A.F. Stewart's Blog, page 100
October 6, 2012
Interview with Nick Orsini
Today we welcome author Nick Orsini into our interview room, so read on and enjoy...
Interview with Nick Orsini
Why don’t you begin by telling us a bit about yourself?
I’m 26, living in New Jersey and working in New York City. I
have big dreams of moving into the city and owning a small corgi. I work in
advertising but have been writing every waking hour I’m not making commercials.
At 11 years old, in the car with my mom, I told her, “I want my life to be
weird.”
Your latest novel, Fingerless Gloves recently won the Fiction
Fast-Track competition at Apostrophe Books ( http://apostrophebooks.com/fictionfasttrack ). Can you tell us about that experience and
give a short synopsis of the book?
Fingerless Gloves (http://apostrophebooks.com/fingerlessgloves) is about Anton, who’s drifting through his mid-20’s in a
haze of pot smoke and TV dinners, while working a low-level job just to keep up
with basic expenses. One night, Anton’s best friend, James, collapses for no
reason and needs to be rushed to the hospital. The book is the story of the
24-hours it takes Anton to figure out what happened to James. Throughout the
book, Anton runs into old friends, ex-girlfriends and family members. It’s a
timely story about our economy here in the States and the way we’ve been
dealing with joblessness or the fact that now, it takes someone 30 years just
to get started. It’s about the nature of friendship after college, and the old
habits we keep to convince us that we’re not getting any older.
Winning the Fiction Fast-Track competition was a pretty
remarkable experience. I can’t say thank you enough to the people who voted for
my book and gave it star ratings. The team at Apostrophe has been an amazing
help. It’s nice to have this idea that something you worked so hard on now gets
a chance to be out there in the world.
You also have another book published, Two Wrongs Make a Vice, plus a poetry collection. Tell us a bit about them.
Two Wrongs Make a
Vice is my first book that I self-published the year after I graduated Marist
College. It’s a stream-of-consciousness story about every embarrassing moment
in the life of this teenage boy. It’s about music, being ridiculed, traumatic
experiences, and the pains of stretching beyond a comfort level. It was so nice
to have so much help with that book, from the mentors who encouraged me to the
people who tweeted in the chapter titles.
My poetry
collection is called Bruce Willis with Hair …it’s a compilation of some of the
poetry on my blog and people can download it …for free! At
www.twowrongsmakeavice.com
You have a background in Film History and Criticism. How much has that influenced your books?
My background has influenced my books a ton. I try to write
visually, thinking of how the images I’m trying to make with words will play
out in someone’s head. Fingerless Gloves is book about details and how we
gather importance from even the most mundane things. I liken it to American
Graffiti or Dazed and Confused. I grew up writing about films and filmmakers,
trying to pick apart stories and interpret them in a scholarly way. I try to
apply that as much to my own original writing as I possibly can.
Why did you decide to begin writing?
Through high school, I kept an emotional journal littered
with jumbled thoughts. In college, I tried to write analytically about films,
but also creatively through poetry and short stories. I never considered myself
an organized writer, just someone who enjoyed telling stories. I was in my 20’s
when I decided to try to hone the skill and work on my organization.
What or who are your inspirations?
In no particular order: Hunter S. Thompson, Dylan Thomas,
Richard Linklater, Nick Hornby, Chuck Klosterman…and, this is going to sound
corny, but everyone who has ever written to me through my blog or website. I’ve
gotten the opportunity to hear so many different stories from young people
around the world and it feeds into the work, making it more well-rounded and
more relatable. People go through a whole spectrum of feelings, and it does
impact the way I write.
You write poetry, short stories and novels. Do you find it challenging switching between
those different format styles?
Not really - I write poetry when I have some random thoughts
that I want to string together thematically. I write novels when I’m working
through organizing a particular story and writing particular characters. I also
write non-fiction and that’s usually when something topical or that has some
pop-culture relevancy appears urgent to me.
Do you favour writing one of those styles -poetry, short stories or
novels- above the others, or do they each bring their own unique writing
enjoyment?
They’re all unique. Poetry is amazing because it starts and
ends in this timeframe and you get a gratification that’s really unlike writing
a novel. Novels develop over time, and when they’re done, I often find myself
lost, like I don’t have an extended project to work on anymore. Non-fiction
develops over several days or maybe weeks, and when that’s done and you see it
published, it’s incredibly gratifying.
What projects are on the horizon for you?
I’m working on my third novel. It’s about a superhero. I’m
also ramping up for the wide release of Fingerless Gloves.
Links to buy Fingerless
Gloves:
Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/Fingerless-Gloves-ebook/dp/B009K4U6UG
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fingerless-Gloves-ebook/dp/B009K4U6UG
iBookstore USA: http://goo.gl/txhCn
iBookstore UK: http://goo.gl/3vK7n
Kobo USA: http://goo.gl/uVtsi
Kobo UK: http://goo.gl/uVtsi
Links to find out more about Fingerless
Gloves:
On Apostrophe Books: http://apostrophebooks.com/fingerlessgloves
On Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16064385-fingerless-gloves
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FingerlessGlovesByNickOrsini
On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/apostrophebooks/fingerless-gloves-by-nick-orsini/
Interview with Nick Orsini
Why don’t you begin by telling us a bit about yourself?
I’m 26, living in New Jersey and working in New York City. I
have big dreams of moving into the city and owning a small corgi. I work in
advertising but have been writing every waking hour I’m not making commercials.
At 11 years old, in the car with my mom, I told her, “I want my life to be
weird.”
Your latest novel, Fingerless Gloves recently won the Fiction
Fast-Track competition at Apostrophe Books ( http://apostrophebooks.com/fictionfasttrack ). Can you tell us about that experience and
give a short synopsis of the book?
Fingerless Gloves (http://apostrophebooks.com/fingerlessgloves) is about Anton, who’s drifting through his mid-20’s in a
haze of pot smoke and TV dinners, while working a low-level job just to keep up
with basic expenses. One night, Anton’s best friend, James, collapses for no
reason and needs to be rushed to the hospital. The book is the story of the
24-hours it takes Anton to figure out what happened to James. Throughout the
book, Anton runs into old friends, ex-girlfriends and family members. It’s a
timely story about our economy here in the States and the way we’ve been
dealing with joblessness or the fact that now, it takes someone 30 years just
to get started. It’s about the nature of friendship after college, and the old
habits we keep to convince us that we’re not getting any older.
Winning the Fiction Fast-Track competition was a pretty
remarkable experience. I can’t say thank you enough to the people who voted for
my book and gave it star ratings. The team at Apostrophe has been an amazing
help. It’s nice to have this idea that something you worked so hard on now gets
a chance to be out there in the world.
You also have another book published, Two Wrongs Make a Vice, plus a poetry collection. Tell us a bit about them.
Two Wrongs Make a
Vice is my first book that I self-published the year after I graduated Marist
College. It’s a stream-of-consciousness story about every embarrassing moment
in the life of this teenage boy. It’s about music, being ridiculed, traumatic
experiences, and the pains of stretching beyond a comfort level. It was so nice
to have so much help with that book, from the mentors who encouraged me to the
people who tweeted in the chapter titles.
My poetry
collection is called Bruce Willis with Hair …it’s a compilation of some of the
poetry on my blog and people can download it …for free! At
www.twowrongsmakeavice.com
You have a background in Film History and Criticism. How much has that influenced your books?
My background has influenced my books a ton. I try to write
visually, thinking of how the images I’m trying to make with words will play
out in someone’s head. Fingerless Gloves is book about details and how we
gather importance from even the most mundane things. I liken it to American
Graffiti or Dazed and Confused. I grew up writing about films and filmmakers,
trying to pick apart stories and interpret them in a scholarly way. I try to
apply that as much to my own original writing as I possibly can.
Why did you decide to begin writing?
Through high school, I kept an emotional journal littered
with jumbled thoughts. In college, I tried to write analytically about films,
but also creatively through poetry and short stories. I never considered myself
an organized writer, just someone who enjoyed telling stories. I was in my 20’s
when I decided to try to hone the skill and work on my organization.
What or who are your inspirations?
In no particular order: Hunter S. Thompson, Dylan Thomas,
Richard Linklater, Nick Hornby, Chuck Klosterman…and, this is going to sound
corny, but everyone who has ever written to me through my blog or website. I’ve
gotten the opportunity to hear so many different stories from young people
around the world and it feeds into the work, making it more well-rounded and
more relatable. People go through a whole spectrum of feelings, and it does
impact the way I write.
You write poetry, short stories and novels. Do you find it challenging switching between
those different format styles?
Not really - I write poetry when I have some random thoughts
that I want to string together thematically. I write novels when I’m working
through organizing a particular story and writing particular characters. I also
write non-fiction and that’s usually when something topical or that has some
pop-culture relevancy appears urgent to me.
Do you favour writing one of those styles -poetry, short stories or
novels- above the others, or do they each bring their own unique writing
enjoyment?
They’re all unique. Poetry is amazing because it starts and
ends in this timeframe and you get a gratification that’s really unlike writing
a novel. Novels develop over time, and when they’re done, I often find myself
lost, like I don’t have an extended project to work on anymore. Non-fiction
develops over several days or maybe weeks, and when that’s done and you see it
published, it’s incredibly gratifying.
What projects are on the horizon for you?
I’m working on my third novel. It’s about a superhero. I’m
also ramping up for the wide release of Fingerless Gloves.
Links to buy Fingerless
Gloves:
Amazon USA: http://www.amazon.com/Fingerless-Gloves-ebook/dp/B009K4U6UG
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fingerless-Gloves-ebook/dp/B009K4U6UG
iBookstore USA: http://goo.gl/txhCn
iBookstore UK: http://goo.gl/3vK7n
Kobo USA: http://goo.gl/uVtsi
Kobo UK: http://goo.gl/uVtsi
Links to find out more about Fingerless
Gloves:
On Apostrophe Books: http://apostrophebooks.com/fingerlessgloves
On Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16064385-fingerless-gloves
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FingerlessGlovesByNickOrsini
On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/apostrophebooks/fingerless-gloves-by-nick-orsini/
October 4, 2012
Being a Storyteller: A Guest Post From Sheila Deeth
Today we welcome talented author, Sheila Deeth, as she stops by on her blog tour for her new book, Divide by Zero. She chats about her writing, her book and...
Being a Storyteller
I love to write but, more importantly, I
love telling stories. I’ve been telling stories since long before I learned to
put pen to paper or finger to keyboard. In elementary school the teachers of
older classes would send students to “borrow” me, so I could keep the class
quiet with a story while the teacher stepped out of the room. I imagined all
sorts of exciting lives for an every-changing cast of characters ranging from
cats and dogs to superheroes and angels and saints. Then in high school a
teacher asked for an essay on whether I’d prefer a short exciting life or a
long boring one. Which one would you choose?
Short and exciting seemed like the obvious
answer. After all, if I didn’t want a short exciting life, why did I keep
telling short exciting stories? But I’d learned the joy of making people cry
somewhere along the line. (My teacher said it’s much harder to make them laugh,
but I was working on that.) Class-mates cry when heroes and heroines die. And
short exciting lives do tend to end in haunting tears.
I’d already started my essay but I turned
it around. No, I thought, I don’t want a short exciting life. I want a really
long and boring one in which I can write a million books and live and die
vicariously through the characters I create.
Of course, in school I had a captive
audience for those tales. I still remember the faces of elementary students as
I perched precariously on the teacher’s chair. I still remember high-school
friends sitting silent while the teacher read out one of my stories. But real
life, long and boring, was soon joyously filled with the excitement of growing
children. My new captive audience was my kids and I told them exciting stories
while delighting in their lives. Now they’re grown. I’ve started writing those
“million books” and I wonder if anyone will read them. My precious needling
words hide in a haystack as big as the world or, at least, as big as the
internet. My teacher’s chair sits in front of a blank computer screen. And I
can’t see my audience.
Will you read my book? If you do, I just
might make you cry, like I did in school. I hope I’ll make you laugh a bit as
well. And I hope you’ll feel the time spent with my characters was
well-employed. For the most part, they’re just living their everyday lives,
joyously filled with the excitement of growing children, and haunting
overshadowed by the past. But even some relatively boring lives get cut short.
And excitement might be less important than knowing how to move on.
Divide by Zero creeps into the heart of
community, then watches a small boy’s innocence and wisdom set that heart
beating again after trauma intervenes. I hope you’ll read it but, more
importantly, I hope you’ll like it.
Divide by Zero
It takes a subdivision to raise a child, and a wealth of threads to weave a tapestry, until one breaks.
Troy, the garage mechanic’s son, loves Lydia, the rich man’s daughter.
Amethyst has a remarkable cat and Andrea a curious accent. Old Abigail knows
more than anyone else but doesn’t speak. And in Paradise Park a middle-aged man
keeps watch while autistic Amelia keeps getting lost.
Pastor Bill, at the church of Paradise, tries to mend people. Peter mends cars. But when that fraying thread gives way it might take a child to
raise the subdivision—or to mend it.
Divide by Zero is available from:
Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Divide-Zero-Sheila-Deeth/dp/1600763405/
http://www.amazon.com/Divide-by-Zero-ebook/dp/B0090NFH56/
Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Divide-Zero-Sheila-Deeth/dp/1600763405/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Divide-by-Zero-ebook/dp/B0090NFH56/
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/divide-by-zero-sheila-deeth/1112782597
Powells http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781600763403-0
Waterstones http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/sheila+deeth/divide+by+zero/9420931/
And more.
Author Bio:
Sheila Deeth grew up in the UK and has a
Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now
living in the States near Portland Oregon, she enjoys reading, writing,
drawing, telling stories and meeting her neighbors' dogs on the green.
Sheila can be found on her website: http://www.sheiladeeth.com
Find her books at http://www.sheiladeethbooks.com
Or connect with her on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sheila.deeth
http://www.facebook.com/SheilaDeethAuthor
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sheila-deeth/17/21b/3b9
Gather: http://smd.gather.com/
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2853735.Sheila_Deeth
Blogger: http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheiladeeth
Being a Storyteller
I love to write but, more importantly, Ilove telling stories. I’ve been telling stories since long before I learned to
put pen to paper or finger to keyboard. In elementary school the teachers of
older classes would send students to “borrow” me, so I could keep the class
quiet with a story while the teacher stepped out of the room. I imagined all
sorts of exciting lives for an every-changing cast of characters ranging from
cats and dogs to superheroes and angels and saints. Then in high school a
teacher asked for an essay on whether I’d prefer a short exciting life or a
long boring one. Which one would you choose?
Short and exciting seemed like the obvious
answer. After all, if I didn’t want a short exciting life, why did I keep
telling short exciting stories? But I’d learned the joy of making people cry
somewhere along the line. (My teacher said it’s much harder to make them laugh,
but I was working on that.) Class-mates cry when heroes and heroines die. And
short exciting lives do tend to end in haunting tears.
I’d already started my essay but I turned
it around. No, I thought, I don’t want a short exciting life. I want a really
long and boring one in which I can write a million books and live and die
vicariously through the characters I create.
Of course, in school I had a captive
audience for those tales. I still remember the faces of elementary students as
I perched precariously on the teacher’s chair. I still remember high-school
friends sitting silent while the teacher read out one of my stories. But real
life, long and boring, was soon joyously filled with the excitement of growing
children. My new captive audience was my kids and I told them exciting stories
while delighting in their lives. Now they’re grown. I’ve started writing those
“million books” and I wonder if anyone will read them. My precious needling
words hide in a haystack as big as the world or, at least, as big as the
internet. My teacher’s chair sits in front of a blank computer screen. And I
can’t see my audience.
Will you read my book? If you do, I just
might make you cry, like I did in school. I hope I’ll make you laugh a bit as
well. And I hope you’ll feel the time spent with my characters was
well-employed. For the most part, they’re just living their everyday lives,
joyously filled with the excitement of growing children, and haunting
overshadowed by the past. But even some relatively boring lives get cut short.
And excitement might be less important than knowing how to move on.
Divide by Zero creeps into the heart of
community, then watches a small boy’s innocence and wisdom set that heart
beating again after trauma intervenes. I hope you’ll read it but, more
importantly, I hope you’ll like it.
Divide by Zero
It takes a subdivision to raise a child, and a wealth of threads to weave a tapestry, until one breaks.
Troy, the garage mechanic’s son, loves Lydia, the rich man’s daughter.
Amethyst has a remarkable cat and Andrea a curious accent. Old Abigail knows
more than anyone else but doesn’t speak. And in Paradise Park a middle-aged man
keeps watch while autistic Amelia keeps getting lost.
Pastor Bill, at the church of Paradise, tries to mend people. Peter mends cars. But when that fraying thread gives way it might take a child to
raise the subdivision—or to mend it.
Divide by Zero is available from:
Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Divide-Zero-Sheila-Deeth/dp/1600763405/
http://www.amazon.com/Divide-by-Zero-ebook/dp/B0090NFH56/
Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Divide-Zero-Sheila-Deeth/dp/1600763405/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Divide-by-Zero-ebook/dp/B0090NFH56/
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/divide-by-zero-sheila-deeth/1112782597
Powells http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781600763403-0
Waterstones http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/sheila+deeth/divide+by+zero/9420931/
And more.
Author Bio:Sheila Deeth grew up in the UK and has a
Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now
living in the States near Portland Oregon, she enjoys reading, writing,
drawing, telling stories and meeting her neighbors' dogs on the green.
Sheila can be found on her website: http://www.sheiladeeth.com
Find her books at http://www.sheiladeethbooks.com
Or connect with her on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sheila.deeth
http://www.facebook.com/SheilaDeethAuthor
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sheila-deeth/17/21b/3b9
Gather: http://smd.gather.com/
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2853735.Sheila_Deeth
Blogger: http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheiladeeth
October 1, 2012
Interview with E. A. Setser, Author of Elder Blood
Another interview today, as author E. A. Setser drops by to chat about his fantasy book, Elder Blood, and other writing related things.
Interview with E. A. Setser
Why don’t you begin by telling everyone a bit about
yourself?
Ah, let’s see… I grew up in and around Knoxville, TN. Like a
lot of folks that get into writing fantasy, I was an outcast as an adolescent,
and that carried over into adulthood. That was part of my motivation to move –
the other being employment – out of there and head for Cincinnati, OH. Right
now, I work at a sign design and manufacturing company. I do material
purchasing – shopping around, tracking down the best and quickest deals,
negotiating with vendors – database administration, costing, pricing,
production work, technical support and repairs. I’m kind of the company
spackle.
Been married for three years. We have one kid, a little boy,
three years old. For anyone who cares, we were not married when he was born,
but we had been engaged for six months when he was conceived. We’re looking at
pre-schools for him and looking to get into Cincinnati proper (living in
Covington, KY, couple miles short) before he’s in 2nd grade.
Could you please tell us about your book, Elder Blood?
Gladly!
This is the jump-off point for my ongoing series, The
Epimetheus Trial. I call it that because, while it’s the first book, it’s not
the beginning of the timeline. Anyway…
It spans two generations, starting 17 years before the meat
of the story. The first few chapters time lapse across that period, setting up
establishing events along the way and giving insight into what made the
characters and their world the way it is.
It takes place in a fictional world, on an archipelago
continent called Ouristihra. People of ArcNos, the world’s military superpower,
start turning up traces of a clandestine high-powered organization. These
Avatars of Fate, as they’re called, eventually surface and seize control of
ArcNos by pushing their newest protégé up the hierarchy. This splinters the
nation, and those not among the elite and their chosen, are cast into the
gutters. Also, a couple of the Avatars use the term “god” on a couple of
occasions, but the very concept of religion is non-existent in Ouristihra.
Connected to some of these groups and people of interest are
four members of a previously extinct (that’s established further in the next
book) alternate hominin species. They’re called Hybrids, and they’re born to
human parents but all have a unique inhuman trait plus power over certain
aspects of nature. Oddly, the Avatars of Fate start coming around about when
the first of them are born.
So, we’ve got this power struggle over ArcNos with the rest
of Ouristihra at risk depending on the outcome. On one side, there’s the new
autonomous empire, driven by members of the Avatars of Fate. And on the other
side, there’s the parliamentary republic with the help of the Hybrids. But
there are spies, moles, double-crossers, informants, that sort of thing.
What drew
you to write in the fantasy genre?
I’ve always
had a strange imagination, so this gives me a lot of freedom. It also helps not
having to do as much fact checking if I start talking about historical events,
but it’s mostly the freedom to build my own cultures, characters, history, etc.
What is the hardest part of writing fantasy fiction for you?
The freedom comes with a lot of responsibility. So far, what
I’ve written spans over 4 decades – some years being significantly less
detailed than others, but it still impacts the canon – and covers an entire
continent. That’s a lot to keep track of, ranging from personal nuances to
cultural events affecting international relationships.
You’ve used the term “industrial fantasy” to describe your
book. Could you expand on its meaning and elaborate on why you favour that term
as opposed to say, “urban fantasy”?
I wouldn’t really call it urban fantasy, as very little of
it is, well, metropolitan. The meat of it takes place in the divided capital of
ArcNos, primarily among the parliamentary republic and the Hybrids. They’ve
turned the Subtransit (their subway system) into their own city, thus later
earning them the name the Subtransit Resistance.
But this war is fought with a combination of near-future
technology and archaic weaponry like lance launchers and trebuchets. That’s due
to a lack of time and funding, of course. There’s also this sort of industrial
coming of age under the surface throughout it all.
You also added a few science fiction elements to the book.
Did you deliberately set out to blend genres or was it simply a natural
progression of the story?
Mostly a natural progression. We’re talking about different
nations with different levels of development. For some outside group to be
perceived as a threat in such a way as the Avatars of Fate, it would make sense
for their technology to be greater than that of the most developed nations.
Plus, you have to figure the average person from a
third-world country would look at our cell phones the same way we look at
teleportation pods and light sabers. So, it’s also a matter of
sci-fi-by-perspective.
Some of your influences range from ancient mythology to
modern politics to theoretical physics and that’s quite a variety of interests.
Is there a similar thread that you find in all three, something that shows in
your writing?
I never thought about it – once again this was a matter of
working multiple cultures and time periods into one story – but I suppose there
is. Think about ancient mythology. You’ve got power struggles and hierarchal
networks and conflicts comparable to those of modern politics. You just have to
substitute “mortals” for “the working class.” Oh, and get rid of the arranged
incest and pedocidal cannibalism. But thematically, there’s a similarity there.
Also look at the powers ascribed to many of the gods of
ancient mythology. A lot of this same stuff is done in science fiction, which
is rooted in theoretical physics. Sometimes vice versa. Not long ago, I read
something – I think by Michio Kaku – positing that a highly advanced
civilization could potentially gather a large quantity of highly condensed
matter and energy, wrap it in the fabric of space, and push it outside of their
universe, perhaps via a black hole.
So yeah, there are definitely similarities if you know where
to look. But this was mostly a matter of blending cultures and eras in a single
set of stories. Really though, politics or religion, it’s all a matter of who
you pay homage to and what they promise to do for you. Also a matter of who’s
real, of course.
Who are your writing inspirations?
My influences are more informational and experience-based. I
might get ideas from current events or stuff I read in scientific articles.
Reading Michio Kaku has given me quite a few ideas for new technology as well
as origin stories behind the eventual mythology.
Are you working on another book or project?
Yes I am, in fact. I’m about 1/3 of the way through the
initial draft of Into Antiquity, the
second book in The Epimetheus Trial. It takes place five years after Elder Blood, but it also explores events
in between the two as well as during and before Elder Blood. Hence the name, of course. I can’t divulge too much
without spoiling the first book, but I will say that an old threat is
resurfacing, and our characters are about to discover there’s a lot more behind
it all than they anticipated. Also, where the tagline for Elder Blood is “Everyone has their secrets.” Into Antiquity is going to be “Everyone has a story.
You can check out more on Elder Blood at its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ElderBlood
Interview with E. A. Setser
Why don’t you begin by telling everyone a bit about
yourself?
Ah, let’s see… I grew up in and around Knoxville, TN. Like a
lot of folks that get into writing fantasy, I was an outcast as an adolescent,
and that carried over into adulthood. That was part of my motivation to move –
the other being employment – out of there and head for Cincinnati, OH. Right
now, I work at a sign design and manufacturing company. I do material
purchasing – shopping around, tracking down the best and quickest deals,
negotiating with vendors – database administration, costing, pricing,
production work, technical support and repairs. I’m kind of the company
spackle.
Been married for three years. We have one kid, a little boy,
three years old. For anyone who cares, we were not married when he was born,
but we had been engaged for six months when he was conceived. We’re looking at
pre-schools for him and looking to get into Cincinnati proper (living in
Covington, KY, couple miles short) before he’s in 2nd grade.
Could you please tell us about your book, Elder Blood?
Gladly!
This is the jump-off point for my ongoing series, The
Epimetheus Trial. I call it that because, while it’s the first book, it’s not
the beginning of the timeline. Anyway…
It spans two generations, starting 17 years before the meat
of the story. The first few chapters time lapse across that period, setting up
establishing events along the way and giving insight into what made the
characters and their world the way it is.
It takes place in a fictional world, on an archipelago
continent called Ouristihra. People of ArcNos, the world’s military superpower,
start turning up traces of a clandestine high-powered organization. These
Avatars of Fate, as they’re called, eventually surface and seize control of
ArcNos by pushing their newest protégé up the hierarchy. This splinters the
nation, and those not among the elite and their chosen, are cast into the
gutters. Also, a couple of the Avatars use the term “god” on a couple of
occasions, but the very concept of religion is non-existent in Ouristihra.
Connected to some of these groups and people of interest are
four members of a previously extinct (that’s established further in the next
book) alternate hominin species. They’re called Hybrids, and they’re born to
human parents but all have a unique inhuman trait plus power over certain
aspects of nature. Oddly, the Avatars of Fate start coming around about when
the first of them are born.
So, we’ve got this power struggle over ArcNos with the rest
of Ouristihra at risk depending on the outcome. On one side, there’s the new
autonomous empire, driven by members of the Avatars of Fate. And on the other
side, there’s the parliamentary republic with the help of the Hybrids. But
there are spies, moles, double-crossers, informants, that sort of thing.
What drew
you to write in the fantasy genre?
I’ve always
had a strange imagination, so this gives me a lot of freedom. It also helps not
having to do as much fact checking if I start talking about historical events,
but it’s mostly the freedom to build my own cultures, characters, history, etc.
What is the hardest part of writing fantasy fiction for you?
The freedom comes with a lot of responsibility. So far, what
I’ve written spans over 4 decades – some years being significantly less
detailed than others, but it still impacts the canon – and covers an entire
continent. That’s a lot to keep track of, ranging from personal nuances to
cultural events affecting international relationships.
You’ve used the term “industrial fantasy” to describe your
book. Could you expand on its meaning and elaborate on why you favour that term
as opposed to say, “urban fantasy”?
I wouldn’t really call it urban fantasy, as very little of
it is, well, metropolitan. The meat of it takes place in the divided capital of
ArcNos, primarily among the parliamentary republic and the Hybrids. They’ve
turned the Subtransit (their subway system) into their own city, thus later
earning them the name the Subtransit Resistance.
But this war is fought with a combination of near-future
technology and archaic weaponry like lance launchers and trebuchets. That’s due
to a lack of time and funding, of course. There’s also this sort of industrial
coming of age under the surface throughout it all.
You also added a few science fiction elements to the book.
Did you deliberately set out to blend genres or was it simply a natural
progression of the story?
Mostly a natural progression. We’re talking about different
nations with different levels of development. For some outside group to be
perceived as a threat in such a way as the Avatars of Fate, it would make sense
for their technology to be greater than that of the most developed nations.
Plus, you have to figure the average person from a
third-world country would look at our cell phones the same way we look at
teleportation pods and light sabers. So, it’s also a matter of
sci-fi-by-perspective.
Some of your influences range from ancient mythology to
modern politics to theoretical physics and that’s quite a variety of interests.
Is there a similar thread that you find in all three, something that shows in
your writing?
I never thought about it – once again this was a matter of
working multiple cultures and time periods into one story – but I suppose there
is. Think about ancient mythology. You’ve got power struggles and hierarchal
networks and conflicts comparable to those of modern politics. You just have to
substitute “mortals” for “the working class.” Oh, and get rid of the arranged
incest and pedocidal cannibalism. But thematically, there’s a similarity there.
Also look at the powers ascribed to many of the gods of
ancient mythology. A lot of this same stuff is done in science fiction, which
is rooted in theoretical physics. Sometimes vice versa. Not long ago, I read
something – I think by Michio Kaku – positing that a highly advanced
civilization could potentially gather a large quantity of highly condensed
matter and energy, wrap it in the fabric of space, and push it outside of their
universe, perhaps via a black hole.
So yeah, there are definitely similarities if you know where
to look. But this was mostly a matter of blending cultures and eras in a single
set of stories. Really though, politics or religion, it’s all a matter of who
you pay homage to and what they promise to do for you. Also a matter of who’s
real, of course.
Who are your writing inspirations?
My influences are more informational and experience-based. I
might get ideas from current events or stuff I read in scientific articles.
Reading Michio Kaku has given me quite a few ideas for new technology as well
as origin stories behind the eventual mythology.
Are you working on another book or project?
Yes I am, in fact. I’m about 1/3 of the way through the
initial draft of Into Antiquity, the
second book in The Epimetheus Trial. It takes place five years after Elder Blood, but it also explores events
in between the two as well as during and before Elder Blood. Hence the name, of course. I can’t divulge too much
without spoiling the first book, but I will say that an old threat is
resurfacing, and our characters are about to discover there’s a lot more behind
it all than they anticipated. Also, where the tagline for Elder Blood is “Everyone has their secrets.” Into Antiquity is going to be “Everyone has a story.
You can check out more on Elder Blood at its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ElderBlood
September 29, 2012
Interview with Philip Sharp, Author of Not in the Wind, Earthquake, or Fire
Today brings another interview, this time with writer and retired soldier Philip Sharp, who chats about his writing and his book, a non-fiction account of his tour of duty in Iraq.
Interview with Philip Sharp
[image error]
Why don’t you begin by telling my readers a bit about
yourself?
I was born in Elkins, WV and moved around quite a bit
between there and Florida while growing up. I graduated from Apopka High School
in 1990 and immediately left for the Army. In the Army I served as an Infantry
soldier for 20 years where I graduated from Ranger School, completed 22
parachute jumps, and served as a Drill Sergeant. I have been to a variety of
locations to include South Korea and Panama and deployed to Iraq on three
separate occasions. Recently, I retired in July of this year from active duty
service. Currently I am creating an all-natural farm and serving in church
ministries.
Your book, Not in the
Wind, Earthquake, or Fire, is historical non-fiction, an account of your
second tour in Iraq from 2006 to 2007. Can you tell us how you came to write
it?
Most of it was written while I was there and did not realize
it at the time. I kept a journal while I was deployed throughout most of it.
About a year after I returned I began to write a book to give an account from a
combat soldier’s view, one that seemed to be missing at the time. At first I
wrote from memory and by talking with others, but always went back to the
journal to guide me. I then decided to put the journal in the book and write
around it.
You served for 20 years in the US Army Infantry. Other than
providing the subject matter for your book, how do you think those experiences
influenced you as a writer and in the creation of your book?
Good question. I wanted this book to be from the view of an
Infantry soldier. Experiencing these events as one, I believe, gives a far
different outlook than you would otherwise see. The influence of my service
certainly affected what and how I wrote.
What would you like people to experience from reading your
book?
I would like for readers to feel, not just see, a glimpse of
what combat soldiers endured in their daily lives in Iraq. It provides the
experience from the best source, a first-hand account from someone on the
ground. Readers will see triumphs and victories, sorrows and defeats, and an in-depth
look at holding on to hope when none is easily given. Readers will get an
honest and non-glossed version of the war, a recounting of its costs, and an
appeal to see God in our circumstances.
In the process of writing your book, were there any surprises,
revelations or things you didn’t expect?
Oh yes! First off, it took longer than I expected. It was
half written in the first place, because of the journal. It took three long
years though. As I would read through my journal again it was like reliving the
deployment all over again. At times I had to force my way through it. Also
getting the book published was an education in itself. I paid my fair share of
the fool’s tax in the process.
You’ve also published articles and war game simulations for
Strategy & Tactics magazine as well as written a column for Modern War
magazine. Did you find the change from writing short articles to a book length
manuscript difficult?
Writing a lengthy book is certainly more of a challenge. It
is even more challenging when you are emotionally attached to the subject
matter. There is certainly more editing involved and constant revisions.
Formatting issues, in itself, are enough to dishearten the faint of heart.
Now that you have written a book of non-fiction, would you
ever consider writing a novel? Possibly a military thriller?
It is a possibility indeed. I have no inspirations as of
yet, but could certainly use my experiences to come up with a tangible and
realistic type thriller in the future.
What are some of the things you like to do when not writing?
I love tending to my plants, animals, and doing work around
my place.
What are your future writing plans? Will there be more books
from you?
Presently, I still write for Modern War magazine. There will
probably be more books in the future, though they all may not be military in
nature. I would like to write one on the basics of managing a small farm based
on more natural principles. There is also desire in me to write on tactics and
the training of Infantry soldiers in hopes that others will learn from our
experiences, both positive and negative, and ensure our soldiers and leaders
are prepared for future conflicts.
[image error]
About the Author:
Philip Sharp has served for 20 years in the US Army Infantry during which he graduated from Ranger School, completed 22 parachute jumps, and served as a Drill Sergeant. He has worked in a variety of locations to include South Korea and the jungles of Panama. He deployed to Iraq three separate times from 2003 until 2010. He has published articles and war game simulations in Strategy & Tactics magazine and currently is a contributing columnist for Modern War magazine. Philip is retired from active duty service and now lives in West Virginia with his wife Heather and four children were they are creating an all-natural farm and serving in church ministries.
You can find out more about Philip and his book here:
http://www.windearthquakefire.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/windearthquakefire
Interview with Philip Sharp
[image error]
Why don’t you begin by telling my readers a bit about
yourself?
I was born in Elkins, WV and moved around quite a bit
between there and Florida while growing up. I graduated from Apopka High School
in 1990 and immediately left for the Army. In the Army I served as an Infantry
soldier for 20 years where I graduated from Ranger School, completed 22
parachute jumps, and served as a Drill Sergeant. I have been to a variety of
locations to include South Korea and Panama and deployed to Iraq on three
separate occasions. Recently, I retired in July of this year from active duty
service. Currently I am creating an all-natural farm and serving in church
ministries.
Your book, Not in the
Wind, Earthquake, or Fire, is historical non-fiction, an account of your
second tour in Iraq from 2006 to 2007. Can you tell us how you came to write
it?
Most of it was written while I was there and did not realize
it at the time. I kept a journal while I was deployed throughout most of it.
About a year after I returned I began to write a book to give an account from a
combat soldier’s view, one that seemed to be missing at the time. At first I
wrote from memory and by talking with others, but always went back to the
journal to guide me. I then decided to put the journal in the book and write
around it.
You served for 20 years in the US Army Infantry. Other than
providing the subject matter for your book, how do you think those experiences
influenced you as a writer and in the creation of your book?
Good question. I wanted this book to be from the view of an
Infantry soldier. Experiencing these events as one, I believe, gives a far
different outlook than you would otherwise see. The influence of my service
certainly affected what and how I wrote.
What would you like people to experience from reading your
book?
I would like for readers to feel, not just see, a glimpse of
what combat soldiers endured in their daily lives in Iraq. It provides the
experience from the best source, a first-hand account from someone on the
ground. Readers will see triumphs and victories, sorrows and defeats, and an in-depth
look at holding on to hope when none is easily given. Readers will get an
honest and non-glossed version of the war, a recounting of its costs, and an
appeal to see God in our circumstances.
In the process of writing your book, were there any surprises,
revelations or things you didn’t expect?
Oh yes! First off, it took longer than I expected. It was
half written in the first place, because of the journal. It took three long
years though. As I would read through my journal again it was like reliving the
deployment all over again. At times I had to force my way through it. Also
getting the book published was an education in itself. I paid my fair share of
the fool’s tax in the process.
You’ve also published articles and war game simulations for
Strategy & Tactics magazine as well as written a column for Modern War
magazine. Did you find the change from writing short articles to a book length
manuscript difficult?
Writing a lengthy book is certainly more of a challenge. It
is even more challenging when you are emotionally attached to the subject
matter. There is certainly more editing involved and constant revisions.
Formatting issues, in itself, are enough to dishearten the faint of heart.
Now that you have written a book of non-fiction, would you
ever consider writing a novel? Possibly a military thriller?
It is a possibility indeed. I have no inspirations as of
yet, but could certainly use my experiences to come up with a tangible and
realistic type thriller in the future.
What are some of the things you like to do when not writing?
I love tending to my plants, animals, and doing work around
my place.
What are your future writing plans? Will there be more books
from you?
Presently, I still write for Modern War magazine. There will
probably be more books in the future, though they all may not be military in
nature. I would like to write one on the basics of managing a small farm based
on more natural principles. There is also desire in me to write on tactics and
the training of Infantry soldiers in hopes that others will learn from our
experiences, both positive and negative, and ensure our soldiers and leaders
are prepared for future conflicts.
[image error]
About the Author:
Philip Sharp has served for 20 years in the US Army Infantry during which he graduated from Ranger School, completed 22 parachute jumps, and served as a Drill Sergeant. He has worked in a variety of locations to include South Korea and the jungles of Panama. He deployed to Iraq three separate times from 2003 until 2010. He has published articles and war game simulations in Strategy & Tactics magazine and currently is a contributing columnist for Modern War magazine. Philip is retired from active duty service and now lives in West Virginia with his wife Heather and four children were they are creating an all-natural farm and serving in church ministries.
You can find out more about Philip and his book here:
http://www.windearthquakefire.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/windearthquakefire
September 26, 2012
A Guest Post: The Books of Randy Attwood
Author Randy Attwood stops by today, to share about his books, a collection of edgy novels:
The Books of Randy Attwood
Crazy
About You
I grew up on the grounds of a Kansas mental
hospital because my father was the dentist for Larned State Hospital and the
State provided our housing there. You grow up around crazy people and they
don't seem so bizarre to you. Seemed natural that I'd write a story based in
that environment, and so Crazy About You
got started. Brad Adams is going to have a week in his life that grows him up
faster than he ever wanted to. Reviewers have called it a coming-of-age, young
adult; some see it has a mystery/thriller. I used to get upset when people
asked how much of what I wrote was true. Did they think I didn't have any
imagination? Later, I realized it was a high compliment. The words on paper had
created a reality for them and they thought all I was doing was describing it.
That, for me, is what writing is all about: using words on paper to create a
reality for the reader. They think you are just describing a reality and don't
realize that the words are creating that reality.
One
More Victim
I started writing the poem that ends One More Victim about 1975. It was February. I had looked out the window of the back door of our small house in
Hutchinson, KS and saw crows pecking holes in our black garbage sacks.
First stanza came easy enough:
In February
the crows come,
To pick
though my garbage,
Make holes
in the black plastic sack
And scatter
its entrails over the snow.
For some reason that prompted an idea for a
story that I started, and then stopped, and then went back to, and then
stopped. That continued for about 25 years. And when I finished the story –
turned out to be a three-part novella – the end of the poem came to me. I
consider it my Heart of Darkness.
Because the Holocaust is a critical element
in the plot, the story is classified as world literature, Jewish. And the few
times I have offered it for free, it hit the #1 free download Amazon ranking in
that category. A couple of times it has reached #92 in the paid category. I've
used One More Victim as the title of
a paperback POD collection that also contains "The Saltness of Time"
and three short stories.
SPILL:
Big Oil + Sex = Game On
SPILL is a political satire: a comedy that was written out of despair.
When you write for 30 years and have such little publishing success to show for
it, you do tend to doubt yourself. I thought what I was doing was pretty good,
but I might be self-delusional. So I decided to write a comedy. If you made a
reader laugh, the writing succeeded. I had a bar acquaintance who worked as a
small-package deliveryman. He mentioned one time that his delivery that day was
taking the head of a dog to the state veterinary school for rabies testing.
That whole scene stuck with me. And gas prices were soaring. And I, and my
whole department, had been laid off at the educational institution where I had
worked for 16 years. I had the time. The SPILL
wrote itself in three months. I've never written any novel that quickly. And it
gave me a lot of laughs. It also secured me my agent. Haven't sold it yet, but
they come close. It also got me into epublishing. I'd always thought
self-publishing was an admission of failure. But a couple editors at a couple
houses encouraged my agents to urge me to do SPILL an ebook. So I did, and thought, heck, why not that other stuff
that's just sitting in my file cabinets. Now I have 13 works live with three
more to come. Here are the first two paragraphs from SPILL:
Fred Underwood was driving his 15-year-old, once-white, now
rust-speckled Nissan pickup six miles over the speed limit on his way to
deliver the head of a dog to the state’s vet school for rabies testing when
several things happened to him.
He saw a sign announcing—as though proud of the fact—that gasoline
at the upcoming station was selling for $4.15 a gallon. He looked into the rear
view mirror when he heard a siren and confirmed that, indeed, a police car was
chasing him. He uttered, “Shit,” but then felt his body swept with euphoria: an
idea smacked him that would make him rich.
Rabbletown:
Life in These United Christian States of Holy America
Long before 1984 arrived, I had a dream of
writing a novel called 2084. I constructed long biographies and future
histories to show how by the time 2084 arrived the religious right would have
taken complete power over America and rule her with a Bible in each fist. I
thought it would be a long book and be told in tales from various decades. And
it came to nothing. Again it showed me that outlining was no use for me; it
actually hindered my writing. But I had a beginning segment of a mason
returning home after a 14 hour day working on construction a huge cathedral for
the Church of the Evangels, who ruled America. I finally just continued with
that opening scene show what life was like for Bob and his wife and their 14
children, one of them Bobby, who had an amazing memory for Bible verses.
Here's that opening scene for Rabbletown:
Bob Crowley, drunk and very tired, almost tripped over the broken
toy truck before kicking it out of his way then trudging around the side of the
house to the back of a former duplex that now housed six families of 50-some
Christian souls. Work on the Great Christian State of Kansas Cathedral went on
from dawn to dusk, almost a 14-hour, hot, summer day. After Bob had made the
long climb back to the ground, he stopped at one of the small booze-holes at
the edge of Rabbletown to drink its oily-smelling, stomach-wrenching, blessedly
mind-numbing alcohol before going home. Now, in the doorway to his basement
apartment, he burped and smelled the sour acid of his empty stomach. Pulling
the burlap sack of tools off his shoulder and dropping it to the floor when he
entered, the noise of his own household assaulted him. The twins came,
screaming their welcome, and he picked the bag of tools back up, swung, and
caught one of them on the side of the head, sending him sprawling sideways and
setting up a wail of tears and pain that caused his wife to yell, “Stop beatin’
the kids, will ya?”
“Well keep the little retards away from me.”
Doesn't sound like a pleasant, Christian
household does it?
Blow
Up the Roses
I have never known the end of a story when
I start it. It seems knowing the end is a fraud upon the reader. I start with a
scene, or an idea, or a character, and then learn about the characters and
follow what they do. When I found out the horror of what Mrs. Keene's renter
was doing in Blow Up the Roses, I
almost just quit writing it. But some characters demand their existence: this
serial, pedophile killer tied me to my chair and extracted words from me as
sure as blood from his victims. Blow Up
the Roses is being published by Curiosity Quills and should soon be
available as a paperback POD and an ebook. The language of flowers can be
brutally frank.
Here's the chilling opening scene:
Mr. Brown closed the door on the whimpers and walked up the stairs
to take a shower. He stood under the stream of water and leaned his head
against the wall of the shower stall. "Mommy loves me. Mommy loveth me.
Mommy loveth me," he whispered to himself as his heart slowed. Those pictures
should really be something, he thought to himself. As good as these stills
would be, though, he knew there was no way they would show the wriggling.
That's what he loved, how they wriggled trying to get away from him. The audio
cassette tape he supplied with the pictures made quite a package, but it was
time to get into video-taping. He could invest some of the profits from the
stills in good equipment. He already had the lights. If only he had a partner.
But who could you trust in a thing like this? Sure there were plenty of others
out there, if the way his distributor bought his picture-cassette tape packages
were any guide, but how could you find one you could trust to work the camera?
He'd just have to find some way to rig the camera in a static position. If he
could afford it, he could buy about three cameras and ring the area, then
splice the tape. He could be as careful as he was with the still pictures and
the cassettes to ensure that nothing in them identified him. Maybe they offered
some lessons on video tape splicing at the community college. They taught
everything else there.
He reached for the soap, brought it to a lather in his hands, and then washed the blood from his penis.
You can check out Randy's books on Amazon [image error]
The Books of Randy Attwood
Crazy
About You
I grew up on the grounds of a Kansas mental
hospital because my father was the dentist for Larned State Hospital and the
State provided our housing there. You grow up around crazy people and they
don't seem so bizarre to you. Seemed natural that I'd write a story based in
that environment, and so Crazy About You
got started. Brad Adams is going to have a week in his life that grows him up
faster than he ever wanted to. Reviewers have called it a coming-of-age, young
adult; some see it has a mystery/thriller. I used to get upset when people
asked how much of what I wrote was true. Did they think I didn't have any
imagination? Later, I realized it was a high compliment. The words on paper had
created a reality for them and they thought all I was doing was describing it.
That, for me, is what writing is all about: using words on paper to create a
reality for the reader. They think you are just describing a reality and don't
realize that the words are creating that reality.
One
More Victim
I started writing the poem that ends One More Victim about 1975. It was February. I had looked out the window of the back door of our small house in
Hutchinson, KS and saw crows pecking holes in our black garbage sacks.
First stanza came easy enough:
In February
the crows come,
To pick
though my garbage,
Make holes
in the black plastic sack
And scatter
its entrails over the snow.
For some reason that prompted an idea for a
story that I started, and then stopped, and then went back to, and then
stopped. That continued for about 25 years. And when I finished the story –
turned out to be a three-part novella – the end of the poem came to me. I
consider it my Heart of Darkness.
Because the Holocaust is a critical element
in the plot, the story is classified as world literature, Jewish. And the few
times I have offered it for free, it hit the #1 free download Amazon ranking in
that category. A couple of times it has reached #92 in the paid category. I've
used One More Victim as the title of
a paperback POD collection that also contains "The Saltness of Time"
and three short stories.
SPILL:
Big Oil + Sex = Game On
SPILL is a political satire: a comedy that was written out of despair.
When you write for 30 years and have such little publishing success to show for
it, you do tend to doubt yourself. I thought what I was doing was pretty good,
but I might be self-delusional. So I decided to write a comedy. If you made a
reader laugh, the writing succeeded. I had a bar acquaintance who worked as a
small-package deliveryman. He mentioned one time that his delivery that day was
taking the head of a dog to the state veterinary school for rabies testing.
That whole scene stuck with me. And gas prices were soaring. And I, and my
whole department, had been laid off at the educational institution where I had
worked for 16 years. I had the time. The SPILL
wrote itself in three months. I've never written any novel that quickly. And it
gave me a lot of laughs. It also secured me my agent. Haven't sold it yet, but
they come close. It also got me into epublishing. I'd always thought
self-publishing was an admission of failure. But a couple editors at a couple
houses encouraged my agents to urge me to do SPILL an ebook. So I did, and thought, heck, why not that other stuff
that's just sitting in my file cabinets. Now I have 13 works live with three
more to come. Here are the first two paragraphs from SPILL:
Fred Underwood was driving his 15-year-old, once-white, now
rust-speckled Nissan pickup six miles over the speed limit on his way to
deliver the head of a dog to the state’s vet school for rabies testing when
several things happened to him.
He saw a sign announcing—as though proud of the fact—that gasoline
at the upcoming station was selling for $4.15 a gallon. He looked into the rear
view mirror when he heard a siren and confirmed that, indeed, a police car was
chasing him. He uttered, “Shit,” but then felt his body swept with euphoria: an
idea smacked him that would make him rich.
Rabbletown:
Life in These United Christian States of Holy America
Long before 1984 arrived, I had a dream of
writing a novel called 2084. I constructed long biographies and future
histories to show how by the time 2084 arrived the religious right would have
taken complete power over America and rule her with a Bible in each fist. I
thought it would be a long book and be told in tales from various decades. And
it came to nothing. Again it showed me that outlining was no use for me; it
actually hindered my writing. But I had a beginning segment of a mason
returning home after a 14 hour day working on construction a huge cathedral for
the Church of the Evangels, who ruled America. I finally just continued with
that opening scene show what life was like for Bob and his wife and their 14
children, one of them Bobby, who had an amazing memory for Bible verses.
Here's that opening scene for Rabbletown:
Bob Crowley, drunk and very tired, almost tripped over the broken
toy truck before kicking it out of his way then trudging around the side of the
house to the back of a former duplex that now housed six families of 50-some
Christian souls. Work on the Great Christian State of Kansas Cathedral went on
from dawn to dusk, almost a 14-hour, hot, summer day. After Bob had made the
long climb back to the ground, he stopped at one of the small booze-holes at
the edge of Rabbletown to drink its oily-smelling, stomach-wrenching, blessedly
mind-numbing alcohol before going home. Now, in the doorway to his basement
apartment, he burped and smelled the sour acid of his empty stomach. Pulling
the burlap sack of tools off his shoulder and dropping it to the floor when he
entered, the noise of his own household assaulted him. The twins came,
screaming their welcome, and he picked the bag of tools back up, swung, and
caught one of them on the side of the head, sending him sprawling sideways and
setting up a wail of tears and pain that caused his wife to yell, “Stop beatin’
the kids, will ya?”
“Well keep the little retards away from me.”
Doesn't sound like a pleasant, Christian
household does it?
Blow
Up the Roses
I have never known the end of a story when
I start it. It seems knowing the end is a fraud upon the reader. I start with a
scene, or an idea, or a character, and then learn about the characters and
follow what they do. When I found out the horror of what Mrs. Keene's renter
was doing in Blow Up the Roses, I
almost just quit writing it. But some characters demand their existence: this
serial, pedophile killer tied me to my chair and extracted words from me as
sure as blood from his victims. Blow Up
the Roses is being published by Curiosity Quills and should soon be
available as a paperback POD and an ebook. The language of flowers can be
brutally frank.
Here's the chilling opening scene:
Mr. Brown closed the door on the whimpers and walked up the stairs
to take a shower. He stood under the stream of water and leaned his head
against the wall of the shower stall. "Mommy loves me. Mommy loveth me.
Mommy loveth me," he whispered to himself as his heart slowed. Those pictures
should really be something, he thought to himself. As good as these stills
would be, though, he knew there was no way they would show the wriggling.
That's what he loved, how they wriggled trying to get away from him. The audio
cassette tape he supplied with the pictures made quite a package, but it was
time to get into video-taping. He could invest some of the profits from the
stills in good equipment. He already had the lights. If only he had a partner.
But who could you trust in a thing like this? Sure there were plenty of others
out there, if the way his distributor bought his picture-cassette tape packages
were any guide, but how could you find one you could trust to work the camera?
He'd just have to find some way to rig the camera in a static position. If he
could afford it, he could buy about three cameras and ring the area, then
splice the tape. He could be as careful as he was with the still pictures and
the cassettes to ensure that nothing in them identified him. Maybe they offered
some lessons on video tape splicing at the community college. They taught
everything else there.
He reached for the soap, brought it to a lather in his hands, and then washed the blood from his penis.
You can check out Randy's books on Amazon [image error]
September 16, 2012
Guest Post: Three Things I Never Expected to Do with My Creative Writing Degree
Today another guest, Angelita Williams, pops by to share some of her writing experience:
3 Things I Never Expected to Do with My Creative Writing Degree
Every year, thousands of students across the country flock to colleges and universities in pursuit of higher education. Some pursue degrees in science, others study math and then there's the few who gravitate toward the writing and literary disciplines. I, myself, was part of that last group when I was a student fresh out of high school. All my life I had loved to write, so declaring a major in creative writing seemed like a no-brainer.
Sure, I heard all the horror stories and warnings about choosing such a non-specific field, but what did I care? I was 18 and ready to take on the world. All that job stuff would figure itself out later, I had learning and living to do. Besides, why would I force myself to switch to a major like engineering or accounting when all of my friends studying those subjects were downright miserable all of the time?
So I stuck it out, and graduated right on time with a pristine creative writing degree in hand. As many graduates are, I was a mess of mixed emotions—part excited, part relieved and part TERRIFIED about my future. Compared to the friends I mentioned before who pursued more traditional paths, I was a bit directionless when I graduated. They all had jobs lined up, or knew exactly what grad schools they'd be going to, but I, on the other hand was still desperately applying for any job I could find that even remotely required my writing skills.
Luckily it all worked out, but little did I know then that I would end up happy in a lucrative job doing what I love. I held a lot of random jobs, missed a few opportunities and did some downright strange things before I made it, and just want the college students and recent grads of today to realize that.
Below is a list of three of the most unexpected things I did before I got to this point in my career.
Helped Cover Up a Corporate Scandal
Since it's the one I'm probably least proud of, I figured I'd better get it out of the way first. For a brief stint right out of college, I landed a job with one of the largest engineering firms in the world at the time. I was hired as a writer/editor for their communications department and, although I wasn't exactly a fan of what the company did, I loved my specific job. I spent the majority of my days editing marketing materials, writing and researching articles and interviewing industry-leading decision makers, all to help develop promotional content.
Sure I couldn't get too creative, but I was getting paid to write—and getting paid well at that. Ask anyone who longs to be a writer and they already know a not-so-impressive paycheck comes with the territory. So I definitely felt I had hit the jackpot, until I started noticed some questionable things going on around the office.
Executives were always on edge. Our media relations department was working around the clock and we all started receiving random inquiries from outside parties—journalists, lawyers, the like. Turns out, one of our big wigs had been engaging in some less-than-legal activities during his time overseas, and there was evidence to prove it.
Suddenly, instead of writing about project updates or community activities, I was drafting damage control press releases, engaging in media training and deliberately omitting details from documents in the interest of the company. The stress finally got to me and I threw in the towel, because ethically, I knew what I was doing was wrong.
I was using my writing skills to mislead the public all for the sake of the mighty dollar, disgust doesn't even begin to describe what I felt toward myself. So, I cut my ties with the company and to this day know it was the right thing to do. Talk about an unexpected job. Thankfully the others are much more entertaining and less gut-wrenching.
Write for a Number-One Radio Show
Shortly after my stint in Corporate America, I found myself working for one of the biggest media groups in my city. They owned several radio stations and even an ad firm, and I worked in their promotions department. My primary job was to assist with events and giveaways the stations coordinated, until one day I was asked to fill in as a "sidekick" during a live broadcast. The host's usual partner had gotten unexpectedly sick and they needed a female voice to go over the air. Being the only girl in the area that was employed by the company they threw me a set of headphones and a microphone and shoved me on-air.
The broadcast wasn't exactly smooth at first, but as it progressed I got more comfortable and subsequently let my personality shine through. The host was impressed, but more importantly so was the program director. Later that week he arranged a meeting with me and told me to stop wasting my time in the promotions department. He felt I had raw talent and real wit that their top-rated morning show could use.
So the next week, I was working from 4 in the morning until noon, writing show content, interview questions and more for the city's number-one radio show. It was such a whirlwind. I couldn't believe that not even a month ago I was lugging around station equipment and now my words that I had WRITTEN were being heard by thousands of people all around me. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement.
At the time, if I had had my choice I would have stayed there forever, but unfortunately, as is the nature of that business, my run was shorter than I would have liked. The show eventually lost its draw and ratings slipped. Before I knew it contracts weren't being renewed and my professional future was once again up in the air. I eventually lost my job, but the company offered me a part-time position so that I could stick around in case something else opened up. However, I knew then and there this was NOT an industry I wanted to stay with. Sure it was fun while it lasted, but I could never see myself continuously dealing with that sort of instability and uncertainty , which brings me to my next position.
Draft Text Messages for My Boss
After my stint with radio, I decided I was much better suited for an average, everyday desk job. Sure radio was exciting, but I knew I needed to be somewhere stable for my growing family. So I took a job as a personal assistant for a very rich, very old oil executive. At first, the bulk of my work centered around scheduling and memos—then he decided to get a smartphone.
Some of you might be thinking this is great, good for him for embracing technology. Only problem was I was the one who got stuck with the task of teaching him how to use it. During my time there he never really caught on, but that was no surprise to me. A majority of my days would be spent with his phone in hand, typing out texts as he dictated them to me—yeah, exciting I know. I had a hard time believing this guy was for real. But, I guess when you've got that much money you don't really care anymore.
Needless to say that job didn't exactly work out either. I quit shortly after that and now find myself here, doing what I love—writing.
This piece is not meant to deter future students from pursuing their passions, but rather serve as a window into reality. No, you will likely not land that perfect job right after college and no, you will not make an amazing salary right off the bat, but with a little persistence and hard work you just might be able to do what you love for a living. Isn't that what we're all after anyway?
Angelita Williams is a freelance writer and education enthusiast who frequently contributes to onlinecollegecourses.com. She strives to instruct her readers and enrich their lives and welcomes you to contact her at angelita.williams7@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.[image error]
3 Things I Never Expected to Do with My Creative Writing Degree
Every year, thousands of students across the country flock to colleges and universities in pursuit of higher education. Some pursue degrees in science, others study math and then there's the few who gravitate toward the writing and literary disciplines. I, myself, was part of that last group when I was a student fresh out of high school. All my life I had loved to write, so declaring a major in creative writing seemed like a no-brainer.
Sure, I heard all the horror stories and warnings about choosing such a non-specific field, but what did I care? I was 18 and ready to take on the world. All that job stuff would figure itself out later, I had learning and living to do. Besides, why would I force myself to switch to a major like engineering or accounting when all of my friends studying those subjects were downright miserable all of the time?
So I stuck it out, and graduated right on time with a pristine creative writing degree in hand. As many graduates are, I was a mess of mixed emotions—part excited, part relieved and part TERRIFIED about my future. Compared to the friends I mentioned before who pursued more traditional paths, I was a bit directionless when I graduated. They all had jobs lined up, or knew exactly what grad schools they'd be going to, but I, on the other hand was still desperately applying for any job I could find that even remotely required my writing skills.
Luckily it all worked out, but little did I know then that I would end up happy in a lucrative job doing what I love. I held a lot of random jobs, missed a few opportunities and did some downright strange things before I made it, and just want the college students and recent grads of today to realize that.
Below is a list of three of the most unexpected things I did before I got to this point in my career.
Helped Cover Up a Corporate Scandal
Since it's the one I'm probably least proud of, I figured I'd better get it out of the way first. For a brief stint right out of college, I landed a job with one of the largest engineering firms in the world at the time. I was hired as a writer/editor for their communications department and, although I wasn't exactly a fan of what the company did, I loved my specific job. I spent the majority of my days editing marketing materials, writing and researching articles and interviewing industry-leading decision makers, all to help develop promotional content.
Sure I couldn't get too creative, but I was getting paid to write—and getting paid well at that. Ask anyone who longs to be a writer and they already know a not-so-impressive paycheck comes with the territory. So I definitely felt I had hit the jackpot, until I started noticed some questionable things going on around the office.
Executives were always on edge. Our media relations department was working around the clock and we all started receiving random inquiries from outside parties—journalists, lawyers, the like. Turns out, one of our big wigs had been engaging in some less-than-legal activities during his time overseas, and there was evidence to prove it.
Suddenly, instead of writing about project updates or community activities, I was drafting damage control press releases, engaging in media training and deliberately omitting details from documents in the interest of the company. The stress finally got to me and I threw in the towel, because ethically, I knew what I was doing was wrong.
I was using my writing skills to mislead the public all for the sake of the mighty dollar, disgust doesn't even begin to describe what I felt toward myself. So, I cut my ties with the company and to this day know it was the right thing to do. Talk about an unexpected job. Thankfully the others are much more entertaining and less gut-wrenching.
Write for a Number-One Radio Show
Shortly after my stint in Corporate America, I found myself working for one of the biggest media groups in my city. They owned several radio stations and even an ad firm, and I worked in their promotions department. My primary job was to assist with events and giveaways the stations coordinated, until one day I was asked to fill in as a "sidekick" during a live broadcast. The host's usual partner had gotten unexpectedly sick and they needed a female voice to go over the air. Being the only girl in the area that was employed by the company they threw me a set of headphones and a microphone and shoved me on-air.
The broadcast wasn't exactly smooth at first, but as it progressed I got more comfortable and subsequently let my personality shine through. The host was impressed, but more importantly so was the program director. Later that week he arranged a meeting with me and told me to stop wasting my time in the promotions department. He felt I had raw talent and real wit that their top-rated morning show could use.
So the next week, I was working from 4 in the morning until noon, writing show content, interview questions and more for the city's number-one radio show. It was such a whirlwind. I couldn't believe that not even a month ago I was lugging around station equipment and now my words that I had WRITTEN were being heard by thousands of people all around me. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement.
At the time, if I had had my choice I would have stayed there forever, but unfortunately, as is the nature of that business, my run was shorter than I would have liked. The show eventually lost its draw and ratings slipped. Before I knew it contracts weren't being renewed and my professional future was once again up in the air. I eventually lost my job, but the company offered me a part-time position so that I could stick around in case something else opened up. However, I knew then and there this was NOT an industry I wanted to stay with. Sure it was fun while it lasted, but I could never see myself continuously dealing with that sort of instability and uncertainty , which brings me to my next position.
Draft Text Messages for My Boss
After my stint with radio, I decided I was much better suited for an average, everyday desk job. Sure radio was exciting, but I knew I needed to be somewhere stable for my growing family. So I took a job as a personal assistant for a very rich, very old oil executive. At first, the bulk of my work centered around scheduling and memos—then he decided to get a smartphone.
Some of you might be thinking this is great, good for him for embracing technology. Only problem was I was the one who got stuck with the task of teaching him how to use it. During my time there he never really caught on, but that was no surprise to me. A majority of my days would be spent with his phone in hand, typing out texts as he dictated them to me—yeah, exciting I know. I had a hard time believing this guy was for real. But, I guess when you've got that much money you don't really care anymore.
Needless to say that job didn't exactly work out either. I quit shortly after that and now find myself here, doing what I love—writing.
This piece is not meant to deter future students from pursuing their passions, but rather serve as a window into reality. No, you will likely not land that perfect job right after college and no, you will not make an amazing salary right off the bat, but with a little persistence and hard work you just might be able to do what you love for a living. Isn't that what we're all after anyway?
Angelita Williams is a freelance writer and education enthusiast who frequently contributes to onlinecollegecourses.com. She strives to instruct her readers and enrich their lives and welcomes you to contact her at angelita.williams7@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.[image error]
September 12, 2012
Million Dollar Murder: A Review of It's Murder, My Son by Lauren Carr
My Book Review of It's Murder, My Son:
It’s Murder, My Son by Lauren Carr is an entertaining mystery romp. It’s perfect for a rainy day read or a relaxing weekend.
The first book in the Mac Faraday mystery series, It’s Murder, My Son, begins with a new chapter in former homicide detective Mac Faraday’s life. Recently divorced, he finds himself the heir to a multimillion dollar fortune of a late mystery author, a woman who was the birth mother he never knew. And along with the money and property, he inherits a couple of murders and a whole lot of trouble.
I enjoyed reading this novel. It had a nice pace, charming and believable characters and reasonably good conflict, while never losing its sense of fun. The main character of Mac Faraday was especially likable and I was pleased with the way the author had him interact with his new world. There was no smooth transition to the world of money; he behaved like an uncomfortable fish out of water. I also liked the main female character/love interest of Archie; she’s smart funny and there’s a nice chemistry with Mac.
I did have a few slight problems with the storyline in that I found some of the plot points a bit easy to figure out, although the author does give the reader plausible reasons as to why the characters haven’t come to the same conclusions. Also, there were one or two twists that I didn’t see coming, so the plotline considerations are minor quibbles. Overall I can give this book a recommend.
It’s Murder, My Son can be found on Amazon in Print and Kindle formats
[image error]
It’s Murder, My Son by Lauren Carr is an entertaining mystery romp. It’s perfect for a rainy day read or a relaxing weekend.
The first book in the Mac Faraday mystery series, It’s Murder, My Son, begins with a new chapter in former homicide detective Mac Faraday’s life. Recently divorced, he finds himself the heir to a multimillion dollar fortune of a late mystery author, a woman who was the birth mother he never knew. And along with the money and property, he inherits a couple of murders and a whole lot of trouble.
I enjoyed reading this novel. It had a nice pace, charming and believable characters and reasonably good conflict, while never losing its sense of fun. The main character of Mac Faraday was especially likable and I was pleased with the way the author had him interact with his new world. There was no smooth transition to the world of money; he behaved like an uncomfortable fish out of water. I also liked the main female character/love interest of Archie; she’s smart funny and there’s a nice chemistry with Mac.
I did have a few slight problems with the storyline in that I found some of the plot points a bit easy to figure out, although the author does give the reader plausible reasons as to why the characters haven’t come to the same conclusions. Also, there were one or two twists that I didn’t see coming, so the plotline considerations are minor quibbles. Overall I can give this book a recommend.
It’s Murder, My Son can be found on Amazon in Print and Kindle formats
[image error]
September 8, 2012
Interview With Poet And Writer, John Lavan
Today we have a wonderful guest stopping by for an interview, poet and blogger, John Lavan. Enjoy!
Interview with John Lavan
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
I have a lovely wife and three sons. I live mostly in
Yorkshire, in the UK; sometimes in Cumbria (UK). I work as a management
consultant and travel a lot, so I write many of my poems on trains.
As a poet, where do you find inspiration for your poems?
My eldest son, Andrew has Down’s Syndrome and he is my
greatest muse. Love between father and son is not well explored in literature
and I ‘go for the mystery of love’ in many of my poems. Of course, my other
family members also inspire me! That’s why the collection is called ‘Familial’.
You’ve published a collection of your poems, Familial. Can you tell us a bit about the book?
I have 2 blogs: http://poemsfromreality.blogspot.co.uk/ and http://beautifulwordpoems.blogspot.co.uk/ with over 600 poems there. I like to write a
poem every other day. I selected the poems for Familial from those on the blog with most hits and comments. So
Familial is a democratic collection! Apostrophe Books found me on Twitter
(@Toltecjohn) and eight weeks later
Familial: Selected Poems (http://apostrophebooks.com/books/poetry/familial/) was
out! That’s magic.
What drew you to write poetry?
In my early 50’s, I re-married and started writing short
poems to my new wife. I found I had some talent and my passion grew – for
studying, reading and writing poetry. It is indeed spellbinding.
What is your favourite aspect of writing? Your least
favourite?
I like the first creative expression – forcing out the poem
onto the page from an inner feeling. That can make me grunt out loud on a
crowded train. There is no least favourite. Crafting the poem from a first
draft is also fun.
You have a significant blog and Twitter following. How do think social media has impacted you as
a writer?
It has opened up grand and global possibility! I remember
reading somewhere in a creative writing book ‘The internet poets are coming!’
and I guess I decided to become one. I love to believe that ‘a cuppa and a Kindle’
can associate reading a couple of poems with a coffee (without dragging paper
around). We could reframe the public’s appetite for poems as a way of starting
to feel! … to easily feel alive!
Do you have any advice for aspiring poets?
Write every day. No exceptions – and write about what’s
happening now. Pinch ideas from other poets.
Do you any authors you admire, or have inspired you?
Emily Dickinson – she has unmatched insight, mystery,
compression and feeling.
What’s next for you?
An epic poem – I’m half way into it. First, though, a cup of
coffee and a Kindle!
Familial is available from:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008Z125L8
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/familial-selected-poems/id553587715?mt=11&uo=4%22%20target=%22itunes_store%22
and will soon be available from 130+ other retailers, through http://apostrophebooks.com/books/poetry/familial/
You can also find out more about Familial on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/apostrophebooks/familial-selected-poems-by-john-lavan/) and on Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15838108-familial).
Interview with John Lavan
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
I have a lovely wife and three sons. I live mostly in
Yorkshire, in the UK; sometimes in Cumbria (UK). I work as a management
consultant and travel a lot, so I write many of my poems on trains.
As a poet, where do you find inspiration for your poems?
My eldest son, Andrew has Down’s Syndrome and he is my
greatest muse. Love between father and son is not well explored in literature
and I ‘go for the mystery of love’ in many of my poems. Of course, my other
family members also inspire me! That’s why the collection is called ‘Familial’.
You’ve published a collection of your poems, Familial. Can you tell us a bit about the book?
I have 2 blogs: http://poemsfromreality.blogspot.co.uk/ and http://beautifulwordpoems.blogspot.co.uk/ with over 600 poems there. I like to write a
poem every other day. I selected the poems for Familial from those on the blog with most hits and comments. So
Familial is a democratic collection! Apostrophe Books found me on Twitter
(@Toltecjohn) and eight weeks later
Familial: Selected Poems (http://apostrophebooks.com/books/poetry/familial/) was
out! That’s magic.
What drew you to write poetry?
In my early 50’s, I re-married and started writing short
poems to my new wife. I found I had some talent and my passion grew – for
studying, reading and writing poetry. It is indeed spellbinding.
What is your favourite aspect of writing? Your least
favourite?
I like the first creative expression – forcing out the poem
onto the page from an inner feeling. That can make me grunt out loud on a
crowded train. There is no least favourite. Crafting the poem from a first
draft is also fun.
You have a significant blog and Twitter following. How do think social media has impacted you as
a writer?
It has opened up grand and global possibility! I remember
reading somewhere in a creative writing book ‘The internet poets are coming!’
and I guess I decided to become one. I love to believe that ‘a cuppa and a Kindle’
can associate reading a couple of poems with a coffee (without dragging paper
around). We could reframe the public’s appetite for poems as a way of starting
to feel! … to easily feel alive!
Do you have any advice for aspiring poets?
Write every day. No exceptions – and write about what’s
happening now. Pinch ideas from other poets.
Do you any authors you admire, or have inspired you?
Emily Dickinson – she has unmatched insight, mystery,
compression and feeling.
What’s next for you?
An epic poem – I’m half way into it. First, though, a cup of
coffee and a Kindle!
Familial is available from:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008Z125L8
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/familial-selected-poems/id553587715?mt=11&uo=4%22%20target=%22itunes_store%22
and will soon be available from 130+ other retailers, through http://apostrophebooks.com/books/poetry/familial/
You can also find out more about Familial on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/apostrophebooks/familial-selected-poems-by-john-lavan/) and on Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15838108-familial).
September 4, 2012
Interview with Frank Fiore
Today we have a fascinating interview with the intriguing writer Frank Fiore...
An Interview With Frank Fiore
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
Though
most of my life I’ve been an entrepreneur, I’ve always enjoyed being a
teacher. In fact I hold a Masters Degree in Education. This ability to
help people learn translates into the kind of books I write. My
non-fiction books are all about learning how to market on the Internet,
how to start and online business and how to shop online. I’ve sold over
50,000 copies of those types of books.
You’ve written a thriller series, Chronicles of Jeremy Nash. Can you tell us about it?
Jeremy
Nash is a noted debunker and skeptic of conspiracy theories, urban
legends and myths is drawn into pursuing them. Each Nash chronicle in
the series is a thriller that sends Nash on an investigation of these
myths and legends. Though he doesn’t believe in any of them, he is
forced into pursuing them by threats to the lives of his family members
or himself or threats to his reputation. The Chronicles is three book
series that is available on the Nook, Kindle and Apple platforms. I am
currently running a promotion for the books. Two of them are selling for
only .99 cents and SEED, the second book is being offered as a serial
of 15 parts that can be downloaded from Smashwords for free.
Like
myself, readers love challenges and my stories seek to challenge their
minds. The kind of stories that reflect the personal challenges that
they face in their day-to-day lives. My stories, in many ways, reflect
the challenges I had in my life. The back-story, so to speak, of the
novel. I hope my fiction through the characters and what they face in my
stories, can open the door a little wider and cast light on how we deal
with the world and face it’s challenges.
You’ve written numerous successful non-fiction books. Why did you decide to write fiction?
I’m
turning my talents to writing fiction to both entertain and to teach.
That kind of writing is called geek fiction. Geek fiction breaks the
boundaries of formulaic writing. It introduces intellectual
acumen and provides a thoughtful, entertaining diversion for the reader.
While the genre niches I write in can be varied – thrillers,
action/adventures/ speculative history, short stories, and mainstream
fiction - my books challenge readers and surprises them with well-paced,
well researched and compelling stories.
My
readers have higher-than-average IQs or advanced educations, and are
looking for intellectual challenges and extraordinary entertainment that
is well-crafted fiction transcending traditional genre boundaries,
providing both literary character development and an interesting plot.
Was it difficult to transition from writing non-fiction to writing a fiction series?
In a
way, my non-fiction taught me how to create a logical progression of
ideas. In the case of fiction, it helped me create an entertaining and
logical plot. But though I can write interesting characters and
unpredictable plots, I need to have a story polisher ‘beef up’ my prose.
I use one for every one of my stories.
Early in your career you founded, wrote and edited the New Times newspaper. What was that experience like?
It was
my very first foray in to the entrepreneurial world. I knew nothing
about the newspaper business – less about journalism. But several
college dropouts and myself came up with an idea for an alternative
newspaper in a very traditional community. It hit and nerve and took
off. Though I left the paper early to pursue other opportunities, it is
now a multistate operation and part of the establishment now.
You’ve
worked as a researcher, designed and taught courses and seminars on the
future of society, technology and business, and served on several vital
committees. How much has this social and educational work influenced
your writing?
Much. I
have always been interested in all the disciplines and have read
extensively on many subjects. This knowledge acquired over the years
acts as source material for my novels like CYBERKILL, the Chronicles of
Jeremy Nash.
Can you tell us about a few of your other books?
My first
novel is CyberKill. It’s a techno-thriller that answers the question
“How far will an artificial intelligence go for revenge?” It’s garnered 5
star ratings on Amazon.
What advice would you give beginning writers?
Don’t
write for money or fame. Write because you enjoy telling a story. If
that story is good enough, the money and fame will come.
What’s your next book or project?
I’ve
just finished a novel called Murran. Murran is the story of a young
African-American boy named Trey coming of age in the 1980s, and his rite
of passage to adulthood. Trey is a member of a ‘crew’ in Brooklyn and
is enticed into helping a violent street gang. He is eventually framed
for murder and flees with his high school teacher to the teacher’s
Maasai village in Kenya. Trey goes through the Maasai warrior’s rite of
passage, becomes a young shaman, and returns to America to confront and
defeat the gang leader that framed him.
How can people find out more about your book?
Go to my author site at www.frankfiore.com and my blog at http://frankfiore.wordpress.com/
An Interview With Frank Fiore
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
Though
most of my life I’ve been an entrepreneur, I’ve always enjoyed being a
teacher. In fact I hold a Masters Degree in Education. This ability to
help people learn translates into the kind of books I write. My
non-fiction books are all about learning how to market on the Internet,
how to start and online business and how to shop online. I’ve sold over
50,000 copies of those types of books.
You’ve written a thriller series, Chronicles of Jeremy Nash. Can you tell us about it?
Jeremy
Nash is a noted debunker and skeptic of conspiracy theories, urban
legends and myths is drawn into pursuing them. Each Nash chronicle in
the series is a thriller that sends Nash on an investigation of these
myths and legends. Though he doesn’t believe in any of them, he is
forced into pursuing them by threats to the lives of his family members
or himself or threats to his reputation. The Chronicles is three book
series that is available on the Nook, Kindle and Apple platforms. I am
currently running a promotion for the books. Two of them are selling for
only .99 cents and SEED, the second book is being offered as a serial
of 15 parts that can be downloaded from Smashwords for free.
Like
myself, readers love challenges and my stories seek to challenge their
minds. The kind of stories that reflect the personal challenges that
they face in their day-to-day lives. My stories, in many ways, reflect
the challenges I had in my life. The back-story, so to speak, of the
novel. I hope my fiction through the characters and what they face in my
stories, can open the door a little wider and cast light on how we deal
with the world and face it’s challenges.
You’ve written numerous successful non-fiction books. Why did you decide to write fiction?
I’m
turning my talents to writing fiction to both entertain and to teach.
That kind of writing is called geek fiction. Geek fiction breaks the
boundaries of formulaic writing. It introduces intellectual
acumen and provides a thoughtful, entertaining diversion for the reader.
While the genre niches I write in can be varied – thrillers,
action/adventures/ speculative history, short stories, and mainstream
fiction - my books challenge readers and surprises them with well-paced,
well researched and compelling stories.
My
readers have higher-than-average IQs or advanced educations, and are
looking for intellectual challenges and extraordinary entertainment that
is well-crafted fiction transcending traditional genre boundaries,
providing both literary character development and an interesting plot.
Was it difficult to transition from writing non-fiction to writing a fiction series?
In a
way, my non-fiction taught me how to create a logical progression of
ideas. In the case of fiction, it helped me create an entertaining and
logical plot. But though I can write interesting characters and
unpredictable plots, I need to have a story polisher ‘beef up’ my prose.
I use one for every one of my stories.
Early in your career you founded, wrote and edited the New Times newspaper. What was that experience like?
It was
my very first foray in to the entrepreneurial world. I knew nothing
about the newspaper business – less about journalism. But several
college dropouts and myself came up with an idea for an alternative
newspaper in a very traditional community. It hit and nerve and took
off. Though I left the paper early to pursue other opportunities, it is
now a multistate operation and part of the establishment now.
You’ve
worked as a researcher, designed and taught courses and seminars on the
future of society, technology and business, and served on several vital
committees. How much has this social and educational work influenced
your writing?
Much. I
have always been interested in all the disciplines and have read
extensively on many subjects. This knowledge acquired over the years
acts as source material for my novels like CYBERKILL, the Chronicles of
Jeremy Nash.
Can you tell us about a few of your other books?
My first
novel is CyberKill. It’s a techno-thriller that answers the question
“How far will an artificial intelligence go for revenge?” It’s garnered 5
star ratings on Amazon.
What advice would you give beginning writers?
Don’t
write for money or fame. Write because you enjoy telling a story. If
that story is good enough, the money and fame will come.
What’s your next book or project?
I’ve
just finished a novel called Murran. Murran is the story of a young
African-American boy named Trey coming of age in the 1980s, and his rite
of passage to adulthood. Trey is a member of a ‘crew’ in Brooklyn and
is enticed into helping a violent street gang. He is eventually framed
for murder and flees with his high school teacher to the teacher’s
Maasai village in Kenya. Trey goes through the Maasai warrior’s rite of
passage, becomes a young shaman, and returns to America to confront and
defeat the gang leader that framed him.
How can people find out more about your book?
Go to my author site at www.frankfiore.com and my blog at http://frankfiore.wordpress.com/
September 1, 2012
Teaching Sci-Fi Stories in a College Lit Class
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Another guest blogger joins us today, Maria Rainier, to talk about using sci-fi in the classroom.
Teaching Sci-Fi Stories
in a College Lit Class
Until
recently, I was a graduate student who taught English at a large public
university in the American South (I won’t name it, because of what I’m about to
write in the next sentence, and because I’m paranoid). After two years of
teaching freshman composition (which is just about the most dry, boring,
futile, and demoralizing job one could hope for), I had a chance to teach
Introduction to Fiction. Yay! Fiction! My passion in life, my favorite
avocation, the whole reason I went to grad school in the first place. Now I
would finally be able to inculcate the younger generation in the love of fancy
prose and made-up stories.
We
had a big anthology for a textbook, the Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, with
hundreds of short stories representing the whole world’s literary traditions
(all translated into English, of course). I tried to organize my syllabus
thematically, starting with classic “literary” workshop-style short stories by
the likes of Carver, Cheever, Updike, then moving on to some older European and
American stuff, and bridging into Halloween (it was a fall course) by means of
Kafka and Poe. Finally, I did science fiction, and some experimental stories by
Borges, Cortazar, and Nabokov.
The
experimental stuff was a mixed bag, some of it too difficult for my
sophomores...but the sci-fi ones went over like gangbusters, which pleased me
to no end because this was the genre that had gotten me into literature to
begin with. I don’t know if “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson counts as science
fiction. I suppose it does. In any case, it’s eerie, an alternate-reality story
with a lot to say about our real world, like all the best speculative work. The
horror stuff went over big (who doesn’t like Poe, you know?) but here, as with
Jackson, a problem I hadn’t considered was that they’d mostly read “Fall of the
House of Usher” already in high school.
“The
Enormous Radio” by John Cheever could technically be considered sci-fi, though
to explain why might be a bit of a spoiler (hint: the title object). You should
check it out yourselves for an example of very restrained, realistic fiction
about technology.
The
biggest reaction the class had to any story was to “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury,
the famous and colorful sci-fi chiller about children doing unspeakable things
with their virtual-reality simulator. The class immediately drew the connection
with their own electronic upbringings and it was kind of amazing how much the
story’s concerns hadn’t dated. We also watched two Bradbury-related YouTube
videos on the projector screen: one a great documentary/interview on the
(voluble, affable, charismatic) writer and his career, and one a fairly
inappropriate music video by a fan entitled “F--- Me, Ray Bradbury,” which had
them laughing uproariously and chattering all the way out the door.
It
was the best class we’d had all semester. This year, when Bradbury died, I
thought, what a testament to a writer and a human being that his work still had
this kind of impact on kids and adults over half a century later. I felt the
same way recently when they named Curiosity’s landing site on Mars after him.
Bradbury may be dead, but the spirit of science fiction is alive and well. May
it live on into the future and beyond the solar system.
Maria
Rainier fell in love with blogging before it was cool, and now she's lucky
enough to make a living out of it. She generally writes about subjects related
to online education, including for onlinedegrees.org,
where she expounds on universities that offer competitive online associate
degrees and online bachelor's degrees for the 21st century college student.
Please share your comments with her!
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Another guest blogger joins us today, Maria Rainier, to talk about using sci-fi in the classroom.
Teaching Sci-Fi Stories
in a College Lit Class
Until
recently, I was a graduate student who taught English at a large public
university in the American South (I won’t name it, because of what I’m about to
write in the next sentence, and because I’m paranoid). After two years of
teaching freshman composition (which is just about the most dry, boring,
futile, and demoralizing job one could hope for), I had a chance to teach
Introduction to Fiction. Yay! Fiction! My passion in life, my favorite
avocation, the whole reason I went to grad school in the first place. Now I
would finally be able to inculcate the younger generation in the love of fancy
prose and made-up stories.
We
had a big anthology for a textbook, the Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, with
hundreds of short stories representing the whole world’s literary traditions
(all translated into English, of course). I tried to organize my syllabus
thematically, starting with classic “literary” workshop-style short stories by
the likes of Carver, Cheever, Updike, then moving on to some older European and
American stuff, and bridging into Halloween (it was a fall course) by means of
Kafka and Poe. Finally, I did science fiction, and some experimental stories by
Borges, Cortazar, and Nabokov.
The
experimental stuff was a mixed bag, some of it too difficult for my
sophomores...but the sci-fi ones went over like gangbusters, which pleased me
to no end because this was the genre that had gotten me into literature to
begin with. I don’t know if “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson counts as science
fiction. I suppose it does. In any case, it’s eerie, an alternate-reality story
with a lot to say about our real world, like all the best speculative work. The
horror stuff went over big (who doesn’t like Poe, you know?) but here, as with
Jackson, a problem I hadn’t considered was that they’d mostly read “Fall of the
House of Usher” already in high school.
“The
Enormous Radio” by John Cheever could technically be considered sci-fi, though
to explain why might be a bit of a spoiler (hint: the title object). You should
check it out yourselves for an example of very restrained, realistic fiction
about technology.
The
biggest reaction the class had to any story was to “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury,
the famous and colorful sci-fi chiller about children doing unspeakable things
with their virtual-reality simulator. The class immediately drew the connection
with their own electronic upbringings and it was kind of amazing how much the
story’s concerns hadn’t dated. We also watched two Bradbury-related YouTube
videos on the projector screen: one a great documentary/interview on the
(voluble, affable, charismatic) writer and his career, and one a fairly
inappropriate music video by a fan entitled “F--- Me, Ray Bradbury,” which had
them laughing uproariously and chattering all the way out the door.
It
was the best class we’d had all semester. This year, when Bradbury died, I
thought, what a testament to a writer and a human being that his work still had
this kind of impact on kids and adults over half a century later. I felt the
same way recently when they named Curiosity’s landing site on Mars after him.
Bradbury may be dead, but the spirit of science fiction is alive and well. May
it live on into the future and beyond the solar system.
Maria
Rainier fell in love with blogging before it was cool, and now she's lucky
enough to make a living out of it. She generally writes about subjects related
to online education, including for onlinedegrees.org,
where she expounds on universities that offer competitive online associate
degrees and online bachelor's degrees for the 21st century college student.
Please share your comments with her!
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