Leti Del Mar Interview with Darmie Orem

The Inadvertent Thief Blog Tour / Giveaway / Interview  

Interview Highlight

With me here today is the author of The Inadvertent Thief, Leti to be interviewed. Hi Leti. Welcome to I Am Darmie Orem's blog and as well Authors' Curtilage with Darmie Orem.

It is good to have you here.

Before we begin this interview, Leti the readers would like to hear about you - your full name, native place, specific special things you cherish about this native place, short description about yourself, education, family background, experiences, strength, your interest outside writing, so that they can get to know you better.

"My name is Leti Del Mar and I have lived in sunny Southern California my whole life.  I live in a suburb outside of Los Angeles and absolutely love it because I am about an hour drive away from the beach, the desert, the mountains, and the city.  There is so much to do and enjoy here.  When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my husband, daughter and cat.  We love to travel and are always planning our next trip.  I also love art history and spend as much time in museums as I can."

Anything else you want to tell your readers about yourself?

"Although I teach Biology and Algebra to teenagers, I have had a lifelong love for literature and am always reading a novel.  I especially enjoy detective tales, mysteries and Sci-Fi.  Currently I have discovered the world of Young Adult Fiction and am enjoying that as well."


Do you recall how your writing flare began? Was it a gift or something you have always loved to do and you went to school to study it?

"Although I have always loved reading, writing is a new passion for me.  I had a story in my mind and started writing and then could not stop.  My first novel was such an incredible learning experience and now that I have published it, I can’t foresee a time when I will stop."

It is believed that most gifted people with powerful free flowing minds, have convetional characters growing up as a child. One that I'm quite familiar with is talking to one-self. Which one did you have as a child and still keep till date?

"I talk to myself all the time.  It helps me remember things."

*Smiles* That's funny. I do the same. It makes me understand things better and remember them. There are four invented creative paradigm which had fitted well into the writing styles of different authors. I can remember three vividly.

"Seat of the pant" (often called an SOTP) you write by the seat, when you don't know how the story is going to end. You absolutely don't even know what's going to happen on the next page of your plain excercise book. You sit down and start writing or typing.

The likes of Stephen King writes by this method and has done very well. So also Jerry Jenkin, author of the LEFT BEHIND series of apocalypytical novels.

"Edit as you go creative paradigm" It is similar to writing by the seat of your pants except that you don't go very far before you stop and edit what you just wrote.

"The snowflake creative paradigm" With this method you start with small single story concept and then flesh out the idea in a succession of steps, each time adding more detail. You alternately work on your plot and chracters until you have gotten a strategic plan to guide you in writing your first draft.

Leti Del Mar, your readers would like to know your writing style.

"I use the Snowflake Creative Paradigm.  I start with a basic outline and then flesh it out.  I use charts and checklists to construct my scenes and develop my characters and then I start on my first draft.  Once I start my first draft, I just let it flow and don’t edit or revise until that draft is complete."

Is the Inadvertent Thief your first book?

"Yes!"

What's the inspiration behind this romance suspense novel that you would like to share with us?

"While visiting one of my favorite museums, I started noticing the security the museum had in place and then wondered what it would take to steal one of the paintings.  Then I started to wonder what would motivate a law abiding citizen like me to want to steal a painting.  That gave birth to the idea and once I started writing, I just couldn’t stop."

Hmm. That's fascinating inspiration. What inspired the title The Inadvertent Thief?

"The heroine of my story had no intention of becoming a thief but when her world gets turned upside down, she realizes that she will need to become a thief in order to get back what was her responsibility to protect, thus she is an inadvertent thief."

How much of this book is based on true events and the work of your imagination?

"The characters are composites of people I know and the places are very real but what happens to them is all a work of my imagination.  I do however intersperse some real life anecdotes from my travels throughout the novel."

Can you share a little of this book with us?

"As a security specialist, Vivien Flowers is a perfectionist. So when two very important paintings she had been hired to protect are stolen, her highly structured world is turned upside down and she must get them back. It’s too bad art theft is not very high on the Los Angeles Police Department’s list of priorities. So when Vivien is joined by a handsome insurance agent eager to prevent the multi-million dollar claim from being paid, they use any means necessary to track down the location of the stolen paintings. But is Vivien willing to become a thief herself to get the paintings back? The answer leads her on a journey of intrigue, deceit, crime and even love as she travels from Los Angeles to Paris and discovers the true brilliance she is capable of."

Was there any plot or character you found challenging when developing the drafts for this novel?

"I had a hard time creating my villain.  Maybe I don’t know enough mean people but developing my villain took some considerable effort for me."

Maybe you should turn to me when next you want to create one. *Smiles.* Who designed your book cover?

"Me!  I used a great photograph taken by El Caballo and then used Photoshop to create the cover."

Wow! You did quite fantastic!

"Thank you Darmie."

You are welcome. What were the difficulties you encountered - research, literary, psychological, and logical in bringing this book to life?

"Revising was the hardest part because somewhere along the way I started to hate everything I wrote.  It got to the point where nothing seemed right.  So I took a couple of months off and them revised and edited and then made myself stop.  Honestly, I could go back now and keep editing."

If you had to rewrite this book, what would you change, what character would you kill off and why?

"I might kill off her ex-boyfriend, mostly because he is based loosely on one of my ex-boyfriends and that would be oh-so-fun!"

*Smiles* O.K. What's the moral message behind this book that you want people to grasp?

"Never stop believing in yourself."

Did you learn anything from writing your own book?

"Yes!  Everything!  Since this was my first novel I learned about the entire process including writing, revising, self-publishing and marketing.  Now I am applying that knowledge to my next novel that I am currently working on."

I hope you will tell me about the book it's out?

"No problem, I will let you know to create some spotlight on it." 

What books or authors has influenced you most in life?

"Let me tell you who I love because what I love, I read and what I read inspires me.  I love Edith Wharton, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and I am currently discovering and loving many indie authors who have trail blazed the path without a traditional publisher." 

If you have to pick a mentor, which author would that be?

"I am always inspired by Jane Austen as an author because she did it all on her own, in a man’s world and without the help of the wonderful blogging community."


Are there any new authors whose work has captured your interest lately?

"I am loving the world of dystopian young adult so authors like AlyCondie and Ann Aguirre have really captured my interest."

Any project coming up after Inadvertent Thief soon?

"Yes a novel called TheUnAltered"

Can you tell us a little about it?

"It is a Sci-Fi Young Adult that takes place in a world where human genetic alteration is so common it is a part of fashion and it follows two young people who don’t accept that reality because they learn that there is something terribly wrong with the world they live in."

Do you see writing as a career or some sort of hobby?

"I would love to make a career of it.  Who knows, maybe I will!"

If you have to come to life again, would you chose writing as a profession?

"I’m not sure.  I think I needed to live the life I already have lived to bring to the place that I am now."

What message do you have for your readers and upcoming authors?

"Never give up.  This is a journey and not a destination."

Where can your readers purchase The Inadvertent Thief?

"They can find it as an ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords"

On what social networks can your readers reach you?

"I am on Twitter as leti_delmar and Facebook as Leti Del Mar.  Please friend and follow me!"

Thanks Leti Del Mar for granting me the audience to conduct this interview. It's an honor to have you.

"Thank you Darmie. I'm most grateful for your time. Merry Xmas and a Prosperous New Year to all my readers!"

The Johnny Ray Interview with Darmie Orem

 

 

Interview Highlight

Welcome John to I Am Darmie Orem as well as Authors' Curtilage with Darmie Orem.

The Audience Would Like To Meet You, Please Tell Us A Brief Biography Of Yourself - Your Author Name, Where You Currently Live And What You Studied Back At School.

 

"I have a passion for life and adventure that I love to share with my readers. As an avid traveler and professional businessman conducting business worldwide for years I have made many interesting contacts and received numerous awards for top production. I have owned and operated several real estate companies, several insurance companies, and a stock brokerage company. I love radio and TV talk shows, as well as speaking in front of various audiences. Feel free to contact me if you need a guest speaker.

When it comes time to play, I am very active in many sports including dancing, swimming, tennis, biking, and skiing. While I love adventures that are new, interesting and challenging, making friends that share my passions is a special gift."

Hmm. Well, I will be the first to contact you for guest speaking.

"I will look forward to that. I live in Clearwater, Florida where I work full time as a writer, and I can be often found in one of the hundreds of coffee shops along the beach working on my next novel. I belongs to the Florida Writer Association where I recently won the Royal Palm Literary Award for best thriller, the Romantic Writers of America, and the Mystery Writers Association. I attend various national writer conventions throughout the year, as well as several local writing groups in the Tampa Bay area of Florida."

When Did You First Know You Wanted To become A Writer?

"I have wanted to for years, but I  always had companies that required all of my attention."

The Salsa Connection, This Novel Won The Royal Literary Award For Thriller, What's The Secret?

"This is a great story that I loved to tell. It captures the struggle of a family caught in a situation that made readers pull for them."

How Did The Award Made You Feel When You first Heard You Won?

"Great! I was surprised, but very thankful."

What's The Major Plot Points Of This Book?

"When Nickolay Panov left St Petersburg, Russia to go to New York City for an international ballet competition 25 years ago, he was considered one of the best ballet dancers in Russia. The Americans say he was murdered. The Russians say he defected. In any case, he never returned. Just before Nickolay disappeared, several priceless paintings and icons from a major museum were stolen. While he was accused of the theft, no solid proof has ever been offered to tie him to it. However, evidence shows that the stolen goods were shipped to America. The CIA and the Russian Government are still pursuing all leads connected to the heist, and so is the Russian mafia.

Sveta was three years old when her father disappeared, so it’s a shock when, in the mail, she receives an invitation to a salsa dance competition in New York. At the bottom of the invitation is a note: “Please come to the competition and enter, my little lady.” No one but her father has ever called her that. Why has her father surfaced after all these years? Sveta wants answers, even if it means entering the late-night, sultry world of salsa dancing in St Petersburg and New York City and coming into uncomfortably close contact with the Russian mob."

 

That's quite Intriguing!

"Thank you." 

You Are Welcome. What Must A Book That Want To Garner An Award Include?

"Many things, including great writing, but also the ability to build characters and plot."

What's The Objective As A Writer Writing This Book?

"Several things, with the first be telling the story of a family struggling to make it in a crazy world, but also to give a history of the world of salsa. I love developing plots and want that to hold the reader’s interest."

All The Most Successful Books Show Creativity And Interesting Writing Techniques, What Must A Writer Do To Write A Best Seller?

"Best sellers have to have that extra edge. You can not be as good as other great writers, you have to be better. To generate sales you have to make the book so good, readers want to share it with others."

Hmm. Has There Been Rejection On The Salsa Connection Before It Got Finally Published? 

"Yes, there were several. I also had some that wanted to publish it, but not pay me what I thought it was worth"

I Know That Writers' Depression When Rejection Comes Is Not Clinically, Medically, But Officially. How Have You Been Able To Deal With The Sadness And Anger Which Comes With Rejection In Your Writing Career?

 

"I have never worried about it, I always knew that I would work things out. I just keep busy writing the next novel."

What Words Of Encouragement Do You Have For Those Writers Who Has Killed Many Nights To Write A Good Book They Thought Would Get Sold Instantly, But Still Sitting In Their Drawers?

"Some stories are meant to remain in the drawers. It is all a learning process. Learn to enjoy the process, and it will all work out in the end. Also, learn to celebrate all victories."

What Other Books Do You Have Coming Up?

"I just released another novel, STALKING LOVE. I will release two more in that series next year. I also plan to release two more books connected to THE SALSA CONNECTION later also"

 

Have You Achieved Fame And Success As A Writer In The Way You Desire?

 

"Not yet, but it is a journey. I can see this next year being a major turning point."

Any Favorite Author You Wanna Praise?

"I have so many friends who are writers.  I love to read Sandra Brown and Jackie Collins. Karen Rose is also great."

Book Short Blurb:

   

THE SALSA CONNECTION--AN INTERNATIONAL ROMANTIC THRILLER is a 93,000 word romantic thriller that has already won the Royal Palm Literary Award for best thriller. The story moves from the salsa clubs of St. Petersburg, Russia to New York to Louisiana and, finally, to Italy. The red-hot thread of the dance runs through a novel that explores the Russian mob, slavery and prostitution rings, and the art world, as well as love, loss, revenge and the strength of family ties.

PURCHASE BOOK HERE 

 

CONNECT WITH JOHNNY ON FACEBOOK

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To all aspiring writers I want to say when demoralization kicks in the door and you feel like after all your failures, writing couldn't have been the way for you to have so much pains, remember your first love for the profession. For me when I started writing I didn't think about getting published. I've known that I wanted to be a writer even when I had no deeper understanding of what that means. Not until the calling came for me, I didn't think about the fame and the fortune. Please, keep your head high if you are having it rough in the field. It's Always Like That, But There is always a good ending for them that remains unmoved.

Any Message for Your Fan For The Christmas Season And The New Year Johnny?

 

"Enjoy the season and your family. I really love my fans, and want them to know just how special they are to me. If you have any questions for me, please contact me at sirjohn@wwisp.com"

Thanks For Coming By My Blogs Johnny. It's a pleasure meeting you. 

"It's a pleasure Darmie."

I Hope You Have A Fun-Filled Christmas And A Prosperous New. 

"You too. Thank you."

The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap by Paulette Mahurin

Review:  The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap is a story which revolved around five important characters who would loved  to live the kind of life they craved without being scrutinized and crucified, but they found themselves in a hateful society where their kinds of ideal love life was rebuked and despised. The story illustrated loyalty, true friendship, hate, prejudice comparison to race, the jews and as well as gays. Moreso assimilating all the Oscar Wilde’s quotes explored in this book, the story furtherore portrayed lives, the essence of living, honest, love, survival, death, good reputation and all!

To start with, while reading this book I could not break away from it. It’s a story with a lot of depth, good story backdrop and originality. At some point, I thought I had tears in my eyes as I neared the end of the book. Not that I’m too emotional, but this book is just way to transcendent not to affect anyone greatly. Just because I have access to the author I could not let her be. From time to time I contacted her to know what next happened in the book chapter after chapter, but she is a good suspense holder! She did well not telling me anything until I read through it all.

The story began in 1985 with the breaking news spreading around the world of the conviction of the well known and most successful playwright, novelist, and short story writer Oscar Wilde. Wilde was sentenced to two years of hard labor under the Britain’s Criminal Law for sexual activity between members of the same sex.

This incident caused people’s attitudes to change about homosexuality from a mood of pity and tolerance to hatred and abuse. The news was that Wilde was caught in the act with another mate, Lord Douglas, the son of the Marquins of Queensberry, and Victorian London would not tolerate such immoral decadence.

In Red River Pass in a small town of Nevada this kind of occurrence had also happened. The Parker boys had been playing out by the lake when they ran across Harold Simons hugging Bert Langlay. When the Parker boys ran home and told their parents, they had exaggerated what they saw; said the men were kissing, starting to undress. Within twenty four hours two families were thrown into irreversible turmoil. The story spread like untamed fire in the town. After days of the incident Harold Simons took a gun to his own head and blew his brains out. A week later both families moved from Red River Pass.

Also in the town were two women Mildred Dunlap and Edra Fitzgerald who loved themselves in ways couple love one another and they tried to protect themselves from the hateful society with stories of Wilde and the Harold and Bert.

Mildred was the brunt of ridicule and of jokes in the town because she has a prematurely receding hairline with some facial hair above her lips, muscles which showed through her dress sleeves like a man’s through his shirt, and a height which towered over a lot of men of the town at close to six feet. She was called a giant cow and the ugliest curse of the Red River Pass.

Josie’s jealousy ran deeper by the day for Mildred. She was a character with forceful personality which no one could understand why she had so much distaste for Mildred. She so hated her that she would go extra mile to destroy her. Josie and the sister hood of talebearers in the town had nothing to do with their lives than scout for lives to ruin. They were most vicious and the most closed minded petty people in the town that would give up their lives to see Mildred cleaned out.

Mildred being wealthy and controlling the purse strings of the community looked past this hatred and continued to help the people with her money, but was dying inside for all the hounding.  Despite Mildred generosity she remained Josie’s target for destruction and she knew it. With all the discrimination going about homosexuality, Mildred feared for her life and that of her cousin.

While the town people and head talebearer Josie busied with the news of Oscar Wilde, Mildred came up with the trick to get Charley Milpass attention who at the time struggled to save the life of the love of his life Emma Milpass suffering cancer. This Mildred’s plan was to avert any suspicion from forming around her and Edra. She wanted Josie and group to unfold another rumor different from what was really happening. 

At first Mildred's plan failed. Charley who suffered unthinkable loss, of the love of his life, would not welcome any woman in his heart. However, with time Charley came to realized Mildred was a good person inside and out and the physical ugliness was just a cross for her to bear in her life. He became her true friend. Then, tittle-tattle swelled that Charley who claimed could never loved another woman but Emma was dating Mildred, impregnated her, and was set to marry her.

 

Mildred was glad for this new focus Josie and cliques now occupied themselves with, nonetheless with intensity of the gossip which was damaging to the human soul, on the inside, Mildred kept breaking down terribly from the years of none stop persecutions. 

With the sweet friendship Mildred found in Charley, Edra feared she would lose Mildred to Charley. At nine-year-old Edra whose mother died at childbirth was raped. In all the months of her recovery from the shock of the rape, it was Mildred who nurtured Edra back to life again. On Edra’s twelfth birthday, three years after the rape, things forever changed in her life and between her and Mildred.

Edra felt unsaved with people and could not bring herself to love a man. Only in Mildred did she found any form of love and security. She confessed how she felt for Mildred on her birthday, their love life kicked started.

 

Charley found out about Mildred and Edra’s love life, knowing what grief it was to lose a loved one, he didn’t tell on them, rather he became supportive of their relationship. With time Edra relaxed around Charley, when she was sure that Charley only intended to be a true friend to Mildred and could never love another like Emma his late wife. The three became true friends, and once again Edra could trust again another person different from her family.

Helene Whitmore, one of the talebearers lost her only son little Frankie while she planned with Josie and the rest to bring Mildred down. Josie and husband Satchel were shooed out of the town to Carson City and Mildred had her life and good health back.

At the end of this book I found that Mildred had been hounded by her past because of her father's deeds and a man who looked like the father whom people believed they must had been related; Mildred was persecuted for this passed people’s mistakes without mercy and misguided vengeance. 

This is all I’m going to give out from this book.

Summary: This is an absolute fascinating, great and touching novel. The author of this book is a very nice person. In a little while our paths had crossed, I’ve been touched by her true kindness. At some point when I couldn’t get this book with the readable format on my smart phone because my lap top was faulty, she gifted me the book on Amazon. Auntie P, thanks very kindly for the chance given me to review this wonderful book. 

I found Edra’s transformation somewhat annoying at first when I didn’t know where the story was heading. I assumed the worse for Mildred. I imagined she would be killed or something. I felt Edra should have looked someplace else for another woman to love rather than put the well-meaning protagonist Mildred Dunlap in trouble. As soon as I knew that there was no harm to cause damage on Mildred’s life, I regained my peace. In Friendship, relationship, Mildred is an ideal person to have as a partner. I felt a great connection to her a great deal. She reminded me of myself;  you do good to people and in turn you are rewarded with evil. 

The story world of this book was perfect. It slowly played out organically. It was like everything was happening around me in the real life. Overall, this story has other mesmerizing characters to hold you spellbind to the book. It’s a well crafted story. I recommend you get your copy of The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap if you haven’t. 

Rating:  Five Stars

Sum It Up:   Touching, Adult Female Friendship Book

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