I am honored to have on my blog today
Darren Simon
and Guardian’s Nightmare
About the Author
Darren Simon lives with his wife and sons in California’s desert Southwest. He is a government affairs officer who works on California water issues and teaches college English at the community college in his region. He is a former newspaper journalist who still works as a freelance magazine writer. Writing fiction is something he has always dreamed of doing, and while Guardian’s Nightmare is his first book, he has completed three other manuscripts and has plenty more ideas for great stories.
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About the Book
Guardian’s Nightmare
by Darren Simon
Paperback, 180 pages
Published May 3rd 2014 by Divertir Publishing LLC
Charlee Smelton is an average thirteen-year-old girl struggling to adapt after her family moves to San Francisco. She thinks her biggest obstacle is facing the bullies who brand her a nerd and a dweeb. She’s wrong. Her life is about to change-for the worse. First, she receives a gift of the ugliest, most old fashioned bike she has ever seen. Try as she might to ditch it in the city, she just can’t seem to escape that very mysterious two-wheeler. Then come the visions of a world across a dimensional divide, a princess in fear for her life and a dark knight pursuing her. Are they just dreams or something more? For Charlee, everything she ever thought she knew about herself soon crumbles as she starts down a path to discover her true self, and she will need that hunk-of-junk bike more than she could ever imagine. Without it, she might not be able to find the hero in herself-the hero she must become to save her friends, family, her city-the world-from an evil only she can defeat. An evil she allows into this world.
Amazon | Divertir Publishing | BN
Goodreads
Chatting with the Author
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a husband and father of two sons who lives in California’s desert Southwest. I am a longtime newspaper journalist who transitioned into government affairs. I now work full time in government affairs on California’s water issues and I teach English at the California community college in my region. When I am not working on water issues, teaching or grading student essays, I spend as much time as I can with my family and what time remains I give to my writing.
What made you want to write a book?
I have always loved to write, even as a young boy. Like so many writers (probably all writers) I began as a reader. My grandmother once gave me a paper bag filled with comic books from DC and Marvel and that started me down the path of becoming a reader. It was in the summer before my freshman year of high school that I saw the movie Ghostbusters, and after that movie I decided to write my own version of Ghostbusters II, nothing like the actual sequel. From then, I knew I wanted to write fiction. However, my career as writer went the direction of journalism and it would be years before I would return to fiction. Still, I always knew I wanted to write books and I never let that go.
How long does it take for you to write a book?
That really depends. This book, Guardian’s Nightmare, took me years. However, the second book in the series, Hero’s Way, which will come out in 2015, only took me a year. A pirate novel I have written also took a year and a fourth book I just completed took me two years, so, again, it varies. My goal is to get to a point where I can complete a book in a year’s time.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Don’t judge yourself too harshly. You have to work at the craft to improve and grow as a writer but never tell yourself you’re not good enough. Save the judgment for agents and publishers. Just enjoy the writing. Have as much fun with it as possible and the joy you bring to the work will show.
Do you have a specific time during the day that you find better to write?
I like to write during my lunch hour at work, but most of my writing and editing is done late at night after the family goes to sleep. Unfortunately, as a part-time writing, sleep suffers, but right now that is how it has to be.
What books are you reading now?
I am reading two books right now. J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Children of Hurin, and because I am a Star Wars nerd, I am reading a new Star Wars novel titled, Millennium Falcon by James Luceno. By the way, I’d like to add that J.R.R. Tolkien’s books are the reason I am a writer of fantasy. His books inspired me to be a writer.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Well, first, spend time with my family. I love going swimming with my sons and playing soccer and baseball with them. I love going to dinner with my wife and sitting down with her to watch some of favorite shows on TV. I also love to jog an exercise when I have the time. Reading is another love of mine.
When you read what format do you prefer to read in (Paper/Hard Cover or E-reader)?
I am totally old fashioned. I still love going into a bookstore, finding that perfect book and taking it home to read. So paperback or hardcover – those are the formats I enjoy.
Can you share a little of your current work with my readers?
Well along with my Princess of Latara series (Guardian’s Nightmare is the first book in that series), I have a manuscript to a young adult pirate novel titled, The Birthmark Blade. I am really excited by this book as it required a great deal of research. I even took a course on the golden age of piracy. It is a work of fantasy, but it ties in historical pirates and pirate hunters – just not the ones you typically see in literature or movies about pirates. It is a time traveling story mixed with magic and the paranormal. Then, I just completed the manuscript to a book titled The Freak Condition. It is my first book told in first person. I am now working on editing that manuscript, so it will be some time before that book is ready for publishers.
If you can recommend one book for someone to read what would it be? (not including yours)
That’s easy. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series (as many writers of fantasy would say). Many may think they experienced Lord of the Rings through the movies and in a way they did. But reading Tolkien is a whole different and lifting experience.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with me!!
Thank you!
Thank you for stopping by my blog today to check out this amazing author and his book!
Hope you all have a great day and Happy Reading 
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