Tag Archives: novel

October 16, 2011 · 7:32 pm

Just Who Is Dave Hoing, Anyway?

Dave Hoing lives in Waterloo, Iowa, with his wife Joni, a dog named Tree and a cat named Toro.  In real life he’s a Library Associate at the University of Northern Iowa, where he has worked in one capacity or another since 1978.  In his artistic life Dave is primarily a short story writer.  He’s a member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, but now he concentrates mostly on literary, historical, and mystery fiction.  His historical novel Hammon Falls, co-written with Roger Hileman, is his first published full-length work, although he has written (or, ahem, started to write) five others.

When not toiling in the library or sitting at the word processor, Dave likes to travel, compose music, collect antiquarian books, and read.  His interests include virtually everything except internal combustion engines, with which he has a hate/hate relationship.

His short story experience came in handy when writing Hammon Falls.  Short fiction deals in nuances and succinctness.  At its best it observes and describes human behavior in few words, finding depth in brevity.  That technique serves well in a novel with short chapters and a large cast of characters.

Dave’s love of history and travelling was also useful for the sections of Hammon Falls set in Paris, Dublin, and Buffalo, because it allowed him to write from experience and memory.  Oddly, though, while he grew up in Iowa, where the bulk of the novel takes place, he’d never cared much about his own hometown’s past until Roger got him involved in the research for Hammon Falls.  Rather like the prophet who is honored everywhere but his own home, Dave was interested in the history of every city but his own.  After having done the research, though, he learned a valuable lesson: if a book has great characters and the story is well told, every place is interesting, be it Paris, Dublin, Buffalo, or, yes, even Waterloo, Iowa.  It’s people who make the history, and the story, and people, wherever they are, are fascinating creatures indeed.

So why should anyone buy Hammon Falls?  Quite simply, it’s got a lot of the stuff readers like—deep characterizations, interesting locations, and universal themes.  It’s got war.  It’s got crime.  It’s got spirituality, betrayal, and redemption.  Above all, it’s got a strong plot with explosive family relationships and a sweet, if tragic, love story.  Add to that an innovative structure, and you have a book that’s both fun and challenging to read.  Finally, it was written by two guys who love to write.  They are not tortured artists. They are not driven to create.  They don’t write as therapy.  They don’t write to exorcise demons.  They write for the sheer joy of it—and it shows.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Advertisement

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , ,

September 16, 2010 · 9:16 am

Interview with author Harris Tobias

Why should I read your book?

For entertainment. If you’re looking for deep meaning, The Greer Agency probably isn’t for you.

Are you a cat or a dog person?

We have always had both dogs and cats in our home, but if I had to choose, I’d go with dogs.

What do you like about writing?

I enjoy the inner world of my imagination. I often think I am telling myself a story while another part of me is trying its best to get it down on paper. I feel that the story is out there in its pure form by the time it has passed through my mind and fingers it is a poor imitation of what it was.

How do you reach your muse?

Whatever that inner voice is that tells the stories I call it my muse. I love when she is present and talking. Then I could write all day. When she’s absent I turn to other genres, write letters or read. I often sit with a notebook on my lap and let my mind wander. I find writing with a pen freer and easier then trying to force a story on the computer.

What does your muse look like?

I have absolutely no idea, but she has been kind and generous. I expect she is beautiful and voluptuous.

Do you listen to music while you write, or do you require total and utter silence?

Silence always. Music distracts me.

Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?  If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

I write in several genres: science fiction, detective/crime, children’s stories, song lyrics. I like to give myself assignments like Let’s see if I can write five little stories involving aliens or ten animal fables. That’s how I wrote my novel The Greer Agency. I assigned myself the task of writing 15 connected stories.

What other books have you written?

The Greer Agency is my second novel. My first A Felony of Birds is available from Amazon.

Anything in the works?

I’m going to collect some of my short stories into two short story collections—one for sci-fi and one for crime fiction. Also I’m collaborating with a couple of illustrators to bring two books of fairy tales to market. I’m also working with a talented composer on a musical called Gumshoe based on the characters in The Greer Agency. This is all very exciting for me personally. I love collaborations.

How long have you been writing?

I have always written but there was never any time to do it seriously. Five years ago I retired and found the time to write every day. I think I’m getting better at it.

What cultural value do you see in writing/reading/storytelling/etc.?

Storytelling is as old as language itself. I am pleased to be a part of so basic a human tradition.

Do you write more by logic or intuition, or some combination of the two? Summarize your writing process.

Intuition entirely. I rarely know how a story will turn out when I begin. I love it when a story reveals itself to me. It’s a very mystical thing. It’s almost spooky how a small clue or description in the beginning of a story suddenly becomes crucial toward the end. Where did that come from. It’s amazing to me.

Do you count time or words to your daily regimen?

Words. I like to write a thousand words a day.

Who’s your publisher?

I have been extremely fortunate to have been picked up by All Things That Matter Press (ATTMP). Phil and Deb Harris have been a pleasure to work with. They are caring and sympathetic professionals who are willing to give previously unknown and unpublished authors a chance.

How can we find out more about you and your work?

I have a blog and I publish stories on Scribd also you can email me directly at

harristob@gmail.com .

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

September 11, 2010 · 2:52 pm

Interview with author Robert Rubenstein

ATTMP AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Robert Rubenstein    GHOST RUNNERS

How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

When I was in my teens, I met a girl whom I loved. In her house, at night, I discovered some of the secrets of a kiss. I also heard the sounds of her father moaning loudly in his sleep. Laughing, my girlfriend told me it was just the war and the camps and the memories of death. So, as a teenager, I was introduced to Nazis. Almost thirty years ago, I learned of the story of two American Jewish Olympic runners who were not allowed to compete in the Berlin Olympics of 1936. Had it been German anti-Semitism, it would have been understandable. But it was Americans, not Germans, who took their only Jewish Olympians off the team. The questions plagued me: Why? Could history have been changed, the ensuing Holocaust halted even for one day if these Americans ran? What happened to that twenty-one year old runner who seemed to just disappear?

So slowly did truth emerge: the complicity of American corporations: IBM, Chase, GE-the lists kept growing. Whom had they been serving? After all the years, I saw the vehicle that could answer those questions. The theme that had escaped me had reappeared like a ghostrunner.

…

Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?

I have a tendency to imagine too strongly and to follow an extraneous thought to distraction. If left to my own, I would write fantastic gibberish. But Historical Fiction sets the measured tones I need to stay on track. It allows me to write within a timed and known setting. I also love the possibilities of history, to wonder about the ‘Butterfly Effect,’ to see if I could blow my breath into the known and change, by the winds or celestial flows, the way things were to the way things might have been.

Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?

When I was younger, I didn’t have many toys. I was a prolific reader. Like other kids, I liked to read whole series of books. I had intimate encounters with Tarzan in the jungle. I tried cases with Perry Mason. I was smitten with the Hardy boys. But even earlier, I loved when my father came home with the newspaper. The written word, for me, has always reminded me of a happy home.

How does your book relate to your spiritual practice or other life path?

No matter the path, the spirit cannot avoid suffering. How two young men deal with misfortune is a lesson for us all. It is not the sorrow but the existential choice to give that woe a greater meaning, a far reaching implication. In my story, Joshua Sellers is transformed by the process of his separation from an American dream betrayed by his own countrymen. He finds redemption in the alien surroundings of our indigenous natives and in the joy he has in passing on the gifts he had, but could not use, to disabled children.

What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

In GHOSTRUNNERS I wanted to address a wrong that does not go away. It has stayed in the public debate without modern challenge. The complicity of American corporations and certain names whose lineage is well known has still not been brought to American justice. I wanted to create controversy and bring the deplorable adoration by many Americans to Adolf Hitler under the light of dialogue and public scrutiny.

I also wanted to give body to an American hero, Sam Stoller. Sometimes, it is not the successful that should be remembered, but the ones who had the promise, but were not ever given the chance for glory.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Good, good question. Even fictionalizing with good intentions, people who have lived and died, the author owes a great debt to their memories and must be cautious before attaching one extraneous word. In GHOSTRUNNERS I could never be certain how to portray brave, decent men like Frank Wycoff or Foy Draper, Jesse Owens or even Charles Lindbergh. When I thought about their descendants, I did not want to trespass even lightly on a memory. One of the two protagonists was a beloved figure in sports, Marty Glickman. I would have wanted to contact his family for permission. I hope I portrayed his likeness with humility and love. Lastly, Sam Stoller was the forgotten Olympian, his life’s journey still unknown. I hope I put some flesh around him. I hope my words may find his descendants well.

Are there underrepresented groups or ideas featured if your book?

My book is about the possibilities of what diversity could have done in sports to vanquish Hitler and his ideas of racial supremacy during the infancy of the evil of Nazism. Blacks and Jews and Native Americans: no master race could subjugate them for too long.

What projects are you working on at the present?

Presently, I am working on a story of thwarted desires amid the beauty and violent history of New Mexico. Can one truly find happiness in a land of unsettled accounts? When the harmony of the mountains is disturbed, a secret group of Natives must extend their old influence on young, wayward braves. OUR LOVE IS HERE TO STAY is just that: a love story of the permanence of forgotten events or shallow passions, shifting with the sands of unremorseful times.

What’s your most memorable childhood memory?

Ducking for cover under my desk to escape nuclear war in a fifth grade fire drill. I was not going to let the Russians get me. I held my head and did as I was told: I didn’t talk to my neighbor. I didn’t look at the glass windows. And I was saved.

What do you do for fun?

I love to visit the National Parks and the southwest. I love to swim in the ocean.

What did your character do that totally shocked and surprised you and caused you to revisit your book?

When Joshua Sellers walked over to the Fuhrer’s Loge and raised his fist to deck Hitler out, I was as shocked as anyone. But I bought Joshua’s explanation. He really didn’t want to hit Hitler. He just wanted to give him a love tap from the Jewish nation.

.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , ,

August 20, 2010 · 8:43 am

Interview with author Michelle Kaye Malsbury

SOME THINGS THAT MATTER TO AUTHOR Michelle Kaye Malsbury: Author of The Swindler, ISBN 978-0-9844219-4-7.

I read a book, or when I’m thinking of reading a book, I find that I would love to know more about the author.  What do they think about? Why should I care about what they have written? What insights can they give me about their process, characters, and reasons for even putting their words on paper and sharing with others? Here are some questions I have asked some of my favorite authors. I hope you enjoy their responses as much as I have.

ATTMP: Are you a cat or a dog person?

MM: I have always been an animal person. I love all animals. Ever since I can remember I was drawn to animals especially the strays that had no love or warm place to sleep. (I grew up in IL and the winters there are brutal) I love the spirit of animals. The unconditional love they provide for their favorite humans is second to none. My dog and cat are part of me and intertwined in my genetic make-up. They are part of what makes me tick. I don’t have children so they are not only my pets, but for all intents and purposes my children too. I could never favor one over the other.
ATTMP: What do you like about writing?

MM: Writing is the greatest form of self expression I can reach. It allows me to connect with my inner self and explain that to the world, hopefully in terms they can understand and identify with. If I do not write I feel like something huge is missing from my life.
ATTMP: How do you reach your muse?

MM:  My muse, this is a toughie. I have topics and ideas that resonate with me and serve as a guide to some of the things I write about, especially those that inspire action or passion on behalf of the reader. I love the environment, politics, animals, education, business, and peace. These serve as templates for much of my non-fiction writing as I am passionate about them and hope to pass that passion on to others. For fiction I look every where and at all of the people and scenarios I come into contact with as potential muses. I have a very active imagination and I think that helps too!
ATTMP:  Do you listen to music while you write, or do you require total and utter silence?

MM: When I write seriously I require silence or only instrumentals. I want to only hear my words because I want to accurately describe actions and characters in my head while translating them to the keyboard. At those times music with words can be a distraction to me. Instrumentals however do not add words to my already wordy brain and can sometimes serve to spur me on in my writing, especially if the music is something I really really like. I am partial to piano solos of a classical or modern nature. I also love Latin music for its beat. There are other instruments like the pan flute, sax, or sitar that can be so primal that I am inspired to write and write and write.

ATTMP: How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

MM: I try to begin my books based on something I am familiar with and then move into unfamiliar territory that requires some additional research in order to get the story right. I love learning new things and research helps to keep my mind engaged in things I have not previously been familiar with or participated in. For instance, in the end of The Swindler there is a lengthy courtroom drama that is played out very publicly. I am not schooled in legalese and have not spent time in an actual courtroom. Therefore, I had to do some serious homework in order to get the pace and semantics and entire court stuff to read like I knew what I was talking about. I reviewed many documents from previous trials, especially those from the Bernie Madoff trial as those most closely mirrored my books theme and character dilemma. I hope it was at least close!

ATTMP: What inspires you?

MM: Life inspires me! I love reading and reviewing books. I love research and watching the political news on television. Topics that are fresh and timely are an inspiration to me to write about because they resonate with today. For my websites I write a lot about politics or government, occasionally entertainers or sports personalities. Health care was an important issue for the people of America and those watching us around the world. Therefore, I championed why it should pass and concentrated on the benefits that would be derived from passage. This was a topic that was near and dear to my heart. I was glad to see it finally come to pass. Human and animal rights violations tick me off and I’ve tried to include them in my articles for American Chronicle. Education and illiteracy are two topics that I cannot say enough about. My list of inspirations goes on and on, but these topics can give you a glimpse into what makes me tick.

ATTMP: What are some day jobs that you have held?  If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.

MM: I’ve been a bartender, stewardess (flight attendant), realtor, commodities broker, and more. All of those jobs have helped me to write accurately about those positions in my books. They have also shaped who I am now and how I perceive people in those industries at this time.

The Swindler is based on a true story of a place where I actually worked. Much of the story is fictionalized, but the places written about and some scenes actually took place. The man I worked for, who was a smaller version of Bernie Madoff, financially speaking, is now behind bars. I did not know immediately that we were operating illegally or unethically. I worked for this man for nearly five years before I finally quit. I saw the business from the inside out. That was one of the most fun and fast paced jobs that I’ve ever held. I learned a lot working there and that has, in turn, shaped my opinions of what Wall Street gets away with today and what direction we, as a country, need to take to curtail those excesses and greed.

ATTMP: How do you feel about ebooks vs. print books and alternative vs. conventional publishing?

MM: I am accustomed to ebooks from pursuit of many of my educational endeavors. According to many educational facilities this ebook format saves them oodles of money. I think ebooks are easy to download and you can highlight sections and write notes: both good things when you need access to instant recall of a certain topic. I think they are a bit impersonal, but ecologically a big paper saver!

I like the feel of a real book in my hands too! I review books for Bookpleasures and we do not review ebooks at this time. Has that caused us to miss out on some good reads? Maybe. One of my all time favorite things to do is to wander around in book stores. I love looking at the various book covers, seeing who is new in the marketplace, and reading the synopsis’.

I personally hope we never give real books up entirely: how would I stock my shelves in my library?

ATTMP: What do you like to read in your free time?

MM: My entire free time is taken up with reading and writing reviews. I love it! I read a lot of business books because that is my educational background and they keep me abreast of all of the new techniques coming down the pike. I love spy novels, legal thrillers, and murder/mysteries. I like to read about politics and political figures, as well as, policies we have adopted and how they have panned out. I try to mix things up a bit, as far as topics I read, so I am well rounded and more conversant in a variety of topics.

ATTMP: Who’s your best/worst critic?

MM: Marvin Wilson, my editor, is my best and worst critic. He was a godsend when I needed some serious polishing for The Swindler. Thank you Deb and Phil for leading me to him! Marvin knows how to get me (and perhaps all writers) to produce work that shines. He took my story, which was a emerald in the rough, and created a sparkling gemstone that I am proud to place my name atop of. He is a master of knowing what things really really needed changing to make the story flow better. I’ve had other people read and suggest things for my books or articles, but Marvin is by far the best! He comes at his criticism from an editorial perspective, but also as an author himself. Over the course of his editing process he becomes intimately involved with the characters, their dialogue, and the story flow of the books he reworks. I’d say Marvin is equal part magician and muse! Thank you Marvin!
ATTMP: Red or pink?

MM: I actually like both colors, but am partial to pink. I always wear some version of pink toenail polish. Jackie Onassis was fond of pink for fingernails and toenails and I admired her quite a bit because she was classic and timeless in her choice of garments, accessories, and jewels.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , ,

August 10, 2010 · 9:25 pm

Interview with author Jesse Hanson

SOME THINGS THAT MATTER TO AUTHOR Jesse S. Hanson

When I read a book, or when I’m thinking of reading a book, I find that I would love to know more about the author.  What do they think about? Why should I care about what they have written? What insights can they give me about their process, characters, and reasons for even putting their words on paper and sharing with others? Here are some questions I have asked some of my favorite authors. I hope you enjoy their responses as much as I have.

Why should I read your book?

I hope people will see it as a bona-fide alternative example of spiritual fiction about the human condition and our relationship with our Creator. It’s not just another sensationalistic story about some crazy people and some guy from outer space or something who thinks he’s God.

Do you listen to music while you write, or do you require total and utter silence?

Not total and utter. Some sounds of nature, birds, the wind, rain, things like that are nice. Or even the normal sounds of people going about their business—not everybody’s lawnmower at once, not the sound of them drilling for gas in my back yard. I never listen to music when I write.

How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

It came to me as I was finishing another novel, one that is, as yet, unpublished. It is a fairly common notion that the material world­, the cycle of birth and death in the world, is a prison in many ways—that spirituality, not just any kind of spirituality, mind you, but that the success of spirituality is freedom from this prison. This crazy prison.

Not entirely sure why my allegorical prison became a skyscraper. But it seemed to fit nicely with the different planes of existence that are manifest in creation, the different levels of existence.

Of course, as I explain in the author’s note at the beginning of the book, George, the character, George, has to dwell in the same conditions, have the same problems as the other prisoners or patients, just as did Lord Jesus, Lord Buddha, Kabir, and so many other Holy Men throughout history.

Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?  If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

I don’t feel at home in this world. So I’m seeking a better one. I’ve been convinced that this is not our real home. It’s the only subject I’m interested in, although genre can change. Genre is just backdrop.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing all my life. Mostly songs. I’ve written a whole lot of songs. Want to make a book of them also. For the last five years or so, I began to focus on prose, to the frustration of my musician companions to some degree.

What cultural value do you see in writing/reading/storytelling/etc.?

I like this question. I’m going to sound like a snob here, though it isn’t my intention. I feel that writing, art, music, all the arts, that their main purpose should be to elevate the human spirit in some way. Not just entertainment. I can feel the pies, the rotten vegetables, hitting me in the face as I say it. Boos and catcalls too.

How does your book relate to your spiritual practice or other life path?

Only in the sense that, just like the poor folks in my book are spiritually rescued by George (I’m not giving anything away here, that information is right up front in my story) I was and am spiritually rescued by my spiritual Master, Ajaib Singh Ji, who has, to my deep despair, left the world physically.

What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

The questions keep getting better here.

I feel I have achieved them personally, but that is so subjective. I know some people have gotten a lot from the story, but it’s just been published. I guess that if anyone at all gets any hope or inspiration from it then my intentions are achieved. Numbers aren’t important in that regard, but of course they come in handy in terms of getting paid for my work and being able to do more work. And to get published again, perhaps.

What are some of the references that you used while researching this book?

Sol Wachtler’s book, After the Madness: A Judge’s Own Prison Memoir, was a kind of catalyst. Otherwise, I did mostly internet research­—there’s a whole lot of material on the prison/mental facility phenomenon.

But I did do a nine week stint in a state hospital “drug ward” myself as a very young man. After the first couple of weeks of virtual imprisonment, we got to wander all around, visit the crazies, act ridiculous. We were just confused teenagers, you know.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Dealing with the idea that I didn’t know if my own spiritual Master would approve of it.

What inspires you?

Love

What are some day jobs that you have held?  If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.

I always used to say I was an artist trapped in a blue collar body. I’ve worked in welding, shipbuilding, mechanical maintenance, farming, construction. As of this writing, I work in a retail furniture store. Had to get out of industry for my health.

For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start?

Well there’s three subjects really. There’s prison, your can explore that quite easily by becoming a criminal. There’s mental illness, you don’t want to go there. And there’s spirituality, that takes sincerity, just like I wasn’t being in the three sentences before this one. Spirituality is not for the faint of heart. I’m being sincere now.

What makes your book stand out from the crowd?

In terms of books dealing with spirituality, it’s old fashioned, as opposed to new age. There’s a lot of fluff out there, from self-made spiritual guides, etc. My book shows spirituality as a gift from God. Duck, here come the rotten vegetables again.

What are some ways in which you promote your work?  Do you find that these add to or detract from your writing time?

There’s no question but what promotion seriously cuts into writing time. I’m not sure what to do about that. Anyone want to do my promotion for me?

What projects are you working on at the present?

I’m working on an earlier novel re-work, re-polish, about a multi-faith spiritual community, and I’m working on a new novel which I do not care to disclose much about yet. I will say that both of them are primarily rural settings. I can only stay in the city for so long.

What did your character do that totally shocked and surprised you and caused you to revisit your book?

The hardest thing for me was to portray George as a fully enlightened God Man and at the same time as a destitute with a severe mental illness. The whole concept of a man who is also God or conversely, God becoming a man is a miraculous thing quite beyond intellectual understanding. So when George would do something very human-like, it would kind of freak me out.

Song of George: Portrait of an Unlikely Holy Man

http://jesseshanson.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=747839088

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/jesse-s-hanson-words/195397125637?ref=ts

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3960918.jesse_s_hanson

http://twitter.com/jesseshanson

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , ,

June 4, 2010 · 4:25 pm

Check it out

“The Swindler” by Michelle Kaye Malsbury
Publisher: All Things That Matter Press
ISBN 978-0-9844219-4-7
Genre: suspense, thriller, mystery, fiction
Description
How easy is it for an investment broker to deceive clients? Very, particularly if his personal hero is Bernie Madoff. Skip Horowitz, along with his old pal A.J., has created what they believe is a foolproof scheme using commodities trading, bookmaking, and various other businesses as covers. Their plan has served them well for decades, surviving the scrutiny of government agencies lacking solid proof to support any allegations of wrongdoing. But luck can’t hold forever…or can it? Catherine O’Reilley, newly sponsored in the high-risk world of investment strategy by Skip Horowitz, is about to find out.
About the Author
Michelle Malsbury was born and raised in Champaign, Illinois. Currently she resides in Florida. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Management and a Masters Degree in Business Management. She has just completed her first year of doctoral studies in the discipline of Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies with high hopes of helping to build nations and sustain peaceful interactions around the globe.

Here’s What Others Are Saying About “The Swindler”:
1. Judy Ramsook from the Austin News Service, Austin, TX 4/9/10 Review for “The Swindler”:
In The Swindler, by Michelle Malsbury, you will find yourself being pulled in to a fictional tale of romance and a lot commodities swindling through the eyes of a third person narrator.

So come along and meet true to life and memorable characters such as: Catherine, The Realtor/Commodities Broker, Connie, Catherine’s best friend, Shamus, Real Estate Broker and the man who thinks he is the right man for Catherine and last but not least, Skip Horowitz, a ruthless Ponzi Schemer who is being investigated by the Feds.
It’s a gripping tale that will make you want to keep turning those pages to see what happens next.

Set in Key West, Florida, the author displays her vast love for and knowledge of the area so well, that if you have not been there and know nothing about Key West, perusing The Swindler by Michelle Malsbury will indeed give you a rich education into that paradise.
So come on and enjoy this well written and detailed tale and see if Catherine really thinks Shamus is the right man for her, and if the elusive Skip Horowitz gets the justice he so deserves.
I enjoyed it and I think you will too.
2. Mike Fentem, longtime friend of Michelle Kaye Malsbury, review for The Swindler on 5/21/10:

I’ve known Michelle since she was fifteen or sixteen years old. We grew up in the same small town in Illinois and went to the same schools, pools, and parks. She was always fun and had a good imagination. I’ll be the first to admit that back then who would have thunk that she would become a author? However, I have had the pleasure of reading both of her books and have found them to be well written and fun reading! The characters are inventive and interesting. The stories take places in fun and exotic locales. The plot builds from chapter to chapter keeping the reader engaged in what may occur next and how it will all end. The main character, Skip, is a enigma himself with a ego larger than life. His thirst for money and fast women was second to none, but I liked getting to know him while reading this book. Besides having little, to no, scruples, he does manage to keep his ponzi scheme and other illigitimate business endeavors pretty secret for a number of years while he rakes in oodles of cash and stashes it all around the globe. However, can he outlast the SEC and other regulatory agencies, who is hot on his tail or is his time up? I truly enjoyed The Swindler and I believe you will too!
3. Thomas Keyes Review for The Swindler by Michelle Kaye Malsbury, 5/14/2010:

The Swindler is a fast-moving, hard-hitting account of a swindler who, with his batch of subalterns, ran a Ponzi scheme in Key West and elsewhere. The tale is so realistic and convincing that you can hardly believe that it didn’t really happen and that the authoress is not in there somewhere, perhaps as Catherine, the honest realtor who gets embroiled in the mess.

The racket consisted of selling counterfeit commodities futures mostly to fairly well-heeled middle class types, and following up by generating bogus statements showing earnings. It may be difficult to feel overly compassionate for someone worth several hundred thousand dollars who gets stung for fifty, but there are a lot of smaller victims too.

The most touching was a young girl in Central America whom Skip, the swindler, got pregnant. She was hoping this pregnancy would bind them together and enable them to live a beautiful life. Then the blow fell. Skip was arrested and prosecuted, and the girl’s dreams flowed away in tears.

The pages are full of unsavory characters, and the action moves from Florida to the Bahamas to Costa Rica to Las Vegas.

The language is earthy. Read it, you’ll like it.

4. Billy O’Toole Pre-review for The Swindler by Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
All Things That Matter’s Press, ISBN 978-0-9844219-4-7: 2/22/10
Hi Michelle,

During a long and successful career in the trucking business, I always carried a stack of books to entertain myself and hopefully learn a little something also. One of my favorites was Steven Frey because he always had some insights into the dark side of finance along with great characters. Move over Frey and make room for Michelle Malsbury!

The Swindler has great characters, some lovable, and some not, but all believable. Indeed, I felt like I already knew many and were acquainted with several others. There were the obvious evil ones but the mindset of good ones being led along and seduced by money and the good life was particularly poignant.

When my business blew up because I had no customers anymore, I began to study finance moved to being a Senior Financial Consultant. In the process of interviews and study I felt like I met many of her characters, things just didn’t feel right, but oh so seductive!

All this set in quirky and sultry southern Florida, I could feel the humidity, see the pastels, and revel in the ambience. What more could anyone want in book?

Bill O’Toole
Senior Financial Consultant
Southern Commercial Corp
Columbia, Mo.

573 808 2122
5. Marilou Trask-Curtin Review for TheSwindler:

Michelle: First of all, congrats on an absolutely incredible book!!! Have you also written this as a screenplay????!!!! Would be amazing to watch and the timing seems right as well.

I only found a couple of blips but after I wrote them down lost the note where I had written the page numbers. The main one: There was mention of the basketball team the KNICKS…you had it written as the NICKS…that would need to be corrected as we New Yorker’s who are KNICKS fans would probably retaliate by throwing soggy basketballs your way–LOL…otherwise, an incredible story…!!!

The Review: “The Swindler” – an incredibly fast-paced roller-coaster ride through the world of illegal commodities trading with enough sun and sin to heat up every reader’s day (and night.) Michelle Malsbury at her finest! A definite must read!
Marilou Trask-Curtin, Author of “In My Grandfather’s House:
A Catskill Journal”

Thanks again for the opportunity to read “The Swindler” and I wish you all the best with it. Also, sorry it took so long….

Take care,
Marilou

PS: I love the way you got MJ into the story with the crotch grabbing episode :-]

Purchase Information:
http://www.amazon.com/Swindler-Michalle-Kaye-Malsbury/dp/0984421947/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272463500&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com link for The Swindler and Kindle Reader orders (see above)

Author Links:
http://www.americanchronicle.com
http://www.en.wordpress.com
http://www.redroom.com
http://www.useless-knowledge.com
http://www.bookpleasures.com
http://www.michellemalsbury.com
http://www.blogger.com
http://www.authorexcerpts.spruz.com
http://www.jacketflap.com
http://www.authorsden.com
http://www.unheardwords.com
http://www.twitter.com/ponzischemegirl
http://www.facebook.com/michellekayemalsbury

PUT THESE IN THE TAG BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOG-NOT IN THE ACTUAL POST!

Tags: investment fraud, ponzi schemes, investment schemes, investment scams, commodities trading, SEC, NFA, CFTC, mail fraud, crime and punishment, Wall Street, Main Street, money and finance, Bernie Madoff, Florida, Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Costa Rica, gambling, trading, book making, financial sector reform, NYSE, CBOT, ALL THINGS THAT MATTER PRESS, THE SWINDLER, MICHELLE MALSBURY

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , ,