So without further adieu, may I present...
Some links where you can find The Bookminder
The Book Trailer
An Interview with M. K. Wiseman
How did you come up with the concept of your story?
In 2004 I had a very vivid dream that, afterward, wouldn't leave
me alone. Said dream basically detailed out one scene from the story, something
so different and captivating for me that it stuck. Now, it must be noted that I
was not writing at that time, nor did I intend to write in any professional
capacity. But as this one nugget of an idea would not let me be, I started to
form a story around it – Why were these people doing what they were doing? Who
were they?
I think that working in the Preservation Dept of the campus
library system had bled into my subconscious and that is where the magick
system that rules The Bookminder developed.
How did you come up with the title?
Haha, well, I had to actually do a bit of research to check my
brain on this as, over time, there have been several incarnations, besides the
working title of Wizard's Librarian. As a (former(?)) librarian, I was
really hoping to keep the working title, as homage to my career and the work
that had sparked the initial idea. But then we wanted to go with something
simpler, brighter, and more “fantasy”.
The 'research' I allude to above? I just unearthed a Facebook
exchange between a librarian friend and I from last March. In it she says she
quite likes the new title and then asks “Who came up with that?”
My answer? “Honestly I don't remember . . . might have been my
editor. We just started throwing things together.” Words that felt
book-binder-y but not quite so literal. Things like “Spellbinder / Spellbound”
seemed a bit too on the nose.
Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about
your story.
The locations in Bookminder are real. Parentino truly did
fall to ruins, while its twin fortification flourished. And while the town
known as Dvigrad in the story did have another name, Moncastello, in keeping
with the attitude of the characters in the story, I dropped the name from their
fortification and merely called it Dvigrad. Call it a decision of character
politics, if you will.
The tales of what actually happened to Dvigrad are a little
muddled but history has the town mixed up in the middle of the Venice and
Austrian conflict of the sixteenth century. And the town truly was abandoned
due to plague—though history has that date at 1630 and Bookminder has it
coming some 50-odd years later.
Who is your favorite author? Who has most influenced your
work?
Two questions. Two answers:
Fav author? Have to go with Douglas Adams. His humor is superb.
And while my brain tends to go a little sideways when reading his stories,
that's part of my enjoyment of his very unique work. I appreciate that there
really is no other author with his touch.
As for who has most influenced my work: Brian Jacques. While
this may not seem the most obvious choice, hear me out. His Mariel of Redwall is the very
first book that I remember being completely in love with. I read, of course,
before that. Quite a bit. But this one book seemed to change reading for me. It
became more than merely enjoyable. Stories could be transcendent, not mere
personal experiences. Reading could link you to others. Maybe it was just the
right book at a certain moment in my life. But I was a lucky enough kid to meet
Mr. Jacques on more than one occasion at bookstore readings/signings. He became
my author rockstar and it was his stories that changed how I thought of books
which, in turn, has influenced my writing at a very deep level.
What activities best give your brain a break? How do you
unwind?
Sudoku. I love (so called) “killer” sudoku. Meditation. Running
(which, unfortunately, sometimes puts my brain right back into production mode
as much as it allows me a break.) I like video games and play pinball whenever
I can get my hands on a good machine. Reading, of course. A hard or two of
poker is like a brain-vacation. And, weirdly enough, I like to just stare out
the window at the scenery watching birds, rain falling, tree branches moving .
. . Oh! I almost forgot: Fishing. I have really gotten into that in recent
years. Especially ice fishing. That's good stuff.
What are some of your other published works?
I have three short stories out through Xchyler—two steampunk and
one paranormal. Those were a blast to write. And if we “count” stories that I
published to my blogs for fun, then I also lay claim to two (currently
haitus-ed) continuing stories: one steampunk, one . . . not. :)
And here's a just for fun nerd list from our author:
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars (Though I am a sucker for Voyager.)
Hunger Games or Divergent? Neither? I know that sounds terrible.
I just never got into the 'dystopian' thing. Too intense for me.
James Bond or Jack Ryan? Erm, *embarrassed blush* I haven't ever
read or seen a James Bond novel or movie and actually had to Google “Jack Ryan”
to find out who that was.
Sherlock: Robert Downey, Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch? Jeremy
Brett. :)
Spock: Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto? Leonard Nimoy.
X-Men or Avengers? That has changed for me very recently,
actually. Avengers now has the lead because of the excellence of the recent
movies—great dynamics.
Aliens or Predators? Cue another embarrassed blush . . .
Complete and total unfamiliarity here for me.
Minions or Penguins? Penguins.
Batman or Superman? Batman *But only because he has such cool
toys!
Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean? That's a tough one
because I never really got into Harry Potter in the way that I'm sure
this question is asking about and I loved “Pirates” so long as we stick only
to the first movie.
Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles.
Peter Jackson or James Cameron? Peter Jackson. But only because
I am largely unfamiliar with the main body of James Cameron's work.
Steven Spielberg or George Lucas? George Lucas.
Vampires or Werewolves? Vampires
LARP or MORPG? LARP – always wanted to try one.
THE BLOG TOUR
We're celebrating the release of THE BOOKMINDER by M. K. Wiseman with a blog tour and Rafflecopter give-away! Visit each blog each day for more chances to win lots of great prizes. If you like epic fantasy, you'll love this coming-of-age tale of magic and wizards set in the Renaissance era.
January 9-16, 2016
| Saturday, 01-09 | Bookwhizz |
| Sunday, 01-10 | M. K. Wiseman |
| Monday, 01-11 | Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind |
| Tuesday, 01-12 | Are You Afraid of the Dark? |
| Wednesday, 01-13 | The Howling Turtle |
| Thursday, 01-14 | Dreams to Become |
| Semi-short Chic | |
| Friday, 01.15 | JD Spero |
| Books in the Spotlight | |
| Saturday, 01-16 | Creativity from Chaos |
| Rambling Reviews |
THE GIVEAWAY
Don't forget to enter our blog tour Rafflecopter give-away below, on the blogs above, on our Facebook page, or on Rafflecopter, with daily chances to win!
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