The Hippo Hangs Out with AND Hands Over to Jason Acar

Today I've got a double whammy for you! I'm not only hanging out with author Jason Acar, I'm handing over the reins of The Hippo to him as well and if you're a regular visitor here, you'll know that this is a first. So grab yourself a beverage and snack of your choice, get comfy and join us!

Let's get things started by introducing you all to the man himself, lovely readers, I give you, Jason Acar.

Photo courtesy of Jason Acar

Jason Acar is a South African born fiction writer, who made his debut with Easter Egg in 2020. Born in 1984, in Johannesburg, he found his love for storytelling at a young age and went on to complete a diploma in Journalism. He has worked as a journalist and editor across multiple platforms (print, digital, radio, video) for over 15 years. An ambitious writer, he aims to make a mark in the Thriller market and continue expanding his skills as a writer.

 

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Welcome to The Hippo Jason, it's a pleasure to have you here. Please pull up a chair and let's chat.😀

What’s your favourite under-appreciated writer/book?

John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces, which I picked up in my late teens. I found it to be such an intriguing and strange story. The book is now a big success, but the story of the author was so tragic. The book was published 11 years after his suicide, with the help of his mother and another writer. It then went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. So sad that he never got to see the success. Under-appreciated in its time.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I think it would be my obsession with finding a unique plot. I need something different or unique before I can actually dive into an idea. I understand the construction of a story and the importance of characters, but to get myself going, I need an idea or a concept that I surprises me before I jump in.

Do you often hear from your readers and what do they say?
I’m a new author, but have put a lot of effort in connecting with people who have read my debut thriller. It’s hard work when working full time in the media space, but it’s been really rewarding. I’ve had such amazing feedback so far.

Having read and reviewed Easter Egg (you can read my review here) I can see why you've had such great feedback. It's a gripping read! 😉

What advice would you give your younger self?
Get back to creative writing immediately. I wrote a lot of fun short stories as a kid, but after starting a career as a journalist, it is easy to lose that side of you. I would tell myself to ditch the procrastination and fear of what people might think of my work. If you’re a storyteller, get your stories out there.

Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing etc come from?
I started reading at a young age, and I think one of the most influential authors was Roald Dahl. I read every possible book I could get my hands on at the local library. His imagination, characters and extravagant stories really pushed my imagination.

What do you think is more important: characters or plot?
What a difficult question. I’m going to go with plot for me, because of what I mentioned above. I need a strong plot and then build my characters in that space.

Do you have any hidden or uncommon talents?
I don’t know if it counts, but I made the video trailer and promotional material for my work. I love learning new skills, so I guess in my day job I’ve always found a way to be a strong all-rounder.

You get a brilliant idea/thought/phrase at an inappropriate moment (eg in the shower or driving) what do you do?
I keep repeating it to myself and ignore any other interaction until I can put it down on an email draft, notepad or WhatsApp message (to my wife). She deals with a lot of random messages from me, hahaha.

The poor woman must spend a lot of time peering at her phone and wondering what the hell you're on about! 😄

Describe yourself in five words.
Honest, kind, fun, family, crazy.

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As I know that Jason is going to be sharing 10 things you didn't know about Easter Egg, I think now would be a good time to share the blurb with you incase you're not familiar with it.

  

Tormented cop Rick Sorano is on a brutal path of redemption and salvation in this suspense thriller. Along with Detective Jane Dover and video game junkie, Denver Collins, he is sucked into a twisted augmented reality where a serial killer uses an online video game to commit his crimes. In a race against the clock, he must track down the murderer by solving the digital clues.As the body count rises in this deadly cat-and-mouse chase, Rick is pushed to his emotional limits as the secrets regarding his missing daughter are slowly revealed by the merciless killer. His marriage has fallen apart and he is slowly losing grip on reality. However, when all seems lost, the case of seemingly random murders might not be random at all.

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 Now I'm going to put my feet up and hand you over . . . .  take it away Jason!

                                    10 things you didn’t know about Easter Egg

10 – It was originally a screenplay

When starting my path back to my true passion, creative writing, I wanted to try my hand at writing a screenplay. I researched, taught myself how to format it, and managed to complete two feature film screenplays. Easter Egg was my second screenplay, and I loved it so much that I turned it into a book. Being based in South Africa and writing for the US film industry is not easy, but I’m glad I have that experience under my belt.

9 – Pacman quoted

Obviously as a new author, getting early reviews is difficult, especially since I don’t have tons of industry contacts. So instead of leaving quotes off of the back of my paperback cover, I decided to add some popular video game related quotes. One is from Pacman, and it’s probably my favourite. They might disappear in later editions too…

8 – Character names

I really struggle with names, so I did a lot of research into common American names when choosing the names of the main characters. However, there are some famous video game characters that I borrowed names from. Hope you can try identify them if you play games yourself.

7 – Console switch

I wrote the screenplay for Easter Egg many years ago before being sucked back into work. In my original story, the character used a PlayStation Vita. Since the console has been on a downward spiral, and decided to include the Nintendo Switch into the book instead.

6 – First edition

I don’t own the first edition of my debut book. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown around the world, I haven’t been able to order author copies of my book, as it launched when lockdown was already in place. Someone in the UK was able to order the paperback, and unknowingly they have the very first print of my book.

What a shame that due to the circumstances you don't have a physical copy for yourself yet. Wouldn't it be great if someone who has bought a paperback version was reading this right now! If YOU are that person, please do get in touch, we'd love to find you! 😀

5 – Extra content

The screenplay version of the story is missing some of the back story. I would say there is around three chapters that offer more about the characters in the book, which did not feature in the original screenplay draft.

4 – Character profiling

I was going through a lot of tips for screenplay and character writing when first putting together Easter Egg. I actually wrote full bios for each of the main characters from their birth to the present day. That process actually allowed me to easily write some of the backstory elements later on.

3 – My own gaming nickname

In the intro to the book, I actually used my own PlayStation nickname as an Easter Egg. It is a short cameo that doesn’t really end well for him. I suppose it is true to life though, considering how I fare in online shooter games…

2 – Video game meme

Leeroy Jenkins is probably one of my favourite video game memes, and I decided to subtly add a character into the book with some nods towards the infamous video.

1 – It’s part of a series

Easter Egg was not originally planned to be a series. However, I love the world and concept that I’ve created, and I feel like there is tremendous opportunity for growth. So, I guess I can formally announce that the second book is underway. The plot points, story outline, characters and the intro are all done and dusted. 

YAY! I'm soooo happy to hear that a second book is in the pipeline and I'm sure I won't be alone in that!

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You can connect with Jason using the links below:

Facebook
Twitter

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Jason for taking the time to stop by today, it's been great getting to know you and finding out more about Easter Egg. I hope that many more great reviews come your way. 😉

 

Cover reveal - An Eye For An Eye - Carol Wyer

I'm thrilled to be part of the team helping to spread the book love today by revealing the cover of An Eye For An Eye, the new book from Carol Wyer. Interested to find out more? Of course you are!

A killer running rings around the police. A detective spiralling out of control.

DI Kate Young is on leave. She’s the force’s best detective, but her bosses know she’s under pressure, on medication and overcoming trauma. So after her bad judgement call leads to a narrowly averted public disaster, they’re sure all she needs is a rest.

But when Staffordshire Police summon her back to work on a murder case, it’s a harder, more suspicious Kate Young who returns. With a new ruthlessness, she sets about tracking down a clinical, calculating serial killer who is torturing victims and leaving clues to taunt the police. Spurred on by her reporter husband, Young begins to suspect that the murderer might be closer than she ever imagined.

As she works to uncover the truth, Young unravels a network of secrets and lies, with even those closest to her having something to hide. But with her own competence—and her grip on reality—called into question, can she unmask the killer before they strike again?

This is the first book in the DI Kate Young series and I think it sounds like a corker!

It's not published until February 4th 2021 but it's available to pre order now. 😉

 

Amazon UK 

 

Amazon US  

Are you ready to see the cover now?

I think this looks really atmospheric, dark and creepy, so a perfect book for me! What do you think about it? Why not take a look at Carol's other books while you're waiting for this one to be released.

Amazon Author Page UK

Amazon Author Page US

If you enjoy crime thrillers you're sure to find one, or maybe more, that catches your eye as much as this one. Did you see what I did there? 😁

                                               Happy reading!

Blog Tour - The Brave Daughters - Mary Wood

I'm absolutely delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for The Brave Daughters, the fabulous new book by Mary Wood. This is the fourth and final book in The Girls Who Went To War series and although it can be read as a standalone novel, I would highly recommend that you start with the first book so that you can fully appreciate this amazing saga.

This book is set predominantly between England and France during WWII and it's the turn of the daughters to step up and do their bit for their country just as their mothers did before them. Beginning in 1939, we are re-acquainted with the families just before they find themselves dispersed across the globe when The War breaks out and the strong bonds that everyone has forged are truly tested.

The atrocities of war are always difficult to read about but Mary writes about them so deftly and as always I had a lump in my throat on more than one occasion. I was living and breathing everything that the characters were going through.

It was wonderful to catch up with all the familiar faces from the previous three books who I have come to look upon as my own family, such is the quality of Mary's writing. I was actually quite sad to finish reading The Brave Daughters knowing that there was no more to come. In my head after all the trials and tribulations that they had all battled through, they all went on to live happy and fulfilling lives and got their well deserved happily ever after.

Once again Mary Wood took me on an emotional roller coaster of a ride and it was one that I didn't want to get off. Sadly all good things must come to an end as they say but I just know that there will be another fabulous book from this very gifted author again soon, and  I, for one cannot wait!

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Photo courtesy of Mary Wood

Born the thirteenth child of fifteen to a middle-class mother and an East End barrow boy, Mary Wood’s childhood was a mixture of love and poverty. Throughout her life Mary has held various posts in office roles, working in the Probation services and bringing up her four children and numerous grandchildren, step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren. An avid reader, she first put pen to paper in 1989 whilst nursing her mother through her last months, but didn’t become successful until she began self-publishing her novels in 2011.

Her novels include All I Have to Give, An Unbreakable Bond, In Their Mother’s Footsteps and The Breckton Novels.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour with these great blogs

With kind thanks to author Mary Wood and Ellis Keene at Pan Macmillan for my review copy.

Blog Tour - Swipe Right - Stephie Chapman

At a time when everyone needs a little happiness in their life along comes Swipe Right by Stephie Chapman. This quirky rom-com novel, inspired by the film When Harry Met Sally, was just what I needed to temporarily divert my attention away from all the real life stresses and worries.

Fran and Ollie meet when they are both applying for the same job at online media company , Viral Hive, something similar to Buzzfeed. The interview process involves the candidates working together and Fran's initial observations of Ollie aren't very flattering, despite the fact that she barely knows him. She isn't too bothered though as after that day she never has to see him again right? Wrong! After being offered the job, on arriving for her first day who should also be there - Ollie! Viral Hive couldn't decide between Fran and Ollie so they decided they would hire them both and they could work together!

As they both find their feet and settle in to their new work environment their colleagues pick up on an undercurrent of potential romance between Fran and Ollie but they are both already involved with other people. Despite this fact they both seem to swing between getting on and getting on each others nerves! Will they ever be able to see what is staring everyone else in the face and get together?

Swipe Right was my first venture out with author Stephie Chapman and I don't think it will be my last. I found the characters very engaging, the story flowed well and there was a wonderful mix of laugh out loud and heartfelt moments. I'm so pleased that I'm happily married as some of the Tinder dates that Fran goes on in the name of her work would leave me mortified, but they made for hilarious reading! If you're looking for something to read that will whisk you away and lift your spirits then this could be just the book for you.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour with these fantastic blogs:

With kind thanks to Sarah Hardy at Book On The Bright Side Publicity and Promo for my stop on the blog tour and to author Stephie Chapman for the review copy.

Easter Egg - Jason Acar

I always thought that an Easter Egg was a yummy chocolate gift that you gave at Easter time, I had no clue that it can also be an unexpected or undocumented feature in a piece of computer software or on a DVD, included as a joke or bonus feature. It's exactly this type of Easter Egg that video game junkie Denver Collins stumbles upon in Jason Acar's exceptional debut novel entitled, yes you guessed it, Easter Egg.

At first Denver is impressed with the seemingly innocent real life video that he's uncovered within his latest game, that is until he finds out that his in-game actions have actually been carried out in reality.

Rick Sorano, is the head of the Cyber Crime Department and along with his colleague Detective Jane Dover, they waste no time going to chat with a somewhat distressed Denver to see what other information they can gather from him about this heinous crime. Things then start to ramp up and Sorano finds himself more involved with this sadastic killer than he could ever have imagined.


Easter Egg is a relatively short book that I devoured in one sitting but don't be fooled into thinking that just because it's smaller it might be lacking in area's such as character development or plot, as I can assure you that it's not. William Shakespeare once wrote "Though she be but little, she is fierce" and that's exactly what I thought about this book. It's dark, it's gritty, it's certainly not for the faint-hearted and I loved it!. Although it is predominantly a crime / psychological thriller, I think there is also a hint of horror too as it brought to mind the Saw films and I could hear Jigsaw in my head saying "Do you want to play a game?" Acar has paced this book perfectly, the tension is palpable throughout and I honestly can't wait to read another book from this adept author.

If you like your killers to be on the depraved side then I would definitely recommend this little beauty and I'm pretty confident that you won't be disappointed. Go and grab yourself a copy - I dare you!

With kind thanks to the author Jason Acar for the review copy.