BENDING THE RULES opens with investment analyst Dylan MacDonald facing insurmountable danger when he's detained in the South Sudan by a hostile militia. (That's enough to give me goosebumps.) 

The author quickly introduces Bella Costa, Dylan's high school crush. Smooth flashbacks layer the couple's complicated emotions and define the moments that challenge their wishful romance. 

I read this gem in a couple of hours. The pacey action kept me absorbed in the story. Written with wit and humor, Ms. O'Sullivan also shows heart and sensitivity. Love a story with second chances! 5 Stars

​DK

P.S.  Please join me for an interview with Ms. O'Sullivan on April 18th. She'll be talking about her latest release Quinn's Resolution. 

Katie O'Sullivan's Author Links:
Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page

Welcome, Travis. Please tell us a little about yourself.
I have written nine books so far, six novels and three memoirs. Seven of the books are available on Amazon, the other two are still being edited. But sometimes I struggle. All my books are set in America, or at least have an American POV. As I am American myself, that should be no big deal, right? However, I joined the navy in 1982, spent four years in Hawaii, then five years in Scotland. Once out of the navy, I lived in Seattle for eighteen months before moving to England with my British-born, Australia raised, wife in 1992. I wrote my first novel in 2011 set in the American navy, and my test readers all complained that I wasn't using American English. I had been Anglicized and my phrasing and slang was of a British nature. So I always use American editors.

In 2014 my wife and I returned to the United States to look after my parents. I was working on my fourth novel at the time, but dealing with the bureaucracy of trying to re-immigrate to the States became comical—so I stopped the book and wrote my first memoir, Foreigner In My Own Backyard. After four years in the States, we did all we could do for Mom & Dad, so we returned to England, but not until I completed my ill-judged ambition. I had been to 47 states. I decided on my exit, we should buy a second-hand RV and drive it to Florida, being sure to pass through Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama so I could stake claim to the boast that I have been to all 50 states! And I did it—but I had the Suicide Helpline on speed dial.

I know you’re an Author of Light-Hearted Fiction and Satirical Memoirs. A memoir puts your life out there for the world to see. Was that a difficult decision to make?
In one respect memoirs are easier to write than novels because I know the outcome. I can write a memoir relatively quickly because I'm not thinking up plot lines. Humor is a main staple in all my writing—novels and memoirs. I not only laugh at others, but I'm also able to laugh at myself. I really wasn't going to write RV There Yet? because it was an emotionally painful journey. I just wanted to forget it. But in real life, I'm a pretty good storyteller. The more stories I told our friends about the journey, the more they would encourage me to write a book about it. Once I formed some scar tissue, I sat down and wrote the book in about 45 days—then spent three months in the editing stages.

What motivates you to write?
I consider myself an in-print entertainer. I would love to have been a comedian, but I not quick-witted enough to perform on stage. Insult me today, and yes, by tomorrow, I'll have the perfect comeback. But it takes me time to develop the one-liner, retorts or a hilarious quip. And then I may redraft it 10-15 times. I love the challenge of stringing tens of thousands of words together in a coherent, cohesive, entertaining, and logical way. Except for memoirs. They do not have to follow logic, as you will find out if you read RV There Yet?

Without giving away too many details, what was the funniest moment of the trip?
Here's an excerpt. We had already broken down like five times on the journey by the time we hit Mississippi. Erring on the side of avoidance of another disaster, we thought we best get an oil change. Then the guy tried to sell me six new tires:
At 1:30 p.m. they drove our RV into the bay. At 1:45 Allen sat down with us.
"We got a little problem with the oil filter. There's two kinds of filters for those engines. You got the funny kind. It's a little more expensive, and it's not one we carry in stock."
What were the chances of us owning the RV with the odd oil filter? Yes, my thoughts exactly: 100 percent. There could never be any other outcome.
I fought back tears.
Wendy didn't. She let it rip.
Allen seemed puzzled by our massive depression and tears over a minor setback. "Don't worry, folks—it's not that odd. We'll get you on the road as soon as we can."
He disappeared, then sat with us again about 2:30 to let us know the part had arrived and they were fitting it. It was somewhat comforting that the owner of this busy shop sat with us to explain what was happening. I think Wendy's tears startled him, and he sensed there was more behind the story than a simple oddball filter. Allen seemed genuine that he wanted to get us to Florida safely.
"Have you thought about new tires?" he asked.
"No, I have not."
"I think you should."
"No, they're fine," I insisted. "I checked the tread myself when we bought it. Tires don't wear out in two thousand miles. The tread's fine."
He nodded. "Yep, the tread's fine, but those tires are old."
My voice squeaked. "What?" I drew a breath and folded my arms. "So what? I don't care. All they have to do is get us to Florida. Surely they got another few hundred miles left in 'em."
"It's not a tread issue. All tires are stamped with a date of manufacture. I'll show you later. Those tires are thirteen years old. What happens is the rubber compound breaks down. When they disintegrate, it opens like a zipper on the side walls, and they just come undone. You must've seen the tire remnants on the highway. Whole tires ripped apart."
Okay, the guy sounded like he knew what he was talking about. But he was a tire salesman. It was not only his job to sell me tires, it was his livelihood.
Allen nodded toward the RV. "That thing's been in Minnesota, right?"
I nodded.
"Those tires have been sitting in minus-forty-degree weather. Now you're rolling on hot tarmac in one-hundred-and-ten-degree heat. It's changed the molecular structure of the rubber. It's brittle." He eyed me in a moment of sincerity. "Have you ever had a tire blow out on the interstate?"
I shook my head.
"If you ever have one of those suckers blow at seventy miles an hour, you're gonna need more than a new tire. You're gonna need a new pair of pants 'cause you're gonna shit yourself."
I clenched my butt cheeks.
Wendy cried.

What was your most memorable moment of the trip?
Elvis' home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee—but for all the wrong reasons.

Would you ever consider taking another RV journey?
No, absolutely not. Never. How dare you ask me that question. Read the book!
​
LOL. Okay, just for fun—if you had one superpower during this trip, what would it have been and why?
To have been an RV Mechanic.

​That is funny! Thanks for being my guest! 
Readers, your retweets and reviews are always appreciated!
Tweet: https://twitter.com/dk_deters/status/1105134587406176256

"Madison Knight read her bank balance for the second time. Dead broke."
This is the first line from Christmas Once Again.

Hi Rick! The World Around the Corner has a fantastic hook. Would you share with us your inspiration for the story?

I always liked the “Shop Around the Corner”—“You’ve Got Mail” type of story, where a couple get to know each other in two different ways without realizing they’re the same person. The idea goes back to Shakespeare’s hidden-identity plays, like “Twelfth Night”—with the added twist that neither person knows the secret. The potential for misadventures and misunderstandings is just too good to pass up.

I spent a good deal of time playing World of Warcraft some years back, and it occurred to me that the same mistaken-identities device could also be used with a “massively multiplayer online role-playing game,” a MMORPG. At that point, I was off and running!

It’s always fun to hear about the creative early stages. How did you decide on your character’s names?

I love names, and I like to try to fit them to the characters. Here I was aiming at a light, playful romantic comedy. “Jeff” sounded to me like a good name for a good-natured, likable hero—polar opposite of a brooding Heathcliff type. Giving him a more iconic full name (“Jefferson”) and traditional English surname (“Stanton”) went along neatly with making him a history professor. So did his character’s name, “Badon,” which comes out of the Arthurian legends.
​
“Dana” struck me as feminine but also a little tomboyish, distinctive enough to suggest confidence and independence. I don’t recall where I came up with her last name, “Roland”; but I did get a sort of pun out of it, since she’s got a poster of Orlando Bloom from “The Lord of the Rings” in her shop—which is an early clue to her interest in fantasy games.

A secondary character’s name actually gave me the most trouble. I named a teenage girl “Raina,” which sounded interesting and unusual. But as soon as I wrote “Dana and Raina,” I knew that would never work! I changed Raina to the more commonplace, but still pretty, “Renee.”

Do you hide any secrets in the story that only a few people will find?

Oh, yes. Love those Easter eggs! There’s at least one “in” joke that only my family will get. But when Dana and Jeff are talking about their favorite music and books, I also had a chance to toss in some slightly obscure favorites of my own—along with a few I invented. Readers can Google them and find out which are which. (Or, for a short cut on the music, check the “World Around the Corner playlist” on my Web site).

What was your hardest scene to write?

The road-trip scenes before they find out their game identities were especially tricky, because I had to show Jeff and Dana not getting along with each other—but without making either one seem like a jerk or really unlikable. On the other hand, that ended up leading into a discussion about academics and auto mechanics that I particularly enjoyed. So maybe the hardest scenes also bring the best rewards!

Congrats again, Rick! Thanks for being my guest. The World Around the Corner is available now. Honest reviews are always welcome.
D. K.

The World Around the Corner Blurb:
Jeff and Dana are ardent—and flirtatious—companions in an online role-playing game. Neither is aware they also know each other in real life, where they’ve clashed on multiple occasions. But when they join forces on a road trip to solve a mystery, they discover the connection between their online and everyday identities. Can their virtual relationship carry over into a a real-life adventure?