When two vacationers disappear in the Mediterranean, their friends go in search.
The
truth is not what they expected—but then, on an island like this, the truth
never is.
A
Passion
Worth Pursuing
by A.L.
Means
Genre: Erotic Romance
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A.L. Means grew
up in Britain and has lived in or near Phoenix, Arizona, for over 30 years. He
has authored fiction and nonfiction in various genres, using different pen
names, and has spent much of his working life as a journalist for magazines and
newspapers.
His fiction includes a self-published novel entitled Shine Like The Sun, a set
of short stories, Foreign Ways, and two tales suitable for readers of most
ages, The Trouble Upstream, loosely inspired by a childhood favorite—The Wind
in the Willows, and a fanciful fable, When Rabbits Ran Rampant.
As Andrew Means, he has written biographies of novelist and essayist George
Orwell and the rock group Pink Floyd as well as Some Memories, a memoir about
the childhood of the late Country-Western singer Marty Robbins, who lived in
the Phoenix area before and after World War Two.
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GUEST POST
Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
Influenced by my mother’s devotion to language and literature, I had pretty much settled for the writing life by the time I left school. I started as a newspaper reporter in southern England, but it took a while for me to develop ideas for fiction.
How did you come up with name of this book?
A process of elimination. I wanted a title that reflected the search for missing friends that is a key element in the plot. So it was a case of doing keyword searches and seeing what ideas had already been used. As you might expect, a lot of word combinations are already in use. I’m pleased with the title I came up with. I think it’s distinctive and represents the story well. I hope readers agree.
What did you edit out of this book?
You can probably guess! Like countless writers before me, I changed names, although there are only a handful of people who could guess whom my characters were very loosely based upon. Other than that, fictitious embellishment is mixed with incidents the way I wish they had really been.
Who designed your book covers?
For this one – me, sort of. I’d been saving an image from an online catalog. All it needed was a change in the coloring, which the publisher’s staff duly supplied. Purple is the favorite color of one of the characters. Nails. Lips. Clothes — some of them anyway. So the face on the cover traded in her rosy sheen accordingly. The costumed look makes sense later in the story.
Tell us about a favorite character from this book:
Sometimes a character assumes iconic stature in an author’s mind from the outset. Such was the case with Klara. She’s charismatic, self-assured to a fault, and once experienced she’s never going to fade out of the picture — even if she’s reported missing.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Let me think about that for a while – before I commit to paper or screen.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
I find one interesting approach to this is to use characters to speculate about other characters that are difficult to define or explore. As a writer I may find it hard to describe the inner workings of a particular character, but I may be able to make judgments as seen through the eyes of others. That leaves open the option of confirming or refuting those judgments in further developments in the story.
If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
The Bible. Think of the royalties.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
Bewildering. Never have so many writers chased so many publishing opportunities. Just about anyone who finishes a book can find a way to get it into print. That’s good for self-expression. On the other hand, it means quality control is not what it used to be under the tighter control of the traditional presses. And now there’s the additional challenge of AI-created works. Whether independent publishers, especially in the fiction category, can hold their own remains to be seen. Without them, our reading choices would suffer.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
I have. One is waiting for a response from a publisher. Another couple are needing illustrators. Still others need revision or at least a read through before republishing. I don’t think I’m alone in neglecting the promo and marketing necessities in my desire to write. The result may be that I will take masterpieces to the grave with me, and thus forfeit my rightful due to be hailed as the modern Homer.
Advice you would give new authors?
Read analytically. Experience life. Observe those around you. Rome wasn’t build in a day; don’t expect writing to be otherwise.
