The Global Appeal of Hip Hop--Guest Post

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BOOK SUMMARY: A 17-year-old intern must choose between trusting an irresistibly suave dance instructor—or her instincts. SINS07 is a series featuring lighthearted tales that explore each of the seven sins in order, beginning with lust.


My most recent publication is a YA novel titled, 1: The Intern, part of a SINS07 "seven deadly sins" series. My original vision for the series was for it to contain a global appeal, without going overboard on the subcultures/cultures presented (such that it would alienate general readers who might not be very familiar with the subject matter).


"Hip hop" seemed to be a natural choice, for the first story which focuses on the theme of lust. In the book, it's the dance instructor's favorite type of dance, as it "moves [his] soul the most.”


Hip Hop's influence is amazing -- while it originated in the 1970s in the inner city African American, Jamaican and Latino American community of NYC, the artistic sub-culture has since exploded worldwide. Its influence can be seen in the progressive Korean pop (also known as K-Pop) music scene, the fierce French hip hop/rap scene, and breakdancing competitions which take place from California, to European capitals such as Ljubljana, Slovenia, and all the way across Asia.


Millions of hip hop/rap albums are sold in foreign countries. In countries where English isn't the native language, people still listen to these songs and manage to memorize the lyrics, even if they cannot translate what it is they are actually saying.


Dance and music are forces that break down the social, political, and racial barriers that separate humanity. It's not just a matter of appreciating and/or enjoying different types of dance and music -- it's about celebrating unique cultures through diversity. And once a person begins to recognize similarities between different cultures, the "differences" might just, at the same time, start to become less significant.


As the protagonist in 1: The Intern says in Chapter 13, I've learned that hip hop is "more than being dressed in baggy outfits with chunky accessories, white Adidas sneakers, and baseball caps." What started out as a past time (surfing around on YouTube looking at dance videos), turned into something so much more.


It is therefore my hope, aim, and intention, to incorporate this element of "unity in diversity," via the SINS07 series. And I have Hip Hop to thank, for this vision.

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Author Bio:

Jess’s literary work has appeared in a diverse range of publications, such as Word Riot, ITCH Magazine, and The Battered Suitcase. She was a research assistant for the 2010 Jossey-Bass/Wiley publication,My Lie. She is currently working on the SINS07 series, as well as an urban fantasy project featuring cyberpunk elves. Her novella, The Devilin Fey, hit #1 in Amazon’s “Hot New Releases in Bargain Books” in July 2010.

Website: www.jesscscott.com
SINS07 Website: www.sins07.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jesscscott
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jesscscott

INTERESTING RESEARCH

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INTERESTING RESEARCH by Soren Paul Petrek


I learned more about a subject area that has fascinated me for years when I did my research for my novel, Cold Lonely Courage.  While I had a decent working knowledge of the French Resistance in World War Two, I had no idea the vital importance women played.

      I was shocked to learn that prior to the war; women did not have the right to vote in France.  Due to the incredible acts of heroism, both through direct combat and behind the scenes there was little or no resistance to women’s suffrage following the war.

      Most of the Resistance groups functioned as smaller independent units in an effort to avoid the capture of one leading to the destruction of many.  Several of the more important units were headed by women.  Their duties included acts of sabotage, assassination, the movement of weapons, intelligence the list goes on and on.
      Initially I purchased several books on the topic of women in the Resistance.  I carried that forth into direct internet research and discovered more and more depictions of true life stories, incredible things that both women in the French Resistance and their female counterparts in the British Special Operations Executive did.  I discovered triumphs and tragedy, husbands and wives torn apart by war, true stories of torture, internment and death.

      One particularly terrifying discovery was the destruction of the small town of Oradour sur Glane by the German SS just days after the Normandy invasion.  The entire town, save for a couple incredibly fortunate villagers were killed.  Machine gunned and burned alive, perhaps thought to be hiding pockets of resistance or captured Nazi gold.  No one knows for sure.  The slaughter was so brutal that the town has been left in its burned and decimated state as a perpetual memorial to the hundreds of men, women and children killed there.

      Yet there are stories of victory in all that destruction.  In one true story, two French school girls and a British agent replaced the axel grease in the undercarriages of hundreds of German rail cars, loaded with tanks on their way to Normandy.  The grease was removed and replaced with a paste that became as hard as concrete and kept the badly needed armor from being transported to the front.

      The research was fascinating and will always be a favored part of my writing experience.


Bio: 
      Soren Petrek is a practicing trial attorney with a passion for studying World War Two. He  lived in France and England for years, listening to people's  stories of personal sacrifice and struggle during the darkest years of the war. Cold Lonely Courage was inspired by the true story of a young Belgian woman who helped countless Jewish children escape from the terrors of the Nazi regime.  Soren lives with his wife, Renee and sons, Max and Riley in central Minnesota.

What would you do if you realized you had just married a serial killer?

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What would you do if you realized you had just married a serial killer? Margot Montgomery faces this dilemma in Mask of the Betrayer, book one in the sequel series.

When the whispers in the night, the whispers of her lover, are the whispers of a killer, will Margot escape before she becomes the next victim?

Deep in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon, a serial killer stalks. He leaves his signature—a skull mask on the corpse. But when the homicide cop realizes the crimes are the reenactment of a case never solved ten years ago--all fingers point to Michael DeVeccio. And when Margot realizes she is married to the killer, her life becomes a living nightmare.

MASK OF THE BETRAYER opens with MICHAEL DEVECCIO (The Hunter) killing his uncle when he learns he is guilty of committing the ultimate crime. As sole beneficiary to the billion dollar empire, Michael fancies himself king of the world. Determined the dynasty will thrive for generations, he sets out to find the perfect woman to produce the heir to his kingdom. Fiercely determined to rule the world with absolute power, he will demolish anyone who gets in his way, beginning with his fiance. And when Michael meets his dream woman, he decides she is the perfect woman worthy enough to produce his heir.

Chicago art curator MARGOT MONTGOMERY is a business savvy woman with strawberry-blonde hair, bewitching green eyes and high moral standards. She has no time for a serious relationship. But when she meets Michael DeVeccio, 180 pounds of raw, sexual energy, brilliant blue eyes that could melt an iceberg and the face of a fallen angel, she becomes totally enraptured and totally his. But when she learns Michael is the prime suspect in his fiancé’s murder, a woman she knew nothing about, she fears she is his alibi. And when she learns Michael was also the prime suspect in his uncle’s death ten years ago, her trust in Michael wavers. Throwing herself into her upcoming exhibit, she ignores Michael’s attempts to win back her trust. But when police find nothing incriminating, Margot tosses caution to the wind and accepts his marriage proposal. But when his ex-wife is murdered at a masquerade, Margot is inclined to believe the hot looking detective with the “Don’t mess with me attitude.”

ENTER DETECTIVE DIEGO SANTIAGO 

Part Spanish and part Navajo Indian, Santiago has long mahogany hair that he wears in a ponytail, brooding brown eyes that sear straight to the soul, and a sixth sense that makes him see things other cops miss. With the slick moves of a night predator, he vows to prove DeVeccio is the killer. Frustrated that Margot married Michael, he tells himself his concern for her safety isn’t personal, but when he admits his attraction, he berates himself and draws a hard line between duty and desire.

While in Tuscany on their honeymoon, Michael’s home until the age of twelve when his parents’ car went off a cliff, he shares bitter-sweet memories with his bride. Margot discovers inner demons haunt her new husband.

Back from their honeymoon, Margot’s happiness is short-lived when her husband demands she produce a son immediately or face the consequences. Shocked at his chauvinistic attitude, she is enraged and wants out of the marriage. Obsessed with his new bride, Michael refuses to grant her a divorce and places threats on her and family members unless she does as she is told.

Meanwhile, Michael methodically plans further executions of those who have betrayed him. When more bodies are discovered, corpses shrouded with the death mask, Margot is convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt she is married to the serial killer and turns to Santiago. And while working in close contact to trap a killer, Margot and Santiago fall in love and realize they are soulmates, destined to meet. Michael gives her an ultimatum -- produce his son in one month or die.

Will Margot meet her bizarre deadline? Will Santiago prove that Michael DeVeccio is the demented psychopath stalking the foothills of Red Rock Canyon? And most of all, will Santiago rescue his sweet Margarita from the manipulative hands of a madman?
I hope you have enjoyed this little teaser of Mask of the Betrayer. I truly enjoyed writing it and am hard at work on the sequel. Thanks for reading, and I’d love to hear your comments!

Author Bio:


Sharon Donovan lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her family. Prior to the loss of her vision, she was a legal secretary for the Court of Common Pleas where she prepared cases for judges in Domestic Relations. Painting was her passion. When she could no longer paint, she began attending creative writing classes and memoir workshops. After a long and winding road, a new dream arose. Today, instead of painting her pictures on canvas, Sharon paints her pictures with words.


Sharon writes stories of inspiration and suspense. She has certificates in business and medical transcription. She is a published author with The Wild Rose Press, White Rose Publishing, Whimsical Publications and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Echo of a Raven received a CTRR award for outstanding writing, and The Claddagh Ring is a 2009 CAPA nominee. To read excerpts and reviews of Sharon’s books and to sign up for her newsletter, visit her website:


www.sharonadonovan.com

“Action Based Research”

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“Action Based Research” by Maya Jax

I’m a big fan of hands-on research, getting into the action and gaining knowledge from the experience -- not that everything I set out to do is initially research.  I was once at a friend’s cabin and we were out by the lake after dark.  It was cloudy, so there was no moonlight or any way to see the person sitting across the table.  I had previously ingested a glass of wine, which usually numbs my mouth, but I could sense that something wasn’t right with my face, like it was heavy or lopsided.  It was really cold, numbing my hands as well, so I couldn’t feel my face when I touched it with my fingers.  Feeling more and more disproportionate, I asked the people around me if they could see anything wrong.  The response was, “It’s too dark -- we can’t see anything”.  About ten minutes later, one of my friend’s sparked up his lighter for a cigarette and the looks of horror around the table as they gazed at me in the light of that tiny flame confirmed that my paranoia was legit.  My lip had been stung by a wasp and my face had exploded in an allergic reaction. 

This is an incident that made it into Lelaina’s (the main character of Escapades) life as well.  We were both gawked at by teenagers in emergency and had Angelina Jolie-style lips after twenty-four hours of antihistamines.  And that is how I did my research – I wrote down all of my little ‘situations’ and picked the ones most likely to happen to a girl like Lelaina.  Then I wrote down all the different rejections I’d received at screenplay pitch sessions in LA and started framing Lelaina’s life from there.  Not all of Lelaina’s misadventures are mine, like I’ve never dressed as Catwoman, or any other superhero, to get the attention of an agent, but my research was more of an action based, trial-by-error exercise before writing. 

Knowing your subject from first-hand experience makes it so much easier to bring it to life on paper, so travel to the destination, go on a ride along, or spend the night in an emergency room.  Sometimes the best way to find information is to get your hands dirty.  And while it may not always turn out in your favor, it makes great material when you sit back down at your desk!

Bio:

Loving spy and mystery novels, Maya Jax entertained the idea of being a secret agent and started working at an embassy overseas while doing her master’s in international relations.  During this time, she finished her first screenplay, an action/thriller about spies and nuclear weapons.  She pitched it to a friend in Hollywood, who told her she had talent, but to never - ever - show anyone the script again.  Realizing her love for writing was stronger than her desire to spy and fight crime, she attempted a second screenplay focusing on what she knew best -- trying to make it as a writer.  The screenplay turned into a manuscript and the result was chick lit novel Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me.

Website: www.mayajax.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MayaJax

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mayajax