Archive for September, 2012

Inspirational author Teresa Morrow recently interviewed me on her website. Click on Teresa’s image below to visit her site and read the interview where I talk a little bit about my writing and also give some advice to writers just getting into the business. Enjoy!

Click the image below for the interview:

I just wanted to send out a quick message to let everyone know that my debut novel Pursuit of a Dream (Book 1 of Victory Lane: The Chronicles) is currently on sale for a mere 99¢ for a limited time. So, if you’ve been hovering your cursor over the ‘Buy’ icon waiting for a price drop, now is the time!

Here’s what other readers have been saying about Pursuit of a Dream:

“Pursuit of a Dream is a breath of fresh air. Readers will enjoy following Caleb’s journey from a rambunctious young boy to a determined young man who refuses to allow his dreams to pass him by.” | Sara Furlong Burr, author of Enigma Black

★★★★★

“If you want a compelling story about family, faith and dedication then you definitely want to take the time to read Pursuit of a Dream.” | Wyatt McIntyre, author of The Last Dance

★★★★★

“In the age of zombies, horror, and thrillers vying for attention, Pursuit of a Dream seems out of favor with the current trend … but, and this is a HUGE BUT, what isn’t out of favor is excellent writing and storytelling, and this is what Mr. Pruneda provides.” | Eden Baylee, author of Spring Into Summer

★★★★★

“If you enjoy a wonderful story that takes you through, highs, lows, faith and inspiration then you will find great pleasure in Pursuit of a Dream.” | Dannie Hill, author of In Search of a Soul

★★★★★

“Readers will truly enjoy the transition of Caleb from young boy to a focused adult with NASCAR racing on his mind.” | S.G. Lee, author of A Penny Saved, A Murder Earned

★★★★★

I truly enjoyed “Pursuit of a Dream” by Robert Pruneda. I cannot wait to see what lies around the next lap for the characters in this fine story and discover who will cross the finish line realizing a dream come true!” | Donna L. Sadd, author of Lucci the No Smoochie Poochie

★★★★★

Pursuit of a Dream is available in several formats for only 99¢ during this promotion. Just click on the image of your favorite eBook retailer below and grab a copy. 

Pursue your dreams… and never look back!

Available to purchase in several formats:

I’m pleased to announce a guest blogger to Sharkbait Writes today. A couple of weeks ago my friend and fellow author Kenneth Hoss asked if I would be interested in participating in a blog tour to celebrate and promote the launch of Storm Warning, the second book in his Kelli Storm series. Of course I accepted the opportunity and opened up the doors to my humble spot in cyberspace for Kenneth to share with my readers about his upcoming release. I would also like to point out that he is also a huge supporter of “Freedom Is Not Free” an organization that helps wounded service members and their families. Kenneth has given a portion of his royalties from Storm Rising to this organization in support of the brave men and women who serve our great country. For that I applaud him. 

Now, let me hand the virtual microphone over to Mr. Kenneth Hoss, author of the The Kelli Storm series.

Storm Warning
By Kenneth Hoss

First of all, I would like to thank Rob “Sharky” Pruneda for this opportunity.

Many people that I meet around town, when they find out that I’ve written a novel, inevitably ask me if it was hard. My answer is always, yes. However, I don’t look on writing as a task; it’s more as a labor of love. With the first book in the Kelli Storm series, in the beginning, I was a little unsure of my writing. After many failed starts, and with the help of a wonderful group of fellow writers, my work and characters began to come to life. With book two, Storm Warning, things went much smoother, and I had more confidence in my writing. Granted, the book took much longer to write, but I believe that is because I finally became familiar with my characters. They became old friends. Just like old friends, we argued, we fought and we even stopped talking to each other. Feelings got hurt and egos were bruised, but just like old friends, we eventually made up and the story continued. That’s the way I see them, as old friends, and yes, we do have conversations and I tell their story. As E.L. Doctorow once said, writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.

Kelli is a strong willed woman and has been described as a tough as nails detective. On the flip side of that rough exterior is a woman who doesn’t hide her emotions, a woman who loves, and wants to be loved. She can be a fierce opponent, a loving daughter, and a loyal friend. She is one person you don’t want to piss off, and you definitely don’t mess with her friends or family.

When I began writing her story, I really didn’t know her, having just met. After several months of conversations, I began to know her and her views, and I’m embarrassed to say, I began to fall in love with her. She has so many facets to her personality. She is smart, has a sarcastic sense of humor, and she’s a big foodie. Oh, and she loves sports. With the second book, Storm Warning, I found myself still finding out new things about her and the people around her. Things like how she handles loss, the strength she musters to keep from taking a drink when that’s all she wants to do.

Originally, I wanted to start a new case for Kelli to follow, away from the first book. Unfortunately, Kelli didn’t feel this way, and after several false starts, I finally yielded and let her run the show. Unlike the first book, in which I outlined the entire book, I only did a skeletal outline on this one. Oh, I did the bios for the new characters, at least those with recurring roles. With the minor players, I did a brief bio, just enough to get an idea of their background. I won’t go into a lot of details on the story, other than to say that once again, Kelli has gotten herself in deep. A storm is brewing and Kelli is right in the path.

Kenneth Hoss was born at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas in 1957 to Albert and Mary Hoss. He served a combined total of fourteen years on active duty from 1974 to 1987 in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. His tour in the Army took him to Frankfurt, Germany where he had the opportunity to travel Europe. While in the Navy, Kenneth spent most of his time stationed in San Diego and Long Beach. His Navy travels took him to Hawaii, Guam, The Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Okinawa,the Middle East and Pakistan. He has lived in several States, including South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Washington and California.

Blog: http://kenhoss.blogspot.com
Twitter: @kenhoss
Independent Authors Network: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/kenneth-hoss.html

Storm Warning – A Kelli Storm Novel – Release date: 9/15/12

Exclusively on Amazon.

I recently read The Impenetrable Spy by Spencer Brokaw. Click on the cover image below to read my review of this young author’s first book.

Book Review: The Impenetrable Spy

I was very pleased to find another five-star review for my novel Pursuit of a Dream today as I was checking some stats. I’ve posted the review below for you. Enjoy! I know I did. 🙂

A Winning Family Saga! – September 4, 2012
By Donna L. Sadd (Kempner, Texas)

I truly enjoyed “Pursuit of a Dream” by Robert Pruneda. The story centers on The Lockharts, John, a widowed father and his two young sons Jared and Caleb. Early on, John loses his long-held job and the security of his family turns upside-down. Much of the story is reflective of current American family strife and I believe that this will resonate with readers.

It becomes an ongoing juggling act for John to provide for his boys versus spending quality time with them. Thankfully, he’s got his loving mother, father, sister, brother- in-law, cousins and a new love to help lighten the load. The boys’ grandfather builds a go cart track on his ranch and the rest, as they say, is history. Caleb, the youngest son is bitten by speed and winning, well winning really, only winning. This single-mindedness of the main character drives the story forward. You will get frustrated with his many impatient impulses and root for him in his victories.

I liked Caleb as a boy, but was troubled by his self-centered nature as he grew older. This is when Mr. Pruneda smartly begins to focus a light on Caleb’s best friend and foil Brian. Brian has had it real hard; yet he always manages to persevere with patience. Brian then catches a break through Jared, of all people, who backs him in racing and we begin to see that patient perseverance pay off.

It’s been rightly mentioned in other reviews that this story is a wholesome saga of familial love, complete with the ups, downs, ins and outs of life. What hasn’t been mentioned is how the book’s focus around wildly-popular NASCAR could be a terrific catalyst in getting a young fan, but reluctant reader, excited about books.

I cannot wait to see what lies around the next lap for the characters in this fine story and discover who will cross the finish line realizing a dream come true!

Pursuit of a Dream is available in several formats. Just click on the image of your favorite eBook retailer below and grab a copy. 

Pursue your dreams… and never look back!

Available to purchase in several formats: