Maria Savva's Blog, page 12
July 23, 2016
Interview with Valerie Lull
I first heard about Valerie Lull when I was asked to review her book a few years ago. Ten Healthy Teas, a handy guide for anyone who is new to tea drinking or who would like to try new flavours of tea.
Valerie has a blog where she posts about the health benefits of different food and drinks. It's very interesting and informative.
She has since published two more similar books: Ten Spices: for Health and Longevity, and her latest The Sweet Side of the Stinking Rose; How to Use Garlic to Feel Good and Live Longer.
When I heard she had a new book out, I invited Valerie here for a chat about her writing and inspiration.
INTERVIEW WITH VALERIE LULL
Welcome to my blog, Valerie! Please introduce Yourself.
My name is Valerie Lull. I am passionate about good health and longevity. I was brought up vegetarian so I had a head start on healthy living. I worked for many years in mental health and at the age of 58 I made a career change. I went back to college and took herbal studies. Then I started a writing a blog and I have written 3 books.
Do you have a day job or write full time?
I am retired and I write part-time.
Where does your inspiration come from?
I think it is more a matter of perspiration than inspiration. If I waited for inspiration to strike I would not get much writing done.
LOL :)
I make it a goal to get in at least 20 minutes of writing a day. There is something about holding your newly published book in your hands that is extremely gratifying. It’s like giving birth and holding your precious baby for the first time. The reward is worth everything.
How long did it take you to write your last book?
About two years. I usually have two or more projects going at the same time. I work on one until I get tired of it than go to another. When I’m tired of that I come back to the first one.
That's a good way to work. I think it helps to take a break while working on projects so that you can go back to them with a different perspective. That's how I usually write my books and stories :)
What is your favorite genre to read?
English Mysteries. I’ve always been fascinated by British mysteries and drama. My father was Canadian and we spent a lot of time in Canada with relatives.
What genre do you write in?
I write in the niche of health and wellness. I have tried writing fiction and it was a disaster. I just do not seem able to put a story together and make it work.
Non-fiction is where I do best. I have done a lot of academic writing.
Do you do your own editing or use a professional?
I started out doing my own editing and having 1-2 friends read the manuscript for input. I learned from experience that that is not so good. I still have my friends look over my manuscript, but it does make a difference having another unbiased pair of eyes read one’s manuscript. Especially someone neutral that is not close to you. They can give you a whole different perspective and point out obvious things that you have missed. Your friends will often say nice things, but one really needs a professional. Now that I have learned my lesson I work with a copy editor, and then at the end of the process a proofreader.
That's good advice. I think most writers follow the same path before they realise that it's always best to get someone to have an objective read of anything you're working on before you publish it.
What’s the best time of day for you to write?
I work best in the evening. Often I wake up around midnight and am wide awake. I write for an hour or so then go back to sleep. I do write during the day, at least 20 minutes, often longer. I like it quiet with no distractions. I love music but not when I’m writing.
You sound similar to me :)
Apart from writing, what are your favorite pastimes?
Watching mystery videos, playing with my cat, crochet, talking with friends and relatives on the phone, going to a group called Tea Talks that meets once a week, and vegetarian cooking.
Thank you so much for joining me here, Valerie! I'm looking forward to reading your latest book. I love reading your blog posts!
****************************************
Author links:
Website/blog: http://www.valerielull.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lullval
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookTenHealt...
Valerie has a blog where she posts about the health benefits of different food and drinks. It's very interesting and informative.
She has since published two more similar books: Ten Spices: for Health and Longevity, and her latest The Sweet Side of the Stinking Rose; How to Use Garlic to Feel Good and Live Longer.
When I heard she had a new book out, I invited Valerie here for a chat about her writing and inspiration.
INTERVIEW WITH VALERIE LULL
Welcome to my blog, Valerie! Please introduce Yourself.
My name is Valerie Lull. I am passionate about good health and longevity. I was brought up vegetarian so I had a head start on healthy living. I worked for many years in mental health and at the age of 58 I made a career change. I went back to college and took herbal studies. Then I started a writing a blog and I have written 3 books.
Do you have a day job or write full time?
I am retired and I write part-time.
Where does your inspiration come from?
I think it is more a matter of perspiration than inspiration. If I waited for inspiration to strike I would not get much writing done.
LOL :)
I make it a goal to get in at least 20 minutes of writing a day. There is something about holding your newly published book in your hands that is extremely gratifying. It’s like giving birth and holding your precious baby for the first time. The reward is worth everything.
How long did it take you to write your last book?
About two years. I usually have two or more projects going at the same time. I work on one until I get tired of it than go to another. When I’m tired of that I come back to the first one.
That's a good way to work. I think it helps to take a break while working on projects so that you can go back to them with a different perspective. That's how I usually write my books and stories :)
What is your favorite genre to read?
English Mysteries. I’ve always been fascinated by British mysteries and drama. My father was Canadian and we spent a lot of time in Canada with relatives.
What genre do you write in?
I write in the niche of health and wellness. I have tried writing fiction and it was a disaster. I just do not seem able to put a story together and make it work.
Non-fiction is where I do best. I have done a lot of academic writing.
Do you do your own editing or use a professional?
I started out doing my own editing and having 1-2 friends read the manuscript for input. I learned from experience that that is not so good. I still have my friends look over my manuscript, but it does make a difference having another unbiased pair of eyes read one’s manuscript. Especially someone neutral that is not close to you. They can give you a whole different perspective and point out obvious things that you have missed. Your friends will often say nice things, but one really needs a professional. Now that I have learned my lesson I work with a copy editor, and then at the end of the process a proofreader.
That's good advice. I think most writers follow the same path before they realise that it's always best to get someone to have an objective read of anything you're working on before you publish it.
What’s the best time of day for you to write?
I work best in the evening. Often I wake up around midnight and am wide awake. I write for an hour or so then go back to sleep. I do write during the day, at least 20 minutes, often longer. I like it quiet with no distractions. I love music but not when I’m writing.
You sound similar to me :)
Apart from writing, what are your favorite pastimes?
Watching mystery videos, playing with my cat, crochet, talking with friends and relatives on the phone, going to a group called Tea Talks that meets once a week, and vegetarian cooking.
Thank you so much for joining me here, Valerie! I'm looking forward to reading your latest book. I love reading your blog posts!
****************************************
Author links:
Website/blog: http://www.valerielull.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lullval
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookTenHealt...
July 13, 2016
Interview with Scott M. Liddell
I met Scott M. Liddell via the website morguefile.com a few years ago when I was searching for a photograph to use for the cover of my novel Second Chances.
Morguefile is where you can find royalty free photos to use for creative projects including book covers. I had no idea that Scott was also an author. I found one of his photos on the site and thought it would be ideal for Second Chances, so I contacted him and he kindly allowed me to use it. I still love the photo!
Scott is a talented photographer. I've used a few of his other photos over the years in book trailers I've created for my books. I also used one of them for the cover of my short story collection Far Away in Time.
When I found out Scott was a writer as well as a photographer, I read his debut novel, The Beatle Man. It's brilliant.
As I really enjoyed that book, I was very excited when Scott recently sent me a copy of his newly published novel, Terra Exitus I'm currently reading it and enjoying it immensely. I'll post a review when I've finished it.
INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT M. LIDDELL
Welcome to my blog, Scott! Please introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m Scott Liddell, I’m 46 and live in Edinburgh with my wife, family, 3 cats and a dog. You can find out more on my blog: http://www.scottliddell.com/about/
Why should people buy your books?
I suppose people should buy Terra Exitus if they have any worries about the human condition, it’s a book to make you think and, I suppose, it resonates quite a bit with the current issues the country having now.
My latest book was published by a small Edinburgh publisher Obverse Books who are supporting new fiction with their Obverse Originals range. Usually they publish genre fiction so it's great that they are prepared to take a risk with different things to support new authors. So the main reason to buy my book is to support them for the good of all writers they support.
A very good reason. And also because it's a brilliant book! :)
Where does your inspiration come from?
Ideas happen all the time, I’m writing a new book now. That idea came in the shower. I like to take essences of things I really loved to read. When I wrote the first book The Beatle Man, I got part of the idea from The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. When I met him, I told him this and he very graciously said it was what everyone does.
Do you have a day job or write full time?
I’ve worked in IT for 25 years now and, for the last 12, for a large British Satellite Broadcasting company. My job means I travel a lot and my latest book was written almost entirely on planes.
Wow. That's cool. I've done editing on planes, and other transport, but never actually written a book or story while travelling.
Tell us about your latest book.
When I was a teenager, I read lots by the existential philosopher types, Camus, Satre, etc. – mainly trying to be cool.
LOL :)
"Terra Exitus" is my variation on that theme. It’s about an outsider who finds an element of normality through finding love. She helps him understand that he is not alone and he ends up finding people who think like him when he builds a website: http://www.terraexitus.com/. The website exists, go have a look!
Ha,ha! Awesome website.
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
No. There are maybe a few elements of me in the main character but all others are entirely creations. In fact, the female character is a deliberately idealised creation.
How long did it take you to write your last book?
I had the idea for Terra Exitus about 10 years ago and the story stayed with me all that time. It was written in about 18 months. It’s not a long book, it’s probably long novella sized. I could write about 1000 words on a flight from Edinburgh to London.
Do you do your own editing or use a professional? Anyone you’d recommend?
I was lucky enough to be able to work with the editor from Obverse Books who was a great help. Although we didn’t always agree!
Do you have a preferred writing space?
On a plane. It forces you to be entirely disconnected, no internet, no distractions.
What’s your favourite genre to read?
Over the last few years I have been binge reading authors. So, I’ve been through almost everything by Charles Bukowski, Chuck Palanuik, Graham Greene, and Julian Barnes. I love Julian Barnes, I read The Sense of an Ending in a single sitting.
I'll have to add it to my to-read list :)
What genre do you write in?
My first book, The Beatle Man was probably contemporary Scottish Fiction. I guess Terra Exitus is more Literary Fiction. My next book is set in the future, so quite different.
Who does your cover design? Is there anyone you’d recommend?
I was lucky enough to have the cover designed by the Obverse Books cover designer Cody Schell who is fantastic. I do a lot of photography so I did the cover of my first novel, The Beatle Man, myself with one of my own pictures.
I love your photos, as you know!
Do you do your own proofreading or use a professional?
The answer to the question “Tell me one thing you really can’t do?” is “proofreading”.
Hahaha! I think we're all really bad at proofreading our own work. It's too easy to miss very obvious errors. That's why writing novels is such hard work! :)
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what type?
Yes. Always. I love to the listen to The Fall. Very loud.
LOL I get too distracted listening to music when writing :)
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
I do a lot of photography, I have a Facebook page for my Edinburgh photography, https://www.facebook.com/darkedinburgh.
That's a fantastic page. I love the quotes that you put with each of the photos, and the photos are amazing!
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
I wrote this on my blog a while back: http://www.scottliddell.com/2011/01/n... I concluded I should have been a photographer.
That's a great post! Love the cute meerkat! I'm glad you decided to follow your own advice and do some writing and photography :)
What’s your favourite book, and why is it your favourite?
The Plague by Albert Camus. It’s simply the best book ever written.
That is some recommendation! :) I have to read it now :)
I’d give a special mention to The Crow Road by Iain Banks, he was an amazing author.
What’s your favourite film?
The Big Lebowski – obviously I’m not a golfer.
What type of music do you prefer to listen to?
I’m an 80’s indie kid. I listen to The Smiths.
I’m a 90’s Indie kid. I listen to Suede.
I always listen to The Fall.
I'm sensing an obsession with The Fall LOL :)
Do you format your own books?
I was lucky to have the services of the gang at Obverse Books this time round but I formatted The Beatle Man myself. Using Scrivener make this really easy, everyone should use Scrivener.
Where are your books on sale?
On the Obverse Books website: http://www.obversebooks.co.uk, or Amazon.
Which social media sites can you most often be found on?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottmliddell
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Lake Bled in Slovenia.
That's interesting. One of my cousins wants to move to Slovenia. Says it's a wonderful place.
If you could invite 3 writers (past or present) to dinner, who would you invite and what would you cook?
Albert Camus, Iain Banks and Douglas Adams. I’d order a curry.
Do you have any advice for writers as to how to deal with bad reviews?
Writing a book is hard. It’s the hardest thing I have ever done. People who write bad reviews have no idea how hard it is. They should have a go and then come back and comment.
I agree.
What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
Every now and then you get lost. You are just typing and typing. Then you look up and a 1000 or so words have just appeared. I love it when that happens. Doesn’t happen very often though!
LOL
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Scott! Now I must get back to reading your book. It's great. :)
***********************************
Author links:
Website/blog: http://www.scottliddell.com
Obverse Books: http://obversebooks.co.uk/product/ter...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottmliddell
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scott-M.-Lidd...
Facebook (Photography): https://www.facebook.com/darkedinburgh.
Morguefile is where you can find royalty free photos to use for creative projects including book covers. I had no idea that Scott was also an author. I found one of his photos on the site and thought it would be ideal for Second Chances, so I contacted him and he kindly allowed me to use it. I still love the photo!
Scott is a talented photographer. I've used a few of his other photos over the years in book trailers I've created for my books. I also used one of them for the cover of my short story collection Far Away in Time.
When I found out Scott was a writer as well as a photographer, I read his debut novel, The Beatle Man. It's brilliant.
As I really enjoyed that book, I was very excited when Scott recently sent me a copy of his newly published novel, Terra Exitus I'm currently reading it and enjoying it immensely. I'll post a review when I've finished it.
INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT M. LIDDELL
Welcome to my blog, Scott! Please introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m Scott Liddell, I’m 46 and live in Edinburgh with my wife, family, 3 cats and a dog. You can find out more on my blog: http://www.scottliddell.com/about/
Why should people buy your books?
I suppose people should buy Terra Exitus if they have any worries about the human condition, it’s a book to make you think and, I suppose, it resonates quite a bit with the current issues the country having now.
My latest book was published by a small Edinburgh publisher Obverse Books who are supporting new fiction with their Obverse Originals range. Usually they publish genre fiction so it's great that they are prepared to take a risk with different things to support new authors. So the main reason to buy my book is to support them for the good of all writers they support.
A very good reason. And also because it's a brilliant book! :)
Where does your inspiration come from?
Ideas happen all the time, I’m writing a new book now. That idea came in the shower. I like to take essences of things I really loved to read. When I wrote the first book The Beatle Man, I got part of the idea from The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. When I met him, I told him this and he very graciously said it was what everyone does.
Do you have a day job or write full time?
I’ve worked in IT for 25 years now and, for the last 12, for a large British Satellite Broadcasting company. My job means I travel a lot and my latest book was written almost entirely on planes.
Wow. That's cool. I've done editing on planes, and other transport, but never actually written a book or story while travelling.
Tell us about your latest book.
When I was a teenager, I read lots by the existential philosopher types, Camus, Satre, etc. – mainly trying to be cool.
LOL :)
"Terra Exitus" is my variation on that theme. It’s about an outsider who finds an element of normality through finding love. She helps him understand that he is not alone and he ends up finding people who think like him when he builds a website: http://www.terraexitus.com/. The website exists, go have a look!
Ha,ha! Awesome website.
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
No. There are maybe a few elements of me in the main character but all others are entirely creations. In fact, the female character is a deliberately idealised creation.
How long did it take you to write your last book?
I had the idea for Terra Exitus about 10 years ago and the story stayed with me all that time. It was written in about 18 months. It’s not a long book, it’s probably long novella sized. I could write about 1000 words on a flight from Edinburgh to London.
Do you do your own editing or use a professional? Anyone you’d recommend?
I was lucky enough to be able to work with the editor from Obverse Books who was a great help. Although we didn’t always agree!
Do you have a preferred writing space?
On a plane. It forces you to be entirely disconnected, no internet, no distractions.
What’s your favourite genre to read?
Over the last few years I have been binge reading authors. So, I’ve been through almost everything by Charles Bukowski, Chuck Palanuik, Graham Greene, and Julian Barnes. I love Julian Barnes, I read The Sense of an Ending in a single sitting.
I'll have to add it to my to-read list :)
What genre do you write in?
My first book, The Beatle Man was probably contemporary Scottish Fiction. I guess Terra Exitus is more Literary Fiction. My next book is set in the future, so quite different.
Who does your cover design? Is there anyone you’d recommend?
I was lucky enough to have the cover designed by the Obverse Books cover designer Cody Schell who is fantastic. I do a lot of photography so I did the cover of my first novel, The Beatle Man, myself with one of my own pictures.
I love your photos, as you know!
Do you do your own proofreading or use a professional?
The answer to the question “Tell me one thing you really can’t do?” is “proofreading”.
Hahaha! I think we're all really bad at proofreading our own work. It's too easy to miss very obvious errors. That's why writing novels is such hard work! :)
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what type?
Yes. Always. I love to the listen to The Fall. Very loud.
LOL I get too distracted listening to music when writing :)
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
I do a lot of photography, I have a Facebook page for my Edinburgh photography, https://www.facebook.com/darkedinburgh.
That's a fantastic page. I love the quotes that you put with each of the photos, and the photos are amazing!
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
I wrote this on my blog a while back: http://www.scottliddell.com/2011/01/n... I concluded I should have been a photographer.
That's a great post! Love the cute meerkat! I'm glad you decided to follow your own advice and do some writing and photography :)
What’s your favourite book, and why is it your favourite?
The Plague by Albert Camus. It’s simply the best book ever written.
That is some recommendation! :) I have to read it now :)
I’d give a special mention to The Crow Road by Iain Banks, he was an amazing author.
What’s your favourite film?
The Big Lebowski – obviously I’m not a golfer.
What type of music do you prefer to listen to?
I’m an 80’s indie kid. I listen to The Smiths.
I’m a 90’s Indie kid. I listen to Suede.
I always listen to The Fall.
I'm sensing an obsession with The Fall LOL :)
Do you format your own books?
I was lucky to have the services of the gang at Obverse Books this time round but I formatted The Beatle Man myself. Using Scrivener make this really easy, everyone should use Scrivener.
Where are your books on sale?
On the Obverse Books website: http://www.obversebooks.co.uk, or Amazon.
Which social media sites can you most often be found on?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottmliddell
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Lake Bled in Slovenia.
That's interesting. One of my cousins wants to move to Slovenia. Says it's a wonderful place.
If you could invite 3 writers (past or present) to dinner, who would you invite and what would you cook?
Albert Camus, Iain Banks and Douglas Adams. I’d order a curry.
Do you have any advice for writers as to how to deal with bad reviews?
Writing a book is hard. It’s the hardest thing I have ever done. People who write bad reviews have no idea how hard it is. They should have a go and then come back and comment.
I agree.
What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
Every now and then you get lost. You are just typing and typing. Then you look up and a 1000 or so words have just appeared. I love it when that happens. Doesn’t happen very often though!
LOL
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Scott! Now I must get back to reading your book. It's great. :)
***********************************
Author links:
Website/blog: http://www.scottliddell.com
Obverse Books: http://obversebooks.co.uk/product/ter...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottmliddell
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scott-M.-Lidd...
Facebook (Photography): https://www.facebook.com/darkedinburgh.
July 10, 2016
Interview with Khaled Talib
Khaled Talib is a very talented and inspirational writer. He's very friendly and supportive of other writers. I first started noticing quotes from his book The Little Book of Muses floating around on Facebook and Twitter a couple of years ago, and we've since become good online friends. I recently read The Little Book of Muses and would recommend it. It's a quick read, packed with lots of uplifting and inspirational quotes for writers and artists. (It has also now been translated into Spanish and Italian.)
Khaled is a former journalist with local and international exposure. His articles have been published and syndicated to newspapers worldwide, and his short stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines.
His novel Smokescreen was listed "Thriller of the Month" on e-thriller.com's September 2014 issue.
He's a member of the UK Crime Writers Association.
INTERVIEW WITH KHALED TALIB
Welcome, Khaled! Thank you for joining me on my blog.
Where does your inspiration come from?
From everywhere: it could be a chance meeting with someone or being at some place that left me imbued. There’s no formula — it’s just something you pick up and then later explore the possibility of making something out of it.
What 3 pieces of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Don’t give up. Trust yourself. Listen to your editor.
All great tips
Tell us about your latest book.
I’ve written two flash fiction: I Swear It Happened Just Like This is a collection of short stories based on my experiences. It takes place in various parts of the world.
The second, Stories To Creep you Out Until Dawn is a compilation of horror tales from paranormal to the supernatural. These books have also been translated into Spanish.
My completed novel manuscript, "Incognito", which hasn’t been published yet, is primarily set in Europe, and tells the story of a VIP’s kidnapping. There’s more, but it’s top secret for now.
You've been busy! I love the titles for those flash fiction books! :)
How long did it take you to write your last book?
It took me years to complete my first novel, "Smokescreen". I had no experience, I kept making mistakes before I finally got it right. The second manuscript, amazingly, took me a year and two months. I’ve learned a lot from the first one; it’s the same like everything else: it’s hard at the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier.
It's hard work writing a novel!
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
Pursue what you really want to do, and not what everyone else wants you to do.
Wise advice
When writing a novel or story, do you think word count is important? If so, what is the ideal length?
Personally, no. But it seems many literary agents and publishers demand a certain number of words. So I’m forced to comply. I’ll try to include additional scenes, but when it comes to dialogue, it’s too risky to inflate it. Remember, if you keep blowing a balloon, it’ll explode. You do what you can, but don’t overdo it. My first novel was 66,000 words. For the second one, I stopped at 70,873. That’s the best I can do.
Do you have any advice for writers as to how to deal with bad reviews?
Don’t ever take a bad review personally, and never reply to the reader (and troll) who hates your book whether it’s on Goodreads or Amazon. If your book is good, you’ll find your fair share of positive reviews pouring in to overshadow the bad ones.
What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
You are literally creating something out of nothing.
That's very true :)
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Khaled! I'm looking forward to reading your novels and stories.
****************************************
Author links:
Website: http://khaledtalibthriller.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khaled.talib
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KhaledTalib
Little Book of Muses website: http://thelittlebookofmuses.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Khaled-Talib/e/...
Khaled is a former journalist with local and international exposure. His articles have been published and syndicated to newspapers worldwide, and his short stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines.
His novel Smokescreen was listed "Thriller of the Month" on e-thriller.com's September 2014 issue.
He's a member of the UK Crime Writers Association.
INTERVIEW WITH KHALED TALIB
Welcome, Khaled! Thank you for joining me on my blog.
Where does your inspiration come from?
From everywhere: it could be a chance meeting with someone or being at some place that left me imbued. There’s no formula — it’s just something you pick up and then later explore the possibility of making something out of it.
What 3 pieces of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Don’t give up. Trust yourself. Listen to your editor.
All great tips
Tell us about your latest book.
I’ve written two flash fiction: I Swear It Happened Just Like This is a collection of short stories based on my experiences. It takes place in various parts of the world.
The second, Stories To Creep you Out Until Dawn is a compilation of horror tales from paranormal to the supernatural. These books have also been translated into Spanish.
My completed novel manuscript, "Incognito", which hasn’t been published yet, is primarily set in Europe, and tells the story of a VIP’s kidnapping. There’s more, but it’s top secret for now.
You've been busy! I love the titles for those flash fiction books! :)
How long did it take you to write your last book?
It took me years to complete my first novel, "Smokescreen". I had no experience, I kept making mistakes before I finally got it right. The second manuscript, amazingly, took me a year and two months. I’ve learned a lot from the first one; it’s the same like everything else: it’s hard at the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier.
It's hard work writing a novel!
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
Pursue what you really want to do, and not what everyone else wants you to do.
Wise advice
When writing a novel or story, do you think word count is important? If so, what is the ideal length?
Personally, no. But it seems many literary agents and publishers demand a certain number of words. So I’m forced to comply. I’ll try to include additional scenes, but when it comes to dialogue, it’s too risky to inflate it. Remember, if you keep blowing a balloon, it’ll explode. You do what you can, but don’t overdo it. My first novel was 66,000 words. For the second one, I stopped at 70,873. That’s the best I can do.
Do you have any advice for writers as to how to deal with bad reviews?
Don’t ever take a bad review personally, and never reply to the reader (and troll) who hates your book whether it’s on Goodreads or Amazon. If your book is good, you’ll find your fair share of positive reviews pouring in to overshadow the bad ones.
What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
You are literally creating something out of nothing.
That's very true :)
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Khaled! I'm looking forward to reading your novels and stories.
****************************************
Author links:
Website: http://khaledtalibthriller.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khaled.talib
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KhaledTalib
Little Book of Muses website: http://thelittlebookofmuses.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Khaled-Talib/e/...
July 7, 2016
Interview with Darcia Helle
I met Darcia Helle online a few years ago when she invited me to join her as a resident author on the Bestsellerbound writers' forum. It was a website she was launching with our fellow author Stacy Juba. We ran the site for a few years and we made lots of good writer friends on there, many of whom we still stay in touch with via social media. The website has now closed down, but I think it served a great purpose in helping us to find a network of like-minded independent authors. Those of you who follow my blog will know that we published a few short story anthologies as a group, and those are still available on Amazon, as free downloads: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...
Darcia has also contributed stories to all of the Mind's Eye series of books: http://quietfurybooks.com/mindseyeser...
She is a talented and prolific writer who is able to create true to life characters. Her stories are always unputdownable; full of humour, suspense, and insightful observations about life and human nature. Darcia's written many novels and short stories. I'm a big fan of her writing.
We've become good friends as we have a lot in common; as well as both being writers and avid readers, we're also both music addicts. We recently joined Maria Haskins as bloggers on her Real Rock and Roll blog. There is also a sister-site, Soundwaves Review, where we also blog about all types of music.
INTERVIEW WITH DARCIA HELLE
Welcome to my blog, Darcie! Please introduce yourself.
I like this question, because it’s an interesting sort of challenge. What do you say when you’re asked to introduce yourself? Do you tell people the standard information, about where you live, whether you’re married, etc.? Do you state only whatever details pertain to the people you’re talking to, which, in this case, would be about my writing and books? So many things make up the people we are, and those details are not necessarily anything to do with where we live or what we do for a living. Sometimes the things we say about ourselves—or don’t say about ourselves—are much larger clues to our personalities than we realize. The fact that I have spent an entire paragraph examining a simple question probably tells you more about me than anything else I’m about to share, but here goes.
Hi! My name is Darcia, pronounced dar-see-ah. In high school I was called Darce by my friends, and now I’m mostly called Darcie. (Also spelled Darci, occasionally Darcy. Weirdly, I’m not all that attached to the spelling of my nickname.) I’m married, have two grown sons, two grandchildren, three dogs, one cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Hahaha!
I’m an introvert, I don’t particularly like small talk, and I’m uncomfortable talking about myself, and so this whole introduction thing is awkward. If we were at a social event, I would immediately turn it around to you, and ask you about yourself. Most people willingly and readily oblige. But since I’m just sitting here with my laptop, effectively talking to myself at this point, that option is off the table. So I will tell you this: I’m the woman with the distant smile at the back of the room, quietly watching everyone interact while contemplating which of you is the psychopathic killer.
Hahaha! So that's where all your dark fiction comes from!
Why should people buy your books?
People should buy my books because each purchase sets off a chain reaction of happiness. You press ‘Buy Now’ on Amazon, and an invisible current travels through cyberspace, causing the largest butterfly to soar effortlessly through the air, which causes a child to giggle and clap with glee, which a puppy responds to with playful barks while dancing around the child, which causes the parents to openly laugh, which sends positive vibrations through the air, which eventually come back to you, at which time you’ll suddenly smile for no apparent reason.
I think people should try that! :) Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002LTMF7O/
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
Only one of my books contains characters based on real people, and that is The Cutting Edge.
The main character, Skye, works in a hair salon. All of the characters within that salon, as well as most of the incidents and many of the conversations, are blatant rip-offs of real people who were clients in my mother’s salon, where I worked for 15 years. On an interesting note, this is also the only book I’ve written in which a few readers have accused me of inventing unbelievable characters, because of how outrageously they behave. Funny, because I could not have made up most of this stuff if I’d wanted to, proving reality is indeed stranger than fiction.
LOL It definitely is! I've also noticed that whenever I put something in one of my novels that is based on a real event, I get similar comments from readers, "That would never happen", etc. :)
Do you do your own editing or use a professional? Anyone you’d recommend?
I have a fabulous editor! When I first started out in the independent writing world, I didn’t know anyone and therefore did my own editing. The process typically entailed about 5,000 read-throughs, a whole lot of storming around the house, rubbing my burning eyes, cursing myself for missing the ‘form’ instead of ‘from’ on page 12 with the first 4,999 reads. By the last read, I hated my story out of sheer repetition and mind-bending boredom. And still there would be typos! I learned that it is nearly impossible to self-edit, largely because we already know what the words are supposed to be, and therefore that is what our minds put in front of us.
So true!
I was incredibly fortunate to ‘meet’ Bob Helle on Facebook several years ago. Despite the unique last name, he and I are not related. My husband was tracing his family tree, and at the time was adding a lot of Helles on his Facebook page. Many then connected with me, as well. Bob was one of those people. My husband could find no trace of a family tie to Bob, so we don’t believe they are related at all. But Bob and I quickly found we have much in common and we became almost instant friends. He has a journalism and editing background, and I became his first indie author client. Bob has saved my sanity, as I no longer have to read my own writing to the point of wanting to rip out my eyes. He’s smart, detail-oriented, and super easy to work with. And he makes me look like a much better writer!
If you’re a writer in need of an editor, I highly recommend Bob (Robert) Helle. His e-mail: Robert-at-quietfurybooks.com
Bob is a brilliant editor. I used his services for my most recent novel because I was so impressed by the way he edits the stories for us in the Mind's Eye series :)
What genre do you write in?
I write mostly suspense, because I am fascinated by the dark side of the human mind. Psychological and sociological factors contribute in varying degrees to the people we become. As I research these issues, I find myself questioning free will more and more. How much of who we are is indeed of our own making, and how much is brain chemistry and/or a product of our environment? I was born in a New England college town to a nurturing mother and a father who abandoned us early on because he didn’t like responsibility. Those factors contribute to who I am. Would I be the same person, had I been born to those same parents in a small town in the deep south? And how different would I be if my biological father had chosen to stay and inflict us with his misery? I chase these answers in my writing.
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
I like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain…
No, wait, that’s Jimmy Buffett. My pastimes are limited these days, due to my uncooperative body. So I don’t do any mountain climbing. Not that I would, anyway. I prefer mountain driving.
I’ll state the obvious for a writer, and tell you I read. A lot. Somewhere in excess of 100 books per year. I also listen to and write about a wide variety of music. Music has great healing power, which is especially important to me given the somewhat severe health challenges I deal with. You can find all my music ramblings on two blogs, along with my fellow music addicts Maria Savva and Maria Haskins. Those blogs are:
Soundwaves Review: http://www.soundwavesreview.com
Real Rock And Roll: http://www.realrockandroll.wordpress.com
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
I would tell that introverted teenager who thinks too much:
Worry less, because those people you’re forced to interact with every day won’t matter at all in a few years, nor will their opinions.
Don’t be in such a hurry to fly on your own. Being an adult is hard, and you can never go back to those days when responsibility was mostly just a word.
Good advice.
What was the last book you read? Was it any good?
As I type this, the last book I finished reading was Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope. The story is mystery/suspense/crime fiction with a paranormal slant. I loved everything about this book.
What are you currently reading?
At this time, I am about halfway through reading an advance copy of The Ballroom by Anna Hope. This is historical fiction, and exceptionally well written. I’m thoroughly enjoying the story.
Do you have a pet?
I have four: three dogs and one cat. But they’re far more family members than pets. Oliver is a mix of something that might be Chihuahua and Italian Greyhound. (A designer mix called Italian Greyhuahua).
Sammy’s a mixed breed of completely unknown origins.
Isabel is most likely Chihuahua and Chinese Crested. (Also a designer mix, called ChiChi.)
And Abbie is a cat with questionable history. Her brother was an orange short-hair. She’s tan, gray, and black with medium-length fur.
All of them are rescues, which I wholeheartedly advocate as a first option.
They are all so cute!
Maria, thank you for allowing me to hang out on your blog!
Thank you for being a great guest! It's been fun!
Readers, thank you for reading my nonsense!
**********************************
Author links:
Website: http://www.quietfurybooks.com
Book Blog: http://www.quietfurybooks.com/blog
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/quietfurybooks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/darciahelle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DarciaHelle
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/darciahelle
Darcia has also contributed stories to all of the Mind's Eye series of books: http://quietfurybooks.com/mindseyeser...
She is a talented and prolific writer who is able to create true to life characters. Her stories are always unputdownable; full of humour, suspense, and insightful observations about life and human nature. Darcia's written many novels and short stories. I'm a big fan of her writing.
We've become good friends as we have a lot in common; as well as both being writers and avid readers, we're also both music addicts. We recently joined Maria Haskins as bloggers on her Real Rock and Roll blog. There is also a sister-site, Soundwaves Review, where we also blog about all types of music.
INTERVIEW WITH DARCIA HELLE
Welcome to my blog, Darcie! Please introduce yourself.
I like this question, because it’s an interesting sort of challenge. What do you say when you’re asked to introduce yourself? Do you tell people the standard information, about where you live, whether you’re married, etc.? Do you state only whatever details pertain to the people you’re talking to, which, in this case, would be about my writing and books? So many things make up the people we are, and those details are not necessarily anything to do with where we live or what we do for a living. Sometimes the things we say about ourselves—or don’t say about ourselves—are much larger clues to our personalities than we realize. The fact that I have spent an entire paragraph examining a simple question probably tells you more about me than anything else I’m about to share, but here goes.
Hi! My name is Darcia, pronounced dar-see-ah. In high school I was called Darce by my friends, and now I’m mostly called Darcie. (Also spelled Darci, occasionally Darcy. Weirdly, I’m not all that attached to the spelling of my nickname.) I’m married, have two grown sons, two grandchildren, three dogs, one cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Hahaha!
I’m an introvert, I don’t particularly like small talk, and I’m uncomfortable talking about myself, and so this whole introduction thing is awkward. If we were at a social event, I would immediately turn it around to you, and ask you about yourself. Most people willingly and readily oblige. But since I’m just sitting here with my laptop, effectively talking to myself at this point, that option is off the table. So I will tell you this: I’m the woman with the distant smile at the back of the room, quietly watching everyone interact while contemplating which of you is the psychopathic killer.
Hahaha! So that's where all your dark fiction comes from!
Why should people buy your books?
People should buy my books because each purchase sets off a chain reaction of happiness. You press ‘Buy Now’ on Amazon, and an invisible current travels through cyberspace, causing the largest butterfly to soar effortlessly through the air, which causes a child to giggle and clap with glee, which a puppy responds to with playful barks while dancing around the child, which causes the parents to openly laugh, which sends positive vibrations through the air, which eventually come back to you, at which time you’ll suddenly smile for no apparent reason.
I think people should try that! :) Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002LTMF7O/
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
Only one of my books contains characters based on real people, and that is The Cutting Edge.
The main character, Skye, works in a hair salon. All of the characters within that salon, as well as most of the incidents and many of the conversations, are blatant rip-offs of real people who were clients in my mother’s salon, where I worked for 15 years. On an interesting note, this is also the only book I’ve written in which a few readers have accused me of inventing unbelievable characters, because of how outrageously they behave. Funny, because I could not have made up most of this stuff if I’d wanted to, proving reality is indeed stranger than fiction.
LOL It definitely is! I've also noticed that whenever I put something in one of my novels that is based on a real event, I get similar comments from readers, "That would never happen", etc. :)
Do you do your own editing or use a professional? Anyone you’d recommend?
I have a fabulous editor! When I first started out in the independent writing world, I didn’t know anyone and therefore did my own editing. The process typically entailed about 5,000 read-throughs, a whole lot of storming around the house, rubbing my burning eyes, cursing myself for missing the ‘form’ instead of ‘from’ on page 12 with the first 4,999 reads. By the last read, I hated my story out of sheer repetition and mind-bending boredom. And still there would be typos! I learned that it is nearly impossible to self-edit, largely because we already know what the words are supposed to be, and therefore that is what our minds put in front of us.
So true!
I was incredibly fortunate to ‘meet’ Bob Helle on Facebook several years ago. Despite the unique last name, he and I are not related. My husband was tracing his family tree, and at the time was adding a lot of Helles on his Facebook page. Many then connected with me, as well. Bob was one of those people. My husband could find no trace of a family tie to Bob, so we don’t believe they are related at all. But Bob and I quickly found we have much in common and we became almost instant friends. He has a journalism and editing background, and I became his first indie author client. Bob has saved my sanity, as I no longer have to read my own writing to the point of wanting to rip out my eyes. He’s smart, detail-oriented, and super easy to work with. And he makes me look like a much better writer!
If you’re a writer in need of an editor, I highly recommend Bob (Robert) Helle. His e-mail: Robert-at-quietfurybooks.com
Bob is a brilliant editor. I used his services for my most recent novel because I was so impressed by the way he edits the stories for us in the Mind's Eye series :)
What genre do you write in?
I write mostly suspense, because I am fascinated by the dark side of the human mind. Psychological and sociological factors contribute in varying degrees to the people we become. As I research these issues, I find myself questioning free will more and more. How much of who we are is indeed of our own making, and how much is brain chemistry and/or a product of our environment? I was born in a New England college town to a nurturing mother and a father who abandoned us early on because he didn’t like responsibility. Those factors contribute to who I am. Would I be the same person, had I been born to those same parents in a small town in the deep south? And how different would I be if my biological father had chosen to stay and inflict us with his misery? I chase these answers in my writing.
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
I like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain…
No, wait, that’s Jimmy Buffett. My pastimes are limited these days, due to my uncooperative body. So I don’t do any mountain climbing. Not that I would, anyway. I prefer mountain driving.
I’ll state the obvious for a writer, and tell you I read. A lot. Somewhere in excess of 100 books per year. I also listen to and write about a wide variety of music. Music has great healing power, which is especially important to me given the somewhat severe health challenges I deal with. You can find all my music ramblings on two blogs, along with my fellow music addicts Maria Savva and Maria Haskins. Those blogs are:
Soundwaves Review: http://www.soundwavesreview.com
Real Rock And Roll: http://www.realrockandroll.wordpress.com
What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?
I would tell that introverted teenager who thinks too much:
Worry less, because those people you’re forced to interact with every day won’t matter at all in a few years, nor will their opinions.
Don’t be in such a hurry to fly on your own. Being an adult is hard, and you can never go back to those days when responsibility was mostly just a word.
Good advice.
What was the last book you read? Was it any good?
As I type this, the last book I finished reading was Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope. The story is mystery/suspense/crime fiction with a paranormal slant. I loved everything about this book.
What are you currently reading?
At this time, I am about halfway through reading an advance copy of The Ballroom by Anna Hope. This is historical fiction, and exceptionally well written. I’m thoroughly enjoying the story.
Do you have a pet?
I have four: three dogs and one cat. But they’re far more family members than pets. Oliver is a mix of something that might be Chihuahua and Italian Greyhound. (A designer mix called Italian Greyhuahua).
Sammy’s a mixed breed of completely unknown origins.
Isabel is most likely Chihuahua and Chinese Crested. (Also a designer mix, called ChiChi.)
And Abbie is a cat with questionable history. Her brother was an orange short-hair. She’s tan, gray, and black with medium-length fur.
All of them are rescues, which I wholeheartedly advocate as a first option.
They are all so cute!
Maria, thank you for allowing me to hang out on your blog!
Thank you for being a great guest! It's been fun!
Readers, thank you for reading my nonsense!
**********************************
Author links:
Website: http://www.quietfurybooks.com
Book Blog: http://www.quietfurybooks.com/blog
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/quietfurybooks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/darciahelle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DarciaHelle
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/darciahelle
July 5, 2016
Book Review: The Little Book of Muses, by Khaled Talib
The Little Book of Muses by Khaled TalibMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a wonderful little book for writers and aspiring writers. It's a quick read, but a book full of wisdom that I'm sure I will read again and again. I've seen lots of Khaled Talib's inspirational quotes on his Facebook and Twitter pages over the years and have always enjoyed them. They are simple but thought-provoking. This is a collection of quotes about writers and the things that inspires words and novels; a celebration of words and the magic of art and writing. It's an uplifting and encouraging selection of quotes for writers and artists. There's also a good dose of humour within the pages. Well worth reading.
View all my reviews
Book Review: The Not So Simple Life, by Stephen Shea
The Not So Simple Life by Stephen SheaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It's a fast-paced, quick read, full of adventure. A page turner in the true sense as it will keep you wondering what will happen next. Casey Stewart goes on a blind date with a young woman, Violet. He is then fired from his job and decides to go on a road trip to escape from his life that has become mundane. Violet invites herself along and they embark on an adventure. Casey learns more about his mysterious companion but is left wondering whether everything he's told is true. She is certainly an intriguing character who seems to hold many secrets. Casey also has a past that he hasn't come to terms with. As we follow the pair on the road trip, and after a visit to Casey's brother, we learn more and more about Casey's past. The ending of the book is particularly well done, and quite poignant. This is a book that will entertain you and make you think. It's written with humour but seems to have a deeper meaning, with themes that include regret, blame, guilt, secrets, and loss.
View all my reviews
Interview with Effrosyni Moschoudi
Today I'm delighted to welcome author Effrosyni Moschoudi to my blog. Her debut novel, The Necklace of Goddess Athena, was a #1 Amazon bestseller. Her romance, The Lady of the Pier - The Ebb, was an ABNA Quarter-Finalist. Effrosyni is a member of the writer's groups eNovel Authors at Work, ASMSG, and the Fantasy & SciFi Network.
INTERVIEW WITH EFFROSYNI MOSCHOUDI
Where does your inspiration come from?
First and foremost, I write books for people who love Greece. I believe every author should write about what they know best, or about things they have a passion for. This is the only way, in my opinion, to move the reader with your work, because it’s the truth in the pages that works this kind of magic. The beauty of my country and the fine qualities of its people move me greatly so it was inevitable that these should inspire my writing. I set my debut novel, The Necklace of Goddess Athena, in Athens – the city I grew up in. Then, I set my trilogy, The Lady of the Pier - The Ebb, in Corfu to record memories from my many holidays there with my grandparents in the 1980s. I intend to set most, if not all, my next novels in islands all over Greece. For example, I have family roots in Limnos, Lefkada and Crete and I hope to set novels there one day after doing a little more research in my family history. Basically, I am moved and inspired by my own true experiences and passions.
Are there any sites you could recommend for promotion advice?
Yes, definitely! I have two and I never miss their blog posts. The first is Bookbub Insights: https://insights.bookbub.com/ where you’ll find golden advice on every aspect of publishing, formatting and marketing. The other one is the blog of my writer’s group, eNovel Authors at Work. The founder, Jackie Weger, having tried and tested all the promotional sites out there and having researched Amazon TOS and the best ways to run Amazon promos and to present your books on the product page, blogs unmissable advice that helps you avoid:
-online scammers targeting authors
-getting into trouble with Amazon for violation of their TOS
-making rookie mistakes of all kinds.
Plus, Jackie Weger blogs cracking promotion tips that every author should hear. Personally I never miss a post on the above two sites. I’ve thanked myself more than once for my persistence on this point!
I've never read those blogs. I'll check them out :)
Tell us about your work in progress.
My next book is called The Amulet; it’s a supernatural romantic comedy set on the Greek island of Sifnos and some of its characters are angels. In the process of writing this, I fell in love with the characters and expect I’ll write a couple of other books where some of the angels can reappear. It’s certainly a joy to write about the Cyclades, this stunning, typical part of touristic Greece. The Amulet is now in the editing stage and soon I’ll have it ready for my beta readers. I hope to publish it towards the end of the year.
It sounds fascinating!
.
Who does your cover design? Is there anyone you’d recommend?
My designer is a talented Greek from Veroia, Greece called Alex Saskalides. He has recently done the cover for The Amulet and has also made the one for my fantasy, The Necklace of Goddess Athena. Over time, the latter has impressed many among my followers on Twitter and still does! Alex is a breeze to work with; he understands the concept of the cover I want and delivers exactly what I had in mind. In my experience, some designers can be awkward to communicate with, so I still can’t believe my luck I found Alex. Your readers can see samples of Alex’s work (and may contact him) on his Facebook page, 187Designz
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
I love movies with passion as well as British TV series. I like to watch something every evening with my meal, and in the weekends, especially during winter, I wind up playing a lot of movies at home. It’s the cheapest and most magical way I can think of to free my mind and to escape the daily routine. I also love to cook, as it relaxes me. And when I have guests, it gives me great joy to offer them wholesome meals and desserts I make at home from scratch. More often than not, I prepare Greek meals. Your readers can browse through some of my best recipes here: https://effrosinimoss.wordpress.com/c...
Mmm... those look delicious :)
What’s your favourite film?
Being a movie junkie I always find it hard to answer this question because there are so many different genres I enjoy. So I hope you will forgive me if I name two movies, simply because I can’t decide. Dead Poets Society is one of my favourite movies ever, for the inspiration it gave me when I watched it in my early 20s. It shook my world, and I left the cinema theatre overcome by grief and clutching a hankie, but my heart was swelling… The other movie was The Matrix (the first one) which I love every moment of. Back in 1999 it was the most astounding plot I’d ever heard of and the best camera work I’d ever seen. Of course, the gorgeous Keanu Reeves was a great asset to the movie! I still dream of Neo from time to time, actually. Hopefully he’ll get in that phone booth one day and it’ll be me he’ll call to awaken next, LOL!
Hahaha!
What was the last book you read? Was it any good?
It was House at the Edge - a Gothic romance by my author friend, MM Jaye. It was set on the Greek island of Alonissos, but during winter. I utterly enjoyed it for being so different to the typical Greek romance. Maria is a wonderful writer and I’ve enjoyed her other work too, but found this one particularly atmospheric. It had a bit of everything. Tantalizing romance, crime, suspense, mystery, and a touch of the paranormal. It makes sense that it won an award. I highly recommend it.
Do you have a pet?
I have a four-year-old cat called Felix. I never planned on having another pet since I lost my beloved dog, Nerina, but the neighbour’s cat wound up having her kittens in my garden. The neighbor didn’t want them so I kept them and Felix was the runt of the litter; so tiny and timid, and he ate very little. I wasn’t sure he was going to make it. In time, we gave away all the kittens but kept him as he was our favourite. He turned out to be such a cuddly, loyal thing. Hardly ever leaves our property, but he’s terribly naughty. He likes to lie in my flower pots or flat out on the table in the porch. And every time we open the front door he rushes in, so we have to chase him and chuck him back out. We allow him indoors for small periods of time only, because he tends to make a real mess. He also runs off and hides in the bedrooms. I swear, he does it just for the fun of knowing we’ll be running behind him to catch him. Still, it’s hard to be mad at him as he’s so damn cute! And he seems to be particularly attached to me. He follows me around the garden and when I am in the kitchen he jumps up on the window ledge so he can be close by – meowing every time I talk to him. There used to be five flower pots on that ledge, but in time he smashed them all down to the floor. All in all, a very troublesome creature but I love him to bits!
He's gorgeous :)
Thanks so much for joining me here, Fros, and for sharing your tips and recommendations. I wish you continued success with your books.
**************************************
Author links:
Website & blog: http://www.effrosyniwrites.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/effrosyni
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoreffrosyni
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/frostiemoss
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
INTERVIEW WITH EFFROSYNI MOSCHOUDI
Where does your inspiration come from?
First and foremost, I write books for people who love Greece. I believe every author should write about what they know best, or about things they have a passion for. This is the only way, in my opinion, to move the reader with your work, because it’s the truth in the pages that works this kind of magic. The beauty of my country and the fine qualities of its people move me greatly so it was inevitable that these should inspire my writing. I set my debut novel, The Necklace of Goddess Athena, in Athens – the city I grew up in. Then, I set my trilogy, The Lady of the Pier - The Ebb, in Corfu to record memories from my many holidays there with my grandparents in the 1980s. I intend to set most, if not all, my next novels in islands all over Greece. For example, I have family roots in Limnos, Lefkada and Crete and I hope to set novels there one day after doing a little more research in my family history. Basically, I am moved and inspired by my own true experiences and passions.
Are there any sites you could recommend for promotion advice?
Yes, definitely! I have two and I never miss their blog posts. The first is Bookbub Insights: https://insights.bookbub.com/ where you’ll find golden advice on every aspect of publishing, formatting and marketing. The other one is the blog of my writer’s group, eNovel Authors at Work. The founder, Jackie Weger, having tried and tested all the promotional sites out there and having researched Amazon TOS and the best ways to run Amazon promos and to present your books on the product page, blogs unmissable advice that helps you avoid:
-online scammers targeting authors
-getting into trouble with Amazon for violation of their TOS
-making rookie mistakes of all kinds.
Plus, Jackie Weger blogs cracking promotion tips that every author should hear. Personally I never miss a post on the above two sites. I’ve thanked myself more than once for my persistence on this point!
I've never read those blogs. I'll check them out :)
Tell us about your work in progress.
My next book is called The Amulet; it’s a supernatural romantic comedy set on the Greek island of Sifnos and some of its characters are angels. In the process of writing this, I fell in love with the characters and expect I’ll write a couple of other books where some of the angels can reappear. It’s certainly a joy to write about the Cyclades, this stunning, typical part of touristic Greece. The Amulet is now in the editing stage and soon I’ll have it ready for my beta readers. I hope to publish it towards the end of the year.
It sounds fascinating!
.
Who does your cover design? Is there anyone you’d recommend?
My designer is a talented Greek from Veroia, Greece called Alex Saskalides. He has recently done the cover for The Amulet and has also made the one for my fantasy, The Necklace of Goddess Athena. Over time, the latter has impressed many among my followers on Twitter and still does! Alex is a breeze to work with; he understands the concept of the cover I want and delivers exactly what I had in mind. In my experience, some designers can be awkward to communicate with, so I still can’t believe my luck I found Alex. Your readers can see samples of Alex’s work (and may contact him) on his Facebook page, 187Designz
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
I love movies with passion as well as British TV series. I like to watch something every evening with my meal, and in the weekends, especially during winter, I wind up playing a lot of movies at home. It’s the cheapest and most magical way I can think of to free my mind and to escape the daily routine. I also love to cook, as it relaxes me. And when I have guests, it gives me great joy to offer them wholesome meals and desserts I make at home from scratch. More often than not, I prepare Greek meals. Your readers can browse through some of my best recipes here: https://effrosinimoss.wordpress.com/c...
Mmm... those look delicious :)
What’s your favourite film?
Being a movie junkie I always find it hard to answer this question because there are so many different genres I enjoy. So I hope you will forgive me if I name two movies, simply because I can’t decide. Dead Poets Society is one of my favourite movies ever, for the inspiration it gave me when I watched it in my early 20s. It shook my world, and I left the cinema theatre overcome by grief and clutching a hankie, but my heart was swelling… The other movie was The Matrix (the first one) which I love every moment of. Back in 1999 it was the most astounding plot I’d ever heard of and the best camera work I’d ever seen. Of course, the gorgeous Keanu Reeves was a great asset to the movie! I still dream of Neo from time to time, actually. Hopefully he’ll get in that phone booth one day and it’ll be me he’ll call to awaken next, LOL!
Hahaha!
What was the last book you read? Was it any good?
It was House at the Edge - a Gothic romance by my author friend, MM Jaye. It was set on the Greek island of Alonissos, but during winter. I utterly enjoyed it for being so different to the typical Greek romance. Maria is a wonderful writer and I’ve enjoyed her other work too, but found this one particularly atmospheric. It had a bit of everything. Tantalizing romance, crime, suspense, mystery, and a touch of the paranormal. It makes sense that it won an award. I highly recommend it.
Do you have a pet?
I have a four-year-old cat called Felix. I never planned on having another pet since I lost my beloved dog, Nerina, but the neighbour’s cat wound up having her kittens in my garden. The neighbor didn’t want them so I kept them and Felix was the runt of the litter; so tiny and timid, and he ate very little. I wasn’t sure he was going to make it. In time, we gave away all the kittens but kept him as he was our favourite. He turned out to be such a cuddly, loyal thing. Hardly ever leaves our property, but he’s terribly naughty. He likes to lie in my flower pots or flat out on the table in the porch. And every time we open the front door he rushes in, so we have to chase him and chuck him back out. We allow him indoors for small periods of time only, because he tends to make a real mess. He also runs off and hides in the bedrooms. I swear, he does it just for the fun of knowing we’ll be running behind him to catch him. Still, it’s hard to be mad at him as he’s so damn cute! And he seems to be particularly attached to me. He follows me around the garden and when I am in the kitchen he jumps up on the window ledge so he can be close by – meowing every time I talk to him. There used to be five flower pots on that ledge, but in time he smashed them all down to the floor. All in all, a very troublesome creature but I love him to bits!
He's gorgeous :)
Thanks so much for joining me here, Fros, and for sharing your tips and recommendations. I wish you continued success with your books.
**************************************
Author links:
Website & blog: http://www.effrosyniwrites.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/effrosyni
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoreffrosyni
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/frostiemoss
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
July 3, 2016
Interview with Valerie Poore
Continuing my series of interviews with authors, today I have an interview with Valerie Poore. Val is a writer of both fact and fiction, and adult and children's books. She's a friendly and supportive author. I've been following her for a few years now.
INTERVIEW WITH VALERIE POORE
Hello, Val! Welcome to my blog.
Maria, thank you so much for inviting me here. It's lovely to be a guest on your blog as I've often enjoyed reading your guest posts before, so it's great to be here in the hot seat myself!
Thanks! Please introduce yourself
I like this question as it reminds me of giving presentations when I worked in marketing in South Africa. Always introduce yourself, they said. And half the time I'd forget and only remember half way through. Luckily, my audience used to laugh - well, mostly they did, so in some ways it was a good ice-breaker. But then introductions often are, aren't they?
Well, then who and what am I? I'm an indie writer living and working in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. I was born in London, grew up in the West Country, spent 20 years in South Africa and moved here permanently in 2001. My day job is teaching academic and business writing skills to students, graduates and staff at a Dutch university. That probably doesn't sounds much fun, does it? Actually, I really enjoy it and have lovely students. But, my own writing is something of a welcome break from teaching as I can be more adventurous and play with the language more than I can when I am trying to give students good tips, rules and tools for writing decent sentences.
Fiction writing is a great escape from reality :)
Where does your inspiration come from?
Mostly, it just comes from the world around me. I've been one of life's bit of flotsam in a way. I've washed up on more than a few shores in my time and for that I'm very grateful as it's given me the opportunity to satisfy my ongoing curiosity about people and places. When I was a child, I was fascinated by history, but I think now that it's really always been people who have interested me and that when I was young and living in the UK, learning how people lived in the past was what intrigued me. Then when I went to live in South Africa in my twenties, I had a whole bunch of new people to observe and learn about, so the history part moved onto the back burner. Since I've been pretty much settled in the Netherlands, and also spent three years commuting from Belgium, the life and people in these two countries have provided still more food for my curiosity. I love watching, listening and learning, and then trying to make sense of different customs and cultures in my own way. I think that's also why most of my books are memoirs.
I'm sure all that travelling has given great insight in different types of cultures and human nature
Tell us about your latest book.
My latest published book is Walloon Ways: Three years as a weekend Belgian, the fourth in my memoir series, and this one is about those three years as a weekender on a barge in Belgium. Actually, I was planning to live there full time, but I couldn't get decent paying work in Brussels, so I travelled up to Rotterdam on Mondays and back again every weekend. But even though I still worked in the Netherlands, I loved my time in Belgium and have very fond recollections and memories of the country, so I decided to write a book about them.
My current work in progress, however, is a novel set in South Africa and then I'm in the planning stages of a period novel set on the Dutch waterways during the second world war. It will be a sort of prequel to my first novel, The Skipper's Child, which is set in 1962.
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
Oh yes, I based The Skipper's Child on my Dutch Partner's family background. He grew up on a barge and the family members in my book are very much inspired by his parents and sisters although the story is complete fiction.
In my second novel, How to Breed Sheep, Geese and English Eccentrics, several of the characters are based on my own family (especially the more eccentric ones) but not all of them, and the main character, Maisie, is not me. I must admit that this book is a sort of cross between a memoir and a novel as so much of it is fact.
I love that title! :)
How long did it take you to write your last book?
Walloon Ways took me about six months to write, and then another four of five months to edit. What tends to happen is that when I make changes, I make new mistakes, so I have to proofread several times to try and get it right. My novels have all taken much longer than that though, even up to two years to complete.
Yes, I've found editing can seem like a never-ending process!
Do you do your own proofreading or use a professional? Anyone you’d recommend?
I like doing my own editing, although I'm open to suggestions - I just prefer to have the final say in what I do. However, I'd love to use a professional proofreader. Unfortunately, my income can't justify it yet, so I use Beta readers and I have English teacher friends who proofread it for me, but even after that, I edit and proofread over and over again. If I could afford to use a proofreader, I'd go for @ProofreadJulia, who I know from Twitter. She is so professional and has a great reputation.
How much research do you do when writing a book?
For my four memoirs I've only had to check accuracy of times, dates and events, etc. (memory can be fickle!), but for my novels, I've had to do quite a bit of research, especially for The Skipper's Child, when I needed to know a lot about the waterways and how they operated in the 1960s.
What’s your favourite genre to read?
I'll read almost anything, but oddly enough, my absolute favourite is Detective fiction. If I have a Donna Leon or a Deborah Crombie, you might as well not bother talking to me until I've finished. I just love a good crime novel, but I prefer mental puzzles to gore. I used to like Ian Rankin, but gave up on him when his books became very graphic in the descriptions of the murders and the sick minds behind them. I just couldn't cope with them. That said, I also love memoirs, particularly sailing and cruising memoirs or those that deal with moving to and living in other countries (those people again!). It's sort of why I started writing my own.
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what type?
I can actually write anywhere at any time, so if I'm on a train, for instance, I don't listen to music, and if I'm at home, my partner is often watching YouTube films while I write, so I only get to listen to music when I'm alone. When that does happen, I listen to rock music. I love the music of the seventies and also the nineties but when writing I tend to listen most to JJ Cale. His music is wonderful to write by, and to drive by too.
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
Working on my barge. I am never happier than when I'm doing jobs and maintenance that will keep it the thing of historic beauty that it is. I have an almost unhealthy love for my boat, the Vereeniging. Oh and I like playing the guitar and violin too, but I'm not very good as I don't practise enough. I just enjoy it tremendously.
Thanks so much for being a guest here, Val. I'm looking forward to finding time to read some of your books!
Thanks again, Maria! This was fun to do and it was a great selection of questions. I hope my answers give you an idea of who I am and what I write.
*************************************
Author links:
Blog: http://vallypee.blogspot.nl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vallypee
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/river...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Valerie-Poore...
INTERVIEW WITH VALERIE POORE
Hello, Val! Welcome to my blog.
Maria, thank you so much for inviting me here. It's lovely to be a guest on your blog as I've often enjoyed reading your guest posts before, so it's great to be here in the hot seat myself!
Thanks! Please introduce yourself
I like this question as it reminds me of giving presentations when I worked in marketing in South Africa. Always introduce yourself, they said. And half the time I'd forget and only remember half way through. Luckily, my audience used to laugh - well, mostly they did, so in some ways it was a good ice-breaker. But then introductions often are, aren't they?
Well, then who and what am I? I'm an indie writer living and working in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. I was born in London, grew up in the West Country, spent 20 years in South Africa and moved here permanently in 2001. My day job is teaching academic and business writing skills to students, graduates and staff at a Dutch university. That probably doesn't sounds much fun, does it? Actually, I really enjoy it and have lovely students. But, my own writing is something of a welcome break from teaching as I can be more adventurous and play with the language more than I can when I am trying to give students good tips, rules and tools for writing decent sentences.
Fiction writing is a great escape from reality :)
Where does your inspiration come from?
Mostly, it just comes from the world around me. I've been one of life's bit of flotsam in a way. I've washed up on more than a few shores in my time and for that I'm very grateful as it's given me the opportunity to satisfy my ongoing curiosity about people and places. When I was a child, I was fascinated by history, but I think now that it's really always been people who have interested me and that when I was young and living in the UK, learning how people lived in the past was what intrigued me. Then when I went to live in South Africa in my twenties, I had a whole bunch of new people to observe and learn about, so the history part moved onto the back burner. Since I've been pretty much settled in the Netherlands, and also spent three years commuting from Belgium, the life and people in these two countries have provided still more food for my curiosity. I love watching, listening and learning, and then trying to make sense of different customs and cultures in my own way. I think that's also why most of my books are memoirs.
I'm sure all that travelling has given great insight in different types of cultures and human nature
Tell us about your latest book.
My latest published book is Walloon Ways: Three years as a weekend Belgian, the fourth in my memoir series, and this one is about those three years as a weekender on a barge in Belgium. Actually, I was planning to live there full time, but I couldn't get decent paying work in Brussels, so I travelled up to Rotterdam on Mondays and back again every weekend. But even though I still worked in the Netherlands, I loved my time in Belgium and have very fond recollections and memories of the country, so I decided to write a book about them.
My current work in progress, however, is a novel set in South Africa and then I'm in the planning stages of a period novel set on the Dutch waterways during the second world war. It will be a sort of prequel to my first novel, The Skipper's Child, which is set in 1962.
Are there any characters in your books that are based on real people?
Oh yes, I based The Skipper's Child on my Dutch Partner's family background. He grew up on a barge and the family members in my book are very much inspired by his parents and sisters although the story is complete fiction.
In my second novel, How to Breed Sheep, Geese and English Eccentrics, several of the characters are based on my own family (especially the more eccentric ones) but not all of them, and the main character, Maisie, is not me. I must admit that this book is a sort of cross between a memoir and a novel as so much of it is fact.
I love that title! :)
How long did it take you to write your last book?
Walloon Ways took me about six months to write, and then another four of five months to edit. What tends to happen is that when I make changes, I make new mistakes, so I have to proofread several times to try and get it right. My novels have all taken much longer than that though, even up to two years to complete.
Yes, I've found editing can seem like a never-ending process!
Do you do your own proofreading or use a professional? Anyone you’d recommend?
I like doing my own editing, although I'm open to suggestions - I just prefer to have the final say in what I do. However, I'd love to use a professional proofreader. Unfortunately, my income can't justify it yet, so I use Beta readers and I have English teacher friends who proofread it for me, but even after that, I edit and proofread over and over again. If I could afford to use a proofreader, I'd go for @ProofreadJulia, who I know from Twitter. She is so professional and has a great reputation.
How much research do you do when writing a book?
For my four memoirs I've only had to check accuracy of times, dates and events, etc. (memory can be fickle!), but for my novels, I've had to do quite a bit of research, especially for The Skipper's Child, when I needed to know a lot about the waterways and how they operated in the 1960s.
What’s your favourite genre to read?
I'll read almost anything, but oddly enough, my absolute favourite is Detective fiction. If I have a Donna Leon or a Deborah Crombie, you might as well not bother talking to me until I've finished. I just love a good crime novel, but I prefer mental puzzles to gore. I used to like Ian Rankin, but gave up on him when his books became very graphic in the descriptions of the murders and the sick minds behind them. I just couldn't cope with them. That said, I also love memoirs, particularly sailing and cruising memoirs or those that deal with moving to and living in other countries (those people again!). It's sort of why I started writing my own.
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what type?
I can actually write anywhere at any time, so if I'm on a train, for instance, I don't listen to music, and if I'm at home, my partner is often watching YouTube films while I write, so I only get to listen to music when I'm alone. When that does happen, I listen to rock music. I love the music of the seventies and also the nineties but when writing I tend to listen most to JJ Cale. His music is wonderful to write by, and to drive by too.
Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?
Working on my barge. I am never happier than when I'm doing jobs and maintenance that will keep it the thing of historic beauty that it is. I have an almost unhealthy love for my boat, the Vereeniging. Oh and I like playing the guitar and violin too, but I'm not very good as I don't practise enough. I just enjoy it tremendously.
Thanks so much for being a guest here, Val. I'm looking forward to finding time to read some of your books!
Thanks again, Maria! This was fun to do and it was a great selection of questions. I hope my answers give you an idea of who I am and what I write.
*************************************
Author links:
Blog: http://vallypee.blogspot.nl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vallypee
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/river...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Valerie-Poore...
June 30, 2016
Interview with Charles D. Blanchard
I met Charles D. Blanchard a few years ago when I was sent his novel "Mourning Doves After The Fire" for review. I enjoyed the book and we have been online friends ever since.
When I heard that Charles had a new book out, I invited him here for a chat about his writing.
INTERVIEW WITH CHARLES D. BLANCHARD
Welcome to my blog, Charles. Please introduce yourself.
Hello. My name is Charles Blanchard. I am a writer living in Mt. Vernon NY. I am proud to be part of this interview series with Maria Savva. I have published two novels so far. Mourning Doves After the Fire (2010) and Kingdom's End (2016).
Tell us about your latest book.
Kingdom’s End is an adventure story for young adults and adults where the main characters are rodents. The setting is an abandoned motion picture palace from the 1920s that has been closed for thirty years and is set for demolition. It is here where the characters make their massive colony and fight to protect it.
The story deals with their struggle to survive in a dark urban landscape and the threats posed against them from both man and beast. It is exciting and complex and an easy read with strong characters and narrative that makes you feel their plight.
There are many conflicts. Among them, a plot within the colony to overthrow the aged blind leader by an ambitious ruthless soldier and a good deal of the story involves how he goes about it. Later, the plot is discovered as forces work against the perpetrator.
The rodent characters have names. The human characters interspersed in the story are nameless.
There is considerable adventure outside the colony as characters are introduced that play important roles such as the derelict rats that specialize in the placement of poison and even a fortune teller. The interaction with humans and other animals has an emotional pull that infuses the story to its conclusion as the blind leader of the entrapped colony facing the exterminators tells his subjects they must make their decision on life or death.
I love the idea of having rats as the main characters!
How long did it take you to write Kingdom's End?
Four years.
How much research do you do when writing a book?
A lot. It’s matter of reading a lot of material before I will start writing the novel. I create a scene in my mind that would be a natural next occurrence in the story and work through a narrative that makes sense in the progression of the story.
What are some of the pros/cons of being an indie author?
Pros: To have complete control over every aspect of the creation of the book to its conclusion. Cons: The self-publishing world is a difficult environment. You have to pay them to publish your work and in that process can be found sometimes a frustrating experience of dealing with the various departments of the publisher. Many times I wished not to continue. They get things wrong all the time no matter how specific are your instructions. The constant speaking over the phone and going over the same mistakes over and over again. Marketing a self-published book is a major challenge, perhaps more so than the actual writing of it. It is important to get a target audience. I feel that reading groups and blogs are essential in trying to convince the world to look at your work.
What genre do you write in?
I consider myself a literary novelist. I enjoy fiction of this kind.
Who does your cover design? Is there anyone you’d recommend?
The illustration for the cover of Kingdom’s End is "The Council Held by the Rats" by Gustave Dore, done in the year 1870, I believe. It’s dramatic. I love the way Dore uses light in this illustration, as the rafts of light shine on the encircled band of rats at a gathering of some kind.
It's a great choice for the book cover!
Do you do your own proofreading or use a professional?
Both. At first I thought I did not want to go through the expense of an editor. But given the multilayered narrative and the many references to past occurrences in Kingdom’s End, I am pleased that I had another pair of eyes to go through it all and indicate when something I referred to actually did not take place in that way, and I corrected it.
Where are your books on sale?
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Lulu.com. Many other book outlets online.
What was the last book you read? Was it any good?
Alien Land by Willard Savoy. It is a powerfully written novel about a young African American whose mother is white and father is black. The son passes for white. The title refers to living as an African American in the United States in the Jim Crow South during the thirties and forties when segregation and other hostilities were forced upon them as the feelings between blacks and whites surges dangerously high. Savoy pulls no punches in this book. It is both elegant and gritty, and graphic when it needs to be.
What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
The discovery of new things both during the research and in the creation of the narrative. Suddenly, an idea pops into your brain that somehow makes sense and you are glad that you thought of it and can now use it to move the story in a different direction.
Thank you so much for answering my questions, Charles. Best of luck with Kingdom's End. It sounds fascinating. I'm adding it to my to-read list!
***************************************
Author links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charles.blan...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cblanc10708
Book website: http://www.kingdomsendnovel.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
When I heard that Charles had a new book out, I invited him here for a chat about his writing.
INTERVIEW WITH CHARLES D. BLANCHARD
Welcome to my blog, Charles. Please introduce yourself.
Hello. My name is Charles Blanchard. I am a writer living in Mt. Vernon NY. I am proud to be part of this interview series with Maria Savva. I have published two novels so far. Mourning Doves After the Fire (2010) and Kingdom's End (2016).
Tell us about your latest book.
Kingdom’s End is an adventure story for young adults and adults where the main characters are rodents. The setting is an abandoned motion picture palace from the 1920s that has been closed for thirty years and is set for demolition. It is here where the characters make their massive colony and fight to protect it.
The story deals with their struggle to survive in a dark urban landscape and the threats posed against them from both man and beast. It is exciting and complex and an easy read with strong characters and narrative that makes you feel their plight.
There are many conflicts. Among them, a plot within the colony to overthrow the aged blind leader by an ambitious ruthless soldier and a good deal of the story involves how he goes about it. Later, the plot is discovered as forces work against the perpetrator.
The rodent characters have names. The human characters interspersed in the story are nameless.
There is considerable adventure outside the colony as characters are introduced that play important roles such as the derelict rats that specialize in the placement of poison and even a fortune teller. The interaction with humans and other animals has an emotional pull that infuses the story to its conclusion as the blind leader of the entrapped colony facing the exterminators tells his subjects they must make their decision on life or death.
I love the idea of having rats as the main characters!
How long did it take you to write Kingdom's End?
Four years.
How much research do you do when writing a book?
A lot. It’s matter of reading a lot of material before I will start writing the novel. I create a scene in my mind that would be a natural next occurrence in the story and work through a narrative that makes sense in the progression of the story.
What are some of the pros/cons of being an indie author?
Pros: To have complete control over every aspect of the creation of the book to its conclusion. Cons: The self-publishing world is a difficult environment. You have to pay them to publish your work and in that process can be found sometimes a frustrating experience of dealing with the various departments of the publisher. Many times I wished not to continue. They get things wrong all the time no matter how specific are your instructions. The constant speaking over the phone and going over the same mistakes over and over again. Marketing a self-published book is a major challenge, perhaps more so than the actual writing of it. It is important to get a target audience. I feel that reading groups and blogs are essential in trying to convince the world to look at your work.
What genre do you write in?
I consider myself a literary novelist. I enjoy fiction of this kind.
Who does your cover design? Is there anyone you’d recommend?
The illustration for the cover of Kingdom’s End is "The Council Held by the Rats" by Gustave Dore, done in the year 1870, I believe. It’s dramatic. I love the way Dore uses light in this illustration, as the rafts of light shine on the encircled band of rats at a gathering of some kind.
It's a great choice for the book cover!
Do you do your own proofreading or use a professional?
Both. At first I thought I did not want to go through the expense of an editor. But given the multilayered narrative and the many references to past occurrences in Kingdom’s End, I am pleased that I had another pair of eyes to go through it all and indicate when something I referred to actually did not take place in that way, and I corrected it.
Where are your books on sale?
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Lulu.com. Many other book outlets online.
What was the last book you read? Was it any good?
Alien Land by Willard Savoy. It is a powerfully written novel about a young African American whose mother is white and father is black. The son passes for white. The title refers to living as an African American in the United States in the Jim Crow South during the thirties and forties when segregation and other hostilities were forced upon them as the feelings between blacks and whites surges dangerously high. Savoy pulls no punches in this book. It is both elegant and gritty, and graphic when it needs to be.
What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
The discovery of new things both during the research and in the creation of the narrative. Suddenly, an idea pops into your brain that somehow makes sense and you are glad that you thought of it and can now use it to move the story in a different direction.
Thank you so much for answering my questions, Charles. Best of luck with Kingdom's End. It sounds fascinating. I'm adding it to my to-read list!
***************************************
Author links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charles.blan...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cblanc10708
Book website: http://www.kingdomsendnovel.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
June 29, 2016
Book Review: Eyewitness Blues, by Tim Baker
Eyewitness Blues by Tim BakerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. Having read No Good deed and Living the Dream, I was looking forward to reading this one. Tim Baker is a brilliant writer. His novels are always full of humour and plenty of twists and turns. "Eyewitness Blues" is another action-packed book that is entertaining and contains the inspired and thought-provoking prose that I have come to expect from this author.
We follow the hapless Martin Aquino in this crime-fuelled adventure. He travels to Flagler Beach in Florida, and there we meet some of the characters from Tim Baker's earlier novels, including Ike. Ike is a larger than life character who regularly appears in this author's books. There's a bonus short story at the end of the book, which is taken from a collection of short stories that feature Ike.
There are so many interesting and realistic characters in "Eyewitness Blues". It will have you on the edge of your seat.
Tim Baker's novels are always engrossing and compelling, and "Eyewitness Blues" is no exception. It's a fun read that also has a deeper meaning. It's always wonderful when you find a writer who knows how to weave compulsive and entertaining tales that also contain important observations about life and human nature.
View all my reviews
