I am so excited to have Kurt Kamm here at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight and Giveaway.
Thanks Kurt and Goddess Fish Promotions for allowing me to join The Lizard's Tale Blog Tour!
Please take it away, Kurt!
SOME ADVICE TO WOULD-BE NOVELISTS
First, I let me tell you about the life of a bicycle racer, and stay with me, this is about writing a novel. Bicycle racing is a tough sport. There is no shortcut to training. You have to spend hours on the bike, and you have to train every day. Much of the time, you may be riding alone, and there are days when you feel terrible and just want to head home. Unless you love what you are doing, it gets old fast, and you will never be a successful bicycle racer.
I raced in the Master's category, and our races started at 7:00 in the morning. That meant getting up around 4:00 a.m., driving two hours, signing in, and then warming up in near darkness. When we raced, no one watched. It was too early, and no one cared. When we took our places at the starting line, the referee repeated the usual rules and then asked, "Any questions?" Someone always said, "Why are we doing this?" Why indeed.
I won my share of races. Often the only people who saw me come first across the finish line were other cyclists getting ready for their own races. There were no big crowds waiting to congratulate me; no one was there to acknowledge all the hours of hard work I had put in to win that race. Nonetheless, I was thrilled, I was ecstatic. I had the incredible personal satisfaction of having done whatever it took to win a tough bike race.
Writing is similar to bicycle racing. It doesn't go well if you do it sporadically. You have work at it on a regular basis, and spend hours at your computer with only your fictional characters to keep you company. Much of what you will write you will delete, and you will have doubts about what you are doing. There will be day when you consider giving up and walking away. There will be days when you ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?" I am here to tell you that you had better love writing, because the process itself is the greatest reward. You may cross the finish line and no one will be there, so be sure you enjoy the journey. You may complete your novel and the N.Y. Times Book Review may ignore it, but if you enjoyed writing it and think you have done the best you could do, then that in itself is the reward.
So, when you are sitting at your computer trying to get started, take a sip of coffee and repeat three times, "I love writing, I am having fun right now, and that's why I am sitting here." If you mean it, you are on your way.
I hope you enjoy reading The Lizard's Tale.
The Lizard’s Tale
by Kurt Kamm
GENRE: Mystery/Crime Thriller
BLURB
Kurt Kamm has written a novel that's a literary crime novel, with a strong thread of non-fiction running through it. The Lizard's Tale is a tale of crime — with an a wide-ranging cast of characters.
When the DEA goes up against the Sinaloa Cartel, an orphan and an endangered lizard are caught in the conflict. The action moves from Guatemala to Mexico to Catalina Island off the coast of California.
Alejandro, a middle class Guatemalan, wants his share, and makes a deal with the cartel. Now he’s risking his life to deliver the goods.
El Dedo, a brilliant financier, is the Sinaloa Cartel’s banker. He worries about what to do with the billions of dollars collecting dust in his underground vault.
Ryan, a DEA Special Agent, needs to make a high profile case to get a promotion. Is the big yacht headed for California carrying a Mexican drug shipment?
Kate, a wildlife officer on Catalina Island, smells smoke. When she heads out in the middle of the night to investigate a fire, she makes an astonishing discovery.
Jorge, an orphan from the streets of Mexico, is abandoned in the United States. Will he find his way back home and track down his mother’s killer?
Excerpt
Gina wasn’t looking for a husband — she was far too independent to let a man run her life — but she needed male companionship. After coming to Catalina, she spent a lot of time alone until she met Brad, a captain with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. He worked at Station 55, and was big, strong, and good-looking. All her Latin lovers had been dark and she was attracted to his blond hair. She loved running her fingers over the blond carpet that covered his chest. At thirty-six, he was five years younger than she was, and married. Brad was perfect.
Their affair lasted almost two years. She didn't see him every day — in fact, she didn't want to see him every day. His wife and daughter lived in Seal Beach, and once a week he took the ferry to the mainland and spent three days at home. But he didn’t always head home right away, and they often stole a few hours together on one of the remote beaches on the rugged, wind-swept west end of the island. During the off-season, they sometimes managed to spend a night at a local bed and breakfast in Avalon, and occasionally she cooked dinner for him at the ranch house. When nothing else worked, they drove up into the hills and screwed in the back of his SUV. For Gina it was a perfect relationship — she got what she needed without making a major emotional commitment.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1862/
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Malibu, California resident Kurt Kamm has written a series of firefighter mystery novels, which have won several literary awards. His newest novel, The Lizard’s Tale, provides a unique look inside the activities of the Mexican drug cartels and the men dedicated to stopping them.
Kurt has used his contact with CalFire, Los Angeles County and Ventura County Fire Departments, as well as the ATF and DEA to write fact-based (“faction”) novels. He has attended classes at El Camino Fire Academy and trained in wildland firefighting, arson investigation and hazardous materials response. He has also attended the ATF and DEA Citizen’s Academies. After graduating from the DEA Citizen’s Academy in 2014, he began work on The Lizard’s Tale.
Kurt has built an avid fan base among first responders and other readers. A graduate of Brown University and Columbia Law School, Kurt was previously a financial executive and semi-professional bicycle racer. He was also Chairman of the UCLA/Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Foundation for several years.
Visit his author website at www.kurtkamm.com
Kurt Kamm LITERARY AWARDS
TUNNEL VISIONS (MCM Publishing 2014)
2014 USA Best Book Award -Fiction: General – Finalist
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL (MCM Publishing 2013)
Best Novel 2013 – Public Safety Writers Association
Winner of the 2012 Hackney Literary Award for best novel of the year ($5,000 PRIZE)
Reader's Favorite 2013 – Finalist – Urban Fiction
The 2012 Dana Award – Finalist
Eric Hoffer Award - Finalist (2014)
Excerpt published in Birmingham Arts Journal http://www.birminghamartsjournal.com/pdf/baj10-2.pdf
ONE FOOT IN THE BLACK (MCM Publishing 2012)
The 2012 USA Best Book Awards – Fiction: General – Finalist
The 2013 Beverly Hills Book Awards – Fiction: General – Finalist
Excerpt published in Felons, Flames and Ambulance Rides: Stories About America's Public Safety Heroes
CODE BLOOD (MCM Publishing 2011)
Writer’s Type - First Chapter Competition. January 2011- First Place
2012 International Book Awards - Fiction: Cross Genre Category – First Place
National Indie Excellence Book Awards – Faction (fiction based on fact) - Winner of the 2012 Award
The 2012 USA Best Book Awards - Fiction: Horror - Winner
LuckyCinda Publishing Contest 2013 First Place – Thriller
Reader's Favorite 2013– Finalist – Horror Fiction
Knoxville Writer’s Guild - 2011 Novella or Novel Excerpt – 2nd Place
RED FLAG WARNING Aberdeen Bay 2010
The Infinite Writer– Mystery 2010 – First Place
The Written Art Awards - Mystery/Thriller 2010 – First Place
Royal Dragonfly – Mystery Category 2011 – First Place
Buy Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lizards-Tale-Kurt-Kamm/dp/0997441305/ref=sr_1_1
B and N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lizards-tale-kurt-kamm/1123975999
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1862
1 comment:
Great advice and awesome excerpt! Thanks for sharing :)
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