Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for The Face Transplant by R. Arundel

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for The Face Transplant by R. Arundel.  Please leave a message for R. to let him know you stopped by.  You can his tour wide giveaway, where you could win a $50 Amazon/B&N GC, by commenting and entering the Rafflecopter form below.  You must comment to enter.  You can also follow the tour by clicking on the banner above. 

Character Creation by R. Arundel

This is the art and essence of writing.  At it's most basic writing novels is storytelling. In fact grammar and literary skill may not be as important as we like to believe.  There are many novels that have become blockbuster successes and have received universal condemnation from critics prove this. Similarly there are novels with great critical acclaim and no book sales. If you tell a good story that people relate to your book will be successful, end of story.

The characters chosen and how they illustrate the story will ensure the success or failure of a story.  Each storyteller will create characters in very different ways.  I spend a lot of time thinking about each character and making detailed notes on what they wear, level of education, relationships, and inner motivations. Only when I thoroughly understand a character do I put the character in the story.

If you can create characters that engage the reader you are a long way towards writing a very successful story.  Whether it is a screenplay or novel, characters are essential.  Focus a great deal of time making sure you understand your characters.  I like to meticulously note what my characters would wear, their education, foods they eat and other physical characteristics.  Then I like to note in detail what significant events drive them in life.  Quite often these events are never mentioned in the story but they shape the character. 

I like to list the relationships that the character has in the story in diagrammatic form with lines and arrows.  All these relationships are detailed and a map drawn with the characters.  Then some time is spent seeing if I have enough characters to do all the things I want to do in the story.  Do I have the right characters?  Should some be eliminated because they are serving no real purpose or some other character can do this better?

Think of your characters in either one of two groups. Some characters are created to be true to life these can more easily be created by looking at documentaries or meeting people who are similar to your character.  The second type of character is a character that is from some other world. An imaginary character or a character that is human but you have made the decision to make the character behave in a way that may not be typical for someone like that.  The second type of character requires a great deal of creative energy since they are springing from only your mind and you have no guidelines.  The benefit of this type of character is that the reader will give you more leeway and suspend belief since this is a purely 'created' character.

The Face Transplant

By R. Arundel

Publisher:  The Face Transplant

Release Date: December 10, 2013

Genre: Medical Thriller

Length:  378 Pages

ISBN:  978-0991979905

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes &Noble | Book Depository

About the book: 

Dr. Matthew MacAulay is a Facial Transplant Surgeon at a prestigious New York hospital. His friend and mentor, Tom Grabowski, dies under mysterious circumstances. Matthew is forced to investigate. He uncovers his friend’s secret. A new technique that allows perfect facial transplants. No incisions, no scars. The surgeon is able to transplant one person’s face to another with the perfect result.

Tom was able to accomplish this monumental feat with the help of Alice, a supercomputer robot with almost human abilities.

While trying to find the people responsible for murdering his friend Tom, Matthew realizes he is the prime suspect. Matthew must flee for his life with the help of Dr. Sarah Larsson, a colleague and reluctant helper who has a secret of her own. Alice helps them make sense of a baffling series of seemingly unrelated events. Matthew is forced to undergo a facial transplant to hide his identity and help to uncover the truth.

The clues carry Matthew and Sarah around the world. Matthew stumbles onto a sinister plot of monumental proportions, the real reason Tom was murdered. This discovery leads Matthew all the way to The White House with a dramatic conclusion. Matthew never wavers in his quest for the truth and perseveres against all the odds. He must race to stop a major catastrophe, ratcheting up the excitement until the thrilling conclusion.

The Face Transplant is a powerful medical suspense thriller of the first order. The novel was written by a surgeon. The novel has a realism that only a surgeon can bring. The plot weaves politics, medicine and espionage into a tightly paced, intelligent thriller. The novel crescendos page by page to a totally unexpected conclusion.

Excerpt

(Matthew visiting a patient in hospital)

Adam, “Is it true you murdered those people?”

“What do you think?”

“I know you didn’t do it, I’m sorry I asked you that. I don’t know if it’s worth it anymore. I’m gonna get a piece of plastic for my face.”

Matthew, “I’m really sorry they suspended the transplant program.”

Adam, “Dr. Elliot Stone took your place. He recommended the face prosthesis.”

Matthew, "He's a fine surgeon, you're in good hands." Adam, “They just made him University President.”

Matthew, “Really.”

Adam, "I guess it doesn't matter anyway. I'm finished. It's over."

Matthew, “Far from it man.”

Adam, “Family. Country. Honor. That was everything. They just seem like words now. Empty. Hollow. What was it all for. What?”

Matthew, “Family. Country. Honor. It’s what this country was founded on Adam. It’s what makes this country great. It’s everything. All our laws. All our freedoms. Every person who lives in this country owes you. You have paid a big price. We. Owe. You. We know it. If we don’t show our gratitude, it’s because we sometimes forget. Not because we don’t remember. So know this Adam Landt. You are valued. You are valued my friend. You are everything that is good, everything that is right.”

“There’s nothing left for me. Aly’s gone. Kids are gone. I’m all alone. There’s nothing.”

“Let me tell you something very few know.” 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Robert was born in London, United Kingdom.  His early formative years were spent in Toronto Canada.  Robert attended the University of Toronto Medical School.  After obtaining his Doctor of Medicine degree he completed surgical training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Toronto and obtained certification from the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Robert Mounsey practices surgery in private practice in Toronto.

R. Arundel studied Film Studies at Ryerson University, after this he began writing screenplays and novels. The Face Transplant is his debut novel.

R. Arundel is married and lives in Toronto, Canada. When not writing or practicing surgery Robert can be found cycling.

Website:  www.thefacetransplant.com

Twitter:  @TheFaceTranspla

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