Fiction Workshop: Pace the Music by Tiffany Stockton

Just picture it. You get a fantastic idea in your head, the characters are talking to you, and the story seems to be racing from start to finish. You can’t wait to get it down on paper. So, you do. Then, you get about seven chapters into the story and realize you’re ready to bring everything to a close.

Whoops!

At this point, not only will this be too long for a short story, but if you have too much happening too fast, you’re going to leave your readers in the dust.

So, let’s talk about pacing. If you rush too fast through the scenes in your story, you won’t leave enough time for your readers to enjoy everything you’re giving them. The vivid images you might include will get lost amidst the hustle and bustle of the action.

If the pacing is off, every other aspect of the piece will be affected. Plot, characterization, theme, motivation, conflict, etc. Without the right pacing, nothing else will have the impact it’s intended to have. Your entire story will fall flat.

Pacing is the flow of the scenes along the road of the plot toward the ultimate conclusion. It’s the rhythm and speed of your piece. Do you allow enough of a build-up so that your readers will care about the climax when it occurs? Is there enough of a punch at the climatic point so that the build-up you’ve included makes it worthwhile to the reader? And to quote an author (Brandilyn Collins) whose pacing sets an excellent example, “Don’t forget to breathe.” This means to make sure you allow some “down time” for your readers so the action or plot progression isn’t all at high speed.

 

Now, there’s good news and there’s bad news. We’ll go with the bad news first.

Pacing problems aren’t easy to fix with just a few quick changes. They usually require a complete rewrite and a second draft. They are also based a lot on the writer’s personal impressions. Because of this, there is no bonafide formula to follow.

However, the good news is that these kinds of problems usually solve themselves with practice. So, the more you write, the better at pacing you will get.

For starters, take a look at your piece. One key area that will stick out like a sore thumb and go a long way toward improving your pacing is the structure of your story. Vary your paragraph and sentence lengths. Intersperse short sentences and paragraphs with long ones.

Before long, you’ll have this concept grasped and be able to move to the next one. Above all, don’t give up.

 

Colonial Courtships

(my novella, Trading Hearts) Jonathan Ingersoll is a successful merchant trader along the Great (Connecticut) River. When flooding forces him to take sanctuary in an unfamiliar inn along his route, he meets the innkeeper’s daughter, Clara Marie Preston. Immediately attracted to her shy, yet caring spirit and quiet faith, Jonathan makes a point to return. But animosity from her brother gives him pause. Learning the source of the resentment only spurs Jonathan to try that much harder to prove his worth. Doubts are cast upon his character, and his trade sales begin to decrease. When he tracks down the pirates who attacked Clara’s brother and sees justice served, things take a turn for the better. Finally, he can accept the full blessing for a union of marriage and make plans once more for the future.

 

Stealing Hearts

(book 2 in Brandywine Brides) When Grace Baxton comes face-to-face with the thief who broke into her uncle's home, she isn't prepared for meeting Andrew Bradenton—not a young boy out to cause trouble and no hardened criminal, either. The judge sentences Andrew Bradenton to work for the Baxton family, and being forced to see him almost daily, Grace struggles with forgiveness. Out of guilt, Andrew offers to help Grace search for an heirloom book. When a handsome stranger appears with the book in hand, warming Grace's heart and finding favor with her uncle, Grace is torn over her growing attraction for both men. Andrew tries to prove the stranger is up to no good, but after key documents and money go missing from her uncle's safe, Andrew is seen as the guilty party. Will Grace discover the truth in time?

Amber Stockton is an author & speaker who lives with her husband/ fellow author, Stuart, and their two children in Colorado. She's sold 12 books so far, writes nonfiction articles, and is a columnist for the quarterly ACFW Journal.

 

Did You Know? ~The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935

A monstrous hurricane is pounding the East Coast of the United States even as I type. As those of us who live inland hunker down for the worst (high winds and possible power outages), I’ve been thinking about hurricanes of the past.

The deadliest was the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. This Category Four Hurricane moved through Cuba into the Gulf of Mexico before slamming ashore in Galveston, Texas on September 8, 1900 killing 6,000 people.

The most powerful hurricane to make landfall in the United States was the (September 2) Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. It began as a weak tropical storm east of the Bahamas on August 29. On September 1 it became a hurricane. Although this category five hurricane was small, it tore through the Florida Keys with 180 mph winds.

One survivor, Bernard Russell, was holding his sister's hand as the waves crashed over them. He lost his grip and the wind and water lashed his body for what seemed like an eternity to him. “You went wherever the waves pushed you and wherever the winds pushed you," he said. "It was so dark, you couldn't see what was going on and maybe that was good."

Russell's mother and three sisters perished, but that was just the beginning. There were 61 in the Russell family and 50 of them died that night.

In a tragic attempt to evacuate Works Progress Administration (WPA) construction workers (consisting almost entirely of Bonus Army veterans and their families), a train was dispatched from Miami. The effort was too late. The train was almost entirely swept away before reaching the camps late on September 2. Only the engine survived the winds and wall of water that swept through the area.

The official death toll was 423 - 164 civilians and 259 veterans. After the 1935 storm, Ernest Hemingway wrote, “We located 69 bodies where no one had been able to get in. Indian Key was absolutely swept clean, not a blade of grass. We made five trips with provisions for survivors to different places but nothing but dead men to eat the grub."

There have been only two other category five hurricanes in the 20th Century. Those were Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

You can read more about The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day_Hurricane_of_1935

Historical Romance Book Review: A Promise to Love

About the Book (from Revell)

 "Can a marriage of convenience ever become one of true love?

Ingrid Larsen arrives in Michigan in 1871 with little more than the clothes on her back and a determination to find her brother, who has disappeared into the dangerous lumber camps. Destitute and barely hanging on to hope, the young Swedish immigrant crosses paths with Joshua Hunter, a newly widowed farmer with eyes the color of the ocean she had crossed and five rambunctious children to raise on his own.

Marriage would solve both of their problems, and Ingrid finds herself proposing in broken English to a man she barely knows. Many difficulties lie ahead--but the hardest battle of all will be winning the heart of her new husband."

Amber's Review

 A Promise to Love drives home the point that Miller's books are not only unique compared to other novels in their genres, but also quite different from one another. There are several appearances of characters from The Measure of Katie Calloway in this story - which is a neat treat for fans - along with a "similar" climax in both plots, but the general feel of this story and the characters' issues make the reading experience quite different, indeed.

Ingrid is a woman who may seem easy to cast aside or underestimate with her broken English and her uncertainty regarding "American" ways. But boy, does she quickly throw out any false notions of that kind! She's a strong character who works hard, stands strong against injustice, exercises flexibility in her thinking and actions, and loves fiercely. Pair her with a gentle man who is falsely accused, still in love with the ideal he perceived in his first wife, and desperate for someone who can set his house to order and feed his family - and you've got a situation full of possibilities for misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and...maybe...eventually...growth in character and in heart.

The flow of the story goes along the lines of Love Comes Softly, with a lot of emotional obstacles for all people involved (including the couple, the children, and the former in-laws) to deal with and plenty of farm-life difficulties to challenge the characters. However, the unique characters - especially the heroine - and the added suspense regarding the death of Joshua's first wife (and the powerful climax) help Miller's story stand on its own.

My personal preference as far as setting and plot goes is The Measure of Katie Calloway - I loved the central focus on the logging industry. But A Promise to Love also proved to be a great read, showing that Miller's books continue to shine with wonderful writing and creative characters.

*With thanks to Revell Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

“Available October 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

[This review was originally posted on Seasons of Humility.]

About the Author

"Serena B. Miller is the author of The Measure of Katie Calloway and Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio, as well as numerous articles for periodicals such as Woman's World, Guideposts, Reader's Digest, Focus on the Family, Christian Woman, and more. She lives on a farm in southern Ohio."

You can learn more about Serena at her website.

Winners!!

Happy Saturday, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our "puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter notifications, coming! This week's winner is:

canscrap4u2 - Shadow Eyes by Dusty Crabtree!

Congratulations, canscrap4u2! Please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your email address. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive. Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book!

Weekly Drawing

It's fun Friday at The Borrowed Book!


To enter:

Follow Us! Followers are automatically entered. Or...

Leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.

Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention The Borrowed Book, get another entry. RETWEET our Tweet, get two entries!

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Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FIVE entries.

It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)

This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by Dusty Crabtree and her newest release, Shadow Eyes.

Author Interview ~ Lorraine Beatty

Lorraine Beatty was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, but has been blessed to live in Germany, Connecticut, and Baton Rouge. She now calls Mississippi home. She and husband Joe have two sons and six grandchildren. Lorraine started writing in Junior High and has written for trade books, newspapers and company newsletters. She is a member of RWA, ACFW and is a charter member, and past president of Magnolia State Romance Writers. In her spare time she likes to work in her garden, travel, and spend time with her family.

Hi, Lorraine! Welcome to The Borrowed Book. Tell us a little about yourself. How did your writing journey begin?

I’ve been writing stories since seventh grade. I had a teacher who required us to write a story every Monday. I was in heaven. Later I wrote fan fiction for years before trying a novel. I was one of those writers every hates – I sold the first book I submitted. I wrote for Silhouette Special Edition for a while but circumstances caused me to stop writing for a while. When I started back again I wanted to write Christian stories

Thank goodness for teachers who love to teach! I had a fifth grade teacher who influenced me the same way. So, how long did you write before you sold your first book?

I’d been writing fan fiction just for fun for nearly ten years. It was a good training ground.

Absolutely. I believe nothing I've ever written, published or not, has been wasted. What book(s) are you reading, or have read lately?

I’ve been reading a lot of Love Inspired. I’ve sold two books to them recently and I’m trying to keep current on the kind of plots and characters they want. I’ve also read Sandra Robbins, Angel of the Cove, McCarver and Ashley’s Lily and I’m just starting Elizabeth Ludwig’s, No Safe Harbor.

Thanks for the plug! :-) Which fictional literary character most inspired/inspires you?

Anne of Green Gables. I still admire her spunk, her determination in spite of being different. I wanted to look at life with optimism like she did.

Now that you are published, do you still experience rejections? If so, how are these rejections different or similar to the ones you received before becoming published?

Yes, and I’m sure there will always be books that won’t sell. That still hurts and I spend a little time pouting but the difference is, I’ve learned to focus on the next book and the next idea. It helps to have things constantly in the works.

I agree completely. Now, tell us a little about your latest release:

Beautiful Dreamer is the story of a woman who longs for security and has her life all planned on how to make that happen. Until she agrees to show a visiting movie location scout around St Augustine. He makes her long for things she’d buried, like romance a family and travel.

Sounds like an interesting premise! If you could only share one line from BEAUTIFUL DREAMER, which one would you choose and why?

I’m tired of living my life bound by fear and a need for control. I’m giving it all to you.

I think it’s a reoccurring theme in most of our lives. The hardest thing in the world is to fully relinquish control of our lives over the Lord, but it’s the only way to find peace.

What inspired you to choose the setting for your novel?

Actually a friend who wrote for Heartsong discovered that the editor had honeymooned in St Augustine and really love the city. He thought setting a series there might be a good hook to get the book sold. He was right. LOL

Sounds like you may have stumbled onto something. LOL! What kind of research did you have to do for this book? Can you share some articles or website links you found particularly helpful?

I kept trying to get over to St Augustine to do some onsite research but never made it. I was there once when I was young so I had some recollection of the feel but basically I did all the research through Google street view. It was actually kind of fun. Having been to Florida many times there wasn’t anyone website that stands out as helpful, but I did use YouTube to take tours of the city and that was very helpful to get a feel for things.

Tell us what new projects you’re working on.

I just finished the revisions for Restoring His Heart, book 2 in the Dover, Mississippi series. It will be released next June. Book 1, Rekindled Romance will be out in April. Now I’m writing a novella for a Barbour Christmas collection. The theme is Plantation Christmas Weddings, set in four different Plantations in Natchez, Mississippi. The stories are contemporary romances.

What is the one question you were afraid I would ask…and how would you answer?

Wow. I actually hadn’t thought about that. I supposed asking why my first try at being published didn’t last. There were lots of family issues going on at the time, but probably the biggest culprit was lack of understanding about the reality of being published. I think many writer think that once you’re published it’s a cake walk from there on. All you have to do is write another book. I wasn’t prepared for the need to fit into a format, to write the books a certain way to suit the publishers genre. That’s one of the things I tried to learn well the second time around.

It's been so fun visiting with you, Lorraine. I know our readers are going to want to learn more about you. Where can they connect with you?

http://www.facebook.com/Lorrainebeattyauthor?ref=hl
http://pinterest.com/lcbeatty/
http://lorrainebeatty.blogspot.com/

Did You Know? ~Missing Person Tales

Missing person cases make good storytelling fodder. Here are a few interesting ones I uncovered this week.

1812 – Theodosia Burr Alston (29), daughter of U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr, sailed from Georgetown, South Carolina, aboard the Patriot, which was never seen again. (Story here)

1872 – Captain Benjamin Briggs (37), his wife Sarah Elizabeth (31), daughter Sophia Matilda (2), and all seven crew members were missing when the Mary Celeste was found adrift in choppy seas some 400 miles east of the Azores. (Story here)

1910 – Dorothy Arnold (25), Manhattan socialite and perfume heiress, vanished after buying a book in New York City. She told a friend of her intentions to walk through Central Park but was never seen again. (Story here)

1912 – Bobby Dunbar (4) disappeared during a fishing trip in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana.  Eight months later, a child found in the custody of William Cantwell Walters of Mississippi was ruled to be Bobby Dunbar by a court-appointed arbiter. Walter claimed the boy was given to him by a servant of his parents. No one believed him, and Walters was found guilty of kidnapping.

The child grew up as Bobby Dunbar, had four children of his own, and died in 1966. But in 2004, DNA tests proved that William Walters was telling the truth. The child who was raised as Bobby Dunbar, did not have Dunbar DNA. (Story here)

Gina Conroy's 3 Secrets to Getting Published

You’ve heard it before, there are no overnight successes. Well, there are a couple I know of, but thankfully we’ve remained friends to this day. For the rest of us publication takes three things. Sweat, tears, and perseverance. 

Sweat. It’s what got me from being an unpublished novice writer to a published author. We all start out green, thinking our prose are brilliant until our first critique. Then the scales fall from our eyes, and we see that we have a lot of learning to do. That’s when we roll up our sleeves and learn new terms like head hopping, info dumps, and backstory. All the things our WIP is filled with that we’re not supposed to do. But we’re excited, ready to learn, not afraid of the work before us. We buy a couple of craft books and start to learn the rules.

Rules? Yes, writers need to follow them if they want to be published. It’s the published writers, and those darn overnight successes, that get to break them! ;) Once we start to learn the rules it’s then the real writers are separated from the fantasy writers (and I’m not talking genre.) It’s then we start to sweat. It’s then a writer needs to ask the question, “Am I willing to put in the hard work it’s going to take to become a published author?” It’s a question I had to ask myself for the last seven years after every disappointment and rejection.

Tears. If you want to be a published writer, there will be many. Writers have heard over and over again that writing is not for the faint of heart, that you have to have thick skin, and when you’re knocked down over and over again (and you will be,) you have to get up again and again. And it’s true. I’ve been knocked down so many times I swore I’d never get up. But I always do because I’m that stubborn and determined to keep at it until I succeed. And with my second book coming out soon, some think I have succeeded. Not even close. I still deal with the “stuff” all writers experience, but I’ve learned a couple of tricks to deal with the tears. You might want to keep these posts handy for when you need them!

5 Rules to Avoid Disappointments

Rejection Doesn’t Make You a Loser

Your Black Moment: When Everything Falls Apart

Perseverance. This is what separates the writers from the wannabes. You’ve also heard that if it was easy everyone would be doing it. There are many who start on this writing journey only to fizzle out and quit too soon. What keeps me going is not knowing what God has planned and the fear of missing out because I gave up too soon. It’s not easy to persevere through sweat and tears, but when I keep my mind on the goal and my heart attuned to my calling, then quitting isn’t an option.

Writing isn’t easy, but it is attainable if you remember the three keys to getting published. You need to work hard, handle disappoints, and pick yourself up and start typing again. If there’s any other way to succeed in this crazy business, I’d sure like to know!

 

Gina Conroy used to think she knew where her life was headed, now she's learning to embrace the detours. She is the founder ofWriter...Interrupted, and tries to keep things in perspective, knowing God's timing is perfect, even if she doesn't agree with it! ;) Her first bookCherry Blossom Capers released from Barbour Publishing in January 2012 and Digging Up Death will be out late October.

YA Urban Fantasy Book Spotlight: Shadow Eyes

About the Book

"Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil. But she is the only one who can see them. She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier.

Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters. First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend.

As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be."

Book Trailer



About the Author

"Dusty Crabtree has been a high school English teacher at Yukon High School in Oklahoma since 2006, a challenge she thoroughly enjoys. She is also a youth sponsor at Cherokee Hills Christian Church in Oklahoma City and feels very blessed with the amazing opportunities she has to develop meaningful relationships with teens on a daily basis. Her passion for teens has poured into her writing as well. She is the author of the young adult urban fantasy, Shadow Eyes, through Musa Publishing, which she wrote in order to give teens an intriguing and provocative book series that promotes moral messages. She lives with her husband, Clayton, in Yukon, Oklahoma, where they often serve their community as foster parents."

Author's Note Regarding Her Writing

“I wanted to offer young adult books intriguing enough for teens from many walks of life to want to read, yet reflecting a Christian worldview about topics like purity, drinking, depression/anxiety, and hope. My desire is to write books that explore broken ways of living, yet show them in a different light. Instead of avoiding brokenness (which is fine for a strictly Christian audience) or making it seem acceptable (like many secular books do), I wanted to show harmful behavior for what it truly is – evil. I hope that as readers go through experiences with Iris, they will begin to see the nature of evil differently and also come to realize they, too, are never without hope and have the ability to rise above their pasts.”

Want More? 

• Find the author on her blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

• Buy the e-book on the publisher's website or on Amazon.com.

• Stop by this Friday (10/26) for a Shadow Eyes puzzle and a chance to win the book!

Winners!!

Happy Saturday, BB fans! Thanks to everyone who participated in our "puzzling" Friday giveaway! Keep all those facebook and Twitter notifications, coming! This week's winner is:

Book Review Sisters - Cedar Creek Seasons by Eileen Key, Becky Melby, Rachael Phillips and Cynthia Ruchti.

Congratulations, Book Review Sisters! Please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your email address. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive. Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book!

Weekly Drawing

It's fun Friday at The Borrowed Book!

To enter:

Follow Us! Followers are automatically entered. Or...

Leave the time it took you to complete the puzzle in the comments section. Winners will be drawn from ALL of the times, so the person with the fastest time may not be the actual winner, but by leaving your time, you double your chances.

Want another entry? Tweet your puzzle time and mention The Borrowed Book, get another entry. RETWEET our Tweet, get two entries!

Post your puzzle time on BB's Facebook wall and...you guessed it...get another entry!

Post it on your OWN Facebook wall and you could get as many as FIVE entries.

It's all a way to spread the word about the great giveaways on BB. So c'mon! Help us spread the word, and have a little fun at the same time. :-)

This week's puzzle feature is brought to you by Eileen Key, Becky Melby, Rachael Phillips and Cynthia Ruchti and their newest release, Cedar Creek Seasons.

Author Interview ~ Alan Schleimer

Alan Schleimer writes suspense thrillers. His debut novel is the first in the Ezra Chronicles series and features former Wall Street whiz-kid and desert survivalist Jay Hunt. The Q Manifesto is an ACFW Genesis winner. Graced with expert writing advice from today’s top Christian Fiction writers, The Q Manifesto weaves a spell-binding plot around the ultimate what-if question. Alan believes good stories entertain, but great stories can change lives. He strives to only tell great stories.

A former analyst, commodity trader, and entrepreneur, Alan infuses his high-stakes fiction with real world implications. Like an actor who does his own stunts, he has studied martial arts, finance, police work, and the divine source of all truth. He is married and lives in Houston.

Hi, Alan! Welcome to The Borrowed Book. Tell us a little about yourself. How did your writing journey begin? 

I kept getting these cool ideas for a book. I thought some day, if I ever retired, I would write it. Well, I noticed that these ideas came more frequently while I was spending my quiet time meditating. Eventually, I came to believe it was a calling, so I started writing. The story that started it all was a Christian fiction fantasy. It was a great learning process filled with numerous rookie mistakes. 

How long did you write before you sold your first book? 

Ten years. My bio should say that I excel at math and analytics, but do poorly with anything artsy. I’m a slow learner, but God can do amazing things with the imperfect. It helps to be patient and persistent. In fact, it helps that he’s patient and persistent. 

What book(s) are you reading, or have read lately? 

The last novel I read was Timeline by Michael Crichton. Suspense/thrillers thrill me. I enjoy Robert Ludlum, John Grisham, and Nelson DeMille. 

Which fictional literary character most inspired/inspires you? 

I don’t think I’m inspired by fictional characters, but I don’t finish books where the main protag doesn’t demonstrate selflessness, courage, or personal honor. 

Tell us a little about your latest release: 

It’s not just my latest release, it’s my first. It is about people with deeply rooted issues, who deal with them on their own (that is to say poorly or not at all) until situations force their hand. 

Disenchanted with his profession, Jay Hunt gave up a lucrative Wall Street career to become a backcountry tour guide. Soon after, an ancient manuscript is uncovered that reveals the Gospels were an orchestrated fiction written by a first-century sect at Qumran. Though its revelation stuns the world, Jay ignores it until his father, a retired Dead Sea Scrolls expert investigating the scroll, dies in a hit-and-run accident in Jerusalem. Suspicious, Jay finds coded instructions left for him by his father and uncovers evidence of a grand plot that will tip the balance of world power. Marked for death by unknown assailants, Jay soon learns that the world’s only chance to survive Armageddon depends on him deciphering his father’s cryptic messages and finishing his father’s quest for the truth.

An award-winning thriller that sprints from Arizona to Jerusalem, Paris to the Caribbean, and Houston to Amman. Your fingernails don’t stand a chance. 

In your bio, you state that you are “like an actor who does his own stunts.” How much of yourself did you put into this book, and will you do the same with subsequent books? 

We all write from our experiences, whether we try to or not. So in one sense, I’m in this book, and I will be in subsequent books. But I also include a lot of research, which means there is much more than just “me” in my story and characters. Jay Hunt, the hero, is not my alter ego. There may be similarities, but the differences are greater. A huge difference is the level of proficiency. I may know how to perform a front kick and counterpunch, for example, but doing it well with four thugs attacking you is quite another matter. 

If you could only share one line from The Q Manifesto, which one would you choose and why? 

The book has two very strong women in it. One opines that the papyrus disrupting Christianity must be a fake. With one sentence she explains to Jay her basis for that opinion and admits her feelings for him, saying, “People think with their brains, but they know with their hearts.” I think it’s an insightful statement. Even though I wrote it, I guarantee you; it did not come from within me. It was an inspired moment. 

What inspired you to choose the setting for your novel? 

The variety in the world inspires me. My settings in this book span America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. 

What kind of research did you have to do for this book? Can you share some articles or website links you found particularly helpful? 

I read a lot about the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the science used to date and verify archeological finds. I also found it entertaining to research minutia about the locales used in the book. I don’t have any favorite links. Instead, I used the internet as both a place to start and a means to corroborate the information I accumulated. 

Tell us what new projects you’re working on. 

My next novel is called The Genizah Anomaly. Revenge is its big theme, and several of the characters from The Q Manifesto are returning. I can’t wait to see what happens to them. 

What is the one question you were afraid I would ask…and how would you answer? 

None. You might say I’m an open book. But if you’re looking for a confession, I willingly admit I don’t read as much as I should. 

Where can readers connect with you? 

At my website (www.alanschleimer.com), Facebook author page, or via email addressed to alan@alanschleimer.com.

Write Right~Medicinal Use of Malaria in Syphilis Treatment

 In 1917, syphilis was a deadly disease. Associated with immoral behavior, such as regular visits to a brothel, the disease had no cure and in its latent stage (which could be anywhere from one to 20 years after infection), the spirochete that caused the disease would enter the central nervous system, including the brain, and cause personality change, psychosis, depression, dementia, and death.

Unfortunately innocent people could catch the disease; for instance, a wife whose husband had visited a local brothel.

Syphilis Bacteria

Though the disease is now easily treated with antibiotics, in 1917, it had no cure except for a chemical treatment called Salvarsan, which contained arsenic, which lead to considerable side effects, as you can imagine.

One enterprising Viennese neurologist, who is described as a not-so-nice person (he eventually won a Nobel Prize in medicine), noticed that the syphilis spirochete died in high heat. He devised a treatment called “pyrotherapy,” in which he injected people with malaria, which cause a very high fever. He would allow them to cycle through three or four pikes of malaria fever, then dose them with quinine. Treatment centers sprang up all over the world, including several in the United State.

Talk about a painful cure!

With the advent of penicillin in 1928, malaria was no longer used in the treatment of syphilis. It and many other deadly diseases finally became treatable.