A.F. Stewart's Blog, page 64
February 9, 2016
#B2BCYCON Interview With Author Shari Tapscott
Today I have another Brain to Books Cyber Convention author feature. Remember, this great event for authors and readers alike is coming to Goodreads this April, on the 8th, 9th and 10th. Be sure to check out all the details and pertinent links for the event here: http://www.angelabchrysler.com/brain-to-books-cyber-convention-2016/
Now on with the main event, our latest Brain to Books author feature. Today I have a great interview with YA fantasy author, Shari Tapscott. Enjoy...
Interview With Shari Tapscott
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.When I’m not writing or reading, I love to garden, make soap, and pretend I can sing (I can’t). In the summer, my family enjoys camping and hiking, and the settings in a lot of my books are inspired by our nearby mountains.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?
My newest release is Seirsha of Errinton, the third book in The Eldentimber Series. Each installment of the series focuses on a character we met in my first book, Pippa of Lauramore, and this time, the story is set in the kingdom of Errinton. It was a unique writing experience for me. My other books are lighthearted, but Errinton has fallen from its former glory, and it’s in a dark place. In the book, we
Of all the books you've written, do you have a favourite?
It seems whatever book I’m working on at the moment is my favorite! Looking back, I would have to say it’s probably Pippa of Lauramore. It was my first published novel, and Pippa was just so much fun to write. That, and I have such a soft spot for Archer.
You write in several genres. Do you have a favourite? And if so, why?
I’m going to compare my genres to desserts. The humorous contemporaries are like cookies—they are quick, sweet, and a fast fix for a sugar craving. Fantasies, to me, are like a really good cheesecake. They’re rich and decadent and so much more satisfying. I write contemporaries to clear my head. I write fantasies because I adore them.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was in fifth grade, I started writing stories in spiral notebooks. All of my “books” seemed to be about horses—though I’d never ridden one at that point (I blame the embarrassingly extensive collection of Saddle Clubbooks I had at that time). As the years went by, I continued to write, but I exchanged my notebooks for Microsoft Word. As an adult, I took a few writing courses focused on children’s literature. Most people thought I planned to submit a story here and there, maybe write a picture book. I never admitted to anyone how badly I wanted to write adult and young adult novels. Finally, after I finished Pippa of Lauramore, I decided to go for it. I’ve never looked back.
Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have a certain writing routine?
I’m not certain where the ideas come from, but once they’re in my head, I begin to plot them. I’m an obsessive outliner, and nothing makes me happier than taking an idea and expanding on it until I have a story. As for the actual writing process, I’m usually at my kitchen table. I don’t have any specific routines, but I do like to get ready for the day, eat breakfast, and make a fresh cup of coffee before I get started. I can write in a messy house, but for some reason, I can’t write with messy hair.
What is your greatest challenge as a writer?
I struggle with balancing my days. It seems that between writing, taking care of my kids, maintaining the house, and planning meals, something always falls behind. That something is usually eating at home. Writing is my work, but I enjoy it so much, I tend to feel guilty when I let it take over, even if it’s only for a few days.
What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?
As I mentioned earlier, I make soap. It’s a crazy process, and every time I pull on my goggles and gloves, I feel like a mad scientist. There is just something so satisfying about watching a liquid go through a natural chemical change and become something solid and bubbly. And there is nothing as luxurious as cold process soap. My family’s favorite is a citrus blend with dried lemon peel. You just can’t help but be happy when you smell like an orange.
Are you working on another book?
I actually have three projects going right now, and they’re all in different stages. I’m writing the fourth book in my Eldentimber series, editing a steampunk fantasy, and outlining the second book in the Cabin. Coffee. Love. series. I’m not sure how I ended up with this many books going at once, but it seems to be working just fine.
Shari L. Tapscott writes young adult fantasy and humorous contemporary fiction. She lives in Western Colorado with her husband, son, daughter, and two very spoiled Saint Bernards.
Website: shariltapscott.com
I'd like to thank Shari L. Tapscott for stopping by today, and be sure to check out her virtual booth at the convention this April.
February 6, 2016
#B2BCYCON Interview With Author M T McGuire
Over the next couple of months I will be doing a series of author features on this blog and on In the Spotlight (in fact you can check out the first feature interview here).
Now why am I doing this you ask?
Here’s why…
A great event for authors and readers alike is afoot in the virtual world. Coming this April, on the 8th, 9th and 10th, is the Brain to Books Cyber Convention. Being held on Goodreads, with adjunct events on Facebook and elsewhere, it works much like a real world convention only online. With “author booths”, panels, readings, and more, it will be a fabulous gathering for all book lovers. You can find all the details and pertinent links for the groups here: http://www.angelabchrysler.com/brain-to-books-cyber-convention-2016/
Just be sure to join both Goodreads groups if you are an author. One is for convention preparations and information, and the other is the convention site itself.
Now on with the main event, our first Brain to Books author feature.
Today I have a great interview with humorous sci-fi author M T McGuire, so enjoy...
Interview With M T McGuire
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
M T McGuire enjoys the real world but wouldn't want to live here full time. That's why she writes books. She grew up, or at least, got bigger, half way up a windy down in Sussex. Her home was also the first location choice for Hogwarts, in the Harry Potter films, so maybe it's not so strange that she's ended up writing spec-fic. Perhaps there's something in the water up there, apart from chalk. She used to do stand up but sat down and started to write books when she got married. She now lives in Bury St Edmunds, in Suffolk, with a McOther, a McMini and a selection of very silly cars. She hasn't found a way to make any of the cars fly, and none of them is fitted with ordnance like the ones in her books, but she and her team of evil scientists are working on that.Despite being nearly 50 now, and supposedly, an adult, M T checks all unfamiliar wardrobes for a gateway to Narnia. She hasn't found one so far but she lives in hope.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?
My latest book, Escape From B-Movie Hell, is a standalone humorous science fiction novel about a female student who discovers that a) her best friend is a space lobster and b) that the human race is about to be wiped out in a meteor strike. The story is, basically, what happens next. Thinking about it, the blurb would probably help. Here it is.
If you asked Andi Turbot whether she had anything in common with Flash Gordon she’d say no, emphatically. Saving the world is for dynamic, go-ahead, leaders of men and while it would be nice to see a woman getting involved for a change, she believes she could be the least well equipped being in her Galaxy for the job.Then her best friend, Eric, reveals that he is an extra terrestrial. He’s not just any ET either. He’s Gamalian: seven-foot, lobster-shaped and covered in marmite-scented goo. Just when Andi's getting used to that he tells her about the Apocalypse and really ruins her day.The human race will perish unless Eric’s Gamalian superiors step in. Abducted and trapped on an alien ship, Andi must convince the Gamalians her world is worth saving. Or escape from their clutches and save it herself.
Why did you decide to write in the humorous science fiction/fantasy genre?
To be honest, I don’t really have a choice. I write what comes out and what comes out 99.9% of the time, is humorous science fiction fantasy. There’s also adventure, action and some clean romance in a couple of books. If I tell you that the first book I attempted to write, when I was five, was called ‘Charles the Dragon Slayer’ that probably says it all. But I suppose it’s because I read to escape. I really don’t want to think about everyday life, I read to get away from all that so when I write I want to pimp reality to make it more interesting. Although, having said that, what I really, really like about writing humour is that you can get away with some quite hard-hitting stuff because it’s funny.
Who is your intended readership?
To quote Terry Pratchett, I write for, ‘anyone who is interested.’ I also write for me in the hope that if I like my books someone else will. So far, it’s definitely a mindset rather than an age range. My youngest fan was 9, he’s probably older now and he’d read all the Harry Potter books so he was probably pretty advanced. My oldest fan is in his 90s and there is a big mix of pretty much everyone in between. So yes, I’m speaking to people with a certain outlook rather than a particular age range. I think that may be quite usual for humour books.
Are there particular challenges in writing for your core readership?
Yes. Trying to sell books to folks with a certain state of mind, rather than a rigidly delineated set of interests, or age band, or the like, is definitely an ... interesting challenge. I’m getting better at finding them and luckily some of them have braved signing up to my mailing list. At least now I can keep them informed on progress with my new books and if they enjoy my stuff some of them may even recommend it to their friends, which is handy. Also, on the whole, once I’ve persuaded someone to read one of my books (albeit at gun point most of the time) an insanely high number of them go on to read the rest.
What did you enjoy most about writing your book?
The one thing I’ve enjoyed writing more than anything else was not in a recent book but in the K’Barthan Series, books 1 and 2 especially, and that was the flying cars – snurds. I absolutely love cars and I have always wished mine would fly – so handy in traffic. So I wrote these amazing James Bond cars which could have dogfights and chases and... yeh... that was a LOT of fun. And baddies, I like a really, really bad baddie they are an absolute gas to write.
Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have a certain writing routine?
The way it starts is usually a news story, or a factual book. I’ll read it and think, ‘that’s an interesting idea.’ The next thing I know there are characters and a scenario and a final scene. Then I just sit down and start writing about what they’re doing. It takes a little while for them to settle, usually, and for me to write myself in and then off we go. I love just seeing what happens next. Once I get to know the characters I learn what they will and won’t do, how they react to stuff, it feels more as if I’m a fly on the wall, watching them than that I’m orchestrating the whole thing. Although I know where the end point is I tend to let the characters sort out the logistics of getting there themselves. My theory is that so long as they act true to form, and they usually do, I should end up with an entertaining book. Where this technique gets tricky is when you’re writing the fourth book of a series which is really one huge 600,000 word story. Because by that time, remembering who has done what and with what and to whom can be a bona-fide brain-fry. I wrote the last two books of the K’Barthan series in one go and I confess for most of that time it felt as if my brain was practically bleeding out through my eye sockets. I binned at least 70,000 words where I’d gone off on a tangent or which just didn’t work. If you take into account that my latest offering is 85,000 words or thereabouts it puts it all into perspective! So it takes me a long time to write a book. And for that reason, alone, I’m experimenting with the idea of having several on the go at once. I don’t think it will extend the completion time by that much but it might make it easier to pop one out every 6 months or every year, rather than taking 18 months each.
Do you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?
Yes there are three main flows of inspiration on the author front, the really obvious ones are people like Adams, Pratchett a dash of Wodehouse and stylistically, Bryson. Those are the styles I aspire to and the Hitch Hikers’ Guide is the work my stuff is compared to most often (which is very flattering but also very scary). I love music, all sorts. Sometimes I’ll hear a piece and a scene will appear in my head so vividly that putting it in the book is a simple case of writing it up. I also love B-Movies and crap 1960s TV like the original Star Trek and the Men From U.N.C.L.E. and all that 60s UK stuff like the Prisoner, the Avengers, the Saint and Randal and Hopkirk (Deceased). I love films, Star Wars, obviously but also the James Bond films have a big bearing on my work. I love books like the Lord of the Rings and the Narnia series but I also draw a lot of inspiration from historical novels like The Children of The New Forest, the works of Dumas and other unexpected authors like Graham Greene, HE Bates, Neville Shute and even Dr Seuss.
How do you research your books?
McOther is a robot building engineer who has had inventions patented, in the past, and now works as a lawyer specifically to assist folks who invent stuff. These guys are mostly based around Cambridge University so they are often top of their game and as well as inventing stuff, themselves, they are massive geeks and always very switched on about what their contemporaries in other parts of the world are working on.As a result a lot of the ‘science’ in my books, it’s very soft science fiction by the way, is just concepts McOther’s clients are talking about. For example, things like charging water so it’s positive or negative, 1 or 0, and using it as the mainframe as they do on the ship in Escape From B-Movie Hell is a concept McOther brought home in a ‘hey you’ll never guess what thingwot was telling me about today...’ kind of manner. So the science starts out stacking up, in theory, anyway, but it usually doesn’t by the time I’ve had a go at it! Phnark!
Are you working on another book?
Yes. At the moment I’m thinking about the cycle of civilisation. The human race has got smart and invented loads of amazing things like technology and what happens? The ‘Christian Right’ (there’s an oxymoron if ever I heard one) and ISIL? People who threaten to throw us back into the dark ages where science is denied and it’s better for a woman stay home and starve to death than go out to buy food without a male chaperone. How come we can get so clever but still can’t grow up? It’s like we have some built in self destruct button. Then you read stories about people finding things in coal, metal bowls and the like. How do those get there? Coal is supposed to be millions of years old, so who put those in there before humans even evolved here? Had humanoid life already evolved and died out? Was Earth an outpost for folks from somewhere else and if it was where did they go? Is it that coal isn’t really that old could we have we got Carbon Dating totally and utterly wrong? Was there some inter-galactic travelling civilisation at some point? All that stuff about wars in heaven in the bible, did we have a sister planet where the asteroid belt is now, Atlantis, which was destroyed? Is civilisation a cycle of progress and destruction? Is the chronic shortage of interesting aliens in our galaxy because we’re the last life forms left after an apocalyptic inter-galactic war?
Then, up pops an idea and the current w.i.p. begins. Mwah hahahahargh! It’s provisionally entitled ‘Space Dustmen’.
I'd like to thank M T McGuire for stopping by today, and be sure to check out her virtual booth at the convention this April.
Now why am I doing this you ask?
Here’s why…
A great event for authors and readers alike is afoot in the virtual world. Coming this April, on the 8th, 9th and 10th, is the Brain to Books Cyber Convention. Being held on Goodreads, with adjunct events on Facebook and elsewhere, it works much like a real world convention only online. With “author booths”, panels, readings, and more, it will be a fabulous gathering for all book lovers. You can find all the details and pertinent links for the groups here: http://www.angelabchrysler.com/brain-to-books-cyber-convention-2016/
Just be sure to join both Goodreads groups if you are an author. One is for convention preparations and information, and the other is the convention site itself.
Now on with the main event, our first Brain to Books author feature.
Today I have a great interview with humorous sci-fi author M T McGuire, so enjoy...
Interview With M T McGuire
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
M T McGuire enjoys the real world but wouldn't want to live here full time. That's why she writes books. She grew up, or at least, got bigger, half way up a windy down in Sussex. Her home was also the first location choice for Hogwarts, in the Harry Potter films, so maybe it's not so strange that she's ended up writing spec-fic. Perhaps there's something in the water up there, apart from chalk. She used to do stand up but sat down and started to write books when she got married. She now lives in Bury St Edmunds, in Suffolk, with a McOther, a McMini and a selection of very silly cars. She hasn't found a way to make any of the cars fly, and none of them is fitted with ordnance like the ones in her books, but she and her team of evil scientists are working on that.Despite being nearly 50 now, and supposedly, an adult, M T checks all unfamiliar wardrobes for a gateway to Narnia. She hasn't found one so far but she lives in hope.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?
My latest book, Escape From B-Movie Hell, is a standalone humorous science fiction novel about a female student who discovers that a) her best friend is a space lobster and b) that the human race is about to be wiped out in a meteor strike. The story is, basically, what happens next. Thinking about it, the blurb would probably help. Here it is.
If you asked Andi Turbot whether she had anything in common with Flash Gordon she’d say no, emphatically. Saving the world is for dynamic, go-ahead, leaders of men and while it would be nice to see a woman getting involved for a change, she believes she could be the least well equipped being in her Galaxy for the job.Then her best friend, Eric, reveals that he is an extra terrestrial. He’s not just any ET either. He’s Gamalian: seven-foot, lobster-shaped and covered in marmite-scented goo. Just when Andi's getting used to that he tells her about the Apocalypse and really ruins her day.The human race will perish unless Eric’s Gamalian superiors step in. Abducted and trapped on an alien ship, Andi must convince the Gamalians her world is worth saving. Or escape from their clutches and save it herself.
Why did you decide to write in the humorous science fiction/fantasy genre?
To be honest, I don’t really have a choice. I write what comes out and what comes out 99.9% of the time, is humorous science fiction fantasy. There’s also adventure, action and some clean romance in a couple of books. If I tell you that the first book I attempted to write, when I was five, was called ‘Charles the Dragon Slayer’ that probably says it all. But I suppose it’s because I read to escape. I really don’t want to think about everyday life, I read to get away from all that so when I write I want to pimp reality to make it more interesting. Although, having said that, what I really, really like about writing humour is that you can get away with some quite hard-hitting stuff because it’s funny.
Who is your intended readership?
To quote Terry Pratchett, I write for, ‘anyone who is interested.’ I also write for me in the hope that if I like my books someone else will. So far, it’s definitely a mindset rather than an age range. My youngest fan was 9, he’s probably older now and he’d read all the Harry Potter books so he was probably pretty advanced. My oldest fan is in his 90s and there is a big mix of pretty much everyone in between. So yes, I’m speaking to people with a certain outlook rather than a particular age range. I think that may be quite usual for humour books.
Are there particular challenges in writing for your core readership?
Yes. Trying to sell books to folks with a certain state of mind, rather than a rigidly delineated set of interests, or age band, or the like, is definitely an ... interesting challenge. I’m getting better at finding them and luckily some of them have braved signing up to my mailing list. At least now I can keep them informed on progress with my new books and if they enjoy my stuff some of them may even recommend it to their friends, which is handy. Also, on the whole, once I’ve persuaded someone to read one of my books (albeit at gun point most of the time) an insanely high number of them go on to read the rest.
What did you enjoy most about writing your book?
The one thing I’ve enjoyed writing more than anything else was not in a recent book but in the K’Barthan Series, books 1 and 2 especially, and that was the flying cars – snurds. I absolutely love cars and I have always wished mine would fly – so handy in traffic. So I wrote these amazing James Bond cars which could have dogfights and chases and... yeh... that was a LOT of fun. And baddies, I like a really, really bad baddie they are an absolute gas to write.
Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have a certain writing routine?
The way it starts is usually a news story, or a factual book. I’ll read it and think, ‘that’s an interesting idea.’ The next thing I know there are characters and a scenario and a final scene. Then I just sit down and start writing about what they’re doing. It takes a little while for them to settle, usually, and for me to write myself in and then off we go. I love just seeing what happens next. Once I get to know the characters I learn what they will and won’t do, how they react to stuff, it feels more as if I’m a fly on the wall, watching them than that I’m orchestrating the whole thing. Although I know where the end point is I tend to let the characters sort out the logistics of getting there themselves. My theory is that so long as they act true to form, and they usually do, I should end up with an entertaining book. Where this technique gets tricky is when you’re writing the fourth book of a series which is really one huge 600,000 word story. Because by that time, remembering who has done what and with what and to whom can be a bona-fide brain-fry. I wrote the last two books of the K’Barthan series in one go and I confess for most of that time it felt as if my brain was practically bleeding out through my eye sockets. I binned at least 70,000 words where I’d gone off on a tangent or which just didn’t work. If you take into account that my latest offering is 85,000 words or thereabouts it puts it all into perspective! So it takes me a long time to write a book. And for that reason, alone, I’m experimenting with the idea of having several on the go at once. I don’t think it will extend the completion time by that much but it might make it easier to pop one out every 6 months or every year, rather than taking 18 months each.
Do you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?
Yes there are three main flows of inspiration on the author front, the really obvious ones are people like Adams, Pratchett a dash of Wodehouse and stylistically, Bryson. Those are the styles I aspire to and the Hitch Hikers’ Guide is the work my stuff is compared to most often (which is very flattering but also very scary). I love music, all sorts. Sometimes I’ll hear a piece and a scene will appear in my head so vividly that putting it in the book is a simple case of writing it up. I also love B-Movies and crap 1960s TV like the original Star Trek and the Men From U.N.C.L.E. and all that 60s UK stuff like the Prisoner, the Avengers, the Saint and Randal and Hopkirk (Deceased). I love films, Star Wars, obviously but also the James Bond films have a big bearing on my work. I love books like the Lord of the Rings and the Narnia series but I also draw a lot of inspiration from historical novels like The Children of The New Forest, the works of Dumas and other unexpected authors like Graham Greene, HE Bates, Neville Shute and even Dr Seuss.
How do you research your books?
McOther is a robot building engineer who has had inventions patented, in the past, and now works as a lawyer specifically to assist folks who invent stuff. These guys are mostly based around Cambridge University so they are often top of their game and as well as inventing stuff, themselves, they are massive geeks and always very switched on about what their contemporaries in other parts of the world are working on.As a result a lot of the ‘science’ in my books, it’s very soft science fiction by the way, is just concepts McOther’s clients are talking about. For example, things like charging water so it’s positive or negative, 1 or 0, and using it as the mainframe as they do on the ship in Escape From B-Movie Hell is a concept McOther brought home in a ‘hey you’ll never guess what thingwot was telling me about today...’ kind of manner. So the science starts out stacking up, in theory, anyway, but it usually doesn’t by the time I’ve had a go at it! Phnark!
Are you working on another book?
Yes. At the moment I’m thinking about the cycle of civilisation. The human race has got smart and invented loads of amazing things like technology and what happens? The ‘Christian Right’ (there’s an oxymoron if ever I heard one) and ISIL? People who threaten to throw us back into the dark ages where science is denied and it’s better for a woman stay home and starve to death than go out to buy food without a male chaperone. How come we can get so clever but still can’t grow up? It’s like we have some built in self destruct button. Then you read stories about people finding things in coal, metal bowls and the like. How do those get there? Coal is supposed to be millions of years old, so who put those in there before humans even evolved here? Had humanoid life already evolved and died out? Was Earth an outpost for folks from somewhere else and if it was where did they go? Is it that coal isn’t really that old could we have we got Carbon Dating totally and utterly wrong? Was there some inter-galactic travelling civilisation at some point? All that stuff about wars in heaven in the bible, did we have a sister planet where the asteroid belt is now, Atlantis, which was destroyed? Is civilisation a cycle of progress and destruction? Is the chronic shortage of interesting aliens in our galaxy because we’re the last life forms left after an apocalyptic inter-galactic war?
Then, up pops an idea and the current w.i.p. begins. Mwah hahahahargh! It’s provisionally entitled ‘Space Dustmen’.
I'd like to thank M T McGuire for stopping by today, and be sure to check out her virtual booth at the convention this April.
February 5, 2016
Book Spotlight: Beauty of The Beast
Today I bring you a book spotlight on the vampire horror novel, Beauty of The Beast, by acclaimed author Sanja Petriska, writing under the pen name Viktoria Faust. Enjoy...
Beauty of The Beast by Viktoria Faust
Viktoria, a young and not particularly talented painter, comes across war vampires in the middle of war torn Croatia in 1992. She becomes obsessed with them, but socializing with vampires is dangerous. One of them attacks her and infects her with what she believes is AIDS. To save herself she leaves with Damian, the oldest of the vampires, on an adventure that will prolong her life forever … or end it.
Beauty of The Beast is available at:
Amazon
Goodreads
Book Trailer:
Author Bio:
Viktoria Faust is pen name for Croatian horror/SF/children's fantasy writer Sanja Petriska. Award winning author of 30 something books. Beauty of The Beast is her first novel published in English.
Beauty of The Beast by Viktoria Faust
Viktoria, a young and not particularly talented painter, comes across war vampires in the middle of war torn Croatia in 1992. She becomes obsessed with them, but socializing with vampires is dangerous. One of them attacks her and infects her with what she believes is AIDS. To save herself she leaves with Damian, the oldest of the vampires, on an adventure that will prolong her life forever … or end it.
Beauty of The Beast is available at:
Amazon
Goodreads
Book Trailer:
Author Bio:
Viktoria Faust is pen name for Croatian horror/SF/children's fantasy writer Sanja Petriska. Award winning author of 30 something books. Beauty of The Beast is her first novel published in English.
February 4, 2016
Book Spotlight - Kingdom City: Revolt
Today we welcome a little dystopia, and join the blog tour for the sci-fi novel Kingdom City: Revolt by author Ben Ireland. It is the sequel to Kingdom City: Resurrection, and continues the riveting story. I have a peek at the book, an interview with Ben Ireland, and a fantastic Rafflecopter giveaway.
So may I present...
Kingdom City: Revolt by Ben Ireland
Paul Stevens has survived a terrorist attack, medical experimentation, and an attempt by the government to “neutralize” their rogue subjects. However, his escape cost him his wife, and now he battles to overthrow Brian Shuman, the dictator responsible for her death. With the kidnapping of his daughter and the disappearance of his son, he must choose between saving what may remain of his family or the fledgling rebellion on the verge of collapse.
Available at:AmazonXchyler Publishing
Interview with Author Ben Ireland
How did you come up with the concept of your story?
Before I wrote books, I thought to myself “I want to write something, but it needs to be cool.” I decided that epic items, like swords, are cool. And then those epic items being needed for something completely unexpected. It was around the swords Fury and Serenity that the entire Kingdom City universe grew. Admittedly, it’s a much more manual thought process than i’ve had with most of my other story ideas; they usually just come to me. But I don’t think that Kingdom City is any less rich or exciting for that.
How did you come up with the title?
My little brother LOVES Dungeons & Dragons. Years before I called myself a writer, he was drawing a map for a campaign he was planning and I walked up behind him. He couldn’t think of a name for the capital city of the kingdom, so he called it Kingdom City. I thought that had an amazing ring to it so I stored it away for later use. Once you read the books, you’ll understand why they are subtitled Resurrection, and Revolt.
Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.
Revolt is not just about the physical fight against what the Representative is trying to do to the population of Kingdom City, it’s also about the internal revolt of the characters against their internal natures. Paul is torn between leading the revolt and forsaking everything to save his family. There are also several characters that are dealing with internal conflicts that aren’t apparent at first. Through a careful reading, I think you’ll be able to figure out who is hiding something.
What was the most surprising part of writing this book?
I was most surprised by how dark it was. I was always fascinated by things that were a little dark and gritty, so I set out to create something edgy. Once I was done and I reread the book, I was taken aback by how dark it had actually become. Reading the first chapter again after not seeing it for several months made me think ‘oh gee, I wrote that?’ I think darkness in art is important to help us see the light and good in life. Though I believe some authors take that too far. RR Martin is a prime example. I feel that artists that write darkness simply because it’s “realistic” miss the point of art.
What was the hardest part of writing your book, and how did you overcome it?
Finding time! I love writing and I love telling stories. I haven’t experienced writer's block, so to speak. My mind it brimming with stories and ideas and the fountain hasn’t run down, let alone run out. As a worker and a father I did the only thing I could do to find time. Sleep less. Some weeks I was going on three and a half hours a night when I had to.
What activities best give your brain a break? How do you unwind?
Anime and X-files. Though i’m all caught on on X-Files.
What's up next for you?
Kingdom City part 3. Working title is Retribution. The original working title was Redemption, but that sounded way too optimistic for Kingdom City.
And now for some important geeky insight from the author:
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star TrekHunger Games or Divergent? Hunger GamesJames Bond or Jack Ryan? Who is Jack Ryan? (Googles it...) I still don’t know who he is.Sherlock: Robert Downey, Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch? Downey.Spock: Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto? They’re both so good in different ways. Not a fair question.X-Men or Avengers? I would have said X men up until the recent Avengers movies. Aliens or Predators? Aliens. I mean, there is no escaping them. I don’t care how many wrist mounted bombs you have.Minions or Penguins? I’m insulted by this question.Batman or Superman? I’ll get back to you after I see the movie. Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean? Is it even a comparison? Harry Potter.Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles. Peter Jackson or James Cameron? James. Peter lost my respect with the Hobbit movies. Seriously, though, how could we not see that coming after he made King Kong?Steven Spielberg or George Lucas? Steven. George lost my respect with episodes 1-3.Go watch the Red Letter Media review on Star Wars 1 -3 and get back to me.Vampires or Werewolves? To fight with, against, or to kiss passionately?LARP or MORPG? MMORPG.
KINGDOM CITY: REVOLT by Ben Ireland hits the interweb January 30, 2016!
Follow our blog tour and Rafflecopter giveaway for the chance to win great prizes!
Visit each blog each day for more ways to enter. KINGDOM CITY: REVOLT is Book 2 of the near-future dystopian series by Ben Ireland, with strong science fiction and urban fantasy elements.
January 30 through February 6, 2016
Find Ben Ireland on the web: AMAZON | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTERSaturday, 01-30Where the Words Take YouSunday, 01-31Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering MindMonday, 02-01Ben Ireland BooksTuesday, 02-02JD Spero, Author
Wednesday, 02-03Slithers of ThoughtCreativity from Chaos
Thursday, 02-04Are You Afraid of the DarkSemi Short Chic
Friday, 02-05Songs of MannOmega W
Saturday, 02-06The Cult of MeBook Reviews & Giveaways
Don't forget to enter our KINGDOM CITY: REVOLT blog tour Rafflecopter give-away below, on the blogs above, on our Facebook page, or on Rafflecopter, with daily chances to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
So may I present...
Kingdom City: Revolt by Ben Ireland
Paul Stevens has survived a terrorist attack, medical experimentation, and an attempt by the government to “neutralize” their rogue subjects. However, his escape cost him his wife, and now he battles to overthrow Brian Shuman, the dictator responsible for her death. With the kidnapping of his daughter and the disappearance of his son, he must choose between saving what may remain of his family or the fledgling rebellion on the verge of collapse.
Available at:AmazonXchyler Publishing
Interview with Author Ben Ireland
How did you come up with the concept of your story?Before I wrote books, I thought to myself “I want to write something, but it needs to be cool.” I decided that epic items, like swords, are cool. And then those epic items being needed for something completely unexpected. It was around the swords Fury and Serenity that the entire Kingdom City universe grew. Admittedly, it’s a much more manual thought process than i’ve had with most of my other story ideas; they usually just come to me. But I don’t think that Kingdom City is any less rich or exciting for that.
How did you come up with the title?
My little brother LOVES Dungeons & Dragons. Years before I called myself a writer, he was drawing a map for a campaign he was planning and I walked up behind him. He couldn’t think of a name for the capital city of the kingdom, so he called it Kingdom City. I thought that had an amazing ring to it so I stored it away for later use. Once you read the books, you’ll understand why they are subtitled Resurrection, and Revolt.
Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.
Revolt is not just about the physical fight against what the Representative is trying to do to the population of Kingdom City, it’s also about the internal revolt of the characters against their internal natures. Paul is torn between leading the revolt and forsaking everything to save his family. There are also several characters that are dealing with internal conflicts that aren’t apparent at first. Through a careful reading, I think you’ll be able to figure out who is hiding something.
What was the most surprising part of writing this book?
I was most surprised by how dark it was. I was always fascinated by things that were a little dark and gritty, so I set out to create something edgy. Once I was done and I reread the book, I was taken aback by how dark it had actually become. Reading the first chapter again after not seeing it for several months made me think ‘oh gee, I wrote that?’ I think darkness in art is important to help us see the light and good in life. Though I believe some authors take that too far. RR Martin is a prime example. I feel that artists that write darkness simply because it’s “realistic” miss the point of art.
What was the hardest part of writing your book, and how did you overcome it?
Finding time! I love writing and I love telling stories. I haven’t experienced writer's block, so to speak. My mind it brimming with stories and ideas and the fountain hasn’t run down, let alone run out. As a worker and a father I did the only thing I could do to find time. Sleep less. Some weeks I was going on three and a half hours a night when I had to.
What activities best give your brain a break? How do you unwind?
Anime and X-files. Though i’m all caught on on X-Files.
What's up next for you?
Kingdom City part 3. Working title is Retribution. The original working title was Redemption, but that sounded way too optimistic for Kingdom City.
And now for some important geeky insight from the author:
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star TrekHunger Games or Divergent? Hunger GamesJames Bond or Jack Ryan? Who is Jack Ryan? (Googles it...) I still don’t know who he is.Sherlock: Robert Downey, Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch? Downey.Spock: Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto? They’re both so good in different ways. Not a fair question.X-Men or Avengers? I would have said X men up until the recent Avengers movies. Aliens or Predators? Aliens. I mean, there is no escaping them. I don’t care how many wrist mounted bombs you have.Minions or Penguins? I’m insulted by this question.Batman or Superman? I’ll get back to you after I see the movie. Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean? Is it even a comparison? Harry Potter.Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles. Peter Jackson or James Cameron? James. Peter lost my respect with the Hobbit movies. Seriously, though, how could we not see that coming after he made King Kong?Steven Spielberg or George Lucas? Steven. George lost my respect with episodes 1-3.Go watch the Red Letter Media review on Star Wars 1 -3 and get back to me.Vampires or Werewolves? To fight with, against, or to kiss passionately?LARP or MORPG? MMORPG.
KINGDOM CITY: REVOLT by Ben Ireland hits the interweb January 30, 2016!
Follow our blog tour and Rafflecopter giveaway for the chance to win great prizes!
Visit each blog each day for more ways to enter. KINGDOM CITY: REVOLT is Book 2 of the near-future dystopian series by Ben Ireland, with strong science fiction and urban fantasy elements.
January 30 through February 6, 2016
Find Ben Ireland on the web: AMAZON | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTERSaturday, 01-30Where the Words Take YouSunday, 01-31Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering MindMonday, 02-01Ben Ireland BooksTuesday, 02-02JD Spero, Author
Wednesday, 02-03Slithers of ThoughtCreativity from Chaos
Thursday, 02-04Are You Afraid of the DarkSemi Short Chic
Friday, 02-05Songs of MannOmega W
Saturday, 02-06The Cult of MeBook Reviews & Giveaways
Don't forget to enter our KINGDOM CITY: REVOLT blog tour Rafflecopter give-away below, on the blogs above, on our Facebook page, or on Rafflecopter, with daily chances to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 3, 2016
Drabble Wednesday: Innocence Lost
Today’s Drabble Wednesday belongs to the fragility of innocence, its trials and its tragedy…
Homecoming
She stood in the shadow of a dying tree.The same tree she used to climb, the tree she raced around with her friends, where she picked ripe fruit not that many years past. She looked up and sighed.No, not that many years, but it feels as if the world has spun a hundred lifetimes since. I have the memories, but my joy cracked and scattered across time. Leaving me hollow.Then she stared at her village, anger rising. “You abandoned me. Sacrificed me. But I survived.”She moved forward, smiling, returning home.And blight and death followed her.
~*~
Wisdom
Venerable.That is what they call me. At least to my face. I hear whispers of other names: doddering, feeble, senile, worn-out clod. They see only age and assume I’m hard of hearing. More the fool them, I think.I stare sometimes at their young faces, so eager, so arrogant, all hoping to be the next Empire Mage. Half will leave after second level training and end conjuring spells for a village. Some will make it to the higher levels, to serve in a noble house.Only a few will rise to face me, to try and take my place.
~*~
Alone
The forest is so dark, and I don’t know the way back. I fled my home because some bad men came. They attacked us, but I ran and ran, right into this forest. That’s how I got lost. I was scared and I ran.Now I just want Mama.She told me to run. Maybe I should’ve stayed. Maybe I should’ve helped her and Papa fight the bad men. I don’t know what happened to them. I’m cold and hungry. I want to see Mama and Papa.Why did the bad men come?Why do the humans hate dragons so?
© A. F. Stewart 2016 All Rights Reserved
Homecoming
She stood in the shadow of a dying tree.The same tree she used to climb, the tree she raced around with her friends, where she picked ripe fruit not that many years past. She looked up and sighed.No, not that many years, but it feels as if the world has spun a hundred lifetimes since. I have the memories, but my joy cracked and scattered across time. Leaving me hollow.Then she stared at her village, anger rising. “You abandoned me. Sacrificed me. But I survived.”She moved forward, smiling, returning home.And blight and death followed her.
~*~
Wisdom
Venerable.That is what they call me. At least to my face. I hear whispers of other names: doddering, feeble, senile, worn-out clod. They see only age and assume I’m hard of hearing. More the fool them, I think.I stare sometimes at their young faces, so eager, so arrogant, all hoping to be the next Empire Mage. Half will leave after second level training and end conjuring spells for a village. Some will make it to the higher levels, to serve in a noble house.Only a few will rise to face me, to try and take my place.
~*~
Alone
The forest is so dark, and I don’t know the way back. I fled my home because some bad men came. They attacked us, but I ran and ran, right into this forest. That’s how I got lost. I was scared and I ran.Now I just want Mama.She told me to run. Maybe I should’ve stayed. Maybe I should’ve helped her and Papa fight the bad men. I don’t know what happened to them. I’m cold and hungry. I want to see Mama and Papa.Why did the bad men come?Why do the humans hate dragons so?
© A. F. Stewart 2016 All Rights Reserved
February 2, 2016
Book Spotlight: Tales of a Receding Hairline
Today I have a poetry spotlight for the prolific songwriter and poet K.W. Peery and his new book, Tales of a Receding Hairline. Plus, I have a little excerpt from the book. Enjoy...
Tales of a Receding Hairline by K.W. Peery
Tales of a Receding Hairline is a collection of poetry. In the book, K.W. Peery writes about his personal life experiences. As he grapples with morality and mortality, the unvarnished truth is breathtakingly obvious. His unapologetic vulnerability is neatly embedded within each work. He has an innate ability to dig up his past and offer it to the reader as if they were sitting across the table having a conversation with him.
You can find Tales of a Receding Hairline at:
Amazon(Kindle available February 5th, 2016)
Or check out more at GenZPublishing.org
Poetry excerpt from Tales of a Receding Hairline:
DAYBREAK
Before the gold of daybreakWhere sunlight warms your faceYou feel a hint of sorrowFrom the sins you can't eraseA long walk through the timberFor a soul that can't let goBefore the gold of daybreakCarryin’ secrets ya never show
Before the gold of daybreakOnly truth left in your glassStaring down both barrelsPraying the buzz will lastTrouble somehow finds youAs the depth of darkness leavesBefore the gold of daybreakThe only witnesses are the trees
Before the gold of daybreakWhen your eyes are playing gamesYa swear you see her silhouetteBeyond the lighters flameYou hear a horned owl beckonTo the liar in your heartBefore the gold of daybreakWhen your nerves just fall apart
Before the gold of daybreakWhen hope bleeds in the airYou strangle your inner voiceAfter tying him to his chairTroubled, torn and tragicA victim of self-defeatBefore the gold of daybreakLong after your guilt’s asleep
Author Bio:
K.W. Peery is a prolific Americana songwriter and poet. He is most well known as a founding member of the Marshall/Peery Project. This collaboration produced four critically acclaimed studio album from 2005 to present. The Marshall/Peery Project frequently appear on the Roots Music Report and Americana Charts. Peery is also credited as a lyricist and producer for more than a dozen studio albums over the past decade.
Tales of a Receding Hairline by K.W. Peery
Tales of a Receding Hairline is a collection of poetry. In the book, K.W. Peery writes about his personal life experiences. As he grapples with morality and mortality, the unvarnished truth is breathtakingly obvious. His unapologetic vulnerability is neatly embedded within each work. He has an innate ability to dig up his past and offer it to the reader as if they were sitting across the table having a conversation with him.
You can find Tales of a Receding Hairline at:
Amazon(Kindle available February 5th, 2016)
Or check out more at GenZPublishing.org
Poetry excerpt from Tales of a Receding Hairline:
DAYBREAK
Before the gold of daybreakWhere sunlight warms your faceYou feel a hint of sorrowFrom the sins you can't eraseA long walk through the timberFor a soul that can't let goBefore the gold of daybreakCarryin’ secrets ya never show
Before the gold of daybreakOnly truth left in your glassStaring down both barrelsPraying the buzz will lastTrouble somehow finds youAs the depth of darkness leavesBefore the gold of daybreakThe only witnesses are the trees
Before the gold of daybreakWhen your eyes are playing gamesYa swear you see her silhouetteBeyond the lighters flameYou hear a horned owl beckonTo the liar in your heartBefore the gold of daybreakWhen your nerves just fall apart
Before the gold of daybreakWhen hope bleeds in the airYou strangle your inner voiceAfter tying him to his chairTroubled, torn and tragicA victim of self-defeatBefore the gold of daybreakLong after your guilt’s asleep
Author Bio:
K.W. Peery is a prolific Americana songwriter and poet. He is most well known as a founding member of the Marshall/Peery Project. This collaboration produced four critically acclaimed studio album from 2005 to present. The Marshall/Peery Project frequently appear on the Roots Music Report and Americana Charts. Peery is also credited as a lyricist and producer for more than a dozen studio albums over the past decade.
January 27, 2016
Drabble Wednesday: Buried
Today upon this Drabble Wednesday we come not to mourn, but to unearth those things that should stay buried…
Dead and Buried
The hour grew late, and the church bells chimed their dirge. I watched the funeral procession slowly climb the hill to the graveyard, the closing rays of sunlight dancing with lengthening shadows. The mourners were few: the pallbearers hoisting the shiny mahogany casket, the dry-eyed widow, and a few backstabbing family members. A pitiful parade, but one to be expected given the decreased.You see, I was a most horrible person in life, cruel, ruthless, vindictive. I took great pleasure in tormenting any hapless creature that crossed my path.That shall not change. In death, I will truly haunt them.
~*~
Nevermore
One black feather.It floated with the puff of winter air, a capricious thing, and settled tenderly upon the cold ground.A raven’s feather.Shed from the wing of a soaring bird, fled from war and towards a far distant shore. In its wake came a fading echo; the keening cries of the dying and the lasting silence of the dead. It preceded the howling tempest…
Soon, the sun peered from behind the clouds; the storm had passed. In its aftermath the land remained, blanketed with snow, the shroud to cover the decaying bones and the crumbling ruins of kingdoms.
~*~
Waiting
Dust, earth, smoke and bone.Interred deep, below the soil, overgrown.I still breathe, this timeworn air, here in my box, thin of flesh and coil of hair. They called me mad, called me witch. Bound me up, left me to twitch. It didn’t work, no, not one tiny bit. For I’m still here, though worse for wear, I’ll admit.I’ve been patient, I’ve been calm. I believe I’ve shown some aplomb. Yes, through the ages, I’ve lain so silent. Nary one peep, nothing violent.But my time is coming, I can feel. Soon from my grave, I will steal.
© A. F. Stewart 2016 All Rights Reserved
Dead and Buried
The hour grew late, and the church bells chimed their dirge. I watched the funeral procession slowly climb the hill to the graveyard, the closing rays of sunlight dancing with lengthening shadows. The mourners were few: the pallbearers hoisting the shiny mahogany casket, the dry-eyed widow, and a few backstabbing family members. A pitiful parade, but one to be expected given the decreased.You see, I was a most horrible person in life, cruel, ruthless, vindictive. I took great pleasure in tormenting any hapless creature that crossed my path.That shall not change. In death, I will truly haunt them.
~*~
Nevermore
One black feather.It floated with the puff of winter air, a capricious thing, and settled tenderly upon the cold ground.A raven’s feather.Shed from the wing of a soaring bird, fled from war and towards a far distant shore. In its wake came a fading echo; the keening cries of the dying and the lasting silence of the dead. It preceded the howling tempest…
Soon, the sun peered from behind the clouds; the storm had passed. In its aftermath the land remained, blanketed with snow, the shroud to cover the decaying bones and the crumbling ruins of kingdoms.
~*~
Waiting
Dust, earth, smoke and bone.Interred deep, below the soil, overgrown.I still breathe, this timeworn air, here in my box, thin of flesh and coil of hair. They called me mad, called me witch. Bound me up, left me to twitch. It didn’t work, no, not one tiny bit. For I’m still here, though worse for wear, I’ll admit.I’ve been patient, I’ve been calm. I believe I’ve shown some aplomb. Yes, through the ages, I’ve lain so silent. Nary one peep, nothing violent.But my time is coming, I can feel. Soon from my grave, I will steal.
© A. F. Stewart 2016 All Rights Reserved
January 20, 2016
Drabble Wednesday: Changelings
Today on Drabble Wednesday come read of oddities, things out of place, and not quite right…
The Tree of Life
The emerald leaves of the deciduous tree fluttered in the breeze wafting off the lake. It appeared fresh and vibrant as the first day of spring, though all around bare branched fauna shed their leaves, shadowing the ground in a red and orange shroud.A strange site to behold indeed, yet the tree existed, lush and green throughout winter and spring and all seasons in-between. Perpetual mist caressed it bark, fed from the lake or perhaps something more unearthly. And its branches were ripe with crimson fruit, sweet and waiting to be eaten.The perfect temptation for all unwary fools.
~*~
Emissary
The tiny creature in the crib breathed the sweetest rhythm, a soft inhale to exhale. Its chest rose and fell in time with its heart, life expelled and renewed. Pale rose pinked its cheeks, lending a cherub look, enhanced by a perfection nose and chin. Velvet fuzz of chestnut hue and curls adorned its small head.The loving family doted on the new addition, marvelling at its disposition, for it rarely cried or fussed. They showed it off proudly and all visitors cooed, declaring it the loveliest baby ever.And it was, save for one small thing.It wasn’t human.
~*~
Pages
Voices leaked from between the bindings, and the smell of ancient ink and old leather. Garbled whispers wafted from the paper and hide, and sometimes screams. Its gilt—along the spine and leaf edge—glowed in unearthly tones, shifting with the tide of the air. The manuscript stood an enigma, a macabre mystery upon the dusty shelves of the library archives. It nestled in a nook, flanked by unused tomes and folios, avoided by all.Yes, no one ever touched the book.For the last sorry soul to lay hands on it died a madman, babbling of demons and devils.
© A. F. Stewart 2016 All Rights Reserved
The Tree of Life
The emerald leaves of the deciduous tree fluttered in the breeze wafting off the lake. It appeared fresh and vibrant as the first day of spring, though all around bare branched fauna shed their leaves, shadowing the ground in a red and orange shroud.A strange site to behold indeed, yet the tree existed, lush and green throughout winter and spring and all seasons in-between. Perpetual mist caressed it bark, fed from the lake or perhaps something more unearthly. And its branches were ripe with crimson fruit, sweet and waiting to be eaten.The perfect temptation for all unwary fools.
~*~
Emissary
The tiny creature in the crib breathed the sweetest rhythm, a soft inhale to exhale. Its chest rose and fell in time with its heart, life expelled and renewed. Pale rose pinked its cheeks, lending a cherub look, enhanced by a perfection nose and chin. Velvet fuzz of chestnut hue and curls adorned its small head.The loving family doted on the new addition, marvelling at its disposition, for it rarely cried or fussed. They showed it off proudly and all visitors cooed, declaring it the loveliest baby ever.And it was, save for one small thing.It wasn’t human.
~*~
Pages
Voices leaked from between the bindings, and the smell of ancient ink and old leather. Garbled whispers wafted from the paper and hide, and sometimes screams. Its gilt—along the spine and leaf edge—glowed in unearthly tones, shifting with the tide of the air. The manuscript stood an enigma, a macabre mystery upon the dusty shelves of the library archives. It nestled in a nook, flanked by unused tomes and folios, avoided by all.Yes, no one ever touched the book.For the last sorry soul to lay hands on it died a madman, babbling of demons and devils.
© A. F. Stewart 2016 All Rights Reserved
January 13, 2016
Drabble Wednesday: Contemplation
Today’s Drabble Wednesday gets a little Zen…
Sailing
I stand on creaking, swaying planks of wood fashioned into a worthy vessel, gazing beyond the edge of the world. Across the liquid horizon, upon the tranquil, yet undulating, surface of the sea. So peaceful, so calm, reflecting the sweet blue sky, whilst harbouring its own hint of emerald green.On days like this it is my mistress, my true love. We are one.Even so, I give all respect to the coiling fury beneath, with its bones of lovers past. Turn your back, become complacent, and the ferocity will strike.Still, I’d not give it up, not for anything.
~*~
The Mountain
Standing solid within the scope of time, a stalwart backbone of primeval earth, this mountain stretched to converse with the sky. It cast its shadow over the village, and generations of people took comfort in its presence. In turn it had played god, protector, inspiration, and obstacle.In the winter it isolated, snows often blocking the pass and road that led to the next kingdom. In summer it provided, the slopes giving fertility to fields and harvests, its trees yielding fruit, nuts, or wood stockpiled for the cold weather.Standing strong despite time’s passage, the mountain would outlast them all.
~*~
Starlight
StarsDots on the black canvas, illuminated frippery, adorning the universe. We stare—in awe, seeking knowledge, simply to idle away the hours. They are an eternal muse, imprinted, indelibly part of humanity’s eons.What are they, truly?A touch of things unknown, alien light reflected from another existent past, a farewell and hello from faraway places. They are a call to frontiers beyond, and memories we’ll never know, time travel held in celestial particles.They are the beacons in the darkest night, whispering we are part of a universal something.Where would our wishes go, but to the stars?
© A. F. Stewart 2016 All Rights Reserved
Sailing
I stand on creaking, swaying planks of wood fashioned into a worthy vessel, gazing beyond the edge of the world. Across the liquid horizon, upon the tranquil, yet undulating, surface of the sea. So peaceful, so calm, reflecting the sweet blue sky, whilst harbouring its own hint of emerald green.On days like this it is my mistress, my true love. We are one.Even so, I give all respect to the coiling fury beneath, with its bones of lovers past. Turn your back, become complacent, and the ferocity will strike.Still, I’d not give it up, not for anything.
~*~
The Mountain
Standing solid within the scope of time, a stalwart backbone of primeval earth, this mountain stretched to converse with the sky. It cast its shadow over the village, and generations of people took comfort in its presence. In turn it had played god, protector, inspiration, and obstacle.In the winter it isolated, snows often blocking the pass and road that led to the next kingdom. In summer it provided, the slopes giving fertility to fields and harvests, its trees yielding fruit, nuts, or wood stockpiled for the cold weather.Standing strong despite time’s passage, the mountain would outlast them all.
~*~
Starlight
StarsDots on the black canvas, illuminated frippery, adorning the universe. We stare—in awe, seeking knowledge, simply to idle away the hours. They are an eternal muse, imprinted, indelibly part of humanity’s eons.What are they, truly?A touch of things unknown, alien light reflected from another existent past, a farewell and hello from faraway places. They are a call to frontiers beyond, and memories we’ll never know, time travel held in celestial particles.They are the beacons in the darkest night, whispering we are part of a universal something.Where would our wishes go, but to the stars?
© A. F. Stewart 2016 All Rights Reserved
January 12, 2016
The Bookminder Blog Tour
For those of you following along, you will remember the cover reveal for The Bookminder, and the inclusion of a sneak peek of the novel in my holiday book list. Well, it's been lauched and is (along with its author) on tour to celebrate the release. I have a look at the book and a short interview with the author M. K. Wiseman, plus a Rafflecopter Giveaway.
So without further adieu, may I present...
Some links where you can find The Bookminder
Amazon Xchyler Publishing Barnes and Noble Goodreads
The Book Trailer
An Interview with M. K. Wiseman
How did you come up with the concept of your story?
In 2004 I had a very vivid dream that, afterward, wouldn't leave me alone. Said dream basically detailed out one scene from the story, something so different and captivating for me that it stuck. Now, it must be noted that I was not writing at that time, nor did I intend to write in any professional capacity. But as this one nugget of an idea would not let me be, I started to form a story around it – Why were these people doing what they were doing? Who were they? I think that working in the Preservation Dept of the campus library system had bled into my subconscious and that is where the magick system that rules The Bookminder developed.
How did you come up with the title?
Haha, well, I had to actually do a bit of research to check my brain on this as, over time, there have been several incarnations, besides the working title of Wizard's Librarian. As a (former(?)) librarian, I was really hoping to keep the working title, as homage to my career and the work that had sparked the initial idea. But then we wanted to go with something simpler, brighter, and more “fantasy”.The 'research' I allude to above? I just unearthed a Facebook exchange between a librarian friend and I from last March. In it she says she quite likes the new title and then asks “Who came up with that?” My answer? “Honestly I don't remember . . . might have been my editor. We just started throwing things together.” Words that felt book-binder-y but not quite so literal. Things like “Spellbinder / Spellbound” seemed a bit too on the nose.
Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.
The locations in Bookminder are real. Parentino truly did fall to ruins, while its twin fortification flourished. And while the town known as Dvigrad in the story did have another name, Moncastello, in keeping with the attitude of the characters in the story, I dropped the name from their fortification and merely called it Dvigrad. Call it a decision of character politics, if you will.The tales of what actually happened to Dvigrad are a little muddled but history has the town mixed up in the middle of the Venice and Austrian conflict of the sixteenth century. And the town truly was abandoned due to plague—though history has that date at 1630 and Bookminder has it coming some 50-odd years later.
Who is your favorite author? Who has most influenced your work?
Two questions. Two answers:Fav author? Have to go with Douglas Adams. His humor is superb. And while my brain tends to go a little sideways when reading his stories, that's part of my enjoyment of his very unique work. I appreciate that there really is no other author with his touch. As for who has most influenced my work: Brian Jacques. While this may not seem the most obvious choice, hear me out. His Mariel of Redwall is the very first book that I remember being completely in love with. I read, of course, before that. Quite a bit. But this one book seemed to change reading for me. It became more than merely enjoyable. Stories could be transcendent, not mere personal experiences. Reading could link you to others. Maybe it was just the right book at a certain moment in my life. But I was a lucky enough kid to meet Mr. Jacques on more than one occasion at bookstore readings/signings. He became my author rockstar and it was his stories that changed how I thought of books which, in turn, has influenced my writing at a very deep level.
What activities best give your brain a break? How do you unwind?
Sudoku. I love (so called) “killer” sudoku. Meditation. Running (which, unfortunately, sometimes puts my brain right back into production mode as much as it allows me a break.) I like video games and play pinball whenever I can get my hands on a good machine. Reading, of course. A hard or two of poker is like a brain-vacation. And, weirdly enough, I like to just stare out the window at the scenery watching birds, rain falling, tree branches moving . . . Oh! I almost forgot: Fishing. I have really gotten into that in recent years. Especially ice fishing. That's good stuff.
What are some of your other published works?
I have three short stories out through Xchyler—two steampunk and one paranormal. Those were a blast to write. And if we “count” stories that I published to my blogs for fun, then I also lay claim to two (currently haitus-ed) continuing stories: one steampunk, one . . . not. :)
And here's a just for fun nerd list from our author:
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars (Though I am a sucker for Voyager.)Hunger Games or Divergent? Neither? I know that sounds terrible. I just never got into the 'dystopian' thing. Too intense for me.James Bond or Jack Ryan? Erm, *embarrassed blush* I haven't ever read or seen a James Bond novel or movie and actually had to Google “Jack Ryan” to find out who that was.Sherlock: Robert Downey, Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch? Jeremy Brett. :)Spock: Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto? Leonard Nimoy.X-Men or Avengers? That has changed for me very recently, actually. Avengers now has the lead because of the excellence of the recent movies—great dynamics.Aliens or Predators? Cue another embarrassed blush . . . Complete and total unfamiliarity here for me.Minions or Penguins? Penguins.Batman or Superman? Batman *But only because he has such cool toys!Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean? That's a tough one because I never really got into Harry Potter in the way that I'm sure this question is asking about and I loved “Pirates” so long as we stick onlyto the first movie.Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles.Peter Jackson or James Cameron? Peter Jackson. But only because I am largely unfamiliar with the main body of James Cameron's work.Steven Spielberg or George Lucas? George Lucas.Vampires or Werewolves? VampiresLARP or MORPG? LARP – always wanted to try one.
THE BLOG TOUR
We're celebrating the release of THE BOOKMINDER by M. K. Wiseman with a blog tour and Rafflecopter give-away! Visit each blog each day for more chances to win lots of great prizes. If you like epic fantasy, you'll love this coming-of-age tale of magic and wizards set in the Renaissance era.
January 9-16, 2016
Saturday, 01-09BookwhizzSunday, 01-10 M. K. WisemanMonday, 01-11 Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering MindTuesday, 01-12 Are You Afraid of the Dark? Wednesday, 01-13 The Howling TurtleThursday, 01-14 Dreams to Become Semi-short ChicFriday, 01.15 JD SperoBooks in the SpotlightSaturday, 01-16 Creativity from Chaos Rambling Reviews
THE GIVEAWAY
Don't forget to enter our blog tour Rafflecopter give-away below, on the blogs above, on our Facebook page, or on Rafflecopter, with daily chances to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
So without further adieu, may I present...
Some links where you can find The Bookminder
Amazon Xchyler Publishing Barnes and Noble Goodreads
The Book Trailer
An Interview with M. K. Wiseman
How did you come up with the concept of your story?
In 2004 I had a very vivid dream that, afterward, wouldn't leave me alone. Said dream basically detailed out one scene from the story, something so different and captivating for me that it stuck. Now, it must be noted that I was not writing at that time, nor did I intend to write in any professional capacity. But as this one nugget of an idea would not let me be, I started to form a story around it – Why were these people doing what they were doing? Who were they? I think that working in the Preservation Dept of the campus library system had bled into my subconscious and that is where the magick system that rules The Bookminder developed.
How did you come up with the title?
Haha, well, I had to actually do a bit of research to check my brain on this as, over time, there have been several incarnations, besides the working title of Wizard's Librarian. As a (former(?)) librarian, I was really hoping to keep the working title, as homage to my career and the work that had sparked the initial idea. But then we wanted to go with something simpler, brighter, and more “fantasy”.The 'research' I allude to above? I just unearthed a Facebook exchange between a librarian friend and I from last March. In it she says she quite likes the new title and then asks “Who came up with that?” My answer? “Honestly I don't remember . . . might have been my editor. We just started throwing things together.” Words that felt book-binder-y but not quite so literal. Things like “Spellbinder / Spellbound” seemed a bit too on the nose.
Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.
The locations in Bookminder are real. Parentino truly did fall to ruins, while its twin fortification flourished. And while the town known as Dvigrad in the story did have another name, Moncastello, in keeping with the attitude of the characters in the story, I dropped the name from their fortification and merely called it Dvigrad. Call it a decision of character politics, if you will.The tales of what actually happened to Dvigrad are a little muddled but history has the town mixed up in the middle of the Venice and Austrian conflict of the sixteenth century. And the town truly was abandoned due to plague—though history has that date at 1630 and Bookminder has it coming some 50-odd years later.
Who is your favorite author? Who has most influenced your work?
Two questions. Two answers:Fav author? Have to go with Douglas Adams. His humor is superb. And while my brain tends to go a little sideways when reading his stories, that's part of my enjoyment of his very unique work. I appreciate that there really is no other author with his touch. As for who has most influenced my work: Brian Jacques. While this may not seem the most obvious choice, hear me out. His Mariel of Redwall is the very first book that I remember being completely in love with. I read, of course, before that. Quite a bit. But this one book seemed to change reading for me. It became more than merely enjoyable. Stories could be transcendent, not mere personal experiences. Reading could link you to others. Maybe it was just the right book at a certain moment in my life. But I was a lucky enough kid to meet Mr. Jacques on more than one occasion at bookstore readings/signings. He became my author rockstar and it was his stories that changed how I thought of books which, in turn, has influenced my writing at a very deep level.
What activities best give your brain a break? How do you unwind?
Sudoku. I love (so called) “killer” sudoku. Meditation. Running (which, unfortunately, sometimes puts my brain right back into production mode as much as it allows me a break.) I like video games and play pinball whenever I can get my hands on a good machine. Reading, of course. A hard or two of poker is like a brain-vacation. And, weirdly enough, I like to just stare out the window at the scenery watching birds, rain falling, tree branches moving . . . Oh! I almost forgot: Fishing. I have really gotten into that in recent years. Especially ice fishing. That's good stuff.
What are some of your other published works?
I have three short stories out through Xchyler—two steampunk and one paranormal. Those were a blast to write. And if we “count” stories that I published to my blogs for fun, then I also lay claim to two (currently haitus-ed) continuing stories: one steampunk, one . . . not. :)
And here's a just for fun nerd list from our author:
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars (Though I am a sucker for Voyager.)Hunger Games or Divergent? Neither? I know that sounds terrible. I just never got into the 'dystopian' thing. Too intense for me.James Bond or Jack Ryan? Erm, *embarrassed blush* I haven't ever read or seen a James Bond novel or movie and actually had to Google “Jack Ryan” to find out who that was.Sherlock: Robert Downey, Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch? Jeremy Brett. :)Spock: Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto? Leonard Nimoy.X-Men or Avengers? That has changed for me very recently, actually. Avengers now has the lead because of the excellence of the recent movies—great dynamics.Aliens or Predators? Cue another embarrassed blush . . . Complete and total unfamiliarity here for me.Minions or Penguins? Penguins.Batman or Superman? Batman *But only because he has such cool toys!Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean? That's a tough one because I never really got into Harry Potter in the way that I'm sure this question is asking about and I loved “Pirates” so long as we stick onlyto the first movie.Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles.Peter Jackson or James Cameron? Peter Jackson. But only because I am largely unfamiliar with the main body of James Cameron's work.Steven Spielberg or George Lucas? George Lucas.Vampires or Werewolves? VampiresLARP or MORPG? LARP – always wanted to try one.
THE BLOG TOUR
We're celebrating the release of THE BOOKMINDER by M. K. Wiseman with a blog tour and Rafflecopter give-away! Visit each blog each day for more chances to win lots of great prizes. If you like epic fantasy, you'll love this coming-of-age tale of magic and wizards set in the Renaissance era.
January 9-16, 2016
Saturday, 01-09BookwhizzSunday, 01-10 M. K. WisemanMonday, 01-11 Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering MindTuesday, 01-12 Are You Afraid of the Dark? Wednesday, 01-13 The Howling TurtleThursday, 01-14 Dreams to Become Semi-short ChicFriday, 01.15 JD SperoBooks in the SpotlightSaturday, 01-16 Creativity from Chaos Rambling Reviews
THE GIVEAWAY
Don't forget to enter our blog tour Rafflecopter give-away below, on the blogs above, on our Facebook page, or on Rafflecopter, with daily chances to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
