Today I am pleased to help promote author NLB Horton's works, When Camels Fly and The Brother's Keepers!
February 10 through 21: When Camels Fly $0.99
February 22 through 26: WCF $1.99
February 27 through March 3: WCF $2.99
Hi Norma, thank you again for joining us here for an interview. Tell us something about yourself and your background.
Being here is my pleasure, Kathleen! It’s a joy to reach fellow readers and share the adventures of middle-aged archaeologist Grace Madison.
In many ways, my background is like that of many women: wife, mother, daughter, friend. Academically, I have a Bachelor’s in Journalism, supported by a smattering of minors. And a Master’s in Biblical Studies, with a focus on history and context. Professionally, I owned an advertising firm for twenty-five years, and retired to the Rocky Mountains once the children, whom I home-schooled in their early days, were grown. I’ve been married to the same man for almost three decades.
The catalyst for When Camels Fly was an archaeological survey of Israel and Jordan, plus a lifelong interest in archaeology and ancient history. The soundtrack for this first trip included heavy artillery in Syria and machine-gun fire in Lebanon. I just returned from the region in March. While I stood thirty-five miles from Damascus, the heavy artillery began again. I detect a dangerous trend…
Do you read much and if so, who are your favorite authors?
I LOVE TO READ. I read whenever I can, and according to my eighty-four-year-old mother, always have. She says the librarian at my elementary school called to say I was reading too much. Can you imagine?
As to favourite authors, I have hardcover copies of everything by Daniel Silva. I also read David Baldacci and Steve Berry. I like Donna Leon and Laurie R. King. And I enjoy the work of the late Elizabeth Peters, AKA Barbara Mertz. C. S. Harris is a favourite, as is Charles Todd.
Do you recall how your interest in writing started?
Stories circulate that I spent my childhood summers sprawled under an elm in the backyard, writing and drawing. I have always written: junior high, high school, and university newspapers, career, etc. I write, therefore I am. (I don’t think that’s original.)
When and where do you prefer to do your writing?
I write at my desk is in my office, overlooking a mountain valley. Usually, the hairy, old tabby cat is trying to smother the mouse, and she and I battle for it. I’m fast on a keyboard, so the thought of pen and paper terrifies me. Typically, my characters awaken me in the night, and I relay everything the next morning. I can write almost any time, as long as I’m at my desk.
What inspired you to write your first book?
The aforementioned archaeological survey submerged me in the location and technicalities of my story.
I also have a 23-year-old daughter who is a reader, and it was hard to find stories that would interest her once she moved out of Louisa Alcott, and the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen.
I am a committed believer in female empowerment, and seek heroines that inspire me, and to whom I can relate. They’re hard to find.
Then there’s the vigor, joy, and humor my beta readers and agent note in When Camels Fly, and which I seek in both life and reading.
Tell us something about When Camels Fly.
It’s contemporary suspense with a thread of romance. When Camels Fly is the story of a family of strong individuals who live to the fullest and try to do the right thing in adventurous circumstances.
Grace Madison, and her grown daughter Maggie, have a wonderful relationship in which they hold each other accountable, and love each other dearly. Then Maggie is kidnapped and Grace has to rescue her. Both women end up running for their lives, and Grace has to figure out how to parent a young woman unaware of her own mortality.
Grace’s marriage has grown stale, and she and her husband, Mark, begin to rekindle that romance cautiously. Once she discovers that he’s had a covert second life, things get dicey.
Her former professors, whom she adores, are elderly seminarians. When they’re forced to reveal they once worked for Mossad (Israel’s intelligence force), she unearths secrets she ccouldn'tbegin to imagine, and which undermine her trust in them.
Toss in her children’s tangled love lives, a few belligerent camels, and a theft of apocalyptic proportions, and When Camels Fly is an intelligent romp. There’s also a Readers Guide for book clubs, so readers can figure out how they would react in Grace’s position.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
My daughter and I beat on the title for months, but she suggested it over a pot of hot tea during a brainstorming session in my office. (Don’t tell her I admitted that.)
Who is your favorite character from the book? Why?
Everyone, including myself, loves Grace.
My beta readers tell me she is Everywoman, trying to be a good person, mother, and wife. One beta reader cited her Yenta qualities as she deals with a mature family. Her humor, practicality, intelligence, dedication to family—she’s a best friend on the back of a camel, trying to save those she loves. And she’s a strong woman of faith, believing in God but still taking matters into her own hands.
How about your least favorite and what makes them less appealing to you?
You know, I don’t really have a least favourite. After doing the character studies to form the “bad guys,” I at least understand what drives them. Would I want to invite them to a dinner party? No. I suppose if pushed, I’d say the Jordanian diplomat, al-Jafar, has the fewest redeeming qualities.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing your book and bringing it to life?
I love all aspects of writing, including the professional edit that bleeds all over my desk. (Get the bandages.)
One of the most challenging aspects has been reacting productively to input from traditional publishers. I’ve written something that’s different, and major publishers have been interested in the work. But they wanted to change it to conform to works of other authors who are profitable for them. (I understand that it’s good business on their parts to categorize.)
Once I waded through all the opinions, it took time to return When Camels Fly to its original purpose and tone.
I should also note that input from beta readers and professionals in my writing circle (such as my literary agent and editors) is supremely valuable. Their comments transformed my work.
Could you share with us something you've learned from writing your book?
Patience. And how to ride a camel.
What are your thoughts on receiving book reviews (both the good and the bad)?
Every edit makes me a better writer. Almost every review provides new perspective on the work I’m doing. (I have to cite that internet trolls exist.) I don’t expect everyone to relate to Grace and her family, or my story. But I’ll pick through the reviews and try to make other books better, based on input from people who might not think as I do.
What can we expect from you in the future?
The second manuscript, The Brothers’ Keepers, releases November 17, and we’re working on a great cover now. I’ve just received the document from my editor, and paramedics are on speed dial.
The third (as yet untitled) will release in the summer of 2015; I’m in outline stage. Two other Grace Madison novels are pushing to the front of my brain, tentatively scheduled for spring and Christmas 2016 releases.
And each book either includes, or will include, a Readers Guide, making them perfect for interesting book club discussions.
Do you have any tips or advice for aspiring writers out there trying?
1. Learn your craft via writing courses, mentors, workshops, conferences, and writing groups. Realize high school English isn’t enough.
2. Join professional organizations to build contacts with people you don’t even know you need to know in the industry.
3. Get your facts right by doing a motherlode of research.
4. Hire a good professional editor. His or her work is worth its weight in Pulitzer Prizes, so take it seriously, and learn from it.
And before you go, is there anything else you'd like to say to your readers?
I want to hear from them!
Thank you so much for taking the time from your busy schedule to do this interview with us, it was fun!
I very much appreciate the opportunity, Kathleen. Best to you!
About the Book
Publisher: NLBHorton, via Amazon's White Glove (May 15, 2014)
Category: Contemporary suspense, thread of Romance
Tour Date: May/June, 2014
Available in: Print & ebook, 370 Pages
A mother's fatal shot. A daughter's deadly choice.
In Israel, archaeologist Grace Madison shoots her daughter's abductor moments before a handsome shepherd drops from the sky to kill a second assassin. Running for their lives, the women pursue an evil prepared to sacrifice millions of people. Endangering family and friends while confronting old loves, they soon realize nothing is as it seems. Even each other.
Because choosing what's right is all that's left.
Advance Praise for When Camels Fly:
"When Camels Fly brings an interesting twist to the typical suspense novels that I read. Usually, some man is the main character, who swoops in to rescue the girl, solve the mystery, and set all things right. Not so with this novel. The main character is a delightful woman named Grace, who is a brilliant archaeologist, but definitely no Indiana Jones. More comfortable digging and researching than getting involved in international "incidents," Grace is lured (or dragged, she'd admit) into intrigue and danger when she discovers her daughter, Maggie, has been kidnapped. Like a mama grizzly, Grace heads out to find and rescue her daughter, get the bad guys, and make her daughter comply with her demands (essentially, go home and stay out of trouble). But Maggie has uncovered a disastrous plot that could affect the entire Middle East. And only Maggie (and now Grace) can do something to stop the mayhem and evil.
When Camels Fly, of course, has intrigue and suspense, action-packed scenes, some fun humor, and vivid descriptions of Israel and the Middle East that will make you think you're there in the middle of the action. But its strength really lies in its characters, in particular the mother-daughter relationship with its friendship and tension, which will have you rooting for the dynamic duo. These women are intelligent and strong. No swooning here, readers. And for those readers who still love a bit of romance, this novel provides twists and hints at love blooming. There's married love (the reader watches a "real" marriage between Grace and her husband and how they process the struggles of staying in love after decades), love lost but possibly found (Grace's son and "the one" he let get away, to his great distress, or did he?), and love begun (Maggie meets a potential "one" or two suitors).
The first in a series, you won't want to miss When Camels Fly. It's a fun read-maybe even something you could read with your mom!"-Ginger Kolbaba, author of Desperate Pastors Wives and A Matter of Wife and Death
"NLB Horton's debut novel, When Camels Fly, incorporates features I have never before encountered in one novel: suspense, science, family, religion, and Middle Eastern intrigue. Middle-aged archaeologist Grace Madison, Ph.D., binds these elements as heroine, and my inner feminist cheered her, and the cast of characters, from the first page through the last.
The Madison women - Grace and daughter Maggie, a hydrologist - are very human and very smart. Their relationship is complex, but loving and insightful, and laced with humor. They wrestle with moral questions in intelligent and intuitive ways, and are unafraid to do the right thing to protect family and produce the greater good. Mark and Jeff Madison, Grace's husband and son, respectively, provide backup while working through a complicated relationship of their own, and attempt to rescue women who are completely capable of rescuing themselves. The characterizations of this mature family are worth the price of the book.
One charming surprise - and there are many in this novel - is Grace's octogenarian seminary professors, former spies for Mossad who converge in Israel and Jordan to assist the family they hold dear. Their espionage skills, masked by the perceived harmlessness of the elderly, allow them to move about undetected, and assist the Madison family in creative and unexpected ways.
Another unique aspect of When Camels Fly is the incorporation of science and history as backdrops for the storyline. Horton's enjoyable and interesting depiction of hydrology and geology are well researched, and give legitimacy not only to herself, but also to her characters. The technical knowledge isn't overwhelming, but provides a solid foundation that increases the story's tension.
From drugged kidnappings and shootings at the Western Wall to a minor-key version of The Commodores' Brick House in Jericho, When Camels Fly empowers women and family in an entertaining adventure. Unstoppable women, well-placed humor, and critical contemporary issues make this book my top read so far in 2014, and I'm watching for news of Horton's second manuscript, scheduled to release later this year."- Leigh Bennett, Reader
"I picked up When Camels Fly, and I couldn't put it down because the dramatic opening hooked me.
Right off the bat, the relationship between Grace Madison and her grown daughter, Maggie, was committed, funny, and endearing - ideal, actually. They're smart, adventurous women stranded in Israel, running for their lives, initially unaware that Grace's husband Mark and son Jeff are in hot pursuit.
Author NLB Horton's vigorous dialogue moved the story along, and portrayed each character as uniquely intriguing. Her descriptions of Israel and Jordan were an enjoyable way to learn more about that part of the world, and it's obvious she's "been there, done that." I felt as if I were in the markets and atop the camels, participating in the story. One of the most interesting aspects of When Camels Fly is that it's contemporary suspense from a woman's viewpoint, set in a part of the world normally filtered through a male lens. And it presents the region in a realistic, approachable way.
I particularly appreciated Horton's strong portrayal of the squadron of elderly intelligence agents. I don't think I've ever encountered a novel in which senior citizens (and I am one) were crafted with such lively respect.
The Madison family is a refreshing, healthy model in the world of contemporary literature, where dysfunctional or overly simplistic family portrayals reign. When I discovered the end of the novel alluded to the story continuing in the next book in the series, I was delighted. I look forward to continuing the adventure begun in When Camels Fly."- Lillian Bohannon, Reader
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About NLB Horton:
After an award-winning detour through journalism and marketing and a graduate degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, NLBHorton returned to writing fiction. She has surveyed Israeli archaeological digs accompanied by artillery rounds from Syria and machine gun fire from Lebanon. Explored Machu Picchu after training with an Incan shaman. And consumed afternoon tea across five continents.
When Camels Fly is her first novel. Her second, The Brothers' Keepers, will be available November 2014.
My Thoughts
I read this book awhile back, not sure why I never wrote a review..This is a story about a family who all have different lives, Grace, is an archaeologist, her daughter Maggie is a hydrologist, husband Mark is a retired CIA agent and their son Jeff is a newscaster for the BBC. Maggie is kidnapped and Grace rescues her only to be on the run from some not so very nice characters. Mark and Jeff travel to the Middle East to rescue them and there the adventure begins for the whole family.
This tale is full of family values, which to me is important in a story. This is a family that is very close to each other. Grace is middle aged but still yearning for adventure, her husband is perfectly happy to stay at home. Maggie is young and idealistic and has not yet fully understood her vulnerability to life's dangers. The author skillfully weaves suspense, intrigue and very strong women in the lead roles. The descriptions of the Middle East are so real that you almost feel like you are there. The dangers abound, will Grace and Maggie get rescued in time?? You will have to read the book to find out. I look forward to reading and reviewing The Brother's Keepers, the next book in the series from this wonderful storyteller!
I received a copy of the book for review and was not monetarily compensated for said review.
