Book Review: Blood in the Low Country by Paul Attaway

Book Title: Blood in the Low County
Book Author: Paul Attaway
Format: Paperback

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐) 

The first book review of 2021 is dedicated to Blood in the Low County. This book was hard for me to put down, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Reading Blood in the Low County was a good book for so many reasons. First, the book reminded me of one of my favorite shows that I like to listen to on Sirus XM: Forensic Files. I love Forensic Files because the mystery surrounding death is strategically unfolded for the audience. Attaway does the same with  Blood in the Low County. Second, the book presented a different dynamic between a mother and her sons. As a mother of three boys, I know how important my relationships with my sons are to me. However, Rose's relationship with her sons, Eli and Walker, irked my very core. Ultimately, Rose was a character that I could relate to because I am a single mother. However, as the plot unfolded, I began to loathe her. Rose was so consumed with validation from others that she neglected her husband, Monty, and her sons, Eli and Walker, Yet, in her eyes, she was the perfect Christian, mother, and wife.

When reading Blood in the Low County, I felt like I was experiencing the plot. Attaway made me forget my reality and transport me into the plot of the story. The twists and turns kept me engaged. At times, I was immersed in the text. The characters felt so real to me. I loved how the book portrayed the family dynamic. Whenever I thought that I had the plot figured out, Attaway made sure that I was wrong. I loved every moment spent reading Blood in the Low County.  

Even though Blood in the Low County is a fictional novel, the themes are very real. Attaway tackles very real themes without causing any triggers for its readers. Also, as a child of preachers, I appreciated the biblical references. I loved how Attaway exposed the very real experiences of Christians and how difficult it is to trust God when faced with hard situations. 

Overall, I highly recommend that you read this book. Blood in the Low County is well-written and engaging. Your book club will definitely enjoy discussing the details of this book. Have you read Blood in the Low County?

About the Book

Step back in time a bit. The year is 1973, and by all appearances, Monty Atkins has a wonderful life. Along with his wife, Rose, the girl of his dreams he met in college, they are raising two boys, Eli and Walker. Humble but competitive, Monty is slowly but steadily building a profitable and well-respected law practice in beautiful Charleston, SC. His hard work, steeped in a deeply engrained Protestant work ethic, is paying dividends in the form of a second home on Kiawah Island and membership in the exclusive Wappoo Country Club.Rose, an aspiring socialite, chairs committees and works tirelessly for her church and the school their boys attend. So, yes, Monty Atkins has a wonderful life, until he doesn’t. In a flash, everything changes when a brutal murder and a shocking betrayal turn their world upside down. Brewing beneath the surface lurks a conspiracy of lies about who they are and what they believe. The wellspring of deception and ensuing dysfunction that threaten to destroy all they have built is Rose’s past, a past she can’t outrun. In the hunt for the killer, Monty draws the ire of one of Charleston’s most prominent businessmen, who sets out to destroy him. Monty now faces a multi-front battle, one to save his family, one to save his business and one to save his life. Step back in time and immerse yourself in a taut, tension-filled thriller where the genteel veneer of life in the South lived by those for whom Sunday Bruch at the Club is as holy as that morning’s church service is stripped away.

About the Author

Paul was born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Paul and his wife, Lyn, met in college at Georgetown University and were married after Paul graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law. They moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1988 where Paul embarked on a thirty-year business career before retiring so he could write fiction. Paul and Lyn raised three children together in Phoenix and now split their time between Phoenix and Charleston, South Carolina.

 Blood in the Low County  is Paul Attaway’s debut novel. Writing this book, along with the move to Charleston, is a coming home of sorts, a return to the South. The history and culture of America’s South is rich, complicated, at times comical, sad, tragic, uplifting, and inspiring. Paul hopes that his novels can capture even a small bit of this tapestry.

Learn more about Paul Attaway by visiting his website: https://www.paulattaway.com.

Book Review: Hunting of Men by Lance J. Lorusso

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Hunting of Men is Book 1 in a series. The narrative follows the transition of Johnny Till, the main character, to his new role as a homicide detective and a missing young woman, named Hannah.
As the plot unfolds, the chapters alternate between Johnny Till and Hannah. Lorusso keeps you engaged until the very end. I was immediately curious about how the stories of Johnny and Hannah would collide, especially since Hannah was missing and Johnny was working on a cold case, involving a school resource officer. My favorite part probably was the bank robbery. I was completely caught off guard by it, and I couldn't figure out how it would relate to the plot.

Lorusso does an excellent job of captivating the reader. Since he is a former police officer, Lorusso adequately describes events within the book that makes it completely fascinating. Because of the realistic nature of the book, I found myself seeing each scene unfold. I grew to really like Johnny Till and his dedication to being an excellent homicide detective. I devoured the book within a day or two. The most significant aspect of the book is how it brings attention to a real issue that is plaguing the United States and the World: sex trafficking. I don't think people talk about this issue. As a professor of public policy, I believe that this issue should get more attention than it does. I think Lorusso adequately entertains his readers while ensuring that attention to sex trafficking is addressed. Thus, the end of the book includes an author's note about sex trafficking with specific statistics, as well as a section to educate the readers about how they can stop human trafficking.

Here is some of the useful information included in the book:

• Call 911.
• Text HELP or INFO to BeFREE (233733) for the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888)
• Download the See Something, Send Something app.
  
  

About the Book: 

In Hunting of Men, LoRusso draws upon his diverse law enforcement background that saw him work the street, serve as a trainer, hostage negotiator, and an investigator.  The book launches the career of central character, Johnny Till who will be the key character in all the Blue Mystery books. The book’s title, Hunting of Men, is drawn from Ernest Hemingway’s quote, “There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.”  The mystery in Hunting of Men focuses upon a cold case murder.  

Johnny Till is a force to be reckoned with as a new homicide detective for the Lawler County Police Department. As tradition demands, on his first day on the job, Till pulls a cold case file to investigate. The file in question is one that has haunted the department and community for years: the cold-blooded murder of Officer Michael Dunlap, gunned down in the black of night some twenty years earlier.

Now, in order to solve the murder and heal the victims left behind, Till must reopen old wounds and retrace the final days of Dunlap’s life. The journey will lead him down a rabbit hole to a darker, more sinister conspiracy, one that threatens to steal the lives of children around the world. In order to close this cold case, Till must not only come into his new role as a homicide detective,  but face his own fears to truly become a hunter of men.

 

Book Highlight - Deserted: Retelling Bible Stories without an Angry God by Nathan Roberts

Purchase the Book!

Recently, I was introduced to a new book, Deserted: Retelling Bible Stories without an Angry God. I must say as the child of preachers, I was completely intrigued by the title. The author is Nathan Roberts. The illustrator for the book was alxndr jones.

The book covers a total of seven biblical stories:

1. Cain and the Snake
2. Naameh and the Ark
3. The Unplanned City of Babel
4. Issac and the Sanctuary Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
5. Doctor Leviticus
6. Aaron and the Burning Bush
7. Moses and the Terrorist Attacks

I appreciated the introduction, which gives important background information, including why Roberts finds the necessity to write such a unique text.  For biblical scholars, the book focuses specifically on Genesis and Exodus. Interestingly enough, Roberts removes the Hebrew God, Yahweh, from each of the stories. Roberts explains that he "wanted to see what would happen next." 

Each of the stories is unique and Roberts creates stories designed to inspire readers of the Bible "to play with the Biblical details." I won't give away any spoilers, but I know you that you won't be disappointed when you read this book. I was immensely intrigued. 

Here is an excerpt from story #5 of Doctor Leviticus:

Dinah clicked her tongue and pulled on the reigns. Dinah’s sword sheath clanged against her dusty thigh armor as her camel came to a stop. Before her stood a wooden fence surrounding a complex web of gardens with a sign that read Welcome to Doctor Leviticus’ Office.

“Levi!” Dinah shouted from atop her camel. “Come say hi to your sister Dinah!” A bald head popped up from behind the fence. Dinah gasped in surprise and instinctively reached for the handle of her sword.Then she noticed the bald head belonged to a woman with kind eyes, ruddy wrinkled cheeks, and no eyebrows. Dinah relaxed and moved her hand away from the sword.

“Doctor Leviticus?” the woman asked, correcting Dinah.

“Possibly. The person I’m looking for just goes by Levi,” Dinah said cautiously. She couldn’t help staring at the older woman’s sunbaked forehead where her eyebrows should have been. Then Dinah saw two more bald, eyebrowless women rise from behind a berry bush. Both held watering cans and looked at her suspiciously.

“I didn’t know Doctor Leviticus had a sister,” the older woman smiled, pointing at a two-story brick building with stairs that wound along the outer walls.

On the second floor was a door flanked by large lattice windows and closed curtains. A few chickens ran up and down the paths that cut across the maze of lush green gardens. Dinah had been on the road for a month and was impressed to see a garden this green in the middle of the drought.

Dinah dismounted her camel and her sword clanged against her armor. She made a move to push open the short wooden front gate. The older woman pulled a linen face mask over her nose and mouth and blocked the gate with her body.

“You can’t come in like that!” the woman shouted, scandalized.

“Why not?” Dinah asked, her eyebrows narrowing on the woman on the other side of the wooden gate.

“Because you’re unclean!” the woman exclaimed through her linen face mask. She pointed at the small one-room mud hut on Dinah’s side of the fence. A sign above the door read Washroom.

“I’ve been on the road for a month,” Dinah said getting irritated. “Levi’s not going to care.”

“He most certainly will care,” the woman scolded Dinah.

“You are unclean and you could contaminate everything in here.” The woman’s hands made a circular motion that encompassed the building and its gardens.“So you want me to wash before I come in,” Dinah said, pointing at the washroom. The washroom was empty save for three wooden buckets full of clear water and a series of strangely labeled bottles.

The bald woman smiled and nodded, “Please.”

About the Book:

Purchase the Book!

What would the earliest stories of the Bible be like without an angry God smiting humans with floods, fire, frogs, and brimstone? They might become the story of a mother surviving a snake bite and a dangerous pregnancy. Architects and dreamers building towers and boats to save themselves from the harsh desert. A doctor who obsessively cleans. Young gay lovers seeking refuge in the sanctuary cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Estranged brothers planning ten terrorist attacks to free their people from slavery. Without an angry God, the Bible might become a fictional collection of stories about deeply human men, women, and children from a small nomadic tribe deserted in an ancient Hebrew desert.

About the Author:

Nathan Roberts is a pastor in Minneapolis, a founding editor of The Salt Collective progressive Christian magazine, and the author of Poor Millionaires: The Village Boy Who Walked to the Western World and the American Boy Who Followed Him Home (2014).

Book Review: The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan

 I rated The Sweeney Sisters with five stars: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.  

Keep reading to discover exactly why I think that you need to read The Sweeney Sisters. 

Lately, I find myself using reading to escape these trying times. Luckily, I was introduced to the novel, The Sweeney Sisters, which provided a very necessary escape. I must say that this book did not disappoint me. I was first captivated by how beautiful the book jacket was. I have been reading a lot of audiobooks and reading books on my iPad, but when I received The Sweeney Sisters,  I was really excited because the cover was just so "happy." I know. I know. You are thinking that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I mean this time, I chose a book because of its cover, and I am glad that I did. 

Sitting on the porch, eating cherries, and reading The Sweeney Sisters

The Sweeney Sisters is a unique tale that highlights how important a family bond can be for the survival of its members. As someone, who is very family-oriented and believes that family comes first, this book further reinforced my belief about the importance of family. The beginning of the text caught me off guard because it starts off with tragedy. Ironically, this tragedy is just the beginning of creating a bond like none other. It's almost as if the tragedy is a necessity for The Sweeney Sisters to experience. 

Three sisters, Maggie, Liza, and Tricia, have a unique sisterly bond that many people envy. Yet, when their father dies, they discover that they have a "half-sister," who happens to be older than the trio. The half-sister, Serena Tucker, is quickly swept into a life-changing cycle, as she discovers through a gifted DNA test, that her father is a famous writer, who happens to have been her neighbor during her childhood. 

The Sweeney Sisters provided such an entertaining escape that I was so excited to share with my readers. I especially liked how the book was unpredictable. So many fictional novels tend to be predictable, but The Sweeney Sisters forced me to speed up reading, so that I could get to the next plot twist. 

I won't give away the ending, but I will say that I was truly surprised. The Sweeney Sisters supported each other, maintained their bond despite disagreements and arguments, and kept going despite all the pain that they endured before and especially after their father's death. 

I think that my favorite character in this book is Tricia. She remains so focused and doesn't let emotion cloud her judgment. She resonated with me the most because I found similarities between me and Tricia. I always love it when I can relate to the characters in the book. I have two sisters, and I know the three of us will always look out for each other, just like The Sweeney Sisters.  

I think all my readers will enjoy this book. The versatility that it provides, while sharing a truly inspiring story makes it perfect for book clubs. If your book club needs a quick and inspiring read, The Sweeney Sisters, is the perfect book. You should definitely check out this book. You will not be disappointed. I truly wasn't. I am looking forward to reading more Lian Dolan books. 

Have you read this book? What did you think about it? Let's connect on Goodreads or Twitter and discuss The Sweeney Sisters. 

Virtual Book Tour - Dharma: A Rekha Rao Mystery by Vee Kumari

I am happy to share with you a book, unlike any other book that you have read. Lately, I find myself reading more fiction, and I wanted to share a unique book, Dharma: A Rekha Rao. I was very fascinated with the synopsis of the book and felt that my readers would enjoy it. Below I have included information about Dharma and share the Question and Answer discussion with Vee Kumari. Let me know your thoughts when you finish this book.

“A polished, confident whodunit brimming with personality and the right amount of intrigue and mayhem.” – Kirkus Reviews

         Paperback: 302 pages

         Publisher: Great Life Press (March 2020)       

About the Book:

Rekha Rao, a thirty-something Indian American professor of art history, is disillusioned by academia and haunted by the murder of her father. She believes police convicted the wrong person and moves away from her match-making family. 

She’s focused on managing her PTSD and healing her heart, broken by an abusive boyfriend. She gets entangled in a second murder, that of her mentor and father figure. The murder weapon, an idol of the Hindu goddess Durga, is left behind on the body. Detective Al Newton asks her to look into the relationship, if any, between the meaning of the statue and the motive for the murder.

Rekha is attracted to Al but steers clear of him because of her distaste for cops and fear of a new relationship. The two constantly clash, starting a love-hate relationship. Meanwhile, her family sets her up to meet a suitor, an Indian attorney. When police arrest one of her students and accuse her mentor of idol theft, Rekha is left with no other choice but to look for the killer on her own. 

Despite admonitions from Al and bodily harm caused by an intruder, Rekha finds the killer, and in the process, emerges from the cocoon of a protected upbringing to taste the prospect of romance and discover her true identity.

"A murder mystery set against an intriguing backdrop of Indian mysticism and archaeology makes this a very good pick. Dharma, A Rekha Rao Mystery may also provide some readers with a glimpse into the rich religious history of India's gods, rich mythology at least as rich to American readers as the more familiar Greco-Roman gods and goddesses. It's one of the hidden treats that makes this novel an enjoyable read for mystery lovers everywhere." 

- Chanticleer Reviews Rating: 5/5 star

About the Author:

Vee Kumari grew up in India. She loved to read, and often used it to avoid her mother, who might want her to do a chore or two. It was her mother who directed her to use the dictionary to learn the meanings of new words and construct sentences with them. Vee wanted to become an English professor but went to medical school instead.

Upon coming to the US, Vee obtained a doctorate in anatomy. She became a faculty member at the UC Davis Medical Center, where she worked for over 35 years, and later worked for the Keck School of Medicine for five years. Teaching neuroanatomy to medical students became her passion. She published many scientific papers and won several teaching awards. 

Vee Kumari

When she retired in 2012, she took classes from The Gotham Writers' Workshop and UCLA Writers Program. Dharma, A Rekha Rao Mystery is her debut fiction that incorporates her observations on the lives of Indian immigrants and Indian Americans in the US.

Vee lives in Burbank and is also an actor who has appeared in TV shows, including Criminal Minds and Glow, and produced and was the lead in a short film, Halwa, which garnered the first prize in HBO's 2019 Asian Pacific American Visionaries (APAV) contest.

She is at work on her next novel about an Indian immigrant family whose American dream shatters when one of their twin daughters goes missing.

Connect with the Author:

Facebook: @veekumari

Instagram:  @vee6873hollywood

Twitter: @veekumari1

Author website: https://www.veekumari.com

Question and Answer with Vee Kumari

Where did you grow up /live now?

I grew up in the south of India in a coastal town called Trivandrum. I now live in Burbank, CA

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I loved words, and I wanted to be an English professor.  

 When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?

As a scientist, my fall back was reading fiction. When I retired, it gave me the time to try it.  

What inspired your story?

I watched an OPRAH/Dr. PHIL an episode about a family who came to get help after the father came to the realization that he was always gay. Their genuine grief and need to find their way back as a family touched me. It’s best to keep this under cover since this is one of the threads that’s revealed only towards the end!

How does a new story idea come to you? Is it an event that sparks the plot or a character speaking to you?

All of those. I may hear something on the news or watch an episode of a TV show, or watch a movie, and my head gets filled with “What Ifs”. Some of these take life, others don’t. Right now, I have my second novel almost finished, and several premises written, based on these “What Ifs”.

Virtual Book Tour: Chendell - A Natural Warrior by Leslie L. Landis.

Mississippi Bookworm Diva was invited to participate in the virtual book tour for a new YA Fantasy Series Book. I am very excited to share the book, Chendell,  with you.  Learn more about the text below.

"A lively nature-oriented superhero adventure…the heart of the tale comes together in the final pages." - Kirkus Reviews 

About the Book:

Purchase Chendell.

A super boy from a village in China and a super girl from rural Vermont meet in college and fall in love. Both grapple with their unique powers and purpose. Will they master their abilities in time to save each other and the ecosystem from certain destruction? And what twists does life have in store? Originally released in early 2019, Landis is re-releasing an updated version of her environmental YA fantasy as well as adding an audiobook format in April 2020, to celebrate Earth Day.

While on a research trip to the Peruvian rainforest, Robin Dell and Jamie Chen’s lives (and consciousness) are changed forever when they drink a shaman’s brew and are transformed into CHENDELL. Two halves of one person. A dual consciousness – female and male – in one body. This new being is streamlined. Eurasian. With one green eye and one dark brown eye. Shoulder length hair that is half auburn and half black. As CHENDELL, their fight is to save our environment from the people responsible for ecocide and biocide – the willful destruction of the environment and the annihilation of living organisms.

Individually, Robin can control insects and Jamie can communicate and control trees and plants. When joined as CHENDELL their powers are enhanced. Their senses are extremely acute. Their strength is exceptionally strong. Their mind is lightning quick. And their powers are extensively increased – not only with trees, plants, and insects – but also with other living creatures.

All of nature is their ally.

Finally, Nature has a hero.

Book Praise

Purchase Chendell.

"CHENDELL starts as a boy-meets-girl story, connecting a girl from the U.S., to a boy in China, told in an unusual compelling format. It is about love and family, but also about insects and trees. When boy and girl become a super couple, the reader accompanies them on a wild, dangerous journey, and then, when your heart is in your throat, something happens that is shocking, unique, and utterly heartwarming. Leslie Landis has written a tale I'll never forget. Bravo!" 

- Best selling author Thom Racina

"Everything you ever wanted in a fantastical story but were afraid to ask! A superhero story packed with a delightful page-turning packet of ingredients—adventure, love plus humor and wit. Be prepared to be invested in the Landis characters and swept up into their world and their dreams. CHENDELL and its heroes Jamie Chen and Robin Dell are just begging to be given the big-screen treatment." 

- Ivor Davis, Author of "Ladies and Gentlemen… The Penguins!" and "The Beatles and Me on Tour."

Audiobook:

In April 2020, the audiobook for Chendell was released.  Alicia Silverstone and Adrian Grenier are the narrators for the audiobook. Subscribers to my newsletter will receive a peek sneak of the Audiobook. Make sure that you have signed up for my newsletter. If you need to signup for my newsletter, here is the link: Mississippi Bookworm Diva Newsletter.

About the Author:

Leslie Landis

Leslie Landis has been a teacher, a financial planner, a bank trust officer, worked for a U.S. Senator, an associate director in television, and a licensed therapist. Her first book is a humorous take on our food and diet-obsessed culture titled The Art of Overeating: A Bellyful of Laughs About Our Food-phobic Culture. CHENDELL: A Natural Warrior is her first novel. Leslie lives with her husband in Los Angeles.

Leslie’s degree in psychology informs her insight into how people look at the world and themselves. She created relatable characters who reflect the roles we play and the uncertainties of life. With a different take on gender equality and the battle to preserve our environment, her superhero CHENDELL speaks not only to young people but to all generations. In this captivating, exciting, and realistic fantasy, Landis’ unique writing style presents a message of love, hope, and commitment to fighting the real world evil forces destroying our planet.

Questions and Answer Session with Leslie Landis, Author of Chendell

Purchase Chendell.

Why did you write a YA novel?

My book, Chendell: A Natural Warrior, has an environmental theme. People of all ages care about the environment but young people are especially tuned into the environmental degradation caused by global warming. They know it is their future that is most at risk.

How did you come up with the idea of CHENDELL?

Through media exposure, I certainly noticed how popular the superhero genre is.

When I thought about why I was not interested in this category, I realized that the typical superhero characters were not “real” to me and they usually battled against “unreal” struggles such as someone trying to blow up the world. So I thought why not a superhero who was fighting a real-world problem - ecocide and biocide - the willful destruction of the environment and the annihilation of living organisms.

Why is one of your protagonists Chinese?

There are three reasons I made one of my protagonists Chinese:

1. I’ve been to China and I found the Chinese people to be gracious, warm, and kind.

2. I know what it feels like to experience anger and hostility just because I was American. I’ve traveled to other countries during a time when we had an unpopular U.S. president. I feel the people of a country should be treated as individuals, not as representatives of a government.

3. I’m personally very interested in other cultures and ethnicities. Having a Chinese character was just more interesting to me.

Why don’t you kill bugs?

I do kill bugs - if I have to. For example, if a mosquito is going to bite me or a bee is going to sting me. But fortunately for me, those have been rare occurrences. Other than those situations, I don’t kill bugs because they are alive. Because they are just living their little bug lives. Because they serve a function in the scheme of life. I just don’t go out of my way to kill anything.

Have you written any other books?

The Art of Overeating: A Bellyful of Laughs About Our Food-phobic Culture – A humorous view on our food-obsessed culture.

Why do environmental problems worry you the most?

The future of every living creature depends on the health of our planet.

Why do you think your book is unique?

In my book, the superhero is fighting a real-world problem. And my protagonists are a woman and a man who are truly equal. They can’t be more equal than when they are Chendell.

Why should people read your book?

My book is timely, exciting, and fun.

What can people do to help our environment?

Buy less, use less, waste less, and recycle. Also, people can vote for representatives who take the environment and global warming seriously.

Where did you grow up/live now?

I was born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois. I have lived in Chicago and New York. Now I live in Los Angeles.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer

Leslie Landis

What is your education/career background?

I went to the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA for 2 years. Then I transferred and graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. I have an M.A. degree in psychology from Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA

I’ve done a lot of different things. The highlights are working for U.S. Senator, working in television production as an Associate Director (I’m still a member of the Directors Guild), working as a bank trust officer, and finally, as a Marriage and Family therapist.

Do you have kids and/or pets?

No kids. But thanks to my husband, I have grandkids. No pets at this time. Had a Jack Russell terrier who died at 16 years old. Planning on getting a Schnoodle soon.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?

I often tried to write a story or novel but I never followed through. Then not too long ago, I realized that the business letter and documents I was writing were good. That gave me the confidence to try writing fiction again.

Where/when do you best like to write?

I write best at my office desk in a loft in my home. There is nothing to distract me there. I accomplish the most when I write in the evening.

Do you have any interesting writing habits or superstitions?

I am a terrible typist. I just hope my fingers will go where I want them to go and not where they want to go.

When you are struggling to write/have writer’s block, what are some ways that help you find your creative muse again?

I just leave my computer and think about my story a lot. A whole lot. And sooner or later, ideas come to me and I am ready to resume writing.

What do you think makes a good story?

Character development and a sense of humor.

What inspired your story?

The popularity of what I consider boring and redundant (almost all men) superheroes and their fights. I felt there should be a superhero who fights for the environment – for our planet.

How does a new story idea come to you?

I read a lot of current publications – newspapers and magazines – so trends eventually coalesce in my brain and ideas pop out from there.

Is there a message/theme you want readers to grasp?

If we get in touch with the natural world, we will all hear its message, “Save me before it is too late and I am gone!”

What was the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That once I get going, writing is fun.

On A Friday night, what are you most likely to be doing?

Watching “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

What do you do when you are not writing?

The usual. Eating, sleeping, exercising, errands, grocery shopping, going out to dinner, etc.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Hilary Mantel. Alexander McCall Smith

Do you have a bucket list? What are some of the things on it?

Travel more. Make more friends. Be kind to everyone.

What person(s) has/have helped you most in your career?

Leslie Landis

My husband, Martin. He has always believed in me and encouraged me in whatever endeavor I want to pursue.

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

Don’t give up.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Moby Dick

What is the one book no writer should be without?

The one they love and inspires them.

How do you’re your spouse and other friends/family feel about your writing career?

Everyone is very supportive and encouraging.

If your book was turned into a movie, who would want to play the main characters?

An interesting question. I’m not sure but I would want a younger, taller version of Scarlett Johansson and a younger, Chinese version of Edward Norton. They both seem smart to me.

I do see this as a movie like Avatar which was both live-action and animation.

Connect with Leslie Landis on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chendellrevolution/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chendellrevolution/

Where can you purchase Chendell?

Here is the link for Amazon.

Here is the link for Barnes and Noble.