Authorpreneur Dashboard – Kathy DiSanto
Amanda's Eyes
Science Fiction & Fantasy
The year is 2075. Reporter A.J. Gregson has been hounding a group of assassins known as the Ferrymen for more than a year, when she's caught in an explosion that damages her eyes beyond repair. The transplant of a new pair seems to go off without a hitch, but her eyes now possess the power to see what other eyes can't. And if you think what you see is what you get ... better think again.
Book Bubbles from Amanda's Eyes
Writing Sidekicks
I love a good sidekick, be he/she animal or human. Sidekicks help me flesh out my main characters via interaction with their pets, pals, and/or assistants. Sidekicks are fun, because I can exaggerate them in a way I can't exaggerate my protagonists. In AMANDA'S EYES, I gave A.J. Gregson two sidekicks–Cosmo, a.k.a., Biker Dog, and Hank Ellison, a redheaded, freckle-faced, small-town reporter who finds himself caught in the cross-hairs when A.J. goes after the death-dealing Ferrymen. In this scene, A.J. has just "called out" the assassins via global broadcast–from Hank's studio–and he's, shall we say, a bit concerned.
Her Gift Gives Visionary a Whole New Meaning
When I first got the idea for AMANDA'S EYES, I knew without doubt the lucky winner of the I've-got-second-sight sweepstakes would be an experienced crime reporter. A.J. Gregson has that healthy streak of the skepticism every good reporter needs. Sure she trusts her gut, but she doesn't consider good instincts a sixth sense. She's not in any way, shape, or form, a proponent of woo-woo. Ergo, discovering her new talent neatly flips her world upside down. In this excerpt, A.J. experiences her first vision. I wonder what you or I would do, if we were abruptly given the ability to peek into other dimensions. Would we embrace that gift or struggle to rationalize it away? Would we share what we've seen or creep safely under the radar? And if we had to share in order to save someone's life, how on earth would we convince others to listen?
When It All Goes Wrong
My protagonist, crime reporter A.J. Gregson, stands for the victim and fights, in her unique way, for justice. She's intelligent and intuitive, passionate in her pursuit of the truth, as tenacious as a pit bull when she follows a lead. Unfortunately, even virtues have their price, and catastrophe strikes, no matter how smart or careful you've been.
Why not me?
You've heard people say it: "I never thought this would happen to me." But, you know, stuff happens. It hits the fan or rolls downhill or maybe we just step in it. We know this, right? Ergo, we shouldn't be surprised if we find ourselves up Stuff's Creek without a paddle. But we are surprised. We're always surprised. Why? Where does it come from, that deep, secret conviction that The Very Bad Thing doesn't happen to people like me? Seriously .... Why NOT me?
Hot Tip or Hot Trap?
A.J. Gregson has a hot lead on the Ferrymen, a group of assassins so terrifyingly adept at their trade, the phrase "caught the Ferry" is beginning to replace "bought the farm" in common usage. In the best of all possible worlds, A.J. could lone ranger her lead, but the real-world feds might go all obstruction of justice on her butt and drop her in a cell. So she shares, finagling a ride-along as condition one. In this excerpt, she fidgets in the alley where she was ordered to wait, as two federal agents examine a suspicious van. At the precise moment the risk to life and limb seems to have passed, disaster strikes, and the ripples unleashed change the course of her life. Forever.
The Monster Behind the Mask
The beloved host of a British children's program is unmasked as a pedophile. The too-good-to-be true investor turns out to be a con man. In this excerpt, crime reporter A.J. Gregson's recently discovered second sight delivers a shocker even she has trouble believing, when it reveals the monster behind the Santa Claus mask.
The Butcher's Bill
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing," wrote Edmund Burke. Crime reporter A.J. Gregson is determined to do her part to bring down the ruthless band of assassins known as the Ferrymen. In this excerpt from AMANDA'S EYES, she faces the possible cost of doing the right thing. She might pay with her life. Maybe the lives of her family. Will she continue the fight, knowing the Butcher's Bill could well come due? Despite the terrible price she may have to pay? Read on to find out!
Let's Make a Deal
A.J. Gregson is a crime reporter, a woman who fights for justice using instinct, guts, doggedness, and street smarts to unearth and expose evil. Both skeptic and closet idealist, she's a firm subscriber to Burke's assertion that, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." She's determined to do whatever it takes, up to and including risking her life, to do her part. But because we live in an imperfect world, A.J. is often faced with the struggle to find the balance between absolute justice and the compromises sometimes necessary to achieve the greatest good. In this excerpt, she tries to come to terms with one of those compromises, one she finds particularly indigestible. What's your opinion about prosecutorial immunity and/or plea deals? Does trading up make ethical and/or common sense? I would love to hear your answer, either here on Bublish or at http://bit.ly/YbtTvO!
The Eyes Have It
The good news is, A.J. knows the truth about Malcolm Conover. The bad news? Conver just found out how she saw through him.
The Road We Choose
"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood/And sorry I could not travel both/And be one traveler, long I stood/And looked down one as far as I could." So wrote Robert Frost. We all have to pick a road, never knowing what waits around the first curve. If we could see ahead, would we make the same choice? In AMANDA'S EYES, I wanted A.J. to run into a few hard lefts in her own road that would lead her to reexamine her life choices. Choices that may cost her more than she ever imagined. Have you ever been forced to look back and wonder?
Think what you see is what you get?
Better think again. Crime can't hide from THESE baby blues!
A.J.'s not-so-magnificent obsession
Waking up is the pits when you come to in a hospital with a broken arm, a colorful assortment of abrasions and contusions, and a face swathed in bandages. It’s even worse if you can’t remember what hit you.
In the Beginning
Waking up is the pits when you come to in a hospital with a broken arm, an assortment of abrasions and contusions, and a face swathed in bandages. It’s even worse if you can’t remember what hit you.
Why Live?
Science Fiction & Fantasy
For more than 400 years, the star cruiser Janus has been a virtual Utopia. Life goes on ... and on and on ... for the five hundred souls who fled Earth when the Global Assembly refused to legalize human cloning as a means to achieving immortality. What happens when a handful of human clones rebel against the system? Life aboard ship becomes an interstellar witch hunt not one of them may survive.
Book Bubbles from Why Live?
Utopia Unmasked
For more than 400 years, the Quingenti - 500 souls who fled earth when the Global Assembly refused to legalize human cloning as a means to achieve immortality - have lived in a virtual Utopia. But a quiet rebellion has begun. Now a handful of clones are asking if they are, indeed, the men and women they were engineered to be. As the newly awakened few grapple with the rapidly increasing desire to live life on their own terms, the far more numerous party faithful struggle to hold the status quo. In this excerpt, Utopia is publicly unmasked. We're all equipped with an atavistic alarm system. But what happens when we fail to listen?
Warning: Slippery Slope Ahead
The Salem Witch Trials. Prohibition. McCarthyism. History is littered with repression that sprouted from outwardly noble, idealistic roots. All of the above seemed like good ideas at the time. Unfortunately, ideas that appear to be nobly rooted can prove to be ice-slippery slopes, especially when said ideas aim to judge and/or control parts, or all, of our lives. In WHY LIVE? the pseudo-utopia aboard the star ship Janus has already been unmasked as rotten at the core. In this excerpt, the inevitable downhill slide to disaster continues as members of that society lay forcible hands on one another for the first time in over 400 years.
The Tipping Point
Epiphanies aren't always what they're cracked up to be. Rather than make life easier, some startling insights force you to reexamine yourself and the world you live in. And once that process begins, change is more than inevitable; it's already begun. In Why Live? third-generation clone, Kai-Lee fox, finds herself in the uncomfortable position of reexamining everything she's believed to be true about her world, her life, her self. Sticking with the status quo would keep her safe. Changing the way she lives, on the other hand, could mean losing her life, just as she's on the verge of really living it. Rather than return her to the fold, weeks of research and internal wrestling push her to the tipping point. In this excerpt, she chooses: To be, or not to be, the woman she was engineered to be?
What Is Life?
As an introvert, I'm prone to rumination, pondering, questioning, and generally driving myself crazy with impossible-to-answer questions, most of which start with the word "why." Which is how I first got the idea for ... ahem ... Why Live? As I began writing, I got tangled up in a veritable skein of questions. What is history? Is every human being really unique? Are we like snowflakes? And what is human life, anyway? The presence of a heartbeat? The ability to think and/or go through the motions? Ask a doctor, you get one answer. Ask a philosopher, you get another. Ask me, you get a dsytopian sci-fi novel. I hope you enjoy this excerpted exploration of possible answers. Of course, Why Live? isn't just for sci-fi fans or overly pensive introverts. It's also for readers who like an entertaining thriller.
You Are You
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” ~Dr. Suess How important is each individual life? That's one of the themes I wanted to explore in Why Live? Very few of us are movers and shakers. Very few of us would claim we've single-handedly affected the course of mankind. And yet ... every one of us has done exactly that. Without your unique thread, slender though it may be, the entire tapestry of history ... of mankind itself ... would be altered. Have you ever wondered about the lives that would be forever changed, if you hadn't traveled through them? "No man is an island," wrote Donne. But how often do we think about what that means in terms of our own actions, our own lives?
A Matter of Choice?
Choice isn't exclusive to democratic societies. Each day, each one of us makes uncounted personal choices - about relationships, self-image, the direction of our lives, at least as far as that lies within our control. In Why Live? I explore a society that reduces choice to the most basic and frivolous. Should I cut my hair? Red tunic or blue jeans? I wondered, as I was writing, what would happen if a group of individuals became determined to reclaim the most important choices. How would that society - a society grimly dedicated to preservation of the clone parent - react? And how far would those newly awakened people go to preserve their rights to exist as unique individuals? In this excerpt, Dr. Ke-Ling Yan, the colony's lead geneticist, chooses an unexpected and irreversible strategy to insure his will be one irreplaceable life.
The $64,000-dollar question
You call this living? What would a clone say?
Armed and Dangerous
Almost home free, and this had to happen.
Never put it in writing
Keeping a journal seemed like a good idea at the time. Of course, your secret is only as good as your password ....
Ignorance is bliss. Yes? No?
Is happiness the highest good? Even if that happiness is rooted in a lie?
It Only Takes One
To be, or not to be, the woman you were engineered to be? That's the question third-generation clone Kai-Lee Fox can't help asking. And it's all Ella Fitzgerald's fault.
Blame the rebellion on Ella Fitzgerald
Who knew six lousy words could trigger a rebellion? Especially words as apparently harmless as, "There was only one Ella Fitzgerald." But the words no sooner leave Kai's mouth when the light goes on and the trouble begins.
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
"Man plans, God laughs," says the old proverb. Sometimes the best-laid plans of mice and men go astray even before they're conceived!
Hunter's Shadow
Romance
Candy Johnson was born to be a PI–sharp, shrewd, and gutsy. Unfortunately, fate didn't get the memo. Temporarily trapped in a small-town gym teacher's life, Candy is marking time until she can make her big career change, when the mystery that's George Price drops right into her lap. Sure he's got a face and body to die for. He's also got the personality of a three-pound dumbbell and doesn't know his volleyballs from a hole in the ground. If Price is who he claims to be, Candy's Mother Theresa. When she decides to investigate Donnerton High's newest and most aggravating faculty member, she runs across some very interesting quirks in Pinhead Price's personality–flashes of tall, dark, and dangerous she finds almost impossible to resist. Before long and against all good judgment, she starts to fall, and fall hard, for a man who bears all the earmarks of a wolf in nerd's clothing. But what will she do when she discovers the shocking truth about George?
Book Bubbles from Hunter's Shadow
Here, kitty
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: animal sidekicks are a kick to write. In Hunter's Shadow, said sidekick is an opinionated cat named Columbo, after the detective of Peter Faulk fame. Like all good sidekicks, Columbo serves as both partner and foil, popping up at key moments to either move the plot along or send it haring off in a new direction.
Never Smile at a Biker Named Bear
Have you ever gone out to dinner and found yourself gazing absently around the restaurant at your fellow diners? I have. And at least three times out of ten, While I'm inadvertently staring at an interesting face, cataloging features for use in a future book, I get caught giving some innocent bystander the creepy stalker eye. Talk about embarrassing! In this scene from HUNTER'S SHADOW, Candy Johnson is absentmindedly scanning the biker bar Hog Heaven, when her preoccupied smile gets her–and everyone else in the place–into all kinds of dutch.
A Death-defying Leap to Conclusions
I'm the Queen of Jumping to Conclusions, Empress of Never Guessed Right. Oh, the anxiety attacks I've endured, simply because I mentally leaped before I looked. In this scene from HUNTER'S SHADOW, small-town gym teacher and erstwhile PI Candy Johnson takes a massively mistaken leap of her own. Assuming her beloved has gone cowboy and determined to save him from himself, she gallops off to form a posse. But what a posse! I hope you enjoy this excerpt from Book 2 of the sweet Golden State Hearts romance trilogy!
Zoning Out
I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to zone out. Frequently. Guess that comes from living in my head so much, an occupational hazard for an author. Once in a while, I find myself absently staring at a face, wondering what kind of character I can create with it. It's super embarrassing when I get caught. In this excerpt from HUNTER'S SHADOW, Candy gets caught in a big way when she zones out and absently smiles toward a biker named Bear. I hope you have as much fun reading about the consequences as I did writing them! Be sure to look for HUNTER'S SHADOW, Book 2 in the Golden States Heart Trilogy. Release date: December 23!
The Mouths of Babes
As the mother of two very imaginative sons, I've had my share of "out of the mouths" moments. At age five, for example, my oldest informed his dapper, appearance-conscious Italian grandfather that he was, "Fat, just like Santa Claus." Or the incident following my hysterectomy, where one of my guys (can't quite remember the culprit) told his whole 2nd grade class (in my presence mind you), "My mommy has been splayed." In this scene from HUNTER'S SHADOW, Candy Johnson has her own "out of the mouths" encounter in Charlie Cheddar's Pizza Parlor. Enjoy the fun, and watch for the book's release on December 23!
And Then He Kissed Me
I remember my first kiss–okay, not exactly like it was yesterday–but well enough. His name was Paul. He was sweet and shy, with blond hair and blue eyes, and I thought he was the most beautiful male I'd ever seen. We'd been going together for about a month. We were eight. The kiss was sweet and chaste, and I couldn't wait to do it again. Candy Johnson, heroine of my upcoming release HUNTER'S SHADOW, isn't even near the same boat. As a matter of fact, she's deep in DISlike with George Price. He's a wise guy, total nerd, and she strongly suspects he's not the harmless high school gym teacher he claims to be. Ergo, their first kiss–an anything-BUT-chaste liplock– catches her totally by surprise. As does her own reaction to same. Enjoy the fireworks!
Small Town Grapevine
I grew up in a small town of a handful more than 600 people. So trust me when I say CNN at its best can't flash news (or rumors) as fast as a small-town grapevine. Lord, it was aggravating–especially when my parents heard about my ... ahem ... let's call 'em peccadilloes ... before I even got home. In this scene, Candy Johnson, heroine of my upcoming release HUNTER'S SHADOW, overhears the latest while grocery shopping. Much to her eventual dismay. I hope you'll enjoy this sample of this sweet romantic comedy, due to be released in the next few weeks!
What You See
In FOR LOVE OR MONEY, the first book of the Golden State Hearts trilogy, I introduced the character of Candy Johnson. HUNTER'S SHADOW, book 2 in the trilogy, is her story. I loved creating this character, because I could, in part, identify with her. When I decided to become a writer, my family was bemused. They thought the idea was, you know, cute. So I know what it's like to have a dream, to feel like you're in the wrong place and try to shift yourself into the right one, even if the people close to you don't understand. In HUNTER'S SHADOW, neither hero or heroine is exactly who he/she appears to be, exactly what he/she wants to be. I hope you enjoy this rough-cut bubble from the book's first scene.
For Love or Money
Romance
“Whoever said a kiss is just a kiss never locked lips with Brent Maddox.” Small-town practical to the soles of her size fives, high school English teacher Jen Casey has one weakness—she’s never been able to resist a dare. Ergo, when her BFF Candy Johnson throws down the triple-dog dare gauntlet, Jen has no choice but to accept the challenge. She e-mails former-classmate-turned-millionaire Brent Maddox, offering advice for the lovelorn. But, really. Is it her fault Celebrity Magazine published the e-mail instead of forwarding it? See, that’s the problem with dares in Jen’s experience—they almost always have dire consequences. Like Brent Maddox showing up on her doorstep—tall and golden and sexy as sin—determined to get payback. Like finding herself a reluctant guest at his sprawling Malibu hacienda, sentenced to a week of the same high life she blames for his romantic snafus. Of course sparks start to fly. She’s only human, and Brent is an unexpectedly endearing hunk and a half. Unfortunately, Jen isn’t built for quick and steamy affairs. She’s been dreaming of that love of a lifetime man, and now she’s falling fast. She can run before it’s too late, or stay and take the biggest gamble of her life. Brent promises nights filled with passion, but will he ever offer his heart?
Book Bubbles from For Love or Money
Never Judge a Book
I am, by in large, easy going. Fun loving, patient, and slow to anger. I do, however, have a switch. And while it takes a lot to throw it, once that switch clicks over, smart folks clear the decks. In some ways, Jennifer Casey–heroine of FOR LOVE OR MONEY–is a lot like me. She's from a small town, she feels totally out of place surrounded by luxury, and she's nice. By in large. In this scene, Jen meets one of Brent's former lovers, a female barracuda who makes the near-fatal mistake of judging this book by her cover. Enjoy the fireworks!
When It Rains, It Pours
Did you ever have one of those days when nothing, absolutely nothing, goes right? One of those days when you can only thank God you don't work with explosives? I wonder how you handle them. Personally, I opt for large quantities of chocolate and a generous glass of Barefoot Sweet Red Blend. In this scene from my sweet romantic comedy, FOR LOVE OR MONEY, Jen Casey discovers the e-mail she wrote on a tripe-dog dare from her BFF Candy Johnson didn't go directly to its intended recipient. She finds out she's famous now, and not in a good way. Worse yet, more trouble is on the way. Six feet three inches of gorgeous blond trouble, to be exact. But that's another scene altogether ....
Just Between Friends
As an introvert, I don't make friends easily or often. I do, however, have a terrible trio of BFFs, gal pals I can and will tell almost anything. In FOR LOVE OR MONEY, I had fun exploring the relationship between heroine Jen Casey and her BFF, Candy Johnson. (In case you haven't read earlier book bubbles, Candy is the one who dared Jen to e-mail multimillionaire hunk Brent Maddox with advice for the lovelorn.) In this excerpt, Jen contacts Candy from Brent's Malibu hacienda, which is where she wound up after accepting HIS dare to stay with him for a week. See, she thinks his lifestyle is superficial, and he's determined to prove it's not. By the way, Candy Johnson is the heroine of the sequel to FOR LOVE OR MONEY, HUNTER'S SHADOW.
Big Oops!
Jennifer Casey, the heroine of my romantic comedy FOR LOVE OR MONEY, reminds me of myself in far too many ways. Like Jen, I'm prone to leaping before I look, a habit that's gotten me into no end of trouble. In this excerpt, Jen has to face the consequences of rashly accepting her BFF's triple-dog dare to e-mail millionaire hunk-throb Brent Maddox with advice to the lovelorn. Don't look now, but this small-town high school teacher's life is about to become unbelievably complicated! If you enjoy this excerpt, click "Follow" to get future book bubbles by e-mail!
Naughty Meets Nice
I loved writing my heroine, Jen Casey. She's such a bundle of quirks and contradictions! Small-town to the soles of her size fives, slightly reverse-snobbish, as sophisticated as Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm; but she can't resist a dare and has more than her fair share of spunk. In this excerpt, Jen meets one of Brent's former lovers, the outrageously sexy (and completely mercenary) Vanessa. Will the high school English teacher from Nowheresville back down in the face of her well-endowed rival? Enjoy this excerpt from FOR LOVE OR MONEY (launching April 1) and be sure to click "Follow" so you don't miss future excerpts!
Secondary Characters (Part Deux)
I lived in (and loved) Texas for many years. That being the case, I pretty much had to make one of my secondary characters a Texican. Secondary characters are fun to write, because you can take them right over the top. Then again, it's next to impossible to take a Texan over the top; Texans are over the top by definition. In this excerpt, Brent hopes to talk United Charities CEO Bill Williamson into bringing Brent's personal baby, Give and Let Live, under the United umbrella. I hope you enjoy Bill and his assistant, Clancy! BTW, if you like this bubble, click "Follow." Get future bubbles automatically by e-mail. That way, you won't miss a thing! Until next time ....
My Favorite Characters
I love writing secondary characters! You can have fun with secondary characters, take them right over the top if you want to. In FOR LOVE OR MONEY, I have a trio of secondaries you'll just love. In this excerpt, you meet Brent's housekeeper, Althea Crampton, a.k.a. Crampton Bligh. She's part Valkyrie, part lady wrestler, and all business. Bosses EVERYBODY around. I hope you enjoy reading her, as much as I enjoyed writing her! Be sure to click "follow" on the bubble, so you can get upcoming peeks at this romantic comedy I'll launch on April 1!
It Started with a Dare
I was in my early forties when I decided to write my first book some 18 years ago. To my unending delight, Bantam bought that book and its sequel for its Loveswept series romance line. I learned a great deal from my experience with Bantam—thanks in particular to my editors Joy Abella and Beth De Guzman—and owe them more than I can say. Now let’s fast-forward a decade or two. Those two books—which remain dear to my heart—are, sadly, out of print. They were never available as e-books. To boot, these engaging stories, once critically acclaimed—FOR LOVE OR MONEY won a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award—are now hideously dated. (I mean, who knew back in 1997 we’d all carry around cell phones one fine day?) Finally, in the past eighteen years I’ve matured as a writer, giving new meaning to the ever-wistful refrain, “If I had it to do all over again ....” Bottom line, the decision to “remix” the two existing books as semi-sweet romances—and add a third to the series—was a no-brainer. FOR LOVE OR MONEY, Book 1 in the Golden State Hearts Trilogy, will hit the shelves on April 1. Until then, here's a bubble from page one. See, it all began with a triple-dog dare.
