Wednesday, September 19, 2012

The Next Big Thing

I got tagged by @donnagalanti author of A Human Element on her blog for this new promotion called The Next Big Thing.  It is a daisy chain or chain blog or something of the sort.  It also is a great way to get around and see other author's blogs and read their answers to the common questions below to find out about your WIP.  We all have to if tagged so be warned.  Just follow the directions if you are and keep the momentum going till it comes back around.
also helpful if you tweet and FB the posts.






My answers to the questions:

What is the working title of your book?

Butcher and Blade

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Current events, nightly news and reading other authors.

What genre does your book fall under?

Action Bio Thriller

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I see Dr. Butcher played by someone who looks like he is a brilliant Doctor, but due to circumstances out of his control he has let himself go.  He no longer has a gleam in his eye and a physical drive to succeed.  I think Matt Damon would be good for this role.  Blade is this gun ho military guy with a failure attitude.  He is disabled, the only thing he knows how to do is go to battle and now he can't.  He has PTSD which leaves him socially paralyzed and an outcast.  So he chooses the life of a homeless person until the situation arises when he can once again call on his military skills and martial art skills.  The Blades he has for legs give him a certain edge as the bad guys don't see them as secret weapons.  I guess I picture Johnny Depp to play Blade.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Two men from different worlds are thrown together in a roller coaster situation where they must pull together to overcome impossible odds and possibly save the future of Los Angeles and thereby the United States from a Dirty Bomb and the terrorists who want to subvert us.


Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I have always thought it is better to have a publisher.  Even a small press publisher is better than nothing.   They can work behind the scenes for you in getting those coveted movie rights and the overseas distribution.  They handle so many things that keep a writer from writing in the day to day business behind the scene.  They set up book events for all of their authors and generally get you in the door for a myriad of reasons where I might not have the credibility, while as a self-published author I might find it difficult to even get a book signing at Barnes and Noble.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

This time around I have more experience and the process is much easier.  I average at least a thousand fresh words a day and spend the rest of the day in research and story development.  Then editing as I go to flesh out the characters and painting the scene.  I guess with that formula I expect this manuscript to be in constant flux and by the time I am done the first draft will be the final draft before sending it out for editing,  Six months, but don't hold me to it.


What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I just finished Brain Rush and Brain Rush II which are sort of high tech paranormal sci fi adventure stories with martial arts and a huge body count.  The books inspired me to cross over into the action adventure genre with a nod to medical and bio-terror.


Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I guess the movie Die Hard or Lethal Weapon or some of the Rambo movies inspired me this time as I am leaning toward more action.  I like to see buildings fall down and vehicles blow up.  Lots of gun play.
No more Mr. Nice Guy main character.  After all they are hell bent to save the world from a band of ruthless terrorists running amok in  LA.


What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I like the chemistry that will grow as these two men, a prominent physician who comes from the best schools yet has no common  skills and probably couldn't change a flat tire, and a disabled warrior who has nothing but his wits and physical strength to use to get them out of some prickly situations.  I am also using a cast of supporting characters who are also wounded veterans but each have special skills needed to thwart the terrorists.


 Now it’s my turn to tag people:
Kristina Jackson.      http://www.kristinajackson.co.uk/
Karen Kenny Smith   http://kvictoriasmith.blogspot.com/
Thomas A. Knight     http://thomasaknight.com/
Please visit their blogs. They will be publishing their answers to the questions in week 13 (between the 19th September and 26th September)

Message for the tagged authors and interested others:

Rules of The Next Big Thing

***Use this format for your post

***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress)

***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

What is the working title of your book?

Where did the idea come from for the book?

What genre does your book fall under?

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.

Be sure to line up your five people in advance.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

5* Review for In The Midnight Hour today Yippee

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Dazzling medical thriller September 17, 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I LOVED this, it's a dazzler! One of my favorite reads in ages. A killer stalking the halls of a hospital? Terrifying! Also fast paced with accurate medical details. I've read where the author works in the medical field and it certainly shows. This book hooks you from the first page and you will not want to put it down. I also loved the budding love story between the two protagonists, and found myself staying up reading well past bedtime. I highly recommend In The Midnight Hour for anyone who is seeking an unusual, ingenious new medical thriller. Don't miss it!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

In The Midnight Hour Revue today

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent medical thriller debutSeptember 16, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: In the Midnight Hour (Kindle Edition)
A decent medical thriller for a debut. At times it has a fast paced tension, horror-feel to it. The remorselessness of the killer in the beginning is haunting. There was a bit of not being in the villain's direct POV though with words like "he noticed" and "he realized". However, this mad man is not mad - but quite intelligent -and we fall for his madness a bit - which makes it even more chilling.

Ridgway's cast of characters are good mix which notches up the interesting aspect of the tale. I would have preferred more dialogue to increase the tension vs. the long narrative in the book. Also at times the story was slowed down by too much medical detail and the backstory of each character which all could have been weaved in with a deft hand in shorter bits throughout the book. But you do feel as if this author really knows his medical stuff and why the story is so entrenched with it making it quite believable - and I enjoyed the graphic detail. Overall a decent read.
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New 5* Review for In The Midnight Hour today

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! September 16, 2012
Format:Kindle Edition
This is an excellent mystery thriller. The characters are well-defined and the story is continuously keeping you on edge. Mr. Ridgway's extensive knowledge of the medical profession is also on display in this novel. This is a highly recommended book.
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Great new Review for Moon Shadow Today

Mister Ridgway has written a book that will keep you turning pages. It reminded me a little of Outbreak, with the sleazy suit and a fanatical Military officer. I did have a little trouble getting into the book, as the first chapter took off a slow, but once I got into it, I had a hard time putting it down. I say that Mister Ridgway has a hit on his hands.

I give Moon Shadow 4 out of 5 Stars.

Kenneth Hoss

Author of the Internationally Bestselling Kelli Storm Series
Storm Rising - A Kelli Storm Novel
Storm Warning - A Kelli Storm Novel (Kelli Storm Series)

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Moon Shadow is out

BUY Link and Synopsis for Moon Shadow by Reggie Ridgway

http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Shadow-ebook/dp/B0091I3MI4

When a new and potentially planet-killing contagion is discovered, Moon Shadow, an isolated resort town located in Alaska’s primitive and rugged interior, becomes the focus of a military-style incursion.

Major Pepper, who is in charge of the operation, has the local residents rounded up into a razor-wire inclosed quarantine. Because of the danger of a potential pandemic, they are to be transferred to a more prison-like underground quarantine.

Two of the residents, Trevor, a young physician, and Jodie, an Earth Project environmentalist, are not having any of this obvious violation of human rights. They escape and are hunted down like fugitives with the full arsenal of the US Army at the Major’s disposal. The two have to use a zip line to escape a three-story-burning lodge. When they seek refuge in an abandoned gold mine, the entrance is caved in by a missile strike.

The two fugitives do manage to find a way out of the mine and try to make their way back to civilization and safety by floating down river on a rubber raft. While fighting for their lives against nature and the deranged Major Pepper, the two begin to fall in love with each other. They discover they have more to live for then exposing the Major for his treachery and his murder of innocent civilians for the greater good.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

New 5* Review on Amazon



5.0 out of 5 stars
 
A Pleasant and Unexpected Surprise.August 21, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: In the Midnight Hour (Kindle Edition)
Right from the start I was hooked in and felt deeply involved with the characters. Ridgeway weaves a captivating spell over the reader with his effortless but never forced storyline, drawing you deeper and deeper in until you can't put the book down. He's a writers writer, with a profound and abiding love of language that comes across in his work without feeling pretentious. His attention to detail is astonishing. I learned a great deal reading this thriller. Most importantly he has a wild, unyielding imagination that keeps you guessing right up until the very last minute. It's refreshing not being able to predict how the story would end - or who would die next! Great fun. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves well crafted thrillers and be happy to read anything else by this author in the future!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

New Review for In The Midnight Hour Yippee

4.0 out of 5 stars Very intriguing, August 11, 2012
This review is from: In the Midnight Hour (Kindle Edition)
In the Midnight Hour follows several characters on a destructive collision course where lives will be lost and careers destroyed. Filled with an array of interesting characters and plot ideas, In the Midnight Hour was quite an entertaining and chilly read.

As a retired military medic and X-ray technologist, Reggie Ridgway certainly has the inside scoop on hospital life and the everyday happenings of its staff. I found it quite interesting to find out what happens behind the curtains and, with all his knowledge of hospitals, he really brought the setting to life.

At times the character descriptions or operation procedures are a bit lengthy, but once the action really starts and the tension rises, you'll care even more for these characters. The climax of In the Midnight Hour is certainly one of those endings that'll keep you reading late into the night. Perhaps that's another reason why Reggie chose the title.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Awesome 5 Star review for In The Midnight Hour

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-told and vivid, July 11, 2012
Reggie Ridgway's debut novel displays an impressive knowledge of medical matters, but it is not off-putting or overly technical. The plot twists and characterizations Ridgway uses are what compel this story forward, and the technical jargon adds verisimilitude. To be sure, In the Midnight Hour is not for the faint of heart, as certain of its imagery and descriptions are, at times, graphic. But if you enjoy a well-plotted thriller with an interesting story and an engaging premise beating at its heart, give it a look! I am looking forward to seeing what Ridgway comes up with next.
Bradlee Frazer Author of The Cure

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Another 5* review on Amazon yipee

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I chose to read In The Midnight Hour because I work in the medical field and love novels, and TV shows depicting people like myself in that kind of familiar setting. This is written by a debut author and I was not sure if he would be able to compare to other Medical Thriller authors I enjoy reading like Robin Cook, Peter Clement or Tess Gerritsen. This novel did not disappoint. It grabs you from the first chapter scene and keeps you invested from the beginning until the end. It is a hard to put down page turner. I found the medical descriptions realistic and the terminology accurate yet not overbearing. I especially enjoyed the budding love story between the two protagonists, and really liked their well written and believable characters. They get thrown into life or death predicaments at times and you find you are holding your breath. The killer who stalks the halls of a prestigious medical center is like a modern day jack the ripper. Although he has a sympathetic quality to him and you can almost forgive him for wanting to seek revenge against certain people who have caused the ruination of his life, his marriage and his medical carrier. I was drawn in to this well written character like a Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. Many of the murder scenes and expository dreamlike flashbacks are seen through his own eyes and from his point of view, which is unnerving at first, but at the same time enjoyable. The plot reminded me of the phantom of the opera as the killer is able to move about undetected in a large hospital, doing his heinous acts yet able to blend in and be invisible in the dark corners, because he is mostly all alone due to the lateness of the hour, and he has a familiarity of the labyrinthine nature of of his surroundings. I recommend this novel for anyone who is seeking a griping new medical thriller with interesting characters and intriguing plot twists.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Review for In The Midnight Hour

I usually do not read thrillers for the same reason I don't watch intense movies with too much violence or horror movies. They scare me. But I really enjoyed this one. I am a nurse and liked the attention to detail given to the medical scenes. I loved the characters and was really pulling for them as I got to know them the more I read about them. This was a great story which kept my interest and I did not want to put it down. This is a great novel if you love a well written story with engaging characters. It has humor in just the right amounts to offset the darker moments. Much of the story is written from the killers viewpoint which makes you want to yell out loud to watch out. I loved the ending and it left me wanting to read more to find out what the characters do next with their lives. Not to be a spoiler, but this is a love story behind the drama. Good read and I hope everyone will give this debut novel by a new author a chance.
Lyttlefox 6/02/2012