Interview with Author C S Alleyne

Today we have the first of a two part interview with author C S Alleyne and her character Johnson Nottidge. Today's interview is with the author as she joins us to discuss her paranormal horror novel, Belle Vue, and her writing. And tune in tomorrow when Richard Dale puts her antagonist Johnson Nottidge on the hot seat. Enjoy!

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

My name is Cheryl Alleyne. I grew up in Australia and originally trained as a hotel manager in the UK. After several postings in the Caribbean, I changed tack and completed my MBA followed several years later by a PhD in Information Systems. When not writing, I am a management consultant and also lecture in several universities.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?

My debut novel, Belle Vue, is a paranormal horror which is told in two strands – past and present – around a Victorian lunatic asylum and the people who live there. It is very dark and focuses on an unspeakable crime, the hunger for justice and how when revenge is paramount, innocence doesn’t count. It will be published on 25^th August 2020 by Crystal Lake Publishing.

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

I always have a preference for ‘baddies’ and there are numerous in Belle Vue but my favourite (and goodness knows what this says about me lol!) is the aristocrat, Johnson Nottidge. He is completely amoral, a cunning schemer and cares not a jot for anyone or anything but his own pleasure.

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

Although I was always jotting down ideas for stories, I never got round to completing anything but then that unexpectedly changed. I used to go past a derelict asylum on my way to the gym. It was then converted into luxury flats and some time later, I found a book in the library about murders in Hertfordshire (the county in which I live). In it, there was a case about a girl in that asylum who was murdered. That story, and my connection to the location, captured my attention in a way nothing had done before. So from having years of half-finished stories and yellowing notes, I wrote every spare minute I could get and didn’t stop until Belle Vue was complete.

What did you enjoy most about writing your book?

To create characters. For me, that is a fascinating process as you can choose every aspect of their lives and appearance and with but a few words change their fate. What I didn’t expect was that – for me - the characters became so strong that it was as though they were directing their actions and speech on the page, not my imagination!

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

Yes - that I could write so much! When I first started and had the idea about a murder in the asylum in Victorian times and it being converted to luxury flats in the present day, I didn’t really think I’d be able to write much and wondered if it might be a short story as it was unlikely I could find enough to write for a novel. I sure got that wrong! The soon-to-be-published book is half the size of my first complete draft.

I joined a writers’ circle and many there who had had books published said they had written lots of novels before getting published (now in bottom drawers) so each was a form of practice and developing their writing skills. I did it the other way round and used the same book to do this!  I pruned it and rewrote it numerous times instead (using advice from a lot of rejection letters!). Then my wonderful agent, Italia Gandolfo saw its potential (or I caught her at a weak moment lol) and we did more pruning and editing before it was accepted by Crystal Lake Publishing.

How do you research your books?

I love all the research and given I didn’t know much about the history of asylums, murder and punishment in Victorian times and satanic societies, I had much to get my teeth into. The present day required a different type of research and as I was local I was able to visit old asylum grounds – not just the Leavesden one but also others in the area such as Colney Hatch and others that had also been converted into luxury accommodation. I also posed as a potential buyer to view the inside of the main building and one of the luxury Leavesden apartments but the buyer who knew my husband (at the time), recognized me and wanted to know all about our moving plans! Oops.

What advice would you give beginning writers?

If you love to write or have a story you want to tell, then - as long as you are enjoying yourself - keep at it. Hone your craft – be open to ideas and feedback and whether you want to be published or not – take pride in your creation. If you can translate that pride and excitement about your work to the page – you’re halfway there! If you do want to be published, you may get (lots of) rejections but believe in yourself, keep honing and never give up.

Are you working on another book?

Yes, Belle Vue is now planned to be the first of a trilogy. I am in the middle of writing the sequel – Secret Nemesis is the working title - and in it, the main characters from both the Victorian and present day move to the United States and face a cross-fire of evil and danger.

About the Author

C S Alleyne grew up in Australia and originally trained as a hotel manager in the UK. After several postings in the Caribbean, she changed tack and completed her MBA followed several years later by a PhD in Information Systems. She is a management consultant and also lectures in several universities.

Her dark horror novelette, POWEЯ, was published in December 2019. 

Author links

Website | Blog | Goodreads Profile | Twitter | Facebook

US Amazon Author Page | UK Amazon Author Page

Belle Vue by C S Alleyne

Jealousy, betrayal, murder and a hunger for vengeance that spans the centuries…

History student Alex Palmer is thrilled when his girlfriend, Claire Ryan, buys an apartment in Belle Vue Manor, formerly a Victorian lunatic asylum.

But as Alex begins to discover the dark truth about the asylum’s past, he, Claire, and their friend Marianne find themselves on a nightmarish journey. Each will face the deadly consequences of the evil that began with the construction of the first Belle Vue Manor by an aristocratic French émigré in 1789, as well as the cruelty and satanic practices that continued when it became an asylum for the insane.

As the two strands—past and present—unfold, Alex uncovers a supernatural mystery where revenge is paramount and innocence irrelevant—without being aware of the price he, and those around him, will pay.

You can check out Belle Vue on Amazon: http://getbook.at/BelleVue

Or on Goodreads

You can read an excerpt of Belle Vue here: Prologue and first two chapters

And click the link to check out C S Alleyne's other book POWEЯ:  http://getbook.at/CSPower

 

Interview With Author Nathalie M.L. Römer

Today I have an interview for you dear readers, with author Nathalie M.L. Römer, who chats about her writing and her fantasy books. Enjoy!

Interview With Nathalie M.L. Römer

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

Hi, my name is Nathalie M.L. Römer, and I'm a author living in Sweden. I primarily write fantasy, science fiction and mystery but recent developments on the front on "coming up with new stories" means I've decided to embrace other genres as well, some of which will start being published in 2018. I own my own publishing company, and I've embarked on building an additional career as a book cover designer too now (I was already artistic long before I even wrote). I sold my first design recently so I feel really pumped up about this venture now. My career as a professional writer started in November 2014 when an inspirational short story made me want to make it into a long meaningful book...It became a series instead. I guess I had way too much story tucked away in my mind for just one book. When I'm not writing, or the little bit of designing, I play computer games (mostly World of Warcraft which was the direct inspiration for my book series The Wolf Riders of Keldarra), I'm an accomplished cook, I love to watch a good movie, and I like doing crafts.


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

My writing career started in November 2014, and I've published nine books to date. It was only by chance that I decided to start writing but I've never looked back and I'm loving every day of my life because of the choices made.


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

To date I love The Wolf Riders of Keldarra. In the world building I've created such an expansive world that I just couldn't leave it at the seven books planned for this series. I will be writing other books in the future set in the same universe. It would be announced on my Facebook page what books are planned of course. I can reveal that the first book in the series is available free of charge on  November 1st and 2nd, 2017, so to start discovering this world you can go here on those days: The Wolf Riders of Keldarra


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

Marrida is my favourite character as she is a reflection of me. Like me she is vulnerable, compassionate and kind. Like me she loves mysteries. She cares about the people around her which will be seen in Book 2: Second Elder of Ruh'nar. I love writing characters with a depth of character, where their personality is uncovered bit by bit. A real person consists of many layers of personality so a character in a story should too. Readers will uncover Marrida's characteristics and personality as they read more of the story, and in a way that also introduces them to me too. She's not a carbon copy of me but she does have similarities to me so writing is one way that allows me to let people into my life a little bit.


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

So far I've written epic fantasy, science fiction and mystery, and of the three it's epic fantasy that sways me as favourite. In 2014 when I started writing I had been playing World of Warcraft for almost seven years. I had seen a living, breathing fantasy world by playing, so to me it was easy to do the world building for a world of my own creation. This DOESN'T mean I don't like other genres though. I've been introduced to amazing stories by connecting to other authors in this journey, and that opened my eyes to the possibilities of what other genres could offer. I've got a long list of ideas that I'm going to put on paper as a story. In the end it may be that my favourite genre will shift, but only time will tell in which direction.


Who is your intended readership?

I decided to answer this question because the idea of an intended readership for a book intrigues me. I'd say I like people to approach my stories with an open mind. I know my prose isn't the best (I'm far from being another J.K. Rowling or James Patterson in that respect), but I do attempt to deliver a story that will intrigue a reader. A review for my first book reads as follows: "I completed the book and did enjoy it enough to get book 2 which was even better. It lead me to get book 3 which some parts were heart warming. I can't wait till I get book 4. If you pick up the books If you give them a chance, I think you will enjoy them as much as I did."

I would guess by this reaction I'm doing something right with the story telling. I just hope more and more readers will agree with this reviewer.


What did you find most challenging about writing your book?

I kind of answered it in the last question. It's the writing down the words that worry me. I constantly ask myself: Does this make sense? Is it interesting enough for a reader? Am I putting in too much info dump here? Is the grammar right? For me grammar is the biggest challenge as originally I'm Dutch and never really unlearned the Dutch grammar rules, even after using English as my native language for over 25 years. But I guess that's why I have my amazing professional editor Alison Jack to edit these mistakes away for me. As I don't have a daytime job other than my writing there's been a lack of income so paying for the editing is a challenge. So far she's done my first novel as a professional edit, and is almost done with the second. I would want to REMIND every person who may read this that work to improve my books is an organic process. If you purchase book NOW and find it not so good, please give me the chance to have it edited to be better. Income from my books would help here, and the more sales I get the fast ALL my books are professionally edited. I guess I'm learning from my editor how to be a better writer though as she's said she's seen improvements the second book being edited. It will mean that it gets easier to write a better book next time as I'm the sort of person who wants to learn from my mistakes.


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

That there a lot more involved in the process. Before I started writing I did have a vague idea of what it took to be an author, but what you learn from interviews with authors on tv and the reality are two different matters. I'd say the writing is the tip of the iceberg. The other 95% is what makes the writing process complete, most notably publicity and marketing.


What advice would you give beginning writers?

I'd say that the best thing is to DO your research and find a good, reliable editor even before you start on your first book if you want to be an author. A good editor is expensive (don't bother with Fiverr in this respect!!!). While you write, ask other authors for recommendations. Check them out. While you write, save up for the cost of editing. I found Alison (my editor) in the directory of vetter partner members of Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) that I'm a member of. Because of that the process of "checking them out" was done partly for me, though I still asked her questions about her work to see if I could work with her. A good editor doesn't rewrite your work, they improve the delivery of the technical part of writing. Make sure you have all the spell checking done, and gone through the writing at least once to spot issues, then let the editor DO his or her work. That's what they're there for. They are are the second pear of eyes to spot errors. --- See what I did there? Did you spot the deliberate mistakes made in that sentence? Now you see why the editor is so good for YOU!!!

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

My next project is going to be my first urban fantasy novel. I've done a fair bit of research into the typical "clichés" and tropes and I hope that when the book is written I've pushed the reader far away from both. Okay, I'll drop some hints of upcoming work. A fairytale, a book set in an alternate historic setting, a humorous book about an iconic creature, a space opera, and last but not least a book I'm looking forward to reading which ties in with the series The Wolf Riders of Keldarra that is called "Mountain Ghost". In my series my readers will be familiar with who she is. She's the wolf of the first person to ride a wolf, but long before there were any Wolf Riders. The book is set in a time of almost three thousand years before my current series when riding a wolf would mean the difference between continued slavery or the defeat of those enslaving it, when the defeat of that enemy would be the beginning of the land now known as Keldarra. I look forward to bringing all these books to life.

For more on Nathalie and her books check out these sites:

Website  Facebook  Amazon Page

And don't forget The Wolf Riders of Keldarra is free November 1st and 2nd.

Interview With Author Thomas McRae

Today I have another interview, this time with poet and author Thomas McRae. Enjoy!

Interview With Thomas McRae

Why don't you begin by sharing a little about yourself?

I started writing when I was in Elementary School and from that point on I couldn't stop moving a pen or pencil on my paper.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?

Yes. Pimp in the Pulpit is inspired by my family and the craziness that comes with them all.

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

I've been writing since I was a child but I didn't start pursuing publishing as a real career until I got into my twenties. As of now I have 12 books published to date. But if you want my honest opinion Pimp in the Pulpit really feels like my first book, because it's the first time I'm taking full responsibility and control in regards of marketing, promoting and generating sales virtually all by myself.

Why did you decide to write in the short fiction genre?

Because I have so much to say but I don't want to say it all at once. Short fiction is a great way to tell a significant piece of your story without giving out all the necessary information at once.

What is the hardest part of writing short fiction?

Truth be told I don't find anything hard about it. I just take different story lines from my personal experiences and write it down as much as possible, then I remember to orchestrate other people's events into the storyline as well. And if for some reason I do develop some writer's block or if I'm not sure I should put something down in the story line  then I would read that section to my mom and get her perspective. Because she's kind of like my ghost writer and personal editor.

What do you enjoy most about writing in the short fiction genre?

I enjoy the whole process, because thinking about new storylines from personal experiences is amazing and therapeutic. I find it refreshing when I can take frustrating personal experiences whether it's mine or someone else's and find some humor and entertainment which could be used in my story line and plot.

Who is your intended readership?

That's the beauty about this book Pimp in the Pulpit. Everyone and anyone can relate to it because it's full of family issues, drama and suspense. It doesn't matter if you're black or white, Muslim or Jewish we all have family issues and we all need to express those issues in a constructive and positive way. If not for our selves then for the younger generation that is observing much of the bad and misguided behavior that is surrounding our family's.

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

What inspired me to write this book was numerous things. First thing that comes to mind is how my parents would struggle to raise my brother and I and none of my relatives would make any real attempt to help out only on occasion and that is when they needed or wanted something in return. My reason for writing  this book is simple Redemption. Redemption for my loved ones, myself and for anyone who can relate to these troublesome times in their own lives.

What did you hope to accomplish by publishing your book?

All I ever wanted was to be heard. For years I felt invisible and now I have a voice and it feels good being heard. It doesn't matter who likes it or not I'm damn proud to have a voice and as long as God keeps air in my lungs I will continue to use my voice.

What advice would you give beginning writers?

I will tell them the truth, that it's a long road ahead of them. But it's also very fulfilling especially when you start taking things and doing it yourself and not look for anyone to help you. Because in the end of the day life is a one-time deal so live it to the fullest and make sure you make it count.

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

Personally I like to watch movies every now and then I read a good book. Or I will listen to some music depending on my mood but for the most part I watch movies and hang out with my immediate family members. Such as my mom, brother and my father and some very close friends that I consider family as well.

Are you working on another book? 

Yes actually I've been working on the sequel of Pimp in the Pulpit. And I'm happy to inform you that the book is done and being processed by my publisher Eber & Wein  Publishing. It's slightly longer than the first book and I have some surprises inside of the book as well. Such as newspaper clippings, a personal review from Mrs. Shirley Gerald Ware owner of Fresh  Literary Magazine and some magazine clippings about my article along with some poetry certificates. The book is Well written and it goes a little back during my child years and early 20's.

You can find Pimp in the Pulpit on:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Other books by Thomas McRae:

Poetry for the soul 

The soul of a poet 

The lost poems 

Poetic Salvation my acknowledgement to our Lord 1 & 2 

Expression 

Blue Print 

Supernova 

Street Trash 

The Best of Thomas McRae

Piracy Kills Authors

Book Pirates Suck!

I spent part of today once again taking time (instead of writing) to send out DMCA notices to pirates sites hosting illegal copies of my books. And once again I'm wondering if it is worth continuing to publish my books.

This is what goes through my head every time I find one of my books has been pirated by some arrogant, selfish individual, who has no regard about the consequences of their actions. I wonder why I publish books at all if I inevitably will have to face this total ingratitude and asshole behavior.

Because I don't have to publish books. No writer has to publish their books. We do it because we want to publish. We want to connect with readers.

This is why it is so disheartening when readers use pirate sites. When readers support pirate sites and screw over authors when they do so. And the sad thing is, readers don't have to use pirate sites, not these days. Amazon, Smashwords, author websites, they all offer legal and free or discounted books for readers. Yet piracy persists.

It makes me ask the questions: 

Why am I bothering?

If people think so little of authors why do I publish at all?

And I don't have an answer.

I wish I did. 

I wish I could tell you that it will get better.

But I can't.

I haven't quit yet. Maybe I never will. Or maybe someday I will say, I've had enough. Take your pirated books, I'm done.  If I do, I'm sure my small career will join the sad ranks of dead authors killed by pirates.

The Reality of a Writer’s Life

The Reality of a Writer’s Life

Or the Hard Facts of Why Readers Should Think Twice About Piracy and “Free Books.”

Before I begin with my post, I want to state I am very much against book piracy, but not against free books. I do, however, think offering books for free should be the author’s, or publisher’s, choice, NOT a reader’s prerogative. I also want to say, this is not a condemnation or a taking to task of readers in general. The majority of them are darling angels that authors depend on. This post is merely offering up information and enlightenment for, perhaps, common misconceptions. In addition, all number and figures are based on my experiences (and possibly bad math skills); some other authors may have smaller or larger publishing costs.

Now on with the rant…

~*~

When most non-writing people think of “authors” they think of the big boys, the bestsellers raking in the money. They are, though, a minority when it comes to authors. Most writers are lucky if they eke a living from their writing without supplementary income. That is a fact, and one writers deal with or decide not to write for a living. And I’m not asking for sympathy for this fact, it’s just the way the job works. What I am saying is that writing is a job. Yes, it may be “artistic” but it’s still work.

And like all work, we want to get paid for it.

Period.

We may love what we do, but we still need cash to pay the expenses.

And writers do have expenses. Especially indie authors.

Let me break it down for you.

It takes me three to five months to write the first draft of a novel (if everything goes smoothly). This writing does not happen as in the movies with a writer frantically tapping on a keyboard for uninterrupted hours at a time. It happens in spurts and fits between doing laundry, dishes, marketing, other work, running errands, the occasional family crisis, and so on and on…

After the first draft it’s weeks more editing and polishing until I have a fully functioning manuscript. At this point I’ve invested several months of hard work and time into one book. So you say, off to the publisher, right? Wrong.

If I decide to try and submit to a publisher, it’s weeks more, months more, even years more rounds of queries and rejections, until hopefully acceptance. All the while I’m writing more books in-between life.

But that’s if I go the route of traditional publishing. If I go indie, here’s what happens.

I find a professional editor. A service I pay for, generally around 500-800 dollars (novellas, which is what I’ve previously published will run 200-300 dollars) depending on the length of the novel, and the editing service. Some services are cheaper, sometimes you can get deals, but by far editing is the most money you’ll shell out to self-publish a book.

Let’s round it up and say I’m now 600 dollars in the hole for my book. That’s the minimum amount I’ll have to make back before I even see a profit. That’s assuming I can design my own book covers and format my own books (which I generally do). Most authors have to shell out more money for either cover design or pre-made covers, and formatting. And of course, after the editing is done, there may (may meaning the probability is high) be a few more hundred dollars for proofreading costs.

So let’s round up again to a nice $800 dollar cost for publishing my book. And this doesn’t include marketing costs, which can tack on another few hundred.

So in one final roundup, let’s go with 1000 dollars in costs, shall we.

So this is what I will pay to publish a novel. But wait, you say, you’ll rake in the dough in royalties, right? That 70% Amazon ebook cut, right?

Well, not quite. If I price my book at 5.99 (and that’s a big if, more likely it will be priced between 2.99 and 3.99) I make about $4.20 per book (if I did the math right there). That means I have to sell 239 books just to break even. If I don’t sell that number, I’m losing money. The more money I lose, the less likely the next book gets published in a timely manner, or at all. And if a book is priced at less than 2.99 you get a 30% royalty share, and an even bigger financial hole to climb out of.

Which brings me to my point. Publishing books isn’t free. Asking authors to publish their books for free isn’t fair. Pirating books, and downloading books from pirate sites, makes it that much harder for indie authors to make a living. It might put some out of business permanently.

However, this does not mean (and I know this is weird, considering what I just said) free books don’t have a place in the publishing business. They do. But authors need to control that place. They need to factor free book offerings into their marketing to boost overall sales, and factor them into their costs.

Free books are not a right, and they are not a privilege. Don’t treat them like one. Free books, like all books, are a product, a commodity, if one born from creative minds. Books are forged from hard work and imagination, an amalgam of invention and art. Be gracious to their authors.

A Campfire Chat With Steve Vernon

Today I have a guest stopping by to chat. Talented horror author, and fellow Atlantic Canadian, Steve Vernon discusses writer's block and tips to get through those "staring at the blank page moments" we all have. Plus, there's a peek at his hockey horror book, Sudden Death Overtime. Enjoy...

A CAMPFIRE CHAT WITH STEVE VERNON

ON BURNING THROUGH WRITER’S BLOCK

Autumn is my favorite time of year.

You can feel the changes whispering at hushed gallop in the breeze as the sky leans down to kiss the leaves into bouquets of flame and color. It feels as a doorway has opened up in front of you and you know that you are going to have step right through the doorway into the weird winter world that is just waiting beyond it.

It is November and a lot of you folks – like me – are getting set to take part in NaNoWriMo. You are getting set to try and lay down 50,000 freaking words in a month that is only 30 days long.

That is a daunting task – but it shouldn’t ought to be so.

Let me give you the secret.

Let me whisper it into your ears.

Sit down.

Sit down here at the campfire.

These are magic words to the human ear. The campfire is a place in the universe where we all come to listen to the crackling dance of wood upon flame.

Every time that a writer sits down at their keyboard they get in touch with that inner spark as they blow their words upon the embers of their imagination trying to roar that flame into life.

That is what you need to remember whenever you find yourself at that fatal sticking point. When you start to think too damn much and you worry about what word you are going to put down next.

Remember – this is not rocket science.

It isn’t even writing – not really. Not when you stop to think about it.

You are just telling a story.

Don’t fear that.

Don’t let yourself freeze up.

Remember – we are ALL born knowing how to tell stories. Just as soon as you open your mouth and say “A funny thing happened to me just yesterday morning…” you are getting set to tell a story – and that is ALL that writing really is. At the heart of it, at the root of it – you are just telling a story.

You cannot open your mouth without a story falling out.

Whether you are talking about the hockey game that you watched last night, or the reason why your girlfriend has decided to run away with the local hot tub salesman, or if you are trying to sum up the answer to the meaning of life in 42 words or less – you are telling a story.

I always get a quiet little giggle out of how many people think that I am some kind of a freaking genius just because I know how to wrap a story around the framework of a novel and make it work.

It isn’t brilliant.

It isn’t freaking rocket science.

It is just telling a story.

 As you sit down at the keyboard today just stop and picture yourself sitting at a campfire across from your very best friend in the universe.

I mean besides your dog.

Just picture yourself sitting there and telling a story to very best friend and stop freaking out about how you are supposed to be writing and how this is supposed to be hard and just let the words ember and roll.

Blow each syllable upon the flames of your imagination and let the fire rise up inside of your spirit.

And if you think that I am just talking at you and telling you something that really isn’t all that true just stop and remember that I wrote this entire 600 word blog entry utilizing a strong underlying autumnal subtext with overtones of flame and fire without ever using the word “kindle”.

Speaking of kindle…

SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME – A STORY OF HOCKEY AND VAMPIRES

Meet Sprague Deacon - one of the toughest old-time hockey players who ever skated upon a rink of hand-poured ice. Sprague was born and raised and he expects to die here on the Northern Labrador coast. What he did not expect was a tour bus full of vampires - none of whom glitter in the least bit - to pull into his town and begin lowering the population level - one corpse at a time. Sprague and his three best friends - an over-the-hill never-say quit bush league hockey team from Northern Labrador go toe-to-tooth with a tour bus full of vampires in an immortal-stakes showdown of street hockey? For the answer - throw Paul Newman's Slapshot into a blender with Steven Niles 30 Days of Night and hit frappe! Also including the bonus time travelling hockey tale, "Time Out" as well as a bonus hockey-oriented ghost story, "Smoke Signals". Only 99 cents for this week only.

Available on

Amazon.com - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P2P5WMY

Amazon.ca - http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00P2P5WMY

Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id998047572

Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/sudden-death-overtime

Interview With Author Angela J. Ford

Today on the blog I bring you an interview with Angela J. Ford, author of the fantasy novel The Five Warriors, first in The Four Worlds series. Enjoy...

Interview With Angela J. Ford

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

Hi, I’m Angela, and I’ve been obsessed with books as long as I can remember. Growing up summers were spent combing through books at the library or creating imaginary worlds with my four sisters. Much of my creativity stemmed from the games we used to play together as children.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?

The Five Warriors is the first novel in The Four Worlds Series. The original version was written specifically for my sisters when I was twelve years old. It was inspired by games we used to play, books I read, movies I watched and dreams I had. I wanted to create a world in a galaxy far away where powerful beings similar to humans lived and fought through the rise and fall of their worlds. It’s a place where magic has not forsaken the land and powerful being are led by their whims and desires which ultimately impact the fate of the world. The Five Warriors is a tale of five individuals who find themselves combining forces to reach a common goal, although each of them have a different reasoning.

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

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember, but I did take a four year break after graduating from college. It was a point where I wanted to evaluate where I was going with my work and whether I wanted to continue down the road of re-writing all of my childhood stories. There’s a fanatical, flighty mindset I had when I was younger, and it was much easier to conjure impossibilities into adventure stories, but not necessarily have a great plot to go along with it. I published a short novella in 2009 which I wrote as a teenager, it certainly wasn’t my favorite work but did give me a taste of publishing and what not to do. 

Why did you decide to write in the fantasy genre?

Fantasy is such an easy genre to write in, because I can say ridiculous things and not have to go back and research them. If I want to have a character who speaks to metal and creates weapons with magical abilities, like hypnotizing the enemy, it’s not such a preposterous idea.

Who is your intended readership?

The Four Worlds Series appeals to those who are young at heart. It’s certainly not an intense read for critical critique during a book club or college class. It’s for those who want pure entertainment, a break from normality to read and adventure and deal with the issues of the characters for once instead of their own.

What did you enjoy most about writing your book?

The most fun part about writing a book is discovering where it will take you. It’s like going on a road trip, you already known the end destination, you may even have a visual or picture of it in mind. However, along the journey unexpected things could happen, and that’s exactly what happens when I write. Unplanned scenes pop up, one characters turns into a hot head and goes rouge. I almost feel as if my own characters are taking me on an adventure and that thrills me!

What did you hope to accomplish by publishing your book?

My hope is for readers to enjoy the book as much as I loved writing it. The Four Worlds Series aren’t for everyone, and yes, I am writing with my sisters in mind. But I’m also writing for those who enjoy a good adventure, and a tale with heroes, villains, monsters and unexpected twists. Reading should be fun, it should be entertaining and that is what I hope to accomplish by publishing my book and allowing to reach a much larger audience.

What advice would you give beginning writers?

Stop talking and start writing. Just write. Every single day. It doesn’t matter whether it’s one sentence or 5,000 words. We’re all busy, we all have things going on every day which can take time out of our writing. Some days I get five minutes to write, others, five hours. But the most important thing is writing. And just like the weather, there will be sunny days when you’ll feel the muse and write pages, and other days will be rainy, and you’ll spend hours perfecting once sentence. Regardless, keep writing.

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

Writing is such a huge part of my life, but when I’m not writing novels, I’m generally writing for my inspirational blog, working on marketing initiatives for creatives, running my own business and traveling as much as possible. My ultimate goal is to make it to New Zealand for a few months and write one of my books from there. I’m a foodie and my favorite drink is a white chocolate mocha (no whip)!

~*~

Author Bio

Angela J. Ford is an imaginative and entertaining writer who creates stories of fanciful worlds that enable young adults to confidently believe in possibilities and overcome differences to be stronger together. Born in Ann Arbor, MI, and raised in Alabaster, AL, she moved to Nashville, TN, where she currently resides, to pursue a degree in Music Business at Belmont University.
Although her career has not been largely focused on creative writing, it has been an integral part of her lifestyle. Brought up as a bookworm and musician, she began writing The Four Worlds, a fantasy action, adventure series at the age of 12. The storyline of those books was largely based off of creative games she played with her sisters. Originally finished when she was 16, after college, Angela began to re-write The Four Worlds Series, bringing it from a child's daydream to an adventure young and old alike can enjoy. Inspired by fairy tales, high magic and epic fantasy, you’ll enjoy your adventures within the Four Worlds.
If you happen to be in Nashville, you’ll mostly likely find her at a local coffee shop, enjoying a white chocolate mocha and furiously working on her next book. Make sure you say hello!

To learn more about the author and her books, check out her websites:

www.angelajford.com 

www.TheFourWorldsSeries.com

The Five Warriors

What if... 

your best friend started a rebellion in the middle of a war? 

your lover awakened a deep evil and helped it grow? 

your people were too cowardly to face a battle? 

you stole an ancient power source? 

you gambled with the fate of the world? 

Join five powerful warriors in their quest for freedom.

Purchase Links: www.thefivewarriors.com

Purchase on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Five-Warriors-Four-Worlds-Series-ebook/dp/B012WXD8AQ/

So Bad It’s Good: A Guest Post by A.G. Wyatt

So Bad It’s Good: How To Write Terribly Incredible (Or Incredibly Terrible) Campy Fiction

Like all good aesthetics, camp is a lot more sophisticated than it looks and writing it well can be challenging. It’s not enough to dress your hero in spandex and have your villain cackling madly while the heroine runs around screaming for rescue in a fruit-topped hat. That’s just cliché, while good camp is a celebration of the exaggerated and excessive.

Be Focused

It’s not enough to say “I want this to be camp.” If you throw in every campy trope you can find then you’ll have a mess, with one excess undermining another. A campy science fiction story interrupted by an excessive moment of dark literary fiction will lose atmosphere faster than a colander-based spaceship.

Think about what you’re exploring, what you want to make camp, and push that thing to excess. Do you want to write a high fantasy of sweaty muscles, kidnapped slave girls and kingdoms defined by single concepts? Or are you after a delightful horror of shadowy streets, blood-spattered sheets, and dead jocks?

Whatever you’re camping up, identify its individual excesses and focus on those.

Be Full-on

There are no half-measures in camp. If you approach the brink of absurdity only to hesitate and step back, then all you have is corniness and cliché. The pleasure of camp comes from its excess, so really push the boat out.

Reasonableness is the enemy of camp. It isn’t reasonable for your action hero to drive a monster truck, carry a bazooka on her back, and chug beer like she has the liver capacity of the whole U.S. Congress. But if she just drives a 4x4, carries a handgun, and finishes the day with a few too many whiskies then what you have isn’t camp, it’s the hero of 90% of the adventure stories out there. So go with Bazooka Betty, not Hetty Handgun.

Be Sincere

All of this might sound like a rallying cry to mock the genre you’re working in. But again, that really misses the point. Camp isn’t about standing outside the tent pissing in, it’s about running around the inside of the tent celebrating just how much fun canvas is.

The edge of mockery, the knowing wink that implies “we’re better than this,” that’s the realm of satire. It has its place and it has its audience, but that audience isn’t the same one camp appeals to. Satire is about being negative, camp is about being positive. Satire is judgemental, camp is celebratory. Satire is about pointing out the foolishness of others, while camp is about knowing that what you’re doing is foolish but enjoying it anyway. You don’t point at the excess, you join in with it.

So if you want to do campy writing, make sure the subject and style are something that you love. Make sure that you can write that wild excess like you mean it. If you can make that happen then fans will love you for it. But if you step into satire, if you slip in a little mockery for fear of being mocked, then the joy will fade.

If you’re going to write campy then relish it. Focus on something that you sincerely love, and write it right to the extreme. Because anything less is just cliché, and the world has quite enough of that.

A.G. Wyatt is the author of the post-apocalyptic adventure series, MoonFall and is presently working on his second series. When he's not writing, he's reading, or looking for inspiration near his hometown in Northeastern PA.

Where you can find the author:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/agwyattauthor

Twitter: https://Twitter.com/agwyattauthor

Drabble Wednesday: Into the Woods

Today on Drabble Wednesday I venture into the deep, dark woods where witches, wolves and wishes lurk beyond the shadows…

The Wolves of Wickham

Everyone knew not to venture into the forests of Wickham. Every soul in the village, from the tiniest tot to the most elderly, stayed far away from the woods. Bad things happened to a person when they went into the trees. Most never came out, and those that did, well… screams and blood usually accompanied them.

Yet… here was Frederick, blundering about the underbrush, crashing through the branches in panic trying to find his way home, trying in flee the forest. Behind him something growled, and then another something.

Poor Frederick. You see, the wolves of Wickham are always hungry.

The Crone

Such a harmless figure, the old woman, a plaid woolen shawl—the colour of brown earth—drawn over her stooped head and shoulders. She leans heavily on her gnarled cane as she moves, her thin hand unconsciously smoothing a wrinkled skirt and stained apron. At first careless glance she presents the familiar picture of an innocuous granny.

But first glances can deceive. Look closer. Those stains on her apron, are they red? Like blood? Her smile, does hold a touch of wicked, a malicious grin? And those sinewy fingers, have they worked dark magic, perhaps murdered man and beast alike?

Wishes

The full silver moon sprinkles stardust over the forest canopy. Light filters though the trees to cast a radiant reflection in the still waters of an old wishing well. The moon knows the ancient well intimately; they are enduring friends of long acquaintance and secrets.

A figure approaches the well. The moonlight shifts, ever so subtly, lighting her path. She tosses the golden coin she clutched, and it arcs, then hits the water with a splash, falling deep within the well.

“I wish to marry Eli.”

The water shimmers with magic cast.

In the morning Eli's wife will be dead.

Interview With Author Briane Pagel

Today I have an interview with talented author Briane Pagel. He stops by to chat about his books, including his newest, the sci-fi thriller Codes, and his writing. Enjoy...

Interview With Author Briane Pagel

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

Here is my biggest, and possibly only, regret in life: that I never became a pole vaulter. I wanted so much in high school to be a pole vaulter on the track team. Being seriously overweight and unathletic was a big impediment to that; when I tried out for the team, they put me into shot put and discus, where I failed to excel. I do still remember (kind of) how to shot put, but that hasn't been terribly helpful and isn't awe-inspiring the way it would be if I could say “Oh, yeah, I was a pole vaulter.” 

Other than that, my life has progressed more or less exactly the way I have intended: I spend most of my time being a consumer protection litigator, and the time I don’t do that I spend with my family (5 kids, ages 8-27, and a grandkid already, too!). My hobbies (aside from writing) are pizza (You read that right. Just: pizza), music (I play guitar and piano but haven’t done either in a while) and trying to learn to draw.

Can you tell us a bit about your latest book, the sci-fi novel, Codes?

Codes is easily the best book I have ever written, and I’m not just saying that because it’s true.  Codes is a thriller with enough twists and turns in it to make it as a carnival ride.  Set in the near future, it focuses on Robbie, who has a run-in with a beautiful blonde woman that results in a murder (or is it?) outside his apartment. Suddenly everyone seems to be after him, and he keep seeing posters and website with mysterious code-phrases, and having strange encounters. Eventually he learns that both a corporation that has learned how to clone humans and imprint them with computerized personalities, and a group trying to stop that, are all looking for him. None of them are sure why Robbie’s so important, but they all know he is important, and whoever figures it out first is certain they’re going to have the upper edge in this fight.

You've also written several other books. Care to share any tidbits about them?

My favorite book, after Codes, is Eclipse. Also scifi, it’s the story of Claudius, an astronaut who wanted to go into space, but might have gone mad instead.  It’s the literary equivalent of a hall of mirrors, and I enjoy people guessing in their reviews as to what really happened.  (I won’t tell.)

Also, I really like the After, which is about a woman named Saoirse who dies in a plane crash, then finds herself in a strange sort of afterlife where William Howard Taft asks her to help him find a way out.  It sounds like a silly setup, but the way it works out it’s surprisingly touching. 

I've also written some humorous scifi, and a collection of horror stories, as well as one well-received literary novel.

As well as novels, you write short stories. Do you prefer writing short fiction to penning novels, or do you find they have equal merits?

I like writing both, and I never really set out to write one or the other. I start writing a story, and it’s over when it’s over.  Codes, for example, I meant to be a short story originally, or at least I thought it would be. I started writing it, figuring it’d end up being about 10-15 pages.  At page 50 I thought Well this just kept on going.

I think a story needs to be as long as it ought to be, and no more. If there’s a lot to tell, tell it. But I have begun experimenting with writing short short stories, too, as a way to practice writing.

When did you realize you wanted to start writing professionally?

I wrote some short stories in college in the 90s, but then didn't do much writing for about 10 years while I finished law school and got going on my career.  When I went back to writing, it was as a hobby and I posted stories on blogs.  I sent some stories to publishers from time to time, but got tired of rejections.  Once indie publishing came along, with the Kindle and Lulu, I decided to try to sell my books myself.  I've been doing that for a few years now, but when I wrote Codes I thought it deserved wider dissemination than I've been able to get for my own books, and so I decided to find a more traditional publisher for it.  Golden Fleece seemed a perfect fit for me. 

I know that doesn't answer the question very well. I guess to shorten it up: Codes is the first thing I've written that I think engages my own interests in unique storytelling, and yet has commercial potential. Before I wrote Codes, I never gave much thought to selling books. But Codes seemed like it might be the breakthrough. So I would say: I first began thinking I might do this as a profession about as I finished the first draft of Codes.

Has anything surprised you about the process of writing your books? Any characters or plots that took unexpected turns?

EVERYTHING has.  I usually start out with a slim idea for a story, sometimes just a quick thought or a line I found catchy, and then start writing and see where it goes.  Or I will take a theme and write a bunch of stories about that, like 10 short stories in a row about robots, or the time I wrote a series of shorts each based on a different noble gas in the periodic table of elements. 

I like writing that way: I never really know where a story will end up or where it will go.  I just pick up an idea and begin spreading it out in every direction, mulling over all the interesting parts of it. Writing, to me, feels like exploring.

What is your greatest challenge as a writer?

Focusing on one thing at a time. I have so many ideas that I’d like to try, but I have to be disciplined and finish them.  So I've developed a system: each day, I work about 30 minutes or so on my current project, and then if I have more time (I usually do my writing from about 8-9 at night) I might tinker away at a side project. That lets me finish one project while still messing around with writing short stories or coming up with new novel ideas, or blog posts or the like.

Having now published both as an indie and with a more traditional publishing company, do you have any advice for writers looking to be published?

Persistence.  And rewrites. When I finished the first draft of Codes, I decided that I would send it to a minimum of fifty publishers before putting it out myself.  While I was going through the process of sending it out – one a day, usually--  I was editing and rewriting the book. So by the time I got to Golden Fleece Press, the book was already well into a second round of (re)writing, which was at the time unusual for me, as I hate editing and rewriting. What was different here was that, , like I said, this was a book I really believed in and knew could be very well-received, but it needed that extra push. So the extra push came from within, through the rewriting, and from without, through help from Golden Fleece Press. 

In the end, I didn't even get halfway to fifty, because Golden Fleece was pretty quick to say yes. (So quick that I got a few rejections from people who were slow to respond, after Golden Fleece Press had already accepted it. It stings less to get a rejection for a book you know has already been published.) They helped me re-edit and make the book even better, which I found an excellent tool to improve the story even more. 

Having indie published some books before going the traditional route, too, I knew what I was looking for from a publisher. My goal wasn't just “get this book on the shelves,” since I knew I could do that on my own. Instead, I wanted help reaching a broader audience and improving the quality of my book.  Those are tough things for a solo writer to do. 

Knowing those were my goals, I was able to focus on looking for publishers and agents who could help me further those. By going with Golden Fleece Press, I got an editor and publisher who were invested in making my book the best, and helping to sell it. I don’t think I would've gotten that at one of the bigger publishers, where I’d be dumped into a pile of other small authors to die on some bookshelf somewhere.

What’s next for you?

I've begun working on a sequel to Codes, tentatively titled The Watson Protocol; like most sequels, it expands on the first by adding more villains and changing the main characters a bit, as well as building on the events of the first. I won’t say who’s in it, because that might spoil what happens in Codes. Codes can still be read as a stand-alone, but I figured there was more to tell, in that world.

I've also got a collection of short stories, written over the course of a year, one per day. Each story is one word shorter than the one prior, so the first was 365 words, the second 364, and so on. 

There’s a lot of other ideas I've had, but those two will take up the bulk of that first 30 minutes of writing each night.

Then, who knows? Maybe I’ll see if there are any adult pole-vaulting clubs around Middleton, Wisconsin.

For more about Briane Pagel and his books you can check out these sites:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianePagel

His Blog - Thinking The Lions: http://www.thinkingthelions.com

You can find Codes at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Golden Fleece Press