G.D. Talbot's Blog, page 4

My Interview with Lannah Sawers-Diggins

1 What is your name and/or pen name?
Name: Lannah Sawers-Diggins. Pen-name the same;
2 What genre do you write?
Genres: Just about anything in non-fiction;
3 What made you want to be a writer?
I have wanted to be a writer all my life – I think, partly because of the isolation of my childhood on our family sheep station. I have always wanted to write and publish a book – just never known how to. I did realize very early on that I would never write fiction – do not have the creativity nor imagination for that. But because I had no idea how to write what I wanted and publish a book, instead I started writing letters to penfriends. And that sort of satisfied me until my late 20s. I still didn’t have any idea how to have a book published but that yearning was coming to the fore again – so on I went with my letter writing. Until my mid-50s when I suddenly found myself having to have my late father’s writing published. THAT was the catalyst for living my dream.
4 What do you use to keep yourself inspired while writing?
Nothing really, except passion for whatever I am writing about. But, yes, there are times when I just don’t feel like writing. I have a break from it then. Go for a walk or just do something else completely. That’s always worked for me.
5 How do you feel about the writing community as a whole?
I never thought anything about it until I did start writing books, even though as mentioned, I have always wanted to write. But I love it now and, through groups and social media, I am emeeting a lot of authors/writers. I find that a lot of people are now asking me things, which I answer if I can. Otherwise I refer them onto someone else.
6 Have you or will you be willing to collaborate with other authors in the future?
Absolutely. I’m all for good collaborations and not just with other authors. That’s something I find social media is excellent for – contacts.
7 Tell us about your book and if it is upcoming or already published.
I have actually had three books published with another one being prepared for publication. I am writing yet another one and have a couple more in the pipeline. The first, mentioned earlier, is my late father’s writing: ‘The Sawers from Pitcairn’. It is the story of the first of our family members to leave our ancestral seat in Scotland and move out to Australia. It follows some of their employment on various stations, finishing quite a pretty detailed look at life on our own family station. ‘Bullseye’ was next – largely forgettable. It is a compilation of some 35 case histories written and submitted by victims of bullying from around Australia and one from the UK. For legal reasons, I was not able to include my own story and also not able to have the book edited. ‘Red Dust Dreams’ comes next. It is a big book which involved a huge amount of research. It is about our cattle properties in outback Australia, focusing on the little-known-about domestic side of life on some of the largest and most remote stations here. There is a lot more about this book, including a documentary, two online fashion sites, a special YouTube channel and much more. My next book is my auto-biography, called ‘No Looking Back’. I have finished writing it and it is being edited at the moment, in preparation for publication. I am currently writing a book on writing books. I have several more books in mind but they are very much for the future.
8 Is your book or upcoming book in ebook, paperback or both?
All my books are available in ebook form and I plan to have all, except Red Dust Dreams, in paperback. Unfortunately – and this is as much my fault as anything, because this did not occur to me – Red Dust Dreams is too big to be anything but hard cover (as well as ebook). However, once my current contract expires, I am seriously looking at having it reprinted, splitting it up into two or three separate books, so it can be released in paperback.
9 Is this your first book?
No. I have three published titles, although the first two are not my writing. But everything since Red Dust Dreams is my book and my writing.
10 Are you planning to write more?
Since I am unashamedly and completely addicted to writing, yes, I do plan more. At first, I was having the heeby jeebies because I couldn’t think of anything more to write about once I completed my current projects, but then all I had to do was look, listen and turn around – and I now have an endless list of titles.
11 Is there anything you would say to other writers that want to write and publish a book?
Yes! Go for it! It is actually very easy and there are an enormous number of publishing companies out there, but choose carefully. Do your homework and research. I’ve been caught twice and learned the hard way but now I know what to look for. It will all be included in my book.
12 Where can my books be found and how can your readers follow me?
‘The Sawers From Pitcairn’, ‘Bullseye’ and ‘Red Dust Dreams’ can all be found on Amazon. They are also available through the bookshop on my website: www.lannahsawersdiggins.com They are not available from traditional bookshops unfortunately, but if anyone wishes to look and purchase that way, just ask to have the requested title ordered in for you.
My links:
Website: www.lannahsawersdiggins.com
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/lannahs
FaceBook: http://facebook.com/reddustdreams/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/red_dust_dreams
And there are several more but these are the main ones. Two promo videos too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvDDuJR4q7M
And a little funny one: http://facebook.com/lannah.sawers.diggins/posts/101 
Thank you so much Lannah for sharing with us. You have a very interesting point of view which I am sure makes your books great.
If you would like to check out Lannah’s books or social media sites, please use the links above.
As Always, Happy Reading and Writing EveryoneG. D. Talbot

Other Earthly Realms FREE

Other Earthly Realms FREE On Prolificworks.com


Other Earthly Realms FREE On Prolificworks.com

My Interview with Frank B. Luke

What is your name and/or pen name? 
Frank B. Luke 
What genre do you write? 
Fantasy both medieval fantasy and modern fantasy. And I am currently working on my first LitRPG. 
What made you want to be a writer? 
I have always wanted to put my words on paper for others to read and be inspired in their Christian walk. I can’t put a time on when it happened. 
What do you use to keep yourself inspired while writing? 
Inspiration has never been a problem. In fact, I have to focus on a piece because other ideas will come to me while writing one book. 
How do you feel about the writing community as a whole? 
I find the writing community, especially smaller writers, very open and helpful. They don’t view other writers as competition. Instead, the know that helping other writers get started also helps them by bringing in more fans. 
Have you or will you be willing to collaborate with other authors in the future? 
Even though I never have before, I am very open to collaborating with other writers. However, writers who collaborate have warned me that the work has to be split evenly, with each author ready to contribute their full 80%. (And that’s no typo.) 
Tell us about your book and if it’s upcoming or already published. 
Seven Deadly Tales collects a story about each of the deadly sins. Each story spends time at Lou’s Bar & Grill, an establishment that differs with every story depending on what the client would respond to best. The staff goes out of their way to offer exactly what you think you want most. But the price is always more than what’s on the menu. 
Is your book or upcoming book an eBook, paperback, or both? 
Seven Deadly Tales can be bought in either format. 
Is this your first book? 
No. I released Rebirths several years ago. It is available only as an eBook. It is a medieval fantasy about a prophet who falls hard from grace and only returns after leaving black magic. Once he has repents, he struggles with whether or not he can ever be used as a prophet again. 
Are you planning to write more? 
I am almost finished with a companion book to Seven Deadly Tales. Joshua’s Pawn Shop deals with the other side of the spirit realm. You only find Joshua’s when you need a second chance. Where the Seven Deadly Tales focus on vices and sins, each story in Joshua’s revolves around one of the cardinal virtues or heavenly graces. 
Is there anything you would say to other writers, that want to write and publish a book? 
Don’t give up. If God has given you a story, work until it is out there. 
Where can my readers find your book and how they can follow you on social media? Leave only links that you want open to the public. 
Rebirths http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013CDEI7M
Seven Deadly Tales https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BPGMJYF
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.b.luke


Thank you so much Frank for sharing with us, and I really enjoyed when you said, “Don’t give up. If God has given you a story, work until it is out there.” Those words give me encouragement and I am going to use that statement in my inspirational step when I am creating.I hope everyone will give Frank’s books a look over and if you buy and read them, make sure to leave a review.As Always, Happy Reading and Writing EveryoneG. D. Talbot

Francisca's Run

Francisca’s RunBy G. D. Talbot


            Francisca can only see darkness and then she hears her little sister screaming in the distance. As she focuses on the screams they become louder until they fill and hurt her ears. She opens her eyes as she sits up in bed and looks around her bedroom. The cross around her neck swings gently back and forth.
            Then she sees a shadow move through her doorway and out of her room. At the same time she hears her sister scream for help. She jumps to her feet wearing nothing but a t-shirt and chases after the sounds of her sister, until she is outside. People are running in a panic around her, all in the same direction. As she looks frantically around for her sister, one of the people bumps her. She turns around to see that Guanabara Bay is filled with a black fog and she cannot see the bottom of Sugarloaf Mountain. She then notices that the black fog is moving fast towards her and as it touches other people, they fall to the ground screaming in pain.
            Francisca turns in panic and as she does she sees her little sister being carried in the distance, in front of the panicking horde of people.
            Francisca screams, “Ana!”
Then she starts running after her, she pushes and shoves people out of her way. She tries to catch up and after a few turns she can’t see her sister anymore, and is now just following her screams.
As pain starts to cramp her feet and radiate up her legs, she can feel something wet on the bottom of her toes. She stops and looks down to see that her feet are cut, bruised, and bleeding. She looks around and sees a shop has shoes on a table. She grabs the shoes and starts putting them on. She sees the shadow of the shopkeeper move over her.
Francisca pleads as she finishes putting on the shoes and as she looks up at the shopkeeper. “I promise, I will return and pay you.”
Francesca’s eyes grow wide as he sees that the shop owner is reaching out and crying. She looks to see what he is reaching for and sees that a woman is completely covered in the black fog, not moving or breathing. It’s then she notices that the fog is encircling the shop owner, but not touching him. Then she watches as the fog does the same to her.
As she examines the fog by slowly moving her body towards it and watching it move away from her, she hears Ana screaming in the distance again. She swings her arms out to her sides, forcing the black fog to move completely away from her. Then she begins running after the screams again.
This time as she runs, she notices that other people are being devoured by the evil fog, but not all. The sadness from those watching their love ones dying and suffering is too much for her, and she starts to cry. Then the memory of Father Lucas the day before enters her mind. She remembers him telling her to keep to her faith. That she cannot save anyone but herself from evil.
As Ana’s screams get louder, Francisca turns a corner and screams back, “I will save her! I will protect her! She is only six!”
She then sees a cricket bat lying on the side of a building. As she runs past it, she grabs it, and continues on her way until she realizes that she is almost to the base of Christ the Redeemer. She stops and looks behind her to see that Rio is completely covered in a black cloud, and only the tip of Sugarloaf Mountain can be seen. She turns back around and moves slowly closer to the statue. She sees a black cloaked figure with long pointy fingers, holding Ana in one arm as he slowly moves his free hand over her body. He suddenly pulls his hand up and points his sharp looking fingers down at her.
Francisca screams, “NO!”
Then she runs at the cloaked figure, her cricket bat over her head. As she gets close, the figure drops Ana and starts moving away from her. He floats and glides with ease, and appears to have no legs under his cloak. Francisca doesn’t slow down and continues swinging at him until she finally connects, hitting him in the side. The cloaked figure grabs his side and then flies off the enclosed area, and into the air disappearing into the sky.
Francisca drops her bat and runs back to her sister. As she turns, her cross flips over and onto her back. When she gets to Ana, she stands her up and starts holding her.
“Are you ok, Ana?” Francisca asks as she pulls away just enough to see Ana’s face.
Ana only forces a smile out from behind her tears, as fear slowly dissipates from her face.
Suddenly a metallic ting sound fills the air from behind them, and Francisca can feel something gently touching the cross on her back. She stands up straight and turns around as her cross swings back to the front of her. She sees the cloaked figure standing there, pointing one of his fingers at her. Then the cloaked figure turns his hidden head to the side as he examines the cross around her neck. Francisca pulls Ana behind her as she slowly steps back away from the evil figure.
In a raspy, low, heavy breathing voice, the cloaked figure says. “Father Lucas was right. You can only save yourself, and no one else.
Francisca makes her hands into fists as she screams angrily. “Really, let’s find out.”
As she starts to run at the cloaked figure, the cloaked figure grows outward. As the black fog reaches him, he becomes one with the fog, as Francisca hears Ana screaming stop. Then everything becomes black around her and she is lost in the darkness.
Francisca wakes and sits up in bed. A loud voice starts to become clear and she can hear Ana saying. “Stop sleeping, I’m hungry.”
Francisca turns to the door in her room and sees Ana standing there impatiently tapping her foot on the floor, her arms crossed over her chest, and staring angrily at her. A beam of light comes from between the curtains on her window. Francisca squint her eyes as the beam reflects light off of the cross around Ana’s neck.
Francisca asks in a joking tone. “Is it time to make breakfast already?”
Ana answers as her scowl turns to a smile. “Yes.”
Suddenly the sound of people running by their home fills the room. They both turn to the sounds as they hear people screaming. “The darkness is coming, the darkness is coming!”
Francisca and Ana look at each other as Francisca jumps from her bed and moves towards Ana.
Francisca says panicking, “RUN!”

If you enjoyed this story and would like to check out my other works use the links below
Free Short Story on Gremlin Creative, Good American Kids

All my published book on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback

My Interview with Scott Blasingame

What is your name and/or pen name? 

Scott Blasingame. 
What genre do you write? 
Primarily science fiction or fantasy with a heavy action/adventure flair. But I’ve also published a book of poetry and a book of Bible topics. 
What made you want to be a writer? 
Honestly, I was hard pressed to find the kinds of stories I like to read. Either the plot and drama were there, but the action was lacking, or the action was there, but the plot and drama were lacking. I had dabbled at it off and on since I was kid, writing and drawing my own comic books, writing short stories, or beginning stories that just never quite went where I wanted them to so I quit fooling with them. 
I hadn’t written anything for a number of years, but I was always jotting down plot ideas, little character developments, and snippets of dialogue for different stories. My wife often told me I ought to write a novel, and one day it just clicked. So I went through my folder of stuff and decided to tackle the story idea that was fleshed out the most. By the time I was into the third chapter, I could tell it was a different experience than what I’d had in the years previous. And I was both hooked and compelled to finish it. My first book was “The Warrior-Son”. 
What do you use to keep yourself inspired while writing? 
I am an avid reader, though I’m not big on what many would consider to be the classics. I find I enjoy reading history the older I get. I love a good biography or autobiography. And I keep a mountainous backlog of fiction on hand. I probably read more fantasy, specifically the “sword & sorcery” type, than science fiction. But I love a good Western, crime novel, or horror story. 
I’m also a film buff, especially when it comes to martial art movies. (I actually studied Northern Shaolin Kung Fu for almost 10 years.) I tend to watch a lot of those when I’m working on something because I get good ideas from them for staging action scenes. I enjoy writing detailed fight sequences. 
How do you feel about the writing community as a whole? 
Well, I reckon I can only speak regarding the self-publishing community because that is how I make my work available. I’m in a couple of the Facebook discussion groups, the majority of which is made up of self-published authors. Generally, they’re very encouraging. They can be very helpful and informative. They can also be highly critical at times, and that’s not a bad thing depending on the context of the critique you give or get. (I haven’t really looked into joining any local writing groups where I live. Guess I ought to do that.) Many times they will cite examples of their characters or plot lines. Odds are they aren’t meaning to be egotistical, that’s just their point of reference. I have to remind myself of that when reading comments such as that. Still, I don’t like being that guy, so I make a conscientious effort not to do that (though I’m sure I have on occasion). 
Have you or will you be willing to collaborate with other authors in the future? 
I don’t think so. I’ve been asked to a couple of times in the past, but honestly, I have enough ideas of my own to keep me busy for a quite while. I like to outline my stories to keep me on track as far as plot points and staging the action. I’m not sure how that would work with someone similarly minded who would have their own ideas about how the story should go, or with someone who writes the story as it comes to them. I would also think that on some level, whether consciously or unconsciously, one would become the alpha writer and the other would eventually get resentful. I don’t care to get into a dynamic like that. 
Tell us about your book and if it’s upcoming or already published. 
I have a series titled “The NightDragon” which features my own mystically enhanced martial artist superhero, who is based in a city called Nocturnity. The first 2 books, “Enter the NightDragon” and “DI3”, are already available. These contain the origin of the main character and his encounter with a group of thieving assassins known as the Deadly International Trio or DI3 for short (and pronounced ‘die’). Hopefully, books 3 and 4, “Simian” and “O Mortifero”, are due to come out in the next month or so. In book 3, the NightDragon encounters a bizarre, intelligent creature that is part man/part monkey. Then book 4 sees the NightDragon trying to prevent Simian and some of his genetically altered friends from being taken by O Mortifero (which Portuguese for ‘the deadly one’), a lieutenant of sorts for a global organization taking its initial steps toward world domination. 
Is your book or upcoming book an eBook, paperback, or both? 
It will indeed be available as both. 
Is this your first book? 
It’s not. The first was “The Warrior-Son” which is epic in scope and part of a planned trilogy, the second of which is “The Warrior Lost”. (The third is yet to be written.) 
The NightDragon was the second book I wrote and published. 
Are you planning to write more? 
Oh yes. The NightDragon is intended to be an ongoing series. I’m always adding characters, plot lines, possible book titles, and such to my folder of ideas for it. I’m currently dabbling with an outline for the fifth book. 
Is there anything you would say to other writers, that want to write and publish a book? 
You have to be dedicated and disciplined to see it through to the end. If you hit a wall while writing and can’t seem to get past it, let it sit and gel for a day or two, three at the most. Sometimes a little time away helps, but don’t fall into the trap of constantly putting it off. That is why outlining helps me so much. I like to know how I plan to begin and end the story I’m working on. Then I start staging things in between that takes the plot from one to the other. 
My best advice is to write the story you want to read. That’s what I did. Most likely, others will like it, too. And it always helps me to keep in mind this quote by Alfred North Whitehead: 
“A man really writes for an audience of about ten persons. Of course if others like it, that is clear gain. But if those ten are satisfied, he is content.” 
Where can my readers find your book and how they can follow you on social media? Leave only links that you want open to the public. 
Both the ebooks and print books are available on Amazon. And thank you for interviewing me, Mr. Talbot. I greatly appreciate it. 
https://www.amazon.com/Scott-Blasingame/e/B00J7YWTNQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1  
Thank you Scott for sharing with us, I completely understand when you talk about writing the story you want to read. I just hope and pray that you will get more than 10 people to enjoy your books, and I am sure you already have more than that. With that being said I invite everyone to use the link above and check out all of Scott’s published books to date. When you are done reading, make sure to leave a review.  Also Scott, I feel the need to point out that Mr. Talbot is my father, everyone just calls me G. D. J  As Always, Happy Reading and Writing Everyone  G. D. Talbot

My Interview with Mary Ellen Johnson

What is your name and/or pen name? 
Mary Ellen Johnson also my pen name for all but THE LANDLORD’S BLACK-EYED DAUGHTER, which is Mary Ellen Dennis 
What genre do you write? 
Historical fiction, mainly medieval. When I’m finished with my six book series, KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND, I will do a series of time travel, which I consider historical in a different form. I look forward to going back in time but using the contemporary knowledge that my time traveler possesses so I can play with now vs. then. 
What made you want to be a writer? 
Books have always been part of my life. Parents always read to my brothers and me, but what a gift when we discovered the public library! And, at twelve, when I discovered the Middle Ages via Thomas Costain and Anya Seton’s KATHERINE, I knew I wanted to be a part of that world. 
What do you use to keep yourself inspired while writing? 
Research. My books blend historical characters such as Edward III and the Black Prince with my own creations. I haven’t been gifted with the greatest imagination so when I read, I think, I canuse that! I try to be historically accurate with “real” people  but can play with my characters. For example, I had read about women, anchoresses, who voluntarily walled themselves up in a room adjoining a church. There they would stay—some hand digging their own graves—until they died. Then the one window through which they maintained contact with the outer world would be walled up andthere  they would remain until Judgement Day. I had to use that, just as I had to play with how my hero, who runs through five of my six books, would deal with the fourteenth century version of PTSD. For surely, knights/soldiers during this time—beginning of Hundred Years’ War with lots of battle—would be affected. How did they cope?  I love trying to figure out the medieval mind—how they thought, why they believed certain things, how they perceived the world around them. While I have to always keep contemporary readers in mind, I am happiest when I can successfully give us a realistic glimpse into our ancestors. 
How do you feel about the writingcommunity as a whole? 
After a long hiatus when I was involved with criminal justice issues, I’ve only recently returned to writing. Social media is a wonderful tool and the indie sites are really helpful and encouraging. 
Have you or will you be willing to collaborate with other authors in the future? 
I collaborated on THE LANDLORD’S BLACK-EYED DAUGHTER with a friend. After putting on my save-the-world hat, I lost all interest in fiction. I had finished a book based on the Victorian poem, The Highwayman, and a very good friend asked if she could play with it and see if she could find a publisher. I said, “Sure.” She added some sex scenes--which rather make me cringe. Not my style at all—and sold it under the pseudonym, Mary Ellen Dennis. It actually did quite well, better than THE LION AND THE LEOPARD, which is an earlier book I had published with a traditional publisher (Crown). 
Tell us about your book and if it’s upcoming or already published. 
I have three books published in my six part KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND series.THE LION AND THE LEOPARD (totally rewritten), A KNIGHT THERE WAS, and WITHIN A FOREST DARK are available via both ebook and paperback. I have finished A CHILD UPON THE THRONE and LORDS AMONG THE RUINS. My series bookends the fourteenth century, a time I find very exciting with the Black Death, the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381, brutal battles against the French (beginnings of the Hundred Years’ War) and the death/murder of two kings. 
Is your book or upcoming book an eBook, paperback, or both? 
Both. 
Is this your first book? 
No, nearly completed my six book series, THE KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND. 
Previously published THE LION AND THE LEOPARD and THE LANDLORD’S BLACK-EYED DAUGHTER. 
Are you planning to write more? 
Yes. I didn’t write anything other than business/political correspondence for two decades and I’m making up for lost time. I have things I want to say and a limited amount of time in which to say them! 
Is there anything you would say to other writers, that want to write and publish a book? 
Please take the craft of writing seriously. The wonderful thing about indie publishing is that many different voices can be heard. The bad thing is that so much of what is out there is so very amateurish.  An electrician, plumber or carpenter does not become proficient in his craft in a week or two. Neither will a writer. Read. Write. If you can’t take classes study the writers you admire and emulate them. I do a lot of editing for other writers… Not everyone can be a great writer—I certainly am not—but please learn the basics. Some of the writers whose work I have critiqued have told me they don’t read! When you write you are in the company of the greats from Shakespeare to current Pullitzer Prize winners. Respect them! 
Where can my readers find your book and how they can follow you on social media? Leave only links that you want open to the public. 
On facebook you can follow me on Knights of England. https://www.facebook.com/mejauthor/
 I’m also on various writer/historical groups. I am actually very new at this particular part of writing. 
Website: www.maryellenjohnsonauthor.com 
All three KNIGHTS OF ENGLAND books are free with KINDLE UNLIMITED 
THE LION AND THE LEOPARD https://amzn.to/2MTv15X
A KNIGHT THERE WAS https://amzn.to/2PkPjHk


Thank you so much Mary. I don’t write in your genre Historical Fiction and I really enjoyed learning about it. Also I have to admit that I am very interested in your upcoming time traveling books. Everyone that reads my stories knows I love putting in a time element, sometimes it’s time traveling.  I hope everyone will check out Mary’s books by using the links above.  As Always, Happy Reading and Writing Everyone  G. D. Talbot

My Review of - Awaken The Love Within You - Self Love

1 Star for writing and publishing your book1 Star for cover½ Star for interior formatting½ Star for the intro1 Star for the book as a whole
As always I gave one star for just publishing the book. I gave one star for the cover as a whole because it was simple. Any of you that follow me know, I like simple covers but also I didn’t see any errors on it. 1/2 star for interior formatting, I found at least one error or more. 1/2 star for the intro, it was interesting but seemed to be lacking something to make me want to keep reading. 1 star for the book as a whole, I enjoyed the subject matter and felt that it was useful and insightful.
4 out of 5 stars
I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a great self help book but at the same time a wonderful book about explaining. How and why people should love themselves. The author also put a connection about herself into her book, giving the reader an added sense of worth about the subject matter.
If you would like to check out this book for yourself use the link here.Awaken The Love Within You Self Love on amazon
Happy Reading and Writing Everyone
G. D. Talbot

My Interview with Richard M Polk

What is your name and/or pen name? 
Richard M Polk 
What genre do you write? 
Scfi/fantasy, poetry, whatever else the muse throws at me… 
What made you want to be a writer? 
I don’t know really, I was always into reading when I was young, my favorite authors are C.S Lewis, JR. Tolkien, Agatha Christie and Isaac Asimov (just to name a few). I guess you can say that it was a professor at TC3 that originally got me into writing poetry. This is where my writing took off. Ironically, around this time is when my characters for my first novel were born. 
What do you use to keep yourself inspired while writing? 
Generally there are several different things, I usually do a journal entry before working on my daily writing, in a lot of ways, this is a free write, were no rules exist. Whatever comes out comes out. Also when writing, I let the story take over- as in the likest scenario, the seemingly impossible – is what I go for.
For instance, in the second world of Healing Disease (Penthesilea), I have a scene where the townsmen were clothes shopping for their wives (In this particular world, the gender roles were switched) while dressed in high heels, skirts and jewelry. The two male characters (Nosos and Old Man) are disgusted by what they see. The Old Man turns around too quickly and bumps into Symphony (who is the captain of the guard and also their tour guide). She scowls and shoves Old Man causing him to fall backwards. He would’ve hit the ground if Nosos hadn’t caught him. 
Now this was a minor incident and I had originally thought of doing it again in this particular world – but on a bigger scale. However as I thought about this, most likely while pushing a broom around at work, an image of an arena popped into my mind. I realized that if I was going to go big scale, why not blow it out of the park and have a gladiator arena where the men of Penthesilea, who displeased the wives fought to regain their favor.
This scene actually worked better than I thought it would and instantly became a hit when I shared it with the writing group I was attending at the time. 
Beyond this, I usually leave myself notes as I go along and always try to leave off at a point that I can easily pick up again the next day. 
How do you feel about the writing community as a whole? 
I feel that it is like every other community. You will have people who are generous and willing to help and then you will run across those who only do things if it benefits them. I’d honestly like to learn more about the writing community and promoting ones work. 
Have you or will you be willing to collaborate with other authors in the future? 
I’m always willing to collaborate with other authors. Before I moved back to NY, I was involved in Just write, which is a writing group that meets in Phoenixville PA 
Tell us about your book and if it’s upcoming or already published. 
Well I have two books out, Water Lily Pond, which is a book of poetry and Healing Disease, which is a scfi/fantasy novel. I also have the second installment of Healing Disease ready for final review as well as wrapping up the first draft of Crow (this is bound to continue into one or two more books). I also do a weekly blog, the most current are about Jillian adventures. 
As for my most current novel Healing Disease, here is the best way for me to describe it. 
Nosos, a US navy officer, awakens to find himself in a strange land. Desiring nothing but to return to his wife and daughter, Nosos learns from the White Wizard that he must travel with Tinnese, to the Black Wizards castle and complete the task given them. Along the way, they are joined by an android named Danny and Old Man, who rush him unconscious to the Black Wizards Castle after he foolishly explores a dangerous cave. There Nosos recovers and attends a banquet where he finds out from the Black Wizard that in order to return home, he must obtain seven keys from seven different worlds and return them to the Hall of Mirrors. Trouble arises when Nosos, Tinnese, Old Man and Danny enter the first world and retrieve the first key, which is a talking brain. In doing so they attract the attention of Crow, the self-proclaimed ruler of the six worlds and arch enemy of the One Who Saves. Can Nosos prevent himself and his team from self-destructing while avoiding the clutches of Crow’s razor sharp reach? 
Is your book or upcoming book an eBook, paperback, or both? 
Both 
Is this your first book? 
2nd 
Are you planning to write more? 
Yes 
Is there anything you would say to other writers, that want to write and publish a book? 
Don’t give up and when in doubt, just write. There is one thing that I’ve learned is that, if a rule of writing doesn’t work for you while you are writing, throw it out. It is your writing, you can do as you like with it. One other bit of advice, if possible find a writing group near you and join it, being in the presence of fellow writes and artist will not only help inspire you but will offer insight when it is needed the most. 
Where can my readers find your book and how they can follow you on social media? Leave only links that you want open to the public. 
Healing Disease On Amazon 
Water Lily Pond On Amazon  
https://richardmpolk.wixsite.com/every-thing-creative 
I can also be found on FB 
https://www.facebook.com/Jillian-351345625243668/?ref=bookmarks 
https://www.facebook.com/Narrator-231060074300840/ 
Thank you Richard, I can tell from your answers that we have a similar inspirational process. When you said, “Whatever comes out comes out.” Made me think about when I say, “Anything and everything is possible when writing.”
If you would like to check out Richard’s books or follow him on social media, use the links above.
Happy Reading and Writing Everyone
G. D. Talbot

Last Inspirational Photos For Summer

I wanted to give one more set of photos that gave me inspiration this summer. I hope everyone enjoys them. If you have any photos that inspire you and would like to have them hosted on my blog, please send them to my email at g_d_talbot@yahoo.com. Also don’t forget to subscribe to my blog to get updates.







Happy Reading and Writing Everyone G. D. Talbot

My Interview with Adam Bertocci

What is your name and/or pen name? 
Adam Bertocci 
What genre do you write? 
Whatever I feel like at the moment! Humor, pop culture non-fiction, a little YA, a little literary. 
What made you want to be a writer? 
You know what’s weird, I don’t think I’ve ever actually been asked this before, at least not enough that I have an answer ready. I guess I enjoyed it and thought I was good at it and that was enough to get me started. I was sort of a strange person in that I was writing screenplays in middle school. Already I’d figured out that dialogue was my strength. 
What do you use to keep yourself inspired while writing? 
Ideally if I’m actually writing I won’t need inspiration. I believe in getting your outline hammered out to the point where you should know where you’re going and that most of your surprises in the process should be pleasant ones. That doesn’t always work out, of course. So I’ve had a certain amount of success listening to a song, or thinking about a scene in another medium entirely that gets at what I want, and asking myself, what’s the feeling you get from this, and how can you translate that feeling into words on the page? 
How do you feel about the writingcommunity as a whole? 
Boy, broad question. The best thing I’ve observed in my interactions with the writing community is the tough-love attitude. There are enough people willing to come along and give a budding writer the critique they need to hear. 
Have you or will you be willing to collaborate with other authors in the future? 
Well, I’ve collaborated with Shakespeare a time or two, and he’s always been easy to work with. You know… coming from screenwriting, collaboration is a given; even if you’re the sole writer, you’re still taking in feedback from the producer or director, and the end result is very much a product of someone else’s mind even if by some miracle every word spoken came from you. So on one level that seems natural to me. The co-authoring arrangement is hardly as common in prose, and it’s not something I’ve really thought about myself, but if the right person and the right project came along, why not? 
Tell us about your book and if it’s upcoming or already published. 
I am most famous for “Two Gentlemen of Lebowski”, published by Simon & Schuster in 2010 and somehow still in print. It’s a mashup retelling the movie “The Big Lebowski” in the style of William Shakespeare. I often refer to it as surprisingly educational. 
Is your book or upcoming book an eBook, paperback, or both? 
Paperback, set up just like the Shakespeare paperbacks you might have had in school; the text on the right-hand page, scholarly annotations and period illustrations on the left-hand page. An eBook is available, but, maybe I’m showing my age here, I think the joke works better in the print format. 
Is this your first book? 
Yes, and the funny thing is, it wasn’t even intended to be a book. It began life as an elaborate Internet joke that was designed to call attention to me as a writer and try to land me other gigs. I had no idea it would have any life of its own. The publishing industry came to me, not the other way around. Nice work if you can get it. 
Are you planning to write more? 
I dabble in short fiction, which has taught me a lot; I put out a couple of stories a year on the Kindle store. As for books, I already have written more—outside the Shakespeare-movie-mashup subgenre, I stress—but without success pitching them so far. Which is fine. My wheelhouse sort of lies outside the mainstream and I’m not sure the industry knows what to do with it. Look, I don’t think “Two Gentlemen of Lebowski” would have been successful as a book pitch all by itself; it took off on its own, brought directly to the people, and then the industry came calling. 
Is there anything you would say to other writers, that want to write and publish a book? 
Try to have a sense of who your book is for, what demographic of person would buy it, what sort of media they already enjoy. I meant this as publishing advice, but maybe it’s not bad writing advice either, keeping a sense of your audience in mind. 
Where can my readers find your book and how they can follow you on social media? Leave only links that you want open to the public. 
These days the book is most easily obtained at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1451605811/adambertocci-20  
Social media:
http://www.facebook.com/adambertocci
http://twitter.com/AdamBertocci  
Thanks!
Your welcome Adam and thank you for sharing with us. I can relate with you when you talk about music while writing. Before I even start writing, I pick a theme song for the story I’m working on. To play over and over again to keep me focused on it. If you would like to check out Adam’s book or follow him on social media, use the links above. As Always, Happy Reading and Writing Everyone G. D. Talbot