Book Spotlight: A Graveyard of Stars (Dark Tide 15)

 Another book spotlight today with the anthology, A Graveyard of Stars (Dark Tide 15). Enjoy.

A Graveyard of Stars (Dark Tide 15)

In uncharted and forbidden tracts of space, ancient evils awaken…

With its visceral action, escalating dread, vivid characters braving trauma and temptation, and startling feats of imagination, A Graveyard of Stars anthology will send the reader hurtling through space toward chilling revelations and breathless conclusions. 

In "The Temple," after an audacious crew of salvagers crosses into dangerous territory seeking otherworldly treasure, they discover an occult secret which could change everything.

In "The Station," the intrepid crew of the Argento encounters unimaginable horrors after discovering a mysterious, drifting megastructure in the depths of space.

And in the title novella "Graveyard of Stars," a routine maintenance job on the edge of the notorious Demon Star system goes terribly wrong, leaving the stranded engineers caught between the unfathomable forces of Algol and the lethal dangers of the encroaching defence net they are sworn to uphold.   

These three brilliantly inventive novellas combine in this compulsive sci-fi collection to explore threats lurking in a forbidden and blighted sector of space. Perfect for fans of Event Horizon, Alien, Dead Silence and Luminous Dead. 

Book Link: https://geni.us/GraveyardOfStars

About the Authors

Once Dan Soule was an academic, but the sentences proved too long and the words too obscure. Northern Ireland is where he now lives. But he was born in England and raised in Byron’s hometown, which the bard hated but Dan does not. They named every other road after Byron. As yet no roads are named after Dan but several children are. He tries to write the kind of stories he wants to read. His short fiction has featured in theGhostsSory.com, Disturbed Digest, Devolution Z and now Sanitarium Magazine among others. Five novels have spawned from his pen, including Neolithica, Witchopper, The Ash, Savage, and The Jam.

 

Lee Mountford is a horror author from the North-East of England. His first book, Horror in the Woods, was published in May 2017 to fantastic reviews, and his follow-up book, The Demonic, achieved Best Seller status in both Occult Horror and British Horror categories on Amazon.

He is a lifelong horror fan, much to the dismay of his amazing wife, Michelle, and his work is available in ebook, print and audiobook formats.

In August 2017 he and his wife welcomed their first daughter, Ella, into the world. In May 2019, their second daughter, Sophie, came along. Michelle is hoping the girls don’t inherit their father’s love of horror, but Lee has other ideas…

 

Joseph Sale is the critically acclaimed Amazon best-selling author of more than 30 books, including The Book of Thrice Dead, Virtue’s End, Dark Hilarity, and The Claw of Craving. Bram Stoker Award Finalist Ross Jeffery described Joseph Sale as “a gothic master”.

He has been published by Blood Bound Books, Crystal Lake, The Writing Collective, Nonbinary Review, Dark Hall Press, and Storgy Magazine, and his work has appeared in anthologies such as Tales From The Shadow Booth, Exit Earth, Burnt Fur, and Blood Bank alongside writers such as Richard Thomas and Neil Gaiman. In 2017 he was nominated for The Guardian’s Not The Booker prize.

Despite growing up in the Lovecraftian seaside town of Bournemouth, he now lives in Winchester (in the UK) with his wonderful family, where he obsesses over table-top RPGs, trading card games, book bindery, esoteric Christianity, and anime.

To read a free prequel novella in the critically acclaimed series The Book of Thrice Dead, visit Joseph Sale’s website: themindflayer.com

To follow him on social media, find him on Twitter / X @josephwordsmith 

Interview With Author Alene Nation

Today I have an interview, with fantasy and sci-fi author Alene Nation who stops by to chat about her books and writing. Enjoy.

Interview With Alene Nation

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.

I’m retired. For a long time, I have worked in health insurance offices due to my degree in Computer Information Systems. Twenty years ago, I owned and ran a small screen print and embroidery shop. This is where I learned how to use my design talents on my covers. I have always read fiction and non-fiction books for the past 60 years. My genre is realistic science fiction and urban fantasy. I have also added a travel mystery series and wrote a non-fiction true story.

 

Could you tell us a bit about your latest book? 

My latest book is the fifth urban fantasy about a thirtyish aged woman who is a widow, called The Magic Within. She sees little people and ghosts that no one else can see. Her unusual friends are the ones who lead her into trouble or save her life. In this story, she has to save her boyfriend’s daughter from a kidnapper. One day she steps into a hidden library and enlists the help from a wizard.

 

How long have you been writing, and how many books have you published to date? 

I always wanted to write but never knew how to publish until I found an excellent writing club in 2011. Since 2013, I have published 16 novels and several novellas and short stories. I attach the short stories to my monthly newsletters.

 

Of all the books you've written, do you have a favourite? 

It depends on my mood. They are all mysteries, some cozy and some thrillers. I love writing and exploring what could be in our quest of space. So, this is fun and examining how we might live on Mars or the Moon.

I wrote my first urban fantasy as a NaNoWriMo test. Which means I had to write 50K words in 30 days. After finishing the story in 11 days, I knew I had a talent for writing. Since the character lives in a little town not far from my home, I know the people so well and what they would do.

After I took a fantastic trip to Europe, I met my next character and wrote two stories about her (my) experiences.

My only nonfiction is based on a true story in northern Idaho in 1971 where I grew up.

What is my favorite book? That’s like asking who is my favorite child?

I’ll pick Fatal Error because it’s based on actual occurrences and a lot about robots in the future. The danger is real.

 

Do you have a favourite character? If so, why? 

I’ll have to choose Detective Alex Blackhawk because he’s strong, smart, and won’t give up in his search for his suspect. I would say my favorite female character would be Alice Morgan who worked on the Moon and Mars. Next in the UF series, it would be Hobnobby, the gnome. Now he’s not the MC, but he uses magic to benefit others and he’s a little sneaky. 

Why did you decide to write in the urban fantasy & science fiction genre?

I have always liked mysteries and spooky stories. Just as I’m about to end writing one of my books, I discover a twist that has to be told. I’m interested in science and the progress our country has made. I’m a deep Star Trek fan since 1960.

 

What is the hardest part of writing science fiction?  

Getting the scene times in order. On the whole, I find writing it quite easy.

 

What do you enjoy most about writing in the urban fantasy genre? 

It’s easy and relatable to people I know.

 

You write in several genres. Do you have a favourite? And if so, why? 

It depends on what I want to express. If I want to continue my SF series to explain the galaxy beyond, then I’ll do that one. If I think my character has to have an unusual encounter with the fantasy world, I’ll write that one. For example, my character, Susan Edwards and her friend Hobnobby had just trapped a terrible witch inside an old mirror. Done and settled? No, I had to write the next book about the witch’s escape and what Susan was going to do. Like life, my stories go on.

 

Who is your intended readership? 

Probably 30-70 age group. I do have a couple of YA and NA SF books for the 16-22 age group as well.

 

Are there particular challenges in writing for your core readership? 

I don’t see one, I remember what I expected at those ages. It helps too when I watch shows or read about that age range.

 

Why did you write this book? What was your inspiration? 

The first science fiction book was a test for my writing class. It was a story I had continually thought about. The same happened when I wrote the first urban fantasy. I had every scene memorized before I began NaNoWriMo.

 

What did you enjoy most about writing your book? 

Finishing, re-editing where I change scenes around, and that final sale.

 

What did you find most challenging about writing your book?

If I need to know how a machine works. I had to research tunnel digging, a grain mill operation, and the unique surface formations on Mars.

 

Did anything surprise you about the process of writing your book? 

In the beginning, it was the formatting and the publishing, but I have that down pat now.

 

What did you hope to accomplish by publishing your book? 

Entertain and make people think

 

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? 

After a year in my writing class.

 

Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have a certain writing routine? 

As I said above, I’m retired and have lots of time on my hands. If I don’t have any appointments to keep, I sit down after breakfast and write until Lunch. After Lunch, I pick up the mail, and do a few house chores, and write until 4:00pm. I don’t do any writing at night. That’s my time off to watch mystery shows or Forensic Files for ideas. On Saturday, I’ll set my promos on Facebook.

 

What is your greatest challenge as a writer? 

To remind my hubby not to test the fire alarm during NaNoWriMo. He did one year and since then I remind him before November 1^st. Once in a while between hitting the stores and housework, I need more time.

 

Do you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration? 

I loved reading Agatha Christie ad Isaac Asimov. Georgette Heyer is another favorite with her beautiful long sentences. I was told not to do long sentences for today’s readers, so I don’t. I have read all of Rita Mae Brown’s books, which gave me the inspiration to write what my SF animals are saying.

 

How do you research your books? 

Google for details listed above. When I’m sitting in the doctor’s office or at the airport, I watch people and decide what type of character they could become. After 60+ years of living, I have seen a lot.

 

What advice would you give beginning writers? 

Read, read, read as much as you can. Books will always help you with your grammar. As for publishing, use KDP as Amazon sells 75+% of all the books in the world. Use Grammarly and ProWriting Aid before you let anyone else read your book. Try to find beta readers after you have read your manuscript over ten times or more. Give them a free book and ask them to help correcting your errors. Start with ebook, the formatting is easier than print. Ebooks are the fastest sellers on the publishing market today.

 

Do you have any amusing writing stories or anecdotes to share? 

Several odd things that I have experienced have found their way into my books. I had a small Corelle dish break in front of my eyes. If you own some, then you know they aren’t supposed to break. Then I read in the newspaper that Peru had an earthquake at the same time. That scene went into my UF book. Another time, I lost my ship card while in Europe. Talk about panic. The stewards were kind and replaced it for me. That scene went into my travel book.

 

What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies? 

I did commercial embroidery for many years. I still do totes and shirts once in a while, but writing has taken up most of my time. My husband and I used to travel a lot before covid happened. So, before I send out my newsletter, I write and attach a new short story each month. After a year, I put all of the short stories into one book.

 

How did you become interested in science fiction/urban fantasy? 

Movies, TV shows, and books I have watched and read.

 

Are you working on another book? 

I will for NaNoWriMo this November 2020. I may write one novel, a novella, and a few short stories. Last year, I wrote over 80,000 words in 30 days using this writing system.

What’s your next project? Any upcoming book secrets you care to reveal? 

My next projects are the books I start in NaNoWriMo. The SF book will be first.

I just discovered Justkindlebooks.com. They are the best for sales. Just use the bargain offer. In that one day, I had more downloads than I have had from that one book in years. I keep a section on my blog for writing tips that anyone can look over – blogingwrites.weebly.com.

The average fiction book is sized 6x9” but I have tried 5x8” and I like that one better. For the series, keep all of them the same size.

Write a lot of novellas and put them into kindle unlimited. I use the free days with great success.

~*~

You can find more about Alene Nation and her books at these sites.

Webpage:

https://www.anationauthor.com/authorpage.html 

Blog:

https://bloggingwrites.weebly.com/ 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorANation

https://www.facebook.com/AnationWriter/

Book Spotlight: Atom & Go: Genesis

Today I have some sci-fi for you with a spotlight (plus an excerpt) on the new release, Atom & Go: Genesis by Zach Winderl. Enjoy.

 Atom & Go: Genesis by Zach Winderl

Fleeing the destruction of his clan, Atom Ulvan must protect his two-year-old daughter on a space-western romp across the galaxy. Aboard his ship the One Way Ticket, the pair must find a way to survive their pursuers while carving out their new place on the frontiers of the Empire.

 Atom & Go: Genesis is available from the publisher's website

And Amazon

Excerpt

Atom stepped from the cargo ramp into a gust of oven dusty air. Squinting against the blown grit, he raised a shielding hand and took stock of his surroundings. The polarized atmosphere shaded everything a reddish-grey, haunting the eyes with ghostly images of absent colors. In the back of his mind, Atom tried to adjust to the lack of blues and greens.

“Why don’t you inform the others of your side business?” Kozue asked as Atom retreated up to the hatch door at the top of the ramp.

“I don’t want them involved,” Atom replied as he punched through the hatch.

“But they could help.”

Atom glanced at Margo. Looking up from the pram, she beamed a smile.

“Dada dirty.” She clapped her hands and shook with a gleeful giggle.

With care, he wrapped a mesh hood around her head and fixed a filter over her mouth. She reached up to pull the hood off, but Atom took her hands and set them in her lap.

“Leave it,” he commanded, and Margo complied. “We’re going outside, Go. It’s dusty so let the hood be.”

Margo nodded. She turned her attention to looking through the polarized lenses covering her eyes. With a furtive glance to Atom, she reached up and adjusted the hood. Atom raised an eyebrow, but he saw the smile lift her cheeks beneath the light material.

Satisfied with Margo’s elemental protection, Atom punched the hatch open again and pushed the pram out into the gusting wind. As he tromped down the ramp, he wrapped a light scarf around his mouth and nose.

“They could help, but they could also prove a liability.” He continued the conversation as he slipped into the crowded street at an easy stroll. “Plus, I work better alone.”

“You take Margo.”

“Truth, but she’s blood. She’s a part of me.”

“She’s a child, Atom.”

“And I trust her more than either of the other two in a fight. I know what she’s capable of.”

“There’s something frightening in that statement.” Concern laced Kozue’s words. “Especially since one of your crew is a known gunfighter with a rap as long as my hair.”

“You don’t have hair.”

“I did, and you remember.”

Atom fell silent. His feet pressed forward through the dust laden throngs. He had lined up a buyer on the slow orbital descent, but he preferred meeting face to face, a habit from his days as an admiral.

Following Kozue’s directions, he wound his way through the thriving spaceport to a well built residence, nestled between the slums and the affluent.

At his first knock, a young servant woman opened the door with a genuine smile

“Make yourself welcome,” she said as she slammed the door against the wind. “I will let Staroste Moncrief know you have arrived. He was pleased and surprised by your request to meet in person.”

“I aim to surprise.” Atom smiled as he pulled his scarf down. “In a good way of course.”

The servant bobbed her head and disappeared through a door at the rear of the tall entryway. As the door closed on the servant’s heels, Atom unwrapped Margo and surveyed their surroundings. From the outside, the building appeared squat and plain, but the interior told a different story. The entrance hall showed modest opulence. Built of solid sandstone bricks, artisans had carved delicate floral scenes of off-world Edens into every surface. Soaring twenty feet overhead, a broad, tinted skylight allowed a comforting warm glow to enter and offset the cool, misted interior of the building. Underfoot, a thick carpet of intricate weave covered the broad sandstone blocks of the floor in an inviting manner.

“Welcome, Mr. Ulvan.” The servant opened the doors to the interior and motioned for him to follow. Atom picked up Margo and strolled after the serving girl.

About the Author

Zach is a stay at home dad who has graduated from writing during naptime to using school hours as creation central. He lives in Western NY with his wife, a mermaid, a cheetah, and a stormtrooper.

When not playing board games with his children or game group, Zach Winderl can most often be found expanding the tales of Atom & Go or people watching for literary inspiration. He draws inspiration for his character Margo from a mash-up of his three children and while he can’t claim to be a gun-slinger, many of Margo’s experiences have actually happened.

Website

Book Spotlight: Chawlgirl Rising

Today, I bring you another book spotlight, this time for science fiction with the novel, Chawlgirl Rising by Tim Young. Enjoy.

Chawlgirl Rising by Tim Young

Every time he shut off a city’s supply of food and water and doomed its citizens to starvation, Lucas Seraph thought he was doing the right thing. In the Indus Hegemony of 2118 AD few resources remain, and only the iron rule of the Hegemony’s sadistic leader Ju-Long Ng stands in the way of society’s collapse. But Lucas chafes at Ng’s cruelty and his wife’s devotion to the Hegemony, and when he clashes with Ginevra, the scarred but beautiful leader of a shadowy resistance against the Hegemony, his faith in Ng’s vision for humanity’s survival is shattered.

Ordered to eliminate the rebels, Lucas instead discovers Ng’s true goal: the forced modification of every Hegemony citizen’s body to adapt to the wasted planet, and the murder of all those who cannot survive the procedure. Horrified, he joins Ginevra in a desperate search for a poor girl from the slums named Shakti who escaped Ng’s experiments and holds the key to toppling the Hegemony somewhere in her damaged mind.

Yet Shakti has been hunting Lucas as well, and may be the avatar of a Hindu god who’s chosen him to aid her own inscrutable plan for humanity’s evolution. Caught between conflicting loyalties and despair at the suffering he’s helped cause, Lucas must choose who and what to believe in the race to stop Ng’s plan before starvation and thirst claim two billion lives. 

Chawlgirl Rising is available on Amazon

About the Author

T.K. Young’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including the Journal of Microliterature, Rosebud Magazine, and Hopewell Publications’ Best New Writing anthology. He’s the author of the flash fiction collection When We’re Afraid and once played a mean lead guitar in one of MTV’s Top 10 DC-area bands.

Book Spotlight: The Gaia Solution

Today I have a dystopian sci-fi book spotlight for you, for The Gaia Solution, book 3 of The Gaia Collection series by author Claire Buss. Enjoy.

The Gaia Solution (Book 3: The Gaia Collection)

by Claire Buss

Kira, Jed and their friends have fled New Corporation and joined the Resistance, but their relief is short-lived as they discover how decimated the human race has become and learn of an environmental crisis that threatens to destroy their existence. 

Kira and Jed must travel up the mountain to the New Corporation stronghold, City 50, to bargain for sanctuary while Martha and Dina risk everything to return to City 42 and save those who are left. 

With the last of her reserves Gaia, the fading spirit of the Earth uses her remaining influence to guide Kira and her friends but ultimately, it’s up to humanity to make the right choice.

More about The Gaia Collection series

The Gaia Collection is Claire's hopeful dystopian trilogy set 200 years in the future after much of the planet and the human race have been decimated during The Event, when the world went to war with high-energy radiation weapons. In The Gaia Effect, Kira and Jed Jenkins – a young couple who were recently allocated a child – together with their closest friends, discover Corporation have been deliberately lying to them and forcing them to remain sterile. With help from Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, the group of friends begin to fight back against Corporation eventually winning and taking over the governance of City 42.

In The Gaia Project, Corporation fight back under a new, more terrifying organization called New Corp and Kira, Jed and their friends end up fleeing for their lives trying to find a safe place to live. They travel to City 36 and City 9 in vain and must go further afield.

In the final book, The Gaia Solution, the main characters have ended up with the Resistance and not only do they have to deal with surviving against New Corp but an extinction environmental event is looming on the horizon and they’re running out of time to save what’s left of the human race.

Book Buy Links

The Gaia Effect – mybook.to/gaiaeffect

The Gaia Project – mybook.to/gaiaproject

The Gaia Solution – mybook.to/gaiasolution

About the Author

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet based in the UK. She wanted to be Lois Lane when she grew up but work experience at her local paper was eye-opening. Instead, Claire went on to work in a variety of admin roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. An avid reader, baker and Pinterest addict Claire won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 with her debut novel, The Gaia Effect, setting her writing career in motion. She continues to write passionately and is hopelessly addicted to cake.

Social Media Links

Facebook: www.facebook.com/busswriter

FB Group: www.facebook.com/groups/BussBookStop

Twitter: www.twitter.com/grasshopper2407

Website: www.cbvisions.weebly.com

Blog: https://www.butidontlikesalad.blogspot.co.uk

Book Spotlight: Humans, Volume 1: The Mark

Today I bring another spotlight, this time for the science fiction novel, Humans, Volume 1: The Mark by Alexandra L. Yates. Enjoy.

Humans, Volume 1: The Mark by Alexandra L. Yates

In 2125, Cathy and the other seven Elite students are training in Kantas City to become the future leaders of the Red World Government. Cathy, Tabitha, Stephanie, Leah, James, Jesse, Chris and Max are all descendants of the few humans left after the Ecological Wars of 2025 eradicated nearly all earth's inhabitants. The eight Elite students have been chosen to govern over a stark new world with an uncertain future. As part of their training, the Eight must endure an important test. While meeting new people and learning more about the world outside the walls they’ve grown up in, the Eight begin to question their chosen path and the history they’ve been made to believe.

What is beyond the Red World?

What really happened in 2025?

Most importantly, who are they?

In this post-apocalyptic science fiction adventure, eight young adults embark on a dangerous journey to uncover who they really are.

Humans, Volume 1: The Mark is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Lulu

About the Author

Alexandra L. Yates started her career in finance working for a number of major international companies in France, Germany and the UK. After the birth of her two children, she was inspired to join an international NGO in Amsterdam and help make the world a better place for them to live. Now, she is embracing a new challenge through writing, and her debut novel is dedicated to all those fighting to save the planet. She currently resides in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland with her husband and children.

Interview with Author Claire Buss

Today I have a wonderful interview with fantasy and sci-fi author, Claire Buss. Enjoy!

Interview with Author Claire Buss

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.

Hi! My name is Claire Buss, I’m a multi-genre author and stay-at-home mum to two rascals. I write hopeful dystopia, humorous fantasy, slice-of-life short stories, poetry and love writing flash fiction. I published my first book, The Gaia Effect, in 2016 and have since self-published a further 15 titles with two more due out later this year (2019). I am determined to make my author career a success and I’m in it for the long haul! I have lots of ideas for future books and series which I can’t wait to get stuck into. I feel like I have learnt a phenomenal amount with regards to independent publishing, book marketing and writing in general and I love that. I know there is lots more to master and I look forward to continually developing and improving my writing. I realise I sound a bit like I’m sat in an interview but I really want to make a good impression and I thought if I talked about my cake addiction, the ability to write 1000 or so words in half an hour when the muse is with me and constantly feeling like I’m failing as a mother, wife and entrepreneur you might run away. I wouldn’t blame you. But seriously, writing for me is usually a joy and something I am immensely proud of so I hope you’ll take a moment to have a read of my interview and maybe check out some of my books.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?

My latest book is a humorous fantasy novella called The Interspecies Poker Tournament. It is set in the town of Roshaven, the world you meet in my novel The Rose Thief and is a prequel of sorts.

Here’s the blurb:

Ned Spinks, Chief Thief-Catcher, has a new case. A murderous moustache-wearing cult is killing off members of Roshaven's fae community. At least that's what he's been led to believe by his not-so-trusty sidekick, Jenni the sprite. She has information she's not sharing but plans to get her boss into the Interspecies Poker Tournament so he can catch the bad guy and save the day. If only Ned knew how to play!

If you loved Terry Pratchett's Discworld, you'll love Roshaven.

How long have you been writing, and how many books have you published to date?

I’ve been writing collectively for a while. I wrote short stories and began a million fantasy books when I was a young girl and teenager. Then came the angsty poetry years and then real life stepped in and my creativity stopped so it wasn’t until a random poster for a writers’ workshop at my local library reminded me that I used to love writing. That was 2015 and from that workshop, I entered a book writing competition, came second and published my first book, The Gaia Effect in 2016. Since then I’ve published a further 15 titles with two more due out this year:

The Gaia Collection (hopeful dystopia)

The Gaia Effect

The Gaia Project

The Gaia Solution – coming November 2019

The Roshaven Books (humorous fantasy)

The Rose Thief

Ye Olde Magick Shoppe – a short story

The Interspecies Poker Tournament 

Short Story Collections (slice of life)

Tales from Suburbia

Tales from the Seaside

Flash Fiction

The Blue Serpent & other tales

Flashing Here and There

Poetry

Little Book of Verse, Book 1 in the Little Book Series

Little Book of Spring, Book 2 in the Little Book Series

Little Book of Summer, Book 3 in the Little Book Series

Spooky Little Book, Book 4 in the Little Book Series

Anthologies

Underground Scratchings in Tales from the Underground, Inklings Press

Patient Data from The Quantum Soul, Knight of the Sci-Fi Roundtable

A Badger Christmas Carol from The Sparkly Badgers’ Christmas Anthology

Dress Like an Animal from Haunted, The Sparkly Badgers’ Halloween Anthology – out October 2019

You write in several genres. Do you have a favourite? And if so, why?

My favourite genre is usually the one I’m working in at the time. For me, it’s more about the story and the characters than the actual genre I’m writing. I pay no attention to tropes lol. I think the one that makes me laugh the most is definitely the humorous fantasy and I get a real kick out of hearing other people enjoying the same jokes. I’m funny – honest!

Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have a certain writing routine?

With two small children, my writing process is haphazard at best. I try to keep myself on track with a promotional spreadsheet that covers all the social media stuff and I have a 1-page plan of what I want to be writing, editing and releasing. It rarely happens but at least with those plans in place, I can always re-orientate myself and try and be productive. I’ve learnt not to worry if I didn’t get everything done, I can only do my best. When I have a new idea, I can’t not write it down. Usually the idea marinates in my head for a while before I’m ready to write but then when I am ready, I find it really easy to get the initial word count down. I prefer to write shorter length books than the traditional epic fantasy hefties. I write sequentially and I never read what I’ve written previously before I sit down to write again. With kids, usually all my writing is done in the evening, but I have recently negotiated coffee shop/library time with my husband when he’s off work because I get sooooooooo much more work done when I’m not sat in the house. Once the first draft has been written I let it rest for a couple of weeks before printing out a copy and beginning the first editing pass. That’s usually when I find all the gaping plot holes and lots of instances where I’ve written in caps what I want to happen, but I haven’t actually written in yet. I find editing a chore and will do things like clean the oven or wash windows to avoid doing it but once I get stuck in, it’s usually not that bad. I get ideas from all over the place; random thoughts, late night ideas, dreams, mash-ups of TV shows and books I’ve read, writing prompts and submission topics for competitions – everything!

What is your greatest challenge as a writer?

My greatest challenge is finding the time. I never have enough time to do everything I want to do so either the writing suffers or the social media & promotion suffers and you can’t successfully have one without the other so it’s a constant catch-22 scenario. I am hoping when my youngest goes to nursery in January 2021 (I’m not counting down the days, honest), I will find more quality time to just get on with it and get the work done. I do treat my authorship like a business so I have goals I want to achieve and of course targets to try and make. I’m also really, really, really good at procrastination. 

How do you research your books?

Luckily for me, my current books are either set 200 years in a dystopian future or take place in a fantasy world that bears no relation to this one so I don’t have to really research anything – I make it up!. Every now and then something will come up and I’ll run to Google to fact check or find out. All my science in the Gaia books is based in fact so at least for my own peace of mind, I know it’s ‘right’.

What advice would you give beginning writers?

“Never give up! Never surrender!” If writing is something you enjoy, then you should write. Writing a book for you and for your own pleasure is a whole different ball game to writing to sell books and make a living. It’s hard work. And if you can imagine how hard it might be, triple it. It’s a constant process, there is no day off and sometimes it can be soul destroying. But you get to see your published book in your hands and there’s no feeling like that. People you don’t know will read your book and enjoy it, which is just amazing when you think about it. Plus, the indie author community is brilliant – full of advice and support, they really are the best cheerleading agony aunt you could ever ask for. 

What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?

When I’m not burnt out and sobbing in a corner, I like to cook and to bake. I very occasionally cross stitch which is a hobby I’m desperate to get back to. Obviously, I love to read, and I enjoy movie night with popcorn.
 

What’s your next project? Any upcoming book secrets you care to reveal?

My next novel out will be The Gaia Solution, book three of my hopeful dystopia series and then I am editing and taking part in an anthology of spooky tales for Haunted, The Sparkly Badgers’ Halloween Anthology. The Sparkly Badgers is a Facebook writing group that I run, we’re very friendly if anyone would like to join us. 

You can find out more about Claire and her books at her Website, Facebook Page or Twitter

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