Author Guest Post with E. William Podojil: The Poseidon Project

Molly Halloran and her friends have a secret past.

Welcome to the October 15th stop on the blog tour for The Poseidon Project by E. William Podojil with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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Author Guest Post

Advice for Writers

My advice is to remember that as a novelist, I am telling a story that people can use as information, awareness, distraction, escape or entertainment. Start with a great story, interesting characters or situation and work from there. This is why I pick up a novel . I’m sure there are other elements, but at the core are entertainment and escape at this part of my journey and keep me centered on maintaining the reader’s attachment to the story. For The Poseidon Project, I started with the characters; four retired female scientists who have an interesting, unexpected, shared past; a son of one of the women who has emotionally distanced himself off from love until he meets a man breaks who through those walls, and angry antagonists hell-bent on revenge. Other elements flowed once I got the characters written. I went through five or six drafts before I sent the manuscript to publishers, and when it was contracted, it continued to evolve and get better. I also advise that writers write a lot, get the ideas out on paper and create a folder for ideas you can use later. Like any skill, writing gets better with practice. I write every day, several times a day, whether I’m in the mood or not. You will likely find something in there you can use.  Finally, have patience. Writing takes time and practice. If your story gets rejected, keep going, improve it and try again. Have the courage to hear feedback and criticism on your work. The best novels come from multiple points of view. Use people you trust to get their feedback. I’ve had to discipline myself to be open to new ideas, a change in a character or storyline and even a different ending. Be open and appreciative someone took the time to read your story and offer suggestions.  I owe it to my readers to put the best product out there, so I never go completely solo.

About the Book

The Poseidon Project
The Herb Society Mysteries Book One
by E. William Podojil

Published 26 August 2024
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Mystery
Page Count: 237
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

The Poseidon Project is an international suspense thriller and the first book in The Herb Society Mysteries series 

Molly Halloran and her friends have a secret past.  Their bucolic retirement is suddenly upended when Molly’s husband is abducted and held for a steep ransom.  Now she, her friends, her tech executive son, Lukas and his Air Force pilot boyfriend must race against the clock and travel halfway around the world to meet the kidnappers’ demands.  But when they learn why her husband has been abducted, they realize how high the stakes truly are.  Molly and her friends now must face their past in order to save the future.  But not only their futures; the world’s.

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Excerpt

The explosion was deafening. A huge fireball engulfed the Iveco box truck with a force that knocked Molly, Donna, Linda, and John off their feet. Having been already seated, Lukas instinctively shielded Taylor from the force of the blast that was over one hundred feet away. The explanation of the Hindenburg explosion his mom had referenced two days ago flashed through his mind. The hydrogen collection tank must have had a leak or breached from being overfilled. But unlike the Hindenburg, there was not a zeppelin-sized supply of hydrogen on the Demeter unit, or what was left of it. The explosion was sudden, strong, and brief. The flames quickly burned through the truck’s cargo area, then slowly burned the embers of what little was left. The truck was destroyed, as was Demeter. Zip- Tie’s blackened remains smoldered on the ground, about ten feet from the blast.

Betty and Patrick stood at the top of the terrace waving their arms and appeared to be yelling something. Lukas could not hear much other than the ringing in his ears, and he assumed the rest of the group was partially deaf as they struggled to get to their feet. Lukas had shielded Taylor’s body, and his hearing appeared to be unaffected. Taylor kissed Lukas on the cheek and mouthed Thank you. Or at least Lukas thought he said it silently.

Betty held the fourth Glock in her hand and ran toward the group to help them ascend the terrace. “We’ve gotta get out of here!” she yelled, hoping their damaged ears could hear her. She knew it was only a few minutes before the Dubai police came to investigate the source of the explosion in the city center.

“Where is Malik?” Betty asked as John, Donna, and Molly rubbed their ears, hoping to regain their hearing.

“He ran that way.” Taylor pointed in the direction of the Burj Khalifa. “I saw him for an instant right after the blast.”

Patrick raced toward the group. “Police are on their way. I hear the sirens. Let’s go, everybody!” Patrick and Taylor, both injured, were able to shepherd the group up to the Sprinter van, get in, and buckle up for what was going to be a quick getaway.

Betty slammed on the accelerator, and the van lurched forward. She could see the flashing police lights about a quarter of a mile to her right. She turned left, hoping to avoid them. “Patrick, I need you to navigate! I don’t know where I am!” Betty yelled with a tinge of panic in her voice. Patrick stood up and sat in the passenger seat to help navigate.

Taylor quickly dialed his daughter. She answered on the first ring tone. “Dad, where are you?”

“Get the Goose ready. We’ll be there in—” He looked at Patrick, who held up his hands with fingers extended. “—ten to fifteen minutes. Please clear a take- off slot for us in twenty-five minutes from now.”

“Got it, Dad. Drive safely.”

About the Author

E. William Podojil has worked as a writer, advisor and  international business executive while living in the Netherlands and the United States. He studied screenwriting at UCLA. His first novel, The Tenth Man, was published in 2004, by Haworth Press.  His latest novel, The Poseidon Project, will be published by Wild Rose Press in August, 2024 as the first book in the Herb Society Mysteries series.

Podojil currently resides in Northeast Ohio with his husband and three sons. He travels extensively and writes about his experiences on his website www.ewpodojil.com. 

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