snatched up the rifle, checked the magazine and put the safety on. There was nothing I could do for Branko, but I could help save his family—if I could get to them before they reached the pass.

I turned around and faced the mountains. That was where I was going. Up there into the snow.

This interview was conducted by Crystal Adkins (Kendall Publications)

Monday, July 14, 2008
Interview with Angela Bolden-Thompson



Author Pen Name: A. Bolden-Thompson
CA: What genre(s) do you write?

ABT: My debut novel When Company Comes is a Young Adult Fiction but I love to work with Women's Fiction and Romance.

CA: Why do you write the stories that you write?

ABT: Partially because I want to give voice to characters that are not unlike ourselves, but mostly because I have a desire to document the beauty of life.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

ABT: As a youth, I had dreams of becoming an Actress. In order to show my talent, I needed lead roles to play so I wrote plays and skits that I could perform. Turns out, I fell in love with writing and the rest is history!

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

ABT: My inspiration for writing comes from life itself but for my debut novel, it came from a poem written by Langston Hughes, entitled "I Too Sing America." It was one of my favorite poems and I wanted to give voice to the main character.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

ABT: Full of distractions! If I could get an entire two or three days where I can do nothing but write, that would be a real accomplishment! But I have come to learn that it is necessary to be consistent and willing to burn the midnight oil!

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

ABT: Grateful!

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

ABT: When I'm not writing, I love to listen to music, spend time with my family and watch a great film!

CA: How many books have you written?

ABT: When Company Comes is my debut novel. I've just completed my second one.

CA: Which is your favorite?

ABT: To be honest, I don't have a favorite since they both come from the same imagination!

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

ABT: I would venture to say that all of my characters come from my imagination. That being said, my imagination is filled with people whose lives have intersected with mine at some point in time.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

ABT: Be persistent and purposeful with your craft. Never allow anyone to discourage you from doing what you love. Write everyday because the more you write the better you become.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

ABT: I can be reached at whencompanycomes@yahoo.com or http://angelathompson1.tripod.com/. My book is available at Amazon.com or any online retailer.
ISBN# 978-016151-4774-1

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

ABT: I want to thank all the readers out there who make it possible for our voices to be heard! I ask that you continue to support your favorite author by helping to promote literacy! Thank you for this interview. It has been a pleasure!

CA: Thank you for doing the interview Angela! I’m on my way to check out your book!

If you would like to see this interview in its entirety, click on the link below or copy and paste into your browser.

http://interviewswithauthors.blogspot.com/2008/07/interview-with-angela-bolden-thompson.html

Be Good!
~ABT

Lesson Learned

Since my last post, I've completed my second novel, celebrated a birthday, traveled out of town, attended a family reunion, sat for an interview, and penned the first sentence of my third novel. Whew! What can I say? Life is GOOD and I am grateful! Every year around this time, I sit back and reflect on what the year has meant to me so far and for the first time, I'm going to share.

This year, for me, the idea of change has been a major factor. Good, bad, or indifferent, I've experienced some major changes in my life. One of them was the loss of an aunt who was near and dear to my heart. It literally knocked the wind out of my sail but at the same time taught me to appreciate life, family, and all the small things that we sometimes take for granted.

When you appreciate the small things, the world becomes a bigger, more beautiful place. Don't get me wrong, that can be hard to do in a time when the economy is staggering but when practiced regularly, it can be like second nature. So, that being said, my biggest lesson since January is learning to be grateful for the small things, in a world full of big things, helps to keep things in proper perspective.

Be Good.

~ABT

I Can Only Be Me (excerpt from 'School Daze - The Coronation')

Butterflies begin from having been another,
as a child is born from being in a mother's womb;
But how many times, have you wished you were some other
someone than who you are?

Who's to say that if all were uncovered, you would like what you see?

You can only be you, as I can only be me.

Flowers can not bloom until it is their season,
as we would not be here unless it was our destiny;
But how many times, have you wished you were in spaces,
time, places, than where you were?

Yet who's to say, with unfamiliar faces, you could any more BE?

**********LOVE THE YOU THAT YOU SEE****************

You can only be you as I can only be me!

Be Good!

~ABT

Mr. Piano Man

Mr. Piano Man please play a song.

Play a song for the colored girls who considered suicide when the rainbow was not enough.

Play a song for those who can’t hold their heads up long enough to see the sun cresting over the horizon.

Play a song for the youth who readily give away their treasures to those that are undeserving.

Play a song for the bag lady who holds on to everything except herself.

Play a song for the boy searching for a man and the man who rejects the boy.

Play a song for the young and restless who tread the burning sands trying to find a higher path.

Play a song for the caterpillars that are in the midst of transforming into butterflies.

Please Mr. Piano Man play a song for me.

~ABT

The Interruption of Everything

Don’t you hate it when...

You are in the middle of a great conversation and someone interrupts and you go completely blank?

You think you've got a few more minutes to sleep and you find that you're running late?

You find out that someone you were dying to see had already left just a minute before you arrived?

You mistakenly give away the wrong thing?

Something very sentimental is stolen from you and you know that you are never going to get it back.

You’ve been thinking about that last piece of cake all day and you can't wait to get home, only to look in the fridge and find that someone has beaten you to it?

You’ve got only one question left on the test and they call time!

...that’s what happened to me when my Aunt passed away.

Rest in Peace WJK. You will be deeply missed.

~ABT

An Ode to My Hat

Have you ever bought a hat that you absolutely had to have but once you got home and tried it on, it just didn't quite fit like you thought? So you cast it aside and reach for the frumpy one, tatooed with stains from all your travels. You know the one that you had to carefully pry from the dog's mouth so as not to turn the tiny pinhole into a button hole. The one your family uses to fan away insects. The one that you are always picking up off the floor. The ONLY ONE that crowns your glory to perfection, with a slight hint of royalty, complimenting every thing.

Looking around, I guess I've collected quite a few myself. Each one, with it's own memory and moment in the spotlight. Oh yes, I've fancied some more than others but none of them suited me like the one I'm wearing now - My Writer's Hat. At first, when I put it on, I thought that it would be too big for me. But then, without having to poke and prod and bend and twist, it naturally conformed to me. It was like magic!

Ever since, me and my hat have been everywhere together. Let me tell you, I've fought for it, I've cried in it, I've slept with it, I've been rejected in it, I've snatched it off and thrown it, only to pick it back up again, and protect it. I've stretched it, I've shrunk it, I've dyed it and even lost it but never stopped until I found it.

What can I say? I LOVE IT! It's my favorite hat!

Be Good!
ABT