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With only being able to reblog once, and having done that with this interview to my author site, I’ve copied and pasted the article here. It isn’t as nicely formatted as author Vashti Quiroz-Vega has it on her site, and I suggest everyone visit the original for the full experience by clicking HERE.

Hello everyone! I have a treat for you today. I’m an avid reader and self proclaimed bookworm and to me as well as others like me it is always fun when a new, intriguing book is released. Do you enjoy fascinating stories about pirates? Well then you’ll love The Razor’s Adventures Pirate Tales by P.S. Bartlett. I have featured P.S. Bartlett and her books on this blog and you can check out that post here.

Today’s focus will be on the wonderful and talented Ronovan Hester since P.S. Bartlett’s recent installment in The Razor’s Adventure series, Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is co-authored by him. This is not your typical pirate story since Ronovan puts his love of History and his 20+ years of writing experience to use in his debut Historical Adventure set in 1705 England, American Colonies, and Caribbean.

♦

Ronovan’s Bio:

Ronovan Hester is a writer living near Athens, Ga, home of his alma mater, The University of Georgia, where he received a B.S.Ed. in History Education. Ronovan puts his love of history and his over 20 years of writing experience to use in his debut Historical Adventure set in 1705 England, American Colonies, and Caribbean co-authored with P.S. Bartlett.

Ronovan’s devotion to history and writing sometimes competes with his love of tacos and fresh fruit. At times, all his favorite things work hand in hand in mouth during long binge writing sessions that have been known to last nonstop for over 24 hours. Rather than see a sleep disorder as a hindrance, he uses the time for creative purposes or watching old TV shows on online.

Ronovan enjoys putting elements of history, if only as nods to the past, in all of his book projects. He currently instills that love of history and learning in his son daily as he helps him through his college prep courses, meaning hours of homework every night, even while not yet a teenager–his son, not Ronovan. Now if he could find a very good mute for that trumpet his son just began learning.

10 Fun Facts About Ronovan

One of your 10 fun facts is that you love to cook. If P.S. Bartlett arrived at your house for dinner what would you make for her?

I would go Southern. I make very good Southern Fried Chicken, biscuits, and I these potato wedges that I batter then fry, then oven bake. It’s something I created, and everyone loves them. I fry them enough to get them brown and slightly crisp, then into the oven to finish cooking over a rack to let the excess oil come out. I cover them with foil so as not to let the brown much more or burn. You end up with a crispy on the outside, completely done on the inside oven fry. You spice the batter how you like it and either make or use your favorite condiment if you want to dip them in something. There would of course be sweet iced tea. For dessert a peach cobbler, since I live in the Peach State.

Another fun fact about you is that you love the sound and feel of the ocean at night. Have you seen the movie ‘JAWS’?

I did. I also saw the Jaws 3D in the movie theaters when it first came out with some older cousins.

One more fun fact about you is that you enjoy eating lunch sitting under a tree while watching and listening to birds. If you could be any bird which would you be?

I think I’m pretty much a Robin if you look at me. I can’t escape that.

10 Questions for Ronovan Hester

1/ Tell me about your book

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is a historical adventure beginning in a sailor’s pub in 1705 London and then taking to the seas. Court-martialed due to the events in the pub, Captain Gabriel Wallace of the Royal Navy finds aide with his former crew who mutiny against the Royal Navy, just in time to avoid capture by his enemies. Wallace has more than one mission/objective during his war against the men behind his disgrace but only he is aware of it. This secret causes some problems as the story unfolds and Wallace and his men go after the biggest haul a pirate has ever attempted in the waters of the Caribbean, all in the name of revenge and loyalty.

Reads like a riveting story! And not your typical pirate story.

2/ What inspired you to write this book?

After many conversations with PS Bartlett, the creator of the Ivory Shepard world of pirates, the discussion came around to her thoughts of a sequel to her very first pirate novel, The Blue Diamond: The Razor’s Edge. A book I enjoyed a great deal. I had the idea of her writing a prequel series of books of how her main character became a lady pirate captain, while I wrote the book that would currently be the beginning of the entire series and become known as Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling. By the way, not only does Microsoft Word object to the use of lady in this paragraph, but Ivory Shepard would as well.

Ah, ha, ha. I guess ‘female’ is the word that comes to mind then. The idea of a ‘prequel series’ telling how the main character comes to be, who she is in the original series is quite brilliant.

*Clarification from Ronovan: I should have worded the part about the prequel ideas coming up between PS Bartlett and I about the same time. It was an idea to expand the world she created and bring in more attention to the character of Ivory Shepard. The Blue Diamond was a great book.

3/ Why team up with another writer, instead of writing this book on your own?

I looked at it as a two-fold thing. One, I would be helping PS Bartlett get one more book out in her series. In this book, I could give a different perspective, a different voice than that of Ivory Shepard. There needed to be that different voice. Second, I’m a historian and love research. Thus, I saw this as a challenge of sorts. Just as I challenged myself to write a Southern Romance, completely out of my comfort zone, I did this, which was a new genre for me. I do historical fiction more around WWI and WWII.

Although not a historian I share your love of research. I’m happy you took this on and wish you continued success.

4/ Which is your favorite character in the book? Why?

I would have to say Gabriel Wallace is my favorite because I put so much of me into him. Some of that’s been taken out because of the collaboration, but I know where I show up. People that know me will know what I wrote and not. The styles mesh but my personal character is different from some of what Wallace ends up as. Gimby, the helmsman is a good one too.

5/ Which character in the book would you not get along with? Why?

That’s a tough one. There are times, due to circumstances a couple of people are difficult to deal with. One is somewhat obvious when you begin reading the book, and the other grows into someone less than a joy to know.

Very diplomatic answer.

6/ Finish these statements:

-If I wasn’t afraid I would move to a better climate part of the world with a beach and a nice ocean view, although I’m not really afraid of much.

Florida awaits!

-Someday, I want to be successful enough at writing to pay the bills and maybe help form some sort of foundation to fight some children’s problem.

7/ You have multiple personalities, describe some of them.

First, I’m not sure how you knew that. Second, I’m a workaholic one minute and a total veg the next. That might be part of some health issues though. I have the funny guy side, then the serious the next. Yes, I’m a Gemini.

I pay attention, Ron.

8/ List 5 adjectives to describe yourself?

Hopeful
Romantical (My creation of a word.)
Caring
Idealistic
Inquisitive

Yes! I agree with all five. I’ve come to see all of these in you and your writing.

9/ How have your physical problems affected your writing?

That’s a big one. I could make a long list of negative things, but I look to the end result being I use the time I have to write as much as I can, which at times is a lot. If I had normal health I wouldn’t have a book out right now. I see this as one of those things where God took an extreme bad thing and used it for an extreme good in my achieving getting a book published which can show others anything can happen if you work at it.

That’s a very positive and inspiring way to look at a traumatic experience in your life. I love your outlook.

10/ How is Captain Gabriel Wallace like or unlike Captain Jack Sparrow?

The two are about as opposite as you can get. Wallace is a trained captain in the Royal Navy, member of the upper class of society, actually a member of the House of Lords, well educated, and has a certain level of morality that dictates a lot of his actions. He doesn’t mind fun and jokes but his focus is his mission and the well-being of his crew. Wallace is not really a pirate, but more a soldier at war with a given enemy.

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon.com

Amber Wake; Gabriel Falling on Amazon.UK

Amber Wake; Gabriel Falling on Amazon.CA

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon.IN

You may connect with Ronovan through:

Amazon Author Page: Ronovan Hester

Amazon UK Author Page: Ronovan Hester

Personal Blog: RonovanWrites.WordPress.com

Author Site: RonovanHester.com

Book Review Site: LitWorldInterviews.com

Twitter: @RonovanWrites

Goodreads Author: Ronovan Hester

Facebook: Ronovan Writes

Google+: Ronovan Writes

LinkedIn: Ronovan Hester

About.me: Ronovan

Pinterest: RonovanWrites

Synopsis

The autumn of 1705 brings Royal Navy Captain Gabriel Wallace to face off against an enemy within the ranks of the Admiralty itself that threatens his career, his reputation, his family, and something even more far-reaching in its plot.

Court-martialed and with Admiral Chambers, the mastermind fearfully known as the Chambers of Hell, out for his destruction, Wallace finds he has allies willing to face the might of the mightiest power on earth, with some allies in the most unlikely of places. The crew of his former command, the Majesty’s Venture, mutinies from the Royal Navy. With capture by his enemies close behind, Wallace agrees to become captain once again.

With a ship at his command, Captain Gabriel Wallace sets out to fulfill his mission, the completeness of which only he knows.

Now a pirate by situation, Wallace sets out for the Colonies and the Caribbean. Will his crew remain loyal as they leave the rule of the Royal Navy behind? Will his lifelong friend, Miles Jacobs, follow Wallace blindly without knowing the whole story? Finally, will the young Lieutenant Maddox Carbonale stay under the command of Wallace or have plans to lead instead?

With these questions in his thoughts, Gabriel Wallace wages war on Chambers and goes after the largest haul in the history of the Spanish Main. Whom does Wallace meet along the way? To whom are his loyalties to: vengeance or something more powerful?

If you love tales of adventure, of the sea, of the struggles of men, and nods to history, this is your book. Read Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling and you’ll have a new appreciation for all of The Razor’s Adventures Pirate Tales.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this author Spotlight/Interview. Be sure to check out some of the links.

Enjoy the weekend!

You’ve probably seen me talking about Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on other sites. I’ve mentioned it here, but not really talked about it. Well, it’s time to tell you a little so you can decide to go and purchase either the Paperback or Kindle. Don’t have a Kindle? Neither do I. I use the Kindle App for my Android tablet and my laptop. Only my son has a Kindle. That’s what happens when you’re the only grandchild.

One reason I would like people to purchase is to read the book and write reviews. The more reviews we have, the better Amazon will promote us. It’s a shame that some great books have floundered because people don’t write reviews.

Another great thing about all of the books in this series is, they are available on KDP or Kindle Unlimited for Free to read.

The third thing is I want this book to be a bestseller. It’s my first book, and it would be so amazing to be able to put that label on something I’ve written. For a book to be a bestseller, it needs to move a lot of Kindle or Paperbacks. Every purchase helps. If you watched the ranks the way I have, you would be amazed what a few purchases can do. After a few days of being a top seller, we get a bestseller tag and wow. That is huge.

Now, although we’ve spread the word about the book including pirates, there aren’t that many. Captain Gabriel Wallace and his men set sail from London in 1705 after Wallace is court-martialed and then has an attempt made on his life. His crew is so loyal to him they mutiny and take his former ship the Majesty’s Venture after tying up and hiding away those members not agreeing with the majority vote.

Let me tell you about Wallace. He’s a member of the House of Lords sense the death of his father, but is primarily dedicated to his duties as a captain in the Royal Navy. His upbringing, education, and loyalty to Queen, Country, and God dictate a great deal of how he lives.

He is known as one of the sharpest men in the Royal Navy and all men serving under him would lay down their lives for him. Why? Because he always takes care of his crew. They are always assured of the dedication of their captain whenever it comes to their well being.

After his treatment in the courts and harm done to his family, Wallace wages war on those behind it all, Admiral Chambers, known as the Chambers of Hell for good reason, and his cohorts. After a secret meeting prior to his court-martial, Wallace had time to make plans for his coming war.

The story is told through first person by Wallace. What he thinks, you know. He has one mission, one goal in mind, and nothing will deter him from success. Even the sea itself cannot stop him, although it tries its best.

Beta-readers and reviewers alike have commented about the character development and the man Gabriel Wallace. It’s a fast paced, page turner. The internal monologue of Wallace, done so because he is the only one he can trust completely, makes you want to know what happens next.

This has been called “…not the ordinary pirate tale. It’s BETTER!” The reason this is not the ordinary pirate tale is because it wasn’t written as one. Wallace doesn’t see himself as a pirate. He has a war to wage. He’s also not a pirate for another reason, a reason only he is aware of among his crew.

By the end of the book, all is revealed and changes occur that are unexpected from someone like Wallace.

When writing the original drafts of Amber Wake: Grabriel Falling, I wanted to include things that would be nods to an original character from the first pirate book and give a good foundation for a future character named Rasmus Bergman that plays a big part in the development of Ivory Shepard, the main character in all of PS Bartlett’s other books, as a captain.

Following is a 4 Star Review by Claire Fullerton, published author with Vinspire Publishing. You may wonder why I am sharing a Four star rating instead of one of the Five Star ratings. It’s easy to quote a Five Star rating. Clarie Fullerton is someone I’ve asked to rip my writing apart. I want brutal honesty that will move my writing forward. She has the talent, experience, and the professionalism to push me to the next level in my career. I send her a chapter of my writing and she sends back edits with reasons and suggestions. Some I use, some I don’t, because there are reasons some parts are the way they are. She gets that.

Claire Fullerton bought the Kindle version of the book, then posted a review on the paperback, so it doesn’t show as a verified purchase. She’s one of those who isn’t going to post a review unless she wants to, and am I ever grateful she did. Her following review is as a reader.

If you don’t mind, I’ll bold certain sentences.

“Drawn by the pull of Ronovan Hester’s influence in the blogosphere, I quickly downloaded this book to my Kindle after reading a 5 star review of this book. What I found when I began reading was immediate engrossment in the cleanly written character of Captain Wallace, who is a seafaring man of high rank, with a conscious. That his first person voice is as confessional as it is kept me turning the pages. There is a humanness to Captain Wallace that the reader is privy to via his internal monologues, and this is what kept me engaged with this fast paced, undulating story of a man falsely accused by the English court, who then takes to the sea with a cast of supportive characters. It is an unusual spin on the idea of a pirate story in that Wallace has little other recourse but to go rogue, as it were, and because this premise is wonderfully set up in the beginning, the reader sympathizes with Wallace, who is motivated by the edification of his own reputation. This is a fun book: it is action packed, full of time and place appropriate language, and quite a departure from what I typically read. Here, here to the authors! Ronovan Hester and PS Bartlett clearly set out to collaborate on a joyous, highly visual ride, and it shows.“

With mild use of sailor language, this is a good read for just about everyone. PS Bartlett kept the book honest in many aspects when it came to certain areas, while keeping me and the background of the main characters in mind. Together we achieved a good story I think all of you will find different than what you are expecting.

This is a story that could be taken and put in any era, on sea or land, and end up a great story because of the characters within.

Click the image for the Kindle Page on Amazon. For only $2.99 you get one unique story. How large a story? The paperback is 346 pages, the Kindle 198.

Spread the word about my book. My Tweets reach my followers. My Google+, My Facebook, my, my, my … I think you see what I mean. I need your help. Word of mouth is the way books get sold. Buy a book, read it, enjoy it, and tell your friends about it.

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