I'm very proud to find that Reader's Books in the beautiful and historic town of Sonoma, CA, in the heart of wine country, is already carrying my new novel, Life, Love & Terrorism.  Sonoma, coincidently is a town featured in the novel.

What is your life worth?

Now featured in whizbuzz on the net!

http://www.derekhaines.ch/whizbuzz/Maya Musings by Paco

Maya Musings by Paco  This new novel now featured in whizbuzz!

A recent interview of Paco Pineiro about his latest novel, Life, Love & Terrorism.-- Q. Welcome, Paco, to reader’s forum. So, let’s get down to business. Tell us, what makes your new book special or different from other novels.-- A. Well, first of all, the fact that it gives the reader the option to enhance the reading experience through the use of Google Earth©.-- Q. How does that work?-- A. Well, when we read a story and the author mentions or describes a particular place, we often wish that the description was clearer of more detailed so that we can better imagine that place, especially if it’s somewhere unfamiliar to us. So,in this novel there are over 75 spots in the narrative where the reader can, with just the click of a mouse, be transported directly to the very place being described.-- Q. You mean, like seeing a photograph of the place?-- A. Yes, but Google Earth does much more than that. It places you there and allows you to move about and explore the area and see it from various angles.-- Q. Can you give us an example?-- A. Sure. Let’s say you are reading about someone riding a bicycle down the main street of a quaint New England village and then turning down an alley way. Google Earth© can put you in that very street and you can look around to see for yourself why this village is described as ‘quaint’. You can also go down the street and turn into that alley way and in effect see the things that the protagonist saw.-- Q. Pretty neat! But won’t these side trips make the story longer to get through?-- A. Yes, and more interesting. It works especially well in this particular novel because the story takes place in many different locations around the world.-- Q. So, it’s almost like a travelogue!-- A. Exactly! Besides, these side trips are just an option. The reader can skip over any or all of them, or go back to them later.-- Q. Great! And what do you call this method?-- A. Well, we’re calling it a ‘visual novel’, because it places the book somewhere between a regular novel and a film version of it.-- Q. And what is the story about?-- A. I’m glad you asked. It’s a contemporary novel, straight out of current events and the evening news, and it deals with three major topics: first of all, its a love story. Secondly, it is about terrorism, so prevalent nowadays. And finally, it deals with the latest scientific experiments; specifically the controversial experiments with the human genetic code.-- Q. Wow! It sounds fascinating. And it’s available now?-- A. Yes, you can get it from Amazon in print or as a digital download.-- Q. Well, good luck with it, and thank you for joining us. Once again folks, that was Paco Piñeiro, and his book is called: Life, Love and Terrorism.--

The funding of creative arts

The wonderful and brave new world of the internet strikes again!  Just as it did for music production, it is doing for the production of all the creative arts: turning the stale old production strategies upside down, shaking them briskly and forcing them to change their ways or die.
A young musical artist recently raised over one million dollars on the web site called kickstarter.com for a single project and in less than two months; not from corporations or musty old production and recording studios, but from people like me and you, who appreciate a fresh, unfettered vision.
For all creative artists who had dispaired because they were forced to give up most of their creative power and vision in order to get their work produced, this is more than a breath of fresh air, it is a cry of freedom.