Author Aaron David

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Fantasy, Sci-Fi and just some great short stories from an author who can make you spit out your coffee. He has so much humor in his books it makes you wonder what is rolling around in that noggin of his.

THE SKIFFIES: Four mind-melting sci-fi short stories with the 

obligatory Aaron David humor.

Moon 2. Being rich is fantastic! Don’t let anyone tell you any different; There are downsides; you can relax on a sun kissed Malibu beach being served Tequila Mockingbirds, not a care in the world but sometimes it’s uncomfortably warm. Bits of sand stick to your glass, a dog may come sniffing around you, kids make noises... Imagine building a second Earth; one with a controlled climate well away from earthbound riffraff, just for the rich. Hughes the Rocket. When Emlyn Hughes (named after the footballer but not related) saw the Challenger disaster on the TV he became obsessed with going into space. But why?
One Small Step. The first manned mission to Mars. What could possibly go wrong?
The Big Unchill. 2099; the decision is finally made to defrost all the cryogenically frozen millionaires

MORE SKIFFIES: If you enjoyed 'The Skiffies' you'll enjoy 'More Skiffies'... more... probably. Four new sci-fi short stories.

Zed. Taking a year off university? Why not go planet hopping?

RecTec. What if you could digitally record emotions?

Phackers. Physics hackers.

Thief. What would he steal from a hospital?

THE COMPLETE WORKS: Everything I've written in one tome. The Almost English Dictionaarony; four short stories and four Bogas Biographies. The Skiffies; four mind-melting sci-fi short stories. Now That's What I Call Gibberish! Four new short stories from my fevered excuse for a brain; A Reptile Dysfunction. 5 new short stories A Reptile Dysfunction; a King Cobra has a secret. Opposition Vacant 1 & 2; my first venture into politics Time invader/warrior/bandit; a bit of time travel nonsense. The Last Laugh; a comedian literally dies on stage. The Tale of the Ancient Marina; my first novel, very funny. Rhyming Stuff; my poems.

SCI-FI OVERLOAD: Sixteen mind melting science fiction short stories.

BOOKY MCBOOKFACE: Five short stories; Vincent; an unlikely alien invader. Six Deaths; bloody and grizzly. Egregious Fortune. This is based on my heart attack in January 2016.100% autobiographical to a point; I'll let the reader decide where that point is. White Night; for true science nerds, think Olbers' paradox. The Booby; The Bolton Space Mission, what could go wrong?

These are some of Aaron's Miscellaneous books to read. 

We hope you will enjoy them too!

A REPTILE DYSFUNCTION: 

Five new short stories; A Reptile Dysfunction; 

a King Cobra has a secret.

Opposition Vacant 1 & 2; my first venture into politics

Time invader/warrior/bandit; a bit of time travel nonsense.

The Last Laugh; a comedian literally dies on stage.

LUDICRIUS ALL SHORTS: Thirty-One short stories; count 'em!4 Bogas Biographies; count 'em! Umpteen poems; I haven't counted 'em! This is the compilation of my collections; "The Skiffies", "Now That's What I Call Gibberish!", "The Almost English Dictionaarony","

A Reptile Dysfunction" and "Rhyming Stuff"

ENJOYMENT IS FORBIDDEN: Ever wondered what would happen if the UK government were to outlaw tobacco, alcohol, gambling, swearing or folk music? Wonder no more.

AUTHOR MIGRAINE CENTRAL

Interview Questions for Authors and Artists

Tell us your name/Pen Name. Aaron David

What is your age? (not required)56 (nearly 57)

Where are you from? Bolton, near Manchester, North West England

Alittle about your self (ie, your education, family life, etc.). I hate talking about myself but here goes. I was born at a very early age in 1965. I excelled in school, being alternately known as ‘the brainy one’, and ‘the class clown’. In the seventies, we had grammar schools and the eleven plus exam. The pupils who scored in the top ten percent were offered a place in grammar school. I went to one and have always been and will always be grateful.

Aged fifteen, I decided my vocation was photography. I set up a darkroom in the loft and spent as much time and money as I could to become competent. When I left school, I was a professional photographer for nine years.

Aged nineteen, I had the tremendous good fortune to meet the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen. Thirty four years later we are still happily married.

I became disillusioned and bored with photography and, aged 25 I started a business, installing and repairing burglar alarms. I still own and run the company.

In 1993, we had a son, in ‘95 we had a daughter and in ’97 we had another son.

When and why did you begin writing? Dear reader, I don’t know if you have children but if you do you’ll know that there’s a lot of time spent waiting; waiting for them to wake up, waiting for feeding time, rocking a cot at 4.00am, etc.

In ’97, just before our youngest was born, I decided to use this time to test a theory; I’d always thought maybe I could write but was always busy with other things.

I bought an exercise book and pack of ballpoints and set out to write ‘a funny book’. I wasn’t interested in changing anyone’s life, critical acclaim or winning awards, just writing a funny book.

The first night I wrote page one. The second night I wrote eight pages. Doing some quick maths, I worked out I’d finish it by Christmas and be able to retire on the royalties by Easter. Sure enough, a mere ten years later, I finished the bloody thing. This was 2007, I didn’t do anything with it until I launched a website in 2009 and published on Amazon in 2010.

By 2013, I’d sold six copies and decided I’d better have a go at marketing. I joined social media and made some amazing friends, most notably Ian Hutson, Pat McDonald, Carol E. Wyre, Tony Gilbert, Christoph Fischer, Robert Southworth and many, many others.

Towards the end of 2013 I started writing short stories. I now have a dozen books published (three are compilations) and I’m working on a film script with an American screen writer.


When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When my books started getting positive reviews

What inspired you to write your first book? See above

How did you come up with the title? I think, long and hard, then I stop thinking and the titles pop into my head

Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging? I’d have to leave that to the reader

How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? No, entirely fictional. If I used real people or stories, I’d feel I was stealing

To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process? No

Who designed the covers? Myself and my eldest son.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? No, I just want to make them laugh and maybe think


Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you? Ian Hutson, Pat McDonald and Robert Southworth, are my friends and favorite authors.

Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author. Nobody

Do you see writing as a career? I wish

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? No

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book? Just from research; The NASA website is a mine of knowledge

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead? Anyone except Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Pattinson or Chris Martin

Any advice for other writers? Don’t do it for the money. Don’t waste time talking about writing, just write

Anything specific you want to tell your readers? BUY MY BOOKS

What book are you reading now? Flint of Dreams by Charles Peterson Sheppard

Do you remember the first book you read? The first one that made an impression was the adventures of Tom Sawyer. Before that they would be ‘Dick and Jane’ books

Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why? No

Do you have any hobbies? Snooker

Favorite foods, colors, music? 

Food; extra hot chicken Karahi. 

Colour; black. 

Music; rock/punk

Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do? Be free from nagging self doubt

Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers? 

http://aarondavid.co.uk/

Excerpt from: More Skiffies

Zed

Not so long ago in a galaxy not so far away; actually it was this one. I

love science fiction, don’t you? I love real science too; that’s why I’m so

happy to live where I do. Our solar system is unique in the universe as

far as we know. At its centre is a star (requisite), we call it the Glow.

The closest planet is called Blip; it’s tiny and too hot to support life. The

next one is called Orb; it’s larger but still too hot to support life. Here

comes the unique bit; the next seven planets are known as ‘the

Friendlies’. From the inner to the outer they are; Red, Fred, Ned, Med,

Zed, Ted and Wellfed. They are all about the same size except Wellfed

which is ten percent bigger. Their orbital paths are astonishingly close;

each of the friendlies is less than three miles from its neighbours. Of

course there have been lots of books and films where the planets

collide or get into a cosmic dance; pirouetting around each other, but

the status quo has existed for billions of years. They all orbit at different

speeds; a year on Red is equal to about a year and a half on Fred, a year

on Fred is equal to about a year and a quarter on Ned, etc. ‘Passings’

are irregular but calculable. When two planets pass, their gravities

cancel each other out. A circle on both planets becomes zero-gravity.

You can just jump upwards from one of these circles and within half an

hour you land gently on the other planet. You pass seamlessly from one

atmosphere to the other so there’s no need for a spacesuit. As a

general rule, it would be possible to travel in this way from Red to

Wellfed in around seven to ten years. I’ll give you a brief description of

the planets;

Red has the warmest climate, being closest to The Glow. Its reddish

colour is due to the high iron content in its surface rocks and sand. It’s

thought to be the birthplace of life in our system although life quickly

spread throughout due to regular passings. It has been ravaged by

floods, droughts, famines and the worst diseases known. It’s been

largely abandoned by humans; those who remain can’t afford to leave.

Its landmasses are mainly used for storing refuse or cultivating food

which needs the hot climate.

If you would like to follow Aaron please visit these sites:

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/aaron.david.50

Twitter; @aarondavid97

Instagram; aarondavid50

Thank you for your support in reviewing books

if interested in reviewing any book here please contact us.

Aaron David

aaron@aarondavid.co.uk

http://viewauthor.at/AaronDavid

Our Blog

https://www.authormigrainecentral.blogspot.com

Crystal Miles Gauthier

Jennifer Reeves

C & J Promotions and Marketing

clgmarketing41@YAHOO.COM

Also visit our website: www.cjpromotionsmarketing.com

Judy Mastrangelo - Author and Artist

Author and Artist - Judy Mastrangelo

We recently did an interview with her and here is what we asked and she answered for us.

 AUTHOR MIGRAINE CENTRAL 

Interview Questions for Authors and Artists 

Tell us your name/Pen Name. Judy Mastrangelo 

A little about your self (ie, your education, family life, etc.). I have always been inspired by great Artists throughout history, and regard them as my teachers. 

Some of your favorites? Those of the Italian Renaissance, the Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood, The Hudson River School, and the Artists of the Golden Age of Illustration. 

Who do you live with? I live happily with my dear and talented husband Michael, who is a great inspiration to me. 

You are an artist/painter. Who influenced you most? I come from an artistic family of painters, sculptors, cartoonist, and musicians. 

My Art has been licensed in many fields, such as fine art prints and posters, wall coverings, puzzles, calendars, greeting cards, Embroidery kits, Home Décor etc.

Tell us your latest news.

 I’m finishing up my second Oracle Card Deck that I’ve both written and illustrated entitled 

"Dream Your Joy"

https://judymastrangelo.com/inspirational-oracle-card-decks/

 

  It will be on the market at the end of 2022, and is a companion deck to my deck. 

 “Inspirational Visions”  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764360000/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i17

 

They are both about developing one’s imagination, and creativity, healing, and living with Joy. for “RED FEATHER MIND BODY SPIRIT”, a division of Schiffer Publishing.

 I’m also working on some new books that I’ve both written

and illustrated. They should be on the market soon too.

When and why did you begin writing?

I always enjoyed writing, even as a child. I was always very

imaginative and my stories were very fanciful about fairy tale

worlds. My writing usually began as drawings and paintings, which I then developed into illustrations for these original stories.

My recent book, I wrote and illustrated is entitled:

 “The Magic Blanket”.

 https://www.amazon.com/MAGIC-BLANKET-JUDY-MASTRANGELO-ebook/dp/B09VDBS3X4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SYDD0N3L14GH&keywords=Judy+Mastrangelo&qid=1660755009&s=digital-text&sprefix=judy+mastrangelo%2Cdigital-text%2C112&sr=1-1

 

 

Website: https://judymastrangelo.com/books-2/the-magic-blanket/

I enjoyed writing and illustrating it as I “let my imagination go” to the fullest. It was a wonderful experience for me to  create a fantastical fairy tale world. I felt that this would be a good book for families and friends to share together, and also partake in some fun filled activities after the story, at the end of the book. My hope is that it would bring people together.

          The story is about little Amy, whose Mother gives her a Magic

Blanket that she decorated with pictures of a Wondrous

Dream World. As Amy goes to bed that night, a little Elf hops

out of the Blanket and asks her to go with him on an exciting

voyage to this Fairy Tale Realm. She happily agrees, and

upon arrival, he introduces her to the Royal King and Queen,

and other whimsical little people, who invite Amy to see their

incredible “Enchanted Land”.

Her Mother’s Magic Blanket was an entrance to the “Enchanted Land”,

which is a Realm where Goodness Reigns,

 and all who are kindhearted are welcome to enter.

Children and Parents alike will love reading this Fairy Tale

book together, with its charming illustrations and captivating

adventures. And since this is part of my series of “Come

Play With Me” books, along with the story, it also contains

several engaging, fun filled, and Artistic things to do. Some

of these Activities are: Baking Yummy Cookies, Coloring

Pages, Performing a Play, Learning the Magic of Colors, and

Painting Rainbows and Scenes from your Imagination.

Who designed the covers?

Besides writing my original stories or poetry for my books,

and/or adapting literature in the public domain, I do all the

artwork, including the covers. I also design them as well.

"POEMS TO DREAM ON"

Artist Judy Mastrangelo’s magical and colorful paintings beautifully bring to life this collection of famous and beloved poetry, written by great poets of the past. Here are a few of her favorite poems she has chosen to illustrate for this enchanting anthology:

From Robert Louis Stevenson’s volume “A Child’s Garden of Verses”, you can have fun flying up in the air with “The Swing”, and looking for tiny Garden Fairies in his poem “The Flowers”. Eugene Field, known as “The Poet of Childhood”, recounts a comical “Duel” of the whimsical Gingham Dog and Calico Cat. And his lovely “Rock-a-By Lady from Hushaby street” takes us to visit her wondrous Land of Dreams. Joyce Kilmer expresses the beauty of “Trees” who wear “a nest of robins in their hair” in his celebrated poem. You will recognize the popular lines “All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small”, in the poem by Cecil Frances Alexander. The funny “Three Little Kittens” will give you a chuckle as they search for their mittens, and you will marvel at the beauty of the “road from earth to sky” in “The Rainbow”, by Christina Rossetti. The poem “Toyland”, written by Glen MacDonough, contains the familiar verse “Toyland, toyland, Little girl and boy land”. This was set to music for the charming operetta “Babes in Toyland" by Victor Herbert.

Judy has also included some of her own original poems that she wrote and illustrated, such as the “Graceful Swan Boat”, in which you can sail away “to lands where dreams are born”. From her series “Garden Gates”, you will enjoy playing with children in the Buttercups, having a Foxglove Tea Party, marching in a Tulip Parade, and making a wish on a Water Lily Pond.

Both Children and Adults of all ages will delight in reading this engaging medley of poetry, as well as looking at Judy’s captivating, detailed, and stunning artwork, which enhances and illustrates it so perfectly. In her “Poems To Dream On”, she has created an endearing and tender book, which will be cherished by readers for many years to come.

https://judymastrangelo.com/poems-to-dream-on/

Any advice for other writers?

You have to love the Art of writing in order to have patience

to stick with it and never give up. I have had many set backs

in my career, as have many others. But I don't let these bad

experiences get me down. I just pick myself up and continue

on. That is because I love doing it so much. The world of

Painting and Writing is a great joy to me, and if I gave it up,

there would be a great void in my life.

"Enchanted Fairy Tales" 

ENCHANTED FAIRY TALES is a collection of some of the most famous and beloved classic Fairy Tales, written by great authors of the past. These stories have been adapted and illustrated by Judy Mastrangelo, who is a world-renowned Artist and Author specializing in fantasy artwork. Her beautifully detailed and colorful paintings follow in the Fine Art tradition of the “Artists of the Golden Age of Illustration”. For those of all ages who enjoy the world of fantasy, this book will be a magical delight. Some of the stories she has chosen for this book are: Peter Pan, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Thumbelina, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, The Frog Prince, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sleeping Beauty, King Arthur, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/POEMS-DREAM-JUDY-MASTRANGELO-ebook/dp/B0B35N7DVW/ref=sr_1_10?crid=SYDD0N3L14GH&keywords=Judy+Mastrangelo&qid=1660755253&s=digital-text&sprefix=judy+mastrangelo%2Cdigital-text%2C112&sr=1-10

My first published book was entitled 

“WHAT DO BUNNIES DO ALL DAY?”.

https://judymastrangelo.com/what-do-bunnies-do-all-day-paperback-books/

It was inspired by our adorable little Netherlands Dwarf pet

rabbit named “Bunny”. He was so very cute and playful. He

was the star of my story, in which I imagined him going on

his first adventure, looking for his identity as a little bunny.

He met several delightful characters in this story, such as

Daffodils, Butterflies, and a Cloud, and had a wonderful first

adventure, before he hopped back home to his Mama Bunny.

How did you come up with the title?

I got the title from the question that he asked all his new

friends that he met: “WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY?”

Then, after his adventure, when he arrived home, his mother

asked,

“Well, Little Bunny, what did you do all day?”

He answered her:

“I hopped, skipped, and jumped.

Then I nibbled dandelions,

washed in the warm sun,

took a nap, ate raspberries,

and sipped cool water from a Stream.

“But,” said Little Bunny sadly,

“I never did find out

what Bunnies do all day.”

“What Bunnies do all day is exactly what my Little Bunny

did,”

said Mother Bunny as she hugged him tightly.

Then they ate their supper, and went to bed.

Is there a message in your book that you want readers to

grasp?

I’d like to quote here some of the reviews about my book that

are on Amazon. I think they have understood my message

well:

Children will love to discover What Bunnies Do All Day and

will learn ways to create their own adventures with nature.

the story involves little bunny conversing with all of nature,

the sky, the land and the water. It's bound to spark the imagi-

nation of the young (and the young at heart) and encourage

their connection with nature, and nature spirits.

Here is an opportunity to teach appreciation of nature, and to

introduce the concepts of independence and intellectual cu-

riosity.

My children loved this book. I don't know whether it was the

simpleness of the story or that they could associate with the

baby bunny. With the parents running around and doing all

this stuff and getting so stressed, emphatic children are not

sure if they are doing their part. This books reassures them

they are doing exactly what they are suppose to be doing -

exploring!

I think the story line is ideal for young children. It is natural

for a child to wonder, "What does a bunny do all day?" The

book gives credible and understandable answers in the

young bunny's adventuresome day.

This is a good bedtime story for a child because the last line

reads, "Then she [Mother Bunny] fed Little Bunny his supper

and put him to bed.”

 

Do you remember the first book you read?

When we were young by A.A. Milne

Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet?

Why? I would love to meet Leonardo da Vinci, the great Renaissance Polymath. I’d really enjoy talking with him about his great paintings, and his amazing inventions.

He was such a genius.

Favorite foods, colors, music?

I’m a lacto-vegetarian and enjoy eating fresh veggies, fruit,

and yogurt etc.

I love all the colors in the color wheel.

Music that I mostly enjoy listening to is Baroque (such as

Johann Sebastian Bach), Classical and Romantic (such as

Ludwig van Beethoven), and Modern (such as Igor Stravinsky).

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I daydream about my paintings for a while before putting

them on canvas.

This preliminary technique of "Mind Painting" helps me to

develop an imaginative Work of Art. I do the same when I

create an original story.

 

Here are some links to my books and artwork:

AUTHOR’S PAGE on USA AMAZON:

https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Mastrangelo/e/B08TGNL7D9?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1660755339&sr=1-3

Website BOOK page:

https://judymastrangelo.com/books-2/

Website SHOP PAGE:

https://judymastrangelo.com/portfolio/shop/

Website ART PAGE:

https://judymastrangelo.com/art/

Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates,

events and special offers?

www.judymastrangelo.com