Author Ahmad Taylor Stops By

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DSOM VBT Interview Questions: Dina Tosto

Thanks for being my guest!

Dina, thank you for having me today. I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you and your readers.

What compelled you to write a novel?

I’ve had the desire to write since I started writing poetry some twenty years ago. I always liked being creative and making up stories, the only thing that stood in my way was the trepidation I felt when considering the sheer volume of words I would need to tell a full story.

I had one of my “wild” dreams that I tend to have and woke up with a need to put it on paper. I grabbed a pen and pad and began sketching the outline. Several hours later I was still awake, still enthused so I turned on my laptop and started writing. I was so excited with the idea of telling this story and having other people read it that I pulled several 18 hour writing days and after a month I had my Sci-fi/Suspense/Thriller: Dark Side of the Moon (DSOM).

Notice the Semi-Finalist Seal for 2012! Way to  go!!!!

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/DARK-SIDE-THE-MOON-ebook/dp/B00716M0YU

Amazon USA: http://amazon.com/dp/B00716M0YU

What does your family think of your work?

That’s a funny question because most of the main characters are based upon them.

They are proud of my work and impressed that I stuck with it. And like many others, they are impatiently awaiting the sequel (coming soon).

Who do you read?

Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth series) is my favorite contemporary author. His imagery is vivid and his themes are engaging.

All time I love Shakespeare, Emily Dickenson and Edgar Allen Poe. I’m a huge Poe fan.

In one sentence, explain why we should read your book:

Our hero (Derrick) finds himself in a battle to save his family and uncover an international conspiracy which his family may actually be a part of.

Who do your main characters look like? (movie stars)

Derrick Thomas = Will Smith

Jeanie Thomas = Paula Patton

What draws you into a story?

A strong protagonist and some mystery.

What songs would work for your book's movie soundtrack?

A lot of songs, I’ll give you some artists I would use:

Sia, Blink 182, Dave Matthews, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pink and Swizz Beatz.

What are you working on now?

I’m glad you asked.

I am putting the finishing touches on my 5-book prequel to DSOM. It takes you on a background journey of 5 main characters in the story, giving you a history of who they are and what made them into the character they are in the story. The first 2 are due to be published the week of January 28- February 3. Should be interesting for current fans and a good draw for new readers. It should lead you into the story pretty well.

I am also in the middle of two other full-length novels: DSOM 2 (the long awaited sequel) and a crime/thriller: Collapse. Both are very exciting to write, I just wish they were finished already so I could get them out for public consumption.

Excerpt:

She dove headfirst across the floor, tumbling and coming up to her feet in one fluid maneuver. She reached out in front of her and grabbed the staff hanging on the rack on the wall. She could feel the rush of air coming towards her head.  He was swinging-for-the-fences on this one. She spun quickly and brought the staff up to block his attack. The force of the impact of the two staffs vibrated down her forearms. She dropped to one knee and brought her staff around to catch him across the leg. Her father came crashing down to the ground with a thud, and she jumped at the opening. She leapt forward and on top of his chest, pressing the stick horizontally across his throat. “Concede!” she demanded. There was an uneasy pause, as he tried to gather air into his lungs. In a weak, raspy voice he answered, “I surrender”.

Jeanie leapt up off her conquest and offered a hand up. As the two stood face-to-face, his arms reached out towards her. She looked up at his face and immediately dropped her staff. “Yes, yes!” she exclaimed as she jumped into his arms. Her father held her close to his chest, and she could feel his heart racing from labored breathing. “You did it, sweetie, nice job.”

Jeanie could feel the first tear roll down her cheek.  She did not notice the onslaught of the others that soon followed. She had finally heard the words she had waited so long to hear from him. For months, she had been training with him every day after school and late into the night. She had been trained relentlessly. For her father, there was never a free moment that shouldn’t be spent learning or working on her defensive skills, or striking or use of weapons.

In the last nine months she had done thousands of exercises and trained hundreds of hours. She had given up playing sports to train with her father. Her weekends were filled with running and weights and hand-to-hand fighting. She sparred daily with him, and it had not been easy. He explained to her early on that he did not believe that taking it easy on her would be of any benefit to either of them, so from the beginning he had fought her vigorously. She had taken way more kicks and punches than she cared to remember. She often found herself making up flimsy excuses in school for the bruises she came in with. She had two hospital visits for bruised ribs and a fracture in her hand when she missed her target and hit the wall square with her most powerful punch.

She had gone through her own personal hell for the last nine months, missing parties and trips with friends, all to give her full effort to the task at hand. For Jeanie, it was more than just doing what her father wanted. At this moment she understood why she had gone through all of the pain and put forth all that effort. It was to hear the words she had finally received from him, nice job. At this moment it was finally all worth it. Her tears were less of relief, and more of joy and pride in earning her father’s approval finally.

Thank you again Dina for the opportunity. I hope your readers found our time together interesting. I am grateful for the chance to share with all of you.

I look forward to hearing from any and all about my writing and my work.

Links:

Kindle Edition: Amazon

Paperback: Paperback

Twitter: @ahmaddarkside

Facebook: Facebook.com/DarksideAhmad

Blog: AhmadDarkside’s Musings

Website: Ahmad Darkside Live

Goodreads: Ahmad Darkside

Dark Side Of The Moon

Blurb: When former government agent, Derrick Thomas, awakens to find his family missing and in danger, he must outwit a clandestine organization intent on keeping him from the truth and his family.

Government agent Derrick Thomas awakes from a disturbing dream to find a message from his father asking for help. As he sets out to lend his assistance he quickly discovers that not only can he not find his father, but that a clandestine government agency is out to derail his search before it can even begin. After discovering details of a global food crisis, an interplanetary mission gone awry, the murders of two of his father’s colleagues, and the further disappearances of his mother and sister, Derrick is thrust into a fight for his own life and a struggle to uncover details of secret government experiments which his family may be involved with.  Will he be able to save them and uncover the truth before he becomes the next victim of an organization bent on keeping him silent?

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

About Ahmad Taylor: Ahmad is a 36 year old writer currently residing and writing in the heat of south Florida. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, his debut best-selling Sci-fi/Suspense/Thriller: Dark Side of the Moon incorporates knowledge from his prior law enforcement career, and a vivid imagination for the intense and suspenseful.

After being a semi-finalist for The Kindle Book Review: Best Indie Book of 2012, Ahmad has begun the sequel to Dark Side, which will be released in early 2013. He is also working on a shocking Crime/Thriller which will be out mid-2013.

You can contact Ahmad at the following places:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter